bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Formulation of a phase space exponential operator for the Wigner transport equation accounting for the spatial variation of the effective mass
Authors: Schulz Lukas , Schulz Dirk
Published: July 2020

A novel numerical approximation technique for the Wigner transport equation including the spatial variation of the effective mass based on the formulation of an exponential operator within the phase space is derived. In addition, a different perspective for the discretization of the phase space is provided, which finally allows flexible discretization patterns. The formalism is presented by means of a simply structured resonant tunneling diode in the stationary and transient regime utilizing a conduction band Hamilton operator. In order to account for quantum effects within heterostructure devices adequately, the corresponding spatial variation of the effective mass is considered explicitly, which is mostly disregarded in conventional methods. The results are validated by a comparison with the results obtained from the nonequilibrium Green’s function approach within the stationary regime assuming the flatband case. Additionally, the proposed approach is utilized to perform a transient analysis of the resonant tunneling diode including the self-consistent Hartree–Fock potential.
The value of doing philosophy in mental health contexts
Authors: Stammers Sophie , Pulvermacher Rosalind
Published: July 2020

People experiencing mental distress and illness are frequently on the receiving end of stigma, epistemic injustice, and social isolation. A range of strategies are required to alleviate the subsequent marginalisation. We ran a series ‘philosophy of mind’ workshops, in partnership with a third-sector mental health organisation with the aim of using philosophical techniques to challenge mental health stigma and build resources for self-understanding and advocacy. Participants were those with lived experience of mental distress, or unusual beliefs and experiences; mental health advocates; and mental health service providers (such as counsellors, psychologists and psychiatrists). We draw on a shared perspective as a participant and facilitator of the workshop series to assess their impact. We discuss the following benefits: (i) the opportunity for structured discussion of experiences and models; (ii) dialogue across different mental health backgrounds; (iii) the potential to reduce self-stigma and to increase self-understanding and advocacy; and (iv) the potential to alleviate (some) epistemic injustice. We invite researchers and mental health practitioners to consider further opportunities to investigate the potential benefits of philosophy groups in mental health settings to establish whether they generalise.
Gedanken an ein Lebensende in Haft – eine Besonderheit der Inhaftierten im höheren Alter
Authors: Meuschke Norman , Jagsch Reinhold
Published: July 2020

Ziel der Studie war es, die Rolle etwaiger Gedanken an den Tod und das Sterben im Hinblick auf die Persönlichkeit, die physische und psychische Gesundheit sowie die Zufriedenheit mit unterschiedlichen Bereichen des Lebens und der Haftsituation von Inhaftierten im Seniorenalter zu untersuchen. Die Studie wurde als fragenbogenbasierte Querschnittuntersuchung konzipiert. Insgesamt wurden 55 Inhaftierte im Alter von 60 Jahren und mehr aus 11 österreichischen Justizanstalten mittels Beck-Depression-Inventar II, Brief Symptom Inventar-53 und NEO-Fünf-Faktoren-Inventar untersucht. Zusätzlich wurde die Zufriedenheit mit unterschiedlichen Facetten ihres aktuellen Lebens und Alltages mittels visueller Analogskalen (VAS) bewertet. Die statistische Überprüfung etwaiger Unterschiede erfolgte anhand von Mittelwertsvergleichen.

Die Ergebnisse weisen darauf hin, dass inhaftierte Senioren, die keine Gedanken an den Tod berichten, niedrigere Neurotizismuswerte und eine deutlich geringere psychische Belastung berichten als Senioren, die derartige Gedanken angaben. Zudem wird deutlich, dass sich die Subgruppen anhand der Dauer der derzeitigen Inhaftierung unterscheiden, wobei die Intensität der Gedanken an den Tod mit der Haftdauer signifikant zunimmt. Zudem ergab sich hinsichtlich des subjektiven physischen Gesundheitszustandes ein signifikanter Unterschied zwischen den beiden Subgruppen, wohingegen die derzeitige Haftsituation sowie der objektive Gesundheitszustand keinen Einfluss zu haben scheinen.
Describing a critical life event and its psychological consequences: The type of language used by patients suffering from depression and its relationship with personality development
Authors: Kaźmierczak Izabela , Sarzyńska-Wawer Justyna , Wawer Aleksander , Chądzyńska Małgorzata
Published: July 2020

Information on personality development (and its linguistic predictors) in the aftermath of a critical life event among depressive patients is relatively limited. The study’s aim was to verify two hypotheses: (1) Participants with depression will use concrete rather than abstract language to describe their most recent critical life event and its psychological consequences and (2) The more abstract the language used, the higher the level of personality development. 16 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy patients suffering from depression participated in the study (M = 34 years old; SD = 4.02). Their level of personality development was assessed qualitatively by two independent coders. The coding system was based on the Positive Disintegration Theory (Dąbrowski 1964). We used typology from the Linguistic Category Model (Semin and Fiedler 1991) to analyse the level of abstractness vs. concreteness. Depressed patients were classified as either abstract language speakers or concrete language speakers. There were equal numbers of both types of speakers. Moreover participants consistently used one type of language, regardless of whether they were describing the critical life event itself or its psychological consequences. As expected, using higher levels of language abstractness when speaking correlated with possessing higher levels of personality development. Our findings provide practitioners with useful knowledge on the benefits of using abstract language to improve supportive strategies when dealing with people in crisis and modify the psychotherapeutic protocols used to treat depression.
Developing a mobile activity game for stroke survivors—lessons learned
Authors: Magnusson Charlotte , Rassmus-Gröhn Kirsten , Rydeman Bitte
Published: July 2020

Persons who have survived a stroke might lower the risk of having recurrent strokes by adopting a healthier lifestyle with more exercise. One way to promote exercising is by fitness or exergame apps for mobile phones. Health and fitness apps are used by a significant portion of the consumers, but these apps are not targeted to stroke survivors, who may experience cognitive limitations (like fatigue and neglect), have problems with mobility due to hemiplegia, and balance problems. We outline the design process, implementation and user involvement in the design of an exergame app that is specifically targeted to stroke survivors, and present the lessons learned during the design process.
Development and Validation of Robot Patient Equipped with an Inertial Measurement Unit and Angular Position Sensors to Evaluate Transfer Skills of Nurses
Authors: Lin Chingszu , Ogata Taiki , Zhong Zhihang , Kanai-Pak Masako , Maeda Jukai , Kitajima Yasuko , Nakamura Mitsuhiro , Kuwahara Noriaki , Ota Jun
Published: July 2020

To more efficiently enhance the patient transfer skills of nursing students, this study aims to integrate a transfer skills evaluation system and a robot patient. The evaluation parameters, namely, the translational acceleration of the waist, rotational speed of the chest, and joint angles of the shoulder, hip, and knee, were selected on the basis of the pre-experimental results obtained with a simulated patient acted by the human individuals. To measure these parameters, inertial measurement unit (IMU) and angular position sensors were installed on the robot patient. An experiment was conducted with four nursing teachers to verify whether the robot patient could distinguish the incorrect methods of the transfer skills, determined to be a common mistake made by the nurses. According to the results, most transfer steps had the same effect on the simulated patient and the robot patient, which demonstrates that the robot patient is a suitable substitute for an actual patient. However, in certain steps, the robot patient was not able to distinguish between the correct and incorrect methods using the chosen parameters owing to the differences being insignificant. These insignificant differences were mostly attributed to the passive joint design of the robot patient.
Waterpower romance: the cultural myth of dying watermills in German hydro-narratives around 1900
Authors: Limmer Agnes , Zumbrägel Christian
Published: July 2020

Even in the twenty-first century, myths of preindustrial forms of energy utilization are woven around watermills, waterwheels, and traditional millscapes. Along German watercourses, many grinding shops and hammer mills held on to waterwheels and delivered mechanical rather than electric power well into the twentieth century. It is not the case that the days of these “old technologies” (Edgerton 2008) were numbered as soon as hydroelectricity and “modern” hydraulic turbines appeared in the 1880s. When analyzing the dominating contemporaneous discourses around hydropower, it is easy to overlook these tendencies of historical persistence. This is not surprising, considering that scientific, literary, and preservationist narratives around 1900––actively and subtly––propagated and spread the idea ofMuehlensterben, or the myth of dying watermills that has been rehearsed over and over again in reflections on hydropower history. In this article, we challenge the popular imaginaries of “old” and “outmoded” watermills in a two-step approach. Firstly, we contrast the well-known transition at the advent of hydroelectricity with hydropower activities, which took place simultaneously in Germany’s traditional commercial landscapes. Here, waterwheels remained in good use, despite the electrification and scientific development of hydraulic turbines. Secondly, we deconstruct the romantic bias towards the preindustrial symbolism of the waterwheel by analyzing different arguments in professional journals as well as romanticizing and nostalgic literature. We combine approaches and empirical material of both historical and literary sciences to gain a better understanding of how different narratives reinforced the image of watermills and waterwheels being outdated. In this respect, the interdisciplinary approach contributes to the emerging field of theEnvironmental Humanities.
Testing the Black Box: Institutional Investors, Risk Disclosure, and Ethical AI
Authors: Sanders Trooper
Published: July 2020

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) throughout the economy makes the ethical risks it poses a mainstream concern beyond technology circles. Building on their growing role bringing greater transparency to climate risk, institutional investors can play a constructive role in advancing the responsible evolution of AI by demanding more rigorous analysis and disclosure of ethical risks.
Cultural Differences as Excuses? Human Rights and Cultural Values in Global Ethics and Governance of AI
Authors: Wong Pak-Hang
Published: July 2020

Cultural differences pose a serious challenge to the ethics and governance of artificial intelligence (AI) from a global perspective. Cultural differences may enable malignant actors to disregard the demand of important ethical values or even to justify the violation of them through deference to the local culture, either by affirming the local culture lacks specific ethical values, e.g., privacy, or by asserting the local culture upholds conflicting values, e.g., state intervention is good. One response to this challenge is the human rights approach to AI governance, which is intended to be a universal and globally enforceable framework. The proponents of the approach, however, have so far neglected the challenge from cultural differences or left out the implications of cultural diversity in their works. This is surprising because human rights theorists have long recognized the significance of cultural pluralism for human rights. Accordingly, the approach may not be straightforwardly applicable in “non-Western” contexts because of cultural differences, and it may also be critiqued as philosophically incomplete insofar as the approach does not account for the (non-) role of culture. This commentary examines the human rights approach to AI governance with an emphasis on cultural values and the role of culture. Particularly, I show that the consideration of cultural values is essential to the human rights approach for both philosophical and instrumental reasons.
America’s Marine Highway stakeholders: a system-scale analysis of influence in decision making
Authors: Mokashi Amit J. , Becker Austin , Corbett James J.
Published: July 2020

This work surveys stakeholders of America’s Marine Highway to identify their perceived influence on each other’s resource allocation decision making. The value/criticality of the resource held by the stakeholder group can be indirectly measured by the influence exerted by the group on its peers and its external stakeholders. The stakeholder map visualizes how the various stakeholder groups influence each other. Survey of the US Marine Highway stakeholders reveals peers as the most dominant influence among shippers, environmental advocates, and regulators. Results suggest that only suppliers and transportation providers exhibit distinct dominance of customer-supplier influence over that of their peers. This snapshot of stakeholder relationships is a powerful tool for both businesses as well as regulators in their pursuit of shared objectives in a network-centric environment. Stakeholder relationship influence results, and their graphical illustration, contribute to understanding the underlying dynamics of a changing value advantage in the current and coming decades of shipping.
Some remarks on Vainikko integral operators in BV type spaces
Authors: Angeloni Laura , Appell Jürgen , Reinwand Simon
Published: July 2020

In this paper we study Vainikko integral operators which are similar to so-called cordial integral operators and contain the classical Hardy operator, the Schur operator, and the Hilbert transform as special cases. For such operators we obtain norm estimates and equalities, mainly in BV type spaces in the sense of Jordan, Wiener, Riesz, and Waterman. Several examples are also discussed.
Correction to: Do direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) cause delayed surgery, longer length of hospital stay, and poorer outcome for hip fracture patients?
Authors: Leer-Salvesen Sunniva , Dybvik Eva , Ranhoff Anette H. , Husebø Bjørn Liljestrand , Dahl Ola E. , Engesæter Lars B. , Gjertsen Jan-Erik
Published: July 2020

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake.
Eine „praktische Lücke“ im Beweis – Zur methodologischen Kritik des Konsequenzialismus und des Prinzips der maximierenden Rationalität
Authors: Kertscher Jens , Richter Philipp
Published: July 2020

Der Beitrag entfaltet eine grundsätzliche Kritik an konsequenzialistischen Ethiken. Unsere Kritik zielt auf den Nachweis, dass konsequenzialistische Ansätze einer methodischen Anforderung bei der Begründung eines Moralprinzips nicht gerecht werden, weil sie einen Begriff des Guten voraussetzen, ohne auf seinen epistemischen Status zu reflektieren. Es gelingt ihnen daher nicht, einen Begriff des Guten zu entwickeln, der gleichermaßen sowohl die Erkenntnis einerlogischen Notwendigkeitals auch einerpraktischen Relevanzzum Ausdruck bringen kann. Aus methodischen Gründen muss daher unklar bleiben, warum das, was als „gut“ gesetzt und erkannt wird, auch realisiert werden muss.

Wir gehen in vier Schritten vor: In einemersten Schrittgreifen wir mit dem Ziel der Verschärfung des Problems mit dem so genannten deontologischen Paradox eine der größten Herausforderungen für deontologische Ethiken auf. Wir wollen aber zeigen, dass dieses Paradox überhaupt nur formuliert werden kann, wenn bereits von einem Prinzip des Guten ausgegangen wird, ohne es in ein Verhältnis zur praktischen Vernunft des Handelnden zu setzen. Dazu rekonstruieren wir in einemzweiten SchrittMills Beweis für das Nützlichkeitsprinzip des Utilitarismus, weil sich daran das methodische Problem einer Erkenntnis des Guten besonders gut herausarbeiten lässt. Imdritten Schrittentwickeln wir unter Rückgriff auf methodologische Überlegungen Kants aus derKritik der praktischen Vernunftein Argument, das zeigen soll, dass in keiner moralphilosophischen Argumentation ein Begriff des Guten einfach vorausgesetzt werden kann, ohne logisch primär die durch das Prädikat „gut“ erkannte praktische Notwendigkeit in ein Verhältnis zum Handelnden zu setzen. Das, was überhaupt als gut erkannt werden kann, ist daher durch reflexive Urteile über den Modus des praktischen Erkennens zu bestimmen. Mit diesem Ergebnis wird in einemvierten Schrittdas deontologische Paradox aufgelöst.
Post-Mining—a Holistic Approach
Authors: Kretschmann Jürgen
Published: July 2020

The European climate and energy framework for 2030 is highlighting the reduction of man-made CO2 by increasing the use of renewable energy to mitigate climate change. In this spirit, Germany has decided to erase the coal use as an energy source by 2038 completely. Inevitably, this strategy promises a feasible, responsible, and sustainable post-mining management, because 200 years of coal mining have created numerous challenges necessary to tend to once the mining ends. Thus, the Research Institute for Post-Mining (FZN) at the TH Georg Agricola University in Bochum, Germany, has developed a holistic approach to meet these post-mining challenges including further expertise present at our university. Here, the four strategic research pillars are (1) technical geoecology and hydrogeology to avoid and mitigate risks underground, (2) geomonitoring to evaluate and protect the surface, (3) industrial heritage preservation and engineering to secure and reuse brownfields such as mine sites, and (4) economic transformation planning of mining regions to enable a prosper future for generations to come. In all efforts, we aim to achieve the fundamental goals of the UN to deal with the resources of our planet responsibly and sustainably. Furthermore, we are synergizing increasingly with national and international networks in the interest of social, economic, and environmental stakeholders.
Tiers and Fears: An Investigation of the Impact of City Tiers and Uncertainty Avoidance on Chinese Consumer Response to Creative Advertising
Authors: Bilby Julie , Reid Mike , Brennan Linda , Chen Jiemiao
Published: July 2020

Marketers in China have long used the government's system of city tiers as a de facto segmentation tool. Previous research shows that this has led to assumptions on the part of advertisers about differing levels of conservatism and uncertainty avoidance between city tiers. This in turn has resulted in advertisers’ reluctance to invest in creative advertising, particularly when it is directed at consumers in low tier Chinese cities. This paper investigates potential differences in consumer response to advertising creativity between high (Tier 1–2) and low (Tier 5–6) Chinese cities; the moderating effect of uncertainty avoidance on Chinese consumer processing of creative ads; and the efficacy of tiers as a means of segmenting the complex Chinese marketplace. Findings reveal that regardless of tier, Chinese consumers respond positively to advertising that engages their emotions. Additionally, while Chinese consumers rank high in uncertainty avoidance, this does not moderate their response to creative ads.
La délibération démocratique à l’Assemblée athénienne: Procédures et stratégies de légitimation
Authors: Canevaro Mirko
Published: July 2020

Résumés

Cet article étudie la nature proprement délibérative de la démocratie athénienne. De nombreux travaux se sont intéressés à la cité antique d’Athènes en tant qu’exemple plus ou moins réussi de démocratie participative, en soulignant l’importance de la délibération collective dans son système politique. Partant de cette hypothèse, l’article tente d’abord de déterminer si les Athéniens ont réellement recherché et mis en œuvre, à travers leurs institutions, l’idéal délibératif et la recherche du consensus ; il s’interroge également sur la compatibilité de ces derniers avec les idéaux modernes de démocratie délibérative prônés par les théoriciens politiques contemporains. Après avoir dressé un panorama des études sur la démocratie délibérative et participative, l’article examine les similitudes trompeuses qui peuvent exister entre le modèle plébiscitaire actuel et la démocratie directe athénienne à laquelle il est souvent comparé. Il s’attache ensuite au dispositif institutionnel délibératif dans lequel s’inscrit la prise de décision politique à Athènes, en se concentrant sur le fonctionnement concret de l’Assemblée et sur les idées que les orateurs et le public y défendaient explicitement, à travers leur comportement. Cette analyse se fonde en particulier sur la relecture attentive des récits d’Assemblée et sur les considérations normatives que l’on trouve chez les orateurs (en particulier dans lesProloguesde Démosthène). Enfin, l’article analyse un cas de débat prolongé au sein de l’Assemblée – celui sur l’expédition de Sicile – pour démontrer que la prise de décision s’est efforcée d’accomplir l’idéal délibératif afin de lui donner toute sa légitimité – que cette délibération démocratique ait abouti, ou non, à un choix politique judicieux.
Une autre histoire de la civilisation: Comment Rifāʿa al-Ṭahṭāwī repensa l’histoire de l’Égypte dans les années 1860
Authors: Soler Renaud
Published: July 2020

Résumés

L’historiographie en arabe duxixesiècle a souvent été abordée au prisme du rapport à la modernité et au nationalisme, c’est-à-dire selon la perspective téléologique induite par les procès de constructions étatiques auxxesiècle. Cet article propose de relire l’œuvre du grand historien Rifāʿa Rafīʿal-Ṭahṭāwī (1801-1873) en la situant dans son moment historique – un moment où l’Égypte est encore un État dynastique lié à l’Empire ottoman, où les historiens travaillent à l’intérieur de l’édifice des sciences religieuses et de l’historiographie islamiques, et où la modernité occidentale s’incarne dans le régime de la monarchie de Juillet et l’histoire de François Guizot et de Edward Gibbon. C’est dans ce complexe de discours et de pratiques qu’il faut comprendre l’œuvre historique d’al-Ṭahṭāwī. On peut alors retrouver la polyphonie des attachements nationaux du cheikh et historien, qui s’inscrivent plus largement dans une conception renouvelée de la tradition – et donc de son revers, la modernité –, mais qui participe aussi d’une mise en tension sensible de la conception de la temporalité historique propre à l’historiographie arabe moderne avec celle de l’histoire produite par l’historiographie de la fin duxviiiesiècle et par l’histoire romantique bourgeoise en Europe.
On Predicting Recidivism: Epistemic Risk, Tradeoffs, and Values in Machine Learning
Authors: Biddle Justin B.
Published: July 2020

Recent scholarship in philosophy of science and technology has shown that scientific and technological decision making are laden with values, including values of a social, political, and/or ethical character. This paper examines the role of value judgments in the design of machine-learning (ML) systems generally and in recidivism-prediction algorithms specifically. Drawing on work on inductive and epistemic risk, the paper argues that ML systems are value laden in ways similar to human decision making, because the development and design of ML systems requires human decisions that involve tradeoffs that reflect values. In many cases, these decisions have significant—and, in some cases, disparate—downstream impacts on human lives. After examining an influential court decision regarding the use of proprietary recidivism-prediction algorithms in criminal sentencing,Wisconsin v. Loomis, the paper provides three recommendations for the use of ML in penal systems.
Introduction to the Special Issue on Best Papers, International Competition of Young Criminologists
Authors: Teixeira Marco , Kopp Bianca
Published: July 2020

An international competition for best papers authored by young criminologists for presentation at the XIX World Congress of Criminology was held in 2019 sponsored by the Education for Justice initiative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the International Society of Criminology. This preface addresses the priorities and objectives of the Education for Justice initiative and places the competition within that framework.
Paleobiogeography, paleoecology, diversity, and speciation patterns in the Eublastoidea (Blastozoa: Echinodermata)
Authors: Bauer Jennifer E.
Published: July 2020

Understanding the distribution of taxa in space and time is key to understanding diversity dynamics. The fossil record provides an avenue to assess these patterns on vast timescales and through major global changes. The Eublastoidea were a conservatively plated Paleozoic echinoderm clade that range from the middle Silurian to the end-Permian. The geographic distribution of the eublastoids, as a whole, has been qualitatively assessed but has historically lacked a quantitative analysis. This is the first examination of the Eublastoidea using probabilistic methods within the R package BioGeoBEARS to assess macroevolutionary trends. Results provide an updated understanding of eublastoid diversity with new peaks and troughs in diversity through their evolutionary history. Lithology is examined in an evolutionary framework and does not have clear evolutionary trends, and there is much work to be done regarding environmental preferences. Biogeographic patterns do not recover precise group origins but do support the previous work that outlines Eublastoidea as a Laurentian clade. Sympatric speciation events dominant the clade's history but are likely exaggerated due to the highly combined areas. Vicariance events are rare and restricted to the Silurian and Devonian, and dispersal events are more common throughout the evolutionary history. Pathways allowing for lineage migrations are noted between southern Laurussia and China in the Devonian and Carboniferous and southern Laurussia and eastern Gondwana in the Carboniferous. Future work will include the addition of more non-Laurentian species into the estimated phylogeny to better estimate these global patterns.
Sensitivity and reliability of zinc transporter and metallothionein gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells as indicators of zinc status: responses toex vivozinc exposure and habitual zinc intake in humans
Authors: Hennigar Stephen R. , Kelley Alyssa M. , Anderson Bradley J. , Armstrong Nicholes J. , McClung Holly L. , Berryman Claire E. , Karl J. Philip , McClung James P.
Published: July 2020

Zn is an essential nutrient for humans; however, a sensitive biomarker to assess Zn status has not been identified. The objective of this study was to determine the reliability and sensitivity of Zn transporter and metallothionein (MT) genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to Zn exposureex vivoand to habitual Zn intake in human subjects. In study 1, human PBMCs were cultured for 24 h with 0–50 µmZnSO4with or without 5 µmN,N,N′,N′-tetrakis(2-pyridylmethyl)ethylenediamine (TPEN), and mRNA expression ofSLC30A1-10,SLC39A1-14,MT1subtypes (A,B,E,F,G,H,L,MandX),MT2A,MT3andMT4mRNA was determined. In study 2, fifty-four healthy male and female volunteers (31·9 (sd13·8) years, BMI 25·7 (sd2·9) kg/m2) completed a FFQ, blood was collected, PBMCs were isolated and mRNA expression of selected Zn transporters and MT isoforms was determined. Study 1:MT1E,MT1F,MT1G,MT1H,MT1L,MT1M,MT1X,MT2AandSLC30A1increased with increasing concentrations of Zn and declined with the addition of TPEN. Study 2: Average daily Zn intake was 16·0 (sd5·3) mg/d (range: 9–31 mg/d), and plasma Zn concentrations were 15·5 (SD2·8) μmol/l (range 11–23 μmol/l). PBMCMT2Awas positively correlated with dietary Zn intake (r0·306,P= 0·03) and total Zn intake (r0·382,P< 0·01), whereas plasma Zn was not (P> 0·05 for both). Findings suggest thatMT2AmRNA in PBMCs reflects dietary Zn intake in healthy adults and may be a component in determining Zn status.
Social capital, built environment and mental health: a comparison between the local elderly people and the ‘laopiao’ in urban China
Authors: Tang Shuangshuang , Lee Harry F. , Feng Jianxi
Published: July 2020

In rapidly urbanising China, a high number of elderly people, the so-called ‘laopiao’, float to cities where their sons or daughters live to look after their children and grandchildren.Laopiaoin urban China are thought to suffer poor mental health owing to their floating status. This study explores the inter-relationship among social capital, the built environment and mental health in urban China. Using a recent survey conducted in Nanjing (N = 591), structural equation modelling was performed to compare the local elderly people and thelaopiao. Results showed that mental health determinants are dissimilar between the two groups of elderly people. Bonding social capital promotes mental health in both groups, while bridging and linking social capital only contributes to the mental health of thelaopiao. Also, access to public transportation is positively correlated with mental health in both groups. Furthermore, lower street network density and better access to parks enhance the mental health of the local elderly people, while higher street network density and more open space within a community enhance the mental health of thelaopiao. Our findings suggest that different policy measures should be implemented for different groups of elderly people in urban China to improve their mental health.
Supportive care for older people with dementia: socio-organisational implications
Authors: Miele Francesco , Neresini Federico , Boniolo Giovanni , Paccagnella Omar
Published: July 2020

For many years, dementia care has been dominated by the standard medical approach, in which dementia is treated mainly with drugs, such as anti-anxiety, antidepressant and anti-psychotic medications. With the aim of seeking effective treatments for patients with dementia, over the last years, several contributions have criticised the pervasive use of drugs for the management of behavioural and physiological symptoms related to dementia, proposing personalised interventions aimed at supporting patients and their relatives from diagnosis until death. With particular reference to long-term settings, in this work, we aim at understanding the organisational implications of three types of interventions (labelled supportive care interventions – SCIs) that have characterised this shift in dementia care: person-centred, palliative and multi-disciplinary care. Conducted by following the integrative review method, our review underlines how SCIs have controversial consequences on the quality of care, the care-givers’ quality of life and cultural backgrounds. After an in-depth analysis of selected papers, we offer some considerations about the implications of SCIs for long-term care organisations and future research directions.
Tom McArthur: A personal remembrance
Authors: McArthur Roshan
Published: July 2020

When I was growing up, there was no internet. Luckily, I had Dad. My father Tom McArthur was my search engine long before Google existed, answering questions that kept me awake at night, often with long, intricate stories. If he didn't know an answer, he would consult one of the many dictionaries and reference books that lined the shelves of our home. There was no such thing as a casual question with Dad; he took my curiosity very seriously.
THE BODY OF HIERARCHY: HAND GESTURES ON CLASSIC MAYA CERAMICS AND THEIR SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE
Authors: Bishop Anna , Cartmill Erica A.
Published: July 2020

Classic Maya (a.d.250–900) art is filled with expressive figures in a variety of highly stylized poses and postures. These poses are so specific that they appear to be intentionally communicative, yet their meanings remain elusive. A few studies have scratched the surface of this issue, suggesting that a correlation exists between body language and social roles in Maya art. The present study examines whether one type of body language (hand gestures) in Classic Maya art represents and reflects elements of social structure. This analysis uses a coding approach derived from studies of hand gesture in conversation to apply an interactional approach to a static medium, thereby broadening the methods used to analyze gesture in ancient art. Statistics are used to evaluate patterns of gesture use in palace scenes across 289 figures on 94 different vases, with results indicating that the form and angling of gestures are related to social hierarchy. Furthermore, this study considers not just the individual status of each figure, but the interaction between figures. The results not only shed light on how gesture was depicted in Maya art, but also demonstrate how figural representation reflects social structure.
Dynamic alterations in H4K12 acetylation during meiotic maturation and after parthenogenetic activation of mouse oocytes
Authors: Zhang Ze , Chen Baobao , Cui Haoliang , Gao Haixu , Gao Ming , Tao Chenyu
Published: July 2020

The aim of the study was to investigate the continuous changing pattern of H4K12 acetylation, and the expression levels of histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and histone deacetyltransferases (HDACs) in mouse oocytes during meiosis and after parthenogenetic activation (PA). The immunofluorescence results showed hyperacetylation of lysine-12 on histone H4 (H4K12) in the germinal vesicle (GV) oocytes that then decreased during germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD), and disappeared in metaphase II (MII). However, it reappeared in the early 1-cell embryos derived after 4 h of PA. The expression levels of some selected HATs and HDACs also validated the changing pattern of H4K12 acetylation during meiosis and PA. In conclusion, H4K12 is deacetylated in GVBD and MII, and re-hyperacetylated after PA.
Levosimendan as a bridge to heart transplant in a 16-year-old patient with univentricular heart
Authors: Mazurak Magdalena , Cześniewicz Paweł , Kusa Jacek
Published: July 2020

We report the successful use of levosimendan in the treatment of heart failure in a patient with the univentricular heart. The presented case was atypical because our patient had systemic right ventricle. To our knowledge, it is the first reported such case with intermittent levosimendan administration as an effective treatment and bridge to successful heart transplant in a patient with functionally univentricular heart.
Parenthood, Subjective Well-Being, and the Moderating Effects of Parent Narcissism
Authors: Horton Robert S.
Published: July 2020

Abstract. Previous research on the link between parenthood and subjective well-being has observed a positive, a negative, or no relation between the two depending upon a variety of factors including, but not limited to, parent age, child age, and parent gender. The current study assessed an individual difference – parent narcissism – as an additional moderator of this link. The project assessed both non-pathological and pathological trait narcissism and differentiated between pathological grandiosity and vulnerability as it explored the extent to which each form of narcissism moderated the association between parenthood and well-being. Amazon Mturk workers completed measures of demographic characteristics, subjective well-being, and narcissism online. Overall, parenthood was positively associated with subjective well-being, but this effect was moderated such that the positive association between parenting and subjective well-being was observed only for those low in non-pathological narcissism and pathological grandiosity. Pathological vulnerability was negatively associated with subjective well-being but did not moderate the parenthood-subjective well-being link. The findings highlight the role of narcissistic grandiosity in influencing when and for whom parenthood might lead to more subjective well-being.
In Situ Observations of Neutral Shear Instability in the Statically Stable High‐Latitude Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere During Quiet Geomagnetic Conditions
Authors: Mesquita Rafael L. A. , Larsen Miguel F. , Azeem Irfan , Stevens Michael H. , Williams Bifford P. , Collins Richard L. , Li Jintai
Published: July 2020

Though the Kelvin‐Helmholtz instability (KHI) has been extensively observed in the mesosphere, where breaking gravity waves produce the conditions required for instability, little has been done to describe quantitatively this phenomenon in detail in the mesopause and lower thermosphere, which are associated with the long‐lived shears at the base of this statically stable region. Using trimethylaluminum (TMA) released from two sounding rockets launched on 26 January 2018, from Poker Flat Research Range in Alaska, the KHI was observed in great detail above 100 km. Two sets of rocket measurements, made 30 min apart, show strong winds (predominantly meridional and up to 150 ms−1) and large total shears (90 ms−1 km−1). The geomagnetic activity was low in the hours before the launches, confirming that the enhanced shears that triggered the KHI are not a result of the E‐region auroral jets. The four‐dimensional (three‐dimensional plus time) estimation of KHI billow features resulted in a wavelength, eddy diameter, and vertical length scale of 9.8, 5.2, and 3.8 km, respectively, centered at 102‐km altitude. The vertical and horizontal root‐mean‐square velocities measured 29.2 and 42.5 ms−1, respectively. Although the wind structure persisted, the KHI structure changed significantly with time over the interval separating the two launches, being present only in the first launch. The rapid dispersal of the TMA cloud in the instability region was evidence of enhanced turbulent mixing. The analysis of the Reynolds and Froude numbers (Re = 7.2 × 103 and Fr = 0.29, respectively) illustrates the presence of turbulence and weak stratification of the flow.
The Initiation and Organization of a Severe Hail‐Producing Mesoscale Convective System in East China: A Numerical Study
Authors: Luo Liping , Xue Ming , Zhu Kefeng
Published: July 2020

The initiation and organization of a long‐duration hail‐producing mesoscale convective system (MCS) in eastern China are investigated using convection‐allowing simulations at 3‐km grid spacing with the Advanced Regional Prediction System. The lifecycle of this MCS is characterized by two stages. In the first stage, a series of convective storms are initiated along the northwest border of Jiangsu Provinces. These storms organize into a northwest southeast line as they moved southeastward, eventually organizing into an eastward moving bow‐echo structure during the second stage. Our analyses show that the storms initiate along a northwest‐southeast oriented convergence boundary set up between two low‐level mesoscale vortices, one to the northwest of Jiangsu Province and one over the East China Sea. Comparisons between the fake‐dry and control simulations show that the rearward (westward) spreading of a cold pool from another MCS proceeding the hail‐producing MCS plays a key role in generating and enhancing the vortex over Eastern China Sea. The tilting of baroclinically generated horizontal vorticity along the edge of the cold outflow creates a cyclonic and anticyclonic vortex couplet. The cyclonic vortex becomes the dominant East China Sea vortex as it is superposed onto the background cyclonic circulation. This cold outflow‐induced vortex also has strong impacts on the later organization of the hail‐producing MCS, leading to the eventual establishment of a bow‐echo structure. Finally, a three‐stage conceptual model for the initiation and organization of the long‐lasting multicellular MCS is proposed, and the understanding on the complex interactions between two MCSs will be helpful to operational forecasters.
Tim-4 functions as a scavenger receptor for phagocytosis of exogenous particles
Authors: Min Chanhyuk , Park Jeongjun , Kim Gayoung , Moon Hyunji , Lee Sang-Ah , Kim Deokhwan , Moon Byeongjin , Yang Susumin , Lee Juyeon , Kim Kwanhyeong , Cho Hyeokjin , Park Jihwan , Lee Dae-Hee , Lee Gwangrog , Park Daeho
Published: July 2020

The phosphatidylserine (PS) receptor Tim-4 mediates phagocytosis of apoptotic cells by binding to PS exposed on the surface of these cells, and thus functions as a PS receptor for apoptotic cells. Some of PS receptors are capable of recognizing other molecules, such as LPS on bacteria, besides PS on apoptotic cells. However, it is unclear whether Tim-4 perceives other molecules like the PS receptors. Here, we report that Tim-4 facilitates the phagocytosis of exogenous particles as well as apoptotic cells. Similar to the process that occurs during Tim-4-mediated efferocytosis, the uptake of exogenous E. coli and S. aureus bioparticles was promoted by overexpression of Tim-4 on phagocytes, whereas phagocytosis of the bioparticles was reduced in Tim-4-deficient cells. A truncation mutant of Tim-4 lacking the cytoplasmic tail promoted phagocytosis of the particles, but a mutant lacking the IgV or the mucin domain failed to enhance phagocytosis. However, expression of Tim-4AAA (a mutant form of Tim-4 that does not bind phosphatidylserine and does not promote efferocytosis) still promoted phagocytosis. Tim-4-mediated phagocytosis was not blocked by expression of the phosphatidylserine-binding protein Anxa5. Furthermore, binding of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which is found in the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, was higher in Tim-4-overexpressing cells than in Tim-4-deficient cells. In summary, our study suggests that Tim-4 acts as a scavenger receptor and mediates phagocytosis of exogenous particles in a phosphatidylserine-independent manner.
p53 isoform Δ113p53 promotes zebrafish heart regeneration by maintaining redox homeostasis
Authors: Ye Shengfan , Zhao Ting , Zhang Wei , Tang Zimu , Gao Ce , Ma Zhipeng , Xiong Jing-Wei , Peng Jinrong , Tan Wei-Qiang , Chen Jun
Published: July 2020

Neonatal mice and adult zebrafish can fully regenerate their hearts through proliferation of pre-existing cardiomyocytes. Previous studies have revealed that p53 signalling is activated during cardiac regeneration in neonatal mice and that hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) generated near the wound site acts as a novel signal to promote zebrafish heart regeneration. We recently demonstrated that the expression of the p53 isoform Δ133p53 is highly induced upon stimulation by low-level reactive oxygen species (ROS) and that Δ133p53 coordinates with full-length p53 to promote cell survival by enhancing the expression of antioxidant genes. However, the function of p53 signalling in heart regeneration remains uncharacterised. Here, we found that the expression of Δ113p53 is activated in cardiomyocytes at the resection site in the zebrafish heart in a full-length p53- and ROS signalling-dependent manner. Cell lineage tracing showed that Δ113p53-positive cardiomyocytes undergo cell proliferation and contribute to myocardial regeneration. More importantly, heart regeneration is impaired in Δ113p53M/M mutant zebrafish. Depletion of Δ113p53 significantly decreases the proliferation frequency of cardiomyocytes but has little effect on the activation of gata4-positive cells, their migration to the edge of the wound site, or apoptotic activity. Live imaging of intact hearts showed that induction of H2O2 at the resection site is significantly higher in Δ113p53M/M mutants than in wild-type zebrafish, which may be the result of reduced induction of antioxidant genes in Δ113p53M/M mutants. Our findings demonstrate that induction of Δ113p53 in cardiomyocytes at the resection site functions to promote heart regeneration by increasing the expression of antioxidant genes to maintain redox homeostasis.
Developmental demands contribute to early neuromuscular degeneration in CMT2D mice
Authors: Sleigh James N. , Mech Aleksandra M. , Schiavo Giampietro
Published: July 2020

Dominantly inherited, missense mutations in the widely expressed housekeeping gene,GARS1, cause Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 2D (CMT2D), a peripheral neuropathy characterised by muscle weakness and wasting in limb extremities. Mice modelling CMT2D display early and selective neuromuscular junction (NMJ) pathology, epitomised by disturbed maturation and neurotransmission, leading to denervation. Indeed, the NMJ disruption has been reported in several different muscles; however, a systematic comparison of neuromuscular synapses from distinct body locations has yet to be performed. We therefore analysed NMJ development and degeneration across five different wholemount muscles to identify key synaptic features contributing to the distinct pattern of neurodegeneration in CMT2D mice. Denervation was found to occur along a distal-to-proximal gradient, providing a cellular explanation for the greater weakness observed in mutantGarshindlimbs compared with forelimbs. Nonetheless, muscles from similar locations and innervated by axons of equivalent length showed significant differences in neuropathology, suggestive of additional factors impacting on site-specific neuromuscular degeneration. Defective NMJ development preceded and associated with degeneration, but was not linked to a delay of wild-type NMJ maturation processes. Correlation analyses indicate that muscle fibre type nor synaptic architecture explain the differential denervation of CMT2D NMJs, rather it is the extent of post-natal synaptic growth that predisposes to neurodegeneration. Together, this work improves our understanding of the mechanisms driving synaptic vulnerability in CMT2D and hints at pertinent pathogenic pathways.
Mutations in FAM50A suggest that Armfield XLID syndrome is a spliceosomopathy
Authors: Lee Yu-Ri , Khan Kamal , Armfield-Uhas Kim , Srikanth Sujata , Thompson Nicola A. , Pardo Mercedes , Yu Lu , Norris Joy W. , Peng Yunhui , Gripp Karen W. , Aleck Kirk A. , Li Chumei , Spence Ed , Choi Tae-Ik , Kwon Soo Jeong , Park Hee-Moon , Yu Daseuli , Heo Won Do , Mooney Marie R. , Baig Shahid M. , Wentzensen Ingrid M. , Telegrafi Aida , McWalter Kirsty , Moreland Trevor , Roadhouse Chelsea , Ramsey Keri , Lyons Michael J. , Skinner Cindy , Alexov Emil , Katsanis Nicholas , Stevenson Roger E. , Choudhary Jyoti S. , Adams David J. , Kim Cheol-Hee , Davis Erica E. , Schwartz Charles E.
Published: July 2020

Intellectual disability (ID) is a heterogeneous clinical entity and includes an excess of males who harbor variants on the X-chromosome (XLID). We report rare FAM50A missense variants in the original Armfield XLID syndrome family localized in Xq28 and four additional unrelated males with overlapping features. Our fam50a knockout (KO) zebrafish model exhibits abnormal neurogenesis and craniofacial patterning, and in vivo complementation assays indicate that the patient-derived variants are hypomorphic. RNA sequencing analysis from fam50a KO zebrafish show dysregulation of the transcriptome, with augmented spliceosome mRNAs and depletion of transcripts involved in neurodevelopment. Zebrafish RNA-seq datasets show a preponderance of 3′ alternative splicing events in fam50a KO, suggesting a role in the spliceosome C complex. These data are supported with transcriptomic signatures from cell lines derived from affected individuals and FAM50A protein-protein interaction data. In sum, Armfield XLID syndrome is a spliceosomopathy associated with aberrant mRNA processing during development.