bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Die Rolle der Kontrolle in Organisationen: Konzeptionen und Nutzenaspekte eines facettenreichen Begriffs
Authors: Hensen Peter
Published: May 2020

Dieser Beitrag in der Zeitschrift Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation (GIO) untersucht die funktionale Bedeutung von Kontrolle in Organisationen und arbeitet Nutzenaspekte für die Organisations- und Unternehmenspraxis heraus. Kontrolle als Begriff ist facettenreich. Er steht in enger Beziehung zu Macht und Handlung. Dazu gehören feststellende, reaktive und evaluative Tätigkeiten, die verallgemeinernd das Ziel verfolgen, ein Betriebs- und Organisationsgeschehen zu stabilisieren und zu optimieren. Konzipiert als technische Funktion dient Kontrolle der Erfüllung von Sachaufgaben; als Managementfunktion der Beherrschung von Unternehmensvorgängen. In einem konstruktivistischen Sinne erfüllt sie eine soziale Funktion des Gestaltens von Gemeinschaft. Kontrolle ist aber nicht nur sachbezogen zur Durchsetzung betrieblicher Interessen begründbar. Sie erfüllt darüber hinaus auch subjektive Nutzenfunktionen, die im wissenschaftlichen Diskurs und in der Organisationspraxis stärker betont werden sollten.
Nitrogen availability regulates deep soil priming effect by changing microbial metabolic efficiency in a subtropical forest
Authors: Liao Chang , Tian Qiuxiang , Liu Feng
Published: May 2020

In terrestrial ecosystems, deep soils (below 30 cm) are major organic carbon (C) pools. The labile carbon input could alter soil organic carbon (SOC) mineralization, resulting in priming effect (PE), which could be modified by nitrogen (N) availability, however, the underlying mechanism is unclear for deep soils, which complicates the prediction of deep soil C cycling in response to N deposition. A series of N applications with 13C labeled glucose was set to investigate the effect of labile C and N on deep SOC mineralization. Microbial biomass, functional community, metabolic efficiency and enzyme activities were examined for their effects on SOC mineralization and PE. During incubation, glucose addition promoted SOC mineralization, resulting in positive PE. The magnitude of PE decreased significantly with increasing N. The N-regulated PE was not dependent on extracellular enzyme activities but was positively correlated with carbon use efficiency and negatively with metabolic quotient. Higher N levels resulted in higher microbial biomass and SOC-derived microbial biomass than lower N levels. These results suggest that the decline in the PE under high N availability was mainly controlled by higher microbial metabolic efficiency which allocated more C for growth. Structural equation modelling also revealed that microbial metabolic efficiency rather than enzyme activities was the main factor regulating the PE. The negative effect of additional N suggests that future N deposition could promote soil C sequestration.
Differences in guideline-recommended heart failure medication between Dutch heart failure clinics: an analysis of the CHECK-HF registry
Authors:   CHECK-HF investigators, Linssen G. C. M. , Veenis J. F. , Brunner-La Rocca H. P. , van Pol P. E. J. , Engelen D. J. M. , van Tooren R. M. , Koornstra-Wortel H. J. J. , Hoes A. W. , Brugts J. J.
Published: May 2020

Background

Heart failure (HF) is associated with poor prognosis, high morbidity and mortality. The prognosis can be optimised by guideline adherence, which also can be used as a benchmark of quality of care. The purpose of this study was to evaluate differences in use of HF medication between Dutch HF clinics.

Methods

The current analysis was part of a cross-sectional registry of 10,910 chronic HF patients at 34 Dutch outpatient clinics in the period of 2013 until 2016 (CHECK-HF), and focused on the differences in prescription rates between the participating clinics in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).

Results

A total of 8,360 HFrEF patients were included with a mean age of 72.3 ± 11.8 years (ranging between 69.1 ± 11.9 and 76.6 ± 10.0 between the clinics), 63.9% were men (ranging between 54.3 and 78.1%), 27.3% were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III/IV (ranging between 8.8 and 62.1%) and the average estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was 59.6 ± 24.6 ml/min (ranging between 45.7 ± 23.5 and 97.1 ± 16.5).

The prescription rates ranged from 58.9–97.4% for beta blockers (p < 0.01), 61.9–97.1% for renin-angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors (p < 0.01), 29.9–86.8% for mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) (p < 0.01), 0.0–31.3% for ivabradine (p < 0.01) and 64.9–100.0% for diuretics (p < 0.01). Also, the percentage of patients who received the target dose differed significantly, 5.9–29.1% for beta blockers (p < 0.01), 18.4–56.1% for RAS inhibitors (p < 0.01) and 13.2–60.6% for MRAs (p < 0.01).

Conclusions

The prescription rates and prescribed dosages of guideline-recommended medication differed significantly between HF outpatient clinics in the Netherlands, not fully explained by differences in patient profiles.
Young Adulthood Relationships in an Era of Uncertainty: A Case for Cohabitation
Authors: Manning Wendy D.
Published: May 2020

The young adulthood years are demographically dense. Dr. Ronald Rindfuss made this claim when he was Population Association of America (PAA) president in 1991 (Rindfuss 1991), and this conclusion holds today. I offer both an update of his work by including Millennials and a new view on young adulthood by focusing on an increasingly common experience: cohabitation. I believe we need to move away from our marriage-centric lens of young adulthood and embrace the complexity that cohabitation offers. The cohabitation boom is continuing with no evidence of a slowdown. Young adults are experiencing complex relationship biographies, and social science research is struggling to keep pace. Increasingly, there is a decoupling of cohabitation and marriage, suggesting new ways of framing our understanding of relationships in young adulthood. As a field, we can do better to ensure that our theories, methods, and data collections better reflect the new relationship reality faced by young adults.
Evacuees and Migrants Exhibit Different Migration Systems After the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami
Authors: Hauer Mathew E. , Holloway Steven R. , Oda Takashi
Published: May 2020

Research on the destinations of environmentally induced migrants has found simultaneous migration to both nearby and long-distance destinations, most likely caused by the comingling of evacuee and permanent migrant data. Using a unique data set of separate evacuee and migration destinations, we compare and contrast the pre-, peri-, and post-disaster migration systems of permanent migrants and temporary evacuees of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. We construct and compare prefecture-to-prefecture migration matrices for Japanese prefectures to investigate the similarity of migration systems. We find evidence supporting the presence of two separate migration systems—one for evacuees, who seem to emphasize short distance migration, and one for more permanent migrants, who emphasize migration to destinations with preexisting ties. Additionally, our results show that permanent migration in the peri- and post-periods is largely identical to the preexisting migration system. Our results demonstrate stability in migration systems concerning migration after a major environmental event.
A Likert Scale-Based Model for Benchmarking Operational Capacity, Organizational Resilience, and Disaster Risk Reduction
Authors: Pescaroli Gianluca , Velazquez Omar , Alcántara-Ayala Irasema , Galasso Carmine , Kostkova Patty , Alexander David
Published: May 2020

Likert scales are a common methodological tool for data collection used in quantitative or mixed-method approaches in multiple domains. They are often employed in surveys or questionnaires, for benchmarking answers in the fields of disaster risk reduction, business continuity management, and organizational resilience. However, both scholars and practitioners may lack a simple scale of reference to assure consistency across disciplinary fields. This article introduces a simple-to-use rating tool that can be used for benchmarking responses in questionnaires, for example, for assessing disaster risk reduction, gaps in operational capacity, and organizational resilience. We aim, in particular, to support applications in contexts in which the target groups, due to cultural, social, or political reasons, may be unsuitable for in-depth analyses that use, for example, scales from 1 to 7 or from 1 to 10. This methodology is derived from the needs emerged in our recent fieldwork on interdisciplinary projects and from dialogue with the stakeholders involved. The output is a replicable scale from 0 to 3 presented in a table that includes category labels with qualitative attributes and descriptive equivalents to be used in the formulation of model answers. These include examples of levels of resilience, capacity, and gaps. They are connected to other tools that could be used for in-depth analysis. The advantage of our Likert scale-based response model is that it can be applied in a wide variety of disciplines, from social science to engineering.
Transforming the Customer Experience through New Technologies
Authors: Hoyer Wayne D. , Kroschke Mirja , Schmitt Bernd , Kraume Karsten , Shankar Venkatesh
Published: May 2020

New technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT), Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Mixed Reality (MR), virtual assistants, chatbots, and robots, which are typically powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI), are dramatically transforming the customer experience. In this paper, we offer a fresh typology of new technologies powered by AI and propose a new framework for understanding the role of new technologies on the customer/shopper journey. Specifically, we discuss the impact and implications of these technologies on each broad stage of the shopping journey (pre-transaction, transaction, and post-transaction) and advance a new conceptualization for managing these new AI technologies along customer experience dimensions to create experiential value. We discuss future research ideas emanating from our framework and outline interdisciplinary research avenues.
What the past suggests about future development of ecosystem service values applicable to USDA agricultural program evaluations
Authors: Hansen LeRoy T.
Published: May 2020

Much of the research on ecosystem service values (ESVs) has limited applicability to USDA program benefit analyses, largely because the models/data/results (1) lack spatial breadth and hence cannot be applied in national analyses of USDA programs, and (2) do not link land use changes to the changes in ESs. This article provides an overview of a set of 15 ESVs related to agriculture's impacts on erosion in order to identify (1) weaknesses in methods, data, and assumptions that limit the quality of the ESVs and means of avoiding such weaknesses in future ESV development, and (2) approaches that might improve the reliability and spatial resolution of future ESV estimates.
Strategies for Optimizing the Supply of N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirators During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic
Authors: de Perio Marie A. , Dowell Chad H. , Delaney Lisa J. , Radonovich Lewis J. , Kuhar David T. , Gupta Neil , Patel Anita , Pillai Satish K. , D’Alessandro Maryann
Published: May 2020

N95 respirators are personal protective equipment most often used to control exposures to infections transmitted via the airborne route. Supplies of N95 respirators can become depleted during pandemics or when otherwise in high demand. In this paper, we offer strategies for optimizing supplies of N95 respirators in health care settings while maximizing the level of protection offered to health care personnel when there is limited supply in the United States during the 2019 coronavirus disease pandemic. The strategies are intended for use by professionals who manage respiratory protection programs, occupational health services, and infection prevention programs in health care facilities to protect health care personnel from job-related risks of exposure to infectious respiratory illnesses. Consultation with federal, state, and local public health officials is also important. We use the framework of surge capacity and the occupational health and safety hierarchy of controls approach to discuss specific engineering control, administrative control, and personal protective equipment measures that may help in optimizing N95 respirator supplies.
Geographic Information System Technology: Review of the Challenges for Its Establishment as a Major Asset for Disaster and Emergency Management in Poland
Authors: Goniewicz Krzysztof , Magiera Maciej , Rucińska Dorota , Pawłowski Witold , Burkle Frederick M. , Hertelendy Attila J. , Goniewicz Mariusz
Published: May 2020

Technical and technological progress in the 21st century, especially emerging geographic information system (GIS) technology, offers new and unprecedented opportunities to counteract the impact of crisis situations and emergencies. Computerization and development of GIS enabled the digital visualization of space for interactive analysis of multiple data in the form of models or simulations. Additionally, computerization, which gives rise to a new quality of database management, requires continuous modernization of computer hardware and software. This study examines selected examples of the implications and impact of the GIS commonly used in Poland.
Crime in Germany as Portrayed by the Alternative for Germany (AfD)
Authors: Hestermann Thomas , Hoven Elisa
Published: May 2020

Criminal offenses ignite the political debate. Questions about the causes, development, and combating of crime touch on widespread fears; those who make them their subject can be sure of public attention. This Article looks at 242 press releases of the German right-wing populist party, the Alternative for Germany (Alternative für Deutschland; AfD) from 2018 dealing with criminal offenses. It examines which crime phenomena the reports describe, which perpetrator and victim images they project, and how crime and immigration are depicted as related threats.
Self-induced birefringence of white-light continuum generated by interaction of focused femtosecond laser pulses with fused silica
Authors: Qian J. , Wang G. D. , Lou K. Y. , Shen D. Y. , Fu Q. , Zhao Q. Z.
Published: May 2020

White-light continuum can be induced by the interaction of intense femtosecond laser pulses with condensed materials. By using two orthogonal polarizers, a self-induced birefringence of continuum is observed when focusing femtosecond laser pulses into bulk fused silica. That is, the generated white-light continuum is synchronously modulated anisotropically while propagating in fused silica. Time-resolved detection confirms that self-induced birefringence of continuum shows a growth and saturation feature with time evolution. By adjusting laser energy, the transmitted intensity of continuum modulated by self-induced birefringence also varies correspondingly. Morphology analysis with time evolution indicates that it is the focused femtosecond laser pulses that induce anisotropic microstructures in bulk fused silica, and the anisotropic structures at the same time modulate the generated continuum.
Propagation of lusala(Dioscorea hirtiflora), a wild yam, forin situandex situconservation and potential domestication
Authors: Zulu D. , Ellis R. H. , Culham A.
Published: May 2020

Lusala (Dioscorea hirtifloraBenth. subsp.pedicellataMilne-Redh) is an important wild edible tuber foraged widely from natural forests in Southern Zambia, but at risk from overharvesting and deforestation. Its propagation was investigated in glasshouse studies to explore potential domestication and futurein situandex situgenetic resources conservation. Almost all tubers planted with visible shoot buds produced vines, with no effect of tuber size on vine emergence or tuber yield. Few tubers without visible shoot buds at planting produced vines, but those that did not re-tuberized. The progeny provided good vine emergence and similar tuber yield, with vines from tubers produced by re-tuberization being more vigorous. Re-tuberization in the absence of vine emergence also occurred in other experiments. Minisetts cut from the proximal end of tubers provided better vine emergence (with more from 20-mm than 10-mm-long sections) and greater tuber yield than mid- or distal minisetts. Nodal stem cuttings rooted well, vined, and provided small tubers. This study shows that lusala can be propagated successfully from tubers, minisetts, nodal vine cuttings, or mini-tubers from nodal vine cuttings, for genetic resources conservation and/or domestication. Domestication is likely to be hampered by the long period required for vines to emerge and establish. More sustainable foraging, including re-planting in natural forests, is recommended to balance consumption of lusala in the region and promote its long-term conservation.
An intact bony tympanic facial canal does not protect from secondary facial paresis in adult acute otitis media
Authors: Meerwein C , Pazahr S , Stadler T M , Nierobisch N , Dalbert A , Huber A , Röösli C
Published: May 2020

Objective

To investigate the prevalence of bony dehiscence in the tympanic facial canal in patients with acute otitis media with facial paresis compared to those without facial paresis.

Method

A retrospective case–control study was conducted on acute otitis media patients with facial paresis undergoing high-resolution temporal bone computed tomography.

Results

Forty-eight patients were included (24 per group). Definitive determination of the presence of a bony dehiscence was possible in 44 out of 48 patients (91.7 per cent). Prevalence of bony dehiscence in acute otitis media patients with facial paresis was not different from that in acute otitis media patients without facial paresis (p = 0.21). Presence of a bony dehiscence was associated with a positive predictive value of 66.7 per cent in regard to development of facial paresis. However, an intact bony tympanic facial canal did not prevent facial paresis in 44.8 per cent of cases (95 per cent confidence interval = 34.6–55.6).

Conclusion

Prevalence of bony dehiscence in acute otitis media patients with facial paresis did not differ from that in acute otitis media patients without facial paresis. An intact tympanic bony facial canal does not protect from facial paresis development.
A general metriplectic framework with application to dissipative extended magnetohydrodynamics
Authors: Coquinot Baptiste , Morrison Philip J.
Published: May 2020

General equations for conservative yet dissipative (entropy producing) extended magnetohydrodynamics are derived from two-fluid theory. Keeping all terms generates unusual cross-effects, such as thermophoresis and a current viscosity that mixes with the usual velocity viscosity. While the Poisson bracket of the ideal version of this model has already been discovered, we determine its metriplectic counterpart that describes the dissipation. This is done using a new and general thermodynamic point of view to derive dissipative brackets, a means of derivation that is natural for understanding and creating dissipative dynamics without appealing to underlying kinetic theory orderings. Finally, the formalism is used to study dissipation in the Lagrangian variable picture where, in the context of extended magnetohydrodynamics, non-local dissipative brackets naturally emerge.
Reproductive seasonality and environmental effects in green turtle (Chelonia mydas) nesting at Penang Island, Malaysia
Authors: Mohd Salleh Sarahaizad , Nishizawa Hideaki , Mohd Sah Shahrul Anuar , Khan Chowdhury Ahmed Jalal
Published: May 2020

For species with environmental sex determination, understanding the relationship between reproduction and environmental factors is important for predicting their reproductive output. Here, we study intra-annual variation in green turtle nesting during the 2010–2016 seasons at Penang Island (5°16′28″–5°28′15″N 100°10′52″–100°11′55″E), Malaysia. The additive modelling on a monthly-basis number of nests shows that fluctuation in the number of nests relates to temperature in addition to month of year, rather than precipitation. The number of nests tended to be higher in response to higher temperature during March–July, whereas the lower temperature during August–February also tended to result in a relatively higher number of nests. Concentration of nests during March–July resulted from a shorter inter-nesting interval during warm temperatures, whereas relatively low temperatures may homogenize the temporal distribution of the number of nests. This study provides fundamental information for green turtle nesting seasonality in response to environmental change.
Internet use, social isolation and loneliness in older adults
Authors: Stockwell Stephanie , Stubbs Brendon , Jackson Sarah E. , Fisher Abi , Yang Lin , Smith Lee
Published: May 2020

The aim of this study was to explore associations between internet/email use in a large sample of older English adults with their social isolation and loneliness. Data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing Wave 8 were used, with complete data available for 4,492 men and women aged ⩾ 50 years (mean age = 64.3, standard deviation = 13.3; 51.7% males). Binomial logistic regression was used to analyse cross-sectional associations between internet/email use and social isolation and loneliness. The majority of older adults reported using the internet/email every day (69.3%), fewer participants reported once a week (8.5%), once a month (2.6%), once every three months (0.7%), less than every three months (1.5%) and never (17.4%). No significant associations were found between internet/email use and loneliness, however, non-linear associations were found for social isolation. Older adults using the internet/email either once a week (odds ratio (OR) = 0.60, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.49–0.72) or once a month (OR = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.45–0.80) were significantly less likely to be socially isolated than every day users; those using internet/email less than once every three months were significantly more likely to be socially isolated than every day users (OR = 2.87, 95% CI = 1.28–6.40). Once every three months and never users showed no difference in social isolation compared with every day users. Weak associations were found between different online activities and loneliness, and strong associations were found with social isolation. The study updated knowledge of older adults’ internet/email habits, devices used and activities engaged in online. Findings may be important for the design of digital behaviour change interventions in older adults, particularly in groups at risk of or interventions targeting loneliness and/or social isolation.
Desirability and acceptability of a treatment-sequencing model in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: A health technology assessment perspective
Authors: Piena Marjanne A. , Schoeman Olaf , Harty Gerard T. , Wong Schiffon L.
Published: May 2020

Objective

Gather health technology assessment (HTA) experts' insights on the desirability and acceptability of treatment-sequencing models applied to relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).

Data source/study setting

Primary data.

Study design

In-depth double-blind semi-structured telephone interviews.

Data collection/extraction methods

General themes were extracted from qualitative interviews.

Principal findings

Although experts confirmed the importance of evaluating the clinical and cost-effectiveness of treatments as part of a sequence, the current HTA decision making framework is not conducive to this. Developing an RRMS treatment-sequencing model that meets HTA requirements is difficult, in particular due to scarcity of effectiveness data in later treatment lines.

Conclusions

At present, a treatment-sequencing model for RRMS may be desirable yet not requested by HTA bodies for their decision making. However, there could be other areas where a treatment-sequencing model for RRMS is of use.
Consumer perception and behaviour related to low-alcohol wine: do people overcompensate?
Authors: Bucher Tamara , Frey Eveline , Wilczynska Magdalena , Deroover Kristine , Dohle Simone
Published: May 2020

Objective:

Compared with standard wines, low-alcohol wines may have several social and health benefits. Innovative production processes have led to high-quality light wines. It is, however, unclear how consumers perceive and consume these alcohol-reduced wines. The current study aimed to investigate how people evaluate low-alcohol wine (Sauvignon Blanc) and if the reduction in alcohol and the information that a wine is low in alcohol influences consumption.

Design:

Randomised controlled trial (RCT).

Setting:

Participants were invited to a wine tasting and randomised into one of the three conditions: they either tasted a ‘new white wine’ (12·5 % alcohol content), a ‘new low-alcohol white wine’ (8·0 % alcohol content) or they tasted the low-alcohol wine but were not aware that the wine was reduced in alcohol (low-alcohol, blinded).

Participants:

Ninety participants (42 % male, mean age = 41 (sd14) years).

Results:

Mean comparisons showed similar ratings for the low-alcohol conditions and the standard alcohol condition (mean > 5·6/7). The mean consumed amount across all conditions did not differ (162 (sd71) ml, (F2,86= 0·43,P> 0·05)), hence people who tasted the low-alcohol wine consumed approximately 30 % less alcohol. However, participants were willing to pay more for the normal wine compared with the low-alcohol wine, (F2,87= 3·14,P< 0·05).

Conclusions:

Participants did not alter their drinking behaviour in response to the reduced alcohol content, and the low-alcohol wine was perceived positively. There might be an emerging market potential for wine of reduced alcohol content, but consumers may not be willing to pay the same price as for the standard wine.
IMRT in a rare case of bilateral optic nerve glioma
Authors: Singh Rashmi , Kumar Anup , Tudu Rajanigandha , Raina Payal , Munda Praveer
Published: May 2020

Purpose:

Optic nerve glioma (OPG) is a rare tumour of children and adolescents. The treatment is challenging as it may jeopardise the visual outcome. We are reporting a case of bilateral OPG, treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy in our department.

Material and Method:

An 18-year-old female presented with a gradually deteriorating vision in both eyes. A detailed clinical and ophthalmological examination was carried out. Her MRI of orbit and brain were suggestive of bilateral optic nerve glioma. She was treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy to a total dose of 54Gy in 30 fractions over 6 weeks.

Results:

She well tolerated the treatment. Post radiotherapy at 8 weeks, she had stabilization of vision on clinical assessment.

Conclusion:

Radiotherapy using IMRT can be successfully used to treat OPG, and it checks tumour growth and prevents further deterioration.
National identity, a blessing or a curse? The divergent links from national attachment, pride, and chauvinism to social and political trust
Authors: Gustavsson Gina , Stendahl Ludvig
Published: May 2020

Is it true that national identity increases trust, as liberal nationalists assume? Recent research has studied this side of the ‘national identity argument’ by focusing on conceptions of the content of national identity (often civic or ethnic) and their links to social, rather than political, trust. This paper argues that if we take social identity theory seriously, however, we need to complement this picture by asking how varying the strength – rather than the content – of a person’s sense of their national identity affects both their social and political trust. We break down the different dimensions of national identity, hypothesizing and empirically verifying that there are divergent links from national attachment, national pride, and national chauvinism to social and political trust. We do so with data from the US (General Social Survey) and the Netherlands (Longitudinal Internet Studies for the Social Sciences ), thus expanding current knowledge of national identity and trust to a highly relevant yet neglected European case.
When does politics stop at the water’s edge? A QCA of parliamentary consensus on military deployment decisions
Authors: Haesebrouck Tim , van Immerseel Anouschka
Published: May 2020

Why do some military deployment decisions lead to high levels of political contestation, whereas others do not? Or, put differently, when does parliamentary consensus on the use of force abroad exist? In this article, we aim to answer this question by focusing on the varying levels of consensus in national parliaments when taking military deployment decisions. We do so by examining conditions that were derived from research on the domestic-level determinants of the use of force, parliamentary voting, and opposition behaviour. These conditions were included in an integrated theoretical framework, which we tested with fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis. The results of our analysis show that the international legal status and the objectives of the military operation are of crucial importance for explaining the pattern of political contestation. However, domestic variables need to be taken into account as well to fully explain the level of political contestation of military deployment decisions.
Sleep-disordered breathing in pregnancy: a developmental origin of offspring obesity?
Authors: Farabi Sarah S. , Barbour Linda A. , Hernandez Teri L.
Published: May 2020

Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) worsens over pregnancy, and obstructive sleep apnea is associated with serious maternal complications. Intrauterine exposures that provoke insulin resistance (IR), inflammation, or oxidative stress may have long-term offspring health consequences. In obesity, worsening maternal SDB appears to be an exposure that increases the risk for both small- or large-for-gestational-age (SGA, LGA, respectively), suggesting distinct outcomes linked to a common maternal phenotype. The aim of this paper is to systematically review and link data from both mechanistic rodent models and descriptive human studies to characterize the impact of maternal SDB on fetal development. A systematic review of the literature was conducted using PubMed, Embase, and CINAHL (01/2000–09/2019). Data from rodent (9 studies) and human models (48 studies, 5 meta-analyses) were included and reviewed using PRISMA guidelines. Evidence from rodent models suggests that intermittent maternal hypoxia results in mixed changes in birth weight (BW) followed by accelerated postnatal growth, while maternal sleep fragmentation results in normal BW followed by later metabolic derangement. Human studies support that maternal SDB is associated with both SGA and LGA, both of which may predispose offspring to later obesity. Evidence also suggests a link between SDB, inflammation, and oxidative stress that may impact maternal metabolism and/or placental function. SDB is common in pregnancy and affects fetal growth and development. Given that SDB has significant potential to adversely influence the intrauterine metabolic environment, larger, prospective studies in humans are urgently needed to fully elucidate the effects of this exposure on offspring metabolic risk.
The SNP-Based Heritability — A Commentary on Yang et al. (2010)
Authors: Yang Jian
Published: May 2020

I write this commentary as a part of a special issue published in this journal to celebrate Nick Martin’s contribution to the field of human genetics. In this commentary, I briefly describe the background of the Yang et al. (2010) study and show some of the unpublished details of this study, its contribution to tackling the missing heritability problem and Nick’s contribution to the work.
Variability in Meridional Transport of the Subtropical Circulation in the South Indian Ocean for the Period From 2006 to 2017
Authors: Nagura Motoki
Published: May 2020

This study estimates variability in meridional velocity and transport in the interior of the south Indian Ocean using in situ hydrographic observations, satellite altimetry, and two reanalysis products for the period from 2006 to 2017. Previous studies used the zonal difference of satellite sea surface height (SSH) between the western and eastern parts of the basin as an index to variability in basinwide meridional geostrophic transport. This study estimates meridional geostrophic velocity in the upper 1,800 m from in situ observations and examines its vertical structure. Results show that zonal SSH difference represents a surface trapped variability in meridional velocity, the amplitude of which is large in the upper 250 m and decreases to zero at about 1,250 m depth. Zonal SSH difference is significantly correlated with zonally integrated meridional transport relative to 1,000 m depth. It is likely that wind variability both in the south Indian Ocean and tropical Pacific Ocean is responsible for this surface trapped variability, as is suggested by past studies. Results of this study also show meridional velocity variability at subsurface, which peaks in magnitude at about 400 to 800 m depths. This variability is not correlated with zonal SSH difference and represents decadal weakening of northward transport of the subtropical circulation for the analysis period. This subsurface variability can contribute to interannual variability in mode water transport, but its detailed forcing mechanism is not known and warrants a further study.
Two‐Dimensional Reconstruction of Ionospheric Plasma Density Variations Using Swarm
Authors: Fæhn Follestad A. , Clausen L. B. N. , Miloch W. J. , van den IJssel J. , Haagmans R.
Published: May 2020

Space weather phenomena such as scintillations of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) signals are of increasing importance for aviation, the maritime, and civil engineering industries. The ionospheric plasma irregularities causing scintillations are associated with strong gradients in ionospheric plasma density. To provide nowcasts and forecasts of space weather effects, it is vital to monitor the ionosphere and detect strong density variations. To reconstruct plasma density variations in the polar cap ionosphere, we use total electron content (TEC) estimates from the Swarm satellites' GPS receivers. By considering events where the Swarm satellites are in close proximity, we obtain plasma density variations by inverting TEC measurements on a two‐dimensional grid. We first demonstrate the method using synthetic test data, before applying it to real data. The method is validated using in situ Langmuir probe measurements and ground‐based TEC observations. We find that the new method can reproduce density variations, although it is sensitive to the geometry of the Swarm satellite constellation and to the calculated plasma temperature. Our proposed method opens new possibilities for ionospheric plasma monitoring that uses GPS receivers aboard low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites.
A Plate Boundary Emerges Between India and Australia
Authors: Kornei Katherine
Published: May 2020

Bathymetric and seismic data point to a new plate boundary in a fracture-riddled zone beneath the northern Indian Ocean.
SCoda and Rayleigh Waves From a Decade of Repeating Earthquakes Reveal Discordant Temporal Velocity Changes Since the 2004 Sumatra Earthquake
Authors: Yu W. , Lin J.‐T. , Su J. , Song T.‐R. A. , Kang C.‐C.
Published: May 2020

Temporal changes in the subsurface seismic velocity structure reflect the physical processes that modulate the properties of the media through which seismic waves propagate. These processes, such as healing of the surface damage zone and deep crustal deformation, are described by similar functional forms and operate on similar timescales, making it difficult to determine which process drives the observed changes. We examine earthquake‐induced velocity changes using the measured lag‐time time seriesτ(t) of the repeating earthquake sequences since the 2004Mw9.2 Sumatra and 2005Mw8.6 Nias earthquakes. TheScoda velocity changes (δVS, equivalent to−τS) recover steadily during the 2005–2015 period. The Rayleigh wave velocity changes (δVLR, or−τLR) undergo transient recovery, followed by a strongδVLRreduction in late 2007.δVSrecovery is most likely driven by deep processes, whereas the temporal breaks inδVLRrecovery in 2007 mostly reflect surface damage and healing induced by the strong ground motions of the 2004Mw9.2, 2005Mw8.6, 2007Mw8.4, andMw7.9 Bengkulu and 2008Mw7.3 Simeulue earthquakes. The observed differences between the temporal variations inδVSandδVLRcan distinguish deep processes from healing of the surface damage zone.
The Impact of Winter Storms on Sediment Transport Through a Narrow Strait, Bohai, China
Authors: Wang Chenghao , Liu Zhiqiang , Harris Courtney K. , Wu Xiao , Wang Houjie , Bian Changwei , Bi Naishuang , Duan Haiqin , Xu Jingping
Published: May 2020

The Yellow River is one of the most significant sources of terrestrial sediment to the global seas, and the Bohai Strait is the only pathway that delivers Yellow River‐derived sediments from the shallow Bohai Sea to the Yellow Sea. To investigate sediment transport processes through the strait under the influence of storms (strong northerly winds) that frequently occur in winter, we deployed two sets of observing platforms equipped with Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCP) and a suite of other sensors in the strait in January 2018. Aided by a system of high‐resolution models, we reconstructed sediment dynamics in response to the strong northerly wind of a winter storm. Model results show that the instantaneous suspended sediment flux (SSF) is highly aligned with tidal currents, while the net sediment flux has a clear dependence on variations in exchange flow and sediment resuspension. Enhanced coastal currents, intensified wave motions, and higher suspended sediment concentrations indicate that the through‐strait sediment flux during outflows is greater than during inflow conditions. Such SSF asymmetries are believed responsible for the net sediment export through the Bohai Strait in wintertime. Diagnostic analyses provided insights into the dynamic mechanisms of exchange flow variations influenced by both the strong northerly winds and the wind‐triggered coastal trapped waves in the shallow, narrow strait via geostrophic effects. This study highlights the importance of storm‐induced horizontal exchange processes in a coupled bay‐shelf system.
Molecular targeting of renal cell carcinoma by an oral combination
Authors: Jordan Andre R. , Wang Jiaojiao , Yates Travis J. , Hasanali Sarrah L. , Lokeshwar Soum D. , Morera Daley S. , Shamaladevi Nagarajarao , Li Charles S. , Klaassen Zachary , Terris Martha K. , Thangaraju Muthusamy , Singh Amar B. , Soloway Mark S. , Lokeshwar Vinata B.
Published: May 2020

The 5-year survival rate of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) is <12% due to treatment failure. Therapeutic strategies that overcome resistance to modestly effective drugs for mRCC, such as sorafenib (SF), could improve outcome in mRCC patients. SF is terminally biotransformed by UDP-glucuronosyltransferase-1A9 (A9) mediated glucuronidation, which inactivates SF. In a clinical-cohort and the TCGA-dataset, A9 transcript and/or protein levels were highly elevated in RCC specimens and predicted metastasis and overall-survival. This suggested that elevated A9 levels even in primary tumors of patients who eventually develop mRCC could be a mechanism for SF failure. 4-methylumbelliferone (MU), a choleretic and antispasmodic drug, downregulated A9 and inhibited SF-glucuronidation in RCC cells. Low-dose SF and MU combinations inhibited growth, motility, invasion and downregulated an invasive signature in RCC cells, patient-derived tumor explants and/or endothelial-RCC cell co-cultures; however, both agents individually were ineffective. A9 overexpression made RCC cells resistant to the combination, while its downregulation sensitized them to SF treatment alone. The combination inhibited kidney tumor growth, angiogenesis and distant metastasis, with no detectable toxicity; A9-overexpressing tumors were resistant to treatment. With effective primary tumor control and abrogation of metastasis in preclinical models, the low-dose SF and MU combinations could be an effective treatment option for mRCC patients. Broadly, our study highlights how targeting specific mechanisms that cause the failure of “old” modestly effective FDA-approved drugs could improve treatment response with minimal alteration in toxicity profile.
Oxytocin biases eye-gaze to dynamic and static social images and the eyes of fearful faces: associations with trait autism
Authors: Le Jiao , Kou Juan , Zhao Weihua , Fu Meina , Zhang Yingying , Becker Benjamin , Kendrick Keith M.
Published: May 2020

A key functional effect of intranasal oxytocin with potential therapeutic relevance for autism-spectrum disorder is its reported facilitation of attention towards social stimuli, notably the eye region of faces. In the current randomized placebo-controlled within-subject experiment on 40 healthy males, we investigated the robustness of this facilitation of attention by intranasal oxytocin (24IU) towards social cues. Eye-tracking measures of preference for dynamic and static social vs. non-social stimuli were taken in four different paradigms where autistic individuals tend to exhibit reduced interest in social stimuli. Additionally, we investigated whether oxytocin increases attention towards the eyes relative to other salient face regions in an emotional face paradigm. Results showed that the time spent viewing both dynamic and static social vs. non-social stimuli was negatively associated with trait autism and significantly increased following intranasal oxytocin. For face stimuli, oxytocin primarily increased gaze towards the eyes of fearful expression faces but not for other face emotions. Overall, our findings demonstrate that oxytocin significantly shifts gaze preference towards social vs. non-social stimuli and to the eyes of fearful faces. Importantly, oxytocin appears generally to shift attention more towards salient social stimuli of particular relevance in the context of autism providing further support for its potential therapeutic use in autism-spectrum disorder.
Cannabinoid receptor CNR1 expression and DNA methylation in human prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and caudate in brain development and schizophrenia
Authors: Tao Ran , Li Chao , Jaffe Andrew E. , Shin Joo Heon , Deep-Soboslay Amy , Yamin Rae’e , Weinberger Daniel R. , Hyde Thomas M. , Kleinman Joel E.
Published: May 2020

Beyond being one the most widely used psychoactive drugs in the world, cannabis has been identified as an environmental risk factor for psychosis. Though the relationship between cannabis use and psychiatric disorders remains controversial, consistent association between early adolescent cannabis use and the subsequent risk of psychosis suggested adolescence may be a particularly vulnerable period. Previous findings on gene by environment interactions indicated that cannabis use may only increase the risk for psychosis in the subjects who have a specific genetic vulnerability. The type 1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1), encoded by the CNR1 gene, is a key component of the endocannabinoid system. As the primary endocannabinoid receptor in the brain, CB1 is the main molecular target of the endocannabinoid ligand, as well as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the principal psychoactive ingredient of cannabis. In this study, we have examined mRNA expression and DNA methylation of CNR1 in human prefrontal cortex (PFC), hippocampus, and caudate samples. The expression of CNR1 is higher in fetal PFC and hippocampus, then drops down dramatically after birth. The lifespan trajectory of CNR1 expression in the DLPFC differentially correlated with age by allelic variation at rs4680, a functional polymorphism in the COMT gene. Compared with COMT methionine158 carriers, Caucasian carriers of the COMT valine158 allele have a stronger negative correlation between the expression of CNR1 in DLPFC and age. In contrast, the methylation level of cg02498983, which is negatively correlated with the expression of CNR1 in PFC, showed the strongest positive correlation with age in PFC of Caucasian carriers of COMT valine158. Additionally, we have observed decreased mRNA expression of CNR1 in the DLPFC of patients with schizophrenia. Further analysis revealed a positive eQTL SNP, rs806368, which predicted the expression of a novel transcript of CNR1 in human DLPFC, hippocampus and caudate. This SNP has been associated with addiction and other psychiatric disorders. THC or ethanol are each significantly associated with dysregulated expression of CNR1 in the PFC of patients with affective disorder, and the expression of CNR1 is significantly upregulated in the PFC of schizophrenia patients who completed suicide. Our results support previous studies that have implicated the endocannabinoid system in the pathology of schizophrenia and provided additional insight into the mechanism of increasing risk for schizophrenia in the adolescent cannabis users.
Fatal prostate cancer incidence trends in the United States and England by race, stage, and treatment
Authors: Butler Eboneé N. , Kelly Scott P. , Coupland Victoria H. , Rosenberg Philip S. , Cook Michael B.
Published: May 2020

Background

Differential uptake of prostate-specific antigen testing in the US and UK has been linked to between-country differences for prostate cancer incidence. We examined stage-specificfatalprostate cancer incidence trends in the US and England, by treatment and race/ethnicity.

Methods

Using data from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program and Public Health England’s National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service, we identified prostate cancer patients diagnosed between 1995 and 2005, aged 45–84 years. Fatal prostate cancer was defined as death attributed to the disease within 10 years of diagnosis. We used age–period–cohort models to assess trends in fatal prostate cancer incidence.

Results

Fatal prostate cancer incidence declined in the US by −7.5% each year and increased in England by 7.7% annually. These trends were primarily driven by locoregional disease in the US and distant disease in England. Black men in both countries had twofold to threefold higher fatal prostate cancer incidence rates, when compared with their white counterparts; however, receipt of radical prostatectomy lessened this disparity.

Conclusions

We report a significant increasing rate of fatal prostate cancer incidence among English men. The black–white racial disparity appears pervasive but is attenuated among those who received radical prostatectomy in the US.
Non-Markovian recovery makes complex networks more resilient against large-scale failures
Authors: Lin Zhao-Hua , Feng Mi , Tang Ming , Liu Zonghua , Xu Chen , Hui Pak Ming , Lai Ying-Cheng
Published: May 2020

Non-Markovian spontaneous recovery processes with a time delay (memory) are ubiquitous in the real world. How does the non-Markovian characteristic affect failure propagation in complex networks? We consider failures due to internal causes at the nodal level and external failures due to an adverse environment, and develop a pair approximation analysis taking into account the two-node correlation. In general, a high failure stationary state can arise, corresponding to large-scale failures that can significantly compromise the functioning of the network. We uncover a striking phenomenon: memory associated with nodal recovery can counter-intuitively make the network more resilient against large-scale failures. In natural systems, the intrinsic non-Markovian characteristic of nodal recovery may thus be one reason for their resilience. In engineering design, incorporating certain non-Markovian features into the network may be beneficial to equipping it with a strong resilient capability to resist catastrophic failures.