bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Campylobacter sp.: Pathogenicity factors and prevention methods—new molecular targets for innovative antivirulence drugs?
Authors: Kreling Vanessa , Falcone Franco H. , Kehrenberg Corinna , Hensel Andreas
Published: November 2020

Infections caused by bacterial species from the genusCampylobacterare one of the four main causes of strong diarrheal enteritis worldwide. Campylobacteriosis, a typical food-borne disease, can range from mild symptoms to fatal illness. About 550 million people worldwide suffer from campylobacteriosis and lethality is about 33 million p.a. This review summarizes the state of the current knowledge onCampylobacterwith focus on its specific virulence factors. Using this knowledge, multifactorial prevention strategies can be implemented to reduce the prevalence ofCampylobacterin the food chain. In particular, antiadhesive strategies with specific adhesion inhibitors seem to be a promising concept for reducingCampylobacterbacterial load in poultry production. Antivirulence compounds against bacterial adhesion to and/or invasion into the host cells can open new fields for innovative antibacterial agents. Influencing chemotaxis, biofilm formation,quorum sensing, secretion systems, or toxins by specific inhibitors can help to reduce virulence of the bacterium. In addition, the unusual glycosylation of the bacterium, being a prerequisite for effective phase variation and adaption to different hosts, is yet an unexplored target for combatingCampylobactersp. Plant extracts are widely used remedies in developing countries to combat infections withCampylobacter. Therefore, the present review summarizes the use of natural products against the bacterium in an attempt to stimulate innovative research concepts on the manifold still open questions behindCampylobactertowards improved treatment and sanitation of animal vectors, treatment of infected patients, and new strategies for prevention.

Key points

• Campylobacter sp. is a main cause of strong enteritis worldwide.

• Main virulence factors: cytolethal distending toxin, adhesion proteins, invasion machinery.

• Strong need for development of antivirulence compounds.
Diagnostik und Therapie bei Kindern und Jugendlichen mit chronischem Schmerz
Authors: Selent Felix , Schenk Sabrina , Genent Dunja , Wager Julia , Zernikow Boris
Published: November 2020

Hintergrund und Ziel der Arbeit

Bei der Behandlung chronischer funktioneller Schmerzen im Kindes- und Jugendalter nimmt international sowohl die Anzahl an diagnostischen und therapeutischen Maßnahmen als auch ihre Invasivität zu. Studienziel ist die Erforschung der vor Beginn einer spezialisierten stationären Schmerztherapie durchgeführten, die pädiatrischen Patienten potenziell gefährdenden Maßnahmen in Deutschland.

Material und Methoden

In einem retrospektiven Studiendesign wurden Patientenakten eines tertiären Kinderschmerzzentrums der Jahre 2004, 2008, 2012 und 2016 ausgewertet (N = 585). Neben diagnostischen und therapeutischen Maßnahmen wurden primäre Schmerzparameter und Patientencharakteristika erfasst. In einer interdisziplinären Expertenumfrage (N = 13) wurden die Invasivität, das Risiko und die psychische Belastung von Maßnahmen bewertet.

Ergebnisse

Diagnostische und medikamentöse Maßnahmen nehmen bis 2012 zu. Ab 2012 lässt sich ein abnehmender Trend erkennen (χ2(3) = 11,708; p = 0,008). Die Invasivität (χ2(3) = 13,342; p = 0,004), das Risiko (χ2(3) = 13,135; p = 0,004) und die psychische Belastung (χ2(3) = 14,403; p = 0,002) durchgeführter Maßnahmen zeigen ein gleiches Veränderungsmuster. In der Gesamtstichprobe sind Patienten mit Bauch- oder Gliederschmerzen besonders gefährdet für hoch invasive und sehr risikoreiche Diagnostik.

Diskussion

Eine Zunahme diagnostischer und therapeutischer Maßnahmen bei funktionellen Schmerzstörungen lässt sich nur bis 2012 beobachten. Bei bestimmten Patientengruppen kommen invasive, risikoreiche und die Psyche stärker belastende Maßnahmen häufiger zur Anwendung.
Einarbeitung von Nanoclay in Polyolefine mittels Planetwalzenextruder
Authors: Ohrdorf Karl-Heinz , Birr Thomas , Flachberger Helmut
Published: November 2020

Als aktive Füllstoffe in Polymeren zum Einsatz gelangende Organoclays werden durch Kationenaustausch aus natürlichen Natrium-Bentoniten hergestellt, für die es in Europa keine industriell verwertbaren Lagerstätten gibt. Am Lehrstuhl für Aufbereitung und Veredlung der Montanuniversität Leoben konnte ein für diese Anwendung gleichwertiger Organoclay aus europäischen Kalzium-Bentoniten entwickelt werden.

Die Einarbeitung eines idealerweise vollständig exfolierten Organoclays in nichtpolare Polymere wie Polypropylen und Polyethylen gilt als sehr schwierig. Dafür sind eine schlechte Kompatibilität und die Neigung zur Re-Agglomeration der mineralischen Partikel verantwortlich.

Die Exfolierung von schichtpaketartigen Füllstoff-Agglomeraten erfordert sehr hohe Scherkräfte beim Compoundieren bei latenter Gefahr, dass dabei das Polymer geschädigt werden kann.

Erste Compoundierversuche mit einem Doppelschneckenextruder brachten nicht den gewünschten Effekt. Der hier beschriebene Planetwalzenextruder zeigte eindeutige Verbesserungen bei der Dispergierung der Agglomerate. Eine zufriedenstellende Exfolierung konnte aber auch hier nicht erzielt werden.

Es konnte nicht erklärt werden, warum sich der Füllstoff mit einem d98 < 5 µm beim Eintrag in ein homopolymeres Polypropylen zu Aggregaten mit einem ca. 60-fach größeren Durchmesser zusammenballt, während dies beim Polyethylen nicht geschieht.

Die erwarteten Verbesserungen der mechanischen Eigenschaften wie E‑Modul und Zugfestigkeit wurden auch bei höheren Füllgraden nicht erreicht.
Visualisation of
H2O2 penetration through skin
indicates importance to develop pathway-specific epidermal sensing
Authors: Jankovskaja Skaidre , Labrousse Anaïs , Prévaud Léa , Holmqvist Bo , Brinte Anders , Engblom Johan , Rezeli Melinda , Marko-Varga György , Ruzgas Tautgirdas
Published: November 2020

Elevated amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) including hydrogen
peroxide (H2O2) are observed in the
epidermis in different skin disorders. Thus, epidermal sensing of
H2O2 should be useful to monitor
the progression of skin pathologies. We have evaluated epidermal sensing of
H2O2 in vitro, by visualising
H2O2 permeation through the skin.
Skin membranes were mounted in Franz cells, and a suspension of Prussian white
microparticles was deposited on the stratum corneum face of the skin. Upon
H2O2 permeation, Prussian white
was oxidised to Prussian blue, resulting in a pattern of blue dots. Comparison of
skin surface images with the dot patterns revealed that about 74% of the blue dots
were associated with hair shafts. The degree of the Prussian white to Prussian blue
conversion strongly correlated with the reciprocal resistance of the skin membranes.
Together, the results demonstrate that hair follicles are the major pathways of
H2O2 transdermal penetration. The
study recommends that the development of
H2O2 monitoring on skin should aim
for pathway-specific epidermal sensing, allowing micrometre resolution to detect and
quantify this ROS biomarker at hair follicles.

Graphical abstract
Species composition of introduced and natural minnow populations of the Phoxinus cryptic complex in the westernmost part of the Po River Basin (north Italy)
Authors: De Santis Vanessa , Delmastro Giovanni B. , Vanetti Isabella , Britton J. Robert , Zaccara Serena
Published: November 2020

Invasive alien species are a major driver of biodiversity loss, with their impacts potentially more intense when complexes of cryptic species are involved. In freshwaters, the anthropogenic manipulation of fish communities has resulted in altered fish communities, and in Europe has increased the complexity of Phoxinus species assemblages. Here, we investigated the Phoxinus communities of the westernmost part of the Po river basin, where adjacent freshwater ecosystems (Alpine high-altitude lakes and lowland streams) are representative of different management strategies (i.e. manipulated fish communities via stocking in Alpine lakes vs. natural populations in streams). We tested the genetic composition of the cryptic Phoxinus populations inhabiting these waters, as the species are morphologically indistinct. Sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) were obtained from 239 specimens, with the results indicating that 17 Alpine high-altitude lakes are now populated by a complex of Phoxinus species, comprising P. septimaniae (native to the Mediterranean area of France), P. csikii (native to the Central Balkans) and P. lumaireul (native to the North Adriatic Sea basins). Their introduction resulted from their use as angling live baits. Minnow populations in lowland streams were primarily comprised of native P. lumaireul, with only a single P. csikii specimen detected. While nuclear sequences of the recombination activating gene 1 (RAG1) marker were not useful for tracking the presence of alien alleles in these stream populations, the COI data emphasised the importance of using molecular tools to investigate cryptic species complexes that have been modified by anthropogenic activities.
Distributional Impacts of Carbon Pricing: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Ohlendorf Nils , Jakob Michael , Minx Jan Christoph , Schröder Carsten , Steckel Jan Christoph
Published: November 2020

Understanding the distributional impacts of market-based climate policies is crucial to design economically efficient climate change mitigation policies that are socially acceptable and avoid adverse impacts on the poor. Empirical studies that examine the distributional impacts of carbon pricing and fossil fuel subsidy reforms in different countries arrive at ambiguous results. To systematically determine the sources of variation between these outcomes, we apply an ordered probit meta-analysis framework. Based on a comprehensive, systematic and transparent screening of the literature, our sample comprises 53 empirical studies containing 183 effects in 39 countries. Results indicate a significantly increased likelihood of progressive distributional outcomes for studies on lower income countries and transport sector policies. The same applies to study designs that consider indirect effects, demand-side adjustments of consumers or lifetime income proxies.
Application of the Gauss–Bonnet theorem to lensing in the NUT metric
Authors: Halla Mourad , Perlick Volker
Published: November 2020

We show with the help of Fermat’s principle that every lightlike geodesic in the NUT metric projects to a geodesic of a two-dimensional Riemannian metric which we call the optical metric. The optical metric is defined on a (coordinate) cone whose opening angle is determined by the impact parameter of the lightlike geodesic. We show that, surprisingly, the optical metrics on cones with different opening angles are locally (but not globally) isometric. With the help of the Gauss–Bonnet theorem we demonstrate that the deflection angle of a lightlike geodesic is determined by an area integral over the Gaussian curvature of the optical metric. A similar result is known to be true for static and spherically symmetric spacetimes. The generalisation to the NUT spacetime, which is neither static nor spherically symmetric (at least not in the usual sense), is rather non-trivial.
Foveal structure in nanophthalmos and visual acuity
Authors: Okumichi Hideaki , Itakura Katsumasa , Yuasa Yuki , Fukuto Atsuhiko , Kiuchi Yoshiaki
Published: November 2020

Purpose

To evaluate the fovea in nanophthalmic eyes using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA), and to investigate the relationship between the macular microstructure and visual acuity.

Methods

This is a retrospective case series of five nanophthalmic patients. The foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area was measured in superficial and deep vascular layers with OCTA. The thickness of the inner retinal layer (IRL) was measured with SD-OCT. The ratio of the foveal and parafoveal IRL thickness (fIRL/pIRL ratio) was calculated. The relationship between these parameters and visual acuity was then investigated.

Results

Eight eyes were identified as nanophthalmic with a mean axial length of 17.19 ± 1.44 mm (range: 15.71 to 19.88 mm). The mean best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in the logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) was 0.12 ± 0.18 (range: − 0.18 to 0.40). OCTA showed that FAZs were either absent or undeveloped in the superficial and deep capillary plexuses. Two patients did not show any visual impairments despite small FAZ and a shallow foveal depression. Although the BCVA was significantly correlated with the deep FAZ size, it did not correlate with the superficial FAZ size, axial length, or fIRL/pIRL ratio. However, the refractive error, axial length, and deep FAZ size were all significantly correlated with the fIRL/pIRL ratio.

Conclusions

The FAZs were commonly found to be small in the superficial and deep capillary plexuses. Although the deep FAZ size correlated with visual acuity, it is unclear whether the retinal microstructure and the FAZ size are responsible for the visual impairments observed in the same individuals.
Sibling correlation in risk attitudes: evidence from Burkina Faso
Authors: Sepahvand Mohammad H. , Shahbazian Roujman
Published: November 2020

This study uses sibling correlation to provide novel descriptive evidence of parental and household characteristics on three different risk domains collected in a nationally representative survey from Burkina Faso. The sibling correlations are between 0.51 and 0.83. The correlations are higher in the general risk domain compared to risk taking in financial matters and traffic. Moreover, the sibling correlation is higher for sisters than brothers. We also explore which factors might drive these correlations; parents’ risk attitudes appears to play a role in explaining these correlations, whereas socioeconomic outcomes, family structure, parental health and residential zone seems to have only a limited contribution. We also find that gender seems to be important in explaining the variation in sibling correlations. Mother’s appear to have a stronger contribution on daughters than their sons correlation, whereas father’s help to explain their sons correlation.
Cognitive training for robotic surgery: a chance to optimize surgical training? A pilot study
Authors: Schönburg Sandra , Anheuser Petra , Kranz Jennifer , Fornara Paolo , Oubaid Viktor
Published: November 2020

The rapid rise of robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) has necessitated an efficient and standardized training curriculum. Cognitive training (CT) can significantly improve skills, such as attention, working memory and problem solving, and can enhance surgical capacity and support RAS training. This pilot study was carried out between 02/2019 and 04/2019. The participants included 33 student volunteers, randomized into 3 groups: group 1 received training using the da Vinci training simulator, group 2 received computer-based cognitive training, and group 3 was the control group without training. Before (T1) and after-training (T2), performance was measured. Additionally, expert ratings and self-evaluations were collected. Subjective evaluations of performance were supplemented by evaluations based on three scales from the revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI-R). In total, 25 probands remained with complete data for further analyses: n = 8 (group 1), n = 7 (group 2) and n = 10 (group 3). There were no significant differences in T1 and T2 among all three groups. The average training gain of group 1 and 2 was 15.87% and 24.6%, respectively, (a restricting condition is the loss of the last training session in group 2). Analyses of semi-structured psychological interviews (SPIs) revealed no significant differences for T1, but in T2, significance occurred at ‘self-reflection’ for group 2 (F(2.22) = 8.56; p < .005). The efficacy of CT in training highly complex and difficult procedures, such as RAS, is a proven and accepted fact. Further investigation involving higher numbers of training trials (while also being cost effective) should be performed.
The course of peripheral neuropathy and its association with health-related quality of life among colorectal cancer patients
Authors: Bonhof Cynthia S. , van de Poll-Franse Lonneke V. , Wasowicz Dareczka K. , Beerepoot Laurens V. , Vreugdenhil Gerard , Mols Floortje
Published: November 2020

Purpose

To gain more insight into the course of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) and its impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a population-based sample of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients up to 2 years after diagnosis.

Methods

All newly diagnosed CRC patients from four hospitals in the Netherlands were eligible for participation in an ongoing prospective cohort study. Patients (n = 340) completed questions on CIPN (EORTC QLQ-CIPN20) and HRQoL (EORTC QLQ-C30) before initial treatment (baseline) and 1 and 2 years after diagnosis.

Results

Among chemotherapy-treated patients (n = 105), a high sensory peripheral neuropathy (SPN) level was reported by 57% of patients at 1 year, and 47% at 2-year follow-up, whereas a high motor peripheral neuropathy (MPN) level was reported by 47% and 28%, at years 1 and 2, respectively. Linear mixed model analyses showed that SPN and MPN symptoms significantly increased from baseline to 1-year follow-up and did not return to baseline level after 2 years. Patients with a high SPN or MPN level reported a worse global quality of life and a worse physical, role, emotional, cognitive, and social functioning compared with those with a low SPN or MPN level.

Conclusions

Future studies should focus on understanding the mechanisms underlying CIPN so targeted interventions can be developed to reduce the impact of CIPN on patient’s lives.

Implications for cancer survivors

Patients need to be informed of both CIPN and the impact on HRQoL.
Repurposing Inflatable Packaging Pillows as Bioreactors: a Convenient Synthesis of Glucosone by Whole-Cell Catalysis Under Oxygen
Authors: Mozuch Michael D. , Hirth Kolby C. , Schwartz Thomas J. , Kersten Philip J.
Published: November 2020

Biocatalysis using molecular oxygen as the electron acceptor has significant potential for selective oxidations at low cost. However, oxygen is poorly soluble in water, and its slow rate of mass transfer in the aqueous phase is a major obstacle, even for laboratory-scale syntheses. Oxygen transfer can be accelerated by vigorous mechanical methods, but these are often incompatible with biological catalysts. Gentler conditions can be achieved with shallow, high surface area bag reactors that are designed for single use and generally for specialized cell culture applications. As a less-expensive alternative to these high-end bioreactors, we describe repurposing inflatable shipping pillows with resealable valves to provide high surface area mixing under oxygen for preparative synthesis of glucosone (D-arabino-hexos-2-ulose) from D-glucose using non-growing Escherichia coli whole cells containing recombinant pyranose 2-oxidase (POX) as catalyst. Parallel reactions permitted systematic study of the effects of headspace composition (i.e., air vs 100% oxygen), cell density, exogenous catalase, and reaction volume in the oxidation of 10% glucose. Importantly, only a single charge of 100% oxygen is required for stoichiometric conversion on a multi-gram scale in 18 h with resting cells, and the conversion was successfully repeated with recycled cells.
Church Growth in Times of Secularization: A Case Study of People Joining Evangelical Congregations in the Netherlands
Authors: Vermeer Paul , Scheepers Peer
Published: November 2020

Background

Today the Dutch religious landscape is characterized by two opposite trends. On the one hand, there is a massive and dominant trend of religious disaffiliation which mostly affects the Roman Catholic Church and the mainline Protestant churches, while on the other hand the Netherlands also witnesses the emergence of several independent, evangelical congregations of near megachurch size.

Purpose

Against the background of these opposite trends, this paper focuses on the second trend and tries to explain why some people join an evangelical congregation.

Methods

For this purpose, quantitative data gathered among the audiences of six thriving evangelical congregations are analyzed in view of the following research questions: (1) What was the previous religious affiliation of the people who switched or converted to one of the six participating evangelical congregations? and (2) Which factors induced the switch or conversion to these congregations?

Results

Results of bivariate and multivariate analyses show that these congregations attract both mainline and orthodox Protestant switchers as well as a significant number of secular converts, whose decision to join these evangelical congregations is induced by early socialization experiences, their intrinsic religious orientation and the switching of their partner. Closer scrutiny into the background of the apparent secular converts reveals, however, that several of these converts are probably re-affiliates. Although these secular converts indicated to be a religious none in their early teens, their conversion to evangelicalism is in part still induced by certain, early religious socialization experiences.

Conclusions and Implications

This insight puts the alleged success of these evangelical congregations in more perspective. It shows that their success is more a matter of circulating, religious believers and not so much a matter of successfully reaching out to the unchurched. In all likelihood, then, thriving evangelical congregations will remain an exception in secular societies like the Netherlands and evangelical church growth in no way marks a break with the ongoing trend of religious disaffiliation.
Honor and Shame in Early China
Authors: Lewis Mark Edward
Published: November 2020

In this major new study, Mark Edward Lewis traces how the changing language of honor and shame helped to articulate and justify transformations in Chinese society between the Warring States and the end of the Han dynasty. Through careful examination of a wide variety of texts, he demonstrates how honor-shame discourse justified the actions of diverse and potentially rival groups. Over centuries, the formally recognized political order came to be intertwined with groups articulating alternative models of honor. These groups both participated in the existing order and, through their own visions of what was truly honourable, paved the way for subsequent political structures. Filling a major lacuna in the study of early China, Lewis presents ways in which the early Chinese empires can be fruitfully considered in comparative context and develops a more systematic understanding of the fundamental role of honor/shame in shaping states and societies.
Democratic Public Justification
Authors: Motchoulski Alexander
Published: November 2020

Democratic institutions are appealing means of making publicly justified social choices. By allowing participation by all citizens, democracy can accommodate diversity among citizens, and by considering the perspectives of all, via ballots or debate, democratic results can approximate what the balance of reasons favors. I consider whether, and under what conditions, democratic institutions might reliably make publicly justified social decisions. I argue that conventional accounts of democracy, constituted by voting or deliberation, are unlikely to be effective public justification mechanisms. I conclude that the limitations of conventional mechanisms can be ameliorated through the use of lotteries instead of elections.
Electroencephalography Attenuations in Adults: Clinical Correlates
Authors: Hunter Gary , Verity Ryan
Published: November 2020

Spontaneous intermittent generalized attenuations (SIGAs) are defined as a transient decrease in amplitude of electroencephalography (EEG) activity in response to a physiologic process, external stimuli, or as a result of a pathologic condition. We seek to investigate their relationship to clinical outcomes. Demographic information, modified Rankin Scale (mRS), and clinical information were noted on 22 consecutive patients with SIGAs on their EEG. 12 of the 22 patients (54.5%) died, and 12 patients (54.5%) were admitted to the intensive care unit or coronary care unit. Future studies should attempt to prospectively compare outcomes among patients with SIGAs against a control group.
Emergency Room Visit Prevention for Older Patients with Parkinsonism in a Geriatric Clinic
Authors: Lee Joyce W. , Mah Greta , Kalia Sumeet , Miyasaki Janis
Published: November 2020

Background:

Older persons with parkinsonism (PWP) are at high risk for hospitalization and adverse outcomes. Few effective strategies exist to prevent Emergency Department (ED) visits and hospitalization. The interdisciplinary Geriatrics Clinic for Parkinson’s (“our clinic”) was founded to address the complexity of parkinsonism in older patients, supported by a pharmacist-led telephone intervention (TI) service. Our primary objective was to study whether TI could avert ED visits in older PWP.

Methods:

Using a prospective, observational cohort, we collected data from all calls in 2016, including who initiated and reasons for the calls, patient demographics, number of comorbidities and medications, diagnoses, duration of disease, and intervention provided. Calls with intention to visit ED were classified as “crisis calls”. Outcome of whether patients visited ED was collected within 1 week, and user satisfaction by anonymous survey within 3 weeks.

Results:

We received 337 calls concerning 114 patients, of which 82 (24%) were “crisis calls”. Eighty-one percent of calls were initiated by caregivers. Ninety-three percent of “crisis calls” resolved without ED visit after TI. The main reasons for “crisis calls” were non-motor symptoms (NMS) (39%), adverse drug effects (ADE) (29%), and motor symptoms (18%). Ninety-seven percent of callers were satisfied with the TI.

Conclusion:

Pharmacist-led TI in a Geriatrics Clinic for Parkinson’s was effective in preventing ED visits in a population of older PWP, with high user satisfaction. Most calls were initiated by caregivers. Main reasons for crisis calls were NMS and ADE. These factors should be considered in care planning for older PWP.
Kneading sequences for toy models of Hénon maps
Authors: ARAUJO ERMERSON
Published: November 2020

The purpose of this article is to study the relation between combinatorial equivalence and topological conjugacy, specifically how a certain type of combinatorial equivalence implies topological conjugacy. We introduce the concept of kneading sequences for a setting that is more general than one-dimensional dynamics: for the two-dimensional toy model family of Hénon maps introduced by Benedicks and Carleson, we define kneading sequences for their critical lines, and prove that these sequences are a complete invariant for a natural conjugacy class among the toy model family. We also establish a version of Singer’s theorem for the toy model family.
Motivic Steenrod operations in characteristicp
Authors: Primozic Eric
Published: November 2020

For a primepand a fieldkof characteristic$p,$we define Steenrod operations$P^{n}_{k}$on motivic cohomology with$\mathbb {F}_{p}$-coefficients of smooth varieties defined over the base field$k.$We show that$P^{n}_{k}$is thepth power on$H^{2n,n}(-,\mathbb {F}_{p}) \cong CH^{n}(-)/p$and prove an instability result for the operations. Restricted to modpChow groups, we show that the operations satisfy the expected Adem relations and Cartan formula. Using these new operations, we remove previous restrictions on the characteristic of the base field for Rost’s degree formula. Over a base field of characteristic$2,$we obtain new results on quadratic forms.
Profinite invariants of arithmetic groups
Authors: Kammeyer Holger , Kionke Steffen , Raimbault Jean , Sauer Roman
Published: November 2020

We prove that the sign of the Euler characteristic of arithmetic groups with the congruence subgroup property is determined by the profinite completion. In contrast, we construct examples showing that this is not true for the Euler characteristic itself and that the sign of the Euler characteristic is not profinite among general residually finite groups of typeF. Our methods imply similar results for$\ell^2$-torsion as well as a strong profiniteness statement for Novikov–Shubin invariants.
‘A Perfectly Self-Contained Tetralogy’: Mahler’s Tragicomic Inspirations
Authors: BATSTONE LEAH
Published: November 2020

This article examines Mahler’s Fourth Symphony and its role in what the composer called his ‘perfectly self-contained tetralogy’. Previous explanations for this phrase include the first four symphonies’ shared song quotations and ideological content, but the dramas of ancient Dionysian festivals present a better model: three serious tragedies and a comic satyr play, a performance grouping also known as a ‘tetralogy’. Following Mahler’s first three symphonies (his ‘Trilogie der Leidenschaft’), the Fourth Symphony – originally entitled ‘Humoreske’ – is compared to a light-hearted satyr play, featuring abrupt juxtapositions of moods and a setting of the humorous song ‘Das himmlische Leben’. Praise for the redemptive effects of this ancient tragicomic juxtaposition plays an important role in Nietzsche’s The Birth of Tragedy, and the importance of humour especially shaped the philosopher’s later writings, many of which Mahler knew from his time as a student in Vienna. This new reading not only provides a better explanation for Mahler’s comment, but also illustrates Nietzsche’s influence on the composer’s sense of drama.
Amateur Recording on the Phonograph inFin-de-siècleBarcelona: Practices, Repertoires and Performers in the Regordosa-Turull Wax Cylinder Collection
Authors: MOREDA RODRÍGUEZ EVA
Published: November 2020

The Regordosa-Turull wax cylinder collection, held at the Biblioteca de Catalunya, Barcelona, is unique among early recording collections. It contains 358 cylinders recorded by the textile industrialist Ruperto Regordosa, mostly at his Barcelona home, featuring prominent Spanish and non-Spanish singers of opera and zarzuela, as well as the composer Isaac Albéniz. This article aims to establish the significance of the collection for the study both of the amateur recording culture that existed alongside commercial phonograph recordings and of performance practices in opera and zarzuela. By examining the broader characteristics of the collection and textual sources from the period, and by closely analysing some of the cylinders, this article explores how Regordosa adopted (and in some cases adapted) certain generic conventions employed in commercial recordings of the time, and what the implications of this are when considering these early recordings as documents of performance practice.
A NEGLECTED SOURCE ON THE DATE OF HEROD THE GREAT'S DEATH
Authors: Fernández Tomás
Published: November 2020

The Florilegium Coislinianum (nine/tenth century), a largely unpublished Byzantine spiritual anthology, provides a fuller perspective on an intriguing exegetical work attributed to Athanasius of Alexandria, the Fragmenta in Matthaeum (CPG 2141.7). The authenticity of the work has been contested. However, while it is certain that it was not written in toto by Athanasius, the possibility remains that it contains traces of now-lost texts of the Alexandrian theologian.
Feeding level regulates the expression of some genes involved with programed cell death and remodeling in goat and sheep mammary tissue
Authors: Tsiplakou Eleni , Mitsiopoulou Christina , Skliros Dimitrios , Mavrommatis Alexandros , Flemetakis Emmanouil
Published: November 2020

Mammary tissue (MT) turnover is characterized by programed cell death and remodeling which might be affected by both feeding level and animal species. Thus, twenty-four dairy goats and the same number of sheep were assigned to three homogenous sub-groups per animal species and fed the same diet in quantities which met 70% (FL70), 100% (FL100) and 130% (FL130) of their daily energy and crude protein requirements. Individual MT samples were taken by biopsy from the animals on the 30th and 60th experimental day. The results showed, in the first sampling time, a significant reduction in the mRNA abundance for selected genes involved in programed cell death in both FL 70 fed goats (STAT3 and BECN1) and sheep (CASPASE8 and BECN1) compared with the respective FL100 groups. The FL130, in comparison with the FL100, caused a significant increase in transcripts accumulation of STAT3 gene in both sampling times and CASPASE8 gene in the second sampling time in goat MT, while the opposite happened for the mRNA expression of CASPASE8 and BECN1 genes in sheep MT, but only in the first sampling time. Moreover, a significant up regulation in the mRNA levels of MMP2 gene in MT of FL130 fed sheep was observed. The FL130, in comparison with the FL70, caused an enhancement in the mRNA expression levels of BECN1, CASPASE8, BAX and STAT3 genes in goat MT only. It was also shown that apoptosis and autophagy can be affected simultaneously by the feeding level. Overfeeding affects MT programed cell death and remodeling by a completely different way in goats than sheep. In conclusion, feeding level and animal species have strong effects on both MT programed cell death (apoptosis and autophagy) and remodeling but the molecular mechanisms need further investigation.
Simulations of ion–dust streaming instability in a highly collisional plasma
Authors: Quest K. , Rosenberg M. , Levine A.
Published: November 2020

The excitation of low frequency dust acoustic (or dust density) waves in a dusty plasma can be driven by the flow of ions relative to dust. We consider the nonlinear development of the ion–dust streaming instability in a highly collisional plasma, where the ion and dust collision frequencies are a significant fraction of their corresponding plasma frequencies. This collisional parameter regime may be relevant to dusty plasma experiments under microgravity or ground-based conditions with high gas pressure. One-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations are presented, which take into account collisions of ions and dust with neutrals, and a background electric field that drives the ion flow. Ion flow speeds of the order of a few times thermal are considered. Waveforms of the dust density are found to have broad troughs and sharp crests in the nonlinear phase. The results are compared with the nonlinear development of the ion–dust streaming instability in a plasma with low collisionality.
An ecological study of objective rest–activity markers of lithium response in bipolar-I-disorder
Authors: Scott Jan , Hennion Vincent , Meyrel Manon , Bellivier Frank , Etain Bruno
Published: November 2020

Background

Despite its pivotal role in prophylaxis for bipolar-I-disorders (BD-I), variability in lithium (Li) response is poorly understood and only a third of patients show a good outcome. Converging research strands indicate that rest–activity rhythms can help characterize BD-I and might differentiate good responders (GR) and non-responders (NR).

Methods

Seventy outpatients with BD-I receiving Li prophylaxis were categorized as GR or NR according to the ratings on the retrospective assessment of response to lithium scale (Alda scale). Participants undertook 21 consecutive days of actigraphy monitoring of sleep quantity (SQ), sleep variability (SV) and circadian rhythmicity (CR).

Results

Twenty-five individuals were categorized as GR (36%). After correcting statistical analysis to minimize false discoveries, four variables (intra-daily variability; median activity level; amplitude; and relative amplitude of activity) significantly differentiated GR from NR. The odds of being classified as a GR case were greatest for individuals showing more regular/stable CR (1.41; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.08, 2.05;p< 0.04). Also, there was a trend for lower SV to be associated with GR (odds ratio: 0.56; 95% CI 0.31, 1.01;p< 0.06).

Conclusions

To our knowledge, this is the largest actigraphy study of rest–activity rhythms and Li response. Circadian markers associated with fragmentation, variability, amount and/or amplitude of day and night-time activity best-identified GR. However, associations were modest and future research must determine whether these objectively measured parameters, singly or together, represent robust treatment response biomarkers. Actigraphy may offer an adjunct to multi-platform approaches aimed at developing personalized treatments or stratification of individuals with BD-I into treatment-relevant subgroups.
‘I'm old, but I'm not old-fashioned’: mealtimes and cooking practices among Danish widows and widowers
Authors: Andersen Sidse Schoubye
Published: November 2020

Existing research on how older adults handle challenges associated with domestic housework, and in particular food work, almost invariably assumes that older adults are traditionalist, and that this affects the way they adjust to widowhood. This assumption is problematic, as decades of research have emphasised increasing gender equality in food work. In this paper, I explore how older adult men and women adjust to food preparation after the loss of a spouse. Interviews with 31 Danish widows and widowers aged between 67 and 86 years old suggest that the men have made culinary progress. However, I also show that the narratives around domestic food work among the older generations remain gendered: both men and women identify widowed men's domestic food work as something meriting acknowledgement, and men and women draw on traditional masculine and feminine ways of approaching domestic food work.
ANOTHER CASE OF THE MIDDLE-INCOME TRAP: CHILE, 1900–1939
Authors: Couyoumdjian Juan Pablo , Larroulet Cristián , Díaz Diego A.
Published: November 2020

This paper studies the evolution of the Chilean economy in the late 19th and early 20th century, a period when the country's convergence with developed countries came to an end. We analyse this problem in the context of the modern literature on the middle-income trap. The social, political and economic history of Chile between 1875 and 1939 is examined and the presence of most of the factors associated with the middle-income trap is found. We complement this narrative through a quantitative analysis based on the synthetic control method and argue that the process of state-led industrialisation undertaken in the country leading to the formation of CORFO was a key economic and political event. Our work presents some general lessons for developing countries facing a similar context.
THE ABSOLUTION OF HISTORY: CUBAN LIVING STANDARDS AFTER 60 YEARS OF REVOLUTIONARY RULE
Authors: Devereux John
Published: November 2020

Six decades ago, Cuba initiated a momentous social and economic experiment. This paper documents the effects of the experiment on Cuban living standards. Before the revolution, Cuban income per capita was on a par with Ireland or Finland. Indeed, Cuba was one of the richest of the Spanish-speaking societies. Growth is glacially slow after the revolution as GDP per capita increased by 40 per cent between 1957 and 2017 equal to an annual growth rate of 0.6 per cent—among the lowest anywhere. To be sure, other dimensions of well-being such as education and health improved, yet broader welfare measures do not change the conclusion that the revolution impoverished Cuba relative to any plausible counter factual.
Chasing the ghost of infection past: identifying thresholds of change during the COVID-19 infection in Spain
Authors: Santamaría Luis , Hortal Joaquín
Published: November 2020

One of the largest nationwide bursts of the first COVID-19 outbreak occurred in Spain, where infection expanded in densely populated areas through March 2020. We analyse the cumulative growth curves of reported cases and deaths in all Spain and two highly populated regions, Madrid and Catalonia, identifying changes and sudden shifts in their exponential growth rate through segmented Poisson regressions. We associate these breakpoints with a timeline of key events and containment measures, and data on policy stringency and citizen mobility. Results were largely consistent for infections and deaths in all territories, showing four major shifts involving 19–71% reductions in growth rates originating from infections before 3 March and on 5–8, 10–12 and 14–18 March, but no identifiable effect of the strengthened lockdown of 29–30 March. Changes in stringency and mobility were only associated to the latter two shifts, evidencing an early deceleration in COVID-19 spread associated to personal hygiene and social distancing recommendations, followed by a stronger decrease when lockdown was enforced, leading to the contention of the outbreak by mid-April. This highlights the importance of combining public health communication strategies and hard confinement measures to contain epidemics.
School lunch nutritional adequacy: what is served, consumed and wasted
Authors: Liz Martins Margarida , Rodrigues Sara SP , Cunha Luís M , Rocha Ada
Published: November 2020

Objective:

To determine nutritional adequacy of school lunch and to assess the impact of food waste on nutrient intake of primary schoolchildren.

Design:

The weighing method was used for evaluating initial servings and plate waste for lunch. Energy and nutritional contents of meals served, consumed and wasted were estimated using the software Food Processor Plus. The mean nutritional value of food served and consumed was compared with dietary guidelines.

Setting:

Portuguese public primary schools in the city of Porto.

Participants:

All 525 fourth-grade children, aged from 9 to 10 years old, attending to twenty-one public primary schools.

Results:

Overall, school lunches served did not meet the dietary guidelines for energy and nutrients, as only 12·5 % of the evaluated meals were adequate for energy, 33·5 % for proteins, 11·9 % for carbohydrates and 57·1 % for lipids. The majority of meals served were below the age-specific lower limit, namely for energy (83·7 %) and carbohydrates (86·8 %). The only exception, also unbalanced, was observed for proteins, as 42·4 % of lunches served exceeded the recommended upper limit. Furthermore, lunches served and consumed by children did not meet the dietary guidelines for fibre and for the micronutrients evaluated. Children wasted 26 % of the energy content provided in lunches, corresponding to 91·5 kcal, 25 % of proteins and 29 % of carbohydrates supplied.

Conclusions:

The lunches served and consumed by children at school canteens failed to meet nutritional standards. These results are not only a consequence of inadequate food portions served but also a result of the high plate waste values observed.
Spectrums of depositional practice in later prehistoric Britain and beyond. Grave goods, hoards and deposits ‘in between’
Authors: Cooper Anwen , Garrow Duncan , Gibson Catriona
Published: November 2020

This paper critically evaluates how archaeologists define ‘grave goods’ in relation to the full spectrum of depositional contexts available to people in the past, including hoards, rivers and other ‘special’ deposits. Developing the argument that variations in artefact deposition over time and space can only be understood if different ‘types’ of find location are considered together holistically, we contend that it is also vital to look at the points where traditionally defined contexts of deposition become blurred into one another. In this paper, we investigate one particular such category – body-less object deposits at funerary sites – in later prehistoric Britain. This category of evidence has never previously been analysed collectively, let alone over the extended time period considered here. On the basis of a substantial body of evidence collected as part of a nationwide survey, we demonstrate that body-less object deposits were a significant component of funerary sites during later prehistory. Consequently, we go on to question whether human remains were actually always a necessary element of funerary deposits for prehistoric people, suggesting that the absence of human bone could be a positive attribute rather than simply a negative outcome of taphonomic processes. We also argue that modern, fixed depositional categories sometimes serve to mask a full understanding of the complex realities of past practice and ask whether it might be productive in some instances to move beyond interpretively confining terms such as ‘grave’, ‘hoard’ and ‘cenotaph’. Our research demonstrates that is it not only interesting in itself to scrutinize archaeological evidence that does not easily fit into traditional narratives, but that the process of doing so also sheds new light on the validity of our present-day categories, enabling deeper insights into how people in the past ordered their material and conceptual worlds. Whilst our main focus is later prehistoric Britain, the issues we consider are potentially relevant across all periods and regions.
Mental health problems and correlates among 746 217 college students during the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak in China
Authors: Ma Z. , Zhao J. , Li Y. , Chen D. , Wang T. , Zhang Z. , Chen Z. , Yu Q. , Jiang J. , Fan F. , Liu X.
Published: November 2020

Aims

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a major public health concern all over the world. Little is known about the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in the general population. This study aimed to assess the mental health problems and associated factors among a large sample of college students during the COVID-19 outbreak in China.

Methods

This cross-sectional and nation-wide survey of college students was conducted in China from 3 to 10 February 2020. A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess psychosocial factors, COVID-19 epidemic related factors and mental health problems. Acute stress, depressive and anxiety symptoms were measured by the Chinese versions of the impact of event scale-6, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, respectively. Univariate and hierarchical logistic regression analyses were performed to examine factors associated with mental health problems.

Results

Among 821 218 students who participated in the survey, 746 217 (90.9%) were included for the analysis. In total, 414 604 (55.6%) of the students were female. About 45% of the participants had mental health problems. The prevalence rates of probable acute stress, depressive and anxiety symptoms were 34.9%, 21.1% and 11.0%, respectively. COVID-19 epidemic factors that were associated with increased risk of mental health problems were having relatives or friends being infected (adjusted odds ratio = 1.72–2.33). Students with exposure to media coverage of the COVID-19 ≥3 h/day were 2.13 times more likely than students with media exposure <1 h/day to have acute stress symptoms. Individuals with low perceived social support were 4.84–5.98 times more likely than individuals with high perceived social support to have anxiety and depressive symptoms. In addition, senior year and prior mental health problems were also significantly associated with anxiety or/and depressive symptoms.

Conclusions

In this large-scale survey of college students in China, acute stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms are prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic. Multiple epidemic and psychosocial factors, such as family members being infected, massive media exposure, low social support, senior year and prior mental health problems were associated with increased risk of mental health problems. Psychosocial support and mental health services should be provided to those students at risk.
Reimagining the Colorado River by Exploring Extreme Events
Authors: Jacobs Katharine , McCoy Amy , Martin Season , Gerlak Andrea
Published: November 2020

Workshops exploring environmental, social, and political scenarios to prepare for negotiating new Colorado River water management guidelines took on added realism when the COVID-19 pandemic started.