bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Defining an effective “plastics treaty” through national perspectives and visions during early negotiations
Authors: Arora Hunar , March Antaya , Nieminen Laura , Shejuti Sayda-Mehrabin , Walker Tony R.
Published: May 2024

With increased international concern over the pervasive plastic pollution problem, early negotiations to develop a legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution (“the Plastics Treaty”) were supported by 175 member countries toward a sustainable plastics future. Defining features of the plastics treaty by UNEP member countries began in Punta del Este, Uruguay in November 2022 during the first session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-1). However, INC-1 ended with many unanswered questions regarding the structure, scope, and targets of the treaty. Sixty-seven member countries, including members of the High Coalition Ambition, submitted their objectives, guiding principles, and expectations for the treaty before the INC-2 negotiations while also suggesting measures for its effective implementation. This paper compiles submissions of the 67 member countries and evidence-based policymaking approaches that have been described in peer-reviewed and gray literature following INC-1, but before the INC-2 negotiations in Paris, France in June 2023. Recommendations for developing an effective plastics treaty by most member countries include incorporating the complete life cycle of plastics, promotion of transparency in global trade through uniform labeling measures, capping virgin plastic production, incorporating extended producer responsibility to develop a circular economy, and addressing hazardous chemicals in plastics. Suggested implementation measures include building a multilateral fund, supporting smaller countries with technology transfer, improving local stakeholder engagement, developing subsidiary bodies, and regular national reporting. Encouragingly, many of these national plans were proposed in the Zero Draft document released in September 2023 before INC-3 in Nairobi, Kenya in November 2023 and further developed in the revised draft text which served as the provisional agenda at INC-4 in April 2024 in Ottawa, Canada.
THINKING (WITH) THE BODY OF VITRUVIUS’ HOMO BENE FIGURATUS
Authors: Winter Kathrin
Published: May 2024

Vitruvius’ famous description of the homo bene figuratus possesses a slightly paradoxical nature. The description is meant to illuminate a fundamental but very abstract principle underlying the building of temples: symmetry or proportion. For the purpose of illumination, an analogy is drawn between temples and the human body. But even though the description serves an illustrative purpose, it does not at first sight appear to have a specifically illustrative nature since it largely consists of numerical fractions and proportional relations. Additionally, it seems quite difficult to tell what the homo bene figuratus actually looks like because the figure hardly possesses any individual features. And yet, the description inspired a rich reception of drawings during the Renaissance and later (of which Leonardo's version is certainly the most famous). The passage even seems to have taken on a life of its own since in those drawings the homo bene figuratus is usually treated independently of its original purpose and remains unconnected with temples or other buildings. Apparently, the passage—somehow—has an easily comprehensible or even perhaps vivid quality, despite the fact that it mainly lists abstract numerical details.
DEFICIENCY IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION: LACKING THE VITRUVIAN MAN
Authors: Geue Tom
Published: May 2024

Vitruvius is a full-figured text. Bodies proliferate endlessly—as touchstones of measurement, as images of ideal proportions, as analogies for building, empire, discipline, or text—and they dance just as deftly around the scholarship. If we had to pick a metaphor by which Vitruvius lived in writing, we could do no better than corpus. He is perhaps antiquity's greatest embodiment of body. But what I would like to argue in this article is that the Vitruvian body is not uniform; not alone; not ideal; and as an instrument of scientific discovery, it is not enough. It is lacking—and it needs to lack.
Thomas Clayton’s Arsinoe (1705) Reconsidered: An English Opera in the Italian Manner
Authors: McGeary Thomas
Published: May 2024

Thomas Clayton’s opera Arsinoe, Queen of Cyprus (1705), while acknowledged as the first opera in the Italian manner produced in England, is also possibly the most reviled opera of the era, a reputation launched in 1709 by the anonymous author of ‘A Critical Discourse on Opera’s and Musick in England’. The opera’s success during its three-season run is at odds with its present reputation. This article offers a reconsideration of Arsinoe based on examining the historical sources and corrects misconceptions about Clayton’s authorship and attribution of the libretto to Peter Anthony Motteux. Examined are the opera’s recitative, aria forms, melodic style and dramaturgy. It argues that critics have been evaluating Arsinoe according to inappropriate criteria drawn from later eighteenth-century Italian-style operas of Scarlatti, Bononcini, and Handel.

After tracing the genesis of the opera, the article examines the recitatives and the structure and melodic style of the arias. The arias do not follow the usual forms of later opera. The melodic style of the short sectional arias is not ‘Italianate’ and is closer to the native multi-sectional English theatre song. Understanding of the opera’s dramaturgy has been hindered by the graphic layout of the 1705 London wordbook. To aid comprehension of the opera and its relation to its Bologna source libretto and to readily assess the work of the librettist, three online supplements to this article present: (1) parallel texts of the London and Bologna librettos (given in translation); (2) a facsimile of the London wordbook indicating text set by Clayton as aria, duet, or chorus; and (3) a reformatted version of the London wordbook.

The article argues that Arsinoe should not be seen as a failed Italian-style opera but as an innovative, sui generis realization of the ideal of an all-sung dramatic entertainment that would meet the expectations of a London audience that had not yet become familiar with the operatic style of Bononcini and Scarlatti. One feature added to the London libretto, the Epithalamium musical entertainment, shows the opera’s link to England’s dramatic operatic tradition.
Maternal pre-pregnancy diet and prenatal depression: the mediating role of pre-pregnancy weight status and prenatal inflammation
Authors: Vaghef-Mehrabani Elnaz , Bell Rhonda C. , Field Catherine J. , Jarman Megan , Evanchuk Jenna L. , Letourneau Nicole , Giesbrecht Gerald F.
Published: May 2024

Depression is a common prenatal psychological complication. We aimed to investigate if maternal pre-pregnancy diet can impact prenatal depressive symptoms and the mediating role of pre-pregnancy BMI and inflammation. We used data (N 1141) from the Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition cohort study. We calculated Mediterranean diet adherence (MED) and dietary inflammatory index (DII) scores using data from pre-pregnancy FFQ. In the third-trimester, we assessed depressive symptoms using Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) and inflammation through serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. BMI was calculated from self-reported pre-pregnancy weight. Race-stratified analyses (white and people of colour) were run. We observed no association between MED or DII tertiles and depressive symptoms. However, white participants in the MED tertile-3 had lower risk of depression (EPDS < 10) compared with tertile-1 (OR = 0·56, 95 % CI, 0·33, 0·95). White individuals in MED tertile-3 had lower BMI (MD = –1·08; 95 % CI, −1·77, −0·39) and CRP (MD = –0·53; 95 % CI, −0·95, −0·11) than tertile-1, and those in DII tertile-2 (MD = 0·44; 95 % CI, 0·03, 0·84) and tertile-3 (MD = 0·42; 95 % CI, 0·01, 0·83) had higher CRP than tertile-1. Among people of colour, neither MED nor DII was associated with BMI or CRP, but BMI was negatively associated with depressive symptoms (β = –0·25, 95 % CI, −0·43, −0·06). We found no association between diet and depressive symptoms through BMI or CRP, in either race. Pre-pregnancy diet might affect the risk of prenatal depression in a race-specific way. Further research is required to explore the racial differences in the association between maternal diet and prenatal depressive symptoms/depression risk.
Consanguineous marriage and associated diseases among their children and grandchildren in India: evidence from large-scale data
Authors: Kundu Sampurna , Jana Arup
Published: May 2024

Worldwide, more than 130 million infants are born each year and a considerable number of 13.5 million of these children have inbred parents. The present study aimed to investigate the association between parents’ consanguinity and chronic illness among their children and grandchildren in India. The nationally representative data, Longitudinal Aging Study in India, 2017–2018, Wave 1 was used for the present study. Bivariate analysis, a probit model, and propensity score estimation were employed to conduct the study. The study observed the highest prevalence of consanguinity marriage in the state of Andhra Pradesh (28%) and the lowest in Kerala (5%) among the south Indian States. People who lived in rural areas, belonged to the richer wealth quintile and Hindu religion were the significant predictors of consanguinity marriage in India. For individuals who were in consanguineous marriages, there was 0.85%, 0.84%, 1.57% 0.43%, 0.34%, and 0.14% chances of their children and grandchildren developing psychotic disorders, heart disease, hypertension stroke, cancer, and diabetes, respectively. Moreover, around 4.55% of the individuals have a history of birth defects or congenital disorders. To address the risk of complicated illnesses due to the consanguinity of marriage, medical, genetic, and social counselling services are required.
Negotiating extra-settlement roads: Boundary making, administrative disputes, and power shifts in treaty-port Shanghai, 1860–1937
Authors: Sheng Jiakai
Published: May 2024

Throughout Shanghai’s treaty-port era, divergent understandings of the extraterritorial regime and the conflicts between the foreign community’s ‘natural and lawful’ pursuit of additional space and the Chinese rights recovery movement prevented clear demarcations between the city’s foreign settlements and the Chinese sphere. Instead, these controversies produced an expansive boundary zone in the form of extra-settlement roads (ESR), a contested and negotiated space where the projection of foreign power, the exercise of extraterritorial privileges, and the fabric of local Chinese lives were all conditioned by an array of quotidian elements such as public utilities, police protection, tax duties, and urban spatial characteristics. By the 1930s, developments in local, national, and imperial politics—such as the advent of the Guomindang regime, British accommodation of Chinese nationalism, and the dwindling authority of the Shanghai Municipal Council (SMC)—prompted discussions of formal joint Sino-foreign administration of ESR areas. However, this reconfiguration met with vehement resistance from the local Japanese community, which distrusted the British-controlled SMC yet relied on the treaty port’s existing administrative framework as a shield against Chinese threats. The ascendance of mass politics in the 1930s, via Chinese public outcries against imperial encroachment and Japanese settlers’ defence of their treaty rights, challenged the traditional paradigm of boundary-making and made ESR negotiations devolve into secret diplomacy that eventually reached a dead end. Examining ESR dynamics sheds new light on the intricate interplay of national sovereignty, colonial settlement, and imperial domination, while offering a fresh perspective on the shifting power landscapes in treaty-port Shanghai.
Ecto- and endoparasites of common reedbuck, Redunca arundinum, at 2 localities in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa: community and network structure
Authors: Junker Kerstin , Boomker Joop , Horak Ivan G. , Krasnov Boris R.
Published: May 2024

Parasite community structure is governed by functional traits of hosts and parasites. Notably, parasite populations and communities respond to host social and spatial behaviour. Many studies demonstrating these effects dealt with small-bodied host species, while the influence of host social patterns on parasite communities in large hosts remains understudied. In an earlier study on nyalas (Tragelaphus angasii), host age was more important than sex in structuring helminth communities and networks, but the influence of both was mediated by local environmental conditions, creating different locality patterns. Common reedbuck (Redunca arundinum) differ from nyalas in spatial and social behaviour. Based on helminth and ectoparasite data from 56 reedbuck examined at 2 localities in KwaZulu-Natal Province, we asked which patterns are similar and which differ between the 2 host species. Similar to nyalas, reedbuck age was more important than sex in structuring communities and networks. However, local environmental conditions exerted the strongest influence on transmission patterns, especially in ectoparasites. Complex interactions between reedbuck traits, parasite traits and local environmental conditions modulated the risk of infection differently at the 2 sites, confirming our earlier findings in nyalas that pooling data from different locations may obscure location-specific parasite community patterns. Similarities between patterns in reedbuck and nyalas, despite their behavioural differences, suggest some common patterns in parasite community ecology that, in turn, are determined mostly by parasite traits and population dynamics.
Robot base placement and tool mounting optimization based on capability map for robot-assistant camera holder
Authors: Trabelsi Amir , Sandoval Juan , Mlika Abdelfattah , Lahouar Samir , Zeghloul Said , Laribi Med Amine
Published: May 2024

In the field of laparoscopic surgery, research is currently focusing on the development of new robotic systems to assist practitioners in complex operations, improving the precision of their medical gestures. In this context, the performance of these robotic platforms can be conditioned by various factors, such as the robot’s accessibility and dexterity in the task workspace. In this paper, we present a new strategy for improving the kinematic and dynamic performance of a 7-degrees of freedom robot-assisted camera-holder system for laparoscopic surgery. This approach involves the simultaneous optimization of the robot base placement and the laparoscope mounting orientation. To do so, a general robot capability representation approach is implemented in an innovative multiobjective optimization algorithm. The obtained results are first evaluated in simulation and then validated experimentally by comparing the robot’s performances implementing both the existing and the optimized solution. The optimization result led to a 2% improvement in the accessibility index and a 14% enhancement in manipulability. Furthermore, the dynamic performance criteria resulted in a substantial 43% reduction in power consumption.
Emergent bilingual children during the silent period: A scoping review of their communication strategies and classroom environments
Authors: Kan Pui Fong , Jones Morgan , Meyers-Denman Christina , Sparks Natalya
Published: May 2024

This scoping review aimed to investigate the communication strategies utilized by children who acquire a minority language (L1) and subsequently learn a community language (L2) during what is commonly referred to as the “silent period.” Electronic database searches were conducted using keywords such as “silent period” and “bilingual children,” resulting in the inclusion of 40 studies in the review. The findings revealed that emergent bilingual children utilize various communication strategies, including nonverbal communication, private speech, and their L1, to communicate within classroom environments. The findings shed light on the adaptability of emergent bilingual children during early stage of L2 acquisition. Furthermore, our review provides information about the classroom contexts such as teacher support and peer interactions where children develop their L2 skills. From a clinical perspective, recognizing these strategies and classroom contexts could significantly enhance the screening process for emergent bilingual children.
Prenatal diagnosis and perinatal clinical course of isolated left-sided innominate artery
Authors: Sakaki Shinichiro , Ikegawa Takeshi , Kawataki Motoyoshi , Ueda Hideaki
Published: May 2024

Isolated left-sided innominate artery, a rare congenital anomaly in which the left-sided innominate artery arises from the main pulmonary trunk, is usually diagnosed incidentally in children and adults. Limited reports exist on its prenatal diagnosis, with none comprehensively describing the associated perinatal haemodynamic changes. We report a case of prenatally diagnosed isolated left-sided innominate artery, describing the postnatal clinical course.
Political responsiveness and centralized religious leaders: lessons from the Catholic Church
Authors: Ziegler Jeffrey
Published: May 2024

Are centralized leaders of religious organizations responsive to their followers' political preferences over time even when formal accountability mechanisms, such as elections, are weak or absent? I argue that such leaders have incentives to be responsive because they rely on dedicated members for legitimacy and support. I test this theory by examining the Catholic Church and its centralized leader, the Pope. First, I analyze over 10,000 papal statements to confirm that the papacy is responsive to Catholics' overall political concerns. Second, I conduct survey experiments in Brazil and Mexico to investigate how Catholics react to responsiveness. Catholics increase their organizational trust and participation when they receive papal messages that reflect their concerns, conditional on their existing commitment to the Church and their agreement with the Church on political issues. The evidence suggests that in centralized religious organizations, the leader reaffirms members' political interests because followers support religious organizations that are politically responsive.
C.H. Alexandrowicz's India and the Kautilyan Moment
Authors: LANDAUER Carl
Published: May 2024

This article addresses the international legal historian C.H. Alexandrowicz's engagement with Kautilya'sArthashastraas part of his revision of the place of India and Southeast Asia in the development of international law. The article locates Alexandrowicz's writing on theArthashastraagainst the backdrop of the debates about theArthashastrathat ensued upon its discovery in 1905, including controversies about its date, authorship, and place in the tradition of Indian political thought. The article reviews the Indian nationalist reading of Kautilya, the various attempts to compare Kautilya to Hobbes and Machiavelli, and the values that were particularly important for Alexandrowicz in telling the narrative of the place of Kautilya'sArthashastra, its rationalism, secularism, and the divisibility of sovereignty.
Revered and reviled. An outline of the public debate regarding classical language education
Authors: Vereeck Alexandra , Bracke Evelien , De Herdt Katja , Janse Mark
Published: May 2024

The value of classical language education is subject to a fierce dispute, waged continuously and internationally. While some dismiss Classics as useless or elitist, others herald its extraordinary formative value and the many benefits that await pupils. This article aims to give a novel overview of the public debate regarding classical language education, which is defined as follows: the controversy about the instruction of Latin and/or Ancient Greek at the secondary educational level, as it emerges from Western traditional media in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The reader is provided with historical insight into this debate that many classicists find themselves in the middle of, as well as with a logical and coherent framework of the various arguments pro and contra. The arguments are embedded in the history of classical language education, classified into categories, analysed and discussed at length. The classification of arguments hinges on the two main lines of criticism towards the study of classical languages, which are inspired by egalitarianism and utilitarianism respectively. As a backdrop to the analysis, we rely on the sociolinguistic theory of language ideology. The general conclusions of this paper are that the value of classical language education is indeed a highly ideologically charged matter, and that the surrounding public debate has known a remarkably high level of continuity.
Solar and Solar Wind Energy Drivers for O+ and O2+ ${\mathrm{O}}_{2}^{+}$ Ion Escape at Mars
Authors: Schnepf N. R. , Dong Y. , Brain D. , Hanley K. G. , Peterson W. K. , Strangeway R. J. , Thiemann E. M. B. , Halekas J. S. , Espley J. R. , Eparvier F. , McFadden J. P.
Published: May 2024

Mars once had a dense atmosphere enabling liquid water existing on its surface, however, much of that atmosphere has since escaped to space. We examine how incoming solar and solar wind energy fluxes drive escape of atomic and molecular oxygen ions (O+ and ) at Mars. We use MAVEN data to evaluate ion escape from 1 February 2016 through 25 May 2022. We find that Martian O+ and both have increased escape flux with increased solar wind kinetic energy flux and this relationship is generally logarithmic. Increased solar wind electromagnetic energy flux also corresponds to increased O+ and escape flux, however, increased solar wind electromagnetic energy flux seems to first dampen ion escape until a threshold level is reached, at which point ion escape increases with increasing electromagnetic energy flux. Increased solar irradiance (both total and ionizing) does not obviously increase escape of O+ and . Our results suggest that the solar wind electromagnetic energy flux should be considered along with the kinetic energy flux as an important driver of ion escape, and that other parameters should be considered when evaluating solar irradiance's impact on O+ and escape.
Asymmetric Impacts of ENSO on Boreal Winter Southern Subtropical Cell in the Indian Ocean
Authors: Liu Yu , Xu Kang , Wang Weiqiang , Xie Qiang , He Zhuoqi
Published: May 2024

The interannual relationships between the southern subtropical cell (SSTC) in the Indian Ocean (IO) and the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) are examined. The results demonstrate that the impacts of ENSO on the boreal winter IO SSTC display a notable negative skewness, with the amplification of the SSTC during La Niña being far stronger than its reduction during El Niño. This difference is mainly attributed to an asymmetry in anomalous meridional geostrophic transport, characterized by more robust southward (weaker northward) geostrophic transport anomalies during La Niña (El Niño) events. Further analyses reveal that the differing longitudinal positions of the ENSO‐related sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) are the primary drivers of the asymmetry in anomalous meridional geostrophic transport via the oceanic and atmospheric teleconnections. Compared to the warm SSTA in El Niño events, the La Niña‐related cool SSTA in the central‐eastern equatorial Pacific displays a greater westward extension, which induces stronger surface easterlies over the western equatorial Pacific, and then initiates a more substantial sea surface height anomaly (SSHA) in the southeast Indian Ocean (SEIO) through oceanic waveguides. This leads to a heightened zonal SSHA gradient over the southern IO, resulting in a larger anomalous meridional geostrophic transport. On the other hand, the westward extension of negative SSTA during La Niña winters triggers anomalous cyclonic northerlies along the western coast of Australia by shifting the Walker circulation westward. These coastal northerlies amplify the positive SSHA signals in the SEIO and enhance the anomalous meridional geostrophic transport, ultimately contributing to a more robust IO SSTC response.
Winter Convective Mixing Mediating Coupling of N‐Gain and ‐Loss in the Arabian Sea
Authors: Saxena Himanshu , Sahoo Deepika , Nazirahmed Sipai , Sharma Niharika , Rai Deepak Kumar , Kumar Sanjeev , Singh Arvind
Published: May 2024

Marine dinitrogen (N2) fixation fuels primary production and thereby influences the Earth's climate. Yet, its geographical distribution and controlling environmental parameters remain debatable. We measured N2 fixation rates from the two spatially and physicochemically contrasting regions of the Arabian Sea during the winter monsoon: (a) the colder and nutrient‐rich waters in the northern region owing to winter convection and (b) the warmer and nutrient‐poor waters in the southern region unaffected by winter convection. We found higher N2 fixation rates at the surface of northern region due to convective mixing driven supply of phosphate (intuitively iron also) from the underlying suboxic waters. N2 fixation was favored by high nutrient concentrations in the euphotic waters, whereas remained unaffected by nutrient availability in the aphotic waters. We conclude that diazotrophs dwelling in the euphotic zone chose phosphate over fixed nitrogen‐poor waters. However, we found that among oligotrophic waters, anticyclonic eddy extremes the barrier of fixed nitrogen supply, and thereby, elevates N2 fixation. While the Arabian Sea loses about 20%–40% of the global ocean fixed nitrogen, we estimate that N2 fixation in the Arabian Sea offsets only up to 42% of its fixed nitrogen‐loss by denitrification, but this offset could be higher if diazotrophic activity is further examined up to the deeper depths of the Arabian Sea.
Bringing a Lens of Equity to Geoscience Qualifying Examinations
Authors: Dove Lilian A. , Singer Clare E. , Murphy Sara E.
Published: May 2024

Qualifying examinations are an important milestone in geoscience graduate programs, but students with marginalized identities are disproportionately lost from graduate programs around the time of these exams. Inequity in qualifying exams can enter at multiple stages throughout the exam design, student mentorship experience, exam administration, and post exam feedback. Therefore, robust assessment is necessary when building an equitable examination. We provide concrete suggestions for graduate programs to evaluate and modify their qualifying examinations. The data‐driven and iterative process encourages graduate programs to outline specific expectations for success, employ best‐practice pedagogy, proactively support students, and use data to measure progress and inform changes in the examination.
Large‐Scale Wave‐Driven Interactions and Plasma‐Neutral Coupling in the Low‐Latitude Ionosphere‐Thermosphere
Authors: Khadka Sovit M. , Gasperini Federico , Stolle Claudia , Oberheide Jens
Published: May 2024

The plasma and neutral density variations, interactions and coupling processes within ±30° latitudes are examined concurrently by the DMSP‐F18 and Swarm‐C satellite during geomagnetically quiet years in 2020–2021. The wavenumber (WN) patterns are computed in the form of neutral and electron density for two altitudes and their latitudinal profiles are analyzed. We observe that the WN1 structure of the electron density has a significant seasonal dependence in the topside ionosphere and dominates all other structures but WN2 neutral density amplitude dominates all other structures in the middle thermosphere (∼440 km). Additionally, we analyze vertical‐temporal‐latitudinal tidal structures from the Climatological Tidal Model of the Thermosphere (CTMT) to find evidence for the modulation of the large‐scale waves (LSWs) neutral density structures. Through the examination of the in situ observational and modeling approaches, we show that the tidal contributors of WN structures obtained from CTMT can capture the influence of terrestrial sources on the WN structures of plasma‐neutral density and imprint the corresponding vertical coupling in the IT system. Correlation analysis reveals that the amplitudes of the WN1 and WN3 structures of electron density in topside ionosphere and those of neutral density in the middle thermosphere show intermittent but significant correlations with each other, unlike the WN2 and WN4 structures. This study provides new insights into the topside ionospheric response to wave driving in the lower atmosphere, which ultimately improves our capability to understand the interaction and vertical coupling of large‐scale structures, thereby advancing our predictive capabilities of space weather critical for satellite operations.
All-inorganic ultrathin high-sensitivity transparent temperature sensor based on a Mn-Co-Ni-O nanofilm
Authors: Cui Yuanyuan , Sun Mengwei , Liu Changbo , Deng Yuan
Published: May 2024

The demand for optically transparent temperature sensors in intelligent devices is increasing. However, the performance of these sensors, particularly in terms of their sensitivity and resolution, must be further enhanced. This study introduces a novel transparent and highly sensitive temperature sensor characterized by its ultrathin, freestanding design based on a Mn-Co-Ni-O nanofilm. The Mn-Co-Ni-O-based sensor exhibits remarkable sensitivity, with a temperature coefficient of resistance of −4% °C−1, and can detect minuscule temperature fluctuations as small as 0.03 °C. Additionally, the freestanding sensor can be transferred onto any substrate for versatile application while maintaining robust structural stability and excellent resistance to interference, indicating its suitability for operation in challenging environments. Its practical utility in monitoring the surface temperature of optical devices is demonstrated through vertical integration of the sensor and a micro light-emitting diode on a polyimide substrate. Moreover, an experiment in which the sensor is implanted in rats confirms its favorable biocompatibility, highlighting the promising applications of the sensor in the biomedical domain.
FNDC5 prevents oxidative stress and neuronal apoptosis after traumatic brain injury through SIRT3-dependent regulation of mitochondrial quality control
Authors: Ge Yufeng , Wu Xun , Cai Yaning , Hu Qing , Wang Jin , Zhang Shenghao , Zhao Baocheng , Cui Wenxing , Wu Yang , Wang Qiang , Feng Tian , Liu Haixiao , Qu Yan , Ge Shunnan
Published: May 2024

Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress are important mechanisms for secondary injury after traumatic brain injury (TBI), which result in progressive pathophysiological exacerbation. Although the Fibronectin type III domain-containing 5 (FNDC5) was reported to repress oxidative stress by retaining mitochondrial biogenesis and dynamics, its possible role in the secondary injury after TBI remain obscure. In present study, we observed that the level of serum irisin (the cleavage product of FNDC5) significantly correlated with the neurological outcomes of TBI patients. Knockout of FNDC5 increased the lesion volume and exacerbated apoptosis and neurological deficits after TBI in mice, while FNDC5 overexpression yielded a neuroprotective effect. Moreover, FNDC5 deficiency disrupted mitochondrial dynamics and function. Activation of Sirtuin 3 (SIRT3) alleviated FNDC5 deficiency-induced disruption of mitochondrial dynamics and bioenergetics. In neuron-specific SIRT3 knockout mice, FNDC5 failed to attenuate TBI-induced mitochondrial damage and brain injuries. Mechanically, FNDC5 deficiency led to reduced SIRT3 expression via enhanced ubiquitin degradation of transcription factor Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2), which contributed to the hyperacetylation and inactivation of key regulatory proteins of mitochondrial dynamics and function, including OPA1 and SOD2. Finally, engineered RVG29-conjugated nanoparticles were generated to selectively and efficiently deliver irisin to the brain of mice, which yielded a satisfactory curative effect against TBI. In conclusion, FNDC5/irisin exerts a protective role against acute brain injury by promoting SIRT3-dependent mitochondrial quality control and thus represents a potential target for neuroprotection after TBI.
Current understanding of the interplay between extracellular matrix remodelling and gut permeability in health and disease
Authors: Vilardi Aurora , Przyborski Stefan , Mobbs Claire , Rufini Alessandro , Tufarelli Cristina
Published: May 2024

The intestinal wall represents an interactive network regulated by the intestinal epithelium, extracellular matrix (ECM) and mesenchymal compartment. Under healthy physiological conditions, the epithelium undergoes constant renewal and forms an integral and selective barrier. Following damage, the healthy epithelium is restored via a series of signalling pathways that result in remodelling of the scaffolding tissue through finely-regulated proteolysis of the ECM by proteases such as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). However, chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, as occurs in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), is associated with prolonged disruption of the epithelial barrier and persistent damage to the intestinal mucosa. Increased barrier permeability exhibits distinctive signatures of inflammatory, immunological and ECM components, accompanied by increased ECM proteolytic activity. This narrative review aims to bring together the current knowledge of the interplay between gut barrier, immune and ECM features in health and disease, discussing the role of barrier permeability as a discriminant between homoeostasis and IBD.
Proteomic analysis of the urothelial cancer landscape
Authors: Dressler Franz F. , Diedrichs Falk , Sabtan Deema , Hinrichs Sofie , Krisp Christoph , Gemoll Timo , Hennig Martin , Mackedanz Paulina , Schlotfeldt Mareile , Voß Hannah , Offermann Anne , Kirfel Jutta , Roesch Marie C. , Struck Julian P. , Kramer Mario W. , Merseburger Axel S. , Gratzke Christian , Schoeb Dominik S. , Miernik Arkadiusz , Schlüter Hartmut , Wetterauer Ulrich , Zubarev Roman , Perner Sven , Wolf Philipp , Végvári Ákos
Published: May 2024

Urothelial bladder cancer (UC) has a wide tumor biological spectrum with challenging prognostic stratification and relevant therapy-associated morbidity. Most molecular classifications relate only indirectly to the therapeutically relevant protein level. We improve the pre-analytics of clinical samples for proteome analyses and characterize a cohort of 434 samples with 242 tumors and 192 paired normal mucosae covering the full range of UC. We evaluate sample-wise tumor specificity and rank biomarkers by target relevance. We identify robust proteomic subtypes with prognostic information independent from histopathological groups. In silico drug prediction suggests efficacy of several compounds hitherto not in clinical use. Both in silico and in vitro data indicate predictive value of the proteomic clusters for these drugs. We underline that proteomics is relevant for personalized oncology and provide abundance and tumor specificity data for a large part of the UC proteome (www.cancerproteins.org).
Whole-soil warming leads to substantial soil carbon emission in an alpine grassland
Authors: Chen Ying , Qin Wenkuan , Zhang Qiufang , Wang Xudong , Feng Jiguang , Han Mengguang , Hou Yanhui , Zhao Hongyang , Zhang Zhenhua , He Jin-Sheng , Torn Margaret S. , Zhu Biao
Published: May 2024

The sensitivity of soil organic carbon (SOC) decomposition in seasonally frozen soils, such as alpine ecosystems, to climate warming is a major uncertainty in global carbon cycling. Here we measure soil CO2 emission during four years (2018–2021) from the whole-soil warming experiment (4 °C for the top 1 m) in an alpine grassland ecosystem. We find that whole-soil warming stimulates total and SOC-derived CO2 efflux by 26% and 37%, respectively, but has a minor effect on root-derived CO2 efflux. Moreover, experimental warming only promotes total soil CO2 efflux by 7-8% on average in the meta-analysis across all grasslands or alpine grasslands globally (none of these experiments were whole-soil warming). We show that whole-soil warming has a much stronger effect on soil carbon emission in the alpine grassland ecosystem than what was reported in previous warming experiments, most of which only heat surface soils.
Primate retina trades single-photon detection for high-fidelity contrast encoding
Authors: Kilpeläinen Markku , Westö Johan , Tiihonen Jussi , Laihi Anton , Takeshita Daisuke , Rieke Fred , Ala-Laurila Petri
Published: May 2024

How the spike output of the retina enables human visual perception is not fully understood. Here, we address this at the sensitivity limit of vision by correlating human visual perception with the spike outputs of primate ON and OFF parasol (magnocellular) retinal ganglion cells in tightly matching stimulus conditions. We show that human vision at its ultimate sensitivity limit depends on the spike output of the ON but not the OFF retinal pathway. Consequently, nonlinear signal processing in the retinal ON pathway precludes perceptual detection of single photons in darkness but enables quantal-resolution discrimination of differences in light intensity.
ABA-mediated regulation of rice grain quality and seed dormancy via the NF-YB1-SLRL2-bHLH144 Module
Authors: Wang Jin-Dong , Wang Jing , Huang Li-Chun , Kan Li-Jun , Wang Chu-Xin , Xiong Min , Zhou Peng , Zhou Li-Hui , Chen Chen , Zhao Dong-Sheng , Fan Xiao-Lei , Zhang Chang-Quan , Zhou Yong , Zhang Lin , Liu Qiao-Quan , Li Qian-Feng
Published: May 2024

Abscisic acid (ABA) plays a crucial role in promoting plant stress resistance and seed dormancy. However, how ABA regulates rice quality remains unclear. This study identifies a key transcription factor SLR1-like2 (SLRL2), which mediates the ABA-regulated amylose content (AC) of rice. Mechanistically, SLRL2 interacts with NF-YB1 to co-regulate Wx, a determinant of AC and rice quality. In contrast to SLR1, SLRL2 is ABA inducible but insensitive to GA. In addition, SLRL2 exhibits DNA-binding activity and directly regulates the expression of Wx, bHLH144 and MFT2. SLRL2 competes with NF-YC12 for interaction with NF-YB1. NF-YB1 also directly represses SLRL2 transcription. Genetic validation supports that SLRL2 functions downstream of NF-YB1 and bHLH144 in regulating rice AC. Thus, an NF-YB1-SLRL2-bHLH144 regulatory module is successfully revealed. Furthermore, SLRL2 regulates rice dormancy by modulating the expression of MFT2. In conclusion, this study revealed an ABA-responsive regulatory cascade that functions in both rice quality and seed dormancy.
Pixel-wise programmability enables dynamic high-SNR cameras for high-speed microscopy
Authors: Zhang Jie , Newman Jonathan , Wang Zeguan , Qian Yong , Feliciano-Ramos Pedro , Guo Wei , Honda Takato , Chen Zhe Sage , Linghu Changyang , Etienne-Cummings Ralph , Fossum Eric , Boyden Edward , Wilson Matthew
Published: May 2024

High-speed wide-field fluorescence microscopy has the potential to capture biological processes with exceptional spatiotemporal resolution. However, conventional cameras suffer from low signal-to-noise ratio at high frame rates, limiting their ability to detect faint fluorescent events. Here, we introduce an image sensor where each pixel has individually programmable sampling speed and phase, so that pixels can be arranged to simultaneously sample at high speed with a high signal-to-noise ratio. In high-speed voltage imaging experiments, our image sensor significantly increases the output signal-to-noise ratio compared to a low-noise scientific CMOS camera (~2–3 folds). This signal-to-noise ratio gain enables the detection of weak neuronal action potentials and subthreshold activities missed by the standard scientific CMOS cameras. Our camera with flexible pixel exposure configurations offers versatile sampling strategies to improve signal quality in various experimental conditions.
Acute and post-acute respiratory complications of SARS-CoV-2 infection: population-based cohort study in South Korea and Japan
Authors: Choi Yujin , Kim Hyeon Jin , Park Jaeyu , Lee Myeongcheol , Kim Sunyoung , Koyanagi Ai , Smith Lee , Kim Min Seo , Rahmati Masoud , Lee Hayeon , Kang Jiseung , Yon Dong Keon
Published: May 2024

Considering the significant burden of post-acute COVID-19 conditions among patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, we aimed to identify the risk of acute respiratory complications or post-acute respiratory sequelae. A binational population-based cohort study was conducted to analyze the risk of acute respiratory complications or post-acute respiratory sequelae after SARS-CoV-2 infection. We used a Korean nationwide claim-based cohort (K-COV-N; n = 2,312,748; main cohort) and a Japanese claim-based cohort (JMDC; n = 3,115,606; replication cohort) after multi-to-one propensity score matching. Among 2,312,748 Korean participants (mean age, 47.2 years [SD, 15.6]; 1,109,708 [48.0%] female), 17.1% (394,598/2,312,748) were infected with SARS-CoV-2. The risk of acute respiratory complications or post-acute respiratory sequelae is significantly increased in people with SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to the general population (acute respiratory complications: HR, 8.06 [95% CI, 6.92-9.38]; post-acute respiratory sequelae: 1.68 [1.62-1.75]), and the risk increased with increasing COVID-19 severity. We identified COVID-19 vaccination as an attenuating factor, showing a protective association against acute or post-acute respiratory conditions. Furthermore, while the excess post-acute risk diminished with time following SARS-CoV-2 infection, it persisted beyond 6 months post-infection. The replication cohort showed a similar pattern in the association. Our study comprehensively evaluates respiratory complications in post-COVID-19 conditions, considering attenuating factors such as vaccination status, post-infection duration, COVID-19 severity, and specific respiratory conditions.
Potential decoupling of CO2 and Hg uptake process by global vegetation in the 21st century
Authors: Yuan Tengfei , Huang Shaojian , Zhang Peng , Song Zhengcheng , Ge Jun , Miao Xin , Wang Yujuan , Pang Qiaotong , Peng Dong , Wu Peipei , Shao Junjiong , Zhang Peipei , Wang Yabo , Guo Hongyan , Guo Weidong , Zhang Yanxu
Published: May 2024

Mercury (Hg), a potent neurotoxin posing risks to human health, is cycled through vegetation uptake, which is susceptible to climate change impacts. However, the extent and pattern of these impacts are largely unknown, obstructing predictions of Hg’s fate in terrestrial ecosystems. Here, we evaluate the effects of climate change on vegetation elemental Hg [Hg(0)] uptake using a state-of-the-art global terrestrial Hg model (CLM5-Hg) that incorporates plant physiology. In a business-as-usual scenario, the terrestrial Hg(0) sink is predicted to decrease by 1870 Mg yr−1 in 2100, that is ~60% lower than the present-day condition. We find a potential decoupling between the trends of CO2 assimilation and Hg(0) uptake process by vegetation in the 21st century, caused by the decreased stomatal conductance with increasing CO2. This implies a substantial influx of Hg into aquatic ecosystems, posing an elevated threat that warrants consideration during the evaluation of the effectiveness of the Minamata Convention.
Targeting neddylation and sumoylation in chemoresistant triple negative breast cancer
Authors: Powell Reid T. , Rinkenbaugh Amanda L. , Guo Lei , Cai Shirong , Shao Jiansu , Zhou Xinhui , Zhang Xiaomei , Jeter-Jones Sabrina , Fu Chunxiao , Qi Yuan , Baameur Hancock Faiza , White Jason B. , Stephan Clifford , Davies Peter J. , Moulder Stacy , Symmans W. Fraser , Chang Jeffrey T. , Piwnica-Worms Helen
Published: May 2024

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) accounts for 15–20% of breast cancer cases in the United States. Systemic neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT), with or without immunotherapy, is the current standard of care for patients with early-stage TNBC. However, up to 70% of TNBC patients have significant residual disease once NACT is completed, which is associated with a high risk of developing recurrence within two to three years of surgical resection. To identify targetable vulnerabilities in chemoresistant TNBC, we generated longitudinal patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models from TNBC tumors before and after patients received NACT. We then compiled transcriptomes and drug response profiles for all models. Transcriptomic analysis identified the enrichment of aberrant protein homeostasis pathways in models from post-NACT tumors relative to pre-NACT tumors. This observation correlated with increased sensitivity in vitro to inhibitors targeting the proteasome, heat shock proteins, and neddylation pathways. Pevonedistat, a drug annotated as a NEDD8-activating enzyme (NAE) inhibitor, was prioritized for validation in vivo and demonstrated efficacy as a single agent in multiple PDX models of TNBC. Pharmacotranscriptomic analysis identified a pathway-level correlation between pevonedistat activity and post-translational modification (PTM) machinery, particularly involving neddylation and sumoylation targets. Elevated levels of both NEDD8 and SUMO1 were observed in models exhibiting a favorable response to pevonedistat compared to those with a less favorable response in vivo. Moreover, a correlation emerged between the expression of neddylation-regulated pathways and tumor response to pevonedistat, indicating that targeting these PTM pathways may prove effective in combating chemoresistant TNBC.
Perinatal thymic-derived CD8αβ-expressing γδ T cells are innate IFN-γ producers that expand in IL-7R–STAT5B-driven neoplasms
Authors: Sumaria Nital , Fiala Gina J. , Inácio Daniel , Curado-Avelar Marta , Cachucho Ana , Pinheiro Rúben , Wiesheu Robert , Kimura Shunsuke , Courtois Lucien , Blankenhaus Birte , Darrigues Julie , Suske Tobias , Almeida Afonso R. M. , Minguet Susana , Asnafi Vahid , Lhermitte Ludovic , Mullighan Charles G. , Coffelt Seth B. , Moriggl Richard , Barata João T. , Pennington Daniel J. , Silva-Santos Bruno
Published: May 2024

The contribution of γδ T cells to immune responses is associated with rapid secretion of interferon-γ (IFN-γ). Here, we show a perinatal thymic wave of innate IFN-γ-producing γδ T cells that express CD8αβ heterodimers and expand in preclinical models of infection and cancer. Optimal CD8αβ+ γδ T cell development is directed by low T cell receptor signaling and through provision of interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-7. This population is pathologically relevant as overactive, or constitutive, IL-7R–STAT5B signaling promotes a supraphysiological accumulation of CD8αβ+ γδ T cells in the thymus and peripheral lymphoid organs in two mouse models of T cell neoplasia. Likewise, CD8αβ+ γδ T cells define a distinct subset of human T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia pediatric patients. This work characterizes the normal and malignant development of CD8αβ+ γδ T cells that are enriched in early life and contribute to innate IFN-γ responses to infection and cancer.