bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How valuable is a legislative seat? Incumbency effects in the Argentine Chamber of Deputies
Authors: Micozzi Juan Pablo , Lucardi Adrián
Published: November 2019

In many developing countries, national legislative seats are considered less valuable than (subnational) executive positions. Even then, ambitious politicians may seek a legislative seat either (a) as a window of opportunity for jumping to an executive office; or (b) as a consolation prize when no better option is available. Using a regression discontinuity design adapted to a pr setting, we examine these possibilities in the Argentine Chamber of Deputies between 1983 and 2011. In line with the consolation prize story, we find that marginal candidates from the Peronist party—which controls most provincial governorships—are more likely to be renominated and serve an additional term in the legislature, but not necessarily to jump to an executive office. The effect is stronger in small provinces.
Single-Difference Dynamic Positioning Method for GNSS-Acoustic Intelligent Buoys Systems
Authors: Xin Mingzhen , Yang Fanlin , Liu Hui , Shi Bo , Zhang Kai , Zhai Min
Published: November 2019

Systematic error is one of the major factors that affect positioning accuracy owing to the changeable and complex nature of seawater environments. Based on a Global Navigation Satellite System-acoustic intelligent buoys system, whose acoustic array consists of a series of surface buoys, a single-difference method for underwater dynamic positioning is proposed to eliminate systematic error. Positioning configuration optimisation was addressed using dilution of precision (DOP). A simulation of DOP proved that for the single-difference method, a radiation network with a centre-difference reference point was superior to a regular polygon network. The positioning experiment showed that the novel method could effectively eliminate systematic error, improving vertical positioning accuracy from a metre- to a decimetre scale.
Persistent socioeconomic and racial and ethnic disparities in pathogen burden in the United States, 1999–2014
Authors: Stebbins R. C. , Noppert G. A. , Aiello A. E. , Cordoba E. , Ward J. B. , Feinstein L.
Published: November 2019

The disproportionate burden of prevalent, persistent pathogens among disadvantaged groups may contribute to socioeconomic and racial/ethnic disparities in long-term health. We assessed if the social patterning of pathogen burden changed over 16 years in a U.S.-representative sample. Data came from 17 660 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey participants. Pathogen burden was quantified by summing the number of positive serologies for cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus-1, HSV-2, human papillomavirus and Toxoplasma gondii and dividing by the number of pathogens tested, giving a percent-seropositive for each participant. We examined sex- and age-adjusted mean pathogen burdens from 1999–2014, stratified by race/ethnicity and SES (poverty-to-income ratio (PIR); educational attainment). Those with a PIR < 1.3 had a mean pathogen burden 1.4–1.8 times those with a PIR > 3.5, with no change over time. Educational disparities were even greater and showed some evidence of increasing over time, with the mean pathogen burden among those with less than a high school education approximately twice that of those who completed more than high school. Non-Hispanic Black, Mexican American and other Hispanic participants had a mean pathogen burden 1.3–1.9 times non-Hispanic Whites. We demonstrate that socioeconomic and racial/ethnic disparities in pathogen burden have persisted across 16 years, with little evidence that the gap is closing.
Thoroughly Modern Middles
Authors: Tunbridge Laura
Published: November 2019

Young Millie Dilmount arrives in New York City during the jazz age, shingles her hair and looks for a job with a rich, handsome boss she can marry. The musical-film Thoroughly Modern Millie (dir. George Roy Hill, Universal, 1967) may have been a spoof of the 1920s but various twists and turns in its plot nonetheless reveal its middlebrow scaffolding. Social aspiration is written into the plot, as is the ambiguity of its signifiers: although Millie (Julie Andrews) falls for the penniless Jimmy Smith (James Fox), she sets her sights on the seemingly more appropriate Trevor Graydon (John Gavin) only to discover that, of course, Jimmy was a millionaire all along. This is a narrative as much about cultural and social as financial capital. Through its ‘second-order parody’ of racial, ethnic and gender stereotypes, Angelo Pao argues, Thoroughly Modern Millie – along with other American musicals – ‘has played a significant role in the formation of a national persona’. The middlebrow, though, is not necessarily about identity politics, storylines or style; it is also closely bound with modes of dissemination and their relative costs and, because of that, with questions of class. Indeed, the Broadway musical was (and continues to be) a mainly middle-class affair, from its makers to its consumers, who David Savran points out have long needed ‘a good deal of disposable income’, given that ticket prices have always outstripped cinema, spoken theatre – and, on occasion, opera.
Exploring Diversity and Student Political Activism through Archival Research
Authors: Elder Laurel , Wallace Shelley
Published: November 2019

In 2011, the American Political Science Association stated that integrating issues of diversity, inclusiveness, and equality into political science curriculum and pedagogy was crucial to the success of the discipline in the twenty-first century. Although consensus is forming about the need to teach diversity, the question of how to do this effectively remains open. This article describes an archives-based assignment in an introduction to American government course created by the authors of this article—a professor of political science and the college archivist—that includes greater understanding of diversity and engaged citizenship as learning objectives. For this assignment, students are immersed in archival material about their own college and tasked with analyzing the political actions of previous generations of students as the civil rights and women’s movements emerged, as the student population became more diverse, and as the campus reacted to national and local events relating to racial intolerance and injustice. By examining their college’s political past—both the conflicts that animated the community and the student-led efforts to make the campus more inclusive—current students engage with issues of diversity and political activism in a way that helps them better understand themselves and their role as citizens in a democratic nation.
Keyword extraction: Issues and methods
Authors: Firoozeh Nazanin , Nazarenko Adeline , Alizon Fabrice , Daille Béatrice
Published: November 2019

Due to the considerable growth of the volume of text documents on the Internet and in digital libraries, manual analysis of these documents is no longer feasible. Having efficient approaches to keyword extraction in order to retrieve the ‘key’ elements of the studied documents is now a necessity. Keyword extraction has been an active research field for many years, covering various applications in Text Mining, Information Retrieval, and Natural Language Processing, and meeting different requirements. However, it is not a unified domain of research. In spite of the existence of many approaches in the field, there is no single approach that effectively extracts keywords from different data sources. This shows the importance of having a comprehensive review, which discusses the complexity of the task and categorizes the main approaches of the field based on the features and methods of extraction that they use. This paper presents a general introduction to the field of keyword/keyphrase extraction. Unlike the existing surveys, different aspects of the problem along with the main challenges in the field are discussed. This mainly includes the unclear definition of ‘keyness’, complexities of targeting proper features for capturing desired keyness properties and selecting efficient extraction methods, and also the evaluation issues. By classifying a broad range of state-of-the-art approaches and analysing the benefits and drawbacks of different features and methods, we provide a clearer picture of them. This review is intended to help readers find their way around all the works related to keyword extraction and guide them in choosing or designing a method that is appropriate for the application they are targeting.
A little less talk, a little more action: a dialogical approach to cognitive therapy
Authors: Pugh Matthew
Published: November 2019

Reappraisal strategies such as ‘thought challenging’ and ‘cost-benefits analysis’ are a hallmark of cognitive therapy, but sometimes fail to bring about lasting changes in the cognitive-affective structures underlying psychopathology. Modern theories of information processing suggest that experiential, action-based interventions such as chairwork may be a more efficacious route to cognitive modification. Based upon this hypothesis, a ‘dialogical’ approach to cognitive therapy is presented, which aims to bring about change through evocative, here-and-now interactions with parts of the self (self-to-self dialogues) and other individuals (self-to-other dialogues). Implementation principles and facilitation skills which guide this approach are outlined. To illustrate how dialogical interventions are utilized in clinical practice, chair-based strategies for socializing clients to the cognitive behavioural model, restructuring cognitions, facilitating emotional processing, resolving ambivalence, addressing distressing memories, building character strengths, and overcoming therapeutic impasses are described.

Key learning aims

As a result of reading this paper, the reader should:

(1)

Understand the limits of ‘standard’ cognitive techniques.

(2)

Appreciate some of the advantages of experiential methods of intervention, namely chairwork.

(3)

Learn how dialogical interventions are conceptualized, implemented, and facilitated in cognitive therapy.
Surface Moisture Exchange Under Vanishing Wind in Simulations of Idealized Tropical Convection
Authors: Mol Wouter B. , van Heerwaarden Chiel C. , Schlemmer Linda
Published: November 2019

Under radiative‐convective equilibrium (RCE), surface moisture fluxes drive convection, while convection‐driven winds regulate surface fluxes. Most simulations of RCE do not resolve the boundary‐layer turbulence that drives near‐surface winds due to too coarse grid spacing and instead parameterize its effects by enforcing a minimum wind speed in the computation of the ocean‐atmosphere exchange. We show from RCE simulations with fully resolved boundary‐layer turbulence that capturing wind dynamics at low speeds impacts the spatially averaged surface moisture flux, as well as its spatial distribution. A minimum wind speed constraint of only 1 m s−1 leads to ∼10% increase in spatially averaged surface flux in the evolution towards RCE and reduces the surface flux differences between windy and calm regions with more than a factor of two. Hence, the ability of simulations to let wind vanish is key in representing the wind‐induced surface heat exchange feedback and is potentially important in convective self‐aggregation.
Pressure‐Induced Coordination Changes in a Pyrolitic Silicate Melt From Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Simulations
Authors: Solomatova N.V. , Caracas R.
Published: November 2019

With ab initio molecular dynamics simulations on a Na‐, Ca‐, Fe‐, Mg‐, and Al‐bearing silicate melt of pyrolite composition, we examine the detailed changes in elemental coordination as a function of pressure and temperature. We consider the average coordination as well as the proportion and distribution of coordination environments at pressures and temperatures encompassing the conditions at which molten silicates may exist in present‐day Earth and those of the Early Earth's magma ocean. At ambient pressure and 2,000 K, we find that the average coordination of cations with respect to oxygen is 4.0 for Si‐O, 4.0 for Al‐O, 3.7 for Fe‐O, 4.6 for Mg‐O, 5.9 for Na‐O, and 6.2 for Ca‐O. Although the coordination for iron with respect to oxygen may be underestimated, the coordination number for all other cations are consistent with experiments. By 15 GPa (2,000 K), the average coordination for Si‐O remains at 4.0 but increases to 4.1 for Al‐O, 4.2 for Fe‐O, 4.9 for Mg‐O, 8.0 for Na‐O, and 6.8 for Ca‐O. The coordination environment for Na‐O remains approximately constant up to core‐mantle boundary conditions (135 GPa and 4000 K) but increases to about 6 for Si‐O, 6.5 for Al‐O, 6.5 for Fe‐O, 8 for Mg‐O, and 9.5 for Ca‐O. We discuss our results in the context of the metal‐silicate partitioning behavior of siderophile elements and the viscosity changes of silicate melts at upper mantle conditions. Our results have implications for melt properties, such as viscosity, transport coefficients, thermal conductivities, and electrical conductivities, and will help interpret experimental results on silicate glasses.
Near‐Inertial Wave Trapping Near the Base of an Anticyclonic Mesoscale Eddy Under Normal Atmospheric Conditions
Authors: Martínez‐Marrero A. , Barceló‐Llull B. , Pallàs‐Sanz E. , Aguiar‐González B. , Estrada‐Allis S. N. , Gordo C. , Grisolía D. , Rodríguez‐Santana A. , Arístegui J.
Published: November 2019

Observational evidence demonstrates the signature of near‐inertial wave (NIW) trapping by a long‐lived westward propagating mesoscale anticyclonic eddy under normal atmospheric conditions. Cross‐eddy sections of density and shipboard acoustic Doppler current profiler data show the downward (upward phase) propagation of NIW packets with vertical wavelengths of 200 m within the eddy, and wave energy amplification in a critical vertical layer located near the base of the anticyclone. Elevated strain variance, enhanced turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rates obtained from a fine‐scale parameterization, and the occurrence of low (≤1) gradient Richardson numbers are consistent with turbulence production and mixing from 400 m to at least the maximum sampling depth of 725 m associated with the trapped NIWs. The observation of NIW packets near the eddy base at two different stages of the survey separated by 10 days and the persistence of low to moderate winds before and during the eddy sampling strongly suggest that our findings may be common in similar open‐ocean anticyclonic eddies under normal wind conditions.
Tracking Atmospheric Rivers Globally: Spatial Distributions and Temporal Evolution of Life Cycle Characteristics
Authors: Guan Bin , Waliser Duane E.
Published: November 2019

The Tracking Atmospheric Rivers Globally as Elongated Targets (tARget) algorithm is further developed to Version 3, adding the capability to track atmospheric river (AR) life cycles along with other refinement. The results indicate AR genesis is more frequent toward the western boundaries of midlatitude ocean basins and nearby upstream land areas (~1 month−1) compared to the eastern boundaries (~0.5 month−1) and least frequent in tropical and polar areas (reaching toward 0). AR termination is more frequent toward the northeastern sectors of North Pacific/Atlantic and adjacent downstream land areas and in the Southern Ocean near Antarctica (~1 month−1) compared to the adjacent ocean sectors (~0.5 month−1) and least frequent in tropical areas and interior Antarctica where AR genesis is similarly infrequent. ARs tend to be longer‐lived when the genesis (termination) occurs toward the western (eastern) boundaries of midlatitude ocean basins and adjacent land areas (maximum lifetime >72 hr) compared to the opposite side of the ocean basins (24–72 hr) and when terminated at high latitudes. AR travel speed is higher in the midlatitude ocean basins and strongly steered by the zonal wind around 650 hPa. AR tracks are nearly linear in most cases, with the overall travel direction closely correlated with the direction of integrated water vapor transport (r = 0.69) although being more zonal than the latter. Temporally, ARs tend to be longer/stronger around the middle of the life cycle. Seasonal variations in AR life cycle characteristics are also examined. The handling of AR separations/mergers contributes the largest sensitivity in tracking result compared to selection/resolution of input data.
Land–Sea Contrast in the Diurnal Variation of Precipitation from Landfalling Tropical Cyclones
Authors: Tang Xiaodong , Cai Qichao , Fang Juan , Tan Zhe‐Min
Published: November 2019

Recent composite analysis of landfalling tropical cyclones (TCs) suggests a rain rate peak in the early morning, which contradicts the typically observed peak in convective precipitation over land seen in the late afternoon to early evening. We conducted a set of idealized simulations of TCs and analyzed observational data from TC Bebinca (2018), which stalled near the shoreline of southern China. We show a distinct land–sea contrast in the diurnal variation of TC precipitation and an 8–12 hr offset between the peak precipitation time over land compared with that over the sea in a TC that stalls at the shoreline. The highest land surface temperature and maximum low‐level buoyancy during the afternoon led to peak precipitation over land at this time. However, the peak precipitation over the sea in the early morning was generated by the increase in relative humidity caused by nighttime radiative cooling and enhanced instability.
Spatiotemporal Variability and Sources of DIC in Permafrost Catchments of the Yangtze River Source Region: Insights From Stable Carbon Isotope and Water Chemistry
Authors: Song Chunlin , Wang Genxu , Mao Tianxu , Huang Kewei , Sun Xiangyang , Hu Zhaoyong , Chang Ruiying , Chen Xiaopeng , Raymond Peter A.
Published: November 2019

Riverine dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) exports play a central role in the regional and global carbon cycles. Here, we investigated the spatiotemporal variability and sources of DIC in eight catchments in the Yangtze River source region (YRSR) with variable permafrost coverage and seasonally thawed active layers. The YRSR catchments are DIC‐rich (averagely 25 mg C L−1) and export 3.51 g m−2 yr−1 of DIC. The seasonal changes of temperature, active layer, flow path, and discharge can alter DIC and stable carbon isotope of DIC (δ13C‐DIC). The most depleted δ13C‐DIC values were found in the thawed period, suggesting the soil‐respired CO2 during the active layer thaw period can promote bicarbonate production via H2CO3 weathering. Spatially, δ13C‐DIC values increased downstream, likely due to CO2 outgassing and changed permafrost coverage and runoff. We found that evaporite dissolution and silicate weathering in the seasonally thawed active layer contributed 44.2% and 30.9% of stream HCO3‐, respectively, while groundwater and rainwater contributed 16.7% and 7.3% of HCO3‐, respectively. Pure carbonate rock weathering played a negligible role in DIC production. These results were compatible with δ13C‐DIC source approximation results. Silicate weathering increased from initial thaw to thawed period, reflecting the active layer thaw and subsequent hydrology change impacts. Silicate weathering consumed 1.25 × 1010 mol of CO2 annually, while evaporite dissolution may produce CO2 and neutralize this CO2 sink. This study provides new understanding of the riverine DIC export processes of the YRSR. As permafrost degrades, the quantity, sources, and sinks of riverine DIC may also change spatiotemporally.
A New Automated Method for Improved Flood Defense Representation in Large‐Scale Hydraulic Models
Authors: Wing Oliver E. J. , Bates Paul D. , Neal Jeffrey C. , Sampson Christopher C. , Smith Andrew M. , Quinn Niall , Shustikova Iuliia , Domeneghetti Alessio , Gilles Daniel W. , Goska Radoslaw , Krajewski Witold F.
Published: November 2019

The execution of hydraulic models at large spatial scales has yielded a step change in our understanding of flood risk. Yet their necessary simplification through the use of coarsened terrain data results in an artificially smooth digital elevation model with diminished representation of flood defense structures. Current approaches in dealing with this, if anything is done at all, involve either employing incomplete inventories of flood defense information or making largely unsubstantiated assumptions about defense locations and standards based on socioeconomic data. Here, we introduce a novel solution for application at scale. The geomorphometric characteristics of defense structures are sampled, and these are fed into a probabilistic algorithm to identify hydraulically relevant features in the source digital elevation model. The elevation of these features is then preserved during the grid coarsening process. The method was shown to compare favorably to surveyed U.S. levee crest heights. When incorporated into a continental‐scale hydrodynamic model based on LISFLOOD‐FP and compared to local flood models in Iowa (USA), median correspondence was 69% for high‐frequency floods and 80% for low‐frequency floods, approaching the error inherent in quantifying extreme flows. However, improvements versus a model with no defenses were muted, and risk‐based deviations between the local and continental models were large. When simulating an event on the Po River (Italy), built and tested with higher quality data, the method outperformed both undefended and even engineering‐grade models. As such, particularly when employed alongside model components of commensurate quality, the method here generates improved‐accuracy simulations of flood inundation.
Microbial succession during wheat bran fermentation and colonisation by human faecal microbiota as a result of niche diversification
Authors: De Paepe Kim , Verspreet Joran , Courtin Christophe M , Van de Wiele Tom
Published: November 2019

The human gut can be viewed as a flow-through system with a short residence time, a high turnover rate and a spatial gradient of physiological conditions. As a consequence, the gut microbiota is exposed to highly fluctuating environmental determinants presented by the host and diet. Here, we assessed the fermentation and colonisation of insoluble wheat bran by faecal microbiota of three individuals at an unprecedented sampling intensity. Time-resolved 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, revealed a dynamic microbial community, characterised by abrupt shifts in composition, delimiting states with a more constant community, giving rise to a succession of bacterial taxa alternately dominating the community over a 72 h timespan. Early stages were dominated by Enterobacteriaceae and Fusobacterium species, growing on the carbohydrate-low, protein rich medium to which wheat bran was supplemented. The onset of wheat bran fermentation, marked by a spike in short chain fatty acid production with an increasing butyrate proportion and an increased endo-1,4-β-xylanase activity, corresponded to donor-dependent proportional increases of Bacteroides ovatus/stercoris, Prevotella copri and Firmicutes species, which were strongly enriched in the bran-attached community. Literature and database searches provided novel insights into the metabolic and growth characteristics underlying the observed succession and colonisation, illustrating the potency of a time-resolved analysis to increase our understanding of gut microbiota dynamics upon dietary modulations.
Polygenic burden associated to oligodendrocyte precursor cells and radial glia influences the hippocampal volume changes induced by aerobic exercise in schizophrenia patients
Authors: Papiol Sergi , Keeser Daniel , Hasan Alkomiet , Schneider-Axmann Thomas , Raabe Florian , Degenhardt Franziska , Rossner Moritz J. , Bickeböller Heike , Cantuti-Castelvetri Ludovico , Simons Mikael , Wobrock Thomas , Schmitt Andrea , Malchow Berend , Falkai Peter
Published: November 2019

Hippocampal volume decrease is a structural hallmark of schizophrenia (SCZ), and convergent evidence from postmortem and imaging studies suggests that it may be explained by changes in the cytoarchitecture of the cornu ammonis 4 (CA4) and dentate gyrus (DG) subfields. Increasing evidence indicates that aerobic exercise increases hippocampal volume in CA subfields and improves cognition in SCZ patients. Previous studies showed that the effects of exercise on the hippocampus might be connected to the polygenic burden of SCZ risk variants. However, little is known about cell type-specific genetic contributions to these structural changes. In this secondary analysis, we evaluated the modulatory role of cell type-specific SCZ polygenic risk scores (PRS) on volume changes in the CA1, CA2/3, and CA4/DG subfields over time. We studied 20 multi-episode SCZ patients and 23 healthy controls who performed aerobic exercise, and 21 multi-episode SCZ patients allocated to a control intervention (table soccer) for 3 months. Magnetic resonance imaging-based assessments were performed with FreeSurfer at baseline and after 3 months. The analyses showed that the polygenic burden associated with oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPC) and radial glia (RG) significantly influenced the volume changes between baseline and 3 months in the CA4/DG subfield in SCZ patients performing aerobic exercise. A higher OPC- or RG-associated genetic risk burden was associated with a less pronounced volume increase or even a decrease in CA4/DG during the exercise intervention. We hypothesize that SCZ cell type-specific polygenic risk modulates the aerobic exercise-induced neuroplastic processes in the hippocampus.
The complex genetics and biology of human temperament: a review of traditional concepts in relation to new molecular findings
Authors: Cloninger C. Robert , Cloninger Kevin M. , Zwir Igor , Keltikangas-Järvinen Liisa
Published: November 2019

Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have shown that temperament is strongly influenced by more than 700 genes that modulate associative conditioning by molecular processes for synaptic plasticity and long-term learning and memory. The results were replicated in three independent samples despite variable cultures and environments. The identified genes were enriched in pathways activated by behavioral conditioning in animals, including the two major molecular pathways for response to extracellular stimuli, the Ras-MEK-ERK and the PI3K-AKT-mTOR cascades. These pathways are activated by a wide variety of physiological and psychosocial stimuli that vary in positive and negative valence and in consequences for health and survival. Changes in these pathways are orchestrated to maintain cellular homeostasis despite changing conditions by modulating temperament and its circadian and seasonal rhythms. In this review we first consider traditional concepts of temperament in relation to the new genetic findings by examining the partial overlap of alternative measures of temperament. Then we propose a definition of temperament as the disposition of a person to learn how to behave, react emotionally, and form attachments automatically by associative conditioning. This definition provides necessary and sufficient criteria to distinguish temperament from other aspects of personality that become integrated with it across the life span. We describe the effects of specific stimuli on the molecular processes underlying temperament from functional, developmental, and evolutionary perspectives. Our new knowledge can improve communication among investigators, increase the power and efficacy of clinical trials, and improve the effectiveness of treatment of personality and its disorders.
Genetic risk scores for major psychiatric disorders and the risk of postpartum psychiatric disorders
Authors: Bauer Anna E. , Liu Xiaoqin , Byrne Enda M. , Sullivan Patrick F. , Wray Naomi R. , Agerbo Esben , Nyegaard Mette , Grove Jakob , Musliner Katherine L. , Ingstrup Katja G. , Johannsen Benedicte M. W. , Mægbæk Merete L. , Wang Yunpeng , Nordentoft Merete , Mors Ole , Børglum Anders D. , Werge Thomas , Hougaard David M. , Mortensen Preben Bo , Munk-Olsen Trine , Meltzer-Brody Samantha
Published: November 2019

Postpartum psychiatric disorders are heritable, but how genetic liability varies by other significant risk factors is unknown. We aimed to (1) estimate associations of genetic risk scores (GRS) for major depression (MD), bipolar disorder (BD), and schizophrenia (SCZ) with postpartum psychiatric disorders, (2) examine differences by prior psychiatric history, and (3) compare genetic and familial risk of postpartum psychiatric disorders. We conducted a nested case-control study based on Danish population-based registers of all women in the iPSYCH2012 cohort who had given birth before December 31, 2015 (n = 8850). Cases were women with a diagnosed psychiatric disorder or a filled psychotropic prescription within one year after delivery (n = 5829 cases, 3021 controls). Association analyses were conducted between GRS calculated from Psychiatric Genomics Consortium discovery meta-analyses for MD, BD, and SCZ and case-control status of a postpartum psychiatric disorder. Parental psychiatric history was associated with postpartum psychiatric disorders among women with previous psychiatric history (OR, 1.14; 95% CI 1.02–1.28) but not without psychiatric history (OR, 1.08; 95% CI: 0.81–1.43). GRS for MD was associated with an increased risk of postpartum psychiatric disorders in both women with (OR, 1.44; 95% CI: 1.19–1.74) and without (OR, 1.88; 95% CI: 1.26–2.81) personal psychiatric history. SCZ GRS was only minimally associated with postpartum disorders and BD GRS was not. Results suggest GRS of lifetime psychiatric illness can be applied to the postpartum period, which may provide clues about distinct environmental or genetic elements of postpartum psychiatric disorders and ultimately help identify vulnerable groups.
EASIX for prediction of survival in lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes
Authors: Merz Almuth , Germing Ulrich , Kobbe Guido , Kaivers Jennifer , Jauch Anna , Radujkovic Aleksandar , Hummel Manuela , Benner Axel , Merz Maximilian , Dreger Peter , Luft Thomas
Published: November 2019

Patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are at risk of early death from cardiovascular complications due to the link between clonal hematopoiesis and endothelial dysfunction. EASIX (Endothelial Activation and Stress Index) has been established to predict endothelial complications after allogeneic transplantation. We investigated the impact of EASIX measured at first diagnosis on survival of patients with lower- and higher-risk MDS (no allogeneic transplantation) in two independent institutions: n = 192 (training cohort) and n = 333 (validation cohort). Serum markers of endothelial cell distress were measured and correlated to EASIX. While no effects of EASIX on survival were observed in higher-risk patients, EASIX was associated with shorter survival in patients with lower-risk MDS in both cohorts (univariate: Cohort I: hazard ratio (HR): 1.46; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.24–1.71; p-value < 0.001/Cohort II: HR 1.31 [1.17–1.48]; p-value < 0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis and prediction error analyses confirmed that EASIX remained a significant predictor of survival after adjustment for age, sex, cytogenetic abnormalities and bone marrow blasts in lower-risk patients. The model of the training cohort could be validated. Serum levels of Angiopioetin-2 correlated significantly with EASIX. We introduce EASIX as an easily accessible and independent predictor for survival in patients with lower-risk MDS.
Human papillomavirus as a driver of head and neck cancers
Authors: Sabatini Maria Elisa , Chiocca Susanna
Published: November 2019

The human papillomavirus (HPV) family includes more than 170 different types of virus that infect stratified epithelium. High-risk HPV is well established as the primary cause of cervical cancer, but in recent years, a clear role for this virus in other malignancies is also emerging. Indeed, HPV plays a pathogenic role in a subset of head and neck cancers—mostly cancers of the oropharynx—with distinct epidemiological, clinical and molecular characteristics compared with head and neck cancers not caused by HPV. This review summarises our current understanding of HPV in these cancers, specifically detailing HPV infection in head and neck cancers within different racial/ethnic subpopulations, and the differences in various aspects of these diseases between women and men. Finally, we provide an outlook for this disease, in terms of clinical management, and consider the issues of ‘diagnostic biomarkers’ and targeted therapies.
Engaging chromatin: PRC2 structure meets function
Authors: Chammas Paul , Mocavini Ivano , Di Croce Luciano
Published: November 2019

Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) is a key epigenetic multiprotein complex involved in the regulation of gene expression in metazoans. PRC2 is formed by a tetrameric core that endows the complex with histone methyltransferase activity, allowing it to mono-, di- and tri-methylate histone H3 on lysine 27 (H3K27me1/2/3); H3K27me3 is a hallmark of facultative heterochromatin. The core complex of PRC2 is bound by several associated factors that are responsible for modulating its targeting specificity and enzymatic activity. Depletion and/or mutation of the subunits of this complex can result in severe developmental defects, or even lethality. Furthermore, mutations of these proteins in somatic cells can be drivers of tumorigenesis, by altering the transcriptional regulation of key tumour suppressors or oncogenes. In this review, we present the latest results from structural studies that have characterised PRC2 composition and function. We compare this information with data and literature for both gain-of function and loss-of-function missense mutations in cancers to provide an overview of the impact of these mutations on PRC2 activity.
From expression footprints to causal pathways: contextualizing large signaling networks with CARNIVAL
Authors: Liu Anika , Trairatphisan Panuwat , Gjerga Enio , Didangelos Athanasios , Barratt Jonathan , Saez-Rodriguez Julio
Published: November 2019

While gene expression profiling is commonly used to gain an overview of cellular processes, the identification of upstream processes that drive expression changes remains a challenge. To address this issue, we introduce CARNIVAL, a causal network contextualization tool which derives network architectures from gene expression footprints. CARNIVAL (CAusal Reasoning pipeline for Network identification using Integer VALue programming) integrates different sources of prior knowledge including signed and directed protein–protein interactions, transcription factor targets, and pathway signatures. The use of prior knowledge in CARNIVAL enables capturing a broad set of upstream cellular processes and regulators, leading to a higher accuracy when benchmarked against related tools. Implementation as an integer linear programming (ILP) problem guarantees efficient computation. As a case study, we applied CARNIVAL to contextualize signaling networks from gene expression data in IgA nephropathy (IgAN), a condition that can lead to chronic kidney disease. CARNIVAL identified specific signaling pathways and associated mediators dysregulated in IgAN including Wnt and TGF-β, which we subsequently validated experimentally. These results demonstrated how CARNIVAL generates hypotheses on potential upstream alterations that propagate through signaling networks, providing insights into diseases.
Investigation of parameters governing damage resistance of nematic liquid crystals for high-power or peak-intensity laser applications
Authors: Kosc T. Z. , Kozlov A. A. , Papernov S. , Kafka K. R. P. , Marshall K. L. , Demos S. G.
Published: November 2019

We investigate the damage resistance of saturated and unsaturated liquid crystals (LC’s) under a wide range of laser excitation conditions, including 1053-nm pulse durations between 600 fs and 1.5 ns and nanosecond pulse excitation at 351 nm and 532 nm. This study explores the relationship between the LC’s resistance to laser-induced breakdown (damage) and the electronic structure (π-electron delocalization) of the constituent molecules. The laser-induced damage threshold at all wavelengths and pulse durations was consistently higher in saturated materials than in their unsaturated counterparts. The wavelength’s dependence in the results suggests that the energy coupling process that leads to laser-induced breakdown is governed by the energy separation between the ground state and the first and second excited states, while the pulse duration’s dependence in the results reveals the important role of electron relaxation between the excited states. A qualitative description was developed to interpret the experimental observations.
Proposal for a Quantitative 18F-FDG PET/CT Metabolic Parameter to Assess the Intensity of Bone Involvement in Multiple Myeloma
Authors: Takahashi Maria E. S. , Mosci Camila , Souza Edna M. , Brunetto Sérgio Q. , Etchebehere Elba , Santos Allan O. , Camacho Mariana R. , Miranda Eliana , Lima Mariana C. L. , Amorim Barbara J. , de Souza Carmino , Pericole Fernando V. , Lorand-Metze Irene , Ramos Celso D.
Published: November 2019

Many efforts have been made to standardize the interpretation of 18F-FDG PET/CT in multiple myeloma (MM) with qualitative visual analysis or with quantitative metabolic parameters using various methods for lesion segmentation of PET images. The aim of this study was to propose a quantitative method for bone and bone marrow evaluation of 18F-FDG PET/CT considering the extent and intensity of bone 18F-FDG uptake: Intensity of Bone Involvement (IBI). Whole body 18F-FDG PET/CT of 59 consecutive MM patients were evaluated. Compact bone tissue was segmented in PET images using a global threshold for HU of the registered CT image. A whole skeleton mask was created and the percentage of its volume with 18F-FDG uptake above hepatic uptake was calculated (Percentage of Bone Involvement - PBI). IBI was defined by multiplying PBI by mean SUV above hepatic uptake. IBI was compared with visual analysis performed by two experienced nuclear medicine physicians. IBI calculation was feasible in all images (range:0.00–1.35). Visual analysis categorized PET exams into three groups (negative/mild, moderate and marked bone involvement), that had different ranges of IBI (multi comparison analysis, p < 0.0001). There was an inverse correlation between the patients’ hemoglobin values and IBI (r = −0.248;p = 0.02). IBI score is an objective measure of bone and bone marrow involvement in MM, allowing the categorization of patients in different degrees of aggressiveness of the bone disease. The next step is to validate IBI in a larger group of patients, before and after treatment and in a multicentre setting.
Unfolding the innovation system for the development of countries: coevolution of Science, Technology and Production
Authors: Pugliese Emanuele , Cimini Giulio , Patelli Aurelio , Zaccaria Andrea , Pietronero Luciano , Gabrielli Andrea
Published: November 2019

We show that the space in which scientific, technological and economic activities interplay with each other can be mathematically shaped using techniques from statistical physics of networks. We build a holistic view of the innovation system as the tri-layered network of interactions among these many activities (scientific publication, patenting, and industrial production in different sectors), also taking into account the possible time delays. Within this construction we can identify which capabilities and prerequisites are needed to be competitive in a given activity, and even measure how much time is needed to transform, for instance, the technological know-how into economic wealth and scientific innovation, being able to make predictions with a very long time horizon. We find empirical evidence that, at the aggregate scale, technology is the best predictor for industrial and scientific production over the upcoming decades.
Acute Toxic Injuries of Rat’s Visceral Tissues Induced by Different Oximes
Authors: Jaćević Vesna , Nepovimova Eugenie , Kuča Kamil
Published: November 2019

Certain AChE reactivators, asoxime, obidoxime, K027, K048, and K075, when taken in overdoses and sometimes even when introduced within therapeutic ranges, may injure the different organs. As a continuation of previously published data, in this study, Wistar rats have sacrificed 24 hrs and 7 days after single im application of 0.1LD50, 0.5LD50 and 1.0LD50 of each reactivator, and examinated tissue samples were obtained for pathohistological and semiquantitative analysis. A severity of tissue alteration, expressed as different tissue damage scores were evaluated. Morphological structure of examinated tissues treated with of 0.1LD50 of all reactivators was comparable with the control group of rats. Moderate injuries were seen in visceral tissues treated with 0.5LD50 of asoxime, obidoxime and K027. Acute damages were enlarged after treatment with 0.5LD50 and 1.0LD50 of all reactivators during the next 7 days. The most prominent changes were seen in rats treated with 1.0LD50 of K048 and K075 (P < 0.001 vs. control and asoxime-treated group). All reactivators given by a single, high, unitary dose regimen, have an adverse effect not only on the main visceral tissue, but on the whole rat as well, but the exact mechanism of cellular injury remains to be confirmed in further investigation.
Magneto-Optical Characteristics of Streptavidin-Coated Fe3O4@Au Core-Shell Nanoparticles for Potential Applications on Biomedical Assays
Authors: Lin Chin-Wei , Chen Jian-Ming , Lin You-Jun , Chao Ling-Wei , Wei Sin-Yi , Wu Chiu-Hsien , Jeng Chien-Chung , Wang Li-Min , Chen Kuen-Lin
Published: November 2019

Recently, gold-coated magnetic nanoparticles have drawn the interest of researchers due to their unique magneto-plasmonic characteristics. Previous research has found that the magneto-optical Faraday effect of gold-coated magnetic nanoparticles can be effectively enhanced because of the surface plasmon resonance of the gold shell. Furthermore, gold-coated magnetic nanoparticles are ideal for biomedical applications because of their high stability and biocompatibility. In this work, we synthesized Fe3O4@Au core-shell nanoparticles and coated streptavidin (STA) on the surface. Streptavidin is a protein which can selectively bind to biotin with a strong affinity. STA is widely used in biotechnology research including enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), time-resolved immunofluorescence (TRFIA), biosensors, and targeted pharmaceuticals. The Faraday magneto-optical characteristics of the biofunctionalized Fe3O4@Au nanoparticles were measured and studied. We showed that the streptavidin-coated Fe3O4@Au nanoparticles still possessed the enhanced magneto-optical Faraday effect. As a result, the possibility of using biofunctionalized Fe3O4@Au nanoparticles for magneto-optical biomedical assays should be explored.
Evidence for a transcellular route for vitellogenin transport in the telotrophic ovary of Podisus nigrispinus (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)
Authors: Assis Mírian Quintão , Dohanik Virgínia Teles , Oliveira Leandro Licursi de , Zanuncio José Cola , Serrão José Eduardo
Published: November 2019

Vitellogenin is the main yolk precursor protein in insect oocytes. It is synthesized in the fat body and released into the hemolymph. To reach the oocyte surface, vitellogenin must cross a single layer of follicular epithelium cells. The transport of vitellogenin across the follicular epithelium has been suggested to occur through the enlarged intercellular spaces (patency) by a paracellular route or by endocytosis by follicular cells and release onto oocyte surface in a transcelluar route. In this study, we investigated whether vitellogenin transport in the meroistic telotrophic ovary of Podisus nigrispinus (Hemiptera) occurs via a paracellular or transcellular route. Light and transmission electron microscopies showed that short cell–cell contacts with well-developed occluding septate junctions were present in follicular cells with patency. Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed the presence of vitellogenin receptors in the plasma membrane and of vitellogenin in the cytoplasm of follicular cells. Data suggest that cell–cell contacts serve as a barrier to large vitellogenin molecules and that this protein is transported via a transcellular route of receptor-mediated endocytosis.
The characteristics of krill swarms in relation to aggregating Antarctic blue whales
Authors: Miller E. J. , Potts J. M. , Cox M. J. , Miller B. S. , Calderan S. , Leaper R. , Olson P. A. , O’Driscoll R. L. , Double M. C.
Published: November 2019

We model the presence of rare Antarctic blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus intermedia) in relation to the swarm characteristics of their main prey species, Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba). A combination of visual observations and recent advances in passive acoustic technology were used to locate Antarctic blue whales, whilst simultaneously using active underwater acoustics to characterise the distribution, size, depth, composition and density of krill swarms. Krill swarm characteristics and blue whale presence were examined at a range of spatiotemporal scales to investigate sub meso-scale (i.e., <100 km) foraging behaviour. Results suggest that at all scales, Antarctic blue whales are more likely to be detected within the vicinity of krill swarms with a higher density of krill, those found shallower in the water column, and those of greater vertical height. These findings support hypotheses that as lunge-feeders of extreme size, Antarctic blue whales target shallow, dense krill swarms to maximise their energy intake. As both Antarctic krill and blue whales play a key role in the Southern Ocean ecosystem, the nature of their predator-prey dynamics is an important consideration, not only for the recovery of this endangered species in a changing environment, but for the future management of Antarctic krill fisheries.
Estimating growth and photosynthetic properties of wheat grown in simulated saline field conditions using hyperspectral reflectance sensing and multivariate analysis
Authors: El-Hendawy Salah , Al-Suhaibani Nasser , Alotaibi Majed , Hassan Wael , Elsayed Salah , Tahir Muhammad Usman , Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim , Schmidhalter Urs
Published: November 2019

The timely estimation of growth and photosynthetic-related traits in an easy and nondestructive manner using hyperspectral data will become imperative for addressing the challenges of environmental stresses inherent to the agricultural sector in arid conditions. However, the handling and analysis of these data by exploiting the full spectrum remains the determining factor for refining the estimation of crop variables. The main objective of this study was to estimate growth and traits underpinning photosynthetic efficiency of two wheat cultivars grown under simulated saline field conditions and exposed to three salinity levels using hyperspectral reflectance information from 350–2500 nm obtained at two years. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) based on the full spectrum was applied to develop predictive models for estimating the measured parameters in different conditions (salinity levels, cultivars, and years). Variable importance in projection (VIP) of PLSR in combination with multiple linear regression (MLR) was implemented to identify important waveband regions and influential wavelengths related to the measured parameters. The results showed that the PLSR models exhibited moderate to high coefficients of determination (R2) in both the calibration and validation datasets (0.30–0.95), but that this range of R2 values depended on parameters and conditions. The PLSR models based on the full spectrum accurately and robustly predicted three of four parameters across all conditions. Based on the combination of PLSR-VIP and MLR analysis, the wavelengths selected within the visible (VIS), red-edge, and middle near-infrared (NIR) wavebands were the most sensitive to all parameters in all conditions, whereas those selected within the shortwave infrared (SWIR) waveband were effective for some parameters in particular conditions. Overall, these results indicated that the PLSR analysis and band selection techniques can offer a rapid and nondestructive alternative approach to accurately estimate growth- and photosynthetic-related trait responses to salinity stress.