bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Do Reserved Seats Work? Evidence from Tribal Representatives in Maine
Authors: DeHart Cameron , Mamet Elliot 
Published: April 2023

AbstractDo reserved seats yield substantive representation for traditionally marginalized groups? To answer that question, we turn to a remarkable and little-studied institution: reserved seats for Native American tribes in the Maine House of Representatives. Tribal representatives, who can participate in debate but lack a vote, have represented tribes in Maine’s House of Representatives since statehood in 1820. We take advantage of a 1995 rule change that allowed tribal representatives to initiate legislation, and an original dataset of pro-tribal bills, to estimate the effect of reserved seats on the production of pro-tribal bills. We find that once tribal representatives were allowed to write bills, they produced over half of all tribal-related legislation during a 36-year period. Legislators with tribal constituents sponsored fewer relevant bills after the reform but continued to cosponsor pro-tribal legislation. Although our results show tribal representatives contribute to the legislative process, we caution that reserved seats are not a panacea for improving Indigenous representation.
Tracking Changes in Vegetation Structure Following Fire in the Cerrado Biome Using ICESat‐2
Authors: Konduri Venkata Shashank , Morton Douglas C. , Andela Niels 
Published: April 2023

AbstractFires mediate grass and tree competition and alter vegetation structure in savanna ecosystems, with important implications for regional carbon, water, and energy fluxes. However, direct observations of how fire frequency influences vegetation structure and post‐fire recovery have been limited to small experimental field studies. Here, we combined lidar‐derived canopy height and canopy cover from NASA's Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite‐2 with over two decades of burned area data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer sensors to provide the first biome‐wide estimates of post‐fire changes in canopy structure for major vegetation types in the Cerrado (Brazil). Mean canopy height decreased with increasing burn frequency for all natural cover types, with the greatest decline observed for forests and savannas. The ability to separate changes in fractional canopy cover from height growth using lidar data highlighted the long‐time scales of vegetation recovery in forests and savannas after fire. For forests in medium and high precipitation areas, canopy cover returned to unburned values within 5 years following fire, whereas mean canopy height remained below unburned values, even in the oldest fires (14–20 years). Recovery times increased with decreasing rainfall, with average values of both fractional cover and canopy height below unburned areas after 14–20 years for savannas. We observed gradual recovery of vegetation height and cover over decades, even in mesic or wet savanna regions like the Cerrado. Infrequent fire activity, particularly in areas with greater land management, influences ecosystem structure across the biome, with important consequences for biodiversity conservation.
Reevaluating the protective effect of smoking on preeclampsia risk through the lens of bias
Authors: Rodriguez-Lopez Merida , Escobar Maria Fernanda , Merlo Juan , Kaufman Jay S. 
Published: April 2023

AbstractPreeclampsia is a hypertensive disorder that is usually diagnosed after 20 weeks’ gestation. Despite the deleterious effect of smoking on cardiovascular disease, it has been frequently reported that smoking has a protective effect on preeclampsia risk and biological explanations have been proposed. However, in this manuscript, we present multiple sources of bias that could explain this association. First, key concepts in epidemiology are reviewed: confounder, collider, and mediator. Then, we describe how eligibility criteria, losses of women potentially at risk, misclassification, or performing incorrect adjustments can create bias. We provide examples to show that strategies to control for confounders may fail when they are applied to variables that are not confounders. Finally, we outline potential approaches to manage this controversial effect. We conclude that there is probably no single epidemiological explanation for this counterintuitive association.
Safety and tolerability of oral vorolanib for neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration: a phase I, open-label study
Authors: Gao Yunxia , Lu Fang , Li Xiaoxin , Dai Hong , Liu Kun , Liu Xiaoling , Sun Zuhua , Xiang Jin , Ding Lieming , Liang Chris , Wang Yang , Shen Zhilin , Zhang Ming 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Objective
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of oral vorolanib for the treatment of neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).

Methods
In the dose escalation, participants received ascending doses of oral vorolanib (25–100 mg daily). In the dose expansion, participants received recommended doses (25 and 50 mg daily).

Results
Between March 15, 2015, and January 23, 2019, 41 participants were enrolled in 6 centres in China. At the data cut-off (November 14, 2019), two dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were observed during dose escalation (one in the 75 mg cohort and one in the 100 mg cohort). The maximum tolerated dose was not reached. Treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) occurred in 33 (80.5%) participants, and grade 3 or higher TRAEs occurred in 12 (29.3%) participants. No fatal TRAEs were observed. Increases in the mean best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) from baseline to Day 360 of +7.7 letters (range, −5–29; n = 41) were observed in participants who were administered vorolanib. Corresponding reductions in mean central subfield thickness (CST) and choroidal neovascularization (CNV) area at Day 360 were observed in these three groups.

Conclusions
Oral administration of vorolanib improved visual outcomes in participants with nAMD with manageable systemic safety profiles.
Trade-off between critical metal requirement and transportation decarbonization in automotive electrification
Authors: Zhang Chunbo , Zhao Xiang , Sacchi Romain , You Fengqi 
Published: April 2023

AbstractAutomotive electrification holds the promise of mitigating transportation-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, yet at the expense of growing demand for critical metals. Here, we analyze the trade-off between the decarbonization potential of the road transportation sector and its critical metal requirement from the demand-side perspective in 48 major countries committing to decarbonize their road transportation sectors aided by electric vehicles (EVs). Our results demonstrate that deploying EVs with 40–100% penetration by 2050 can increase lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese demands by 2909–7513%, 2127–5426%, 1039–2684%, and 1099–2838%, respectively, and grow platinum group metal requirement by 131–179% in the 48 investigated countries, relative to 2020. Higher EV penetration reduces GHG emissions from fuel use regardless of the transportation energy transition, while those from fuel production are more sensitive to energy-sector decarbonization and could reach nearly “net zero” by 2040.
Comparative epidemic expansion of SARS-CoV-2 variants Delta and Omicron in the Brazilian State of Amazonas
Authors: Arantes Ighor , Bello Gonzalo , Nascimento Valdinete , Souza Victor , da Silva Arlesson , Silva Dejanane , Nascimento Fernanda , Mejía Matilde , Brandão Maria Júlia , Gonçalves Luciana , Silva George , da Costa Cristiano Fernandes , Abdalla Ligia , Santos João Hugo , Ramos Tatyana Costa Amorim , Piantham Chayada , Ito Kimihito , Siqueira Marilda Mendonça , Resende Paola Cristina , Wallau Gabriel Luz , Delatorre Edson , Gräf Tiago , Naveca Felipe Gomes 
Published: April 2023

AbstractThe SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) Delta and Omicron spread globally during mid and late 2021, respectively. In this study, we compare the dissemination dynamics of these VOCs in the Amazonas state, one of Brazil’s most heavily affected regions. We sequenced the virus genome from 4128 patients collected in Amazonas between July 1st, 2021, and January 31st, 2022, and investigated the viral dynamics using a phylodynamic approach. The VOCs Delta and Omicron BA.1 displayed similar patterns of phylogeographic spread but different epidemic dynamics. The replacement of Gamma by Delta was gradual and occurred without an upsurge of COVID-19 cases, while the rise of Omicron BA.1 was extremely fast and fueled a sharp increase in cases. Thus, the dissemination dynamics and population-level impact of new SARS-CoV-2 variants introduced in the Amazonian population after mid-2021, a setting with high levels of acquired immunity, greatly vary according to their viral phenotype.
FADS1-arachidonic acid axis enhances arachidonic acid metabolism by altering intestinal microecology in colorectal cancer
Authors: Xu Chunjie , Gu Lei , Hu Lipeng , Jiang Chunhui , Li Qing , Sun Longci , Zhou Hong , Liu Ye , Xue Hanbing , Li Jun , Zhang Zhigang , Zhang Xueli , Xu Qing 
Published: April 2023

AbstractColonocyte metabolism shapes the microbiome. Metabolites are the main mediators of information exchange between intestine and microbial communities. Arachidonic acid (AA) is an essential polyunsaturated fatty acid and its role in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unexplored. In this study, we show that AA feeding promotes tumor growth in AOM/DSS and intestinal specific Apc−/− mice via modulating the intestinal microecology of increased gram-negative bacteria. Delta-5 desaturase (FADS1), a rate-limiting enzyme, is upregulated in CRC and effectively mediates AA synthesis. Functionally, FADS1 regulates CRC tumor growth via high AA microenvironment-induced enriched gram-negative microbes. Elimination of gram-negative microbe abolishes FADS1 effect. Mechanistically, gram-negative microbes activate TLR4/MYD88 pathway in CRC cells that contributes FADS1-AA axis to metabolize to prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Cumulatively, we report a potential cancer-promoting mechanism of FADS1-AA axis in CRC that converts raising synthesized AA to PGE2 via modulating the intestinal microecology of gram-negative.
Charge order driven by multiple-Q spin fluctuations in heavily electron-doped iron selenide superconductors
Authors: Chen Ziyuan , Li Dong , Lu Zouyouwei , Liu Yue , Zhang Jiakang , Li Yuanji , Yin Ruotong , Li Mingzhe , Zhang Tong , Dong Xiaoli , Yan Ya-Jun , Feng Dong-Lai 
Published: April 2023

AbstractIntertwined spin and charge orders have been widely studied in high-temperature superconductors, since their fluctuations may facilitate electron pairing; however, they are rarely identified in heavily electron-doped iron selenides. Here, using scanning tunneling microscopy, we show that when the superconductivity of (Li0.84Fe0.16OH)Fe1-xSe is suppressed by introducing Fe-site defects, a short-ranged checkerboard charge order emerges, propagating along the Fe-Fe directions with an approximately 2aFe period. It persists throughout the whole phase space tuned by Fe-site defect density, from a defect-pinned local pattern in optimally doped samples to an extended order in samples with lower Tc or non-superconducting. Intriguingly, our simulations indicate that the charge order is likely driven by multiple-Q spin density waves originating from the spin fluctuations observed by inelastic neutron scattering. Our study proves the presence of a competing order in heavily electron-doped iron selenides, and demonstrates the potential of charge order as a tool to detect spin fluctuations.
High economic costs of reduced carbon sinks and declining biome stability in Central American forests
Authors: Baumbach Lukas , Hickler Thomas , Yousefpour Rasoul , Hanewinkel Marc 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Tropical forests represent important supporting pillars for society, supplying global ecosystem services (ES), e.g., as carbon sinks for climate regulation and as crucial habitats for unique biodiversity. However, climate change impacts including implications for the economic value of these services have been rarely explored before. Here, we derive monetary estimates for the effect of climate change on climate regulation and habitat services for the forests of Central America. Our results projected ES declines in 24–62% of the study region with associated economic costs of $51–314 billion/year until 2100. These declines particularly affected montane and dry forests and had strong economic implications for Central America’s lower-middle income countries (losses of up to 335% gross domestic product). In addition, economic losses were mostly higher for habitat services than for climate regulation. This highlights the need to expand the focus from mere maximization of CO2 sequestration and avoid false incentives from carbon markets.
Cryo-EM structures of mitochondrial ABC transporter ABCB10 in apo and biliverdin-bound form
Authors: Cao Sheng , Yang Yihu , He Lili , Hang Yumo , Yan Xiaodong , Shi Hui , Wu Jiaquan , Ouyang Zhuqing 
Published: April 2023

AbstractABCB10, a member of ABC transporter superfamily that locates in the inner membrane of mitochondria, plays crucial roles in hemoglobin synthesis, antioxidative stress and stabilization of the iron transporter mitoferrin-1. Recently, it was found that ABCB10 is a mitochondrial biliverdin exporter. However, the molecular mechanism of biliverdin export by ABCB10 remains elusive. Here we report the cryo-EM structures of ABCB10 in apo (ABCB10-apo) and biliverdin-bound form (ABCB10-BV) at 3.67 Å and 2.85 Å resolution, respectively. ABCB10-apo adopts a wide-open conformation and may thus represent the apo form structure. ABCB10-BV forms a closed conformation and biliverdin situates in a hydrophobic pocket in one protomer and bridges the interaction through hydrogen bonds with the opposing one. We also identify cholesterols sandwiched by BVs and discuss the export dynamics based on these structural and biochemical observations.
Removing artefacts and periodically retraining improve performance of neural network-based seizure prediction models
Authors: Lopes Fábio , Leal Adriana , Pinto Mauro F. , Dourado António , Schulze-Bonhage Andreas , Dümpelmann Matthias , Teixeira César 
Published: April 2023

AbstractThe development of seizure prediction models is often based on long-term scalp electroencephalograms (EEGs) since they capture brain electrical activity, are non-invasive, and come at a relatively low-cost. However, they suffer from major shortcomings. First, long-term EEG is usually highly contaminated with artefacts. Second, changes in the EEG signal over long intervals, known as concept drift, are often neglected. We evaluate the influence of these problems on deep neural networks using EEG time series and on shallow neural networks using widely-used EEG features. Our patient-specific prediction models were tested in 1577 hours of continuous EEG, containing 91 seizures from 41 patients with temporal lobe epilepsy who were undergoing pre-surgical monitoring. Our results showed that cleaning EEG data, using a previously developed artefact removal method based on deep convolutional neural networks, improved prediction performance. We also found that retraining the models over time reduced false predictions. Furthermore, the results show that although deep neural networks processing EEG time series are less susceptible to false alarms, they may need more data to surpass feature-based methods. These findings highlight the importance of robust data denoising and periodic adaptation of seizure prediction models.
Single-cell analysis reveals novel clonally expanded monocytes associated with IL1β–IL1R2 pair in acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy
Authors: Li Meng , Song Jihe , Yin Pengqi , Chen Hongping , Wang Yingju , Xu Chen , Jiang Fangchao , Wang Haining , Han Baichao , Du Xinshu , Wang Wei , Li Guozhong , Zhong Di 
Published: April 2023

AbstractGuillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) is an autoimmune disorder wherein the composition and gene expression patterns of peripheral blood immune cells change significantly. It is triggered by antigens with similar epitopes to Schwann cells that stimulate a maladaptive immune response against peripheral nerves. However, an atlas for peripheral blood immune cells in patients with GBS has not yet been constructed. This is a monocentric, prospective study. We collected 5 acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP) patients and 3 healthy controls hospitalized in the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University from December 2020 to May 2021, 3 AIDP patients were in the peak stage and 2 were in the convalescent stage. We performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from these patients. Furthermore, we performed cell clustering, cell annotation, cell–cell communication, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) identification and pseudotime trajectory analysis. Our study identified a novel clonally expanded CD14+ CD163+ monocyte subtype in the peripheral blood of patients with AIDP, and it was enriched in cellular response to IL1 and chemokine signaling pathways. Furthermore, we observed increased IL1β–IL1R2 cell–cell communication between CD14+ and CD16+ monocytes. In short, by analyzing the single-cell landscape of the PBMCs in patients with AIDP we hope to widen our understanding of the composition of peripheral immune cells in patients with GBS and provide a theoretical basis for future studies.
Characterisation of NPFF-expressing neurons in the superficial dorsal horn of the mouse spinal cord
Authors: Quillet Raphaëlle , Dickie Allen C. , Polgár Erika , Gutierrez-Mecinas Maria , Bell Andrew M. , Goffin Luca , Watanabe Masahiko , Todd Andrew J. 
Published: April 2023

AbstractExcitatory interneurons in the superficial dorsal horn (SDH) are heterogeneous, and include a class known as vertical cells, which convey information to lamina I projection neurons. We recently used pro-NPFF antibody to reveal a discrete population of excitatory interneurons that express neuropeptide FF (NPFF). Here, we generated a new mouse line (NPFFCre) in which Cre is knocked into the Npff locus, and used Cre-dependent viruses and reporter mice to characterise NPFF cell properties. Both viral and reporter strategies labelled many cells in the SDH, and captured most pro-NPFF-immunoreactive neurons (75–80%). However, the majority of labelled cells lacked pro-NPFF, and we found considerable overlap with a population of neurons that express the gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR). Morphological reconstruction revealed that most pro-NPFF-containing neurons were vertical cells, but these differed from GRPR neurons (which are also vertical cells) in having a far higher dendritic spine density. Electrophysiological recording showed that NPFF cells also differed from GRPR cells in having a higher frequency of miniature EPSCs, being more electrically excitable and responding to a NPY Y1 receptor agonist. Together, these findings indicate that there are at least two distinct classes of vertical cells, which may have differing roles in somatosensory processing.
The effect of thermal photons on exceptional points in coupled resonators
Authors: Chimczak Grzegorz , Kowalewska-Kudłaszyk Anna , Lange Ewelina , Bartkiewicz Karol , Peřina Jan 
Published: April 2023

AbstractWe analyse two quantum systems with hidden parity-time ($${\mathscr {P}\mathscr {T}}$$

P
T

) symmetry: one is an optical device, whereas another is a superconducting microwave-frequency device. To investigate their symmetry, we introduce a damping frame (DF), in which loss and gain terms for a given Hamiltonian are balanced. We show that the non-Hermitian Hamiltonians of both systems can be tuned to reach an exceptional point (EP), i.e., the point in parameter space at which a transition from broken to unbroken hidden $${\mathscr {P}\mathscr {T}}$$

P
T

symmetry takes place. We calculate a degeneracy of a Liouvillian superoperator, which is called the Liouvillian exceptional point (LEP), and show that, in the optical domain, LEP is equivalent to EP obtained from the non-Hermitian Hamiltonian (HEP). We also report breaking the equivalence between LEP and HEP by a non-zero number of thermal photons for the microwave-frequency system.
Simulating of effective conductivity for graphene–polymer nanocomposites
Authors: Vatani Mostafa , Zare Yasser , Gharib Nima , Rhee Kyong Yop , Park Soo-Jin 
Published: April 2023

AbstractThe efficient conductivity of graphene-polymer systems is expressed supposing graphene, tunneling and interphase components. The volume shares and inherent resistances of the mentioned components are used to define the efficient conductivity. Besides, the percolation start and the share of graphene and interphase pieces in the nets are formulated by simple equations. Also, the resistances of tunneling and interphase parts are correlated to graphene conductivity and their specifications. Suitable arrangements among experimented data and model’s estimates as well as the proper trends between efficient conductivity and model’s parameters validate the correctness of the novel model. The calculations disclose that the efficient conductivity improves by low percolation level, dense interphase, short tunnel, large tunneling pieces and poor polymer tunnel resistivity. Furthermore, only the tunneling resistance can govern the electron transportation between nanosheets and efficient conductivity, while the big amounts of graphene and interphase conductivity cannot play a role in the efficient conductivity.
Adsorption and separation of Cs(I) and Ba(II) from aqueous solution using zinc ferrite-humic acid nanocomposite
Authors: Abdel Maksoud M. I. A. , Murad G. A. , Zaher W. F. , Hassan H. S. 
Published: April 2023

AbstractReclaimable adsorbents have an essential role in removing radionuclides from waste streams. Herein, zinc ferrite-humic acid ZFO/HA nanocomposite was synthesized for effective cesium and barium adsorption. The prepared ZFO/HA nanocomposite was analyzed using analytical techniques including XRD, FTIR, EDX, and SEM. From kinetic studies, the mechanism adsorption process follows the second model. The isotherm studies clarified that the Langmuir model fit the adsorption of both ions onto the prepared sample, and the monolayer capacities are equal to 63.33 mg/g and 42.55 mg/g for Ba(II) and Cs(I), respectively. The temperature parameter was also studied, and the adsorption reaction was spontaneous and endothermic. The maximum separation between two ions was achieved at pH 5 (αCs/Ba = 3.3).
Genome-wide characterization and comparative analysis of the OSCA gene family and identification of its potential stress-responsive members in legumes
Authors: Chakraborty Srija , Gangwar Rashmi , Zahra Shafaque , Poddar Nikita , Singh Amarjeet , Kumar Shailesh 
Published: April 2023

AbstractCicer arietinum, Cajanus cajan, Vigna radiata, and Phaseolus vulgaris are economically important legume crops with high nutritional value. They are negatively impacted globally by different biotic and abiotic stresses. Hyperosmolality-gated calcium-permeable channels (OSCA) have been characterized as osmosensors in Arabidopsis thaliana but have not previously reported in legumes. This study provides a genome-wide identification, characterization, and comparative analysis of OSCA genes in legumes. Our study identified and characterized 13 OSCA genes in C. cajan, V. radiata, P. vulgaris, and 12 in C. arietinum, classified into four distinct clades. We found evidence to suggest that the OSCAs might be involved in the interaction between hormone signalling pathways and stress signalling pathways. Furthermore, they play a major role in plant growth and development. The expression levels of the OSCAs vary under different stress conditions in a tissue-specific manner. Our study can be used to develop a detailed understanding of stress regulatory mechanisms of the OSCA gene family in legumes.