bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Legitimizing China's Growing Engagement in African Security: Change within Continuity of Official Discourse
Authors: Carrozza Ilaria 
Published: May 2021

AbstractPeace and security were once marginal in Sino-African relations. Recently, however, reflecting China's more proactive role as a global security actor, they have become central. Yet while China's actions mirror this shift, the official China–Africa discourse has not changed. This article, based on fieldwork interviews and discourse analysis of official Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) documents, proposes a theoretically grounded study of China's Africa discourse to account for the role it plays in maintaining continuity through time. It makes a threefold claim. First, while the China–Africa discourse has not been given much attention in the literature, it is crucial to explaining the overall success of China's engagement in the continent. Second, the shift in China's policies towards greater participation in peace and security is not mirrored by changes in the official discourse. Third, and related, this is owing mostly to the successful articulation of the link between the promotion of economic growth and the achievement of stability – the security–development nexus – and to the generally positive reception the discourse has found among African leaders.
The Non‐Negligible Effect of Viscosity Diffusion on the Geodynamo Process
Authors: Dong Chao , Zhang Huai , Jiao Liguo , Cheng Huihong , Yuen David A , Shi Yaolin 
Published: May 2021

AbstractExploring geodynamo's scaling laws is of great importance when a tremendous gap still lies between realistic physics and estimated model parameters. Existing scaling laws need to be tested by numerical simulations. To boost these, taking the outer core viscosity , we studied its impacts on weak and strong field geodynamo outputs by varying in two orders of magnitudes. In the weak field mode, the fluid velocity varies with by a scaling law of . While in the strong field mode, varies very slowly by a scaling law of . The magnetic field does not change much with when the driving force is not too strong () but decreases with by a scaling law of when geodynamo operates in a very vigorous mode (). The reason that increases with is essential that increasing breaks the Taylor‐Proudman constraint and drops the critical Rayleigh number, but this kind of increase of does not give a stronger . Furthermore, we conducted a local force balance analysis and demonstrated that the balance shifts under different . In a quasi‐MAC regime, the Lorentz force instead of the inertial force enters into the first‐order agostrophic force balance, though the viscous force still plays a role. Comparing with other scaling laws previous wisdom holds, we propose that the effect of viscosity diffusion is non‐negligible for both existing weak and strong dynamo regimes. Still, appropriate assumptions can be made to take this variation into account.
Low Biodegradability of Dissolved Organic Matter From Southeast Asian Peat‐Draining Rivers
Authors: Nichols Robert S. , Martin Patrick 
Published: May 2021

AbstractSoutheast Asia's extensive tropical peatlands account for a significant proportion of the global riverine dissolved organic carbon (DOC) flux to the ocean. Peat‐derived DOC is rich in polyphenolic compounds, the microbial degradation of which is thought to rely on extracellular phenol oxidases. Despite substantial interest in the biogeochemical fate of terrigenous DOC (tDOC), few studies have quantified phenol oxidase activity in aquatic environments, and microbial remineralization rates of tDOC have never been measured in Southeast Asia. Here, we assess the potential for using phenol oxidase assays as a proxy for tDOC biodegradation across peat‐draining rivers and the coastal waters of Sarawak, Borneo, and report experimental measurements of microbial tDOC remineralization rates from this region. We first show that phenol oxidase assays in aquatic samples are problematic because of the rapid, pH‐dependent autoxidation of the assay substrate. Our field measurements of phenol oxidase activity detected only substrate autoxidation, suggesting that real phenol oxidase activity was low or absent. Second, we report that peatland tDOC, collected from one of the few remaining intact peatlands on Borneo, showed at most very limited biodegradation (0%–6% loss of DOC, and 0%–12% loss of colored dissolved organic matter) during several 56‐day incubation experiments at an in situ temperature of ∼30°C, even when diluted with seawater or amended with nutrients. Our results suggest that direct microbial respiration is perhaps not a major pathway for peatland tDOC remineralization in Southeast Asia and that photo‐oxidation is more likely to control the fate of this carbon.
Cretaceous and Eocene Rapid Cooling Phases in the Southern Andes (36°–37°S): Insights From Low‐Temperature Thermochronology, U‐Pb Geochronology, and Inverse Thermal Modeling From Domuyo Area, Argentina
Authors: Galetto A. , Georgieva V. , García V. H. , Zattin M. , Sobel E. R. , Glodny J. , Bordese S. , Arzadún G. , Bechis F. , Caselli A. T. , Becchio R. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe integration of inverse thermal history modeling of new geochronological data with structural analyses from the western flank of the Domuyo volcano (∼36°30′S) allows us to propose a detailed cooling history of a key region in the Southern Andes. The Domuyo area is located in the northwestern part of the Chos Malal fold‐and‐thrust belt in the back‐arc of the Southern Andes. Despite extensive geological investigations in this region, details about the early stages of Andean deformation remain poorly understood. The present study focuses on the interpretation and integration of new U‐Pb, fission track, and (U‐Th‐Sm)/He data constraining the Cretaceous to Paleogene exhumation history of the Southern Andes at these latitudes. The results indicate two main episodes of rapid cooling during Albian‐Campanian and Eocene times that can be related to exhumation driven by two main contractional pulses. The first event promoted basement cooling/exhumation associated with the uplift and erosion of a broad N‐S striking antiform; whereas the Eocene episode triggered the inversion of the preexisting N‐S striking Manchana Covunco normal fault and the deformation of the Mesozoic sedimentary cover. The two orogenic phases are separated by a potential period of orogenic quiescence during the Paleocene. These new insights highlight the importance of the initial compressional stages of mountain building in the Southern Andes at these latitudes.
Subsurface Moisture Regulates Himalayan Groundwater Storage and Discharge
Authors: Illien L. , Andermann C. , Sens‐Schönfelder C. , Cook K. L. , Baidya K. P. , Adhikari L. B. , Hovius N. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThrough the release of groundwater, most mountain rivers run year‐round despite their small catchments and sporadic precipitation. This makes mountain ranges important sources of reliable freshwater for downstream populations in many parts of the world. However, due to a lack of ground instrumentation, little is known about groundwater dynamics in mountainous landscapes. Recent research has shown that the amount of moisture trapped in the soil and weathered rocks in the vadose zone can significantly buffer groundwater recharge and runoff but the wider recognition of this effect on major mountain systems has not been yet established. In this study, we test whether the moisture reservoir has an impact on hydrological fluxes in a steep Himalayan catchment during three monsoon seasons. We measured an array of parameters including relative seismic velocity changes from ambient noise correlations. This noninvasive technique allows us to monitor groundwater dynamics in conjunction with classical hydrological measurements. We found that the moisture saturation in the vadose zone controls the onset of groundwater recharge and runoff and therefore determines the annual water availability supplied by monsoon precipitation. We model this dynamic using a surface layer that has a finite storage capacity that controls the connectivity of surface flux to groundwater. The extension of this concept, which is thought to apply widely in flat and undulating landscapes, to steep mountain topography with thin and discontinuous soils underlain by regolith and bedrock has important implications for mountain hydrology.
Natural Gas Gathering and Transmission Pipelines and Social Vulnerability in the United States
Authors: Emanuel Ryan E. , Caretta Martina A. , Rivers Louie , Vasudevan Pavithra 
Published: May 2021

AbstractMidstream oil and gas infrastructure comprises vast networks of gathering and transmission pipelines that connect upstream extraction to downstream consumption. In the United States (US), public policies and corporate decisions have prompted a wave of proposals for new gathering and transmission pipelines in recent years, raising the question: Who bears the burdens associated with the existing pipeline infrastructure in the US? With this in mind, we examined the density of natural gas gathering and transmission pipelines in the US, together with county‐level data on social vulnerability. For the 2,261 US counties containing natural gas pipelines, we found a positive correlation between county‐level pipeline density and an index of social vulnerability. In general, counties with more socially vulnerable populations have significantly higher pipeline densities than counties with less socially vulnerable populations. In particular, counties in the top quartile of social vulnerability tend to have pipeline densities that are much higher than pipeline densities for counties in the bottom quartile of social vulnerability. The difference grows larger for counties at the upper extremes of pipeline density within each group. We discuss some of the implications for the indigenous communities and others affected by recent expansions of oil and gas infrastructure. We offer recommendations aimed at improving ways in which decision‐makers identify and address the societal impacts and environmental justice implications of midstream pipeline infrastructure.
Topographic Amplification of Crustal Subsidence by the Rainwater Load of the 2019 Typhoon Hagibis in Japan
Authors: Zhan Wei , Heki Kosuke , Arief Syachrul , Yoshida Mizuki 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe super typhoon Hagibis traveled northeastward through eastern Honshu, Japan, causing disastrous heavy rainfalls along its path on October 11 and 12, 2019. We performed a comprehensive space geodetic study of water brought by this typhoon using a dense network of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers in Japan. First, we studied the time evolution of altitude‐corrected precipitable water vapor field and compare the movement of water vapor centroid with the rain distribution from radar rain gauge analyzed precipitation. The total amount of water vapor derived by spatially integrating precipitable water vapor on land remained steady at ∼20 Gt. The total precipitation by this typhoon was ∼92, and ∼33 Gt of it fell onto the land area of eastern Honshu. Next, we studied crustal subsidence caused by the typhoon rainwater as surface load. The GNSS stations located under the typhoon path temporarily subsided 1–2 cm on the landfall day and the subsidence mostly recovered on the next day. Using the vertical crustal movement data, we estimated the distribution of surface water in eastern Honshu assuming the layered spherical earth. The amount of the surface load on October 12 was ∼71 Gt, which significantly exceeds the cumulative rainfall on land. We consider that the excess subsidence largely originates from the selective deployment of GNSS stations in the concave topography, for example, along valleys and within basins, in the mountainous Japanese Islands.
USP22 promotes HER2-driven mammary carcinoma aggressiveness by suppressing the unfolded protein response
Authors: Prokakis Evangelos , Dyas Anna , Grün Regina , Fritzsche Sonja , Bedi Upasana , Kazerouni Zahra B. , Kosinsky Robyn L. , Johnsen Steven A. , Wegwitz Florian 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe Ubiquitin-Specific Protease 22 (USP22) is a deubiquitinating subunit of the mammalian SAGA transcriptional co-activating complex. USP22 was identified as a member of the so-called “death-from-cancer” signature predicting therapy failure in cancer patients. However, the importance and functional role of USP22 in different types and subtypes of cancer remain largely unknown. In the present study, we leveraged human cell lines and genetic mouse models to investigate the role of USP22 in HER2-driven breast cancer (HER2+-BC) and demonstrate for the first time that USP22 is required for the tumorigenic properties in murine and human HER2+-BC models. To get insight into the underlying mechanisms, we performed transcriptome-wide gene expression analyses and identified the Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) as a pathway deregulated upon USP22 loss. The UPR is normally induced upon extrinsic or intrinsic stresses that can promote cell survival and recovery if shortly activated or programmed cell death if activated for an extended period. Strikingly, we found that USP22 actively suppresses UPR induction in HER2+-BC cells by stabilizing the major endoplasmic reticulum (ER) chaperone HSPA5. Consistently, loss of USP22 renders tumor cells more sensitive to apoptosis and significantly increases the efficiency of therapies targeting the ER folding capacity. Together, our data suggest that therapeutic strategies targeting USP22 activity may sensitize tumor cells to UPR induction and could provide a novel, effective approach to treat HER2+-BC.
IL-4 inhibits regulatory T cells differentiation by HDAC9-mediated epigenetic regulation
Authors: Cui Jikai , Xu Heng , Yu Jizhang , Li Yuan , Chen Zhang , Zou Yanqiang , Zhang Xi , Du Yifan , Xia Jiahong , Wu Jie 
Published: May 2021

AbstractRegulatory T cells play a crucial role in orchestrating immune response and maintaining immune tolerance, and the expression of the Foxp3 gene is indispensable to the differentiation of regulatory T cells. IL-4 shows strong inhibitory effects on Foxp3 expression and regulatory T cells differentiation, but the detailed mechanisms are still unclear. Here, we revealed that epigenetic modulations are key to this process. Specifically, the inhibition was found to be STAT6 dependent, and HDAC9 was involved with the process of histone deacetylation at the Foxp3 locus, subsequently decreasing chromatin accessibility and Foxp3 gene transcription. Pan-histone deacetylation inhibitors, especially sodium butyrate, notably abolished the inhibitory effects of IL-4 and ameliorated allergic airway inflammation in mouse models. Our research provides important mechanistic insights into how IL-4 inhibits regulatory T cells differentiation and suggests the therapeutic potential of the sodium butyrate in allergic airway disease.
High glucose suppresses autophagy through the AMPK pathway while it induces autophagy via oxidative stress in chondrocytes
Authors: Wang Ben , Shi Yifeng , Chen Jiaoxiang , Shao Zhenxuan , Ni Libin , Lin Yan , Wu Yaosen , Tian Naifeng , Zhou Yifei , Sun Liaojun , Wu Aimin , Hong Zhenghua , Wang Xiangyang , Zhang Xiaolei 
Published: May 2021

AbstractDiabetes (DB) is a risk factor for osteoarthritis progression. High glucose (HG) is one of the key pathological features of DB and has been demonstrated to induce apoptosis and senescence in chondrocytes. Autophagy is an endogenous mechanism that can protect cells against apoptosis and senescence. The effects of HG on autophagy in cells including chondrocytes have been studied; however, the results have been inconsistent. The current study aimed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms, which could be associated with the contrasting outcomes. The present study revealed that HG can induce apoptosis and senescence in chondrocytes, in addition to regulating autophagy dynamically. The present study demonstrated that HG can cause oxidative stress in chondrocytes and suppress the AMPK pathway in a dose-dependent manner. Elimination of oxidative stress by Acetylcysteine, also called N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), downregulated autophagy and alleviated HG-stimulated apoptosis and senescence, while activation of the AMPK signaling pathway by AICAR not only upregulated autophagy but also alleviated HG-stimulated apoptosis and senescence. A combined treatment of NAC and AICAR was superior to treatment with either NAC or AICAR. The study has demonstrated that HG can suppress autophagy through the AMPK pathway and induce autophagy via oxidative stress in chondrocytes.
TRPV1 alleviates osteoarthritis by inhibiting M1 macrophage polarization via Ca2+/CaMKII/Nrf2 signaling pathway
Authors: Lv Zhongyang , Xu Xingquan , Sun Ziying , Yang Yannick Xiaofan , Guo Hu , Li Jiawei , Sun Kuoyang , Wu Rui , Xu Jia , Jiang Qing , Ikegawa Shiro , Shi Dongquan 
Published: May 2021

AbstractOsteoarthritis (OA) is the major course of joint deterioration, in which M1 macrophage-driven synovitis exacerbates the pathological process. However, precise therapies for M1 macrophage to decrease synovitis and attenuate OA progression have been scarcely proposed. Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) is a cation channel that has been implicated in pain perception and inflammation. In this study, we investigated the role of TRPV1 in the M1 macrophage polarization and pathogenesis of OA. We demonstrated that TRPV1 expression and M1 macrophage infiltration were simultaneously increased in both human and rat OA synovium. More than 90% of the infiltrated M1 macrophages expressed TRPV1. In the rat OA model, intra-articular injection of capsaicin (CPS), a specific TRPV1 agonist, significantly attenuated OA phenotypes, including joint swelling, synovitis, cartilage damage, and osteophyte formation. CPS treatment markedly reduced M1 macrophage infiltration in the synovium. Further mechanistic analyses showed that TRPV1-evoked Ca2+ influx promoted the phosphorylation of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) and facilitated the nuclear localization of nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), which ultimately resulted in the inhibition of M1 macrophage polarization. Taken together, our findings establish that TRPV1 attenuates the progression of OA by inhibiting M1 macrophage polarization in synovium via the Ca2+/CaMKII/Nrf2 signaling pathway. These results highlight the effect of targeting TRPV1 for the development of a promising therapeutic strategy for OA.
Phase 1 randomized trial of a plant-derived virus-like particle vaccine for COVID-19
Authors: Ward Brian J. , Gobeil Philipe , Séguin Annie , Atkins Judith , Boulay Iohann , Charbonneau Pierre-Yves , Couture Manon , D’Aoust Marc-André , Dhaliwall Jiwanjeet , Finkle Carolyn , Hager Karen , Mahmood Asif , Makarkov Alexander , Cheng Matthew P. , Pillet Stéphane , Schimke Patricia , St-Martin Sylvie , Trépanier Sonia , Landry Nathalie 
Published: May 2021

AbstractSeveral severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines are being deployed, but the global need greatly exceeds the supply, and different formulations might be required for specific populations. Here we report Day 42 interim safety and immunogenicity data from an observer-blinded, dose escalation, randomized controlled study of a virus-like particle vaccine candidate produced in plants that displays the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein (CoVLP: NCT04450004). The co-primary outcomes were the short-term tolerability/safety and immunogenicity of CoVLP formulations assessed by neutralizing antibody (NAb) and cellular responses. Secondary outcomes in this ongoing study include safety and immunogenicity assessments up to 12 months after vaccination. Adults (18–55 years, n = 180) were randomized at two sites in Quebec, Canada, to receive two intramuscular doses of CoVLP (3.75 μg, 7.5 μg, and 15 μg) 21 d apart, alone or adjuvanted with AS03 or CpG1018. All formulations were well tolerated, and adverse events after vaccination were generally mild to moderate, transient and highest in the adjuvanted groups. There was no CoVLP dose effect on serum NAbs, but titers increased significantly with both adjuvants. After the second dose, NAbs in the CoVLP + AS03 groups were more than tenfold higher than titers in Coronavirus 2019 convalescent sera. Both spike protein-specific interferon-γ and interleukin-4 cellular responses were also induced. This pre-specified interim analysis supports further evaluation of the CoVLP vaccine candidate.
Low annual temperature likely prevents the Holarctic amphipod Gammarus lacustris from invading Lake Baikal
Authors: Vereshchagina Kseniya , Kondrateva Elizaveta , Mutin Andrei , Jakob Lena , Bedulina Daria , Shchapova Ekaterina , Madyarova Ekaterina , Axenov-Gribanov Denis , Luckenbach Till , Pörtner Hans-Otto , Lucassen Magnus , Timofeyev Maxim 
Published: May 2021

AbstractSpecies with effective thermal adaptation mechanisms allowing them to thrive within a wide temperature range can benefit from climatic changes as they can displace highly specialized species. Here, we studied the adaptive capabilities of the Baikal endemic amphipods Eulimnogammarus verrucosus (Gerstfeld, 1858) and Eulimnogammarus cyaneus (Dybowsky, 1874) compared to the potential Holarctic Baikal invader Gammarus lacustris Sars, 1863 at the cellular level including the energy metabolism and the antioxidant system. All species were long-term exposed to a range of temperatures (1.5 °C to mimic winter conditions and the three species-specific preferred temperatures (i.e., 6 °C for E. verrucosus, 12 °C for E. cyaneus and 15 °C for G. lacustris). At 1.5 °C, we found species-specific metabolic alterations (i.e., significantly reduced ATP content and lactate dehydrogenase activity) indicating limitations on the activity level in the Holarctic G. lacustris. Although the two Baikal endemic amphipod species largely differ in thermal tolerance, no such limitations were found at 1.5 °C. However, the cold-stenothermal Baikal endemic E. verrucosus showed changes indicating a higher involvement of anaerobic metabolism at 12 °C and 15 °C, while the metabolic responses of the more eurythermal Baikal endemic E. cyaneus may support aerobic metabolism and an active lifestyle at all exposure temperatures. Rising temperatures in summer may provide a competitive advantage for G. lacustris compared to the Baikal species but the inactive lifestyle in the cold is likely preventing G. lacustris from establishing a stable population in Lake Baikal.