bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factors contributing to lifelong science learning: Amateur astronomers and birders
Authors: Jones M. Gail , Corin Elysa Nicole , Andre Thomas , Childers Gina M. , Stevens Vanessa
Published: December 2016

This research examined lifelong science learning reported by amateur astronomers and birders. One hundred seven adults who reported engaging in an informal (out‐of‐school) science interest were interviewed as part of an ongoing series of studies of lifelong science learners. The goal of the study was to gain insight into how and why amateur astronomers and birders pursue their hobby, how their hobby developed, and what influenced that development. Educators may use this information to design programs that support informal science learning over the lifespan. Informed by self‐determination theory, the characteristics, initial experiences, and interests, influences on continued development of science interests, sources of education, and benefits of engaging in a science hobby were explored. Results showed that most of the participants’ lifelong science interests began in childhood and were influenced by events, resources, and family members. Members of both hobby groups reported that, as a result of their informal science interests, they were more knowledgeable about science, more knowledgeable about how science is done, possessed better observation skills, possessed more environmental awareness, and had opportunities to socialize and network with others with similar interests. The intersection of motivation and social capital derived from hobby engagement and lifelong science learning is discussed. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 54: 412–433, 2017
Do teaching assistants matter? Investigating relationships between teaching assistants and student outcomes in undergraduate science laboratory classes
Authors: Wheeler Lindsay B. , Maeng Jennifer L. , Chiu Jennie L. , Bell Randy L.
Published: December 2016

This study explores the relationship between teaching assistants (TAs) and student learning in undergraduate science laboratory classes. TAs typically instruct laboratory courses, yet little, if any, research examines professional development (PD) for TAs or relationships between instructors and students in laboratory settings. The use of undergraduate TAs (UTAs) in the same manner as graduate TAs (GTAs) in inquiry‐based lab settings has yet to be explored. This quantitative study explored how TAs’ content knowledge, beliefs about teaching, and teaching confidence change as a result of PD and how TAs’ prior experience, UTA/GTA status, content knowledge, beliefs, and teaching confidence relates to students’ content knowledge learning in an inquiry‐based general chemistry laboratory. Participants included 14 GTAs, 5 UTAs, and their 529 students at a public university. PD supported TAs to lead inquiry‐based general chemistry laboratory classes, involving a week‐long workshop and 14 weekly follow‐up meetings. Results demonstrate that TAs’ content knowledge improved following PD and teaching, t(18) = −3.62, p = 0.002, and students’ content knowledge significantly improved across the semester, t(528) = −36.27, p = 0.000, dCohen = 1.3. Further, TAs with higher content knowledge post‐PD tended to have students with higher end‐of‐semester content (r = 0.517, p = 0.000). No differences existed between UTAs or GTAs on any TA characteristic or student outcome measure. Using a hierarchical linear regression model, student post‐semester content knowledge was predicted by student demographics; however, no TA characteristics or demographics were significant predictors of student content knowledge. Students who perceived their TA as more supportive also believed they learned more content (r = 0.280, p =0.000). Thus, UTAs can be used in lieu of GTAs in our inquiry‐based general chemistry laboratory context and could be a possible alternative for TA instructors at other universities. Continued work examining TA PD, TA characteristics, TA practice, and student learning in inquiry‐based laboratory contexts is warranted. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 54: 463–492, 2017
Sexual Sensation Seeking, Sexual Compulsivity, and Gender Identity and Its Relationship with Sexual Functioning in a Population Sample of Men and Women
Authors: Burri Andrea
Published: December 2016

Introduction

Despite awareness of the importance of psycho-affective factors in the development of sexual problems, there is a lack of studies exploring the relation of sexual sensation seeking (SSS) and sexual compulsivity (SC) to sexual functioning. Because sex differences in SSS and SC have been reported, gender identity (GI; an individual’s own experience of his or her gender that is unrelated to the actual biological sex) might act as a moderator in this relation.

Aim

To understand the role of SSS and SC for men and women's sexual functioning and to explore whether these potential associations are moderated by GI.

Methods

A population-based cross-sectional online survey targeted 279 individuals (69.2% women, 30.8% men; mean age = 32 years). Validated questionnaires, including the Sexual Sensation Seeking Scale, the Sexual Compulsivity Scale, the Female Sexual Function Index, the Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool, and the International Index of Erectile Function, were applied.

Main Outcome Measures

Variations in SSS and SC and their association with sexual functioning were investigated using Spearman rank correlation. Moderation analyses were conducted using regression models in which the interaction terms between SSS and GI and between SCS and GI as predictors of sexual functioning were included.

Results

A statistically significant correlation between SSS and SC could be detected in men and women (r = 0.41 and 0.33, respectively; P < .001 for the two comparisons). In women, higher levels of SSS were associated with higher levels of desire, arousal, lubrication, and orgasm and less sexual pain (P < .05 for all comparisons). No moderating effect of GI could be detected. In men, GI was a significant moderator in the relation between SC and erectile function (β = 0.47; P < .001) and between SSS and erectile and ejaculatory function (β = −0.41 and 0.30; P < .001 for the two comparisons).

Conclusion

The present study is the first to show a link between SSS and SC and sexual functioning. The results might have important clinical implications and can provide useful information for programs aimed at sexual health enhancement.
Exercise induced hypoalgesia is elicited by isometric, but not aerobic exercise in individuals with chronic whiplash associated disorders
Authors: Smith Ashley , Ritchie Carrie , Pedler Ashley , McCamley Kaitlin , Roberts Kathryn , Sterling Michele
Published: December 2016

Background and aims

Reduced pain sensitivity following exercise is termed exercise induced hypoalgesia (EIH). Preliminary evidence suggests that impairment of EIH is evident in individuals with whiplash associated disorders (WAD) following submaximal aerobic exercise. This study aimed to compare EIH responses to isometric and aerobic exercise in patients with chronic WAD and healthy controls and investigate relationships between EIH, conditioned pain modulation (CPM) and psychological factors in patients with chronic WAD.

Methods

A cross sectional pre-post study investigated the effect of a single session of submaximal aerobic cycling exercise and a single session of isometric timed wall squat exercise on EIH in a group of participants with chronic WAD (n = 21) and a group of asymptomatic control participants (n = 19). Bivariate analyses between EIH and baseline measures of CPM and psychological features (fear of movement, pain catastrophization and posttraumatic stress symptoms) were also investigated.

Results

The isometric wall squat exercise but not the aerobic cycling exercise resulted in EIH in both groups (P < .023) with no between-group differences (P > .55) demonstrated for either exercise. There were no significant associations measured between EIH (for either exercise performed), and CPM, or any of the psychological variables.

Conclusions

This study showed that individuals with chronic WAD and mild to moderate pain and disability, and no evidence of dysfunctional CPM, demonstrated reduced pain sensitivity, both in the cervical spine and over the tibialis anterior following an isometric, timed wall squat exercise. Cycling exercise did not increase pain sensitivity.

Implications

Individuals with chronic WAD and mild to moderate levels of neck pain and disability may experience less pain sensitivity both locally and remotely following an exercise program directed at nonpainful muscles performing isometric exercises. Individuals cycling for 30 min at 75% of age-predicted heart rate maximum do not experience increased pain sensitivity.
Credit Risk
Authors: Capiński Marek , Zastawniak Tomasz
Published: December 2016

Modelling credit risk accurately is central to the practice of mathematical finance. The majority of available texts are aimed at an advanced level, and are more suitable for PhD students and researchers. This volume of the Mastering Mathematical Finance series addresses the need for a course intended for master's students, final-year undergraduates, and practitioners. The book focuses on the two mainstream modelling approaches to credit risk, namely structural models and reduced-form models, and on
pricing selected credit risk derivatives. Balancing rigorous theory with examples, it takes readers through a natural development of mathematical ideas and financial intuition.
Habeas Corpus in International Law
Authors: Farrell Brian R.
Published: December 2016

Habeas Corpus in International Law is the first comprehensive examination of this subject. It looks at the location, scope, and significance of the right to a judicial determination of the legality of one's detention as guaranteed by international and regional human rights instruments. First, it examines the history of habeas corpus and its place in human rights treaties, providing a useful resource for understanding the status and application of this internationally-protected right. The book continues by identifying and analyzing the primary challenges to habeas corpus, in particular its applicability during armed conflict, the possibility of derogation, and its extraterritorial application and procedural shortcomings. The book next addresses the significance of habeas corpus guarantees not just in protecting personal liberty, but in promoting the international rule of law by serving as a unique check on executive action. Finally, it offers suggestions on how this right might be strengthened.
Manifestations of Tuberous Sclerosis Complex: The Experience of a Provincial Clinic
Authors: Wilbur Colin , Sanguansermsri Chinnuwat , Chable Hedi , Anghelina Mihaela , Peinhof Sharon , Anderson Kelly , Steinbok Paul , Singhal Ash , Datta Anita , Connolly Mary B.
Published: December 2016

Background:Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a neurocutaneous disorder with a wide spectrum of manifestations. Recent consensus recommendations stress the importance of multidisciplinary management of children with TSC. The objective of this study was to examine the manifestations of TSC at a large referral centre to determine the care needs of this population.Methods:A retrospective, systematic chart review was performed of children with TSC managed at British Columbia Children’s Hospital. Patients were identified through epilepsy and clinical neurophysiology databases.Results:The study population comprised 81 patients, born between 1987 and 2014, who were a median of 10 years (range, 0.2-23.2) at most recent follow-up. Epilepsy occurred in 91% of patients, including 32% with a history of infantile spasms. Nineteen patients underwent epilepsy surgery, nine (47%) of whom were seizure-free at most recent follow-up. Overall, 61% of epilepsy patients had been seizure-free for at least 1 year at the time of last follow-up. Neuropsychiatric disorders were diagnosed in 49% of children, with autism (25%), attention deficit hyperactivity order (19%) and anxiety (16%) being the most common. Cardiac rhabdomyomata occurred in 35% of children and renal angiomyolipomas were seen in 43%. A total of 91% had skin manifestations.Conclusion:This study outlines the multisystem manifestations of TSC, observed through a large pediatric referral center. Epilepsy and neuropsychiatric disorders are the major source of morbidity in this age group and provide many challenges to the treating clinician. Because a subset of the study population is still quite young, the prevalence of neuropsychiatric disorders is likely underestimated.
Generation of high-contrast, joule-level pulses based on Nd:glass chirped pulse amplification laser
Authors: Lu Xiaoming , Peng Yujie , Li Yanyan , Wang Xinliang , Guo Xiaoyang , Xu Yi , Leng Yuxin
Published: December 2016

We demonstrate a high-contrast, joule-level Nd:glass laser system operating at 0.5 Hz repetition rate based on a double chirped pulse amplification (CPA) scheme. By injecting high-contrast, high-energy seed pulses into the Nd:glass CPA stage, the pulse energy is amplified to 1.9 J through two optical parametric CPA stages and two Nd:glass amplifiers. The temporal contrast of compressed pulse is measured down to the level of$10^{-8}$at tens of ps, and$10^{-10}$near 200 ps before the main pulse, respectively.
Sensitivity of wavepackets in jets to nonlinear effects: the role of the critical layer
Authors: Tissot Gilles , Zhang Mengqi , Lajús Francisco C. , Cavalieri André V. G. , Jordan Peter
Published: December 2016

Linear instability waves, or wavepackets, are key building blocks for the jet-noise problem. It has been shown in previous work that linear models correctly predict the evolution of axisymmetric wavepackets up to the end of the potential core of subsonic turbulent jets. Beyond this station, linear models fail, and nonlinearity is the likely missing piece. The essential underlying nonlinear mechanisms are unknown, and it remains unclear how these should be incorporated in a reduced-order model. The nonlinear interactions are considered in this work as an ‘external’ harmonic forcing added to the standard linear model. This modelling framework is explored using a locally parallel resolvent analysis to determine optimal forcing and associated responses, and a global approach based on 4D-Var data assimilation aimed at finding the optimal forcing of the parabolised stability equations that would minimise errors in the predictions of wavepackets. In all of the problems considered, the critical layer is found to be relevant: it is the position where sensitivity of wavepackets to nonlinearity is greatest. It is seen that disturbances are forced around the critical layer, and tilted by shear as they are advected, in a manner suggestive of an Orr-like mechanism. The ensemble of results suggests that critical-layer effects play a central role in the dynamics of wavepackets in subsonic turbulent jets, and that inclusion of such effects may remedy the shortcomings of linear reduced-order models.
Mapping Southern American English, 1861-1865
Authors: Ellis Michael
Published: December 2016

Since April 2015 is the sesquicentennial of the end of the Civil War, now is a particularly appropriate time to review the progress of the Corpus of American Civil War Letters (CACWL) project and to suggest directions it might go in the future. Since 2007, we have located and collected images of nearly 11,000 letters and transcribed over 9,000 of these, totaling well over four million words. Of the transcribed letters, just over 6,000 were written by southerners (490 individual letter writers), a corpus extensive enough to begin identifying and describing what features were distinctively Southern in 19th-century American English. We have already mapped many of these features that are especially common in southern letters, for example, fixing to, howdy, past tense/past participle hope ‘helped’, qualifier tolerable, intensifier mighty, pronoun hit, and the noun heap. By way of comparison, we also have a somewhat smaller but rapidly growing collection of 3,000 transcribed letters written by individuals from northern states, and variant features from these letters are also being mapped. The work at present is very preliminary; there are thousands of additional letters to be collected and transcribed, particularly from northern states and from states west of the Mississippi. However, by mapping variants from letters that have already been transcribed, we can begin to get a better understanding of regional differences, as well as how regional features spread westward in the decades before the Civil War. We can also begin to obtain some sense of how American English in general, and particularly its regional dialects, may have changed since the mid 19th century. This article presents a preview of a number of those findings.
“Subliminal accent”: Reactions to the rise of Wisconsin English
Authors: Schuld Danielle , Salmons Joseph , Purnell Thomas , Raimy Eric
Published: December 2016

Distinctive regional varieties of English have only recently emerged in parts of North America, including Wisconsin, where differences appear to be increasing today. We present an experiment in which listeners heard two short samples each from three Wisconsin regions and three other dialect areas. For each area, one sample was recorded pre-1970 and another recorded post-2010. Regional stereotypes were excluded. In a situation of new and still-emerging regional varieties, we expected listeners to be able to more accurately identify recent speech samples versus old samples from Wisconsin. Listeners proved better at recognizing speakers from Wisconsin in newer over older recordings. This complicates previous discussions of dialect awareness, in particular ‘enregisterment,’ with our listeners able to identify Wisconsin speech even in the absence of salient, known dialect features.
Evolutionarily distinct “living fossils” require both lower speciation and lower extinction rates
Authors: Bennett Dominic J. , Sutton Mark D. , Turvey Samuel T.
Published: December 2016

As a label for a distinct category of life, “living fossil” is controversial. The term has multiple definitions, and it is unclear whether the label can be genuinely used to delimit biodiversity. Even taking a purely phylogenetic perspective in which a proxy for the living fossil is evolutionary distinctness (ED), an inconsistency arises: Does it refer to “dead-end” lineages doomed to extinction or “panchronic” lineages that survive through multiple epochs? Recent tree-growth model studies indicate that speciation rates must have been unequally distributed among species in the past to produce the shape of the tree of life. Although an uneven distribution of speciation rates may create the possibility for a distinct group of living fossil lineages, such a grouping could only be considered genuine if extinction rates also show a consistent pattern, be it indicative of dead-end or panchronic lineages. To determine whether extinction rates also show an unequal distribution, we developed a tree-growth model in which the probability of speciation and extinction is a function of a tip’s ED. We simulated thousands of trees in which the ED function for a tip is randomly and independently determined for speciation and extinction rates. We find that simulations in which the most evolutionarily distinct tips have lower rates of speciation and extinction produce phylogenetic trees closest in shape to empirical trees. This implies that a distinct set of lineages with reduced rates of diversification, indicative of a panchronic definition, is required to create the shape of the tree of life.
Population dynamics of rice planthoppers,Nilaparvata lugensandSogatella furcifera(Hemiptera, Delphacidae) in Central Vietnam and its effects on their spring migration to China
Authors: Hu G. , Lu M.-H. , Tuan H.A. , Liu W.-C. , Xie M.-C. , McInerney C.E. , Zhai B.-P.
Published: December 2016

Rice planthopper (RPH) populations ofNilaparvata lugensandSogatella furciferaperiodically have erupted across Asia. Predicting RPH population dynamics and identifying their source areas are crucial for the management of these migratory pests in China, but the origins of the migrants to temperate and subtropical regions in China remains unclear. In particular, their early migration to China in March and April have not yet been explored due to a lack of research data available from potential source areas, Central Vietnam and Laos. In this study, we examined the population dynamics and migratory paths ofN. lugensandS. furciferain Vietnam and South China in 2012 and 2013. Trajectory modeling showed that in March and April in 2012 and 2013, RPH emigrated from source areas in Central Vietnam where rice was maturing to the Red River Delta and South China. Early migrants originated from Southern Central Vietnam (14–16°N), but later most were from Northern Central Vietnam (16–19°N). Analysis of meteorological and light-trap data from Hepu in April (1977–2013) using generalized linear models showed that immigration increased with precipitation in Southern Central Vietnam in January, but declined with precipitation in Northern Central Vietnam in January. These results determined that the RPH originate from overwintering areas in Central Vietnam, but not from southernmost areas of Vietnam. Winter precipitation, rather than temperature was the most important factor determining the number of RPH migrants. Based on their similar population dynamics and low population densities in Central Vietnam, we further speculated that RPH migrate to track ephemeral food resources whilst simultaneously avoiding predators. Migrations do not seem to be initiated by interspecific competition, overcrowding or host deterioration. Nevertheless,S. furciferaestablishes populations earlier thanN. lugensSouth China, perhaps to compensate for interspecific competition. We provide new information that could assist with forecasting outbreaks and implementing control measures against these migratory pests.
Interdisciplinary Studies of the Civil War Era: Recent Trends and Future Prospects
Authors: WOODS MICHAEL E.
Published: December 2016

Interdisciplinary scholarship on the era of the American Civil War has invigorated a well-trodden field. This essay addresses recent scholarship on the history of emotions, medicine, and the environment in the Civil War era, analyzing key themes and suggesting areas for future research. Together, these fields have added nuance to the “dark turn” in Civil War studies, historicized concepts often treated ahistorically, and allowed Civil War historians to engage in meaningful conversations with scholars in other fields and disciplines.
Literacy under Authority: The Mongolian Cultural Campaigns
Authors: Marzluf Phillip P.
Published: December 2016

In the twentieth century, authoritarian states throughout Asia mobilized mass populations to adopt modern subjectivities and national identities. Literacy campaigns and the development of formal education systems were key strategies in shaping these subjectivities and identities, a social process that continues to have enormous material, affective, behavioral, and epistemological ramifications, even long after the eclipse of the authoritarian governments themselves. To contribute more to the understanding about how these massive social projects coerced and persuaded nonurban, pastoral, and semi-nomadic populations, this article explores the 1950s and 1960s Cultural Campaigns in the socialist Mongolian People's Republic (1924–90), which emphasized hygiene, health, literacy, and ideology. Oral history accounts document how the socialist Mongolian state infiltrated the private spaces of Mongolians and shaped their attitudes toward reading and writing and other desirable social goals. Additionally, these accounts suggest ways that pastoral Mongolians subtly resisted and challenged the authority of the socialist Mongolian state.
Stylizing the preacher: Preaching, performance, and the comedy of Richard Pryor
Authors: Britt Erica
Published: December 2016

This article illustrates the ‘moving parts’ involved in the stylization of the voice of the Black preacher in the comedic performances of Richard Pryor with the ultimate goal of uncovering what these linguistic features help the performer to accomplish in interaction. Overall, while Pryor often utilizes hyperbolic and exaggerated features of Black preaching traditions and potentially Southern-inflected speaking styles in his performances, I argue that he engages in a type of linguistic subterfuge, blending elements of his own voice into a more favorable depiction of a witty, street-wise preacher. In fact, stretches of working-class speech, whose features overlap considerably with Pryor's ‘stage voice’, may blur the line between Pryor's ‘own’ personal stance and that of the preacher that he is constructing. (Black preachers, performance, stylization, comedy, African American English)*
Can skeletomotor action integration occur without consciousness? Evidence from unconscious action inhibition
Authors: Ayars Alisabeth
Published: December 2016

Morsella et al. claim that consciousness functions to integrate incompatible skeletal muscle intentions. Their primary cases of conscious skeletomotor integration involve action suppression, such as holding one's breath underwater, which requires suppressing the urge to inhale. This indicates that the authors seem to think action inhibition counts as the relevant kind of integration. I suggest that there is reason to think this kind of inhibition can occur unconsciously via unconscious inhibitory mechanisms. Unconscious inhibition therefore potentially undermines the authors' thesis. If cases of unconscious inhibition are not instances of integration, then the authors should clarify exactly what counts as integration.
Consciousness around the time of saccadic eye movements
Authors: Bridgeman Bruce
Published: December 2016

During saccadic eye movements, the job of the nervous system is not to perceive a change in stimulation from the receptors, but to prevent a change from reaching consciousness. These movements occupy an intermediate range between actions that are almost always conscious, such as finger movements, and those that are never conscious, such as the smooth-muscle actions of the digestive system. Consciousness in this context requires attention to the consequences of an action.
Calling for a developmental perspective on action-based consciousness
Authors: D'Souza Hana , Bremner Andrew J.
Published: December 2016

Human newborns can resolve some response conflicts in order to adapt their behaviour, suggesting that the newborn has consciousness according to Morsella et al.'s framework. However, we pose a range of developmental questions regarding Morsella et al.'s account, especially concerning the role of consciousness in the development of action.
An “ecological” action-based synthesis
Authors: de Vries Jonathan , Ward Lawrence M.
Published: December 2016

We expand upon Morsella et al.'s synthesis in the direction of what Gibson (1979) called an ecological approach to perception. Morsella et al. describe consciousness as a director of voluntary action, but they understate the role of the environment in its evolution as well as in directing behavior. We elaborate these roles in the context of the concept of affordances.
Getting back from the basics: What is the role for attention and fronto-parietal circuits in consciousness?
Authors: Dux Paul E.
Published: December 2016

Morsella et al. present a novel theory of consciousness which is more “low-level, circumscribed, counterintuitive, and passive” than previous accounts. There is much to like about this approach. However, what are the explanatory costs associated with these characteristics? In particular, how does this low-level and passive theory accommodate evidence for top-down attention being necessary (but not sufficient) for visual consciousness?
Conflicts everywhere! Perceptions, actions, and cognition all entail memory and reflect conflict
Authors: Jordan Jerome S. , Vinson David W.
Published: December 2016

Morsella et al. assert that the function of consciousness is to determine which of many competing action options is expressed through the skeletomuscular system at any given moment. The present commentary addresses this issue from the first-person perspective and agrees with Morsella and colleagues, yet further proposes that the option-selection function of consciousness plays out in cognition as well.
Consciousness for perception and for action: A perspective from unconscious binding
Authors: Lin Zhicheng
Published: December 2016

I argue that the scope and strength of unconscious perception have been overestimated in extant theories. I describe an unconscious binding perspective, and how in conjunction with rigorous methodology it can guide the delineation of unconscious processing. Under this perspective, the function of consciousness is to increase the saliency of conscious contents by facilitating the deployment of focal attention.
Conscious olfaction: Content, function, and localization
Authors: Merker Bjorn
Published: December 2016

The target article's emphasis on olfaction is a welcome reminder of the multimodal nature of conscious experience. Here, I explore the distinctive and even unique attributes of our sense of smell from the point of view of their bearing on and fit with a subcortical locus of sensory experience.
The primary (dis)function of consciousness: (Non)Integration
Authors: Mudrik Liad
Published: December 2016

Morsella et al. put forward an interesting theory about the functions of consciousness. However, I argue that this theory is more about showing what is not the function of consciousness, and claiming that it does not integrate, than vice versa – as opposed to its proclaimed goal. In addition, the question of phenomenality and its relations with integration is still left open.
Human consciousness is fundamental for perception and highest emotions
Authors: Perlovsky Leonid
Published: December 2016

Have Morsella et al. examined the fundamentals of consciousness? An experiment by Bar et al. (2006) has demonstrated the fundamental aspects of conscious and unconscious mechanisms of perception. The mental representations are not crisp and conscious like the perceived objects are, but vague and unconscious. This experiment points to the fundamental function of the neural mechanisms of consciousness in perception. Consciousness is also fundamental for the highest emotions.
Homing in on consciousness: Why is a dream conscious?
Authors: Porte Helene Sophrin
Published: December 2016

Morsella et al. argue convincingly that consciousness is for adaptive voluntary action. What, then, is consciousness in a dream for? Two prior questions present themselves. In a dream, how do contents get into the conscious field? What are the properties of consciousness in a dream?
Explaining consciousness: From correlations to foundations
Authors: Prinz Wolfgang
Published: December 2016

What does it take to explain the roles of consciousness for action and action for consciousness? This commentary claims that efficient functional explanations must meet two epistemological requirements: independent description of explanandum and explanans, and foundational explanation of their mutual relationship. It is argued that Morsella et al.'s target articledoes not fully meet these requirements.
Infer yourself: Interoception and internal “action” in conscious selfhood
Authors: Seth Anil K.
Published: December 2016

Can consciousness be understood through an association with voluntary skeletomotor action selection? Although flexible and integrated action selection is a plausible function for consciousness, a narrow focus on skeletomotor control neglects the contributions to conscious selfhood and subjectivity that rest on interoception and autonomic regulation (internal “action”). I consider these issues from the perspective of predictive processing.
Passive frame theory: A new synthesis
Authors: Morsella Ezequiel , Godwin Christine A. , Jantz Tiffany K. , Krieger Stephen C. , Gazzaley Adam
Published: December 2016

Passive frame theory attempts to illuminate what consciousnessis, in mechanistic and functional terms; it does not address the “implementation” level of analysis (how neurons instantiate conscious states), an enigma for various disciplines. However, in response to the commentaries, we discuss how our framework provides clues regarding this enigma. In the framework, consciousness is passive albeit essential. Without consciousness, there would not be adaptive skeletomotor action.
Factors of IID on Trees
Authors: LYONS RUSSELL
Published: December 2016

Classical ergodic theory for integer-group actions uses entropy as a complete invariant for isomorphism of IID (independent, identically distributed) processes (a.k.a. product measures). This theory holds for amenable groups as well. Despite recent spectacular progress of Bowen, the situation for non-amenable groups, including free groups, is still largely mysterious. We present some illustrative results and open questions on free groups, which are particularly interesting in combinatorics, statistical physics and probability. Our results include bounds on minimum and maximum bisection for random cubic graphs that improve on all past bounds.
Indicators of fetal growth and adult liver enzymes: the Bogalusa Heart Study and the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study
Authors: Harville E. W. , Chen W. , Bazzano L. , Oikonen M. , Hutri-Kähönen N. , Raitakari O.
Published: December 2016

Despite the interest in the relationship of fetal exposures to adult cardiovascular disease, few studies have examined indicators of adult fatty liver disease as an outcome. Previous results are inconsistent, and indicate possible variation by sex. Adult liver enzymes [γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT), alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartase transaminase (AST)] were measured in two cohort studies: the Bogalusa Heart Study (BHS;n=1803) and the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns (YF;n=3571) study, which also had ultrasound measures of liver fat (n=2546). Predictors of dichotomized (clinical cut-offs) and continuous (within the reference range) liver enzymes included low birthweight (<2500 g), macrosomia (>4000 g), small-for-gestational-age (birthweight <10th percentile for gestational age for population), large-for-gestational-age (>90th percentile), and preterm birth. Multiple logistic and linear regression were conducted, adjusted for medical, behavioral and socioeconomic indicators. Interactions with sex were also examined. In BHS, birth measures were not strongly associated with clinically high levels of liver enzymes, and within the reference range measures of reduced growth were associated with increased AST in women. In the YF study, at least one marker of reduced growth was associated with higher GGT, higher ALT and higher AST (in women). Probable fatty liver on ultrasound was associated with low birthweight (2.41, 1.42–4.09) and preterm birth (2.84, 1.70–4.76). These results suggest a link between birth parameters and adult fatty liver, but encourage consideration of population variation in these relationships.
Mental illness stigma and suicidality: the role of public and individual stigma
Authors: Oexle N. , Waldmann T. , Staiger T. , Xu Z. , Rüsch N.
Published: December 2016

Aims.

Suicide rates are increased among unemployed individuals and mental illness stigma can contribute to both unemployment and suicidality. Persons with mental illness perceive negative attitudes among the general public and experience discrimination in their everyday life (=public stigma components) potentially leading to self-stigma and anticipated discrimination (=individual stigma components). Previous research found evidence for an association between aspects of mental illness stigma and suicidality, but has not yet clarified the underlying pathways explaining how different stigma components interact and contribute to suicidal ideation.

Method.

Public and individual stigma components and their association with suicidal ideation were examined among 227 unemployed persons with mental illness. A path model linking public stigma components (experienced discrimination, perceived stigma) with suicidal ideation, mediated by individual stigma components (anticipated discrimination, self-stigma), was examined using structural equation modelling within Mplus.

Results.

Our sample was equally split in terms of gender, on average 43 years old and about half reported no suicidal ideation during the past 30 days. In bivariate analyses all stigma components were significantly associated with suicidal ideation. In the path model and controlling for symptoms, the association between experienced discrimination and suicidal ideation was fully mediated by anticipated discrimination and self-stigma. Perceived stigma's contribution to suicidal ideation was fully mediated by anticipated discrimination, but not by self-stigma.

Conclusions.

In general, programmes addressing multiple stigma components seem to be most effective in improving suicide prevention. Besides interventions targeting negative attitudes and discriminating behaviours of the general public, programmes to support persons with mental illness in coping with perceived and experienced stigma could improve suicide prevention. Future studies should test the short- and long-term effects of such interventions on suicidality and further investigate the role of stigma coping (e.g. secrecy) and emotional consequences (e.g. hopelessness and loneliness) for the association between stigma components and suicidality.
Fluid Intelligence and the Cross-Frequency Coupling of Neuronal Oscillations
Authors: Chuderski Adam
Published: December 2016

Several existing theoretical models predict that the individual capacity of working memory and abstract reasoning (fluid intelligence) strongly depends on certain features of neuronal oscillations, especially their cross-frequency coupling. Empirical evidence supporting these predictions is still scarce, but it makes the future studies on oscillatory coupling a promising line of research that can uncover the physiological underpinnings of fluid intelligence. Cross-frequency coupling may serve as the optimal level of description of neurocognitive processes, integrating their genetic, structural, neurochemical, and bioelectrical underlying factors with explanations in terms of cognitive operations driven by neuronal oscillations.
Research Note: New Perspectives on Kongo in Revolutionary Haiti
Authors: Sweet James
Published: December 2016

On February 26, 1794, Louis Narcisse Baudry des Lozières arrived at the port of Norfolk, Virginia, from Le Havre on the coast of France. His journey had not been an easy one. Shortly after leaving France, the ship carrying Baudry, his wife, their 13-year-old daughter, and a Norman servant girl was caught in a terrible storm. The family endured a harrowing four-month Atlantic crossing, but they had experienced far worse. Just two years earlier, Baudry had discovered his wife and daughter “wandering in the woods” of St. Domingue, after rebels had forced them to abandon their home in the early days of the Haitian Revolution. Baudry, a distinguished French military officer, had himself been wounded fighting the insurgents near Léogane, and the majority of the soldiers under his command had been slaughtered. Fearing for his life, Baudry fled the colony in March 1792. In Paris, he briefly reunited with his more famous brother-in-law, the lawyer and writer Médéric Louis Élie Moreau de Saint-Méry. However, both were soon forced into exile, and he eventually settled in Philadelphia. There, Baudry worked as a clerk, bookseller, and editor. He also used his exile as an opportunity to travel North America, spending time with his wife and in-laws in New Orleans. Eventually, Baudry presented himself as an expert on the natural history of the French colonies, delivering lectures to the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia and publishing several articles on “scientific” topics.
Cooperating with the State: Evidence from Survey Experiments on Policing
Authors: Buckley Noah , Frye Timothy , Gehlbach Scott , McCarthy Lauren A.
Published: December 2016

We examine cooperation with the state using a series of survey experiments on policing conducted in late 2011 in Moscow, Russia, where distrust of the state is high and attempts to reform the police have been ineffective. Through various vignettes that place respondents in situations in which they are the witness or victim of a crime, we experimentally manipulate crime severity, identity of the perpetrator (whether the crime is committed by a police officer), monetary rewards, appeals to civic duty, and the opportunity cost of time spent reporting. Of these factors, crime severity and identity of the perpetrator are robustly associated with a propensity to report. Our research design and results contribute to a large literature on cooperation with the state by examining variables that may be more salient or function differently in countries with weak institutions than in developed democracies.
Herausforderungen bei der Schätzung von Trends in Schulleistungsstudien
Authors: Robitzsch Alexander , Lüdtke Oliver , Köller Olaf , Kröhne Ulf , Goldhammer Frank , Heine Jörg-Henrik
Published: December 2016

Zusammenfassung. Internationale Schulleistungsstudien wie das Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) dienen den teilnehmenden Ländern zur Feststellung der Leistungsfähigkeit ihrer Schulsysteme. In PISA wird die Zielpopulation (15-jährige Schülerinnen und Schüler) alle 3 Jahre getestet. Von besonderer Bedeutung sind dabei die Trendinformationen, die für die Zielpopulation ausweisen, ob sich ihre Leistungen gegenüber denen aus früheren Erhebungen verändert haben. Um solche Trends valide interpretieren zu können, sollten die PISA-Erhebungen unter möglichst vergleichbaren Bedingungen durchgeführt und die verwendeten statistischen Verfahren vergleichbar bleiben. In PISA 2015 wurde erstmalig computerbasiert getestet; zuvor mittels Papier-und-Bleistift-Tests. Es wurde das Skalierungsmodell verändert und in den Naturwissenschaften wurden neue Aufgabenformate eingesetzt. Im vorliegenden Beitrag gehen wir anhand der nationalen PISA-Stichproben von 2000 bis 2015 der Frage nach, inwiefern der Wechsel des Testmodus und der Wechsel des Skalierungsmodells die Interpretation der Trendschätzungen beeinflussen. Die Analysen belegen, dass die Veränderung von Papier-und-Bleistift-Tests auf Computertestung die Trendschätzung für Deutschland verzerrt haben könnte.
Relevance of necroptosis in cancer
Authors: Lalaoui Najoua , Brumatti Gabriela
Published: December 2016

Resistance to caspase‐dependent apoptosis is often responsible for treatment failures in cancer. Finding novel therapeutic strategies that can activate alternative cell death programs appears to be appealing. Necroptosis is a form of programmed necrosis that occurs under caspase‐deficient conditions. This alternative form of cell death has recently emerged as a potential anticancer therapy that could overcome apoptosis resistance. A growing understanding of the molecular events triggering necroptosis helped to examine its implication in cancer development and to define new therapeutic strategies. Genetic and proteomic analysis suggest that necroptosis is deregulated in many cancers. Various preclinical and clinical compounds induced necroptosis and have demonstrated significant therapeutic efficacy. Moreover, accumulating evidence has shown that necroptosis promotes anticancer immune response. A better knowledge of the cascade of events regulating necroptosis is expected to assess the feasibility of its therapeutic exploitation for cancer therapy.
Erratum: Peripheral administration of lactate produces antidepressant-like effects
Authors: Carrard A , Elsayed M , Margineanu M , Boury-Jamot B , Fragnière L , Meylan E M , Petit J-M , Fiumelli H , Magistretti P J , Martin J-L
Published: December 2016

Correction to: Molecular Psychiatry advance online publication, 18 October 2016; doi:10.1038/mp.2016.179 Following publication of the above article, the authors noticed that an obsolete version of the Supplementary Information file was published. The correct version of the file accompanies this erratum online.
Non-thermal hydrogen atoms in the terrestrial upper thermosphere
Authors: Qin Jianqi , Waldrop Lara
Published: December 2016

Model predictions of the distribution and dynamical transport of hydrogen atoms in the terrestrial atmosphere have long-standing discrepancies with ultraviolet remote sensing measurements, indicating likely deficiencies in conventional theories regarding this crucial atmospheric constituent. Here we report the existence of non-thermal hydrogen atoms that are much hotter than the ambient oxygen atoms in the upper thermosphere. Analysis of satellite measurements indicates that the upper thermospheric hydrogen temperature, more precisely the mean kinetic energy of the atomic hydrogen population, increases significantly with declining solar activity, contrary to contemporary understanding of thermospheric behaviour. The existence of hot hydrogen atoms in the upper thermosphere, which is the key to reconciling model predictions and observations, is likely a consequence of low atomic oxygen density leading to incomplete collisional thermalization of the hydrogen population following its kinetic energization through interactions with hot atomic or ionized constituents in the ionosphere, plasmasphere or magnetosphere.
MEK inhibitors block growth of lung tumours with mutations in ataxia–telangiectasia mutated
Authors: Smida Michal , Fece de la Cruz Ferran , Kerzendorfer Claudia , Uras Iris Z. , Mair Barbara , Mazouzi Abdelghani , Suchankova Tereza , Konopka Tomasz , Katz Amanda M. , Paz Keren , Nagy-Bojarszky Katalin , Muellner Markus K. , Bago-Horvath Zsuzsanna , Haura Eric B. , Loizou Joanna I. , Nijman Sebastian M. B.
Published: December 2016

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths, and effective treatments are urgently needed. Loss-of-function mutations in the DNA damage response kinase ATM are common in lung adenocarcinoma but directly targeting these with drugs remains challenging. Here we report that ATM loss-of-function is synthetic lethal with drugs inhibiting the central growth factor kinases MEK1/2, including the FDA-approved drug trametinib. Lung cancer cells resistant to MEK inhibition become highly sensitive upon loss of ATM both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, ATM mediates crosstalk between the prosurvival MEK/ERK and AKT/mTOR pathways. ATM loss also enhances the sensitivity of KRAS- or BRAF-mutant lung cancer cells to MEK inhibition. Thus, ATM mutational status in lung cancer is a mechanistic biomarker for MEK inhibitor response, which may improve patient stratification and extend the applicability of these drugs beyond RAS and BRAF mutant tumours.
Detecting stoichiometry of macromolecular complexes in live cells using FRET
Authors: Ben-Johny Manu , Yue Daniel N. , Yue David T.
Published: December 2016

The stoichiometry of macromolecular interactions is fundamental to cellular signalling yet challenging to detect from living cells. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) is a powerful phenomenon for characterizing close-range interactions whereby a donor fluorophore transfers energy to a closely juxtaposed acceptor. Recognizing that FRET measured from the acceptor’s perspective reports a related but distinct quantity versus the donor, we utilize the ratiometric comparison of the two to obtain the stoichiometry of a complex. Applying this principle to the long-standing controversy of calmodulin binding to ion channels, we find a surprising Ca2+-induced switch in calmodulin stoichiometry with Ca2+ channels—one calmodulin binds at basal cytosolic Ca2+ levels while two calmodulins interact following Ca2+ elevation. This feature is curiously absent for the related Na channels, also potently regulated by calmodulin. Overall, our assay adds to a burgeoning toolkit to pursue quantitative biochemistry of dynamic signalling complexes in living cells.