bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Phylogenomic analysis of the APETALA2 transcription factor subfamily across angiosperms reveals both deep conservation and lineage‐specific patterns
Authors: Kerstens Merijn H. L. , Schranz M. Eric , Bouwmeester Klaas
Published: May 2020

The APETALA2 (AP2) subfamily of transcription factors are key regulators of angiosperm root, shoot, flower and embryo development. The broad diversity of anatomical and morphological structures is potentially associated with the genomic dynamics of the AP2 subfamily. However, a comprehensive phylogenomic analysis of the AP2 subfamily across angiosperms is lacking. We combined phylogenetic and synteny analysis of distinct AP2 subclades in the completed genomes of 107 angiosperm species. We identified major changes in copy number variation and genomic context within subclades across lineages, and discuss how these changes may have contributed to the evolution of lineage‐specific traits. Multiple AP2 subclades show highly conserved patterns of copy number and synteny across angiosperms, while others are more dynamic and show distinct lineage‐specific patterns. As examples of lineage‐specific morphological divergence due to AP2 subclade dynamics, we hypothesize that loss of PLETHORA1/2 in monocots correlates with the absence of taproots, whereas independent lineage‐specific changes of PLETHORA4/BABY BOOM and WRINKLED1 genes in Brassicaceae and monocots point towards regulatory divergence of embryogenesis between these lineages. Additionally, copy number expansion of TOE1 and TOE3/AP2 in asterids is implicated with differential regulation of flower development. Moreover, we show that the genomic context of AP2s is in general highly specialized per angiosperm lineage. To our knowledge, this study is the first to shed light on the evolutionary divergence of the AP2 subfamily subclades across major angiosperm lineages and emphasizes the need for lineage‐specific characterization of developmental networks to understand trait variability further.
Approaches of Russian Families to Children’s Home Preparation for School in the Czech School Context
Authors: Kryuchkova Ksenia
Published: May 2020

The article focuses on issues of education of foreigners, which are currently very topical. The text describes Russian families, which are undergoing a process of acculturation in the Czech school environment. The article analyses two important factors, which influence the education of Russian children at the Czech schools. 1) Parents' attitudes towards their children's study at Czech schools, 2) Russian parents' approach to home preparation of their children. This text describes how these two factors are connected with acculturation strategies, which have been chosen by Russian families.
Introduction
Authors: Jordan Jenna
Published: May 2020

Leadership decapitation, which refers to the arrest or killing of a group’s leadership, has become a key tool in current counterterrorism strategies This chapter presents an overview of the debate about leadership decapitation against terrorist organizations. Much of the optimism regarding the efficacy of decapitation as a counterterrorism strategy stems from the belief that terrorist groups depend upon the charisma of leaders for their cohesion. In order to understand whether decapitation works, this chapter presents three questions that will be answered in the book: (1) Under what conditions does leadership decapitation result in the decline of a terrorist organization? (2) Does leadership decapitation lengthen or shorten a group’s life span? (3) In cases where decapitation does not result in a group’s collapse, to what extent does it weaken a group and hinder its capacity to carry out attacks?
A Theory of Organizational Resilience
Authors: Jordan Jenna
Published: May 2020

Chapter 2 develops a theory of organizational resilience that accounts for when decapitation is more or less likely to result in the decline or weakening of terrorist organizations. It argues that the efficacy of capturing or killing terrorist leaders is a function of three primary variables: the group’s bureaucracy, communal support, and ideology. Bureaucratized organizations will have an easier time reorganizing after the loss of their leaders. Groups with significant levels of communal support should have access to resources that allow them to withstand attacks and continue carrying out their activities. Finally, religious and separatist groups are more likely to be based upon an ideological belief and doctrine that emerge from local communities and are not dependent upon the leadership for their rearticulation and continuation.
Is Leadership Targeting Effective?
Authors: Jordan Jenna
Published: May 2020

The chapter begins by looking at trends in leadership targeting. It then examines the impact of decapitation on organizational activity, organizational existence, attack frequency, and organizational survival. The data shows that organizational size, type, and leadership rank all have an impact on the probability that a group will experience a cessation of organizational activity after leadership decapitation. Large, religious, separatist, and Islamist groups are resilient to decapitation efforts and likely to continue carrying out activity. Targeting the top leader as opposed to members of the upper echelon is more likely to result in a cessation of activity, and groups in countries with a larger population are more likely to withstand leadership attacks. The chapter concludes with an overall assessment of the theoretical implications and policy recommendations regarding the efficacy of leadership targeting.
The Shining Path
Authors: Jordan Jenna
Published: May 2020

Chapter 6 explores the case of the Shining Path and accounts for variation in the outcome of targeting efforts. As the Shining Path became less bureaucratic in structure and experienced a loss in communal support, it became more susceptible to destabilization in the wake of leadership attacks. When Abimael Guzmán was arrested in 1992, the organization had a large amount of communal support and an organized bureaucratic authority structure. The ideology upon which the group relied was based on Guzmán’s interpretation of Marxist thought. Given the group’s high degree of institutionalization, its ideology became entrenched and was not dependent upon Guzmán. The organization was thus able to withstand the 1992 capture of Guzmán and other leaders. By 1999, when Óscar Ramírez Durand was arrested, the organization was already in a state of decline. It had lost a considerable number of its members and its bureaucratic structure was severely weakened.
Retreat, Renewal, and the “New Phase,” 1882–1883
Authors: Needell Jeffrey D.
Published: May 2020

This chapter explains the emperor’s role and the parties’ plight, the movement’s difficulties, new successes, radicalization, and national reorganization. It begins with parliament’s shift to the right in 1882-1883. It goes through the reformists’ response and the emperor’s continued support for Liberal gradualist reform, given the problems with Conservative leadership and his new decision to address the issue of abolition, making the reform of slavery the price of power for either party. It recounts the movement’s 1882 problems, with its leaders’ divisions and departures from Rio, emphasizing Patrocínio’s impact and how the extraparliamentary wing flourished and spread in Rio and elsewhere, with growing urban mass participation and the December 1882 demonstration in Rio. It concludes with the radical “New Phase” in early 1883, with Patrocínio’s and Rebouças’s return to Rio, Nabuco’s emphasis on immediate abolition without indemnification, the foundation of a national organization, and Rebouças’s key organizational and propaganda role.
The Field of Agramante
Authors: Needell Jeffrey D.
Published: May 2020

This chapter addresses the emperor’s attempted containment of Abolitionism. It begins with Ceará’s liberation, Nabuco’s return, the movement’s renewed unity, and the emperor’s response, appointing the reformist Dantas as prime minister. Dantas reached out to the Abolitionists with recognition and a gradualist reform, and in return the Abolitionists allied with him in the hope of further support. The consequent, critical role of Afro-Brazilian mass support for this alliance and its impact on the political establishment is emphasized. The chapter describes the reactionary response that followed, allying Liberal dissidents and Conservatives against the cabinet; the Conservatives’ support for a “tranquilizing reform” of their own; the dissolution of the Chamber; new, destabilizing elections and the “no confidence” vote of the reactionary alliance; Dantas’s replacement by Saraiva and Saraiva’s alliance with the Conservatives; the passage of the “tranquilizing reform,” and Saraiva’s resignation and the emperor’s reluctant appointment of the Conservative leader Cotegipe.
Sacred Abolition
Authors: Needell Jeffrey D.
Published: May 2020

This chapter analyzes the new cabinet’s position as well as the critical role of the Abolitionist leadership and provides a narrative of the legislation’s passage and its immediate aftermath. It begins with João Alfredo’s position and assessment of the situation, together with his cabinet appointments and parliamentary strategy, focusing on the reactionary threat. It goes on to emphasize the critical role of private relations with Rebouças and public Abolitionist support, the conflict between Abolitionist demands and Conservative emphasis on gradualism and indemnification, and Rebouças’s discreet legislative lobbying. It shows in detail how and why rural slavery’s collapse in São Paulo spread and what was its impact, how Rebouças’s position on abolition triumphed within the cabinet, and how Liberal and Abolitionist support for the cabinet solidified, and then concludes with an analytic narrative of the passage of the 13 May law abolishing slavery together with the immediate response of the Abolitionists.
Scribble-Scrabble Genius
Authors: Igarashi Yohei
Published: May 2020

Although Coleridge is mostly known for being a copious talker who was impossible to transcribe, this chapter recovers Coleridge’s role as transcriber, theorist of transcription practices, and inventor of his own idiosyncratic shorthand. Considering Coleridge’s time as a parliamentary reporter, his self-reflexive notebook entries, and the history of stenography, this chapter posits that Coleridge pursued an efficient writing system to record not speech but the flow of his own silent thoughts. Also discussing today’s optical character recognition software and the shorthand effect (when letters or words uncannily become illegible shapes, and non-linguistic shapes come to look like linguistic signs), this chapter culminates in a reading of the “signs” in “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.”
Wordsworth and Bureaucratic Form
Authors: Igarashi Yohei
Published: May 2020

This chapter considers William Wordsworth’s thirty-year civil service career as a Distributor of Stamps to examine how Romantic literature was shaped by several intertwined developments: the formation of a fiscal bureaucracy in Britain during the long eighteenth century, the attendant proliferation of bureaucratic genres and media, and utilitarian theories of administrative efficiency. This chapter argues that Wordsworth’s writing responds to what it calls bureaucratic form: the form taken by writing when the efficient capturing and communicating of data, or “particulars,” are principal considerations. Operating in concert with the contemporaneous virtue of brevity in writing and long-standing concerns about brevitas in literature, bureaucratic form made the economical collection and delivery of information an ideal for all kinds of writing. This chapter shows that Lyrical Ballads (1798), Essays upon Epitaphs (comp. 1810), and above all, The Excursion (1814) accommodate, as much as they ignore, the rule of streamlined writing.
Keats’s Ways
Authors: Igarashi Yohei
Published: May 2020

The fourth chapter proposes a new way to read Keats’s most famous letters and his two fragmentary attempts at epic, Hyperion (1819–1820). There is a major, although overlooked, dissonance throughout Keats’s letters and poetry. On the one hand, they dramatize his wish for rapid, intuitive communication between individuals at a distance, a fantasy fueled by the period’s advancements in telegraphy. On the other, Keats’s writing reveals a commitment to laborious, meandering reading—a mode of encouraged by the densely figurative poetic language of the literary tradition that he idolizes, and which has its origins in the allegorical language of scripture and the rhetorical concept of ductus. Ranging over Keats’s letters as well as different moments from his verse, this chapter culminates in a reading of Hyperion. The discordance between Keats’s two tendencies or “ways”—rapid transmission and slow reading—precipitates the impasses that prevent him from continuing Hyperion.
Introduction
Authors: Igarashi Yohei
Published: May 2020

This chapter shows that the Romantic period was very much a preview – similar and yet different – of our own “connected condition.” Romantic poets witnessed the rise of transcription technologies (shorthand), large-scale data collection and processing through standardized forms, social networks and communications and transportation infrastructure, and instantaneous contact at a distance via telegraphy. The chapter goes on to discuss the concept of the “dream of communication,” ideals of good writing style (like clarity and brevity) treated by the New Rhetoric of the eighteenth century, the book’s own method (the “normal method”), poetic difficulty, and finally the chapters to come.
Breaking the Ice
Authors: Hershberg James
Published: May 2020

One of the most iconic intersections of sports and the Cold War came in September 1972, when Canada and the Soviet Union met in the “Summit Series,” pitting the world’s two top ice hockey superpowers. This essay reveals the importance of an October 1971 trip to Canada by Soviet premier Alexei Kosygin. His conversations and experiences during that week—especially a National Hockey League game in Vancouver that almost fell off his schedule—paved the way for a breakthrough to surmount the ingrained dispute over “professional” versus “amateur” players that had long blocked direct competition.
Russian Fever Pitch
Authors: Zeller Manfred
Published: May 2020

The essay explores the development of informal fan groups in the context of the late Soviet Union. It argues that despite being influenced by Western fandom, the countercultural potential of its actions led to specifically Soviet meanings of fandom. With a constant influx of images of fan practices around the world since the 1960s, a minority of young Muscovites had begun to imitate these since the early 1970s. The developing fan movement, however, combined violent behavior with a sense of cultural superiority. To belong to an almost global fan movement meant to trump fans from other Soviet republics that had not yet introduced such practices. The big movements in Moscow especially elevated themselves above others—thereby reproducing earlier hierarchies of the multinational Soviet Union.
“The Communist Bandits Have Been Repudiated”
Authors: Morris Andrew D.
Published: May 2020

In Taiwan, international sport during the 1950s–1970s centered on the war with the People’s Republic of China’s “Communist bandits” to represent China and achieve recognition from worldwide sporting bodies. Sport was meant to buttress the Republic of China’s legitimacy, to demonstrate the centrality of Chinese culture on this small island “province,” and to establish Taiwan’s teams and athletes as representative of a “Free China” regime and populace that could inspire a recovery of the mainland. The Nationalists and Communists both used sport to establish their own regime as the rightful modern revolutionary government of China and to end long-standing assumptions of Chinese weakness and degeneracy.
Five weeks of heat training increases haemoglobin mass in elite cyclists
Authors: Rønnestad Bent R. , Hamarsland Håvard , Hansen Joar , Holen Espen , Montero David , Whist Jon Elling , Lundby Carsten
Published: May 2020

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

Do haemoglobin mass and red blood cell volume increase in elite cyclists training in a hot environment compared to a control group training at normal temperature?

What is the main finding and its importance?

Five weeks of heat training increases haemoglobin mass in elite cyclists. There are small to intermediate effect sizes for exercise parameters favouring heat training.

In this study we tested the hypothesis that performing 1 h of regular light exercise in a heat chamber (HEAT; 37.8 ± 0.5°C; 65.4 ± 1.8% humidity) 5 times week−1 for a total of 5 weeks increases haemoglobin mass (Hbmass) and exercise performance in elite cyclists ( = 76.2 ± 7.6 ml min−1 kg−1). Twenty‐three male volunteers were assigned to HEAT (n = 11) or CON (n = 12; 15.5 ± 0.1°C; 25.1 ± 0.0% humidity) training groups. Hbmass was determined before and after the intervention period in conjunction with an extensive exercise test protocol (conducted at 16–19°C). HEAT increased (P < 0.05) Hbmass by 42 g from 893 ± 78 to 935 ± 108 g whereas Hbmass remained unchanged (+6 g) in CON. Furthermore, statistical analysis revealed a time–group interaction (P < 0.05). The greater increase in Hbmass in HEAT, however, did not manifest in a greater increase in (225 ± 274 ml min−1 in HEAT and 161 ± 202 ml min−1 in CON). While HEAT reduced (P < 0.05) lactate levels during some of the submaximal exercise tests, there was no statistical difference between other performance parameters. There were, however, small to intermediate effect sizes favouring HEAT for lactate threshold power output (2.8 ± 3.9 vs. −0.4 ± 5.1% change, effect size (ES) = 0.34), gross economy in the fatigued state (0.19 ± 0.42 vs. −0.12 ± 0.49%‐point change, ES = 0.52) and 15 min mean power (6.9 ± 8.4 vs. 3.4 ± 5.1% increase, ES = 0.22). This study demonstrates an increase in Hbmass and small to intermediate effect sizes on exercise variables in elite cyclists following a 5‐week heat training intervention.
A method for modelling the oxyhaemoglobin dissociation curve at the level of the cerebral capillary in humans
Authors: Dahl Rasmus H. , Taudorf Sarah , Bailey Damian M. , Møller Kirsten , Berg Ronan M. G.
Published: May 2020

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

Can the change in haemoglobin's affinity for oxygen in the human cerebral circulation be modelled in vivo?

What is the main finding and its importance?

We provide a novel method for modelling the oxyhaemoglobin dissociation curve at the cerebral capillary level in humans, so that the cerebral capillary and mitochondrial oxygen tensions can reliably be estimated. This may be useful in future human‐experimental studies on cerebral oxygen transport.

We provide a method for modelling the oxyhaemoglobin dissociation curve (ODC) in the cerebral capillary in humans. In contrast to most previous approaches, our method involves the construction of an averaged ODC based on paired arterial–jugular venous blood gas values, which enables the estimation of oxygen parameters in cerebral capillary blood. The method was used to determine the mean cerebral capillary oxygen saturation and tension from data previously collected from 30 healthy volunteers. The averaged ODC provided systematically higher capillary oxygen tensions than when assuming a ‘fixed’ standard arterial ODC. When the averaged and measured arterial ODC were used for constructing the capillary ODC, similar values were obtained during resting breathing, but not when the arterial ODC was modulated by hypocapnia. The findings suggest that our method for modelling the cerebral capillary ODC provides robust and physiologically reliable estimates of the cerebral capillary oxygen tension, which may be of use in future studies of cerebral oxygen transport in humans.
Stream Surface-Supported Fundamental Sheets Insertion Toward High-Quality Hex Meshing
Authors: Wang Rui , Zheng Zhihao , Gao Shuming
Published: May 2020

Converting a hex mesh into a fundamental mesh by inserting fundamental sheets is an effective means to improve the hex mesh’s quality near the boundary. However, the high-quality and automatic fundamental sheets insertion is still a problem. In this paper, a method is proposed to automatically generate fundamental sheets with the support of stream surfaces. By establishing a constrained integer linear system, the types of fundamental sheets to be inserted are determined effectively and optimally. By constructing discrete stream surfaces associated with the relevant geometric entities, the optimized positions of fundamental sheets are automatically determined. The experimental results show that the proposed method can automatically insert high-quality fundamental sheets and effectively improve the elements’ geometric quality of the hex mesh.
Rolling along a square path: The dynamics of biased balls
Authors: Wheatland Michael S. , Cross Rodney C. , Ly Andrew , Sacks Michael , Smith Karl
Published: May 2020

A biased ball rolled and spun on a horizontal surface exhibits interesting dynamics. We investigate the motion of a truncated billiard ball, via experiments, analytical methods, and numerical solutions of the equations of motion for a biased sphere rolling without slipping. Solutions are identified where the center of mass moves in a circular or a square path, and we investigate other quasi-periodic motions of the ball.
A fully manipulable damped driven harmonic oscillator using optical levitation
Authors: Marmolejo Javier Tello , Isaksson Oscar , Cabrera-Trujillo Remigio , Giesselmann Niels C. , Hanstorp Dag
Published: May 2020

We implement an experimental system based on optical levitation of a silicone oil droplet to demonstrate a damped driven harmonic oscillator. The apparatus allows us to control all the parameters present in the differential equation that theoretically describes such motion. The damping coefficient and driving force can be manipulated in situ by changing the pressure in the apparatus and by applying a variable electric field. We present two different experimental procedures. First, a transition from the overdamped to underdamped regimes is demonstrated by gradually lowering the air pressure. The characteristic resonance associated with an underdamped driven harmonic oscillator is observed by studying how the amplitude of the oscillation varies as a function of the driving force. Second, in order to observe qualitative differences between the overdamped and underdamped regimes of a harmonic oscillator, three driving functions (sine, square, and sharp delta pulses) were separately applied, both at atmospheric pressure and under vacuum conditions. Our overall aim is to design a hands-on apparatus that is easy to use and that allows undergraduate and graduate students to observe and manipulate the basic physical processes associated with a damped driven harmonic oscillator.
Form of spinning liquids in diverse geometries
Authors: Menker Paul , Herczyński Andrzej
Published: May 2020

A series of experiments for steady state rotation of water in vessels of various geometries is presented. The experiments focus on the geometrical characteristics of the rotating liquids and the change in their surface topology, from that akin to a sphere to that of a torus (i.e., from genus 0 to 1), for sufficiently large angular speeds. Cylindrical, planar rectangular, cubic, spherical, and conical containers are considered. The cone is an exception as some liquid always remains in its apex, no matter how fast the spin. It is shown also that for any amount of liquid within, there exists a critical angular speed above which the liquid can no longer be confined and is therefore expelled from the cone spontaneously breaking the symmetry. This instability is investigated experimentally.
A note on a straight gravity tunnel through a rotating body
Authors: Simonič Aleksander
Published: May 2020

It is well-known that a straight gravity tunnel between any two different positions on a non-rotating uniform density Earth is traversable, i.e., an object initially at rest will reach its destination through the gravity tunnel in both directions. Moreover, the time taken to fall is independent of the tunnel endpoints. These facts are no longer true if rotation is allowed. The aim of this note is to derive the necessary and sufficient condition for traversability of straight gravity tunnels through a rotating physical body with a spherically symmetric gravitational field. Fall-through times are expressed in a closed form for linear and constant gravitational fields. These models are then compared to numerically obtained data using the internal structure of the Earth.
The Professionalization of Women’s Football in England and its Impact on Coaches’ Philosophy of Practice
Authors: Sleeman Emily J. , Ronkainen Noora J.
Published: May 2020

Women’s elite football is in a transitional phase where coaches and players are increasingly offered professional contracts. The current study examined the stories of coaches currently operating in a women’s football academy in England to understand whether and how the professionalization of women’s football has influenced their coaching philosophy. Narrative interviews with 10 coaches (aged 23–60 years, two women) were carried out and analyzed using thematic narrative analysis. Observational data were also obtained while the authors were immersed within the environment. Two high-order themes were identified: (a) the coaches adapted their philosophy to meet the new needs of professionalization and (b) there were novel moral challenges surrounding the coaches’ approach to a dual career. The findings illustrated that the individuals developed a coaching philosophy that was adapted according to the coaching environment, which was largely informed from their previous experiences in men’s football. Player’s stories highlighted conflicting expectations surrounding dual careers.
Adolescent Sport Participation and Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Panza Michael J. , Graupensperger Scott , Agans Jennifer P. , Doré Isabelle , Vella Stewart A. , Evans Michael Blair
Published: May 2020

Sport may protect against symptoms of mental disorders that are increasingly prevalent among adolescents. This systematic review explores the relationship between adolescent organized sport participation and self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression. From 9,955 records screened, 29 unique articles were selected that included 61 effect sizes and 122,056 participants. Effects were clustered into four categories based on the operationalization of sport involvement: absence or presence of involvement, frequency of involvement, volume of involvement, and duration of participation. Results from the random-effects meta-analyses indicated that symptoms of anxiety and depression were significantly lower among sport-involved adolescents than in those not involved in sport, although this effect size was small in magnitude. Meta-regression was used to identify how age and sex explained heterogeneity in effects. Although these results do not signify a causal effect, they do support theorizing that sport participation during adolescence may be a protective environment against anxiety and depressive symptoms.
Parent Well-Being Through Community Youth Sport: An Autoethnography of “Sideline” Participation
Authors: Misener Katie E.
Published: May 2020

Parents are central stakeholders within the youth sport context, yet their own health and well-being can be compromised due to the extensive commitment required to support their child’s sport development. Against a backdrop of transformative sport service research and eudaimonic well-being, the study presents an autoethnography of my experience as a parent attempting to subvert the traditional role of parent–spectator by engaging in “sideline” physical activity simultaneous to my child’s sport. A secondary purpose is to identify the program and facility design attributes within the community sport environment that facilitate or inhibit the well-being of parents via simultaneous participation. This study highlights how the lines between researcher and subject can be blurred to challenge taken-for-granted assumptions and strengthen well-being through mastery, autonomy, personal growth, interpersonal relations, and self-acceptance. Through lived experience and personal voice, I hope that my story will open new possibilities for transformative practices within community sport.
Elite Athlete Well-Being: The Role of Socioeconomic Factors and Comparisons With the Resident Population
Authors: Wicker Pamela , Dallmeyer Sören , Breuer Christoph
Published: May 2020

Given the increasing importance of athlete well-being in the sport policy debate, this study investigated the effects of socioeconomic factors on elite athletes’ well-being in less commercialized sports and provides comparisons with residents of similar age (18–30 years). This study used survey data from athletes who are supported by the German Sports Aid Foundation (n = 709) and from the German Socio-Economic Panel, containing comparable variables for residents (n = 2,455). Subjective well-being was measured with life satisfaction as a whole and satisfaction with important domains in life, including health, income, leisure time, and family life. The athletes scored lower on all well-being measures compared with young residents. The regression analyses revealed significant differences between athletes and young residents with regard to the effects of age, income, education, and sport hours on different well-being dimensions, suggesting that more needs to be done that the athletes’ investments into sport and education yield well-being benefits.
Social determinants of health and survival in humans and other animals
Authors: Snyder-Mackler Noah , Burger Joseph Robert , Gaydosh Lauren , Belsky Daniel W. , Noppert Grace A. , Campos Fernando A. , Bartolomucci Alessandro , Yang Yang Claire , Aiello Allison E. , O’Rand Angela , Harris Kathleen Mullan , Shively Carol A. , Alberts Susan C. , Tung Jenny
Published: May 2020

Social animals need connection

Much research over the past decade or so has revealed that health and lifespan in humans, highly social animals, are reduced with social adversity. We humans are not the only animals that are social, however, and similar research has shown that other social mammals are similarly influenced by isolation and adversity. Snyder-Mackler
et al.
reviewed the relationships between social environment and many aspects of health and well-being across nonhuman mammals and investigated the similarities between these and patterns in humans. They found many of the same threats and responses across social mammals.

Science
, this issue p.
eaax9553
Global threat of arsenic in groundwater
Authors: Podgorski Joel , Berg Michael
Published: May 2020

Dowsing for danger

Arsenic is a metabolic poison that is present in minute quantities in most rock materials and, under certain natural conditions, can accumulate in aquifers and cause adverse health effects. Podgorski and Berg used measurements of arsenic in groundwater from ∼80 previous studies to train a machine-learning model with globally continuous predictor variables, including climate, soil, and topography (see the Perspective by Zheng). The output global map reveals the potential for hazard from arsenic contamination in groundwater, even in many places where there are sparse or no reported measurements. The highest-risk regions include areas of southern and central Asia and South America. Understanding arsenic hazard is especially essential in areas facing current or future water insecurity.

Science
, this issue p.
845
; see also p.
818
Ion transport and regulation in a synaptic vesicle glutamate transporter
Authors: Li Fei , Eriksen Jacob , Finer-Moore Janet , Chang Roger , Nguyen Phuong , Bowen Alisa , Myasnikov Alexander , Yu Zanlin , Bulkley David , Cheng Yifan , Edwards Robert H. , Stroud Robert M.
Published: May 2020

Transport dependent on context

Transporter proteins move substrates across a membrane, often coupling this activity to cellular ion concentration gradients. For neurotransmitter transporters, which reside in synaptic vesicles that fuse with the plasma membrane after an action potential, transport activity needs to be regulated so that they do not pump out neurotransmitters after vesicle fusion. Using cryo–electron microscopy, Li
et al.
determined the structure of a vesicular glutamate transporter from rat that unveils some of the distinctive features that enable it to function properly in two distinct cellular environments. An allosteric pH sensor, proposed to be a glutamate residue, gates binding of the substrate glutamate and simultaneously permits binding and counterflow of chloride ions. This molecular traffic light allows for a single ion channel to behave appropriately in different contexts.

Science
, this issue p.
893
Coherent optical clock down-conversion for microwave frequencies with 10
−18
instability
Authors: Nakamura Takuma , Davila-Rodriguez Josue , Leopardi Holly , Sherman Jeff A. , Fortier Tara M. , Xie Xiaojun , Campbell Joe C. , McGrew William F. , Zhang Xiaogang , Hassan Youssef S. , Nicolodi Daniele , Beloy Kyle , Ludlow Andrew D. , Diddams Scott A. , Quinlan Franklyn
Published: May 2020

Good timing for microwave technology

Timing standards around the world define the second using atomic clocks, specifically the microwave frequencies emitted from trapped atoms. Optical clocks, which are based on optical transitions of atoms, operate at much higher frequency and have been shown to exhibit better stability. Nakamura
et al.
demonstrate a framework that carries the improved stability of the optical domain over to microwaves (see the Perspective by Curtis). In addition to contributing to the eventual redefinition of the second based on optical clocks, this work will also lead to improvements in microwave-based technologies such as astronomical imaging and geodesy through very long baseline interferometry, radar, communications, and navigation systems.

Science
, this issue p.
889
; see also p.
825
Diversity and the dinner plate
Feasting Wild: In Search of the Last Untamed Food
Gina Rae La Cerva
Greystone Books, 2020. 336 pp.
Authors: Newman Lenore
Published: May 2020

An intimate exploration of foraged flavors brings nuance to the wild food discussion
Proteomic Investigation of the Signal Transduction Pathways Controlling Colistin Resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae
Authors: Cheung Ching Hei Phoebe , Dulyayangkul Punyawee , Heesom Kate J. , Avison Matthew B.
Published: May 2020

Colistin resistance in
Klebsiella pneumoniae
is predominantly caused by mutations that increase expression of the
arn
(also known as
pbg
or
pmrF
) operon. Expression is activated by the PhoPQ and PmrAB two-component systems. Constitutive PhoPQ activation occurs directly by mutation or following loss of MgrB. PhoPQ may also cross-activate PmrAB via the linker protein PmrD. Using proteomics, we show that MgrB loss causes a wider proteomic effect than direct PhoPQ activation, suggesting additional targets for MgrB.
Seminal Plasma-Derived Extracellular-Vesicle Fractions from HIV-Infected Men Exhibit Unique MicroRNA Signatures and Induce a Proinflammatory Response in Cells Isolated from the Female Reproductive Tract
Authors: Marques de Menezes Erika G. , Jang Karen , George Ashley F. , Nyegaard Mette , Neidleman Jason , Inglis Heather C. , Danesh Ali , Deng Xutao , Afshari Amirali , Kim Young H. , Billaud Jean-Noël , Marson Kara , Pilcher Christopher D. , Pillai Satish K. , Norris Philip J. , Roan Nadia R.
Published: May 2020

Seminal plasma (SP), the major vehicle for HIV, can modulate HIV transmission risk through a variety of mechanisms. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are extremely abundant in semen, and because they play a key role in intercellular communication pathways and immune regulation, they may impact the likelihood of HIV transmission. However, little is known about the properties and signaling effects of SP-derived EVs in the context of HIV transmission. Here, we conduct a phenotypic, transcriptomic, and functional characterization of SP and SP-derived EVs from uninfected and HIV-infected men. We find that both SP and its associated EVs elicit potent proinflammatory transcriptional responses in cells that line the genital tract. EVs from HIV-infected men exhibit a more diverse repertoire of miRNAs than EVs from uninfected men. Our findings suggest that EVs from the semen of HIV-infected men may significantly impact the likelihood of HIV transmission through multiple mechanisms.
Extra-skeletal Ewing’s sarcoma of the frontal sinus: a rare disorder in pediatric age
Authors: Costa Isabel Esteves , Sousa Menezes Ana , Lima Antonio Fontes , Rodrigues Berta
Published: May 2020

Paediatric sinonasal tumours comprise numerous aetiologies. Ewing’s sarcoma (ES) consists of a malignancy of neuroectodermal origin. This type of sarcoma affects mainly children and adolescents and can assume the skeletal or extra-skeletal form. Primary ES of head and neck is extremely rare, accounting for only 4%–9% of all cases. So far, as much as we know, only a few cases of sinonasal ES have been reported in literature. The authors present a case of a previous healthy 12-year-old girl who presented with a rapidly growing and expansive frontal mass and unilateral nasal obstruction. Immunohistochemical, molecular and cytogenetic analysis of the lesion showed diffuse expression of CD56 and CD99 on tumour cells and a translocation involving chromosome 22q12, confirming ES diagnosis.
Influence of changing working conditions on exit from paid employment among workers with a chronic disease
Authors: Schram Jolinda L D , Robroek Suzan J W , Ots Patricia , Brouwer Sandra , Burdorf Alex , van Zon Sander K R , Oude Hengel Karen M
Published: May 2020

Objectives

To investigate the relation between changes in working conditions and exit from paid employment among workers with a chronic disease.

Methods

Six waves from the longitudinal Study on Transitions in Employment, Ability and Motivation (2010–2016), enriched with tax-based employment information from Statistics Netherlands (2011–2017), were available for 4820 chronically ill workers aged 45–63 years (mean 55.3 years, SD 5.1). A change in working conditions (physical workload, psychological job demands, job autonomy, emotional job demands and social support) was defined as an increase or decrease between two consecutive waves of at least one SD. Discrete-time survival models with repeated measurements were used to estimate the relative risk (RR) of a change in working conditions on exiting paid employment in the following year compared with no change and consecutive favourable working conditions.

Results

A favourable change in physical workload lowered the risk to exit paid employment (RR 0.46, 95% CI 0.22 to 0.94). An adverse change in psychosocial working conditions, especially a decrease in social support (RR 2.07, 95% CI 1.52 to 2.81), increased the likelihood to exit paid employment. In contrast, a favourable change in psychological job demands increased the risk to exit paid employment (RR 1.57, 95% CI 1.09 to 2.24). Multiple adverse changes increased the risk to exit paid employment up to six times (RR 6.06, 95% CI 2.83 to 12.98).

Conclusions

Changes in working conditions among workers with chronic diseases influence exit from paid employment. Ensuring that working conditions can be adapted to the needs of workers with a chronic disease may help to extend working life.
Causes and consequences of deer browsing on red trillium (Trillium erectum) along an elevational gradient
Authors: Auberson-Lavoie Diane , Vellend Mark
Published: May 2020

Models of ecological responses to climate warming predict species’ migration towards higher latitudes or elevations. However, models often neglect nonclimatic factors, such as herbivory, which could slow down or prevent geographic range expansion. A previous study in Mont Mégantic National Park (Quebec) found that in one year (2016), browsing by white-tailed deer on Trillium erectum L. was substantially higher at high elevations than low elevations. Under the hypothesis that deer herbivory could limit the upper elevational range expansion of T. erectum, here we ask (i) whether herbivory increased with elevation during two additional years (2017 and 2018), (ii) whether the rate of deer visitation increases with elevation, and (iii) whether the effect of herbivory on relative growth rates increases with elevation. Contrary to the earlier study, we did not find a significant trend of herbivory with elevation, although there was a weak positive relationship between deer visitation and elevation. We found a strong negative impact of browsing on relative growth rates, but the magnitude of this effect did not vary with elevation. Our results thus do not support the hypothesis that herbivory limits the range of T. erectum at high elevation, but herbivory could have a negative impact on populations in general if the browsing rate remains high.
Influence of electron–phonon interaction and crystal field on thermal and electrical resistivity in rare earth intermetallics
Authors: Durczewski Krzysztof , Gajek Zbigniew , Mucha Jan
Published: May 2020

The thermal and electrical resistivity of f-electron cubic intermetallic metals with well localized and stable stable f-shells are calculated as functions of the temperature. The interaction of the conduction electron with both acoustic and optical phonons as well as the exchange s–f interaction with the crystal field presence are taken into account by applying the Matthiessen rule on the microscopic level and simple well-founded models of the scattering with the same mathematical method within the Boltzmann equation approach. Derived analytical formulas are successfully used to model existing measurements of temperature dependence of electric and thermal conductivity for DyIn3 and TmIn3 in the paramagnetic phase. Attention was drawn to the possible indeterminacy of some material constants in the absence of indications from sources other than transport measurements, noticeable in our results for TmIn3.

Graphical abstract
A simple $$F(\mathcal{R},\phi )$$ deformation of Starobinsky inflationary model
Authors: Canko Dhimiter D. , Gialamas Ioannis D. , Kodaxis George P.
Published: May 2020

We study a model including a real scalar field $$\phi $$ϕ non-minimally coupled to $$F(\mathcal{R})$$F(R) gravity, which is conformally equivalent to an Einstein–Hilbert theory, involving two real scalar fields. We consider three special cases of the potential of the field $$\phi $$ϕ in the $$F(\mathcal{R})$$F(R)-frame: a vanishing potential, a mass term and a Higgs potential. All these lead to non-trivial two-field potentials in the Einstein-frame which in particular directions resemble the well-known Starobinsky model. We find, that all these cases can yield viable inflationary models in complete agreement with current observational data.
Experimental Validation of Z-Source Network-Based Solar PV Backed Unified Active Power Filter for Power Quality Enrichment
Authors: Dineshkumar B. , Karthikeyan C. , Suganya P.
Published: May 2020

This research paper introduces Unified Active Power Filter (UAPF) based on the [Formula: see text]-Source Inverter (ZSI) assisted by a Solar Photovoltaic (SPV) to improve the quality of power. This inverter offers significant benefits as it offers better buck/boost functionality, can control the phase angle output, has fewer harmonics, does not require filters and has high performance over the traditional inverter. For the Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) feature, a low step-up Direct Current (DC)–DC converter module is used as a DC–DC switched power apparatus. The compensation feature of the UAPF depends on the method of control used to generate reference signals. In this proposed method, the Improved Second-Order General Integrator (ISOGI) is used to obtain the ZSI-UAPF reference current. The ISOGI-based control system only utilizes converter and load current measurement, since the feedback signals do not need voltage information and associated sensors. The proposed controller works efficiently with the SPV and battery system and enables distributed power to be coupled with loads under various operating conditions. The ZSI-based SPV-UAPF provides mitigation for long-range current and voltage interference and meets the grid’s active power requirements. The experimental findings based on a digital real-time platform justify the efficiency of PV with ZSI topology under balanced and unbalanced voltage and load conditions.
A VOLATILITY-OF-VOLATILITY EXPANSION OF THE OPTION PRICES IN THE SABR STOCHASTIC VOLATILITY MODEL
Authors: GRISHCHENKO OLESYA , HAN XIAO , NISTOR VICTOR
Published: May 2020

We propose a new type of asymptotic expansion for the transition probability density function (or heat kernel) of certain parabolic partial differential equations (PDEs) that appear in option pricing. As other, related methods developed by Costanzino, Hagan, Gatheral, Lesniewski, Pascucci, and their collaborators, among others, our method is based on the computation of the truncated asymptotic expansion of the heat kernel with respect to a “small” parameter. What sets our method apart is that our small parameter is possibly different from the time to expiry and that the resulting commutator calculations go beyond the nilpotent Lie algebra case. In favorable situations, the terms of this asymptotic expansion can quickly be computed explicitly leading to a “closed-form” approximation of the solution, and hence of the option price. Our approximations tend to have much fewer terms than the ones obtained from short time asymptotics, and are thus easier to generalize. Another advantage is that the first term of our expansion corresponds to the classical Black-Scholes model. Our method also provides equally fast approximations of the derivatives of the solution, which is usually a challenge. A full theoretical justification of our method seems very difficult at this time, but we do provide some justification based on the results of (Siyan, Mazzucato, and Nistor, NWEJ 2018). We therefore mostly content ourselves to demonstrate numerically the efficiency of our method by applying it to the solution of the mean-reverting SABR stochastic volatility model PDE, commonly referred to as the [Formula: see text]SABR PDE, by taking the volatility of the volatility parameter [Formula: see text] (vol-of-vol) as a small parameter. For this PDE, we provide extensive numerical tests to gauge the performance of our method. In particular, we compare our approximation to the one obtained using Hagan’s formula and to the one obtained using a new, adaptive finite difference method. We provide an explicit asymptotic expansion for the implied volatility (generalizing Hagan’s formula), which is what is typically needed in concrete applications. We also calibrate our model to observed market option price data. The resulting values for the parameters [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] are realistic, which provides more evidence for the conjecture that the volatility is mean-reverting.