bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Data Power and Counter-power with Chinese Characteristics
Authors: Qiu Jack Linchuan
Published: May 2022

How to make sense of China as a global data superpower? This chapter attempts to offer new insights that are historicised and holistic, considering China’s internal conflicts and its relations with the external world. It starts by outlining and debunking two myths about China, fetishising it as either dystopia or utopia. Then the dialectics of power and counter-power are introduced to shed light on the more complex Chinese reality that can only be fully comprehended, as this chapter argues, through the lenses of history and conflict. To illustrate this perspective, one that differs remarkably from the conventional wisdom that fixates on the powers that be (political and/or economic), this chapter provides an overview of the history of the computing and data industries in China that goes back to the early 1950s and traverses the Maoist and post-Mao eras with a certain continuity, while highlighting the crucial importance of geopolitics and national security concerns as well as internal class struggles and existential threats to the working people. Data power and counter-power are not only antithetical to each other, they also necessitate, reproduce, co-create, and strengthen one another; although in different historical contexts the specific constitution would vary. The chapter ends with an overall assessment of the Chinese model being neither utopic nor dystopic. Critical data studies should see China as an open-ended process of power/counter-power dynamism, full of conflicts.
Transnational Networks of Influence: The Twitter Presence of the Quantified Self and Maker Movements’ Organizational Elites
Authors: Schmitz Anne , Kirschner Heiko , Hepp Andreas
Published: May 2022

This chapter examines the transnational Twitter followee-network of the Quantified Self (QS) and Maker movements. Based on a media ethnography as a pre-study, the following questions are addressed: How is the organisational elite of both pioneer communities connected? What patterns and peculiarities can be identified in terms of account types and thematic orientation? What similarities and differences exist between countries and between each community? The chapter sets out to explain the ways in which the organisational elite of the QS movement is represented as a network of opinion leaders, made up mostly of QS conference and meetup organisers with strong connections to tech entrepreneurs. The Maker movement is represented as a network of heterogeneous organisations which range from organisational accounts to tech companies, community platforms, and journalistic outlets as well as specific maker events and projects. Globally, both networks are dominated by members of their organisational elites which are located in the San Francisco Bay Area, which then go on to unfold their transnational influence. On this empirical basis, we argue that critical data studies should pay much more attention to the role played by pioneer communities and their partly invisible engagement in the global spread of imaginaries that promise to transform society through technology and data practices.
Fighting the “System”: A Pilot Project on the Opacity of Algorithms in Political Communication
Authors: Bonneau Jonathan , Grondin-Robillard Laurence , Ménard Marc , Mondoux André
Published: May 2022

After a triumphalist phase, digital social media are now under fire for a variety of reasons: they are accused of collecting and circulating personal data, producing fake news, personalising messages (creating echo chambers), radicalising opinion, and disrupting election processes. The legitimacy of election processes and digital social media’s contribution to the public sphere are now being questioned, and it is important to document and analyse these new dynamics of political communication. In particular, we need to consider the role played by automation of the production and circulation of political messages through the use of algorithms and artificial intelligence processes. What is the impact of personalised messages on the public sphere and public opinion, and what is at stake when thousands of “personalised” messages can be automatically created and delivered through microtargeting? With the future of the sense of “vivre-ensemble” at stake, can critical approaches save the day?
The Datafied Welfare State: A Perspective from the UK
Authors: Dencik Lina
Published: May 2022

The crisis emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic has elevated the relevance of the welfare state as well as the role of platforms and data infrastructures across key areas of public and social life. Whilst the crisis shed light on the ways in which these might intersect, the turn to data-driven systems in public administration has been a prominent development in several countries for quite some time. In this chapter I focus on the UK as a pertinent example of key trends at the intersection of technological infrastructures and the welfare state. In particular, using developments in UK welfare sectors as a lens, I advance a two-part argument about the ways in which data infrastructures are transforming state-citizen relations through on the one hand advancing an actuarial logic based on personalised risk and the individualisation of social problems (what I refer to as responsibilisation) and, on the other, entrenching a dependency on an economic model that perpetuates the circulation of data accumulation (what I refer to as rentierism). These mechanisms, I argue, fundamentally shift the ‘matrix of social power’ that made the modern welfare state possible and position questions of data infrastructures as a core component of how we need to understand social change.
Inside the Black Box: Perspectives and Attitudes of Civil Servants on Citizen Participation
Authors: Ruano José M. , Reichborn-Kjennerud Kristin
Published: May 2022

This chapter analyses the attitudes and perspectives of public managers on citizen participation processes in Madrid, Oslo, and Melbourne. A standardized questionnaire adapted to the three cities and in-depth interviews were used to conclude that the potential beneficial effects of citizen participation become more debatable at the moment of practical implementation. Despite the political-institutional differences between the three cities, all show the insufficiency of resources, weakness of cross-sectoral and multilevel coordination instruments, and a predominance of the interests of the stronger social groups over collective interests.
Mögliche Rollen der Energieversorger bei der E-Mobilität
Authors: Steiner Thomas , Rumo Etienne J.
Published: May 2022

Die steigende Elektromobilität in der Schweiz sorgt für ein immer stärker werdendes Interesse sogenannter Energieversorgungsunternehmen (EVU) an neuartigen Lösungsansätzen, damit sie diesen Markt gewinnbringend bedienen können. Das Fallbeispiel in diesem Kapitel zeigt den erfolgreichen Transformationsprozess der BKW AG auf, eines international tätigen Energie- und Infrastrukturunternehmens mit Sitz in Bern. Die BKW AG hat sich trotz der COVID-19-Pandemie gekonnt auf den strategischen Eintritt per 01.01.2021 in den Schweizer Elektromobilitätsmarkt vorbereitet. Durch ihre gezielte Organisationsentwicklung und starke Innovationskraft hat sie sich in diesem rapiden und womöglich disruptiv verändernden Umfeld resilient verhalten können. Das Fallbeispiel erörtert die für ein Energieversorgungsunternehmen wesentlichen Erfolgsfaktoren in Bezug auf diese Veränderungen im Bereich der Elektromobilität. Das Hauptaugenmerk bilden die veränderten Umweltfaktoren und die COVID-19-Pandemie. Es beleuchtet die Organisationsentwicklung im Sinne eines internen Corporate Venturing und nimmt Bezug auf das Thema Resilienz durch Innovation bei großen, etablierten Unternehmen.
Mit agilem Mindset zur Resilienz
Authors: Hunziker Alexander , Steiner Carole
Published: May 2022

Im Rahmen der vorliegenden Untersuchung wurden fünf mehr oder weniger erfolgreiche Agilisierungsprojekte untersucht. Die Analyse dieser fünf Wege zu mehr Agilität und organisationaler Resilienz ergab, dass die agilen Methoden an sich kaum ein Problem darstellen, aber dass Verbesserungspotenzial in drei Bereichen besteht. Erstens haben sich einige Organisationen durch den Aufbau ihres Changeprojektes in eine schwierige Lage gebracht. Zweitens musste die Beteiligung der Mitarbeitenden neu gedacht werden, weil Führungskräfte paradox gefordert sind: Sie sollten gerade wegen der Verunsicherung ihre Führungsrolle explizit wahrnehmen, aber gleichzeitig sollten sie Führung abgeben – anderenfalls findet keine Selbstorganisation und somit keine wirkliche Agilisierung statt. Drittens zeigte sich, dass „Inner Work“ von entscheidender Bedeutung ist. Gemeint ist damit die Entwicklung auf individueller Ebene und auf Ebene der Teamkultur, um Teams zu befähigen, mit den wegfallenden äußeren Strukturen zielführend umzugehen.
Prevalence of Bacillus cereus in dairy powders focusing on its toxigenic genes and antimicrobial resistance
Authors: Ibrahim Aml S. , Hafiz Nagah M. , Saad M. F.
Published: May 2022

Bacillus cereus is a common environmental foodborne microorganism that is mainly found to harbor toxigenic genes with multiple antibiotic resistances and is linked to threatening the safety of dried milk in concern to powdered infant milk formula. In the current investigation, the mean value of B. cereus in 140 samples of powdered milk was 0.57 × 102 ± 0.182 × 102, 0.15 × 102 ± 0.027 × 102, 0.21 × 102 ± 0.035 × 102, and 0.32 × 102 ± 0.072 × 102 CFU/g in a percentage of 64.0 samples of whole milk powder, 43.3 of skim milk powder, 26.7 of powdered infant milk formula and 36.7 milk–cereal-based infant formula, respectively. The results revealed that B. cereus isolates were found to harbor toxigenic genes in the following percentages: 77.8, 2.0, 72.7, 16.2, and 67.7 for nhe, hbl, cytK, ces, and bceT, respectively. Despite all evaluated B. cereus strains were originated from dairy powders, they showed a significant difference (P < 0.05) in their harbored toxigenic cytK gene between whole and skim milk powders with powdered infant formula and milk–cereal-based infant formula, as well as between powdered infant formula and milk–cereal-based infant formula. All isolated B. cereus strains were resistant to cefoxitin, colistin sulfate, neomycin, trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole, oxacillin, and penicillin. Based on the antimicrobial resistance of B. cereus strains to cephalothin, chloramphenicol, nalidixic acid, and tetracycline, there was a significant difference (P < 0.05) between powdered infant milk formula and whole milk powder strains. This survey is one of few studies proceeded in Egypt to determine the prevalence of toxigenic B. cereus strains in milk–cereal-based infant formula and powdered infant formula as well as skim milk powder.
Using Intra‐Operative Laryngeal Ultrasonography as a Real‐Time Tool in Assessing Vocal Cord Function During Radiofrequency Ablation of the Thyroid Gland
Authors: Fung Matrix Man Him , Lang Brian Hung Hin
Published: May 2022

Background

Inadvertent injury of the recurrent laryngeal nerve can occur during radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of thyroid nodules. Methods to avoid permanent injury have not been described. Laryngeal ultrasonography (LUSG) can assess the function of vocal cords (VCs) in real time. The present study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of LUSG in assessing real‐time VC function during RFA of benign thyroid nodules.

Methods

Consecutive patients undergoing RFA for benign thyroid nodules under local anesthesia were included. Spontaneous VC movements were checked with intra‐operative LUSG (iLUSG) following each transverse ablation plane. In case of reduced VC movement, the ablation was stopped immediately. Post‐ablation VC function was rechecked by LUSG on day‐0 and flexible laryngoscopy (FL) on day‐7. A concordance with day‐0 LUSG or day‐7 FL was a “true positive” or “true negative” depending on the presence or absence of VC palsy (VCP). Accuracy was calculated as the sum of all true positives and negatives divided by total nerves‐at‐risk.

Results

Of 65 eligible patients, 56 (86.2%) were females. Twelve (18.5%) patients had bilateral lobe RFA, while 53 (81.5%) had unilateral RFA. The total number of nerves‐at‐risk was 77. Three unilateral VCPs (3.9%) were initially detected on iLUSG and confirmed by day‐0 LUSG. All recovered fully within one week. The overall accuracy of iLUSG was 100%.

Conclusion

iLUSG is a highly accurate method that permits real‐time feedback on the function of the VCs during RFA procedure. Real‐time detection of VCP may prevent permanent injury. Methodological routine use of iLUSG is recommended during thyroid RFA.
Complications after surgical treatment of acetabular fractures: a 5-year follow-up of 229 patients
Authors: Lundin Natalie , Berg Hans E. , Enocson Anders
Published: May 2022

Purpose

Acetabular fractures are injuries often surgically treated, but the surgical intervention is associated with a high risk of subsequent complications. The primary aim of this study was to explore the rate of reoperations and to identify potential risk factors for reoperation. Secondary aims were other adverse events and mortality.

Methods

Patients ≥ 18 years with a surgically treated acetabular fracture at a single trauma center in Sweden between 2010 and 2019 were retrospectively included. Data were collected through review of medical records and radiographs. Logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate factors associated with reoperations and other adverse events.

Results

A total of 229 patients with a surgically treated acetabular fracture were included, mean age (± SD, range) 60 (19, 19–94) years. The majority of the patients were males (n = 180, 79%), and the median (IQR) follow-up time was 1779 (1906) days (4.9 years). 47 patients (21%) underwent a reoperation. THA as surgical method was associated with a lower reoperation rate compared to ORIF (OR 0.3, 95% CI 0.1–0.8, p < 0.01). 72 patients (31%) sustained an adverse event not requiring reoperation, and admittance to ICU was associated with an increased risk (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.2–5.7, p = 0.02). 30-day mortality was 3.1% and 1-year mortality 5.7%.

Conclusion

The complication rate after acetabular fracture surgery was high, and surgical treatment with primary THA was associated with a reduced risk for reoperation.
Mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinoma of the non-ampullary duodenum with mismatch repair deficiency: a rare case report
Authors: Nozawa Yumi , Ishida Kazuyuki , Maiko Niki , Takada-Owada Atsuko , Onozaki Masato , Takaoka Mina , Matsuyama Kinichi , Sakuraoka Yuhki , Nakazato Yoshimasa , Kubota Keiichi
Published: May 2022

A non-ampullary duodenal mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinoma (MANEC), consisting of a conventional adenocarcinoma and a neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC), is exceedingly rare. Moreover, mismatch repair (MMR) deficient tumors have recently attracted attention. The patient, a 75-year-old woman with epigastric pain and nausea, was found to have a type 2 tumor of the duodenum, which was diagnosed on biopsy as a poorly differentiated carcinoma. A pancreaticoduodenectomy specimen showed a well-defined 50 × 48 mm tumor in the duodenal bulb, which was morphologically composed of glandular, sheet-like, and pleomorphic components. The glandular component was a tubular adenocarcinoma, showing a MUC5AC-positive gastric type. The sheet-like component consisted of homogenous tumor cells, with chromogranin A and synaptophysin diffusely positive, and a Ki-67 index of 72.8%. The pleomorphic component was diverse and prominent atypical tumor cells proliferated, focally positive for chromogranin A, diffusely positive for synaptophysin, and the Ki-67 index was 67.1%. The sheet-like and pleomorphic components were considered NEC, showing aberrant expression of p53, retinoblastoma, and p16. Notably, all three components were deficient in MLH1 and PMS2. We diagnosed a non-ampullary duodenal MANEC with MMR deficiency. This tumor has a unique morphology and immunohistochemical profile, and is valuable for clarifying the tumorigenesis mechanism of a non-ampullary duodenal MANEC.
An evaluation of the long-term effectiveness of Gatekeeper™ intersphincteric implants for passive faecal incontinence
Authors: Jabbar S. A. A. , Camilleri-Brennan J.
Published: May 2022

Background

Implantation of Gatekeeper™ prostheses presents an option for the treatment of passive faecal incontinence (FI). Whilst preliminary results are encouraging, long-term data regarding its sustained benefit are limited. The aim of this study was to assess and evaluate the long-term clinical function and quality of life of patients with passive faecal incontinence who were treated with Gatekeeper™ prostheses.

Methods

This was a single centre, single surgeon retrospective study of prospectively collected clinical data in patients with FI treated between June 2012 and May 2019. Patients with passive FI with symptoms refractory to conservative treatment and endoanal ultrasonography showing intact or disrupted internal anal sphincter were included. Formal clinical and quality of life assessments were carried out using the St. Mark’s Incontinence Score (SMIS) and Faecal Incontinence Quality of Life (FIQoL) questionnaires at baseline, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months and then annually. Endoanal ultrasonography was performed both before and after surgery.

Results

Forty patients (14 males, 26 females) with a median age of 62.5 (range 33–80) years were treated with the Gatekeeper™ implant. The majority of patients (87.5%) received six implants. There were no peri or post-operative complications. Prosthesis migration was observed in 12.5% patients. The median follow-up duration was 5 years (interquartile range (IQR) 3.25–6.00 years). A sustained improvement in median SMIS and FIQoL scores from baseline to follow-up was noted. Significant differences were observed between the median baseline SMIS score and last follow-up score of 16.00 (IQR 15.00–16.75) to 7.00 (IQR 5.00–8.00) respectively (p < 0.001), a 56.25% decrease. The overall median FIQoL score showed a significant improvement from 7.95 (IQR 7.13–9.48) to 13.15 (IQR 12.00–13.98) (p < 0.001) a 65.40% increase.

Conclusions

Gatekeeper™ implantation is a safe approach to treating passive FI and is minimally invasive, reproducible and has minimal complications. Long-term sustained clinical improvement is achievable beyond 5 years. Careful patient selection is paramount, as is consistency of technique and follow-up protocol.
Nachhaltigkeitsziele in der Wirtschaftspolitik
Authors:   Ueberblick
Published: May 2022

Der Wissenschaftliche Beirat beim Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz hat in seiner 500. Sitzung im April 2022 ein internes Symposium zu Nachhaltigkeitszielen in der Wirtschaftspolitik durchgeführt, um verschiedene Aspekte dieser Thematik zu vertiefen. Gerade im Zusammenhang mit der Bekämpfung des Klimawandels ist die Erreichung von Nachhaltigkeitszielen von höchster politischer Priorität. Diese gehen über die Klimaziele hinaus — verwiesen wird in dem Zusammenhang häufig auf die Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) der Vereinten Nationen. Die Autor:innen diskutieren aus unterschiedlichen Perspektiven, wie sich der Auftrag zur Nachhaltigkeit auf Gesetzgebung, Regulierung und das Verhalten der Unternehmen auswirkt.
Language advocacy in times of securitization and neoliberalization: The Network LanguageRights
Authors: Flubacher Mi-Cha , Busch Brigitta
Published: May 2022

In this contribution, we aim to address the following questions: What does it mean to do language advocacy in 2022? Under which conditions does it operate? What are the fights, aims, and challenges? On the one hand, answering these questions heavily depends on the political, social, cultural and linguistic context, as well as on the interests, stakes and positions of the advocacy actors. On the other, we argue that recent political economic transformations are conditioning language advocacy more than ever. In the following, we will outline two transformations we consider particularly prevalent, i.e. neoliberalization and securitization, discuss what language advocacy actually means, and exemplify this with the case of theNetwork LanguageRights (NLR), a language advocacy group based in Vienna, dedicated to language rights of minorities and minoritized speakers in the Austrian context, and with a focus on language policies. We will further zoom into one particular discussion occurring at the heart of the NLR, which will lead us to a concluding discussion of possible ways of rethinking language advocacy, in particular in paying attention to the notion of linguistic citizenship.
Heuristic search of (semi-)bent functions based on cellular automata
Authors: Mariot Luca , Saletta Martina , Leporati Alberto , Manzoni Luca
Published: May 2022

An interesting thread in the research of Boolean functions for cryptography and coding theory is the study of secondary constructions: given a known function with a good cryptographic profile, the aim is to extend it to a (usually larger) function possessing analogous properties. In this work, we continue the investigation of a secondary construction based on cellular automata (CA), focusing on the classes of bent and semi-bent functions. We prove that our construction preserves the algebraic degree of the local rule, and we narrow our attention to the subclass of quadratic functions, performing several experiments based on exhaustive combinatorial search and heuristic optimization through Evolutionary Strategies (ES). Finally, we classify the obtained results up to permutation equivalence, remarking that the number of equivalence classes that our CA-XOR construction can successfully extend grows very quickly with respect to the CA diameter.
A survey of HPC algorithms and frameworks for large-scale gradient-based nonlinear optimization
Authors: Liu Felix , Fredriksson Albin , Markidis Stefano
Published: May 2022

Large-scale numerical optimization problems arise from many fields and have applications in both industrial and academic contexts. Finding solutions to such optimization problems efficiently requires algorithms that are able to leverage the increasing parallelism available in modern computing hardware. In this paper, we review previous work on parallelizing algorithms for nonlinear optimization. To introduce the topic, the paper starts by giving an accessible introduction to nonlinear optimization and high-performance computing. This is followed by a survey of previous work on parallelization and utilization of high-performance computing hardware for nonlinear optimization algorithms. Finally, we present a number of optimization software libraries and how they are able to utilize parallel computing today. This study can serve as an introduction point for researchers interested in nonlinear optimization or high-performance computing, as well as provide ideas and inspiration for future work combining these topics.
Feature-based CBCT self-calibration for arbitrary trajectories
Authors: Tönnes Christian , Russ Tom , Schad Lothar R. , Zöllner Frank G.
Published: May 2022

Purpose

Development of an algorithm to self-calibrate arbitrary CBCT trajectories which can be used to reduce metal artifacts. By using feature detection and matching we want to reduce the amount of parameters for the BFGS optimization and thus reduce the runtime.

Methods

Each projection is 2D-3D registered on a prior image with AKAZE feature detection and brute force matching. Translational misalignment is calculated directly from the misalignment of feature positions, rotations are aligned using a minimization algorithm that fits a quartic function and determines the minimum of this function.

Evaluation

We did three experiments to compare how well the algorithm can handle noise on the different degrees of freedom. Our algorithms are compared to Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno (BFGS) minimizer with Normalized Gradient Information (NGI) objective function, and BFGS with distance between features objective function using SSIM, nRMSE, and the Dice coefficient of segmented metal object.

Results

Our algorithm (Feature ORiented Calibration for Arbitrary Scan Trajectories with Enhanced Reliability (FORCASTER)) performs on par with the state-of-the-art algorithms (BFGS with NGI objective). nRMSE: FORCASTER = 0.3390, BFGS+NGI = 0.3441; SSIM: FORCASTER = 0.83, BFGS + NGI = 0.79; Dice: FORCASTER = 0.86, BFGS + NGI = 0.87.

Conclusion

The proposed algorithm can determine the parameters of the projection orientations for arbitrary trajectories with calibration quality comparable to state-of-the-art algorithms, but faster and with higher tolerance to errors in the initially guessed parameters.
Effects of Internationalization Rhythm and Speed on E-Commerce Firms’ Growth and the Role of Institutional Distances
Authors: Swoboda Bernhard , Sinning Carolina
Published: May 2022

In an increasingly digitalizing economy, e-commerce firms are known to internationalize faster and more irregularly than offline firms. However, it is important to analyze how e-commerce firms benefit from time-based internationalization decisions and whether they are still limited by institutional distances that are said to lose relevance, which we do not believe. We propose a theory-based framework to analyze the effects of e-commerce firms’ internationalization rhythm and speed on their sales growth. Importantly, we apply multilevel modeling with cross-level interactions to provide insights into the role of institutional moderators, i.e., regulative, normative, and cultural-cognitive distances. We use data from 228 e-commerce firms that are operating Europe’s leading online shops and 1702 market entries over 21 years. The results show that e-commerce firms exhibit stronger growth due to their irregular and fast internationalization process. However, this relationship changes depending on certain institutional distances, and different explanations regarding country-specific variances are provided. The findings have direct implications for managers interested in how online internationalization processes affect firm growth in light of the differing degrees of cross-country contextual differences among common institutions.
Accelerated Internationalization Among Inexperienced Digital Entrepreneurs: Toward a Holistic Entrepreneurial Decision-Making Model
Authors: Gabrielsson Mika , Raatikainen Markus , Julkunen Saara
Published: May 2022

This study explores accelerated internationalization among inexperienced digital entrepreneurs who lack resources such as prior experience, knowledge, and networks, which previous research regards as prerequisites for such growth. Following an in-depth qualitative research methodology, the findings reveal three theoretical mechanisms through which inexperienced entrepreneurs can make international commitment decisions with regard to the internationalization of their digital firms. The first is a novel mindset-based approach through which an entrepreneur can make an affective commitment to the international stakeholders within a digital community. Entrepreneurs do that by applying pull-based tools in digital communication to build interest among potential network contacts. The second mechanism is a means-based approach following effectuation logic resulting in an effectual form of commitment to international stakeholders in the digital community. The mechanism relies on applying push-based tools for digital communication to facilitate interactions with known network contacts. The third mechanism is continuance commitment to international business that entrepreneurs can foster over time in tandem with accumulated international experiential knowledge. This research provides an entrepreneurial decision-making model that extends effectuation theory and integrates it with extant research. The resulting holistic entrepreneurial decision-making model explains the accelerated internationalization of digital firms.
In-situ anatomical and elemental response of aquatic macrophytes against nutrient enrichment in freshwater tropical lakes
Authors: Dubey Divya , Kumar Saroj , Dutta Venkatesh
Published: May 2022

Nutrient enrichment in lakes due to municipal wastewater discharge and agricultural run-off leads to excessive growth of algae and aquatic macrophytes leading to their altered trophic states. This paper presents the effect of wastewater-induced nutrient enrichment on the anatomical changes and elemental profiling in three common aquatic macrophytes of freshwater lakes in India’s Central Gangetic Plain. It is observed that with increase in trophic state, biomineral depositions are seen in the leaf anatomy of aquatic macrophytes. Elemental variations in free-floating (Eichhornia crassipes), submerged (Hydrilla verticillata) and emergent (Typha latifolia) macrophytes collected from three different lakes with different catchment characteristics and trophic state using EDS (Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy) spectra show that with increasing trophic state, elemental constituent in the aquatic macrophytes also increases. The rhizome of Eichhornia crassipes showed the formation of calcium oxalate crystals in SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) images and EDS analysis. Among macrophytes, floating and submerged macrophytes show a greater number of elemental constituents as compared to the emergent macrophytes. The findings of this study show that the anatomical and elemental responses of macrophytes are dependent both on the water quality and trophic state of the lakes. In-situ responses of macrophytes are based on their tolerance level against the pollution load and environmental changes. This study has important implications for understanding the response mechanism of macrophytes with changing water quality and increasing trophic state, which may help in proper management of freshwater ecosystem.
Mechanism of superlubricity of a DLC/Si3N4 contact in the presence of castor oil and other green lubricants
Authors: Long Yun , Wang Yang , Weihnacht Volker , Makowski Stefan , Kubo Momoji , Martin Jean Michel , De Barros Bouchet Maria-Isabel
Published: May 2022

To meet the surging needs in energy efficiency and eco-friendly lubricants, a novel superlubricious technology using a vegetable oil and ceramic materials is proposed. By coupling different hydrogen-free amorphous carbon coatings with varying fraction of sp2 and sp3 hybridized carbon in presence of a commercially available silicon nitride bulk ceramic, castor oil provides superlubricity although the liquid vegetable oil film in the contact is only a few nanometres thick at most. Besides a partial liquid film possibly separating surfaces in contact, local tribochemical reactions between asperities are essential to maintain superlubricity at low speeds. High local pressure activates chemical degradation of castor oil generating graphitic/graphenic-like species on top of asperities, thus helping both the chemical polishing of surface and its chemical passivation by H and OH species. Particularly, the formation of the formation of −(CH2−CH2)n− noligomers have been evidenced to have a major role in the friction reduction. Computer simulation unveils that formation of chemical degradation products of castor oil on friction surfaces are favoured by the quantity of sp2-hybridized carbon atoms in the amorphous carbon structure. Hence, tuning sp2-carbon content in hydrogen-free amorphous carbon, in particular, on the top layers of the coating, provides an alternative way to control superlubricity achieved with castor oil and other selected green lubricants.
Salem–Zygmund inequality for locally sub-Gaussian random variables, random trigonometric polynomials, and random circulant matrices
Authors: Barrera Gerardo , Manrique Paulo
Published: May 2022

In this manuscript we give an extension of the classic Salem–Zygmund inequality for locally sub-Gaussian random variables. As an application, the concentration of the roots of a Kac polynomial is studied, which is the main contribution of this manuscript. More precisely, we assume the existence of the moment generating function for the iid random coefficients for the Kac polynomial and prove that there exists an annulus of width$$\begin{aligned} \text {O}( n^{-2}(\log n)^{-1/2-\gamma }), \quad \gamma >1/2\end{aligned}$$O(n-2(logn)-1/2-γ),γ>1/2around the unit circle that does not contain roots with high probability. As an another application, we show that the smallest singular value of a random circulant matrix is at least$$n^{-\rho }$$n-ρ,$$\rho \in (0,1/4)$$ρ∈(0,1/4)with probability$$1-\text {O}( n^{-2\rho })$$1-O(n-2ρ).
Local topological features of robust supply networks
Authors: Lyutov Alexey , Uygun Yilmaz , Hütt Marc-Thorsten
Published: May 2022

The design of robust supply and distribution systems is one of the fundamental challenges at the interface of network science and logistics. Given the multitude of performance criteria, real-world constraints, and external influences acting upon such a system, even formulating an appropriate research question to address this topic is non-trivial. Here we present an abstraction of a supply and distribution system leading to a minimal model, which only retains stylized facts of the systemic function and, in this way, allows us to investigate the generic properties of robust supply networks. On this level of abstraction, a supply and distribution system is the strategic use of transportation to eliminate mismatches between production patterns (i.e., the amounts of goods produced at each production site of a company) and demand patterns (i.e., the amount of goods consumed at each location). When creating networks based on this paradigm and furthermore requiring the robustness of the system with respect to the loss of transportation routes (edge of the network) we see that robust networks are built from specific sets of subgraphs, while vulnerable networks display a markedly different subgraph composition. Our findings confirm a long-standing hypothesis in the field of network science, namely, that network motifs—statistically over-represented small subgraphs—are informative about the robust functioning of a network. Also, our findings offer a blueprint for enhancing the robustness of real-world supply and distribution systems.
On obstacle problems for non coercive linear operators
Authors: Boccardo L. , Cirmi G. R. , Rodrigues J. F.
Published: May 2022

In this paper we prove the existence and uniqueness of the solution to the one and the two obstacles problems associated with a linear elliptic operator, which is non coercive due to the presence of a convection term. We show that the operator is weakly T-monotone and, as a consequence, we establish the Lewy–Stampacchia dual estimates and we study the comparison and the continuous dependence of the solutions as the obstacles vary. As an application, we prove also the existence of solutions for a class of non coercive implicit obstacle problems.
Characteristics of Female Sexual Health Programs and Providers in the United States
Authors: Stanley Elizabeth E. , Pope Rachel J.
Published: May 2022

Background

Female sexual dysfunction is a prevalent condition affecting 12% of women, yet few academic centers in the US have female sexual medicine programs.

Aim

To characterize female sexual health programs in the United States, services offered, and training of female sexual health providers.

Methods

We performed an internet search to identify female sexual health programs and clinics in the US. From each programs’ website we abstracted the location, clinic setting (academic vs private), training of providers, and whether the clinic provided investigational services (ie, PRP injections, laser/radiofrequency therapy). We categorized clinics as specialized in sexual medicine, specialized with a focus on cancer patients, general, aesthetics-focused, general & aesthetic, or specialized & aesthetic. We used Chi-square and Fisher's exact test to evaluate association between practice setting and provision of investigational therapies with a Bonferroni-adjusted critical P-value of 0.017.

Outcomes

Our outcomes were the number of clinics in each setting, in each category, and each state, as well as the number of providers by training type.

Results

We identified 235 female sexual medicine programs in the United States. Seventeen percent were in the academic setting. Clinics in the non-academic setting were significantly (α = 0.017) more likely to offer PRP injections (0% vs 47%, P < .001), laser/radiofrequency therapy (14% vs 56%, P < .0001), and shockwave therapy (0% vs 14%, P = .011). Among all clinics, 22% provided specialized care, 2% provided care for cancer patients, 29% were more general clinics that advertised female sexual healthcare, 23% were aesthetics-focused, 22% were general practices that provided aesthetics services, and 2% were specialized clinics that offered aesthetics services. 81% of aesthetics-focused clinics advertised PRP injections. Seven states had no clinics and 26 states lacked a clinic specializing in female sexual health. The most frequent providers were OB/Gyns (40%), nurse practitioners (22%), urologists (13%), and physicians assistants (10%).

Clinical Implications

The geographic distribution of clinics and pervasiveness of clinics offering investigational services for female sexual dysfunction may be a barrier for patients seeking care.

Limitations

As a result of our internet search methodology, we likely did not capture all clinics providing female sexual health services. Further, the accuracy of our data depends on the level of detail provided on each clinics’ website.

Conclusion

Online search identified few clinics providing female sexual healthcare in academic medicine: development of such clinics could benefit patients by improving access to evidence-based care and promoting training of future providers.
Souvenirs and the Experience of Empire in Ancient Rome
Authors: Popkin Maggie
Published: May 2022

In this book, Maggie Popkin offers an in-depth investigation of souvenirs, a type of ancient Roman object that has been understudied and that is unfamiliar to many people. Souvenirs commemorated places, people, and spectacles in the Roman Empire. Straddling the spheres of religion, spectacle, leisure, and politics, they serve as a unique resource for exploring the experiences, interests, imaginations, and aspirations of a broad range of people - beyond elite, metropolitan men - who lived in the Roman world. Popkin shows how souvenirs generated and shaped memory and knowledge, as well as constructed imagined cultural affinities across the empire's heterogeneous population. At the same time, souvenirs  strengthened local identities, but excluded certain groups from the social participation that souvenirs made available to so many others. Featuring a full illustration program of 137 color and black and white images, Popkin's book demonstrates the critical role that souvenirs played in shaping how Romans perceived and conceptualized their world, and their relationships to the empire that shaped it.
25 Million Sparks
Authors: Hanna Andrew Leon
Published: May 2022

25 Million Sparks takes readers inside the Za'atari refugee camp to follow the stories of three courageous Syrian women entrepreneurs: Yasmina, a wedding shop and salon owner creating moments of celebration; Malak, a young artist infusing color and beauty throughout the camp; and Asma, a social entrepreneur leading a storytelling initiative to enrich children's lives. Anchored by these three inspiring stories, as well as accompanying artwork and poetry by Malak and Asma, the narrative expands beyond Za'atari to explore the broader refugee entrepreneurship phenomenon in more than twenty camps and cities across the globe. What emerges is a tale of power, determination, and dignity – of igniting the brightest sparks of joy, even when the rest of the world sees only the darkness. A significant portion of the proceeds from this book are being contributed to support refugee entrepreneurs and general refugee causes in Za'atari and around the world.
Medieval Arms and Armour a Sourcebook Volume I
Authors: Moffat Ralph
Published: May 2022

An authoritative reference guide, using the documents in which arms and armour first appeared to explain and define them.
TREE-BASED MACHINE LEARNING METHODS FOR MODELING AND FORECASTING MORTALITY
Authors: Bjerre Dorethe Skovgaard
Published: May 2022

Machine learning has recently entered the mortality literature in order to improve the forecasts of stochastic mortality models. This paper proposes to use two pure, tree-based machine learning models: random forests and gradient boosting, based on the differenced log-mortality rates to produce more accurate mortality forecasts. These forecasts are compared with forecasts from traditional, stochastic mortality models and with forecasts from random forests and gradient boosting variants of the stochastic models. The comparisons are based on the Model Confidence Set procedure. The results show that the pure, tree-based models significantly outperform all other models in the majority of cases considered. To address the lack of interpretability issue associated with machine learning models, we demonstrate how to extract information about the relationships uncovered by the tree-based models. For this purpose, we consider variable importance, partial dependence plots, and variable split conditions. Results from the in-sample fit suggest that tree-based models can be very useful tools for detecting patterns within and between variables that are not commonly identifiable with traditional methods.
Impact of an inpatient nurse-initiated penicillin allergy delabeling questionnaire
Authors: Bediako Hilary , Dutcher Lauren , Rao Aditi , Sigafus Kristen , Harker Christina , Hamilton Keith W. , Fadugba Olajumoke
Published: May 2022

Penicillin allergy delabeling is an important component of antimicrobial stewardship and improves patient outcomes. We demonstrated the successful use of a nurse-initiated questionnaire to remove inappropriate penicillin allergy labels in inpatients. Nurses can play a key role in improving antibiotic allergy assessment and more broadly in interprofessional antimicrobial stewardship.
Invariant Ideal Axiom
Authors: Hrušák Michael , Shibakov Alexander
Published: May 2022

We introduce and prove the consistency of a new set theoretic axiom we call theInvariant Ideal Axiom. The axiom enables us to provide (consistently) a full topological classification of countable sequential groups, as well as fully characterize the behavior of their finite products.

We also construct examples that demonstrate the optimality of the conditions inIIAand list a number of open questions.
Characteristics of nursing home residents and healthcare personnel with repeated severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) tests positive ≥90 days after initial infection: Four US jurisdictions, July 2020–March 2021
Authors: Wilson W. Wyatt , Hatfield Kelly M. , Tressler Stacy , Bicking Kinsey Cara , Parra Gemma , Zell Renée , Denson Anitra , Williams Channyn , Spicer Kevin B. , Kamal-Ahmed Ishrat , Abdalhamid Baha , Gemechu Mahlet , Folster Jennifer , Thornburg Natalie J. , Tamin Azaibi , Harcourt Jennifer L. , Queen Krista , Tong Suxiang , Jernigan John A. , Crist Matthew , Perkins Kiran M. , Reddy Sujan C. ,   for the Repeat Positive SARS-CoV-2 Test After 90 Days (REPOST-90) Study Team
Published: May 2022

One in six nursing home residents and staff with positive SARS-CoV-2 tests ≥90 days after initial infection had specimen cycle thresholds (Ct) <30. Individuals with specimen Ct<30 were more likely to report symptoms but were not different from individuals with high Ct value specimens by other clinical and testing data.
Phenomenology of Gesture Between Heidegger and Flusser
Authors: Ciocan Cristian
Published: May 2022

In this article, I discuss two approaches to the phenomenon of gesture, constituted by the existential dimension of embodiment, intersubjectivity, affectivity, and language: while Martin Heidegger states that human bodily movement as a whole should be understood as gesture in contrast to the spatial movement of things, Vilém Flusser integrates under this notion a multitude of human practices and activities that common sense hesitates to call gestures. The dilemma of the phenomenology of gesture consists in this tension between the plural concreteness of gestural appearances and the irrepressible temptation to identify a unitary layer that would allow them to hold together.
A role for verb regularity in the L2 processing of the Spanish subjunctive mood: Evidence from eye-tracking
Authors: Fernández Cuenca Sara , Jegerski Jill
Published: May 2022

The present study investigated the second language processing of grammatical mood in Spanish. Eye-movement data from a group of advanced proficiency second language users revealed nativelike processing with irregular verb stimuli but not with regular verb stimuli. A comparison group of native speakers showed the expected effect with both types of stimuli, but these were slightly more robust with irregular verbs than with regular verbs. We propose that the role of verb form regularity was due to the greater visual salience of Spanish subjunctive forms with irregular verbs versus regular verbs and possibly also due to less efficient processing of rule-based regular inflectional morphology versus whole irregular word forms. In any case, the results suggest that what appeared to be difficulty with sentence processing could be traced back to word-level processes, which appeared to be the primary area of difficulty. This outcome seems to go against theories that suggest that L2 sentence processing is shallow.
Aging in Place in Social Housing: A Scoping Review of Social Housing for Older Adults
Authors: Sheppard Christine L. , Kwon Carol , Yau Matthew , Rios Jorge , Austen Andrea , Hitzig Sander L.
Published: May 2022

Access to affordable housing is a rising concern, and social housing is one approach to support low-income, older renters. A scoping review was undertaken to understand the characteristics of older tenants and social housing services to identify strategies to promote aging in place. Seven peer review databases were searched to identify relevant articles. A total of 146 articles were included. Almost all examined socio-demographic and health characteristics of older tenants, while 72 per cent examined social housing services, including eligibility policies, staffing, and access to on-site services. This review points to a high vulnerability among older tenants and highlights the importance of co-locating services on-site with a tenant-facing support staff to identify vulnerable tenants and link them to services. More research on tenancy issues (e.g., unit condition, rental management) is needed to identify new opportunities for social housing landlords to help older tenants age in place.
Anatomically corrected malposition of the great arteries (S,L,D) with mutation of Nodal gene
Authors: Putotto Carolina , Caruso Elio , Marino Bruno , Digilio Maria Cristina , Novelli Antonio , Agati Salvatore
Published: May 2022

Anatomically corrected malposition of the great arteries is a rare CHD, involving alignment and position of the great arteries. We report an infant with situs solitus, atrioventricular discordance, and ventriculoarterial concordance with the aorta arising anteriorly and to the right of the pulmonary artery. A mutation of Nodal gene, implicated in the pathogenesis of human left–right patterning defects, was found.