bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Immunogenicity of a bivalent protein as a vaccine against Edwardsiella anguillarum and Vibrio vulnificus in Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica)
Authors: Guo Songlin , Hu Linlin , Feng Jianjun , Lin Peng , He Le , Yan Qingpi
Published: November 2018

The OMPs A (OmpA)—of Edwardsiella anguillarum and OmpU of V. vulnificus have been proven to be good antigens. In this study, after construction of a vector, a new recombinant Omp (rOMP) containing both OmpA and OmpU was expressed and purified. Then, the Japanese eels (Anguilla japonica) were intraperitoneally (i.p.) injected with the phosphate‐buffered saline (PBS group), formalin‐killed‐cell (FKC group) or the recombinant Omp (rOMP group). The stimulation index of the whole blood cells in eels from FKC group was significantly higher than the eels from PBS and rOMP groups at 28 dpi; serum titers of anti‐E. anguillarum and anti‐V. vulnificus antibody of eels from FKC and rOMP group increased significantly at 21 and 28 dpi; in the rOMP group, eels serum titer stayed at a high level on 42 dpi. The activities of lysozyme in skin mucus, liver, kidney, and serum in three groups exhibited considerable changes. The relative percent survival (RPS) rate of eels from rOMP group were 100% and 83% when challenged with V. vulnificus or E. anguillarum. These results indicated that inoculation of rOMP would protect Japanese eels against the infection by E. anguillarum and V. vulnificus.
Pressure and temperature effects on deep‐sea hydrocarbon‐degrading microbial communities in subarctic sediments
Authors: Perez Calderon Luis J. , Gontikaki Evangelia , Potts Lloyd D. , Shaw Sophie , Gallego Alejandro , Anderson James A. , Witte Ursula
Published: November 2018

The Hatton–Rockall Basin (North‐East Atlantic) is an area with potential for deep‐sea (2,900 m) hydrocarbon exploration. Following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, many investigations into the responses of sediment microbial communities to oil pollution have been undertaken. However, hydrostatic pressure is a parameter that is often omitted due to the technical difficulties associated with conducting experiments at high pressure (>10 MPa). In this study, sediments from 2,900 m in the Hatton–Rockall Basin, following a one‐week decompression period in a temperature‐controlled room at 5°C, were incubated in factorial combinations of 0.1 and 30 MPa, 5 and 20°C, and contamination with a hydrocarbon mixture or uncontaminated controls to evaluate the effect of these environmental variables on the bacterial community composition. Our results revealed varying effects of pressure, temperature, and oil contamination on the composition of the bacterial community within the sediment. Temperature was the strongest determinant of differences in the bacterial community structure between samples followed by pressure. Oil contamination did not exert a strong change in the sediment bacterial community structure when pressure and temperature conditions were held at in situ levels (30 MPa and 5°C). The γ‐proteobacteria Pseudomonas and Colwellia, and several Bacteroidetes dominated communities at 30 MPa. In contrast, hydrocarbon degraders such as Halomonas, Alcanivorax, and Marinobacter decreased in relative abundance at the same pressure. This study highlights the importance of considering hydrostatic pressure in ex situ investigations into hydrocarbon‐degrading deepwater microbial communities.
Accommodation effects with downstream Cournot competition
Authors: Constantatos Christos , Pinopoulos Ioannis N.
Published: November 2018

In a two‐tier industry where a vertically integrated firm sells input to and competes against a downstream rival, we show that, when the upstream division of the integrated firm chooses its input quantity, the downstream division credibly accommodates rival sales despite downstream competition being Cournot. Even taking rival quantity as given, the downstream division knows that, by limiting its own final‐good quantity, it can increase rival revenue, and therefore willingness‐to‐pay for the input. Upstream price setting leaves no room for downstream accommodating behavior implying that for a vertically integrated input monopolist, setting input price or input quantity makes crucial difference.
Suggestive association between OPRM1 and impulse control disorders in Parkinson's disease
Authors: Cormier‐Dequaire Florence , Bekadar Samir , Anheim Mathieu , Lebbah Said , Pelissolo Antoine , Krack Paul , Lacomblez Lucette , Lhommée Eugénie , Castrioto Anna , Azulay Jean‐Philippe , Defebvre Luc , Kreisler Alexandre , Durif Franck , Marques‐Raquel Ana , Brefel‐Courbon Christine , Grabli David , Roze Emmanuel , Llorca Pierre‐Michel , Ory‐Magne Fabienne , Benatru Isabelle , Ansquer Solene , Maltête David , Tir Melissa , Krystkowiak Pierre , Tranchant Christine , Lagha‐Boukbiza Ouhaid , Lebrun‐Vignes Bénédicte , Mangone Graziella , Vidailhet Marie , Charbonnier‐Beaupel Fanny , Rascol Olivier , Lesage Suzanne , Brice Alexis , Tezenas du Montcel Sophie , Corvol Jean‐Christophe ,   the BADGE‐PD study group
Published: November 2018

Background

Impulse control disorders are frequently associated with dopaminergic therapy in Parkinson's disease. Genetic studies have suggested a high heritability of impulse control disorders in the general population and in PD. The aim of this study was to identify candidate gene variants associated with impulse control disorders and related behaviors in PD.

Methods

We performed a multicenter case‐control study in PD patients with (cases) or without impulse control disorders and related behaviors despite significant dopamine agonist exposure of >300 mg levodopa‐equivalent daily dose during 12 months (controls). Behavioral disorders were assessed using the Ardouin scale. We investigated 50 variants in 24 candidate genes by a multivariate logistic regression analysis adjusted for sex and age at PD onset.

Results

The analysis was performed on 172 cases and 132 controls. Cases were younger (60 ± 8 vs 63 ± 8 years; P < 0.001) and had a higher family history of pathological gambling (12% vs 5%, P = 0.03). No variant was significantly associated with impulse control disorders or related behaviors after correction for multiple testing, although the 2 top variants were close to significant (OPRM1 rs179991, OR, 0.49; 95%CI, 0.32‐0.76; P = 0.0013; Bonferroni adjusted P = 0.065; DAT1 40‐base pair variable number tandem repeat, OR, 1.82; 95%CI, 1.24‐2.68; P = 0.0021; Bonferroni adjusted P = 0.105).

Conclusions

Our results are suggestive of a novel association of the opioid receptor gene OPRM1 with impulse control disorders and related behaviors in PD and confirm a previous association with DAT1. Although replication in independent studies is needed, our results bring potential new insights to the understanding of molecular mechanisms of impulse control disorders. © 2018 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
The Human Metabolism of Nuts Proanthocyanidins does not Reveal Urinary Metabolites Consistent with Distinctive Gut Microbiota Metabotypes
Authors: Cortés‐Martín Adrián , Selma María Victoria , Espín Juan Carlos , García‐Villalba Rocío
Published: November 2018

Scope

The stratification of individuals according to their gut microbiota metabotypes is crucial to understand the polyphenols health effects as reported for isoflavones and ellagitannins. To date, the existence of human gut microbiota metabotypes associated with proanthocyanidins (PAs) catabolism remains unclear.

Methods & Results

Sixty‐eight healthy volunteers (40 adolescents and 28 adults) consumed a mixture of walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts for 3 days, providing 163.65 ± 11.74 mg of PAs. Urine samples were analyzed by ultra‐performance LC–ESI‐quadrupole time‐of‐flight. Twenty‐one isomers of conjugated valerolactones and valeric acids were identified, which derived from six valerolactone and valeric acid precursors after analysis of hydrolyzed urine. This combined approach allowed discrimination between the inter‐individual variability related to phase‐II enzymes polymorphisms and the metabolism of PAs by the gut microbiota. No associations of PAs metabolism with gender, age, BMI, or ellagitannin metabotypes were found. Different quantitative excretion was observed after multivariate analysis but not true gut microbiota metabotypes associated with PAs catabolism.

Conclusions

The metabolism of PAs does not reveal urinary metabolites consistent with distinctive gut microbiota metabotypes. The quantitative excretion of metabolites is inadequate to stratify individuals due to the strong influence of external factors (source, quantity, and time of the last intake of PAs, etc.).
The challenges on the family unit faced by younger couples affected by prostate cancer: A qualitative study
Authors: Collaço Nicole , Wagland Richard , Alexis Obrey , Gavin Anna , Glaser Adam , Watson Eila K.
Published: November 2018

Objective

The number of younger men being diagnosed with prostate cancer (PCa; aged ≤65) is increasing. It is recognised that PCa and treatment side effects can have a significant impact on quality of life. This study explores the challenges faced by younger couples affected by PCa with dependent children (under 18 years) or young adults (18‐29 years) in their families.

Methods

Twenty‐three men with PCa and their partners were interviewed (separately) by telephone. Participants were recruited from respondents to the life after prostate cancer diagnosis (LAPCD) national survey. Men were 3 to 5 years postdiagnosis, and following a range of treatment pathways. Data were analysed using the Framework Approach.

Results

Younger couples affected by PCa felt challenged by issues relating to their parental role and the dynamics within the family. Five main themes emerged: difficult conversations about PCa diagnosis; parental perceptions of the impact of diagnosis on children; parental responses to the impact of PCa on the family; shielding, coping, and normalising strategies; and levels of support.

Conclusions

A diagnosis of PCa can cause significant disruption to the family unit and the quality of life of its members. Support programmes offering guidance to children/young adults affected by PCa in their family, and addressing the concerns of parents may help families to better adapt. Encouraging clinical professionals to initiate conversations with younger couples about their children may be a way forward in directing appropriate support. Further research is needed to elucidate appropriate, effective supportive interventions.
Compression and Shear Experimental Study of PBX Explosive
Authors: Chen Peng , Yuan Baohui , Chen Rong , Qu Kepeng
Published: November 2018

Generate compress‐shear loading on Polymer Bonded Explosive (PBX) specimens. The research was carried out to determine the pressure and macroscopic temperature variation occurring in the specimen by using a pressure sensor and a thermocouple. High‐speed photography was used to reveal the macroscopic ignition phenomena. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) was used to study the material composition of raw and recovered specimens. The results of the experiments described here clearly show that specimens underwent crush, melt and ignition from impact to reaction. At the same time, the relative content of aluminium decreased. Compared to the direct impact results from split Hopkinson compression‐shear bar tests, the drop‐weight loading pulse is longer, so PBX specimens ignite more easily.
Optimization of flow splitting and make‐up flow conditions in liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry
Authors: Liigand Jaanus , de Vries Ronald , Cuyckens Filip
Published: November 2018

Rationale

In liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) the LC flow is often split prior to the mass spectrometer, for instance, when collecting fractions of the separated sample for other purposes or when less sensitive parallel detection is applied. The aim of this study is to optimize the actual split ratio and make‐up flow composition.

Methods

Different types of splitters were evaluated in combination with a make‐up flow. A home‐made 1/10 T‐piece splitter and commercial 1/10, 1/100 and 1/250 splitters were evaluated by continuous and accurate measurements of the actual split ratio throughout the LC gradient. The make‐up flow composition was optimized for maximum electrospray ionization (ESI)‐MS sensitivity in the positive mode using ESI efficiency measurements.

Results

Altogether 22 different solvent conditions were tested on 20 pharmaceutical compounds with a wide variety of functional groups and physicochemical properties (molecular weight, logP, and pKa). Methanol/10 mM formic acid in water (90/10) provided on average the best results.

Conclusions

Methanol/10 mM formic acid in water (90/10) proved to be the best make‐up flow composition in relation to the average sensitivity obtained. Stronger acidic conditions using oxalic acid or higher formic acid concentrations had a clear positive effect on the sensitivity of compounds with low ionization efficiency. The tested split ratios were relatively stable over the main part of the gradient but showed some variation at very low and very high organic conditions. Differences were larger with methanol compared with acetonitrile containing solvent compositions and when applied without a column or with very long connecting tubing.
Team NimbRo at MBZIRC 2017: Fast landing on a moving target and treasure hunting with a team of micro aerial vehicles
Authors: Beul Marius , Nieuwenhuisen Matthias , Quenzel Jan , Rosu Radu Alexandru , Horn Jannis , Pavlichenko Dmytro , Houben Sebastian , Behnke Sven
Published: November 2018

The Mohamed Bin Zayed International Robotics Challenge (MBZIRC) 2017 has defined ambitious new benchmarks to advance the state‐of‐the‐art in autonomous operation of ground‐based and flying robots. This study covers our approaches to solve the two challenges that involved micro aerial vehicles (MAV). Challenge 1 required reliable target perception, fast trajectory planning, and stable control of an MAV to land on a moving vehicle. Challenge 3 demanded a team of MAVs to perform a search and transportation task, coined “Treasure Hunt,” which required mission planning and multirobot coordination as well as adaptive control to account for the additional object weight. We describe our base MAV setup and the challenge‐specific extensions, cover the camera‐based perception, explain control and trajectory‐planning in detail, and elaborate on mission planning and team coordination. We evaluated our systems in simulation as well as with real‐robot experiments during the competition in Abu Dhabi. With our system, we—as part of the larger team NimbRo—won the MBZIRC Grand Challenge and achieved a third place in both subchallenges involving flying robots.
Online motion planning for unexplored underwater environments using autonomous underwater vehicles
Authors: Hernández Juan David , Vidal Eduard , Moll Mark , Palomeras Narcís , Carreras Marc , Kavraki Lydia E.
Published: November 2018

We present an approach to endow an autonomous underwater vehicle with the capabilities to move through unexplored environments. To do so, we propose a computational framework for planning feasible and safe paths. The framework allows the vehicle to incrementally build a map of the surroundings, while simultaneously (re)planning a feasible path to a specified goal. To accomplish this, the framework considers motion constraints to plan feasible 3D paths, that is, those that meet the vehicle’s motion capabilities. It also incorporates a risk function to avoid navigating close to nearby obstacles. Furthermore, the framework makes use of two strategies to ensure meeting online computation limitations. The first one is to reuse the last best known solution to eliminate time‐consuming pruning routines. The second one is to opportunistically check the states’ risk of collision. To evaluate the proposed approach, we use the Sparus II performing autonomous missions in different real‐world scenarios. These experiments consist of simulated and in‐water trials for different tasks. The conducted tasks include the exploration of challenging scenarios such as artificial marine structures, natural marine structures, and confined natural environments. All these applications allow us to extensively prove the efficacy of the presented approach, not only for constant‐depth missions (2D), but, more important, for situations in which the vehicle must vary its depth (3D).
Understanding human motion and gestures for underwater human–robot collaboration
Authors: Islam Md Jahidul , Ho Marc , Sattar Junaed
Published: November 2018

In this paper, we present a number of robust methodologies for an underwater robot to visually detect, follow, and interact with a diver for collaborative task execution. We design and develop two autonomous diver‐following algorithms, the first of which utilizes both spatial‐ and frequency‐domain features pertaining to human swimming patterns to visually track a diver. The second algorithm uses a convolutional neural network‐based model for robust tracking‐by‐detection. In addition, we propose a hand gesture‐based human–robot communication framework that is syntactically simpler and computationally more efficient than the existing grammar‐based frameworks. In the proposed interaction framework, deep visual detectors are used to provide accurate hand gesture recognition; subsequently, a finite‐state machine performs robust and efficient gesture‐to‐instruction mapping. The distinguishing feature of this framework is that it can be easily adopted by divers for communicating with underwater robots without using artificial markers or requiring memorization of complex language rules. Furthermore, we validate the performance and effectiveness of the proposed methodologies through a number of field experiments in closed‐ and open‐water environments. Finally, we perform a user interaction study to demonstrate the usability benefits of our proposed interaction framework compared to the existing methods.
Spray‐Assisted Coil–Globule Transition for Scalable Preparation of Water‐Resistant CsPbBr3@PMMA Perovskite Nanospheres with Application in Live Cell Imaging
Authors: Wang Yuanwei , Varadi Linda , Trinchi Adrian , Shen Jianhua , Zhu Yihua , Wei Gang , Li Chunzhong
Published: November 2018

Despite their impressive optical properties, lead halide perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) have not realized their potential, especially in bioimaging applications, as they suffer from poor moisture and thermal stability, solvent incompatibility, and significant toxicity. Here, a spray‐assisted coil–globule transition method for encapsulating CsPbBr3 (CPB) PQDs into poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) polymer nanospheres is reported. Polyvinylpyrrolidone‐capped CPB PQDs are synthesized via the ligand assisted reprecipitation method in dichloromethane. After dissolving PMMA, the above precursor solution is sprayed into petroleum ether under high pressure N2. High‐pressure nebulization restricts the interactions between PMMA polymer chains, resulting in the formation of ≈112 nm nanoscale composite spheres after a coil–globule transition. The CPB@PMMA nanospheres not only possess 73% quantum yields but retain 81% of fluorescence intensity after the exposure to water for over 80 days. Due to their confined size and biocompatible encapsulation, they are readily available for cellular uptake and exhibit no toxicity on live HeLa cells. Furthermore, the PMMA surface allows for functional surface modification, carrying the possibility of targeting specific biological species and processes.
A Nanofibrillated Cellulose/Polyacrylamide Electrolyte‐Based Flexible and Sewable High‐Performance Zn–MnO2 Battery with Superior Shear Resistance
Authors: Wang Donghong , Li Hongfei , Liu Zhuoxin , Tang Zijie , Liang Guojin , Mo Funian , Yang Qi , Ma Longtao , Zhi Chunyi
Published: November 2018

There is a growing demand for flexible and wearable energy devices. How to enhance their tolerance to various mechanical stresses is a key issue. Bending, stretching, or twisting of flexible batteries has been widely researched. However, shear force is inevitably applied on the batteries during stretching, bending, and twisting. Unfortunately, thus far, research on analyzing shear resistance of solid batteries or even enhancing the shear tolerance has never been reported. Herein, a sewable Zn–MnO2 battery based on a nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC)/ployacrylamide (PAM) hydrogel, electrodeposited Zn nanoplates anode, and carbon nanotube (CNT)/α‐MnO2 cathode is reported. The designed NFC/PAM hydrogel exhibits a relatively high mechanical strength with a large stretchability; the preformed NFC bone network stabilizes the large pores as channels for electrolyte diffusion. Furthermore, the effect of sewing on enhancing the shear resistance of the solid batteries is analyzed. The sewed Zn–MnO2 battery retains 88.5% of its capacity after 120 stitches, and withstands a large shear force of 43 N. The sewable and safe Zn–MnO2 is also able to be designed into a skirt and put on a toy as an energy source to power a red light emitting diode.
A genomic survey of nitrogen assimilation pathways in budding yeasts (sub‐phylum Saccharomycotina)
Authors: Linder Tomas
Published: November 2018

Sequenced genomes of 149 species of budding yeast (including 62 species with draft genomes that currently lack gene annotations) were surveyed for the presence of 24 genes associated with the assimilation of amines, uracil, dihydropyrimidines, purines, uric acid, allantoin, and nitrate as nitrogen sources. Genes for the assimilation of primary amines were distributed broadly across the Saccharomycotina while choline assimilation appeared to be mostly restricted to the families Debaryomycetaceae, Metschnikowiaceae, and Pichiaceae. Conversely, the uracil catabolic pathway was completely absent in Debaryomycetaceae and Metschnikowiaceae but present in the majority of the remaining Saccharomycotina. The super‐pathway for assimilation of purines, uric acid, and allantoin was present in the majority of surveyed species. Genes for the assimilation of nitrate were restricted to a minority of species in families Phaffomycetaceae, Pichiaceae, and Trichomonascaceae as well as some currently unassigned genera. This study also successfully identified yeast homologs of all six previously known eukaryotic genes involved in the biosynthesis of the molybdenum cofactor, which is required for the activity of the nitrogen assimilation‐associated enzymes nitrate reductase and xanthine oxidoreductase. Analysis of 1,187 upstream intergenic regions identified three novel putative regulatory motifs for the assimilation of uracil, purines, and uric acid as well as a possible role for the MADS‐box transcription factor Mcm1 in the regulation of amine assimilation genes.
Metabolic engineering of Corynebacterium glutamicum for improved l-arginine synthesis by enhancing NADPH supply
Authors: Zhan Milin , Kan Baojun , Dong Jinjun , Xu Guochao , Han Ruizhi , Ni Ye
Published: November 2018

Corynebacterium glutamicum SNK 118 was metabolically engineered with improved l-arginine titer. Considering the crucial role of NADPH level in l-arginine production, pntAB (membrane-bound transhydrogenase) and ppnK (NAD+ kinase) were co-expressed to increase the intracellular NADPH pool. Expression of pntAB exhibited significant effects on NADPH supply and l-arginine synthesis. Furthermore, argR and farR, encoding arginine repressor ArgR and transcriptional regulator FarR, respectively, were removed from the genome of C. glutamicum. The competitive branch pathway gene ldh was also deleted. Eventually, an engineered C. glutamicum JML07 was obtained for l-arginine production. Fed-batch fermentation in 5-L bioreactor employing strain JML07 allowed production of 67.01 g L−1  l-arginine with productivity of 0.89 g L−1 h−1 and yield of 0.35 g g−1 glucose. This study provides a productive l-arginine fermentation strain and an effective cofactor manipulating strategy for promoting the biosynthesis of NADPH-dependent metabolites.
Eliciting tacit knowledge: The potential of a reflective approach to video-stimulated interviewing
Authors: Van Braak Marije , De Groot Esther , Veen Mario , Welink Lisanne , Giroldi Esther
Published: November 2018

None
Handling data-skewness in character based string similarity join using Hadoop
Authors: Meena Kanak , Tayal Devendra K. , Castillo Oscar , Jain Amita
Published: November 2018

The scalability of similarity joins is threatened by the unexpected data characteristic of data skewness. This is a pervasive problem in scientific data. Due to skewness, the uneven distribution of attributes occurs, and it can cause a severe load imbalance problem. When database join operations are applied to these datasets, skewness occurs exponentially. All the algorithms developed to date for the implementation of database joins are highly skew sensitive. This paper presents a new approach for handling data-skewness in a character- based string similarity join using the MapReduce framework. In the literature, no such work exists to handle data skewness in character-based string similarity join, although work for set based string similarity joins exists. Proposed work has been divided into three stages, and every stage is further divided into mapper and reducer phases, which are dedicated to a specific task. The first stage is dedicated to finding the length of strings from a dataset. For valid candidate pair generation, MR-Pass Join framework has been suggested in the second stage. MRFA concepts are incorporated for string similarity join, which is named as “MRFA-SSJ” (MapReduce Frequency Adaptive – String Similarity Join) in the third stage which is further divided into four MapReduce phases. Hence, MRFA-SSJ has been proposed to handle skewness in the string similarity join. The experiments have been implemented on three different datasets namely: DBLP, Query log and a real dataset of IP addresses & Cookies by deploying Hadoop framework. The proposed algorithm has been compared with three known algorithms and it has been noticed that all these algorithms fail when data is highly skewed, whereas our proposed method handles highly skewed data without any problem. A set-up of the 15-node cluster has been used in this experiment, and we are following the Zipf distribution law for the analysis of skewness factor. Also, a comparison among existing and proposed techniques has been shown. Existing techniques survived till Zipf factor 0.5 whereas the proposed algorithm survives up to Zipf factor 1. Hence the proposed algorithm is skew insensitive and ensures scalability with a reasonable query processing time for string similarity database join. It also ensures the even distribution of attributes.
Association Between Childhood and Adolescent Sexual Abuse Experiences and High-Risk Sexual Behaviors Among Chinese Youth
Authors: Ding Ruoxi , Wen Xu , He Ping , Guo Chao , Luo Yanan , Song Xinming , Zheng Xiaoying
Published: November 2018

Introduction

Adolescents are at high risk for negative health outcomes associated with high-risk sexual behaviors (HRSBs), and researchers have attempted to identify factors that influence such behavior so that meaningful prevention and intervention programs may be developed.

Aim

To investigate the associations between CSA experience and HRSBs in Chinese youth aged 15-24 years old.

Methods

Data were from the Survey of Youth Access to Reproductive Health in China, a national sample survey conducted in 2009. The following behaviors were classified as HRSBs: condom non-use during the first sexual experience, having sex with multiple partners, taking part in casual sex, engaging in commercial sex, taking part in anal sex, and condom non-use during the most recent sexual encounter. Differences in HRSBs between the sexes were examined. The χ2 test and binary logistic regression were used to estimate the association between CSA experience and HRSBs.

Main Outcome Measure

The sexual behaviors of condom non-use during the first sexual experience, sexual activity with multiple partners, taking part in casual sex, engaging in commercial sex (defined as paying or receiving money/gifts in exchange for sex), taking part in anal sex, and condom non-using during the most recent sexual intercourse were classified as HRSBs.

Results

4,974 Sexually active youth were included in this study, 150 respondents (3.0%) reported CSA experience, and 3,950 (79.4%) sexually active youth had engaged in at least 1 type of HRSBs. The odds of having sex with multiple partners (odds ratio [OR] 4.31, 95% CI 3.07–6.07), casual sex (OR 3.65, 95% CI 2.55–5.24), commercial sex (OR 7.43, 95% CI 5.13–10.77), anal copulation (OR 2.54, 95% CI 1.57–4.12), or any of these HRSBs (OR 5.02, 95% CI 2.33–10.80) were significantly higher among those who had experienced CSA. There was a gender-specific difference in the associations of CSA with different types of HRSBs.

Conclusion

Sexual abuse experience in childhood is highly correlated with HRSBs among Chinese youth, and the pattern of this association differs between males and females. Public knowledge and social assistance systems needs to be improved for children and youth in China. Gender-specific counter-measures may be more efficient for interventions.
Bryolithochemical studies in the search for and evaluation of gold–silver mineralization based on stream sediments (northeastern Russia)
Authors: Makshakov A.S. , Kravtsova R.G.
Published: November 2018

The first bryolithochemical studies have been carried out within the Dukat ore field (Balygychan–Sugoi trough, northeastern Russia), in its northeast (Dukat Au–Ag deposit, Chaika site) and on its eastern flank (Au–Ag ore occurrence, Piritovyi site). Sampling was made along primary water streams draining Au–Ag ore zones, because the headstreams localized in the permafrost zone are poor in alluvial sediments or lack them, whereas the stream banks and beds are overgrown with aquatic and semiaquatic mosses. We examined samples of moss cushions with loose sediments (fine silt suspension and sand–silt material). The study has shown that moss cushions are an effective natural trap extracting finely dispersed, ultradisperse, and colloid-dispersed particles, including ore ones, from water stream suspension. The contents of major elements indicating Au–Ag mineralization (Au, Ag, Hg, Sb, As, Pb, and Zn) in the bryolithochemical and lithochemical samples were compared. The highest contents of these elements have been revealed in the bryolithochemical samples. Scintillation analysis shows a predominance of finely dispersed Au and Ag particles. The chemical composition of lithoparticles and probable species of elements indicating mineralization were studied by energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis. It has been concluded that the bryolithochemical stream sediments are an integral part of the lithochemical ones and can also be effectively used to reveal geochemical anomalies and identify the corresponding ores. It is shown that the bryolithochemical sediment streams bear important information about the chemical composition of primary ores, as they have the same major indicator elements (Au, Ag, Hg, Sb, As, Pb, and Zn) and nearly the same mineral composition (finely dispersed gold and silver, electrum, silver sulfosalts, and simple sulfides). The proposed bryolithochemical research is promising not only for northeastern Russia but also for other areas with similar landscapes, primarily areas where lithochemical and bryolithochemical stream sediments form in the northern subarctic and arctic environments.
Risk-sensitive semi-Markov decision processes with general utilities and multiple criteria
Authors: Huang Yonghui , Lian Zhaotong , Guo Xianping
Published: November 2018

In this paper we investigate risk-sensitive semi-Markov decision processes with a Borel state space, unbounded cost rates, and general utility functions. The performance criteria are several expected utilities of the total cost in a finite horizon. Our analysis is based on a type of finite-horizon occupation measure. We express the distribution of the finite-horizon cost in terms of the occupation measure for each policy, wherein the discount is not needed. For unconstrained and constrained problems, we establish the existence and computation of optimal policies. In particular, we develop a linear program and its dual program for the constrained problem and, moreover, establish the strong duality between the two programs. Finally, we provide two special cases of our results, one of which concerns the discrete-time model, and the other the chance-constrained problem.
Large deviations for randomly connected neural networks: I. Spatially extended systems
Authors: Cabana Tanguy , Touboul Jonathan D.
Published: November 2018

In a series of two papers, we investigate the large deviations and asymptotic behavior of stochastic models of brain neural networks with random interaction coefficients. In this first paper, we take into account the spatial structure of the brain and consider first the presence of interaction delays that depend on the distance between cells and then the Gaussian random interaction amplitude with a mean and variance that depend on the position of the neurons and scale as the inverse of the network size. We show that the empirical measure satisfies a large deviations principle with a good rate function reaching its minimum at a unique spatially extended probability measure. This result implies an averaged convergence of the empirical measure and a propagation of chaos. The limit is characterized through a complex non-Markovian implicit equation in which the network interaction term is replaced by a nonlocal Gaussian process with a mean and covariance that depend on the statistics of the solution over the whole neural field.
Rigid C*-Tensor Categories and their Realizations as Hilbert C*-Bimodules
Authors: Yuan Wei
Published: November 2018

We realize every small rigid C*-tensor category with simple unit object as Hilbert C*-bimodules.
Feathering rate impact on growth and slaughter traits of Japanese quail
Authors: Mahmoud B. Y. , Abdel Hafez A. S. , Emam A. M. , Abdelmoniem A. M. , ElSafty S. A.
Published: November 2018

A total of 1180 1-day-old Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) chicks were used to investigate the effect of feathering rates on growth and slaughter traits. Feathering rates were classified based on the results of stepwise regression using numbers and lengths of both primaries and secondaries and tail length at 7 and 10 days of age as predictors. At 7 and 10 days old, number of primary feathers had phenotypically positive low correlations (rps) with body weight (BW), whereas number of secondaries had positive medium rps with BW at different ages. Lengths of primary, secondary and tail feathers had highly positive rps with BW traits at different ages. Results of stepwise multiple regressions indicated that BW at 14, 21 and 28 days of age can be predicted using lengths of secondary and tail feathers at 10 days old, number of secondaries at 7 days old and length of secondaries at 7 days old, respectively. Body weight at 35 days of age can be predicted using number of primaries,lengths of secondaries and tail at 10 days of age and number of secondaries at 7 days of age. Higher BWs were obtained in the fast-feathering class from 21 up to 35 days of age than in other groups, whereas the slow-feathering class had the lowest BW. Significant class differences were found for carcass weight, feather weight and dressing% favouring the fast- over the slow-feathering class. Therefore, early feathering rates improved BW at later ages and slaughter traits in Japanese quail.
Playing to learn or learning to play? PlayingRocksmithto learn electric guitar and bass in Nordic music teacher education
Authors: Havre Sigrid Jordal , Väkevä Lauri , Christophersen Catharina R. , Haugland Egil
Published: November 2018

This article is based on a case study of how the Rocksmith entertainment music video game can be used in the context of studying electric guitar and bass as part of music teacher training. In empirical terms, we were interested in how music teachers’ knowledge becomes articulated in the pedagogical discourse of our participants. As conceptual points of departure, we used play theory, game studies, and the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) model of teacher's knowledge. Four ways of approaching the potential role of Rocksmith in music teacher education stand out as a result. In the discussion, we suggest that music gaming can be conceptualised as an activity that expands the reach of what can be considered as ‘playful’ and ‘serious’ in music teacher studies. Such an approach can guide our thinking about how different areas of music teachers’ knowledge merge into multidimensional competence, paving the way for further discussion about how ‘music educatorship’ can be constructed in the digital era.
COLREGS-Constrained Real-time Path Planning for Autonomous Ships Using Modified Artificial Potential Fields
Authors: Lyu Hongguang , Yin Yong
Published: November 2018

This paper presents a real-time and deterministic path planning method for autonomous ships or Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV) in complex and dynamic navigation environments. A modified Artificial Potential Field (APF), which contains a new modified repulsion potential field function and the corresponding virtual forces, is developed to address the issue of Collision Avoidance (CA) with dynamic targets and static obstacles, including emergency situations. Appropriate functional and safety requirements are added in the corresponding virtual forces to ensure International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS)-constrained behaviour for the own ship's CA actions. Simulations show that the method is fast, effective and deterministic for path planning in complex situations with multiple moving target ships and stationary obstacles and can account for the unpredictable strategies of other ships. The authors believe that automatic navigation systems operated without human interaction could benefit from the development of path planning algorithms.
Authoritarian deliberation revisited
Authors: He Baogang , Wagenaar Hendrik
Published: November 2018

This introductory paper reviews the origin and development of the concept of authoritarian deliberation, and highlights the importance of culture and cultural tradition associated with public consultation. This paper summarizes and illustrates six key features of authoritarian deliberation in China. First, deliberation in China is a precarious balance between legal rule and state intervention. Second, the Party appeals to public reason to address and manage social conflict, and develop the soft coercion that accompanies much authoritarian deliberation. Third, this highly controlled deliberative process does, however, allow the freedom of local participants to find spaces for democratic expression, and local experiments to develop elements of deliberative democracy. Fourth, authoritarian deliberation is characterized by mutual instrumentalism. Fifth, there is an importance of an administrative and policy perspective in authoritarian deliberation. Six, the concept of authoritarian deliberation is not limited to China. There is the convergence in real-world deliberative process and outcome between authoritarian and liberal democratic systems.
How democratic are Chinese grassroots deliberations? An empirical study of 393 deliberation experiments in China
Authors: Tong Dezhi , He Baogang
Published: November 2018

Chinese public hearings or consultations have been subject to numerous debates, doubts, and scepticism about the existence of Chinese deliberative democracy. More empirical evidence, however, is required about these debates before we can offer any meaningful account of the nature, characteristics, and direction of Chinese deliberation. In addition, although there have been many case studies on grassroots deliberative democracy, such studies are intellectually isolated from each other in the sense that they do not comprise a statistical unit. To overcome this deficiency, we developed a new research method for studying grassroots deliberation by collecting and validating the existing case studies, thereby making them a statistical unit. This paper aims to offer a big-picture perspective and the national statistical trend behind the uneven development of grassroots deliberative democracy. It develops an intellectual framework to assess whether grassroots deliberation is democratic. By collecting, validating, and coding 393 cases of Chinese grassroots deliberations, we have assessed Chinese grassroots deliberation, confirmed the cases’ democratic attributes, and provided a solid statistical result. Although there is strong evidence to support the claim that these grassroots deliberation experiments are democratic, there remain some variations, nuances, and shortcomings. The full picture is not simple, but instead provides a mixed perspective.
Deliberation and governance in Chinese middle-class neighborhoods
Authors: Tang Beibei
Published: November 2018

This paper examines the mechanisms of deliberation and conflict resolution in Chinese urban middle-class residential communities. Along with the rise of private home ownership and urban middle-class residential estates, disputes and conflicts have risen between the residents, resident self-elected organization (homeowner associations), real estate developer and property management companies, and the local government. Through the lens of deliberation in middle-class neighborhoods, this paper analyzes (1) how and to what extent deliberation is introduced and employed as an instrumental tool by the local government to achieve their goal of maintaining social stability. (2) In what ways and to what extent deliberation has served as part of governance strategies. And (3) whether and how the state and non-state actors interact with each other during this process to produce more democratic governance under the Party-state's authoritarian rule. This paper adopts a systemic approach to examine authoritarian deliberation as a neighborhood governance strategy. The findings suggest that (1) deliberation has become an instrumental tool for conflict resolution introduced by the local government to middle-class neighborhoods. Residents’ Committees, on behalf of the state, has become key coordinator and mediator during the deliberation process. (2) The systemic approach of authoritarian deliberation includes a mix of deliberative elements and other features of political culture, traditions, strategies, and institutions. The dynamic interactions between deliberation and authoritarianism, between deliberative and non-deliberative features, and between formal deliberative meetings and informal deliberative talks all contribute to a functional deliberative system.
Why was Wilsonian-Taisho moment lost in Japan in spite of its economic success?
Authors: Harada Yutaka
Published: November 2018

Japan during the interwar period was more globalized in many ways than it is now. Japan prospered under the liberal international order. The Japanese people at the time believed that the country needed more land overseas to feed the increasing population, but the growing mainland economy gave jobs to the most Japanese population. The benefits the colonies conferred were not great, but some Japanese, particularly military and civil personnel in the colonies, were major beneficiaries. Japan was among the first to recover from the Great Depression, and by the middle of the 1930s was in a full employment situation. Japan did not need to export its population to other countries or to acquire territories through military action. The military expansion into China and the shift to a controlled economy in Japan and Manchukuo benefitted those who supplied goods to the military and obeyed the authorities. Such benefits, though, came at the expense of Japanese taxpayers and consumers, who were oppressed and were unable to criticize the military. The benefits gained from the military clampdown and a controlled economy were quite visible, but the benefits of the liberal international order often cannot be clearly seen. Japan still had a chance to recognize the true benefits of the liberal international order and the false benefits of colonization, military expansion, and a controlled economy, but could not. Wilsonian-Taisho moment was lost at the end of the 1930s.
The Wilsonian moment in Yanaihara Tadao's political thought
Authors: Nakano Ryoko
Published: November 2018

Albeit with little reference to Woodrow Wilson, Yanaihara Tadao, the Chair of Colonial Policy at Tokyo Imperial University in the 1920s and 1930s, and a pious Christian, adapted the core ideas of Wilsonian liberalism such as national self-determination, multilateralism, and democracy to the political and legal framework of imperial Japan. Yanaihara advocated the principle of autonomy for the Japanese empire to transform itself into the core of a liberal international order. He articulated that the combination of colonialism and unfettered capitalism had detrimental effects on the colonized and advocated for a Japanese empire that reflected the voice of its colonized people. However, having seen little improvement in the status of the colonized, Yanaihara increasingly regarded Japanese pan-Asianist ideas in the 1930s as a cover-up of Japanese expansionism. Almost abandoning his earlier ideas about empire as a multiethnic society, he criticized Japan's military venture as economically unprofitable, and policies toward Manchuria as stoking the rise of Chinese nationalism. He advocated for the normative framework advanced by the Mandate System of the League of Nations as a way toward the universalization of sovereignty, and protection of stateless populations. The failure of the Wilsonian moment in Japan forced Yanaihara out of Tokyo Imperial University but also strengthened his inclination towards liberal internationalism.
Time Perspective, Awareness of Narrative Identity, and the Perceived Coherence of Past Experiences Among Adults
Authors: Hallford David John , Fava Nicholas J. , Mellor David
Published: November 2018

Abstract. The ability to mentally project oneself into the past and future is theoretically central to perception of a salient and cohesive narrative identity. Despite these theorized links, to date, the relationship between time perspective and narrative identity has not been empirically studied. We examined the association between these constructs in a sample of 212 participants ( Mage = 28.3 years, SD = 10.9) who completed the Balanced Time Perspective Scale and the Awareness of Narrative Identity Questionnaire (ANIQ). Congruent with our hypotheses, stronger past perspective and a bias for past perspective over future were associated with a stronger awareness of having a narrative identity and the perception of temporal, causal, and thematic coherency of past experiences. When the past and future time perspective scales were examined together as predictors of the ANIQ subscales, past time perspective emerged as a significant predictor of stronger awareness of a narrative identity through dimensions of perceived coherence of past experiences, whereas future time perspective was a weak, direct predictor of lower awareness. The findings indicate that individual differences in time perspective, and in particular a bias for past time perspective, are associated with a potentially more adaptive perception of narrative identity.