bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Learning higher-order logic programs
Authors: Cropper Andrew , Morel Rolf , Muggleton Stephen
Published: December 2019

A key feature of inductive logic programming is its ability to learn first-order programs, which are intrinsically more expressive than propositional programs. In this paper, we introduce techniques to learn higher-order programs. Specifically, we extend meta-interpretive learning (MIL) to support learning higher-order programs by allowing for higher-order definitions to be used as background knowledge. Our theoretical results show that learning higher-order programs, rather than first-order programs, can reduce the textual complexity required to express programs, which in turn reduces the size of the hypothesis space and sample complexity. We implement our idea in two new MIL systems: the Prolog system $$\text {Metagol}_{ho}$$

Metagol

ho

and the ASP system $$\text {HEXMIL}_{ho}$$

HEXMIL

ho

. Both systems support learning higher-order programs and higher-order predicate invention, such as inventing functions for and conditions for . We conduct experiments on four domains (robot strategies, chess playing, list transformations, and string decryption) that compare learning first-order and higher-order programs. Our experimental results support our theoretical claims and show that, compared to learning first-order programs, learning higher-order programs can significantly improve predictive accuracies and reduce learning times.
Priorities and Preferences in Water Quality Management - a Case Study of the Alsterån River Basin
Authors: Ek Kristina , Persson Lars
Published: December 2019

Sweden is a decentralised country where local managers, who are key actors in water management, often deal with relatively difficult prioritisations, tradeoffs and conflicting goals. Many of these challenges relate to the effective implementation of the European Union Water Framework Directive. As an input to these challenges, the present paper elicits and analyses local and semi-local citizens’ preferences for water quality attributes related to the European Water Framework directive in a river basin located in southeast of Sweden. Based on a choice experiment tailored to the case study area, the paper analyses preferences for selected attributes based on real criteria for ecological water status in the implementation of the directive. The target population lives in the municipalities through which the river passes, or in municipalities neighbouring those. Despite this spatial proximity to the river, the analysis reveals limited knowledge and interest in matters related to the environmental quality of the river. There is no evidence that preferences differ between respondents with regard to experience or knowledge about the water basin, nor with regard to recreational habits in the area. These results offer input to local water management by providing information about preferences for explicit water quality attributes.
Predicting Limit-Setting Behavior of Gamblers Using Machine Learning Algorithms: A Real-World Study of Norwegian Gamblers Using Account Data
Authors: Auer Michael , Griffiths Mark D.
Published: December 2019

Player protection and harm minimization have become increasingly important in the gambling industry along with the promotion of responsible gambling (RG). Among the most widespread RG tools that gaming operators provide are limit-setting tools that help players limit the amount of time and/or money they spend gambling. Research suggests that limit-setting significantly reduces the amount of money that players spend. If limit-setting is to be encouraged as a way of facilitating responsible gambling, it is important to know what variables are important in getting individuals to set and change limits in the first place. In the present study, 33 variables assessing the player behavior among Norsk Tipping clientele (N = 70,789) from January to March 2017 were computed. The 33 variables which reflect the players’ behavior were then used to predict the likelihood of gamblers changing their monetary limit between April and June 2017. The 70,789 players were randomly split into a training dataset of 56,532 and an evaluation set of 14,157 players (corresponding to an 80/20 split). The results demonstrated that it is possible to predict future limit-setting based on player behavior. The random forest algorithm appeared to predict limit-changing behavior much better than the other algorithms. However, on the independent test data, the random forest algorithm’s accuracy dropped significantly. The best performance on the test data along with a small decrease in accuracy in comparison to the training data was delivered by the gradient boost machine learning algorithm. The most important variables predicting future limit-setting using the gradient boost machine algorithm were players receiving feedback that they had reached 80% of their personal monthly global loss limit, personal monthly loss limit, the amount bet, theoretical loss, and whether the players had increased their limits in the past. With the help of predictive analytics, players with a high likelihood of changing their limits can be proactively approached.
A new model for predicting the total tree height for stems cut-to-length by harvesters in Pinus radiata plantations
Authors: Shan Chenxi , Bi Huiquan , Watt Duncan , Li Yun , Strandgard Martin , Ghaffariyan Mohammad Reza
Published: December 2019

A new model for predicting the total tree height for harvested stems from cut-to-length (CTL) harvester data was constructed forPinus radiata(D.Don) following a conceptual analysis of relative stem profiles, comparisons of candidate models forms and extensive selections of predictor variables. Stem profiles of more than 3000 trees in a taper data set were each processed 6 times through simulated log cutting to generate the data required for this purpose. The CTL simulations not only mimicked but also covered the full range of cutting patterns of nearly 0.45 × 106stems harvested during both thinning and harvesting operations. The single-equation model was estimated through the multiple-equation generalized method of moments estimator to obtain efficient and consistent parameter estimates in the presence of error correlation and heteroscedasticity that were inherent to the systematic structure of the data. The predictive performances of our new model in its linear and nonlinear form were evaluated through a leave-one-tree-out cross validation process and compared against that of the only such existing model. The evaluations and comparisons were made through benchmarking statistics both globally over the entire data space and locally within specific subdivisions of the data space. These statistics indicated that the nonlinear form of our model was the best and its linear form ranked second. The prediction accuracy of our nonlinear model improved when the total log length represented more than 20% of the total tree height. The poorer performance of the existing model was partly attributed to the high degree of multicollinearity among its predictor variables, which led to highly variable and unstable parameter estimates. Our new model will facilitate and widen the utilization of harvester data far beyond the current limited use for monitoring and reporting log productions inP. radiataplantations. It will also facilitate the estimation of bark thickness and help make harvester data a potential source of taper data to reduce the intensity and cost of the conventional destructive taper sampling in the field. Although developed forP. radiata, the mathematical form of our new model will be applicable to other tree species for which CTL harvester data are routinely captured during thinning and harvesting operations.
Prevention and treatment of pancreatic fistula after pancreatic body and tail resection: current status and future directions
Authors: Jiang Li , Ning Deng , Chen Xiaoping
Published: December 2019

Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) is the most common and critical complication after pancreatic body and tail resection. How to effectively reduce the occurrence of pancreatic fistula and conduct timely treatment thereafter is an urgent clinical issue to be solved. Recent research standardized the definition of pancreatic fistula and stressed the correlation between POPF classification and patient prognosis. According to the literature, identification of the risk factors for pancreatic fistula contributed to lowering the rate of the complication. Appropriate management of the pancreatic stump and perioperative treatment are of great significance to reduce the rate of POPF in clinical practice. After the occurrence of POPF, the treatment of choice should be determined according to the classification of the pancreatic fistula. However, despite the progress and promising treatment approaches, POPF remains to be a clinical issue that warrants further studies in the future.
Geomechanical Modelling of Railroad Ballast: A Review
Authors: Alabbasi Yahia , Hussein Mohammed
Published: December 2019

Traditional ballasted tracks have been used intensively around the world with ballast as the main material for tracks. Ballast has a significant contribution to the track alignment, stability and sustainability. After service, ballast deforms and degrades. Periodic ballast maintenance is needed which is a time and cost expensive activity. Understanding the mechanical behaviour of railroad ballast leads to better design and efficient maintenance. From the literature, there are two main approaches used to understand the mechanical behaviour of railroad ballast; large scale experimental and modelling. This paper aims to review the state of the art of literature on the modelling approaches used to understand ballast mechanical behaviour. It discusses the key findings from each modelling approach in understanding ballast mechanical behavior. It presents the main concerns and limitations of each modelling approach from different perspectives related to ballast modelling. It summarizes the limitations, gaps and gaps’ developments of the researches used to understand ballast behaviour via modelling approach.
Aging and Mechanoadaptive Responsiveness of Bone
Authors: Javaheri Behzad , Pitsillides Andrew A.
Published: December 2019

Purpose of Review

Osteoporosis is an age-related disorder characterized by bone loss and increased fracture susceptibility. Whether this is due to reduced loading in less active elderly individuals or inherent modifications in bone cells is uncertain. We suppose that osteoporosis is nonetheless prima facie evidence for impaired mechanoadaptation; either capacity to accrue new bone declines, or the stimulus for such accrual is absent/can no longer be triggered in the aged. Herein, we provide only sufficient background to enable a focus on recent advances which seek to address such dilemmas.

Recent Findings

Recent advances from innovative high-impact loading regimes emphasize the priming of mechanoadaptation in the aged, such that low-to-moderate intensity loading becomes beneficial. These new findings lead us to speculate that aged bone mechanoadaptation is not driven solely by strain magnitude but is instead sensitive to high strain gradients.

Impaired mechanoadaptation is a feature of the aged skeleton. Recent advances indicate that novel interventional loading regimes can restore mechanoadaptive capacity, enabling new approaches for retaining bone health in the aged. Innovative exercise paradigms appear to be capable of “hacking” into the osteogenic signal produced by exercise such that low-to-moderate intensity activities may also become more beneficial. Deciphering the underpinning mechanism(s) will also enable new pharmacological intervention for retaining bone health in the aged.
Associations of Radiographic Cerebral Small Vessel Disease with Acute Intracerebral Hemorrhage Volume, Hematoma Expansion, and Intraventricular Hemorrhage
Authors: Uniken Venema Simone M. , Marini Sandro , Brouwers H. Bart , Morotti Andrea , Woo Daniel , Anderson Christopher D. , Rosand Jonathan
Published: December 2019

Background and Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of radiographic cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) on the severity of acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) as measured by: ICH volume, hematoma expansion, and extension of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH).

Methods

CSVD was determined on baseline computed tomography (CT) scans of patients from the Ethnic and Racial Variations of Intracerebral Hemorrhage study through the extent of leukoaraiosis and cerebral atrophy using visual rating scales. The associations of leukoaraiosis and atrophy with ICH volume, hematoma expansion, IVH presence, and severity of IVH were tested using multivariable regression models. Secondary analyses were stratified by hemorrhage location. Bonferroni correction was applied to correct for multiple testing.

Results

A total of 2579 patients (mean age 61.7 years, 59% male) met inclusion criteria. Median ICH volume was 10.5 (Interquartile range [IQR] 4.0–25.3) mL. IVH was detected in 971 patients (38%). Neither leukoaraiosis nor atrophy was associated with hematoma expansion. Increasing grades of leukoaraiosis were associated with increased risk of IVH in a dose-dependent manner, while cerebral atrophy was inversely associated with IVH (both P for trend < 0.001). Increasing grades of global atrophy were dose-dependently associated with lower ICH volumes (ß (95% Confidence Interval [CI]) − 0.30[− 0.46, − 0.14], − 0.33[− 0.49, − 0.17], − 0.40[− 0.60, − 0.20], and − 0.54[− 0.76, − 0.32], for grades 1, 2, 3 and 4 compared to 0; all P < 0.001). The associations of leukoaraiosis with ICH volume were consistent with those of atrophy, albeit not meeting statistical significance.

Conclusions

Leukoaraiosis and cerebral atrophy appear to have opposing associations with ICH severity. Cerebral atrophy correlates with smaller ICH volume and decreased risk and severity of IVH, while leukoaraiosis is associated with increased risk of IVH. Whether these observations reflect overlapping or divergent underlying mechanisms requires further study.
Attitudes and Behavior of Patients with Gynecologic Malignancy Towards Sexual Issues: a Single-institutional Survey
Authors: Chen Wei , Ma Qin , Chen Xiaoqin , Wang Chenyan , Yang Huijuan , Zhang Yi , Ye Shuang
Published: December 2019

To better understand patients’ perspectives and preferences for sexual issues and to provide information to guide medical staff in delivering sexual health care, an anonymous, cross-sectional survey of inpatient gynecologic cancer patients was conducted from April 2017 to March 2018. The questionnaire consisted of three parts: basic information, a history of sexuality discussion, and eight preference questions. A total of 1192 patients were included, and the median age was 43 years. More than half of the patients had a junior high school education or less and low income. Of the patients, 46.2% agreed that, “Doctors should deal with patients’ sexual issues,” and 56.2% agreed that, “Doctors should raise the topic of sexual issues.” While 69.1% of the patients were willing to raise the topic themselves if any sexual problem existed, 35.9% of the patients agreed, “It’s not the right time to discuss sex due to my severe disease.” Less than 30% of the patients thought that “There’s no need to intervene because sex is private” and “I do not feel comfortable discussing sex.” A total of 41.1% of the patients were interested in undertaking basic sexual health consultation. Multiple logistic regression analysis demonstrated the following predictive factors for a history of consultation: young age; good education; and agreement with the statements, “Doctors should raise the topic of sexual issues,” “If any sexual problem exists, I will raise the topic,” and “I have an interest in participating in sex-counseling activities.” Patients were willing to discuss sexual issues and were interested in sexual health training. It is important to increase the medical staff awareness of the need to inquire about and address patients’ sexual issues.
Commuting times and the mobilisation of skills in emergent cities
Authors: O’Clery Neave , Curiel Rafael Prieto , Lora Eduardo
Published: December 2019

Labour mobility within a large city or metropolitan area is a necessary condition for the optimal exploitation of agglomeration economies. We propose a method to establish which municipalities should be considered part of a metropolitan area based on labour market integration. In order to aggregate geographically proximate urban municipalities, we develop a network-based model that makes industry productivity (manifesting in formal employment creation) dependent on firms’ ability to find, within city limits, the diversity of skills they need to move to new complex industries. In this way, we uncover the natural city scale at which firms optimally exploit the range of skills available to them within a broad catchment area. Considering Colombian cities, we find that commuting times between 45 and 75 min, corresponding to between 43 and 62 distinct cities or integrated labour markets, allow firms to maximise formal employment creation (between 2008 and 2013). This result supports the development of passenger transport limiting commuting times within cities, connecting small- and mid-size cities to nearby large cities, and coordinating transportation investments across traditional administrative boundaries.
Understanding Classroom Bullying Climates: the Role of Student Body Composition, Relationships, and Teaching Quality
Authors: Dietrich Lars , Cohen Jonathan
Published: December 2019

Scores of intervention programs these days apply instructional and, sometimes, systemic strategies to reduce bullying in schools. However, meta-analyses show that, on average, such programs decrease bullying and victimization only by around 20%, and often show no or negative effects in middle and high schools. Due to these sobering results, we propose the idea that bullying prevention for adolescents needs to focus more strongly on systemically informed relationship-building efforts. Building on past research, this study focuses on several aspects of relationships and classroom climate which are significant predictors of bullying behaviors: SES, ethnicity, and teaching quality. We propose the hypothesis that the link between classroom-level bullying and three classroom-level factors—students’ SES background, students’ ethnicity, and teaching quality—is mediated by the quality of student-teacher and student-student relationships (STR and SSR). The study uses multilevel structural regression modeling (M-SRM) to analyze a large and ethnically diverse American survey dataset (N = 146,044 students). Results confirm the hypothesis, showing that the relationships between SES and bullying, and between ethnicity and bullying, are entirely mediated by the quality of STR and SSR; the link between SES and bullying is even over-explained by the two relationship factors. Furthermore, the quality of STR is a positive predictor of medium strength (standardized coefficient = 0.45) of the quality of SSR. The findings suggest that schools with high levels of bullying behavior among students need to (re-)focus teacher professional development on relationship-building skills as well as instructional and a range of systemically informed improvement efforts.
Correction to: Prototypical Peripheral Toponym Pairs Expressing the Concept ‘All Over the Country’ as a Part of the Mental Map
Authors: Reinsma Riemer
Published: December 2019

The article Prototypical Peripheral Toponym Pairs Expressing the Concept ‘All Over the Country’ as a Part of the Mental Map, written by Riemer Reinsma, was originally published electronically on the publisher’s internet portal on 20 August 2019 without open access.With the author(s)’ decision to opt for Open Choice the copyright of the article changed in December 2019 to © The Author(s) 2019 and the article is forthwith distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made.
Antarctic ice-sheet structures retrieved from P-wave coda autocorrelation method and comparisons with two other single-station passive seismic methods
Authors: Yan Peng , Li Zhiwei , Li Fei , Yang Yuande , Hao Weifeng
Published: December 2019

Passive seismology is becoming increasingly popular for glacier/ice-sheet structure investigations in Polar regions. Single-station passive seismic methods including P-wave receiver functions (PRFs), horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) and a recently proposed autocorrelation method have been used to retrieve glacier/ice-sheet structures. Despite their successful applications, analysis regarding their detection abilities in different glaciological environments has not been reported. In this study, we compare ice thicknesses andvp/vsratios obtained from the three methods using data collected at GAMSEIS and POLENET/ANET seismic arrays in Antarctica. Ice thickness estimates derived from the three methods are found to be consistent. Comparisons conducted under various model setups, including those involving tiled layers and sedimentary layers, show that the effectiveness of the autocorrelation method is not superior to the PRF method for retrieving ice-sheet structures. The autocorrelation method however can complement other methods as it only requires a single component seismic record.
Ideologia del gender: towards a transcultural understanding of the phenomenon
Authors: Spallaccia Beatrice
Published: December 2019

The Italian debate over gender inclusivity has recently been dominated by a ubiquitous term: ideologia del gender. This expression has been used extensively by a galaxy of reactionary forces to thwart the implementation of gender-mainstreaming policies. Recent research has shown that similar anti-gender manifestations have mushroomed across Europe, with discursive elements which recall the Italian anti-gender narrative. This article first sets Italian anti-genderism within a broader transnational movement. Second, through a feminist critical analysis of Italian anti-gender discourse, it shows that ideologia del gender should be interpreted as a new rhetorical device used to reaffirm gender-based prejudice in Italy and other European countries. Third, drawing on the work of Wolfgang Welsch (1999), the paper discusses whether this movement can be interpreted as a transcultural phenomenon, and suggests a transcultural model of culture as the antidote to the anti-gender backlash.
Waldo Heliodoor Zagwijn (1928–2018): the instigator and architect of European chronostratigraphy
Authors: Hooghiemstra Henry , Hoek Wim Z.
Published: December 2019

On 26 June 2018 Waldo Heliodoor Zagwijn died at the age of 89. He was an Emeritus Professor of the Faculty of Earth Sciences, Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. As a geologist, palynologist and palaeobotanist he focused on developing a stratigraphy of the Netherlands based on changes in vegetation and climate. The Dutch setting of a subsiding basin, and the clear signal of a sequence of glacial–interglacial cycles, was promising. As early as the late 1950s it became clear that the Quaternary Period included more than the previously assumed four ice ages in the Netherlands. In his PhD thesis Zagwijn defined the start of the Quaternary around 2.5 million years before the present (2.5 Ma). The international community accepted Zagwijn’s arguments after he retired. He showed how the rivers Meuse, Scheldt and Rhine had built the Netherlands in four dimensions. He is the instigator and architect of the climate- and chronostratigraphy of the Quaternary Period of Western Europe.
Non-Soviet Perspectives on the Great Famine: A Comparative Analysis of British, Italian, Polish, and German Sources
Authors: Fonzi Paolo
Published: December 2019

The present contribution analyzes systematically diplomatic reports written by German, Italian, British, and Polish representatives in the Soviet Union at the time of the Great Famine. Based on both published documents and unpublished archival sources, the article examines comparatively the perception of the Great Famine in these four countries. After providing a short overview of the diplomatic relations between the Soviet Union and the four countries at the time of the famine, this article examines how German, Italian, British, and Polish diplomats explained three key issues for understanding the Great Famine: (1) the role of the conflicts between state and peasantry in unleashing the famine; (2) the issue of whether the Soviet government intentionally caused the famine; and (3) the role of intentions in the development of the famine and the relationship between the nationalities policy of the Soviet government and the famine.
Diet quality in late midlife is associated with faster walking speed in later life in women, but not men: findings from a prospective British birth cohort
Authors: Tektonidis Thanasis G. , Coe Shelly , Esser Patrick , Maddock Jane , Buchanan Sarah , Mavrommati Foteini , Schott Jonathan M. , Izadi Hooshang , Richards Marcus , Dawes Helen
Published: December 2019

Healthy diet has been linked to better age-related functioning, but evidence on the relationship of diet quality in late midlife and measures of physical capability in later life is limited. Research on potential sex differences in this relationship is scarce. The aim was to investigate the prospective association between overall diet quality, as assessed by the Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015) at 60–64 years and measures of walking speed 7 years later, among men and women from the Insight 46, a neuroscience sub-study of the Medical Research Council National Survey of Health and Development. Diet was assessed at 60–64 years using 5-d food diaries, from which total HEI-2015 was calculated. At 69–71 years, walking speed was estimated during four 10-m walks at self-selected pace, using inertial measurement units. Multivariable linear regression models with sex as a modifier, controlling for age, follow-up, lifestyle, health/social variables and physical performance, were used. The final sample consists of 164 women and 167 men (n 331). Women had higher HEI-2015 and slower walking speed than men. A 10-point increase in HEI-2015 was associated with faster walking speed among women (B 0·024, 95 % CI 0·006, 0·043), but not men. The association remained significant in the multivariable model (B 0·021, 95 % CI 0·003, 0·040). In women, higher diet quality in late midlife is associated with faster walking speed. A healthy diet in late midlife is likely to contribute towards better age-related physical capability, and sex differences are likely to affect this relationship.
Characterization ofDermothecasp. Infection in a midwestern state-endangered salamander (Ambystoma platineum) and a co-occurring common species (Ambystoma texanum)
Authors: Adamovicz Laura , Woodburn Daniel B. , Virrueta Herrera Stephany , Low Kelsey , Phillips Christopher A. , Kuhns Andrew R. , Crawford John A. , Allender Matthew C.
Published: December 2019

Ichthyosporean parasites (order Dermocystida) can cause morbidity and mortality in amphibians, but their ecology and epidemiology remain understudied. We investigated the prevalence, gross and histologic appearance, and molecular phylogeny of a novel dermocystid in the state-endangered silvery salamander (Ambystoma platineum) and the co-occurring, non-threatened small-mouthed salamander (Ambystoma texanum) from Illinois. Silvery salamanders (N= 610) were sampled at six ephemeral wetlands from 2016 to 2018. Beginning in 2017, 1–3 mmraised, white skin nodules were identified in 24 silvery salamanders and two small-mouthed salamanders from five wetlands (prevalence = 0–11.1%). Skin biopsy histology (N= 4) was consistent with dermocystid sporangia, and necropsies (N= 3) identified infrequent hepatic sporangia. Parasitic 18S rRNA sequences (N= 5) from both salamander species were identical, and phylogenetic analysis revealed a close relationship toDermotheca viridescens. Dermocystids were not identified in museum specimens from the same wetlands (N= 125) dating back to 1973. This is the first report ofDermothecasp. affecting caudates in the Midwestern United States. Future research is needed to determine the effects of this pathogen on individual and population health, and to assess whether this organism poses a threat to the conservation of ambystomatid salamanders.
Parasite-derived circulating microRNAs as biomarkers for the detection of human Schistosoma japonicum infection
Authors: Mu Yi , Cai Pengfei , Olveda Remigio M. , Ross Allen G. , Olveda David U. , McManus Donald P.
Published: December 2019

Novel tools for early diagnosis and monitoring of schistosomiasis are urgently needed. This study aimed to validate parasite-derived miRNAs as potential novel biomarkers for the detection of human Schistosoma japonicum infection. A total of 21 miRNAs were initially validated by real-time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using serum samples of S. japonicum-infected BALB/c mice. Of these, 6 miRNAs were further validated with a human cohort of individuals from a schistosomiasis-endemic area of the Philippines. RT-PCR analysis showed that two parasite-derived miRNAs (sja-miR-2b-5p and sja-miR-2c-5p) could detect infected individuals with low infection intensity with moderate sensitivity/specificity values of 66%/68% and 55%/80%, respectively. Analysis of the combined data for the two parasite miRNAs revealed a specificity of 77.4% and a sensitivity of 60.0% with an area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.6906 (P = 0.0069); however, a duplex RT-PCR targeting both sja-miR-2b-5p and sja-miR-2c-5p did not result in an increased diagnostic performance compared with the singleplex assays. Furthermore, the serum level of sja-miR-2c-5p correlated significantly with faecal egg counts, whereas the other five miRNAs did not. Targeting S. japonicum-derived miRNAs in serum resulted in a moderate diagnostic performance when applied to a low schistosome infection intensity setting.
Towards deorphanizing G protein-coupled receptors of Schistosoma mansoni using the MALAR yeast two-hybrid system
Authors: Weth Oliver , Haeberlein Simone , Haimann Martin , Zhang Yinjie , Grevelding Christoph G.
Published: December 2019

Schistosomiasis is an acute and chronic disease caused by parasitic worms of the genus Schistosoma. Treatment is solely dependent on praziquantel. In the face of the worldwide dimension, projects have been initiated to develop new chemotherapies. Due to their proven druggability, G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are promising targets for anthelmintics. However, to identify candidate receptors, a deeper understanding of GPCR signalling in schistosome biology is essential. Comparative transcriptomics of paired and unpaired worms and their gonads revealed 59 differentially regulated GPCR-coding genes putatively involved in neuronal processes. In general, the diversity among GPCRs and their integral membrane topology make it difficult to characterize and deorphanize these receptors. To overcome existing limitations, we performed a pilot approach and utilized the innovative Membrane-Anchored Ligand And Receptor yeast two-hybrid system (MALAR-Y2H) to associate potential neuropeptide ligands with their cognate receptors. Here, we demonstrated the ability to express full-length GPCRs of Schistosoma mansoni in a heterologous yeast-based system. Additionally, we localized GPCRs and chimeras of neuropeptides fused to the WBP1 transmembrane domain of yeast to the plasma membrane of yeast cells. Reporter gene assays indicated ligand-receptor binding, which allowed us to identify certain neuropeptides as potential ligands for two GPCRs, which had been found before to be differentially expressed in schistosomes in a pairing-dependent manner. Thus, the MALAR-Y2H system appears suitable to unravel schistosome GPCR–ligand interactions. Besides its relevance for understanding schistosome biology, identifying and characterizing GPCR–ligand interaction will also contribute to applied research aspects.
Disentangling nature from nurture in examining the interplay between parent–child relationships, ADHD, and early academic attainment
Authors: Sellers R. , Harold G. T. , Smith A. F. , Neiderhiser J. M. , Reiss D. , Shaw D. , Natsuaki M. N. , Thapar A. , Leve L. D.
Published: December 2019

Background

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is highly heritable and is associated with lower educational attainment. ADHD is linked to family adversity, including hostile parenting. Questions remain regarding the role of genetic and environmental factors underlying processes through which ADHD symptoms develop and influence academic attainment.

Method

This study employed a parent-offspring adoption design (N= 345) to examine the interplay between genetic susceptibility to child attention problems (birth mother ADHD symptoms) and adoptive parent (mother and father) hostility on child lower academic outcomes, via child ADHD symptoms. Questionnaires assessed birth mother ADHD symptoms, adoptive parent (mother and father) hostility to child, early child impulsivity/activation, and child ADHD symptoms. The Woodcock–Johnson test was used to examine child reading and math aptitude.

Results

Building on a previous study (Harold et al., 2013,Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 54(10), 1038–1046), heritable influences were found: birth mother ADHD symptoms predicted child impulsivity/activation. In turn, child impulsivity/activation (4.5 years) evoked maternal and paternal hostility, which was associated with children's ADHD continuity (6 years). Both maternal and paternal hostility (4.5 years) contributed to impairments in math but not reading (7 years), via impacts on ADHD symptoms (6 years).

Conclusion

Findings highlight the importance of early child behavior dysregulation evoking parent hostility in both mothersandfathers, with maternal and paternal hostility contributing to the continuation of ADHD symptoms and lower levels of later math ability. Early interventions may be important for the promotion of child math skills in those with ADHD symptoms, especially where children have high levels of early behavior dysregulation.
PENSION FUND RESTORATION POLICY IN GENERAL EQUILIBRIUM
Authors: Kastelein Pim B. , Romp Ward E.
Published: December 2019

When the financial positions of pension funds worsen, regulations prescribe that pension funds reduce the gap between their assets (invested contributions) and their liabilities (accumulated pension promises). This paper quantifies the business cycle effects and distributional implications of various types of restoration policies. We extend a canonical New-Keynesian model with a tractable demographic structure and, as a novelty, a flexible pension fund framework. Fund participants accumulate inflation-indexed or non-indexed benefits and funding adequacy is restored by revaluing previously accumulated pension wealth (Defined Contribution (DC)) or changing the pension fund contribution rate on labor income (Defined Benefit (DB)). Economies with DC pension funds respond similarly to adverse capital quality shocks as economies without pension funds. DB pension funds, however, distort labor supply decisions and exacerbate economic fluctuations. While DB pension funds achieve intergenerational risk-sharing, welfare analyses indicate that the negative effects of the induced distortions are sizeable.
INTERGENERATIONAL MOBILITY AND SOCIAL STATUS IN A MODEL WITH HUMAN CAPITAL INVESTMENTS AND TRAIT INHERITANCE
Authors: Andergassen Rainer , Nardini Franco
Published: December 2019

We study a model in which parents care about the economic and social status of their offspring. The chances of an individual achieving social status depends on innate traits, that is, IQ, ability, social and cultural environment, and other price-insensitive endowments, passed on by their parents, on human capital investments and on chance events. Parents can, through human capital investments, increase the offspring’s probability of climbing the social ladder, although they cannot borrow against the children’s perspective earning. Consequently, income and trait heterogeneity are the determinants of unequal opportunities and of intergenerational mobility.
The Itinerant Passions of Protestant Pastors: Ministerial Elopement Scandals in the Gilded Age and Progressive Era Press
Authors: Krivulskaya Suzanna
Published: December 2019

Between 1870 and 1914, at least 266 Protestant ministers abandoned their posts, left their homes and families, and eloped with women who were not their wives. As critics of religion used these elopement scandals to discredit American Protestantism, those sympathetic to religion's hold on American morality attempted to dissuade the press from indulging in the sensational. Though initially hesitant to report on Protestant pastors' immoralities in this period, the press eventually came to an almost universal acceptance of scandal as a legitimate journalistic genre. As the public wondered what the proliferation of sex scandals among the Protestant elites might mean for religion in America, the press used the genre of ministerial elopement as an entrée into larger cultural debates about religion, marriage, and romantic love in the Gilded Age and Progressive Era.
Esketamine for treatment resistant depression: a trick of smoke and mirrors?
Authors: Gastaldon C. , Papola D. , Ostuzzi G. , Barbui C.
Published: December 2019

In March 2019, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a nasal spray formulation of esketamine for the treatment of resistant depression in adults. Esketamine is the S-enantiomer of ketamine, an FDA-approved anaesthetic, known to cause dissociation and, occasionally, hallucinations. While ketamine has not been approved for depression in the USA or in any other country, it has been used off-label in cases of severe depression. This commentary critically reviewed the evidence on esketamine submitted to the FDA, aiming to draw implications for clinical practice, research and regulatory science.
Household economic burden and outcomes of patients with schizophrenia after being unlocked and treated in rural China
Authors: Xu L. , Xu T. , Tan W. , Yan B. , Wang D. , Li H. , Lin Y. , Li K. , Wen H. , Qin X. , Sun X. , Guan L. , Bass J.K. , Ma H. , Yu X.
Published: December 2019

Aims

Patients with severe mental disorders in low-resource settings have limited access to services, resulting in overwhelming caregiving burden for families. In extreme cases, this has led to the long-term restraining of patients in their homes. China underwent a nationwide initiative to unlock patients and provide continued treatment. This study aims to quantify household economic burden in families after unlocking and treatment, and to identify factors associated with increased burden due to schizophrenia.

Methods

A total of 264 subjects were enrolled from three geographically diverse provinces in 2012. Subjects were patients with schizophrenia who were previously put under restraints and had participated in the ‘unlocking and treatment’ intervention. The primary outcome was the current household economic burden, obtained from past year financial information collected through on-site interview. Patient disease characteristics, treatment, outcomes and family caregiving burden were collected as well. Univariate and multivariate linear regression were used to construct risk factor models for indirect economic burden.

Results

After participating in the intervention, 85% of patients continued to receive mental health services, 70% used medication as prescribed and 80% were never relocked. Family members reported significantly decreased caregiving burden after receiving the intervention. Mean direct and indirect household economic burdens were CNY963 (US$31.7) and CNY11 724 (US$1670) per year, respectively, while family total income was on average CNY12 108 (US$1913) per year. Greater disease severity and poorer patient psychosocial function at time of study were found to be independent factors related to increased indirect burden.

Conclusions

The ‘unlocking and treatment’ intervention has improved the lives of patients and families. Indirect burden due to disease is still a major economic issue that needs to be addressed, potentially through improving treatment and patient functioning. Our findings contribute to the unravelling and eventual elimination of chronic restraining of mentally ill patients in low-resource settings.
First Steps of the Mexico Twin Registry (RGMex-MexTR) at the University of Guadalajara
Authors: Cervantes-Cardona Guillermo A. , Cervantes-Nápoles Tania E. , Cervantes-Guevara Gabino , Manzo-Palomera Olga R. , González-Ojeda Alejandro , Silva-González Gabriela , Fuentes-Orozco Clotilde , Sánchez-Michel Ángel , Nápoles-Echauri Adriana
Published: December 2019

Despite the well-known relevance of twin studies in the medical and social sciences and the growing number of twin registries throughout the world, Latin America has not fully incorporated into the twin research community. We describe the first steps taken toward developing a twin registry in Mexico: its aim, organization, recruiting potential and main short-term objectives.
Folate and vitamin B-12 deficiencies additively impaire memory function and disturb the gut microbiota in amyloid-β infused rats
Authors: Park Sunmin , Kang Sunna , Sol Kim Da
Published: December 2019

Abstract. Folate and vitamin B12(V-B12) deficiencies are associated with metabolic diseases that may impair memory function. We hypothesized that folate and V-B12 may differently alter mild cognitive impairment, glucose metabolism, and inflammation by modulating the gut microbiome in rats with Alzheimer’s disease (AD)-like dementia. The hypothesis was examined in hippocampal amyloid-β infused rats, and its mechanism was explored. Rats that received an amyloid-β(25–35) infusion into the CA1 region of the hippocampus were fed either control(2.5 mg folate plus 25 μg V-B12/kg diet; AD-CON, n = 10), no folate(0 folate plus 25 μg V-B12/kg diet; AD-FA, n = 10), no V-B12(2.5 mg folate plus 0 μg V-B12/kg diet; AD-V-B12, n = 10), or no folate plus no V-B12(0 mg folate plus 0 μg V-B12/kg diet; AD-FAB12, n = 10) in high-fat diets for 8 weeks. AD-FA and AD-VB12 exacerbated bone mineral loss in the lumbar spine and femur whereas AD-FA lowered lean body mass in the hip compared to AD-CON(P < 0.05). Only AD-FAB12 exacerbated memory impairment by 1.3 and 1.4 folds, respectively, as measured by passive avoidance and water maze tests, compared to AD-CON(P < 0.01). Hippocampal insulin signaling and neuroinflammation were attenuated in AD-CON compared to Non-AD-CON. AD-FAB12 impaired the signaling (pAkt→pGSK-3β) and serum TNF-α and IL-1β levels the most among all groups. AD-CON decreased glucose tolerance by increasing insulin resistance compared to Non-AD-CON. AD-VB12 and AD-FAB12 increased insulin resistance by 1.2 and 1.3 folds, respectively, compared to the AD-CON. AD-CON and Non-AD-CON had a separate communities of gut microbiota. The relative counts of Bacteroidia were lower and those of Clostridia were higher in AD-CON than Non-AD-CON. AD-FA, but not V-B12, separated the gut microbiome community compared to AD-CON and AD-VB12(P = 0.009). In conclusion, folate and B-12 deficiencies impaired memory function by impairing hippocampal insulin signaling and gut microbiota in AD rats.
Gute Partnerschaft gleich gutes Erziehungsteam?
Authors: Zemp Martina , Martensen Beate
Published: December 2019

Zusammenfassung. Die Qualität der elterlichen Partnerschaft und des Coparenting zählen zu den wichtigsten familiären Schutzfaktoren für die kindliche Entwicklung, wobei sie vielschichtig zusammenhängen. Aufgrund der unterschiedlichen Familiensysteme und -beziehungen könnten sich diese Zusammenhänge zwischen Kern-‍, Trennungs- und Stieffamilien unterscheiden, was bislang noch kaum untersucht wurde. Diese Übersichtsarbeit vergleicht Studien zum Zusammenhang zwischen Partnerschaftsqualität und Coparenting in verschiedenen Familienformen. Deskriptiv unterscheidet sich die Stärke des Zusammenhangs kaum zwischen Kern- und Trennungsfamilien, während in Stieffamilien ein tendenziell schwächerer Zusammenhang besteht. Allerdings konnte eine Varianzanalyse keine signifikanten Unterschiede nachweisen. Der Beitrag diskutiert die Rolle der Paarbeziehung und des Coparenting in verschiedenen Familienformen und die praktische Bedeutung ihres Zusammenspiels für die kindliche Entwicklung.
Passive Facebook Use and Depression
Authors: Tosun Leman Pınar , Kaşdarma Ezgi
Published: December 2019

Abstract. In the current study we examined a psychological mechanism linking Facebook use to depression. A survey was conducted with 319 undergraduates about their passive Facebook use, their frequency of making upward social comparisons on Facebook, the emotions evoked through these comparisons, and their levels of depression. Half of the participants were given questions about the Facebook comparisons they made with their close friends, while the other half were given questions about the Facebook comparisons they made with acquaintances. Analysis of the whole sample revealed that upward Facebook comparison elicited assimilative emotions (inspiration, optimism, and admiration) more than contrastive emotions did (envy and resentment). A path model was developed in which passive use of Facebook predicted the frequency of making upward social comparisons, and, in turn, the frequency of making upward Facebook comparisons predicted depression through two routes: one through contrastive emotions and other through assimilative emotions. The results suggested that the model fits the data. As expected, the frequency of upward Facebook comparisons was associated with the increases in frequency of both contrastive and assimilative emotions, and the associations of these two types of emotions with depression were in opposite directions: Depression increased as the frequency of contrastive emotions increased, and it decreased as the frequency of assimilative emotions increased. The strength of the latter aforementioned association was stronger when the comparison targets were acquaintances rather than close friends.
Intensified Ocean Deoxygenation During the end Devonian Mass Extinction
Authors: Liu Jiangsi , Luo Genming , Lu Zunli , Lu Wanyi , Qie Wenkun , Zhang Feifei , Wang Xiangdong , Xie Shucheng
Published: December 2019

The end‐Devonian mass extinction (~359 Ma) substantially impacted marine ecosystems and shaped the roots of modern vertebrate biodiversity. Although multiple hypotheses have been proposed, no consensus has been reached about the mechanism inducing this extinction event. In this study, I/Ca ratio of carbonate was used to unravel the changes in local oxygen content of the upper water column during this critical interval. The Devonian‐Carboniferous boundary was recorded in two shallow water carbonate sections in south China. I/Ca values at both locations show a clear decline in the Middle and UpperSiphonodella praesulcataconodont zones, which coincides with a positive shift in carbonate carbon isotope composition and a negative shift in nitrogen isotope composition. These results suggest that deoxygenation was intensified during this critical interval, which likely influenced shallow water habitats, lending support to the notion that oxygen deficiency likely was a direct mechanism impacting the end‐Devonian mass extinction.