bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Segmentation of Lung Lesions through Bilateral Learning Branches to Aggregating Contextual and Local Characteristics
Authors: Niu Hao , Li Linjing , Yuan Bo , Zhu Min , Xu Xiuyuan , Lu Xi , Luo Fengming , Yi Zhang
Published: February 2024

Detecting and analyzing lung lesion regions using artificial intelligence is of great significance in the medical diagnosis of lung CT images, which can substantially improve the efficiency of doctors. However, segmentation of the inflammatory region in the CT image of the lung remains challenging due to the varied sizes, blurry local details, irregular shapes, and limited sizes of datasets. Faced with these challenges, this paper proposes a novel lung lesion segmentation network that incorporates two feature extraction branches to achieve a balance of speed and accuracy. We first design a context branch (CB) to preserve the scale-invariant global context information by the transformer-like module. Besides, a shallow detail branch (DB) based on a deep aggregation pyramid (DAP) module is designed to provide detailed information. Extensive experiments are conducted on two datasets, including the public COVID-19 dataset and a private dataset. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms state-of-the-art methods. Moreover, the trade-off between accuracy and inference speed is achieved.
Breast Tumor Classification with Enhanced Transfer Learning Features and Selection Using Chaotic Map-Based Optimization
Authors: Chakravarthy Sannasi , Nagarajan Bharanidharan , Kumar V. Vinoth , Mahesh T. R. , Sivakami R. , Annand Jonnakuti Rajkumar
Published: February 2024

Among women, breast cancer remains one of the most dominant cancer types. In the year 2022, around 2,87,800 new cases were diagnosed, and 43,200 women faced mortality due to this disease. Analysis and processing of mammogram images is vital for its earlier identification and thus helps in reducing mortality rates and facilitating effective treatment for women. Accordingly, several deep-learning techniques have emerged for mammogram classification. However, it is still challenging and requires promising solutions. This study proposed a newer automated computer-aided implementation for breast cancer classification. The work starts with enhancing the mammogram contrast using a haze-reduced adaptive technique followed by augmentation. Afterward, EfficientNet-B4 pre-trained architecture is trained for both original and enhanced sets of mammograms individually using static hyperparameters’ initialization. This provides an output of 1792 feature vectors for each set and then fused using a serial mid-value-based approach. The final feature vectors are then optimized using a chaotic-crow-search optimization algorithm. Finally, the obtained significant feature vectors were classified with the aid of machine learning algorithms. The evaluation is made using INbreast and CBIS-DDSM databases. The proposed framework attained a balanced computation time with a maximum classification performance of 98.459 and 96.175% accuracies on INbreast and CBIS-DDSM databases, respectively.
Genetic Clustering Algorithm-Based Feature Selection and Divergent Random Forest for Multiclass Cancer Classification Using Gene Expression Data
Authors: Senbagamalar L. , Logeswari S.
Published: February 2024

Computational identification and classification of clinical disorders gather major importance due to the effective improvement of machine learning methodologies. Cancer identification and classification are essential clinical areas to address, where accurate classification for multiple types of cancer is still in a progressive stage. In this article, we propose a multiclass cancer classification model that categorizes the five different types of cancers using gene expression data. To perform efficient analysis of the available clinical data, we propose feature selection and classification methods. We propose a genetic clustering algorithm (GCA) for optimal feature selection from the RNA-gene expression data, consisting of 801 samples belonging to the five major classes of cancer. The proposed feature selection method reduces the 1621 gene expressions into a cluster of 21 features. The optimum feature set acts as input data to the proposed divergent random forest. Based on the features computed, the proposed classifier categorizes the data samples into 5 different classes of cancers, including breast cancer, colon cancer, kidney cancer, lung cancer, and prostate cancer. The proposed divergent random forest provided performance improvisation in terms of accuracy with 95.21%, specificity with 93%, and sensitivity with 94.29% which outperformed all the other existing multiclass classification algorithms.
Understanding Researcher Risk and Safety in Qualitative Research Online
Authors: Yadlin Aya , Tsuria Ruth , Nissenbaum Asaf
Published: February 2024

In this reflective essay, we seek to advance our understanding about the risk and safety of the researcher within the changing landscape of academia and media as one. We maintain that over the years, risk and safety protocols have prioritized discussions about the participant, the subject in the study, or the studied community, overlooking some important aspects related to the risk and safety of the researcher. Thus, this reflection directly corresponds with the journal’s main aim: advancing knowledge about the impact of digital technologies on society, and specifically in researching society.
Removal of diesel oil from water using biochar derived from waste banana peels as adsorbent
Authors: Urgel Jefrick Jun Daniel T. , Briones Justin Marwin A. , Diaz Emmanuel B. , Dimaculangan Kirstin Margaux N. , Rangel Kayla L. , Lopez Edgar Clyde R.
Published: February 2024

Here, banana peel biochar (BPBC) generated from discarded saba banana peels powder (SBPP) was utilized as an adsorbent in this study to remove diesel oil from water. The BPBC was synthesized using a slow pyrolysis method and characterized using SEM, EDX, FTIR, DSC, TGA, BET, contact angle analyzer, and XRD. The results showed that BPBC exhibited high porosity, thermal stability, and hydrophobic character, making it a promising adsorbent for oil-water separation and environmental remediation. The adsorption capacity of BPBC for diesel oil removal was examined in terms of adsorbent dose, pH level, salinity, and contact time. Increasing the BPBC dosage, contact time, and salinity significantly enhanced the sorption capacity, however, pH variations had no significant effect on adsorption. Adsorption parameters were correlated using a reduced cubic model, and an adsorbent dose of 2.50 g, pH of 7.00, salinity of 44,999.95 mg/L, and contact duration of 240 minutes were found to be optimal, producing a sorption capacity of 5.3352 g diesel oil/g adsorbent. The adsorption process was characterized by the first-order kinetic model. The creation of multilayer adsorption on the BPBC surface was confirmed by the BET isotherm. Adsorption characterization revealed changes in the surface morphology, elemental analysis, and functional groups of BPBC after adsorption. SEM revealed occupied surface pores, and EDX analysis verified an increase in carbon content. The presence of adsorbed diesel oil molecules on the BPBC surface was detected by FTIR analysis, which exhibited changes in peak appearance and functional group shifts. Overall, this study presents an adsorbent derived from waste material for diesel oil adsorption, which is useful for remediating oil spills and for wastewater treatment.

Graphical Abstract
‘Of’ the community but not ‘of’ the health system: Translating community health workers’ knowledge into credible advice in Aceh, Indonesia
Authors: Randell Madeleine , Li Mu , Rachmi Cut Novianti , Jusril Hafizah , Abimbola Seye , Tama Andi Yoga , Aswitama Tira , Phebe Natassya , Sulasmi  , Alam Neeloy Ashraful , Negin Joel , Bernays Sarah
Published: February 2024

Community health workers (CHWs)—or ‘cadres’ as they are known in Indonesia—are intermediaries between the health system and the community, providing maternal and child health services at a village level. However, systemic and contextual factors inhibit CHWs from realising their potential impact. Training is essential for improving CHW performance; however, there is a need to understand whether and how this affects the care communities receive. This paper explores how communities in Aceh Province, Indonesia, receive care from cadres and the extent to which training interventions of CHWs influence this care. Semi-structured interviews were conducted remotely with 10 cadres in two districts in Aceh between June and July 2021, and five focus group discussions were conducted face-to-face with 21 caregivers of young children in one district in September 2021. Data were iteratively and thematically analysed throughout data collection. Cadres were seen as ‘of’ the community but not ‘of’ the health system. Cadres found training valuable. However, training did not adequately address the contextual challenges cadres face. From the caregivers’ perspective, cadres’ enhanced knowledge did not translate into credible guidance. Their proximity to the community and perceived distance from the health system undermined caregiver perceptions of cadres’ credibility. Infrastructural limitations of Posyandu inhibited CHW’s perceived ability to perform their roles effectively. To maximise the potential of their role, there must be more investment in enhancing the credibility of cadres within their communities—and programmatic factors such as training must better account for and adapt to the local context.
Deep learning enabled seismic fragility evaluation of structures subjected to mainshock-aftershock earthquakes
Authors: He Shan , Liao Yuchen , Sun Peng Patrick , Zhang Ruiyang
Published: February 2024

Mainshock-aftershock earthquakes have gained significant attention since accumulated damages induced by multiple shocks are likely to cause failure of structures. This paper presents a deep learning approach based on a Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) network for assessing the seismic fragility of structures under mainshock-aftershock scenarios. The GRU network is utilized to create a surrogate model that captures the nonlinear relationship between seismic responses and mainshock-aftershock earthquakes. Subsequently, seismic fragility analysis is conducted based on double incremental dynamic analysis, employing the trained GRU network. A single-degree-of-freedom system with Bouc-Wen hysteretic behavior was investigated to demonstrate the proposed approach. The results indicate that the approach shows a substantial reduction in computational costs and holds promising potential for evaluating the seismic fragility of structures exposed to mainshock-aftershock earthquakes.
Staging Disgust
Authors: Panek Jennifer
Published: February 2024

This Element turns to the stage to ask a simple question about gender and affect: what causes the shame of the early modern rape victim? Beneath honour codes and problematic assumptions about consent, the answer lies in affect, disgust. It explores both the textual "performance" of affect, how literary language works to evoke emotions and the ways disgust can work in theatrical performance. Here Shakespeare's poem The Rape of Lucrece is the classic paradigm of sexual pollution and shame, where disgust's irrational logic of contamination leaves the raped wife in a permanent state of uncleanness that spreads from body to soul. Staging Disgust offers alternatives to this depressing trajectory: Middleton's Women Beware Women and Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus perform disgust with a difference, deploying the audience's revulsion to challenge the assumption that a raped woman should “naturally” feel intolerable shame.
Investigating the Reliability and Validity of the Portable Osteometric Device
Authors: Anderson Eric , Malis Sierra W. , Osterholtz Anna J. , Zuckerman Molly K.
Published: February 2024

Metric analysis of skeletal material is integral to the analysis and identification of human remains, though one commonly used measuring device, the osteometric board, has lagged in recent advancement. Traditional boards are bulky and require manual measurement recording, potentially generating intra- and interobserver error. To address these limitations, we tested the reliability, validity, and error rates of a novel device, the Portable Osteometric Device Version 1 (PODv1), which measures distance using laser sensors with time-of-flight technology. Forty-five volunteers measured four skeletal elements with the PODv1 and a PaleoTech osteometric board in three rounds. Comparison of tibia, humerus, and femur measurements with both devices showed no significant differences, although the maximum length of the ulna did differ, potentially because of observer confusion regarding the PODv1's user instructions for this element. Our results suggest that the PODv1 is a reliable, valid measurement device compared to traditional osteometric boards. Although both device types can produce calibration, transcription, and observer errors, the time-of-flight technology and the absence of manual recording built into the PODv1 may limit those errors. These advancements and their potential positive impacts on the accuracy of osteometric data collection may have far-reaching benefits for osteological, bioarchaeological, paleopathological, and forensic anthropological data collection.
Research rigor and reproducibility in research education: A CTSA institutional survey
Authors: Axfors Cathrine , Malički Mario , Goodman Steven N.
Published: February 2024

We assessed the rigor and reproducibility (R&R) activities of institutions funded by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCTSA) through a survey and website search (N = 61). Of 50 institutional responses, 84% reported incorporating some form of R&R training, 68% reported devoted R&R training, 30% monitored R&R practices, and 10% incentivized them. Website searches revealed 9 (15%) freely available training curricula, and 7 (11%) institutional programs specifically created to enhance R&R. NCATS should formally integrate R&R principles into its translational science models and institutional requirements.
Multiplicity of topological systems
Authors: BURGUET DAVID , SHI RUXI
Published: February 2024

We define the topological multiplicity of an invertible topological system
$(X,T)$
as the minimal number k of real continuous functions
$f_1,\ldots , f_k$
such that the functions
$f_i\circ T^n$
,
$n\in {\mathbb {Z}}$
,
$1\leq i\leq k,$
span a dense linear vector space in the space of real continuous functions on X endowed with the supremum norm. We study some properties of topological systems with finite multiplicity. After giving some examples, we investigate the multiplicity of subshifts with linear growth complexity.
Scaling up the task-sharing of psychological therapies: A formative study of the PEERS smartphone application for supervision and quality assurance in rural India
Authors: Singla Daisy R. , Fernandes Luanna , Savel Katarina , Shah Ankita , Agrawal Ravindra , Bhan Anant , Nadkarni Abhijit , Sharma Akshita , Khan Azaz , Lahiri Anuja , Tugnawat Deepak , Lesh Neal , Patel Vikram , Naslund John
Published: February 2024

Measurement-based peer supervision is one strategy to assure the quality of psychological treatments delivered by non-mental health specialist providers. In this formative study, we aimed to 1) describe the development and 2) examine the acceptability and feasibility of PEERS (Promoting Effective mental healthcare through peER Supervision)—a novel smartphone app that aims to facilitate registering and scheduling patients, collecting patient outcomes, rating therapy quality and assessing supervision quality—among frontline treatment providers delivering behavioral activation treatment for depression. The PEERS prototype was developed and tested in 2021, and version 1 was launched in 2022. To date, 215 treatment providers (98% female; ages 30–35) in Madhya Pradesh and Goa, India, have been trained to use PEERS and 65.58% have completed the supplemental, virtual PEERS course. Focus group discussions with 98 providers were examined according to four themes—training and education, app effectiveness, user experience and adherence and data privacy and safety. This yielded commonly endorsed facilitators (e.g., collaborative learning through group supervision, the convenience of consolidated patient data), barriers (e.g., difficulties with new technologies) and suggested changes (e.g., esthetic improvements, suicide risk assessment prompt). The PEERS app has the potential to scale measurement-based peer supervision to facilitate quality assurance of psychological treatments across contexts.
Validating ensemble historical simulations of Upernavik Isstrøm (1985–2019) using observations of surface velocity and elevation
Authors: Jager Eliot , Gillet-Chaulet Fabien , Mouginot Jérémie , Millan Romain
Published: February 2024

The future of tidewater glaciers in response to climate warming is one of the largest sources of uncertainty in the contribution of the Greenland ice sheet to global sea-level rise. In this study, we investigate the ability of an ice-sheet model to reproduce the past evolution of the velocity and surface elevation of a tidewater glacier, Upernavik Isstrøm, by prescribing front positions. To achieve this, we run two ensembles of simulations with a Weertman and a regularised-Coulomb friction law. We show that the ice-flow model has to include a reduction in friction in the first 15 km upstream of the ice front in fast-flowing regions to capture the trends observed during the 1985–2019 period. Without this process, the ensemble model overestimates the ice flow before the retreat of the front in 2005 and does not fully reproduce its acceleration during the retreat. This results in an overestimation of the total mass loss between 1985 and 2019 of 50% (300 vs 200 Gt). Using a variance-based sensitivity analysis, we show that uncertainties in the friction law and the ice-flow law have a greater impact on the model results than surface mass balance and initial surface elevation.
Against naïve induction from experimental data
Authors: Kellen David , Cox Gregory E. , Donkin Chris , Dunn John C. , Shiffrin Richard M.
Published: February 2024

This commentary argues against the indictment of current experimental practices such as piecemeal testing, and the proposed integrated experiment design (IED) approach, which we see as yet another attempt at automating scientific thinking. We identify a number of undesirable features of IED that lead us to believe that its broad application will hinder scientific progress.
Are language–cognition interactions bigger than a breadbox? Integrative modeling and design space thinking temper simplistic questions about causally dense phenomena
Authors: Titone Debra , Hernández-Rivera Esteban , Iniesta Antonio , Beatty-Martínez Anne L. , Gullifer Jason W.
Published: February 2024

We affirm the utility of integrative modeling, according to which it is advantageous to move beyond “one-at-a-time binary paradigms” through studies that position themselves within realistic multidimensional design spaces. We extend the integrative modeling approach to a target domain with which we are familiar, the consequences of bilingualism on mind and brain, often referred to as the “bilingual advantage.” In doing so, we highlight work from our group consistent with integrative modeling.
Consensus meetings will outperform integrative experiments
Authors: Primbs Maximilian A. , Dudda Leonie A. , Andresen Pia K. , Buchanan Erin M. , Peetz Hannah K. , Silan Miguel , Lakens Daniël
Published: February 2024

We expect that consensus meetings, where researchers come together to discuss their theoretical viewpoints, prioritize the factors they agree are important to study, standardize their measures, and determine a smallest effect size of interest, will prove to be a more efficient solution to the lack of coordination and integration of claims in science than integrative experiments.
Beyond integrative experiment design: Systematic experimentation guided by causal discovery AI
Authors: Kummerfeld Erich , Andrews Bryan
Published: February 2024

Integrative experiment design is a needed improvement over ad hoc experiments, but the specific proposed method has limitations. We urge a further break with tradition through the use of an enormous untapped resource: Decades of causal discovery artificial intelligence (AI) literature on optimizing the design of systematic experimentation.
Phenomena complexity, disciplinary consensus, and experimental versus correlational research in psychological science
Authors: Simonton Dean Keith
Published: February 2024

The target article ignores the crucial role of correlational methods in the behavioral and social sciences. Yet such methods are often mandated by the greater complexity of the phenomena investigated. This necessity is especially conspicuous in psychological research where its position in the hierarchy of the sciences implies the need for both experimental and correlational investigations, each featuring distinct assets.
When the Foreign Becomes Familiar: The Glass Bead Assemblage from Madjedbebe, Northern Australia
Authors: Litster Mirani , Wallis Lynley A. ,   Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation
Published: February 2024

By investigating the materiality of colonial encounters, specifically the consumption of introduced commodities by Indigenous peoples, archaeologists can explore questions concerning value, agency, consumer choice and localization. This has the significant capacity to broaden understandings of intercultural encounters and challenge colonial narratives. Glass beads represent one of the earliest foreign material culture introductions to the Indigenous peoples of Australia. The rock-shelter site of Madjedbebe, best known for yielding the oldest evidence to date for human occupation in Australia, also contains one of the largest assemblages from an Indigenous site context in Australia—51 glass beads and associated fragments. We present here an analysis of these objects—through attribute and microwear analysis—in concert with the archival record, to reveal the ways in which Bininj (Aboriginal people) incorporated glass beads into their own lifeways.
Demography as a confounding factor to explain highly diverged loci between cultivated and wild rice
Authors: Xiang-Yu Jinggong , Gu Zhili , Li Haipeng , Lu Bao-Rong
Published: February 2024

The domestication of rice increases the divergence between cultivated rice and its wild progenitor because of artificial selection. However, it remains unknown whether highly diverged loci in rice can be explained by neutral demographic scenarios alone. In this study, we genotyped 45 InDels (insertion/deletion) in two subspecies of Asian cultivated rice (Oryza sativa ssp. japonica and Oryza sativa ssp. indica) and their wild progenitor (O. rufipogon/O. nivara). Among them, 17 loci are highly diverged (FST > 0.4) between rice cultivars and their ancestor. We performed coalescent-based simulations on neutral demographic scenarios and found that neutral demography alone could explain the polymorphic profiles on those highly diverged loci between cultivated and wild rice. Therefore, more signatures of selection should be considered when detecting artificial selection in rice.
Contextualising the absence of standardised approaches to transitional justice in the Philippines
Authors: Destrooper Tine
Published: February 2024

The professionalisation, institutionalisation and standardisation of transitional justice has often been critiqued for pushing more informal, vernacular or experimental approaches off the radar. While this concern is legitimate and needs to be addressed, this article explores the continued relevance of standardised approaches, and of a shared language of transitional justice more specifically. I develop this argument against the background of recent events in the Philippines where, in May 2022, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., son of the former dictator, won the presidential elections. In this article I show that there has been a multiplicity of context-sensitive, vernacular and experimental transitional justice initiatives to deal with intersecting and multilayered legacies of violence, but that what has been missing is an overarching framework as expressed through the discourse of transitional justice, and the potential to forge collaborations and coalitions on the basis thereof. The case of the Philippines hints at the potential of a more ecological understanding of transitional justice in which justice actors involved in standardised and vernacular, formal and informal, state and non-state, top-down and bottom-up approaches recognise each other and certain shared objectives through the shared language and normativity of transitional justice.
On clustering levels of a hierarchical categorical risk factor
Authors: Campo Bavo D.C. , Antonio Katrien
Published: February 2024

Handling nominal covariates with a large number of categories is challenging for both statistical and machine learning techniques. This problem is further exacerbated when the nominal variable has a hierarchical structure. We commonly rely on methods such as the random effects approach to incorporate these covariates in a predictive model. Nonetheless, in certain situations, even the random effects approach may encounter estimation problems. We propose the data-driven Partitioning Hierarchical Risk-factors Adaptive Top-down algorithm to reduce the hierarchically structured risk factor to its essence, by grouping similar categories at each level of the hierarchy. We work top-down and engineer several features to characterize the profile of the categories at a specific level in the hierarchy. In our workers’ compensation case study, we characterize the risk profile of an industry via its observed damage rates and claim frequencies. In addition, we use embeddings to encode the textual description of the economic activity of the insured company. These features are then used as input in a clustering algorithm to group similar categories. Our method substantially reduces the number of categories and results in a grouping that is generalizable to out-of-sample data. Moreover, we obtain a better differentiation between high-risk and low-risk companies.
Entre guerra, política e “uma visão positiva lá de casa”: Descortinando as primeiras experiências moçambicanas na senda da “World Music” (1987-1994)
Authors: FREITAS MARCO ROQUE DE
Published: February 2024

Este artigo analisa a internacionalização de música moçambicana no âmbito da categoria de mercado “World Music”, durante o período de transição de um sistema de partido único e socialista, para um sistema multipartidário e liberal (1987-1994), enquadrado no processo de “construção da nação”. A análise comparativa de três casos – Orquestra Marrabenta Star de Moçambique, a canção “Baila Maria” do Grupo RM (Amoya), e os discos de Eyuphuro e Ghorwane (Real World Records) – confirma o recurso à World Music enquanto alternativa à letargia da indústria fonográfica do país e como veículo para promover internacionalmente a política musical de Moçambique durante a guerra civil.
Politikkompetente Pflege und Pflegebildung
Authors: Monteverde Settimio
Published: February 2024

Zusammenfassung: Pflege ist politisch, weil sie für das Wohlergehen der Gesellschaft unverzichtbar ist und Menschen in unterschiedlichsten Lebenslagen erreicht. Sie ist aber auch politisch, weil es keine Sorge der Pflege um die Gesellschaft geben kann, ohne eine Sorge der Gesellschaft um die Pflege. Der Beitrag führt aus, wie das Verhältnis von Pflege und Politik verstanden werden kann, damit dieses gemeinsame Sorgen gelingt, und welche Konsequenzen sich für eine politikkompetente Pflegebildung daraus ergeben.
Pflege-Welt: WIR – DU – ICH
Authors: Setzer Jennifer , Fabisch Sarah , Herzog Anja
Published: February 2024

Zusammenfassung: Reflexiv setzen sich Pflegestudierende im (in)formellen Lehr-Lern-Arrangement mit der Frage „Was ist Pflege? “ auseinander, über die sie alltägliche, berufsspezifische und fachwissenschaftliche Erfahrungen reflektieren. Es ist ein Beitrag gesellschaftlicher Aushandlungsprozesse im politischen Bildungsdiskurs.
Reliability and Factorial Validity of the Core Self-Evaluations Scale
Authors: Gnambs Timo , Schroeders Ulrich
Published: February 2024

Abstract: The Core Self-Evaluations Scale (CSES) measures a broad personality trait reflecting individuals’ self-appraisals of their worth, capabilities, and control of their lives. Although the CSES was designed to capture a single trait, factor analytic studies often found more complex measurement structures. These either referred to different content facets or methodological artifacts due to the item wording. The present random-effects meta-analysis summarized correlation matrices from 53 samples including 31,843 respondents. After accounting for acquiescent responding, meta-analytic confirmatory factor analyses revealed a single common factor for all items. The factor was highly reliable (ω = .87) and demonstrated partial metric measurement invariance across English, German, and Spanish language versions as well as cultural tendencies of individualism and flexibility. However, Chinese and Romanian translations exhibited substantially lower factor loadings. These results corroborate the use of the CSES as a unidimensional measure, albeit systematic investigations of measurement invariance are recommended before its use in cross-cultural research.
Balancing Non‐CO2 GHG Emissions and Soil Carbon Change in U.S. Rice Paddies: A Retrospective Meta‐Analysis and Agricultural Modeling Study
Authors: Zhang Jingting , Tian Hanqin , You Yongfa , Liang Xin‐Zhong , Ouyang Zutao , Pan Naiqing , Pan Shufen
Published: February 2024

U.S. rice paddies, critical for food security, are increasingly contributing to non‐CO2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions like methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). Yet, the full assessment of GHG balance, considering trade‐offs between soil organic carbon (SOC) change and non‐CO2 GHG emissions, is lacking. Integrating an improved agroecosystem model with a meta‐analysis of multiple field studies, we found that U.S. rice paddies were the rapidly growing net GHG emission sources, increased 138% from 3.7 ± 1.2 Tg CO2eq yr−1 in the 1960s to 8.9 ± 2.7 Tg CO2eq yr−1 in the 2010s. CH4, as the primary contributor, accounted for 10.1 ± 2.3 Tg CO2eq yr−1 in the 2010s, alongside a notable rise in N2O emissions by 0.21 ± 0.03 Tg CO2eq yr−1. SOC change could offset 14.0% (1.45 ± 0.46 Tg CO2eq yr−1) of the climate‐warming effects of soil non‐CO2 GHG emissions in the 2010s. This escalation in net GHG emissions is linked to intensified land use, increased atmospheric CO2, higher synthetic nitrogen fertilizer and manure application, and climate change. However, no/reduced tillage and non‐continuous irrigation could reduce net soil GHG emissions by approximately 10% and non‐CO2 GHG emissions by about 39%, respectively. Despite the rise in net GHG emissions, the cost of achieving higher rice yields has decreased over time, with an average of 0.84 ± 0.18 kg CO2eq ha−1 emitted per kilogram of rice produced in the 2010s. The study suggests the potential for significant GHG emission reductions to achieve climate‐friendly rice production in the U.S. through optimizing the ratio of synthetic N to manure fertilizer, reducing tillage, and implementing intermittent irrigation.
Understanding the Diversity of CMIP6 Models in the Projection of Precipitation Over Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Qiu Hui , Zhou Tianjun , Chen Xiaolong , Wu Bo , Jiang Jie
Published: February 2024

A reliable projection of precipitation over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) is crucial for climate adaptation activities in this climate‐sensitive region, but existing studies show a large spread in magnitude. Based on Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 models, we investigate the TP summer precipitation projection and understand the sources of uncertainty. The results show that the TP exhibits a profound wetting trend throughout the 21st century, with precipitation increasing by 0.64 ± 0.06 mm day−1 during 2050–2099 under the SSP5–8.5 scenario. The moisture budget analysis indicates that the thermodynamical response to global warming determines the precipitation increase. However, both the thermodynamical and dynamical components contribute to the uncertainty of precipitation projection. The inter‐model spread of the thermodynamic term arises from divergent global mean warming, which is closely related to model climate sensitivity. The uncertainty of the dynamic component is driven by model‐dependent circulation changes induced by different equatorial Pacific warming rates.
Crafting chirality in three dimensions via a novel fabrication technique for bound states in the continuum metasurfaces
Authors: Haddadin Zaid , Nguyen Anna My , Poulikakos Lisa V.
Published: February 2024

An additional deposition step was added to a multi-step electron beam lithographic fabrication process to unlock the height dimension as an accessible parameter for resonators comprising unit cells of quasi-bound states in the continuum metasurfaces, which is essential for the geometric design of intrinsically chiral structures.
Continuous-wave operation of 1550 nm low-threshold triple-lattice photonic-crystal surface-emitting lasers
Authors: Wang Ziye , Liu Xia , Wang Pinyao , Lu Huanyu , Meng Bo , Zhang Wei , Wang Lijie , Wang Yanjing , Tong Cunzhu
Published: February 2024

Benefitting from narrow beam divergence, photonic crystal surface-emitting lasers are expected to play an essential role in the ever-growing fields of optical communication and light detection and ranging. Lasers operating with 1.55 μm wavelengths have attracted particular attention due to their minimum fiber loss and high eye-safe threshold. However, high interband absorption significantly decreases their performance at this 1.55 μm wavelength. Therefore, stronger optical feedback is needed to reduce their threshold and thus improve the output power. Toward this goal, photonic-crystal resonators with deep holes and high dielectric contrast are often used. Nevertheless, the relevant techniques for high-contrast photonic crystals inevitably complicate fabrication and reduce the final yield. In this paper, we demonstrate the first continuous-wave operation of 1.55 μm photonic-crystal surface-emitting lasers by using a ‘triple-lattice photonic-crystal resonator’, which superimposes three lattice point groups to increase the strength of in-plane optical feedback. Using this geometry, the in-plane 180° coupling can be enhanced threefold compared to the normal single-lattice structure. Detailed theoretical and experimental investigations demonstrate the much lower threshold current density of this structure compared to ‘single-lattice’ and ‘double-lattice’ photonic-crystal resonators, verifying our design principles. Our findings provide a new strategy for photonic crystal laser miniaturization, which is crucial for realizing their use in future high-speed applications.
DNA methylation patterns of FKBP5 regulatory regions in brain and blood of humanized mice and humans
Authors: Yusupov Natan , Roeh Simone , Sotillos Elliott Laura , Chang Simon , Loganathan Srivaishnavi , Urbina-Treviño Lidia , Fröhlich Anna S. , Sauer Susann , Ködel Maik , Matosin Natalie , Czamara Darina , Deussing Jan M. , Binder Elisabeth B.
Published: February 2024

Humanized mouse models can be used to explore human gene regulatory elements (REs), which frequently lie in non-coding and less conserved genomic regions. Epigenetic modifications of gene REs, also in the context of gene x environment interactions, have not yet been explored in humanized mouse models. We applied high-accuracy measurement of DNA methylation (DNAm) via targeted bisulfite sequencing (HAM-TBS) to investigate DNAm in three tissues/brain regions (blood, prefrontal cortex and hippocampus) of mice carrying the human FK506-binding protein 5 (FKBP5) gene, an important candidate gene associated with stress-related psychiatric disorders. We explored DNAm in three functional intronic glucocorticoid-responsive elements (at introns 2, 5, and 7) of FKBP5 at baseline, in cases of differing genotype (rs1360780 single nucleotide polymorphism), and following application of the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone. We compared DNAm patterns in the humanized mouse (N = 58) to those in human peripheral blood (N = 447 and N = 89) and human postmortem brain prefrontal cortex (N = 86). Overall, DNAm patterns in the humanized mouse model seem to recapitulate DNAm patterns observed in human tissue. At baseline, this was to a higher extent in brain tissue. The animal model also recapitulated effects of dexamethasone on DNAm, especially in peripheral blood and to a lesser extent effects of genotype on DNAm. The humanized mouse model could thus assist in reverse translation of human findings in psychiatry that involve genetic and epigenetic regulation in non-coding elements.
Efficacy of novel agents against cellular models of familial platelet disorder with myeloid malignancy (FPD-MM)
Authors: Mill Christopher P. , Fiskus Warren C. , DiNardo Courtney D. , Reville Patrick , Davis John A. , Birdwell Christine E. , Das Kaberi , Hou Hanxi , Takahashi Koichi , Flores Lauren , Ruan Xinjia , Su Xiaoping , Loghavi Sanam , Khoury Joseph D. , Bhalla Kapil N.
Published: February 2024

Germline, mono-allelic mutations in RUNX1 cause familial platelet disorder (RUNX1-FPD) that evolves into myeloid malignancy (FPD-MM): MDS or AML. FPD-MM commonly harbors co-mutations in the second RUNX1 allele and/or other epigenetic regulators. Here we utilized patient-derived (PD) FPD-MM cells and established the first FPD-MM AML cell line (GMR-AML1). GMR-AML1 cells exhibited active super-enhancers of MYB, MYC, BCL2 and CDK6, augmented expressions of c-Myc, c-Myb, EVI1 and PLK1 and surface markers of AML stem cells. In longitudinally studied bone marrow cells from a patient at FPD-MM vs RUNX1-FPD state, we confirmed increased chromatin accessibility and mRNA expressions of MYB, MECOM and BCL2 in FPD-MM cells. GMR-AML1 and PD FPD-MM cells were sensitive to homoharringtonine (HHT or omacetaxine) or mebendazole-induced lethality, associated with repression of c-Myc, EVI1, PLK1, CDK6 and MCL1. Co-treatment with MB and the PLK1 inhibitor volasertib exerted synergistic in vitro lethality in GMR-AML1 cells. In luciferase-expressing GMR-AML1 xenograft model, MB, omacetaxine or volasertib monotherapy, or co-treatment with MB and volasertib, significantly reduced AML burden and improved survival in the immune-depleted mice. These findings highlight the molecular features of FPD-MM progression and demonstrate HHT, MB and/or volasertib as effective agents against cellular models of FPD-MM.
Emerging roles of circular RNAs in regulating the hallmarks of thyroid cancer
Authors: Zhou Tianjiao , Li Zheng , Jiang Yumeng , Su Kaiming , Xu Chuan , Yi Hongliang
Published: February 2024

Thyroid cancer is a prevalent endocrine malignancy with increasing incidence in recent years. Although most thyroid cancers grow slowly, they can become refractory, leading to a high mortality rate once they exhibit recurrence, metastasis, resistance to radioiodine therapy, or a lack of differentiation. However, the mechanisms underlying these malignant characteristics remain unclear. Circular RNAs, a type of closed-loop non-coding RNAs, play multiple roles in cancer. Several studies have demonstrated that circular RNAs significantly influence the development of thyroid cancers. In this review, we summarize the circular RNAs identified in thyroid cancers over the past decade according to the hallmarks of cancer. We found that eight of the 14 hallmarks of thyroid cancers are regulated by circular RNAs, whereas the other six have not been reported to be correlated with circular RNAs. This review is expected to help us better understand the roles of circular RNAs in thyroid cancers and accelerate research on the mechanisms and cure strategies for thyroid cancers.
Evolution of chemosensory tissues and cells across ecologically diverse Drosophilids
Authors: Bontonou Gwénaëlle , Saint-Leandre Bastien , Kafle Tane , Baticle Tess , Hassan Afrah , Sánchez-Alcañiz Juan Antonio , Arguello J. Roman
Published: February 2024

Chemosensory tissues exhibit significant between-species variability, yet the evolution of gene expression and cell types underlying this diversity remain poorly understood. To address these questions, we conducted transcriptomic analyses of five chemosensory tissues from six Drosophila species and integrated the findings with single-cell datasets. While stabilizing selection predominantly shapes chemosensory transcriptomes, thousands of genes in each tissue have evolved expression differences. Genes that have changed expression in one tissue have often changed in multiple other tissues but at different past epochs and are more likely to be cell type-specific than unchanged genes. Notably, chemosensory-related genes have undergone widespread expression changes, with numerous species-specific gains/losses including novel chemoreceptors expression patterns. Sex differences are also pervasive, including a D. melanogaster-specific excess of male-biased expression in sensory and muscle cells in its forelegs. Together, our analyses provide new insights for understanding evolutionary changes in chemosensory tissues at both global and individual gene levels.
HIV-associated gut microbial alterations are dependent on host and geographic context
Authors: Rocafort Muntsa , Gootenberg David B. , Luévano Jesús M. , Paer Jeffrey M. , Hayward Matthew R. , Bramante Juliet T. , Ghebremichael Musie S. , Xu Jiawu , Rogers Zoe H. , Munoz Alexander R. , Okello Samson , Kim June-Ho , Sentongo Ruth , Wagubi Robert , Lankowski Alex , Maruapula Segametsi , Zhao Guoyan , Handley Scott A. , Mosepele Mosepele , Siedner Mark J. , Kwon Douglas S.
Published: February 2024

HIV-associated changes in intestinal microbiota are believed to be important drivers of disease progression. However, the majority of studies have focused on populations in high-income countries rather than in developing regions where HIV burden is greatest. To better understand the impact of HIV on fecal microbiota globally, we compare the fecal microbial community of individuals in the U.S., Uganda, and Botswana. We identify significant bacterial taxa alterations with both treated and untreated HIV infection with a high degree of uniqueness in each cohort. HIV-associated taxa alterations are also significantly different between populations that report men who have sex with men (MSM) behavior and non-MSM populations. Additionally, while we find that HIV infection is consistently associated with higher soluble markers of immune activation, most specific bacterial taxa associated with these markers in each region are not shared and none are shared across all three geographic locations in our study. Our findings demonstrate that HIV-associated changes in fecal microbiota are overall distinct among geographical locations and sexual behavior groups, although a small number of taxa shared between pairs of geographic locations warrant further investigation, highlighting the importance of considering host context to fully assess the impact of the gut microbiome on human health and disease.
Bystander activated CD8+ T cells mediate neuropathology during viral infection via antigen-independent cytotoxicity
Authors: Balint Elizabeth , Feng Emily , Giles Elizabeth C. , Ritchie Tyrah M. , Qian Alexander S. , Vahedi Fatemeh , Montemarano Amelia , Portillo Ana L. , Monteiro Jonathan K. , Trigatti Bernardo L. , Ashkar Ali A.
Published: February 2024

Although many viral infections are linked to the development of neurological disorders, the mechanism governing virus-induced neuropathology remains poorly understood, particularly when the virus is not directly neuropathic. Using a mouse model of Zika virus (ZIKV) infection, we found that the severity of neurological disease did not correlate with brain ZIKV titers, but rather with infiltration of bystander activated NKG2D+CD8+ T cells. Antibody depletion of CD8 or blockade of NKG2D prevented ZIKV-associated paralysis, suggesting that CD8+ T cells induce neurological disease independent of TCR signaling. Furthermore, spleen and brain CD8+ T cells exhibited antigen-independent cytotoxicity that correlated with NKG2D expression. Finally, viral infection and inflammation in the brain was necessary but not sufficient to induce neurological damage. We demonstrate that CD8+ T cells mediate virus-induced neuropathology via antigen-independent, NKG2D-mediated cytotoxicity, which may serve as a therapeutic target for treatment of virus-induced neurological disease.
Localisation-to-delocalisation transition of moiré excitons in WSe2/MoSe2 heterostructures
Authors: Blundo Elena , Tuzi Federico , Cianci Salvatore , Cuccu Marzia , Olkowska-Pucko Katarzyna , Kipczak Łucja , Contestabile Giorgio , Miriametro Antonio , Felici Marco , Pettinari Giorgio , Taniguchi Takashi , Watanabe Kenji , Babiński Adam , Molas Maciej R. , Polimeni Antonio
Published: February 2024

Moiré excitons (MXs) are electron-hole pairs localised by the periodic (moiré) potential forming in two-dimensional heterostructures (HSs). MXs can be exploited, e.g., for creating nanoscale-ordered quantum emitters and achieving or probing strongly correlated electronic phases at relatively high temperatures. Here, we studied the exciton properties of WSe2/MoSe2 HSs from T = 6 K to room temperature using time-resolved and continuous-wave micro-photoluminescence also under a magnetic field. The exciton dynamics and emission lineshape evolution with temperature show clear signatures that MXs de-trap from the moiré potential and turn into free interlayer excitons (IXs) for temperatures above 100 K. The MX-to-IX transition is also apparent from the exciton magnetic moment reversing its sign when the moiré potential is not capable of localising excitons at elevated temperatures. Concomitantly, the exciton formation and decay times reduce drastically. Thus, our findings establish the conditions for a truly confined nature of the exciton states in a moiré superlattice with increasing temperature and photo-generated carrier density.
Identification of myeloid-derived growth factor as a mechanically-induced, growth-promoting angiocrine signal for human hepatocytes
Authors: Große-Segerath Linda , Follert Paula , Behnke Kristina , Ettich Julia , Buschmann Tobias , Kirschner Philip , Hartwig Sonja , Lehr Stefan , Korf-Klingebiel Mortimer , Eberhard Daniel , Lehwald-Tywuschik Nadja , Al-Hasani Hadi , Knoefel Wolfram Trudo , Heinrich Stefan , Levkau Bodo , Wollert Kai C. , Scheller Jürgen , Lammert Eckhard
Published: February 2024

Recently, we have shown that after partial hepatectomy (PHx), an increased hepatic blood flow initiates liver growth in mice by vasodilation and mechanically-triggered release of angiocrine signals. Here, we use mass spectrometry to identify a mechanically-induced angiocrine signal in human hepatic endothelial cells, that is, myeloid-derived growth factor (MYDGF). We show that it induces proliferation and promotes survival of primary human hepatocytes derived from different donors in two-dimensional cell culture, via activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). MYDGF also enhances proliferation of human hepatocytes in three-dimensional organoids. In vivo, genetic deletion of MYDGF decreases hepatocyte proliferation in the regenerating mouse liver after PHx; conversely, adeno-associated viral delivery of MYDGF increases hepatocyte proliferation and MAPK signaling after PHx. We conclude that MYDGF represents a mechanically-induced angiocrine signal and that it triggers growth of, and provides protection to, primary mouse and human hepatocytes.