bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Healable and Mechanically Enhanced Composite with Segregated Conductive Network Structure for High-Efficient Electromagnetic Interference Shielding
Authors: Wang Ting , Kong Wei-Wei , Yu Wan-Cheng , Gao Jie-Feng , Dai Kun , Yan Ding-Xiang , Li Zhong-Ming
Published: August 2021

Highlights

The cationic waterborne polyurethanes microspheres with Diels-Alder bonds were synthesized for the first time.

The electrostatic attraction not only endows the composite with segregated structure to gain high electromagnetic-interference shielding effectiveness, but also greatly enhances mechanical properties.

Efficient healing property was realized under heating environment.

Abstract

It is still challenging for conductive polymer composite-based electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials to achieve long-term stability while maintaining high EMI shielding effectiveness (EMI SE), especially undergoing external mechanical stimuli, such as scratches or large deformations. Herein, an electrostatic assembly strategy is adopted to design a healable and segregated carbon nanotube (CNT)/graphene oxide (GO)/polyurethane (PU) composite with excellent and reliable EMI SE, even bearing complex mechanical condition. The negatively charged CNT/GO hybrid is facilely adsorbed on the surface of positively charged PU microsphere to motivate formation of segregated conductive networks in CNT/GO/PU composite, establishing a high EMI SE of 52.7 dB at only 10 wt% CNT/GO loading. The Diels–Alder bonds in PU microsphere endow the CNT/GO/PU composite suffering three cutting/healing cycles with EMI SE retention up to 90%. Additionally, the electrostatic attraction between CNT/GO hybrid and PU microsphere helps to strong interfacial bonding in the composite, resulting in high tensile strength of 43.1 MPa and elongation at break of 626%. The healing efficiency of elongation at break achieves 95% when the composite endured three cutting/healing cycles. This work demonstrates a novel strategy for developing segregated EMI shielding composite with healable features and excellent mechanical performance and shows great potential in the durable and high precision electrical instruments.
Politikgestaltung im Dialog? Umweltgruppen und ihre Mitwirkung bei der Regulierung von Spurenstoffen in Gewässern
Authors: Schaub Simon , Tosun Jale
Published: August 2021

Die Belastung von Gewässern mit sogenannten Spurenstoffen wie etwa Medikamentenrückstände wird zunehmend als ein handlungsrelevantes Problem wahrgenommen. Inwiefern tragen Umweltgruppen als Knowledge Broker zwischen Wissenschaft und Politik zu einer evidenz-basierten Politikgestaltung in Hinblick auf die Regulierung von Spurenstoffen in Gewässern bei? Um diese Forschungsfrage zu beantworten, wird in diesem Beitrag der Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland (BUND) und dessen Einfluss auf den Politikgestaltungsprozess untersucht. Spezifisch geht es in dieser Abhandlung um die Darlegung der Strategien des BUND hinsichtlich der Interessenvermittlung und dessen konkreter Mitwirkung an Stakeholder-Konsultationen sowie der Umsetzung eines Lösungsansatzes auf der lokalen Ebene. Hierbei wird aufgezeigt, dass der BUND durch seine fachliche Expertise als ein Knowledge Broker wahrgenommen wird. Die wissenschaftliche Fundierung der Positionen des BUND wird auch dadurch deutlich, dass dieser im Lichte neuer Erkenntnisse seine politischen Forderungen verändert hat. Diese Abhandlung argumentiert, dass die Darlegung von Unsicherheit in der Bewertung des Problems sowie die Bereitschaft, die politischen Forderungen zu ändern, dem BUND den Status als Knowledge Broker verleiht. Dadurch eröffnen sich der Organisation vielfältige Möglichkeiten der Teilnahme an Entscheidungsprozessen. Zudem wendet sich der BUND an die Öffentlichkeit und bedient sich einer Strategie der indirekten Interessenvertretung. Der zentrale Beitrag dieser Untersuchung besteht darin, dass dargelegt werden kann, dass beide Strategien – direkter Zugang zur Politik und indirekte Beeinflussung über die Medien und die Öffentlichkeit – komplementär angewandt werden, um den politischen Entscheidungsprozess effektiv zu beeinflussen. Dies bedeutet, dass selbst wenn Umweltorganisationen bei der Politikgestaltung mitwirken können, sie zusätzlich die Öffentlichkeit für ihr Anliegen aufsuchen, um ihre Verhandlungsposition zu stärken.
Religion, Memory, and Materiality: Exploring the Origins and Legacies of Sectarianism in the North of Ireland
Authors: Horning Audrey
Published: August 2021

The early 17th-century Plantation of Ulster, in which the English Crown sought to plant loyal British colonists in the north of Ireland, is commonly understood as overtly religious in intent and action, and is viewed as the foundation for today’s divide between Protestant and Catholic communities in Northern Ireland. Archaeological and documentary evidence complicates this straightforward narrative by demonstrating considerable cultural exchange and the emergence of hybrid practices—suggesting that, during the plantation period itself, religion may have been less influential than economic and political pragmatism. By the end of the 17th century, however, religion took on a more prominent political and cultural role, overtly materialized in objects, settlement patterns, and landscapes. The nature and timing for this transition is examined through archaeological case studies and considered in light of contemporary historical memories regarding the plantation and the origins of sectarianism in Ireland.
The Idea of Discursive Constituent Power
Authors: Fichera Massimo
Published: August 2021

The question addressed by this article is whether a form of constituent power exists at the EU level. It is argued that European integration has not suppressed the idea of people as constituent power. Instead, the idea of ‘people’ has been constructed through the discourses of security and rights. Ever since the early stages of European integration, the security and rights discourses have consisted in the articulation of a meta-constitutional rationale, which is here called the ‘security of the European project’, i.e. a form of political morality that is pursued by the EU as a polity over time and aims at its own survival. Security and rights discourses have contributed to constructing two ideas of ‘people-as-constituent-power’. The first idea is that of ‘mobile people’, i.e. people exercising EU free movement rights. The second idea is that of ‘peoples’ in the plural, conceived as States and citizens at the same time. Nevertheless, these discourses are characterised by a certain degree of ambiguity and have been unrolling as if the development of the EU polity was a mere technical, neutral matter. This state of affairs cannot continue: the European project has always been a political project, and, as integration reaches its more advanced stages, the time has come to disclose its political nature and address conflict openly.
Multi-focus Image Fusion Based on Random Walk
Authors: Wang Zhaobin , Wang Ziye , Cui Zijing , Chen Lina , Zhang Yaonan
Published: August 2021

An effective multi-focus image fusion algorithm based on random walk is proposed in this paper. Random walk and guided filter have attracted extensive attention in image fusion. Random walk is usually used to solve probability problems and it has a good smoothing effect, and guided filter can preserve the gradient information of the image well. The combination of two algorithms can better retain the edge information of the input image. Six sets of source images and five existing methods are used in the experiment and the experimental results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms the existing methods in both subjective and objective evaluation.
Asymmetric Exchange Rate Pass-Through in Southeast Asian Rice Trade
Authors: Wiseman Taylor , Luckstead Jeff , Durand-Morat Alvaro
Published: August 2021

Asian countries consume approximately 90% of the world’s rice supply. Between 2007 and 2014, Thailand, Vietnam, and India accounted for 60% of the world’s exports of rice. A nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) econometric model is utilized to estimate the impact of exchange rate fluctuations on rice trade in Southeast Asia. Focusing on the largest importing countries and exporting country by volume, the analysis considers Malaysian, Indonesian, the Philippines, and Chinese rice imports from Thailand. Results show that importing countries’ state trading enterprises (STEs) generally do not follow profit-maximizing behavior in reacting to exchange rate volatility.
A neurocognitive model of ideological thinking
Authors: Zmigrod Leor
Published: August 2021

Abstract

Ideological behavior has traditionally been viewed as a product of social forces. Nonetheless, an emerging science suggests that ideological worldviews can also be understood in terms of neural and cognitive principles. The article proposes a neurocognitive model of ideological thinking, arguing that ideological worldviews may be manifestations of individuals’ perceptual and cognitive systems. This model makes two claims. First, there areneurocognitive antecedents to ideological thinking: the brain’s low-level neurocognitive dispositions influence its receptivity to ideological doctrines. Second, there areneurocognitive consequences to ideological engagement: strong exposure and adherence to ideological doctrines can shape perceptual and cognitive systems. This article details the neurocognitive model of ideological thinking and synthesizes the empirical evidence in support of its claims. The model postulates that there are bidirectional processes between the brain and the ideological environment, and so it can address the roles of situational and motivational factors in ideologically motivated action. This endeavor highlights that an interdisciplinary neurocognitive approach to ideologies can facilitate biologically informed accounts of the ideological brain and thus reveal who is most susceptible to extreme and authoritarian ideologies. By investigating the relationships between low-level perceptual processes and high-level ideological attitudes, we can develop a better grasp of our collective history as well as the mechanisms that may structure our political futures.
ANALOGY REVERSED
Authors: Swaminathan Shivprasad
Published: August 2021

Standard accounts of analogy in law picture it as reasoningfromthe past case (source)toa solution in the case at hand (target). This article argues that the normatively constraining invocations of similarity or likeness presupposed by standard accounts do not obtain. It then sketches an alternative account based on Michael Polanyi's idea of polycentricity (not Lon Fuller's) on which the orientation of analogical reasoning isreversed. A past case (here “target”) is picked and framed in certain ways topersuadethe interlocutor about the decision independently reached in the present case (here “source”) through the guidance oftacit knowledge(involving anticipation of what is likely to pass muster with the legal community) which normatively constrains the process.
Medium-term effect of fertilizer, compost, and dolomite on cocoa soil and productivity in Sulawesi, Indonesia
Authors: Fungenzi Thomas , Sakrabani Ruben , Burgess Paul J. , Lambert Smilja , McMahon Peter
Published: August 2021

In Indonesia, management practices that reduce soil fertility could be limiting cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) production. To address this, we investigated the effects of fertilizers and organic amendments comprising different combinations of NPK + urea, dolomite, and manure-based compost on soil properties and cocoa productivity. We extended an existing field experiment in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, to assess these treatments’ effects on cocoa trees from the age of 2.9 years to 7.4 years. The treatments were first applied 5 months after planting and subsequently twice a year. Soil analyses were performed before planting, after 3 years, and finally after 7 years. Productivity was assessed yearly between the age of 3.5 and 7.4 years. The highest yields were obtained from the plots receiving compost, although the yield benefits diminished over time. Inorganic fertilizer alone doubled the yield compared to the control, while the yields with compost and compost + fertilizer were three times that of the control. With dolomite alone, the yield cumulated over 4 years was 41% higher than the control. The positive effect of compost on cocoa yields can potentially be attributed to (1) physical changes increasing soil water availability, (2) the chemical improvement of nutrient availability, and (3) biologically, by promoting the activity of beneficial organisms. The application of dolomite increased soil pH, Ca, and Mg contents. Soil organic carbon greatly declined in the composted treatments, even though 10 kg of compost was applied per tree per year, probably because of the low C:N ratio of the compost. Future studies should assess different fertilizer formulations and combinations with organic inputs and explore the mechanisms by which compost promotes cocoa productivity.
Coming to Terms: The Politics of Sovereign Bond Denomination
Authors: Ballard-Rosa Cameron , Mosley Layna , Wellhausen Rachel L.
Published: August 2021

Governments interact strategically with sovereign bond market creditors: they make choices not only about how often and how much to borrow, but also under what terms. The denomination of debt, in domestic or foreign currency, is a critical part of these terms. The “original sin” logic has long predicted that creditors have little appetite for developing-country government debt issued in domestic currency. Our novel data, including bond issues by 131 countries in 240,000 primary market transactions between 1990 and 2016, suggest otherwise. Domestic-denominated bonds have come to dominate the market, although domestic-currency issuance often is accompanied by shorter bond maturities. We argue that ideologically rooted policy preferences play an important role in this unexpected trend in denomination. All else equal, right governments choose foreign denomination as a means of mitigating currency risk and thus minimizing borrowing costs. In contrast, left governments opt for the flexibility of domestic denomination, and they are better able to act on their preferences in the presence of risk-mitigating monetary institutions and macroeconomic stability. We find support for our argument that partisanship has a robust and enduring relationship with denomination outcomes, even in a marketplace in which domestic-denominated developing-country sovereign bonds have become the norm.
Londinium's Landward Wall: Material Acquisition, Supply and Construction
Authors: Barker Simon J. , Hayward Kevin , Coombe Penny
Published: August 2021

The construction of a free-standing stone wall was a significant occasion in Londinium's history, remarkable for the quantity of masonry used and for the continuing additions to the defences over at least three identifiable phases. Since the local geology in the London Basin does not offer suitable building stone, Londinium's walls offer an exceptional example by which to examine the logistics of construction and the transportation of materials in the context of Romano-British building projects. We examine the sources of the materials used, their transport and the scale of labour and investment involved in the construction of the Landward Wall using an energetics-based methodology. Finally, we provide new insights into Londinium's Landward Wall and the socio-economic and practical implications of its construction. Supplementary material is available online (https://doi.org/10.1017/S0068113X21000088) and comprises technical data related to the architectural energetics.
Municipal modernity: the politics of leisure and Johannesburg's swimming baths, 1920s to 1930s
Authors: Grundlingh Louis
Published: August 2021

In the 1920s and 1930s, the all-powerful Johannesburg Council, comprising English-speaking middle-class white males, realized the importance of providing leisure spaces and sport facilities for its white residents and prioritized the building of swimming baths in their suburbs. It was regarded as the ideal facility, supporting the growing demand for outdoor activity. The upswing in the economy in the 1920s and especially in the 1930s, expedited this endeavour, as it eased the financial expenditure. As a result, Johannesburg could boast 10 new swimming baths by the end of the 1930s. The council was adamant that the swimming baths should be on a par with international standards. This venture fitted comfortably into the larger project of transforming the economically vibrant Johannesburg into a modern city. In contrast, the first swimming bath for Johannesburg's black residents was only built in the mid-1930s, proving that racial considerations determined the council's provision of leisure facilities.
Rise of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: An Imminent Public Health Threat Mandating Counter-Terrorism Medicine Preparedness for Potential Mass-Casualty Attacks
Authors: Tin Derrick , Kallenborn Zachary , Hart Alexander , Hertelendy Attila J. , Ciottone Gregory R.
Published: August 2021

The mass proliferation and increasing affordability of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in recent years has given rise to weaponized UAV use by terrorists, leading to mounting and credible concerns this attack methodology will be the next terrorism modus operandi. Counter-Terrorism Medicine (CTM) specialists need to consider how UAVs alter or create new mass-casualty scenarios that can further exploit existing medical preparedness vulnerabilities. With an opportunity to be proactive in disaster prevention, mitigation, and preparedness, it is imperative this gathering storm be acknowledged and stakeholders explore how best to prepare for, respond to, and mitigate the consequences of UAV incidents.
Beyond Secularized Eschatology Introductory Remarks
Authors: Sheehan Jonathan , Trüper Henning , Wimmer Mario
Published: August 2021

History as a body of knowledge, a loose bundle of working routines and writing practices, of genres, memories, imaginaries, and institutions, has struggled with its relationship to “religion” for a long time. In the European tradition, but also elsewhere, historical writing often served to fill the gaps in the knowledge about the past that had been, in the main, supplied by scriptural tradition. At the same time, historical writing also became a competitor with this tradition. The resulting relationship was, and continues to be, uneasy. In its familiar present-day form, for example, the quality of being “historical,” i.e. “historicity,” requires the exclusion of divine agency as a permissible explanation of events in the course of worldly affairs. In what François Hartog calls the modern “regime of historicity,” the culture of historical writing after 1750 became dominated by scholarship and aligned with mechanist understandings of the philosophy of nature. Enlightenment-era historical writing increasingly conceived of the world as a nexus of cause–effect relations that afforded space to the divine agency only in the function of “prime mover.” History then appeared to fall in line with the other forces of reason-driven “secularization” that stripped religious knowledge of the privilege of explaining things in the world, ultimately transforming it into “dogma” and “belief,” both only tenuously connected to reality. Knowledge based on the divinely “revealed” texts and the divinely “inspired” thought of traditionally recognized religious authorities lost its previous epistemic standing. Yet this loss occurred, to the extent that it did, in the form of a highly complicated negotiation, with compromises stacked on top of other compromises, generating a continuously confusing and mobile state of affairs.
Commemorating Oliver Williamson, a founding father of transaction cost economics
Authors: Sent Esther-Mirjam , Kroese Annelie L. J.
Published: August 2021

This contribution commemorates Oliver Williamson, who recently passed away, as one of the founding fathers of Transaction Cost Economics (TCE). It does so by touching on some of the details of his personal life and connecting these with his professional career. The latter was devoted to putting the study of institutions on the economic agenda. Closer scrutiny reveals that three phases may be identified. Williamson first developed an interest in analysing vertical integration. During the second phase, he elaborated this interest in TCE, and during the third, he positioned his contributions within the area of institutional economics. Furthermore, the article considers the various influences of institutional and organizational economists on Williamson. Finally, the article considers the reception, criticism, and further elaborations of Williamson's contributions.
Atmosphere, private ordering, and industrial pluralism: Williamson's evolving science of organization
Authors: Chassagnon Virgile
Published: August 2021

The major contribution of Oliver Williamson, who was a 2009 Nobel Prize co-Laureate in economics, consists of proposing a heuristic analysis of governance structures, namely, the firm, the market, and what he will later call the ‘hybrid forms’. This cardinal issue in organizational economics has made it possible to propose rigorous arbitration tools for the famous ‘make or buy’ decisions in modern market economies based on asset specificity and quasi-rents. However, Williamson's work goes far beyond these contributions alone. His contribution is based on a multidisciplinary theoretical background in building the science of organization. This is the important but sometimes neglected aspect of Williamson's work that I wish to highlight in this paper in memory of Williamson in regard to three major pieces on atmosphere (and informal organization), private ordering, and industrial pluralism. In doing so, I also propose reconsidering the different stages of Williamson's evolving science of organization from recent neo-institutional works.
Specific investments, cognitive resources, and specialized nature of research production in academic institutions: why shared governance matters for performance
Authors: Degli Antoni Giacomo , Fia Magali , Sacconi Lorenzo
Published: August 2021

New institutional economics (NIE) studies institutions and how they emerge, operate, and evolve. They also include organizational arrangements, intended as modes of governing economic transactions. Universities offer an exciting ground for testing the role of different institutional arrangements (governance forms) in coordinating (academic) transactions. In a context of contractual incompleteness where production is characterized by a highly specialized nature and requires the cooperation among co-essential figures, we argue that shared governance models (versus models with more concentrated authority) foster idiosyncratic investments in human capital and promotes performance. From the evolutionary viewpoint, we explain why institutions based on shared governance have developed within universities. The normative question of how universities should be governed is a debated issue in the literature. Since the 1980s, the new public management paradigm provides a theoretical framework that suggests analyzing university like firms. It is based on the firm's archetypical conception as top-down hierarchical organizations and as a descending sequence of principal–agent problems. We advance a different interpretation of the university–firm analogy leveraging on the NIE and its developments. To empirically analyze our hypothesis, we collected original data from Italian universities in 2015. We find that more shared decision-making processes are correlated with better research performance.
Automated detection and staging of malaria parasites from cytological smears using convolutional neural networks
Authors: Davidson Mira S. , Andradi-Brown Clare , Yahiya Sabrina , Chmielewski Jill , O’Donnell Aidan J. , Gurung Pratima , Jeninga Myriam D. , Prommana Parichat , Andrew Dean W. , Petter Michaela , Uthaipibull Chairat , Boyle Michelle J. , Ashdown George W. , Dvorin Jeffrey D. , Reece Sarah E. , Wilson Danny W. , Cunningham Kane A. , Ando D. Michael. , Dimon Michelle , Baum Jake
Published: August 2021

Microscopic examination of blood smears remains the gold standard for laboratory inspection and diagnosis of malaria. Smear inspection is, however, time-consuming and dependent on trained microscopists with results varying in accuracy. We sought to develop an automated image analysis method to improve accuracy and standardization of smear inspection that retains capacity for expert confirmation and image archiving. Here, we present a machine learning method that achieves red blood cell (RBC) detection, differentiation between infected/uninfected cells, and parasite life stage categorization from unprocessed, heterogeneous smear images. Based on a pretrained Faster Region-Based Convolutional Neural Networks (R-CNN) model for RBC detection, our model performs accurately, with an average precision of 0.99 at an intersection-over-union threshold of 0.5. Application of a residual neural network-50 model to infected cells also performs accurately, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.98. Finally, combining our method with a regression model successfully recapitulates intraerythrocytic developmental cycle with accurate lifecycle stage categorization. Combined with a mobile-friendly web-based interface, called PlasmoCount, our method permits rapid navigation through and review of results for quality assurance. By standardizing assessment of Giemsa smears, our method markedly improves inspection reproducibility and presents a realistic route to both routine lab and future field-based automated malaria diagnosis.
The Correlates of State Policy and the Structure of State Panel Data
Authors: Grossmann Matt , Jordan Marty P. , McCrain Joshua
Published: August 2021

The American states offer a wealth of variation across time and space to understand the sources, dynamics, and consequences of public policy. As laboratories of socioeconomic and political differences, they enable both wide-scale assessments of change and studies of specific policy choices. To leverage this potential, we constructed and integrated a database of thousands of state-year variables for designing and executing social research: the Correlates of State Policy Project (CSPP). The database offers one-stop shopping for accurate and reliable data, allows researchers to assess the generalizability of the relationships they uncover, enables assessment of causal inferences, and connects state politics researchers to larger research communities. We demonstrate CSPP’s use and breadth, as well as its limitations. Through an applied empirical approach familiar to the state politics literature, we show that researchers should remain attentive to regional variation in key variables and potential lack of within-state variation in independent and dependent variables of interest. By comparing commonly used model specifications, we demonstrate that results are highly sensitive to particular research design choices. Inferences drawn from state politics research largely depend on the nature of over time variation within and across states and the empirical leverage it may or may not provide.
Den Bewegungen folgen
Authors: Furrer Maya , Burr Christian
Published: August 2021

Was ist zu diesem Thema bekannt?

Somatic Experiencing© (SE) gilt als eine wirksame körperbezogene Methode zur Behandlung von Menschen mit posttraumatischen Stressreaktionen.

Wie wird eine neue Perspektive eingebracht?

SE spricht alle Berufsgruppen an, die regelmäßig mit Menschen mit posttraumatischen Stressreaktionen in Kontakt stehen. Es werden Möglichkeiten aufgezeigt, wie dieses körperbezogene Konzept in der pflegerischen Arbeit genutzt werden kann.

Was sind die Auswirkungen für die Praxis?

SE bietet einen Zugang zu Ebenen des Nervensystems, die für die Integration und Regulierung von Trauma-Stressreaktionen zentral sind und auch von Pflegefachpersonen in der Arbeit mit Klient_innen und für sich selber genutzt werden können.
Body Compassion Scale
Authors: Policardo Giulia Rosa , Nerini Amanda , Di Gesto Cristian , Matera Camilla
Published: August 2021

Abstract. Background: In recent years, body image research has focused on the aspects of positive body image ( Smolak & Cash, 2011 ). This represents an important change in this area from a primary focus on negative body image to a comprehensive exploration of the body image concept. Aims: Validation of measures to help understand the positive and healthy characteristics of body image is therefore particularly important. The Body Compassion Scale (BCS; Altman, Linfield, et al., 2017 ) is a self-report scale aimed at measuring how compassionate one feels toward one’s own body. This study is a validation of BCS to confirm its factor structure and to assess its reliability and validity. Method: The 23-item scale was translated into Italian and presented to a sample of 695 Italian women. A Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was performed to examine the factor structure of the Italian version of the BCS. Results: Results were largely comparable to those obtained for the original English version of the BCS. The three-factor structure was largely replicated and expected associations with body dissatisfaction, psychological inflexibility, and psychological well-being were found. Limitations: BCS reliability was assessed only in terms of internal consistency; a longitudinal research design could be useful to assess the test-retest reliability. It would also be important for future research to study body compassion in different populations. Conclusion: This scale could be a useful measure for structured psychological interventions aimed at promoting a positive body image, but also in empirical research to obtain information on how individuals relate to their bodies.
Linking the Surface and Subsurface in River Deltas—Part 1: Relating Surface and Subsurface Geometries
Authors: Hariharan Jayaram , Xu Zhongyuan , Michael Holly A. , Paola Chris , Steel Elisabeth , Passalacqua Paola
Published: August 2021

River deltas are densely populated regions of the world with vulnerable groundwater reserves. Contamination of these groundwater aquifers via saline water intrusion and pollutant transport is a growing threat due to both anthropogenic and climate changes. The arrangement and composition of subsurface sediment is known to have a significant impact on aquifer contamination; however, developing accurate depictions of the subsurface is challenging. In this work, we explore the relationship between surface and subsurface properties and identify the metrics most sensitive to different forcing conditions. To do so, we simulate river delta evolution with the rule‐based numerical model, DeltaRCM, and test the influence of input sand fraction and steady sea level rise (SLR) on delta evolution. From the model outputs, we measure a variety of surface and subsurface metrics chosen based on their applicability to imagery and modeling results. The Kullback‐Leibler (KL) divergence is then used to quantitatively gauge which metrics are most indicative of the imposed forcings. Both qualitative observations and the KL divergence analysis suggest that estimates of subsurface connectivity can be constrained using surface information. In particular, more variable shoreline roughness values and higher surface wetted fraction values correspond to increased subsurface connectivity. These findings complement traditional methods of estimating subsurface structure in river‐dominated delta systems and represent a step toward the identification of a direct link between surface observations and subsurface form.
Native H2 Exploration in the Western Pyrenean Foothills
Authors: Lefeuvre Nicolas , Truche Laurent , Donzé Frédéric‐Victor , Ducoux Maxime , Barré Guillaume , Fakoury Rose‐Adeline , Calassou Sylvain , Gaucher Eric C.
Published: August 2021

Native hydrogen (H2) may represent a new carbon free‐energy resource, but to date there is no specific exploration guide to target H2‐fertile geological settings. Here, we present the first soil gas survey specifically designed to explore H2 migration in a region where no surface seepage has been documented so far. We choose the Pyrenean orogenic belt and its northern foreland basin (Aquitaine, France) as a test site for our strategy. The presence of mantle rocks at shallow depth (<10 km depth) under the Mauléon Basin connected to the surface by major faults is considered as preliminary requisites for H2 generation and drainage. On this basis, more than 1,100 in situ soil gas analysis (H2, CO, CO2, CH4, H2S, and 222Rn) were performed at ∼1 m depth at the regional scale along a 10 × 10 km grid spanning over 7,500 km2. The analysis campaign reveals several areas of high occurrence to the north of the Mauléon Basin where H2, CO2, and 222Rn concentrations exceed 1,000 ppmv, 10 vol%, and 50 kBq m−3, respectively. Most of these hot spots are located along the North Pyrenean Frontal Thrust and other related faults rooted in the mantle body. These results, together with evidence from the literature of fluid migration at depth, suggest that H2 may be sourced from mantle rocks serpentinization and carried to the surface along major thrusting faults. Traps containing hydrogen remain unidentified up to now but the presence of salt‐related structures (diapirs) near these hot spots is considered encouraging.
Dynamical Variations of the Global COVID‐19 Pandemic Based on a SEICR Disease Model: A New Approach of Yi Hua Jie Mu
Authors: Wang Xia , Yin Gang , Hu Zengyun , He Daihai , Cui Qianqian , Feng Xiaomei , Teng Zhidong , Hu Qi , Li Jiansen , Zhou Qiming
Published: August 2021

The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic has caused more than 150 million cases of infection to date and poses a serious threat to global public health. In this study, global COVID‐19 data were used to examine the dynamical variations from the perspectives of immunity and contact of 84 countries across the five climate regions: tropical, arid, temperate, and cold. A new approach named Yi Hua Jie Mu is proposed to obtain the transmission rates based on the COVID‐19 data between the countries with the same climate region over the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere. Our results suggest that the COVID‐19 pandemic will persist over a long period of time or enter into regular circulation in multiple periods of 1–2 years. Moreover, based on the simulated results by the COVID‐19 data, it is found that the temperate and cold climate regions have higher infection rates than the tropical and arid climate regions, which indicates that climate may modulate the transmission of COVID‐19. The role of the climate on the COVID‐19 variations should be concluded with more data and more cautions. The non‐pharmaceutical interventions still play the key role in controlling and prevention this global pandemic.
Tumor microenvironment and immune evasion in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Elmusrati Areeg , Wang Justin , Wang Cun-Yu
Published: August 2021

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), an aggressive malignancy, is characterized by high morbidity and low survival rates with limited therapeutic options outside of regional surgery, conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy, and irradiation. Increasing studies have supported the synergistic role of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in cancer advancement. The immune system, in particular, plays a key role in surveillance against the initiation, development, and progression of HNSCC. The understanding of how neoplastic cells evolve and evade the immune system whether through self-immunogenicity manipulation, or expression of immunosuppressive mediators, provides the foundation for the development of advanced therapies. Furthermore, the crosstalk between cancer cells and the host immune system have a detrimental effect on the TME promoting angiogenesis, proliferation, and metastasis. This review provides a recent insight into the role of the key inflammatory cells infiltrating the TME, with a focus on reviewing immunological principles related to HNSCC, as cancer immunosurveillance and immune escape, including a brief overview of current immunotherapeutic strategies and ongoing clinical trials.
Liquid–liquid phase separation in human health and diseases
Authors: Wang Bin , Zhang Lei , Dai Tong , Qin Ziran , Lu Huasong , Zhang Long , Zhou Fangfang
Published: August 2021

Emerging evidence suggests that liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) represents a vital and ubiquitous phenomenon underlying the formation of membraneless organelles in eukaryotic cells (also known as biomolecular condensates or droplets). Recent studies have revealed evidences that indicate that LLPS plays a vital role in human health and diseases. In this review, we describe our current understanding of LLPS and summarize its physiological functions. We further describe the role of LLPS in the development of human diseases. Additionally, we review the recently developed methods for studying LLPS. Although LLPS research is in its infancy—but is fast-growing—it is clear that LLPS plays an essential role in the development of pathophysiological conditions. This highlights the need for an overview of the recent advances in the field to translate our current knowledge regarding LLPS into therapeutic discoveries.
Light-driven carbon dioxide reduction to methane by Methanosarcina barkeri in an electric syntrophic coculture
Authors: Huang Lingyan , Liu Xing , Zhang Zhishuai , Ye Jie , Rensing Christopher , Zhou Shungui , Nealson Kenneth H
Published: August 2021

The direct conversion of CO2 to value-added chemical commodities, thereby storing solar energy, offers a promising option for alleviating both the current energy crisis and global warming. Semiconductor-biological hybrid systems are novel approaches. However, the inherent defects of photocorrosion, photodegradation, and the toxicity of the semiconductor limit the application of these biohybrid systems. We report here that Rhodopseudomonas palustris was able to directly act as a living photosensitizer to drive CO2 to CH4 conversion by Methanosarcina barkeri under illumination after coculturing. Specifically, R. palustris formed a direct electric syntrophic coculture with M. barkeri. Here, R. palustris harvested solar energy, performed anoxygenic photosynthesis using sodium thiosulfate as an electron donor, and transferred electrons extracellularly to M. barkeri to drive methane generation. The methanogenesis of M. barkeri in coculture was a light-dependent process with a production rate of 4.73 ± 0.23 μM/h under light, which is slightly higher than that of typical semiconductor-biohybrid systems (approximately 4.36 μM/h). Mechanistic and transcriptomic analyses showed that electrons were transferred either directly or indirectly (via electron shuttles), subsequently driving CH4 production. Our study suggests that R. palustris acts as a natural photosensitizer that, in coculture with M. barkeri, results in a new way to harvest solar energy that could potentially replace semiconductors in biohybrid systems.
A machine learning case–control classifier for schizophrenia based on DNA methylation in blood
Authors: Gunasekara Chathura J. , Hannon Eilis , MacKay Harry , Coarfa Cristian , McQuillin Andrew , Clair David St. , Mill Jonathan , Waterland Robert A.
Published: August 2021

Epigenetic dysregulation is thought to contribute to the etiology of schizophrenia (SZ), but the cell type-specificity of DNA methylation makes population-based epigenetic studies of SZ challenging. To train an SZ case–control classifier based on DNA methylation in blood, therefore, we focused on human genomic regions of systemic interindividual epigenetic variation (CoRSIVs), a subset of which are represented on the Illumina Human Methylation 450K (HM450) array. HM450 DNA methylation data on whole blood of 414 SZ cases and 433 non-psychiatric controls were used as training data for a classification algorithm with built-in feature selection, sparse partial least squares discriminate analysis (SPLS-DA); application of SPLS-DA to HM450 data has not been previously reported. Using the first two SPLS-DA dimensions we calculated a “risk distance” to identify individuals with the highest probability of SZ. The model was then evaluated on an independent HM450 data set on 353 SZ cases and 322 non-psychiatric controls. Our CoRSIV-based model classified 303 individuals as cases with a positive predictive value (PPV) of 80%, far surpassing the performance of a model based on polygenic risk score (PRS). Importantly, risk distance (based on CoRSIV methylation) was not associated with medication use, arguing against reverse causality. Risk distance and PRS were positively correlated (Pearsonr = 0.28,P = 1.28 × 10−12), and mediational analysis suggested that genetic effects on SZ are partially mediated by altered methylation at CoRSIVs. Our results indicate two innate dimensions of SZ risk: one based on genetic, and the other on systemic epigenetic variants.
Lipocalin 2 stimulates bone fibroblast growth factor 23 production in chronic kidney disease
Authors: Courbon Guillaume , Francis Connor , Gerber Claire , Neuburg Samantha , Wang Xueyan , Lynch Emily , Isakova Tamara , Babitt Jodie L. , Wolf Myles , Martin Aline , David Valentin
Published: August 2021

Bone-produced fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) increases in response to inflammation and iron deficiency and contributes to cardiovascular mortality in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL or lipocalin 2; LCN2 the murine homolog) is a pro-inflammatory and iron-shuttling molecule that is secreted in response to kidney injury and may promote CKD progression. We investigated bone FGF23 regulation by circulating LCN2. At 23 weeks, Col4a3KO mice showed impaired kidney function, increased levels of kidney and serum LCN2, increased bone and serum FGF23, anemia, and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). Deletion of Lcn2 in CKD mice did not improve kidney function or anemia but prevented the development of LVH and improved survival in association with marked reductions in serum FGF23. Lcn2 deletion specifically prevented FGF23 elevations in response to inflammation, but not iron deficiency or phosphate, and administration of LCN2 increased serum FGF23 in healthy and CKD mice by stimulating Fgf23 transcription via activation of cAMP-mediated signaling in bone cells. These results show that kidney-produced LCN2 is an important mediator of increased FGF23 production by bone in response to inflammation and in CKD. LCN2 inhibition might represent a potential therapeutic approach to lower FGF23 and improve outcomes in CKD.
RASSF9 promotes NSCLC cell proliferation by activating the MEK/ERK axis
Authors: Yuan Jun , Ju Qianqian , Zhu Jun , Jiang Yun , Yang Xuechao , Liu Xiaoyu , Ma Jinyu , Sun Cheng , Shi Jiahai
Published: August 2021

The RAS-associated domain family 9 (RASSF9), a RAS-associated domain family gene, is expressed in a variety of tissues. However, its roles in tumorigenesis, particularly in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), are still not understood well. In the present study, we aimed to examine the potential roles of RASSF9 in NSCLC and the underlying mechanisms. Our data showed that RASSF9 expression was upregulated in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. Increased expression of RASSF9 promotes NSCLC cell proliferation. On the contrary, knockdown of RASSF9 represses cell proliferation. Moreover, the effects of RASSF9 on NSCLC cell proliferation were further confirmed in vivo by using a subcutaneous tumor model. Mechanistically, pharmacological intervention studies revealed that the MEK/ERK axis is targeted by RASSF9 for transducing its regulatory roles on NSCLC cell proliferation. Collectively, our data indicate that RASSF9 plays a key role in tumorigenesis of NSCLC by stimulating tumor cell proliferation, which relies on activation of the MEK/ERK axis. Thus, RASSF9 might be a druggable target for developing novel agents for treating NSCLC.
Compounds targeting OSBPL7 increase ABCA1-dependent cholesterol efflux preserving kidney function in two models of kidney disease
Authors: Wright Matthew B. , Varona Santos Javier , Kemmer Christian , Maugeais Cyrille , Carralot Jean-Philippe , Roever Stephan , Molina Judith , Ducasa G. Michelle , Mitrofanova Alla , Sloan Alexis , Ahmad Anis , Pedigo Christopher , Ge Mengyuan , Pressly Jeffrey , Barisoni Laura , Mendez Armando , Sgrignani Jacopo , Cavalli Andrea , Merscher Sandra , Prunotto Marco , Fornoni Alessia
Published: August 2021

Impaired cellular cholesterol efflux is a key factor in the progression of renal, cardiovascular, and autoimmune diseases. Here we describe a class of 5-arylnicotinamide compounds, identified through phenotypic drug discovery, that upregulate ABCA1-dependent cholesterol efflux by targeting Oxysterol Binding Protein Like 7 (OSBPL7). OSBPL7 was identified as the molecular target of these compounds through a chemical biology approach, employing a photoactivatable 5-arylnicotinamide derivative in a cellular cross-linking/immunoprecipitation assay. Further evaluation of two compounds (Cpd A and Cpd G) showed that they induced ABCA1 and cholesterol efflux from podocytes in vitro and normalized proteinuria and prevented renal function decline in mouse models of proteinuric kidney disease: Adriamycin-induced nephropathy and Alport Syndrome. In conclusion, we show that small molecule drugs targeting OSBPL7 reveal an alternative mechanism to upregulate ABCA1, and may represent a promising new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of renal diseases and other disorders of cellular cholesterol homeostasis.
Effective EMI shielding behaviour of thin graphene/PMMA nanolaminates in the THz range
Authors: Pavlou Christos , Pastore Carbone Maria Giovanna , Manikas Anastasios C. , Trakakis George , Koral Can , Papari Gianpaolo , Andreone Antonello , Galiotis Costas
Published: August 2021

The use of graphene in a form of discontinuous flakes in polymer composites limits the full exploitation of the unique properties of graphene, thus requiring high filler loadings for achieving- for example- satisfactory electrical and mechanical properties. Herein centimetre-scale CVD graphene/polymer nanolaminates have been produced by using an iterative ‘lift-off/float-on’ process and have been found to outperform, for the same graphene content, state-of-the-art flake-based graphene polymer composites in terms of mechanical reinforcement and electrical properties. Most importantly these thin laminate materials show a high electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness, reaching 60 dB for a small thickness of 33 μm, and an absolute EMI shielding effectiveness close to 3·105 dB cm2 g−1 which is amongst the highest values for synthetic, non-metallic materials produced to date.