bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
L'ELETTORATO DEI PARTITI EUROPEI
Authors: Zuckerman Alan , Lichbach Mark I.
Published: May 2019

Introduzione

Nel loro «Persistence and Change in Western Party Systems Since World War II», Richard Rose e Derek Urwin presentano ampie prove sulla stabilità della forza elettorale di molti partiti politici europei. Essi riportano in dettaglio la generale assenza di tendenze, i bassi livelli di elasticità e la persistenza della forza elettorale. Rose e Urwin auspicano un riorientamento teorico degli studi sui partiti e sul comportamento elettorale nell'Europa occidentale con le seguenti parole: «Il primo compito degli studiosi di scienze sociali che si occupano dello sviluppo dei partiti e dei sistemi partitici dopo il 1945 deve essere quello di spiegare l'assenza di cambiamenti in un periodo in cui la storia politica è stata tutt'altro che statica». I risultati ai quali essi sono giunti gettano anche dei dubbi sulle ipotesi secondo le quali i cambiamenti nei modelli elettorali conseguono direttamente dalle alterazioni della struttura sociale ed economica dell'Europa dopo la seconda guerra mondiale.
COMUNITÀ EUROPEA: DAL CONSENSO PERMISSIVO ALLA PARTECIPAZIONE POLITICA
Authors: Papisca Antonio
Published: May 2019

Introduzione

Pochi ormai sono propensi a sostenere che l'unificazione europea possa realizzarsi in virtú di meccanismi automatici, intrinseci al processo integrativo. Le dottrine funzionaliste e neofunzionaliste, che hanno teorizzato il cosiddetto effetto di spill-over, cioè il « debordamento » dei comportamenti integrativi dagli iniziali settori « funzionali » dell'economia e della tecnica al settore della politica tout court, sono state definitivamente invalidate dall'esperienza storica. Senza risalire fino al « compromesso » di Lussemburgo del gennaio 1966, che ha dato un brusco colpo di freno al processo integrativo, due recenti avvenimenti, il « consiglio europeo » di Roma dell'1 e 2 dicembre 1975 — durante il quale sette delegazioni governative su nove si sono impegnate ad indire le prime elezioni, a suffragio universale e diretto, del Parlamento europeo entro la primavera del 1978 —, e la presentazione del « rapporto Tindemans » sull'Unione europea, stanno a dimostrare che la piú importante, e forse unica, variabile indipendente dell'unificazione a livello internazionale è costituita dalla « volontà politica » quale espressa, dai governi statuali nazionali interessati, in occasione dei « momenti genetici di sopranazionalità ». In altre parole, i fattori decisivi per l'unificazione europea vanno ricercati all'interno dei meccanismi di funzionamento non della Comunità europea, ma del distinto e sopra-ordinato sistema intergovernativo europeo nel quale si è istituzionalizzata la cosiddetta « unione » degli stati costitutori. Le vicende del sistema comunitario europeo, nell'arco dei suoi quasi cinque lustri di vita, confermano puntualmente questa tesi. Pur trattandosi di un processo di unificazione a larghe dimensioni ed organizzato « politicamente », — nel senso che possiede strutture capaci di assegnare, con una certa autonomia, determinati valori sociali vincolanti per i destinatari —, non si è verificato nel suo ambito alcun significativo effetto di debordamento « di scopo » dall'iniziale ventaglio di competenze e poteri ad altri settori, piú decisivi ai fini di una completa unificazione, come quelli della politica estera e della difesa militare. E non si è neppure verificato un significativo debordamento in profondità (spill-over « di livello »), limitatamente agli stessi settori economici: l'unione economica e monetaria, per quanto decisa nel 1971, è ancora di là da venire; nel settore dell'energia nucleare (Euratom), l'unificazione si è addirittura contratta.
PER UN'ANALISI DEI RAPPORTI TRA PARTITI SOCIALISTI E COMUNISTI IN ITALIA E FRANCIA
Authors: Bartolini Stefano
Published: May 2019

Introduzione

L'attualità del tema generale dei rapporti tra socialisti e comunisti in Italia e Francia risulta evidente semplicemente guardando alla messe dei lavori giornalistici ad esso dedicati in tutte le piú importanti riviste del mondo occidentale. La rilevanza politica di questi rapporti necessita ancor meno di essere sottolineata in un periodo in cui le chances politiche della sinistra nel complesso sono crescenti in entrambi i paesi.
IL DIBATTITO POLITOLOGICO NELLA REPUBBLICA FEDERALE TEDESCA
Authors: Caciagli Mario
Published: May 2019

Introduzione

È stato spesso rilevato che la scienza politica fu percepita nell'università tedesca del dopoguerra, anche per le ragioni per cui vi era stata introdotta, come un insegnamento dai contorni incerti e sostanzialmente estraneo rispetto a discipline di piú antica tradizione e riconosciuta dignità accademica. Inoltre la scienza politica, per com'era proposta e praticata, veniva ad invadere inopportunamente territori altrui. La sua stessa presenza istituzionale in tre diverse facoltà, indicata dagli avversari quale prova di come fossero poco chiari la sua identità e i suoi fini, era anche denunciata come pretesa di egemonia o almeno di eccessivo ingombro. D'altronde, gli stessi rappresentanti della nuova disciplina contribuivano non poco a renderne discutibili collocazione e definizione.
Rationalization is rational
Authors: Cushman Fiery
Published: May 2019

Rationalization occurs when a person has performed an action and then concocts the beliefs and desires that would have made it rational. Then, people often adjust their own beliefs and desires to match the concocted ones. While many studies demonstrate rationalization, and a few theories describe its underlying cognitive mechanisms, we have little understanding of its function. Why is the mind designed to construct post hoc rationalizations of its behavior, and then to adopt them? This may accomplish an important task: transferring information between the different kinds of processes and representations that influence our behavior. Human decision making does not rely on a single process; it is influenced by reason, habit, instinct, norms, and so on. Several of these influences are not organized according to rational choice (i.e., computing and maximizing expected value). Rationalization extracts implicit information – true beliefs and useful desires – from the influence of these non-rational systems on behavior. This is a useful fiction – fiction, because it imputes reason to non-rational psychological processes; useful, because it can improve subsequent reasoning. More generally, rationalization belongs to the broader class of representational exchange mechanisms, which transfer information between many different kinds of psychological representations that guide our behavior. Representational exchange enables us to represent any information in the manner best suited to the particular tasks that require it, balancing accuracy, efficiency, and flexibility in thought. The theory of representational exchange reveals connections between rationalization and theory of mind, inverse reinforcement learning, thought experiments, and reflective equilibrium.
The moral psychology of obligation
Authors: Tomasello Michael
Published: May 2019

Although psychologists have paid scant attention to the sense of obligation as a distinctly human motivation, moral philosophers have identified two of its key features: First, it has a peremptory, demanding force, with a kind of coercive quality, and second, it is often tied to agreement-like social interactions (e.g., promises) in which breaches prompt normative protest, on the one side, and apologies, excuses, justifications, and guilt on the other. Drawing on empirical research in comparative and developmental psychology, I provide here a psychological foundation for these unique features by showing that the human sense of obligation is intimately connected developmentally with the formation of a shared agent “we,” which not only directs collaborative efforts but also self-regulates them. Thus, children's sense of obligation is first evident inside, but not outside, of collaborative activities structured by joint agency with a partner, and it is later evident in attitudes toward in-group, but not out-group, members connected by collective agency. When you and I voluntarily place our fate in one another's hands in interdependent collaboration – scaled up to our lives together in an interdependent cultural group – this transforms the instrumental pressure that individuals feel when pursuing individual goals into the pressure that “we” put on me (who needs to preserve my cooperative identity in this “we”) to live up to our shared expectations: a we > me self-regulation. The human sense of obligation may therefore be seen as a kind of self-conscious motivation.
Who feeds information to regulators? Stakeholder diversity in European Union regulatory agency consultations
Authors: Beyers Jan , Arras Sarah
Published: May 2019

To design regulatory policies, agencies depend on information from the industries they are tasked to regulate. Therefore, agencies can organise consultations with the aim of obtaining information from different perspectives. This article focuses on stakeholder diversity in agency public consultations. We ask to what extent is information provided by stakeholders other than the regulated sector, such as other business interests, experts or nonbusiness interests? Stakeholder diversity is relevant as it may prevent agencies to become exposed to one-sided information and capture by specialised interests. Are there consultation design factors that foster consultation diversity? Or, is (a lack of) consultation diversity structurally shaped by the context in which an agency operates? Analysing a wide range of public consultations organised by European Union regulatory agencies indicates that most information agencies receive via consultations comes from regulated interests and that the limited participation of nonregulated interests is highly tenacious.
Photoelectric Polarimetry of the Tail of Comet Ikey-Seki (1965 VIII)
Authors: Weinberg J. L. , Beeson D. E.
Published: May 2019

With few exceptions, measurements of cometary brightness and polarization have been restricted to regions in or near the coma and therefore to a relatively small range of phase angles. Photoelectric techniques are required for detailed wavelength coverage, whereas large-field photographic techniques are better suited for mapping the large regions of sky spanned by a comet tail. Observations with a small field of view provide high spatial resolution but generally restrict multicolor measurements of brightness and polarization to a small region of the comet. Observations with a large field of view (diameter larger than 1 or 2 deg) provide adequate color and spatial coverage but can result in the loss of detail. A compromise is afforded by Fabry photometry, using a modest telescope of small aperture and relatively large field of view.
Movie of Comet Kohoutek (1973f) as Observed Near Minimum Elongation by the HAO Coronagraph Aboard Skylab
Authors: Hildner E. , Gosling J. T , MacQueen R. M. , Munro R. H. , Poland A. I. , Ross C. L.
Published: May 2019

This paper consisted of a running commentary by Ernest Hildner on the movie as it was shown. The data from the movie has not yet been fully analyzed and will be published elsewhere. Discussion immediately followed the movie. (ed.)
Comet Data Collections
Authors: Giclas H. L.
Published: May 2019

The question of the present day usefulness of the great wealth of observational material on comets buried in the archives of the older observatories is an important problem that should be evaluated soon if any action is to be taken before much of it is lost or destroyed. The beginning step has been taken with the publication of the isophotometric atlas and the Atlas of Cometary Forms which is a direct result of Recommendation No. 1 of Commission 15 of the IAU meeting at Prague in 1967. At that time a repository for cometary photographs and spectrograms was also discussed. However, in the light of observational advances and the present capability of quantitative correlation of structural changes with condensations or annomalies of the solar plasma, it is desirable to establish again that this old observational material may be useful.
Spectrophotometry of Comet Kohoutek (1973f) During Pre-Perihelion Period
Authors: Babu G. S. D.
Published: May 2019

A total of eleven scans of the head of comet Kohoutek (1973f) were obtained during the pre-perihelion period with a photoelectric spectrum scanner (Babu, 1971), mounted at the Nasmyth focus (f/13.1) of the 52-cm telescope, on 7, 10, 11, 13, 14 and 15 December 1973 at the rate of two scans per day, except on 7 December when only one scan was taken. The observational procedure was similar to that for comet Bennett (1969 i) (Babu and Saxena, 1972), excepting that a diaphragm of 3 mm diameter equivalent of 93″ of the sky was used at the entrance of the monochromator. The width of the exit slit was equivalent to a spectral window of 3.5 nm. The scans covered the spectral range from 370 to 640 nm. The basic data of the comet during the period of observations is given in Table I.
The Evolution of Comet Orbits
Authors: Everhart Edgar
Published: May 2019

This review states and defends seven conclusions on the origin of comets and the evolution of their orbits:

1.

There is a N-½ law of survival of comets against ejection on hyperbolic orbits, where N is the number of perihelion passages.

2.

The short-period comets are not created by single close encounters of near-parabolic comets with Jupiter.

3.

Observable long-period comets do not evolve into observable short-period comets.

4.

Unobservable long-period comets with perihelia near Jupiter can evolve into observable short-period comets.

5.

Long-period comets cannot have been formed or created within the planetary region of the solar system. (This conclusion is somewhat qualified because of possible effects of stellar perturbations. )

6.

It is possible that some of ths short-period comets could have been formed inside the orbit of Neptune, but it is certain that others have the same distant source as the long-period comets.

7.

The circularly-restricted 3-body problem, and its associated Jacobi integral, are not valid approximations to use in studying origin and evolution of comets.
Review of Investigations Performed in the U.S.S.R. on Close Approaches of Comets to Jupiter and the Evolution of Cometary Orbits
Authors: Kazimirchak-Polonskaya E. I.
Published: May 2019

The problem of the cosmogony of the solar system has long occupied a central position in astronomical research. The origin of comets plays a substantial role in the solution to this problem. It is therefore necessary to study in detail the “original” and “future” orbits of the comets with nearly parabolic orbits and to examine in particular the great orbical changes that take place when comets pass within the spheres of action of the giant planets.

In the U S.S.R. — especially at the Institute for Theoretical Astronomy (I.T.A.) in Leningrad — considerable attention is paid to investigations of this type. In this respect it is useful to refer to IAU Symposium No. 45, organized in Leningrad in 1970, and in particular to the introductory report by Chebotarev (1972)
Use of Real-World Data Sources for Canadian Drug Pricing and Reimbursement Decisions: Stakeholder Views and Lessons for Other Countries
Authors: Husereau Don , Nason Edward , Ahuja Tarun , Nikaï Enkeleida , Tsakonas Eva , Jacobs Philip
Published: May 2019

Background

Canada has a long history of the use of clinical evidence to support healthcare decision making. Given improvements in data holdings and analytic capacity in Canada and stakeholder interest, the purpose of this study is to reflect on perceptions of the value of real-world evidence in pricing and reimbursement decisions, barriers to its optimal use in pricing and reimbursement, current initiatives that may lead to its increased use, and what role the pharmaceutical industry may play in this.

Methods/Results

To capture stakeholder perceptions, ninety-one participants identified as key stakeholders were identified according to background roles and geography and invited to participate in four round table discussions conducted under Chatham House rule. Important themes emerging from these discussions included: (i) the need to understand what “real world” evidence means; (ii) barriers to using real world evidence from differences in access, governance, inter-operability, system structures, expertise, and quality across Canadian health systems; (iii) differing views on industry's role.

Conclusions

The use of real-world data in Canada to inform pricing and reimbursement decisions is far from routine but nascent and slowly increasing. Barriers, including interoperability concerns, may also apply to other federated health systems that need to focus on the networking of healthcare administrative data across provincial jurisdictional boundaries. There also appears to be a desire to see better use of pragmatic trials linked to these administrative data sets. Emerging initiatives are under way to use real world evidence more broadly, and include identification of common data elements and approaches to networking data.
Power of discourse in free trade agreement negotiation
Authors: Wang Yan
Published: May 2019

This article illustrates the power of discourse in free trade agreement (FTA) negotiation, elucidating the concept from the perspective of a country’s abilities of rule control, rule assimilation and rule contestation. To enhance rule control, the G2 (the US and EU) have chosen their FTA partners, designed the FTA rules, and offered offensive-defensive exchange strategically. They have approached weak or trade-dependent parties first in FTA negotiation, innovated new rules to accelerate FTA negotiation, skillfully constructed intentional ambiguity and exemptions to remove rule discrepancies and made offensive-defensive exchange with their negotiating parties. Some of these strategies have been copied by China although in a different way. Further, a template approach for negotiating an FTA and exporting domestic laws and normative values to others contributes to the G2’s rule assimilation. A de facto FTA template has also been established by China recently, but its legal culture and political stance have led it to sign incomplete contracts and tolerate rule differences with its negotiating parties instead of transposition of domestic law. In facing the rival rules adopted by their competitors, the G2 have incorporated counteractive rules in their FTAs with their competitors’ close trading nations. China has also contested rules treating China as a non-market economy in its FTAs, but its stance toward state-owned enterprises (SOE) disciplines and rules forbidding forced technology transfer is milder due to its lack of experience in dealing with unfavourable rules.
Attrition in Longitudinal Data is Primarily Selective with Respect to Level Rather than Rate of Change
Authors: Salthouse Timothy A.
Published: May 2019

Objectives: An important question in longitudinal research is whether the individuals who discontinue participation differ in their level of, or their change in, cognitive functioning relative to individuals who return for subsequent occasions. Methods: Performance in five cognitive domains was examined in nearly 5000 participants between 18 and 85 years of age who completed between one and five longitudinal occasions. Results: Little or no differences in cognitive performance were apparent between young adults who did or did not return for subsequent longitudinal occasions. However, among adults above about 45 years of age, returning participants had higher levels of cognitive performance, but approximately similar magnitude of longitudinal change, as participants completing fewer occasions. Conclusions: These results suggest that generalizability of longitudinal comparisons may be restricted to individuals with relatively high levels of cognitive functioning, but that rates of cognitive change are nearly comparable for individuals completing different numbers of longitudinal occasions.
Family caregiving for persons with advanced heart failure: An integrative review
Authors: Hodson Alexandra Rae , Peacock Shelley , Holtslander Lorraine
Published: May 2019

Objective

The unique needs of caregivers of those with advanced heart failure (HF) are not effectively being met, and reports of physical and mental health challenges are common. The objective is to identify the current state of the literature related to family caregivers of persons with advanced HF, ascertain gaps that require further exploration, and provide preliminary practice recommendations based on the results.

Method

Systematic review of quantitative and qualitative literature. A search of CINAHL, Medline, EMBASE, and PubMed identified 24 articles that met inclusion criteria. Data were analyzed using the constant comparison method and coded. Thematic analysis was used to develop themes.

Result

Sixteen qualitative and seven quantitative studies met inclusion criteria. Analysis of these studies identified six key areas: (1) undertaking a journey in a state of flux, (2) gaining strength, (3) forgetting oneself along the way, (4) seeking out sources of support, (5) preparing for end of life, and (6) finding closure.

Significance of results

The healthcare system currently struggles to meet the care demands of patients with chronic conditions such as advanced HF; as such, informal caregivers are undertaking key roles in the management of symptoms and promotion of the health of those with advanced HF. When caregivers are not adequately prepared for their role, both patient and caregiver well-being is compromised; therefore, a deeper understanding of the caregiving experience could assist in identifying the cause of caregiver anxiety and result in the development of strategies to minimize its effects. Overall, this review will also contribute to improving the current practice when working with caregivers of persons with advanced HF and serve as a basis for development of evidence informed interventions in the future.
Verifying a concept of adaptive communication with LEO satellites using SDR-based simulations
Authors: Kozłowski S. , Kurek K. , Skarzyński J. , Szczygielska K. , Darmetko M.
Published: May 2019

The paper is related to an adaptive satellite communication system for data transmission from small, low cost, low Earth orbit satellites. Tests run in a set-up consisting of a number of software-defined radio (SDR) modules operating as a satellite, a ground station, and a satellite channel simulator, have shown that by changing modulation scheme and code rate one can obtain increase of amount of data which can be downloaded from a satellite during a single pass over a ground station approximately by a factor of 2. To determine data rates obtainable in an SDR system using a common personal computer as a digital signal processing device, execution times of particular processing steps involved in the reception process were measured.
ISM 2.45 GHz band high-efficient 15 W GaN HEMT power amplifier: design validation
Authors: Góralczyk Marcin , Wojtasiak Wojciech
Published: May 2019

This paper describes the development of a power amplifier operating over a 2.4–2.5 GHz frequency range with the output power level more than 15 W and 60% PAE. The transistor applied was the 10 W (13 W Psat) power GaN HEMT (CGH40010F from Wolfspeed) recommended up to 6 GHz. A harmonic tuning method was used to achieve even 30% more output power than the CGH40010 transistor was specified to deliver while maintaining high gain and high efficiency. Furthermore, an accuracy analysis of amplifier design was also conducted. It included validation and correction of the available transistor models as well as validation of the models of microstrip circuits implemented in ADS. Finally, it was concluded that both the mentioned sources of errors contributed at a similar level.
Difference between body composition of formula- and breastfed infants at birth
Authors: Smith Hazel Ann , O’B Hourihane Jonathan , Kenny Louise C. , Kiely Mairead , Leahy-Warren P. , Dahly Darren L. , Murray Deirdre M.
Published: May 2019

Breastfeeding may reduce obesity risk, but this association could be confounded by breastfeeding families’ characteristics. We investigated if body composition differs at birth among infants who were either exclusively breast- or formula-fed. We hypothesized the two groups would differ in body composition, even at birth, prior to their post-natal feeding experience. Healthy primiparous carrying singleton pregnancy were recruited at 15 weeks’ gestation. PEA POD® measured body composition within 72 hours of delivery and infant feeding was prospectively captured. Out of the 1,152 infants recruited, 117 (10.2%) and 239 (20.7%) went on to be either exclusively breast- or formula-fed, respectively. Breastfed infants were heavier at birth, but their percentage fat mass (FM) was lower than that of exclusively formula-fed infants (covariate adjusted β = −1.91 percentage points of FM; 95% CI −2.82 to −1.01). Differences in intra-uterine exposures, irrespective of early diet, may partly explain an infant’s obesity risk.
Empirical investigation of mutation rate for herbicide resistance
Authors: Casale Federico A. , Giacomini Darci A. , Tranel Patrick J.
Published: May 2019

In a predictable natural selection process, herbicides select for adaptive alleles that allow weed populations to survive. These resistance alleles may be available immediately from the standing genetic variation within the population or may arise from immigration via pollen or seeds from other populations. Moreover, because all populations are constantly generating new mutant genotypes by de novo mutations, resistant mutants may arise spontaneously in any herbicide-sensitive weed population. Recognizing that the relative contribution of each of these three sources of resistance alleles influences what strategies should be applied to counteract herbicide-resistance evolution, we aimed to add experimental information to the resistance evolutionary framework. Specifically, the objectives of this experiment were to determine the de novo mutation rate conferring herbicide resistance in a natural plant population and to test the hypothesis that the mutation rate increases when plants are stressed by sublethal herbicide exposure. We used grain amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus L.) and resistance to acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting herbicides as a model system to discover spontaneous herbicide-resistant mutants. After screening 70.8 million plants, however, we detected no spontaneous resistant genotypes, indicating the probability of finding a spontaneous ALS-resistant mutant in a given sensitive population is lower than 1.4 × 10−8. This empirically determined upper limit is lower than expected from theoretical calculations based on previous studies. We found no evidence that herbicide stress increased the mutation rate, but were not able to robustly test this hypothesis. The results found in this study indicate that de novo mutations conferring herbicide resistance might occur at lower frequencies than previously expected.
The Importance of Sampling Variability in Assessments of ENSO‐PM2.5 Relationships: A Case Study for the South Central United States
Authors: Previdi Michael , Fiore Arlene M.
Published: May 2019

We assess seasonal mean relationships between the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and surface fine particulate matter (PM2.5) over the United States using observations from 1999 to 2015. Through a case study of the springtime PM2.5 response to ENSO in the South Central United States, we demonstrate that sampling variability is large on the 17‐year time scale of the observations, leading to large uncertainty in the estimated relationships. The PM2.5 response in the South Central United States is dominated by decreases in soil dust concentrations during El Niño, which we link to changes in cloud cover and near‐surface wind speed. The observed dust response during 1999–2015 is about 25% stronger than the long‐term mean ENSO‐forced signal estimated from climate model control simulations. Given a different 17‐year period, this discrepancy could be even larger. Our findings underscore the importance of accounting for sampling uncertainty in studies of ENSO's air quality impacts.
Exploring the Sources of Unexpected High Methane Concentrations and Fluxes From Alpine Headwater Streams
Authors: Flury S. , Ulseth A. J.
Published: May 2019

The dynamics of methane generation and evasion from well‐oxygenated, oligotrophic streams have been traditionally neglected. We estimated evasion of methane and assessed its sources and production pathways using a stable isotope approach in 16 oxygen‐rich and C‐poor (dissolved organic carbon: 55.32 ± 57.56 μmol/L) Alpine headwater streams. Methane was often supersaturated relative to the atmosphere (0.093 ± 0.179 μmol/L). Fluxes (0.87 ± 1.34 mmol·m−2·day−1) were unexpectedly high and comparable to those from high‐latitude lakes and reservoirs. Our findings suggest that methane in the streambed was largely produced from carbon dioxide reduction, whereas acetoclastic pathways and major deliveries from adjacent soils, assessed from a mass balance, may have contributed to stream water methane. This study sheds new light on high‐alpine streams as a hitherto unaccounted source of methane to the atmosphere.
Thicker Clouds and Accelerated Arctic Sea Ice Decline: The Atmosphere‐Sea Ice Interactions in Spring
Authors: Huang Yiyi , Dong Xiquan , Bailey David A. , Holland Marika M. , Xi Baike , DuVivier Alice K. , Kay Jennifer E. , Landrum Laura L. , Deng Yi
Published: May 2019

Observations show that increased Arctic cloud cover in the spring is linked with sea ice decline. As the atmosphere and sea ice can influence each other, which one plays the leading role in spring remains unclear. Here we demonstrate, through observational data diagnosis and numerical modeling, that there is active coupling between the atmosphere and sea ice in early spring. Sea ice melting and thus the presence of more open water lead to stronger evaporation and promote cloud formation that increases downward longwave flux, leading to even more ice melt. Spring clouds are a driving force in the disappearance of sea ice and displacing the mechanism of atmosphere‐sea ice coupling from April to June. These results suggest the need to accurately model interactions of Arctic clouds and radiation in Earth System Models in order to improve projections of the future of the Arctic.
Heavy Ice Precipitation Band in an Oceanic Extratropical Cyclone Observed by GPM/DPR: 1. A Case Study
Authors: Akiyama Shizuka , Shige Shoichi , Yamamoto Munehisa K. , Iguchi Toshio
Published: May 2019

Heavy ice precipitation (HIP) flags in the products of dual‐frequency precipitation radar (DPR) on board the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) core satellite indicate the existence of large ice particles. In this study, we analyzed the distribution of a HIP band detected along the warm front of an oceanic extratropical cyclone. The HIP band was more than 125 km long and probably exceeded the 245‐km range of the Ku‐band precipitation radar. We found two zones with distinct microphysical processes in the HIP band. Ice particles near the echo top height showed little change in their median size with height, where frontogenetical updraft was maximum. This suggests that particles are generated and grown in this zone by the updrafts. In the zone below, the particle sizes increased as the height decreased, implying particles aggregate as they fall.
Responses of Different Types of Pulsating Aurora in Cosmic Noise Absorption
Authors: Yang Bing , Spanswick Emma , Liang Jun , Grono Eric , Donovan Eric
Published: May 2019

A recent study (Grono & Donovan, 2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo‐36‐891‐2018) reported two distinct categories of pulsating aurora: patchy pulsating aurora (PPA) and amorphous pulsating aurora (APA). In this study we compare the auroral intensity of five PPA events and seven APA events monitored by the Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) All‐Sky Imagers with co‐located cosmic noise absorption (CNA) from the Geospace Observatory wide‐beam riometers. Our results show significant correlations between CNA and the auroral intensity of the APA events but no correlation between CNA and the auroral intensity of the PPA events. Analysis of conjunctions with the electron flux data obtained from the FAST satellite, we found that electrons responsible for APA may extend to higher energy range than those for PPA.
Low Subsurface Water Storage Capacity Relative to Annual Rainfall Decouples Mediterranean Plant Productivity and Water Use From Rainfall Variability
Authors: Hahm W. J. , Dralle D. N. , Rempe D. M. , Bryk A. B. , Thompson S. E. , Dawson T. E. , Dietrich W. E.
Published: May 2019

Plant water stress in response to rainfall variability is mediated by subsurface water storage, yet the controls on stored plant‐available water remain poorly understood. Here we develop a probabilistic water balance model for Mediterranean climates that relates the amount of water stored over the wet season to annual rainfall statistics and subsurface storage capacity in soil and weathered bedrock. This model predicts that low storage capacity—relative to winter rainfall—results in similar year‐to‐year summer water availability, as both relatively wet and dry winters replenish storage. Observed water balances in seven catchments in the Northern California Coast Ranges exhibited this dynamic. We hypothesized that plants would be decoupled from precipitation variability at these storage‐capacity‐limited sites and observed that summer productivity and water use (inferred from the enhanced vegetation index) were independent of winter rainfall totals. These areas emerged largely unscathed from recent extreme drought, despite widespread plant mortality elsewhere.
Redox Chemistry and Molybdenum Burial in a Mesoproterozoic Lake
Authors: Rico K. I. , Sheldon N. D. , Gallagher T. M. , Chappaz A.
Published: May 2019

While marine sediments have been used to constrain a history of redox chemistry throughout the Precambrian, far fewer data have been generated from lakes. With major biological innovations thought to have occurred in Proterozoic lakes, understanding their chemistry is critical for understanding the evolution of eukaryotic life. We use sediment geochemistry to characterize the redox conditions of the Nonesuch Formation (~1.1 Ga) and a modern analogue for the Proterozoic: the Middle Island Sinkhole in Lake Huron (USA). Iron speciation, Mo contents, and Mo‐U covariation demonstrate oxic and anoxic—not euxinic—environments, with no clear indicators of enhanced biological productivity in the Nonesuch Formation. Moderate Mo enrichments observed in the Nonesuch Formation are not attributed to euxinia, but instead to an authigenic particulate shuttle. We suggest that the Fe and Mo sediment geochemistry of these lacustrine systems reflect only local water column and sediment burial conditions and not atmospheric oxygenation.
Gegen Qinlian decoction enhances the effect of PD-1 blockade in colorectal cancer with microsatellite stability by remodelling the gut microbiota and the tumour microenvironment
Authors: Lv Ji , Jia Yitao , Li Jing , Kuai Wentao , Li Yang , Guo Fang , Xu Xinjian , Zhao Zhaolong , Lv Jian , Li Zhongxin
Published: May 2019

Therapeutic antibodies targeting PD-1 have made major breakthroughs in cancer treatment. However, the majority of colorectal cancer (CRC) cases are microsatellite stable (MSS) and do not respond to anti-PD-1-based immunotherapy. Combination therapy will be an ideal strategy to overcome this limitation. Gegen Qinlian decoction (GQD), a classical traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula, has been clinically proven to be effective in the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC) and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Here, a systemic pharmacological study revealed that GQD acts through multiple targets and pathways in the human body. Combination therapy with GQD and anti-mouse PD-1 potently inhibited the growth of CT26 tumours in a xenograft model. Gut microbiota analysis revealed that combination therapy with GQD and anti-mouse PD-1 significantly enriched for s__Bacteroides_acidifaciens and s__uncultured_organism_g__norank_f__Bacteroidales_S24-7_group. Based on metabolomic analyses, profoundly altered metabolites were identified in the combination therapy group. Two metabolic signalling pathways, namely, glycerophospholipid metabolism and sphingolipid metabolism, were explored. In particular, we found that combination therapy with GQD and anti-mouse PD-1 significantly increased the proportion of CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood and tumour tissues. Direct treatment with GQD and anti-mouse PD-1 increased the expression of IFN-γ, which is a critical factor in antitumour immunotherapy. In addition, combination therapy with GQD and anti-mouse PD-1 downregulated PD-1 and increased IL-2 levels, suggesting that the combination therapy could effectively restore T-cell functions by suppressing inhibitory checkpoints. The application of the Chinese medicinal formula GQD with PD-1 blockade-based immunotherapy can be a novel therapeutic strategy for CRC patients with MSS tumours.
Delineating the role of eIF2α in retinal degeneration
Authors: Starr Christopher R. , Gorbatyuk Marina S.
Published: May 2019

Activation of the unfolded protein response has been detected in various animal models of retinal degeneration. The PERK branch converges on eIF2α to regulate protein synthesis. We previously reported that diseased retinas produce less protein as they degenerate. We also proposed that the majority of this reduction in protein synthesis may not be due to control of eIF2α. Nevertheless, multiple research groups have reported that modulating eIF2α levels may be a viable strategy in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Here, using two genetic approaches, a systemic Gadd34 knockout and a photoreceptor conditional Perk knockout, to alter p-eIF2α levels in rd16 mice, we demonstrate not only that degenerating retinas may not use this mechanism to signal for a decline in protein synthesis rates but also that modulation of p-eIF2α levels is insufficient to delay retinal degeneration.
HMGB1 contributes to SASH1 methylation to attenuate astrocyte adhesion
Authors: Wu Ronghua , Yan Yingying , Ma Chao , Chen Han , Dong Zhangji , Wang Yongjun , Liu Yan , Liu Mei , Yang Liu
Published: May 2019

SAM and SH3 domain-containing 1 (SASH1), a scaffold protein, is regarded as a tumor suppressor. Recent studies have verified the decreased expression of SASH1 in many tumors. Our previous clinical investigation found that SASH1 was widely expressed in normal brain tissues but reduced or absent in glioma tissues. However, the functions of SASH1 in normal astrocytes and the reasons for the reductions in SASH1 levels in glioma tissues are unclear. In this study, we found that in astrocytes, SASH1 functions in cell adhesion. We observed that knockdown of SASH1 expression in cultured astrocytes significantly decreased cell adhesion and increased invasion. Conversely, overexpression of SASH1 in C6 cells markedly promoted cell adhesion and decreased cell invasion. In addition, we found that the expression level of one member of the integrin family, integrin β8, was significantly reduced in SASH1-downregulated astrocytes and elevated in SASH1-upregulated C6 cells. Furthermore, the results of methylation and ChIP assays showed that the methylation level of the SASH1 gene was markedly higher in C6 cells than in astrocytes and that HMGB1 could bind to the CpG islands of the SASH1 gene. HMGB1 overexpression in astrocytes significantly increased the methylation level of the SASH1 gene. This study reveals, for the first time, that HMGB1 contributes to the methylation of the SASH1 gene, and our findings suggest that methylation downregulates the expression of the SASH1 gene and later reduces integrin β8 expression, thereby reducing cell adhesion and promoting cell migration.
ZNF479 downregulates metallothionein-1 expression by regulating ASH2L and DNMT1 in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Wu Yi-Ju , Ko Bor-Sheng , Liang Shu-Man , Lu Yi-Jhu , Jan Yee-Jee , Jiang Shih-Sheng , Shyue Song-Kun , Chen Linyi , Liou Jun-Yang
Published: May 2019

Decreased expression of metallothionein-1 (MT-1) is associated with a poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, we found that MT-1 expression was suppressed by 14-3-3ε, and MT-1 overexpression abolished 14-3-3ε-induced cell proliferation and tumor growth. We identified that 14-3-3ε induced expression of ZNF479, a novel potential transcriptional regulator by gene expression profiling and ZNF479 contributed to 14-3-3ε-suppressed MT-1 expression. ZNF479 induced the expression of DNMT1, UHRF1, and mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL) complex proteins (ASH2L and Menin), and increased tri-methylated histone H3 (H3K4me3) levels, but suppressed H3K4 (H3K4me2) di-methylation. ZNF479-suppressed MT-1 expression was restored by silencing of ASH2L and DNMT1. Furthermore, ZNF479 expression was higher in HCC tissues than that in the non-cancerous tissues. Expression analyses revealed a positive correlation between the expression of ZNF479 and DNMT1, UHRF1, ASH2L, and Menin, and an inverse correlation with that of ZNF479, ASH2L, Menin, and MT-1 isoforms. Moreover, correlations between the expression of ZNF479 and its downstream factors were more pronounced in HCC patients with hepatitis B. Here, we found that ZNF479 regulates MT-1 expression by modulating ASH2L in HCC. Approaches that target ZNF479/MLL complex/MT-1 or related epigenetic regulatory factors are potential therapeutic strategies for HCC.
Sprouty1 is a weight-loss target gene in human adipose stem/progenitor cells that is mandatory for the initiation of adipogenesis
Authors: Mandl Markus , Wagner Sonja A. , Hatzmann Florian M. , Mitterberger-Vogt Maria C. , Zwierzina Marit E. , Mattesich Monika , Zwerschke Werner
Published: May 2019

The differentiation of adipose stem/progenitor cells (ASCs) into adipocytes contributes to adipose tissue expansion in obesity. This process is regulated by numerous signalling pathways including MAPK signalling. In the present study, we show that weight loss (WL) interventions induce upregulation of Sprouty1 (SPRY1), a negative regulator of MAPK signalling, in human ASCs and elucidate the role of the Sprouty1/MAPK interaction for adipogenic differentiation. We found that the Sprouty1 protein levels are low in proliferating ASCs, increasing in density arrested ASCs at the onset of adipogenic differentiation and decreasing in the course of adipogenesis. Knock-down (KD) of Sprouty1 by RNA interference led to elevated MAPK activity and reduced expression of the early adipogenic transcription factor CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein β (C/EBP β), concomitant with an abrogation of adipogenesis. Intriguingly, co-treatment of Sprouty1 KD ASCs with differentiation medium and the pharmacological MEK inhibitor U0126 blunted ERK phosphorylation; however, failed to rescue adipogenic differentiation. Thus, the effects of the Sprouty1 KD are not reversed by inhibiting MAPK signalling although the inhibition of MAPK signalling by U0126 did not prevent adipogenic differentiation in wild type ASCs. In conclusion, we show that Sprouty1 is induced after WL in ASCs of formerly obese people acting as a negative regulator of MAPK signalling, which is necessary to properly trigger adipogenesis at early stages by a C/EBP β dependent mechanism.
Interspecies conservation of organisation and function between nonhomologous regional centromeres
Authors: Tong Pin , Pidoux Alison L. , Toda Nicholas R. T. , Ard Ryan , Berger Harald , Shukla Manu , Torres-Garcia Jesus , Müller Carolin A. , Nieduszynski Conrad A. , Allshire Robin C.
Published: May 2019

Despite the conserved essential function of centromeres, centromeric DNA itself is not conserved. The histone-H3 variant, CENP-A, is the epigenetic mark that specifies centromere identity. Paradoxically, CENP-A normally assembles on particular sequences at specific genomic locations. To gain insight into the specification of complex centromeres, here we take an evolutionary approach, fully assembling genomes and centromeres of related fission yeasts. Centromere domain organization, but not sequence, is conserved between Schizosaccharomyces pombe, S. octosporus and S. cryophilus with a central CENP-ACnp1 domain flanked by heterochromatic outer-repeat regions. Conserved syntenic clusters of tRNA genes and 5S rRNA genes occur across the centromeres of S. octosporus and S. cryophilus, suggesting conserved function. Interestingly, nonhomologous centromere central-core sequences from S. octosporus and S. cryophilus are recognized in S. pombe, resulting in cross-species establishment of CENP-ACnp1 chromatin and functional kinetochores. Therefore, despite the lack of sequence conservation, Schizosaccharomyces centromere DNA possesses intrinsic conserved properties that promote assembly of CENP-A chromatin.
The economics of malaria control in an age of declining aid
Authors: Maskin Eric , Monga Célestin , Thuilliez Josselin , Berthélemy Jean-Claude
Published: May 2019

This article examines financing in the fight against malaria. After briefly describing malaria control plans in Africa since 2000, it offers a stylized model of the economics of malaria and shows how health aid can help escape the malaria trap.
African elephant poaching rates correlate with local poverty, national corruption and global ivory price
Authors: Hauenstein Severin , Kshatriya Mrigesh , Blanc Julian , Dormann Carsten F. , Beale Colin M.
Published: May 2019

Poaching is contributing to rapid declines in elephant populations across Africa. Following high-profile changes in the political environment, the overall number of illegally killed elephants in Africa seems to be falling, but to evaluate potential conservation interventions we must understand the processes driving poaching rates at local and global scales. Here we show that annual poaching rates in 53 sites strongly correlate with proxies of ivory demand in the main Chinese markets, whereas between-country and between-site variation is strongly associated with indicators of corruption and poverty. Our analysis reveals a recent decline in annual poaching mortality rate from an estimated peak of over 10% in 2011 to <4% in 2017. Based on these findings, we suggest that continued investment in law enforcement could further reduce poaching, but is unlikely to succeed without action that simultaneously reduces ivory demand and tackles corruption and poverty.
The oncolytic virus Delta-24-RGD elicits an antitumor effect in pediatric glioma and DIPG mouse models
Authors: Martínez-Vélez Naiara , Garcia-Moure Marc , Marigil Miguel , González-Huarriz Marisol , Puigdelloses Montse , Gallego Pérez-Larraya Jaime , Zalacaín Marta , Marrodán Lucía , Varela-Guruceaga Maider , Laspidea Virginia , Aristu Jose Javier , Ramos Luis Isaac , Tejada-Solís Sonia , Díez-Valle Ricardo , Jones Chris , Mackay Alan , Martínez-Climent Jose A. , García-Barchino Maria Jose , Raabe Eric , Monje Michelle , Becher Oren J. , Junier Marie Pierre , El-Habr Elias A. , Chneiweiss Herve , Aldave Guillermo , Jiang Hong , Fueyo Juan , Patiño-García Ana , Gomez-Manzano Candelaria , Alonso Marta M.
Published: May 2019

Pediatric high-grade glioma (pHGG) and diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPGs) are aggressive pediatric brain tumors in desperate need of a curative treatment. Oncolytic virotherapy is emerging as a solid therapeutic approach. Delta-24-RGD is a replication competent adenovirus engineered to replicate in tumor cells with an aberrant RB pathway. This virus has proven to be safe and effective in adult gliomas. Here we report that the administration of Delta-24-RGD is safe in mice and results in a significant increase in survival in immunodeficient and immunocompetent models of pHGG and DIPGs. Our results show that the Delta-24-RGD antiglioma effect is mediated by the oncolytic effect and the immune response elicited against the tumor. Altogether, our data highlight the potential of this virus as treatment for patients with these tumors. Of clinical significance, these data have led to the start of a phase I/II clinical trial at our institution for newly diagnosed DIPG (NCT03178032).