bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of muscle dysmorphia in adolescents: findings from the EveryBODY study
Authors: Mitchison Deborah , Mond Jonathan , Griffiths Scott , Hay Phillipa , Nagata Jason M. , Bussey Kay , Trompeter Nora , Lonergan Alexandra , Murray Stuart B. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractBackgroundWe sought to provide the first point prevalence estimates of muscle dysmorphia (MD), a form of body dysmorphic disorder characterized by a preoccupation with perceived insufficient muscularity, in adolescents.MethodsData were taken from a survey of 3618 Australian adolescents (11.172–19.76 years; 49.3% girls). Measures captured demographic characteristics, symptoms of MD and eating disorders, psychological distress and functional impairment. Diagnostic criteria for MD developed by Pope et al. (1997, Psychosomatics, 38(6), 548–557) were applied, entailing preoccupation with insufficient muscularity causing significant levels of distress or disability that cannot be better accounted for by an eating disorder.ResultsThe point prevalence of MD was 2.2% [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.6–3.0%] among boys and 1.4% (95% CI 0.9–2.0%) among girls. Prevalence was not associated with gender (V = 0.031) or socioeconomic status (SES) (partial η2< 0.001), but was marginally associated with older age (partial η2 = 0.001). Boys with MD were more likely than girls with MD to report severe preoccupation with muscularity (V = 0.259) and a weight-lifting regime that interfered with their life (V = 0.286), whereas girls with MD were more likely to report discomfort with body exposure (V = 0.380).ConclusionsWhile future epidemiological research using diagnostic interviews is needed to verify these estimates, the findings suggest that MD is relatively common from early to late adolescence. Gender differences in MD prevalence may be minimal; however, the symptom profile appears to diverge between boys and girls. These findings provide a platform for future, analytical research designed to inform clinical and public health interventions.
Coronavirus conspiracy beliefs in the German-speaking general population: endorsement rates and links to reasoning biases and paranoia
Authors: Kuhn Sarah Anne Kezia , Lieb Roselind , Freeman Daniel , Andreou Christina , Zander-Schellenberg Thea 
Published: March 2021

AbstractBackgroundCoronavirus-related conspiracy theories (CT) have been found to be associated with fewer pandemic containment-focused behaviors. It is therefore important to evaluate associated cognitive factors. We aimed to obtain first endorsement rate estimates of coronavirus-related conspiracy beliefs in a German-speaking general population sample and investigate whether delusion-related reasoning biases and paranoid ideation are associated with such beliefs.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional non-probability online study, quota-sampled for age and gender, with 1684 adults from Germany and German-speaking Switzerland. We assessed general and specific coronavirus conspiracy beliefs, reasoning biases [jumping-to-conclusions bias (JTC), liberal acceptance bias (LA), bias against disconfirmatory evidence (BADE), possibility of being mistaken (PM)], and paranoid ideation, using established experimental paradigms and self-report questionnaires.ResultsAround 10% of our sample endorsed coronavirus-related CT beliefs at least strongly, and another 20% to some degree. Overall endorsement was similar to levels observed in a UK-based study (Freeman et al., 2020b). Higher levels of conspiracy belief endorsement were associated with greater JTC, greater LA, greater BADE, higher PM, and greater paranoid ideation. Associations were mostly small to moderate and best described by non-linear relationships.ConclusionsA noticeable proportion of our sample recruited in Germany and German-speaking Switzerland endorsed coronavirus conspiracy beliefs strongly or to some degree. These beliefs are associated with reasoning biases studied in delusion research. The non-probability sampling approach limits the generalizability of findings. Future longitudinal and experimental studies investigating conspiracy beliefs along the lines of reasoning are encouraged to validate reasoning aberrations as risk factors.
A quantitative model of a cooperative two-state equilibrium in DNA: experimental tests, insights, and predictions
Authors: Schurr J. Michael 
Published: March 2021

AbstractQuantitative parameters for a two-state cooperative transition in duplex DNAs were finally obtained during the last 5 years. After a brief discussion of observations pertaining to the existence of the two-state equilibrium per se, the lengths, torsion, and bending elastic constants of the two states involved and the cooperativity parameter of the model are simply stated. Experimental tests of model predictions for the responses of DNA to small applied stretching, twisting, and bending stresses, and changes in temperature, ionic conditions, and sequence are described. The mechanism and significance of the large cooperativity, which enables significant DNA responses to such small perturbations, are also noted. The capacity of the model to resolve a number of long-standing and sometimes interconnected puzzles in the extant literature, including the origin of the broad pre-melting transition studied by numerous workers in the 1960s and 1970s, is demonstrated. Under certain conditions, the model predicts significant long-range attractive or repulsive interactions between hypothetical proteins with strong preferences for one or the other state that are bound to well-separated sites on the same DNA. A scenario is proposed for the activation of the ilvPG promoter on a supercoiled DNA by integration host factor.
‘We don't talk about age’: a study of human resources retirement narratives
Authors: Arman Rebecka , Kadefors Roland , Wikström Ewa 
Published: March 2021

AbstractAt the societal and policy level, delaying retirement is generally agreed upon to solve the problem of the increasing proportion of older workers in Sweden, as in many other countries. At the same time, two co-existing narratives that create legitimacy for earlyversusdelayed retirement were found in our study, among both societal- and organisational-level actors. Older workers are viewed as either representatives of productive ageing and a solution to labour shortage problems, or as a barrier to recruiting younger, more promising employees with new skills. Through inductive qualitative analysis, this study shows in what way human resources departments are taking part in the institutional work of maintaining retirement-timing narratives in Swedish workplaces. The existing general organisational narrative of ‘the business case’ is used to mute discussion about delaying the retirement age, except for a select few. Their maintenance of this narrative is supported by the way in which the societal-level narratives target the individual, often backgrounding the role of employers.
Tree-based models for variable annuity valuation: parameter tuning and empirical analysis
Authors: Quan Zhiyu , Gan Guojun , Valdez Emiliano 
Published: March 2021

AbstractVariable annuities have become popular retirement and investment vehicles due to their attractive guarantee features. Nonetheless, managing the financial risks associated with the guarantees poses great challenges for insurers. One challenge is risk quantification, which involves frequent valuation of the guarantees. Insurers rely on the use of Monte Carlo simulation for valuation as the guarantees are too complicated to be valued by closed-form formulas. However, Monte Carlo simulation is computationally intensive. In this paper, we empirically explore the use of tree-based models for constructing metamodels for the valuation of the guarantees. In particular, we consider traditional regression trees, tree ensembles, and trees based on unbiased recursive partitioning. We compare the performance of tree-based models to that of existing models such as ordinary kriging and generalised beta of the second kind (GB2) regression. Our results show that tree-based models are efficient in producing accurate predictions and the gradient boosting method is considered the most superior in terms of prediction accuracy.
Using Video Recognition to Identify Tropical Cyclone Positions
Authors: Smith Mohan , Toumi Ralf 
Published: March 2021

AbstractTropical cyclone (TC) center fixing is a challenge for improving forecasting and establishing TC climatologies. We propose a novel objective solution through the use of video recognition algorithms. The videos of tropical cyclones in the Western North Pacific are of sequential, hourly, geostationary satellite infrared (IR) images. A variety of convolutional neural network architectures are tested. The best performing network implements convolutional layers, a convolutional long short‐term memory layer, and fully connected layers. Cloud features rotating around a center are effectively captured in this video‐based technique. Networks trained with long‐wave IR channels outperform a water vapor channel‐based network. The average position across the two IR networks has a 19.3 km median error across all intensities. This equates to a 42% lower error over a baseline technique. This video‐based method combined with the high geostationary satellite sampling rate can provide rapid and accurate automated updates of TC centers.
Vegetation Type and Decomposition Priming Mediate Brackish Marsh Carbon Accumulation Under Interacting Facets of Global Change
Authors: Rietl Anthony J. , Megonigal J. Patrick , Herbert Ellen R. , Kirwan Matthew L. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractCoastal wetland carbon pools are globally important, but their response to interacting facets of global change remain unclear. Numerical models neglect species‐specific vegetation responses to sea level rise (SLR) and elevated CO2 (eCO2) that are observed in field experiments, while field experiments cannot address the long‐term feedbacks between flooding and soil growth that models show are important. Here, we present a novel numerical model of marsh carbon accumulation parameterized with empirical observations from a long‐running eCO2 experiment in an organic rich, brackish marsh. Model results indicate that eCO2 and SLR interact synergistically to increase soil carbon burial, driven by shifts in plant community composition and soil volume expansion. However, newly parameterized interactions between plant biomass and decomposition (i.e. soil priming) reduce the impact of eCO2 on marsh survival, and by inference, the impact of eCO2 on soil carbon accumulation.
Uncertainty in East Antarctic Firn Thickness Constrained Using a Model Ensemble Approach
Authors: Verjans V. , Leeson A. A. , McMillan M. , Stevens C. M. , van Wessem J. M. , van de Berg W. J. , van den Broeke M. R. , Kittel C. , Amory C. , Fettweis X. , Hansen N. , Boberg F. , Mottram R. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractMass balance assessments of the East Antarctic ice sheet (EAIS) are highly sensitive to changes in firn thickness, causing substantial disagreement in estimates of its contribution to sea‐level. To better constrain the uncertainty in recent firn thickness changes, we develop an ensemble of 54 model scenarios of firn evolution between 1992 and 2017. Using statistical emulation of firn‐densification models, we quantify the impact of firn compaction formulation, differing climatic forcing, and surface snow density on firn thickness evolution. At basin scales, the ensemble uncertainty in firn thickness change ranges between 0.2 and 1.0 cm yr−1 (15%–300% relative uncertainty), with the choice of climate forcing having the largest influence on the spread. Our results show the regions of the ice sheet where unexplained discrepancies exist between observed elevation changes and an extensive set of modeled firn thickness changes estimates, marking an important step toward more accurately constraining ice sheet mass balance.
A Unified Clumped Isotope Thermometer Calibration (0.5–1,100°C) Using Carbonate‐Based Standardization
Authors: Anderson N. T. , Kelson J. R. , Kele S. , Daëron M. , Bonifacie M. , Horita J. , Mackey T. J. , John C. M. , Kluge T. , Petschnig P. , Jost A. B. , Huntington K. W. , Bernasconi S. M. , Bergmann K. D. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThe potential for carbonate clumped isotope thermometry to independently constrain both the formation temperature of carbonate minerals and fluid oxygen isotope composition allows insight into long‐standing questions in the Earth sciences, but remaining discrepancies between calibration schemes hamper interpretation of temperature measurements. To address discrepancies between calibrations, we designed and analyzed a sample suite (41 total samples) with broad applicability across the geosciences, with an exceptionally wide range of formation temperatures, precipitation methods, and mineralogies. We see no statistically significant offset between sample types, although the comparison of calcite and dolomite remains inconclusive. When data are reduced identically, the regression defined by this study is nearly identical to that defined by four previous calibration studies that used carbonate‐based standardization; we combine these data to present a composite carbonate‐standardized regression equation. Agreement across a wide range of temperature and sample types demonstrates a unified, broadly applicable clumped isotope thermometer calibration.
Generation of Realistic Short Chorus Wave Packets
Authors: Nunn D. , Zhang X.‐J. , Mourenas D. , Artemyev A. V. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractMost lower‐band chorus waves observed in the inner magnetosphere propagate under the form of moderately intense short wave packets with fast frequency and phase variations. Therefore, understanding the formation mechanism of such short wave packets is crucial for accurately modeling electron nonlinear acceleration or precipitation into the atmosphere by these waves. We compare chorus wave statistics from the Van Allen Probes with predictions from a simple model of short wave packet generation by wave superposition with resonance nonoverlap, as well as with results from Vlasov Hybrid Simulations of chorus wave generation in an inhomogeneous magnetic field in the presence of one or two simultaneous triggering waves. We show that the observed moderate amplitude short chorus wave packets can be formed by a superposition of two or more waves generated near the magnetic equator with a sufficiently large frequency difference.
1I/‘Oumuamua as an N2 Ice Fragment of an exo‐Pluto Surface: I. Size and Compositional Constraints
Authors: Jackson Alan P. , Desch Steven J. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThe origin of the interstellar object 1I/‘Oumuamua has defied explanation. We perform calculations of the non‐gravitational acceleration that would be experienced by bodies composed of a range of different ices and demonstrate that a body composed of N2 ice would satisfy the available constraints on the non‐gravitational acceleration, size, and albedo, and lack of detectable emission of CO or CO2 or dust. We find that ‘Oumuamua was small, with dimensions 45 m × 44 m × 7.5 m at the time of observation at 1.42 au from the Sun, with a high albedo of 0.64. This albedo is consistent with the N2 surfaces of bodies like Pluto and Triton. We estimate ‘Oumuamua was ejected about 0.4–0.5 Gyr ago from a young stellar system, possibly in the Perseus arm. Objects like ‘Oumuamua may directly probe the surface compositions of a hitherto‐unobserved type of exoplanet: “exo‐plutos”. In a companion paper (Desch & Jackson, 2021) we demonstrate that dynamical instabilities like the one experienced by the Kuiper belt, in other stellar systems, plausibly could generate and eject large numbers of N2 ice fragments. ‘Oumuamua may be the first sample of an exoplanet brought to us.
1I/‘Oumuamua as an N2 Ice Fragment of an Exo‐Pluto Surface II: Generation of N2 Ice Fragments and the Origin of ‘Oumuamua
Authors: Desch S. J. , Jackson A. P. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThe origin of the interstellar object 1I/‘Oumuamua has defied explanation. In a companion paper (Jackson & Desch, 2021), we show that a body of N2 ice with axes 45 m × 44 m × 7.5 m at the time of observation would be consistent with its albedo, nongravitational acceleration, and lack of observed CO or CO2 or dust. Here we demonstrate that impacts on the surfaces of Pluto‐like Kuiper belt objects (KBOs) would have generated and ejected ∼1014 collisional fragments—roughly half of them H2O ice fragments and half of them N2 ice fragments—due to the dynamical instability that depleted the primordial Kuiper belt. We show consistency between these numbers and the frequency with which we would observe interstellar objects like 1I/‘Oumuamua, and more comet‐like objects like 2I/Borisov, if other stellar systems eject such objects with efficiency like that of the Sun; we infer that differentiated KBOs and dynamical instabilities that eject impact‐generated fragments may be near‐universal among extrasolar systems. Galactic cosmic rays would erode such fragments over 4.5 Gyr, so that fragments are a small fraction (∼0.1%) of long‐period Oort comets, but C/2016 R2 may be an example. We estimate ‘Oumuamua was ejected about 0.4–0.5 Gyr ago, from a young (∼108 yr) stellar system, which we speculate was in the Perseus arm. Objects like ‘Oumuamua may directly probe the surface compositions of a hitherto‐unobserved type of exoplanet: “exo‐Plutos.” ‘Oumuamua may be the first sample of an exoplanet brought to us.
Whistler Wings and Reflected Particles During Solar Wind Interaction of Lunar Magnetic Anomalies
Authors: Zhang Hui , Wei Yong , Zhong Jun , Zhang Tianxin , Liu Libo , Ni Binbin , Cao Jinbin , Fu Song , Chen Yiding , Fu Suiyan , Wan Weixing 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThe solar wind interaction of small‐scale lunar magnetic anomalies remains unsolved due to lack of in situ observations. A dedicated coordinate system is established here to reconstruct the distributions of two remotely sensed symptoms of this interaction: the low‐frequency whistlers and reflected protons. It is found that these whistlers form a pair of wings beside the Moon and they originate from the low‐altitude interaction region, instead of from the higher altitudes where the reflected protons arrive and the associated shocks possibly form. Electrons and protons may behave differently in the interaction region. The incident electrons remain in a fluid state and may be diverted by the anomalies, exciting the low‐frequency whistlers. The protons, however, become unmagnetized and are reflected specularly by the vertical electric fields. These electric fields may derive from the charge separation/different motions of the electrons and protons, although the presence of low‐altitude shocks cannot be ruled out completely.
MDM2-dependent Sirt1 degradation is a prerequisite for Sirt6-mediated cell death in head and neck cancers
Authors: Park Jung Je , Hah Young-Sool , Ryu Somi , Cheon So Young , Won Seong Jun , Lee Jong Sil , Hwa Jeong Seok , Seo Ji Hyun , Chang Hyo Won , Kim Seong Who , Kim Sang Yoon 
Published: March 2021

AbstractSirt6 is involved in multiple biological processes, including aging, metabolism, and tumor suppression. Sirt1, another member of the sirtuin family, functionally overlaps with Sirt6, but its role in tumorigenesis is controversial. In this study, we focused on cell death in association with Sirt6/Sirt1 and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs). Sirt6 induced cell death, as widely reported, but Sirt1 contributed to cell death only when it was suppressed by Sirt6 via regulation of MDM2. Sirt6 and Sirt6-mediated suppression of Sirt1 upregulated ROS, which further led to HNSCC cell death. These results provide insight into the molecular roles of Sirt6 and Sirt1 in tumorigenesis and could therefore contribute to the development of novel strategies to treat HNSCC.
Autism-linked Cullin3 germline haploinsufficiency impacts cytoskeletal dynamics and cortical neurogenesis through RhoA signaling
Authors: Amar Megha , Pramod Akula Bala , Yu Nam-Kyung , Herrera Victor Munive , Qiu Lily R. , Moran-Losada Patricia , Zhang Pan , Trujillo Cleber A. , Ellegood Jacob , Urresti Jorge , Chau Kevin , Diedrich Jolene , Chen Jiaye , Gutierrez Jessica , Sebat Jonathan , Ramanathan Dhakshin , Lerch Jason P. , Yates John R. , Muotri Alysson R. , Iakoucheva Lilia M. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractE3-ubiquitin ligase Cullin3 (Cul3) is a high confidence risk gene for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and developmental delay (DD). To investigate how Cul3 mutations impact brain development, we generated a haploinsufficient Cul3 mouse model using CRISPR/Cas9 genome engineering. Cul3 mutant mice exhibited social and cognitive deficits and hyperactive behavior. Brain MRI found decreased volume of cortical regions and changes in many other brain regions of Cul3 mutant mice starting from early postnatal development. Spatiotemporal transcriptomic and proteomic profiling of embryonic, early postnatal and adult brain implicated neurogenesis and cytoskeletal defects as key drivers of Cul3 functional impact. Specifically, dendritic growth, filamentous actin puncta, and spontaneous network activity were reduced in Cul3 mutant mice. Inhibition of small GTPase RhoA, a molecular substrate of Cul3 ligase, rescued dendrite length and network activity phenotypes. Our study identified defects in neuronal cytoskeleton and Rho signaling as the primary targets of Cul3 mutation during brain development.
A cold shock protein promotes high-temperature microbial growth through binding to diverse RNA species
Authors: Zhou Zikang , Tang Hongzhi , Wang Weiwei , Zhang Lige , Su Fei , Wu Yuanting , Bai Linquan , Li Sicong , Sun Yuhui , Tao Fei , Xu Ping 
Published: March 2021

AbstractEndowing mesophilic microorganisms with high-temperature resistance is highly desirable for industrial microbial fermentation. Here, we report a cold-shock protein (CspL) that is an RNA chaperone protein from a lactate producing thermophile strain (Bacillus coagulans 2–6), which is able to recombinantly confer strong high-temperature resistance to other microorganisms. Transgenic cspL expression massively enhanced high-temperature growth of Escherichia coli (a 2.4-fold biomass increase at 45 °C) and eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae (a 2.6-fold biomass increase at 36 °C). Importantly, we also found that CspL promotes growth rates at normal temperatures. Mechanistically, bio-layer interferometry characterized CspL’s nucleotide-binding functions in vitro, while in vivo we used RNA-Seq and RIP-Seq to reveal CspL’s global effects on mRNA accumulation and CspL’s direct RNA binding targets, respectively. Thus, beyond establishing how a cold-shock protein chaperone provides high-temperature resistance, our study introduces a strategy that may facilitate industrial thermal fermentation.