bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Wrath of the Deities and The Privileged Deceased: Narrating Death in the Associational Rupture at Thessalonica
Authors: Longenecker Bruce W. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractAfter Paul, Silvanus and Timothy left Thessalonica, members of the fledgling Christ group in that city experienced death within their social network. Opinions differ as to whether the authors’ comments in 1 Thess 4.13–18 are addressing puzzlement internal to the Christ group alone, or whether these recent deaths also played into the wider discourse of the city. In addressing this issue, I adopt the view, propounded especially by Richard Ascough, that the Thessalonian Christ group had its origins in a civic association. In contrast to Ascough, I propose that the association did not undergo a complete ‘conversion’ to a new deity; instead, it experienced a rupture in its membership, with some members splitting off to form a new assembly of Christ-devotion. This ‘ruptured association’ scenario offers a different explanation than Ascough's regarding the issue the authors of 1 Thess were addressing in 4.13–18. The argument draws upon comparanda from the database of Greco-Roman associations and offers an interpretation in closer alignment with the primary emphasis of the text.
Suing for Peace at Any Cost? Reading the Parable of the Two Kings (Luke 14.31–2) in Times of War
Authors: Zamfir Korinna 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThe paper re-examines the parable of the king pondering about engaging in war with a more powerful enemy (Luke 14.31–2), focusing on questions commonly asked in antiquity and still relevant today with respect to war and suing for peace. These regard the cause of the war and the reasons for fighting, the tension between bravery and wisdom, the circumstances that may contribute to the defeat of a superior army and the costs of peace making. I explore this parable in the context of other Lukan passages touching on the topic of war and peace. I challenge the assumption that Luke was a pacifist, and I argue that the parable cannot provide answers to contemporary questions about the ethics of peace and war.
Postsocialism in International Relations: Method and critique
Authors: Aradau Claudia 
Published: February 2024

AbstractWhile postcolonial approaches to International Relations have offered new concepts, methods, and political imaginaries of global politics, postsocialism has been absent as an analytical and political approach. Postsocialism has been mainly a descriptive term naming the temporal transition of the Second World to liberal democracy and market economy or the geopolitical space of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Building on literature that has connected postsocialism and postcolonialism analytically and politically, particularly feminist work that has reclaimed postsocialism to understand the global legacies of socialism in the present, this article proposes to unpack dimensions of postsocialism as method and critique. Postsocialism as method attends to how socialist legacies endure and are transformed in the present while holding together contradictions and ambivalences. Postsocialism as critique is oriented to transversal solidarities and the epistemic vocabularies that can undergird these struggles. To trace these dimensions of method and critique, the article is situated empirically within debates about borders and migration. Postsocialism is not intended to replace or displace other critical approaches but to pluralise our vocabularies and multiply political interventions.
Dry storage alters intraspecific variation in phenotypic traits at early life stages: evidence from a dominant alpine meadow species
Authors: Chen Dali , Yuan Haiying , Bao Jinglong , Zhao Xiaohua , Fu Xiuzhen , Hu Xiaowen 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThe intraspecific variations of phenotypic traits in the early life stages, such as seed germination and seedling establishment, are important components affecting species adaptation and differentiation. As one of the most common ways in which seeds are maintained, dry storage usually affects these traits, by either increasing or decreasing variation among populations. However, little is known about how the interaction between dry storage and population variation of a species affects the performance and adaptability of early life-cycle traits. In this study, we conducted experiments with seeds from ten populations of Elymus nutans along an altitudinal gradient on the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Fresh seeds and seeds stored dry for 6 months were used to quantify the temperature thresholds for germination, determine seedling emergence and survival in two common gardens and examine the correlation between these traits and environmental conditions of population provenance. Dry storage increased germination percentage, germination speed and seedling emergence, and decreased intraspecific variation in germination traits of seeds (reduced by 33.36, 52.05 and 20.45% for Tb, θT(50) and σθT, respectively). Dry storage had little effect on the intraspecific variation of seedling emergence and survival. In addition, the temperature threshold for germination cannot be used to predict seedling emergence and survival in either common garden, regardless of whether seeds were stored or not. These results indicated that it is feasible to use dry-stored seeds to evaluate and select suitable provenances in ecological restoration, and using dry-stored seeds in ecological restoration projects is expected to achieve better vegetation restoration results than fresh seeds. On the other hand, the status of seeds (fresh vs. dry stored) should be considered in an evaluation of the adaptive value of plant functional traits, especially in the early life stages, otherwise, inconsistent conclusions may be drawn.
Sedimentary Records in the Lesser Antilles Fore‐Arc Basins Provide Evidence of Large Late Quaternary Megathrust Earthquakes
Authors: Seibert C. , Feuillet N. , Ratzov G. , Beck C. , Morena P. , Johannes L. , Ducassou E. , Cattaneo A. , Goldfinger C. , Moreno E. , Bieber A. , Bénâtre G. , Caron B. , Caron M. , Casse M. , Cavailhes T. , Del Manzo G. , Deschamps C. E. , Desiage P. A. , Duboc Q. , Fauquembergue K. , Ferrant A. , Guyard H. , Jacques E. , Laurencin M. , Leclerc F. , Patton J. , Saurel J. M. , St‐Onge G. , Woerther P. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThe seismic potential of the Lesser Antilles subduction zone is poorly known and highly debated. Only two damaging earthquakes have been reported in the historical period, in 1839 and 1843, but their sources and magnitude are still uncertain. Global Navigation Satellite Systems and coral data contradict each other, and no conclusion has been reached on the coupling ratio of the plate interface. Given the threat posed by the possible occurrence of a large megathrust earthquake, it is crucial to gain information on prehistorical events. We present the results of a submarine paleoseismological study that covers an exceptional ∼120 Kyr‐long period. We studied the sediments sampled in six up to 26 m‐long piston cores collected in deep fore‐arc basins located over the epicentral region of the 1843 earthquake. Using a multiproxy approach combining geophysical, geochemical, and sedimentological analysis, biostratigraphy and radiocarbon dating, we identified, characterized, and dated numerous event deposits that we then correlated with the sampled basins over an up to 160 km‐long area. We show that at least 33 earthquakes likely triggered these sediment remobilizations in the last 120 Kyr. Four of these events promoted exceptional deposits of turbidites + homogenites. From peak ground acceleration calculated for potential earthquakes occurring on various faults, and the absence of deposits linked to the historical earthquakes, we propose that the sources are likely megathrust earthquakes. Over the last 60 Kyr, we inferred at least three 15–25 Kyr‐long seismic cycles in which the recurrence times of earthquakes shortens from ∼5 to ∼2 Kyr.
Determination of Trace Elemental Composition of CaCO3: Application to Mass Limited Abiogenic and Biogenic Carbonates
Authors: Satya Chanakya I. V. , Misra Sambuddha 
Published: February 2024

AbstractAn improved method for accurate and precise determination of metal to calcium ratio in mass limited calcium carbonate samples has been developed. We used an Agilent®5800 ICP‐OES for major element (Na/Mg/Sr to Ca) and an Agilent®8900 ICP‐QQQ‐MS for minor and trace element (Li/B/Na/Mg/Al/Mn/Fe/Zn/Sr/Cd/Ba/U to Ca) ratio determination. We report a long‐term precision of ≤1% (1σ) by repeat analysis, spread over ≥6 analytical sessions, of multiple external standards that spanned a large range of concentration. We quasi‐quantitatively eliminated potential matrix effect from high [Ca] by concentration matching samples and standards (∆[Ca] ≤ ±5%) during both ICP‐OES and ICP‐QQQ‐MS sessions. The ICP‐OES analyses were done on 200 μl of sample at 60 ppm [Ca], consuming ∼30 μg of CaCO3 per analysis. Whereas trace element analyses by ICP‐QQQ‐MS required ∼150 μl of sample at 20 ppm [Ca], consuming ∼7.5 µg of CaCO3 per analysis. Thus, the present method allows for high precision determination of TE/Ca in <40 μg of CaCO3. We present a comprehensive approach for optimization of ICP‐OES sensitivity and stability to select elemental (Ca/Na/Mg/Sr) wavelengths with minimal interferences, high sensitivity and linearity. For choice of Ca lines, we focused on the minimization of self‐matrix effect. For the ICP‐MS method, we improved reproducibility and precision by lowering [Ca] of analyte and preconditioning of cones. Furthermore, the present method allows for precise B/Ca determination sans the use of HF matrix. In summary, we present an easily adoptable method based on readily available instrumentation for determining element‐to‐calcium ratios that is suitable for analyzing mass‐limited carbonate samples.
The Influence of Freshwater Input on the Evolution of the 1995 Benguela Niño
Authors: Aroucha L. C. , Lübbecke J. F. , Körner M. , Imbol Koungue R. A. , Awo F. M. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractBenguela Niño events are characterized by strong warm sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies off the Angolan and Namibian coasts. In 1995, the strongest event in the satellite era took place, impacting fish availability in both Angolan and Namibian waters. In this study, we use direct observations, satellite data, and reanalysis products to investigate the impact that the up‐until‐now unnoticed mechanism of freshwater input from Congo River discharge (CRD) and precipitation had on the evolution of the 1995 Benguela Niño. In the onset phase of the event, anomalous rainfall in November/December 1994 at around 6°S, combined with a high CRD, generated a low salinity plume. The plume was advected into the Angola‐Namibia region in the following February/March 1995 by an anomalously strong poleward surface current generated by the relaxation of the southerly winds and shifts in the coastal wind stress curl. The presence of this low surface salinity anomaly of about −2 psu increased ocean stability by generating barrier layers, thereby reducing the turbulent heat loss, since turbulent mixing acted on a weak vertical temperature gradient. A mixed layer heat budget analysis demonstrates that southward advection of Angolan waters drove the warming at the onset, while reduced mixing played the main role at the event's peak. We conclude that a freshwater input contributed to the SST increase in this exceptionally strong event and suggest that this input can influence the SST variability in Angola‐Namibia waters through a combination of high CRD, precipitation, and the presence of a strong poleward surface current.
Neutralization of Anthropogenic Acidic Particles by NH3 From Wildfire Over Tropical Peatland
Authors: Budisulistiorini Sri Hapsari , Yang Liudongqing , Chen Jing , Cheng Manqiu , Kuwata Mikinori 
Published: February 2024

AbstractAcidity is an essential characteristic of aerosol particles that influences chemical and physical properties. Aerosol particles in tropical Asia, such as Singapore, have been reported as highly acidic due to intense anthropogenic sulfur emissions. At the same time, the region has also been experiencing wildfire over tropical peatlands, which is recognized as an intense source of NH3. Here, we investigated the role of NH3 from wildfire on aerosol particles in Singapore by employing the aerosol mass spectrometric technique. The observation was conducted both during wildfire haze (2015 October and 2019 September–October) and non‐haze (2018 October and 2019 April) periods. The observation result demonstrated that inorganic ionic species in Singapore were neutralized by NH4+ during the haze periods. Namely, the degree of neutralization of aerosol particles (i.e., measured NH4+ concentration/predicted NH4+ concentration by assuming that NH4+ fully neutralized SO42−, NO3−, and Cl−) was lower than 0.77during the non‐haze periods. On the other hand, the corresponding values were higher than 0.93 during the haze periods. In addition, NO3− concentration during the daytime of the haze period in 2015 was higher than that in other observation periods. A thermodynamic model calculation suggested that the regime shifts from the “NH3 sensitive region” to the “NH3 and HNO3 sensitive region” or “HNO3 sensitive region” might have occurred during the haze period. In the future, continuous monitoring of both gas‐ and particle‐phase inorganic chemical species will need to be conducted to investigate the impact of wildfire haze on atmospheric chemical processes in more detail.
Water Vapor Variability in the Thermosphere of Mars During Mars Years 32–36
Authors: Girazian Z. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractUsing Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution observations, we characterize the variability of water vapor in the Martian thermosphere during Mars Years 32–36. Near a fixed atmospheric pressure level of ∼5 × 10−7 Pa, the typical water density is 1.7 (±1.0) × 103 cm−3 and the typical water mixing ratio is 14.6 (±9.0) ppm. Thermospheric water levels are higher during the southern spring and summer seasons when Mars is near perihelion and there is significant dust loading in the lower atmosphere. However, the seasonal variation is not the same from year‐to‐year, likely due to annual differences in dust loading. Water vapor abundance is highly correlated with the amount of dust in the lower atmosphere, and increases during both regional and global dust storms. Additionally, there is a local time asymmetry with higher mixing ratios observed during morning local times, potentially caused by atmospheric circulation. Our results support previous work that found increased dust levels allow more water to be supplied directly to the thermosphere.
A clinical microscopy dataset to develop a deep learning diagnostic test for urinary tract infection
Authors: Liou Natasha , De Trina , Urbanski Adrian , Chieng Catherine , Kong Qingyang , David Anna L. , Khasriya Rajvinder , Yakimovich Artur , Horsley Harry 
Published: February 2024

AbstractUrinary tract infection (UTI) is a common disorder. Its diagnosis can be made by microscopic examination of voided urine for markers of infection. This manual technique is technically difficult, time-consuming and prone to inter-observer errors. The application of computer vision to this domain has been slow due to the lack of a clinical image dataset from UTI patients. We present an open dataset containing 300 images and 3,562 manually annotated urinary cells labelled into seven classes of clinically significant cell types. It is an enriched dataset acquired from the unstained and untreated urine of patients with symptomatic UTI using a simple imaging system. We demonstrate that this dataset can be used to train a Patch U-Net, a novel deep learning architecture with a random patch generator to recognise urinary cells. Our hope is, with this dataset, UTI diagnosis will be made possible in nearly all clinical settings by using a simple imaging system which leverages advanced machine learning techniques.
Home and wild food procurement were associated with improved food security during the COVID-19 pandemic in two rural US states
Authors: Niles Meredith T. , McCarthy Ashley C. , Malacarne Jonathan , Bliss Sam , Belarmino Emily H. , Laurent Jennifer , Merrill Scott C. , Nowak Sarah A. , Schattman Rachel E. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractBoth food insecurity and home and wild food procurement (HWFP), including gardening, increased in many countries during the COVID-19 pandemic; yet little evidence has demonstrated what impact HWFP had on food security. Using data from a representative sample of nearly 1000 residents in the two most rural US states (Vermont and Maine) conducted via an online survey in Spring/Summer 2021, as well as matching techniques, we compare food security outcomes among households who did and did not participate in HWFP in the first year of the pandemic. Nearly 60% of respondents engaged in HWFP in some way during the first year of the pandemic, with food insecure households more likely to do HWFP. Furthermore, HWFP early in the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with improved food security in the 9–12 months later, though these improvements were primarily associated with newly, not chronically, food insecure households. Newly and chronically food insecure households were more likely to want to continue these activities in the future, but also exhibited greater barriers to land access and costs associated with these activities. These results suggest that HWFP may provide food security improvements for certain households that utilize them, especially during crisis situations. Future research about HWFP should continue to explore multiple HWFP strategies, their barriers, and their potentially myriad relationships to food security, diet, and health outcomes, especially with longitudinal data.
Effect of a retinoic acid analogue on BMP-driven pluripotent stem cell chondrogenesis
Authors: Mancini Fabrizio E. , Humphreys Paul E. A. , Woods Steven , Bates Nicola , Cuvertino Sara , O’Flaherty Julieta , Biant Leela , Domingos Marco A. N. , Kimber Susan J. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractOsteoarthritis is the most common degenerative joint condition, leading to articular cartilage (AC) degradation, chronic pain and immobility. The lack of appropriate therapies that provide tissue restoration combined with the limited lifespan of joint-replacement implants indicate the need for alternative AC regeneration strategies. Differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into AC progenitors may provide a long-term regenerative solution but is still limited due to the continued reliance upon growth factors to recapitulate developmental signalling processes. Recently, TTNPB, a small molecule activator of retinoic acid receptors (RARs), has been shown to be sufficient to guide mesodermal specification and early chondrogenesis of hPSCs. Here, we modified our previous differentiation protocol, by supplementing cells with TTNPB and administering BMP2 at specific times to enhance early development (referred to as the RAPID-E protocol). Transcriptomic analyses indicated that activation of RAR signalling significantly upregulated genes related to limb and embryonic skeletal development in the early stages of the protocol and upregulated genes related to AC development in later stages. Chondroprogenitors obtained from RAPID-E could generate cartilaginous pellets that expressed AC-related matrix proteins such as Lubricin, Aggrecan, and Collagen II, but additionally expressed Collagen X, indicative of hypertrophy. This protocol could lay the foundations for cell therapy strategies for osteoarthritis and improve the understanding of AC development in humans.
Linking gene expression to clinical outcomes in pediatric Crohn’s disease using machine learning
Authors: Chen Kevin A. , Nishiyama Nina C. , Kennedy Ng Meaghan M. , Shumway Alexandria , Joisa Chinmaya U. , Schaner Matthew R. , Lian Grace , Beasley Caroline , Zhu Lee-Ching , Bantumilli Surekha , Kapadia Muneera R. , Gomez Shawn M. , Furey Terrence S. , Sheikh Shehzad Z. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractPediatric Crohn’s disease (CD) is characterized by a severe disease course with frequent complications. We sought to apply machine learning-based models to predict risk of developing future complications in pediatric CD using ileal and colonic gene expression. Gene expression data was generated from 101 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) ileal and colonic biopsies obtained from treatment-naïve CD patients and controls. Clinical outcomes including development of strictures or fistulas and progression to surgery were analyzed using differential expression and modeled using machine learning. Differential expression analysis revealed downregulation of pathways related to inflammation and extra-cellular matrix production in patients with strictures. Machine learning-based models were able to incorporate colonic gene expression and clinical characteristics to predict outcomes with high accuracy. Models showed an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.84 for strictures, 0.83 for remission, and 0.75 for surgery. Genes with potential prognostic importance for strictures (REG1A, MMP3, and DUOX2) were not identified in single gene differential analysis but were found to have strong contributions to predictive models. Our findings in FFPE tissue support the importance of colonic gene expression and the potential for machine learning-based models in predicting outcomes for pediatric CD.
Simulating real-life scenarios to better understand the spread of diseases under different contexts
Authors: Blanco Rafael , Patow Gustavo , Pelechano Nuria 
Published: February 2024

AbstractCurrent statistical models to simulate pandemics miss the most relevant information about the close atomic interactions between individuals which is the key aspect of virus spread. Thus, they lack a proper visualization of such interactions and their impact on virus spread. In the field of computer graphics, and more specifically in computer animation, there have been many crowd simulation models to populate virtual environments. However, the focus has typically been to simulate reasonable paths between random or semi-random locations in a map, without any possibility of analyzing specific individual behavior. We propose a crowd simulation framework to accurately simulate the interactions in a city environment at the individual level, with the purpose of recording and analyzing the spread of human diseases. By simulating the whereabouts of agents throughout the day by mimicking the actual activities of a population in their daily routines, we can accurately predict the location and duration of interactions between individuals, thus having a model that can reproduce the spread of the virus due to human-to-human contact. Our results show the potential of our framework to closely simulate the virus spread based on real agent-to-agent contacts. We believe that this could become a powerful tool for policymakers to make informed decisions in future pandemics and to better communicate the impact of such decisions to the general public.