bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Measuring satisfaction with democracy: how good are different scales across countries and languages?
Authors: Poses Carlos , Revilla Melanie 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThe Satisfaction With Democracy (SWD) indicator is very often used in social sciences’ research. However, while there is debate about which concept it measures, the discussion about the size of its measurement errors (how well it measures the underlying concept ‘satisfaction with the way democracy works’) is scarce. Nonetheless, measurement errors can affect the results and threaten comparisons across studies, countries and languages. Thus, in this paper, we estimated the measurement quality (complement of measurement errors) of the SWD indicator for 7 response scales across 38 country-language groups, using three multitrait-multimethod experiments from the European Social Survey. Results show that measurement errors explain from 16% (11-point scale) to 54% (4-point scale) of the variance in the observed responses. Additionally, we provide insights to improve questionnaire design and evaluate the indicator’s comparability across scales, countries and languages.
Start Small, not Random: Why does Justifying your Time-Lag Matter?
Authors: Griep Yannick , Vranjes Ivana , Kraak Johannes M. , Dudda Leonie , Li Yingjie 
Published: September 2021

AbstractRepeated measurement designs have been growing in popularity in the fields of Organizational Behavior and Work and Organizational Psychology. This brings up questions regarding the appropriateness of time-lag choices and validity of justification used to make time-lag decisions in the current literature. We start by explaining how time-lag choices are typically made and explain issues associated with these approaches. Next, we provide some insights into how an optimal time-lag decision should be made and the importance of time-sensitive theory building in helping guide these decisions. Finally, we end with some brief suggestions as to how authors can move forward by urging them to explicitly address temporal dynamics in their research, and by advocating for descriptive studies with short time-lags, which are needed to uncover how the changes happen over time.
Agricultural Intensification and Soil Fertility in Atlantic Spain, 1750–1890
Authors: Corbacho González Beatriz , Padró Caminal Roc 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThis article describes the intensification process of agriculture and its environmental limits regarding soil fertility in the rural community of Fonsagrada, in the inner region of Galicia in northwestern Spain. It addresses changes in land use, crops, and agricultural productivity between 1750 and 1890, framed within the theory of social metabolism and based on the method of nutrient balances. That technique measures nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium flows across the landscape within a given agro-ecosystem to assess its biophysical functioning and to detect environmental constraints related to management. The intensification of cropland resulted in net losses of potassium in outlying rough grazing land and hay meadows that served as the sources of cropland nutrients. Agricultural intensification was possible due to the close stabling of livestock, which allowed for more manure availability. Doing so, however, deprived pastureland of nutrient recover through manure deposition, which created a metabolic rift in the agro-ecosystem.
History of knotweed (Fallopiaspp.) invasiveness
Authors: Drazan Dallas , Smith Alan G. , Anderson Neil O. , Becker Roger , Clark Matthew 
Published: September 2021

AbstractKnotweed (Fallopiaspp.) is an herbaceous perennial from East Asia that was brought to Europe and North America and, despite control efforts, subsequently spread aggressively on both continents. Data are available on knotweed’s modes of sexual and asexual spread, historical spread, preferred habitat, and ploidy levels. Incomplete information is available on knotweed’s current global geographic distribution and genetic diversity. The chemical composition of knotweed leaves and rhizomes has been partially discovered as related to its ability to inhibit growth and germination of neighboring plant communities via phytochemicals. There is still critical information missing. There are currently no studies detailing knotweed male and female fertility. Specifically, information on pollen viability would be important for further understanding sexual reproduction as a vector of spread in knotweed. This information would help managers determine the potential magnitude of knotweed sexual reproduction and the continued spread of diverse hybrid swarms. The potential range of knotweed and its ability to spread into diverse habitats makes studies on knotweed seed and rhizome cold tolerance of utmost importance, yet to date no such studies have been conducted. There is also a lack of genetic information available on knotweed in the upper Midwest. Detailed genetic information, such as ploidy levels and levels of genetic diversity, would answer many questions about knotweed in Minnesota, including understanding its means of spread, what species are present in what densities, and current levels of hybridization. This literature review summarizes current literature on knotweed to better understand its invasiveness and to highlight necessary future research that would benefit and inform knotweed management in the upper Midwest.
What Can We Know About Recent Past Precipitation Over Africa? Daily Characteristics of African Precipitation From a Large Ensemble of Observational Products for Model Evaluation
Authors: Dosio Alessandro , Pinto Izidine , Lennard Christopher , Sylla Mouhamadou Bamba , Jack Christopher , Nikulin Grigory 
Published: September 2021

AbstractWe assess the daily characteristics of recent past precipitation over Africa by means of a large ensemble of observational products, including reanalysis, gauge‐based, and satellite‐based products. The spatial distribution of seasonal mean precipitation varies considerably amongst products especially over areas where gauge networks are sparse. Large uncertainties in the annual precipitation cycle are visible in particular over the Ethiopian Highlands, the eastern Sahel, the coasts of the Gulf of Guinea, and the Horn of Africa. Interannual variability shows large differences especially amongst reanalysis data sets whereas satellite and gauge‐based products usually show more consistent results.
Controlling Induced Earthquake Magnitude by Cycled Fluid Injection
Authors: Zhu J. B. , Kang J. Q. , Elsworth D. , Xie H. P. , Ju Y. , Zhao J. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThe possibility of controlling induced earthquake magnitude through managed metering of water injection has yet to be rationalized. Mechanisms of reducing magnitudes of induced events through cycled fluid injection remain unclear. To explore such mechanisms and this possibility, we report experiments with water injection into laboratory faults. Water injection results in early triggering for both single and cycled injection. However, the maximum moment magnitude and total energy of the repeating induced earthquakes during cycled water injection are both lower than those of induced earthquakes induced with continuous injection and for natural earthquakes without water injection. Higher permeability of the host reduces the number of injection‐induced earthquakes but increases their moment. With an increasing number of water injection cycles, both maximum moment and total energy decrease, particularly as permeability decreases, while the number of induced events increases. The moment magnitude of induced events can thereby be controlled through cycled fluid injection.
ENSO‐Based Predictability of a Regional Severe Thunderstorm Index
Authors: Tippett Michael K. , Lepore Chiara 
Published: September 2021

AbstractHere we use coupled climate model forecasts of Niño 3.4 and a regional (Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana) tornado environment index (TEI) to examine the modulation of US severe thunderstorm activity by the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The large number of forecast initializations, leads, and ensemble members reduces sampling variability and increases detail in the analysis. The strongest negative relations between TEI and concurrent Niño 3.4 are found in February and March. Both the average of TEI and its spread are larger during cool ENSO conditions, which raises the question of how predictability differs between warm and cool conditions. Predictability is measured using perfect‐model skill scores. For a deterministic skill score, which is equivalent to signal‐to‐noise ratio, larger spread during cool conditions means less predictability. On the other hand, perfect‐model probabilistic skill scores are slightly higher (higher predictability) during February and March for cool conditions than for warm conditions due to larger probability shifts.
A New Body‐Wave Amplitude Ratio‐Based Method for Imaging Shallow Crustal Structure and Its Application in the Sichuan Basin, Southwestern China
Authors: Wang Xu , Chen Ling , Yao Huajian 
Published: September 2021

AbstractShallow crustal velocity and Poisson's ratio structures are of key importance to understand rock properties and near‐surface tectonic deformation and evolution. We propose a novel imaging method to acquire such information at individual stations by joint inversion of amplitude ratios between the horizontal and vertical components of both teleseismic P and S waves. Our synthetic experiments demonstrate the validity of the method in recovering subsurface structures up to ∼8–10 km depth. We apply this method to construct the velocity and Poisson's ratio images along a NW‐SE‐trending seismic array within the Sichuan Basin, southwestern China. The results reveal well developed stratification and localized high Poisson's ratio anomalies, which reflect a long‐term stable sedimentary environment and fault‐related deformation in response to the Cenozoic Tibet–basin collision, consistent with geological observations. Our new method builds a bridge between fine‐scale near‐surface seismic exploration and large‐scale deep passive‐source imaging, especially for areas of weak seismicity.
Tectonic and Geometric Control on Fault Kinematics of the 2021 Mw7.3 Maduo (China) Earthquake Inferred From Interseismic, Coseismic, and Postseismic InSAR Observations
Authors: Zhao Dezheng , Qu Chunyan , Chen Han , Shan Xinjian , Song Xiaogang , Gong Wenyu 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThe 2021 Mw7.3 Maduo (Qinghai, China) earthquake ruptured ∼160 km along a poorly known secondary fault inside the Bayanhar block on the northern Tibetan plateau, which is generally parallel to the Kunlun fault. Here we integrate the interseismic (2015–2020) and coseismic geodetic observations to quantify the interseismic strain rate, fault geometry and coseismic slip distribution. Our results reveal that the seismogenic fault is featured by the low (<20 nanostrain/yr) and nearly undetectable interseismic strain rate. Three‐dimensional displacement fields and coseismic strain maps demonstrate the spatial variations of rupture kinematics due to the change of fault geometry. Our study reveals the steeply north‐dipping fault geometry of the seismogenic fault. The majority of coseismic slip occurred between 0 and 15 km with slight shallow slip deficit, which not penetrates through the inferred elastic upper crust (∼20–25 km). Our study highlights the tectonic and geometric control on fault kinematics of the Maduo earthquake.
Off‐Equatorial Minima Effects on ULF Wave‐Ion Interaction in the Dayside Outer Magnetosphere
Authors: Li Xing‐Yu , Liu Zhi‐Yang , Zong Qiu‐Gang , Zhou Xu‐Zhi , Hao Yi‐Xin , Pollock Craig J. , Russell Christopher T. , Lindqvist Per‐Arne 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThe ultra‐low frequency wave‐particle drift‐bounce resonance in the inner magnetosphere has been studied in detail, due to its important role in particle energization. However, it remains an open question how drift‐bounce resonance manifests in the dayside outer magnetosphere, where particles' orbits show bifurcations because of off‐equatorial magnetic field minima. In this study, we investigate this question, by analyzing Magnetospheric Multiscale observations of the January 20, 2017 event. A test‐particle simulation is conducted to help us understand the observations. The observed pitch angle‐time spectrograms show “pawtrack‐like” structures. We find there are more than two resonant pitch angles at fixed energy, since off‐equatorial minima change the relationship between the bounce (drift) frequency and pitch angle from unimodal function to trimodal function. These results reveal a new drift‐bounce acceleration mechanism in the dayside outer magnetosphere, which potentially affects the efficiency of particle energization during geomagnetic activities like geomagnetic storms.
MicroRNA-26a/b-5p promotes myocardial infarction-induced cell death by downregulating cytochrome c oxidase 5a
Authors: Jung Seung Eun , Kim Sang Woo , Jeong Seongtae , Moon Hanbyeol , Choi Won Seok , Lim Soyeon , Lee Seahyoung , Hwang Ki-Chul , Choi Jung-Won 
Published: September 2021

AbstractMyocardial infarction (MI) damage induces various types of cell death, and persistent ischemia causes cardiac contractile decline. An effective therapeutic strategy is needed to reduce myocardial cell death and induce cardiac recovery. Therefore, studies on molecular and genetic biomarkers of MI, such as microRNAs (miRs), have recently been increasing and attracting attention due to the ideal characteristics of miRs. The aim of the present study was to discover novel causative factors of MI using multiomics-based functional experiments. Through proteomic, MALDI-TOF-MS, RNA sequencing, and network analyses of myocardial infarcted rat hearts and in vitro functional analyses of myocardial cells, we found that cytochrome c oxidase subunit 5a (Cox5a) expression is noticeably decreased in myocardial infarcted rat hearts and myocardial cells under hypoxic conditions, regulates other identified proteins and is closely related to hypoxia-induced cell death. Moreover, using in silico and in vitro analyses, we found that miR-26a-5p and miR-26b-5p (miR-26a/b-5p) may directly modulate Cox5a, which regulates hypoxia-related cell death. The results of this study elucidate the direct molecular mechanisms linking miR-26a/b-5p and Cox5a in cell death induced by oxygen tension, which may contribute to the identification of new therapeutic targets to modulate cardiac function under physiological and pathological conditions.
MAP4K4 promotes pancreatic tumorigenesis via phosphorylation and activation of mixed lineage kinase 3
Authors: Singh Sunil Kumar , Kumar Sandeep , Viswakarma Navin , Principe Daniel R. , Das Subhasis , Sondarva Gautam , Nair Rakesh Sathish , Srivastava Piush , Sinha Subhash C. , Grippo Paul J. , Thatcher Gregory R. J. , Rana Basabi , Rana Ajay 
Published: September 2021

AbstractMAP4K4 is a Ste20 member and reported to play important roles in various pathologies, including in cancer. However, the mechanism by which MAP4K4 promotes pancreatic cancer is not fully understood. It is suggested that MAP4K4 might function as a cancer promoter via specific downstream target(s) in an organ-specific manner. Here we identified MLK3 as a direct downstream target of MAP4K4. The MAP4K4 and MLK3 associates with each other, and MAP4K4 phosphorylates MLK3 on Thr738 and increases MLK3 kinase activity and downstream signaling. The phosphorylation of MLK3 by MAP4K4 promotes pancreatic cancer cell proliferation, migration, and colony formation. Moreover, MAP4K4 is overexpressed in human pancreatic tumors and directly correlates with the disease progression. The MAP4K4-specific pharmacological inhibitor, GNE-495, impedes pancreatic cancer cell growth, migration, induces cell death, and arrests cell cycle progression. Additionally, the GNE-495 reduced the tumor burden and extended survival of the KPC mice with pancreatic cancer. The MAP4K4 inhibitor also reduced MAP4K4 protein expression, tumor stroma, and induced cell death in murine pancreatic tumors. These findings collectively suggest that MLK3 phosphorylation by MAP4K4 promotes pancreatic cancer, and therefore therapies targeting MAP4K4 might alleviate the pancreatic cancer tumor burden in patients.
Fatal cytokine release syndrome by an aberrant FLIP/STAT3 axis
Authors: Musiu Chiara , Caligola Simone , Fiore Alessandra , Lamolinara Alessia , Frusteri Cristina , Del Pizzo Francesco Domenico , De Sanctis Francesco , Canè Stefania , Adamo Annalisa , Hofer Francesca , Barouni Roza Maria , Grilli Andrea , Zilio Serena , Serafini Paolo , Tacconelli Evelina , Donadello Katia , Gottin Leonardo , Polati Enrico , Girelli Domenico , Polidoro Ildo , Iezzi Piera Amelia , Angelucci Domenico , Capece Andrea , Chen Ying , Shi Zheng-Li , Murray Peter J. , Chilosi Marco , Amit Ido , Bicciato Silvio , Iezzi Manuela , Bronte Vincenzo , Ugel Stefano 
Published: September 2021

AbstractInflammatory responses rapidly detect pathogen invasion and mount a regulated reaction. However, dysregulated anti-pathogen immune responses can provoke life-threatening inflammatory pathologies collectively known as cytokine release syndrome (CRS), exemplified by key clinical phenotypes unearthed during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The underlying pathophysiology of CRS remains elusive. We found that FLIP, a protein that controls caspase-8 death pathways, was highly expressed in myeloid cells of COVID-19 lungs. FLIP controlled CRS by fueling a STAT3-dependent inflammatory program. Indeed, constitutive expression of a viral FLIP homolog in myeloid cells triggered a STAT3-linked, progressive, and fatal inflammatory syndrome in mice, characterized by elevated cytokine output, lymphopenia, lung injury, and multiple organ dysfunctions that mimicked human CRS. As STAT3-targeting approaches relieved inflammation, immune disorders, and organ failures in these mice, targeted intervention towards this pathway could suppress the lethal CRS inflammatory state.
Postloading insulinemia is independently associated with arterial stiffness in young Japanese persons
Authors: Murai Norimitsu , Saito Naoko , Nii Sayuri , Nishikawa Yuto , Suzuki Asami , Kodama Eriko , Iida Tatsuya , Mikura Kentaro , Imai Hideyuki , Hashizume Mai , Kigawa Yasuyoshi , Tadokoro Rie , Sugisawa Chiho , Endo Kei , Iizaka Toru , Otsuka Fumiko , Ishibashi Shun , Nagasaka Shoichiro 
Published: September 2021

AbstractAssociations of arterial stiffness with glucose, insulin, and proinsulin dynamics during the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) remain under debate. The aim of this study was to investigate whether plasma glucose (PG), insulin, and proinsulin (Pro) contribute to arterial stiffness, measured by pulse wave velocity (PWV), in young Japanese persons. PG, immunoreactive insulin (IRI), and Pro levels were determined in 1193 young Japanese subjects (<40 years of age) with normal glucose tolerance or nondiabetic hyperglycemia before and at 30, 60, and 120 min during a 75-g OGTT. Participants were divided into two groups according to the median PWV. Background factors, PG, IRI, and Pro levels during the OGTT, and insulin sensitivity (SI) indices in each group were compared. Several multiple regression analysis models were used to evaluate factors contributing to PWV. All IRI and Pro levels before and after glucose loading and the area under the curve (AUC) values for IRI and Pro increased with higher PWV. 1/HOMA-IR and ISI-Matsuda as measures of SI decreased with higher PWV. The IRI AUC and Pro level before glucose loading (Pro0) were independently associated with PWV, in addition to male sex, heart rate, and mean blood pressure. The IRI AUC had a stronger relationship with PWV than Pro0. The IRI AUC had an independent relationship with PWV, whereas both SI indices did not. Postloading insulinemia, but not reduced SI, was independently associated with arterial stiffness in young Japanese persons.
The SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is vulnerable to moderate electric fields
Authors: Arbeitman Claudia R. , Rojas Pablo , Ojeda-May Pedro , Garcia Martin E. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractMost of the ongoing projects aimed at the development of specific therapies and vaccines against COVID-19 use the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein as the main target. The binding of the spike protein with the ACE2 receptor (ACE2) of the host cell constitutes the first and key step for virus entry. During this process, the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the S protein plays an essential role, since it contains the receptor binding motif (RBM), responsible for the docking to the receptor. So far, mostly biochemical methods are being tested in order to prevent binding of the virus to ACE2. Here we show, with the help of atomistic simulations, that external electric fields of easily achievable and moderate strengths can dramatically destabilise the S protein, inducing long-lasting structural damage. One striking field-induced conformational change occurs at the level of the recognition loop L3 of the RBD where two parallel beta sheets, believed to be responsible for a high affinity to ACE2, undergo a change into an unstructured coil, which exhibits almost no binding possibilities to the ACE2 receptor. We also show that these severe structural changes upon electric-field application also occur in the mutant RBDs corresponding to the variants of concern (VOC) B.1.1.7 (UK), B.1.351 (South Africa) and P.1 (Brazil). Remarkably, while the structural flexibility of S allows the virus to improve its probability of entering the cell, it is also the origin of the surprising vulnerability of S upon application of electric fields of strengths at least two orders of magnitude smaller than those required for damaging most proteins. Our findings suggest the existence of a clean physical method to weaken the SARS-CoV-2 virus without further biochemical processing. Moreover, the effect could be used for infection prevention purposes and also to develop technologies for in-vitro structural manipulation of S. Since the method is largely unspecific, it can be suitable for application to other mutations in S, to other proteins of SARS-CoV-2 and in general to membrane proteins of other virus types.
DNA methylation landscapes of 1538 breast cancers reveal a replication-linked clock, epigenomic instability and cis-regulation
Authors: Batra Rajbir Nath , Lifshitz Aviezer , Vidakovic Ana Tufegdzic , Chin Suet-Feung , Sati-Batra Ankita , Sammut Stephen-John , Provenzano Elena , Ali H. Raza , Dariush Ali , Bruna Alejandra , Murphy Leigh , Purushotham Arnie , Ellis Ian , Green Andrew , Garrett-Bakelman Francine E. , Mason Chris , Melnick Ari , Aparicio Samuel A. J. R. , Rueda Oscar M. , Tanay Amos , Caldas Carlos 
Published: September 2021

AbstractDNA methylation is aberrant in cancer, but the dynamics, regulatory role and clinical implications of such epigenetic changes are still poorly understood. Here, reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) profiles of 1538 breast tumors and 244 normal breast tissues from the METABRIC cohort are reported, facilitating detailed analysis of DNA methylation within a rich context of genomic, transcriptional, and clinical data. Tumor methylation from immune and stromal signatures are deconvoluted leading to the discovery of a tumor replication-linked clock with genome-wide methylation loss in non-CpG island sites. Unexpectedly, methylation in most tumor CpG islands follows two replication-independent processes of gain (MG) or loss (ML) that we term epigenomic instability. Epigenomic instability is correlated with tumor grade and stage, TP53 mutations and poorer prognosis. After controlling for these global trans-acting trends, as well as for X-linked dosage compensation effects, cis-specific methylation and expression correlations are uncovered at hundreds of promoters and over a thousand distal elements. Some of these targeted known tumor suppressors and oncogenes. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that global epigenetic instability can erode cancer methylomes and expose them to localized methylation aberrations in-cis resulting in transcriptional changes seen in tumors.