bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of landscape patterns on herb-layer diversity and seed size of Schima superba in urban remnant vegetation: A case study in Guangzhou, Southern China
Authors: Huang Liu-Jing , Zhang Zeng-Ke , Wang Qi , Yang Gui-Mei , Que Qing-Min , Liu Xing-Zhao
Published: January 2023

In order to explore which ecological strategies the remnant vegetation is taken to adapt to urbanization, we investigated three kinds of typical remnant vegetation (grassland, plantation, and secondary forest) in 16 sample sites along the urban–rural gradient in the city of Guangzhou. In this study, we examined plant species composition, and plant diversity, and analyzed the seed of the dominant tree species Schima superba (S. superba) in the secondary forest sites. Those indicators are strongly related with ecological strategies. Eighteen landscape pattern characteristics were determined to reveal the extent of landscape fragmentation. Geographic Information System (GIS), linear regression, and Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) were conducted to analyze the influence of landscape pattern characteristics on plant communities. Results showed that (1) Fragmentation of landscape patterns caused by urbanization has a negative impact on the diversity of herb-layer plants, the dominant species of grassland in the city center are mainly weeds, such as Bidens pilosa and Neyraudia reynaudiana. (2) In order to adapt to the pressure of landscape fragmentation, seeds of S. superba have developed into a larger size, with a competitive advantage over smaller ones. (3) Two different ecological strategies of plant communities adapting to urbanization: The pioneer weeds in grasslands, with high reproductive and dispersal ability, have adopted a r-selection strategy and the dominant tree species with higher survival rates, larger individuals, and longer life spans, have adopted a K-selection strategy to resist disturbance, as well as with a larger seed size to increase viability and settlement ability.
On the asymmetric effects of trade openness on CO2 emissions in SADC with a nonlinear ARDL approach
Authors: Udeagha Maxwell Chukwudi , Breitenbach Marthinus Christoffel
Published: January 2023

In this study, the expected asymmetric relationship between trade openness and CO2emissions is investigated for the Southern African Development Community (SADC). We make use of a nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) framework proposed to capture the short- and long-run asymmetries for increases and decreases in trade openness and its impact on CO2emissions over the period 1960–2020. We proxy trade openness using an innovative approach that considers both a country’s trade share to GDP and its size of trade relative to world trade. Both short- and long-run nonlinearity are tested by deriving the positive and negative partial sum decompositions of the trade openness variable. The results show mixed evidence of asymmetric behaviour between trade openness and CO2emissions. Long-run asymmetry is found for Botswana, Madagascar, Mozambique and Tanzania, while in Comoros, Namibia and South Africa, there is evidence of both short- and long-run asymmetry. The remaining cases (Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Seychelles, Zambia and Zimbabwe) show ample evidence of symmetric behaviour and linear long-run relationships between trade openness and CO2emissions. The policy implication is that the SADC member countries should amend and reinforce environmental policies that can promote production and trade of environmentally friendly goods. For instance, a “tax or subsidy” policy, which taxes the trading of environmentally damaging goods, while subsidizing the trading of eco-friendly goods, can be implemented.

Graphical Abstract
Preferential flow velocity mapping of alluvial soil using temporal electrical resistivity imaging
Authors: Halihan Todd , Acharya Bharat S. , Hager John P. , Guertault Lucie , Fox Garey A.
Published: January 2023

Riparian soils are susceptible to the formation of macropores, which provide opportunities for preferential flow in comparison to the surrounding soil matrix. Temporal electrical resistivity imaging (TERI) can locate spatial heterogeneities in soil wetting patterns caused by preferential flow through macropores. Quantifying macropore flow properties is important to optimize the design of riparian buffers. In a field evaluation of a riparian area with naturally occurring macropores, the TERI technique is able to detect the wetted zone around a macropore similar to a high hydraulic conductivity zone in a heterogeneous soil matrix. An experiment was established in a coarse soil in North Carolina to evaluate if TERI datasets could quantify the hydraulic properties of both the soil matrix and the preferential macropore pathways. Results show TERI is a viable method for calculating the vertical fluid velocity along orthogonal profiles in this coarse-grained field site. The datasets allowed the distribution and hydraulic properties of the preferential flow pathways to be quantified over a two-dimensional plane that is comparable with traditional soil datasets.
Suicide related to the COVID-19 pandemic in India: A systematic review
Authors: Al-Mamun Firoj , Kaggwa Mark Mohan , Hosen Ismail , Sikder Md. Tajuddin , Griffiths Mark D. , Mamun Mohammed A.
Published: January 2023

Background

The suicide rate has increased during the pandemic in India. Moreover, several studies, especially press-media reporting suicide studies have been conducted but no systematic review has been attempted in this context. Therefore, the present study systematically investigated the risk factors associated with suicidal behaviors, and the method of suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic in India.

Methods

Following the PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search was performed to include papers published up until September 30, 2022. From an initial 144 papers, 18 studies which met the inclusion criteria were included in the present review. The Pierson’s method was used for quality assessment of the included studies in the present review.

Results

The risk factors associated with suicide comprised: (i) socio-demographic factors (e.g., being aged between 31 and 50 years, male, married, unemployed), (ii) behavior and health-related factors (e.g., unavailability of alcohol and alcohol withdrawal symptoms, poor state of physical health and health issues, family disputes, relationship complexities, and sexual harassment), (iii) COVID-19-related factors (e.g., fear of COVID-19, COVID-19 test results, quarantine or isolation, financial hardship due to the pandemic, having influenza-like symptoms, experiencing stigmatization and ostracism despite testing negative, separation from family due to transport restrictions, misinterpreting other illness symptoms as COVID-19, saving the village from infection, watching COVID-19 videos on social media, online schooling, perceived stigma toward COVID-19, and being suspected of having COVID-19), and (iv) psychopathological stressors (depression, loneliness, stress, TikTok addiction, and poor mental health, suicidal tendencies, helplessness, and worrying). Hanging was the most common method of suicide. In addition, jumping from high buildings, poisoning, drowning, burning, cutting or slitting throat or wrists, self-immolation, medication overdose, electrocution, pesticide, and gun-shot were also used to carry out the suicide.

Conclusions

Findings from this research suggest multiple reasons for suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic and knowledge of such factors could aid in developing suicide prevention strategies focusing the most vulnerable cohorts inside and outside India.
A review of low-power applied-field magnetoplasmadynamic thruster research and the development of an improved performance model
Authors: Balkenhohl Jakob , Glowacki Jakub , Rattenbury Nicholas , Cater John
Published: January 2023

Numerous thrust and voltage models for applied-field magnetoplasmadynamic thrusters (AF-MPDTs) exist, however, all have been formulated using data for conventionally high current AF-MPDTs. To address a perceived gap in knowledge about smaller thrusters, a review of low-power applied-field magnetoplasmadynamic thruster research and published thrust and voltage models is presented. Using available experimental data limited to a low-power high magnetic field strength regime, a database of pertinent physical and operational parameters is established and used in a comparative study to evaluate the accuracy of published performance models. Statistical analysis of the models was used to create a corrected low-power AF-MPDT performance model. When applied to the database, an improvement in model accuracy is achieved. It is found that AF-MPDTs in the low-power regime with high applied magnetic field strengths can present a feasible alternative to other electric propulsion methods. However, the resulting sensitivity of achievable performance to physical and operational parameters requires careful design and optimization for a given mission.
Export Quality and Income Distribution
Authors: Acharyya Rajat , Ganguly Shrimoyee
Published: January 2023

Given the increasing sensitivity of buyers in the richer countries towards quality of goods they consume, low-quality exports largely constrain export-growth of the developing countries. This Element documents the attempts to estimate cross-country quality variations and reviews the demand side and supply side explanations for the low-quality phenomenon. It examines how trade policies can incentivize export-quality upgrading, and discusses the underlying channels through which a reverse causality from export-quality upon within-country income or wage inequality may develop.
Israel
Authors: Shindler Colin
Published: January 2023

Since its establishment in 1948, the state of Israel has not ceased to be a unique and controversial entity: vehemently opposed by some, and loyally supported by others. In this novel and original study, Colin Shindler tells the history of Israel through the unusual vehicle of cartoons - all drawn by different generations of irreverent and contrarian Israeli cartoonists. Richly illustrated with a cartoon for every year since Israel's establishment until 2020, Shindler offers new perspectives on Israel's past, politics, and people. At once incisive and hilarious, these cartoons, mainly published in the Israeli press, capture significant flashpoints, and show how the country's citizens felt about and responded to major events in Israel's history. A leading authority on Israel Studies, Shindler contextualises the cartoons with detailed timelines and commentaries for every year. Sometimes funny and sometimes tinged with tragedy, Shindler offers a new, visually exciting, and accessible way to understand Israel's complex history and, in particular, the Israel-Palestine conflict.
The Guangdong Model and Taxation in China
Authors: Kang Jin-A
Published: January 2023

This book explores the formation, development, and characteristics of modern China's finance, focusing especially on Guangdong province as a case study to illustrate both the macro-level trends and the micro-level reality. The chronological range of this book is mainly from the late Qing period to the early Republican Era ending in 1937, when the full-scale Second Sino-Japanese War broke out. After the concept of modern finance was introduced to China for the first time in the late Qing period, the efforts to build modern finance continued in the Republican Era both nationally and locally. But this process was interrupted by the outbreak of the war against Japan in 1937 and, having been derailed, did not subsequently recover due to the subsequent civil war between the Kuomintang and the Chinese Communist Party. This interrupted process of financial modernization was resumed with Reform and Opening-up, launched in 1978. Therefore, in order to illustrate the structural transformation and persistent characteristics of China's fiscal system, this book also includes discussions of the early Qing period and current Chinese finance.
Philippine Digital Cultures
Authors: Soriano Cheryll Ruth , Cabalquinto Earvin Charles
Published: January 2023

Social media platforms have been pivotal in redefining the conduct of contemporary society. Amid the proliferation of a range of new and ubiquitous online platforms, YouTube, a video-based platform, remains a key driver in the democratisation of creative, playful, vernacular, intimate, as well as political expressions. As a critical node of contemporary communication and digital cultures, its steady uptake and appropriation in a social media-savvy nation such as the Philippines requires a critical examination of its role in the continued reconstruction of identities, communities, and broader social institutions. This book closely analyses the diverse content and practices of amateur Filipino YouTubers, exposing and problematising the dynamics of brokering the contested aspirational logics of beauty and selfhood, interracial relationships, world-class labour, and progressive governance in a digital sphere. Ultimately, Philippine Digital Cultures: Brokerage Dynamics on YouTube offers a fresh, compelling, and nuanced account of YouTube as an important site for the mediation of culture, economy, and politics in Philippine postcolonial modernity amid rapid economic globalisation and digitalisation.
Performing Fear in Television Production
Authors: Fong Siao Yuong
Published: January 2023

What goes into the ideological sustenance of an illiberal capitalist democracy? While much of the critical discussion of the media in authoritarian contexts focus on state power, the emphasis on strong states tend to perpetuate misnomers about the media as mere tools of the state and sustain myths about their absolute power.

Turning to the lived everyday of media producers in Singapore, I pose a series of questions that explore what it takes to perpetuate authoritarian resilience in the mass media. How, in what terms and through what means, does a politically stable illiberal Asian state like Singapore formulate its dominant imaginary of social order? What are the television production practices that perform and instantiate the social imaginary, and who are the audiences that are conjured and performed in the process? What are the roles played by imagined audiences in sustaining authoritarian resilience in the media? If, as I will argue in the book, audiences function as the central problematic that engenders anxieties and self-policing amongst producers, can the audience become a surrogate for the authoritarian state?
Studying open government data: Acknowledging practices and politics
Authors: van Maanen Gijs
Published: January 2023

Open government and open data are often presented as the Asterix and Obelix of modern government—one cannot discuss one, without involving the other. Modern government, in this narrative, should open itself up, be more transparent, and allow the governed to have a say in their governance. The usage of technologies, and especially the communication of governmental data, is then thought to be one of the crucial instruments helping governments achieving these goals. Much open government data research, hence, focuses on the publication of open government data, their reuse, and re-users. Recent research trends, by contrast, divert from this focus on data and emphasize the importance of studying open government data in practice, in interaction with practitioners, while simultaneously paying attention to their political character. This commentary looks more closely at the implications of emphasizing the practical and political dimensions of open government data. It argues that researchers should explicate how and in what way open government data policies present solutions to what kind of problems. Such explications should be based on a detailed empirical analysis of how different actors do or do not do open data. The key question to be continuously asked and answered when studying and implementing open government data is how the solutions openness present latch onto the problem they aim to solve.
The Dawes Review 10: The impact of deep learning for the analysis of galaxy surveys
Authors: Huertas-Company M. , Lanusse F.
Published: January 2023

The amount and complexity of data delivered by modern galaxy surveys has been steadily increasing over the past years. New facilities will soon provide imaging and spectra of hundreds of millions of galaxies. Extracting coherent scientific information from these large and multi-modal data sets remains an open issue for the community and data-driven approaches such as deep learning have rapidly emerged as a potentially powerful solution to some long lasting challenges. This enthusiasm is reflected in an unprecedented exponential growth of publications using neural networks, which have gone from a handful of works in 2015 to an average of one paper per week in 2021 in the area of galaxy surveys. Half a decade after the first published work in astronomy mentioning deep learning, and shortly before new big data sets such as Euclid and LSST start becoming available, we believe it is timely to review what has been the real impact of this new technology in the field and its potential to solve key challenges raised by the size and complexity of the new datasets. The purpose of this review is thus two-fold. We first aim at summarising, in a common document, the main applications of deep learning for galaxy surveys that have emerged so far. We then extract the major achievements and lessons learned and highlight key open questions and limitations, which in our opinion, will require particular attention in the coming years. Overall, state-of-the-art deep learning methods are rapidly adopted by the astronomical community, reflecting a democratisation of these methods. This review shows that the majority of works using deep learning up to date are oriented to computer vision tasks (e.g. classification, segmentation). This is also the domain of application where deep learning has brought the most important breakthroughs so far. However, we also report that the applications are becoming more diverse and deep learning is used for estimating galaxy properties, identifying outliers or constraining the cosmological model. Most of these works remain at the exploratory level though which could partially explain the limited impact in terms of citations. Some common challenges will most likely need to be addressed before moving to the next phase of massive deployment of deep learning in the processing of future surveys; for example, uncertainty quantification, interpretability, data labelling and domain shift issues from training with simulations, which constitutes a common practice in astronomy.
Advancing Precision Medicine in Paediatrics: Past, present and future
Authors: Elzagallaai Abdelbaset , Barker Charlotte , Lewis Tamorah , Cohn Ronald , Rieder Michael
Published: January 2023

Precision Medicine is an approach to disease treatment and prevention taking into account individual genetic, environmental, therapeutic and lifestyle variability for each person. This holistic approach to therapeutics is intended to enhance drug efficacy and safety not only across healthcare systems but for individual patients. While weight and to some extent gestational age have been considered in determining drug dosing in children, historically other factors including genetic variability have not been factored into therapeutic decision making. As our knowledge of the role of ontogeny and genetics in determining drug efficacy and safety has expanded, these insights have provided new opportunities to apply principles of Precision Medicine to the care of infants, children and youth. These opportunities are most likely to be achieved first in select sub-groups of children. While there are many challenges to the successful implementation of Precision Medicine in children including the need to ensure that Precision Medicine enhances rather than reduces equity in children’s health care rather, there are many more opportunities. Research, advocacy, planning and teamwork are required to move Precision Medicine forward in children in pursuit of the common goal of safe and effective drug therapy.
CONTRACT AS PROPERTY: TRIANGLES AND TRAGIC CHOICES
Authors: Crawford Michael J.R.
Published: January 2023

According to the “Inadequacy Thesis”, the law's refusal to extend the tort of conversion to interferences with contractual rights is evidence of systemic ossification and proof of its failure to protect the most valuable asset class in the modern economy. Whilst it is true that, like chattels, the benefit of contractual rights can be usurped by third parties, transforming such rights into objects of property is the wrong solution to the problem. This article departs from previous analyses by stressing that the analogue of acts of interference with contractual rights is not the conversion of a chattel but a “triangle dispute”. The problem raised by triangle disputes is not how to reach the primary wrongdoer, but how to allocate the loss between the innocent parties. Invoking the concept of “property” cannot solve this problem. Its efficient solution is to be found in better contracts, not more property.
A Theory of External Wars and European Parliaments
Authors: Kenkel Brenton , Paine Jack
Published: January 2023

The development of parliamentary constraints on the executive was critical in Western European political history. Previous scholarship identifies external wars as a key factor, but with varying effects. Sometimes, willing monarchs granted parliamentary rights in return for revenues to fight wars. Yet at other times, war threats empowered rulers over other elites or caused states to fragment. We analyze a formal model to understand how external wars can either stimulate or undermine prospects for a contractual relationship between a ruler and elite actors. We recover the standard intuition that war threats make the ruler more willing to grant parliamentary rights in return for revenue. Our key insight is that war threats also affect the bargaining position of elites. A previously unrecognized tension yields our new findings: stronger outsider threats increase pressure either on elites to fund the ruler or on the ruler to accept constraints—but not both simultaneously. Elites with immobile wealth depend on the ruler for security. War threats undercut their credibility to refuse funding for an unconstrained ruler. By contrast, war threats make elites with mobile wealth and a viable exit option unwilling to fund a hopeless war effort. Only under circumscribed conditions do war threats align three conditions needed for parliament to arise in equilibrium: ruler willingness, elite credibility, and elite willingness. We apply our theory to posit strategic foundations for waves and reversals of historical European parliaments.
Trinity or German idealism? Reconsidering the origins of Herman Bavinck's organic motif
Authors: Pass Bruce
Published: January 2023

This essay re-examines the origins of Herman Bavinck's organic motif. Contending with a central claim of the new interpretative paradigm in Bavinck studies, this article problematises the claim that Bavinck's organic motif does not draw on German idealism but derives solely from a classical western doctrine of the Trinity. This essay argues that the denial of Schelling's influence on Bavinck's organicism misconstrues the terms on which Bavinck forges his synthesis of orthodoxy and modernity, and cloaks the degree to which Bavinck allows philosophical constructs to determine the material content of his theology.
Reflection Machines: Supporting Effective Human Oversight Over Medical Decision Support Systems
Authors: Haselager Pim , Schraffenberger Hanna , Thill Serge , Fischer Simon , Lanillos Pablo , van de Groes Sebastiaan , van Hooff Miranda
Published: January 2023

Human decisions are increasingly supported by decision support systems (DSS). Humans are required to remain “on the loop,” by monitoring and approving/rejecting machine recommendations. However, use of DSS can lead to overreliance on machines, reducing human oversight. This paper proposes “reflection machines” (RM) to increase meaningful human control. An RM provides a medical expert not with suggestions for a decision, but with questions that stimulate reflection about decisions. It can refer to data points or suggest counterarguments that are less compatible with the planned decision. RMs think against the proposed decision in order to increase human resistance against automation complacency. Building on preliminary research, this paper will (1) make a case for deriving a set of design requirements for RMs from EU regulations, (2) suggest a way how RMs could support decision-making, (3) describe the possibility of how a prototype of an RM could apply to the medical domain of chronic low back pain, and (4) highlight the importance of exploring an RM’s functionality and the experiences of users working with it.
Sine Wave in Music and Sound Art: A typology of artistic approaches
Authors: Bernier Nicolas , Boutard Guillaume , Traube Caroline , Schorpp Estelle , Bellemare Laurent , Drouin-trempe Victor
Published: January 2023

Despite the sine wave’s close links to the birth of electronic music in the mid-twentieth century, it has been little studied aesthetically, and no systematic review of its artistic usages exists. This article presents a brief literature review, followed by the results of a survey on the principles guiding sine wave-based works. This allows to put forward a typological framework contributing to an understanding of the application of the sine wave in music.
Rice tolerance to acetochlor with a fenclorim seed treatment
Authors: Avent Tristen H. , Norsworthy Jason K. , Butts Thomas R. , Roberts Trenton L. , Bateman Nicholas R.
Published: January 2023

Rice producers in the United States need effective herbicides to control problematic weeds. Previous research has demonstrated that acetochlor can provide in-season weed control in rice; however, undesirable injury is common. Thus, trials were initiated in 2020 and 2021 to evaluate 1) rice cultivar tolerance to microencapsulated (ME) acetochlor with the use of a fenclorim seed treatment at 2.5 g ai kg−1 of seed; 2) a dose-response of a fenclorim seed treatment with ME acetochlor; and 3) rice tolerance to fenclorim and ME acetochlor under cool, wet conditions. For all trials, acetochlor was applied delayed-preemergence (4 to 7 d after planting). In the dose-response trials and in the presence of acetochlor, the fenclorim seed treatment rate of 2.5 g ai kg−1 reduced rice injury and increased rice plant heights and shoot numbers relative to acetochlor without fenclorim, and plant heights and shoot numbers were comparable to those of the nontreated control in all evaluations. In the cultivar screening, 14 of 16 cultivars exhibited <20% injury with acetochlor at 1,260 g ai ha−1 and fenclorim at 2.5 g ai kg−1 2 wk after emergence (WAE) at the Pine Tree Research Station (PTRS). At the Rice Research and Extension Center (RREC) 2 and 4 WAE and at PTRS 4 WAE, all cultivars exhibited <20% injury with acetochlor and fenclorim. The fenclorim seed treatment in the presence of acetochlor provided comparable rice plant height, shoot numbers, groundcover, and rough rice yield to that of the nontreated control. Under cool, wet conditions, rice injury without fenclorim ranged from 15% to 60% with acetochlor at 1,050 g ai ha−1, whereas injury from acetochlor with the fenclorim seed treatment ranged from 0% to 20%. Based on the results of these experiments, the fenclorim seed treatment appears to safen an assortment of rice cultivars from injury caused by ME acetochlor.
Einstellungen von Lehrpersonen zu digitalen Medien und die effektive Nutzung einer Suchmaschine (KANSAS)
Authors: Mayer Nadine , Jambor-Fahlen Simone , Kholin Mareike
Published: January 2023

Zusammenfassung: Hintergrund: Lehrkräfte aus dem Bereich der Grundbildung und Sprachförderung brauchen Lehr-Lernmaterial, das inhaltlich und sprachlich an die heterogenen Bedürfnisse und Interessen der Lernenden angepasst ist. Digitale Tools können dazu beitragen, Lehr-Lernprozesse zu vereinfachen. KANSAS ist eine Suchmaschine zur Unterstützung von Lehrenden zur Recherche von Sprachlerntexten. In dieser Online-Evaluation wurde untersucht, inwiefern KANSAS nützlich für die Unterrichtsplanung ist und ob die Einstellungen der Lehrkräfte zu digitalen Medien einen Einfluss auf ihre Arbeitsergebnisse haben. Methoden: Insgesamt erstellten 27 Lehrkräfte Unterrichtsentwürfe auf Basis eines mit KANSAS recherchierten Textes, welche dann hinsichtlich verschiedener Qualitätskriterien beurteilt wurden. Mittels multipler hierarchischer Regression wurde geprüft, inwiefern Einstellungen zu digitalen Medien die Qualität der Unterrichtsentwürfe beeinflussen. Ergebnisse: Die durchschnittlichen Bewertungen der Unterrichtsentwürfe liegen in einem mittleren bis hohen Bereich. In Bezug auf die Einstellungen hängt nur der von den Lehrkräften eingeschätzte Mehrwert digitaler Medien mit einem der Bewertungskriterien zusammen. Diskussion: KANSAS lässt sich gut für Textrecherche und Unterrichtsplanung einsetzen, es zeigen sich jedoch auch Desiderate. Die Arbeitsergebnisse sind größtenteils unabhängig von Einstellungen zu digitalen Medien, was jedoch durch die selektive Stichprobe verzerrt sein könnte.
Effects of Automatic Hyperparameter Tuning on the Performance of Multi‐Variate Deep Learning‐Based Rainfall Nowcasting
Authors: Amini Amirmasoud , Dolatshahi Mehri , Kerachian Reza
Published: January 2023

Rainfall nowcasting has become increasingly important as we move into an era where more and more storms are occurring in many countries as a result of climate change. Developing an accurate rainfall nowcasting model could provide insights into rainfall dynamics and ultimately could prevent significant damages. In this paper, deep neural networks (DNNs) and numerical weather predictions (NWPs) are applied for rainfall and runoff forecasting in an urban catchment with a complex drainage system. DNNs are among the most accurate models for rainfall nowcasting. However, the design and training of DNNs are usually complicated. This paper combines different convolutional, long short‐term memory (LSTM)‐based networks and NWPs using ensemble techniques (i.e., bagging, random forest, and adaboost methods) with automatic hyperparameter tuning for multi‐step rainfall nowcasting. The relative humidity, air temperature, and previous rainfall sequences are considered the inputs of the DNNs. We focus on applying two hyperparameter tuning methods (i.e., random search and tree structured Parzen estimator) to improve the performance of the proposed rainfall nowcasting models. The proposed framework was applied to the eastern drainage catchment (EDC) in Tehran city. The results illustrate that the utilization of automatic hyperparameter tuning along with multivariate DNNs, NWPs, and ensemble techniques could improve the nowcasting performance (10%–25%) compared to the traditional univariate models. Also, Adaboost is more accurate than other ensemble techniques in predicting both extreme and normal rainfall events with average RMSE of 0.765, and random forest obtain better results when predict sub normal rainfall events with overall RMSE of 0.315. The proposed framework is applicable to different climates and catchments.
Prematurity blunts protein synthesis in skeletal muscle independently of body weight in neonatal pigs
Authors: Rudar Marko , Naberhuis Jane K. , Suryawan Agus , Nguyen Hanh V. , Fiorotto Marta L. , Davis Teresa A.
Published: January 2023

Background

Postnatal growth failure in premature infants is associated with reduced lean mass accretion. Prematurity impairs the feeding-induced stimulation of translation initiation and protein synthesis in the skeletal muscle of neonatal pigs. The objective was to determine whether body weight independently contributes to the blunted postprandial protein synthesis.

Methods

Preterm and term pigs that were either fasted or fed were stratified into quartiles according to birth weight to yield preterm and term groups of similar body weight; first and second quartiles of preterm pigs and third and fourth quartiles of term pigs were compared (preterm-fasted, n = 23; preterm-fed, n = 25; term-fasted, n = 21; term-fed, n = 21). Protein synthesis rates and mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) activation in skeletal muscle were determined.

Results

Relative body weight gain was lower in preterm compared to term pigs. Prematurity attenuated the feeding-induced increase in mTORC1 activation in longissimus dorsi and gastrocnemius muscles (P < 0.05). Protein synthesis in gastrocnemius (P < 0.01), but not in longissimus dorsi muscle, was blunted by preterm birth.

Conclusion

A lower capacity of skeletal muscle to respond adequately to feeding may contribute to reduced body weight gain and lean mass accretion in preterm infants.

Impact

This study has shown that the feeding-induced increase in protein synthesis of skeletal and cardiac muscle is blunted in neonatal pigs born preterm compared to pigs born at term independently of birth weight.

These findings support the notion that preterm birth, and not low birth weight, impairs the capacity of skeletal and cardiac muscle to upregulate mechanistic target of rapamycin-dependent anabolic signaling pathways and protein synthesis in response to the postprandial increase in insulin and amino acids.

These observations suggest that a blunted anabolic response to feeding contributes to reduced lean mass accretion and altered body composition in preterm infants.
SARS-CoV-2 escape from cytotoxic T cells during long-term COVID-19
Authors: Stanevich Oksana V. , Alekseeva Evgeniia I. , Sergeeva Maria , Fadeev Artem V. , Komissarova Kseniya S. , Ivanova Anna A. , Simakova Tamara S. , Vasilyev Kirill A. , Shurygina Anna-Polina , Stukova Marina A. , Safina Ksenia R. , Nabieva Elena R. , Garushyants Sofya K. , Klink Galya V. , Bakin Evgeny A. , Zabutova Jullia V. , Kholodnaia Anastasia N. , Lukina Olga V. , Skorokhod Irina A. , Ryabchikova Viktoria V. , Medvedeva Nadezhda V. , Lioznov Dmitry A. , Danilenko Daria M. , Chudakov Dmitriy M. , Komissarov Andrey B. , Bazykin Georgii A.
Published: January 2023

Evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in immunocompromised hosts may result in novel variants with changed properties. While escape from humoral immunity certainly contributes to intra-host evolution, escape from cellular immunity is poorly understood. Here, we report a case of long-term COVID-19 in an immunocompromised patient with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma who received treatment with rituximab and lacked neutralizing antibodies. Over the 318 days of the disease, the SARS-CoV-2 genome gained a total of 40 changes, 34 of which were present by the end of the study period. Among the acquired mutations, 12 reduced or prevented the binding of known immunogenic SARS-CoV-2 HLA class I antigens. By experimentally assessing the effect of a subset of the escape mutations, we show that they resulted in a loss of as much as ~1% of effector CD8 T cell response. Our results indicate that CD8 T cell escape represents a major underappreciated contributor to SARS-CoV-2 evolution in humans.
Antiretroviral APOBEC3 cytidine deaminases alter HIV-1 provirus integration site profiles
Authors: Ajoge Hannah O. , Renner Tyler M. , Bélanger Kasandra , Greig Matthew , Dankar Samar , Kohio Hinissan P. , Coleman Macon D. , Ndashimye Emmanuel , Arts Eric J. , Langlois Marc-André , Barr Stephen D.
Published: January 2023

APOBEC3 (A3) proteins are host-encoded deoxycytidine deaminases that provide an innate immune barrier to retroviral infection, notably against HIV-1. Low levels of deamination are believed to contribute to the genetic evolution of HIV-1, while intense catalytic activity of these proteins can induce catastrophic hypermutation in proviral DNA leading to near-total HIV-1 restriction. So far, little is known about how A3 cytosine deaminases might impact HIV-1 proviral DNA integration sites in human chromosomal DNA. Using a deep sequencing approach, we analyze the influence of catalytic active and inactive APOBEC3F and APOBEC3G on HIV-1 integration site selections. Here we show that DNA editing is detected at the extremities of the long terminal repeat regions of the virus. Both catalytic active and non-catalytic A3 mutants decrease insertions into gene coding sequences and increase integration sites into SINE elements, oncogenes and transcription-silencing non-B DNA features. Our data implicates A3 as a host factor influencing HIV-1 integration site selection and also promotes what appears to be a more latent expression profile.
Additive-controlled asymmetric iodocyclization enables enantioselective access to both α- and β-nucleosides
Authors: Wang Qi , Mu Jiayi , Zeng Jie , Wan Linxi , Zhong Yangyang , Li Qiuhong , Li Yitong , Wang Huijing , Chen Fener
Published: January 2023

β-Nucleosides and their analogs are dominant clinically-used antiviral and antitumor drugs. α-Nucleosides, the anomers of β-nucleosides, exist in nature and have significant potential as drugs or drug carriers. Currently, the most widely used methods for synthesizing β- and α-nucleosides are via N-glycosylation and pentose aminooxazoline, respectively. However, the stereoselectivities of both methods highly depend on the assisting group at the C2’ position. Herein, we report an additive-controlled stereodivergent iodocyclization method for the selective synthesis of α- or β-nucleosides. The stereoselectivity at the anomeric carbon is controlled by the additive (NaI for β-nucleosides; PPh3S for α-nucleosides). A series of β- and α-nucleosides are prepared in high yields (up to 95%) and stereoselectivities (β:α up to 66:1, α:β up to 70:1). Notably, the introduced iodine at the C2’ position of the nucleoside is readily functionalized, leading to multiple structurally diverse nucleoside analogs, including stavudine, an FDA-approved anti-HIV agent, and molnupiravir, an FDA-approved anti-SARS-CoV-2 agent.
Resolving colistin resistance and heteroresistance in Enterobacter species
Authors: Doijad Swapnil Prakash , Gisch Nicolas , Frantz Renate , Kumbhar Bajarang Vasant , Falgenhauer Jane , Imirzalioglu Can , Falgenhauer Linda , Mischnik Alexander , Rupp Jan , Behnke Michael , Buhl Michael , Eisenbeis Simone , Gastmeier Petra , Gölz Hanna , Häcker Georg Alexander , Käding Nadja , Kern Winfried V. , Kola Axel , Kramme Evelyn , Peter Silke , Rohde Anna M. , Seifert Harald , Tacconelli Evelina , Vehreschild Maria J. G. T. , Walker Sarah V. , Zweigner Janine , Schwudke Dominik ,   DZIF R-Net Study Group, Diaz L. A. Peña , Pilarski G. , Thoma N. , Weber A. , Vavra M. , Schuster S. , Peyerl-Hoffmann G. , Hamprecht A. , Proske S. , Stelzer Y. , Wille J. , Lenke D. , Bader B. , Dinkelacker A. , Hölzl F. , Kunstle L. , Chakraborty Trinad
Published: January 2023

Species within the Enterobacter cloacae complex (ECC) include globally important nosocomial pathogens. A three-year study of ECC in Germany identified Enterobacter xiangfangensis as the most common species (65.5%) detected, a result replicated by examining a global pool of 3246 isolates. Antibiotic resistance profiling revealed widespread resistance and heteroresistance to the antibiotic colistin and detected the mobile colistin resistance (mcr)−9 gene in 19.2% of all isolates. We show that resistance and heteroresistance properties depend on the chromosomal arnBCADTEF gene cassette whose products catalyze transfer of L-Ara4N to lipid A. Using comparative genomics, mutational analysis, and quantitative lipid A profiling we demonstrate that intrinsic lipid A modification levels are genospecies-dependent and governed by allelic variations in phoPQ and mgrB, that encode a two-component sensor-activator system and specific inhibitor peptide. By generating phoPQ chimeras and combining them with mgrB alleles, we show that interactions at the pH-sensing interface of the sensory histidine kinase phoQ dictate arnBCADTEF expression levels. To minimize therapeutic failures, we developed an assay that accurately detects colistin resistance levels for any ECC isolate.
Vascular smooth muscle-inspired architecture enables soft yet tough self-healing materials for durable capacitive strain-sensor
Authors: Sun FuYao , Liu LongFei , Liu Tong , Wang XueBin , Qi Qi , Hang ZuSheng , Chen Kai , Xu JianHua , Fu JiaJun
Published: January 2023

Catastrophically mechanical failure of soft self-healing materials is unavoidable due to their inherently poor resistance to crack propagation. Here, with a model system, i.e., soft self-healing polyurea, we present a biomimetic strategy of surpassing trade-off between soft self-healing and high fracture toughness, enabling the conversion of soft and weak into soft yet tough self-healing material. Such an achievement is inspired by vascular smooth muscles, where core-shell structured Galinstan micro-droplets are introduced through molecularly interfacial metal-coordinated assembly, resulting in an increased crack-resistant strain and fracture toughness of 12.2 and 34.9 times without sacrificing softness. The obtained fracture toughness is up to 111.16 ± 8.76 kJ/m2, even higher than that of Al and Zn alloys. Moreover, the resultant composite delivers fast self-healing kinetics (1 min) upon local near-infrared irradiation, and possesses ultra-high dielectric constants (~14.57), thus being able to be fabricated into sensitive and self-healing capacitive strain-sensors tolerant towards cracks potentially evolved in service.
Equilibrium selection via current sheet relaxation and guide field amplification
Authors: Yoon Young Dae , Wendel Deirdre E. , Yun Gunsu S.
Published: January 2023

Although there is a continuous spectrum of current sheet equilibria, how a particular equilibrium is selected by a given system remains a mystery. Yet, only a limited number of equilibrium solutions are used for analyses of magnetized plasma phenomena. Here we present the exact process of equilibrium selection, by analyzing the relaxation process of a disequilibrated current sheet under a finite guide field. It is shown via phase-space analyses and particle-in-cell simulations that the current sheet relaxes in such a way that the guide field is locally amplified, yielding a mixed equilibrium from the spectrum. Comparisons to spacecraft observations and solar wind current sheet statistics demonstrate that such mixed equilibria are ubiquitous and exist as underlying local structures in various physical environments.
Choice selective inhibition drives stability and competition in decision circuits
Authors: Roach James P. , Churchland Anne K. , Engel Tatiana A.
Published: January 2023

During perceptual decision-making, the firing rates of cortical neurons reflect upcoming choices. Recent work showed that excitatory and inhibitory neurons are equally selective for choice. However, the functional consequences of inhibitory choice selectivity in decision-making circuits are unknown. We developed a circuit model of decision-making which accounts for the specificity of inputs to and outputs from inhibitory neurons. We found that selective inhibition expands the space of circuits supporting decision-making, allowing for weaker or stronger recurrent excitation when connected in a competitive or feedback motif. The specificity of inhibitory outputs sets the trade-off between speed and accuracy of decisions by either stabilizing or destabilizing the saddle-point dynamics underlying decisions in the circuit. Recurrent neural networks trained to make decisions display the same dependence on inhibitory specificity and the strength of recurrent excitation. Our results reveal two concurrent roles for selective inhibition in decision-making circuits: stabilizing strongly connected excitatory populations and maximizing competition between oppositely selective populations.
SARS-CoV-2 viral entry and replication is impaired in Cystic Fibrosis airways due to ACE2 downregulation
Authors: Bezzerri Valentino , Gentili Valentina , Api Martina , Finotti Alessia , Papi Chiara , Tamanini Anna , Boni Christian , Baldisseri Elena , Olioso Debora , Duca Martina , Tedesco Erika , Leo Sara , Borgatti Monica , Volpi Sonia , Pinton Paolo , Cabrini Giulio , Gambari Roberto , Blasi Francesco , Lippi Giuseppe , Rimessi Alessandro , Rizzo Roberta , Cipolli Marco
Published: January 2023

As an inherited disorder characterized by severe pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis could be considered a comorbidity for coronavirus disease 2019. Instead, current clinical evidence seems to be heading in the opposite direction. To clarify whether host factors expressed by the Cystic Fibrosis epithelia may influence coronavirus disease 2019 progression, here we describe the expression of SARS-CoV-2 receptors in primary airway epithelial cells. We show that angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) expression and localization are regulated by Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) channel. Consistently, our results indicate that dysfunctional CFTR channels alter susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection, resulting in reduced viral entry and replication in Cystic Fibrosis cells. Depending on the pattern of ACE2 expression, the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein induced high levels of Interleukin 6 in healthy donor-derived primary airway epithelial cells, but a very weak response in primary Cystic Fibrosis cells. Collectively, these data support that Cystic Fibrosis condition may be at least partially protecting from SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Role of air-sea heat flux on the transformation of Atlantic Water encircling the Nordic Seas
Authors: Huang Jie , Pickart Robert S. , Chen Zhuomin , Huang Rui Xin
Published: January 2023

The warm-to-cold densification of Atlantic Water (AW) around the perimeter of the Nordic Seas is a critical component of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). However, it remains unclear how ongoing changes in air-sea heat flux impact this transformation. Here we use observational data, and a one-dimensional mixing model following the flow, to investigate the role of air-sea heat flux on the cooling of AW. We focus on the Norwegian Atlantic Slope Current (NwASC) and Front Current (NwAFC), where the primary transformation of AW occurs. We find that air-sea heat flux accounts almost entirely for the net cooling of AW along the NwAFC, while oceanic lateral heat transfer appears to dominate the temperature change along the NwASC. Such differing impacts of air-sea interaction, which explain the contrasting long-term changes in the net cooling along two AW branches since the 1990s, need to be considered when understanding the AMOC variability.