bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research progress in spike mutations of SARS‐CoV‐2 variants and vaccine development
Authors: He Xuemei , He Cai , Hong Weiqi , Yang Jingyun , Wei Xiawei
Published: March 2023

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic can hardly end with the emergence of different variants over time. In the past 2 years, several variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‐2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), such as the Delta and Omicron variants, have emerged with higher transmissibility, immune evasion and drug resistance, leading to higher morbidity and mortality in the population. The prevalent variants of concern (VOCs) share several mutations on the spike that can affect virus characteristics, including transmissibility, antigenicity, and immune evasion. Increasing evidence has demonstrated that the neutralization capacity of sera from COVID‐19 convalescent or vaccinated individuals is decreased against SARS‐CoV‐2 variants. Moreover, the vaccine effectiveness of current COVID‐19 vaccines against SARS‐CoV‐2 VOCs is not as high as that against wild‐type SARS‐CoV‐2. Therefore, more attention might be paid to how the mutations impact vaccine effectiveness. In this review, we summarized the current studies on the mutations of the SARS‐CoV‐2 spike, particularly of the receptor binding domain, to elaborate on how the mutations impact the infectivity, transmissibility and immune evasion of the virus. The effects of mutations in the SARS‐CoV‐2 spike on the current therapeutics were highlighted, and potential strategies for future vaccine development were suggested.
Leveraging the ATP‐P2X7 receptor signalling axis to alleviate traumatic CNS damage and related complications
Authors: Yin Yaling , Wei Linyu , Caseley Emily A. , Lopez‐Charcas Osbaldo , Wei Yingjuan , Li Dongliang , Muench Steve P. , Roger Sebastian , Wang Lu , Jiang Lin‐Hua
Published: March 2023

The P2X7 receptor is an exceptional member of the P2X purinergic receptor family, with its activation requiring high concentrations of extracellular adenosine 5ʹ‐triphosphate (ATP) that are often associated with tissue damage and inflammation. In the central nervous system (CNS), it is highly expressed in glial cells, particularly in microglia. In this review, we discuss the role and mechanisms of the P2X7 receptor in mediating neuroinflammation and other pathogenic events in a variety of traumatic CNS damage conditions, which lead to loss of neurological and cognitive functions. We raise the perspective on the steady progress in developing CNS‐penetrant P2X7 receptor‐specific antagonists that leverage the ATP‐P2X7 receptor signaling axis as a potential therapeutic strategy to alleviate traumatic CNS damage and related complications.
High isolation and high power of 0.13 µm CMOS SPDT switch using deep‐N‐well transistors and floating‐body technique in K‐band
Authors: Wang Zongxiang , Cheng Guoxiao , Kang Wei , Li Zekun , Chen Jixin
Published: March 2023

A K‐band high isolation single‐pole double‐throw (SPDT) switch using a 0.13 µm CMOS process is presented. Two on‐state resistors of shunt Deep‐N‐Well (DNW) transistors are used to improve isolation. The floating‐body technique is utilized to enhance the power‐handling capability. The off‐state capacitors of two DNW transistors are employed to construct an impedance‐matching network. The switch achieves a measured insertion loss of 3.0–3.2 dB and an isolation of better than 35 dB from 17 to 27 GHz. A measured input 1 dB compression power (IP1dB) of 11.8 dBm is obtained at 24 GHz. The chip size of the proposed switch is 0.52 × 0.66 mm2with a core area of only 0.33 × 0.27 mm2.
Hyponatremia and lower normal serum sodium levels are associated with an increased risk of all‐cause death in heart failure patients
Authors: Zhao Lang , Zhao Xuemei , Zhuang Xiaofeng , Zhai Mei , Wang Yunhong , Huang Yan , Zhou Qiong , Tian Pengchao , Liang Lin , Huang Boping , Huang Liyan , Feng Jiayu , Zhang Yuhui , Zhang Jian
Published: March 2023

Aim

To explore the relationship between the serum sodium level on admission and all‐cause mortality in HF patients.

Design

A single‐center retrospective cohort study.

Methods

Patients hospitalized with HF at the Heart Failure Center, Fuwai Hospital, from November 2008 to November 2018 were enrolled.

Results

A total of 3649 patients were included, and the mean sodium level was 137.19 ± 4.36 mmol/L, with a range from 115.6 to 160.9 mmol/L. During a median follow‐up of 1101 days, mortality occurred in 1413 (38.7%) hospital survivors. After adjustment for age, sex, and other potential confounders, patients with sodium levels <135 mmol/L (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.67; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.29–2.16) and 135–137 mmol/L (HR: 1.34; 95% CI: 1.01–1.78) had an increased risk of all‐cause mortality compared to those with sodium levels of 139–141 mmol/L.
Associations of dual use of tobacco cigarettes and e‐cigarettes, sleep duration, physical activity and depressive symptoms among middle‐aged and older Korean adults
Authors: You Mi‐Ae , Choi JiYeon , Son Youn‐Jung
Published: March 2023

Aim

There is limited evidence of the association between dual tobacco–e‐cigarette use and health‐related variables in Korea. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the associations between types of cigarette smoking, sleep duration, physical activity and depressive symptoms among Korean adults.

Design

A cross‐sectional study design using the 2019 Korean Community Health Survey.

Methods

The study subjects consisted of 179,004 adults older than 40 years from a total of 229,099 individuals. Self‐reported general characteristics, smoking history, sleep duration, physical activity and depressive symptoms were analysed.

Results

In multinomial logistic regression, dual users of tobacco cigarettes and e‐cigarettes were more likely to have sleep duration of less than 7 h per day and to report both mild and moderate‐to‐severe depressive symptoms than non‐smokers. Single use of either cigarettes or e‐cigarettes increased the risk of short sleep duration and moderate‐to‐severe depressive symptoms.
Harms Reporting in Systematic Reviews of the Microvascular Free Flap in Head and Neck Reconstruction
Authors: Wilson Andrew D. , Ernst Zachary , Wise Audrey , Flores Holly , Garrett Morgan , Torgerson Trevor , Hamilton Tom , Vassar Matt
Published: March 2023

Objective

To evaluate harms reporting in systematic reviews (SRs) of microvascular free flap (MFF) in head and neck reconstruction.

Data Sources

This cross‐sectional analysis included searches from the following major databases from 2012 to June 1, 2022: MEDLINE (Pubmed and Ovid), Embase, Epistemonikos, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

Review Methods

In a masked duplicate manner, screening was performed using Rayyan, and data were extracted using a pilot‐tested Google form. A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews‐2 (AMSTAR‐2) was used to appraise the methodological quality of reviews and the corrected covered area was calculated to detect primary study overlap across all reviews. Reviews were then grouped in pairs of 2, called dyads, and the corrected covered area was calculated again for each individual dyad. Dyads with high overlap (≥50%) were further investigated for the accuracy of harms reporting.

Results

Our initial search yielded 268 records, with 50 SRs meeting the inclusion criteria. A total of 46 (92%) of the included reviews demonstrated 50% or more adherence to the items assessed in our harms checklist. Our corrected covered area tool revealed 0.6% primary study overlap across all reviews, and 1 dyad with high overlap (≥50%). No statistically significant relationship was observed between the completeness of harms reporting and reviews listing harms as a primary outcome, reviews reporting adherence to Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses, or a review's AMSTAR rating.

Conclusion

This study identifies how harms reporting in SRs of MFF reconstruction of the head and neck can be improved and provides suggestions with the potential to mitigate the paucity in current literature.
The role of alkoxysilanes in propylene polymerization catalysis. A study of model Ti(Oi‐C3H7)4‐Al(C2H5)2Cl/Mg(C4H9)2 catalyst system
Authors: Kissin Yury V , Rishina Laura A , Lalayan Svetlana S , Krasheninnikov Vadim G
Published: March 2023

The article describes the modifying effect of methylcyclohexyldimethoxysilane (CH3)(cyclo‐C6H11)Si(OCH3)2 in propylene polymerization reactions with a pseudo‐homogeneous catalyst system: Ti(Oi‐C3H7)4‐Al(C2H5)2Cl/Mg(C4H9)2. This catalyst system is a convenient model for the analysis of modifier effects (effects of ‘external donors’) in supported Ziegler–Natta polymerization catalysts of the fourth generation. A combination of chromatographic, spectroscopic and calorimetric data for crystalline and amorphous fractions of polypropylene prepared in the presence of the silane shows that it has a dual modification effect: (i) the silane is a potent poison of stereo‐aspecific active centers in the catalyst (the centers producing amorphous polypropylene fraction) and (ii) silane molecules coordinate at isospecific centers in the catalyst and changes their nature: the centers produce isotactic polypropylene of higher molecular weight and a higher isotacticity level. © 2023 Society of Industrial Chemistry.
‘FLLA09015‐U1’: A broadly adapted dual‐purpose oat cultivar for southern USA
Authors: Babar Md Ali , Harrison Stephen A. , Blount Ann , Barnett Ronald D. , Johnson Jerry , Mergoum Mohamed , Mailhot Daniel J , Murphy J. Paul , Mason Richard E. , Ibrahim Amir , Sutton Russell , Simoneaux Bryan , Boyles Richard , Stancil Brad , Marshall David , Fountain Myron , Klos Kathy Esvelt , Khan Naeem , Wallau Marcelo , Jordan Henry G.
Published: March 2023

‘FLLA09015‐U1’ (Reg. no. CV‐387, PI 699117) is a new facultative oat (Avena sativa L.) cultivar that was co‐developed by the University of Florida and Louisiana State University Agricultural Center and was released in 2019. This line was derived from a single cross of FL0210‐J1/MN06203. FLLA09015‐U1 has considerable potential for grain and forage yield and for conservation tillage purposes in the southern United States. Exclusive marketing rights for FLLA09015‐U1 has been granted to JoMar Seeds and is currently commercialized under the name of Juggernaut. FLLA09015‐U1 was developed using selected bulk breeding method and was selected as an F5:6 head row. The line was evaluated in advanced, regional, and state grain and forage yield trials from 2015 to 2021. FLLA09015‐U1 was observed to be uniform and stable across environments in the southern United States from 2015 to present. The line possesses a semi‐prostrate growth habit and has large leaves that are dark green in color. It is a mid‐maturing, medium to mid‐tall height with excellent grain yield and good forage yield and test weight. It has excellent crown rust resistance and very good resistance to Barley yellow dwarf virus and stem rust and demonstrated moderate lodging resistance. It has performed very well in both grain and forage trials. FLLA09015‐U1 has broad environmental adaptation and has performed well in Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, Texas, Alabama, and South Carolina. We consider FLLA09015‐U1 to be a good dual‐purpose type of oat because of its high grain yield potential and vigorous growth and high tillering capacity.
Platelet‐rich plasma injections as a treatment for Achilles tendinopathy and plantar fasciitis in athletes
Authors: Sneed Dustin , Wong Carmen
Published: March 2023

Platelet‐rich plasma (PRP) injections represent a growing interest in the use of biologic therapies for treatment of musculoskeletal injuries. One possible application of PRP is in the management of overuse injuries commonly experienced by athletes. The aim of this review is to evaluate and summarize existing evidence regarding the efficacy of PRP in the treatment of Achilles tendinopathy and plantar fasciitis in athletes. Although many lower quality single‐armed studies have demonstrated clinical improvement in athletes treated for Achilles tendinopathy with PRP, higher quality randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have shown no clear benefit in athletes. Existing data suggest PRP significantly improves clinical outcomes for plantar fasciitis in the general population, but very few studies and no RCTs are available that specifically analyze outcomes in athletic populations. More research is needed to evaluate how platelet concentration, leukocyte and erythrocyte presence, and sport type may interact to affect clinical outcomes in athletes.
Generalizing Fowler–Nordheim Tunneling Theory for an Arbitrary Power Law Barrier
Authors: Grigoryan Naira , Roszkiewicz Agata , Chudzinski Piotr
Published: March 2023

Herein, the canonical Fowler–Nordheim theory is extended by computing the zero‐temperature transmission probability for the more general case of a barrier described by a fractional power law. An exact analytical formula is derived, written in terms of Gauss hypergeometric functions, that fully capture the transmission probability for this generalized problem, including screened interaction with the image potential. First, the quality of approximation against the so far most advanced formulation of Fowler–Nordheim, where the transmission is given in terms of elliptic integrals, is benchmarked. In the following, as the barrier is given by a power law, in detail, the dependence of the transmission probability on the exponent of the power law is analyzed. The formalism is compared with results of numerical calculations and its possible experimental relevance is discussed. Finally, it is discussed how the presented solution can be linked in some specific cases with an exact quantum‐mechanical solution of the quantum well problem.
Decellularized Extracellular Matrix for Remodeling Bioengineering Organoid's Microenvironment
Authors: Zhu Liye , Yuhan Jieyu , Yu Hao , Zhang Boyang , Huang Kunlun , Zhu Longjiao
Published: March 2023

Over the past decade, stem cell‐ and tumor‐derived organoids are the most promising models in developmental biology and disease modeling, respectively. The matrix is one of three main elements in the construction of an organoid and the most important module of its extracellular microenvironment. However, the source of the currently available commercial matrix, Matrigel, limits the application of organoids in clinical medicine. It is worth investigating whether the original decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) can be exploited as the matrix of organoids and improving organoid construction are very important. In this review, tissue decellularization protocols and the characteristics of decellularization methods, the mechanical support and biological cues of extraccellular matrix (ECM), methods for construction of multifunctional dECM and responsive dECM hydrogel, and the potential applications of functional dECM are summarized. In addition, some expectations are provided for dECM as the matrix of organoids in clinical applications.
Coupling of Oxygen Vacancies and Heterostructure on Fe3O4 via an Anion Doping Strategy to Boost Catalytic Activity for Lithium‐Sulfur Batteries
Authors: Xin Shasha , Liu Tao , Li Jing , Cui Hongtao , Liu Yuanyuan , Liu Kaihua , Yang Yanzhao , Wang Meiri
Published: March 2023

The sluggish reaction kinetics and severe shutting behaviors of sulfur cathodes are the major roadblocks to realizing the practical application of lithium−sulfur (Li−S) batteries and need to be solved through designing/constructing rational sulfur hosts. Herein, an effective alternative material of Fe3O4−x/FeP in‐situ embedded in N‐doped carbon‐tube (Fe3O4−x/FeP/NCT) is proposed. In this fabricated heterostructure, NCT skeleton works as a sulfur host provides physical barrier for lithium polysulfides (LiPSs), while Fe3O4−x/FeP heterostructure with abundant oxygen vacancies provides double active centers to simultaneously accelerate e−/Li+ diffusion/transport kinetics and catalysis for LiPSs. Through the respective advantages, Fe3O4−x/FeP/NCT exhibits synergy enhancement effect for restraining sulfur dissolution and enhancing its conversion kinetics. Furthermore, the promoted ion diffusion kinetics, enhanced electrical conductivity, and increased active sites of Fe3O4−x/FeP/NCT are enabled by oxygen vacancies as well as the heterogeneous interfacial contact, which is clearly confirmed by experimental and first‐principles calculations. By virtue of these superiorities, the constructed cathode shows excellent long‐term cycling stability and a high‐rate capability up to 10 C. Specially, a high areal capacity of 7.2 mAh cm−2 is also achieved, holding great promise for utilization in advanced Li−S batteries in the future.
Ultra‐Highly Active Ni‐Doped MOF‐5 Heterogeneous Catalysts for Ethylene Dimerization
Authors: Chen Cailing , Meng Lingkun , Alalouni Mohammed R. , Dong Xinglong , Wu Zhi‐Peng , Zuo Shouwei , Zhang Huabin
Published: March 2023

Here, an ultra‐highly active Ni‐MOF‐5 catalyst with high Ni loading for ethylene dimerization is reported. The Ni‐MOF‐5 catalysts are synthesized by a facile one‐pot co‐precipitation method at room temperature, where Ni2+ replaces Zn2+ in MOF‐5. Unlike Zn2+ with tetrahedral coordination in MOF‐5, Ni2+ is coordinated with extra solvent molecules except for four‐oxygen from the framework. After removing coordinated solvent molecules, Ni‐MOF‐5 achieves an ethylene turnover frequency of 352 000 h−1, corresponding to 9040 g of product per gram of catalyst per hour, at 35 °C and 50 bar, far exceeding the activities of all reported heterogeneous catalysts. The high Ni loading and full exposure structure account for the excellent catalytic performance. Isotope labeling experiments reveal that the catalytic process follows the Cossee–Arlman mechanism, rationalizing the high activity and selectivity of the catalyst. These results demonstrate that Ni‐MOF‐5 catalysts are very promising for industrial catalytic ethylene dimerization.
High Mobility IZTO Thin‐Film Transistors Based on Spinel Phase Formation at Low Temperature through a Catalytic Chemical Reaction
Authors: Kim Gwang‐Bok , On Nuri , Kim Taikyu , Choi Cheol Hee , Hur Jae Seok , Lim Jun Hyung , Jeong Jae Kyeong
Published: March 2023

In this paper, In0.22ZnδSn0.78−δO1.89−δ (δ = 0.55) films with a single spinel phase are successfully grown at the low temperature of 300 °C through careful cation composition design and a catalytic chemical reaction. Thin‐film transistors (TFTs) with amorphous In0.22ZnδSn0.78−δO1.89−δ (δ = 0.55) channel layers have a reasonable mobility of 41.0 cm2 V−1 s−1 due to the synergic intercalation of In and Sn ions. In contrast, TFTs with polycrystalline spinel In0.22ZnδSn0.78−δO1.89−δ (δ = 0.55) channel layers, achieved through a metal‐induced crystallization at 300 °C, exhibit a remarkably high field‐effect mobility of ≈83.2 cm2 V−1 s−1 and excellent stability against external gate bias stress, which is attributed to the uniform formation of the highly ordered spinel phase. The relationships between cation composition, microstructure, and performance for the In2O3–ZnO–SnO2 ternary component system are investigated rigorously to attain in‐depth understanding of the roles of various crystalline phases, including spinel Zn2−ySn1−yIn2yO4 (y = 0.45), bixbyite In2−2xZnxInxO4 (x = 0.4), rutile SnO2, and a homologous compound of compound (ZnO)k(In2O3) (k = 5). This work concludes that the cubic spinel phase of Zn2−ySn1−yIn2yO4 (y = 0.45) film is a strong contender as a substitute for semiconducting polysilicon as a backplane channel ingredient for mobile active‐matrix organic light‐emitting diode displays.
Open source variational quantum eigensolver extension of the quantum learning machine for quantum chemistry
Authors: Haidar Mohammad , Rančić Marko J. , Ayral Thomas , Maday Yvon , Piquemal Jean‐Philip
Published: March 2023

Quantum chemistry (QC) is one of the most promising applications of quantum computing. However, present quantum processing units (QPUs) are still subject to large errors. Therefore, noisy intermediate‐scale quantum (NISQ) hardware is limited in terms of qubit counts/circuit depths. Variational quantum eigensolver (VQE) algorithms can potentially overcome such issues. Here, we introduce the OpenVQE open‐source QC package. It provides tools for using and developing chemically‐inspired adaptive methods derived from unitary coupled cluster (UCC). It facilitates the development and testing of VQE algorithms and is able to use the Atos Quantum Learning Machine (QLM), a general quantum programming framework enabling to write/optimize/simulate quantum computing programs. We present a specific, freely available QLM open‐source module, myQLM‐fermion. We review its key tools for facilitating QC computations (fermionic second quantization, fermion‐spin transforms, etc.). OpenVQE largely extends the QLM's QC capabilities by providing: (i) the functions to generate the different types of excitations beyond the commonly used UCCSD ansatz; (ii) a new Python implementation of the “adaptive derivative assembled pseudo‐Trotter method” (ADAPT‐VQE). Interoperability with other major quantum programming frameworks is ensured thanks to the myQLM‐interop package, which allows users to build their own code and easily execute it on existing QPUs. The combined OpenVQE/myQLM‐fermion libraries facilitate the implementation, testing and development of variational quantum algorithms, while offering access to large molecules as the noiseless Schrödinger‐style dense simulator can reach up to 41 qubits for any circuit. Extensive benchmarks are provided for molecules associated to qubit counts ranging from 4 to 24. We focus on reaching chemical accuracy, reducing the number of circuit gates and optimizing parameters and operators between “fixed‐length” UCC and ADAPT‐VQE ansätze.

This article is categorized under:

Software > Quantum Chemistry

Quantum Computing > Algorithms
Ambivalent Narratives of Motherhood and Mothering: From Normal and Natural to Not-at-all
Authors: Henriksson Helena Wahlström , Williams Anna , Fahlgren Margaretha
Published: March 2023

This chapter introduces the volume by outlining some crucial scholarly histories: the feminist study of motherhood and mothering, and the literary study of mothers in fiction and life writing, across many differences. Since mothers, motherhood, and mothering not only are defined by physical and material experiences but also take shape in narratives—in stories and recorded accounts—these also need to be continuously studied and theorized if we are to understand the culturally specific meanings of motherhood. The chapter then introduces each of the separate studies in the volume. These variously demonstrate that literary representations of mothers and mothering foreground the ways that parenthood and parenting for women are imbricated with dimensions like class, race, age, and nationality, as well as how motherhood is connected to living a heterosexual, lesbian, queer, or trans everyday life. In original analyses of a range of representations, from absent/missing mothers to highly present ones, the studies that comprise this book engage in a dialogue with the previous research, raising questions about how motherhood and mothering are marked by absence and/or presence and by profound ambivalences, about how maternal perspectives and voices gain space or mix with filial voices in the narratives, and about how mothers are constructed in relation to ideals and norms of motherhood.
One Hand Clapping: The Loneliness of Motherhood in Lucia Berlin’s “Tiger Bites”
Authors: Grahn Lisa
Published: March 2023

The issue of safe and legal abortions is and has been highly relevant for generations of women. By describing acts that have previously been carried out in secret, literary fiction makes these experiences visible, meanwhile exposing the circular nature of women’s history. In this chapter, intergenerational experiences of motherhood are examined in Lucia Berlin’s short story “Tiger Bites,” which tells the story of a young mother seeking abortion in Mexico. In Berlin’s representation of the abortion clinic, feelings of isolation and shame are foregrounded, as well as the actual risks to the health of the women and girls involved. The portrayal of the patients and staff at the clinic highlights aspects such as class, the crossings of bodily and national borders, and agency. This chapter argues that family relationships can create feelings of isolation as well as community, and that it is only through her own choice that the protagonist can realize her agency in motherhood. The analysis ultimately argues that Berlin’s story has its own intergenerational relevance, and speaks to the present as well as to its time of initial publication.
Contested Motherhood in Autobiographical Writing: Rachel Cusk and Sheila Heti
Authors: Fahlgren Margaretha , Williams Anna
Published: March 2023

This chapter examines contemporary autobiographical narratives which explore the notion of motherhood as the central issue in women’s lives. These narratives have been important in offering alternative discourses and thereby broadening the concept of motherhood. This chapter discusses them in the light of motherhood studies and theories about matrilineal narratives in contemporary literature. Works by two highly acclaimed Canadian writers are at the center of our study: Rachel Cusk’sA Life’s Work: On Becoming a Mother(first published in 2001; 2008) and Sheila Heti’sMotherhood(2018). Both volumes convey an ambivalence toward motherhood and lean on emotions as well as intellectual argument. Theoretically, the point of departure is Toril Moi’s discussion about contemporary life writing as an “exercise of attention,” and furthermore the feminist examination of the definition of motherhood and mothering in a social context, from Adrienne Rich (1976) to Tina Miller (2005). The texts discussed in this chapter contest different “cultural scripts” (Miller)—discourses that affect societal and subjective views on motherhood and gender.
Professions, Proficiency, and Place: An Introduction
Authors: Glückler Johannes , Punstein Anna Mateja , Winch Christopher
Published: March 2023

The 18th volume of the interdisciplinary series on Knowledge and Space looks at how people learn, create and transfer knowledge within and across social groups, such as professions, scholarly disciplines or communities. On the one hand, creating knowledge across social groups is important for innovation, especially for creating more radical and unconventional novelty. On the other hand, social circles often frame what and how its members think and learn, and so erect structural boundaries to innovation. This introductory chapter emphasizes the collective nature and social process of knowledge creation. Moreover, it suggests combining the study of professions and proficiency with a geographical understanding of the place-specificity of those dynamics that finally enable change, learning and cross-fertilization, especially beyond the boundaries of individual professions and communities.
Spielwiesen: Preparing a Research Agenda on Playgrounds and Serious Work in Academia
Authors: Berthoin Antal Ariane , Hamann Julian
Published: March 2023

Academics generally present the acquisition of academic proficiency as a learning process dedicated to specializing in an area of expertise. During their careers, scholars are expected to develop their academic profile by progressively building on their knowledge and their professional networks in their chosen specialty. However, prompted by reflections on their own experiences and by exploratory conversations with colleagues, the authors find that this portrayal of streamlined professionalization in academia hides playful deviations from the primary path into new intellectual and social spaces. They introduce the notion of a Spielwiese [literally: playing meadow] to describe these spaces, how they emerge, and how academics engage with them. The authors conclude by laying the groundwork for a typology and outline a research agenda for Spielwiesen in academia, whose utilizers should consider national career systems, disciplinary contexts, and different cohorts and career stages.
The Interplay of Knowledge, Strategies, and the Interest in the Development of Expertise within Professions
Authors: Alexander Patricia A.
Published: March 2023

What role does knowledge play in expertise development in professional domains, and to what extent does that domain-specific knowledge interact with individuals’ strategic abilities and their deep-seated interest in a profession? These are central questions explored in this chapter that positions expertise and its development within the framework of the Model of Domain Learning or MDL. The MDL is a theoretical model used to capture systematic changes in knowledge, strategic abilities, and interest that individuals undergo as they progress from their first exposure to a professional domain to subsequent stages of competence and, perhaps, expertise. After elucidating the concepts of professions, expertise, and knowledge, the author surveys the MDL’s contributions to understanding expertise development. The chapters then culminate with an exploration of societal changes that may have a significant bearing on the nature of expertise and its future development.
The Changing Fortunes of the Architectural Profession in Postwar Britain: Complexity, Technological Change, and the (Re)construction of Knowledge
Authors: Siebert Michael , Windrum Paul
Published: March 2023

Professions are one means of organizing the delivery of goods and services. In this paper, the authors consider how the power and control of professional groups can change within specific fields of work due to a combination of endogenous and exogenous factors. Their case study is the changing role of UK architects within the private residential sector over the post-war period. The architect was once the primary actor who brought together, organized, and integrated the workflow of a myriad of contractors, legal agencies, and planning authorities, but this is no longer the case. To understand how this occurred, and whether the architectural profession could regain a key position in the UK housing industry, the authors conduct a broad historical analysis of the factors at play within the UK architectural profession and the industry as a whole that have resulted in this shift in knowledge, roles and power.
ProtoMIL: Multiple Instance Learning with Prototypical Parts for Whole-Slide Image Classification
Authors: Rymarczyk Dawid , Pardyl Adam , Kraus Jarosław , Kaczyńska Aneta , Skomorowski Marek , Zieliński Bartosz
Published: March 2023

The rapid development of histopathology scanners allowed the digital transformation of pathology. Current devices fastly and accurately digitize histology slides on many magnifications, resulting in whole slide images (WSI). However, direct application of supervised deep learning methods to WSI highest magnification is impossible due to hardware limitations. That is why WSI classification is usually analyzed using standard Multiple Instance Learning (MIL) approaches, that do not explain their predictions, which is crucial for medical applications. In this work, we fill this gap by introducing ProtoMIL, a novel self-explainable MIL method inspired by the case-based reasoning process that operates on visual prototypes. Thanks to incorporating prototypical features into objects description, ProtoMIL unprecedentedly joins the model accuracy and fine-grained interpretability, as confirmed by the experiments conducted on five recognized whole-slide image datasets.
Wasserstein t-SNE
Authors: Bachmann Fynn , Hennig Philipp , Kobak Dmitry
Published: March 2023

Scientific datasets often have hierarchical structure: for example, in surveys, individual participants (samples) might be grouped at a higher level (units) such as their geographical region. In these settings, the interest is often in exploring the structure on the unit level rather than on the sample level. Units can be compared based on the distance between their means, however this ignores the within-unit distribution of samples. Here we develop an approach for exploratory analysis of hierarchical datasets using the Wasserstein distance metric that takes into account the shapes of within-unit distributions. We use t-SNE to construct 2D embeddings of the units, based on the matrix of pairwise Wasserstein distances between them. The distance matrix can be efficiently computed by approximating each unit with a Gaussian distribution, but we also provide a scalable method to compute exact Wasserstein distances. We use synthetic data to demonstrate the effectiveness of our Wassersteint-SNE, and apply it to data from the 2017 German parliamentary election, considering polling stations as samples and voting districts as units. The resulting embedding uncovers meaningful structure in the data.
A Stopping Criterion for Transductive Active Learning
Authors: Kottke Daniel , Sandrock Christoph , Krempl Georg , Sick Bernhard
Published: March 2023

In transductive active learning, the goal is to determine the correct labels for an unlabeled, known dataset. Therefore, we can either ask an oracle to provide the right label at some cost or use the prediction of a classifier which we train on the labels acquired so far. In contrast, the commonly used (inductive) active learning aims to select instances for labeling out of the unlabeled set to create a generalized classifier, which will be deployed on unknown data. This article formally defines the transductive setting and shows that it requires new solutions. Additionally, we formalize the theoretically cost-optimal stopping point for the transductive scenario. Building upon the probabilistic active learning framework, we propose a new transductive selection strategy that includes a stopping criterion and show its superiority.
Benign and Malignant Renal Disease
Authors: Aganovic Lejla , Nörenberg Dominik
Published: March 2023

Imaging of renal disease encompasses a wide spectrum of benign, malignant, and non-neoplastic lesions. Focal renal masses (of benign and malignant origin) are the most frequent entities and the number of incidentally detected renal lesions is constantly increasing. Several imaging modalities are available to optimize characterization, staging, and treatment of cystic and solid renal masses. Cystic and solid renal masses can be imaged with ultrasound (US), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), with contrast enhancement needed to optimize renal mass detection and characterization. Most very small renal masses of less than 1–1.5 cm cannot be characterized due to their size. Because most of these lesions are benign, follow-up is suggested only when these masses appear heterogeneous on imaging. CT, MRI, and contrast-enhanced US (CEUS) can predict which cystic renal masses are most likely to be malignant. CT and MRI can identify macroscopic fat in the vast majority of benign angiomyolipomas (AMLs), allowing for differentiation from other solid renal masses including renal cell cancer (RCC). Although some solid renal masses without macroscopic fat may contain distinct combinations of imaging features, there is much overlap and renal mass biopsy will often be required for definitive diagnosis as well as for patient risk stratification. Furthermore, CT and MRI are accurate in local staging of renal cancers, predicting whether partial nephrectomy or local ablation can be performed successfully, and for imaging of patients after treatment. Unique patterns of metastatic disease response can be encountered after the treatment of metastatic renal cancer with targeted chemotherapeutic agents. Radiologists must be aware of typical imaging features of cystic and solid renal masses, cancer mimics as well as response patterns and are key stakeholders within interdisciplinary treatment decisions to support the diagnostic workup and management of renal masses with emerging treatment options for RCC.
Benign Disease of the Uterus
Authors: Addley Helen , Fennessy Fiona
Published: March 2023

Benign diseases of the uterus are common and typically present with disordered menstrual bleeding and pain. The first-line imaging investigation is pelvic ultrasound which readily demonstrates abnormal features within the myometrium and endometrium. Ultrasound examination demonstrates fibroids, adenomyosis, endometrial polyps and is also first-line imaging for endometriosis. MR examination is focused on addressing a particular question, e.g., assessment prior to fibroid embolization or mapping of endometriosis prior to surgical resection. Congenital anomalies of the uterus are important to define as intervention can lead to future successful pregnancy outcomes, e.g., resection of septum and imaging will also demonstrate associated renal anomalies. Optimal imaging sequences and planes allow the radiologist to accurately determine key characteristic features.
Adnexal Diseases
Authors: Swift Sarah , Woo Sungmin
Published: March 2023

Adnexal masses may present as symptomatic lesions or be discovered incidentally during radiological examinations. The questions asked of radiologists are firstly, what is the nature of the mass and secondly, does it need to be removed and if so, how? Multidisciplinary discussion is to plan patient management and aim to avoid the two scenarios of simple resection of an ovarian cancer and major debulking surgery for benign disease.

Ultrasound (US) is excellent for characterisation of many common benign pathologies, but benign disease can present with complex appearances that are sonographically indeterminate. The widespread use of computed tomography (CT) as first-line investigation in many clinical settings has resulted in diagnosis but limited characterisation of adnexal lesions.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has a crucial role to play as a problem-solving tool. The ability to confirm the organ of origin and give information on the nature of contents of a lesion allows confident diagnoses to be made, and an algorithmic approach to this has been described in the Ovarian-Adnexal Reporting and Data System (O-RADS) MRI scoring system.
Small Bowel: The Last Stronghold of Gastrointestinal Radiology
Authors: Naama Moriyah , Ros Pablo R.
Published: March 2023

Cross-sectional imaging is of vital importance in the diagnosis and management of small bowel pathology. The key imaging modalities are CT- and MR- enterography CT-E and MR-E), each with characteristic advantages and disadvantages in various clinical settings. Major small bowel pathology includes inflammatory conditions such as IBD, infection, GVHD, and celiac disease. Neoplasms of the small bowel are relatively rare, though clinical suspicion must remain high as diagnosis is often significantly delayed. Mesenteric ischemia is a surgical emergency and must be identified and managed rapidly in order to minimize mortality. Careful consideration is often needed in choosing appropriate imaging studies for various clinical scenarios to obtain critical diagnostic information and familiarity with radiological signs for various pathologies is essential in the assessment and possible characterization of small bowel disease.
Diffuse Liver Disease
Authors: Bowden David , Reiner Cäcilia S.
Published: March 2023

Diffuse liver disease is multifactorial and may arise from metabolic, storage, vascular or neoplastic disease or from drug-related toxicities. Metabolic disease, in particular non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and its sequela of cirrhosis, is an increasing worldwide epidemic with decompensation and the development of malignancy a major concern. This chapter aims to summarize current radiologic techniques in the early detection of chronic/diffuse liver diseases and describes the imaging features of the most common important associated lesions.
Diseases of the Gallbladder and the Biliary Tree
Authors: Do Richard K. , Boll Daniel T.
Published: March 2023

Cross-sectional imaging modalities including ultrasound (US), magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and computed tomography (CT) play a critical role in the diagnosis of diseases of the biliary tract and gallbladder. Biliary imaging for evaluation of obstructive jaundice seeks to diagnose the level of obstruction and its cause. The identification of dilated bile ducts necessitates evaluation for strictures or filling defects, which is best performed with thin-section CT or T2-weighted MR cholangiography (MRCP). Choledocholithiasis with accompanying cholecystolithiasis is the most common cause of biliary obstruction and modern thin-section three dimensional MR cholangiography is highly sensitive and specific for the detection of stones. Recognition of gallbladder wall thickening and surrounding edema may be seen in acute cholecystitis, identification of bile duct wall thickening raises concern for cholangitis or malignancy. Primary sclerosing cholangitis and secondary sclerosing cholangitis such as recurrent pyogenic cholangitis, and IgG4 related sclerosing disease can develop chronic progressive cholestatic liver disease characterized by inflammation, fibrosis, and stricture of the bile ducts. Familiarity with the typical clinical and radiologic appearances of various etiologies of cholangiopathies and biliary malignancies is also important for accurate image interpretation.
Sicher und klimafest: Der deutsche Sozialstaat vor einer doppelten Herausforderung
Authors: Bothfeld Silke
Published: March 2023

Die soziale Daseinsvorsorge, eine zentrale Säule unseres Sozialstaatsgebäudes, birgt ein in der Sozialstaatsreformdebatte oftmals übersehenes, aber gewichtiges Potential für einen sozial-ökologischen Umbau. Es ist aber eine politische und keine systemische Frage, welche neuen Risiken in den kollektiven Sicherungssystemen berücksichtigt werden. Fest steht, die Umverteilung der vorhandenen Ressourcen und Kosten muss in zwei Dimensionen neu organisiert werden: Zwischen Arbeit und Kapital durch die Regulierung des Arbeitsmarktes und die Stärkung der kollektiven Systeme, sowie, stärker als in der Vergangenheit, auch zwischen starken und schwachen Bürger:innen innerhalb einer solidarischen Gesellschaft. Anstelle der Privilegierung des privaten und eben oftmals umweltschädlichen Wohlstands auf Kosten des Allgemeinwohls müssen Investitionen in die öffentliche Daseinsvorsorge so getätigt werden, dass sie die Polarität in den Lebenslagen der oberen und der unteren Mittelschicht abmildern und einen Rahmen für ein ökologisch verträgliches ‚gutes Leben‘ für alle Bürger:innen bilden.
Wirtschaft wird von Menschen gemacht – warum merkt man so wenig davon?
Authors: Gerlof Kathrin
Published: March 2023

Wirtschaft ist Menschenwerk, basiert auf menschlichem Handeln, aber die Marktgesetze, die Wachstumslogik, die Eigentumsverhältnisse sollen unabänderlich sein. Diesem „ganz großartigen Zirkelschluss“ spürt der Essay nach. Er lässt sich davon faszinieren, wie sehr die kapitalistische Wirtschaftsweise das Arbeiten und das Leben permanent verändert und wie gründlich sie dabei ein und dieselbe bleibt, sich als alternativloses Optimum zu präsentieren weiß. Für alle Probleme, die sie erzeugt, für soziales Elend wie für ökologische Katastrophen, bietet sie sich als die einzig mögliche Lösung an. Die Wirtschaftswissenschaft, die Politik, die digitale Technik werden befragt, wie sie hierher geraten sind, zu glauben, dass nur das Bestehende zugleich die Alternative ist. Die Pandemie bot der Politik die Gelegenheit, sich zu besinnen, dass die Arbeit vor allem von jenen Menschen gemacht wird, die nicht an ihren Konferenztischen, in ihren Hinterzimmern und Expertenkommissionen sitzen. Aber dann blieb sie doch dabei zu glauben, dass arbeitende Menschen nur Kostenfaktoren und als solche zu behandeln sind.
Bürger 4.0
Authors: Baecker Dirk
Published: March 2023

Auch der Bürger ist eine Einmalerfindung der menschlichen Gesellschaft, Name und historische Gestalt mögen sich ändern, die Funktion wird beibehalten. Zwar erhebt erst die moderne, die bürgerliche Gesellschaft ihn zum Prinzip der Selbstbeschreibung der Gesellschaft, aber das schließt nicht aus, dass es ihn vorher schon gab (oft tatsächlich nur als Maskulinum) und dass er die Transformation der modernen in eine nächste Gesellschaft überlebt. Diese Vermutung kann nur im Rahmen einer Medienarchäologie der Gesellschaft geprüft werden. Diese Medienarchäologie unterscheidet im Anschluss an Marshall McLuhan und seine Schule vier Medienepochen der menschlichen Gesellschaft, die Epochen der Mündlichkeit, der Schriftlichkeit, des Buchdrucks und der elektronischen Medien und nimmt an, dass mit jedem Auftreten dieser dominant werdenden Medien der Maßstab, das Tempo und das Schema der Situation des Menschen verändert werden. Der Bürger 4.0, zeigt sich dabei, ist der erregte Bürger. Er erregt sich, um teilzunehmen, und er erregt sich, um abzuschalten. Erregung ist die Form, die eine Reaktion ermöglicht, ohne verstanden, geschweige denn durchdrungen zu haben, worauf man sich einlässt.
Freiheit oder Gleichheit? Gleiche Freiheit!
Authors: Herzog Lisa
Published: March 2023

Die republikanische Tradition hat eine natürliche Affinität zu einem Verständnis von Demokratie als nicht nur repräsentativ, sondern auch partizipativ. Ohne die Bedeutung repräsentativer Strukturen leugnen zu wollen, betont diese Richtung demokratischen Denkens die Einbindung aller Bürger:innen in demokratische Prozesse, nicht nur im politischen Geschehen auf großer (sprich nationaler) Bühne, sondern auch auf allen Ebenen föderaler Strukturen und auch in Bereichen des Lebens, die oft nicht als „politisch“ im engeren Sinne gefasst werden, zum Beispiel der Zivilgesellschaft und der Wirtschaft. Denn nur, wenn Demokratie im Alltag der Einzelnen, in ihren Begegnungen untereinander und in der Gestaltung ihrer gemeinsamen Praktiken und Regeln verwurzelt ist, kann eine wirklich demokratische Haltung entstehen, die das Versprechen einlöst, nicht der Willkür anderer unterworfen zu sein.
Bi-directional evolutionary structural optimization with buckling constraints
Authors: Xu Tao , Lin Xiaoshan , Xie Yi Min
Published: March 2023

Buckling is a critical phenomenon in structural members under compression, which could cause catastrophic failure of a structure. To increase the buckling resistance in structural design, a novel topology optimization approach based on the bi-directional evolutionary structural optimization (BESO) method is proposed in this study with the consideration of buckling constraints. The BESO method benefits from using only two discrete statuses (solid and void) for design variables, thereby alleviating numerical issues associated with pseudo buckling modes. The Kreisselmeier-Steinhauser aggregation function is introduced to aggregate multiple buckling constraints into a differentiable one. An augmented Lagrangian multiplier is developed to integrate buckling constraints into the objective function to ensure computational stability. Besides, a modified design variable update scheme is proposed to control the evolutionary rate after the target volume fraction is reached. Four topology optimization design examples are investigated to demonstrate the effectiveness of the buckling-constrained BESO method. The numerical results show that the developed optimization algorithm with buckling constraints can significantly improve structural stability with a slight increase in compliance.