bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Plasma High‐Resolution Metabolomics Differentiates Adults with Normal Weight Obesity from Lean Individuals
Authors: Bellissimo Moriah P. , Cai Qingpo , Ziegler Thomas R. , Liu Ken H. , Tran Phong H. , Vos Miriam B. , Martin Greg S. , Jones Dean P. , Yu Tianwei , Alvarez Jessica A.
Published: November 2019

Objective

This study explored underlying metabolism‐related dysfunction by examining metabolomic profiles in adults categorized as lean, as having normal weight obesity (NWO), or as having overweight/obesity.

Methods

Participants (N = 179) had fasting plasma analyzed by liquid chromatography and high‐resolution mass spectrometry for high‐resolution metabolomics. Body composition was assessed by dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry. NWO was defined as BMI < 25 and body fat > 30% for women and > 23% for men. Differentiating metabolomic features were determined by using linear regression models and likelihood ratio tests with false discovery rate correction. Mummichog was used for pathway and network analyses.

Results

A total of 222 metabolites significantly differed between the groups at a false discovery rate of q = 0.2. Linoleic acid, β‐alanine, histidine, and aspartate/asparagine metabolism pathways were significantly enriched (all P < 0.01) by metabolites that were similarly upregulated in the NWO and overweight/obesity groups compared with the lean group. A module analysis linked branched‐chain amino acids and amino acid metabolites as elevated in the NWO and overweight/obesity groups compared with the lean group (all P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Metabolomic profiles of individuals with NWO reflected similar metabolic disruption as those of individuals with overweight/obesity. High‐resolution metabolomics may help identify people at risk for developing obesity‐related disease, despite normal BMI.
Self‐Assembly of Bowl‐Shaped Naphthalimide‐Annulated Corannulene
Authors: Renner Rebecca , Stolte Matthias , Würthner Frank
Published: November 2019

The self‐assembly of a bowl‐shaped naphthalimide‐annulated corannulene of high solubility has been studied in a variety of solvents by NMR and UV/Vis spectroscopy. Evaluation by the anti‐cooperative K2‐K model revealed the formation of supramolecular dimers of outstanding thermodynamic stability. Further structural proof for the almost exclusive formation of dimers over extended aggregates is demonstrated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and diffusion ordered spectroscopy (DOSY) measurements as well as by theoretical calculations. Thus, herein we present the first report of a supramolecular dimer of an annulated corannulene derivative in solution and discuss its extraordinarily high thermodynamic stability with association constants up to >106 M−1 in methylcyclohexane, which is comparable to the association constants given for planar phthalocyanine and perylene bisimide dyes.
Wood Plastic Composites Produced from Postconsumer Recycled Polystyrene and Coconut Shell: Effect of Coupling Agent and Processing Aid on Tensile, Thermal, and Morphological Properties
Authors: Ling Sing Li , Koay Seong Chun , Chan Ming Yeng , Tshai Kim Yeow , Chantara Thevy Ratnam , Pang Ming Meng
Published: November 2019

Expanded polystyrene (EPS) has been widely used as a disposable packaging material in many industries thanks to properties like low density, lightweight, high impact, and vibration damping. Although usage of EPS increases annually, recycling facilities often refused to process postconsumed EPS due to the poor economic viability associated with high logistics and transportation cost in collection, storage, and shipment of the material. The objective of this research is to enhance the value chain of postconsumed EPS by investigating its potential as feedstock in the development of sustainable wood plastic composites (WPC), thereby providing an attractive business opportunity that also increases interest in EPS recycling and indirectly continue the lifespan of disposed EPS. Varying compositions of recycled polystyrene (rPS), coconut shell (CS), maleated polystyrene (MAPS) and Ultra‐Plast WP516 were compounded using a HAAKE internal mixer and compression molded to form WPC. The effects of material formulation on mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties of the composites were studied. The experiment showed that WPC formulated with 100 phr of rPS, 30 phr of CS, 3 phr of MAPS, and 1 phr of Ultra‐Plast WP516 possesses higher modulus and tensile strength compared to the neat EPS, measured at 2.5 GPa and 27.5 MPa, respectively. Although the WPC experienced initiation of thermal degradation at a temperature lower than neat rPS, but the thermal stability of rPS/CS composites containing varying composition of MAPS and Ultra‐Plast WP516 was better at high temperature. Furthermore, a 50% weight loss took place at a higher temperature. Nevertheless, the glass transition temperature of the rPS/CS composite with addition of MAPS and Ultra‐Plast WP516 was found lower than the neat rPS. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 60:202–210, 2020. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers
Spectrally‐ and Temporally‐Resolved Optical Depth Measurements in High Explosive Post‐Detonation Fireballs
Authors: Lodes Rylie , Krier Herman , Glumac Nick
Published: November 2019

Temporally‐and‐spectrally‐resolved‐optical‐depth‐measurements were made in fireballs from five common high explosives. Chambered explosive detonations were probed with 405 nm, 532 nm, 650 nm, 1310 nm, and 9600 nm laser light to quantify optical attenuation during the first 5 ms after initiation. Attenuation lengths are reported for each wavelength and high explosive as a function of time. Two charge sizes were studied to show optical depth scaling for charge mass. Trends in optical depth between type of explosive and probe wavelength are presented and discussed. The spectral dependence of attenuation departed strongly from the
prediction from Rayleigh scattering, indicating significant absorption in addition to scattering. Beam steering effects were determined to be of minimal influence for the scale of explosives tested. Blast scaling is considered in attempt to generalize the results presented.
Synthesis and Characterization of New Azido Esters Derived from Malonic Acid
Authors: Claßen Moritz , Heimsch Stefanie B. , Klapötke Thomas M.
Published: November 2019

Three new α,α‐diazidated azido esters derived from malonic acid were synthesized and characterized with a method of diazidation under mild reaction conditions. They are energy‐rich, small, liquid molecules which contain up to six azido moieties. The three synthesized compounds were compared to already known azidated malonic acid esters regarding their density, thermal stability, calculated heat of formation and energetic properties. Further they were tested and classified for their sensitivities according to UN guidelines.
La2Ti2O7 As Nanometric Electrode Material: An Emerging Candidate For Supercapacitor Performance
Authors: Nashim Amtul , Pany Soumyashree , Parida K. M. , Nanda J.
Published: November 2019

In this study, first time the nanometric powder of La2Ti2O7 (abbreviated as LTO) is taken as the electrode material for supercapacitor. The prepared material is characterized by various characterization techniques to know its structural and textural properties. The specific capacitance of the La2Ti2O7 is calculated from charge discharge curve. The Nyquist plot, bode plot and the plot of real capacitance vs. imaginary capacitance is well in support of supercapacitive activity of La2Ti2O7. The La2Ti2O7 exhibits 71 F/g of specific capacitance in 2 M KOH with 95.7% retention after 5000 cycles is due to the effective access of electrolyte to the redox sites owing to its layered structure. As these finding are new to the scientific community and demonstrate the great potential of La2Ti2O7 as electrode material for supercapacitor, the current findings may give a new pave in the area of supercapacitor research.
The impact of Paenibacillus polymyxa HY96-2 luxS on biofilm formation and control of tomato bacterial wilt
Authors: Yi Jincui , Zhang Daojing , Cheng Yuejuan , Tan Jingjing , Luo Yuanchan
Published: November 2019

The focus of this study was to investigate the effects of luxS, a key regulatory gene of the autoinducer-2 (AI-2) quorum sensing (QS) system, on the biofilm formation and biocontrol efficacy against Ralstonia solanacearum by Paenibacillus polymyxa HY96-2. luxS mutants were constructed and assayed for biofilm formation of the wild-type (WT) strain and luxS mutants of P. polymyxa HY96-2 in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that luxS positively regulated the biofilm formation of HY96-2. Greenhouse experiments of tomato bacterial wilt found that from the early stage to late stage postinoculation, the biocontrol efficacy of the luxS deletion strain was the lowest with 50.70 ± 1.39% in the late stage. However, the luxS overexpression strain had the highest biocontrol efficacy with 75.66 ± 1.94% in the late stage. The complementation of luxS could restore the biocontrol efficacy of the luxS deletion strain with 69.84 ± 1.09% in the late stage, which was higher than that of the WT strain with 65.94 ± 2.73%. Therefore, we deduced that luxS could promote the biofilm formation of P. polymyxa HY96-2 and further promoted its biocontrol efficacy against R. solanacearum.
Monte Carlo gPC Methods for Diffusive Kinetic Flocking Models with Uncertainties
Authors: Carrillo José Antonio , Zanella Mattia
Published: November 2019

In this paper we introduce and discuss numerical schemes for the approximation of kinetic equations for flocking behavior with phase transitions that incorporate uncertain quantities. This class of schemes here considered make use of a Monte Carlo approach in the phase space coupled with a stochastic Galerkin expansion in the random space. The proposed methods naturally preserve the positivity of the statistical moments of the solution and are capable to achieve high accuracy in the random space. Several tests on a kinetic alignment model with self propulsion validate the proposed methods both in the homogeneous and inhomogeneous setting, shading light on the influence of uncertainties in phase transition phenomena driven by noise such as their smoothing and confidence band.
Identification and characterization of sequence signatures in the Bacillus subtilis promoter Pylb for tuning promoter strength
Authors: Xu Jiangtao , Liu Xiaoqing , Yu Xiaoxia , Chu Xiaoyu , Tian Jian , Wu Ningfeng
Published: November 2019

Objective

To thoroughly characterize the Pylbpromoter and identify the elements that affect the promoter activity.

Result

The sequences flanking the − 35 and − 10 box of the Pylbpromoter were divided into six segments, and six random-scanning mutant promoter libraries fused to an enhanced green fluorescent protein EGFP were made and analyzed by flow cytometry. Our results showed that the four nucleotides flanking the − 35 box could mostly influence the promoter activity, and this influence was related to the GC content. The promoters mutated in these regions were successfully used for expressing the geneophc2encoding organophosphorus hydrolase (OPHC2) and the genekatAencoding catalase (KatA).

Conclusion

Our work identified and characterized the sequence signatures of the Pylbpromoter that could tune the promoter strength, providing further information for the potential application of this promoter. Meanwhile, the sequence signatures have the potential to be used for tuning gene expression in enzyme production, metabolic engineering, and synthetic biology.
Education as Mediation Between Child and World: The Role of Wonder
Authors: Schinkel Anders
Published: November 2019

Education as a deliberate activity and purposive process necessarily involves mediation, in the sense that the educator mediates between the child and the world. This can take different forms: the educator may function as a guide who initiates children into particular practices and domains and their modes of thinking and perceiving; or act as a filter, selecting what of the world the child encounters and how; or meet the child as representative of the adult world. I look at these types of mediation (or aspects of the mediating role of the educator) at the hand of the work of John Dewey, Martin Buber, Hannah Arendt, and Richard Peters. The purpose of this paper is to explore the bearing that the mediating role of the educator—as interpreted by these authors—has on the role wonder may play in the educational process. I suggest that initiation highlights the familiarizing function of wonder, and is most readily associated with inquisitive wonder; representation draws attention to the defamiliarizing role of (in particular contemplative) wonder, as well as to its world-affirming role; and selection (the educator as ‘filter’) foregrounds the distinction between momentary and dispositional wonder.
Correlation Between the Total Small Bowel Length and Anthropometric Measures in Living Humans: Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Bekheit Mohamed , Ibrahim Mohamed Y. , Tobar Wael , Galal Ibrahim , Elward Athar S.
Published: November 2019

Background

Variation in the outcome of bariatric surgery is still an unraveled phenomenon. This variation could be multifactorial. Several reports implicate the total small bowel length (TSBL) in this process. However, the basic information regarding the normal bowel length and its relation to the anthropometric parameters of the living subject is scarce. This study aims at reporting the normal total bowel length in living adult humans and its correlation with the anthropometric parameters.

Methods

This study included 606 participants (380 females and 226 males). Their mean age was 39.8 ± 11 years, weight = 135.7 ± 29.7 kg, height = 165 ± 9 cm, and BMI = 49.5 ± 7.5 kg/m2.

The mean TSBL was 630 ± 175 cm. There was a statistically significant but very weak positive correlation but between the TSBL and both weight and height.

Males had significantly higher weight and were significantly taller compared with females. TSBL was significantly longer in males at 661.5 ± 186 cm versus 612 ± 164 cm in females.

Conclusion

The study reports an average TSBL greater than what is reported in the literature from living humans with a greater range of variation. There is no clinically important correlation between the TSBL and the weight and height of the individual participants in this series.
Cost-reduction strategies in massive genomics experiments
Authors: Li Haichao , Wu Kun , Ruan Chenchen , Pan Jiao , Wang Yujin , Long Hongan
Published: November 2019

Many modern biology studies require deep, whole-genome sequencing of hundreds to thousands of samples. Although per-sample costs have dramatically decreased, the total budget for such massive genome sequencing constitutes a significant barrier for poorly funded labs. The costly lab tools required for genomics experiments further hinder such studies. Here, we share two strategies for extensively reducing the costs of massive genomics experiments, including miniaturization of the NEBNext Ultra II FS DNA Library Prep Kit for Illumina (reducing the per-sample total costs to ~ 1/6 of that charged by service providers) and in-lab 3D model-designing of genomics tools. These strategies not only dramatically release funding pressure for labs, but also provide students with additional training in hands-on genomics and 3D-model-designing skills, demonstrating the high potential for their application in genomics experiments and science education.
Age‐related retinal thickness in Down's syndrome: A high‐risk population for dementia
Authors: Walpert Madeleine J. , Normando Eduardo M. , Annus Tiina , Jennings Sally R. , Wilson Liam R. , Watson Peter , Zaman Shahid H. , Cordeiro M. Francesca , Holland Anthony J.
Published: November 2019

Introduction

People with Down's syndrome (DS) have a high prevalence of early‐onset Alzheimer's disease. Early markers of Alzheimer's disease pathology identifiable before clinical change are needed for the evaluation of preventative treatments. The retina, an extension of the brain, may provide a noninvasive imaging site.

Methods

Forty‐nine adults with DS and 36 age‐matched controls completed retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) assessments using optical coherence tomography. RNFL thickness was analyzed in relation to cognitive status and age and previously acquired cortical thickness and cerebral amyloid β binding data in a subgroup.

Results

RNFL thickness was greater in the DS group and did not show age‐related thinning. RNFL correlated positively with cognitive scores and cortical thickness and was reduced in participants with positive cerebral amyloid β binding.

Discussion

Increased RNFL in adults with DS may represent early Alzheimer's disease–related changes. Thinning was present in those with cerebral amyloid β binding, independent of age.
Preserved Serotonergic Activity in Early-Onset Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Park Hee Kyung , Lee Jae-Jung , Park Young-Min
Published: November 2019

Background:

Serotonergic dysfunction may play an important role in motor and nonmotor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD). The loudness dependence of auditory evoked potentials (LDAEP) has been used to evaluate serotonergic activity. Therefore, this study aimed to determine central serotonergic activity using LDAEP in de novo PD according to the age at onset and changes in serotonergic activity after dopaminergic treatment.

Methods:

A total of 30 patients with unmedicated PD, 16 in the early-onset and 14 in the late-onset groups, were enrolled. All subjects underwent comprehensive neurological examination, laboratory tests, the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale, and LDAEP. The LDAEP was calculated as the slope of the two N1/P2 peaks measured at the Cz electrode, first at baseline conditions (pretreatment) and a second time after 12 weeks (post-treatment) following dopaminergic medications.

Results:

The absolute values of pretreatment N1/P2 LDAEP (early-onset: late-onset, 0.99 ± 0.68: 1.62 ± 0.88, p = 0.035) and post-treatment N1 LDAEP (early-onset: late-onset, −0.61 ± 0.61: −1.26 ± 0.91, p = 0.03) were significantly lower in the early-onset group compared with those of the late-onset group. In addition, a higher value of pretreatment N1/P2 LDAEP was significantly correlated with the late-onset group (coefficient = 1.204, p = 0.044). The absolute value of the N1 LDAEP decreased after 12 weeks of taking dopaminergic medication (pretreatment: post-treatment, −1.457 ± 1.078: −0.904 ± 0.812, p = 0.0018).

Conclusions:

Based on the results of this study, LDAEP could be a marker for serotonergic neurotransmission in PD. Central serotonergic activity assessed by LDAEP may be more preserved in early-onset PD patients and can be altered with dopaminergic medication.
Novel risk factors for central-line associated bloodstream infections in critically ill children
Authors: Woods-Hill Charlotte Z. , Srinivasan Lakshmi , Schriver Emily , Haj-Hassan Tanya , Bezpalko Orysia , Sammons Julia S.
Published: November 2019

Objective:

Central-line–associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) cause morbidity and mortality in critically ill children. We examined novel and/or modifiable risk factors for CLABSI to identify new potential targets for infection prevention strategies.

Methods:

This single-center retrospective matched case-control study of pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) patients was conducted in a 60-bed PICU from April 1, 2013, to December 31, 2017. Case patients were in the PICU, had a central venous catheter (CVC), and developed a CLABSI. Control patients were in the PICU for ≥2 days, had a CVC for ≥3 days, and did not develop a CLABSI. Cases and controls were matched 1:4 on age, number of complex chronic conditions, and hospital length of stay.

Results:

Overall, 72 CLABSIs were matched to 281 controls. Univariate analysis revealed 14 risk factors, and 4 remained significant in multivariable analysis: total number of central line accesses in the 3 days preceding CLABSI (80+ accesses: OR, 4.8;P= .01), acute behavioral health needs (OR, 3.2;P= .02), CVC duration >7 days (8–14 days: OR, 4.2;P= .01; 15–29 days: OR, 9.8;P< .01; 30–59 days: OR, 17.3;P< .01; 60–89 days: OR, 39.8;P< .01; 90+ days: OR, 4.9;P= .01), and hematologic/immunologic disease (OR, 1.5;P= .05).

Conclusions:

Novel risk factors for CLABSI in PICU patients include acute behavioral health needs and >80 CVC accesses in the 3 days before CLABSI. Interventions focused on these factors may reduce CLABSIs in this high-risk population.
Performing excess: urban ceremony and the semiotics of precarity in Guinea-Conakry
Authors: Cohen Adrienne J.
Published: November 2019

In Conakry, the capital city of the Republic of Guinea, dance ceremonies calledsabars, derived from a Senegalese genre of the same name, have become extremely popular for wedding celebrations. Sabar's rise in Guinea coincided with the liberalization of the country's economy and the opening of national borders in the wake of state socialism (1958–84) – events that have produced profound uncertainty for average citizens. This article explores sabar as a practice that grapples affectively with the social and economic changes neoliberal reform has engendered within Guinea. Sabar ceremonies are characterized by instantiations of excess, including hypersexualized dancing, electric amplification and theatrical displays of opulence. By examining excess as an ‘emergent’ quality whose cultural value is undetermined, the article demonstrates how dancers participate in the active constitution and questioning of collective value in Conakry, and how embodiment is central to an anthropology of precarity.
Whole-grain consumption and its effects on hepatic steatosis and liver enzymes in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a randomised controlled clinical trial
Authors: Dorosti Masoumeh , Jafary Heidarloo Ali , Bakhshimoghaddam Farnush , Alizadeh Mohammad
Published: November 2019

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a considerable challenge to public health across the globe. Whole grain is highly recommended as an inseparable part of a healthy diet and has been proposed as an effective way to manage NAFLD. The objective in the present study was to evaluate the effects of whole-grain consumption on hepatic steatosis and liver enzymes as primary outcomes in patients with NAFLD. Over the 12 weeks of this open-label, randomised controlled clinical trial, 112 patients (mean age 43 (sd 8·7) years; BMI 32·2 (sd 4·3) kg/m2) were randomly assigned to two groups to receive dietary advice, either to obtain at least half of their cereal servings each day from whole-grain foods or from usual cereals. By the end of the study, the grades of NAFLD showed a significant decrease in the intervention group (P < 0·001). In addition, a significant reduction in serum concentration of alanine aminotransferase (P < 0·001), aspartate aminotransferase (P < 0·001), γ-glutamyltransferase (P = 0·009), systolic blood pressure (P = 0·004) and diastolic blood pressure (P = 0·008) was observed in the intervention group compared with the control group. After adjusting, however, no significant differences were found between the two groups in terms of lipid profile, glycaemic status and anthropometric measurements. Overall, our study demonstrated that consumption of whole grains for 12 weeks had beneficial effects on hepatic steatosis and liver enzymes concentrations in patients with NAFLD.
The Price of Peace: Motivated Reasoning and Costly Signaling in International Relations
Authors: Kertzer Joshua D. , Rathbun Brian C. , Rathbun Nina Srinivasan
Published: November 2019

Canonical models of costly signaling in international relations (IR) tend to assume costly signals speak for themselves: a signal's costliness is typically understood to be a function of the signal, not the perceptions of the recipient. Integrating the study of signaling in IR with research on motivated skepticism and asymmetric updating from political psychology, we show that individuals’ tendencies to embrace information consistent with their overarching belief systems (and dismiss information inconsistent with it) has important implications for how signals are interpreted. We test our theory in the context of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran, combining two survey experiments fielded on members of the American mass public. We find patterns consistent with motivated skepticism: the individuals most likely to update their beliefs are those who need reassurance the least, such that costly signals cause polarization rather than convergence. Successful signaling therefore requires knowing something about the orientations of the signal's recipient.
Constitutional Migration and the Meaning of Religious Freedom: From Ireland and India to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Authors: Nelson Matthew J.
Published: November 2019

Building on current research regarding constitutional migration, this article shows how constitutional provisions protecting religious freedom (“subject to public order”) arrived in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, not via colonial British or traditional Islamic sources—both explicitly rejected—but via deliberate constitutional borrowing from “anti-colonial” precursors in Ireland and, especially, India. Drawing on Ernesto Laclau's notion of “empty signifiers,” the article highlights the shifting political circumstances that transformed the meaning of Pakistan's borrowed constitutional provisions. Even as core texts guaranteeing an individual's right to peaceful religious practice were imported, political, legal, and conceptual modulations ensured that specific forms of peaceful religious practice were refashioned as a source of religious provocation and, therein, public disorder. Far from protecting religious freedom, this repurposing of imported constitutional clauses tied to “the politics of public order” underpinned the formal legal restriction of an otherwise explicit right.
Antarctic arms control as past precedent
Authors: Musto Ryan A.
Published: November 2019

The 1959 Antarctic Treaty made Antarctica the world’s first and only demilitarised continent, the world’s first denuclearised zone, and pioneered a comprehensive inspections system. This article explores Antarctic arms control as past precedent. It finds that the United States, which spearheaded the Antarctic Treaty negotiations, initially rationalised arms control in Antarctica as an isolated endeavour. Yet its potential elsewhere quickly appealed to various officials involved in the treaty negotiations and aligned with public perception. Subsequent initiatives for arms control took broad inspiration from the Antarctic Treaty, but regional differences limited specific adaptations.
Temperature diagnostics for Z-pinches plasma in dependence on compression degree
Authors: Orlov N. Yu.
Published: November 2019

Calculations of the spectral coefficients for X-ray absorption and spectral brightness's for X-ray radiation were performed for niobium Z-pinch plasma at the temperature of 1 keV and at different plasma densities to determine the compression degree where the spectral lines become indistinguishable. As known, traditional methods of temperature diagnostics of hot dense radiating plasmas are based on analysis of the spectral line shape in dependence on plasma temperature and density. In this case, the interval of photon radiation energies is used, where the spectral lines are well distinguishable in an experiment. On the other hand, Z-pinch plasma has high compression, and an increase of plasma density leads to the deformation of the spectral line shape because of Doppler broadening, Stark broadening, and so-called “additional” broadening of spectral lines that take place in a quantum statistical ensemble of plasma ions and atoms. The traditional method of temperature diagnostics becomes impossible and different methods, which do not use spectral line characteristics, should be applied. The aim of this paper is to determine the density border where the spectral lines become indistinguishable. Important features of the quantum mechanical model, which is known as ion model of plasma, and which is used for calculations in the presented paper, are considered and discussed. A brief review of the theoretical models that have been earlier developed to calculate the radiative opacity characteristics of hot dense plasma is presented as well.
Team learning from human demonstration with coordination confidence
Authors: Banerjee Bikramjit , Vittanala Syamala , Taylor Matthew Edmund
Published: November 2019

Among an array of techniques proposed to speed-up reinforcement learning (RL), learning from human demonstration has a proven record of success. A related technique, called Human-Agent Transfer, and its confidence-based derivatives have been successfully applied to single-agent RL. This article investigates their application to collaborative multi-agent RL problems. We show that a first-cut extension may leave room for improvement in some domains, and propose a new algorithm called coordination confidence (CC). CC analyzes the difference in perspectives between a human demonstrator (global view) and the learning agents (local view) and informs the agents’ action choices when the difference is critical and simply following the human demonstration can lead to miscoordination. We conduct experiments in three domains to investigate the performance of CC in comparison with relevant baselines.
Litigants in the English “Court of Poor Men's Causes,” or Court of Requests, 1515–25
Authors: Flannigan Laura
Published: November 2019

The early-Tudor English government oversaw the rise of various centralised courts offering the king's subjects access to extraordinary justice in their private suits. One such new arena was the ‘Court of Requests’, an early equity or conscience court long overshadowed in histories of the period by the better-known courts of Star Chamber and Chancery. This article analyses the little-studied Requests archives to ask who sued there and when/why the court became associated with specifically poor men's causes. Focusing on the formative decade of ‘popularisation’ between 1515 and 1525, it finds that whilst litigants appear to have been largely from the lower sectors of society compared to their counterparts in the other conciliar courts, most petitioners opted for imprecise, rhetorical and non-static descriptions of their relative poverty – defined not just economically, but also in terms of age, property, and kin – in comparison to their opponents, appealing to the specific interpretation of conscience in Requests. The article thus scrutinises the methodologies we use for uncovering the demography of early-modern central courts, and has implications for understanding litigants' legal strategies, recorded identification as distinct from self-identification, and the theory and practice behind commonly-held ideals about the provision of royal justice for the ‘poor’.
Providing objective feedback in supervision in motivational interviewing: results from a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Beckman Maria , Forsberg Lars , Lindqvist Helena , Ghaderi Ata
Published: November 2019

Background:

The effects of the use of objective feedback in supervision on the supervisory relationship and skill acquisition is unknown.

Aims:

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of two different types of objective feedback provided during supervision in motivational interviewing (MI) on: (a) the supervisory relationship, including potential feelings of discomfort/distress, provoked by the supervision sessions, and (b) the supervisees’ skill acquisition.

Method:

Data were obtained from a MI dissemination study conducted in five county councils across five county councils across Sweden. All 98 practitioners recorded sessions with standardized clients and were randomized to either systematic feedback based on only the behavioral component of a feedback protocol, or systematic feedback based on the entire protocol.

Results:

The two different ways to provide objective feedback did not negatively affect the supervisory relationship, or provoke discomfort/distress among the supervisees, and the group that received the behavioural component of the feedback protocol performed better on only two of the seven skill measures.

Conclusions:

Objective feedback does not seem to negatively affect either the supervisor–supervisee working alliance or the supervisees’ supervision experience. The observed differences in MI skill acquisition were small, and constructive replications are needed to ascertain the mode and complexity of feedback that optimizes practitioners’ learning, while minimizing the sense of discomfort and distress.
Protocol No 16 to the ECHR: Managing Backlog through Complex Judicial Dialogue?
Authors: Lemmens Koen
Published: November 2019

European Court of Human Rights – Protocol No. 16 – Advisory Opinions – Managing backlog – Unpredictable effects – Complex judicial dialogue – Interplay with preliminary rulings of European Court of Justice and national constitutional courts –Bosphoruspresumption – National courts in charge of judicial diplomacy – Increased burden for national courts
WEAVING WITH WORDS: VENANTIUS FORTUNATUS'S FIGURATIVE ACROSTICS ON THE HOLY CROSS
Authors: BRENNAN BRIAN
Published: November 2019

Within the collected works of Venantius Fortunatus, the sixth-century Latin poet who wrote verse for kings, royal officials, bishops, and nuns in Frankish Gaul, there are found three acrostic poems. One, on the themes of captivity and release (5.6) is accompanied by a prose letter (5.6a) in which the poet discusses his methods in composing this work, which he intended for decorative display on a wall. The other two acrostics are written on the theme of the Holy Cross (2.4; 2.5). This paper, which offers a new interpretation of the figurative acrostics on the Holy Cross, begins first by examining the compositional strategies discussed by Fortunatus in 5.6a and his use there of the extended metaphor of weaving for the composition of acrostic poetry. The paper then moves to a wider discussion of weaving as a metaphor in Fortunatus's poetry before exploring how the poet played with metaphors and materiality, particularly in those instances when he was writing verse intended to be actually placed on material objects or sent with them. It finally goes on to argue, on the basis of indications within the acrostic poems on the Holy Cross themselves and much circumstantial evidence external to them, that these poems (2.4; 2.5) were written for public display in the chapel of the Holy Cross convent at Poitiers. It argues that these acrostics were most probably intended as textile designs for church vela or “hangings.”
THE VIRGIN MARY AS LADY GRAMMAR IN THE MEDIEVAL WEST
Authors: DONAVIN GEORGIANA
Published: November 2019

The Virgin Mary, as Mother of the Word, has long been associated with early literacy training in the medieval West, an association that, as this article argues, connects her to The Marriage of Philology and Mercury's Lady Grammar. While Gary P. Cestaro has demonstrated the ways in which representations of Lady Grammar became more maternal throughout the medieval period, this article demonstrates how and why the Virgin Mother took on the persona of Lady Grammar in both verbal and material arts from the High to the Late Middle Ages. It explores the famous sculptures of the Virgin and Lady Grammar on the Royal Portal at Chartres Cathedral, the writings of grammatical theorists that led to these depictions, and the thirteenth-century artes poetriae that portray Mary as a Christian Grammatica. From St. Augustine's declaration that grammar is a “guardian” to the claims of Gervais of Melkley, John of Garland, and Eberhard the German that Mary is the mother of beautiful expressions, grammatical thought and practice in the medieval West led to a characterization of the Virgin, guardian of the Word in her womb and parent to Wisdom, as the supreme teacher and exemplar of Latin. Adopting Lady Grammar's iconography of the nourishing breast, classroom text, and punitive whip, the Virgin Mary is not only connected to basic Latin instruction but also comes to embody its principles.
Authoritative Maternal Parenting Associates With the Explicit Need for Autonomy
Authors: Ramsay Jonathan E.
Published: November 2019

Abstract. Previous research suggests that parenting style influences the development of the needs for achievement, power, and affiliation. The present study investigated the relationship between parenting style and another important motive disposition – the need for autonomy – in a sample of Singapore university students ( N = 97, 69% female), using a cross-sectional and retrospective design. It was predicted that an authoritative perceived parenting style would relate positively to the implicit need for autonomy ( nAut), the explicit need for autonomy ( sanAut), and the congruence between these two motive dispositions. Authoritative maternal parenting was found to positively associate with sanAut, while maternal parenting was not found to associate with nAut, or with nAut/ sanAut congruence. Paternal parenting was not associated with any of the dependent variables.
Perfectionism and the Impact of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation in Daily Life
Authors: Harper Kelly L. , Eddington Kari M. , Lunsford Jaimie , Hoet Ariana C.
Published: November 2019

Abstract. Previous research indicates that socially prescribed perfectionism (SPP) and self-oriented perfectionism (SOP) are associated with extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, respectively. However, little is known about the impact of daily intrinsic and extrinsic motivated goals on affect in perfectionists. This daily diary study examined the extent to which perfectionism moderates the relationship between motivation (intrinsic and extrinsic) and affect (including self-conscious emotions). Participants ( N = 132) varying in levels of perfectionism completed 14 days of online surveys that included questions about pursuit of daily goals and affect. SOP did not predict the covariation of types of motivation and affect. SPP, by contrast, predicted the covariation of extrinsic motivation and guilt (and pride). Results suggest that for people high on SPP, pursuing extrinsic motivated goals is associated with higher levels of guilt and lower levels of pride. Future directions and implications are discussed.
The Limits of Ego Depletion
Authors: Wenzel Mario , Lind Marina , Rowland Zarah , Zahn Daniela , Kubiak Thomas
Published: November 2019

Abstract. Evidence on the existence of the ego depletion phenomena as well as the size of the effects and potential moderators and mediators are ambiguous. Building on a crossover design that enables superior statistical power within a single study, we investigated the robustness of the ego depletion effect between and within subjects and moderating and mediating influences of the ego depletion manipulation checks. Our results, based on a sample of 187 participants, demonstrated that (a) the between- and within-subject ego depletion effects only had negligible effect sizes and that there was (b) large interindividual variability that (c) could not be explained by differences in ego depletion manipulation checks. We discuss the implications of these results and outline a future research agenda.
The Expression of Ego Depletion
Authors: Furley Philip , Kohlhaas Sebastian , Englert Chris , Nieuwenhuys Arne , Bertrams Alex
Published: November 2019

Abstract. Is depleted self-control capacity detectable from thin slices of behavior? In four video-conditions (early-depleted; early-non-depleted; late-depleted; late-non-depleted) untrained observers rated target persons’ available self-control capacity in Experiments 1 and 2 (without sound) and in terms of fatigue and negative affect (Experiment 3). Videos were analyzed with Noldus FaceReader software (Experiment 4). Ego depletion could reliably be detected from thin slices of behavior. Nonverbal expressions coinciding with ego depletion are associated with cues signaling momentary levels of self-control capacity, fatigue, and some negative affective states. FaceReader analyses indicated that facial expressions coinciding with ego depletion are subtle and are extractable from facial dynamics rather than expression intensities. Results indicate that self-control depletion might not only have intrapersonal effects, but also interpersonal effects.
Sweet Nothings
Authors: Finley Anna J. , Tang David , Schmeichel Brandon J.
Published: November 2019

Abstract. Prior research has suggested that circulating levels of glucose in the bloodstream help to determine success at self-control. However, this idea has been challenged on multiple grounds. The current research added new evidence to the debate by testing (1) the extent to which exercising self-control reduces blood glucose levels, (2) whether consuming glucose, rinsing the mouth with glucose, or consuming aspartame (a sugar substitute) increases blood glucose levels, and (3) the extent to which measured blood glucose levels relate to emotional responding, delay discounting, and cognitive control, respectively. We found no evidence that blood glucose levels influence or are influenced by self-control.
Recent advances in the CRISPR genome editing tool set
Authors: Moon Su Bin , Kim Do Yon , Ko Jeong-Heon , Kim Yong-Sam
Published: November 2019

Genome editing took a dramatic turn with the development of the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated proteins (Cas) system. The CRISPR-Cas system is functionally divided into classes 1 and 2 according to the composition of the effector genes. Class 2 consists of a single effector nuclease, and routine practice of genome editing has been achieved by the development of the Class 2 CRISPR-Cas system, which includes the type II, V, and VI CRISPR-Cas systems. Types II and V can be used for DNA editing, while type VI is employed for RNA editing. CRISPR techniques induce both qualitative and quantitative alterations in gene expression via the double-stranded breakage (DSB) repair pathway, base editing, transposase-dependent DNA integration, and gene regulation using the CRISPR-dCas or type VI CRISPR system. Despite significant technical improvements, technical challenges should be further addressed, including insufficient indel and HDR efficiency, off-target activity, the large size of Cas, PAM restrictions, and immune responses. If sophisticatedly refined, CRISPR technology will harness the process of DNA rewriting, which has potential applications in therapeutics, diagnostics, and biotechnology.
Down to the bone: the role of overlooked endolithic microbiomes in reef coral health
Authors: Pernice Mathieu , Raina Jean-Baptiste , Rädecker Nils , Cárdenas Anny , Pogoreutz Claudia , Voolstra Christian R
Published: November 2019

Reef-building corals harbour an astonishing diversity of microorganisms, including endosymbiotic microalgae, bacteria, archaea, and fungi. The metabolic interactions within this symbiotic consortium are fundamental to the ecological success of corals and the unique productivity of coral reef ecosystems. Over the last two decades, scientific efforts have been primarily channelled into dissecting the symbioses occurring in coral tissues. Although easily accessible, this compartment is only 2–3 mm thick, whereas the underlying calcium carbonate skeleton occupies the vast internal volume of corals. Far from being devoid of life, the skeleton harbours a wide array of algae, endolithic fungi, heterotrophic bacteria, and other boring eukaryotes, often forming distinct bands visible to the bare eye. Some of the critical functions of these endolithic microorganisms in coral health, such as nutrient cycling and metabolite transfer, which could enable the survival of corals during thermal stress, have long been demonstrated. In addition, some of these microorganisms can dissolve calcium carbonate, weakening the coral skeleton and therefore may play a major role in reef erosion. Yet, experimental data are wanting due to methodological limitations. Recent technological and conceptual advances now allow us to tease apart the complex physical, ecological, and chemical interactions at the heart of coral endolithic microbial communities. These new capabilities have resulted in an excellent body of research and provide an exciting outlook to further address the functional microbial ecology of the “overlooked” coral skeleton.
Global water policy and local payment choices in rural Africa
Authors: Hope Rob , Ballon Paola
Published: November 2019

Sub-Saharan Africa is least likely to meet the Sustainable Development Goal for safely-managed drinking water. Africa is estimated to require at least three times more annual investment, as a share of the gross regional product, than any other region to achieve ‘basic’ drinking water for everyone by 2030. If rural water users are to share some of these costs then the performance of current services needs to improve. In Africa, when a rural waterpoint fails, it takes a month or more to repair. We model water user choices across maintenance service models delivered by public, private and community providers with trade-offs in speed of repairing faults, payment levels and cash management. We find higher payments are associated with higher education and faster repair times. Household wealth, sex of respondent, seasonality, and waterpoint congestion, reliability and quality all influence payment choices. Understanding local payment choices provide behavioural clues to design more sustainable funding and service delivery models to align global and local drinking water goals.
Proof-of-Concept Study of Drug Brain Permeability Between in Vivo Human Brain and an in Vitro iPSCs-Human Blood-Brain Barrier Model
Authors: Roux Gwenaëlle Le , Jarray Rafika , Guyot Anne-Cécile , Pavoni Serena , Costa Narciso , Théodoro Frédéric , Nassor Ferid , Pruvost Alain , Tournier Nicolas , Kiyan Yulia , Langer Oliver , Yates Frank , Deslys Jean Philippe , Mabondzo Aloïse
Published: November 2019

The development of effective central nervous system (CNS) drugs has been hampered by the lack of robust strategies to mimic the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and cerebrovascular impairments in vitro. Recent technological advancements in BBB modeling using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) allowed to overcome some of these obstacles, nonetheless the pertinence for their use in drug permeation study remains to be established. This mandatory information requires a cross comparison of in vitro and in vivo pharmacokinetic data in the same species to avoid failure in late clinical drug development. Here, we measured the BBB permeabilities of 8 clinical positron emission tomography (PET) radioligands with known pharmacokinetic parameters in human brain in vivo with a newly developed in vitro iPSC-based human BBB (iPSC-hBBB) model. Our findings showed a good correlation between in vitro and in vivo drug brain permeability (R2 = 0.83; P = 0.008) which contrasted with the limited correlation between in vitro apparent permeability for a set of 18 CNS/non-CNS compounds using the in vitro iPSCs-hBBB model and drug physicochemical properties. Our data suggest that the iPSC-hBBB model can be integrated in a flow scheme of CNS drug screening and potentially used to study species differences in BBB permeation.