A Sigh of Relief: How the Far-Right Lost Romania

Far Right Analysis Network Blo

Global River Topology (GRIT): A Bifurcating River Hydrography

AbstractExisting global river networks underpin a wide range of hydrological applications but do not represent channels with divergent river flows (bifurcations, multi‐threaded channels, canals), as these features defy the convergent flow assumption that elevation‐derived networks (e.g., HydroSHEDS, MERIT Hydro) are based on. Yet, bifurcations are important features of the global river drainage system, especially on large floodplains and river deltas, and are also often found in densely populated regions. Here we developed the first raster and vector‐based Global RIver Topology that not only represents the tributaries of the global drainage network but also the distributaries, including multi‐threaded rivers, canals and deltas. We achieve this by merging a 30 m Landsat‐based river mask with elevation‐generated streams to ensure a homogeneous drainage density outside of the river mask for rivers narrower than approximately 30 m. Crucially, we employ the new 30 m digital terrain model, FABDEM, based on TanDEM‐X, which shows greater accuracy over the traditionally used SRTM derivatives. After vectorization and pruning, directionality is assigned by a series of elevation, flow angle and continuity approaches. The new global network and its attributes are validated using gauging stations, comparison with existing networks, and randomized manual checks. The new network represents 19.6 million km of streams and rivers with drainage areas greater than 50 km2 and includes 67,495 bifurcations. With the advent of hyper‐resolution modeling and artificial intelligence, GRIT is expected to greatly improve the accuracy of many river‐based applications such as flood forecasting, water availability and quality simulations, or riverine habitat mapping.</jats:p

Hypothesis Description: Darwin’s Naturalisation Hypothesis

In this contribution of the Hypothesis Description series, we provide an overview of one of the longest-standing hypotheses in invasion science: Darwin's naturalisation hypothesis. We present a brief summary of past definitions and propose the revised definition “high phylogenetic distance between non-native species and the recipient community increases invasion success”. This formulation follows the basic form ‘subject – relationship – object’, enabling clarity for future research and computational applications in invasion biology. We also provide formalised definitions for previous formulations of the hypothesis and identify both related and opposite hypotheses to Darwin’s naturalisation hypothesis.</jats:p

Non-invasive measurement of metal vapor parameters and an improved CTM for post-arc sheath growth in intermediate-frequency vacuum switch

The number density of metal vapor in the post-arc contact gap of intermediate-frequency (IF) vacuum circuit breakers has significant influence on the growth of the post-arc sheath but measurements are scarce. Image processing techniques including edge detection and multi-target tracking have been applied in the present work to arc images to derive metal vapor pressure and number density. Through three-dimensional construction of the metal droplet ejection process from the contact surface, a velocity of 10–20 m/s and acceleration of 3.5–6.2 × 105 m/s2 were obtained for the droplets. Inside the vacuum chamber, the maximum local pressure is around the droplets in post-arc phase, with the value of 1–5 MPa. Accordingly, the maximum metal vapor number density reaches 1025 m−3. The continuous transition model (CTM) has been modified in consideration of the effect of metal vapor ionization on sheath growth and it is capable of predicting that when the metal vapor number density increases from 1018 m−3 to 1023 m−3, the sheath expansion time varies from 2 μs to 5 μs, which demonstrates that metal vapor is a significant factor affecting the post-arc dielectric recovery in high-current IF vacuum arc

Generation and capture of naphthoquinonynes: a new frontier in the development of trypanocidal quinones &lt;i&gt;via&lt;/i&gt; aryne chemistry.

The regioselective synthesis of functionalized naphthoquinones via the formation and capture of naphthoquinonynes has been used to prepare trypanocidal compounds. The target compounds are functionalized on the aromatic ring, leaving the quinoidal ring intact. Using this technique, eighteen functionalized naphthoquinones were succesfull obtained, divided in two main groups: the first scope using N-nucleophiles, and the second scope using pyridine N-oxides, with yields up to 74%. Evaluation against bloodstream trypomastigotes of T. cruzi has identified fourteen compounds that are more potent than benznidazole (Bz); for instance, compounds 29b-I and 30b, with IC50/24 h values of 10.5 and 10.1 μM, respectively, are approximately 10-fold more active than Bz. This study provides the first examples of the application of naphthoquinonyne chemistry for the synthesis of new compounds with potent trypanocidal activities

Biopsychosocial Approaches for the Management of Female Chronic Pelvic Pain: A Systematic Review.

Background/objectiveCurrent guidelines recommend biopsychosocial-informed treatment for chronic pelvic pain (CPP). The objective of this systematic review was to describe the available biopsychosocial approaches for the treatment of CPP, and the outcomes reported, to understand how guideline-recommended treatments can be applied.Search strategyMEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, EMBASE, Emcare, AMED and Cochrane trial registries were searched (inception to 17 November 2023).Selection criteriaCPP Studies in women where the principal treatment modality was a biopsychosocial approach were included. Prospero registration: CRD42022374256.Data collection/analysisData extraction included study setting, population, study design, intervention characteristics and outcome measures and is described via a narrative synthesis.ResultsThe review included 14 RCTs (871 patients) and identified four broad intervention categories (Acceptance Commitment Therapy n = 2, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy n = 6, Mindfulness-based approaches n = 2, and Physiotherapy-based interventions n = 4). Pain science education (PSE) and, exposure/engagement with valued activity were recognised as important aspects of treatment regardless of intervention type. The most utilised outcomes were pain reduction and emotional functioning, with all studies reporting improvements in these domains. Heterogeneity in outcomes prevented efficacy comparison. High risk of bias was identified in six studies (1/4 physiotherapy-based approaches, 2/6 CBT, 1/2 ACT and 2/2 mindfulness-based interventions).ConclusionsCBT and ACT-based biopsychosocial approaches were found effective in reducing pain and improving psychometric outcomes for CPP. Evaluation indicated PSE, and exposure/engagement in valued activity are important components of biopsychosocial management. Outcome heterogeneity needs to be addressed in future trials

Factors impacting the complexity of the leporid intracranial joint.

Leporid lagomorphs, the rabbits and hares, exhibit unique cranial traits that distinguish them from their closest relatives, the Ochotonidae (pikas), and all other mammals. Among these features, the intracranial joint stands out as the only example of cranial kinesis in mammals and is hypothesised to dissipate kinetic energy during high-speed locomotion. Despite its potential functional importance, the morphology of the joint remains understudied. High complexity in other cranial sutures has been associated with behavioural traits such as feeding and head butting. In this study, we quantified the complexity of the intracranial joint using two independent metrics and explored its relationships with overall cranial shape, locomotor mode, cranial size and body mass, burrowing habit, and facial tilt angle. We found significant correlations between complexity and locomotor mode as well as with facial tilt angle, indicating that cursorial species have less complex sutures and highlighting a potential link between the complexity of suture interdigitation and facial tilting. However, complexity did not correlate with size or burrowing habit. Our findings shed more light on the functional anatomy of the leporid cranium and emphasise the need for further research on ontogenetic development, biomechanics, and behaviour to fully understand the evolutionary and functional significance of these unique cranial traits

Brain Tumour Segmentation Using Choquet Integrals and Coalition Game

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) have revolutionised various aspects of modern life, particularly in the medical domain. These technologies enable efficient solutions for complex challenges, such as accurately segmenting brain tumour regions, which significantly aid medical professionals in monitoring and treating patients. This research focuses on segmenting glioma brain tumour lesions in MRI images by analysing them at the pixel level. The aim is to develop a deep learning-based approach that enables ensemble learning to achieve precise and consistent segmentation of brain tumours. While many studies have explored ensemble learning techniques in this area, most rely on aggregation functions like the Weighted Arithmetic Mean (WAM) without accounting for the interdependencies between classifier subsets. To address this limitation, the Choquet integral is employed for ensemble learning, along with a novel evaluation framework for fuzzy measures. This framework integrates coalition game theory, information theory, and Lambda fuzzy approximation. Three distinct fuzzy measure sets are computed using different weighting strategies informed by these theories. Based on these measures, three Choquet integrals are calculated for segmenting different components of brain lesions, and their outputs are subsequently combined. The BraTS-2020 online validation dataset is used to validate the proposed approach. Results demonstrate superior performance compared with several recent methods, achieving Dice Similarity Coefficients of 0.896, 0.851, and 0.792 and 95% Hausdorff distances of 5.96 mm, 6.65 mm, and 20.74 mm for the whole tumour, tumour core, and enhancing tumour core, respectively.</jats:p

Cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (CDKL5) binds to talin and is anchored at the postsynaptic density via direct interaction with PDZ domains

Abstract Cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (CDKL5) is a serine/threonine kinase essential for brain development and function. Mutations in the CDKL5 gene cause CDKL5 deficiency disorder (CDD), a severe early-onset epileptic encephalopathy characterised by defects in synapse formation and function. Despite extensive research, the molecular mechanisms by which CDKL5 mutations disrupt synaptic function and lead to epilepsy remain unclear. Here, we report that the major neuronal isoform of CDKL5 contains a C-terminal PDZ domain-binding motif. We demonstrate that this motif mediates interactions with the PDZ domains of PSD-95 and SHANK proteins, facilitating the recruitment of CDKL5 to the postsynaptic density. Disruption of CDKL5’s PDZ-binding motif results in its mislocalisation and impaired spine formation. Additionally, we show that CDKL5 directly interacts with the mechanosensitive synaptic scaffold protein talin, via the N-terminal kinase domain of CDKL5 and the R8 rod domain of talin. Our findings establish how CDKL5 is targeted to synapses and suggest that its activity may be spatially regulated through talin-mediated mechanical signalling. We propose that the spatial positioning of the CDKL5 kinase domain might be mechanically-operated and regulated by talin domain unfolding. As talin undergoes structural transitions in its force-dependent binary switch domains, the kinase domain bound to R8 would be moved up and down within the synaptic compartment as a function of the changing talin conformation. These insights enhance our understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms underlying CDKL5 variants with premature stop codons and highlight the need to re-evaluate studies that have used C-terminally tagged or the non-PDZ-binding isoform of CDKL5 to assess its neuronal function. Abstract Figure Graphical Abstract Cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (CDKL5) is a mechanically regulated enzyme. The C-terminal PDZ-binding motif in CDKL5 anchors CDKL5 at the postsynaptic density (PSD). (A) The large unstructured region serves to tether the CDKL5 kinase domain at the synapse. i) The kinase domain is restricted to the blue semi-circle, giving CDKL5 a zone of activity, with radius the length of the tether (&gt;200 nm). ii) Epilepsy-causing mutations that introduce premature stop codons untether CDKL5. (B) The mechanosensitive synaptic scaffold protein talin is also tethered to the membrane by interaction with integrins and/or amyloid precursor protein (APP). The CDKL5-binding domain, R8 is shown in dark green. The force-dependent binary switch domains in the talin rod region open and close in response to force and change the length of the molecule and the location of the CDKL5-binding site. (C) As talin changes its conformation, the CDKL5-binding site on R8 is moved up and down within the synapse, as a result the kinase activity of CDKL5 is targeted to discrete locations within the synapse. Loss of this localisation or incorrect positioning of the kinase within the synapse would result in loss of synchronisation of the synapse in the context of the circuit it is part of and, we propose, result in re-entry circuits and epilepsy. See also Supplementary Movie 1. </jats:sec