bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Largest Feasible Steerable Telescope
Authors: Kellermann Kenneth I. , Bouton Ellen N. , Brandt Sierra S.
Published: June 2020

From the very earliest stages, planning for NRAO included the construction of a very large fully steerable radio telescope with a diameter up to 1000 foot. However, following the 140 Foot debacle, there was no support for funding such an ambitious and risky construction program. After the construction of the 300 Foot Transit Telescope with its limited capabilities, NRAO initiated the Largest Fully Steerable Telescope (LFST) program to design and potentially construct a very large fully steerable radio telescope. The LFST team produced a series of designs for a 300 foot antenna capable of working at 1 cm wavelength, a 64 meter antenna working to 3 mm wavelength, and finally a 25 meter telescope working to 1 mm wavelength, but none of them were ever built. Although every review of the needs of radio astronomy supported the construction of a large fully steerable radio telescope, there was always a higher priority—the VLA, the VLBA, and most recently ALMA. In 1988, an NSF review committee recommended that the 27-year-old NRAO 300 Foot Transit Telescope be closed in order to provide funds for operating other new astronomical facilities. However, when the 300 Foot Telescope unexpectedly collapsed in November 1988, it was reported in the media as a national disaster for U.S. astronomy. West Virginia’s Senator Robert Byrd demanded that the telescope be replaced. Although the NSF had other plans, Byrd included $75M in the 1989 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill. The new 100 meter Green Bank Telescope would not be completed until the year 2000, and only after contentious litigation as to who was responsible for the delays and nearly factor of two increase in cost.
Afterword: Data in Transit
Authors: Longino Helen E.
Published: June 2020

The naïve fantasy that data have an immediate relation to the phenomena of the world, that they are “objective” in some strong, ontological, sense of that term, that they are the facts of the world directly speaking to us, should be finally laid to rest by the papers collected in this volume. In this afterword, I propose that these papers, investigating data journeys in fields from particle physics to urban planning, show that even the primary, original, state of data is not free from researchers’ value- and theory-laden selection and organization.
The Interplay Between Investor-State Arbitration and Domestic Courts in the Existing IIA Framework
Authors: Kaufmann-Kohler Gabrielle , Potestà Michele
Published: June 2020

This chapter surveys how the inter-relationship between domestic courts and investor-State arbitration plays out in the current investment treaty framework. It first looks at the allocation of jurisdiction over investment disputes between courts and arbitral tribunals. Because multiple fora, national and international, may be empowered to adjudicate what in substance is one and the same dispute, jurisdictional overlaps are bound to occur and have indeed become more frequent. In order to coordinate national and international proceedings, States have devised several models in their IIAs, which respond to different needs and policies. The diverse solutions contained in IIAs include rules on exhaustion of local remedies, domestic litigation requirements short of exhaustion, fork-in-the-road clauses, and waiver provisions. Despite their potential to address jurisdictional overlaps, these clauses could be improved in order to better capture certain undesirable consequences arising from duplicative proceedings in national and international fora. Significant interactions between domestic courts and international tribunals occur also when courts exercise supervisory functions over investment arbitration proceedings, in particular at annulment and enforcement. In a further facet of the interplay, investor-State tribunals scrutinize the decisions of domestic courts when faced with a claim alleging court misconduct.
Erratum to: Dimension-six matrix elements for meson mixing and lifetimes from sum rules
Authors: Kirk M. , Lenz A. , Rauh T.
Published: June 2020

Eq. (5.15) in the original paper used a wrong numerical.
The confining transition in the bosonic BMN matrix model
Authors: Asano Yuhma , Kováčik Samuel , O’Connor Denjoe
Published: June 2020

Abstract

We study the confining/deconfining phase transition in the mass deformed Yang-Mills matrix model which is obtained by the dimensional reduction of the bosonic sector of the four-dimensional maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory compactified on the three sphere, i.e. the bosonic BMN model. The 1/D (with D the number of matrices) expansion suggests that the model may have two closely separated transitions. However, using a second order lattice formulation of the model we find that for the small value of the mass parameter, μ = 2, those two apparent critical temperatures merge at large N , leaving only a single weakly first-order phase transition, in agreement with recent numerical results for μ = 0 (the bosonic BFSS model).
Holographic entanglement entropy and complexity of microstate geometries
Authors: Bombini Alessandro , Fardelli Giulia
Published: June 2020

Abstract

We study holographic entanglement entropy and holographic complexity in a two-charge,

$$ \frac{1}{4} $$

1
4

-BPS family of solutions of type IIB supergravity, controlled by one dimensionless parameter. All the geometries in this family are asymptotically AdS3
×𝕊3
×𝕋4 and, varying the parameter that controls them, they interpolate between the global AdS3
× 𝕊3
× 𝕋4 and the massless BTZ3
× 𝕊3
× 𝕋4 geometry. Due to AdS/CFT duality, these geometries are dual to pure CFT heavy states.

We find that there is no emergence of entanglement shadow for all the values of the parameter and we discuss the relation with the massless BTZ result, underlying the relevance of the nature of the dual states.

We also compute the holographic complexity of formation of these geometries, finding a nice monotonic function that interpolates between the pure AdS3 result and the massless BTZ one.
Gluing affine Yangians with bi-fundamentals
Authors: Li Wei
Published: June 2020

Abstract

The affine Yangian of

$$ {\mathfrak{gl}}_1 $$

gl
1

is isomorphic to the universal enveloping algebra of

$$ {\mathcal{W}}_{1+\infty } $$

W

1
+
∞

and can serve as a building block in the construction of new vertex operator algebras. In [1], a two-parameter family generalization of

$$ \mathcal{N} $$

N

= 2 supersymmetric

$$ {\mathcal{W}}_{\infty } $$

W
∞

algebra was constructed by “gluing” two affine Yangians of

$$ {\mathfrak{gl}}_1 $$

gl
1

using operators that transform as (□,

$$ \overline{\square} $$

□
¯

) and (

$$ \overline{\square} $$

□
¯

, □) w.r.t. the two affine Yangians. In this paper we realize a similar (but non-isomorphic) two-parameter gluing construction where the gluing operators transform as (□, □) and (

$$ \overline{\square} $$

□
¯

,

$$ \overline{\square} $$

□
¯

) w.r.t. the two affine Yangians. The corresponding representation space consists of pairs of plane partitions connected by a common leg whose cross-section takes the shape of Young diagrams, offering a more transparent geometric picture than the previous construction.
Correction to: Perfect information games where each player acts only once
Authors: Cingiz Kutay , Flesch János , Herings P. Jean-Jacques , Predtetchinski Arkadi
Published: June 2020

In the original publication of the article, the last name of the corresponding author was omitted by mistake. The correct name should read: P. Jean-Jacques Herings. The original article has been corrected.
Effect of 1-octanethiol as an electrolyte additive on the performance of the iron-air battery electrodes
Authors: McKerracher R. D. , Figueredo-Rodriguez H. A. , Dimogiannis K. , Alegre C. , Villanueva-Martinez N. I. , Lázaro M. J. , Baglio V. , Aricò A. S. , Ponce de Leόn C.
Published: June 2020

It has recently been established that 1-octanethiol in the electrolyte can allow iron electrodes to be discharged at higher rates. However, the effect of thiol additives on the air electrode has not yet been studied. The effect of solvated thiols on the surface positive electrode reaction is of prime importance if these are to be used in an iron-air battery. This work shows that the air-electrode catalyst is poisoned by the presence of octanethiol, with the oxygen reduction overpotential at the air electrode increasing with time of exposure to the solution and increased 1-octanethiol concentration in the range 0–0.1 mol dm−3. Post-mortem XPS analyses were performed over the used air electrodes suggesting the adsorption of sulphur species over the catalyst surface, reducing its performance. Therefore, although sulphur-based additives may be suitable for nickel-iron batteries, they are not recommended for iron-air batteries except in concentrations well below 10 × 10−3 mol dm−3.
Mixing Time Scale Models for Multiple Mapping Conditioning with Two Reference Variables
Authors: Straub C. , Kronenburg A. , Stein O. T. , Galindo-Lopez S. , Cleary M. J.
Published: June 2020

A novel multiple mapping conditioning (MMC) approach has been developed for the modelling of turbulent premixed flames including mixture inhomogeneities due to mixture stratification or mixing with the cold surroundings. MMC requires conditioning of a mixing operator on characteristic quantities (reference variables) to ensure localness of mixing in composition space. Previous MMC used the LES-filtered reaction progress variable as reference field. Here, the reference variable space is extended by adding the LES-filtered mixture fraction effectively leading to a double conditioning of the mixing operator. The model is used to predict a turbulent stratified flame and is validated by comparison with experimental data. The introduction of the second reference variable also requires modification of the mixing time scale. Two different mixing time scale models are compared in this work. A novel anisotropic model for stratified combustion leads to somewhat higher levels of fluctuations for the passive scalar when compared with the original model but differences remain small within the flame front. The results show that both models predict flame position and flame structure with good accuracy.
Coding and Classifying Knowledge Exchange on Social Media: a Comparative Analysis of the #Twitterstorians and AskHistorians Communities
Authors: Gruzd Anatoliy , Kumar Priya , Abul-Fottouh Deena , Haythornthwaite Caroline
Published: June 2020

As social media become a staple for knowledge discovery and sharing, questions arise about how self-organizing communities manage learning outside the domain of organized, authority-led institutions. Yet examination of such communities is challenged by the quantity of posts and variety of media now used for learning. This paper addresses the challenges of identifying (1) what information, communication, and discursive practices support successful online communities, (2) whether such practices are similar on Twitter and Reddit, and (3) whether machine learning classifiers can be successfully used to analyze larger datasets of learning exchanges. This paper builds on earlier work that used manual coding of learning and exchange in Reddit ‘Ask’ communities to derive a coding schema we refer to as ‘learning in the wild’. This schema of eight categories: explanation with disagreement, agreement, or neutral presentation; socializing with negative, or positive intent; information seeking; providing resources; and comments about forum rules and norms. To compare across media, results from coding Reddit’s AskHistorians are compared to results from coding a sample of #Twitterstorians tweets (n = 594). High agreement between coders affirmed the applicability of the coding schema to this different medium. LIWC lexicon-based text analysis was used to build machine learning classifiers and apply these to code a larger dataset of tweets (n = 69,101). This research shows that the ‘learning in the wild’ coding schema holds across at least two different platforms, and is partially scalable to study larger online learning communities.
Analysis of tear inflammatory molecules and clinical correlations in evaporative dry eye disease caused by meibomian gland dysfunction
Authors: Wu Xingdi , Chen Xiang , Ma Yajuan , Lin Xueqi , Yu Xuewen , He Suhong , Luo Chenqi , Xu Wen
Published: June 2020

Purpose

To compare the levels of inflammatory molecules in tear samples between patients with meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD)-related evaporative dry eye (EDE) and healthy subjects and to analyze the correlations between the levels of tear inflammatory molecules and ocular surface parameters.

Methods

A total of 30 MGD-related EDE patients (48 eyes) and ten healthy volunteers (15 eyes) were enrolled. Dry eye-related examinations and questionnaires were obtained from all participants. The levels of nine inflammatory molecules were determined through multiplex bead analysis.

Results

Inflammatory molecules including ICAM-1, IFN-γ, CXCL8/IL-8, IL-6, TNF-α and IL-12p70 were detected in 100% of the patients, while IL-1α, IL-1β and IL-10 were detected in 56.25%, 13.60% and 45.83% of the patients, respectively. Moreover, ICAM-1, IL-8, IL-6, TNF-α, IL-12p70 and IFN-γ were detected in 86.67–100% of the healthy subjects, and the detection rates of IL-10, IL-1α and IL-1β were below 50%. The levels of IL-8, IL-6, IFN-γ and ICAM-1 were significantly higher in the patient group compared with the control group. In addition, IL-8 and IL-6 were negatively correlated with Schirmer I test. Besides, IFN-γ was negatively correlated with tear film breakup time. Furthermore, ICAM-1 and IL-6 were positively correlated with meibography score.

Conclusions

Collectively, patients with MGD-related EDE had higher levels of inflammatory molecules in their tears, and some molecules were correlated with ocular surface parameters. These findings suggested that inflammation played an important role in MGD-related EDE, and several inflammatory molecules could be used in the diagnosis and the treatment of MGD-related EDE.
Uniqueness of Gibbs fields with unbounded random interactions on unbounded degree graphs
Authors: Kȩpa-Maksymowicz Dorota , Kozitsky Yuri
Published: June 2020

Gibbs fields with continuous spins are studied, the underlying graphs of which can be of unbounded vertex degree and the spin–spin pair interaction potentials are random and unbounded. A high-temperature uniqueness of such fields is proved to hold under the following conditions: (a) the vertex degree is of tempered growth, i.e., controlled in a certain way; (b) the interaction potentials $$W_{xy}$$

W

xy

are such that $$\Vert W_{xy}\Vert =\sup _{\sigma ,\sigma '} |W_{xy}(\sigma , \sigma ')|$$

‖

W

xy

‖
=

sup

σ
,

σ
′

|

W

xy

(
σ
,

σ
′

)

|

are independent (for different edges $$\langle x, y \rangle $$

⟨
x
,
y
⟩

), identically distributed and exponentially integrable random variables.
Too Smart to Participate? Rational Reasons for Employees’ Non-participation in Action Research
Authors: Lebesby Kristin , Benders Jos
Published: June 2020

Action research literature promotes broad participation in order to gain better insights into prevailing issues and cope with both present and future challenges in organizations. For good reasons, action researchers view participation as desirable and even necessary. However, emphasizing participation also creates a blind spot: researchers tend to assume that employees are willing or even eager to take part in organizational change projects. A group of action researchers involved in a large-scale organizational development project in a Norwegian public organization initially also had this optimistic assumption. Over time, they realized that many employees were reluctant to participate and often kept silent, so they conducted follow-up research to explore the reasons for employees’ non-participation. The findings show that the employees had rational reasons not to participate, and that employee participation should not be taken for granted. The paper outlines eight different rationales for non-participation, and discusses implications for action research.
Scientific self-correction: the Bayesian way
Authors: Romero Felipe , Sprenger Jan
Published: June 2020

The enduring replication crisis in many scientific disciplines casts doubt on the ability of science to estimate effect sizes accurately, and in a wider sense, to self-correct its findings and to produce reliable knowledge. We investigate the merits of a particular countermeasure—replacing null hypothesis significance testing (NHST) with Bayesian inference—in the context of the meta-analytic aggregation of effect sizes. In particular, we elaborate on the advantages of this Bayesian reform proposal under conditions of publication bias and other methodological imperfections that are typical of experimental research in the behavioral sciences. Moving to Bayesian statistics would not solve the replication crisis single-handedly. However, the move would eliminate important sources of effect size overestimation for the conditions we study.
Comparing temporal graphs using dynamic time warping
Authors: Froese Vincent , Jain Brijnesh , Niedermeier Rolf , Renken Malte
Published: June 2020

Within many real-world networks, the links between pairs of nodes change over time. Thus, there has been a recent boom in studying temporal graphs. Recognizing patterns in temporal graphs requires a proximity measure to compare different temporal graphs.
To this end, we propose to study dynamic time warping on temporal graphs. We define the dynamic temporal graph warping (dtgw) distance to determine the dissimilarity of two temporal graphs. Our novel measure is flexible and can be applied in various application domains. We show that computing the dtgw-distance is a challenging (in general) -hard optimization problem and identify some polynomial-time solvable special cases.
Moreover, we develop a quadratic programming formulation and an efficient heuristic. In experiments on real-world data, we show that the heuristic performs very well and that our dtgw-distance performs favorably in de-anonymizing networks compared to other approaches.
The Number of Circulating Fetal Extravillous Trophoblasts Varies from Gestational Week 6 to 20
Authors: Ravn Katarina , Singh Ripudaman , Hatt Lotte , Kølvraa Mathias , Schelde Palle , Vogel Ida , Uldbjerg Niels , Hindkjær Johnny
Published: June 2020

Cell-based non-invasive prenatal testing (cbNIPT) based on circulating fetal extravillous trophoblasts (fEVTs) has shown to be possible in gestational week (GW) 10–13. Prenatal testing is relevant for a wider time period than GW 10–13, but it is unclear if fEVTs are present in sufficient numbers for cbNIPT at other time points during pregnancy. We present the first longitudinal study where the number of circulating fEVTs was determined from the mid first trimester to the mid second, specifically GW 6–8, 12–13, and 19–20. Blood samples from 13 women opting for assisted reproduction were collected at GW 6–8, 12–13, and 19–20. fEVTs were enriched using a magnetic-activated cell sorting system, stained with anti-cytokeratin antibodies, and fEVTs were identified with the use of a MetaSystem fluorescence microscope scanner. Blood samples drawn at GW 6–8 yielded an average of 5.5 fEVTs per 30 mL of blood. This increased significantly to an average of 11.8 in GW 12–13 (P value: 0.0070, Mann-Whitney test), and decreased significantly to an average of 5.3 in GW 19–20 (P value: 0.0063, Mann-Whitney test). In 9 out of 13 cases, the number of fEVTs peaked in GW 12–13 compared to GW 6–8 and GW 19–20. For the majority of cases, fEVTs can be identified at GW 6–8 and GW 19–20, but the highest number of fEVTs is observed at GW 12–13 indicating this is the optimal time point for cbNIPT.
Peer-To-Peer Interactions in the Sharing Economy: Exploring the Role of Reciprocity within a Chinese Social Network
Authors: Starr Richard G. , Zhu Andrew Q. , Frethey-Bentham Catherine , Brodie Roderick J.
Published: June 2020

Peer-to-peer interactions play an important role in the sharing economy and more specifically within Internet social networking sites (SNSs). However, little is known about the nature of these interactions and the role of reciprocity in the peer-to-peer exchanges facilitated by SNSs. We use the context of the Chinese Weibo SNS to explore this issue. Our research develops a conceptual model and hypotheses to examine the effects of reputation and emotion on reciprocal behaviours in the Chinese Weibo SNS. We conduct a study to test the influence of reputation on reciprocity and emotion in these peer-to-peer interactions. Our study shows that bridging behaviours, which create social status across heterogeneous groups, generate increased reciprocation as a direct effect. A second indicator of reputation, bonding behaviours that promote social resources within homogenous groups, do not have significant direct effects on intention to reciprocate. Both bridging and bonding behaviors create direct effects on evoked emotions, and emotions in turn have significant effects on the intention to reciprocate. We found that evoked emotions are an important mediator between bridging and bonding actions by one party in the sharing economy and the resulting intention to reciprocate by another party. Our findings contribute to developing a theoretical understanding of the role of reciprocity in peer-to-peer interactions in the sharing economy and more specifically in virtual environments. We show the functioning and appeal in the Chinese Weibo SNS depend heavily on reciprocal user behaviors including the exchange of emotional support, information and knowledge. Our findings show peer-to-peer interaction in SNSs create emotional responses, and these emotions mediate reciprocation. Actions by users with stronger reputations and higher status have stronger effects, which is consistent with the importance of social standing in China for fostering reciprocity in non-virtual business interactions. This suggests that offline habits are being emulated on the Internet.
Antarctic subglacial drilling rig: Part III. Drilling auxiliaries and environmental measures
Authors: Fan Xiaopeng , Talalay Pavel , Sun Youhong , Li Xingchen , Zhang Nan , Markov Alexey , Yang Yang , Cao Pinlu , Wang Rusheng , Liu Yongwen , Liu Yunchen , Wang Ting , Wu Wei , Yang Cheng , Hong Jialin , Gong Da , Zhang Han , Sysoev Mikhail , Li Xiao , Liu An , Li Yazhou
Published: June 2020

The Antarctic subglacial drilling rig (ASDR) is designed to recover 105 mm-diameter ice cores up to 1400 m depth and 41.5 mm-diameter bedrock cores up to 2 m in length. In order to ensure safe and convenient drilling, drilling auxiliaries are designed to support fieldwork and servicing. These auxiliaries are subdivided into several systems for power supply, drill tripping in the borehole, ice core and chip processing, and drill servicing and maintenance. The required equipment also includes two generators, a drilling winch with a cable, logging winch with a cable, control desk, pipe handler with a fixed clamp, chip chamber vibrator, centrifuge, emergency devices and fitting and electrical tools. Additionally, several environmental protective measures such as a new liquid-tight casing with a thermal casing shoe and a bailing device for recovering drilling fluid from the borehole were designed. Most of the auxiliaries were tested during the summer of 2018–2019 near Zhongshan Station, East Antarctica while drilling to the bedrock to a depth of 198 m.
Prosecuting a Prophet: Justice, Psychiatry, and Rebellion in Colonial Kenya
Authors: MacArthur Julie
Published: June 2020

In Kenya, the prophecies of the late Elijah Masinde, leader of the anti-colonial religious revival Dini ya Msambwa, remain contested. MacArthur explores the religious innovations, intellectual work, and moral debates for the first time through Masinde’s own words. During his 1948 deportation trial, while the prosecution sought to remake Masinde from prophetic madman into calculating criminal, Masinde used the courtroom to challenge the pathologization of rebellion and remake his own patriotic vision. MacArthur argues that Masinde’s trial reveals colonial justice and psychiatry as discursive arenas for contestations over resistance, social control, and moral authority in colonial and postcolonial Africa.
Displaying the Nation: Museums and Nation-Building in Tanzania and Kenya
Authors: Gorham M. Victoria
Published: June 2020

Taking as a starting point the observation that Tanzania has historically been a more effective nation-builder than Kenya, Gorham asks why that is the case, focusing on the construction of national narratives in state-run museum spaces to gain a better understanding of official nationalist pedagogy. State-run museums are spaces where states can articulate their vision of the nation, and by cataloging and analyzing the content of exhibits, one can better understand the different types of narratives constructed by states with diverging nation-building strategies. The narratives produced in museum sites in Tanzania and Kenya differ in terms of their consistency, clarity, and inclusivity.
What is the Function of Reasoning? On Mercier and Sperber'sArgumentative and Justificatory Theories
Authors: Dogramaci Sinan
Published: June 2020

This paper aims to accessibly present, and then critique, Hugo Mercier and Dan Sperber's recent proposals for the evolutionary function of human reasoning. I take a critical look at the main source of experimental evidence that they claim as support for their view, namely the confirmation or “myside” bias in reasoning. I object that Mercier and Sperber did not adequately argue for a claim that their case rests on, namely that it is evolutionarily advantageous for you to get other people to believe whatever you antecedently believe. And I give my own argument that this claim is false. I also critically look at their suggestion that reasoning has a justificatory function, functioning as a kind of reputation management tool. I argue this suggestion does not amount to a plausible evolutionary function.
The Relevance of “Trust and Confidence” in Financial Markets to the Information Production Role of Banks
Authors: BASARAN Bahriye , BAGHERI Mahmood
Published: June 2020

Banks are informational intermediaries whose efficient operation is strongly tied to the maintenance and continuance of the trust and confidence produced by them and by external sources. The literature on trust and confidence with relevance to banking has shown particular interest in their links with panics and bank runs, together with their wider resulting implications on the macro-stability of the financial system. However, on the micro level, an initial outcome emanating from a lack of trust and confidence would be the disruption of the information production that ultimately paves the way for further deterioration, leading to a vicious circle. To investigate this further, this article will shed light on this micro aspect of bank information production and its relationship with public trust and confidence.
Oral vancomycin prophylaxis for the prevention of Clostridium difficile infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Babar Sumbal , El Kurdi Bara , El Iskandarani Mahmoud , Haddad Ibrahim , Imam Zaid , Alomari Mohammad , Myers James , Moorman Jonathan
Published: June 2020

Objective:

Recently, oral vancomycin prophylaxis (OVP) has been suggested for the prevention of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the efficacy and safety of this approach.

Design:

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods:

We conducted a computerized search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases from inception to March 2019 for publications investigating OVP for CDI prevention. Results were screened for eligibility. Relevant data were extracted and analyzed. Publication bias was assessed using the Egger test.

Results:

Ultimately, 8 retrospective studies and 1 prospective study examining 2174 patients, published between 2016 and 2019 were included in the review. OVP was associated with decreased CDI (odds ratio, 0.263; 95% confidence interval, 0.13–0.52) with considerable heterogeneity (I2 = 61%). Meta-regression showed that total daily dose of OVP correlated with CDI, explaining 100% of heterogeneity between studies. Furthermore, 3 studies evaluated the risk of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) infection after OVP and found no significant increase.

Conclusion:

Our results suggest that OVP might decrease CDI rates in at-risk populations, although this conclusion should be interpreted with caution. Higher daily doses of OVP might increase CDI. Although the use of OVP in high-risk patients may reduce CDI, this suggestion has yet to be validated by prospective blinded randomized controlled trials.
Transmission of novel Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase-producing Escherichia coli sequence type 1193 among residents and caregivers in a community-based, residential care setting—Nevada, 2018
Authors: Gomes Danica J. , Bardossy Ana C. , Chen Lei , Forero Adrian , Gorzalski Andrew , Holmstadt Heather , Causey Kimisha , Njoku Chidinma , Stone Nimalie D. , Ogundimu Abimbola , Moulton-Meissner Heather , McAllister Gillian , Halpin Alison L. , Gable Paige , Vlachos Nicholas , Larson Sandra , Walters Maroya Spalding , Epstein Lauren
Published: June 2020

We describe transmission of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase-producing Escherichia coli sequence type (ST) 1193 in a group home. E. coli ST1193 is an emerging multidrug-resistant clone not previously shown to carry carbapenemases in the United States. Our investigation illustrates the potential of residential group homes to amplify rare combinations of pathogens and resistance mechanisms.
#No2Sectarianism: Experimental Approaches to Reducing Sectarian Hate Speech Online
Authors: SIEGEL ALEXANDRA A. , BADAAN VIVIENNE
Published: June 2020

We use an experiment across the Arab Twittersphere and a nationally representative survey experiment in Lebanon to evaluate what types of counter-speech interventions are most effective in reducing sectarian hate speech online. We explore whether and to what extent messages priming common national identity or common religious identity, with and without elite endorsements, decrease the use of hostile anti-outgroup language. We find that elite-endorsed messages that prime common religious identity are the most consistently effective in reducing the spread of sectarian hate speech. Our results provide suggestive evidence that religious elites may play an important role as social referents—alerting individuals to social norms of acceptable behavior. By randomly assigning counter-speech treatments to actual producers of online hate speech and experimentally evaluating the effectiveness of these messages on a representative sample of citizens that might be incidentally exposed to such language, this work offers insights for researchers and policymakers on avenues for combating harmful rhetoric on and offline.
Effect of oral nutritional supplements with or without nutritional counselling on mortality, treatment tolerance and quality of life in head-and-neck cancer patients receiving (chemo)radiotherapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Mello Arthur T. , Borges Dayanne S. , de Lima Luana P. , Pessini Júlia , Kammer Pedro V. , Trindade Erasmo B. S. M.
Published: June 2020

Oral nutritional supplements are widely recommended to head-and-neck cancer patients undergoing anti-cancer treatment; however, their effects on the outcomes of most importance to patients are unclear. This study aimed to systematically review the evidence of effect of oral nutritional supplements on mortality, treatment tolerance, quality of life, functional status, body weight and adverse effects. We searched PubMed, Embase, CENTRAL, LILACS, Web of Science, CINAHL, two trial registry platforms, three sources of grey literature and reference lists of included studies. We assessed the risk of bias using the revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool (RoB 2), and certainty of evidence using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) approach. We used random-effects models with Hartung–Knapp correction for the meta-analyses. We included fifteen trials, of which five were ongoing or unpublished, providing evidence in four comparisons. We found very low to low certainty evidence for the effect of oral nutritional supplements on mortality, treatment tolerance, quality of life, functional status and adverse effects. When compared with nutritional counselling alone, nutritional counselling plus oral nutritional supplements probably increased body weight slightly. We also found adverse events relating to supplements use such as nausea, vomiting and feeling of fullness. Possible increases in mortality, treatment tolerance and quality of life besides a possible decrease in functional status are worthy of further investigation. Future research could attempt to address the clinical importance of a probable increase in body weight. Possible adverse effects of the use of oral nutritional supplements should not be overlooked.
Association of gestational weight gain rate with infant anaemia in China: a birth cohort study
Authors: Yin Shaohua , Zhou Yubo , Li Hongtian , Cheng Zhihao , Zhang Yali , Zhang Le , Liu Jufen , Liu Jianmeng
Published: June 2020

Excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) increases the risk of maternal anaemia during pregnancy, but whether it is associated with offspring anaemia has not been investigated. We aimed to prospectively investigate the association of GWG rate in the second/third trimester with infant Hb concentration and anaemia risk. The present study comprised 13 765 infants born during 2006–2009 to mothers who participated in a trial on prenatal micronutrient supplementation. The GWG was calculated by subtracting the maternal weight at enrolment from that at end-pregnancy. The GWG rate was calculated as dividing the GWG by number of weeks between the two measurements and classified into quintiles within each category of maternal BMI. Infant Hb concentrations were measured at 6 and 12 months of age, and anaemia was defined as an Hb concentration <110 g/l. Of the 13 765 infants, 949 (6·9 %) were anaemic at 6 months and 728 (5·3 %) at 12 months. The GWG rate was inversely and linearly associated with the infant Hb concentrations at both 6 and 12 months (P < 0·001 for linearity). Compared with the middle quintile of GWG rate, the highest quintile was associated with an increased risk of anaemia at 6 months (adjusted OR 1·30, 95 % CI 1·07, 1·59) and 12 months (adjusted OR 1·74, 95 % CI 1·40, 2·17). The associations were consistently mediated by maternal anaemia during pregnancy (P < 0·001). In conclusion, excessive GWG rate appears to be associated with an increased risk of infant anaemia, partly independent of maternal anaemia during pregnancy that mediates the association.
IDENTIFICATION OF LINEAR REGRESSIONS WITH ERRORS IN ALL VARIABLES
Authors: Ben-Moshe Dan
Published: June 2020

This paper analyzes the classical linear regression model with measurement errors in all the variables. First, we provide necessary and sufficient conditions for identification of the coefficients. We show that the coefficients are not identified if and only if an independent normally distributed linear combination of regressors can be transferred from the regressors to the errors. Second, we introduce a new estimator for the coefficients using a continuum of moments that are based on second derivatives of the log characteristic function of the observables. In Monte Carlo simulations, the estimator performs well and is robust to the amount of measurement error and number of mismeasured regressors. In an application to firm investment decisions, the estimates are similar to those produced by a generalized method of moments estimator based on third to fifth moments.
Epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Khalili Malahat , Karamouzian Mohammad , Nasiri Naser , Javadi Sara , Mirzazadeh Ali , Sharifi Hamid
Published: June 2020

Our understanding of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to evolve and there are many unknowns about its epidemiology. This study aims to synthesise case fatality rate (CFR) among confirmed COVID-19 patients, incubation period and time from onset of COVID-19 symptoms to first medical visit, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, recovery, and death. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Google Scholar, and bibliographies of relevant articles from 01 December 2019 to 11 March 2020 without any language restrictions. Quantitative studies that recruited people with confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis were included. Two independent reviewers extracted the data. Out of 1675 non-duplicate studies, 43 were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled mean incubation period was 5.68 (99% confidence interval [CI]: 4.78, 6.59) days. The pooled mean number of days from the onset of COVID-19 symptoms to first clinical visit was 4.92 (95% CI: 3.95, 5.90), ICU admission was 9.84 (95% CI: 8.78, 10.90), recovery was 18.55 (95% CI: 13.69, 23.41), and death was 15.93 (95% CI: 13.07, 18.79). Pooled CFR among confirmed COVID-19 patients was 0.02 (95% CI: 0.02, 0.03). We found that the incubation period and lag between the onset of symptoms and first clinical visit for COVID-19 are longer than other respiratory viral infections including Middle East respiratory syndrome and severe acute respiratory syndrome; however, the current policy of 14 days of mandatory quarantine for everyone potentially exposed to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) might be too conservative. Longer quarantine periods might be more justified for extreme cases.
PhD Abstracts
Authors: HUTTON GRAHAM
Published: June 2020

Many students complete PhDs in functional programming each year. As a service to the community, twice per year the Journal of Functional Programming publishes the abstracts from PhD dissertations completed during the previous year.
Effect of SCMC on foreign language anxiety and learning experience: A comparison of voice, video, and VR-based oral interaction
Authors: York James , Shibata Koichi , Tokutake Hayato , Nakayama Hiroshi
Published: June 2020

Studies on computer-mediated communication often compare the affective affordances of different technologies with face-to-face communication. This study aimed to understand how three different computer-mediated communication modalities may affect EFL learners’ foreign language anxiety (FLA). Using a counterbalanced 3 by 3 factorial design, 30 undergraduate Japanese university students participated in this study, completing a spot-the-difference task in three different oral synchronous computer-mediated communication modes: voice, video, and virtual reality (VR). Upon completing each task, participants responded to an FLA questionnaire and answered questions regarding their learning experiences. Finally, a post-experiment questionnaire asked participants to explicitly compare their experiences of learning within each modality. Results suggest that although all three modes were successful in reducing learner FLA, no statistically significant differences were found between mean scores. However, the results of the learner perceptions questionnaire suggested that VR was the easiest environment to communicate in, was the most fun, and the most effective environment for language learning. Participant responses to an open-ended question suggested that learner dispositions to technology as well as their affective characteristics may be responsible for differing opinions regarding the affordances of VR for language learning. The study concludes with a call for more research in the area of learner affect and technology use, including studies that more effectively utilize the technological affordances of VR, and also qualitatively assess which elements of VR may affect learner FLA and motivation.
Impact of attachment imagery on paranoia and mood: evidence from two single case studies
Authors: Pitfield Cathryn , Maguire Tess , Newman-Taylor Katherine
Published: June 2020

Background:

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for psychosis currently yields modest outcomes and must be improved. Attachment imagery may be an effective means of reducing severity of paranoid beliefs and associated affect. Experimental studies have demonstrated these effects in non-clinical groups. The impact in clinical populations remains untested.

Aims:

This study assessed the impact of a brief attachment imagery task on paranoia and mood, in two people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia.

Method:

Two single case studies are presented. Both participants were working age adults with persecutory delusions. The study utilised an A-B-A design. Participants were recruited for a 6-week period, with a 2- and 3-week baseline respectively, 1-week intervention phase, and follow-up phase matched to duration of baseline. Trait paranoia and attachment were measured at the start of the baseline. State paranoia and affect were measured daily over the 6-week period.

Results:

For both participants, the baseline phase was characterised by high and variable levels of paranoia, which reduced during the intervention phase, with a return to baseline scores at follow-up. We found a similar pattern for negative affect, and the reverse pattern for positive affect.

Conclusions:

Attachment imagery may function as an effective emotion regulation strategy for people with psychosis. Continued use is likely to be needed to maintain gains. This brief task could prove valuable to people needing skills to manage paranoia and mood, and give clinicians confidence that people can manage short-term distress in CBT for psychosis, for example when addressing past trauma.
Beliefs about voices in voice-hearers: the role of schema functioning
Authors: Davenport Brittany , Jackson Mike , Grange James A. , Rydon-Grange Michelle
Published: June 2020

Background:

Evidence is emerging that beliefs about voices are influenced by broader schematic beliefs about the self and others. Similarly, studies indicate that the relationship an individual has with their voice may mirror wider patterns of relating observed in social relationships, which may be influenced by schematic beliefs.

Aims:

This study examined associations between beliefs about voices and self and other schemas. Furthermore, associations between schemas and the perceived relationship between the hearer and their predominant voice were explored.

Method:

Forty-four voice-hearing participants were recruited across mental health services. Participants completed self-report measures of beliefs about voices, schema functioning, and relating between the hearer and their voice. Dimensions of voice experience, such as frequency and content, were assessed using a clinician-rated scale.

Results:

Beliefs about voices correlated with negative voice content and schemas. After controlling for negative voice content, schemas were estimated to predict between 1 and 17% of the variance in the six measured beliefs about voices; three of the associations reached statistical significance. Negative-self schema were the strongest predictors of beliefs about voices, whilst positive-self also showed potential relationships. Schemas also correlated with dimensions of relating between the hearer and their voice.

Conclusions:

In line with previous research, this study provides evidence that schemas, particularly self-schema, may be important in the development of beliefs about voices. This study offers preliminary findings to suggest that schemas are also associated with the perceived relationship between the hearer and their voice.
Mental health in chronic disease patients during the COVID-19 quarantine in Greece
Authors: Louvardi Maya , Pelekasis Panagiotis , Chrousos George P. , Darviri Christina
Published: June 2020

Objective

To investigate the effect of the time spent on quarantine on distress, anxiety, depression, and somatization of chronic disease patients during the COVID-19 quarantine in Greece and the differences in these parameters between healthy individuals and chronic disease patients.

Method

The sample consisted of 943 healthy individuals and 163 patients (respiratory, autoimmune, cardiovascular, endocrine, patients with other diseases, and patients with more than one disease) completing sociodemographic assessments as well as the 4-Dimensional Symptom Questionnaire (4DSQ) during March 30, 2020 to May 3, 2020. Pearson's correlation was used to search for the association between time spent on quarantine and the 4DSQ subscales (distress, anxiety, depression, and somatization). Independent sample T-test and Glass's Δ were used for differences between healthy individuals and chronic disease patients in these subscales, an analysis also carried out between healthy individuals and all patient subgroups.

Results

No statistically significant correlations were noted between the 4DSQ subscales and the quarantine duration, both for the patient and the healthy individuals’ group. Chronic disease patients had significantly higher levels of distress (p = 0.001, Δ = 0.28) and somatization (p = 0.000, Δ = 0.47), but not there were no significant differences in anxiety (p = 0.098, Δ = 0.14) and depression (p = 0.052, Δ = 0.19). Concerning head-to-head comparisons between the healthy individuals’ group and each patient group, significantly higher scores in distress were found only for patients with respiratory diseases (p = 0.028, Δ = 0.42). Regarding somatization, significantly higher scores were noted for the healthy individuals’ group compared with patients with autoimmune diseases (p = 0.010, Δ = 0.62), respiratory diseases (p = 0.027, Δ = 0.42), other diseases (p = 0.003, Δ = 0.55), and more than one disease (p = 0.012, Δ = 0.60). No statistically significant differences were found in anxiety and depression.

Significance of results

The results of this study indicate that interventional programs for chronic disease patients during quarantine should focus on distress and somatization, not on anxiety and depression. Respiratory patients might have more supportive care needs compared with patients with other diseases.
Institutions, social order and wealth in ancient India
Authors: Rooney Jim , Murthy Vijaya
Published: June 2020

Orthodox economic theorising on ancient societies emphasises the absence of market institutions, in contrast to advanced contemporary economies. However, this may downplay the influence of non-economic interests in the generation of wealth. Consequently, this paper examines an ancient civilisation identified as economically successful namely, the Mauryan Empire (322 to 85 BCE) centred on the Indo-Gangetic plains. Drawing on translations of books collectively known as the Arthasastra (lit. the science of wealth) as well as contemporaneous Greek and Roman texts, this paper examines the role of institutions in generating wealth within societal norms of income distribution and the preservation of social order. Given the importance of trade to this society, comparisons are made with medieval European institutions in terms of market coordination and the maintenance of generalised trust in trading markets. As a consequence, the role of institutions in addressing social and economic uncertainty affecting an ancient society is highlighted.