Dyadic Power Theory, Touch, and Counseling Psychology: A Response to Smith, Vogel, Madon, and Edwards (2011)

Smith, Vogel, Madon, and Edwards’ (2011) recent article tested dyadic power theory (DPT) by examining the use of touch as a compliance-gaining tactic in the conflicts of married couples. In this response, we raise a methodological issue about the touch behaviors examined by Smith et al. and also pose a theoretical critique that their test of DPT violates an important scope condition of the theory. They did not examine differences between power-equal and power-unequal dyads, but instead they state that topic selection provides an actor with legitimate authority (and thus greater perceived power) and therefore the actor would touch their partner more to influence the partner. In contrast, DPT predicts that actors will use control attempts such as touch more when they are equal in power than when they are unequal. We believe DPT is relevant to touch in marital conflicts and provide a preliminary statement of that idea.Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline

Performance of the EUDET-type beam telescopes

Test beam measurements at the test beam facilities of DESY have been conducted to characterise the performance of the EUDET-type beam telescopes originally developed within the EUDET project. The beam telescopes are equipped with six sensor planes using MIMOSA26 monolithic active pixel devices. A programmable Trigger Logic Unit provides trigger logic and time stamp information on particle passage. Both data acquisition framework and offline reconstruction software packages are available. User devices are easily integrable into the data acquisition framework via predefined interfaces. The biased residual distribution is studied as a function of the beam energy, plane spacing and sensor threshold. Its standard deviation at the two centre pixel planes using all six planes for tracking in a 6\,GeV electron/positron-beam is measured to be (2.88\,\pm\,0.08)\,\upmu\meter.Iterative track fits using the formalism of General Broken Lines are performed to estimate the intrinsic resolution of the individual pixel planes. The mean intrinsic resolution over the six sensors used is found to be (3.24\,\pm\,0.09)\,\upmu\meter.With a 5\,GeV electron/positron beam, the track resolution halfway between the two inner pixel planes using an equidistant plane spacing of 20\,mm is estimated to (1.83\,\pm\,0.03)\,\upmu\meter assuming the measured intrinsic resolution. Towards lower beam energies the track resolution deteriorates due to increasing multiple scattering. Threshold studies show an optimal working point of the MIMOSA26 sensors at a sensor threshold of between five and six times their RMS noise. Measurements at different plane spacings are used to calibrate the amount of multiple scattering in the material traversed and allow for corrections to the predicted angular scattering for electron beams

Identification of suitable adjuvant for vaccine formulation with the Neospora caninum antigen NcSRS2.

The parasite Neospora caninum is the main cause of abortion in cattle in many countries around the world, so a vaccine is a rational approach method for the control of the disease. An effective vaccine should be able to prevent both, the horizontal and vertical transmission of N. caninum. In this study, the immune vaccinal response of the recombinant protein rNcSRS2 of N. caninum expressed in Pichia pastoris and formulated with water-in-oil emulsion, xanthan gum, and alum hydroxide was assessed in an experimental murine model. Groups of 10 Balb/c mice were subcutaneously inoculated with two doses of prNcSRS2 twenty-one days apart. After the second immunization, four mice from each group were euthanized, and splenocytes were stimulated ex vivo with recombinant protein. The IgG dynamics were evaluated by indirect ELISA, and the splenocytes cytokines transcription by qPCR. All groups elicited specific antibodies against prNcSRS2, with the water-in-oil group showing significantly (p .05) elevated titers compared to the other groups. The prNcSRS2 protein alone did not induce a significant ex vivo splenic transcription level of IFN-c, TNF-a, IL-4, IL-10, and IL-12 cytokines, except for IL-17A, and the adjuvant associations with the prNcSRS2 protein induced different cytokine transcription profiles. The water-inoil emulsion modulated the expression of TNF-a; the xanthan gum modulated IL-4, IL-10, and IL-12; and alum hydroxide modulated IFN-c, TNF-a, IL-4, IL-10, and IL-12. In conclusion, it was found that the association of the recombinant prNcSRS2 protein with different adjuvants induced different levels of specific antibody, and a distinct splenic cytokine profile in an adjuvant-dependent manner. The mechanisms of adjuvancity activity is complex, so adjuvant formulation may help in the design of efficient vaccine to control Neosporosis

From Teamchef Arminius to Hermann Junior: glocalised discourse about a national foundation myth

If for much of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the ‘Battle of the Teutoburg Forest’, fought in 9 CE between Roman armies and Germanic tribes, was predominantly a reference point for nationalist and chauvinist discourses in Germany, the first decade of the twenty-first century has seen attempts to link public remembrance with local/regional identities on the one hand and international/intercultural contact on the other. In the run up to and during the ‘anniversary year’ of 2009, German media, sports institutions and various other official institutions articulating tourist, economic and political interests attempted to create a new ‘glocalised’ version of the public memory of the Teutoburg battle. Combining methods of Cognitive Linguistics and Critical Discourse Analysis, the paper analyses the narrative and argumentative topoi employed in this re-orientation of public memory, with a special emphasis on hybrid, post-national identity-construction. Das zweitausendjährige Gedenkjahr der „Schlacht im Teutoburger Wald“ im Jahr 2009 bot eine günstige Gelegenheit, die bis in die zweite Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts dominante Tradition nationalistisch–chauvinistischer Deutungen des Sieges von germanischen Stämmen über drei römische Legionen zu korrigieren und zu überwinden. Der Aufsatz analysiert mit Hilfe diskurslinguistischer Methoden die Anstrengungen regionaler Institutionen und Medien, die nationale Vereinnahmung des historischen Gedenkens kritisch zu thematisieren sowie neue, zum eine lokal situierte, zum andern international orientierte Identifikationsangebote anzubieten. Die Analyse zeigt, dass solche „de-nationalisierten“ Identifikationsangebote zwar teilweise auch früher verwendet wurden, aber heutzutage rekontextualisiert und auf innovative Weise in den Vordergrund gestellt werden

"After my husband's circumcision, I know that I am safe from diseases": Women's Attitudes and Risk Perceptions Towards Male Circumcision in Iringa, Tanzania.

While male circumcision reduces the risk of female-to-male HIV transmission and certain sexually transmitted infections (STIs), there is little evidence that circumcision provides women with direct protection against HIV. This study used qualitative methods to assess women's perceptions of male circumcision in Iringa, Tanzania. Women in this study had strong preferences for circumcised men because of the low risk perception of HIV with circumcised men, social norms favoring circumcised men, and perceived increased sexual desirability of circumcised men. The health benefits of male circumcision were generally overstated; many respondents falsely believed that women are also directly protected against HIV and that the risk of all STIs is greatly reduced or eliminated in circumcised men. Efforts to engage women about the risks and limitations of male circumcision, in addition to the benefits, should be expanded so that women can accurately assess their risk of HIV or STIs during sexual intercourse with circumcised men

Controlled assembly of SNAP-PNA-fluorophore systems on DNA templates to produce fluorescence resonance energy transfer

The SNAP protein is a widely used self-labeling tag that can be used for tracking protein localization and trafficking in living systems. A model system providing controlled alignment of SNAP-tag units can provide a new way to study clustering of fusion proteins. In this work, fluorescent SNAP-PNA conjugates were controllably assembled on DNA frameworks forming dimers, trimers, and tetramers. Modification of peptide nucleic acid (PNA) with the O6-benzyl guanine (BG) group allowed the generation of site-selective covalent links between PNA and the SNAP protein. The modified BG-PNAs were labeled with fluorescent Atto dyes and subsequently chemo-selectively conjugated to SNAP protein. Efficient assembly into dimer and oligomer forms was verified via size exclusion chromatography (SEC), electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), and fluorescence spectroscopy. DNA directed assembly of homo- and hetero-dimers of SNAP-PNA constructs induced homo- and hetero-FRET, respectively. Longer DNA scaffolds controllably aligned similar fluorescent SNAP-PNA constructs into higher oligomers exhibiting homo-FRET. The combined SEC and homo-FRET studies indicated the 1:1 and saturated assemblies of SNAP-PNA-fluorophore:DNA formed preferentially in this system. This suggested a kinetic/stoichiometric model of assembly rather than binomially distributed products. These BG-PNA-fluorophore building blocks allow facile introduction of fluorophores and/or assembly directing moieties onto any protein containing SNAP. Template directed assembly of PNA modified SNAP proteins may be used to investigate clustering behavior both with and without fluorescent labels which may find use in the study of assembly processes in cells

ESBL displace: a protocol for an observational study to identify displacing Escherichia coli strain candidates from ESBL-colonized travel returners using phenotypic, genomic sequencing and metagenome analysis

Introduction: Invading extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-PE), non-ESBL E. coli, and other bacteria form a complex environment in the gut. The duration and dynamics of ESBL-PE colonization varies among individuals. Understanding the factors associated with colonization may lead to decolonization strategies. In this study, we aim to identify (i) single E. coli strains and (ii) microbiome networks that correlate with retention or decline of colonization, and (iii) pan-sensitive E. coli strains that potentially could be used to displace ESBL-PE during colonization. Methods and analysis: We recruit healthy travellers to Southeast Asia for a one-year prospective observational follow-up study. We collect and biobank stool, serum, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) at predefined timepoints. Additional information is collected with questionnaires. We determine the colonization status with ESBL-PE and non-ESBL E. coli and quantify cell densities in stools and ratios over time. We characterize multiple single bacterial isolates per patient and timepoint using whole genome sequencing (WGS) and 16S/ITS amplicon-based and shotgun metagenomics. We determine phylogenetic relationships between isolates, antimicrobial resistance (AMR; phenotypic and genotypic), and virulence genes. We describe the bacterial and fungal stool microbiome alpha and beta diversity on 16S/ITS metagenomic data. We describe patterns in microbiome dynamics to identify features associated with protection or risk of ESBL-PE colonization. Ethics and dissemination: The study is registered (clinicaltrials.gov; NCT04764500 on 09/02/2019) and approved by the Ethics Committee (EKNZ project ID 2019-00044). We will present anonymized results at conferences and in scientific journals. Bacterial sequencing data will be shared via publicly accessible databases according to FAIR principles

Performance of a spaghetti calorimeter prototype with tungsten absorber and garnet crystal fibres

A spaghetti calorimeter (SPACAL) prototype with scintillating crystal fibres was assembled and tested with electron beams of energy from 1 to 5 GeV. The prototype comprised radiation-hard Cerium-doped GdAlGaO (GAGG:Ce) and YAlO (YAG:Ce) embedded in a pure tungsten absorber. The energy resolution was studied as a function of the incidence angle of the beam and found to be of the order of 10%/E⊕1%, in line with the LHCb Shashlik technology. The time resolution was measured with metal channel dynode photomultipliers placed in contact with the fibres or coupled via a light guide, additionally testing an optical tape to glue the components. Time resolution of a few tens of picosecond was achieved for all the energies reaching down to (18.5 ± 0.2) ps at 5 GeV.We acknowledge support by the CERN Strategic Programme on Technologies for Future Experiments, https://ep-rnd.web.cern.ch/, by the MCIN/AEI, GenCat and GVA (Spain), and by the NSFC (China) under grant Nos. 12175005, 12061141007. The measurements were performed at the Test Beam Facility at DESY Hamburg (Germany), a member of the Helmholtz Association (HGF). The authors would like to thank T. Schneider, H. Gerwig, N. Siegrist, and D. Deyrail (CERN) for their help in designing and assembling the prototype and the set-up, A. Barnyakov, Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics (BINP), Novosibirsk, for kindly providing the MCPs, and the ITEP ATLAS group for the DWCs