Argotario: Computational Argumentation Meets Serious Games

An important skill in critical thinking and argumentation is the ability to spot and recognize fallacies. Fallacious arguments, omnipresent in argumentative discourse, can be deceptive, manipulative, or simply leading to `wrong moves' in a discussion. Despite their importance, argumentation scholars and NLP researchers with focus on argumentation quality have not yet investigated fallacies empirically. The nonexistence of resources dealing with fallacious argumentation calls for scalable approaches to data acquisition and annotation, for which the serious games methodology offers an appealing, yet unexplored, alternative. We present Argotario, a serious game that deals with fallacies in everyday argumentation. Argotario is a multilingual, open-source, platform-independent application with strong educational aspects, accessible at www.argotario.net.Comment: EMNLP 2017 demo paper. Source codes: https://github.com/UKPLab/argotari

Exploiting Human Memory B Cell Heterogeneity for Improved Vaccine Efficacy

The major goal in vaccination is establishment of long-term, prophylactic humoral memory to a pathogen. Two major components to long-lived humoral memory are plasma cells for the production of specific immunoglobulin and memory B cells that survey for their specific antigen in the periphery for later affinity maturation, proliferation, and differentiation. The study of human B cell memory has been aided by the discovery of a general marker for B cell memory, expression of CD27; however, new data suggests the existence of CD27− memory B cells as well. These recently described non-canonical memory populations have increasingly pointed to the heterogeneity of the memory compartment. The novel B memory subsets in humans appear to have unique origins, localization, and functions compared to what was considered to be a “classical” memory B cell. In this article, we review the known B cell memory subsets, the establishment of B cell memory in vaccination and infection, and how understanding these newly described subsets can inform vaccine design and disease treatment

SEARCH: Spatially Explicit Animal Response to Composition of Habitat.

Complex decisions dramatically affect animal dispersal and space use. Dispersing individuals respond to a combination of fine-scale environmental stimuli and internal attributes. Individual-based modeling offers a valuable approach for the investigation of such interactions because it combines the heterogeneity of animal behaviors with spatial detail. Most individual-based models (IBMs), however, vastly oversimplify animal behavior and such behavioral minimalism diminishes the value of these models. We present program SEARCH (Spatially Explicit Animal Response to Composition of Habitat), a spatially explicit, individual-based, population model of animal dispersal through realistic landscapes. SEARCH uses values in Geographic Information System (GIS) maps to apply rules that animals follow during dispersal, thus allowing virtual animals to respond to fine-scale features of the landscape and maintain a detailed memory of areas sensed during movement. SEARCH also incorporates temporally dynamic landscapes so that the environment to which virtual animals respond can change during the course of a simulation. Animals in SEARCH are behaviorally dynamic and able to respond to stimuli based upon their individual experiences. Therefore, SEARCH is able to model behavioral traits of dispersing animals at fine scales and with many dynamic aspects. Such added complexity allows investigation of unique ecological questions. To illustrate SEARCH\u27s capabilities, we simulated case studies using three mammals. We examined the impact of seasonally variable food resources on the weight distribution of dispersing raccoons (Procyon lotor), the effect of temporally dynamic mortality pressure in combination with various levels of behavioral responsiveness in eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus), and the impact of behavioral plasticity and home range selection on disperser mortality and weight change in virtual American martens (Martes americana). These simulations highlight the relevance of SEARCH for a variety of applications and illustrate benefits it can provide for conservation planning

From “trust” to “trustworthiness”: Retheorizing dynamics of trust, distrust, and water security in North America

Assumptions of trust in water systems are widespread in higher-income countries, often linked to expectations of “modern water.” The current literature on water and trust also tends to reinforce a technoscientific approach, emphasizing the importance of aligning water user perceptions with expert assessments. Although such approaches can be useful to document instances of distrust, they often fail to explain why patterns differ over time, and across contexts and populations. Addressing these shortcomings, we offer a relational approach focused on the trustworthiness of hydro-social systems to contextualize water-trust dynamics in relation to broader practices and contexts. In doing so, we investigate three high-profile water crises in North America where examples of distrust are prevalent: Flint, Michigan; Kashechewan First Nation; and the Navajo Nation. Through our theoretical and empirical examination, we offer insights on these dynamics and find that distrust may at times be a warranted and understandable response to experiences of water insecurity and injustice. We examine the interconnected experiences of marginality and inequity, ontological and epistemological injustice, unequal governance and politics, and histories of water insecurity and harm as potential contributors to untrustworthiness in hydro-social systems. We close with recommendations for future directions to better understand water-trust dynamics and address water insecurity

Secondary magnetic inclusions in detrital zircons from the Jack Hills, Western Australia, and implications for the origin of the geodynamo

The time of origin of Earth’s dynamo is unknown. Detrital zircon crystals containing ferromagnetic inclusions from the Jack Hills of Western Australia have the potential to contain the oldest records of the geodynamo. It has recently been argued that magnetization in these zircons indicates that an active dynamo existed as far back as 4.2 Ga. However, the ages of ferromagnetic inclusions in the zircons are unknown. Here we present the first detailed characterization of the mineralogy and spatial distribution of ferromagnetic minerals in Jack Hills detrital zircons. We demonstrate that ferromagnetic minerals in most Jack Hills zircons are commonly located in cracks and on the zircons’ exteriors. Hematite is observed to dominate the magnetization of many zircons, while other zircons also contain significant quantities of magnetite and goethite. This indicates that the magnetization of most zircons is likely to be dominantly carried by secondary minerals that could be hundreds of millions to billions of years younger than the zircons’ crystallization ages. We conclude that the existence of the geodynamo prior to 3.5 Ga has yet to be established

Differential binding of autoantibodies to MOG isoforms in inflammatory demyelinating diseases

Objective: To analyze serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies to major isoforms of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG-alpha 1-3 and beta 1-3) in patients with inflammatory demyelinating diseases. Methods: Retrospective case-control study using 378 serum samples from patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), patients with non-MS demyelinating disease, and healthy controls with MOG alpha-1-IgG positive (n = 202) or negative serostatus (n = 176). Samples were analyzed for their reactivity to human, mouse, and rat MOG isoforms with and without mutations in the extracellular MOG Ig domain (MOG-ecIgD), soluble MOG-ecIgD, and myelin from multiple species using live cell-based, tissue immunofluorescence assays and ELISA. Results: The strongest IgG reactivities were directed against the longest MOG isoforms alpha-1 (the currently used standard test for MOG-IgG) and beta-1, whereas the other isoforms were less frequently recognized. Using principal component analysis, we identified 3 different binding patterns associated with non-MS disease: (1) isolated reactivity to MOG-alpha-1/beta-1 (n = 73), (2) binding to MOG-alpha-1/beta-1 and at least one other alpha, but no beta isoform (n = 64), and (3) reactivity to all 6 MOG isoforms (n = 65). The remaining samples were negative (n = 176) for MOG-IgG. These MOG isoform binding patterns were associated with a non-MS demyelinating disease, but there were no differences in clinical phenotypes or disease course. The 3 MOG isoform patterns had distinct immunologic characteristics such as differential binding to soluble MOG-ecIgD, sensitivity to MOG mutations, and binding to human MOG in ELISA. Conclusions: The novel finding of differential MOG isoform binding patterns could inform future studies on the refinement of MOG-IgG assays and the pathophysiologic role of MOG-IgG

Inoculação de rizóbios como bactérias promotoras de crescimento, para produção sustentável de tomateiros

A inoculação com rizóbios apresenta potencial para diminuição das aplicações de fertilizantes minerais solúveis porque são capazes de estimular o crescimento vegetal por diferentes mecanismos de ação. Este trabalho avaliou a promoção de crescimento de variedades de tomateiro por isolados de rizóbios, inclusive um isolado de Burkholderia sp. cuja inclusão no grupo dos rizóbios está sendo discutida. Foram realizados dois experimentos, em vasos, em casa de vegetação. O delineamento foi inteiramente casualizado, com três repetições. Os tratamentos consistiram de combinações entre quatro variedades de tomateiro e quatro isolados de rizóbios, além de tratamentos controle. Em um experimento, as plantas foram cortadas aos 53 dias e, no outro, foram conduzidas até o final do ciclo. Foram avaliados o volume radicular, as massas secas da raiz, da parte aérea e da planta inteira, bem como a massa e o número de frutos. Observou-se resposta nas variedades Absoluto e Serato à inoculação de alguns isolados, demonstrando que o aumento na produção depende das interações entre variedades e estirpes.Inoculation with rhizobia shows potential for reduction of soluble chemical fertilizers because they are able to stimulate plant growth by different mechanisms of action. This study evaluated the growth promotion of tomato varieties by rhizobia isolates, including a strain of Burkholderia sp. whose inclusion in the group of rhizobia is being discussed. Two experiments were conducted in pots in the greenhouse. The design was completely randomized, with three replications. The treatments consisted of combinations of four varieties of tomato and four rhizobia isolates, as well as control treatments. In one experiment, the plants were harvested at 53 days and at the other, were conducted by the end of the cycle. They evaluated the root volume, dry mass of root, shoot and whole plant, as well as the mass and the number of fruits. Response was observed in Absoluto and Serato varieties to inoculation of a few isolated, showing that the increase in production depends on the interactions between varieties and strains.Eje: A1 Sistemas de producción de base agroecológica (Trabajos científicos)Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestale

Inoculação de rizóbios como bactérias promotoras de crescimento, para produção sustentável de tomateiros

A inoculação com rizóbios apresenta potencial para diminuição das aplicações de fertilizantes minerais solúveis porque são capazes de estimular o crescimento vegetal por diferentes mecanismos de ação. Este trabalho avaliou a promoção de crescimento de variedades de tomateiro por isolados de rizóbios, inclusive um isolado de Burkholderia sp. cuja inclusão no grupo dos rizóbios está sendo discutida. Foram realizados dois experimentos, em vasos, em casa de vegetação. O delineamento foi inteiramente casualizado, com três repetições. Os tratamentos consistiram de combinações entre quatro variedades de tomateiro e quatro isolados de rizóbios, além de tratamentos controle. Em um experimento, as plantas foram cortadas aos 53 dias e, no outro, foram conduzidas até o final do ciclo. Foram avaliados o volume radicular, as massas secas da raiz, da parte aérea e da planta inteira, bem como a massa e o número de frutos. Observou-se resposta nas variedades Absoluto e Serato à inoculação de alguns isolados, demonstrando que o aumento na produção depende das interações entre variedades e estirpes.Inoculation with rhizobia shows potential for reduction of soluble chemical fertilizers because they are able to stimulate plant growth by different mechanisms of action. This study evaluated the growth promotion of tomato varieties by rhizobia isolates, including a strain of Burkholderia sp. whose inclusion in the group of rhizobia is being discussed. Two experiments were conducted in pots in the greenhouse. The design was completely randomized, with three replications. The treatments consisted of combinations of four varieties of tomato and four rhizobia isolates, as well as control treatments. In one experiment, the plants were harvested at 53 days and at the other, were conducted by the end of the cycle. They evaluated the root volume, dry mass of root, shoot and whole plant, as well as the mass and the number of fruits. Response was observed in Absoluto and Serato varieties to inoculation of a few isolated, showing that the increase in production depends on the interactions between varieties and strains.Eje: A1 Sistemas de producción de base agroecológica (Trabajos científicos)Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestale

Inoculação de rizóbios como bactérias promotoras de crescimento, para produção sustentável de tomateiros

A inoculação com rizóbios apresenta potencial para diminuição das aplicações de fertilizantes minerais solúveis porque são capazes de estimular o crescimento vegetal por diferentes mecanismos de ação. Este trabalho avaliou a promoção de crescimento de variedades de tomateiro por isolados de rizóbios, inclusive um isolado de Burkholderia sp. cuja inclusão no grupo dos rizóbios está sendo discutida. Foram realizados dois experimentos, em vasos, em casa de vegetação. O delineamento foi inteiramente casualizado, com três repetições. Os tratamentos consistiram de combinações entre quatro variedades de tomateiro e quatro isolados de rizóbios, além de tratamentos controle. Em um experimento, as plantas foram cortadas aos 53 dias e, no outro, foram conduzidas até o final do ciclo. Foram avaliados o volume radicular, as massas secas da raiz, da parte aérea e da planta inteira, bem como a massa e o número de frutos. Observou-se resposta nas variedades Absoluto e Serato à inoculação de alguns isolados, demonstrando que o aumento na produção depende das interações entre variedades e estirpes.Inoculation with rhizobia shows potential for reduction of soluble chemical fertilizers because they are able to stimulate plant growth by different mechanisms of action. This study evaluated the growth promotion of tomato varieties by rhizobia isolates, including a strain of Burkholderia sp. whose inclusion in the group of rhizobia is being discussed. Two experiments were conducted in pots in the greenhouse. The design was completely randomized, with three replications. The treatments consisted of combinations of four varieties of tomato and four rhizobia isolates, as well as control treatments. In one experiment, the plants were harvested at 53 days and at the other, were conducted by the end of the cycle. They evaluated the root volume, dry mass of root, shoot and whole plant, as well as the mass and the number of fruits. Response was observed in Absoluto and Serato varieties to inoculation of a few isolated, showing that the increase in production depends on the interactions between varieties and strains.Eje: A1 Sistemas de producción de base agroecológica (Trabajos científicos)Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestale

Exposing the myths of household water insecurity in the global north: A critical review

Safe and secure water is a cornerstone of modern life in the global North. This article critically examines a set of prevalent myths about household water in high-income countries, with a focus on Canada and the United States. Taking a relational approach, we argue that household water insecurity is a product of institutionalized structures and power, manifests unevenly through space and time, and is reproduced in places we tend to assume are the most water-secure in the world. We first briefly introduce “modern water” and the modern infrastructural ideal, a highly influential set of ideas that have shaped household water provision and infrastructure development over the past two centuries. Against this backdrop, we consolidate evidence to disrupt a set of narratives about water in high-income countries: the notion that water access is universal, clean, affordable, trustworthy, and uniformly or equitably governed. We identify five thematic areas of future research to delineate an agenda for advancing scholarship and action—including challenges of legal and regulatory regimes, the housing-water nexus, water affordability, and water quality and contamination. Data gaps underpin the experiences of household water insecurity. Taken together, our review of water security for households in high-income countries provides a conceptual map to direct critical research in this area for the coming years. This article is categorized under: Human Water \u3e Human Water