bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Present and Future of Insect Biodiversity Conservation in the Neotropics: Policy Gaps and Recommendations
Authors: Duffus Natalie E. , Echeverri Alejandra , Dempewolf Lena , Noriega Jorge Ari , Furumo Paul R. , Morimoto Juliano
Published: March 2023

Emerging evidence suggests that insect populations may be declining at local and global scales, threatening the sustainability of the ecosystem services that insects provide. Insect declines are of particular concern in the Neotropics, which holds several of the world’s hotspots of insect endemism and diversity. Conservation policies are one way to prevent and mitigate insect declines, yet these policies are usually biased toward vertebrate species. Here, we outline some key policy instruments for biodiversity conservation in the Neotropics and discuss their potential contribution and shortcomings for insect biodiversity conservation. These include species-specific action policies, protected areas and Indigenous and Community Conserved Areas (ICCAs), sectoral policies, biodiversity offsetting, market-based mechanisms, and the international policy instruments that underpin these efforts. We highlight that although these policies can potentially benefit insect biodiversity indirectly, there are avenues in which we could better incorporate the specific needs of insects into policy to mitigate the declines mentioned above. We propose several areas of improvement. Firstly, evaluating the extinction risk of more Neotropical insects to better target at-risk species with species-specific policies and conserve their habitats within area-based interventions. Secondly, alternative pest control methods and enhanced monitoring of insects in a range of land-based production sectors. Thirdly, incorporating measurable and achievable insect conservation targets into international policies and conventions. Finally, we emphasise the important roles of community engagement and enhanced public awareness in achieving these improvements to insect conservation policies.
Metastable hybridized structure transformation in amorphous carbon films during friction—A study combining experiments and MD simulation
Authors: Zhou Yefei , Chen Zhihao , Zhang Tao , Zhang Silong , Xing Xiaolei , Yang Qingxiang , Li Dongyang
Published: March 2023

Amorphous carbon films have attracted substantial interest due to their exceptional mechanical and tribological properties. Previous studies revealed that the amorphous carbon films exhibited lower coefficient of friction (COF) because of the transformation in bond structure from sp3-C to sp2-C during friction processes. However, the mechanism for such a transformation during friction is not well understood. This study is conducted to get an insight into the metastable transformation in amorphous carbon film during friction by means of experiments and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. Relevant wear tests showed that wear of the film changed from an abrasive wear mode to a mixture of abrasion and adhesive wear, resulting in a decrease in growth rate of the wear rate after the running-in stage. It is worth noting that the sp3-C atoms were increased during the running-in stage when the films contained lower sp3/sp2 ratios. However, the formed sp3-C atoms could only be short-lived and gradually transformed to sp2-C atoms with the graphitization generated on the wearing surface of the films. The radial distribution function and translational order parameter indicated that the films’ high sp3/sp2 ratio led to an increased sp2-C proportion on the wear scar after friction, which caused an increased structural ordering.
Interfacial friction at action: Interactions, regulation, and applications
Authors: Yi Zhiran , Wang Xiong , Li Wanbo , Qin Xuezhi , Li Yang , Wang Kaiqiang , Guo Yunting , Li Xing , Zhang Wenming , Wang Zuankai
Published: March 2023

Friction is a fundamental force that impacts almost all interface-related applications. Over the past decade, there is a revival in our basic understanding and practical applications of the friction. In this review, we discuss the recent progress on solid-liquid interfacial friction from the perspective of interfaces. We first discuss the fundamentals and theoretical evolution of solid-liquid interfacial friction based on both bulk interactions and molecular interactions. Then, we summarize the interfacial friction regulation strategies manifested in both natural surfaces and artificial systems, focusing on how liquid, solid, gas, and hydrodynamic coupling actions mediate interfacial friction. Next, we discuss some practical applications that are inhibited or reinforced by interfacial friction. At last, we present the challenges to further understand and regulate interfacial friction.
Achieving near-infrared-light-mediated switchable friction regulation on MXene-based double network hydrogels
Authors: Wu Pengxi , Zeng Cheng , Guo Jinglun , Liu Guoqiang , Zhou Feng , Liu Weimin
Published: March 2023

MXene possesses great potential in enriching the functionalities of hydrogels due to its unique metallic conductivity, high aspect ratio, near-infrared light (NIR light) responsiveness, and wide tunability, however, the poor compatibility of MXene with hydrogels limits further applications. In this work, we report a uniformly dispersed MXene-functionalized poly-N-isopropylacrylamide (PNIPAM)/poly-2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid (PAMPS) double network hydrogel (M—DN hydrogel) that can achieve switchable friction regulation by using the NIR light. The dispersity of MXene in hydrogels was significantly improved by incorporating the chitosan (CS) polymer. This M—DN hydrogel showed much low coefficient of friction (COF) at 25 °C due to the presence of hydration layer on hydrogel surface. After illuminating with the NIR light, M—DN hydrogel with good photothermal effect rapidly raised the temperature to above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST), which led to an obvious increase of surface COF owing to the destruction of the hydration layer. In addition, M—DN friction control hydrogel showed good recyclability and controllability by tuning “on-off” of the NIR light. This work highlights the construction of functional MXene hydrogels for intelligent lubrication, which provides insight for interface sensing, controlled transmission, and flexible robotic arms.
Higher PAPP-A Values in Pregnant Women Complicated with Preeclampsia Than with Gestational Hypertension
Authors: Uriel Montserrat , Romero Infante Ximena Carolina , Rincón Franco Sara , Ibáñez Pinilla Edgar Antonio , Rojas Nydia Alexandra
Published: March 2023

The purpose of this study is to compare the levels of maternal serum pregnancy–associated plasma protein-A at the first trimester in pregnancies complicated by impaired placental diseases, such as preeclampsia (PE), intrauterine fetal growth restriction (IUGR), and gestational hypertension (GH), with those in pregnancies without the development of any of these outcomes to expand the knowledge of how this protein behaves in the different impaired placental diseases. This current work is an observational study based on a prospective cohort. Pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A was measured in 422 patients who had completed maternal-perinatal outcomes. Comparisons of pregnancy characteristics and the biomarker between outcome groups (PE, IUGR, gestational hypertension, and not impaired placental outcomes) were analyzed. PAPP-A MoM in the IUGR (0.8 IQR: 0.6–0.9) and GH groups (0.5 IQR: 0.3–1.4) compared to the PE group (1.06 IQR: 0.66–1.52) was significantly lower (p < 0.005). Pregnant women who developed early-onset PE (1.11 IQR 1.08–1.18) presented significant differences with the IUGR group (0.83 IQR: 0.59–0.98; p = 0.002) and those who developed preterm-PE (1.19 IQR: 0.66–1.58; p = 0.045). The results demonstrate that the levels of PAPP-A at first trimester in the sample of women who developed PE, and specially term-PE, were higher than those in women who developed GH or IUGR. The GH group had the lowest PAPP-A values in this sample of pregnant women. Research in a population with a high prevalence of preeclampsia is still lacking and deserves more extended studies to define if these patients could have different rates of PAPP-A.
Avalanche Airbag Usage and Risk Attitudes of Backcountry Skiers and Snowboarders in the American West
Authors: Lane Jeffrey P. , McIntosh Scott E.
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Backcountry skiers and snowboarders are increasingly using avalanche airbags to improve safety. New safety devices can cause risk compensation, the concept in which users take more risks given the larger safety margin provided by the device. This may limit overall benefits. We sought to elucidate attitudes toward risk-taking behaviors and risk compensation in backcountry users relating to avalanche airbags.

Methods

A convenience sample of 144 backcountry skiers and snowboarders was surveyed after a backcountry tour in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah and the Tetons of Wyoming during the winter 2020–21 season. Demographic and experiential data were compared with risk propensity scores and attitudes toward risk compensation. Respondents were stratified into high-, medium-, and low-risk groupings based on risk propensity scores and whether an airbag was carried.

Results

Thirty-two (22%) respondents carried an airbag. Airbag users were more likely to endorse risk compensation behavior, ski terrain over 30 degrees, and fall into the high-risk cohort. The high-risk cohort was also more likely to endorse risk compensation behavior than medium- and low-risk individuals.

Conclusions

Risk compensation was more prevalent in 2 groups: 1) those carrying an airbag and 2) those falling within the high-risk cohort. Given the prevalence of avalanche airbags, risk compensation should be considered alongside other human factors in avalanche safety and education so that users can mitigate these effects. Although risk compensation appears to be occurring, the magnitude of this effect remains unknown and likely does not obviate the safety benefits of the airbag altogether.
An Introduction to International Investment Law
Authors: Collins David
Published: March 2023

This insightful and accessible introduction provides students and practitioners with a comprehensive overview of the increasingly important discipline of international investment law. Focusing primarily on the legal principles contained in the growing body of international investment agreements, this book covers the core concepts of the discipline, with attention given to their relation to each other and to the manner which they have developed through arbitration case law. The context of each legal principle is explored, along with a consideration of some of the major debates and emerging criticisms. Avoiding extensive case extracts, this book adopts an engaging and succinct narrative style which allows readers to advance their understanding of the topic while examining the legal principles with academic rigour and discerning commentary.
Entailment, Contradiction, and Christian Theism
Authors: Beall Jc , DeVito Michael
Published: March 2023

Apparent contradiction is common in traditional monotheism, and perhaps especially so in standard Christian theology given central doctrines such as the incarnation and trinity. This Element aims to chart out a very elementary but abstract framework through which such contradictions may be approached. This Element does not attempt to address the many options for thinking about contradictions in the face of logical entailment; it charts only a few salient abstract options.
Separating large-scale superposition and modulation in turbulent channels
Authors: Andreolli Andrea , Gatti Davide , Vinuesa Ricardo , Örlü Ramis , Schlatter Philipp
Published: March 2023

The presence of very-large-scale motions in wall-bounded turbulent flows is commonly associated with their footprint in the form of the superposition of the large scales at the wall and the additional amplitude modulation of small-scale near-wall turbulence. These two phenomena are currently understood to be interlinked, with the superposed large-scale velocity gradient causing the modulation of small-scale activity in the proximity of the wall. To challenge this idea, we devise a numerical strategy that selectively suppresses either superposition or amplitude modulation, in an effort to isolate and study the remaining phenomenon. Results from our direct numerical simulations indicate that a positive correlation between the amplitude of the small scales in the near-wall region and the large-scale signal in the outer flow persists even when near-wall large-scale motions are suppressed – i.e. in absence of superposition. Clearly, this kind of correlation cannot be caused by the near-wall large-scale velocity or its gradients, as both are absent. Conversely, when modulation is blocked, the near-wall footprints of the large scales seem to disappear. This study has been carried out on channel flows at friction Reynolds number

$Re_\tau =1000$

in both standard simulation domains and minimal streamwise units (MSUs), where the streamwise fluctuation energy is enhanced. The consistency of the results obtained by the two approaches suggests that MSUs can capture correctly this kind of scale interaction at a much reduced cost.
Consumer behaviour and experiences in a naturalistic online grocery store: implications for nutrition research
Authors: Grummon Anna H. , Tucker Anna Claire , Noe Violet , Rummo Pasquale E. , Prestemon Carmen E. , Hall Marissa G. , Jaacks Lindsay M. , Lippuner Veronica , Taillie Lindsey Smith
Published: March 2023

Naturalistic online grocery stores could provide a novel setting for evaluating nutrition interventions. In 2021–2022, we recruited US adults (n 144, 59% low-income) to complete two weekly study visits: one in a naturalistic (‘mock’) online grocery store developed for research and one in a real online grocery store. Participants selected groceries and responded to survey questions. Analyses examined survey responses and expenditures on fifteen food categories (e.g., bread, sugar-sweetened beverages). Nearly all enrolled participants completed both visits (98% retention). Moreover, nearly participants all reported that their selections in the naturalistic store were similar to their usual purchases (95%) and that the naturalistic store felt like a real store (92%). Participants’ spending on food categories in the naturalistic store were moderately-to-strongly correlated with their spending in the real store (range of correlation coefficients: 0⋅36–0⋅67, all P-values < 0⋅001). Naturalistic online grocery stores may offer a promising platform for conducting nutrition research.
Design of digital flight-mode control systems for helicopters with non-linear actuators
Authors: Porter B.
Published: March 2023

The synthesis of discrete-time tracking systems incorporating Lur’e plants with multiple non-linearities is illustrated by the design of a fast-sampling digital controller and associated transducers for the automatic control of the longitudinal motions of the CH-47 helicopter with both gang-collective and differential-collective non-linearities. In particular, it is demonstrated that non-interacting control of the vertical velocity and pitch attitude of the helicopter is readily achievable for large classes of non-linear actuator characteristics such as ‘deadzone’ provided that the controller and transducer parameters are chosen so as to ensure that state-bounded absolutely stable tracking occurs.
Recent experience in the RAE 5 metre wind tunnel of a china clay method for indicating boundary layer transition
Authors: Moir I. R. M.
Published: March 2023

Details of a visual method for indicating boundary layer transition are given, with particular reference to tests at high Reynolds number in the RAE 5 metre pressurised low-speed wind tunnel on a slender-body model. The method is compared with other techniques on the basis of ease of use and quality of the indication.
Control of V/STOL aircraft
Authors: Franklin J. A.
Published: March 2023

This paper deals with control of V/STOL aircraft in powered-lift flight. A review of representative operational mission tasks is presented for the take-off, transition, hover and landing flight phases. Characteristics inherent in the basic airframe and propulsion system and the behaviour associated with control augmentation systems are considered. Demands for augmented stability and control response to meet certain mission operational requirements are discussed. Experience from ground-based simulation and flight experiments that illustrates the impact of augmented stability and control on aircraft design is related by example.
On the application of linearised theory to multi-element aerofoils Part II: Effects of thickness, camber and stagger
Authors: Watt G. D. , Parkinson G. V.
Published: March 2023

A linearised two-dimensional incompressible potential flow theory for two-element aerofoil sections is developed. It is capable of predicting the effects of angle of attack, flap deflection, camber, thickness, stagger and overlap of aerofoil elements on the forces. These effects are summarised in integrals which are analogous to the one-element thin aerofoil theory Munk integrals. Analytical expressions for the forces on tandem NACA 23012 aerofoils have been derived and results are presented. Comparisons are also made with a realistic slotted flap configuration with overlap for which experimental data is available. The linearised theory is seen to correlate with these real flow results as well as and better than it does in the one-element regime.
Dynamic analysis of thick rotating blades with flexible roots
Authors: Abbas B. A. H.
Published: March 2023

This paper presents a new finite element model for the dynamic analysis of thick rotating blades with flexible roots. The new model is based on the fast convergent element developed by Abbas and Thomas which can satisfy all the geometric and natural boundary conditions of a thick non-rotating blade. It is the only element developed so far which can distinguish between roots of blades that are rigidly clamped and are elastically supported.
Erasmus Darwin's Model Goose
Authors: Hart Clive
Published: March 2023

‘Soon shall thy arm, Unconquer’d Steam! afarDrag the slow barge, or drive the rapid car;Or on wide-waving wings expanded bearThe flying-chariot through the fields of air.— Fair crews triumphant, leaning from above,Shall wave their fluttering kerchiefs as they move;Or warrior-bands alarm the gaping crowd,And armies shrink beneath the shadowy cloud.’
Erasmus Darwin’s ebullient modernisation of a familiar prophecy, included in Part I of The Botanic Garden, was published in 1791. A practically minded and highly inventive man, his imagination had been greatly stirred by the successful flights of the Montgolfier balloons in 1783.
Elimination of buffeting on the rear fuselage of the Hercules Tanker
Authors: Mabey D.G
Published: March 2023

The conversion of the Hercules aircraft for flight refuelling necessitated the installation of a small drogue box on the lower surface of the rear fuselage. This produced a long flow separation and unacceptable rear fuselage and elevator buffeting at the drogue towing speeds required.

The flow separation was stabilised, and the buffeting eliminated, by the installation of strakes and the provision of a small bleed flow through the drogue box.
Effect of changes in physical parameters on the stability characteristics of parachutes descending through real fluids
Authors: Yavuz T.
Published: March 2023

By introducing experimentally-obtained apparent mass components into the relevant equations of motion, performance characteristics of descending parachutes have been obtained which so resemble those observed as to give an appropriate basis for performance prediction. The effects on pitching oscillations caused by certain changes in system physical parameters; the size of the parachute canopy, the length of the rigging lines and the store mass, have all been considered as well as the effect of parachute altitude. For good stability in pitch the significant ratio of physical parameters is that of store mass to effective canopy mass, inclusive of apparent mass.
On the effect of wing taper and sweep direction on leading edge transition
Authors: Poll D. I. A. , Paisley D. J.
Published: March 2023

An experimental study has been made of the conditions necessary to produce transition in a swept attachment-line boundary layer which is subjected to disturbances from trip wires of various sizes. The boundary layer considered is that formed on a long, untwisted, tapered wing which has been tested in both the backward swept and forward swept configurations. Results from these tests are compared with previous work on an untapered model. Some important similarities and some puzzling differences have been found. Finally consideration is given to the practical implications of this work. It is suggested that a forward swept wing may be capable of supporting a laminar attachment-line flow at a much higher free-stream Reynolds number than a corresponding swept-back wing.
P. CALPURNIUS LANARIUS, A NEW NAME ON THE SULLAN PROSCRIPTION LISTS
Authors: García González Juan
Published: March 2023

According to Plutarch (Sert. 7.1–2) and Sallust (Hist. 1.83–4), a certain P. Calpurnius Lanarius killed L. Livius Salinator, a member of Sertorius’ staff in charge of military operations in the Pyrenees, in the early stages of the Sertorian War (82–72 b.c.). Through the analysis of the verb δολοφονέω in Plutarch's and St. Jerome's use of Sallust's Histories, this article seeks to demonstrate that Lanarius was an exile of the Sullan regime who treacherously assassinated his superior Salinator. The article puts forward the suggestion—not hitherto considered—that Lanarius was one of those proscribed.
Relations among Socioeconomic Status, Perceived Stress, and the Home Language Environment
Authors: HART Emma R. , TROLLER-RENFREE Sonya V. , SPERBER Jessica F. , NOBLE Kimberly G.
Published: March 2023

While socioeconomic disparities in the home language environment have been well established, the mechanisms explaining these disparities are poorly understood. One plausible mechanism is heightened stress. The current study investigated whether maternal perceived stress was 1) associated with measures of the home language environment, and 2) mediated the relation between socioeconomic disparities and the home language environment. Data from three independent studies were analyzed, which together comprised 322 mother-child dyads. Two studies included mothers and their six- to twelve-month-old infants (N = 227). The third included mothers and their five- to nine-year-old children (N = 95). Mothers reported their educational attainment, income, and stress. Language Environment Analysis (LENA) measured the home language environment. As has been previously reported, socioeconomic disparities were observed in adult words and conversational turns. Stress did not mediate these associations, nor was it associated with adult words or conversational turns. Alternate mechanisms for future exploration are discussed.
Predictive modelling of Ross River virus using climate data in the Darling Downs
Authors: Meadows Julia , McMichael Celia , Campbell Patricia T.
Published: March 2023

Ross River virus (RRV) is the most common mosquito-borne infection in Australia. RRV disease is characterised by joint pain and lethargy, placing a substantial burden on individual patients, the healthcare system and economy. This burden is compounded by a lack of effective treatment or vaccine for the disease. The complex RRV disease ecology cycle includes a number of reservoirs and vectors that inhabit a range of environments and climates across Australia. Climate is known to influence humans, animals and the environment and has previously been shown to be useful to RRV prediction models. We developed a negative binomial regression model to predict monthly RRV case numbers and outbreaks in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia. Human RRV notifications and climate data for the period July 2001 – June 2014 were used for model training. Model predictions were tested using data for July 2014 – June 2019. The final model was moderately effective at predicting RRV case numbers (Pearson's r = 0.427) and RRV outbreaks (accuracy = 65%, sensitivity = 59%, specificity = 73%). Our findings show that readily available climate data can provide timely prediction of RRV outbreaks.
Prayer as socialist praxis: religion and recommitment for Hermann Cohen and the doubly marked martyrs of the November revolution in Germany
Authors: Aldridge Casey
Published: March 2023

This paper explores German-Jewish philosopher Hermann Cohen's challenge to materialist theories that anticipate capitalism's collapse and assert socialism's dependence upon self-interest. It places Cohen's religious socialism in conversation with a cohort of Jews who led and sacrificed their lives for the German revolution of 1918–1919. I argue that although self-interest and an insistence upon socialism's inevitability may motivate revolutionary action, it can also result in quietism. Through Cohen'sReligion of Reason out of the Sources of Judaism, I show how Jewish prayer functions as a ritual practice of ethical recommitment to a cause that appears unrealizable. Cohen's notion of prayer as dialogical monologue—wherein the petitioner addresses a unique and, according to Cohen, silent God—allowed him to overcome doubt and self-interest. Beyond what Kant understood as prayer's socializing power, this paper uncovers the capacity of dialogical monologue to re-tether individuals to movements that cannot guarantee victory, yet which make ethical demands of us anyway.
When do progressive evangelicals mobilize? Intra-denominational competing identities in Chile's constitutional process
Authors: Castillo Isabel , Contreras-Guzmán Danissa , Henzi Camila
Published: March 2023

Over the last decade, and throughout the Americas, evangelicals have strongly mobilized in defense of socially conservative agendas or against so-called “gender ideology,” sparking general and academic interest. Much less is known about progressive evangelicals. Using the unique juncture presented by the constitutional process in Chile, we study the politicization of a progressive evangelical identity and ask when these religious groups mobilize. We argue that intra-denominational competition for evangelical identity has played an important role in progressive evangelical mobilization, and more specifically the wish to differentiate themselves from conservative evangelicals, introduce a distance from the political right, and show the internal diversity of the community. This process occurs in response to an initial (conservative) politicization of religion. Drawing on campaign materials, surveys, and interviews, we provide evidence for this argument highlighting that policy preferences and theological interpretations are core differences among both groups, sparking countermobilization.
Evolution of gain enhancement techniques in dielectric resonator antenna: applications and challenges
Authors: Harkare Ankita H. , Kothari Ashwin G. , Bhurane Ankit A.
Published: March 2023

Dielectric resonator antennas (DRA) are advantageous due to their small size, high radiation efficiency, ease of excitation, and minimal metallic losses. Enhancing the gain of DRA will make them suitable for a variety of applications such as wireless communication technology. High-gain antennas are required for wireless communication to overcome the difficulties of high path loss. The researchers have presented numerous techniques, including stacked DRA, DRA array, and higher-order mode excitation for enhancing the gain. This article provides a comprehensive summary of the state of art techniques and geometries including stacking, frequency-selective surfaces superstrate, electromagnetic band gap structures, hybrid techniques, arrays, etc., for increasing DRA gain. Techniques to improve other parameters like bandwidth and radiation efficiency along with gain are also discussed. The challenges in each technique and the possible applications are presented. Based on the studies, it is observed that the DRA array technique is suitable for obtaining gains up to 19 dBi for radar-based applications. For low-profile DRA requirements, hybrid DRAs prove prolific in enhancing gain up to 16 dBi.
“Winga Is Trying to Get in”: Local Observations of Climate Change in the Tiwi Islands
Authors: Barnett Jon , Konlechner Teresa , Waters Elissa , Minnapinni Michelle Woody , Jarillo Sergio , Austral Brian , De Santis James , Head Lesley , Rioli Clinton , King Andrew
Published: March 2023

There is a growing body of research documenting Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities' observations of changes in climate. The accuracy, efficacy, and transferability of this research depends on its motives and methods. In this paper, we report on research to produce a working knowledge of changes in climate and its impacts on local biophysical systems in the Tiwi Islands in Northern Australia. Interviews with 52 Tiwi people were combined with diverse forms of aerial data to produce a nuanced understanding of climate change in these remote islands. These data show changes in climate‐sensitive biophysical systems that would otherwise remain undetected by instruments conventionally used for monitoring climate change. These include changes in shorelines, which are causing concerns about damage to buildings that are important for Tiwi well‐being, and changes in the marine environment and wetlands, which are causing concerns about damage to natural heritage. We discuss the implications of these findings, arguing that systematic observations collected by networks of people “on Country” can provide excellent monitoring of climate change impacts, and that Indigenous people's interests in the effects of climate change overlap with those of non‐Indigenous people, as do their rights to support from the State for adaptation.
The Mechanical Nature of the Lithosphere Beneath the Eastern Central Atlantic Hotspots
Authors: Jiménez‐Díaz Alberto , Negredo Ana M. , Kirby Jon F. , Sánchez‐Pastor Pilar , Fullea Javier , Ruiz Javier , Pérez‐Gussinyé Marta , Yu Chuanhai
Published: March 2023

The Eastern Central Atlantic (ECA) region includes the Azores, Canary, Cape Verde, Great Meteor, and Madeira hotspots. These hotspots exhibit a large variety of characteristics and are rooted in the lithosphere ranging in age from newly created at the Mid Atlantic Ridge to Jurassic at the NW Africa Atlantic margin. Therefore, the ECA region represents an excellent scenario to investigate in an integrated way the effects of hotspots on the mechanical structure of oceanic lithosphere. Here, we calculate the effective elastic thickness (Te) of the lithosphere from an analysis of gravity and topography. Azores hotspot is characterized by a Te < 10 km, whereas the Great Meteor, Cape Verde, and Madeira hotspots have intermediate Te (15–30 km) values. In contrast, the Canary hotspot is characterized by a much higher Te (>50 km), forming the largest and most prominent mechanical feature in the ECA. All the hotspots except Canary show standard elastic thickness values when compared to average values for the same age lithosphere and to other oceanic areas in the world. The high strength of the Canary hotspot may be related to the highly depleted mantle composition in the area. The comparison between the elastic thickness distribution and the upper mantle seismic velocity structure shows no correlation between the Te estimated at the ECA hotspots (with the exception of Azores) and the presence of low shear‐wave velocity anomalies in the underlying mantle. This lack of correlation suggests a negligible effect of upper mantle temperature anomalies on the flexure of the ECA region.
Influence of Urbanization on the Spatial Distribution of Associations Between Air Pollution and Mortality in Beijing, China
Authors: Han Ling , Qin Tian , Sun Zhaobin , Ren Hongyu , Zhao Na , An Xingqin , Wang Zhanshan
Published: March 2023

This study investigated the influence of urbanization on the intra‐city spatial distribution of associations between air pollution and mortality in Beijing, China. First, we utilized the generalized additive model to establish the exposure‐response associations of PM2.5, O3, with nonaccidental and cardiorespiratory mortality between urban and suburban areas. Second, we assessed district‐specific air pollution‐related mortality and analyzed how these associations were affected by the degree of urbanization. Finally, we analyzed the changes in air pollution‐related mortality before and after the enforcement of the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan (referred to as the Action Plan). The effect estimates of PM2.5 for nonaccidental mortality were 0.20% (95% CI: 0.12–0.28) in urban areas and 0.46% (95% CI: 0.35–0.58) in suburban areas per 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 concentrations. The corresponding estimates of O3 were 0.13% (95% CI: −0.04–0.29) in urban areas and 0.34% (95% CI: 0.12–0.56) in suburban areas per 10 μg/m3 increase in O3 concentrations; however, the difference between the estimates of O3 in urban and suburban areas was not statistically significant. The district‐specific results suggested that the estimated risks increased along with urban vulnerability levels for the effects of PM2.5. Implementing the Action Plan reduced the mortality risks of PM2.5, but the risks of O3 increased in some districts. However, the difference in the estimates between the pre‐ and post‐emission reductions was not statistically significant. Our study indicated that populations living in less urbanized areas are more vulnerable to the adverse effects of air pollution in Beijing, particularly for PM2.5.
Comparison of JPL and ESP Solar Proton Fluence Models Using the Background‐Subtracted RDSv2.0 Data Set
Authors: Zhu B. X. , Whitman K. , Jun I. , Ratliff J. M.
Published: March 2023

High energy protons from solar energetic particle (SEP) events are a hazard to spacecraft systems and instruments. For interplanetary and geosynchronous‐Earth‐orbiting spacecraft, a mission's cumulative SEP fluence is an important consideration for hardware design. The total solar proton fluence for a mission can be dominated by a small number of very high‐fluence events. Because of the sporadic and unpredictable nature of these large events, data sets collected over multiple solar cycles are needed to construct a statistical model that can predict a mission's risk of seeing a given fluence exposure during its mission. Several statistical models have been developed, including the JPL model and the Emission of Solar Protons (ESP) model. The models produce somewhat different results, which could be due in part to the different data sets from which they were derived. To understand the sensitivity of predicted mission fluence to the choice of data set and to the statistical distribution to which that data set is fit, we present a comparison of the JPL and ESP cumulative fluence models as reformulated from the same SEP data set, a background‐subtracted version of the Reference Data Set Version 2.0 (RDSv2.0) based on data from IMP‐8 and GOES, covering 41 years of SEP events from 1974 to 2015 with proton energies between 5 and 289 MeV. The comparisons show that different modeling approaches can produce a factor of 2 or greater difference in the mission fluences even when the same data set is used for model development.
Stream Temperature Prediction in a Shifting Environment: Explaining the Influence of Deep Learning Architecture
Authors: Topp Simon N. , Barclay Janet , Diaz Jeremy , Sun Alexander Y. , Jia Xiaowei , Lu Dan , Sadler Jeffrey M. , Appling Alison P.
Published: March 2023

Stream temperature is a fundamental control on ecosystem health. Recent efforts incorporating process guidance into deep learning models for predicting stream temperature have been shown to outperform existing statistical and physical models. This performance is in part because deep learning architectures can actively learn spatiotemporal relationships that govern how water and energy propagate through a river network. However, exploration of how spatiotemporal awareness and process guidance influence a model's generalizability under shifting environmental conditions such as climate change is limited. Here, we use Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) to interrogate how differing deep learning architectures affect a model's learned spatial and temporal dependencies, and how those learned dependencies affect a model's ability to maintain high accuracy when applied to unseen environmental conditions. Using the Delaware River Basin in the northeastern United States as a test case, we compare two spatiotemporally aware process‐guided deep learning models for predicting stream temperature (a recurrent graph convolution network—RGCN, and a temporal convolution graph model—Graph WaveNet). Both models achieve equally high predictive performance when testing data are well represented in the training data (test root mean squared errors of 1.64°C and 1.65°C); however, Graph WaveNet significantly outperforms RGCN in 4 out of 5 experiments where test partitions represent different types of unseen environmental conditions. XAI results show that the architecture of Graph WaveNet leads to learned spatial relationships with greater fidelity to physical processes, and that this fidelity improves the generalizability of the model when applied to shifting and/or unseen environmental conditions.
Scientists Just Measured a Debris Flow in Unprecedented Detail
Authors: Derouin Sarah
Published: March 2023

This research team used a laser sensor originally designed for autonomous vehicles to track debris flow surges.
The roles of bone remodeling in normal hematopoiesis and age-related hematological malignancies
Authors: Zhang Hengwei , Liesveld Jane L. , Calvi Laura M. , Lipe Brea C. , Xing Lianping , Becker Michael W. , Schwarz Edward M. , Yeh Shu-Chi A.
Published: March 2023

Prior research establishing that bone interacts in coordination with the bone marrow microenvironment (BMME) to regulate hematopoietic homeostasis was largely based on analyses of individual bone-associated cell populations. Recent advances in intravital imaging has suggested that the expansion of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and acute myeloid leukemia cells is restricted to bone marrow microdomains during a distinct stage of bone remodeling. These findings indicate that dynamic bone remodeling likely imposes additional heterogeneity within the BMME to yield differential clonal responses. A holistic understanding of the role of bone remodeling in regulating the stem cell niche and how these interactions are altered in age-related hematological malignancies will be critical to the development of novel interventions. To advance this understanding, herein, we provide a synopsis of the cellular and molecular constituents that participate in bone turnover and their known connections to the hematopoietic compartment. Specifically, we elaborate on the coupling between bone remodeling and the BMME in homeostasis and age-related hematological malignancies and after treatment with bone-targeting approaches. We then discuss unresolved questions and ambiguities that remain in the field.
A mutation in the ZNF687 gene that is responsible for the severe form of Paget’s disease of bone causes severely altered bone remodeling and promotes hepatocellular carcinoma onset in a knock-in mouse model
Authors: Russo Sharon , Scotto di Carlo Federica , Maurizi Antonio , Fortunato Giorgio , Teti Anna , Licastro Danilo , Settembre Carmine , Mello Tommaso , Gianfrancesco Fernando
Published: March 2023

Paget’s disease (PDB) is a late-onset bone remodeling disorder with a broad spectrum of symptoms and complications. One of the most aggressive forms is caused by the P937R mutation in the ZNF687 gene. Although the genetic involvement of ZNF687 in PDB has been extensively studied, the molecular mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear. Here, we describe the first Zfp687 knock-in mouse model and demonstrate that the mutation recapitulates the PDB phenotype, resulting in severely altered bone remodeling. Through microcomputed tomography analysis, we observed that 8-month-old mutant mice showed a mainly osteolytic phase, with a significant decrease in the trabecular bone volume affecting the femurs and the vertebrae. Conversely, osteoblast activity was deregulated, producing disorganized bone. Notably, this phenotype became pervasive in 16-month-old mice, where osteoblast function overtook bone resorption, as highlighted by the presence of woven bone in histological analyses, consistent with the PDB phenotype. Furthermore, we detected osteophytes and intervertebral disc degeneration, outlining for the first time the link between osteoarthritis and PDB in a PDB mouse model. RNA sequencing of wild-type and Zfp687 knockout RAW264.7 cells identified a set of genes involved in osteoclastogenesis potentially regulated by Zfp687, e.g., Tspan7, Cpe, Vegfc, and Ggt1, confirming its role in this process. Strikingly, in this mouse model, the mutation was also associated with a high penetrance of hepatocellular carcinomas. Thus, this study established an essential role of Zfp687 in the regulation of bone remodeling, offering the potential to therapeutically treat PDB, and underlines the oncogenic potential of ZNF687.
Connectivity alterations of mesostriatal pathways in first episode psychosis
Authors: Hayward Nicholas Mark Edward Alexander , Triana Ana María , Panula Jonatan M. , Kieseppä Tuula , Suvisaari Jaana , Raij Tuukka T.
Published: March 2023

Background and hypothesis

Pathogenic understanding of the psychotic disorders converges on regulation of dopaminergic signaling in mesostriatocortical pathways. Functional connectivity of the mesostriatal pathways may inform us of the neuronal networks involved.

Study design

This longitudinal study of first episode psychosis (FEP) (49 patients, 43 controls) employed seed-based functional connectivity analyses of fMRI data collected during a naturalistic movie stimulus.

Study results

We identified hypoconnectivity of the dorsal striatum with the midbrain, associated with antipsychotic medication dose in FEP, in comparison with the healthy control group. The midbrain regions that showed hypoconnectivity with the dorsal striatum also showed hypoconnectivity with cerebellar regions suggested to be involved in regulation of the mesostriatocortical dopaminergic pathways. None of the baseline hypoconnectivity detected was seen at follow-up.

Conclusions

These findings extend earlier resting state findings on mesostriatal connectivity in psychotic disorders and highlight the potential for cerebellar regulation of the mesostriatocortical pathways as a target of treatment trials.
A protein subunit vaccine elicits a balanced immune response that protects against Pseudomonas pulmonary infection
Authors: Howlader Debaki R. , Das Sayan , Lu Ti , Mandal Rahul Shubhra , Hu Gang , Varisco David J. , Dietz Zackary K. , Ratnakaram Siva Sai Kumar , Ernst Robert K. , Picking William D. , Picking Wendy L.
Published: March 2023

The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) causes severe nosocomial infections, especially in immunocompromised individuals and the elderly. Increasing drug resistance, the absence of a licensed vaccine and increased hospitalizations due to SARS-CoV-2 have made Pa a major healthcare risk. To address this, we formulated a candidate subunit vaccine against Pa (L-PaF), by fusing the type III secretion system tip and translocator proteins with LTA1 in an oil-in-water emulsion (ME). This was mixed with the TLR4 agonist (BECC438b). Lung mRNA sequencing showed that the formulation activates genes from multiple immunological pathways eliciting a protective Th1-Th17 response following IN immunization. Following infection, however, the immunized mice showed an adaptive response while the PBS-vaccinated mice experienced rapid onset of an inflammatory response. The latter displayed a hypoxic lung environment with high bacterial burden. Finally, the importance of IL-17 and immunoglobulins were demonstrated using knockout mice. These findings suggest a need for a balanced humoral and cellular response to prevent the onset of Pa infection and that our formulation could elicit such a response.
Serum concentration of zinc, copper, iron, and its associated factors among pregnant women of small-scale farming in western Ethiopia
Authors: Afata Tariku Neme , Mekonen Seblework , Tucho Gudina Terefe
Published: March 2023

Micro-nutrients are required in small amounts to maintain growth and cell functioning to complete the life cycle through reproductions. However, pregnant women in developing countries like Ethiopia are vulnerable to multiple micro-nutrient deficiencies. Therefore, this study aimed at assessing the serum level of metals and associated factors like dietary diversity, and health-related problems in pregnant women among small-scale farming in Kellem Wellega, western Ethiopia. A cross-sectional laboratory-based study was conducted from June to August 2021 on 417 pregnant women attending antenatal care at rural healthcare facilities. Data was collected by using per-tested structured questionnaires via face-to-face interviews. The data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 24.0, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the association between predictor and outcome variables. A statistically significant was considered atpvalue < 0.05 for all the analyses. Our study findings showed that 62.1, 80.9, and 71.9% of the participants were deficient in iron, zinc, and copper micro-nutrient levels, respectively. Pregnant women who could not have formal education were 3.24 (AOR = 3.24, 95% CI 1.33–7.91) and 3.98 (AOR = 3.98, 95% CI 1.2–13.15) times more likely to show zinc and copper deficiency than those who attended secondary school and above, respectively. Furthermore, pregnant women involved only in farming activities were 0.57 (AOR = 0.57, 95% CI 0.36–0.91) and 4.33 (AOR = 5.72, 95% CI 2.34–13.97) times more likely to be exposed to iron and zinc deficiency than those who were engaged in other activities. This study revealed that pregnant women with low income were 6.36 times more likely to be exposed to zinc micro-nutrient deficiencies than those with high-income participants (AOR = 6.36, 95% CI 1.47–27.61). Additionally, those participants who ate a varied diet between 1 and 4 items per day were 2.26 (AOR = 2.26, 95% CI 1.43–3.59) and 2.77 (AOR = 2.77, 95% CI 1.6–4.61) times more likely to suffer zinc and copper micro-nutrient insufficiency than those who consumed 5–10 items per day. Finally, pregnant women who developed diarrhea in the past three months were 1.82 (AOR = 2.77, 95% CI 1.14–2.92) and 2.52 (AOR = 2.52, 95% CI 1.3–4.91) times more likely to be exposed to iron and copper deficiency than those who never show the symptoms, respectively. This study identified low concentrations of zinc, iron, and copper in the blood serum of pregnant women of small-scale farmers.