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Antarctica's ice shelves modulate the grounded ice flow, and weakening of ice shelves due to climate forcing will decrease their 'buttressing' effect, causing a response in the grounded ice. While the processes governing ice-shelf weakening are complex, uncertainties in the response of the grounded ice sheet are also difficult to assess. The Antarctic BUttressing Model Intercomparison Project (ABUMIP) compares ice-sheet model responses to decrease in buttressing by investigating the 'end-member' scenario of total and sustained loss of ice shelves. Although unrealistic, this scenario enables gauging the sensitivity of an ensemble of 15 ice-sheet models to a total loss of buttressing, hence exhibiting the full potential of marine ice-sheet instability. All models predict that this scenario leads to multi-metre (1-12 m) sea-level rise over 500 years from present day. West Antarctic ice sheet collapse alone leads to a 1.91-5.08 m sea-level rise due to the marine ice-sheet instability. Mass loss rates are a strong function of the sliding/friction law, with plastic laws cause a further destabilization of the Aurora and Wilkes Subglacial Basins, East Antarctica. Improvements to marine ice-sheet models have greatly reduced variability between modelled ice-sheet responses to extreme ice-shelf loss, e.g. compared to the SeaRISE assessments.

Organizations increasingly rely on digital technologies to perform tasks. To do so, they have to integrate data banks to make the data usable. We argue that there is a growing, academically underexplored market consisting of data integration and analysis platforms. We explain that, especially in the public sector, the regulatory implications of data integration and analysis must be studied because they affect vulnerable citizens and because it is not just a matter of state agencies overseeing technology companies but also of the state overseeing itself. We propose a platform-theory-based conceptual approach that directs our attention towards the specific characteristics of platforms—such as datafication, modularity, and multilaterality and the associated regulatory challenges. Due to a scarcity of empirical analyses about how public sector platforms are regulated, we undertake an in-depth case study of a data integration and analysis platform operated by Palantir Technologies in the German federal state of Hesse. Our analysis of the regulatory activities and conflicts uncovers many obstacles to effective platform regulation. Drawing on recent initiatives to improve intermediary liability, we ultimately point to additional paths for regulating public sector platforms. Our findings also highlight the importance of political factors in platform regulation-as-a-practice. We conclude that platform regulation in the public sector is not only about technology-specific regulation but also about general mechanisms of democratic control, such as the separation of power, public transparency, and civil rights.

Background Cardiac screening of elite athletes is widely recommended by Australasian sporting federations, but data are not structured to be shared. Data are lacking from underrepresented groups to inform ECG interpretation guidelines. The ARENA (Australasian Registry of Screening ECGs in National Athletes) project is a retrospective and prospective, multicenter, longitudinal, observational registry of athlete cardiac screening results and outcomes. The aim is to create a repository to improve our understanding of the diagnoses and outcomes of screening. Methods Participating sports that conduct cardiac screening of athletes will contribute data. This includes an initial collection (retrospective data, waiver of consent) and future prospective data (opt‐out consent). Data include sex, age, sport/event, screening date, ECG findings, cardiac test results, follow‐up details, sport participation status, cardiac diagnoses, and major cardiovascular outcomes defined as sudden cardiac arrest/death, cardiac syncope or implanted cardioverter defibrillator shock, cardiac hospitalization, and arrhythmias requiring intervention. Comparisons will be made between diagnoses, outcomes, and ECG features and analyzed by sport and sex. The ARENA project was developed in collaboration with sporting bodies, team physicians, and players association representatives and endorsed by the Australasian College of Sport & Exercise Physicians and Sports Medicine Australia. Conclusions The ARENA project will provide a long‐term international data repository to improve our understanding of ECG interpretation, cardiac screening and diagnoses, and the prevalence of cardiovascular outcomes in screened athletes. A unique aim is to address evidence gaps in underrepresented athlete groups, specifically female athletes and Indigenous populations. Results will inform screening policies and guidelines.

**Background:** Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is a treatment for chronic intractable pain powered by an implantable pulse generator that may be rechargeable or not rechargeable (NR). It is performed in 2 stages (a trialing phase followed by permanent device implantation) and necessitates 2 hospitalizations, which may increase infection risk. **Objective:** This analysis explores the cost impact of improvements in battery longevity and the adoption of 1-step (direct-to-implant [DTI]) SCS implantation. **Methods:** Since 2019, 3 leading NR-SCS devices have been launched: Device A (2019), Device B (2020), and Device C (2021). The battery longevity of the newest Device C was estimated at comparable stimulation settings for Devices A and B. A Markov model simulated individual patient pathways across 2 scenarios: Device A vs Device C and Device B vs Device C (both with the DTI approach and 2-step approach). Costs considered were the initial device implantation procedure, device replacements, and serious adverse event (SAE) management. Italian diagnosis-related group (DRG) tariffs were applied for costs, and a 15-year time horizon was used. **Results:** Over 15 years, using a DTI approach, the undiscounted total costs for Device A vs Device C were €26 860 and €22 633, respectively, and €25 111 and €22 399 for Device B vs Device C, respectively. Compared with Devices A and B, Device C offered savings of €4227 and €2712, respectively; similar savings were predicted with a 2-step implant approach. **Discussion:** The battery longevity of NR-SCS devices directly impacts long-term costs to a payer. The longer the device lasts, the lower mean total cumulative costs the patient will have, especially with regard to device replacement costs. With novel devices and specific programming settings, the lifetime cost per patient to a payer can be decreased without compromising the patient’s safety and positive clinical outcome. **Conclusions:** Extended SCS battery longevity can translate into tangible cost savings for payers. The DTI approach for SCS supports National Healthcare System cost efficiencies and offers the additional benefits of optimizing operating room time while having only one recovery period for the patient.

ObjectiveTo examine the relationship between current and former smoking and the occurrence of delirium in surgical Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients.MethodsWe conducted a single center, case-control study involving 244 delirious and 251 non-delirious patients that were admitted to our ICU between 2018 and 2022. Using propensity score analysis, we obtained 115 pairs of delirious and non-delirious patients matched for age and Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (SAPS II). Both groups of patients were further stratified into non-smokers, active smokers and former smokers, and logistic regression was performed to further investigate potential confounders.ResultsOur study revealed a significant association between former smoking and the incidence of delirium in ICU patients, both in unmatched (adjusted odds ratio (OR): 1.82, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.17-2.83) and matched cohorts (OR: 3.0, CI: 1.53-5.89). Active smoking did not demonstrate a significant difference in delirium incidence compared to non-smokers (unmatched OR = 0.98, CI: 0.62-1.53, matched OR = 1.05, CI: 0.55-2.0). Logistic regression analysis of the matched group confirmed former smoking as an independent risk factor for delirium, irrespective of other variables like surgical history (p = 0.010). Notably, also respiratory and vascular surgeries were associated with increased odds of delirium (respiratory: OR: 4.13, CI: 1.73-9.83; vascular: OR: 2.18, CI: 1.03-4.59). Medication analysis showed that while Ketamine and Midazolam usage did not significantly correlate with delirium, Morphine use was linked to a decreased likelihood (OR: 0.27, 95% CI: 0.13-0.55).DiscussionNicotine’s complex neuropharmacological impact on the brain is still not fully understood, especially its short-term and long-term implications for critically ill patients. Although our retrospective study cannot establish causality, our findings suggest that smoking may induce structural changes in the brain, potentially heightening the risk of postoperative delirium. Intriguingly, this effect seems to be obscured in active smokers, potentially due to the recognized neuroprotective properties of nicotine. Our results motivate future prospective studies, the results of which hold the potential to substantially impact risk assessment procedures for surgeries.

Abstract We have developed a stress management framework aimed at helping healthcare professionals manage occupational stress. A chatbot is used to gather pertinent information from a user through regular conversation which is processed via a fuzzy inference model to derive their level of occupational Comprehensibility, Manageability, Meaningful and overall occupational Sense of Coherence (SOC). This analysis feeds into a Peer Support model which selects the best intervention aimed at enhancing a user’s stress-coping abilities and reducing their levels of occupational stress. A trial has been conducted with working adults, and the results were examined using a questionnaire supported by Technology Acceptance Model, which showed that the chatbot could recognize the user's SOC, but left a challenge: few users wanted to continue using it in their daily lives.

IntroductionHand hygiene is an integral public health strategy in reducing the transmission of COVID-19, yet the past research has shown hand hygiene practices among the public is sub-optimal. This study aimed to (1) quantify hand sanitization rates among the public to minimize the transmission of COVID-19 and (2) evaluate whether different public health messaging, based on various behavior-change theories influences hand hygiene behavior in a natural setting.MethodsAn observational, naturalistic study design was used with real-time customer activity data recorded against hand sanitizer usage in a regional hardware store. Primary outcome from the study was to measure the usage ratio by counting the amount of activity versus usage of hand sanitizer per hour against individual messages based on their behavioral change technique (BCT).ResultsThere was no significant difference between the baseline message and any of the intervention messages [F(16,904) = 1.19, p = 0.279] or between BCT groups [F(3,906) = 1.33, p = 0.263]. Post hoc tests showed no significant difference between messages (social comparison, p = 0.395; information, p = 1.00; and action planning, p = 1.00).ConclusionThis study showed that even during a pandemic, hand hygiene usage rates in a public setting were similar to the past studies and that compliance did not shift dependent on the public message displayed. This raises questions on whether requirements imposed on businesses to provide hand sanitizer to patrons are an ineffective and maybe an unnecessary economic burden. A measured approach to risk and behavioral analysis surrounding the use of hand sanitizer in a pandemic is suggested as a better approach to inform public policy on the value of hand sanitizer.

Abstract Background While the relation between care involvement of informal caregivers and caregiver burden is well-known, the additional psychosocial burden related to care involvement during the COVID-19 pandemic has not yet been investigated. Methods A total of 1000 informal caregivers, recruited offline, participated in a cross-sectional online survey from April 21 to May 2, 2020. Questionnaires were used to assess COVID-19-specific changes in the care situation, negative feelings in the care situation, problems with implementation of COVID-19 measures, concerns/excessive demands, loss of support, change in informal caregivers’ own involvement in care and problems with provision, comprehension & practicability of COVID-19 information, and to relate these issues to five indicators of care involvement (i.e., being the main caregiver, high expenditure of time, high level of care, dementia, no professional help). Binomial and multiple regression analyses were applied. Results Across indicators of care involvement, 25.5–39.7% reported that the care situation rather or greatly worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for those caring for someone with dementia or those usually relying on professional help. In a multiple regression model, the mean number of involvement indicators met was associated with age (β = .18; CI .10–.25), excessive demands (β = .10, CI .00–.19), problems with implementation of COVID-19 measures (β = .11, CI .04–.19), an increase in caregiving by the informal caregivers themselves (β = .14, CI .03–.24) as well as with no change in the amount of caregiving (β = .18, CI .07–.29) and loss of support (β = −.08, CI −.16–.00). No significant associations with the mean number of involvement indicators met were found for gender, educational level, change in the care situation, negative feelings, and provision, comprehension & practicability of COVID-19 information. Conclusion Those caregivers who perceived extensive care burden were those who suffered most during the pandemic, calling for structural support by the healthcare system now and in the future. Trial registration This article does not report the results of a health care intervention on human participants.

Abstract Objective Prevention of recurrent stroke in patients with embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS) is challenging. The advent of safer anticoagulation in the form of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) has prompted exploration of prophylactic anticoagulation for all ESUS patients, rather than anticoagulating just those with documented atrial fibrillation (AF). However, recent trials have failed to demonstrate a clinical benefit, while observing increased bleeding. We modeled the economic impact of anticoagulating ESUS patients without documented AF across multiple geographies. Methods CRYSTAL-AF trial data were used to assess ischaemic stroke event rates in ESUS patients confirmed AF-free after long-term monitoring. Anticipated bleeding event rates (including both minor and major bleeds) with aspirin, dabigatran 150 mg, and rivaroxaban 20 mg were sourced from published meta-analyses, whilst a 30% ischaemic stroke reduction for both DOACs was assumed. Cost data for clinical events and pharmaceuticals were collected from the local payer perspective. Results Compared with aspirin, dabigatran and rivaroxaban resulted in 17.9 and 29.9 additional bleeding events per 100 patients over a patient’s lifetime, respectively. Despite incorporating into our model the proposed 30% reduction in ischaemic stroke risk, both DOACs were cost-additive over patient lifetime, as the costs of bleeding events and pharmaceuticals outweighed cost savings associated with the reduction in ischaemic strokes. DOACs added £5953–£7018 per patient (UK), €6683–€7368 (Netherlands), €4933–€9378 (Spain), AUD$5353–6539 (Australia) and $26,768–$32,259 (US) of payer cost depending on the agent prescribed. Additionally, in the U.S. patient pharmacy co-payments ranged from $2468–$12,844 depending on agent and patient plan. In all settings, cost-savings could not be demonstrated even when the modelling assumed 100% protection from recurrent ischaemic strokes, due to the very low underlying risk of recurrent ischaemic stroke in this population (1.27 per 100 patient-years). Conclusions Anticoagulation of non-AF patients may cause excess bleeds and add substantial costs for uncertain benefits, suggesting a personalised approach to anticoagulation in ESUS patients.

Digital prediction tools increasingly complement or replace other practices of coping with an uncertain future. The current COVID-19 pandemic, it seems, is further accelerating the spread of prediction. The prediction of the pandemic yields a pandemic of prediction. In this paper, we explore this dynamic, focusing on contagion models and their transmission back and forth between two domains of society: public health and public safety. We connect this movement with a fundamental duality in the prevention of contagion risk concerning the two sides of being-at-risk and being-a-risk. Both in the spread of a disease and in the spread of criminal behavior, a person at risk can be a risk to others and vice versa. Based on key examples, from this perspective we observe and interpret a circular movement in three phases. In the past, contagion models have moved from public health to public safety, as in the case of the Strategic Subject List used in the policing activity of the Chicago Police Department. In the present COVID-19 pandemic, the analytic tools of policing wander to the domain of public health – exemplary of this movement is the cooperation between the data infrastructure firm Palantir and the UK government’s public health system NHS. The expectation that in the future the predictive capacities of digital contact tracing apps might spill over from public health to policing is currently shaping the development and use of tools such as the Corona-Warn-App in Germany. In all these cases, the challenge of pandemic governance lies in managing the connections and the exchanges between the two areas of public health and public safety while at the same time keeping the autonomy of each.

Abstract Background Ischaemic stroke care requires a co-ordinated multi-disciplinary approach to optimise patient outcomes. Current care provision in Saudi Arabia is below international recommendations, and with increasing patient numbers, variable access to new therapies, and sub-optimal co-ordination of staff, the Kingdom’s Ministry of Health has prioritised strategies to develop stroke care. Our objective was to use local epidemiological data to predict stroke incidence and to combine this with international staffing recommendations to estimate future staff requirements and their costs over a 10-year period. Methods We researched existing stroke services and staff availability within Saudi Arabia to establish current provision, undertook epidemiological modelling to predict stroke incidence, and used international staffing recommendations for acute and rehabilitation services to develop a care pathway to provide state-of-the-art stroke services. This information was used to determine the additional staff requirements, and their costs, across the Kingdom. Results Our research concluded that current staff numbers and services are inadequate to cope with the projected increase in the number of stroke cases. In order to provide acute and rehabilitation services which use the latest technologies, re-organisation of existing staff and services would be required, together with significant investment in new staff across several disciplines. An estimated additional 43.8 full-time equivalent stroke neurologists would be required, plus 53.5 full-time equivalent interventional neuroradiologists in addition to expansion of occupational therapy and psychology services. The total cost of additional staff over 10 years was estimated to be 862 390 778 Saudi Riyals ($229 970 874). Conclusions Providing high-quality care for ischaemic stroke patients would involve significant investment in new staff in Saudi Arabia. Further research is required on the applicability of international staffing ratios to countries where there is a significant workforce gap. Nevertheless, this analysis provides a framework to inform stroke care planning and can be adapted to other regions or countries.

Review of Richard D. Oram, David I: King of Scots, 1124–1153 (Edinburgh: Birlinn, 2020).

The functions of color in fungi are not well characterized. Here, Krah and colleagues investigate the color of mushroom assemblages across Europe and show relationships with climate, nutritional mode (saprotrophic and ectomycorrhizal) and seasonality.

Review of R. Andrew McDonald, The Sea Kings: The Late Norse Kingdoms of Man and the Isles, c.1066–1275 (Edinburgh: Birlinn, 2019).

This article describes an incident that occurred on 12th March 2019 in the Solvay factory at Rheinberg in Germany. It caused the explosion of circulating fluidized bed furnace for coal and biomass. The investigation showed that corrosion and erosion of a tube in the heat exchanger section led to the entry of 25 metric tons of water into the furnace. The operators shut down the furnace and tried to eliminate the water by circulating air, following the standard procedure detailed in the operating manual. Due to an unforeseen combination of circumstances, the furnace exploded. It was shown that the explosion was not caused by the presence of flammable gas. It was rather a physical explosion, linked to the presence of about 12 tons of water at 100 °C, suspended above the ash bed at 850 °C. The explosion occurred when the hot bed of ashes was suddenly suspended by the circulating air and came into contact with the suspended water, generating up to about 15,000 m3 of steam instantaneously inside the furnace (free volume 380 m3). The article details the construction and other measures which are necessary to avoid this type of accident.

Climate change has been described as the main threat for the cultivation and growth of truffles, but hydroclimate variability and model uncertainty challenge regional projections and adaptation strategies of the emerging sector. Here, we conduct a literature review to define the main Périgord truffle growing regions around the world and use 20 global climate models to assess the impact of future trends and extremes in temperature, precipitation and soil moisture on truffle production rates and price levels in all cultivation regions in the Americas, Europe, South Africa, and Australasia. Climate model simulations project 2.3 million km ^2 of suitable land for truffle growth will experience 50% faster aridification than the rests of the global land surface, with significantly more heat waves between 2070 and 2099 CE. Overall, truffle production rates will decrease by ∼15%, while associated price levels will increase by ∼36%. At the same time, a predicted increase in summer precipitation and less intense warming over Australasia will likely alleviate water scarcity and support higher yields of more affordable truffles. Our findings are relevant for truffle farmers and businesses to adapt their irrigation systems and management strategies to future climate change.

Truffle fungi are well known for their enticing aromas partially emitted by microbes colonizing truffle fruiting bodies. The identity and diversity of these microbes remain poorly investigated, because few studies have determined truffle-associated bacterial communities while considering only a small number of fruiting bodies. Hence, the factors driving the assembly of truffle microbiomes are yet to be elucidated. Here we investigated the bacterial community structure of more than 50 fruiting bodies of the black truffle Tuber aestivum in one French and one Swiss orchard using 16S rRNA gene amplicon high-throughput sequencing. Bacterial communities from truffles collected in both orchards shared their main dominant taxa: while 60% of fruiting bodies were dominated by α-Proteobacteria, in some cases the β-Proteobacteria or the Sphingobacteriia classes were the most abundant, suggesting that specific factors (i.e., truffle maturation and soil properties) shape differently truffle-associated microbiomes. We further attempted to assess the influence in truffle microbiome variation of factors related to collection season, truffle mating type, degree of maturation, and location within the truffle orchards. These factors had differential effects between the two truffle orchards, with season being the strongest predictor of community variation in the French orchard, and spatial location in the Swiss one. Surprisingly, genotype and fruiting body maturation did not have a significant effect on microbial community composition. In summary, our results show, regardless of the geographical location considered, the existence of heterogeneous bacterial communities within T. aestivum fruiting bodies that are dominated by three bacterial classes. They also indicate that factors shaping microbial communities within truffle fruiting bodies differ across local conditions.

The ascomycete Cenococcum geophilum is a beneficial mycorrhizal symbiont found frequently on tree roots. Here the authors use comparative genomics and transcriptomics to define genomic signatures that differentiate the beneficial C. geophilumfrom its saprotrophic and pathogenic relatives.

Cenococcum geophilum is an ectomycorrhizal fungus with global distribution in numerous habitats and associates with a large range of host species including gymnosperm and angiosperm trees. Moreover, C. geophilum is the unique ectomycorrhizal species within the clade Dothideomycetes, the largest class of Ascomycetes containing predominantly saprotrophic and many devastating phytopathogenic fungi. Recent studies highlight that mycorrhizal fungi, as pathogenic ones, use effectors in form of Small Secreted Proteins (SSPs) as molecular keys to promote symbiosis. In order to better understand the biotic interaction of C. geophilum with its host plants, the goal of this work was to characterize mycorrhiza-induced small-secreted proteins (MiSSPs) that potentially play a role in the ectomycorrhiza formation and functioning of this ecologically very important species. We combined different approaches such as gene expression profiling, genome localization and conservation of MiSSP genes in different C. geophilum strains and closely related species as well as protein subcellular localization studies of potential targets of MiSSPs in interacting plants using in tobacco leaf cells. Gene expression analyses of C. geophilum interacting with Pinus sylvestris (pine) and Populus tremula × Populus alba (poplar) showed that similar sets of genes coding for secreted proteins were up-regulated and only few were specific to each host. Whereas pine induced more carbohydrate active enzymes (CAZymes), the interaction with poplar induced the expression of specific SSPs. We identified a set of 22 MiSSPs, which are located in both, gene-rich, repeat-poor or gene-sparse, repeat-rich regions of the C. geophilum genome, a genome showing a bipartite architecture as seen for some pathogens but not yet for an ectomycorrhizal fungus. Genome re-sequencing data of 15 C. geophilum strains and two close relatives Glonium stellatum and Lepidopterella palustris were used to study sequence conservation of MiSSP-encoding genes. The 22 MiSSPs showed a high presence-absence polymorphism among the studied C. geophilum strains suggesting an evolution through gene gain/gene loss. Finally, we showed that six CgMiSSPs target four distinct sub-cellular compartments such as endoplasmic reticulum, plasma membrane, cytosol and tonoplast. Overall, this work presents a comprehensive analysis of secreted proteins and MiSSPs in different genetic level of C. geophilum opening a valuable resource to future functional analysis.

Abstract Rural areas particularly suffer from economic crises where they overlap with long‐term negative effects of climate change. Here, we introduce the concept of mycotourism by means of mushroom‐related industries in central‐northeastern Spain. We describe how this novel branch of eco‐tourism can help stabilize social and political structures. Likewise, we illuminate the potential of mycotourism to compensate for some losses related to widespread unemployment and summer drought, as well as to generate unexpectedly fruitful research opportunities. Focussing on Spain's emerging black truffle industry, we recommend a stronger involvement of natural sciences, conservation services, and management strategies in commercial endeavors. We emphasize the relevance of direct and indirect climatic impacts on ecological and societal systems as well as on economic markets. Moreover, we stress the importance of a vital science–policy interface at various scales, with immediate opportunities for sustainable landscape protection and the preservation of biological diversity.

Despite an increasing demand for Burgundy truffles (Tuber aestivum), gaps remain in our understanding of the fungus' overall lifecycle and ecology. Here, we compile evidence from three independent surveys in Hungary and Switzerland. First, we measured the weight and maturity of 2,656 T. aestivum fruit bodies from a three-day harvest in August 2014 in a highly productive orchard in Hungary. All specimens ranging between 2 and 755 g were almost evenly distributed through five maturation classes. Then, we measured the weight and maturity of another 4,795 T. aestivum fruit bodies harvested on four occasions between June and October 2015 in the same truffière. Again, different maturation stages occurred at varying fruit body size and during the entire fruiting season. Finally, the predominantly unrelated weight and maturity of 81 T. aestivum fruit bodies from four fruiting seasons between 2010 and 2013 in Switzerland confirmed the Hungarian results. The spatiotemporal coexistence of 7,532 small-ripe and large-unripe T. aestivum, which accumulate to ~182 kg, differs from species-specific associations between the size and ripeness that have been reported for other mushrooms. Although size-independent truffle maturation stages may possibly relate to the perpetual belowground environment, the role of mycelial connectivity, soil property, microclimatology, as well as other abiotic factors and a combination thereof, is still unclear. Despite its massive sample size and proof of concept, this study, together with existing literature, suggests consideration of a wider ecological and biogeographical range, as well as the complex symbiotic fungus-host interaction, to further illuminate the hidden development of belowground truffle fruit bodies.

The unprecedented price inflation of Black truffles, recently exceeding 5000 Euro kg ^−1 (in Zurich), is a combined result of increasing global demands and decreasing Mediterranean harvests. Since the effects of long-term irrigation and climate variation on symbiotic fungus-host interaction and the development of belowground microbes are poorly understood, the establishment and maintenance of truffle plantations remains a risky venture. Using 49 years of continuous harvest and climate data from Spain, France and Italy, we demonstrate how truffle production rates, between November and March, significantly rely on previous June–August precipitation totals, whereas too much autumnal rainfall affects the subsequent winter harvest negatively. Despite a complex climate-host-fungus relationship, our findings show that southern European truffle yields can be predicted at highest probability ( r = 0.78, t-stat = 5.645, prob = 0.000 01). Moreover, we demonstrate the reliability of national truffle inventories since 1970, and question the timing and dose of many of the currently operating irrigation systems. Finally, our results suggest that Black truffle mycorrhizal colonization of host fine roots, the sexualisation of mycelium, and the formation of peridium are strongly controlled by natural summer rainfall. Recognising the drought-vulnerability of southern Europe’s rapidly growing truffle sector, we encourage a stronger liaison between farmers, politicians and scientists to maintain ecological and economic sustainability under predicted climate change in the Mediterranean basin.

During voluntary contractions, muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) to contracting muscles increases in proportion to force but the underlying mechanisms are not clear. To shed light on these mechanisms, particularly the influences of central command and muscle afferent feedback, the present study tested the hypothesis that MSNA is greater during voluntary compared with electrically-evoked contractions. Seven male subjects performed a series of 1-minute isometric dorsiflexion contractions (left leg) separated by 2-minute rest periods, alternating between voluntary and electrically-evoked contractions at similar forces (5-10 % of maximum). MSNA was recorded continuously (microneurography) from the left peroneal nerve and quantified from cardiac-synchronised, negative-going spikes in the neurogram. Compared with pre-contraction values, MSNA increased by 51 ± 34 % (P < 0.01) during voluntary contractions but did not change significantly during electrically-evoked contractions (-8 ± 12 %, P > 0.05). MSNA analysed at 15-s intervals revealed that this effect of voluntary contraction appeared 15-30 s after contraction onset (P < 0.01), remained elevated until the end of contraction, and disappeared within 15 s after contraction. These findings suggest that central command, and not feedback from contracting muscle, is the primary mechanism responsible for the increase in MSNA to contracting muscle. The time-course of MSNA suggests that there is a longer delay in the onset of this effect compared with its cessation after contraction.

In September 2011 Solvay took control of the Rhodia group of companies and became the 10th largest chemical group in the world. Now the approaches used to carry out risk analysis and ensure safe operation of chemical plants were quite different in Solvay and Rhodia. Following the fusion Solvay has decided to introduce new and harmonized methods to control process risks. The methods adopted draw on elements from both cultures. In this article the methods used previously within Solvay and Rhodia are outlined. The methods adopted under the new Solvay are described with respect to: Process Safety Management, System Feedback from process incidents within Solvay, Process Safety Design Guidelines, Process Risk Analysis, Process Safety Roadmap.

Roughly half of the scenarios identified in Process Risk Analysis are fires and explosions of gases, vapors or combustible dusts. These involve ignition sources including electrical equipment, hot surfaces, friction, incandescent substances, gas compression, ionizing radiation, static electricity etc. To judge whether the risk of a given scenario is acceptable or not, it is necessary to estimate the Severity of the consequences of an unwanted event for man and the environment, and the Probability of occurrence of the scenario. This paper presents the semi-quantitative method used within Solvay to estimate the frequency of all types of ignition sources in such scenarios and to judge whether the risk level is acceptable or not.

Changes in the ecology of macrofungi are poorly understood, not only because much of their life cycle is hidden belowground, but also because experiments often miss real-world complexity and most fruitbody inventories are limited in space and time. The National Poisons Information Centre 'Tox Info Suisse' provides countrywide 24hours/7days medical advice in case of poisonings since 1966. Here, we introduce a total of 12,126 mushroom-related phone calls that were received by Tox Info Suisse between 1966 and 2014. This indirect source of mycological information is dominated by the families of Boletaceae (11%), Agaricaceae (10%) and Amanitaceae (8%), which account for ~30% of all cases. Mushroom fruiting patterns revealed by the Poisons Centre inventory statistically resemble changes in fungal phenology, productivity and diversity as reflected by the Swiss National Data Centre 'SwissFungi'. Although the newly developed Tox Info Suisse dataset provides an innovative basis for timely environmental research, caution is advised when interpreting some of the observed long-term changes and autumnal extremes. Uncertainty of the new record relates to possible data incompleteness, imprecise species description and/or identification, as well as the inclusion of cultivated and non-indigenous mushrooms. Nevertheless, we hope that the Tox Info Suisse inventory will stimulate and enable a variety of ecological-oriented follow-up studies.

Haptic displays aim at artificially creating tactile sensations by applying tactile features to the user’s skin. Although thermal perception is a haptic modality it has received scant attention possibly because humans process thermal properties of objects slower than other tactile properties. Yet, thermal feedback is important for material discrimination and has been used to convey thermally-encoded information in environments in which vibrotactile feedback might be masked by noise and/or movements. Moreover, the well-reported influence of temperature over tactile processing makes thermal displays good candidates for the development of crossmodal haptic interfaces, in which temperature is used to manipulate other sensations. Here, we present a thermal display able to render four individually-controlled temperatures at the user’s fingertip along with its technical characterization and psychophysical evaluation. Device performance was assessed in terms of accuracy and repeatability. In the psychophysical evaluation, we first show that the device can render perceivable temperature gradients at the level of the fingertip, thereby extending the concept of thermally-encoded information to fingertip-sized thermal displays. Secondly, we show that increasing temperature improves stiffness precision. Results show that neglected features of thermal feedback, i.e. encoded and crossmodal thermal stimulation, can be provided by fingertip-sized thermal displays to improve haptic manipulations.

It has been shown that prior experience with a task improves temporal prediction, even when the amount of prior experience with the task is often limited. The present study targeted the role of extensive training on temporal prediction. Expert and intermediate runners had to predict the time of a 5km running competition. Furthermore, after the race’s completion, participants had to estimate their running time so that it could be compared with the initial predicted time. Results show that expert runners were more accurate than intermediate runners for both predicting and estimating their running time. Furthermore, only expert runners had an estimation that was more accurate than their initial prediction. The results confirm the role of prior task experience in both temporal prediction and estimation.

For addressees to respond in a timely fashion, they cannot simply process the speaker’s utterance as it occurs and wait till it finishes. Instead, they predict both when the speaker will conclude and what linguistic forms they will use. While doing this, they must also prepare their own response. To explain this, we draw on the account proposed by Pickering and Garrod (2013a), in which addressees covertly imitate the speaker’s utterance and use this to determine the intention that underlies their upcoming utterance. They use this intention to predict when and how the utterance will end, and also to drive their own production mechanisms for preparing their response. Following Arnal and Giraud (2012), we distinguish between mechanisms that predict timing and content. In particular, we propose that the timing mechanism relies on entrainment of low-frequency oscillations between speech envelope and brain. This constrains the context that feeds into the determination of the speaker’s intention and hence the timing and form of the upcoming utterance. This approach typically leads to well-timed contributions, but also provides a mechanism for resolving conflicts, for example when there is unintended speaker overlap.

Currently little is known about how a mechanically coupled BMI system’s actions are integrated into ongoing body dynamics. We tested a locomotor task augmented with a BMI system driving a robot mechanically interacting with a rat under three conditions: control locomotion (BL), ‘simple elastic load’ (E) and ‘BMI with elastic load’ (BMI/E). The effect of the BMI was to allow compensation of the elastic load as a function of the neural drive. Neurons recorded here were close to one another in cortex, all within a 200 micron diameter horizontal distance of one another. The interactions of these close assemblies of neurons may differ from those among neurons at longer distances in BMI tasks and thus are important to explore. A point process generalized linear model (GLM), was used to examine connectivity at two different binning timescales (1ms vs. 10ms). We used GLM models to fit non-Poisson neural dynamics solely using other neurons’ prior neural activity as covariates. Models at different timescales were compared based on Kolmogorov-Smirnov (KS) goodness-of-fit and parsimony. About 15% of cells with non-Poisson firing were well fitted with the neuron-to-neuron models alone. More such cells were fitted at the 1ms binning than 10ms. Positive connection parameters (‘excitation’ ~70%) exceeded negative parameters (‘inhibition’ ~30%). Significant connectivity changes in the GLM determined networks of well-fitted neurons occurred between the conditions. However, a common core of connections comprising at least ~15% of connections persisted between any two of the three conditions. Significantly almost twice as many connections were in common between the two load conditions (~27%), compared to between either load condition and the baseline. This local point process GLM identified neural correlation structure and the changes seen across task conditions in the rats in this neural subset may be intrinsic to cortex or due to feedback and input reorganization in adaptation.

In the present study, a time discrimination task was used to investigate the effect of different contexts for intervals varying from 400 to 1600 ms. A potential time-space interaction was controlled, and participants used both manual responses (Experiments 1 and 2) and vocal responses (Experiment 3). Three ranges of durations were employed (short, middle and long), and within each range condition, three standard values were used (400, 700 and 1000 ms; 700, 1000 and 1300 ms; and 1000, 1300 and 1600 ms). Within each range, standard intervals were randomized (Experiments 1 and 3) or remained constant (Experiment 2) within a block of trials. Our results suggest that context influences time discrimination performances only when the temporal range under investigation is below 1300 ms and the temporal intervals varied within blocks. In the case of temporal intervals longer than 1300 ms, participants presented a tendency to respond long independently of the procedure used. Moreover, our results suggested that performances in a discrimination task are mainly influenced by the fact of varying standard durations within blocks, and not much by the time-space compatibility.

The effect of contraction intensity on muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) to active human limbs has not been established. To address this, MSNA was recorded from the left peroneal nerve during and after dorsiflexion contractions sustained for two minutes by the left leg at ~10, 25 and 40 %MVC. To explore the involvement of the muscle metaboreflex, limb ischaemia was imposed midway during three additional contractions and maintained during recovery. Compared with total MSNA at rest (11.5 ± 4.1 mv.min-1), MSNA in the active leg increased significantly at the low (21.9 ± 13.6 mv.min-1), medium (30.5 ± 20.8 mv.min-1) and high (50.0 ± 24.5 mv.min-1) intensities. This intensity-dependent effect was more strongly associated with increases in MSNA burst amplitude than burst frequency. Total MSNA then returned to resting levels within the first minute of recovery. Limb ischaemia had no significant influence on the intensity-dependent rise in MSNA or its decline during recovery in the active leg. These findings reveal intensity-dependent increases in total MSNA and burst amplitude to contracting human skeletal muscle that do not appear to involve the muscle metaboreflex.

Adequate temporal abilities are required for most daily activities. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients often present with cognitive dysfunctions, but few studies have investigated temporal impairments associated with TBI. The aim of the present work is to review the existing literature on temporal abilities in TBI patients. Particular attention is given to the involvement of higher cognitive processes in temporal processing in order to determine if any temporal dysfunction observed in TBI patients is due to the disruption of an internal clock or to the dysfunction of general cognitive processes. The results showed that temporal dysfunctions in TBI patients are related to the deficits in cognitive functions involved in temporal processing rather than to a specific impairment of the internal clock. In fact, temporal dysfunctions are observed when the length of temporal intervals exceeds the working memory span or when the temporal tasks require high cognitive functions to be performed. The consistent higher temporal variability observed in TBI patients is a sign of impaired frontally mediated cognitive functions involved in time perception.

In the psychology of language, most accounts of self-monitoring assume that it is based on comprehension. Here we outline and develop the alternative account proposed by Pickering and Garrod (2013), in which speakers construct forward models of their upcoming utterances and compare them with the utterance as they produce them. We propose that speakers compute inverse models derived from the discrepancy (error) between the utterance and the predicted utterance and use that to modify their production command or (occasionally) begin anew. We then propose that comprehenders monitor other people’s speech by simulating their utterances using covert imitation and forward models, and then comparing those forward models with what they hear. They use the discrepancy to compute inverse models and modify their representation of the speaker’s production command, or realize that their representation is incorrect and may develop a new production command. We then discuss monitoring in dialogue, paying attention to sequential contributions, concurrent feedback, and the relationship between monitoring and alignment.

Anti-inflammatory properties of cacao, fruits of Theobroma cacao L. (Sterculiaceae), are well documented, and therapeutic applications are described for gastrointestinal, nervous and cardiovascular abnormalities. Most, if not all of these disease conditions involve inflammation or immune activation processes. The pro-inflammatory cytokine interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and related biochemical pathways like tryptophan breakdown by indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) and neopterin formation are deeply involved in their pathogenesis. Neopterin concentrations and the kynurenine to tryptophan ratio (Kyn/Trp, an estimate of IDO activity) are elevated in a significant proportion of patients with virus infections, cancer, autoimmune syndrome, neurodegeneration and coronary artery disease. Moreover, higher neopterin and Kyn/Trp concentrations are indicative for poor prognosis. When investigating the effect of aqueous or ethanolic extracts of cacao on IFN-γ, neopterin and Kyn/Trp concentrations in mitogen-stimulated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, breakdown of tryptophan by IDO and formation of neopterin and IFN-γ were dose-dependently suppressed. The effects observed in the cell-based assays are associated with the antioxidant activity of the cacao extracts as determined by the cell-free oxygen radical absorption capacity (ORAC) assay. The influence of cacao extracts on IDO activity could be of particular relevance for some of the beneficial health effects ascribed to cacao: tryptophan breakdown by IDO is strongly involved in immunoregulation, and the diminished availability of tryptophan limits the biosynthesis of neurotransmitter serotonin. The inhibition of tryptophan breakdown by cacao constituents could thus be relevant not only for immune system restoration in patients, but also contribute to mood elevation and thereby improve quality of life. However, the available data thus far are merely in vitro only and future studies need to be investigated.

We present and apply a method that uses point process statistics to discriminate the forms of synergies in motor pattern data, prior to explicit synergy extraction. The method uses electromyogram (EMG) pulse peak timing or onset timing. Peak timing is preferable in complex patterns where pulse onsets may be overlapping. An interval statistic derived from the point processes of EMG peak timings distinguishes time-varying synergies from synchronous synergies. Model data shows that the statistic is robust for most conditions. Its application to both frog hindlimb EMG and rat locomotion hindlimb EMG show data from these preparations is clearly most consistent with synchronous synergy models (p

Introduction: Non-invasive measurements of brain activity have an important role to play in understanding driving ability. The current study aimed to identify the neural underpinnings of human driving behavior by visualizing the areas of the brain involved in driving under different levels of demand, such as driving while distracted or making left turns at busy intersections. Methods: To capture brain activity during driving, we placed a driving simulator with a fully functional steering wheel and pedals in a 3.0 Tesla functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) system. To identify the brain areas involved while performing different real-world driving maneuvers, participants completed tasks ranging from simple (right turns) to more complex (left turns at busy intersections). To assess the effects of driving while distracted, participants were asked to perform an auditory task while driving analogous to speaking on a hands-free device and driving. Results: A widely distributed brain network was identified, especially when making left turns at busy intersections compared to more simple driving tasks. During distracted driving, brain activation shifted dramatically from the posterior, visual and spatial areas to the prefrontal cortex. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the distracted brain sacrificed areas in the posterior brain important for visual attention and alertness to recruit enough brain resources to perform a secondary, cognitive task. The present findings offer important new insights into the scientific understanding of the neuro-cognitive mechanisms of driving behavior and lay down an important foundation for future clinical research.

The study investigated how the brain activity changed when participants were engaged in a temporal production task known as the filled-duration illusion. Twelve right-handed participants were asked to memorize and reproduce duration of time intervals (600 or 800 ms) bounded by two flashes. Random trials contained auditory stimuli in the form of three 20-ms sounds between the flashes. In one session, the participants were asked to ignore the presence of the sounds, and in the other, they were instructed to pay attention to sounds. The behavioral results showed that duration reproduction was clearly affected by the presence of the sounds and the duration of time intervals. The filled-duration illusion occurred when there were sounds; the participants overestimated the interval in the 600-ms interval condition with sounds. On the other hand, the participants underestimated the 800-ms interval condition without sounds. During the presentation of the interval to be encoded, the contingent negative variation (CNV) appeared around the prefrontal scalp site, and P300 appeared around the parieto-central scalp site. The CNV grew larger when the intervals contained the sounds, whereas the P300 grew larger when the intervals were 800 ms and did not contain the sounds. During the reproduction of the interval to be presented, the Bereitschaftspotential (BP) appeared over the fronto-central scalp site from 1000 ms before the participants' response. The BP could refer to the decision making process associated with the duration reproduction. The occurrence of three ERP signatures, the P300, CNV, and BP, suggests that the fronto-parietal area, together with supplementary motor area (SMA), is associated with timing and time perception, and is modulated by the filled-duration illusion.

We investigated how conceptually informative (referent preview) and conceptually uninformative (pointer to referent’s location) visual cues affect structural choice during English transitive sentence production. Cueing the Agent or the Patient prior to presenting the target event reliably predicted the likelihood of selecting this referent as the sentential Subject, triggering, correspondingly, the choice between active and passive voice. Importantly, there was no difference in the magnitude of the general Cueing effect between the informative and uninformative cueing conditions, suggesting that attentionally driven structural selection relies on a direct automatic mapping mechanism from attentional focus to the Subject’s position in a sentence. This mechanism is, therefore, independent of accessing semantic, and possibly lexical, information about the cued referent provided by referent preview.

Many trees species form symbiotic associations with ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi, which improve nutrient and water acquisition of their host. Until now it is unclear whether the species richness of ECM fungi is beneficial for tree seedling performance, be it during moist conditions or drought. We performed a pot experiment using Pinus sylvestris seedlings inoculated with four selected ECM fungi (Cenococcum geophilum, Paxillus involutus, Rhizopogon roseolus and Suillus granulatus) to investigate (i) whether these four ECM fungi, in monoculture or in species mixtures, affect growth of P. sylvestris seedlings, and (ii) whether this effect can be attributed to species number per se or to species identity. Two different watering regimes (moist vs. dry) were applied to examine the context-dependency of the results. Additionally, we assessed the activity of eight extracellular enzymes in the root tips. Shoot growth was enhanced in the presence of S. granulatus, but not by any other ECM fungal species. The positive effect of S. granulatus on shoot growth was more pronounced under moist (threefold increase) than under dry conditions (twofold increase), indicating that the investigated ECM fungi did not provide additional support during drought stress. The activity of secreted extracellular enzymes was higher in S. granulatus than in any other species. In conclusion, our findings suggest that ECM fungal species composition may affect seedling performance in terms of aboveground biomass.