bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Pore size distribution and water retention in colonized Antarctic Beacon sandstone
Authors: McKay Christopher P. , Sun Henry , Kidron Giora J. 
Published: November 2024

AbstractWe report on the pore size distribution and water retention of Beacon sandstone from Antarctica that harbours a cryptoendolithic community, predominantly lichens, just below the surface. We measured the pore size distribution, drying time and equilibrium relative humidity of sandstone samples that were colonized by lichens. The incremental pore volume distribution peaks at ~10 μm radius, but ~20% of the pore volume occurs for a radius < 0.02 μm. Water from snowmelt fills ~20% of the total pore volume. It takes ~4–5 days of evaporation to lose 90% of the water. As the rock loses water, the equilibrium relative humidity remains at 99% until an appreciable amount (80–90%) of the pore water is lost, after which the equilibrium relative humidity starts to decrease. The relative humidity remains at > 80% (68 h) long after the water content falls to < 98% (19 h) - the point at which liquid water is estimated no longer to be present. Lichens can remain active in air with high relative humidity (> 80%). Thus, the pore size distribution of the sandstone may play a role in explaining why lichens dominate these sandstones.
Photophysiology of the first reported bleached crustose coralline alga, Clathromorphum sp. (Hapalidiales, Rhodophyta), from Antarctica
Authors: Calderon Martha S. , Bustamante Danilo E. , Mansilla Andrés , Méndez Fabio , Rodríguez Juan P. , Marambio Johanna , Convey Peter 
Published: November 2024

AbstractDuring a 2019 Chilean Antarctic Scientific Expedition (ECA 55) studying crustose coralline algae (CCA) diversity on the Antarctic Peninsula, bleaching of these algae was observed for the first time in this region. Here, we present initial findings on the physiological state of bleached and normally pigmented CCA (Clathromorphum sp.) assessed using chlorophyll-a fluorescence induction pulse amplitude modulation. The study site experienced high light exposure and salinity in the water column. Our analyses found that bleached CCA have relatively healthy photophysiology responses but lower photosynthetic efficiency, which could be associated with the low salinities recorded in the study area. However, seasonal monitoring and mesocosm experiments across the southern polar latitudes are urgently required to confirm this hypothesis.
Climate investments, stock markets, and the open economy
Authors: Attílio Luccas Assis , Faria João R. , McAdam Peter 
Published: November 2024

Abstract
We analyze the effect of green patents on G7 stock market returns. First, we build a small IS-LM model to identify the relevant channels, augmented with open-economy channels and the Green Tobin’s q (Faria et al., 2022). The model highlights that the intertemporal impacts of greening on stock returns are ambiguous. We then turn to an estimated global vector autoregressive model to more rigorously analyze the effect of monetary and green patenting shocks across the G7. Both shocks influence green patents through real and financial markets. As regards green patent shocks, results suggest that a tension exists over time between promoting pollution reduction and energy efficiency and the profitability of (green and brown) companies in the aggregate. We perform a variety of robustness exercises around our main results. Our results provide something of a challenge to the literature and call for more research effort to understand the various channels that might explain this dynamic—and in turn whether any particular policy recommendations follow.
Two Types of Intraseasonal Variability With a Vertical Difference in the Currents East of Luzon Island and Their Sources
Authors: Wang Zhenxiao , Zhang Linlin , Mu Lin , Hui Yuchao , Song Weiqi , Li Wenjuan , Hu Dunxin 
Published: November 2024

AbstractIntraseasonal variabilities (ISVs) of the western boundary currents (WBCs) east of Luzon Island were explored using acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) measurements from three moorings at 18°N during 2018–2020. Besides the traditionally known surface‐intensified ISV, subsurface‐intensified ISV with a typical period of approximately 60 days was also detected in the currents, and the strongest signal appeared between 400 and 800 m. Further analysis indicates that they are highly associated with subsurface eddies. Based on their lifespan, subsurface eddies are classified into two categories: short‐lived and medium‐to long‐lived eddies. The short‐lived eddies are primarily generated locally near the eastern coast of Luzon Island, whereas the medium‐to long‐lived eddies are mainly generated away from the western boundary, in the region west of 135°E. Additional energy diagnosis suggests that baroclinic instability induced by the velocity shear of the North Equatorial Current (NEC)/subtropical countercurrent (STCC) system dominates the generation of medium‐to long‐lived subsurface eddies in the interior ocean, while barotropic instability and baroclinic instability play a comparable role in the generation of short‐lived eddies near the eastern coast of Luzon Island.
Analysis of the Influence of Clear‐Sky Fluxes on the Cloud‐Type Mean Cloud Radiative Effects in the Tropical Convectively Active Regions With CERES Satellite Data
Authors: Xu Kuan‐Man , Sun Moguo , Zhou Yaping 
Published: November 2024

AbstractCloud radiative effects (CREs) and cloud‐type mean CREs depend upon how clear‐sky fluxes are computed over a large area: those of the immediate environment of clouds or the regional mean clear‐sky fluxes. Five convectively active regions in the Tropics, two over land (Africa and Amazon) and three over ocean (eastern and western Pacific and Atlantic), are selected to understand the influence of immediate environment of clouds on CREs. Fluxes derived from 19 years of high‐resolution CERES satellite data, categorized by cloud type, are utilized. The cloud types are classified based on the joint cloud top pressure and cloud optical depth distribution. For the entire tropical region, differences in cloud‐type mean CRE with regional mean and immediate environment clear skies range from −7.8 to 10.7 Wm−2 for shortwave (SW), 2.9 to 15.8 Wm−2 for longwave (LW), and 6.1 to 17.9 Wm−2 for net, respectively. The oceanic and Amazonia regions have negative (positive) SW (LW) CRE differences, typically 2–6 Wm−2 in SW but 7–10 Wm−2 in LW, whereas Africa has positive SW and LW CRE differences (typically 20–30 Wm−2, up to 40–50 Wm−2). The influence of immediate environment reduces the regionally averaged, that is, cloud‐type mean CREs weighted by cloud fractions, SW cloud cooling, and LW cloud warming in four of the five regions except for Africa. For Africa, it increases the SW cloud cooling and greatly reduces the LW cloud warming, resulting in net cloud cooling as in other regions instead of warming. The implications of these findings for observational and modeling studies are discussed.
Grain Size Measurements of the Eolian Stimson Formation, Gale Crater, Mars and Implications for Sand Provenance and Paleoatmospheric Conditions
Authors: Preston Sarah L. , Siebach Kirsten L. , Lapôtre Mathieu G. A. , Banham Steven G. 
Published: November 2024

AbstractThe Stimson formation is a late‐infilling eolian sandstone in Gale crater, Mars that formed from sand accumulation in a dune field analogous to the modern active Bagnold dune field, enabling a unique opportunity to compare the past to the present dune fields on Mars. Previous work suggested that the Stimson has a coarser grain‐size distribution than the active Bagnold dunes based on three images of the Stimson. We analyze grain size in the Naukluft and Emerson plateaus of the Stimson by observing 115 images throughout the formation to classify textures and quantitatively measuring grains in eight representative individual images. Results indicate that the Stimson has a primary grain size mode at <200 μm. In addition, more than 50% of the observed Stimson rock targets display a coarser grain population with a long‐tailed distribution including grains ∼600–1200 μm. The primary grain size mode is similar to that observed in the Bagnold dunes, but the coarse grain size mode was neither observed in the Bagnold dunes nor in ripples adjacent to the dune field. Models for saltation mechanics indicate that the favored grain size for eolian transport on Mars, ∼100–200 μm, is independent of atmospheric density, though atmospheric density affects the wind speeds at which grains can be transported by winds. We conclude that the source of the Stimson dunes was more proximal and coarser than the source of the Bagnold dunes and that the paleoatmosphere was likely not significantly denser than the modern Martian atmosphere.
Intranasal delivery of a subunit protein vaccine provides protective immunity against JN.1 and XBB-lineage variants
Authors: Lei Hong , Hong Weiqi , Yang Jingyun , He Cai , Zhou Yanan , Zhang Yu , Alu Aqu , Shi Jie , Liu Jian , qin Furong , Ao Danyi , Huang Xiya , Chen Zimin , Yang Hao , Yang Yun , Yu Wenhai , Tang Cong , Wang Junbin , Li Bai , Huang Qing , Hu Hongbo , Cheng Wei , Dong Haohao , Lei Jian , Chen Lu , Zhou Xikun , Li Jiong , Yang Li , Wang Zhenling , Wang Wei , Shen Guobo , Yang Jinliang , Zhao Zhiwei , Song Xiangrong , Lu Guangwen , Sun Qiangming , Wang Youchun , Lu Shuaiyao , Wei Xiawei 
Published: November 2024

AbstractThe mucosal immune response plays a crucial role in the prevention of respiratory viruses. Given the risk of recurrent SARS-CoV-2 infections in the population, the rapid development of next-generation intranasal COVID-19 vaccines with high safety and efficacy is paramount. In the current study, we developed a protein-based intranasal vaccine comprising the XBB.1.5 receptor binding domain (RBD)-derived trimeric recombinant protein (RBDXBB.1.5-HR) and an MF59-like oil-in-water adjuvant. Intranasal administration of RBDXBB.1.5-HR vaccine elicited robust and sustained humoral immune responses in mice and rats, resulting in high levels of neutralizing antibodies against XBB-lineage subvariants, with protection lasting for at least six months. The intranasal RBDXBB.1.5-HR vaccine generated potent mucosal immune responses, characterized by the inductions of tissue-resident T (TRM) cells, local cellular immunity, germinal center, and memory B cell responses in the respiratory tract. The combination of intramuscular and intranasal delivery of the RBDXBB.1.5-HR vaccine demonstrated exceptional systemic and mucosal protective immunity. Furthermore, intranasal delivery of RBDXBB.1.5-HR vaccine as a heterologous booster shot showed more effective boosting effects after mRNA administration compared to homologous vaccination, as evidenced by the induction of superior systemic and extra mucosal immune response. Importantly, the intranasal RBDXBB.1.5-HR vaccine conferred efficient protection against the challenge with authentic EG.5.1 viruses in vivo. These findings identify the intranasal RBDXBB.1.5-HR vaccine as a potential mucosal vaccine candidate for the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Individuals with psychosis receive less electric field strength during transcranial direct current stimulation compared to healthy controls
Authors: Kazinka Rebecca , Choi Da Som , Opitz Alexander , Lim Kelvin O. 
Published: November 2024

AbstractRecent research has examined the effectiveness of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) as an adjunctive treatment for antipsychotics, finding mixed results on cognitive, positive, and negative symptoms. We tested if individuals with psychosis have reduced electric field strength compared to healthy controls and assessed the potential causal factors. We hypothesized that either cortical thinning due to the disorder or increased scalp thickness due to secondary effects of the disorder were causal factors. Using the Psychosis Human Connectome Project dataset, we simulated electric field models for 136 individuals with psychosis, 73 first-degree relatives, and 43 healthy controls. We compared group differences of electric field strength at bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), targeted with two montages (Fp1-Fp2 & F3-Fp2) commonly used to treat cognitive impairment. We additionally compared groups on scalp, skull, and cerebrospinal fluid thickness at bilateral dlPFC and the three electrode locations. Mediation analyses assessed if tissue thickness and BMI were causal factors for group differences while controlling for age and sex. Individuals with psychosis had lower electric field strength for bilateral dlPFC for both montages. Scalp thickness was also greater for individuals with psychosis, but cerebrospinal fluid thickness was not significantly different. BMI was a significant mediator for the group difference seen in both scalp thickness and electric field strength. Future treatment studies using tDCS in the psychosis population should include electric field modeling to assess its effectiveness given the increased risk of obesity. Individualized montages based on head models may also improve effectiveness.
MTBVAC induces superior antibody titers and IgG avidity compared to BCG vaccination in non-human primates
Authors: Peralta-Álvarez Marco Polo , Downward Keya , White Andrew , Redondo Azema Hugo , Sibley Laura , Sarfas Charlotte , Morrison Alexandra , Dennis Mike , Diaz-Santana Delia , Harris Stephanie A. , Li Shuailin , Puentes Eugenia , Aguilo Nacho , Martin Carlos , Sharpe Sally , McShane Helen , Tanner Rachel 
Published: November 2024

AbstractThe only currently licensed vaccine against tuberculosis (TB), Bacille Calmette Guérin (BCG), is insufficient to control the epidemic. MTBVAC is a live attenuated strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) and is one the most advanced TB vaccine candidates in the pipeline. It is more efficacious than BCG in preclinical models including non-human primates (NHPs), and has demonstrated safety and immunogenicity in human populations. To better understand the immune mechanisms underlying the superior efficacy conferred by MTBVAC, we characterized M.tb-specific antibody responses in NHPs vaccinated with either BCG or MTBVAC. MTBVAC vaccination induced higher titers of IgG, IgM and IgA, and higher avidity IgG compared with BCG vaccination. IgG avidity correlated with protection following M.tb challenge in the same animals, validating the association previously reported between this measure and protection in the context of intravenous BCG vaccination, suggesting that IgG avidity may represent a relevant marker or correlate of protection from TB.
Preclinical characterization of the Omicron XBB.1.5-adapted BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine
Authors: Modjarrad Kayvon , Che Ye , Chen Wei , Wu Huixian , Cadima Carla I. , Muik Alexander , Maddur Mohan S. , Tompkins Kristin R. , Martinez Lyndsey T. , Cai Hui , Ramos Minah , Mensah Sonia , Cumbia Brittney , Falcao Larissa , McKeen Andrew P. , Chang Jeanne S. , Fennell Kimberly F. , Huynh Kevin W. , McLellan Thomas J. , Sahasrabudhe Parag V. , Chen Wei , Cerswell Michael , Garcia Miguel A. , Li Shilong , Sharma Rahul , Li Weiqiang , Dizon Kristianne P. , Duarte Stacy , Gillett Frank , Smith Rachel , Illenberger Deanne M. , Efferen Kari Sweeney , Vogel Annette B. , Anderson Annaliesa S. , Şahin Uğur , Swanson Kena A. 
Published: November 2024

AbstractAs SARS-CoV-2 evolves, increasing in potential for greater transmissibility and immune escape, updated vaccines are needed to boost adaptive immunity to protect against COVID-19 caused by circulating strains. Here, we report features of the monovalent Omicron XBB.1.5-adapted BNT162b2 vaccine, which contains XBB.1.5-specific sequence changes, relative to the original BNT162b2 backbone, in the encoded prefusion-stabilized SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (S(P2)). Biophysical characterization of Omicron XBB.1.5 S(P2) demonstrated that it maintains a prefusion conformation and adopts a flexible, predominantly open, state, with high affinity for the human ACE-2 receptor. When administered as a 4th dose in BNT162b2-experienced mice, the monovalent Omicron XBB.1.5 vaccine elicited substantially higher serum neutralizing titers against pseudotyped viruses of Omicron XBB.1.5, XBB.1.16, XBB.1.16.1, XBB.2.3, EG.5.1 and HV.1 sublineages and phylogenetically distant BA.2.86 lineage than the bivalent Wild Type + Omicron BA.4/5 vaccine. Similar trends were observed against Omicron XBB sublineage pseudoviruses when the vaccine was administered as a 2-dose series in naive mice. Strong S-specific Th1 CD4+ and IFNγ+ CD8+ T cell responses were also observed. These findings, together with real world performance of the XBB.1.5-adapted vaccine, suggest that preclinical data for the monovalent Omicron XBB.1.5-adapted BNT162b2 was predictive of protective immunity against dominant SARS-CoV-2 strains.
Nitrogen isotopes reveal high NOx emissions from arid agricultural soils in the Salton Sea Air Basin
Authors: Lieb Heather C. , Maldonado Matthew , Ruiz Edgar , Torres Christian , Olmedo Luis , Walters Wendell W. , Faloona Ian C. 
Published: November 2024

AbstractAir quality management commonly aims to mitigate nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from combustion, reducing ozone (O3) and particulate matter (PM) pollution. Despite such ongoing efforts, regulations have recently proven ineffective in rural areas like the Salton Sea Air Basin of Southern California, which routinely violates O3 and PM air quality standards. With over $2 billion in annual agricultural sales and low population density, air quality in the region is likely influenced by the year-round farming activity. We conducted a source apportionment of NOx (an important precursor to both O3 and PM) using nitrogen stable isotopes of ambient NO2, which revealed a significant contribution from soil-emitted NOx to the regional budget. The soil source strength was estimated based on the mean δ15N-NOx from each emission category in the California Air Resources Board’s NOx inventory. Our annual average soil emission estimate for the air basin was 11.4 ± 4 tons/d, representing ~ 30% of the extant NOx inventory, 10× larger than the state’s inventory for soil emissions. Unconstrained environmental factors such as nutrient availability, soil moisture, and temperature have a first-order impact on soil NOx production in this agriculturally intensive region, with fertilization and irrigation practices likely driving most of the emissions variability. Without spatially and temporally accurate data on fertilizer application rates and irrigation schedules, it is difficult to determine the direct impacts that these variations have on our observations. Nevertheless, comparative analysis with previous studies indicates that soil NOx emissions in the Imperial Valley are likely underrepresented in current inventories, highlighting the need for more detailed and localized observational data to constrain the sizeable and variable emissions from these arid, agricultural soils.
Spatiotemporal changes in riverine input into the Eocene North Sea revealed by strontium isotope and barium analysis of bivalve shells
Authors: Kniest Jorit F. , Evans David , Gerdes Axel , Cantine Marjorie , Todd Jonathan A. , Sigwart Julia D. , Vellekoop Johan , Müller Wolfgang , Voigt Silke , Raddatz Jacek 
Published: November 2024

AbstractReconstructing hydrological conditions of past warm periods, such as the Eocene ‘hot house’ provides empirical data to compare to state of the art climate models. However, reconstructing these changes in deep time is challenging, for example, given the complex interplay between evapotranspiration, precipitation and runoff. As a proxy for past changes in these hydrological systems, the dynamics of fresh water input into marginal seas can be used to identify the spatiotemporal distribution of riverine runoff. Elemental barium (Ba) and radiogenic strontium (87Sr) are, depending on the amount of runoff and the background geology of the catchment area, typically enriched in river waters in comparison to seawater and can thus be utilized to determine changes in riverine fresh water discharge. Here, we use barium to calcium ratios (Ba/Ca) and radiogenic strontium isotopes (87Sr/86Sr) measured in fossil bivalve shells to reconstruct patterns of fresh water input into the paleo North Sea during the early to middle Eocene. Our reconstruction shows the potential of Ba/Ca and87Sr/86Sr to serve as proxies for riverine runoff and highlights the spatiotemporal complexity of Eocene hydrological conditions in western Europe. In particular, our results enable changes in riverine input along geological to perennial time scales for different coastal regions to be determined, revealing a steady influx of fresh water, but with distinct spatiotemporal differences.
Impaired noise adaptation contributes to speech intelligibility problems in people with hearing loss
Authors: Marrufo-Pérez Miriam I. , Fumero Milagros J. , Eustaquio-Martín Almudena , Lopez-Poveda Enrique A. 
Published: November 2024

AbstractUnderstanding speech in noisy settings is harder for hearing-impaired (HI) people than for normal-hearing (NH) people, even when speech is audible. This is often attributed to hearing loss altering the neural encoding of temporal and/or spectral speech cues. Here, we investigated whether this difference may also be due to an impaired ability to adapt to background noise. For 25 adult hearing-aid users with sensorineural hearing loss, speech reception thresholds (SRTs) were measured for natural and tone-vocoded words embedded in speech-shaped noise (SSN). The stimuli were preceded or not by a 1-second adapting SSN precursor. Adaptation was calculated as the difference in SRT between the two precursor conditions. Corresponding data for 28 NH listeners were taken from a previously published study. SRTs were worse for HI listeners, confirming that hearing loss diminishes access to speech acoustic cues. Furthermore, noise adaptation was negatively correlated with the age-controlled hearing loss both for natural (rho=-0.56, N = 52, p < 0.001) and vocoded (rho=-0.45, N = 39, p = 0.002) words. Impaired adaptation contributed up to 10% of the SRT loss in HI listeners. We conclude that HI listeners suffer from poorer speech in noise recognition not only because of impaired access to speech acoustic cues but also because they are less able to adapt to background noise.
Role of Hog1-mediated stress tolerance in biofilm formation by the pathogenic fungus Trichosporon asahii
Authors: Matsumoto Yasuhiko , Nakayama Mei , Shimizu Yuta , Koganesawa Sachi , Kanai Hiromi , Sugiyama Yu , Kurakado Sanae , Sugita Takashi 
Published: November 2024

AbstractTrichosporon asahii, a dimorphic fungus, causes bloodstream infections in immunocompromised patients with neutropenia. Biofilms are formed on the surfaces of medical devices such as catheters as T. asahii transitions morphologically from yeast to hyphae in the host environment. Oxidative stress tolerance and morphological changes of T. asahii are regulated by Hog1, a mitogen-activated protein kinase. The role of Hog1 in the biofilm formation by T. asahii, however, has remained unknown. In the present study, we demonstrated that a hog1 gene-deficient T. asahii mutant formed excess biofilm under a rich medium in vitro, but did not form biofilm in an in vivo evaluation system using silkworms. The hog1 gene-deficient T. asahii mutant formed a greater amount of biofilm than the parent strain in vitro. Under an oxidative stress condition in vitro, however, lower amounts of biofilm were formed by the hog1 gene-deficient T. asahii mutant than by the parent strain. In an in vivo evaluation system using silkworms, lower amounts of biofilm were formed by the hog1 gene-deficient T. asahii mutant than by the parent strain. Our findings suggest that Hog1 regulates biofilm formation by T. asahii in response to host environmental conditions, including oxidative stress.