bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Age-Related Differences for Male-to-Female Transgender Patients Undergoing Gender-Affirming Surgery
Authors: Zavlin Dmitry , Wassersug Richard J. , Chegireddy Vishwanath , Schaff Jürgen , Papadopulos Nikolaos A.
Published: January 2019

Introduction

It has been theorized that there are 2 subgroups within the male-to-female (MtF) transgender population: individuals who are predominantly androphilic and those who are predominantly gynephylic or interested in both male and female partners.

Aim

To explore the role of a dichotomous distribution of age at dysphoria onset in individuals diagnosed with MtF gender dysphoria.

Methods

40 patients who presented to a surgical clinic in Germany for gender-affirming surgery (GAS) were included in this study. Their age distribution was plotted as a histogram and the population was then divided at the median self-reported age of onset of gender dysphoria—that is, those 17 years and younger and those 18 years and older. The 2 groups were then compared with regard to demographic data, partnership history, various quality of life parameters, as well as sexual orientation and sexual history.

Main Outcome Measure

Self-designed questionnaires for demographics and sexuality, Questions on Life Satisfaction and Body Image (FLZM), Freiburg Personality Inventory, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and Patient Health Questionnaire were used.

Results

Early-onset, gender-dysphoric MtF patients underwent GAS at a much younger age (mean 32.7 vs 43.8 years, P = .004), but had similar characteristics regarding weight, height, body mass index, marital status, and living situation to individuals who reported later onset of gender dysphoria. Preoperatively, they showed greater depressive symptoms (4.6 vs 3.3 points, P = .045), which disappeared after GAS. Following surgery, the younger MtFs were predominantly attracted to men (52.6%), whereas individuals who were diagnosed with late-onset of gender dysphoria preferred women or both men and women (85.7%) as sexual partners (P = .010). Younger trans individuals were more frequently sexually active (73.7% vs 42.9%, P = .049).

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that there are 2 MtF populations that differ in age of dysphoria onset, sexual history, and multiple personal details including sexual orientation. These data may be used to improve care to transgender individuals by providing treatment reflecting their sexual interests.
Religion and Constitutional Practices in Indonesia: How Far Should the State Intervene in the Administration of Islam?
Authors: ALFITRI
Published: January 2019

This article investigates the extent of state intervention in the administration of Islam in Indonesia. The 1945 Constitution of Indonesia does not explicitly recognize or privilege any particular religion. Yet, the boundaries of religion-state relations in the country are often unclear and complex, especially in light of policies and laws that regulate religious life and appear to privilege the dominant religion and its adherents. In this article, I demonstrate the ways in which the state has increasingly interfered in the administration of Islam in Indonesia by focusing on two case studies: the management of Hajj and zakat. However, it is observed that the vague constitutional arrangements on religion in Indonesia provide avenues for interpretations (especially by the Ministry of Religious Affairs) that the state has a constitutional obligation to interfere in the administration of religion and implement religious doctrines; and in the case of Islam, to ‘bureaucratize’ the shariah. This further complicates the exercise of distinguishing between religious doctrines that require state intervention for implementation and those that do not.
Effects of xylanase on the fermentation profile and chemical composition of sugarcane silage
Authors: Del Valle T. A. , Antonio G. , Zenatti T. F. , Campana M. , Zilio E. M. C. , Ghizzi L. G. , Gandra J. R. , Osório J. A. C. , de Morais J. P. G.
Published: January 2019

The current study aims to evaluate the effects of increasing levels of xylanase enzyme (XYL) on sugarcane silage fermentation, fermentative losses, chemical composition, dry matter (DM), neutral detergent fibre (NDF) degradation and aerobic stability. A completely randomized design trial was performed with five treatments and 50 experimental silos. Treatments were: 0, 100, 200, 300 and 400 mg of XYL per kg of DM. XYL contained 10 000 U/g. There was a quadratic effect of XYL on silage pH and acetic acid concentration: lower pH and higher acetic acid concentrations were found at intermediary levels of the enzyme. XYL decreased lactic acid concentration linearly. Furthermore, the enzyme had a quadratic effect on effluent and total losses, with higher losses at intermediary XYL levels. There was a quadratic effect of XYL on organic matter (OM), non-fibre carbohydrates (NFC) and crude protein (CP) content. In addition, a quadratic effect of XYL was observed on NDF content and degradation. Intermediary levels of XYL showed higher concentration of OM and NFC. The addition of XYL had no effect on silage temperature and pH after aerobic exposure. Thus, intermediate levels of XYL increased acetic acid and decreased silage pH. Besides positive effects on silage composition, intermediary XYL levels decreased NDF degradation.
Segregated vowels: Language variation and dialect features among Gothenburg youth
Authors: Gross Johan
Published: January 2019

This paper examines the effects of housing segregation on variation in the vowel systems of young speakers of Swedish who have grown up in different neighborhoods of Gothenburg. Significant differences are found for variants of the variables /i:/ and /y:/, which are strongly associated with the local dialect; these two vowels also exhibit coherence. Another vowel pair, /ε:/ and /ø:/, are involved in a coherent leveling process affecting many of the central Swedish dialects but differing in degree of openness in different neighborhoods of Gothenburg. The results show that the variation is not simply a reflection of foreign background, nor of groups of youth adopting single variants; rather, a number of social factors conflate in housing segregation, which interferes with the transmission of more abstract aspects of the local dialect's vowel system to young speakers in certain neighborhoods.
Moral and Legal Dilemmas of the New Polish Security Policy
Authors: Górka Marek
Published: January 2019

Due to attacks carried out by terrorist organisations, most European countries have placed this phenomenon at the forefront of their priorities in the field of security policy. The fight against terrorism has sparked a heated debate about the significance of security and civil liberties. The law on anti-terrorist operations of 2 July 2016 triggered the debate in Poland as well. This article attempts to answer the question of whether it is possible to maintain a balance between freedom and security. Therefore, the contemporary challenge that many governments face is not effective terrorist attack prevention, but rather an effective anti-terrorism policy whose provisions will not pose a greater threat to democracy than terrorists themselves.
Molecular characterization and identification of new sources of tolerance to submergence and salinity from rice landraces of coastal India
Authors: Samal R. , Roy P. S. , Kar M. K. , Patra B. C. , Patnaik S. S. C. , Reddy J. N.
Published: January 2019

Trait-specific characterization of rice landraces has significant potential for germplasm management, varietal identification and mining of novel gene/allele for various traits. In the current study, we have characterized 98 unique rice landraces collected from coastal regions of India, affected by submergence and salinity, based onSub1andSaltolquantitative trait loci (QTL) linked microsatellite markers. Among these genotypes, four genotypes (IC536558, IC536559, IC536604 and IC536604-1) collected from Kerala and two genotypes (AC34902 and IC324589) collected from West Bengal were identified with tolerance to submergence and salinity stress. A high level of genetic diversity ofHe= 0.349 and 0.529 atSub1andSaltolQTL region was detected by QTL-linked microsatellite markers, respectively. AtSub1region one genotype, AC34902, was detected with maximum allelic similarity with FR13A, a known submergence tolerant variety. Besides, five genotypes (IC211188-1, IC536604-1, IC536604, IC536558 and IC536559) showed comparatively close genetic relationship with the salt tolerant variety FL478 forSaltolQTL and were clustered together in the neighbour joining dendrogram. Considering the haplotype structure, five genotypes (IC203801, IC203778, IC324584, IC413608 and IC413638) were identified which did not contain any common allele similar to FR13A but were still tolerant to submergence. These individuals need further characterization for identification of new alleles responsible for their tolerance.
Anin situapproach to the conservation of temperate cereal crop wild relatives in the Mediterranean Basin and Asian centre of diversity
Authors: Phillips Jade , Whitehouse Katherine , Maxted Nigel
Published: January 2019

Cereal crops are one of the most widely consumed and most valuable crops for humankind. The species have been domesticated for over 10,000 years and as such have lost much of the genetic diversity that is present within their wild relatives. Future breeding efforts will require the use of genetic diversity from crop wild relatives (CWRs) to help improve our cereal crops. This study aims to identify anin situconservation network within the Mediterranean Basin and west Asia for the four cereal crops, barley (HordeumL.), oat (AvenaL.), rye (SecaleL.) and wheat (AegilopsL.,AmblyopyrumL.,TriticumL.). This region is a centre of diversity for these taxa and an area of potentially high genetic diversity, which if left unprotected will not be available for plant breeders to utilize in the future. Presence point data for a total of 90 taxa were collected from GBIF and resulted in 76,343 individual presence points across the 44 countries in the study region. Geographic Information System (GIS) software was used to identify potentialin situreserve networks per crop genepool and for all crops combined. Results indicate a network of 10 locations across the region which would protect over 80% of the taxa. The number one priority reserve is found within the Fertile Crescent region on the border of Israel, Syria and Jordan. This proposed reserve location contains 93 currently protected areas (i.e. National Parks) and as such, it may only be necessary to alter management plans to effectively protect CWR populations. For taxa not found within protected areasex situconservation may be more appropriate and should be implemented as a backup to thein situreserve network.
Agricultural supply management and farm policy
Authors: Schaffer Harwood D. , Ray Daryll E.
Published: January 2019

For most economic goods market participants are ‘not forced to make a deal.’ They can walk away, perhaps permanently, or revisit a transaction later if the terms of trade are more to their liking. That is not the case for food. It is a biological necessity to participate in the food market. This coercive property of food demand and other unique market characteristics make the agricultural sector very unresponsive to changes in price and hence—in contrast to textbook expectations—its ability to quickly self-correct. In recent decades agricultural policy legislation has not taken into account the root causes of agriculture's chronic price and income problems. As a result, it has been largely ineffective and unnecessarily expensive. We argue in this paper that a well-designed supply management program can take agriculture's unique characteristics into account in a way that benefits farmers, consumers and the public as a whole.
Cultural adaptations of CBT for the British Jewish Orthodox community
Authors: Kada Raphael
Published: January 2019

There is a national drive to increase access to psychological therapies across England, with a specific focus on under-represented groups such as Black, Asian Minority and Ethnic (BAME) groups. Although prevalence rates for common mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety in Orthodox British Jews are less than those of the generic population in the United Kingdom, accessing services to help treat these conditions within this group are considerably less than other groups. This paper seeks to consider reasons for this, as well as what adaptations, both from a therapist and service perspective, can be made to increase access within the Orthodox Jewish community with lessons to be made to other BAME groups.
Military cultural competence in the context of cognitive behavioural therapy
Authors: Zwiebach Liza , Lannert Brittany K. , Sherrill Andrew M. , McSweeney Lauren B. , Sprang Kelsey , Goodnight Jessica R.M. , Lewis Shaun C. , Rauch Sheila A.M.
Published: January 2019

Current work in multicultural competency has emphasized factors such as race and ethnicity, age, disability status, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation and gender. For those clinicians who work with military and veteran populations, grounding in military cultural competence is also critical as a prerequisite for providing quality care. We believe that engaging these populations from a specifically cognitive behavioural orientation allows bridging of cultural gaps and that there is a natural alignment between cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and many aspects of warrior culture. This paper outlines several factors related to the values of military culture and strategies of the CBT therapist to better understand and use these values effectively in clinical practice, including lessons learned from an intensive outpatient program providing speciality care to veterans and military service members.
Understanding Black and Minority Ethnic service user's experience of racism as part of the assessment, formulation and treatment of mental health problems in cognitive behaviour therapy
Authors: Beck Andrew
Published: January 2019

Experiences of racism can be a cumulative risk factor for developing mental health problems. Cognitive Behaviour Therapists working with Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) service users should be confident in their ability to establish the necessary rapport to ask about these experiences and be able to incorporate this information into longitudinal formulations and as part of maintenance cycles. This paper sets out guidelines as to how to do this as part of a wider engagement process.
EVERYONE KNOWS THAT SOMEONE KNOWS: QUANTIFIERS OVER EPISTEMIC AGENTS
Authors: NAUMOV PAVEL , TAO JIA
Published: January 2019

Modal logic S5 is commonly viewed as an epistemic logic that captures the most basic properties of knowledge. Kripke proved a completeness theorem for the first-order modal logic S5 with respect to a possible worlds semantics. A multiagent version of the propositional S5 as well as a version of the propositional S5 that describes properties of distributed knowledge in multiagent systems has also been previously studied. This article proposes a version of S5-like epistemic logic of distributed knowledge with quantifiers ranging over the set of agents, and proves its soundness and completeness with respect to a Kripke semantics.
Medikamentöse Varikosetherapie aus der Perspektive experimenteller Modelle
Authors: Arnold Caroline , Korff Thomas
Published: January 2019

Zusammenfassung. Variköse Veränderungen der Venenwand entstehen vorrangig in den unteren Extremitäten und sind häufig mit venöser Insuffizienz vergesellschaftet. Obgleich für einen grossen Teil der westlichen Bevölkerung eine gering- bis höhergradige Varikosis nachgewiesen werden kann, ist nur wenig über deren Entstehungsmechanismen bekannt. Experimentelle Tiermodelle haben in den vergangenen Jahren dazu beigetragen, Zielmoleküle und zelluläre Mechanismen zu identifizieren, die variköse Umbauprozesse steuern. So scheint die chronische Erhöhung der venösen Wandspannung eine entscheidende Determinante zu sein, um Signalkaskaden zu stimulieren, an deren Ende eine gesteigerte proteolytische und proliferative Aktivität venöser Gefässwandzellen steht. Die pharmakologische Hemmung von für diese Prozesse entscheidenden Schlüsselmolekülen stellt möglicherweise einen Weg dar, den Verlauf und die Ausprägung der Varikosis zu beeinflussen. Dieser Übersichtsartikel gibt einen kurzen Einblick in diese Thematik.
Measuring High-Quality Work Relationships
Authors: Warren Michael T. , Warren Meg A.
Published: January 2019

Abstract. Research on high-quality relationships (HQR) between coworkers has garnered considerable interest, yet the original HQR measure ( Carmeli, 2009 ) has been adapted in disparate ways (e.g., including vs. omitting the vitality subscale). Continued application is further complicated by incomplete reporting on the measure’s factor structure. Relatedly, findings that women often experience relationships differently than men highlight the need to test whether the HQR measure functions similarly across genders. We surveyed 401 employees (50% women) to test four competing models and examine invariance across genders. Findings revealed that HQR is best conceptualized as six distinct but correlated constructs. Further, full scalar invariance was observed across genders, indicating that the measure functioned equivalently and can be used in gender comparisons involving HQR constructs.
Bridging the Gap Between Sustainability and Disaster Management
Authors: Banerjee Soumita , Bandyopadhyay Sujay
Published: January 2019

IGCS Summer School 2018 on Coastal and River Hazards & Management Strategies; Aachen, Germany, 14–25 July 2018
Oxygen Variability Controls Denitrification in the Bay of Bengal Oxygen Minimum Zone
Authors: Johnson Kenneth S. , Riser Stephen C. , Ravichandran M.
Published: January 2019

Nitrate limits productivity in much of the ocean. Nitrate residence time is a few thousand years, and changes in nitrate loss could influence ocean productivity. Major sinks for nitrate are denitrification and anaerobic ammonia oxidation in the oxygen minimum zones (OMZs). The Bay of Bengal OMZ is anomalous because large amounts of nitrate loss do not occur there, while nitrate is removed in the nearby OMZ of the Arabian Sea. Observations of nitrate and oxygen made over 5 years by 20 profiling floats equipped with chemical sensors in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea are used to understand why nitrate is removed rapidly in the Arabian Sea but not in the Bay of Bengal. Our results confirm that nitrate is poised for removal in the Bay of Bengal. However, highly variable oxygen concentrations inhibit its loss. Nitrate loss is regulated by physical oceanographic processes that introduce oxygen.
Surface Expression of Basal and Englacial Features, Properties, and Processes of the Greenland Ice Sheet
Authors: Cooper M. A. , Jordan T. M. , Siegert M. J. , Bamber J. L.
Published: January 2019

Radar‐sounding surveys measuring ice thickness in Greenland have enabled an increasingly “complete” knowledge of basal topography and glaciological processes. Where such observations are spatially limited, bed elevation has been interpolated through mass conservation or kriging. Ordinary kriging fails to resolve anisotropy in bed geometry, however, leaving complex topography misrepresented in elevation models of the ice sheet bed. Here, we demonstrate the potential of new high‐resolution (≤5 m) surface topography data (ArcticDEM) to provide enhanced insight into basal and englacial geometry and processes. Notable surface features, quantified via residual surface elevation, are observed coincident with documented subglacial channels, and new, smaller‐scale tributaries (<2,000 m in width) and valley‐like structures are clearly identified. Residual surface elevation also allows the extent of basal ice units to be mapped, which in conjunction with radar data indicate that they act as “false bottoms,” likely due to a rheological contrast in the ice column.
An Enhanced Framework to Quantify the Shape of Impulse Waves Using Asymmetry
Authors: Bullard G. K. , Mulligan R. P. , Take W. A.
Published: January 2019

The shape of a wave generated by a landslide, snow avalanche, or fluid flow greatly influences its size and speed as it propagates away from the source region, which are critical parameters needed to estimate the impacts of these waves on coastal communities. In this study, laboratory data are produced from waves generated by the impact of water into a wave flume akin to the impact of a fluidized, highly mobile, and neutrally buoyant slide into a reservoir. Water surface observations are made using wave probes that remain at fixed positions, while the water depths and source volumes of slide material are varied. The wave shape is quantified by calculating the asymmetry about the vertical axis at each wave probe. The experimental results indicate that waves with positive or near‐zero asymmetry in the near field have a small influence on the maximum wave amplitude along the flume. However, waves with negative asymmetry in the near field change rapidly in shape and amplitude due to breaking until a stable state with symmetrical shape and wave breaking limit of 0.6 is reached. The length scale at which the breaking waves reach this state is quantified based on the initial asymmetry. An enhanced mathematical framework is developed using horizontal‐scale coefficients to modify the solitary wave equation such that it can be used to generate asymmetrical waves. This new method might be used in combination with predictions of the maximum wave amplitude to create time series needed to account for the shape of the tsunamis.
Impact of the Sea Surface Salinity on Simulated Precipitation in a Global Numerical Weather Prediction Model
Authors: Lee Eunjeong , Hong Song‐You
Published: January 2019

The accurate treatment of surface turbulent fluxes is crucial for understanding the exchange of heat and moisture, which plays an important role in precipitation processes. In the bulk formula for estimating surface turbulent fluxes in atmospheric models, the ocean surface is assumed to be saturated with pure water. This study addresses the impact of salinity on the simulated precipitation of a global numerical weather prediction model, along with related physical reasoning, by incorporating sea surface salinity into the saturated vapor pressure over the ocean. The revised saturated vapor pressure algorithm, in which the salinity is considered, decreases the latent heat flux over the ocean, particularly over low‐latitude regions, resulting in a 6.3% reduction in the root‐mean‐square deviation against the Objectively Analyzed Air‐sea Fluxes Project (OAFlux) data. The reduced transport of water vapor to the atmosphere suppresses the generation of low‐level clouds. This decrease in cloudiness leads to warming near the surface due to increased downward solar radiation and cooling in the lower troposphere due to a lower condensation rate, which enhances vertical turbulent mixing. The resulting dryness within the planetary boundary layer affects the buoyancy of a lifting parcel and contributes to suppressing the occurrence of convective precipitation. The skill score of the simulated precipitation for medium‐range forecasts is improved by 3% due to the reduction in light precipitation over tropical oceans.
Effects of Shoal Margin Collapses on the Morphodynamics of a Sandy Estuary
Authors: van Dijk W. M. , Hiatt M. R. , van der Werf J. J. , Kleinhans M. G.
Published: January 2019

Shoal margin collapses of several million cubic meters have occurred in the Western Scheldt estuary, the Netherlands, on average five times a year over the last decades. While these collapses involve significant volumes of material, their effect on the channel‐shoal morphology is unknown. We hypothesize that collapses dynamicize the channel‐shoal interactions, which could impact the ecological functioning, flood safety, and navigation in the estuary. The objective is to investigate how locations, probability, type, and volume of shoal margin collapse affect the channel‐shoal dynamics. We implemented an empirically validated parameterization for shoal margin collapses and tested its effect on simulated estuary morphological development in a Delft3D schematization of the Western Scheldt. Three sets of scenarios were analyzed for near‐field and far‐field effects on flow pattern and channel‐shoal morphology: (1) an observed shoal margin collapse of 2014, (2) initial large collapses on 10 locations, and (3) continuous collapses predicted by our novel probabilistic model over a time span of decades. Results show that a single shoal margin collapse only affects the local dynamics in the longitudinal flow direction and dampen out within a year for typical volumes, whereas larger disturbances that reach the seaward or landward sill at tidal channel junctions grow. The direction of the strongest tidally averaged flow determined the redistribution of the collapsed sediment. We conclude that adding the process of shoal margin collapses increases the channel‐shoal interactions and that in intensively dredged estuaries shoal margins oversteepen, amplifying the number of collapses, but because of dredging the natural morphological response is interrupted.
A 3‐D Printed PCB Integrated TEM Horn Antenna
Authors: Miralles Enrique , Schoenlinner Bernhard , Belenguer Ángel , Esteban Héctor , Ziegler Volker
Published: January 2019

This paper presents a very broadband (5–40 GHz) novel three dimension (3‐D) printed Transverse ElectroMagnetic (TEM) horn antenna. It is integrated with a planar Printed Circuit Board and radiates in a perpendicular direction of the Printed Circuit Board. The described antenna provides benefits in terms of cost and size for a two dimensional antenna array. Here the antenna and its corresponding transition to a regular 50 Ω microstrip line through Parallel Plate Waveguide and a 90° bend are presented. Prototypes of back‐to‐back transitions and antenna are fabricated and measured. The antenna has a return loss below −10 dB and a gain of approximately 10 dBi over the targeted frequency range.
Improved Assessment of Atmospheric Water Vapor Content in the Himalayan Regions Around the Kullu Valley in India Using Landsat‐8 Data
Authors: Varade D. , Dikshit O.
Published: January 2019

In this study, we present an approach for improved estimation of atmospheric water vapor content (WVC) from Landsat‐8 data. The initial estimates of WVC derived from the split window covariance variance ratio (SWCVR) method are sequentially improved by two exponential models. The first model is designed to apply orographic corrections to the SWCVR estimate using a 1‐arcsec Shuttle Radar Topography Mission digital elevation model based on a scale and bias parameter for the change in elevation. This model is based on the local change in elevation derived using the directional Kirsch compass kernel gradient. A second model for additional improvement in orographically corrected WVC estimate is defined based on the change in the normalized differenced vegetation index (NDVI) with three parameters, a scale and bias parameter for the change in NDVI and one bias parameter for the WVC estimate. The scale and bias parameters in orographic correction and the NDVI‐based correction are derived using regression between a selected training subset of WVC estimates (SWCVR estimate for orographic correction and orographically corrected WVC estimate for the NDVI‐based correction) and the corresponding Sentinel‐3 Ocean Land Color Instrument (OLCI) integrated water vapor (IWV) product. The study is conducted over the Himalayan regions around Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, India, for two dates, 20 September 2017 and 26 January 2018, corresponding to the autumn and peak winter season in the region. A reduction in error of 0.32and 0.04 gm/cm2 was observed in proposed WVC estimate and the Sentinel‐3 integrated water vapor product, for the two data sets respectively.
New Real-Time Model May Protect Astronauts from Space Radiation
Authors: Shultz David
Published: January 2019

Solar energetic particle events pose an acute risk to space travelers outside the protection of Earth’s magnetic field. A new initiative aims to quantify the danger.
Hooper Receives 2018 Edward A. Flinn III Award
Authors:   AGU
Published: January 2019

Richard P. Hooper received the Edward A. Flinn III Award at the AGU Fall Meeting 2018 Honors Ceremony, held 12 December in Washington, D. C. The award is given annually to “an individual or small group who personifies the Union’s motto of ‘unselfish cooperation in research’ through their facilitating, coordinating, and implementing activities.”
Tyrosyl phosphorylation of KRAS stalls GTPase cycle via alteration of switch I and II conformation
Authors: Kano Yoshihito , Gebregiworgis Teklab , Marshall Christopher B. , Radulovich Nikolina , Poon Betty P. K. , St-Germain Jonathan , Cook Jonathan D. , Valencia-Sama Ivette , Grant Benjamin M. M. , Herrera Silvia Gabriela , Miao Jinmin , Raught Brian , Irwin Meredith S. , Lee Jeffrey E. , Yeh Jen Jen , Zhang Zhong-Yin , Tsao Ming-Sound , Ikura Mitsuhiko , Ohh Michael
Published: January 2019

Deregulation of the RAS GTPase cycle due to mutations in the three RAS genes is commonly associated with cancer development. Protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP2 promotes RAF-to-MAPK signaling pathway and is an essential factor in RAS-driven oncogenesis. Despite the emergence of SHP2 inhibitors for the treatment of cancers harbouring mutant KRAS, the mechanism underlying SHP2 activation of KRAS signaling remains unclear. Here we report tyrosyl-phosphorylation of endogenous RAS and demonstrate that KRAS phosphorylation via Src on Tyr32 and Tyr64 alters the conformation of switch I and II regions, which stalls multiple steps of the GTPase cycle and impairs binding to effectors. In contrast, SHP2 dephosphorylates KRAS, a process that is required to maintain dynamic canonical KRAS GTPase cycle. Notably, Src- and SHP2-mediated regulation of KRAS activity extends to oncogenic KRAS and the inhibition of SHP2 disrupts the phosphorylation cycle, shifting the equilibrium of the GTPase cycle towards the stalled ‘dark state’.
The mediodorsal pulvinar coordinates the macaque fronto-parietal network during rhythmic spatial attention
Authors: Fiebelkorn Ian C. , Pinsk Mark A. , Kastner Sabine
Published: January 2019

Spatial attention is discontinuous, sampling behaviorally relevant locations in theta-rhythmic cycles (3–6 Hz). Underlying this rhythmic sampling are intrinsic theta oscillations in frontal and parietal cortices that provide a clocking mechanism for two alternating attentional states that are associated with either engagement at the presently attended location (and enhanced perceptual sensitivity) or disengagement (and diminished perceptual sensitivity). It has remained unclear, however, how these theta-dependent states are coordinated across the large-scale network that directs spatial attention. The pulvinar is a candidate for such coordination, having been previously shown to regulate cortical activity. Here, we examined pulvino-cortical interactions during theta-rhythmic sampling by simultaneously recording from macaque frontal eye fields (FEF), lateral intraparietal area (LIP), and pulvinar. Neural activity propagated from pulvinar to cortex during periods of engagement, and from cortex to pulvinar during periods of disengagement. A rhythmic reweighting of pulvino-cortical interactions thus defines functional dissociations in the attention network.
The structured backbone of temporal social ties
Authors: Kobayashi Teruyoshi , Takaguchi Taro , Barrat Alain
Published: January 2019

In many data sets, information on the structure and temporality of a system coexists with noise and non-essential elements. In networked systems for instance, some edges might be non-essential or exist only by chance. Filtering them out and extracting a set of relevant connections is a non-trivial task. Moreover, mehods put forward until now do not deal with time-resolved network data, which have become increasingly available. Here we develop a method for filtering temporal network data, by defining an adequate temporal null model that allows us to identify pairs of nodes having more interactions than expected given their activities: the significant ties. Moreover, our method can assign a significance to complex structures such as triads of simultaneous interactions, an impossible task for methods based on static representations. Our results hint at ways to represent temporal networks for use in data-driven models.
Optogenetic stimulation of medial prefrontal cortex Drd1 neurons produces rapid and long-lasting antidepressant effects
Authors: Hare Brendan D. , Shinohara Ryota , Liu Rong Jian , Pothula Santosh , DiLeone Ralph J. , Duman Ronald S.
Published: January 2019

Impaired function in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) contributes to depression, and the therapeutic response produced by novel rapid-acting antidepressants such as ketamine are mediated by mPFC activity. The mPFC contains multiple types of pyramidal cells, but it is unclear whether a particular subtype mediates the rapid antidepressant actions of ketamine. Here we tested two major subtypes, Drd1 and Drd2 dopamine receptor expressing pyramidal neurons and found that activating Drd1 expressing pyramidal cells in the mPFC produces rapid and long-lasting antidepressant and anxiolytic responses. In contrast, photostimulation of Drd2 expressing pyramidal cells was ineffective across anxiety-like and depression-like measures. Disruption of Drd1 activity also blocked the rapid antidepressant effects of ketamine. Finally, we demonstrate that stimulation of mPFC Drd1 terminals in the BLA recapitulates the antidepressant effects of somatic stimulation. These findings aid in understanding the cellular target neurons in the mPFC and the downstream circuitry involved in rapid antidepressant responses.
Biophysical feedback of global forest fires on surface temperature
Authors: Liu Zhihua , Ballantyne Ashley P. , Cooper L. Annie
Published: January 2019

The biophysical feedbacks of forest fire on Earth’s surface radiative budget remain uncertain at the global scale. Using satellite observations, we show that fire-induced forest loss accounts for about 15% of global forest loss, mostly in northern high latitudes. Forest fire increases surface temperature by 0.15 K (0.12 to 0.19 K) one year following fire in burned area globally. In high-latitudes, the initial positive climate-fire feedback was mainly attributed to reduced evapotranspiration and sustained for approximately 5 years. Over longer-term (> 5 years), increases in albedo dominated the surface radiative budget resulting in a net cooling effect. In tropical regions, fire had a long-term weaker warming effect mainly due to reduced evaporative cooling. Globally, biophysical feedbacks of fire-induced surface warming one year after fire are equivalent to 62% of warming due to annual fire-related CO2 emissions. Our results suggest that changes in the severity and/or frequency of fire disturbance may have strong impacts on Earth’s surface radiative budget and climate, especially at high latitudes.
Blood Biochemistry Analysis to Detect Smoking Status and Quantify Accelerated Aging in Smokers
Authors: Mamoshina Polina , Kochetov Kirill , Cortese Franco , Kovalchuk Anna , Aliper Alexander , Putin Evgeny , Scheibye-Knudsen Morten , Cantor Charles R. , Skjodt Neil M. , Kovalchuk Olga , Zhavoronkov Alex
Published: January 2019

There is an association between smoking and cancer, cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. However, currently, there are no affordable and informative tests for assessing the effects of smoking on the rate of biological aging. In this study we demonstrate for the first time that smoking status can be predicted using blood biochemistry and cell count results andthe recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI). By employing age-prediction models developed using supervised deep learning techniques, we found that smokers exhibited higher aging rates than nonsmokers, regardless of their cholesterol ratios and fasting glucose levels. We further used those models to quantify the acceleration of biological aging due to tobacco use. Female smokers were predicted to be twice as old as their chronological age compared to nonsmokers, whereas male smokers were predicted to be one and a half times as old as their chronological age compared to nonsmokers. Our findings suggest that deep learning analysis of routine blood tests could complement or even replace the current error-prone method of self-reporting of smoking status and could be expanded to assess the effect of other lifestyle and environmental factors on aging.
High-Throughput Video Processing of Heart Rate Responses in Multiple Wild-type Embryonic Zebrafish per Imaging Field
Authors: Martin W. Kyle , Tennant Alan H. , Conolly Rory B. , Prince Katya , Stevens Joey S , DeMarini David M. , Martin Brandi L. , Thompson Leslie C. , Gilmour M. Ian , Cascio Wayne E. , Hays Michael D. , Hazari Mehdi S. , Padilla Stephanie , Farraj Aimen K.
Published: January 2019

Heart rate assays in wild-type zebrafish embryos have been limited to analysis of one embryo per video/imaging field. Here we present for the first time a platform for high-throughput derivation of heart rate from multiple zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos per imaging field, which is capable of quickly processing thousands of videos and ideal for multi-well platforms with multiple fish/well. This approach relies on use of 2-day post fertilization wild-type embryos, and uses only bright-field imaging, circumventing requirement for anesthesia or restraint, costly software/hardware, or fluorescently-labeled animals. Our original scripts (1) locate the heart and record pixel intensity fluctuations generated by each cardiac cycle using a robust image processing routine, and (2) process intensity data to derive heart rate. To demonstrate assay utility, we exposed embryos to the drugs epinephrine and clonidine, which increased or decreased heart rate, respectively. Exposure to organic extracts of air pollution-derived particulate matter, including diesel or biodiesel exhausts, or wood smoke, all complex environmental mixtures, decreased heart rate to varying degrees. Comparison against an established lower-throughput method indicated robust assay fidelity. As all code and executable files are publicly available, this approach may expedite cardiotoxicity screening of compounds as diverse as small molecule drugs and complex chemical mixtures.
Genetically diverse Plasmodium falciparum infections, within-host competition and symptomatic malaria in humans
Authors: Sondo Paul , Derra Karim , Lefevre Thierry , Diallo-Nakanabo Seydou , Tarnagda Zekiba , Zampa Odile , Kazienga Adama , Valea Innocent , Sorgho Hermann , Ouedraogo Jean-Bosco , Guiguemde Tinga Robert , Tinto Halidou
Published: January 2019

There is a large genetic diversity of Plasmodium falciparum strains that infect people causing diverse malaria symptoms. This study was carried out to explore the effect of mixed-strain infections and the extent to which some specific P. falciparum variants are associated with particular malaria symptoms. P. falciparum isolates collected during pharmacovigilance study in Nanoro, Burkina Faso were used to determine allelic variation in two polymorphic antigens of the merozoite surface (msp1 and msp2). Overall, parasite density did not increase with additional strains, suggesting the existence of within-host competition. Parasite density was influenced by msp1 allelic families with highest parasitaemia observed in MAD20 allelic family. However, when in mixed infections with allelic family K1, MAD20 could not grow to the same levels as it would alone, suggesting competitive suppression in these mixed infections. Host age was associated with parasite density. Overall, older patients exhibited lower parasite densities than younger patients, but this effect varied with the genetic composition of the isolates for the msp1 gene. There was no effect of msp1 and msp2 allelic family variation on body temperature. Haemoglobin level was influenced by msp2 family with patients harboring the FC27 allele showing lower haemoglobin level than mono-infected individuals by the 3D7 allele. This study provides evidence that P. falciparum genetic diversity influenced the severity of particular malaria symptoms and supports the existence of within-host competition in genetically diverse P. falciparum.
High-risk infrastructure projects pose imminent threats to forests in Indonesian Borneo
Authors: Alamgir Mohammed , Campbell Mason J. , Sloan Sean , Suhardiman Ali , Supriatna Jatna , Laurance William F.
Published: January 2019

Indonesian Borneo (Kalimantan) sustains ~37 million hectares of native tropical forest. Numerous large-scale infrastructure projects aimed at promoting land-development activities are planned or ongoing in the region. However, little is known of the potential impacts of this new infrastructure on Bornean forests or biodiversity. We found that planned and ongoing road and rail-line developments will have many detrimental ecological impacts, including fragmenting large expanses of intact forest. Assuming conservatively that new road and rail projects will influence only a 1 km buffer on either side, landscape connectivity across the region will decline sharply (from 89% to 55%) if all imminently planned projects proceed. This will have particularly large impacts on wide-ranging, rare species such as rhinoceros, orangutans, and elephants. Planned developments will impact 42 protected areas, undermining Indonesian efforts to achieve key targets under the Convention on Biological Diversity. New infrastructure will accelerate expansion in intact or frontier regions of legal and illegal logging and land colonization as well as illicit mining and wildlife poaching. The net environmental, social, financial, and economic risks of several imminent projects—such as parallel border roads in West, East, and North Kalimantan, new Trans-Kalimantan road developments in Central Kalimantan and North Kalimantan, and freeways and rail lines in East Kalimantan—could markedly outstrip their overall benefits. Such projects should be reconsidered in light of rigorous cost-benefit frameworks.
Downregulated Caveolin-1 expression in circulating monocytes may contribute to the pathogenesis of psoriasis
Authors: Takamura Naoko , Yamaguchi Yukie , Watanabe Yuko , Asami Miho , Komitsu Noriko , Aihara Michiko
Published: January 2019

Caveolin-1 (CAV-1) is the principal component of caveolae that regulates a variety of signaling molecules and receptors. Our previous study revealed CAV-1 reduction in the epidermis of patients with psoriasis, which leads to enhanced Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription activation and cytokine production, suggesting that aberrant CAV-1 expression may contribute to psoriatic inflammation. This study aimed to investigate whether abnormal modulation of CAV-1 on immune cells is involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. We observed that CAV-1 level in psoriasis patients was apparently reduced in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and it was prominent in CD14+ monocytes. CAV-1 silencing in monocytes represented elevated levels of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6, and those had enhanced chemotaxis activity. In a murine model of psoriasis-like inflammation induced by imiquimod, we observed a significant CAV-1 reduction in PBMCs. Systemic administration of CAV-1 scaffolding domain peptide significantly improved the skin phenotype with less macrophage infiltration. Taken together, aberrant CAV-1 expression in monocytes may be involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.
Submarine Landslides Induce Massive Waves in Subsea Brine Pools
Authors: Sawyer Derek E. , Mason R. Alan , Cook Ann E. , Portnov Alexey
Published: January 2019

Subsea hypersaline anoxic brine pools are among the most extreme habitable environments on Earth that offer clues to life on other planets. Brine is toxic to macrofauna as remotely operated vehicles commonly observe dead and preserved remains in brine pools. While brine pools are often assumed to be stable stratified systems, we show that underwater landslides can cause significant disturbances. Moreover, landslides create large-amplitude waves upon impact with the brine pool, similar to tsunami waves. We focus on the Orca Basin brine pool in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, which contains numerous landslide deposits and blocks that originated from scarps several hundred meters above the brine pool. The impact of massive fast-moving landslides generated waves with amplitude on the order of 100 s of meters, which rival the largest known ocean waves. Brine waves can negatively affect biological communities and potentially overspill to spread hypersaline brine into surrounding basins.
Effect of standard light illumination on electrolyte’s stability of lithium-ion batteries based on ethylene and di-methyl carbonates
Authors: Bouteau Gaspard , Van-Nhien Albert Nguyen , Sliwa Michel , Sergent Nicolas , Lepretre Jean-Claude , Gachot Grégory , Sagaidak Iryna , Sauvage Frédéric
Published: January 2019

Combining energy conversion and storage at a device and/or at a molecular level constitutes a new research field raising interest. This work aims at investigating how prolonged standard light exposure (A.M. 1.5G) interacts with conventional batteries electrolyte, commonly used in the photo-assisted or photo-rechargeable batteries, based on 1 mol.L−1 LiPF6 EC/DMC electrolyte. We demonstrate the intrinsic chemical robustness of this class of electrolyte in absence of any photo-electrodes. However, based on different steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopic techniques, it is for the first time highlighted that the solvation of lithium and hexafluorophosphate ions by the carbonates are modified by light exposure leading to absorbance and ionic conductivity modifications without detrimental effects onto the electrochemical properties.
Bile acid supplementation decreases body mass gain in C57BL/6J but not 129S6/SvEvTac mice without increasing energy expenditure
Authors: Fromme Tobias , Hüttinger Kristina , Maurer Stefanie , Li Yongguo , Gantert Thomas , Fiamoncini Jarlei , Daniel Hannelore , Westphal Sören , Klingenspor Martin
Published: January 2019

Supplementation of cholate to a high fat diet can protect mice from diet-induced, increased body mass gain. It has been hypothesized that uncoupling protein 1 dependent, non-shivering thermogenesis in brown adipocytes provides the mechanism of increased energy expenditure to counteract excessive energy intake. We scrutinized this conjecture in wildtype mice and mice genetically devoid of a functional uncoupling protein 1 gene (C57BL/6J) as well as mice of the 129S6/SvEvTac strain that, in comparison, display an extraordinary capacity to recruit ectopic brown adipocytes. Protection from diet-induced, increased body mass gain by cholate supplementation was absent in 129S6/SvEvTac mice, a consequence of much lower bile acid absorption and spillover in this strain. Conversely, Ucp1-KO mice did not differ from C57BL/6J wildtype controls in any parameter assessed. Daily energy expenditure and resting metabolic rate of C57BL/6J mice remained unaffected by cholate supplementation. We conclude that protection of mice from diet-induced, increased body mass gain by cholate supplementation depends on the specific genetic background of C57BL/6J mice, does not involve increased energy expenditure and is independent of uncoupling protein 1 dependent non-shivering thermogenesis.
Correction: Controlling dark catalysis with quasi half-cycle terahertz pulses
Authors: Sá Jacinto , Fernandes Daniel L. A. , Pavliuk Mariia V. , Szlachetko Jakub
Published: January 2019

Correction for ‘Controlling dark catalysis with quasi half-cycle terahertz pulses’ by Jacinto Sá et al., Catal. Sci. Technol., 2017, 7, 1050–1054.
Facile synthesis of Pd(ii) and Ni(ii) pincer carbene complexes by the double C–H bond activation of a new hexahydropyrimidine-based bis(phosphine): catalysis of C–N couplings
Authors: Subramaniyan Vasudevan , Dutta Bidisa , Govindaraj Anbarasu , Mani Ganesan
Published: January 2019

A new hexahydropyrimidine-based NHC proligand undergoes facile double C–H bond activation to give Pd(ii) and Ni(ii) NHC pincer cationic complexes. The Pd complex catalyzes C–N cross couplings very efficiently.