bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relicts of the forest cenoflora in the eastern Russian Caucasus
Authors: Taysumov M A , Umarov M U , Baybatyrova E R , Astamirova M A-M , Abdurzakova A S , Magomadova R S
Published: July 2021

The article is devoted to the analysis of relics of the forest cenoflora occurred in the eastern part of the North Caucasus. Using the methods of morphological-ecological-geographical, florogenetic analysis and synthesis, etc., we analyzed the results of field observations and herbarium funds available in the region, and also scientific publications. The species composition of relics was revealed, their territorial distribution in forest communities, their origin, and florogenetic relationships were determined. The purpose of the analysis is to establish the geographical origin of relict species. In the studied flora, two types of relics were identified-tertiary and glacial, their importance for solving florogenetic issues is noted. The presence of relics of different geographic origin in forest cenoflora is explained by the consequences of migration processes that have taken place since the middle of the Tertiary period, which led to the movement of floristic complexes from the northern territories, from Transcaucasia and the adjacent parts of Asia Minor and Western Asia. Many relict species (Huperzia selago (L.) Bernh.ex Schrank & Mart., Lycopodium annotinum L, Selaginella helvetica (L.) Spring, Equisetum hyemale L., Polypodium vulgare L., Phyllitis scolopendrium (L.) Newman, Polystichym braunii (Spenn.) Fee, Taxus baccata L., Actaea spicata L) have rather extensive ranges in the Caucasus, and in general, their relictness is determined by the insular position of forests in this area.
Dynamic Trends of 100-year Anthropogenic Vegetation Cover under the Influence of the White Sea – Baltic Canal
Authors: Vampilova L B
Published: July 2021

The process of economic use of the White Sea region landscapes has historically impacted the vegetation cover trends. The reason lies in the intensity of development adjusted for time factor. We have provided a variety of events related with nature resource management of the Karelian Pomorye landscapes involved in iron production, salt making, sawmills construction, shipbuilding, building of railway and the White Sea – Baltic Canal (WBC), marshland reclamation, housing development and wood logging. These are the types of forest resources which did impact tree layer depletion. We have pre-conditioned to use a geobotanical map of the Shueretsko-Sorokskaya Forest Dacha, Kem Uyezd, the Karelian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, which was compiled under the direction of K. F. Malyarevsky in 1925. An idea leaped into our mind to trace long-term influence made by the anthropogenic factor on differentiation, dynamics and stability processes experienced by swamp and forest geosystems. The research problem is the study of the duration and limitation of development, chronological researching role in landscape transformations. The original features of the study conducted to develop historical and geoecological line of geography.
Vegetation dynamics of Kulikovo Field agrosteppes: the contribution of environmental factors
Authors: Volkova E M , Lebedeva M V , Yamalov S M
Published: July 2021

On the territory of the Kulikovo Field Museum-Reserve (Tula region) the restoration of meadow-steppe communities is carried out by different methods: the sowing grass mixtures, seed material and using a combined approach. The aim of the work is to assess of structure phytodiversity of plant communities on the gradient of reconstruction succession. The using DCA-ordination analysis of geobotanical descriptions is allowed us to select 4 groups of communities that differ by age of sowing. In phytosociological spectrum of youngest communities the activity of species of the classes of natural and synanthropic vegetation is approximately the same. With an increase in the age of experiments the activity of apophyte species from natural vegetation classes increases and the activity of synanthropic species decreases. The revealed trend is confirmed by the analysis of the activity of species of different life forms: with an increase in the age of communities, there is a decrease in the activity of monocarpic one- and two-year-old weed species, which have high activity at the initial stages of succession. In the middle stages of succession, dense-sod species are more active in communities, and in the latter stages, the activity of loose-sode and rod-root species increases. During the succession of agrosteps, there is an increase in the activity of meadow-steppe and steppe species from the classes Festuco-Brometea, Molinio-Arrhenatheretea, Trifolio-Geranietea and a decrease in the activity of synanthropic vegetation species (Papaveretea rhoeadis, Sisymbrietea, Artemisietea, Epilobietea angustifolii). The results obtained indicate a succession in the direction of formation of steppe meadows.
Research on Influencing Factors between Post-relocation Support Policy And Sustainable Livelihood Results
Authors: GuangBo Lin , DingBo Zhou , ShanYu Chen , WenGui Yang
Published: July 2021

The hydropower project immigrants in the Youjiang Revolutionary Zone have certain particularities. It is located in the southwestern border of China. The region’s economic development is underdeveloped. The implementation of the later support policy content is very important. In the context of the development of the new era, Study the impact of the implementation of the current support policies on the livelihood results of the migrants, which is related to the sustainable development of the migrants. This paper is based on the survey data of 412 relocated residents from three large and medium-sized hydropower stations at the Tianshengqiao First-Class Station, Longtan Hydropower Station, and Baise Water Conservancy Project. The research results are as follows: 1. The content of the later support policy has a positive and significant impact on the results of the sustainable livelihoods of the migrants.; 2. The effect of the later support policy plays an intermediary role between the content of the later support policy and the results of the sustainable livelihoods of the migrants.; 3. The content of post-support policies for economic and project types has a positive impact on the effects of post-support policies, but has no significant impact on the results of sustainable livelihoods. 4. The content of the later support policies for openness, democracy and management has no significant impact on the policy effect, but has a positive and significant impact on the results of the sustainable livelihoods of the immigrants.
Land Usage and Sustainable Livelihood: Case Comparative Study of Tourism Ethnic Villages in China
Authors: Shang Qianlang , Ming Qingzhong , Li Mengxue
Published: July 2021

The land issue is the key to the Rural Revitalization Strategy of China. Tourism development will change land usage and promote livelihood changes. This study aims to analyze the impact of land usage on sustainable livelihood in the tourism environment. Through the case study of two ethnic tourism villages, this paper shows the benefit distribution and sustainable livelihood of two different land usage patterns and finds the intrinsic relationship between land usage and sustainable livelihood. The results show that tourism land use will lead to livelihood changes, and different land usage patterns produce different livelihood sustainable outcomes. The critical point for sustainable livelihood is that the land usage patterns should allow residents to participate in tourism and have a sustainable income. In addition, land usage will also change the traditional cultural space of ethnic villages. Finally, the paper puts forward practical suggestions on tourism land usage.
Energy Consumption Calculation and Analysis of Gas Suspension Calciner
Authors: Li Yinbao , Li Jing , Yin Rui , Zhang Mengzhen , Li Guowang , Guo Rui , Li Wenfeng
Published: July 2021

Gas suspension calciner is a kind of ideal fluidization process equipment for energy economy. In order to improve the effective of gas suspension calciner, a series of effecting factors such as producer gas component, air-fuel ratio, products moisture and heat dissipation on calciner energy consumption were discussed in this paper, which is based on the research of thermal balance calculation of gas suspension calciner. The study of thermal balance calculation has significant meaning on the energy-saving and the whole refinery energy consumption.
Knowledge Mapping and Research Progress of Wind Energy Application Based on CiteSpace
Authors: Ni Chengwei , Ma Minxiang , Ye Lin , Li Jiayunrui , Tan Zhe
Published: July 2021

The global demand for new energy has entered an unprecedented era, and the application of wind energy is one of the key contents in the development of new energy. Taking the “wind energy + application” in WOS (Web of Science) and CNKI database as the retrieval target, and the relevant papers retrieved as the research data, this paper uses the scientific knowledge mapping software (CiteSpace5) to carry out the keyword commonality analysis, cluster analysis and time mapping analysis on wind energy application scenarios.Finally, summarized research hotspots and forecasted its research trends in wind energy application scenarios in global and China. The results show that the international wind energy application research hotspots and trends are wind energy storage and wind power project site selection; In China there are offshore wind power and wind energy evaluation.
Vaccine of live attenuated Eimeria
coecicola boosts immunity against coccidiosis for sustainable rabbit production in Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Authors: Hamid P H , Nugroho W S , Prastowo S , Widayanti R
Published: July 2021

Coccidiosis is one of the prominent problems in the rabbit industry. Control of coccidiosis is mainly used chemical coccidiostat as drug or as substances in feed which induce resistance development and antibiotic contamination. To date, there is no commercially available vaccine to prevent rabbit coccidiosis cases. We used live-attenuated Eimeria coecicola to induce protective immunity against rabbit coccidiosis in Yogyakarta. Pressure selection was performed to attenuate wild-type E. coecicola with lower pathogenicity but possessing the ability to induce an immune response to coccidia infection. The precocious line had reduced the prepatent period to 165 hours and 65% less oocyst production compared to wildtype. The group vaccinated with the precocious line exhibited significantly reduced total oocyst excretion compared to the non-vaccinated group (P < 0.0001) when challenged with homolog infection. Our trial showed no mortality rate and without detrimental responses of vaccinated rabbits (P < 0.0001). The excreted oocysts in post-vaccinated rabbits were found since the dosage of 5 x 102 which was presenting fecundity and the ability of E. coecicola precocious line to recirculate. Later, the recirculate oocysts may provoke a continuous flock immunity. The vaccine candidate is useful as the more environmentally friendly approach and disease prevention management for sustainable rabbit production.
Impact of Urban Environmental Quality on Industrial Total Factor Productivity-Panel Data from 251 Cities in China
Authors: Du Chunyan
Published: July 2021

More than 70% of cities in China failed to reach air quality standards in 2017. The continuous deterioration of pollution makes for the great challenge for the reasonable flow of population, which will not be conducive to the stable development of the industrial TFP. This paper analyzes the relationship between urban environmental quality and industrial TFP through panel data from 2006 to 2013 in 251 cities. The regression model results are as follows. Firstly, urban environmental quality promotes the industrial TFP significantly. Industrial TFP of labor-intensive enterprises, non-state-owned enterprises and enterprises in central and western China are more obviously affected by urban environmental quality. Secondly, urban environmental quality generates population flow, which resulting in the change of industrial TFP. That is to say. The 1% rising of urban environmental quality, the net inflow of population will increase by 3.527%, fostering industrial TFP grow by 0.111%.
Provenances and Controlling Factors of Solutes in Surface Runoff in the Tarim River Basin, Northwest China
Authors: Wang Jian , Xu Junli , Li Yongshan , Yan Wei
Published: July 2021

Research addressing the spatial differences and evolution of river hydrochemistry can clarify the interaction between surface water-soluble substances and the environment, as well as reveal correlations between surface water quality and human activities. Here, by sampling surface runoff and taking regional geology as the background, we analyze the provenances and control factors of soluble substances in the Tarim River Basin. We found that: More than 80% of the soluble ions in surface water originated from rock weathering in the mountains. The Gibbs free energy between the ions showed that when the runoff flowed out of the mountain, the Ca2+ and HCO3
- were almost saturated. The major ion concentration rose synchronously with the runoff migration. These findings indicate that the solute of surface water mainly originated from mountainous areas. Soluble substances had difficulty entering the river channel by erosion of the scarce surface runoff.
Characteristics and traceability analysis of nitrate pollution in the Yellow River Delta, China
Authors: Xie Hanyou , Li Jing , Liu Deyao
Published: July 2021

The Yellow River Delta is one of the regions with the highest nitrogen application rate in China. Because of the high-intensity development and utilization of the Yellow River Delta, a large number of nitrate inorganic nitrogen pollutants have been transported offshore through rivers, which poses a threat to the ecological environment security of the region. The distribution characteristics of nitrate pollution, the source and transport characteristics of nitrate in surface water are unclear. In this study, we collected soil and surface water samples, determined stable isotopes of water (δ2H-H2O and δ18O-H2O) and nitrate (δ15N-NO3 and δ18O-NO3), and used the Isosource model to quantitatively analyze the distribution characteristics of soil nitrate-nitrogen and source characteristics of surface water nitrate. The results showed that: (1) The average content of NO3
--N in cultivated soil was 3.99 times higher than that in non-cultivated soil, in which cornfield > cotton field > soybean field > paddy field; (2) The nitrate flux of surface water increased from upstream to downstream, which was positively correlated with basin area; (3) In the middle and upper reaches of the study area, the surface water is mainly replenished from the Yellow River water and groundwater, while the lower reaches are affected by seawater intrusion; (4) The primary source of nitrate in the study area was dominated by human activities of agricultural production and residents’ lives, with a total contribution of 60.8%. This study will provide a scientific basis for the treatment of nitrate pollution in coastal areas.
A Study on Microclimate characteristics and energy balance within near-river riparian systems
Authors: Liang Anze , Xie Changkun , Che Shengquan
Published: July 2021

Riparian microclimate studies are gaining increasing attention due to their close ecological, climatologic and aesthetic interactions with lives in both natural and urban areas. Historically, many researchers studied thermal regimes of rivers and river temperature responses to different management strategies. Near-river microclimate characteristics and relevant energy balance were not fully understood. This review documents recent research on near-river microclimatic features and energy exchanging processes, roles of macroclimate, rivers, riparian vegetation and topography play in microclimate mitigation, their ecological importance in terms of biodiversity support and human thermal comfort promotion. It also emphasizes potentials of studies on integration of rivers and plants, as well as their controls on heat exchanging. This study is hopefully useful for river scholars to strengthen the comprehension for further research, as well as for river designers and managers to make informed decisions of sustainable urban development.
Monitoring of Water Level Variations of Bosten Lake based on Ice Cloud and Land Elevation satellite-1/2 Altimetry Data
Authors: Ji Miaomiao , Hu Shanshan , Zhang Tao , Wang Hongxing , Zhou Demin
Published: July 2021

Bosten Lake is located in the arid area of China, it has experienced drastic change on water level due to the climate environment changes and human activities. Based on ICESat-1/2 satellite altimetry data, this paper extracted the water level data of Bosten Lake from 2003 to 2020, and analysed the multistage dynamics of water level. The result shows that: the overall water level of Bosten Lake appeared an upward trend from 2003 to 2020, and the annual rate of change was 0.06 m/a. From an annual perspective, the lake’s water level gradually declined from 2003 to 2009, and then continued to rise until 2020. The lake water level fluctuates in a bimodal shape during the year, and March and October are the peak water level months. The research results can provide reference for the comprehensive management of water resources utilization in arid areas.
Study of wind characteristic in Tibet with numerical simulation
Authors: Liao RongWei , Fang XiaoYi , Zhang DongBin , Zhu YuZhou , Zhang Lei , Meng Fanchao
Published: July 2021

In order to analyzed the model simulation results and studied the impact of the horizontal resolution in model during different weather process in complicated topography area in Tibet, the mean wind observation data from wind tower and high-resolution numerical model data were be used, the characteristics of the mean wind and the turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) in the near-surface boundary layer around the region of the wind tower point and comparison point were analyzed. The results showed that the mean wind observation data were a well consistency. With time variations, the mean value of ten minute wind speed were an upward trend over time during different strong wind weather systems. The air flow and the spatial distribution of TKE were consistent around the region of the wind tower point and comparison point. The air flowed from high elevation areas (mountain ridge) to the low elevation areas (mountain valley) during different resolution numerical model data. Comparative analysis of different resolutions simulation results, the higher-resolution simulation result showed more clear in the characteristics of the air flow. The correlation had increased considerably between the different times of the mean value of the ten minute wind speed or TKE on the vertical layers, as well as the bias was decreased.
Characteristics of Pyrethroid Pesticide Residues in Soil of Shenyang, China
Authors: Song Xueying , Zhang Xu , You Mingchao , Zhao Xiaoxu , Wang Xing
Published: July 2021

Pyrethroid residues in the surface soils and among different soil layers of the open fields and greenhouse soils of Shenyang, China, were analyzed. In addition, the relationship between the soil properties and the pesticide residues was also assessed. Results showed that the detection rates of the pyrethroids were high and multiple pyrethroid pesticides were detected and the average level of trans–cypermethrin was 73.05 μg/kg, which was the highest among the concentration of all test pyrethroids. The detection rate and the residual amount of the same pyrethroid residues were at the low levels in different regions around Shenyang. Comparing the pyrethroid concentrations in greenhouse and the open fields, the residues in greenhouse were higher than those in the open fields. In different soil layers, the pesticide residues were found mainly in the 0-20cm soil layer, and there were no significant differences among the soil depths of 20 cm, 40 cm, 60 cm, 80 cm and 100 cm. Statistical analysis results showed that the residues of fenvalerate were more with the increase of pH value. Organic matter contents were positively correlated with the residues of α-cypermethrin and cypermethrin, and negatively correlated with the residues of lambdacyhalothrin.
New technique to synthesize silicon nitride nanopowder by discharge-assisted reaction of silane and ammonia
Authors: Hammadi Oday A
Published: July 2021

In this work, the chemical reaction of silane and ammonia gases was induced and assisted by electric power transferred to the reaction volume throughout argon discharge at pressures of about 3 mbar. This power was applied to the reaction volume as short pulses with different durations to produce highly-pure polycrystalline Si3N4 nanoparticles. The number of crystal planes was decreased by using shorter pulses of discharge power. The minimum nanoparticle size was 26.10 nm for the sample prepared using discharge pulse duration of 0.1 ms. This is the first attempt to employ fast discharge pulses to induce and assist the chemical reaction of silane and ammonia to produce highly-pure silicon nitride nanopowders.
Cdc42 GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs) regulate generational inheritance of cell polarity and cell shape in fission yeast
Authors: Pino Marbelys Rodriguez , Nuñez Illyce , Chen Chuan , Das Maitreyi E. , Wiley David J. , D’Urso Gennaro , Buchwald Peter , Vavylonis Dimitrios , Verde Fulvia
Published: July 2021

The highly conserved small GTPase Cdc42 regulates polarized cell growth and morphogenesis from yeast to humans. Using both genetic and computational approaches, our findings define a novel role for Cdc42 GAP proteins in determining the morphological fate of cell progeny and ensuring consistent Cdc42 activation and growth patterns across generations.
1. After the expulsion
Authors: Stavans Ilan
Published: July 2021

“After the expulsion” looks at the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, along with the rise of the Enlightenment, as decisive moments in which Jews entered modernity. The literature of Crypto-Jews in the Iberian Peninsula and the Americas is worth looking at in this area of study, especially the memoir of Luis de Carvajal the Younger as are the literary manifestations of Sephardic writers such as Bulgarian writer Elias Canetti, Italian writer Natalia Ginzburg, Israeli writer A. B. Yehoshua, and Mexican writer Angelina Muniz-Huberman. There are similarities and differences in the relationship between the Ashkenazi and Sephardic branches in modern Jewish literature. Ladino is a language that evolved after the 1492 expulsion but lost steam in the twentieth century.
5. Into the mainstream
Authors: Stavans Ilan
Published: July 2021

“Into the mainstream” looks at immigrant Jewish writers in America, such as Abraham Cahan (The Rise of David Levinsky), Anzia Yezierska (Bread Givers), and Isaac Bashevis Singer (Gimpel the Fool and Other Stories), all of whom transitioned from Yiddish into English, and analyzes Henry Roth’s Call It Sleep as a transitional novel. We notice here the transition from “ethnic” to “national” writer in the careers of Bashevis Singer, Saul Bellow, Philip Roth, Grace Paley, and Cynthia Ozick. Much was gained and lost in Jewish literature as a result of Jews becoming a “successful minority” in America. Jewish readers have always been a voracious audience of international literature.
8. The critic’s “I”
Authors: Stavans Ilan
Published: July 2021

“The critic’s “I”” argues that Jewish literature is not only what writers and readers do, but also the degree to which critics are constantly contextualizing it. Cultural thinkers like Walter Benjamin, Hannah Arendt, Irving Howe, and Alfred Kazin, through a discerning “I” and a penetrating eye, allow literature to speak to society and vice versa. There is an important role for public intellectuals who have a connections with, or away from, institutions of higher learning. It is worth looking at the cases of Susan Sontag and Harold Bloom. Without criticism, literature is incapable of lasting meaning. In the case of Jewish literature, critics become torchbearers of transnational ideas.
Introduction
Authors: Tyler Amanda L.
Published: July 2021

The Introduction provides an overview of the history of the writ of habeas corpus and an overview of the book, which tells the story of what is sometimes known as “the Great Writ” as it has unfolded in Anglo-American law. The primary jurisdictions explored are Great Britain and the United States, yet many aspects of this story will ring familiar to those in other countries with a robust habeas tradition. The book chronicles the longstanding role of the common law writ of habeas corpus as a vehicle for reviewing detentions for conformity with underlying law, as well as the profound influence of the English Habeas Corpus Act of 1679 on Anglo-American law. The Introduction highlights how the writ has at times failed to live up to its glorification by Blackstone and others, while noting that at other times it has proven invaluable to protection of liberty, including as a vehicle for freeing slaves and persons confined solely based on a King’s whim.
The limits and potential of habeas corpus
Authors: Tyler Amanda L.
Published: July 2021

This chapter details how in the Habeas Corpus Act, Parliament took control of the law of detention and established a powerful check on executive authority. But the Act’s limitations quickly came to light, including geographic limitations and the ability of Parliament to circumvent the Act with bills of attainder. Parliament also created the concept of suspension, by which it passed legislation to displace the Act’s protections for a period of time. This chapter details the early suspensions, their legalization of extra-judicial detentions, and how on their lapsing the habeas privilege sprang back to life. The chapter also highlights the continuing importance of the common law writ in cases to which the Act did not apply, such as slave cases. In particular, as explored in the chapter, Somerset’s Case is an example of just how powerful the common law writ could be not just in protecting—but also expanding—liberty.
Habeas corpus in the early United States
Authors: Tyler Amanda L.
Published: July 2021

This chapter details the creation of American federal courts and their vesting with habeas jurisdiction. It likewise explores the failure of Thomas Jefferson to convince his Congress to enact a suspension to address the so-called Burr Conspiracy and how even the return of the British in the War of 1812 did not lead to a suspension, revealing an early reluctance to invoke the dramatic authority. The chapter concludes by exploring the continuing importance of the common law writ as a writ of liberty in slave cases, highlighting how judges in Northern abolitionist states used the common law writ to frustrate fugitive slave laws while often relying upon Lord Mansfield’s opinion in Somerset’s Case as support for a robust habeas writ in this context. The chapter concludes by noting that these cases laid the groundwork for a future expansive role for the writ that would come during the American Reconstruction period.
World War II and the demise of the Great Writ
Authors: Tyler Amanda L.
Published: July 2021

This chapter explores the role of habeas corpus during World War II in the US and Great Britain. On the American side, the chapter details how suspension ruled in the Hawaiian Territory but the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans on the mainland followed in the absence of a suspension under Executive Order 9066. As the chapter details, this happened even though lawyers counselled President Franklin D. Roosevelt that doing so would violate the Suspension Clause. The chapter continues by contrasting the experience in Britain, where Prime Minister Winston Churchill led the push to retreat from its citizen detention program under Regulation 18B and restore a robust habeas privilege. The chapter also compares habeas decisions rendered by the high courts in both countries while asking larger questions about what can be learned from these events.
Habeas corpus today
Authors: Tyler Amanda L.
Published: July 2021

This chapter takes the story of habeas corpus forward to present day, giving special attention to how the writ serves as a vehicle for courts to evaluate a range of immigration matters as well as the legality of the detention of prisoners in modern armed conflicts, including most prominently the war on terrorism. As the chapter reveals, studying how habeas functions in these contexts underscores both the writ’s potential as well as its limitations. The chapter explores in depth how the US Supreme Court has both protected a role for the writ in immigration cases but more recently moved to limiting such a role. It continues by exploring the intersection of terrorism and habeas corpus in both Great Britain and the US, highlighting the continuing influence of the common law writ of habeas corpus and the ever diminishing influence of the English Habeas Corpus Act and suspension model.
1. Evolution of diplomacy
Authors: Siracusa Joseph M.
Published: July 2021

‘The evolution of dimplomacy’ looks briefly at the evolution of modern diplomacy, focusing on diplomats and what they do, paying attention to the art of treaty-making. A case can be made that treaties of international peace and cooperation comprise nothing less than the diplomatic landscape of human history, from the benchmark European treaties of the Congress of Vienna (1815), Brest-Litovsk (1918), and Versailles (1919) to the milestone events such as the Covenant of the League of Nations (1919), the United Nations Charter (1948), and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (1949).
6. Diplomacy in the age of globalization
Authors: Siracusa Joseph M.
Published: July 2021

‘Diplomacy in the age of globalization’ discusses the diplomatic challenges faced by globalization. The diplomacy of the global economic system ranges from the activities of transnational corporations to the interventions of global economic intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), particularly the World Trade Organization. These all have important diplomatic webs that operate both within and outside the traditional diplomatic system. This is also true of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) which play a significant role in filling service gaps in the provision of education, health and welfare, disaster relief, and small-scale infrastructure development left by governments with insufficient resources or insufficient political will.
3. Reproduction and life history
Authors: Kemp T. S.
Published: July 2021

‘Reproduction and life history’ discusses the life cycle of amphibians, which includes a fully aquatic, juvenile stage. This is the larva, known in the anurans as the tadpole. It feeds and grows, and eventually undergoes a rapid transformation, or metamorphosis, into the adult. Metamorphosis can take place in as little as nine days from the eggs hatching. A small number of species in all three amphibian orders have evolved the most complete mode of parental care of all, viviparity, which is bearing the young live. An area of interest here is the courtship and mating practices of amphibians.
4. What is the optimal level of enforcement?
Authors: Ezrachi Ariel
Published: July 2021

‘What is the optimal level of enforcement?’ focuses on competition law enforcement. All competition jurisdictions acknowledge the central and crucial role of economic analysis in shaping competition prosecution. Greater economic understanding has improved the structure of competition law through legal presumptions and thresholds, enforcement guidelines, and a greater understanding of the gravity and consequences of anti-competitive activities. Indeed, there has been an ever-increasing ‘economization’ of antitrust, as more jurisdictions rely on economic analysis to determine whether intervention is needed. When markets work well, competition enforcers are better off adopting a ‘laissez-faire’ approach (leaving the market to take its own course). Distinguishing pro-competitive activities from anti-competitive activities poses a challenge.
6. Who enforces the law?
Authors: Ezrachi Ariel
Published: July 2021

‘Who enforces the law?’ identifies who enforces competition and antitrust laws. In most countries, competition and antitrust laws can be utilized by the public enforcer (the competition agency) that is tasked with maintaining a competitive environment, or by private entities that use the competition provisions to protect their commercial interests, or to claim damages for loss caused by violation of competition law. In the US, at the federal level, two agencies share responsibility for competition enforcement. These are the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Competition (FTC) and The Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ). Meanwhile, EU law grants the European Commission primary responsibility for enforcing EU competition laws.
10. Mergers and acquisitions
Authors: Ezrachi Ariel
Published: July 2021

‘Mergers and acquisitions’ discusses mergers and acquisitions. While of potential benefit to society, mergers, takeovers, share acquisitions, and joint ventures also affect the market structure, and at times may reduce competition. When markets become more concentrated following a merger, we move further away from a competitive market structure to a structure in which market power might undermine the competitive process. To address this risk, the competition agency must assess the impact of the transaction. There are important procedural differences between the European administrative system and the US system in terms of the appraisal of mergers and acquisitions. Other types of mergers include: horizontal mergers, vertical mergers, and conglomerate transactions.
Depressive symptom heterogeneity among older adults after hip fracture
Authors: Kirk Jennifer M , Magaziner Jay , Shardell Michelle D , Ryan Alice S , Gruber-Baldini Ann L , Orwig Denise , Hochberg Marc C , Rathbun Alan M
Published: July 2021

Objective

to evaluate patterns of depressive symptoms after hip fracture and examine their impact on functional recovery.

Methods

participants (n = 304) included older adults from the Baltimore Hip Studies 7th cohort who experienced a hip fracture. Depressive symptoms were measured at baseline or 2-, 6- or 12-month post-hip fracture using the 20-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale. Gait speed was measured after hip fracture at 2-, 6- or 12-month follow-up. Latent class analysis was used to identify individuals with similar patterns of depressive symptoms after hip fracture. Item response probabilities characterised symptom profiles, and posterior probability estimates were used to assign participants to a baseline depressive symptom subtype. Weighted estimated equations compared post-fracture gait speed between baseline symptomatic and asymptomatic groups.

Results

four patterns of depressive symptoms were identified: asymptomatic (50.8%), somatic (28.6%), melancholic (11.4%) and anhedonic (9.2%). The somatic subtype was characterised by difficultly concentrating and reduced energy and movement, whereas anhedonic symptoms were associated with the inability to experience pleasure. Melancholic symptoms corresponded to anhedonia, decreased physical activity and other psychological and somatic complaints. Compared with the asymptomatic group, somatic symptoms were consistently associated with slower gait speed, −0.03 metres per second (m/s) and between-group differences for melancholic symptomology were as large as −0.05 m/s, but the associations were not statistically significant.

Conclusion

findings demonstrate unique depressive symptom subtypes in older adults after hip fracture and provide confirmatory evidence of unique clinical phenotypes; however, their impact on functional recovery after hip fracture remains unclear.
Cell fate conversion prediction by group sparse optimization method utilizing single-cell and bulk OMICs data
Authors: Qin Jing , Hu Yaohua , Yao Jen-Chih , Leung Ricky Wai Tak , Zhou Yongqiang , Qin Yiming , Wang Junwen
Published: July 2021

Cell fate conversion by overexpressing defined factors is a powerful tool in regenerative medicine. However, identifying key factors for cell fate conversion requires laborious experimental efforts; thus, many of such conversions have not been achieved yet. Nevertheless, cell fate conversions found in many published studies were incomplete as the expression of important gene sets could not be manipulated thoroughly. Therefore, the identification of master transcription factors for complete and efficient conversion is crucial to render this technology more applicable clinically. In the past decade, systematic analyses on various single-cell and bulk OMICs data have uncovered numerous gene regulatory mechanisms, and made it possible to predict master gene regulators during cell fate conversion. By virtue of the sparse structure of master transcription factors and the group structure of their simultaneous regulatory effects on the cell fate conversion process, this study introduces a novel computational method predicting master transcription factors based on group sparse optimization technique integrating data from multi-OMICs levels, which can be applicable to both single-cell and bulk OMICs data with a high tolerance of data sparsity. When it is compared with current prediction methods by cross-referencing published and validated master transcription factors, it possesses superior performance. In short, this method facilitates fast identification of key regulators, give raise to the possibility of higher successful conversion rate and in the hope of reducing experimental cost.
Pallido-putaminal connectivity predicts outcomes of deep brain stimulation for cervical dystonia
Authors: Raghu Ashley L B , Eraifej John , Sarangmat Nagaraja , Stein John , FitzGerald James J , Payne Stephen , Aziz Tipu Z , Green Alexander L
Published: July 2021

Cervical dystonia is a non-degenerative movement disorder characterized by dysfunction of both motor and sensory cortico-basal ganglia networks. Deep brain stimulation targeted to the internal pallidum is an established treatment, but its specific mechanisms remain elusive, and response to therapy is highly variable. Modulation of key dysfunctional networks via axonal connections is likely important.

Fifteen patients underwent preoperative diffusion-MRI acquisitions and then progressed to bilateral deep brain stimulation targeting the posterior internal pallidum. Severity of disease was assessed preoperatively and later at follow-up. Scans were used to generate tractography-derived connectivity estimates between the bilateral regions of stimulation and relevant structures.

Connectivity to the putamen correlated with clinical improvement, and a series of cortical connectivity-based putaminal parcellations identified the primary motor putamen as the key node (r = 0.70, P = 0.004). A regression model with this connectivity and electrode coordinates explained 68% of the variance in outcomes (r = 0.83, P = 0.001), with both as significant explanatory variables.

We conclude that modulation of the primary motor putamen–posterior internal pallidum limb of the cortico-basal ganglia loop is characteristic of successful deep brain stimulation treatment of cervical dystonia. Preoperative diffusion imaging contains additional information that predicts outcomes, implying utility for patient selection and/or individualized targeting.
Determining the Incidence of Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Among Early Recipients of COVID-19 Vaccines (DISCOVER-COVID-19): A Prospective Cohort Study of Healthcare Workers Before, During and After Vaccination
Authors: North Crystal M , Barczak Amy , Goldstein Robert H , Healy Brian C , Finkelstein Dianne M , Ding Delaney D , Kim Andy , Boucau Julie , Shaw Bennett , Gilbert Rebecca F , Vyas Tammy , Reynolds Zahra , Siddle Katherine J , MacInnis Bronwyn L , Regan James , Flynn James P , Choudhary Manish C , Vyas Jatin M , Laskowski Karl , Dighe Anand S , Lemieux Jacob E , Li Jonathan Z , Baden Lindsey R , Siedner Mark J , Woolley Ann E , Sacks Chana A
Published: July 2021

The impact of coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination on viral characteristics of breakthrough infections is unknown. In this prospective cohort study, incidence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection decreased following vaccination. Although asymptomatic positive tests were observed following vaccination, the higher cycle thresholds, repeat negative tests, and inability to culture virus raise questions about their clinical significance.
The BNT162b2 mRNA Vaccine Elicits Robust Humoral and Cellular Immune Responses in People Living With Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
Authors: Woldemeskel Bezawit A , Karaba Andrew H , Garliss Caroline C , Beck Evan J , Wang Kristy H , Laeyendecker Oliver , Cox Andrea L , Blankson Joel N
Published: July 2021

Previous studies have shown that certain vaccines induce suboptimal responses in people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV, PLWH). However, responses to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines have not been fully characterized in these patients. Here we show that the BNT162b2 vaccine induces robust immune responses comparable to responses in healthy donors.
Monarch caterpillars are robust to combined exposure to the roadside micronutrients sodium and zinc
Authors: Shephard Alexander M , Mitchell Timothy S , Snell-Rood Emilie C
Published: July 2021

Human activities are increasing the environmental availability of micronutrients, including sodium and some essential metals. Micronutrients are often limiting in animal diets but may have negative effects when consumed in excess. Though prior research has documented how elevated exposure to individual micronutrients can impact organismal development and fitness, we know less about combined effects of multiple micronutrients. In the wild, monarch butterfly larvae (Danaus plexippus) commonly consume plants in roadside habitats that contain elevated levels of sodium (from road salt) and zinc (from vehicle wear-and-tear). We reared monarch caterpillars to adulthood to test individual and combined effects of dietary sodium and zinc on components of fitness, sodium-linked phenotypes (proxies for neural and flight muscle development) and concentrations of sodium and zinc in adult butterflies. Monarch survival was not impacted by elevated sodium or zinc individually or in combination. Yet, monarchs feeding on sodium-treated milkweed developed relatively larger eyes, consistent with a positive effect of sodium on neural development. Measurements of element concentrations in butterfly and plant tissue indicated that monarchs had higher zinc levels than those present in zinc-treated milkweed but lower sodium levels than those present in sodium-treated milkweed. Monarchs developing on sodium-treated milkweed also had prolonged development time, which might be a cost associated with developing extra neural tissue or investing in mechanisms to excrete excess dietary sodium during the larval stage. Our results indicate that sodium, more than zinc, is likely influencing phenotypic development and performance of insect pollinators in roadside habitats. Yet, in contrast to previous work, our experiment suggests that the highest levels of sodium found along roads are not always harmful for developing monarchs. Future work could consider how potentially stressful effects of micronutrients could be mitigated by increased macronutrient availability or how developmental factors such as migratory status might increase micronutrient requirements.
Clinical utility and applicability of circulating tumor DNA testing in esophageal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Chidambaram Swathikan , Markar Sheraz R
Published: July 2021

Esophageal cancer is an aggressive malignancy with a relatively poor prognosis even after multimodality therapy. Currently, patients undergo a series of investigations that can be invasive and costly or pose secondary risks to their health. In other malignancies, liquid biopsies of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) are used in clinical practice for diagnostic and surveillance purposes. This systematic review summarizes the latest evidence for the clinical applicability of ctDNA technology in esophageal cancer. A systematic review of the literature was performed using MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Review and Scopus databases. Articles were evaluated for the use of ctDNA for diagnosis and monitoring of patients with esophageal cancer. Quality assessment of studies was performed using the QUADAS-2 tool. A meta-analysis was performed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of sequencing methodologies. We included 15 studies that described the use of ctDNA technology in the qualitative synthesis and eight studies involving 414 patients in the quantitative analysis. Of these, four studies assessed its utility in cancer diagnosis, while four studies evaluated its use for prognosis and monitoring. The pooled sensitivity and specificity for diagnostic studies were 71.0% (55.7–82.6%) and 98.6% (33.9–99.9%), while the pooled sensitivity and specificity for surveillance purposes were 48.9% (29.4–68.8%) and 95.5% (90.6–97.9%). ctDNA technology is an acceptable method for diagnosis and monitoring with a moderate sensitivity and high specificity that is enhanced in combination with current imaging methods. Further work should demonstrate the practical integration of ctDNA in the diagnostic and surveillance clinical pathway.
Contrast in Post-Chill Eclosion Time Strategies Between Two Specialist Braconid Wasps (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) Attacking Rhagoletis Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Western North America
Authors: Yee Wee L , Forbes Andrew A , Feder Jeffrey L
Published: July 2021

Parasitoids comprise a speciose insect group, displaying a wide array of life history strategies. In the Pacific Northwest of the United States, the tephritid fruit flies Rhagoletis tabellaria (Fitch) and Rhagoletis indifferens Curran infest red osier dogwood, Cornus sericea L. (Cornaceae), and bitter cherry, Prunus emarginata (Douglas ex Hooker) Eaton (Rosaceae), respectively. The flies are parasitized by different braconid wasps at different life stages; Utetes tabellariae (Fischer) oviposits into R. tabellaria eggs, whereas Diachasma muliebre (Muesebeck) oviposits into R. indifferens larvae feeding in cherries. Because Rhagoletis only have one major generation a year and the wasps attack temporally distinct fly life stages, we predicted that eclosion times of U. tabellariae should more closely follow that of its host than the larval-attacking D. muliebre. As predicted, U. tabellariae eclosed on average 6.0–12.5 d later than R. tabellaria, whereas D. muliebre eclosed on average 32.1 d after R. indifferens. Unexpectedly, however, longer chill duration differentially affected the systems; longer overwinters minimally influenced eclosion times of R. tabellaria and U. tabellariae but caused earlier eclosion of both R. indifferens and D. muliebre. Results imply that in temperate regions, diapause timing in braconid wasps evolves in response to both host life stage attacked and fly eclosion characteristics, possibly reflecting differential effects of winter on host plant fruiting phenology. Differences in phenological sensitivity of the lower host plant trophic level to variation in environmental conditions may have cascading effects, sequentially and differentially affecting eclosion times in higher frugivore (fly) and parasitoid (wasp) trophic levels.