bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The importance of a transformative biodiversity education for perceiving, appreciating and supporting lichen diversity in German urban environments
Authors: Zedda Luciana 
Published: September 2023

AbstractUrban green spaces are indispensable for the conservation of biodiversity in Germany. In addition, the availability of green areas often provides citizens with the only opportunity to experience nature. Lichens are an important component of urban environments in terms of both species diversity, and ecosystem functions and services. However, they are rarely the subject of biodiversity education. To bolster awareness on their diversity and appreciation, a transformative biodiversity education in both the formal and informal sectors is necessary. This transformative biodiversity education should not only provide knowledge about species and habitats, but also on all dimensions of biodiversity, viz., the three levels of biodiversity, drivers of biodiversity loss, and ecosystem services. For this reason, the design of biodiversity education may be particularly challenging for educators and teachers. This paper shows how biodiversity education projects on urban lichens can be developed in accordance with the principles of transformative education, supporting nature experience, knowledge transfer (species knowledge in a broad sense and interdisciplinary aspects), participation and cooperation, as well as the use of digital media. Two best-case projects, tested in Germany, are presented as examples for the design and implementation of a transformative lichen education in urban areas. A similar approach can be easily applied in other education systems beyond national boundaries.
High diversity of Bacidia (Ramalinaceae, Lecanorales) species in the Caucasus as revealed by molecular and morphological analyses
Authors: Gerasimova Julia V. , Otte Volker , Urbanavichene Irina N. , Urbanavichus Gennadii P. , Beck Andreas 
Published: September 2023

AbstractDuring a study of the incompletely known lichen flora of the Caucasus, we analyzed 237 specimens of corticolous Bacidia s. str. collected in the Northern and Southern Caucasus, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Russia. Of these, 54 specimens belonging to 11 species of Bacidia s. str. were selected for molecular studies, representing the observed morphological variability of the genus. We obtained 142 sequences from three RNA-coding genes (nrITS, nrLSU, and mtSSU) and two protein-coding genes (RPB1 and RPB2). The single and concatenated datasets were complemented with Bacidia s. str. sequences from GenBank and subjected to Bayesian inference and two maximum likelihood analyses (RAxML and IQ-TREE). The resulting trees yielded highly concordant topologies of the groups and corresponded with previous results, supporting two main clades correlating with apothecia pigmentation. Our analyses are the first to reveal the presence of Bacidia heterochroa in the Caucasus. An exceptionally high degree of morphological plasticity was found in the Rubella and Suffusa groups. As a result of morphological examination and phylogenetic results, B. caucasica (Suffusa group) was described as new to science. Furthermore, two putative taxa in the Rubella group, Bacidia inconspicua ined. and B. maritima ined., were introduced. This study furthers our understanding and documentation of the understudied lichen flora of the Caucasus, bringing the total number of Bacidia species for the region to 13.
Pertussis outbreak mainly in unvaccinated young children in ultra-orthodox Jewish groups, Jerusalem, Israel 2023
Authors: Stein-Zamir Chen , Shoob Hanna , Abramson Nitza , Brown Emilie Hannah , Zimmermann Yael 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Despite being a vaccine-preventable disease for decades, pertussis control is still a public health challenge. A pertussis outbreak emerged in Jerusalem (n = 257 cases, January to June 2023). Most cases were young children (median age 1.5 years), and 100 were infants under 1 year. The hospitalisation rate of infants was 24%, which was considerably higher than that of cases aged 1 year and above (3.8%). There was one fatality in an unvaccinated, 10-week-old infant whose mother had not received pertussis vaccination during pregnancy. Most children were unvaccinated and resided in Jewish ultra-orthodox neighbourhoods in Jerusalem district. An intervention programme and vaccination campaign are ongoing.
What’s in the mind’s eye of individuals with bipolar disorders: an exploration of the content and characteristics of mental images in different thymic phases
Authors: M’Bailara K. , Echegaray F. , Di Simplicio M. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractBackground:Mental imagery, or ‘seeing with the mind’s eye’ (Kosslyn et al. 2001), provokes strong emotional responses (Ji et al., 2016). To date, there is a lack of data on the content and clinical characteristics (e.g. vividness, likelihood, emotional effects) of spontaneous mental images (MI) in people with bipolar disorder (BD) according to their thymic states.Aim:The current study sought to assess the characteristics associated with the contents of MI in people with BD.Method:Forty-two euthymic individuals diagnosed with BD (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) were asked to self-report their MI during depression, (hypo)mania and euthymia. Participants also rated levels of vividness, likelihood and emotional activation related to MI (i.e. valence, arousal, type of emotion).Results:The contents of the MI revealed phenomenological aspects of BD. Different themes were associated with each thymic phase. In (hypo)mania and in euthymia, the mental images were assessed as being as vivid as probable (p>.05). (Hypo)manic and euthymic-related MI activated more pleasure than displeasure (p<.001) and were mainly associated with joy. In depression, MI were assessed as more vivid than likely (p<.05). In depression, MI activated more displeasure than pleasure (p<.0001) and induced mainly sadness.Discussion:Overall, a congruence between the contents of images and the three thymic phases was found. The content of the MI was related to self-reported emotional effects that were congruent with the thymic phases concerned. The results add new clinical information for the use of imagery-based cognitive therapy in individuals with BD.
Psychometric properties of the Interpersonal Emotion Regulation Questionnaire in a community sample of the Portuguese population
Authors: Faustino Bruno , Pascoal Patricia M. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractBackground:Intrapersonal aspects of emotion regulation have been at the forefront of research, while interpersonal aspects have received less attention. The Interpersonal Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (IERQ) was developed to address this issue. However, this scale was neither adapted nor validated for European Portuguese.Aims:The present study aims to adapt the IERQ to European Portuguese and explore the preliminary psychometric properties of the IERQ in a community sample, through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Construct validity was further supported by examining convergent validity with ERQ subscales.Method:Using a cross-sectional design, individuals were recruited online. Self-report questionnaires were used, namely the IERQ and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ).Results:The four-factor structure was confirmed through CFA. IERQ subscales correlated positively with the dimensions of the ERQ of cognitive reappraisal and correlated negatively with experiential suppression.Conclusions:This preliminary study showed that the IERQ has adequate psychometric properties in a Portuguese sample and supports that this instrument can be used to assess interpersonal emotion regulation strategies in non-clinical samples.
Auswirkungen der Corona-Pandemie
Authors: Häfner Angelika , Witzmann Markus 
Published: September 2023

Was ist zu diesem Thema bereits bekannt? Studien und Veröffentlichungen des Robert-Koch-Instituts (RKI) (2021) zum Thema „Psychische Gesundheit der erwachsenen Bevölkerung in Deutschland während der COVID-19-Pandemie“ zeigen eine wesentliche Verschlechterung psychischer Gesundheit in der Allgemeinbevölkerung auf. Wie beurteilen wir Public-Health-Maßnahmen, wie Kontakteinschränkungen und welche Perspektiven sind relevant? Das Begründungsmodell nach Strech und Marckmann (2010) bietet Kriterien zur ethischen Reflexion von Public-Health-Maßnahmen. Welche Auswirkungen zeigen sich in der Praxis? Kontakteinschränkende Maßnahmen haben vielfältige negative Auswirkungen auf bereits psychisch erkrankte Menschen und beeinflussen den Erhalt und die Förderung eines selbstbestimmten Lebens sowie die Teilhabe der psychisch erkrankten Personen.
Overlooked Long‐Term Atmospheric Chemical Feedbacks Alter the Impact of Solar Geoengineering: Implications for Tropospheric Oxidative Capacity
Authors: Moch Jonathan M. , Mickley Loretta J. , Eastham Sebastian D. , Lundgren Elizabeth W. , Shah Viral , Buonocore Jonathan J. , Pang Jacky Y. S. , Sadiq Mehliyar , Tai Amos P. K. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractStudies of the impacts of solar geoengineering have mostly ignored tropospheric chemistry. By decreasing the sunlight reaching Earth's surface, geoengineering may help mitigate anthropogenic climate change, but changing sunlight also alters the rates of chemical reactions throughout the troposphere. Using the GEOS‐Chem atmospheric chemistry model, we show that stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) with sulfate, a frequently studied solar geoengineering method, can perturb tropospheric composition over a span of 10 years, increasing tropospheric oxidative capacity by 9% and reducing methane lifetime. SAI decreases the overall flux of shortwave radiation into the troposphere, but increases flux at certain UV wavelengths due to stratospheric ozone depletion. These radiative changes, in turn, perturb tropospheric photochemistry, driving chemical feedbacks that can substantially influence the seasonal and spatial patterns of radiative forcing beyond what is caused by enhanced stratospheric aerosol concentrations alone. For example, chemical feedbacks decrease the radiative effectiveness of geoengineering in northern high latitude summer by 20%. Atmospheric chemical feedbacks also imply the potential for net global public health benefits associated with stratospheric ozone depletion, as the decreases in mortality resulting from SAI‐induced improvements in air quality outweigh the increases in mortality due to increased UV radiation exposure. Such chemical feedbacks also lead to improved plant growth. Our results show the importance of including fuller representations of atmospheric chemistry in studies of solar geoengineering and underscore the risk of surprises from this technology that could carry unexpected consequences for Earth's climate, the biosphere, and human health.
Formation of Banded Chorus Waves by Propagation From Multiple Sources
Authors: Tao Xin 
Published: September 2023

AbstractChorus waves are electromagnetic emissions in the magnetosphere and play a crucial role in energetic electron dynamics. Observations show that these waves often exhibit a two‐band structure with a power gap near half the electron cyclotron frequency. However, the mechanism behind this gap remains an open question, despite the existence of multiple theories. Here we propose a model to explain the banded structure by the different propagation properties of the lower and upper band waves within a density crest. This requires independent sources for lower and upper band waves, and unducted propagation of upper band waves to the observing location. The model naturally generates a gap near half the electron cyclotron frequency and can be extended to explain lower‐band‐only, upper‐band‐only, and no‐gap whistler waves. The model calls for further research on density irregularities in the magnetosphere and their effects on shaping wave properties.
Hemispheric Asymmetries in Thermospheric Composition and Temperature: GOLD Observations
Authors: Wang Zihan , Zou Shasha , Cai Xuguang 
Published: September 2023

AbstractWith the launch of the Global‐scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) mission, spatial variations of the thermospheric composition (ΣO/N2) and temperature can be investigated. In this work, we defined the hemispheric asymmetry indexes of thermospheric composition and temperature and investigated their local time (LT), latitude, and seasonal variations. For the first time, it is found that the hemispheric asymmetry of the thermosphere is weaker toward the duskside statistically. In addition, the hemispheric asymmetry of the thermosphere is found to be weaker toward lower latitudes, and the northern hemisphere has a longer duration with lower ΣO/N2 and higher temperature.
Seismological Indicators of Geologically Inferred Fault Maturity
Authors: Guo Huiyun , Lay Thorne , Brodsky Emily E. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractVariations in fault zone maturity have intermittently been invoked to explain variations in some seismological observations for large earthquakes. However, the lack of a unified geological definition of fault maturity makes quantitative assessment of its importance difficult. We evaluate the degree of empirical correlation between geological and geometric measurements commonly invoked as indicative of fault zone maturity and remotely measured seismological source parameters of 34MW ≥ 6.0 shallow strike‐slip events. Metrics based on surface rupture segmentation, such as number of segments and surface rupture azimuth changes, correlate best with seismic source attributes while the correlations with cumulative fault slip are weaker. Average rupture velocity shows the strongest correlation with metrics of maturity, followed by relative aftershock productivity. Mature faults have relatively lower aftershock productivity and higher rupture velocity. A more complex relation is found with moment‐scaled radiated energy. There appears to be distinct behavior of very immature events which radiate modest seismic energy, while intermediate mature faults have events with higher moment‐scaled radiated energy and very mature faults with increasing cumulative slip tend to have events with reduced moment‐scaled radiated energy. These empirical comparisons establish that there are relationships between remote seismological observations and fault system maturity that can help to understand variations in seismic hazard among different fault environments and to assess the relative maturity of inaccessible or blind fault systems for which direct observations of maturity are very limited.
GRIN2A (NR2A): a gene contributing to glutamatergic involvement in schizophrenia
Authors: Harrison Paul J. , Bannerman David M. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractInvolvement of the glutamate system, particularly N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor hypofunction, has long been postulated to be part of the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. An important development is provided by recent data that strongly implicate GRIN2A, the gene encoding the NR2A (GluN2A) NMDA receptor subunit, in the aetiology of the disorder. Rare variants and common variants are both robustly associated with genetic risk for schizophrenia. Some of the rare variants are point mutations likely affecting channel function, but most are predicted to cause protein truncation and thence result, like the common variants, in reduced gene expression. We review the genomic evidence, and the findings from Grin2a mutant mice and other models which give clues as to the likely phenotypic impacts of GRIN2A genetic variation. We suggest that one consequence of NR2A dysfunction is impairment in a form of hippocampal synaptic plasticity, producing deficits in short-term habituation and thence elevated and dysregulated levels of attention, a phenotype of relevance to schizophrenia and its cognitive aspects.
Two-tiered mutualism improves survival and competitiveness of cross-feeding soil bacteria
Authors: Ge Zhan-Biao , Zhai Zhi-Qiang , Xie Wan-Ying , Dai Jun , Huang Ke , Johnson David R , Zhao Fang-Jie , Wang Peng 
Published: September 2023

AbstractMetabolic cross-feeding is a pervasive microbial interaction type that affects community stability and functioning and directs carbon and energy flows. The mechanisms that underlie these interactions and their association with metal/metalloid biogeochemistry, however, remain poorly understood. Here, we identified two soil bacteria, Bacillus sp. BP-3 and Delftia sp. DT-2, that engage in a two-tiered mutualism. Strain BP-3 has low utilization ability of pyruvic acid while strain DT-2 lacks hexokinase, lacks a phosphotransferase system, and is defective in glucose utilization. When strain BP-3 is grown in isolation with glucose, it releases pyruvic acid to the environment resulting in acidification and eventual self-killing. However, when strain BP-3 is grown together with strain DT-2, strain DT-2 utilizes the released pyruvic acid to meet its energy requirements, consequently rescuing strain BP-3 from pyruvic acid-induced growth inhibition. The two bacteria further enhance their collective competitiveness against other microbes by using arsenic as a weapon. Strain DT-2 reduces relatively non-toxic methylarsenate [MAs(V)] to highly toxic methylarsenite [MAs(III)], which kills or suppresses competitors, while strain BP-3 detoxifies MAs(III) by methylation to non-toxic dimethylarsenate [DMAs(V)]. These two arsenic transformations are enhanced when strains DT-2 and BP-3 are grown together. The two strains, along with their close relatives, widely co-occur in soils and their abundances increase with the soil arsenic concentration. Our results reveal that these bacterial types employ a two-tiered mutualism to ensure their collective metabolic activity and maintain their ecological competitive against other soil microbes. These findings shed light on the intricateness of bacterial interactions and their roles in ecosystem functioning.
Mitochondrial IRG1 traps MCL-1 to induce hepatocyte apoptosis and promote carcinogenesis
Authors: Zhang Liyuan , Dong Yue , Zhang Luxin , Wang Minjun , Zhou Ye , Jia Kaiwei , Wang Suyuan , Wang Mu , Li Yunhui , Luo Shudan , Lu Shan , Fan Yiwen , Zhang Dingji , Yang Yingyun , Li Nan , Yu Yizhi , Cao Xuetao , Hou Jin 
Published: September 2023

AbstractHepatocarcinogenesis is initiated by repeated hepatocyte death and liver damage, and the underlying mechanisms mediating cell death and the subsequent carcinogenesis remain to be fully investigated. Immunoresponsive gene 1 (IRG1) and its enzymatic metabolite itaconate are known to suppress inflammation in myeloid cells, and its expression in liver parenchymal hepatocytes is currently determined. However, the potential roles of IRG1 in hepatocarcinogenesis are still unknown. Here, using the diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced hepatocarcinogenesis mouse model, we found that IRG1 expression in hepatocytes was markedly induced upon DEN administration. The DEN-induced IRG1 was then determined to promote the intrinsic mitochondrial apoptosis of hepatocytes and liver damage, thus enhancing the subsequent hepatocarcinogenesis. Mechanistically, the mitochondrial IRG1 could associate and trap anti-apoptotic MCL-1 to inhibit the interaction between MCL-1 and pro-apoptotic Bim, thus promoting Bim activation and downstream Bax mitochondrial translocation, and then releasing cytochrome c and initiating apoptosis. Thus, the inducible mitochondrial IRG1 promotes hepatocyte apoptosis and the following hepatocarcinogenesis, which provides mechanistic insight and a potential target for preventing liver injury and HCC.
Erectile device insertion following phalloplasty in transgender and non-binary individuals assigned female at birth: a narrative review
Authors: Chiriaco Giovanni , Looney Aisling , Christopher Andrew Nim , Ralph David , Lee Wai Gin 
Published: September 2023

AbstractGenital gender affirmation surgery (gGAS) for individuals assigned female at birth (AFAB) is complex and requires the staged insertion of an erectile device to permit penetrative intercourse. This final stage of gGAS is challenging, owing to the variable anatomy and lack of supportive structures within the neophallus when compared with erectile device insertion for individuals assigned male at birth. There is a paucity in the literature at present regarding erectile device insertion in trans-sex AFAB patients. Hence, a narrative review following a literature review and supplemented by expert opinion from a high-volume centre of expertise is presented. The choices available for erectile device in this patient cohort are discussed. Principle surgical steps required for this complex surgery is outlined along with the recommended postoperative management of the patient. Postoperative outcomes and complications are also summarised in this fast-developing surgical procedure.
Strong structuring arising from weak cooperative O-H···π and C-H···O hydrogen bonding in benzene-methanol solution
Authors: Di Mino Camilla , Seel Andrew G. , Clancy Adam J. , Headen Thomas F. , Földes Támas , Rosta Edina , Sella Andrea , Skipper Neal T. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractWeak hydrogen bonds, such as O-H···π and C-H···O, are thought to direct biochemical assembly, molecular recognition, and chemical selectivity but are seldom observed in solution. We have used neutron diffraction combined with H/D isotopic substitution to obtain a detailed spatial and orientational picture of the structure of benzene-methanol mixtures. Our analysis reveals that methanol fully solvates and surrounds each benzene molecule. The expected O-H···π interaction is highly localised and directional, with the methanol hydroxyl bond aligned normal to the aromatic plane and the hydrogen at a distance of 2.30 Å from the ring centroid. Simultaneously, the tendency of methanol to form chain and cyclic motifs in the bulk liquid is manifest in a highly templated solvation structure in the plane of the ring. The methanol molecules surround the benzene so that the O-H bonds are coplanar with the aromatic ring while the oxygens interact with C-H groups through simultaneous bifurcated hydrogen bonds. This demonstrates that weak hydrogen bonding can modulate existing stronger interactions to give rise to highly ordered cooperative structural motifs that persist in the liquid phase.
Determining subunit-subunit interaction from statistics of cryo-EM images: observation of nearest-neighbor coupling in a circadian clock protein complex
Authors: Han Xu , Zhang Dongliang , Hong Lu , Yu Daqi , Wu Zhaolong , Yang Tian , Rust Michael , Tu Yuhai , Ouyang Qi 
Published: September 2023

AbstractBiological processes are typically actuated by dynamic multi-subunit molecular complexes. However, interactions between subunits, which govern the functions of these complexes, are hard to measure directly. Here, we develop a general approach combining cryo-EM imaging technology and statistical modeling and apply it to study the hexameric clock protein KaiC in Cyanobacteria. By clustering millions of KaiC monomer images, we identify two major conformational states of KaiC monomers. We then classify the conformational states of (>160,000) KaiC hexamers by the thirteen distinct spatial arrangements of these two subunit states in the hexamer ring. We find that distributions of the thirteen hexamer conformational patterns for two KaiC phosphorylation mutants can be fitted quantitatively by an Ising model, which reveals a significant cooperativity between neighboring subunits with phosphorylation shifting the probability of subunit conformation. Our results show that a KaiC hexamer can respond in a switch-like manner to changes in its phosphorylation level.