bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Circulating testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone are associated with individual motor unit features in untrained and highly active older men
Authors: Guo Yuxiao , Piasecki Jessica , Swiecicka Agnieszka , Ireland Alex , Phillips Bethan E. , Atherton Philip J. , Stashuk Daniel , Rutter Martin K. , McPhee Jamie S. , Piasecki Mathew 
Published: December 2021

AbstractLong-term exercise training has been considered as an effective strategy to counteract age-related hormonal declines and minimise muscle atrophy. However, human data relating circulating hormone levels with motor nerve function are scant. The aims of the study were to explore associations between circulating sex hormone levels and motor unit (MU) characteristics in older men, including masters athletes competing in endurance and power events. Forty-three older men (mean ± SD age: 69.9 ± 4.6 years) were studied based on competitive status. The serum concentrations of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), total testosterone (T) and estradiol were quantified using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Intramuscular electromyographic signals were recorded from vastus lateralis (VL) during 25% of maximum voluntary isometric contractions and processed to extract MU firing rate (FR), and motor unit potential (MUP) features. After adjusting for athletic status, MU FR was positively associated with DHEA levels (p = 0.019). Higher testosterone and estradiol were associated with lower MUP complexity; these relationships remained significant after adjusting for athletic status (p = 0.006 and p = 0.019, respectively). Circulating DHEA was positively associated with MU firing rate in these older men. Higher testosterone levels were associated with reduced MUP complexity, indicating reduced electrophysiological temporal dispersion, which is related to decreased differences in conduction times along axonal branches and/or MU fibres. Although evident in males only, this work highlights the potential of hormone administration as a therapeutic interventional strategy specifically targeting human motor units in older age.
Quantification and analysis of surface macroplastic contamination on arable areas
Authors: Stefano Nikolas , Pleissner Daniel 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Purpose
The present study provides quantitative data on the degree of macroplastic contamination of two conventionally treated arable areas in North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany), which differ only in the use of organic fertilizers (e.g., compost).

Methods
The plastic contamination of both areas was determined by means of field sampling. The study areas were divided into edge and central areas to minimize and identify direct influences from the boundaries. After cleaning and drying, the collected macroplastic particles were analyzed by phototechnical and optical methods for number and size of particles.

Results
The arable area with compost fertilization showed a substantially higher macroplastic pollution with 9247 particles per hectare compared to the 220 particles per hectare found on the arable land without compost application. Furthermore, the differences in plastic forms and types on both areas, the presence of plastic directly related to household and garden products, and the homogeneous distribution of plastic particles on the arable area with compost application allow to conclude that compost can be regarded as reason for substantially higher pollution. Areas close to a road showed a higher degree of contamination and differences in the found plastic products compared to the center areas, which indicates littering as a further considerable entry path.

Conclusions
The causes of plastic contamination of the investigated arable areas (e.g., contaminated compost by improper waste management and littering) are predominantly external to agricultural practices. The knowledge gained contributes to the knowledge about quantities, impacts, and fate of plastic in the environment.
Work Addiction and Work Engagement: a Network Approach to Cross-Cultural Data
Authors: Bereznowski Piotr , Bereznowska Aleksandra , Atroszko Paweł A. , Konarski Roman 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
This study aimed to investigate direct relationships of work addiction symptoms with dimensions of work engagement. We used three samples in which work addiction was measured with the Bergen Work Addiction Scale and work engagement was measured with the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. One sample comprised responses from working Norwegians (n1 = 776), and two samples comprised responses from working Poles (n2 = 719; n3 = 715). We jointly estimated three networks using the fused graphic lasso method. Additionally, we estimated the stability of each network, node centrality, and node predictability and quantitatively compared all networks. The results showed that absorption and mood modification could constitute a bridge between work addiction and work engagement. It suggests that further investigation of properties of absorption and mood modification might be crucial for answering the question of how engaged workers become addicted to work.
Effect of steady-state response versus excitatory/inhibitory balance on spiking synchronization in neural networks with log-normal synaptic weight distribution
Authors: Nobukawa Sou , Wagatsuma Nobuhiko , Ikeda Takashi , Hasegawa Chiaki , Kikuchi Mitsuru , Takahashi Tetsuya 
Published: December 2021

AbstractSynchronization of neural activity, especially at the gamma band, contributes to perceptual functions. In several psychiatric disorders, deficits of perceptual functions are reflected in synchronization abnormalities. Plausible cause of this impairment is an alteration in the balance between excitation and inhibition (E/I balance); a disruption in the E/I balance leads to abnormal neural interactions reminiscent of pathological states. Moreover, the local lateral excitatory-excitatory synaptic connections in the cortex exhibit excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) that follow a log-normal amplitude distribution. This long-tailed distribution is considered an important factor for the emergence of spatiotemporal neural activity. In this context, we hypothesized that manipulating the EPSP distribution under abnormal E/I balance conditions would provide insights into psychiatric disorders characterized by deficits in perceptual functions, potentially revealing the mechanisms underlying pathological neural behaviors. In this study, we evaluated the synchronization of neural activity with external periodic stimuli in spiking neural networks in cases of both E/I balance and imbalance with or without a long-tailed EPSP amplitude distribution. The results showed that external stimuli of a high frequency lead to a decrease in the degree of synchronization with an increasing ratio of excitatory to inhibitory neurons in the presence, but not in the absence, of high-amplitude EPSPs. This monotonic reduction can be interpreted as an autonomous, strong-EPSP-dependent spiking activity selectively interfering with the responses to external stimuli. This observation is consistent with pathological findings. Thus, our modeling approach has potential to improve the understanding of the steady-state response in both healthy and pathological states.
Ruminative reflection is associated with anticorrelations between the orbitofrontal cortex and the default mode network in depression: implications for repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation
Authors: Ehrlich Tobin J. , Bhat Jyoti , Horwege Andrea M. , Mathalon Daniel H. , Glover Gary H. , Roach Brian J. , Badran Bashar W. , Forman Steven D. , George Mark S. , Scott J. Cobb , Thase Michael E. , Yesavage Jerome A. , Yurgelun-Todd Deborah A. , Rosen Allyson C. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractPatients with depression who ruminate repeatedly focus on depressive thoughts; however, there are two cognitive subtypes of rumination, reflection and brooding, each associated with different prognoses. Reflection involves problem-solving and is associated with positive outcomes, whereas brooding involves passive, negative, comparison with other people and is associated with poor outcomes. Rumination has also been related to atypical functional hyperconnectivity between the default mode network and subgenual prefrontal cortex. Repetitive pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation of the prefrontal cortex has been shown to alter functional connectivity, suggesting that the abnormal connectivity associated with rumination could potentially be altered. This study examined potential repetitive pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation prefrontal cortical targets that could modulate one or both of these rumination subtypes. Forty-three patients who took part in a trial of repetitive pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation completed the Rumination Response Scale questionnaire and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Seed to voxel functional connectivity analyses identified an anticorrelation between the left lateral orbitofrontal cortex (−44, 26, −8;k = 172) with the default mode network-subgenual region in relation to higher levels of reflection. Parallel analyses were not significant for brooding or the RRS total score. These findings extend previous studies of rumination and identify a potential mechanistic model for symptom-based neuromodulation of rumination.
Personal experience, posttraumatic symptomatology, and meaning in life during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Arredondo A. Y. , Caparrós B. 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Background
The traumatic subjective distress and personal meaning in life were examined in the context of the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic sanitary crisis and home lockdown. Method: A total of 543 participants answered an online survey that included questions about the individual characteristics of the pandemic experience, the Impact of Event Scale-Revised, and the Personal Meaning Profile-Brief. Results: Nearly all of life impaired areas, having the suspicion of being ill with COVID-19, having lost a close person to this virus, and having been accompanied during the lockdown were experiences associated with higher PTSD symptoms. Posttraumatic symptomatology was inversely correlated with areas of meaning in life. Lastly, a higher number of affected areas and a negative subjective lockdown circumstance explained greater total PTSD symptoms. Conclusion: Specific pandemic experiences and lockdown circumstances affected the presence of posttraumatic symptoms. The personal meaning of life seems to be involved in the process of less adverse traumatic consequences.
Insights into the generation of hydroxyl radicals from H2O2 decomposition by the combination of Fe2+ and chloranilic acid
Authors: Ahmad M. I. , Bensalah N. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractIn this work, the degradation of chloranilic acid (CAA) by chemical oxidation with H2O2 alone and in the presence of ferrous iron Fe2+ catalyst was investigated in order to improve our understanding on the novel metal-independent approach. The interesting and efficient metal-independent hydroxyl radicals (OH) production by using halogenated quinones and H2O2 has been currently demonstrated. The results clearly confirmed the formation of OH radicals from the reaction of CAA with H2O2. CAA was slowly decayed by chemical oxidation with H2O2 and followed a pseudo-first kinetics. H2O2 doses ≥ 1000 mM were required to achieve complete CAA decay from 1 mM CAA. However, low total organic carbon (TOC) removal was measured with the accumulation of carboxylic acids. The addition of Fe2+ enhanced the kinetics of CAA degradation and reduced the required dose of H2O2. High TOC removal was obtained, almost complete release of chloride ions, without accumulation of carboxylic acids. The decolorization of methylene blue (MB) aqueous solutions was performed using H2O2, H2O2/CAA, H2O2/Fe2+, and H2O2/CAA/Fe2+. H2O2/CAA/Fe2+ was the most effective method in decolorizing MB solutions due to the accelerated Fe2+ regeneration. Coupling Fenton reagent with CAA seems to be promising alternative to physical activation in water and soil treatment.
Aut-invariant quasimorphisms on free products
Authors: Karlhofer Bastien 
Published: December 2021

AbstractLet$$G=A *B$$G=A∗Bbe a free product of freely indecomposable groups. We explicitly construct quasimorphisms onGwhich are invariant with respect to all automorphisms ofG. We also prove that the space of such quasimorphisms is infinite-dimensional wheneverGis not the infinite dihedral group. As an application we prove that an invariant analogue of stable commutator length recently introduced by Kawasaki and Kimura is non-trivial for these groups.
Post-Synthetic and In Situ Vacancy Repairing of Iron Hexacyanoferrate Toward Highly Stable Cathodes for Sodium-Ion Batteries
Authors: Wan Min , Zeng Rui , Meng Jingtao , Cheng Zexiao , Chen Weilun , Peng Jiayu , Zhang Wuxing , Huang Yunhui 
Published: December 2021

AbstractIron hexacyanoferrate (FeHCF) is a promising cathode material for sodium-ion batteries. However, FeHCF always suffers from a poor cycling stability, which is closely related to the abundant vacancy defects in its framework. Herein, post-synthetic and in-situ vacancy repairing strategies are proposed for the synthesis of high-quality FeHCF in a highly concentrated Na4Fe(CN)6 solution. Both the post-synthetic and in-situ vacancy repaired FeHCF products (FeHCF-P and FeHCF-I) show the significant decrease in the number of vacancy defects and the reinforced structure, which can suppress the side reactions and activate the capacity from low-spin Fe in FeHCF. In particular, FeHCF-P delivers a reversible discharge capacity of 131 mAh g−1 at 1 C and remains 109 mAh g−1 after 500 cycles, with a capacity retention of 83%. FeHCF-I can deliver a high discharge capacity of 158.5 mAh g−1 at 1 C. Even at 10 C, the FeHCF-I electrode still maintains a discharge specific capacity of 103 mAh g−1 and retains 75% after 800 cycles. This work provides a new vacancy repairing strategy for the solution synthesis of high-quality FeHCF.
A Kuhn–Tucker model for behaviour in dictator games
Authors: Moffatt Peter G. , Zevallos Graciela 
Published: December 2021

AbstractWe consider a dictator game experiment in which dictators perform a sequence of giving tasks and taking tasks. The data are used to estimate the parameters of a Stone–Geary utility function over own-payoff and other’s payoff. The econometric model incorporates zero observations (e.g. zero-giving or zero-taking) by applying the Kuhn–Tucker theorem and treating zeros as corner solutions in the dictator’s constrained optimisation problem. The method of maximum simulated likelihood (MSL) is used for estimation. We find that selfishness is significantly lower in taking tasks than in giving tasks, and we attribute this difference to the “cold prickle of taking”.
Zwischen Lebenssinn, Spott und Nostalgie. Wie das Christentum neurechte Anhänger vereint und trennt
Authors: Diefenbach Aletta 
Published: December 2021

ZusammenfassungDie Rolle des Christentums wird im gegenwärtigen Rechtsruck bisher als diffuser Identitätsmarker für das Eigene, als belonging without believing, beschrieben. Referenzen wie die christliche Kultur würden zwar für das Identitäre stehen, damit artikuliere sich aber eher ein säkulares und kulturelles als ein glaubendes Wir. Diagnosen dieser Art wurden bisher vor allem an öffentlichen Programmatiken oder Diskursen festgemacht. Weniger klar ist, wie christliche Wissensbestände auch auf der lebensweltlichen Ebene neuer lokaler Gruppen ihre Relevanz erhalten und zu einer kollektiven Identität der sogenannten Neuen Rechten beitragen. Aufbauend auf dem Konzept der affektiven Grenzziehungen, das den Blick für ebendiese erfahrungsbasierten Prozesse der Sinnstiftung schärft, geht dieser Beitrag den Bedeutungen und Funktionen des Christentums für verschiedene lokal agierende Gruppen (AfD, Pegida, Identitäre Bewegung) nach. Drei exemplarische Fälle verdeutlichen, wie facettenreich und damit auch umstritten das Christentum als verbindende Ressource der Neuen Rechten ist: Zwar zeigt sich ein vereinendes Potenzial in der gemeinsamen Identifikation mit dem Christentum als säkularisierter Kulturleistung. Doch letztlich offenbaren sich in den Positionierungen zum Christentum fundamentale Identitäts- und gesellschaftliche Ordnungsvorstellungen. Die Befunde verweisen damit auch auf die Grenzen einer gemeinsamen Politisierung durch den Ethnopluralismus.
The genetic and molecular basis for improving heat stress tolerance in wheat
Authors: Sun Lv , Wen Jingjing , Peng Huiru , Yao Yingyin , Hu Zhaorong , Ni Zhongfu , Sun Qixin , Xin Mingming 
Published: December 2021

AbstractWheat production requires at least ~ 2.4% increase per year rate by 2050 globally to meet food demands. However, heat stress results in serious yield loss of wheat worldwide. Correspondingly, wheat has evolved genetic basis and molecular mechanisms to protect themselves from heat-induced damage. Thus, it is very urgent to understand the underlying genetic basis and molecular mechanisms responsive to elevated temperatures to provide important strategies for heat-tolerant varieties breeding. In this review, we focused on the impact of heat stress on morphology variation at adult stage in wheat breeding programs. We also summarize the recent studies of genetic and molecular factors regulating heat tolerance, including identification of heat stress tolerance related QTLs/genes, and the regulation pathway in response to heat stress. In addition, we discuss the potential ways to improve heat tolerance by developing new technologies such as genome editing. This review of wheat responses to heat stress may shed light on the understanding heat-responsive mechanisms, although the regulatory network of heat tolerance is still ambiguous in wheat.
Anti-Corruption Protests and University Students: Evidence from Russian Cities
Authors: Nikolayenko Olena 
Published: December 2021

AbstractThere are conflicting theoretical expectations regarding students' protest behaviour in contemporary autocracies. On the one hand, in line with a resource model of political participation, university students are more likely to protest than their peers without higher education. On the other hand, university students in autocracies might refrain from high-risk activism in exchange for their own financial well-being and career advancement. To address this debate, the article leverages data on anti-corruption protests organized by the opposition politician Alexei Navalny in March 2017. Results show that anti-corruption protests were larger in Russian cities with a larger university student population. Next, employing individual-level data from the fifth wave of the European Values Survey, multinomial logistic regression analysis demonstrates that university students participated in demonstrations at a higher rate than non-students of the same age. More broadly, these findings yield insights into subnational variation in mass mobilization in a repressive political regime.
Own-Party Bias: How Voters Evaluate Electoral Outcomes
Authors: Baekgaard Martin 
Published: December 2021

AbstractA voluminous literature documents that citizens' perceptions of democracy are shaped by electoral victories and defeats, but what reasoning do citizens use to evaluate parties as winners or losers? Drawing on research on partisan-motivated reasoning, I propose an own-party bias in winner–loser evaluations according to which voters evaluate the electoral fate of their party more favourably than that of other parties. Data gathered in the aftermath of the Danish parliamentary election in 2015 support this expectation. Citizens are more inclined to interpret the election outcome as successful for their preferred party, regardless of the actual election result. This is more pronounced the stronger their partisan attachment and among the less politically knowledgeable, who also assign less importance to objective indicators of electoral success. The findings have implications for our understanding of electoral winners and losers and of how electoral results shape party support and polarization.
The evaluation of a training course to enhance intellectual disability awareness amongst law enforcement officers: a pilot study
Authors: Gulati Gautam , Cusack Alan , Murphy Valerie , Kelly Brendan D. , Kilcommins Shane , Dunne Colum P. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractObjectives:Disability awareness training is mandated by the United Nations Convention on People with Disabilities (UNCRPD), but there is a paucity of evidence regarding the systematic evaluation of the effectiveness of such training. This study describes the evaluation of a pilot intellectual disability awareness programme for law enforcement officers (LEOs) in Ireland.Methods:Pre-and post-training Likert scales and a semi-structured survey were used to evaluate the effectiveness of an intellectual disabilities awareness programme delivered to LEOs. Quantitative differences in Likert scores and thematic analyses of practice-based responses were used in evaluation.Results:Twenty-two LEOs participated in the training and 11 completed the evaluation cycle. Statistically significant improvements were found in participants’ self-rated knowledge of intellectual disability, their understanding of the challenges faced by people with intellectual disabilities in law enforcement interactions, their communication skills and their knowledge of how to approach a person with a disability in crisis. Thematic analysis excavated potential practical application of learning around pre-arrest considerations, recognition of disability, communication skills and need for procedural safeguards.Conclusions:An approach grounded in the views of people with intellectual disabilities and with emphasis on recognition of disability, communication, accessibility of information and providing appropriate support in custody, appears to promote improvement in self-reported knowledge and prospective application in LEOs. The findings of this study are potentially applicable to countries that have ratified the UNCRPD.
What are the letters e and é in a language with vowel reduction? The case of Catalan
Authors: Marcet Ana , Fernández-López María , Baciero Ana , Sesé Albert , Perea Manuel 
Published: December 2021

AbstractAlthough the Latin-based orthographies of most Western languages employ vowels with accent marks (e.g., é vs. e), extant models of letter and word recognition are agnostic as to whether these accented letters and their non-accented counterparts are represented by common or separate abstract units. Recent research in French with a masked priming alphabetic decision task was interpreted as favoring the idea that accented and non-accented vowels are represented by separate abstract orthographic units (orthographic account: é↛e and e↛é; Chetail & Boursain, 2019). However, a more parsimonious explanation is that salient (accented) vowels are less perceptually similar to non-salient (non-accented) vowels than vice versa (perceptual account: e→é, but é↛e; Perea et al., 2021a; Tversky, 1977). To adjudicate between the two accounts, we conducted a masked priming alphabetic decision experiment in Catalan, a language with a complex orthography-to-phonology mapping for non-accented vowels (e.g., e→/e/, /ə/, /ε/). Results showed faster responses in the identity than in the visually similar condition for accented targets (é–É < e–É), but not for non-accented targets (e–E = é–E). Neither of the above accounts can fully capture this pattern. We propose an explanation based on the rapid activation of both orthographic and phonological codes.