bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Historical changes in land use influence current habitat preferences of large herbivores
Authors: Perzanowski Kajetan , Januszczak Maciej , Łopucki Rafał
Published: September 2019

Context

Predicting habitat use patterns is a key issue in the management of large herbivore populations. Particularly, indicators providing a model of the spatial distribution of a population in a simple way, without the necessity of laborious field research, are still being sought. Analysis of historical landscape changes can be one of such predictive tools.

Objectives

We tested the hypothesis that historical changes in land use can be used as an effective factor enabling prediction of spatial distribution. As a case study, data on habitat preferences of European bison Bison bonasus (wisents) were used.

Methods

Spatial distribution of 17302 records of the presence of wisents, collected over the period of 10 years, was compared using contemporary and historical habitat maps for the Bieszczady Mts. (Poland). The area of approx. 87 thousand ha was selected, where the density of human population decreased over four times, and the percentage of forests increased from over 30% to almost 80% due to land abandonment.

Results

Wisents were recorded significantly more frequently in parts of the forest that in the past were used for agriculture. We found that identification of parts of the forest overgrowing former cultivated fields makes it possible to predict the spatial distribution of wisent herds with very high probability.

Conclusions

Information on historical changes in land use can be used as a simple and effective factor enabling prediction of habitat selection by wisents. Such an approach can potentially be useful for similar assessments of other large wild herbivores.
Influence of elicitation procedure and phrasing on health state valuations in experience-based time trade-off tasks among diabetes patients in China
Authors: Hao Shuang , Heintz Emelie , Helgesson Gert , Langenskiöld Sophie , Chen Jiaying , Burström Kristina
Published: September 2019

Purpose

Open-ended and iteration-based time trade-off (TTO) tasks can both be used for valuation of health states. It has so far not been examined how the elicitation procedure affects the valuation of experience-based health states. The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of elicitation procedure on experience-based health state values elicited by the TTO method.

Methods

156 Chinese adults with type 2 diabetes participated in face-to-face interviews with an open-ended or an iteration-based TTO task. The association between the type of TTO task and the valuation of health states was investigated through multiple linear regression analyses. A modified open-ended TTO task was also developed (n = 33) to test whether different phrasings of open-ended TTO tasks influence TTO values.

Results

Higher TTO values were observed in the original open-ended TTO task compared to the iteration-based task, which indicates that the elicitation procedure influences the valuation of health states. When the modified open-ended task was introduced, the difference between the two elicitation procedures was no longer statistically significant, suggesting that the phrasing and/or visual presentation of the TTO task may influence the valuation of health states.

Conclusions

The choice of elicitation procedure as well as the description of experience-based TTO tasks may influence the valuation of health states. Further research is warranted, also in other cultural contexts, to further explore these findings.
Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells to Neuroglia: in the Context of Cell Signalling
Authors: George Sajan , Hamblin Michael R. , Abrahamse Heidi
Published: September 2019

The promise of engineering specific cell types from stem cells and rebuilding damaged or diseased tissues has fascinated stem cell researchers and clinicians over last few decades. Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) have the potential to differentiate into non-mesodermal cells, particularly neural-lineage, consisting of neurons and glia. These multipotent adult stem cells can be used for implementing clinical trials in neural repair. Ongoing research identifies several molecular mechanisms involved in the speciation of neuroglia, which are tightly regulated and interconnected by various components of cell signalling machinery. Growing MSCs with multiple inducers in culture media will initiate changes on intricately interlinked cell signalling pathways and processes. Net result of these signal flow on cellular architecture is also dependent on the type of ligands and stem cells investigated in vitro. However, our understanding about this dynamic signalling machinery is limited and confounding, especially with spheroid structures, neurospheres and organoids. Therefore, the results for differentiating neurons and glia in vitro have been inconclusive, so far. Added to this complication, we have no convincing evidence about the electrical conductivity and functionality status generated in differentiating neurons and glia. This review has taken a step forward to tailor the information on differentiating neuroglia with the common methodologies, in practice.
A Dilemma of Language: “Natural Disasters” in Academic Literature
Authors: Chmutina Ksenia , von Meding Jason
Published: September 2019

For decades sections of the academic community have been emphasizing that disasters are not natural. Nevertheless, politicians, the media, various international organizations—and, more surprisingly, many established researchers working in disaster studies—are still widely using the expression “natural disaster.” We systematically analyzed the usage of the expression “natural disaster” by disaster studies researchers in 589 articles in six key academic journals representative of disaster studies research, and found that authors are using the expression in three principal ways: (1) delineating natural and human-induced hazards; (2) using the expression to leverage popularity; and (3) critiquing the expression “natural disaster.” We also identified vulnerability themes that illustrate the context of “natural disaster” usage. The implications of continuing to use this expression, while explicitly researching human vulnerability, are wide-ranging, and we explore what this means for us and our peers. This study particularly aims to stimulate debate within the disaster studies research community and related fields as to whether the term “natural disaster” is really fit for purpose moving forward.
Latency-Aware Secure Elastic Stream Processing with Homomorphic Encryption
Authors: Rodrigo Arosha , Dayarathna Miyuru , Jayasena Sanath
Published: September 2019

Increasingly organizations are elastically scaling their stream processing applications into the infrastructure as a service clouds. However, state-of-the-art approaches for elastic stream processing do not consider the potential threats of exposing their data to third parties in cloud environments. We present the design and implementation of an Elastic Switching Mechanism for data stream processing which is based on homomorphic encryption (HomoESM). The HomoESM not only elastically scales data stream processing applications into public clouds but also preserves the privacy of such applications. Using a real-world test setup, which includes an E-mail Filter benchmark and a Web server access log processor benchmark (EDGAR), we demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach. Experiments on Amazon EC2 indicate that the proposed approach for homomorphic encryption provides a significant result which is 10–17% improvement in average latency in the case of E-mail Filter benchmark and EDGAR benchmark, respectively. Furthermore, EDGAR add/subtract operations, multiplication, and comparison operations showed up to 6.13%, 7.81%, and 26.17% average latency improvements, respectively. Finally, we evaluate the potential of scaling the homomorphic stream processor in the public cloud. These results indicate the potential for real-world deployments of secure elastic data stream processing applications.
Relu Adrian Coman and Others v. Inspectoratul General pentru Imigrări and Ministerul Afacerilor Interne (C.J.E.U.)
Authors: Tryfonidou Alina
Published: September 2019

On June 5, 2018, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU or Court) delivered its judgment in the case of Coman. In this important ruling, the Court made it clear that under EU law, the same-sex spouse of an EU citizen can move and reside with the latter in the territory of another EU member state, just as the opposite-sex spouse of an EU citizen can. Although the case is very important in that it was the first time the Court has recognized that same-sex marriages must be treated in exactly the same way as opposite-sex marriages for a specific legal purpose (family reunification rights of EU citizens who exercise EU free movement rights), it creates a number of new questions and highlights a number of gaps that persist even following its delivery.
THE WORLD IN PIECES: AARON EINBOND
Authors: Rutherford-Johnson Tim
Published: September 2019

Aaron Einbond was born in New York in 1978. He received his compositional education in the US (Harvard, University of California, Berkeley), the UK (Cambridge, Royal College of Music) and France (IRCAM), and his teachers have included Mario Davidovsky, Julian Anderson, Edmund Campion and Philippe Leroux. He currently teaches music composition, sound and technology at City University, London. He is interested in applications of technology within instrumental music, and almost all of his works combine electronics and acoustic instruments. Since 2007 – beginning with his piece Beside Oneself for viola and electronics (first performed by Ellen Ruth Rose), composed while studying at the University of California, Berkeley – he has also used audio analysis and retrieval software to transcribe recorded sounds into instrumental notation.

Einbond's interest in phonographic transcription connects his work to that of other composers of his generation, including Patricia Alessandrini, Joanna Bailie, Richard Beaudoin and Cassandra Miller. (It also finds precedents in a wider musical interest in forms of transcription that one can find in the music of composers as diverse as Peter Ablinger, Luciano Berio and Michael Finnissy.) What makes Einbond's work distinctive is his focus on timbre as a musical parameter, rather than more abstract or easily quantifiable values such as pitch.
THE MUSIC OF THOMAS SIMAKU
Authors: Scheuregger Martin
Published: September 2019

The music of British-Albanian composer Thomas Simaku (b. 1958) bears the hallmarks of both his formative training and working life in Albania, and the widening of musical palette that came with his move to the UK in 1991. In this article the music from the late 1990s to the present day is considered, with particular attention to more recent works. An overview of some stylistic and technical aspects of this music is offered through analytical observations centred on three dualities: simplicity and complexity, the individual and the group, and stasis and movement. This wide-ranging account aims to open the door for further scholarship around this rich and multifaceted music.
SHARING THE SPOILS OF A SHARED PRACTICE
Authors: Fraser Juliet
Published: September 2019

As my own practice as a performer has evolved, I have found myself seeking out new forms of collaboration, hoping to fuel my development and increase my sense of agency. This is, in some ways, a high-risk strategy: collaborative practices are, after all, a journey into the unknown precisely because of the bringing together of discrete elements, and with meaningful sharing comes vulnerability. What I hadn't anticipated was how many conversations I would find myself having about the ways in which the traditional models of, for example, commissioning, promotion, authorship or payment fail to serve, let alone nurture, true collaboration. This short article is a re-working of a position paper I presented at Southampton University in February 2019 as part of a Hartley Residency there that I used to explore the hot topic of ‘collaboration’. The main part of my residency was a paper I wrote entitled ‘The voice that calls the hand to write: exploring the adventure of agency and authorship within collaborative partnerships’. That paper was an opportunity for me to dig into what this buzziest of words, ‘collaboration’, actually means and to organise some of my thinking on the topic. What follows here is a gentle and rather personal musing on why and how we might want to share the spoils of a shared practice, and what some of the institutional obstacles to this desire might be.
DIFFERENT TRAILS: ON THE MULTIPLE GENETIC ROOTS DETERMINING A DISTRIBUTED COMPOSITIONAL PROJECT
Authors: Besada José L.
Published: September 2019

Although it is a mistake to believe that the material traces left by a composer's practice can help us to properly reconstruct the creative process, compositional sketches may throw light on it. Nevertheless many such accounts take their respective case studies as isolated objects that are, unfortunately, sometimes decontextualised from the whole record of their authors. Ethnography potentially offers a better methodology and auto-ethnographic accounts, third party observations, and mixtures of these approaches have already been applied to contemporary music. This article aims to combine both these approaches in a discussion of a recent compositional project at IRCAM, carried out by a team of three people. I consider how the previous artistic experiences and achievements of these people, jointly and separately, have had a substantial impact on their shared project. In addition, as the case study had a scientific underpinning, I comment on the cognitive bridge that the composer had to build between scientific and musical conceptions.
Cognitive gadgets and cognitive priors
Authors: Iannetti Gian Domenico , Vallortigara Giorgio
Published: September 2019

Some of the foundations of Heyes’ radical reasoning seem to be based on a fractional selection of available evidence. Using an ethological perspective, we argue against Heyes’ rapid dismissal of innate cognitive instincts. Heyes’ use of fMRI studies of literacy to claim that culture assembles pieces of mental technology seems an example of incorrect reverse inferences and overlap theories pervasive in cognitive neuroscience.
Tinkering with cognitive gadgets: Cultural evolutionary psychology meets active inference
Authors: Badcock Paul Benjamin , Constant Axel , Ramstead Maxwell James Désormeau
Published: September 2019

Cognitive Gadgetsoffers a new, convincing perspective on the origins of our distinctive cognitive faculties, coupled with a clear, innovative research program. Although we broadly endorse Heyes’ ideas, we raise some concerns about her characterisation of evolutionary psychology and the relationship between biology and culture, before discussing the potential fruits of examining cognitive gadgets through the lens of active inference.
Culture in the world shapes culture in the head (and vice versa)
Authors: Baggs Edward , Raja Vicente , Anderson Michael L.
Published: September 2019

We agree with Heyes that an explanation of human uniqueness must appeal to cultural evolution, and not just genes. Her account, though, focuses narrowly on internal cognitive mechanisms. This causes her to mischaracterize human behavior and to overlook the role of material culture. A more powerful account would view cognitive gadgets as spanning organisms and their (shared) environments.
X-ray diffraction study of middlebackite [CuII2C2O4(OH)2, di-copper oxalate dihydroxide], using a mineral specimen from Mooloo Downs Station, Western Australia and chemically synthesized material
Authors: O'Connor B. H. , Clarke R. M. , Kimpton J. A. , Allen D. G.
Published: September 2019

Additional crystallographic data are given for the recently reported mineral middlebackite, which has been described for discoveries at Iron Knob in South Australia and Passo di San Lugano near Trento, Italy. The material examined in the present study was from a third finding of the mineral,viz.from a quartz outcrop at Mooloo Downs Station in Western Australia within which it was co-located with the chemically- and structurally-related mineral moolooite, CuIIC2O4·nH2O, reported by Clarke and Williams (1986). In this study, the crystal structure was elucidated independently of the other studies using a combination of thea prioricharge flipping and simulated annealing methods with synchrotron radiation diffraction (SRD) powder data. The principal crystal data for the Mooloo Downs material are: space groupP21/cwith lattice parametersa= 7.2659(18) Å,b= 5.7460(11) Å,c= 5.6806(11) Å,β= 104.588(3)°;Vc= 229.46(18) Å3; empirical formula CuII2C2O4(OH)2with 2 formula units per unit cell; and calculated density = 3.605 g cm−3. The lattice parameters agree approximately with values given for the other studies, but not within the reported error estimates. The atom coordinates, interatomic distances, and angles for the Mooloo Downs material are compared with those from the other studies using single crystal data, with the values from all three studies agreeing approximately, but again not within the reported uncertainties. The crystal chemistry found for middlebackite received strong confirmation through the synthesis for the first time of di-copper oxalate di-hydroxide. Laboratory X-ray diffraction powder data for the synthetic form of the mineral from this study agree closely with the SRD data for the natural mineral.
Multistate outbreak of Salmonella Poona infections associated with imported cucumbers, 2015–2016
Authors: Laughlin M. , Bottichio L. , Weiss J. , Higa J. , McDonald E. , Sowadsky R. , Fejes D. , Saupe A. , Provo G. , Seelman S. , Concepción-Acevedo J. , Gieraltowski L. ,   The Outbreak Investigation Team
Published: September 2019

We investigated a large multistate outbreak that occurred in the United States in 2015–2016. Epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback studies were conducted to determine the source of the infections. We identified 907 case-patients from 40 states with illness onset dates ranging from July 3, 2015 to March 2, 2016. Sixty-three percent of case-patients reported consuming cucumbers in the week before illness onset. Ten illness sub-clusters linked to events or purchase locations were identified. All sub-clusters investigated received cucumbers from a single distributor which were sourced from a single grower in Mexico. Seventy-five cucumber samples were collected, 19 of which yielded the outbreak strain. Whole genome sequencing performed on 154 clinical isolates and 19 cucumber samples indicated that the sequenced isolates were closely related genetically to one another. This was the largest US foodborne disease outbreak in the last ten years and the third largest in the past 20 years. This was at least the fifth multistate outbreak caused by contaminated cucumbers since 2010. The outbreak is noteworthy because a recall was issued only 17 days after the outbreak was identified, which allowed for the removal of the contaminated cucumbers still available in commerce, unlike previous cucumber associated outbreaks. The rapid identification and response of multiple public health agencies resulted in preventing this from becoming an even larger outbreak.
Semantic and lexical features of words dissimilarly affected by non-fluent, logopenic, and semantic primary progressive aphasia
Authors: Vonk Jet M. J. , Jonkers Roel , Hubbard H. Isabel , Gorno-Tempini Maria Luisa , Brickman Adam M. , Obler Loraine K.
Published: September 2019

Objective:

To determine the effect of three psycholinguistic variables—lexical frequency, age of acquisition (AoA), and neighborhood density (ND)—on lexical-semantic processing in individuals with non-fluent (nfvPPA), logopenic (lvPPA), and semantic primary progressive aphasia (svPPA). Identifying the scope and independence of these features can provide valuable information about the organization of words in our mind and brain.

Method:

We administered a lexical decision task—with words carefully selected to permit distinguishing lexical frequency, AoA, and orthographic ND effects—to 41 individuals with PPA (13 nfvPPA, 14 lvPPA, 14 svPPA) and 25 controls.

Results:

Of the psycholinguistic variables studied, lexical frequency had the largest influence on lexical-semantic processing, but AoA and ND also played an independent role. The results reflect a brain-language relationship with different proportional effects of frequency, AoA, and ND in the PPA variants, in a pattern that is consistent with the organization of the mental lexicon. Individuals with nfvPPA and lvPPA experienced an ND effect consistent with the role of inferior frontal and temporoparietal regions in lexical analysis and word form processing. By contrast, individuals with svPPA experienced an AoA effect consistent with the role of the anterior temporal lobe in semantic processing.

Conclusions:

The findings are in line with a hierarchical mental lexicon structure with a conceptual (semantic) and a lexeme (word-form) level, such that a selective deficit at one of these levels of the mental lexicon manifests differently in lexical-semantic processing performance, consistent with the affected language-specific brain region in each PPA variant.
Validation of the Patient Empowerment Strategies Questionnaire (PES-Q) in Greek adult patients with chronic insomnia: a pilot study on basic psychometric values
Authors: Tsoli Sofia , Galanakis Michael , Koumarianou Anna , Makris Gerasimos , Kapogiannis August , Chrousos George
Published: September 2019

Aim:

The objectives of this study were to validate the Patient Empowerment Strategies Questionnaire (PES-Q) in a Greek sample and to study its psychometric properties in a sample of patients diagnosed with chronic insomnia.

Background:

This is a validation of the PES-Q in Attikon General Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. The questionnaire was administered to 93 subjects aged between 18 and 85 years (mean age ± SD: 54.7 ± 15.2, 28% males).

Methods:

The criterion validity of the questionnaire was tested with the use of four specific criteria: the Athens Insomnia Scale, the Pittsburg questionnaire (Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index), the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale, and the Self-Esteem Scale.

Findings:

According to factor analysis results, the structure of the original scale was confirmed by the presence of one main factor in the Greek sample, explaining 40.1% of the variance of PES-Q queries. The questionnaire showed satisfactory reliability (Cronbach’s α = 0.887). The results of the current study suggest that the PES-Q may be used as an accurate psychometric instrument for the purposes of chronic insomnia. Future research should examine the psychometric qualities of the PES-Q Greek version in a larger sample.
What do workers want? Institutional complementarity as a mechanism of social change
Authors: Krampf Arie
Published: September 2019

This article presents a theory of social protection expansion in late-developing open economies based on actors’ perceptions of complementarity. Drawing on recent theories of institutional change and political economic theories of welfare regimes, the article explains why in late-developing open economies, processes of liberalization often result in social welfare expansion. The explanation is based on the existence of institutional complementarity between the production regime and the social welfare regime. The article offers an agent-based theory of change according to which actors – state or market actors – are likely to promote welfare expansion amid their expectations of higher payoffs and/or improved performance of the liberalized economy. This theory challenges the more conventional Power Resource Theory, according to which welfare regimes are shaped primarily by the balance of power between workers and employers. To test the theory, the article analyzes the enactment of the unemployment insurance law in Israel (1972).
Chamäleonkompetenz oder Rebellen und Fügsame in der Pflegeausbildung
Authors: Balzer Sabine
Published: September 2019

Zusammenfassung. Die Chamäleonkompetenz von Auszubildenden wird im spannungsreichen Pflegealltag in der Auseinandersetzung mit den gesellschaftlichen und institutionellen Bedingungen entwickelt. Sie ist die zentrale Überlebensstrategie im praktischen Handlungsfeld und wird durch zwei übergeordnete Typenprofile mit jeweils unterschiedlichen Handlungsmustern und Tendenzen konkretisiert: die Rebellen und die Fügsamen.
E-Learning in der betrieblichen Fort- und Weiterbildung
Authors: Kunz Alexandra , Koch Sebastian
Published: September 2019

Zusammenfassung. Digitale Medien zu Lehr- und Lernzwecken in der betrieblichen Weiterbildung bieten enorme Potenziale und Perspektiven. Gleichzeitig stellen sie die Anwender vor Herausforderungen, die sich hemmend auf ihre Nutzungsabsicht auswirken können. Soziale, organisatorische und individuelle Voraussetzungen haben einen entscheidenden Einfluss auf eine erfolgreiche Nutzung digitaler Lernangebote. Diese Untersuchung beschäftigt sich mit der Intention beruflich Pflegender am Klinikum der Universität München (KUM) gegenüber digitalen Lernangeboten.
Berufsbegleitend vs. ausbildungsbegleitend Pflegewissenschaft studieren
Authors: Heitmann-Möller André , Weidlich-Wichmann Uta , Linden Katja , Hasseler Martina , Batzdorfer Ludger
Published: September 2019

Zusammenfassung. Im Rahmen des Projekts „Lebenslanges Lernen an Hochschulen: Ein Trainingsprogramm für nicht-traditionell Studierende“ (ToPntS) wurden Studierende in pflegebezogenen Studiengängen mithilfe von Fokusgruppen interviewt. Der vorliegende Artikel konzentriert sich dabei auf die Gegenüberstellung von erlebten Barrieren von berufs- und ausbildungsbegleitend Studierenden während ihres Studiums. Dabei zeigt sich, dass ein ausbildungsbegleitendes Studium keine barrierefreie Angelegenheit darstellt.
Wechselwirkungen Psyche – Psychopharmaka – Körper – Psyche
Authors: Scholz Thelke
Published: September 2019

Zusammenfassung. Thelke Scholz hat viele Jahre Psychose-Erfahrung hinter sich. Sie berichtet davon, wie tiefgreifend diese Erfahrung ihr Leben verändert hat. Und wie bewegend das Absetzen von Medikamenten gewesen ist.
Youth Suicide in Korea Across the Educational Stages
Authors: Lee Dayoung , Jung Song , Park Seongjun , Lee KangWoo , Kweon Yong-Sil , Lee Eun-Jin , Yoon Kyung Hee , Cho Hannah , Jung Hyeji , Kim Ah Reum , Shin Bo-Ram , Hong Hyun Ju
Published: September 2019

Abstract. Background: Youth suicides have diverse characteristics according to the young people's developmental stages. Warning signs and communication of suicidal intent can be vague among early adolescents, while mental health problems may be more evidently related to suicidal ideation in older adolescents. Understanding the developmental characteristics of youth suicide is necessary for effective suicide prevention. Aims: We explored the differences between children and adolescents who died by suicide and the characteristics of these young people as observed by their school teachers. Method: We analyzed teachers' mandatory postmortem reports of suicides among 308 Korean students. We compared: suicide-related information including personal, familial, and school factors; stressful life events; and participation in interventions among elementary, middle, and high school students who died by suicide. We also assessed the distribution of student suicides per month. Results: Suicide among elementary school students increased during school vacations, and suicide among middle and high school students increased during the school semester. According to the teachers' reports, elementary school students who died by suicide were more extroverted and had better academic achievements than their high school peers, and had significantly lower levels of substance/tobacco use. Elementary school students who died by suicide showed significantly less academic stress and use of external professional help than did other groups. Limitations: Because this research is based on mandatory teacher reports, the subjective opinions of teachers may have affected the reliability of the data. Suicide by out-of-school youth was not included. Conclusion: School-based suicide prevention should be implemented in accordance with young people's developmental characteristics.
Measuring Well-Being With the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale –	Student Form
Authors: Gusy Burkhard , Lesener Tino , Wolter Christine
Published: September 2019

Abstract. Our study introduces a 9-item and an ultra-short 3-item version of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale – Student Form (UWES-SF). Using data from German university students ( N = 2,620), our aim was to validate the factorial structure of the UWES-9-SF and to investigate the reliability and validity of an ultra-short measure – the UWES-3-SF. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) confirmed the three-factor structure of the 9-item version (CFI = .95; SRMR = .033, RMSEA = .088), the internal consistencies of the sub-scales were satisfactory. The ultra-short version with three items (one of each dimension) also proved to be a reliable indicator of student engagement with a Cronbach’s α of .86. Construct validity with similar and opposite constructs (burnout, satisfaction with life, subjective health, depressive symptoms, challenging study demands) was successfully proven for both measures as well as for the sub-scales of the UWES-9-SF. The German short and ultra-short versions of the UWES-SF with nine and three items, respectively, are valid and reliable measures to assess student engagement.
Will Cigarette Butts Be Our Environmental Legacy?
Authors: Joel Lucas
Published: September 2019

People litter them by the trillions—but how long will butts last through the ages?
The Response of East Asian Monsoon to the Precessional Cycle: A New Study Using the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory Model
Authors: Lee Jung‐Eun , Fox‐Kemper Baylor , Horvat Christopher , Ming Yi
Published: September 2019

Speleothem oxygen isotopes have been shown to exhibit a close relationship with summer insolation in the Northern Hemisphere, leading to the hypothesis that East Asian monsoon intensity is proportional to the summer insolation. This hypothesis, however, has been questioned because previous climate model simulations have been unable to simulate the observed large variation in precipitation or the precipitation isotope values, about a half of the variation in the entire modern tropical regions, in response to the insolation change due to the precession cycle. Here we show new results, using the fully coupled Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory model, that it is dynamically possible to have much higher precipitation during the high summer insolation period compared with the low summer insolation period in the East Asian monsoon region. We conclude that past East Asian monsoon intensity probably increased with increasing northern hemispheric insolation, given a large change in speleothem oxygen isotopes.
An Interdecadal Shift of the Extratropical Teleconnection From the Tropical Pacific During Boreal Summer
Authors: O'Reilly Christopher H. , Woollings Tim , Zanna Laure , Weisheimer Antje
Published: September 2019

The extratropical teleconnection from the tropical Pacific in boreal summer exhibits a significant shift over the past 70 years. Cyclonic circulation anomalies over the North Atlantic and Eurasia associated with El Niño in the later period (1978–2014) are absent in the earlier period (1948–1977). An initialized atmospheric model ensemble, performed with prescribed sea surface temperature (SST) boundary conditions, replicates some key features of the shift in the teleconnection, providing clear evidence that this shift is not simply due to internal atmospheric variability or random sampling. Additional ensemble simulations, one with detrended tropical SSTs and another with constant external forcing are analyzed. In the model, the teleconnection shift is associated with climatological atmospheric circulation changes, which are substantially reduced in the simulation with detrended tropical SSTs. These results demonstrate that the climatological atmospheric circulation and associated teleconnection changes are largely forced by tropical SST trends.
Trends in Compound Flooding in Northwestern Europe During 1901–2014
Authors: Ganguli Poulomi , Merz Bruno
Published: September 2019

We analyze trends in compound flooding resulting from high coastal water levels (HCWLs) and peak river discharge over northwestern Europe during 1901–2014. Compound peak discharge associated with 37 stream gauges with at least 70 years of record availability near the North and Baltic Sea coasts is used. Compound flooding is assessed using a newly developed index, compound hazard ratio, that compares the severity of river flooding associated with HCWL with the at‐site, T‐year (a flood with 1/T chance of being exceeded in any given year) fluvial peak discharge. Our findings suggest a spatially coherent pattern in the dependence between HCWL and river peaks and in compound flood magnitudes and frequency. For higher return levels, we find upward trends in compound hazard ratio frequency at midlatitudes (gauges from 47°N to 60°N) and downward trends along the high latitude (>60°N) regions of northwestern Europe.
Time‐Dependent Response of the Terrestrial Exosphere to a Geomagnetic Storm
Authors: Cucho‐Padin Gonzalo , Waldrop Lara
Published: September 2019

Recent observations of significant enhancements in exospheric hydrogen (H) emission in response to geomagnetic storms have been difficult to interpret in terms of the evolution of the underlying global, 3‐D exospheric structure. In this letter, we report the first measurement of the timescales and spatial gradients associated with the exospheric response to a geomagnetic storm, which we derive from a novel, time‐dependent tomographic analysis of H emission data. We find that global H density at 3 RE begins to rise promptly, by ∼15%, after storm onset and that this perturbation appears to propagate outward with an effective speed of ∼60 m/s, a response that may be associated with enhanced thermospheric temperature and vertical neutral wind. This effective upwelling has significant implications for atmospheric escape as well as for charge exchange reaction rates, which drive important space weather effects such as plasmaspheric refilling and ring current decay.
Analysis of the Spatial Nonuniformity of the Electric Field in Spectroscopic Diagnostic Methods of Atmospheric Electricity Phenomena
Authors: Malagón‐Romero A. , Pérez‐Invernón F. J. , Luque A. , Gordillo‐Vázquez F. J.
Published: September 2019

The spatial nonuniformity of the electric field in air discharges, such as streamers, can influence the accuracy of spectroscopic diagnostic methods and hence the estimation of the peak electric field. In this work, we use a self‐consistent streamer discharge model to investigate the spatial nonuniformity in streamer heads and streamer glows. We focus our analysis on air discharges at atmospheric pressure and at the low pressure of the mesosphere. This approach is useful to investigate the spatial nonuniformity of laboratory discharges as well as sprite streamers and blue jet streamers, two types of transient luminous events taking place above thunderclouds. This characterization of the spatial nonuniformity of the electric field in air discharges allows us to develop two different spectroscopic diagnostic methods to estimate the peak electric field in cold plasmas. The commonly employed method to derive the peak electric field in streamer heads underestimates the electric field by about 40–50% as a consequence of the high spatial nonuniformity of the electric field. Our diagnostic methods reduce this underestimation to about 10–20%. However, our methods are less accurate than previous methods for streamer glows, where the electric field is uniformly distributed in space. Finally, we apply our diagnostic methods to the measured optical signals in the second positive system of N2 and the first negative system of
of sprites recorded by Armstrong et al. (1998, https://doi.org/10.1016/S1364-6826(98)00026-1) during the SPRITE's 1995 and 1996 campaigns.
Targeted therapeutic options and future perspectives for HER2-positive breast cancer
Authors: Wang Jiani , Xu Binghe
Published: September 2019

Over the past 2 decades, there has been an extraordinary progress in the regimens developed for the treatment of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer. Trastuzumab, pertuzumab, lapatinib, and ado-trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) are commonly recommended anti-HER2 target agents by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This review summarizes the most significant and updated research on clinical scenarios related to HER2-positive breast cancer management in order to revise the guidelines of everyday clinical practices. In this article, we present the data on anti-HER2 clinical research of neoadjuvant, adjuvant, and metastatic studies from the past 2 decades. We also highlight some of the promising strategies that should be critically considered. Lastly, this review lists some of the ongoing clinical trials, findings of which may soon be available.
The effects of plant-based diets on the body and the brain: a systematic review
Authors: Medawar Evelyn , Huhn Sebastian , Villringer Arno , Veronica Witte A.
Published: September 2019

Western societies notice an increasing interest in plant-based eating patterns such as vegetarian and vegan, yet potential effects on the body and brain are a matter of debate. Therefore, we systematically reviewed existing human interventional studies on putative effects of a plant-based diet on the metabolism and cognition, and what is known about the underlying mechanisms. Using the search terms “plant-based OR vegan OR vegetarian AND diet AND intervention” in PubMed filtered for clinical trials in humans retrieved 205 studies out of which 27, plus an additional search extending the selection to another five studies, were eligible for inclusion based on three independent ratings. We found robust evidence for short- to moderate-term beneficial effects of plant-based diets versus conventional diets (duration ≤ 24 months) on weight status, energy metabolism and systemic inflammation in healthy participants, obese and type-2 diabetes patients. Initial experimental studies proposed novel microbiome-related pathways, by which plant-based diets modulate the gut microbiome towards a favorable diversity of bacteria species, yet a functional “bottom up” signaling of plant-based diet-induced microbial changes remains highly speculative. In addition, little is known, based on interventional studies about cognitive effects linked to plant-based diets. Thus, a causal impact of plant-based diets on cognitive functions, mental and neurological health and respective underlying mechanisms has yet to be demonstrated. In sum, the increasing interest for plant-based diets raises the opportunity for developing novel preventive and therapeutic strategies against obesity, eating disorders and related comorbidities. Still, putative effects of plant-based diets on brain health and cognitive functions as well as the underlying mechanisms remain largely unexplored and new studies need to address these questions.
Converging evidence points towards a role of insulin signaling in regulating compulsive behavior
Authors: van de Vondervoort Ilse I. G. M. , Amiri Houshang , Bruchhage Muriel M. K. , Oomen Charlotte A. , Rustogi Nitin , Cooper Jason D. , van Asten Jack J. A. , Heerschap Arend , Bahn Sabine , Williams Steven C. R. , Buitelaar Jan K. , Poelmans Geert , Glennon Jeffrey C.
Published: September 2019

Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is a neuropsychiatric disorder with childhood onset, and is characterized by intrusive thoughts and fears (obsessions) that lead to repetitive behaviors (compulsions). Previously, we identified insulin signaling being associated with OCD and here, we aim to further investigate this link in vivo. We studied TALLYHO/JngJ (TH) mice, a model of type 2 diabetes mellitus, to (1) assess compulsive and anxious behaviors, (2) determine neuro-metabolite levels by 1 H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and brain structural connectivity by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and (3) investigate plasma and brain protein levels for molecules previously associated with OCD (insulin, Igf1, Kcnq1, and Bdnf) in these subjects. TH mice showed increased compulsivity-like behavior (reduced spontaneous alternation in the Y-maze) and more anxiety (less time spent in the open arms of the elevated plus maze). In parallel, their brains differed in the white matter microstructure measures fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) in the midline corpus callosum (increased FA and decreased MD), in myelinated fibers of the dorsomedial striatum (decreased FA and MD), and superior cerebellar peduncles (decreased FA and MD). MRS revealed increased glucose levels in the dorsomedial striatum and increased glutathione levels in the anterior cingulate cortex in the TH mice relative to their controls. Igf1 expression was reduced in the cerebellum of TH mice but increased in the plasma. In conclusion, our data indicates a role of (abnormal) insulin signaling in compulsivity-like behavior.
Association of chronic and acute inflammation of the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue with psychiatric disorders and suicidal behavior
Authors: Isung Josef , Isomura Kayoko , Almqvist Catarina , Lichtenstein Paul , Larsson Henrik , Wester Tomas , Rück Christian , Fernández de la Cruz Lorena , Sidorchuk Anna , Mataix-Cols David
Published: September 2019

Immune dysregulation due to chronic inflammation is a hypothesized risk factor underlying psychiatric disorders and suicidal behavior. Whether tonsillectomy and acute appendicitis used, respectively, as proxies for chronic and acute inflammation within the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) are associated with psychiatric disorders and suicidal behavior is currently unknown. A birth cohort study was conducted including 3,052,875 individuals born in Sweden between 1973 and 2003. We identified 210,686 individuals ever exposed to tonsillectomy and 86,928 individuals ever exposed to acute appendicitis, as well as 317,214 clusters of siblings discordant for tonsillectomy, and 160,079 sibling clusters discordant for acute appendicitis. Outcomes were an aggregate risk of ‘any psychiatric disorder’, ‘any suicidal behavior’, 12 individual psychiatric disorders, suicide attempts and deaths by suicide. Tonsillectomy was associated with increased odds of ‘any psychiatric disorder’ (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.39; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.38–1.41) and ‘any suicidal behavior’ (aOR = 1.41; 95% CI = 1.37–1.44), and most individual disorders. Acute appendicitis also increased the odds of ‘any psychiatric disorder’ and ‘any suicidal behavior’ (aOR = 1.23; 95% CI = 1.20–1.25, and aOR = 1.32; 95% CI = 1.28–1.37, respectively). Exposure to both tonsillectomy and appendicitis was associated with the highest odds of ‘any psychiatric disorder’ (aOR = 1.70; 95% CI = 1.59–1.82) and ‘any suicidal behavior’ (aOR = 1.90; 95% CI = 1.70–2.12). In sibling comparisons, the associations were attenuated but remained significant. We conclude that inflammation within the MALT, particularly when chronic, is robustly associated with a broad range of psychiatric disorders and suicidal behavior.
Vascular endothelial growth factor 165 inhibits pro-fibrotic differentiation of stromal cells via the DLL4/Notch4/smad7 pathway
Authors: Lv Haining , Nan Ziqing , Jiang Peipei , Wang Zhiyin , Song Minmin , Ding Hailin , Liu Dan , Zhao Guangfeng , Zheng Yaowu , Hu Yali
Published: September 2019

Endometrial fibrosis is the main pathological feature of Asherman’s syndrome (AS), which is the leading cause of uterine infertility. Much is known about the expression of VEGF165 in luminal/glandular epithelial cells and stromal cells of the endometrium in normal menstrual cycles; however, less is known about the role and mechanism of VEGF165 in endometrial fibrosis. Herein, we report that VEGF165 is a key regulator in endometrial stromal cells to inhibit α-SMA and collagen 1 expression. Compared to human control subjects, patients with AS exhibited decreased VEGF165 expression in the endometrium along with increased fibrotic marker expression and collagen production. A fibrotic phenotype was shown in both mice with conditional VEGF reduction and VEGF165-deleted endometrial stromal cells. Exogenous VEGF165 could suppress TGFβ1-induced α-SMA and collagen 1 expression in human primary endometrial stromal cells. However, this beneficial effect was hindered when the expression of smad7 or Notch4 was inhibited or when Notch signaling was blocked, suggesting that smad7 and Notch4 are essential downstream molecules for VEGFA functioning. Overall, our results uncover a clinical targeting strategy for VEGF165 to inhibit pro-fibrotic differentiation of stromal cells by inducing DLL4/Notch4/smad7, which paves the way for AS treatment.
Fast ionic conduction in semiconductor CeO2-δ electrolyte fuel cells
Authors: Wang Baoyuan , Zhu Bin , Yun Sining , Zhang Wei , Xia Chen , Afzal Muhammad , Cai Yixiao , Liu Yanyan , Wang Yi , Wang Hao
Published: September 2019

Producing electrolytes with high ionic conductivity has been a critical challenge in the progressive development of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) for practical applications. The conventional methodology uses the ion doping method to develop electrolyte materials, e.g., samarium-doped ceria (SDC) and yttrium-stabilized zirconia (YSZ), but challenges remain. In the present work, we introduce a logical design of non-stoichiometric CeO2-δ based on non-doped ceria with a focus on the surface properties of the particles. The CeO2−δ reached an ionic conductivity of 0.1 S/cm and was used as the electrolyte in a fuel cell, resulting in a remarkable power output of 660 mW/cm2 at 550 °C. Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) combined with electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) clearly clarified that a surface buried layer on the order of a few nanometers was composed of Ce3+ on ceria particles to form a CeO2−δ@CeO2 core–shell heterostructure. The oxygen deficient layer on the surface provided ionic transport pathways. Simultaneously, band energy alignment is proposed to address the short circuiting issue. This work provides a simple and feasible methodology beyond common structural (bulk) doping to produce sufficient ionic conductivity. This work also demonstrates a new approach to progress from material fundamentals to an advanced low-temperature SOFC technology.
Altered kynurenine pathway metabolites in a mouse model of human attention-deficit hyperactivity/autism spectrum disorders: A potential new biological diagnostic marker
Authors: Murakami Yuki , Imamura Yukio , Saito Kuniaki , Sakai Daisuke , Motoyama Jun
Published: September 2019

Deleterious mutations in patchd1 domain containing 1 (PTCHD1) gene have been identified in patients with intellectual disability and/or autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To clarify the causal relationship between Ptchd1 deficiency and behavioral defects relevant to neurodevelopmental disorders, we generated global Ptchd1 knockout (KO) mice. Ptchd1 KO mice displayed hyperlocomotion, increased impulsivity, and lower recognition memory, which resemble attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-like behaviors. Acute or chronic treatment with atomoxetine ameliorated almost all behavioral deficits in Pthcd1 KO mice. We next determined possible involvement of the kynurenine pathway (KP) metabolites in neurodevelopmental disorders in Ptchd1 KO mice and assessed the potential of KP metabolites as biomarkers for ADHD and/or ASD. Ptchd1 KO mice showed drastic changes in KP metabolite concentrations in the serum and the brain, indicating that the activated KP is associated with ADHD-like behaviors. Our findings indicate that Ptchd1 KO mice can be used as an animal model of human ADHD and/or ASD, and KP metabolites are potential diagnostic biomarkers for neurodevelopmental disorders.