bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Implications of New Geological Mapping and U‐Pb Zircon Dating for the Barrovian Tectono‐Metamorphic Evolution of the Lepontine Dome (Central European Alps)
Authors: Tagliaferri A. , Schenker F. L. , Ulianov A. , Maino M. , Schmalholz S. M.
Published: March 2023

The Barrovian metamorphism of the Lepontine dome is manifested by isograds that cross‐cut tectonic nappe contacts, which is commonly interpreted as metamorphism that occurred after nappe emplacement. However, the pervasive mineral and stretching lineation in amphibolite facies, associated with top‐to‐foreland shearing, suggests that peak Barrovian conditions are coeval with nappe‐overthrusting. Here, we combine mapping and U‐Pb zircon dating to better constrain the relation between metamorphism and overthrusting. Metamorphic zircon rims show two age populations at 31–33 and 22–24 Ma. The younger population is locally observed in post‐foliation dikes (and associated metasomatism) likely sourced from deep‐migmatites exhuming along the Alpine backstop. The older population occurs regionally and is found in syn‐kinematic migmatites which occur along a crustal‐scale shear zone. Below this shear zone, magmatic and detrital zircon cores suggest that the Cima Lunga unit, previously interpreted as a tectonic mélange with Mesozoic fragments, was a pre‐Variscan metasedimentary sequence intruded by Permian granitic sills, now orthogneisses. This unit was strongly sheared along the top of the Simano nappe during overthrusting of a rock pile here‐termed Maggia‐Adula nappe. This large‐scale nappe emplacement imprinted the regional lineation and peak temperatures until 31–33 Ma. Péclet (1–10) and Brinkman (0.002–1.8) numbers, estimated for the overthrusting, suggest an advection‐dominated heat transfer caused by rock exhumation, with some diffusion (conduction) during nappe emplacement. Diffusion contributed to Barrovian isograds discordant to the thrust. Shear heating was important if stress times shearing rate >∼5·10−6 W·m−3 within the nappe. The thermal evolution after overthrusting was spatially heterogeneous until ca. 22 Ma.
Circus Tents, Convective Thresholds, and the Non‐Linear Climate Response to Tropical SSTs
Authors: Williams Andrew I. L. , Jeevanjee Nadir , Bloch‐Johnson Jonah
Published: March 2023

Using model simulations, we demonstrate that the climate response to localized tropical sea surface temperature (SST) perturbations exhibits numerous non‐linearities. Most pronounced is an asymmetry in the response to positive and negative SST perturbations. Additionally, we identify a “magnitude‐dependence” of the response on the size of the SST perturbation. We then explain how these non‐linearities arise as a robust consequence of convective quasi‐equilibrium and weak (but non‐zero) temperature gradients in the tropical free‐troposphere, which we encapsulate in a “circus tent” model of the tropical atmosphere. These results demonstrate that the climate response to SST perturbations is fundamentally non‐linear, and highlight potential deficiencies in work which has assumed linearity in the response.
An Early Forecast of Long‐Period Ground Motions of Large Earthquakes Based on Deep Learning
Authors: Furumura Takashi , Oishi Yusuke
Published: March 2023

Long‐period (LP; approximately 2–10 s) ground motions generated by large earthquakes are amplified in large basins and threaten high‐rise buildings in modern cities. In this study, we accomplished an early forecast of LP ground motions in distant basins based on deep learning technology using waveforms observed near the epicenter. A Temporal Convolutional Network was first trained using waveform data from past large earthquakes in the Japan Trench. LP ground motions of recent large earthquakes, including the 2011 Off the Pacific coast of Tohoku earthquake (Mw 9.0), were forecasted in the Kanto (Tokyo) and Osaka basins. This study effectively forecasted LP ground motions of large earthquakes regarding amplitude, waveform envelope shape, spectral characteristics, and duration. Faster forecasts (in 0.05 s or less) allow for updating forecasts as data is acquired, improving forecast accuracies and ensuring 1–2 min of lead time before large and prolonged shakes occur.
Aberrant survival of hippocampal Cajal-Retzius cells leads to memory deficits, gamma rhythmopathies and susceptibility to seizures in adult mice
Authors: Riva Martina , Moriceau Stéphanie , Morabito Annunziato , Dossi Elena , Sanchez-Bellot Candela , Azzam Patrick , Navas-Olive Andrea , Gal Beatriz , Dori Francesco , Cid Elena , Ledonne Fanny , David Sabrina , Trovero Fabrice , Bartolomucci Magali , Coppola Eva , Rebola Nelson , Depaulis Antoine , Rouach Nathalie , de la Prida Liset Menendez , Oury Franck , Pierani Alessandra
Published: March 2023

Cajal-Retzius cells (CRs) are transient neurons, disappearing almost completely in the postnatal neocortex by programmed cell death (PCD), with a percentage surviving up to adulthood in the hippocampus. Here, we evaluate CR’s role in the establishment of adult neuronal and cognitive function using a mouse model preventing Bax-dependent PCD. CRs abnormal survival resulted in impairment of hippocampus-dependent memory, associated in vivo with attenuated theta oscillations and enhanced gamma activity in the dorsal CA1. At the cellular level, we observed transient changes in the number of NPY+cells and altered CA1 pyramidal cell spine density. At the synaptic level, these changes translated into enhanced inhibitory currents in hippocampal pyramidal cells. Finally, adult mutants displayed an increased susceptibility to lethal tonic-clonic seizures in a kainate model of epilepsy. Our data reveal that aberrant survival of a small proportion of postnatal hippocampal CRs results in cognitive deficits and epilepsy-prone phenotypes in adulthood.
Ionic polyamide boosting Ru efficiency in reductive amination of carbonyl compounds
Authors: Hu Qizhi , Xu Hongzhong , Wu Yue , Jiang Shi , Wang Jun , Zhou Yu
Published: March 2023

Ionic polyamide-stabilized ruthenium nanoparticles for ultra-efficient reductive amination of carbonyl compounds to primary amines with NH3and H2.
Geometric prior guided hybrid deep neural network for facial beauty analysis
Authors: Peng Tianhao , Li Mu , Chen Fangmei , Xu Yong , Zhang David
Published: March 2023

Facial beauty analysis is an important topic in human society. It may be used as a guidance for face beautification applications such as cosmetic surgery. Deep neural networks (DNNs) have recently been adopted for facial beauty analysis and have achieved remarkable performance. However, most existing DNN‐based models regard facial beauty analysis as a normal classification task. They ignore important prior knowledge in traditional machine learning models which illustrate the significant contribution of the geometric features in facial beauty analysis. To be specific, landmarks of the whole face and facial organs are introduced to extract geometric features to make the decision. Inspired by this, we introduce a novel dual‐branch network for facial beauty analysis: one branch takes the Swin Transformer as the backbone to model the full face and global patterns, and another branch focuses on the masked facial organs with the residual network to model the local patterns of certain facial parts. Additionally, the designed multi‐scale feature fusion module can further facilitate our network to learn complementary semantic information between the two branches. In model optimisation, we propose a hybrid loss function, where especially geometric regulation is introduced by regressing the facial landmarks and it can force the extracted features to convey facial geometric features. Experiments performed on the SCUT‐FBP5500 dataset and the SCUT‐FBP dataset demonstrate that our model outperforms the state‐of‐the‐art convolutional neural networks models, which proves the effectiveness of the proposed geometric regularisation and dual‐branch structure with the hybrid network. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to introduce a Vision Transformer into the facial beauty analysis task.
Analysis of dynamic evolution process of the N-player division of labor game model
Authors: Yuan Hairui , Meng Xinzhu , Alzahrani Abdullah Khames
Published: March 2023

This paper investigates a three-strategy (cooperators, toxin producers, and cheaters) N-player division of labor game in bacterial populations. We construct the replicator equation to discuss the evolution of the frequency of the three strategies. Firstly, we prove that the interior equilibrium is always unstable, the three strategies cannot coexist. Secondly, according to Sotomayor’s theorem, the system undergoes transcritical bifurcation. Furthermore, the sensitivity of the two-dimensional evolutionary state diagrams to the third parameter (toxin rate, absorption rate, toxin quantity, etc) is analyzed. In summary, high toxicity rates, high levels of toxins, and low levels of competition tend to promote cooperation. All players choose to perform the task, and the cheater disappears. When the absorption rate of cooperators is high enough, only cooperators exist in the population over time. When the absorption rate of the cooperator is low, and the absorption rate of the toxin producer is greater than the threshold, the cooperator and the toxin producer coexist. All players perform the task. Finally, the triangle diagrams and three-dimensional diagrams are presented, which show the initial conditions of the three strategies also affect the dynamic results. As the amount of toxin increases, the range of players who choose to perform tasks widens.
Risk Factors for Lymph Node Metastasis in Papillary Thyroid
Carcinoma: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Gong Jiantao , Zhu Baining , Liu Wenji , Shi Chaoqun , Xia Chen , Zeng Liqin , Lv Yunxia
Published: March 2023

At present, the risk factors of cervical lymph node metastasis (LNM) in papillary
thyroid carcinoma (PTC) are still controversial. This study was aimed to
investigate the risk factors of various types of LNM in PTC with tumor
diameter>1 cm. The clinical data of 2216 PTC patients were
retrospectively analyzed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models
were used to analyze the risk factors of LNM. In addition, the receiver operator
characteristic (ROC) curve was used to find the best cut-off value of CLNM for
predicting LLNM. Finally, the independent risk factors of LLNM were used to
construct the prediction of LLNM nomogram. Age≤55 years old, male,
bilateral lobe tumors, ETE, 2–3 cm tumor diameters, and fasting
plasma glucose (FPG) were independent risk factors for CLNM. The ROC curve
showed that the best cut-off value was 2.5. Age, male, bilateral lobe tumors,
tumor diameters≥2 cm and CLNM≥3 were significantly
associated with LLNM , while CLNM=1 or 2 was a protective factor for
LLNM. Only tumor diameters≥3 cm was significantly associated
with skip LLNM. The nomogram model (C-index=0.745) can be used to
predict LLNM in PTC patients and guide the clinical selection of appropriate
treatment options. Patients with high risk factors should undergo prophylactic
lymph node dissection. The nomogram we established has a good predictive ability
for LLNM, and for high-risk groups, it is necessary to actively perform
prophylactic lateral lymph node dissection.
Aeroacoustic analysis of the tip-leakage flow of an ultrahigh bypass ratio fan stage
Authors: Al-Am Jean , Clair Vincent , Giauque Alexis , Boudet Jérôme , Gea-Aguilera Fernando
Published: March 2023

A detailed aeroacoustic analysis of the flow induced by the clearance between the fan tip and the shroud is performed in a scale-model fan stage of an ultrahigh bypass ratio turbofan engine, which was designed to operate at transonic regimes. A wall-modeled large eddy simulation is performed at approach condition, which corresponds to a fully subsonic operating point. The contributions of the tip-gap noise to the total fan noise are investigated using the Ffowcs Williams and Hawkings analogy. The surface is split into two parts: the tip region and the rest of the blade in order to analyze the acoustic contributions of these two regions separately. It is shown that the tip-gap region generates a significant noise component above 2 kHz, which corresponds to approximately 1.2 times the blade passing frequency. Two separate tip-leakage vortices are identified in the vicinity of the fan tip. The dominant noise sources in the tip-gap region are observed at the trailing edge of the fan blade. The wall pressure spectra in the tip-gap region and the coherence of pressure fluctuations between monitor points at different positions show an acoustic contribution of the tip-leakage flow at two different frequency ranges. The first range corresponds to medium frequencies between 2 and 9 kHz, and the second range corresponds to high frequencies between 10 and 25 kHz. The analysis of dynamic mode tracking, fluctuating pressure and velocity spectra, and instantaneous flow fields relates specific vortices in the tip-gap flow to their spectral signature and paves the way for further analytical modeling of tip-gap noise sources.
Identifying the most common barriers to opioid agonist treatment in an Australian setting
Authors: Hall Natasha Yvonne , Le Long , Abimanyi-Ochom Julie , Teesson Maree , Mihalopoulos Cathy
Published: March 2023

Background Opioid use disorder is a public health concern in Australia. Opioid agonist treatment (OAT) is effective at treating and minimising harm from opioid use disorder, yet is underused in Australia due to client barriers. Although these barriers have been reported, the barriers that are most important to clients is unclear. The aim of this paper was to determine the most important OAT barriers to Australian clients. Methods A cross-sectional, self-completed survey was given to 204 opioid-dependent clients who attended needle and syringe sites in Australia. Participants were given 15 OAT barrier statements, which they answered using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = neutral, 4 = agree and 5 = strongly agree). The Likert scale data are presented using the count method and the mean Likert scores (for the whole sample and for subgroups). Results The two methods determined that the four most important barriers to OAT were stigma, lack of support services, no flexibility and enjoy using opioids. Furthermore, those who used prescription opioids (compared with heroin) were female or non-binary (compared with male), were not currently using OAT (compared with current OAT), were younger (compared with older) and had high dependence scores (compared with low dependence scores) were impacted more by certain OAT barriers. Conclusions Policies around improving support services, reducing stigma and increasing flexibility would be beneficial to reduce barriers to OAT in Australia. Second, certain groups were more vulnerable to OAT barriers, emphasising the importance to better tailor opioid treatment programs to these specific populations to increase treatment engagement.
Cluster randomised trial of a complex interprofessional intervention (interprofACT) to reduce hospital admission of nursing home residents
Authors: Mazur Ana , Tetzlaff Britta , Mallon Tina , Hesjedal-Streller Berit , Wei Vivien , Scherer Martin , Köpke Sascha , Balzer Katrin , Steyer Linda , Friede Tim , Pfeiffer Sebastian , Hummers Eva , Müller Christiane
Published: March 2023

Background

Some hospital admissions of nursing home residents (NHRs) might be attributed to inadequate interprofessional collaboration. To improve general practitioner–nurse collaboration in nursing homes (NHs), we developed an intervention package (interprof ACT) in a previous study.

Objective

To assess the impact of interprof ACT on the proportion of hospitalisation and other clinical parameters within 12 months from randomisation among NHRs.

Methods

Multicentre, cluster randomised controlled trial in 34 German NHs. NHRs of the control group received usual care, whereas NHRs in the intervention group received interprof ACT. Eligible NHs had at least 40 long-term care residents. NHs were randomised 1:1 pairwise. Blinded assessors collected primary outcome data.

Results

Seventeen NHs (320 NHRs) were assigned to interprof ACT and 17 NHs (323 NHRs) to usual care. In the intervention group, 136 (42.5%) NHRs were hospitalised at least once within 12 months from randomisation and 151 (46.7%) in the control group (odds ratio (OR): 0.82, 95% confidence interval (CI): [0.55; 1.22], P = 0.33). No differences were found for the average number of hospitalisations: 0.8 hospitalisations per NHR (rate ratio (RR) 0.90, 95% CI: [0.66, 1.25], P = 0.54). Average length of stay was 5.7 days for NHRs in the intervention group and 6.5 days in the control group (RR: 0.70, 95% CI: [0.45, 1.11], P = 0.13). Falls were the most common adverse event, but none was related to the study intervention.

Conclusions

The implementation of interprof ACT did not show a statistically significant and clinically relevant effect on hospital admission of NHRs.
Experiences and understanding of apathy in people with neurocognitive disorders and their carers: a qualitative interview study
Authors: Burgon Clare , Goldberg Sarah , van der Wardt Veronika , Harwood Rowan H
Published: March 2023

Background

apathy, defined as reduced goal-directed activity, interests and emotion, is highly prevalent in neurocognitive disorders (NCDs). Apathy has important consequences for the individuals who experience it and their carers, yet the lived experiences of apathy in this population are not well understood.

Objective

to explore how people with NCDs and their carers understand and experience apathy.

Method

in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted in participants’ homes. Sixteen people with NCDs (dementia or mild cognitive impairment) and 14 carers, living in four geographical areas of England, took part. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Results

four themes were generated: ‘Apathy is Poorly Understood’; ‘Too much trouble: Mediating Effort and Outcome’; ‘Preserving Identity in the Face of Loss of Capability and Autonomy’ and ‘Opportunity and Exclusion’.

Conclusion

apathy is experienced as an understandable response to the everyday struggle people with NCDs face to preserve identity in the face of threats to capability and autonomy and is exacerbated by the lack of support and opportunities. Social and environmental modifications may help reduce apathy. In line with previous qualitative research, this challenges the dominant view of apathy as a neuropsychiatric symptom that excludes the social–environmental context.
Comparing the risk of dementia in subjects with atrial fibrillation using non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants versus vitamin K antagonists: a Belgian nationwide cohort study
Authors: Grymonprez Maxim , Petrovic Mirko , De Backer Tine L , Ikram M Arfan , Steurbaut Stephane , Lahousse Lies
Published: March 2023

Background

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with cognitive decline, with anticoagulated subjects potentially having a reduced risk compared with non-anticoagulated subjects. However, whether non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) may reduce the risk of dementia compared with vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) is unclear yet. Therefore, the risk of dementia was compared between AF subjects on NOACs versus VKAs.

Methods

AF subjects initiating anticoagulation between 2013 and 2019 were identified in Belgian nationwide data. Inverse probability of treatment weighted Cox regression was used to investigate cognitive outcomes.

Results

Among 237,012 AF subjects (310,850 person-years (PYs)), NOAC use was associated with a significantly lower risk of dementia (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 0.91, 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.85–0.98)) compared with VKAs. A trend towards a lower risk of vascular dementia (aHR 0.89, 95% CI (0.76–1.04)) and significantly lower risk of other/unspecified dementia (aHR 0.91, 95% CI (0.84–0.99)) were observed with NOACs compared with VKAs, whereas the risk of Alzheimer’s disease was similar (aHR 0.99, 95% CI (0.88–1.11)). Apixaban (aHR 0.91, 95% CI (0.83–0.99)) and edoxaban (aHR 0.79, 95% CI (0.63–0.99)) were associated with significantly lower risks of dementia compared with VKAs, while risks were not significantly different with dabigatran (aHR 1.02, 95% CI (0.93–1.12)) and rivaroxaban (aHR 0.97, 95% CI (0.90–1.05)). Comparable risks of dementia were observed between individual NOACs, except for significantly lower risks of dementia (aHR 0.93, 95% CI (0.87–0.98)) and other/unspecified dementia (aHR 0.90 (0.84–0.97)) with apixaban compared with rivaroxaban.

Conclusion

NOACs were associated with a significantly lower risk of dementia compared with VKAs, likely driven by apixaban and edoxaban use.
Variable ambient temperature promotes song learning and production in zebra finches
Authors: Lefeuvre Maëlle , Lu ChuChu , Botero Carlos A , Rutkowska Joanna
Published: March 2023

Current climate change is leading to increasingly unpredictable environmental conditions and is imposing new challenges to wildlife. For example, ambient conditions fluctuating during critical developmental periods could potentially impair the development of cognitive systems and may therefore have a long-term influence on an individual’s life. We studied the impact of temperature variability on zebra finch cognition, focusing on song learning and song quality (N = 76 males). We used a 2 × 2 factorial experiment with two temperature conditions (stable and variable). Half of the juveniles were cross-fostered at hatching to create a mismatch between pre- and posthatching conditions, the latter matching this species’ critical period for song learning. We found that temperature variability did not affect repertoire size, syllable consistency, or the proportion of syllables copied from a tutor. However, birds that experienced variable temperatures in their posthatching environment were more likely to sing during recordings. In addition, birds that experienced variable prenatal conditions had higher learning accuracy than birds in stable prenatal environments. These findings are the first documented evidence that variable ambient temperatures can influence song learning in zebra finches. Moreover, they indicate that temperature variability can act as a form of environmental enrichment with net positive effects on cognition.
Transient Suppression of Bacterial Populations Associated with Gut Health is Critical in Success of Exclusive Enteral Nutrition for Children with Crohn’s Disease
Authors: Runde Joseph , Veseli Iva , Fogarty Emily C , Watson Andrea R , Clayssen Quentin , Yosef Mahmoud , Shaiber Alon , Verma Ritu , Quince Christopher , Gerasimidis Konstantinos , Rubin David T , Eren A Murat
Published: March 2023

Background and Aims

Exclusive enteral nutrition [EEN] is a dietary intervention to induce clinical remission in children with active luminal Crohn’s disease [CD]. While changes in the gut microbial communities have been implicated in achieving this remission, a precise understanding of the role of microbial ecology in the restoration of gut homeostasis is lacking.

Methods

Here we reconstructed genomes from the gut metagenomes of 12 paediatric subjects who were sampled before, during and after EEN. We then classified each microbial population into distinct ‘phenotypes’ or patterns of response based on changes in their relative abundances throughout the therapy on a per-individual basis.

Results

Our data show that children achieving clinical remission during therapy were enriched with microbial populations that were either suppressed or that demonstrated a transient bloom as a function of EEN. In contrast, this ecosystem-level response was not observed in cases of EEN failure. Further analysis revealed that populations that were suppressed during EEN were significantly more prevalent in healthy children and adults across the globe compared with those that bloomed ephemerally during the therapy.

Conclusions

These observations taken together suggest that successful outcomes of EEN are marked by a temporary emergence of microbial populations that are rare in healthy individuals, and a concomitant reduction in microbes that are commonly associated with gut homeostasis. Our work is a first attempt to highlight individual-specific, complex environmental factors that influence microbial response in EEN. This model offers a novel, alternative viewpoint to traditional taxonomic strategies used to characterize associations with health and disease states.
Serum Immune Profiling in Paediatric Crohn’s Disease Demonstrates Stronger Immune Modulation With First-Line Infliximab Than Conventional Therapy and Pre-Treatment Profiles Predict Clinical Response to Both Treatments
Authors: Jongsma Maria M E , Costes Lea M M , Tindemans Irma , Cozijnsen Martinus A , Raatgreep Rolien (H) C , van Pieterson Merel , Li Yunlei , Escher Johanna C , de Ridder Lissy , Samsom Janneke N
Published: March 2023

Background

Despite its efficacy, rational guidance for starting/stopping first-line biologic treatment in individual paediatric Crohn’s disease [CD] patients is needed. We assessed how serum immune profiles before and after first-line infliximab [FL-IFX] or conventional [CONV] induction therapy associate with disease remission at week 52.

Methods

Pre- [n = 86], and 10–14-week post-treatment [n = 84] sera were collected from patients with moderate-to-severe paediatric CD in the TISKids trial, randomized to FL-IFX [n = 48; five 5-mg/kg infusions over 22 weeks] or CONV [n = 43; exclusive enteral nutrition or oral prednisolone]; both groups received azathioprine maintenance. The relative concentrations of 92 inflammatory proteins were determined with Olink Proteomics; fold changes [FC] with |log2FC| > 0.5 after false discovery rate adjustment were considered significant.

Results

FL-IFX modulated a larger number of inflammatory proteins and induced stronger suppression than CONV; 18/30 proteins modulated by FL-IFX were not regulated by CONV. Hierarchical clustering based on IFX-modulated proteins at baseline revealed two clusters of patients: CD-hi patients had significantly higher concentrations of 23/30 IFX-modulated proteins [including oncostatin-M, TNFSF14, HGF and TGF-α], and higher clinical disease activity, C-reactive protein and blood neutrophils at baseline than CD-lo patients. Only 24% of CD-hi FL-IFX-treated patients maintained remission without escalation at week 52 vs 58% of CD-lo FL-IFX-treated patients. Similarly, 6% of CD-hi CONV-treated patients achieved remission vs 20% of CONV-treated CD-lo patients. Clustering based on immune profiles post-induction therapy did not relate to remission at week 52.

Conclusion

FL-IFX leads to stronger reductions and modulates more immune proteins than CONV. Stratification on pre-treatment profiles of IFX-modulated proteins directly relates to maintenance of remission without treatment escalation.

Trial registration number

NCT02517684.
Transepistemic English language teaching for sustainable futures
Authors: Meighan Paul J
Published: March 2023

There is a relationship between language and the environment. Languages shape worldviews, inform behaviours, and are not disconnected from local political, sociocultural, and ecological contexts. English has an enduring colonial, imperialist, and assimilationist legacy and can be easily delinked from context, culture, and place. In this article, I argue that an epistemic (un)learning of the Western ‘epistemological error’ is required to enable equitable validation of all languages and knowledge systems, including those Indigenous and minoritized, in ELT for more sustainable futures. Heritage language pedagogy (HLP), conceptualized differently from mainstream versions, and transepistemic language education in the Canadian context will illustrate how epistemic (un)learning takes place. HLP seeks to relink connections between languages and place-based knowledges. The article demonstrates how HLP and transepistemic language education enables learners and educators to engage in a decolonial and pluriversal sharing of languages, knowledges, and worlds for more equitable and sustainable ELT.
Bidirectional Associations Between Sleep Quality and Grip Strength and the Mediating Role of Depression: Evidence From Two Nationally Representative Cohorts
Authors: Han Qiang , Hu Wei , Sun Na , Chu Jiadong , Chen Xuanli , Li Tongxing , He Qida , Feng Zhaolong , Shen Yueping
Published: March 2023

Background

Although studies have demonstrated associations between sleep quality (SQ) and grip strength (GS) in older adults, the direction and underlying mechanisms of this relationship are yet to be better delineated. We aimed to longitudinally investigate the bidirectional association between SQ and GS and the mediating role of depression in this association.

Methods

Based on 2 nationally representative samples with people aged ≥50 years from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS; 4 200 participants) and English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA; 5 922 participants), cross-lagged panel models were employed to examine the potential bidirectional relationships between objectively measured GS and self-reported SQ.

Results

We observed a GS–SQ bidirectional association dominated by GS. After adjusting for potential confounders, a higher GS at T1 predicted better SQ at T2 (ELSA: β = 0.075; CHARLS: β = 0.104, p < .001) and vice versa (ELSA: β = 0.034; CHARLS: β = 0.030, p < .01). Moreover, depression partially mediated the impact of GS on subsequent SQ (ELSA, indirect effect: 0.0057, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.0035–0.0084; CHARLS, indirect effect: 0.0086, 95% CI: 0.0051, 0.0131), but not vice versa.

Conclusions

The results regarding data from both cohorts consistently supported a bidirectional association between GS and SQ and the mediating role of depression in the dominant pathway of this bidirectional relationship. Older adults with a low GS should be made aware of a potentially vicious cycle related to depression that can affect their sleep. Regular screening for depression may help to break this cycle.
Cognition and Mortality Risk Among Midlife and Older Americans
Authors: Glei Dana A , Mendes de Leon Carlos F , Lee Chioun , Weinstein Maxine
Published: March 2023

Background

Cognitive impairment is associated with increased mortality rates in late life, but it is unclear whether worse cognition predicts working-age mortality.

Methods

The data come from a U.S. national survey (N = 3 973 aged 32–84 at cognitive testing in 2004–06, mean age 56.6, 56.3% female; N = 3 055 retested in 2013–18 at ages 42–94, mean age 64.6, 56.6% female; mortality follow-up through 2019). We use Cox hazard models to investigate whether cognition is associated with mortality below age 65, how the magnitude of this risk compares with the risk in later life, and whether the association persists after adjusting for potential confounders.

Results

Worse cognition is associated with mortality, but the demographic-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) diminishes with age from 2.0 per standard deviation (SD; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.7–2.4) at age 55–1.4 (95% CI, 1.3–1.6) at age 85. In the fully adjusted model, the corresponding HRs are 1.4 (95% CI, 1.2–1.7) and 1.3 (95% CI, 1.1–1.4), respectively. The absolute differences in mortality by level of cognition, however, are larger at older ages because mortality is rare at younger ages. The fully adjusted model implies a 2.7 percentage point differential in the estimated percentage dying between ages 55 and 65 for those with low cognition (1 SD below the overall mean, 5.7%) versus high cognition (1 SD above the mean, 3.0%). The corresponding differential between ages 75 and 85 is 8.4 percentage points (24.6% vs 16.2%, respectively).

Conclusions

Cognitive function may be a valuable early warning sign of premature mortality, even at working ages, when dementia is rare.
Amyl acetate: an alternative technique to dry mount Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera) from alcohol, faster and inexpensively
Authors: Pérez-Benavides A Lucía , Ospina-Peñuela Esau , Gamboa Jean , Duran-Bautista Ervin H
Published: March 2023

Ethanol (EtOH) 70% is commonly used in collections to preserve and store many unprepared soft-bodied Chalcidoidea. Specimens air-dried directly from alcohol, however, often suffer from collapse of some body parts, making subsequent observation of their morphology difficult or even impossible. We propose an inexpensive method for processing and dry-mounting specimens of Chalcidoidea, using a chemical process including amyl acetate. Four treatments using amyl acetate at different concentrations and exposure times were evaluated for specimens of Eulophidae, Mymaridae, Encyrtidae, Aphelinidae, Pteromalidae, and Trichogrammatidae. Treatment with amyl acetate resulted in specimens of consistently higher quality. Based on our results, treatment of specimens for 1 h with 50:50 amyl acetate and ethanol mixture, followed by treatment for 1 h with 100% amyl acetate, yielded specimens adequate for morphological observations for most of the families. Further experiments are required, however, to optimize this approach for Trichogrammatidae and Eulophidae. This method is a relatively simple, inexpensive, and safe alternative to other methods commonly used for restoring Chalcidoidea preserved in alcohol.
Grasshopper (Orthoptera: Acridomorpha) diversity in response to fallow-land use in southern Cameroon with recommendations for land management
Authors: Oumarou Ngoute Charly , Kekeunou Sévilor , Bilong Bilong Charles Félix
Published: March 2023

The sensitivity of grasshoppers to disturbance makes them useful bioindicators for land management. The current study compared the grasshopper communities of three fallow-lands at different levels of human pressure: heavily used land (Ongot), moderately used land (Zamakoe), and least-used land (Ngutadjap). Grasshoppers were sampled by nets, pitfall traps, and box quadrats. Their species composition was analyzed using species-richness, abundance, abundance distribution-model, occurrence, and diversity indexes. Species number was not very different between localities. However, the opening up of forests by human activities offers suitable environment for the development or proliferation of the pest grasshopper populations such as Zonocerus variegatus (Linnaeus, 1758), Eyprepocnemis plorans (Charpentier, 1825), and Catantops sylvestrisJago, 1984, which are adapted to the very common Asteraceae found in fallow lands. Native forest species [such as Mazaea granulosa Stål, 1876, Holopercna gerstaeckeri (Bolívar, 1890), Digentia fasciataRamme, 1929] were, generally absent or rare and were collected in only forest/fallow-land ecotones. Low abundance and low occurrence of ecotone species fitted the log-normal abundance distribution model. The grasshopper communities of the less degraded localities were quite similar, but different from the Ongot community. Forest management by reforestation, reduction of slash-and-burn agriculture, and wood cutting, would restore the original grasshopper assemblages and general environmental health.
Hourly activity patterns of the insectivorous bat assemblage in the urban–rural landscape of Lima, Peru
Authors: Rivero-Monteagudo Jorge , Mena José Luis
Published: March 2023

Circadian rhythms of bats are simultaneously influenced by both abiotic and biotic factors that vary across different landscapes. Since cities modify environmental conditions in which bats forage and roost, their temporal activity can be altered. Based on acoustic surveys, we described hourly activity patterns of eight aerial insectivorous bat species in an urban–rural landscape of Lima, Peru. We also explored whether bats show temporal partitioning at the assemblage level and, for three common species, if activity patterns change between landscape units (urban and rural areas) or moonlight intensity (dark and bright nights). At the assemblage level, bats displayed high temporal overlap, especially in rural areas. At the species level, Mormopterus kalinowskii and Tadarida brasiliensis displayed bimodal patterns at both landscape units, and Promops davisoni showed an almost uniform pattern or bimodal pattern at urban and rural sites, respectively. In rural areas, other bat species exhibited either unimodal patterns (Nyctinomops laticaudatus, N. aurispinosus, N. macrotis, and Tomopeas ravus) or a bimodal pattern (Myotis). Moonlight intensity had little influence on activity periods of most bat species. Our study provides valuable information for sampling designs and future studies on activity patterns focused on coexistence among insectivorous bat species in arid landscapes.
Modernism, Nominalism, and the Hidden God in Samuel Beckett, Wallace Stevens, and David Jones
Authors: Tonning Erik
Published: March 2023

The idea that human language is an inherently inadequate instrument for grasping reality is widespread in modernist literature. While the ‘radical nominalism’ of this position has been recognised, this article argues that a genealogical understanding of its theological roots in medieval nominalism can highlight how modernist writers like Samuel Beckett and Wallace Stevens still wrestle with a voluntarist God of absolute and arbitrary power. By contrast, for a writer like David Jones, the historical choice of nominalism amounts to a theological mistake, and the modern artist needs to rediscover a God who consecrates and redeems the human capacity for sign-making.
Optical polarization and spectral properties of the hydrogen-poor superluminous supernovae SN 2021bnw and SN 2021fpl
Authors: Poidevin F , Omand C M B , Könyves-Tóth Réka , Pérez-Fournon I , Clavero R , Geier S , Jimenez Angel C , Marques-Chaves R , Shirley R
Published: March 2023

New optical photometric, spectroscopic, and imaging polarimetry data are combined with publicly available data to study some of the physical properties of the two hydrogen-poor superluminous supernovae (SLSNe) SN 2021bnw and SN 2021fpl. For each SLSN, the best-fitting parameters obtained from the magnetar model with Modular Open-Source Fitter for Transients do not depart from the range of parameter obtained on other SLSNe discussed in the literature. A spectral analysis with SYN++ shows that SN 2021bnw is a W type, fast evolver, while SN 2021fpl is a 15bn type, slow evolver. The analysis of the polarimetry data obtained on SN 2021fpl at four epochs (+1.8, +20.6, +34.1, and +43.0 d, rest frame) shows >3σ polarization detections in the range of 0.8–1 per cent. A comparison of the spectroscopy data suggests that SN 2021fpl underwent a spectral transition a bit earlier than SN 2015bn, during which, similarly, it could have underwent a polarization transition. The analysis of the polarimetry data obtained on SN 2021bnw does not show any departure from symmetry of the photosphere at an empirical diffusion time-scale of ≈2 (+81.1 d rest frame). This result is consistent with those on the sample of W-type SLSN observed at empirical diffusion time-scale ≤ 1 with that technique, even though it is not clear the effect of limited spectral windows varying from one object to the other. Measurements at higher empirical diffusion time-scale may be needed to see any departure from symmetry as it is discussed in the literature for SN 2017egm.
Estimating stellar parameters from LAMOST low-resolution spectra
Authors: Li Xiangru , Lin Boyu
Published: March 2023

The Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) has acquired tens of millions of low-resolution spectra of stars. This paper investigates the parameter estimation problem for these spectra. To this end, we propose the deep learning model StarGRU network (StarGRUNet). This network is applied to estimate the stellar atmospheric physical parameters and 13 elemental abundances from LAMOST low-resolution spectra. On the spectra with signal-to-noise ratios greater than or equal to 5, the estimation precisions are 94 K and 0.16 dex on $T_\texttt {eff}$ and log  g respectively, 0.07 to 0.10 dex on [C/H], [Mg/H], [Al/H], [Si/H], [Ca/H], [Ni/H] and [Fe/H], 0.10 to 0.16 dex on [O/H], [S/H], [K/H], [Ti/H] and [Mn/H], and 0.18 and 0.22 dex on [N/H] and [Cr/H]. The model shows advantages over other available models and high consistency with high-resolution surveys. We released the estimated catalogue computed from about 8.21 million low-resolution spectra in LAMOST DR8, code, trained model, and experimental data for astronomical science exploration and data processing algorithm research.
Sterol regulatory element-binding protein 2 maintains glioblastoma stem cells by keeping the balance between cholesterol biosynthesis and uptake
Authors: Gu Danling , Zhou Fengqi , You Hao , Gao Jiancheng , Kang Tao , Dixit Deobrat , Wu Qiulian , Yang Kailin , Ci Shusheng , Shan Danyang , Fan Xiao , Yuan Wei , Zhang Qian , Lu Chenfei , Li Daqi , Zhao Ningwei , Shi Zhumei , Gao Wei , Lin Fan , Man Jianghong , Wang Qianghu , Qian Xu , Mack Stephen C , Tao Weiwei , Agnihotri Sameer , Zhang Nu , You Yongping , Rich Jeremy N , Zhang Junxia , Wang Xiuxing
Published: March 2023

Background

Glioblastomas (GBMs) display striking dysregulation of metabolism to promote tumor growth. Glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) adapt to regions of heterogeneous nutrient availability, yet display dependency on de novo cholesterol biosynthesis. The transcription factor Sterol Regulatory Element-Binding Protein 2 (SREBP2) regulates cholesterol biosynthesis enzymes and uptake receptors. Here, we investigate adaptive behavior of GSCs under different cholesterol supplies.

Methods

In silico analysis of patient tumors demonstrated enrichment of cholesterol synthesis associated with decreased angiogenesis. Comparative gene expression of cholesterol biosynthesis enzymes in paired GBM specimens and GSCs were performed. In vitro and in vivo loss-of-function genetic and pharmacologic assays were conducted to evaluate the effect of SREBP2 on GBM cholesterol biosynthesis, proliferation, and self-renewal. Chromatin immunoprecipitation quantitative real-time PCR was leveraged to map the regulation of SREBP2 to cholesterol biosynthesis enzymes and uptake receptors in GSCs.

Results

Cholesterol biosynthetic enzymes were expressed at higher levels in GBM tumor cores than in invasive margins. SREBP2 promoted cholesterol biosynthesis in GSCs, especially under starvation, as well as proliferation, self-renewal, and tumor growth. SREBP2 governed the balance between cholesterol biosynthesis and uptake in different nutrient conditions.

Conclusions

SREBP2 displays context-specific regulation of cholesterol biology based on its availability in the microenvironment with induction of cholesterol biosynthesis in the tumor core and uptake in the margin, informing a novel treatment strategy for GBM.
Loss Aversion and Current, Former, and Never-Smoking Status
Authors: Thrailkill Eric A , DeSarno Michael , Higgins Stephen T
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Loss aversion (LA) is a bias in decision-making wherein potential losses have a greater influence on choices than equivalent gains. Such a bias may protect individuals from harm. Consistent with this idea, lower LA has been measured in individuals who endorse current cigarette smoking as well as other substance use compared to controls matched on important sociodemographic variables (age, gender, and educational attainment). The goal of the present study was to systematically replicate and extend this association between LA and smoking status by comparing those meeting criteria for current-, former-, and never-smoking status.

Aims and Methods

In total, 984 individuals (N = 984) that endorsed current cigarette smoking (past 30-day use; n = 361), former-smoking (no past 30-day use, >100 cigarettes lifetime; n = 317), and never-smoking (no past 30-day use, <100 cigarettes lifetime; n = 306) were recruited using standard crowdsourcing methods and completed measures of LA (50–50 gambles) and delay discounting (DD) (monetary choice questionnaire), an important decision-making bias with an established relationship to cigarette-smoking status.

Results

Lower LA was observed in those endorsing current smoking compared to former smoking (t[952] = −9.57, Bonferroni corrected p < .0001), and never-smoking (t[952] = −3.99, Bonferroni corrected p = .0002). LA was also greater in former- compared to the never-smoking (t[952] = −5.26, Bonferroni corrected p < .0001). This pattern did not change when accounting for DD and sociodemographics. DD results replicated prior findings.

Conclusions

The results support LA as a decision-making bias related to the risk of cigarette smoking and other substance use. Further research is needed to understand the causal contributions of LA and DD and their potential intersections.

Implications

Low LA is a risk factor for cigarette smoking. This study reports higher LA among individuals that endorsed never-smoking and former-smoking status in comparison to those endorsing current cigarette smoking. LA may influence or be influenced by a change in smoking status.
Impact of COVID-19 on Spanish mortality rates in 2020 by age and sex
Authors: Navarro Eliseo , Requena Pilar
Published: March 2023

Background

Previous studies have used different biometric indicators to measure the effect of Covid-19 on population mortality such as the number of deaths or the decrease of life expectancy showing a dependence of mortality on age and sex. According to them, the impact of the pandemic was greater on women than in men and that the older the population, the greater the number of deaths caused by Covid-19.

Methods

We apply graduation techniques and non-parametric methods to estimate mortality rates allowing us to obtain an age-by-age picture of changes in mortality rates from 2018–2019 to 2020.

Results

Graduation techniques have detected a significant U-shaped reduction in infant mortality rates although with an anomalous peak in girls aged 10–12. Likewise, we have observed a notable increase in mortality rates of the female population between 28 and 40 years of age. The increase of mortality rates after the age of 70 years was similar for both men and women with a slight decline after the age of 80.

Conclusions

The use of graduation techniques and the focus on age-by-age changes in mortality rates showed a complex behaviour in some tranches of the mortality curve that might otherwise have gone unnoticed.