bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the Munich Plastic Sediment Separator efficiency in extraction of microplastics from natural marine bottom sediments
Authors: Zobkov Mikhail B. , Esiukova Elena E.
Published: October 2017

The Munich Plastic Sediment Separator (MPSS), proposed by Imhof et al. (), showed its high efficiency in extracting microplastics (MPs) from natural sediment samples preliminarily cleaned and then enriched by MPs in laboratory. We tested the efficiency of the MPSS, assembled at the Atlantic Branch of P.P.Shirshov Institute of Oceanology (Kaliningrad), using unprepared natural bottom deposits of different types collected in the Baltic Sea. The tests that were performed included spikes of sediments with artificial reference particles (ARPs) and the sediment samples analyses with two separate methods of extraction and determination of MPs content in residuals of MPSS. While the ARP extraction efficiency from natural sediments by the MPSS was really high (97.1% ± 2.6%; p = 0.05; n = 14; confidence interval, t‐distribution), the extraction efficiency of marine MPs was considerably lower (13–39%) than that obtained with a modification of the method previously published by NOAA. The remaining marine MPs were found in the spoil dump and in the bulk solution fractions of the separator, indicating that MPs were not perfectly cleaned from sediment particles, probably, due to presence of organic matter. It is concluded that the MPSS application for quantitative MPs analysis requires further testing and elaboration of standardized extraction procedures.
Contact Active Antimicrobial Coatings Prepared by Polymer Blending
Authors: Cuervo‐Rodríguez Rocío , López‐Fabal Fátima , Gómez‐Garcés José L. , Muñoz‐Bonilla Alexandra , Fernández‐García Marta
Published: October 2017

Herein, contact active antimicrobial films are prepared by simply blending cationic amphiphilic block copolymers with commercial polystyrene (PS). The copolymers are prepared by combining atom transfer radical polymerization and “click chemistry.” A variety of copolymers are synthesized, and composed of a PS segment and an antimicrobial block bearing flexible side chain with thiazole and triazole groups, 4‐(1‐(2‐(4‐methylthiazol‐5‐yl)ethyl)‐1H‐1,2,3‐triazol‐4‐yl) butyl methacrylate (TTBM). The length of the TTBM block is varied as well as the alkylating agent. Different films are prepared from N,N‐dimethylformamide solution, containing variable PS‐b‐PTTBM/PS ratio: from 0 to 100 wt%. Remarkably, the blend films, especially those with 30 and 50 wt% of copolymers, exhibit excellent antimicrobial activities against Gram‐positive, Gram‐negative bacteria and fungi, even higher than films prepared exclusively from the cationic copolymers. Blends composed of 50 wt% of the copolymers present a more than 99.999% killing efficiency against the studied microorganisms. The better activity found in blends can be due to the higher roughness, which increases the surface area and consequently the contact with the microorganisms. These results demonstrate that the use of blends implies a reduction of the content of antimicrobial agent and also enhances the antimicrobial activity, providing new insights for the better designing of antimicrobial coatings.
Remark on Tono's theorem about cuspidal curves
Authors: Orevkov Stepan Yu.
Published: October 2017

We give an upper bound for the number of cusps of a plane affine or projective curve via its first Betti number.
Qualitative behavior of solutions of a third order nonlinear differential equation
Authors: Graef John R. , Remili Moussadek
Published: October 2017

In this paper the oscillatory and asymptotic behavior of solutions of a class of nonlinear third order differential equations of the form are studied. Results on the square integrability of solutions and their derivatives are obtained. An example to illustrate the results is included and directions for future research are indicated.
Substantial Variability Across Individuals in the Vascular and Nutrigenomic Response to an Acute Intake of Curcumin: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Barber‐Chamoux Nicolas , Milenkovic Dragan , Verny Marie‐Anne , Habauzit Véronique , Pereira Bruno , Lambert Céline , Richard Damien , Boby Céline , Mazur Andrzej , Lusson Jean René , Dubray Claude , Morand Christine
Published: October 2017

Scope

Curcumin exerts biological activities of interest in cardiovascular prevention. However, its vascular protective effect is still poorly investigated in humans. The present study aims to assess vascular effect of an acute intake of curcumin and its nutrigenomic impact in circulating immune cells.

Methods and results

In a randomized, double‐blind, crossover design, 18 healthy smokers consume a placebo or a 5‐g curcumin. Before and 2 h after the intake, vascular function measurements are performed by using flow‐mediated dilation (FMD). In addition, endothelial function in the microcirculation and blood pressure are evaluated. Plasma curcumin concentrations and changes in gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) are analyzed.

No significant effect of curcumin on FMD is observed when considering the entire study population, mainly due to a high interindividual variability. A subgroup analysis according to the gender or the cardiovascular‐risk score reveals a significant effect of curcumin on FMD in women and in subjects presenting lower cardiovascular risk. No change in gene expression is observed when data are analyzed for all volunteers but changes in expression are observed when analyzed according to gender.

Conclusions

This clinical trial highlights that a substantial variability in efficacy of curcumin exists across individuals.
Reliability and validity of severity dimensions of psychopathology assessed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM‐5 (SCID)
Authors: Shankman Stewart A. , Funkhouser Carter J. , Klein Daniel N. , Davila Joanne , Lerner Debra , Hee Danelle
Published: October 2017

This study examined whether the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM (SCID), a widely used semistructured interview designed to assess psychopathology categorically, can be adapted to identify reliable and valid severity dimensions of psychopathology. The present study also examined whether these severity dimensions have better psychometric properties (internal consistency, test–retest reliability, and concurrent and predictive validity) than categorical diagnoses. Participants (N = 234) were recruited from the community and clinics. Retest reliability and prospective predictive validity (symptoms and functioning 1 year later) were examined in subsamples of participants. Dimensional severity scales were created from an adapted version of the SCID for both current and lifetime major depression, alcohol, substance, post‐traumatic stress disorder, panic, agoraphobia, social anxiety, specific phobia, obsessive–compulsive disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. The SCID's severity scales demonstrated substantial internal consistency (all Cronbach's αs >.80), test–retest reliability, and concurrent and predictive validity. Symptom severity scales demonstrated significant incremental validity over and above categorical diagnoses for both current and prospective outcomes. The psychometric properties of SCID‐identified symptom scales were far superior to the psychometrics of categorical diagnoses for both current and lifetime psychopathology. These results highlight the feasibility and utility of the SCID to assess reliable and valid symptom severity dimensions of both current and lifetime psychopathology.
3D diffusion‐weighted 129Xe MRI for whole lung morphometry
Authors: Chan Ho‐Fung , Stewart Neil J. , Norquay Graham , Collier Guilhem J. , Wild Jim M.
Published: October 2017

Purpose

To obtain whole lung morphometry measurements from 129Xe in a single breath‐hold with 3D multiple b‐value 129Xe diffusion‐weighted MRI (DW‐MRI) with an empirically optimized diffusion time and compressed sensing for scan acceleration.

Methods

Prospective three‐fold undersampled 3D multiple b‐value hyperpolarized 129Xe DW‐MRI datasets were acquired, and the diffusion time (Δ) was iterated so as to provide diffusive length scale (LmD) estimates from the stretched exponential model (SEM) that are comparable to those from 3He. The empirically optimized 129Xe diffusion time was then implemented with a four‐fold undersampling scheme and was prospectively benchmarked against 3He measurements in a cohort of five healthy volunteers, six ex‐smokers, and two chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients using both SEM‐derived LmD and cylinder model (CM)‐derived mean chord length (Lm).

Results

Good agreement between the mean 129Xe and 3He LmD (mean difference, 2.2%) and Lm (mean difference, 1.1%) values was obtained in all subjects at an empirically optimized 129Xe Δ = 8.5 ms.

Conclusion

Compressed sensing has facilitated single‐breath 3D multiple b‐value 129Xe DW‐MRI acquisitions, and results at 129Xe Δ = 8.5 ms indicate that 129Xe provides a viable alternative to 3He for whole lung morphometry mapping with either the SEM or CM. Magn Reson Med 79:2986–2995, 2018. © 2017 The Authors Magnetic Resonance in Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
In vivo characterization of the downfield part of 1H MR spectra of human brain at 9.4 T: Magnetization exchange with water and relation to conventionally determined metabolite content
Authors: Fichtner Nicole D. , Giapitzakis Ioannis‐Angelos , Avdievich Nikolai , Mekle Ralf , Zaldivar Daniel , Henning Anke , Kreis Roland
Published: October 2017

Purpose

To perform exchange‐rate measurements on the in vivo human brain downfield spectrum (5–10 ppm) at 9.4 T and to compare the variation in concentrations of the downfield resonances and of known upfield metabolites to determine potential peak labels.

Methods

Non‐water‐suppressed metabolite cycling was used in combination with an inversion transfer technique in two brain locations in healthy volunteers to measure the exchange rates and T1 values of exchanging peaks. Spectra were fitted with a heuristic model of a series of 13 or 14 Voigt lines, and a Bloch–McConnell model was used to fit the exchange rate curves. Concentrations from non‐water‐inverted spectra upfield and downfield were compared.

Results

Mean T1 values ranged from 0.40 to 0.77 s, and exchange rates from 0.74 to 13.8 s−1. There were no significant correlations between downfield and upfield concentrations, except for N‐acetylaspartate, with a correlation coefficient of 0.63 and P < 0.01.

Conclusions

Using ultrahigh field allowed improved separation of peaks in the 8.2 to 8.5 ppm amide proton region, and the exchange rates of multiple downfield resonances including the 5.8‐ppm peak, previously tentatively assigned to urea, were measured in vivo in human brain. Downfield peaks consisted of overlapping components, and largely missing correlations between upfield and downfield resonances—although not conclusive—indicate limited contributions from metabolites present upfield to the downfield spectrum. Magn Reson Med 79:2863–2873, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
Simplify interstate transfer for student and institutional success
Authors: Sutton Halley
Published: October 2017

BOSTON — Of the 3.6 million students who entered college or university during the fall of 2008, more than 37 percent transferred at least once during the next six years. That statistic came from a presentation at the annual National Association for College Admission Counseling national conference, during a presentation by Patricia A. Shea, director of academic leadership initiatives at the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education; Judy Hay, vice president of student services at Laramie County Community College; and Jody Owen, academic advisor coordinator at South Dakota State University.
Average mid‐sleep time as a proxy for circadian phase
Authors: Kantermann Thomas , Burgess Helen J.
Published: October 2017

Assessments of circadian phase using melatonin are laborious. Sleep‐time indices allow for less laborious phase calculations, but common indices weakly represent melatonin phase. We show how a single sleep‐time assessment can represent melatonin phase by over 60%, improving the use of subjective sleep to mirror objective circadian phase.
Enhancing the mechanical performance of additive manufactured polymer components using atmospheric plasma pre‐treatments
Authors: Abourayana Hisham , Dobbyn Peter , Dowling Denis
Published: October 2017

This study evaluates the use of a barrel atmospheric plasma system for the treatment of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and polylactic acid polymer particles. Treatments were carried out in a helium discharge with either oxygen or nitrogen addition. The plasma activated polymer particles were then used to prepare filaments, which in‐turn were then used to fabricated parts by additive manufacturing. The resultant dog bone polymer parts exhibited up to a 22% increase in tensile strength, compared to parts fabricated using unactivated polymer particles. The explanation for the increased mechanical strength is the enhanced activation of the treated polymer particles, as well as the removal of contaminations from the polymer surface.
Second Breakdown and Robustness of Vertical and Lateral GaN Power Field‐Effect Transistors
Authors: Guo Zhibo , Hitchcock Collin , Chow Tat‐sing Paul
Published: October 2017

Robustness of GaN power field‐effect transistors, including the vertical UMOSFET, vertical DMOSFET, and lateral p‐AlGaN gate HEMT is studied by analyzing their safe operating areas (SOA) using finite‐element‐analysis device simulation. At off‐state gate voltages, the devices are forced into high‐voltage, high‐current avalanche breakdown. Assuming isothermal conditions at 300 K, the simulated DMOSFET SOA exhibits high robustness, while the UMOSFET and the p‐AlGaN gate HEMT experiences current snapback. The simulated robustness of both the DMOSFET and the UMOSFET degrades when realistic temperature dependence is included in the non‐isothermal case, with current filamentation in high dissipation areas, leading to a more pronounced current snapback.
The Effects of Poisson's Ratio on the Indentation Behavior of Materials With Embedded System in an Elastic Matrix
Authors: Li Shudong , Al‐Badani Khaled , Gu Yaodong , Lake Mark , Li Lisa , Rothwell Glynn , Ren James
Published: October 2017

Soft materials with an embedded stiffer layer are increasingly used in medical and sports engineering. A detailed understanding of the mechanical behavior of such a material system under localised load and resistance to indentation is very important. In this work, the deformation of an isotropic soft matrix with a buried stiffer thin layer under a circular flat indenter was investigated through finite element (FE) modeling. A practical approach in simulating the indentation resistance of such a system (soft matrix with a buried thin stiffer layer) is evaluated. The numerical result is correlated with the data based on analytical approaches for both homogeneous materials and elastic half space with an embedded stiffer layer. The influence of Poisson's ratio and auxeticity of the matrix on the deformation and indentation stiffness of the material system under different conditions (indenter size, sheet thickness, and embedment depth) were established and main influences of the Poisson's ratio on the material deformation and stresses are discussed. The result shows that the influence of matrix auxeticity on indentation resistance is highly depth dependent, with over 30% enhancement of the indentation resistance being predicted for materials with matrix of a negative Poisson's ratio.
High‐Pressure High‐Temperature Synthesis of MoS2/Holey Graphene Hybrids and Their Performance in Li‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Stolyarova Svetlana G. , Kanygin Mikhail A. , Koroteev Victor O. , Shubin Yury V. , Smirnov Dmitry A. , Okotrub Alexander V. , Bulusheva Lyubov G.
Published: October 2017

Hybrids of holey graphene (HG) and MoS2 have been prepared by a treatment of few‐layered HG and amorphous MoS3, taken in a weight ratio of ≈5 and ≈10%, at 100 bar and 600 °C under vacuum. A study of the products by electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, Raman scattering, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy has detected coating of graphene stacks by thin MoS2 layers. The near‐edge X‐ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy has revealed a covalent bonding between MoS2 and HG components. A hybrid with 5 wt.% of MoS2 showed a better rate capability for Li‐ion intercalation/deintercalation as compared to the isolated HG and a hybrid with a higher MoS2 loading. Owing to the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements, this was attributed to a faster charge transport in the hybrid with the thin MoS2 coating.
A mechanistic nonlinear model for censored and mismeasured covariates in longitudinal models, with application in AIDS studies
Authors: Zhang Hongbin , Wong Hubert , Wu Lang
Published: October 2017

When modeling longitudinal data, the true values of time‐varying covariates may be unknown because of detection‐limit censoring or measurement error. A common approach in the literature is to empirically model the covariate process based on observed data and then predict the censored values or mismeasured values based on this empirical model. Such an empirical model can be misleading, especially for censored values since the (unobserved) censored values may behave very differently than observed values due to the underlying data‐generation mechanisms or disease status. In this paper, we propose a mechanistic nonlinear covariate model based on the underlying data‐generation mechanisms to address censored values and mismeasured values. Such a mechanistic model is based on solid scientific or biological arguments, so the predicted censored or mismeasured values are more reasonable. We use a Monte Carlo EM algorithm for likelihood inference and apply the methods to an AIDS dataset, where viral load is censored by a lower detection limit. Simulation results confirm that the proposed models and methods offer substantial advantages over existing empirical covariate models for censored and mismeasured covariates.
Is Routine Intraoperative Contrast‐Enhanced Ultrasonography Useful During Whole Liver Transplantation?
Authors: Golse Nicolas , Santoni Simone , Karam Vincent , Ciacio Oriana , Pittau Gabriella , Allard Marc‐Antoine , Cherqui Daniel , Sa Cunha Antonio , Adam René , Castaing Denis , Vibert Eric
Published: October 2017

Background

Vascular complications following liver transplantation (LT) may result from technical deficiencies. Intraoperative diagnosis remains challenging but can prevent serious delayed complications. Intraoperative Doppler ultrasonography (IOUS) represents the gold standard for imaging, although it requires radiological skills. Contrast‐enhanced ultrasonography has been reported during postoperative assessments, but never intraoperatively (CE‐IOUS). The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of routine CE‐IOUS, to evaluate its impact on surgical strategy and its usefulness.

Methods

All 553 whole LTs performed in our tertiary centre between 01/2010 and 12/2014 were reviewed. We compared perioperative outcomes and long‐term survival in IOUS (n = 370) versus CE‐IOUS (n = 103) groups. Secondarily, the seven cases where the two imaging findings conflicted (CE+ Group) were matched 1:2 and compared with an exclusively IOUS procedure (CE− Group, n = 14) to assess the consequences of a specific CE‐guided strategy.

Results

CE‐IOUS assessments were successful in 100% of cases, without any adverse effects. Vascular complications and patient/graft survival rates were identical in the IOUS and CE‐IOUS groups (p = 0.65, 0.95 and 0.86, respectively). CE‐IOUS confirmed IOUS findings in 93% of cases (n = 96) and led to the realization of an additional procedure (median arcuate ligament lysis) and six conservative strategies despite poor arterial (n = 5) or venous flow (n = 1) under Doppler analysis. The CE+ and CE− groups presented statistically identical perioperative and long‐term outcomes.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated the feasibility of CE‐IOUS during whole LT. However, we failed to demonstrate any advantages of CE‐IOUS over IOUS. Therefore, IOUS currently remains the gold‐standard imaging technique for the intraoperative assessment of vascular patency.
A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis on the Use of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Spasticity Poststroke
Authors: McIntyre Amanda , Mirkowski Magdalena , Thompson Spencer , Burhan Amer M. , Miller Tom , Teasell Robert
Published: October 2017

Background

Spasticity is a common and potentially debilitating complication that develops after stroke, arising in approximately 30% of patients.

Objective

To evaluate the effectiveness of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in improving spasticity after stroke.

Design

Meta‐analysis and systematic review.

Setting

Not applicable.

Patients

A total of 273 poststroke (hemorrhagic = 123, ischemic = 150) participants were included with sample sizes ranging from 5 to 80. The majority of participants were male (66.0%) with a mean age ranging from 55.0 to 64.6 years. Mean stroke duration ranged from 6 months to 10 years.

Methods

A literature search of multiple databases was conducted for articles published in English from January 1980 to April 2015 using select keywords. Studies were included if (1) the population included was >50% stroke patients; (2) the sample size included ≥4 subjects; (3) the intervention applied was rTMS; and (4) upper extremity spasticity was assessed pre‐ and postintervention. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were assessed for methodologic quality with the Physiotherapy Evidence Database tool. All research designs were given a level of evidence according to a modified Sackett Scale.

Main Outcome Measurements

Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS).

Results

Ten studies met the inclusion criteria: 2 RCTs (Physiotherapy Evidence Database scores 8‐9) and 8 pre‐post studies. Meta‐analyses of primarily uncontrolled pre‐post studies found significant improvements in MAS for elbow (P < .001), wrist (P < .001), and finger flexors (P < .001). However, a meta‐analysis of the 2 available RCTs failed to find a significant rTMS treatment effect on MAS for the wrist (standardized difference = .34, P = .30).

Conclusions

There is limited available evidence to support the use of rTMS in improving spasticity poststroke. Despite the positive findings reported, better powered and appropriately controlled trials are necessary.

Level of Evidence

II
Using the Bergman-Paris Question to screen seniors in the emergency department
Authors: Laguë Antoine , Voyer Philippe , Ouellet Marie-Christine , Boucher Valérie , Giroux Marianne , Pelletier Mathieu , Gouin Émilie , Daoust Raoul , Berthelot Simon , Morin Michèle , Minh Vu Thien Tuong , Lee Jacques , Brousseau Audrey-Anne , Sirois Marie-Josée , Émond Marcel
Published: October 2017

Objectives

In the fast pace of the Emergency Department (ED), clinicians are in need of tailored screening tools to detect seniors who are at risk of adverse outcomes. We aimed to explore the usefulness of the Bergman-Paris Question (BPQ) to expose potential undetected geriatric syndromes in community-living seniors presenting to the ED.

Methods

This is a planned sub-study of the INDEED multicentre prospective cohort study, including independent or semi-independent seniors (≥65 years old) admitted to hospital after an ED stay ≥8 hours and who were not delirious. Patients were assessed using validated screening tests for 3 geriatric syndromes: cognitive and functional impairment, and frailty. The BPQ was asked upon availability of a relative at enrolment. BPQ’s sensitivity and specificity analyses were used to ascertain outcomes.

Results

A response to the BPQ was available for 171 patients (47% of the main study’s cohort). Of this number, 75.4% were positive (suggesting impairment), and 24.6% were negative. To detect one of the three geriatric syndromes, the BPQ had a sensitivity of 85.4% (95% CI [76.3, 92.0]) and a specificity of 35.4% (95% CI [25.1, 46.7]). Similar results were obtained for each separate outcome. Odds ratio demonstrated a higher risk of presence of geriatric syndromes.

Conclusion

The Bergman-Paris Question could be an ED screening tool for possible geriatric syndrome. A positive BPQ should prompt the need of further investigations and a negative BPQ possibly warrants no further action. More research is needed to validate the usefulness of the BPQ for day-to-day geriatric screening by ED professionals or geriatricians.
Is it mathematics or is it school mathematics?
Authors: Golding Jennie
Published: October 2017

In my professional life, I have repeatedly had cause to return to the question of

‘What relationship does the “mathematics” experienced in classrooms have to the mathematics studied in universities, or used outside academia? What relationship should it, and could it, have, and how do we get there?’

It's time I began to frame some responses! In doing so, I am very aware that membership of The Mathematical Association is broad church, ranging from those with an amateur interest in mathematics (and mathematics education), through non-specialist teachers, to professional mathematicians. As such it is a rich community, but one in which it is challenging to address such questions in a way which is meaningful to all. However, I shall attempt to do so and I hope that the balance will in a small way also prove illuminating to the reader. In particular, I have a hope that it will point to the breadth and depth of what we expect from our teachers of mathematics, at all levels, and to a valuing of that.
Thoughts on a conjecture of Erdős
Authors: Dolan Stan
Published: October 2017

If two squares with no interior point in common are drawn inside a unit square then prove that the sum of their side-lengths is at most 1.

This problem was posed in the 1930s by Paul Erdős [1]. It is the simplest case of a still unsolved conjecture.

If k2 + 1 squares with no interior point in common are drawn inside a unit square then the maximum possible sum of their side-lengths is k [2].

We shall use the notation S(n) to denote the maximum possible sum of the side-lengths for n squares drawn with no interior point in common inside a unit square. The main aim of this article will be to develop an approach to the study of the function S which will give surprisingly simple proofs of a number of known results. This approach will then be used to prove a new result about the asymptotic behaviour of S.
FRVCTVS AMORIS: ON CATULLUS 55.17–22
Authors: Lingenberg Wilfried H.
Published: October 2017

In carm. 55, Catullus supposes his friend Camerius may be caught in erotic adventure:num te lacteolae tenent puellae?si linguam clauso tenes in ore,fructus proicies amoris omnes:uerbosa gaudet Venus loquella.    20uel, si uis, licet obseres palatum,dum nostri sis particeps amoris.
Individuation et identité chez Diderot
Authors: RIOUX-BEAULNE MITIA
Published: October 2017

Cet article s’attache à un aspect fondamental de la philosophie matérialiste de Diderot, à savoir le fait que l’individualité psychologique ne peut pas correspondre à l’individu matériel que nous sommes parce que la mémoire sur laquelle elle repose est toujours en quelque sorte partielle. Que faire alors si cet individu matériel lui-même voit son existence mise en doute, du fait que, comme l’annonce le Rêve de d’Alembert, le seul individu, c’est le «tout»? En mettant en relation ces deux démarches, nous montrons comment on peut élaborer une théorie de l’individu qui tienne compte du décalage entre l’individuation comme processus physique et de la constitution de l’individualité comme processus psychologique.
CIRCASSIAN REFUGEES AND THE MAKING OF AMMAN, 1878–1914
Authors: Hamed-Troyansky Vladimir
Published: October 2017

In the final decades of Ottoman rule, several waves of refugees from the Russian Empire's North Caucasus region immigrated to Transjordan, where they founded Amman and other agricultural villages. This article examines the economy of Amman in its formative years as a Circassian refugee settlement. By exploring connections between North Caucasian refugees, Syrian and Palestinian merchants, and Transjordanian urban and nomadic communities, this study posits refugees as drivers of economic expansion in the late Ottoman period. I argue that the settlement of North Caucasian refugees and their active participation in the real estate market in and around Amman contributed to the entrenchment of the post-1858 property regime in Ottoman Transjordan. Through a study of an upper-class Circassian household and its legal battles, this article also illustrates the rise of refugee elites who benefited from the commodification of land and the construction of state-sponsored infrastructure in the late Ottoman Levant.
Domestic Human Rights Adjudication in the Shadow of International Law: The Status of Human Rights Conventions in Israel
Authors: Medina Barak
Published: October 2017

The quarter-century anniversary of Israel's ratification of the major United Nations (UN) human rights treaties is an opportunity to revisit the formal and informal interaction between domestic and international Bills of Rights in Israel. This study reveals that the human rights conventions lack almost entirely a formal domestic legal status. The study identifies a minor shift in the scope of the Israeli Supreme Court's reference to international law, as the Court now cites international human rights law to justify decisions that a state action is unlawful, and not only to support findings that an action is valid. This shift may be the result of other reasons, for instance, a ‘radiation’ of the Court's relatively extensive use of international humanitarian law in reviewing state actions taken in the Occupied Territories. However, it may also reflect a perception of enhanced legitimacy of referring to international human rights law as a point of reference in human rights adjudication following ratification of the treaties.

At the same time, the Court continues to avoid acknowledging incompatibility between domestic law and international law. It refers to the latter only to support its interpretation of Israeli constitutional law, as it did before the ratification. This article critically evaluates this practice. While international human rights law should not be binding at the domestic level, because of its lack of sufficient democratic legitimacy in Israel, it should serve as an essential benchmark. The Court may legitimise a human rights infringement that is unjustified according to international law, but such incompatibility requires an explicit justification. The Court, together with the legislature and the government, are required to engage critically with the non-binding norms set by the ratified UN human rights treaties.
Sidestepping the State: Practices of Social Service Commodification among Nicaraguans in Costa Rica and Nicaragua
Authors: FOURATT CAITLIN E. , VOOREND KOEN
Published: October 2017

In Costa Rica, there is a widespread belief among the public and policymakers that the country's ‘exceptional’ universal healthcare system represents a magnet for Nicaraguan immigrants. However, examining immigrants’ actual access to social policy demonstrates the importance of legal and extra-legal mechanisms of exclusion that go hand in hand with official recognition of human rights. This paper critically assesses the relationship between migrants and the state, and public social policy in particular, in both sending and receiving country. We analyse the extent to which Nicaraguan migrant families on both sides of the Costa Rica–Nicaragua migration system incorporate public social protection in their welfare strategies. Drawing on two sets of qualitative data, we find that, on both sides of the border, migrants and their families display very similar commodified practices of welfare strategies, side-stepping the state and purchasing services in the private sector.
Understanding the development of psychopathy: progress and challenges
Authors: Viding E. , McCrory E. J.
Published: October 2017

Psychopathy is an adult condition that incurs substantial societal and individual costs. Here we review neurocognitive and genetically informative studies that shed light on how and why this condition emerges. Children cannot present with psychopathy. However, the presence of callous–unemotional (CU) traits can distinguish a group of children who are at elevated risk of psychopathy in adulthood. These children display diminished empathy and guilt and show attenuated brain activation to distress cues in others. Genetically informative studies indicate that individual differences in CU traits show moderate-to-strong heritability, but that protective environmental factors can counter heritable risk. On the basis of the extant research findings, we speculate on what might represent the priorities for research over the next decade. We also consider the clinical implications of these research findings. In particular, we consider the importance of delineating what precisely works for children with CU traits (and their parents) and the ways in which intervention and prevention programs may be optimized to improve engagement as well as clinical outcomes.
Does green taxation drive countries towards the carbon efficiency frontier?
Authors: Böhmelt Tobias , Vaziri Farzad , Ward Hugh
Published: October 2017

A country is on thecarbon efficiency frontierif its per-capita emissions of CO2are at least as low as any state that was at least as economically developed at a period when technology was no more advanced. Building on earlier work employing Data Envelopment Analysis to benchmark performance, we argue that a useful measure of whether a state adopts “good practice” in relation to climate change is how near it is to this frontier. We calculate efficiency scores for a sample of developed countries between 1994 and 2011, and model the impact of green taxation, next to a series of political and economic controls, on performance. We find that higher levels of environmental tax revenue are positively and significantly associated with higher carbon efficiency. The central contributions of this research are the introduction of an innovative measure for environmental quality and assessing how this is driven by green taxation.
Limits and limitations of no-regret learning in games
Authors: Monnot Barnabé , Piliouras Georgios
Published: October 2017

We study the limit behavior and performance of no-regret dynamics in general game theoretic settings. We design protocols that achieve both good regret and equilibration guarantees in general games. We also establish a strong equivalence between them and coarse correlated equilibria (CCE). We examine structured game settings where stronger properties can be established for no-regret dynamics and CCE. In congestion games with non-atomic agents (each contributing a fraction of the flow), as we decrease the individual flow of agents, CCE become closely concentrated around the unique equilibrium flow of the non-atomic game. Moreover, we compare best/worst case no-regret learning behavior to best/worst case Nash equilibrium (NE) in small games. We prove analytical bounds on these inefficiency ratios for 2×2 games and unboundedness for larger games. Experimentally, we sample normal form games and compute their measures of inefficiency. We show that the ratio distribution has sharp decay, in the sense that most generated games have small ratios. They also exhibit strong anti-correlation between each other, that is games with large improvements from the best NE to the best CCE present small degradation from the worst NE to the worst CCE.
How communication with teachers, family and friends contributes to predicting climate change behaviour among adolescents
Authors: VALDEZ RENE X. , PETERSON M. NILS , STEVENSON KATHRYN T.
Published: October 2017

Engaging adolescents is critical to encouraging future climate change adaptation and mitigation behaviours. Adolescents are typically more receptive to climate change messages than adults, but educators and communicators need research-based strategies for optimizing engagement, including information about what factors are most influential in changing behaviours. To better understand how communication with teachers, friends and family, climate change knowledge and climate change concern predict climate change behaviour, we administered a survey to a random sample of middle school students in North Carolina, USA (n= 1371). We measured climate change behaviour with a multi-item scale asking respondents about energy conservation, alternative transportation and engagement with environmental issues. We found that climate change concern and discussing climate change with family and friends predicted climate change behaviour. We also found that students from urban, high socioeconomic status schools were more likely to engage in climate change behaviour than students in urban, low socioeconomic status schools or rural schools. These results suggest that education efforts should leverage communication with family and friends in programming designed to encourage climate change behaviour. Further, efforts to promote climate change behaviour among low socioeconomic status urban and rural adolescents may be warranted, but would benefit from further investigation into the ideological, physical and knowledge-based drivers of behaviour differences documented in this study.
Monotone Subsequences in High-Dimensional Permutations
Authors: LINIAL NATHAN , SIMKIN MICHAEL
Published: October 2017

This paper is part of the ongoing effort to study high-dimensional permutations. We prove the analogue to the Erdős–Szekeres theorem: For everyk≥ 1, every order-nk-dimensional permutation contains a monotone subsequence of length Ωk($\sqrt{n}$), and this is tight. On the other hand, and unlike the classical case, the longest monotone subsequence in a randomk-dimensional permutation of ordernis asymptotically almost surely Θk(nk/(k+1)).
Mortality in endovascular and open abdominal aneurysm repair – trends in Germany
Authors: von Beckerath Olga , Schrader Sebastian , Katoh Marcus , Luther Bernd , Santosa Frans , Kröger Knut
Published: October 2017

Abstract. Background: We analysed trends in mortality of endovascular (EVAR) and open aortic repair (OAR) in patients hospitalized for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) in Germany from 2005 to 2015. Patients and methods: We used national statistics published by the Federal Statistical Office in Germany to calculate mortality rate of patients hospitalized with ruptured (rAAA, n = 2,448 in 2005, n = 2,180 in 2015) and non-ruptured (iAAA, n = 11,626 in 2005, n = 14,205 in 2015) AAA. Results: Considering only those who were treated with EVAR or OAR, treatment rates of iAAA with EVAR increased to 78.2 % in males and 72.6 % in females in 2015 and treatment rates of rAAA to 36.9 % and 40.7 %, respectively. In cases with iAAA, death rates associated with EVAR decreased in males from 2.1 to 1.1 % (p = 0.0005) in the period from 2005 to 2015 but not in females (1.8 % in 2005 and 2.3 % in 2015, p = 0.8511). Similar trends are seen in cases with rAAA (males 30.1 % and 24 %, p = 0.1034, females 36.4 to 37.3 %, p = 0.8511). Death rates associated with OAR increased in males from 4.7 % in 2005 to 5.7 % in 2015 (p = 0.0103) and tended to increase in females from 6.8 to 8.2 % (p = 0.1476). In cases of rAAA, there were no changes. EVAR treatment rates increased in cases with iAAA in both genders with age, as well as in males with rAAA, but not in females. OAR associated death rates increased with age in rAAA (from around 30 % in the sixth/seventh decade of life to almost 80 % in cases with patients over the age of 90) and in iAAA (from 1.1 to 20 %). Conclusions: The general increase in EVAR procedures in males and females hospitalized for rAAA and iAAA went along with a decrease in in-hospital mortality in males treated with EVAR for iAAA only and an increasing mortality in males treated with OAR for iAAA.
Grain boundary mediated hydriding phase transformations in individual polycrystalline metal nanoparticles
Authors: Alekseeva Svetlana , Fanta Alice Bastos da Silva , Iandolo Beniamino , Antosiewicz Tomasz J. , Nugroho Ferry Anggoro Ardy , Wagner Jakob B. , Burrows Andrew , Zhdanov Vladimir P. , Langhammer Christoph
Published: October 2017

Grain boundaries separate crystallites in solids and influence material properties, as widely documented for bulk materials. In nanomaterials, however, investigations of grain boundaries are very challenging and just beginning. Here, we report the systematic mapping of the role of grain boundaries in the hydrogenation phase transformation in individual Pd nanoparticles. Employing multichannel single-particle plasmonic nanospectroscopy, we observe large variation in particle-specific hydride-formation pressure, which is absent in hydride decomposition. Transmission Kikuchi diffraction suggests direct correlation between length and type of grain boundaries and hydride-formation pressure. This correlation is consistent with tensile lattice strain induced by hydrogen localized near grain boundaries as the dominant factor controlling the phase transition during hydrogen absorption. In contrast, such correlation is absent for hydride decomposition, suggesting a different phase-transition pathway. In a wider context, our experimental setup represents a powerful platform to unravel microstructure–function correlations at the individual-nanoparticle level.
Ets transcription factor GABP controls T cell homeostasis and immunity
Authors: Luo Chong T. , Osmanbeyoglu Hatice U. , Do Mytrang H. , Bivona Michael R. , Toure Ahmed , Kang Davina , Xie Yuchen , Leslie Christina S. , Li Ming O.
Published: October 2017

Peripheral T cells are maintained in the absence of vigorous stimuli, and respond to antigenic stimulation by initiating cell cycle progression and functional differentiation. Here we show that depletion of the Ets family transcription factor GA-binding protein (GABP) in T cells impairs T-cell homeostasis. In addition, GABP is critically required for antigen-stimulated T-cell responses in vitro and in vivo. Transcriptome and genome-wide GABP-binding site analyses identify GABP direct targets encoding proteins involved in cellular redox balance and DNA replication, including the Mcm replicative helicases. These findings show that GABP has a nonredundant role in the control of T-cell homeostasis and immunity.
Comprehensive analysis of normal adjacent to tumor transcriptomes
Authors: Aran Dvir , Camarda Roman , Odegaard Justin , Paik Hyojung , Oskotsky Boris , Krings Gregor , Goga Andrei , Sirota Marina , Butte Atul J.
Published: October 2017

Histologically normal tissue adjacent to the tumor (NAT) is commonly used as a control in cancer studies. However, little is known about the transcriptomic profile of NAT, how it is influenced by the tumor, and how the profile compares with non-tumor-bearing tissues. Here, we integrate data from the Genotype-Tissue Expression project and The Cancer Genome Atlas to comprehensively analyze the transcriptomes of healthy, NAT, and tumor tissues in 6506 samples across eight tissues and corresponding tumor types. Our analysis shows that NAT presents a unique intermediate state between healthy and tumor. Differential gene expression and protein–protein interaction analyses reveal altered pathways shared among NATs across tissue types. We characterize a set of 18 genes that are specifically activated in NATs. By applying pathway and tissue composition analyses, we suggest a pan-cancer mechanism of pro-inflammatory signals from the tumor stimulates an inflammatory response in the adjacent endothelium.
Topologically frustrated ionisation in a water-ammonia ice mixture
Authors: Liu C. , Mafety A. , Queyroux J. A. , Wilson C. W. , Zhang H. , Béneut K. , Le Marchand G. , Baptiste B. , Dumas P. , Garbarino G. , Finocchi F. , Loveday J. S. , Pietrucci F. , Saitta A. M. , Datchi F. , Ninet S.
Published: October 2017

Water and ammonia are considered major components of the interiors of the giant icy planets and their satellites, which has motivated their exploration under high P–T conditions. Exotic forms of these pure ices have been revealed at extreme (~megabar) pressures, notably symmetric, ionic, and superionic phases. Here we report on an extensive experimental and computational study of the high-pressure properties of the ammonia monohydrate compound forming from an equimolar mixture of water and ammonia. Our experiments demonstrate that relatively mild pressure conditions (7.4 GPa at 300 K) are sufficient to transform ammonia monohydrate from a prototypical hydrogen-bonded crystal into a form where the standard molecular forms of water and ammonia coexist with their ionic counterparts, hydroxide (OH−) and ammonium $$\left( {{\rm{NH}}_{\rm{4}}^{\rm{ + }}} \right)$$

NH

4

+

ions. Using ab initio atomistic simulations, we explain this surprising coexistence of neutral/charged species as resulting from a topological frustration between local homonuclear and long-ranged heteronuclear ionisation mechanisms.
Independent tuning of size and coverage of supported Pt nanoparticles using atomic layer deposition
Authors: Dendooven Jolien , Ramachandran Ranjith K. , Solano Eduardo , Kurttepeli Mert , Geerts Lisa , Heremans Gino , Rongé Jan , Minjauw Matthias M. , Dobbelaere Thomas , Devloo-Casier Kilian , Martens Johan A. , Vantomme André , Bals Sara , Portale Giuseppe , Coati Alessandro , Detavernier Christophe
Published: October 2017

Synthetic methods that allow for the controlled design of well-defined Pt nanoparticles are highly desirable for fundamental catalysis research. In this work, we propose a strategy that allows precise and independent control of the Pt particle size and coverage. Our approach exploits the versatility of the atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique by combining two ALD processes for Pt using different reactants. The particle areal density is controlled by tailoring the number of ALD cycles using trimethyl(methylcyclopentadienyl)platinum and oxygen, while subsequent growth using the same Pt precursor in combination with nitrogen plasma allows for tuning of the particle size at the atomic level. The excellent control over the particle morphology is clearly demonstrated by means of in situ and ex situ X-ray fluorescence and grazing incidence small angle X-ray scattering experiments, providing information about the Pt loading, average particle dimensions, and mean center-to-center particle distance.
Fast methane diffusion at the interface of two clathrate structures
Authors: Ranieri Umbertoluca , Koza Michael Marek , Kuhs Werner F. , Klotz Stefan , Falenty Andrzej , Gillet Philippe , Bove Livia E.
Published: October 2017

Methane hydrates naturally form on Earth and in the interiors of some icy bodies of the Universe, and are also expected to play a paramount role in future energy and environmental technologies. Here we report experimental observation of an extremely fast methane diffusion at the interface of the two most common clathrate hydrate structures, namely clathrate structures I and II. Methane translational diffusion—measured by quasielastic neutron scattering at 0.8 GPa—is faster than that expected in pure supercritical methane at comparable pressure and temperature. This phenomenon could be an effect of strong confinement or of methane aggregation in the form of micro-nanobubbles at the interface of the two structures. Our results could have implications for understanding the replacement kinetics during sI–sII conversion in gas exchange experiments and for establishing the methane mobility in methane hydrates embedded in the cryosphere of large icy bodies in the Universe.