bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anxiety sensitivity mediates the relationship between exercise frequency and anxiety and depression symptomology
Authors: Broman‐Fulks Joshua J. , Abraham Chelsea M. , Thomas Kelsey , Canu Will H. , Nieman David C.
Published: May 2018

The anxiolytic and antidepressant effects of regular physical exercise have been well documented, though the mechanisms through which exercise alleviates symptoms of emotion disorders require further investigation. Mounting research indicates that exercise reduces anxiety sensitivity, a known vulnerability factor for the development and maintenance of psychological disorders, presumably via repeated exposure to feared somatic sensations. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether anxiety sensitivity mediates the relation between exercise frequency and symptoms of anxiety and depression. A large community sample of 955 volunteers completed a demographic questionnaire, the Anxiety Sensitivity Index‐3, and the Brief Symptom Inventory‐18. Exercise frequency significantly predicted anxiety sensitivity, anxiety, depression, and somatization scores. Mediation analyses indicated that anxiety sensitivity mediated the association between exercise frequency and anxiety, depression, and somatization symptoms. The findings provide further support for the association between exercise and negative affective states and suggest that anxiety sensitivity may be one mechanism through which exercise reduces emotional disorder symptomology. The implications of these findings and recommendations for future research are discussed.
The impact of living with morbid obesity on psychological need frustration: A study with bariatric patients
Authors: Megías Ángel , González‐Cutre David , Beltrán‐Carrillo Vicente J. , Gomis‐Díaz José M. , Cervelló Eduardo , Bartholomew Kimberley J.
Published: May 2018

Guided by self‐determination theory, the purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the previous experiences of living with morbid obesity of 10 postbariatric patients enrolled in a physical activity programme. Qualitative data were collected through interviews and diarized observations. A thematic analysis revealed that participants suffered from health and mobility troubles in their daily life and experienced stigmatization and discrimination in most areas of their social functioning. Participants described how these experiences resulted in the thwarting of their basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness. In turn, psychological need frustration contributed to negative consequences such as body image concerns, low self‐esteem, anxiety and depression; controlled regulation of their eating behaviour and extrinsic goals; rigid behaviours such as avoiding social situations; and compensatory and self‐defeating behaviours such as giving up diet and physical activity regimens and binge eating (i.e., oppositional defiance). This study highlights how living with morbid obesity can impair optimal functioning and well‐being via experiences of psychological need frustration.
Chitosan Hydrogels and Bionanocomposites Formed through the Mineralization and Regulated Charging
Authors: Postnova Irina , Silant'ev Vladimir , Sarin Sergei , Shchipunov Yury
Published: May 2018

The account presents survey of our systematic studies on chitosan. Only this polysaccharide bears cationic charges, possesses antimicrobial activity and wound healing ability that make it highly appropriate for using in medicine, biomedical engineering, cosmetics, food, packaging. However, its application meets with severe limitation. Chitosan belongs to polysaccharides that do not jellify solutions. Main approaches are based on the chemical modifications and cross‐linking, but these treatments impairs therewith the biocompatibility and biological activity of chitosan. We have developed approaches in which monolithic hydrogels are fabricated via the mineralization of polysaccharide by method of green sol‐gel chemistry and via the formation of polyelectrolyte complex with oppositely charged counterparts in the regime of its charging by means of regulated acidification. The latter approach was also extended for the preparation of chitosan bionanocomposites and films with nanoparticles.
Synthesis, Crystal Structure, and Magnetic Properties of K6Mn4O7 Featuring a Novel Two‐Dimensional Poly‐oxomanganate(II) Anion
Authors: Nuss Jürgen , Kremer Reinhard K. , Jansen Martin
Published: May 2018

K6Mn4O7 was synthesized via the azide/nitrate route from a stoichiometric mixture of the precursors KN3, KNO3, and MnO, and alternatively from the binary constituents K2O and MnO, in an all‐solid state reaction. Its crystal structure [P1, Z = 1, a = 603.46(3), b = 647.69(4), c = 891.36(5) pm, α = 90.477(2)°, β = 108.417(2)°, γ = 115.358(2)°] consists of cluster‐like Mn4O10 units, each composed of four edge sharing MnO4 tetrahedra. The Mn4O10 building blocks, on their part, are linked by six vertices, forming a 2D arrangement, 2∞[Mn4O4/1O6/2]n6–, with the potassium cations occupying the space in between. The temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility is dominated by antiferromagnetic coupling along a low‐dimensional magnetic exchange path. The heat capacity reveals no clear sign of long‐range magnetic ordering, supporting an interpretation of K6Mn4O7 as a new low‐dimensional magnetic system.
N = 1 supercurrents of eleven-dimensional supergravity
Authors: Becker Katrin , Becker Melanie , Butter Daniel , Linch William D.
Published: May 2018

Abstract

Eleven-dimensional supergravity can be formulated in superspaces locally of the form
X
× Y where
X
is 4D N = 1 conformal superspace and Y is an arbitrary 7-manifold admitting a G
2-structure. The eleven-dimensional 3-form and the stable 3-form on Y define the lowest component of a gauge superfield on
X
× Y that is chiral as a superfield on
X
. This chiral field is part of a tensor hierarchy giving rise to a superspace Chern-Simons action and its real field strength defines a lifting of the Hitchin functional on Y to the G
2 superspace
X
× Y . These terms are those of lowest order in a superspace Noether expansion in seven N = 1 conformal gravitino superfields Ψ. In this paper, we compute the O(Ψ) action to all orders in the remaining fields. The eleven-dimensional origin of the resulting non-linear structures is parameterized by the choice of a complex spinor on Y encoding the off-shell 4D N = 1 subalgebra of the eleven-dimensional super-Poincaré algebra.
Yes, not now, or never: an analysis of reasons for refusing or accepting emergency department-based take-home naloxone
Authors: Kestler Andrew , Giesler Amanda , Buxton Jane , Meckling Gray , Lee Michelle , Hunte Garth , Wilkins Jacob , Marks Dalya , Scheuermeyer Frank
Published: May 2018

Objective

Take-home naloxone (THN) reduces deaths from opioid overdose. To increase THN distribution to at-risk emergency department (ED) patients, we explored reasons for patients’ refusing or accepting THN.

Methods

In an urban teaching hospital ED, we identified high opioid overdose risk patients according to pre-specified criteria. We offered eligible patients THN and participation in researcher-administered surveys, which inquired about reasons to refuse or accept THN and about THN dispensing location preferences. We analyzed refusal and acceptance reasons in open-ended responses, grouped reasons into categories (absolute versus conditional refusals,) then searched for associations between patient characteristics and reasons.

Results

Of 247 patients offered THN, 193 (78.1%) provided reasons for their decision. Of those included, 69 (35.2%) were female, 91 (47.2%) were under age 40, 61 (31.6%) were homeless, 144 (74.6%) reported injection drug use (IDU), and 131 (67.9%) accepted THN. Of 62 patients refusing THN, 19 (30.7%) felt “not at risk” for overdose, while 28 (45.2%) gave conditional refusal reasons: “too sick,” “in a rush,” or preference to get THN elsewhere. Non-IDU was associated with stating “not at risk,” while IDU, homelessness, and age under 40 were associated with conditional refusals. Among acceptances, 86 (65.7%) mentioned saving others as a reason. Most respondents preferred other dispensing locations beside the ED, whether or not they accepted ED THN.

Conclusion

ED patients refusing THN felt “not at risk” for overdose or felt their ED visit was not the right time or place for THN. Most accepting THN wanted to save others.
The Twilight of the Polls? A Review of Trends in Polling Accuracy and the Causes of Polling Misses
Authors: Prosser Christopher , Mellon Jonathan
Published: May 2018

Polls have had a number of high-profile misses in recent elections. We review the current polling environment, the performance of polls in a historical context, the mechanisms of polling error, and the causes of several recent misses in Britain and the US. Contrary to conventional wisdom, polling errors have been constant over time, although the level of error has always been substantially beyond that implied by stated margins of error. Generally, there is little evidence that voters lying about their vote intention (so-called ‘shy’ voters) is a substantial cause of polling error. Instead, polling errors have most commonly resulted from problems with representative samples and weighting, undecided voters breaking in one direction, and to a lesser extent late swings and turnout models. We conclude with a discussion of future directions for polling both in terms of fixing the problems identified and new approaches to understanding public opinion.
IV. Practical Implications of Abandoning Just War
Authors: Allman Mark J.
Published: May 2018

This final section focuses less on theory, theology, and ethics and more on the practical implications if the church were to abandon JWT. After such sustained critique, it is crucial to reiterate the points made earlier regarding how many just-war thinkers, like ourselves, affirm what is in the Appeal. We agree with and support most of what it says. Where we part company with the Appeal is over the two sentences and one bullet point (forty-five words) outlined above.
Making the Invisible Visible: Inviting Persons with Disabilities into the Life of the Church
Authors: Carlson Mary
Published: May 2018

Christianity espouses the dignity of all humanity and professes welcome for all to the communion of saints. Yet people with disabilities, especially those with more severe or profound physical or psychological disabilities, are largely invisible inside our houses of worship. This article examines the meaning of dignity and inclusion through the lenses of Christian anthropology, disabilities liberation theology, and the lived experience of persons with disabilities. It concludes with some suggestions on how to begin inclusion.
Conclusion: Dissent in the Roman Catholic Church: A Response
Authors: Gruber Judith
Published: May 2018

The contributions to this roundtable weave a rich tapestry of dissent in the Roman Catholic Church. Together, they expose some of the divergent voices within the church—voices that resist easy reconciliation and unification. Dissent, this roundtable shows, takes many forms; it can be directed ad intra (Willard) or ad extra (Gonzalez Maldonado), it can be geared toward the justification of hegemonic structures (Slattery) or aim at their subversion (Steidl). Moreover, these contributions do not just highlight the multiplicity of voices within the church. Indeed, each of them points to conflict and contestation between the diverse Catholicisms they discuss: each of these sometimes-contradictory Catholicisms claims to be authentically and normatively Catholic. This indicates that a discourse about plurality within the church is at the same time a discourse about the struggle for sovereignty of interpretation over the church. Further, the contributions also show that these contestations over the right to define orthodoxy take place under asymmetrical relations of authority and power. The struggle over right belief and right practice is first and foremost a struggle over who has a voice to define Catholic orthodoxy in the first place—who can participate, from which position, in this struggle? Ultimately, therefore, this roundtable demonstrates that questions of normativity by no means become arbitrary or sidelined once we reveal the silent and silenced voices underneath the established master narrative of the church about itself as one and stable. Yet, at the same time, it also becomes obvious that established theological approaches to this inner-ecclesial plurality no longer hold. The dominant theological readings of Catholic tradition have always reckoned with a history of plural, deviant Catholicisms, but they have subjected this inner-ecclesial plurality to the theological ideal and a historical construction of unity and consensus. However, as Gaillardetz and Slattery point out, this narrative of unity has lost both its innocence and its self-evidence as the only legitimate framework for organizing the “raw material” of Catholic tradition. Rereadings of church history through the lens of power-critical studies make visible that Catholic tradition, too, is a power/knowledge regime. They reveal that orthodoxy is, in a literal sense, “heresy”: it takes its shape through epistemopolitical choices (αἵρεσις); it is forged through the exclusion of alternative theological narratives. Where do we stand after this destabilization of tradition, after this loss of innocence? Once stability and consensus have been problematized as the normative organizing principles of Catholic tradition, how else should we think of the church? Can we develop alternative models that take conflict and contestation into account as constitutive moments in our understanding of the church, rather than an afterthought to be eradicated?
Power scaling on tellurite glass Raman fibre lasers for mid-infrared applications
Authors: Yao Tianfu , Huang Liangjin , Zhou Pu , Lei Bing , Leng Jinyong , Chen Jinbao
Published: May 2018

The power scaling on mid-infrared Raman fibre lasers (RFLs) is in demand for applications in health, environment and security. In this paper, we present the simulated laser behaviours of the tellurite glass RFLs pumped by 300-W Tm-doped fibre lasers (TDFLs) at $2~\unicode[STIX]{x03BC}\text{m}$ for the first time. By combining the advantages of the TDFLs and tellurite fibre, the output power at $2.35~\unicode[STIX]{x03BC}\text{m}$ has reached over hundreds of watts by first-order Raman shift. Moreover, the cascaded RFLs have been demonstrated with a wavelength extension greater than $3~\unicode[STIX]{x03BC}\text{m}$ and output power of tens of watts. To maximize the output power and the slope efficiency of the RFLs, we further analyse the interaction between the Raman gain and cavity loss, which are determined by fibre length and output reflectance of the laser cavity.
Effects of surface tension on a floating body in two dimensions
Authors: Zhang Fei , Zhou Xinping , Zhu Chengwei
Published: May 2018

A model for calculating the force profile and the moment profile of a floating body in two dimensions with an arbitrary cross-section is proposed. Three types of cross-sections with different contact angles and densities are calculated by using the model to determine the vertical and rotational equilibria and their stabilities. Results show that the model can be applied to convex floating bodies with finitely many sharp edges. The study is then extended to investigate the surface tension effects on the vertical and rotational stabilities by varying the following parameters: the radii of curvature of the solid surface at the contact lines and the size of floating body. In general, the smaller the radii of curvature the better the vertical and rotational stabilities. However, for the contact angle $\unicode[STIX]{x1D703}=0$ (or $\unicode[STIX]{x1D703}=\unicode[STIX]{x03C0}$) the radii of curvature have no effect on the vertical stability of the floating body. By varying the size of the floating body, it is found that the vertical and rotational stabilities of mesoscale floating bodies vary continuously between the stabilities of the macroscale and microscale floating bodies with other parameters remaining unchanged.
Critical Events and Attitude Change: Support for Gun Control After Mass Shootings
Authors: Rogowski Jon C. , Tucker Patrick D.
Published: May 2018

When and to what extent do crises and significant events induce changes in political attitudes? Theories of public opinion and policymaking predict that major events restructure public opinion and pry open new political opportunities. We examine the effect of major events on support for public policies in the context of the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting in December 2012 using a nationally representative panel survey of US adults. Across both cross-sectional and within-subject analyses, we find no evidence that Americans granted greater support for gun control after the Sandy Hook shooting. Our null findings persist across a range of political and demographic groups. We also find no evidence of attitude polarization as a result of Sandy Hook. Our results suggest that elite polarization in a particular issue area leads citizens to employ motivated reasoning when interpreting critical events, thereby reducing the capacity for attitude change. Our findings have important implications for identifying the conditions under which major events affect support for public policies and create political opportunities for policy change.
Do Banks Price Independent Directors’ Attention?
Authors: Huang Henry He , Lobo Gerald J. , Wang Chong , Zhou Jian
Published: May 2018

Masulis and Mobbs (2014), (2015) find that independent directors with multiple directorships allocate their monitoring efforts unequally based on a directorship’s relative prestige. We investigate whether bank loan contract terms reflect such unequal allocation of directors’ monitoring effort. We find that bank loans of firms with a greater proportion of independent directors for whom the board is among their most prestigious have lower spreads, longer maturities, fewer covenants, lower syndicate concentration, lower likelihood of collateral requirement, lower annual loan fees, and higher bond ratings. Our evidence indicates that independent directors’ attention is associated with lower cost of borrowing.
Rigidity of volume-minimising hypersurfaces in Riemannian 5-manifolds
Authors: MENDES ABRAÃO
Published: May 2018

In this paper we generalise the main result of [4] for manifolds that are not necessarily Einstein. In fact, we obtain an upper bound for the volume of a locally volume-minimising closed hypersurface Σ of a Riemannian 5-manifold M with scalar curvature bounded from below by a positive constant in terms of the total traceless Ricci curvature of Σ. Furthermore, if Σ saturates the respective upper bound and M has nonnegative Ricci curvature, then Σ is isometric to 𝕊4 up to scaling and M splits in a neighbourhood of Σ. Also, we obtain a rigidity result for the Riemannian cover of M when Σ minimises the volume in its homotopy class and saturates the upper bound.
The neurological examination adapted for neuropsychiatry
Authors: Benjamin Sheldon , Lauterbach Margo D.
Published: May 2018

The neuropsychiatric examination includes standard neurological and cognitive examination techniques with several additional observations and tasks designed to capture abnormalities common among patients with neuropsychiatric disorders or neurocognitive complaints. Although useful as a screening tool, a single standardized rating scale such as the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) or the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is insufficient to establish a neuropsychiatric diagnosis. Extra attention is paid to findings commonly seen in the setting of psychiatric disorders, dementias, movement disorders, or dysfunction of cortical or subcortical structures. Dysmorphic features, dermatologic findings, neurodevelopmental signs, signs of embellishment, and expanded neurocognitive testing are included. The neuropsychiatric clinician utilizes the techniques described in this article to adapt the examination to each patient’s situation, choosing the most appropriate techniques to supplement the basic neurological and psychiatric examinations in support of diagnostic hypotheses being considered. The added examination techniques facilitate diagnosis of neurocognitive disorders and enable neuropsychiatric formulation.
GROUNDING LOGIC: A REPLY TO SHENEFELT AND WHITE
Authors: Joaquin Jeremiah Joven , Agregado Jose Emmanuel
Published: May 2018

In ‘What on Earth is Logic?’, Michael Shenefelt and Heidi White offer this observation about the nature of logic: ‘If one tries to justify logic logically, one ends up arguing in a circle’. From this, they conclude that ‘logic is a horizon beyond which none of our earnest self-reflecting arguments can help us see’. While there is much to appreciate in how they developed this idea, there are several worrying points that could still be raised against their view. In this article, we outline such problems.
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE INTRODUCTION
Authors: Finlayson Lorna
Published: May 2018

What can examining the introductions to books in philosophy tell us about those books, and about that discipline? This article begins by differentiating ‘insider’ and ‘outsider’ perspectives on the discipline of philosophy, questioning the most likely understanding of this division as one between professional and ‘layman’, and emphasizing instead a basic distinction between ‘affirmative’ and ‘non-affirmative’. The introduction, I suggest, is productively symptomatic of the character of contemporary philosophy. Like an owl pellet, it can tell us a lot about the kind of creature that philosophy is and the environment it inhabits.
WHAT SHOULD JUDAS HAVE DONE? AND WHAT SHOULD JESUS?
Authors: Lyon Ardon
Published: May 2018

The gospels tell us that Judas betrayed Jesus, and that this was an incredibly wicked act. Lots of people believe that at least many of the events portrayed in the New Testament did not actually happen. I argue here that if we suppose on the contrary that they did, then Judas did not in fact act wickedly, and that the only person who acted immorally in this situation was Jesus. I refer in this article first to the wonderful story ‘Three Versions of Judas’ by Borges, who draws a somewhat different conclusion from mine, and later to Amos Oz's novel Judas.
VICTIMS AS THE CENTRAL FOCUS OF ETHICS: THE PRIORITY OF AMELIORATING SUFFERING OVER MAXIMIZING HAPPINESS
Authors: van den Berg Floris
Published: May 2018

The key focus in ethics should be on victims. Victims are those that suffer from unnecessary and preventable pain and misery. Non-human animals can also suffer and should therefore be included in the moral circle. Ethical living is striving to avoid harm to others and striving to help alleviate or prevent suffering. Being good isn't easy.
CAN BEING TOLD YOU'RE ILL MAKE YOU ILL? A DISCUSSION OF PSYCHIATRY, RELIGION AND OUT OF THE ORDINARY EXPERIENCES
Authors: Scrutton Tasia Philippa
Published: May 2018

What would you think if someone told you they heard voices when no one was there, or could sense the presence of the dead? In some historical periods and in some societies today these experiences are made sense of positively in religious or spiritual terms, but in modern western societies they tend to be regarded as symptomatic of mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. I argue that interpreting these experiences in terms of illness can negatively affect them, turning them into something pathological when they needn't necessarily be so. I also discuss wider issues regarding illness, medicine, authority, interpretation and meaning.
Read Like a Roman: Teaching Students to Read in Latin Word Order
Authors: Russell Katharine
Published: May 2018

For countless students of Latin (myself included), prevailing memories of Latin instruction involve being taught to unpick Latin sentences by racing towards the verb and securing the meaning of the main clause before piecing together the rest. However, this ‘hunt the verb’ approach, where one's eyes are jumping back and forth in search of the resolution of ambiguity, is not necessarily conducive to fluent reading of Latin (Hoyos, 1993). If, as so many textbooks and teachers vouch, we are aiming to unlock Roman authors for all students to read, then we need to furnish them with the skills to be able to read Latin fluently, automatically and with enjoyment, not engender in them a process more akin to puzzle-breaking. I chose to experiment with teaching students to read Latin in order, firstly because, as Markus and Ross (2004) point out, the Romans themselves must necessarily have been able to understand Latin in the order in which it was composed as so much of their sharing of literature happened orally. Indeed, as Kuhner (2016) and others who promote the continuation of spoken Latin have argued, this is still a very real possibility today. And secondly, because it is a skill which I, and others, believe to be teachable (Hansen, 1999; Markus & Ross, 2004; Hoyos, 2006; McCaffrey, 2009). Not only that, but whatever our starting point, Wegenhart (2015) believes that by encouraging these reading skills early, we can encourage our students to be ‘expert’ readers who will be able to enjoy reading Latin long after they have been through their exams.
Sport bei Herzpatienten: Was soll man empfehlen?
Authors: Rossi Valentina Alice , Schmied Christian M. , Niederseer David
Published: May 2018

Zusammenfassung. Sport zu treiben wird in den Europäischen Richtlinien für die Prävention und initiale Behandlung von vielen kardiovaskulären Erkrankungen, aber auch des metabolischen Syndroms, empfohlen. Letztendlich ist jedoch individuell verschieden, welche physische Aktivität und welche Intensität beziehungsweise Dauer die maximale protektive Wirkung in Bezug auf die Prävention entfaltet. So wurde auch beim körperlichen Training ein J-Kurven-Zusammenhang postuliert, mit der Annahme, dass zu viel Sport gleich schädlich oder potenziell gar noch schädlicher sei wie zu wenig Sport. In diesem Review versuchen wir die Frage zu beantworten, wie viel und welcher Sport optimal für Herzpatienten ist.
Medical Decision-Making Capacity
Authors: Novosel Dragutin , Ljudevit Maruić Stjepan , Biller-Andorno Nikola , Trachsel Manuel
Published: May 2018

Abstract. Decision-making capacity (DMC) is a prerequisite for informed consent to medical treatments. However, little is known about the knowledge, attitudes, and evaluation of DMC among physicians in Croatia. A survey was conducted among 180 general practitioners and psychiatrists in Croatia. Although from a legal perspective DMC is a dichotomous concept, about 90% of physicians indicated that they understand DMC to be a gradual concept. A majority of physicians considered themselves responsible and qualified to conduct DMC evaluations, though some physicians considered themselves insufficiently qualified. General practitioners considered themselves less responsible and less qualified than psychiatrists. Almost all participants indicated that they would welcome official guidelines and training.
Advance Care Planning for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities
Authors: Wicki Monika T.
Published: May 2018

Abstract. As people live longer, they become more likely to die from prolonged, incurable, chronic illnesses occurring more frequently in old age. This study explores the usefulness, quality, and reliability of documented advance care planning interviews to determine the decision-making capacity of persons with intellectual disabilities (IDs). A volunteer sample of 60 persons rated the capacity to consent to treatment of four persons deciding on two end-of-life decisions. Sensitivity, specificity, and percent agreement were calculated. Interrater reliability was assessed using Fleiss’ κ and Krippendorff’s α. A Yates’ corrected χ2 was used to analyze differences in ratings between groups of raters. The sensitivity value was 62%; the specificity value was 95%. The percent agreement for all participants was 70%, Fleiss’ κ was 0.396, and Krippendorff’s α was 0.395. Of the participants, 72 found documented advance care planning discussions useful for diagnosing the decision-making capacity of people with IDs. The documented interviews helped to identify those persons with IDs who had the decision-making capacity. Documented interviews on end-of-life decisions could make a valuable contribution to fostering their self-determination in end-of-life issues.
Simulation of Core Phases From Coda Interferometry
Authors: Wu Benjun , Xia Han Hank , Wang Tao , Shi Xiaoqing
Published: May 2018

The extraction of core phases through seismic interferometry is important for exploring the seismic structure of the Earth's inner core because it can provide an unprecedented data coverage. However, low signal‐to‐noise ratios and uncertainties in phase arrivals hinder the application of seismic interferometry. With three arrays from the China Regional Seismic Network, South America, and the western United States, we simulate coda interferometry using the one‐dimensional synthetic coda of large earthquakes (magnitude ≥ 7.0) from 2005 to 2012. Compared with the cross correlations of real coda (10,000–40,000 s after earthquakes), the similarities among the simulated waveforms of the core phases (PKIKP, PKIIKP, PKPab, PKIKP2, and PKIIKP2) indicate that reverberations at first‐order discontinuities constitute the major source for coda interferometry. Relative to synthesized Green's functions, the core phases derived from coda interferometry provide reliable phase information but varying amplitudes. In particular, the slownesses are generally consistent with the theoretical calculations, thereby confirming the extracted phases. The simulations prefer the 15‐ to 50‐s period band and indicate that the earthquake distribution has an insignificant effect on the retrieval of core phases at small distances (0–8°). Coda interferometry is scarcely affected by white noise, but it is influenced by the attenuation of the inner core. Experiments on focal mechanisms further suggest that coda signals from dip‐slip earthquakes mainly contribute to the reconstruction of the core phases (except for the simulated PKPab).
A Holistic View of Water Management Impacts on Future Droughts: A Global Multimodel Analysis
Authors: Wan Wenhua , Zhao Jianshi , Li Hong‐Yi , Mishra Ashok , Hejazi Mohamad , Lu Hui , Demissie Yonas , Wang Hao
Published: May 2018

This study investigates the impacts of climate change and water management including agricultural irrigation, water withdrawal, and reservoir regulation on future meteorological, agricultural, and hydrological droughts and their connections. The analysis is based on the simulations from four global hydrological models forced with the projections from five global climate models for historical period 1971–2000 and future period 2070–2099 with and without water management. Three unified drought indices, the standardized precipitation index, standardized soil moisture index, and standardized streamflow index, are adopted to represent the meteorological, agricultural, and hydrological droughts, respectively. The analysis suggests that the climate‐induced drought changes in all three types of droughts are enhanced but in different directions, while water‐management‐induced changes in agricultural and hydrological droughts are more consistent across space and simulations. Overall, water management activities reduce both the duration and intensity of agricultural droughts by roughly 1 order of magnitude, while increase those of hydrological droughts by up to 50%. Basin‐scale analysis reveals that the higher is the intensity of irrigation, the larger will be the water‐management‐induced drought changes. Due to water management activities at some regions, the return periods of extreme agricultural droughts (in terms of severity) can change from 100 to 300 years or even longer, while typical 100‐year hydrological droughts are likely to occur more often for the regions located in 25°N–40°N and 15°S–50°S. This study provides a global view on drought modification in the Anthropocene, which will help improve adaptation strategies for future droughts.
Strong Linkage of El Niño–Southern Oscillation to the Polar Cold Air Mass in the Northern Hemisphere
Authors: Abdillah Muhammad Rais , Kanno Yuki , Iwasaki Toshiki
Published: May 2018

The total hemispheric polar cold air mass (PCAM) amount below a threshold potential temperature is conserved under an adiabatic condition and is a good indicator of polar warming. While the long‐term PCAM trends have been investigated, the cause of its interannual variability remains uncertain. Here we find that the El Niño–Southern Oscillation has a strong impact on the total northern hemispheric PCAM amount below a potential temperature of 280 K. The correlation coefficient between the Niño‐3.4 and the total PCAM reaches −0.66 over 36 recent winters. During El Niño, the PCAM decreases significantly because of the shorter PCAM residence time at high latitudes. The Aleutian Low intensifies and effectively transfers the PCAM from North America to the North Pacific, causing a significant decrease in the PCAM amount over the northern part of North America and a strengthening of cold air outflows over the central North Pacific. The PCAM coming to the warm ocean disappears rapidly and results in the imbalance of the hemispheric PCAM. This study reveals a notable influence of the tropical forcing on the variability of polar climate.
Laser Remote Magnetometry Using Mesospheric Sodium
Authors: Kane Thomas J. , Hillman Paul D. , Denman Craig A. , Hart Michael , Phillip Scott R. , Purucker Michael E. , Potashnik S. J.
Published: May 2018

We have demonstrated a remote magnetometer based on sodium atoms in the Earth's mesosphere, at a 106‐km distance from our instrument. A 1.33‐watt laser illuminated the atoms, and the magnetic field was inferred from backscattered light collected by a telescope with a 1.55‐m‐diameter aperture. We theoretically predict a shot noise limited measurement sensitivity of
. The measured sensitivity was
due to a smaller returned intensity and smaller resonance strength than expected. The value of magnetic field inferred from our measurement is consistent with several models of the Earth's field shape to within a fraction of a percent. Projected improvements in optics, plus the use of advanced lasers or a large telescope, could result in
sensitivity.
Ionospheric Electron Content During Solar Cycle 23
Authors: Solomon Stanley C. , Qian Liying , Mannucci Anthony J.
Published: May 2018

The solar minimum period between solar cycles 23 and 24 has generated extensive study, in part because the changes in the upper atmosphere and ionosphere were so dramatic. Thermospheric density during 2008–2009, at the benchmark 400‐km altitude, was shown to be approximately 30% lower than the previous solar minimum during 1996, in observations and in model simulations. Ionospheric densities were also estimated to be lower, by 10% to 20%. However, earlier analyses using data from the global network of Global Navigation Satellite System receivers did not find any significant reduction in global mean total electron content. Recent work reexamining those data using a limited set of receivers, but with consistent processing, identified a 19% reduction (Emmert et al., 2017, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JA023680). In this study, we compare model simulations of the thermosphere‐ionosphere system during the 2008–2009 solar minimum to its predecessor and estimate a 16% reduction in global mean total electron content. This is consistent with the neutral thermosphere density change seen in model simulations and in satellite drag observations. In the model simulations, the primary driver is a 10% reduction in solar extreme ultraviolet irradiance, with a smaller contribution from lower geomagnetic activity, and a very small decrement due to increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide.
Assessment of the Impact of Solar Spectral Irradiance on Near‐Infrared Clear‐Sky Atmospheric Absorption and Heating Rates
Authors: Menang Kaah P.
Published: May 2018

In the near infrared (near IR), differences in both the absolute level and spectral resolution of available observation‐based solar spectral irradiances (SSI) are very significant. In this paper, a very high‐resolution line‐by‐line radiative transfer model has been used to investigate the effect of the differences in the absolute level of SSI on the clear‐sky total absorbed solar irradiance and solar heating rates in the near IR from 4,000 to 10,000 cm−1 (2.5–1 μm), for a midlatitude summer atmosphere. Absorption calculated using observed SSI from the surface, aircraft, and satellite are between 2 and 8% lower than that for the widely used ATmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science (ATLAS) 3 spectrum. Tropospheric and stratospheric heating rates produce by these spectra are also lower than that produced by the ATLAS 3 spectrum by about 3–9% and 4–11%, respectively. However, there is a closer agreement between near IR absorbed irradiances and heating rates computed using two most recent observed spectra. That notwithstanding, it is recommended that the uncertainty in the choice of the SSI in near IR radiative transfer modeling should be quantified.
Tumor-derived exosomes induce PD1+ macrophage population in human gastric cancer that promotes disease progression
Authors: Wang Furong , Li Bin , Wei Yucai , Zhao Yang , Wang Li , Zhang Peng , Yang Jinwei , He Wenting , Chen Hao , Jiao Zuoyi , Li Yumin
Published: May 2018

Abstract

Macrophages constitute a major component of tumor-infiltrating immune cells. M2 macrophages have been reported to promote tumor progression through promoting tumor angiogenesis and metastasis and regulating T-cell function. Here, we identified a protumorigenic subset of macrophages that constitutively expressed programmed cell death 1 (PD1) and accumulated in advanced-stage gastric cancer (GC). These PD1+ tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) exhibited an M2-like surface profile, with a significant increase in the expression of CD206, IL-10, and CCL1, and a clear decrease in the expression of MHC class II, CD64, and IL-12 and the ability to phagocytose ovalbumin. Moreover, PD1+ TAMs can suppress CD8+ T-cell function and this immunosuppressive activity can effectively be enhanced upon triggering PD1 signal. GC-derived exosomes effectively educated monocytes to differentiate into PD1+ TAMs with M2 phenotypic and functional characteristics. Together, our results are the first to show that GC-derived exosomes can effectively induce PD1+ TAM generation, and these cells can produce a large number of IL-10, impair CD8+ T-cell function, and thereby create conditions that promote GC progression. Thus, methods in which immunotherapy is combined with targeting PD1+ TAMs and tumor-derived exosomes should be used to restore immune function in GC patients.
Dysregulation of the MiR-449b target TGFBI alters the TGFβ pathway to induce cisplatin resistance in nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Authors: Bissey Pierre-Antoine , Law Jacqueline H. , Bruce Jeff P. , Shi Wei , Renoult Aline , Chua Melvin L. K. , Yip Kenneth W. , Liu Fei-Fei
Published: May 2018

Despite the improvement in locoregional control of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), distant metastasis (DM), and chemoresistance persist as major causes of mortality. This study identified a novel role for miR-449b, an overexpressed gene in a validated four-miRNA signature for NPC DM, leading to chemoresistance via the direct targeting of transforming growth factor beta-induced (TGFBI). In vitro shRNA-mediated downregulation of TGFBI induced phosphorylation of PTEN and AKT, increasing cisplatin resistance. Conversely, the overexpression of TGFBI sensitized the NPC cells to cisplatin. In NPC patients treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT), the overall survival (OS) was significantly inversely correlated with miR-449b, and directly correlated with both TGFBI mRNA and protein expression, as assessed by RNA sequencing and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Mechanistically, co-immunoprecipitation demonstrated that TGFBI competes with pro-TGFβ1 for integrin receptor binding. Decreased TGFBI led to increased pro-TGFβ1 activation and TGFβ1 canonical/noncanonical pathway-induced cisplatin resistance. Thus, overexpression of miR-449b decreases TGFBI, thereby altering the balance between TGFBI and pro-TGFβ1, revealing a novel mechanism of chemoresistance in NPC.
Dopamine D2 −141C Ins/Del and Taq1A polymorphisms, body mass index, and prediction error brain response
Authors: Frank Guido K. W. , Shott Megan E. , DeGuzman Marisa C. , Smolen Andrew
Published: May 2018

The prediction error model is a widely used paradigm that is conceptually based on neuronal dopamine function. However, whether dopamine receptor gene alleles contribute to human neuroimaging prediction error results is uncertain. Recent research implicated the dopamine D2 receptor in behavior response during a prediction error paradigm and we expected that polymorphisms of that receptor would contribute to prediction error brain response. In this study, healthy female participants in the early follicular phase of the menstrual cycle underwent a taste prediction error paradigm during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Participants were also genotyped for dopamine receptor polymorphisms. Our data suggest that the dopamine D2 receptor −141C Ins/Del and Taq1A polymorphisms together with body mass index selectively explain putamen prediction error response. This was true using a region of interest analysis as well as for a whole-brain analysis (FWE corrected). Polymorphisms for dopamine D1 or D4 receptors, dopamine transporter, or COMT did not significantly contribute to prediction error activation. The prediction error model is a computational reward-learning paradigm that is important in psychiatric research and has been associated with dopamine. The results from this study indicate that dopamine D2 receptor polymorphisms together with body mass index are important determinants to include in research that tests prediction error response of the brain. Psychiatric disorders are frequently associated with elevated or reduced body weight. Adding BMI to genetic information in brain-imaging studies that use reward and the prediction error paradigm may be important to increase validity and reliability of results.
Analysis of the concentrations and size distributions of cell-free DNA in schizophrenia using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy
Authors: Jiang Jie , Chen Xueli , Sun Liya , Qing Ying , Yang Xuhan , Hu Xiaowen , Yang Chao , Xu Tianle , Wang Jijun , Wang Peng , He Lin , Dong Chaoqing , Wan Chunling
Published: May 2018

Cell-free DNA (cfDNA), which is primarily released following cell death, has been described and developed to serve as an effective biomarker in autoimmune diseases which may share the pathogenesis with schizophrenia. In this study, we hypothesized and explored whether the concentrations and size distributions of cfDNA are abnormal in schizophrenia. A total of 65 patients with schizophrenia (SZ), 29 patients with mood disorders (MD) and 62 matched healthy controls (HC) were included in the study. Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy was used to assay the molar concentrations and size distributions of cfDNA. Fluorometric quantification and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) were performed to verify the results. The cfDNA levels were approximately two-fold higher in the SZ group ((29 ± 15) nM) than in the healthy controls ((15 ± 9) nM; P-value = 0.00062), but the levels in patients with MD were not significantly different from those in the healthy controls ((17 ± 10) nM; P-value = 0.343). According to the size distribution analysis, cfDNA in schizophrenia patients was composed of shorter DNA molecules and showed an apoptosis-like distribution pattern. Our study shows the elevated levels and short sizes of cfDNA in schizophrenia patients, which provide direct evidences supporting increased apoptotic activity in the disease. cfDNA may be developed to serve as an auxiliary diagnostic marker for the disease in the future.
Long non-coding RNA H19 contributes to apoptosis of hippocampal neurons by inhibiting let-7b in a rat model of temporal lobe epilepsy
Authors: Han Chun-Lei , Ge Ming , Liu Yun-Peng , Zhao Xue-Min , Wang Kai-Liang , Chen Ning , Hu Wei , Zhang Jian-Guo , Li Liang , Meng Fan-Gang
Published: May 2018

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is one of the most common types of intractable epilepsy, characterized by hippocampal neuron damage and hippocampal sclerosis. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been increasingly recognized as posttranscriptional regulators. However, their expression levels and functions in TLE remain largely unknown. In the present study, TLE rat model is used to explore the expression profiles of lncRNAs in the hippocampus of epileptic rats using microarray analysis. Our results demonstrate that H19 is the most pronouncedly differentiated lncRNA, significantly upregulated in the latent period of TLE. Moreover, the in vivo studies using gain- and loss-of-function approaches reveal that the overexpression of H19 aggravates SE-induced neuron apoptosis in the hippocampus, while inhibition of H19 protects the rats from SE-induced cellular injury. Finally, we show that H19 might function as a competing endogenous RNA to sponge microRNA let-7b in the regulation of cellular apoptosis. Overall, our study reveals a novel lncRNA H19-mediated mechanism in seizure-induced neural damage and provides a new target in developing lncRNA-based strategies to reduce seizure-induced brain injury.
Docetaxel enhances lysosomal function through TFEB activation
Authors: Zhang Jianbin , Wang Jigang , Wong Yin Kwan , Sun Xin , Chen Yun , Wang Liming , Yang Liu , Lu Liqin , Shen Han-Ming , Huang Dongsheng
Published: May 2018

Docetaxel is an effective and commonly used chemotherapeutic drug for cancer. Autophagy has been reported to be involved in the anticancer mechanism of docetaxel. However, the effect of docetaxel on lysosomal function remains elusive. In the present study, we first found that docetaxel treatment enhances autophagic flux in different cancer cells. Moreover, docetaxel treatment activates lysosomal function and promotes its fusion with autophagosome. Second, doctaxel treatment activates TFEB (transcription factor EB), a key nuclear transcription factor in control of lysosome biogenesis and function. We found that docetaxel promotes TFEB nuclear translocation and increases its transcriptional activity while knockdown of TFEB impairs lysosomal activation by docetaxel. Thirdly, TFEB activation by docetaxel is mediated by ROS (reactive oxygen species) generation and scavenging of ROS suppresses TFEB activity and lysosomal function in docetaxel-treated cells. Finally, inhibition of lysosomal function leads to increased docetaxel-induced cell death, suggesting that lysosomal activation protects against docetaxel-mediated apoptosis. Taken together, our results provide novel insights into the regulatory mechanisms of docetaxel on lysosomes, which could facilitate the development of novel potential cancer therapeutic agents via lysosomal inhibition.