Common symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) include motor impairments of the lower extremities, particularly gait disturbances. Loss of balance and muscle weakness, representing some peripheral effects, have been shown to influence these symptoms, however, the individual role of cortical and subcortical structures in the central nervous system is still to be understood. Assessing [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake in the CNS can assess brain activity and is directly associated with regional neuronal activity. One potential modality to increase cortical excitability and improve motor (...) function in patients with MS (PwMS) is transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). However, tDCS group outcomes may not mirror individual subject responses, which impedes our knowledge of the pathophysiology and management of diseases like MS. Three PwMS randomly received both 3 mA tDCS and SHAM targeting the motor cortex (M1) that controls the more-affected leg for 20 min on separate days before walking on a treadmill. The radiotracer, FDG, was injected at minute two of the 20 min walk and the subjects underwent a Positron emission tomography (PET) scan immediately after the task. Differences in relative regional metabolism of areas under the tDCS anode and the basal ganglia were calculated and investigated. The results indicated diverse and individualized responses in regions under the anode and consistent increases in some basal ganglia areas (e.g., caudate nucleus). Thus, anodal tDCS targeting the M1 that controls the more-affected leg of PwMS might be capable of affecting remote subcortical regions and modulating the activity (motor, cognitive, and behavioral functions) of the circuitry connected to these regions. (shrink)

ABSTRACT There is limited guidance about whether and how to provide psychological assessment results to research participants. This paper considers several ethical challenges associated with offering individual research results in psychological assessment research. Additionally, the process used to return individual results within a study examining neurodevelopmental effects of anesthesia exposure in children and adolescents is described. Almost all participants requested to know if results were concerning; however, only around a third of those with concerning findings sought additional feedback. Ongoing research (...) and guidance are necessary to establish evidence-based practices and manage challenges that may emerge when disclosing such results. (shrink)

Worry proneness is a transdiagnostic trait that predicts increased negative affect (NA), potentially in the service of preventing negative emotional contrasts. Although discrete types of NA vary along the dimension of arousal, the extent to which trait worry predicts high vs. low arousal forms of NA in daily life is unclear. This distinction has important implications for conceptualising how worry may perturb adaptive emotionality in various disorders. The present study (not pre-registered) aimed to isolate the effects of trait worry on (...) high (N = 88) and low (N = 122) arousal NA in daily life using ecological momentary assessment while controlling for potential physical and psychological confounds. Participants were assessed for trait worry and depressive symptoms at baseline then reported their affect, heart rate, and exercise three times per day for one week. Multilevel models revealed that trait worry predicted both increased high and low arousal NA after controlling for momentary heart rate, daily exercise, and depression. In contrast, baseline depressive symptoms only predicted low arousal NA in daily life. Findings support the contrast avoidance model of worry and suggest that worry is linked to increased state NA in daily life, independent of arousal. (shrink)

More and more these days it is asked whether aesthetics is still possible. A question that, given the context and phrasing, seems to direct us towards its answer. Conferences and meetings, books and journal specials examine the issue of aesthetics, talk about rediscovery or return of aesthetics. Well known philosophers and aestheticians underscore the need to reconsider the foundations of aesthetics and set new directions for aesthetics today (Berleant, 2004) or attempt to expand aesthetics beyond aesthetics–like Welsch, for example who (...) tries to extend aesthetics beyond art to society and the life-world (Welsch, 1997). Others underline the need to revisit the aesthetic experience (Shusterman, 1999; Iseminger, 2002, Fenner, 1996) and examine the relevance or irrelevance of the aesthetic with art (Carroll, 2001). It seems that it is strongly recommended to turn to aesthetics on the condition however to carefully re-approach the meaning and import of the term in the present situation. The aesthetic that Passmore condemned as “dreary”(Passmore, 1954), the one Sparshott considered a formless conception, vague and loose in application (Sparshott, 1982), the same that Danto emphatically argues that has nothing to do with the definition of art or arts in general (Danto, 1981) returns to claim its rightful place in the fields of philosophy and critical theory (Levine, 1994, Michaud, 1999), as well as artistic creation. And one cannot but wonder: what does this return mean? What was the degree of aesthetics decline that we need to discuss about recovery or for new implementations of aesthetics? (shrink)

Post-war Japan has seen profound and rapid social change and transformation. One of the most visible areas of change in Japan has been medicine, and particularly the ethical practices and policies that guide medical decision-making. The formal discipline of bioethics, Seimei Rinri in Japanese, has grown by leaps and bounds since the late 1970s, when it began to appear in the curriculum and professional activities of Japanese medical schools and philosophy departments. The introduction of bioethics to Japan was timely, as (...) innovation in medicine and technology was evolving in ways that revealed that the intersection of medicine, traditional Japanese values, and new cultural trends was an area of great moral complexity. In its infancy, bioethics in Japan was more or less an import from the United States, where the discipline took its roots. Quickly, however, it became clear that Japan's history and tradition would call for a different approach, and the engagement of slightly different ethical issues. Organ transplantation, for example, sparked much greater controversy in Japan than it ever did in the United States. Today, Japan has one of the most dynamic bioethics programs in the world, and it is one that reflects both traditional Japanese culture and the need for inter-cultural engagement in an increasingly global world. Through a series of original chapters written by bioethicists and covering a range of ethical issues, this anthology shows that, in contrast to previous assumptions, Japanese bioethics has, in fact, taken on an identity that is undoubtedly separate from its American origins. Rich philosophical questions raised by medicine, human subjects research, and psychiatric care are being posed by scholars in a way that reflect Japanese tradition and is no longer simply reflective of, or shaped by, American traditions and philosophical problems. The book highlights and showcases these trends through a series of chapters written by some of the leading scholars in contemporary Japanese bioethics, many of whom were pioneers of the field when it began and are now nearing retirement. (shrink)

Objective Standards of care regarding obstetric management of life-threatening anomalies are not defined. It is hypothesised that physicians' management of these pregnancies is variable and influenced by demographic factors. Design A questionnaire was mailed to members of the Society of Maternal–Fetal Medicine with valid US addresses assessing obstetric management of both ‘uniformly lethal’ (eg, anencephaly, renal agenesis) and ‘uniformly severe, commonly lethal’ (eg, trisomy 13 and 18) anomalies. Respondents were asked to answer as if not limited by state/institutional restrictions. Fisher's (...) exact or χ2 tests were used as appropriate and correction made for multiple comparisons in analyses that were not prespecified. Results The response rate was 36% (732/2038). Nearly 100% of respondents discuss termination for both uniformly and commonly lethal anomalies. In continuing pregnancies, with patient request for obstetric non-intervention 99% of providers would comply for either uniformly or commonly lethal anomalies. The majority ‘encourage’ such management, but some were non-directive or discouraged this management. In continuing pregnancies, with patient request for full obstetric intervention the majority of respondents was willing to comply for both uniformly (71%) and commonly (82%) lethal anomalies. While most practitioners ‘discouraged’ full intervention, some were non-directive or encouraged this management. Demographics and severity of anomaly influenced counselling. Conclusion Discrepancies exist regarding the management of life-threatening fetal anomalies. Patients may be offered different options based on practitioner demographics. The majority of physicians comply with patient wishes. Differences were noted when comparing the management of lethal with that of severe commonly lethal anomalies, suggesting that practitioners make a distinction when counselling patients. (shrink)

In recent decades scholars have acknowledged that transactions in the informal economy have not vanished with modernization and industrialization as expected but rather remain an important contemporary aspect of overall production and consumption across the world, in both developing and developed countries. Yet little is known about the profile of the consumers in this realm or what drives them to purchase from the informal economy. A systematic review of the literature investigating consumption in the informal economy reveals a severely underdeveloped (...) area of consumer studies with significant gaps in terms of its theoretical approaches, methods and regional coverage. The findings of the existing literature is that multiple motives are used by consumers for justifying their purchases in the informal economy beyond the dominant simplistic view that they do simply for financial gain or for a lower price. The outcome is a recognition that responsibility to reducing this phenomenon with negative effects on governments, businesses, workers and consumers lies not just with public authorities but also practitioners who need to correct the failures in formal market provision. The significant gaps identified in the literature are then used to highlight a comprehensive future research agenda, which includes the need for the development of an institutionalist theoretical perspective when explaining consumers‘ participation in the informal economy and social marketing interventions. (shrink)

Language is highly dynamic: It unfolds over time, and we can use it to achieve a wide variety of communicative goals, from telling a story to trying to persuade another person. One aspect of language that has gained increasing popularity among researchers in the last several decades is the individual language style (LS) represented by an individual’s use of function words (e.g., pronouns, articles). Previous approaches to LS mostly focus on LS of one individual in isolation, paying less attention to (...) the fact that language emerges from interaction with others. The aim of this paper is twofold: First, we integrate LS into a dynamical theoretical framework and present an innovative methodological approach. Second, this paper aims to address how interactive conversation—as an aspect of the communicative setting—changes an individual’s LS. We use recurrence quantification analysis to look at structure in patterns of LS in monologs and conversations of 118 participants. Our results showed that LS significantly differs from monolog to conversation, and post hoc analyses further revealed that the change in LS is greater for conflict than for friendly conversations. The difference between monologs and conversations is reflected more strongly in the dynamics (i.e., structure and complexity) of LS than the proportion of function words used. Theoretical implications and directions for future studies are discussed. (shrink)

Using fractal analyses to study events allows us to capture the scale-independence of those events, that is, no matter at which level we study a phenomenon, we should get roughly the same results because events exhibit similar structure across scales. This is demonstrably true in mathematical fractals but is less assured in behavioral fractals. The current research directly tests the scale-independence hypothesis in the behavioral domain by exploring the fractal structure of aggression, a social phenomenon comprising events that span temporal (...) scales from minutes of face-to-face arguments to centuries of international armed conflicts. Using publicly available data, we examined the temporal fractal structure of four scales of aggression: wars, riots, violent crimes, and body movement during arguments. Our results lend mixed support to the scale-independence hypothesis and provide insight into the self-organization of human interactions. (shrink)

Les debats sur la generation du monde a la fin de l'Antiquite constituent un chapitre majeur de l'histoire de la metaphysique. Le projet de cet ouvrage est de montrer que, derriere cette question bien connue, et posee par Platon dans le Timee, se joue un debat plus profond. Prenant comme perspective la reception des doctrines du platonicien Atticus (IIe siecle), il se propose de retracer l'histoire des interpretations du grand dialogue cosmologique de Platon aussi bien dans le neoplatonisme paien qu'au (...) sein de la pensee philosophique chretienne. Porphyre (IIIe siecle), figure fondatrice du neoplatonisme, revele que si la question de la generation du monde est devenue centrale, c'est parce qu'elle temoigne de divergences entre deux manieres d'interpreter la doctrine de Platon concernant le mouvement desordonne dont s'empare le demiurge pour faconner l'univers. Tandis que les uns y voient la preuve de l'existence d'une matiere precosmique, les autres l'interpretent comme une hypothese donnant a voir la nature des corps en l'absence de la cause divine. L'ouvrage examine comment la theorie principielle d'Atticus, justifiant l'interpretation de la generation temporelle de l'univers, sert de support aux apologistes chretiens tandis qu'elle est comprise par Porphyre comme l'embleme d'une interpretation a contre-sens de Platon. En soutenant que Platon traite non pas de la matiere mais des corps, Porphyre affirme que le monde est engendre non parce qu'il aurait un commencement temporel, mais parce qu'il est une realite composee, adaptant en contexte platonicien plusieurs elements-cles de l'aristotelisme. Le dernier chapitre analyse l'influence de Plotin dans l'elaboration de cette interpretation, a partir de l'etude des temoignages concernant son enseignement oral. (shrink)

The Sumerian Poem Enmerkar and En-suḫkeš-ana: Epic, Play, Or? Stage Craft at the Turn from the Third to the Second Millennium B.C. By Claus Wilcke. American Oriental Series, Essay 12. New Haven: American Oriental Society, 2012. Pp. ix + 117. $58.

What is the role of deictic gestures in expressing affective valence, and can such gestures serve as an indicator of awareness in choice making? To examine this, we analyzed participants’ deictic gestures toward preferred and non-preferred picture alternatives in an experimental choice justification task. The task involved manipulation: in some trials, participants were presented with the rejected alternative as if that had been their choice and were asked to justify it. Based on whether participants detected the manipulation or not (i.e., (...) reacting to the presented picture card or accepting it as their choice), three types of choice trials were distinguished: (a) non-manipulated, (b) manipulated-undetected, and (c) manipulated-detected. We categorized the verbal and deictic responses of 29 Greek participants according to seven dimensions: Deixis, indicated Object, hand Shape, use of Hand, Tactility, Utterance, and Valence. We found differences in participants’ deictic gestures between preferred and non-preferred choice alternatives across nearly all dimensions. Moreover, when manipulation was involved, participants gesturally indicated their preferred option, which was presented as their rejected alternative, in a manner similar to how they indicated the preferred picture card when there was no manipulation. Based on these observations, we argue that deictic gestures are not merely referential but also carry affective and evaluative construals, serving as indicators of implicit awareness of preference-based choices. The study’s findings offer insights into the embodied nature of preference, the way agency arises within a landscape of possibilities, and how pre-reflective consciousness and the operative nature of the body provides a window into participants’ awareness in choice making. (shrink)

I will argue here a) that we have a right to have opportunities to meaningful relationships, b) that such a right is distinct from a right focusing only on protecting access to more basic social interactions, and c) that to the extent that we have rights to both kinds of social interactions, the one focused on more meaningful relationships should have priority because it secures an interest of greater importance for us.

BackgroundWhen conducting research with Indigenous populations consent should be sought from both individual participants and the local community. We aimed to search and summarise the literature about methods for seeking consent for research with Indigenous populations.MethodsA systematic literature search was conducted for articles that describe or evaluate the process of seeking informed consent for research with Indigenous participants. Guidelines for ethical research and for seeking consent with Indigenous people are also included in our review.ResultsOf 1447 articles found 1391 were excluded (...) ; 56 were relevant and included. Articles were categorised into original research that evaluated the consent process or publications detailing the process of seeking consent and guidelines for ethical research. Guidelines were categorised into international ; national and state/regional/local guidelines. In five studies based in Australia, Canada and The United States of America the consent process with Indigenous people was objectively evaluated. In 13 other studies interpreters, voice recording, videos, pictures, flipcharts and “plain language” forms were used to assist in seeking consent but these processes were not evaluated. Some Indigenous organisations provide examples of community-designed resources for seeking consent and describe methods of community engagement, but none are evaluated. International, national and local ethical guidelines stress the importance of upholding Indigenous values but fail to specify methods for engaging communities or obtaining individual consent. In the ‘Grey literature’ concerns about the consent process are identified but no solutions are offered.ConclusionConsultation with Indigenous communities is needed to determine how consent should be sought from the community and the individual, and how to evaluate this process. (shrink)

Interaction analysis opens promising perspectives for nursing education. Sixteen students and three teachers conducted an interaction analysis, based on video-recorded therapeutic activities. The study aims to understand the practice of self-disclosure in psychiatric nursing. How does the use of interaction analysis tools in a training setting constitute a resource for the acquisition of professional skills? We show how this training design constitutes a resource for : a) the acquisition of clinical theoretical knowledge, b) the articulation of theoretical and practical knowledge, (...) c) the development of a non-judging descriptive posture useful for the clinical observation. (shrink)

Die Beschäftigung dem Filioque hat derzeit wieder Konjunktur. Nach der Studie von Bernd Oberdorfer (2001), die das Filioque-Problem aus primär systematisch-theologischer Perspektive untersucht, legt Peter Gemeinhardt jetzt mit seiner Marburger Dissertation ein Werk vor, das sich der Filioque-Problematik unter historischem Gesichtspunkt nähert, genauer: das die Entstehung des Filioque selbst und die damit verknüpfte Kontroverse von den Anfängen bis zum frühen 12. Jahrhundert eingehend nachzeichnet und durchaus als komplementäres Werk zu Oberdorfers Buch – auf das sich G. wiederholt bezieht – gelesen (...) werden kann. Die Arbeit legt den Schwerpunkt auf die Zeit vor 1054, die in den Augen des Vf. hinsichtlich der Filioque-Kontroverse bisher unter einem Schleier liegt, den er „vermittels einer kirchen- und dogmengeschichtlichen Untersuchung“ lüften will um „damit den gegenwärtigen Auseinandersetzungen um Sinnhaftigkeit und Legitimität des Filioque ein historisch-kritisches Korrektiv an die Hand zu geben“ (VIII). Diese Zielsetzung spiegelt sich auch darin, daß der eigentlich historische Teil der Arbeit eingerahmt wird von zwei kürzeren, die die Untersuchung im ökumenischen und systematisch-theologischen Horizont verorten. Abschnitt A bildet die Einleitung: „Das Filioque im Spannungsfeld der gegenwärtigen Ökumene“ (S.1–40). Abschnitt B zeichnet die historische Entwicklung nach: „Stationen der Filioque-Kontroverse im Frühmittelalter“ (S.41–534). Abschnitt C faßt die Ergebnisse zusammen und lenkt den Blick zurück auf die ökumenische Diskussion der Gegenwart: „Systematisierende Zusammenfassung“ (S.535–556). Am Ende finden sich – angesichts der ungeheuren Fülle des verarbeiteten Materials unerläßliche – Anhänge zur Textentwicklung des NC (S.557–562), Abkürzungen der Quellen (S.563–566), die umfangreiche Bibliographie (S.567–598) und Register (Bibelstellen; Quellen; Namen; Orte; Synoden; moderne Autoren; S.599–644), die dem dankbaren Leser die Arbeit erleichtern. (shrink)

Dans la dernière philosophie de Schelling, l'être occupe partout le pôle primordial du fondement, de la matière, du pouvoir-être. Il est la puissance par excellence, à la fois voué par sa nature à être en mal d'existence et destiné par l'ordre divin des puissances à ne pas exister pour lui-même. C'est la raison pour laquelle l'être est l'élément par où commence et passe tout le drame de l'existence divine dans la création. C'est dans cette perspective que Schelling assume la figure (...) christologique. Réactivé sans la volonté du Père, l'être concentre la colère du Père; suscitée sans la volonté du Père, la puissance médiatrice s'approprie la seigneurie divine: en proie au déchaînement de l'être, la seconde des puissances s'adonne à une lutte acharnée contre la colère divine. Le paganisme est ce face-à-face, où ne joue plus la force conciliatrice. Le repos des puissances ne peut donc venir que du Fils; il faut que la seconde puissance décide de réintégrer le vouloir de l'être et son propre vouloir à la volonté divine: acteur de cette décision-là, le Fils devient le Christ; la seigneurie est redonnée au Père, la colère de l'être s'apaise. In the last philosophy of Schelling, the being everywhere occupies the primordial pole of the foundation, of the matter. One is the strength par excellence, at the same time doomed by its nature to desiring the existence and destined by the divine order for not existing for itself. It is the reason why the being is the element by where starts and channels all the drama of the divine existence in the creation. It is in this perspective that Schelling takes on the Christ figure. Reactivated without the Father's will, the being focuses the Father's anger; aroused without the Father's will, the mediating strength appropriates the divine Lord's domain: prey to the fury of the being, the second strength devotes to a force battle against the divine anger. The paganism is this confrontation in which the conciliating power no longer acts. The strenghts' rest only can come from the Son; the second strength has to restore the will of the being and his own will to the divine will: subject of this decision, the Son becomes the Christ; the Lord's domain is given back to the Father, and the anger of being is appeased. (shrink)

The development of presymptomatic screening for risks to children’s mental health holds the promise to prevent or reduce the burden of mental disorders by enabling timely preventive actions. However, such screening programmes also raise ethical concerns related to false positive results, increased anxiety, harmful effects on a child’s sense of self, and stigmatization. Stakeholders can provide valuable insights into these ethical concerns from their engagement with practice. Therefore, in this study we conducted six focus group discussions with professionals in the (...) child mental health domain (in clinical, educational, or policy settings) to investigate their views on presymptomatic screening and identify ethical considerations. The discussions took place in six European countries. Three main themes were identified: 1) Promises and concerns about screening for risks to children’s mental health, 2) Additional considerations about biomarker screening, and 3) Implications for healthcare systems and society. Ethical considerations included the benefits of screening outweighing the harms, informed and autonomous decision-making, the actionability of screening outcomes, stigmatization, and medicalization. Our findings underscore the importance of exercising caution in the development and implementation of presymptomatic screening for risks to children’s mental health. Implications for practice and future research are discussed. (shrink)

The number of children with chronic critical illness (CCI) is a growing population in the United States. A defining characteristic of this population is a prolonged hospital stay. Our study assessed the proportion of pediatric patients with chronic critical illness in U.S. hospitals at a specific point in time, and identified a subset of children whose hospital stay lasted for months to years. The potential harms of a prolonged hospitalization for children with CCI, which include over treatment, infection, disruption of (...) family life, and the intensive utilization of resources—combined with the moral distress experienced by the clinicians who care for the children, suggest the need for ethical analysis of this growing issue to identify actions that could be taken at the clinical and health systems levels to reduce the harms associated with prolonged hospital stay.In this article we present three real cases from our study that involved a very long hospital stay. We applied a framework developed by Mackenzie, Rogers, and Dodds to analyze inherent, situational, and pathogenic vulnerabilities to examine the ways that interventions intended to remedy one source of harm for the children in our cohort inadvertently created other harms. We examined the complex ways that children with protracted hospitalization are vulnerable to the choices made by their family and clinicians, as well as by healthcare systems and communities. Finally, we used this analysis to summarize actions and ethical responses to this growing patient population. Such an understanding is essential to making clinical and ethical decisions that arise for children who are at risk for a very long stay in the hospital. (shrink)

Background: This study developed a photo and video database of 4-to-6-year-olds expressing the seven induced and posed universal emotions and a neutral expression. Children participated in photo and video sessions designed to elicit the emotions, and the resulting images were further assessed by independent judges in two rounds. Methods: In the first round, two independent judges, experts in the Facial Action Coding System, firstly analysed 3,668 emotions facial expressions stimuli from 132 children. Both judges reached 100% agreement regarding 1,985 stimuli, (...) which were then selected for a second round of analysis between judges 3 and 4. Results: The result was 1,985 stimuli were produced from 124 participants. A Kappa index of 0.70 and an accuracy of 73% between experts were observed. Lower accuracy was found for emotional expression by 4-year-olds than 6-year-olds. Happiness, disgust and contempt had the highest agreement. After a sub-analysis evaluation of all four judges, 100% agreement was reached for 1,381 stimuli which compound the ChildEFES database with 124 participants and 51% induced photographs. The number of stimuli of each emotion were: 87 for neutrality, 363 for happiness, 170 for disgust, 104 for surprise, 152 for fear, 144 for sadness, 157 for anger 157, and 183 for contempt. Conclusions: The findings show that this photo and video database can facilitate research on the mechanisms involved in early childhood recognition of facial emotions in children, contributing to the understanding of facial emotion recognition deficits which characterise several neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. (shrink)

The consent and community engagement process for research with Indigenous communities is rarely evaluated. Research protocols are not always collaborative, inclusive or culturally respectful. If participants do not trust or understand the research, selection bias may occur in recruitment, affecting study results potentially denying participants the opportunity to provide more knowledge and greater understanding about their community. Poorly informed consent can also harm the individual participant and the community as a whole. Invited by local Aboriginal community leaders of the Fitzroy (...) Valley, the Kimberley, Western Australia, The Picture Talk project explores the consent process for research. Focus groups of Aboriginal community members were conducted to establish preferences for methods of seeking individual consent. Transcripts were analysed through NVivo10 Qualitative software using grounded theory with inductive and deductive coding. Themes were synthesised with quotes highlighted. Focus groups with Aboriginal community members were facilitated by a Community Navigator as a cultural guide and interpreter and a researcher. Participants were recruited from all main language groups of the Fitzroy Valley – Gooniyandi, Walmajarri, Wangkatjungka, Bunuba and Nikinya. Participants were aged ≥18 years, with 5 female groups and one male group. Themes identified include: Reputation and trust is essential; The Community Navigator is key; Pictures give the words meaning – milli milli versus Pictures; Achieving consensus in circles; Signing for consent; and Research is needed in the Valley. Aboriginal communities of the Fitzroy Valley recommend that researchers collaborate with local leaders, develop trust and foster a good reputation in the community prior to research. Local Aboriginal researchers should be employed to provide cultural guidance throughout the research process and interpret local languages especially for elders. Pictures are preferred to written text to explain research information and most prefer to sign for consent. The Fitzroy Valley welcomes research when collaborative and for the benefit of the community. Future research could include exploring how to support young people, promote health screening and improve understanding of medical knowledge. (shrink)

© 2017. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.We present new observations of the low-mass companion to HD 984 taken with the Gemini Planet Imager as a part of the GPI Exoplanet Survey campaign. Images of HD 984 B were obtained in the J and H bands. Combined with archival epochs from 2012 and 2014, we fit the first orbit to the companion to find an 18 au orbit with a 68% confidence interval between 14 and 28 au, an eccentricity (...) of 0.18 with a 68% confidence interval between 0.05 and 0.47, and an inclination of 119°with a 68% confidence interval between 114°and 125°. To address the considerable spectral covariance in both spectra, we present a method of splitting the spectra into low and high frequencies to analyze the spectral structure at different spatial frequencies with the proper spectral noise correlation. Using the split spectra, we compare them to known spectral types using field brown dwarf and low-mass star spectra and find a best-fit match of a field gravity M6.5 ±1.5 spectral type with a corresponding temperature of K. Photometry of the companion yields a luminosity of log=2.88 ± 0.07 dex with DUSTY models. Mass estimates, again from DUSTY models, find an age-dependent mass of 34 ±1 to 95 ±4 M Jup. These results are consistent with previous measurements of the object. (shrink)

Problem: Visions of technology, future scenarios, guiding visions represent imaginations of future states of affairs that play a functional role in processes of technological research, development and innovation—e.g. as a means to create attention, communication, coordination, or for the strategic exertion of influence. Since a couple of years there is a growing attention for such imaginations of futures in politics, the economy, research and the civil society. This trend concerns technology assessment as an observer of these processes and a consultant (...) on the implications of technology and innovation. TA faces increasing demands to assess imaginations of futures that circulate in the present and to participate in shaping these through scenarios or foresights. More than ever, this raises the question, which propositions can be made based on these imaginations by TA and how this can be used in advisory practices. Imaginations of futures are relevant for TA not as predictions but in their significance and effectiveness in the present, which need to be understood and assessed.Contents: This discussion paper outlines how present significance and effects of imagined futures in technological research and innovation processes can be conceived and analyzed. In this paper, all forms of imaginations of technology futures will be called “socio-technical futures” because within them technological developments and social changes are interwoven and inseparably interrelated. In this paper, we discuss why TA should analyze socio-technical futures, how such analyses can grasp the societal conditions that are expressed in the imagined futures and how these become effective in processes of technology development, communication, decision making etc. We raise the question which self-reflexive positioning or possible realignment of TA is needed as a response to its increased concern with assessing and even co-producing socio-technical futures. The latter is often demanded regarding the growing attention by politics and publics to imaginations of futures with wide temporal and spatial reach.Addressee of this paper is the TA community in a broader sense. The aim is to sensitize colleagues for the topic and its challenges, to consolidate discussions and to provide theoretical and methodical suggestions for research in TA and related advisory practices with respect to socio-technical futures. This paper has been originally initiated during the workshop “The present of technological futures-theoretical and methodical challenges for Technology Assessment”, in which all of the paper’s authors participated. The contents of this discussion paper are preliminary results that shall initiate and guide further discussions. (shrink)

Background: There is a growing interest in using cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) with people who have Asperger Syndrome (AS) and comorbid mental health problems. Aims: To examine whether modified group CBT for clinically significant anxiety in an AS population is feasible and likely to be efficacious. Method: Using a randomised assessor-blind trial, 52 individuals with AS were randomised into a treatment arm or a waiting-list control arm. After 24 weeks, those in the waiting-list control arm received treatment, while those initially (...) randomised to treatment were followed-up for 24 weeks. Results: The conversion rate for this trial was high (1.6:1), while attrition was 13%. After 24 weeks, there was no significant difference between those randomised to the treatment arm compared to those randomised to the waiting-list control arm on the primary outcome measure, the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety. Conclusions: Trials of psychological therapies with this population are feasible. Larger definitive trials are now needed. Declaration of Interest: None Trial Registration: ISRCTN 30265294 (DOI: 10.1186/ISRCTN30265294), UKCRN 8370. (shrink)

© The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists. All rights reserved.Cell walls of grasses, including cereal crops and biofuel grasses, comprise the majority of plant biomass and intimately influence plant growth, development and physiology. However, the functions of many cell wall synthesis genes, and the relationships among and the functions of cell wall components remain obscure. To better understand the patterns of cell wall accumulation and identify genes that act in grass (...) cell wall biosynthesis, we characterized 30 samples from aerial organs of rice at 10 developmental time points, 3-100 d post-germination. Within these samples, we measured 15 cell wall chemical components, enzymatic digestibility and 18 cell wall polysaccharide epitopes/ligands. We also used quantitative reverse transcription-PCR to measure expression of 50 glycosyltransferases, 15 acyltransferases and eight phenylpropanoid genes, many of which had previously been identified as being highly expressed in rice. Most cell wall components vary significantly during development, and correlations among them support current understanding of cell walls. We identified 92 significant correlations between cell wall components and gene expression and establish nine strong hypotheses for genes that synthesize xylans, mixed linkage glucan and pectin components. This work provides an extensive analysis of cell wall composition throughout rice development, identifies genes likely to synthesize grass cell walls, and provides a framework for development of genetically improved grasses for use in lignocellulosic biofuel production and agriculture. (shrink)

In the USA, there are missed opportunities to diagnose hepatitis C virus (HCV) in pregnancy because screening is currently risk-stratified and thus primarily limited to individuals who disclose history of injection drug use or sexually transmitted infection risks. Over the past decade, the opioid epidemic has dramatically increased incidence of HCV and a feasible, well-tolerated cure was introduced. Considering these developments, recent evidence suggests universal HCV screening in pregnancy would be cost-effective and several professional organisations have called for updated national (...) policy. Historically, universal screening has been financially disincentivised on the healthcare system level, particularly since new diagnoses may generate an obligation to provide expensive treatments to a population largely reliant on public health resources. Here, we provide ethical arguments supporting universal HCV screening in pregnancy grounded in obligations to respect for persons, beneficence and justice. First, universal prenatal HCV screening respects pregnant women as persons by promoting their long-term health outside of pregnancy. Additionally, universal screening would optimise health outcomes within current treatment guidelines and may support research on treatment during pregnancy. Finally, universal screening would avoid potential harms of risk-stratifying pregnant women by highly stigmatised substance use and sexual behaviours. (shrink)