bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multidimension: a dimensionality extension of simple games
Authors: Molinero Xavier , Riquelme Fabián , Roura Salvador , Serna Maria
Published: October 2023

In voting theory and social choice theory, decision systems can be represented as simple games, i.e., cooperative games defined through their players or voters and their set of winning coalitions. The weighted voting games form a well-known strict subclass of simple games, where each player has a voting weight so that a coalition wins if the sum of weights of their members exceeds a given quota. Since the number of winning coalitions can be exponential in the number of players, simple games can be represented much more compactly as intersections or unions of weighted voting games. A simple game’s dimension (codimension) is the minimum number of weighted voting games such that their intersection (union) is the given game. It is known there are voting systems with a high (co)dimension. This work introduces the multidimension as the minimum size of an expression with intersections and unions on weighted voting games necessary to obtain the considered simple game. We generalize this notion to subclasses of weighted voting games and analyze the generative properties of these subclasses. We also characterize the simple games with finite generalized multidimension over the set of weighted voting games without dummy players. We provide a comprehensive classification for simple games up to a certain number of players. These results complement similar classification results for generalized (co)dimensions. Our results show how generalized multidimension allows representing more simple games and more compactly, even for a small number of players and for subclasses.
Fabrication of flat stainless steel substrates with improved oxidation behavior for metal-supported solid oxide cells using aqueous tape casting
Authors: Yan Yifei , Kesler Olivera
Published: October 2023

An aqueous tape casting procedure was developed and optimized to fabricate thick, flat tapes for use as porous stainless-steel substrates for metal-supported solid oxide cells (MS-SOCs). Curling tape is one of the main challenges when using aqueous based slurry formation. This work demonstrated that the sedimentation problem can be solved by increasing solid loading rather than adding excessive binder to raise viscosity. The effect of various casting surfaces on tape curling was also investigated. Materials that allow easy tape release resulted in flatter tapes once the water was evaporated. In addition, substrate oxidation resistance at high temperature was evaluated with respect to starting powder size, sintering extent, and pore former types. High sintering extent that removes or encloses the porosity between steel particles while retaining porosity left by pore formers can effectively prevent breakaway oxidation due to local chromium depletion. Carbon residue in the steel substrates from the slurry organic content can be decreased when formulating the slurry to prevent Cr-rich phase formation in the steel, which severely compromises the substrate oxidation resistance and ductility. By dwelling the substrate in high purity hydrogen, the sensitization can be reversed, but more detailed investigation of the reaction dynamics is needed. By combining the strategies described, this work produced crack-free, flat, 400–500 μm thick stainless steel substrates with 28.7 vol% porosity and improved oxidation resistance compared to previous substrates fabricated by dry pressing of fine powders.
A detection-regression based framework for fish keypoints detection
Authors: Dong Junyu , Shangguan Xinyu , Zhou Kaiming , Gan Yanhai , Fan Hao , Chen Long
Published: October 2023

Applying computer vision technology in aquaculture can improve the efficiency of fish detection and health monitoring as well as optimize aquaculture management and profit. Keypoints on fish bodies are important biological indicators that can be used to calculate the individual size, mass, and behavior. However, only a few relevant studies have been conducted in this regard, and they mainly focus on detecting keypoints for stereo matching. Traditional keypoint detection methods exhibit low efficiency, poor accuracy, and weak robustness in underwater environments. Accordingly, this study proposes a new method based on object detection and point regression models to locate fish keypoints. First, individual fish are detected by employing a commonly used object detection model, YOLOv5. The detection accuracy is further improved by enhancing the network neck. In the second stage, a deep learning model for locating fish keypoints is constructed by implementing weight allocation and distribution-aware strategy in the matched left and right bounding boxes to improve on the previous work of Lite-HRNet, which was originally designed for capturing human body keypoints. The experimental results show that the proposed method can effectively detect individual underwater fish and accurately estimate the keypoints. The source code and the labeled datasets for fish detection and keypoint location are provided. The code is available at https://github.com/oucvisionlabsanya/fish_keypoint_detection.git.
An improved crack tip location algorithm using the principles of thermoelastic stress analysis
Authors: Button L. , Codrington J. , Brooks C. , Rajic N.
Published: October 2023

A novel method of determining the crack tip location from a thermoelastic quadrature signal is presented. The method is utilised for crack tip locations within complex stress fields, namely within fastened aircraft lap joints. Coupled structural-thermal finite element modelling was undertaken to investigate the thermal response field around the crack tip location and develop the algorithmic principles. Experimental validation of the crack tip location was conducted using established crack mouth compliance techniques and optical measurements. The crack tip finding algorithm used the location of the maximum spatial gradient of the thermal field in the direction of crack growth. The method showed good accuracy when compared to traditional methods. Resultant crack growth rates were further verified using quantitative fractography.
Fixed-time control for free-floating space manipulators with prescribed constraints and input saturation
Authors: Yan Y.X. , Cui H.T. , Han P.
Published: October 2023

This paper investigates the issue of tracking control for a free-floating space manipulator with prescribed performance constraints, considering the inertia uncertainties, internal disturbances and input saturation. An inherently continuous adaptive controller is proposed by incorporating non-singular fixed-time sliding mode control, prescribed performance control (PPC), and auxiliary compensation. First, a modified non-singular fast fixed-time terminal sliding surface is constructed, which has a shorten convergence time than the conventional fixed-time sliding surface. Unlike the existing complicated PPCs, a simple structure controller is developed to satisfy prescribed performance constraints through a unique tangent-type PPC technique. The input saturation is then compensated adaptively by an auxiliary mechanism. The Lyapunov theory thoroughly validates the stability and fixed-time convergence of the closed-loop tracking system. With the suggested control scheme, the system states can converge quickly to a small neighbourhood around the origin within a preassigned time, while the position tracking error can be confined within a prescribed performance bounds even in the presence of input saturation. Compared to the existing tracking methods, the suggested control approach has the advantages of faster transient convergence, higher steady-state tracking precision, and stronger robustness. Simulation comparisons demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed controller.
International migration, transfers of norms and public goods back home
Authors: Brzozowski Jan , Coniglio Nicola Daniele
Published: October 2023

International migration represents a potential channel for the transmission of norms, attitudes, and values back to the home countries. In this paper, we explore how international migration affects tax morale and aversion to the free-riding of members of the household left behind in the home country. We use a rich longitudinal household-level database on Polish society (period 2007–2015) that allows us to observe social attitudes and values of individuals before and after the actual migration of a member of the household. We find that having a migrant in the household has a significant and positive effect on tax morale and increases aversion toward free-riding of stayers. We also find that migrants have a lower level of tax morale before departure compared to stayers, suggesting that international migration leads to an overall gain in pro-social behaviors.
Pandemic Readiness: Disparities Among New York City Residents Living in the Epicenter of the COVID-19 Outbreak
Authors: Gunness Harlem , Jacob Elsen , Bhuiyan Jennifer , Hilas Olga
Published: October 2023

Background:

Queens County was identified as the epicenter of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in United States, representing a significant proportion of racial and ethnic minorities. As the pandemic surged and new variants emerged, one factor that has not been explored is the level of pandemic readiness (preparedness) in urban communities.

Methods:

This was a cross-sectional study using a survey to assess pandemic readiness among residents in Queens County, New York, which was disseminated online by means of elected officials. The survey included basic demographics, health status, essential supplies (such as food, water, and prescription medication), social support, spatial capacity, and access to COVID-19 health information.

Results:

A total of 306 participants completed the survey (59% response rate). Eighty-two percent of participants were not pandemic ready with only 11.4% at beginner-level and 7% advanced-level readiness. Beginner- and advanced-level readiness was more common among participants with college experience. Regarding employment, 85% of participants who were employed were not ready for the pandemic, compared with 68% of those who were not employed. More strikingly, over 60% of participants learned something new by completing the survey.

Conclusions:

This study adds to the existing literature on pandemic preparedness and highlights the need for greater outreach and education among racial and ethnic minorities.
The limits of β-plane turbulence
Authors: Scott R.K.
Published: October 2023

The quasigeostrophic shallow-water system on the mid-latitude

$\beta$

plane with weak, small-scale turbulent forcing is explored in the limit of large energy. Forcing is weak in the sense that the energy input rate relative to the energy of the flow is very small, of the order of

$10^{-5}$

–

$10^{-10}$

, and the potential vorticity assumes an approximate staircase structure. The flow has large energy in the sense that the jet spacing is equal to the domain width so that no further jet mergers can occur. Quasi-stationary numerical experiments, in which the energy grows linearly, reveal late-time quasi-steady, translating solutions comprising a single jet and vortex dipole, with details of the jet-vortex configuration depending on the deformation radius. At a smaller deformation radius the jet may traverse the entire domain in the

$y$

direction one or more times, giving a jet orientation that is predominantly north–south, rather than the usual east–west orientation characteristic of

$\beta$

-plane jets at lower energy. In these meandering cases, a mode number is proposed that quantifies the degree of meandering relative to the vortices. Besides the steadily translating solutions, topological changes in the jet-vortex structure are identified that occur via a transient interaction of a meandering jet with a vortex. At high energy, these give rise to apparently periodic solutions of the system; at low energy, before a single, domain-wide jet is established, they indicate that jet merger may occur through more complicated processes than the simple merging of neighbouring jets.
On the wall-bounded model of fingering double diffusive convection
Authors: Li Junyi , Yang Yantao
Published: October 2023

The present work aims at clarifying the effects of a solid boundary on the salt fingers in the wall-bounded double diffusive convection turbulence driven by the salinity and temperature differences between the top and bottom plates. The fluid properties are the same as the seawater, and two-dimensional direct numerical simulations are conducted over a wide range of the thermal and salinity Rayleigh numbers which measure the strength of driving salinity difference and stabilising temperature difference. We find that the bulk density ratio

$\varLambda _b$

, defined by the mean temperature and salinity gradients at the bulk, controls the flow morphology. As

$\varLambda _b$

exceeds unity, the bulk flow shifts from wide convection rolls to slender salt fingers. Two different regimes are further identified for the cases of salt-finger type. One is the confined salt-finger regime where the characteristic height of salt fingers is comparable to the bulk height and the influences of the solid boundary are noticeable. The other is the free salt-finger regime where the salt fingers are much shorter than the bulk height. In this latter regime, the transport properties versus

$\varLambda _b$

are in quantitative agreement with those obtained in the fully periodic domain (e.g. Traxler et al., J. Fluid Mech., vol. 677, 2011, pp. 530–553). For a limited range of density ratio at the highest salinity Rayleigh number considered here, multiple states can be obtained from different initial conditions. The large-scale secondary instability and spontaneous formation of staircase from finger layers are not observed in the current study.
PAC STRUCTURES AS INVARIANTS OF FINITE GROUP ACTIONS
Authors: HOFFMANN DANIEL MAX , KOWALSKI PIOTR
Published: October 2023

We study model theory of actions of finite groups on substructures of a stable structure. We give an abstract description of existentially closed actions as above in terms of invariants and PAC structures. We show that if the corresponding PAC property is first order, then the theory of such actions has a model companion. Then, we analyze some particular theories of interest (mostly various theories of fields of positive characteristic) and show that in all the cases considered the PAC property is first order.
Past and future time reference processing teased apart in Paiwan, an endangered Formosan language
Authors: Collart Aymeric , Zeitoun Elizabeth
Published: October 2023

How the time reference of a sentence is processed based on the grammatical marking of the verb has already been explored in several languages with grammatical tense and aspect. It can also be grammatically expressed according to the reality status of the event (whether the event exists in time,realismood, or not,irrealis). This study reports results from an acceptability judgment experiment in Paiwan, a Formosan language which exhibits a realis-perfective/irrealis distinction. By placing realis-perfective and irrealis markers after deictic past or future time adverbs and manipulating the grammaticality of the sentences, we asked which temporal concord violation (i.e., realis-perfective or irrealis) was harder to detect. The temporal concord violation of the realis-perfective marker induced greater processing difficulties (interactions between time reference and mood marking revealed lower accuracy rates and longer reaction time), but not the irrealis marker, in line with previous hypotheses. These processing difficulties may be partly due to the Paiwan realis mood marker which also encodes perfective aspect meaning. The reanalysis of the design of previous studies indicates that the interaction with perfective aspect also led to additional processing cost, suggesting that perfective aspect marking plays a crucial role in the processing of time reference.
The Rural Woman Speaks in 1970s Argentina
Authors: Sarreal Julia
Published: October 2023

Studies of the “people’s spring,” the period of unprecedented social mobilization in Argentina in the early 1970s, frequently omit rural women even though they were among the sectors that rallied for social justice. In most of Latin America at the time, rural women were prevented from equal participation in social movements; in contrast, rural women in northeastern Argentina actively participated in the Movimiento Agrario Misionero (MAM). This article uses letters and newspaper articles inAmanecer agrarioto answer two questions: First, what did womanhood mean for rural women in northeastern Argentina during the early 1970s? Second, what did the “people’s spring” mean for these same women? Although the movement split, with women from small farms generally wanting MAM to expand its efforts to broader societal problems and women from medium farms generally wanting MAM to stay focused on the concerns of Misiones farmers, throughout it all, rural women communicated their hopes, desires, and concerns for themselves, their families, and their communities.
The Crime of Barrocolorado: A History of Emotions, Anarchism, Medicine, and Crime in Early Twentieth-Century Colombia
Authors: Trujillo Martínez Daniel Humberto
Published: October 2023

This article explores contemporary discourses of deviation in early twentieth-century Colombia. Through analysis of a presidential assassination attempt in 1906, known as the Crime of Barrocolorado, it discusses the social construction of notions of criminality and danger in the light of the history of emotions. The assault on the president triggered a series of commentaries and reactions that revolved around anarchism, medicine, and criminology, topics that are dissected and connected here in search of their emotional components. In this way, the study brings forth the importance of emotions in the construction of social and political ideas in the past.
The Insufficiency of Statistics for Detecting Racial Discrimination by Police
Authors: Weinberger Naftali
Published: October 2023

Benchmark tests are employed when testing for racial discrimination by police. Neil and Winship (2019) emphasize that such tests are threatened by Simpson’s paradox, but they avoid analyzing the paradox causally. They consequently cannot elucidate the link between statistical quantities and discrimination hypotheses. Simpson’s paradox reveals that the statistics given by benchmark tests are not invariant to conditioning on additional variables. On this basis, I argue that benchmark statistics should not by themselves be taken to provide any evidence regarding discrimination, absent additional assumptions. Causal models can represent these assumptions.
Hume’s Externalist Gambit
Authors: Clatterbuck Hayley
Published: October 2023

I examine three arguments that purport to show that connectionist, associationist architectures cannot achieve key features of human thought. Hume anticipated each of these three arguments and provided a unified strategy for responding to each, the “externalist gambit.” On this account, external natural language provides the necessary structure for associationist systems to achieve those features of thought that their opponents take them to lack. The externalist gambit provides a promising avenue for today’s defenders of connectionism about the human mind.
NOWHERE-ZERO
$3$
-FLOWS IN CAYLEY GRAPHS OF ORDER
$8p$
Authors: ZHANG JUNYANG , ZHOU HANG
Published: October 2023

It is proved that Tutte’s
$3$
-flow conjecture is true for Cayley graphs on groups of order
$8p$
where p is an odd prime.
ON THE EXCEPTIONAL SET OF TRANSCENDENTAL ENTIRE FUNCTIONS IN SEVERAL VARIABLES
Authors: ALVES DIEGO , LELIS JEAN , MARQUES DIEGO , TROJOVSKÝ PAVEL
Published: October 2023

We prove that any subset of
$\overline {\mathbb {Q}}^m$
(closed under complex conjugation and which contains the origin) is the exceptional set of uncountably many transcendental entire functions over
$\mathbb {C}^m$
with rational coefficients. This result solves a several variables version of a question posed by Mahler for transcendental entire functions [Lectures on Transcendental Numbers, Lecture Notes in Mathematics, 546 (Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1976)].
A systematic review of the diversity and virulence correlates of metastrongyle lungworms in marine mammals
Authors: Fischbach Jared R. , Seguel Mauricio
Published: October 2023

Metastrongyle lungworms could be particularly detrimental for diving animals such as marine mammals; however, little is known of the drivers of pathogenic host–parasite relationships in this group. This systematic review analysed the diversity of metastrongyles in marine mammals and the host and parasite traits associated with virulence. There have been at least 40 species of metastrongyles described in 66 species of marine mammals. After penalization for study biases, Halocercus hyperoodoni, Otostrongylus circumlitus, Parafilaroides gymnurus, Halocercus brasiliensis and Stenurus minor were the metastrongyles with the widest host range. Most studies (80.12%, n = 133/166) reported that metastrongyles caused bronchopneumonia, while in the cardiovascular system metastrongyles caused vasculitis in nearly half of the studies (45.45%, n = 5/11) that assessed these tissues. Metastrongyles were associated with otitis in 23.08% (n = 6/26) of the studies. Metastrongyle infection was considered a potential contributory to mortality in 44.78% (n = 90/201) of the studies while 10.45% (n = 21/201) of these studies considered metastrongyles the main cause of death. Metastrongyle species with a wider host range were more likely to induce pathogenic effects. Metastrongyles can cause significant tissue damage and mortality in marine mammals although virulent host–parasite relationships are dominated by a few metastrongyle species with wider host ranges.
PERSPECTIVES FOR LOST POLYPHONY AND RED NOTATION AROUND 1300: MEDIEVAL MOTET AND ORGANUM FRAGMENTS IN STOCKHOLM
Authors: Bradley Catherine A.
Published: October 2023

This article presents, contextualises and analyses four bifolios of medieval polyphony (Stockholm Riksarkivet, fragments 535, 813 and 5786) probably copied in Northern France around 1300. These fragments – recording three-voice organa and Latin motets – feature two different non-rhythmic uses of red notation described in fourteenth-century theoretical treatises following Philippe de Vitry but never seen before in practice: an organum uses red ink to highlight ‘alien’ notes added to its chant foundation and a motet tenor to prompt octave transposition.

This article synthesises new and existing evidence for a transitional and still little-studied period in the history of Latin-texted polyphony. It makes the case for an apparent gap in evidence for polyphonic composition and circulation at the turn of the thirteenth century into the fourteenth, exploring the possible explanations for and ramifications of a lacuna in surviving sources around 1300 and proffering new insights into what has been lost.
JOHANNES VETULUS DE ANAGNIA’S PLATONIST MODEL OF MUSICAL TIME
Authors: Ovenden Philippa
Published: October 2023

In the second half of the fourteenth century, the Italian music theorist Johannes Vetulus de Anagnia wrote a treatise named Liber de musica. Extraordinarily complex and replete with theological digressions, this work has to date remained little understood. Examining Liber de musica through the lenses of practice and philosophy sheds new light on this enigmatic text. Vetulus’s theory is in certain respects innovative, but in others it is conservative. Vetulus theorised a unique but impractical system of mensural divisions that synthesises and exhausts some of the central conceptual principles of contemporaneous performance. He makes sense of these divisions within a Platonist intellectual framework that reimagines Trinitarian theological concepts in a musical context. Approaching this treatise as far as possible on its own terms reveals that Vetulus developed a symbolic epistemology of music in which a mutual reciprocity could emerge between the tripartite structures of music, nature and the divine.
Using the Kipling method to explore the contextual factors of decision-making during advance care planning for older cancer patients, their family, and health-care professionals: A qualitative secondary analysis
Authors: Lin Cheng-Pei , Chiang Chia-Hsuan , Sheu Shuh-Jen
Published: October 2023

Objectives

Advance care planning (ACP) interventions are supposed to affect patients’ autonomy and family health-care outcomes positively. However, the clinical benefits of ACP actualization and associated contextual factors merit questioning. Therefore, this study explores the critical contextual and procedural factors related to ACP decision-making based on the actual situation of older patients with cancer encountering end-of-life care in Taiwan.

Methods

This retrospective qualitative secondary analysis used the Kipling method (5W1H) to explore further the critical contextual and procedural factors related to ACP decision-making processes. We applied thematic analysis and dual coding for 35 narratives, including 10 patients with cancer, 10 family caregivers, and 15 health-care staff, derived from a preliminary qualitative study regarding palliative care decision-making among patients with advanced cancer, their families, and health-care staff.

Results

We identified 6 domains detailing the contextual factors for ACP decision-making: (1) WHO (decision makers); (2) WHAT (discussion content); (3) WHEN (care plan for which disease stage); (4) WHERE (patient’s situational location); (5) WHY (reasons underpinning the decisions); and (6) HOW (the way to form the decisions).

Significance of results

Using the Kipling method to elaborate the contextual factors for ACP decision-making among older patients with cancer strengthens the understanding of complicated end-of-life care decision-making procedure. This study also demonstrates the dynamic and cultural complexity and the various factors considered during end-of-life care and future ACP discussion.
“What it is like to be human”: The existential dimension of care as perceived by professionals caring for people approaching death
Authors: Bäckersten Carl , Molander Ulla , Benkel Inger , Nyblom Stina
Published: October 2023

Objectives

Existential/spiritual questions often arise when a person suffers from a serious and/or life-threatening illness. “Existential” can be seen as a broad inclusive term for issues surrounding people’s experience and way of thinking about life. To be able to meet patients’ existential needs, knowledge is needed about what the existential dimension includes. The aim of this study was to investigate how professionals caring for people with life-threatening disease perceive the existential dimension of care.

Methods

This study is based on a mixed method design utilizing a digital survey with open- and closed-ended questions. Descriptive statistics were applied to closed-ended questions and a qualitative descriptive approach was used for the responses to the open-ended questions. Healthcare professionals at specialized palliative care units, an oncology clinic and municipal healthcare within home care and a nursing home in Sweden answered the survey.

Results

Responses from 77 professionals expressed a broad perspective on existential questions such as thoughts about life and death. Identifying existential needs and performing existential care was considered a matter of attitude and responsiveness and thus a possible task for any professional. Existential needs centered around the opportunity to communicate, share thoughts and experiences, and be seen and heard. Existential care was connected to communication, sharing moments in the present without doing anything and was sometimes described as embedded in professionals’ ordinary care interventions. The existential dimension was considered important by the majority of respondents.

Significance of results

This study indicates that with the right attitude and responsiveness, all professionals can potentially contribute to existential care, and that existential care can be embedded in all care. The existential dimension of care can also be considered very important by health professionals in a country that is considered secular.
Popularity and powers: comparing public opinion on presidents in semi-presidential and presidential regimes
Authors: Kujanen Maarika
Published: October 2023

The role of the president varies between political systems, and so does public opinion on presidents. One of the most evident factors distinguishing presidents in different systems is the constitutional strength of the presidency, which should impact how presidents are perceived by the people. Public opinion on presidents has mainly been studied in the context of classical presidential regimes such as the USA and Latin American countries, and we lack systematic empirical research on presidential popularity in other regime types and in the context of the presidents’ constitutional powers. This article addresses this research gap by analysing whether the level of presidential powers explain variation in presidential popularity across different constitutional settings. Drawing on public opinion surveys and relevant contextual data from 15 countries, the results show that a higher level of presidential popularity is associated with weaker presidency and that the impact of the economy and electoral cycle is conditioned by the level of presidential powers.
A Regional Ecosystem That Helps Undergraduate Research Flourish
Authors: Lecher Alanna , Eichbauer Melodie , Schneider Kimberly , Young Latika
Published: October 2023

A statewide approach to supporting undergraduate research in Florida offers valuable opportunities for students to showcase their work beyond campus—and a model for other regions to replicate.
Inhibition of TGF-β signaling, invasion, and growth of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma by PLX8394
Authors: Siljamäki Elina , Riihilä Pilvi , Suwal Ujjwal , Nissinen Liisa , Rappu Pekka , Kallajoki Markku , Kähäri Veli-Matti , Heino Jyrki
Published: October 2023

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is the most common metastatic skin cancer. The prognosis of patients with metastatic cSCC is poor emphasizing the need for new therapies. We have previously reported that the activation of Ras/MEK/ERK1/2 and transforming growth factor β (TGF-β)/Smad2 signaling in transformed keratinocytes and cSCC cells leads to increased accumulation of laminin-332 and accelerated invasion. Here, we show that the next-generation B-Raf inhibitor PLX8394 blocks TGF-β signaling in ras-transformed metastatic epidermal keratinocytes (RT3 cells) harboring wild-type B-Raf and hyperactive Ras. PLX8394 decreased phosphorylation of TGF-β receptor II and Smad2, as well as p38 activity, MMP-1 and MMP-13 synthesis, and laminin-332 accumulation. PLX8394 significantly inhibited the growth of human cSCC tumors and in vivo collagen degradation in xenograft model. In conclusion, our data indicate that PLX8394 inhibits several serine-threonine kinases in malignantly transformed human keratinocytes and cSCC cells and inhibits cSCC invasion and tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. We identify PLX8394 as a potential therapeutic compound for advanced human cSCC.
Multivariate analyses of immune markers reveal increases in plasma EN-RAGE in first-episode psychosis patients
Authors: Korhonen Laura , Paul Elisabeth R. , Wåhlén Karin , Haring Liina , Vasar Eero , Vaheri Antti , Lindholm Dan
Published: October 2023

Immune cells and cytokines are largely recognized as significant factors in the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders. The possible role of other blood cells such as leukocytes in events of acute psychosis is in contrast only emerging. To study blood-born markers in acute psychosis we here evaluated plasma proteins in drug-naive first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients and healthy controls using a multiplex proximity extension assay technique. We analyzed a panel of 92 immune markers and plasma samples from 60 FEP patients and 50 controls and evaluated the changes obtained using multivariate statistical methods followed by protein pathway analyses. Data showed that 11 proteins are significantly different between FEP patients and healthy controls We observed increases in pro-inflammatory proteins such as interleukin-6, oncostatin-M, and transforming growth factor-alpha in FEP patients compared with controls. Likewise, the extracellular newly identified RAGE-binding protein (EN-RAGE) that regulates the expression of various cytokines was also elevated in the plasma of FEP patients. The results indicate that neutrophil-derived EN-RAGE could play an important role during the early phase of acute psychosis by stimulating cytokines and the immune response targeting thereby likely also the brain vasculature.
Dynamic redox and nutrient cycling response to climate forcing in the Mesoproterozoic ocean
Authors: Song Yafang , Bowyer Fred T. , Mills Benjamin J. W. , Merdith Andrew S. , Wignall Paul B. , Peakall Jeff , Zhang Shuichang , Wang Xiaomei , Wang Huajian , Canfield Donald E. , Shields Graham A. , Poulton Simon W.
Published: October 2023

Controls on Mesoproterozoic ocean redox heterogeneity, and links to nutrient cycling and oxygenation feedbacks, remain poorly resolved. Here, we report ocean redox and phosphorus cycling across two high-resolution sections from the ~1.4 Ga Xiamaling Formation, North China Craton. In the lower section, fluctuations in trade wind intensity regulated the spatial extent of a ferruginous oxygen minimum zone, promoting phosphorus drawdown and persistent oligotrophic conditions. In the upper section, high but variable continental chemical weathering rates led to periodic fluctuations between highly and weakly euxinic conditions, promoting phosphorus recycling and persistent eutrophication. Biogeochemical modeling demonstrates how changes in geographical location relative to global atmospheric circulation cells could have driven these temporal changes in regional ocean biogeochemistry. Our approach suggests that much of the ocean redox heterogeneity apparent in the Mesoproterozoic record can be explained by climate forcing at individual locations, rather than specific events or step-changes in global oceanic redox conditions.
Highly efficient color-tunable organic co-crystals unveiling polymorphism, isomerism, delayed fluorescence for optical waveguides and cell-imaging
Authors: Barman Debasish , Annadhasan Mari , Bidkar Anil Parsram , Rajamalli Pachaiyappan , Barman Debika , Ghosh Siddhartha Sankar , Chandrasekar Rajadurai , Iyer Parameswar Krishnan
Published: October 2023

Photofunctional co-crystal engineering strategies based on donor-acceptor π-conjugated system facilitates expedient molecular packing, consistent morphology, and switchable optical properties, conferring synergic ‘structure-property relationship’ for optoelectronic and biological functions. In this work, a series of organic co-crystals were formulated using a twisted aromatic hydrocarbon (TAH) donor and three diverse planar acceptors, resulting in color-tunable solid and aggregated state emission via variable packing and through-space charge-transfer interactions. While, adjusting the strength of acceptors, a structural transformation into hybrid stacking modes ultimately results in color-specific polymorphs, a configurational cis-isomer with very high photoluminescence quantum yield. The cis-isomeric co-crystal exhibits triplet-harvesting thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) characteristics, presenting a key discovery in hydrocarbon-based multicomponent systems. Further, 1D-microrod-shaped co-crystal acts as an efficient photon-transducing optical waveguides, and their excellent dispersibility in water endows efficient cellular internalization with bright cell imaging performances. These salient approaches may open more avenues for the design and applications of TAH based co-crystals.
Actinide-lanthanide single electron metal-metal bond formed in mixed-valence di-metallofullerenes
Authors: Yan Yingjing , Abella Laura , Sun Rong , Fang Yu-Hui , Roselló Yannick , Shen Yi , Jin Meihe , Rodríguez-Fortea Antonio , de Graaf Coen , Meng Qingyu , Yao Yang-Rong , Echegoyen Luis , Wang Bing-Wu , Gao Song , Poblet Josep M. , Chen Ning
Published: October 2023

Understanding metal-metal bonding involving f-block elements has been a challenging goal in chemistry. Here we report a series of mixed-valence di-metallofullerenes, ThDy@C2n (2n = 72, 76, 78, and 80) and ThY@C2n (2n = 72 and 78), which feature single electron actinide-lanthanide metal-metal bonds, characterized by structural, spectroscopic and computational methods. Crystallographic characterization unambiguously confirmed that Th and Y or Dy are encapsulated inside variably sized fullerene carbon cages. The ESR study of ThY@D3h(5)-C78 shows a doublet as expected for an unpaired electron interacting with Y, and a SQUID magnetometric study of ThDy@D3h(5)-C78 reveals a high-spin ground state for the whole molecule. Theoretical studies further confirm the presence of a single-electron bonding interaction between Y or Dy and Th, due to a significant overlap between hybrid spd orbitals of the two metals.
Lattice pinning in MoO3 via coherent interface with stabilized Li+ intercalation
Authors: Sun Shuo , Han Zhen , Liu Wei , Xia Qiuying , Xue Liang , Lei Xincheng , Zhai Teng , Su Dong , Xia Hui
Published: October 2023

Large lattice expansion/contraction with Li+ intercalation/deintercalation of electrode active materials results in severe structural degradation to electrodes and can negatively impact the cycle life of solid-state lithium-based batteries. In case of the layered orthorhombic MoO3 (α-MoO3), its large lattice variation along the b axis during Li+ insertion/extraction induces irreversible phase transition and structural degradation, leading to undesirable cycle life. Herein, we propose a lattice pinning strategy to construct a coherent interface between α-MoO3 and η-Mo4O11 with epitaxial intergrowth structure. Owing to the minimal lattice change of η-Mo4O11 during Li+ insertion/extraction, η-Mo4O11 domains serve as pin centers that can effectively suppress the lattice expansion of α-MoO3, evidenced by the noticeably decreased lattice expansion from about 16% to 2% along the b direction. The designed α-MoO3/η-Mo4O11 intergrown heterostructure enables robust structural stability during cycling (about 81% capacity retention after 3000 cycles at a specific current of 2 A g−1 and 298 ± 2 K) by harnessing the merits of epitaxial stabilization and the pinning effect. Finally, benefiting from the stable positive electrode–solid electrolyte interface, a highly durable and flexible all-solid-state thin-film lithium microbattery is further demonstrated. This work advances the fundamental understanding of the unstable structure evolution for α-MoO3, and may offer a rational strategy to develop highly stable electrode materials for advanced batteries.
Controlling Selenization Equilibrium Enables High-Quality Kesterite Absorbers for Efficient Solar Cells
Authors: Xu Xiao , Zhou Jiazheng , Yin Kang , Wang Jinlin , Lou Licheng , Jiao Menghan , Zhang Bowen , Li Dongmei , Shi Jiangjian , Wu Huijue , Luo Yanhong , Meng Qingbo
Published: October 2023

Kesterite Cu2ZnSn(S, Se)4 is considered one of the most competitive photovoltaic materials due to its earth-abundant and nontoxic constituent elements, environmental friendliness, and high stability. However, the preparation of high-quality Kesterite absorbers for photovoltaics is still challenging for the uncontrollability and complexity of selenization reactions between metal element precursors and selenium. In this study, we propose a solid-liquid/solid-gas (solid precursor and liquid/vapor Se) synergistic reaction strategy to precisely control the selenization process. By pre-depositing excess liquid selenium, we provide the high chemical potential of selenium to facilitate the direct and rapid formation of the Kesterite phase. The further optimization of selenium condensation and subsequent volatilization enables the efficient removal of organic compounds and thus improves charge transport in the absorber film. As a result, we achieve high-performance Kesterite solar cells with total-area efficiency of 13.6% (certified at 13.44%) and 1.09 cm2-area efficiency of 12.0% (certified at 12.1%).
Patterns and drivers of evapotranspiration in South American wetlands
Authors: Fleischmann Ayan Santos , Laipelt Leonardo , Papa Fabrice , Paiva Rodrigo Cauduro Dias de , de Andrade Bruno Comini , Collischonn Walter , Biudes Marcelo Sacardi , Kayser Rafael , Prigent Catherine , Cosio Eric , Machado Nadja Gomes , Ruhoff Anderson
Published: October 2023

Evapotranspiration (ET) is a key process linking surface and atmospheric energy budgets, yet its drivers and patterns across wetlandscapes are poorly understood worldwide. Here we assess the ET dynamics in 12 wetland complexes across South America, revealing major differences under temperate, tropical, and equatorial climates. While net radiation is a dominant driver of ET seasonality in most environments, flooding also contributes strongly to ET in tropical and equatorial wetlands, especially in meeting the evaporative demand. Moreover, significant water losses through wetlands and ET differences between wetlands and uplands occur in temperate, more water-limited environments and in highly flooded areas such as the Pantanal, where slow river flood propagation drives the ET dynamics. Finally, floodplain forests produce the greatest ET in all environments except the Amazon River floodplains, where upland forests sustain high rates year round. Our findings highlight the unique hydrological functioning and ecosystem services provided by wetlands on a continental scale.
Neoadjuvant camrelizumab plus nab-paclitaxel and epirubicin in early triple-negative breast cancer: a single-arm phase II trial
Authors: Wang Chengzheng , Liu Zhenzhen , Chen Xiuchun , Qiao Jianghua , Lu Zhenduo , Li Lianfang , Sun Xianfu , Zhang Chongjian , Yue Xiayu , Xia Qingxin , Zhang He , Yan Min
Published: October 2023

Immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy has been demonstrated to be effective in early triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). In this single-arm, phase II study with Simon’s two-stage design, we investigated the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant camrelizumab plus chemotherapy in patients with early TNBC (NCT04213898). Eligible female patients aged 18 years or older with histologically confirmed treatment-naïve early TNBC were treated with camrelizumab (200 mg, on day 1), nab-paclitaxel (125 mg/m2, on days 1, 8, and 15), and epirubicin (75 mg/m2, on day 1) every three weeks for six cycles. The primary end point was the pathological complete response; secondary endpoints included safety, objective response rate, and long-term survival outcomes of event-free survival, disease-free survival, and distant disease-free survival. A total of 39 patients were enrolled between January 2020 and October 2021. Twenty-five patients achieved a pathological complete response (64.1%, 95%CI: 47.2, 78.8). The objective response rate was 89.7% (95%CI: 74.8, 96.7), including 35 patients with partial responses. Treatment-related adverse events of grade 3 or 4 occurred in 30 (76.9%) patients. In conclusion, the trial meets the prespecified endpoints showing promising efficacy and manageable safety of neoadjuvant camrelizumab plus nab-paclitaxel and epirubicin chemotherapy in female patients with early TNBC. Long-term survival outcomes are still pending.
Adipose-enriched peri-tumoral stroma, in contrast to myofibroblast-enriched stroma, prognosticates poorer survival in breast cancers
Authors: Lau Hannah Si Hui , Tan Veronique Kiak Mien , Tan Benita Kiat Tee , Sim Yirong , Quist Jelmar , Thike Aye Aye , Tan Puay Hoon , Pervaiz Shazib , Grigoriadis Anita , Sabapathy Kanaga
Published: October 2023

Despite our understanding of the genetic basis of intra-tumoral heterogeneity, the role of stromal heterogeneity arising from an altered tumor microenvironment in affecting tumorigenesis is poorly understood. In particular, extensive study on the peri-tumoral stroma in the morphologically normal tissues surrounding the tumor is lacking. Here, we examine the heterogeneity in tumors and peri-tumoral stroma from 8 ER+/PR+/HER2− invasive breast carcinomas, through multi-region transcriptomic profiling by microarray. We describe the regional heterogeneity observed at the intrinsic molecular subtype, pathway enrichment, and cell type composition levels within each tumor and its peri-tumoral region, up to 7 cm from the tumor margins. Moreover, we identify a pro-inflammatory adipose-enriched peri-tumoral subtype which was significantly associated with poorer overall survival in breast cancer patients, in contrast to an adaptive immune cell- and myofibroblast-enriched subtype. These data together suggest that peri-tumoral heterogeneity may be an important determinant of the evolution and treatment of breast cancers.
Digital elevation models of the sea-ice surface from airborne laser scanning during MOSAiC
Authors: Hutter Nils , Hendricks Stefan , Jutila Arttu , Ricker Robert , von Albedyll Luisa , Birnbaum Gerit , Haas Christian
Published: October 2023

Airborne laser scanners (ALS) are used to map the sea-ice surface at sub-meter resolution. We conducted 64 flights over the Arctic sea ice between September 2019 and September 2020 during the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) expedition to measure sea-ice surface elevation. The flights ranged from repeated, local-scale 5 × 5 km2 floe grid surveys to regional-scale transects more than 100 km long. We provide data at different processing levels: geolocated elevation point clouds and gridded segments of elevation and freeboard with a spatial resolution of 0.5 m. The latter product is corrected for atmospheric backscatter, sea-ice drift, and offset in elevation due to degraded INS/GNSS solutions > 85° N. For floe grid surveys, all data are combined to merged two-dimensional elevation maps. Other provided parameters include laser reflectance and echo width. The presented data offer a unique possibility to study the temporal evolution, spatial distribution, and variability of the snow and sea-ice surface and their properties in addition to validating satellite products.
Land cover dataset of the China Central-Asia West-Asia Economic Corridor from 1993 to 2018
Authors: Naboureh Amin , Li Ainong , Bian Jinhu , Lei Guangbin , Nan Xi
Published: October 2023

Land Cover (LC) maps offer vital knowledge for various studies, ranging from sustainable development to climate change. The China Central-Asia West-Asia Economic Corridor region, as a core component of the Belt and Road initiative program, has been experiencing some of the most severe LC change tragedies, such as the Aral Sea crisis and Lake Urmia shrinkage, in recent decades. Therefore, there is a high demand for producing a fine-resolution, spatially-explicit, and long-term LC dataset for this region. However, except China, such dataset for the rest of the region (Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, and Iran) is currently lacking. Here, we constructed a historical set of six 30-m resolution LC maps between 1993 and 2018 at 5-year time intervals for the seven countries where nearly 200,000 Landsat scenes were classified into nine LC types within Google Earth Engine cloud computing platform. The generated LC maps displayed high accuracies. This publicly available dataset has the potential to be broadly applied in environmental policy and management.