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SensorHub
(2022)
Observational studies are an important tool for determining whether the findings from controlled experiments can be transferred into scenarios that are closer to subjects' real-life circumstances. A rigorous approach to observational studies involves collecting data from different sensors to comprehensively capture the situation of the subject. However, this leads to technical difficulties especially if the sensors are from different manufacturers, as multiple data collection tools have to run simultaneously. We present SensorHub, a system that can collect data from various wearable devices from different manufacturers, such as inertial measurement units, portable electrocardiographs, portable electroencephalographs, portable photoplethysmographs, and sensors for electrodermal activity. Additionally, our tool offers the possibility to include ecological momentary assessments (EMAs) in studies. Hence, SensorHub enables multimodal sensor data collection under real-world conditions and allows direct user feedback to be collected through questionnaires, enabling studies at home. In a first study with 11 participants, we successfully used SensorHub to record multiple signals with different devices and collected additional information with the help of EMAs. In addition, we evaluated SensorHub's technical capabilities in several trials with up to 21 participants recording simultaneously using multiple sensors with sampling frequencies as high as 1000 Hz. We could show that although there is a theoretical limitation to the transmissible data rate, in practice this limitation is not an issue and data loss is rare. We conclude that with modern communication protocols and with the increasingly powerful smartphones and wearables, a system like our SensorHub establishes an interoperability framework to adequately combine consumer-grade sensing hardware which enables observational studies in real life.
The generation of monoclonal antibodies using an in vitro immunization approach is a promising alternative to conventional hybridoma technology. As recently published, the in vitro approach enables an antigen-specific activation of B lymphocytes within 10-12 d followed by immortalization and subsequent selection of hybridomas. This in vitro process can be further improved by using a three-dimensional surrounding to stabilize the complex microenvironment required for a successful immune reaction. In this study, the suitability of Geltrex as a material for the generation of monoclonal antigen-specific antibodies by in vitro immunization was analyzed. We could show that dendritic cells, B cells, and T cells were able to travel through and interact inside of the matrix, leading to the antigen-specific activation of T and B cells. For cell recovery and subsequent hybridoma technique the suitability of dispase and Corning cell recovery solution (CRS) was compared. In our experiments, the use of dispase resulted in a severe alteration of cell surface receptor expression patterns and significantly higher cell death, while we could not detect an adverse effect of Corning CRS. Finally, an easy approach for high-density cell culture was established by printing an alginate ring inside a cell culture vessel. The ring was filled with Geltrex, cells, and medium to ensure a sufficient supply during cultivation. Using this approach, we were able to generate monoclonal hybridomas that produce antigen-specific antibodies against ovalbumin and the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein.
Mammalian arachidonic acid lipoxygenases (ALOXs) have been implicated in cell differentiation and in the pathogenesis of inflammation. The mouse genome involves seven functional Alox genes and the encoded enzymes share a high degree of amino acid conservation with their human orthologs. There are, however, functional differences between mouse and human ALOX orthologs. Human ALOX15B oxygenates arachidonic acid exclusively to its 15-hydroperoxy derivative (15S-HpETE), whereas 8S-HpETE is dominantly formed by mouse Alox15b. The structural basis for this functional difference has been explored and in vitro mutagenesis humanized the reaction specificity of the mouse enzyme. To explore whether this mutagenesis strategy may also humanize the reaction specificity of mouse Alox15b in vivo, we created Alox15b knock-in mice expressing the arachidonic acid 15-lipoxygenating Tyr603Asp+His604Val double mutant instead of the 8-lipoxygenating wildtype enzyme. These mice are fertile, display slightly modified plasma oxylipidomes and develop normally up to an age of 24 weeks. At later developmental stages, male Alox15b-KI mice gain significantly less body weight than outbred wildtype controls, but this effect was not observed for female individuals. To explore the possible reasons for the observed gender-specific growth arrest, we determined the basic hematological parameters and found that aged male Alox15b-KI mice exhibited significantly attenuated red blood cell parameters (erythrocyte counts, hematocrit, hemoglobin). Here again, these differences were not observed in female individuals. These data suggest that humanization of the reaction specificity of mouse Alox15b impairs the functionality of the hematopoietic system in males, which is paralleled by a premature growth arrest.
An efficient method for the preparation of arylnaphthalene lignans (ANLs) was developed, which is based on thePhoto-Dehydro-DIELS-ALDER(PDDA) reaction. While intermolecular PDDA reactions turned out to be inefficient, theintramolecular variant using suberic acid as tether linking two aryl propiolic esters smoothly provided naphthalenophanes. Theirradiations were performed with a previously developed annular continuous-flow reactor and UVB lamps. In this way, the naturalproducts Alashinol D, Taiwanin C, and an unnamed ANL could be prepared.
The random nature of self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) is a well-known challenge for x-ray core level spectroscopy at SASE free-electron lasers (FELs). Especially in time-resolved experiments that require a combination of good temporal and spectral resolution the jitter and drifts in the spectral characteristics, relative arrival time as well as power fluctuations can smear out spectral-temporal features. We present a combination of methods for the analysis of time-resolved photoelectron spectra based on power and time corrections as well as self-referencing of a strong photoelectron line. Based on sulfur 2p photoelectron spectra of 2-thiouracil taken at the SASE FEL FLASH2, we show that it is possible to correct for some of the photon energy drift and jitter even when reliable shot-to-shot photon energy data is not available. The quality of pump-probe difference spectra improves as random jumps in energy between delay points reduce significantly. The data analysis allows to identify coherent oscillations of 1 eV shift on the mean photoelectron line of 4 eV width with an error of less than 0.1 eV.
Simply too much
(2022)
Purpose Weight bias internalization (WBI) is associated with negative health consequences such as eating disorders and psychosocial problems in children. To date, it is unknown to what extent WBI considerably raises the risk of negative outcomes. Methods Analyses are based on cross-sectional data of 1,061 children (9-13 years, M = 11, SD = 0.9; 52.1% female) who filled in the WBI scale (WBIS-C). First, ROC analyses were run to identify critical cut-off values of WBI (WBIS-C score) that identify those who are at higher risk for psychosocial problems or eating disorder symptoms (as reported by parents). Second, it was examined whether WBI is more sensitive than the relative weight status in that respect. Third, to confirm that the cut-off value is also accompanied by higher psychological strain, high- and low-risk groups were compared in terms of their self-reported depressive symptoms, anxious symptoms, body dissatisfaction, and self-esteem. Results WBIS-C scores >= 1.55 were associated with a higher risk of disturbed eating behavior; for psychosocial problems, no cut-off score reached adequate sensitivity and specificity. Compared to relative weight status, WBI was better suited to detect disturbed eating behavior. Children with a WBIS-C score >= 1.55 also reported higher scores for both depressive and anxious symptoms, higher body dissatisfaction, and lower self-esteem. Conclusion The WBIS-C is suitable for identifying risk groups, and even low levels of WBI are accompanied by adverse mental health. Therefore, WBI is, beyond weight status, an important risk factor that should be considered in prevention and intervention.
Extreme value statistics is a popular and frequently used tool to model the occurrence of large earthquakes. The problem of poor statistics arising from rare events is addressed by taking advantage of the validity of general statistical properties in asymptotic regimes. In this note, I argue that the use of extreme value statistics for the purpose of practically modeling the tail of the frequency-magnitude distribution of earthquakes can produce biased and thus misleading results because it is unknown to what degree the tail of the true distribution is sampled by data. Using synthetic data allows to quantify this bias in detail. The implicit assumption that the true M-max is close to the maximum observed magnitude M-max,M-observed restricts the class of the potential models a priori to those with M-max = M-max,M-observed + Delta M with an increment Delta M approximate to 0.5... 1.2. This corresponds to the simple heuristic method suggested by Wheeler (2009) and labeled :M-max equals M-obs plus an increment." The incomplete consideration of the entire model family for the frequency-magnitude distribution neglects, however, the scenario of a large so far unobserved earthquake.
We report a modified approach to the batch scale preparation of completely engulfed core-shell emulsions or partially engulfed Janus emulsions with colorful optical properties, containing water, olive oil, and silicone oil. The in situ reduction of gold chloride, forming gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) at the olive oil interface in the absence or presence of chitosan, leads to the formation of compartmentalized olive-silicone oil emulsion droplets in water. In the absence of additional reducing components, time-dependent morphological transformations from partial engulfment to complete engulfment were observed. Similar experiments in the presence of chitosan or presynthesized AuNPs show an opposite time-dependent trend of transformation of core-shell structures into partially engulfed ones. This behavior can be understood by a time-dependent rearrangement of the AuNPs at the interface and changes of the interfacial tension. The Pickering effect of AuNPs at oil-water and oil-oil interfaces brings not only color effects to individual microdroplets, which are of special relevance for the preparation of new optical elements, but also a surprising self-assembly of droplets.
Due to the COVID pandemic, the introductory course on organic chemistry was developed and conducted as anonline course. To ensure methodical variety in this course,educational games and quizzes have been developed, used, and evaluated. The attendance of the course, and therefore also the use of the quizzes and games, was voluntary. The quizzes'main goalwas to give the students the opportunity to check whether they had memorized the knowledge needed in the course. Another goal was to make transparent which knowledge the students shouldmemorize by rote. The evaluation shows that the students hadnot internalized all knowledge which they should apply in severaltasks on organic chemistry. They answered multiselect questions in general less well than single-select questions. The games shouldcombine fun with learning. The evaluation of the games shows that the students rated them very well. The students used thosegames again for their exam preparation, as the monitoring of accessing the games showed. Students'experiences with usingelectronic devices in general or for quizzes and games have also been evaluated, because their experience could influence thestudents'assessment of the quizzes and games used in our study. However, the students used electronic devices regularly and shouldtherefore be technically competent to use our quizzes and games. The evaluation showed that the use of digital games for learningpurposes is not very common, neither at school nor at university, although the students had worked with such tools before. Thestudents are also very interested in using and developing such digital games not only for their own study, but also for their future work at school
Infrared matrix-assisted desorption and ionization (IR-MALDI) enables the transfer of sub-micron particles (sMP) directly from suspensions into the gas phase and their characterization with differential mobility (DM) analysis. A nanosecond laser pulse at 2940 nm induces a phase explosion of the aqueous phase, dispersing the sample into nano- and microdroplets. The particles are ejected from the aqueous phase and become charged. Using IR-MALDI on sMP of up to 500 nm in diameter made it possible to surpass the 100 nm size barrier often encountered when using nano-electrospray for ionizing supramolecular structures. Thus, the charge distribution produced by IR-MALDI could be characterized systematically in the 50-500 nm size range. Well-resolved signals for up to octuply charged particles were obtained in both polarities for different particle sizes, materials, and surface modifications spanning over four orders of magnitude in concentrations. The physicochemical characterization of the IR-MALDI process was done via a detailed analysis of the charge distribution of the emerging particles, qualitatively as well as quantitatively. The Wiedensohler charge distribution, which describes the evolution of particle charging events in the gas phase, and a Poisson-derived charge distribution, which describes the evolution of charging events in the liquid phase, were compared with one another with respect to how well they describe the experimental data. Although deviations were found in both models, the IR-MALDI charging process seems to resemble a Poisson-like charge distribution mechanism, rather than a bipolar gas phase charging one.
The first step towards assessing hazards in seismically active regions involves mapping capable faults and estimating their recurrence times. While the mapping of active faults is commonly based on distinct geologic and geomorphic features evident at the surface, mapping blind seismogenic faults is complicated by the absence of on-fault diagnostic features. Here we investigated the Pichilemu Fault in coastal Chile, unknown until it generated a Mw 7.0 earthquake in 2010. The lack of evident surface faulting suggests activity along a partly-hidden blind fault. We used off-fault deformed marine terraces to estimate a fault-slip rate of 0.52 ± 0.04 m/ka, which, when integrated with satellite geodesy suggests a 2.12 ± 0.2 ka recurrence time for Mw~7.0 normal-faulting earthquakes. We propose that extension in the Pichilemu region is associated with stress changes during megathrust earthquakes and accommodated by sporadic slip during upper-plate earthquakes, which has implications for assessing the seismic potential of cryptic faults along convergent margins and elsewhere.
Simultaneous Barcode Sequencing of Diverse Museum Collection Specimens Using a Mixed RNA Bait Set
(2022)
A growing number of publications presenting results from sequencing natural history collection specimens reflect the importance of DNA sequence information from such samples. Ancient DNA extraction and library preparation methods in combination with target gene capture are a way of unlocking archival DNA, including from formalin-fixed wet-collection material. Here we report on an experiment, in which we used an RNA bait set containing baits from a wide taxonomic range of species for DNA hybridisation capture of nuclear and mitochondrial targets for analysing natural history collection specimens. The bait set used consists of 2,492 mitochondrial and 530 nuclear RNA baits and comprises specific barcode loci of diverse animal groups including both invertebrates and vertebrates. The baits allowed to capture DNA sequence information of target barcode loci from 84% of the 37 samples tested, with nuclear markers being captured more frequently and consensus sequences of these being more complete compared to mitochondrial markers. Samples from dry material had a higher rate of success than wet-collection specimens, although target sequence information could be captured from 50% of formalin-fixed samples. Our study illustrates how efforts to obtain barcode sequence information from natural history collection specimens may be combined and are a way of implementing barcoding inventories of scientific collection material.
Isoflux tension propagation (IFTP) theory and Langevin dynamics (LD) simulations are employed to study the dynamics of channel-driven polymer translocation in which a polymer translocates into a narrow channel and the monomers in the channel experience a driving force fc. In the high driving force limit, regardless of the channel width, IFTP theory predicts τ ∝ f βc for the translocation time, where β = −1 is the force scaling exponent. Moreover, LD data show that for a very narrow channel fitting only a single file of monomers, the entropic force due to the subchain inside the channel does not play a significant role in the translocation dynamics and the force exponent β = −1 regardless of the force magnitude. As the channel width increases the number of possible spatial configurations of the subchain inside the channel becomes significant and the resulting entropic force causes the force exponent to drop below unity.
We consider a one-dimensional oscillatory medium with a coupling through a diffusive linear field. In the limit of fast diffusion this setup reduces to the classical Kuramoto–Battogtokh model. We demonstrate that for a finite diffusion stable chimera solitons, namely localized synchronous domain in an infinite asynchronous environment, are possible. The solitons are stable also for finite density of oscillators, but in this case they sway with a nearly constant speed. This finite-density-induced motility disappears in the continuum limit, as the velocity of the solitons is inverse proportional to the density. A long-wave instability of the homogeneous asynchronous state causes soliton turbulence, which appears as a sequence of soliton mergings and creations. As the instability of the asynchronous state becomes stronger, this turbulence develops into a spatio-temporal intermittency.
What does homophily do?
(2022)
Understanding the consequences of homophily, which is among the most widely observed social phenomena, is important, with implications for management theory and practice. Therefore, we review management research on the consequences of homophily. As these consequences have been studied at the individual, dyad, team, organizational, and macro levels, we structure our review accordingly. We highlight findings that are consistent and contradictory, as well as those that point to boundary conditions or moderators. In conducting our review, we also derive implications for management research from insights gained by research in other disciplines on this topic. We raise specific issues and opportunities for future research at each level, and conclude with a discussion of broader future research directions, both empirical and conceptual, that apply across levels. We hope that our review will open new vistas in research on this important topic.
There is increasing interest in improving psychotherapy training using evidence-based supervision. One approach is live supervision (LS), in which the supervisor offers immediate feedback to the trainee (e.g., via microphone, text messages) during the session. This review summarizes the research on LS and its main results. The databases Web of Science Core Collection, PsycArticles, PsycBooks, PsycInfo, PSYNDEX, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, and PubMed were searched from inception to January 23, 2020 (including a backward search) and updated November 15, 2020. The inclusion criteria (i.e., main focus on LS, immediate feedback from a present supervisor, psychological setting) were met by k = 138 publications, including k = 8 randomized controlled trials (RCTs; N = 339). Two reviewers independently evaluated the RCTs' risk of bias using the revised Cochrane Risk-of-Bias Tool. Most publications had a family therapy background (59%), were categorized as nonempirical (55%), aimed primarily at describing or comparing specific LS methods (35%), and displayed positive views on LS (87%). Based on the RCTs, LS was superior to no-supervision in 78% of all comparisons, but only in 13% of the cases compared to a delayed supervision (DS) condition (i.e., regarding trainee skills, patient outcomes, or other variables). These results somewhat contradict the overall favorable views in the literature. However, the generalizability is limited due to a lack of high-quality studies and substantial heterogeneity in terms of LS methods, concepts, outcomes, and measurements. Ideas for more systematic research on LS regarding objectives and methods are proposed. <br /> Public Significance Statement This review summarizes research on live supervision (LS). LS is a form of supervision in psychotherapy training in which the supervisor observes the trainee's therapy session and provides immediate feedback. The review concludes that LS is probably as effective as delayed supervision (DS), although more high-quality research is needed.
Alien Horrors
(2022)
H. P. Lovecraft’s oeuvre abounds with stereotypes of the racialized poor. As scholars have noted, Lovecraft’s work turns those he viewed as ‘Others’ into ‘aliens.’ Poor people of color (as opposed to the orderly White rural population and White working class) in Lovecraft’s stories are foreign, diseased, and criminal, and they threaten social and cosmic orders as they are in league with a nebulous entity that waits to wreak indescribable havoc. This chapter analyzes three ‘Lovecraftian’ novels published in 2016 - Cassandra Khaw’s Hammers on Bone,Victor LaValle’s The Ballad of Black Tom, and Matt Ruff’s Lovecraft Country. These works elucidate the connection of Trump’s 2016 rhetoric in campaign and presidential speeches and the White supremacist imagery used by Lovecraft. In these novels, the racialized poor have a special connection to an astronomical, evil entity à la Lovecraft. As carriers of numinous genes or parasitic entities (literally having ‘an alien within’) they become empowered. They thus occupy a pivotal position in forestalling or bringing about the destruction of societal order; that is, of White supremacy. Exploring the alleged risk posed by this ‘underclass,’ these works seem to foretell current representations of protesters as ‘riotous mobs’ that threaten the body politic Trump sought to make great (and White) again.
The Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2) is the most current measure of body appreciation, a central facet of positive body image. This work aimed to examine the factor structure and psychometric properties of a German version. In Study 1 (N = 659; M-age = 27.19, SD = 8.57), exploratory factor analyses (EFA) revealed that the German BAS-2 has a one-dimensional factor structure in women and men, showing cross-gender factor similarity. In Study 2 (N = 472; M-age = 30.08, SD = 12.35), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) further supported the original scale's one-dimensional factor structure after freeing correlated errors. The German BAS-2 also showed partial scalar invariance across gender, with women and men not differing significantly in latent mean scores. As predicted, we found convergent relationships with measures of self-esteem, intuitive eating, and variables associated with negative body image (i.e., weight-and shape concerns, drive for thinness). Correlations with BMI were small and in an inverse direction. Incremental validity was demonstrated by predicting self-esteem and intuitive eating over and above measures of negative body image. Additionally, the German BAS-2 showed internal consistency and 2-week test-retest reliability. Overall, our results suggest that the German BAS-2 is a psychometrically sound instrument.