bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 Bacterial Metabolism Process On Waste Treatment Of Cr And Mn Metals In Reactor Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC)
Authors: Juliastuti S R , Darmawan R , Hendrianie N , Prakoso G A , Bachtiar T A
Published: June 2019

Chromium (Cr) and manganese (Mn) are heavy metals which have high oxidation potential and cause mutagenesis and carcinogenic to living organisms. Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) appears as one of the applications in the processing of Cr and Mn metals. MFC is bioreactor which converts chemical energy of organic compounds into electrical energy through the catalytic reaction of microorganisms in anaerobic conditions. The aim of this research are to find out the role of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 bacteria on manufacture electrical energy by utilizing organic wastes, and to find out the concentration of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 on the most influential anode side for the reduction of metallic Cr, Mn, and its mixed metal on the cathode side by using a MFC. The research method used molasses with bacteria concentration of 10%; 12.5%; 15% (v/v) on the anode side, while on the cathode side was used Cr(VI), Mn(VII) solutions, and mixtures of Cr and Mn solutions with the ratio of 1:0; 0:1; 1:1 (w/w). 15% bacteria concentration on mixture of metal solution resulted the highest electricity production, which was 46.33 (mW/m2), and the best reduction of Cr6+ to Cr3+ 82.15%, while for the reduction of Mn7+ to Mn2 was 61.17%.
Calcium Performance in Paper Sludge Ash as Suppressing Material
Authors: Desfitri E R , Hanum F F , Hayakawa Y , Kambara S
Published: June 2019

Paper sludge (PS) ash is a waste material collected from the paper industry, which containing calcium compound. In the previous research, several paper sludge ashes have been tried into coal fly ashes in order to suppress the leaching of trace elements such as As, Se, and B into the environment. The result showed that paper sludge ashes has potential effect in inhibit the leaching of these trace elements because of the calcium contains in the paper sludge ashes. Therefore, this research provide information about the amount of calcium in paper sludge ash as suppressing material. Nine kinds of paper sludge ashes tested into coal fly ash C (FA C) in order to know the ability of each paper sludge ash in suppressing the leaching of trace elements. Inductively coupled plasma (ICP-AES) used to determine the leaching concentration of As, Se, and B. Then, the kind of calcium in paper sludge ashes were analysed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Thermal gravimetric analysis (TG) used to determinate Ca(OH)2 and CaCO3. The percentage of CaO in paper sludge ashes analysed by combination ethylene glycol, ICP-AES and TG. This research found the kind of PS which most influential for controlling leached out of trace elements.
Liquid Organic Fertilizer from Waste of Coconut Porridge Manufacturer and Molasses using Various Microorganisms
Authors: Darmawan R , Hidayat F , Juliastuti S R , Hendrianie N , Gunawan S , Aparamarta H W
Published: June 2019

Excessive use of inorganic fertilizers can aggravate soil conditions. The development of organic fertilizer is urgently required. The fertilizers are used to supply organic materials to improve the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the soil. Meanwhile, many potential waste from coconut porridge household industry in Ponorogo Distric of Indonesia have not been utilized properly yet. The aim of this research are to improve the quality of liquid organic fertilizers by using various microorganisms with addition of liquid materials such as coconut water waste, water of immersed coconut fiber and molasses; and to observe the growth of chilies, tomatoes, and eggplants which were treated using the organic fertilizer. Liquid organic fertilizer was made by mixing the liquid materials using various microorganisms, such as Aspergillus niger, Pseudomonas putida, Bacillus muchilaginosis, Azotobacter chrococum and bioactivator EM4. The liquid fertilizer was carried out with a mixed batch reactor equipped of aeration 4 L/min for 10 days. From this research was conducted observations on the development of height and fruit on the assesed plants using the produced fertilizer.
Detection of Naegleria fowleri, Acanthamoeba spp, and Balamuthia mandrillaris in Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded Tissues by Real-Time Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction
Authors: Norgan Andrew P , Sloan Lynne M , Pritt Bobbi S
Published: June 2019

Objectives

Pathogenic free-living amebae (FLAs) cause skin, ocular, and central nervous system (CNS) infections with significant morbidity and mortality. Diagnosis of FLA infections by pathologic examination of tissue sections can be aided using molecular assays. This study investigated the performance characteristics of a multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay (FLA-PCR) for detection and differentiation of FLAs in clinical specimens.

Methods

FLA-PCR was performed on 39 human specimens comprising one cutaneous, 14 corneal, and 24 CNS formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues with a histopathologic diagnosis of FLA infection and four CNS FFPE tissues with inflammation but no evidence of FLAs. In addition, clinical specificity and assay limit of detection were determined.

Results

FLA detection sensitivities ranged from 79% to 84% in FFPE tissues. No cross-reactivity was observed.

Conclusions

While sensitivity is limited, FLA-PCR assay may serve as a useful adjunct for detection or confirmation of FLA infections in FFPE tissues.
The Urine-culturing Cascade: Variation in Nursing Home Urine Culturing and Association With Antibiotic Use and Clostridiodes difficile Infection
Authors: Brown Kevin Antoine , Daneman Nick , Schwartz Kevin L , Langford Bradley , McGeer Allison , Quirk Jacquelyn , Diong Christina , Garber Gary
Published: June 2019

Background

Rates of antibiotic use vary widely across nursing homes and cannot be explained by resident characteristics. Antibiotic prescribing for a presumed urinary tract infection is often preceded by inappropriate urine culturing. We examined nursing home urine-culturing practices and their association with antibiotic use.

Methods

We conducted a longitudinal, multilevel, retrospective cohort study based on quarterly nursing home assessments between April 2014 and January 2017 in 591 nursing homes and covering >90% of nursing home residents in Ontario, Canada. Nursing home urine culturing was measured as the proportion of residents with a urine culture in the prior 14 days. Outcomes included receipt of any systemic antibiotic and any urinary antibiotic (eg, nitrofurantoin, trimethoprim/sulfonamides, ciprofloxacin) in the 30 days after the assessment and Clostridiodes difficile infection in the 90 days after the assessment. Adjusted Poisson regression models accounted for 14 resident covariates.

Results

A total of 131 218 residents in 591 nursing homes were included; 7.9% of resident assessments had a urine culture in the prior 14 days; this proportion was highly variable across the 591 nursing homes (10th percentile = 3.4%, 90th percentile = 14.3%). Before and after adjusting for 14 resident characteristics, nursing home urine culturing predicted total antibiotic use (adjusted risk ratio [RR] per doubling of urine culturing, 1.21; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.18–1.23), urinary antibiotic use (RR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.28–1.38), and C. difficile infection (incidence rate ratio, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.07–1.31).

Conclusions

Nursing homes have highly divergent urine culturing rates; this variability is associated with higher antibiotic use and rates of C. difficile infection.
A multitaper spectral estimator for time-series with missing data
Authors: Chave Alan D
Published: June 2019

A multitaper estimator is proposed that accommodates time-series containing gaps without using any form of interpolation. In contrast with prior missing-data multitaper estimators that force standard Slepian sequences to be zero at gaps, the proposed missing-data Slepian sequences are defined only where data are present. The missing-data Slepian sequences are frequency independent, as are the eigenvalues that define the energy concentration within the resolution bandwidth, when the process bandwidth is $[ { - 1/2,\,\,\,1/2} )$ for unit sampling and the sampling scheme comprises integer multiples of unity. As a consequence, one need only compute the ensuing missing-data Slepian sequences for a given sampling scheme once, and then the spectrum at an arbitrary set of frequencies can be computed using them. It is also shown that the resulting missing-data multitaper estimator can incorporate all of the optimality features (i.e. adaptive-weighting, F-test and reshaping) of the standard multitaper estimator, and can be applied to bivariate or multivariate situations in similar ways. Performance of the missing-data multitaper estimator is illustrated using length of day, seafloor pressure and Nile River low stand time-series.
Open and endovascular thoracic aortic repair in patients with end-stage renal disease
Authors: Tsubota Hideki , Sakaguchi Genichi , Marui Akira
Published: June 2019

OBJECTIVES

The number of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients has increased, but there have been few reports of thoracic aortic surgery in patients with ESRD. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the early and late outcomes of open and endovascular thoracic aortic repairs in patients with ESRD.

METHODS

A total of 36 patients with ESRD who needed chronic haemodialysis undergoing open surgery (n = 21) or thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) (n = 15) of the thoracic aorta from 2007 to 2017 in our hospital were identified. Primary end points were in-hospital mortality and late survival; secondary end points were perioperative complications and late aortic events.

RESULTS

Fourteen patients (39%) had aortic dissection, and 16 (44%) had aortic aneurysms. Emergency surgery was performed in 12 patients (33%). There were 3 hospital deaths (8%) (open surgery, n = 1, 5%; TEVAR, n = 2, 13%). The TEVAR group had fewer transfusions than the open surgery group and shorter intensive care unit and hospital stays. The 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates were 79%, 58% and 40%, respectively, for patients overall. Freedom from aortic events at 1 and 3 years was 97% and 92%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The early outcome of thoracic aorta surgery in patients with ESRD was acceptable. However, the long-term mortality in patients with ESRD was still poor. Therefore, whether to perform surgery needs to be considered carefully.
Reducing risk of development or exacerbation of nutritional deficits by optimizing patient access to mealtime assistance
Authors: Teeling SeÁn Paul , Coetzee Heather , Phillips Maeve , McKiernan Mary , NÍ ShÉ ÉidÍn , Igoe Aileen
Published: June 2019

Objective

Optimize patient access to mealtime assistance, decrease missed meal incidence, risk of malnutrition, reduce food waste and staff rework.

Design

Lean Six Sigma methodology informed a pre/post intervention design.

Setting

31 bed ward including Specialist Geriatric services and Acute Stroke Unit within an Irish University teaching hospital.

Participants

Clinical and non-clinical staff including catering, nursing, speech and language therapy, dietetics and nutrition; patients, relatives.

Interventions

An interdisciplinary team used the structured Define/Measure/Analyse/Improve/Control (DMAIC) framework to introduce visual aids and materials to improve the access of patients to assistance at mealtimes.

Main outcome measures

Pre and post outcomes measures were taken for the number and cost of uneaten meals, rework for staff, staff and patient satisfaction, patient outcomes.

Results

Following a 1-month pilot of a co-designed process for ensuring access to assistance at mealtimes, average wasted meals due to staff not being available to assist patients requiring mealtime assistance went from 3 per day to 0 corresponding to an average reduction of 0.43 kg per participating patient in food waste per day. Patients receiving assistance did not require additional oral therapeutic nutritional supplements, evidenced no new incidences of aspiration pneumonia or swallowing difficulties and were discharged without requirement for ongoing Dietetics and Nutrition support. Following a 6 month Control period comprising repeated PDCA cycles, the initiative was incrementally introduced to a further 10 wards/units, with positive feedback from patients and staff alike.

Conclusion

The co-designed new process highlights the importance of staff and patient collaboration, inclusion and participation in designing quality improvement projects.
Building Trust: The Effect of US Troop Deployments on Public Opinion in Peru
Authors: Flynn Michael E , Martinez Machain Carla , Stoyan Alissandra T
Published: June 2019

Since the 1950s, US military personnel have taken on an increasingly diverse set of responsibilities, including less traditional roles delivering disaster aid and engaging in public diplomacy. Focusing on a particular subset of deployments, humanitarian and civic-assistance deployments to Latin America, we examine the effect that a US military presence can have on public opinion in the host country. We focus on the microfoundations of popular support and use survey data and newly collected subnational data on deployments to examine the effect of these deployments on mass attitudes toward the US military and government in Peru. We find that these deployments do improve perceptions of the US military and government, and correlate with assessments of US influence that are more positive. Our findings bolster the conclusions of previous research that shows how aid can both improve public attitudes toward the donor country and address the foreign aid attribution problem.
Cohort selection for clinical trials using hierarchical neural network
Authors: Xiong Ying , Shi Xue , Chen Shuai , Jiang Dehuan , Tang Buzhou , Wang Xiaolong , Chen Qingcai , Yan Jun
Published: June 2019

Objective

Cohort selection for clinical trials is a key step for clinical research. We proposed a hierarchical neural network to determine whether a patient satisfied selection criteria or not.

Materials and Methods

We designed a hierarchical neural network (denoted as CNN-Highway-LSTM or LSTM-Highway-LSTM) for the track 1 of the national natural language processing (NLP) clinical challenge (n2c2) on cohort selection for clinical trials in 2018. The neural network is composed of 5 components: (1) sentence representation using convolutional neural network (CNN) or long short-term memory (LSTM) network; (2) a highway network to adjust information flow; (3) a self-attention neural network to reweight sentences; (4) document representation using LSTM, which takes sentence representations in chronological order as input; (5) a fully connected neural network to determine whether each criterion is met or not. We compared the proposed method with its variants, including the methods only using the first component to represent documents directly and the fully connected neural network for classification (denoted as CNN-only or LSTM-only) and the methods without using the highway network (denoted as CNN-LSTM or LSTM-LSTM). The performance of all methods was measured by micro-averaged precision, recall, and F1 score.

Results

The micro-averaged F1 scores of CNN-only, LSTM-only, CNN-LSTM, LSTM-LSTM, CNN-Highway-LSTM, and LSTM-Highway-LSTM were 85.24%, 84.25%, 87.27%, 88.68%, 88.48%, and 90.21%, respectively. The highest micro-averaged F1 score is higher than our submitted 1 of 88.55%, which is 1 of the top-ranked results in the challenge. The results indicate that the proposed method is effective for cohort selection for clinical trials.

Discussion

Although the proposed method achieved promising results, some mistakes were caused by word ambiguity, negation, number analysis and incomplete dictionary. Moreover, imbalanced data was another challenge that needs to be tackled in the future.

Conclusion

In this article, we proposed a hierarchical neural network for cohort selection. Experimental results show that this method is good at selecting cohort.
Insoluble dietary fiber does not affect the ability of phytase to release phosphorus from phytate in the diet of nursery pigs1
Authors: Acosta Jesus A , Patience John F
Published: June 2019

Phytase is added to swine diets to improve the utilization of phytate-bound P in swine diets. This provides financial and environmental benefits to the pig industry. However, it is unclear if phytase works equally well in all dietary circumstances. The objective of this experiment was to determine if insoluble fiber affects the efficacy of the phytase enzyme in nursery pigs when fed diets limiting in P content. A total of 480 pigs (initial BW 5.48 ± 0.14 kg) were blocked by BW and randomly assigned (10 pigs per pen) to treatment within the block. A common nutrient-adequate diet was fed from days −14 to −5, and two basal P deficient diets (either a corn-soy diet containing 0.16% standardized total tract digestible [STTD] P [low insoluble fiber [LF]], or a corn-soybean meal plus 20% corn bran containing 0.14% STTD P [high insoluble fiber [HF]]) were fed from days −5 to 0 to acclimate pigs to a P deficient diet. From days 0 to 21, pigs received eight dietary treatments (six pens per treatment: n = 6). Experimental diets consisted of LF supplemented with one of four levels of added phytase (0, 109, 218, and 327 phytase units [FTU]/kg; Quantum Blue 5 G, AB Vista, Wiltshire, United Kingdom) expected to provide 0.16, 0.21, 0.26, and 0.31% STTD P, respectively, or HF supplemented with one of the same four levels of added phytase expected to provide 0.14, 0.19, 0.24, and 0.29% STTD P. Titanium dioxide was added to the diet at 0.4% as an indigestible marker. On day 21, one pig representing the average BW for each pen was euthanized, and fibulae were collected and analyzed for bone ash. Fecal samples were collected from each pen on days 19–20. Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED of SAS. There were no interactions between insoluble fiber and phytase for any of the variables evaluated. For days 0–21, adding phytase increased ADG (P < 0.001) with the response being linear (P < 0.001), whereas insoluble fiber decreased ADG (P = 0.033). There were no effects of phytase or insoluble fiber on ADFI (P = 0.381 and P = 0.632, respectively). Phytase improved G:F ratio (P < 0.001) with the response being linear (P < 0.001). Insoluble fiber tended to decrease G:F ratio (P = 0.097). Phytase increased bone ash (P = 0.005) with the response being linear (P = 0.001), but there was no effect of insoluble fiber (P = 0.949). Phytase did not affect the apparent total tract digestibility of DM, NDF, or ADF (P > 0.050), whereas insoluble fiber decreased the ATTD of DM (P < 0.001), NDF (P < 0.001), and ADF (P < 0.001). In conclusion, the addition of insoluble fiber did not affect the ability of phytase to improve growth performance and bone mineralization in nursery pigs fed a P deficient diet.
TECHNICAL NOTE: A method for detection of differences in cook loss and tenderness of aged pork chops cooked to differing degrees of doneness using sous-vide
Authors: Bryan Erin E , Smith Brooke N , Dilger Ryan N , Dilger Anna C , Boler Dustin D
Published: June 2019

The objective was to determine the ability to detect differences in cook loss and Warner–Bratzler shear force (WBSF) values between chops aged for differing time periods and cooked to varying degrees of doneness with in a sous-vide style cooker. Loins from pigs (HCW = 96 kg) humanely slaughtered at the University of Illinois Meat Science Laboratory were separated between the 10th and 11th rib into anterior and posterior sections. The posterior section was cut into 6 separate 2.54-cm-thick chops. The middle 4 chops were randomly designated for aging of 3 d and cooked to 63 °C, aged 7 d and cooked to 63 °C, aged 14 d and cooked to 63 °C, or aged 14 d and cooked to 71 °C. Chops were cooked by placing them in a water bath with an immersion circulator set to the desired end-point temperature for 90 min. Cook loss was calculated for each chop by measuring initial and final weight, and accounting for packaging weight. Four cores measuring 1.25 cm in diameter were cut parallel to the muscle fibers from each chop and analyzed for WBSF. Data were analyzed using a 1-way ANOVA. Least squares means were separated using the probability of difference option in the MIXED procedure of SAS. Among chops cooked to 63 °C, chops aged 3 d has less (P < 0.01) cook loss than those aged 7 d, and chops aged 7 d had less (P < 0.01) cook loss than those aged 14 d. Among chops aged for 14 d, chops cooked to 71 °C had greater (P < 0.001) cook loss than chops cooked to 63 °C. Differences in tenderness were also detected between aging periods. Among chops cooked to 63 °C, chops aged 3 d required more (P = 0.02) force to shear than those aged 7 d, but chops aged 7 d did not differ (P = 0.15) from those aged 14 d. Chops aged 14 d and cooked to 71 °C required (P < 0.0001) more force than those aged 14 d and cooked to 63 °C. Overall, these data indicate that sous-vide is an acceptable cooking method for use in experiments as expected differences in cook loss and WBSF were detected in chops aged to differing time points or cooked to differed degrees of doneness.
Optimal crude protein in diets supplemented with crystalline amino acids fed to high-yielding lactating sows1
Authors: Hojgaard Camilla K , Bruun Thomas S , Theil Peter K
Published: June 2019

The objective of the current study was to determine the requirement of standardized ileal digestible (SID) CP for maximal litter gain in high-yielding lactating sows due to insufficient supply of either His, Leu, Val, Ile, or Phe. The content of SID Lys was formulated at 95% of the recommended level, while that of Met, Met+Cys, Thr, and Trp was formulated at 100% of the recommended level or slightly greater using crystalline AA. A total of 540 parity 1 to 5 sows (L×Y, DanBred, Herlev, Denmark) were included in the study from day 3 after farrowing until weaning at day 26. Sows were allocated to six dietary treatments increasing in SID CP content (96, 110, 119, 128, 137, and 152 g/kg). Litters were standardized to 14 piglets at day 3 ± 2 after farrowing. At day 3 ± 2 after farrowing and at day 26 ± 3, sow BW and back fat, and litter weight were recorded. On a subsample of 72 sows (parity 2 to 4), litters were also weighed at days 10 and 17 ± 3, and milk and blood were sampled at day 3 ± 2 d, and 10, 17 and at 24 ± 3 d in lactation. Sow body pools of protein and fat were determined on the 72 sows at days 3 ± 2 and 26 ± 3 d using the D2O dilution technique. All data were subjected to ANOVA, and to linear and quadratic polynomial contrasts. Variables with quadratic effects or days in milk × treatment interactions were analyzed using linear regression or one-slope linear broken line using the NLMIXED procedure of SAS. Average daily litter gain reached a breakpoint at 125 g SID CP/kg (as-fed). Multiparous sows had a greater litter gain than primiparous sows (3.33 vs. 3.02 kg/d above the breakpoint; P < 0.001) but litter size (13.1 ± 0.1) at weaning were unaffected by dietary treatment (P = 0.62). Sow BW loss was minimized at 102 g SID CP/kg. Concentrations of protein and casein in milk increased linearly with increasing SID CP (P < 0.001). Milk urea reached a minimum at 111–118 g SID CP/kg (P < 0.05) and milk fat a maximum at 116 g SID CP/kg (P < 0.05). In conclusion, 125 g SID CP/kg feed was required to maximize litter gain.
Reducing Pain During Wound Dressings in Burn Care Using Virtual Reality: A Study of Perceived Impact and Usability With Patients and Nurses
Authors: Furness Penny J , Phelan Ivan , Babiker Nathan T , Fehily Orla , Lindley Shirley A , Thompson Andrew R
Published: June 2019

Burns patients often suffer severe pain during interventions such as dressing changes, even with analgesia. Virtual Reality (VR) can be used to distract patients and reduce pain. However, more evidence is needed from the patients and staff using the technology about its use in clinical practice and the impact of different VR strategies. This small-scale qualitative study explored patient and staff perceptions of the impact and usability of active and passive VR during painful dressing changes. Five patients took part in three observed dressing changes—one with an active VR scenario developed for the study, one with passive VR, and one with no VR—following which they were interviewed about their experiences. Three nurses who performed the dressing changes participated in a focus group. Thematic analysis of the resulting data generated four themes: “Caution replaced by contentment,” “Distraction and implications for pain and wound care,” “Anxiety, control and enjoyment,” and “Preparation and communication concerns.” Results suggested that user-informed active VR was acceptable to burn patients, helped manage their perceived pain, and was both usable and desirable within the clinical environment. Further testing with larger samples is now required.
The census of non-radial pulsation in first-overtone RR Lyrae stars of the OGLE Galactic bulge collection
Authors: Netzel H , Smolec R
Published: June 2019

We analysed photometry for the up-to-date collection of the first-overtone RR Lyrae stars (RRc; 11 415 stars) and double-mode RR Lyrae stars (RRd; 148 stars) towards the Galactic bulge from the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment (OGLE). We analysed frequency spectra of these stars in search for additional, low-amplitude signals, beyond the radial modes. We focused on stars from two groups: RR0.61 and RR0.68. In the first group, additional low-amplitude signals have periods shorter than the first-overtone period; period ratios fall in the 0.60–0.64 range. In the second group, additional low-amplitude signals have periods longer than the first-overtone period; period ratios tightly cluster around 0.68. Altogether we have detected 960 and 147 RR Lyrae stars that belong to RR0.61 and RR0.68 groups, respectively, which yield the incidence rates of 8.3 and 1.3 per cent of the considered sample. We discuss statistical properties of RR Lyrae stars with additional periodicities. For RR0.61 group we provide strong arguments that additional periodicities are connected to non-radial pulsation modes of degrees ℓ = 8 and ℓ = 9, as proposed by Dziembowski. We have also detected two double-periodic variables, with two close periodicities, similar to RR Lyrae variable V37 in NGC 6362. Properties of these peculiar variables, which may form a new group of double-mode pulsators, are discussed.
Two temperate sub-Neptunes transiting the star EPIC 212737443
Authors: Herath Mahesh , Hinse Tobias C , Livingston John H , Hernández Jesús , Evans Daniel F , Wells Robert , Gunesekera Saraj , Tregloan-Reed Jeremy , Rabus Markus , Skottfelt Jesper , Dominik Martin , Jørgensen Uffe G , Jayaratne Chandana , Lý Cuc T K
Published: June 2019

We report the validation of a new planetary system around the K3 star EPIC 212737443 using a combination of K2 photometry, follow-up high-resolution imaging and spectroscopy. The system consists of two sub-Neptune sized transiting planets with radii of 2.6R⊕ and 2.7R⊕, with orbital periods of 13.6 and 65.5 d, equilibrium temperatures of 536 and 316 K, respectively. In the context of validated K2 systems, the outer planet has the longest precisely measured orbital period, as well as the lowest equilibrium temperature for a planet orbiting a star of spectral type earlier than M. The two planets in this system have a mutual Hill radius of ΔRH  = 36, larger than most other known transiting multiplanet systems, suggesting the existence of another (possibly non-transiting) planet, or that the system is not maximally packed.
Plerion model of the X-ray plateau in short gamma-ray bursts
Authors: Strang L C , Melatos A
Published: June 2019

Many short gamma-ray bursts (sGRBs) exhibit a prolonged plateau in the X-ray light curve following the main burst. It is shown that an X-ray plateau at the observed luminosity emerges naturally from a plerion-like model of the sGRB remnant, in which the magnetized, relativistic wind of a millisecond magnetar injects shock-accelerated electrons into a cavity confined by the sGRB blast wave. A geometry-dependent fraction of the plerionic radiation is also intercepted and reprocessed by the optically thick merger ejecta. The relative contributions of the plerion and ejecta to the composite X-ray light curve are estimated approximately with the aid of established ejecta models. The plerionic component of the electron energy spectrum is evolved under the action of time-dependent, power-law injection and adiabatic and synchrotron cooling in order to calculate the X-ray light curve analytically. The model yields an anticorrelation between the luminosity and duration of the plateau as well as a sudden cut-off in the X-ray flux, if the decelerating magnetar collapses to form a black hole. Both features are broadly consistent with the data and can be related to the surface magnetic field of the magnetar and its angular velocity at birth. The analogy with core-collapse supernova remnants is discussed briefly.
Spectral puzzle of the off-axis gamma-ray burst in GW170817
Authors: Ioka Kunihito , Nakamura Takashi
Published: June 2019

Gravitational waves from a merger of two neutron stars (NSs) were discovered for the first time in GW170817, together with diverse electromagnetic counterparts, providing a direct clue to the origin of short gamma-ray bursts (sGRBs). The associated sGRB 170817A was much fainter than typical, suggesting off-axis emission from a relativistic jet. However the observed prompt spectrum is inconsistent with the spectral (Amati) relation and causes the compactness problem in the simplest off-axis model. We suggest that this spectral and energetic puzzle of GRB170817A is explained if the origin of the off-axis emission arises from the off-centre jet. This emission location is generally created by the product of the rapidly declining (with angle) jet energy and the increasing beaming term. Hence the region of most luminous emission for an off-axis observer is neither the jet core around the primary axis, nor the line of sight at the viewing angle. The off-centre jet could be loaded with baryon or cocoon. The off-axis model predicts that roughly ${\sim } 10{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ events are brighter at smaller viewing angles than sGRB 170817A, although the exact event rate sensitively depends on uncertainties of the off-centre structure. The model also predicts outliers to Amati relation, providing future tests to reveal the central engine activities.
X-ray and radio studies of SNR CTB 37B hosting the magnetar CXOU J171405.7−381031
Authors: Blumer Harsha , Safi-Harb Samar , Kothes Roland , Rogers Adam , Gotthelf Eric V
Published: June 2019

We present a Chandra and XMM–Newton study of the supernova remnant (SNR) CTB 37B, along with archival radio observations. In radio wavelengths, the SNR CTB 37B is an incomplete shell showing bright emission from the eastern side, while the X-ray morphology shows diffuse emission from regions surrounding the magnetar CXOU J171405.7–381031. We used archival H i absorption measurements to constrain the distance to the remnant and obtain D = 9.8 ± 1.5 kpc. The X-ray spectrum of the remnant is described by a thermal model in the 1–5 keV energy range, with a temperature of kT = 1.3 ± 0.1 keV. The abundances from the spectral fits are consistent with being solar or sub-solar. A small region of diffuse emission is seen to the southern side of the remnant, best fitted by a non-thermal spectrum with an unusually hard photon index of Γ = 1.3 ± 0.3. Assuming a distance of 9.8 kpc to the SNR, we infer a shock velocity of Vs = 915 ± 70 km s−1 and an explosion energy of E = (1.8 ± 0.6) × 1050 erg. The overall imaging and spectral properties of CTB 37B favour the interpretation of a young SNR (≲6200 yr old), propagating in a low-density medium under the assumption of a Sedov evolutionary phase.
On the Nature of Gossip, Reputation, and Power Inequality
Authors: Farley Sally
Published: June 2019

The purpose of this chapter is to highlight the most recent theoretical and empirical insights into why people gossip, how gossip can be used to strategically alter reputation, and the consequences of gossip for power dynamics. The chapter reviews four fundamental motives/functions of gossip (group protection, social comparison, status enhancement/negative influence, and social bonding) and discusses their implications for status/power and reputation. The next section highlights recent group-level insights into gossip and reputation. The subsequent section clarifies the various ways gossip is enmeshed in the fabric of social hierarchies, thus serving as both an agent and outcome of power inequality. The conclusion of the chapter explores future directions and invites researchers to contribute to this fascinating area of study.
Human Sociality and Psychological Foundations
Authors: Emler Nicholas
Published: June 2019

The argument developed in this chapter is that gossip and reputation constitute elements of social intelligence; they are intrinsically linked social psychological processes adapted to human needs to sustain and successfully navigate the complex social worlds humans inhabit. First, gossiping serves an informal social control function, sensitizing social actors to the reputational costs of bad behavior. Second, however, attention to gossip, and skilled appraisal of the information it provides, feeds into reputational judgments of personality and character, allowing these judgments to serve as more reliable predictions about others. These claims are tested against available research evidence, while gaps in the evidential framework are identified as foci for future work.
Interactions with Delusional Others
Authors: Dohmen Josh
Published: June 2019

This chapter considers some epistemic aspects of interactions with those who are believed to be delusional. The chapter makes five main claims: first, for the day-to-day purposes of most individuals, it is helpful to understand delusions as extreme epistemic failures, failures that all are guilty of to some degree. Second, one should be cautious when attributing delusions to others because to call someone delusional can act to discredit them, and this can be especially dangerous when applied to members of oppressed groups. Third, delusional individuals can indeed be wronged by epistemic injustice. Fourth, epistemic responsibility for delusions needs to be extended beyond the individual holding delusional beliefs to the conditions that shape those beliefs. Finally, the virtue of epistemic humility offers several important epistemic benefits in interactions with delusional others.
Treaty Exit and Intrabranch Conflict at the Interface of International and Domestic Law
Authors: Helfer Laurence R.
Published: June 2019

This chapter considers two important and unresolved issues raised by the unilateral withdrawal from or denunciation of treaties. The first issue concerns whether treaty obligations end in both international and domestic law after a state leaves a treaty. Exit often produces the same effects in both legal systems, but some withdrawals bifurcate a treaty’s status, ending its obligations in domestic law but continuing to bind the state internationally, or vice versa. The second issue concerns denunciations initiated by different branches of government. The decision to withdraw from a treaty is usually carried out by the executive acting unilaterally. Less well known, but potentially more fraught from a foreign relations perspective, are instances in which the impetus for exit originates with legislators or judges. Conflicts involving both dimensions of treaty exit stem from a common source—the different domestic and international rules governing how states enter into and leave treaties and the divergent policies that underlie those rules. The chapter develops a typology to categorize these conflicts, drawing upon examples of actual and potential treaty denunciations in several countries.
The Domestic Application of International Law in Canada
Authors: van Ert Gib
Published: June 2019

This chapter describes how public international legal norms are received into Canadian domestic law. The rules governing international law’s reception in Canada originate in British constitutionalism and English common law. But the Supreme Court of Canada has developed this tradition by insisting that international law is part of the context in which Canada’s domestic laws are enacted. This has led to a notable openness to internationally informed legal arguments and a strong commitment to the interpretive presumption that domestic law conforms with the state’s international obligations. While treaties still require legislative implementation to take direct effect in domestic law, they can have indirect interpretive effects even without legislation. Customary international law does not require legislation; it is automatically incorporated by the common law. Even Canada’s leading constitutional instrument, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, seems now to be interpreted according to a presumption that it at least meets the minimum requirements of international human rights law. Traditional judicial avoidance techniques such as the act of state and political question doctrines are notably absent in Canadian reception jurisprudence. Courts still find ways to disregard international law in particular cases, but the trajectory is toward using it.
Domestic Application of International Law in Latin America
Authors: Urueña René
Published: June 2019

This chapter explores the deep interaction of Latin American constitutions with international law, and international human rights law in particular, as a contribution to the emerging field of “comparative foreign affairs law.” The chapter begins by describing how open constitutional clauses and the case law of domestic courts facilitate such a deep integration of domestic and international law in the region. It then explores the international factors that explain the interaction, focusing on the doctrine of “control of conventionality,” developed by the case law of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. The tide in the region, though, might be changing, and the chapter describes some of the incipient resistance that the deep integration of international law in domestic systems seems to be inspiring. The chapter concludes by considering the potential, and limits, of a “foreign relations law” field from the perspective of Latin America.
South African Law on Immunities
Authors: Strydom Hennie
Published: June 2019

This chapter describes South Africa’s law governing the immunity of foreign states and officials, as well as of regional organizations. As the chapter explains, this law is made up of a combination of customary international law, international treaty law, English law, parliamentary legislation, and constitutional law. The chapter begins by describing the domestic status of international law in South Africa. It then describes in detail the 1981 Foreign States Immunities Act, including the various limitations on and exceptions to immunity set forth in the Act. After discussing the immunity of foreign states, it addresses head of state and diplomatic immunities and describes the controversial Bashir case from 2015 concerning a request from the International Criminal Court that South Africa arrest and surrender a sitting head of state. Finally, the chapter discusses the immunity of regional organizations and their staff, in particular the African Union and the South African Development Community.
The USE of Military Force by the United Kingdom
Authors: Ziegler Katja S.
Published: June 2019

Accountability for decisions to go to war has evolved in particular since the 2003 Iraq War, both in a democratic dimension, involving parliaments in deployment decisions, and in a rule of law dimension, enforced by courts. Both forms of accountability lead to a rebalancing of the powers of the executive and the other two branches of government. This chapter considers the evolution of democratic accountability in the United Kingdom, i.e. the competence of Parliament to debate and vote on the government’s decision to deploy the military. The chapter outlines the emergence of a constitutional convention requiring prior parliamentary approval for uses of military force, considering the practice in relation to recent military deployments, e.g. in Syria and Iraq. In this context, different regulatory approaches to military deployments and reform proposals are discussed. The chapter then discusses some uncertainties about the rules of the constitutional convention, such as the threshold of the approval requirement and its exceptions. Finally, the chapter reflects on the U.K. practice from a comparative perspective of the implementation of democratic accountability in Germany. The chapter critically reflects on the lack of formality and malleability of the constitutional convention, resulting in an executive bias, and the obstacles to formalizing the constitutional convention. One particular concern with formalization is the courts’ potential role in reviewing executive war powers and the substantive legality of a military deployment. It is argued from a comparative perspective that some concerns about a further formalization of the constitutional convention may be overstated.
Military Operations Abroad Under the German Basic Law
Authors: Peters Anne
Published: June 2019

The German regime on the use of military force is unique for its dense legalization and concomitant complexity, and provides an important reference point for legal comparison. The constitution of 1949 (the Basic Law) allows the deployment of the military abroad for purposes of defense only and within the framework of a system of collective security. Under the latter heading, the German army since the 1990s has contributed to numerous collective military operations. The contours of the constitutional regime are judge-made and based, so far, on four lead judgments. In the seminal judgment of 1994, the Constitutional Court identified a constitution-based requirement for each military deployment to have parliamentary approval. The formalities of the involvement of the Bundestag were, in 2005, codified in a statute. Recent German participation in coalitions of the willing against pirates and terrorists have raised the question whether such operations are still covered by the constitutional bases, and participation in anti-Islamic State action in Syria is currently under review by the Constitutional Court. The Chapter concludes that the tension between the need to effectively integrate military forces into multinational operations, democratic accountability, and judicial oversight has been uniquely resolved in the German constitution and statutory and case law. It illustrates the feasibility of upholding standards of democracy and the rule of law in foreign and military affairs.
Using Military Force and Engaging in Collective Security
Authors: Forteau Mathias
Published: June 2019

This chapter addresses France’s foreign relations law in relation to the use of force. It presents both domestic rules (in particular constitutional rules) that are applicable in France to the use of force abroad and France’s legal position as regards the permissible use of force under international law. As a permanent member of the United Nations (UN) Security Council, as a nuclear-weapon state, as a military power involved in many UN or other collective peacekeeping or antiterrorism operations, and as a state specially affected by international terrorism, France is particularly interested in the identification and development of international rules related to the use of force and collective security and has developed over time domestic rules governing activities of its military forces abroad as well as some doctrine on the use of force in the international sphere. As the chapter shows in particular, the decision to use force or to participate in collective security is, as a matter of principle, a decision that has to be taken in France by the executive branch. This being said, the Parliament has recently been granted some powers on the use of force, which vary depending on the nature of the operations concerned. On the other hand, there is no judicial control of the decision to use force. Besides, there is still no clear doctrine as regards the circumstances in which French authorities consider that the use of force can be resorted to under international law.
A Comparative Foreign Relations Law Agenda
Authors: Hathaway Oona A.
Published: June 2019

International law is the product not only of a political and legal process that takes place between states but also of processes that take place within them. Accordingly, examining domestic institutions that states use to create international law is essential to our understanding of international law. And yet to date there has been remarkably little cross-national work examining the role of domestic politics and law in the creation of treaties and other international law. This chapter aims to contribute to an emerging conversation about how best to carry out a more comprehensive examination of differences between states in the law governing their engagement in the world around them. It maps out five areas that offer opportunities and challenges for the study of comparative foreign relations law: first, the choice of methodology, whether quantitative or qualitative. Second, the underrepresentation of certain states in existing foreign relations scholarship. Third, the domestic political and institutional structures that shape the interplay between the legislative, executive, and judicial functions within states. Fourth, the role of geopolitics. Fifth, the chapter sounds a cautionary note about approaching international law through domestic law. The challenge for scholars the world over will be to fill out this agenda and then begin to tackle it.
Africa and the Contestation of Sexual and Gender Diversity
Authors: Tabengwa Monica , Waites Matthew
Published: June 2019

This chapter considers sexualities and genders in Africa by exploring the relationship between precolonial, colonial, and current forms of regulation. The field of research on sexual and gender diversity in Africa is introduced, including African lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and intersex (LGBTI) and queer research, with an emphasis on the need to challenge homogenizing characterizations of “homophobic Africa.” Differences between European colonialisms—such as the British, French, and Portuguese—are noted, with the British as the source of the most extensive legal criminalization of same-sex acts. Regarding recent developments, there is discussion of Uganda as a particularly concerning context, with the Anti-Homosexuality Act briefly passed into law in 2014, though later struck down by that country’s Supreme Court. The passage of Nigeria’s Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Act in 2014 has similarly reflected homophobic state action. Yet it is also possible to note decriminalizations of same-sex sexual acts in several states including South Africa, Lesotho, the Seychelles, and Mozambique. Examples from Botswana and Kenya are used to discuss the value of strategic litigation in the courts as a way to achieve change. A final section discusses how African international governmental organizations, particularly the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, have become a focus for claims by organizations such as the Coalition of African Lesbians. The recent withdrawal observer status from the Coalition of African Lesbians occurred in a context of pressure from the African Union and exemplifies current tensions and conflicts in the continent.