bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Domestic Interests, Democracy, and Foreign Policy Change
Authors: Leeds Brett Ashley , Mattes Michaela
Published: February 2022

When new leaders come to office, there is often speculation about whether they will take their countries' foreign policies in different directions or stick to their predecessors' policies. We argue that when new leaders come to power who represent different societal interests and preferences than their predecessors, leaders may pursue new foreign policies. At the same time, in democracies, leadership selection processes and policymaking rules blunt leaders' incentives and opportunities for change. Democracies thus tend to pursue more consistent foreign policies than nondemocracies even when new leaders with different supporting coalitions assume office. Statistical analyses of three distinct foreign policy areas – military alliances, UNGA voting, and economic sanctions – provide support for our argument. In a fourth area – trade – we find that both democracies and nondemocracies are more likely to experience foreign policy change when a new leader with a different supporting coalition comes to power. We thus conclude that foreign policy responds to domestic political interests, and that, even as the interests supporting leaders change, democracies' foreign policies are no less stable than those of nondemocracies and often exhibit greater consistency.
The Advantage of Disadvantage
Authors: Gause LaGina
Published: February 2022

Does protest influence political representation? If so, which groups are most likely to benefit from collective action? The Advantage of Disadvantage makes a provocative claim: protests are most effective for disadvantaged groups. According to author LaGina Gause, legislators are more responsive to protesters than non-protesters, and after protesting, racial and ethnic minorities, people with low incomes, and other low-resource groups are more likely than white and affluent protesters to gain representation. Gause also demonstrates that online protests are less effective than in-person protests. Drawing on literature from across the social sciences as well as formal theory, a survey of policymakers, quantitative data, and vivid examples of protests throughout U.S. history, The Advantage of Disadvantage provides invaluable insights for scholars and activists seeking to understand how groups gain representation through protesting.
Second-Generation Liberation Wars
Authors: Voller Yaniv
Published: February 2022

The formation of post-colonial states in Africa, and the Middle East gave birth to prolonged separatist wars. Exploring the evolution of these separatist wars, Yaniv Voller examines the strategies that both governments and insurgents employed, how these strategies were shaped by the previous struggle against European colonialism and the practices and roles that emerged in the subsequent period, which moulded the identities, aims and strategies of post-colonial governments and separatist rebels. Based on a wealth of primary sources, Voller focuses on two post-colonial separatist wars; In Iraqi Kurdistan, between Kurdish separatists and the government in Baghdad, and Southern Sudan, between black African insurgents and the government in Khartoum. By providing an account of both conflicts, he offers a new understanding of colonialism, decolonisation and the international politics of the post-colonial world.
Climate Variability and Tropical Cyclone Activity
Authors: Chu Pao-Shin , Murakami Hiroyuki
Published: February 2022

This book presents a comprehensive summary of research on tropical cyclone variability at various time scales, from intraseasonal and interannual to interdecadal and centennial. It covers the fundamental theory, statistics and numerical modelling techniques used when considering climate variability in relation to tropical cyclone activity. Major climate oscillations including the Madden-Julian, El Niño, Atlantic Meridional Mode, and Pacific Decadal oscillations are covered, and their impacts on tropical cyclone activity in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans are discussed. Hurricane landfalls in the United States, Caribbean and East Asia are also considered. Climate models and numerical simulations are used to show how prediction models of tropical cyclones are developed, while looking to the future, particular attention is paid to predicting how tropical cyclones will change in response to increased concentrations of greenhouse gases. This book ideal for researchers and practitioners in atmospheric science, climatology, oceanography and civil and environmental engineering.
Cahokia and the North American Worlds
Authors: Baires Sarah E.
Published: February 2022

The City of Cahokia provides a unique case study to review what draws people to a place and why. This Element examines not only the emergence and decline of this great American city but its intersection with the broader Native American world during this period. Cahokia was not an isolated complex but a place vivid on the landscape where people made pilgrimages to and from Cahokia for trade and religious practices. Cahokia was a centre-place with expansive reach and cultural influence. This Element analyses the social and political processes that helped create this city while also reflecting on the trajectory of Native American history in North America.
Do Conspiracies Tend to Fail? Philosophical Reflections on a Poorly Supported Academic Meme
Authors: Hagen Kurtis
Published: February 2022

Critics of conspiracy theories often charge that such theories are implausible because conspiracies of the kind they allege tend to fail. Thus, according to these critics, conspiracy theories that have been around for a while would have been, in all likelihood, already exposed if they had been real. So, they reason, they probably are not. In this article, I maintain that the arguments in support of this view are unconvincing. I do so by examining a list of four sources recently cited in support of the claim that conspiracies tend to fail. I pay special attention to two of these sources, an article by Brian Keeley, and, especially, an article by David Grimes, which is perhaps the single “best” article in support of the idea that conspiracies tend to fail. That is, it offers the most explicit and elaborate attempt to establish this view. Further, that article has garnered significant (uncritical) attention in the mainstream press. I argue that Grimes's argument does not succeed, that the common assertion that conspiracies tend to fail remains poorly supported, and that there are good reasons to think that at least some types of conspiracies do not tend to fail.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of otorhinolaryngological manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 in paediatric patients
Authors: Yadav M , Singh A , Meena J , Sankar J M
Published: February 2022

Background

This meta-analysis provides a quantitative measure of the otorhinolaryngological manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 in children.

Methods

A structured literature review was carried out using PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Central, employing pertinent search terms. The statistical analysis was performed using Stata version 14.2 software, and the analysed data were expressed as the pooled prevalence of the symptoms with 95 per cent confidence intervals.

Results

The commonest symptoms noted were cough (38 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval = 33–42; I2= 97.5 per cent)), sore throat (12 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval =10–14; I2= 93.7 per cent)), and nasal discharge (15 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval = 12–19; I2= 96.9 per cent)). Anosmia and taste disturbances showed a pooled prevalence of 8 per cent each. Hearing loss, vertigo and hoarseness were rarely reported.

Conclusion

Cough, sore throat and nasal discharge were the commonest otorhinolaryngological symptoms in paediatric patients with coronavirus disease 2019. Compared with adults, anosmia and taste disturbances were infrequently reported in children.
‘Labour’, A Brief History of a Modern Concept
Authors: Honneth Axel
Published: February 2022

As has often been observed, neither the thinkers of antiquity nor those of the Middle Ages exhibited a great theoretical interest in the social value or even the ethical significance of labour. Throughout this long period of history, the labour an individual had to carry out to make a living, and thus under compulsion, was understood more or less solely as a heavy burden. It signified daily toil and the state of personal dependency attaching to a lowly social rank. Consequently, there was no cause to subject it to any kind of moral consideration. Indeed, as Moses Finley reports (1999, p. 81) ‘[n]either in Greek nor Latin was there a word with which to express the general notion of ‘labour’ or the concept of labour as a general social function’ (see too Arendt, 2013 [1958], pp. 81 ff.). Famously, with the advent of modernity, the very opposite begins to become the case. In this period, in the wake of various intersecting processes of cultural revaluation and economic transformation, labour developed into a positive credential of free existence and a presupposition of social integrity: the Protestant ethic led to a gradual upgrading of the value of labour, because it was interpreted as a sign that one possessed a capacity for inner-worldly asceticism. In the course of the establishment of capitalist economic practices, the liberation of labour from personal dependency in legal terms gave rise to the idea that gainful work could henceforth be proof of a free decision, and it thus provided the precondition of individual independence. And over time, the more the intellectual union between these two revolutions was strengthened, the more it would go on to influence the cultural self-understanding of modern societies in the capitalist west: what was previously the sheer necessity of earning a daily crust was now understood as proof of social emancipation and freedom. Nobody provided a better conceptualisation of this transformed self-conception than Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, who devoted an entire chapter of his ‘Philosophy of Right’ of 1821 to the emancipatory value of labour; here, he tells us that every (male) member of civil society ‘is somebody’ through ‘his competence’ and his ‘regular income and means of support’, i.e. possesses the social status of a full-fledged citizen, and will find ‘his honour’ in this recognised existence as a professional (Hegel 1991 [1821], § 253).
Antisocial behavior is associated with reduced frontoparietal activity to loss in a population-based sample of adolescents
Authors: Murray Laura , Lopez-Duran Nestor L. , Mitchell Colter , Monk Christopher S. , Hyde Luke W.
Published: February 2022

Background

Adolescent antisocial behavior (AB) is a public health concern due to the high financial and social costs of AB on victims and perpetrators. Neural systems involved in reward and loss processing are thought to contribute to AB. However, investigations into these processes are limited: few have considered anticipatory and consummatory components of reward, response to loss, nor whether associations with AB may vary by level of callous-unemotional (CU) traits.

Methods

A population-based community sample of 128 predominantly low-income youth (mean age = 15.9 years; 42% male) completed a monetary incentive delay task during fMRI. A multi-informant, multi-method latent variable approach was used to test associations between AB and neural response to reward and loss anticipation and outcome and whether CU traits moderated these associations.

Results

AB was not associated with neural response to reward but was associated with reduced frontoparietal activity during loss outcomes. This association was moderated by CU traits such that individuals with higher levels of AB and CU traits had the largest reductions in frontoparietal activity. Co-occurring AB and CU traits were also associated with increased precuneus response during loss anticipation.

Conclusions

Findings indicate that AB is associated with reduced activity in brain regions involved in cognitive control, attention, and behavior modification during negative outcomes. Moreover, these reductions are most pronounced in youth with co-occurring CU traits. These findings have implications for understanding why adolescents involved in AB continue these behaviors despite severe negative consequences (e.g. incarceration).
Social participation, attitudes towards ageing and depressive symptoms among Chinese older adults
Authors: Liu Huijun , Guo Lijuan , Feng Zhixin
Published: February 2022

Participation in social activities might increase older adults’ chances to interact with other people and has been found to be important in reducing the likelihood of depression. A picture of older adults’ attitudes towards ageing and their self-esteem constructed through the lens of how they interact with other people might cast light on the sources of older adults’ depression. This study explored the influences of social participation and attitudes towards ageing on depression of Chinese older adults. Using two waves data from the China Longitudinal Ageing Social Survey (CLASS) in 2014 and 2016 (6,908 participants in 2014 and 3,477 participants in both 2014 and 2016), we found that social participation in 2014 could prevent the risk of depression in both the 2014 and 2016 cohorts. In addition, both psychosocial loss and psychosocial growth in 2014 were negatively associated with depression in both 2014 and 2016. However, there was no evidence that social participation moderated the relationship between attitudes towards ageing and depression in either cohort. Social policies need to encourage older adults’ conversion from ‘passive participation’ to ‘active participation’. This could help older adults understand the process of ageing and their value to society, as well as have positive effects on older adults’ mental health.
The influence of discrete versus continuous movements on children’s musical sense-making
Authors: Fortuna Sandra , Nijs Luc
Published: February 2022

An increasing amount of research emphasises the influence of body movement on the perception of music. This study contributes to the research by investigating whether varied qualities of body movement, when aligned to music may affect the way children attribute meaning to that music. To address this question, 34 children (aged 9–10) were divided into two groups, each of which engaged in distinct listening activities by aligning with discrete versus continuous movements on diverse pieces of music. As a pre- and post-test, children were first invited to move freely to a piece of music and subsequently to draw a visual representation of the piece. Finally, they were asked to verbally explain how the drawings were linked with the music. Findings, based on the children’s drawings and verbal explanations, offer interesting insights on the way different qualities of body movement can influence the categories of visual representations, arousal and voices of the music described. Moreover, the role of visual representation emerges as a way to gain insight into a child’s musical sense-making, principally when the product is analysed together with the process and the gestures employed to accomplish it. The findings of this study may offer relevant insights for music education. Firstly, in the way movement may influence music sense-making and secondly, how multimodal interaction (bodily, visual and verbal) may inform the process of musical understanding in children.
Leidenfrost levitation of a spherical particle above a liquid bath: Evolution of the vapour-film morphology with particle size
Authors: BRANDÃO R. , SCHNITZER O.
Published: February 2022

We consider a spherical particle levitating above a liquid bath owing to the Leidenfrost effect, where the vapour of either the bath or sphere forms an insulating film whose pressure supports the sphere’s weight. Starting from a reduced formulation based on a lubrication-type approximation, we use matched asymptotics to describe the morphology of the vapour film assuming that the sphere is small relative to the capillary length (small Bond number) and that the densities of the bath and sphere are comparable. We find that this regime is comprised of two formally infinite sequences of distinguished limits which meet at an accumulation point, the limits being defined by the smallness of an intrinsic evaporation number relative to the Bond number. These sequences of limits reveal a surprisingly intricate evolution of the film morphology with increasing sphere size. Initially, the vapour film transitions from a featureless morphology, where the thickness profile is parabolic, to a neck–bubble morphology, which consists of a uniform pressure bubble bounded by a narrow and much thinner annular neck. Gravity effects then become important in the bubble leading to sequential formation of increasingly smaller neck–bubble pairs near the symmetry axis. This process terminates when the pairs closest to the symmetry axis become indistinguishable and merge. Subsequently, the inner section of that merger transitions into a uniform-thickness film that expands radially, gradually squishing increasingly larger neck–bubble pairs into a region of localised oscillations sandwiched between the uniform film and what remains of the bubble whose radial extent is presently comparable to the uniform film; the neck–bubble pairs farther from the axis remain essentially intact. Ultimately, the uniform film gobbles up the largest outermost bubble, whereby the morphology simplifies to a uniform film bounded by localised oscillations. Overall, the asymptotic analysis describes the continuous evolution of the vapour film from a neck–bubble morphology typical of a Leidenfrost drop levitating above a flat solid substrate to a uniform-film morphology which resembles that in the case of a large liquid drop levitating above a liquid bath.
A Content Analysis of the Friday Sermons of the Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs in Germany (DİTİB)
Authors: Carol Sarah , Hofheinz Lukas
Published: February 2022

The Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs (DİTİB) runs more than 900 mosques in Germany and circulates Friday sermons in these mosques. Our analysis provides a nuanced depiction of the link to the homeland by conducting qualitative and quantitative content analyses of 481 sermons from 2011 to 2019. To what extent are relations with Turkey reflected in the sermons? And how is the concept of “home” reflected in those sermons? While homeland-related issues constitute a minority overall, the concept “home” occurs in five different contexts within these sermons: First, sermons directly refer to the homeland and norms connected to it. Second, implicit links are created by discussing events in Turkey. Third, leaving the homeland is described as an integral part of the history of Islam. The last two contexts discuss Germany as a “new home”, and build links to Turkey's Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) through its foundation.
The Impact of Intermittency on Bed Load Sediment Transport
Authors: Benavides Santiago J. , Deal Eric , Rushlow Matthew , Venditti Jeremy G. , Zhang Qiong , Kamrin Ken , Perron J. Taylor
Published: February 2022

Sediment transport by wind or water near the threshold of grain motion is dominated by rare transport events. This intermittency makes it difficult to calibrate sediment transport laws, or to define an unambiguous threshold for grain entrainment, both of which are crucial for predicting sediment transport rates. We present a model that captures this intermittency and shows that the noisy statistics of sediment transport contain useful information about the sediment entrainment threshold and the variations in driving fluid stress. Using a combination of laboratory experiments and analytical results, we measure the threshold for grain entrainment in a novel way and introduce a new property, the “shear stress variability”, which predicts conditions under which transport will be intermittent. Our work suggests strategies for improving measurements and predictions of sediment flux and hints that the sediment transport law may change close to the threshold of motion.
It’s the Heat and the Humidity: The Complementary Roles of Temperature and Specific Humidity to Recent Changes in the Energy Content of the Near‐Surface Atmosphere
Authors: Stoy P. C. , Roh J. , Bromley G. T.
Published: February 2022

Global climate change is a change in the planetary energy (E) balance. It is usually expressed as a change in near‐surface air temperature (Ta), but changes in energy content due to Ta (ET) represent only part of the near‐surface energy balance, which also includes E changes due to specific humidity (ESH). We analyzed MERRA‐2 and ERA5 reanalysis data and 15 CMIP6 Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP) models from 1980 to 2014. Some 44%, 39%, and 50% of MERRA‐2 pixels showed significant increases in ET, ESH, and E, respectively. The average increase in ET (ESH) was 16.9 (13.6) J kg−1 year−1, but AMIP models estimated larger average ET (21.6 J kg−1 year−1) and ESH (16.7 J kg−1 year−1). Global Ta would have increased at nearly double the observed rate if energy was not partitioned into latent heat. Results demonstrate the critical role that specific humidity plays in recent climate changes.
Seismic Mapping of Subglacial Hydrology Reveals Previously Undetected Pressurization Event
Authors: Labedz Celeste R. , Bartholomaus Timothy C. , Amundson Jason M. , Gimbert Florent , Karplus Marianne S. , Tsai Victor C. , Veitch Stephen A.
Published: February 2022

Understanding the dynamic response of glaciers to climate change is vital for assessing water resources and hazards, and subglacial hydrology is a key player in glacier systems. Traditional observations of subglacial hydrology are spatially and temporally limited, but recent seismic deployments on and around glaciers show the potential for comprehensive observation of glacial hydrologic systems. We present results from a high‐density seismic deployment spanning the surface of Lemon Creek Glacier, Alaska. Our study coincided with a marginal lake drainage event, which served as a natural experiment for seismic detection of changes in subglacial hydrology. We observed glaciohydraulic tremor across the surface of the glacier that was generated by the subglacial hydrologic system. During the lake drainage, the relative changes in seismic tremor power and water flux are consistent with pressurization of the subglacial system of only the upper part of the glacier. This event was not accompanied by a significant increase in glacier velocity; either some threshold necessary for rapid basal motion was not attained, or, plausibly, the geometry of Lemon Creek Glacier inhibited speedup. This pressurization event would have likely gone undetected without seismic observations, demonstrating the power of cryoseismology in testing assumptions about and mapping the spatial extent of subglacial pressurization.
Integrating Recurrent Neural Networks With Data Assimilation for Scalable Data‐Driven State Estimation
Authors: Penny S. G. , Smith T. A. , Chen T.‐C. , Platt J. A. , Lin H.‐Y. , Goodliff M. , Abarbanel H. D. I.
Published: February 2022

Data assimilation (DA) is integrated with machine learning in order to perform entirely data‐driven online state estimation. To achieve this, recurrent neural networks (RNNs) are implemented as pretrained surrogate models to replace key components of the DA cycle in numerical weather prediction (NWP), including the conventional numerical forecast model, the forecast error covariance matrix, and the tangent linear and adjoint models. It is shown how these RNNs can be initialized using DA methods to directly update the hidden/reservoir state with observations of the target system. The results indicate that these techniques can be applied to estimate the state of a system for the repeated initialization of short‐term forecasts, even in the absence of a traditional numerical forecast model. Further, it is demonstrated how these integrated RNN‐DA methods can scale to higher dimensions by applying domain localization and parallelization, providing a path for practical applications in NWP.
Bayesian Inference for Solar Flare Extremes
Authors: Griffiths B. , Fawcett L. , Green A. C.
Published: February 2022

While solar flares are a frequent occurrence, extreme flares are much rarer events and have the potential to cause disruption to life on Earth. In this paper we use Extreme Value Theory to model extreme solar flares, with inference performed in the Bayesian paradigm. The data used have been provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Organisation and consist of recordings of peak flux measurements. After proposing several methods for analysis and selecting our preferred technique—which substantially increases the precision of estimates of key quantities of interest—we improve upon this technique still further by considering the use of informative prior distributions. Doing so, we estimate that a Halloween‐type solar event, and a Carrington‐type event, might occur once (on average) every 49 (29, 85) and 92 (50, 176) years respectively (95% credible intervals shown in parentheses). These findings are similar to those obtained by Tsiftsi and De la Luz (2018), https://doi.org/10.1029/2018SW001958 and Elvidge and Angling (2018), https://doi.org/10.1002/2017SW001727 however, the confidence intervals obtained in both are substantially wider than those found in our study, lending increased certainty to the estimated time between events of such magnitude in our work. We argue that taking the extremal index into account, even when this measure indicates weak temporal dependence, is beneficial to the analysis.
Estrogen-mediated downregulation of HIF-1α signaling in B lymphocytes influences postmenopausal bone loss
Authors: Meng Xianyi , Lin Zhen , Cao Shan , Janowska Iga , Sonomoto Koshiro , Andreev Darja , Katharina Knab , Wen Jinming , Knaup Karl Xaver , Wiesener Michael Sean , Krönke Gerhard , Rizzi Marta , Schett Georg , Bozec Aline
Published: February 2022

In the bone marrow, B cells and bone-resorbing osteoclasts colocalize and form a specific microenvironment. How B cells functionally influence osteoclasts and bone architecture is poorly understood. Using genetically modified mice and high-throughput analyses, we demonstrate that prolonged HIF-1α signaling in B cells leads to enhanced RANKL production and osteoclast formation. In addition, deletion of HIF-1α in B cells prevents estrogen deficiency-induced bone loss in mice. Mechanistically, estrogen controls HIF-1α protein stabilization through HSP70-mediated degradation in bone marrow B cells. The stabilization of HIF-1α protein in HSP70-deficient bone marrow B cells promotes RANKL production and osteoclastogenesis. Induction of HSP70 expression by geranylgeranylacetone (GGA) administration alleviates ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis. Moreover, RANKL gene expression has a positive correlation with HIF1A expression in human B cells. In conclusion, HIF-1α signaling in B cells is crucial for the control of osteoclastogenesis, and the HSP70/HIF-1α axis may serve as a new therapeutic target for osteoporosis.
HOXD8 hypermethylation as a fully sensitive and specific biomarker for biliary tract cancer detectable in tissue and bile samples
Authors: Loi Eleonora , Zavattari Cesare , Tommasi Alessandro , Moi Loredana , Canale Matteo , Po Agnese , Sabato Claudia , Vega-Benedetti Ana Florencia , Ziranu Pina , Puzzoni Marco , Lai Eleonora , Faloppi Luca , Rullán María , Carrascosa Juan , Amat Irene , Urman Jesús M. , Arechederra Maria , Berasain Carmen , Ferretti Elisabetta , Casadei-Gardini Andrea , Avila Matías A. , Alonso Sergio , Scartozzi Mario , Zavattari Patrizia
Published: February 2022

Background

Biliary tract cancers (BTC) are rare but highly aggressive tumours with poor prognosis, usually detected at advanced stages. Herein, we aimed at identifying BTC-specific DNA methylation alterations.

Methods

Study design included statistical power and sample size estimation. A genome-wide methylation study of an explorative cohort (50 BTC and ten matched non-tumoral tissue samples) has been performed. BTC-specific altered CpG islands were validated in over 180 samples (174 BTCs and 13 non-tumoral controls). The final biomarkers, selected by a machine-learning approach, were validated in independent tissue (18 BTCs, 14 matched non-tumoral samples) and bile (24 BTCs, five non-tumoral samples) replication series, using droplet digital PCR.

Results

We identified and successfully validated BTC-specific DNA methylation alterations in over 200 BTC samples. The two-biomarker panel, selected by an in-house algorithm, showed an AUC > 0.97. The best-performing biomarker (chr2:176993479-176995557), associated with HOXD8, a pivotal gene in cancer-related pathways, achieved 100% sensitivity and specificity in a new series of tissue and bile samples.

Conclusions

We identified a novel fully efficient BTC biomarker, associated with HOXD8 gene, detectable both in tissue and bile by a standardised assay ready-to-use in clinical trials also including samples from non-invasive matrices.
Visible light-driven efficient palladium catalyst turnover in oxidative transformations within confined frameworks
Authors: Li Jiawei , He Liuqing , Liu Qiong , Ren Yanwei , Jiang Huanfeng
Published: February 2022

Palladium catalyst turnover by reoxidation of a low-valent Pd species dominates the proceeding of an efficient oxidative transformation, but the state-of-the-art catalysis approaches still have great challenges from the perspectives of high efficiency, atom-economy and environmental-friendliness. Herein, we report a new strategy for addressing Pd reoxidation problem by the fabrication of spatially proximate IrIII photocatalyst and PdII catalyst into metal-organic framework (MOF), affording MOFs based Pd/photoredox catalysts UiO-67-Ir-PdX2 (X = OAc, TFA), which are systematically evaluated using three representative Pd-catalyzed oxidation reactions. Owing to the stabilization of single-site Pd and Ir catalysts by MOFs framework as well as the proximity of them favoring fast electron transfer, UiO-67-Ir-PdX2, under visible light, exhibits up to 25 times of Pd catalyst turnover number than the existing catalysis systems. Mechanism investigations theoretically corroborate the capability of MOFs based Pd/photoredox catalysis to regulate the competitive processes of Pd0 aggregation and reoxidation in Pd-catalyzed oxidation reactions.
Forest fragmentation impacts the seasonality of Amazonian evergreen canopies
Authors: Nunes Matheus Henrique , Camargo José Luís Campana , Vincent Grégoire , Calders Kim , Oliveira Rafael S. , Huete Alfredo , Mendes de Moura Yhasmin , Nelson Bruce , Smith Marielle N. , Stark Scott C. , Maeda Eduardo Eiji
Published: February 2022

Predictions of the magnitude and timing of leaf phenology in Amazonian forests remain highly controversial. Here, we use terrestrial LiDAR surveys every two weeks spanning wet and dry seasons in Central Amazonia to show that plant phenology varies strongly across vertical strata in old-growth forests, but is sensitive to disturbances arising from forest fragmentation. In combination with continuous microclimate measurements, we find that when maximum daily temperatures reached 35 °C in the latter part of the dry season, the upper canopy of large trees in undisturbed forests lost plant material. In contrast, the understory greened up with increased light availability driven by the upper canopy loss, alongside increases in solar radiation, even during periods of drier soil and atmospheric conditions. However, persistently high temperatures in forest edges exacerbated the upper canopy losses of large trees throughout the dry season, whereas the understory in these light-rich environments was less dependent on the altered upper canopy structure. Our findings reveal a strong influence of edge effects on phenological controls in wet forests of Central Amazonia.
Dihydroceramide- and ceramide-profiling provides insights into human cardiometabolic disease etiology
Authors: Wittenbecher C. , Cuadrat R. , Johnston L. , Eichelmann F. , Jäger S. , Kuxhaus O. , Prada M. , Del Greco M. F. , Hicks A. A. , Hoffman P. , Krumsiek J. , Hu F. B. , Schulze M. B.
Published: February 2022

Metabolic alterations precede cardiometabolic disease onset. Here we present ceramide- and dihydroceramide-profiling data from a nested case-cohort (type 2 diabetes [T2D, n = 775]; cardiovascular disease [CVD, n = 551]; random subcohort [n = 1137]) in the prospective EPIC-Potsdam study. We apply the novel NetCoupler-algorithm to link a data-driven (dihydro)ceramide network to T2D and CVD risk. Controlling for confounding by other (dihydro)ceramides, ceramides C18:0 and C22:0 and dihydroceramides C20:0 and C22:2 are associated with higher and ceramide C20:0 and dihydroceramide C26:1 with lower T2D risk. Ceramide C16:0 and dihydroceramide C22:2 are associated with higher CVD risk. Genome-wide association studies and Mendelian randomization analyses support a role of ceramide C22:0 in T2D etiology. Our results also suggest that (dh)ceramides partly mediate the putative adverse effect of high red meat consumption and benefits of coffee consumption on T2D risk. Thus, (dihydro)ceramides may play a critical role in linking genetic predisposition and dietary habits to cardiometabolic disease risk.
Designing light-element materials with large effective spin-orbit coupling
Authors: Li Jiayu , Yao Qiushi , Wu Lin , Hu Zongxiang , Gao Boya , Wan Xiangang , Liu Qihang
Published: February 2022

Spin-orbit coupling (SOC), which is the core of many condensed-matter phenomena such as nontrivial band gap and magnetocrystalline anisotropy, is generally considered appreciable only in heavy elements. This is detrimental to the synthesis and application of functional materials. Therefore, amplifying the SOC effect in light elements is crucial. Herein, focusing on 3d and 4d systems, we demonstrate that the interplay between crystal symmetry and electron correlation can significantly enhance the SOC effect in certain partially occupied orbital multiplets through the self-consistently reinforced orbital polarization as a pivot. Thereafter, we provide design principles and comprehensive databases, where we list all the Wyckoff positions and site symmetries in all two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional crystals that could have enhanced SOC effect. Additionally, we predict nine material candidates from our selected 2D material pool as high-temperature quantum anomalous Hall insulators with large nontrivial band gaps of hundreds of meV. Our study provides an efficient and straightforward way for predicting promising SOC-active materials, relieving the use of heavy elements for next-generation spin-orbitronic materials and devices.
Cell adhesion molecule KIRREL1 is a feedback regulator of Hippo signaling recruiting SAV1 to cell-cell contact sites
Authors: Paul Atanu , Annunziato Stefano , Lu Bo , Sun Tianliang , Evrova Olivera , Planas-Paz Lara , Orsini Vanessa , Terracciano Luigi M. , Charlat Olga , Loureiro Zinger Yang , Ji Lei , Zamponi Raffaella , Sigoillot Frederic , Lei Hong , Lindeman Alicia , Russ Carsten , Reece-Hoyes John S. , Nicholson Thomas B. , Tchorz Jan S. , Cong Feng
Published: February 2022

The Hippo/YAP pathway controls cell proliferation through sensing physical and spatial organization of cells. How cell-cell contact is sensed by Hippo signaling is poorly understood. Here, we identified the cell adhesion molecule KIRREL1 as an upstream positive regulator of the mammalian Hippo pathway. KIRREL1 physically interacts with SAV1 and recruits SAV1 to cell-cell contact sites. Consistent with the hypothesis that KIRREL1-mediated cell adhesion suppresses YAP activity, knockout of KIRREL1 increases YAP activity in neighboring cells. Analyzing pan-cancer CRISPR proliferation screen data reveals KIRREL1 as the top plasma membrane protein showing strong correlation with known Hippo regulators, highlighting a critical role of KIRREL1 in regulating Hippo signaling and cell proliferation. During liver regeneration in mice, KIRREL1 is upregulated, and its genetic ablation enhances hepatic YAP activity, hepatocyte reprogramming and biliary epithelial cell proliferation. Our data suggest that KIRREL1 functions as a feedback regulator of the mammalian Hippo pathway through sensing cell-cell interaction and recruiting SAV1 to cell-cell contact sites.
Mantle Hg isotopic heterogeneity and evidence of oceanic Hg recycling into the mantle
Authors: Yin Runsheng , Chen Di , Pan Xin , Deng Changzhou , Chen Liemeng , Song Xieyan , Yu Songyue , Zhu Chuanwei , Wei Xun , Xu Yue , Feng Xinbin , Blum Joel D. , Lehmann Bernd
Published: February 2022

The geochemical cycle of mercury in Earth’s surface environment (atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere) has been extensively studied; however, the deep geological cycling of this element is less well known. Here we document distinct mass-independent mercury isotope fractionation (expressed as Δ199Hg) in island arc basalts and mid-ocean ridge basalts. Both rock groups show positive Δ199Hg values up to 0.34‰ and 0.22‰, respectively, which deviate from recent estimates of the primitive mantle (Δ199Hg: 0.00 ± 0.10‰, 2 SD)1. The positive Δ199Hg values indicate recycling of marine Hg into the asthenospheric mantle. Such a crustal Hg isotope signature was not observed in our samples of ocean island basalts and continental flood basalts, but has recently been identified in canonical end-member samples of the deep mantle1, therefore demonstrating that recycling of mercury can affect both the upper and lower mantle. Our study reveals large-scale translithospheric Hg recycling via plate tectonics.
Photochemistry of the pyruvate anion produces CO2, CO, CH3–, CH3, and a low energy electron
Authors: Clarke Connor J. , Gibbard Jemma A. , Hutton Lewis , Verlet Jan R. R. , Curchod Basile F. E.
Published: February 2022

The photochemistry of pyruvic acid has attracted much scientific interest because it is believed to play critical roles in atmospheric chemistry. However, under most atmospherically relevant conditions, pyruvic acid deprotonates to form its conjugate base, the photochemistry of which is essentially unknown. Here, we present a detailed study of the photochemistry of the isolated pyruvate anion and uncover that it is extremely rich. Using photoelectron imaging and computational chemistry, we show that photoexcitation by UVA light leads to the formation of CO2, CO, and CH3−. The observation of the unusual methide anion formation and its subsequent decomposition into methyl radical and a free electron may hold important consequences for atmospheric chemistry. From a mechanistic perspective, the initial decarboxylation of pyruvate necessarily differs from that in pyruvic acid, due to the missing proton in the anion.
TRPC3 shapes the ER-mitochondria Ca2+ transfer characterizing tumour-promoting senescence
Authors: Farfariello Valerio , Gordienko Dmitri V. , Mesilmany Lina , Touil Yasmine , Germain Emmanuelle , Fliniaux Ingrid , Desruelles Emilie , Gkika Dimitra , Roudbaraki Morad , Shapovalov George , Noyer Lucile , Lebas Mathilde , Allart Laurent , Zienthal-Gelus Nathalie , Iamshanova Oksana , Bonardi Franck , Figeac Martin , Laine William , Kluza Jerome , Marchetti Philippe , Quesnel Bruno , Metzger Daniel , Bernard David , Parys Jan B. , Lemonnier Loïc , Prevarskaya Natalia
Published: February 2022

Cellular senescence is implicated in a great number of diseases including cancer. Although alterations in mitochondrial metabolism were reported as senescence drivers, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. We report the mechanism altering mitochondrial function and OXPHOS in stress-induced senescent fibroblasts. We demonstrate that TRPC3 protein, acting as a controller of mitochondrial Ca2+ load via negative regulation of IP3 receptor-mediated Ca2+ release, is down regulated in senescence regardless of the type of senescence inducer. This remodelling promotes cytosolic/mitochondrial Ca2+ oscillations and elevates mitochondrial Ca2+ load, mitochondrial oxygen consumption rate and oxidative phosphorylation. Re-expression of TRPC3 in senescent cells diminishes mitochondrial Ca2+ load and promotes escape from OIS-induced senescence. Cellular senescence evoked by TRPC3 downregulation in stromal cells displays a proinflammatory and tumour-promoting secretome that encourages cancer epithelial cell proliferation and tumour growth in vivo. Altogether, our results unravel the mechanism contributing to pro-tumour behaviour of senescent cells.
Prognostic tools and candidate drugs based on plasma proteomics of patients with severe COVID-19 complications
Authors: Al-Nesf Maryam A. Y. , Abdesselem Houari B. , Bensmail Ilham , Ibrahim Shahd , Saeed Walaa A. H. , Mohammed Sara S. I. , Razok Almurtada , Alhussain Hashim , Aly Reham M. A. , Al Maslamani Muna , Ouararhni Khalid , Khatib Mohamad Y. , Hssain Ali Ait , Omrani Ali S. , Al-Kaabi Saad , Al Khal Abdullatif , Al-Thani Asmaa A. , Samsam Waseem , Farooq Abdulaziz , Al-Suwaidi Jassim , Al-Maadheed Mohammed , Al-Siddiqi Heba H. , Butler Alexandra E. , Decock Julie V. , Mohamed-Ali Vidya , Al-Ejeh Fares
Published: February 2022

COVID-19 complications still present a huge burden on healthcare systems and warrant predictive risk models to triage patients and inform early intervention. Here, we profile 893 plasma proteins from 50 severe and 50 mild-moderate COVID-19 patients, and 50 healthy controls, and show that 375 proteins are differentially expressed in the plasma of severe COVID-19 patients. These differentially expressed plasma proteins are implicated in the pathogenesis of COVID-19 and present targets for candidate drugs to prevent or treat severe complications. Based on the plasma proteomics and clinical lab tests, we also report a 12-plasma protein signature and a model of seven routine clinical tests that validate in an independent cohort as early risk predictors of COVID-19 severity and patient survival. The risk predictors and candidate drugs described in our study can be used and developed for personalized management of SARS-CoV-2 infected patients.
Estrogen receptor beta repurposes EZH2 to suppress oncogenic NFκB/p65 signaling in triple negative breast cancer
Authors: Aspros Kirsten G. M. , Carter Jodi M. , Hoskin Tanya L. , Suman Vera J. , Subramaniam Malayannan , Emch Michael J. , Ye Zhenqing , Sun Zhifu , Sinnwell Jason P. , Thompson Kevin J. , Tang Xiaojia , Rodman Esther P. B. , Wang Xiyin , Nelson Adam W. , Chernukhin Igor , Hamdan Feda H. , Bruinsma Elizabeth S. , Carroll Jason S. , Fernandez-Zapico Martin E. , Johnsen Steven A. , Kalari Krishna R. , Huang Haojie , Leon-Ferre Roberto A. , Couch Fergus J. , Ingle James N. , Goetz Matthew P. , Hawse John R.
Published: February 2022

Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) accounts for 15–20% of all breast cancer cases, yet is responsible for a disproportionately high percentage of breast cancer mortalities. Thus, there is an urgent need to identify novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets based on the molecular events driving TNBC pathobiology. Estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) is known to elicit anti-cancer effects in TNBC, however its mechanisms of action remain elusive. Here, we report the expression profiles of ERβ and its association with clinicopathological features and patient outcomes in the largest cohort of TNBC to date. In this cohort, ERβ was expressed in approximately 18% of TNBCs, and expression of ERβ was associated with favorable clinicopathological features, but correlated with different overall survival outcomes according to menopausal status. Mechanistically, ERβ formed a co-repressor complex involving enhancer of zeste homologue 2/polycomb repressive complex 2 (EZH2/PRC2) that functioned to suppress oncogenic NFκB/RELA (p65) activity. Importantly, p65 was shown to be required for formation of this complex and for ERβ-mediated suppression of TNBC. Our findings indicate that ERβ+ tumors exhibit different characteristics compared to ERβ− tumors and demonstrate that ERβ functions as a molecular switch for EZH2, repurposing it for tumor suppressive activities and repression of oncogenic p65 signaling.
Tracing transport of protein aggregates in microgravity versus unit gravity crystallization
Authors: Martirosyan Arayik , Falke Sven , McCombs Deborah , Cox Martin , Radka Christopher D. , Knop Jan , Betzel Christian , DeLucas Lawrence J.
Published: February 2022

Microgravity conditions have been used to improve protein crystallization from the early 1980s using advanced crystallization apparatuses and methods. Early microgravity crystallization experiments confirmed that minimal convection and a sedimentation-free environment is beneficial for growth of crystals with higher internal order and in some cases, larger volume. It was however realized that crystal growth in microgravity requires additional time due to slower growth rates. The progress in space research via the International Space Station (ISS) provides a laboratory-like environment to perform convection-free crystallization experiments for an extended time. To obtain detailed insights in macromolecular transport phenomena under microgravity and the assumed reduction of unfavorable impurity incorporation in growing crystals, microgravity and unit gravity control experiments for three different proteins were designed. To determine the quantity of impurity incorporated into crystals, fluorescence-tagged aggregates of the proteins (acting as impurities) were prepared. The recorded fluorescence intensities of the respective crystals reveal reduction in the incorporation of aggregates under microgravity for different aggregate quantities. The experiments and data obtained, provide insights about macromolecular transport in relation to molecular weight of the target proteins, as well as information about associated diffusion behavior and crystal lattice formation. Results suggest one explanation why microgravity-grown protein crystals often exhibit higher quality. Furthermore, results from these experiments can be used to predict which proteins may benefit more from microgravity crystallization.
Corrosion behavior of an in situ consolidated nanocrystalline Al-V alloy
Authors: Witharamage C. S. , Christudasjustus J. , Smith J. , Gao W. , Gupta R. K.
Published: February 2022

Supersaturated solid solutions of Al and corrosion-resistant alloying elements (M: V, Mo, Cr, Ti, Nb), produced by non-equilibrium processing techniques, have been reported to exhibit high corrosion resistance and strength. The corrosion mechanism for such improved corrosion performance has not been well understood. We present a fundamental understanding of the role of V in corrosion of an Al-V alloy, which will provide a theoretical background for developing corrosion-resistant Al alloys. High-energy ball milling of the elemental powder of Al and V produced an in situ consolidated Al-V alloy, which exhibited high solid solubility of V. The corrosion resistance of Al-V alloy was significantly higher than that of pure Al, which was attributed to the (1) enrichment of V at the passive film/substrate interface, (2) incorporation of V into the passive film, and (3) deposition of V on the iron-containing cathodic particles and therefore, retardation of cathodic reaction.
Tropical forest restoration under future climate change
Authors: Koch Alexander , Kaplan Jed O.
Published: February 2022

One of the most promising ways to rapidly remove CO2 from the atmosphere is through the restoration of tropical forests. Ongoing and future climate change may, however, threaten the permanence of carbon stored through restoration. Excessive heat, drought or increased disturbances such as wildfire could all negatively impact the integrity of restored carbon. To investigate these risks to tropical forest restoration, we performed 221 simulations with a dynamic global vegetation model (LPJ-LMfire) driven by a range of future climate scenarios and ecophysiological responses to CO2 concentrations. We show that carbon in restored tropical forests is largely preserved under the entire range of potential future climates, regardless of assumptions we make about the potential for CO2 fertilization of photosynthesis. Restoring even half of the potential area can account for 56–69% of the carbon storage, depending on whether areas are selected for low cost or high carbon gain.