bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Phase diagram of the system O2–N2
Authors: Baryl’nik A. S. , Prokhvatilov A. I. , Yantsevich L. D.
Published: January 2025

X-ray diffractionai studies of O2–N2 solid solutions have been carried out. The equilibrium phase diagram of these solutions is found to differ considerably from that available in the literature. The temperature-concentration position of three eutectoid transformation points and the boundaries of mutual solubilities of components are determined. A metastable x-phase has been discovered and investigated.
Energy gap in high-temperature superconductors BiSrCaCuO
Authors: Dmitriev V. M. , Solov’ev A. L. , Dmitrenko A. I. , Ishchenko L. A. , Kotok L. A.
Published: January 2025

The temperature dependence of the energy gap Δ of the high-temperature superconducting ceramic Bi2Sr2.33Ca0.67Cu2Ox and its magnitude (2Δ(0)/kTc = 3.4–5.7) are determined by using a point contact formed between Nb and the superconductor.
Detection of diffusive flow of solid helium
Authors: Dyumin N. E. , Svatko S. V. , Grigor’ev V. N.
Published: January 2025

Diffusive flow in solid helium is detected and the results on self-diffusion coefficient of the 4He atom are obtained.
Mechanism of formation and “relay-race” dynamics of Cooper pairs in high-temperature superconductors
Authors: Krivoshei I. V.
Published: January 2025

A theoretical model is proposed, in which oxygen in the lattice of high-temperature superconductors (HTS) exists in the form of an ordinary oxide ion O2−, diatomic diamagnetic peroxide ion O22− (the Vk-bicenter), nonstoichiometric molecular oxygen O20 freely dissolved in the lattice, and virtual O2−. The two electrons on O22− form a bound exciton pair with the two holes of Cu2+. The dynamic interaction between pairs is realized through the “relay-race” mechanism in the O22−−O20 chain. The motion in the chain induces the motion of a correlated pair of holes in the valence band, which leads to the superconducting current state in HTS. The calculated value of the Bose condensation temperature Tc correlates with experimental values. The linear temperature dependence of resistance, the absence of isotopic effect and the blurring of the superconducting transition in a magnetic field are explained. The existence of antiferroelectricity and a step on the Tc (y) dependence, where y is the nonstoichiometry, are predicted.
Critical temperature in the two-dimensional model of oxide superconductors
Authors: Davydov S. Yu. , Leonov E. I.
Published: January 2025

The dispersion of electrons and phonons in the two-dimensional CuO2 lattice is determined by using Harrison’s bonding orbital method. The electron-phonon interaction constant is determined. The critical temperature is calculated and its dependence on specific volume (pressure) is calculated. The results of calculation are in a satisfactory agreement with experimental data.
Exponential temperature dependence of the magnetoresistance of tungsten crystals in strong magnetic fields
Authors: Cherepanov A. N. , Startsev V. E. , Marchenkov V. V.
Published: January 2025

The temperature dependence of the transverse magnetoresistance of tungsten single crystals with ρ293.2K/ρ4.2K ≈ 80000 has been measured in Corbino disk type samples in the temperature interval 4.2−50 K under magnetic fields up to 140 kOe. It is shown that the temperature dependence of the magnetoelectric conductivity is described by the superposition of the temperature-dependent contribution and two exponential contributions due to intersheet electron-phonon Umklapp processes.
Orientational ordering of molecules in small crystalline particles of nitrogen and carbon monoxide
Authors: Krainyukova N. V.
Published: January 2025

Two possible channels of relaxation of surface structures formed upon emergence of (111) and (100) planes on the surface of nitrogen and carbon monoxide are investigated. It is shown that the orientationally ordered arrangement of molecules on the surface leads to additional peaks in diffraction patterns, which are not typical of bulk crystals. The experimental temperature behavior of an additional peak (130) indicates that the temperatures of transition to an orientationally disordered phase on the surfaces of nitrogen and carbon monoxide are very close and lie between 30 and 38 K.
Thermal conductivity of pure indium at low temperatures
Authors: Neminskii A. M. , Mezhov-Deglin L. P.
Published: January 2025

Thermal conductivity of pure indium is measured in the temperature interval from 3.5 to 25 K. It was found that the complex temperature dependence of the electron-phonon thermal resistivity can be explained by electron-phonon scattering between different sheets of the Fermi surface.
Flux flow and resistive domain dynamics in superconductors
Authors: Ivanchenko Yu. M. , Medvedev Yu. V. , Yarish A. N.
Published: January 2025

Thermoelectric and thermomagnetic effects in heat generation are taken into account in the framework of the phenomenological theory of vortex excess entropy transport in type-II superconductors. Making use of the evaluated dissipation function Q(T, r) the entrainment of the temperature domains (TD are localized regions of excessive heat generation) by the moving vortex structure is considered in the superconductors anisotropic in pinning. Essential for the TD-dynamics are the component of the transport current j transverse to the domain velocity and vortex lattice density n. These conditions should be taken into account when a superconducting sample is used to generate current and voltage oscillations with frequency v = υD/L (υD is the TD velocity and L the length of the sample) in such a resistive state.
Investigation of the intervalley conduction electron scattering at a bismuth surface
Authors: Bozhko S. I. , Sveklo I. F. , Tsoi V. S.
Published: January 2025

The intervalley conduction electron scattering at a bismuth surface is investigated by means of transverse electron focusing (EF). The nonmonotonic dependences of the EF line amplitudes on the magnetic field directions are observed. Inter- and intravalley conduction electron scattering probabilities can be determined by analyzing the nonmonotonicity and the ratio of the EF line amplitudes. The atomic scale surface roughness appearing on the Bi surface due to etching leads to a change in the electron reflection character. This is also responsible for the crystallographic anisotropy of the probability of conduction electron specular reflection at the crystal surface.
“Non-collision” magnetoacoustic resonance in gallium
Authors: Kabanov A. E. , Burma N. G. , Deineka E. Yu. , Fil’ V. D.
Published: January 2025

The predicted “non-collision” magnetoacoustic resonance (MAR) occurring under the condition of weak aperiodicity of the electron movement along quasi-open trajectories [A. A. Slutskin and A. Ya. Sharshanov, Fiz. Nizk. Temp. 12, 718 (1986)] is experimentally detected and investigated. For the cross-section of the open region of the Fermi surface (FS) of gallium providing the extreme electron drift, the value of ∂3S/∂pξ3pξextr (S is the area of the corresponding cross section and pξ the Fermi momentum perpendicular to the vector of openness) is measured.
Acoustic anomalies during ferroelastic phase transitions in conducting piezomagnetics
Authors: Vitebskii I. M. , Zel’tser A. S. , Lavrinenko L. M. , Sobolev V. L.
Published: January 2025

The main critical anomalies during ferroelastic phase transitions are mainly observed in the behavior of the elastic properties of crystals. A sharp decrease in the transverse sound velocity in certain symmetric directions is observed, and it is shown that the linear piezomagnetic effect may considerably change the critical behavior of softening sound in conducting crystals. In particular, the velocity of sound remains finite at the critical point.
One- and two-electron tunneling in superconductors with local pairs
Authors: Beloborod’ko S. I. , Kulik I. O.
Published: January 2025

It is shown that the tunnel current from a superconductor with local pairs to a normal metal or a BCS superconductor has two components. One of them is exactly the same as in the BCS theory, but the one-particle energy gap has a different temperature dependence and can be strongly anisotropic. The other component is due to the transformation of local pairs into band states at the metal boundary. Its voltage dependence can be used to find the “pair” gap R along with the one-particle gap. The pair number density v can be estimated from the asymmetry of the current-voltage characteristic of the quasiparticle current in the normal state.
Thermodynamic characteristics of a quasi-two-dimensional electron gas
Authors: Kaganov M. I. , Lutskii V. N. , Posvyanskii D. V.
Published: January 2025

Thermodynamic characteristics of superlattices in a magnetic field are calculated numerically. Analytic expressions for the chemical potential, magnetic moment and temperature of a sample are obtained for a degenerate and Maxwell’s electron gas. The utilization of the magnetic-field induced oscillations of temperature in the sample as a method of adiabatic cooling is discussed. The effect of the Landau level broadening on the adiabatic cooling is estimated.
Thermal expansion of solid parahydrogen at helium temperatures
Authors: Aleksandrovskii A. N. , Soldatov A. V. , Manzhelii V. G. , Palei V. V.
Published: January 2025

Thermal expansion of solid parahydrogen is investigated in the temperature range from 0.9 to 5 K. The content of the orthomodification in parahydrogen is 0.13 at. %, and that of nonhydrogen impurities is less than 2·10−3 at. %. No anisotropy in thermal expansion was observed within the experimental error. The temperature dependence of the linear expansion coefficient can be described by the expression α = 1.82·10−7 T3. The obtained values of a are in good agreement with the available data on compressibility and (∂p/∂T)T. The Grüneisen coefficient is γ = 3αV/CTχT = 2.00±0.25.
Antiferromagnetic resonance in GdBa2Cu3O7–x in parallel fields
Authors: Zvyagin A. I. , Kobets M. I. , Pashchenko V. A. , Stepanov A. A. , Dotsenko V. I. , Chaikovskaya N. M.
Published: January 2025

Antiferromagnetic resonance in GdBa2Cu3O7–x ceramic samples is measured at low temperatures including the magnetic ordering temperature. The absorption observed on the AFMR mode is an indication of a uniaxial antiferromagnetic structure realized in GdBa2Cu3O7–x at T < TN.
Point contact spectroscopy of SmBa2Cu3O7–δ films: multigap harmonic structure
Authors: Akimenko A. I. , Ponomarenko N. M. , Gudimenko V. A. , Yanson I. K. , Samuely P. , Kuš P.
Published: January 2025

The oscillating dependence of the differential resistance of point contacts (Cu–SmBa2Cu3O7–δ) on the bias voltage is shown to be a harmonic gap structure with several energy gaps. The presence of a set of energy gaps is explained by the existence of clusters with different oxygen concentrations in the contact region. The temperature dependence of energy gaps is not consistent with the BCS theory, and 2Δ/kTc ≈ 6–8. It is found that a weak magnetic field considerably affects the harmonic gap structure.
Exchange conductivity and trajectory effects during injection of charge carriers into bismuth
Authors: Bogod Yu. A. , Krasovitskii V. B. , Lemeshevskaya E. T. , Slutskin A. A. , Sharshanov A. Ya.
Published: January 2025

An attempt is made to separate the volume and trajectory effects during the injection of charge carriers into bismuth and the measurement of potential of the peripheral point. It is shown that for T = 4 K and H ≲ 102Oe, the volume current makes a 10−20% contribution to the collector voltage Uc, while for H ∼ 104 Oe the volume effects play a decisive role. It is found that for one of the directions H⊥L (L is the distance between the collector and the emitter), the dependence Uc (H) has a minimum associated with the existence of magnetic-field odd components in the magnetic conductivity tensor of bismuth. As a result, the asymmetry of the collector voltage relative to the inversion of vector H is preserved up to room temperature, i.e., under the conditions l ≪ L (l is the mean free path of electrons in the bulk). Other conditions remaining the same, the position of the minimum is determined by the mean free path as well as the ratio of the sample thickness to the distance between the emitter and the collector. The results presented in this paper confirm the phenomenological computations made in the local electric field approximation. The effect of diffusive surface scattering on the dynamics of electrons in the skin layer is studied. The entire body of experimental data indicates that preference should be given to the concepts [A. I. Kopeliovich, Zh. Eksp. Teor. Fiz. 78, 987 (1980)] according to which the electron mean free path in the skin layer in a magnetic field H parallel to the surface of a plate is of the order of the bulk mean free path in the case of diffusive scattering. The idea of an experiment to study the dynamics of electrons in the skin layer of normal metals with a single type of charge carriers is formulated.
Tunnel transitions between self-localized states of electrons in a magnetic field
Authors: Vol E. D. , Kukushkin L. S. , Frentii A. V.
Published: January 2025

The conditions of emergence of various types of self-localized states of conduction electrons placed in a quantizing magnetic field and strongly interacting with homopolar nonlinear elastic medium are determined. Special attention is paid to the case of coexistence of these states. Phase diagrams are constructed for magnetic and nonlinear condensons. The obtained results are used for describing the states of conduction electrons in antiferromagnets and electrons injected into dense gaseous helium. An expression is obtained for the time of tunnel transition between self-localized electron states in a nonpolar elastic medium. It is shown that this time can be considerably reduced by placing the system in a strong magnetic field.
Identification and characteristics of refuges for the threatened swamp antechinus (Antechinus minimus maritimus) under climate change; targeted surveys across the Otway Ranges, south-east Australia
Authors: Wilson Barbara A. , Agosta Kristen , Garkaklis Mark J. , Cripps Jemma K. , Parrott Marissa L. , Cooke Raylene , White John G.
Published: January 2025

There is growing evidence that persistence of mammal fauna under climate change is reliant on refuges protected from disturbances such as extreme drought and fire. During the ‘millennium drought’ (1996–2010), the swamp antechinus (Antechinus minimus maritimus) declined precipitously in the eastern Otways, resulting in restriction to coastal dune refuges. Here, we evaluated the species’ distribution across the extended Otway landscape to identify the localities and characteristics of refuges. Targeted surveys (cameras, live-trapping) were conducted at sites of previous healthy populations and in putative habitat refuges (2018–2023). Eleven micro-refuges (<500 ha), located in Coastal Dune Scrub, were identified but are subject to destruction due to sea level rise. Three mid-connected refuges (500–1000 ha), providing habitat connection features (e.g. gullies), and three macro-refuges (>1000 ha) of unfragmented, complex vegetation were identified. The swamp antechinus remains absent from previously inhabited heathy woodland in the eastern Otways, and although it was initially (2021) trapped with high success in heathy woodlands of the Carlisle Heath, it was not captured subsequently, possibly related to incompatible fire, introduced predators and Phytophthora dieback. Management of refuges to ensure the future of the swamp antechinus will require effective control of Phytophthora infestation and predators, and protection from inappropriate fire.
Decision-science navigates trade-offs between environmental and socio-economic objectives for marine debris mitigation
Authors: Beher Jutta , Wintle Brendan , Treml Eric
Published: January 2025

Context Marine litter is a growing global problem that impacts biodiversity and human societies alike. South-east Asia suffers significant impacts due to high biodiversity, dense human populations, and large volumes of plastics entering the marine environment, primarily through rivers. Aims Drawing on decision-theory principles, Structured Decision Making (SDM) can improve site selection for marine debris management by identifying the best options to reduce plastic exposure to species, ecosystems, and human populations in the marine and coastal environment, as well as an overall reduction of drifting plastic debris in the open ocean. Methods We combine an SDM framework with a plastic transport model and quantify benefits for environmental and social objectives across 542 locations covering 683 rivers along the coasts of south-east Asia in the biodiversity hotspot of the Coral Triangle. We modelled and quantified metrics for the reduction in volume and flow of plastics to all downstream coral reefs, key biodiversity areas, marine protected areas, and coastal communities. Key results No location is the best option across all objectives, but the multiple metrics help to navigate trade-offs across specific objectives. Despite 95% of all plastic debris remaining in circulation in the seascape after 2 months, several rivers contribute not only large volumes of plastic debris to the overall marine pollution but also large volumes of pollution downstream. Conclusions The increasing pollution of the marine environment with plastic debris can only be stopped by regulating and reducing the production of plastic products. However, as long as plastic debris is still circulating in the environment, the identification of these locations where the removal of plastic pollution will deliver the best outcomes for a set of important objectives will remain an important mitigation measure. The proposed framework effectively facilitates understanding existing trade-offs and can easily be adapted to include additional metrics or objectives. Using this framework enables decision-makers to develop a tailor-made prioritisation process for clean-up interventions in their unique socio-ecological contexts. Implications This new decision-science approach for identifying efficient spatial management strategies for plastic clean-up is transferable to any geography and has the capacity to enhance local-to-global plastic management.
Regulatory T cells converted from Th1 cells in tumors suppress cancer immunity via CD39
Authors: Tan Sang-Nee , Hao Jing , Ge Jing , Yang Yazheng , Liu Liguo , Huang Jia , Lin Meng , Zhao Xiaohong , Wang Genyu , Yang Zhiying , Ni Ling , Dong Chen
Published: January 2025

Regulatory T (Treg) cells are known to impede antitumor immunity, yet the regulatory mechanisms and functional roles of these cells remain poorly understood. In this study, through the characterization of multiple cancer models, we identified a substantial presence of peripherally induced Treg cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Depletion of these cells triggered antitumor responses and provided potent therapeutic effects by increasing functional CD8+ T cells. Fate-mapping and transfer experiments revealed that IFN-γ–expressing T helper (Th) 1 cells differentiated into Treg cells in response to TGF-β signaling in tumors. Pseudotime trajectory analysis further revealed the terminal differentiation of Th1-like Treg cells from Th1 cells in the TME. Tumor-resident Treg cells highly expressed T-bet, which was essential for their functions in the TME. Additionally, CD39 was highly expressed by T-bet+ Treg cells in both mouse and human tumors, and was necessary for Treg cell-mediated suppression of CD8+ T cell responses. Our study elucidated the developmental pathway of intratumoral Treg cells and highlighted novel strategies for targeting them in cancer patients.
Understanding the role of mutations in voltage-gated sodium ion channels for cardiovascular disorders
Authors: Jorgensen Christian
Published: January 2025

Elhanafy et al. used Molecular Dynamics simulations and electrophysiology to show how identical mutations in the volgage sending domain of sodium channels can yield differential functional effects.
Think About Knowledge
Authors: Allen Peter
Published: January 2025

The dominant story about political knowledge is that most people don’t have it. The problem is that political scientists and politicians have been looking for the wrong thing and looking for it in the wrong places. The risk in proscribing what political knowledge is in a limited way consists in how it sets political knowledge up as a test that can be passed or failed. And if this test judges only a selected few to be in possession of the relevant credentials, this may result in an assumption that it is acceptable to listen to just these people and ignore everyone else. But rather than simply accepting the dominant story, political scientists have begun to consider alternative means of conceptualizing and measuring political knowledge, focusing on peoples’ knowledge of their daily lives and experiences. Based on the findings of this work, everyone might have something to offer.
Think About Presence
Authors: Allen Peter
Published: January 2025

It has been possible to tell a good news story about political representation over recent decades as elected leaders have become more diverse on almost every measure. More women, ethnic minorities, and LGBT+ legislators are now present in politics than ever before. But the good news story isn’t the only story. The reality is that the wider impact of many of these advances in presence has been, to many, something of a disappointment as the kinds of political transformations that some might have expected a greater diversity of representation to bring about have not materialized. How can this be understood? This chapter confronts the limitations of presence in an age of polarization and increasing political complexity, arguing that political representation, while hugely important, is subject to significant constraints on what it can achieve. It is important to think carefully about what presence can do, what it can’t, and, crucially, why.
The Social Cost of Carbon
Authors: Kelleher J Paul
Published: January 2025

Climate change economists have called it “the most important number you have never heard of” and the “holy grail of climate economic analysis.” It is the social cost of carbon (SCC), and its purpose is to reflect—in one dollar figure—the harm caused by emitting a single ton of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The SCC is an essential concept for environmental cost-benefit analysis, and for the idea of an “optimal tax” on carbon emissions. It is also the subject of fierce debate in the academic literature and in American politics. This book offers the most systematic analysis yet of the social cost of carbon, its theoretical basis, and its proper role in climate economics and climate policy design. It explains that the SCC is not one concept but four, each of which is addressed to a distinct task in climate economics. Moreover, these four concepts can be sorted into two families that correspond to the two main branches of welfare economics, social choice theory and general equilibrium theory. The book explains these radically different theoretical frameworks and how a mathematically identical pair of SCC concepts can emerge from each. It then argues that the analytical power of each SCC concept is limited by its inability to capture the full array of ethical considerations that bear on responsible climate policy. Despite these limitations, the book explains how at least some SCC concepts can and should be put to work in real-world climate change policy analysis.
Normative Abridgement and Pure Time Discounting
Authors: Kelleher J Paul
Published: January 2025

This chapter introduces and explores the concept of a normatively abridged social welfare function (SWF). In the context of social choice climate economics, an SWF is normatively abridged when the ranking of consumption or well-being paths that it represents is not a ranking of these paths in terms of all policy-relevant normative considerations. The chapter identifies several versions of normative abridgement present in the philosophical literature on climate change economics, and then explains how the concept sheds light on the debate in climate economics over pure time discounting. The chapter argues that social choice SWFs should be normatively abridged and temporally impartial.
Distribution
Authors: Kelleher J Paul
Published: January 2025

This chapter explains and critically evaluates social welfare functions (SWFs) that differ from utilitarian SWFs in being in some way averse to inequalities in well-being. It focuses in particular on three prioritarian SWFs: ex ante prioritarianism, ex post prioritarianism, and Marc Fleurbaey’s expected equally distributed equivalent SWF. In each case the chapter examines objections that have been made to these SWFs in the existing literature, and it then argues that the concept of normative abridgement can help to adjudicate between those who endorse distribution-sensitive SWFs and those who accept the utilitarian SWF. The chapter adjudicates in favor of the utilitarian SWF.
Population
Authors: Kelleher J Paul
Published: January 2025

This chapter provides a brief introduction to population ethics, the branch of moral philosophy concerned with when and why the world is worsened or improved when new people are added to it. It covers terrain that will be well-known to some moral philosophers, but which will be new to most economists. These include the so-called Repugnant and Sadistic conclusions. The goal is not to break new ground in population ethics, however, but to use population ethics to evaluate the book’s thesis concerning normative abridgement. The chapter argues that population ethics offers new reasons to think that a sound social welfare function will be radically normatively abridged.
The Dynamics of Epistemic Injustice
Authors: Catala Amandine
Published: January 2025

Epistemic injustice is inherently connected to epistemic power and epistemic agency: understanding and addressing the former allows us to better understand and address the latter, and vice versa. Yet, despite vast and rich discussions of epistemic injustice, which often invoke the notions of epistemic power and epistemic agency, both notions remain undertheorized and hence largely elusive. This book offers a systematic account of epistemic power and agency by turning to the dynamics of epistemic injustice—that is, the many forms epistemic injustice can take, the different sites and mechanisms through which it operates, and the various transformations consequently required to cultivate greater epistemic justice. Adopting standpoint theory both as a theory and as a methodology, the book focuses on several pressing social questions, such as deliberative impasses in divided societies, colonial memory, academic migration, the underrepresentation of members of non-dominant groups in certain fields, and the marginalization of minoritized minds, such as intellectually disabled people and Autistics. By analyzing these social questions through the lens of the dynamics of epistemic injustice, the book develops a systematic account of epistemic power and agency.
A Pluralist Account of Epistemic Agency
Authors: Catala Amandine
Published: January 2025

Chapter 1, titled “A Pluralist Account of Epistemic Agency,” argues that the literature on epistemic injustice currently displays a logocentric or propositional bias that stems from an implicitly logocentric conception of epistemic agency, which in turn is based on a conception of knowledge as propositional. This chapter develops a broader, pluralist conception of epistemic agency, which relies on a conception of knowledge that accounts not only for propositional knowing but also for other types of knowing that have been largely neglected in discussions of epistemic injustice and agency, yet that have significant implications for our understanding of both. This chapter then shows that, by extending the scope of epistemic agency, this pluralist account allows us to reconsider in a more inclusive way which individuals qualify as epistemic agents and therefore as subjects of epistemic justice. Specifically, it focuses on intellectually disabled people to show that they have much to teach us about epistemic agency and injustice. Finally, this chapter argues that this pluralist account of epistemic agency pushes us to revisit the current conception of epistemic injustice and to expand its taxonomy to include non-propositional forms of epistemic injustice as well as meta-epistemic injustice.
Stereotypes and Testimonial Domination
Authors: Catala Amandine
Published: January 2025

Chapter 2, titled “Stereotypes and Testimonial Domination: A Structural Explanation of Epistemic Agency,” expands on one of the key takeaways from Chapter 1, namely that epistemic agency is the result of an interactive process between factors that are internal and external to the epistemic agent. Specifically, Chapter 2 provides a structural explanation of epistemic agency, which identifies some of the structural factors that facilitate or hinder the exercise of epistemic agency based on individuals’ particular social positions. In doing so, the chapter provides a systematic account of epistemic power. By analyzing the cases of stereotype threat and prejudiced testimony dismissal, the chapter argues that epistemic agency is a function of epistemic power, and that epistemic power is a function of epistemic justice or injustice structurally construed. It starts by identifying a new type of epistemic injustice, which it calls testimonial domination. Testimonial domination results from the undertheorized intersection of hermeneutical and testimonial injustice. Going beyond an agential account, the chapter then shows that the analytical framework of testimonial domination reveals a hitherto overlooked structural aspect of epistemic injustice. Finally, the chapter shows how the framework of testimonial domination can thereby provide a structural explanation of epistemic agency, which coherently integrates both the individual and the structural factors that shape epistemic agency. This structural explanation provides a fuller picture of the ontology, modality, and operation of epistemic agency, epistemic power, and epistemic injustice.
Deliberative Impasses, White Ignoring, and Hermeneutical Domination
Authors: Catala Amandine
Published: January 2025

Chapter 3, titled “Deliberative Impasses, White Ignoring, and Hermeneutical Domination,” identifies another way in which testimonial and hermeneutical injustice can intersect, thereby yielding what it calls hermeneutical domination. In doing so, this chapter further contributes to a systematic account of epistemic power that identifies some of the external—structural and institutional—factors that affect the exercise of epistemic agency. The chapter starts from the deliberative impasse that has arisen in the context of the traditional blackface character of Black Pete, which has been at the center of an intense controversy in Belgium and the Netherlands, with most Black citizens denouncing the tradition as racist and most white citizens endorsing it as harmless fun. It argues that this deliberative impasse is the result of what it calls hermeneutical domination, and that hermeneutical domination is due to white ignoring (commonly known in the literature as white ignorance). The chapter argues that addressing white ignoring and hermeneutical domination requires epistemic trust, and that epistemic trust is supported by the three deliberative democratic requirements of equality, legitimacy, and accountability.
Global diversification of the common moonwort ferns (Botrychium lunaria group, Ophioglossaceae) was mainly driven by Pleistocene climatic shifts
Authors: Mossion Vinciane , Koenen Erik , Grant Jason , Croll Daniel , Farrar Donald R , Kessler Michael
Published: January 2025

Background and Aims

The cosmopolitan Botrychium lunaria group belong to the most species rich genus of the family Ophioglossaceae and was considered to consist of two species until molecular studies in North America and northern Europe led to the recognition of multiple new taxa. Recently, additional genetic lineages were found scattered in Europe, emphasizing our poor understanding of the global diversity of the B. lunaria group, while the processes involved in the diversification of the group remain unexplored.

Methods

We conducted the first global phylogenetic study of the group including 533 ingroup accessions sequenced for four plastid loci. We compared results of Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood based methods. We used the phylogenetic relationship we recovered to estimate the timing of divergence with BEAST. We explored ecological segregation between species with climatic variables (CHELSA database) and soil pH measurements. The ploidy level and genome size were estimated with flow cytometry.

Key Results

We recovered nine well-supported clades, although relationships between clades were inconsistent between Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood analyses. We treated each clade at the species level, except for one clade including two ploidy levels and one including two recognized diploid species one of which appeared as subclade (B. nordicum) of the other (B. lunaria), resulting in the recognition of 11 species, 4 of which are unnamed. In contrast to previous studies, we found species diversity to be equally distributed across the northern hemisphere, with 6-8 species per continent. We estimated the stem age of the B. lunaria group at 2.5-5.3 million years, with most species 1.5-2.6 million years old, and subclades 0.2-1.0 million years old. Diversification thus coincided with Pleistocene climatic fluctuations that strongly affected the areas inhabited by the group, suggesting that diversification was driven by climatically induced cycles of extinction, dispersal, and migration. Furthermore, ecological differentiation between species suggests these complex population dynamics were associated with adaptations to specific environmental conditions. We found limited evidence that speciation is driven by polyploidization and hybridization.

Conclusions

The B. lunaria group radiation was most likely driven by the Pleistocene climatic shifts. For the first time, we show that ecological drivers may have played a role in the diversification of this group, rather than polyploidization. Furthermore, the B. lunaria group has greater species level diversity than previously assumed and we suspect that further cryptic species may await discovery, especially in the B. neolunaria clade.
DDGemb: predicting protein stability change upon single- and multi-point variations with embeddings and deep learning
Authors: Savojardo Castrense , Manfredi Matteo , Martelli Pier Luigi , Casadio Rita
Published: January 2025

Motivation

The knowledge of protein stability upon residue variation is an important step for functional protein design and for understanding how protein variants can promote disease onset. Computational methods are important to complement experimental approaches and allow a fast screening of large datasets of variations.

Results

In this work, we present DDGemb, a novel method combining protein language model embeddings and transformer architectures to predict protein ΔΔG upon both single- and multi-point variations. DDGemb has been trained on a high-quality dataset derived from literature and tested on available benchmark datasets of single- and multi-point variations. DDGemb performs at the state of the art in both single- and multi-point variations.

Availability and implementation

DDGemb is available as web server at https://ddgemb.biocomp.unibo.it. Datasets used in this study are available at https://ddgemb.biocomp.unibo.it/datasets.
Distributed model building and recursive integration for big spatial data modeling
Authors: Hector Emily C , Reich Brian J , Eloyan Ani
Published: January 2025

Motivated by the need for computationally tractable spatial methods in neuroimaging studies, we develop a distributed and integrated framework for estimation and inference of Gaussian process model parameters with ultra-high-dimensional likelihoods. We propose a shift in viewpoint from whole to local data perspectives that is rooted in distributed model building and integrated estimation and inference. The framework’s backbone is a computationally and statistically efficient integration procedure that simultaneously incorporates dependence within and between spatial resolutions in a recursively partitioned spatial domain. Statistical and computational properties of our distributed approach are investigated theoretically and in simulations. The proposed approach is used to extract new insights into autism spectrum disorder from the autism brain imaging data exchange.
Correlation between sarcopenia and hypertrophy of the future liver remnant in patients undergoing portal vein embolization before liver resection
Authors: Baby Akhil , Patidar Yashwant , Mukund Amar , Srivastava Amol , Kumar Niraj , Sasturkar Shridhar Vasantrao , Tevethia Harsh Vardhan , Pamecha Viniyendra
Published: January 2025

Objectives

To study the correlation between sarcopenia and hypertrophy of the future liver remnant (FLR) in patients undergoing portal vein embolization (PVE) before liver resection, and to assess the outcomes after resection.

Methods

This retrospective study examined patients underwent PVE from May 2012 to May 2023. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory features were documented and total liver volumes and FLR volumes were measured before and 2–4 weeks after PVE. Degree of hypertrophy (DH), percentage hypertrophy (PH), and kinetic growth rate (KGR) of the FLR were calculated. Sarcopenia was defined using the skeletal muscle index (SMI) at the L3 vertebral level. Subcutaneous adipose index, visceral adipose index (VAI), cross-sectional area of psoas muscle at the largest diameter, and L3 vertebral level mean muscle attenuation (MA) were also assessed.

Results

Forty patients were included in the analysis and the median age was 57.5 (IQR 51-64) and majority were males 27/40(67.5%). Twenty-two patients were non-sarcopenics and 18 were sarcopenics. All patients showed hypertrophy of FLR (P = 0.001). SMI demonstrated moderate positive correlations with DH (r = 0.46, P = 0.003), PH (r = 0.47, P = 0.002), and KGR (r = 0.44, P = 0.004). VAI showed weak positive correlations with DH (r = 0.22, P = 0.17), PH (r = 0.18, P = 0.27), and KGR (r = 0.14, P = 0.37). Pre-PVE FLR demonstrated a weak negative correlation with PH (r = −0.35, P = 0.03) and KGR (r = −0.12, P = 0.47).

Conclusions

Sarcopenia, specifically SMI, significantly correlates with FLR hypertrophy after PVE. Assessment of sarcopenia and body compartments prior to PVE could help in stratifying and treats patients with impaired FLR growth.

Advances in knowledge

This study with data spanning over 11 years, is the first in the Indian population to demonstrate a significant correlation between SMI, a marker of sarcopenia, and FLR hypertrophy following PVE.
Older people’s social work safe staffing supply and workforce demands analysis: A case study from Northern Ireland
Authors: McFadden Paula , MacLochlainn Justin , Naylor Rachel , McColgan Mary , McGrory Susan , Nicholl Patricia , Kirby Karen , Schroder Heike , Currie Denise , Mullineux Judith C , Mallett John
Published: January 2025

In the UK, a range of operational tools and policy guidelines regulate staffing in various Health and Social Care sectors. Nonetheless, frameworks to ensure safe staffing in social work remain less advanced. This study focuses on older people’s social work community teams in Northern Ireland due to the high volume of cases and vacancies within these teams. Our findings provide evidence based on actual caseloads (direct work with service users) and workloads at individual, team, and regional levels within this programme of care. The analysis revealed systemic issues that require systemic solutions in relation to staffing supply and service demands. Frontline social workers and managers frequently faced overwhelming worker-to-caseload ratios, routine use of waiting lists, and team vacancies. These findings lay the groundwork for evidence-based strategic planning, guiding the development and enactment of safer and more effective social work policies and legislation in the years ahead. The project was commissioned by the Department of Health, Northern Ireland in preparation for policy and legislative developments expected between 2025 and 2028.
Cerebrovascular reactivity: a stress test of brain vascular health in moyamoya disease
Authors: Fan Audrey P , Juttukonda Meher R
Published: January 2025

This scientific commentary refers to ‘Cerebrovascular reactivity and response times describe recent ischemic symptomatology in patients with moyamoya’, by Han et al.  (https://doi.org/10.1093/braincomms/fcae381).
A comparative study of prey-handling behavior of the Chiwen keelback snake (Rhabdophis chiwen) feeding on earthworms and firefly larvae
Authors: Fukuda Masaya , Chen Qin , Cao Chengquan , Mori Akira
Published: January 2025

Dietary specialists consume specific prey items, and they are often morphologically and behaviorally specialized to feed efficiently on those prey animals. Among specialist snakes, consumption of terrestrial arthropods is relatively rare. Because most terrestrial arthropods possess hardened sclerites and appendages, it is possible that snakes that feed on arthropods would show specialized prey-handling behavior. In this study, we describe prey-handling behavior of a snake feeding on terrestrial arthropods, which hitherto has not been well documented. We focused on Rhabdophis chiwen, which mainly feeds on earthworms, but also consumes lampyrine firefly larvae, sequestering cardiotonic steroids from them in its defensive organs, called nucho-dorsal glands. When feeding on earthworms, snakes showed size-dependent selection of swallowing direction, but this tendency was not observed when feeding on firefly larvae. Manipulation of firefly larvae did not seem to be efficient, probably because they possess sclerites and appendages such as legs that impede smooth handling. Although fireflies are an essential food for R. chiwen as a toxin source, our results showed that the snake is not adept at handling firefly larvae compared to earthworms, implying that dietary specialization does not necessarily accompany behavioral specialization. We discuss possible reasons for this inconsistency.
The role of multi-modality imaging for the assessment of left atrium and left atrial appendage: a clinical consensus statement of the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI), European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC)
Authors: Sade Leyla Elif , Faletra Francesco Fluvio , Pontone Gianluca , Gerber Bernhard Lothar Marie , Muraru Denisa , Edvardsen Thor , Cosyns Bernard , Popescu Bogdan A , Klein Allan , Marwick Thomas H , Cameli Matteo , Saric Muhamed , Thomas Liza , Ajmone Marsan Nina , Fontes-Carvalho Ricardo , Podlesnikar Tomaz , Fontana Marianna , La Gerche Andre , Petersen Steffen Erhard , Moharem-Elgamal Sarah , Bittencourt Marcio Sommer , Vannan Mani A , Glikson Michael , Peichl Petr , Cochet Hubert , Stankovic Ivan , Donal Erwan , Bertrand Philippe , Bohbot Yohann , Cikes Maja , Dweck Marc , Grapsa Julia , Keenan Niall , Uusitalo Valtteri , Thomas Deneke , Marta de Riva Silva
Published: January 2025

Structural, architectural, contractile, or electrophysiological alterations may occur in the left atrium (LA). The concept of LA cardiopathy is supported by accumulating scientific evidence demonstrating that LA remodelling has become a cornerstone diagnostic and prognostic marker. The structure and the function of the LA and left atrial appendage (LAA), which is an integral part of the LA, are key elements for a better understanding of multiple clinical conditions, most notably atrial fibrillation, cardioembolism, heart failure, and mitral valve diseases. Rational use of various imaging modalities is key to obtain the relevant clinical information. Accordingly, this clinical consensus document from the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging, in collaboration with the European Heart Rhythm Association, provides comprehensive, up-to-date, and evidence-based guidance to cardiologists and cardiac imagers for the best practice of imaging LA and LAA for the diagnosis, management, and prognostication of the patients.
The contribution of common mental disorders and alcohol-related morbidity to educational differences in early labour market exit among older workers: a register-based cohort study
Authors: Carlsson Emma , Hemmingsson Tomas , Landberg Jonas , Burström Bo , Thern Emelie
Published: January 2025

Previous studies have identified educational differences in early labour market exits, yet the mechanisms behind these disparities remain unclear. This study aims to examine to what extent common mental disorders (CMD) and alcohol-related morbidity can explain educational differences in early labour market exit. This cohort study included all men born 1951–53 who underwent conscription examination for military service in Sweden at age 18–20 (n = 136 466). The highest level of educational attainment and early labour market exit, using five different exit routes, was obtained from nationwide registers. Mediation analysis was used to examine the contribution of CMD and alcohol-related morbidity to the educational differences in early labour market exit. Factors measured in childhood, late adolescence, and early adulthood were included as confounders. Lower-educated men were at higher risk of leaving the labour market early. CMD contributed marginally to the educational differences in early exit due to disability pension, long-term sickness absence, and long-term unemployment, explaining up to 4%. Alcohol-related morbidity explained up to 12% of the educational differences in disability pension, long-term sickness absence, and long-term unemployment. Neither CMD nor alcohol-related morbidity were associated with early old-age retirement with and without income. Alcohol-related morbidity appears to be of importance when trying to understand educational differences in some but not all early labour market exit routes. Thus, reducing the negative effects of alcohol consumption could reduce educational inequalities in early exits from the labour market and prolong working life for all individuals regardless of socioeconomic position.
Parental impact on adherence of young children to 24-h movement behaviour guidelines: the Czech FAMIly Physical Activity, Sedentary behaviour and Sleep study
Authors: Sigmundová Dagmar , Vorlíček Michal , Voráčová Jaroslava , Dygrýn Jan , Sigmund Erik
Published: January 2025

Human movement behaviour typically unfolds in 24-h cycles, with children being additionally influenced by their parents. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the adherence of 3–10-year-old children to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 24-h movement behaviour guidelines in relation to the behaviours of their mothers/fathers. Data from the Czech cross-sectional FAMIly Physical Activity, Sedentary behaviour and Sleep study included 381 families (with at least one child aged 3–10 years) from urban and rural areas across all three regions of Czechia. Twenty four-hour movement behaviour (sleep, sedentary behaviour, and physical activity) was monitored using ActiGraph accelerometers placed on the non-dominant wrists of children and their parents for seven consecutive days. Children's adherence to the WHO guidelines was analysed using logistic regression analysis. 25.9% of girls and 26.7% of boys simultaneously met all three 24-h movement behaviour guidelines (sleep + sedentary + physical activity), and 44.7% of girls and 46.1% of boys met any combination of two of the three guidelines, regardless of the children’s gender, weight, or calendar age. Maternal overweight/obesity significantly (P = .05) decreased the odds of children achieving at least two of the three guidelines, while parental university education and maternal adherence to at least two of the three guidelines significantly (P = .05) increased the odds of children complying with these guidelines. Parents, especially mothers, play an important role in influencing their children in meeting 24-h movement behaviour guidelines and in shaping a healthy lifestyle.