bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Contemporary French Administrative Law
Authors: Bell John , Lichère François
Published: February 2022

Despite the growing scholarly interest in comparative public law, there remain relatively few works on the subject. Contemporary French Administrative Law aims to redress that imbalance, offering English-language readers an authoritative introduction to the key features of French administrative law and its institutions. The French legal system is among the most well-developed and influential in the world, and, as procedures continually adapt to European and international influences, it has never been more worthy of research, study and interrogation. This book employs a wide range of recent, illustrative cases to demonstrate how French administrative law works both in theory and in practice. Using a systematic approach and covering everything from judicial review to public contracts, this is a highly valuable text for any student or researcher with an interest in French law. The book is also available as Open Access.
Making Up for the Past
Authors: O'Grady Patrick , Minick David L. , Stueber Daniel O.
Published: February 2022

In 2015, the Oregon Archaeological Society (OAS) presented statements to Oregon tribes and the Oregon Legislative Commission on Indian Services acknowledging the troubling history of OAS collecting activities and steps taken to transform the OAS, and sought guidance to address continuing tribal concerns. Tribes encouraged both the return of collections and increased public outreach efforts. Their guidance fueled increased effort by the Collection Recovery Committee (OASCRC), which has facilitated the return of five collections to tribal museums and university curation facilities and coordinated digital preservation of documents. The OAS may be the only avocational society in the United States actively engaged in such efforts, accomplished by a small group of volunteers. Case studies of collections, considerations involved in disposition, and the potential for repatriation and research are highlighted. The OAS seeks to halt dispersal and commodification of cultural objects and encourage academic research. Quick action can assure that the original collectors or descendants provide key site and location information. Educational opportunities can be rendered to the heritage community, and we are uniquely positioned to contribute to that service.
Have Video Games Evolved Enough to Teach Human Origins?
Authors: Snyder William D.
Published: February 2022

Overview

Video games are unparalleled as an interactive medium and can serve as potential educational tools through intelligent game design and the players’ immersion in the game world (e.g., Mayo 2009; Rassalle 2021; Rubio-Campillo 2020; Winter 2021). At the same time, video games, like any media, might also misinform (e.g., Aron 2020; Dennis 2019; Emery and Reinhard 2016). In this review, I present my impressions of the game Ancestors: A Humankind Odyssey (Panache Digital Games 2019), specifically regarding its portrayal of paleoanthropological themes. In preparing this review, I played the game in its entirety and subsequently interviewed the developers in order to clarify their intentions when designing the game (Patrice Désilets and Marc-André De Blois, personal communication 2021). Using the medium of video games, is it possible to make a “perfectly” accurate simulation of human evolution? Perhaps, but that may not matter anyway. In my view, video games, as exemplified by Ancestors, have great potential for exploring the basic components of human evolution and to reach and inspire a wider public that might otherwise learn very little about the subject matter.
Water education and water culture in curricula for Primary, Middle and upper Secondary school levels
Authors: Khiri Fouad , Benbrahim Mohamed , Kaid Rassou Khadija , Amahmid Omar , Rakibi Youness , El Guamri Youssef , Itouhar Mohamed , Mrabet Najia , Yazidi Mohamed , Razoki Bouchra , El Badri Aziz
Published: February 2022

With water shortage and increasing demand for water, education may have an important role in promoting the sustainable management of water resources. Educational curricula are the key resources used by teachers for studentsʼ teaching and training purposes. This study assessed water culture and water education-related criteria and standards in programmes and school curricula for Primary, Middle and upper Secondary school education in Morocco. It also investigated teachers for suggestions and views regarding methods for water-related topics and concepts implementation. The main tools used consisted of a content analysis grid for programmes and educational guidelines. A questionnaire and interviews were administered to 95 teachers of different subject areas, belonging to the three investigated school levels. Findings showed that the occurrence of water education criteria and standards is weak in school curricula of the investigated school levels. They were explicitly or implicitly addressed depending on the subject areas. The main topics consisted of water cycle definition, water as a vital source, water pollution sources, water economy interest. However, no reference has been made to water law, its accessibility, aesthetics and water-related professions.
An illustrative derivation of the sum of fifth powers
Authors: Baumann Michael Heinrich
Published: February 2022

In 1631, Johannes Faulhaber published the result that sums of the form

$$\sum\limits_{i = 1}^n {{i^k}} = {1^k} + {2^k} + \,...\, + {n^k}$$
Through the ideology of the beholder: how ideology shapes perceptions of partisan groups
Authors: Homola Jonathan , Rogowski Jon C. , Sinclair Betsy , Torres Michelle , Tucker Patrick D. , Webster Steven W.
Published: February 2022

Growing attitudinal and affective differences across party lines and increasing social polarization are often attributed to the strengthening of partisanship as a social identity. Scholars have paid less attention to personal preferences as a contributor to these phenomena. Our focus is on how citizens’ policy beliefs—their operational ideologies—are associated with their views of partisan groups. We examine our perspective with two studies. In the first, we find that the attribution of ideologically extreme political views to an individual's peer significantly reduces interest in interpersonal interaction but find limited evidence that partisan group membership alone induces social polarization. In the second, we show that citizens’ policy views are strongly associated with their perceptions of their own partisan group as well as their counterpartisans. Together, our results have important implications for understanding the consequences of increased polarization and partisan antipathy in contemporary politics.
Detection rates of aphid DNA in the guts of larval hoverflies and potential links to the provision of floral resources
Authors: Hodgkiss Dylan , Brown Mark J. F. , Fountain Michelle T. , Clare Elizabeth L.
Published: February 2022

Aphidophagous hoverflies (Diptera, Syrphidae, Syrphinae) are common flower visitors and aphid predators in a range of flowering plants, including fruit crops. Here, we investigate whether aphid prey DNA can be detected in the gut contents of hoverfly larvae from a commercial strawberry field as a proof of concept that a molecular approach can be used to measure agricultural biocontrol. We used high-throughput sequencing (HTS) to target insect DNA and compared the resulting data to reference databases containing aphid and hoverfly DNA sequences. We explored what impact incorporating wildflowers within polythene-clad tunnels may have on aphid DNA detection rates in hoverfly larvae. In a randomized block experiment, coriander (Coriandrum sativum), field forget-me-not (Myosotis arvensis) and corn mint (Mentha arvensis) plants were inserted in rows of strawberries. Their effect on aphid DNA detection rates was assessed. Aphid DNA was found in 55 of 149 specimens (37%) validating the method in principle for measuring agricultural services provided by hoverflies. Interestingly, detection rates were higher near plots with forget-me-not than plots with coriander, though detection rates in control plots did not differ significantly from either wildflower species. These findings confirm that hoverflies predate aphids in UK strawberry fields, and that HTS is a viable method of identifying aphid DNA in predatory hoverflies. We comment on the need for further method development to narrow down identifications of both predator and prey. We furthermore provide some evidence that there is an effect of intercropping strawberry crops with wildflowers which may affect aphid consumption in hoverfly larvae.
Drop-off behaviour of Bt-resistant and Bt-susceptibleHelicoverpa armigera(Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae on Bt-cotton and non-Bt cotton plants
Authors: Luong T. T. A. , Downes S. J. , Perkins L. E. , Zalucki M. P.
Published: February 2022

The highest natural mortality rate of larval Lepidoptera in field populations occurs in the first instar, but it is highly variable. The pattern and degree of survival is not easily predicted but depends on their ability to establish on host plants. Lepidopteran larval dispersal behaviour, known as ‘drop-off’, happens when the host is unsuitable for larvae to settle and begin feeding. Understanding drop-off behaviour ofHelicoverpa armigera(Hübner) with and without physiological resistance to Bt toxins on Bt and non-Bt cotton plants is an important component for resistance management strategies for this insect. We examined the drop-off behaviour ofH. armigerato determine: (1) whether they move the same way or differently in response to Bt and non-Bt, and (2) couldH. armigeralarvae detect Bt toxin levels in cotton plants or did they move independently of toxin levels? In this study, we assessed the drop-off behaviour of Bt-resistant and Bt-susceptibleH. armigeraneonates on artificial diets and cotton plants with and without Bt toxin during the first 12 h after hatching. Bt-resistant and Bt-susceptibleH. armigeraneonates behaved differently on Bt and non-Bt substrates. The percentages of Bt-resistant larvae that dropped off Bt and non-Bt cotton plants were not significantly different. In contrast, significantly more Bt-susceptible larvae dropped off Bt cotton than non-Bt cotton plants over time. Although Bt-susceptible larvae could not detect Bt toxin, they showed preference on non-Bt toxin substrates and were more likely to drop off substrates with Bt toxin.
Ready or Not? The Strength of NDP Riding Associations and the Rise and Fall of the NDP
Authors: Westlake Daniel
Published: February 2022

The Canadian party system experienced a period of remarkable transition between 2006 and 2015, with the New Democratic Party (NDP) and Liberals trading places as the main competitor to the Conservatives. While national-level explanations are often used to explain this volatility, William Cross's research has shown that local association revitalization played a central role in the Liberals’ 2015 resurgence. This article examines the relationship between NDP local spending and success between 2006 and 2015. It shows that the NDP was consistently outspent by its opponents overall but that it often had a spending advantage in marginal ridings. As a result, this article finds little evidence that the NDP's local spending disadvantage cost the NDP seats, even though it finds a positive correlation between NDP local spending and NDP vote share.
Quantifying Quality: A Computational Approach to Literary Value in North Korea
Authors: Berthelier Benoit
Published: February 2022

This article analyzes questions of literary production and literary value in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) using quantitative methods and data sets covering a significant part of the country's literary and intellectual output over forty years (1977–2016). The first part of the article adopts a thematic approach, using topic modeling and time series, to map the DPRK's literary output and investigate the influence of genre on literary consecration. The second part looks at questions of style and literary quality in the DPRK through a comparative analysis of multiple novels grouped by degree of literary prestige. It introduces a method to evaluate the originality of an author's writing style using a masked language model (BERT) and uses it to assess the role of conformity and originality in the DPRK's literary field. Even though writers consecrated by the state display a high level of stylistic conformity when writing mandated biographies of the ruling family, their independent output ranks higher in originality than nonconsecrated writers.
Molecular characterization ofChlamydiaspecies in commercial and backyard poultry farms in Costa Rica
Authors: Solorzano-Morales Antony , Dolz Gaby
Published: February 2022

Outbreaks caused byChlamydia psittaciand other chlamydial species have recently been reported in poultry farms worldwide, causing considerable economic losses. The objective of this study was to determine the presence of chlamydial species in these birds in Costa Rica. One hundred and fifty pools of lung tissue samples from industrial poultry with respiratory problems and 112 pools of tracheal swabs from asymptomatic backyard poultry were analysed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), end-point PCR and sequencing. A total of 16.8% (44/262) samples were positive forChlamydiaspp., most of them detected in asymptomatic backyard poultry (28.6%, 32/112) and fewer in industrial poultry (8%, 12/150). Of these positive samples, 45.5% (20/44) were determined to beC. psittaci. For the first timeC. psittacigenotype A is reported in poultry in Latin America. In addition, the presence ofChlamydia gallinaceain backyard poultry and ofChlamydia muridarumin industrial and backyard poultry is reported for the first time in Central America. In 40.9% (18/44) of the positive samples, it was not possible to identify the infecting chlamydial species. These findings reveal a zoonotic risk, particularly for poultry farm and slaughterhouse workers having direct contact with these birds.
Chromosome 22q11 copy number variants and single ventricle CHD
Authors: Geoffrion Tracy R. , Goldberg David , Crowley T. Blaine , Chen Jonathan M. , McDonald-McGinn Donna M. , Gaynor J. William
Published: February 2022

Objectives:

CHD is an important phenotypic feature of chromosome 22q11.2 copy number variants. Biventricular repair is usually possible, however there are rare reports of patients with chromosome 22q copy number variants and functional single ventricle cardiac disease.

Methods:

This is a single centre retrospective review of patients with chromosome 22q copy number variants who underwent staged single ventricle reconstructive surgery between 1 July, 1984 and 31 December, 2020.

Results:

Seventeen patients met inclusion criteria. The most common diagnosis was hypoplastic left heart syndrome (n = 8) and vascular anomalies were present in 13 patients. A microdeletion of the chromosome 22 A-D low-copy repeat was present in 13 patients, and the remaining had a duplication. About half of the patients had documented craniofacial abnormalities and/or hypocalcaemia, and developmental delay was very common. Fifteen patients had a Norwood operation, 10 patients had a superior cavopulmonary anastomosis, and 7 patients had a Fontan. Two patients had cardiac transplantation after Fontan. Overall survival is 64% at 1 year, and 58% at 5 and 10 years. Most deaths occurred following Norwood operation (n = 5).

Conclusions:

CHD necessitating single ventricle reconstruction associated with chromosome 22q copy number variants is not common, but typically occurs as a variant of hypoplastic left heart syndrome with the usual cytogenetic microdeletion. The most common neonatal surgical intervention performed is the Norwood, where most of the mortality burden occurs. Associated anomalies and medical issues may cause additional morbidity after cardiac surgery, but survival is similar to infants with other types of single ventricle disease.
Incentives and constraints: a configurational account of European involvement in the anti-Daesh coalition
Authors: Mello Patrick A.
Published: February 2022

In 2014, the USA initiated the formation of a multilateral military operation against Daesh in Syria and Iraq. Eventually, more than 70 states joined the anti-Daesh coalition. However, contributions to the military effort have been characterized by great variance, especially among EU member states. While some states took leading roles in the airstrikes, others provided training for Iraqi and Kurdish forces, and still others did not get involved beyond voicing their support for the policy. Against this backdrop, this article makes a two-fold contribution to the literature on military coalitions and security policy. Empirically, the article provides a mapping of the then 28 EU member states’ military engagement in the fight against Daesh in Syria and Iraq. Analytically, fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) is applied to account for the observed pattern of military involvement, using an integrative framework that combines international and domestic factors. The results demonstrate that multiple paths led towards EU military involvement in the anti-Daesh coalition. At the same time, international-level incentives, such as external threat and/or alliance value feature prominently in all three identified paths. The analysis further underscores the value of a configurational perspective, because neither an external threat nor alliance value are sufficient on their own to bring about the outcome. Across the set-theoretic configurations, these conditions either combine with other ‘push’ factors or with the absence of constraints against military involvement. In line with the latter, the article highlights the policy relevance of institutional constraints, especially legislative veto rights, since most of those countries that were involved in the airstrikes of the anti-Daesh coalition did not have formal parliamentary involvement on matters of military deployment policy.
Bewegungsförderung bei Frauen während der Brustkrebstherapie
Authors: Kobleder Andrea , Glaus Agnes , Ott Stefan , Meichlinger Jasmin
Published: February 2022

Zusammenfassung. Hintergrund: Bewegung wird bei Frauen während der Brustkrebstherapie mit einer verbesserten Lebensqualität assoziiert. Wie sich das Bewegungsverhalten in den ersten Monaten nach Therapiebeginn verändert und welche Rolle eine pflegerische Beratung dabei spielt, wurde bislang unzureichend untersucht. Ziel: Es sollten Unterschiede im Bewegungsverhalten bei Frauen mit Brustkrebs zum Zeitpunkt des Beginns der Therapie und sechs Monate danach gemessen sowie die Perspektive von Patientinnen und Fachpersonen hinsichtlich einer pflegerischen Beratung zum Thema Bewegung untersucht werden. Methode: Es wurde eine Mixed-Methods Evaluation durchgeführt. Im quantitativen Teil wurde das Bewegungsverhalten an zwei Zeitpunkten (t0 und t1) mit dem SQUASH-Instrument (30-1Wendel-Vos, 2003) erhoben. Im qualitativen Teil wurde jeweils ein Fokusgruppeninterview mit Patientinnen und Gesundheitsfachpersonen durchgeführt. Die quantitativen Daten wurden anhand deskriptiver und induktiver Statistik, die qualitativen Daten thematisch analysiert. Ergebnisse: In der Stichprobe (N = 47) zeigte sich eine geringfügige, nicht signifikante Steigerung im Bewegungsumfang im Vergleich von Zeitpunkt t1 und t0. Eine statistisch signifikante Zunahme des Bewegungsumfangs zwischen t0 und t1 konnte nur in der Kategorie „Arbeit“ (p = 0,002) festgestellt werden. Das zentrale Thema der Frauen war, dass sie sich durch die pflegerische Beratung ermutigt fühlten, „etwas für sich selbst zu tun“. Für die Fachpersonen war im Kontext der Beratung wichtig, dass sie selbst von der Bedeutung der Bewegung überzeugt waren. Schlussfolgerungen: Die Alltagsintegration von Bewegung stellt für die Frauen während der Therapie eine Herausforderung dar. Die Beratung wird als hilfreich empfunden, könnte aber durch ein längerfristiges Bewegungsprogramm nachhaltiger wirken.
Severe Lake Heatwaves Attributable to Human‐Induced Global Warming
Authors: Woolway R. Iestyn , Albergel Clément , Frölicher Thomas L. , Perroud Marjorie
Published: February 2022

Much of the focus of global warming impacts on lakes have focused on changes in mean temperature. However, lakes are also highly vulnerable to thermal extremes. Such extremes occur, by definition, during lake heatwaves. Heatwaves in lakes have occurred globally in recent decades and have had severe negative impacts. However, unlike their atmospheric counterparts, it is currently unknown to what extent lake heatwaves are altered by human‐induced climate change. Here, we estimate the human contribution to lake heatwaves, specifically focusing on the most severe events. We demonstrate that the occurrence probabilities of severe lake heatwaves increase substantially due to human influence. Our analysis suggests that 94% of severe heatwaves observed during the satellite data‐taking period have an anthropogenic contribution. Globally, we suggest that severe heatwaves are 3 and 25‐ times more likely in a 1.5°C and 3.5°C warmer world, respectively, compared to a world without anthropogenic influence.
The Balance Between Heterogeneous and Homogeneous Nucleation of Ice Clouds Using CAM5/CARMA
Authors: Maloney Christopher , Toon Brian , Bardeen Charles , Yu Pengfei , Froyd Karl , Kay Jennifer , Woods Sarah
Published: February 2022

We present a modification to the Community Aerosol and Radiation model for Atmospheres (CARMA) sectional ice microphysical model where we have added interactive nucleation of sulfates and heterogeneous nucleation onto dust in order to create a more comprehensive representation of ice nucleation within the CARMA sectional ice model. The Yu et al. (2019, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018gl080544) convective wet removal fix has also been added in order to correctly transport aerosol within the Community Atmosphere Model version 5 (CAM5) and the 3‐mode Modal Aerosols Model (MAM3). In CARMA, the balance of homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation is controlled by the presence of temperatures below 240 K, supersaturation, and the availability of heterogeneous nuclei. Due to a paucity of dust at altitudes above about 7 km, where temperatures over most of the Earth fall below 240 K, cirrus clouds above 7 km nucleate primarily via homogeneous nucleation on aqueous sulfate aerosols in our simulations. Over mid‐latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, dust is more common above 7 km during spring through fall, and both heterogeneous nucleation and homogenous freezing occur in our model. Below 7 km heterogeneous nucleation dominates in situ formation of ice. Furthermore, we find an improvement of the representation of in‐cloud ice within mixed phase clouds in CAM5/CARMA when compared to simulations with only homogeneous ice nucleation. Other modes of nucleation such as contact nucleation of liquid cloud droplets or liquid cloud droplet freezing on immersion nuclei, were not directly compared with classical depositional heterogeneous nucleation in this study.
Collocated Measurements of Light‐Absorbing Organic Carbon in PM2.5: Observation Uncertainty and Organic Tracer‐Based Source Apportionment
Authors: Xie Mingjie , Peng Xiang , Shang Yue , Yang Li , Zhang Yuanyuan , Wang Yuhang , Liao Hong
Published: February 2022

In this study, collocated filter samples of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) from northern Nanjing were extracted using water and methanol, followed by analysis of light absorption. A backup quartz filter was used to correct sampling artifacts caused by adsorption of gaseous organics. The collocated precision of light‐absorbing properties of water‐soluble organic carbon (WSOC) and methanol‐extractable organic carbon (MEOC) were parameterized using correlation coefficient (r), coefficient of divergence (COD), and average relative percent difference (ARPD, %). In general, the light absorption of WSOC and MEOC showed good agreement (r > 0.80, COD < 0.20) between collocated samples. Performing artifact correction is necessary and will increase the heterogeneity between collocated measurements. The duplicate‐derived ARPD values of MEOC absorption were more than 60% higher than those of WSOC absorption. Then, it would be inappropriate to assume a uniform uncertainty fraction (e.g., ∼10%) for WSOC and MEOC absorption in future studies on their climate effects and source apportionment. To apportion artifact‐corrected absorption of aerosol extracts to specific emission sources or formation pathways, positive matrix factorization was performed by using concentration data of selected bulk species and organic molecular markers. Among the nine identified factor/sources, the biomass burning factor had the highest average contributions to the absorption of both WSOC (31.6%) and MEOC (48.0%), followed by dust resuspension and coal combustion factors. Unlike combustion‐related primary emissions, the factors containing influences from atmospheric processing (e.g., secondary nitrate) contributed more fractions of WSOC absorption than MEOC absorption.
Stratospheric Influence on the Development of the 2018 Late Winter European Cold Air Outbreak
Authors: Huang Jinlong , Hitchcock Peter , Tian Wenshou , Sillin Jack
Published: February 2022

Using ensemble forecasts from the Global Ensemble Forecast System (GEFS) and controlled integrations with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, we explore the stratospheric influence on the development of the 2018 European severe cold air outbreak (CAO). The 2018 CAO set in on 22 February, and its evolution was closely related to a growing tropospheric blocking ridge over the North Atlantic in late February that brought cold air mass into Europe. The event was also preceded by a split of the stratospheric polar vortex on 12 February, after which one child vortex persisted over northeastern Canada. GEFS forecasts initialized 1 week prior to this CAO substantially underestimated its severity, exhibiting large spread correlated with the strength and location of the Atlantic ridge, while forecasts initialized closer to the event captured its severity with higher fidelity. Based on a set of nudged simulations, we show that capturing the evolution of the stratospheric child vortex over northeastern Canada, particularly in the lowermost stratosphere, is of great importance for predicting this CAO, since it substantially affects the strength and location of the Atlantic ridge that in turn determines the evolution and severity of this CAO. When the stratosphere is nudged toward the observed evolution, the northward flow between the child vortex and the Atlantic ridge advects more low potential vorticity air into the Atlantic ridge, and therefore amplifies it. Further experiments demonstrate that the impact of the stratosphere on the development of the ridge is particularly strong over the North Atlantic.
Crowdsourced Science Helps Monitor Air Quality in Smoke-Damaged Homes
Authors: Samuels Fionna
Published: February 2022

Researchers collaborate with residents to measure airborne chemicals in homes and evaluate how clean the air really is after remediation from Colorado’s Marshall Fire.
Quantitative electrophysiological assessments as predictive markers of lower limb motor recovery after spinal cord injury: a pilot study with an adaptive trial design
Authors: Huang Yin Nan , Meftah El-Mehdi , Pion Charlotte H. , Mac-Thiong Jean-Marc , Cohen-Adad Julien , Barthélemy Dorothy
Published: February 2022

Study design

Observational, cohort study.

Objectives

(1) Determine the feasibility and relevance of assessing corticospinal, sensory, and spinal pathways early after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) in a rehabilitation setting. (2) Validate whether electrophysiological and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures taken early after SCI could identify preserved neural pathways, which could then guide therapy.

Setting

Intensive functional rehabilitation hospital (IFR).

Methods

Five individuals with traumatic SCI and eight controls were recruited. The lower extremity motor score (LEMS), electrical perceptual threshold (EPT) at the S2 dermatome, soleus (SOL) H-reflex, and motor evoked potentials (MEPs) in the tibialis anterior (TA) muscle were assessed during the stay in IFR and in the chronic stage (>6 months post-SCI). Control participants were only assessed once. Feasibility criteria included the absence of adverse events, adequate experimental session duration, and complete dataset gathering. The relationship between electrophysiological data collected in IFR and LEMS in the chronic phase was studied. The admission MRI was used to calculate the maximal spinal cord compression (MSCC).

Results

No adverse events occurred, but a complete dataset could not be collected for all subjects due to set-up configuration limitations and time constraints. EPT measured at IFR correlated with LEMS in the chronic phases (r = −0.67), whereas SOL H/M ratio, H latency, MEPs and MSCC did not.

Conclusions

Adjustments are necessary to implement electrophysiological assessments in an IFR setting. Combining MRI and electrophysiological measures may lead to better assessment of neuronal deficits early after SCI.
PCLAF promotes neuroblastoma G1/S cell cycle progression via the E2F1/PTTG1 axis
Authors: Liu Xiaowei , Cai Yuanxia , Cheng Cheng , Gu Yaoyao , Hu Xiaoxiao , Chen Kai , Wu Yeming , Wu Zhixiang
Published: February 2022

PCLAF (PCNA clamp-associated factor), also known as PAF15/ KIAA0101, is overexpressed in most human cancers and is a predominant regulator of tumor progression. However, its biological function in neuroblastoma remains unclear. PCLAF is extremely overexpressed in neuroblastoma and is associated with poor prognosis. Through the analysis of various data sets, we found that the high expression of PCLAF is positively correlated with increased stage and high risk of neuroblastoma. Most importantly, knocking down PCLAF could restrict the proliferation of neuroblastoma cells in vitro and in vitro. By analyzing RNA-seq data, we found that the enrichment of cell cycle-related pathway genes was most significant among the differentially expressed downregulated genes after reducing the expression of PCLAF. In addition, PCLAF accelerated the G1/S transition of the neuroblastoma cell cycle by activating the E2F1/PTTG1 signaling pathway. In this study, we reveal the mechanism by which PCLAF facilitates cell cycle progression and recommend that the PCLAF/E2F1/PTTG1 axis is a therapeutic target in neuroblastoma.
c-Myb protects cochlear hair cells from cisplatin-induced damage via the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway
Authors: Bu Chuan , Xu Lei , Han Yuechen , Wang Man , Wang Xue , Liu Wenwen , Chai Renjie , Wang Haibo
Published: February 2022

The transcription factor c-Myb is vital for cell survival, proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. We have previously reported that c-Myb knockdown exacerbates neomycin-induced damage to cochlea cells. However, the function and regulation of c-Myb in the mammalian inner ear remains unclear. Here, we first found that the expression of c-Myb in cochlear HCs was downregulated after cisplatin damage in vivo. Next, to investigate the role of c-Myb in HCs treated with cisplatin, the recombinant virus AAV-ie-CAG-Myb-HA (AAV-c-Myb) that overexpresses c-Myb was constructed and transfected into HCs. The protein expression of c-Myb was effectively up-regulated in cultured cochlear HCs after the virus transfection, which increased cochlear HC viability, decreased HC apoptosis and reduced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels after cisplatin injury in vitro. The overexpression of c-Myb in HCs after AAV-c-Myb transfection in vivo also promoted HC survival, improved the hearing function of mice and reduced HC apoptosis after cisplatin injury. Furthermore, c-Myb-HC conditional knockout mice (Prestin; c-Myb-cKO) in which c-Myb expression is downregulated only in cochlear OHCs were generated and the cisplatin-induced HCs loss, apoptosis and hearing deficit were all exacerbated in Prestin; c-Myb-cKO mice treated with cisplatin in vivo. Finally, mechanistic studies showed that upregulation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway by c-Myb contributed to the increased HC survival after cisplatin exposure in vitro. The findings from this work suggest that c-Myb might serve as a new target for the prevention of cisplatin-induced HC damage and hearing loss.
METTL3 suppresses neuropathic pain via modulating N6-methyladenosine-dependent primary miR-150 processing
Authors: Zhang Le , Zhao Xin , Wang Jing , Jin Yanwu , Gong Moxuan , Ye Yuyang , Li Peilong
Published: February 2022

Methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3)-modulated N6-methyladenosine (m6A) was recently identified as an important epigenetic regulation type during RNA processing and contributes to multiple pathological processes. Neuropathic pain (NP) is induced by a lesion of the somatosensory nervous system, and the detailed pathways by which METTL3/m6A regulated to modulate gene dysregulation and enable NP have remained unclear. Therefore, this study investigated the function of METTL3-mediated m6A methylation on miRNA maturation, and investigated how this regulation contributes to NP progression. A rat model characterized with typical NP was established by a spared nerve-injury (SNI) method. By analyzing the expression levels of METTL3 and m6A methylation, we found that METTL3, along with m6A methylation, was dramatically downregulated in NP rats in contrast to the sham ones. Functionally, enhanced METTL3 promoted the m6A methylation in total RNAs and inhibited NP progression, whereas silencing METTL3 suppressed m6A methylation and increased NP severity. Mechanistically, METTL3 accelerated miR-150 maturation via mediating m6A methylation of primiR-150 at locus 498, cooperating with the “m6A reader” YTHDF2. Meanwhile, miR-150 could directly target brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA, and the METTL3/miR-150/BDNF regulatory pathway was finally established. Clinically, we proved that serum METTL3 mRNA was also downregulated in Shingles patients with NP, suggesting its diagnostic potential. In conclusion, we demonstrated an essential function of METTL3-regulated N6-methyladenosine during NP progression via modulating primiR-150 maturation. Serum METTL3 could effectively differentiate NP patients from healthy people, and is useful for dynamic monitoring of diseases after treatment. Therefore, the METTL3/miR-150/BDNF pathway may be a promising therapeutic target for NP patients.
Liquid crystalline 2D borophene oxide for inorganic optical devices
Authors: Kambe Tetsuya , Imaoka Shotaro , Shimizu Misa , Hosono Reina , Yan Dongwan , Taya Hinayo , Katakura Masahiro , Nakamura Hirona , Kubo Shoichi , Shishido Atsushi , Yamamoto Kimihisa
Published: February 2022

Borophene has been recently proposed as a next-generation two-dimensional material with promising electronic and optical properties. However, its instability has thus far limited its large-scale applications. Here, we investigate a liquid-state borophene analogue with an ordered layer structure derived from two-dimensional borophene oxide. The material structure, phase transition features and basic properties are revealed by using X-ray analysis, optical and electron microscopy, and thermal characterization. The obtained liquid crystal exhibits high thermal stability at temperatures up to 350 °C and an optical switching behaviour driven by a low voltage of 1 V.
Single-cell profiling of human subventricular zone progenitors identifies SFRP1 as a target to re-activate progenitors
Authors: Donega Vanessa , van der Geest Astrid T. , Sluijs Jacqueline A. , van Dijk Roland E. , Wang Chi Chiu , Basak Onur , Pasterkamp R. Jeroen , Hol Elly M.
Published: February 2022

Following the decline of neurogenesis at birth, progenitors of the subventricular zone (SVZ) remain mostly in a quiescent state in the adult human brain. The mechanisms that regulate this quiescent state are still unclear. Here, we isolate CD271+ progenitors from the aged human SVZ for single-cell RNA sequencing analysis. Our transcriptome data reveal the identity of progenitors of the aged human SVZ as late oligodendrocyte progenitor cells. We identify the Wnt pathway antagonist SFRP1 as a possible signal that promotes quiescence of progenitors from the aged human SVZ. Administration of WAY-316606, a small molecule that inhibits SFRP1 function, stimulates activation of neural stem cells both in vitro and in vivo under homeostatic conditions. Our data unravel a possible mechanism through which progenitors of the adult human SVZ are maintained in a quiescent state and a potential target for stimulating progenitors to re-activate.
Osteoblast-derived vesicles induce a switch from bone-formation to bone-resorption in vivo
Authors: Uenaka Maki , Yamashita Erika , Kikuta Junichi , Morimoto Akito , Ao Tomoka , Mizuno Hiroki , Furuya Masayuki , Hasegawa Tetsuo , Tsukazaki Hiroyuki , Sudo Takao , Nishikawa Keizo , Okuzaki Daisuke , Motooka Daisuke , Kosaka Nobuyoshi , Sugihara Fuminori , Boettger Thomas , Braun Thomas , Ochiya Takahiro , Ishii Masaru
Published: February 2022

Bone metabolism is regulated by the cooperative activity between bone-forming osteoblasts and bone-resorbing osteoclasts. However, the mechanisms mediating the switch between the osteoblastic and osteoclastic phases have not been fully elucidated. Here, we identify a specific subset of mature osteoblast-derived extracellular vesicles that inhibit bone formation and enhance osteoclastogenesis. Intravital imaging reveals that mature osteoblasts secrete and capture extracellular vesicles, referred to as small osteoblast vesicles (SOVs). Co-culture experiments demonstrate that SOVs suppress osteoblast differentiation and enhance the expression of receptor activator of NF-κB ligand, thereby inducing osteoclast differentiation. We also elucidate that the SOV-enriched microRNA miR-143 inhibits Runt-related transcription factor 2, a master regulator of osteoblastogenesis, by targeting the mRNA expression of its dimerization partner, core-binding factor β. In summary, we identify SOVs as a mode of cell-to-cell communication, controlling the dynamic transition from bone-forming to bone-resorbing phases in vivo.
Slab control on the mega-sized North Pacific ultra-low velocity zone
Authors: Li Jiewen , Sun Daoyuan , Bower Dan J.
Published: February 2022

Ultra-low velocity zones (ULVZs) are localized small-scale patches with extreme physical properties at the core-mantle boundary that often gather at the margins of Large Low Velocity Provinces (LLVPs). Recent studies have discovered several mega-sized ULVZs with a lateral dimension of ~900 km. However, the detailed structures and physical properties of these ULVZs and their relationship to LLVP edges are not well constrained and their formation mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we break the degeneracy between the size and velocity perturbation of a ULVZ using two orthogonal seismic ray paths, and thereby discover a mega-sized ULVZ at the northern edge of the Pacific LLVP. The ULVZ is almost double the size of a previously imaged ULVZ in this region, but with half of the shear velocity reduction. This mega-sized ULVZ has accumulated due to stable mantle flow converging at the LLVP edge driven by slab-debris in the lower mantle. Such flow also develops the subvertical north-tilting edge of the Pacific LLVP.
The spatiotemporal neural dynamics of object location representations in the human brain
Authors: Graumann Monika , Ciuffi Caterina , Dwivedi Kshitij , Roig Gemma , Cichy Radoslaw M.
Published: February 2022

To interact with objects in complex environments, we must know what they are and where they are in spite of challenging viewing conditions. Here, we investigated where, how and when representations of object location and category emerge in the human brain when objects appear on cluttered natural scene images using a combination of functional magnetic resonance imaging, electroencephalography and computational models. We found location representations to emerge along the ventral visual stream towards lateral occipital complex, mirrored by gradual emergence in deep neural networks. Time-resolved analysis suggested that computing object location representations involves recurrent processing in high-level visual cortex. Object category representations also emerged gradually along the ventral visual stream, with evidence for recurrent computations. These results resolve the spatiotemporal dynamics of the ventral visual stream that give rise to representations of where and what objects are present in a scene under challenging viewing conditions.
Clonal relations in the mouse brain revealed by single-cell and spatial transcriptomics
Authors: Ratz Michael , von Berlin Leonie , Larsson Ludvig , Martin Marcel , Westholm Jakub Orzechowski , La Manno Gioele , Lundeberg Joakim , Frisén Jonas
Published: February 2022

The mammalian brain contains many specialized cells that develop from a thin sheet of neuroepithelial progenitor cells. Single-cell transcriptomics revealed hundreds of molecularly diverse cell types in the nervous system, but the lineage relationships between mature cell types and progenitor cells are not well understood. Here we show in vivo barcoding of early progenitors to simultaneously profile cell phenotypes and clonal relations in the mouse brain using single-cell and spatial transcriptomics. By reconstructing thousands of clones, we discovered fate-restricted progenitor cells in the mouse hippocampal neuroepithelium and show that microglia are derived from few primitive myeloid precursors that massively expand to generate widely dispersed progeny. We combined spatial transcriptomics with clonal barcoding and disentangled migration patterns of clonally related cells in densely labeled tissue sections. Our approach enables high-throughput dense reconstruction of cell phenotypes and clonal relations at the single-cell and tissue level in individual animals and provides an integrated approach for understanding tissue architecture.
Environmental noise exposure is associated with atherothrombotic risk
Authors: Koczorowski Magali , Bernard Nadine , Mauny Frédéric , Chagué Frederic , Pujol Sophie , Maza Maud , Cottin Yves , Zeller Marianne ,   ENVI-MI Study Group
Published: February 2022

There is growing evidence that environmental noise exposure could increase the risk of atherothrombotic events, including acute myocardial infarction (MI). We analysed the burden of environmental noise on atherothrombotic risk in MI patients. From the RICO survey, 879 consecutive MI patients included from 2004 to 2008 and living in an urban unit of > 237,000 inhabitants were analysed. Atherothrombotic risk was calculated using the TRS-2P score. TRS-2P categories were split into low (TRS-2P = 0/1) (40.8%), medium–low (TRS-2P = 2) (25.7%), medium–high (TRS-2P = 3) (21.8%) and high risk (TRS-2P ≥ 4) (11.6%). Noise exposure was associated with atherothrombotic risk, with the LAeq,24 h(OR (95% CI): 1.165 (1.026–1.324)) and Lnight(OR (95CI): 1.157 (1.031–1.298)), for each 10 dB(A) increase. After adjustment, noise exposure remained a predictor of atherothrombotic risk, with LAeq,24 h(OR (95% CI): 1.162 (1.011–1.337)) and with Lnight(OR (95% CI): 1.159 (1.019–1.317)). The relationship with transportation Lnightwas significant for men (OR (95% CI): 1.260 (1.078–1.472)) but not for women (OR (95% CI): 0.959 (0.763–1.205)). We found a significant association between residential traffic noise exposure and atherothrombotic risk in men but not in women. These results could have major consequences for secondary prevention.
MicroRNA editing patterns in Huntington’s disease
Authors: Guo Shiyong , Yang Jun , Jiang Bingbing , Zhou Nan , Ding Hao , Zhou Guangchen , Wu Shuai , Suo Angbaji , Wu Xingwang , Xie Wenping , Li Wanran , Liu Yulong , Deng Wei , Zheng Yun
Published: February 2022

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disease. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that mediate post-transcriptional regulation of target genes. Although miRNAs are extensively edited in human brains, the editome of miRNAs in brains of HD patients is largely unknown. By analyzing the small RNA sequencing profiles of brain tissues of 28 HD patients and 83 normal controls, 1182 miRNA editing sites with significant editing levels were identified. In addition to 27 A-to-I editing sites, we identified 3 conserved C-to-U editing sites in miRNAs of HD patients. 30 SNPs in the miRNAs of HD patients were also identified. Furthermore, 129 miRNA editing events demonstrated significantly different editing levels in prefrontal cortex samples of HD patients (HD-PC) when compared to those of healthy controls. We found that hsa-mir-10b-5p was edited to have an additional cytosine at 5’-end in HD-PC, and the edited hsa-mir-10b repressed GTPBP10 that was often downregulated in HD. The down-regulation of GTPBP10 might contribute to the progression of HD by causing gradual loss of function of mitochondrial. These results provide the first endeavor to characterize the miRNA editing events in HD and their potential functions.
The decay and consolidation of effector-independent motor memories
Authors: Bao Shancheng , Wang Jinsung , Wright David L. , Buchanan John J. , Lei Yuming
Published: February 2022

Learning a motor adaptation task produces intrinsically unstable or transient motor memories. Despite the presence of effector-independent motor memories following the learning of novel environmental dynamics, it remains largely unknown how those memory traces decay in different contexts and whether an “offline” consolidation period protects memories against decay. Here, we exploit inter-effector transfer to address these questions. We found that newly acquired motor memories formed with one effector could be partially retrieved by the untrained effector to enhance its performance when the decay occurred with the passage of time or “washout” trials on which error feedback was provided. The decay of motor memories was slower following “error-free” trials, on which errors were artificially clamped to zero or removed, compared with “washout” trials. However, effector-independent memory components were abolished following movements made in the absence of task errors, resulting in no transfer gains. The brain can stabilize motor memories during daytime wakefulness. We found that 6 h of wakeful resting increased the resistance of effector-independent memories to decay. Collectively, our results suggest that the decay of effector-independent motor memories is context-dependent, and offline processing preserves those memories against decay, leading to improvements of the subsequent inter-effector transfer.
Classification of endogenous and exogenous bursts in collective emotions based on Weibo comments during COVID-19
Authors: Wu Qianyun , Sano Yukie , Takayasu Hideki , Takayasu Misako
Published: February 2022

Bursts and collective emotion have been widely studied in social physics field where researchers use mathematical models to understand human social dynamics. However, few researches recognize and separately analyze the internal and external influence on burst behaviors. To bridge this gap, we introduce a non-parametric approach to classify an interevent time series into five scenarios: random arrival, endogenous burst, endogenous non-burst, exogenous burst and exogenous non-burst. In order to process large-scale social media data, we first segment the interevent time series into sections by detecting change points. Then we use the rule-based algorithm to classify the time series based on its distribution. To validate our model, we analyze 27.2 million COVID-19 related comments collected from Chinese social media between January to October 2020. We adopt the emotion category called Profile of Mood States which consists of six emotions:Anger,Depression,Fatigue,Vigor,TensionandConfusion. This enables us to compare the burst features of different collective emotions during the COVID-19 period. The burst detection and classification approach introduced in this paper can also be applied to analyzing other complex systems, including but not limited to social media, financial market and signal processing.