bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Animal owners’ appraisal of large carnivore presence and use of interventions to prevent carnivore attacks on domestic animals in Sweden
Authors: Eklund Ann , Flykt Anders , Frank Jens , Johansson Maria
Published: March 2020

Large carnivores elicit strong emotional reactions, which could influence consensus or social conflicts between persons promoting wildlife conservation and people who suffer from its negative consequences. Interventions to prevent carnivore attacks on domestic animals are intended to promote coexistence between people and carnivores, but could fail to mitigate fear and social conflicts if emotions and perspectives of intervention end users are not given careful consideration. We conducted focus group interviews with animal owners in Sweden and applied a framework of the appraisal theory of emotion to gain a nuanced understanding of their appraisal of intervention use. The analysis identified that appraisals occur at two different levels. The first process related to appraisals of carnivore presence and the second process related to appraisals of intervention use. The interventions can provide an opportunity to facilitate the animal owners’ coping with carnivore presence and thereby reduce their experienced anxiety of carnivore attacks. However, if animal owners are presented with interventions which they consider irrelevant, that have implications with which they cannot cope, or that are incongruent with the animal owners’ norms, then the promotion of interventions can also generate frustration and negative emotions. As such, interventions have the potential to either mitigate or undermine wildlife-related conflicts. In the wider context, taking the perspective of the individual becomes essential, and animal owners’ experiences and appraisals of intervention use must be acknowledged to allow development of social trust and empathetic dialog between stakeholders in the future.
Attribute susceptibility and entropy based data anonymization to improve users community privacy and utility in publishing data
Authors: Majeed Abdul , Lee Sungchang
Published: March 2020

User attributes affect community (i.e., a group of people with some common properties/attributes) privacy in users’ data publishing because some attributes may expose multiple users’ identities and their associated sensitive information during published data analysis. User attributes such as gender, age, and race, may allow an adversary to form users’ communities based on their values, and launch sensitive information inference attack subsequently. As a result, explicit disclosure of private information of a specific users’ community can occur from the privacy preserved published data. Each item of user attributes impacts users’ community privacy differently, and some types of attributes are highly susceptible. More susceptible types of attributes enable multiple users’ unique identifications and sensitive information inferences more easily, and their presence in published data increases users’ community privacy risks. Most of the existing privacy models ignore the impact of susceptible attributes on user’s community privacy and they mainly focus on preserving the individual privacy in the released data. This paper presents a novel data anonymization algorithm that significantly improves users’ community privacy without sacrificing the guarantees on anonymous data utility in publishing data. The proposed algorithm quantifies the susceptibility of each attribute present in user’s dataset to effectively preserve users’ community privacy. Data generalization is performed adaptively by considering both user attributes’ susceptibility and entropy simultaneously. The proposed algorithm controls over-generalization of the data to enhance anonymous data utility for the legitimate information consumers. Due to the widespread applications of social networks (SNs), we focused on the SN users’ community privacy preserved and utility enhanced anonymous data publishing. The simulation results obtained from extensive experiments, and comparisons with the existing algorithms show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm and verify the aforementioned claims.
What is a target system?
Authors: Elliott-Graves Alkistis
Published: March 2020

Many phenomena in the natural world are complex, so scientists study them through simplified and idealised models. Philosophers of science have sought to explain how these models relate to the world. On most accounts, models do not represent the world directly, but through target systems. However, our knowledge of target systems is incomplete. First, what is the process by which target systems come about? Second, what types of entity are they? I argue that the basic conception of target systems, on which other conceptions depend, is as parts of the world. I outline the process of target system specification and show that it is a crucial step in modelling. I also develop an account of target system evaluation, based on aptness. Paying close attention to target system specification and evaluation can help scientists minimise the frequency and extent of mistakes, when they are using models to investigate phenomena in complex real-world systems.
Agentive versus non-agentive motions immediately influence event apprehension and description: an eye-tracking study in a VOS language
Authors: Sato Manami , Niikuni Keiyu , Schafer Amy J. , Koizumi Masatoshi
Published: March 2020

The embodied cognition hypothesis postulates that human cognition is fundamentally grounded in our experience of interacting with the physical world (Barsalou in Behav Brain Sci 22:577–609, 1999). Research has shown bi-directional associations between physical action and the processes of understanding language: language comprehension seems to activate implied visual and motor components (Zwaan and Taylor in J Exp Psychol Gen 135(1):1–11, 2006), and action behavior seems to facilitate the comprehension of associated action-language (Beilock et al. in Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 105:13269–13273, 2008). Although numerous research studies have reported a link between action and language comprehension, the exact nature of their association remains subject to debate (Chatterjee in Lang Cognit 2:79–116, 2010). Moreover, the role of action in the production of language is under-explored, as are general language production processes in Austronesian languages. The endangered Austronesian language Truku provides typological patterns that are both under-examined in psycholinguistic research and informative for questions of language production. Truku allows flexibility in the relative location of verbs versus arguments in sentence production, and uses a symmetrical voice system that marks the prominence of different participants in an event. Working with native speakers of Truku, we tested whether performing physical motions immediately affects the conceptual saliency of the components represented in a to-be-described event in ways that guide speakers’ visual attention and shape their utterance formulation. More specifically, we investigated whether speakers’ engagement as an agent or patient in a non-speech physical action affects initial eye-fixations on agent versus patient participants in a visual scene, as well as word order and grammatical voice choices in the speakers’ descriptions of simple transitive events. The results revealed significant effects of physical action on the relative location and prominence of agents in subsequent sentence formulation, and on online patterns of eye fixations. These results provide further support for language-action connections in cognitive processing, and shed light on the cross-linguistic patterns of sentence production.
Lonely Me, Lonely You: Loneliness and the Longitudinal Course of Relationship Satisfaction
Authors: Mund Marcus , Johnson Matthew D.
Published: March 2020

Individuals feel lonely when they perceive a discrepancy between the amount of closeness and intimacy in social relationships they desire and what they actually experience. Across several studies, partner relationships have consistently been found to be the most powerful protective factor against loneliness. Previous research on this topic, however, has exclusively focused on loneliness as a concomitant or outcome of low relationship quality, but not as a predictor in its own right, which is surprising given the trait-like features of loneliness. In the present study, we investigated the role of loneliness in predicting later levels and the development of relationship satisfaction over a period of 8 years in a heterogeneous sample of 2337 stable couples drawn from the German Family Panel. By applying Actor–Partner Interdependence Models and dyadic response surface analyses, we found that loneliness evinced substantial negative actor and partner effects on relationship satisfaction and its development over 8 years. Furthermore, we found that women were most satisfied with their relationships when both partners scored low on loneliness, whereas men were most satisfied when their own loneliness was low, irrespective of their partners’ loneliness. Congruently low levels of loneliness between women and men as well as declines in loneliness of at least one partner were additionally associated with increases in relationship satisfaction over time.
Affects of verbal hygiene: the impact of language activism at a Swedish high school
Authors: Årman Henning
Published: March 2020

This paper explores youths’ language activism at a Swedish senior high school. Following Cameron (Verbal hygiene, Routledge, Florence, 1995), this paper investigates language activism as ‘verbal hygiene’, with a focus on the social dimension of students’ attempts to change how language is used at the school. To capture how the politically motivated language activism came to produce political subjectivities and delineation between social groups, and also to impact the distribution of agency and voice in the local discursive regime, I combine Cameron’s (Verbal hygiene, Routledge, Florence, 1995) notion of verbal hygiene with recent theorizing on affect (Ahmed in The cultural politics of emotion, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 2004; Sedgwick in Touching feeling: affect, pedagogy, performativity, Duke University Press, Durham, 2003; Wetherell in Affect and emotion: a new social science understanding, Sage, London, 2012). Inspired by studies of semiotic landscapes (Jaworski and Thurlow in Semiotic landscapes: language, image, space, Bloomsbury Academic, London, 2011), the data includes posters and other signage in the high school, as well as recordings of naturally occurring interaction and interviews. The analysis shows how shame is pivotal in the processes of language activism at the school and how this activism, being an emancipatory project, both produces political subjectivities as well as new linguistic normativities and hierarchies.
A Longitudinal Study of Exercise Addiction and Passion in New Sport Activities: the Impact of Motivational Factors
Authors: Kovácsik Rita , Tóth-Király István , Egorov Alexei , Szabo Attila
Published: March 2020

Recent research suggests that the risk of exercise addiction (REA) is primarily predicted by passion. However, this relationship stems from cross-sectional studies. The objective of this 12-week longitudinal investigation was to examine and compare the temporal changes in REA and passion among women and men (N = 149) who just started a new sport activity. To further test their similarities and distinctiveness, we also examined how exercise motivations predict REA and passion. Latent growth modeling showed that REA and passion were high at baseline and showed a slight increase over the 12 weeks. Passion was predicted by several motivational factors, whereas REA was predicted by being female, team sport participation, higher exercise intensity, and identified motivation. These findings suggest that the development of passion and REA over time, both being associated with sport motivations, manifest independent patterns. Consequently, despite the reported strong relationship between the two, they appear to be independent constructs.
How morphological structure affects phonetic realisation in English compound nouns
Authors: Bell Melanie J. , Ben Hedia Sonia , Plag Ingo
Published: March 2020

Many studies have shown that syntagmatic and paradigmatic aspects of morphological structure may have an impact on the phonetic realisation of complex words (e.g. Cohen 2014a,b; Kuperman et al. 2007; Lee-Kim et al. 2013; Lõo et al. 2018; Plag et al. 2017; Schuppler et al. 2012; Smith et al. 2012; Sproat and Fujimura 1993; Zimmermann 2016, among many others). The majority of these studies have been concerned with affixes, often focusing on the acoustic properties of segments at a morphological boundary. The present study extends this line of investigation to compounds, exploring the extent to which consonant duration at compound-internal boundaries in English is dependent on morphological structure. Three competing hypotheses about the relationship between fine phonetic detail and morphological structure are tested. According to the Segmentability Hypothesis, greater morphological segmentability, i.e. a stronger morphological boundary, leads to acoustic lengthening (Ben Hedia and Plag 2017; Hay 2003; Plag and Ben Hedia 2018). The Informativity Hypothesis, on the other hand, states that higher informativity leads to lengthening (e.g. Jurafsky et al. 2001; van Son and Pols 2003). Finally, the Paradigmatic Support Hypothesis says that stronger paradigmatic support leads to lengthening (Cohen 2014b; Kuperman et al. 2007). To test these hypotheses, an experimental study was carried out using 62 compound types taken from the British National Corpus. The compounds were spoken by 30 speakers, yielding more than 1500 acoustic tokens overall. The data provide no support for the Segmentability Hypothesis, and only limited support for the Informativity Hypothesis. In contrast, the Paradigmatic Support Hypothesis makes correct predictions: consonant duration at compound-internal boundaries is positively correlated with the probability of the relevant consonant following the first noun, and the duration of compound-internal geminate consonants is negatively correlated with the family size of the first noun. In other words, longer durations are associated with lower paradigmatic diversity.
Intrapapillary capillary loop classification in magnification endoscopy: open dataset and baseline methodology
Authors: García-Peraza-Herrera Luis C. , Everson Martin , Lovat Laurence , Wang Hsiu-Po , Wang Wen Lun , Haidry Rehan , Stoyanov Danail , Ourselin Sébastien , Vercauteren Tom
Published: March 2020

Purpose

Early squamous cell neoplasia (ESCN) in the oesophagus is a highly treatable condition. Lesions confined to the mucosal layer can be curatively treated endoscopically. We build a computer-assisted detection system that can classify still images or video frames as normal or abnormal with high diagnostic accuracy.

Methods

We present a new benchmark dataset containing 68K binary labelled frames extracted from 114 patient videos whose imaged areas have been resected and correlated to histopathology. Our novel convolutional network architecture solves the binary classification task and explains what features of the input domain drive the decision-making process of the network.

Results

The proposed method achieved an average accuracy of 91.7% compared to the 94.7% achieved by a group of 12 senior clinicians. Our novel network architecture produces deeply supervised activation heatmaps that suggest the network is looking at intrapapillary capillary loop patterns when predicting abnormality.

Conclusion

We believe that this dataset and baseline method may serve as a reference for future benchmarks on both video frame classification and explainability in the context of ESCN detection. A future work path of high clinical relevance is the extension of the classification to ESCN types.
Organ Metallome Processed with Chemometric Methods Enable the Determination of Elements that May Serve as Markers of Exposure to Iron Oxide Nanoparticles in Male Rats
Authors: Rugiel Marzena , Drozdz Agnieszka , Matusiak Katarzyna , Setkowicz Zuzanna , Klodowski Krzysztof , Chwiej Joanna
Published: March 2020

The systemic influence of iron oxide nanoparticles on the elemental homeostasis of key organs was examined in male rats. In tissues taken at different intervals from nanoparticles injection, the dynamics of elemental changes was analyzed. The organ metallome was studied using total reflection X-ray fluorescence. The obtained data were processed with advanced cluster and discriminant analyses—to classify the tissues according to their organs of origin and to distinguish accurately the nanoparticle-treated and normal rats. Additionally, in the case of liver and heart, it was possible to determine the elements of highest significance for different treatments, which may serve as markers of exposure to iron oxide nanoparticles.
Mortality after transcatheter versus surgical aortic valve replacement: an updated meta-analysis of randomised trials
Authors:   ALICE (All-Literature Investigation of Cardiovascular Evidence) Group, Takagi H. , Hari Y. , Nakashima K. , Kuno T. , Ando T.
Published: March 2020

Background

To determine whether transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) improves early (30-day) and midterm (1-year) mortality compared with surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR), we performed an updated meta-analysis of all the currently available randomised controlled trials (RCTs).

Methods

To identify all RCTs providing both 30-day and 1‑year mortality after TAVI versus SAVR, PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched up to and including July 2019. A risk difference (RD) and its 95% confidence interval were generated using data of prespecified outcomes in both the TAVI and SAVR groups. Study-specific estimates were pooled using inverse variance-weighted averages of RDs in the random-effects model.

Results

We identified seven eligible high-quality RCTs including a total of 7631 as-treated patients. Pooled analyses demonstrated significantly lower 30-day (RD −0.60%;p = 0.046) and 1‑year all-cause mortality (RD −1.12%;p = 0.03) after TAVI than after SAVR. No funnel plot asymmetry was detected for 30-day and 1‑year mortality. Meta-regression analyses indicated that RDs of 30-day and 1‑year mortality between TAVI and SAVR were not modulated by mean Society of Thoracic Surgeons Predicted Risk of Mortality score. Bleeding complications at 30 days and 1 year and stage 2/3 acute kidney injury at 30 days were significantly less frequent after TAVI than after SAVR, whereas major vascular complications and new permanent pacemaker implantation at 30 days and 1 year were significantly more frequent after TAVI than after SAVR.

Conclusion

The best evidence from the present meta-analysis of all the currently available RCTs suggests that TAVI may reduce 30-day and 1‑year all-cause mortality compared with SAVR.
AP4B1-associated hereditary spastic paraplegia: expansion of phenotypic spectrum related to homozygous p.Thr387fs variant
Authors: Szczałuba Krzysztof , Mierzewska Hanna , Śmigiel Robert , Kosińska Joanna , Koppolu Agnieszka , Biernacka Anna , Stawiński Piotr , Pollak Agnieszka , Rydzanicz Małgorzata , Płoski Rafał
Published: March 2020

Biallelic mutations in the AP4B1 gene, encoding adaptor-related protein complex 4 beta-1 subunit, have been recognized as an important cause of a group of conditions leading to adaptor-related protein complex 4 (AP4)-associated hereditary spastic paraplegia (SPG47). We describe a homozygous, known variant c.1160_1161delCA (p.Thr387fs) that was found in the largest ever group of patients coming from four families. The patients exhibited early hypotonia progressing to spastic paraplegia, microcephaly, epilepsy, and central nervous system (CNS) defects and global developmental delay that are consistent with the nature of SPG47. Our findings expand phenotypic spectrum of SPG47 to include polymorphic seizures, mild/moderate intellectual disability, and intracerebral cysts as well as point to founder mutation in AP4 deficiency disorders in apparently non-consanguineous Polish families without shared ancestry.
Identification of a stemness-related gene panel associated with BET inhibition in triple negative breast cancer
Authors: Serrano-Oviedo Leticia , Nuncia-Cantarero Miriam , Morcillo-Garcia Sara , Nieto-Jimenez Cristina , Burgos Miguel , Corrales-Sanchez Veronica , Perez-Peña Javier , Győrffy Balázs , Ocaña Alberto , Galán-Moya Eva María
Published: March 2020

Purpose

Triple negative breast cancers (TNBCs) are enriched in cells bearing stem-like features, i.e., cancer stem cells (CSCs), which underlie cancer progression. Thus, targeting stemness may be an interesting treatment approach. The epigenetic machinery is crucial for maintaining the stemness phenotype. Bromodomain and extra-terminal domain (BET) epigenetic reader family members are emerging as novel targets for cancer therapy, and have already shown preclinical effects in breast cancer. Here, we aimed to evaluate the effect of the BET inhibitor JQ1 on stemness in TNBC.

Methods

Transcriptomic, functional annotation and qRT-PCR studies were performed on JQ1-exposed TNBC cells in culture. The results obtained were confirmed in spheroids and spheroid-derived tumours. In addition, limiting dilution, secondary and tertiary tumour sphere formation, matrigel invasion, immunofluorescence and flow cytometry assays were performed to evaluate the effect of JQ1 on CSC features. For clinical outcome analyses, the online tool Kaplan-Meier Plotter and an integrated response database were used.

Results

We found that JQ1 modified the expression of stemness-related genes in two TNBC-derived cell lines, MDA-MB-231 and BT549. Among these changes, the CD44 Antigen/CD24 Antigen (CD44/CD24) ratio and Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 1 Family Member A1 (ALDH1A1) expression level, i.e., both classical stemness markers, were found to be decreased by JQ1. Using a validated spheroid model to mimic the intrinsic characteristics of CSCs, we found that JQ1 decreased surface CD44 expression, inhibited self-renewal and invasion, and induced cell cycle arrest in G0/G1, thereby altering the stemness phenotype. We also found associations between four of the identified stemness genes, Gap Junction Protein Alpha 1 (GJA1), CD24, Epithelial Adhesion Molecule (EPCAM) and SRY-related HMG-box gene 9 (SOX9), and a worse TNBC patient outcome. The expression of another two of the stemness-related genes was found to be decreased by JQ1, i.e., ATP Binding Cassette Subfamily G Member 2 (ABCG2) and RUNX2, and predicted a low response to chemotherapy in TNBC patients, which supports a role for RUNX2 as a potential predictive marker for chemotherapy response in TNBC.

Conclusions

We identified a stemness-related gene panel associated with JQ1 and describe how this inhibitor modifies the stemness landscape in TNBC. Therefore, we propose a novel role for JQ1 as a stemness-targeting drug. Loss of the stem cell phenotype via JQ1 treatment could lead to less aggressive and more chemo-sensitive tumours, reflecting a better patient prognosis. Thus, the identified gene panel may be of interest for the clinical management of patients with aggressive TNBC.
Safety and tolerability of 6-month supplementation with a vitamin D, calcium and leucine-enriched whey protein medical nutrition drink in sarcopenic older adults
Authors:   the PROVIDE Consortium, Bauer Jürgen M. , Mikušová Lucia , Verlaan Sjors , Bautmans Ivan , Brandt Kirsten , Donini Lorenzo M. , Maggio Marcello , Mets Tony , Wijers Sander L. J. , Garthoff Jossie A. , Luiking Yvette , Sieber Cornel , Cederholm Tommy
Published: March 2020

Aims

Safety and tolerability of prolonged supplementation with a vitamin D, calcium and leucine-enriched whey protein medical nutrition drink (WP-MND) was evaluated in sarcopenic older adults.

Methods

A 13-week double-blinded, randomized, isocaloric placebo-controlled trial (PROVIDE study; n = 380) was extended with a voluntary 13-week open-label extension (OLE). OLE participants were randomized to receive daily 1 or 2 servings of WP-MND (21 g protein, 3 g leucine, 10 µg vitD and 500 mg calcium per serving). Gastro-intestinal tolerability, kidney function and serum levels of calcidiol, parathyroid hormone (PTH) and calcium were evaluated at week 0, 13 and 26.

Results and discussion

In response to the high daily protein intake (median1.5; IQR: 1.3, 1.7 g/kg BW/day), the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) increased in the test group during the RCT (p = 0.013). The same trend was observed for those participants with moderate chronic kidney disease. During OLE no eGFR change was observed in any of the groups. Serum calcidiol and calcium reached a plateau after 13-week WP-MND supplementation. As expected, PTH significantly changed in the opposite direction, decreasing during RCT in the test group (T vs C: p < 0.001) and during OLE in former control groups. During RCT, 20/366 participants with normal baseline calcidiol reached levels ≥ 100 nmol/L (T: n = 18; C: n = 2) and 6 developed albumin-corrected calcium levels > 2.55 mmol/L (T: n = 3; C: n = 3), without associated adverse events.

Conclusion

A 6 months intervention with up to 2 servings of WP-MND did neither result in kidney function deterioration nor symptoms of vitamin D or calcium toxicity. The product was overall well tolerated.
Linear Maps Which are Anti-derivable at Zero
Authors: Abulhamil Doha Adel , Jamjoom Fatmah B. , Peralta Antonio M.
Published: March 2020

Let$$T:A\rightarrow X$$T:A→Xbe a bounded linear operator, whereAis a$$\hbox {C}^*$$C∗-algebra, andXdenotes an essential BanachA-bimodule. We prove that the following statements are equivalent:(a)

Tis anti-derivable at zero (i.e.,$$ab =0$$ab=0inAimplies$$T(b) a + b T(a)=0$$T(b)a+bT(a)=0);

(b)

There exist an anti-derivation$$d:A\rightarrow X^{**}$$d:A→X∗∗and an element$$\xi \in X^{**}$$ξ∈X∗∗satisfying$$\xi a = a \xi ,$$ξa=aξ,$$\xi [a,b]=0,$$ξ[a,b]=0,$$T(a b) = b T(a) + T(b) a - b \xi a,$$T(ab)=bT(a)+T(b)a-bξa,and$$T(a) = d(a) + \xi a,$$T(a)=d(a)+ξa,for all$$a,b\in A$$a,b∈A.

We also prove a similar equivalence whenXis replaced with$$A^{**}$$A∗∗. This provides a complete characterization of those bounded linear maps fromAintoXor into$$A^{**}$$A∗∗which are anti-derivable at zero. We also present a complete characterization of those continuous linear operators which are$$^*$$∗-anti-derivable at zero.
Liquid-Phase Xylene Adsorption in Unary, Binary, and Ternary Solute Systems Using Raw and Ni2+ Ion-Exchanged Clinoptilolite: Experimental Study and Thermodynamic Assessment
Authors: Salarvand Atefeh , Falamaki Cavus
Published: March 2020

The adsorptive behavior of clinoptilolite (Cpt) zeolite in its raw and nickel-exchanged form towards m-xylene/p-xylene/ethylbenzene unary, binary, and ternary mixtures was investigated. The motivation behind the research was to elucidate whether Cpt in its raw or ion-exchanged form could exhibit distinctive selective adsorption behavior. The natural Cpt (Si/Al atomic ratio = 4.59) was ion-exchanged twice with 0.5 M Ni(NO3)2 solution at 80°C for 6 h. Adsorption experiments were done at 40°C, using a 4 vol.% solution of the aromatic materials in iso-octane. The maximum amount of the total specific adsorption capacity for binary solute systems was ~0.8 and ~2.0 mmol g–1 for the raw and ion-exchanged Cpt, respectively. For the ternary solute systems, unexpectedly, this capacity increased to ~2.0 and ~3.0 mmol g–1, respectively. For binary mixtures, both forms of Cpt were selective for p-xylene. For ternary mixtures, both forms exhibited a clear selectivity for m-xylene but the Ni-exchanged Cpt was significantly higher over the concentration range studied. The unexpected increase in the adsorption capacity in ternary systems was attributed to the expulsion of tightly bound trace water molecules hindering the access of xylene molecules to the 10-member ring channels of the zeolite framework. Substitution of Mg2+ by Ni2+ in the 10-member ring channels enhanced the adsorption capacity by providing more space and stronger electrostatic interactions between the new cation and the polar m-xylene molecule.
Meta-Analysis Reveals Potential Influence of Oxidative Stress on the Airway Microbiomes of Cystic Fibrosis Patients
Authors: Shi Xing , Gao Zhancheng , Lin Qiang , Zhao Liping , Ma Qin , Kang Yu , Yu Jun
Published: March 2020

The lethal chronic airway infection of the cystic fibrosis (CF) patients is predisposed by colonization of specific CF-philic pathogens or the CF microbiomes, but key processes and reasons of the microbiome settlement in the patients are yet to be fully understood, especially their survival and metabolic dynamics from normal to diseased status under treatment. Here, we report our meta-analysis results on CF airway microbiomes based on metabolic networks reconstructed from genome information at species level. The microbiomes of CF patients appear to engage much more redox-related activities than those of controls, and by constructing a large dataset of anti-oxidative stress (anti-OS) genes, our quantitative evaluation of the anti-OS capacity of each bacterial species in the CF microbiomes confirms strong conservation of the anti-OS responses within genera and also shows that the CF pathogens have significantly higher anti-OS capacity than commensals and other typical respiratory pathogens. In addition, the anti-OS capacity of a relevant species correlates with its relative fitness for the airways of CF patients over that for the airways of controls. Moreover, the total anti-OS capacity of the respiratory microbiome of CF patients is collectively higher than that of controls, which increases with disease progression, especially after episodes of acute exacerbation and antibiotic treatment. According to these results, we propose that the increased OS in the airways of CF patients may play an important role in reshaping airway microbiomes to a more resistant status that favors the pre-infection colonization of the CF pathogens for a higher anti-OS capacity.
What is the place of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the management of cerebral vasculopathy in children with sickle cell anemia?
Authors: Bernaudin Françoise
Published: March 2020

Cerebral vasculopathy is the most severe complication affecting children with sickle cell anemia. Significant progress has been made in the management of sickle cell anemia cerebral vasculopathy, including early transcranial Doppler screening, chronic transfusion, and hydroxyurea. Nevertheless, for patients with a potential matched-sibling donor (MSD), stem cell transplantation (SCT) is now the treatment offering the best cerebral vasculopathy outcome. In the absence of MSD, alternative SCT should be recommended only in those with worsening cerebral vasculopathy despite standard treatments, and should be limited to related haplo-identical SCT undertaken in controlled studies.
Status quo of allogeneic stem cell transplantation for patients with sickle cell disease using matched unrelated donors
Authors: Oevermann L. , Sodani Pietro
Published: March 2020

This mini review is based on an oral presentation reflecting the current status quo of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) using matched unrelated donors (MUDs) presented at the EBMT Sickle Disease Meeting held in Regensburg, Germany, in May 2019. Although the clinical trial landscape for MUD HSCT in patients with SCD is limited to date, some attempts to improve patient outcome in terms of overall survival and event-free survival have been made recently, including optimization of conditioning regimens and prevention of engraftment failure as well as graft-versus-host disease. The results achieved by these approaches are summarized in this review and are still unsatisfactory. Whether new haploidentical transplantation protocols will achieve superior results and are able to replace MUD HSCT for patients with SCD remains to be elucidated.
Influence of Sex Hormones on the Relationship Between Body Fat and Glycated Albumin Levels
Authors: Xu Yiting , Ma Xiaojing , Shen Yun , Wang Yufei , Zhou Jian , Bao Yuqian
Published: March 2020

Background

Previous studies have reported that glycated albumin (GA) is affected by body fat distribution. Sex hormones are reported to play an important role in fat metabolism.

Aim

This study aimed to explore the influence of sex hormones on the relationship between body fat and GA in a community population.

Methods

We recruited 763 middle-aged and elderly subjects with normal glucose tolerance from communities. GA was determined using the enzyme method, and serum estradiol (E2), total testosterone, and sex hormone–binding globulin (SHBG) were detected using chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassays.

Outcome

There was a statistically significant association between SHBG and GA remained after adjusting for body fat in both men and women.

Results

The average serum GA levels were 13.40 ± 1.10% in the 298 men and 465 postmenopausal women included in this study. GA presented a significant downward trend with increasing quartiles of total fat mass (FM), limb FM, and trunk FM in both men and women (all P for trend < .01). In men, total testosterone, free testosterone, and SHBG were positively correlated with GA (both P < .01), and the correlation between SHBG and GA remained after adjusting for body fat (P < .01). In women, E2, free testosterone, bioactive testosterone, and SHBG were correlated with GA (all P < .01); furthermore, the positive correlation between SHBG and GA and the inverse correlation between E2 and GA remained after adjusting for body fat (both P < .05). Multivariate linear regression analyses showed that in addition to trunk FM, SHBG was positively correlated with GA in both men and women (standardized β = 0.136, P = .035; standardized β = 0.101, P = .033); however, E2 was not independently correlated with GA in women.

Clinical Implications

SHBG may contribute to the influence of body fat, especially trunk fat on GA levels.

Strengths & Implications

This study used an automated bioelectrical impedance analyzer to measure segmental body composition including limb FM and trunk FM and further investigated the role of segmental body fat in the correlation between SHBG and GA. Sex hormones may explain in part why body fat content and distribution can alter GA levels.

Conclusion

SHBG is positively correlated with serum GA levels, and this correlation is independent of total or segmental body fat.
Crotalus oreganus concolor: Envenomation Case with Venom Analysis and a Diagnostic Conundrum of Myoneurologic Symptoms
Authors: Keyler Daniel E. , Saini Vinay , O’Shea Mark , Gee Jeff , Smith Cara F. , Mackessy Stephen P.
Published: March 2020

A case of midget-faded rattlesnake ( Crotalus oreganus concolor) envenomation of an adult male professional herpetologist occurred in a rural setting and resulted in an array of venom induced myoneurologic symptoms. The patient experienced blurry vision, total body paresthesia, dyspnea, chest tightness, and waves of spastic muscle movements of the hands and feet that resembled tetany. It was not apparent whether these symptoms were potentially venom induced or were related to stress-induced physiologic responses. Local envenomation effects were minimal, and coagulation parameters remained within normal limits. Antivenom was not administered per patient concerns related to a history of acute allergic reactions to antivenom. Venom was collected from the Crotalus oreganus concolor responsible for the bite, and analysis revealed the presence of high levels of myotoxins (SR calcium pump antagonists) and concolor toxin, a presynaptic neurotoxin that can have myotoxic effects and cause respiratory paralysis; several serine proteinases associated with coagulopathies were also present in the venom profile.
Meta-Encyclopaedic Reflections on the Beginning of Philosophy
Authors: Başdaş Umur
Published: March 2020

Since in Hegel's view the end of philosophy coincides with its beginning, it is reasonable to expect that the end of the Encyclopaedia sheds some light on the Science of Logic. The Encyclopaedia concludes with three syllogisms in which logic, nature and spirit are related to each other in three different ways. This article analyses these three final syllogisms with an eye to how they can contribute to our understanding of the logical movement that starts from pure being. Trendelenburg and Schelling, like many others after them, think that Hegel's project in the Science of Logic is doomed from the start, because there can be no such thing as a non-temporal, purely logical movement. I argue that the three final syllogisms contain Hegel's response to this challenge. I call them ‘meta-encyclopaedic reflections’ in the sense that they take the whole encyclopaedic presentation of the Hegelian system as an object of critical inquiry and identify its limitations. The core of my approach is to examine how each one of these syllogisms situate us, namely the philosophizing subjects, vis-à-vis the world as disclosed by them. They demand that we shift from a third-person to a first-person perspective towards the world. The logical categories initially appear to move of their own accord only due to the limitations of the third-person perspective of the encyclopaedic presentation, which is to be sublated in a higher, first-person perspective. Hence, Hegel would happily admit that a purely logical movement is a mere appearance, but he would also claim that his philosophy can immanently explain the necessity of this appearance in the beginning of philosophy, and explain it better than his critics.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 2474
Authors: Clement Claire
Published: March 2020

On June 11, 2019, the United Nations (UN) Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2474 on missing persons in armed conflict. The resolution marks the first time the Security Council has agreed on a thematic text dedicated to this issue, lending its collective voice to call for more effective implementation of existing obligations towards missing persons—both civilian and military—and their families under international law.
Opinion 1/17 (C.J.E.U)
Authors: Lim Jonathan
Published: March 2020

On April 30, 2019, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) rendered Opinion 1/17 on the compatibility with European Union (EU) law of the Investment Court System (ICS) under the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada and the European Union and its member states (CETA). In a momentous decision that is likely to have consequences beyond the CETA, a full court of the CJEU held that the ICS provisions were compatible with EU law.
The changing face of Capacity legislation in Ireland: algorithms for clinicians
Authors: Murphy Valerie E , Gulati Gautam , Whelan Darius , Dunne Colum P , Kelly Brendan D
Published: March 2020

Capacity legislation in Ireland is evolving. The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 has been passed into law, but its main provisions are yet to be commenced. This paper compares the law and its practical implications currently and under the new legislation. Quick reference algorithms for frontline clinicians are proposed.
Material Interests, Identity and Linked Fate in Three Countries
Authors: Donnelly Michael J.
Published: March 2020

This article examines the theoretical connections between identity and linked fate, extending the latter concept across three countries and four types of (potential) identity groups. This belief, that what happens to one's ethnic group, religious group, region, or class shapes one's own life chances, is an understudied middle ground between ideational and material drivers of political attitudes. The study uses experimental and observational analyses to show that the strength of individuals' beliefs in linked fate and that belief's consequences vary in systematic and predictable ways. From the very material effect of labor market uncertainty to the highly ideational effect of regional identity, linked fate is a cognitive bridge between two very different kinds of social–psychological experiences that can (and should) be applied across a wide range of countries and groups.
The potential geographical distribution and phenology of Bemisia tabaci Middle East/Asia Minor 1, considering irrigation and glasshouse production
Authors: Kriticos D. J. , De Barro P. J. , Yonow T. , Ota N. , Sutherst R. W.
Published: March 2020

The Bemisia tabaci species complex is one of the most important pests of open field and protected cropping globally. Within this complex, one species (Middle East Asia Minor 1, B. tabaci MEAM1, formerly biotype B) has been especially problematic, invading widely and spreading a large variety of plant pathogens, and developing broad spectrum pesticide resistance. Here, we fit a CLIMEX model to the distribution records of B. tabaci MEAM1, using experimental observations to calibrate its temperature responses. In fitting the model, we consider the effects of irrigation and glasshouses in extending its potential range. The validated niche model estimates its potential distribution as being considerably broader than its present known distribution, especially in the Americas, Africa and Asia. The potential distribution of the fitted model encompasses the known distribution of B. tabaci sensu lato, highlighting the magnitude of the threat posed globally by this invasive pest species complex and the viruses it vectors to open field and protected agriculture.
Effects of photoperiod and relative humidity on diapause termination and post-winter development ofRhagoletis cerasipupae
Authors: Moraiti Cleopatra A. , Köppler Kirsten , Vogt Heidrun , Papadopoulos Nikos T.
Published: March 2020

The European cherry fruit fly,Rhagoletis cerasi(Diptera: Tephritidae), is a univoltine species that undergoes obligatory summer–winter diapause at pupal stage in the soil (2–5 cm) beneath host trees. To study the effects of photoperiod and relative humidity on diapause termination and post-winter developmental duration ofR. cerasi, pupae collected from Dossenheim (Germany) were exposed to different photoperiod or relative humidity regimes during a chilling period ranging from 2 to 8.5 months. Specifically, pupae were exposed to four photoperiod regimes: (a) light conditions (24L:00D), (b) dark conditions (00L:24D), (c) short photoperiod (08L:16D) and (d) long photoperiod (16L:08D), as well as to three relative humidity regimes: (a) low (40% RH), (b) medium (60% RH) and (c) high (70–80% RH). Data revealed that relative humidity is not a significant predictor of diapause termination, but it affects the post-winter developmental period. Higher relative humidity promotes post-winter pupae development. On the other hand, photoperiod significantly affected both diapause termination and post-winter development ofR. cerasipupae. Light conditions (24L:00D) accelerate adult emergence, particularly for females. Regardless of the photoperiod (24L:00D, 00L:24D, 08L:16D), rates of adult emergence were high (>75%) for chilling intervals longer than 6.5 months. Nonetheless, exposure to a long day photoperiod (16L:08D), during chilling, dramatically reduced the proportion of adult emergence following 6 months exposure to chilling. Our findings broaden the understanding of factors regulating diapause responses in European cherry fruit fly, local adaptation and synchronization of adult emergence with the ripening period of major hosts.
ODYSSEUS AND HIS BED. FROM SIGNIFICANT OBJECTS TO THING THEORY IN HOMER
Authors: Grethlein Jonas
Published: March 2020

Things in Homer cannot complain about a lack of attention. Nearly forty years ago, Jasper Griffin, in response to the oralist emphasis on composition and formulaic language, drew our attention to the many significant objects populating theIliadand theOdyssey. Nestor's cup, for example, is so heavy that other men have difficulties to lift it; the cup illustrates the eminence of its owner who rubbed shoulders with the far greater heroes of the past. As Griffin demonstrated, Homer deftly uses the significance of objects to enrich many scenes of his narrative. While the sceptre, symbol of the king's power, underscores the sorry figure cut by Agamemnon inIliadBook 2, the washing places that Hector passes when he tries to escape Achilles generate a powerful tragic contrast to the battlefield chase in which he is now involved. Following Griffin's lead, scholars have closely examined things and their role in Homeric epic, notably their commemorative function: weapons and other objects have biographies and are therefore an important means of evoking the past besides song.
Determining priority areas for an Endangered cold-adapted snake on warming mountaintops
Authors: Mizsei Edvárd , Szabolcs Márton , Szabó Loránd , Boros Zoltán , Mersini Kujtim , Roussos Stephanos A. , Dimaki Maria , Ioannidis Yannis , Végvári Zsolt , Lengyel Szabolcs
Published: March 2020

Spatial prioritization in systematic conservation planning has traditionally been developed for several to many species and/or habitats, and single-species applications are rare. We developed a novel spatial prioritization model based on accurate estimates of remotely-sensed data and maps of threats potentially affecting long-term species persistence. We used this approach to identify priority areas for the conservation of the Endangered Greek meadow viper Vipera graeca, a cold-adapted species inhabiting mountaintops in the Pindos Mountains of Greece and Albania. We transformed the mapped threats into nine variables to estimate conservation value: habitat suitability (climate suitability, habitat size, occupancy, vegetation suitability), climate change (future persistence, potential for altitudinal range shift) and land-use impact (habitat alteration, degradation, disturbance). We applied the Zonation systematic conservation planning tool with these conservation value variables as biodiversity features to rank the areas currently occupied by the species and to identify priority areas where the chances for population persistence are highest. We found that 90% of current habitats will become unsuitable by the 2080s and that conservation actions need to be implemented to avoid extinction as this is already a threatened species with a narrow ecological niche. If threats are appropriately quantified and translated into variables of conservation value, spatial conservation planning tools can successfully identify priority areas for the conservation of single species. Our study demonstrates that spatial prioritization for single umbrella, flagship or keystone species is a promising approach for the conservation of species for which few data are available.
British Listeners c. 1780–1830
Authors: Rowland David
Published: March 2020

Evidence from diaries and correspondence shows how 44 individual listeners experienced music in Britain during the years c. 1780–1830. The individuals were not united by social class, but each of them had the financial resources to gain access to operas, concerts and other performances enjoyed by the wealthiest in society. Crucial to an understanding of these listeners’ reactions to music is an evaluation of their personal documents, which demonstrates how their evidence is shaped by genre, readership and a variety of cultural factors. Their descriptions of performances are used to show how London audiences, characterized in general by noise and commotion, contained a wide variety of listeners, ranging from those who appear to have attended largely for social reasons to those who reacted deeply to the music they heard. The evidence shows that those who listened intensely found greater satisfaction in more exclusive, private performances. It also shows that some listeners were deeply moved by what they heard, sometimes expressing their emotions through tears, in keeping with the culture of sensibility which thrived throughout the period. Other themes that emerge from the evidence include the role played by reminiscence in intensifying listeners’ listening, and the strong reactions that were often elicited by the experience of novelty or otherness. Some listeners are shown to have had different reactions to music according to the social context in which it was heard or the repertoire that was performed.