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This is the untold story of how some of Germany's top aristocrats contributed to Hitler's secret diplomacy during the Third Reich, providing a direct line to their influential contacts and relations across Europe, especially in Britain, where their contacts included the press baron and Daily Mail owner Lord Rothermere and the future King Edward VIII. Using previously unexplored sources from Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, and the USA, this book unravels the story of top-level go-betweens such as the Duke of Coburg, grandson of Queen Victoria, and the seductive Stephanie von Hohenlohe, who rose from a life of poverty in Vienna to become a princess and an intimate of Adolf Hitler. As Urbach shows, Coburg and other senior aristocrats were tasked with some of Germany's most secret foreign policy missions from the First World War onwards, culminating in their role as Hitler's trusted go-betweens, as he readied Germany for conflict during the 1930s and later, in the Second World War. Tracing what became of these high-level go-betweens in the years after the Nazi collapse in 1945, from prominent media careers to sunny retirements in Marbella, the book concludes with an assessment of their overall significance in the foreign policy of the Third Reich.

Attention deficit is a critical symptom that impairs social functioning in adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD). In this study, we aimed to explore the dynamic neural network activity associated with attention deficits and its relationship with clinical outcomes in adolescents with MDD. We included 188 adolescents with MDD and 94 healthy controls. By combining psychophysics, resting‐state electroencephalography (EEG), and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) techniques, we aimed to identify dynamic network features through the investigation of EEG microstate characteristics and related temporal network features in adolescents with MDD. At baseline, microstate analysis revealed that the occurrence of Microstate C in the patient group was lower than that in healthy controls, whereas the duration and coverage of Microstate D increased in the MDD group. Mediation analysis revealed that the probability of transition from Microstate C to D mediated anhedonia and attention deficits in the MDD group. fMRI results showed that the temporal variability of the dorsal attention network (DAN) was significantly weaker in patients with MDD than in healthy controls. Importantly, the temporal variability of DAN mediated the relationship between anhedonia and attention deficits in the patient group. After acute‐stage treatment, the response prediction group (RP) showed improvement in Microstates C and D compared to the nonresponse prediction group (NRP). For resting‐state fMRI data, the temporal variability of DAN was significantly higher in the RP group than in the NRP group. Overall, this study enriches our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying attention deficits in patients with MDD and provides novel clinical biomarkers.

A growing body of evidence from neuroimaging studies suggests that inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with functional and structural alterations in the central nervous system and that it has a potential link to emotional symptoms, such as anxiety and depression. However, the neurochemical underpinnings of depression symptoms in IBD remain unclear. We hypothesized that changes in cortical gamma‐aminobutyric acid (GABA+) and glutamine (Glx) concentrations are related to cortical thickness and resting‐state functional connectivity in IBD as compared to healthy controls. To test this, we measured whole‐brain cortical thickness and functional connectivity within the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), as well as the concentrations of neurotransmitters in the same brain region. We used the edited magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) with the MEGA‐PRESS sequence at a 3 T scanner to quantitate the neurotransmitter levels in the mPFC. Subjects with IBD (N = 37) and healthy control subjects (N = 32) were enrolled in the study. Compared with healthy controls, there were significantly decreased GABA+ and Glx concentrations in the mPFC of patients with IBD. The cortical thickness of patients with IBD was thin in two clusters that included the right medial orbitofrontal cortex and the right posterior cingulate cortex. A seed‐based functional connectivity analysis indicated that there was higher connectivity of the mPFC with the left precuneus cortex (PC) and the posterior cingulate cortex, and conversely, lower connectivity in the left frontal pole was observed. The functional connectivity between the mPFC and the left PC was negatively correlated with the IBD questionnaire score (r = −0.388, p = 0.018). GABA+ concentrations had a negative correlation with the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) score (r = −0.497, p = 0.002). Glx concentration was negatively correlated with the HAMD score (r = −0.496, p = 0.002) and positively correlated with the Short‐Form McGill Pain Questionnaire score (r = 0.330, p = 0.046, uncorrected). There was a significant positive correlation between the ratio of Glx to GABA+ and the HAMD score (r = 0.428, p = 0.008). Mediation analysis revealed that GABA+ significantly mediated the main effect of the relationship between the structural and functional alterations and the severity of depression in patients with IBD. Our study provides initial evidence of neurochemistry that can be used to identify potential mechanisms underlying the modulatory effects of GABA+ on the development of depression in patients with IBD. GABA+ and Glx concentrations significantly decreased in the brain region of the media prefrontal cortex in patients with IBD. GABA+ mediates the main effect of the relationship between the structure/function alterations with the severity of depression in patients with IBD.

Phosphorites of the Georgina Basin (northern Australia) are an established economic source of phosphate and have recently been recognized to be a potential source of rare earth elements (REE). Previous bulk‐rock geochemistry work focused on the eastern margin of the basin revealed that phosphorites from the southern region have significantly higher (up to 0.5%) REE contents than equivalent prospects further to the north. In this study, we examine the origin of REE enrichment in the Georgina Basin phosphorites using an integrated geochemical, petrographic, mineralogical, and isotopic (Sm‐Nd and Sr) approach. The trace element geochemistry of primary phosphate minerals is consistent with a seawater origin for the REEs in phosphorites, with minimal input from the underlying basement rocks. Variations in total REE concentrations are controlled largely by the seawater composition, depositional environment, and the texture of the phosphorite (grainstone vs. mudstone phosphorite). Grainstone phosphorite yields on average higher concentrations of REEs compared to the mudstone phosphorite, likely due to the higher surface‐to‐mass ratio of the grainstone phosphorite resulting in the uptake of higher concentrations of REEs during coastal reworking. The formation of the low‐REE northern and central deposits took place during early transgression in oxidized, shallow supratidal to subtidal platformal environments. During the subsequent main transgressive event, fault‐controlled topography in the southern domain allowed phosphogenesis along basement highs to be facilitated along a redox boundary, where more saline and REE‐rich deep anoxic bottom waters, along with Fe‐cycling and bacterial mediation played a major role in the enrichment of REEs in the southern phosphorites. Key Points The origin of rare earth element (REE) enrichment in phosphorites of the Georgina Basin in northern Australia, was determined using an integrated geochemical, mineralogical, and isotopic approach The enrichment of REEs in phosphorites is controlled by the texture and the depositional environment at the time of phosphorite formation Varying levels of REE enrichment occurred at different stages of marine transgression

The locus coeruleus (LC) is a nucleus within the brainstem associated with physiological arousal and altered structure and function in the context of neurological conditions. Pathologies related to difficulties with attention have previously been associated with abnormalities in neurotransmitter production and sensitivity, suggesting the possibility of abnormality in neurotransmitter‐producing neural regions. One such region is the LC, associated with norepinephrine production. To examine the possibility that LC alteration is associated with inattentive symptom reporting, regression analyses were performed using neuromelanin contrast ratios and volume in a sample of 141 individuals age‐ranged from 8 to 54. Mediation modeling was subsequently performed to examine the relationship between neuromelanin contrast and volume in regard to inattentive behavior. We found that the structural integrity value of the LC, especially in the right hemisphere, showed a significant negative association with the level of the individual's inattentiveness score. LC volume was also significantly positively associated with inattention, and this finding was also lateralized to the right LC. Interestingly, an inverse association was found between structural integrity and volume. These findings support the relationship between LC and attention‐related behavior through both neuromelanin‐sensitive and structural imaging, with important implications for the association between regional structure and function. To examine the possibility that LC alteration is associated with inattentive symptom reporting, a set of regression and mediation analyses was performed using structural integrity value (neuromelanin contrast ratio) and volume size of the LC in a sample of 141 individuals aged from 8 to 54. We found that the structural integrity value of the LC, especially in the right hemisphere, showed a significant negative association with the level of an individual's inattentiveness score.

Wine tasting is a very complex process that integrates a combination of sensation, language, and memory. Taste and smell provide perceptual information that, together with the semantic narrative that converts flavor into words, seem to be processed differently between sommeliers and naïve wine consumers. We investigate whether sommeliers' wine experience shapes only chemosensory processing, as has been previously demonstrated, or if it also modulates the way in which the taste and olfactory circuits interact with the semantic network. Combining diffusion‐weighted images and fMRI (activation and connectivity) we investigated whether brain response to tasting wine differs between sommeliers and nonexperts (1) in the sensory neural circuits representing flavor and/or (2) in the neural circuits for language and memory. We demonstrate that training in wine tasting shapes the microstructure of the left and right superior longitudinal fasciculus. Using mediation analysis, we showed that the experience modulates the relationship between fractional anisotropy and behavior: the higher the fractional anisotropy the higher the capacity to recognize wine complexity. In addition, we found functional differences between sommeliers and naïve consumers affecting the flavor sensory circuit, but also regions involved in semantic operations. The former reflects a capacity for differential sensory processing, while the latter reflects sommeliers' ability to attend to relevant sensory inputs and translate them into complex verbal descriptions. The enhanced synchronization between these apparently independent circuits suggests that sommeliers integrated these descriptions with previous semantic knowledge to optimize their capacity to distinguish between subtle differences in the qualitative character of the wine. Taste, smell, and flavor provide very rich perceptual information that, together with the semantic narrative to describe them, seem to be processed differently between sommeliers and naïve wine consumers. Here, we investigate whether wine expertise in sommeliers is associated with sensory processing or semantic processing. Combining diffusion‐weighted images and fMRI (activation and connectivity) we investigated whether brain response to tasting wine differs between sommeliers and nonexperts (1) in the sensory neural circuits representing flavor and/or (2) in the neural circuits for language and memory.

Shorter leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is an aging biomarker and risk factor for aging‐related diseases, including abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). This study aimed to identify plasma proteins causally associated with LTL and investigate their roles in linking LTL to AAA. A proteomics analysis was conducted for LTL and a polygenic risk score (PRS) for LTL using 4955 plasma proteins by SomaScan in self‐identified White participants (N = 7587–8055) from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Replications were evaluated in self‐identified Black participants (N = 1668–2094) from ARIC and White participants (N = 2333–2431) from the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS). Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis assessed causality between LTL and proteins. Survival and mediation analyses explored protein‐mediated associations between LTL and AAA risk. In ARIC White participants, 15 unique proteins were identified for LTL or LTL PRS. Three LTL‐associated proteins (MZB1, PLOD3, COL28A1) replicated in ARIC Black participants, and six (TNFRSF17, MZB1, CHL1, GDF15, THPO and PLOD3) in CHS White participants. Three proteins associated with LTL PRS (THPO, GP1Bα, PEAR1) replicated in CHS White participants. MR analysis supported causal associations between LTL and five proteins (KDR, TNFRSF17, GDF15, ST3GAL6, CHL1) with all except GDF15 being novel to LTL. LTL was associated with AAA risk (HR = 0.873, 95% CI: 0.803–0.950), with GDF15 mediating 12.4% of this association (p = 0.028). We identified five proteins causally influenced by LTL and highlighted GDF15 as a mediator linking LTL to AAA risk, offering novel insights into aging biology and AAA pathogenesis.

Reading, naming, and repetition are classical neuropsychological tasks widely used in the clinic and psycholinguistic research. While reading and repetition can be accomplished by following a direct or an indirect route, pictures can be named only by means of semantic mediation. By means of fMRI multivariate pattern analysis, we evaluated whether this well‐established fundamental difference at the cognitive level is associated at the brain level with a difference in the degree to which semantic representations are activated during these tasks. Semantic similarity between words was estimated based on a word association model. Twenty subjects participated in an event‐related fMRI study where the three tasks were presented in pseudo‐random order. Linear discriminant analysis of fMRI patterns identified a set of regions that allow to discriminate between words at a high level of word‐specificity across tasks. Representational similarity analysis was used to determine whether semantic similarity was represented in these regions and whether this depended on the task performed. The similarity between neural patterns of the left Brodmann area 45 (BA45) and of the superior portion of the left supramarginal gyrus correlated with the similarity in meaning between entities during picture naming. In both regions, no significant effects were seen for repetition or reading. The semantic similarity effect during picture naming was significantly larger than the similarity effect during the two other tasks. In contrast, several regions including left anterior superior temporal gyrus and left ventral BA44/frontal operculum, among others, coded for semantic similarity in a task‐independent manner. These findings provide new evidence for the dynamic, task‐dependent nature of semantic representations in the left BA45 and a more task‐independent nature of the representational activation in the lateral temporal cortex and ventral BA44/frontal operculum. The current multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) study revealed a neurobiological basis for the distinction between task‐dependent and task‐independent retrieval of word meaning. Whereas the left BA45 and supramarginal gyrus showed a semantic similarity effect during picture naming only, the anterior STG and ventral BA44/frontal operculum, among other regions, showed a task‐independent semantic similarity effect.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is characterized by intercorrelated clinical symptoms and cognitive deficits, whose neural mechanisms in relation to these disturbances remain unclear. To elucidate this, we applied the relatively new approach of Network Control Theory (NCT), which considers how network topology informs brain dynamics based on white matter connectivity data. We used the NCT parameter of average controllability (AC) to assess the potential control that brain network nodes have on brain‐state transitions associated with clinical and cognitive symptoms in MDD. DTI and high‐resolution T1‐weighted anatomical imaging were performed on 170 MDD patients (mean age 31.6 years; 72 males, 98 females) and 137 healthy controls (HC; mean age 33.4 years; 64 males, 73 females). We used an NCT approach to compare AC between the groups. We then performed partial Spearman's rank correlation and moderation/mediation analyses for AC and cognition and clinical symptom scores. Compared with HC, MDD patients had lower AC in the left precuneus and superior parietal lobule and higher AC in the right precentral gyrus (preCG) and superior frontal gyrus (SFG), predominantly in the default‐mode, somatomotor, and attention networks. In the HC group, AC of right preCG was positively associated with processing speed. While in the MDD group, AC of right SFG was negatively associated with memory function and also negatively moderated the association between memory and anxiety symptoms. The current study highlighted that the altered brain controllability may provide a novel understanding of the neural substrate underlying cognitive control in MDD. Disrupted control of right SFG during state transitions may partially explain the variable relationship between memory and anxiety symptoms in MDD. We aimed to determine the effect of alterations in average controllability (AC) on emotional and cognitive symptoms in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). We found that AC values in the right SFG were negatively moderating the association between memory (i.e., DSF scores) and anxiety symptoms (i.e., HAMA scores) in patients with MDD.

The bi‐directional effects of stress on the gut microbiota and the microbiota's mediation of the stress response are an important facet of the brain–gut axis. Stressors can alter hormones present in the body, particularly circulating glucocorticoids, which in turn can affect the composition and diversity of the gut microbiota. Likewise, bacterial community members have been linked to improved or worsened responses to stress. In this study, we manipulated common myna birds in two ways – through sleep deprivation and by increasing glucocorticoids – to determine how their gut microbiota changed in composition and diversity. We also determined whether the gut community was correlated with activity level, a metric for stress response, or with measured faecal glucocorticoid level, and whether birds exhibiting the highest apparent stress response shared any bacterial community members. We found that alpha diversity in the gut significantly decreased after both sleep deprivation and corticosterone ingestion. We also found significant shifts in beta diversity following both treatments, though with substantial variation in the progression of the bacterial community among individuals. Despite these significant shifts in the gut, we found only a marginally significant correlation between gut community and activity level, and between gut community and faecal corticosterone levels. This work provides new evidence for the longitudinal effect of stress on the gut microbiota and identifies bacterial genera that were significantly elevated or depressed following exposure to stressors.