bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nitrogen Self‐Doped Hierarchical Porous Carbon from Myriophyllum Aquaticum for Supercapacitor Electrode
Authors: Shen Feng , Zhu Linfeng , Qi Xinhua
Published: October 2018

Nitrogen self‐doped carbon with hierarchical porous structure was fabricated via a simple but highly efficient method, where an aquatic plant myriophyllum aquaticum was used as both carbon and nitrogen precursors. The obtained carbons had 2.3∼3% nitrogen content which was self‐doped attributing to the high nitrogen content of myriophyllum aquaticum, thus eliminating the need of extra nitrogen addition. It discovered that KHCO3 was more efficient than traditional widely used CO2 to generate porous carbons (total surface areas 1765 vs 1003 m2/g). Hierarchical porous structure with macro‐, meso‐ and micro‐pores could be formed with the use of KHCO3 instead of CO2 (only micro‐and meso‐pores in the carbon). The myriophyllum aquaticum derived carbons were applied for the electrodes of supercapacitor, and the electrochemical performance of the KHCO3 activated carbons was superior to that of CO2 activated carbons (248 F/g vs 199 F/g). The excellent performance of myriophyllum aquaticum derived carbons via KHCO3 activation could be attributed to its unique surface functionalities and pore structures including nitrogen containing groups, high surface area and hierarchical structure. The outcomes of this work offer a low cost and scalable approach to prepare nitrogen self‐doped porous carbons from discarded myriophyllum aquaticum.
Single‐Nanostructured Electrochemical Detection for Intrinsic Mechanism of Energy Storage: Progress and Prospect
Authors: Farooqi Sidra Anis , Wang Xianfu , Lu Haoliang , Li Qun , Tang Kai , Chen Yu , Yan Chenglin
Published: October 2018

Energy storage appliances are active by means of accompanying components for renewable energy resources that play a significant role in the advanced world. To further improve the electrochemical properties of the lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs), sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs), and lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries, the electrochemical detection of the intrinsic mechanisms and dynamics of electrodes in batteries is required to guide the rational design of electrodes. Thus, several researches have conducted in situ investigations and real‐time observations of electrode evolution, ion diffusion pathways, and side reactions during battery operation at the nanoscale, which are proven to be extremely insightful. However, the in situ cells are required to be compatible for electrochemical tests and are therefore often challenging to operate. In the past few years, tremendous progresses have been made with novel and more advanced in situ electrochemical detection methods for mechanism studies, especially single‐nanostructured electrodes. Herein, a comprehensive review of in situ techniques based on single‐nanostructured electrodes for studying electrodes changes in LIBs, SIBs, and Li–S batteries, including structure evolution, phase transition, interface formation, and the ion diffusion pathway is provided, which is instructive and meaningful for the optimization of battery systems.
GLIS3 Transcriptionally Activates WNT Genes to Promote Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells into Posterior Neural Progenitors
Authors: Jeon Kilsoo , Kumar Dhirendra , Conway Amanda E. , Park Kyeyoon , Jothi Raja , Jetten Anton M.
Published: October 2018

Anterior–posterior (A–P) specification of the neural tube involves initial acquisition of anterior fate followed by the induction of posterior characteristics in the primitive anterior neuroectoderm. Several morphogens have been implicated in the regulation of A–P neural patterning; however, our understanding of the upstream regulators of these morphogens remains incomplete. Here, we show that the Krüppel-like zinc finger transcription factor GLI-Similar 3 (GLIS3) can direct differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) into posterior neural progenitor cells in lieu of the default anterior pathway. Transcriptomic analyses reveal that this switch in cell fate is due to rapid activation of Wingless/Integrated (WNT) signaling pathway. Mechanistically, through genome-wide RNA-Seq, ChIP-Seq, and functional analyses, we show that GLIS3 binds to and directly regulates the transcription of several WNT genes, including the strong posteriorizing factor WNT3A, and that inhibition of WNT signaling is sufficient to abrogate GLIS3-induced posterior specification. Our findings suggest a potential role for GLIS3 in the regulation of A–P specification through direct transcriptional activation of WNT genes. Stem Cells  2018 Stem Cells  2019;37:202–215
SMAD4 Is Essential for Human Cardiac Mesodermal Precursor Cell Formation
Authors: Xu Jiejia , Gruber Peter J. , Chien Kenneth R.
Published: October 2018

Understanding stage-specific molecular mechanisms of human cardiomyocyte (CM) progenitor formation and subsequent differentiation are critical to identify pathways that might lead to congenital cardiovascular defects and malformations. In particular, gene mutations in the transforming growth factor (TGF)β superfamily signaling pathways can cause human congenital heart defects, and murine loss of function studies of a central component in this pathway, Smad4, leads to early embryonic lethality. To define the role of SMAD4 at the earliest stages of human cardiogenesis, we generated SMAD4 mutant human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Herein, we show that the loss of SMAD4 has no effect on hESC self-renewal, or neuroectoderm formation, but is essential for the formation of cardiac mesoderm, with a subsequent complete loss of CM formation during human ES cell cardiogenesis. Via transcriptional profiling, we show that SMAD4 mutant cell lines fail to generate cardiac mesodermal precursors, clarifying a role of NODAL/SMAD4 signaling in cardiac mesodermal precursor formation via enhancing the expression of primitive streak genes. Since SMAD4 relative pathways have been linked to congenital malformations, it will become of interest to determine whether these may due, in part, to defective cell fate decision during cardiac mesodermal precursor formation. Stem Cells  2018 Stem Cells  2019;37:216–225
Spatial‐Decomposition Analysis of Electrical Conductivity
Authors: Matubayasi Nobuyuki
Published: October 2018

Spatial decomposition is conducted for the electrical conductivity. The contribution per ion pair at a certain distance is identified in terms of a two‐body velocity time correlation function and is integrated over the whole distance of the ion pair to provide the cross‐correlation term of the conductivity. The spatial‐decomposition formula is an exact expression at any concentrations of ions and incorporates physically appealing pictures in the space domain into the theory of time correlation functions. Illustrative analyses are presented for 1m NaCl aqueous solution and the [C4mim][NTf2] ionic liquid. The contrast between the two systems is discussed for the time and spatial ranges of correlations, and it is shown that the ion‐pair contribution to the conductivity for the [C4mim][NTf2] system is not localized and extends beyond the first coordination shell of the cation‐anion pair.
Operando XAFS Imaging of Distribution of Pt Cathode Catalysts in PEFC MEA
Authors: Matsui Hirosuke , Maejima Naoyuki , Ishiguro Nozomu , Tan Yuanyuan , Uruga Tomoya , Sekizawa Oki , Sakata Tomohiro , Tada Mizuki
Published: October 2018

Three‐dimensional imaging using X‐ray as a probe is state‐of‐the‐art for the characterization of heterogeneous materials. In addition to simple imaging of sample morphology, imaging of elemental distribution and chemical states provides advanced maps of key structural parameters of functional materials. The combination of X‐ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy and three‐dimensional imaging such as computed tomography (CT) can visualize the three‐dimensional distribution of target elements, their valence states, and local structures in a non‐destructive manner. In this personal account, our recent results on the three‐dimensional XAFS imaging for Pt cathode catalysts in the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) of polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) are introduced. The distribution and chemical states of Pt cathode catalysts in MEAs remarkably change under PEFC operating conditions, and the 3D XAFS imaging revealed essential events in PEFC MEAs.
Determination of mammalianDNAin commercial canine diets with uncommon and limited ingredients
Authors: Fossati Lara A. , Larsen Jennifer A. , Villaverde Cecilia , Fascetti Andrea J.
Published: October 2018

Over‐the‐counter (OTC) limited ingredient canine diets could be reliable alternatives to veterinary therapeutic formulations for the diagnosis and management of adverse food reaction (AFR). However, the possibility of undeclared ingredients jeopardizes the efficacious use ofOTCoptions for medical purposes. The objective was to determine the presence of undeclared ingredients inOTCcanine dry diets marketed as limited or single protein source diets. Twenty‐oneOTCadult canine diets marketed as limited or single protein source diets were purchased. MultiplexPCRwas used to screen forDNAof 10 mammalian species with species‐specific primers that anneal to regions of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. The presence ofDNAfrom one or more species not declared on the label was identified in all 21 diets: cow(Bos taurus), pig (Sus scrofa), sheep (Ovissp.), goat (Capra hircus) and bison (Bison bison). Twenty diets were positive for the declared protein source and one diet was negative for the declared species. Cat (Felis catus),dog (Canis sp.),horse (Equus sp.), mouse (Mus musculus) and rat (Rattus norvegicus)DNAwas not identified in any samples. The presence of undeclared mammal species inOTCcanine dry diets marketed as having limited or single protein source ingredients may complicateAFRdiagnosis and treatment. However,PCRcan detect a miniscule amount ofDNAwhich might not be clinically significant, because the amount needed to elicit a response is unknown. Quantification of the contamination was not determined in this study, precluding discrimination of intentional adulteration from unavoidable cross‐contamination.
Spectral analysis of jet substructure with neural networks: boosted Higgs case
Authors: Lim Sung Hak , Nojiri Mihoko M.
Published: October 2018

Abstract

Jets from boosted heavy particles have a typical angular scale which can be used to distinguish them from QCD jets. We introduce a machine learning strategy for jet substructure analysis using a spectral function on the angular scale. The angular spectrum allows us to scan energy deposits over the angle between a pair of particles in a highly visual way. We set up an artificial neural network (ANN) to find out characteristic shapes of the spectra of the jets from heavy particle decays. By taking the Higgs jets and QCD jets as examples, we show that the ANN of the angular spectrum input has similar performance to existing taggers. In addition, some improvement is seen when additional extra radiations occur. Notably, the new algorithm automatically combines the information of the multipoint correlations in the jet.
AdS2 × S7 solutions from D0-F1-D8 intersections
Authors: Dibitetto Giuseppe , Passias Achilleas
Published: October 2018

Abstract

We study an exhaustive analytic class of massive type IIA backgrounds pre-serving sixteen real supercharges and enjoying SL(2, ℝ) × SO(8) bosonic symmetry. The corresponding geometry is described by AdS2 × S
7 warped over a line, which turns out to emerge from taking the near-horizon limit of D0-F1-D8 intersections. By studying the singularity structure of these solutions we find the possible presence of localized O8/D8 sources, as well as of fundamental strings smeared over the S
7. Finally we discuss the relation between the aforementioned solutions and the known AdS7 × S
2 class through double analytic continuation.
Outcome of Self‐Expanding Metal Stents in the Treatment of Anastomotic Leaks After Ivor Lewis Esophagectomy
Authors: Plum Patrick Sven , Herbold Till , Berlth Felix , Christ Hildegard , Alakus Hakan , Bludau Marc , Chang De‐Hua , Bruns Christiane Josephine , Hölscher Arnulf Heinrich , Chon Seung‐Hun
Published: October 2018

Background

Esophageal anastomotic leakages after Ivor Lewis esophagectomy are severe and life‐threatening complications. We analyzed the outcome of using self‐expanding metal stents (SEMS) in the treatment of postoperative leakage after esophagogastrostomy.

Methods

Seventy patients with esophageal anastomotic leakage after Ivor Lewis esophagectomy for esophageal cancer who had received SEMS treatment between January 2006 and December 2015 at our clinic were identified in this retrospective study. The patients were analyzed according to demographic characteristics, risk factors, leakage characteristics, stent characteristics, stent‐related complications, sealing success rate and mortality.

Results

Over a 10‐year period, 70 patients received SEMS as treatment for postoperative anastomotic leakage after esophagectomy. Technical success of esophageal stenting in anastomotic leakage was achieved in 50 out of 70 cases (71.4%). Sealing success rate was 70% (n = 49) with a median treatment of 28 days (range 7–87). In 20 patients (28.6%), stent‐related complications, such as stenosis, dislocation, leakage persistence, perforation or esophagotracheal fistula occurred after the SEMS treatment. Sixty‐one patients (87.1%) survived SEMS treatment of esophagogastric anastomotic leakage. Mean follow‐up for all patients was 38 months (IQR 10–76), and no significant difference was found in a comparison of the long‐term survival rate between patients with successful and unsuccessful SEMS treatment.

Conclusions

The management of esophageal anastomotic leaks after Ivor Lewis esophagectomy with SEMS is effective, safe and technically feasible. Aggressive non‐surgical management should be considered when developing a treatment plan for stenting.
Purification and characterization of indochrome type blue pigment produced by Pseudarthrobacter sp. 34LCH1 isolated from Atacama desert
Authors: Finger Sebastian , Godoy Félix A , Wittwer Geraldine , Aranda Carlos P , Calderón Raúl , Miranda Claudio D
Published: October 2018

The interest in and demand for natural dyes has increased significantly in recent years; however, very few natural blue dyes are commercially available, because blue colored compounds in nature are relatively rare. In this study, a blue pigment-producing bacteria from Lake Chungará (Atacama Desert, Chile) was isolated, and its blue pigment was purified and chemically characterized. The pigment-producing strain was identified as Pseudarthrobacter sp. by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The pigment was separated from the filtered culture medium by column chromatography/solid-phase extraction using different resins (ionic exchange, C-18, size exclusion). The strain produced up to 2.5 g L−1 of blue pigment, which was very soluble in water, partially soluble in methanol and insoluble in other organic solvents. The pigment was analyzed and characterized by analytical HPLC, UV–Vis, FT-IR, and H-NMR, and purified by semi-preparative HPLC. The pigment was non-toxic to brine shrimp (LD50 > 2.3 g L−1) and was stable at pH 6–10 at temperatures below 60 °C. HPLC analysis shows that the pigment is composed of four major blue fractions. The physicochemical properties and structural analysis demonstrate that this pigment belongs to the indochrome isomers, whose properties have yet to have been characterized. The high solubility in water, good stability in neutral and basic pH, and negligible toxicity of the blue pigment make it a good candidate suitable for several industrial and possibly some food applications.
Secondary flows due to finite aspect ratio in inertialess viscoelastic Taylor–Couette flow
Authors: Davoodi M. , Lerouge S. , Norouzi M. , Poole R. J.
Published: October 2018

Both in rheometry and in fundamental fluid mechanics studies, the Taylor–Couette geometry is used frequently to investigate viscoelastic fluids. In order to ensure a constant shear rate in the gap between the inner and outer cylinders, such studies are usually restricted to the small-gap limit where the assumption of a linear velocity distribution is well justified. In conjunction with a sufficiently large aspect ratio$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6EC}$(i.e. ratio of cylinder height to gap), the flow is then assumed to be viscometric. Here we demonstrate, using a perturbation technique with the curvature ratio (i.e. ratio of the half-gap to the mid-radius of the cylinders) as the perturbation parameter, full nonlinear simulations using a finite-volume technique, and supporting experiments, that, even in the creeping-flow (inertialess) narrow-gap limit, for viscoelastic fluids end effects due to finite aspect ratio always give rise to a secondary motion. Using the constant-viscosity Oldroyd-B model we are able to show that this secondary motion, as has been observed in related pressure-driven flows with curvature, such as the viscoelastic Dean flow, is solely a consequence of the combination of gradients of the first normal-stress difference and curvature. Our results show that end effects can significantly change the flow characteristics, especially for small aspect ratios, and this may have important consequences in some situations such as the onset criteria for purely elastic instabilities.
On the structure of the self-sustaining cycle in separating and reattaching flows
Authors: Cimarelli A. , Leonforte A. , Angeli D.
Published: October 2018

The separating and reattaching flows and the wake of a finite rectangular plate are studied by means of direct numerical simulation data. The large amount of information provided by the numerical approach is exploited here to address the multi-scale features of the flow and to assess the self-sustaining mechanisms that form the basis of the main unsteadinesses of the flows. We first analyse the statistically dominant flow structures by means of three-dimensional spatial correlation functions. The developed flow is found to be statistically dominated by quasi-streamwise vortices and streamwise velocity streaks as a result of flow motions induced by hairpin-like structures. On the other hand, the reverse flow within the separated region is found to be characterized by spanwise vortices. We then study the spectral properties of the flow. Given the strongly inhomogeneous nature of the flow, the spectral analysis has been conducted along two selected streamtraces of the mean velocity field. This approach allows us to study the spectral evolution of the flow along its paths. Two well-separated characteristic scales are identified in the near-wall reverse flow and in the leading-edge shear layer. The first is recognized to represent trains of small-scale structures triggering the leading-edge shear layer, whereas the second is found to be related to a very large-scale phenomenon that embraces the entire flow field. A picture of the self-sustaining mechanisms of the flow is then derived. It is shown that very-large-scale fluctuations of the pressure field alternate between promoting and suppressing the reverse flow within the separation region. Driven by these large-scale dynamics, packages of small-scale motions trigger the leading-edge shear layers, which in turn created them, alternating in the top and bottom sides of the rectangular plate with a relatively long period of inversion, thus closing the self-sustaining cycle.
Holocene glacier fluctuations and environmental changes in subantarctic South Georgia inferred from a sediment record from a coastal inlet
Authors: Berg Sonja , White Duanne A. , Jivcov Sandra , Melles Martin , Leng Melanie J. , Rethemeyer Janet , Allen Claire , Perren Bianca , Bennike Ole , Viehberg Finn
Published: October 2018

The subantarctic island of South Georgia provides terrestrial and coastal marine records of climate variability, which are crucial for the understanding of the drivers of Holocene climate changes in the subantarctic region. Here we investigate a sediment core (Co1305) from a coastal inlet on South Georgia using elemental, lipid biomarker, diatom, and stable isotope data to infer changes in environmental conditions and to constrain the timing of late-glacial and Holocene glacier fluctuations. Because of the scarcity of terrestrial macrofossils and the presence of redeposited and relict organic matter in the sediments, age control for the record was obtained by compound-specific radiocarbon dating of mostly marine-derivedn-C16fatty acids. A basal till layer recovered in Little Jason Lagoon was likely deposited during an advance of local glaciers during the Antarctic cold reversal. After glacier retreat, an oligotrophic lake occupied the site, which transitioned to a marine inlet around 8.0±0.9 ka because of relative sea-level rise. From 7.0±0.6 to 4.0±0.4 ka, reduced vegetation coverage in the catchment, as well as high siliciclastic input and deposition of ice-rafted debris, indicates glacier advances in the terrestrial catchment and likely in the adjacent fjord. A second, less extensive period of glacier advances occurred in the late Holocene, after 1.8±0.3 ka.
EDWARD THE CONFESSOR’S SHRINE IN WESTMINSTER ABBEY: THE QUESTION OF METRE
Authors: Payne Matthew , Rodwell Warwick
Published: October 2018

In an earlier paper that looked at the dating of Edward the Confessor’s shrine at Westminster Abbey and which was published in volume 97 of The Antiquaries Journal, the authors suggested that a scribal error in the recording of the original inscription by the fifteenth-century monk Richard Sporley may have led to the incorrect date of 1279 being given for the construction (or, at least, completion) of the shrine. As a result of the debate aroused by that earlier paper, the authors have now reconsidered and slightly amended their original argument.
Involvement of calcium-sensing receptor activation in the alleviation of intestinal inflammation in a piglet model by dietary aromatic amino acid supplementation
Authors: Liu Hongnan , Tan Bie , Huang Bo , Li Jianjun , Wang Jing , Liao Peng , Guan Guiping , Ji Peng , Yin Yulong
Published: October 2018

Ca2+-sensing receptor (CaSR) represents a potential therapeutic target for inflammatory bowel diseases and strongly prefers aromatic amino acid ligands. We investigated the regulatory effects of dietary supplementation with aromatic amino acids – tryptophan, phenylalanine and tyrosine (TPT) – on the CaSR signalling pathway and intestinal inflammatory response. Thein vivostudy was conducted with weanling piglets using a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement in a randomised complete block design. Piglets were fed a basal diet or a basal diet supplemented with TPT and with or without inflammatory challenge. Thein vitrostudy was performed in porcine intestinal epithelial cell line to investigate the effects of TPT on inflammatory response using NPS-2143 to inhibit CaSR. Dietary supplementation of TPT alleviated histopathological injury and decreased myeloperoxidase activity in intestine challenged with lipopolysaccharide. Dietary supplementation of TPT decreased serum concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, TNF-α), as well as the mRNA abundances of pro-inflammatory cytokines in intestine but enhanced anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-4 and transforming growth factor-βmRNA levels compared with pigs fed control diet and infected by lipopolysaccharide. Supplementation of TPT increased CaSR and phospholipase Cβ2 protein levels, but decreased inhibitor of NF-κB kinaseα/βand inhibitor of NF-κB (IκB) protein levels in the lipopolysaccharide-challenged piglets. When the CaSR signalling pathway was blocked by NPS-2143, supplementation of TPT decreased the CaSR protein level, but enhanced phosphorylated NF-κB and IκB levels in IPEC-J2 cells. To conclude, supplementation of aromatic amino acids alleviated intestinal inflammation as mediated through the CaSR signalling pathway.
Associations of breast milk adiponectin, leptin, insulin and ghrelin with maternal characteristics and early infant growth: a longitudinal study
Authors: Yu Xinting , Rong Shi Song , Sun Xiujing , Ding Guofang , Wan Weilin , Zou Liying , Wu Shaowen , Li Ming , Wang Danhua
Published: October 2018

Breast milk (BM) hormones have been hypothesised as a nutritional link between maternal and infant metabolic health. This study aimed to evaluate hormone concentrations in BM of women with and without gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and the relationship between maternal factors, BM hormones and infant growth. We studied ninety-six nulliparous women with (n 48) and without GDM and their exclusively breastfed term singletons. Women with GDM received dietary therapy or insulin injection for euglycaemia during pregnancy. Hormone concentrations in BM, maternal BMI and infant growth were longitudinally evaluated on postnatal days 3, 42 and 90. Mothers with GDM had decreased concentrations of adiponectin (Pcolostrum<0·001; Pmature-milk=0·009) and ghrelin (Pcolostrum=0·011; Pmature-milk<0·001) and increased concentration of insulin in BM (Pcolostrum=0·047; Pmature-milk=0·021). Maternal BMI was positively associated with adiponectin (β=0·06; 95 % CI 0·02, 0·1; P=0·001), leptin (β=0·16; 95 % CI 0·12, 0·2; P<0·001) and insulin concentrations (β=0·06; 95 % CI 0·02, 0·1; P<0·001), and inversely associated with ghrelin concentration in BM (β=–0·08; 95 % CI –0·1, –0·06; P<0·001). Among the four hormones, adiponectin was inversely associated with infant growth in both the GDM (βweight-for-height=–2·49; 95 % CI –3·83, –1·15; P<0·001; βhead-circumference=–0·39; 95 % CI –0·65, –0·13; P=0·003) and healthy groups (βweight-for-height=–1·42; 95 % CI –2·38, –0·46; P=0·003; βhead-circumference=–0·15; 95 % CI –0·27, –0·03; P=0·007). Maternal BMI and GDM are important determinants of BM hormone concentrations. Milk-borne adiponectin is determined by maternal metabolic status and plays an independent down-regulating role in early infant growth.
Effect of purified anthocyanins or anthocyanin-rich extracts on C-reactive protein levels: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials
Authors: Sangsefidi Zohreh Sadat , Hasanizadeh Shirin , Hosseinzadeh Mahdieh
Published: October 2018

As the results of clinical trials are inconsistent, we conducted this research to assess the effect of purified anthocyanins or anthocyanin-rich extract supplementation on C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. We searched several databases to identify and extract data on characteristics, methods and outcomes of the eligible randomised controlled trials (RCT). A random-effects model, weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95 % CI were applied for data analysis. To investigate the effects of the study quality score or design on our results, we performed the same analysis by excluding the studies of Karlsen et al., with the lowest quality score, and Hassellund et al., with a cross-over design. Meta-analysis showed that anthocyanins had no significant impact on CRP levels (WMD=0·018; 95 % CI –0·44, 0·47; P=0·94). Although the effect of anthocyanins was independent of supplementation duration (slope: 0·01; 95 % CI –0·002, 0·03; P=0·08), their effect depended on the dose of anthocyanins (slope: 0·001; 95 % CI 0·0007, 0·002; P<0·001). However, no significant relationship was found between the anthocyanin dosage and CRP levels after excluding the studies of Karlsen et al. and Hassellund et al. Finally, anthocyanins had no effect on CRP levels regarding healthy participants, patients and types of anthocyanins. Although changes in CRP concentrations had no association with trial duration, a significant relationship was found between anthocyanin dosage and CRP level. No significant result was observed between the anthocyanin dosage and CRP levels after excluding the mentioned studies. Further well-designed RCT are needed to validate these findings.
Urinary sodium is positively associated with urinary free cortisol and total cortisol metabolites in a cross-sectional sample of Australian schoolchildren aged 5–12 years and their mothers
Authors: Torres Susan J. , Grimes Carley , Nowson Caryl A. , Jayasinghe Sisitha U. , Bruce Clinton R. , Mason Shaun A. , He Feng J. , Turner Anne I.
Published: October 2018

High Na intake and chronically elevated cortisol levels are independently associated with the development of chronic diseases. In adults, high Na intake is associated with high levels of urinary cortisol. We aimed to determine the association between urinary Na and K and urinary cortisol in a cross-sectional sample of Australian schoolchildren and their mothers. Participants were a sample of Australian children (n 120) and their mothers (n 100) recruited through primary schools. We assessed Na, K, free cortisol and cortisol metabolites in one 24 h urine collection. Associations between 24 h urinary electrolytes and 24 h urinary cortisol were assessed using multilevel mixed-effects linear regression models. In children, urinary Na was positively associated with urinary free cortisol (β=0·31, 95 % CI 0·19, 0·44) and urinary cortisol metabolites (β=0·006, 95 % CI 0·002, 0·010). Positive associations were also observed between urinary K and urinary free cortisol (β=0·65, 95 % CI 0·23, 1·07) and urinary cortisol metabolites (β=0·02, 95 % CI 0·03, 0·031). In mothers, urinary Na was positively associated with urinary free cortisol (β=0·23, 95 % CI 0·01, 0·50) and urinary cortisol metabolites (β=0·008, 95 % CI 0·0007, 0·016). Our findings show that daily Na and K intake were positively associated with cortisol production in children and their mothers. Investigation of the mechanisms involved and the potential impact of Na reduction on cortisol levels in these populations is warranted.
Bidirectional associations between diet and body composition measures from 2 to 15 years: Longitudinal Study of Australian Children
Authors: Gasser Constantine E. , Mensah Fiona K. , Clifford Susan A. , Kerr Jessica A. , Cassim Raisa , Wake Melissa
Published: October 2018

This study investigates how dietary patterns and scores are associated with subsequent BMI and waist:height ratio (WHtR), and how BMI and WHtR are associated with subsequent dietary patterns or scores, from 2–3 to 10–11 and 4–5 to 14–15 years of age. In the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, height, weight and waist circumference were measured biennially in children, yielding BMIz-score and WHtR. Parents, latterly children, reported frequency of child consumption of 12–16 food/drink items during the previous 24 h. At each wave, we empirically derived dietary patterns using factor analyses, and dietary scores based on the 2013 Australian Dietary Guidelines. We used structural-equation modelling to investigate cross-lagged associations (n1972–2882) between diet and body composition measures in univariable and multivariable analyses. Dietary scores/patterns did not consistently predict WHtR and BMIz-score in the next wave, nor did BMIz-score and WHtR consistently predict diet in the next wave. The few associations seen were weak and often in the opposite direction to that hypothesised. The largest effect, associated with each standard deviation increase in BMI in wave 5 of the K cohort (age 12–13 years), was a 0·06 standard deviation estimated mean increase in dietary score (higher quality diet) in the subsequent wave (95 % CI 0·02, 0·11,P=0·003). Associations between dietary patterns/scores and body composition were not strongly evident in either direction. Better quantitative childhood dietary tools feasible for large-scale administration are needed to quantify how dietary patterns, energy intake and anthropometry co-develop.
Carbon-isotope stratigraphy of the SPICE event (Upper Cambrian) in eastern Laurentia: implications for global correlation and a potential reference section
Authors: Azmy Karem
Published: October 2018

The δ13C profile from the lower interval of the Martin Point section in western Newfoundland (Canada) spans the Upper Cambrian (uppermost Franconian – lowermost Trempealeauan). The investigated interval (∼110 m) is a part of the Green Point Formation of the Cow Head Group and consists of the upper part of the Tucker Cove Member (topmost part of the Shallow Bay Formation) and the lowermost part of the Martin Point Member (bottom of the Green Point Formation). It is formed of rhythmites of marine carbonates alternating with shales and minor conglomeratic interbeds. Multiscreening petrographic and geochemical techniques have been utilized to evaluate the preservation of the investigated lime mudstones. The δ13C and δ18O values of the sampled micrites (−4.8 ‰ to +1.0 ‰ VPDB and −8.2 ‰ to −5.3 ‰ VPDB, respectively) have insignificant correlation (R2= 0.01), as similarly do the δ13C values with their Sr counterparts (R2= 0.07), which supports the preservation of at least near-primary δ13C signatures that can be utilized to construct a reliable high-resolution carbon-isotope profile for global correlations. The δ13C profile exhibits two main negative excursions: a lower excursion (∼4 ‰) that reaches its maximum at the bottom of the section and an upper narrow excursion (∼6 ‰) immediately above the boundary of the Tucker Cove/Martin Point members (Shallow Bay Formation – Green Point Formation boundary). The lower excursion may be correlated with the global SPICE event, whereas the upper excursion may match with a post-SPICE event that has been also recognized in profiles of equivalent sections on different palaeocontinents.
Indexing effects of phonological representational strength on rapid naming using rime neighborhood density
Authors: WISEHEART REBECCA , KIM SUNJUNG , LOMBARDINO LINDA J. , ALTMANN LORI J. P.
Published: October 2018

A long-standing hypothesis is that rapid automatized naming (RAN) measures access to phonological representations stored in long-term memory, but this has been difficult to test experimentally because phonological representations are mental constructs not easily operationalized. Here, we provide a method to test this theory using rime neighborhood density as an index of phonological representational strength. Thirty adults completed four picture-naming tasks orthogonalized for item composition (repeating vs. nonrepeating) and presentation format (discrete vs. serial). Each task was presented in two dichotomous conditions of rime neighborhood density (dense and sparse). There was no effect of rime neighborhood density on naming speed in the discrete nonrepeated (confrontation naming) task. However, rime neighborhood density significantly facilitated naming speed for serial repeated (i.e., RAN), discrete repeated, and serial nonrepeated tasks (ps<.03). The effect was weakest for confrontation naming (d=0.14) and strongest for both discrete and serial RAN tasks (ds=1.01), suggesting that repeating items, not serial presentation, makes RAN uniquely sensitive to manipulations of rime neighborhood density and, by proxy, phonological representations.
INTRODUCTION TO THE SYMPOSIUM ON THE REPORT OF THE INTERNATIONAL PANEL ON SOCIAL PROGRESS (IPSP) 2018
Authors: Raubo Alexander , Voorhoeve Alex
Published: October 2018

The publication of the first Report of the International Panel on Social Progress is a significant intellectual event, both because of its hugely ambitious aim – of uniting the world's leading researchers from social sciences and the humanities to develop research-based, multi-disciplinary, non-partisan, action-guiding solutions to the central challenges of our time – and because it represents the completion of a mammoth effort in the service of this aim by a diverse set of 269 authors. In its attempt to synthesize and render accessible to social actors a broad range of the latest social scientific knowledge, as well as in its confidence that knowledge can empower those actors to make progress, it recalls D'Alembert and Diderot's famous Encyclopédie. Indeed, one can say that the Report is a quintessential Enlightenment project (cf. Bury 1920). For example, in his famous Outlines of a Historical View of the Progress of the Human Mind (1796), Condorcet asserts the possibility of an accumulation of empirical and theoretical knowledge and the concomitant expansion in our capacities to alleviate social and natural evils. And Condorcet and many of his contemporaries were motivated to propose political institutions that would enable such an indefinite increase in knowledge so as to bring about the attendant improvement to people's lives.
ASYMPTOTICALLY EFFICIENT MODEL SELECTION FOR PANEL DATA FORECASTING
Authors: Greenaway-McGrevy Ryan
Published: October 2018

This article develops new model selection methods for forecasting panel data using a set of least squares (LS) vector autoregressions. Model selection is based on minimizing the estimated quadratic forecast risk among candidate models. We provide conditions under which the selection criterion is asymptotically efficient in the sense of Shibata (1980) asn(cross sections) andT(time series) approach infinity. Relative to extant selection criteria, this criterion places a heavier penalty on model dimensionality in order to account for the effects of parameterized forms of cross sectional heterogeneity (such as fixed effects) on forecast loss. We also extend the analysis to bias-corrected least squares, showing that significant reductions in forecast risk can be achieved.
Predation of top predators: cane toad consumption of bullet ants in a Panamanian lowland wet forest
Authors: Morrison Colin R.
Published: October 2018

Despite a clear consensus about the major roles that predators play in shaping ecological communities, descriptive studies of interactions between ecologically important top predator species are underreported. Native cane toad consumption of predatory bullet ant nests was verified through multiple, independent observations taken on Pipeline Road, Panama. Cane toad predation led to the extirpation of 42% of the nests within a 1.05 km2area that is characterized as a late-successional wet forest. This predation pressure could be significant given the high rate of predation events and low bullet ant nest density observed here (0.12 nests ha−1). Implications of this interaction for the local bullet ant population, possible top-down effects and trophic cascades resulting from this top predator interaction are discussed.
The Quality of Being French versus the Quality of Being Jewish: Defining the Israelite in French Courts in Algeria and the Metropole
Authors: Rabinovitch Simon
Published: October 2018

As the nineteenth-century French state expanded its borders in North Africa and incorporated what came to be Algeria into France, French King Louis-Phillipe, President and then Emperor Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, and various ministers of war, governors general for Algeria, and other advisors and government officials all faced the question of how and if to naturalize the territory's inhabitants as French citizens. Recent literature on the French use of law to classify and control populations in Africa has focused on the French colonial administration. This article emphasizes instead the role courts played in sorting out the legal contradictions created by French colonialism, by using the Jews in Algeria as an example. The existing precedent of the Jews' forced de-corporation and naturalization in France made their collective religious rights in Algeria particularly problematic, and cases in the Algerian and French courts highlighting the anomalous legal status of Algerian Jews eventually led to Jewish, but not Muslim, naturalization by decree in 1870. This new interpretation of Jewish naturalization in French Algeria highlights the philosophical problem that Jewish collective rights forced the French courts and French state to confront, and the barriers to resolving it.
Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Executive Functions in Preschool and School-Age Children With Neurofibromatosis Type 1
Authors: Beaussart Marie-Laure , Barbarot Sébastien , Mauger Claire , Roy Arnaud
Published: October 2018

Objectives:Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a genetic disorder in which the most frequent complication in children is learning disabilities. Over the past decade, growing arguments support the idea that executive dysfunction is a core deficit in children with NF1. However, some data remain inconsistent. The aim of this study was to determine the magnitude of impairment for each executive function (EF) and clarify the impact of methodological choices and participant’s characteristics on EFs.Methods:In this meta-analysis, 19 studies met the selection criteria and were included with data from a total of 805 children with NF1 and 667 controls. Based on the Diamond’s model (2013), EF measures were coded separately according to the following EF components: working memory, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, planning/problem solving. The review protocol was registered with PROSPERO (International prospective register of systematic reviews; CRD42017068808).Results:A significant executive dysfunction in children with NF1 is demonstrated. Subgroup analysis showed that the impairment varied as a function of the specific component of executive functioning. The effect size for working memory and planning/problem solving was moderate whereas it was small for inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility. Executive dysfunction seems to be greater with increasing age whereas assessment tool type, intellectual performance, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and control group composition did not seem to affect EF results.Conclusions:EF deficits are a core feature in children with NF1 and an early identification of executive dysfunctions is essential to limit their impact on the quality of life. (JINS, 2018,24, 977–994)
Ameliorating Episodic Memory Deficits in a Young Adult With Developmental (Congenital) Amnesia
Authors: Kim Alice S.N. , Minooei Saberi Foujan , Wiseheart Melody , Rosenbaum R. Shayna
Published: October 2018

Objectives: Although the spacing effect has been investigated extensively in a variety of populations, few studies have focused on individuals with hippocampal amnesia and none, to our knowledge, have investigated differences in performance as a function of spacing schedule in these cases. In the current study, we investigated the benefit of expanding and equal-interval, compared to massed, spacing schedules in a developmental amnesic person, H.C., who shows congenitally based abnormal development of the hippocampal memory system. Methods: Given the possibility of plasticity and reorganization in the developing brain, we investigated whether H.C. would benefit more from an expanding versus equal-interval schedule using a continuous recognition paradigm, even though this task has been shown to recruit structures within the medial temporal lobe, including the hippocampus. Results: H.C. and matched controls both showed a clear spacing effect, although neither group benefited more from an equal-interval or expanding spacing schedule. Conclusions: The results of the current study show that the spacing effect is an effective and clinically meaningful memory intervention technique that may be applied to clinical conditions known to affect hippocampal function and episodic memory early in life. (JINS, 2018, 24, 1003–1012)
FLUIDITY IN STILLNESS: A READING OF HADEWIJCH'S STROFISCHE GEDICHTEN/POEMS IN STANZAS
Authors: MIR ANITA
Published: October 2018

That women felt and men thought has long been the predominant lens through which medieval Christian writing has been analyzed. The work of the religious women vernacular theologians, or Beguines, who emerged across North Europe from the twelfth to the thirteenth centuries has therefore often been dismissed as affective mysticism. Recent scholarship has begun to re-appraise this work and re-evaluate its place within the Christian tradition. This paper looks at the work of Hadewijch, a thirteenth-century mystical poet from Brabant in the Netherlands who, though less well known than other Beguines such as Hildegaard of Bingen and Marguerite Porete, may, as John Arblaster and Paul Verdeyen argue, “rightly be called the greatest poetic genius in the Dutch language.” It is probable that her work was not widely known during her lifetime (not, that is, directly), but research is strengthening the argument that her theology was transmitted via the works of John of Ruusbroec. This paper will attend both to Hadewijch's poesy and her theology and ask what the dynamic structure in her verse — its shifts of perspective, gender perspective, and non-linear narrative — might lead us to grasp about her theology.
THE PAPACY AND THE COMMUTATION OF CRUSADING VOWS FROM ONE AREA OF CONFLICT TO ANOTHER (1095–C. 1300)
Authors: FOREY A. J.
Published: October 2018

The practice of diverting crusaders from one area of conflict to another can be traced back at least as far as the beginning of the twelfth century. Commuting of vows in this way was early recognized to be a papal prerogative and usually involved crusaders who had originally vowed to go to the Holy Land. In the twelfth century commutations occurred on only a few occasions, when steps were taken to divert crusaders to the Iberian Peninsula when it was under serious threat. Commutations became much more frequent in the first half of the thirteenth century and were used to provide manpower against Christians as well as infidels. At that time popes often took the initiative: Gregory IX was anxious to provide help for the Latin Empire of Constantinople and Innocent IV and his successors needed assistance against the Hohenstaufen. The papacy did not, however, coerce crusaders, and many refused to commute their vows. Criticism of commuting was voiced, although the redeeming of vows for money attracted greater opprobrium. Commuting became less common in the closing decades of the thirteenth century, but the reasons for this decline are not explained in the sources and can only be conjectured.
THE MONGOL INVASIONS BETWEEN EPISTOLOGRAPHY AND PROPHECY: THE CASE OF THE LETTER “AD FLAGELLUM,” C. 1235/36–1338
Authors: GRANT ALASDAIR C.
Published: October 2018

This is a study of an apocalyptic Latin letter (incipit“Ad flagellum humani generis”), surviving in manuscripts from the mid-thirteenth to fourteenth centuries, that describes an apparent aggressive invasion of an ascetic army in the distant East, led by a figure claiming to be Christ and bearing a new volume of scripture. This article offers the first comprehensive study of the letter's manuscript tradition and presents a new critical edition of the text. It argues that this letter was composed in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem sometime in the years 1235–36 as a response to intelligence brought by eastern Christian envoys (quite possibly from Georgia or Greater Armenia) concerning the second wave of Mongol invasions in Transcaucasia. These envoys had spent some time in the presence of a Mongol army, possibly that of the general Chormaghan, receiving an edict that probably demanded their submission and stated the Mongols’ divine right to universal domination. This edict, accompanied by other information, was ultimately translated into Latin for the benefit of the authorities of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. These authorities interpreted both the edict and the oral and/or written intelligence that the eastern Christian envoys delivered within the intellectual framework of Latin Christianity. This particular interpretation was then written into a letter that was sent to Western Europe, where it circulated probably quite widely for around a century. Crusade theorists’ need for intelligence about the Middle and Far East, together with the vogue of apocalyptic prophecy in the later Middle Ages, encouraged the continued copying of the text.