bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
BeeDNA: microfluidic environmental DNA metabarcoding as a tool for connecting plant and pollinator communities
Authors: Harper Lynsey R. , Niemiller Matthew L. , Benito Joseph B. , Paddock Lauren E. , Knittle E. , Molano-Flores Brenda , Davis Mark A.
Published: November 2021

Pollinators are imperiled by global declines that can reduce plant reproduction, erode essential ecosystem services and resilience, and drive economic losses. Monitoring pollinator biodiversity trends is key for adaptive conservation and management, but conventional surveys are often costly, time consuming, and require taxonomic expertise. Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding surveys are booming due to their rapidity, non-invasiveness, and cost efficiency. Microfluidic technology allows multiple primer sets from different markers to be used in eDNA metabarcoding for more comprehensive species inventories whilst minimizing biases associated with individual primer sets. We evaluated microfluidic eDNA metabarcoding for pollinator community monitoring by introducing a bumblebee colony to a greenhouse flower assemblage and sampling natural flower plots. We collected nectar draws, flower swabs, or whole flower heads from four flowering species, including two occurring in both the greenhouse and field. Samples were processed using two eDNA isolation protocols before amplification with 15 primer sets for two markers (COI and 16S). Microfluidic eDNA metabarcoding detected the target bumblebee and greenhouse insects as well as common regional arthropods. Pollinator detection was maximized using whole flower heads preserved in ATL buffer and extracted with a modified Qiagen®DNeasy protocol for amplification with COI primers. eDNA surveillance could enhance pollinator assessment by detecting protected and endangered species and being more applicable to remote, inaccessible locations, whilst reducing survey time, effort, and expense. Microfluidic eDNA metabarcoding requires optimization to address remaining efficacy concerns but this approach shows potential in revealing complex networks underpinning critical ecosystem functions and services, enabling more accurate assessments of ecosystem resilience.
Lactate production can function to increase human epithelial cell iron concentration
Authors: Ghio Caroline , Soukup Joleen M. , Dailey Lisa A. , Ghio Andrew J. , Schreinemachers Dina M. , Koppes Ryan A. , Koppes Abigail N.
Published: November 2021

Iron is an essential micronutrient required by every cell, inclusive of both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Under conditions of limited iron availability, plants and microbes evolved mechanisms to acquire iron which include carbon metabolism reprogramming, with the activity of several enzymes involved in the Krebs cycle and the glycolytic pathway being stimulated by metal deficiency. Following release, resultant carboxylates/hydroxycarboxylates can function as ligands to complex iron and facilitate its solubilization and uptake, reversing the deficiency. Human epithelial tissue may produce lactate, a hydroxycarboxylate, during absolute and functional iron deficiency in an attempt to import metal to reverse limited availability. Here we investigate 1) if lactate can increase cell metal import, 2) if lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) activity in and lactate production by cells correspond to metal availability, and 3) if blood concentrations of LDH in a human cohort correlate with indices of iron homeostasis. Exposures of Caco-2 cells to both Na lactate and ferric ammonium citrate (FAC) increased metal import relative to FAC alone. Fumaric, isocitric, malic, and succinic acid exposure revealed that FAC co-incubation similarly increased iron import relative to FAC alone. Increased iron import following exposures to Na lactate and FAC elevated both ferritin and metal associated with mitochondria. LDH in Caco-2 cell scrapings did not change after exposure to deferoxamine but decreased with 24 hr exposure to FAC. Lactate levels in both the supernatants and cell scrapings revealed decreased levels at 4, 8, and 24 hr with FAC. In the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 2005-2010), Spearman correlations demonstrated significant negative relationships between LDH concentrations and serum iron. We conclude that iron import in human cells can involve lactate, LDH activity can reflect the availability of this metal, and blood LDH concentrations can correlate with indices of iron homeostasis.
Functionalizing silica sol-gel with entrapped plant virus-based immunosorbent nanoparticles
Authors: McNulty Matthew J. , Hamada Naomi , Delzio Jesse , McKee Liber , Nandi Somen , Longo Marjorie L. , McDonald Karen A.
Published: November 2021

Advancements in understanding and engineering of virus-based nanomaterials (VBNs) for biomedical applications motivate a need to explore the interfaces between VBNs and other biomedically-relevant chemistries and materials. While several strategies have been used to investigate some of these interfaces with promising initial results, including VBN-containing slow-release implants and VBN-activated bioceramic bone scaffolds, there remains a need to establish VBN-immobilized three dimensional materials that exhibit improved stability and diffusion characteristics for biosensing and other analyte-capture applications. Silica sol-gel chemistries have been researched for biomedical applications over several decades and are well understood; various cellular organisms and biomolecules (e.g., bacteria, algae, enzymes) have been immobilized in silica sol-gels to improve viability, activity, and form factor (i.e., ease of use). Here we present the immobilization of an antibody-binding VBN in silica sol-gel by pore confinement. We have shown that the resulting system is sufficiently diffuse to allow antibodies to migrate in and out of the matrix. We also show that the immobilized VBN is capable of antibody binding and elution functionality under different buffer conditions for multiple use cycles. The promising results of the VBN and silica sol-gel interface indicate a general applicability for VBN-based bioseparations and biosensing applications.
Competition and coevolution drive the evolution and the diversification of CRISPR immunity
Authors: Guillemet Martin , Chabas Hélène , Nicot Antoine , Gatchich François , Ortega-Abboud Enrique , Buus Cornelia , Hindhede Lotte , Rousseau Geneviève M. , Bataillon Thomas , Moineau Sylvain , Gandon Sylvain
Published: November 2021

The diversity of resistance challenges the ability of pathogens to spread and to exploit host populations [1–3]. Yet, how this host diversity evolves over time remains unclear because it depends on the interplay between intraspecific competition among host genotypes and coevolution with pathogens. Here we study experimentally the effect of coevolving phage populations on the diversification of bacterial CRISPR immunity across space and time. We demonstrate that the negative-frequency-dependent selection generated by coevolution is a powerful force that maintains host resistance diversity and selects for new resistance mutations in the host. We also find that host evolution is driven by asymmetries in competitive abilities among different host genotypes. Even if the fittest host genotypes are targeted preferentially by the evolving phages they often escape extinctions through the acquisition of new CRISPR immunity. Together, these fluctuating selective pressures maintain diversity, but not by preserving the pre-existing host composition. Instead, we repeatedly observe the introduction of new resistance genotypes stemming from the fittest hosts in each population. These results highlight the importance of competition on the transient dynamics of host-pathogen coevolution.
Multi-regional characterisation of renal cell carcinoma and microenvironment at single cell resolution
Authors: Li Ruoyan , Ferdinand John R. , Loudon Kevin W. , Bowyer Georgina S. , Mamanova Lira , Neves Joana B. , Bolt Liam , Fasouli Eirini S. , Lawson Andrew R. J. , Young Matthew D. , Hooks Yvette , Oliver Thomas R. W. , Butler Timothy M. , Armitage James N. , Aho Tev , Riddick Antony C. P. , Gnanapragasam Vincent , Welsh Sarah J. , Meyer Kerstin B. , Warren Anne Y. , Tran Maxine G. B. , Stewart Grant D. , Behjati Sam , Clatworthy Menna R. , Campbell Peter J. , Teichmann Sarah A. , Mitchell Thomas J.
Published: November 2021

Tumour behaviour is dependent on the oncogenic properties of cancer cells and their multi-cellular interactions. These dependencies were examined through 270,000 single cell transcriptomes and 100 micro-dissected whole exomes obtained from 12 patients with kidney tumours. Tissue was sampled from multiple regions of tumour core, tumour-normal interface, normal surrounding tissues, and peripheral blood. We found the principal spatial location of CD8+ T cell clonotypes largely defined exhaustion state, with clonotypic heterogeneity not explained by somatic intra-tumoural heterogeneity. De novo mutation calling from single cell RNA sequencing data allows us to lineage-trace and infer clonality of cells. We discovered six meta-programmes that distinguish tumour cell function. An epithelial-mesenchymal transition meta-programme, enriched at the tumour-normal interface appears modulated through macrophage expressed IL1B, potentially forming a therapeutic target.
Mutagenesis of human genomes by endogenous mobile elements on a population scale
Authors: Chuang Nelson T. , Gardner Eugene J. , Terry Diane M. , Crabtree Jonathan , Mahurkar Anup A. , Rivell Guillermo L. , Hong Charles C. , Perry James A. , Devine Scott E.
Published: November 2021

Several large-scale Illumina whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and whole-exome sequencing (WES) projects have emerged recently that have provided exceptional opportunities to discover mobile element insertions (MEIs) and study the impact of these MEIs on human genomes. However, these projects also have presented major challenges with respect to the scalability and computational costs associated with performing MEI discovery on tens or even hundreds of thousands of samples. To meet these challenges, we have developed a more efficient and scalable version of our mobile element locator tool (MELT) called CloudMELT. We then used MELT and CloudMELT to perform MEI discovery in 57,919 human genomes and exomes, leading to the discovery of 104,350 nonredundant MEIs. We leveraged this collection (1) to examine potentially active L1 source elements that drive the mobilization of new Alu, L1, and SVA MEIs in humans; (2) to examine the population distributions and subfamilies of these MEIs; and (3) to examine the mutagenesis of GENCODE genes, ENCODE-annotated features, and disease genes by these MEIs. Our study provides new insights on the L1 source elements that drive MEI mutagenesis and brings forth a better understanding of how this mutagenesis impacts human genomes.
Learning to learn about uncertain feedback
Authors: Faraut Maïlys C.M. , Procyk Emmanuel , Wilson Charles R.E.
Published: November 2021

Unexpected outcomes can reflect noise in the environment or a change in the current rules. We should ignore noise but shift strategy after rule changes. How we learn to do this is unclear, but one possibility is that it relies on learning to learn in uncertain environments. We propose that acquisition of latent task structure during learning to learn, even when not necessary, is crucial. We report results consistent with this hypothesis. Macaque monkeys acquired adaptive responses to feedback while learning to learn serial stimulus-response associations with probabilistic feedback. Monkeys learned well, decreasing their errors to criterion, but they also developed an apparently nonadaptive reactivity to unexpected stochastic feedback, even though that unexpected feedback never predicted problem switch. This surprising learning trajectory permitted the same monkeys, naïve to relearning about previously learned stimuli, to transfer to a task of stimulus-response remapping at immediately asymptotic levels. Our results suggest that learning new problems in a stochastic environment promotes the acquisition of performance rules from latent task structure, providing behavioral flexibility. Learning to learn in a probabilistic and volatile environment thus appears to induce latent learning that may be beneficial to flexible cognition.
Exercise opens a temporal window for enhanced cognitive improvement from subsequent physical activity
Authors: Butler Christopher W. , Keiser Ashley A. , Kwapis Janine L. , Berchtold Nicole C. , Wall Vanessa L. , Wood Marcelo A. , Cotman Carl W.
Published: November 2021

The beneficial effects of exercise on cognition are well established; however specific exercise parameters regarding the frequency and duration of physical activity that provide optimal cognitive health have not been well defined. Here, we explore the effects of the duration of exercise and sedentary periods on long-term object location memory (OLM) in mice. We use a weak object location training paradigm that is subthreshold for long-term memory formation in sedentary controls, and demonstrate that exercise enables long-term memories to form. We show that 14- and 21-d of running wheel access enables mice to discriminate between familiar and novel object locations after a 24 h delay, while 2- or 7-d running wheel access provides insufficient exercise for such memory enhancement using the subthreshold learning paradigm. After 14- and 21-d of wheel running, exercise-induced cognitive enhancement then decays back to baseline performance following 3-d of sedentary activity. However, exercise-induced cognitive enhancement can be reactivated by an additional period of just 2 d exercise, previously shown to be insufficient to induce cognitive enhancement on its own. The reactivating period of exercise is capable of enhancing memory after three- or seven-sedentary days, but not 14-d. These data suggest a type of “molecular memory” for the exercise stimulus, in that once exercise duration reaches a certain threshold, it establishes a temporal window during which subsequent low-level exercise can capitalize on the neurobiological adaptations induced by the initial period of exercise, enabling it to maintain the benefits on cognitive function. These findings provide new information that may help to guide future clinical studies in exercise.
How bank capital structure decision-making change in recessions: Covid-19 evidence from Pakistan
Authors: Mohammad Khalil Ullah
Published: November 2021

Purpose

This study contributes to existing literature by investigating bank capital structure dynamics during the Covid-19 pandemic. The role of contemporary bank-specific determinants of capital structure during this period is analyzed.

Design/methodology/approach

An independent t-test is carried out to check the response of bank leverage to the crisis. Using fixed effect estimation and difference general method of moments (GMM), the impact of the shock is examined. An unbalanced quarterly data set from 2016q1 to 2020q3 of all commercial banks in Pakistan is used.

Findings

The study finds that due to procyclicality of capital, during the Covid-19 crisis, the banks preempted a fall in capital and improved their capital positions. The role of bank specific variables in determining capital structure like profitability, size and competition weakened during this period. Evidence suggests that policy rate intervention by the central bank was a significant factor in capital structure decisions during the Covid-19 period. The study finds that macroeconomic shocks have significant impact on capital structure decision-making of banks which goes beyond the bank-specific factors.

Originality/value

It finds evidence of a moderating role of monetary policy in capital structure decision-making which has not been previously highlighted in literature. Monetary policy is found to become an important factor deciding the capital structure of banks during the Covid-19 first 3 quarters. This study also explores the impact of Covid-19 on the bank-specific determinants of capital structure of banks.
Obtaining secure business process models from an enterprise architecture considering security requirements
Authors: San Martín Luis , Rodríguez Alfonso , Caro Angélica , Velásquez Ignacio
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Security requirements play an important role in software development. These can be specified both in enterprise architecture models and in business processes. Enterprises increasingly carry out larger amounts of business processes where security plays a major role. Business processes including security can be automatically obtained from enterprise architecture models by applying a model-driven architecture approach, through a CIM to CIM transformation. The aim of this article is to present the specification of transformation rules for the correspondence between enterprise architecture and business process model elements focusing on security.

Design/methodology/approach

This work utilizes motivational aspects of the ArchiMate language to model security in the business layer of enterprise architectures. Next, a set of transformation rules defined with the Atlas Transformation Language are utilized to obtain the correspondence of the enterprise architecture elements in a business process, modelled with a security extension of BPMN.

Findings

A total of 19 transformation rules have been defined. These rules are more complex than element to element relations, as they take into consideration the context of the elements for establishing the correspondence. Additionally, the prototype of a tool that allows the automatic transformation between both models has been developed.

Originality/value

The results of this work demonstrate the possibility to tackle complex transformations between both models, as previous literature focuses on semantic correspondences. Moreover, the obtained models can be of use for software developers applying the model-driven approach.
Two-dimensional steady-state thermal analytical model of permanent-magnet synchronous machines operating in generator mode
Authors: Djelloul Khedda Zakarya , Boughrara Kamel , Dubas Frédéric , Guo Baocheng , Ailam El Hadj
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Thermal analysis of electrical machines is usually performed by using numerical methods or lumped parameter thermal networks depending on the desired accuracy. The analytical prediction of temperature distribution based on the formal resolution of thermal partial differential equations (PDEs) by the harmonic modeling technique (or the Fourier method) is uncommon in electrical machines. Therefore, this paper aims to present a two-dimensional (2D) analytical model of steady-state temperature distribution for permanent-magnet (PM) synchronous machines (PMSM) operating in generator mode.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed model is based on the multi-layer models with the convolution theorem (i.e. Cauchy’s product theorem) by using complex Fourier’s series and the separation of variables method. This technique takes into the different thermal conductivities of the machine parts. The heat sources are determined by calculating the different power losses in the PMSM with the finite-element method (FEM).

Findings

To validate the proposed analytical model, the analytical results are compared with those obtained by thermal FEM. The comparisons show good results of the proposed model.

Originality/value

A new 2D analytical model based on the PDE in steady-state for full prediction of temperature distribution in the PMSM takes into account the heat transfer by conduction, convection and radiation.
A model to guide the effective use of a business case for IT projects
Authors: Einhorn Frank David , Meredith Jack , Marnewick Carl
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The paper responds to calls in recent research for a model that shows how the business case should be used throughout the project's lifetime to achieve sound governance and thereby project success. The aim of the paper is to advance theory about the effective use of the business case.

Design/methodology/approach

Besides the processes and information required, the literature identified 43 organizational facilitating factors, structured into 5 categories, which are required for effective use of the business case. To offer a useful model, the authors' approach was to do a factor analysis, based on existing survey data, to reduce the number of facilitators and to validate their categorization.

Findings

The findings of the paper were as follows: (1) the classification of the proposed facilitating factors was validated; (2) the number of facilitators needed to ensure that the business case is used effectively was substantially reduced and (3) a “business case effectiveness model” is proposed to clarify the relationship between the organizational facilitating factors, the business case processes and the information required to effectively use the business case.

Originality/value

This is the first time that a business case effectiveness model has been proposed. Besides consolidating business case theory, it can be used to guide people and organizations on simple, affordable ways to improve their use of the business case to achieve sound governance and hence business/information technology project success.
Conception of circular economy obstacles in context of supply chain: a case of rubber industry
Authors: Agarwal Somesh , Tyagi Mohit , Garg R.K.
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Adopting the circular economy (CE) notion in the supply chain perspective is necessary for the sustainability viewpoint. However, such practices are deficient, especially in developing countries like India, because of several obstacles. The purpose of this study was to create an approach for circular supply chain management (CSCM) adaption in Indian rubber industries by identifying and evaluating its associated obstacles.

Design/methodology/approach

A hybrid approach of analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and the grey-based ELECTRE method had been employed in this research to obtain the mutual rankings of the identified obstacles based on their impressions on the CSCM prosperity criteria through a case study and involving diverse expert's opinions.

Findings

Presented study's findings illustrate that “Lack of consumer knowledge and consciousness towards environmental sustainability” was found to be the top-ranked obstacle followed by “Unwillingness towards supply chain re-structuring”.

Research limitations/implications

The obstacles' prioritized rankings could help leaders to create sequential strategies for adapting a resilient CSCM structure by systematically eliminating these obstacles. Moreover, the pinpointed critical obstacles could be investigated further in separate studies and generate future studies' scope.

Originality/value

During the extensive literature survey, it had been found that the CSCM practices are in the fledgling stage in the developing country's context. Moreover, studies related to CSCM adaption in rubber-based manufacturing industries were much lacking. Presented work is peculiar, aiming to accelerate the CSCM adaption in the industrial rubber sector in developing countries like India.
Prochlorococcus extracellular vesicles: molecular composition and adsorption to diverse microbes
Authors: Biller Steven J. , Lundeen Rachel A. , Hmelo Laura R. , Becker Kevin W. , Arellano Aldo A. , Dooley Keven , Heal Katherine R. , Carlson Laura T. , Van Mooy Benjamin A. S. , Ingalls Anitra E. , Chisholm Sallie W.
Published: November 2021

Extracellular vesicles are small (~50–200 nm diameter) membrane‐bound structures released by cells from all domains of life. While vesicles are abundant in the oceans, their functions, both for cells themselves and the emergent ecosystem, remain a mystery. To better characterize these particles – a prerequisite for determining function – we analysed the lipid, protein, and metabolite content of vesicles produced by the marine cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus. We show that Prochlorococcus exports a diverse array of cellular compounds into the surrounding seawater enclosed within discrete vesicles. Vesicles produced by two different strains contain some materials in common, but also display numerous strain‐specific differences, reflecting functional complexity within vesicle populations. The vesicles contain active enzymes, indicating that they can mediate extracellular biogeochemical reactions in the ocean. We further demonstrate that vesicles from Prochlorococcus and other bacteria associate with diverse microbes including the most abundant marine bacterium, Pelagibacter. Together, our data point toward hypotheses concerning the functional roles of vesicles in marine ecosystems including, but not limited to, possibly mediating energy and nutrient transfers, catalysing extracellular biochemical reactions, and mitigating toxicity of reactive oxygen species.
Disaster, disruption, recovery and resilience: lessons from and for agricultural and resource‐based industries
Authors: Peterson Deborah C. , Crase Lin
Published: November 2021

The special issue assembles papers that addressed the following themes: how COVID‐19 has affected agricultural and resource‐based industries, the effects of major disruptions due to other disasters beyond COVID‐19 on the sector and the collective lessons for policymakers and practitioners. This paper provides an overview of the contributions.
Sustainable Competitive Advantages via Temporary Advantages: Insights from the Competition between American and Chinese Digital Platforms in China
Authors: Li Feng
Published: November 2021

The world's most valuable public companies today are built on digital platforms. While American digital platforms (ADPs) have successfully dominated many international markets, some Chinese digital platforms (CDPs) have managed to survive and thrive in China, with European digital platforms (EDPs) largely absent both at home and abroad. Using comprehensive longitudinal data over 6 years, this study examines the platform competition between ADPs and CDPs in China, and explores how digital platforms challenge traditional ways of thinking about strategy and international competition. Some ADPs initially dominated the Chinese market, but some CDPs used their institutional advantages in China to offset the competitive advantages of ADPs based on superior resources and capabilities and strong market positions. Their competition evolved over three distinctive episodes so far, and CDPs used successive temporary advantages to achieve sustainable competitive advantages dynamically and accomplished radical changes cumulatively through incremental changes. A new dynamic equilibrium model of platform competition – ‘the spiral model’ – between global and native digital platforms is developed, which highlights a trajectory that is different from the dominant models of change in the literature. Limitations of the study and new areas for future research are highlighted.
Pasteurization of fruit juices by pulsed light treatment: A review on the microbial safety, enzymatic stability, and kinetic approach to process design
Authors: Dhar Rishab , Basak Somnath , Chakraborty Snehasis
Published: November 2021

Pulsed light (PL) is a polychromatic radiation‐based technology, among many other non‐thermal processing techniques. The microbiological lethality of the PL technique has been explored in different food matrices along with their associated mechanisms. Pasteurization of fruit juice requires a 5‐log cycle reduction in the resistant pathogen in the product. The manufacturers look toward achieving the microbial safety and stability of the juice, while consumers demand high‐quality juice. Enzymatic spoilage in fruit juice is also a crucial factor that needs attention. The retailers want the processed juice to be stable, which can be achieved by inactivating the spoilage enzymes and native microflora inside it. The present review argued about the potential of PL technology to produce a microbiologically safe and enzymatically stable fruit juice with a minimal loss in bioactive compounds in the product. Concise information of factors affecting the PL treatment (PLT), primary inactivation mechanism associated with microorganisms, enzymes, the effect of PLT on various quality attributes (microorganisms, spoilage enzymes, bioactive components, sensory properties, color), and shelf life of fruit juices has been put forward. The potential of PL integrated with other non‐thermal and mild thermal technologies on the microbial safety and stability of fruit juices has been corroborated. The review also provides suggestions to the readers for designing, modeling, and optimizing the PLT and discusses the use of various primary, secondary kinetic models in detail that have been utilized for different quality parameters in juices. Finally, the challenges and future need associated with PL technology has been summarized.
The role of trifunctional cryoprotectants in the frozen storage of aquatic foods: Recent developments and future recommendations
Authors: Tian Jing , Walayat Noman , Ding Yuting , Liu Jianhua
Published: November 2021

Freeze‐induced changes including protein denaturation, ice crystals formation and lipid oxidation are mainly responsible for the quality deterioration persistent in aquatic foods. Here, for the first time, the cryoprotectants with trifunctional properties have been suggested for aquatic food cryopreservation and have exhibited exceptional cryoprotective abilities. In this study, in‐depth discussion of protein denaturation, ice crystal formation and lipid oxidation is added in order to understand their mechanism, emphasizing on the necessity and use of trifunctional cryoprotectants in aquatic foods during frozen storage. Trifunctional cryoprotectants have strong abilities to prevent the formation of malondihaldehyde and aldehydes resulting from lipid oxidation, which further interact with proteins, subsequently lead to protein denaturation. Besides these all cryoprotective properties, ice crystal binding abilities distinguish trifunctional cryoprotectants from conventional cryoprotectants. Moreover, this study added with recent advances in cryoprotectants including antifreeze proteins and protein hydrolysates with their role in retarded freeze‐induced changes. This study concluded that trifunctional cryoprotectants are effective owing to their hydrophilic amino acid chains, radical scavenging, water entrapping abilities, as well as the hydroxyl groups, which interact at the functional sites of protein molecules. Furthermore, polysaccharides and protein hydrolysates are the potential ingredients with trifunctional cryoproperties. However, more scientific research is required for material optimization to attain the desired level of cryoprotection.
Climate friction: How climate change communication produces resistance to concern
Authors: Lucas Chloe H.
Published: November 2021

Communication about climate change has never been more urgent. But what if talking about a need for concern about climate change actually contributes to resistance against such concern? I argue that in an effort to stimulate concern and action, climate communicators often fail to listen and give respect to the values and experiences of publics who are unconcerned about climate change. Climate change narratives tend to pathologise unconcern as a negative and uniform attitude, without reflecting critically on the sources of these narratives beyond scientific facts. In shaping normative and unreflexive narratives of concern and failing to address the actual concerns and priorities of diverse publics, communicators can effectively co‐produce counter‐narratives. In response, in this article I share the stories of people who identify as unconcerned about climate change. Their narratives reveal processes of discursive friction between the concerned and the unconcerned, through which values, priorities, and assumptions are brought into conflict. Recognising and representing the messiness and plurality of attitudes to climate change could generate more useful forms of friction, shifting from antagonistic to agonistic and productive discourse. Avoiding polarised narratives of climate concern and unconcern is vital to enable a broader participation in diverse coalitions for climate action.
Fast voltage‐dependent sodium (NaV) currents are functionally expressed in mouse corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells
Authors: Lim Xin Rui , Bradley Eamonn , Griffin Caoimhin S. , Hollywood Mark A. , Sergeant Gerard P. , Thornbury Keith D.
Published: November 2021

Background and Purpose

Corpus cavernosum smooth muscle (CCSM) exhibits phasic contractions that are coordinated by ion channels. Mouse models are commonly used to study erectile dysfunction, but there are few published electrophysiological studies of mouse CCSM. We describe the voltage‐dependent sodium (NaV) currents in mouse CCSM and investigate their function.

Experimental Approach

We used electrophysiological, pharmacological and immunocytochemical methods to study the NaV currents in isolated CCSM cells from C57BL/6 mice. Tension measurements were carried out using crural sections of the corpus cavernosum in whole tissue.

Key Results

Fast, voltage‐dependent, sodium currents in mouse CCSM were induced by depolarising steps. Steady‐state activation and inactivation curves revealed a window current between −60 and −30 mV. Two populations of NaV currents, ‘TTX‐sensitive’ and ‘TTX‐insensitive’, were identified. TTX‐sensitive currents showed 48% block with the NaV channel subtype‐specific blockers ICA‐121431 (NaV1.1–1.3), PF‐05089771 (NaV1.7) and 4,9‐anhydro‐TTX (NaV1.6). TTX‐insensitive currents were resistant to blockade by A803467, specific for NaV1.8 channels. Immunocytochemistry confirmed expression of NaV1.5 and NaV1.4 in freshly dispersed CCSM cells. Veratridine, a NaV channel activator, reduced time‐dependent inactivation of NaV currents and increased duration of evoked action potentials. Veratridine induced phasic contractions in CCSM strips, reversible with TTX and nifedipine but not KB‐R7943.

Conclusion and Implications

There are fast, voltage‐dependent, sodium currents in mouse CCSM. Stimulation of these currents increased contractility of CCSM in vitro, suggesting an involvement in detumescence and potentially providing a clinically relevant target in erectile dysfunction. Further work will be necessary to define its role.
Sedimentary response of the deep eastern Mediterranean basin to the north African desertification, sea level variation and regional tectonics
Authors: Schattner U. , Kanari M. , Goodman‐Tchernov B. N. , de Mahiques M. M. , Bernhardt A.
Published: November 2021

The buildup of a continental rise and its morphological patterns depend on sediment transport and deposition via downslope slumps, turbidity currents, along‐slope contourites and other deepwater currents. These delivery mechanisms are central to source‐to‐sink reconstructions, yet untangling their individual roles is not straightforward. The current study focuses on the sink section of the Nile system at the northern Levant continental rise (eastern Mediterranean). During the Pliocene, fluvial systems from northern Africa and the Levant margin supplied sediments to the study area. This supply decreased significantly during the Quaternary because of two processes: (a) The aridification of North Africa made the Nile River the predominant contributor to the basin; (b) the topographic rise of the Levant landmass severely limited fluvial supply. Meanwhile, on‐going counter‐clockwise marine currents became the prevalent supply system to the Levant margin, and downslope sediment‐transport became the only source to the northern Levant continental rise, which became a significant sink of the larger Nile system. These conditions provide an excellent natural laboratory for understanding the individual role of downslope sediment‐transport processes in building a continental rise. This research is based on single‐channel sparker seismic data, multibeam bathymetry and four 7–8 m long piston‐cores collected over the northern Levant continental rise at water depths of 1200–1800 m, together with available multibeam bathymetry and industrial multi‐channel seismic reflection data. The results show a major depositional changeover during the Pliocene‐Quaternary transition from concordant aggradation to repeated deposition of >12 sediment wave subunits, interpreted as upslope migrating cyclic steps. Quantitative analysis of the sediment wave morphology at the seafloor and subsurface, along with core data, indicates that the immediate sediment source was the nearby shelf. The supply was regulated by basinward‐landward shifts of the shore‐parallel marine currents during lowstand‐highstand conditions (respectively). Hence, this case study highlights the connection between sea‐level change and sedimentation patterns on a continental rise.
Borders, varieties and distribution costs: Evidence from a US–Canada retail chain
Authors: Li Nicholas
Published: November 2021

Using data from a large retailer operating in Canada and the United States, I examine how market size and retailer size at the local and regional levels shape the variety of products available to consumers at a given store. The average Canadian store carries many fewer varieties, and I show that this has a potentially large (negative) effect on consumer welfare for Canadian (vs. American) shoppers. I propose a novel method to quantify the international difference in retail distribution costs and find evidence that they are much higher in Canada. Exploiting intra‐national variation in market and retailer characteristics, I find that up to a quarter of the international variety gap can be explained by observed local and regional market characteristics that lead to larger retail scale in the United States. I also show that retailer scale has independent effects on product variety, conditional on market characteristics, and that manufacturer size and retailer size are substitutes in distribution.
Can 5‐month‐old infants consider the perspective of a novel eyeless agent? New evidence for early mentalistic reasoning
Authors: Choi Youjung , Luo Yuyan , Baillargeon Renée
Published: November 2021

Is early reasoning about an agent's knowledge best characterized by a mentalistic stance, a teleological stance, or both? In this research, 5‐month‐old infants (N = 64, 50% female, 83% White) saw a novel eyeless agent consistently approach object‐A as opposed to object‐B. Although infants could always see both objects, a screen separated object‐B from the agent. When object‐B protruded above the screen, infants interpreted the agent's actions as revealing a preference for object‐A over object‐B. When object‐B did not protrude above the screen, however, infants refrained from attributing such a preference: Consistent with mentalistic accounts, they reasoned that the agent's representation of the scene did not include object‐B, and they used the agent's incomplete representation, non‐egocentrically, to interpret its actions.
Contribution of warm habitat to cold‐water fisheries
Authors: Hahlbeck Nick , Tinniswood William R. , Sloat Matthew R. , Ortega Jordan D. , Wyatt Matthew A. , Hereford Mark E. , Ramirez Ben S. , Crook David A. , Anlauf‐Dunn Kara J. , Armstrong Jonathan B.
Published: November 2021

A central tenet of landscape ecology is that mobile species depend on complementary habitats, which are insufficient in isolation, but combine to support animals through the full annual cycle. However, incorporating the dynamic needs of mobile species into conservation strategies remains a challenge, particularly in the context of climate adaptation planning. For cold‐water fishes, it is widely assumed that maximum temperatures are limiting and that summer data alone can predict refugia and population persistence. We tested these assumptions in populations of redband rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss newberrii) in an arid basin, where the dominance of hot, hyperproductive water in summer emulates threats of climate change predicted for cold‐water fish in other basins. We used telemetry to reveal seasonal patterns of movement and habitat use. Then, we compared contributions of hot and cool water to growth with empirical indicators of diet and condition (gut contents, weight–length ratios, electric phase angle, and stable isotope signatures) and a bioenergetics model. During summer, trout occurred only in cool tributaries or springs (<20 °C) and avoided Upper Klamath Lake (>25 °C). During spring and fall, ≥65% of trout migrated to the lake (5–50 km) to forage. Spring and fall growth (mean [SD] 0.58% per day [0.80%] and 0.34 per day [0.55%], respectively) compensated for a net loss of energy in cool summer refuges (–0.56% per day [0.55%]). In winter, ≥90% of trout returned to tributaries (25–150 km) to spawn. Thus, although perennially cool tributaries supported thermal refuge and spawning, foraging opportunities in the seasonally hot lake ultimately fueled these behaviors. Current approaches to climate adaptation would prioritize the tributaries for conservation but would devalue critical foraging habitat because the lake is unsuitable and unoccupied during summer. Our results empirically demonstrate that warm water can fuel cold‐water fisheries and challenge the common practice of identifying refugia based only on summer conditions.
Identifying opportunities for expert‐mediated triangulation in monitoring wildlife trade on social media
Authors: Davies Alisa , Hinsley Amy , Nuno Ana , Martin Rowan O.
Published: November 2021

Wildlife trade has rapidly expanded on social media platforms in recent years, offering an easy means for traders to access international markets. Investigating this trade activity poses a complex challenge to researchers seeking to understand online trade and moderators seeking to disrupt illicit and harmful activity. Current survey methods frequently rely on text‐based searches and focus on posts in which the advertisement is explicit. However, such approaches risk overlooking a growing volume of relevant content, particularly outside social media groups. We used posts from pages promoting West African birds for trade as a case study to explore the availability of information for making inferences about trade activity on social media, specifically information indicating that trade activity was occurring or that could be used to infer trade routes. We recorded 400 posts from 12 pages that we inferred either promoted or facilitated wildlife trade, of which 19.7% were explicit advertisements and 23.8% contained taxa‐related terms. In the remaining 341 posts, profile information was the most common indicator of trade activity, but a variety of indicators (e.g., images of birds in trade and trade enquiries) were identified across imagery, text, and comments. We identified multiple types of geographical information that could help infer trade routes and thus the likely legality of trade, although most were relatively rare and sometimes contradictory. Our findings suggest that triangulating multiple types of information from within, across, and beyond posts is vital for effectively identifying and interpreting wildlife trade content on social media. Therefore, were commend that expert‐mediated triangulation should be integrated in and used alongside automated detection systems and moderating practices of social media companies.
Hand eczema and lifestyle factors in the Dutch general population: Evidence for smoking, chronic stress, and obesity
Authors: Loman Laura , Schuttelaar Marie L. A.
Published: November 2021

Background

Several risk factors, among other lifestyle factors, have been suggested for hand eczema (HE).

Objectives

To investigate a possible association between HE and lifestyle factors, including smoking, alcohol consumption, stress, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, physical activity, diet, and amount of sleep in the Dutch general population.

Methods

Data from the large population‐based LifeLines Cohort Study was used. Individuals with HE in the past year were identified by a cross‐sectional questionnaire in 2020. At baseline, information on lifestyle factors was collected.

Results

In total 57 046 individuals were included in the present analysis. Smoking ≥8 cigarettes/day, and smoking ≥15 pack years showed a positive association with HE in the past year. In addition, chronic stress, a BMI >30 kg/m2, and a waist circumference of >90 cm were positively associated with HE in the past year.

Conclusions

The current study indicates that lifestyle factors are associated with HE. Advice regarding lifestyle factors might contribute to enhance overall health, of which HE might possibly benefit in conjunction. Further studies should also focus on the association between lifestyle factors and the severity and prognosis of HE rather than on occurrence alone.
Pension Incentives and Retirement Planning in Rural China: Evidence for the New Rural Pension Scheme
Authors: Caro Juan Carlos , Parada‐Contzen Marcela
Published: November 2021

This paper estimates the impact of social pension programs on retirement planning in rural China, focusing on the New Rural Pension Scheme (NRPS). Retirement planning is defined as an individual's intention to detach from the workforce at a given age instead of working for as long as physically possible. We also consider an individual's self‐reported health characteristics and subjective life expectancy. Overall, we find that the NRPS does not incentivize younger workers (those under 60 years of age) to plan their retirement; instead, they are more likely to remain in the workforce permanently to compensate for the additional costs. However, the NRPS provides a greater incentive for older workers (those 60 years of age and older) to plan their retirement than if there was no scheme. This result is particularly relevant for older unhealthy workers with a longer subjective life expectancy. We also find evidence that mental health status is key for the effectiveness of the policy.
Resting‐state language network neuroplasticity in post‐stroke music listening: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Sihvonen Aleksi J. , Pitkäniemi Anni , Leo Vera , Soinila Seppo , Särkämö Teppo
Published: November 2021

Recent evidence suggests that post‐stroke vocal music listening can aid language recovery, but the network‐level functional neuroplasticity mechanisms of this effect are unknown. Here, we sought to determine if improved language recovery observed after post‐stroke listening to vocal music is driven by changes in longitudinal resting‐state functional connectivity within the language network. Using data from a single‐blind randomized controlled trial on stroke patients (N = 38), we compared the effects of daily listening to self‐selected vocal music, instrumental music and audio books on changes of the resting‐state functional connectivity within the language network and their correlation to improved language skills and verbal memory during the first 3 months post‐stroke. From acute to 3‐month stage, the vocal music and instrumental music groups increased functional connectivity between a cluster comprising the left inferior parietal areas and the language network more than the audio book group. However, the functional connectivity increase correlated with improved verbal memory only in the vocal music group cluster. This study shows that listening to vocal music post‐stroke promotes recovery of verbal memory by inducing changes in longitudinal functional connectivity in the language network. Our results conform to the variable neurodisplacement theory underpinning aphasia recovery.