bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mapping Homophobia and Transphobia on Social Media
Authors: Sánchez-Sánchez Ana M. , Ruiz-Muñoz David , Sánchez-Sánchez Francisca J.
Published: September 2023

Introduction

One of the consequences of the increase in the number of social network users has been the inappropriate use of social networks by some of these users. Hate speeches are frequently identified on social media, and these promote certain homophobic and transphobic attitudes, causing psychological consequences on users belonging to minority gender groups. With this work, it is intended to know the current state of the problem raised, to facilitate the activity of new researchers in an emerging field.

Methodology

Bibliographic analysis of 203 papers from the Scopus databases for the period between 1997 and 2022 using the VOSViewer software. The search for publications was carried out in February 2023.

Results

There is a positive trend in the number of relevant publications since 2017, mainly in 2021 and 2022. The research on homophobia and transphobia on social media in USA is prominent, with a high number of published articles, productive organizations, and influential authors. Twitter is shown to be the social network most widely used to spread homotransphobic hate speech. Environments conducive to the development of homotransphobic attitudes are identified as collective sports, mainly football and its supporters, as well as peer groups.

Conclusions

It is a growing problem that requires intervention at the societal level, requiring the development of legislation that moves away from heteronormativity, the development of mechanisms for automatic detection of homotransphobic discourse on social networks, and a multidisciplinary analysis and approach to control the problem as well as provide adequate social support to affected groups.
Wear analysis and life prediction of sucker rod and tubing under ternary emulsion lubrication in Daqing oilfield: a case study in block H
Authors: Liu Chengting , Hu Chuanfeng , Chen Tian , Yang Zhao , Wang Luna
Published: September 2023

Daqing Oilfield as the world’s largest application area of alkali–surfactant–polymer (ASP) flooding, in recent years, with the increase in aging wells, the eccentric wear and deformation of sucker rod and pipe during oil production has become more and more serious. In order to study the effect of emulsion lubrication in ternary composite flooding on eccentric wear of sucker rod and tubing, this paper establishes a calculation model for the depth of tubing wear under different emulsion lubrication conditions through indoor friction and wear experiments combined with White and Dawson wear efficiency theory. Based on this, the finite element method is used to predict the safe wear life of tubing under different component emulsion lubrication. The results show that compared to intact oil pipes, the residual internal pressure strength of oil pipes with defects decreases, and stress concentration occurs at the edges and middle of the defects. The wear life of oil pipes decreases with the increase in pump depth and wear coefficient under emulsion lubrication. The water content and alkali concentration have the most significant effects on the wear life of oil pipes under emulsion lubrication conditions. The safe wear life of sucker rod pipes under emulsion lubrication with a water content of 75% will be increased by 37.8% compared to those in emulsion lubrication with a water content of 95%, and under emulsion lubrication with an alkali concentration of 500 mg/l, the safe wear life will be increased by 50.6% compared to those in emulsion lubrication with a concentration of 2000 mg/l. The research results can provide theoretical and technical support for oilfield enterprises to reduce rod and pipe wear in ASP flooding oil wells, improve the pump inspection cycle of pumping wells, and ensure the safety of oil well work.
Response of Photonic Hydrogels of Homogeneous Particles to Uranyl Ions in Aqueous Solutions
Authors: Joshi R. G. , Gupta Deepak K. , Amesh P. , Parida P. K. , Ravindran T. R.
Published: September 2023

We study here the response of photonic hydrogels (PHs), made of photonic crystals of homogeneous silica particles in polyacrylamide hydrogels (SPHs), to the uranyl ions UO
2
2+
in aqueous solutions. It is found that the reflection spectra of the SPH show a peak due to the Bragg diffraction, which exhibits a blue shift in the presence of UO
2
2+
. Upon exposure to the SPH, UO
2
2+
gets adsorbed on the SPH and forms complex coordinate bonds with multiple ligands on the SPH, which causes shrinking of hydrogel and leads to the blue shift in the diffraction peak. The amount of the blue shift in the diffraction peak increases monotonically up to UO
2
2+
concentrations as high as 2300µM. The equilibration time for the shift in the Bragg peak upon exposure to UO
2
2+
is found to be ~30 min. These results are in contrast to the earlier reports on photonic hydrogels of inhomogeneous microgel particles hydrogel (MPH), which shows the threshold UO
2
2+
concentration of ~600 µM, below which the diffraction peak exhibits a blue shift and a change to a red shift above it. The equilibration time for MPH is ~300min. The observed monotonic blue shift and the faster time response of the SPH to UO
2
2+
as compared to the MPH are explained in terms of homogeneous nature of silica particles in the SPH, against the porous and polymeric nature of microgels in the MPH. We also study the extraction of UO
2
2+
from aqueous solutions using the SPH. The extraction capacity estimated by the arsenazo-III analysis is found to be 112 mM/kg.
What Does it Mean to Mimic Nature? A Typology for Biomimetic Design
Authors: Gerola Alessio , Robaey Zoë , Blok Vincent
Published: September 2023

In an effort to produce new and more sustainable technologies, designers have turned to nature in search of inspiration and innovation. Biomimetic design (from the Greek bios, life, mimesis, imitation) is the conscious imitation of biological models to solve today's technical and ecological challenges. Nowadays numerous different approaches exist that take inspiration from nature as a model for design, such as biomimicry, biomimetics, bionics, permaculture, ecological engineering, etc. This variety of practices comes in turn with a wide range of different promises, including sustainability, increased resilience, multi-functionality, and a lower degree of risk. How are we to make sense of this heterogeneous amalgam of existing practices and technologies, and of the numerous promises attached to them? We suggest that a typology of biomimetic approaches would provide a useful hermeneutic framework to understand the different tensions that pull this variegated landscape in different directions. This is achieved through a critical analysis of the literature in different fields of biomimetic design and the philosophy of biomimicry, in order to derive conceptual and normative assumptions concerning the meaning and value of the imitation of nature. These two dimensions are then intersected to derive an analytical grid composed of six different biomimetic types, which enable the classification of existing and possible biomimetic approaches, practices, and technologies according to their specific conceptual assumptions and guiding norms.
Surviving the educational landscape: a case study of leadership, policy tensions and marketisation
Authors: Del Col Lee , Stahl Garth
Published: September 2023

Within a neoliberal educational policy context, we are increasingly witness to educational leaders compelled to become strategic operators to ensure the survival of their schools. Drawing on the tenets of institutional ethnography (IE), this article traces the everyday work and experience of a school leader in one Australian private school site that was in ‘survival mode’ after experiencing an unprecedented decline in enrolment numbers. By tracing the power of global and local market forces informing the work of one educational leader, our intention is to capture how a school leader’s subjectivity was influenced by market demands and how he invested his time in strategizing to ensure his school would survive. The article makes two main contributions; first, the case study complements research exploring the impact of neoliberal reform on schooling and, second, we highlight the role of IE in furthering our understanding of the pressures schools face and the lived experience of school leaders.
Heavy metals contamination of post-mining mounds of former iron-ore mining activity
Authors: Podgórska M. , Jóźwiak M.
Published: September 2023

The main question of the present study is how much are the former post-mining mounds (PMM) - the ancient remnants of mining of a provisional nature located in forest areas-contaminated by heavy metals (HM). To investigate if the PMM contain HM, we collected 15 soil samples from PMM and, for comparison, 15 from the surroundings - all these samples (30) were collected from a depth of 5–30 cm by soil auger. To find how deep the contamination of HM goes, we did 4 soil profiles to the depth 100 cm in four randomly selected PMM. In every soil profile, 4 soil samples were collected (16 soil profile samples). In total, 46 soil samples were analysed. Concentrations of HM were measured using spectrophotometry. Our results indicate the following: (1) PMM are not much contaminated by HM - only two (Fe and Mn) from nine HM significantly exceed the limits - the order of abundance of the studied HM is as follows: Fe > Mn > Cr > Zn > Ni > Cu > Pb > Co > Cd; (2) PMM are more contaminated by heavy metals than their surroundings; (3) within PMM, overburden is much more contaminated by HM than paleosols; (4) the rate of penetration of HM into the depth of the soils (into paleosols) is reduced due to the properties of the overburden of PMM.
Exosomes Derived from Human Adipose Mesenchymal Stem Cells Inhibits Fibrosis and Treats Oral Submucous Fibrosis via the miR-181a-5p/Smad2 Axis
Authors: Shao Zifei , Xu Jinhao , Xu Xiaoyang , Wang Xiang , Zhou Yuxi , Li Yiyang , Li Kun
Published: September 2023

BACKGROUND:

Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) is a chronic disease with carcinogenic tendency that poses a non-negligible threat to human health. Exosomes derived from human adipose mesenchymal stem cells (ADSC-Exo) reduces visceral and cutaneous fibroses, but their role in OSF has received little attention. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of ADSC-Exo on OSF and elucidate the mechanism.

METHODS:

In brief, ADSCs were extracted from adipose tissues and subjected to flow cytometry and induction culture. Fibroblasts were isolated from human buccal mucosa and subjected to immunofluorescence. Myofibroblasts were obtained from fibroblasts induced by arecoline and identified. Immunofluorescence assay confirmed that myofibroblasts could take up ADSC-Exo. The effects of ADSC-Exo on the proliferative and migratory capacities of myofibroblasts were examined using the Cell Counting Kit-8 and scratch assay. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was performed to evaluate mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 2 (Smad2), Smad3, Smad7, collagen type 1 (Col1), Col3, alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), fibronectin, and vimentin. Western blotting was performed to detect phospho (p)-Smad2, Smad2, p-Smad2/3, Smad2/3, Smad7, Col1, Col3, α-SMA, fibronectin, and vimentin. Furthermore, the dual-luciferase reporter assay was performed to prove that miR-181a-5p in ADSC-Exo directly inhibited the expression of Smad2 mRNA to regulate the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) pathway. We also performed qPCR and western blotting to verify the results.

RESULTS:

ADSC-Exo could promote the proliferation and migration of myofibroblasts, reduce the expressions of p-smad2, Smad2, p-smad2/3, Smad2/3, Col1, αSMA, fibronectin, and vimentin and elevated the levels of Smad7 and Col3. In addition, miR-181a-5p was highly expressed in ADSC-Exo and bound to the 3'-untranslated region of Smad2. ADSC-Exo enriched with miR-181a-5p reduced collagen production in myofibroblasts and modulated the TGF-β pathway.

CONCLUSIONS:

ADSC-Exo promoted the proliferative and migratory capacities of myofibroblasts and inhibited collagen deposition and trans-differentiation of myofibroblasts in vitro. miR-181a-5p in exosomes targets Smad2 to regulate the TGF-β pathway in myofibroblasts. ADSC-Exo perform antifibrotic actions through the miR-181a-5p/Smad2 axis and may be a promising clinical treatment for OSF.
Shear strength assessment of reinforced recycled aggregate concrete beams without stirrups using soft computing techniques
Authors: Albostami Asad S. , Al-Hamd Rwayda Kh. S. , Alzabeebee Saif
Published: September 2023

This paper presents a study to predict the shear strength of reinforced recycled aggregate concrete beams without stirrups using soft computing techniques. The methodology involves the development of a Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm Evolutionary Polynomial Regression (MOGA-EPR) and Gene Expression Programming (GEP) models. The input variables considered are the longitudinal reinforcement ratio, recycled coarse aggregate ratio, beam cross-section dimensions, and concrete compressive strength. Data collected from the literature were used to train and validate the models. The results showed that the MOGA-EPR and GEP models can accurately predict the shear strength of beams without stirrups. The models also performed better than equations from the codes and literature. This study provides an alternative approach to accurately predict the shear strength of reinforced recycled aggregate concrete beams without stirrups.
Selective, broad-spectrum antiviral photodynamic disinfection with dicationic imidazolyl chlorin photosensitizers
Authors: Arnaut Zoe A. , Pinto Sara M. A. , Aroso Rafael T. , Amorim Anita S. , Lobo Catarina S. , Schaberle Fabio A. , Pereira Dina , Núñez Jisette , Nunes Sandra C. C. , Pais Alberto A. C. C. , Rodrigues-Santos Paulo , de Almeida Luis Pereira , Pereira Mariette M. , Arnaut Luis G.
Published: September 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic exposes our vulnerability to viruses that acquire the ability to infect our cells. Classical disinfection methods are limited by toxicity. Existing medicines performed poorly against SARS-CoV-2 because of their specificity to targets in different organisms. We address the challenge of mitigating known and prospective viral infections with a new photosensitizer for antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT). Photodynamic inactivation is based on local oxidative stress, which is particularly damaging to enveloped viruses. We synthesized a cationic imidazolyl chlorin that reduced by > 99.999% of the percentage inhibition of amplification of SARS-CoV-2 collected from patients at 0.2 µM concentration and 4 J cm–2. Similar results were obtained in the prevention of infection of human ACE2-expressing HEK293T cells by a pseudotyped lentiviral vector exhibiting the S protein of SARS-CoV-2 at its surface. No toxicity to human epidermal keratinocytes (HaCaT) cells was found under similar conditions. aPDT with this chlorin offers fast and safe broad-spectrum photodisinfection and can be repeated with low risk of resistance.

Graphical abstract
On the Monotonicity of Limit Wave Speed of the pgKdV Equation with Nonlinear Terms of Arbitrary Higher Degree
Authors: Wen Zhenshu
Published: September 2023

We prove that limit wave speed is decreasing for the pgKdV equation with nonlinear terms of arbitrary higher degree in a numerical way. Our results provide the complete answer to the open question suggested by Yan et al. (Math Model Anal 19:537–555, 2014).
Development potentiality of peri-urban region in India: a quantitative analysis on Durgapur Municipal Corporation (DMC)
Authors: Haldar Subrata , Mukhopadhyay Adrika , Bhattacharya Subhasis , Paul Suman
Published: September 2023

India's census towns are determined by specific criteria, including a minimum population of 5,000, 75% male working population in non-primary sector, and a population density of 400 person km−2. The urban population has grown significantly between 1951 and 2011 (62.44 million to 377.1 million) with 186% increase of census towns. However, issues like land scarcity, rising living costs, and urban sprawl persist. The peri-urban area serves as a transitional region between rural and urban environments. The study assesses the development potentiality of Durgapur Municipal Corporation (DMC) peri-urban areas using various indicators, including population density, growth rate, household density, labor force, literacy rate, and basic activities. It aims to gain insights into the socio-economic status, infrastructure requirements, and growth opportunities for sustainable regional development. Techniques like TOPSIS, Moran's Index, and hotspot analysis are employed to visualize development concentration and analyze correlation coefficients. The study reveals that the western and southern sectors in DMC have higher development levels due to better accessibility with respect to both roadways and railways, proper availability of natural resources, and so on. This knowledge guides policymakers in developing sustainable, balanced, and equitable growth strategies.
Distribution of hydrogen atoms at metallurgical microphases of X52 pipeline steel studied by scanning Kelvin probe force microscopy and finite element modelling
Authors: Hu Qing , Li Yuan , Cheng Y. Frank
Published: September 2023

The work combined scanning Kelvin probe force microscopy measurements and finite element modelling to study the diffusion and distribution of hydrogen (H) atoms at metallurgical microphases contained in X52 pipeline steel. Results show that the pearlite contained in the steel is more stable than the ferrite during electropolishing, as indicated by the measured topographic profiles and Volta potentials. The hydrogen (H)-charging enhances the electrochemical activity of both pearlite and ferrite, as shown by increased Volta potential and thus the decreased work function. As the H-charging time increases, the Volta potentials of both phases further increase, implying that their activities increase with the H-charging time. The pearlite has a greater Volta potential and thus a lower work function than the ferrite. This is associated with more H atoms accumulating at the pearlite than at the ferrite. The H atom diffusion and accumulation are affected by H diffusivity at phase boundaries, H-trap binding energy and the number of traps in the steel.
Distribution and trajectory of vital signs from high-frequency continuous monitoring during pediatric critical care transport
Authors: Huo Zhiqiang , Booth John , Monks Thomas , Knight Philip , Watson Liam , Peters Mark , Pagel Christina , Ramnarayan Padmanabhan , Li Kezhi
Published: September 2023

Objective

To describe comprehensively the distribution and progression of high-frequency continuous vital signs monitoring data for children during critical care transport and explore associations with patient age, diagnosis, and severity of illness.

Design

Retrospective cohort study using prospectively collected vital signs monitoring data linked to patient demographic and transport data.

Setting

A regional pediatric critical care transport team based in London, England.

Patients

Critically ill children (age ≤ 18 years) transported by the Children’s Acute Transport Service (CATS) at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) between January 2016 and May 2021 with available high-frequency vital signs monitoring data.

Interventions

None.

Main results

Numeric values of heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), respiratory rate (RR), oxygen saturations (SpO2), and end-tidal carbon dioxide in ventilated children (etCO2) were extracted at a frequency of one value per second totalling over 40 million data points. Age-varying vital signs (HR, BP, and RR) were standardized using Z scores. The distribution of vital signs measured in the first 10 min of monitoring during transport, and their progression through the transport, were analyzed by age group, diagnosis group and severity of illness group. A complete dataset comprising linked vital signs, patient and transport data was extracted from 1711 patients (27.7% of all transported patients). The study cohort consisted predominantly of infants (median age of 6 months, IQR 0–51), and respiratory illness (36.0%) was the most frequent diagnosis group. Most patients were invasively ventilated (70.7%). The Infection group had the highest average (+ 2.5) and range (− 5 to + 9) of HR Z scores, particularly in septic children. Infants and pre-school children demonstrated a greater reduction in the HR Z score from the beginning to the end of transport compared to older children.

Conclusions

Marked differences in the distribution and progression of vital signs between age groups, diagnosis groups, and severity of illness groups were observed by analyzing the high-frequency data collected during paediatric critical care transport.
Panaetius, Scipio Aemilianus, and the Man of Great Soul
Authors: Barlow Jonathan
Published: September 2023

In the second half of the second century BC, a single personality became ascendant in the Roman Republic. Scipio Aemilianus assumed the mantle of the first man in Rome from 146 BC until his death in 129 BC. Modern biographers of this leading statesman have drawn different conclusions about the influence of Greek ethics on the life of Scipio, either that he possessed a Hellenistic way of thinking or that he was a traditional Roman aristocrat. Much debate turns on historiography and the question of the usability of sources like Cicero for the history of the second century BC. This article focusses onde OfficiisBooks 1–2 and the issue of Cicero's debt to the writing of the Stoic philosopher Panaetius of Rhodes, Scipio's friend and tutor. I argue that sufficient evidence exists in the references to Scipio inOff.1–2 to demonstrate that Panaetius had characterised Scipio as influenced by the Stoic way of living and explicitly as a Roman example of the virtue of greatness of soul. This argument is supported by corroborating evidence from Polybius, Scipio's friend and confidant, who also wrote about him in hisHistories.
Interactions enhance dispersion in fluctuating channels via emergent flows
Authors: Wang Y. , Dean D.S. , Marbach S. , Zakine R.
Published: September 2023

Understanding particle motion in narrow channels can guide progress in numerous applications, from filtration to vascular transport. Thermal or active fluctuations of fluid-filled channel walls can slow down or increase the dispersion of tracer particles via entropic trapping in the wall bulges or hydrodynamic flows induced by wall fluctuations, respectively. Previous studies concentrated primarily on the case of a single Brownian tracer. Here, we address what happens when there is a large ensemble of interacting Brownian tracers – a common situation in applications. Introducing repulsive interactions between tracer particles, while ignoring the presence of a background fluid, leads to an effective flow field. This flow field enhances tracer dispersion, a phenomenon reminiscent of that seen for single tracers in incompressible background fluid. We characterise the dispersion by the long-time diffusion coefficient of tracers numerically and analytically with a mean-field density functional analysis. We find a surprising effect where an increased particle density enhances the diffusion coefficient, challenging the notion that crowding effects tend to reduce diffusion. Here, inter-particle interactions push particles closer to the fluctuating channel walls. Interactions between the fluctuating wall and the now-nearby particles then drive particle mixing. Our mechanism is sufficiently general that we expect it to apply to various systems. In addition, our perturbation theory quantifies dispersion in generic advection–diffusion systems.
How COVID-19 is reshaping U.S. national security policy
Authors: Kosal Margaret
Published: September 2023

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States is actively reshaping parts of its national security enterprise. This article explores the underlying politics, with a specific interest in the context of biosecurity, biodefense, and bioterrorism strategy, programs, and response, as the United States responds to the most significant outbreak of an emerging infectious disease in over a century. How the implicit or tacit failure to recognize the political will and political decision-making connected to warfare and conflict for biological weapons programs in these trends is explored. Securitization of public health has been a focus of the literature over the past half century. This recent trend may represent something of an inverse: an attempt to treat national security interests as public health problems. A hypothesis is that the most significant underrecognized problem associated with COVID-19 is disinformation and the weakening of confidence in institutions, including governments, and how adversaries may exploit that blind spot.
Antipsychotics and the risk of diabetes and death among adults with serious mental illnesses
Authors: Poulos Jason , Normand Sharon-Lise T. , Zelevinsky Katya , Newcomer John W. , Agniel Denis , Abing Haley K. , Horvitz-Lennon Marcela
Published: September 2023

Background

Individuals with schizophrenia exposed to second-generation antipsychotics (SGA) have an increased risk for diabetes, with aripiprazole purportedly a safer drug. Less is known about the drugs' mortality risk or whether serious mental illness (SMI) diagnosis or race/ethnicity modify these effects.

Methods

Authors created a retrospective cohort of non-elderly adults with SMI initiating monotherapy with an SGA (olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone, and ziprasidone, aripiprazole) or haloperidol during 2008–2013. Three-year diabetes incidence or all-cause death risk differences were estimated between each drug and aripiprazole, the comparator, as well as effects within SMI diagnosis and race/ethnicity. Sensitivity analyses evaluated potential confounding by indication.

Results

38 762 adults, 65% White and 55% with schizophrenia, initiated monotherapy, with haloperidol least (6%) and quetiapine most (26·5%) frequent. Three-year mortality was 5% and diabetes incidence 9.3%. Compared with aripiprazole, haloperidol and olanzapine reduced diabetes risk by 1.9 (95% CI 1.2–2.6) percentage points, or a 18.6 percentage point reduction relative to aripiprazole users' unadjusted risk (10.2%), with risperidone having a smaller advantage. Relative to aripiprazole users' unadjusted risk (3.4%), all antipsychotics increased mortality risk by 1.1–2.2 percentage points, representing 32.4–64.7 percentage point increases. Findings within diagnosis and race/ethnicity were generally consistent with overall findings. Only quetiapine's higher mortality risk held in sensitivity analyses.

Conclusions

Haloperidol's, olanzapine's, and risperidone's lower diabetes risks relative to aripiprazole were not robust in sensitivity analyses but quetiapine's higher mortality risk proved robust. Findings expand the evidence on antipsychotics' risks, suggesting a need for caution in the use of quetiapine among individuals with SMI.
Pattern synthesis of distorted phased array antenna with unsteady surface deformation considering dynamic range ratio
Authors: Wang Qi , Yu Yuanxin , Pan Yuning , Gao Renjing , Liu Shutian
Published: September 2023

This paper presents an optimization method for pattern synthesis of distorted phased array antenna with unsteady surface deformation considering the dynamic range ratio (DRR). In the synthesis approach, different array deformations under unsteady mechanical loads are considered, and the distorted distribution of array elements is calculated after solving the mechanical deformation model. Then, optimize the excitation coefficients of each array element including amplitude and phase with DRR control so as to recover a high-quality pattern from a deteriorated pattern caused by the unsteady deformations. The optimization objective is to minimize the peak sidelobe level, which is synthesized by using a gradient-based algorithm. The optimized excitations can be used as the initial excitation, and the corresponding phase excitations can be derived according to the different deformations.
War in cities: Why the protection of the natural environment matters even when fighting in urban areas, and what can be done to ensure protection
Authors: Massingham Eve , Almila Elina , Piret Mathilde
Published: September 2023

Around 50 million people across the world are affected by urban warfare. When conflict occurs in cities, the natural environment has historically been relegated to an afterthought, but both the immediate and long-term environmental consequences of urban warfare are serious. This article looks at actions that can be taken to protect the natural environment – and through this, the population – against the effects of urban warfare when fighting in urban areas. It is intended to be a part of the conversation about what parties to armed conflict can and should do to give effect to their legal obligations under international humanitarian law and international law more broadly, with a specific focus on the natural environment when fighting in urban areas.
Characterization of MCPA resistance in Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri)
Authors: Singh Rishabh , Tardif François J. , Jugulam Mithila
Published: September 2023

Phenoxy herbicides (2,4-D and MCPA) are widely used to manage broadleaf weeds including Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson), one of the most troublesome weeds in U.S. cropping systems. Previously, we documented resistance to 2,4-D and MCPA in an A. palmeri population (KCTR) from Kansas. Our recent research suggested rapid metabolism of 2,4-D bestows resistance in KCTR A. palmeri; nonetheless, the mechanism of MCPA resistance in this population is still unknown. The objectives of this research were to (1) evaluate the level of resistance to MCPA in KCTR compared with two known susceptible populations of A. palmeri, MSS and KSS; (2) study the absorption and translocation of [14C]MCPA in KCTR and MSS plants: (3) investigate the metabolic profile of [14C]MCPA in KCTR and MSS and compare those with MCPA-tolerant wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants; and (4) assess the possible role of cytochrome P450 enzymes (P450s) in MCPA metabolism. Experiments were conducted to assess the level of resistance in KCTR. Using [14C]MCPA, the absorption, translocation, and metabolic profiles were assessed in A. palmeri. Involvement of P450s was confirmed using malathion, a known P450 inhibitor. Regression analyses indicate that KCTR population exhibits an
$\sim $
3-fold resistance to MCPA. No difference in absorption of [14C]MCPA was found between MSS and KCTR. However, the KCTR plants translocated less [14C]MCPA at 48 h after treatment (HAT) and metabolized MCPA more rapidly than MSS plants at 12 and 24 HAT. MCPA resistance in KCTR was reversed upon treatment with malathion, indicating the involvement of P450s in metabolism of this herbicide. This is the first report of characterization of MCPA resistance in A. palmeri.
Capturing Equatorial Pacific Variability With Multivariate Sr‐U Coral Thermometry
Authors: Mollica N. R. , Cohen A. L. , Horton F. , Oppo D. W. , Solow A. S. , McGee D.
Published: September 2023

Sr‐U, a coral‐based paleothermometer, corrects for the effects of Rayleigh Fractionation on Sr/Ca by regressing multiple, paired U/Ca and Sr/Ca values. Prior applications of Sr‐U captured mean annual sea surface temperatures (SSTs), inter‐annual variability, and long‐term trends. However, because many Sr/Ca‐U/Ca pairs are needed for a single Sr‐U value as originally formulated, the temporal resolution of the proxy is typically limited to 1 year. Here, we address this limitation by applying laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA‐ICPMS) to three Porites colonies from Jarvis and Nikumaroro Islands in the central equatorial Pacific (CEP), generating ∼25 Sr/Ca‐U/Ca pairs per month of skeletal growth. Both Sr/Ca and U/Ca vary significantly over small (sub‐mm) length scales and support the calculation of Sr‐U values using the original regression method. Over the represented temperature range of 24–31°C, the Sr/Ca‐U/Ca‐SST relationships are nonlinear, a finding consistent with predictions of the Rayleigh model. To reflect this non‐linearity, we developed a calibration using multivariate nonlinear regression. The multivariate, three‐coral calibration was applied to 20 years of monthly resolved Sr/Ca and U/Ca of a coral interval not included in the calibration, yielding RMSE = 0.73°C and r2 = 0.85 (p < 0.05; df = 256). The multivariate calibration performed significantly better than Sr/Ca alone (r2 = 0.28). Applying the new calibration to a subfossil Porites from Kiritimati Atoll, CEP (2200 Before Present) yields equivalent phase and amplitude of interannual variability, but water temperatures ∼1.6°C cooler than they are in this region today.
A Plant Species Dependent Wildfire Black Carbon Emission Inventory in Northern Eurasia
Authors: Huang Ruqi , Dong Xinyi , Cheng Manqiu , Li Xiao , Liu Yaman , Wu Xuexu , Liang Yuan , Wang Minghuai , Fu Joshua S. , Tipton Matthew
Published: September 2023

Wildfire emission inventories are usually applied with biome‐scale emission factors for atmospheric modeling. However, emission factors measured for different plant species vary substantially within the same biome. We apply the species‐specific emission factors and refine the Fire Emission Inventory‐northern Eurasia (FEI‐NE), and derive the wildfire black carbon emission inventory in northern Eurasia from 2002 to 2015. Our new inventory produces 61% more black carbon emissions than current estimates based on Global Fire Emission Database (GFED) and 33% less than FEI‐NE. Model simulations with different inventories are compared with ground‐based and satellite retrievals of aerosol absorption optical depth (AAOD). Compared with the Ozone Monitoring Instrument, the normalized root mean square deviation of AAOD over northern Eurasia is reduced from 1.0 under FEI‐NE to 0.95 through application of the new inventory. This study reveals the importance of applying sub‐biome‐scale emission factors for wildfire inventories development and revisiting emissions uncertainty in atmospheric modeling.
Extreme Altitudes of Stratospheric Hydration by Midlatitude Convection Observed During the DCOTSS Field Campaign
Authors: Homeyer Cameron R. , Smith Jessica B. , Bedka Kristopher M. , Bowman Kenneth P. , Wilmouth David M. , Ueyama Rei , Dean‐Day Jonathan M. , St. Clair Jason M. , Hannun Reem , Hare Jennifer , Pandey Apoorva , Sayres David S. , Hanisco Thomas F. , Gordon Andrea E. , Tinney Emily N.
Published: September 2023

Water vapor's contribution to Earth's radiative forcing is most sensitive to changes in its lower stratosphere concentration. One recognized pathway for rapid increases in stratospheric water vapor is tropopause‐overshooting convection. Since this pathway has been rarely sampled, the NASA Dynamics and Chemistry of the Summer Stratosphere (DCOTSS) field project focused on obtaining in situ observations of stratospheric air recently affected by convection over the United States. This study reports on the extreme altitudes to which convective hydration was observed. The data show that the overworld stratosphere is routinely hydrated by convection and that past documented records of stratospheric heights of convective hydration were exceeded during several DCOTSS flights. The most extreme event sampled is highlighted, for which stratospheric water vapor was increased by up to 26% at an altitude of 19.25 km, a potential temperature of 463 K, and an ozone mixing ratio >1500 ppbv.
Advancing Our Understanding of Martian Proton Aurora Through a Coordinated Multi‐Model Comparison Campaign
Authors: Hughes Andréa C. G. , Chaffin Michael , Mierkiewicz Edwin , Deighan Justin , Jolitz Rebecca D. , Kallio Esa , Gronoff Guillaume , Shematovich Valery , Bisikalo Dmitry , Halekas Jasper , Simon Wedlund Cyril , Schneider Nicholas , Ritter Birgit , Girazian Zachary , Jain Sonal , Gérard Jean‐Claude , Hegyi Bradley
Published: September 2023

Proton aurora are the most commonly observed yet least studied type of aurora at Mars. In order to better understand the physics and driving processes of Martian proton aurora, we undertake a multi‐model comparison campaign. We compare results from four different proton/hydrogen precipitation models with unique abilities to represent Martian proton aurora: Jolitz model (3‐D Monte Carlo), Kallio model (3‐D Monte Carlo), Bisikalo/Shematovich et al. model (1‐D kinetic Monte Carlo), and Gronoff et al. model (1‐D kinetic). This campaign is divided into two steps: an inter‐model comparison and a data‐model comparison. The inter‐model comparison entails modeling five different representative cases using similar constraints in order to better understand the capabilities and limitations of each of the models. Through this step we find that the two primary variables affecting proton aurora are the incident solar wind particle flux and velocity. In the data‐model comparison, we assess the robustness of each model based on its ability to reproduce a proton aurora observation. All models are able to effectively simulate the general shape of the data. Variations in modeled intensity and peak altitude can be attributed to differences in model capabilities/solving techniques and input assumptions (e.g., cross sections, 3‐D vs. 1‐D solvers, and implementation of the relevant physics and processes). The good match between the observations and multiple models gives a measure of confidence that the appropriate physical processes and their associated parameters have been correctly identified and provides insight into the key physics that should be incorporated in future models.
Influence of Wildfire on Downstream Transport of Dissolved Carbon, Nutrients, and Mercury in the Permafrost Zone of Boreal Western Canada
Authors: Hutchins Ryan H. S. , Tank Suzanne E. , Olefeldt David , Quinton William L. , Spence Christopher , Dion Nicole , Mengistu Samson G.
Published: September 2023

Northern regions are undergoing rapid change with wildfires increasing in frequency and severity alongside thawing permafrost and altered water balance. These disturbances could cause significant change in the export of carbon, nutrients, and metals to aquatic systems, with implications for food webs and ecosystem processes. Here, we examine chemical data from a series of 52 streams and rivers that were sampled across a 250,000 km2 expanse of the Taiga Plains and Taiga Shield ecozones of the Northwest Territories, Canada. Samples were collected immediately after and for 3 years following a “megafire” that occurred in this region in 2014, and included wildfire‐affected and non‐affected catchments. While wildfire has been observed to cause significant impacts on water quality in other regions, we here report weak relationships with percent watershed burn with minor to moderate effect sizes, the greatest being a reduction in dissolved organic carbon (−32% concentration). Watershed‐specific properties were a strong driver of large spatial variability in stream water chemistry, which may overwhelm or obscure lesser wildfire effects. The watershed chemical yield‐specific response to wildfire was weaker than the response for concentrations, due to substantial variation and uncertainty in runoff among sites and years. This suggests that watershed chemical yields in this region are more sensitive to changes in water balance due to climate than to altered wildfire regimes.
Neuroimaging in psychedelic drug development: past, present, and future
Authors: Wall Matthew B. , Harding Rebecca , Zafar Rayyan , Rabiner Eugenii A. , Nutt David J. , Erritzoe David
Published: September 2023

Psychedelic therapy (PT) is an emerging paradigm with great transdiagnostic potential for treating psychiatric disorders, including depression, addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder, and potentially others. ‘Classic’ serotonergic psychedelics, such as psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), which have a key locus of action at the 5-HT2A receptor, form the main focus of this movement, but substances including ketamine, 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and ibogaine also hold promise. The modern phase of development of these treatment modalities in the early 21st century has occurred concurrently with the wider use of advanced human neuroscientific research methods; principally neuroimaging. This can potentially enable assessment of drug and therapy brain effects with greater precision and quantification than any previous novel development in psychiatric pharmacology. We outline the major trends in existing data and suggest the modern development of PT has benefitted greatly from the use of neuroimaging. Important gaps in existing knowledge are identified, namely: the relationship between acute drug effects and longer-term (clinically-relevant) effects, the precise characterisation of effects at the 5-HT2A receptor and relationships with functional/clinical effects, and the possible impact of these compounds on neuroplasticity. A road-map for future research is laid out, outlining clinical studies which will directly address these three questions, principally using combined Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) methods, plus other adjunct techniques. Multimodal (PET/MRI) studies using modern PET techniques such as the 5-HT2A-selective ligand [11 C]Cimbi-36 (and other ligands sensitive to neuroplasticity changes) alongside MRI measures of brain function would provide a ‘molecular-functional-clinical bridge’ in understanding. Such results would help to resolve some of these questions and provide a firmer foundation for the ongoing development of PT.
Clinical characteristics and outcomes in risk-stratified patients with smoldering multiple myeloma: data from the Czech Republic Registry of Monoclonal Gammopathies
Authors: Sandecka Viera , Popkova Tereza , Stork Martin , Maisnar Vladimir , Minarik Jiri , Jungova Alexandra , Pavlicek Petr , Stejskal Lukas , Pospisilova Lenka , Heindorfer Adriana , Obernauerova Jarmila , Gregora Evzen , Sykora Michal , Ullrychova Jana , Wrobel Marek , Kessler Petr , Jelinek Tomas , Kunovszki Peter , Bathija Sacheeta , Gros Blanca , Wilbertz Sabine , Cai Qian , Lam Annette , Spicka Ivan
Published: September 2023

Smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM) is an asymptomatic precursor to active multiple myeloma (MM). The aim of this study was to report clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with SMM stratified based on their risk of progression to MM using the Mayo 20/2/20 criteria. Data were leveraged from the Czech Myeloma Group Registry of Monoclonal Gammopathies (RMG). Key outcomes included progression-free survival from SMM diagnosis to active MM diagnosis or death (PFS), progression-free survival from SMM diagnosis to progression on first line (1 L) MM treatment or death (PFS2), and overall survival (OS). Of 498 patients, 174 (34.9%) were classified as high risk and 324 (65.1%) as non–high risk. Median follow-up was approximately 65 months. During follow-up, more patients in the high-risk vs non–high-risk group received 1 L MM treatment (76.4% vs 46.6%, p < 0.001). PFS, PFS2, and OS were significantly shorter in high-risk vs non–high-risk patients (13.2 vs 56.6 months, p < 0.001; 49.9 vs 84.9 months, p < 0.001; 93.2 vs 131.1 months, p = 0.012, respectively). The results of this study add to the growing body of evidence that patients with high-risk vs non–high-risk SMM have significantly worse outcomes, including OS.
Dehydroascorbic acid sensitizes cancer cells to system xc- inhibition-induced ferroptosis by promoting lipid droplet peroxidation
Authors: Ferrada Luciano , Barahona María José , Vera Matías , Stockwell Brent R. , Nualart Francisco
Published: September 2023

Since the discovery of ferroptosis, it has been postulated that this type of cell death could be utilized in treatments for cancer. Unfortunately, several highly aggressive tumor models are resistant to the pharmacological induction of ferroptosis. However, with the use of combined therapies, it is possible to recover sensitivity to ferroptosis in certain cellular models. Here, we discovered that co-treatment with the metabolically stable ferroptosis inducer imidazole ketone erastin (IKE) and the oxidized form of vitamin C, dehydroascorbic acid (DHAA), is a powerful therapy that induces ferroptosis in tumor cells previously resistant to IKE-induced ferroptosis. We determined that DHAA and IKE + DHAA delocalize and deplete GPX4 in tumor cells, specifically inducing lipid droplet peroxidation, which leads to ferroptosis. Moreover, in vivo, IKE + DHAA has high efficacy with regard to the eradication of highly aggressive tumors such as glioblastomas. Thus, the use of IKE + DHAA could be an effective and safe therapy for the eradication of difficult-to-treat cancers.
Targeted inhibition of the methyltransferase SETD8 synergizes with the Wee1 inhibitor adavosertib in restraining glioblastoma growth
Authors: Della Monica Rosa , Buonaiuto Michela , Cuomo Mariella , Pagano Cristina , Trio Federica , Costabile Davide , de Riso Giulia , Cicala Francesca Sveva , Raia Maddalena , Franca Raduan Ahmed , Del Basso De Caro Marialaura , Sorrentino Domenico , Navarra Giovanna , Coppola Laura , Tripodi Lorella , Pastore Lucio , Hench Juergen , Frank Stephan , Schonauer Claudio , Catapano Giuseppe , Bifulco Maurizio , Chiariotti Lorenzo , Visconti Roberta
Published: September 2023

Despite intense research efforts, glioblastoma remains an incurable brain tumor with a dismal median survival time of 15 months. Thus, identifying new therapeutic targets is an urgent need. Here, we show that the lysine methyltransferase SETD8 is overexpressed in 50% of high-grade gliomas. The small molecule SETD8 inhibitor UNC0379, as well as siRNA-mediated inhibition of SETD8, blocked glioblastoma cell proliferation, by inducing DNA damage and activating cell cycle checkpoints. Specifically, in p53-proficient glioblastoma cells, SETD8 inhibition and DNA damage induced p21 accumulation and G1/S arrest whereas, in p53-deficient glioblastoma cells, DNA damage induced by SETD8 inhibition resulted in G2/M arrest mediated by Chk1 activation. Checkpoint abrogation, by the Wee1 kinase inhibitor adavosertib, induced glioblastoma cell lines and primary cells, DNA-damaged by UNC0379, to progress to mitosis where they died by mitotic catastrophe. Finally, UNC0379 and adavosertib synergized in restraining glioblastoma growth in a murine xenograft model, providing a strong rationale to further explore this novel pharmacological approach for adjuvant glioblastoma treatment.
The reaction-diffusion basis of animated patterns in eukaryotic flagella
Authors: Cass James F. , Bloomfield-Gadêlha Hermes
Published: September 2023

The flagellar beat of bull spermatozoa and C. Reinhardtii are modelled by a minimal, geometrically exact, reaction-diffusion system. Spatio-temporal animated patterns describe flagellar waves, analogous to chemical-patterns from classical reaction-diffusion systems, with sliding-controlled molecular motor reaction-kinetics. The reaction-diffusion system is derived from first principles as a consequence of the high-internal dissipation by the flagellum relative to the external hydrodynamic dissipation. Quantitative comparison with nonlinear, large-amplitude simulations shows that animated reaction-diffusion patterns account for the experimental beating of both bull sperm and C. Reinhardtii. Our results suggest that a unified mechanism may exist for motors controlled by sliding, without requiring curvature-sensing, and uninfluenced by hydrodynamics. High-internal dissipation instigates autonomous travelling waves independently of the external fluid, enabling progressive swimming, otherwise not possible, in low viscosity environments, potentially critical for external fertilizers and aquatic microorganisms. The reaction-diffusion system may prove a powerful tool for studying pattern formation of movement on animated structures.