bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Post‐transcriptional regulation of polycistronic microRNAs
Authors: Vilimova Monika , Pfeffer Sébastien
Published: June 2022

An important proportion of microRNA (miRNA) genes tend to lie close to each other within animal genomes. Such genomic organization is generally referred to as miRNA clusters. Even though many miRNA clusters have been greatly studied, most attention has been usually focused on functional impacts of clustered miRNA co‐expression. However, there is also another compelling aspect about these miRNA clusters, their polycistronic nature. Being transcribed on a single RNA precursor, polycistronic miRNAs benefit from common transcriptional regulation allowing their coordinated expression. And yet, numerous reports have revealed striking discrepancies in the accumulation of mature miRNAs produced from the same cluster. Indeed, the larger polycistronic transcripts can act as platforms providing unforeseen post‐transcriptional regulatory mechanisms controlling individual miRNA processing, thus leading to differential miRNA expression, and sometimes even challenging the general assumption that polycistronic miRNAs are co‐expressed. In this review, we aim to address the current knowledge about how miRNA polycistrons are post‐transcriptionally regulated. In particular, we will focus on the mechanisms occurring at the level of the primary transcript, which are highly relevant for individual miRNA processing and as such have a direct repercussion on miRNA function within the cell.

This article is categorized under:

RNA Processing > Processing of Small RNAs

Regulatory RNAs/RNAi/Riboswitches > Biogenesis of Effector Small RNAs

RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > RNA‐Protein Complexes
Near‐Infrared Ratiometric Nanothermometer in Yb3+/Nd3+ Co‐Doped Nanocrystals
Authors: Cao Cong , Li Shiwen , Wang Jinsong , Li Yu , Li Guangshen
Published: June 2022

Nanothermometers that can reflect temperature in real‐time are crucial for photothermal therapy. Near‐infrared (NIR) fluorescent probes that conform to Boltzmann distribution will play an important role if they have the above characteristics. Here, the LiLuF4: Nd3+/Yb3+ nanocrystals were designed and synthesized by control, exhibiting multiple bright near‐infrared emission peaks at 925–1080 nm region at 280–360 K under the excitation of an 808 nm laser. The feasibility of being used as a nanothermometer was confirmed by testing the spectral variation with temperature and analysis.
World War I
Authors: Schappacher Norbert
Published: June 2022

The delicate dualism of nationalist and internationalist orientations that characterized the pre-war period, as described in Section 1.4 above, came to an abrupt end once war was declared, at the beginning of August 1914. The pride and interest of the nation left no room for ‘internationalist jokes’, as Debussy put it. We will first, in Sections 3.1 and 3.2, document this new state of mind with respect to science, and mathematics in particular. World War I was not only marked by this surge of exclusive nationalism; it was also a modern, technical war which mobilized scientists, including mathematicians; this is the subject of Section 3.3. A short final section considers the (im)possibility of organizing international congresses during the war.
Introduction: Analyzing the Shifts in Sino-Russian Strategic Cooperation Since 2014
Authors: Kirchberger Sarah , Sinjen Svenja , Wörmer Nils
Published: June 2022

The aim of this volume is to contribute to an ongoing discussion on the scope and meaning of Russian-Chinese cooperation since 2014, the year Russia invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea. During the past few years, the number of research projects on Sino-Russian cooperation at Western think tanks has markedly increased, complementing a likewise increasing number of monographs and edited volumes that had begun to appear on related topics during the preceding years.
What a Military Alliance Between Russia and China Would Mean for NATO
Authors: Meyer zum Felde Rainer
Published: June 2022

Are Russia and China an emerging alliance or eternal rivals? And what would it mean for NATO? NATO reacted to the Russian aggression against Ukraine with a paradigm shift called “NATO Adaptation.” At the 2014 Wales Summit, it increased its responsiveness with the “Readiness Action Plan,” the 2016 Warsaw Summit strengthened its deterrence and defense posture, and the 2018 Brussels Summit re-designed NATO’s Command Structure toward collective defense. Although embedded in a “360-degree approach,” all key defense elements of NATO’s adaptation have been primarily focused on Russia, which was recognized from March 2014 on as potential threat to the territorial integrity of the Eastern European members. However, this changing of the paradigm was based entirely on the understanding that Russia alone poses a serious military threat to the alliance. There was never any consideration given to the question of what it would mean if Russia were supported by a like-minded great power such as China, nor to the question of what simultaneous aggressions—one by Russia in Europe and another by China in the Indo-Pacific—would mean for NATO. Hence, the answers to these questions are of high relevance to NATO’s further adaptation to the new geopolitical realities.
The Way Forward: How Should Europe Deal with Russia and China?
Authors: Krause Joachim
Published: June 2022

The existence of an alliance between Russia and China seems to be changing the European security environment in a fundamental way. In light of historical experiences, one has to start with the assumption that any such alliance between authoritarian powers directed against Western democracies and free societies will increase the likelihood of major wars. In at least two European regions—the Black-Sea and the Baltic Sea area—merely the existence of such an alliance and the ensuing opportunity to overburden the U.S. military might increase the risk-level Russia was ready to accept. This might entail the danger of a high intensity war between Russia and NATO. It is high time for NATO to consider a more effective defence and deterrence posture in order to prevent Russian aggression against the Baltic states and to envision effective measures that would deter Russia from continuing to destroy Ukraine.
Conclusion: Connecting the Dots and Defining the Challenge
Authors: Pavel Barry , Kirchberger Sarah , Sinjen Svenja
Published: June 2022

The contributions to this volume in sum paint a multifaceted picture of the complex and evolving Russian-Chinese strategic partnership. It seems clear that depending on the particular issue area studied and the methods adopted for studying it, a number of varying diagnoses can be made regarding the current state and future prospects of this “strategic partnership.” Capturing such complexity was expressly one of our goals; we consider it dangerous to approach the reality of Russian-Chinese cooperation with ready-made interpretations and thus risk falling victim to confirmation bias. That said, a few clear patterns do emerge from our material when it comes to answering the key questions that this research project set out to study and that were listed in the introduction.
Russia’s Strategic Outlook and Policies: What Role for China?
Authors: Adomeit Hannes
Published: June 2022

This examination deals with the mental maps and basic assumptions underlying Russia’s foreign policy and how these relate to China. I will take issue with the narrative, advanced in particular by Kremlin officials and pro-Putin apologists in the West, that Russia’s “pivot to Asia,” with China as its centerpiece, can be understood as the consequence of the West having rejected Putin’s outstretched hand for close cooperation, Russia’s exclusion from an all-European security structure by pushing NATO’s eastward expansion, and finally the imposition of economic sanctions. This, to complete the account, had left Russia with no other option but to turn to Asia. Such interpretations will be shown to be fundamentally flawed. Putin’s China policies fit squarely into both the Russian power elite’s global strategic outlook and its narrow perception of what is needed to hold on to power domestically. The benefits accruing to Russia from its liaison with China can be found in military, economic, and systemic dimensions, and they are for the most part asymmetric in favor of the Kremlin. The asymmetries may cause problems in the future, but for the time being, they are carefully managed so that they will not spin out of control.
Imperialist Master, Comrade in Arms, Foe, Partner, and Now Ally? China’s Changing Views of Russia
Authors: Bekkevold Jo Inge
Published: June 2022

China no longer sees Russia as a rival. This is not the result of friendly ties, shared values, or growing economic cooperation, but an outcome of the dramatic shift in the balance of power between them. Moreover, China’s contemporary policy toward Russia is not driven by Xi Jinping’s possible fondness for Putin or Russia, but by strategic calculations about what best serves Chinese interests. China’s number one priority today is to balance the United States in the Indo-Pacific naval theatre, and it is thus in Beijing’s interest to keep its strategic rear to Russia safe. This chapter argues that balance of power theories is the best tool to explain China’s growing ties with Russia. History, identity, and ideology are important variables for understanding China’s relationship with Russia. Yet, few, if any, bilateral relationships between two major countries have changed back and forth so dramatically as that of China and Russia. Examining Sino-Russian relations across several time periods, this chapter illustrates that there is no single continuous historical narrative or identity in China on Russia. During the last century, China has seen Russia as an imperialist master, a comrade in arms, a foe, and a partner, and it is now discussing whether it should be an ally.
Digital Authoritarianism and Technological Cooperation in Sino-Russian Relations: Common Goals and Diverging Standpoints
Authors: Sinkkonen Elina , Lassila Jussi
Published: June 2022

China and Russia are jointly advancing their shared interests in the international arena and increasing their cooperation in the tech sector. Despite far-reaching plans, the asymmetry of cooperation in favour of China is increasingly at odds with Russia’s national goals in digital technology. Differences in resources and standpoints are also reflected in the implementation of digital surveillance. China’s surveillance system is sophisticated and extensive, whereas Russia’s is still largely inconsistent and emerging, as evidenced by the fact that there was virtually no control of the Internet in Russia until 2012. While advanced surveillance in authoritarian countries is worrying, technology in strategic sectors is also a key field of increasingly disconcerting great power competition. As a result of intensifying competition, the world is faced with the risk of technological decoupling, which would contribute to the further fragmentation of the international community and the deepening of existing rivalries.
Respectable and Masculine Livelihoods: Roma Stories of Horse Trading
Authors: Ahlbeck Jutta
Published: June 2022

Until the mid-twentieth century, the Finnish Roma supported themselves by small-scale itinerant trade, such as peddling and market trade. This chapter traces Roma’s strategies of survival in the first half of the twentieth century by analyzing interviews with Finnish Roma. The analysis demonstrates how horse trading carried out by men was experienced as the most important, profitable, and respectable form of livelihood. Women’s versatile work tasks also required trust and aid from the majority population, yet both women and men emphasized the worth of the masculine form of livelihood. The chapter investigates in detail how gender operated in narratives of horse trading and how the construction of a masculine self was taking place in certain spatial realms, like the marketplace.
Exhibiting the Extraordinary Body: Six Itinerant Performers and Their Livelihood in the Nordic Countries, 1864–1912
Authors: Jonasson Maren
Published: June 2022

This chapter examines the marginalized livelihoods of six “extraordinary” bodied itinerant artists, who performed and were exhibited in the Nordic countries during 1860–1910. They travelled extensively and were shown to varied audiences in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland, at town markets, in restaurants, and at other locations and events where large crowds were expected to gather. The cases discussed include individuals who all belonged to the margins of society: an exceptionally tall man, two albino sisters, a woman born without arms and with deformed legs, and two African-American women. These performing artists made their living and supported their families by exhibiting their extraordinary “deviant” bodies to a paying audience. Making use of their bodies was one of few means available to them.
A new conceptional model for deriving average dermal absorption estimates from studies with multiple tested concentrations for non-dietary risk assessment of pesticides
Authors: Kluxen Felix M. , Felkers Edgars , McEuen Steve , Fisher Philip , Strupp Christian , Lorez Christine , Domoradzki Jeanne Y. , Wiemann Christiane
Published: June 2022

Dermal absorption values are used to translate external dermal exposure into potential systemic exposure for non-dietary risk assessment of pesticides. While the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States of America (US EPA) derives a common dermal absorption factor for active substances covering all related products, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) requests specific product-based estimates for individual concentrations covering the intended use rates. The latter poses challenges, because it disconnects exposure dose from applied dose in absorption studies, which may not be suitable in scenarios where concentration is not relevant. We analyzed the EFSA dermal absorption database, collected 33 human in vitro studies from CropLife Europe (CLE) companies, where ≥3 in-use dilution concentrations were tested, and 15 dermal absorption triple pack datasets. This shows that absolute dermal absorption correlates with absolute applied dose on a decadic logarithm-scale, which is concordant with the toxicological axiom that risk is driven by exposure dose. This method is radically different from the current European approach focused on concentrations and offers new insights into the relationship of internal and external exposure doses when utilizing data from in vitro studies. A single average dermal absorption value can be simply derived from studies with multiple tested concentrations, by calculating the y-intercept of a linear model on a decadic logarithm scale while assuming a slope of 1. This simplifies risk assessment and frees resources to explore exposure refinements. It also serves as a basis to harmonize dermal absorption estimation globally for use in exposure-driven risk assessments.
Genotoxicity of methyl acrylate and ethyl acrylate and its relationship with glutathione
Authors: Oesch F. , Honarvar N. , Fabian E. , Finch L. , Hindle S. , Wiench K. , Landsiedel R.
Published: June 2022

Methyl acrylate (MA) and ethyl acrylate (EA) had previously tested positive for mutagenicity in vitro, but in vivo studies were negative. One of the metabolism pathways of alkyl acrylates is conjugation with glutathione. The glutathione availability is restricted in standard in vitro test systems so that they do not reflect the in vivo metabolism in this respect. We investigated whether the addition of glutathione to the in vitro L5178Y/TK+/− mouse lymphoma mutagenicity test prevents alkyl acrylate’s mutagenicity in vitro. We also investigated whether the quantitative relationships support the notion that the GSH supplemented in vitro systems reflect the true in vivo activity. Indeed, glutathione concentrations as low as 1 mM completely negate the mutagenicity of MA and EA in the L5178Y/TK+/− mouse lymphoma mutagenicity test up to the highest concentrations of the two acrylates tested, 35 µg/ml, a higher concentration than that previously found to be mutagenic in this test (14 µg MA/ml and 20 µg EA/ml). 1 mM Glutathione reduced the residual MA and EA at the end of the exposure period in the mutagenicity tests by 96–97%, but in vivo up to 100 mg/kg body weight MA and EA left the glutathione levels in the mouse liver and forestomach completely intact. It is concluded that the in-situ levels of glutathione, 7.55 ± 0.57 and 2.84 ± 0.22 µmol/g mouse liver and forestomach, respectively, can efficiently protect against MA and EA-induced mutagenicity up to the high concentration of 100 mg MA and EA/kg body weight and that the negative in vivo mutagenicity tests on MA and EA reflect the true in vivo situation.
Maternal hemodynamics and computerized cardiotocography during labor with epidural analgesia
Authors: Giannubilo Stefano Raffaele , Amici Mirco , Pizzi Simone , Simonini Alessandro , Ciavattini Andrea
Published: June 2022

Purpose

To analyze the mechanisms involved in the fetal heart rate (FHR) abnormalities after the epidural analgesia in labor.

Methods

A prospective unblinded single-center observational study on 55 term singleton pregnant women with spontaneous labor. All women recruited underwent serial bedside measurements of the main hemodynamic parameters using a non-invasive ultrasound system (USCOM-1A). Total vascular resistances (TVR), heart rate (HR), stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (CO) and arterial blood pressure were measured before epidural administration (T0), after 5 min 5 (T1) from epidural bolus and at the end of the first stage of labor (T2). FHR was continuously recorded through computerized cardiotocography before and after the procedure.

Results

The starting CO was significantly higher in a subgroup of women with low TVR than in women with high-TVR group. After the bolus of epidural analgesia in the low-TVR group there was a significant reduction in CO and then increased again at the end of the first stage, in the high-TVR group the CO increased insignificantly after the anesthesia bolus, while it increased significantly in the remaining part of the first stage of labor. On the other hand, CO was inversely correlated with the number of decelerations detected on cCTG in the 1 hour after the epidural bolus while the short-term variation was significantly lower in the group with high-TVR.

Conclusion

Maternal hemodynamic status at the onset of labor can make a difference in fetal response to the administration of epidural analgesia.
Reactive fluid flow guided by grain-scale equilibrium reactions during eclogitization of dry crustal rocks
Authors: Zertani Sascha , John Timm , Brachmann Caroline , Vrijmoed Johannes C. , Plümper Oliver
Published: June 2022

Fluid flow in crystalline rocks in the absence of fractures or ductile shear zones dominantly occurs by grain boundary diffusion, as it is faster than volume diffusion. It is, however, unclear how reactive fluid flow is guided through such pathways. We present a microstructural, mineral chemical, and thermodynamic analysis of a static fluid-driven reaction from dry granulite to ‘wet’ eclogite. Fluid infiltration resulted in re-equilibration at eclogite-facies conditions, indicating that the granulitic protolith was out of equilibrium, but unable to adjust to changing P–T conditions. The transformation occurred in three steps: (1) initial hydration along plagioclase grain boundaries, (2) complete breakdown of plagioclase and hydration along phase boundaries between plagioclase and garnet/clinopyroxene, and (3) re-equilibration of the rock to an eclogite-facies mineral assemblage. Thermodynamic modelling of local compositions reveals that this reaction sequence is proportional to the local decrease of the Gibbs free energy calculated for ‘dry’ and ‘wet’ cases. These energy differences result in increased net reaction rates and the reactions that result in the largest decrease of the Gibbs free energy occur first. In addition, these reactions result in a local volume decrease leading to porosity formation; i.e., pathways for new fluid to enter the reaction site thus controlling net fluid flow. Element transport to and from the reaction sites only occurs if it is energetically beneficial, and enough transport agent is available. Reactive fluid flow during static re-equilibration of nominally impermeable rocks is thus guided by differences in the energy budget of the local equilibrium domains.
Small ball probability estimates for the Hölder semi-norm of the stochastic heat equation
Authors: Foondun Mohammud , Joseph Mathew , Kim Kunwoo
Published: June 2022

We consider the stochastic heat equation on $$[0,\,1]$$

[
0
,

1
]

with periodic boundary conditions and driven by space-time white noise. Under various natural conditions, we study small ball probabilities for the Hölder semi-norms of the solutions, and provide near optimal bounds on these probabilities. As an application, we prove a support theorem in these Hölder semi-norms.
Preprocessing for Outerplanar Vertex Deletion: An Elementary Kernel of Quartic Size
Authors: Donkers Huib , Jansen Bart M. P. , Włodarczyk Michał
Published: June 2022

In the $${\varvec{\mathcal {F}}}$$

F

-Minor-Free Deletion problem one is given an undirected graph $${\varvec{G}}$$

G

, an integer $${\varvec{k}}$$

k

, and the task is to determine whether there exists a vertex set $${\varvec{S}}$$

S

of size at most $${\varvec{k}}$$

k

, so that $${\varvec{G}}-{\varvec{S}}$$

G

-

S

contains no graph from the finite family $${\varvec{\mathcal {F}}}$$

F

as a minor. It is known that whenever $${\varvec{\mathcal {F}}}$$

F

contains at least one planar graph, then $${\varvec{\mathcal {F}}}$$

F

-Minor-Free Deletion admits a polynomial kernel, that is, there is a polynomial-time algorithm that outputs an equivalent instance of size $${\varvec{k}}^{{\varvec{\mathcal {O}}}{} {\textbf {(1)}}}$$

k

O

(
1
)

[Fomin, Lokshtanov, Misra, Saurabh; FOCS 2012]. However, this result relies on non-constructive arguments based on well-quasi-ordering and does not provide a concrete bound on the kernel size. We study the Outerplanar Deletion problem, in which we want to remove at most $${\varvec{k}}$$

k

vertices from a graph to make it outerplanar. This is a special case of $${\varvec{\mathcal {F}}}$$

F

-Minor-Free Deletion for the family $${\varvec{\mathcal {F}}} = \{{\varvec{K}}_{{\textbf {4}}}, {\varvec{K}}_{{{\textbf {2,3}}}}\}$$

F

=
{

K

4

,

K

2
,
3

}

. The class of outerplanar graphs is arguably the simplest class of graphs for which no explicit kernelization size bounds are known. By exploiting the combinatorial properties of outerplanar graphs we present elementary reduction rules decreasing the size of a graph. This yields a constructive kernel with $${\varvec{\mathcal {O}}}({\varvec{k}}^{\textbf {4}})$$

O

(

k

4

)

vertices and edges. As a corollary, we derive that any minor-minimal obstruction to having an outerplanar deletion set of size $${\varvec{k}}$$

k

has $${\varvec{\mathcal {O}}}({\varvec{k}}^{\textbf {4}})$$

O

(

k

4

)

vertices and edges.
Genome-wide identification and characterization of ACBP gene family in Populus reveal salinity alkali-responsive profiles
Authors: Chang Yu , Xu Xinru , Zheng Hongxia , Xie Hao , Li Bo , Chen Sixue , Li Ying , Dai Shaojun
Published: June 2022

Acyl-CoA-binding proteins (ACBPs) are important for the transport of acyl groups for macromolecular biosynthesis involved in plant growth, development, and diverse stress (e.g., cold, drought, salinity, and heavy metals) responses. Here, we report the phylogeny and characteristics of the ACBP family in the woody plant Populus trichocarpa. Eight genes encoding ACBP proteins were identified, and they are distributed on eight chromosomes in P. trichocarpa. These PtACBP genes were divided into four subgroups according to gene structure, conserved motifs and phylogenetic relationship. Promoter analysis revealed that cis-elements were related to stress response, phytohormone response, and physical and reproductive growth regulation. Expression levels of PtACBP genes varied among different organs, with the highest expression in leaves and the lowest in stems. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis showed that under salinity-alkali stresses (i.e., 200 mM NaCl, 75 mM Na2CO3, and 100 mM NaHCO3), four (PtACBP1, PtACBP3, PtACBP4 and PtACBP8) of eight PtACBP genes were significantly induced in roots and leaves. These data provide a comprehensive analysis of the ACBPs family in P. trichocarpa, which could be useful for gene function analyses.
Insulin Deficiency Increases Sirt2 Level in Streptozotocin-Treated Alzheimer’s Disease-Like Mouse Model: Increased Sirt2 Induces Tau Phosphorylation Through ERK Activation
Authors: Zhou Chunyu , Jung Cha-Gyun , Kim Mi-Jeong , Watanabe Atsushi , Abdelhamid Mona , Taslima Ferdous , Michikawa Makoto
Published: June 2022

Accumulating evidence suggests that insulin deficiency is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD); however, the underlying molecular mechanisms are not completely understood. Here, we investigated the effects of insulin deficiency on AD-like pathologies using an insulin-deficient amyloid-β (Aβ) precursor protein (APP) transgenic mouse model (Tg2576 mice). Female Tg2576 mice were injected intraperitoneally with streptozotocin (STZ) to induce insulin deficiency, and their body weights, serum glucose levels, and serum insulin levels were evaluated. STZ-treated mice showed exacerbated Aβ accumulation, tau hyperphosphorylation, glial activation, neuroinflammation, and increased Sirt2 protein levels in the brain, as determined by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) coupled with liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) and Western blotting. Furthermore, our in vitro experiments revealed that insulin depletion or interleukin-6 treatment increased Sirt2 protein levels in both Neuro2a and Neuro2a-P301L cells. The overexpression of Sirt2 in these cells induced tau hyperphosphorylation through extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation. Conversely, Sirt2 knockdown reversed tau hyperphosphorylation in these cells. We showed for the first time that Sirt2 is upregulated in the brains of STZ-treated Tg2576 mice and is involved in tau phosphorylation through ERK activation. Our findings suggest that Sirt2 is a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of AD.
Lost in Context? Critical Perspectives on Individualization
Authors: Degen J. L. , Kleeberg-Niepage A. , Bal P. M.
Published: June 2022

People in contemporary society are increasingly being addressed as agentic individuals who are held responsible for personal aspects of their life and beyond. These personal aspects contain the design and organization of one’s life path in terms of, e.g., (lifelong) education, work and retirement planning, health care, work-life balance, and happiness; or with regard to more abstract concepts like sustainability, individual subjects become responsible for the future of the ecosystem on a planetary scale. This individualization includes on the one hand potential empowerment of the subject to actively shape one’s own life, and on the other hand, it tends to ignore relevant socio-economic processes, scope, and power relations, which unfold as implicit and explicit social restrictions and potential pressure. Subjects navigate through such contexts with a compulsion to control faith and course of life by their decision-making, behavior, and an overall urge to optimize the self. This special section on individualization contains (a) an editorial frame of individualization within contemporary developments in a neoliberal context and (b) empirical contributions around the processes of individualization in various conditions such as the housing crisis in Berlin, career trajectories, and incorporated neoliberal ideology when opting out of a corporate career, pseudo individualization in Indian television commercials, and leisure activities alongside the example of soccer and related fan-group dynamics interpreted as an escape from the pressure to singularize.
Kac regularity and domination of quadratic forms
Authors: Wirth Melchior
Published: June 2022

A domain is called Kac regular for a quadratic form on $$L^2$$

L
2

if every functions vanishing almost everywhere outside the domain can be approximated in form norm by functions with compact support in the domain. It is shown that this notion is stable under domination of quadratic forms. As applications measure perturbations of quasi-regular Dirichlet forms, Cheeger energies on metric measure spaces and Schrödinger operators on manifolds are studied. Along the way a characterization of the Sobolev space with Dirichlet boundary conditions on domains in infinitesimally Riemannian metric measure spaces is obtained.
Entangled Lives
Authors: Pachuau Joy L. K. , Schendel Willem van
Published: June 2022

This book considers three questions about understanding the past. How can we rethink human histories by including animals and plants? How can we overcome nationally territorialised narratives? And how can we balance academic history-writing and indigenous understandings of history? This is a tentative foray into the connections between these questions. Entangled Lives explore them for a large area that has seldom been explored in academic inquiry. The 'Eastern Himalayan Triangle' includes both uplands and lowlands. The region is the meeting point of three global biodiversity hotspots connecting India and China across Myanmar/Burma, Bangladesh and Bhutan. The 'Triangle' is treated as a multispecies site in which human histories have always been utterly intertwined with plant and animal histories. It foregrounds that history is co-created – it is always interspecies history – but that its contours are locally specific.
Government Transparency
Authors: Porumbescu Gregory , Meijer Albert , Grimmelikhuijsen Stephan
Published: June 2022

This Element argues that to understand why transparency “works” in one context, but fails in another, we have to take into account how institutional (macro), organizational (meso) contexts interact with individual behavior (micro). A review of research from each of these perspectives shows that the big promises thought to accompany greater transparency during the first two decades of the 20th century have not been delivered. For example, transparency does not necessarily lead to better government performance and more trust in government. At the same time, transparency is still a hallmark of democratic governance and as this book highlights, for instance, transparency has been relatively successful in combating government corruption. Finally, by explicitly taking a multilayered perspective into account, this Element develops new paths for future research.
Spectral analysis of bilateral birth–death processes: some new explicit examples
Authors: de la Iglesia Manuel D.
Published: June 2022

We consider the spectral analysis of several examples of bilateral birth–death processes and compute explicitly the spectral matrix and the corresponding orthogonal polynomials. We also use the spectral representation to study some probabilistic properties of the processes, such as recurrence, the invariant distribution (if it exists), and the probability current.
Gradient estimation for smooth stopping criteria
Authors: Heidergott Bernd , Peng Yijie
Published: June 2022

We establish sufficient conditions for differentiability of the expected cost collected over a discrete-time Markov chain until it enters a given set. The parameter with respect to which differentiability is analysed may simultaneously affect the Markov chain and the set defining the stopping criterion. The general statements on differentiability lead to unbiased gradient estimators.
Antibodies in healthcare personnel following severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection
Authors: Bosserman Rachel E. , Farnsworth Christopher W. , O’Neil Caroline A. , Cass Candice , Park Daniel , Ballman Claire , Wallace Meghan A. , Struttmann Emily , Stewart Henry , Arter Olivia , Peacock Kate , Fraser Victoria J. , Budge Philip J. , Olsen Margaret A. , Burnham Carey-Ann D. , Babcock Hilary M. , Kwon Jennie H. ,   for the CDC Prevention Epicenters
Published: June 2022

In a prospective cohort of healthcare personnel (HCP), we measured severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) nucleocapsid IgG antibodies after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Among 79 HCP, 68 (86%) were seropositive 14–28 days after their positive PCR test, and 54 (77%) of 70 were seropositive at the 70–180-day follow-up. Many seropositive HCP (95%) experienced an antibody decline by the second visit.
Group Metacognitive Therapy for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in a Routine Clinical Setting: An Open Trial
Authors: Carter Janet D. , Helliwell Erin , Jordan Jenny , Woolcock Colette , Bell Caroline , Gilbert Claire
Published: June 2022

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is often a chronic disorder characterised by uncontrollable, reoccurring thoughts (obsessions), and/or behaviours (compulsions). Accumulating evidence suggests that metacognitive beliefs may underlie many of the processes implicated in the formation and perpetuation of OCD. Metacognitive therapy (MCT) for OCD aims to modify these maladaptive metacognitive beliefs and processes to treat this debilitating disorder. The current study examines the outcome of a pilot trial of MCT for OCD in 26 (17 females; 9 males) adults (18–64 years) referred to a specialist outpatient service. Results were promising, with significant decreases in OCD and depression symptoms, which were maintained at the 3-month follow-up. The improvement in Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale scores between pre-treatment and follow-up in the completer sample (n=22) was large (d=1.29), and comparable to outcomes of well-established treatments. These encouraging results add to early empirical support for the effectiveness of group MCT as an OCD treatment alternative, as well as reinforcing the role of metacognitions contributing to this disorder.
Reporting behaviors and perceptions toward the National Healthcare Safety Network antimicrobial use (AU) and antimicrobial resistance (AR) modules
Authors: Werth Brian J. , Dilworth Thomas J. , Escobar Zahra Kassamali , Gross Alan E. , Suda Katie J. , Morris Andrew M. , McGregor Jessina C. , Kuper Kristi
Published: June 2022

Objectives:

To identify characteristics of US health systems and end users that report antimicrobial use and resistance (AUR) data, to determine how NHSN AUR data are used by hospitals and health systems and end users, and to identify barriers to AUR reporting.

Design:

An anonymous survey was sent to Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists (SIDP) and Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) Research Network members.

Methods:

Data were collected via Survey Monkey from January 21 to February 21, 2020. Respondent and hospital data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Results:

We received responses from 238 individuals across 43 US states. Respondents were primarily pharmacists (84%), from urban areas, (44%), from nonprofit medical centers (81%), and from hospitals with >250 beds (72%). Also, 62% reported data to the AU module and 19% reported data to the AR module. Use of software for local AU or AR tracking was associated with increased reporting to the AU module (19% vs 64%) and the AR module (2% vs 30%) (P < .001 each). Only 36% of those reporting data to the AU module used NHSN AUR data analysis tools regularly and only 9% reported data to the AR module regularly. Technical challenges and time and/or salary support were the most common barriers to AUR participation cited by all respondents. Among those not reporting AUR data, increased local expectations to report and better software solutions were the most commonly identified solutions to increase AUR reporting.

Conclusions:

Efforts to increase AUR reporting should focus on software solutions and salary support for data-entry activities. Increasing expectations to report may incentivize local resource allocation to improve AUR reporting rates.
AN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION ON EXPERT DETERMINATION AND DISPUTE BOARDS?
Authors: Saidov Djakhongir
Published: June 2022

This article makes a case for an international convention on expert determination (ED) and Dispute Boards (DBs) that would require its Contracting States to recognise agreements on ED/DBs and enforce ED/DB decisions. Whilst strong, the case for the convention may not be compelling as there are arguments against it. But at least the time has come for the international legal community to start thinking about and debating the need for such an international regime. This article takes the first step towards imagining this international regime by evaluating a number of key issues relating to its scope of application.
A LATE HELLADIC IIIC EARLY DEPOSIT FROM KOKOTSIKA PLOT IN KASTRO/PALAIA (VOLOS)
Authors: Lis Bartłomiej , Batziou Anthi
Published: June 2022

This article presents a Late Helladic IIIC Early deposit of pottery and small finds deriving from rescue excavations at the Kokotsika plot in Kastro/Palaia, within the modern city of Volos. It is the first systematically published deposit from that site, providing data on stratigraphy, small finds, pottery typology, decoration, fabrics and use-wear patterns, supplemented with detailed statistics. A particular feature of the recovered assemblage is the comparatively high frequency of Handmade Burnished Ware, as well as the presence of Grey Ware, both seen as products of people deriving from the Italian peninsula. The presented deposit provides valuable new data both for the site of Kastro/Palaia, as well as for the region of coastal Thessaly. The revealed remains and stratigraphy might be related to the structures exposed in nearby plots by earlier excavation campaigns of D. Theocharis. The deposit documents most likely a slightly later stage of Late Helladic IIIC Early compared to what is present at the abandonment deposits at Dimini and Pefkakia. As such it provides new clues for the reconstruction of regional history, confirming earlier views that Kastro/Palaia attracted people who left other habitation sites in the area.
PICKING OUR POISON: A CONDITIONAL DEFENSE OF GEOENGINEERING
Authors: Freiman Christopher
Published: June 2022

Geoengineering involves intentionally modifying the environment on a massive scale and is typically proposed as a last resort to prevent catastrophic harms caused by climate change. Critics argue that there are powerful moral reasons against researching, let alone undertaking, geoengineering. Perhaps most notably, Stephen Gardiner argues that even if we are forced to choose between allowing a climate catastrophe or geoengineering—and geoengineering is the less harmful option—it could still be the case that we ought not to geoengineer. This essay argues for a conditional: if we are indeed forced to choose between catastrophic environmental harm and the less harmful option of geoengineering, then we ought to geoengineer.
PUBLIC TRUST AND BIOTECH INNOVATION: A THEORY OF TRUSTWORTHY REGULATION OF (SCARY!) TECHNOLOGY
Authors: Wolf Clark
Published: June 2022

Regulatory agencies aim to protect the public by moderating risks associated with innovation, but a good regulatory regime should also promote justified public trust. After introducing the USDA 2020 SECURE Rule for regulation of biotech innovation as a case study, this essay develops a theory of justified public trust in regulation. On the theory advanced here, to be trustworthy, a regulatory regime must (1) fairly and effectively manage risk, must be (2) “science based” in the relevant sense, and must in addition be (3) truthful, (4) transparent, and (5) responsive to public input. Evaluated with these norms, the USDA SECURE Rule is shown to be deeply flawed, since it fails appropriately to manage risk, and similarly fails to satisfy other normative requirements for justified trust. The argument identifies ways in which the SECURE Rule itself might be improved, but more broadly provides a normative framework for the evaluation of trustworthy regulatory policy-making.
THE FOG OF DEBATE
Authors: Ballantyne Nathan
Published: June 2022

The fog of war—poor intelligence about the enemy—can frustrate even a well-prepared military force. Something similar can happen in intellectual debate. What I call the fog of debate is a useful metaphor for grappling with failures and dysfunctions of argumentative persuasion that stem from poor information about our opponents. It is distressingly easy to make mistakes about our opponents’ thinking, as well as to fail to comprehend their understanding of and reactions to our arguments. After describing the fog of debate and outlining its sources in cognition and communication, I consider a few policies we might adopt upon learning we are in this fog.
Parametric approach to promote a divergence-free flow in the image-based motion estimation with application to bioirrigation
Authors: SANTITISSADEEKORN NARATIP , MEILE CHRISTOF , BOLLT ERIK , WALDBUSSER GEORGE
Published: June 2022

Flow fields are determined from image sequences obtained in an experiment in which benthic macrofauna, Arenicola marina, causes water flow and the images depict the distribution of a tracer that is carried with the flow. The experimental setup is such that flow is largely two-dimensional, with a localised region where the Arenicola resides, from which flow originates. Here, we propose a novel parametric framework that quantifies such flow that is dominant along the image plane. We adopt a Bayesian framework so that we can impart certain physical constraints on parameters into the estimation process via prior distribution. The primary aim is to approximate the mean of the posterior distribution to present the parameter estimate via Markov Chain Monte Carlo. We demonstrate that the results obtained from the proposed method provide more realistic flows (in terms of divergence magnitude) than those computed from classical approaches such as the multi-resolution Horn–Schunk method. This highlights the usefulness of our approach if motion is largely constrained to the image plane with localised fluid sources.
New Rock Magnetic Analysis of Ultramafic Cores From the Oman Drilling Project and Its Implications for Alteration of Lower Crust and Upper Mantle
Authors: Hong Gilbert , Till Jessica Lynn , Greve Annika , Lee Sang‐Mook ,   the Oman Drilling Project Phase 2 Science Party
Published: June 2022

Detailed magnetic analyses of ultramafic rock samples recovered from the Wadi Tayin massif as part of the Oman Drilling Project provide a unique opportunity to understand the magnetic properties of oceanic lithosphere and its alteration since obduction. We examined 300‐ to 400‐m‐long cores from 3 sites (BA1B, BA3A, and BA4A) that transected the crust‐mantle boundary. Serpentinization that produces a small amount of magnetite from olivine alteration plays an important role in shaping the magnetic signature of the rocks recovered from these holes. Our investigation reveals new features, which have not been reported in previous studies of ophiolite largely based on surface rock samples. It appears that when serpentinization reaches a certain point (65%), a sharp increase in magnetic susceptibility occurs. Such pattern opens the possibility of additional production of magnetic minerals induced by various reactions (e.g., further hydration of Fe‐rich serpentine minerals), which may have occurred, while the rocks were being serpentinized. In general, the uppermost section (0–40 m) shows higher susceptibility than the deeper part. Also, higher susceptibility is found in dunite‐dominated sections than those composed of harzburgite. Overall, our observations suggest that mantle rocks of Semail ophiolite have undergone multiple stages of serpentinization over different time periods.
Permian Magnetostratigraphy and End of the Kiaman Reverse Polarity Superchron From the Southeast Karoo Basin, South Africa
Authors: De Kock M. O. , Abubakre A. O.
Published: June 2022

Paleomagnetic results for a ∼2,353‐m‐thick magnetostratigraphic section for undeformed middle to late Permian rocks in the southeast of the Karoo Basin of South Africa are reported. Predominantly pseudo‐single‐domain or single‐domain titanomagnetite (with possible minor contributions by pyrrhotite and multi‐domain magnetite) were identified as remanence carriers of a dual polarity magnetization interpreted as the record of the Permian geomagnetic field during the Kiaman Reverse Polarity Superchron and subsequent Illawarra mixed polarity interval. The timing of remanence acquisition is further constrained by the effect of Jurassic‐aged dolerite intrusions, which either partially or wholly overprint the Permian remanence in their immediate vicinity. A paleopole at 62.0°S; 64.3°E and dp/dm = 4.9°/5.8° is calculated from the bedding‐corrected primary remanence (when corrected for inclination shallowing at f = 0.6 the paleopole is located at 53.2°S; 46.9°E and dp/dm = 5.9°/6.3°). This is comparable to other Permian paleopoles from the southwest section of the Karoo Basin. The end of the Kiaman Reverse Polarity Superchron can be correlated between the E‐W extremes of the basin to reveal a diachronous boundary between the Ecca and the Beaufort groups, with diachronicity calibrated to 1.1 million years for the first time.
Linking the Jehol Biota Evolution to the Early Cretaceous Volcanism During the North China Craton Destruction: Insights From F, Cl, S, and P
Authors: Xu Qi‐Hu , Wang Lu , Liu Jia , Deloule Etienne , Hanski Eero , Gu Xiao‐Yan , Chen Huan , Xia Qun‐Ke
Published: June 2022

The Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota evolution has remarkable spatiotemporal correlation with the destruction of the North China craton though the coupling mechanism remains enigmatic. The craton destruction was accompanied by intense magmatic activity and the released volatiles and nutrients might have had climatic and environmental impacts on the biotic evolution. In this study, we investigated the mentioned hypothetical causal link by determining concentrations and total emissions of volatile elements (S, F, Cl) and bulk‐rock P contents of volcanic rocks that were erupted during the pre‐flourishing, flourishing and post‐flourishing stages of the Jehol Biota. Our results show that the volcanism near the flourishing stage has lower S (1,083–2,370 ppm), Cl (1,277–5,608 ppm) and higher P2O5 contents (0.48–0.84 wt.%) than that in the non‐flourishing stages with S of 1,991–3,288 ppm, Cl of 7,915–12,315 ppm and P2O5 of 0.17–0.23 wt.%. Fluorine contents in the three stages vary from 893 to 3,746 ppm. The total volatile emissions are minor in the flourishing stage (1–14 Gt S, 0.6–10 Gt Cl, 0.6–9 Gt F) but elevated in the non‐flourishing stages (2–766 Gt S, 4–1,168 Gt Cl, 1–175 Gt F). Our data suggest that regional climatic and environmental impacts of volcanism in the non‐flourishing stages probably hindered the species diversification. The high P flux released from lithospheric mantle‐derived lavas during the peak time of craton destruction might have enhanced primary productivity and contributed to the flourishing of the Jehol Biota. Our study provides insights into the relationship between the biosphere and deep geodynamic processes driven by volcanism.