bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The trunk replaces the longer mandible as the main feeding organ in elephant evolution
Authors: Li Chunxiao , Deng Tao , Wang Yang , Sun Fajun , Wolff Burt , Jiangzuo Qigao , Ma Jiao , Xing Luda , Fu Jiao , Zhang Ji , Wang Shiqi
Published: November 2023

The long-trunked elephantids underwent a significant evolutionary stage characterized by an exceptionally elongated mandible. The initial elongation and subsequent regression of the long mandible, along with its co-evolution with the trunk, present an intriguing issue that remains incompletely understood. Through comparative functional and eco-morphological investigations, as well as feeding preference analysis, we reconstructed the feeding behavior of major groups of longirostrine elephantiforms. In the Platybelodon clade, the rapid evolutionary changes observed in the narial region, strongly correlated with mandible and tusk characteristics, suggest a crucial evolutionary transition where feeding function shifted from the mandible to the trunk, allowing proboscideans to expand their niches to more open regions. This functional shift further resulted in elephantids relying solely on their trunks for feeding. Our research provides insights into how unique environmental pressures shape the extreme evolution of organs, particularly in large mammals that developed various peculiar adaptations during the late Cenozoic global cooling trends.
Ventromedial prefrontal parvalbumin neurons are necessary for initiating cued threat avoidance
Authors: Ho Yi-Yun , Yang Qiuwei , Boddu Priyanka , Bulkin David A. , Warden Melissa R.
Published: November 2023

The ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) is essential for regulating the balance between reactive and adaptive response. Reactive, hard-wired behaviors – such as freezing or flight – are feasible in some situations, but in others contexts an acquired, adaptive action may be more effective. Although the vmPFC has been implicated in adaptive threat avoidance, the contribution of distinct vmPFC neural subtypes with differing molecular identities and wiring patterns is poorly understood. Here, we studied vmPFC parvalbumin (PV) interneurons in mice as they learned to cross a chamber in order to avoid an impending shock, a behavior that requires both learned, adaptive action and the suppression of cued freezing. We found that vmPFC PV neural activity increased upon movement to avoid the shock, when the competing freezing response was suppressed. However, neural activity did not change upon movement toward cued rewards or during general locomotion, conditions with no competing behavior. Optogenetic suppression of vmPFC PV neurons delayed the onset of avoidance behavior and increased the duration of freezing, but did not affect movement toward rewards or general locomotion. Thus, vmPFC PV neurons support flexible, adaptive behavior by suppressing the expression of prepotent behavioral reactions.
Early parafoveal semantic integration in natural reading
Authors: Pan Yali , Frisson Steven , Federmeier Kara D. , Jensen Ole
Published: November 2023

Humans can read and comprehend text rapidly, implying that readers might process multiple words per fixation. However, the extent to which parafoveal words are previewed and integrated into the evolving sentence context remains disputed. We investigated parafoveal processing during natural reading by recording brain activity and eye movements using MEG and an eye tracker while participants silently read one-line sentences. The sentences contained an unpredictable target word that was either congruent or incongruent with the sentence context. To measure parafoveal processing, we flickered the target words at 60 Hz and measured the resulting brain responses (i.e.,
Rapid Invisible Frequency Tagging, RIFT
) during fixations on the pre-target words. Our results revealed a significantly weaker tagging response for target words that were incongruent with the sentence context compared to congruent ones, even within 100 ms of fixating the word immediately preceding the target. This reduction in the RIFT response was also found to be predictive of individual reading speed. We conclude that semantic information is not only extracted from the parafovea but can also be integrated with the sentence context before the word is fixated. This early and extensive parafoveal processing supports the rapid word processing required for natural reading. Our study suggests that theoretical frameworks of natural reading should incorporate the concept of deep parafoveal processing.
The role of GABA in semantic memory and its neuroplasticity
Authors: Williams Stephen , Ralph Matthew Lambon , Jung JeYoung
Published: November 2023

A fundamental aspect of neuroscience is understanding neural functioning and plasticity of the brain. The anterior temporal lobe (ATL) is a hub for semantic memory, which generates coherent semantic representations about the world. GABAergic inhibition plays a crucial role in shaping human cognition and plasticity, but it is unclear how this inhibition relates to human semantic memory. Here, we employed a combination of continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS), MR spectroscopy and fMRI to investigate the role of GABA in semantic memory and its neuroplasticity. Our results demonstrated that the inhibitory cTBS increased regional GABA levels in the ATL and decreased ATL blood-oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) activity during semantic processing. Importantly, changes in GABA levels were strongly associated with changes in regional activity induced by cTBS. These results suggest that GABAergic activity may be the mechanism by which cTBS induces after effects on cortical excitability. Furthermore, individuals with better semantic performance exhibited selective activity in the ATL, attributable to higher concentrations of inhibitory GABA, which can sharpen distributed semantic representations, leading to more precise semantic processing. Our results revealed a non-linear, inverted-U-shape relationship between GABA levels in the ATL and semantic performance, thus offering an explanation for the individual differences in the cTBS effect on task performance. These results provide neurochemical and anatomical specificity in shaping task-related cortical activity and behaviour. Understanding the link between neurochemistry and semantic memory has important implications for understanding individual differences in semantic behaviour and developing therapeutic interventions for patients with semantic impairments.
Neural attentional filters and behavioural outcome follow independent individual trajectories over the adult lifespan
Authors: Tune Sarah , Obleser Jonas
Published: November 2023

Preserved communication abilities promote healthy ageing. To this end, the age-typical loss of sensory acuity might in part be compensated for by an individual’s preserved attentional neural filtering. Is such a compensatory brain–behaviour link longitudinally stable? Can it predict individual change in listening behaviour? We here show that individual listening behaviour and neural filtering ability follow largely independent developmental trajectories modelling electroencephalographic and behavioural data of N = 105 ageing individuals (39–82 y). First, despite the expected decline in hearing-threshold-derived sensory acuity, listening-task performance proved stable over 2 y. Second, neural filtering and behaviour were correlated only within each separate measurement timepoint (T1, T2). Longitudinally, however, our results raise caution on attention-guided neural filtering metrics as predictors of individual trajectories in listening behaviour: neither neural filtering at T1 nor its 2-year change could predict individual 2-year behavioural change, under a combination of modelling strategies.
Neural attentional filters and behavioural outcome follow independent individual trajectories over the adult life span
Authors: Tune Sarah , Obleser Jonas
Published: November 2023

Preserved communication abilities promote healthy aging. To this end, the age-typical loss of sensory acuity might in part be compensated for by an individual’s preserved attentional neural filtering. Is such a compensatory brain–behaviour link longitudinally stable? Can it predict individual change in listening behaviour? We here show that individual listening behaviour and neural filtering ability follow largely independent developmental trajectories modelling electroencephalographic and behavioural data of N=105 aging individuals (39–82 yrs). First, despite the expected decline in sensory acuity, listening-task performance proved remarkably stable over 2 years. Second, neural filtering and behaviour were correlated only within each separate measurement (T1, T2). Longitudinally, however, our results raise caution on attention-guided neural filtering metrics as predictors of individual trajectories in listening behaviour: Neither neural filtering at T1 nor its T1–T2 change could predict individual two-year behavioural change, under a combination of modelling strategies.
High-throughput tracking enables systematic phenotyping and drug repurposing in C. elegans disease models
Authors: O'Brien Thomas J , Barlow Ida L , Feriani Luigi , Brown André EX
Published: November 2023

There are thousands of Mendelian diseases with more being discovered weekly and the majority have no approved treatments. To address this need, we require scalable approaches that are relatively inexpensive compared to traditional drug development. In the absence of a validated drug target, phenotypic screening in model organisms provides a route for identifying candidate treatments. Success requires a screenable phenotype. However, the right phenotype and assay may not be obvious for pleiotropic neuromuscular disorders. Here, we show that high-throughput imaging and quantitative phenotyping can be conducted systematically on a panel of C. elegans disease model strains. We used CRISPR genome-editing to create 25 worm models of human Mendelian diseases and phenotyped them using a single standardised assay. All but two strains were significantly different from wild-type controls in at least one feature. The observed phenotypes were diverse, but mutations of genes predicted to have related functions led to similar behavioural differences in worms. As a proof-of-concept, we performed a drug repurposing screen of an FDA-approved compound library, and identified two compounds that rescued the behavioural phenotype of a model of UNC80 deficiency. Our results show that a single assay to measure multiple phenotypes can be applied systematically to diverse Mendelian disease models. The relatively short time and low cost associated with creating and phenotyping multiple strains suggest that high-throughput worm tracking could provide a scalable approach to drug repurposing commensurate with the number of Mendelian diseases.
Asymmetric cortical projections to striatal direct and indirect pathways distinctly control actions
Authors: Klug Jason R. , Yan Xunyi , Hoffman Hilary A. , Engelhardt Max D. , Osakada Fumitaka , Callaway Edward M. , Jin Xin
Published: November 2023

The striatal direct and indirect pathways constitute the core for basal ganglia function in action control. Although both striatal D1- and D2-spiny projection neurons (SPNs) receive excitatory inputs from the cerebral cortex, whether or not they share inputs from the same cortical neurons, and how pathway-specific corticostriatal projections control behavior remain largely unknown. Here using a new G-deleted rabies system in mice, we found that more than two-thirds of excitatory inputs to D2-SPNs also target D1-SPNs, while only one-third do so
vice versa
. Optogenetic stimulation of striatal D1- vs. D2-SPN-projecting cortical neurons differently regulate locomotion, reinforcement learning and sequence behavior, implying the functional dichotomy of pathway-specific corticostriatal subcircuits. These results reveal the partially segregated yet asymmetrically overlapping cortical projections on striatal D1- vs. D2-SPNs, and that the pathway-specific corticostriatal subcircuits distinctly control behavior. It has important implications in a wide range of neurological and psychiatric diseases affecting cortico-basal ganglia circuitry.Klug, Yan et al. employed a new modified rabies system in combination with slice physiology, optogenetics and behavioral tests to reveal that pathway-specific corticostriatal subcircuits distinctly control actions.One-third of the excitatory inputs to D1-SPNs project to D2-SPNs, while two-third of the excitatory inputs to D2-SPNs also target D1-SPNsActivation of D1-SPN projecting cortical neurons triggers behavioral effects in line with postsynaptic striatal direct pathway activationActivation of D2-SPN projecting cortical neurons causes behavioral effects similar with co-activation of both direct and indirect pathwaysCorticostriatal subcircuits control actions in a brain-region and pathway-specific manner
Multiple origins of cephalic sutures in trilobites and their relatives
Authors: Du Kun-sheng , Guo Jin , Losso Sarah R. , Pates Stephen , Li Ming , Chen Ai-lin
Published: November 2023

Euarthropods are an extremely diverse phylum in the modern, and have been since their origination in the early Palaeozoic. They grow through moulting the exoskeleton (ecdysis) facilitated by breaking along lines of weakness (sutures). Artiopodans, a group that includes trilobites and their non-biomineralizing relatives, dominated arthropod diversity in benthic communities during the Palaeozoic. Most trilobites – a hyperdiverse group of tens of thousands of species -moult by breaking the exoskeleton along cephalic sutures, a strategy that has contributed to their high diversity during the Palaeozoic. However, the recent description of similar sutures in early diverging non-trilobite artiopodans mean that it is unclear whether these sutures were evolved deep within Artiopoda, or evolved multiple times within the group. Here we describe new well-preserved material of
Acanthomeridion
, a putative early diverging artiopodan, including hitherto unknown details of its ventral anatomy and appendages revealed through CT scanning, highlighting additional possible homologous features between
Acanthomeridion
and trilobites. We used two coding strategies treating structures as homologous or independently derived across multiple phylogenetic analysis techniques (parsimony or Bayesian inference), and showed that regardless of these variables, the sutures crucial for the success and growth of the hyperdiverse trilobites evolved multiple times within Artiopoda.
Reactivation strength during cued recall is modulated by graph distance within cognitive maps
Authors: Kern Simon , Nagel Juliane , Gerchen Martin F. , Guersoy Cagatay , Meyer-Lindenberg Andreas , Kirsch Peter , Dolan Raymond J. , Gais Steffen , Feld Gordon B.
Published: November 2023

Declarative memory retrieval is thought to involve reinstatement of the neuronal activity patterns elicited and encoded during a prior learning episode. Recently, it has been suggested that two mechanisms operate during reinstatement, dependent on task demands: individual memory items can be reactivated simultaneously as a clustered occurrence or, alternatively, replayed sequentially as temporally separate instances. In the current study, participants learned associations between images that were embedded in a directed graph network and retained over a brief 8-minute consolidation period. During a subsequent cued recall session, participants retrieved the learned information while undergoing magnetoencephalographic (MEG) recording. Using a trained stimulus decoder, we found evidence for clustered reactivation of learned material. Reactivation strength of individual items during clustered reactivation decreased as a function of increasing graph distance, an ordering present solely for successful retrieval but not with retrieval failure. In line with previous research, we found evidence that sequential replay was dependent on retrieval performance and limited to low performers. The results provide further evidence for the existence of different performance-dependent retrieval mechanisms suggesting graded clustered reactivation as a plausible mechanism to search within abstract cognitive maps.
A novel long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), LINC02657(LASTR), is a prognostic biomarker associated with immune infiltrates of lung adenocarcinoma based on unsupervised cluster analysis
Authors: Kong Fanming , Yang Xinyu , Lu Zhichao , Liu Zongheng , Yang Yang , Wang Ziheng
Published: November 2023

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has long been the deadliest malignancy worldwide, with adenocarcinoma (AD) being the most common pathological subtype. Here we focused on the value of LASTR in LUAD. Using expression analysis, enrichment analysis, immune cell infraction analysis, we found that the expression level of LASTR was significantly increased in LUAD tissue. Meanwhile, LASTR was significantly associated with differential infiltration of various immune cells. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that LUAD related with a poor prognosis in terms of OS, PFI, and DSS compared with high-expression LASTR. The enrichment analysis showed that LASTR is related to the pathays like PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. Thus, the present findings could be helpful in a better understand of LASTR in LUAD. RT-PCR was used to verify the high expression of LASTR in LUAD tissues, and the apoptosis of LUAD cell lines was promoted by CCK8 and Transwell experiments to verify the ability of LASTR to promote the migration and invasion of lung cancer cells in vitro.
Intraspecific body size variation and allometry of genitalia in the orb-web spider—Argiope lobata
Authors: Dharmarathne Chathuranga , McLean Donald James , Herberstein Marie E. , Schneider Jutta M.
Published: November 2023

The current consensus is that sexual selection is responsible for the rapid and diverse evolution of genitalia, with several mutually exclusive mechanisms under debate, including non-antagonistic, antagonistic and stabilizing mechanisms. We used the orb-web spider, Argiope lobata (Araneidae), as a study model to quantify the allometric relationship between body size and genitalia, and to test for any impact of genital structures on male mating success or outcome in terms of copulation duration, leg loss or cannibalism. Our data do not support the ‘one-size-fits-all’ hypothesis that predicts a negative allometric slope between genitalia and body size. Importantly, we measured both male and female genitalia, and there was no sex specific pattern in allometric slopes. Unexpectedly, we found no predictor for reproductive success as indicated by copulation duration, cannibalism, and leg loss.
Long-range RNA structures in the human transcriptome beyond evolutionarily conserved regions
Authors: Margasyuk Sergey , Zavileyskiy Lev , Cao Changchang , Pervouchine Dmitri
Published: November 2023

RNA structure has been increasingly recognized as a critical player in the biogenesis and turnover of many transcripts classes. In eukaryotes, the prediction of RNA structure by thermodynamic modeling meets fundamental limitations due to the large sizes and complex, discontinuous organization of eukaryotic genes. Signatures of functional RNA structures can be found by detecting compensatory substitutions in homologous sequences, but a comparative approach is applicable only within conserved sequence blocks. Here, we developed a computational pipeline called PHRIC, which is not limited to conserved regions and relies on RNA contacts derived from RNA in situ conformation sequencing (RIC-seq) experiments. It extracts pairs of short RNA fragments surrounded by nested clusters of RNA contacts and predicts long, nearly perfect complementary base pairings formed between these fragments. In application to a panel of RIC-seq experiments in seven human cell lines, PHRIC predicted ~12,000 stable long-range RNA structures with equilibrium free energy below −15 kcal/mol, the vast majority of which fall outside of regions annotated as conserved among vertebrates. These structures, nevertheless, show some level of sequence conservation and remarkable compensatory substitution patterns in other clades. Furthermore, we found that introns have a higher propensity to form stable long-range RNA structures between each other, and moreover that RNA structures tend to concentrate within the same intron rather than connect adjacent introns. These results for the first time extend the application of proximity ligation assays to RNA structure prediction beyond conserved regions.
Patent Ductus Arteriosus and Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia–Associated Pulmonary Hypertension
Authors: Villamor Eduardo , van Westering-Kroon Elke , Gonzalez-Luis Gema E. , Bartoš František , Abman Steven H. , Huizing Maurice J.
Published: November 2023

Importance

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is often associated with pulmonary vascular disease and secondary pulmonary hypertension (PH). The pathogenesis of BPD-associated PH (BPD-PH) is complex and involves prenatal and postnatal factors that disrupt pulmonary vascular development, and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a factor potentially associated with risk of BPD-PH that has been identified in very recent studies.

Objective

To explore the association of PDA with BPD-PH using a bayesian model-averaged (BMA) meta-analysis of studies.

Data Sources

PubMed and Embase were searched up to April 2023. Key search terms included BPD and PH.

Study Selection

Studies examining infants with gestational age 32 weeks or less and reporting data on PDA and risk of BPD-PH.

Data Extraction and Synthesis

This study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses and the Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology reporting guidelines. Two independent reviewers extracted data, with a third reviewer checking for accuracy and completeness. Data pooling and effect size calculations were performed by BMA.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome was BPD-PH. BMA was used to calculate Bayes factors (BFs). The BF10 is the ratio of the probability of the data under the alternative hypothesis (H1, association of PDA with BPD-HP) over the probability of the data under the null hypothesis (H0).

Results

A total of 32 studies (8513 infants) were included. BMA showed that the evidence in favor of H1 was weak for any PDA (BF10 = 2.90; 10 studies), moderate for hemodynamically significant PDA (BF10 = 3.77; 3 studies), and extreme for surgically ligated or catheter-occluded PDA (BF10 = 294.9; 16 studies). In contrast, the evidence in favor of H0 was weak for medically treated PDA (BF10 = 0.55; 6 studies). In addition, BMA found strong evidence in favor of H1 when prolonged exposure to PDA was analyzed as a dichotomous variable (BF10 = 11.80; 6 studies) and extreme evidence (BF10 = 113.60; 3 studies) when PDA exposure time was analyzed as a continuous variable.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this bayesian meta-analysis, the data suggest that prolonged exposure to PDA might be associated with increased risk of pulmonary vascular disease in extremely preterm infants. This highlights the need to monitor for PH in high-risk preterm infants with prolonged exposure to PDA and to incorporate PH risk into clinical decisions regarding PDA management.
Patient and Care Team Perspectives on Social Determinants of Health Screening in Primary Care
Authors: Rudisill A. Caroline , Eicken Meredith G.A. , Gupta Deeksha , Macauda Mark , Self Stella , Kennedy Ann Blair , Thomas Darin , Kao Elise , Jeanty Mia , Hartley Jackson
Published: November 2023

Importance

Health systems in the US are increasingly screening for social determinants of health (SDOH). However, guidance incorporating stakeholder feedback is limited.

Objective

To examine patient and care team experiences in early implementation of SDOH screening in primary care.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This qualitative study included cross-sectional analysis of SDOH screenings during primary care visits from February 22 to May 10, 2022, primary care team member interviews from July 6, 2022, to March 8, 2023, and patient stakeholder engagement on June 30, 2022. The setting was a large southeastern US health care system. Eligible patients were aged 18 years or older with completed visits in primary care.

Exposure

Screening for SDOH in primary care.

Main outcomes and Measures

Multivariable logistic regression evaluated patient (eg, age, race and ethnicity) and care team characteristics (eg, practice type), and screening completeness. Interviews contextualized the quantitative analysis.

Results

There were 78 928 visits in practices conducting any SDOH screening. The population with visits had a mean (SD) age of 57.6 (18.1) years; 48 086 (60.9%) were female, 12 569 (15.9%) Black, 60 578 (76.8%) White, and 3088 (3.9%) Hispanic. A total of 54 611 visits (69.2%) were with a doctor of medicine and 13 035 (16.5%) with a nurse practitioner. Most had no SDOH questions answered (75 298 [95.4%]) followed by all questions (2976 [3.77%]). Logistic regression analysis found that clinician type, patient race, and primary payer were associated with screening likelihood: for clinician type, nurse practitioner (odds ratio [OR], 0.13; 95% CI, 0.03-0.62; P = .01) and physician assistant (OR, 3.11; 95% CI, 1.19-8.10; P = .02); for patient race, Asian (OR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.25-2.28; P = .001); Black (OR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.10-2.01; P = .009); or 2 or more races (OR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.12-1.94; P = .006); and for primary payer, Medicaid (OR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.48-0.80; P < .001); managed care (OR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.07-1.29; P = .001); uninsured or with Access Health (OR, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.10-0.67; P = .005), and Tricare (OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.55-0.92; P = .01). Interview themes included barriers (patient hesitancy, time and resources for screening and referrals, and number of questions/content overlap) and facilitators (communication, practice champions, and support for patient needs).

Conclusions and Relevance

This qualitative study presents potential guidance regarding factors that could improve SDOH screening within busy clinical workflows.
Measures of Well‐Being and Official Statistics
Authors: Maggino Filomena
Published: November 2023

Recently, the debate on new measures of well‐being reached a wide audience, especially thanks to the big media's “ballyhoo.”

That debate, very often accompanied by Robert Kennedy's words (March 18, 1968, speech at Kansas University), has been urged, also thanks to many prestigious initiatives, such as the commission appointed by French President in 2008 and now known through the chairs' names (Stiglitz, Sen e Fitoussi).

What is never said is that since many years, many researchers all over the world have been continuously working on defining concepts and measures of well‐being.

In many cases, the debate has been trivialized to the simple concern “what indicator can replace GDP?”

In order to measure and monitor a country's well‐being and progress, a systematic approach is needed, leading from
concept
to
measure
, to
synthesis
and then
interpretation
.

The process requires the identification of (in order):

The concepts (and their corresponding conceptual dimensions) to measure and monitor and the domains in which the concepts are measured and monitored.

The indicators including the techniques aimed at summarizing and summing up the indicators.

Interpretative and explanatory models.

This process should be an integral part of the mission of official statistics.
Developing and Running Machine Learning Software: Machine Learning Operations (MLOps)
Authors: Scutari Marco , Malvestio Mauro
Published: November 2023

Machine learning software is fundamentally different from most other software in one important respect: it is tightly linked with data. The behavior of machine learning software is dictated as much by the data we train our models on as it is by our design choices because the information in the data is compiled into the software through the models. In a sense, models program the software automatically: developers do not completely encode its behavior in the code. Combining this idea with modern software development schools such as Agile and DevOps into MLOps has shaped how we develop and run software that incorporates probabilistic models in real‐world applications. In this article, we provide a brief overview of commonly accepted best practices for developing such software, focusing on the unique challenges that require a combination of statistical and software engineering expertise to tackle.
Parametric and Parameter‐Free Shape Moments
Authors: Shore Haim
Published: November 2023

Skewness and kurtosis are commonly considered sufficient representatives of distributional shape, generally represented by the third and fourth standardized central moments (moments about the mean). Certain distributions own parametric shape moments, while others do not. In particular, the normal and exponential have parameter‐free shape moments. In this article, we offer an in‐depth explanation for this phenomenon, based on Pearson skewness measure and on a new “Random‐identity Paradigm,” recently published.
Popular Culture Icons: Grateful Dead and Deadheads
Authors: Adams Rebecca G.
Published: November 2023

The Grateful Dead are usually described as a psychedelic rock band, but their improvisational music cannot be neatly categorized as rock or, for that matter, as folk, blues, jazz, or country, though each of these types influenced it. Deadheads, as the fans of the Grateful Dead call themselves, followed the band from venue to venue from 1965 through 1995, when the band's lead guitarist Jerry Garcia died and the members of the band stopped playing together as the Grateful Dead. Many of these fans remain committed to this community and continue to gather at performances of cover bands and of bands featuring one or more of the Grateful Dead. This entry describes the history, size, and values of the Deadhead community. In addition, it describes the scope of interdisciplinary scholarship on the Grateful Dead and Deadheads and the types of source material available. It also describes the sociological scholarship in this area which focuses mainly on three inter‐related themes: the trajectory and functions of the show ritual, the development and management of Deadhead identity, and the complexity and diversity of the Deadhead community. Finally, methodological challenges in studying Deadheads are discussed.
Fertility and Public Policy
Authors: Bongaarts John
Published: November 2023

Fertility levels vary widely among contemporary populations, from a high of 6.8 births per woman in Niger to a low of 0.9 in Hong Kong. High fertility and rapid population growth in the developing world have a range of adverse health and socioeconomic effects. In response, many governments have implemented voluntary family planning programs to reduce unplanned child‐bearing. In contrast, in the developed world very low fertility has become a concern because it leads to rapid population aging which threatens the sustainability of public pension and healthcare systems. To raise fertility, many governments have implemented family support measures such as subsidized quality childcare, reduced taxes for families with children, and paid parental leave.
Labor Markets
Authors: Denier Nicole , Hughes Karen D.
Published: November 2023

Labor markets are a central institution in market‐based societies, shaping the distribution of economic rewards, working conditions, social status, and levels of equality/inequality (e.g., class, gender, race). They bring workers and employers together in an exchange of work effort for job rewards. Sociological approaches to the labor market challenge individually oriented economic models, showing how opportunities are constrained or shaped through more complex social arrangements. Contemporary theories and empirical studies have examined issues of social closure, labor market segmentation, internal labor markets, social networks, and cultural capital. Future and ongoing topics of interest include the digitalization of labor markets, intersectional inequalities, and precarious work.
Race
Authors: Arthur Mikaila Mariel Lemonik
Published: November 2023

To sociologists, race is a system of stratification based on physical differences (phenotypes) that are seen as essential and permanent. Though individuals can and do come to identify in racial terms, race is most important as a system of categorization and stratification that is externally imposed. That race is imposed externally and seen as the basis for stratification are the major differences between it and the concept of ethnicity.
Warfare
Authors: Malešević Siniša
Published: November 2023

Warfare has shaped much of human history and as such has had a profound impact on the rise and transformation of social relations. This entry defines warfare and outlines the key instances in the historical relationship between war and society.
Effect of ventilation modalities on the early prognosis of patients with poststroke sleep apnea
Authors: Li Zhuanyun , Pang Ming , Zhang Jinnong , Mao Ling , Wang Xiaorong , Sun Peng
Published: November 2023

Objective

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the primary modality for treating sleep apnea after acute ischemic stroke (AIS). However, not all patients are well adherent to CPAP. Finding an alternative modality of ventilation to CPAP is essential.

Methods

This prospective randomized clinical trial was conducted from 1 May 2022 to 8 January 2023 at the Department of Neurology, Wuhan Union Hospital. Participants diagnosed with sleep apnea after AIS were grouped according to block randomization principles into the usual care group (nasal cannula and facemask), nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) group, and high‐flow nasal cannula (HFNC) group. Rates of pulmonary infection and endotracheal intubation within 1 week of hospitalization and 28‐day mortality (poststroke) were the primary outcomes (early prognosis).

Results

In the trial, 178 patients (119 males [66.85%]; mean [SD] age, 61.04 [11.78] years) were eventually enrolled in the usual care group (n = 63), the nCPAP group (n = 55), and the HFNC group (n = 60). After ventilation, the nCPAP and HFNC groups were more effective than the usual care group in reducing the rate of pulmonary infection, endotracheal intubation, and improving neurological function and sleep apnea severity. However, there was no difference in 28‐day mortality. Additionally, the improvement in prognosis was consistent between nCPAP and HFNC. In the comparison of comfort, the HFNC group was superior to nCPAP.

Interpretation

nCPAP and HFNC reduced early pulmonary infection rates and endotracheal intubation rates. For patients with poor compliance with nCPAP, HFNC may be the best alternative.
Nature‐Inspired Structure‐Engineered TiN/TiO2 Nanotubes Array Toward Solar Desalination Synergy with Photothermal‐Enhanced Degradation and Thermoelectric Generation
Authors: Du Yuping , Liu Peng , Zhang He , Zou Lie , Deng Kuan , Li Xiaoke , Tian Wen , Ji Junyi
Published: November 2023

Solar‐driven interfacial evaporation systems are considered as promising technology to alleviate the water scarcity crisis, yet lack of innovative evaporators obstructs further improvement of energy utilization efficiency. Herein, inspired by mangrove, the structure‐engineered design is utilized to synthesis multi‐level reflection TiN/TiO2@carbon cloth (CC) nanotubes array. The hollowed TiO2 nanorods can promote expeditious water transport, while the TiN/TiO2 array can act as localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR)‐enhanced multi‐level reflection structure for solar energy harvesting. The enhanced light absorption capability of the bionic nanostructure is confirmed by finite‐difference time‐domain (FDTD) simulations. Therefore, the TiN/TiO2@CC‐3 exhibits high evaporation rate of 2.02 kg m−2 h−1 under 1 solar illumination, which is comparable or better than most of fabric‐based evaporators. When applied in wide acid–base (pH 1–13) and salinity range (8–100 ‰) over 15 days, the TiN/TiO2@CC‐3 displays outstanding durability. Furthermore, to expand application scope of the elaborate nanostructure, photothermal‐enhanced photocatalysis and thermoelectricity generation applications are evaluated, while these new functionalities are integrated into solar‐driven desalination system. The outdoor device exhibits daily water yield of 10.89 kg m−2, synergy with maximum 200.7 mV output voltage and high dye degradation efficiency, demonstrating flexible applications in multi‐functional interfacial evaporation systems according to various requirements.
Dissolution Manufacturing Strategy for Designing Efficient and Low Cost Polymeric Solar Water Evaporator
Authors: Ruan Wenqing , Zhang Heting , Fu Jianan , Li Zhen , Huang Jinbiao , Liu Zehang , Zeng Shenghao , Chen Zhe , Li Xin , Yu Zhang , Liang Xiong , Ma Jiang
Published: November 2023

The scarcity of fresh water is a pressing issue globally, and solar water evaporation technology has emerged as a leading method for producing fresh water. However, the preparation of solar evaporators is hindered by high costs, complexity, and environmental concerns. In this work, a solar evaporator with hierarchical porous structure is prepared using a simple, low‐cost, and environmentally friendly dissolution manufacturing strategy. Excellent photothermal conversion capability and salt drainage performance are found owing to its hierarchical porous structure. The prepared sample exhibits a water evaporation rate of 2.19 kg m−2 h−1 and achieves evaporation efficiency of 84.3% under one sun. Furthermore, the evaporation rates of the samples in seawater and methylene blue are 2.04, and 1.98 kg m−2 h−1, respectively. The evaporation rate remains stable after ten evaporation cycles. The strategy also overcomes the dimensional limitations of traditional methods, as large‐size samples prepared by this strategy are successfully evaluated for evaporation experiments with natural seawater under sunny weather, and the quantity of water collected is ≈170 g in 6 h. The proposed strategy will offer not only sustainable water purification technologies, but also new routes for solar water evaporation, solar steam generation, and photothermal drive fields.
N‐Heterocycle Modified Graphene Quantum Dots as Topoisomerase Targeted Nanoantibiotics for Combating Microbial Infections
Authors: Su Yan , Hu Jinyan , Wang Yang , Li Yuan , Xiao Longfei , He Xialing , Zhang Zhenlin , Cai Jinming , Pan Dengyu , Chen Yu , Geng Bijiang , Li Ping , Shen Longxiang
Published: November 2023

Developing next‐generation antibiotics to eliminate multidrug‐resistant (MDR) bacteria/fungi and stubborn biofilms is challenging, because of the excessive use of currently available antibiotics. Herein, the fabrication of anti‐infection graphene quantum dots (GQDs) is reported, as a new class of topoisomerase (Topo) targeting nanoantibiotics, by modification of rich N‐heterocycles (pyridinic N) at edge sites. The membrane‐penetrating, nucleus‐localizing, DNA‐binding GQDs not only damage the cell walls/membranes of bacteria or fungi, but also inhibit DNA‐binding proteins, such as Topo I, thereby affecting DNA replication, transcription, and recombination. The obtained GQDs exhibit excellent broad‐spectrum antimicrobial activity against non‐MDR bacteria, MDR bacteria, endospores, and fungi. Beyond combating planktonic microorganisms, GQDs inhibit the formation of biofilms and can kill live bacteria inside biofilms. RNA‐seq further demonstrates the upregulation of riboflavin biosynthesis genes, DNA repair related genes, and transport proteins related genes in methicillin‐resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in response to the stress induced by GQDs. In vivo animal experiments indicate that the biocompatible GQDs promote wound healing in MRSA or C. albicans‐infected skin wound models. Thus, GQDs may be a promising antibacterial and antifungal candidate for clinical applications in treating infected wounds and eliminating already‐formed biofilms.
Modulating the Electronic Metal‐Support Interactions to Anti‐Leaching Pt Single Atoms for Efficient Hydrosilylation
Authors: Zhang Tianyu , Yang Xiang , Jin Jing , Han Xu , Fang Yingyan , Zhou Xulin , Li Yaping , Han Aijuan , Wang Yu , Liu Junfeng
Published: November 2023

Modulating the electronic metal‐support interaction (EMSI) of the single‐atomic sites against leaching via microenvironment regulation is critical to achieving high activity and stability but remains challenging. Herein, this work selectively confines Pt single atoms on CoFe layered double hydroxide (LDH) by three oxygen atoms around cation vacancy (Pt1/LDHV) or one oxygen atom at the regular surface (Pt1/LDH) via cation vacancy engineering. By characterizing the structural evolution of the obtained catalysts before and after vacancy construction and single‐atom anchoring, this work demonstrates how the microenvironments modulate the EMSI and the catalytic performance. Theoretical simulations further reveal a significantly enhanced EMSI effect by the three‐coordinated Pt1 atoms on cation vacancies in Pt1/LDHV, which endows a more prominent anti‐leaching feature than the one‐coordinated ones on the regular surface. As a result, the Pt1/LDHV catalyst shows exceptional performance in anti‐Markovnikov alkene hydrosilylation, with a turnover frequency of 1.3 × 105 h−1. More importantly, the enhanced EMSI of Pt1/LDHV effectively prevented the leaching of Pt atom from the catalyst surface and can be recycled at least ten times with only a 3.4% loss of catalytic efficiency with minimal Pt leaching, and reach a high turnover number of 1.0 × 106.
Tailored Succinic Acid‐Derived Molecular Structures toward 25.41%‐Efficiency and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Wang Qi , Chen Yuting , Chen Xin , Tang Weijian , Qiu Wuke , Xu Xiaopeng , Wu Yihui , Peng Qiang
Published: November 2023

Minimizing interfacial charged traps in perovskite films is crucial for reducing the non‐radiative recombination and improving device performance. In this study, succinic acid (SA) derivatives varying active sites and spatial configurations are designed to modulate defects and crystallization in perovskite film. The SA derivative with two symmetric Br atoms, dibromosuccinic acid (DBSA), exhibits the optimal spatial arrangement for defect passivation. Experimental and theoretical results indicate that the carboxyl group and atomic Br in DBSA synergistically interact with the under‐coordinated Pb2+. Moreover, the strong electronegativity of Br efficiently stabilizes the formamidinium cation via electrostatic interaction. Consequently, film quality is significantly improved and non‐radiative recombination is markedly depressed, resulting in a photoluminesence lifetime of exceeding 4 µs of and a carrier diffusion length of 3 µm. An exceptional efficiency of 25.41% (certified at 25.00%) along with a high fill factor of 84.39% and excellent long‐term operational stability have been achieved finally.
Stepless IR Chromism in Ti3C2Tx MXene Tuned by Interlayer Water Molecules
Authors: Li Keqiao , Lin Chongjia , Liu Gongze , Wang Guang , Ma Wei , Li Meng , Li Yang , Huang Baoling
Published: November 2023

Real‐time control over infrared (IR) radiation of objects is highly desired in a variety of areas such as personal thermal regulation and IR camouflage. This requires the dynamic modulation of IR emissivity in a stepless manner over a wide range (>50%), which remains a daunting challenge. Here, an emissivity modulation phenomenon is reported in stacked 2D Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheets, from 12% to 68% as the intercalation/discharging of water molecules within the interlayers. The intercalation of water molecules dynamically changes the electronic properties and the complex permittivity in IR frequencies of Ti3C2Tx. This emissivity modulation is a stepless and reversible process without the assistance of any external energy input. Further, intercalating cellulose nanofibers into the Ti3C2Tx interlayers makes this dynamic process highly repeatable. Last, a sweat‐responsive adaptive textile that can improve thermal comfort of human body under changes in metabolic rates and environmental conditions is demonstrated, showing great potential of this mechanism in passive on‐demand radiation modulation.
A PD‐L1‐targeting Regulator for Metabolic Reprogramming to Enhance Glutamine Inhibition‐Mediated Synergistic Antitumor Metabolic and Immune Therapy
Authors: Jin Xiao‐Kang , Zhang Shi‐Man , Liang Jun‐Long , Zhang Shun‐Kang , Qin You‐Teng , Huang Qian‐Xiao , Liu Chuan‐Jun , Zhang Xian‐Zheng
Published: November 2023

Inhibition of glutamine metabolism in tumor cells can cause metabolic compensation‐mediated glycolysis enhancement and PD‐L1 upregulation‐induced immune evasion, significantly limiting the therapeutic efficacy of glutamine inhibitors. Here, inspired by the specific binding of receptor and ligand, a PD‐L1‐targeting metabolism and immune regulator (PMIR) are constructed by decorating the glutaminase inhibitor (BPTES)‐loading zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF) with PD‐L1‐targeting peptides for regulating the metabolism within the tumor microenvironment (TME) to improve immunotherapy. At tumor sites, PMIR inhibits glutamine metabolism of tumor cells for elevating glutamine levels within the TME to improve the function of immune cells. Ingeniously, the accompanying PD‐L1 upregulation on tumor cells causes self‐amplifying accumulation of PMIR through PD‐L1 targeting, while also blocking PD‐L1, which has the effects of converting enemies into friends. Meanwhile, PMIR exactly offsets the compensatory glycolysis, while disrupting the redox homeostasis in tumor cells via the cooperation of components of the ZIF and BPTES. These together cause immunogenic cell death of tumor cells and relieve PD‐L1‐mediated immune evasion, further reshaping the immunosuppressive TME and evoking robust immune responses to effectively suppress bilateral tumor progression and metastasis. This work proposes a rational strategy to surmount the obstacles in glutamine inhibition for boosting existing clinical treatments.
A Gate‐Tunable Ambipolar Quantum Phase Transition in a Topological Excitonic Insulator
Authors: Que Yande , Chan Yang‐Hao , Jia Junxiang , Das Anirban , Tong Zhengjue , Chang Yu‐Tzu , Cui Zhenhao , Kumar Amit , Singh Gagandeep , Mukherjee Shantanu , Lin Hsin , Weber Bent
Published: November 2023

Coulomb interactions among electrons and holes in 2D semimetals with overlapping valence and conduction bands can give rise to a correlated insulating ground state via exciton formation and condensation. One candidate material in which such excitonic state uniquely combines with non‐trivial band topology are atomic monolayers of tungsten ditelluride (WTe2), in which a 2D topological excitonic insulator (2D TEI) forms. However, the detailed mechanism of the 2D bulk gap formation in WTe2, in particular with regard to the role of Coulomb interactions, has remained a subject of ongoing debate. Here, it shows that WTe2 is susceptible to a gate‐tunable quantum phase transition, evident from an abrupt collapse of its 2D bulk energy gap upon ambipolar field‐effect doping. Such gate tunability of a 2D TEI, into either n‐ and p‐type semimetals, promises novel handles of control over non‐trivial 2D superconductivity with excitonic pairing.