bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Land-neutral negative emissions through biochar-based fertilization—assessing global potentials under varied management and pyrolysis conditions
Authors: Werner Constanze , Lucht Wolfgang , Kammann Claudia , Braun Johanna
Published: April 2024

Climate stabilization is crucial for restabilizing the Earth system but should not undermine biosphere integrity, a second pillar of Earth system functioning. This is of particular concern if it is to be achieved through biomass-based negative emission (NE) technologies that compete for land with food production and ecosystem protection. We assess the NE contribution of land- and calorie-neutral pyrogenic carbon capture and storage (LCN-PyCCS) facilitated by biochar-based fertilization, which sequesters carbon and reduces land demand by increasing crop yields. Applying the global biosphere model LPJmL with an enhanced representation of fast-growing species for PyCCS feedstock production, we calculated a land-neutral global NE potential of 0.20–1.10 GtCO2 year−1 assuming 74% of the biochar carbon remaining in the soil after 100 years (for + 10% yield increase; no potential for + 5%; 0.61–1.88 GtCO2 year−1 for + 15%). The potential is primarily driven by the achievable yield increase and the management intensity of the biomass producing systems. NE production is estimated to be enhanced by + 200–270% if management intensity increases from a marginal to a moderate level. Furthermore, our results show sensitivity to process-specific biochar yields and carbon contents, producing a difference of + 40–75% between conservative assumptions and an optimized setting. Despite these challenges for making world-wide assumptions on LCN-PyCCS systems in modeling, our findings point to discrepancies between the large NE volumes calculated in demand-driven and economically optimized mitigation scenarios and the potentials from analyses focusing on supply-driven approaches that meet environmental and socioeconomic preconditions as delivered by LCN-PyCCS.
Mental states via possessive predication: the grammar of possessive experiencer complex predicates in Persian
Authors: Smith Ryan Walter
Published: April 2024

Persian possesses a number of stative complex predicates with dâshtan ‘to have’ that express certain kinds of mental state. I propose that these possessive experiencer complex predicates be given a formal semantic treatment involving possession of a portion of an abstract quality by an individual, as in the analysis of property concept lexemes due to Francez and Koontz-Garboden (Language 91(3):533–563, 2015; Natural Language and Linguistic Theory 34:93–106, 2016; Semantics and morphosyntactic variation: Qualities and the grammar of property concepts, Oxford University Press, 2017). Augmented with an analysis of prepositional phrases introducing the target of the mental state and an approach to gradability in terms of measure functions (Wellwood in Measuring predicates, PhD dissertation, University of Maryland, College Park, 2014), the analysis explains various properties of possessive experiencer complex predicates, including the behavior of target phrases, the ability of the non-verbal element to be modified by a range of adjectives, the direct participation of the non-verbal element in comparative constructions, and the ability of degree expressions to modify both the non-verbal element and the VP containing the complex predicate. Theoretically, the analysis ties transitive mental state expressions to the grammar and semantics of property concept sentences, which are expressed via possessive morphosyntax cross-linguistically, and connects with syntactic proposals that independently argue for a universal underlyingly possessive morphosyntax for mental state predicates (Noonan in Case and syntactic geometry, PhD dissertation, McGill University, 1992; Hale and Keyser in Prolegomenon to a theory of argument structure, MIT Press, 2002). The work here also motivates modifications to Francez and Koontz-Garboden’s original proposal, and opens new questions in the original empirical domain of the analysis of possessive predicating strategies for the expression of property concept sentences.
Efficient numerical calculation of Lyapunov-exponents and stability assessment for quasi-periodic motions in nonlinear systems
Authors: Fiedler Robert , Hetzler Hartmut , Bäuerle Simon
Published: April 2024

Investigating the stability of stationary motions is a highly relevant aspect when characterizing dynamical systems. For equilibria and periodic motions, well established theories and approaches exist to assess their stability: in both cases stability may be assessed using eigenvalue analyses of small perturbations. When it comes to quasi-periodic motions, such eigenvalue analyses are not applicable, since these motions can not be parameterized on finite time intervals. However, quasi-periodic motions can be densely embedded on finite invariant manifolds with periodic boundaries. In this contribution, a new approach is presented, which exploits this embedding in order to derive a sequence of finite mappings. Based on these mappings, the spectrum of 1st order Lyapunov-exponents is efficiently calculated. If the linearization of the problem is regular in the sense of Lyapunov, these exponents may be used to assess stability of the investigated solution. Beyond the numerical calculation of Lyapunov-exponents, an approach is presented which allows to check Lyapunov-regularity numerically. Together, both methods allow for an efficient numerical stability assessment of quasi-periodic motions. To demonstrate, verify and validate the developed approach, it is applied to quasi-periodic motions of two coupled van-der-Pol oscillators as well as a quasi-periodically forced Duffing equation. Additionally, a “step-by-step application instruction” is provided to increase comprehensibility and to discuss the required implementation steps in an applied context.
Soil elemental cycles become more coupled in response to increased nitrogen deposition in a semiarid shrubland
Authors: Caetano-Sánchez Cristina , Piñero Juan , Ochoa-Hueso Raúl
Published: April 2024

Background and aims

Increased N deposition can break the coupled associations among chemical elements in soil, many of which are essential plant nutrients. We evaluated the effects of four years of N deposition (0, 10, 20, 50 kg N ha−1 yr−1) on the temporal dynamics of the spatial co-variation (i.e., coupling) among ten chemical elements in soils from a semiarid shrubland in central Spain.

Methods

Soil element coupling was calculated as the mean of Spearman rank correlation coefficients of all possible pairwise interactions among elemental cycles, in absolute value. We also investigated the role of atomic properties of elements as regulators of coupling.

Results

While N deposition impacts on nutrient bioavailability were variable, soil elemental coupling consistently increased in response to N. Coupling responses also varied among elements and N treatments, and four out of ten elemental cycles also responded to N in a season-dependent manner. Atomic properties of elements such as mass, valence orbitals, and electronegativity contributed to explain the spatial coupling of soil elements, most likely due their role on the capacity of elements to interact with one another.

Conclusions

The cumulative effects of N deposition can alter the spatial associations among chemical elements in soils, while not having evident consequences on the bioavailability of single elments. These results indicate that considering how multiple elements co-vary in topsoils may provide a useful framework to better understand the simultaneous response of multiple elemental cycles to global change.
Between Marketization and Demarketization: Reconfiguration of the Migration Industry in the Agricultural Sector in Israel
Authors: Raijman Rebeca , Kushnirovich Nonna , Kurlander Yahel
Published: April 2024

This paper focuses on the consequences of the implementation of a bilateral agreement between Israel and Thailand for migrant workers in the agricultural sector. Its purpose is to shed light on the key mechanisms of the transition from the marketization to demarketization of recruiting migrant workers, and to show how this transition affects the forms of labor recruitment and its consequences for the labor migrants. The study is based on three face-to-face surveys conducted among 180 agricultural workers from Thailand. Fifty-five were surveyed in 2011 before the implementation of the bilateral agreement, and 125 were interviewed after the agreement was implemented. Relying on a “before” and “after design, we first highlight the ways in which the private recruitment industry operated in Israel in the context of a state-sponsored temporary labor migration program, identifying the actors involved in the process and explaining how they profited from the labor recruitment. Second, we shed light on the importance of bilateral agreements in eliminating illicit practices for recruiting foreign workers in Israel and its practical consequences for the Thai migrants arriving under the new arrangement. We discuss our findings in light of the theories presented in the paper.
Cycling speed variation: a multilevel model of characteristics of cyclists, trips and route tracking points
Authors: Yan Hong , Maat Kees , van Wee Bert
Published: April 2024

Smooth cycling can improve the competitiveness of bicycles. Understanding cycling speed variation during a trip reveals the infrastructure or situations which promote or prevent smooth cycling. However, research on this topic is still limited. This study analyses speed variation based on data collected in the Netherlands, using GPS-based devices, continuously recording geographical positions and thus the variation in speeds during trips. Linking GPS data to spatial data sources adds features that vary during the trip. Multilevel mixed-effects models were estimated to test the influence of factors at cyclist, trip and tracking point levels. Results show that individuals who prefer a high speed have a higher average personal speed. Longer trips and trips made by conventional electric bicycles and sport bicycles have a higher average trip speed. Tracking point level variables explain intra-trip cycling speed variations. Light-medium precipitation and tailwind increase cycling speed, while both uphill and downhill cycling is relatively slow. Cycling in natural and industrial areas is relatively fast. Intersections, turns and their adjacent roads decrease cycling speed. The higher the speed, the stronger the influence of infrastructure on speed. Separate bicycle infrastructure, such as bike tracks, streets and lanes, increase speed. These findings are useful in the areas of cycling safety, mode choice models and bicycle accessibility analysis. Furthermore, these findings provide additional evidence for smooth cycling infrastructure construction.
Inflows Towards Bipolar Magnetic Active Regions and Their Nonlinear Impact on a Three-Dimensional Babcock–Leighton Solar Dynamo Model
Authors: Teweldebirhan Kinfe , Miesch Mark , Gibson Sarah
Published: April 2024

The changing magnetic fields of the Sun are generated and maintained by a solar dynamo, the exact nature of which remains an unsolved fundamental problem in solar physics. Our objective in this paper is to investigate the role and impact of converging flows toward Bipolar Magnetic Regions (BMR inflows) on the Sun’s global solar dynamo. These flows are large-scale physical phenomena that have been observed and so should be included in any comprehensive solar dynamo model. We have augmented the Surface flux Transport And Babcock–LEighton (STABLE) dynamo model to study the nonlinear feedback effect of BMR inflows with magnitudes varying with surface magnetic fields. This fully-3D realistic dynamo model produces the sunspot butterfly diagram and allows a study of the relative roles of dynamo saturation mechanisms such as tilt-angle quenching and BMR inflows. The results of our STABLE simulations show that magnetic field-dependent BMR inflows significantly affect the evolution of the BMRs themselves and result in a reduced buildup of the global poloidal field due to local flux cancellation within the BMRs, to an extent that is sufficient to saturate the dynamo. As a consequence, for the first time, we have achieved fully 3D solar dynamo solutions, in which BMR inflows alone regulate the amplitudes and periods of the magnetic cycles.
Possible Effects of Volcanic Eruptions on the Modern Atmosphere of Venus
Authors: Wilson Colin F. , Marcq Emmanuel , Gillmann Cédric , Widemann Thomas , Korablev Oleg , Mueller Nils T. , Lefèvre Maxence , Rimmer Paul B. , Robert Séverine , Zolotov Mikhail Y.
Published: April 2024

This work reviews possible signatures and potential detectability of present-day volcanically emitted material in the atmosphere of Venus. We first discuss the expected composition of volcanic gases at present time, addressing how this is related to mantle composition and atmospheric pressure. Sulfur dioxide, often used as a marker of volcanic activity in Earth’s atmosphere, has been observed since late 1970s to exhibit variability at the Venus’ cloud tops at time scales from hours to decades; however, this variability may be associated with solely atmospheric processes. Water vapor is identified as a particularly valuable tracer for volcanic plumes because it can be mapped from orbit at three different tropospheric altitude ranges, and because of its apparent low background variability. We note that volcanic gas plumes could be either enhanced or depleted in water vapor compared to the background atmosphere, depending on magmatic volatile composition. Non-gaseous components of volcanic plumes, such as ash grains and/or cloud aerosol particles, are another investigation target of orbital andin situmeasurements. We discuss expectations ofin situand remote measurements of volcanic plumes in the atmosphere with particular focus on the upcoming DAVINCI, EnVision and VERITAS missions, as well as possible future missions.
Reducing Strategies for Carbon Footprint of Livestock in Izmir/Turkiye
Authors: Dağlıoğlu Sıdıka Tuğçe , Taşkın Rana , Özteke Nezehat İrem , Kandemir Çağrı , Taşkın Turgay
Published: April 2024

The goal of the Paris Agreement is to limit the global average temperature increase to 1.5 °C. In order to significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change, greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced as soon as possible. By signing the Paris Agreement in 2021, Turkiye has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 41% by 2030. The livestock sector, which is an important economic resource, also has a significant share in greenhouse gas emissions in Turkiye. In this study, it was analyzed the greenhouse gas emissions resulting from livestock in Izmir, the 3rd largest city of Turkiye. For this purpose, greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprint resulting from livestock farming in Izmir were calculated according to the IPCC 2019 Guidelines and Tier 1 methodology. The total carbon footprint of livestock in Izmir was determined as 2826.5 thousand tons CO2eq (ttonCO2eq). These total emissions were calculated as 1492 ttonCO2eq (53%) from enteric fermentation, 1120.5 ttonCO2eq (39%) from CH4 in manure management, and 214 ttonCO2eq (8%) from N2O in manure management. Sustainable method suggestions were also studied in order to achieve Turkiye’s greenhouse gas reduction commitment. The results show that a sustainable change in manure management method, such as biogas production from manure, can reduce the carbon footprint by 30%. As a result, sustainable manure management methods, nutrition, and animal welfare should be included in agricultural policies as methods that help reduce Turkiye’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Revised taxon definition in European Cortinarius subgenus Dermocybe based on phylogeny, chemotaxonomy, and morphology
Authors: Huymann Lesley Rosina , Hannecker Anna , Giovanni Turrini , Liimatainen Kare , Niskanen Tuula , Probst Maraike , Peintner Ursula , Siewert Bianka
Published: April 2024

Cortinarius (Fr.) Fr. is one of the most species-rich genera in the Agaricales (Basidiomycota). Cortinarius subgen. Dermocybe (Fr.) Trog includes brightly coloured Cortinarii with anthraquinone pigments. The chemotaxonomic approach has always been as important as classical methods for species definition of Dermocybe and helped to improve overall species concepts. However, some species concepts within this group remain unclear. We therefore address this topic based on a combined phylogenetic, morphological, and pigment-chemical approach. For this, sequence data, HPLC–MS pigment profiles and spore sizes were included were included to obtain a better resolution of taxa. The study was based on 173 recent collections and 12 type specimens. A total of 117 rDNA ITS sequences were produced from the collections in this study, 102 sequences were retrieved from databases. We could detect and clearly delimit 19 Dermocybe species occurring in central European habitats, from which 16 are discussed in detail. Additionally, we grouped the detected anthraquinone pigments into four groups. This detailed analysis of dermocyboid Cortinarius species occurring in a restricted number of habitat types confirmed our hypothesis that species diversity is much higher than currently assumed. This high diversity is blurred by too wide and incorrect species concepts of several classical species like C. croceus and C. cinnamomeus. Molecular and chemotaxonomical studies carried out together with careful phenotypical analyses resulted in a good differentiation of species. A key is presented for these taxa to allow a better identification of Cortinarius subgenus Dermocybe spp. occurring in Central Europe mainly in the alpine range.
The incidence and effects of decentralized wage bargaining in Finland
Authors: Kauhanen Antti , Maczulskij Terhi , Riukula Krista
Published: April 2024

There was a strong push from employers to decentralize wage setting in Finland in the early 2000s. We analyze the incidence of decentralization and its effect on the level and dispersion of wages by using nationally representative panel data. The results show that wage setting was more likely decentralized in collective agreements where a high share of employees worked in manufacturing or real estate industries than in other industries, such as in education and human health and social work activities. Decentralization was, for the most part, quite short-lived. Using recent difference-in-differences methods that allow for heterogeneous treatment effects and differences in the timing of treatment, we show that decentralization had modest positive effects on the level and dispersion of wages in manufacturing.
The role of political fit and self-censorship at work for job satisfaction, social belonging, burnout, and turnover intentions
Authors: Sinclair Samantha , Nilsson Artur , Holm Kristoffer
Published: April 2024

We examined whether employees (N = 710) who experience low levels of political fit and who self-censor their political opinions at work, are more likely to display lower job satisfaction and perceived social community, and higher turnover intentions, burnout, and fear of social isolation. The results largely confirmed these associations and showed that the associations between perceived political fit and job satisfaction, social community, turnover intentions, and burnout were statistically mediated by willingness to self-censor. This suggests that employees who experience lower levels of person-organization fit with regards to their political ideology have a higher tendency to censure themselves, which is negatively related to their well-being, perceived social belonging, and job satisfaction. Furthermore, we found that the willingness to self-censor political opinions at work was slightly higher on average among those who were politically to the left, female, younger, and less educated. The findings point to the complexity of navigating political ideologies in the workplace.
Metal (loid) Exposure and Overweight and Obesity in 6–12-Year-Old Spanish Children
Authors: Salcedo-Bellido Inmaculada , Castillo Bueno Helga , Olmedo Pablo , Gil Fernando , Ocaña-Peinado Francisco M. , Rodrigo Lourdes , Rivas Ana
Published: April 2024

Epidemiological studies focusing on metal(oid) exposure and excess body weight among children show inconsistent results and the influence of metal(loid) mixtures has been little studied. We aimed to explore the effect of 10 metal(loid)s, individually and in combinations, on overweight and obesity among children aged 6–12. Urinary levels of these metal(oid)s from 92 controls and 51 cases with overweight and obesity were analyzed. Metal(loid) levels were log-transformed and categorized into tertiles according to the control group cutoff points. Two logistic regression models and weighted quantile sum regressions (WQS) were run: model 1 adjusting for age, sex, creatinine, energy intake and physical activity and model 2 additionally adjusting for maternal education, rice and fish consumption. In the single metal(oid) exposure model, there was a trend of significant negative association for urinary cobalt (Co), where children in the third tertile had lower odds of present overweight and obesity than those in the first (Odds Ratio, OR = 0.43; 95% Confidence Interval, CI = 0.20–0.93). Urinary chromium (Cr) levels were borderline-significant negatively associated with overweight and obesity (ORa = 1.70; 95% CI = 0.97–2.98). Molybdemun, Cr and Co had a major contribution to the inverse association between metal(loid) mixture and overweight and obesity as well as lead, cadmium and total arsenic in the positive relationship. Our findings in this explorative study suggested an inverse association of high urinary Co levels with overweight and obesity. Moreover, metal(loid) mixture exposure may have influence on overweight and obesity with an important contribution of Co in the potential negative effect.
Prospective cohort study on facial profile changes in infants with Robin sequence and healthy controls
Authors: Wiechers Cornelia , Sowula Julian , Kreutzer Karen , Schwarz Christoph E. , Weismann Christina , Krimmel Michael , Poets Christian F. , Koos Bernd
Published: April 2024

Background

Various conservative and surgical approaches exist to treat Robin sequence (RS), but their effects on facial profile and mandibular catch-up growth are unclear. A functional treatment concept, used in our centre for 25 years, includes an individualized palatal plate with a velo-pharyngeal extension and intensive feeding training.

Methods

We performed a prospective study to objectively describe facial profiles in infants with RS treated with the above concept. Infants with isolated RS were admitted to our tertiary perinatal and national referral centre for craniofacial malformations between May 2018 and Nov 2019. Infants with RS received 3D-photographs during clinically indicated visits. Healthy controls were recruited from Dec 2018 to Sep 2019 and received 3D-photographs every 3 months. The digitally measured jaw index (JI), defined as alveolar overjet (O) x maxillary arch (U)/mandibular arch (L), and the soft tissue reference points A’-point, Nasion’, B’-point angle (ANB’), describing the relative position of maxilla to mandible, were evaluated. Linear mixed models were used to examine time trajectories in JI and ANB’.

Results

A total of 207 3D images, obtained in 19 infants with RS and 32 controls, were analysed. JI and ANB’ decreased over time in both groups [for JI − 0.18 (95% CI − 0.25 to − 0.10); for ANB’: − 0.40° per month [(95% CI − 0.48 to − 0.32)]] but remained lower in controls [for JI − 2.5 (95% CI − 3.2 to − 1.8); for ANB’-1.7° (95% CI − 2.4 to − 1.0)]. Also, the ANB’ model showed a significant effect of the interaction term diagnosis x age.

Conclusions

Based on longitudinal 3D images, we describe changes in objective parameters of facial profile in infants with and without RS during the first year of life. Our findings indicate catch-up growth in infants treated for RS.
MF-MNER: Multi-models Fusion for MNER in Chinese Clinical Electronic Medical Records
Authors: Du Haoze , Xu Jiahao , Du Zhiyong , Chen Lihui , Ma Shaohui , Wei Dongqing , Wang Xianfang
Published: April 2024

To address the problem of poor entity recognition performance caused by the lack of Chinese annotation in clinical electronic medical records, this paper proposes a multi-medical entity recognition method F-MNER using a fusion technique combining BART, Bi-LSTM, and CRF. First, after cleaning, encoding, and segmenting the electronic medical records, the obtained semantic representations are dynamically fused using a bidirectional autoregressive transformer (BART) model. Then, sequential information is captured using a bidirectional long short-term memory (Bi-LSTM) network. Finally, the conditional random field (CRF) is used to decode and output multi-task entity recognition. Experiments are performed on the CCKS2019 dataset, with micro avg Precision, macro avg Recall, weighted avg Precision reaching 0.880, 0.887, and 0.883, and micro avg F1-score, macro avg F1-score, weighted avg F1-score reaching 0.875, 0.876, and 0.876 respectively. Compared with existing models, our method outperforms the existing literature in three evaluation metrics (micro average, macro average, weighted average) under the same dataset conditions. In the case of weighted average, the Precision, Recall, and F1-score are 19.64%, 15.67%, and 17.58% higher than the existing BERT-BiLSTM-CRF model respectively. Experiments are performed on the actual clinical dataset with our MF-MNER, the Precision, Recall, and F1-score are 0.638, 0.825, and 0.719 under the micro-avg evaluation mechanism. The Precision, Recall, and F1-score are 0.685, 0.800, and 0.733 under the macro-avg evaluation mechanism. The Precision, Recall, and F1-score are 0.647, 0.825, and 0.722 under the weighted avg evaluation mechanism. The above results show that our method MF-MNER can integrate the advantages of BART, Bi-LSTM, and CRF layers, significantly improving the performance of downstream named entity recognition tasks with a small amount of annotation, and achieving excellent performance in terms of recall score, which has certain practical significance. Source code and datasets to reproduce the results in this paper are available at https://github.com/xfwang1969/MF-MNER.

Graphical Abstract

Illustration of the proposed MF-MNER. The method mainly includes four steps: (1) medical electronic medical records need to be cleared, coded, and segmented. (2) The semantic representation obtained by dynamic fusion of the bidirectional autoregressive converter (BART) model. (3) The sequence information is captured by a bi-directional short-term memory (Bi-LSTM) network. (4) the multi-task entity recognition is decoded and output by conditional random field (CRF).
Nomina anatomica-unde venient et quo vaditis?
Authors: Pretterklieber Michael L.
Published: April 2024

As the title indicates, this article deals with the origins of anatomic terminology and its development up to the present day. The first attempt to name anatomical structures in animals and humans date back to Alkmaion, i.e. to the fifth century BC. Further work has been done at the same time by the Hippocratics and about 100 years later by Aristotle. As the Alexandrians Erasistratos and Herophilos first in history dissected human bodies, they expanded the anatomical terms. Until Celsus (around Christ’s birth) and even later on, anatomical terminology was almost exclusively based on the Greek language. Thus, Celsus and not—as frequently done—Galenos has to be called the father of Latin-based anatomical terminology. Due to several translations including Arabic, first periods of proverbial Bable resulted. Return to systematic order was achieved finally by Andreas Vesal (1514/15–1564) and Caspar Bauhin (1560–1624). But again due to translations into several national languages, the uniformity of the anatomical nomenclature was undermined. Thus, by the end of the nineteenth century, in 1895 the newly founded Anatomische Gesellschaft created a uniform terminology, the Basle Nomina Anatomica (BNA). Although it has been revised several times, it is still the very basic of human anatomical terminology. Recently, an attempt was made to replace it by English translations of the original Latin (and also still Greek) terms to mainly get machine-readable denominations. As this will result again in non-uniformity of terminology, the Anatomische Gesellschaft proposes a version of the latest, generally accepted terminology, based on the Latin terms but incorporating recent developments.
New strategy for anti-loop formulations
Authors: García Jose Manuel
Published: April 2024

This paper presents a strategy based on binary labelling of nodes for the creation of anti-loop formulations from existing strategies. This strategy prevents by default the formation of odd cycles, therefore it can have important role in iterative procedures based on generating subtour elimination constraints. It can also be used to modify the classic strategies used in problems associated to graphs. In this paper we focus on this last application. The behavior of this strategy is analyzed with two problems associated with graphs, the Asymmetric Traveling Salesman Problem (ATSP) and the Steiner Problem, where two configurations that modify the Miller-Tucking-Zemlig proposal to avoid cycles are compared. The experimental analysis shows that this strategy keep a good convergence, highlighting its use for the Steiner problem.
Metabolic re-programming in confrontations of Colletotrichum graminicola and Aspergillus nidulans with Bacillus biocontrol agents
Authors: Fernando Devasahayam Bennet Rohan , Barrera Adame Diana Astrid , Uthe Henriette , Pöschl-Grau Yvonne , Niedermeyer Timo H. J. , Deising Holger B.
Published: April 2024

We established confrontations between two different fungi, i.e., the maize anthracnose and stalk rot pathogen Colletotrichum graminicola, and the ubiquitous fungus Aspergillus nidulans, and different biocontrol species, i.e., Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus velezensis, and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. In all fungus–bacterium confrontations tested, growth arrest and, thus, distance inhibition was observed on solid substrata. LC–MS/MS analyses of culture filtrates suggested formation of several metabolites only synthesized in confrontations. Interestingly, microscopy of fungal hyphae grown in liquid medium showed protrusions and color changes occurred only in media harboring fungus-bacterium confrontations. These observations indicate metabolic re-programming and suggest formation of putative secondary metabolites in interactions involving microbial biocontrol agents.
Building Natural Product–Based Libraries for Drug Discovery: Challenges and Opportunities from a Brazilian Pharmaceutical Industry Perspective
Authors: Conrado Gabrielly Galdino , da Rosa Rafael , Reis Romulo Dragani , Pessa Lisandra Ravanelli
Published: April 2024

Natural products represent an important source of new leads in drug discovery research. Several drugs currently used as therapeutic agents have been developed from natural sources, bioactive crude extracts and their plant secondary metabolites being specifically important. The screening of natural products can provide greater structural diversity than standard synthetic chemistry and offer significant opportunities for finding novel low molecular weight lead compounds. However, research with natural products also presents challenges for drug discovery, such as access and use of biological resources, technical barriers to screening, isolation, characterization, and resupply. Therefore, different strategies are presented as possible for a natural product-based drug discovery process. This review leads the reader through the main processes necessary to develop a modern natural product-based drug discovery program by summarizing the methods and strategies used to assemble and manage natural product libraries of plant origin. In addition, it brings insightful comments from a pharmaceutical industry perspective and presents original content, such as a curation of commercially available natural product libraries.

Graphical Abstract
Sensitivity of Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca Salento-1 to light at 410 nm
Authors: Bleve Gianluca , Trivellin Nicola , Chirizzi Daniela , Tarantini Annamaria , Orlandi Viviana Teresa , Milano Francesco
Published: April 2024

All over the world, from America to the Mediterranean Sea, the plant pathogen Xylella fastidiosa represents one of the most difficult challenges with many implications at ecological, agricultural, and economic levels. X. fastidiosa is a rod-shaped Gram-negative bacterium belonging to the family of Xanthomonadaceae. It grows at very low rates and infects a wide range of plants thanks to different vectors. Insects, through their stylets, suck a sap rich in nutrients and inject bacteria into xylem vessels. Since, until now, no antimicrobial treatment has been successfully applied to kill X. fastidiosa and/or prevent its diffusion, in this study, antimicrobial blue light (aBL) was explored as a potential anti-Xylella tool. Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca Salento-1, chosen as a model strain, showed a certain degree of sensitivity to light at 410 nm. The killing effect was light dose dependent and bacterial concentration dependent. These preliminary results support the potential of blue light in decontamination of agricultural equipment and/or plant surface; however, further investigations are needed for in vivo applications.
Behavioural evidence to inform the COVID-19 pandemic response: Ireland's Social Activity Measure (SAM)
Authors: Lunn Peter D. , Timmons Shane , Robertson Deirdre A. , Julienne Hannah , Lavin Ciarán , Barjaková Martina , Poluektova Olga , Mohr Kieran , Andersson Ylva , McGowan Féidhlim P. , Papadopoulos Alexandros
Published: April 2024

Humankind's main defence against the virus that causes COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2), besides vaccine development, was co-ordinated behaviour change. In many countries, co-ordination was assisted by tracking surveys designed to measure self-reported behaviour and attitudes. This paper describes an alternative, complementary approach, which was undertaken in close collaboration with officials in the Department of the Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister). We adapted the Day Reconstruction Method (DRM) to develop the ‘Social Activity Measure’ (SAM). The study was conducted fortnightly for 18 months, with findings delivered directly to the Department. This paper describes the method and shows how SAM generated a detailed picture of where and why transmission risk occurred. By using the DRM, we built aggregate measures from narrative accounts of how individuals spent their previous day. SAM recorded the amount, location and type of social activity, including the incidence of close contact and mask-wearing, as well as compliance with public health restrictions by shops and businesses. The method also permitted a detailed analysis of how public perceptions and comprehension are related to behaviour. The results informed government communications and strategies for lifting public health restrictions. The method could be applied to other future situations that might require co-ordinated public behaviour over an extended period.
Identifying and addressing social determinants of health to improve patient-centered care
Authors: Kalsi Neil , Gordon Denai , Geske Jenenne
Published: April 2024

The purpose of this clinical improvement project was to instill a streamlined process of identifying social determinants of health (SDOH) in our clinic’s diverse patient population and provide resources that address these barriers to health and well-being. At each clinic visit, patients self-identified SDOH through an easy-to-use Social Assessment Form. Using an online database, Community Relay (CR), providers had access to location-based community resources. In addition to accomplishing the above-mentioned goals, we were left with a more well-rounded understanding of our patients. Unique struggles were identified and barriers to care were revealed, allowing for more patient-centered medical care.
Immediate Injury Deaths Related to the Remnants From Hurricane Ida in New York City, September 1-2, 2021
Authors: Yuan Ariel , Spira-Cohen Ariel , Olson Carolyn , Lane Kathryn
Published: April 2024

The remnants from Hurricane Ida in September 2021 caused unprecedented rainfall and inland flooding in New York City (NYC) and resulted in many immediate deaths. We reviewed death records (electronic death certificates and medical examiner reports) to systematically document the circumstances of death and demographics of decedents to inform injury prevention and climate adaptation actions for future extreme precipitation events. There were 14 Ida-related injury deaths in NYC, of which 13 (93%) were directly caused by Ida, and 1 (7%) was indirectly related. Most decedents were Asian (71%) and foreign-born (71%). The most common circumstance of death was drowning in unregulated basement apartments (71%). Themes that emerged from the death records review included the suddenness of flooding, inadequate exits, nighttime risks, and multiple household members were sometimes affected. These deaths reflect interacting housing and climate crises, and their disproportionate impact on disadvantaged populations needing safe and affordable housing. Climate adaptation actions, such as improving stormwater management infrastructure, informing residents about flood risk, implementing Federal Emergency Management Agency recommendations to make basements safer, and expanding emergency notification measures can mitigate risk. As climate change increases extreme precipitation events, multi-layered efforts are needed to keep residents safe.
Pension policies and early retirement: New evidence from a counterfactual analysis in Iran
Authors: Malek Sadati Saeed , Khandan Abbas , Hadadmoghadam Maliheh
Published: April 2024

Compared to the global average, the exit rate of old-aged Iranian labourers is significantly higher than that of middle-aged, raising the hypothesis that social security generosity pulls older workers into early retirement. We used a unique individual dataset of Iran’s Social Security Organization (ISSO), including 267, 000 newly retired in 2016 and 2018, to assess the impact of ISSO’s pension policies on employees’ retirement age. In a counterfactual evaluation design, this study first estimated the implicit tax on work continuation and then applied the Heckman two-stage selection model. The findings show that ISSO’s retirement rules determining the age of exit and benefit eligibilities significantly increase the retirement probability and simultaneously decline the retirement age. Moreover, the implicit tax on work continuation, which reflects ISSO’s benefit formula, has a significant positive effect on retirement probability. The replacement rate also has a significant negative impact on retirement age. The retirement probability in hazardous jobs is higher than in normal ones, while exemptions significantly fall the outflow age of hazardous job holders. To maintain the scheme’s sustainability, reforms have to target an increase in the statutory retirement age, a reduction in the accrual rate, the calculation of reference salary for more extended periods, and the decline of the exemption coefficient for hazardous jobs.
Trust and the Exchange of EU Classified Information: The Example of Absolute Originator Control Impeding Joint Parliamentary Scrutiny at Europol
Authors: Kartalova Sofiya
Published: April 2024

The absolute implementation of the originator control principle (‘absolute originator control’) allows the EU Member States’ national intelligence services to block the access of the European Parliament to confidential information necessary for the effective exercise of joint parliamentary scrutiny at Europol. This research paper will demonstrate that this is a flawed practice in need of urgent reform, since it violates some of the basic tenets of EU constitutional law enshrined in Article 13 TEU and Article 9 TEU. This legal problem is reframed with the help of trust theory, which reveals that absolute originator control causes the Union to be confronted with a constitutional dilemma that is irresolvable in the EU legal order: the Union is revealed to be a trustee to two trustors – the EU Member States and the EU citizens; to protect the interests of one trustor, the Union would necessarily have to betray the trust of the other trustor.
Flow–acoustic resonance mechanism in tandem deep cavities coupled with acoustic eigenmodes in turbulent shear layers
Authors: Wang Peng , Jia Sichang , He Zheng , He Chuangxin , Sung Hyung Jin , Liu Yingzheng
Published: April 2024

This study presents the interplay of flow and acoustics within tandem deep cavities, focusing on the resonance mechanism occurring between turbulent shear layers and acoustic eigenmodes. The arrangement inside the tandem deep cavities includes both close and remote configurations. A combined fully coupled and decoupled aeroacoustic simulation strategy was devised. Employing an advanced high-order spectral/hp element method in conjunction with implicit large eddy simulation, the nonlinear compressible Navier–Stokes equations were solved to acquire internal flow–acoustic resonant field. In parallel, the linearized Navier–Stokes equations were tackled to determine coherent shear layer perturbations with external acoustic forcing. Based on acoustic measurements, the mainstream Reynolds number approaches approximately

$R{e_{in}} = {O}({10^5})$

, where we identified the presence of frequency lock-in and a resonance range. Aeroacoustic noise sources were examined by implementing spectral proper orthogonal decomposition to decompose the pressure fields into hydrodynamic and acoustic components. As feedback intensified, the flow characteristics by the acoustic forcing effect and the flow-interactive effect were categorized according to the development of concurrent turbulent shear layers. Subsequently, the alternating and synchronous behaviours of concurrent shear layers resonated with the out-of-phase and in-phase acoustic eigenmodes were identified, and the corresponding large-scale counter-rotating vortex pairs and co-rotating vortex structures at the cavity entrances were extracted. The acoustic power generated by the Coriolis force was calculated using Howe's vortex-sound analogy, and the aeroacoustic energy transfer mechanism between large-scale shear layer vortices with acoustic eigenmodes was further explored. Finally, a linear response of coherent perturbations of the concurrent shear layers by external acoustic forcing was established. The amplification of flow in the streamwise direction toward the main duct led to the formation of coherent vortex structures, accompanied by separation bubbles into the main duct.
International Trade Law: A Driver of Climate Action or a Roadblock?
Authors: Kalra Shivani Sagar
Published: April 2024

Much has been written about changing the world's perception of international trade—from an area of development that will accelerate climate change to a powerful tool that can drive climate action. This article elaborates on four mechanisms of international trade law developed and honed by the World Trade Organization (WTO) that can play a pivotal role in accelerating climate action. The four mechanisms are the WTO's dispute resolution system, the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), and the regional trade agreements (RTAs) negotiated under the WTO framework. Elucidating the WTO's role, this article supports the proposition that every multilateral institution can rise to the occasion and spearhead climate action in its own unique capacity.
Pursuing Racial Order and Social Progress: Violence, Afrophobia and “Religious Racism” in Brazil
Authors: Cantave Rachel
Published: April 2024

This article explores “religious racism,” or discrimination against devotees of African-derived religions in Brazil, as a broader pattern of structural racism rooted in racialized religious alterity, Afrophobia, and the epistemic divide between religion and nonreligion. The term religious racism has been proposed by some devotees and anti-racist activists to emphasize that Afro-Brazilian religions are uniquely targeted in ways other non-Christian religions are not. Unlike religious intolerance, the term religious racism explicitly connects discrimination against Afro-Brazilian religions to colonization, color or racial hierarchy, and anti-Black prejudice. This article clarifies the ideological groundings of religious racism that encourage Neo-Pentecostal extremists to pursue “order and progress,” as the national motto suggests, through physical violence.
Estimating the effect of intergroup contact over years: evidence from a youth program in Israel
Authors: Asimovic Nejla , Ditlmann Ruth K. , Samii Cyrus
Published: April 2024

We study how an intervention combining youth intergroup contact and sports affects intergroup relations in the context of an active conflict. We first conduct a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of one-year program exposure in Israel. To track effects of a multiyear exposure, we then use machine-learning techniques to fuse the RCT with the observational data gathered on multiyear participants. This analytical approach can help overcome frequent limitations of RCTs, such as modest sample sizes and short observation periods. Our evidence cannot affirm a one-year effect on outgroup regard and ingroup regulation, although we estimate benefits of multiyear exposure among Jewish-Israeli youth, particularly boys. We discuss implications for interventions in contexts of active conflict and group status asymmetry.
Careworn: The Economic History of Caring Labor
Authors: Humphries Jane
Published: April 2024

Economists ignore caring labor since most is provided unpaid. Disregard is unjust, theoretically indefensible, and probably misleading. Valuation requires estimates of time spent and the replacement or opportunity costs of that time. I use the maintenance costs of British workers, costs which cover both the material inputs into upkeep and the domestic services needed to turn commodities into livings, to isolate the costs of paid domestic labor. I then impute the value of unpaid domestic labor from these market equivalents, and aggregate across households without domestic servants. Historically, unpaid domestic labor represented c. 20 percent of total income, a contribution that suggests the need to revise some standard narratives.
Gender and Deindustrialization: A Transnational Historiographical Review
Authors: Clarke Jackie , McIvor Arthur , McEwan Anna , Burns Sinead
Published: April 2024

This contribution takes stock of the growing research on deindustrialization from a gender perspective. Much of the work in deindustrialization studies is rooted in local studies, within single national contexts. This article provides a perspective that cuts across case studies and national historiographies. It reviews findings on the implications of deindustrialization for working-class masculinities and considers the extent to which research has privileged a focus on white masculinity in crisis (a theme which is more present in some national contexts than others). The article goes on to show how a more complex and nuanced understanding of gender, class, and race is emerging. It highlights women workers’ experience of deindustrialization and considers the ways in which deindustrialization is associated with a restructuring of gender relations. Acknowledging some of the limitations of the current state of research, the article points to a number of potential avenues for further enquiry.