bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Teachers gaming the system: exploring opportunistic behaviours in a low-stakes accountability system
Authors: Ferrer-Esteban Gerard , Pagès Marcel
Published: December 2023

Based on the theoretical approaches of social capital and institutional trust, this paper seeks to identify contextual factors and conditions behind teacher behaviours which aim to alter the results of standardised tests in the Italian low-stakes accountability system. Numerous studies report significant factors associated with student cheating, but research into the factors of teacher-led opportunistic actions is scarce. Logistic regression models with fixed-effects at classroom level, with interaction terms, were carried out to identify factors increasing the likelihood of teacher misbehaviour. Models included approximately 79,100 primary, lower and upper secondary classrooms. Indicators of teacher cheating were estimated through algorithms based on suspicious answer strings from standardised tests. The results suggest that teacher cheating may be understood as a form of support for the most vulnerable students, since it is, to a greater extent, found helping low-income students, grade-retained students, as well as students in socially homogenous school settings. The findings also reveal that teacher cheating is consistently related to collectively share non-civic-minded behaviours and practices undertaken by teachers, which do not match legal requirements, such as within-school social segregation and exclusion of students from tests. Heterogeneous effects show that, even in classrooms with external controllers, the lower the civic capital in a school, the more misbehaviour are found. Relevant implications for research, social theory and policy are discussed.
Potential crop yield gains under intensive soybean/maize intercropping in China
Authors: Chen Guohui , Jiang Fahui , Zhang Song , Zhang Qin , Jiang Guanjie , Gao Bingke , Cao Guojun , Islam Mahabub U. I. , Cao Zhen , Zhao Xiaomin
Published: December 2023

Aims

Intensive soybean/maize intercropping, a specific form of intercropping, holds promise in addressing the challenges posed by increasing food demands, diminishing cropland areas, deteriorating soil quality, and escalating environmental pollution.

Methods

To evaluate the potential of this system, we conducted a national meta-analysis, quantifying its absolute yield gain (net effect, NE) and land use efficacy (land equivalent ratio, LER). We further investigated the underlying mechanisms by examining local climate, soil properties, and field management practices and then developed random forest (RF) models to assess the system's potential, incorporating current information on natural resources.

Results

In China, an average NE of 3.2 ± 0.1 Mg ha−1 and LER of 1.4 ± 0.02 were achieved by intensive soybean/maize intercropping. The variance of NE was significantly influenced by air temperature (10%), soybean delay days (8%), and maize plant density (9%). Similarly, the LER was strongly driven by soybean delay days (14%), sunshine hours (11%), and maize density (10%). Notably, this intensive intercropping system efficiently utilizes available resources, such as light, temperature (heat), accumulated temperature, and soil nutrients, particularly in regions characterized by low soil fertility and limited agricultural resources. Ultimately, the RF model estimated substantial overyielding of 2 800 kg per hectare, representing approximately 1.4 times the current soybean and maize production under China's monoculture.

Conclusions

The implementation of intensive soybean/maize intercropping is highly beneficial throughout China, especially in areas with limited agricultural resources. The Yangtze River Basin, in potentially, emerges as the most suitable region for adopting this intensive intercropping practice.
Angler’s preferences, perceptions and practices regarding non-native freshwater fish
Authors: Banha F. , Gago J. , Margalejo D. , Feijão J. , Casals F. , Anastácio P. M. , Ribeiro F.
Published: December 2023

It is globally recognized that freshwater anglers can have a decisive role in promoting fish introductions. The aim of this study was to analyze freshwater anglers’ actions and perceptions regarding fish introductions, comparing two distinct situations, one with recently arrived non-natives fishes and another with older fish introductions, using the Iberian Peninsula as a case study. To achieve this goal, a bilingual survey was implemented on-line in Portugal and Spain and in person (direct inquiries) in two Iberian regions: Lower Ebro (older fish introductions) in Spain; and Lower Tagus (recent fish introductions) in Portugal. Results showed spatial differences in perceptions and actions, namely about the target species, awareness of the impact of non-native fishes, fish introductions reported and proportion of anglers that wanted new fish species. In the Ebro river there is a high percentage of foreign anglers, higher awareness of fish introduction impact and lower introduction rates reported than in the Tagus river. However, popularity of non-native species like European catfish, was higher in the Ebro. In general, although risk behaviors such as use of fish as life bait was of low prevalence for both countries (approx. 5%), it corresponds to large numbers of fish being introduced. Our conservative estimates revealed 273,600 events of bait discharge per year. Regarding the intentional introductions, we estimated a total of 140,000 intentional introduction (illegal) events per year. These findings may help to improve monitoring, awareness and fisheries management programs led by governmental agencies.

Graphical abstract
Initial on-Orbit Results from the GOES-18 Spacecraft Science Magnetometer
Authors: Loto’aniu Paul T. M. , Davis A. , Jarvis A. , Grotenhuis M. , Rich F. J. , Califf S. , Inceoglu F. , Pacini A. , Singer H. J.
Published: December 2023

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-18, the latest spacecraft from the NOAA GOES-R satellite series, was launched March 1, 2022. As with the previous GOES-16 and GOES-17 satellites, GOES-18 monitors sources of space weather on the Sun and its effects at Earth. NOAA uses GOES data as part of the national space weather forecasts, warnings and alerts to many customers. GOES-18 hosts new magnetometers called the Goddard magnetometers (GMAG) that replace those (called MAG) built by a different vendor on GOES-16 and GOES-17. Like the other GOES satellites, the GOES-18 GMAG provides observations of the geomagnetic field at geostationary orbit (35,786 km), a location that often provides early indication of enhanced space weather activity. In this paper, we review the capabilities of the GOES-18 GMAG along with lessons learned from the GOES-16/17 MAGs. The GOES-R series magnetometer instrument includes two magnetometer sensors (inboard and outboard) mounted along a boom extended from the spacecraft. As with the previous magnetometers, the GMAG sensors are three-axis fluxgates sampling the geomagnetic field at 10 samples/second, with the data low-pass filtered with a 2.5 Hz cutoff. On-orbit analysis demonstrates that the GOES-18 GMAG is a highly stable instrument showing little variations between the inboard and outboard sensors either diurnally or over multiple days. A nearly 2.5 months collocation between GOES-18 and GOES-17 (136.8°W and 137.2°W) allowed direct cross-satellite comparisons that was unprecedented for GOES satellites. Differences between the on orbit performance of the GMAG and MAG sensors are attributed to thermal stability issues observed on the GOES-17 MAG (also observed on the GOES-16 MAG). The cross-satellite analysis during the collocation interval, along with inboard/outboard sensor comparisons and comparisons to models, suggests that the GOES-18 GMAG meets the NOAA mission requirement of $\pm 1$
±
1
nT accuracy, excluding arcjet firing periods. Arcjet firing periods were also excluded in performance analysis for GOES-16/17.
Thermodynamic Prediction of the Impact of Carbon on Bainite Formation, Including the BCT Transformation
Authors: Jacob Aurélie , Schuscha Bernd , Retzl Philipp , Shan Yao V. , Kozeschnik Ernst
Published: December 2023

There exists strong experimental evidence that bainitic ferrite is formed as a supersaturated solid solution of carbon within a tetragonally-distorted body-centered iron structure (BCT), where carbon preferentially occupies the octahedral site. Despite this, the BCT structure has not yet been accounted for in the computational analysis of the thermodynamics of the bainite transformation. In the present work, we propose to calculate the onset of the bainite transformation based on the T0′ concept, including the effect of Zener-ordering. This mechanism stabilizes the BCT structure, makes it energetically more favorable than BCC and leads to a significantly higher solubility of C compared Fe-BCC. The computational predictions are made based on a recent reassessment of low-T Gibbs energies and finally compared to experiments. The important role of C is emphasized, with the Fe-C system used as a showcase.
BACNN: Multi-scale feature fusion-based bilinear attention convolutional neural network for wood NIR classification
Authors: Wan Zihao , Yang Hong , Xu Jipan , Mu Hongbo , Qi Dawei
Published: December 2023

Effective development and utilization of wood resources is critical. Wood modification research has become an integral dimension of wood science research, however, the similarities between modified wood and original wood render it challenging for accurate identification and classification using conventional image classification techniques. So, the development of efficient and accurate wood classification techniques is inevitable. This paper presents a one-dimensional, convolutional neural network (i.e., BACNN) that combines near-infrared spectroscopy and deep learning techniques to classify poplar, tung, and balsa woods, and PVA, nano-silica-sol and PVA-nano silica sol modified woods of poplar. The results show that BACNN achieves an accuracy of 99.3% on the test set, higher than the 52.9% of the BP neural network and 98.7% of Support Vector Machine compared with traditional machine learning methods and deep learning based methods; it is also higher than the 97.6% of LeNet, 98.7% of AlexNet and 99.1% of VGGNet-11. Therefore, the classification method proposed offers potential applications in wood classification, especially with homogeneous modified wood, and it also provides a basis for subsequent wood properties studies.
The governance technology for blockchain systems: a survey
Authors: Zhu Guocheng , He Debiao , An Haoyang , Luo Min , Peng Cong
Published: December 2023

After the Ethereum DAO attack in 2016, which resulted in significant economic losses, blockchain governance has become a prominent research area. However, there is a lack of comprehensive and systematic literature review on blockchain governance. To deeply understand the process of blockchain governance and provide guidance for the future design of the blockchain governance model, we provide an in-depth review of blockchain governance. In this paper, first we introduce the consensus algorithms currently used in blockchain and relate them to governance theory. Second, we present the main content of off-chain governance and investigate two well-known off-chain governance projects. Third, we investigate four common on-chain governance voting techniques, then summarize the seven attributes that the on-chain governance voting process should meet, and finally analyze four well-known on-chain governance blockchain projects based on the previous research. We hope this survey will provide an in-depth insight into the potential development direction of blockchain governance and device future research agenda.
Starting with Sustainability: Utilizing food Wastes as Nursery Feed for Black Solder Fly Neonates
Authors: Zhang Qi-Hui , Lee Nicole Li Ying , Unadirekkul Phira , Puniamoorthy Nalini
Published: December 2023

With black soldier fly (BSF) larvae being recognized as effective waste convertors, the global market for BSF industry is projected to grow substantially in the coming decade. However, using non-waste materials in the bioconversion process increases the environmental footprint of the BSF industry [e.g.: chicken feed (CF) as primary neonatal nursery meal]. In this study, we first tested if industrial food wastes (i.e., okara, biscuit meal, dried fish, coconut.) can be substitute diets for BSF neonates. Next, we tested three formulated meals based on the nutritional properties of the well-performing nursery diets from the first test/previous literatures. In the first test, we observed significant differences in neonatal growth when food wastes were directly used as nursery meals, and the initial weight of neonates influenced the development time of the larvae, with smaller neonates exhibiting prolonged larval duration. In contrast, the formulated meals performed well in promoting the growth of neonates, and the larval development showed no significant difference by day eight in the post-nursery rearing. In summary, our findings indicate that by meeting specific nutritional requirements, formulated diets made from industrial food waste could serve as a viable replacement for CF as nursery meals, resulting in a significant boost in the sustainability of the BSF industry.

Graphical Abstract
Air Pollution and Lung Cancer: Contributions of Extracellular Vesicles as Pathogenic Mechanisms and Clinical Utility
Authors: González-Ruíz Jonathan , A.Baccarelli Andrea , Cantu-de-Leon David , Prada Diddier
Published: December 2023

Purpose of Review

This review addresses the pressing issue of air pollution’s threat to human health, focusing on its connection to non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) development. The aim is to explore the role of extracellular vesicles (EVs) as potential pathogenic mechanisms in lung cancer, including NSCLC, induced by air pollutants.

Recent Findings

Recent research highlights EVs as vital mediators of intercellular communication and key contributors to cancer progression. Notably, this review emphasizes the cargo of EVs released by both cancerous and non-cancerous lung cells, shedding light on their potential role in promoting various aspects of tumor development.

The review underscores the importance of comprehending the intricate interplay between air pollution, biological damage mechanisms, and EV-mediated communication during NSCLC development. Major takeaways emphasize the significance of this understanding in addressing air pollution-related lung cancer. Future research avenues are also highlighted, aiming to enhance the applicability of EVs for diagnosis and targeted therapies, ultimately mitigating the inevitable impact of air pollution on NSCLC development and treatment.
A Thermodynamics Model for the Assessment and Optimisation of Onboard Natural Gas Reforming and Carbon Capture
Authors: Law Li Chin , Mastorakos Epaminondas , Othman Mohd. Roslee , Trakakis Antonis
Published: December 2023

The paper examines pre-combustion carbon capture technology (PreCCS) for liquefied natural gas (LNG) propelled shipping from thermodynamics and energy efficiency perspectives. Various types of LNG reformers and CCS units are considered. The steam methane reformer (SMR) was found to be 20% more energy efficient than autothermal (ATR) and methane pyrolysis (MPR) reactors. Pressure swing adsorption (PSA) had a lower energy requirement than membrane separation (MEM), cryogenic separation (CS), and amine absorption (AA) in pre-combustion carbon capture, with PSA needing 0.18 kWh/kg CO2. An integrated system combining SMR and PSA was proposed using waste heat recovery (WHR) from the engine, assuming similar efficiency for LNG and H2 operation, and cooling and liquefying of the CO2 by the LNG. The SMR-PSA system without WHR had an overall efficiency of 33.4% (defined as work at the propeller divided by the total LNG energy consumption). This was improved to 41.7% with WHR and gave a 65% CO2 emission reduction. For a higher CO2 reduction, CCS from the SMR heater could additionally be employed, giving a maximum CO2 removal rate of 86.2% with 39% overall energy efficiency. By comparison, an amine-based post-engine CCS system without reforming could reach similar CO2 removal rates but with 36.6% overall efficiency. The advantages and disadvantages and technology readiness level of PreCCS for onboard operation are discussed. This study offers evidence that pre-combustion CCS can be a serious contender for maritime propulsion decarbonization.

Graphical Abstract
Deleterious effect of LiCl on honeybee (Aphis mellifera) grubs and no effect on Varroa mites (Varroa destructor) under normal beekeeping management
Authors: Demeter Imre , Sárospataki Miklós , Zsigmond Andreea R. , Lajos Károly , Balog Adalbert
Published: December 2023

A 2-year field experiment was performed to test lithium chloride, LiCl, application in a normal beekeeping management system. The effect of LiCl on bee larval mortality, beehive weight (honey production) and Varroa mite mortality were tested. Spectrometric quantification of Li on honey and the larval body were made to test the effectiveness of the presence of LiCl. Li was detected in bee larval bodies and in honey over 2 years, from 2018 to 2019. According to the results, no effect of LiCl on mite mortality or bee larval mortality was detected in the first year of application. By assessing the weight variation of beehives, only one LiCl-treated hive showed a significantly higher weight, whereas no other differences were detected between treatments and control. The same trend seen in 2018 was repeated in 2019, while a total bee larval mortality was observed after the first LiCl application, and still no differences in Varroa mite mortality were observed. According to these results, it was concluded that LiCl has no effect on Varroa mite mortality during normal beekeeping practice; furthermore, the recommended amount of treatment (25 mM) had a lethal effect (i.e., total mortality) on larvae following repeated applications.
Characterization of a C12A7 electride plasma-based cathode using different keeper orifice sizes
Authors: Drobny Christian , Tajmar Martin
Published: December 2023

For the operation of electric propulsion systems in space, efficient electron sources are crucial components. Hollow cathodes have been established for many applications since they allow sufficient current ranges at reasonable power requirements and have been proven to operate for several thousands of hours. New approaches are being evaluated to improve these cathodes’ general performance. This publication presents an extended characteristic of a heaterless plasma-based cathode using the emitter material C12A7 electride. The focus is on the relationship between the discharge potential and total discharge power over the discharge current. Furthermore, a characteristic of the discharge performance at lower mass flow rates is presented and discussed. The discharge potential is generally quite constant for a wide range of discharge currents, typical in the range of 30 V and only increases steeply for low discharge current ranges. Successful heaterless ignition and stable operation have been achieved down to 2 sccm krypton flow rate.
Innovative drugs promote precision cancer therapy
Authors: Huang Xuan , Zhu Mengxuan , Chen Ruoxue , Ni Junjie , Zhao Wenrui , Li Song , Lu Xiaoling , Jiao Heng , Cao Xin
Published: December 2023

Targeted therapy has fundamentally altered the diagnosis and treatment of clinical cancers. By focusing on chromosomal abnormalities and various indications of cancer, these medications have paved the way for the precise treatment of malignant tumors. In addition to markedly reversing the status quo of reliance on radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and surgery, these drugs have radically transformed the clinical treatment of advanced malignant tumors and became the leading candidates in the fight against cancer. Significant advancements in new targeted medications, including small molecules (e.g., KRASG12C inhibitors), bispecific antibodies, antibody drug conjugates, and cellular immunotherapy, are due to the advent of new technology and treatments. Notably, numerous difficulties have been encountered, although each medicine class has its own unique benefits and drawbacks. To serve as a key summary for the development of new treatment options for precision cancer medicine recently, this review aimed to summarize the most recent anti-tumor revolutionary medications with significant prospective therapeutic advantages.
Umbrella strategy with systemic and intraperitoneal chemotherapy versus systemic chemotherapy in patients with advanced gastric cancer: a multicenter, randomized Phase III clinical trial
Authors: Yang Yang , Wei Jia , Du Juan , Zou Zhengyun , Wei Rongfu , Zhang Fenglin , Shen Weisheng , Lu Xiyan , Sun Sanyuan , Li Xiaoqin , Nie Chunlan , Chen Gang , Yu Lixia , Qian Hanqing , Yang Yan , Liu Qin , Shen Jie , Wang Lifeng , Xing Yajun , Cui Fangbo , Shi Jianmin , Xi Lei , Deng Lichun , Cao Xiangmin , Zhu Qing , Yuan Yuan , Cheng Meilian , Xu Hui , Yuan Ling , Guo Miaomiao , Wang Meng , Gao Changyan , Qian Xiaoping , Guan Wenxian , Liu Baorui
Published: December 2023

Background

We have developed a tridirectional regimen combining intraperitoneal, intravenous, and oral chemotherapy as a treatment for patients with advanced gastric cancer and individualized these chemotherapeutics according to mRNA expression. This multicenter Phase III umbrella study compared the efficacy and safety of individualized tridirectional intraperitoneal and systemic chemotherapy with that of standard systemic chemotherapy.

Methods

BRCA1/TOPO1 mRNA expression was examined in all enrolled patients. The patients were then randomized in a ratio of 3:1 to an individualized arm and a control arm. Patients in the control arm received systemic intravenous/oral chemotherapy, whereas those in the individualized arm received sensitive chemotherapeutics selected from oxaliplatin/cisplatin/docetaxel/irinotecan/S-1 according to their BRCA1/TOPO1 mRNA expression and received individualized tridirectional intraperitoneal/intravenous/oral chemotherapy. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival and the secondary endpoints were response rate, overall survival, and safety.

Results

Overall, 233 of 240 patients enrolled between August 2014 and December 2016 were included in the efficacy analysis. Baseline patient characteristics were balanced between the two arms. The objective response rate was 33.9% in the control arm and 49.1% in the individualized arm (P = 0.039). In the control and individualized arms, median progression-free survival was 5.9 months and 8.0 months, respectively (hazard ratio 0.521, 95% confidence interval 0.362–0.750, P = 0.0005) and median overall survival was 13.5 months and 16.4 months, respectively (hazard ratio 0.684, 95% confidence interval 0.474–0.988, P = 0.0430). Both regimens were tolerable.

Conclusion

The primary analysis demonstrated the statistical superiority of this tridirectional individualized regimen and suggests that this regimen has clinical efficacy in patients with advanced gastric cancer.

Trial registration

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (chictr.org.cn) Identifier: ChiCTR-IPR-15006201.
The role of innate immune cells as modulators of the tumor microenvironment in the metastasis and treatment of pancreatic cancer
Authors: Zhu Tianyi , Wu Xiuqi , Liao Yuan , Yan Yidan , Yu Minhao , Wang Liwei , Xia Qing
Published: December 2023

Pancreatic cancer is a highly aggressive disease, which is often diagnosed late. Consequently, metastasis is common among newly diagnosed patients, leading to a poor prognosis and high mortality rates. The tumor microenvironment of pancreatic cancer, which comprises pancreatic cancer cells, stromal cells, and immune cells, as well as a multitude of extracellular components, plays a pivotal role in cancer progression and metastasis. Conventional immunotherapies focused on targeting the adaptive immune response have achieved suboptimal outcomes in patients with pancreatic cancer. Thus, the focus has shifted toward targeting innate immune cells, which can infiltrate the pancreatic tumor and contribute to the development and maintenance of the immunosuppressive microenvironment to promote tumor growth and metastasis. This review focuses on the roles of innate immune cells and their interactions in the shaping of an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment to promote the metastasis of pancreatic cancer. In addition, we review strategies that target innate immune cells to remodel the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and improve the prognosis of pancreatic cancer.
Shorter Reperfusion Time in Stroke is Associated with Better Cognition
Authors: Costa Novo Joana , Rieffel Evelyne , Velarde Guillermo Coca , Costa Francisca , Barros Pedro , Veloso Miguel , Costa Henrique , Paredes Ludovina , Gregório Tiago , Rodrigues Marta , Calvão-Pires Pedro , Campolargo Ana , Battistella Valéria
Published: December 2023

Background:

Cognitive changes that result from cerebrovascular disease contribute to a poor functional outcome with reduced quality of life. Among patients undergoing endovascular therapy (EVT), we aim to assess cognitive function and evaluate the impact of reperfusion time in cognitive performance.

Methods:

Patients with acute right anterior circulation strokes that underwent EVT between January 2018 and August 2020 at Centro Hospitalar de Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho, participated in the study. Modified treatment in cerebral infarction (mTICI) assessed the level of recanalization. Cognitive evaluation was assessed with Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination revised (ACE-R). Multiple linear regression analyses were used to determine the association between time for recanalization and ACE-R. The level of significance adopted was 0.05.

Results:

The mean age of participants was 71.5 (interquartile range [IQR] 62.0–78.2) years, and 50% (22) were women. The median time after stroke was 28.6 months (IQR 18.94–31.55). All patients in our sample had a successful level of recanalization with EVT (mTICI ≥ 2b). Time for recanalization showed an inverse association with the ACE-R (b = −0.0207, P = 0.0203). Also the mRS at 3 months had an inverse association with cognition (b = −5.2803, p = 0.0095). Level of education had a strong and direct relationship with ACE-R results (b = 3.0869, p < 0.0001).

Conclusions:

Longer time between stroke symptoms and recanalization with EVT in patients with right hemisphere ischemic stroke lead to lower ACE-R scores. Measures to improve door-to-recanalization time are also important for cognitive performance after ischemic stroke.
A novel filtering method for geodetically determined ocean surface currents using deep learning
Authors: Gibbs Laura , Bingham Rory J. , Paiement Adeline
Published: December 2023

Determining an accurate picture of ocean currents is an important societal challenge for oceanographers, aiding our understanding of the vital role currents play in regulating Earth’s climate, and in the dispersal of marine species and pollutants, including microplastics. The geodetic approach, which combines satellite observations of sea level and Earth’s gravity, offers the only means to estimate the dominant geostrophic component of these currents globally. Unfortunately, however, geodetically-determined geostrophic currents suffer from high levels of contamination in the form of geodetic noise. Conventional approaches use isotropic spatial filters to improve the signal-to-noise ratio, though this results in high levels of attenuation. Hence, the use of deep learning to improve the geodetic determination of the ocean currents is investigated. Supervised machine learning typically requires clean targets from which to learn. However, such targets do not exist in this case. Therefore, a training dataset is generated by substituting clean targets with naturally smooth climate model data and generative machine learning networks are employed to replicate geodetic noise, providing noisy input and clean target pairs. Prior knowledge of the geodetic noise is exploited to develop a more realistic training dataset. A convolutional denoising autoencoder (CDAE) is then trained on these pairs. The trained CDAE model is then applied to unseen real geodetic ocean currents. It is demonstrated that our method outperforms conventional isotropic filtering in a case study of four key regions: the Gulf Stream, the Kuroshio Current, the Agulhas Current, and the Brazil-Malvinas Confluence Zone.
“World”-Traveling in Tule Canoes: Indigenous Philosophies of Language and an Ethic of Incommensurability
Authors: Meissner Shelbi Nahwilet
Published: December 2023

Indigenous language activists talk about incommensurability all the time—in interesting ways that link language and knowledge as components of Indigenous lifeways that can't be disentangled. According to many of these scholar-activists, what is untranslatable about Indigenous languages is often what is incommensurate about Indigenous worlds. Drawing upon resources from Indigenous language-reclamation work, I outline here a nonexhaustive taxonomy of incommensurability in the literature about Indigenous philosophy of language, and gesture at the ways coalitional relationships might be built that hold space for these different varieties of incommensurability. For ease of explication and to honor Indigenous ways of knowing, I employ here an organizational metaphor rooted in my own communities’ traditions of canoe-voyaging to organize three forms of incommensurability that emerge from Indigenous philosophies of language:impassable incommensurabilityandstrategic impassable incommensurability(big water through a rock garden), as well asincommensurability with technical passage:(heavy water through a rock garden). These forms of incommensurability, as they spring from Indigenous philosophies of language, lend themselves toward nuanced insights for careful and considerate world-traveling (à la Lugones) that holds space for epistemic and linguistic sovereignty.
Wives’ Work: Gender and Status in a List from the Mishnah
Authors: Gopalakrishnan Pratima
Published: December 2023

A curious list from the Mishnah lists seven labors that a woman does for her husband. The juxtaposition of these seven tasks in a list creates a hierarchy among them, which dictates the order in which the performance of a task is transferred to an enslaved woman as the size of the woman’s dowry increases. Scholars read this text to understand how wealth shapes a woman’s labor obligations, but they have taken the form and contents of the list as a given. This article argues that the list establishes the category of wives’ work in rabbinic literature and defines it as work that is performed interchangeably by the wife or enslaved women. The form of the list can be compared to other lists within the Mishnah as well as lists of housework in contemporary traditions. These comparisons allow for a more critical stance toward the interplay of slavery and status in the Mishnah. The Mishnah’s framing of a wife’s work as interchangeable belies how the individual tasks were embedded in broader social, economic, and technological transformations.
Multi‐Instrumental Observation of an Upward Cloud‐To‐Air Discharge Above a Mediterranean Storm
Authors: Hausknost Gabriel , Ventre Axel , Soula Serge , Coquillat Sylvain , Mlynarczyk Janusz , Hermant Alex
Published: December 2023

On the night of 1 November 2022, a luminous discharge was produced above a storm over the northwestern Mediterranean Sea. An unprecedented set of optical and electrical data makes it possible to characterize this event. It is embedded in a lightning flash which starts with a positive discharge producing a high‐power very high frequency (VHF) source at 6 km followed by VHF sources at 10 and 4 km within the cloud. The luminous event above the cloud is identified as a negative leader emerging from the cloud and reaching 14.2 km, topped with streamers up to about 17.2 km, and followed by channel rebrightening phases connected to the negative charge of a positive dipole. It is preceded by a convective surge and a production of positive flashes within the same storm region. Its polarity and its triggering conditions show similarities with those of gigantic jets.
Real-world prevalence of homologous recombination repair mutations in advanced prostate cancer: an analysis of two clinico-genomic databases
Authors: Shui Irene M. , Burcu Mehmet , Shao Changxia , Chen Cai , Liao Chi-Yin , Jiang Shan , Cristescu Razvan , Parikh Ravi B.
Published: December 2023

Background

Homologous recombination repair mutation (HRRm) status may guide risk-stratification and treatment decisions, including polyadenosine diphosphate–ribose polymerase inhibitor use, in advanced prostate cancer. Although HRRm prevalence has been reported in single-institution studies or clinical trials, real-world HRRm prevalence in diverse populations is unknown. We describe HRRm in the clinical setting using two real-world clinicogenomic databases: the Flatiron Health and Foundation Medicine, Inc. Clinico-Genomic Database (CGDB), a national electronic health record-derived database, and the American Association for Cancer Research Project Genomics Evidence Neoplasia Information Exchange (GENIE).

Methods

This cross-sectional analysis included 3757 individuals diagnosed with prostate cancer who had next generation sequencing (NGS) as standard of care. The CGDB included men with advanced/metastatic prostate cancer and genetic data included both germline and somatic pathogenic mutations. The GENIE analysis included men with prostate cancer whose received NGS as standard of care, but the data were filtered to include somatic mutations only. Due to key differences among databases, direct comparisons were not possible. Overall prevalence of HRRm was calculated and stratified by demographic and clinical characteristics.

Results

HRRm prevalence (combined germline and somatic) in CGDB (n = 487) was 24.6% (95% CI 20.9–28.7%), with no major differences across demographic and disease characteristic subgroups. HRRm prevalence (somatic) in GENIE (n = 3270) was 11.0% (95% CI 10.0–12.1%), which varied between 9.5% and 18.4% across treatment centers.

Conclusions

Approximately one-quarter of patients with advanced/metastatic prostate cancer in the CGDB had germline and/or somatic HRRm, which is consistent with clinical trials such as the PROfound study that used a similar NGS platform and algorithm to define HRRm. In the GENIE database, HRRm prevalence varied by treatment center or NGS platform. More research is needed to understand real-world HRRm prevalence variations.
The presenting symptom signatures of incident cancer: evidence from the English 2018 National Cancer Diagnosis Audit
Authors: Zakkak N. , Barclay M. E. , Swann R. , McPhail S. , Rubin G. , Abel G. A. , Lyratzopoulos G.
Published: December 2023

Background

Understanding relationships between presenting symptoms and subsequently diagnosed cancers can inform symptom awareness campaigns and investigation strategies.

Methods

We used English National Cancer Diagnosis Audit 2018 data for 55,122 newly diagnosed patients, and examined the relative frequency of presenting symptoms by cancer site, and of cancer sites by presenting symptom.

Results

Among 38 cancer sites (16 cancer groups), three classes were apparent: cancers with a dominant single presenting symptom (e.g. melanoma); cancers with diverse presenting symptoms (e.g. pancreatic); and cancers that are often asymptomatically detected (e.g. chronic lymphocytic leukaemia). Among 83 symptoms (13 symptom groups), two classes were apparent: symptoms chiefly relating to cancers of the same body system (e.g. certain respiratory symptoms mostly relating to respiratory cancers); and symptoms with a diverse cancer site case-mix (e.g. fatigue). The cancer site case-mix of certain symptoms varied by sex.

Conclusion

We detailed associations between presenting symptoms and cancer sites in a large, representative population-based sample of cancer patients. The findings can guide choice of symptoms for inclusion in awareness campaigns, and diagnostic investigation strategies post-presentation when cancer is suspected. They can inform the updating of clinical practice recommendations for specialist referral encompassing a broader range of cancer sites per symptom.
Deliberately making miskates: Behavioural consistency under win maximization and loss maximization conditions
Authors: Zhang Yajing , Huynh Thi Kim Truc , Dyson Benjamin James
Published: December 2023

We argue that the feedback traditionally used to indicate negative outcomes causes future detrimental performance because of the default goal of win maximization. In gaming paradigms where participants intentionally performed as well (win maximization) and as poorly (loss maximization) as possible, we showed a double dissociation where actions following wins were more consistent during win maximization, but actions following losses were more consistent during loss maximization. This broader distinction between goal-congruent and goal-incongruent feedback suggests that individuals are able to flexibly redefine their definition of ‘success’, and provide a reconsideration of the way we think about ‘losing’.
Multifocal fluorescence video-rate imaging of centimetre-wide arbitrarily shaped brain surfaces at micrometric resolution
Authors: Xie Hao , Han Xiaofei , Xiao Guihua , Xu Hanyun , Zhang Yuanlong , Zhang Guoxun , Li Qingwei , He Jing , Zhu Dan , Yu Xinguang , Dai Qionghai
Published: December 2023

Fluorescence microscopy allows for the high-throughput imaging of cellular activity across brain areas in mammals. However, capturing rapid cellular dynamics across the curved cortical surface is challenging, owing to trade-offs in image resolution, speed, field of view and depth of field. Here we report a technique for wide-field fluorescence imaging that leverages selective illumination and the integration of focal areas at different depths via a spinning disc with varying thickness to enable video-rate imaging of previously reconstructed centimetre-scale arbitrarily shaped surfaces at micrometre-scale resolution and at a depth of field of millimetres. By implementing the technique in a microscope capable of acquiring images at 1.68 billion pixels per second and resolving 16.8 billion voxels per second, we recorded neural activities and the trajectories of neutrophils in real time on curved cortical surfaces in live mice. The technique can be integrated into many microscopes and macroscopes, in both reflective and fluorescence modes, for the study of multiscale cellular interactions on arbitrarily shaped surfaces.
Single-molecule electron spin resonance by means of atomic force microscopy
Authors: Sellies Lisanne , Spachtholz Raffael , Bleher Sonja , Eckrich Jakob , Scheuerer Philipp , Repp Jascha
Published: December 2023

Understanding and controlling decoherence in open quantum systems is of fundamental interest in science, whereas achieving long coherence times is critical for quantum information processing1. Although great progress was made for individual systems, and electron spin resonance (ESR) of single spins with nanoscale resolution has been demonstrated2–4, the understanding of decoherence in many complex solid-state quantum systems requires ultimately controlling the environment down to atomic scales, as potentially enabled by scanning probe microscopy with its atomic and molecular characterization and manipulation capabilities. Consequently, the recent implementation of ESR in scanning tunnelling microscopy5–8 represents a milestone towards this goal and was quickly followed by the demonstration of coherent oscillations9,10 and access to nuclear spins11 with real-space atomic resolution. Atomic manipulation even fuelled the ambition to realize the first artificial atomic-scale quantum devices12. However, the current-based sensing inherent to this method limits coherence times12,13. Here we demonstrate pump–probe ESR atomic force microscopy (AFM) detection of electron spin transitions between non-equilibrium triplet states of individual pentacene molecules. Spectra of these transitions exhibit sub-nanoelectronvolt spectral resolution, allowing local discrimination of molecules that only differ in their isotopic configuration. Furthermore, the electron spins can be coherently manipulated over tens of microseconds. We anticipate that single-molecule ESR-AFM can be combined with atomic manipulation and characterization and thereby paves the way to learn about the atomistic origins of decoherence in atomically well-defined quantum elements and for fundamental quantum-sensing experiments.
TAF15 amyloid filaments in frontotemporal lobar degeneration
Authors: Tetter Stephan , Arseni Diana , Murzin Alexey G. , Buhidma Yazead , Peak-Chew Sew Y. , Garringer Holly J. , Newell Kathy L. , Vidal Ruben , Apostolova Liana G. , Lashley Tammaryn , Ghetti Bernardino , Ryskeldi-Falcon Benjamin
Published: December 2023

Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) causes frontotemporal dementia (FTD), the most common form of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease, and is often also associated with motor disorders1. The pathological hallmarks of FTLD are neuronal inclusions of specific, abnormally assembled proteins2. In the majority of cases the inclusions contain amyloid filament assemblies of TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) or tau, with distinct filament structures characterizing different FTLD subtypes3,4. The presence of amyloid filaments and their identities and structures in the remaining approximately 10% of FTLD cases are unknown but are widely believed to be composed of the protein fused in sarcoma (FUS, also known as translocated in liposarcoma). As such, these cases are commonly referred to as FTLD–FUS. Here we used cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to determine the structures of amyloid filaments extracted from the prefrontal and temporal cortices of four individuals with FTLD–FUS. Surprisingly, we found abundant amyloid filaments of the FUS homologue TATA-binding protein-associated factor 15 (TAF15, also known as TATA-binding protein-associated factor 2N) rather than of FUS itself. The filament fold is formed from residues 7–99 in the low-complexity domain (LCD) of TAF15 and was identical between individuals. Furthermore, we found TAF15 filaments with the same fold in the motor cortex and brainstem of two of the individuals, both showing upper and lower motor neuron pathology. The formation of TAF15 amyloid filaments with a characteristic fold in FTLD establishes TAF15 proteinopathy in neurodegenerative disease. The structure of TAF15 amyloid filaments provides a basis for the development of model systems of neurodegenerative disease, as well as for the design of diagnostic and therapeutic tools targeting TAF15 proteinopathy.
Direct purification and immobilization of his-tagged enzymes using unmodified nickel ferrite NiFe2O4 magnetic nanoparticles
Authors: Lau Elizabeth C. H. T. , Dodds Kimberley C. , McKenna Catherine , Cowan Rhona M. , Ganin Alexey Y. , Campopiano Dominic J. , Yiu Humphrey H. P.
Published: December 2023

Purification of valuable engineered proteins and enzymes can be laborious, costly, and generating large amount of chemical waste. Whilst enzyme immobilization can enhance recycling and reuse of enzymes, conventional methods for immobilizing engineered enzymes from purified samples are also inefficient with multiple-step protocols, regarding both the carrier preparation and enzyme binding. Nickel ferrite magnetic nanoparticles (NiFe2O4 MNPs) offer distinct advantages in both purification and immobilization of enzymes. In this work, we demonstrate the preparation of NiFe2O4 MNPs via a one-step solvothermal synthesis and their use in direct enzyme binding from cell lysates. These NiFe2O4 MNPs have showed an average diameter of 8.9 ± 1.7 nm from TEM analysis and a magnetization at saturation (Ms) value of 53.0 emu g–1 from SQUID measurement. The nickel binding sites of the MNP surface allow direct binding of three his-tagged enzymes, d-phenylglycine aminotransferase (d-PhgAT), Halomonas elongata ω-transaminase (HeωT), and glucose dehydrogenase from Bacillus subtilis (BsGDH). It was found that the enzymatic activities of all immobilized samples directly prepared from cell lysates were comparable to those prepared from the conventional immobilization method using purified enzymes. Remarkably, d-PhgAT supported on NiFe2O4 MNPs also showed similar activity to the purified free enzyme. By comparing on both carrier preparation and enzyme immobilization protocols, use of NiFe2O4 MNPs for direct enzyme immobilization from cell lysate can significantly reduce the number of steps, time, and use of chemicals. Therefore, NiFe2O4 MNPs can offer considerable advantages for use in both enzyme immobilization and protein purification in pharmaceutical and other chemical industries.
Microbial and potentially toxic elements risk assessment in high Andean river water based on Monte Carlo simulation, Peru
Authors: Custodio María , Peñaloza Richard , Ochoa Salomé , De la Cruz Heidi , Rodríguez Ciro , Cuadrado Walter
Published: December 2023

The study evaluated microbial and Potentially Toxic Elements—PTEs risks in high Andean river water in Peru using Monte Carlo simulation. A total of 144 water samples were collected from four rivers and evaluated for physicochemical parameters, PTEs and bacterial pathogens. The microbial risk analysis for exposure to pathogens present in the water was based on the probability of occurrence of diseases associated withEscherichia coli,Pseudomonas aeruginosaand enterococci. PTEs risk analysis was performed using a Monte Carlo simulation approach. The results showed that the highest microbial risk due to exposure to water contaminated byE. coli,P. aeruginosaand enterococci was recorded in the Miraflores and Chia rivers. Meanwhile, the analysis of carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk by PTEs in adults and children revealed that the Chia river presents a high risk of contamination by PTEs, especially the carcinogenic risk for children. The Monte Carlo simulation indicated a 56.16% and 94.85% probability of exceeding the limit value of 0.0001 for carcinogenic risk in adults and children, respectively. It can be concluded that children consuming the waters of the Chia river are potentially at risk of As toxicity.
Tracing the Iceland plume and North East Atlantic breakup in the lithosphere
Authors: Gómez Dacal María Laura , Scheck-Wenderoth Magdalena , Faleide Jan Inge , Abdelmalak Mohamed Mansour , Bott Judith , Anikiev Denis
Published: December 2023

Plumes are domains where hotter material rises through Earth´s mantle, heating also the moving lithospheric plates that may experience thinning or even continental breakup. In particular, the Iceland plume in the NE Atlantic (NEA) could have been instrumental in facilitating the breakup between Europe and Laurentia in the earliest Eocene. Here we present an open access three-dimensional density model of the NEA crust and uppermost mantle that is consistent with previously un-integrated available data. We propose that high-density anomalies in the crust represent the preserved modifications of the lithosphere in consequence of the plate’s journey over the hot mantle plume. Besides, low-density anomalies in the uppermost mantle would represent the present-day effect of the mantle plume and its interaction with the mid-ocean ridges. Overall, the model indicates that the presence of the plume together with the pre-existing crustal configuration controlled the timing, mechanisms and localization of the NEA breakup.