bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cognitive Peerhood, Epistemic Disdain, and Affective Polarisation: The Perils of Disagreeing Deeply
Authors: Lavorerio Victoria
Published: March 2023

Is it possible to disagree with someone without considering them cognitively flawed? The answer seems to be a resounding yes: disagreeing with someone doesn't entail thinking less of them. You can disagree with someone and not think that they are unreasonable. Deep disagreements, however, may challenge this assumption. A disagreement is deep when it involves many interrelated issues, including the proper way to resolve the disagreement, resulting in its persistence. The parties to a deep disagreement can hold neutral or even positive judgements of each other's epistemic character, as parties’ judging each other's epistemic character negatively (i.e., epistemic disdain) is not a defining feature of deep disagreements. When analysing real-life cases, however, we find that epistemic disdain is typical of deep disagreements. In this article, I analyse why this is the case. Given that epistemic disdain undermines cognitive peerhood, the prospects of deep disagreements between epistemic peers seem bleak. Finally, it is discussed how the phenomenon of epistemic disdain, as it relates to deep disagreements, may increase affective polarisation.
It’s Not Irony, it’s Interest Convergence: A CRT Perspective on Racism as Public Health Crisis Statements
Authors: Pierson-Brown Tomar
Published: March 2023

Racism as a Public Health Crisis Statements (RPHCs) acknowledge the reality that racism must be eradicated to ensure health justice: a fair and just opportunity for all individuals to be healthy. Scholars of critical race theory (CRT) have expressed doubt when it comes to the capacity of law-related institutions to catalyze or sustain anti-racist efforts. These strains of skepticism underscore the question of whether so many RPHCS were adopted precisely because, in many instances, they were merely symbolic acts. This commentary argues that the trend in adopting RPHCs carries signs of interest convergence, and asserts that the alliance between government and the movement for health justice reflected in this phenomenon falls short of the substantive anti-racist action needed to realize health justice. The spate of RPHC adoption, in lieu of passing anti-racist policy or meaningfully empowering people of color, signifies that the movement for health justice must be strategic in determining whether to leverage, or be wary of, the power dynamics which shape political change. The health justice framework must expand its toolkit to include CRT.
(Im)Balancing Acts: Criminalization and De-Criminalization of Social and Public Health Problems
Authors: Gilbert Keon L. , Chang Robert S.
Published: March 2023

Racially disparate policing, prosecution, and punishment harm individuals, families, and communities. These practices must be understood within the context of the development of the criminal legal system as a means of racialized social control. This context permits a critical examination of the way criminalization has been and is still deployed to subject poor and racialized communities to systemic injustices. This commentary frames a call for interventions to integrate a health justice approach to ensure that they advance racial and health equity to promote the well-being of individuals, families, and communities.
Food Oppression in a Pandemic
Authors: Freeman Andrea
Published: March 2023

COVID-related racial disparities represent a spectrum of injustices and inequalities. Focusing on food oppression, this essay argues that racism infuses food law and policy in ways that contribute to racially disparate COVID deaths and severe illnesses. USDA nutrition program participants were at a nutritional disadvantage when COVID hit. Yet, government responses focused on food insecurity, not nutritional quality. Racism against a predominantly Black and brown labor force of essential food workers — from fields to meat plants to grocery stores — created tolerance for the administration’s failure to protect or compensate some of the country’s most vulnerable workers. When COVID-driven supply issues threatened to narrow white people’s activities and choices, the favored response was to keep their options open by sacrificing Black and brown workers. A food oppression lens — understanding how corporate interests drive food policy — is necessary to achieve food equality in this pandemic and beyond.
Stemming the Shadow Pandemic: Integrating Sociolegal Services in Contact Tracing and Beyond
Authors: Makhlouf Medha D.
Published: March 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on the challenges of complying with public health guidance to isolate or quarantine without access to adequate income, housing, food, and other resources. When people cannot safely isolate or quarantine during an outbreak of infectious disease, a critical public health strategy fails. This article proposes integrating sociolegal needs screening and services into contact tracing as a way to mitigate public health harms and pandemic-related health inequities.
Trauma Informed Delinquency Interventions for Native Children
Authors: Rolnick Addie C. , Sekaquaptewa Patricia
Published: March 2023

Recognizing the links between childhood trauma and delinquency, many juvenile delinquency systems now emphasize trauma-informed care. This commentary examines established and emerging research on childhood trauma among American Indian and Alaska Native children and contrasts the development and implementation of “trauma-informed” approaches in state and tribal juvenile systems. It identifies three key innovations present in tribal models and calls for further research to identify best practices that work for Native children and tribal communities.
Why Govern Broken Tools?
Authors: Calo Ryan
Published: March 2023

In Assessing the Governance of Digital Contact Tracing in Response to COVID-19: Results of a Multi-National Study, Brian Hutler et al. ably compare two approaches to the governance of digital contract tracing (DCT).1 In this brief essay, I want to examine to what extent governance actually played a meaningful role in the failure of DCT. If DCT failed primarily for other reasons, then the authors’ normative suggestion to pursue “a new governance approach … for designing and implementing DCT technology going forward” may be misplaced.
Doctors and Pain Patients Avoid “Ruan” in the Supreme Court
Authors: Rothstein Mark A. , Dyche Mary E. , Irzyk Julia
Published: March 2023

Physicians’ fear of criminal prosecution for prescribing opioid analgesics is a major reason why many chronic pain patients are having an increasingly difficult time obtaining medically appropriate pain relief. In Ruan v. United States, 142 S. Ct. 2370 (2022), the Supreme Court unanimously vacated two federal convictions under the Controlled Substances Act. The Court held that the government must prove that the defendant knowingly or intentionally acted in an unauthorized manner.
The $5 Billion Hop: Glatiramer Acetate and the US Patent System
Authors: Patel Neeraj G. , Kesselheim Aaron S.
Published: March 2023

New research and a government investigation have shed light on an anticompetitive practice called “Product Hopping” and specifically how it was employed in the case of the multiple sclerosis treatment glatiramer acetate beginning in 2014, which cost payers billions of dollars. We examine this case as well as a separate, impending instance of product hopping.
The Right to Repair Software-Dependent Medical Devices
Authors: Lindgren Lars , Kesselheim Aaron S. , Kramer Daniel B.
Published: March 2023

The “right to repair” movement highlights opportunities to reduce health care costs and promote public health resilience through increased competition in the way in which medical devices are serviced and updated over their lifespan. We review legislative and legal facets of third-party repair of medical devices, and conclude with specific recommendations to help this market function more efficiently to the benefit of patients and health care systems.
Challenges and Prospects for the Intergovernmental Negotiations to Develop a New Instrument on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response
Authors: Solomon Steven
Published: March 2023

As Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) meet in an International Negotiating Body (INB) to negotiate a legally binding agreement on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response for submission to the 77th World Health Assembly in May 2024, this column reflects on creative but pragmatic and complementary means that could be employed in the short timeframe allotted for this important global health law negotiation.
Respect for Communities in Health Justice
Authors: Galarneau Charlene , Smith Patrick T.
Published: March 2023

Health justice seeks, both conceptually and in practice, to strengthen community engagement and empowerment as an integral means of addressing health disparities. In this essay, we explore the nature of communities and their roles in health care/public health. We propose that an ethical principle of respect for communities is a requisite part of health justice. It is this respect for communities that ethically grounds health justice’s calls for greater community engagement and empowerment. Conceptions of health justice, we claim, will gain ethical power and coherence as this principle is more clearly recognized and further developed.
Health Justice and Just Transition
Authors: Pamukcu Aysha , Harris Angela P.
Published: March 2023

Just Transition, an organizing and policy framework that has emerged from the climate justice movement, is a powerful upstream response to health disparities created by structural subordination. As the public health field pushes itself to address the “cause of causes” of unjust health disparities, Just Transition offers new possibilities for partnership and collective action. We introduce the Just Transition framework, explain its relevance to the concerns of health justice advocates, and provide some examples of how the two movements might work together.
The Anti-Transgender Medical Expert Industry
Authors: Caraballo Alejandra
Published: March 2023

Civil rights attorneys challenging laws restricting transgender rights and access to healthcare often encounter anti-transgender medical experts in litigation at various stages. The experts often maintain dubious credentials in the relevant area of medical or scientific expertise which presents a challenge that undermines equitable access to justice by introducing pseudo-science into court proceedings. This commentary will discuss the phenomenon and propose a normative path forward.
Effects of developmental state on low-temperature physiology of the alfalfa leafcutting bee, Megachile rotundata
Authors: Bennett Meghan M. , DeBardlabon Korie M. , Rinehart Joseph P. , Yocum George D. , Greenlee Kendra J.
Published: March 2023

The success of agriculture relies on healthy bees to pollinate crops. Commercially managed pollinators are often kept under temperature-controlled conditions to better control development and optimize field performance. One such pollinator, the alfalfa leafcutting bee, Megachile rotundata, is the most widely used solitary bee in agriculture. Problematically, very little is known about the thermal physiology of M. rotundata or the consequences of artificial thermal regimes used in commercial management practices. Therefore, we took a broad look at the thermal performance of M. rotundata across development and the effects of commonly used commercial thermal regimes on adult bee physiology. After the termination of diapause, we hypothesized thermal sensitivity would vary across pupal metamorphosis. Our data show that bees in the post-diapause quiescent stage were more tolerant of low temperatures compared to bees in active development. We found that commercial practices applied during development decrease the likelihood of a bee recovering from another bout of thermal stress in adulthood, thereby decreasing their resilience. Lastly, commercial regimes applied during development affected the number of days to adult emergence, but the time of day that adults emerged was unaffected. Our data demonstrate the complex interactions between bee development and thermal regimes used in management. This knowledge can help improve the commercial management of these bees by optimizing the thermal regimes used and the timing of their application to alleviate negative downstream effects on adult performance.
Natural history of the parasite Waddycephalus in the Townsville region of north-east Australia
Authors: Midtun Halvard Aas , Higgie Megan , Hoskin Conrad
Published: March 2023

Waddycephalus is an understudied genus of pentastomids native to Australia and south-east Asia. The genus was recognized in 1922 but there has been little research on these pentastomid tongue worms over the last century. A few observations suggest a complex life cycle through 3 trophic levels. We aimed to add knowledge to the Waddycephalus life cycle in woodland habitats in the Townsville region of north-east Australia. We used camera trapping to identify the most likely first-intermediate hosts (coprophagous insects), we conducted gecko surveys to identify multiple new gecko intermediate host species and we dissected road-killed snakes to identify additional definitive hosts. Our study paves the way for further research into the intriguing life cycle of Waddycephalus, investigation of spatial variation in prevalence and impacts of the parasite on host species.
The Myth of Black Obsolescence
Authors: Resnikoff Jason
Published: March 2023

A few years ago, the global consulting firm McKinsey and Company began issuing a series of increasingly urgent reports concerning “automation” and the future of work. Defining automation broadly as artificial intelligence and “other digital technologies,” the company promised in its reports that it could advise companies how they might prepare. Amidst this flurry of publication, McKinsey produced several articles specifically on the theme of “The Future of Work in Black America.” With “a new and proprietary data set”—a data set so proprietary readers were not privileged to see it—McKinsey claimed that “automation” would hurt the job prospects of Black Americans, and in particular Black men, more deeply and more broadly than any other demographic group in the United States. The jobs Black people held, McKinsey seemed to believe, were precisely those best performed by robots. For McKinsey's analysts, this conclusion was all but obvious when one considered, first, the racist exclusion of Black Americans from the resources of society, and second, the levels of education required to obtain the jobs Black people in America disproportionately hold, like “truck drivers, food service workers, and office clerks.”
The Effect of Social Pension on Material Hardship among Older Adults in Korea: Regression Discontinuity Estimation
Authors: Ahn Seoyeon , Kang Ji Young , Chun Yung , Park Sojung
Published: March 2023

The goal of this study was to examine the effect of a social pension programme for older adults in South Korea, Basic Pension Scheme (BPS) on material hardship and subjective well-being. We apply a regression discontinuity design (RDD) to estimate the effect of the BPS on the material hardship and life satisfaction of older people between the ages of sixty-one and sixty-eight. Data come from Korea Welfare Panel Study (KOWEPS) wave 12 survey (2017, N = 3,932). The BPS benefit reduces the risks of housing hardship, bill payment delay and food insecurity. Interestingly, while the effect sizes of the BPS on mitigating the material hardship increase as income decreases, the lower-income groups were less satisfied with the pension provision than middle- and upper-income groups. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on material hardship for older adults in an Asian country facing persistent old-age poverty and immature public pensions.
Political Centralization, Federalism, and Urbanization: Evidence from Australia
Authors: Wilkinson George , Haslam McKenzie Fiona , Bolleter Julian , Hooper Paula
Published: March 2023

The dominance of capital cities (urban primacy) is an enduring characteristic of Australian states. There has been limited empirical research examining the drivers of primacy in states despite some being extreme examples of the phenomenon, both in magnitude and scale. In light of institutional theories of settlement patterns, we developed a profile of Australian urbanization using a century of time-series data, descriptive statistics, and an empirical model of city populations. In Australian states high measures of primacy have endured with little evidence of disruption despite the enormous size of these states, their wealth, and population growth – factors associated with declining and low primacy. Statistically, state capital city status has a significant effect on city population size variation, with results suggesting primacy in states is in part a product of Australian federalism. This contrasts with views that suggest Australia’s scarcity of large non-capital cities is due to isolation, low population, and environmental determinism. The findings in this paper have major implications relative to national and/or state strategies that aim to decentralize population away from the primate cities.
COVID‐19 Pandemic Reveals Distinct Impact of Aerosols on Surface Solar Radiation in China
Authors: Yang Xin , Li Zhigang , Yao Zhanyu , Tang Hong , Yang Shili , Chen Lu
Published: March 2023

With the abrupt and significant drop of PM2.5 concentrations during the lockdown in 2020, hourly direct radiation (Rdir) at surface substantially increased in East China, such as Zhengzhou, Wuhan and Baoshan, with the maximum enhancement of 86% at Wuhan. Most of these stations had decreased diffuse radiation (Rdif) except Zhengzhou. Zhengzhou had both enhanced Rdir and Rdif, as well as reduced but still high PM2.5 concentrations, indicating atmospheric particles were more scattering in this region. At Beijing and Harbin in North and Northeast China, intensification of aerosol pollution led to hourly Rdir (Rdif) falling (rising) up to −28% (59%) and −23% (40%), respectively. By contrast, surface solar radiation (SSR) in West China was also greatly influenced by the elevated dust/smoke layers, revealed by aerosol layer vertical distribution and the reduction of SSR and PM2.5 concentrations. This study highlighted the importance of aerosol optical properties and vertical structures in aerosol–radiation interactions.
Global Asymmetries in the Influence of ENSO on Flood Risk Based on 1,600 Years of Hybrid Simulations
Authors: Del Rio Amador L. , Boudreault M. , Carozza D. A.
Published: March 2023

El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is often considered as a source of long‐term predictability for extreme events via its teleconnection patterns. However, given that its characteristic cycle varies from two to 7 years, it is difficult to obtain statistically significant conclusions based on observational periods spanning only a few decades. To overcome this, we apply the global flood risk modeling framework developed by Carozza and Boudreault to an equivalent of 1,600 years of bias‐corrected General Circulation Model outputs. The results show substantial anomalies in flood occurrences and impacts for El Niño and La Niña when compared to the all‐year baseline. We were able to obtain a larger global coverage of statistically significant results than previous studies limited to observational data. Asymmetries in anomalies for both ENSO phases show a larger global influence of El Niño than La Niña on flood hazard and risk.
Heterogeneity Versus Anisotropy and the State of Stress in Stable Cratons: Observations From a Deep Borehole in Northeastern Alberta, Canada
Authors: Wang Wenjing , Schmitt Douglas R. , Chan Judith
Published: March 2023

Geophysical logs collected from a deep borehole drilled into the North American Craton in Northeastern Alberta shed valuable light on the state of stress in stable cratons. Observed breakout (BO) azimuths rotate between three depth intervals, ranging from 100° at 1,650–2,000 m to 173° at 2,000–2,210 m, and finally to 145° at the bottom. No apparent fractures that might have disturbed the stress field were found. Two potential causes of these rotating BOs can be either a heterogeneous stress field or elastic and strength anisotropy of the formation. The latter interpretation is favored since observed BO azimuths are strongly controlled by rock metamorphic textures, as validated by their close correlations with dip directions of foliation planes and polarization directions from dipole sonic logs. Monte Carlo realizations further demonstrate that anisotropic metamorphic rocks subjected to a uniform horizontal stress direction could result in the observed azimuth‐rotating BOs. Stress magnitudes inferred from this analysis, which incorporates rock anisotropy and weak foliation failure planes, suggest a normal faulting regime and a maximum horizontal compressive direction consistent with that in the overlying Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (NE‐SW) and the motion of the North American plate. The inferred stress magnitudes are low and Mohr‐Coulomb analyses demonstrate that the formation is not near the critical condition for slip on weak planes. However, more detailed investigations should be conducted since Monte Carlo calculations indicate that analyses from BO widths, particularly when a conventional Kirsch‐based formula is employed, are highly nonunique, allowing for large variations in potential stress states.
Impact of Cyclonic Wind Anomalies Caused by Massive Winter Sea Ice Retreat in the Barents Sea on Atlantic Water Transport Toward the Arctic: A Model Study
Authors: Heukamp Finn Ole , Kanzow Torsten , Wang Qiang , Wekerle Claudia , Gerdes Rüdiger
Published: March 2023

The Arctic is warming much faster than the global average. This is known as Arctic Amplification and is caused by feedbacks in the local climate system. In this study, we explore a previously proposed hypothesis that an associated wind feedback in the Barents Sea could play an important role by increasing the warm water inflow into the Barents Sea. We find that the strong recent decrease in Barents Sea winter sea ice cover causes enhanced ocean‐atmosphere heat flux and a local air temperature increase, thus a reduction in sea level pressure and a local cyclonic wind anomaly with eastward winds in the Barents Sea Opening. By investigating various reanalysis products and performing high‐resolution perturbation experiments with the ocean and sea ice model FESOM2.1, we studied the impact of cyclonic atmospheric circulation changes on the warm Atlantic Water import into the Arctic via the Barents Sea and Fram Strait. We found that the observed wind changes do not significantly affect the warm water transport into the Barents Sea, which rejects the wind‐feedback hypothesis. At the same time, the cyclonic wind anomalies in the Barents Sea increase the amount of Atlantic Water recirculating westwards in Fram Strait by a downslope shift of the West Spitsbergen Current, and thus reduce Atlantic Water reaching the Arctic basin via Fram Strait. The resulting warm‐water anomaly in the Greenland Sea Gyre drives a local anticyclonic circulation anomaly.
Interaction between maternal immune activation and peripubertal stress in rats: impact on cocaine addiction-like behaviour, morphofunctional brain parameters and striatal transcriptome
Authors: Capellán Roberto , Orihuel Javier , Marcos Alberto , Ucha Marcos , Moreno-Fernández Mario , Casquero-Veiga Marta , Soto-Montenegro María Luisa , Desco Manuel , Oteo-Vives Marta , Ibáñez-Moragues Marta , Magro-Calvo Natalia , Morcillo Miguel Ángel , Ambrosio Emilio , Higuera-Matas Alejandro
Published: March 2023

Substance use disorders are more prevalent in schizophrenia, but the causal links between both conditions remain unclear. Maternal immune activation (MIA) is associated with schizophrenia which may be triggered by stressful experiences during adolescence. Therefore, we used a double-hit rat model, combining MIA and peripubertal stress (PUS), to study cocaine addiction and the underlying neurobehavioural alterations. We injected lipopolysaccharide or saline on gestational days 15 and 16 to Sprague-Dawley dams. Their male offspring underwent five episodes of unpredictable stress every other day from postnatal day 28 to 38. When animals reached adulthood, we studied cocaine addiction-like behaviour, impulsivity, Pavlovian and instrumental conditioning, and several aspects of brain structure and function by MRI, PET and RNAseq. MIA facilitated the acquisition of cocaine self-administration and increased the motivation for the drug; however, PUS reduced cocaine intake, an effect that was reversed in MIA + PUS rats. We found concomitant brain alterations: MIA + PUS altered the structure and function of the dorsal striatum, increasing its volume and interfering with glutamatergic dynamics (PUS decreased the levels of NAA + NAAG but only in LPS animals) and modulated specific genes that could account for the restoration of cocaine intake such as the pentraxin family. On its own, PUS reduced hippocampal volume and hyperactivated the dorsal subiculum, also having a profound effect on the dorsal striatal transcriptome. However, these effects were obliterated when PUS occurred in animals with MIA experience. Our results describe an unprecedented interplay between MIA and stress on neurodevelopment and the susceptibility to cocaine addiction.
Qingre Xingyu recipe exerts inhibiting effects on ulcerative colitis development by inhibiting TNFα/NLRP3/Caspase-1/IL-1β pathway and macrophage M1 polarization
Authors: Ning Liqin , Ye Ningyuan , Ye Bai , Miao Zhiwei , Cao Tingting , Lu Weimin , Xu Danhua , Tan Chang , Xu Yi , Yan Jing
Published: March 2023

As a chronic inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis (UC) imposes a significant burden on public healthcare worldwide due to its increasing morbidity. Chinese medicines are regarded as potent therapeutic agents for UC treatment with minimal side effects. In the present study, we sought to determine the novel role of a traditional medicine Qingre Xingyu (QRXY) recipe in the development of UC and aimed to contribute to the currently available knowledge about UC by exploring the downstream mechanism of QRXY recipe in UC. Mouse models of UC were established by injections with dextran sulphate sodium (DSS), where the expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα), NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) was determined followed by an analysis of their interactions. The DSS-treated NLRP3 knockout (−/−) Caco-2 cell model was successfully constructed. The in vitro and in vivo effects of the QRXY recipe on UC were investigated with the determination of disease activity index (DAI), histopathological scores, transepithelial electrical resistance, FITC-dextran, as well as cell proliferation and apoptosis. In vivo and in vitro experiments indicated that the QRXY recipe reduced the degree of intestinal mucosal injury of UC mice and functional damage of DSS-induced Caco-2 cells by inhibition of the TNFα/NLRP3/caspase-1/IL-1β pathway and M1 polarization of macrophages, and TNFα overexpression or NLRP3 knockdown could counterweigh the therapeutic effects of QRXY recipe. To conclude, our study elicited that QRXY inhibited the expression of TNFα and inactivated the NLRP3/Caspase-1/IL-1β pathway, thereby alleviating intestinal mucosal injury and relieving UC in mice.
Diode effect in Josephson junctions with a single magnetic atom
Authors: Trahms Martina , Melischek Larissa , Steiner Jacob F. , Mahendru Bharti , Tamir Idan , Bogdanoff Nils , Peters Olof , Reecht Gaël , Winkelmann Clemens B. , von Oppen Felix , Franke Katharina J.
Published: March 2023

Current flow in electronic devices can be asymmetric with bias direction, a phenomenon underlying the utility of diodes1 and known as non-reciprocal charge transport2. The promise of dissipationless electronics has recently stimulated the quest for superconducting diodes, and non-reciprocal superconducting devices have been realized in various non-centrosymmetric systems3–10. Here we investigate the ultimate limits of miniaturization by creating atomic-scale Pb–Pb Josephson junctions in a scanning tunnelling microscope. Pristine junctions stabilized by a single Pb atom exhibit hysteretic behaviour, confirming the high quality of the junctions, but no asymmetry between the bias directions. Non-reciprocal supercurrents emerge when inserting a single magnetic atom into the junction, with the preferred direction depending on the atomic species. Aided by theoretical modelling, we trace the non-reciprocity to quasiparticle currents flowing by means of electron–hole asymmetric Yu–Shiba–Rusinov states inside the superconducting energy gap and identify a new mechanism for diode behaviour in Josephson junctions. Our results open new avenues for creating atomic-scale Josephson diodes and tuning their properties through single-atom manipulation.
Fumarate induces vesicular release of mtDNA to drive innate immunity
Authors: Zecchini Vincent , Paupe Vincent , Herranz-Montoya Irene , Janssen Joëlle , Wortel Inge M. N. , Morris Jordan L. , Ferguson Ashley , Chowdury Suvagata Roy , Segarra-Mondejar Marc , Costa Ana S. H. , Pereira Gonçalo C. , Tronci Laura , Young Timothy , Nikitopoulou Efterpi , Yang Ming , Bihary Dóra , Caicci Federico , Nagashima Shun , Speed Alyson , Bokea Kalliopi , Baig Zara , Samarajiwa Shamith , Tran Maxine , Mitchell Thomas , Johnson Mark , Prudent Julien , Frezza Christian
Published: March 2023

Mutations in fumarate hydratase (FH) cause hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell carcinoma1. Loss of FH in the kidney elicits several oncogenic signalling cascades through the accumulation of the oncometabolite fumarate2. However, although the long-term consequences of FH loss have been described, the acute response has not so far been investigated. Here we generated an inducible mouse model to study the chronology of FH loss in the kidney. We show that loss of FH leads to early alterations of mitochondrial morphology and the release of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) into the cytosol, where it triggers the activation of the cyclic GMP–AMP synthase (cGAS)–stimulator of interferon genes (STING)–TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) pathway and stimulates an inflammatory response that is also partially dependent on retinoic-acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I). Mechanistically, we show that this phenotype is mediated by fumarate and occurs selectively through mitochondrial-derived vesicles in a manner that depends on sorting nexin 9 (SNX9). These results reveal that increased levels of intracellular fumarate induce a remodelling of the mitochondrial network and the generation of mitochondrial-derived vesicles, which allows the release of mtDNAin the cytosol and subsequent activation of the innate immune response.
Human–machine collaboration for improving semiconductor process development
Authors: Kanarik Keren J. , Osowiecki Wojciech T. , Lu Yu , Talukder Dipongkar , Roschewsky Niklas , Park Sae Na , Kamon Mattan , Fried David M. , Gottscho Richard A.
Published: March 2023

One of the bottlenecks to building semiconductor chips is the increasing cost required to develop chemical plasma processes that form the transistors and memory storage cells1,2. These processes are still developed manually using highly trained engineers searching for a combination of tool parameters that produces an acceptable result on the silicon wafer3. The challenge for computer algorithms is the availability of limited experimental data owing to the high cost of acquisition, making it difficult to form a predictive model with accuracy to the atomic scale. Here we study Bayesian optimization algorithms to investigate how artificial intelligence (AI) might decrease the cost of developing complex semiconductor chip processes. In particular, we create a controlled virtual process game to systematically benchmark the performance of humans and computers for the design of a semiconductor fabrication process. We find that human engineers excel in the early stages of development, whereas the algorithms are far more cost-efficient near the tight tolerances of the target. Furthermore, we show that a strategy using both human designers with high expertise and algorithms in a human first–computer last strategy can reduce the cost-to-target by half compared with only human designers. Finally, we highlight cultural challenges in partnering humans with computers that need to be addressed when introducing artificial intelligence in developing semiconductor processes.
An airway-to-brain sensory pathway mediates influenza-induced sickness
Authors: Bin Na-Ryum , Prescott Sara L. , Horio Nao , Wang Yandan , Chiu Isaac M. , Liberles Stephen D.
Published: March 2023

Pathogen infection causes a stereotyped state of sickness that involves neuronally orchestrated behavioural and physiological changes1,2. On infection, immune cells release a ‘storm’ of cytokines and other mediators, many of which are detected by neurons3,4; yet, the responding neural circuits and neuro–immune interaction mechanisms that evoke sickness behaviour during naturalistic infections remain unclear. Over-the-counter medications such as aspirin and ibuprofen are widely used to alleviate sickness and act by blocking prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) synthesis5. A leading model is that PGE2 crosses the blood–brain barrier and directly engages hypothalamic neurons2. Here, using genetic tools that broadly cover a peripheral sensory neuron atlas, we instead identified a small population of PGE2-detecting glossopharyngeal sensory neurons (petrosal GABRA1 neurons) that are essential for influenza-induced sickness behaviour in mice. Ablating petrosal GABRA1 neurons or targeted knockout of PGE2 receptor 3 (EP3) in these neurons eliminates influenza-induced decreases in food intake, water intake and mobility during early-stage infection and improves survival. Genetically guided anatomical mapping revealed that petrosal GABRA1 neurons project to mucosal regions of the nasopharynx with increased expression of cyclooxygenase-2 after infection, and also display a specific axonal targeting pattern in the brainstem. Together, these findings reveal a primary airway-to-brain sensory pathway that detects locally produced prostaglandins and mediates systemic sickness responses to respiratory virus infection.
A screen for MeCP2-TBL1 interaction inhibitors using a luminescence-based assay
Authors: Alexander-Howden Beatrice , Zhang Li , van der Sloot Almer M. , Tollis Sylvain , St-Cyr Daniel J. , Sicheri Frank , Bird Adrian P. , Tyers Mike , Lyst Matthew J.
Published: March 2023

Understanding the molecular pathology of neurodevelopmental disorders should aid the development of therapies for these conditions. In MeCP2 duplication syndrome (MDS)—a severe autism spectrum disorder—neuronal dysfunction is caused by increased levels of MeCP2. MeCP2 is a nuclear protein that binds to methylated DNA and recruits the nuclear co-repressor (NCoR) complex to chromatin via an interaction with the WD repeat-containing proteins TBL1 and TBLR1. The peptide motif in MeCP2 that binds to TBL1/TBLR1 is essential for the toxicity of excess MeCP2 in animal models of MDS, suggesting that small molecules capable of disrupting this interaction might be useful therapeutically. To facilitate the search for such compounds, we devised a simple and scalable NanoLuc luciferase complementation assay for measuring the interaction of MeCP2 with TBL1/TBLR1. The assay allowed excellent separation between positive and negative controls, and had low signal variance (Z-factor = 0.85). We interrogated compound libraries using this assay in combination with a counter-screen based on luciferase complementation by the two subunits of protein kinase A (PKA). Using this dual screening approach, we identified candidate inhibitors of the interaction between MeCP2 and TBL1/TBLR1. This work demonstrates the feasibility of future screens of large compound collections, which we anticipate will enable the development of small molecule therapeutics to ameliorate MDS.
Seagrass deformation affects fluid instability and tracer exchange in canopy flow
Authors: Vieira Guilherme S. , Allshouse Michael R. , Mahadevan Amala
Published: March 2023

Monami is the synchronous waving of a submerged seagrass bed in response to unidirectional fluid flow. Here we develop a multiphase model for the dynamical instabilities and flow-driven collective motions of buoyant, deformable seagrass. We show that the impedance to flow due to the seagrass results in an unstable velocity shear layer at the canopy interface, leading to a periodic array of vortices that propagate downstream. Our simplified model, configured for unidirectional flow in a channel, provides a better understanding of the interaction between these vortices and the seagrass bed. Each passing vortex locally weakens the along-stream velocity at the canopy top, reducing the drag and allowing the deformed grass to straighten up just beneath it. This causes the grass to oscillate periodically even in the absence of water waves. Crucially, the maximal grass deflection is out of phase with the vortices. A phase diagram for the onset of instability shows its dependence on the fluid Reynolds number and an effective buoyancy parameter. Less buoyant grass is more easily deformed by the flow and forms a weaker shear layer, with smaller vortices and less material exchange across the canopy top. While higher Reynolds number leads to stronger vortices and larger waving amplitudes of the seagrass, waving amplitude is maximized at intermediate grass buoyancy. All together, our theory and computations develop an updated schematic of the instability mechanism consistent with experimental observations.
Energy loss function of samarium
Authors: Yang T. F. , Zeng R. G. , Yang L. H. , Sulyok A. , Menyhárd M. , Tőkési K. , Ding Z. J.
Published: March 2023

We present a combined experimental and theoretical work to obtain the energy loss function (ELF) or the excitation spectrum of samarium in the energy loss range between 3 and 200 eV. At low loss energies, the plasmon excitation is clearly identified and the surface and bulk contributions are distinguished. For the precise analysis the frequency-dependent energy loss function and the related optical constants (n and k) of samarium were extracted from the measured reflection electron energy loss spectroscopy (REELS) spectra by the reverse Monte Carlo method. The ps- and f-sum rules with final ELF fulfils the nominal values with 0.2% and 2.5% accuracy, respectively. It was found that a bulk mode locates at 14.2 eV with the peak width ~6 eV and the corresponding broaden surface plasmon mode locates at energies of 5-11 eV.
A micro-vibration-driven direct ink write printing method of gallium–indium alloys
Authors: Lin Sheng , Zhang Long , Cong Liang
Published: March 2023

Combining liquid fluidity and metallic conductivity, gallium–indium (Ga–In) alloys are making a splash in areas such as stretchable electronic circuits and wearable medical devices. Due to high flexibility, direct ink write printing is already widely employed for printing Ga–In alloys. Currently, pneumatic extrusion is the main method of direct ink write printing, but the oxide skin and low viscosity of the Ga–In alloys make it challenging to control after extrusion. This work proposed a method for direct ink write printing of Ga–In alloys utilizing micro-vibration-driven extrusion. Micro-vibration reduces the surface tension of Ga–In alloy droplets and avoids the appearance of random droplets during printing. Under micro-vibration, the nozzle tip pierces the oxide skin to form small droplets which have a high moldability. The droplet growth process is significantly slowed down by optimizing suitable micro-vibration parameters. Therefore, the Ga–In alloy droplets with high moldability can be maintained at the nozzle for a long period, which improves printability. Furthermore, better printing outcomes were obtained with micro-vibrations by choosing the proper nozzle height and printing speed. Experiment results demonstrated the superiority of the method in terms of Ga–In alloys extrusion control. With this method, the printability of the liquid metals is enhanced.
Multidisciplinary Approaches to Solar-driven Water Splitting and Carbon Dioxide Conversion
Authors: Protti Stefano , Serpone Nick
Published: March 2023

Sunlight drives photocatalytic and solar–photoelectrochemical processes. These play a key role in converting solar energy into chemical fuel by using semiconductors as the photoactive components. This chapter aims to provide a brief introduction to such processes, by pointing out the similarities and differences of such processes.
Recent Developments in (Oxy)nitride Photocatalysts With Narrow Bandgaps for Solar-driven Water Splitting
Authors: Luo Ying , Wang Zheng , He Hong
Published: March 2023

Water (H2O) splitting based on particulate photocatalysts is one of the most desirable approaches to directly convert solar energy into clean and renewable hydrogen energy. To achieve high solar energy conversion efficiency, photocatalysts must respond to visible light with longer wavelengths that comprise the majority of sunlight. (Oxy)nitride materials, a class of the most promising photocatalysts for water splitting owing to their narrow band gaps and proper band energy potentials, have experienced intensive exploration, and achieved encouraging progress over the past two decades. The solar-to-hydrogen (STH) energy conversion efficiency of (oxy)nitrides has been significantly improved but is still far from the theoretical value. How to better design and modify these materials to enhance their photocatalytic performance is extremely interesting and important. In this chapter, we present a summary of recent developments in (oxy)nitride photocatalysts for solar-driven water splitting, whilst focusing on important strategies for the enhancement of their photocatalytic activities.
Recent Advances in the Development of Metal–Organic Frameworks-based Photocatalysts for Water Splitting and CO2 Reduction
Authors: Elimian Ehiaghe Agbovhimen , El-Shazly Ayat N. , Hamza Mahmoud A. , Geioushy Ramadan A. , Ali Jafar , Saber Ayman N. , Su Peidong , Fouad Osama A. , Iqbal Waheed , Nguyen-Trik Phuong , Djellabi Ridha
Published: March 2023

The rapid increase in the worldwide population and agro-industrial activities have led to substantial environmental pollution and energy crises in recent decades. The scientific community has given dramatic attention to developing green technologies for production processing and environmental remediation by using natural resources to solve such issues and to provide a better future for our planet. Photocatalysis technologies have been proven to be green alternatives for many applications, including environmental remediation and energy production. Indeed, the engineering of photocatalytic materials with enhanced ability has received the most attention from the scientific community. In recent years, many efforts have been made to develop and modify novel materials based on metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), having excellent stability, high porosity and light absorption, as ideal materials for adsorption, catalysis, and photocatalytic processes. This chapter summarizes and critically discusses approaches towards modifying MOFs-based photocatalysts for enhanced photocatalytic activities such as coupling with inorganic semiconductors, carbon materials, and dye-photosensitizers. Recent advances in using MOFs-based photocatalysts for CO2 reduction into different valuable products and H2 generation through photocatalytic and electrophotocatalytic methods are reviewed.
2D Nanomaterials-based Heterostructures for H2O Splitting and CO2 Reduction
Authors: Bhosale Reshma , Kim Dong Jin , Gosavi Suresh , Tonda Surendra
Published: March 2023

The growing global energy demand as a result of population growth and rapid industrialization has jeopardized natural reservoirs and the environment. Photocatalysis is regarded as a sustainable technology capable of meeting future energy demands while minimizing environmental impact. In particular, photocatalytic hydrogen generation from water splitting is critical for producing pure hydrogen fuel at a low cost, while CO2 reduction is critical for producing green hydrocarbon solar fuels. Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials with distinctive structural features show promise as photocatalysts for hydrogen generation and CO2 reduction processes. In this chapter, we present a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in 2D nanomaterials and their heterostructures, with an emphasis on hybridization, defect engineering, and morphology optimization for photocatalytic hydrogen generation and CO2 reduction applications. This chapter covers several categories of 2D nanomaterials, including oxides, oxyhalides, chalcogenides, graphene, g-C3N4, black phosphorous, MXenes, layered double hydroxides, and other emerging 2D layered materials.
Melatonin loaded PLGA nanoparticles effectively ameliorate the in vitro maturation of deteriorated oocytes and the cryoprotective abilities during vitrification process
Authors: Lee Sujin , Kim Hye Jin , Cho Hui Bang , Kim Hye-Ryoung , Lee Sujeong , Park Ji-In , Park Keun-Hong
Published: March 2023

A strategy for effectively improving oocyte quality and cryotolerance during vitrification via nanoparticle-mediated melatonin delivery is reported.
Precise modulation strategies of 2D/3D perovskite heterojunctions in efficient and stable solar cells
Authors: Zhou Qian , Liu Baibai , Shai Xuxia , Li Yuelong , He Peng , Yu Hua , Chen Cong , Xu Zong-Xiang , Wei Dong , Chen Jiangzhao
Published: March 2023

We summarize various effective methods for controlling the film thickness and structural phases in 2D/3D perovskite heterojunction structures and discuss possible solutions to improve the performance of perovskite devices.
Fungi-enabled pore channel regulation and defect engineering of a novel micro-reactor for treating complex effluents
Authors: Jiang Xiaoying , Zhang Yan , Zhang Feiyang , Tian Jiashuo , Zhang Liuping , Zhao Xinrui , Cui Fengling
Published: March 2023

By regulating the cultivation process of fungi, a well-developed interconnected channel structure is formed, and the introduced carbon defects can act as potential catalytic active sites to boost photodegradation property compared with RGO.
Tunable near-perfect nonreciprocal radiation with a Weyl semimetal and graphene
Authors: Wu Jun , Qing Ye Ming
Published: March 2023

A tunable near-perfect nonreciprocal thermal emitter, consisting of a dielectric plane and monolayer graphene sandwiched between a subwavelength grating and a Weyl semimetal plane, is proposed and investigated.
Vibrational mode-specific quasi-classical trajectory studies for the two-channel HI + C2H5reaction
Authors: Yin Cangtao , Czakó Gábor
Published: March 2023

We report a detailed quasi-classical trajectory mode-specific dynamics study on a recently-developed high-level spin–orbit-corrected full-dimensional analyticalab initiopotential energy surface of the HI + C2H5two-channel reaction.
Stay in the loop: lessons learned about the microbial water quality in pipe loops transitioned from conventional to direct potable reuse water
Authors: Kennedy Lauren C. , Miller Scott E. , Kantor Rose S. , Greenwald Hannah , Adelman Michael J. , Seshan Hari , Russell Paige , Nelson Kara L.
Published: March 2023

A transition from a conventional drinking water system to direct potable reuse was simulated in pilot-scale pipe loops. To our knowledge, this study is the first to investigate the microbial impacts of the transition to treated water augmentation.
Machine learning-assisted data-driven optimization and understanding of the multiple stage process for extraction of polysaccharides and secondary metabolites from natural products
Authors: Ma Jiamu , Yao Jianling , Ren Xueyang , Dong Ying , Song Ruolan , Zhong Xiangjian , Zheng Yuan , Shan Dongjie , Lv Fang , Li Xianxian , Deng Qingyue , He Yingyu , Yuan Ruijuan , She Gaimei
Published: March 2023

A machine learning strategy mainly consist of radial basis function neural network and genetic algorithm for predicting and understanding multi-objective extraction process.