bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A spatial single-cell atlas of the claustro-insular region uncovers key regulators of neuronal identity and excitability
Authors: Fodoulian Leon , Boillat Madlaina , Moulinier Marie , Carleton Alan , Rodriguez Ivan
Published: November 2024

The claustro-insular region is an evolutionarily conserved and extensively interconnected brain area, critical for functions such as attention, cognitive flexibility, interoception, and affective processing. Despite its importance, its cellular composition and organization remain poorly characterized, hindering a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms underlying its diverse functions. By combining single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics, we created a high-resolution atlas of this region in mice, uncovering distinct neuronal subtypes and unexpected complexity. Leveraging this atlas, we investigated the role of NR4A2, a neuropsychiatric risk factor expressed in several claustro-insular neuronal subtypes. In anNr4a2haploinsufficiency model, we found that only claustrum neurons exhibited shifts in molecular identity. This identity shift, which involved the activation of a transcription factor cascade, was associated with alterations in neuronal firing activity. Our findings provide new insights into the cellular architecture of the claustro-insular region and highlightsNr4a2as a master regulator of its component’s identities.
A novel CCDC112-dependent process of sperm midpiece formation and epididymal maturation
Authors: Graffeo Maddison L. , Nguyen Joseph , Parast Farin Yazdan , Merriner D. Jo , Dunleavy Jessica E.M. , Korneev Denis , Okuda Hidenobu , O’Connor Anne E. , Conrad Donald F. , Nosrati Reza , Houston Brendan , O’Bryan Moira K.
Published: November 2024

The sperm mitochondrial sheath has proposed functions in structural support and energy production for motility. Here we define coiled coil domain containing protein 112, CCDC112, as crucial for male fertility, specifically in the assembly and function of the mitochondrial sheath. We unveiled a previously unrecognised process of epididymal mitochondrial sheath maturation. Sperm mitochondrial sheaths are structurally immature upon exiting the testis and continue to mature as they transit from the caput to the cauda epididymis. Data reveal the critical role of CCDC112 in mitochondrial morphogenesis during sheath formation. A lack of CCDC112 lead to significantly reduced mitochondrial respiration capacity, irregular flagellar waveforms, diminished progressive motility and a failure of sperm to traverse the female reproductive tract to the site of fertilisation and penetrate the zonae pellucidae of oocytes. Finally, we identify CCDC112 as a component of the distal appendages of the mother centriole and identify a facilitative role in core tail assembly. Collectively, CCDC112 is a key regulator of sperm mitochondrial sheath assembly while further expanding the understanding of spermatogenesis, energy generation and flagella kinematics.
Distribution of haploid chromosomes into separate nuclei in two pathogenic fungi
Authors: Xu Yan , Tian Lei , Tan Jinyi , Li Josh , O’Neil Nigel , Hirst Martin , Hieter Phil , Zhang Yuelin , Li Xin
Published: November 2024

The presence of nuclei defines eukaryotes, enabling compartmentalization of macromolecules and cellular regulation. Inside the nucleus, chromosome numbers vary greatly across organisms, both in terms of ploidy status and haploid chromosome number. For cells harboring multiple nuclei as in many fungal mycelia and animal muscle cells, each healthy nucleus is traditionally believed to carry at least one haploid set of chromosomes. Abnormal chromosome numbers in nuclei are often associated with aging, diseases such as cancer, developmental disorders or lethality. Here we report a surprising discovery that chromosomes in haploid cells of the fungal speciesSclerotinia sclerotiorumandBotrytis cinereaare segregated into separate nuclei, with each nucleus containing only a fraction of the chromosomes. This is the first report of eukaryotic cells that partition chromosome subsets into distinct nuclei, bringing new questions and opening fresh avenues for chromosome biology.
Climate and predation drive variation of diel activity patterns in chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) across southern Africa
Authors: Dzingwena L. , Thel L. , Choisy M. , Garbett R. , Wilkinson Anita , Venter J. , Fritz H. , Huchard E. , Prugnolle F. , Rougeron V.
Published: November 2024

Animals need to adjust their diel activity patterns to fulfil their energy and social requirements whilst avoiding predation risk and environmental constraints. The chacma baboon (Papio ursinus) is a highly adjustable primate occupying a variety of habitats in southern Africa, yet little is known about its diel activity patterns in different environments. We used camera trap data collected from 2016 to 2022 in 29 sites in South Africa and Zimbabwe to characterise the diel activity pattern variations of chacma baboons in different biomes (savanna, nama-karoo, fynbos, forest, thicket and grassland). We quantified activity using non-parametric kernel density functions and extracted activity level estimates, times of wake up, sleep and activity peaks. Chacma baboons’ activity levels significantly decrease by approximately 2.84% with a unit increase in latitude. We did not find any significant effect of latitude on “wake up” and “go to sleep” time of chacma baboons. Within a day, chacma baboons are more active in the morning and the afternoon and their diel activity levels decreased with temperature, and precipitation throughout the day, but increased with predator activity at night and morning. The results show that chacma baboons can flexibly adjust to local conditions in rapidly changing southern African environments.
Presaccadic attentional shifts are not modulated by saccade amplitude
Authors: Zimmermann Bortoluzzi Luan , Carlos-Lima Estêvão , Mueller de Melo Gabriela , Hongjin Song Zhu Melissa , Rohenkohl Gustavo
Published: November 2024

Humans constantly explore the visual environment through saccades, bringing relevant visual stimuli to the center of the gaze. Before the eyes begin to move, visual attention is directed to the intended saccade target. As a consequence of this presaccadic shift of attention (PSA), visual perception is enhanced at the future gaze position. PSA has been investigated in a variety of saccade amplitudes, from microsaccades to locations that exceed the oculomotor range. Interestingly, recent studies have shown that PSA effects on visual perception are not equally distributed around the visual field. However, it remains unknown whether the magnitude of presaccadic perceptual enhancement varies with the amplitude of the saccades. Here, we measured contrast sensitivity thresholds during saccade planning in a two-alternative forced-choice (2AFC) discrimination task in human observers. Filtered pink noise (1/f) patches, presented at four eccentricities scaled in size according to the cortical magnification factor were used as visual targets. This method was adopted to mitigate well-known eccentricity effects on perception, thereby enabling us to explore the effects associated to saccade amplitudes. First, our results show that saccade preparation enhanced contrast sensitivity in all tested locations. Importantly, we found that this presaccadic perceptual enhancement was not modulated by the amplitude of the saccades. These findings suggest that presaccadic attention operates consistently across different saccade amplitudes, enhancing visual processing at intended gaze positions regardless of saccade size.
Contactin-1 is a critical neuronal cell surface receptor for perineuronal net structure
Authors: Sinha Ashis , Nickerson Gabrielle , Bouyain Samuel , Matthews Russell T.
Published: November 2024

Perineuronal nets (PNNs), are neuron-specific substructures within the neural extracellular matrix (ECM). These reticular structures form on a very small subset of neurons in the central nervous system (CNS) and yet have a profound impact in regulating neuronal development and physiology. PNNs are well-established as key regulators of plasticity in the CNS. Their appearance coincides with the developmental transition of the brain more to less plastic state. And, importantly, numerous studies have demonstrated that indeed PNNs play a primary role in regulating this transition. There is, however, a growing literature implicating PNNs in numerous roles in neural physiology beyond their role in regulating developmental plasticity. Accordingly, numerous studies have shown PNNs are altered in a variety of neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases, linking them to these conditions. Despite the growing interest in PNNs, the mechanisms by which they modulate neural functions are poorly understood. We believe the limited mechanistic understanding of PNNs is derived from the fact that there are limited models, tools or techniques that specifically target PNNs in a cell-autonomous manner and without also disrupting the surrounding neural ECM. These limitations are primarily due to our incomplete understanding of PNN composition and structure. In particular, there is little understanding of the neuronal cell surface receptors that nucleate these structures on subset of neurons on which they form in the CNS. Therefore, the main focus our work is to identify the neuronal cell surface proteins critical for PNN formation and structure. In our previous studies we demonstrated PNN components are immobilized on the neuronal surface by two distinct mechanisms, one dependent on the hyaluronan backbone of PNNs and the other mediated by a complex formed by receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase zeta (RPTPζ) and tenascin-R (Tnr). Here we first demonstrate that the Tnr-RPTPζ complex in PNNs is bound to the cell surface by a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-linked receptor protein. Using a biochemical and structural approach we demonstrate the GPI-linked protein critical for binding the Tnr-RPTPζ complex in PNNs is contactin-1 (Cntn1). We further show the binding of this complex in PNNs by Cntn1 is critical for PNN structure. We believe identification of CNTN1 as a key cell-surface protein for PNN structure is a very significant step forward in our understanding of PNN formation and structure and will offer new strategies and targets to manipulate PNNs and better understand their function.
Chronic mycobacteria infection triggers macrophage senescence
Authors: Scarpa E. , Oliveri D. , Moschetti G. , Griego A. , Vianello A. , Rondelli D. , Antinori B. , Marchello G. , Santarelli P. , Albanese M. , Franzè S. , Cidonio G. , Manganaro L. , Lorè Nicola I. , Rizzello L.
Published: November 2024

Chronic infections with intracellular pathogens such asMycobacterium abscessus(Mab) pose significant health challenges due to their capacity to persist within host cells and evade immune responses. This study investigates the cellular responses to chronic Mab infection in macrophages, particularly focusing on cellular senescence. Using an in vitro model of chronic infection in murine alveolar-like macrophages, we found that Mab induces a senescent phenotype characterised by decreased proliferation, altered morphology, DNA damage signalling activation, and upregulation of senescence markers such as p21 and SA-β-galactosidase. Intriguingly, senescent macrophages secreted pro-inflammatory cytokines, consistent with a senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), which promoted secondary senescence in neighbouring uninfected cells. This paracrine transmission of senescence underscores a potentially deleterious effect ofMab-induced SASP on tissue microenvironments, fostering a pro-inflammatory niche that may contribute to pathogen persistence. These findings highlightMab-induced senescence as a key factor in chronic infection pathology, suggesting that targeting senescent cells and SASP-related pathways could enhance treatment outcomes in chronic bacterial infections.
Single-molecule imaging reveals the role of membrane-binding motif and C-terminal domain of RNase E in its localization and diffusion inEscherichia coli
Authors: Troyer Laura , Wang Yu-Huan , Shobhna  , Kim Seunghyeon , Woo Jeechul , Tajkhorshid Emad , Kim Sangjin
Published: November 2024

InEscherichia coli, RNase E is the key enzyme for RNA processing and mRNA degradation. Despite the conserved function across bacteria, the domain composition of RNase E varies significantly among species, possibly affecting the enzyme’s subcellular localization, mobility, and function. In this work, we used super-resolution microscopy to find that 93% of RNase E is localized to the membrane inE. coliand exhibits slow diffusion comparable to polysomes diffusing in the cytoplasm. By replacing the native amphipathic membrane targeting sequence (MTS) with a transmembrane motif, we discovered that the MTS results in slower diffusion and stronger membrane binding than a transmembrane motif. Additionally, the evolutionarily divergent C-terminal domain (CTD) was shown to grant slow diffusion of RNase E but to weaken its membrane binding. By analyzing how membrane localization and diffusion of RNase E affect mRNA degradation ratesin vivo, we provide new insights into RNase E’s role in the spatiotemporal organization of RNA processes in bacterial cells.
Vitamin B12 partially rescues embryonic cell migration defects inC. elegansephrin mutants by improving both propionic acid breakdown and one-carbon cycle metabolic pathways
Authors: Ganjawala Tushar H. , Hsiao Erin , Amom Prativa , Molaei Radmehr , Goodwin Samantha , Zacharias Amanda L.
Published: November 2024

Successful cell migration followed by tissue fusion is required for organogenesis in a number of tissues, many of which are susceptible to gene-environment interactions that can result in congenital anomalies. InC. elegansembryogenesis, one such event is the closure of the ventral cleft, which must occur as the first step in morphogenesis, otherwise embryos arrest; this process depends on ephrin signaling, but no single gene mutation is fully penetrant embryonic lethal. We exposed hermaphrodites mutant forvab-1, theC. elegansephrin receptor, to various environmental conditions and found that vitamin B12 supplementation could partially rescue the embryonic lethality of multiple alleles from 40% survival to 63% survival. Analysis ofvab-1mutant phenotypes showed that vitamin B12 reduced the frequency of ventral cleft closure failure by promoting more normal cell positions and increased migration by the precursor cells of those that adhere to close the cleft. We found that vitamin B12 partially rescued the embryonic lethality of other ephrin pathway mutants, but not mutants that have ventral cleft defects due to cell adhesion or cell fate defects. We found that rescue by vitamin B12 depends on its functions in both mitochondrial propionic acid breakdown and the one-carbon cycle, and that antioxidant treatment can also partially rescue ephrin pathway mutants. These results are distinct from the larval response to vitamin B12, which depends only on the one-carbon cycle, emphasizing the unique metabolism of embryos and particularly the metabolic needs of migrating cells. Overall, our findings highlight theC. elegansembryo as a model system to investigate gene-environment interactions and developmental metabolism.
Cargo-selective regulation of clathrin-mediated endocytosis by AMP-activated protein kinase
Authors: Orofiamma Laura A , Delos Santos Ralph Christian , Mehrabi Ayshin , Leshchyshyn Nikol , Hesketh Geoffrey G , Rahmani Sadia , Patel Aesha , Fekri Farnaz , Ata Rehman , Ratcliffe Colin DH , Crupi Mathieu JF , Mulligan Lois , Park Morag , Gingras Anne-Claude , Antonescu Costin N
Published: November 2024

The cell surface abundance of many proteins is controlled by clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME). CME is driven by the assembly of clathrin and other proteins on the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane into clathrin-coated pits (CCPs). Regulation of CCP dynamics allows for control of the function of specific cell surface proteins, impacting a range of cellular outcomes. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) becomes activated upon metabolic insufficiency and facilitates cellular adaptation to nutrient stress. Here, we examined how AMPK regulates CME and the cell surface membrane traffic of β1-integrin. We find that AMPK controls CCP dynamics and regulates the abundance of the endocytic adaptor protein Dab2 within CCPs in a manner that requires the GTPase Arf6, thus selectively promoting the CCP recruitment and internalization of β1-integrin. This reveals a novel signaling pathway for cargo-selective metabolic regulation of CME by AMPK, impacting the function of cell surface proteins such as integrins.
Perturbation therapies for neurodegenerative disorders: How attractors of excitable networks can help
Authors: Popova Mariia , Hilgetag Claus C. , Hütt Marc-Thorsten
Published: November 2024

We investigate the influence of the network topology on the asymptotic dynamical patterns, attractors, in a general model of excitable dynamics on signed directed graphs. In this framework, network topology manifests itself as an interplay of positive and negative feedback loops. A small change in a feedback loop, by addition or removal of edges in the graph, can drastically change the dynamical patterns in the network, characterized by the appearance and disappearance of attractors from the attractor space of the network. We identify the determinants of such events via a systematic set of numerical experiments. As application examples, we discuss the basal ganglia network that is relevant in the context of Parkinson's disease and the two-compartment cortico-thalamic network thought to be related to generating epileptic seizures, showing that a given attractor in the attractor space of a network can be induced or destroyed via a specific set of topological manipulations. Thus, we propose a systematic way to alter the dynamical landscape of the system via changes in its topology and hence for perturbation therapies like deep brain stimulation.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Benchmarking Digital Quantum Simulations Above Hundreds of Qubits Using Quantum Critical Dynamics
Authors: Miessen Alexander , Egger Daniel J. , Tavernelli Ivano , Mazzola Guglielmo
Published: November 2024

The real-time simulation of large many-body quantum systems is a formidable task, that may only be achievable with a genuine quantum computational platform. Currently, quantum hardware with a number of qubits sufficient to make classical emulation challenging is available. This condition is necessary for the pursuit of a so-called quantum advantage, but it also makes verifying the results very difficult. In this paper, we flip the perspective and utilize known theoretical results about many-body quantum critical dynamics to qualitatively benchmark digital quantum hardware and various error mitigation techniques. In particular, we benchmark against known universal scaling laws in the Hamiltonian simulation of a time-dependent transverse-field Ising Hamiltonian of up to 133 qubits. Incorporating only basic error mitigation and suppression methods, our study shows reliable control up to a two-qubit gate depth of 28, featuring a maximum of 1396 two-qubit gates, before noise becomes prevalent. These results are transferable to applications such as Hamiltonian simulation, variational algorithms, optimization, or quantum machine learning. We demonstrate this on the example of digitized quantum annealing for optimization and identify an optimal working point in terms of both circuit depth and time step on a 133-site optimization problem.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Financial mechanisms for energy transitions: a review article
Authors: Long Pham Dinh , Tram Nguyen Huynh Mai , Ngoc Pham Thi Bich
Published: November 2024

Purpose

The transition from fossil fuel-based energy systems to renewable energy sources, commonly referred to as the energy transition, is essential for combating climate change. However, comprehensive studies that thoroughly examine the financial mechanisms involved in this process are lacking. Despite the availability of various financial tools, there is a notable absence of extensive research that synthesizes and categorizes these mechanisms into broad groups.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature review is used to explore a comprehensive framework for financial mechanisms related to the energy transition and their application across six stages of the process.

Findings

The framework of financial mechanisms for energy transition encompasses these six factors: public financing mechanisms, private financing mechanisms, market-based mechanisms, innovative financing mechanisms, risk mitigation instruments and institutional support and capacity building.

Originality/value

This is the first study that thoroughly reviewed the financial mechanisms involved in the energy transition process.
Strategic human capital analytics and new venture performance: role of dual nationality founding member
Authors: Faiz Misbah , Sarwar Naukhez , Tariq Adeel , Dias Jordão Ricardo Vinícius , Memon Mumtaz Ali
Published: November 2024

Purpose

Strategic human capital analytics (SHCA) has proven to be promising for improved organizational performance; however, research remains unclear about its influence on new venture performance. Building on the dynamic capabilities view (DCV), this study investigates the relationship between SHCA and new venture performance via generative capabilities with the moderating role of dual nationality founding members.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative research study has been carried out. Data was collected via a survey form from 313 founding members of new tech ventures and analyzed using Hayes process macro model.

Findings

Research results show that the generative capability mediates the linkages between SHCA and new venture performance. Whereas, the dual nationality of a founding member strengthens the linkages between SHCA and generative capability due to their diverse perspective, larger networks, cognitive flexibility, and resilience, which are important for generative capabilities and SHCA.

Originality/value

The originality of these results lies in the exploration of the linkages between dual nationality and generative capability, as well as the special elements, such as diverse perspectives, larger networks, cognitive flexibility, and resilience, which are highlighted as possible advantages of dual nationality in the context of SHCA and new venture performance.
With Latour in our hands: discovering the politics of organizing and the aesthetic matter of things
Authors: Raviola Elena , Gasparin Marta
Published: November 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to pay tribute to the work of Bruno Latour and its relevance for organization scholars particularly, by relentlessly going beyond the reified category of “organization.” We rely in particular on our own experiences of conducting fieldwork with Latour in our hands and expose our journeys, sometimes feeling naked, embarrassed and naive. By following traces of actions, paying attention to things and appreciating plurality, with Latour we have discovered the politics of organizing and the aesthetic matter of things.

Design/methodology/approach

We use our own methodological experience to describe how Latour’s work has helped us concretely. We structure our methodological reasoning around three excursions in the field, corresponding to our different fieldwork journeys. For each excursion, we rely on descriptions and reflect on how we have traced actions, paid attention to things and appreciated plurality, as set out in the introduction.

Findings

We render through excursions our Latour moments, that is, critical moments in fieldwork, where we get stuck and embarrassed and where Latour’s texts with simple questions help us move. Against the critique of ANT as being apolitical and unable to account for the body, we explain how we have precisely, through our ANT investigations, intersected between politics, aesthetics and organizing through three main ways of displacing us in the field: leaving a priori categories and questioning what we see; placing our view somewhere and moving it in an oligopticon-like way; and “thick thinging.”

Originality/value

The paper is a tribute to Latour’s work and wants to contribute to emphasizing his relevance for understanding not only organization in general but also the politics and aesthetics of organizing. We reassemble our fieldwork journeys and, despite their being personal to us, we believe that our learnings are recognizable and recognized by other scholars. We conclude with a research suggestion relevant to organization scholars.
Nordic legal overseers and institutional openness in crises: Challenges and adaptation during the COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Erkkilä Tero , Mölsä Juho , Vähäniitty Ella
Published: November 2024

We analyze challenges and adaptation strategies of Nordic legal overseers, the Parliamentary Ombudsmen and Chancellors of Justice in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, amid the COVID‐19 crisis. We study how the accountability capacities of the legal overseers were affected when standard practices of inclusive decision‐making were severed, and how they adapted to these challenges. Furthermore, we seek to understand what explains observed variation in the degree of challenges and needed adaptation measures. The observed challenges include increased and sometimes politicized caseload, limited expertise in medical field and conflicting or underdefined mandates among the institutions. The challenges and adaptation were conditioned by institutional traditions and ad‐hoc arrangements in crisis management. In Finland and Sweden, the legal overseers became prominent sites for legal and public accountabilities of crisis governance and experienced more acute organizational challenges from increased and politicized caseloads as actors were seeking alternative accountability forums when participation and openness were severed. In Norway and Denmark, where other institutions were prominent in overseeing crisis governance and its legality, the legal overseers had a more pressing need to adapt for an evolving organizational landscape with new ad‐hoc arrangements to oversee crisis management. Contributing to institutional approach on accountability and ombudsman research, we find a dynamic relationship between the government openness and legal oversight where the constraints for openness in crisis governance led to various challenges for the legal overseers' accountability capacities but to which they adapted by promoting openness as a right as well as an enabling mechanism for other accountability institutions.
Border fortification and legibility: Evidence from Afghanistan
Authors: Blair Christopher W.
Published: November 2024

States often fortify their borders against militant threats. How do these efforts shape civilian welfare and perceptions in borderland communities? I conceptualize border fortification as a legibility‐building endeavor. By bolstering state reach in areas of weak historical penetration, fortification enhances the government's capacity for monitoring, administration, and control. Yet, expanding state authority also disrupts traditional cross‐border markets. A trade‐off between security and corruption emerges in consequence. I provide evidence for this theory in a difference‐in‐differences framework, combining administrative records on violence and representative data from a NATO‐commissioned survey fielded across Afghanistan. Fortification facilitates government information‐collection, improving security provision and fostering civilian reliance on state forces. Enhanced state capacity is countervailed by negative economic impacts. By disturbing the informal borderland economy, fortification fuels criminalization and local opposition. Civilians rely on illicit economic entrepreneurs to sustain traditional market access. Higher smuggling rents fuel official corruption and bribe‐taking. The findings point to a key dilemma inherent in border fortification strategies.
The indispensable function of agricultural cooperatives in South Sudan
Authors: Francesconi Nicola , Miteng Justin , Wouterse Fleur
Published: November 2024

Most of South Sudan's rural population ekes out a living from farming in a fragile context characterized by compounding and interrelated shocks. The productivity of maize, a key staple, has remained comparatively low. South Sudan is currently transforming its agricultural sector to be at the centre of its economic activity. Programming has zoomed in on seed‐related interventions. Cooperatives, which are longstanding and widespread in the country, are leveraged to distribute seed and, by mitigating production risk, could contribute to resilient development. To shed light on the key functions of cooperatives and how their role can be enhanced, we analysed recent data from 1247 maize‐producing households and 126 agricultural cooperatives from South Sudan. We find that through their services cooperatives contribute to both increasing maize yields and reducing their variability. Yield increases associated with seed production and/or distribution services are substantial but exclusive to members. Managerial capital in the form of a hired manager instead also generates spillover effects to the broader community. Our findings point to the relevance of cooperatives as indispensable stakeholders for the resilient development of the country and the need for investments to strengthen their managerial capital and enhance the provision of services related to seed production and/or distribution.
Faience beads excavated from Laolongtou cemetery, Yanyuan: new evidence of the cultural exchange between the south‐western and north‐western parts of China
Authors: Liu Yunling , Tian Jianbo , Zhou Zhiqing , Hao Xiaoxiao , Li Haichao
Published: November 2024

Ancient Chinese beads provide important evidence of cultural exchanges. This study used a scanning electron microscope with an energy‐dispersive spectrometer to analyse the microstructure and chemical composition of faience beads excavated from Laolongtou cemetery in Yanyuan county, China. Based on the analysis results, two glazing methods (efflorescence and cementation) and two bead types (high‐Pb and high‐K beads) were identified. A comparison of the chemical compositions of samples unearthed at the Laolongtou cemetery and samples from north‐western China indicated close regional contact. Bronze wares and burial customs in Laolongtou cemetery also revealed that the Yanyuan region might be a significant node in the Southern Silk Road between the south‐western and north‐western parts of China and even in Southeast Asia.
Effects of manakin gut passage on germination of a neotropical melastome shrub (Melastomataceae)
Authors: Rompf Katherine , Anderson H. Luke , Karubian Jordan
Published: November 2024

Gut passage is an important but understudied component of animal‐mediated seed dispersal that can impact germination and survival. Melastomataceae plants are abundant and ecologically important throughout the tropics, but studies have obtained contrasting results regarding effects of avian gut passage on melastome germination. We conducted a paired germination experiment to test how gut passage by four species of manakins—key avian dispersers of melastomes—affects germination of the pioneer melastome shrub Miconia rubescens. Manakin gut passage accelerated M. rubescens germination, with gut‐passed seeds germinating an average of 5.1 days earlier than controls, and percent germination of gut‐passed seeds was significantly higher at 20 and 40 days post‐planting. Interestingly, manakin species varied in their gut passage effects, with L. velutina having stronger overall germination effects than M. manacus. Within species, greater body mass was correlated with higher percent germination and shorter times to first germination. Within M. manacus, seeds passed by females had significantly shorter times to first germination than seeds passed by males. Because control seeds were manually depulped in the experiment, the observed gut passage effects are likely attributable to minor scarification of the seed coat during gut transit. Our results suggest manakin gut passage can have biologically meaningful impacts on melastome germination, and the magnitude of these effects can vary based on manakin species, mass, and sex. This study refines our understanding of the “quality” component of seed disperser effectiveness in an iconic dispersal mutualism, with implications for plant community composition and recovery of deforested neotropical ecosystems.

Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.
Nothing to hide: How governments justify the adoption of ag‐gag laws
Authors: Weiler Anelyse M. , Zavitz Tayler
Published: November 2024

Mainstream practices for producing meat, eggs, and dairy raise numerous concerns regarding public health, animal welfare, and environmental integrity. However, governments worldwide have expanded anti‐whistleblower legislation that constrains informed public debate. Since 2019, several Canadian provinces have adopted so‐called “ag‐gag” laws designed to prevent hidden‐camera investigations on farms and meat processing facilities. How do governments across Canada justify ag‐gag laws as serving the public interest? To what extent do agricultural industry interests shape government adoption of ag‐gag laws? Using Freedom of Information requests and debate records from provincial legislatures, we find that biosecurity is the most prominent justification for ag‐gag laws, and that governments exhibit a close, collaborative relationship with industry actors. This case demonstrates that when it comes to contested sites of capital accumulation, governments are drawing on new spatial‐legal tools to protect the status quo interests of private industry by dissuading dissent, debate, and public scrutiny.
The fertility gap and economic freedom
Authors: Piano Clara E. , Stone Lyman R.
Published: November 2024

The difference between desired fertility and achieved fertility is called the fertility gap. This paper investigates the relationship between economic freedom and the fertility gap across the United States since greater economic freedom may empower individuals to choose work more compatible with their family goals. We test this hypothesis using individual measures of fertility preferences from a nationally representative survey of reproductive‐aged women (2020–2024) and find evidence that women are more likely to achieve their family goals in states with greater economic freedom. This effect is strongest when focusing on variation in labor market freedom.
Specialization trends in economics research: A large‐scale study using natural language processing and citation analysis
Authors: Galiani Sebastian , Gálvez Ramiro H. , Nachman Ian
Published: November 2024

This article conducts a comprehensive analysis of specialization trends within and across fields of economics research. We collect data on 24,273 articles published between 1970 and 2016 in general research economics outlets and employ machine learning techniques to enrich the collected data. Results indicate that theory and econometric methods papers are becoming increasingly specialized, with a narrowing scope and steady or declining citations from outside economics and from other fields of economics research. Conversely, applied papers are covering a broader range of topics, receiving more extramural citations from fields like medicine, and psychology. Trends in applied theory articles are unclear.
Calculative Practices Shaping the Global Accountability Forum for Climate Agenda
Authors: Soares Thiago Vitor Ferreira , Aquino André Carlos Busanelli de
Published: November 2024

Calculative practices are everywhere, including the enactment and diffusion of sustainable development goals, such as quantifying and monetizing carbon markets, criteria for allocating donations for sustainability programs, and performance measurement of compromises and goals. We critically explore the performativity and counter‐performativity from the calculative practices orbiting and shaping the annual debate on climate governance and how they are related to the vulnerability of populations. Our qualitative analysis comprised a comprehensive set of documents produced by enrolled participants of meetings and workshops between two annual Conferences of the Parties of the United Nations. We identified and exemplified three calculative practices, and despite their intended performativity, some counter‐effects, like social exclusion and criticism by stakeholders, arise.
Sustainability and Performance Evaluation in Third Sector Partnerships: The Case of Turin Fast Track City
Authors: Amelio Stefano , Gazzola Patrizia , Biancone Paolo , Brescia Valerio
Published: November 2024

COVID‐19 radically changed how public services (activities of general interest) are pursued and administered. The search for resilient models has prompted public administration to test new regulatory approaches and to involve the third sector in the provision of primary services. This study investigates the sustainability and capacity of these models, specifically the implementation of a co‐planning and co‐design model aimed at measuring the possible creation of value and achieving common objectives. On the basis of an analysis of the development of the Turin Fast Track City project, the study employs a longitudinal method to identify not only the sustainability of the model but also new effective performance measurement tools, such as SIA analysis and integrated social accounting using financial and non‐financial elements. The study also highlights critical elements aimed at supporting future investigations.
The life cycle of intermittent streams: How do fish communities respond to annual cycles of wetting and drying?
Authors: Kelly Benjamin T. , Bruckerhoff Lindsey A.
Published: November 2024

Intermittent streams periodically cease to flow but still support diverse aquatic assemblages. Community dynamics within intermittent streams are likely driven by a wide range of factors, including drying regime, refuge availability, and connectivity with perennial systems.

We compared fish community dynamics over the course of a drying and rewetting period to quantify differences in fish community composition and recovery trajectories across a gradient of drying. We predicted that shifts in fish community structure as streams dry and rewet would be similar across streams with similar drying regimes and streams with more severe drying would be less likely to recover when streams rewetted.

Seasonal shifts in community composition were variable in streams that retained isolated pools, with similar patterns occurring in streams of similar size.

Despite a lack of synchrony in shifts in community composition among sites, fish communities exhibited recovery post‐drying across all drying regimes.

The quick recovery of stream fish communities after drying may suggest intermittent streams provide beneficial habitats or resources and highlight the importance of network connectivity to allow community recovery after drying.
Meter Against Essentialism
Authors: Eldridge Hannah Vandegrift
Published: November 2024

Recent scholarship on poetic materiality has found itself caught between celebration of the way rhythm might link language and the body, on the one hand, and critiques of the way such a link can lead and has led to various types of essentialism, on the other. Rhythm has a long history of activating essentialist tropes of primitivism and savagery, which in turn see certain groups (children, women, the “insane,” or racialized others) as fully determined by sensory language and bodily rhythm. In the face of this history and its afterlives, I argue for meter as a resource to help readers and scholars of poetry identify and critique essentializing approaches while upholding at least the possibility of claims for the affective and somatic efficacy of poetic language.
Effect of interventions for health care students to develop positive attitude toward the elderly: A meta‐analysis study
Authors: Başer Gülfidan , Hisar Filiz
Published: November 2024

Aim

The rise in the elderly population all over the world has led to an increase in the health care needs of elderly individuals. Thus, health care professionals need programs to help them develop positive attitudes toward the elderly during their education process. This study aims to explore the effect of interventions that encourage health care students to develop positive attitudes toward the elderly.

Methods

In this research utilizing the meta‐analysis method, searches were conducted across eight databases. Following the screening process, a total of 14 101 studies were retrieved, of which 13 were ultimately included in the meta‐analysis.

Results

Following the meta‐analysis, the effect size of interventions for positive attitude development toward the elderly was found to be statistically significant at 0.422 (95% confidence interval, 0.013–0.830; P = 0.043).

Conclusion

Thirteen studies in which the effect of interventions for positive attitude development toward the elderly was examined revealed that the effect was moderately in favor of the experimental group. Although there are a large number of studies in the literature that aim to develop positive attitudes toward the elderly, well‐designed studies with high methodological quality are needed to obtain high level evidence. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; 24: 1370–1379.
Blood pressure variability associated with falls in nursing home residents
Authors: Soultan El Hassan , Hara Anjandeep , Knutson Peter , Holzwarth Elizabeth , Klug Marilyn , Basson Marc D , Dahl Lindsey , McGrath Ryan , Manocha Gunjan , Jurivich Donald A
Published: November 2024

Background

High variations in serially measured blood pressures (BPs) portend a variety of adverse clinical events including dementia, cardiovascular sequelae and frailty. In this study, systolic blood pressure variability (BPV) was examined for its association with fall frequency and time to next fall among older adults living in nursing homes.

Methods

BP values and falls over time were extracted from medical records of nursing home residents aged ≥65 years over a 10‐month period. BPV was measured as the standard deviation of 17 to 20 systolic values, and its correlation with falls and time to next fall were evaluated according to quartile values.

Results

One hundred patient charts were analyzed with nearly 2000 BP data points. All older adults had at least one fall incident. Higher BPV was related to more falls, shorter time between the first and second fall and fewer average days between falls. Subgroups of high BP and different diagnoses affected this association between BPV and falls.

Conclusions

People who fall often show a high variability in BP; as the number of falls increases, the BPV also increases. This study suggests that BPV may be marker for patients who might benefit from more aggressive application of fall reduction strategies. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; 24: 1315–1319.
Efficacy of Bismuth Quadruple Therapy in the Treatment of Helicobacter pylori‐Infected Peptic Ulcer Children in Vietnam
Authors: Do Thi Minh Phuong , Tran Thi Huyen Trang , Nguyen Van Tinh , Chu Thi Phuong Mai , Nguyen Loi , Nguyen Kim Thanh , Hoang Thi Bich Ngoc , Phuong Anh Le Huu , Yamaoka Yoshio , Olson Linus , Nguyen Thi Viet Ha
Published: November 2024

Background

The continuous increase in drug‐resistant strains, the lack of novel antibiotics, and the fewer options available to combat antibiotic‐resistant infections in pediatrics pose significant challenges to the eradication of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in children. This study evaluated the efficacy of first‐line therapy with bismuth quadruple therapy in H. pylori‐positive pediatric patients with peptic ulcers.

Materials and Methods

136 patients (aged between 8 and 17 years) diagnosed with active peptic ulcers with H. pylori infection were enrolled in this study. Patients with H. pylori strain sensitive to tetracycline and metronidazole were assigned to bismuth quadruple therapy, including a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), bismuth, tetracycline, and metronidazole. Antibiotic resistance of H. pylori was analyzed by the Epsilometer test. Treatment efficacy was evaluated at 12 weeks based on H. pylori eradication and peptic ulcer healing rates. H. pylori infection status was evaluated by a 13C‐urea breath test.

Results

Most isolates showed extremely high rates of resistance to commonly prescribed antibiotics used for children, including clarithromycin (97.0%) and amoxicillin (84.6%), while the low rate of resistance to levofloxacin (16.2%). The overall success rate of eradication therapy in the intention‐to‐treat and the per‐protocol group were 86.0% and 89.3%, respectively. Peptic ulcer healing rates for total patients at 6 weeks and 12 weeks were 75.0% and 97.7%, respectively. There were no entail unpleasant adverse events, and peptic ulcer symptoms decreased steadily over time in all cases.

Conclusions

The bismuth quadruple therapy with a 2‐week PPI pretreatment and followed by prolonged PPI was highly successful in eradicating H. pylori infection and healing ulcers in pediatric patients with active peptic ulcer. This might be preferable as a first‐line empiric treatment regimen for H. pylori‐positive pediatric patients with peptic ulcers, especially in populations with high rates of resistance to amoxicillin and clarithromycin.
Effect of gradation on thermal and mechanical properties of reaction‐bonded silicon carbide ceramics
Authors: Liu Ruibin , Chen Yuhong , Chen Zhengxiang , Hai Wanxiu , Liu Meiling
Published: November 2024

Particle grading is a reliable method to improve mechanical properties of reaction‐bonded silicon carbide (RBSC) ceramics. This work aims to explore the effects of particle grading on thermal and mechanical characteristics of RBSC ceramics. Results showed that the powder grading enabled to increase sintering density of silicon carbide (SiC) ceramics. The use of large particle SiC powder in grading led to a 28% increase in thermal conductivity but a 22% decrease in bending strength. Meanwhile, the addition of finer SiC powder exerted minimal effect on thermal conductivity but noticeably increased bending strength by 10%. Therefore, properly adjusting particle size in grading allows for the control of residual Si content and microstructure, thereby simultaneously increasing thermal conductivity and bending strength of the material.
Comparative demography of two wild cladoceran species, Alona quadrangularis and Scapholeberis mucronata, collected in western Washington state and reared under laboratory conditions
Authors: Driessnack Melissa K. , McIntyre Jenifer , Stark John D.
Published: November 2024

Populations of two cladoceran species, Alona quadrangularis and Scapholeberis mucronata, were collected from a pond in Puyallup, Washington, and reared under controlled laboratory conditions. Life tables were developed for each species under the same environmental conditions and feeding regimen to develop basic demographic data. We also compared the major demographic parameters of these two wild species with those of several cladoceran species that are commonly used in laboratory research, Daphnia pulex, D. magna, and Ceriodaphnia dubia. Compared to A. quadrangularis, S. mucronata had a much higher net reproductive rate (R0), a longer generation time (T), but a similar intrinsic rate of increase (rm), similar finite rate of increase, similar doubling time (DT), and a lower birth rate (b). Both wild species had lower R0, shorter T, and higher b than in D. pulex, D. magna, and C. dubia. Results of this study showed that demographic rates differed between A. quadrangularis and S. mucronata, and differed from those reported for the other three laboratory species. These results suggest that data developed for commonly used cladoceran species in the laboratory should not be used to make generalizations about effects on wild species.