bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Buddhist's guide to self-destruction: Jñānaśrīmitra on the structure of yogic perception
Authors: Tomlinson Davey K.
Published: April 2023

This article explores the structure of cultivated religious experience. For the Buddhist philosopher Jñānaśrīmitra (c. 980–1040), the religious experience of the Buddhist yogin (yogipratyakṣa) is not spontaneous or sporadic but must be intentionally and rationally cultivated. I argue that Jñānaśrīmitra's picture parallels certain contemporary constructivist accounts of religious experience, according to which the prejudices, expectations, and interpretative structures of the practitioner shape the character of the experience in question. Despite this, however, Jñānaśrīmitra maintains that religious experience is direct, non-conceptual, and ineffable. Even though cultivation begins by focusing on rationally understood, effable conceptual content (the Buddha's teaching of the Four Nobles' Truths, for instance), the yogin's relation to that content is transformed through cultivation (bhāvanā). Cultivation makes awareness-events with conceptual content vivid (spaṣṭa) in such a way that they lose their conceptual character, coming to affect the practitioner's mind as if they were external to it. In this way, precisely in virtue of beginning the process of cultivation with certain expectations about the Buddha's teaching, Buddhist yogins come to have a direct and non-conceptual experience of the breakdown of their own mental streams and the dissolution of the sense of self.
Martin Luther and the metaphysics of music
Authors: Crockford James R. W.
Published: April 2023

This article traces convergences and differences within the classical philosophical tradition of musica and its later Christianisation, exploring Martin Luther's engagement with such metaphysical accounts of music's significance. Recent scholarship on Luther's agreement with a reformulated Boethian account of music is critiqued, distancing Luther from the main currents of this tradition. The article goes on to explore the way Luther subverts Platonic emphases in his theological understanding of music, drawing on a longer tradition of criticism for musical cosmologies. The article concludes with an extended reading of Luther's most substantial hymnal preface, to articulate his alternative, dynamic account of music in creation, which grounds musical realities in the gifted contingencies of human musicianship.
New Materialism and Posthumanism in Roman Archaeology: When Objects Speak for Others
Authors: Mol Eva
Published: April 2023

Theories derived from the ontological, posthumanist, or the new materialist turn have been increasingly employed in various fields within archaeology in the past decade. Recently, Roman archaeology also picked up on these theories: however, critical integration as well as more theoretical refinement is necessary to show the real potential of such theories. New materialism is not about writing a ‘history of objects’, but about a better ontological positioning of the non-human and human otherness. For Roman archaeology it can therefore be a powerful tool to broaden our perspectives on material culture and diverse social issues such as inequality, marginalized communities, slavery and coloniality. In this paper I will show how we can regard ontological fluidity in the Roman world through a new theoretical lens.
Seed dormancy in Asteraceae: a global vegetation zone and taxonomic/phylogenetic assessment
Authors: Baskin Carol C. , Baskin Jerry M.
Published: April 2023

The Asteraceae with up to 30,000 species occurs on all continents except Antarctica and in all major vegetation zones on earth. Our primary aim was to consider cypselae dormancy-break and germination of Asteraceae in relation to ecology, vegetation zones and evolution. Cypselae are desiccation-tolerant and in various tribes, genera, species and life forms of Asteraceae are either non-dormant (ND) or have non-deep physiological dormancy (PD) at maturity. All six types of non-deep PD are found among the Asteraceae, and dormancy is broken by cold or warm stratification or by afterripening. Soil cypselae banks may be formed but mostly are short-lived. Much within-species variation in dormancy-break and germination has been found. Using data compiled for 1192 species in 373 genera and 35 tribes of Asteraceae, we considered ND and PD in relation to life form, vegetation zone and tribe. Senecioneae and Astereae had the best representation across the vegetation zones on earth. In evergreen and semi-evergreen rainforests, more species have ND than PD, but in all other vegetation zones, except alpine/high-latitude tundra (where ND and PD are equal), more species have PD than ND. Tribes in the basal and central grades and those in the Heliantheae Alliance have both ND and PD. The high diversity and lability of non-deep PD may have enhanced the rate of species diversification by promoting the survival of new species and/or species in new habitats that became available following globally disruptive events since the origin of the Asteraceae in the Late Cretaceous.
Group Performance Paradigms in Free Improvisation
Authors: Andean James
Published: April 2023

This article proposes four paradigms of group performance in free improvisation: 1) sound composition; 2) social communication; 3) ‘parallel play’; and 4) ‘one beast with many heads’. While these paradigms are identifiably different, they are often engaged flexibly and/or in combination; and, importantly, it is very possible for the same performance to be experienced or interpreted by different performers or listeners according to different paradigm perspectives. After providing some background and defining key terms, the four paradigms are introduced and discussed; connections with, and departures from, the existing literature are considered, followed by analysis of illustrative examples of each of the four paradigms drawn from the broader field of sonic and electroacoustic improvisation. To conclude, further larger-scale research potential for furthering this investigation is identified.
New Technologies, Old Behaviours: Electronic media and electronic music improvisors in Europe at the turn of the millennium
Authors: Marino Luigi
Published: April 2023

Two improvisation scenes emerged in the late 1990s – Echtzeitmusik in Berlin, and in London the New London Silence – with similarities in aesthetic and approach. Among these is a tendency towards a more silent and less responsive style of improvising often referred to as reductionism, and the inclusion of electronic resources, with a complex interaction between the two. This article introduces these two scenes and their respective approaches, and uses interviews with key improvisors in each to interrogate the performers’ approaches to electronics, and whether this plays a role in determining and developing their aesthetic and performance style.
District nurses’ experiences of giving initial health care assessment to young adults applying for mental illness in primary care: a qualitative interview study
Authors: Östangård Olofsson Charlotte , Lovén Wickman Ulrica
Published: April 2023

Background:

Mental illness among young adults is increasing both nationally and internationally. Primary care’s mission is to be the hub of health care and to offer high-quality care regardless of age, patient group, or disease. The role of district nurse varies in terms of definition and scope of practice but has a central role through their health promotion mission and by being the first person these young adults meet in primary care.

Aim:

The aim of this study was to explore district nurses’ experiences of meeting young adults with mental illness in primary care.

Method:

The study was conducted with a qualitative inductive approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with nine district nurses in primary care in Sweden. The data were analysed through qualitative content analysis.

Results:

Three categories emerged in the results – The difficult meeting, The district nurse’s ability to promote health, and A sense of inadequacy. The results show that district nurses can experience feelings of stress and frustration when time, resources, and knowledge are lacking. Continuous training in mental illness was desired by all district nurses. Listening, confirming, and daring to ask were highlighted as particularly important in the meeting with young adults. Cooperation between different professions and colleagues was highlighted as a prerequisite for the provision of good quality care.

Conclusion:

To meet the increasing number of young adults with mental health problems seeking care, district nurses in primary care need continuous training. By working in a person-centred and health-promoting manner, the district nurse’s competence can be utilized. The district nurses perceive they could manage the important role being a resource and take a greater responsibility to guide young adults on the right path.
Attitude Strength: What’s New?
Authors: Petty Richard E. , Siev Joseph J. , Briñol Pablo
Published: April 2023

Attitude strength (what makes attitudes durable and impactful) has become an important topic in the domain of social influence. We review three areas in which the traditional view of attitude strength has been modified or updated since the publication of Petty and Krosnick’s 1995 edited book on the topic. First, although it was widely assumed that there were different categories of strength variables (i.e., operative versus meta-cognitive), it may now be better to recognize that each strength property can be measured both structurally and subjectively and that each measure is useful. Second, although scholars assumed that virtually all persuasion techniques would work better on weaker than stronger attitudes, recent research suggests that some techniques might actually work better on stronger than weaker attitudes. Third, although stronger attitudes often guide behavior better than weaker ones, when strength is challenged or weak attitudes are threatening, people can be motivated to act to demonstrate or restore certainty. This can result in weaker attitudes leading to more extreme behavior.
Skillful Coupled Atmosphere‐Ocean Forecasts on Interannual to Decadal Timescales Using a Linear Inverse Model
Authors: Taylor L. M. , Hakim G. J.
Published: April 2023

There are two major challenges to improving interannual to decadal forecasts: (a) consistently initializing the coupled system so that variability is not dominated by initial imbalances, and (b) having a large sample of different initial conditions on which to test forecast skill. The second challenge requires consideration of time periods not only outside the recent period of intensive ocean observation, but also before the instrumental era, which increases the importance of the first challenge. Forecasts prior to the 1850s isolate internally generated sources of variability by removing the majority of anthropogenic forcing, and the sparse observational record during this time period motivates the use of paleoclimate proxy data. We address these issues by using a linear inverse model (LIM) approach and a recent proxy‐based reconstruction over the last millennium at annual resolution. The reconstruction is used to train, initialize, and validate LIM forecasts. The LIM trained on paleo‐data assimilated using a LIM trained on global climate model (GCM) simulation data outperforms a LIM trained on raw GCM data at forecast leads longer than 2 years for in‐sample experiments, and beyond 4‐year leads in most out‐of‐sample experiments validated on instrumental data. The most skillful normal mode of the paleo‐data LIM for the instrumental experiment represents a persistent pattern with a longer decay time than for the GCM‐LIM's modes, which accounts for the outperformance at longer leads. The paleo‐data LIM is consequently more sensitive to ocean initialization, which is reflected in forecasts during the instrumental era where ocean reanalyses exhibit large uncertainty.
High‐Temperature Exposure and Land Transactions in China
Authors: Chen Fanglin , Zhang Xin , Chen Zhongfei
Published: April 2023

We estimate the relationship between high‐temperature exposure and land transaction using daily transaction data from 2013 to 2018 in China. Standard hedonic price method is used to perform multidimensional fixed effects regression on 458,564 transaction samples. This study shows that each additional day of the extremely high temperature increases the average bid price by 0.6%, which is equivalent to an additional annual increase of 15.018 billion yuan in land transaction costs. The effect of high temperature on land prices is considerably stronger for residential and commercial lands. We further find that high‐temperature‐induced changes of mood and cognition play a role. Extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) algorithm is used to calculate price deviation, which overcome missing eigenvalues and reduce nonlinear measurement error. Our findings indicate that heat can make investors more aggressive, which occurs when bidders continue to raise prices to win. The number of bidding behavior will not drop due to the hidden costs of land transactions. Specially, bidding experience offsets the cognitive output bias. This study contributes to the behavioral finance and decision‐making literature, helps investors make better investment management decisions, and alleviates the negative effect of land transaction premium on the real estate market.
A Climate Science Toolkit for High Impact‐Low Likelihood Climate Risks
Authors: Wood Richard A. , Crucifix Michel , Lenton Timothy M. , Mach Katharine J. , Moore Crystal , New Mark , Sharpe Simon , Stocker Thomas F. , Sutton Rowan T.
Published: April 2023

An important component of the risks from climate change arises from outcomes that are very unlikely, but whose impacts if they were to occur would be extremely severe. Examples include levels of surface warming, or changes in the water cycle, that are at the extreme of plausible ranges, or crossing of a climate system “tipping point” such as ice sheet or ocean circulation instability. If such changes were to occur their impacts on infrastructure or ecosystems may exceed existing plans for adaptation. The traditional approach of ensemble climate change projections is not well suited to managing these High Impact‐Low Likelihood (HILL) risks, where the objective is to “prepare for the worst” rather than to “plan for what's likely.” In this paper we draw together a number of ideas from recent literature, to classify four types of HILL climate outcome and to propose the development of a practical “toolkit” of physical climate information that can be used in future to inform HILL risk management. The toolkit consists of several elements that would need to be developed for each plausible HILL climate outcome, then deployed individually to develop targeted HILL risk management approaches for individual sectors. We argue that development of the HILL toolkit should be an important focus for physical climate research over the coming decade, and that the time is right for a focused assessment of HILL risks by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in its 7th Assessment Cycle.
Multi‐Event Conjugate Measurements of the SAR Arc Detachment From the Auroral Oval Using DMSP Satellites and an All‐Sky Camera at Athabasca, Canada
Authors: Gololobov A. , Shiokawa K. , Baishev D. , Inaba Y. , Otsuka Y. , Connors M.
Published: April 2023

We report the first statistical study of stable auroral red (SAR) arcs detached from the main auroral oval during non‐storm time, using multi‐event conjugate measurements by the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellites (F13–F19) and a ground‐based all‐sky imager at Athabasca (Canada) (54.6°W, 246.36°Е, MLAT = 61.5°, MLON = 308.3°, L = 4.4). We found 63 events of detached SAR arc conjunctions with the DMSP satellites in the northern hemisphere and 18 events in the opposite southern hemisphere from 2006 to 2018. Measurements aboard DMSP satellites show that detached SAR arcs are in general associated with enhancements of electron temperature (60 cases) and electron density troughs (58 cases). Only 14 cases show strong horizontal flow associated with the detached SAR arcs, indicating that the strong plasma flow is not a necessary condition to cause the detached SAR arcs. The electron temperature measured by DMSP associated with detached SAR arcs positively correlates with F10.7 solar activity index. The measured emission intensities at 630.0 nm in the SAR arcs show a good correlation with the electron temperature. These results indicate that the detached SAR arcs during non‐storm time are caused by heat flux from the magnetosphere associated with substorms, and their intensity depends on the background plasma condition in the ionosphere.
Investigation of a Dissipating Mesospheric Bore Using Airglow Imager and Direct Numerical Simulation
Authors: Ramachandran Kesava , Sivakandan Mani , Chau Jorge L. , Urco Juan M. , Gerding Michael , Grundmann Sven , Smith Steven M.
Published: April 2023

Atmospheric gravity waves play an important role in driving the dynamics of the Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere and the basic structure of this region is determined by momentum deposition of these waves. Mesospheric bores are a type of non‐linear response that cause the amplification of gravity wave, due to trapping, that is characterized by a propagating step‐like jump followed by undulating waves. They require a stable layer or duct to travel horizontally with little attenuation thereby capable of transporting wave energy and momentum over larger distances. We present a prominent bright undular bore event observed in the mesospheric O(1S), O2, and OH emission layers on 16 March 2021 over Germany. A striking feature of this observation is the capture of bore's rapid dissipation around the center of the imager's field of view. The vertical temperature profile obtained from the satellite data indicates the presence of temperature inversion layer which acted as a thermal duct for the bore propagation. In addition, we have performed idealized two dimensional direct numerical simulations (DNS) of Navier‐Stokes equations under Boussinesq approximation. The DNS results reproduce many important characteristics of the observed airglow event like the nonlinear wave‐steepening, number of trailing waves, and its dissipation by implementing a thermal duct and a wave‐like perturbation. Furthermore, the DNS results also indicate that the duct width and amplitude of the initial perturbation have a considerable effect on the bore morphology.
Intranasal booster using an Omicron vaccine confers broad mucosal and systemic immunity against SARS-CoV-2 variants
Authors: Wang Qian , Yang Chenchen , Yin Li , Sun Jing , Wang Wei , Li Hengchun , Zhang Zhengyuan , Chen Si , Liu Bo , Liu Zijian , Shi Linjing , Liu Xiaolin , Guan Suhua , Wang Chunhua , Qu Linbing , Feng Ying , Niu Xuefeng , Feng Liqiang , Zhao Jincun , Li Pingchao , Chen Ling , Zhong Nanshan
Published: April 2023

The highly contagious SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants severely attenuated the effectiveness of currently licensed SARS-CoV-2 vaccines based on ancestral strains administered via intramuscular injection. In this study, we generated a recombinant, replication-incompetent human adenovirus type 5, Ad5-S-Omicron, that expresses Omicron BA.1 spike. Intranasal, but not intramuscular vaccination, elicited spike-specific respiratory mucosal IgA and residential T cell immune responses, in addition to systemic neutralizing antibodies and T cell immune responses against most Omicron subvariants. We tested intranasal Ad5-S-Omicron as a heterologous booster in mice that previously received intramuscular injection of inactivated ancestral vaccine. In addition to inducing serum broadly neutralizing antibodies, there was a significant induction of respiratory mucosal IgA and neutralizing activities against Omicron subvariants BA.1, BA.2, BA.5, BA.2.75, BF.7 as well as pre-Omicron strains Wildtype, Beta, and Delta. Serum and mucosal neutralizing activities against recently emerged XBB, BQ.1, and BQ.1.1 could also be detected but were much lower. Nasal lavage fluids from intranasal vaccination contained multimeric IgA that can bind to at least 10 spike proteins, including Omicron subvariants and pre-Omicron strains, and possessed broadly neutralizing activities. Intranasal vaccination using Ad5-S-Omicron or instillation of intranasal vaccinee’s nasal lavage fluids in mouse nostrils protected mice against Omicron challenge. Taken together, intranasal Ad5-S-Omicron booster on the basis of ancestral vaccines can establish effective mucosal and systemic immunity against Omicron subvariants and multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants. This candidate vaccine warrants further development as a safe, effective, and user-friendly infection and transmission-blocking vaccine.
A ferritin-based COVID-19 nanoparticle vaccine that elicits robust, durable, broad-spectrum neutralizing antisera in non-human primates
Authors: Weidenbacher Payton A.-B. , Sanyal Mrinmoy , Friedland Natalia , Tang Shaogeng , Arunachalam Prabhu S. , Hu Mengyun , Kumru Ozan S. , Morris Mary Kate , Fontenot Jane , Shirreff Lisa , Do Jonathan , Cheng Ya-Chen , Vasudevan Gayathri , Feinberg Mark B. , Villinger Francois J. , Hanson Carl , Joshi Sangeeta B. , Volkin David B. , Pulendran Bali , Kim Peter S.
Published: April 2023

While the rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines has been a scientific triumph, the need remains for a globally available vaccine that provides longer-lasting immunity against present and future SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs). Here, we describe DCFHP, a ferritin-based, protein-nanoparticle vaccine candidate that, when formulated with aluminum hydroxide as the sole adjuvant (DCFHP-alum), elicits potent and durable neutralizing antisera in non-human primates against known VOCs, including Omicron BQ.1, as well as against SARS-CoV-1. Following a booster ~one year after the initial immunization, DCFHP-alum elicits a robust anamnestic response. To enable global accessibility, we generated a cell line that can enable production of thousands of vaccine doses per liter of cell culture and show that DCFHP-alum maintains potency for at least 14 days at temperatures exceeding standard room temperature. DCFHP-alum has potential as a once-yearly (or less frequent) booster vaccine, and as a primary vaccine for pediatric use including in infants.
Temperate functional niche availability not resident-invader competition shapes tropicalisation in reef fishes
Authors: Miller Mark G. R. , Reimer James D. , Sommer Brigitte , Cook Katie M. , Pandolfi John M. , Obuchi Masami , Beger Maria
Published: April 2023

Temperate reefs are at the forefront of warming-induced community alterations resulting from poleward range shifts. This tropicalisation is exemplified and amplified by tropical species’ invasions of temperate herbivory functions. However, whether other temperate ecosystem functions are similarly invaded by tropical species, and by what drivers, remains unclear. We examine tropicalisation footprints in nine reef fish functional groups using trait-based analyses and biomass of 550 fish species across tropical to temperate gradients in Japan and Australia. We discover that functional niches in transitional communities are asynchronously invaded by tropical species, but with congruent invasion schedules for functional groups across the two hemispheres. These differences in functional group tropicalisation point to habitat availability as a key determinant of multi-species range shifts, as in the majority of functional groups tropical and temperate species share functional niche space in suitable habitat. Competition among species from different thermal guilds played little part in limiting tropicalisation, rather available functional space occupied by temperate species indicates that tropical species can invade. Characterising these drivers of reef tropicalisation is pivotal to understanding, predicting, and managing marine community transformation.
Structure and mechanism of the alkane-oxidizing enzyme AlkB
Authors: Guo Xue , Zhang Jianxiu , Han Lei , Lee Juliet , Williams Shoshana C. , Forsberg Allison , Xu Yan , Austin Rachel Narehood , Feng Liang
Published: April 2023

Alkanes are the most energy-rich form of carbon and are widely dispersed in the environment. Their transformation by microbes represents a key step in the global carbon cycle. Alkane monooxygenase (AlkB), a membrane-spanning metalloenzyme, converts straight chain alkanes to alcohols in the first step of the microbially-mediated degradation of alkanes, thereby playing a critical role in the global cycling of carbon and the bioremediation of oil. AlkB biodiversity is attributed to its ability to oxidize alkanes of various chain lengths, while individual AlkBs target a relatively narrow range. Mechanisms of substrate selectivity and catalytic activity remain elusive. Here we report the cryo-EM structure of AlkB, which provides a distinct architecture for membrane enzymes. Our structure and functional studies reveal an unexpected diiron center configuration and identify molecular determinants for substrate selectivity. These findings provide insight into the catalytic mechanism of AlkB and shed light on its function in alkane-degrading microorganisms.
Phosphorylation and stabilization of EZH2 by DCAF1/VprBP trigger aberrant gene silencing in colon cancer
Authors: Ghate Nikhil B. , Kim Sungmin , Shin Yonghwan , Kim Jinman , Doche Michael , Valena Scott , Situ Alan , Kim Sangnam , Rhie Suhn K. , Lenz Heinz-Josef , Ulmer Tobias S. , Mumenthaler Shannon M. , An Woojin
Published: April 2023

Our recent work has shown that DCAF1 (also known as VprBP) is overexpressed in colon cancer and phosphorylates histone H2AT120 to drive epigenetic gene inactivation and oncogenic transformation. We have extended these observations by investigating whether DCAF1 also phosphorylates non-histone proteins as an additional mechanism linking its kinase activity to colon cancer development. We now demonstrate that DCAF1 phosphorylates EZH2 at T367 to augment its nuclear stabilization and enzymatic activity in colon cancer cells. Consistent with this mechanistic role, DCAF1-mediated EZH2 phosphorylation leads to elevated levels of H3K27me3 and altered expression of growth regulatory genes in cancer cells. Furthermore, our preclinical studies using organoid and xenograft models revealed that EZH2 requires phosphorylation for its oncogenic function, which may have therapeutic implications for gene reactivation in colon cancer cells. Together, our data define a mechanism underlying DCAF1-driven colonic tumorigenesis by linking DCAF1-mediated EZH2 phosphorylation to EZH2 stability that is crucial for establishing H3K27me3 and gene silencing program.
Inactivated vaccine-elicited potent antibodies can broadly neutralize SARS-CoV-2 circulating variants
Authors: Liu Yubin , Wang Ziyi , Zhuang Xinyu , Zhang Shengnan , Chen Zhicheng , Zou Yan , Sheng Jie , Li Tianpeng , Tai Wanbo , Yu Jinfang , Wang Yanqun , Zhang Zhaoyong , Chen Yunfeng , Tong Liangqin , Yu Xi , Wu Linjuan , Chen Dong , Zhang Renli , Jin Ningyi , Shen Weijun , Zhao Jincun , Tian Mingyao , Wang Xinquan , Cheng Gong
Published: April 2023

A full understanding of the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine-mediated antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 circulating variants will inform vaccine effectiveness and vaccination development strategies. Here, we offer insights into the inactivated vaccine-induced antibody responses after prime-boost vaccination at both the polyclonal and monoclonal levels. We characterized the VDJ sequence of 118 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and found that 20 neutralizing mAbs showed varied potency and breadth against a range of variants including XBB.1.5, BQ.1.1, and BN.1. Bispecific antibodies (bsAbs) based on nonoverlapping mAbs exhibited enhanced neutralizing potency and breadth against the most antibody-evasive strains, such as XBB.1.5, BQ.1.1, and BN.1. The passive transfer of mAbs or their bsAb effectively protected female hACE2 transgenic mice from challenge with an infectious Delta or Omicron BA.2 variant. The neutralization mechanisms of these antibodies were determined by structural characterization. Overall, a broad spectrum of potent and distinct neutralizing antibodies can be induced in individuals immunized with the SARS-CoV-2 inactivated vaccine BBIBP-CorV, suggesting the application potential of inactivated vaccines and these antibodies for preventing infection by SARS-CoV-2 circulating variants.
Copper(I)-catalyzed asymmetric alkylation of α-imino-esters
Authors: Liu Zong-Ci , Wang Zi-Qing , Zhang Xuan , Yin Liang
Published: April 2023

Asymmetric alkylation of enolates is one of the most direct and important reactions to prepare α-chiral carbonyl compounds. Except for the classical methods that rely on the use of chiral auxiliaries, asymmetric catalysis emerged as a powerful tool, especially asymmetric phase-transfer catalysis. However, in the field of transition metal catalysis, only limited success with asymmetric alkylation of enolates was achieved. Hereby, we disclose a copper(I)-catalyzed asymmetric alkylation of α-imino-esters with various alkyl halides, including allyl bromides, propargyl bromide, benzyl bromides, α-bromo carbonyl compounds, and alkyl iodides. Both linear and cyclic α-imino-esters serve as competent pronucleophiles in the alkylation, which affords α-amino acid derivatives bearing either a trisubstituted or a tetrasubstituted stereogenic carbon center in high to excellent enantioselectivity. Control experiments indicate that the α-imino-ester is activated by a chiral copper(I)-phosphine complex through coordination, thus enabling facile deprotonation to provide a stabilized copper(I)-enolate in the presence of a mild base. Finally, the mildly basic nature allows the asymmetric alkylation of chiral dipeptides with excellent both chemo- and enantioselectivities.
The median time to stopover exclusive breastfeeding among employed and unemployed mothers of infants aged 6–12 months in Ethiopia, 2019
Authors: Adugnaw Emebet , Gizaw Getu , Girma Merom , Arage Getachew , Libanos Mebratu , Emrie Wondosen Addis , Chanie Sewnet Sisay , Chanie Ermias Sisay
Published: April 2023

Early discontinuation of breastfeeding is known to be associated with avoidable childhood morbidity and mortality. The effect of maternal employment on the duration of exclusive breastfeeding and its determinants has not been addressed adequately in in Ethiopia in general and in the stud area in particular. Hence, this study was aimed to compare the time to stop exclusive breastfeeding and its determinants among employed and unemployed mothers of infants 6–12 months of age. A community-based comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from March 1 to 30, 2019. A total of 426 mothers were recruited using a simple random sampling technique. The Kaplan–Meier curve with log-rank test was used to compare the difference in cessation of exclusive breastfeeding before 6 months. Bivariate and Cox proportional hazards model were computed. Hazard ratios and their 95% confidence intervals were computed to determine the level of significance. Four hundred twenty-six (213 employed and 213 un-employed) mothers were included in the final analysis. The median duration of exclusive breastfeeding was 4 months and 6 months for infants of employed and unemployed mothers, respectively. The likelihood of ceasing of exclusive breastfeeding before 6 months of age was significantly associated with family support of exclusive breastfeeding [AHR = 3.99, 95% CI (1.9, 8.3)], and lack of exclusive breastfeeding counseling during postnatal care [AHR = 7.76, 95% CI (2.99, 20.1)], primipara mothers [AHR = 1.5, 95% CI (1.14, 2.04)], maternity leave of 4 months [AHR = 7, 95% CI 2.2, 22.2)] and employed mothers [AHR = 3.77, 95% CI (2.4, 5.9)]. The median duration of exclusive breastfeeding was shorter among employed mothers than un-employed mothers. It is clear from this study that cessation of exclusive breastfeeding was associated with the duration of paid maternity leave for employed mothers. Family support and perceived adequacy of breast milk were associated with cessation of exclusive breastfeeding before 6 months among unemployed mothers.
First-principles calculations of equilibrium Ga isotope fractionations between several important Ga-bearing minerals and aqueous solutions
Authors: Zhang Jixi
Published: April 2023

This study predicts the equilibrium isotope fractionation factors for some important Ga-bearing species, including major minerals, aqueous solutions and gas phase systems. Equilibrium isotope fractionations of Ga were investigated by using the first-principles quantum chemistry method at the B3LYP/6-311+G(d) level. The 103ln(RPFR) values of orthoclase, albite, quartz, kaolinite, forsterite, montmorillonite, gibbsite, cassiterite, aragonite, sphalerite and calcite were calculated with the volume variable cluster model. The 103ln(RPFR)s of these minerals decrease in the following order: orthoclase > albite > quartz > kaolinite > forsterite > montmorillonite > gibbsite > cassiterite > aragonite > sphalerite > calcite. The solvation effect of Ga3+-bearing aqueous species is modeled by the water-droplet method, and the 103ln(RPFR)s of Ga3+-bearing aqueous species decrease in the following order: [Ga(OH)4]− > [Ga(OH)3] > [Ga(OH)]2+ > [Ga(OH)2]+ > [Ga(H2O)6]3+. The calculation results show that equilibrium isotope fractionations of Ga between different minerals, solutions and gas phases are appreciable. Among minerals, Ga isotope fractionation exhibits the largest value between orthoclase and calcite. Ga isotopic fractionation factor between these two minerals can reach 3.18 per mil at 100 °C. Ga isotope fractionations between Ga-bearing aqueous species and minerals are important for obtaining information about the different geochemical processes, such as surficial geochemistry. This study has provided important Ga isotope fractionation factors.
Effectiveness of emotion regulation strategies measured by self-report and EMG as a result of strategy used, negative emotion strength and participants’ baseline HRV
Authors: Kobylińska Dorota , Lewczuk Karol , Wizła Magdalena , Marcowski Przemysław , Blaison Christophe , Kastendieck Till , Hess Ursula
Published: April 2023

We investigated how emotion regulation (ER) effectiveness—on both a self-reported rating as well as emotional expression (corrugator supercilii muscle activity) level—is affected by the characteristics of the situation (low vs. high negativity), the strategy used (reinterpretation, distraction, suppression, no regulation control condition) and individual dispositions (low vs. high baseline Heart Rate Variability) as well as their interaction. For this purpose, 54 adult women participated in a laboratory study. All the included factors significantly influenced both corrugator activity and appraisals of pictures’ negativity (in specific experimental conditions). For example, for high HRV participants, (1) distraction, suppression and reinterpretation significantly decreased corrugator activity compared to the control condition, and (2) distraction decreased appraised picture negativity for high negativity photos. For low HRV participants, distraction and suppression were most effective in decreasing corrugator responses, while suppression was more effective than reinterpretation in decreasing perceived picture negativity in the high negativity condition. Subjectively reported effort and success in applying ER strategies were also dependent on manipulated and dispositional factors. Overall, our results lend support to the flexible emotion regulation framework, showing that emotion regulation effectiveness relies on situational context as well as individual dispositions and their interaction.
Chronic Mycobacterium avium infection differentially affects the cytokine expression profile of three mouse strains, but has no effect on behavior
Authors: Roque Susana , de Sá-Calçada Daniela , Cerqueira-Rodrigues Bruno , Monteiro Susana , Guerreiro Susana G. , Palha Joana A. , Correia-Neves Margarida
Published: April 2023

One of the most remarkable findings in the immunology and neuroscience fields was the discovery of the bidirectional interaction between the immune and the central nervous systems. This interplay is tightly regulated to maintain homeostasis in physiological conditions. Disruption in this interplay has been suggested to be associated with several neuropsychiatric disorders. Most studies addressing the impact of an immune system disruption on behavioral alterations focus on acute pro-inflammatory responses. However, chronic infections are highly prevalent and associated with an altered cytokine milieu that persists over time. Studies addressing the potential effect of mycobacterial infections on mood behavior originated discordant results and this relationship needs to be further addressed. To increase our understanding on the effect of chronic infections on the central nervous system, we evaluated the role of Mycobacterium avium infection. A model of peripheral chronic infection with M. avium in female from three mouse strains (Balb/c, C57BL/6, and CD-1) was used. The effect of the infection was evaluated in the cytokine expression profile (spleen and hippocampus), hippocampal cell proliferation, neuronal plasticity, serum corticosterone production and mood behavior. The results show that M. avium peripheral chronic infection induces alterations not just in the peripheral immune system but also in the central nervous system, namely in the hippocampus. Interestingly, the cytokine expression profile alterations vary between mouse strains, and are not accompanied by hippocampal cell proliferation or neuronal plasticity changes. Accordingly, no differences were observed in locomotor, anxious and depressive-like behaviors, in any of the mouse strains used. We conclude that the M. avium 2447 infection-induced alterations in the cytokine expression profile, both in the periphery and the hippocampus, are insufficient to alter hippocampal plasticity and behavior.
Interrelationships between urban travel demand and electricity consumption: a deep learning approach
Authors: Movahedi Ali , Parsa Amir Bahador , Rozhkov Anton , Lee Dongwoo , Mohammadian Abolfazl Kouros , Derrible Sybil
Published: April 2023

The analysis of infrastructure use data in relation to other components of the infrastructure can help better understand the interrelationships between infrastructures to eventually enhance their sustainability and resilience. In this study, we focus on electricity consumption and travel demand. In short, the premise is that when people are in buildings consuming electricity, they are not generating traffic on roads, and vice versa, hence the presence of interrelationships. We use Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) networks to model electricity consumption patterns of zip codes based on the traffic volume of the same zip code and nearby zip codes. For this, we merge two datasets for November 2017 in Chicago: (1) aggregated electricity use data in 30-min intervals within the city of Chicago and (2) traffic volume data captured on the Chicago expressway network. Four analyses are conducted to identify interrelationships: (a) correlation between two time series, (b) temporal relationships, (c) spatial relationships, and (d) prediction of electricity consumption based on the total traffic volume. Overall, from over 250 models, we identify and discuss complex interrelationships between travel demand and electricity consumption. We also analyze and discuss how and why model performance varies across Chicago.
Comparison of learning models to predict LDPE, PET, and ABS concentrations in beach sediment based on spectral reflectance
Authors: Huda Faisal Raiyan , Richard Florina Stephanie , Rahman Ishraq , Moradi Saeid , Hua Clarence Tay Yuen , Wanwen Christabel Anfield Sim , Fong Ting Lik , Mujahid Aazani , Müller Moritz
Published: April 2023

Microplastic (MP) contamination on land has been estimated to be 32 times higher than in the oceans, and yet there is a distinct lack of research on soil MPs compared to marine MPs. Beaches are bridges between land and ocean and present equally understudied sites of microplastic pollution. Visible-near-infrared (vis–NIR) has been applied successfully for the measurement of reflectance and prediction of low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) concentrations in soil. The rapidity and precision associated with this method make vis–NIR promising. The present study explores PCA regression and machine learning approaches for developing learning models. First, using a spectroradiometer, the spectral reflectance data was measured from treated beach sediment spiked with virgin microplastic pellets [LDPE, PET, and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)]. Using the recorded spectral data, predictive models were developed for each microplastic using both the approaches. Both approaches generated models of good accuracy with R2 values greater than 0.7, root mean squared error (RMSE) values less than 3 and mean absolute error (MAE) < 2.2. Therefore, using this study’s method, it is possible to rapidly develop accurate predictive models without the need of comprehensive sample preparation, using the low-cost option ASD HandHeld 2 VNIR Spectroradiometer.
Highly integrated bionic prostheses resolve the thermal asymmetry between residual amputated and contralateral limbs
Authors: Lang Victoria Ashley , Munoz-Novoa Maria , Ortiz-Catalan Max
Published: April 2023

Residual limbs after amputation present colder temperatures than unaffected contralateral limbs. This temperature asymmetry has been attributed to autonomic and cognitive factors, such as changes in body representation. An ideal limb replacement should restore the body representation and resolve the temperature asymmetry, but conventional prostheses, commonly characterized as disembodied, fail to do so. Neuromusculoskeletal prostheses are a new concept of artificial limbs that directly interface with the user’s nerves, muscles, and skeleton, and are operated in daily life by bidirectionally transferring control and somatosensory information. Here, we show that the temperature asymmetry commonly found in people with amputations is resolved when using a neuromusculoskeletal prosthesis but reappears when it is removed. A potential explanation for this phenomenon might be the increased embodiment reported by users of neuromusculoskeletal prostheses, which in turn would suggest unconscious perceptual mechanisms mediating the temperature asymmetry commonly found between intact and residual limbs after amputation.
An investigation into epidemiological situations of COVID-19 with fuzzy K-means and K-prototype clustering methods
Authors: Pasin Ozge , Gonenc Senem
Published: April 2023

The ten countries with the highest population during the pandemic were analyzed for clustering based on the quantitative numbers of COVID-19 and policy plans. The Fuzzy K-Means (FKM) and K-prototype algorithms were used for clustering, and various performance indices such as Partition Coefficient (PC), Partition Entropy (PE), Xie-Beni (XB), and Silhouette Fuzzy (SIL.F) were used for evaluating the clusters. The analysis included variables such as confirmed cases, tests, vaccines, school and workplace closures, event cancellations, gathering restrictions, transport closures, stay-at-home restrictions, international movement restrictions, testing policies, facial coverings, and vaccination policy statuses. PC, PE, XB, and SIL.F indices were used to analyze the performance indices of the clusters. The Elbow method was used to analyze the performance evaluations for the K-prototype. The K-prototype algorithm's performance evaluations were analyzed using the Elbow method, and the optimum number of clusters for both methods was found to be two. The first cluster included Brazil, Mexico, Nigeria, Bangladesh, US, Indonesia, Russia, and Pakistan, while the second cluster comprised India and China. The analysis also examined the relationship between population and confirmed tests and vaccines, and standardization was made for the country with the largest population for significant correlations. The results showed that the FKM method was superior to the K-prototype method in terms of clustering. In conclusion, it is crucial to accurately evaluate COVID-19 data for countries and develop appropriate policies. The clustering analysis using the FKM and K-prototype algorithms provides valuable insights into identifying groups of countries with similar COVID-19 data and policy plans.
Mapping tropical forest aboveground biomass using airborne SAR tomography
Authors: Ramachandran Naveen , Saatchi Sassan , Tebaldini Stefano , d’Alessandro Mauro Mariotti , Dikshit Onkar
Published: April 2023

Mapping tropical forest aboveground biomass (AGB) is important for quantifying emissions from land use change and evaluating climate mitigation strategies but remains a challenging problem for remote sensing observations. Here, we evaluate the capability of mapping AGB across a dense tropical forest using tomographic Synthetic Aperture Radar (TomoSAR) measurements at P-band frequency that will be available from the European Space Agency’s BIOMASS mission in 2024. To retrieve AGB, we compare three different TomoSAR reconstruction algorithms, back-projection (BP), Capon, and MUltiple SIgnal Classification (MUSIC), and validate AGB estimation from models using TomoSAR variables: backscattered power at 30 m height, forest height (FH), backscatter power metric (Q), and their combination. TropiSAR airborne campaign data in French Guiana, inventory plots, and airborne LiDAR measurements are used as reference data to develop models and calculate the AGB estimation uncertainty. We used univariate and multivariate regression models to estimate AGB at 4-ha grid cells, the nominal resolution of the BIOMASS mission. Our results show that the BP-based variables produced better AGB estimates compared to their counterparts, suggesting a more straightforward TomoSAR processing for the mission. The tomographic FH and AGB estimation have an average relative uncertainty of less than 10% with negligible systematic error across the entire biomass range (~ 200–500 Mg ha−1). We show that the backscattered power at 30 m height at HV polarization is the best single measurement to estimate AGB with significantly better accuracy than the LiDAR height metrics, and combining it with FH improved the accuracy of AGB estimation to less than 7% of the mean. Our study implies that using multiple information from P-band TomoSAR data from the BIOMASS mission provides a new capability to map tropical forest biomass and its changes accurately.