bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis of (R)-mandelic acid and (R)-mandelic acid amide by recombinant E. coli strains expressing a (R)-specific oxynitrilase and an arylacetonitrilase
Authors: Müller Erik , Sosedov Olga , Gröning Janosch Alexander David , Stolz Andreas
Published: September 2020

Objectives

Chiral 2-hydroxycarboxylic acids and 2-hydroxycarboxamides are valuable synthons for the chemical industry.

Results

The biocatalytic syntheses of (R)-mandelic acid and (R)-mandelic acid amide by recombinantEscherichia coliclones were studied. Strains were constructed which simultaneously expressed a (R)-specific oxynitrilase (hydroxynitrile lyase) from the plantArabidopsis thalianatogether with the arylacetonitrilase from the bacteriumPseudomonas fluorescensEBC191. In addition, recombinant strains were constructed which expressed a previously described acid tolerant variant of the oxynitrilase and an amide forming variant of the nitrilase. The whole cell catalysts which simultaneously expressed the (R)-specific oxynitrilase and the wild-type nitrilase transformed in slightly acidic buffer systems benzaldehyde plus cyanide preferentially to (R)-mandelic acid with ee-values > 95%. The combination of the (R)-specific oxynitrilase with the amide forming nitrilase variant gave whole cell catalysts which converted at pH-values ≤ pH 5 benzaldehyde plus cyanide with a high degree of enantioselectivity (ee > 90%) to (R)-mandelic acid amide. The acid and the amide forming catalysts also converted chlorinated benzaldehydes with cyanide to chlorinated mandelic acid or chlorinated mandelic acid amides.

Conclusions

Efficient systems for the biocatalytic production of (R)-2-hydroxycarboxylic acids and (R)-2-hydroxycarboxamides were generated.
What Can Eye Movements Tell us about Visual Perception Processes in Classroom Contexts? Commentary on a Special Issue
Authors: Kaakinen Johanna K.
Published: September 2020

In this commentary to the Special Issue of Educational Psychology Review on visual perceptual processes, I tie the empirical studies reported in the issue with previous research in other domains to offer some points to be considered in future studies. First, I will point out to issues related to the operationalization of the theoretical constructs. The empirical papers in this Special Issue use eye tracking to study students’ engagement, teachers’ expertise, and student-teacher interaction. However, it is not always clear how the observed eye movement patterns reflect these theoretical concepts and the underlying psychological processes. Second, I will reflect on the analyses of the eye movement data presented in the papers. The main advantage of the methodology is that it can provide detailed information about the time-course of processing, and to fully engage its potential, it should be complemented with adequate statistical methods. In my view, the papers in this Special Issue provide valuable novel information about the complex processes underlying learning in variable contexts, and offer an excellent starting point for future research.
What does the gamer do?
Authors: Davnall Rebecca
Published: September 2020

The 'Gamer's Dilemma' is the problem of why some actions occurring in video game contexts seem to have similar, albeit attenuated, kinds of moral significance to their real-world equivalents, while others do not. In this paper, I argue that much of the confusion in the literature on this problem is not ethical but metaphysical. The Gamer's Dilemma depends on a particular theory of the virtual, which I call 'inflationary', according to which virtual worlds are a metaphysical novelty generated almost exclusively by video games. Actions performed in virtual worlds really belong to the kinds of action they appear to—'virtual murder' is a kind of murder. Inflationary theories are contrasted with 'deflationary' theories which, in effect, consider video games purely as systems for generating images, and thus the gamer as (merely) a consumer of media images. Inflationary theories struggle to explain why video games produce this unique metaphysical novelty; deflationary theories fail to do justice to the intuition that there is some significant difference between the gamer and the consumer of other media forms. In place of either, I sketch a theory of the gamer as performer, primarily by analogy with stage and cinema actors, which I suggest captures more of the moral complexity of the gamer's action.
Variability of volatiles in Pinus cembra L. within and between trees from a stand in the Salzburg Alps (Austria) as assessed by essential oil and SPME analysis
Authors: Chizzola Remigius , Müllner Katharina
Published: September 2020

Pinus cembra L. is a coniferous European mountain range tree rich in oleoresins and essential oils. Twig tips with needles are the most common tree parts used to obtain essential oils. As the whole tree contains volatiles, the essential oil composition from different parts was studied, including twig tips with needles from the bottom, the top and the cone bearing branches, cones, twigs without needles from the lower and upper part of the crown as well as wood and bark from the trunk. The variability in essential oil composition between these plant parts and between individual trees has been studied using multivariate statistical analyses. α-Pinene was present in all samples, being highest in cones (49.3%) and lowest in sapwood (0.7%). Twig tips with needles from different parts of the crown had similar essential oil composition with α-pinene (43.9–48.3%), β-phellandrene (13.1–17.2%), β-pinene (6.6–9.3%), germacrene D (5.1–6.8%) and limonene (4.1–6.1%) as main compounds. Twig essential oils had usually more β-phellandrene (23.9–29.8%) than α-pinene (23.3–24.3%) and also appreciable amounts of β-pinene (13.5–15.1%) and limonene (11.9–17.9%). Cone essential oils contained mainly α-pinene, β-pinene (20.1%) and limonene (13.9%). The essential oils from wood and bark were rich in diterpenes as cembratrienol (4.9–21.4%), cembrene (4.8–14.3%) and methyl daniellate (2.7–6.8%). Sapwood distillates contained also notable amounts of alkane derivatives. Finally, the solvent free SPME technique has been employed to analyse the volatiles in the plant parts. For needles and cones the observed patterns were in good accordance with the compositions of the respective essential oils.
Longitudinal river zonation in the tropics: examples of fish and caddisflies from the endorheic Awash River, Ethiopia
Authors: Englmaier Gernot K. , Hayes Daniel S. , Meulenbroek Paul , Terefe Yonas , Lakew Aschalew , Tesfaye Genanaw , Waidbacher Herwig , Malicky Hans , Wubie Alemayehu , Leitner Patrick , Graf Wolfram
Published: September 2020

Specific concepts of fluvial ecology are well studied in riverine ecosystems of the temperate zone but poorly investigated in the Afrotropical region. Hence, we examined the longitudinal zonation of fish and adult caddisfly (Trichoptera) assemblages in the endorheic Awash River (1,250 km in length), Ethiopia. We expected that species assemblages are structured along environmental gradients, reflecting the pattern of large-scale freshwater ecoregions. We applied multivariate statistical methods to test for differences in spatial species assemblage structure and identified characteristic taxa of the observed biocoenoses by indicator species analyses. Fish and caddisfly assemblages were clustered into highland and lowland communities, following the freshwater ecoregions, but separated by an ecotone with highest biodiversity. Moreover, the caddisfly results suggest separating the heterogeneous highlands into a forested and a deforested zone. Surprisingly, the Awash drainage is rather species-poor: only 11 fish (1 endemic, 2 introduced) and 28 caddisfly species (8 new records for Ethiopia) were recorded from the mainstem and its major tributaries. Nevertheless, specialized species characterize the highland forests, whereas the lowlands primarily host geographically widely distributed species. This study showed that a combined approach of fish and caddisflies is a suitable method for assessing regional characteristics of fluvial ecosystems in the tropics.
Heterozygous TLR3 Mutation in Patients with Hantavirus Encephalitis
Authors: Partanen Terhi , Chen Jie , Lehtonen Johanna , Kuismin Outi , Rusanen Harri , Vapalahti Olli , Vaheri Antti , Anttila Veli-Jukka , Bode Michaela , Hautala Nina , Vuorinen Tytti , Glumoff Virpi , Kraatari Minna , Åström Pirjo , Saarela Janna , Kauma Heikki , Lorenzo Lazaro , Casanova Jean-Laurent , Zhang Shen-Ying , Seppänen Mikko , Hautala Timo
Published: September 2020

Puumala hantavirus (PUUV) hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is common in Northern Europe; this infection is usually self-limited and severe complications are uncommon. PUUV and other hantaviruses, however, can rarely cause encephalitis. The pathogenesis of these rare and severe events is unknown. In this study, we explored the possibility that genetic defects in innate anti-viral immunity, as analogous to Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) mutations seen in HSV-1 encephalitis, may explain PUUV encephalitis. We completed exome sequencing of seven adult patients with encephalitis or encephalomyelitis during acute PUUV infection. We found heterozygosity for the TLR3 p.L742F novel variant in two of the seven unrelated patients (29%, p = 0.0195). TLR3-deficient P2.1 fibrosarcoma cell line and SV40-immortalized fibroblasts (SV40-fibroblasts) from patient skin expressing mutant or wild-type TLR3 were tested functionally. The TLR3 p.L742F allele displayed low poly(I:C)-stimulated cytokine induction when expressed in P2.1 cells. SV40-fibroblasts from three healthy controls produced increasing levels of IFN-λ and IL-6 after 24 h of stimulation with increasing concentrations of poly(I:C), whereas the production of the cytokines was impaired in TLR3 L742F/WT patient SV40-fibroblasts. Heterozygous TLR3 mutation may underlie not only HSV-1 encephalitis but also PUUV hantavirus encephalitis. Such possibility should be further explored in encephalitis caused by these and other hantaviruses.
Modification of Surface Properties of Colloidal Suspensions of NixOy-SiO2 Mixed Oxides with Different Ni Contents by the Adsorption Layers of Poly(Vinyl Alcohol)
Authors: Wiśniewska M. , Chibowski S. , Urban T. , Fijałkowska G. , Medykowska M. , Bogatyrov V. M. , Nosal-Wiercińska A. , Klepka T. , Szewczuk-Karpisz K.
Published: September 2020

The adsorption and electrokinetic properties of hybrid silica materials composed of nickel and silicon oxides (NixOy-SiO2), characterized by different contents of nickel oxide (from 0.5 to 3 mmol/g SiO2), were examined. These solids were also modified by poly(vinyl alcohol) to change their surface characteristics. The polymer is non-toxic and very well soluble in water. Due to incomplete hydrolysis of the polymer acetate groups, its macromolecules become negatively charged. The limited range of studied pH (6–10) resulted from high solubility of nickel oxide at more acidic pH values. The spectrophotometric, surface charge and electrophoretic measurements indicated that PVA exhibits higher adsorption affinity for the surfaces of mixed oxide with a larger content of nickel in its structure. Moreover, the presence of polymeric layers on the solid surface influences considerably the structure of electrical double layer formed at the mixed oxide-aqueous solution interface.
Generalized orthonormal moment tensor decomposition and its source-type diagram
Authors: Huang Ting-Chung , Wu Yih-Min
Published: September 2020

Moment tensor decomposition is a method for deriving the isotropic (ISO), double-couple (DC), and compensated linear vector dipole (CLVD) components from a seismic moment tensor. Currently, there are two families of methods, namely, standard moment tensor decomposition and Euclidean moment tensor decomposition. Although both methods can usually provide workable solutions, there are some minor inconsistencies between the two methods: an equality inconsistency that occurs in standard moment tensor decomposition and the pure CLVD unity and flip basis inconsistency encountered in Euclidean moment tensor decomposition. Moreover, there is a sign problem when disentangling the CLVD component from a DC-dominated case. To address these minor inconsistencies, we propose a new moment tensor decomposition method inspired by both previous methods. The new method can not only avoid all these minor inconsistencies but also withstand deviations in ISO- or CLVD-dominated cases when using source-type diagrams.
Scheduling a proportionate flow shop of batching machines
Authors: Hertrich Christoph , Weiß Christian , Ackermann Heiner , Heydrich Sandy , Krumke Sven O.
Published: September 2020

In this paper we study a proportionate flow shop of batching machines with release dates and a fixed number $$m \ge 2$$

m
≥
2

of machines. The scheduling problem has so far barely received any attention in the literature, but recently its importance has increased significantly, due to applications in the industrial scaling of modern bio-medicine production processes. We show that for any fixed number of machines, the makespan and the sum of completion times can be minimized in polynomial time. Furthermore, we show that the obtained algorithm can also be used to minimize the weighted total completion time, maximum lateness, total tardiness and (weighted) number of late jobs in polynomial time if all release dates are 0. Previously, polynomial time algorithms have only been known for two machines.
Contesting language policy for asylum seekers in the Northern periphery: the story of Tailor F
Authors: Pöyhönen Sari , Simpson James
Published: September 2020

This article is about navigating asylum, employment and language policy in a new country as an asylum seeker. Through the story of one individual, we show that profound inequalities are exacerbated when forced migrants are limited in their choice of language they might study or use. The individual is Tailor F, an Iraqi man seeking asylum, and the country is Finland, officially bilingual, with a majority language (Finnish) and a minority language (Swedish). Finland’s official bilingualism does not extend evenly to language education provided for asylum seekers, who are taught Finnish regardless of the region where they are placed. Upon arrival, Tailor F was housed in a reception centre for asylum seekers located in a Swedish-dominant rural area of the country. Through our linguistic ethnography we examine how he navigates multilingually in his early settlement, his current work and his online life. We relate his story to explicit and implicit official bilingualism in Finland and discuss his lived experiences in relation to the contexts of asylum policy and employment. Tailor F’s story shows how, through his practices, he has contested implicit language policy for asylum seekers in order to gain membership of the local Swedish-dominant community, achieve a sense of belonging, and potentially realise his aspirations for the future.
A new agricultural drought index considering the irrigation water demand and water supply availability
Authors: Xing Zikang , Ma Miaomiao , Wei Yongqiang , Zhang Xuejun , Yu Zhongbo , Yi Peng
Published: September 2020

Agricultural drought has a tremendous impact on crop yields and economic development under the context of global climate change. As an essential component of water balance in irrigated areas, artificial irrigation, which is not widely incorporated into agricultural drought indices in previous studies. Therefore, an irrigation water deficit index (IWDI) based on the estimation of irrigation water demand and supply is proposed. The performance of the new index was compared with the Soil Moisture Anomaly Percentage Index (SMAPI) over the upstream of the Zi River basin (UZRB). The results indicated the IWDI is highly correlated with precipitation, runoff, and potential evapotranspiration, combined with a more comprehensive moisture condition than the previous agricultural drought index. Due to the consideration of crop growth process and farmland spatial distribution, the proposed index showed a significant advantage in stressing drought conditions of agricultural concentration area and eliminating the impact of invalid soil moisture drought of non-growing seasons. Furthermore, the drought condition identified by the new index presented a good agreement with the historical drought event that occurred in 2013.7–8, which accurately reproduced the soil moisture variation and vegetation growth dynamics.
Should Hunting as a Cultural Heritage Be Protected?
Authors: Dajczak Wojciech , Gwiazdowicz Dariusz J. , Matulewska Aleksandra , Szafrański Wojciech
Published: September 2020

The paper focuses on hunting as cultural heritage from the semiotic and legal perspectives. The aim of the paper is to determine whether the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of 2003 allows recognizing the transmission and exercise of hunting skills within the Polish Hunting Association as a manifestation of intangible cultural heritage. The main research method applied in this research is the test of legal rationality encompassing five elements: (1) the generic coherence of hunting knowledge and skills in Poland; (2) the lack of conflict with the principles arising from universal human rights instruments; (3) the significance of hunting knowledge and skills for nature protection and conservation; (4) the significance of hunting knowledge and skills for economic balance and internal security; and (5) the hunting knowledge and skills versus the idea of nature-related cultural identity. The newspaper and political discourse is highly emotional loaded and frequently instead of merits is based on propaganda and half-truths. Nowadays hunting in general is perceived as the so-called blood sport not an element of ecology in the nature disturbed by humans. Therefore, the paper is intended to present the UNESCO Convention and facts about Polish hunting model as an element of sustainable nature and environment conservation and protection as well as a tool of biodiversity preservation.
Estimation of native and alkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in seabirds from the south coast of the Baltic Sea
Authors: Waszak Ilona , Jonko-Sobuś Karolina , Ożarowska Agnieszka , Zaniewicz Grzegorz
Published: September 2020

Native and alkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were examined in the muscle, liver, kidneys, and lungs of greater scaup (Aythya marila) and great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus). Both species showed differences in distribution and profiles among the tissues. The highest ƩPAH concentrations were in the scaup lungs and the grebe kidneys (20 and 19 ng g−1wet weight, respectively). Alkylated derivatives were in the range of 61 to 77% of ΣPAHs in both species. Differences in PAH profiles between birds, analyzed by PCA, were probably results of metabolic capability, not various diet. In comparison to available data from other regions of the world, PAH levels in investigated species are relatively low and do not pose a threat to birds themselves.
Is too much help an obstacle? Effects of interactivity and cognitive style on learning with dynamic versus non-dynamic visualizations with narrative explanations
Authors: Koć-Januchta Marta M. , Höffler Tim N. , Prechtl Helmut , Leutner Detlev
Published: September 2020

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of visual/verbal cognitive style and interactivity level in dynamic and non-dynamic multimedia learning environments. A group of 235 biology students learned about photosynthesis either from a computer-based animation or a series of static pictures with spoken explanatory text. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: with or without the possibility to pause, to play, or to fast-forward/rewind the learning environment (self-paced versus system-paced condition). Participants obtained better results when learning with the system-paced environment than with the self-paced one. A significant triple interaction between cognitive style, type of pacing, and type of visualization showed that highly developed visualizers learned poorer with self-paced static pictures than with system-paced static pictures. There were no significant effects regarding verbal cognitive style. Results shed more light on the relation between different levels of interactivity and visual cognitive style, when learning from static pictures.
The Relation of the Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor with MicroRNAs in Neurodegenerative Diseases and Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Eyileten Ceren , Sharif Lucia , Wicik Zofia , Jakubik Daniel , Jarosz-Popek Joanna , Soplinska Aleksandra , Postula Marek , Czlonkowska Anna , Kaplon-Cieslicka Agnieszka , Mirowska-Guzel Dagmara
Published: September 2020

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a member of the neurotrophin family of growth factors that plays a crucial role in the development of the nervous system while supporting the survival of existing neurons and instigating neurogenesis. Altered levels of BDNF, both in the circulation and in the central nervous system (CNS), have been reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Huntington’s disease (HD), multiple sclerosis (MS), and ischemic stroke. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNAs found in body fluids such as peripheral blood and cerebrospinal fluid. Several different miRNAs, and their target genes, are recognized to be involved in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative and neurovascular diseases. Thus, they present as promising biomarkers and a novel treatment approach for CNS disorders. Currently, limited studies provide viable evidence of miRNA-mediated post-transcriptional regulation of BDNF. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive assessment of the current knowledge regarding the potential diagnostic and prognostic values of miRNAs affecting BDNF expression and its role as a CNS disorders and neurovascular disease biomarker. Moreover, a novel therapeutic approach in neurodegenerative diseases and ischemic stroke targeting miRNAs associated with BDNF will be discussed.
Ein Data Engineering Kurs für 10.000 Teilnehmer
Authors: Alder Nicolas , Bleifuß Tobias , Bornemann Leon , Naumann Felix , Repke Tim
Published: September 2020

Im Januar und Februar 2020 boten wir auf der openHPI Plattform einen Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) mit dem Ziel an, Nicht-Fachleute in die Begriffe, Ideen, und Herausforderungen von Data Science einzuführen. In über hundert kleinen Kurseinheiten erläuterten wir über sechs Wochen hinweg ebenso viele Schlagworte. Wir berichten über den Aufbau des Kurses, unsere Ziele, die Interaktion mit den Teilnehmerinnen und Teilnehmern und die Ergebnisse des Kurses.
Seeing it is like Touching It: Unraveling the Effective Product Presentations on Online Apparel Purchase Decisions and Brain Activity (An fMRI Study)
Authors: Jai Tun-Min (Catherine) , Fang Dan , Bao Forrest S. , James Russell N. , Chen Tianwen , Cai Weidong
Published: September 2020

Unlike brick-and-mortar stores where consumers can use all of their senses to examine a product, online retailers must properly present products to shoppers via a computer-mediated interface. In this exploratory study, we investigate how the brain makes purchase decisions when it encounters different types of visual presentation strategies. Specifically, we use event-related fMRI to study brain activation preceding purchase decisions under three visual presentation strategies: (1) static picture, (2) image zooming, and (3) rotation video. Twenty-four (24) participants made 60 apparel purchase decisions. Utilizing machine learning, we study whether and how various neural circuits are engaged in purchase decision-making in regard to different types of visual sensory information. The functional neuroimaging results suggest high accuracy (highest: 95%, Rotation condition) in predicting purchase decisions using brain activity in the product evaluation process. Furthermore, cross-category validation reveals the activation patterns under the Rotation condition most successfully predict choices across the other two presentation conditions: this suggests a potential universal brain activity pattern in these apparel purchase decisions. Finally, we found some brain regions (such as the cerebellum) that are less likely to be associated with purchase decisions but are considered influential in predicting online apparel purchase decisions in the context of watching a rotation product video. The cerebellar activation may suggest association with spatial cognition and virtual navigation in addition to motor control. This study contributes to the research field of NeuroIS and online shopper study. The results provide empirical evidence to support the refined S-O-R theoretical model Jacoby (2002) and heuristic information process and inform the practical implications of sensory-engaging presentations in helping consumers to make online purchase decisions.
Scaling up experiments to reduce educational inequality
Authors: RAUDENBUSH STEPHEN W.
Published: September 2020

For educational researchers, Al-Ubaydli et al. raise a crucial question: How can the science of scaling experimental innovations contribute to school improvement? By assessing how particular innovative programs work, why, for whom and under what conditions, experimenters test theories: about how children and youth learn, about how adults can collaborate to create the required learning opportunities and about how policy can supply the required incentives and resources to support such effective collaboration. My focus in this response article thus shifts from the perspective of innovators who hope to scale their interventions to the perspective of practitioners who face the challenge of adopting, adapting or borrowing ideas from experimental studies and harmonizing those ideas with expert clinical judgment.
New Evidence for Upland Occupation in the Mesolithic of Scotland
Authors: Wickham-Jones C.R. , Noble G. , Fraser S.M. , Warren G. , Tipping R. , Paterson D. , Mitchell W. , Hamilton D. , Clarke A.
Published: September 2020

This paper discusses the evidence for periodic human activity in the Cairngorm Mountains of Scotland from the late 9th millennium to the early 4th millennium calbc. While contemporary paradigms for Mesolithic Europe acknowledge the significance of upland environments, the archaeological record for these areas is not yet as robust as that for the lowland zone. Results of excavation at Chest of Dee, along the headwaters of the River Dee, are set into a wider context with previously published excavations in the area. A variety of site types evidences a sophisticated relationship between people and a dynamic landscape through a period of changing climate. Archaeological benefits of the project include the ability to examine novel aspects of the archaeology leading to a more comprehensive understanding of Mesolithic lifeways. It also offers important lessons in site survival, archaeological investigation, and the management of the upland zone.
Improv, Shakespeare, and Drag: A Conversation with Impromptu Shakespeare
Authors: Duff Ailis , MacMillan Rebecca , Cano Marina
Published: September 2020

This interview took place during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (August 2017), where Impromptu Shakespeare has been performing since 2013. An improvised theatre group, Impromptu Shakespeare weaves in one new ‘Shakespeare’ play at every show. The conversation was led by Marina Cano, as part of her research on improvised Shakespeare and improvised Jane Austen. It involved Impromptu actors Ailis Duff and Rebecca MacMillan, and touched upon matters of improvisation, methodology, adaptation, Shakespeare on stage, and gender-blind performance. Marina Cano is a Research Associate at the University of Limerick, Ireland. She is the author of Jane Austen and Performance (Palgrave 2017) and the co-editor of Jane Austen and William Shakespeare: A Love Affair in Literature, Film, and Performance (Palgrave 2019).
Ballroom Frenzy and the Clodoche Quadrille
Authors: Senelick Laurence
Published: September 2020

For all the lip-service French culture pays to reason and logic, it undergoes periodic eruptions of déraison or unreason. In the wake of Napoleon’s defeat, ballroom dancing began to be infiltrated by such unbridled popular dances as the cancan and the chahut. Exuberant, even bacchanalian physical display served as a safety-valve in a heavily censored society. In the Second Empire, four working-class amateurs introduced the high-kicking, parodic Clodoche quadrille at the Paris Opéra. A non-verbal equivalent of the Marx Brothers, they became bywords through the Western hemisphere of zany, comic demonstrations of the hysteric convulsions described by the medical establishment. Laurence Senelick is Fletcher Professor Emeritus of Drama and Oratory at Tufts University, a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a contributor to the International Encyclopedia of Dance. His many books include British Music Hall: A Bibliography (1981), The Age and Stage of George L. Fox (1999), and Cabaret Performance 1890–1940 (2001–2005).
Bailey Solutions. Responding to Change: Surviving the Financial Crisis, the Pandemic and Everything Else!
Authors: Bailey Penny
Published: September 2020

Bailey Solutions is a leading provider of library management software to the legal sector. Penny Bailey, Managing Director of Bailey Solutions, traces the history of the company from before its incorporation in the 1990s to the current year. The company has experienced both economic recessions and up turns. Penny will discuss what helps Bailey Solutions to survive and the lasting values that she attributes to its success.
The ‘Personal’ in Personal Data: Who is Responsible for Our Data and How Do We Get it Back?
Authors: Wong Janis
Published: September 2020

In our data-driven society, every piece of technology that connects us to the internet collects our personal data (any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person), building elaborate profiles on what we are doing, where we are, and even who we are. As data subjects (those about whom personal data are collected), we can no longer hide from data controllers (those who collect and determine what these data are used for). With every data breach and data sharing revelation from Cambridge Analytica to Google’s Project Nightingale, our personal data is becoming less personal, where data attached to our identity are no longer in our control and becomes harder for us to identify who is responsible.
Microscope Immersion Oil
Authors: Sacher Robert
Published: September 2020

Microscope immersion oil is used in light microscopy to improve imaging. The use of microscope immersion oil as part of a microscope lens system will produce a brighter and sharper image than a similar design not using immersion oil. The reason is that this oil replaces the air gaps between the condenser and the bottom of the slide and between the top of the slide or cover glass and the objective lens with a medium that has a refractive index equal to the lowest refractive index of these glass components.

How does this work? There is a cone of light extending from a centered point on the specimen to the diameter of the objective lens. The angle of this cone is the Angular Aperture (A.A.). A.A. ranges from 10° for long focus low powered objectives to 140° for short focus high power objectives.
Angst und Freude in schulischen Kontexten
Authors: Eschenbeck Heike , Heim-Dreger Uwe , Hock Michael , Kohlmann Carl-Walter
Published: September 2020

Zusammenfassung. Mit den Schulmodulen des „Mehrdimensionalen Angstinventars für Kinder und Jugendliche“ (MAI-KJ) können Angst und Freude spezifisch für schulische Leistungs- und Interaktionssituationen erfasst werden. Die vorliegende Studie überprüft die Faktorenstruktur, die psychometrischen Eigenschaften und die Validität. Für drei schulbezogene Situationen (eine Klassenarbeit schreiben, Zusammensein mit anderen im Pausenhof, etwas vor anderen präsentieren) werden Angst (mit Subskalen zu Aufgeregtheit und Besorgnis) und Freude erfasst. Die Analysen basieren vorwiegend auf zwei Stichproben von Kindern und Jugendlichen im Alter von 8 bis 19 Jahren der Klassenstufen 3 bis 10 (Stichprobe 1: N = 2594, Stichprobe 2: N = 7339). Die angenommene Faktorenstruktur konnte anhand explorativer und konfirmatorischer Faktorenanalysen bestätigt werden. Struktur und Messeigenschaften waren invariant gegenüber Geschlecht und Altersgruppe der Kinder. Die Reliabilitäten der Skalen fielen zufriedenstellend bis gut aus (Cronbachs α = .79 bis .93). Die Stabilitäten variierten für einen Zeitraum von im Mittel 3 Wochen zwischen rtt= .65 und .76. Hinweise auf die Validität konnten durch Korrelationen mit Fragebogenverfahren zur Diagnostik von Angst (z.B. Prüfungsangst, soziale Angst) wie auch Schulleistung ermittelt werden.
Zur Situation der Jungwissenschaftlerinnen und -wissenschaftler in der Psychologie in Österreich
Authors: Bergmann Jakob C. , Mües Hanna M. , Mosbacher Jochen A. , Eckerstorfer Lisa V. , Pomper Ulrich , Malkoc Smirna , Hofer Gabriela , Kachel Timo A. , Goller Florian
Published: September 2020

Zusammenfassung. Unsichere Berufsaussichten, Schwierigkeiten hinsichtlich der Work-Life-Balance und gesundheitliche Probleme werden ebenso wie eine mittlere bis hohe Arbeitszufriedenheit mit der Tätigkeit von Jungwissenschaftler_innen (JuWis) assoziiert. Da zur Situation von JuWis, die im Fach Psychologie in Österreich tätig sind, bisher keine systematischen Untersuchungen vorliegen, wurden ihre Arbeitssituation, Arbeitszufriedenheit und Beanspruchung in einer Online-Umfrage untersucht. Die Stichprobe ( N = 97) bestand aus 64 Praedocs (66 % Frauen, MAlter = 29.84 Jahre, SDAlter = 4.00 Jahre) und 33 Postdocs (55 % Frauen, MAlter = 33.39 Jahre, SDAlter = 3.41 Jahre). Die Ergebnisse zeigen eine durch verschiedene Belastungen (z. B. unsichere Karriereplanung durch befristete Verträge, eine hohe Anzahl an zusätzlichen Arbeitsstunden) gekennzeichnete Arbeitssituation von in der Psychologie tätigen JuWis. Die Arbeitszufriedenheit lag dabei im mittleren bis höheren Bereich, die Beanspruchung im mittleren bis niedrigeren Bereich. Es werden einige Bereiche mit Verbesserungspotenzial erkennbar. Aufgrund der geringen Stichprobengröße sind die Repräsentativität sowie die Generalisierbarkeit der Ergebnisse jedoch eingeschränkt. Auf Basis dieser Umfrage werden mögliche Ansatzpunkte zur Verbesserung der aktuellen Situation angeführt. Dieser Artikel soll angehenden JuWis als Orientierungshilfe dienen.
Markedly Enhanced Levels of Peroxyacetyl Nitrate (PAN) During COVID‐19 in Beijing
Authors: Qiu Yulu , Ma Zhiqiang , Li Ke , Lin Weili , Tang Yingxiao , Dong Fan , Liao Hong
Published: September 2020

High levels of secondary air pollutants during COVID‐19 in China have aroused great concern. In Beijing, measured daily mean peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) concentrations reached 4 ppb over the lockdown period (24 January to 15 February), whose averages were 2–3 times that before lockdown (1–23 January). The lockdown PAN levels also reached a high historical record based on our long‐term measurements (2016–2019). Unlike ozone and PM2.5, PAN formation depends on less complex photochemistry between NOx and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), providing a novel approach to investigate the wintertime photochemistry during COVID‐19. The GEOS‐Chem simulations suggest a markedly enhanced photochemistry by a factor of 2 during the lockdown. Change of meteorology featuring with anomalous wind convergence under higher temperatures is the main reason for enhanced photochemical formation of PAN, while chemically nonlinear feedbacks also play a role. Our results suggest implementing targeted VOC emission controls in the context of increasing photochemical pollution over this complex polluted region.
Correcting Clear‐Sky Bias in Gross Primary Production Modeling From Satellite Solar‐Induced Chlorophyll Fluorescence Data
Authors: Zhang Zhaoying , Zhang Yongguang , Zhang Yao , Chen Jing M.
Published: September 2020

Key Points

A practical approach is proposed to correct clear‐sky bias in GPP estimation from satellite clear‐sky SIF data

The reduction in GPP due to the decreasing PAR is partly compensated by enhancement of light use efficiency under cloudy conditions

Global terrestrial GPP is obtained from total canopy SIF emission after correcting clear‐sky bias
Evolution of a Normal Fault System Along Eastern Gondwana, New Zealand
Authors: Sahoo T. R. , Nicol A. , Browne G. H. , Strogen D. P.
Published: September 2020

The Great South Basin (GSB) developed in the Cretaceous from continental rifting at the southeastern margin of Gondwana. The basin contains a thick Cretaceous succession that is largely unaffected by Neogene compressional tectonics, with rift faults and associated growth strata imaged by good‐quality 2‐D and 3‐D seismic data tied to wells. These data show three distinct stages of normal faulting here referred to as fault system initiation (Stage 1), fault system growth (Stage 2), and fault system death (Stage 3). The different stages of fault system evolution comprise dominant NE trending faults (NW‐SE extension), and minor NW trending faults (NE‐SW extension). Fault initiation at ~105–101 Ma mainly occurred in the central GSB with rift depocenters mostly on, or close to, NW trending basement terrane boundaries. These preexisting basement boundaries represent zones of weakness that locally promoted early localization of NW faults and retarded the propagation of NE faults. With increasing regional extension and fault system growth from ~101 to 90 Ma the influence of the basement fabric gradually decreased, while NE trending faults increased in length, number, displacements, and spatial distribution. Finally, during the fault system death stage from ~90 to 83 Ma the length, number and displacements of faults decreased. Fault death coincided in time with Gondwana breakup and reflects the localization of extension along spreading centers distal to the GSB.
Chemical‐Mechanical Impacts of CO2 Intrusion Into Heterogeneous Caprock
Authors: Xiao Ting , Xu Hao , Moodie Nathan , Esser Richard , Jia Wei , Zheng Liange , Rutqvist Jonny , McPherson Brian
Published: September 2020

The potential economic benefits offered by CO2‐enhanced oil recovery (CO2‐EOR) and storage, including increasing oil production and mitigating CO2 storage cost, make it an attractive approach for reducing CO2 emissions. Sealing formation (caprock) integrity is considered a key risk factor, because of the potential for leaked CO2 or brine migrating into shallow groundwater formations. The primary purpose of this research is to evaluate general caprock sealing efficiency and integrity under typical CO2‐EOR conditions, by assessing the influence of hydrological and mineralogical heterogeneity, possible mineralogical alteration, and potential failure of rock due to hydrological and mineralogical changes. An active CO2‐EOR project at the Farnsworth Unit (FWU) in the northern Texas is selected as a case study. A coupled reactive‐transport‐geomechanics model of the FWU caprock (the Morrow Shale and the Thirteen Fingers Limestone) was developed based on site‐specific geological data. Key results suggest that the Thirteen Fingers Limestone is an effective caprock. After 5,000 years, effectively no supercritical CO2 penetrates this formation, and the penetration depth of dissolved CO2 in aqueous phase does not exceed 10 m. Because of mineral precipitation in the Morrow Shale, maximum porosity decreases ~25% at the reservoir‐caprock interface, suggesting increased caprock sealing efficiency. Geomechanical response of the caprock due to CO2 intrusion and mineral alteration suggests low risk of induced fractures. This study provides a refined evaluation of long‐term caprock integrity as a function of coupled hydrological, chemical, and geomechanical processes and is intended to support future assessment of feasibility and safety of geologic CO2 sequestration.
PKC-δ deficiency in B cells displays osteopenia accompanied with upregulation of RANKL expression and osteoclast–osteoblast uncoupling
Authors: Li Shangfu , Liu Qiuli , Wu Depeng , He Tianwei , Yuan Jinbo , Qiu Heng , Tickner Jennifer , Zheng Song Guo , Li Xiaojuan , Xu Jiake , Rong Limin
Published: September 2020

PKC-δ is an important molecule for B-cell proliferation and tolerance. B cells have long been recognized to play a part in osteoimmunology and pathological bone loss. However, the role of B cells with PKC-δ deficiency in bone homeostasis and the underlying mechanisms are unknown. We generated mice with PKC-δ deletion selectively in B cells by crossing PKC-δ-loxP mice with CD19-Cre mice. We studied their bone phenotype using micro-CT and histology. Next, immune organs were obtained and analyzed. Western blotting was used to determine the RANKL/OPG ratio in vitro in B-cell cultures, ELISA assay and immunohistochemistry were used to analyze in vivo RANKL/OPG balance in serum and bone sections respectively. Finally, we utilized osteoclastogenesis to study osteoclast function via hydroxyapatite resorption assay, and isolated primary calvaria osteoblasts to investigate osteoblast proliferation and differentiation. We also investigated osteoclast and osteoblast biology in co-culture with B-cell supernatants. We found that mice with PKC-δ deficiency in B cells displayed an osteopenia phenotype in the trabecular and cortical compartment of long bones. In addition, PKC-δ deletion resulted in changes of trabecular bone structure in association with activation of osteoclast bone resorption and decrease in osteoblast parameters. As expected, inactivation of PKC-δ in B cells resulted in changes in spleen B-cell number, function, and distribution. Consistently, the RANKL/OPG ratio was elevated remarkably in B-cell culture, in the serum and in bone specimens after loss of PKC-δ in B cells. Finally, in vitro analysis revealed that PKC-δ ablation suppressed osteoclast differentiation and function but co-culture with B-cell supernatant reversed the suppression effect, as well as impaired osteoblast proliferation and function, indicative of osteoclast–osteoblast uncoupling. In conclusion, PKC-δ plays an important role in the interplay between B cells in the immune system and bone cells in the pathogenesis of bone lytic diseases.
Controlling spin current polarization through non-collinear antiferromagnetism
Authors: Nan T. , Quintela C. X. , Irwin J. , Gurung G. , Shao D. F. , Gibbons J. , Campbell N. , Song K. , Choi S. -Y. , Guo L. , Johnson R. D. , Manuel P. , Chopdekar R. V. , Hallsteinsen I. , Tybell T. , Ryan P. J. , Kim J. -W. , Choi Y. , Radaelli P. G. , Ralph D. C. , Tsymbal E. Y. , Rzchowski M. S. , Eom C. B.
Published: September 2020

The interconversion of charge and spin currents via spin-Hall effect is essential for spintronics. Energy-efficient and deterministic switching of magnetization can be achieved when spin polarizations of these spin currents are collinear with the magnetization. However, symmetry conditions generally restrict spin polarizations to be orthogonal to both the charge and spin flows. Spin polarizations can deviate from such direction in nonmagnetic materials only when the crystalline symmetry is reduced. Here, we show control of the spin polarization direction by using a non-collinear antiferromagnet Mn3GaN, in which the triangular spin structure creates a low magnetic symmetry while maintaining a high crystalline symmetry. We demonstrate that epitaxial Mn3GaN/permalloy heterostructures can generate unconventional spin-orbit torques at room temperature corresponding to out-of-plane and Dresselhaus-like spin polarizations which are forbidden in any sample with two-fold rotational symmetry. Our results demonstrate an approach based on spin-structure design for controlling spin-orbit torque, enabling high-efficient antiferromagnetic spintronics.
Reductions in commuting mobility correlate with geographic differences in SARS-CoV-2 prevalence in New York City
Authors: Kissler Stephen M. , Kishore Nishant , Prabhu Malavika , Goffman Dena , Beilin Yaakov , Landau Ruth , Gyamfi-Bannerman Cynthia , Bateman Brian T. , Snyder Jon , Razavi Armin S. , Katz Daniel , Gal Jonathan , Bianco Angela , Stone Joanne , Larremore Daniel , Buckee Caroline O. , Grad Yonatan H.
Published: September 2020

SARS-CoV-2-related mortality and hospitalizations differ substantially between New York City neighborhoods. Mitigation efforts require knowing the extent to which these disparities reflect differences in prevalence and understanding the associated drivers. Here, we report the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in New York City boroughs inferred using tests administered to 1,746 pregnant women hospitalized for delivery between March 22nd and May 3rd, 2020. We also assess the relationship between prevalence and commuting-style movements into and out of each borough. Prevalence ranged from 11.3% (95% credible interval [8.9%, 13.9%]) in Manhattan to 26.0% (15.3%, 38.9%) in South Queens, with an estimated city-wide prevalence of 15.6% (13.9%, 17.4%). Prevalence was lowest in boroughs with the greatest reductions in morning movements out of and evening movements into the borough (Pearson R = −0.88 [−0.52, −0.99]). Widespread testing is needed to further specify disparities in prevalence and assess the risk of future outbreaks.
Factor analysis of ancient population genomic samples
Authors: François Olivier , Jay Flora
Published: September 2020

The recent years have seen a growing number of studies investigating evolutionary questions using ancient DNA. To address these questions, one of the most frequently-used method is principal component analysis (PCA). When PCA is applied to temporal samples, the sample dates are, however, ignored during analysis, leading to imperfect representations of samples in PC plots. Here, we present a factor analysis (FA) method in which individual scores are corrected for the effect of allele frequency drift over time. We obtained exact solutions for the estimates of corrected factors, and we provided a fast algorithm for their computation. Using computer simulations and ancient European samples, we compared geometric representations obtained from FA with PCA and with ancestry estimation programs. In admixture analyses, FA estimates agreed with tree-based statistics, and they were more accurate than those obtained from PCA projections and from ancestry estimation programs. A great advantage of FA over existing approaches is to improve descriptive analyses of ancient DNA samples without requiring inclusion of outgroup or present-day samples.
Time-restricted feeding alters lipid and amino acid metabolite rhythmicity without perturbing clock gene expression
Authors: Lundell Leonidas S. , Parr Evelyn B. , Devlin Brooke L. , Ingerslev Lars R. , Altıntaş Ali , Sato Shogo , Sassone-Corsi Paolo , Barrès Romain , Zierath Juleen R. , Hawley John A.
Published: September 2020

Time-restricted feeding (TRF) improves metabolism independent of dietary macronutrient composition or energy restriction. To elucidate mechanisms underpinning the effects of short-term TRF, we investigated skeletal muscle and serum metabolic and transcriptomic profiles from 11 men with overweight/obesity after TRF (8 h day−1) and extended feeding (EXF, 15 h day−1) in a randomised cross-over design (trial registration: ACTRN12617000165381). Here we show that muscle core clock gene expression was similar after both interventions. TRF increases the amplitude of oscillating muscle transcripts, but not muscle or serum metabolites. In muscle, TRF induces rhythmicity of several amino acid transporter genes and metabolites. In serum, lipids are the largest class of periodic metabolites, while the majority of phase-shifted metabolites are amino acid related. In conclusion, short-term TRF in overweight men affects the rhythmicity of serum and muscle metabolites and regulates the rhythmicity of genes controlling amino acid transport, without perturbing core clock gene expression.