bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Shinrin-Yoku Retreat on Mental Health: a Pilot Study in Fukushima, Japan
Authors: Kotera Yasuhiro , Fido Dean
Published: May 2021

Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) is a cost-effective healing practice that has recently attracted the interest of social scientists who have attributed it, in part, to mental health benefits. Japanese university students suffer from high rates of mental health problems, and the number of suicides remains high despite the total number of suicides in Japan decreasing. Effective mental health approaches which increase mental wellbeing and self-compassion, and reduce associated deficits, such as loneliness, are sought after for Japanese students; however, healthful treatment has not been identified to date. Accordingly, this pre-post-pilot study evaluated the levels of mental wellbeing, self-compassion, and loneliness among 25 Japanese undergraduate students who participated in a three-day shinrin-yoku retreat in Fukushima. Measurements were taken prior, straight after, and two weeks post-intervention. One-way ANOVA with Tukey post hoc analysis revealed that the mean scores of self-compassion, common humanity, and mindfulness increased statistically significantly from pre-retreat to follow-up. The mean scores of mental wellbeing and loneliness did not statistically significantly change. The positive effects on self-compassion indicate that shinrin-yoku retreat should be evaluated within a larger sample and in a shorter time frame to establish optimal shinrin-yoku parameters in this arena.
Vergleichsverbot? Bevölkerungsstatistiken und die Frage der Vergleichbarkeit in den deutschen Kolonien (1885–1914)
Authors: Renard Léa
Published: May 2021

Der Beitrag untersucht das Verhältnis von statistischen Klassifikationen und Vergleichen in deutschen Kolonialstatistiken zwischen 1885 und 1914 und geht der Frage nach, welche Bedeutung und welche Ausprägungen dem Vergleich in Bezug auf Raum und Bevölkerung in kolonialen Statistiken zukamen. Ziel ist, den Blick für Methoden und Kategorien der statistischen Praxis im imperialen Kontext zu schärfen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass der statistischen Beobachtung der Kolonien eine territoriale Grundunterscheidung zwischen Metropole und Kolonien zugrunde lag, die in unterschiedlichen Methoden mündete. Diese territoriale und methodologische Spaltung war mit einer grundsätzlichen Unvergleichbarkeit zwischen kolonisierter Bevölkerung und Kolonisierenden gekoppelt, so die These des Beitrags.
The Living Sign. Reading Noble from a Biosemiotic Perspective
Authors: de Mul Jos
Published: May 2021

The author argues that the reductionist illusions of the Modern Synthesis, which Noble criticizes in his target article, are to a large extent resulting from a mere syntactical notion of biological information, neglecting the pragmatic and semantic dimension of information. Although the syntactical notion, introduced by Shannon, has been applied with much success in information theory and computer technologies, it is too narrow to understand biological reality. Biosemiotics can help to clarify the problems identified by Noble, and offers a more adequate biological information concept, which not only may help to overcome these problems in the life sciences, but may also serve to integrate natural-scientific and humanities approaches to life.
Multiphase-field simulation of austenite reversion in medium-Mn steels
Authors: Ma Yan , Zheng Rui , Gao Ziyuan , Krupp Ulrich , Luo Hai-wen , Song Wenwen , Bleck Wolfgang
Published: May 2021

Medium-Mn steels have attracted immense attention for automotive applications owing to their outstanding combination of high strength and superior ductility. This steel class is generally characterized by an ultrafine-grained duplex microstructure consisting of ferrite and a large amount of austenite. Such a unique microstructure is processed by intercritical annealing, where austenite reversion occurs in a fine martensitic matrix. In the present study, austenite reversion in a medium-Mn alloy was simulated by the multiphase-field approach using the commercial software MICRESS® coupled with the thermodynamic database TCFE8 and the kinetic database MOBFE2. In particular, a faceted anisotropy model was incorporated to replicate the lamellar morphology of reversed austenite. The simulated microstructural morphology and phase transformation kinetics (indicated by the amount of phase) concurred well with experimental observations by scanning electron microscopy and in situ synchrotron high-energy X-ray diffraction, respectively.
Pollution and contamination level of Cu, Cd, and Hg heavy metals in soil and food crop
Authors: Ramlan  , Basir-Cyio M. , Napitupulu M. , Inoue T. , Anshary A. , Mahfudz  , Isrun  , Rusydi M. , Golar  , Sulbadana  , Bakri R.
Published: May 2021

We aimed to assess and observe the accumulation of Cu, Cd, and Hg heavy metals on land and the contamination of plant tissues in Grand Forest Park, Palu, Indonesia, and its surrounding areas. The method used was a mix between survey and investigation, integrating data on research findings from before 2013 to 2016 with data from 2018. The data were analyzed using a correlation test, and descriptive statistics are presented in the form of tables and graphs. The results show that the highest concentration of Hg was found in the Poboya processing area (575.16 ppm) in 2013, though it gradually decreased to 287.64 ppm in 2018. The results of the Spearman’s rank test at the ∝ 0.05 level between average Cu land and Cu plant concentrations show that the obtained value (r) was 0.52 with a rho (ρ) of 0.13, which is not significant (ρ 0.13 > 0.05), while for Cd and Hg metals, the obtained r values were 0.88 and 0.86, respectively. These two metals showed significant correlations between concentrations of Cd and Hg on land and Cd and Hg in plant tissues (both ρ 0.001 < 0.05). Specifically, the transfer factor (TF) value at the sampling sites of the Grand Forest Park area, Ngatabaru, and PBY from the average of various Hg concentrations in plants was much higher than the TF values of Cu and Cd, specifically being Hg > Cd = Cu or 0.61 > 0.17 = 0.17.
Simulation-based Evaluation of Hydrographic Data Analysis for Dune Tracking on the River Rhine
Authors: Lorenz Felix , Artz Thomas , Brüggemann Thomas , Reich Julius , Weiß Robert , Winterscheid Axel
Published: May 2021

Knowledge of the static and morphodynamic components of the river bed is important for the maintenance of waterways. Under the action of a current, parts of the river bed sediments can move in the form of dunes. Recordings of the river bed by multibeam echosounding are used as input data within a morphological analysis in order to compute the bedload transport rate using detected dune shape and migration. Before the morphological analysis, a suitable processing of the measurement data is essential to minimize inherent uncertainties. This paper presents a simulation-based evaluation of suitable data processing concepts for vertical sections of bed forms based on a case study at the river Rhine. For the presented spatial approaches, suitable parameter sets are found, which allow the reproduction of nominal dune parameters in the range of a few centimetres. However, if parameter sets are chosen inadequately, the subsequently derived dune parameters can deviate by several decimetres from the simulated truth. A simulation-based workflow is presented, to find the optimal hydrographic data processing strategy for a given dune geometry.
Global Justice Index Report 2020
Authors: Gu Yanfeng , Qin Xuan , Wang Zhongyuan , Zhang Chunman , Guo Sujian
Published: May 2021

The Global Justice Index is a multiyear research project conducted at the Fudan-IAS to conceptualize and measure each country’s contribution to achieving greater global justice. In 2019, we completed our research project on first-year achievements, with the rankings of nation-states at the global level based on data from 2010 to 2017. This was published titled the “Global Justice Index Report” inChinese Political Science Review(Vol. 5, No. 3, 2020). The “Global Justice Index Report 2020” is the second annual report based on our work analyzing data from 2010 to 2018, which was concluded in 2020. In order to better measure each country’s performance and contribution to achieving greater global justice, compared to the first edition published in 2020, we have improved the model, added the refugee issue to expand the issue areas to 10, and added new indicators, regional analysis and comparison in this report. The report comprises five main sections. In the introduction, we discuss the development of the conceptual framework and evaluative principles to justify our selection of dimensions and indicators for measurement. Next, in the section of methodology, we discuss the production, normalization, and aggregation of the raw data and the generation of the final results. In the findings section, we report the data, indicators and our results for the ten issues, and provide regional comparisons. And then, in the following section we present the main results, and report the ranking of each country’s contribution to achieving greater global justice. In the final section, we discuss the applications and limitations of the index, and its potential further research trajectories.
»Ich bin seit Montag Zuhause in Quarantäne« – Zur Verbindung von Erzählen und Argumentieren in Social-Media-Kommentaren zu politischen Reden
Authors: Michel Sascha , Pfurtscheller Daniel
Published: May 2021

Dieser Artikel untersucht die Verbindung von Erzählen und Argumentieren im Kontext politischer Reden zur Coronakrise. Die qualitative Untersuchung basiert auf einem Korpus von 650 Kommentaren, die Nutzer*innen im Anschluss an die sogenannten Lockdown-Reden von Sebastian Kurz und Angela Merkel im März 2020 auf verschiedenen Social-Media-Plattformen veröffentlicht haben. In den Kommentaren lassen sich Formen des fragmentarischen Erzählens nachvollziehen, das zur Stützung von Argumenten und zur Positionierung im kommunikativen Gefüge der beteiligten Akteure im Kontext der verkündeten Lockdown-Maßnahmen dient.
Hormone und Knochenstoffwechsel
Authors: Feigl Sarah
Published: May 2021

Der Knochenstoffwechsel ist ein komplexer Vorgang, der von zahlreichen Hormonen abhängt und durch ihre Wirkungen zeitlebens dynamisch beeinflusst wird. Nicht nur in der Zeit des Wachstums und in Hormonmangelphasen, sondern auch in den vielen Jahren des „stabilen Gleichgewichts“ im Erwachsenenalter sollte bei verminderter Knochendichte an hormonelle Veränderungen gedacht und vor allem auch eine bestehende Medikation des/der Patienten/in erfragt werden. Aufklärungsarbeit ist besonders wichtig in den kritischen Phasen der Pubertät und Menopause, wo die Verunsicherung der Patientinnen groß und der Einfluss der verschriebenen Hormonpräparate nicht zu unterschätzen ist.

Der Knochenstoffwechsel wird von vielen Hormonen beeinflusst. In der Wachstumsphase ist Somatotropin und Östrogen bestimmend. Parathormon, Calcitonin und Leptin nehmen ebenso eine wichtige Rolle ein. Sie entfalten ihre Wirkung direkt durch Beeinflussung der Osteoblasten und Osteoklasten, aber auch indirekt durch den Vitamin-D-Stoffwechsel und Kontrolle des Körpergewichts. Ist ein Regelkreis gestört, büßen die Betroffenen Knochendichte ein, in jungen Jahren kann es zu vermindertem Körperwachstum kommen. Vor allem in der kritischen Phase vor Erreichen der Peak Bone Mass und in der Menopause ist die Funktion der Sexualhormone nicht zu unterschätzen. Besonderes Augenmerk liegt auf dem Einfluss der Kontrazeptiva und der Hormonersatztherapie, welche die Knochengesundheit maßgeblich beeinflussen können.
A network view on reliability: using machine learning to understand how we assess news websites
Authors: Blanke Tobias , Venturini Tommaso
Published: May 2021

This article shows how a machine can employ a network view to reason about complex social relations of news reliability. Such a network view promises a topic-agnostic perspective that can be a useful hint on reliability trends and their heterogeneous assumptions. In our analysis, we depart from the ever-growing numbers of papers trying to find machine learning algorithms to predict the reliability of news and focus instead on using machine reasoning to understand the structure of news networks by comparing it with our human judgements. Understanding and representing news networks is not easy, not only because they can be extremely vast but also because they are shaped by several overlapping network dynamics. We present a machine learning approach to analyse what constitutes reliable news from the view of a network. Our aim is to machine-read a network’s understanding of news reliability. To analyse real-life news sites, we used the Décodex dataset to train machine learning models from the structure of the underlying network. We then employ the models to draw conclusions how the Décodex evaluators came to assess the reliability of news.
Investigations on the impact of laminate angle on the damping performance of basalt-epoxy composite laminate
Authors: Doddi Parameswara Rao Venkata , Dora Siva Prasad , Chintada Shoba
Published: May 2021

Tremendously and are usually designed in different laminate angles to serve for various operating conditions. The impact of change in laminate angle relative to the direction of application of load on the dynamic mechanical behavior of materials must be studied systematically. Properties such as biodegradability combined with low manufacture cost and physio-mechanical properties made the basalt fiber to emerge as an alternative material to synthetic fibers. For the current work, the effect of laminate angle on damping characteristics such as storage modulus, glass transition temperature and loss factor of the basalt-epoxy composite was analyzed at various frequencies using the Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer (DMA). The composite samples were made from a unidirectional basalt fabric and epoxy resin with a hardener, using a hand layup technique followed by the compression method. It was noticed that the storage modulus is remarkably affected by laminate angle and increase in frequency. Results also confirmed that the composite with a 0° laminate angle exhibits higher storage modulus whereas the composite with a 60° laminate angle has better damping properties, and the composite with a 45° laminate angle achieved the highest glass transition temperature.
A Mixed Case Report of Long-Term Management of Ascites and Anasarca From Liver Disease on a Remote Pacific Island
Authors: Merkle Alexander B. , Winegarner James H.
Published: May 2021

Remote and austere medicine can be challenging when caring for healthy individuals and requires ingenuity when managing patients with unexpected, complex disease processes, whether acute or chronic. We report the case of an adult male who presented to an isolated clinic setting with acute exacerbation of chronic liver disease. Medical management was complicated by limited transportation resources, both for supplies and patient movement. There was concern that the patient’s clinical status could decompensate into a life-threatening illness that might not be adequately treated in this remote setting. Through the use of collaborative decision-making with the patient and by telemedicine consultation, the patient was successfully stabilized on the island until routine transport to a higher level of care was available. Knowledge of climbing systems and alternative transportation arrangements were integral to our ability to provide prolonged care for this patient in a remote setting. Knowledge of the use of medicinal plants was key in offsetting the side effects of other medications used. We are reminded that creative and collaborative problem-solving epitomizes wilderness and austere medicine.
Forgotten Dreams
Authors: Johnson Laurie Ruth
Published: May 2021

Werner Herzog (b. 1942) is perhaps the most famous living German filmmaker, but his films have never been read in the context of German cultural history. And while there is a surfeit of film reviews,interviews, and scholarly articles on Herzog and his work, there are very few books devoted to his films, and none addressing his entire career to date. Until now. Forgotten Dreams offersnot only an analytical study of Herzog's films but also a new reading of Romanticism's impact beyond the nineteenth century. It argues that his films re-envision and help us better understand a critical stream in Romanticism, and places the films in conversation with other filmmakers, authors, and philosophers in order to illuminate that critical stream. The result is a lively reconnection with Romantic themes and convictions that have been partly forgotten in the midst of Germany's postwar rejection of much of Romantic thought, yet are still operative in German culture today. The film analyses will interest scholars of film, German Studies, and Romanticism as well as a broader public interested in Herzog's films and contemporary German cultural debates. The book will also appeal to thoseinterested in the ongoing renegotiation - by Western and other cultures - of relationships between reason and passion, civilization and wild nature, knowledge and belief. Laurie Ruth Johnson is Associate Professor of German, Comparative and World Literature, and Criticism and Interpretive Theory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Establishing a Foundation for Performance Measurement for Local Public Health Preparedness
Authors: Schlegelmilch Jeff , Stripling Mitch , Chandler Thomas , Marx Sabine , Gu Paul Bonwoo
Published: May 2021

The development of performance measures is not a new concept in the disaster preparedness space. For over a decade, goals have been developed and tied to federal preparedness grant programs. However, these measures have been heavily criticized for their inability to truly measure preparedness. There is also growing frustration at the local level that these performance measures do not account for local readiness priorities or the outcome-driven value of emergency response activities. To define an appropriate theoretical framework for the development of performance measures, a review of the literature on existing planning and preparedness frameworks was conducted, with an iterative feedback process with a local health agency. This paper presents elements of that literature review that were most directly along with the conceptual framework that was used as a starting point for future iterations of a comprehensive performance measure development project.
GENERATION OF TWO NEW RADIOCARBON STANDARDS FOR COMPOUND-SPECIFIC RADIOCARBON ANALYSES OF FATTY ACIDS FROM BOG BUTTER FINDS
Authors: Casanova Emmanuelle , Knowles Timothy D J , Mulhall Isabella , Sikora Maeve , Smyth Jessica , Evershed Richard P
Published: May 2021

The analysis of processing standards alongside samples for quality assurance in radiocarbon (14C) analyses is critical. Ideally, these standards should be similar both in nature and age to unknown samples. A new compound-specific approach was developed at the University of Bristol for dating pottery vessels using palmitic and stearic fatty acids extracted from within the clay matrix and isolated by preparative capillary gas chromatography. Obtaining suitable potsherds for use as processing standards in such analyses is not feasible, so we suggest that bog butter represents an ideal material for such purposes. We sampled ca. 450 g from two bog butter specimens and homogenized them by melting. We verified the homogeneity of both specimens by characterization of their lipid composition, δ13C values of individual lipids, and both bulk- and compound-specific radiocarbon analyses on 10 sub-samples of each bog butter specimen. The weighted means of all 14C measurements on the bog butter standards are 3777 ± 4 BP (IB33) and 338 ± 3 BP (IB38), thereby providing age-relevant standards for archaeological and historical fatty acids and ensuring the accuracy of radiocarbon determinations of lipids using a compound-specific approach. These new secondary standards will be subjected to an intercomparison exercise to provide robust consensus values.
A three-dimensional printed myringotomy, tympanostomy and ventilation tube placement simulator
Authors: Ferreira e Silva L , Chisté Ferreira M , Couceiro Seto I I , Martins Umbelino A , Aguiar Gomes V C , de Borborema Garcia L , Almeida Amaro L J
Published: May 2021

Objective

Tympanostomy is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures in otolaryngology, and its complexity is challenging for trainee surgeons. Investing in medical education is a cornerstone of good patient safety practices. For trainees, use of simulators before operating on actual patients helps mitigate risks. This study aimed to develop a three-dimensional printed model simulator for myringotomy, tympanostomy and ventilation tube placement.

Methods

An articulated model with a detachable portion, base and plastic bag to simulate the external auditory canal, middle ear and tympanic membrane, respectively, was modelled and printed.

Results

The final simulator was made from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene polymer and measured 4 × 4 × 12 cm. It was designed to mimic the angulation of patient anatomy in the myringotomy position and simulate the texture and colour of the tissues of interest. The cost was low, and testing with an operating microscope and endoscope yielded satisfactory results. The advent of three-dimensional printing technology has made surgical simulation more accessible and less expensive, providing several advantages for medical education.

Conclusion

The proposed model fulfilled expectations as a safe, inexpensive, reproducible, user-friendly and accessible surgical education tool that can be improved and reassessed for further research.
Assembling a cohort for in-depth, longitudinal assessments of the biological embedding of child maltreatment: Methods, complexities, and lessons learned
Authors: Schreier Hannah M. C. , Heim Christine M. , Rose Emma J. , Shalev Idan , Shenk Chad E. , Noll Jennie G.
Published: May 2021

As championed by the work of Ed Zigler, investing in nurturing environments for all children is a chief tenet of primary prevention that will have far-reaching benefits to the health and welfare of all members of society. Children who endure child maltreatment (CM) are among society's most vulnerable. Prospective longitudinal research aimed at a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms linking CM to subsequent adverse health consequences is needed to improve outcomes and to strengthen causal inference. This paper outlines the methods of the Child Health Study (CHS), a large, state-wide longitudinal cohort of recently maltreated and nonmaltreated youth aged 8–13 who will be assessed every 2 years. The CHS is designed to include in-depth assessments of multiple environmental, behavioral, neural, physiological, and molecular mechanisms through which CM may impact a broad spectrum of youth development, including behavioral and physical health outcomes. In addition to describing the conceptual framework and methods underlying the CHS, we provide information on valuable “lessons learned” in the hopes of supporting future research efforts facing similar challenges. The ultimate goal of this research is demonstrating how policies regarding CM impact the well-being, resilience and recovery of survivors and that they are worthy of large public investment.
Resilience-promoting policies and contexts for children of color in the United States: Existing research and future priorities
Authors: Slopen Natalie , Williams David R.
Published: May 2021

The health status of children in the United States varies by racial and ethnic, shaped by an interrelated set of systems that disadvantage children of color in the United States. In this article, we argue for a broad view of resilience, in both research and policy, that views resilience not just as a property of individuals but also as a characteristic of social contexts and policies. Accordingly, we describe the empirical evidence for policies and contexts as factors that can improve health among children and families that are deprived of equal opportunities and resources due to structural racism. We discuss the evidence and opportunities for policies and interventions across a variety of societal systems, including programs to promote economic and food security, early education, health care, and the neighborhood and community context. Based on this evidence and other research on racism and resilience, we conclude by outlining some directions for future research.
Eigenoscillations in an angular domain and spectral properties of functional equations
Authors: LYALINOV M. A.
Published: May 2021

This work studies functional difference equations of the second order with a potential belonging to a special class of meromorphic functions. The equations depend on a spectral parameter. Consideration of this type of equations is motivated by applications in diffraction theory and by construction of eigenfunctions for the Laplace operator in angular domains. In particular, such eigenfunctions describe eigenoscillations of acoustic waves in angular domains with ‘semitransparent’ boundary conditions. For negative values of the spectral parameter, we study essential and discrete spectrum of the equations and describe properties of the corresponding solutions. The study is based on the reduction of the functional difference equations to integral equations with a symmetric kernel. A sufficient condition is formulated for the potential that ensures existence of the discrete spectrum. The obtained results are applied for studying the behaviour of eigenfunctions for the Laplace operator in adjacent angular domains with the Robin-type boundary conditions on their common boundary. At infinity, the eigenfunctions vanish exponentially as was expected. However, the rate of such decay depends on the observation direction. In particular, in a vicinity of some directions, the regime of decay is switched from one to another and such asymptotic behaviour is described by a Fresnel-type integral.
Exercise, Arterial Stiffness, and Cerebral Vascular Function: Potential Impact on Brain Health
Authors: Barnes Jill N. , Pearson Andrew G. , Corkery Adam T. , Eisenmann Nicole A. , Miller Kathleen B.
Published: May 2021

Exercise is associated with higher cognitive function and is a promising intervention to reduce the risk of dementia. With advancing age, there are changes in the vasculature that have important clinical implications for brain health and cognition. Primary aging and vascular risk factors are associated with increases in arterial stiffness and pulse pressure, and reductions in peripheral vascular function.

Objective:

The purpose is to discuss the epidemiological, observational, and mechanistic evidence regarding the link between age-related changes in vascular health and brain health.

Methods:

We performed a literature review and integrated with our published data.

Results:

Epidemiological evidence suggests a link between age-related increases in arterial stiffness and lower cognitive function, which may be mediated by cerebral vascular function, including cerebral vasoreactivity and cerebral pulsatility. Age-associated impairments in central arterial stiffness and peripheral vascular function have been attenuated or reversed through lifestyle behaviors such as exercise. Greater volumes of habitual exercise and higher cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with beneficial effects on both peripheral vascular health and cognition. Yet, the extent to which exercise directly influences cerebral vascular function and brain health, as well as the associated mechanisms remains unclear.

Conclusion:

Although there is evidence that exercise positively impacts cerebral vascular function, more research is necessary in humans to optimize experimental protocols and address methodological limitations and physiological considerations. Understanding the impact of exercise on cerebral vascular function is important for understanding the association between exercise and brain health and may inform future intervention studies that seek to improve cognition.
Conversion of Forest to Agriculture Increases Colored Dissolved Organic Matter in a Subtropical Catchment and Adjacent Coastal Environment
Authors: Felgate Stacey L. , Barry Christopher D. G. , Mayor Daniel J. , Sanders Richard , Carrias Abel , Young Arlene , Fitch Alice , Mayorga‐Adame Claudia G. , Andrews Gilbert , Brittain Hannah , Cryer Sarah E. , Evans Chris D. , Goddard‐Dwyer Millie , Holt Jason T. , Hughes Bethany K. , Lapworth Dan J. , Pinder Adam , Price David M. , Rosado Samir , Evans Claire
Published: May 2021

Land‐ocean dissolved organic matter (DOM) transport is a significant and changing term in global biogeochemical cycles which is increasing as a result of human perturbation, including land‐use change. Knowledge of the behavior and fate of transported DOM is lacking, particularly in the tropics and subtropics where land‐use change is occurring rapidly. We used Parallel Factor (PARAFAC) Analysis to investigate how land‐use influenced the composition of the DOM pool along a subtropical land‐use gradient (from near‐pristine broadleaf forest to agri‐urban settings) in Belize, Central America. Three humic‐like and two protein‐like components were identified, each of which was present across land uses and environments. Land‐use mapping identified a strong (R2 = 0.81) negative correlation between broadleaf forest and agri‐urban land. All PARAFAC components were positively associated with agri‐urban land‐use classes (cropland, grassland, and/or urban land), indicating that land‐use change from forested to agri‐urban exerts influence on the composition of the DOM pool. Humic‐like DOM exhibited linear accumulation with distance downstream and behaved conservatively in the coastal zone whilst protein‐like DOM exhibited nonlinear accumulation within the main river and nonconservative mixing in coastal waters, indicative of differences in reactivity. We used a hydrodynamic model to explore the potential of conservative humics to reach the region's environmentally and economically valuable coral reefs. We find that offshore corals experience short exposures (10 ± 11 days yr−1) to large (∼120%) terrigenous DOM increases, whilst nearshore corals experience prolonged exposure (113 ± 24 days yr−1) to relatively small (∼30%) terrigenous DOM increases.
Assimilation of Satellite Soil Moisture Products for River Flow Prediction: An Extensive Experiment in Over 700 Catchments Throughout Europe
Authors: De Santis D. , Biondi D. , Crow W. T. , Camici S. , Modanesi S. , Brocca L. , Massari C.
Published: May 2021

In this study, we perform a data assimilation (DA) experiment on a very large number (>700) of small‐ and medium‐scale (150–10,000 km2) European catchments to assess the impact of satellite soil moisture (SM) DA on streamflow simulations for different climatic and hydrologic conditions. In the experiment, Climate Change Initiative SM active, passive and combined products are assimilated over a time period 2003–2016 via an Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF). The results show that, on average, the assimilation of the three products provides relatively small improvements as compared to analogous open loop (OL) results (i.e., with an increase on median Kling‐Gupta Efficiency equal to 0.0048, 0.0033, and 0.0022 [−] for the active, the passive, and the combined products, respectively). OL performance itself is found to be a significant driver of the assimilation results: greater improvements are observed in catchments with poor OL streamflow predictions and inaccurate precipitation estimates. The remotely sensed product accuracy also emerges as relevant for assimilation efficiency, while factors affecting SM retrievals such as vegetation density, topographic complexity and basin area are found to have only a limited impact on the spatial pattern of performance. Small and detrimental effects of SM assimilation are observed over fully humid catchments and at high latitudes where pre‐storm soil moisture has reduced control on runoff generation as well as in basins where the hydrological model contains structural limitations.
Systematic misestimation of machine learning performance in neuroimaging studies of depression
Authors: Flint Claas , Cearns Micah , Opel Nils , Redlich Ronny , Mehler David M. A. , Emden Daniel , Winter Nils R. , Leenings Ramona , Eickhoff Simon B. , Kircher Tilo , Krug Axel , Nenadic Igor , Arolt Volker , Clark Scott , Baune Bernhard T. , Jiang Xiaoyi , Dannlowski Udo , Hahn Tim
Published: May 2021

We currently observe a disconcerting phenomenon in machine learning studies in psychiatry: While we would expect larger samples to yield better results due to the availability of more data, larger machine learning studies consistently show much weaker performance than the numerous small-scale studies. Here, we systematically investigated this effect focusing on one of the most heavily studied questions in the field, namely the classification of patients suffering from Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and healthy controls based on neuroimaging data. Drawing upon structural MRI data from a balanced sample of N = 1868 MDD patients and healthy controls from our recent international Predictive Analytics Competition (PAC), we first trained and tested a classification model on the full dataset which yielded an accuracy of 61%. Next, we mimicked the process by which researchers would draw samples of various sizes (N = 4 to N = 150) from the population and showed a strong risk of misestimation. Specifically, for small sample sizes (N = 20), we observe accuracies of up to 95%. For medium sample sizes (N = 100) accuracies up to 75% were found. Importantly, further investigation showed that sufficiently large test sets effectively protect against performance misestimation whereas larger datasets per se do not. While these results question the validity of a substantial part of the current literature, we outline the relatively low-cost remedy of larger test sets, which is readily available in most cases.
Targeting non-canonical activation of GLI1 by the SOX2-BRD4 transcriptional complex improves the efficacy of HEDGEHOG pathway inhibition in melanoma
Authors: Pietrobono Silvia , Gaudio Eugenio , Gagliardi Sinforosa , Zitani Mariapaola , Carrassa Laura , Migliorini Francesca , Petricci Elena , Manetti Fabrizio , Makukhin Nikolai , Bond Adam G. , Paradise Brooke D. , Ciulli Alessio , Fernandez-Zapico Martin E. , Bertoni Francesco , Stecca Barbara
Published: May 2021

Despite the development of new targeted and immune therapies, the prognosis of metastatic melanoma remains bleak. Therefore, it is critical to better understand the mechanisms controlling advanced melanoma to develop more effective treatment regimens. Hedgehog/GLI (HH/GLI) signaling inhibitors targeting the central pathway transducer Smoothened (SMO) have shown to be clinical efficacious in skin cancer; however, several mechanisms of non-canonical HH/GLI pathway activation limit their efficacy. Here, we identify a novel SOX2-BRD4 transcriptional complex driving the expression ofGLI1, the final effector of the HH/GLI pathway, providing a novel mechanism of non-canonical SMO-independent activation of HH/GLI signaling in melanoma. Consistently, we find a positive correlation between the expression of GLI1 and SOX2 in human melanoma samples and cell lines. Further, we show that combined targeting of canonical HH/GLI pathway with the SMO inhibitor MRT-92 and of the SOX2-BRD4 complex using a potent Proteolysis Targeted Chimeras (PROTACs)-derived BRD4 degrader (MZ1), yields a synergistic anti-proliferative effect in melanoma cells independently of theirBRAF, NRAS, andNF1mutational status, with complete abrogation ofGLI1expression. Combination of MRT-92 and MZ1 strongly potentiates the antitumor effect of either drug as single agents in an orthotopic melanoma model. Together, our data provide evidence of a novel mechanism of non-canonical activation of GLI1 by the SOX2-BRD4 transcriptional complex, and describe the efficacy of a new combinatorial treatment for a subset of melanomas with an active SOX2-BRD4-GLI1 axis.
Psychological responses among nurses caring for patients with COVID-19: a comparative study in China
Authors: Ren Honggang , Luo Xingguang , Wang Yincheng , Guo Xiaoyun , Hou Huiru , Zhang Yong , Yang Pengcheng , Zhu Fang , Hu Chao , Wang Runsheng , Sun Yu , Du Yingzhen , Yin Qin , Xu Guogang , Zuo Hui , Hu Qinyong , Wang Yahui
Published: May 2021

Frontline healthcare nurses devoted themselves to deal with the outbreak of COVID-19, saving many lives. However, they are under incredible unknown psychological pressures with a considerable risk of infection. In this study, a self-administered questionnaire was used to survey 593 frontline nurses in Wuhan City and non-Hubei provinces for psychological responses from March 1 to March 10, 2020. Compared with nurses outside Hubei Province, those working in Wuhan were more likely to feel physically and mentally exhausted. Their probable depression and anxiety were significantly higher than those of nurses outside Hubei province (31.2%, 18.3% vs. 13.8%, 5.9%). Correspondingly, the depressive symptoms were more often reported in the Wuhan group (70.8% vs. 41.4%). Although Wuhan received wishes, concerns, and abundant psychological and material resources from all of the world, the survey-based study found that frontline nurses in Wuhan still had higher depression and anxiety with less social support compared with nurses from non-Hubei provinces. Unexpectedly, only 4.0% of nurses have sought psychological assistance. These findings suggested that the short-term psychological impact of frontline nurses in Wuhan during the COVID-19 outbreak was extremely high compared with nurses outside Hubei Province. This research enlightened the efficient integration of psychological resources, the optimization of the nurse emergency psychological assistance system, and the mental health care of medical staff during the outbreak of epidemics.
Sex and dependence related neuroanatomical differences in regular cannabis users: findings from the ENIGMA Addiction Working Group
Authors: Rossetti Maria Gloria , Mackey Scott , Patalay Praveetha , Allen Nicholas B. , Batalla Albert , Bellani Marcella , Chye Yann , Conrod Patricia , Cousijn Janna , Garavan Hugh , Goudriaan Anna E. , Hester Robert , Martin-Santos Rocio , Solowij Nadia , Suo Chao , Thompson Paul M. , Yücel Murat , Brambilla Paolo , Lorenzetti Valentina
Published: May 2021

Males and females show different patterns of cannabis use and related psychosocial outcomes. However, the neuroanatomical substrates underlying such differences are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to map sex differences in the neurobiology (as indexed by brain volumes) of dependent and recreational cannabis use. We compared the volume of a priori regions of interest (i.e., amygdala, hippocampus, nucleus accumbens, insula, orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), anterior cingulate cortex and cerebellum) between 129 regular cannabis users (of whom 70 were recreational users and 59 cannabis dependent) and 114 controls recruited from the ENIGMA Addiction Working Group, accounting for intracranial volume, age, IQ, and alcohol and tobacco use. Dependent cannabis users, particularly females, had (marginally significant) smaller volumes of the lateral OFC and cerebellar white matter than recreational users and controls. In dependent (but not recreational) cannabis users, there was a significant association between female sex and smaller volumes of the cerebellar white matter and OFC. Volume of the OFC was also predicted by monthly standard drinks. No significant effects emerged the other brain regions of interest. Our findings warrant future multimodal studies that examine if sex and cannabis dependence are specific key drivers of neurobiological alterations in cannabis users. This, in turn, could help to identify neural pathways specifically involved in vulnerable cannabis users (e.g., females with cannabis dependence) and inform individually tailored neurobiological targets for treatment.
Pure bulk orbital and spin photocurrent in two-dimensional ferroelectric materials
Authors: Mu Xingchi , Pan Yiming , Zhou Jian
Published: May 2021

We elucidate a bias-free light-induced orbital and spin current through nonlinear response theory, which generalizes the well-known bulk photovoltaic effect in centrosymmetric broken materials from charge to the spin and orbital degrees of freedom. We use two-dimensional nonmagnetic ferroelectric materials (such as GeS and its analogs) to illustrate this bulk orbital/spin photovoltaic effect, through first-principles calculations. These materials possess a vertical mirror symmetry and time-reversal symmetry but lack of inversion symmetry. We reveal that in addition to the conventional photocurrent that propagates parallel to the mirror plane (under linearly polarized light), the symmetric forbidden photocurrent perpendicular to the mirror actually contains electrons flow, which carries angular momentum information and move oppositely. This generates a pure orbital moment current with zero electric charge current. Such hidden photo-induced pure orbital current could lead to a pure spin current via spin–orbit coupling interactions. Therefore, a four-terminal device can be designed to detect and measure photo-induced charge, orbital, and spin currents simultaneously. All these currents couple with electric polarization P, hence their amplitude and direction can be manipulated through ferroelectric phase transition. Our work provides a route to generalizing nanoscale devices from their photo-induced electronics to orbitronics and spintronics.
Metabolic modelling reveals broad changes in gut microbial metabolism in inflammatory bowel disease patients with dysbiosis
Authors: Heinken Almut , Hertel Johannes , Thiele Ines
Published: May 2021

Inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn’s Disease, are characterised by an altered blood and faecal metabolome, and changes in gut microbiome composition. Here, we present an efficient, scalable, tractable systems biology framework to mechanistically link microbial strains and faecal metabolites. We retrieve strain-level relative abundances from metagenomics data from a cohort of paediatric Crohn’s Disease patients with and without dysbiosis and healthy control children and construct and interrogate a personalised microbiome model for each sample. Predicted faecal secretion profiles and strain-level contributions to each metabolite vary broadly between healthy, dysbiotic, and non-dysbiotic microbiomes. The reduced microbial diversity in IBD results in reduced numbers of secreted metabolites, especially in sulfur metabolism. We demonstrate that increased potential to synthesise amino acids is linked to Proteobacteria contributions, in agreement with experimental observations. The established modelling framework yields testable hypotheses that may result in novel therapeutic and dietary interventions targeting the host-gut microbiome-diet axis.
Plasma amino acids and oxylipins as potential multi-biomarkers for predicting diabetic macular edema
Authors: Rhee Sang Youl , Jung Eun Sung , Suh Dong Ho , Jeong Su Jin , Kim Kiyoung , Chon Suk , Yu Seung-Young , Woo Jeong-Taek , Lee Choong Hwan
Published: May 2021

To investigate the pathophysiologic characteristics of diabetic complications, we identified differences in plasma metabolites in subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) with or without diabetic macular edema (DME) and a disease duration > 15 years. An cohort of older T2DM patients with prolonged disease duration was established, and clinical information and biospecimens were collected following the guidelines of the National Biobank of Korea. DME phenotypes were identified by ophthalmologic specialists. For metabolomics studies, propensity matched case and control samples were selected. To discover multi-biomarkers in plasma, non-targeted metabolite profiling and oxylipin profiling in the discovery cohort were validated in an extended cohort. From metabolomic studies, 5 amino acids (asparagine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, cysteine, and lysine), 2 organic compounds (citric acid and uric acid) and 4 oxylipins (12-oxoETE, 15-oxoETE, 9-oxoODE, 20-carboxy leukotriene B4) were identified as candidate multi-biomarkers which can guide DME diagnosis among non-DME subjects. Receiver operating characteristic curves revealed high diagnostic value of the combined 5 amino acids and 2 organic compounds (AUC = 0.918), and of the 4 combined oxylipins (AUC = 0.957). Our study suggests that multi-biomarkers may be useful for predicting DME in older T2DM patients.
Diversification, selective sweep, and body size in the invasive Palearctic alfalfa weevil infected with Wolbachia
Authors: Tuda Midori , Iwase Shun-ichiro , Kébé Khadim , Haran Julien , Skuhrovec Jiri , Sanaei Ehsan , Tsuji Naomichi , Podlussány Attila , Merkl Ottó , El-Heneidy Ahmed H. , Morimoto Katsura
Published: May 2021

The alfalfa weevil Hypera postica, native to the Western Palearctic, is an invasive legume pest with two divergent mitochondrial clades in its invading regions, the Western clade and the Eastern/Egyptian clade. However, knowledge regarding the native populations is limited. The Western clade is infected with the endosymbiotic bacteria Wolbachia that cause cytoplasmic incompatibility in host weevils. Our aim was to elucidate the spatial genetic structure of this insect and the effect of Wolbachia on its population diversity. We analyzed two mitochondrial and two nuclear genes of the weevil from its native ranges. The Western clade was distributed in western/central Europe, whereas the Eastern/Egyptian clade was distributed from the Mediterranean basin to central Asia. Intermediate mitotypes were found from the Balkans to central Asia. Most Western clade individuals in western Europe were infected with an identical Wolbachia strain. Mitochondrial genetic diversity of the infected individuals was minimal. The infected clades demonstrated a higher nonsynonymous/synonymous substitution rate ratio than the uninfected clades, suggesting a higher fixation of nonsynonymous mutations due to a selective sweep by Wolbachia. Trans-Mediterranean and within-European dispersal routes were supported. We suggest that the ancestral populations diversified by geographic isolation due to glaciations and that the diversity was reduced in the west by a recent Wolbachia-driven sweep(s). The intermediate clade exhibited a body size and host plant that differed from the other clades. Pros and cons of the possible use of infected-clade males to control uninfected populations are discussed.
Phosphorylation of the WH2 domain in yeast Las17/WASP regulates G-actin binding and protein function during endocytosis
Authors: Tyler J. J. , Smaczynska-de Rooij I. I. , Abugharsa L. , Palmer J. S. , Hancock L. P. , Allwood E. G. , Ayscough K. R.
Published: May 2021

Actin nucleation is the key rate limiting step in the process of actin polymerization, and tight regulation of this process is critical to ensure actin filaments form only at specific times and at defined regions of the cell. WH2 domains are short sequence motifs found in many different actin binding proteins including WASP family proteins which regulate the actin nucleating complex Arp2/3. In this study we reveal a phosphorylation site, Serine 554, within the WH2 domain of the yeast WASP homologue Las17. Both phosphorylation and a phospho-mimetic mutation reduce actin monomer binding affinity while an alanine mutation, generated to mimic the non-phosphorylated state, increases actin binding affinity. The effect of these mutations on the Las17-dependent process of endocytosis in vivo was analysed and leads us to propose that switching of Las17 phosphorylation states may allow progression through distinct phases of endocytosis from site assembly through to the final scission stage. While the study is focused on Las17, the sole WASP family protein in yeast, our results have broad implications for our understanding of how a key residue in this conserved motif can underpin the many different actin regulatory roles with which WH2 domains have been associated.