bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
First photometric and orbital period investigations of four W UMa-type eclipse binaries
Authors: Hu Ke , Meng Zi-Bin , Wang Hong-Wei , Yu Yun-Xia , Xiang Fu-Yuan
Published: November 2022

We presented the first photometric and orbital period investigations for four W Ursae Majoris-type binaries: V473 And, V805 And, LQ Com, and EG CVn. The photometric solutions suggested that V805 And and LQ Com are two total-eclipse contact binaries, while V473 And and EG CVn are partial-eclipse ones. V473 And and LQ Com belong to the A-subtype contact binaries, while V805 And and EG CVn belong to the W subtype. The O’Connell effects found in the light curves of V805 And, LQ Com, and EG CVn can be interpreted as a result of a cool spot on the surface of their less massive and hotter primary components. Based on two different methods, the absolute physical parameters were properly determined. Combining the eclipse timings derived from our observations and survey’s data with those collected from literature, we investigated their orbital period variations. The results show that the orbital periods of V473 And, V805 And, and EG CVn are undergoing a secular decrease/increase superposed a periodic variation, while LQ Com exhibits a possible cyclic period variation with a small amplitude. The secular period changes are caused mainly by the mass transfer between two components, while the cyclic period oscillations may be interpreted as the results of either the light-time effect due to the third body or the cyclic magnetic activity. Finally, we made a statistical investigation for nearly 200 contact binaries with reliable physical parameters. The statistical results suggested that the W-subtype systems are more evolved than the A-subtype ones. Furthermore, the evolutionary direction of A-subtype into W-subtype systems is also discussed. The opposite evolutionary direction seems to be unlikely because it requires an increase of the total mass, the orbital angular momentum, and the temperature differences between two components of a binary system.
‘Connoisseurs of Stone’: Everyday Sarsen Stone in Neolithic Britain
Authors: WHITAKER KATY A.
Published: November 2022

Sarsen stone boulders are familiar components of numerous British Neolithic megalithic monuments. Non-monumental uses of sarsen stone are, however, less well understood. This paper focuses on non-megalithic sarsen and its roles for communities, using case studies from three sites spanning the Neolithic in Wiltshire. Published data from Windmill Hill causewayed enclosure and analysis, using a new methodology, of recently excavated material from the West Kennet Avenue occupation site, and Marden henge enclosure are used to explore the varied ways in which sarsen was used. Rather than being an expedient ‘mundane’ stone this analysis demonstrates that non-megalithic sarsen could be just as meaning-laden as other more ‘attractive’ (larger, exotic) material. Daily encounters with sarsen stone for different purposes and in varied quotidian contexts afforded it with values which likely contributed to its use in monumental contexts. The importance of attending to sarsen in its multiple forms and contexts is thus made clear.
SOCIETY IN TRANSITION: CULTURAL CHANGE IN THE EARLY BRONZE AGE CEMETERY AT NIŽNÁ MYŠL’A IN THE LIGHT OF ABSOLUTE CHRONOLOGY
Authors: Jaeger Mateusz , Stróżyk Mateusz , Olexa Ladislav
Published: November 2022

The article presents the results of research on the absolute chronology of the Nižná Myšľa cemetery. Due to its scale and location in a key region of the Carpathian Basin, it should be considered one of the most important Early Bronze Age sites in Central Europe. Many years of archaeological research have so far failed to provide adequate data on absolute chronology. This text presents the results of statistical and spatial analyses on a series of newly acquired 14C dates. They allowed us to present a model of the spatial and chronological development of the funerary space and to capture the stage of significant cultural change associated with the adoption of a new raw material—bronze.
-ALGEBRAS OF SELF-SIMILAR ACTION OF GROUPOIDS ON ROW-FINITE DIRECTED GRAPHS
Authors: YUSNITHA ISNIE
Published: November 2022

For amenable discrete groupoids
$\mathcal {G}$
and row-finite directed graphs E, let
$(\mathcal {G},E)$
be a self-similar groupoid and let
$C^*(\mathcal {G}, E)$
be the associated
$C^*$
-algebra. We introduce a weaker faithfulness condition than those in the existing literature that still guarantees that
$C^*(\mathcal {G})$
embeds in
$C^*(\mathcal {G}, E)$
. Under this faithfulness condition, we prove a gauge-invariant uniqueness theorem.
AN AMAZING IDENTITY OF GAUSS AND JENKINS’ LEMMA
Authors: CHAN HENG HUAT , CHAN SONG HENG
Published: November 2022

We prove several finite product-sum identities involving the q-binomial coefficient, one of which is used to prove an amazing identity of Gauss. We then use this identity to evaluate certain quadratic Gauss sums and, together with known properties of quadratic Gauss sums, we prove the quadratic reciprocity law for the Jacobi symbol. We end our article with a new proof of Jenkins’ lemma, a lemma analogous to Gauss’ lemma. This article aims to show that Gauss’ amazing identity and the properties of quadratic Gauss sums are sufficient to establish the quadratic reciprocity law for the Jacobi symbol.
Defining Victimhood: The Political Construction of a “Victim” Category in Colombia’s Congress, 2007–2011
Authors: Foringer Kristin
Published: November 2022

Scholars of state classification practices have long interrogated how official legal categories are constructed. This paper analyzes the construction of “victimhood” in Colombia as a feat that required negotiation among international human rights organizations, local civil society actors, and politicians across the partisan spectrum. The Victims’ Law of 2011, which sought to provide widespread reparations to victims of the civil conflict, originated from the concerns of the human rights community, yet the deliberation process leading up to the law’s passage reveals the extent to which elite historical narratives of the conflict unduly narrowed the universe of eligible victims. Using archival evidence from congressional debates from 2007 to 2011, this paper argues that the broad conception of victimhood originally inherited from United Nations guidelines came to be constrained by disproportionate influence from politicians’ personal understandings of conflict history, shaped by anecdote and the selective use of historical evidence. These rationales interacted with budgetary constraints to ultimately restrict the victim category according to negotiated temporal boundaries of the conflict.
Childhood, Love and Politics: The Montonero ‘Nursery’ in Cuba during the Cold War
Authors: Cosse Isabella
Published: November 2022

This article examines the conditions that led the Argentine armed group Montoneros to establish a nursery in Cuba, in 1979, to care for the children of exiled members who had decided to return to the country to fight against a dictatorial regime characterised by the crime of enforced disappearance and supported by continental and global alliances. The analysis focuses on the dilemmas children posed for militants and the organisation and how those concerns were in part addressed by setting up a facility to care for the children. The article then considers how that childcare effort by the Montoneros connected with Cuba's internationalist and refugee policies and with continental struggles, as well as looking at how the children involved experienced it. This reconstruction offers a new approach to thinking about political conflicts in the heated Cold War scenario in Latin America, through the lens of children's history and by exploring how love and politics are intertwined.
Generational, sex, and socioeconomic inequalities in mental and social wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic: prospective longitudinal observational study of five UK cohorts
Authors: Moreno-Agostino Darío , Fisher Helen L. , Hatch Stephani L. , Morgan Craig , Ploubidis George B. , Das-Munshi Jayati
Published: November 2022

Background

Research suggests that there have been inequalities in the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and related non-pharmaceutical interventions on population mental health. We explored generational, sex, and socioeconomic inequalities during the first year of the pandemic using nationally representative cohorts from the UK.

Methods

We analysed data from 26772 participants from five longitudinal cohorts representing generations born between 1946 and 2000, collected in May 2020, September–October 2020, and February–March 2021 across all five cohorts. We used a multilevel growth curve modelling approach to investigate generational, sex, and socioeconomic differences in levels of anxiety and depressive symptomatology, loneliness, and life satisfaction (LS) over time.

Results

Younger generations had worse levels of mental and social wellbeing throughout the first year of the pandemic. Whereas these generational inequalities narrowed between the first and last observation periods for LS [−0.33 (95% CI −0.51 to −0.15)], they became larger for anxiety [0.22 (0.10, 0.33)]. Generational inequalities in depression and loneliness did not change between the first and last observation periods, but initial depression levels of the youngest cohort were worse than expected if the generational inequalities had not accelerated. Women and those experiencing financial difficulties had worse initial mental and social wellbeing levels than men and those financially living comfortably, respectively, and these gaps did not substantially differ between the first and last observation periods.

Conclusions

By March 2021, mental and social wellbeing inequalities persisted in the UK adult population. Pre-existing generational inequalities may have been exacerbated with the pandemic onset. Policies aimed at protecting vulnerable groups are needed.
Review Essay: Recent Works in the Political Theory of Migration
Authors: Sager Alex
Published: November 2022

Thirty-five years ago, Joseph Carens published “Aliens and Citizens: The Case for Open Borders” in the Review of Politics. It is only a slight overstatement to say that this article created the subfield of political theory of migration. Today, the field is flourishing. Migration continues to be one of today's most politically fraught and morally urgent issues. An estimated hundred million people have fled violence and persecution. Hundreds of millions more cross international borders every year. States have responded with highly restrictive policies, in which people need to resort to perilous routes, often in the hands of smugglers, to claim asylum.
Eligibility criteria vs. need for pre-exposure prophylaxis: a reappraisal among men who have sex with men in Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Authors: de la Court Feline , Boyd Anders , Davidovich Udi , Hoornenborg Elske , Schim Van Der Loeff Maarten F. , De Vries Henry J. C. , Van Wees Daphne A. , Van Benthem Birgit H. B. , Xiridou Maria , Matser Amy , Prins Maria
Published: November 2022

To reappraise pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) eligibility criteria towards the men who have sex with men (MSM) with highest HIV-risk, we assessed PrEP need (i.e. HIV-risk) using Amsterdam Cohort Studies data from 2011–2017 for all non-PrEP using MSM. Outcomes were incident HIV-infection and newly-diagnosed anal STI. Determinants were current PrEP eligibility criteria (anal STI and condomless sex (CAS)) and additional determinants (age, education, group sex, alcohol use during sex and chemsex). We used targeted maximum likelihood estimation (TMLE) to estimate the relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of determinants on outcomes, and calculated population attributable fractions (PAFs) with 95% CI using RRs from TMLE. Among 810 included MSM, 22 HIV-infections and 436 anal STIs (n = 229) were diagnosed during follow-up. Chemsex (RR = 5.8 (95% CI 2.0–17.0); PAF = 55.3% (95% CI 43.3–83.4)), CAS with a casual partner (RR = 3.3 (95% CI 1.3–8.7); PAF = 38.0% (95% CI 18.3–93.6)) and anal STI (RR = 5.3 (95% CI 1.7–16.7); PAF = 22.0 (95% CI −16.8 to 100.0)) were significantly (P < 0.05) associated with and had highest attributable risk fractions for HIV. Chemsex (RR = 2.0 (95% CI 1.6–2.4); PAF = 19.5 (95% CI 10.6–30.6)) and CAS with a casual partner (RR = 2.5 (95% CI 2.0–3.0); PAF = 28.0 (95% CI 21.0–36.4)) were also significantly associated with anal STI, as was younger age (16–34/≥35; RR = 1.7 (95% CI 1.4–2.1); PAF = 15.5 (95% CI 6.4–27.6)) and group sex (RR = 1.3 (95% CI 1.1–1.6); PAF = 9.0 (95% CI −2.3 to 23.7)). Chemsex should be an additional PrEP eligibility criterion.
Mother and child mental health over time in children with Autism and/or ADHD in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children
Authors: May Tamara , Williams Katrina
Published: November 2022

This study utilised a longitudinal population-based study to explore mother and child mental health trajectories over time from child age 0 to 14 years, between children with ASD, ADHD, or ASD + ADHD. It explored whether a bidirectional relationship between mother psychological distress and child emotional and behavioural problems (EBPs) existed. The birth cohort from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children was used. Child EBPs were assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire; and mother emotional distress using the Kessler K6. Generalised estimating equations and structured equation modelling was used to understand changes over time, differences between groups and bidirectional relationships. As expected, children with ASD, ADHD or ASD + ADHD had higher EBPs than children without, and their mothers had higher levels of psychological distress across most time points, but with differing trajectories. Mothers of children with ASD (with or without ADHD) showed increasing psychological distress over time, while mothers of children with ADHD had reducing distress. The bidirectional relationship between mother and child mental health found in children without diagnoses was only partially present in children with ASD/ADHD. Findings highlight support needs and discuss implications for transactional models of parent/child emotional problems in children with neurodevelopmental disorders.
Neural activation, cognitive control, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: Evaluating three competing etiological models
Authors: Peisch Virginia , Arnett Anne B.
Published: November 2022

Background:

Cognitive control impairments are observed across several psychiatric conditions, highlighting their role as a transdiagnostic marker. Individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have difficulties with inhibition, working memory, processing speed, and attention regulation. These cognitive control impairments may either mediate or moderate the association between neurobiological vulnerabilities and phenotypic presentation in neurodevelopmental disorders. Alternately, neurocognitive vulnerabilities in ADHD may be additive, akin to a multiple deficit model. We tested the mediation, moderation, and additive models using neurocognitive data in youth with ADHD.

Methods:

7–11 year-old children diagnosed with ADHD (n = 75) and control children (n = 29) completed EEG recordings and neuropsychological testing (full scale IQ; cognitive control). Caregivers provided ADHD symptom ratings. Correlations and linear regression analyses were completed to examine the associations among cortical functioning (aperiodic slope), cognitive control, and ADHD symptoms.

Results:

We found support for an additive model wherein vulnerabilities in aperiodic slope, event-related potentials, and cognitive control each explained unique variance in ADHD symptoms. There was some evidence that cognitive control moderates the effect of atypical cortical development on ADHD symptoms. There was no support for the mediation model.

Conclusions:

The etiology of ADHD symptoms is multifaceted and involves multiple “hits” across neurological and cognitive-behavioral factors.
Institutional resilience: how the formal legal system sustains informal cooperation
Authors: Buchen Clemens
Published: November 2022

This paper introduces the concept of institutional resilience based on a population game. Agents in an economy are randomly matched to play a coordination game with two strategies, cooperate and defect. A breach of contract can be adjudicated in court. Agents can update their strategy, which is modelled using the replicator dynamic. In this context, cooperation is defined as the informal institution, whereas the legal system (contract law) constitutes the formal institution. Institutional resilience is defined by how the formal institution of a functioning legal system complements the informal institution of cooperation in a dynamic way. In the wake of an adverse exogenous shock, the formal institution can prevent a total breakdown of cooperation in the population.
Design and analysis of broadband circularly polarized compact planar antennas for 2.45 GHz RFID handheld reader applications
Authors: Agrawal Niraj , Gautam Anil Kumar , Rambabu Karumudi
Published: November 2022

In this article, an innovative design of a broadband circularly polarized compact planar antenna for RFID (radio frequency identification) receivers is presented. The suggested structure used the concept of slots loaded parasitic element printed underneath a coplanar waveguide-fed radiator to achieve the circularly polarized (CP) radiation and size reduction. A parasitic element loaded with F-slot and L-slot, and a window-type slotted ground plane was used to achieve resonance at 2.45 GHz with right-handed circularly polarized radiation for RFID handheld reader application. Experimental results confirmed that the designed antenna of size 16.5 × 14.8 × 1.6 mm3 attained a −10 dB impedance bandwidth of 15.8% (from 2.330 to 2.716 GHz) and 3 dB AR bandwidth of 3.43% (from 2.410 to 2.494 GHz). An axial ratio of 0.43 dB was achieved in the boresight of the antenna at the 2.45 GHz RFID band. The concept of electric field distribution on the antenna was used to elaborate the excitation of CP radiation in the antenna.
Human activities and zoonotic epidemics: a two-way relationship. The case of the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Tounta Despoina D. , Nastos Panagiotis T. , Tesseromatis Christine
Published: November 2022

Non-technical summary

Humans have the tendency to damage the natural environment in many ways. Deforestation and conversion of forests for residential, industrial development, and expansion of agricultural crops, as well as the burning of fossil fuels, are some activities that disrupt natural ecosystems and wildlife and contribute to climate change. As a result, the life cycles of pathogens and intermediate hosts (insects, rodents, mammals) as well as biodiversity are affected. Through these activities, humans meet wild animals that transmit pathogens, resulting in their infection by zoonoses and causing epidemics–pandemics, the effects of which have as their final recipient himself and his activities.

Technical summary

This article aims to highlight the two-way relationship between those human activities and the occurrence of epidemics–pandemics. We will try to elaborate this two-way relationship, through the overview of the current pandemic (origin of SARS-CoV-2, modes of transmission, clinical picture of the disease of COVID-19, influence of weather and air pollution on prevalence and mortality, pandemic effects, and treatments). They are used as primary sources, scientific articles, literature, websites, and databases (Supplementary appendix) to analyze factors involved in the occurrence and transmission of zoonotic diseases in humans (Ebola, influenza, Lyme disease, dengue fever, cholera, AIDS/HIV, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV). The present paper concluded that humanity today faces two major challenges: controlling the COVID-19 pandemic and minimizing the risk of a new global health crisis occurring in the future. The first can be achieved through equitable access to vaccines and treatments for all people. The second needs the global community to make a great change and start protecting the natural environment and its ecosystems through the adoption of prevention policies.

Summary of social media

Two-way relationship between human activities and epidemics highlighted, through review of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Spatial Microbial Respiration Variations in the Hyporheic Zones Within the Columbia River Basin
Authors: Son Kyongho , Fang Yilin , Gomez‐Velez Jesus D. , Chen Xingyuan
Published: November 2022

While the hyporheic zone (HZ) accounts for a significant portion of whole stream CO2 concentrations, HZ respiration modeling studies are lacking in quantifying their contributions to the total CO2 at large watershed/basin scales. Quantifying the contribution of anaerobic respiration is also underappreciated. This study used a carbon‐nitrogen‐coupled river corridor model to quantify HZ aerobic and anaerobic respiration and determined the key factors controlling their spatial variability within the Columbia River Basin (CRB). The modeled respiration patterns showed high spatial variability. Among the nine sub‐basins composing the CRB, the Lower Columbia and the Willamette, which receive higher precipitation, had higher respiration. Medium‐sized rivers (fourth to sixth orders) produced the highest aerobic and anaerobic respiration among reaches of different sizes. At the basin scale, aerobic respiration is dominant, representing approximately 98.7% of the total respiration across the CRB. While most of the reaches were dominant with aerobic respiration, reaches in agricultural land showed a relatively higher anaerobic respiration (18%) ratio. A variable importance analysis showed that hyporheic exchange flux controlled most of the spatial variability of HZ respiration, dominating over other physical variables such as residence time, stream dissolved organic carbon (DOC), nitrate, and dissolved oxygen (DO). The influence of substrate concentration (DOC and DO) is larger in modeling anaerobic respiration than aerobic respiration. Future efforts will focus on improving the estimation of the HZ exchange flux and the implementation of spatially explicit parameterizations for the reactions of interest to reduce model uncertainty.
Simultaneous Rupture Propagation Through Fault Bifurcation of the 2021 Mw7.4 Maduo Earthquake
Authors: Wei Shengji , Zeng Hongyu , Shi Qibin , Liu Jihong , Luo Heng , Hu Wanlin , Li Yu , Wang Weitao , Ma Zhangfeng , Liu‐Zeng Jing , Wang Teng
Published: November 2022

Fault geometric complexity plays a critical role in earthquake rupture dimension. Fault bifurcations are commonly observed in earthquake geology, yet, robust kinematic rupture processes on bifurcated fault branches are largely missing, limiting our understanding of rupture dynamics and seismic hazard. Here, we holistically study the fault geometry and bilateral rupture of the 2021 Mw7.4 Maduo, China earthquake, that shows clear fault bifurcation near its eastern terminal. We integrate space geodesy imaging, back‐projection of high‐frequency teleseismic array waveforms, multiple point source and finite fault inversions, and constrain in detail the rupture process, in particular, through its fault bifurcation. Our models reveal a stable rupture speed of ∼2.5 km/s throughout the entire rupture and a simultaneous rupture through fault branches bifurcated at 20°. The rupture on bifurcated faults radiated more high‐frequency waves, especially from the stopping phases. The stopping phase on the southern branch likely stopped the rupture on the northern branch.
Thermal Conductivity of Hydrous Wadsleyite Determined by Non‐Equilibrium Molecular Dynamics Based on Machine Learning
Authors: Wang Dong , Wu Zhongqing , Deng Xin
Published: November 2022

The thermal conductivity of minerals is a fundamental parameter in understanding the evolution and dynamics of the Earth. Wadsleyite, the major mineral in the mantle transition zone (MTZ), can contain abundant water. However, how water affects its thermal conductivity remains unknown. Here, we predicted the thermal conductivity of dry and hydrous wadsleyite at high pressure and temperature (P‐T) by combining non‐equilibrium molecular dynamics and machine learning potential trained with data from first‐principles calculations. We found that the thermal conductivity of wadsleyite is anisotropic and is reduced by ∼10% in the P‐T conditions of the MTZ by the presence of 0.81 wt.% water. The heat flow toward the slab tends to follow the direction with the lowest thermal conductivity due to the lattice‐preferred orientation of wadsleyite and olivine. Both hydration and thermal‐conductivity anisotropy slow down the heating of slabs, allowing hydrous minerals and metastable olivine to survive in the deeper mantle.
Simulating the Impacts of Changes in Precipitation Timing and Intensity on Tree Growth
Authors: Wise Erika K. , Dannenberg Matthew P.
Published: November 2022

The timing and intensity of precipitation varies from year‐to‐year and is expected to change in the future. Assessing the impacts of this moisture delivery variability on tree growth is important both for future forest health and for our interpretation of pre‐instrumental tree‐ring records. Here, we used the Vaganov‐Shashkin model to investigate how changes in precipitation delivery impact tree growth at five sites representing four species in two North American river basins with high precipitation variability but different seasonal cycles. Evenly distributed precipitation increased tree growth in the Lower Sacramento watershed, while the water‐limited South Platte benefited from concentrated precipitation early in the growing season. Although most experimental simulations retained the pattern of high‐ and low‐growth years, tree growth was reduced with fewer, more intense precipitation events, which could affect interpretation of past climate extremes. Under the RCP4.5 scenario, projected warming offset the potential benefits of increased precipitation on tree growth.
Fault Zone Imaging With Distributed Acoustic Sensing: Body‐To‐Surface Wave Scattering
Authors: Atterholt James , Zhan Zhongwen , Yang Yan
Published: November 2022

Fault zone structures at many scales largely dictate earthquake ruptures and are controlled by the geologic setting and slip history. Characterizations of these structures at diverse scales inform better understandings of earthquake hazards and earthquake phenomenology. However, characterizing fault zones at sub‐kilometer scales has historically been challenging, and these challenges are exacerbated in urban areas, where locating and characterizing faults is critical for hazard assessment. We present a new procedure for characterizing fault zones at sub‐kilometer scales using distributed acoustic sensing (DAS). This technique involves the backprojection of the DAS‐measured scattered wavefield generated by natural earthquakes. This framework provides a measure of the strength of scattering along a DAS array and thus constrains the positions and properties of local scatterers. The high spatial sampling of DAS arrays makes possible the resolution of these scatterers at the scale of tens of meters over distances of kilometers. We test this methodology using a DAS array in Ridgecrest, CA which recorded much of the 2019 Mw7.1 Ridgecrest earthquake aftershock sequence. We show that peaks in scattering along the DAS array are spatially correlated with mapped faults in the region and that the strength of scattering is frequency‐dependent. We present a model of these scatterers as shallow, low‐velocity zones that is consistent with how we may expect faults to perturb the local velocity structure. We show that the fault zone geometry can be constrained by comparing our observations with synthetic tests.
The Influence of Grain Size Distribution on Mechanical Compaction and Compaction Localization in Porous Rocks
Authors: Carbillet Lucille , Heap Michael J. , Baud Patrick , Wadsworth Fabian B. , Reuschlé Thierry
Published: November 2022

The modes of formation of clastic rocks result in a wide variety of microstructures, from poorly‐sorted heterogeneous rocks to well‐sorted and nominally homogeneous rocks. The mechanical behavior and failure mode of clastic rocks is known to vary with microstructural attributes such as porosity and grain size. However, the influence of the grain size distribution, in particular the degree of polydispersivity or modality of the distribution, is not yet fully understood, because it is difficult to study experimentally using natural rocks. To better understand the influence of grain size distribution on the mechanical behavior of porous rocks, we prepared suites of synthetic samples consisting of sintered glass beads with polydisperse grain size distributions. We performed hydrostatic compression experiments and found that, all else being equal, the onset of grain crushing occurs much more progressively and at lower pressure in polydisperse synthetic samples than in monodisperse samples. We conducted triaxial experiments in the regime of shear‐enhanced compaction and found that the stress required to reach inelastic compaction was lower in polydisperse samples compared to monodisperse samples. Further, our microstructural observations show that compaction bands developed in monomodal polydisperse samples while delocalized cataclasis developed in bimodal polydisperse samples, where small grains were systematically crushed while largest grains remained intact. In detail, as the polydispersivity increases, microstructural deformation features appear to transition from localized to delocalized through a hybrid stage where a compaction front with diffuse bands propagates from both ends of the sample toward its center with increasing bulk strain.
Climatological Characteristics of Cold Fronts and Their Impacts on Air Quality in Cold Seasons Over the Eastern China
Authors: Xue Lian , Zhou Derong , Huang Xin , Lou Sijia , Ding Aijun
Published: November 2022

Eastern China has been frequently suffering from air pollution problems in the past decades. Besides the intensive emissions, weather‐system evolution is generally regarded as an important factor influencing air quality, among which cold fronts are of great importance in regulating the synoptic‐scale variations of regional pollution. Despite numerous case studies conducted, the long‐term climatological behaviors of cold front depicting their overall impacts on air quality remain unrevealed. In this study, an objective front identification approach has been performed to construct a 42‐year climatology of cold‐front activities in eastern China. It is found that the cold fronts and pollution events usually coincide in cold seasons, and have great impacts on air quality in metropolitan regions. A significant accumulation (cleansing) effect on surface air pollutants in the Beijing‐Tianjin‐Hebei (BTH) region before (after) the passage of the front has been observed in autumn and winter, with mean fine particles (PM2.5) concentrations varying by 40–80 μg/m3 during the processes. The cold fronts that go through the Yangtze River Delta region in winter also lead to the decrease of the PM2.5 concentration after the passages of about 15 μg/m3. Major influencing factors include the changes in meteorological conditions and regional transport driven by frontal circulation, which are favorable for pollutants dispersion and advection. On the interannual scale, the cleansing effect of the cold fronts dominates in BTH regions. The statistical relationship between cold fronts and regional air quality highlighted would help understand the impact of both past and future climate on regional pollution from a synoptic perspective.
Long‐Term Changes and Influencing Factors of Water Quality in Aquaculture Dominated Lakes Unveiled by Sediment Records and Time Series Remote Sensing Images
Authors: Chen Cheng , Lin Miaoli , Chen Qiuwen , He Mengnan , Zhang Jianyun , Cui Zhen , Zhu Liujun
Published: November 2022

Hydraulic connectivity has great effects on water quality. Enclosure aquaculture can largely alter lake flow regime and thus deteriorate water quality. Understanding the dynamics and influencing factors of water quality in enclosure aquaculture lakes is of great significance to ecosystem restoration of degraded lakes. However, it remains challenging due to the lack of long time series data. In this study, the dynamics of water quality in aquaculture dominated lakes were captured through 210Pb and 137Cs dating based on sediment records. Meanwhile, the effects of landscape pattern within aquaculture lakes on water quality were revealed by long time series of remote sensing images. Results showed the 210Pb and 137Cs sediment dating could provide an effective way to obtain long‐term series of lake water quality data in the unmonitored area. The contents of lake sediment nutrients showed an upward trend from 1960 to 2018. The transformation of lakes from agriculture dominated to aquaculture dominated had increased sediment nutrients level. The long‐term changes of lake sediment nutrients could be well explained by the landscape pattern metrics within aquaculture lakes, with an average explain power of 87.6%. The configuration metrics at class level had the most contribution (73.6%) to the changes of lake sediment nutrients, followed by the composition metrics (48.8%) and the configuration metrics at landscape level (33.4%). This study can provide a promising method to understand water quality changes in lakes with no historical monitoring data available and is of great benefit to water quality management in aquaculture dominated lakes.
Deformational History of the Kanguer Subduction Complex in the Eastern Tianshan (NW China): Implications for Paleozoic‐Triassic Multiple Accretionary Tectonics of the Southern Altaids
Authors: Mao Qigui , Xiao Wenjiao , Buckman Solomon , Huang Peng , Ao Songjian , Song Dongfang , Zhang Ji'en , Sang Miao , Tan Zhou , Wang Hao , Li Rui
Published: November 2022

The Kanguer Subduction Complex in the Eastern Tianshan is critical to understanding the tectonic evolution of the southern Altaids as it marks the terminal suture along which the Paleo‐Asian Ocean was consumed. However, the nature and timing of this final collision, as well as the mechanism of shearing and related magmatism, remain enigmatic. The Kanguer Subduction Complex demonstrates obvious sinistral transtensional and dextral compressional deformation in different tectonic events along the Qiugemingtash Shear Zone in Huangshan area. Three sets of asymmetric plunging folds (e.g., basin‐like, S‐shaped and Z(W)‐shaped) were recognized in the sedimentary rocks. Locally, the folds are offset by dextral strike‐slip faults, indicating that they were formed by dextral shearing. The Huangshandong mafic‐ultramafic complex experienced brittle dextral shearing partitioned around the margins of the intrusion. Detrital zircon U‐Pb dates for deformed sedimentary rocks have maximum deposit ages (MDA) of 251 and 290 Ma, respectively, and syn‐compressional shearing conjugate granitic dikes that intruded into the deformed sedimentary rocks yield crystallization ages of 249 and 245 Ma, respectively. These ages reveal that the extensional and/or transtensional sedimentary basins formed between ca. 290–249 Ma, and dextral compressional shearing started ca. 249 Ma. Combining deformed units with transtensional basins and mantle‐derived magmatism, we suggest that ocean‐ridge subduction induced a sinistral transtensional regime in a forearc/intraarc setting related to the Tuva‐Mongol Orocline in the Permian. The oblique convergence between the Tarim Craton and southern Altaids triggered the Qiugemingtash dextral compressional shearing in the Early Triassic (ca. 249 Ma).
Power‐Function Expansion of the Polynomial Complementary Relationship of Evaporation
Authors: Szilagyi Jozsef , Ma Ning , Crago Richard D. , Qualls Russell J.
Published: November 2022

The linear form of the nondimensional complementary relationship (CR) follows from an isenthalpic process of evaporation under a constant surface available energy and unchanging wind. Mixing of external moisture into the boundary layer (BL) alters the dry‐end second‐type boundary condition yielding a polynomial that can be further generalized into a three‐parameter (Priestley‐Taylor α, a, b) power function (PF3), capable of responding to the level of such admixing. With the help of FLUXNET data and setting a = 2 for a possible recapture of the linear and/or polynomial versions of the CR, it is demonstrated that the resulting two‐parameter PF (i.e., PF2) excels among the CR‐based two‐parameter models considered in this study. PF2 is then employed with a globally set constant value of α = 1.1 and 0.5° monthly data across Australia, while calibrating b against the multiyear water‐balance evaporation rate on a cell‐by‐cell basis. The resulting bi‐modal histogram peaks first near b = 2 (recapturing the polynomial CR) when moisture admixing is significant, and then at b → 1 (yielding the linear CR) when mixing effects are negligible. Unlike the linear or polynomial CR versions, PF2 can respond to the general efficiency of external moisture admixing through its parameter b, making it applicable even near sudden discontinuities in surface moisture. A new duality emerges with the PF2: while α accounts for the effect of entrainment of free tropospheric drier air into the BL on the resulting wet‐environment evaporation rate, b does so for moisture on the drying‐environment evaporation rates.
Developing an internal threshold of toxicological concern (iTTC)
Authors: Arnot Jon A. , Toose Liisa , Armitage James M. , Sangion Alessandro , Looky Alexandra , Brown Trevor N. , Li Li , Becker Richard A.
Published: November 2022

Background

Threshold of Toxicological Concern (TTC) approaches are used for chemical safety assessment and risk-based priority setting for data poor chemicals. TTCs are derived from in vivo No Observed Effect Level (NOEL) datasets involving an external administered dose from a single exposure route, e.g., oral intake rate. Thus, a route-specific TTC can only be compared to a route-specific exposure estimate and such TTCs cannot be used for other exposure scenarios such as aggregate exposures.

Objective

Develop and apply a method for deriving internal TTCs (iTTCs) that can be used in chemical assessments for multiple route-specific exposures (e.g., oral, inhalation or dermal) or aggregate exposures.

Methods

Chemical-specific toxicokinetics (TK) data and models are applied to calculate internal concentrations (whole-body and blood) from the reported administered oral dose NOELs used to derive the Munro TTCs. The new iTTCs are calculated from the 5th percentile of cumulative distributions of internal NOELs and the commonly applied uncertainty factor of 100 to extrapolate animal testing data for applications in human health assessment.

Results

The new iTTCs for whole-body and blood are 0.5 nmol/kg and 0.1 nmol/L, respectively. Because the iTTCs are expressed on a molar basis they are readily converted to chemical mass iTTCs using the molar mass of the chemical of interest. For example, the median molar mass in the dataset is 220 g/mol corresponding to an iTTC of 22 ng/L-blood (22 pg/mL-blood). The iTTCs are considered broadly applicable for many organic chemicals except those that are genotoxic or acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. The new iTTCs can be compared with measured or estimated whole-body or blood exposure concentrations for chemical safety screening and priority-setting.

Significance

Existing Threshold of Toxicological Concern (TTC) approaches are limited in their applications for route-specific exposure scenarios only and are not suitable for chemical risk and safety assessments under conditions of aggregate exposure. New internal Threshold of Toxicological Concern (iTTC) values are developed to address data gaps in chemical safety estimation for multi-route and aggregate exposures.
From mechanisms to markers: novel noninvasive EEG proxy markers of the neural excitation and inhibition system in humans
Authors: Ahmad Jumana , Ellis Claire , Leech Robert , Voytek Bradley , Garces Pilar , Jones Emily , Buitelaar Jan , Loth Eva , dos Santos Francisco Páscoa , Amil Adrián F. , Verschure Paul F. M. J. , Murphy Declan , McAlonan Grainne
Published: November 2022

Brain function is a product of the balance between excitatory and inhibitory (E/I) brain activity. Variation in the regulation of this activity is thought to give rise to normal variation in human traits, and disruptions are thought to potentially underlie a spectrum of neuropsychiatric conditions (e.g., Autism, Schizophrenia, Downs’ Syndrome, intellectual disability). Hypotheses related to E/I dysfunction have the potential to provide cross-diagnostic explanations and to combine genetic and neurological evidence that exists within and between psychiatric conditions. However, the hypothesis has been difficult to test because: (1) it lacks specificity—an E/I dysfunction could pertain to any level in the neural system- neurotransmitters, single neurons/receptors, local networks of neurons, or global brain balance - most researchers do not define the level at which they are examining E/I function; (2) We lack validated methods for assessing E/I function at any of these neural levels in humans. As a result, it has not been possible to reliably or robustly test the E/I hypothesis of psychiatric disorders in a large cohort or longitudinal patient studies. Currently available, in vivo markers of E/I in humans either carry significant risks (e.g., deep brain electrode recordings or using Positron Emission Tomography (PET) with radioactive tracers) and/or are highly restrictive (e.g., limited spatial extent for Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). More recently, a range of novel Electroencephalography (EEG) features has been described, which could serve as proxy markers for E/I at a given level of inference. Thus, in this perspective review, we survey the theories and experimental evidence underlying 6 novel EEG markers and their biological underpinnings at a specific neural level. These cheap-to-record and scalable proxy markers may offer clinical utility for identifying subgroups within and between diagnostic categories, thus directing more tailored sub-grouping and, therefore, treatment strategies. However, we argue that studies in clinical populations are premature. To maximize the potential of prospective EEG markers, we first need to understand the link between underlying E/I mechanisms and measurement techniques.
The mycotoxin viriditoxin induces leukemia- and lymphoma-specific apoptosis by targeting mitochondrial metabolism
Authors: Stuhldreier Fabian , Schmitt Laura , Lenz Thomas , Hinxlage Ilka , Zimmermann Marcel , Wollnitzke Philipp , Schliehe-Diecks Julian , Liu Yang , Jäger Paul , Geyh Stefanie , Teusch Nicole , Peter Christoph , Bhatia Sanil , Haas Rainer , Levkau Bodo , Reichert Andreas S. , Stühler Kai , Proksch Peter , Stork Björn , Wesselborg Sebastian
Published: November 2022

Inhibition of the mitochondrial metabolism offers a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of cancer. Here, we identify the mycotoxin viriditoxin (VDT), derived from the endophytic fungusCladosporium cladosporioides, as an interesting candidate for leukemia and lymphoma treatment. VDT displayed a high cytotoxic potential and rapid kinetics of caspase activation in Jurkat leukemia and Ramos lymphoma cells in contrast to solid tumor cells that were affected to a much lesser extent. Most remarkably, human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells derived from healthy donors were profoundly resilient to VDT-induced cytotoxicity. Likewise, the colony-forming capacity was affected only at very high concentrations, which provides a therapeutic window for cancer treatment. Intriguingly, VDT could directly activate the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway in leukemia cells in the presence of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 proteins. The mitochondrial toxicity of VDT was further confirmed by inhibition of mitochondrial respiration, breakdown of the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), the release of mitochondrial cytochrome c, generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), processing of the dynamin-like GTPase OPA1 and subsequent fission of mitochondria. Thus, VDT-mediated targeting of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) might represent a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of leukemia and lymphoma without affecting hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells.
HNRNPU promotes the progression of triple-negative breast cancer via RNA transcription and alternative splicing mechanisms
Authors: Han Bo-yue , Liu Zhebin , Hu Xin , Ling Hong
Published: November 2022

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a great detriment to women’s health due to the lack of effective therapeutic targets. In this study, we employed an integrated genetic screen to identify a pivotal oncogenic factor, heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein U (HNRNPU), which is required for the progression of TNBC. We elucidated the pro-oncogenic role of HNRNPU, which can induce the proliferation and migration of TNBC cells via its association with DEAD box helicase 5 (DDX5) protein. Elevated levels of the HNRNPU-DDX5 complex prohibited the intron retention of minichromosome maintenance protein 10 (MCM10) pre-mRNA, decreased nonsense-mediated mRNA decay, and activated Wnt/β-catenin signalling; on the other hand, HNRNPU-DDX5 is located in the transcriptional start sites (TSS) of LIM domain only protein 4 (LMO4) and its upregulation promoted the transcription of LMO4, consequently activating PI3K-Akt-mTOR signalling. Our data highlight the synergetic effects of HNRNPU in RNA transcription and splicing in regulating cancer progression and suggest that HNRNPU may act as a potential molecular target in the treatment of TNBC.
Lateral plate mesoderm cell-based organoid system for NK cell regeneration from human pluripotent stem cells
Authors: Huang Dehao , Li Jianhuan , Hu Fangxiao , Xia Chengxiang , Weng Qitong , Wang Tongjie , Peng Huan , Wu Bingyan , Wu Hongling , Xiong Jiapin , Lin Yunqing , Wang Yao , Zhang Qi , Liu Xiaofei , Liu Lijuan , Zheng Xiujuan , Geng Yang , Du Xin , Zhu Xiaofan , Wang Lei , Hao Jie , Wang Jinyong
Published: November 2022

Human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-induced NK (iNK) cells are a source of off-the-shelf cell products for universal immune therapy. Conventional methods for iNK cell regeneration from hPSCs include embryoid body (EB) formation and feeder-based expansion steps, which are time-consuming and cause instability and high costs of manufacturing. Here, we develop an EB-free, organoid aggregate method for NK cell regeneration from hPSCs. In a short time-window of 27-day induction, millions of hPSC input can output over billions of iNK cells without the necessity of NK cell expansion feeders. The iNK cells highly express classical toxic granule proteins, apoptosis-inducing ligands, as well as abundant activating and inhibitory receptors. Functionally, the iNK cells eradicate human tumor cells via mechanisms of direct cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. This study provides a reliable scale-up method for regenerating human NK cells from hPSCs, which promotes the universal availability of NK cell products for immune therapy.