julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
The Potential of Relevance Interventions for Scaling Up: A Cluster-Randomized Trial Testing the Effectiveness of a Relevance Intervention in Math Classrooms
2020-03-06

Relevance interventions have shown a great potential to foster motivation and achievement (Lazowski &amp;amp; Hulleman, 2016). Yet, further research is warranted to test how such interventions can be successfully implemented in practice. We conducted a cluster-randomized trial in ninth-grade mathematics classrooms to test the effectiveness of a relevance intervention, which was shown to be efficacious when implemented by researchers, for fostering motivation and achievement under real-world conditions. The 78 participating classrooms (N = 1,744 students) were randomly assigned to one of two intervention conditions or a waitlist control condition. The intervention was implemented by master’s students or the regular math teachers. Intervention effects were evaluated using self-reports, teacher ratings, and achievement tests 4 weeks and 3 months after the intervention, controlling for the initial levels of the outcomes. Compared with the control condition, both intervention conditions showed similar positive effects on utility value. Unexpectedly, students in both intervention conditions also reported higher perceived cost compared with students in the control condition after the intervention. When implemented by master’s students, additional intervention effects on students’ growth mindsets and a standardized achievement test could be observed. Only small differences in effectiveness were observed between the intervention conditions, although master’s students showed a higher level of adherence. In both intervention conditions, higher levels of adherence and lower levels of discipline problems were associated with more positive changes in utility value. Overall, the intervention thus showed mixed effects. Future research should therefore continue to examine the conditions under which relevance interventions work in practice.
Modulation of the internal structure and surface properties of natural and synthetic polymer matrices by graphene oxide doping
2020-03-06

Controlling the surface properties and structure of thin nanosized coatings is of primary importance in diverse engineering and medical applications. Here we report on how the nanostructure, growth mechanism, thickness, roughness, and hydrophilicity of nanocomposites composed of weak natural or strong synthetic polyelectrolytes (PE) can be tailored by graphene oxide (GO) doping. GO reverses the build‐up mechanism affecting the internal structure and the hydrophilicity in a way depending on the type of the PE‐matrix. The extent of GO‐adsorption and its impact on the surface morphology was found to be independent on the type of the underlying PE‐matrix. The nanostructure of the hybrid films is not significantly altered when a single surface‐exposed GO‐layer is deposited, while increasing the number of embedded GO‐layers leads to pronounced surface heterogeneity. These results are expected to have valuable impact on the construction strategies of coatings with tunable surface properties.
Mechanism of BceAB-type transporter: Resistance by lipid II flipping
2020-03-06

Abstract Treatment of bacterial infections are the great challenge of our era due to the evolved resistance mechanisms against antibiotics. The Achilles heel of bacteria is the cell wall especially during the needs of its synthesis and cell division. Here lipid II is an essential cell wall precursor component synthesized in the cytosol and flipped into the outer leaflet of the membrane prior to its incorporation into the cell wall. Compounds targeting the cell wall or its biosynthesis precursors have been around for decades and have been used as antibiotics against bacterial infections like meningitis, pneumonia and endocarditis. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have proven to be a promising weapon against multiresistant bacteria. However, the B a c itracin e fflux (BceAB)-type ATP binding cassette transporters expressed in the membrane of human pathogenic bacteria have been shown to confer resistance to these alternative antibiotics, thereby hampering their medical development. In Streptococcus agalactiae COH1 the BceAB-type transporter NsrFP ( Sa NsrFP) confers high-level resistance against the antimicrobial peptide nisin, a member of the lantibiotic subfamily. We showed that Sa NsrFP provides a novel resistance mechanism by flipping lipid II back into the cytosol, thereby preventing the binding of nisin as well as other lipid II targeting compounds. This is intriguing since a relatively simple reaction mediates resistance to human pathogenic bacteria to lipid II targeting antibiotics, regardless of their structure. Significance Statement The ABC-transporter NsrFP from Streptococcus agalactiae ( Sa NsrFP) belongs to the BceAB-type transporters. Several BceAB-type transporters are known to confer resistance against multiple antimicrobial peptides. In this study a new resistance mechanism was identified, which is based on the reduction of the number of cell wall precursor lipid II molecules on the cell surface mediated by Sa NsrFP. Sa NsrFP flips lipid II, which are considered to be the target for many antibiotics, back into the cytoplasm. With this newly gained knowledge about the resistance mechanism of BceAB-type transporters, novel strategies can be established to overcome or bypass this resistance in human pathogenic bacteria.
Automated search of stimulation targets with closed-loop transcranial magnetic stimulation
2020-03-06

Abstract Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) protocols often include a manual search of an optimal location and orientation of the coil or peak stimulating electric field to elicit motor responses in a target muscle. This target search is laborious, and the result is user-dependent. Here, we present a closed-loop search method that utilizes automatic electronic adjustment of the stimulation based on the previous responses. The electronic adjustment is achieved by multi-locus TMS, and the adaptive guiding of the stimulation is based on the principles of Bayesian optimization to minimize the number of stimuli (and time) needed in the search. We compared our target-search method with other methods, such as systematic sampling in a predefined cortical grid. Validation experiments on five healthy volunteers and further offline simulations showed that our adaptively guided search method needs only a relatively small number of stimuli to provide outcomes with good accuracy and precision. The automated method enables fast and user-independent optimization of stimulation parameters in research and clinical applications of TMS.
RIASEC interests and the Big Five personality traits matter for life success—But do they already matter for educational track choices?
2020-03-07

Abstract Objective Educational track choices have far‐reaching consequences because they are associated with long‐term life success. Theoretical approaches and previous empirical research have nearly exclusively identified family background and achievement as determinants of these choices. Although students’ educational track choices might fit their personality, individual differences in personality have not been explored. We investigated the effects of two personality aspects—RIASEC interests and Big Five traits—on hierarchically ranked track choices (vocational vs. general educational track), alongside family background and achievement. Method We used two German data sets (TOSCA 10 study: N = 473; TOSCA study: N = 4,218) focusing on choices between the general educational track (leading to higher educational attainment) and the vocational track (leading to work life) at two different stages in educational careers. We ran several multiple (logistic) regressions. Results The results showed that certain aspects of students’ personality matter for educational track choices. Accordingly, across both studies, students with high Investigative or Enterprising interests more often chose the general educational track, whereas students with high Social or Conventional interests more often chose the vocational track—after the Big Five personality traits, achievement, and family background were controlled for. The Big Five traits showed no or only small significant associations with educational track choices. Conclusion These findings underscore the importance of considering individual differences when investigating important life outcomes such as track choices.
Lanthanide Sensitizers for Large Anti-Stokes Shift Near-Infrared-to-Visible Triplet–Triplet Annihilation Photon Upconversion
2020-03-08

The upconversion of near-infrared (NIR) to visible (vis) photons is of interest for display technologies and energy conversion. Although triplet-triplet annihilation (TTA) offers a mechanism for upconversion that works efficiently at low incident irradiance flux densities, current strategies for NIR-vis upconversion based on TTA have fundamental limitations. Herein, we report a strategy for NIR-vis TTA based on lanthanide-containing complexes to sensitize the upconversion. We demonstrate a β-diketonate complex of Yb<sup>3+</sup> paired with rubrene that emits yellow (λ<sub>em</sub> = 559 nm) under NIR excitation (λ<sub>exc</sub> = 980 nm). This corresponds to an exceptional anti-Stokes shift of just less than 1 eV. Thus, lanthanide complexes could unlock high-performance NIR-vis upconversion, with lanthanide sensitizers overcoming the energy loss, reabsorption, and short triplet lifetime that fundamentally limit porphyrin, nanocrystals, and direct S<sub>0</sub>-T<sub>1</sub> sensitizers.
Civil Society and the Governance of Water Services: German Political Parties’ Reactions to Right2Water
2020-03-08

The European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) Right2Water asked for guaranteed water quality and quantity all over Europe, and demanded that water services remain in the hands of public entities. Support for Right2Water was particularly pronounced in Germany. The German organisers managed to collect 16 times more signatures than the minimum necessary to be counted towards the quorum. How have the German political parties reacted to the overwhelming public support for Right2Water? To answer this question, we examined the election manifestos of the main political parties, published for the federal elections in 2005, 2009, 2013, and 2017, and the elections to the European Parliament in 2004, 2009, 2014, and 2019. We concentrated on one specific goal of Right2Water, which refers to preventing the liberalisation of water services in the European Union. We expected the attention to and positioning of the liberalisation of water services to vary across the individual German parties. Since Right2Water was organised by public service trade unions and pursues an anti-liberalisation agenda, we expected left-wing parties to have laid a greater emphasis on this issue than right-wing parties, and for them to have adopted positions that aligned with the goals of the ECI. Our empirical findings show that a left–right division exists among the parties concerning the attention they paid to this issue as well as how they positioned themselves.
An X-ray activity cycle on the young solar-like star ɛ Eridani
2020-03-09

Chromospheric Ca II activity cycles are frequently found in late-type stars, but no systematic programs have been created to search for their coronal X-ray counterparts. The typical time scale of Ca II activity cycles ranges from years to decades. Therefore, long-lasting missions are needed to detect the coronal counterparts. The XMM-Newton satellite has so far detected X-ray cycles in five stars. A particularly intriguing question is at what age (and at what activity level) X-ray cycles set in. To this end, in 2015 we started the X-ray monitoring of the young solar-like star ɛ Eridani, previously observed on two occasions: in 2003 and in early 2015, both by XMM-Newton . With an age of 440 Myr, it is one of the youngest solar-like stars with a known chromospheric Ca II cycle. We collected the most recent Mount Wilson S-index data available for ɛ Eridani, starting from 2002, including previously unpublished data. We found that the Ca II cycle lasts 2.92 ± 0.02 yr, in agreement with past results. From the long-term XMM-Newton lightcurve, we find clear and systematic X-ray variability of our target, consistent with the chromospheric Ca II cycle. The average X-ray luminosity is 2 × 10 28 erg s −1 , with an amplitude that is only a factor of 2 throughout the cycle. We apply a new method to describe the evolution of the coronal emission measure distribution of ɛ Eridani in terms of solar magnetic structures: active regions, cores of active regions, and flares covering the stellar surface at varying filling fractions. Combinations of these three types of magnetic structures can only describe the observed X-ray emission measure of ɛ Eridani if the solar flare emission measure distribution is restricted to events in the decay phase. The interpretation is that flares in the corona of ɛ Eridani last longer than their solar counterparts. We ascribe this to the lower metallicity of ɛ Eridani. Our analysis also revealed that the X-ray cycle of ɛ Eridani is strongly dominated by cores of active regions. The coverage fraction of cores throughout the cycle changes by the same factor as the X-ray luminosity. The maxima of the cycle are characterized by a high percentage of covering fraction of the flares, consistent with the fact that flaring events are seen in the corresponding short-term X-ray lightcurves predominately at the cycle maxima. The high X-ray emission throughout the cycle of ɛ Eridani is thus explained by the high percentage of magnetic structures on its surface.
Human Plasmodium vivax diversity, population structure and evolutionary origin
2020-03-09

More than 200 million malaria clinical cases are reported each year due to Plasmodium vivax, the most widespread Plasmodium species in the world. This species has been neglected and understudied for a long time, due to its lower mortality in comparison with Plasmodium falciparum. A renewed interest has emerged in the past decade with the discovery of antimalarial drug resistance and of severe and even fatal human cases. Nonetheless, today there are still significant gaps in our understanding of the population genetics and evolutionary history of P. vivax, particularly because of a lack of genetic data from Africa. To address these gaps, we genotyped 14 microsatellite loci in 834 samples obtained from 28 locations in 20 countries from around the world. We discuss the worldwide population genetic structure and diversity and the evolutionary origin of P. vivax in the world and its introduction into the Americas. This study demonstrates the importance of conducting genome-wide analyses of P. vivax in order to unravel its complex evolutionary history.
Magnetic response of Arsenic pollution in a slag covered soil profile close to an abandoned tungsten mine, southern China
2020-03-09

Abstract Previous studies indicated serious soil arsenic (As) pollution of large spatial extent related to tungsten mining. We performed systematic analyses of magnetic parameters and As contents of a slag covered soil profile close to the abandoned tungsten mine in southern China, in order to discuss the feasibility of using sensitive, non-destructive, and cost-effective magnetic methods for monitoring the soil arsenic content in such arsenic pollution areas. The results indicate that arsenic sulfide entered from slags into the underlying soil and changed to iron arsenate and moveable arsenic ion. The arsenic ions were transported from the upper to the lower part of the soil profile, leading to more serious arsenic pollution at lower levels of the section. Pedogenesis and oxidation of the entered iron and arsenic sulfide resulted in coexistence of magnetite/maghemite and hematite, with different contributions at depths of 125–195 cm, 60–125 cm, and 0–60 cm. The arsenic content is significant positively correlated with the hematite concentration given by the magnetic parameter HIRM and negatively correlated with the S −300 ratio that measures the relative contributions of magnetite(+maghemite) and hematite. The S −300 ratio is effective for semi-quantification of soil arsenic content, and may be also used for soil arsenic pollution assessment and monitoring in similar settings of tungsten mining.
The BIR2/BIR3-Associated Phospholipase Dγ1 Negatively Regulates Plant Immunity
2020-03-09

Plants have evolved effective strategies to defend themselves against pathogen invasion. Starting from the plasma membrane with the recognition of microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs) via pattern recognition receptors, internal cellular signaling pathways are induced to ultimately fend off the attack. Phospholipase D (PLD) hydrolyzes membrane phospholipids to produce phosphatidic acid (PA), which has been proposed to play a second messenger role in immunity. The Arabidopsis (<i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i>) PLD family consists of 12 members, and for some of these, a specific function in resistance toward a subset of pathogens has been shown. We demonstrate here that Arabidopsis PLDγ1, but not its close homologs PLDγ2 and PLDγ3, is specifically involved in plant immunity. Genetic inactivation of <i>PLDγ1</i> resulted in increased resistance toward the virulent bacterium <i>Pseudomonas syringae</i> pv. <i>tomato</i> DC3000 and the necrotrophic fungus <i>Botrytis cinerea</i> As <i>pldγ1</i> mutant plants responded with elevated levels of reactive oxygen species to MAMP treatment, a negative regulatory function for this PLD isoform is proposed. Importantly, PA levels in <i>pldγ1</i> mutants were not affected compared to stressed wild-type plants, suggesting that alterations in PA levels are not likely the cause for the enhanced immunity in the <i>pldγ1</i> line. Instead, the plasma-membrane-attached PLDγ1 protein colocalized and associated with the BAK1-INTERACTING RECEPTOR-LIKE KINASES BIR2 and BIR3, which are known negative regulators of pattern-triggered immunity. Moreover, complex formation of PLDγ1 and BIR2 was further promoted upon MAMP treatment. Hence, we propose that PLDγ1 acts as a negative regulator of plant immune responses in complex with immunity-related proteins BIR2 and BIR3.
Subliminal fatty acid-induced gut-brain signals attenuate sensitivity to exteroceptive rewards in food but not in sex or financial domains, in healthy men
2020-03-09

Background Reward sensitivity can generalize across domains, but evidence for generalization of suppressive reward-related stimulation is sparse, especially in the context of interoceptive nutrient-related stimuli. We hypothesized that subliminal fatty acid-induced gut-brain signals could attenuate sensitivity to exteroceptive rewards, not only within the food domain but also across domains. Method Intragastric infusion of 2.5 g lauric acid (fat condition) or saline (saline condition) was administered to 59 healthy heterosexual male volunteers in a blinded fashion. To assess whether the resulting interoceptive signals attenuate reward sensitivity within the food domain, participants rated the palatability of food images and performed a progressive ratio task. To assess whether such attenuation effect generalizes to the sexual and financial reward domains, participants rated attractiveness of female face images and performed an intertemporal monetary choice task. Results Participants' ratings of food images were lower (F<sub>1,</sub><sub>172</sub> = 4.51, p = 0.035, Cohen's d: -0.20) in the fat condition. The progressive ratio task terminated earlier in the fat condition compared to saline (F<sub>1,</sub><sub>52</sub> = 4.17, p = 0.046, odds ratio = 0.31, 95%CI [0.11, 0.98]). Participants' ratings of female face images did not differ between conditions (F<sub>1,</sub><sub>172</sub> = 1.85, p = 0.19, Cohen's d: -0.15). Moreover, the monetary discounting rate did not differ significantly between conditions. Conclusion Overall, these findings suggest a domain-specific effect of subliminal fatty acid infusion on decreasing reward sensitivity.
Linking Paleo Vegetation Modelling with a Phytolith Record for the African Humid Period (15 - 5 ka BP) of the Omo-River-Lowlands and the Chew Bahir Basin, southern Ethiopia
2020-03-09

&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Modern-day southern Ethiopia exhibits a complex mosaic of vegetation types. These types range from desert scrubland along the shores of Lake Turkana, to woodlands and wooded grasslands in the Omo-River-Lowlands and Chew Bahir catchment, and Afromontane forests of the Ethiopian Highlands. Over the past 20 ka, this region has experienced a variable climate, from the dry Last Glacial Maximum (25-18 ka BP) to the wet African Humid Period (15-5 ka BP), and back to present-day dry conditions. These oscillations likely had an impact on the biosphere and its human inhabitants. The biosphere, especially climate-induced changes in vegetation, in turn have a feedback effect on the local climate &amp;amp;#8211; and must therefore be considered in climate models and hydro-balance models. However, there are hardly any data on changes in vegetation during the dry-humid-dry transition of the AHP that could be used to parameterize such models.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;As a contribution to an enhanced understanding of the role that paleo-vegetation could have played during those transitions, we present here a new comprehensive vegetation model. This study links a Predictive Vegetation Model (PVM) with the available vegetation-proxy records from southern Ethiopia, including a new phytolith record from Chew Bahir. The PVM uses an 18-year averaged time series of the Global Precipitation Measurement as well as SRTM elevation data to predict an 18-year averaged time series of MODIS landcover and vegetation parameters using boosted regression trees. We linked the PVM and resulting surface parameters (moisture availability, surface drag coefficient, albedo) with an existing hydro-balance model of the southern Ethiopian Rift to calculate precipitation during the AHP and hence also model the paleo-vegetation during this period. Available paleo-vegetation data including a new grass phytolith record from the sediments of an 11 m-meter long sediment core from the margin of paleo-Lake Chew Bahir were then used to compare model and proxy results. Being able to validate our new model data with actual vegetation proxy data for the first time enables us to gain valuable insights into the paleo-dimension of the vegetation mosaic of southern Ethiopia, a possible habitat of early&amp;lt;em&amp;gt; Homo sapiens&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;