bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On the exploration of a marine aquifer offshore Israel by long‐offset transient electromagnetics
Authors: Lippert Klaus , Tezkan Bülent
Published: September 2019

The existence of aquifers extending from land beneath the sea floor up to a distance of several kilometres has been observed and examined all over the world. The coastal aquifer of Israel is a heavily used groundwater reservoir which has to be constantly monitored to ensure the drinking water supply. Former land‐based electromagnetic measurements show that it is, in several places, blocked to seawater intrusion and is consequently a candidate for submarine extension. Multicomponent long‐offset transient electromagnetic measurements were carried out offshore on the coast of Israel. We deployed a 400‐m‐long grounded dipole as transmitter and several electric and magnetic receivers on the sea floor up to a distance of 4.8 km from the coast. Altogether, we deployed 8 transmitter positions and received data sets at 14 receiver stations onshore and offshore, with offsets of mostly 400 and 800 m. In this paper, we present the survey and 1D Occam and Marquardt inversions of the offshore horizontal electric components in the broadside and inline configuration. In addition, the vertical magnetic component in the broadside position is also considered. Only single inversions, both single offset and single component, were used to detect the aquifer under sea sediments. We prove the submarine existence of the Israeli coastal aquifer up to a distance to the coast of approximately 3.2 to 3.6 km using all measured long‐offset transient electromagnetic components. In addition, we present modelling studies with synthetic data derived from a subsurface model adjusted to our survey area with very shallow water from 10 to 50 m. As part of the planning before the survey, a parameter study of the expected subsurface, the examination of the airwave phenomenon and the justification for our 1D inversion strategy are shown. More detailed eigen parameter analyses are added to explain the measured data.
Maternal versus artificial rearing shapes the rumen microbiome having minor long‐term physiological implications
Authors: Belanche Alejandro , Yáñez‐Ruiz David R. , Detheridge Andrew P. , Griffith Gareth W. , Kingston‐Smith Alison H. , Newbold Charles J.
Published: September 2019

Increasing productivity is a key target in ruminant science which requires better understanding of the rumen microbiota. This study investigated how maternal versus artificial rearing shapes the rumen microbiota using 24 sets of triplet lambs. Lambs within each sibling set were randomly assigned to natural rearing on the ewe (NN); ewe colostrum for 24 h followed by artificial milk feeding (NA); and colostrum alternative and artificial milk feeding (AA). Maternal colostrum feeding enhanced VFA production at weaning but not thereafter. At weaning, lambs reared on milk replacer had no rumen protozoa and lower microbial diversity, whereas natural rearing accelerated the rumen microbial development and facilitated the transition to solid diet. Differences in the rumen prokaryotic communities disappear later in life when all lambs were grouped on the same pasture up to 23 weeks of age. However, NN animals retained higher fungal diversity and abundances of Piromyces, Feramyces and Diplodiniinae protozoa as well as higher feed digestibility (+4%) and animal growth (+6.5%) during the grazing period. Nevertheless, no correlations were found between rumen microbiota and productive outcomes. These findings suggest that the early life nutritional intervention determine the initial rumen microbial community, but the persistence of these effects later in life is weak.
Female family carers’ experiences of violent, abusive or harmful behaviour by the older person for whom they care: a case of epistemic injustice?
Authors: Isham Louise , Bradbury‐Jones Caroline , Hewison Alistair
Published: September 2019

Family carers affected by violent, abusive or harmful behaviour by the older person for whom they care face social and epistemic challenges in developing and sharing knowledge about their experiences. These difficulties have contributed to a situation in which there is a paucity of evidence and public discourse about how we understand violence and harm instigated by people who have care needs or are ‘vulnerable’. This paper reports the findings of a qualitative study that involved 12 in‐depth interviews with female carers affected by violence, abuse or harm. The study was informed theoretically by Miranda Fricker's concept of epistemic injustice which was used as a framework for analysis. There were two principal findings: (1) Carers were sensitive to anticipatory stigma and loss of moral autonomy. As a result, they self‐censured what they shared and, at times, were met with subtle but powerful processes of silencing. (2) Carers had limited linguistic and conceptual resources to explain the emotional and social aspects of the harm they experienced, exacerbated by implicit social norms about the ‘private’ and gendered nature of familial care. To conclude, we discuss the implications of these findings for sociological research and health and social care practice.
Getting High and Low Prices: Marijuana Dispensaries and Home Values
Authors: Tyndall Justin
Published: September 2019

Laws concerning marijuana have undergone liberalization in many North American markets, enabling the establishment of marijuana dispensaries. Local externalities generated by dispensaries may impact home values, particularly by influencing demand for the surrounding neighborhood. Recent empirical evidence has found a positive effect of dispensaries on home values. I use unique data on 84 dispensaries and 62,000 repeat home transactions from Vancouver, Canada to estimate the effect of dispensaries on home prices. I find no evidence that dispensaries increase local home values in Vancouver and some evidence of a negative price effect for homes located within 100 m of a dispensary.
Discussion: “Meadow Restoration Increases Baseflow and Groundwater Storage in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California” by Luke J.H. Hunt, Julie Fair, and Maxwell Odland
Authors: Nash Caroline S. , Grant Gordon E. , Selker John S. , Wondzell Steven M.
Published: September 2019

We discuss a recent paper which evaluated the hydrologic changes resulting from a pond‐and‐plug meadow restoration project in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. In the study, measurements of streamflow into and out of the meadow suggested late‐summer baseflow increased as much as five‐fold when compared with prerestoration conditions. However, the volume of streamflow attributed to the restored meadow (49,000–96,000 m3 over four months) would require that 2.5–4.8 m of saturated meadow soils drain during summer months. The groundwater data from this meadow record only 0.45 m of change over this timeframe, which is less than might be expected from plant use alone (0.75 m), suggesting this restored meadow may be acting as a water sink throughout summer rather than a source.
The Biomarkers for Preterm Birth Study—A prospective observational study comparing the impact of vaginal biomarkers on clinical practice when used in women with symptoms of preterm labor
Authors: Dawes Lisa K. , Prentice Lucy R. , Huang Ying , Groom Katie M.
Published: September 2019

Introduction

This study aims to compare the use of qualitative fetal fibronectin, quantitative fetal fibronectin, and placental α‐microglobulin‐1 in women with symptoms of preterm labor, to evaluate which vaginal biomarker performs the best in clinical practice.

Material and methods

This prospective observational study included women who presented with symptoms of preterm labor at 24+0 to 34+0 weeks of gestation at a large tertiary maternity hospital in Auckland, New Zealand. Women were managed according to hospital guidelines using qualitative fetal fibronectin. Quantitative fetal fibronectin and placental α‐microglobulin‐1 tests were also taken, with clinicians blinded to the results. Management and delivery outcomes were collected from clinical records. The primary outcome was the rate of antenatal hospital admission. Analysis was performed according to predefined management protocols for each of the tests.

Results

A total of 128 women had all three biomarkers tests taken. Spontaneous preterm birth rates were 7/128 (5.5%) ≤34+0 weeks and 20/128 (15.6%) <37+0 weeks of gestation; 5/128 (3.9%) delivered within 7 days of testing. Positive results were recorded in 28 qualitative fetal fibronectin tests, 25 quantitative fetal fibronectin tests with 11 ≥200 ng/mL, and 16 placental α‐microglobulin‐1 tests. The use of quantitative fetal fibronectin or placental α‐microglobulin‐1 would have lowered antenatal admission rates: 27/128 (21.1%) for qualitative fetal fibronectin, 11/128 (8.6%) for quantitative fetal fibronectin (admission threshold ≥200 ng/mL), and 15/128 (11.7%) for placental α‐microglobulin‐1. No additional women with quantitative fetal fibronectin <200 ng/mL delivered within 7 days or missed corticosteroids compared with standard care (qualitative fetal fibronectin); however, an additional 3 cases had a false‐negative placental α‐microglobulin‐1 and clinical care may have been compromised (no antenatal corticosteroids or admission).

Conclusions

The use of quantitative fetal fibronectin (admission threshold ≥200 ng/mL) has the potential to reduce the rate of antenatal admissions for women with symptoms of preterm labor without compromising use of antenatal interventions that improve outcomes for babies born preterm.
Twelve per cent of 6142 eyes treated for neovascular age‐related macular degeneration (nAMD) presented with low visual outcome within 2 years. Analysis from the Swedish Macula Registry (SMR)
Authors: Schroeder Marion , Westborg Inger , Lövestam Adrian Monica
Published: September 2019

Purpose

To analyse characteristics from the SMR to explore the risk factors for visual acuity (VA) below ≤ 35 letters of the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) due to nAMD during a two‐year follow‐up.

Methods

This study evaluates 6142 treatment‐naïve eyes, with focus on a subgroup of 780 eyes with final VA outcome of ≤ 35 letters, regarding differences of baseline characteristics, change of VA, number of injections and choice of drug to predict visual outcome.

Results

Patients with final VA ≤ 35 letters were older; p < 0.0001, and received fewer injections, 6.2 ± 3.8 vs. 8.7 ± 5.4; p < 0.00001. Only 4% of all patients with ≥ 70 letters baseline VA decreased to a final VA of ≤ 35 letters. The two groups with a final VA of ≤ 35 letters and VA > 35 letters presented the following baseline lesion locations; p = 0.001; 61% vs. 57% subfoveal, 18% vs. 21% juxtafoveal and 4% vs. 6% extrafoveal. Lesion size, in the group with final VA ≤ 35 letters, was 2805 ± 2093 μm vs. 2440 ± 1637 μm in the group with a VA of > 35 letters; p = 0.005. A logistic regression analysis including baseline VA, best‐ or worse‐seeing eye, age, membrane size, membrane location, symptom duration showed VA; p = < 0.0001, best‐ or worse‐seeing eye; p = 0.026, age; p = < 0.0001, and membrane size; p = 0.002 to predict a decline of VA within 2 years.

Conclusions

In eyes treated for wet AMD and studied for 2 years, 12.7% of eyes declined to a final VA of ≤ 35 letters. Visual acuity, worse‐seeing eye treated, age and membrane size turned out as the baseline characteristics that had significantly influenced visual decline to ≤ 35 letters during the two‐year follow‐up.
Isoniazid and host immune system interactions: A proposal for a novel comprehensive mode of action
Authors: Khan Saifur R. , Manialawy Yousef , Siraki Arno G.
Published: September 2019

The known mode of action of isoniazid (INH) is to inhibit bacterial cell wall synthesis following activation by the bacterial catalase–peroxidase enzyme KatG in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). This simplistic model fails to explain (a) how isoniazid penetrates waxy granulomas with its very low lipophilicity, (b) how isoniazid kills latent Mtb lacking a typical cell wall, and (c) why isoniazid treatment time is remarkably long in contrast to most other antibiotics. To address these questions, a novel comprehensive mode of action of isoniazid has been proposed here. Briefly, isoniazid eradicates latent tuberculosis (TB) by prompting slow differentiation of pro‐inflammatory monocytes and providing protection against reactive species‐induced “self‐necrosis” of phagocytes. In the case of active TB, different immune cells form INH‐NAD+ adducts to inhibit Mtb's cell wall biosynthesis. This additionally suggests that the antibacterial properties of INH do not rely on KatG of Mtb. As such, isoniazid‐resistant TB needs to be re‐evaluated.
Atherosclerosis imaging using PET: Insights and applications
Authors: Sriranjan Rouchelle S. , Tarkin Jason M. , Evans Nicholas R. , Le Elizabeth P.V. , Chowdhury Mohammed M. , Rudd James H.F.
Published: September 2019

PET imaging is able to harness biological processes to characterise high‐risk features of atherosclerotic plaque prone to rupture. Current radiotracers are able to track inflammation, microcalcification, hypoxia, and neoangiogenesis within vulnerable plaque. 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose (18F‐FDG) is the most commonly used radiotracer in vascular studies and is employed as a surrogate marker of plaque inflammation. Increasingly, 18F‐FDG and other PET tracers are also being used to provide imaging endpoints in cardiovascular interventional trials. The evolution of novel PET radiotracers, imaging protocols, and hybrid scanners are likely to enable more efficient and accurate characterisation of high‐risk plaque. This review explores the role of PET imaging in atherosclerosis with a focus on PET tracers utilised in clinical research and the applications of PET imaging to cardiovascular drug development.
Community structure of a Neotropical bat fauna as revealed by stable isotope analysis: Not all species fit neatly into predicted guilds
Authors: Oelbaum Phillip J. , Fenton M. Brock , Simmons Nancy B. , Broders Hugh G.
Published: September 2019

Neotropical bat communities are among the most diverse mammal communities in the world, and a better understanding of these assemblages may permit inferences about how so many species coexist. While broad trophic guilds (e.g., frugivore, insectivore) of bats are recognized, details of diet and similarities among species remain largely unknown. We used stable isotope ratios of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) to characterize the community structure of a diverse Neotropical bat fauna from Belize to test predictions of niche theory and the competitive exclusion principle. We predicted that (1) interspecific variation in isotopic overlap would be greater within guilds than between guilds, and (2) no two sympatric populations would have isotopic niches that overlap completely, unless there is variation along some other axis (e.g., temporal, spatial). We additionally tested body size as an explanatory metric of potential overlap and predicted that larger‐bodied animals would have greater niche breadths. Results suggest that while guild‐level characterizations of communities are at least somewhat informative, there are multiple examples of intra‐ and inter‐guild species pairs with significantly overlapping isotopic niches, suggesting that, counter to predictions, they may compete for resources. Understanding the trophic structure of animal communities is fundamental to conservation and management of endangered species and ecosystems and important for evolutionary studies, and stable isotope analyses can provide key insights as well as informing hypotheses of the diet of species that are not well known.

Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.
Experimental atopic dermatitis is dependent on the TWEAK/Fn14 signaling pathway
Authors: Liu Q , Wang H , Wang X , Lu M , Tan X , Peng L , Tan F , Xiao T , Xiao S , Xia Y
Published: September 2019

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) acts through its receptor fibroblast growth factor inducible 14 (Fn14), and participates in skin inflammation. Both TWEAK and Fn14 are highly expressed in skin lesions of patients with atopic dermatitis. The purpose of this study was to further explore the effect of Fn14 inhibition on experimental atopic dermatitis. Experimental atopic dermatitis was induced in the wild-type and Fn14 knock-out BALB/c mice. The effect of TWEAK/Fn14 interaction on keratinocytes was studied in an in-vitro model of atopic dermatitis. Fn14 deficiency ameliorates skin lesions in the mice model, accompanied by less infiltration of inflammatory cells and lower local levels of proinflammatory cytokines, including TWEAK, TNF-α and interleukin (IL)-17. Fn14 deficiency also attenuates the up-regulation of TNFR1 in skin lesions of atopic dermatitis. Moreover, topical TWEAK exacerbates skin lesion in the wild-type but not in the Fn14 knock-out mice. In vitro, TWEAK enhances the expressions of IL-17, IL-18 and IFN-γ in keratinocytes under atopic dermatitis-like inflammation. These results suggest that Fn14 deficiency protects mice from experimental atopic dermatitis, involving the attenuation of inflammatory responses and keratinocyte apoptosis. In the context of atopic dermatitis-like inflammation, TWEAK modulates keratinocytes via a TNFR1-mediated pathway.
Plasma levels of H- and L-ficolin are increased in axial spondyloarthritis: improvement of disease identification
Authors: Troldborg A , Thiel S , Mistegaard C E , Hansen A , Korsholm T-L , Stengaard-Pedersen K , Loft A G
Published: September 2019

Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that primarily affects the axial skeleton. A predominance of innate versus adaptive immune responses have been reported in axSpA, indicating a prominent autoinflammatory component of the disease. Little is known about the lectin pathway proteins (LPPs) of the complement system in relation to axSpA. We have investigated LPPs in patients with axSpA and control individuals. Plasma samples were obtained from a cross-sectional cohort of 120 patients with a clinical diagnosis of axSpA and from 144 age- and gender-matched controls. The plasma concentrations of 11 LPPs were measured, using sandwich-type time-resolved immunofluorometric assays in patients and controls, and related to clinical diagnosis and disease activity. Three LPPs [H-ficolin (ficolin-3), L-ficolin (ficolin-2) and collectin liver 1 (CL-L1)] were significantly higher in axSpA patients than in controls (P < 0·0001) and one LPP, collectin kidney 1 (CL-K1), was significantly lower (P < 0·0001). Further, combining H- or L-ficolin concentrations above the 75th percentile of the respective H- or L-ficolin concentration measured in controls with human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-B27 positivity yielded axSpA diagnostic specificities of 99/99% and positive likelihood ratios of 68/62, respectively. H-ficolin and L-ficolin plasma concentrations were found to be elevated in axSpA patients regardless of time since diagnosis. H-ficolin and L-ficolin may represent diagnostic biomarkers for patients with axSpA and should be further evaluated. Our results showed no association between disease activity and the measured LPP concentrations. This result might be due to the cross-sectional design, and should be further investigated.
Depressive symptoms, physical activity, and clinical events: The ADAPT prospective pilot study
Authors: Smith Patrick J. , Frankel Courtney W. , Bacon Daniel R. , Bush Erika , Mentz Robert J. , Snyder Laurie D.
Published: September 2019

Background

Physical inactivity and depressive symptoms following cardiothoracic transplantation are recognized as potentially modifiable psychosocial factors to improve clinical outcomes. However, few studies have prospectively assessed these in ambulatory, outpatient transplant recipients.

Methods

We conducted a prospective, single‐center study examining actigraphy‐assessed physical activity (PA) levels over a 1‐week period in heart or lung transplant recipients recruited at 6 months (range 4‐9) post‐transplant. Depressive symptoms (Centers for Epidemiologic Study of Depression [CESD]), quality of life (QoL), and clinical events (transplant‐related hospitalization and death) were collected. Clustered Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the associations between PA, psychological measures, and clinical events.

Results

Among 105 potentially eligible participants, 66 (63%) met inclusion criteria and were enrolled between July, 2016 and May, 2017, including 42 lung and 24 heart transplant recipients. The mean age of the population was 53 years, 41% were women and 18% were black. Participants tended to be sedentary, with the majority of activity spent within the “sedentary” level (61%) and an average daily step count of 7188 (SD = 2595). In addition, participants tended to exhibit subclinical depressive symptoms, (mean CESD = 9.4 [SD = 8]) with only a subset exhibiting levels suggestive of clinical depression (22%). Over a median follow‐up of 1.4 years (1.14, 1.62), 21 participants (32%) experienced at least one transplant‐related hospitalization, including two deaths. In adjusted survival models, greater intensity of PA (HR = 0.45 [0.24, 0.84] per 0.2 METs, P = .012) was associated with a lower risk of clinical events, whereas greater depressive symptoms (HR = 2.11 [1.58, 2.82] per 9 CESD points, P < .001) at 6 months were associated a higher likelihood of subsequent transplant‐related hospitalization and/or death.

Conclusions

Physical inactivity and depressive symptoms at 6 months post‐transplant were predictive of subsequent adverse clinical events among ambulatory cardiothoracic transplant recipients. Future studies should examine whether improving these potentially modifiable post‐transplant risk factors improves clinical outcomes.
Evaluation of paliperidone palmitate long‐acting injectable antipsychotic therapy as an early treatment option in patients with schizophrenia
Authors: Brown Brianne , Turkoz Ibrahim , Mancevski Branislav , Mathews Maju
Published: September 2019

Aim

This exploratory post hoc analysis of a randomized, double‐blind (DB), multicentre, non‐inferiority study (NCT01515423) evaluated the effects of the long‐acting injectable antipsychotic therapies once‐monthly paliperidone palmitate (PP1M) and once‐every‐3‐months paliperidone palmitate (PP3M) on symptom severity and functional remission in patients with schizophrenia with differing durations of illness (≤5, 6‐10 and >10 years).

Methods

Endpoints included Personal and Social Performance (PSP) scale and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total scores during the DB phase (DB baseline and DB endpoint) and the proportion of patients meeting PSP or PANSS remission criteria at any time during the open‐label (OL) or DB phases that were maintained for ≥3, ≥6, ≥9 or ≥12 months.

Results

In both the OL and DB phases, significant improvements in PSP scale and PANSS scores were observed from baseline in all duration‐of‐illness groups, with significantly greater improvements observed in the ≤5‐year and 6‐10‐year groups compared with the >10‐year group. The proportion of patients who maintained PSP or PANSS remission criteria for ≥3, ≥6, ≥9 and ≥12 months was higher in the ≤5‐year and 6‐10‐year groups than in the >10‐year group. Safety profiles were similar across duration‐of‐illness groups in the DB phase.

Conclusions

Symptomatic and functional improvements were observed with PP1M/PP3M in patients with differing durations of schizophrenia, but the magnitude of the effects was greater in those with early illness vs chronic illness. These findings advocate implementation of PP1M and PP3M in all stages of schizophrenia, including early illness.
The effect of indirect vision skills on head and shoulder posture amongst Korean dental hygienists
Authors: Jeong Yeo‐Jin , Choi Jun‐Seon
Published: September 2019

Objectives

This study aimed to investigate the effects of indirect vision skills on head and shoulder posture in dental hygienists.

Materials and Methods

This cross‐sectional study included a total of 100 female clinical dental hygienists. It evaluated musculoskeletal symptoms of the neck, shoulders and back, head and shoulder posture (craniovertebral angle [CVA] and sagittal shoulder posture angle [SSPA]). Indirect vision skills were assessed using the O’Connor tweezer test under indirect vision with a mirror. To analyse factors associated with the CVA and SSPA, an independent t test, one‐way ANOVA, and multiple linear regression analysis were conducted, respectively.

Results

The body region in which the greatest number of symptoms of work‐related musculoskeletal disorders was recognised was the neck (89.0%). In the multiple linear regression model, which adjusted for other factors associated with musculoskeletal disorders, dental hygienists with poor indirect vision skills showed relatively small SSPA value (P < .05). However, indirect vision skills were not associated with the CVA value.

Conclusions

Good indirect vision skills contribute to the prevention of rounded shoulders in dental hygienists. Therefore, where possible, dental hygienists should perform clinical procedures using indirect vision with a dental mirror to maintain a balanced posture and reduce flexion of the back or the neck. A dental hygiene curriculum should include training to improve clinical skills, as well as education regarding dental ergonomics and a monitoring system to determine whether ergonomic principles are well observed.
Abstract inference of unchosen option values
Authors: Cox Karin M. , Fiez Julie A.
Published: September 2019

Reinforcement learning research has pursued a persistent question: Does reward feedback prompt inferences that transcend simple associations? Reversal learning data suggest an affirmative answer: When the positive stimulus (S+) becomes the negative stimulus (S−), trained humans rapidly switch to choosing the former S−. The operations supporting such inferences remain ambiguous. Do participants identify transitions between stimulus‐specific contexts (i.e., A+B− and A−B+), or deduce values by learning the abstract contingency structure? Across two experiments, we probed humans’ use of abstract rules to infer the values of unchosen alternatives. In Experiment 1, 37 participants attempted a task that originally demonstrated monkeys’ difficulty with this form of inference. We presented modified discrimination problems in which the initially chosen stimulus (abstract inference group) or unchosen stimulus (control group) was replaced with a novel stimulus of identical status on Trial 2. In the abstract inference condition, accurate performance can be achieved by applying the consistent contingency structure (but not memory of stimulus‐specific reward associations) to infer to the unchosen stimulus’ value. The abstract inference group learned to make accurate choices, but only after committing substantially more errors than were observed among control participants—suggesting that unchosen value inferences are infrequently drawn in standard discrimination scenarios. In Experiment 2, 17 participants completed abstract inference problems that had been modified to be suitable for fMRI investigations. Behavioral results both corroborated the Experiment 1 trends and further revealed marked individual differences in explicit awareness of the novel stimulus values.
The importance of neutral over niche processes in structuring Ediacaran early animal communities
Authors: Mitchell Emily G. , Harris Simon , Kenchington Charlotte G. , Vixseboxse Philip , Roberts Lucy , Clark Catherine , Dennis Alexandra , Liu Alexander G. , Wilby Philip R.
Published: September 2019

The relative influence of niche vs. neutral processes in ecosystem dynamics is an on‐going debate, but the extent to which they structured the earliest animal communities is unknown. Some of the oldest known metazoan‐dominated paleocommunities occur in Ediacaran age (~ 565 million years old) strata in Newfoundland, Canada and Charnwood Forest, UK. These comprise large and diverse populations of sessile organisms that are amenable to spatial point process analyses, enabling inference of the most likely underlying niche or neutral processes governing community structure. We mapped seven Ediacaran paleocommunities using LiDAR, photogrammetry and a laser line probe. We found that neutral processes dominate these paleocommunities, with niche processes exerting limited influence, in contrast with the niche‐dominated dynamics of modern marine ecosystems. The dominance of neutral processes suggests that early metazoan diversification may not have been driven by systematic adaptations to the local environment, but instead may have resulted from stochastic demographic differences.
Cooler temperatures slow the repair of DNA damage in tadpoles exposed to ultraviolet radiation: Implications for amphibian declines at high altitude
Authors: Morison Samuel A. , Cramp Rebecca L. , Alton Lesley A. , Franklin Craig E.
Published: September 2019

Ultraviolet B radiation (UVBR) damages the DNA of exposed cells, causing dimers to form between adjacent pyrimidine nucleotides. These dimers block DNA replication, causing mutations and apoptosis. Most organisms utilize biochemical or biophysical DNA repair strategies to restore DNA structure; however, as with most biological reactions, these processes are likely to be thermally sensitive. Tadpoles exposed to elevated UVBR at low environmental temperatures have significantly higher rates of mortality and developmental deformities compared with tadpoles exposed to the same levels of UVBR at higher environmental temperatures. We hypothesized that low environmental temperatures impair the primary enzymatic (photolyase) DNA repair pathway in amphibians, leading to the accumulation of DNA damage. To test this hypothesis, we compared DNA repair rates and photolyase gene expression patterns in Limnodynastes peronii. Tadpoles were acutely exposed to UVBR for 1 hr at either 20 or 30°C, and we measured DNA damage and photolyase expression levels at intervals following this exposure. Temperature had a significant effect on the rate of DNA repair, with repair at 30°C occurring twice as fast as repair at 20°C. Photolyase gene expression (6‐4 PP and CPD) was significantly upregulated by UVBR exposure, with expression levels increasing within 6 hr of UVBR exposure. CPD expression levels were not significantly affected by temperature, but 6‐4 PP expression was significantly higher in tadpoles in the 30°C treatment within 12 hr of UVBR exposure. These data support the hypothesis that DNA repair rates are thermally sensitive in tadpoles and may explain why enigmatic amphibian declines are higher in montane regions where UVBR levels are naturally elevated and environmental temperatures are lower.
‘IRGENDWIE WIRD ES GEHEN’: TRAUMA, SURVIVAL, AND CREATIVITY IN SAŠA STANIŠIĆ’S VOR DEM FEST
Authors: Osborne Dora
Published: September 2019

This article argues that Vor dem Fest, Saša Stanišić’s second novel, represents a continuation of the author's attempt, begun in his 2006 debut, Wie der Soldat das Grammofon repariert, to write about ‘sad things, positively’. Set in Germany, however, it also engages critically with the particular ethical and cultural‐political challenges that writing about traumatic pasts has posed in this context. Through his protagonists, many of whom are engaged in different forms of creative practice, Stanišić shows how cultural memory is produced in response to trauma but threatens to overwrite violence with fabricated narratives. Nevertheless, creativity, practised in response to, and as a means of, survival, retains the potential – for both the author and his characters – to bear witness to the past while producing something that ensures the continuity of the community. Drawing on theories of melancholy and the archive, and of trauma and survival, this article shows how Stanišić develops a mode of narrative that is both critical and productive in its response to legacies of violence and loss.
FROM THE ‘POSTTRAUMATIC’ TO THE ‘TRANSTESTIMONIAL’: DORON RABINOVICI'S DIE LETZTEN ZEUGEN (2013) AS A CORPOREAL TOPOGRAPHY OF DISCURSIVE AND EMOTIVE HOLOCAUST MEMORY
Authors: Stegmaier Sanna
Published: September 2019

This article explores the theatrical witness project Die letzten Zeugen (2013) by the Austrian writer Doron Rabinovici as an example of a methodological transition in Testimony Studies, one which shifts the focus from psychoanalytic engagement with the survivors’ experiences towards a collective approach to testimony at the end of the so‐called ‘era of witnesses’. Rabinovici's theatrical witness project cultivates a novel form of simultaneously discursive and emotive engagements with testimony. The article scrutinises the extent to which the physical presence of Holocaust survivors on stage serves as a ‘corporeal topography’, an exploration of the liminal quality of contemporary engagements with testimony in the impending absence of survivors. In so doing, it develops the concept of ‘transtestimony’, a liminal engagement with testimony as both an epistemic and a performative practice.
FERTILITY IN THE CAMPS: AN EXPLORATION OF FEMALE FERTILITY AS REPORTED IN CONCENTRATION CAMP MEMOIRS
Authors: Bath Elise
Published: September 2019

This article carries out a comparative analysis of three Holocaust memoirs written by women who survived incarceration in the concentration camp system. It identifies and analyses female‐specific experiences, with a particular focus on experiences directly related to female fertility. Analysis of Elli: Coming of Age in the Holocaust by Livia Bitton‐Jackson, The Musicians of Auschwitz by Fania Fénelon, and Olga Lengyel's Five Chimneys shows that issues such as menstruation, amenorrhea, abortion, neonaticide, and motherhood were particular sources of danger and risk for concentration camp inmates. By revealing aspects of the concentrationary experience specific to women and demonstrating the impact of such issues on the memoirists, the validity of gender as a lens through which to analyse the Holocaust is confirmed. Moreover, the range of reactions which the authors cite demonstrates that gender is not an automatic unifier. Rather, scholarly attention must be paid to those aspects of female‐specific experiences, and the breadth of reactions to them, which have hitherto been marginalised.
Controlling bureaucracies in weak institutional contexts: The politics of police autonomy
Authors: Flom Hernán
Published: September 2019

This article argues that political competition determines how and when elected politicians can reduce police autonomy. While bureaucratic autonomy is generally lauded in developed democracies, it can result in serious malfeasance in contexts of institutional weakness. Political incumbents may reduce police autonomy through different means and for various purposes. While some politicians seek to professionalize police forces and align them with the rule of law, others aspire to politicize police to appropriate its rents from corruption. This article shows that lack of rotation in office (low political turnover) increases politicians' control of police, while under low turnover, fragmentation in cabinets and the legislature influences whether politicians seek to professionalize or politicize the force. The article illustrates this theory with a subnational comparison of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and Santa Fe (Argentina), relying on 80 interviews with police and politicians.
Gender discourses in academic mobility
Authors: Cohen Scott , Hanna Paul , Higham James , Hopkins Debbie , Orchiston Caroline
Published: September 2019

Despite increasing geographic mobility among academic staff, gendered patterns of involvement in academic mobility have largely escaped scrutiny. Positioned within literatures on internationalization, physical proximity, gender and parenthood in academic mobility and understandings of gender as a process enacted through both discursive and embodied practices, we use discourse analysis based on interviews with academics in New Zealand to examine differences in language that create differing realities with regards to gender and obligations of care in academic mobility decisions. The findings reveal how academic mobility is discursively formulated as ‘essential’ to successful academic careers, with the need for frequent travel justified despite advances in virtual communication technologies. Heteronormative discourses are shown to disrupt and fragment the opportunities female academics have to engage in academic mobility. However, we also uncover ways in which these discourses are resisted, wherein fathers articulate emotional strain associated with academic mobility. The article shows how discourse works to constitute the essentialization of academic mobility, and the uneven gendered practices associated with it, whilst also giving voice to gender inequities in academic mobility from the southern hemisphere.
An agonistic anti‐Toll‐like receptor 4 monoclonal antibody as an effective adjuvant for cancer immunotherapy
Authors: Tsukamoto Hiroki , Kubota Kanae , Shichiku Ayumi , Maekawa Masamitsu , Mano Nariyasu , Yagita Hideo , Ohta Shoichiro , Tomioka Yoshihisa
Published: September 2019

Immune‐checkpoint blockade antibodies have been approved for the treatment of cancer. However, poorly immunogenic tumours are less responsive to such therapies. Agonistic anti‐Toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR4) monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) activate only cell‐surface TLR4; in contrast, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) activates both TLR4 and intracellular inflammatory caspases. In this study, we investigated the adjuvant activity of an anti‐TLR4 mAb in T‐cell‐mediated antitumour immunity. The anti‐TLR4 mAb induced the activation of antigen‐specific T‐cells in adoptive transfer studies. The growth of ovalbumin (OVA)‐expressing tumours was significantly suppressed by administration of OVA and the anti‐TLR4 mAb in combination, but not individually. The antitumour effect of anti‐PD‐1 mAb was enhanced in mice administered with OVA plus the anti‐TLR4 mAb. The OVA‐specific IFN‐γ‐producing CD8 T‐cells were induced by administration of OVA and the anti‐TLR4 mAb. The suppression of tumour growth was diminished by depletion of CD8, but not CD4, T‐cells. The inflammatory response to the anti‐TLR4 mAb was of significantly lesser magnitude than that to LPS, as assessed by NF‐κB activation and production of TNF‐α, IL‐6 and IL‐1β. Administration of LPS (at a dose that elicited levels of proinflammatory cytokines comparable to those by the anti‐TLR4 mAb) plus OVA induced no or less‐marked activation of OVA‐specific T‐cells and failed to suppress tumour growth in mice. In conclusion, the agonistic anti‐TLR4 mAb induces potent CD8 T‐cell‐dependent antitumour immunity and an inflammatory response of lesser magnitude than does LPS. The agonistic anti‐TLR4 mAb has potential as an adjuvant for use in vaccines against cancer.
Sophisticated specificity in the innate immune response
Authors: Milling Simon
Published: September 2019

Immunologists are sometimes guilty of describing the innate immune response as ‘non‐specific’. What we really mean is that the pattern recognition receptors of innate immune cells are not able to recombine and mutate to bind the spectacular range of molecular patterns that can be recognised by B and T cells. So, while it may be accurate to describe the innate immune response as less specific than adaptive immunity, even this belies the emerging complexity of the receptors and receptor complexes that control inflammatory responses. This complexity is necessary to recognise danger, and therefore successfully initiate proportionate inflammatory responses to cellular damage or against potential pathogens.
Measuring executive personality using machine‐learning algorithms: A new approach and audit fee‐based validation tests
Authors: Hrazdil Karel , Novak Jiri , Rogo Rafael , Wiedman Christine , Zhang Ray
Published: September 2019

We present a novel approach for measuring executive personality traits. Relying on recent developments in machine learning and artificial intelligence, we utilize the IBM Watson Personality Insights service to measure executive personalities based on CEOs’ and CFOs’ responses to questions raised by analysts during conference calls. We obtain the Big Five personality traits – openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism – based on which we estimate risk tolerance. To validate these traits, we first demonstrate that our risk‐tolerance measure varies with existing inherent and behavioural‐based measures (gender, age, sensitivity of executive compensation to stock return volatility, and executive unexercised‐vested options) in predictable ways. Second, we show that variation in firm‐year level personality trait measures, including risk tolerance, is largely explained by manager characteristics, as opposed to firm characteristics and firm performance. Finally, we find that executive inherent risk tolerance helps explain the positive relationship between client risk and audit fees documented in the prior literature. Specifically, the effect of CEO risk‐tolerance – as an innate personality trait – on audit fees is incremental to the effect of increased risk appetite from equity risk‐taking incentives (Vega). Measuring executive personality using machine‐learning algorithms will thus allow researchers to pursue studies that were previously difficult to conduct.
Genome‐wide association study for age at puberty in young Nelore bulls
Authors: Stafuzza Nedenia Bonvino , Costa e Silva Eliane Vianna da , Silva Rafael Medeiros de Oliveira , Costa Filho Luiz Carlos Cesar da , Barbosa Fernanda Battistotti , Macedo Gustavo Guerino , Lobo Raysildo B. , Baldi Fernando
Published: September 2019

Selection for bulls that would reach puberty early reduces the generation interval and increases fertility and herd productivity. Despite its economic importance, there are few QTL associated with age at puberty described in the literature. In this study, a weighted single‐step genome‐wide association study was performed to detect genomic regions and putative candidate genes related to age at puberty in young Nelore bulls. Several protein‐coding genes related to spermatogenesis functions were identified within the genomic regions that explain more than 0.5% of the additive genetic variance for age at puberty in Nelore bulls, such as ADAM11, BRCA1, CSNK2A, CREBBP, MEIOC, NDRG2, NECTIN3, PARP2, PARP9, PRSS21, RAD51C, RNASE4, SLX4, SPA17, TEX14, TIMP2 and TRIP13 gene. Enrichment analysis by DAVID also revealed several GO terms related to spermatogenesis such as DNA replication (GO:0006260), male meiosis I (GO:0007141), double‐strand break repair (GO:0006302), base excision repair (GO:0006284), apoptotic process (GO:0006915), cell–cell adhesion (GO: 0098609) and focal adhesion (GO:0005925). The heritability for age at puberty shows that this trait can be improved based on traditional EBV selection. Adding genomic information to the system helps to elucidate genes and molecular mechanisms controlling the sexual precocity and could help to predict sexual precocity in Nelore bulls with greater accuracy at younger age, which would speed up the breeding programme for this breed.
EGR1 interacts with DNMT3L to inhibit the transcription of miR‐195 and plays an anti‐apoptotic role in the development of gastric cancer
Authors: Yang Yang , Wu Fei , Zhang Jing , Sun Ruifang , Li Fang , Li Yulong , Chang Su’e , Wang Lumin , Wang Xiaofei , Liu Liying , Huang Chen
Published: September 2019

EGR1 regulates the expression of its downstream target genes and may exert different biological effects in different tumours. We found that the expression of EGR1 was increased in gastric cancer (GC), and silencing the expression of EGR1 promoted the apoptosis of GC cells. Moreover, overexpression of EGR1 repressed the apoptosis of GC cells. Bioinformatics analysis showed that EGR1 had binding sites at the upstream promoter region of miR‐195; ChIP assays were applied to determine EGR1 occupancy of the miR‐195 promoter. The RT‐PCR results showed that EGR1 suppressed the expression of miR‐195. The mechanism by which EGR1 acts as a transcriptional repressor is still unclear. Bioinformatics analysis showed that EGR1 may interact with DNMT3L. We confirmed that EGR1 and DNMT3L formed a complex, and EGR1 was an important player in the transcriptional control of miR‐195. Overexpression of miR‐195 inhibited proliferation and promoted apoptosis in GC cells. We found a well‐matched miR‐195 binding site at the AKT3 3′‐UTR. Double luciferase reporter assays showed that AKT3 was a target of miR‐195, and silencing AKT3 repressed cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis. Our results indicated EGR1 may interact with DNMT3L to inhibit the miR‐195‐AKT3 axis and regulate the GC cell apoptosis.
FOXC1 up‐regulates the expression of toll‐like receptors in myocardial ischaemia
Authors: Zhang Shao‐Ping , Yang Ruo‐Han , Shang Jia , Gao Ting , Wang Rui , Peng Xiao‐Dong , Miao Xiao , Pan Lei , Yuan Wen‐Jun , Lin Li , Hu Qi‐Kuan
Published: September 2019

Myocardial ischaemia (MI) remains a major cause of death and disability worldwide. Accumulating evidence suggests a significant role for innate immunity, in which the family of toll‐like receptors (TLRs) acts as an essential player. We previously reported and reviewed the changes of Tlr expression in models of MI. However, the underlying mechanisms regulating Tlr expression in MI remain unclear. The present study first screened transcription factors (TFs) that potentially regulate Tlr gene transcription based on in silico analyses followed by experimental verification, using both in vivo and in vitro models. Forkhead box C1 (FOXC1) was identified as a putative TF, which was highly responsive to MI. Next, by focusing on two representative TLR subtypes, an intracellular subtype TLR3 and a cell‐surface subtype TLR4, the regulation of FOXC1 on Tlr expression was investigated. The overexpression or knockdown of FoxC1 was observed to up‐ or down‐regulate Tlr3/4 mRNA and protein levels, respectively. A dual‐luciferase assay showed that FOXC1 trans‐activated Tlr3/4 promoter, and a ChIP assay showed direct binding of FOXC1 to Tlr3/4 promoter. Last, a functional study of FOXC1 was performed, which revealed the pro‐inflammatory effects of FOXC1 and its destructive effects on infarct size and heart function in a mouse model of MI. The present study for the first time identified FOXC1 as a novel regulator of Tlr expression and described its function in MI.
Augmentation of keratinized tissue at tooth and implant sites by using autogenous grafts and collagen‐based soft‐tissue substitutes
Authors: Thoma Daniel S. , Lim Hyun‐Chang , Paeng Kyeong‐Won , Kim Myong Ji , Jung Ronald E. , Hämmerle Christoph H. F. , Jung Ui‐Won
Published: September 2019

Aim

To investigate the effect of three treatment modalities on the gain of keratinized tissue (KT) at tooth and implant sites in dogs.

Materials and Methods

In five dogs, the distal roots of the mandibular second, third and fourth premolars were extracted, while the mesial roots were maintained. After 2 months of healing, implants were placed with KT excision. After another 2 months of healing, free gingival grafts, collagen‐based matrices and apically positioned flap only were applied. The height of KT was measured during implant placement, immediately before soft‐tissue grafting and after 10, 30 and 60 days.

Results

Two months after KT excision, spontaneous KT regrowth was greater at tooth sites than at implant sites (median, 2.0 mm vs. 1.1 mm). The outcomes of soft‐tissue grafting at implant sites favoured the free gingival graft treatment, with a greater final median height (5.0–5.5 mm) and increase in KT (4.0–4.2 mm). Locations of the recipient sites significantly influenced KT regeneration at both tooth and implant sites.

Conclusions

At implant sites, the free gingival graft treatment led to higher KT regeneration. At tooth sites, however, the differences between the three treatment modalities seemed clinically irrelevant.