bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
First dated phylogenetic reconstruction of the genus Tamarix (Tamaricaceae): biogeographical implications and hybridization processes in the Mediterranean Basin
Authors: Terrones Alejandro , Juan Ana
Published: July 2023

The genus Tamarix comprises trees and shrubs that grow mainly in saline habitats. Previous phylogenetic analyses have shown incongruence between different gene trees, which suggest that hybridization processes might have been present in the past. However, the complex pattern of colonization of the Western Mediterranean region has yet to be understood, and no dated phylogeny that reconciles the different gene trees is currently available. The objectives of the study are: (i) to reconstruct the first dated species tree of the genus Tamarix from previously published data, (ii) to evaluate the occurrence of past hybridization, and (iii) to discuss biogeographical implications, mainly focused on the Mediterranean Basin. Our results show that the separation between Tamarix and Myricaria occurred 28.49 Mya, and the crown age of the genus Tamarix is dated at 16.65 Mya. Past hybridization processes might be present in three species: Tamarix amplexicaulis, Tamarix canariensis, and Tamarix minoa. Various colonization events are probable in the Western Mediterranean: a first colonization in the Early Miocene, Tamarix africana during the Late Miocene, and Tamarix boveana and Tamarix gallica during the Pleistocene. In addition, the genus Tamarix migrated to south-western Africa around 5.8 Mya, probably through an ancient arid African corridor, or a long-distance dispersal event.
Catholic Censorship and the Demise of Knowledge Production in Early Modern Italy
Authors: Blasutto Fabio , de la Croix David
Published: July 2023

Censorship makes new ideas less available to others, but also reduces the number of people choosing to develop non-compliant ideas. We propose a new method to measure the effect of censorship on knowledge growth, accounting for the agents’ choice between compliant and non-compliant occupations. We apply our method to the Catholic Church’s censorship of books written by members of Italian universities and academies over the period 1400–750. We highlight new facts: once censorship was introduced, censored authors were of better quality than the non-censored authors, but this gap shrank over time and the intensity of censorship decreased over time. We use these facts to identify the deep parameters of a novel endogenous growth model that links censorship to knowledge diffusion and occupational choice. We conclude that the average log publication per scholar in Italy would have been 43% higher if censorship had not been present, while the effect of adverse macroeconomic processes is almost four times smaller. The induced reallocation of talents towards compliant activities explains half the effect of censorship.
Introduction to the special issue: the economic history of the arts
Authors: Borowiecki Karol J
Published: July 2023

This is the Introduction to the Special Issue on the Economic History of the Arts. It argues that economic history is well suited to study the arts. It also posits that the value of the discipline lies, among others, in its interdisciplinarity and the possibility to study creativity in history. Finally, attempts are made to coin the name of this field of research and some thoughts are shared on the way forward.
Equilibria and oscillations in cheat–cooperator dynamics
Authors: Liu Ming , Wild Geoff , West Stuart A
Published: July 2023

Cooperative societies can be threatened by cheats, who invest less in cooperation and exploit the contributions of others. The impact of cheats depends on the extent to which they are maintained in the population. However, different empirical studies, across organisms ranging from RNA replicators to bacteria, have shown diverse cheat–cooperator dynamics. These vary from approaching a stable equilibrium to dynamic cyclical oscillations. The reason for this variation remains unclear. Here, we develop a theoretical model to identify the factors that determine whether dynamics should tend toward stable equilibria or cyclical oscillations. Our analyses show that (1) a combination of both periodic population bottlenecks and density-dependent selection on cheating is required to produce cyclical oscillations and (2) the extent of frequency-dependent selection for cheating can influence the amplitude of these oscillations but does not lead to oscillations alone. Furthermore, we show that stochastic group formation (demographic stochasticity) can generate different forms of oscillation, over a longer time scale, across growth cycles. Our results provide experimentally testable hypotheses for the processes underlying cheat–cooperator dynamics.
Disturbance of eucalypt forests alters the composition, function, and assembly of soil microbial communities
Authors: Osburn Ernest D , Moon Cooper , Stephenson Torrey , Kittipalawattanapol Kawinwit , Jones Menna , Strickland Michael S , Lynch Laurel M
Published: July 2023

Forest disturbance has well-characterized effects on soil microbial communities in tropical and northern hemisphere ecosystems, but little is known regarding effects of disturbance in temperate forests of the southern hemisphere. To address this question, we collected soils from intact and degraded Eucalyptus forests along an east–west transect across Tasmania, Australia, and characterized prokaryotic and fungal communities using amplicon sequencing. Forest degradation altered soil microbial community composition and function, with consistent patterns across soil horizons and regions of Tasmania. Responses of prokaryotic communities included decreased relative abundance of Acidobacteriota, nitrifying archaea, and methane-oxidizing prokaryotes in the degraded forest sites, while fungal responses included decreased relative abundance of some saprotrophic taxa (e.g. litter saprotrophs). Forest degradation also reduced network connectivity in prokaryotic communities and increased the importance of dispersal limitation in assembling both prokaryotic and fungal communities, suggesting recolonization dynamics drive microbial composition following disturbance. Further, changes in microbial functional groups reflected changes in soil chemical properties—reductions in nitrifying microorganisms corresponded with reduced NO3-N pools in the degraded soils. Overall, our results show that soil microbiota are highly responsive to forest degradation in eucalypt forests and demonstrate that microbial responses to degradation will drive changes in key forest ecosystem functions.
Chromosome-level reference genome for North American bison (Bison bison) and variant database aids in identifying albino mutation
Authors: Stroupe Sam , Martone Carly , McCann Blake , Juras Rytis , Kjöllerström Helena Josefina , Raudsepp Terje , Beard Donald , Davis Brian W , Derr James N
Published: July 2023

We developed a highly contiguous chromosome-level reference genome for North American bison to provide a platform to evaluate the conservation, ecological, evolutionary, and population genomics of this species. Generated from a F1 hybrid between a North American bison dam and a domestic cattle bull, completeness and contiguity exceed that of other published bison genome assemblies. To demonstrate the utility for genome-wide variant frequency estimation, we compiled a genomic variant database consisting of 3 true albino bison and 44 wild-type pelage color bison. Through the examination of genomic variants fixed in the albino cohort and absent in the controls, we identified a nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) mutation on chromosome 29 in exon 3 of the tyrosinase gene (c.1114C>T). A TaqMan SNP Genotyping Assay was developed to genotype this SNP in a total of 283 animals across 29 herds. This assay confirmed the absence of homozygous variants in all animals except 7 true albino bison included in this study. In addition, the only heterozygous animals identified were 2 wild-type pelage color dams of albino offspring. Therefore, we propose that this new high-quality bison genome assembly and incipient variant database provides a highly robust and informative resource for genomics investigations for this iconic North American species.
Phylogenomic Analysis of 155 Helminth Species Reveals Widespread Absence of Oxygen Metabolic Capacity
Authors: Collington Emma , Lobb Briallen , Mazen Nooran Abu , Doxey Andrew C , Glerum D Moira
Published: July 2023

The terminal electron acceptor of most aerobic respiratory chains, cytochrome c oxidase (COX), has been highly conserved throughout evolution, from aerobic prokaryotes to complex eukaryotes. Oxygen metabolism in parasitic helminths differs significantly from that of most aerobic eukaryotes, as these organisms can switch between aerobic and anaerobic metabolisms throughout their life cycles. Early studies suggested a lack of COX activity in certain parasitic helminths, and the role of COX in helminth mitochondria remains unclear. To determine whether a functional COX is widely present in helminths, we analyzed the phylogenetic distribution of oxygen metabolism systems across 155 helminth genomes, investigating three distinct sets of protein-coding genes involved in different aspects of oxygen metabolism: COX and its assembly factors, peroxisomes, and the most abundant reactive oxygen species (ROS)-metabolizing proteins. While glycolytic and citric acid cycle enzymes are highly conserved in helminthic species, we observed an apparent widespread absence of essential COX genes across 52% of helminth species investigated. While the most common proteins involved in the defense against ROS are highly maintained across virtually all lineages, we also observed an apparent absence of essential peroxisomal protein-coding genes in 42% of species investigated. Our results suggest that a subset of parasitic helminths utilize oxygen differently from related, nonparasitic species such as Caenorhabditis elegans, with significant differences in their mitochondrial electron transport chains and peroxisomes. The identification of substantive differences between parasite and host metabolism offers a new avenue for the development of anthelmintic agents that could target these divergent pathways.
Of Crimes and Crowns
Authors: Bocchese Marco
Published: July 2023

This article explains variation in state cooperation with International Criminal Court (ICC)’s investigations and prosecutions across cases and over time. The idea motivating this study stems from the observation of the mixed record of state cooperation with ICC operations. For legal professionals and scholars this observation is puzzling, since states falling within the ICC’s territorial jurisdiction are legally bound to provide full judicial assistance to the Court. Thus, why do some countries entertain collaborative relations with the ICC while others display hostility towards it? I argue that state leaders’ perceptions of potential ICC indictment best explain variation in state behaviour. This article aims to contribute to a better understanding of how state attitudes form and of the extent to which external actors, spearheaded by the ICC Prosecutor’s Office (OTP), can change them. The research findings suggest that: 1) neither formal state consent (ratification) nor regime type are reliable predictors of state cooperation; 2) state leaders’ perception of potential ICC indictment appears better suited to correctly predict state behaviour in all the situations investigated by the OTP; 3) the OTP’s signalling strategy — including the timing of its intervention — affects state leaders’ perception of future ICC indictment and, in turn, the prospects of state cooperation; 4) when state authorities deny cooperation, regime change provides a one-time opportunity to start ICC–state relations anew.
Suppressing c-FOS expression by G-quadruplex ligands inhibits osimertinib-resistant non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Lu Kai , Wang Hsin-Chiao , Tu Yi-Chen , Chang Cheng-Chung , Lou Pei-Jen , Chang Ta-Chau , Lin Jing-Jer
Published: July 2023

Background

Osimertinib is the first-line therapy for patients with non-small cell lung cancer harboring epidermal growth factor receptor–activating alterations. Although osimertinib has been shown to elicit profound patient responses, cancer cells frequently develop additional alterations that sustain their proliferation capacity. This acquired resistance represents a substantial hurdle in precision medicine for patients with lung cancer.

Methods

The biological and cellular properties of the G-quadruplex ligand BMVC-8C3O and its anticancer activities were evaluated in non-small cell lung carcinomas. In addition, combined treatment with BMVC-8C3O and osimertinib was evaluated for its effects on the growth of osimertinib-resistant tumors in vivo.

Results

We demonstrate that BMVC-8C3O effectively suppresses c-FOS expression by stabilizing G-rich sequences located at the c-FOS promoter. The suppression c-FOS expression by BMVC-8C3O increases the sensitivity of acquired resistant cancer cells to osimertinib. Combining BMVC-8C3O and osimertinib has a synergistic effect in inhibiting the growth of acquired resistant cancers both in vitro and in mouse models. The combined inhibitory effect is not limited to BMVC-8C3O, either: several G-quadruplex ligands show varying levels of inhibition activity. We also show that simultaneous inhibition of both the c-FOS and PI3K/AKT pathways by BMVC-8C3O and osimertinib synergistically inhibits the growth of acquired resistant cancer cells.

Conclusion

These findings unveil a synthetic lethal strategy to prevent and inhibit epidermal growth factor receptor–altered lung cancers with acquired osimertinib resistance. G-quadruplex ligands have the potential to be integrated into current osimertinib-based treatment regimens.
Annular pancreas as a cause of neonatal duodenal obstruction, a case report
Authors: Gutiérrez-González Jorge Aurelio , González De La Torre Emilia , Armijo-Borjón Edgar Alan , Alarcón-Sandoval Abraham Alexander , Reyna-Sepulveda Francisco Javier , Montes-Tapia Fernando Felix , Muñoz-Maldonado Gerardo Enrique
Published: July 2023

The annular pancreas (AP) is an uncommon congenital anomaly, characterised by a circumferential envelope in the second portion of the duodenum. In recent years, some genetic component has been found in the etiology. A newborn full-term male, weighing at 1910 g at birth, had a history of intrauterine growth restriction and diagnosis of tetralogy of Fallot, Down syndrome and congenital hypothyroidism. Duodenal membrane is suspected after persistent postprandial vomiting and abdominal distension; his abdomen was distended, hyperresonant and soft. The gastroduodenal series showed data compatible with a duodenal membrane so exploratory laparotomy was performed, finding the pancreas completely wrapping the second portion of the duodenum, so a diamond-shaped-duodenoduodenostomy anastomosis was performed. The AP should be considered, especially in male neonates with postprandial vomiting, abdominal distension, who show some other congenital anomaly, and in the abdominal X-ray, the sign of the double bubble is observed.
Unexpected shunt-dependent hydrocephalus after unruptured aneurysm surgery—a case report
Authors: Kim Myungsoo , Kim Byoung-Joon , Yoon Sang-Youl , Kwak Youngseok
Published: July 2023

A chronic hydrocephalus after unruptured aneurysm surgery is an extremely rare condition. Its etiology and pathophysiology are also unclear. We report a case of chronic hydrocephalus in a patient who underwent permanent shunt placement after unruptured aneurysm clipping surgery. A 65-year-old man developed chronic hydrocephalus requiring shunt placement after clipping surgery of left anterior cerebral artery aneurysm and right middle cerebral artery aneurysm. This case shows that chronic hydrocephalus is a possible complication of unruptured aneurysm surgery, which can be resolved with an appropriate shunt operation.
Perspectives on the current diphtheria outbreak among asylum seekers in the UK
Authors: Ryan Rebecca , Eisen Sarah , Patel Dipti , Longley Nicky
Published: July 2023

An outbreak of diphtheria has been reported among asylum seekers to the UK, with a 7-fold increase in annual cases in 2022. The UK response involves a mass screening, vaccination and prophylaxis programme for all individuals who have been through an asylum seeker reception centre.
A phospho-dawn of protein modification anticipates light onset in the picoeukaryoteOstreococcus tauri
Authors: Noordally Zeenat B , Hindle Matthew M , Martin Sarah F , Seaton Daniel D , Simpson T Ian , Le Bihan Thierry , Millar Andrew J
Published: July 2023

Diel regulation of protein levels and protein modification had been less studied than transcript rhythms. Here, we compare transcriptome data under light–dark cycles with partial proteome and phosphoproteome data, assayed using shotgun MS, from the alga Ostreococcus tauri, the smallest free-living eukaryote. A total of 10% of quantified proteins but two-thirds of phosphoproteins were rhythmic. Mathematical modelling showed that light-stimulated protein synthesis can account for the observed clustering of protein peaks in the daytime. Prompted by night-peaking and apparently dark-stable proteins, we also tested cultures under prolonged darkness, where the proteome changed less than under the diel cycle. Among the dark-stable proteins were prasinophyte-specific sequences that were also reported to accumulate when O. tauri formed lipid droplets. In the phosphoproteome, 39% of rhythmic phospho-sites reached peak levels just before dawn. This anticipatory phosphorylation suggests that a clock-regulated phospho-dawn prepares green cells for daytime functions. Acid-directed and proline-directed protein phosphorylation sites were regulated in antiphase, implicating the clock-related casein kinases 1 and 2 in phase-specific regulation, alternating with the CMGC protein kinase family. Understanding the dynamic phosphoprotein network should be facilitated by the minimal kinome and proteome of O. tauri. The data are available from ProteomeXchange, with identifiers PXD001734, PXD001735, and PXD002909.
Insulin receptor substrate 2 gene Gly1057Asp polymorphism is a risk factor for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Nouri Shadi , Mahmoudi Touraj , Hojjati Farzaneh , Najafabadi Zeinab Nourmohammadi , Shafiee Radmehr , Sayedsalehi Shiva , Dehghanitafti Atefeh , Ardalani Abbas , Kohansal Kiarash , Rezamand Gholamreza , Asadi Asadollah , Nobakht Hossein , Dabiri Reza , Farahani Hamid , Tabaeian Seidamir Pasha , Zali Mohammad Reza
Published: July 2023

Objective

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is an emerging global chronic liver disease, has a close association with insulin resistance. We aimed to determine whether the Gly1057Asp (rs1805097) polymorphism of the insulin receptor substrate 2 (IRS2) gene is associated with NAFLD.

Methods

Using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method, 135 patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD and 135 controls underwent IRS2 genotype analysis.

Results

Genotype and allele distributions of the IRS2 gene Gly1057Asp variant conformed to the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in both the case and control groups (P > .05). The Asp/Asp genotype of IRS2 gene Gly1057Asp polymorphism compared with Gly/Gly genotype was associated with a 2.1-fold increased risk for NAFLD after adjustment for confounding factors (P = .029; odds ratio = 2.10, 95% CI = 1.23-3.97).

Conclusion

Our findings revealed for the first time that the Gly1057Asp Asp/Asp genotype of the IRS2 gene is a marker of increased NAFLD susceptibility; however, studies in other populations are required to confirm the results.
Isolation of new Paraburkholderia strains for polyhydroxybutyrate production
Authors: Ivaldi Corinne , Foy Clothilde , Castex Stéphanie , Vallée Alexis , Rémond Caroline , Besaury Ludovic
Published: July 2023

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are bioplastics that can serve as substitutes for petroleum-based plastics with the advantages of being biodegradable, biocompatible, and biobased. The microbial production of polyhydroxyalkanoates is generally conducted in the presence of sugar mixes rich in monosaccharides. In this study, molecular and cultural approaches based on forest soils enriched with hydrocarbon complexes led to the identification and isolation of microbial strains affiliated with Paraburkholderia sp. that dominated the microbial communities that are recognized among the top polyhydroxyalkanoates producers. The genome sequencing of those isolated affiliated strains showed that compared to the reference type strain of their species, they harbored more gene copies of the enzymes involved in PHB synthesis. The microbial conversion of sugar mixes for the newly isolated strains showed a higher PHB production (g/L) and content (%) than was exhibited by the reference strain type of that genus Paraburkholderia for PHB production (P. sacchari LMG 19450T).
The Oxidation and Functionalization of Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes with Fluorescein-isothiocyanate Improve Germination and Early Development of Avena sativa
Authors: Marco Antonio Alemán-Méndez , Javier Villegas Moreno , Kumar-Tiwari Dhirendra , Abraham Zamudio Durán Nicolás , Juárez-Cisneros Gladys
Published: July 2023

The use of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in plant systems has been extensively studied in the last decade, however, the structural modification of these nanoparticles changes the effects when interacting with biological systems, so this work gives us more information on the effects of the oxidation and functionalization of the MWCNTs, where these nanoparticles increased the speed of germination as well as the total germination and in the same way improved the biomass of the plant.
Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles: An Environmentally Friendly Alternative to Improve Early Germination of Zea mays
Authors: García Neftali Rangel , Borjas-García Salomón , Kumar-Tiwari Dhirendra , Cisneros Gladys Juárez , Villegas-Moreno Javier
Published: July 2023

The application of nanoparticles (NPs) in the field of agriculture represents a novel, efficient and low-cost alternative to replace supplies of conventional agriculture. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (NpsZnO) have been shown to have a positive effect on the development of various vegetable species. For this study, NpsZnO were synthesized by the sol-gel method, and subsequently, its absorption in Zea mays seeds and its effect on germination were evaluated. The results showed mesoporous nanoparticles were obtained. In addition, the seeds exposed to the nanoparticles showed a significantly higher concentration of zinc compared to the seeds control, showing values of up to 275 ppm compared to the control which contained an average of 75 ppm. An increase in germination was also observed, obtaining the best effect in the concentration of 16 µg/mL. The growth-promoting effect of the applied NPs on seed germination could be due to the activity of zinc as a precursor in the synthesis of phytoregulators. However, there is a lack of studies in research such as this one to confirm this inference.
COVID-19 Monitoring and Response for Military Bases in Singapore—Perspectives and Lessons From January to June 2020
Authors: Tan Kian Wei Alvin , Pong Jia Jing Jonathan , Teoh Jeremy , Wahab Muhammad Taufeeq , Tan Clive
Published: July 2023

Introduction

Military forces around the world face an increased risk of the spread of communicable diseases, due to the close living quarters and congregated nature of the military camps. The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) implemented a multi-pronged surveillance and containment strategy to reduce the risk of a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak within the local military camps. This paper details the epidemiological investigations of the COVID-19 cases in the SAF and highlights the strategies and public health measures undertaken, aligned with the national COVID-19 control strategy, to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission in the military camps.

Materials and Methods

Medical data of our military personnel who were infected with COVID-19 during the first 180 days of the pandemic were extracted from the military electronic health records. Contact tracing and activity mapping results were obtained from unit-level epidemiological data. A review of the organization’s response plans, instructions, and orders was conducted to collate the measures implemented across the same time period.

Results

Prompt contact tracing and activity mapping was done for each of the 24 SAF military personnel diagnosed with COVID-19 between February 2020 and June 2020, with possible links among the cases identified and investigated.

Conclusion

A combination of strategies in the formulation of public health measures based on key principles of early warning and surveillance, prompt diagnosis, and early containment were successful in preventing the formation of COVID-19 clusters within the SAF. This will provide a framework for the management of future pandemics within the military setting, driven by strong governance and leadership, to meet the military’s need to maintain operational readiness in a safe manner.
Remote Damage Control Resuscitation: A Case Report of Hemorrhagic Shock Secondary to Multiple Gunshot Wounds
Authors: Puris Gal , Gelikas Shaul , Pikman Regina , Shapira Shachar , Talmy Tomer , Almog Ofer , Yazer Mark H , Benov Avi , Gendler Sami
Published: July 2023

Hypovolemic shock is the leading cause of preventable death on the battlefield. Remote damage control resuscitation has evolved dramatically in the past decade by introducing novel treatments and approaches to bleeding in the prehospital setting. This report presents a case of a casualty who sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and gluteal regions and suffered from hemorrhagic shock with an Injury Severity Score of 34. The casualty was treated at the point of injury and during evacuation according to the IDF’s remote damage control resuscitation algorithm utilizing the range of blood products available in the IDF. Prompt identification of the mechanism of injury, clinical and tactical decision-making, and immediate advanced medical care through several prehospital medical evacuation platforms culminated in this casualty’s survival. This case emphasizes the importance of medical advancements in prehospital field care and guideline-directed treatment to improve casualty survival.
Synthetic radio images of structured GRB and kilonova afterglows
Authors: Nedora Vsevolod , Dietrich Tim , Shibata Masaru
Published: July 2023

In this paper, we compute and analyse synthetic radio images of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and kilonova afterglows. For modelling the former, we consider GRB170817A-inspired set of parameters, while for the latter, we employ ejecta profiles from numerical-relativity simulations. We find that the kilonova afterglow sky map has a doughnut-like structure at early times that becomes more ring-like at late times. This is caused by the fact that the synchrotron emission from electrons following Maxwellian distribution function dominates the early beamed emission, while emissions from electrons following power-law distribution is important at late times. For an on-axis observer, the image flux centroid moves on the image plane, initially away from the observer. The image sizes, we find, are the largest for equal mass merger simulations with the soft equation of state. The presence of a kilonova afterglow affects the properties inferred from the source sky map, even if the GRB afterglow dominates the total flux density. The main effect is the reduction of the mean apparent velocity of the source, and an increase in the source size. However, this effect becomes negligible around the light curve peak of the GRB afterglow. For a far off-axis observer, neglecting the presence of the kilonova afterglow may lead to systematic errors in the inference of GRB properties from the sky map observations. Notably, at the observing angle inferred for GRB170817A, the presence of kilonova afterglow would affect the sky map properties, only at very late times $t\gtrsim 1500\,$ d.
An investigation of non-canonical mixing in red giant stars using APOGEE 12C/13C ratios observed in open cluster stars
Authors: McCormick Caroline , Majewski Steven R , Smith Verne V , Hayes Christian R , Cunha Katia , Masseron Thomas , Weiss Achim , Shetrone Matthew , Almeida Andrés , Frinchaboy Peter M , García-Hernández Domingo Aníbal , Nitschelm Christian
Published: July 2023

Standard stellar evolution theory poorly predicts the surface abundances of chemical species in low-mass, red giant branch (RGB) stars. Observations show an enhancement of p–p chain and CNO cycle products in red giant envelopes, which suggests the existence of non-canonical mixing that brings interior burning products to the surface of these stars. The 12C/13C ratio is a highly sensitive abundance metric used to probe this mixing. We investigate extra RGB mixing by examining: (1) how 12C/13C is altered along the RGB, and (2) how 12C/13C changes for stars of varying age and mass. Our sample consists of 43 red giants, spread over 15 open clusters from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey’s APOGEE DR17, that have reliable 12C/13C ratios derived from their APOGEE spectra. We vetted these 12C/13C ratios and compared them as a function of evolution and age/mass to the standard mixing model of stellar evolution, and to a model that includes prescriptions for RGB thermohaline mixing and stellar rotation. We find that the observations deviate from standard mixing models, implying the need for extra mixing. Additionally, some of the abundance patterns depart from the thermohaline model, and it is unclear whether these differences are due to incomplete observations, issues inherent to the model, our assumption of the cause of extra mixing, or any combination of these factors. Nevertheless, the surface abundances across our age/mass range clearly deviate from the standard model, agreeing with the notion of a universal mechanism for RGB extra mixing in low-mass stars.
Relativistic coronal mass ejections from magnetars
Authors: Sharma Praveen , Barkov Maxim V , Lyutikov Maxim
Published: July 2023

We study dynamics of relativistic coronal mass ejections (CMEs), from launching by shearing of foot-points (either slowly – the ‘Solar flare’ paradigm, or suddenly – the ‘star quake’ paradigm), to propagation in the preceding magnetar wind. For slow shear, most of the energy injected into the CME is first spent on the work done on breaking through the overlaying magnetic field. At later stages, sufficiently powerful CMEs may lead to the ‘detonation’ of a CME and opening of the magnetosphere beyond some equipartition radius req, where the decreasing energy of the CME becomes larger than the decreasing external magnetospheric energy. Post-CME magnetosphere relaxes via the formation of a plasmoid-mediated current sheet, initially at ∼req, and slowly reaching the light cylinder. Both the location of the foot-point shear and the global magnetospheric configuration affect the frequent/weak versus rare/powerful CME dichotomy – to produce powerful flares, the slow shear should be limited to field lines that close in near the star. After the creation of a topologically disconnected flux tube, the tube quickly (at ∼ the light cylinder) comes into force-balance with the preceding wind and is passively advected/frozen in the wind afterward. For fast shear (a local rotational glitch), the resulting large amplitude Alfvén waves lead to the opening of the magnetosphere (which later recovers similarly to the slow shear case). At distances much larger than the light cylinder, the resulting shear Alfvén waves propagate through the wind non-dissipatively.
Scale-dependent analysis of angular momentum flux in high-resolution magnetohydrodynamic simulations for solar differential rotation
Authors: Mori K , Hotta H
Published: July 2023

In this work, we systematically investigate the scale-dependent angular momentum flux by analysing high-resolution three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations in which the solar-like differential rotation is reproduced without using any manipulations. More specifically, the magnetic angular momentum transport (AMT) plays a dominant role in the calculations. We examine the important spatial scales for the magnetic AMT. The main conclusions of our approach can be summarized as follows: 1. Turbulence transports the angular momentum radially inward. This effect is more pronounced in the highest resolution calculation. 2. The dominant scale for the magnetic AMT is the smallest spatial scale. 3. The dimensionless magnetic correlation is low in the high-resolution simulation. Thus, chaotic but strong small-scale magnetic fields achieve efficient magnetic AMT.
Fusion of electromagnetic world and digital world through information metasurface: an interview with Tie Jun Cui
Authors: Dai Linglong
Published: July 2023

Metasurfaces consist of subwavelength artificial elements (also called meta-atoms) arranged in a two-dimensional fashion. Through careful design of these elements, the metasurfaces can control the amplitude, phase, frequency, and polarization of electromagnetic (EM) waves. Information metasurfaces extend this concept by characterizing the meta-atoms in a digital manner, integrating functionalities for information processing. The information metasurfaces can simultaneously manipulate the EM waves in reprogrammable ways and modulate the digital information in real time, making the fusion of the EM world and digital world. The information metasurfaces have found diverse applications in wireless communications, intelligent sensing and imaging, intelligent computing, and internet of things (IoT).

Prof. Tie Jun Cui is affiliated with Southeast University in Nanjing, China, where he serves as the Director of the State Key Laboratory of Millimeter Waves. He is a prominent researcher in the field of metamaterial, metasurface, and computational electromagnetics. He has proposed the concepts, and made systematic studies, of digital coding metasurfaces and programmable metasurfaces, and established the system of information metasurfaces, building a direct link between the electromagnetic world and digital world.

NSR spoke to Professor Cui on the recent advancement and the prospects of information metasurfaces.
Terence Hawkes
Authors: Gajowski Evelyn , Lindeburg Gary
Published: July 2023

Terence Hawkes (b. 13 May 1932, d. 16 January 2014) revolutionized the disciplines of Shakespeare studies and English studies, including the way both are taught in the British academy, during the late twentieth century and the early twenty-first century. Professor of English at the University of Cardiff in Wales, he was a Shakespeare scholar, literary theorist, and literary critic extraordinaire. His work is equally marked by intellectual rigor, adventurousness, and incisive wit. He wrote, edited, and published eleven books throughout the course of his career, most of them devoted to Shakespeare. He earned his doctoral degree at Cardiff University in 1955. Following teaching stints at SUNY (State University of New York), Buffalo, in the United States during 1957–1959 and at the University of Aberwystwyth, Wales, during 1960–1961, he spent the bulk of his teaching career at Cardiff University (1961–1999). Later in his career, he is best known for having spearheaded a theoretical and critical approach to interpreting Shakespeare’s texts known as presentism. Presentism is built on the premise of recognizing the audience member’s, the reader’s, and the critic’s “situatedness” in the present moment, rather than occluding that fact. Presentism can be viewed as existing in theoretical tension with new historicism, especially its investment in the past, specifically, early modern England. However, presentism and new historicism share common ground to the extent that both take into consideration the relationship between text and context—whether that context is the twenty-first century or early modernity. Earlier in his career, Hawkes is best known for his part in transforming the discipline of English studies, more broadly construed. He advanced the influx of French thought of theorists such as Derrida and Foucault within the British academy through his own publications and his general editorship of two influential academic publishers’ series, New Accents and Accents on Shakespeare, both for Routledge, and an academic journal, Textual Practice. To this end, and in collaboration with colleagues Catherine Belsey, Christopher Norris, and Chris Weedon, Hawkes co-founded the Centre for Cultural and Critical Theory at the University of Cardiff. He was also instrumental in founding the British Shakespeare Association and its journal, Shakespeare.
Black Baptists
Authors: Dixie Quinton Hosford
Published: July 2023

The origins of the black Baptist movement are not traced easily. Enslaved black Baptists worshipped on plantations under the supervision of white preachers as early as the 1750s. However, independent black Baptist congregations did not emerge until just before the War for Independence. One stream that flowed into the origin narrative was located along the Savannah River that provides the border between South Carolina and Georgia. George Liele, an enslaved person, was baptized around 1774 and then licensed by his slave owner’s church to preach to enslaved Africans as well as whites in the area. He preached as far north as Silver Bluff, South Carolina, and all the way down to Savanah, Georgia. First African and First Bryan Baptist Churches in Savannah trace their lineage to Liele and David George and are arguably the oldest independent black Baptist Congregations in the United States. Another tributary is found along the Appomattox River in Virginia. In 1774 when the meeting house of a plantation church burned, those black Baptists moved across the river to Petersburg and established an independent congregation known later as First Baptist Church. The National Baptist Convention USA, Inc., is the largest black religious organization and was founded in 1895 in Atlanta. Since it was the result of a merger among organizations, many black Baptists use 1880, the founding date of the oldest group in the merger, as their own. However, in the antebellum period there were organizations that extended beyond local and state boundaries. In 1840, the American Baptist Missionary Convention was formed in Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York City partly as rejoinder to the slow and indecisive response of Northern white Baptists on the slavery question. When a “separatist” contingent gained power favoring National Baptist Convention (NBC) development of a publishing house rather than continuing to support white northern Baptist publications, the movement split in 1897 with the “cooperationists” creating the Lott Carey Foreign Mission Convention. In 1915, a fight over who owned the publishing house led to the establishment of the third body, the National Baptist Convention of America, Unincorporated. Although often overlooked, black Baptists were engaged in the fight for social justice in the period between the Great Migration and the Montgomery bus boycott. The denominational leadership, however, took a more conservative position on civil rights activism which led to the formation in 1961 of the Progressive National Baptist Convention. While the majority of the national organizations were established because of social and political differences, there are smaller groups that are separate because of theological distinctions, most significantly, the National Primitive Baptist Convention.
Urban Heat Islands
Authors: Yow Donald
Published: July 2023

Urban climates have existed ever since the first human settlements altered the natural environment thousands of years ago. During the first century ce, Pliny the Elder recorded anecdotal accounts about the differences between the air in ancient Rome and the air in rural surroundings. Urban development accompanied global population growth over the following centuries. Today, well over half of the world’s population lives in cities and that proportion is increasing. All urban inhabitants experience a local climate that is somewhat different from that in surrounding rural areas. That, coupled with increasing challenges presented by large-scale climate change, necessitates research to understand how the unique climates caused by urbanization behave, how they impact the residents who live there, and what can and should be done to address ill-effects equitably. The first formal scientific assessment of urban climate was published by Luke Howard almost two hundred years ago in 1833. Over time, urban climatology and meteorology have blossomed into rich fields encompassing studies of a range of modified climate effects including energy balance, roughness length, turbulence and wind, atmospheric moisture, and air quality. The focus of this review is the urban heat island (UHI) effect. The UHI is generally defined as higher temperatures in urban areas compared to rural areas, which is a common feature in most cities worldwide. The first section of this review lists a select number of publications and websites that provide a sound foundation to help those new to urban climate studies become acclimated to the field. The next section delves deeper into the definition of exactly what the UHI is and how it is observed. In particular, a distinction is made between UHIs in the canopy layer (usually measured 2m above the surface) and surface UHIs (measured using thermal imagery). The second section explores the impacts on human and natural systems caused by the UHI. This includes subsections about urban effects on long-term temperature records and human comfort, health, and mortality. The next section takes a look at the various methods used to limit the adverse effects of the UHI. Ideas ranging from green and blue strategies to advanced building materials are discussed. The last part of this review concerns environmental justice. Many of the people who face the direst of unintended consequences caused by urbanization are those who are least well equipped to handle the additional pressures.
Divine Command Theory
Authors: Flannagan Matthew
Published: July 2023

A divine command theory of morality contends that actions are morally required if and only if and because God commands those actions. An action is morally permissible if and only if and because God permits that action. An action is morally wrong if and only if and because God prohibits that action. The word “because” here refers to an immediate and direct dependence relationship. Defenders include John Duns Scotus, William of Ockham, Piere d’Ailly, Jean Gerson, Gabriel Biel, Francisco Suarez, Descartes, Samuel Pufendorf, John Locke, George Berkeley, John Gay, William Paley, and John Austin. In the early twentieth century, most philosophers believed a line of argument pressed in Plato’s dialogue: the Euthyphro discredited divine command theories. However, they underwent a revival in the 20th-century analytic philosophy of religion due to the seminal works of Philip Quinn and Robert Adams. Their theories will be discussed in this article (see Formulating the Theory). The viability of divine command theories remains at the forefront of discussions about the relationship between religion and morality. This work will focus mainly on the development and debate around divine command theories in contemporary analytic philosophy, though some historical references will be discussed.
Computer Simulations
Authors: Beisbart Claus
Published: July 2023

In a computer simulation, a digital computer is used to trace the time evolution of a system, e.g., of the atmosphere of the Earth. Using a model, the computer calculates the values of variables such as air pressure for a series of times and thus obtains state descriptions of the system for those times. The outputs of computer simulations are often visualized using animations. If all goes well in the simulation, humans can learn from the outputs how the system under consideration evolves with time. Computer simulations became possible with the advent of the digital computer in the 1940s. They contrast with analog simulations, which do without a digital computer and are not considered in this entry. Among the first computer simulations were programs that were intended to trace the explosion of nuclear weapons and the evolution of the weather. Nowadays, the use of computer simulations is widespread, in particular in education and in research in the natural and social sciences. But not every use of the computer qualifies as computer simulation; for instance, the classification of images using neural networks does not count as computer simulation because no time evolution is traced. In philosophy, computer simulation is mainly discussed as a scientific practice or method. Accordingly, it is mostly philosophers of science who study computer simulation. Their focus has been on the epistemology of computer simulation: They study how computer simulations are embedded in, and change, the workings of science. The most important questions are: (1) How are computer simulations used in different disciplines and what kinds of tasks do they fulfill? (2) How are simulation results justified? (3) How can we explain how computer simulations achieve their tasks? Since answers to this question often relate computer simulation to other methods, e.g., experimentation, they also tell us what kind of method computer simulation is. (4) To what extent are computer simulations novel in science and what are the consequences for our philosophical picture of science? The last question is pressing because well-established positions in philosophy of science, e.g., falsificationism, Bayesianism, and Kuhn’s position, have been developed without reference to computer simulation. An additional important topic that has emerged in the philosophical discussion of simulations is their black box character. This trait is often labeled “epistemic opacity” and seems relevant for the question of how computer simulations can provide understanding. The current wave of interest in computer simulations started in the 1990s, although there were a few philosophical publications on the theme before that time. This bibliography covers this wave without going further back to the past. The focus is entirely on philosophical appraisals of simulations within science. The use of simulations as a tool within philosophy is largely bracketed.
Female Lay Piety
Authors: More Alison
Published: July 2023

The following discussion focuses on women whose devotional expressions were shaped by and conformed to their worlds. They created and lived religious expressions that played out wholly in the world. As these female lay devout held a liminal position between the secular and ecclesiastical worlds, they did not entirely belong to either. As they are difficult to categorize, they have often been excluded from mainstream scholarship. This is slowly changing, but more work remains to be done. While traditional, institutional histories have often focused on sources written by, for, and about male clerics, closer examination reveals a world in which many women lived active and engaged vocations that often fluctuated between the cloister and the secular world. Such groups were not recognized as legal “religious” but cannot be called altogether lay. The “lay piety” lived by these groups must be carefully distinguished from a “domestic piety,” which was also characteristic of many laywomen but has been omitted from this bibliography, which focuses on female devout, or non-cloistered religious women.