bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sovereignty in the Skies
Authors: Bryant Rebecca
Published: January 2022

This chapter discusses aerial sovereignty and uses it as a lens into the “black holes” in international politics created by unrecognized states. Those black holes are ones of information, but also ones of geopolitics and aeropolitics. The chapter looks at the rise and fall of one national airline, and the privatization of both the airline and its unrecognized home airport, to explore both the totemic power of infrastructures and the potential of aeropolitics for anthropology. Like the recent appropriation of geopolitics for the study of political affect and agency, aeropolitics offers a lens onto the everyday practices that produce stateness, the effect of sovereignty, and a sense of sovereign agency. Investigating the national airline of an unrecognized state also shows the role played by national airlines in producing belief in the state — or calling it into question in an era of privatization and globalization. Ultimately, the de facto state of the skies is one that tells us much about how we imagine and construct sovereignty today.
The Ends of Modernization
Authors: Lee David Johnson
Published: January 2022

This book studies the relations between Nicaragua and the United States in the crucial years during and after the Cold War. The book charts the transformation of the ideals of modernization, national autonomy, and planned development as they gave way to human rights protection, neoliberalism, and sustainability. The book demonstrates how conflict between the United States and Nicaragua shaped larger international development policy and transformed the Cold War. In Nicaragua, the backlash to modernization took the form of the Sandinista Revolution which ousted President Anastasio Somoza Debayle in July 1979. In the wake of the earlier reconstruction of Managua after the devastating 1972 earthquake and instigated by the revolutionary shift of power in the city, the Sandinista Revolution incited radical changes that challenged the frankly ideological and economic motivations of modernization. In response to threats to its ideological dominance regionally and globally, the United States began to promote new paradigms of development built around human rights, entrepreneurial internationalism, indigenous rights, and sustainable development. The book traces the ways Nicaraguans made their country central to the contest over development ideals beginning in the 1960s, transforming how political and economic development were imagined worldwide. By illustrating how ideas about ecology and sustainable development became linked to geopolitical conflict during and after the Cold War, the book provides a history of the late Cold War that connects the contest between the two then-prevailing superpowers to trends that shape our present, globalized, multipolar world.
Language Ungoverned
Authors: Hoogervorst Tom G.
Published: January 2022

By exploring a rich array of Malay texts from novels and newspapers to poems and plays, this book examines how the Malay of the Chinese-Indonesian community defied linguistic and political governance under Dutch colonial rule, offering a fresh perspective on the subversive role of language in colonial power relations. As a liminal colonial population, the ethnic Chinese in Indonesia resorted to the press for their education, legal and medical advice, conflict resolution, and entertainment. The book deftly depicts how the linguistic choices made by these print entrepreneurs brought Chinese-inflected Malay to the fore as the language of popular culture and everyday-life, subverting the official Malay of the Dutch authorities. Through readings of Sino-Malay print culture published between the 1910s and 1940s, the book highlights the inherent value of this vernacular Malay as a language of the people.
Women in the Sky
Authors: Nam Hwasook
Published: January 2022

This book examines Korean women factory workers' century-long activism, from the 1920s to the present, with a focus on gender politics both in the labor movement and in the larger society. It highlights several key moments in colonial and postcolonial Korean history when factory women commanded the attention of the wider public, including the early-1930s rubber shoe workers' general strike in Pyongyang, the early-1950s textile workers' struggle in South Korea, the 1970s democratic union movement led by female factory workers, and women workers' activism against neoliberal restructuring in recent decades. The book asks why women workers in South Korea have been relegated to the periphery in activist and mainstream narratives despite a century of persistent militant struggle and indisputable contributions to the labor movement and successful democracy movement. The book opens and closes with stories of high-altitude sit-ins — a phenomenon unique to South Korea — beginning with the rubber shoe worker Kang Churyong's sit-in in 1931 and ending with numerous others in today's South Korean labor movement, including that of Kim Jin-Sook. The book seeks to understand and rectify the vast gap between the crucial roles women industrial workers played in the process of Korea's modernization and their relative invisibility as key players in social and historical narratives. By using gender and class as analytical categories, the book presents a comprehensive study and rethinking of the twentieth-century nation-building history of Korea through the lens of female industrial worker activism.
Show Time
Authors: Fujii Lee Ann
Published: January 2022

This book asks why some perpetrators of political violence, from lynch mobs to genocidal killers, display their acts of violence so publicly and extravagantly. Closely examining three horrific and extreme episodes — the murder of a prominent Tutsi family amidst the genocide in Rwanda, the execution of Muslim men in a Serb-controlled village in Bosnia during the Balkan Wars, and the lynching of a twenty-two-year old Black farmhand on Maryland's Eastern Shore in 1933 — the shows how “violent displays” are staged to not merely to kill those perceived to be enemies or threats, but also to affect and influence observers, neighbors, and the larger society. Watching and participating in these violent displays profoundly transforms those involved, reinforcing political identities, social hierarchies, and power structures. Such public spectacles of violence also force members of the community to choose sides — openly show support for the goals of the violence, or risk becoming victims, themselves. Tracing the ways in which public displays of violence unfold, the book reveals how the perpetrators exploit the fluidity of social ties for their own ends.
Cultivating the Past, Living the Modern
Authors: Sachedina Amal
Published: January 2022

This book explores how and why heritage has emerged as a prevalent force in building the modern nation-state of Oman. The book analyses the relations with the past that undergird the shift in Oman from an Ibadi shari'a Imamate (1913–1958) to a modern nation-state from 1970 onwards. Since its inception as a nation-state, material forms in the Sultanate of Oman — such as old mosques and shari'a manuscripts, restored forts, national symbols such as the coffee pot or the dagger (khanjar), and archaeological sites — have saturated the landscape, becoming increasingly ubiquitous as part of a standardized public and visual memorialization of the past. Oman's expanding heritage industry, exemplified by the boom in museums, exhibitions, street montages, and cultural festivals, shapes a distinctly national geography and territorialized narrative. But the book demonstrates there are consequences to this celebration of heritage. As the national narrative conditions the way people ethically work on themselves through evoking forms of heritage, it also generates anxieties and emotional sensibilities that seek to address the erasures and occlusions of the past.
Neurobehavioural Changes and not Structural Changes Occur in Rat Fed with Cassava Products (Fufu, Garri and Tapioca Diet)
Authors: K. David Lekpa , Umeakaelu Eric , Ibeachu Chinagorum
Published: January 2022

The ability of cassava products (fufu, garri and tapioca) to produce behavioral and structural changes in the brain of adult rats was examined. Forty adult male rats (N=40) were used for this study and the experiment was divided into two phases (N=20 each).Rat were trained in a Reach-To-Grasp Task for 6 weeks and Quantitative assessments using a reaching movement scale and reach-to-grasp success rate were carried out to determine baseline values. After which administration of the various cassava products was done. The 1st phase had the rats trained to perform the reach to grasp experiment before been fed with various cassava diet. In this phase the animals performed significantly worse than the controls when determining the average success rate in a reach-to-grasp experiment (baseline=72.6%, fufu diet= 30%, garri diet =47%, tapioca diet =59%). The 2nd phase had the rats trained simultaneously as they were being fed withvarious cassava diet. In this phase the animals also performed significantly worse than the controls when determining the average success rate in a reach-to-grasp experiment (fufu diet= 37.5%, garri diet =46.5%, tapioca diet =56.5%). The various movement of the rat was assessed using Tracker software (Video Analysis and Modeling tool, version 5.1.2) and the movement pattens were determined. The animals fed with Fufu shows the worst movement pattern indicating aiming impairment which may be as a result of structural changes in the m1 region of the cerebral cortex. The data obtained were analysed using ANOVA and there was significant difference (p < 0.05) in the movement pattern. Histological observation showed no neuropathological changes in the motor cortex. The rats fed with cassava diets shows no observable changes in the structures and sizes of the neurons as compared with the control.  Cassava products (Fufu, Garri and Tapioca) have been demonstrated to cause neurobehavioural and mild structural changes in the M1 region of the cerebral cortex.
Assessment of Complete Blood Count and D-dimer among Patients with Plasmodium falciparum Malaria
Authors: Hassan Mohammed Abdulhafeez , Ahmad Albara , Waggiallah Hisham Ali
Published: January 2022

Background: The most virulent of the human malaria parasites is P. falciparum which is responsible for the bulk of the malaria-related morbidity and mortality. Changes in blood cell parameters are already a well-known feature of malarial infections

Aim: The purpose of this research was to assess the total blood count and D-dimer levels in patients with P. falciparum malaria in Khartoum State, Sudan.

Study Design: It is case- control study was conducted on blood cells prameters and plasma D-dimer for patients infected with Plasmdium falciparum malaria

Place and Duration of Study: study was carried out in Yastabshiroon hospital, Khartoum state, from October 2020 to January 2021.

Methodology: The study comprised fifty people who tested positive for P. falciparum using the National Public Health Laboratory's malaria diagnostic standard. The control group consisted of fifty healthy Khartoum locals with about equal gender and age distribution. To collect data from the study group's personal and medical information, such as name, gender, age, and medical condition, a structured questionnaire was developed.

Result: D-dimer levels were considerably greater in P. falciparum malaria cases compared to non-falciparum malaria cases, neutrophil and lymphocyte counts were significantly lower, although white blood cells (WBCs) count was significantly lower in P. falciparum infection patients compared to non-falciparum (p≤0.05). Hemoglobin concentration and platelet count were similarly significantly lower (p≤0.05). Platelet counts and mean cell hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), on the other hand, were significantly lower in individuals with severe parasitemia compared to those with low and moderate parasitemia.

Conclusion: The study concluded that P. falciparum infection causes considerable hematological alterations. The results of the current investigation revealed a significant increase in the D-dimer mean level, as well as a significant decrease in the count of hemoglobin, total white blood cells (TWBCs), lymphocytes, neutrophils, and platelets. It was also discovered that patients with high parasitemia had considerably lower platelet counts and mean cell hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) levels than those with low and moderate parasitemia.
Determination of Serum Electrolyte and Calcium Abnormalities in Neonates with Birth Asphyxia
Authors: Injeti Gnanavelu , Kher Anjali , Taksande Amar , Panwar Abhilasha Singh
Published: January 2022

Introduction: Birth asphyxia and Hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) are significant causes of neonatal mortality and morbidity. Serum sodium, potassium, and calcium level abnormalities may occur in neonates with birth asphyxia, and their early detection and prompt treatment will improve the outcome of these neonates.

Aim: To study serum electrolyte and calcium levels and their correlation with birth asphyxia and HIE severity.

Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted in full-term neonates diagnosed with birth asphyxia, and their serum sodium, potassium, and calcium estimation were done at birth to 12 hours of birth and repeated at 24 to 48 hours of birth. Serum electrolyte and calcium level abnormalities and short-term outcomes of these neonates were studied.

Results: It was observed that at Apgar score 1 and 5 minutes, with an increase in severity of birth asphyxia serum sodium and calcium levels decreased while potassium levels increased. A significant positive correlation was observed between serum sodium levels and Apgar score at 1 and 5 minutes. Serum calcium levels showed a significant positive correlation with 5 minutes Apgar score. Serum potassium levels at < 12 hours showed a significant negative correlation with 5 minutes Apgar score.

Conclusion: With increased severity of HIE and Birth asphyxia, serum sodium levels decreased, and serum potassium levels increased. Serum calcium levels decreased with the severity of birth asphyxia but did not decrease their HIE severity.
Management of Hypertension through Shodhana & Shamana Chikitsa: A Systematic Review
Authors: Paraskar Vaishnavi , Sawarkar Punam , Sawarkar Gaurav
Published: January 2022

Hypertension or high blood pressure is a complex disease that may affect other organs resulting in renal dysfunction, neuropathy, cerebral disorders, and many other complications. These are further complicated due to the side effects of established antihypertensive medicines used for it’s treatment. A significant rise in cases of hypertension has been noted in the era of modernization.  Some alternative or adjuvant modalities require time for the prevention and management of hypertension. As per two basic modules of Ayurveda, i.e., Hetu, Linga, it is easy to correlate the Hypertension with multiple terminologies such as  Shonitdushti, Raktavruuta Prana or Vyanavrutta Prana, etc. Using these principles of Ayurveda, treatment of hypertension is possible safely at a primary stage. Also, it can be used as an adjuvant in the management of advanced-stage disease.  This meta-analysis reflects on Ayurvedic interventions like Shodhana or Shamana Chikitsa used to manage hypertension. This analysis included 14 clinical studies conducted on 995 participants at different places. Shodhana & Shamana Chikitsa were found to play a primary or adjuvant role in the effective management of hypertension. This study dictates the need for scientific multi-centric research on hypertension.
Radiological and Laboratory Modalities for Diagnosis of COVID-19: A Systematic Review
Authors: Modi Bhavesh , Shah Komal , Khatib Mahalaqua Nazli , Shukla Deepak , Gaidhane Abhay , Saxena Deepak
Published: January 2022

The world has witnessed the dreadful COVID-19 pandemic and the rapid rate of its spread across countries. The key measures in pandemic control includes early detection of cases, isolation of cases to prevent spread and appropriate management of confirmed cases. The present diagnostic criteria for COVID-19 in India is based on RT-PCR. This technique has its own limitations. There are ongoing debates to the cost, time taken and type of diagnostic sensitivity and predictive values of RT-PCR. Researchers across globe have been exploring alternative methods to enhance the mainstay of protocols for identifying suspected cases of COVID-19. With media news of too many asymptomatic positive results from community in New Delhi, Ahmedabad and other places in India, along with prompt withdrawal of antibody based tests by ICMR after questions on validity, such test raises concerns and urgent need for exploring the need for rethinking the diagnostic algorithm. This is a systematic review to explore possibility of novel diagnostic approaches for a suspected case of COVID-19 with an objective to early detection of case and using appropriate methods to halt the chain of transmission.
Variations of Influenza: A Review
Authors: Kale Aditi Ashokrao , Mahajan Shital
Published: January 2022

The seasonal influenza or flu remains a major cause of illness and death all over the world. It is the transmissible viral disease that affects whole of the respiratory tract and its severity ranges from mild to severe. The activity of influenza virus shows great periodic rhythm in different areas of the globe where neither hot nor cold and it is very uncertain in equatorial region where temperature is high throughout the year indicating that climatic components can drives periodic rhythm. Seasonal variability in infectious disease conditions is one of the ancient studies in human bioscience, dating from at least archaic Greece. Each year around the globe despite decade of research and drug development, annual flu viruses constantly cause outbreaks of influenza. Albeit we are starting to recognize the mechanisms that support the emergence of annual flu microorganisms, the onset and character of the evolving recent viruses remains unexpected. The flu pandemic is an important cause of the sickness and death of the elderly. Decreased immune function plays an important role in the worst outcome.  Several factors which impact on the severity of annual influenza includes characteristics of the specific virus, use of antiviral drugs, and vaccination of influenza. The population which has high chances of getting this serious illness are: gravid mother, kids below the 5 years of age, the older age group, people with persistent cases (such as long-standing heart disease, lung disease, kidney, digestive, neuropsychiatric, hepatic disease or blood related disorder) with people with low immune status (such as HIV / AIDS, taking chemotherapy or steroids.  In cooler climates, occasional outbreaks take place predominantly in the cold climate, while in hot climates, colds can occur year-round, originates the unusual epidemic.
A Review on Biofilms
Authors: Katre Dishika Dewanad , Deb Mrinangka
Published: January 2022

Formation of biofilm is the unusual way of survival for microbes forming the biofilm; pathogenic microbes increase their survival rate by showing resistance to the various antimicrobial therapy as well to other destroying agent. Establishment of biofilm vary from living to non-living surface that also includes the medical device and health care setting. Majority of the hospital born infection are due to the biofilm this occur due persistence of the biofilm on the medical device that lead to the spread of the infection among the patients. The biofilm also try to destroy the innate immunity of the host to which it cause infection. This review article describes the process of formation and the composition of biofilm. In most bacteria, formation of biofilm seems to happen in response to specific environmental stimulus and results in, formation or termination of biofilm matrix via the secondary messenger molecule c-di-GMP.

In between formation and termination of biofilm development we have determined biofilm stages, but the currently available data seems to indicate that these transformations are usually monitored not by specific genetic machinery but by adaptive responses. The formation of biofilm can occur by multiple pathways. The structure of the biofilms is specific to a particular species as well as dependent on environmental and physiological conditions. Various subgroups of bacteria e.g., motile and non-motile bacteria can interact during biofilm formation, and this type of interactions during the formation can affect biofilm constitution.
The Size Effect on Contact Angles and Dynamic Behaviors of Droplets on Microcolumn and Microstrip Array Surfaces
Authors: Du Hairui , Zhao Shengteng , Ma Zhichao , Liu Jize , Xiao Guolin , Li Weizhi , Jiang Yue , Zhao Hongwei , Ren Luquan
Published: January 2022

The hydrophobicity of biomimetic hydrophobic surfaces exhibits a correlation with droplet relative dimension. Nevertheless, the droplet relative dimension‐dependent wettability, contact angles, dynamic droplet bouncing behaviors need to be further investigated. This article focuses on the size effect of droplet relative dimension on the contact angles and dynamic behaviors of regular microcolumn and microstrip array surfaces, which were directly machined by low‐speed wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM‐LS). Specifically, the contact angles are measured with droplet relative dimension in a range from 29.8 to 298 on various structured surfaces. The dynamic droplet bouncing tests are based on a coincident falling height of 10 mm. The period time is also gradually shortened with the decreasing of droplet relative dimension, which indicated that the droplets with relatively larger relative dimensions are more difficult to overcome the adhesion of arrayed structures. Meanwhile, when the droplet relative dimension exceeded a critical value, the droplet failed to separate from the substrate due to the interface adhesion and the period time would be also shortened which attributed to less time consumption for the insufficient capillary force compared with the gravity.
Spiral Growth of Adlayer Graphene
Authors: Sun Haibin , Kong Xiao , Park Hyoju , Liu Fengning , Lee Zonghoon , Ding Feng
Published: January 2022

The morphology of as‐grown graphene in chemical vapor deposition (CVD) experiments is sensitive to the reaction environment. Understanding the mechanism of formation of different graphene morphologies is essential to achieve controlled graphene CVD growth. Here the growth and formation mechanism of adlayer graphene spirals are reported. An adlayer graphene spiral is formed by fast propagation of the tips of spiral arms along the edge of the first graphene layer. The driving force to form spirals is the limited availability of carbon diffusing from the Cu surface through the edge of the first graphene layer. In addition, it is found that graphene onions are formed by overlapping graphene spirals with clockwise and anticlockwise arms. Based on these features, a kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) method is demonstrated using which all the observed graphene spiral structures are successfully reproduced at the atomic level. This study thus unravels the hither‐to unresolved mechanism of graphene onion growth and paves the way to the controllable growth of few‐layer graphene by increasing the carbon supply at the edge of the first layer graphene.
A Data‐Mining‐Assisted Design of Structural Colors on Diamond Metasurfaces
Authors: Jing Jixiang , Yiu Yau Chuen , Chen Cong , Lei Dangyuan , Shao Lei , Wang Qi , Li Kwai Hei , Wong Ngai , Chu Zhiqin
Published: January 2022

Artificial colors generated by light–matter interactions are widely achieved using metal or dielectric nanostructures. However, those systems are susceptible to reported issues like high optical loss and insufficient robustness, limiting their practical deployment. To address these limitations, the concept of a low‐loss and high‐saturation color pixel design based on diamond metasurfaces is proposed and demonstrated. The numerical simulation and analytic evaluation are performed to demonstrate the feasibility of realizing high‐quality structural colors with diamond metasurfaces. Moreover, a tensor completion‐based algorithm is introduced to assist the design of vivid colors, shortening the required runtime of simulation by four orders of magnitude. Such a tensor‐based algorithm can precisely predict a complete set of generated colors through partially simulated conditions. Particularly, when the missing rate is lower than 0.8, the obtained prediction accuracy is no less than 85.1%, 90.6%, and 90.9% for cube‐, cylinder‐, and cone‐shaped diamond metasurfaces, respectively. The current study provides a solid theoretical foundation for achieving all‐diamond optical metasurfaces, and the present data‐mining approach could be expanded to other photonic structure designs and parametric optimization.
Ultrafast Spin‐to‐Orbit and Orbit‐to‐Local‐Spin Conversions of Tightly Focused Hybridly Polarized Light Pulses
Authors: Zhang Yanxiang , Zhang Zijing , Zhao Yuan , Nie Zhongquan
Published: January 2022

Spin–orbit interaction (SOI) has provided a new viable roadmap for the development of spin‐based photonics devices. However, existing strategies to control the SOI focus commonly on tailoring the spatial dimension of light fields yet neglecting the inherent temporal one. Herein, ultrafast temporal effects on both spin‐to‐orbit and orbit‐to‐local‐spin conversions based on the time‐assistant vectorial diffractive theory and the fast Fourier transformation are first presented. Such interconversions depend upon whether the incident hybridly vectorial light pulse carries vortex phase or not in a single high numerical aperture geometry. For the case of the absence of vortex phase, it is found that it enables orbit angular momentum‐carrying transverse component fields, and the resultant orbit angular momentum embedded within focused light fields remains constantly revolving as time elapses, which indicates that the controllable spin‐to‐orbit conversion occurs. By contrast, it is revealed that hybridly polarized vectorial‐vortex light pulses allow access to the locally excited circular polarization at the focus, and this induced local circular polarization is independent of ultrafast varying time, whereas the resulting spin angular momentum density components experience the alternation between the appearance and annihilation over time, thus giving rise to the tunable orbit‐to‐local‐spin conversion. These exotic ultrafast interconversions not only breathe a new life into the area of ultrafast photonics, but refresh our understanding on the paradigm of photonic SOI.
Single‐Operation Decarboxylative Mannich Reaction/Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation Cascade Process Directly Accesses 1,3‐Distereocentered β‐Sulfonamido Alcohols
Authors: Tang Yong , Liu Kaihong , Wu Ye , Zhou Siyu , Cheng Tanyu , Liu Guohua
Published: January 2022

The development of cooperative catalysis is of great significance for multi‐step sequential enantioselective organic transformations. However, the complicated subtle environments and inherent mutual deactivations of chiral dual catalysts pose a great challenge in a single operation. To address these issues, we here report the rational design of an integrated Cu/bisoxazoline and Ru/diamine co‐catalyst system, which enables a decarboxylative Mannich reaction/asymmetric transfer hydrogenation enantioselective cascade reaction for the direct preparation of 1,3‐distereocentered β‐sulfonamido alcohols. Through this cascade process, an initial Cu/bisoxazoline‐catalyzed decarboxylative Mannich reaction of a cyclic aldimine and a β‐keto acid to afford a chiral β‐sulfonamido ketone, followed by asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of this in situ generated ketone, produces a wide range of chiral β‐sulfonamido alcohols in 80–95% yields with 86–99% ee and 64:36–99:1 dr. Advantageous feature of this co‐catalyst system lies in the cooperative catalytic process, which greatly enhances the catalytic efficiency compared with the single‐step reactions, making it attractive for gaining direct access to the diastereoselective 1,3‐distereocenter.

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Rhodium‐Catalyzed Direct Arylation of Furopyridine: Synthesis and the Cardiac Effects of Dictamnine Derivatives
Authors: Du Yufeng , Huang Linyu , Wang Neng , Li Xiaohuan , Zhou Xian‐Li , Zhang Lan , Huang Shuai , Walsh Patrick J. , Gao Feng
Published: January 2022

Herein is reported a Rh2(OAc)4/IMes ⋅ HCl system that promotes the chemoselective installation of aryl groups at the 2‐position of furo[2,3‐b]pyridine (53–94% yields). The method is applicable to the direct modification of the natural furoquinoline alkaloid dictamnine. The cardiac effects of the fluorinated analogues improved, compared to dictamnine at 160 μg/mL. Preliminary mechanism of action studies indicate that the effects might be related to epinephrine α receptors, M‐receptor, and calcium channel receptor.

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Why is water illiquid?: The NQH2O water index futures
Authors: Wang Jingjing , Wang Xiaoyang
Published: January 2022

The newly launched water futures market faces a serious illiquidity problem with scarce trading volume. We examine the causes of the illiquidity based on the futures contract design literature and empirical analysis of spot water markets in the western United States. The primary cause of illiquidity is a lack of effective hedging demand for water futures due to the heterogeneity and limited size of spot water markets. The opaqueness of the water futures settlement index further deters the participation of traders. Moreover, the lack of public information on spot water market transactions also reduces its attraction to speculators.
Comparative analysis of apocarotenoids and phenolic constituents of Crocus sativus stigmas from 11 countries: Ecological impact
Authors: Mykhailenko Olha , Bezruk Ivan , Ivanauskas Liudas , Georgiyants Victoriya
Published: January 2022

The chemical compositions of 15 saffron samples from 11 countries (Morocco, India, Italy, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Iran, Lithuania, Ukraine, Australia, and Azerbaijan) were evaluated. The samples were analyzed regarding the impact of environmental factors on the composition of apocarotenoids and phenolic constituents. Quantification of saffron metabolites was carried out using high‐performance liquid chromatography. It was found that the high content of chlorogenic acid (0.2 mg/g, Ukraine) and ferulic acid (0.28 mg/g, India) was controlled by the duration of solar radiation during plant development. The accumulation of caffeic acid (the higher content 4.88 mg/g, Ukraine) in stigmas depended on the average air temperature. In contrast, the total crocins content according to the correlation analysis depended on the duration of solar radiation, the solar UV index, and the soil type. Rutin was found in all samples (0.83–8.74 mg/g). The highest amount of crocins (average 382.45 mg/g) accumulated in saffron from Italy and Ukraine. Crocins, picrocrocin, safranal, and rutin can further serve as saffron quality markers. All validation parameters were satisfactory and high‐performance liquid chromatography methods could be successfully applied for the composition assessment of saffron metabolites. Saffron extracts showed the highest antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli (MICs 62.5–125 µg/ml).
Sulfur/Nitrogen Co‐Doped In‐Plane Porous Carbon Nanosheets as Superior Anode of Potassium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Li Guilan , Xu Anding , Zhong Fulan , Huang Chuyun , Sun Hao , Xu Zhiguang , Wu Songping , Yan Yurong
Published: January 2022

Carbonaceous materials are regarded as prospective anode candidates of potassium‐ion batteries. However, the rate capability and cycling stability of classic carbon materials are still far from satisfactory. Herein, we exploit a facile and low‐cost strategy to enable the precise synthesis of sulfur/nitrogen co‐doped in‐plane porous carbon nanosheets with fishnet‐shaped microstructure (SN‐CNSs). The well‐designed in‐plane porous structure and the interconnected carbon flake network can accelerate the diffusion of potassium ions, alleviate volume expansion, and provide sufficient active sites. As a result, the SN‐CNSs deliver an impressively reversible capacity of 248 mAh g−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1 after 4500 cycles, and an excellent rate capacity of 137.3 mAh g−1 after 4000 cycles under 5 A g−1. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations further verify the advantage of S/N co‐doping in the adsorption/diffusion of K‐ion in SN‐CNSs materials. Such an excellent performance shows that SN‐CNSs possess a great potential to be a superior anode of potassium‐ion batteries.
Unlocking the Hydrolytic Mechanism of GH92 α‐1,2‐Mannosidases: Computation Inspires the use of C‐Glycosides as Michaelis Complex Mimics
Authors: Alonso‐Gil Santiago , Parkan Kamil , Kaminský Jakub , Pohl Radek , Miyazaki Takatsugu
Published: January 2022

The conformational changes in a sugar moiety along the hydrolytic pathway are key to understand the mechanism of glycoside hydrolases (GHs) and to design new inhibitors. The two predominant itineraries for mannosidases go via OS2→B2,5→1S5 and 3S1→3H4→1C4. For the CAZy family 92, the conformational itinerary was unknown. Published complexes of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron GH92 catalyst with a S‐glycoside and mannoimidazole indicate a 4C1→4H5/1S5→1S5 mechanism. However, as observed with the GH125 family, S‐glycosides may not act always as good mimics of GH's natural substrate. Here we present a cooperative study between computations and experiments where our results predict the E5→B2,5/1S5→1S5 pathway for GH92 enzymes. Furthermore, we demonstrate the Michaelis complex mimicry of a new kind of C‐disaccharides, whose biochemical applicability was still a chimera.
Environmental heterogeneity, dispersal mode and habitat specialisation modify within‐site beta diversity of spring macroinvertebrates
Authors: Šorfová Vanda , Poláková Martina , Bojková Jindřiška , Polášková Vendula , Schenková Jana , Horsák Michal
Published: January 2022

Spring helocrenes are a unique aquatic environment with high biotic diversity. Although environmental heterogeneity has traditionally been assumed to explain the high species richness of spring habitats, this assumption has never been properly tested. Here, we sampled macroinvertebrates from two calcareous helocrenes in Slovakia with visually distinguishable mesohabitat heterogeneity. We hypothesise that macroinvertebrate beta diversity significantly increases with environmental heterogeneity even at a small within‐site spatial scale. We also examined four species‐trait categories, that is, active or passive dispersers and habitat specialists or generalists. Significant spatial structuring of environmental heterogeneity was found at one site, whereas the other site did not show a clear spatial pattern. Strong associations were found between beta diversity of all species trait categories and environmental heterogeneity at the first site, while there were virtually no associations at the second site. Specialists were not spatially structured at any of the sites examined. Our results suggest that invertebrate beta diversity responds positively to environmental heterogeneity at a site by also tracking spatial structuring of abiotic conditions. However, the response may vary depending on the dispersal mode and habitat specialisation of the invertebrates.
Inhibition of RUNX1 blocks the differentiation of lung fibroblasts to myofibroblasts
Authors: Dubey Shubham , Dubey Praveen K. , Umeshappa Channakeshava S. , Ghebre Yohannes T. , Krishnamurthy Prasanna
Published: January 2022

Pathological fibrosis contributes to progression of various diseases, for which the therapeutic options are limited. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is one such progressive and fatal interstitial fibrotic disease that is often characterized by excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins leading to stiff lung tissue and impaired gas exchange. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying IPF progression remain largely unknown. In this study, we determined the role of Runt‐related transcription factor 1 (RUNX1), an evolutionarily conserved transcription factor, in the differentiation of human lung fibroblasts (HLFs) in vitro and in an animal model of bleomycin (BLM)‐induced lung fibrosis. We observed that the expression of RUNX1 was significantly increased in the lungs of BLM‐injected mice as compared to saline‐treated mice. Furthermore, HLFs stimulated with transforming growth factor β (TGF‐β) showed significantly higher RUNX1 expression at both mRNA and protein levels, and compartmentalization in the nucleus. Inhibition of RUNX1 in HLFs (using siRNA) showed a significant reduction in the differentiation of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts as evidenced by reduced expression of alpha‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA), TGF‐β and ECM proteins such as fibronectin 1 (FN1), and collagen 1A1 (COL1A1). Mechanistic studies revealed that the increased expression of RUNX1 in TGF‐β‐stimulated lung fibroblasts is due to enhanced mRNA stability of RUNX1 through selective interaction with the RNA‐binding profibrotic protein, human antigen R (HuR). Collectively, our data demonstrate that increased expression of RUNX1 augments processes involved in lung fibrosis including the differentiation of fibroblasts into collagen‐synthesizing myofibroblasts. Our study suggests that targeting RUNX1 could limit the progression of organ fibrosis in diseases characterized by abnormal collagen deposition.
Primary central nervous system lymphoma: Inter‐compartmental progression
Authors: Raval Vishal , Binkley Elaine , Aronow Mary E. , Valenzuela Juan , Peereboom David M. , Wei Wei , Srivastava Sunil , Davanzo Jaqueline , Boldt Herbert Culver , McGarrey Mark P. , Papaliodis George N. , Sobrin Lucia , Kim Ivana K. , Vavvas Dimitrios G. , Eliott Dean , Nayak Lakshmi , Dodds Emilio , Marco del Pont Francisco , Singh Arun D.
Published: January 2022

There is limited understanding of the inter‐compartmental progression and treatment outcomes of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL). In this multicenter retrospective cohort study on 234 patients with PCNSL (median age: 62.5 years [18–92]; median follow‐up 35 months [0.1–237.0]) from 2000 till 2018 were divided into group 1 (ocular, 44 patients): 1A and 1B without and with CNS progression and group 2 (CNS, 190 patients): 2A and 2B without and with ocular progression, respectively. In group 1 (44 patients), 33 patients received local treatment, and 11 patients received systemic treatment. In group 2 (15 patients), six patients received combination treatment, while seven patients received only systemic treatment. A complete response was observed in 19 (43%) and 91 (48%) patients in groups 1 and 2, respectively. The 2‐year progression‐free survival (PFS) was 35% (95% CI: 0.23, 0.54) and 56% (95% CI: 0.49, 0.63) for groups 1 and 2, respectively (p < 0.0001). Age < 60 years was significantly associated with longer PFS (median PFS 48 vs. 24 months, p = 0.01). The overall survival (OS) at 2‐year was similar among groups 1 and 2 (83% and 67%), respectively (p = 0.06). Thus, Initial compartment of involvement does not influence local response rate or OS.
How stable are visions for protected area management? Stakeholder perspectives before and during a pandemic
Authors: Lo Veronica B. P. G. , López‐Rodríguez María D. , Metzger Marc J. , Oteros‐Rozas Elisa , Cebrián‐Piqueras Miguel A. , Ruiz‐Mallén Isabel , March Hug , Raymond Christopher M.
Published: January 2022

Envisioning processes enable protected area managers to chart a course for future management to reach desired goals, but unexpected changes that could affect future visions are not usually considered. The global COVID‐19 pandemic provided an opportunity to explore changes in stakeholder visions, the values that underpin the visions, and their perceptions of landscape changes and the underlying drivers (e.g. climate change, mass tourism and demographic trends).

Through a mixed‐methods approach in this post‐evaluation study, we gathered comparative data on these issues from stakeholders in the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park, Spain, between July 2019 (pre‐pandemic) and October 2020 (mid‐pandemic).

Our qualitative analysis demonstrates that pre‐pandemic, differences in visions for protected area management were largely spurred by different perceptions of drivers of change, rather than differences in values or perceived landscape changes, which were similar across different vision themes.

One year later, in the midst of the COVID‐19 pandemic, the majority of stakeholders reported that their values, visions and perceptions of drivers did not change despite this large‐scale disturbance. Of the 20%–30% of stakeholders that did report changes, visions generally shifted towards greater prioritization of biodiversity and nature conservation as a result of heightened perceptions of the impacts of drivers of change associated with an increase in the numbers of park visitors. These drivers included mass tourism, mountain recreation, lack of environmental awareness, and change in values and traditions.

Our findings reinforce the importance of adaptive and inclusive management of protected areas, including enhancing transparency and communications regarding factors driving change in the landscape, and integration of local and traditional knowledge and stakeholder perceptions of changes and drivers. Furthermore, management plans integrating stakeholder values have the potential to stay relevant even in the face of wildcard events such as a pandemic.

To enhance the relevancy of visions and scenarios in conservation and land‐use planning, scenario planning methodologies should more strongly consider different potential disturbances and how drivers of change in the near and far future can be affected by wildcard events such as a pandemic.
The impact of regulatory restrictions on pregabalin use in Saudi Arabia: An interrupted time series analysis
Authors: Althunian Turki A. , Alomran Maha I. , Alsagri Ghada M. , Alrasheed Meshael M. , Alshammari Thamir M.
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) added pregabalin to the list of controlled substances in December 2017 to minimize the risk of its possible abuse and misuse. This study was aimed at assessing the impact of this decision on the overall use of pregabalin in Saudi Arabia and in comparison with drugs prescribed to treat neuropathic pain (i.e., vs. gabapentin, tramadol, duloxetine, and amitriptyline).

Methods

This was an interrupted time‐series analysis of the Saudi quarterly sale data of the study drugs from October/2015 to September/2020. These data were obtained from IQVIA and were converted into use estimates (defined daily dose per 1000 inhabitant‐days [DDD/TID]). Segmented regression models were conducted to assess the direct (level) and prolonged (trend) changes in use data after the decision. All analyses were completed using RStudio Version 1.4.1103.

Results

Before the SFDA's decision, there was an increased quarter‐to‐quarter use of pregabalin (DDD/TID: 0.16; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.04 to 0.28). Pregabalin overall use dropped sharply by −1.85 DDD/TID (95% CI −2.71 to −0.99) directly after the decision with a prolonged quarter‐to‐quarter declining effect (DDD/TID: −0.22, CI to −0.37 to −0.05). The decision was associated with a direct increase in the use of gabapentin by 0.62 DDD/TID (95% CI 0.52–0.72) without any impact on the use of other drugs.

Conclusions

The results of our study showed that the SFDA decision was associated with a decrease in the overall use of pregabalin, which may help minimize the risk of its abuse and misuse.
The range expansion of Clibanarius erythropus to the UK suggests that other range-shifting intertidal species may not follow
Authors: Patterson Christophe , Laing Chris , Early Regan
Published: January 2022

The ranges of species are shifting as a consequence of anthropogenic climate change. In the marine realm biogeographic transition zones could form barriers to dispersal and inhibit range-shift, but little is known about this potential effect. The hermit crab Clibanarius erythropus appeared in the UK in 2016 with the nearest reproducing population being on the northern coast of Brittany. This raises questions of which conditions may have permitted C. erythropus to cross the English Channel (7.25°W, 49.00°N) and whether this barrier could be overcome by other intertidal species. Dispersal simulations suggest the larvae of C. erythropus arrived in 2014, originated from North Brittany, experienced a mean temperature of around 16 °C, and took longer than 20 days to be transported across the channel. The transportation of larvae from Brittany to the southwest UK appears to be rare and driven by occasional, unusual ocean currents. The English Channel may continue to prevent species with pelagic larvae that settle within 20 days, such as many species of gastropod, annelids, and macroalgae, from successfully range expanding to the UK. North Brittany was the only landmass from which it is feasible the UK population of C. erythropus could have originated. Therefore, species with long-lived pelagic larvae but without reproducing populations in North Brittany may not appear in the southwest UK until the species are established in North Brittany. The English Channel could continue to limit the ability of many intertidal species to shift their range with climate change.
Physical processes of summer extreme rainfall interannual variability in eastern China: Part I—observational analysis
Authors: Tian Fangxing , Li Sihan , Dong Buwen , Klingaman Nicholas P. , Freychet Nicolas , Sparrow Sarah
Published: January 2022

Extreme precipitation can have catastrophic effects in China by triggering floods, landslides, and other natural disasters. We measure extreme precipitation over eastern China by the maximum of five-day precipitation amount (Rx5day) in June, July, and August (JJA), which contributes more than 20% of the climate mean of JJA regional total precipitation. Based on the empirical orthogonal teleconnection (EOT) method, this work identifies four dominant regions of observed Rx5day interannual variability in eastern China: north-eastern China (EOT1), the southern lower reaches of the Yangtze valley (EOT2), southern China (EOT3) and the northern lower reaches of the Yangtze valley (EOT4). EOT1 extreme precipitation is related to a strong East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM), a weak monsoon front and a northward displaced upper-tropospheric westerly jet. EOT2 and EOT4 extreme precipitation are related to an enhanced and stable monsoon front and a strong western North Pacific subtropical high (WNPSH). The WNPSH associated with EOT4 is stronger than that associated with EOT2, which pushes the monsoon front further north. EOT3 represents extreme precipitation that is related to anomalous southerlies around the western ridge of the WNPSH. The southerlies transport warm and moist air to southern China and increase precipitation there. The four key regions and the related mechanisms are not sensitive to the EOT technique, as the EOT-based extreme precipitation patterns and circulation anomalies are confirmed using Self-Organising Maps (SOMs).