bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Engineering a social contract: Rawlsian distributive justice through algorithmic game theory and artificial intelligence
Authors: Ashrafian Hutan
Published: December 2022

The potential for artificial intelligence algorithms and game theory concepts to offer prescriptive and decision-making capability for humankind is increasingly recognized. This derives from the increasing availability of granular, multivariable, well-curated data offering analytical insights for necessarily complex human behaviors and activities. Of the multitude of situations that this decision-making aptitude presents, the application to governmental policy offers a commanding case. This would allow decisions to be made for the benefit of societies and citizens based on rigorous objective information devoid of the traditional approach of choosing policies and societal values based on the opinion of a handful of selected representatives who may be exposed to a lack of comprehensive data analysis capacity and subject to personal biases. There would need to be a critical requirement of wider socially responsible data practices here, beyond those of technical considerations and the incorporation of wider societal fairness approaches. Amongst the schools of political thought particularly acquiescent to the application by this approach would be the egalitarian approach of John Rawls. Here an Original Position’s pre-determination tool of Veil of Ignorance and ensuing Difference Principal presents a method of distributive justice that can be clearly mathematically defined in economics theory through Wald’s Maximin principle. This offers an opportunity to apply algorithmic game theory and artificial intelligence computational approaches to implement Rawlsian distributive justice that are presented and discussed. The outputs from the algorithmic acquaintance of Rawlsian egalitarianism with applicable state data, protected with appropriate privacy, security, legal, ethical and social governance could in turn lead to automated direct governmental choices and an objective Social Contract for citizens of digitally literate nations.
A Social History of Modern Tehran
Authors: Rezvani Naraghi Ashkan
Published: December 2022

Tehran, the capital of Iran since the late eighteenth century, is now one of the largest cities in the Middle East. Exploring Tehran's development from the nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century, Ashkan Rezvani Naraghi paints a vibrant picture of a city undergoing rapid and dynamic social transformation. Rezvani Naraghi demonstrates that this shift was the product of a developing discourse around spatial knowledge, in which the West became the model for the social practices of the state and sections of Iranian society. As traditional social spaces, such as coffee houses, bathhouses, and mosques, were replaced by European-style cafes, theatres, and sports clubs, Tehran and its people were irreversibly altered. Using an array of archival sources, Rezvani Naraghi stresses the agency of everyday inhabitants in shaping urban change. This enlightening history not only allows us to better understand the contours of contemporary Tehran, but to develop a new way of imagining, talking about, and building 'the city'.
The effect of remediating PCB-contaminated sediments on home prices in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Authors: Wilkinson Robin , Melstrom Richard T.
Published: December 2022

This paper estimates the effect of environmental remediation on housing prices in the Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern (AOC) using a hedonic analysis of individual arms-length sales before and after a major remediation action between 2011 and 2015. Our design leverages this before-after comparison as well as the proximity of homes to remediation and the AOC boundary. Measuring the effect of AOCs in the housing market has always been a difficult task, given that water in AOCs can provide a mix of amenities and disamenities. Indeed, we find little evidence of a negative proximity effect when applying hedonic analysis to cross-section data. However, when we apply the analysis to a repeated cross section in a quasi-experimental framework, we find statistically significant evidence that living near the affected part of the AOC became more desirable after cleanup.
Familles et patries en guerre
Authors: Cerovic Masha
Published: December 2022

L’article se penche sur les ressorts des mobilisations combattantes en URSS pendant la « Grande Guerre patriotique » de 1941-1945, en questionnant l’existence d’un patriotisme russe ou soviétique des masses en 1941. Il analyse la pluralité des discours patriotiques déployés par les acteurs ainsi que leur résonance, ou non, parmi les populations. Pour ce faire, il envisage le patriotisme comme une forme d’organisation sociopolitique et examine dans cette perspective les reconfigurations des liens sociaux, en particulier familiaux, durant la guerre. Le lien familial est appréhendé comme une ressource et un levier de mobilisation et de désengagement, dont les transformations sont consubstantielles à l’émergence de communautés imaginées en armes. La relation entre guerre et nation est ainsi interrogée à la lumière du cas de la « mère patrie » russe ou soviétique des années 1940.
La disparition forcée durant la Guerre d’Indépendance algérienne
Authors: Rahal Malika , Riceputi Fabrice
Published: December 2022

Cet article s’intéresse à la question de la disparition forcée employée par les parachutistes français durant la « bataille d’Alger » en proposant un bilan réflexif du projet Mille autres. Celui-ci s’appuie sur la découverte archivistique unique de quelque 850 fiches attestant les recherches de disparus par leurs familles dès 1957. C’est la première fois qu’une telle liste de noms est découverte dans le contexte de la Guerre d’Indépendance algérienne. Elle a permis un appel à témoin non seulement pour identifier les disparus et prendre contact avec leurs familles, mais aussi pour mener une première série d’entretiens avec des proches de disparus et entreprendre ainsi une histoire avec témoin(s). Le présent article analyse la source elle-même, puis présente les premiers résultats de la recherche. Le projet laisse d’ores et déjà entrevoir la possibilité d’une connaissance de l’événement qui, au-delà d’une approche par le système répressif et ses perpétrateurs, intègre également les victimes de la disparition forcée et leurs familles. Une telle démarche, intégrée au tissu de la ville d’Alger et dessinée à la fois par les trajectoires migratoires et socio-professionnelles des familles et par le monde du travail, rend à l’événement sa dimension sociale.
La « lutte contre les pirates » comme paradigme
Authors: Höhn Philipp
Published: December 2022

Cet article s’intéresse à l’émergence du paradigme de la « piraterie » et de la « lutte contre les pirates » chez les élites urbaines de Lübeck aux xve et xvie siècles. À la suite d’études récentes sur la gestion de conflits maritimes ayant interrogé l’usage analytique du terme « piraterie », il montre que des villes comme la hanséatique Lübeck ont instrumentalisé le discours sur la « piraterie » afin de criminaliser et de marginaliser leurs adversaires et concurrents dans le cadre d’une transformation économique structurelle. Grâce à une lecture attentive des documents des Bergenfahrer de Lübeck, une corporation de marchands commerçant avec la Norvège, l’auteur révèle comment les acteurs ont utilisé ce concept pour justifier leur propre violence : en présentant celle-ci comme une lutte contre de prétendus pirates, ils entendaient stabiliser leurs identités de groupe. La « lutte contre les pirates » est ainsi devenue paradigmatique pour les élites urbaines telles que les Bergenfahrer, représentant leur cohésion sociale en tant que communautés de violence.
A factor of i.i.d. with uniform marginals and infinite clusters spanned by equal labels
Authors: MESTER PÉTER
Published: December 2022

We give an example of an FIID vertex-labeling of${\mathbb T}_3$whose marginals are uniform on$[0,1]$, and if we delete the edges between those vertices whose labels are different, then some of the remaining clusters are infinite. We also show that no such process can be finitary.
SUSLIN TREE PRESERVATION AND CLUB ISOMORPHISMS
Authors: KRUEGER JOHN
Published: December 2022

We construct a model of set theory in which there exists a Suslin tree and satisfies that any two normal Aronszajn trees, neither of which contains a Suslin subtree, are club isomorphic. We also show that if S is a free normal Suslin tree, then for any positive integer n there is a c.c.c. forcing extension in which S is n-free but all of its derived trees of dimension greater than n are special.
The Decline of Factions: The Impact of a Broad Purge on Political Decision Making in China
Authors: Li Zeren , Manion Melanie
Published: December 2022

We conceptualize broad purges, which extend far below top powerholders in authoritarian regimes and operate according to a logic fundamentally different from coup-proofing purges that target rivals to the supreme leader. Broad purges induce risk reduction in decision making because they grossly exacerbate uncertainty and raise the likelihood and cost of political error. Empirically, we analyze political appointment decisions before and during a massive corruption crackdown in China. We estimate purge impact on appointments of prefectural Communist Party secretaries during 2013–17. To signal to Beijing that they are not building factions, party bosses of these officials can be expected to reduce risk by biasing appointments against their own clients, with variation in bias reflecting geographic heterogeneity in purge intensity. We find a large effect of purge intensity on anti-client bias during this broad purge but not in previous smaller-scale anticorruption crackdowns. This study contributes to knowledge about purges under authoritarianism.
New records of invasive tubeworms (Ficopomatus, Serpulidae) in Mexico
Authors: Tovar-Hernández María Ana , de León-González Jesús Angel , Kupriyanova Elena K.
Published: December 2022

FicopomatusSouthern, 1921 is a serpulid genus currently composed of six species, two of which (F. enigmaticusandF. miamiensis) are reef-builders. The former has invaded subtropical and warm-temperate estuaries worldwide, causing environmental and economic harm. In this study,Ficopomatus miamiensisandF. uschakoviare reported from brackish-water coastal localities in both Atlantic and Pacific sides of Mexico, including a Biosphere Reserve, estuaries, as well as shrimp and oyster farms.Ficopomatus miamiensisis reported from Veracruz (southern Gulf of Mexico, Mexico territory) and Sinaloa (southern Gulf of California).Ficopomatus uschakoviis reported for the first time in the southern Gulf of Mexico (Mexico territory) and repeatedly recorded in Chiapas (southern Mexican Pacific). There are no phenotypic differences between specimens ofF. miamiensisfrom both coasts of Mexico. Comparison of mitochondrial cytochrome b (Cytb) DNA sequences further support the notion thatF. miamiensisfrom the type locality (Florida) and Atlantic coasts of Mexico is also found along the Pacific coast of Mexico. Morphological variability within specimens ofF. uschakovifrom a single locality (either Laguna del Ostión or La Encrucijada) in Mexico suggest potential presence of multiple cryptic species. Molecular genetics studies are needed to confirm the taxonomic and invasive status ofF. uschakovi.
Constructing victims: Suffering and status in modern world order
Authors: Vandermaas-Peeler Alex , Subotic Jelena , Barnett Michael
Published: December 2022

What is the basis of status in world order? Status is assumed to come from strength, even if strength is reconfigured to be social and normative, not just material. Status, however, can also come from perceived weakness – it is conferred to those recognised as ‘victims’. We make four theoretical contributions to the scholarship on status in world affairs. First, we examine how the category of victim is produced. Two, we expand the possible sources of status in world affairs by adding the category of victim. Three, focus on victimhood status further demonstrates that status is independent of material power. Lastly, victimhood as status exhibits the paradox that power depends on perceived powerlessness. We illustrate these arguments with three features of victim status in modern international politics: the changing desirability of victim status in Israel, the gendered construction of ideal victim in the Congo, and the hierarchy of victimhood in Bosnia.
The Pragmatics of Democratic “Front-Sliding”
Authors: Ginsburg Tom , Huq Aziz Z.
Published: December 2022

How does a democracy that has survived a close brush with authoritarianism start to recreate conditions of meaningful democratic political competition? What steps are to be taken, and in what order? Certain lessons can be gleaned from comparative experience with the challenges of “front-sliding”—that is, the process of rebuilding the necessary political, legal, epistemic, and sociological components of democracy. This essay maps out those challenges, examines the distinctive and difficult question of punishing individuals who have been drivers of democratic backsliding, and reflects on how to sequence different elements of front-sliding.
Send to me first: Priority in synchronous message-passing
Authors: CHUANG CHENG-EN , IRACI GRANT , ZIAREK LUKASZ
Published: December 2022

In this paper, we introduce a tiered-priority scheme for a synchronous message-passing language with support for selective communication and first-class communication protocols. Crucially, our scheme allows higher priority threads to communicate with lower priority threads, providing the ability to express programs that would be rejected by classic priority mechanisms that disallow any (potentially) blocking interactions between threads of differing priorities. We formalize our scheme in a novel semantic framework featuring a collection of actions to represent possible communications. Utilizing our formalism, we prove several important and desirable properties of our priority scheme. We also provide a prototype implementation of our tiered-priority scheme capable of expressing Concurrent ML and built in the MLton SML compiler and runtime. We evaluate the viability of our implementation through three case studies: a prioritized buyer-seller protocol and predictable shutdown mechanisms in the Swerve web server and eXene windowing toolkit. Our experiments show that priority can be easily added to existing CML programs without degrading performance. Our system exhibits negligible overheads on more modest workloads.
Family members’ long-term grief management: A prospective study of factors during ongoing palliative care and bereavement
Authors: Liljeroos Maria , Krevers Barbro , Milberg Anna
Published: December 2022

Objectives

Up to 10% of bereaved individuals can develop prolonged grief disorder. Several risk factors for prolonged grief symptom severity in family members have been identified, but there is a lack of knowledge regarding the multivariable effects between family members coping with loss and patient-related factors for prolonged grief symptom severity during bereavement. The aim was to identify risk factors for prolonged grief symptom severity in family members 1 year after patient death in relation to (1) the family member and the patient during ongoing palliative care and (2) the family member during bereavement.

Methods

The participants consisted of family members (n = 99) of patients admitted to palliative home care in Sweden. The participants completed a survey during ongoing palliative care and at a follow-up 1 year after the patient’s death.

Results

The model selection chose 4 demographic and 4 preloss variables: family member’s nervousness and stress, the patient’s sense of security during palliative care, family members’ sense of security during palliative care, and a family member attachment security anxiety dimension. Two postloss variables were positively associated with prolonged grief symptom severity: family members’ continuing bond – internalized and continuing bond – externalized.

Significance of results

How family members coped depended on (i) variables linked to the family members themselves, (ii) the relationship to the patient, and (iii) some patient-specific variables. There was also a link between preloss variables and postloss prolonged grief symptom severity. Hence, it should be possible to identify family members with a heightened risk for longer-term prolonged grief symptoms.
Perceptions of genetically modified and bioengineered organisms and corresponding food labels among undergraduate students at Binghamton University
Authors: Marcus Rachel D. , Velardi Sara H.
Published: December 2022

In January 2020, the United States implemented a federal bioengineered labeling standard for food products that contain genetically modified material set to go into effect in January 2022. This bioengineered label indicates which products contain detectable levels of genetic material that have been modified through lab techniques that cannot be achieved in nature. An already existing alternative to the bioengineered label is the Non-GMO Project verified label which has been on the market since 2007, and indicates products free of genetically modified material through lab techniques. As consumers are now confronted with multiple labels pertaining to information related to genetic engineering, it is important to understand how people interpret these labels as it can lead to a greater understanding of how they inform consumer choice. We conducted a survey with 153 biology and environmental studies undergraduate students at Binghamton University in Binghamton, New York, asking questions about participants' views on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and related terminology, corresponding food labels and how these labels influence their purchasing decisions. Results demonstrated a lack of awareness of the bioengineered label compared to the Non-GMO Project verified label. Additionally, individuals associated ‘bioengineered’ and ‘genetically modified’ with differing themes, where ‘bioengineered’ was more often associated with a scientific theme and ‘genetically modified’ was more often associated with an agricultural theme. There was also a discrepancy in how individuals said these labels influenced their purchasesvshow the labels actually influenced purchasing decisions when participating in choice experiments. While the majority of participants reported that neither the Non-GMO Project verified label nor the bioengineered label influenced their purchasing decisions, in choice experiments, the majority of respondents chose products with the Non-GMO Project verified label. This study can give insight into overall perceptions of different terminologies associated with genetic engineering, in addition to how these labels are interpreted by consumers, and how they could affect purchasing decisions with the implementation of the new bioengineered label.
A New Measure of the Revised Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory
Authors: Espinoza Oyarce Daniela A. , Burns Richard , Butterworth Peter , Cherbuin Nicolas
Published: December 2022

Abstract. The reinforcement sensitivity theory (RST) proposes that neurobiological systems mediate behavior and their functioning can be associated with personality. The functions and associations of RST systems were revised into fight–flight–freeze system (FFFS), behavioral approach/activation system (rBAS), and behavioral inhibition system (rBIS); however, there is limited study of the revised systems due to lack of validated measures. We investigated scale structure, sex invariance, and psychometric properties of the revised RST questionnaire (rRST-Q). The rRST-Q showed good fit as a 5-factor structure with free interfactor correlations and was sex invariant, and associations with personality and mental health measures were consistent with theory and literature. The rRST-Q is a reliable measure, and its use will help understand the link between brain, personality, and behavior.
Plant‐Soil Relationships Influence Observed Trends Between Manganese and Carbon Across Biomes
Authors: Santos Fernanda , Herndon Elizabeth
Published: December 2022

Manganese (Mn) is an essential plant micronutrient that plays a critical role in the litter decomposition by oxidizing and degrading complex organic molecules. Previous studies report a negative correlation between Mn concentrations and carbon (C) storage in organic horizons and suggest that high Mn concentrations in leaf litter reduce soil C storage in forest ecosystems, presumably by stimulating the oxidation of lignin by fungal enzymes. Yet, the relationship between Mn and C in the litter layer and organic soil remains poorly understood and restricted to a few biomes, hampering our ability to improve mechanistic understanding of soil C accumulation. To examine plant‐soil interactions that underlie observed relationships between Mn and C across a wide range of biomes, we extracted biogeochemical data reported for plants and soils from the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) database. We found that increased C and nitrogen (N) storage in organic horizons were associated with declines in Mn concentrations across diverse ecosystems at the continental scale, and this relationship was associated with the degree of organic matter decomposition (i.e., Oi, Oe, and Oa). Carbon and N stocks were more strongly correlated with Mn than with climatic variables (i.e., temperature and precipitation). Foliar Mn was strongly correlated with foliar lignin, and both these parameters increased with a decrease in soil pH, indicating links between soil pH, foliar chemistry, and litter decomposability. Our observations suggest that increased Mn bioavailability and accumulation in foliage under moderately acidic soil conditions support fungal decomposition of lignin‐rich litter and contributes to lower soil C stocks.
The Meaning of Pressure for Primary Magmas: New Insights From PRIMELT3‐P
Authors: Herzberg Claude T. , Asimow Paul D. , Hernández‐Montenegro Juan David
Published: December 2022

This paper reports new software, PRIMELT3‐P, for computing the pressure and temperature range over which a primary basaltic magma was formed by adiabatic decompression and fractional melting of fertile mantle peridotite. The underlying model was developed to explore the meaning of magmatic pressure and its connection to the physics of mantle melting, melt extraction, and melt migration. We present a comparison of the results of the batch melting model FractionatePT3 (Lee et al., 2009, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2008.12.020) and the new fractional melting model PRIMELT3‐P, each applied to basalts from various localities, with a particular focus on Hawai'i and Iceland. The unexpected result is that pressures for batch melting and fractional melting are quite similar across a broad range of potential temperatures, agreeing to within ±0.29 GPa (1σ) when applied to magmas that pass tests for derivation from peridotite sources. Although samples from both Hawai'i and Iceland yield a range of final pressures of melting, the minimum final pressure in each location coincides with independent geophysical constraints—the depth to the lithosphere‐asthenosphere boundary beneath Hawai'i and to the Moho below Iceland. These results clarify the meaning of primary magma pressure, but the concept remains complex. We suggest that computed temperature and pressure arrays arising from heterogeneous peridotite‐source primary magmas may reflect melt transport and mixing in a thermally zoned mantle plume with a complex network of branching melt channels that nucleate over a range of depths.
Moving Land Models Toward More Actionable Science: A Novel Application of the Community Terrestrial Systems Model Across Alaska and the Yukon River Basin
Authors: Cheng Yifan , Musselman Keith N. , Swenson Sean , Lawrence David , Hamman Joseph , Dagon Katherine , Kennedy Daniel , Newman Andrew J.
Published: December 2022

The Arctic hydrological system is an interconnected system that is experiencing rapid change. It is comprised of permafrost, snow, glacier, frozen soils, and inland river systems. In this study, we aim to lower the barrier of using complex land models in regional applications by developing a generalizable optimization methodology and workflow for the Community Terrestrial Systems Model (CTSM), to move them toward a more Actionable Science paradigm. Further end‐user engagement is required to make science such as this “fully actionable.” We applied CTSM across Alaska and the Yukon River Basin at 4‐km spatial resolution. We highlighted several potentially useful high‐resolution CTSM configuration changes. Additionally, we performed a multi‐objective optimization using snow and river flow metrics within an adaptive surrogate‐based model optimization scheme. Four representative river basins across our study domain were selected for optimization based on observed streamflow and snow water equivalent observations at 10 SNOTEL sites. Fourteen sensitive parameters were identified for optimization with half of them not directly related to hydrology or snow processes. Across fifteen out‐of‐sample river basins, 13 had improved flow simulations after optimization and the mean Kling‐Gupta Efficiency of daily flow increased from 0.43 to 0.63 in a 30‐year evaluation. In addition, we adapted the Shapley Decomposition to disentangle each parameter's contribution to streamflow performance changes, with the seven non‐hydrological parameters providing a non‐negligible contribution to performance gains. The snow simulation had limited improvement, likely because snow simulation is influenced more by meteorological forcing than model parameter choices.
A flexible protruding microelectrode array for neural interfacing in bioelectronic medicine
Authors: Steins Helen , Mierzejewski Michael , Brauns Lisa , Stumpf Angelika , Kohler Alina , Heusel Gerhard , Corna Andrea , Herrmann Thoralf , Jones Peter D. , Zeck Günther , von Metzen Rene , Stieglitz Thomas
Published: December 2022

Recording neural signals from delicate autonomic nerves is a challenging task that requires the development of a low-invasive neural interface with highly selective, micrometer-sized electrodes. This paper reports on the development of a three-dimensional (3D) protruding thin-film microelectrode array (MEA), which is intended to be used for recording low-amplitude neural signals from pelvic nervous structures by penetrating the nerves transversely to reduce the distance to the axons. Cylindrical gold pillars (Ø 20 or 50 µm, ~60 µm height) were fabricated on a micromachined polyimide substrate in an electroplating process. Their sidewalls were insulated with parylene C, and their tips were optionally modified by wet etching and/or the application of a titanium nitride (TiN) coating. The microelectrodes modified by these combined techniques exhibited low impedances (~7 kΩ at 1 kHz for Ø 50 µm microelectrode with the exposed surface area of ~5000 µm²) and low intrinsic noise levels. Their functionalities were evaluated in an ex vivo pilot study with mouse retinae, in which spontaneous neuronal spikes were recorded with amplitudes of up to 66 µV. This novel process strategy for fabricating flexible, 3D neural interfaces with low-impedance microelectrodes has the potential to selectively record neural signals from not only delicate structures such as retinal cells but also autonomic nerves with improved signal quality to study neural circuits and develop stimulation strategies in bioelectronic medicine, e.g., for the control of vital digestive functions.
Elevated histone demethylase KDM5C increases recurrent miscarriage risk by preventing trophoblast proliferation and invasion
Authors: Xiao Min , Zheng Yan , Wang Meng-Xi , Sun Yi-Hua , Chen Juan , Zhu Kang-Yong , Zhang Fan , Tang Yun-Hui , Yang Fan , Zhou Ting , Zhang Yue-Ping , Lei Cai-Xia , Sun Xiao-Xi , Yu Shan-He , Tian Fu-Ju
Published: December 2022

KDM5C is a histone H3K4-specific demethylase, which has been shown to play a key role in biological disease and development. However, the role of KDM5C in trophoblasts at early pregnancy is currently unknown. Here, we showed that KDM5C was upregulated in placental trophoblasts from recurrent miscarriage (RM) patients compared with healthy controls (HCs). Trophoblast proliferation and invasion was inhibited by KDM5C overexpression and was promoted by KDM5C knockdown. Transcriptome sequencing revealed that elevated KDM5C exerted anti-proliferation and anti-invasion effects by repressing the expression of essential regulatory genes. The combination analysis of RNA-seq, ChIP-seq and CUT&Tag assay showed that KDM5C overexpression leads to the reduction of H3K4me3 on the promoters and the corresponding downregulation of expression of several regulatory genes in trophoblasts. Among these genes, TGFβ2 and RAGE are essential for the proliferation and invasion of trophoblasts. Importantly, overexpression of KDM5C by a systemically delivered KDM5C adenovirus vector (Ad-KDM5C) promoted embryo resorption rate in mouse. Our results support that KDM5C is an important regulator of the trophoblast function during early pregnancy, and suggesting that KDM5C activity could be responsible for epigenetic alterations seen RM disease.
Three-dimensional strain imaging of irradiated chromium using multi-reflection Bragg coherent diffraction
Authors: Jossou Ericmoore , Assefa Tadesse A. , Suzana Ana F. , Wu Longlong , Campbell Colleen , Harder Ross , Cha Wonsuk , Kisslinger Kim , Sun Cheng , Gan Jian , Ecker Lynne , Robinson Ian K. , Gill Simerjeet K.
Published: December 2022

Radiation-induced materials degradation is a key concern in limiting the performance of nuclear materials. The formation of nanoscale void and gas bubble superlattices in metals and alloys under radiation environments can effectively mitigate radiation-induced damage, such as swelling and aid the development of next generation radiation tolerant materials. To effectively manage radiation-induced damage via superlattice formation, it is critical to understand the microstructural changes and strain induced by such superlattices. We utilize multi-reflection Bragg coherent diffraction imaging to quantify the full strain tensor induced by void superlattices in iron irradiated chromium substrate. Our approach provides a quantitative estimation of radiation-induced three-dimensional (3D) strain generated at the microscopic level and predicts the number density of defects with a high degree of sensitivity. Such quantitative evaluation of 3D strain in nuclear materials can have a major impact on predicting materials behavior in radiation environments and can revolutionize design of radiation tolerant materials.
Injectable decellularized cartilage matrix hydrogel encapsulating urine-derived stem cells for immunomodulatory and cartilage defect regeneration
Authors: Zeng Junfeng , Huang Liping , Xiong Huazhang , Li Qianjin , Wu Chenyu , Huang Yizhou , Xie Huiqi , Shen Bin
Published: December 2022

Reconstruction of complex cartilage defects has remained a great challenge for tissue engineering due to the lack of stem cells and chronic inflammation within the joint. In this study, we have developed an injectable pig cartilage-derived decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) hydrogels for the repair of cartilage defects, which has shown sound biocompatibility and immunomodulatory capacity both in vitro and in vivo. The dECM hydrogels can enhance the chondrogenic differentiation of human urine-derived stem cells (USCs). As shown by in vitro experiment, the USCs in the dECM hydrogels have survived, proliferated, and produced a mass of cartilage-specific extracellular matrix containing collagen II and aggrecan. And the USCs-laden dECM hydrogels have shown the capacity to promote the secretion of extracellular matrix, modulate the immune response and promote cartilage regeneration in the rat model for cartilage defect.
φ-Aromaticity in prismatic {Bi6}-based clusters
Authors: Peerless Benjamin , Schmidt Andreas , Franzke Yannick J. , Dehnen Stefanie
Published: December 2022

The occurrence of aromaticity in organic molecules is widely accepted, but its occurrence in purely metallic systems is less widespread. Molecules comprising only metal atoms (M) are known to be able to exhibit aromatic behaviour, sustaining ring currents inside an external magnetic field along M–M connection axes (σ-aromaticity) or above and below the plane (π-aromaticity) for cyclic or cage-type compounds. However, all-metal compounds provide an extension of the electrons’ mobility also in other directions. Here, we show that regular {Bi6} prisms exhibit a non-localizable molecular orbital of f-type symmetry and generate a strong ring current that leads to a behaviour referred to as φ-aromaticity. The experimentally observed heterometallic cluster [{CpRu}3Bi6]–, based on a regular prismatic {Bi6} unit, displays aromatic behaviour; according to quantum chemical calculations, the corresponding hypothetical Bi62− prism shows a similar behaviour. By contrast, [{(cod)Ir}3Bi6] features a distorted Bi6 moiety that inhibits φ-aromaticity.
Phytocyanin-encoding genes confer enhanced ozone tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Saji Shoko , Saji Hikaru , Sage-Ono Kimiyo , Ono Michiyuki , Nakajima Nobuyoshi , Aono Mitsuko
Published: December 2022

Ozone is a phytotoxic air pollutant that has various damaging effects on plants, including chlorosis and growth inhibition. Although various physiological and genetic studies have elucidated some of the mechanisms underlying plant ozone sensitivity and lesion development, our understanding of plant response to this gas remains incomplete. Here, we show evidence for the involvement of certain apoplastic proteins called phytocyanins, such as AtUC5, that protect against ozone damage. Two representative ozone-inducible responses, chlorosis and stomatal closure, were suppressed in AtUC5-overexpressing plants. Analysis of transgenic plants expressing a chimeric protein composed of AtUC5 fused to green fluorescent protein indicated that this fusion protein localises to the apoplast of plant cells where it appears to suppress early responses to ozone damage such as generation or signalling of reactive oxygen species. Moreover, yeast two-hybrid analyses suggest that AtUC5 may physically interact with stress-related proteins such as copper amine oxidase and late embryogenesis abundant protein-like protein. In addition to AtUC5, other examined phytocyanins such as AtUC6 and AtSC3 could confer ozone tolerance to plants when overexpressed in A. thaliana, suggesting that these proteins act together to protect plants against oxidative stress factors.
Climatic control on the location of continental volcanic arcs
Authors: Muller Veleda A. P. , Sternai Pietro , Sue Christian , Simon-Labric Thibaud , Valla Pierre G.
Published: December 2022

Orogens and volcanic arcs at continental plate margins are primary surface expressions of convergent plate tectonics. Although it is established that climate affects the shape, size, and architecture of orogens via orographic erosion gradients, the ascent of magma through the crust and location of volcanoes along magmatic arcs have been considered insensitive to erosion. However, available data reveal westward migration of late-Cenozoic volcanic activity in the Southern Andes and Cascade Range where orography drives an eastward migration of the topographic water divide by increased precipitation and erosion along west-facing slopes. Thermomechanical numerical modeling shows that orographic erosion and the associated leeward topographic migration may entail asymmetric crustal structures that drive the magma ascent toward the region of enhanced erosion. Despite the different tectonic histories of the Southern Andes and the Cascade Range, orographic erosion is a shared causal mechanism that can explain the late-Cenozoic westward migration of the volcanic front along both magmatic arcs.
Fibroblast growth factor-2 bound to specific dermal fibroblast-derived extracellular vesicles is protected from degradation
Authors: Petit Isabelle , Levy Ayelet , Estrach Soline , Féral Chloé C. , Trentin Andrea Gonçalves , Dingli Florent , Loew Damarys , Qu Jieqiong , Zhou Huiqing , Théry Clotilde , Prunier Céline , Aberdam Daniel , Ferrigno Olivier
Published: December 2022

Fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2) has multiple roles in cutaneous wound healing but its natural low stability prevents the development of its use in skin repair therapies. Here we show that FGF2 binds the outer surface of dermal fibroblast (DF)-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) and this association protects FGF2 from fast degradation. EVs isolated from DF cultured in the presence of FGF2 harbor FGF2 on their surface and FGF2 can bind purified EVs in absence of cells. Remarkably, FGF2 binding to EVs is restricted to a specific subpopulation of EVs, which do not express CD63 and CD81 markers. Treatment of DF with FGF2-EVs activated ERK and STAT signaling pathways and increased cell proliferation and migration. Local injection of FGF2-EVs improved wound healing in mice. We further demonstrated that binding to EVs protects FGF2 from both thermal and proteolytic degradation, thus maintaining FGF2 function. This suggests that EVs protect soluble factors from degradation and increase their stability and half-life. These results reveal a novel aspect of EV function and suggest EVs as a potential tool for delivering FGF2 in skin healing therapies.
Magnitude of depression and its associated factors among patients with diabetes mellitus at public hospitals in Southwest Ethiopia, 2021
Authors: Birhanu Habtamu , Zenu Sabit , Sheleme Tadesse , Tefera Kefeni Bilisumamulifna
Published: December 2022

Depression is the third-leading cause of disability measured in terms of disability-adjusted life-years. When depression coexists with diabetes mellitus, it is associated with major health consequences and results in poor health outcomes, decreased quality of life, lost productivity and increased risk of death. The current study aimed to assess the magnitude of depression and its associated factors among adult patients with diabetes mellitus attending follow-up at the public hospitals of Buno Bedele zone, Southwest Ethiopia. A multi-centre cross-sectional study was done among people living with diabetes mellitus at an outpatient clinic of Buno Bedele zone hospitals. The study period was from April to May 2021. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Depression was assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Patient Health Questionnaire-9 is a validated tool to assess depression with sensitivity 86% and specificity 67%. The collected data were cleaned, edited, and entered into epi-data version 3.1, and analysed using SPSS version 24. Logistic regression analysis was employed to identify factors associated with depression occurrence. A p value of 0.05 was considered statistically significant. A total of 310 study participants were included in this study. Among study participants, 41.6% fulfilled the criteria for depression. Variables significantly associated with depression were female gender [AOR: 2.26, 95% CI (1.30, 3.95)], duration of diabetes greater than 5 years [AOR: 2.68, 95% CI (1.57, 4.56)], poor social support [AOR: 2.46, 95% CI (1.10, 5.49)], moderate social support [AOR: 2.63, 95% CI (1.34, 5.16)], current alcohol consumption [AOR: 3.55, 95% CI (1.20, 10.52)] and previous alcohol consumption [AOR = 2.81, 95% CI (1.40, 5.60)]. According to this study, depression is relatively common among diabetic individuals. Being a female, having diabetes for a long time, having poor social support, using alcohol now and in the past were factors that substantially linked to depression. Healthcare professionals should consider screening for depression using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 or other validated tools in all diabetic patients, especially in those who are at higher risk.
Neuronal deletion of CaV1.2 is associated with sex-specific behavioral phenotypes in mice
Authors: Klomp Annette J. , Plumb Ashley , Mehr Jacqueline B. , Madencioglu Deniz A. , Wen Hsiang , Williams Aislinn J.
Published: December 2022

The gene CACNA1C, which encodes the pore forming subunit of the L-type calcium channel CaV1.2, is associated with increased risk for neuropsychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder, major depression, and bipolar disorder. Previous rodent work identified that loss or reduction of CaV1.2 results in cognitive, affective, and motor deficits. Most previous work has either included non-neuronal cell populations (haploinsufficient and Nestin-Cre) or investigated a discrete neuronal cell population (e.g. CaMKII-Cre, Drd1-Cre), but few studies have examined the effects of more broad neuron-specific deletion of CaV1.2. Additionally, most of these studies did not evaluate for sex-specific effects or used only male animals. Here, we sought to clarify whether there are sex-specific behavioral consequences of neuron-specific deletion of CaV1.2 (neuronal CaV1.2 cKO) using Syn1-Cre-mediated conditional deletion. We found that neuronal CaV1.2 cKO mice have normal baseline locomotor function but female cKO mice display impaired motor performance learning. Male neuronal CaV1.2 cKO display impaired startle response with intact pre-pulse inhibition. Male neuronal CaV1.2 cKO mice did not display normal social preference, whereas female neuronal CaV1.2 cKO mice did. Neuronal CaV1.2 cKO mice displayed impaired associative learning in both sexes, as well as normal anxiety-like behavior and hedonic capacity. We conclude that deletion of neuronal CaV1.2 alters motor performance, acoustic startle reflex, and social behaviors in a sex-specific manner, while associative learning deficits generalize across sexes. Our data provide evidence for both sex-specific and sex-independent phenotypes related to neuronal expression of CaV1.2.
Probabilistic projections of El Niño Southern Oscillation properties accounting for model dependence and skill
Authors: Olson Roman , Kim Soong-Ki , Fan Yanan , An Soon-Il
Published: December 2022

The El Niño – Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a dominant mode of global climate variability. Nevertheless, future multi-model probabilistic projections of ENSO properties have not yet been made. Main roadblocks that have been hindering making these projections are climate model dependence and difficulty in quantifying historical model performance. Dependence is broadly defined as similarity between climate model output, assumptions, or physical parameterizations. Here, we propose a unifying metric of relative model performance, based on the probability density function (PDF) of ENSO paths. This metric is applied to assess the overall skill of Climate Model Intercomparison Project phase 6 (CMIP6) climate models at capturing ENSO. We then perform future multi-model probabilistic projections of changes in ENSO properties (from years 1850–1949 to 2040–2099) under the shared socioeconomic pathway scenario SSP585, accounting for model skill and dependence. We find that future ENSO will likely be more seasonally locked (89% chance), and have a longer period (67% chance). Yet, the jury is still out on future ENSO amplification. Our method reduces uncertainty by up to 37% compared to a simple approach ignoring model dependence and skill.
Synthesis, molecular docking, and in-vitro studies of pyrimidine-2-thione derivatives as antineoplastic agents via potential RAS/PI3K/Akt/JNK inhibition in breast carcinoma cells
Authors: Salem Maha M. , Gerges Marian N. , Noser Ahmed A.
Published: December 2022

In the present investigation, derivatives from (2–6) containing pyrimidine-2-thione moiety incorporated with different heterocycles such as pyrazoline, phenyl pyrazoline, and pyrimidine were synthesized using different methods. These pyrimidine-2-thione derivatives were evaluated in-silico for their capability to inhibit the H-RAS-GTP active form protein with insight to their pharmacokinetics properties. According to our findings, compound 5a was selected for in vitro studies as it has the in-silico top-ranked binding energy. Furthermore, compound 5a induced apoptosis to panels of cancer cell lines with the best IC50 on MCF-7 breast cancer cells (2.617 ± 1.6 µM). This effect was associated with the inhibition of phosphorylated RAS, JNK proteins, and PI3K/Akt genes expression. Thus, compound 5a has upregulated p21 gene and p53 protein levels. Moreover, 5a arrested the cell cycle progression at the sub-G0/G1 phase. In conclusion, the synthesized compound, 5a exhibited potent antineoplastic activity against breast cancer cell growth by targeting RAS/ PI3K/Akt/ JNK signaling cascades.
A proof-of-concept study to investigate the efficacy of heat-inactivated autovaccines in Mycobacterium caprae experimentally challenged goats
Authors: Melgarejo Cristian , Planas Carles , Cobos Alex , Arrieta-Villegas Claudia , Sevilla Iker A. , Bezos Javier , Moll Xavier , Espada Yvonne , Garrido Joseba M. , Domingo Mariano , Vidal Enric , Pérez de Val Bernat
Published: December 2022

This study aimed to assess the efficacy of a heat-inactivated Mycobacterium caprae (HIMC) vaccine in goats experimentally challenged with the same strain of M. caprae. Twenty-one goats were divided into three groups of seven: vaccinated with heat-inactivated Mycobacterium bovis (HIMB), with HIMC and unvaccinated. At 7 weeks post-vaccination all animals were endobronchially challenged with M. caprae. Blood samples were collected for immunological assays and clinical signs were recorded throughout the experiment. All goats were euthanized at 9 weeks post-challenge. Gross pathological examination, analysis of lung pathology using computed tomography, and bacterial load quantification in pulmonary lymph nodes (LN) by qPCR were carried out. Only HIMC vaccinated goats showed a significant reduction of lung lesions volume and mycobacterial DNA load in LN compared to unvaccinated controls. Both vaccinated groups showed also a significant reduction of the other pathological parameters, an improved clinical outcome and a higher proportion of IFN-γ-producing central memory T cells after vaccination. The results indicated that homologous vaccination of goats with HIMC induced enhanced protection against M. caprae challenge by reducing lung pathology and bacterial load compared to the heterologous vaccine (HIMB). Further large-scale trials are necessary to assess the efficacy of autovaccines under field conditions.