bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tellaintake among pregnant and lactating mothers: may it affect child growth?
Authors: Tafese Zelalem , Berhan Yifru , Stoecker Barbara J.
Published: June 2022

Alcohol abuse among women is a public health importance that may impair prenatal and postnatal growth.Tellais among the most common homemade alcoholic beverages in rural Ethiopia, but little is known about the magnitude oftellaintake during pregnancy and lactation or its effects on child growth. The present study investigated associations between maternaltellaintake and the growth of their children. A cross-sectional mixed-methods study was conducted with mothers (n228) and their 12–36-month-old children and with key informants (n12).Tellaintake during most recent pregnancy and lactation was estimated retrospectively by glasses per drinking event and frequency of events. Nearly 80 % of mothers had consumed some amount oftelladuring their most recent pregnancy and lactation. Furthermore, 72 % of children had tasted or drunktellaat some time during their life. Stunting was 42 % and was significantly associated with maternaltellaconsumption at least every other day during pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 4⋅97, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 2⋅20, 11⋅25), male sex (AOR 2⋅31, 95 % CI 1⋅27, 4⋅19), two or more under-5-year-old children in the household (AOR 3⋅52, 95 % CI 1⋅49, 8⋅33) and family size >5 (AOR 1⋅84, 95 % CI 1⋅01, 3⋅36). Underweight was 24⋅6 % and was associated with the child drinkingtellawith their mother (AOR 4⋅23, 95 % CI 1⋅99, 8⋅97), being male (AOR 3⋅73, 95 % CI 1⋅73, 7⋅94), having ≥3 diarrhoeal episodes in the last 3 months (AOR 11⋅83, 95 % CI 4⋅22, 33⋅14) and being in the older age group (AOR 2⋅98, 95 % CI 1⋅09, 8⋅13). The associations betweentellaintake and child growth suggest the need to mitigate the effects oftellaon child anthropometry.
Effects of collagen peptide supplementation on cardiovascular markers: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised, placebo-controlled trials
Authors: Jalili Zahra , Jalili Faramarz , Moradi Sajjad , Bagheri Reza , Moosavian Seyedeh Parisa , Naeini Fatemeh , Mohammadi Hamed , Mojtaba Ghoreishy Seyed , Wong Alexei , Travica Nikolaj , Hojjati Kermani Mohammad Ali , Jalili Cyrus
Published: June 2022

Previous studies have advocated that collagen peptide supplementation (CPS) can positively affect cardiovascular health. However, the widespread impact of CPS on CVD-related markers is not fully resolved. Consequently, the current systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the efficacy of CPS on CVD-related markers. A systematic search in the Scopus, PubMed and ISI Web of Science databases were completed to identify relevant randomised, placebo-controlled trials (RCT) published up to November 2021. Mean Differences were pooled using a random-effects model, while publication bias, sensitivity analyses and heterogeneity were assessed using previously validated methods. Twelve RCT, comprising of a total of eleven measured markers, were selected for the quantitative analysis. Pooled data revealed that CPS significantly decreased fat mass (–1·21 kg; 95 % CI: −2·13, −0·29; I2 = 0·0 %; P = 0·010) and increased fat-free mass, based on body mass percentage (1·49 %; 95 % CI: 0·57, 2·42; I2 = 0·0 %; P = 0·002). Moreover, collagen peptide supplementation led to a significant decrease in serum LDL (–4·09 mg/dl; 95 % CI: −8·13, −0·04; I2 = 93·4 %; P = 0·048) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) (–5·04 mmHg; 95 % CI: −9·22, −0·85; I2 = 98·9 %; P = 0·018). Our analysis also indicated that CPS did not affect glycemic markers. Our outcomes indicate that CPS reduces fat mass, LDL and SBP while increasing fat-free mass. Future investigations with longer CPS duration are needed to expand on our results.
The “Tipping Point” of a Strategic Vote: When Does an Individual Vote Strategically?
Authors: Anderson Dylan S. J.
Published: June 2022

Although the existence of strategic voting in the United Kingdom and Canada has been well documented, quantifying when a voter will cast a strategic ballot has yet to be done. This article draws on electoral data from five UK and Canadian elections in order to address this gap by identifying a precise “tipping point” for when a non-viable party supporter's probability of voting strategically crosses a 50 per cent threshold. I find the best tipping point measure occurs when a voter rates their favourite viable party greater than 59 out of 100 in the UK and greater than 73 out of 100 in Canada. Both countries also have clear tipping points for the likeability of an individual's highest preferred party and perceptions of that party's distance from contention. Overall, by calculating these tipping points, researchers can better gauge voter behaviour and how, or when, certain factors contribute to strategic voting.
Bouquets of curves in surfaces
Authors: Baader S. , Feller P. , Ryffel L.
Published: June 2022

We characterize when a set of simple closed curves in an orientable surface forms a bouquet, in terms of relations between the corresponding Dehn twists.
Beyond Agency: The African Peasantry, the State, and Tobacco in Southern Rhodesia (Colonial Zimbabwe), 1900–80
Authors: Doro Elijah , Swart Sandra
Published: June 2022

This paper examines African peasant tobacco production in Southern Rhodesia from 1900 to 1980, from the cusp of colonialism to its end. It analyses shifting state policy towards African tobacco producers, the concomitant impact on peasant economies, accumulation patterns and the rural physical landscape and peasant responses. It focuses on the changing agricultural commodity value chains, cash crop asymmetries, and global market forces to explain colonial responses to peasant production and peasant agency. We argue that the symbolic value of each agricultural commodity, in entrenching the hierarchy of power relations and the institutionalisation of white control, mediated colonial responses to peasant production and concomitantly ‘peasant agency’. We use this case study to highlight the structural constraints on ‘agency’ and to explore how cash crop asymmetries helped structure agrarian encounters and power relations in colonial Africa. The paper uses archival sources from the National Archives of Zimbabwe, newspapers, and journals from the Tobacco Research Board (TRB).
Questions for Hierarchical Confucianism
Authors: Ziliotti Elena
Published: June 2022

Through a new argumentative strategy, this article shows that the claims offered by some contemporary Confucian scholars in support of hierarchical social relations do not hold in contemporary societies. Exegetical disagreements that are arguably difficult to overcome are sidestepped and empirical claims in support of hierarchical Confucianism are assessed. Empirical evidence and recent developments in Western philosophy suggest that social hierarchies are detrimental to key factors for people's material well-being, ethical development, and the political order. Egalitarian social relations organized in a representative democratic system appear to be more suitable for the pursuit of the fundamental aims of a Confucian government which are accepted by the proponents of hierarchical Confucianism.
Detecting Anxiety in Long-Term Care Residents: A Systematic Review
Authors: Atchison Kayla , Shafiq Samreen , Ewert Delaney , Leung Alexander A. , Goodarzi Zahra
Published: June 2022

Anxiety is common in long-term care (LTC), but it is unclear which anxiety detection tools are accurate when compared to a reference standard for residents of LTC. Four databases and grey literature sources were searched using the search concepts “anxiety” and “LTC”. Included studies evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of an anxiety detection tool compared to a reference standard in LTC residents. Diagnostic accuracy measures were extracted. Four articles out of 4,620 met the inclusion criteria. Despite limited evidence and poorly reported study procedures and characteristics, the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (sensitivity: 90.0%, specificity: 86.2%) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety (sensitivity: 90.0%, specificity: 80.6%) had the best performance when detecting generalized anxiety disorder. We identified four anxiety detection tools appropriate for use in LTC; a critical first step to diagnosing and managing anxiety in residents of LTC. Non-generalized anxiety disorders and tool feasibility must be further evaluated.
Explaining the Prevalence of State Constitutional Conventions in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries
Authors: DINAN JOHN
Published: June 2022

Although state constitutional conventions in the United States were once called frequently and brought about significant changes in governance, recent decades have seen little convention activity. I examine the contrast between the earlier regularity of conventions and their recent absence, but from a different perspective than is usually taken—not by explaining the recent absence but rather explaining the regularity from the 1770s through 1970s. I investigate why legislatures in prior eras agreed to call conventions and how legislators’ traditional opposition to conventions was overcome on a regular basis. After identifying the state constitutional conventions held in the US and setting aside conventions that were called to join, leave, or rejoin the Union or were instigated by institutions other than legislatures, I focus on 82 conventions called at the discretion of legislators and for reasons unrelated to joining, leaving, or rejoining the Union. I identify the issues and circumstances that were responsible for legislators’ willingness to overcome their traditional opposition to holding conventions, thereby contributing to a better understanding of both the challenges in calling conventions and the occasions when these challenges can be overcome.
Experiences of helplessness and fear among caregivers diagnosed with severe mental illness and co-caregivers: The Danish High Risk and Resilience Study – VIA 7
Authors: Rohd Sinnika Birkehøj , Hjorthøj Carsten , Ohland Jessica , Gregersen Maja , Hemager Nicoline , Søndergaard Anne , Christiani Camilla Austa , Spang Katrine Soeborg , Ellersgaard Ditte , Burton Birgitte Klee , Melau Marianne , Greve Aja , Gantriis Ditte Lou , Jepsen Jens Richardt Møllegaard , Plessen Kerstin Jessica , Mors Ole , Nordentoft Merete , Harder Susanne , Thorup Anne Amalie Elgaard
Published: June 2022

This study investigates indicators of disorganized caregiving among caregivers of children who have a familial predisposition of schizophrenia spectrum psychosis (SZ) or bipolar disorder (BP), and whether indicators of disorganized caregiving are associated with the caregivers’ and children’s level of functioning as well as the children’s internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. Indicators of disorganized caregiving were assessed with the Caregiving Helplessness Questionnaire (CHQ). Level of functioning was evaluated using the Children’s Global Assessment Scale and the Personal and Social Performance Scale, while dimensional psychopathology were measured with the Child Behavior Checklist. 185 caregivers belonging to a SZ combined group (i.e., SZ-I + SZ co-caregiver), 110 caregivers to a BP combined group (i.e., BP-I + BP co-caregiver), and 184 caregivers to a population-based control group provided data on CHQ. Having a history of SZ or BP or being a co-caregiver to a parent with SZ or BP was associated with higher levels of experiences of helplessness and fear. Higher scores on helplessness were associated with lower level of functioning among caregivers and children and with children having externalizing/internalizing behavior problems. These results emphasize the need for interventions addressing indicators of disorganized caregiving in families with SZ or BP.
‘A Feast for the [Cold-War] Imagination’: Liminal Eastern Europe in the Writings of John Updike, Joyce Carol Oates and Philip Roth
Authors: Bryla Martyna
Published: June 2022

Inspired by the well-established trope of Eastern Europe’s in-betweenness, this article uses the notion of liminality to explore the images of Eastern Europe during the Cold War in the works of three American authors: John Updike, Joyce Carol Oates and Philip Roth. Not only do these works map Eastern Europe as liminal in the imagological sense of the term, that is, as oscillating between competing narratives of otherness and familiarity; empathy and hostility; the East and the West, but also the very experience of venturing behind the Iron Curtain is charged with potentiality: the Eastern-European cityscape becomes the contact zone between cultures and the locus of self-discovery for the American characters. The resultant imaginative geography is at once contemporary and allochronic; political and personal, as it reiterates the Cold War balance of power while at the same time recycling existing representations of the area and reflecting the authors’ sensibilities.
Structural and Ultrastructural Characteristics of the Spix's Yellow-Toothed Cavy (Galea spixii, Wagler, 1831) Tongue
Authors: Tomiate André Neri , Barbosa Gabriela Klein , Reginato Gabriela de Souza , Camargo Paula Oliveira , Oliveira Moacir Franco de , Watanabe Ii-sei , Ciena Adriano Polican
Published: June 2022

The tongue is a fundamental organ in feeding, vocalization, and grooming. It is characterized by evolutionary adaptations reflected by diet, habitat, and function. Rodents are a very diverse mammalian order and the tongue's morphology varies in size, form, and presence of papillae. This work aimed to describe the morphological and ultrastructural aspects of the tongue of Spix's yellow-toothed cavy (Galea spixii, Wagler, 1831). Tongues of Spix's yellow-toothed cavies were analyzed with light microscopy, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy. The results showed that the tongue was divided into apex, body, and root. There were different types of papillae, such as vallate, foliate, laterally placed fungiform, fungiform, filiform, and robust filiform. The epithelium was organized into layers, including keratinized, granulous, spinous, and basal, below were lamina propria, and musculature, which evolved mucous and serous gland clusters. The tongue of Spix's yellow-toothed cavy was structurally and ultrastructurally similar to other rodents and had papillae with similar morphologies to other Caviidae species. However, the presence of robust filiform papillary lines and laterally placed fungiform papillae showed the main differences from other species. This was the first description of the tongue of Spix's yellow-toothed cavy.
Ethical vulnerability analysis and unconditional hospitality in times of COVID-19: rethinking social welfare provision for asylum seekers in Scotland
Authors: Da Lomba Sylvie , Vermeylen Saskia
Published: June 2022

We deploy a novel and radical approach to vulnerability theory to investigate Scotland's response to asylum seekers’ vulnerability during the COVID-19 pandemic and test Scotland's self-affirmation as a hospitable country. Our ethical vulnerability analysis enhances Fineman's vulnerability analysis by denationalising the vulnerable subject and locating her within our ‘uneven globalised world’. We further enrich this fuller version of vulnerability analysis with insights from Levinas's and Derrida's radical vulnerability theory and ethics of hospitality. We demonstrate how our ethical vulnerability analysis enables us to subvert the hostile premise of migration laws and policies, and thus fundamentally redefine relationships between guests and hosts so that the host is compelled to respond to the Other's vulnerability. We argue that this hospitable impulse yields a generous and absolute commitment to progressive social welfare provision for asylum seekers, which brings Scotland closer to fulfilling its aspirations to be a hospitable host by welcoming the Other.
An Improved Sea‐Ice Velocity Retrieval Algorithm Based on 89 GHz Brightness Temperature Satellite Data in the Fram Strait
Authors: Shi Q. , Su J. , Spreen G. , Yang Q.
Published: June 2022

Fram Strait is the passageway where most drifting sea ice exits the Arctic Ocean into the North Atlantic, and the sea‐ice velocity (SIV) is the most critical parameter for the variability of the sea ice area flux through Fram Strait. Sea ice flux estimates through the Fram Strait based on satellite remote sensing exist. However, they show discrepancies, which mainly result from the sparse valid satellite observations and the increased uncertainty of sea ice motion in the Fram Strait. In order to improve the sea ice flux estimates, we develop an improved sea‐ice velocity retrieval algorithm from 89 GHz brightness temperature fields of Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS and AMSR2. The improved retrieval algorithm employs an adjusted size of the template window and performs bilinear interpolation on candidate windows before the matching procedure. Instead of depending on external data sources, we construct the SIV uncertainty fields depending only on the maximum correlation coefficients of the image itself. Compared with two similar Passive Microwave (PM) sea ice velocity datasets, the new sea‐ice velocity has lower bias and root‐mean‐square error with respect to buoy observations. In addition, the data density of the new SIV is 14% and 36% higher than the two reference datasets, respectively. Monthly sea ice area flux estimates through the Fram Strait are acquired with the new daily sea‐ice velocity data and the existed sea‐ice concentration. And it indicates that the improved sea ice area flux estimated by PM sea ice velocity agrees well with the Synthetic‐aperture radar‐derived sea ice area flux.
Emission Sector Impacts on Air Quality and Public Health in China From 2010 to 2020
Authors: Conibear Luke , Reddington Carly L. , Silver Ben J. , Chen Ying , Arnold Stephen R. , Spracklen Dominick V.
Published: June 2022

Anthropogenic emissions and ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations have declined in recent years across China. However, PM2.5 exposure remains high, ozone (O3) exposure is increasing, and the public health impacts are substantial. We used emulators to explore how emission changes (averaged per sector over all species) have contributed to changes in air quality and public health in China over 2010–2020. We show that PM2.5 exposure peaked in 2012 at 52.8 μg m−3, with contributions of 31% from industry and 22% from residential emissions. In 2020, PM2.5 exposure declined by 36% to 33.5 μg m−3, where the contributions from industry and residential sources reduced to 15% and 17%, respectively. The PM2.5 disease burden decreased by only 9% over 2012 where the contributions from industry and residential sources reduced to 15% and 17%, respectively 2020, partly due to an aging population with greater susceptibility to air pollution. Most of the reduction in PM2.5 exposure and associated public health benefits occurred due to reductions in industrial (58%) and residential (29%) emissions. Reducing national PM2.5 exposure below the World Health Organization Interim Target 2 (25 μg m−3) would require a further 80% reduction in residential and industrial emissions, highlighting the challenges that remain to improve air quality in China.
Observation‐Based Evaluation of Local Climate Effect of Terrestrial Vegetation in Temperate Zones
Authors: Du Jizeng , Jiang Shaojing , Cui Baoshan , Wu Guocan , Liu Hongxi
Published: June 2022

Terrestrial vegetation modulates the land‐atmosphere dynamics and is one of the fundamental forces for climatic variability. The vegetation feedback may enhance or offset a portion of ongoing global warming. However, it is challenging to disentangle the role of vegetation from the effect of other drivers, primarily due to lacking suitable reference without vegetation. Fortunately, China has recorded the land surface temperature (LST) on bare land in 2400s weather stations, providing a deal bare‐land reference. Here, we used satellite measurements of the vegetation's canopy temperature, contrasted with the surface temperature of bare land, to quantify the vegetation's effect on LST. Results show that vegetation has a cooling effect during daytime and a warming effect at night, and the magnitude of the former is significantly higher than that of the latter. Consequently, vegetation has a net cooling effect and reduces LST up to 2.18°C in China. Spatially, the cooling effect of vegetation decreases by 0.25°C for a unit increase of latitude. Based on land surface energy balance, the spatial pattern of vegetation's net effect is mainly driven by vegetation‐induced evapotranspiration and albedo. As latitude increases, the decrease of vegetation density significantly reduces the evapotranspiration‐induced cooling effect while having no distinct impact on the albedo‐induced warming effect. As a result, the net cooling effect of vegetation has an evident latitudinal gradient and a clear seasonal contrast. Additionally, the vegetation's effect on LST is sensitive to solar radiation and snow cover changes.
The Hydrochemical Signature of Incongruent Weathering in Iceland
Authors: Cole Trevor L. , Torres Mark A. , Kemeny Preston C.
Published: June 2022

Basaltic watersheds such as those found in Iceland are thought to be important sites of CO2 sequestration via silicate weathering. However, determining the magnitude of CO2 uptake depends on accurately interpreting river chemistry. Here, we compile geochemical data from Iceland and use them to constrain weathering processes. Specifically, we use a newly developed inverse model to quantify solute supply from rain and hydrothermal fluids as well as allow for variable silicate end‐member compositions, solutes to be removed via secondary phase formation, and some Ca to be sourced from carbonate dissolution. While some of these processes have been considered previously, they have not been considered together allowing us to newly determine their relative contributions. We find that weathering in Iceland is incongruent in two ways. First, solute release from primary silicates is characterized by a higher proportion of Na than would be expected from bulk basalts, which may reflect preferential weathering or some contribution from rhyolites. This Na enrichment is further enhanced by preferential Mg and K uptake by secondary phases. No samples in our data set (n = 537) require carbonate dissolution even if isotopic data (δ26Mg, δ30Si, δ44Ca, and/or 87Sr/86Sr) are included. While some carbonate weathering is allowable, silicate weathering likely dominates. The complexity we observe in Iceland underscores the need for inverse models to account for a wide range of processes and end‐members. Given that riverine fluxes from Iceland are more Na‐rich than expected for congruent basalt weathering, the characteristic timescale of CO2 drawdown is likely affected.
A Three‐Dimensional Study of Wormhole Formation in a Porous Medium: Wormhole Length Scaling and a Rankine Ovoid Model
Authors: Li Wei , Germaine John T. , Einstein Herbert H.
Published: June 2022

Understanding how wormholes develop and how they change the permeability of the porous medium is important for many natural and industrial processes in subsurface solid‐fluid systems. We conduct core flood tests to study the wormhole formation in a porous medium under different flow rates and at different moments before breakthrough. We show that the wormholes created in core flood tests have lengths following a power‐law distribution, with more short ones than long ones. This statistical nature of the wormhole lengths allow one to experimentally study the wormhole competition in 3‐D: Many wormholes develop initially near the inlet, but only a few develop further. Our experimental results also show that the existing wormhole‐matrix models underestimate wormhole lengths because of the neglected additional pressure drop caused by the radial flow near the wormhole tip. We improve upon the existing models by approximating the radial flow near the wormhole tip with a Rankine ovoid model.
Variable Streamflow Response to Forest Disturbance in the Western US: A Large‐Sample Hydrology Approach
Authors: Goeking Sara A. , Tarboton David G.
Published: June 2022

Forest cover and streamflow are generally expected to vary inversely because reduced forest cover typically leads to less transpiration and interception. However, recent studies in the western U.S. have found no change or even decreased streamflow following forest disturbance due to drought and insect epidemics. We investigated streamflow response to forest cover change using hydrologic, climatic, and forest data for 159 watersheds in the western U.S. from the CAMELS data set for the period 2000–2019. Forest change and disturbance were quantified in terms of net tree growth (total growth volume minus mortality volume) and mean annual mortality rates, respectively, from the U.S. Forest Service's Forest Inventory and Analysis database. Annual streamflow was analyzed using multiple methods: Mann‐Kendall trend analysis, time trend analysis to quantify change not attributable to annual precipitation and temperature, and multiple regression to quantify contributions of climate, mortality, and aridity. Many watersheds exhibited decreased annual streamflow even as forest cover decreased. Time trend analysis identified decreased streamflow not attributable to precipitation and temperature changes in many disturbed watersheds, yet streamflow change was not consistently related to disturbance, suggesting drivers other than disturbance, precipitation, and temperature. Multiple regression analysis indicated that although change in streamflow is significantly related to tree mortality, the direction of this effect depends on aridity. Specifically, forest disturbances in wet, energy‐limited watersheds (i.e., where annual potential evapotranspiration [PET] is less than annual precipitation) tended to increase streamflow, while post‐disturbance streamflow more frequently decreased in dry water‐limited watersheds (where the PET to precipitation ratio exceeds 2.35).
Exposure Risk of Fish Downstream of a Hydropower Facility to Supersaturated Total Dissolved Gas
Authors: Algera Dirk A. , Kamal Rajib , Ward Taylor D. , Pleizier Naomi K. , Brauner Colin J. , Crossman James A. , Leake Alf , Zhu David Z. , Power Michael , Cooke Steven J.
Published: June 2022

Fish exposed to supersaturated total dissolved gas (TDG) levels can develop gas bubble trauma (GBT) which can lead to sublethal effects or mortality. Access to refugia in areas of high TDG that allows for hydrostatic (depth) compensation can mitigate exposure risk and GBT occurrence. The goals for this study were to examine resident fish habitat and depth use and assess exposure risk to elevated TDG levels related to hydropower operations in the Columbia‐Kootenay system in British Columbia. Modeling was used to predict TDG levels for three operational cases (low, medium, and high spill rates). Acoustic telemetry was used to track rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (RT) and mountain whitefish Prosopium williamsoni (MW) reach and depth residency. Telemetry results did not differ among operational scenarios and aligned with known biological/life history characteristics for fluvial or fluvial‐adfluvial species. Within‐species MW reach residency appeared to be reflective of seasonal habitat selection for spawning, foraging, and refuge movements. Within‐species RT reach residency appeared to follow habitat association patterns reflective of RT ecology. A risk assessment revealed that RT had a significantly higher TDG exposure risk relative to MW, but sufficient depth refugia habitat was available to mitigate exposure risk and GBT occurrence in both species. The results suggested that TDG exposure risk and actual risk depend on the interplay between species‐specific ecology and TDG patterns generated by hydropower facilities. The ecological and TDG patterns in this study suggested that system‐ and species‐specific studies will be required to generate detailed TDG exposure predictions for management decision‐making.
Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau Permafrost at Risk in the Late 21st Century
Authors: Zhang Guofei , Nan Zhuotong , Hu Na , Yin Ziyun , Zhao Lin , Cheng Guodong , Mu Cuicui
Published: June 2022

Global warming has led to permafrost degradation worldwide. The Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau (QTP) hosts most of the world's alpine permafrost, yet its impending changes remain largely unclear, thereby affecting regional hydrological and ecological processes and the global carbon budget. By employing a land surface model adapted to simulate frozen ground, and using state‐of‐the‐art multi‐model and multi‐scenario data from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6, changes in permafrost distribution and its thermal regimes on the QTP are systematically predicted under various shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs). Projections for SSP2‐4.5, SSP3‐7.0, and SSP5‐8.5 show that most of the continuous permafrost region of the QTP will persist through 2050. Much of the permafrost is likely to degrade in the late 21st century, with projected area losses of 44 ± 4%, 59 ± 5%, and 71 ± 7%, respectively, by 2100. In particular, the Three Rivers Source region in the central eastern part of the QTP is a key area of permafrost degradation, where permafrost is most vulnerable and degradation occurs earliest. The mean annual ground temperature of QTP permafrost will increase by 0.8 ± 0.2°C, 2.0 ± 0.3°C, and 2.6 ± 0.3°C under SSP2‐4.5, SSP3‐7.0, and SSP5‐8.5, respectively, and the active layer thickness will increase by 0.7 ± 0.1 m, 1.5 ± 0.3 m, and 3.0 ± 1.0 m, respectively. The surviving permafrost under SSP3‐7.0 and SSP5‐8.5 will be thermally unstable, which is a clear warning sign of complete disappearance. The analysis of permafrost sensitivity to climate change signifies that alpine permafrost on the QTP has low resilience to climate change, in contrast to permafrost in pan‐Artic high latitudes.
Ensemble Modeling of Radiation Belt Electron Flux Decay Following a Geomagnetic Storm: Dependence on Key Input Parameters
Authors: Hua Man , Bortnik Jacob , Kellerman Adam C. , Camporeale Enrico , Ma Qianli
Published: June 2022

We perform an ensemble of quasi‐linear diffusion simulations of the radiation belt electron flux decay for ∼6 days at L = 3.5 during the recovery phase of the storm on 7 November 2015, where plasmaspheric hiss dominantly drives the electron flux decay process. Based on Van Allen Probes measurements, we use percentiles to sample distributions of the four key input parameters, which are the hiss wave amplitude Bw, hiss wave peak frequency fm, background magnetic field B0, and electron density Ne, with 11 points representing that range of each input, leading to 114 (∼14,600) ensemble members. By developing a Lookup Table method to rapidly calculate the time‐dependent diffusion coefficients, the changing wave environment at every time step is incorporated into our ensemble simulations. The comparison between the ensemble simulations and observations reveals the influence of uncertainties in the input parameters on the simulated electron fluxes. Our results demonstrate that the perturbations in Bw are the primary contributors for discrepancies between modeled and observed electron fluxes, while the simulation errors caused by variations in fm and Ne are strongly energy‐dependent. The simulated electron flux using the wave parameters observed at the 50th percentile agrees with observations, and most of the simulation errors increase with decreasing observational probability density of the parameters, with the largest log accuracy ratio of ∼14. Our physics‐based ensemble modeling provides the essential information about the robustness of radiation belt simulation and forecast considering the uncertainties in the plasma wave measurement or parameterization.
Foxf2 represses bone formation via Wnt2b/β-catenin signaling
Authors: Tanaka Tomoyuki , Takahashi Akira , Kobayashi Yutaka , Saito Masanori , Xiaolong Sun , Jingquan Chen , Ito Yoshiaki , Kato Tsuyoshi , Ochi Hiroki , Sato Shingo , Yoshii Toshitaka , Okawa Atsushi , Carlsson Peter , Inose Hiroyuki
Published: June 2022

Differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into osteoblasts is a critical process for proper skeletal development and acquisition/maintenance of bone mass. However, since this regulatory mechanism has not yet been fully elucidated, the treatment of severe osteoporosis and fractures is a challenge. Here, through a comprehensive analysis of gene expression during the differentiation of MSCs into osteoblasts, we show that the forkhead transcription factor Foxf2 is a crucial regulator of this process. Foxf2 expression transiently increased during MSC osteoblastic differentiation. Overexpression of Foxf2 in MSCs inhibited osteoblastic differentiation, and conversely, knockdown of Foxf2 expression promoted this process. Osteoprogenitor-specific Foxf2 knockout mice developed a high bone mass phenotype due to increased bone formation. RNA-seq analysis and molecular experiments revealed that Foxf2 regulation of bone formation is mediated by Wnt2b. Knockdown of Foxf2 in mouse femurs enhanced bone regeneration in vivo. FOXF2 expression was correlated with hip bone mineral density in postmenopausal women with low bone mass. Finally, inhibition of FOXF2 promoted osteoblastic differentiation of human MSCs. This study uncovers a critical role of Foxf2 in the differentiation of MSCs into osteoblasts and provides insight into the pathogenesis associated with bone-related diseases such as osteoporosis and nonunion after fracture.
Pristine PN junction toward atomic layer devices
Authors: Xia Hui , Luo Man , Wang Wenjing , Wang Hailu , Li Tianxin , Wang Zhen , Xu Hangyu , Chen Yue , Zhou Yong , Wang Fang , Xie Runzhang , Wang Peng , Hu Weida , Lu Wei
Published: June 2022

In semiconductor manufacturing, PN junction is formed by introducing dopants to activate neighboring electron and hole conductance. To avoid structural distortion and failure, it generally requires the foreign dopants localize in the designated micro-areas. This, however, is challenging due to an inevitable interdiffusion process. Here we report a brand-new junction architecture, called “layer PN junction”, that might break through such limit and help redefine the semiconductor device architecture. Different from all existing semiconductors, we find that a variety of van der Waals materials are doping themselves from n- to p-type conductance with an increasing/decreasing layer-number. It means the capability of constructing homogeneous PN junctions in monolayers’ dimension/precision, with record high rectification-ratio (>105) and low cut-off current (<1 pA). More importantly, it spawns intriguing functionalities, like gate-switchable-rectification and noise-signal decoupled avalanching. Findings disclosed here might open up a path to develop novel nanodevice applications, where the geometrical size becomes the only critical factor in tuning charge-carrier distribution and thus functionality.
Rare nanoparticles shine colors with low-power STED
Authors: Xu Xinzhu , Xi Peng
Published: June 2022

The effect of cascade amplified depletion in lanthanide upconversion systems boosts their own emission bands inhibition, which facilitates multi-color nanoscopy with only one pair of low-power NIR CW lasers.
Electron–phonon coupling-assisted universal red luminescence of o-phenylenediamine-based carbon dots
Authors: Wang Boyang , Wei Zhihong , Sui Laizhi , Yu Jingkun , Zhang Baowei , Wang Xiaoyong , Feng Shengnan , Song Haoqiang , Yong Xue , Tian Yuxi , Yang Bai , Lu Siyu
Published: June 2022

Due to the complex core–shell structure and variety of surface functional groups, the photoluminescence (PL) mechanism of carbon dots (CDs) remain unclear. o-Phenylenediamine (oPD), as one of the most common precursors for preparing red emissive CDs, has been extensively studied. Interestingly, most of the red emission CDs based on oPD have similar PL emission characteristics. Herein, we prepared six different oPD-based CDs and found that they had almost the same PL emission and absorption spectra after purification. Structural and spectral characterization indicated that they had similar carbon core structures but different surface polymer shells. Furthermore, single-molecule PL spectroscopy confirmed that the multi-modal emission of those CDs originated from the transitions of different vibrational energy levels of the same PL center in the carbon core. In addition, the phenomenon of “spectral splitting” of single-particle CDs was observed at low temperature, which confirmed these oPD-based CDs were unique materials with properties of both organic molecules and quantum dots. Finally, theoretical calculations revealed their potential polymerization mode and carbon core structure. Moreover, we proposed the PL mechanism of red-emitting CDs based on oPD precursors; that is, the carbon core regulates the PL emission, and the polymer shell regulates the PL intensity. Our work resolves the controversy on the PL mechanism of oPD-based red CDs. These findings provide a general guide for the mechanism exploration and structural analysis of other types of CDs.
The impact of COVID-19-related quarantine on psychological outcomes in patients after cardiac intervention: a multicenter longitudinal study
Authors: Patron Elisabetta , Messerotti Benvenuti Simone , Ponchia Andrea , Del Piccolo Franco , Gentili Claudio , Palomba Daniela
Published: June 2022

Mandatory quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic had substantial negative consequences on psychological health in the general population. Depression, anxiety, and insomnia were reported to increase the morbidity and mortality risk in cardiac patients after cardiac interventions. Nonetheless, a gap in the evidence appeared regarding the effects of COVID-19-related quarantine on psychological outcomes in patients after cardiac interventions. The present study aimed to longitudinally investigate the effects of quarantine on depressive, anxiety, and insomnia symptoms in a group of patients who underwent cardiac intervention. Seventy-three patients admitted for cardiac rehabilitation completed a psychological assessment before and a reassessment after the quarantine and were included in the quarantine group. The control group included 76 patients who completed both evaluations before the quarantine. Depressive (Beck Depression Inventory-II; BDI-II), anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory-II; BAI), and insomnia (Sleep Condition Indicator; SCI) symptoms were evaluated in both groups at one (assessment) and eight (reassessment) months after cardiac intervention. The statistical analyses revealed that at reassessment, the quarantine group showed higher global depressive, anxiety, and insomnia symptoms than the control group and increased cognitive symptoms of depression. A higher presence of clinically relevant depressed patients was seen in the quarantine group. The present results showed that the COVID-19-related mandatory quarantine negatively affected psychological outcomes in patients after cardiac intervention, increasing the probability for these patients to be depressed. This, in turn, could influence patients’ health in a critical period for morbidity and mortality risk. This underlines the priority of integrating and improving targeted mental health support as the pandemic continues, especially for cardiac patients.
Associations between childhood maltreatment and psychiatric disorders: analysis from electronic health records in Hong Kong
Authors: Wong Rosa S. , Tung Keith T. S. , Ho Frederick K. W. , Lee Tatia M. C. , Chan Ko Ling , Bacon-Shone John , Coghill David , Man Kenneth K. C. , Sham Pak C. , Wong Wilfred H. S. , Tso Winnie W. Y. , Chua Gilbert T. , Wong Ian C. K. , Ip Patrick
Published: June 2022

There has been a lack of high-quality evidence concerning the association between childhood maltreatment and psychiatric diagnoses particularly for Axis II disorders. This study aimed to examine the association between childhood maltreatment exposure and Axis I and Axis II psychiatry disorders using electronic health records. In this study, the exposed group (n = 7473) comprised patients aged 0 to 19 years with a first-time record of maltreatment episode between January 1, 2001 and December 31, 2010, whereas the unexposed group (n = 26,834) comprised individuals of the same gender and age who were admitted into the same hospital in the same calendar year and month but had no records of maltreatment in the Hong Kong Clinical Data Analysis and Reporting System (CDARS). Data on their psychiatric diagnoses recorded from the date of admission to January 31, 2019 were extracted. A Cox proportional hazard regression model was fitted to estimate the hazard ratio (HR, plus 95% CIs) between childhood maltreatment exposure and psychiatric diagnoses, adjusting for age at index visit, sex, and government welfare recipient status. Results showed that childhood maltreatment exposure was significantly associated with subsequent diagnosis of conduct disorder/ oppositional defiant disorder (adjusted HR, 10.99 [95% CI 6.36, 19.01]), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (7.28 [5.49, 9.65]), and personality disorders (5.36 [3.78, 7.59]). The risk of psychiatric disorders following childhood maltreatment did not vary by history of childhood sexual abuse, age at maltreatment exposure, and gender. Individuals with a history of childhood maltreatment are vulnerable to psychiatric disorders. Findings support the provision of integrated care within the primary health care setting to address the long-term medical and psychosocial needs of individuals with a history of childhood maltreatment.
STAT6 inhibits ferroptosis and alleviates acute lung injury via regulating P53/SLC7A11 pathway
Authors: Yang Youjing , Ma Yu , Li Qianmin , Ling Yi , Zhou Yujia , Chu Kaimiao , Xue Lian , Tao Shasha
Published: June 2022

Compelling evidences have revealed the emerging role of ferroptosis in the pathophysiological process of acute lung injury (ALI), but its modulation is not clear. Here, we identified that STAT6 acted as a critical regulator of epithelium ferroptosis during ALI. Firstly, STAT6 expression and activity were increased in the ALI mice models caused by crystalline silica (CS), LPS and X-ray exposure. Followed by confirming the contribution of ferroptosis in the above ALI with ferrostatin-1 and deferoxamine intervention, bioinformatic analyses revealed that STAT6 expression was negatively correlated with ferroptosis. Consistently, lung epithelium-specific depletion of STAT6 in mice or STAT6 knockdown in cultured epithelial cells exacerbated ferroptosis in the above ALI. While overexpression of STAT6 in lung epithelial cells attenuated the ferroptosis. Mechanistically, SLC7A11 is a typical ferroptosis-related gene and negatively regulated by P53. CREB-binding protein (CBP) is a critical acetyltransferase of P53 acetylation, showing valuable regulation on targets’ transcription. Herein, we found that STAT6 negatively regulates ferroptosis through competitively binding with CBP, which inhibits P53 acetylation and transcriptionally restores SLC7A11 expression. Finally, pulmonary-specific STAT6 overexpression decreased the ferroptosis and attenuated CS and LPS induced lung injury. Our findings revealed that STAT6 is a pivotal regulator of ferroptosis, which may be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of acute lung injury.
Syntaxin 18 regulates the DNA damage response and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition to promote radiation resistance of lung cancer
Authors: Thumser-Henner Clotilde , Oeck Sebastian , Kalmbach Sophie , Forster Jan , Kindl Franziska , Sak Ali , Schramm Alexander , Schuler Martin
Published: June 2022

Radiotherapy is an important modality in lung cancer treatment. Despite advances in treatment planning and dose delivery, patient benefit is still limited by in-field relapse and metastatic recurrence. Simultaneous application of cisplatinum-based chemotherapy leads to moderately improved outcomes, thus providing proof-of-concept for radiosensitization strategies in lung cancer. In an unbiased functional genetic screen for radiosensitization targets in lung cancer, we identified syntaxin 18, a protein involved in retrograde vesicular transport between the Golgi apparatus and endoplasmic reticulum, as mediator of radioresistance. Downregulation of endogenous syntaxin 18 specifically reduced clonogenic survival of radioresistant and radiosensitive lung cancer cells following X-radiation. Gene expression programs regulating DNA repair, mitotic checkpoints and mitosis were altered in isogenic cells with reduced syntaxin 18 expression. Functionally, this translated into impaired DNA damage-induced cell cycle checkpoints leading to cell death by mitotic catastrophe. Interestingly, downregulation of syntaxin 18 in lung cancer cells also impaired expression of markers of epithelial-mesenchymal-transition, and reduced migration and invasion capacity. These findings suggest that syntaxin 18 is a key player regulating genes responsible for controlling the growth of the primary tumor as well as metastases upon radiotherapy of lung cancer. They provide a promising lead for biologically rational radiosensitization strategies impacting on radiation-induced cell death as well as metastasis.
The ASIC3-M-CSF-M2 macrophage-positive feedback loop modulates fibroblast-to-myofibroblast differentiation in skin fibrosis pathogenesis
Authors: Wu Jun-Jie , Sun Zi-Li , Liu Si-Yu , Chen Zhong-Hua , Yuan Zheng-Dong , Zou Ming-Li , Teng Ying-Ying , Li Yue-Yue , Guo Dan-Yang , Yuan Feng-Lai
Published: June 2022

Inflammation is one of the main pathological features leading to skin fibrosis and a key factor leading to the progression of skin fibrosis. Acidosis caused by a decrease in extracellular pH is a sign of the inflammatory process. Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are ligand-gated ion channels on the cell membrane that sense the drop in extracellular pH. The molecular mechanisms by which skin fibroblasts are regulated by acid-sensing ion channel 3 (ASIC3) remain unknown. This study investigated whether ASIC3 is related to inflammation and skin fibrosis and explored the underlying mechanisms. We demonstrate that macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) is a direct target of ASIC3, and ASIC3 activation promotes M-CSF transcriptional regulation of macrophages for M2 polarization. The polarization of M2 macrophages transduced by the ASIC3-M-CSF signal promotes the differentiation of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts through transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1), thereby producing an ASIC3-M-CSF-TGF-β1 positive feedback loop. Targeting ASIC3 may be a new treatment strategy for skin fibrosis.
Furin extracellularly cleaves secreted PTENα/β to generate C-terminal fragment with a tumor-suppressive role
Authors: Zhang Cheng , Ma Hong-Ming , Dong Shuang-Shu , Zhang Na , He Ping , Ge Meng-Kai , Xia Li , Yu Jian-Xiu , Xia Qiang , Chen Guo-Qiang , Shen Shao-Ming
Published: June 2022

PTENα and PTENβ (PTENα/β), two long translational variants of phosphatase and tensin homolog on chromosome 10 (PTEN), exert distinct roles from canonical PTEN, including promoting carcinogenesis and accelerating immune-resistant cancer progression. However, their roles in carcinogenesis remain greatly unknown. Herein, we report that, after secreting into the extracellular space, PTENα/β proteins are efficiently cleaved into a short N-terminal and a long C-terminal fragment by the proprotein convertase Furin at a polyarginine stretch in their N-terminal extensions. Although secreted PTENα/β and their cleaved fragment cannot enter cells, treatment of the purified C-terminal fragment but not cleavage-resistant mutants of PTENα exerts a tumor-suppressive role in vivo. As a result, overexpression of cleavage-resistant PTENα mutants manifest a tumor-promoting role more profound than that of wild-type PTENα. In line with these, the C-terminal fragment is significantly downregulated in liver cancer tissues compared to paired normal tissues, which is consistent with the downregulated expression of Furin. Collectively, we show that extracellular PTENα/β present opposite effects on carcinogenesis from intracellular PTENα/β, and propose that the tumor-suppressive C-terminal fragment of PTENα/β might be used as exogenous agent to treat cancer.