bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Body Size on Methylmercury Concentrations in Shoreline Spiders: Implications for Their Use as Sentinels
Authors: Hannappel Madeline P. , Chumchal Matthew M. , Drenner Ray W. , Kennedy James H. , Barst Benjamin D. , Castellini J. Margaret , Nolan Audrey R. , Willoughby F. Manton , Trauffler Lexton P.
Published: December 2020

Shoreline spiders have been proposed as sentinels to monitor aquatic contaminants including methylmercury (MeHg). The present study examined the effect of spider body size on MeHg concentrations in shoreline spiders. We collected 6 taxa of spiders belonging to 4 families (orb-weavers [Araneidae], long-jawed orb weavers [Tetragnathidae: Tetragnatha sp.], jumping spiders [Salticidae], and wolf spiders [Lycosidae: Pardosa sp., Rabidosa sp., and Schizocosa sp.]) from the shorelines of 14 human-made ponds at the Lyndon B. Johnson National Grasslands in north Texas (USA). As a proxy for body size, we measured leg length (tibia + patella) of each spider. Spider taxa differed by 3-fold in mean MeHg concentration, and MeHg concentrations in 4 of 6 spider taxa increased significantly with leg length. The present study is the first to demonstrate that shoreline spider MeHg concentrations increase as a function of spider body size. Because spider size may account for some within-taxa variation in MeHg concentrations, future studies that utilize spiders as sentinels of aquatic contamination by MeHg or other biomagnifying contaminants should take spider size into account. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:1149–1154. © 2020 SETAC.

Abstract

In the present study, we demonstrate that concentrations of methylmercury (MeHg) increase as a function of spider body size.
The best of both worlds? The economic effects of a hybrid fee‐for‐service and prospective payment reimbursement system
Authors: Fu Rong , Shen Yichen , Noguchi Haruko
Published: December 2020

Countries seeking to move away from a purely fee‐for‐service (FFS) system may consider a hybrid approach whereby only some procedures are paid by FFS while others are paid prospectively. Yet little evidence exists whether such a hybrid payment system contains overall costs without adverse influences on health outcomes. In 2003, Japan experienced a reform from FFS to a hybrid payment system in which only some inpatient procedures were paid prospectively. We exploit this reform to test how such a hybrid system affects overall costs and health outcomes. Briefly, we find that healthcare providers responded opportunistically to the reform, moving some procedures out of the bundled inpatient setting to FFS services, leading to no reduction in cost. There was some evidence of a moderate deterioration in health outcomes, in terms of a decline in the probability of symptoms being cured at discharge. In sum, our results suggest that in some cases, a hybrid payment system can be non‐superior to either FFS or prospective payment system.
Complications of intracerebroventricular chemotherapy via subgaleal reservoir in primary central nervous system lymphoma: A single‐institution experience on 1247 installations in 94 consecutive patients
Authors: Anton Seena , Margold Michelle , Kowalski Thomas , Miller Dorothea , Schmieder Kirsten , Schlegel Uwe , Seidel Sabine
Published: December 2020

The implantation of a subgaleal reservoir intracerebroventricular (ICV port) in order to apply ICV chemotherapy in patients with leptomeningeal cancer may be complicated by misplacement of the device, pericatheter leucencephalopathy, hemorrhage and iatrogenic ventriculitis/meningitis. Here we analyzed the occurrence of such complications in patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) treated with systemic and ICV methotrexate‐ and cytarabine‐based chemotherapy. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 94 consecutive patients (1247 installations), who had received an ICV port for intraventricular chemotherapy for treatment of histologically confirmed PCNSL at our institution between September 2005 and October 2018. Infectious and noninfectious complications were systematically recorded including clinical, laboratory, and imaging data. In 9/94 patients (9.6%), a misplacement of the ICV port seen on the postoperative computed tomography scan was corrected immediately and chemotherapy was then continued as planned. In 5/94 patients (5.3%), symptomatic noninfectious complications were observed (four patients with symptomatic pericatheter leucencephalopathy and one patient with surgical scar dehiscence with CSF leak). In 8/94 patients (8.5%), asymptomatic white matter lesions around the catheter were visible on cerebral magnetic resonance imaging after completion of therapy. The rate of infectious complications was 6/94 patients (6.4%). No complication was lethal or required intensive care monitoring. This retrospective study shows that complications of ICV treatment have to be expected in a fraction of patients, however, in this series these complications were manageable and did not result in long‐term deficits.
Thionation of the 2‐λ5‐Phosphaquinolin‐2‐one Scaffold with Lawesson's Reagent
Authors: Bard Jeremy P. , McNeill J. Nolan , Warren Gabrielle I. , Zakharov Lev N. , Johnson Darren W. , Haley Michael M.
Published: December 2020

Lawesson's reagent is one of the most common thionating reagents that has found use for several decades on a variety of carbonyl systems. Herein, we report the transformation of the 2‐λ5‐phosphaquinolin‐2‐one structure to its respective 2‐λ5‐phosphaquinolin‐2‐thione derivative. Solution‐state characterization of both P−OPh and P−Ph thio analogues, as well as solid‐state structures for the latter system, are reported.
Time‐varying roles of housing risk factors in state‐level housing markets
Authors: Huang MeiChi
Published: December 2020

This paper addresses housing asset pricing and highlights time‐varying exposures of state‐level housing risk premiums to five varieties of housing risk factors. The economic, demographic, liquidity and credit risk factors along with a market risk factor are included in the augmented factor‐based framework, Bayesian Model Averaging with Stochastic Break Betas and Stochastic Break Volatility (BMA‐SBB‐SBV). Time‐varying sensitivities of state‐level housing price returns are universally evident for all the five housing risk factors considered. State‐level housing markets with high bubble‐vulnerability display different exposures to systematic and liquidity risks from those regarded as less‐vulnerable to housing bubbles. The trivial abnormal returns, high probabilities of risk factor inclusion and low probabilities of breaks in responses to housing risk factors jointly provide evidence that the augmented factor‐based model is capable of characterizing state‐level housing returns.
Evaluating socio‐economic and environmental factors influencing farm‐level water scarcity in Punjab, Pakistan*
Authors: Khan Muhammad Awais Ali , Mahmood Ch. Khalid , Ashraf Ijaz , Siddiqui Muhammad Tahir , Knox Jerry W.
Published: December 2020

Pakistan's economy is primarily dependent on agriculture, but it faces serious water challenges. This paper critically evaluates the water resources and socio‐economic and environmental factors contributing to increased farm‐level water scarcity in the Punjab region. The study involved conducting structured interviews with 370 farmers to gather data necessary for conducting a detailed sociotechnical factor analysis. From this, eight factors were identified that were found to directly impact farmer well‐being including climate change (rise in temperature and erratic rainfall), poor socio‐economic farmer conditions, issues linked to the warabandi (canal water distribution system), inadequate irrigation, reduced water availability, poor water course maintenance, and low adoption of efficient irrigation techniques. The Kruskal‐Wallis test was then used to assess statistical differences between the respondents' demographic attributes and the identified factors. Demographic factors including age, education, land size, farming experience, and cultivated area showed significant mean differences with the eight factors. Young farmers with higher education levels were more likely to adopt high‐efficiency irrigation systems to conserve water. The research also highlighted the importance of introducing crops with a lower water demand into the region and the need to proactively support agricultural extension services to encourage farmers to adopt more efficient irrigation systems to improve crop productivity and facilitate on‐farm water conservation.
Loss of TANGO1 Leads to Absence of Bone Mineralization
Authors: Guillemyn Brecht , Nampoothiri Sheela , Syx Delfien , Malfait Fransiska , Symoens Sofie
Published: December 2020

TANGO1 (transport and Golgi organization‐1 homolog) encodes a transmembrane protein, which is located at endoplasmic reticulum (ER) exit sites where it binds bulky cargo, such as collagens, in the lumen and recruits membranes from the ER‐Golgi intermediate compartment (ERGIC) to create an export route for cargo secretion. Mice lacking Mia3 (murine TANGO1 orthologue) show defective secretion of numerous procollagens and lead to neonatal lethality due to insufficient bone mineralization. Recently, aberrant expression of truncated TANGO1 in humans has been shown to cause a mild‐to‐moderate severe collagenopathy associated with dentinogenesis imperfecta, short stature, skeletal abnormalities, diabetes mellitus, and mild intellectual disability. We now show for the first time that complete loss of TANGO1 results in human embryonic lethality with near‐total bone loss and phenocopies the situation of Mia3−/− mice. Whole‐exome sequencing on genomic DNA (gDNA) of an aborted fetus of Indian descent revealed a homozygous 4‐base pair (4‐bp) deletion in TANGO1 that is heterozygously present in both healthy parents. Parental fibroblast studies showed decreased TANGO1 mRNA expression and protein levels. Type I collagen secretion and extracellular matrix organization were normal, supporting a threshold model for clinical phenotype development. As such, our report broadens the phenotypic and mutational spectrum of TANGO1‐related collagenopathies, and underscores the crucial role of TANGO1 for normal bone development, of which deficiency results in a severe‐to‐lethal form of osteochondrodysplasia. © 2021 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research © 2020 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Murray Sidman and Patient H. M.: The role of behavior analysis in the emergence of collaborative modern neuroscience
Authors: Elcoro Mirari , Backer Alexander
Published: December 2020

The intersection of the lives of 2 essential individuals in science, behavior analyst Murray Sidman (1923‐2019), and Henry G. Molaison also known as Patient H.M. (1926‐2008), warrants examination as it highlights the role of behavior analysis and other disciplines in the emergence of modern neuroscience and a collaborative approach to science. This paper describes the historical context and content of two publications by Sidman in which Molaison served as a research participant. The goal of the present paper is to emphasize this little‐known facet of Sidman's rich career and to highlight the pioneering role of behavior analysis, and particularly the work of Murray Sidman, in the emergence of collaborative modern neuroscience.
A novel acid‐tolerant β‐xylanase fromScytalidium candidum3C for the synthesis ofo‐nitrophenyl xylooligosaccharides
Authors: Eneyskaya Elena V. , Bobrov Kirill S. , Kashina Maria V. , Borisova Anna S. , Kulminskaya Anna A.
Published: December 2020

Endo‐β‐xylanases are hemicellulases involved in the conversion of xylans in plant biomass. Here, we report a novel acidophilic β‐xylanase (ScXynA) with high transglycosylation abilities that was isolated from the filamentous fungusScytalidium candidum3C. ScXynA was identified as a glycoside hydrolase family 10 (GH10) dimeric protein, with a molecular weight of 38 ± 5 kDa per subunit. The enzyme catalyzed the hydrolysis of different xylans under acidic conditions and was stable in the pH range 2.6–4.5. The kinetic parameters of ScXynA were determined in hydrolysis reactions withp‐nitrophenyl‐β‐d‐cellobioside (pNP‐β‐Cel) andp‐nitrophenyl‐β‐d‐xylobioside (pNP‐β‐Xyl2), andkcat/Kmwas found to be 0.43 ± 0.02 (s·mM)−1and 57 ± 3 (s·mM)−1, respectively. In the catalysis of the transglycosylationo‐nitrophenyl‐β‐d‐xylobioside (oNP‐β‐Xyl2) acted both as a donor and an acceptor, resulting in the efficient production ofo‐nitrophenyl xylooligosaccharides, with a degree of polymerization of 3–10 ando‐nitrophenyl‐β‐d‐xylotetraose (oNP‐β‐Xyl4) as the major product (18.5% yield). The modeled ScXynA structure showed a favorable position for ligand entry ando‐nitrophenyl group accommodation in the relatively open −3 subsite, while the cleavage site was covered with an extended loop. These structural features provide favorable conditions for transglycosylation withoNP‐β‐Xyl2. The acidophilic properties and high transglycosylation activity make ScXynA a suitable choice for various biotechnological applications, including the synthesis of valuable xylooligosaccharides.
One‐Pot Synthesis of Dual Supramolecular Associative PMMA‐Based Copolymers and the Precise Thermal Property Tuning
Authors: Hayashi Mikihiro , Kimura Takahiro , Oba Yuta , Takasu Akinori
Published: December 2020

Dual supramolecular associative polymers have attracted attention for efficient physical property modification. Herein, a one‐pot synthesis of dual supramolecular associative poly(methyl methacrylate)‐based copolymers via reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) copolymerization using a novel methacrylate‐type monomer (coded as UP‐MA) bearing a urea bond and a pendant pyridine group is demonstrated. UP‐MA is synthesized by reacting 4‐picolylamine and 2‐isocyanatoethyl methacrylate. The subsequent RAFT copolymerization of UP‐MA and methyl methacrylate (MMA) can be performed by directly adding MMA, a chain transfer agent, and a radical initiator into the reaction solution of UP‐MA. The estimated values of radical reactivity ratio (r) for UP‐MA and MMA are close to unity, attaining a nearly ideal random sequence of the dual supramolecular associative units in the copolymer chain. By blending a metal salt into the random copolymer, coordination bonds between the salt and the pyridine groups are formed, and the urea groups simultaneously form hydrogen bonds, generating a dual supramolecular associative network. Precise tuning of the thermal property is realized by changing the fraction of the metal salt and associative groups in the copolymers.
Behavioral choices in a dynamic duopoly with process innovation and sticky price: Myopia versus farsightedness
Authors: Zhang Fan , Cheng Susu
Published: December 2020

This paper investigates the impacts of sticky price and behavioral choices on the operation decisions, firm's profits, and social welfare. Each player has either myopic behavior or farsighted behavior. Results show that (i) players prefer farsighted behavior, which can achieve the Pareto optimality, and (ii) when both players are farsighted, they will set a higher price but will have an insufficient‐effort problem in process innovation. Furthermore, by comparing the social welfare in four different scenarios, we find that the social welfare is the highest when both players are myopic.
Application of surface growth model for a pathological process in a blood vessel's wall
Authors: Murashkin Evgenii V. , Dats Evgeniy P. , Stadnik Nikita E.
Published: December 2020

The present study deals with a problem of modeling a surface growth process. Governing principles for mechanics of growing solids have been formulated. Within the framework of the surface growth theory, different variants of boundary value problems are discussed. A human blood vessel under pathological growth processes has been considered as an example of a surface growth process. Vessels are simulated by a long thick‐walled circular cylinder. The boundary value problem of a surface growth for elastic thick‐walled vessels is solved. The analytical solution in terms of velocities for parameters of stress‐strain state has been obtained. Condition of thickness has allowed us to study strain‐stress state of cylinder surfaces using approximation of infinitesimal deformations. The stress‐strain state characteristics are numerically computed and graphically analyzed using various mechanical parameters of the surface growth processes. Two cases of boundary value problems, namely, deformation of two‐ and multilayer cylinder have been considered. General analytical solution for thick multilayer cylinder deformation has been obtained. Analytical solution is based on the Lamé problem for elastic material. Comparison of multilayer and single‐layer solutions is performed.
Generalized approximate boundary synchronization for a coupled system of wave equations
Authors: Wang Yanyan
Published: December 2020

In this paper, we consider the generalized approximate boundary synchronization for a coupled system of wave equations with Dirichlet boundary controls. We analyze the relationship between the generalized approximate boundary synchronization and the generalized exact boundary synchronization, give a sufficient condition to realize the generalized approximate boundary synchronization and a necessary condition in terms of Kalman's matrix, and show the meaning of the number of total controls. Besides, by the generalized synchronization decomposition, we define the generalized approximately synchronizable state and obtain its properties and a sufficient condition for it to be independent of applied boundary controls.
Stability of conventional and machine learning‐based tumor auto‐segmentation techniques using undersampled dynamic radial bSSFP acquisitions on a 0.35 T hybrid MR‐linac system
Authors: Friedrich Florian , Hörner‐Rieber Juliane , Renkamp C. Katharina , Klüter Sebastian , Bachert Peter , Ladd Mark E. , Knowles Benjamin R.
Published: December 2020

Purpose

Hybrid MRI‐linear accelerator systems (MR‐linacs) allow for the incorporation of MR images with high soft‐tissue contrast into the radiation therapy procedure prior to, during, or post irradiation. This allows not only for the optimization of the treatment planning, but also for real‐time monitoring of the tumor position using cine MRI, from which intrafractional motion can be compensated. Fast imaging and accurate tumor tracking are crucial for effective compensation. This study investigates the application of cine MRI with a radial acquisition scheme on a low‐field MR‐linac to accelerate the acquisition rate and evaluates the effect on tracking accuracy.

Methods

An MR sequence using tiny golden‐angle radial k‐space sampling was developed and applied to cine imaging on patients with liver tumors on a 0.35 T MR‐linac.

Tumor tracking was assessed for accuracy and stability from the cine images with increasing k‐space undersampling factors. Tracking was achieved using two different auto‐segmentation algorithms: a deformable image registration B‐spline similar to that implemented on the MR‐linac and a convolutional neural network approach known as U‐Net.

Results

Radial imaging allows for increased temporal resolution with reliable tumor tracking, although tracking robustness decreases as temporal resolution increases. Additional acquisition‐based artifacts can be avoided by reducing the angle increment using tiny golden‐angles. The U‐net algorithm was found to have superior auto‐segmentation metrics compared to B‐spline. U‐net was able to track two well‐defined tumors, imaged with just 30 spokes per image (10.6 frames per second), with an average Dice coefficient ≥ 83%, Hausdorff distance ≤ 1.4 pixel, and mean contour distance ≤ 0.5 pixel.

Conclusions

Radial acquisitions are commonplace in dynamic imaging; however, in MR‐guided radiotherapy, robust tumor tracking is also required. This study demonstrates the in vivo feasibility of tumor tracking from radially acquired images on a low‐field MR‐linac. Radial imaging allows for decreased image acquisition times while maintaining robust tracking. The U‐net algorithm can track a tumor with higher accuracy in images with undersampling artifacts than a conventional deformable B‐spline algorithm and is a promising tool for tracking in MR‐guided radiation therapy.
MP2 versus density functional theory calculations in CO2‐sequestration reactions with anions: Basis set extrapolation and solvent effects
Authors: Quattrociocchi Daniel G. S. , de Oliveira Antonio Rafael , Carneiro José Walkimar de Mesquita , Rocha Carlos Murilo Romero , Varandas António J. C.
Published: December 2020

The emission of carbon dioxide in large amounts is commonly believed to be the main cause of global climate changes. Development of CO2 capture processes is still a big current challenge. Some anions have been studied for the gas sequestration process due their great affinity to CO2. In this work, electronic structure calculations were performed at the MP2/aug‐cc‐pvtz level to compute the interaction between 20 anions and CO2. A complete basis set scheme, using extrapolated energies, was also employed for both gas phase and solvent calculations. The reactions between the anions and CO2 were therefore studied in four different conditions (gas phase, toluene, tetrahydrofuran and water). The trends observed for the reaction thermodynamics with the MP2 method is similar to that observed previously with the B3LYP‐D3 and M06‐2X functionals. The reactions in the gas phase are highly exothermic and do not involve any activation energy. The solvent effect reduces the exothermicity and induces an intrinsic activation barrier. The negative charge is dispersed in the adduct, leading to a weaker interaction in a polar solvent. Then, increasing the medium polarity, the energy difference between the adduct and the reactants decreases. We also observed a limit for solvent stabilization in the low dielectric constant range. For example, the results obtained with tetrahydrofuran are closer to those obtained with water than to those obtained with toluene. Considering both the thermodynamics of the reaction and the differential solvent effects, we were able to indicate anions derived from alkyl sulfides as the most convenient for CO2 sequestration among the set here considered.
Compost and legume management differently alter soil microbial abundance and soil carbon in semiarid pastures
Authors: Otuya Rael , Slaughter Lindsey C. , West Charles P. , Deb Sanjit K. , Acosta‐Martinez Veronica
Published: December 2020

Establishment of improved perennial pasture systems for livestock production has been demonstrated to improve soil health in the semiarid Texas Southern High Plains (SHP). Use of waste products from other components of the animal production chain, such as applying composted manure from feedlot operations to grazed pastures, may provide an additional means of improving soil health and sustainability of these systems. However, few studies have examined the impact of composted animal manure on the changes in soil microbial communities, although they are important indicators of soil health. We investigated the effects of a one‐time composted cattle manure application at 3.36 Mg ha−1 on soil microbial community size and structure, soil organic C (SOC), total N (TN), and soil organic matter (SOM) up to 1.5 yr after application. We compared pastures consisting of either WW‐B. Dahl Old World bluestem grass [Bothriochloa bladhii (Retz.) S.T. Blake] alone or in mix with alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Results showed that compost application significantly increased SOC by about 4.4 g kg−1 soil within 1.5 yr after application. In N‐fertilized grass‐only pastures, compost addition increased microbial phospholipid fatty acid abundance, SOC, TN, and SOM, but no significant differences were observed between compost treatments in unfertilized pastures containing legumes. Our results show that even a one‐time compost addition at a relatively low rate can augment SOC in this semiarid pasture system after 1.5 yr, and that stimulation of soil microbial abundance and soil C and N from compost is more pronounced in fertilized grass‐only pastures compared with those with legume establishment.
Estimation of ascertainment bias and its effect on power in clinical trials with time‐to‐event outcomes
Authors: Greene Erich J. , Peduzzi Peter , Dziura James , Meng Can , Miller Michael E. , Travison Thomas G. , Esserman Denise
Published: December 2020

While the gold standard for clinical trials is to blind all parties—participants, researchers, and evaluators—to treatment assignment, this is not always a possibility. When some or all of the above individuals know the treatment assignment, this leaves the study open to the introduction of postrandomization biases. In the Strategies to Reduce Injuries and Develop Confidence in Elders (STRIDE) trial, we were presented with the potential for the unblinded clinicians administering the treatment, as well as the individuals enrolled in the study, to introduce ascertainment bias into some but not all events comprising the primary outcome. In this article, we present ways to estimate the ascertainment bias for a time‐to‐event outcome, and discuss its impact on the overall power of a trial vs changing of the outcome definition to a more stringent unbiased definition that restricts attention to measurements less subject to potentially differential assessment. We found that for the majority of situations, it is better to revise the definition to a more stringent definition, as was done in STRIDE, even though fewer events may be observed.
Biodiesel production from waste chicken oil using nanoeggshell heterogeneous catalyst with isopropyl ether as cosolvent
Authors: M. Kirubakaran , V. Arul Mozhi Selvan
Published: December 2020

The main aim of the present work is to produce biodiesel from waste chicken fat using a nanoeggshell heterogeneous catalyst. For the first time, isopropyl ether was used as cosolvent and investigated the effects of transesterification factors affecting the biodiesel yield. The eggshell has been activated in the muffle furnace at 900°C and was further characterized by using X‐ray diffraction analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, thermogravimetric analysis, transmission electron microscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller, and Hammet indicator to study the catalytic behavior of the catalyst. Optimization of transesterification parameters such as methanol‐to‐oil ratio, methanol‐to‐cosolvent ratio, catalyst concentration, and reaction time have been investigated using statistical techniques of response surface methodology (RSM) with a central composite design. The empirical value of methyl ester yield obtained from RSM (95.7%) could be comparable with the experimental value (98.1%) and showed that the model shall be considered statistically significant at 97% confidence level. Using Design expert software, by point prediction tool, the experiments were repeated for two times under optimal conditions attained biodiesel yield of 97.2%. The experimental work explored that the addition of isopropyl ether improved the biodiesel yield with a reduction in reaction time from 4  to 1.5 h. The catalyst reusability was stable up to four cycles of the transesterification reaction.
Processability of Moist Superalloy Powder by SLM
Authors: Mitterlehner Marco , Danninger Herbert , Gierl-Mayer Christian , Gschiel Harald , Hatzenbichler Markus
Published: December 2020

Moisture is often claimed to be one of the main reasons for poor processability of powders when using L‑PBF processes. To determine the influence of moisture on the processability, gas atomized superalloy powder IN718 has been printed in two parallel runs: once in the as-received and dry condition and once after four weeks of storage in an atmosphere containing a relative humidity of 75%. Thereby different specimens have been prepared for notched impact tests, tensile tests, roughness, and metallographic analysis. Furthermore, the chemical composition of the powder before and after the build job as well as that of the printed parts have been analysed. The results obtained with the differently conditioned powders have been compared in the end to determine the influence of humidity on the processability on IN718 powder.
The nexus between perceptions of inequality and preferences for redistribution
Authors: Iacono Roberto , Ranaldi Marco
Published: December 2020

This paper shows that perceptions of inequality are a key factor in the formation of preferences for redistribution and thereby in the determination of the equilibrium redistribution level. We build on the novel stylized facts provided by the survey experimental literature on perceptions of income inequality, highlighting that agents incorrectly estimate the shape of the income distribution because of limited information. Agents with income above the mean believe they are poorer than they actually are, and agents with income below the mean believe themselves to be richer. We revisit the standard framework on the political economy of redistribution and extend it in two ways. First, we introduce a more general two-sided inequality aversion. Second, we incorporate perceptions of income inequality, modeled by assuming that agents form expectations on the income level of the richest and the poorest in society. We show analytically that the equilibrium redistribution level is crucially determined by the interplay between the information treatment correcting the bias in perceptions of inequality and fairness considerations specified by the degree of inequality aversion. By doing this, we add (biased) perceptions of inequality to the list of potential factors explaining why, notwithstanding high inequality, an increase in the desire for redistribution has not been observed in many countries.
Reservoir computing quality: connectivity and topology
Authors: Dale Matthew , O’Keefe Simon , Sebald Angelika , Stepney Susan , Trefzer Martin A.
Published: December 2020

We explore the effect of connectivity and topology on the dynamical behaviour of Reservoir Computers. At present, considerable effort is taken to design and hand-craft physical reservoir computers. Both structure and physical complexity are often pivotal to task performance, however, assessing their overall importance is challenging. Using a recently developed framework, we evaluate and compare the dynamical freedom (referring to quality) of neural network structures, as an analogy for physical systems. The results quantify how structure affects the behavioural range of networks. It demonstrates how high quality reached by more complex structures is often also achievable in simpler structures with greater network size. Alternatively, quality is often improved in smaller networks by adding greater connection complexity. This work demonstrates the benefits of using dynamical behaviour to assess the quality of computing substrates, rather than evaluation through benchmark tasks that often provide a narrow and biased insight into the computing quality of physical systems.
The nature of the semantic stimulus: the acquisition of every as a case study
Authors: Rasin Ezer , Aravind Athulya
Published: December 2020

We evaluate the richness of the child’s input in semantics and its relation to the hypothesis space available to the child. Our case study is the acquisition of the universal quantifierevery. We report two main findings regarding the acquisition ofeveryon the basis of a corpus study of child-directed and child-ambient speech. Our first finding is that the input in semantics (as opposed to the input in syntax or phonology) is rich enough to systematically eliminate instances of the subset problem of language acquisition: overly general hypotheses about the meaning ofeverycan violate pragmatic constraints, making such hypotheses incompatible with the child’s input. Our second finding is that the semantic input is too poor to eliminate instances of what we refer to as the superset problem, the mirror image of the subset problem. We argue that at least some overly specific hypotheses about the meaning ofeveryare compatible with the child’s input, suggesting either that those hypotheses are not made available by UG or that non-trivial inductive biases are involved in children’s acquisition ofevery.
The unbearable dispersal of being: Narrativity and personal identity in borderline personality disorder
Authors: Schmidt Philipp , Fuchs Thomas
Published: December 2020

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by severe disturbances in a subject’s sense of identity. Persons with BPD suffer from recurrent feelings of emptiness, a lack of self-feeling, and painful incoherence, especially regarding their own desires, how they see and feel about others, their life goals, or the roles to which they commit themselves. Over the past decade or so, clinical psychologists, psychotherapists, and psychiatrists have turned to philosophical conceptions of selfhood to better understand the borderline-specific ruptures in the sense of identity, which are frequently associated with severe affective instability and turbulence in interpersonal relationships. Fuchs (2007) has suggested that these disturbances in self-experience can best be described and explained by using notions—widely discussed in philosophy and psychology—ofnarrativityandnarrative identity. On such a narrative view, key features of BPD present significant modifications of proto-narrative structures and inhibit the development of a narrative identity, resulting in a disturbed sense of identity. Although the role of narrativity in BPD has been acknowledged by many researchers, some have voiced dissatisfaction with what they take to be limitations of a narrativistic understanding of the disorders of identity characterizing BPD, and have proposed alternative, allegedly non-narrativistic, accounts. In this paper, we critically examine an example of the latter, viz. Gold and Kyratsous’ (2017) account ofthe person as an intrapersonal team reasoner. We defend a narrativistic understanding of BPD identity disorder against their objections. To this end, we propose a broader, and more finely-differentiated, concept of narrativity. On this account, four aspects of narrativity are distinguished, the disordering of which can affect those with BPD. As it turns out, our account implies that even Gold and Kyratsous—in order to ground their approach—must either make use of these aspects or propose an as-yet unarticulated alternative. This casts doubt upon whether their approach is non-narrativistic after all.
Introduction to the special issue “embodied cognition and education”
Authors: Agostini Evi , Francesconi Denis
Published: December 2020

This special issue focuses on the theoretical, empirical and practical integrations between embodied cognition theory (EC) and educational science. The key question is: Can EC constitute a new theoretical framework for educational science and practice? The papers of the special issue support the efforts of those interested in the role of EC in education and in the epistemological convergence of EC and educational science. They deal with a variety of relevant topics in education and offer a focus on the role of the body and embodied experience in learning and educational settings. In conclusion, some further topics are suggested that will need to be investigated in the future, such as a critical evaluation of the possibility for an epistemological alliance between educational theory and embodied cognition, and the contribution that enactive cognition can provide to educational systems, organizations, institutions and policies.
Parasite Fauna of the White-Streaked Grouper (Epinephelus ongus) from the Thousand Islands, Java, Indonesia
Authors: Koepper Svenja , Nuryati S. , Palm Harry Wilhelm , Theisen S. , Wild C. , Yulianto I. , Kleinertz S.
Published: December 2020

Purpose

Fish parasites can cause diseases in humans and lead to commercial losses in fisheries and aquaculture. The objectives of this study were to analyze E. ongus’s parasite fauna regarding food safety and parasite transmission risk between Epinephelus species and test whether E.ongus populations can be distinguished by their parasite community.

Methods

We studied the metazoan parasite fauna of 30 white-streaked groupers Epinephelus ongus from the Thousand Islands, Java Sea, Indonesia, and compared the parasite community with specimens from Karimunjawa archipelago, Java Sea, from a former study. We used common fish parasitological methods for fish examination and parasite calculations.

Results

We found 12 metazoan parasite species, establishing five new host and five new locality records, increasing the known parasite fauna of E. ongus by 21%. No anisakid worms infected E. ongus. All but one (trematode Gyliauchen cf. nahaensis) species have been previously reported from Epinephelus. Parasite abundance of E. ongus differed significantly between the two regions.

Conclusions

Due to a certain degree of host specificity to groupers, there is potential risk of parasite transmission from E. ongus into groupers in mariculture or surrounding fishes, which increases (sea) food security related health risks from zoonotic parasites and calls for better monitoring and management plans for E. ongus. The regional separation of the Thousand Islands and Karimunjawa with different food availability and fish ecology causes different parasite abundances, distinguishing two separate E. ongus populations by their parasite fauna.
Corporate social responsibility in luxury contexts: potential pitfalls and how to overcome them
Authors: Sipilä Jenni , Alavi Sascha , Edinger-Schons Laura Marie , Dörfer Sabrina , Schmitz Christian
Published: December 2020

Recent marketing research has identified mixed effects of luxury companies’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) engagement on customer-level outcomes. To gain a better understanding of these effects, we develop a conceptual framework in which we propose that, unless carefully implemented, CSR engagement leads to lower financial performance, decreased customer loyalty, and elevated extrinsic CSR attributions for luxury companies. These effects are exacerbated if consumers actively deliberate on the company’s CSR efforts. However, luxury companies can mitigate these pitfalls and reap the potential rewards of CSR engagement by (1) engaging in company-internal, especially employee-focused CSR instead of company-external, philanthropic CSR or (2) framing their brands as sustainable instead of exclusive. We find consistent support for our theorizing in five empirical studies. The results contribute to existing knowledge on stakeholder reactions to luxury brands’ CSR and can help managers successfully navigate the implementation of CSR in luxury contexts.
Unveiling cryptic diversity among Müllerian co-mimics: insights from the Western Palaearctic Syntomis moths (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae)
Authors: Chiocchio Andrea , Arduino Paola , Cianchi Rossella , Canestrelli Daniele , Zilli Alberto
Published: December 2020

Accurate species delimitation is of primary importance in biodiversity assessments and in reconstructing patterns and processes in the diversification of life. However, the discovery of cryptic species in virtually all taxonomic groups unveiled significant gaps in our knowledge of biodiversity. Mimicry complexes are good candidates to source for cryptic species. Indeed, members of mimicry complexes undergo selective pressures on their habitus, which results in strong resemblance even between distantly related species. In this study, we used a multi-locus genetic approach to investigate the presence of cryptic diversity within a group of mimetic day-flying moths whose systematics has long been controversial, the Euro-AnatolianSyntomis. Results showed incongruence between species boundaries and the currently accepted taxonomy of this group. Both mitochondrial and nuclear markers indicate the presence of four, well-distinct genetic lineages. The genetic distance and time of divergence between the Balkan and Italian populations ofS. marjanaare the same as those found betweenS. phegeaandS. ragazzii, the last two being well-distinct, broadly sympatrically occurring species. The divergence between the two lineages ofS. marjanadates back to the Early Pleistocene, which coincided with substantial changes in climatic conditions and vegetation cover in Southern Europe that have likely induced geographic and ecological vicariance.Syntomispopulations belonging to the taxakruegeri(s. str.),albionicaandquerciiare now considered a separate species frommarjanas. str. and are thus distinguished asSyntomis querciiVerity, 1914,bona sp.,stat. nov. Our results show that the species richness of mimicry complexes inhabiting temperate regions might still be severely underestimated.
Randomized outlier detection with trees
Authors: Buschjäger Sebastian , Honysz Philipp-Jan , Morik Katharina
Published: December 2020

Isolation forest (IF) is a popular outlier detection algorithm that isolates outlier observations from regular observations by building multiple random isolation trees. The average number of comparisons required to isolate a given observation can then be used as a measure of its outlierness. Multiple extensions of this approach have been proposed in the literature including the extended isolation forest (EIF) as well as the SCiForest. However, we find a lack of theoretical explanation on why IF, EIF, and SCiForest offer such good practical performance. In this paper, we present a theoretical framework that views these approaches from a distributional viewpoint. Using this viewpoint, we show that isolation-based approaches first accurately approximate the data distribution and then secondly approximate the coefficients of mixture components using the average path length. Using this framework, we derive the generalized isolation forest (GIF) that also trains random isolation trees, but combining them moves beyond using the average path length. That is, GIF splits the data into multiple sub-spaces by sampling random splits as do the original IF variants do and directly estimates the mixture coefficients of a mixture distribution to score the outlierness on entire regions of data. In an extensive evaluation, we compare GIF with 18 state-of-the-art outlier detection methods on 14 different datasets. We show that GIF outperforms three competing tree-based methods and has a competitive performance to other nearest-neighbor approaches while having a lower runtime. Last, we highlight a use-case study that uses GIF to detect transaction fraud in financial data.
Charlemagne in Medieval German and Dutch Literature
Authors: Classen Albrecht
Published: December 2020

Comprehensive survey of the legend of Charlemagne in the medieval German-speaking world.
Publication Selection Biases in Stated Preference Estimates of the Value of a Statistical Life
Authors: Masterman Clayton J. , Viscusi W. Kip
Published: December 2020

This article presents the first meta-analysis documenting the extent of publication selection biases in stated preference estimates of the value of a statistical life (VSL). Stated preference studies fail to overcome the publication biases that affect much of the VSL literature. Such biases account for approximately 90% of the mean value of published VSL estimates in this subset of the literature. The bias is greatest for the largest estimates, possibly because the high-income labor market and stated preference estimates from the USA serve as an anchor for the VSL in other higher income countries. Estimates from lower-income countries exhibit less bias but remain unreliable for benefit-cost analysis. Unlike labor market estimates of the VSL, there is no evidence that any subsample of VSL estimates is free of significant publication selection biases. Although stated preference studies often provide the most readily accessible country-specific VSL estimates, a preferable approach to monetizing mortality risk benefits is to draw on income-adjusted estimates from labor market studies in the USA that use Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries risk data. These estimates lack publication selection effects as well as the limitations that are endemic to stated preference methods.
Zircon U–Pb ages, geochemistry and Sr–Nd isotopes of the Golshekanan granitoid, Urumieh–Dokhtar magmatic arc, Iran: evidence for partial melting of juvenile crust
Authors: Sarjoughian Fatemeh , Zahedi Bahareh , Azizi Hossein , Ling Wenli , Lentz David R. , Asahara Yoshihiro
Published: December 2020

The Golshekanan granitoid body is situated in the central part of the Urumieh–Dokhtar magmatic arc (UDMA) in central Iran, and includes granite and granodiorite with minor monzonite and diorite. Zircon U–Pb dating yields a late Eocene (Priabonian) crystallization age of 37.6 ± 0.2 Ma. The body is calc-alkaline and metaluminous to weakly peraluminous (A/CNK ≤ 1.10) with SiO2ranging from 61.1 to 71.5 wt% and MgO from 0.8 to 3.3 wt%, with Na2O + K2O of 4.0–8.5 wt%. Primitive mantle-normalized trace-element patterns display enrichments in the large-ion lithophile elements (LILE), such as Rb, Cs, Ba and K, and depletion from the high-field-strength elements (HFSEs), such as Nb, Ti, Ta and P. The rocks are enriched in LREEs relative to HREEs (average (La/Yb)CN= 4.3) and exhibit weak negative Eu anomalies (average Eu/Eu* = 0.75), revealing typical active continental margin arc affinity. The low initial87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.70440–0.70504) and notable positive ϵNd(t) values (+4.0 to +5.2) indicate an origin by partial melting of juvenile rocks in the lower crust, possibly with some involvement of sub-continental lithospheric mantle beneath Central Iran. These processes probably occurred due to the Neo-Tethys oceanic slab retreat and (or) rollback during late Eocene time.
Design and implementation of two surveys targeted at describing fouling communities and identifying non-native species within active ports
Authors: Holmes Samuel , Callaway Ruth
Published: December 2020

Ports have long been considered ‘high-risk’ areas for the introduction of non-native species (NNS) and should therefore be a focus of NNS monitoring. The industrial nature of active ports can, however, provide various problems when attempting to carry out monitoring programmes. Current methodologies designed to identify NNS and to describe fouling communities have not been developed specifically for use in active ports and can encounter a number of issues when used in these environments. Here, two surveys were developed and trialled within an active port in South Wales, UK, designed to describe fouling communities, identify NNS and overcome some of the major limitations to conducting surveys within ports. Over a 6-month period, fouling communities dominated by solitary ascidians developed in each survey. Seven NNS were identified, mostly species already recorded in the 1950s, including the Mediterranean crab Brachynotus sexdentatus, and the more recently introduced Japanese skeleton shrimp Caprella mutica. Each survey was evaluated independently with respect to key factors, including the ability to detect NNS and practical aspects of using these survey methods in an applied context. We conclude that whilst each survey can function independently, the use of both survey types in conjunction offers the most robust solution to identifying NNS and describing wider fouling communities within active ports. This research has implications for the future monitoring and management of NNS within UK ports.
Paul and Socrates in Dialogue: Points of Contact between the Areopagus Speech and the Apology
Authors: Cowan J. Andrew
Published: December 2020

For many years, scholars have noted striking similarities between the account of Paul's visit to Athens in Acts and ancient accounts of the trial of Socrates. There have been at least five distinct proposals about the significance of these similarities, but each has substantial shortcomings. In this article, I argue that Luke's purpose is to place Paul's Areopagus speech in dialogue with the thought of Socrates as it is represented in traditions about his trial, especially Plato'sEuthyphroandApology.