bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Historicising popular geopolitics
Authors: Harby Alexander J.
Published: November 2018

Critical geopolitics has long recognised the role of history in geopolitics, yet popular geopolitics research is often ahistorical, focusing on ongoing conflicts without recognising the context of past wars and ideologies. In this paper, I review the literature on historical popular geopolitics. I use the literary technique of new historicism to evaluate the ways in which geographers have historicised popular geopolitics, in terms of their ideological contexts and influences on the present. Much of this work deals with various forms of media such as films and comic books, often read as products of their time or of their authors' ideologies. Some geographers, however, have been able to combine historicism with non‐representational methodologies to study embodiment, practices of consumption, and affect. I reflect that historicism is vital for understanding the continuity of geopolitics.
Geographies of deindustrialization and the working‐class: Industrial ruination, legacies, and affect
Authors: Emery Jay
Published: November 2018

Sections of the post‐industrial working‐class have made a notable return to media and political discourses in the context of the rise of populism across Europe and the United States. These narratives, which exclude women and BAME working‐class people, suggests the (white, male) working‐class are angry and resentful of being left behind by increasingly globalized political economies, nostalgic for the industrial ordering of work, home, and community. It seems that the political and media establishment are, selectively, understanding what has long been realized by researchers of deindustrialization. In the first, this paper surveys and critiques recent discourses on the post‐industrial working‐classes. The paper then traces the development of industrial ruination as an interdisciplinary area of academic focus, highlighting the themes of memory and temporal factors that have come to dominate the literature. The next section reviews contestations surrounding the affordances of landscapes and industrial ruins for the analysis of memory and history. Finally, the paper proposes interrelated ways to advance future study which historical–cultural geographers are well placed to carry forward. Here, I call for greater attention toward the affective and embodied dimensions of classed experience and the intersectionalities of race and gender in working‐class subjectivities. Further, I suggest there is an imperative to a deeper understanding of constitutive “affective” histories to mediate enduring social inequalities and their political and socially divisive mobilizations.
Elementary Index Bias: Evidence for the Euro Area from a Large Scanner Dataset
Authors: Gábor-Tóth Enikő , Vermeulen Philip
Published: November 2018

We provide evidence on the effect of elementary index choice on inflation measurement in the euro area. Using scanner data for 15,844 individual items from 42 product categories and 10 euro area countries, we compute product category level elementary price indexes using eight different elementary index formulas. Measured inflation outcomes of the different index formulas are compared with the Fisher ideal index to quantify elementary index bias. We have three main findings. First, elementary index bias is quite variable across product categories, countries and index formulas. Second, a comparison of elementary index formulas with and without expenditure weights shows that a shift from price only indexes to expenditure weighted indexes would entail at the product level multiple percentage points differences in measured price changes. And finally, we show that elementary index bias is quantitatively more important than upper level substitution bias.
Sequential Chemical Separation of Cr and Ti from a Single Digest for High‐Precision Isotope Measurements of Planetary Materials
Authors: Hibiya Yuki , Iizuka Tsuyoshi , Yamashita Katsuyuki , Yoneda Shigekazu , Yamakawa Akane
Published: November 2018

Combined determination of Cr and Ti isotopes of planetary materials offers a means with which to investigate their genetic relationship and the evolution of the protoplanetary disk. Here, we report the new sequential chemical separation procedure for combined Cr and Ti isotope ratio measurements. It comprises three steps: (a) Fe removal using AG1‐X8 anion exchange resin, (b) Ti separation using TODGA resin and (c) Cr separation using AG50W‐X8 cation exchange resin (with one additional step of Ti purification using AG1‐X8 anion exchange resin for samples having high Cr/Ti and Ca/Ti ratios). We applied the proposed procedure to terrestrial and meteorite samples with various compositions. Typical recovery rates of 90–100% were achieved with total procedural Cr and Ti blanks of 3–5 and 2–3 ng, respectively. We measured the Cr and Ti isotope compositions of the separated samples using thermal ionisation mass spectrometry and multiple collector‐inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry, respectively. Our Cr and Ti isotope data were found to be consistent with those of previous studies of individual Cr and Ti isotopic compositions of the meteorites. These results demonstrate the capability of our separation method when applied to combined high‐precision Cr and Ti isotope analyses for single digests of planetary materials.
The Slippery Slope Argument against Geoengineering Research
Authors: Callies Daniel Edward
Published: November 2018

With the lack of progress there has been so far on climate change, some have begun researching the potential of geoengineering to allay future climatic harms. However, others contend that such research should be abandoned. One of the most‐cited reasons as to why research into geoengineering should be abandoned is the idea that such research sits at the top of slippery slope. The Slippery Slope Argument warns that even mere research into geoengineering will create institutional momentum, ultimately leading to the deployment of a technology that is untested and perhaps morally objectionable. This article clearly lays out the Slippery Slope Argument against geoengineering research and analyses its premises. I claim that both the empirical premise – that research will inevitably lead to deployment – and the normative premise – that we have decisive moral reasons to avoid deployment – are questionable. The main conclusion of the article is that while we should be cognizant of the potential for research to lead to undesirable deployment scenarios, engaging in research need not necessarily lead inexorably to deployment. While insufficient to ground a moratorium on research, the Slippery Slope Argument points to the need for regulation and oversight in order to prevent undesirable deployment.
Non‐invasive measurement of reservoir pressure parameters from brachial‐cuff blood pressure waveforms
Authors: Peng Xiaoqing , Schultz Martin G. , Picone Dean S. , Dwyer Nathan , Black J. Andrew , Roberts‐Thomson Philip , Sharman James E.
Published: November 2018

Reservoir pressure parameters [eg, reservoir pressure (RP) and excess pressure (XSP)] are biomarkers derived from blood pressure (BP) waveforms that have been shown to predict cardiovascular events independent of conventional cardiovascular risk markers. However, whether RP and XSP can be derived non‐invasively from operator‐independent cuff device measured brachial or central BP waveforms has never been examined. This study sought to achieve this by comparison of cuff reservoir pressure parameters with intra‐aortic reservoir pressure parameters. 162 participants (aged 61 ± 10 years, 72% male) undergoing coronary angiography had the simultaneous measurement of cuff BP waveforms (via SphygmoCor XCEL, AtCor Medical) and intra‐aortic BP waveforms (via fluid‐filled catheter). RP and XSP derived from cuff acquired brachial and central BP waveforms were compared with intra‐aortic measures. Concordance between brachial‐cuff and intra‐aortic measurement was moderate‐to‐good for RP peak (36 ± 11vs48 ± 14 mm Hg,P < 0.001; ICC 0.77, 95% CI: 0.71‐0.82), and poor‐to‐moderate for XSP peak (28 ± 10vs24 ± 9 mm Hg,P < 0.001; ICC 0.49, 95% CI: 0.35‐0.60). Concordance between central‐cuff and intra‐aortic measurement was moderate‐to‐good for RP peak (35 ± 9vs46 ± 14 mm Hg,P < 0.001; ICC 0.77, 95% CI: 0.70‐0.82), but poor for XSP peak (12 ± 3vs24 ± 9 mm Hg,P < 0.001; ICC 0.12, 95% CI: −0.13 to 0.31). In conclusion, both brachial‐cuff and central‐cuff methods can reasonably estimate intra‐aortic RP, whereas XSP can only be acceptably derived from brachial‐cuff BP waveforms. This should enable widespread application to determine the clinical significance, but there is significant room for refinement of the method.
Metformin attenuates the effect of Staphylococcus aureus on airway tight junctions by increasing PKCζ‐mediated phosphorylation of occludin
Authors: Kalsi Kameljit K. , Garnett James P. , Patkee Wishwanath , Weekes Alexina , Dockrell Mark E. , Baker Emma H. , Baines Deborah L.
Published: November 2018

Airway epithelial tight junction (TJ) proteins form a resistive barrier to the external environment, however, during respiratory bacterial infection TJs become disrupted compromising barrier function. This promotes glucose flux/accumulation into the lumen which acts as a nutrient source for bacterial growth. Metformin used for the treatment of diabetes increases transepithelial resistance (TEER) and partially prevents the effect of bacteria but the mechanisms of action are unclear. We investigated the effect of metformin and Staphylococcus aureus on TJ proteins, zonula occludins (ZO)‐1 and occludin in human airway epithelial cells (H441). We also explored the role of AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) and PKCζ in metformin‐induced effects. Pretreatment with metformin prevented the S. aureus‐induced changes in ZO‐1 and occludin. Metformin also promoted increased abundance of full length over smaller cleaved occludin proteins. The nonspecific PKC inhibitor staurosporine reduced TEER but did not prevent the effect of metformin indicating that the pathway may involve atypical PKC isoforms. Investigation of TJ reassembly after calcium depletion showed that metformin increased TEER more rapidly and promoted the abundance and localization of occludin at the TJ. These effects were inhibited by the AMPK inhibitor, compound C and the PKCζ pseudosubstrate inhibitor (PSI). Metformin increased phosphorylation of occludin and acetyl‐coA‐carboxylase but only the former was prevented by PSI. This study demonstrates that metformin improves TJ barrier function by promoting the abundance and assembly of full length occludin at the TJ and that this process involves phosphorylation of the protein via an AMPK‐PKCζ pathway.
Whole exome sequencing identified a novel DAG1 mutation in a patient with rare, mild and late age of onset muscular dystrophy‐dystroglycanopathy
Authors: Dai Yi , Liang Shengran , Dong Xue , Zhao Yanhuan , Ren Haitao , Guan Yuzhou , Yin Haifang , Li Chen , Chen Lin , Cui Liying , Banerjee Santasree
Published: November 2018

Muscular dystrophy‐dystroglycanopathy (limb‐girdle), type C, 9 (MDDGC9) is the rarest type of autosomal recessive muscular dystrophies. MDDGC9 is manifested with an early onset in childhood. Patients with MDDGC9 usually identified with defective glycosylation of DAG1, hence it is known as “dystroglycanopathies”. Here, we report a Chinese pedigree presented with mild MDDGC9. The proband is a 64 years old Chinese man. In this family, both the proband and proband's younger brother have been suffering from mild and late onset MDDGC9. Muscle biopsy showed that the left deltoid muscle with an advanced stage of dystrophic change. Immunohistochemistry staining of dystrophin, α‐sarcoglycan, β‐sarcoglycan and dysferlin are normal. Molecular genetic analysis of the proband has been done with whole exome sequencing. A homozygous novel missense mutation (c.2326C>T; p.R776C) in the exon 3 of the DAG1 gene has been identified in the proband. Sanger sequencing revealed that this missense mutation is co‐segregated well among the affected and unaffected (carrier) family members. This mutation is not detected in 200 normal healthy control individuals. This novel homozygous missense mutation (c.2326C>T) causes substitution of arginine by cystine at the position of 776 (p.R776C) which is evolutionarily highly conserved. Immunoblotting studies revealed that a significant reduction of α‐dystroglycan expression in the muscle tissue. The novelty of our study is that it is a first report of DAG1 associated muscular dystrophy‐dystroglycanopathy (limb‐girdle), type C, 9 (MDDGC9) with mild and late age of onset. In Chinese population this is the first report of DAG1 associated MDDGC9.
Autotaxin/lysophosphatidic acid signaling mediates obesity‐related cardiomyopathy in mice and human subjects
Authors: Weng Jiakan , Jiang Sheng , Ding Lu , Xu Yi , Zhu Xiongfei , Jin Peifeng
Published: November 2018

Obesity is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, but the direct signals to initiate or exaggerate cardiomyopathy remain largely unknown. Present study aims to explore the pathophysiological role of autotaxin/lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) in the process of cardiomyopathy during obesity. Through utilizing mouse model and clinical samples, present study investigates the therapeutic benefits of autotaxin inhibitor and clinical correlation to obesity‐related cardiomyopathy. The elevated circulating levels of autotaxin are closely associated with cardiac parameters in mice. Administration with autotaxin inhibitor, PF‐8380 effectively attenuates high fat diet‐induced cardiac hypertrophy, dysfunction and inflammatory response. Consistently, autotaxin inhibition also decreases circulating LPA levels in obese mice. In in vitro study, LPA directly initiates cell size enlargement and inflammation in neonatal cardiomyocytes. More importantly, circulating levels of autotaxin are positively correlated with cardiac dysfunction and hypertrophy in 55 patients. In conclusion, present study uncovers the correlation between circulating autotaxin and cardiac parameters in mice and human patient, and provided solid evidence of the therapeutic application of autotaxin inhibitor in combating obesity‐related cardiomyopathy.
Editorial: Should child psychiatry be more like paediatric oncology?
Authors: Stringaris Argyris , Stringaris Kate
Published: November 2018

Looked at from a public health perspective, psychiatric disorders are devastating and cost humanity a tremendous amount of suffering as well as resources. On the other hand, childhood cancer is relatively rare and on a large scale, causes much less mortality and morbidity. Yet, when it comes to anything from public perception, to funding or to hyperbolic tabloid headlines, oncology wins hands down. Children with cancer are also better off when it comes to the quality of services and respect patients get from the health care system, treaters, and their own families. Also the cure rates for come childhood cancers, such as leukaemia, have improved dramatically. What can possibly explain such puzzling differences?
To Tailor Solutions, You Must Understand the Problems: Nursing Facility Resident Changes of Condition
Authors: Carnahan Jennifer L. , Unroe Kathleen T.
Published: November 2018

This editorial comments on the article by Ouslander et al.
Common mycorrhizal networks activate salicylic acid defense responses of trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata)
Authors: Zhang Yi‐Can , Zou Ying‐Ning , Liu Li‐Ping , Wu Qiang‐Sheng
Published: November 2018

Citrus canker, caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri (‘Xac’), is an important quarantine disease in citrus crops. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form symbiotic interactions with host plants and further affect their disease resistance, possibly by modulating the activity of salicylic acid (SA), a key phytohormone in disease resistance. Common mycorrhizal networks (CMNs) can interconnect plants, but it is not yet clear whether CMNs promote resistance to citrus canker and, if so, whether SA signaling is involved in this process. To test this possibility, we used a two‐chambered rootbox to establish CMNs between trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata) seedlings in chambers inoculated (treated) or not (neighboring) with the AMF, Paraglomus occultum. A subset of the AMF‐inoculated seedlings were also inoculated with Xac (+AMF+Xac). At 2 d post‐inoculation (dpi), compared with the +AMF−Xac treatment, neighboring seedlings in +AMF+Xac treatment had lower expression levels of the SA biosynthetic genes, PtPAL, PtEPS1, and PtPBS3, but higher SA levels, which attributed to the upregulation of PtPAL and PtPBS3 in treated seedlings and the transfer of SA, via CMNs, to the neighboring seedlings. At 4 dpi, the pathogenesis‐related (PR) protein genes, PtPR1, PtPR4, and PtPR5, and the transcriptional regulatory factor gene, PtNPR1, were activated in neighboring seedlings of +AMF+Xac treatment. At 9 dpi, root phenylalanine ammonia‐lyase activity and total soluble phenol and lignin concentrations increased in neighboring seedlings of +AMF+Xac treatment, likely due to the linkage and signal transfer, via CMNs. These findings support the hypothesis that CMNs transfer the SA signal from infected to neighboring healthy seedlings, to activate defense responses and affording protection to neighboring plants against citrus canker infection.
GW5‐Like, a homolog of GW5, negatively regulates grain width, weight and salt resistance in rice
Authors: Tian Peng , Liu Jiafan , Mou Changling , Shi Cuilan , Zhang Huan , Zhao Zhichao , Lin Qibing , Wang Jie , Wang Jiulin , Zhang Xin , Guo Xiuping , Cheng Zhijun , Zhu Shanshan , Ren Yulong , Lei Cailin , Wang Haiyang , Wan Jianmin
Published: November 2018

Grain size is an important determinant of yield potential in crops. We previously demonstrated that natural mutations in the regulatory sequences of qSW5/GW5 confer grain width diversity in rice. However, the biological function of a GW5 homolog, named GW5‐Like (GW5L), remains unknown. In this study, we report on GW5L knockout mutants in Kitaake, a japonica cultivar (cv.) considered to have a weak gw5 variant allele that confers shorter and wider grains. GW5L is evenly expressed in various tissues, and its protein product is localized to the plasma membrane. Biochemical assays verified that GW5L functions in a similar fashion to GW5. It positively regulates brassinosteroid (BR) signaling through repression of the phosphorylation activity of GSK2. Genetic data show that GW5L overexpression in either Kitaake or a GW5 knockout line, Kasaorf3 (indica cv. Kasalath background), causes more slender, longer grains relative to the wild‐type. We also show that GW5L could confer salt stress resistance through an association with calmodulin protein OsCaM1‐1. These findings identify GW5L as a negative regulator of both grain size and salt stress tolerance, and provide a potential target for breeders to improve grain yield and salt stress resistance in rice.
Regulating for a reason: Emotion regulation goals are linked to spontaneous strategy use
Authors: Eldesouky Lameese , English Tammy
Published: November 2018

Objective

We investigated how individual differences in emotion regulation goals predict emotion regulation strategy use in daily life.

Method

Across three studies, we assessed two common types of emotion regulation goals (hedonic, social) and strategies spanning the entire process model of emotion regulation. We conducted two studies using global measures with undergraduates (N = 394; 18–25 years; 69% female; 56% European American) and community members (N = 302; 19–74 years; 50% female; 75% European American), and a nine‐day daily diary study with another community sample (N = 272; 23–85 years; 50% female; 84% European American).

Results

Globally and in daily life, pro‐hedonic goals were positively associated with all antecedent‐focused strategies (situation selection, situation modification, distraction, and reappraisal), pro‐social goals were positively linked to reappraisal, and impression management goals positively predicted suppression. Contra‐hedonic goals were negatively associated with reappraisal and positively associated with suppression in some studies.

Conclusions

The reasons why people regulate their emotions are predictive of the strategies they use in daily life. These links may be functional, such that people typically use strategies that are suitable for their goals. These findings demonstrate the value of an individual difference approach and highlight the motivational component of emotion regulation.
Place‐based policies, firm productivity, and displacement effects: Evidence from Shenzhen, China
Authors: Koster Hans R.A. , Cheng Fang Fang , Gerritse Michiel , van Oort Frank G.
Published: November 2018

Developing and transitional countries devote considerable funds to selected areas to stimulate local growth and firm productivity. We examine the impact of place‐based interventions due to the opening of science parks in Shenzhen, China, on firm productivity and factor use. Our identification strategy, exploiting spatial and temporal differencing in firm‐level data, addresses the issues that (a) the selection of science park locations is not random and (b) high‐productivity firms sort themselves into science parks. Firm productivity is approximately 15–25% higher due to the science park policy. The policy also increases local wages and leads to distortions due to job displacement.
Vitamin D and cardiometabolic disorders: a review of current evidence, genetic determinants and pathomechanisms
Authors: Marquina C. , Mousa A. , Scragg R. , de Courten B.
Published: November 2018

Vitamin D deficiency has been implicated in the pathophysiology of cardiometabolic disorders including obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases and polycystic ovary syndrome. Despite a large number of experimental and observational studies supporting a role for vitamin D in these pathologies, randomized controlled trials have reported little to no effect of vitamin D supplementation in the prevention or treatment of these disorders, although some results remain ambiguous. Polymorphisms in genes related to vitamin D metabolism, particularly in the vitamin D receptor and binding protein and the metabolizing enzyme 1‐α‐hydroxylase, have emerged as potential contributors to these divergent results. It is now becoming increasingly recognized that the effects and potential benefits of vitamin D supplementation may vary by several factors including vitamin D deficiency status, ethnicity and/or the presence of genetic variants, which affect individual responses to supplementation. However, these factors have seldom been explored in the available literature. Future trials should consider inter‐individual differences and, in particular, should aim to clarify whether certain subgroups of individuals may benefit from vitamin D supplementation in the context of cardiometabolic health.
Mechanisms underlying UCP1 dependent and independent adipocyte thermogenesis
Authors: Chang Seo‐Hyuk , Song No‐Joon , Choi Jin Hee , Yun Ui Jeong , Park Kye Won
Published: November 2018

The growing focus on brown adipocytes has spurred an interest in their potential benefits for metabolic diseases. Brown and beige (or brite) adipocytes express high levels of uncoupling protein 1 (Ucp1) to dissipate heat instead of generating ATP. Ucp1 induction by stimuli including cold, exercise, and diet increases nonshivering thermogenesis, leading to increased energy expenditure and prevention of obesity. Recently, studies in adipocytes have indicated the existence of functional Ucp1‐independent thermogenic regulators. Furthermore, substrate cycling involving creatine metabolites, cold‐induced N‐acyl amino acids, and oxidized lipids in white adipocytes can increase energy expenditure in the absence of Ucp1. These studies emphasize the need for a better understanding of the mechanisms governing energy expenditure in adipocytes and their potential applications in the prevention of human obesity and metabolic diseases.
Systematic review of olfactory shifts related to obesity
Authors: Peng Mei , Coutts Duncan , Wang Ting , Cakmak Yusuf O.
Published: November 2018

Objective

The modern food environment is a key driver of rising levels of obesity. While olfaction is known to play a major role in food choice; however, its relationship to obesity is yet to be understood. This review assesses current knowledge of the interaction between obesity and olfaction.

Methods

This review is based on observational studies comparing olfactory abilities across weight groups (N = 10) and clinical studies evaluating olfactory changes following bariatric surgery (N = 9). Meta‐analyses were performed on data collected by a standard olfactory assessment tool (Sniffin΄ Sticks), to test whether olfaction has any association with body weight or bariatric surgery.

Results

This review synthesizes findings derived from 38 datasets, with a total of 1432 individual olfactory assessments. The meta‐analyses suggest that olfactory function is negatively correlated with body weight. In addition, Roux‐en‐Y gastric bypass patients frequently report olfactory changes, yet more pronounced and immediate shifts have been observed among sleeve gastrectomy recipients.

Conclusions

Our review finds strong evidence for the link between olfaction and obesity and indicates that bariatric surgery (particularly the sleeve gastrectomy) is effective in reversing olfactory decline associated with obesity. In conclusion, we present mechanistic models to underpin the observed relationship between olfaction and obesity.
Scleral asymmetry as a potential predictor for scleral lens compression
Authors: Consejo Alejandra , Behaegel Joséphine , Van Hoey Maarten , Iskander D Robert , Rozema Jos J
Published: November 2018

Purpose

To identify the position and magnitude of lens compression due to short‐term miniscleral contact lens wear, as well as evaluating the usefulness of scleral asymmetry as a predictor for scleral lens decentered compression.

Methods

Fourteen healthy subjects (mean ± S.D.: 29.2 ± 6.0 years) wore a highly gas‐permeable spherical haptic miniscleral contact lens during a 5‐h period. Corneo‐scleral height Fourier profilometry was captured using an Eye Surface Profiler (www.eaglet-eye.com) before and immediately after lens removal. Scleral asymmetry, lens compression location and magnitude were processed using custom‐made algorithms, both globally and for scleral quadrants.

Results

Miniscleral contact lenses do not set uniformly on the ocular surface, with the largest decentration seen along the horizontal meridian. The greatest flexural stress exerted by the lens on the ocular surface occurs at the point coinciding with the inner diameter landing point of the lens and not with its overall diameter. Scleral asymmetry was significantly correlated with compression location (R = 0.71, p = 0.002) and compression magnitude (R = 0.81, p < 0.001), showing its potential as compression predictor.

Conclusion

Larger amounts of scleral asymmetry will lead to more decentration of spherical haptic scleral lenses. Objective and accurate methods, like the one presented here, could help the practitioner prevent cases of scleral blanching or discomfort due to an excessive compression by the lens.
Reflection Without Regress
Authors: Davia Cory
Published: November 2018

Regress arguments show that to do something for a reason, one does not have to have reflectively endorsed that reason. This might seem to establish that reflection does not play a fundamental role in agency. This paper argues that this conclusion rests on too narrow a conception of agency. If agents are not just creatures who act for reasons but also creatures who can take ownership of the reasons for which they act, then there is a central role for reflection to play in agency even if it's not the role that philosophers of action have typically envisioned for it.
Hart and the Metaphysics and Semantics of Legal Normativity
Authors: Kramer Matthew H.
Published: November 2018

A number of philosophers in recent years have maintained that H. L. A. Hart inThe Concept of Lawpropounded an expressivist account of the semantics of the legal statements that are uttered from the internal viewpoint of the people who run the institutions of legal governance in any jurisdiction. Although the primary aim of this article is to attack the attribution of that semantic doctrine to Hart, the article will begin with some metaphysical matters—the matters of reductionism and naturalism—that often lie behind the development of expressivist approaches to the semantics of normative discourse. After briefly exploring those metaphysical concerns (to which I will return later), the article will begin its main discussion by rehearsing the distinction between the semantics and the pragmatics of utterances. It will then delineate the doctrine of expressivism which the aforementioned philosophers have in mind when they ascribe that doctrine to Hart. Although I will make reference to a few such philosophers, I will focus chiefly on an article by Kevin Toh that has been the fountainhead of all the subsequent attributions of expressivism to Hart. As will be argued herein, Toh and like‐minded philosophers have gone astray in imputing to Hart a semantic version of expressivism. Notwithstanding that Hart’s theory of law can aptly be characterized as expressivist, that characterization is appropriate only when expressivism is understood as an account of the pragmatics of legal statements rather than as an account of their semantics.
Why Legal Formalism Is Not a Stupid Thing
Authors: Troop Paul
Published: November 2018

Legal formalism is the foil for many theories of law. Yet formalism remains controversial, meaning that its critics focus on claims that are not central. This paper sets out a view of formalism using a methodology that embraces one of formalism’s most distinct claims, that formalism is a scientific theory of law. This naturalistic view of formalism helps to distinguish two distinct types of formalism, “doctrinal formalism,” the view that judicial behaviour can be represented using rules, and “rule formalism,” the view that judges follow external rules when they are deciding cases. Doctrinal formalism, understood in naturalistic terms, overcomes many of the criticisms that have been levelled at formalism and can also be used to rehabilitate the currently out‐of‐favour “declaratory theory of law.” Doctrinal formalism is also a longstanding view of law, reflecting both what the original formalists thought of law, and what many present‐day doctrinal lawyers seem to believe. The naturalistic methodology is used to show that the main dispute between doctrinal formalism and American legal realism can be explained by a difference of assumptions concerning whether the values of judges are relative to society, or relative to other judges.
Group Vulnerability, Asymmetrical Balance, and Multicultural Recognition
Authors: Macioce Fabio
Published: November 2018

In this paper I argue for a cautious multicultural approach, with specific regard to its implementation as a legal strategy. Such an approach is cautious only because, as I will demonstrate, it stems from an awareness that in some cases, and for different reasons (political, social, as well as legal), other multicultural policies based on minority or group rights do not work. In other words, I will argue for a strategy of recognition that is additional to others, and that can be implemented and juxtaposed with others, in order to offer a better defence of those rights and claims, which other policies do not recognise (or recognise insufficiently).
Advancing the international regulation of plastic pollution beyond the United Nations Environment Assembly resolution on marine litter and microplastics
Authors: Carlini Giulia , Kleine Konstantin
Published: November 2018

Plastic pollution has received growing recognition as an issue of global concern, including the question of how to regulate it at the international level. Despite the existence of many instruments relevant to marine plastic litter, there is no international agreement that focuses primarily on combating plastic pollution. While the annual global rate of plastic production is growing, no international instrument is addressing plastic across its full life cycle, from production to consumption to disposal. This article describes the role of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) and the evolution of its resolutions on marine plastic pollution. UNEA's latest resolution on marine litter and microplastics is paving the way for the global community to improve the current international framework and address the ‘plastic crisis’. This opens questions on the approach and scope of a new framework. The article suggests that framing the problem as one of ‘marine litter’ limits the scope of possible solutions to waste management. Reframing the subject from a marine litter problem to a broader plastic pollution issue presents an opportunity to develop a comprehensive approach and, therefore, a more effective global framework that encompasses not only plastic litter, but also the reduction of plastic production and consumption.
The association between early specialization and performance level with injury and illness risk in youth elite athletes
Authors: Moseid Christine H. , Myklebust Grethe , Fagerland Morten W. , Bahr Roald
Published: November 2018

A trend is observed towards more specialized training and selection into talent programs at an early age for youth athletes. Little is known how this might influence the risk of illness and injury. The aim of the study was to assess whether, in a group of youth elite athletes, those specializing early or performing best were at increased risk of incurring injury or illness after entering a specialized Sport Academy High School program. We enrolled 259 16‐year‐old elite athletes. They completed a baseline web‐based questionnaire covering their age at specialization, single‐ versus multi‐sport involvement during the previous 2 years and current performance level (rated by themselves and their coach). Subsequently, the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre (OSTRC) questionnaire on health problems was used to self‐report injuries and illnesses weekly for 26 weeks from October to May. In this specialized Sport Academy High School program, 39% of the athletes reported early specialization (at 12 years or younger). However, early specialization did not increase the risk of injury or illness during the 26 weeks, nor did being a single‐sport athlete the previous two years increase this risk. The best performing athletes at the time of enrollment were not at greater risk of becoming injured or ill during the 26 weeks. In conclusion, in a group of youth elite athletes entering a specialized Sport Academy High School program neither early single‐sport specialization nor performance level appears to represent risk factors for injury or illness after enrollment.
What Americans Think About Gun Control: Evidence from the General Social Survey, 1972–2016
Authors: Miller Steven V.
Published: November 2018

Objective

Gun control is a classic case of policy gridlock and we commonly assume public opinion is at the foundation of this gridlock. However, public opinion analyses of attitudes about gun control often say little about the topic itself and do not fully leverage our long‐running survey data to assess partisan, regional, and temporal trends in attitudes toward gun control.

Methods

I use over 26 waves of General Social Survey data from 1972 to 2016 to analyze the main public opinion cleavages (partisanship, urban/rural distinctions, and Census regions) of gun control.

Results

I find that partisanship and ruralness are not robust predictors of attitudes about gun control and that partisan polarization is only partial and recent. Further assumptions about regional variation in attitudes toward gun control need reevaluation.

Conclusion

Gun control policy gridlock says more about polarization at the elite level than at the mass level. Future research can also do well to assess issue‐linkage concerns on specific gun control policy measures.
An Analytical Solution for the Two-Group Diffusion Theory Analysis of Multiregion Source-Driven Systems
Authors: Ozgener Huseyin Atilla , Yavuz Ceyhun
Published: November 2018

An analytical solution of the two-group diffusion equations is derived for multiregion source-driven subcritical systems in spherical geometry. An analytical formulation for the calculation of the effective multiplication factor is also presented. Using typical two-group cross sections characterizing source, buffer, and blanket regions, parameters such as neutron amplification, source efficiency, and blanket fast flux peaking factor are calculated. The criticality solution is utilized to calculate the effective multiplication factor and the neutron source efficiency. The dependency of the calculated global parameters on design variables like the source, buffer, blanket thicknesses, and subcriticality level is studied. Thin source regions result in very high neutron amplification, at the expense of high blanket fast flux peaking factors. If a buffer region is put between the source and the blanket regions, flux peaking could be reduced at the expense of reduced neutron amplification. If the subcriticality level can be reduced without jeopardizing safety, the neutron amplification increases and the fast flux peaking is reduced.
Controller Design and Stability Analysis of Output Pressure Regulation in Electrohydrostatic Actuators
Authors: Esfandiari Masoumeh , Sepehri Nariman
Published: November 2018

In this paper, a robust fixed-gain linear output pressure controller is designed for a double-rod electrohydrostatic actuator using quantitative feedback theory (QFT). First, the family of frequency responses of the system is identified by applying an advanced form of fast Fourier transform on the open-loop input–output experimental data. This approach results in realistic frequency responses of the system, which prevents the generation of unnecessary large QFT templates, and consequently contributes to the design of a low-order QFT controller. The designed controller provides desired transient responses, desired tracking bandwidth, robust stability, and disturbance rejection for the closed-loop system. Experimental results confirm the desired performance met by the QFT controller. Then, the nonlinear stability of the closed-loop system is analyzed considering the friction and leakage, and in the presence of parametric uncertainties. For this analysis, Takagi–Sugeno (T–S) fuzzy modeling and its stability theory are employed. The T–S fuzzy model is derived for the closed-loop system and the stability conditions are presented as linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). LMIs are found feasible and thus the stability of the closed-loop system is proven for a wide range of parametric uncertainties and in the presence of friction and leakages.
Wear Characteristics of Friction Stir Processed Magnesium RZ 5 Composites
Authors: Vedabouriswaran G. , Aravindan S.
Published: November 2018

Friction stir processing is performed on RZ 5 Mg alloy to produce surface metal matrix composites reinforced with hard reinforcement particles. Boron carbide, multiwalled carbon nanotubes, and a mixture of zirconia and alumina particle reinforcements were introduced. The developed surface composites (SCs) exhibited lower wear rates at various normal loads than the base RZ 5 Mg alloy owing to their improved microhardness. The wear resistance of the composites was 1.2–1.9 times greater than the base alloy, and hence, the wear rates were 18–50% lower than the base alloy. Maximum reduction in wear rate is observed in B4C-reinforced SC. Abrasion, adhesion, and oxidative wear mechanisms are operational during the wear test performed at loads ranging between 10 N and 75 N.
A Nonlinear Concept of Electromagnetic Energy Harvester for Rotational Applications
Authors: Gunn B. E. , Theodossiades S. , Rothberg S. J.
Published: November 2018

Many industrial applications incorporate rotating shafts with fluctuating speeds around a required mean value. This often harmonic component of the shaft speed is generally detrimental, since it can excite components of the system, leading to large oscillations (and potentially durability issues), as well as to excessive noise generation. On the other hand, the addition of sensors on rotating shafts for system monitoring or control poses challenges due to the need to constantly supply power to the sensor and extract data from the system. In order to tackle the requirement of powering sensors for structure health monitoring or control applications, this work proposes a nonlinear vibration energy harvester design intended for use on rotating shafts with harmonic speed fluctuations. The essential nonlinearity of the harvester allows for increased operating bandwidth, potentially across the whole range of the shaft's operating conditions.
Design of Mechaless LiDAR Optical System With Large FOV Using Liquid Lens and Fisheye Lens
Authors: Choi Hyun , Kim Wan-Chin
Published: November 2018

Mechaless LiDAR technology, which does not have a mechanical drive part, has been actively studied in order to increase the reliability of the LiDAR device at low cost and drive environment in order to more actively apply LiDAR technology to autonomous driving. Mechaless LiDAR technology, which has been mainly studied recently, includes 3D Flash LiDAR technology, MEMS mirror utilization method, and OPA (Optical Phased Array). However, these methods have not been developed rapidly as a key technology for achieving autonomous driving due to low stability of driving environment or remarkably low measurable distance and FOV (field of view) compared with mechanical LiDAR. In this study, we investigated the improvement of FOV by using a flux-deflecting liquid lens and a fisheye lens that can achieve fine spatial resolution through continuous voltage regulation. Based on the initial design results, it was examined that the FOV can be secured to 80 ° or more by utilizing a relatively simple fisheye lens composed of only spherical lenses.
In Vitro
Activity of Sulopenem, an Oral Penem, against Urinary Isolates of
Escherichia coli
Authors: Karlowsky James A. , Adam Heather J. , Baxter Melanie R. , Denisuik Andrew J. , Lagacé-Wiens Philippe R. S. , Walkty Andrew J. , Puttagunta Sailaja , Dunne Michael W. , Zhanel George G.
Published: November 2018

The
in vitro
activity of sulopenem was assessed against a collection from 2014 to 2016 of 539 urinary isolates of
Escherichia coli
from Canadian patients by using CLSI-defined broth microdilution methodology. A concentration of sulopenem 0.03 µg/ml inhibited both 50% (MIC
50
) and 90% (MIC
90
) of isolates tested; sulopenem MICs ranged from 0.015 to 0.25 µg/ml.
MODS-Wayne, a Colorimetric Adaptation of the Microscopic-Observation Drug Susceptibility (MODS) Assay for Detection of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Pyrazinamide Resistance from Sputum Samples
Authors: Alcántara Roberto , Fuentes Patricia , Antiparra Ricardo , Santos Marco , Gilman Robert H. , Kirwan Daniela E. , Zimic Mirko , Sheen Patricia
Published: November 2018

Although pyrazinamide (PZA) is a key component of first- and second-line tuberculosis treatment regimens, there is no gold standard to determine PZA resistance. Approximately 50% of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and over 90% of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) strains are also PZA resistant.
The Mechanism behind Bacterial Lipoprotein Release: Phenol-Soluble Modulins Mediate Toll-Like Receptor 2 Activation via Extracellular Vesicle Release from Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Schlatterer Katja , Beck Christian , Hanzelmann Dennis , Lebtig Marco , Fehrenbacher Birgit , Schaller Martin , Ebner Patrick , Nega Mulugeta , Otto Michael , Kretschmer Dorothee , Peschel Andreas
Published: November 2018

Our study highlights the roles of surfactant-like molecules in bacterial inflammation with important implications for the prevention and therapy of inflammatory disorders. It describes a potential pathway for the transfer of hydrophobic bacterial lipoproteins, the major TLR2 agonists, from the cytoplasmic membrane of Gram-positive bacteria to the TLR2 receptor at the surface of host cells. Moreover, our study reveals a molecular mechanism that explains how cytoplasmic and membrane-embedded bacterial proteins can be released by bacterial cells without using any of the typical protein secretion routes, thereby contributing to our understanding of the processes used by bacteria to communicate with host organisms and the environment.
Cryptococcus neoformans Cda1 and Its Chitin Deacetylase Activity Are Required for Fungal Pathogenesis
Authors: Upadhya Rajendra , Baker Lorina G. , Lam Woei C. , Specht Charles A. , Donlin Maureen J. , Lodge Jennifer K.
Published: November 2018

Cryptococcus neoformans
is unique among fungal pathogens that cause disease in a mammalian host, as it secretes a polysaccharide capsule that hinders recognition by the host to facilitate its survival and proliferation. Even though it causes serious infections in immunocompromised hosts, reports of infection in hosts that are immunocompetent are on the rise. The cell wall of a fungal pathogen, its synthesis, composition, and pathways of remodelling are attractive therapeutic targets for the development of fungicides. Chitosan, a polysaccharide in the cell wall of
C. neoformans
is one such target, as it is critical for pathogenesis and absent in the host. The results we present shed light on the importance of one of the chitin deacetylases that synthesize chitosan during infection and further implicates chitosan as being a critical factor for the pathogenesis of
C. neoformans
.
Antibody-Mediated Protection against
Plasmodium
Sporozoites Begins at the Dermal Inoculation Site
Authors: Flores-Garcia Yevel , Nasir Gibran , Hopp Christine S. , Munoz Christian , Balaban Amanda E. , Zavala Fidel , Sinnis Photini
Published: November 2018

Studies in experimental animal models and humans have shown that antibodies against
Plasmodium
sporozoites abolish parasite infectivity and provide sterile immunity. While it is well documented that these antibodies can be induced after immunization with attenuated parasites or subunit vaccines, the mechanisms by and location in which they neutralize parasites have not been fully elucidated. Here, we report studies indicating that these antibodies display a significant portion of their protective effect in the skin after injection of sporozoites and that one mechanism by which they work is by impairing sporozoite motility, thus diminishing their ability to reach blood vessels. These results suggest that immune protection against malaria begins at the earliest stages of parasite infection and emphasize the need of performing parasite challenge in the skin for the evaluation of protective immunity.
Ribosome Profiling Reveals HSP90 Inhibitor Effects on Stage-Specific Protein Synthesis in
Leishmania donovani
Authors: Bifeld Eugenia , Lorenzen Stephan , Bartsch Katharina , Vasquez Juan-José , Siegel T. Nicolai , Clos Joachim
Published: November 2018

Leishmania
parasites cause severe illness in humans and animals. They exist in two developmental stages, insect form and mammalian form, which differ in shape and gene expression. By mapping and quantifying RNA fragments protected by protein synthesis complexes, we determined the rates of protein synthesis for >90% of all
Leishmania
proteins in response to the inhibition of a key regulatory protein, the 90-kDa heat shock protein. We find that
Leishmania
depends on a regulation of protein synthesis for controlling its gene expression and that heat shock protein 90 inhibition can trigger the developmental program from insect form to mammalian form of the pathogen.