bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and antifungal activity of novel amide derivatives from quinic acid against the sweet potato pathogen Ceratocystis fimbriata
Authors: Jiang Yong‐Hui , Shi Xin‐Chi , Wu Ting , Du Hao , Pang Yi‐Bo , Zhou Rong , Yin Hong‐Ping , Herrera‐Balandrano Daniela D , Yang Dong‐Jing , Lu Ai‐Min , Laborda Pedro , Polo Victor , Wang Su‐Yan
Published: November 2024

BACKGROUND

Ceratocystis fimbriata is a fungal pathogen that infects sweet potato roots, producing enormous economic losses. Cyclic polyhydroxy compound quinic acid is a common metabolite synthesized in plant tissues, including sweet potato tubers, showing weak antifungal properties. Although several O‐acylated quinic acid derivatives have been synthesized and found in nature and their antifungal properties have been explored, derivatives based on modification of the carboxylic acid have never been evaluated.

RESULTS

In this study, amide derivatives were synthesized via linkage of amines with the carboxylic acid moiety of quinic acid. Derivatives with high dipolar moments and a low number of rotatable bonds showed greater antifungal activities toward C. fimbriata in vitro than quinic and chlorogenic acids. Derivative 5b, which was synthesized by coupling p‐aminobenzoic acid (pABA) with quinic acid, had the greatest antifungal activity. 5b showed iron(II)‐chelating properties and reduced ergosterol content in C. fimbriata cells, causing irregularities in the fungal cell wall and inhibiting conidia agglutination. Application of 3 mm 5b reduced black rot symptoms in sweet potatoes by 70.1%.

CONCLUSIONS

Collectively, derivatization of the carboxylic acid from quinic acid was demonstrated to be a suitable strategy to improve the antifungal properties of this compound. This study reveals a new efficient strategy for management of the sweet potato pathogen C. fimbriata. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
Mechanisms for the Spin‐State Switching of Strapped Ni‐Porphyrin Complexes Deposited on Metal Surfaces: Insights from Quantum Chemical Calculations
Authors: Montenegro‐Pohlhammer Nicolás , Sánchez‐de‐Armas Rocío , Gruber Manuel , Calzado Carmen J.
Published: November 2024

The incorporation of molecular switches on nanodevices requires both the intactness of the molecule once deposited on a substrate and the persistence of the reversible switching feature. Recently, the reversible spin‐switching of strapped Ni(II)‐porphyrin complexes deposited on Ag(111) surface is demonstrated with low‐temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The spin transition is accompanied by the coordination change of the metal center, a phenomenon denominated in coordination‐induced spin‐state switching (CISSS). In this contribution, the spin switching of the deposited strapped Ni‐porphyrin molecules using different quantum chemistry approaches is explored. This calculations inform about the geometry and electronic structure of the adsorbed molecules and the origin of the voltage‐dependent switching promoted by the STM tip. Two different mechanisms are inspected to elucidate the key role of the tip, mainly the electron injection between the tip and the molecule and the differential stabilization of the two spin states by the applied electric field between the tip and the silver surface. This study puts in evidence the relevance of the pyridine ligand contained in the strap in the transport properties as in the CISSS process itself.
Liquid‐Phase Fabrication of Janus 2D Materials: Defect‐Rich MoS2 Ultrathin Layers Asymmetrically Decorated with Au Nanoparticles
Authors: Vassilyeva Natalia V. , Forment‐Aliaga Alicia , Coronado Eugenio
Published: November 2024

Asymmetrically decorated nanoparticles (NPs), also known as “Janus nanoparticles”, possess at least two differently functionalized surfaces. This coexistence results in novel features that surpass the inherited benefits of the initial counterparts. Despite significant advances in spherical morphologies, research on Janus two‐dimensional (2D) materials is limited, as fabrication strategies primarily focus on dry deposition techniques. To produce Janus 2D materials in large quantities, solution‐based techniques are proposed. However, this approach remains largely unexplored for 2D materials other than graphene and its derivatives, and it yields Janus 2D materials in very low amounts. This study develops a liquid‐phase fabrication strategy for the asymmetric decoration of MoS2 ultrathin layers with gold nanoparticles. This approach builds on previous advances in the asymmetric functionalization of spherical nanoparticles, using SiO2 microbeads as a masking template. Interestingly, the photoluminescence (PL) spectrum of the processed material is unusually dominated by the B exciton emission. The reported versatile method has proven to be scalable, enabling the production of 2D Janus flakes in appreciable quantities, whether as 1T or 2H‐polytypes. Overall, the novel synthetic strategy is highly adaptable and can be extended to a variety of other 2D materials and functionalizing agents.
Fluorine‐Doping Carbon‐Modified Si/SiOx to Effectively Achieve High‐Performance Anode
Authors: You Zhixian , Lin Cheng , Zheng Pingping , Li Jingxuan , Feng Qian , Tao Jianming , Zheng Yongping , Lin Yingbin , Huang Zhigao , Li Jiaxin
Published: November 2024

To address the significant challenges encountered by silicon‐based anodes in high‐performance lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs), including poor cycling stability, low initial coulombic efficiency (ICE), and insufficient interface compatibility, this work innovatively prepares high‐performance Si/SiOx@F‐C composites via in situ coating fluorine‐doping carbon layer on Si/SiOx surface through high‐temperature pyrolysis. The Si/SiOx@F‐C electrodes exhibit superior LIB performance with a high ICE of 79%, exceeding the 71% and 43% demonstrated by Si/SiOx@C and Si/SiOx, respectively. These electrodes also show excellent rate performance, maintaining a capacity of 603 mAhg−1 even under a high current density of 5000 mAg−1. Notably, the Si/SiOx@F‐C electrode sustains a high reversible capacity of 829 mAh g−1 at 1000 mA g−1 over 1400 cycles, and 588 mAhg−1 at 3000 mAg−1 even over 2400 cycles, capacity retention of up to 82.12%. Comprehensive characterization and analysis of the fluorine‐doped carbon layer reveal its role in enhancing electrical conductivity and preventing structural degradation of the material. The abundant fluorine in the coating layer significantly increases the LiF concentration in the solid electrolyte interface (SEI) film, improving interfacial compatibility and overall lithium storage performance. This method is both straightforward and effective, providing a promising blueprint for the broader application of Si‐based anodes in advanced lithium batteries.
Research Status of Large‐Size Carbides in High‐Carbon Chromium Bearing Steel
Authors: Qiu Guo‐Xing , Zhang Ya‐Cheng , Yang Yong‐Kun , Li Xiao‐Ming
Published: November 2024

Metallurgical quality of bearing steel is an important foundation and guarantees for determining the performance, accuracy, service life, and reliability of bearings. Nowadays, advances in refining technology have led to a significant increase in the cleanliness of bearing steel, and the control of large‐size carbides (primary, banded, and network carbides) has become particularly important. In this article, the recent research on large‐size carbides regarding morphology, precipitation mechanism, and control methods is reviewed. Firstly, the morphological characteristics of carbides are summarized. Primary carbides appear as blocky, lamellar, or irregular shapes, while banded carbides are distributed in bands. Network carbides mainly precipitate along the austenitic grain boundaries and aggregate to form networks. Secondly, the precipitation mechanisms of carbides are summarized. Dendritic segregation is the fundamental cause of the formation of primary and banded carbides, whereas network carbides are the supersaturation precipitation of carbon at austenite grain boundaries. Finally, methods for controlling large‐size carbides are summarized, including improving dendritic segregation, high‐temperature diffusion annealing, improving rolling and cooling processes and using magnesium or rare‐earth treatments. No single method offers sufficient carbide control, and mechanism of rare‐earth refining carbides is unknown. Thus, a comprehensive approach should be used in production to effectively regulate carbides in steel.
Real‐Time Observation of Oxygen Diffusion in CGO Thin Films Using Spatially Resolved Isotope Exchange Raman Spectroscopy
Authors: Stangl Alexander , Nuns Nicolas , Pirovano Caroline , Kreka Kosova , Chiabrera Francesco , Tarancón Albert , Burriel Mónica
Published: November 2024

The exploitation of advanced materials for novel energy, health, and computing applications requires deep insight and fundamental understanding of physicochemical mechanisms, such as ionic and electronic conductivity, defect formation processes, and reaction kinetics. Therefore, access to the underlying constants of the functional materials via advanced but accessible and straightforward experimental techniques is key. Herein, a novel, cheap, fast, and widely applicable approach is presented to analyze oxygen tracer diffusion in thin films with unprecedented time resolution based on the novel in situ isotope exchange Raman spectroscopy (IERS) methodology. IERS utilizes the sensitivity of micro‐Raman spectroscopy to changes in the local isotopic composition. In‐plane tracer diffusion gradients are established by partially blocking the exchange at the surface followed by an isotope exchange. The isotope exchange and diffusion processes are followed via consecutive spatial and time‐resolved in situ Raman line scans. These isotopic gradients are analyzed to obtain mass transport coefficients, with an additional time component, not accessible by conventional destructive techniques. Diffusion coefficients of gadolinium‐doped ceria (CGO) thin films are reported within the range of interest for intermediate‐temperature emerging applications and confirm the validity of the measurement procedure and extracted parameters by comparison with the finite‐element method simulations and literature results.
Size‐dependent buckling loads of non‐uniform Bernoulli–Euler beams with elastic boundary conditions and thermal effects based on two‐phase local/nonlocal elastic model
Authors: Xu Mao , Chen Xinmin , Zhang Pei
Published: November 2024

We present predictive models of the size‐dependent buckling loads of non‐uniform Bernoulli–Euler beams under thermal effects based on the two‐phase local/nonlocal elastic model. The beam ends are assumed to be constrained by elastic springs with translational and rotational stiffness to simulate general boundary conditions. In contrast to most literature in this field, both the bending and thermal deformations of the beams are simultaneously considered to be two‐phase local/nonlocal of two phases, that is, the thermal effect is taken as equivalent to a size‐dependent thermal load. By using the fully equivalent differential form of the local/nonlocal equation with a set of constitutive boundary conditions, the problem is solved numerically with the aid of the generalized differential quadrature method (GDQM). Through conducting validation study, several parametric studies are given for examining the effects of the slope of beams’ thickness variation, nonlocal parameter, and elastically supported conditions on the buckling loads of non‐uniform beams. The results show that constrained stiffness has a drastic influence on the critical bucking loads of the beams. Furthermore, the consideration of the two‐phase thermal load will further reduce the actual buckling load of the beams.
Low perceived social support in mothers during pregnancy and early childhood; associations with anxiety and ADHD symptoms in children at 3 and 8 years
Authors: Ingeborgrud Christine Baalsrud , Oerbeck Beate , Friis Svein , Pripp Are Hugo , Aase Heidi , Biele Guido , Dalsgaard Søren , Overgaard Kristin Romvig
Published: November 2024

Purpose

Low perceived social support is associated with adverse effects on maternal mental health, and often coexists with other risk factors for offspring anxiety and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We aimed to investigate whether low maternal social support during pregnancy and early childhood predicted anxiety and ADHD symptoms in children at ages 3.5 and 8 years.

Methods

This study is part of the longitudinal, population-based Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort Study. Mothers were queried about perceived social support twice during pregnancy, and again at child ages 18 months and 3 years. They were interviewed about their children’s symptoms of anxiety and ADHD at 3.5 years. At 8 years (n = 781), the Child Symptom Inventory-4 was used to identify children who fulfilled the criteria for anxiety disorders and ADHD. Logistic regression models estimated the risk of child anxiety and ADHD, depending on maternal social support.

Results

Low maternal social support predicted child anxiety symptoms at both ages 3.5 and 8 years as well as ADHD symptoms at 8 years. When including other maternal stressors and child risk factors, low maternal social support remained a significant predictor for child anxiety symptoms at 3.5 years, and there was a trend towards also predicting child anxiety and ADHD symptoms at 8 years.

Conclusion

The associations between low maternal social support and child symptoms of anxiety and ADHD found in the present study, suggest that focusing on mothers with low social support may hold significance for child symptoms years later.
Advanced semantic segmentation of aircraft main components based on transfer learning and data-driven approach
Authors: Thomas Julien , Kuang Boyu , Wang Yizhong , Barnes Stuart , Jenkins Karl
Published: November 2024

The implementation of Smart Airport and Airport 4.0 visions relies on the integration of automation, artificial intelligence, data science, and aviation technology to enhance passenger experiences and operational efficiency. One essential factor in the integration is the semantic segmentation of the aircraft main components (AMC) perception, which is essential to maintenance, repair, and operations in aircraft and airport operations. However, AMC segmentation has challenges from low data availability, high-quality annotation scarcity, and categorical imbalance, which are common in practical applications, including aviation. This study proposes a novel AMC segmentation solution, employing a transfer learning framework based on a sophisticated DeepLabV3 architecture optimized with a custom-designed Focal Dice Loss function. The proposed solution remarkably suppresses the categorical imbalance challenge and increases the dataset variability with manually annotated images and dynamic augmentation strategies to train a robust AMC segmentation model. The model achieved a notable intersection over union of 84.002% and an accuracy of 91.466%, significantly advancing the AMC segmentation performance. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed AMC segmentation solution in aircraft and airport operation scenarios. This study provides a pioneering solution to the AMC semantic perception problem and contributes a valuable dataset to the community, which is fundamental to future research on aircraft and airport semantic perception.

Graphical abstract
Image quality in three-dimensional (3D) contrast-enhanced dynamic magnetic resonance imaging of the abdomen using deep learning denoising technique: intraindividual comparison between T1-weighted sequences with compressed sensing and with a modified Fast 3D mode wheel
Authors: Tanabe Masahiro , Kawano Yosuke , Inoue Atsuo , Miyoshi Keisuke , Furutani Haruki , Ihara Kenichiro , Higashi Mayumi , Ito Katsuyoshi
Published: November 2024

Purpose

To assess the image quality of a modified Fast three-dimensional (Fast 3D) mode wheel with sequential data filling (mFast 3D wheel) combined with a deep learning denoising technique (Advanced Intelligent Clear-IQ Engine [AiCE]) in contrast-enhanced (CE) 3D dynamic magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the abdomen during a single breath hold (BH) by intra-individual comparison with compressed sensing (CS) with AiCE.

Methods

Forty-two patients who underwent multiphasic CE dynamic MRI obtained with both mFast 3D wheel using AiCE and CS using AiCE in the same patient were retrospectively included. The conspicuity, artifacts, image quality, signal intensity ratio (SIR), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast ratio (CR), and contrast enhancement ratio (CER) of the organs were compared between these 2 sequences.

Results

Conspicuity, artifacts, and overall image quality were significantly better in the mFast 3D wheel using AiCE than in the CS with AiCE (all p < 0.001). The SNR of the liver in CS with AiCE was significantly better than that in the mFast 3D wheel using AiCE (p < 0.01). There were no significant differences in the SIR, CR, and CER between the two sequences.

Conclusion

A mFast 3D wheel using AiCE as a deep learning denoising technique improved the conspicuity of abdominal organs and intrahepatic structures and the overall image quality with sufficient contrast enhancement effects, making it feasible for BH 3D CE dynamic MR imaging of the abdomen.
Acid mine drainage bioremediation using bacteria enriched from the confluence zone between its flow and treated sewage
Authors: Nobahar A. , Fitas E. T. , Costa M. C. , Carlier J. D.
Published: November 2024

Sediments from the confluence zone between an acid mine drainage stream and a water stream receiving the effluent from a municipal wastewater treatment plant were inoculated in a Postgate B medium base having methanol, glycerol, or ethanol as carbon source/electron donor, over a pH range between 2.00 and 6.00, aiming to obtain native cultures enriched in acidophilic/acid-tolerant sulfate-reducing bacteria. The most effective sulfate reduction observed in acidic conditions was in the enrichment cultures with methanol. Thus, the microbial consortium enriched in these conditions was further used in acid mine drainage bioremediation experiments at an initial pH of 4.50 and using different doses of nutrients medium base and methanol as carbon source/electron donor. The most promising results, with more than 99% removal of metals, were obtained in the mixture of 20% Postgate B medium base plus 80% acid mine drainage (v/v), which corresponds to 0.115% basal salts and 0.02% yeast extract (w/v). Metataxonomic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed the presence of Desulfosporosinus spp. in all enrichment cultures, with the highest relative abundance in cultures at pH 4.00 with methanol. Furthermore, metataxonomic analysis in the acid mine drainage remediation tests revealed the presence of Desulfosporosinus spp. in all tested conditions. In addition, the study also revealed Clostridium members in all tests. Plus, their relative abundances were related to the dose of nutrient medium base and in balance with the abundances of Desulfosporosinus spp.
Diagnostic Accuracy of Automated Diabetic Retinopathy Image Assessment Software: IDx-DR and RetCAD
Authors: Grzybowski Andrzej , Brona Piotr , Krzywicki Tomasz , Ruamviboonsuk Paisan
Published: November 2024

Introduction

Automated diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening using artificial intelligence has the potential to improve access to eye care by enabling large-scale screening. However, little is known about differences in real-world performance between available algorithms. This study compares the diagnostic accuracy of two AI screening platforms, IDx-DR and RetCAD, for detecting referable diabetic retinopathy (RDR).

Methods

Retinal images from 758 patients with diabetes were collected during screening from various clinics in Poland. Each patient was graded by three graders with 320 patients graded by Polish and 438 patients graded by Indian graders, with the majority decision serving as the reference standard. The images were evaluated independently by the IDx-DR and RetCAD algorithms. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and agreement between algorithms and human graders were calculated and statistically compared.

Results

IDx-DR demonstrated higher sensitivity of 99.3% but lower specificity of 68.9% for RDR detection compared to RetCAD which had 89.4% sensitivity and 94.8% specificity. The positive predictive value was higher for RetCAD (96.4% vs 48.1% for IDx-DR) while the negative predictive value was higher for IDx-DR (99.5% vs 83.1% for RetCAD). Both algorithms achieved high sensitivity (> 95%) for sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy detection.

Conclusion

In this direct comparison using the same patient cohort, the two algorithms showed differences in their operating parameters for RDR screening. IDx-DR prioritized avoiding false negatives over false positives while RetCAD maintained a more balanced trade-off. These results highlight the variable performance of current artificial intelligence screening solutions and suggest the importance of considering algorithm performance metrics when deploying automated diabetic retinopathy screening programs, based on available healthcare resources.
Intrusion Detection: A Comparison Study of Machine Learning Models Using Unbalanced Dataset
Authors: Ajagbe Sunday Adeola , Awotunde Joseph Bamidele , Florez Hector
Published: November 2024

The worldwide process of converting most activities of both corporate and non-corporate entities into digital formats is now firmly established. Machine learning models are necessary to serve as a tool for preventing illegal intrusion onto different networks. The machine learning (ML) model's strengths and drawbacks pertain to intrusion detection (IDS) tasks. This study used an experimental methodology to assess the efficacy of various ML models, including linear SVC, LR, random forest (RF), decision tree (DT), and XGBoost, in detecting intrusion on the UNSW NB15 datasets. The objective is to compare the strengths and shortcomings of these models. Data exploration, Feature engineering, selection and a test set of 15%, a validation set of 15%, and a training set of 70% respectively were used for data splitting. Performance evaluation was carried out using accuracy, recall, precision F1-score and confusion matrix plotted. The outcome of the experiment shows a percentage of 92.71% (1, normal) and 7.29% (0, attack) for normal traffic and attack traffic respectively. Performance evaluation results showed that RF and XGBoost outperformed the other ML models. Hence, ML models can effectively be used to detect system attacks. We intend to expand this research in the future and use the paradigm in a real-world setting with further conclusions and justifications.
Think VEXAS: a case report of Vexas syndrome
Authors: Najdi T. , Karaa S.
Published: November 2024

VEXAS syndrome is a rare auto-inflammatory disorder characterized by heterogeneous inflammatory and hematologic features. First identified in 2020, it predominantly affects men over the age of 50. Clinical manifestations commonly include recurrent fever, weight loss, skin lesions, and diverse inflammatory presentations across multiple organ systems. Diagnosing VEXAS syndrome can be challenging due to the overlap of symptoms with other autoimmune and inflammatory conditions, often requiring extensive medical evaluation before a definitive diagnosis is made. This case report highlights these diagnostic challenges and underscores the importance of early recognition to improve clinical management and outcomes.
Recent advances in and applications of ex vivo drug sensitivity analysis for blood cancers
Authors: Lee Haeryung , Ko Nahee , Namgoong Sujin , Ham Seunghyok , Koo Jamin
Published: November 2024

Blood cancers, including leukemia, multiple myeloma, and lymphoma, pose significant challenges owing to their heterogeneous nature and the limitations of traditional treatments. Precision medicine has emerged as a transformative approach that offers tailored therapeutic strategies based on individual patient profiles. Ex vivo drug sensitivity analysis is central to this advancement, which enables testing of patient-derived cancer cells against a panel of therapeutic agents to predict clinical responses. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the latest advancements in ex vivo drug sensitivity analyses and their application in blood cancers. We discuss the development of more comprehensive drug response metrics and the evaluation of drug combinations to identify synergistic interactions. Additionally, we present evaluation of the advanced therapeutics such as antibody–drug conjugates using ex vivo assays. This review describes the critical role of ex vivo drug sensitivity analyses in advancing precision medicine by examining technological innovations and clinical applications. Ultimately, these innovations are paving the way for more effective and individualized treatments, improving patient outcomes, and establishing new standards for the management of blood cancers.
An exploration of surface temperature asymmetries as potential markers of affective states in calves experiencing or observing disbudding
Authors: Ramirez Montes de Oca Marco Antonio , Mendl Michael , Whay Helen R , Held Suzanne DE , Lambton Sarah L , Telkänranta Helena
Published: November 2024

The emotional valence hypothesis suggests an increased left-brain hemisphere activation during positive situations and vice versa during negative situations. Since facial thermal asymmetries may reflect lateralised brain activity, we investigated this in dairy calves subjected to hot-iron disbudding (Disbudded; n = 12) as a model of negative affective states. As affective responses can vary due to previous experiences, we examined whether calves that had (ExpObs; n = 12) and had not (InexObs; n = 12) experienced disbudding differed in their thermal response to a conspecific being disbudded, and whether calf response to the researcher (approaching, moving away, not moving) was associated with thermal asymmetries. We made thermographic recordings of each calf on three days: Day before disbudding (D1); Disbudding day (D2); and Day after disbudding (D3), and at two different times: Disbudding time/1400(T1) and Afternoon/1700(T2). Data were analysed using multilevel models. Calves had warmer left ears on D2 compared to higher temperatures on the right ear on D1, suggesting higher right-hemisphere activity on D2. ExpObs calves had higher left-eye temperatures when observing a conspecific being disbudded (D2×T1) than InexObs calves that had warmer right eyes, but this reversed on the following day (D3×T1). Calves avoiding the researcher had warmer left eyes whereas those approaching him had warmer right eyes, suggesting greater activation of the right hemisphere in the former. This study provides initial evidence of temperature asymmetries when observing or experiencing a negative event. Further work is required to confirm and build upon these early findings. The study highlights the potential for future development of methods using infrared thermography as a proxy measure of affective valence.
Public Health Protection Continuity of Operations During the Evacuation and Return to Community Phases of the Unprecedented Evacuation of Two-thirds of the Northwest Territories, Canada, 2023
Authors: Murti Michelle , Newberry Caroline , Rohit Chirag , Kandola Kami
Published: November 2024

Objective

In August 2023, 68% (n=25,900) of the Northwest Territories, Canada, evacuated from wildfires, including the never previously evacuated capital, Yellowknife. Official evacuation orders extended from August 16 to September 6 for this region, impacting health protection services (HPS) in the Territory for remaining residents, and risks on return.

Methods

The Office of the Chief Public Health Officer (OCPHO) reviewed and implemented priorities over a three-day period prior to the evacuation order for time critical HPS to continue remotely or transfer to receiving jurisdictions. On return to community, OCPHO implemented processes for reviewing surveillance objectives to assess for impacts to affected populations.

Results

During evacuation, over 15 reports of animal exposures were assessed remotely for rabies prophylaxis. Individuals requiring sexually transmitted infection (STI) follow-up were referred to receiving jurisdictions. One patient with infectious tuberculosis was transferred to another province. Water plant operators were supported with new communication and out-of-Territory testing protocols. On return, enhanced surveillance included: respiratory viruses, STI and blood borne infections, gastrointestinal illness, and toxic drug supplies.

Conclusions

While some HPS continued to mitigate risks, future surveillance will assess the scale of impacts. Updates to continuity of operations plans need to include considerations for remote and local services.
Who Dominates the Coalition? Frame Salience and Public Support for Policy–Democracy Protest Coalitions under Authoritarian Rule
Authors: Truong Mai
Published: November 2024

How does the public support a coalition in which pro-democracy advocates and policy-based protesters join forces in street protests? When policy-based and pro-democracy groups protest together, they create a collective action frame that includes a policy component and a democracy component. In this article, I develop the frame salience theory, arguing that support for a policy–democracy protest coalition depends on which component of the joint frame is perceived to be more dominant. I argue that in authoritarian regimes, the policy component typically dominates the coalition because it is more accessible and available to the public. This perception shifts public support for the alliance towards the baseline level of support for the policy movement. In other words, public support for the alliance defaults to the baseline level of support for the policy movement. I find evidence for my argument using a survey experiment administered to 1,209 Vietnamese respondents. This article highlights a dilemma pro-democracy groups face: joining policy-based movements may boost support, but sustaining democracy after the protest becomes challenging.
On penalized goal-reaching probability minimization under borrowing and short-selling constraints
Authors: Huang Ying , Peng Jun
Published: November 2024

We consider a robust optimal investment–reinsurance problem to minimize the goal-reaching probability that the value of the wealth process reaches a low barrier before a high goal for an ambiguity-averse insurer. The insurer invests its surplus in a constrained financial market, where the proportion of borrowed amount to the current wealth level is no more than a given constant, and short-selling is prohibited. We assume that the insurer purchases per-claim reinsurance to transfer its risk exposure to a reinsurer whose premium is computed according to the mean–variance premium principle. Using the stochastic control approach based on the Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman equation, we derive robust optimal investment–reinsurance strategies and the corresponding value functions. We conclude that the behavior of borrowing typically occurs with a lower wealth level. Finally, numerical examples are given to illustrate our results.
A Unified Canon? Latin American Graduate Training in Comparative Politics
Authors: Taccone Nicolás , Fynn Inés , Borba Ignacio
Published: November 2024

In Latin American comparative politics, a tension exists between North Americanization and parochialism. While certain academic scholarship is published in Scopus-indexed journals that engage with “mainstream” Global North literature, other works are found in non-indexed outlets, focusing solely on their home countries and fostering parochial scientific communities. To assess this tension in graduate program curricula, we compiled an original dataset of comparative politics readings from 21 universities across nine Latin American countries. Our network analysis reveals a centralized structure influenced by mainstream readings, challenging the expectation of parochialism. In addition to the mainstream content, universities tend to incorporate readings from regional journals to facilitate cross-case comparisons. However, these materials are inconsistently shared, resulting in fragmentation of content from Latin American sources. Our findings contribute to and challenge the North Americanization versus parochialism debate, showing that future scholars receive similar mainstream training but encounter diverse regional materials during their PhD studies.
The Sydney Radio Star Catalogue: Properties of radio stars at megahertz to gigahertz frequencies
Authors: Driessen Laura Nicole , Pritchard Joshua , Murphy Tara , Heald George , Robrade Jan , Das Barnali , Duchesne Stefan William , Kaplan David L. , Lenc Emil , Lynch Christene R. , Mitchell-Bolton Jackson , Pope Benjamin J.S. , Rose Kovi , Stelzer Beate , Wang Yuanming , Zic Andrew
Published: November 2024

We present the Sydney Radio Star Catalogue, a new catalogue of stars detected at megahertz to gigahertz radio frequencies. It consists of 839 unique stars with 3 405 radio detections, more than doubling the previously known number of radio stars. We have included stars from large area searches for radio stars found using circular polarisation searches, cross-matching, variability searches, and proper motion searches as well as presenting hundreds of newly detected stars from our search of Australian SKA Pathfinder observations. The focus of this first version of the catalogue is on objects detected in surveys using SKA precursor and pathfinder instruments; however, we will expand this scope in future versions. The 839 objects in the Sydney Radio Star Catalogue are distributed across the whole sky and range from ultracool dwarfs to Wolf-Rayet stars. We demonstrate that the radio luminosities of cool dwarfs are lower than the radio luminosities of more evolved sub-giant and giant stars. We use X-ray detections of 530 radio stars by the eROSITA soft X-ray instrument onboard the Spectrum Roentgen Gamma spacecraft to show that almost all of the radio stars in the catalogue are over-luminous in the radio, indicating that the majority of stars at these radio frequencies are coherent radio emitters. The Sydney Radio Star Catalogue can be found in Vizier or at https://radiostars.org.
Non-ideal theory in the philosophy of religion: Exploring implications of non-ideal theorising for the problem of evil
Authors: Echazú Gabriel
Published: November 2024

This article explores the implications of non-ideal theorising for the problem of evil. The critique of ideal theory – which has gained increased attention in several philosophical sub-disciplines during recent years – states that analytic philosophers tend to rely on overly idealised conditions, to the point of being completely unrealistic, in their theorising. To investigate if this charge holds merit in the philosophy of religion, I apply a non-ideal methodology to one traditional area of philosophy of religion – the problem of evil. Here, Richard Swinburne’s theodicy constitutes a sample of how the problem of evil is typically approached in mainstream philosophy of religion. Additionally, Swinburne’s Principle of Credulity will, in relation to his theodicy, be interrogated as well. Applying non-ideal theorising, I find that Swinburne’s theorisation relies on idealised cases and presupposes ideal conditions, while overlooking non-ideal realities. Turning to epistemic injustice and epistemology of ignorance, I find that Swinburne assumes ideal epistemological conditions in both inter-agent communication (testimony), and in collective cognition. After examining the implications of such idealisations, I find that Swinburne’s idealisations abstract away non-ideal factors which are relevant for his theories, concluding that Swinburne displays tendencies typical of ideal theorising.
Challenges in service robot devices for elderly motion assistance
Authors: Ceccarelli Marco
Published: November 2024

Motion assistance for elderly people is a field of application for service robotic systems that can be characterized by requirements and constraints of human–machine interaction and by the specificity of the user’s conditions. The main aspects of characterization and constraints are examined for the application of service systems that can be specifically conceived or adapted for elderly motion assistance by having to consider conditions of motion deficiency and muscular strength weakness as well as psychological aptitudes of users. The analysis is discussed in general terms with reference to elderly people who may not even suffer from specific pathologies. Therefore, the discussion focuses on the need for motion exercise in proper environments, including domestic ones and frame familiar to a user. The challenges of such applications oriented toward elderly users are discussed as requiring research and design of solutions in terms of specific portability, user-oriented operation, low costs, and clinical-physiotherapeutic functionality. Results of the author’s team experiences are presented as an example of problems and attempted solutions to meet the new challenges of service systems for motion assistance applications for elderly people.
Fiscal stimulus and pension contributions: evidence from the TCJA
Authors: Ahmed Ahmed , Zabai Anna
Published: November 2024

We evaluate the impact of the 2017 Tax Cuts & Jobs Act (TCJA) pension tax break on sponsor contributions to defined-benefit retirement plans. We exploit cross-sectional variation in ex-ante exposure to the tax break. We find that the tax break induced an extra $2.8 billion of sponsor contributions to medium- and large-scale plans in 2017. However, we find strong evidence of reversal, both in terms of sponsor contributions and plan funding ratios by 2018. Our contributions model indicates that this reversal is consistent with more binding financial constraints in 2018 relative to 2019. Our results suggest that the TCJA did not have a long-lasting impact on corporate defined-benefit pension funds.
Network analytical investigation of relationships between symptoms of common mental disorders among refugees and asylum seekers in Türkiye
Authors: Kurt G. , Ekhtiari M. , de Graaff A. , Ersahin M. , Specker P. , Sijbrandij M. , Nickerson A. , Acartürk C.
Published: November 2024

Aims

Forcibly displaced people, such as refugees and asylum-seekers (RAS), are at higher risk of mental disorders, mainly post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety. Little is known about the complex relationships between these mental disorders among culturally and linguistically diverse RAS. To investigate this, the present study applied a novel network analytical approach to examine and compare the central and bridge symptoms within and between PTSD, depression and anxiety among Afghan and Syrian RAS in Türkiye.

Methods

A large-scale online survey study with 785 Afghan and 798 Syrian RAS in Türkiye was conducted in 2021. Symptoms of PTSD (the short form of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders Checklist [PCL-5]), depression and anxiety (Hopkins Symptoms Checklist-25) [HSCL-25]) were measured via self-administrated validated instruments. We conducted network analysis to identify symptoms that are most strongly connected with other symptoms (central symptoms) and those that connect the symptoms of different disorders (bridge symptoms) in R Studio using the qgraph package.

Results

Overall, Afghans and Syrians differed in terms of network structure, but not in network strength. Results showed that feeling blue, feeling restless and spells of terror or panic were the most central symptoms maintaining the overall symptom structure of common mental disorders among Afghan participants. For Syrian participants, worrying too much, feeling blue and feeling tense were identified as the central symptoms. For both samples, anger and irritability and feeling low in energy acted as a bridge connecting the symptoms of PTSD, depression and anxiety.

Conclusion

The current findings provide insights into the interconnectedness within and between the symptoms of common mental disorders and highlight the key symptoms that can be potential targets for psychological interventions for RAS. Addressing these symptoms may aid in tailoring existing evidence-based interventions and enhance their effectiveness. This contributes to reducing the overall mental health burden and improving well-being in this population.
COP29: Charting a Course to Climate Action
Authors: Micalizio Caryl-Sue
Published: November 2024

Countries, communities, and individuals share strategies to navigate the effects of climate change at the United Nations’ annual climate conference.
ENSO‐Modulated Variability in Winter Shelf Circulation of the Northern South China Sea
Authors: Song Yunping , Lin Yuxin , Quan Qi , Zu Tingting , Cai Zhongya , Zhan Peng , Liu Zhiqiang
Published: November 2024

We combined long‐term observational data from 1999 to 2021 with numerical simulations to study the seasonal changes in the currents along the continental shelf in the Northern South China Sea (NSCS) during winter and how these changes relate to the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Our results indicate that during El Niño events, the eastward movement of the warm pool in the tropical Pacific Ocean not only leads to colder sea surface temperatures and a stronger Kuroshio current intrusion but also significantly affects the formation of a high‐pressure system in the subtropics over the NSCS. In El Niño years, an anomalous anticyclonic wind stress curl in the South China Sea weakens the northeast winter monsoon, which in turn weakens the cyclonic shelf circulation. The first principal component from the multivariate empirical orthogonal function decomposition, which accounts for 49.02% of the total variance, shows a significant correlation of 0.64 with the Niño 3.4 index, indicating the circulation's sensitivity to tropical climate changes. Our analysis of the winter shelf circulation, based on the along‐isobath depth‐integrated vorticity equation, reveals that the exchange of water across the isobaths over the shelf is mainly controlled by the nonlinear advection of relative vorticity, with wind stress curl and bottom stress curl playing a less significant role in regulating the structure of these exchanges. The combined effect of baroclinic forces and topography likely governs the dynamics over the slope.
Probing plexciton emission from 2D materials on gold nanotrenches
Authors: Zhou Junze , Gonçalves P. A. D. , Riminucci Fabrizio , Dhuey Scott , S. Barnard Edward , Schwartzberg Adam , García de Abajo F. Javier , Weber-Bargioni Alexander
Published: November 2024

Probing strongly coupled quasiparticle excitations at their intrinsic length scales offers unique insights into their properties and facilitates the design of devices with novel functionalities. In this work, we investigate the formation and emission characteristics of plexcitons, arising from the interaction between surface plasmons in narrow gold nanotrenches and excitons in monolayer WSe2. We study this strong plasmon–exciton coupling in both the far-field and the near-field. Specifically, we observe a Rabi splitting in the far-field reflection spectra of about 80 meV under ambient conditions, consistent with our theoretical modeling. Using a custom-designed near-field probe, we find that plexciton emission originates predominantly from the lower-frequency branch, which we can directly probe and map its local field distribution. We precisely determine the plexcitonʼs spatial extension, similar to the trench width, with nanometric precision by collecting spectra at controlled probe locations. Our work opens exciting prospects for nanoscale mapping and engineering of plexcitons in complex nanostructures with potential applications in nanophotonic devices, optoelectronics, and quantum electrodynamics in nanoscale cavities.
Shared genetic factors between osteoarthritis and cardiovascular disease may underlie common etiology
Authors: Magnusson Karin , Turkiewicz Aleksandra , Dell’Isola Andrea , Englund Martin
Published: November 2024

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common musculoskeletal diseases and increases the risk of severe cardiovascular disease, like heart attack and stroke. In some individuals, osteoarthritis and cardiovascular disease will co-occur. This co-occurrence might be due to shared risk factors, for example high age, lifestyle factors and/or a shared genetic liability for the two diseases. Here, we show that the correlation between osteoarthritis and cardiovascular disease can be explained by shared genetic factors, independent of high age and body weight, and also likely independent of lifestyle factors, like smoking and physical activity level. Findings suggest that genetic factors that are shared for osteoarthritis and cardiovascular disease may contribute to both diseases. Thus, the prevailing idea that osteoarthritis is predominantly a risk factor for cardiovascular disease is challenged. Our findings imply that the current diagnostic boundaries between these diseases may need to be re-evaluated.
Predicting synthetic mRNA stability using massively parallel kinetic measurements, biophysical modeling, and machine learning
Authors: Cetnar Daniel P. , Hossain Ayaan , Vezeau Grace E. , Salis Howard M.
Published: November 2024

mRNA degradation is a central process that affects all gene expression levels, though it remains challenging to predict the stability of a mRNA from its sequence, due to the many coupled interactions that control degradation rate. Here, we carried out massively parallel kinetic decay measurements on over 50,000 bacterial mRNAs, using a learn-by-design approach to develop and validate a predictive sequence-to-function model of mRNA stability. mRNAs were designed to systematically vary translation rates, secondary structures, sequence compositions, G-quadruplexes, i-motifs, and RppH activity, resulting in mRNA half-lives from about 20 seconds to 20 minutes. We combined biophysical models and machine learning to develop steady-state and kinetic decay models of mRNA stability with high accuracy and generalizability, utilizing transcription rate models to identify mRNA isoforms and translation rate models to calculate ribosome protection. Overall, the developed model quantifies the key interactions that collectively control mRNA stability in bacterial operons and predicts how changing mRNA sequence alters mRNA stability, which is important when studying and engineering bacterial genetic systems.
Chemokine receptor CXCR7 antagonism ameliorates cardiac and renal fibrosis induced by mineralocorticoid excess
Authors: Wang Bing H. , Robert Remy , Marques Francine Z. , Rajapakse Niwanthi , Kiriazis Helen , Mackay Charles R. , Kaye David M.
Published: November 2024

Cardiorenal fibrosis is a common feature of chronic cardiovascular disease and recent data suggests that cytokines and chemokines may also drive fibrosis. Here we tested the hypothesis that CXCR7, a highly conserved chemokine receptor, contributes to cardiac and renal fibrosis. We generated an anti-mouse CXCR7-specific monoclonal antibody (CXCR7 mAb) and tested its anti-fibrotic actions in cardiorenal fibrosis induced using the deoxycorticosterone acetate/uni-nephrectomy (DOCA-UNX) model. CXCR7 mAb treatment (10 mg/kg, twice weekly for 6 weeks) significantly attenuated the development of cardiac and renal fibrosis, and reduced fibrotic and inflammatory gene expression levels, in the absence of an effect on blood pressure. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated an increase in the vascular expression of CXCR7 in DOCA-UNX-treated mice. This study demonstrated that a CXCR7 mediated pathway plays a significant role in cardiac and renal fibrosis induced by DOCA-UNX treatment. Accordingly, antagonism of CXCR7 may provide a therapeutic opportunity to mitigate against fibrosis in the setting of mineralocorticoid excess.