bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative analysis of the application efficiency of gold nanoparticles-based SERS in four foodborne pathogenic microbes
Authors: Liu Hourong , Chen Niannian , Ning Xue , Gao Fengtao
Published: March 2024

It has been widely reported that SERS can detect foodborne pathogenic bacteria, but SERS has only been limited to the detection of purified single bacteria. However, there’s few single bacterial infections in the natural state were found at the most time, and rare comparative investigations of different Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria by SERS exist. At the present study, we are aiming at the comparative analysis of the detection efficiency toward different foodborne pathogenic microbes by a conventional citrate-reduced gold colloid, including Escherichia coli, Salmonella enteritidis, Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes. The SERS spectra of samples were collected with sterile 0.5% NaCl solution as aggregating compound. First, the stability of each bacterial were detected with gold nanoparticles. Afterward, SERS signals of the four bacteria were compared at different concentrations, and it was found that Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria have different minimum sensitivity and detection stability. Next, the mixed bacterial SERS detection was applied to classify and identify the similar Raman spectra. Spectral data were analyzed using multivariate data analysis methods, including principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). The SERS procedure we proposed, which utilized gold nanoparticles adsorbing on bacteria and multivariate analysis, allowed differentiation of species. The results of this pilot study demonstrate the potential of SERS to rapidly identify Gram-negative and Gram-positive foodborne pathogens.
Evaluation of antibacterial activity of an experimental dental adhesive containing synthesized quaternary ammonium compound: in vitro study
Authors: El-Deeb Mona , Ismail Maha M. , Kenawy El-Refaie , Habib Nour A.
Published: March 2024

Background

Dental adhesives with immobilized antibacterial agents are formulated to combat bacterial invasion along the tooth-restoration interface. This study aims to evaluate the antibacterial effect of synthesized quaternary ammonium compound (QAC) incorporated into commercial dental adhesive.

Methods

QAC was synthesized from 2-(Dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate and 1-Bromobutane and characterized using CHN (Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen), FTIR (Fourier transform infrared) and H+NMR (Proton nuclear magnetic resonance) analyses. The synthesized QAC was assessed for its cytotoxicity and its antibacterial activity against S. mutans using disc diffusion method, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), time-kill kinetics test, and TEM imaging. The QAC was added to the primer of a commercially available adhesive (OptiBond XTR) at two concentrations; 20 and 40 mg mL−1 representing the MIC and MBC, respectively. The antibacterial properties of the experimental adhesives, commercial antibacterial adhesive Clearfil SE Protect containing 12-methacryloyloxydodecylpyridinium bromide (MDPB), and commercial vehicle (OptiBond XTR) were compared using time-kill kinetics test. Statistical analysis by ANOVA followed by tukey post-hoc test (P < 0.05).

Results

Disc diffusion and time-kill kinetics tests showed potent antibacterial action of QAC, both in the unpolymerized and the cured forms. MIC and MBC were 20 and 40 mg mL−1 respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between experimental adhesives and Clearfil Protect with more than 99% reduction in bacterial count, while OptiBond XTR showed no bacterial killing up for up to 10 h.

Conclusions

The synthesized QAC added to a commercially available adhesive imparted antibacterial properties, thus providing an affordable adhesive system to the local market.
The harms of terminology: why we should reject so-called “frontier AI”
Authors: Helfrich Gina
Published: March 2024

In the mid-2023, promoters of artificial intelligence (AI) as an “existential risk” coined a new term, “frontier AI,” that refers to “highly capable foundation models that could possess dangerous capabilities sufficient to pose severe risks to public safety.” Promoters of this new term were able to disseminate it via the United Kingdom (UK) government’s Frontier AI Taskforce (formerly the Foundation Models Taskforce) as well as the UK’s AI Safety Summit, held in November 2023.

I argue that adoption of the term “frontier AI” is harmful and contributes to AI hype. Promoting this new term is a way for its boosters to focus the public conversation around the AI-related risks they think are most important, namely “existential risk”—a scenario in which AI is able to bring about the destruction of humanity. Simultaneously, “frontier AI” is a re-branding exercise for the large-scale generative machine learning (ML) models that have been shown to cause severe and pervasive harms (including psychological, social, and environmental harms). Unlike “existential risk,” these harms are actual rather than theoretical, whereas the term “frontier AI” moves our collective focus away from actual harms to focus on hypothetical doomsday scenarios.

Moreover, “frontier AI” as a term invokes the colonial mindset, further reinscribing the harmful dynamics between the handful of powerful Western companies who produce today’s generative AI models and the people of the “Global South” who are most likely to experience harm as a direct result of the development and deployment of these AI technologies.
Engaging the many-hands problem of generative-AI outputs: a framework for attributing credit
Authors: Khosrowi Donal , Finn Finola , Clark Elinor
Published: March 2024

The recent wave of generative AI (GenAI) systems like Stable Diffusion or ChatGPT that can produce images, text and code from human prompts raises controversial issues about creatorship, originality, creativity and copyright. This paper focuses on creatorship: who creates and should be credited with the outputs made with the help of GenAI? There is currently significant moral, legal and regulatory uncertainty around these questions. We develop a novel framework, called CCC (collective-centered creation), that helps resolve this uncertainty. According to CCC, GenAI outputs are created by collectives in the first instance. Claims to creatorship come in degrees and depend on the nature and significance of individual contributions made by the various agents and entities involved, including users, GenAI systems, developers, producers of training data and others. We demonstrate how CCC can help navigate a range of ongoing controversies around the responsible development and deployment of GenAI technologies and help more accurately attribute credit where it is due.
Spatial heterogeneities of residents' sentiments and their associations with urban functional areas during heat waves– a case study in Beijing
Authors: Zhu Yanrong , Wang Juan , Yuan Yuting , Meng Bin , Luo Ming , Shi Changsheng , Ji Huimin
Published: March 2024

The intensification of global heat wave events is seriously affecting residents' emotional health. Based on social media big data, our research explored the spatial pattern of residents' sentiments during heat waves (SDHW). Besides, their association with urban functional areas (UFAs) was analyzed using the Apriori algorithm of association rule mining. It was found that SDHW in Beijing were characterized by obvious spatial clustering, with hot spots predominately dispersed in urban areas and far suburbs, and cold spots mainly clustered in near suburbs. As for the associations with urban function areas, green space and park areas had significant effects on the positive sentiment in the study area, while a higher percentage of industrial areas had a greater impact on negative SDHW. When it comes to combined UFAs, our results revealed that the green space and park area combined with other functional areas was more closely related to positive SDHW, indicating the significance of promoting positive sentiment. Subdistricts with a lower percentage of residential and traffic areas may have a more negative sentiment. There were two main combined UFAs that have greater impacts on SDHW: the combination of residential and industrial areas, and the combination of residential and public areas. This study contributes to the understanding of improving community planning and governance when heat waves increase, building healthy cities, and enhancing urban emergency management.
Achieving carbon neutrality in Africa is possible: the impact of education, employment, and renewable energy consumption on carbon emissions
Authors: Elom Chinyere Ori , Onyeneke Robert Ugochukwu , Ankrah Daniel Adu , Deffor Eric Worlanyo , Ayerakwa Hayford Mensah , Uwaleke Chidebe Chijioke
Published: March 2024

This paper analysed the causal link between education, employment, renewable energy consumption and carbon emissions in Africa, where there is scant evidence. Relying on panel data obtained from the World Development Indicators for thirty-two African countries covering a period of 19 years, and five panel rigorous regression models, we found that renewable energy, investment in education, school enrolment, net national income per capita, and employment had negative and significant effects on carbon emission, thus increasing these predictors would result in significant reduction in carbon emission in Africa. We identified a bidirectional causality between carbon emissions and net national income per capita, education expenditure and renewable energy consumption, and carbon emissions and employment. Our findings suggest that investment in education, renewable energy, and employment are relevant in mitigating carbon emissions in Africa. We recommend African governments to invest heavily in education, improve school enrolment, environmental education, renewable energy and employment provision to mitigate carbon emissions.

Graphical Abstract
Exploring the plant lipidome: techniques, challenges, and prospects
Authors: Liu Hao-Zhuo , Li Yong-Kang , Chen Yi-Li , Zhou Ying , Sahu Sunil Kumar , Liu Ningjing , Wu Hao , Shui Guanghou , Chen Qinfang , Yao Nan
Published: March 2024

Plant lipids are a diverse group of biomolecules that play essential roles in plant architecture, physiology, and signaling. To advance our understanding of plant biology and facilitate innovations in plant-based product development, we must have precise methods for the comprehensive analysis of plant lipids. Here, we present a comprehensive overview of current research investigating plant lipids, including their structures, metabolism, and functions. We explore major lipid classes, i.e. fatty acids, glyceroglycolipids, glycerophospholipids, sphingolipids, and phytosterols, and discuss their subcellular distributions. Furthermore, we emphasize the significance of lipidomics research techniques, particularly chromatography-mass spectrometry, for accurate lipid analysis. Special attention is given to lipids as crucial signal receptors and signaling molecules that influence plant growth and responses to environmental challenges. We address research challenges in lipidomics, such as in identifying and quantifying lipids, separating isomers, and avoiding batch effects and ion suppression. Finally, we delve into the practical applications of lipidomics, including its integration with other omics methodologies, lipid visualization, and innovative analytical approaches. This review thus provides valuable insights into the field of plant lipidomics and its potential contributions to plant biology.
Characterization of seismicity from different glacial bed types: machine learning classification of laboratory stick-slip acoustic emissions
Authors: Saltiel Seth , Groebner Nathan , Sawi Theresa , McCarthy Christine
Published: March 2024

Subglacial seismicity presents the opportunity to monitor inaccessible glacial beds at the epicentral location and time. Glaciers can be underlain by rock or till, a first order control on bed mechanics. Velocity-weakening, necessary for unstable slip, has been shown for each bed type, but is much stronger and evolves over more than an order of magnitude longer distances for till beds. Utilizing a de-stiffened double direct shear apparatus, we found conditions for instability at freezing temperatures and high slip rates for both bed types. During stick–slip stress-drops, we recorded acoustic emissions with piezoelectric transducers frozen into the ice. The two populations of event waveforms appear visually similar and overlap in their statistical features. We implemented a suite of supervised machine learning algorithms to classify the bed type of recorded waveforms and spectra, with prediction accuracy between 65–80%. The Random Forest Classifier is interpretable, showing the importance of initial oscillation peaks and higher frequency energy. Till beds have generally higher friction and resulting stress-drops, with more impulsive first arrivals and more high frequency content compared to rock emissions, but rock beds can produce many till-like events. Seismic signatures could enhance interpretation of bed conditions and mechanics from subglacial seismicity.
‘It’s more emotionally based’: Prince Edward Island horse owner perspectives of horse weight management
Authors: Ross Megan , Proudfoot Kathryn , Campbell Nishimura Eileen , Morabito Emily , Merkies Katrina , Mitchell Jean , Ritter Caroline
Published: March 2024

Horse obesity is a growing concern that can result in negative welfare. The role horse owners play in horse weight management is not well understood. This study aimed to: (1) explore the attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions of owners with overweight or obese horses regarding their horses’ weight; and (2) understand the motivators and barriers for owners to implement, improve and maintain weight management-related strategies. A semi-structured interview guide based on the Theoretical Domains Framework was developed. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 24 owners in Prince Edward Island, Canada whose horse(s) were previously classified as overweight or obese by a veterinarian. Interviews were analysed using template analysis, organising patterns in the data into a codebook and overarching themes. Owners believed horse weight management was important, however, their perceived complexity of the issue made the implementation of the weight management practices difficult. Owners held conflicting perceptions, viewing overweight horses as well cared for, yet recognised these horses were at increased risk for negative health outcomes. Ultimately, participants felt emotionally torn about compromising their horse’s mental well-being to address weight issues. Owners considered the practicality of weight-management strategies, the strategies’ effectiveness, and whether recommended strategies aligned with their beliefs regarding good horse care practices. Knowledge was embedded into owners’ understanding of horse weight, however, some highlighted that traditional knowledge dominates the equine industry hindering systemic industry change. Increased understanding of the effectiveness and impacts of weight management strategies on horses and fostering a society that recognises and accepts horses within a healthy weight range are warranted.
It’s a Three-Ring Circus: How Morally Educative Practices Are Undermined by Institutions
Authors: Beadle Ron , Sinnicks Matthew
Published: March 2024

Since the publication of Alasdair MacIntyre’s After Virtue in 1981, tensions inherent to the relationship between morally educative practices and the institutions that house them have been widely noted. We propose a taxonomy of the ways in which the pursuit of external goods by institutions undermines the pursuit of the internal goods of practices. These comprise substitution, where the institution replaces the pursuit of one type of good by another; frustration, where opportunities for practitioners to discover goods or develop new standards of excellence are frustrated by institutional priorities and resource allocation; and injustice, which undermines the integrity of relationships within the organization and/or with partners. These threats, though analytically distinct, are often mutually reinforcing. This conceptual contribution is illustrated both by the extant literature and by a novel context, the three-ring circus.
Fictional Creationism and Negative Existentials
Authors: Lee Jeonggyu
Published: March 2024

In this paper, I defend fictional creationism, the view that fictional objects are abstract artifacts, from the objection that the apparent truth of fictional negative existentials, such as “Sherlock Holmes does not exist,” poses a serious problem for creationism. I develop a sophisticated version of the pragmatic approach by focusing on the inconsistent referential intentions of ordinary speakers: the upshot would be that creationism is no worse—perhaps even in a better position—than anti-realism, even if we restrict our linguistic data to fictional negative existentals.
Why cultural distance can promote – or impede – group-beneficial outcomes
Authors: Beheim Bret Alexander , Bell Adrian Viliami
Published: March 2024

Quantifying the distance between cultural groups has received substantial recent interest. A key innovation, borrowed from population genetics, is the calculation of cultural FST (CFST) statistics on datasets of human culture. Measuring the variance between groups as a fraction of total variance, FST is theoretically important in additive models of cooperation. Consistent with this, recent empirical work has confirmed that high values of pairwise CFST (measuring cultural distance) strongly predict unwillingness to cooperate with strangers in coordination vignettes. As applications for CFST increase, however, there is greater need to understand its meaning in naturalistic situations beyond additive cooperation. Focusing on games with both positive and negative frequency dependence and high-diversity, mixed equilibria, we derive a simple relationship between FST and the evolution of group-beneficial traits across a broad spectrum of social interactions. Contrary to standard assumptions, this model shows why FST can have both positive and negative marginal effects on the spread of group-beneficial traits under certain realistic conditions. These results provide broader theoretical direction for empirical applications of CFST in the evolutionary study of culture.
Occupational health and safety in aquaculture: Organisation of work and employment in small seaweed farms in North West Europe
Authors: Makri Eva , Walters David , Wadsworth Emma , Devereux Helen , van den Burg Sander W. K.
Published: March 2024

There is evidence that seaweed production can involve a variety of physical risks, but there has been little study of how wider contextual factors – such as enterprise size, economic and business relations, and forms of employment arrangements – may affect workers’ safety. This study explores the impact of such aspects on workers’ experiences of occupational safety and health (OSH) risks and their management in the developing seaweed industry, in North West Europe. Based on qualitative findings from a survey and discussions with owners/managers, workers and stakeholders in the industry, the study identified a number of issues relating to OSH in seaweed production. These include the predominance of micro small enterprises, the presence of significant risks to health and safety and limitations in the capacity of owners/managers to address them, as well as structural and economic factors in the sector that promote precarious work, and the low visibility and inaccessibility of micro and small enterprises (MSEs) to both public and private regulations. The paper discusses experiences of these issues in the emergent industry and relates them to the wider literature about work health and safety in micro and small firms and precarious and non-standard forms of work, typically found in agriculture and food production. Findings point to the need for better orchestration of public and private regulatory influences and further research to determine if strategies that are seen as successful in other sectors could be transferred to the emergent European seaweed industry.
A generalized hypothesis test for community structure in networks
Authors: Yanchenko Eric , Sengupta Srijan
Published: March 2024

Researchers theorize that many real-world networks exhibit community structure where within-community edges are more likely than between-community edges. While numerous methods exist to cluster nodes into different communities, less work has addressed this question: given some network, does it exhibit statistically meaningful community structure? We answer this question in a principled manner by framing it as a statistical hypothesis test in terms of a general and model-agnostic community structure parameter. Leveraging this parameter, we propose a simple and interpretable test statistic used to formulate two separate hypothesis testing frameworks. The first is an asymptotic test against a baseline value of the parameter while the second tests against a baseline model using bootstrap-based thresholds. We prove theoretical properties of these tests and demonstrate how the proposed method yields rich insights into real-world datasets.
Necessary and sufficient conditions for ground state solutions to planar Kirchhoff-type equations
Authors: Lei Chunyu , Zhang Binlin
Published: March 2024

In this paper, we are concerned with the ground states of the following planar Kirchhoff-type problem:

\[ -\left(1+b\displaystyle\int_{\mathbb{R}^2}|\nabla u|^2\,{\rm d}x\right)\Delta u+\omega u=|u|^{p-2}u, \quad x\in\mathbb{R}^2. \]

where

$b,\, \omega >0$

are constants,

$p>2$

. Based on variational methods, regularity theory and Schwarz symmetrization, the equivalence of ground state solutions for the above problem with the minimizers for some minimization problems is obtained. In particular, a new scale technique, together with Lagrange multipliers, is delicately employed to overcome some intrinsic difficulties.
Do verbal and nonverbal declarative memory tasks in second language research measure the same abilities?
Authors: Hamrick Phillip , Was Christopher A. , Zhang Yin
Published: March 2024

A growing body of evidence demonstrates that individual differences in declarative memory may be an important predictor of second language (L2) abilities. However, the evidence comes from studies using different declarative memory tasks that vary in their reliance on verbal abilities and task demands, which preclude estimating the size of the relationship between declarative memory and L2 learning. To address these concerns, we examined the relationship between verbal and nonverbal declarative memory abilities within the same task while controlling for task demands and stimulus modality, to estimate the upper bound of the relationship between verbal and nonverbal declarative memory. Results indicate that when task demands and stimulus modality are controlled, verbal and nonverbal declarative memory abilities shared a medium-to-large amount of underlying variance. However, future studies should exercise caution in appraising associations between declarative memory abilities and L2 learning until a more precise understanding of the underlying mechanisms is achieved.
‘The Thaw’ in the Arctic: constructing Mirny as a Soviet Arctic city of a new type
Authors: Kalemeneva Ekaterina
Published: March 2024

The town of Mirny, which was established in 1955 in the Arctic region of Yakutia, was not only the first Soviet settlement constructed near the newly explored diamond mine; it was also one of the first industrial towns in the Soviet Arctic to be constructed from scratch in the post-World War II period, as it was never part of the Gulag legacy. Focusing on the case of Mirny, this article elucidates the new principles behind the perception of urban space in the Soviet Arctic in the 1960s. Close analysis of the first years of the town’s construction illuminates the formation of a new conception of a socialist Arctic town at that period – a town open for migration flows, with a developed public and social sphere, that was celebrated as a ‘town of youth’ or a ‘town of the future’, and yet was also a town where extreme environmental conditions had a greater influence on the life of its inhabitants than did official state directives and regulations.
Constitutionalizing dissent: The universe of opposition rules in African constitutions
Authors: Schindler Danny
Published: March 2024

Constitutions are the most important legal foundation of politics. At the same time, the existence of a viable parliamentary opposition has been regarded one of the most distinctive characteristics of democracy. Bringing the two perspectives together, the principle of opposition can be constitutionalized to gain the highest status. Importantly, we refer to norms recognizing the opposition as such. Such counter-majoritarian rules are distinct because they empower opposition forces irrespective of their seat share and explicitly acknowledge that power should not be monopolized. While our subject has attracted little interest from comparative constitutionalists, it is too important to be overlooked. This is particularly true for autocratizing regimes where incumbents seek to use legislative lawfare to repress their opponents. Empirically, the study focuses on Africa, which proves revealing for various reasons. Among others, it addresses the critique that constitutional law studies often concentrate on usual suspect cases used to reveal purportedly universal insights. Our exercise in comparative constitutional law leads to two main conclusions that go beyond the continent. First, while we find a high number of opposition-related rules, the variation in design details and scope suggests that referring to the principle of opposition in an abstract manner is somewhat obscuring. And second, the obvious virtues of constitutionalizing dissent face noteworthy pitfalls since pertinent rules can lack legal clarity and even suppress dissent. Hence, the dividends of nominally democratic rules might be smaller than expected even if constitutional designers sincerely intend to fully uphold them in practice.
The Intersections of Public Rights and Private Rules: An Analysis of Human Rights in Forestry and Fisheries Certification Standards
Authors: Jodoin Sébastien , Johnson Kasia
Published: March 2024

This article systematically evaluates whether, how, and to what extent twelve prominent forestry and fisheries certification schemes address human rights in their standards. In line with the broader cross-fertilization of the fields of international human rights and environmental law and policy, our results demonstrate that human rights norms and considerations – primarily Indigenous, labour, and procedural rights – are increasingly reflected in the rulemaking of these schemes. At the same time, our analysis also demonstrates the mixed and underwhelming performance of certification standards in protecting human rights norms, including those relating to women, children, racialized and ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, Indigenous peoples, workers, 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, and peasants and rural peoples. Through descriptive statistics, we also show that levels of human rights adherence vary significantly across schemes and that standards developed in the forestry sector tend to outperform those for fisheries. Our methodology and results add a new dimension to efforts to assess the stringency, equity, and legitimacy of private authority in the environmental field.
Nonresonant Scattering of Energetic Electrons by Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron Waves: Spacecraft Observations and Theoretical Framework
Authors: An Xin , Artemyev Anton , Angelopoulos Vassilis , Zhang Xiao‐Jia , Mourenas Didier , Bortnik Jacob , Shi Xiaofei
Published: March 2024

Electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves lead to rapid scattering of relativistic electrons in Earth's radiation belts, due to their large amplitudes relative to other waves that interact with electrons of this energy range. A central feature of electron precipitation driven by EMIC waves is deeply elusive. That is, moderate precipitating fluxes at energies below the minimum resonance energy of EMIC waves occur concurrently with strong precipitating fluxes at resonance energies in low‐altitude spacecraft observations. This paper expands on a previously reported solution to this problem: nonresonant scattering due to wave packets. The quasi‐linear diffusion model is generalized to incorporate nonresonant scattering by a generic wave shape. The diffusion rate decays exponentially away from the resonance, where shorter packets lower decay rates and thus widen the energy range of significant scattering. Using realistic EMIC wave packets from δf particle‐in‐cell simulations, test particle simulations are performed to demonstrate that intense, short packets extend the energy of significant scattering well below the minimum resonance energy, consistent with our theoretical prediction. Finally, the calculated precipitating‐to‐trapped flux ratio of relativistic electrons is compared to ELFIN observations, and the wave power spectra is inferred based on the measured flux ratio. We demonstrate that even with a narrow wave spectrum, short EMIC wave packets can provide moderately intense precipitating fluxes well below the minimum resonance energy.
Key Factors Determining Nightside Energetic Electron Losses Driven by Whistler‐Mode Waves
Authors: Tsai Ethan , Artemyev Anton , Ma Qianli , Mourenas Didier , Agapitov Oleksiy , Zhang Xiao‐Jia , Angelopoulos Vassilis
Published: March 2024

Energetic electron losses by pitch‐angle scattering and precipitation to the atmosphere from the radiation belts are controlled, to a great extent, by resonant wave particle interactions with whistler‐mode waves. The efficacy of such precipitation is primarily modulated by wave intensity, although its relative importance, compared to other wave and plasma parameters, remains unclear. Precipitation spectra from the low‐altitude, polar‐orbiting ELFIN mission have previously been demonstrated to be consistent with energetic precipitation modeling derived from empirical models of field‐aligned wave power across a wide swath of local‐time sectors. However, such modeling could not explain the intense, relativistic electron precipitation observed on the nightside. Therefore, this study aims to additionally consider the contributions of three modifications—wave obliquity, frequency spectrum, and local plasma density—to explain this discrepancy on the nightside. By incorporating these effects into both test particle simulations and quasi‐linear diffusion modeling, we find that realistic implementations of each individual modification result in only slight changes to the electron precipitation spectrum. However, these modifications, when combined, enable more accurate modeling of ELFIN‐observed spectra. In particular, a significant reduction in plasma density enables lower frequency waves, oblique, or even quasi field‐aligned waves to resonate with near ∼1 MeV electrons closer to the equator. We demonstrate that the levels of modification required to accurately reproduce the nightside spectra of whistler‐mode wave‐driven relativistic electron precipitation match empirical expectations and should therefore be included in future radiation belt modeling.
Characterizing Precipitation and Improving Rainfall Estimates Over the Southern Ocean Using Ship‐Borne Disdrometer and Dual‐Polarimetric C‐Band Radar
Authors: Aragon L. G. B. , Huang Y. , May P. T. , Crosier J. , Montoya Duque E. , Connolly P. J. , Bower K. N.
Published: March 2024

Large satellite discrepancies and model biases in representing precipitation over the Southern Ocean (SO) are related directly to the region's limited surface observations of precipitation. To help address this knowledge gap, the study investigated the precipitation characteristics and rain rate retrievals over the remote SO using ship‐borne data of the Ocean Rainfall And Ice‐phase precipitation measurement Network disdrometer (OceanRAIN) and dual‐polarimetric C‐band radar (OceanPOL) aboard the Research Vessel (RV) Investigator in the Austral warm seasons of 2016–2018. Seven distinct synoptic types over the SO were analyzed based on their radar polarimetric signatures, surface precipitation phase, and rain microphysical properties. OceanRAIN observations revealed that the SO precipitation was dominated by drizzle and light rain, with small‐sized raindrops (diameter <1 mm) constituting up to 47% of total accumulation. Precipitation occurred most frequently over the warm sector of extratropical cyclones, while concentrations of large‐sized raindrops (diameter >3 mm) were prominent over synoptic types with colder and more convectively unstable environments. OceanPOL observations complement and extend the surface precipitation properties sampled by OceanRAIN, providing unique information to help characterize the variety of potential precipitation types and associated mechanisms under different synoptic conditions. Raindrop size distributions (DSD) measured with OceanRAIN over the SO were better characterized by analytical DSD forms with two‐shape parameters than single‐shape parameters currently implemented in satellite retrieval algorithms. This study also revised a rainfall retrieval algorithm for C‐band radars to reflect the large amount of small drops and provide improved radar rainfall estimates over the SO.
HBB contributes to individualized aconitine-induced cardiotoxicity in mice via interfering with ABHD5/AMPK/HDAC4 axis
Authors: Guo Ya-juan , Yao Jing-jing , Guo Zhen-zhen , Ding Ming , Zhang Kun-lin , Shen Qing-hong , Li Yu , Yu Shao-fang , Wan Ting , Xu Fu-ping , Wang Ying , Qi Xiao-xiao , Wu Jin-jun , Chen Jian-xin , Liu Zhong-qiu , Lu Lin-lin
Published: March 2024

The root of Aconitum carmichaelii Debx. (Fuzi) is an herbal medicine used in China that exerts significant efficacy in rescuing patients from severe diseases. A key toxic compound in Fuzi, aconitine (AC), could trigger unpredictable cardiotoxicities with high-individualization, thus hinders safe application of Fuzi. In this study we investigated the individual differences of AC-induced cardiotoxicities, the biomarkers and underlying mechanisms. Diversity Outbred (DO) mice were used as a genetically heterogeneous model for mimicking individualization clinically. The mice were orally administered AC (0.3, 0.6, 0.9 mg· kg−1 ·d−1) for 7 d. We found that AC-triggered cardiotoxicities in DO mice shared similar characteristics to those observed in clinic patients. Most importantly, significant individual differences were found in DO mice (variation coefficients: 34.08%–53.17%). RNA-sequencing in AC-tolerant and AC-sensitive mice revealed that hemoglobin subunit beta (HBB), a toxic-responsive protein in blood with 89% homology to human, was specifically enriched in AC-sensitive mice. Moreover, we found that HBB overexpression could significantly exacerbate AC-induced cardiotoxicity while HBB knockdown markedly attenuated cell death of cardiomyocytes. We revealed that AC could trigger hemolysis, and specifically bind to HBB in cell-free hemoglobin (cf-Hb), which could excessively promote NO scavenge and decrease cardioprotective S-nitrosylation. Meanwhile, AC bound to HBB enhanced the binding of HBB to ABHD5 and AMPK, which correspondingly decreased HDAC-NT generation and led to cardiomyocytes death. This study not only demonstrates HBB achievement a novel target of AC in blood, but provides the first clue for HBB as a novel biomarker in determining the individual differences of Fuzi-triggered cardiotoxicity.
Shift work promotes adipogenesis via cortisol-dependent downregulation of EGR3-HDAC6 pathway
Authors: Wan Xinxing , Wang Linghao , Khan Md Asaduzzaman , Peng Lin , Zhang Keke , Sun Xiaoying , Yi Xuan , Wang Zhouqi , Chen Ke
Published: March 2024

The disruption of circadian rhythms caused by long-term shift work can cause metabolic diseases such as obesity. Early growth response 3 (EGR3) is a member of early growth response (EGR) family, which is involved in several cellular responses, had been reported as a circadian rhythm gene in suprachiasmatic nucleus. In this research, EGR3 was found to be widely expressed in the different tissue of human and mice, and downregulated in adipose tissue of obese subjects and high-fat diet mice. Moreover, EGR3 was found negatively regulated by cortisol. In addition, EGR3 is a key negative modulator of hADSCs and 3T3-L1 adipogenesis via regulating HDAC6, which is a downstream target gene of EGR3 and a negative regulator of adipogenesis and lipogenesis. These findings may explain how circadian rhythm disorder induced by shift works can cause obesity. Our study revealed a potential therapeutic target to alleviate metabolic disorders in shift workers and may provide better health guidance to shift workers.
Interplay of socioeconomic status, cognition, and school performance in the ABCD sample
Authors: Langensee Lara , Rumetshofer Theodor , Mårtensson Johan
Published: March 2024

Coming from a disadvantaged background can have negative impact on an individual’s educational trajectory. Some people however seem unaffected and cope well with the demands and challenges posed by school education, despite growing up in adverse conditions, a phenomenon termed academic resilience. While it is uncertain which underlying factors make some people more likely to circumvent unfavorable odds than others, both socioeconomic status (SES) and cognitive ability have robustly been linked to school performance. The objective of the present work is to investigate if individual cognitive abilities and SES interact in their effect on grades. For this purpose, we analyzed SES, cognitive, and school performance data from 5001 participants from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. Ordinal logistic regression models suggest similar patterns of associations between three SES measures (parental education, income-to-needs ratio, and neighborhood deprivation) and grades at two timepoints, with no evidence for interaction effects between SES and time. Parental education and income-to-needs ratio were associated with grades at both timepoints, irrespective of whether cognitive abilities were modeled or not. Neighborhood deprivation, in contrast, was only a statistically significant predictor of reported grades when cognitive abilities were not factored in. Cognitive abilities interacted with parental education level, meaning that they could be a safeguard against effects of SES on school performance.
Human immunoglobulin gene allelic variation impacts germline-targeting vaccine priming
Authors: deCamp Allan C. , Corcoran Martin M. , Fulp William J. , Willis Jordan R. , Cottrell Christopher A. , Bader Daniel L. V. , Kalyuzhniy Oleksandr , Leggat David J. , Cohen Kristen W. , Hyrien Ollivier , Menis Sergey , Finak Greg , Ballweber-Fleming Lamar , Srikanth Abhinaya , Plyler Jason R. , Rahaman Farhad , Lombardo Angela , Philiponis Vincent , Whaley Rachael E. , Seese Aaron , Brand Joshua , Ruppel Alexis M. , Hoyland Wesley , Mahoney Celia R. , Cagigi Alberto , Taylor Alison , Brown David M. , Ambrozak David R. , Sincomb Troy , Mullen Tina-Marie , Maenza Janine , Kolokythas Orpheus , Khati Nadia , Bethony Jeffrey , Roederer Mario , Diemert David , Koup Richard A. , Laufer Dagna S. , McElrath Juliana M. , McDermott Adrian B. , Karlsson Hedestam Gunilla B. , Schief William R.
Published: March 2024

Vaccine priming immunogens that activate germline precursors for broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) have promise for development of precision vaccines against major human pathogens. In a clinical trial of the eOD-GT8 60mer germline-targeting immunogen, higher frequencies of vaccine-induced VRC01-class bnAb-precursor B cells were observed in the high dose compared to the low dose group. Through immunoglobulin heavy chain variable (IGHV) genotyping, statistical modeling, quantification of IGHV1-2 allele usage and B cell frequencies in the naive repertoire for each trial participant, and antibody affinity analyses, we found that the difference between dose groups in VRC01-class response frequency was best explained by IGHV1-2 genotype rather than dose and was most likely due to differences in IGHV1-2 B cell frequencies for different genotypes. The results demonstrate the need to define population-level immunoglobulin allelic variations when designing germline-targeting immunogens and evaluating them in clinical trials.
A new circa 2007 biomass map for China differs significantly from existing maps
Authors: Dong Wenquan , Mitchard Edward T. A. , Santoro Maurizio , Chen Man , Wheeler Charlotte E.
Published: March 2024

The forest area of China is the fifth largest of any country, and unlike in many other countries, in recent decades its area has been increasing. However, there are substantial differences in estimates of the amount of carbon this forest contains, ranging from 3.92 to 17.02 Pg C for circa 2007. This makes it unclear how the changes in China’s forest area contribute to the global carbon cycle. We generate a circa 2007 aboveground biomass (AGB) map at a resolution of 50 m using optical, radar and LiDAR satellite data. Our estimates of total carbon stored in the forest in China was 9.52 Pg C, with an average forest AGB of 104 Mg ha−1. Compared with three existing AGB maps, our AGB map showed better correlation with a distributed set of forest inventory plots. In addition, our high resolution AGB map provided more details on spatial distribution of forest AGB, and is likely to help understand the carbon storage changes in China’s forest.
Low energy consumption layout of exhibition buildings in Yangtze River Delta region
Authors: Zhu Wei , Han Xinyu , Ying Xiaoyu , Tan Yang , Shen Liying , Huangfu Fanyu
Published: March 2024

The issue of high energy consumption in exhibition buildings has long been a focal point in the field of architectural design. However, current energy consumption assessments for exhibition buildings mainly focus on post-construction evaluations, lacking corresponding guidance during the initial design phase. To address this issue, this study selected 48 well-known exhibition buildings both domestically and internationally as research subjects. Utilizing scatter plot curve fitting, it was discovered that there exists a nonlinear quadratic relationship between the building area of the first floor and the courtyard area. Based on this relationship, four typical layouts were established to match the climatic characteristics of Hangzhou, a representative region in the Yangtze River Delta of China. Taking into account regional architectural features, the study specifically examined the impact of different orientations and window-to-wall ratios on energy consumption levels. The influence of these factors on energy consumption was analyzed using the DesignBuilder software. The results revealed that there exists an optimal window-to-wall ratio for exhibition buildings, with parallel, L-shaped enclosed south-facing courtyards, and U-shaped enclosed east-facing courtyards showing greater energy efficiency. This research provides guidance for designing exhibition buildings that are energy-efficient and foster a harmonious indoor–outdoor relationship.
Histology-validated electromagnetic characterization of ex-vivo ovine lung tissue for microwave-based medical applications
Authors: Vidjak Klementina , Farina Laura , Challapalli Ritihaas Surya , Quinn Anne Marie , O’Halloran Martin , Lowery Aoife , Ruvio Giuseppe , Cavagnaro Marta
Published: March 2024

Microwave thermal ablation is an established therapeutic technique for treating malignant tissue in various organs. Its success greatly depends on the knowledge of dielectric properties of the targeted tissue and on how they change during the treatment. Innovation in lung navigation has recently increased the clinical interest in the transbronchial microwave ablation treatment of lung cancer. However, lung tissue is not largely characterized, thus its dielectric properties investigation prior and post ablation is key. In this work, dielectric properties of ex-vivo ovine lung parenchyma untreated and ablated at 2.45 GHz were recorded in the 0.5–8 GHz frequency range. The measured dielectric properties were fitted to 2-pole Cole–Cole relaxation model and the obtained model parameters were compared. Based on observed changes in the model parameters, the physical changes of the tissue post-ablation were discussed and validated through histology analysis. Additionally, to investigate the link of achieved results with the rate of heating, another two sets of samples, originating from both ovine and porcine tissues, were heated with a microwave oven for different times and at different powers. Dielectric properties were measured in the same frequency range. It was found that lung tissue experiences a different behavior according to heating rates: its dielectric properties increase post-ablation while a decrease is found for low rates of heating. It is hypothesized, and validated by histology, that during ablation, although the tissue is losing water, the air cavities deform, lowering air content and increasing the resulting tissue properties.
Point-of-care lung ultrasound predicts hyperferritinemia and hospitalization, but not elevated troponin in SARS-CoV-2 viral pneumonitis in children
Authors: Walsh Paul , Hankins Andrea , Bang Heejung
Published: March 2024

SARS-CoV-2 often causes viral pneumonitis, hyperferritinemia, elevations in D-dimer, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), transaminases, troponin, CRP, and other inflammatory markers. Lung ultrasound is increasingly used to diagnose and stratify viral pneumonitis severity. We retrospectively reviewed 427 visits in patients aged 14 days to 21 years who had had a point-of-care lung ultrasound in our pediatric emergency department from 30/November/2019 to 14/August/2021. Lung ultrasounds were categorized using a 6-point ordinal scale. Lung ultrasound abnormalities predicted increased hospitalization with a threshold effect. Increasingly abnormal laboratory values were associated with decreased discharge from the ED and increased admission to the ward and ICU. Among patients SARS-CoV-2 positive patients ferritin, LDH, and transaminases, but not CRP or troponin were significantly associated with abnormalities on lung ultrasound and also with threshold effects. This effect was not demonstrated in SARS-CoV-2 negative patients. D-Dimer, CRP, and troponin were sometimes elevated even when the lung ultrasound was normal.
The Musashi RNA binding proteins direct the translational activation of key pituitary mRNAs
Authors: Banik Jewel , Moreira Ana Rita Silva , Lim Juchan , Tomlinson Sophia , Hardy Linda L. , Lagasse Alex , Haney Anessa , Crimmins Meghan R. , Boehm Ulrich , Odle Angela K. , MacNicol Melanie C. , Childs Gwen V. , MacNicol Angus M.
Published: March 2024

The pituitary functions as a master endocrine gland that secretes hormones critical for regulation of a wide variety of physiological processes including reproduction, growth, metabolism and stress responses. The distinct hormone-producing cell lineages within the pituitary display remarkable levels of cell plasticity that allow remodeling of the relative proportions of each hormone-producing cell population to meet organismal demands. The molecular mechanisms governing pituitary cell plasticity have not been fully elucidated. Our recent studies have implicated a role for the Musashi family of sequence-specific mRNA binding proteins in the control of pituitary hormone production, pituitary responses to hypothalamic stimulation and modulation of pituitary transcription factor expression in response to leptin signaling. To date, these actions of Musashi in the pituitary appear to be mediated through translational repression of the target mRNAs. Here, we report Musashi1 directs the translational activation, rather than repression, of the Prop1, Gata2 and Nr5a1 mRNAs which encode key pituitary lineage specification factors. We observe that Musashi1 further directs the translational activation of the mRNA encoding the glycolipid Neuronatin (Nnat) as determined both in mRNA reporter assays as well as in vivo. Our findings suggest a complex bifunctional role for Musashi1 in the control of pituitary cell function.