bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Educational landscapes and the environmental entanglement of humans and non‐humans through the starling murmuration
Authors: Morris Andy
Published: September 2018

Recent years have seen a continued critical reflection on the “post” or “more‐than” representational landscape as well as a related critique of nature which centres on this concept as a deployment of meanings and their effects. In this paper, I want to explore the possibilities and challenges of widening access to these more entangled and performative understandings of nature and landscape through the example of winter roosting starlings and the spectacle of the starling mumuration. In doing so, the paper also explores the dominant educational constructions of nature as utilised in conservation work and informal educational television, the consideration of the latter taken up through my own work on a forthcoming BBC television series. The focus of this exploration is the RSPB Ham Wall nature reserve on the Somerset Levels, widely regarded as one of the prime locations in Britain for observing murmurations, and where the number of visitors coming specifically to view roosting starlings on a winter's evening can reach 1,000 people. While in many ways the reserve maintains conventional roles of warden‐led stewardship and observational education of nature “in its place,” I also want to suggest that the spectacle of the starling murmuration affords an opportunity to convey humans and non‐humans as embedded in a more performative understanding of conservation which challenges the predominant conventions of conservation practice. In this more reflexive educational context, the possibility exists to frame an accessible and illustrative understanding of the geographies of a more entangled human–non‐human nature.
Temporal Scaling Analytical Method to Identify Multi‐Fractionality in Groundwater Head Fluctuations
Authors: Yuan Lin , Sun HongGuang , Zhang Yong , Zhang YouKuan , Gu Xiufen , Dawley Shawn
Published: September 2018

Natural dynamics such as groundwater head fluctuations may exhibit multi‐fractionality, likely caused by multi‐scale aquifer heterogeneity and other controlling factors, whose statistics requires efficient quantification methods. As a scaling exponent, the Hurst exponent can describe the temporal correlation or multifractal behavior in groundwater level fluctuation processes. However, the scaling behavior may change with time under natural conditions, likely due to the non‐stationary evolution of internal and external conditions, which cannot be characterized by traditional methods using a single or several scaling exponents for the complex features of the overall process. This methods note quantifies the multi‐fractionality using the timescale local Hurst exponent (TS‐LHE) and then proposes a systematic statistical method to analyze groundwater head fluctuations. Time series of daily groundwater level fluctuations from three wells located in the lower Mississippi valley are analyzed, after removing the seasonal cycle, which leads to transient TS‐LHE, implying multi‐fractionality and multifractal‐scaling behavior that changes with time and location. Therefore, the temporal scaling analysis proposed here may provide useful and quantitative information to understand the nature of dynamic hydrologic systems.
The rise of new Dalit women in Indian historiography
Authors: Paik Shailaja
Published: September 2018

Especially since the political turmoil of the 1990s, scholars have focused on the marginalized histories of Dalit (“Untouchable”) communities in India. Yet these investigations also concentrated exclusively on the male Dalit community. Only recently, however, scholars have focused their attention on Dalit women as “subjects” of study. Dalits are dominated and dominating at the same time. My article examines Dalit women's lifeworlds under double patriarchy in colonial and post‐colonial India to highlight the contributions of scholars in understanding how different Dalit women are negotiating, challenging, politicizing, and transforming conditions of their discriminated Dalit status: as sexed women and caste Dalit. I theorize and focus on ways “new” Dalit women engaged with the incremental intersecting technologies of caste, class, gender, sexuality, and community to carve out their subjectivity, agency, respectability, and honor in modern India. To this end, I dwell on a variety of themes—generative gender and “new” Dalit women, upper‐caste prejudice, community, patriarchy, honor, and formal education to illuminate the changing sociality and complexities of Dalit women's worlds. My review article demonstrates that Dalit women's universal perspectives and historical and political practices are deeply democratic and as such have the potential of engaging in inclusive and productive politics, building solidarities, and actually reshaping the larger fields of South Asian Studies, India Studies, Dalit Studies, and Gender Studies.
Recent advances on the crosstalk between neutrophils and B or T lymphocytes
Authors: Costa Sara , Bevilacqua Dalila , Cassatella Marco A. , Scapini Patrizia
Published: September 2018

An increasing body of literature supports a role for neutrophils as players in the orchestration of adaptive immunity. During acute and chronic inflammatory conditions, neutrophils rapidly migrate not only to sites of inflammation, but also to draining lymph nodes and spleen, where they engage bidirectional interactions with B‐ and T‐lymphocyte subsets. Accordingly, a relevant role of neutrophils in modulating B‐cell responses under homeostatic conditions has recently emerged. Moreover, specialized immunoregulatory properties towards B or T cells acquired by distinct neutrophil populations, originating under pathological conditions, have been consistently described. In this article, we summarize the most recent data from human studies and murine models on the ability of neutrophils to modulate adaptive immune responses under physiological and pathological conditions and the mechanisms behind these processes.
Colored amorphous silica‐based powder with TiN nanocrystals precipitated by ammonolysis of Ti–Si–O ternary glass
Authors: Sagawa Yuki , Masubuchi Yuji , Kikkawa Shinichi
Published: September 2018

Coloration of amorphous silica powder containing titania was investigated by nitridation in an ammonia flow. The oxide precursors were obtained by the hydrolysis of a mixture of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and tetrabutoxy titanium (TBT). The color changed with the amount of TBT in the mixture, the hydrolysis pH and the ammonolysis temperature. The original white color of the 8 mol% TBT powder hydrolyzed under basic pH conditions changed to pale goldenrod at 700°C, then to dark olive green at 800°C, and further darkened with increasing ammonolysis temperature. A steel‐blue color appeared at 900°C for the powder obtained with 3 mol% TBT, and increased in darkness at 1000°C. A similar bluish color was observed for powders obtained by acidic hydrolysis after ammonolysis above 900°C, and this was independent of the amount of titania, although the chroma decreased with increasing firing temperature for the powder with 3 mol% TBT. The ammonolysis powder products were characterized using X‐ray diffraction (XRD), electron probe micro analysis (EPMA), transmission electron microscopy‐electron energy‐loss spectroscopy (TEM‐EELS), scanning transmission electron microscopy‐high‐angle annular dark‐field imaging (STEM‐HAADF) and Ti–K edge X‐ray absorption fine structure (XAFS). The color change was related to both precipitated TiN nanocrystals and residual titanium in the amorphous silica matrix. The TiN exhibited a goldish reflection and also plasmonic absorption from light blue to gray depending on the TiN crystallite size. The plasmonic absorption and resonance of nanocrystalline TiN will be useful similarly to that of gold in nanotechnology for various kinds of energy application.
Differential expression of HPG‐axis genes in autotetraploids derived from red crucian carp Carassius auratus red var., ♀ × blunt snout bream Megalobrama amblycephala, ♂
Authors: Qin Qin B. , Liu Qi W. , Zhou Yu W. , Wang Chong Q. , Qin Huan , Zhao Chun , Liu Shao J.
Published: September 2018

Autotetraploid fish (4n = 200, abbreviated as 4nRR), which reach sexual maturity at 1 year of age, were derived from the whole genome duplication of red crucian carp Carassius auratus red var. (RCC; 2n = 100) and possess four sets of chromosomes from RCC. The histological features of the gonads showed that the RCC and 4nRR both possessed normal gonadal structure and could arrive at maturation. To understand the expression characteristics of genes related to reproductive development in the autotetraploid fish, we analysed the nucleotide sequence and expression characteristics of the gnrh2, gthb and gthr genes, which are the pivotal genes of the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis. We found that the gnrh2, gthb and gthr genes in 4nRR share remarkable homology with RCC, but there were obvious differences in expression levels between 4nRR and RCC. These results demonstrate that autotetraploidization can lead to gene expression changes. This study provides insights into the molecular mechanism underlying the reproductive development of autotetraploid fish and is expected to be of great significance for subsequent research on polyploidization.
Safety and efficacy of a 52‐mg levonorgestrel‐releasing intrauterine system in women with cardiovascular disease
Authors: Ueda Yusuke , Kamiya Chizuko A. , Horiuchi Chinami , Miyoshi Takekazu , Hazama Ryoichi , Tsuritani Mitsuhiro , Iwanaga Naoko , Neki Reiko , Ikeda Tomoaki , Yoshimatsu Jun
Published: September 2018

Aim

We sought to examine the safety and efficacy of a 52‐mg levonorgestrel‐releasing intrauterine system (LNG‐IUS), and to evaluate the changes in biomarkers of infection, anemia and cardiovascular conditions after LNG‐IUS insertion in women with cardiovascular disease.

Methods

We prospectively followed women with a cardiovascular disease in whom a 52‐mg LNG‐IUS was inserted between 2009 and 2015. The primary outcome was the frequency of cardiovascular and gynecologic side effects due to the LNG‐IUS over the year after LNG‐IUS insertion. The secondary outcomes were the changes in menstrual blood loss and biomarkers, e.g., white blood cell count and the levels of C‐reactive protein, hemoglobin and brain natriuretic peptide. We also evaluated the 24‐month continuation rate of LNG‐IUS.

Results

A total of 34 women were prospectively followed‐up, including two women with pulmonary hypertension. No cardiovascular side effects were identified during the 1 year after LNG‐IUS insertion, other than one case of mild vasovagal reaction at insertion. Neither the white blood cell count nor the C‐reactive protein value increased after LNG‐IUS insertion. The menstrual blood loss was decreased in most subjects and the median hemoglobin levels increased significantly within 1 year after insertion (P < 0.001 and P = 0.002). Moreover, brain natriuretic peptide levels tended to decrease in correspondence with the hemoglobin elevation (P = 0.074). The 24‐month LNG‐IUS continuation rate was 97% (95% confidence interval 85–100).

Conclusion

No clinically significant cardiovascular event was identified during the 1 year after 52‐mg LNG‐IUS insertion among women with cardiovascular disease. The 52‐mg LNG‐IUS may have specific favorable effects by decreasing the risk of iron deficiency anemia in these women.
Delinquency, School Context, and Risk Factors in India, Australia, and the United States: Implications for Prevention
Authors: Parks Michael J. , Solomon Renati J. , Solomon Shreeletha , Rowland Bosco C. , Hemphill Sheryl A. , Patton George C. , Toumbourou John W.
Published: September 2018

There is a dearth of research on delinquency, school context, and risk factors across developed and developing nations. Using representative samples and matched surveys, we examined delinquency among cohorts in Mumbai, India (N = 3,717); Victoria, Australia (N = 1,842); and Washington State (WA), United States (N = 1,828). We used multivariate Poisson hierarchical linear modeling. Risk factor and delinquency levels varied across sites. Delinquency clustered within certain schools, particularly in Mumbai. Community disorganization exhibited an association with delinquency as a school‐level context effect in Mumbai and Victoria. Peer delinquency, sensation seeking, and poor family management exhibited cross‐nationally consistent associations with delinquency. Programs that target schools, the clustering of problem behaviors, and cross‐nationally consistent risk factors should be considered internationally.
Person‐Environment Fit and Positive Youth Development in the Context of High School Gay–Straight Alliances
Authors: Calzo Jerel P. , Poteat V. Paul , Yoshikawa Hirokazu , Russell Stephen T. , Bogart Laura M.
Published: September 2018

Drawing from a person‐environment fit framework, we identified profiles of youth in gay–straight alliances (GSAs) based on the extent to which they received information/resources, socializing/support, and advocacy opportunities in their GSAs and the extent to which this matched what they desired from their GSA along these three functions. Further, we examined profile differences in positive developmental competencies while accounting for community‐contextual factors. In a sample of 290 youth from 42 Massachusetts GSAs, latent profile analyses identified five subgroups. Overall, youth receiving less from their GSAs than they desired, particularly regarding opportunities for advocacy, reported lower levels of self‐reflection, bravery, civic engagement, and agency than youth who received information, socializing/support, and advocacy that matched or exceeded what they desired.
Choroid plexus is an additional source of melatonin in the brain
Authors: Quintela Telma , Gonçalves Isabel , Silva Marco , Duarte Ana C. , Guedes Paula , Andrade Késsia , Freitas Flávia , Talhada Daniela , Albuquerque Tânia , Tavares Sara , Passarinha Luis A. , Cipolla‐Neto José , Santos Cecília R. A.
Published: September 2018

The cerebrospinal fluid melatonin is released from the pineal gland, directly into the third ventricle, or produced de novo in the brain from extrapineal melatonin sources leading to a melatonin concentration gradient in the cerebrospinal fluid. Despite the interest on this topic, the brain areas capable of producing melatonin are not yet clear. Bearing this in mind, we hypothesized that the choroid plexus (CP) could be one of these melatonin sources. We analyzed and confirmed the presence of the four enzymes required for melatonin synthesis in rat CP and demonstrated that arylalkylamine N‐acetyltransferase shows a circadian expression in female and male rat CP. Specifically, this enzyme colocalizes with mitochondria in rat CP epithelial cells, an organelle known to be involved in melatonin function and synthesis. Then, we demonstrated that melatonin is synthesized by porcine CP explants, although without a circadian pattern. In conclusion, our data show that the CP is a local source of melatonin to the central nervous system, probably contributing to its high levels in the cerebrospinal fluid. We believe that in the CP, melatonin might be regulated by its endogenous clock machinery and by the hormonal background.
Change in injecting behaviour among people treated for hepatitis C virus: The role of intimate partnerships
Authors: Malaguti Amy , Sani Fabio , Stephens Brian P. , Ahmad Farsana , Dugard Pat , Dillon John F. ,   on behalf of the ERADICATE‐C Study Group
Published: September 2018

Injecting behaviour in people who inject drugs is the main risk factor for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Psychosocial factors such as having a partner who injects drugs and living with other drug users have been associated with increases in injecting risk behaviour. This study aimed to investigate changes in injecting behaviour during treatment for HCV infection whilst exploring the role of psychosocial factors on patients’ injecting behaviour. Eradicate‐C was a single‐centred clinical trial (ISRCTN27564683) investigating the effectiveness of HCV treatment within the injecting drug‐using population between 2012 and 2017. A total of 94 participants completed up to 24 weeks of treatment, with social and behavioural measures taken at different intervals throughout treatment. Data for 84 participants were analysed retrospectively to explore mechanisms of potential behavioural changes which had occurred during treatment. Injecting frequency reduced significantly between baseline (week 1) and every 4‐weekly interval until week 26. Not being on opiate substitution therapy (OST) was associated with a statistically significant decrease in injecting frequency, χ2 (1) = 10.412, P = 0.001, as was having a partner who also used drugs, in particular when that partner was also on treatment for HCV infection, Z = −2.312, P = 0.021. Treating a hard‐to‐reach population for HCV infection is not only possible, but also bears health benefits beyond treatment of HCV alone. Enrolling couples on HCV treatment when partners are sero‐concordant has shown enhanced benefits for reduction in injecting behaviour. Implications for practice are discussed.
Recombinant identification, molecular classification and proposed reference genomes for hepatitis delta virus
Authors: Miao Zhijiang , Zhang Shaoshi , Ma Zhongren , Hakim Mohamad S. , Wang Wenshi , Peppelenbosch Maikel P. , Pan Qiuwei
Published: September 2018

Hepatitis delta virus (HDV), as a defective sub‐virus that co‐infects with hepatitis B virus, imposes an emerging global health burden. However, genetic characteristics and molecular classification of HDV remain under investigated. In this study, we have systematically retrieved and analysed a large set of HDV full‐length genome sequences and identified novel recombinants. Based on phylogenetic and genetic analyses, we have established an updated classification system for HDV when recombinants were excluded. Furthermore, we have mapped the global distribution of different genotypes and subtypes. Finally, we have compiled a complete set of reference genomes for each subtype and proposed criteria for future identification of novel genotypes and subtypes. Of note, the global distribution map indicates that currently available HDV genetic data remain limited, and thus our proposed classification will likely evolve as future epidemiological data will accumulate. These results will facilitate the future research on the diagnosis, screening, epidemiology, evolution, prevention and clinical management of HDV infection.
Differential escape of HCV from CD8+ T cell selection pressure between China and Germany depends on the presenting HLA class I molecule
Authors: Xia Youchen , Pan Wen , Ke Xiaoyu , Skibbe Kathrin , Walker Andreas , Hoffmann Daniel , Lu Yinping , Yang Xuecheng , Feng Xuemei , Tong Qiaoxia , Timm Jörg , Yang Dongliang
Published: September 2018

Adaptation of hepatitis C virus (HCV) to CD8+ T cell selection pressure is well described; however, it is unclear if HCV differentially adapts in different populations. Here, we studied HLA class I‐associated viral sequence polymorphisms in HCV 1b isolates in a Chinese population and compared viral substitution patterns between Chinese and German populations. We identified three HLA class I‐restricted epitopes in HCV NS3 with statistical support for selection pressure and found evidence for differential escape pathways between isolates from China and Germany depending on the HLA class I molecule. The substitution patterns particularly differed in the epitope VTLTHPITK1635‐1643, which was presented by HLA‐A*03 as well as HLA‐A*11, two alleles with highly different frequencies in the two populations. In Germany, a substitution in position seven of the epitope was the most frequent substitution in the presence of HLA‐A*03, functionally associated with immune escape and nearly absent in Chinese isolates. In contrast, the most frequent substitution in China was located at position two of the epitope and became the predominant consensus residue. Moreover, substitutions in position one of the epitope were significantly enriched in HLA‐A*11‐positive individuals in China and associated with different patterns of CD8+ T cell reactivity. Our study confirms the differential escape pathways selected by HCV that depended on different HLA class I alleles in Chinese and German populations, indicating that HCV differentially adapts to distinct HLA class I alleles in these populations. This result has important implications for vaccine design against highly variable and globally distributed pathogens, which may require matching antigen sequences to geographic regions for T cell‐based vaccine strategies.
Testing of a pond‐side molecular diagnostic tool for the detection of white spot syndrome virus in shrimp aquaculture
Authors: Minardi Diana , Bateman Kelly S. , Kuzdzal Agnieszka , Stone Michelle , Avant Justin , Condliffe Richard , Brotherton Paul , Laverick Mark , Sritunyalucksana Kallaya , Itsathitphaisarn Ornchuma , Baoprasertkul Puttharat , Stentiford Grant D.
Published: September 2018

White spot disease in penaeid shrimp is caused by the white spot syndrome virus (WSSV). It is the most economically important disease of farmed warm‐water shrimp, causing extensive economic losses estimated from $8 to $15 billion since its emergence in the 1990s. Early diagnosis of disease is critical in the management of outbreaks and to avoid crop losses. Diagnosis of white spot disease is generally carried out in centralized laboratory settings using molecular biology approaches. However, this mode of testing can be expensive and time consuming, requiring laboratory equipment, highly trained laboratory personnel, dedicated laboratory space, and long‐distance transportation of samples from field to lab. In‐field diagnostics are gaining credence as tools for rapid and early animal disease detection, allowing diagnosticians and farmers to potentially manage disease outbreaks from the pond side. In the present study, we describe the development and application of a new in‐field point‐of‐need diagnostic test and platform for the diagnosis of WSSV in remote settings (shrimp farms). We report its performance in laboratory and field settings and compare it with current gold‐standard diagnostic approaches. We discuss the potential benefits (and barriers to uptake) of applying such testing in the global shrimp farming sector.
Differential Roles of Shame and Guilt in L2 Learning: How Bad Is Bad?
Authors: TEIMOURI YASSER
Published: September 2018

This article aims to introduce shame and guilt from social psychology into second language acquisition (SLA), to validate their psychometric measurement, and to examine their effects on second language (L2) learners’ motivation and language achievements. In Study 1, the prevalence of shame and guilt reactions in L2 settings was explored. Moreover, the Second Language Test of Shame and Guilt Affect (L2‐TOSGA) was developed and validated to measure L2 learners’ individual differences in terms of proneness to shame and guilt during L2 learning. The results of qualitative and quantitative analyses evidenced the pervasiveness of shame and guilt in an L2 context, and attested to the reliability, stability, and validity of L2‐TOSGA subscales. In Study 2, the effects of learners’ shame and guilt reactions on their motivation and language achievements were probed. The results showed that shame strongly but negatively affected L2 learners’ motivation and language achievements, whereas guilt had positive effects on their motivation and language achievements.
Eight new species of Hieracium sect. Tridentata (Asteraceae) from southern and northern Sweden
Authors: Nilsson Tommy , Tyler Torbjörn
Published: September 2018

Eight new species of Hieracium sect. Tridentata, namely H. antrorsum, H. quercifolium, H. stenianum, H. vestrogothicum, and H. vetlandaënse are described from the Götaland region (southern Sweden), H. grothii from Norrbotten in the Norrland region (northeast Sweden), and H. sparsifolium var. suppansum Johanss. and H. adampliatum var. pilosius Ohlsén are raised to specific rank as H. suppansum and H. gothiciferum respectively.
Coupled ecohydrology and plant hydraulics modeling predicts ponderosa pine seedling mortality and lower treeline in the US Northern Rocky Mountains
Authors: Simeone Caelan , Maneta Marco P. , Holden Zachary A. , Sapes Gerard , Sala Anna , Dobrowski Solomon Z.
Published: September 2018

We modeled hydraulic stress in ponderosa pine seedlings at multiple scales to examine its influence on mortality and forest extent at the lower treeline in the northern Rockies.

We combined a mechanistic ecohydrologic model with a vegetation dynamic stress index incorporating intensity, duration and frequency of hydraulic stress events, to examine mortality from loss of hydraulic conductivity. We calibrated our model using a glasshouse dry‐down experiment and tested it using in situ monitoring data on seedling mortality from reforestation efforts. We then simulated hydraulic stress and mortality in seedlings within the Bitterroot River watershed of Montana.

We show that cumulative hydraulic stress, its legacy and its consequences for mortality are predictable and can be modeled at local to landscape scales. We demonstrate that topographic controls on the distribution and availability of water and energy drive spatial patterns of hydraulic stress. Low‐elevation, south‐facing, nonconvergent locations with limited upslope water subsidies experienced the highest rates of modeled mortality.

Simulated mortality in seedlings from 2001 to 2015 correlated with the current distribution of forest cover near the lower treeline, suggesting that hydraulic stress limits recruitment and ultimately constrains the low‐elevation extent of conifer forests within the region.
Adaptation to environmental stress at different timescales
Authors: Kristensen Torsten Nygaard , Ketola Tarmo , Kronholm Ilkka
Published: September 2018

Environments are changing rapidly, and to cope with these changes, organisms have to adapt. Adaptation can take many shapes and occur at different speeds, depending on the type of response, the trait, the population, and the environmental conditions. The biodiversity crisis that we are currently facing illustrates that numerous species and populations are not capable of adapting with sufficient speed to ongoing environmental changes. Here, we discuss current knowledge on the ability of animals and plants to adapt to environmental stress on different timescales, mainly focusing on thermal stress and ectotherms. We discuss within‐generation responses that can be fast and induced within minutes or hours, evolutionary adaptations that are often slow and take several generations, and mechanisms that lay somewhere in between and that include epigenetic transgenerational effects. To understand and predict the impacts of environmental change and stress on biodiversity, we suggest that future studies should (1) have an increased focus on understanding the type and speed of responses to fast environmental changes; (2) focus on the importance of environmental fluctuations and the predictability of environmental conditions on adaptive capabilities, preferably in field studies encompassing several fitness components; and (3) look at ecosystem responses to environmental stress and their resilience when disturbed.
Effects of health at every size® interventions on health‐related outcomes of people with overweight and obesity: a systematic review
Authors: Ulian M. D. , Aburad L. , da Silva Oliveira M. S. , Poppe A. C. M. , Sabatini F. , Perez I. , Gualano B. , Benatti F. B. , Pinto A. J. , Roble O. J. , Vessoni A. , de Morais Sato P. , Unsain R. F. , Baeza Scagliusi F.
Published: September 2018

Context

The growing use of interventions based on the Health at Every Size® (HAES®) in obesity management.

Objective

This study aimed to summarize the health‐related effects of HAES®‐based interventions on people with overweight and obesity.

Data sources

MEDLINE (via PubMed), EMBASE, Cochrane Library, LILACS, Google Scholar, OpenGrey and Grey Literature Report.

Study selection

A systematic review of studies published until January 2017 reporting on HAES®‐based randomized and non‐randomized controlled trials in people with overweight and/or obesity.

Data extraction

Fourteen papers met the inclusion criteria. The assessed studies included the following tests: blood profile, blood pressure, anthropometry, eating behaviour, energy intake, diet quality, psychological and qualitative evaluations.

Results

The HAES® interventions benefited both the psychological and physical activity outcomes, besides promoting behavioural and qualitative changes in eating habits. On the other hand, the results regarding cardiovascular responses, body‐image perception and total energy intake were inconsistent.

Conclusions

Despite improving the cardiovascular status, eating behaviours, quality of life and psychological well‐being in participants, other large long‐term clinical trials should be performed to establish the effectiveness of HAES®‐based interventions in improving health for people with overweight and obesity. PROSPERO registration 2017: CRD42017054857.
Measuring the conditioned response: A comparison of pupillometry, skin conductance, and startle electromyography
Authors: Leuchs Laura , Schneider Max , Spoormaker Victor I.
Published: September 2018

In human fear conditioning studies, different physiological readouts can be used to track conditioned responding during fear learning. Commonly employed readouts such as skin conductance responses (SCR) or startle responses have in recent years been complemented by pupillary readouts, but to date it is unknown how pupillary readouts relate to other measures of the conditioned response. To examine differences and communalities among pupil responses, SCR, and startle responses, we simultaneously recorded pupil diameter, skin conductance, and startle electromyography in 47 healthy subjects during fear acquisition, extinction, and a recall test on 2 consecutive days. The different measures correlated only weakly, displaying most prominent differences in their response patterns during fear acquisition. Whereas SCR and startle responses habituated, pupillary measures did not. Instead, they increased in response to fear conditioned stimuli and most closely followed ratings of unconditioned stimulus (US) expectancy. Moreover, we observed that startle‐induced pupil responses showed stimulus discrimination during fear acquisition, suggesting a fear potentiation of the auditory pupil reflex. We conclude that different physiological outcome measures of the conditioned response inform about different cognitive‐affective processes during fear learning, with pupil responses being least affected by physiological habituation and most closely following US expectancy.
Behavioral Public Administration ad fontes: A Synthesis of Research on Bounded Rationality, Cognitive Biases, and Nudging in Public Organizations
Authors: Battaglio R. Paul , Belardinelli Paolo , Bellé Nicola , Cantarelli Paola
Published: September 2018

This article provides a comprehensive overview of how policy makers, practitioners, and scholars can fruitfully use behavioral science to tackle public administration, management, and policy issues. The article systematically reviews 109 articles in the public administration discipline that are inspired by the behavioral sciences to identify emerging research trajectories, significant gaps, and promising applied research directions. In an attempt to systematize and take stock of the nascent behavioral public administration scholarship, the authors trace it back to the seminal works of three Nobel Laureates—Herbert Simon, Daniel Kahneman, and Richard Thaler—and their work on bounded rationality, cognitive biases, and nudging, respectively. The cognitive biases investigated by the studies reviewed fall into the categories of accessibility, loss aversion, and overconfidence/optimism. Nudging and choice architecture are discussed as viable strategies for leveraging these cognitive traps in an attempt to alter behavior for the better, among both citizens and public servants.
Do Endowments Matter? Exploring The Gender Dimensions Of Poverty In Egypt
Authors: Alazzawi Shireen
Published: September 2018

This paper investigates the gender dimensions of poverty in Egypt and examines the factors that contribute to poverty for different household types. Furthermore, it decomposes the poverty differential between household types into a component due to endowments and another due to the return to these endowments. I use data from five Household Income, Expenditure and Consumption Surveys, that span a period of far reaching economic, social and political changes, from 1999 to 2013. Results suggest that female‐headed households were poorer than male‐headed households for all years under study in urban areas; and slightly less poor over part of the period in rural areas. This difference is greater for widowed mothers. Most of the poverty differentials between female‐headed and male‐headed households cannot be explained by differences in endowments in all years. In fact, if female‐headed households had the same endowments as male‐headed households in urban areas they would have been poorer than they already were.
The local fractional bootstrap
Authors: Bennedsen Mikkel , Hounyo Ulrich , Lunde Asger , Pakkanen Mikko S.
Published: September 2018

We introduce a bootstrap procedure for high‐frequency statistics of Brownian semistationary processes. More specifically, we focus on a hypothesis test on the roughness of sample paths of Brownian semistationary processes, which uses an estimator based on a ratio of realized power variations. Our new resampling method, the local fractional bootstrap, relies on simulating an auxiliary fractional Brownian motion that mimics the fine properties of high‐frequency differences of the Brownian semistationary process under the null hypothesis. We prove the first‐order validity of the bootstrap method, and in simulations, we observe that the bootstrap‐based hypothesis test provides considerable finite‐sample improvements over an existing test that is based on a central limit theorem. This is important when studying the roughness properties of time series data. We illustrate this by applying the bootstrap method to two empirical data sets: We assess the roughness of a time series of high‐frequency asset prices and we test the validity of Kolmogorov's scaling law in atmospheric turbulence data.
Compactly representing massive terrain models as TINs in CityGML
Authors: Kumar Kavisha , Ledoux Hugo , Stoter Jantien
Published: September 2018

Terrains form an important part of 3D city models. GIS practitioners often model terrains with 2D grids. However, TINs (Triangulated Irregular networks) are also increasingly used in practice. One such example is the 3D city model of the Netherlands (3DTOP10NL), which covers the whole country as one massive triangulation with more than one billion triangles. Due to the massive size of terrain datasets, the main issue is how to efficiently store and maintain them. The international 3D GIS standard CityGML allows us to store TINs using the Simple Feature representation. However, we argue that it is not appropriate for storing massive TINs and has limitations. We focus in this article on an improved storage representation for massive terrain models as TINs. We review different data structures for compactly representing TINs and explore how they can be implemented in CityGML as an ADE (Application Domain Extension) to efficiently store massive terrains. We model our extension using UML, and XML schemas for the extension are automatically derived from these UML models. Experiments with massive real‐world terrains show that, with this approach, we can compress CityGML files up to a factor of ~20 with one billion+ triangles, and our method has the added benefit of explicitly storing the topological relationships of a TIN model.
Online responses to motivational interview questions enhance blood donation intention
Authors: France Christopher R. , France Janis L.
Published: September 2018

BACKGROUND

A motivational interview may promote blood donor retention, but live interviews can be costly. To address this challenge, we conducted two studies to examine the impact of online delivery of motivational interview content on donation intention.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

In Study 1, a total of 3883 respondents (52.2% female; mean ± SD age, 35.69 ± 11.3 years) completed a donation commitment measure and were randomly assigned to one of seven motivational interview–based questions or a no‐question control group. In Study 2, a total of 2246 respondents (58.4% female; mean ± SD age, 35.5 ± 11.4 years) with a moderate level of donation commitment were randomly assigned to receive zero to four motivational interview–based questions. In both studies, future donation intention was measured immediately after the intervention.

RESULTS

The first study revealed a significant effect of interview question on donation intention among participants with moderate blood donation commitment (F(7,1299) = 3.699, p = 0.001), but not among those with low or high commitment (F(7,1233) = 1.411, p = 0.20; and F(7,1327) = 0.964, p = 0.46, respectively). Study 2 replicated the significant effect of interview questions on donation intention (F(1,2230) = 2.168, p = 0.006). Relative to the no‐question control condition, follow‐up analyses revealed significantly higher donation intentions with 14 of the 15 question combinations (p ≤ 0.05).

CONCLUSION

These findings provide initial support that online survey questions modeled on motivational interview content may elicit personal reflections that enhance donation intention, particularly among individuals with a moderate level of donation commitment.
Bombay phenotype (Oh) and high‐titer anti‐H in pregnancy: two case reports and a review of the literature
Authors: Bullock Tom , Win Nay , Jackson Barry , Sivarajan Sharmila , Penny James , Mir Naheed
Published: September 2018

BACKGROUND

Antenatal cases of Bombay‐phenotype (Oh) individuals and hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN) are not well described in the literature. We present two case reports of high‐titer anti‐H in pregnant Oh individuals and their serologic investigation, clinical management, and subsequent outcomes. We describe current published cases detailing pregnancy in Oh individuals, to add to the evidence base for clinical decision making and management of pregnancy.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

We describe two case reports of high‐titer anti‐H in pregnancy in Oh individuals. We summarize published cases to date, to inform clinical decision making and antenatal management in individuals with the Bombay phenotype.

RESULTS

Of the case reports described, neither were affected by HDFN due to anti‐H. Antibody titers were high in both cases (immunoglobulin G titer scores, 512 and 4000, respectively) and would be expected to cause some degree of HDFN, a surprising finding. Regular mean cerebral artery Doppler ultrasound was normal. Patient blood management (PBM) techniques ensured that the patient's hemoglobin (Hb) levels were monitored and maintained. Transfusion intervention was not required, with minimal blood loss recorded at birth in both cases.

CONCLUSION

High‐titer anti‐H in Oh pregnancies may, in rare cases, cause HDFN, but evidence suggests that this may not be the case in all pregnancies. We recommend a multidisciplinary approach, with prompt referral to a fetomaternal medicine unit, combined with PBM strategies, and a planned delivery with the provision of rare‐phenotype units (if available and if indicated) on standby.
Sons from virgin mothers produce more daughters in a haplodiploid mite
Authors: Zhou Peng , He Xiong Zhao , Wang Qiao
Published: September 2018

Population size can be very small in the newly invaded/introduced site or front edge of population expansion where mates are difficult to find. This scenario can lead to extinction of a local population in many animal species. However, when it happens to a haplodiploid animal, individual virgin females may adjust their strategies to produce sons of greater reproductive success such as higher mating success and fertility, which may help increase the chance of establishment. Here we investigated how maternal mating status affected sons’ reproductive success in a haplodiploid spider mite, Tetranychus ludeni Zacher, a cosmopolitan pest of many crops. We show that virgin females laid significantly larger eggs than mated females, giving rise to larger deutonymphs and adults, but mating status of mothers had no influence on mating success and longevity of their sons. We provide the first empirical evidence in a haplodiploid mite that virgin mothers adjusted their resource allocations to yield sons that produced more daughters at a higher rate.
Broadband shock-associated noise from a high-performance military aircraft
Authors: Vaughn Aaron B. , Neilsen Tracianne B. , Gee Kent L. , Wall Alan T. , Micah Downing J. , James Michael M.
Published: September 2018

Broadband shock-associated noise (BBSAN) is a prominent noise component from nonideally expanded jets in the forward and sideline directions. BBSAN from laboratory-scale jets has been studied extensively, and spatial trends in BBSAN spectral peak characteristics—frequency, level, and width—have been established. These laboratory-scale trends are compared to those for BBSAN from a tied-down F-35B operated at four engine conditions. While the peak frequency varies as expected, both spatially and across engine condition, the peak level and width do not, pointing to the need for additional research into BBSAN for high-performance military aircraft.
Coupling between a fiber-reinforced model and a Hill-based contractile model for passive and active tissue properties of laryngeal muscles: A finite element study
Authors: Pham Ngoc , Xue Qian , Zheng Xudong
Published: September 2018

In this work, a three-dimensional fiber-reinforced model was used to simulate passive stress response of vocal fold muscle tissue undergoing a series of isometric force measurement and a dynamic stretching. It was found that, with proper material constants, the fiber-reinforced model is able to reproduce literature data with acceptable deviation. A Hill-based contractile model was then coupled with the fiber-reinforced model to enable simulations of stretching-induced and activation-induced stress at the same time. For dynamic, concurrent tissue stimulation and stretching, the coupled model demonstrated a good agreement with past experimental data.
Single-cell analysis uncovers convergence of cell identities during axolotl limb regeneration
Authors: Gerber Tobias , Murawala Prayag , Knapp Dunja , Masselink Wouter , Schuez Maritta , Hermann Sarah , Gac-Santel Malgorzata , Nowoshilow Sergej , Kageyama Jorge , Khattak Shahryar , Currie Joshua D. , Camp J. Gray , Tanaka Elly M. , Treutlein Barbara
Published: September 2018

How the axolotl makes a new limb

Unlike most vertebrate limbs, the axolotl limb regenerates the skeleton after amputation. Dermal and interstitial fibroblasts have been thought to provide sources for skeletal regeneration, but it has been unclear whether preexisting stem cells or dedifferentiation of fibroblasts formed the blastema. Gerber
et al.
developed transgenic reporter animals to compare periskeletal cell and fibroblast contributions to regeneration. Callus-forming periskeletal cells extended existing bone, but fibroblasts built new limb segments. Single-cell transcriptomics and Brainbow-based lineage tracing revealed the lack of a preexisting stem cell. Instead, the heterogeneous population of fibroblasts lost their adult features to form a multipotent skeletal progenitor expressing the embryonic limb program.

Science
, this issue p.
eaaq0681
Structural insight into precursor tRNA processing by yeast ribonuclease P
Authors: Lan Pengfei , Tan Ming , Zhang Yuebin , Niu Shuangshuang , Chen Juan , Shi Shaohua , Qiu Shuwan , Wang Xuejuan , Peng Xiangda , Cai Gang , Cheng Hong , Wu Jian , Li Guohui , Lei Ming
Published: September 2018

Structures of eukaryotic ribonuclease P

Ribonuclease P (RNase P) is a ribozyme that processes transfer RNA (tRNA) precursors and is found in all three kingdoms of life. Now, Lan
et al.
report the structures of yeast RNase P (see the Perspective by Scott and Nagai). The aporibozyme structure reveals how the protein components stabilize the RNA and explains how the structural roles of bacterial RNA elements have been delegated to the protein components in RNase P of higher organisms during evolution. The structure of yeast RNase P in complex with its natural substrate, a tRNA precursor, demonstrates the structural basis for substrate recognition and provides insights into its catalytic mechanism.

Science
, this issue p.
eaat6678
; see also p.
644
Pentoxifylline Alone or in Combination with Gentamicin or Vancomycin Inhibits Live Microbe-Induced Proinflammatory Cytokine Production in Human Cord Blood and Cord Blood Monocytes
In Vitro
Authors: Speer Esther M. , Diago-Navarro Elizabeth , Ozog Lukasz S. , Dowling David J. , Hou Wei , Raheel Mahnoor , Fries Bettina C. , Levy Ofer
Published: September 2018

Neonatal sepsis and its accompanying inflammatory response contribute to substantial morbidity and mortality. Pentoxifylline (PTX), a phosphodiesterase inhibitor which suppresses transcription and production of proinflammatory cytokines, is a candidate adjunctive therapy for newborn sepsis.
High Rate of Ceftobiprole Resistance among Clinical Methicillin-Resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
Isolates from a Hospital in Central Italy
Authors: Morroni Gianluca , Brenciani Andrea , Brescini Lucia , Fioriti Simona , Simoni Serena , Pocognoli Antonella , Mingoia Marina , Giovanetti Eleonora , Barchiesi Francesco , Giacometti Andrea , Cirioni Oscar
Published: September 2018

Ceftobiprole is a fifth-generation cephalosporin with activity against methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA). One-year surveillance at the Regional Hospital of Ancona (Italy) disclosed a 12% ceftobiprole resistance rate (12/102 isolates; MIC, ≥4 mg/liter).
Effect of Vaccination on Pneumococci Isolated from the Nasopharynx of Healthy Children and the Middle Ear of Children with Otitis Media in Iceland
Authors: Quirk Sigríður J. , Haraldsson Gunnsteinn , Erlendsdóttir Helga , Hjálmarsdóttir Martha Á. , van Tonder Andries J. , Hrafnkelsson Birgir , Sigurdsson Samuel , Bentley Stephen D. , Haraldsson Ásgeir , Brueggemann Angela B. , Kristinsson Karl G.
Published: September 2018

Vaccination with pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) disrupts the pneumococcal population. Our aim was to determine the impact of the 10-valent PCV on the serotypes, genetic lineages, and antimicrobial susceptibility of pneumococci isolated from children in Iceland.
Coccidioidomycosis Complement Fixation Titer Trends in the Age of Antifungals
Authors: McHardy Ian H. , Dinh Bao-Tran N. , Waldman Sarah , Stewart Ethan , Bays Derek , Pappagianis Demosthenes , Thompson George R.
Published: September 2018

Coccidioidomycosis is associated with a broad spectrum of illness severity, ranging from asymptomatic or self-limited pulmonary infection to life-threatening manifestations of disseminated disease. Serologic studies before the widespread availability of antifungals established current understanding of serologic kinetics and dynamics.