bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Case of Shwachman–Diamond Syndrome who Presented with Hypotonia
Authors: Özçay Figen , Olcay Lale , Ceylaner Serdar , Sezer Taner , Barış Zeren
Published: March 2018

We present a patient with failure to thrive and severe hypotonia, who was initially suspected of having a neurometabolic disease but later diagnosed as Shwachman–Diamond syndrome (SDS), which was genetically confirmed. SDS is a multisystemic disease, which is characterized by exocrine pancreatic deficiency, bone marrow dysfunction with increased risk for malignant transformation, and skeletal abnormalities. It should be included in differential diagnosis of patients with failure to thrive and unexplained neurodevelopmental delay with neutropenia.
Durvalumab verlängert das progressionsfreie Überleben
Authors: Waparkowski Andrea
Published: March 2018

Bei einem Drittel aller Patienten mit nicht kleinzelligem Bronchialkarzinom (NSCLC) wird die Diagnose erst im Stadium III gestellt. Der experimentelle PD-L1-Inhibitor Durvalumab verlängerte im Vergleich zu Placebo das progressionsfreie Überleben (PFS) der Patienten mit lokal fortgeschrittenem, inorperablem NSCLC Stadium III um fast ein Jahr, berichtete Priv.-Doz. Niels Reinmuth, München, auf einer Pressekonferenz im Rahmen des DGHO 2017.
Heparin priming of EUS-FNA needles does not adversely affect tissue cytology or immunohistochemical staining
Authors: Diehl David , Mok Shaffer , Khara Harshit , Johal Amitpal , Kirchner H. , Lin Fan
Published: March 2018

Background and study aims Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA) or biopsy (FNB) is an indispensable diagnostic tool. Improvements in needling technique have led to increasing tissue yields. Blood clogging of the needle can cause difficulties with specimen handling and stylet passage, which improves when the needle is primed with heparin before use. However, the effect of heparin on cytology, histology or immunochemistry (IHC) of FNA and FNB specimens is unknown. The goal of the study was to evaluate heparin priming on cytologic/histologic appearance, IHC staining, ease of stylet passage, and specimen bloodiness.

Patients and methods This was a retrospective study of patients undergoing EUS-FNA/FNB. Needle sizes were 25 gauge (g), 22 g, and 19 g. Heparin priming of the needle was done and the stylet replaced (“dry heparin”) or suction attached without replacing the stylet (“wet heparin”). Smears and cellblocks were examined by pathologists, and IHC staining were done as needed. Specimen bloodiness was compared with matched controls.

Results Adequate tissue yields were obtained in all samples (37 heparin, 36 no heparin). Heparin priming did not exhibit negative effects on cytologic or histologic interpretation of the specimens, nor IHC. There was no difference in cellblock bloodiness between the heparin primed needle specimens and the non-heparin control group. 

Conclusions Heparin priming of EUS-FNA or FNB needles does not negatively affect cytologic or histologic interpretation, nor interfere with IHC. In addition, heparin priming does not increase specimen bloodiness. When the “wet suction” technique is used for EUS-FNA, heparin priming can be used instead of saline priming of the EUS needle.
Differential Diagnosis of HyperCKemia
Authors: Kley Rudolf , Schmidt-Wilcke Tobias , Vorgerd Matthias
Published: March 2018

Elevated serum creatine kinase (CK) activity is usually an indicator of muscle damage. HyperCKemia is often an incidental finding and should be controlled after refraining from physical activity for some days, especially in asymptomatic patients. Furthermore, data from recent studies indicate that the upper limits of normal (ULN) need to be revised upward. This review includes an algorithm for the differential diagnosis of CK elevation in patients without muscular symptoms. In the field of neurology, in particular myopathies and neuropathies with affection of the lower motor neuron can cause symptomatic hyperCKemia, with CK values >1000 U/l (16,7 µkat/l) being indicative of a primary muscle disorder. Diseases with very high CK values include subtypes of muscular dystrophies, idiopathic inflammatory myopathies and metabolic myopathies. However, a normal or only slightly elevated CK value does not exclude the presence of a myopathy. The individual diagnostic procedure (e. g., muscle imaging, special laboratory studies, muscle biopsy and genetic testing) depends on the clinical phenotype and the results of electrophysiological studies. HyperCKemia can also be an adverse effect of several drugs including statins. In asymptomatic patients, statin-associated CK elevations <5 times the ULN can be tolerated. In patients with higher CK values and/or muscle symptoms, LDL-cholesterol lowering therapy should be changed. Rhabdomyolysis is a potentially life-threatening condition and is accompanied by highly elevated CK values. Acute phase treatment includes preserving renal function and restoring metabolic derangements.
Mit Worten statt Zahlen
Authors: Scharnagel Stefan , Reutershan Jörg
Published: March 2018

Keyword Pain Scale Schmerz ist sehr subjektiv. Was der eine nur als
unangenehm empfindet, ist für einen anderen unerträglich. Daher ist Schmerz
schwer zu messen. Und doch ist die Schmerzerfassung notwendig, wenn es etwa in
Notaufnahmen darum geht, mit welcher Dringlichkeit Patienten behandelt werden
sollen. Autor Stefan Scharnagel hat im Akutschmerzdienst die Erfahrung gemacht,
dass es eine bessere Möglichkeit zur Schmerzeinschätzung gibt als die bekannten
numerischen Skalen. Die von ihm entwickelte Keyword Pain Scale funktioniert mit
Worten, statt mit Zahlen.
Analysis of presurgical uterine artery embolization (PUAE) for very large uterus myomatosus; patient’s desire to preserve the uterus; case series and literature review
Authors: Schnapauff Dirk , Russ Manon , Kröncke Thomas , David Matthias
Published: March 2018

Purpose Purpose of this paper to present results of a group of 21 consecutive patients who underwent uterine artery embolization (UAE) immediately before myomectomy. Surgical myomectomy can lead to a substantial blood loss in case of large or multiple tumors due to the hypervascularization of the tumors. This may lead to multiple blood transfusion or hysterectomy. In cases were the preservation of the uterus is demanded, pre-operative embolization could reduce the risk of substantial bleeding.

Materials and Methods Between January 2011 and March 2016, 21 patients underwent UAE 24 hours before myomectomy. All patients were asked by questionnaire about post-surgical follow-up, complications, the length of the scar, satisfaction and improvement of symptoms. Data of the operation and embolization were retrospectively assessed.

Results UAE could be performed in all patients without complications. Mean diameter of the largest myoma was 12.7 ± 3.2 cm, primary preservation of the uterus succeeded in all cases. In none of the cases a perioperative blood transfusion was necessary. One patient underwent hysterectomy in another hospital after primary successful resection, one patient received transfusion of 2 bags of red blood cell concentrate during her stay in hospital.

11 of 21 patients responded to the questionnaire. 10 of 11 had subjective symptom improvement. Mean inability to work was 31 days, the mean self-measured length was 12 cm. 9 of 11 patients would recommend the procedure, one patient was in the second trimester of pregnancy.

Conclusion Preoperative uterine artery embolization facilitates a safe and uterus-preserving myomectomy in patients with very large or multiple fibroids.

Key Points 

Citation Format
Demonstrating that the nonorthogonal orbital optimized coupled cluster model converges to full configuration interaction
Authors: Myhre Rolf H.
Published: March 2018

Coupled cluster (CC) methods are among the most accurate methods in quantum chemistry. However, the standard CC linear response formulation is not gauge invariant, resulting in errors when modelling properties like optical rotation and electron circular dichroism. Including an explicit unitary orbital rotation in the CC Lagrangian makes the linear response function gauge invariant, but the resulting models are not equivalent to full configuration interaction (FCI) in the untruncated limit. In this contribution, such methods are briefly discussed and it is demonstrated that methods using a nonorthogonal orbital transformation, such as nonorthogonal orbital optimized CC, can converge to FCI in the untruncated limit. This has been disputed in the literature.
X-rays diagnostics of the hot electron energy distribution in the intense laser interaction with metal targets
Authors: Kostenko O. F. , Andreev N. E. , Rosmej O. N.
Published: March 2018

A two-temperature hot electron energy distribution has been revealed by modeling of bremsstrahlung emission, measured by the radiation attenuation and half-shade methods, and Kα emission from a massive silver cylinder irradiated by a subpicosecond s-polarized laser pulse with a peak intensity of about 2 × 1019 W/cm2. To deduce parameters of the hot electron spectrum, we have developed semi-analytical models of generation and measurements of the x-rays. The models are based on analytical expressions and tabulated data on electron stopping power as well as cross-sections of generation and absorption of the x-rays. The Kα emission from thin silver foils deposited on low-Z substrates, both conducting and nonconducting, has been used to verify the developed models and obtained hot electron spectrum. The obtained temperatures of the colder and hotter electron components are in agreement with the values predicted by kinetic simulations of the cone-guided approach to fast ignition [Chrisman et al., Phys. Plasmas 15, 056309 (2008)]. The temperature of the low-energy component of the accelerated electron spectrum is well below the ponderomotive scaling and Beg's law. We have obtained relatively low conversion efficiency of laser energy into the energy of hot electrons propagating through the solid target of about 2%. It is demonstrated that the assumption about a single-temperature hot electron energy distribution with the slope temperature described by the ponderomotive scaling relationship, without detailed analysis of the hot electron spectrum, can lead to strong overestimation of the laser-to-electron energy-conversion efficiency, in particular, the conversion efficiency of laser energy into the high-temperature component of the hot electron distribution.
High energy density and efficiency achieved in nanocomposite film capacitors via structure modulation
Authors: Zeng Yi , Shen Zhong-Hui , Shen Yang , Lin Yuanhua , Nan Ce-Wen
Published: March 2018

Flexible dielectric polymer films with high energy storage density and high charge-discharge efficiency have been considered as promising materials for electrical power applications. Here, we design hierarchical structured nanocomposite films using nonlinear polymer poly(vinylidene fluoride-HFP) [P(VDF-HFP)] with inorganic h-boron nitride (h-BN) nanosheets by electrospinning and hot-pressing methods. Our results show that the addition of h-BN nanosheets and the design of the hierarchical multilayer structure in the nanocomposites can remarkably enhance the charge-discharge efficiency and energy density. A high charge-discharge efficiency of 78% and an energy density of 21 J/cm3 can be realized in the 12-layered PVDF/h-BN nanocomposite films. Phase-field simulation results reveal that the spatial distribution of the electric field in these hierarchical structured films affects the charge-discharge efficiency and energy density. This work provides a feasible route, i.e., structure modulation, to improve the energy storage performances for nanocomposite films.
Measurements of long-range enhanced collisional velocity drag through plasma wave damping
Authors: Affolter M. , Anderegg F. , Dubin D. H. E. , Driscoll C. F.
Published: March 2018

We present damping measurements of axial plasma waves in magnetized, multispecies ion plasmas. At high temperatures T≳10−2 eV, collisionless Landau damping dominates, whereas, at lower temperatures T≲10−2 eV, the damping arises from interspecies collisional drag, which is dependent on the plasma composition and scales roughly as T−3/2. This drag damping is proportional to the rate of parallel collisional slowing, and is found to exceed classical predictions of collisional drag damping by as much as an order of magnitude, but agrees with a new collision theory that includes long-range collisions. Centrifugal mass separation and collisional locking of the species occur at ultra-low temperatures T≲10−3 eV, which reduce the drag damping from the T−3/2 collisional scaling. These mechanisms are investigated by measuring the damping of higher frequency axial modes, and by measuring the damping in plasmas with a non-equilibrium species profile.
Creeping flashover characteristics improvement of nanofluid/pressboard system with TiO2 nanoparticles
Authors: Huang Meng , Wang Lei , Ge Yang , Lv Yu-zhen , Qi Bo , Li Cheng-rong
Published: March 2018

Creeping flashover easily occurs at the interface between oil and pressboard in transformer and thus results in outage of power transmission system. Investigations have shown that creeping flashover characteristics at oil/pressboard interface can be improved by the addition of TiO2 nanoparticles, but the mechanism is still not thoroughly known. In this work, creeping flashover performance at nanofluid/pressboard interface modified by different sizes of nanoparticles were studied and the mechanism was presented as well. Nanofluids with the same concentration but with different sizes of TiO2 nanoparticles were prepared, and pressboards impregnated with them were prepared as well. After that, their creeping flashover characteristics were measured and compared. Nanoparticle’s size affected the creeping flashover performance along oil/pressboard greatly under both AC and lightning impulse voltages. The highest creeping flashover voltage can be enhanced by as high as 12.2% and 32.0% respectively. The underlying electric field distribution and charge transportation behaviors were analyzed to demonstrate the influence of nanoparticle’s size. By the addition of nanoparticles with a smaller size, the dielectric constant of nanofluid was increased closer to that of the pressboard, thus they were matched better. Moreover, charge was easier to dissipate from the oil/pressboard interface and electric field distortion at the interface was consequently reduced. Therefore, the electric field was more like a uniform field and the forward development of flashover was more difficult, leading to a better performance of creeping flashover of oil-impregnated pressboard.
Fabrication and anisotropic wettability of titanium-coated microgrooves
Authors: Gui N. , Xu W. , Tian J. , Rosengarten G. , Brandt M. , Qian M.
Published: March 2018

Surface wettability plays a critical role in a variety of key areas including orthopaedic implants and chemical engineering. Anisotropy in wettability can arise from surface grooves, which are of particular relevance to orthopaedic implants because they can mimic collagen fibrils that are the basic components of the extracellular matrix. Titanium (Ti) and its alloys have been widely used for orthopaedic and dental implant applications. This study is concerned with the fabrication of Ti-coated microgrooves with different groove widths and the characterisation of the anisotropy in wettability through measuring water contact angles, compared with both the Wenzel and Cassie models. Experimental results revealed that there existed significant anisotropy in the wettability of Ti-coated microgrooves, and the degree of anisotropy (Δθ) increased with an increasing groove width from 5 μm to 20 μm. On average, the contact angle measured parallel to the groove direction (θ//) was about 50°–60° smaller than that measured perpendicular to the groove direction (θ⊥). In general, the Wenzel model predicted the contact angles along the surface groove direction reasonably, and so did the Cassie model for the contact angles perpendicular to the groove direction. Osteoblast spreading was affected by the anisotropy in wettability, which occurred preferably along, rather than perpendicular to, the groove direction. These findings are informative for the design of Ti implant surfaces when anisotropy in wettability matters.
Thermal rectification in thin films driven by gradient grain microstructure
Authors: Cheng Zhe , Foley Brian M. , Bougher Thomas , Yates Luke , Cola Baratunde A. , Graham Samuel
Published: March 2018

As one of the basic components of phononics, thermal rectifiers transmit heat current asymmetrically similar to electronic rectifiers in microelectronics. Heat can be conducted through them easily in one direction while being blocked in the other direction. In this work, we report a thermal rectifier that is driven by the gradient grain structure and the inherent gradient in thermal properties as found in these materials. To demonstrate their thermal rectification properties, we build a spectral thermal conductivity model with complete phonon dispersion relationships using the thermophysical properties of chemical vapor deposited (CVD) diamond films which possess gradient grain microstructures. To explain the observed significant thermal rectification, the temperature and thermal conductivity distribution are studied. Additionally, the effects of temperature bias and film thickness are discussed, which shed light on tuning the thermal rectification based on the gradient microstructures. Our results show that the columnar grain microstructure makes CVD materials unique candidates for mesoscale thermal rectifiers without a sharp temperature change.
High-performance 16-way Ku-band radial power combiner based on the TE01-circular waveguide mode
Authors: Montejo-Garai José R. , Saracho-Pantoja Irene O. , Ruiz-Cruz Jorge A. , Rebollar Jesús M.
Published: March 2018

This work presents a 16-way Ku-band radial power combiner for high power and high frequency applications, using the very low loss TE01 circular waveguide mode. The accomplished design shows an excellent performance: the experimental prototype has a return loss better than 30 dB, with a balance for the amplitudes of (±0.15 dB) and (±2.5°) for the phases, in a 16.7% fractional bandwidth (2 GHz centered at 12 GHz). For obtaining these outstanding specifications, required, for instance, in high-frequency amplification or on plasma systems, a rigorous step-by-step procedure is presented. First, a high-purity mode transducer has been designed, from the TE10 mode in the rectangular waveguide to the TE01 mode in the circular waveguide, with very high attenuation (>50 dB) for the other propagating and evanescent modes in the circular waveguide. This transducer has been manufactured and measured in a back-to-back configuration, validating the design process. Second, an E-plane 16-way radial power divider has been designed, where the power is coupled from the 16 non-reduced-height radial standard waveguides into the TE01 circular waveguide mode, improving the insertion loss response and removing the usual tapered transformers of previous designs limiting the power handling. Finally, both the transducer and the divider have been assembled to make the final radial combiner. The prototype has been carefully manufactured, showing very good agreement between the measurements and the full-wave simulations.
Effacing Panslavism: linguistic classification and historiographic misrepresentation
Authors: Maxwell Alexander
Published: March 2018

In the early nineteenth century, several Slavic intellectuals believed in a single Slavic nation speaking a single language, though positing various taxonomies of the nation's component “tribes” and the language's component “dialects.” Nevertheless, recent scholars, both historians and linguists, prove so extraordinarily unwilling to acknowledge the existence of Panslavism that several falsify the historical record so as to make historical figures conform to modern national and linguistic thinking. This paper discusses Jan Kollár, Ljudevit Gaj, and L'udovít Štúr as three sample Panslavs, documents the misrepresentation of their ideas in recent historiography, and explores why so many scholars seek to erase Panslavism from the historical record.
Bcl11b, a novel GATA3-interacting protein, suppresses Th1 while limiting Th2 cell differentiation
Authors: Fang Difeng , Cui Kairong , Hu Gangqing , Gurram Rama Krishna , Zhong Chao , Oler Andrew J. , Yagi Ryoji , Zhao Ming , Sharma Suveena , Liu Pentao , Sun Bing , Zhao Keji , Zhu Jinfang
Published: March 2018

GATA-binding protein 3 (GATA3) acts as the master transcription factor for type 2 T helper (Th2) cell differentiation and function. However, it is still elusive how GATA3 function is precisely regulated in Th2 cells. Here, we show that the transcription factor B cell lymphoma 11b (Bcl11b), a previously unknown component of GATA3 transcriptional complex, is involved in GATA3-mediated gene regulation. Bcl11b binds to GATA3 through protein–protein interaction, and they colocalize at many important cis-regulatory elements in Th2 cells. The expression of type 2 cytokines, including IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13, is up-regulated in Bcl11b-deficient Th2 cells both in vitro and in vivo; such up-regulation is completely GATA3 dependent. Genome-wide analyses of Bcl11b- and GATA3-regulated genes (from RNA sequencing), cobinding patterns (from chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing), and Bcl11b-modulated epigenetic modification and gene accessibility suggest that GATA3/Bcl11b complex is involved in limiting Th2 gene expression, as well as in inhibiting non-Th2 gene expression. Thus, Bcl11b controls both GATA3-mediated gene activation and repression in Th2 cells.
The yeast arrestin-related protein Bul1 is a novel actor of glucose-induced endocytosis
Authors: Hovsepian Junie , Albanèse Véronique , Becuwe Michel , Ivashov Vasyl , Teis David , Léon Sébastien
Published: March 2018

Yeast cells have a remarkable ability to adapt to nutritional changes in their environment. During adaptation, nutrient-signaling pathways drive the selective endocytosis of nutrient transporters present at the cell surface. A current challenge is to understand the mechanistic basis of this regulation. Transporter endocytosis is triggered by their ubiquitylation, which involves the ubiquitin ligase Rsp5 and its adaptors of the arrestin-related family (ART). This step is highly regulated by nutrient availability. For instance, the monocarboxylate transporter Jen1 is ubiquitylated, endocytosed, and degraded upon exposure to glucose. The ART protein Rod1 is required for this overall process; yet Rod1 rather controls Jen1 trafficking later in the endocytic pathway and is almost dispensable for Jen1 internalization. Thus, how glucose triggers Jen1 internalization remains unclear. We report that another ART named Bul1, but not its paralogue Bul2, contributes to Jen1 internalization. Bul1 responds to glucose availability, and preferentially acts at the plasma membrane for Jen1 internalization. Thus, multiple ARTs can act sequentially along the endocytic pathway to control transporter homeostasis. Moreover, Bul1 is in charge of Jen1 endocytosis after cycloheximide treatment, suggesting that the functional redundancy of ARTs may be explained by their ability to interact with multiple cargoes in various conditions.
A review of the technologies for wave energy extraction
Authors: Rusu Eugen , Onea Florin
Published: March 2018

The main objective of this article is to provide a comprehensive picture of existing wave technologies being used for wave energy extraction. The overview will explain their potential and also the challenges wave technologies face. The article will also briefly discuss the benefits of combined offshore wind-wave projects, also known as hybrids. Key factors and impacts on relevant existing wave technologies will be outlined, including capacity factor and capture width. Finally the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) targets for the most promising technologies will be discussed.
Whole-genome sequences of 89 Chinese sheep suggest role of RXFP2 in the development of unique horn phenotype as response to semi-feralization
Authors: Pan Zhangyuan , Li Shengdi , Liu Qiuyue , Wang Zhen , Zhou Zhengkui , Di Ran , Miao Benpeng , Hu Wenping , Wang Xiangyu , Hu Xiaoxiang , Xu Ze , Wei Dongkai , He Xiaoyun , Yuan Liyun , Guo Xiaofei , Liang Benmeng , Wang Ruichao , Li Xiaoyu , Cao Xiaohan , Dong Xinlong , Xia Qing , Shi Hongcai , Hao Geng , Yang Jean , Luosang Cuicheng , Zhao Yiqiang , Jin Mei , Zhang Yingjie , Lv Shenjin , Li Fukuan , Ding Guohui , Chu Mingxing , Li Yixue
Published: March 2018

Background

Animal domestication has been extensively studied, but the process of feralization remains poorly understood.

Results

Here, we performed whole-genome sequencing of 99 sheep and identified a primary genetic divergence between 2 heterogeneous populations in the Tibetan Plateau, including 1 semi-feral lineage. Selective sweep and candidate gene analysis revealed local adaptations of these sheep associated with sensory perception, muscle strength, eating habit, mating process, and aggressive behavior. In particular, a horn-related gene, RXFP2, showed signs of rapid evolution specifically in the semi-feral breeds. A unique haplotype and repressed horn-related tissue expression of RXFP2 were correlated with higher horn length, as well as spiral and horizontally extended horn shape.

Conclusions

Semi-feralization has an extensive impact on diverse phenotypic traits of sheep. By acquiring features like those of their wild ancestors, semi-feral sheep were able to regain fitness while in frequent contact with wild surroundings and rare human interventions. This study provides a new insight into the evolution of domestic animals when human interventions are no longer dominant.
Gendering the History of Race and Religion
Authors: Jemison Elizabeth
Published: March 2018

This chapter shows how recent scholarly writing is bringing gender from the margin to the center of scholarship on race and religion and proposes new areas for research in American Indian, Latina/o, Asian American, and African American histories. These recent and future publications use intersectional and interdisciplinary methods to transform categories of scholarly analysis, namely those of religion, racial violence, and politics. This chapter broadly examines the state of this field of gender, race, and religion in American history and then turns to a case study of one of the field’s best developed areas, African American religious history, to show how attention to gender is changing the terms of scholarly conversation.
Religion, Race, and Sexuality
Authors: Mercado Monica L.
Published: March 2018

The history of sexuality is a growing area of interest for scholars of religion and race in the North American context. That which is often regarded as a private matter—sex and sexuality—is in fact shaped by larger cultural, economic, political, and religious forces. To study the intersections of sexuality and race in American religious history, then, is to examine the role of belief, as well as formal religious institutions and their spokespeople, in circulating ideas about bodies, sex, marriage, family, morality, and immorality. If religious variety has been one way that scholars have understood the American experiment from the earliest colonial encounters to the present day, this chapter considers moments when sex and sexuality, and the religious thinking that passes judgments on sexual practices, has served to define or highlight racial difference in American history.
Religion and Race in the Early Modern Iberian Atlantic
Authors: Delgado Jessica L. , Moss Kelsey C.
Published: March 2018

This chapter reviews the scholarly treatment of religion and race in the early modern Iberian Atlantic world and colonial Latin America and suggests new directions for research. Through a critical reflection of the place that Spain and colonial Latin America have held in histories of race in the West, the chapter challenges historians of the Americas to rethink their understanding of the relationship between religion and race in the early modern era. It highlights processes and ideologies visible in Spanish America and calls for investigation into similar dynamics in the Anglophone colonies.
Black Theologies
Authors: Pimblott Kerry
Published: March 2018

Black theology burst onto the scene in the late 1960s as a new cohort of progressive African American clergy and seminarians responded to the imperative of a burgeoning black freedom movement and global anticolonial struggles. Taken collectively, their work championed a distinctive black theological tradition, birthed in the context of enslavement and transmitted through independent black churches, which placed primacy on God’s preferential and emancipatory activity on behalf of the poor and oppressed. This chapter traces the origins, development, and legacy of black theology over three consecutive generations, identifying important debates related to the discipline’s defining motifs, methods, and approaches as well as the emergence of alternative paradigms, including womanist theology and African American humanism.
The Evolutionary Approach to History
Authors: Blute Marion , Jordan Fiona M.
Published: March 2018

There are three forms of modern Darwinian evolutionism in the social sciences and humanities: the gene-based biological, the social learning-based sociocultural, and gene–culture coevolution dealing with their interaction. This chapter focuses on cultural or sociocultural evolution. It begins with a discussion of the Darwinian-inspired evolutionary approach to history. It then outlines modern evolutionary phylogenetic methods borrowed from biology but now used extensively in the social sciences and humanities. The chapter provides examples of how language trees may be inferred; phylogenetic comparative methods that use language trees to answer questions about aspects of geographical, social, political, cultural, or economic organization; and phylogenetic investigations of material culture and traditions. It is concluded that culture does indeed “descend with modification.”
Evolutionary Behavioral Science
Authors: Crippen Timothy
Published: March 2018

Genuinely evolutionary explanations of human social behavior are only dimly grasped by most social scientists. However, with increasing frequency, such approaches are yielding remarkable insights. In view of these considerations, this chapter isolates and briefly reviews the core principles of the evolutionary behavioral sciences. Specifically, attention focuses on the theory of kin selection, the maximization principle, the theory of reciprocity, and the theory of relative parental investment. These theoretical tools have been demonstrated to be extraordinarily productive in explaining various aspects of animal, including human, social behavior. Still, many social scientists continue to misconstrue or misrepresent the basics of evolutionary behavioral science. The chapter addresses some of the more common misunderstandings and, in the process, emphasizes the manner in which the social sciences may benefit from developing more explicit logical linkages with the fundamental principles of evolutionary biology.
Divergence and Possible Consilience Between Evolutionary Biology and Sociology
Authors: Machalek Richard
Published: March 2018

During its emergence as a new academic discipline in the late 19th century, sociology was influenced by Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection. By the mid-20th century, however, biological thinking in general and evolutionary theory in particular had waned in influence in American sociology. This began to change during the last quarter of the 20th century—a development due in large part to the work of Edward O. Wilson, a prominent biologist and one of the founders of sociobiology. By the dawn of the 21st century, evolutionary thinking had again gained a foothold in the social sciences, including sociology. However, full consilience between evolutionary biology and sociology has not yet been achieved. This chapter reviews issues in terms of which evolutionary biology and sociology converge in some instances and diverge in others. The chapter concludes with an assessment of the prospects for the development of a robust evolutionary sociology.
Social Epigenetics of Human Behavior
Authors: Adkins Daniel E. , Rasmussen Kelli M. , Docherty Anna R.
Published: March 2018

It is well established that extreme social adversity can lead to negative health outcomes decades after the resolution of the precipitating environmental insult. Although the underlying mechanisms through which such adversity gets “under the skin” to become biologically embedded have long been considered a black box, recent research has indicated an important mediating role for epigenetic mechanisms—molecular modifications that regulate gene activity without changing the DNA sequence. With technical and scientific developments now enabling genome-wide epigenetic studies in humans, behavioral researchers have an unprecedented opportunity to empirically map the ways in which social dynamics become epigenetically embedded, influencing downstream gene expression, health, and behavior. This chapter examines the current state of social epigenetics research and discusses the opportunities and challenges facing this emerging field.
Sociology’s Contentious Courtship with Biology
Authors: Marshall Douglas A.
Published: March 2018

Sociology’s attitude toward biology has varied greatly during the course of their relationship. Initial infatuation gave way to disillusionment and estrangement, followed, in turn, by hotly contested attempts at reconciliation and reunion. This chapter fleshes out the trajectory of their alliance with a brief and not-unopinionated history of sociology’s relationship to biology in hopes of rendering the story coherent and memorable, of gleaning what insights it offers about the obstacles and virtues of their relationship, and of forecasting the future of their association. Based on recent developments within both sociology and biology, and, more importantly, in light of their essential unity, the chapter concludes that their future is bright indeed.
The Genetics of Human Behavior
Authors: Mitchell Colter
Published: March 2018

This chapter examines the recent massive expansion of genetic research into human behavior. Based on decades of twin research, there were high expectations of strong genetic effects for almost all behavior. Further work on candidate genes from animal research proved initially exciting. Although that research continues, it now currently receives much less attention, in contrast to whole-genome examinations. This chapter provides insight into the whole-genome era of behavioral research and the extent to which it may or may not be a profitable endeavor. Sociologists are generally unaware of this body of research, but it will likely continue to grow. The methods, strengths, and limitations of genome-wide work are discussed. A discussion of the future of this area and the extent to which this provides any leverage for social research of human behavior concludes the chapter.
The Savanna Theory of Happiness
Authors: Kanazawa Satoshi , Li Norman P.
Published: March 2018

This chapter describes the savanna theory of happiness, which posits that it may not be only the consequences of a given situation in the current environment that affect individuals’ happiness but also what its consequences would have been in the ancestral environment. The theory further suggests that the effect of such ancestral consequences on happiness is stronger among less intelligent individuals than among more intelligent individuals. Consistent with the theory, being an ethnic minority, living in urban areas, and socializing with friends less frequently all reduce happiness, but the effects of these conditions are significantly stronger among less intelligent individuals than among more intelligent individuals. The theory can further explain why some individuals suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and why women’s level of happiness has steadily declined in the United States in the past half-century.
Repetition
Authors: Margulis Elizabeth Hellmuth
Published: March 2018

Repetition lies at the core of musical practice, yet resists easy characterization. This chapter takes a perceptual approach to understanding its function, distinguishing acoustic repetition from notated repetition from perceived repetition, and exploring the paradoxical way that repeating sounds can give rise to perceptions of difference. Relying on analytic examples, it outlines three standard functions for musical repetition. First, repetition can establish the basic parameters for engaging with a piece of music, contributing to emergent perceptions of tonality and thematic content. Second, repetition can choreograph attention, drawing focus to aspects of the music not available on first hearing. Third, repetition can draw listeners into a participatory relationship with sound, laying the foundation for various affective and affiliative responses to music.
Levinas’s Prison Notebooks
Authors: Hammerschlag Sarah
Published: March 2018

This article provides a description of and introduction to Emmanuel Levinas’s wartime notebooks (Carnets de captivité), written while he was a prisoner of war in France and then in Stalag 11B at Fallingpostel near Magdeburg, Germany, during World War II. The essay draws out from his notes the descriptions of his experience as a Jewish soldier in the camps, but it focuses also on their intellectual content. In the notebooks Levinas divides his work into philosophical, literary, and critical projects. This article traces these three trajectories in the notebooks, including his notes on Franz Rosenzweig, Martin Heidegger, and Marcel Proust, and considers their impact on his later writings, arguing that they served as a testing ground for ideas that he developed later. It considers, as well, the significance both of his meditations on Judaism in the notes and his experiments with novel writing.
Levinas and the Law of Torts
Authors: Smith William H.
Published: March 2018

This essay considers Anglo-American tort law in light of Emmanuel Levinas’s thinking about ethics and responsibility. The piece introduces the common law’s understanding of negligence and the duty of care through a close reading of Palsgraf v. Long Island Railroad Co., one of the most famous cases in American tort law. It then critically examines the case and the leading theories of tort law—economic, corrective justice, and civil recourse—from a Levinasian perspective. It concludes by proposing a framework for a Levinasian approach to tort law, drawing on Levinas’s understanding of ethics, politics, and justice in his later period. The essay defends Levinas’s notion of justice as the activity of remaking ethics in politics, as a provisional attempt to balance competing and incommensurate demands with an eye toward achieving the moral equality persons under the law.
Global Health and Human Security
Authors: Ostergard Robert L. , Griffin Jeffrey A.
Published: March 2018

In 1994 the United Nations Development Programme opened an alternative perspective on state security that focused on individuals and populations instead of the state-based security system that had dominated international politics for over 350 years. The human security agenda became an encompassing approach to understanding nontraditional security threats that states increasingly face. In that vein, health has long been considered a key component in human security research. Drawing on human security and traditional security frameworks, this chapter explores the complex relationship between global health and human security. It examines this relationship in the context of (1) global health and violence, (2) global health and poverty, and (3) global health and infectious diseases. The state’s capacity to deal with issues of global health is highlighted in seeking to understand the relationship between human security and global health.
Dewey and Higher Education
Authors: Waks Leonard J.
Published: March 2018

While John Dewey wrote relatively little about higher education, he had a well-developed and largely unexplored conception of the university, grounded in his three- stage account of thought or inquiry as developed in Studies in Logical Theory and further developed in Logic: Theory of Inquiry. The first stage is antecedent to inquiry proper, residing in the situations of living that evoke thought. The second is inquiry proper, where data or immediate materials are subjected to systematic thought to yield judgment. The third is the moment after thought has considered its data and reached its result and brought it forth in situations of living as transformed by this new element. This final stage, is the “objective of thought” but lies outside of the context of inquiry proper. This chapter, building on the Dewey corpus, explains that conception, with close attention to university-based research, teaching, and service.
The Rock Art of Sub-Scandinavian Europe
Authors: Rivero Olivia , Ruiz Juan F.
Published: March 2018

Upper Palaeolithic art is found across much of Europe as portable (mobiliary) art, pictographs or engravings in deep caves, or as engravings in open-air sites. European Upper Palaeolithic art was among the first prehistoric art to be discovered by researchers, and it remains among the oldest dated art in the world. Since the late 1800s, a range of theoretical approaches have been used to comprehend its meaning(s), with most effort aimed at the construction of chrono-stylistic frameworks by which to understand the art’s origins and evolution over time. More recently, new analytical techniques such as radiocarbon and uranium-series dating, digital imaging, and 3-D recording have improved our abilities to analyse the art. The Iberian Peninsula is especially rich in post-Palaeolithic assemblages of varied ages, including some that progress into the Neolithic. In this context, current discussions are focused on continuities of deeply rooted Palaeolithic traditions into the Mesolithic and on ruptures at the onset of the Neolithic.
Heritage as Remaking
Authors: Lukas Scott A.
Published: March 2018

This chapter argues for a new perspective on heritage, one that is informed by the contexts of remaking. Traditionally, heritage has referred to specific types of architectural, material, and cultural forms and processes that carry with them a sense of monumentality. This writing argues for a new sense of heritage that takes into account the dynamic processes of the contemporary world. A series of five heritage metaphors (and their replacement metaphors) is considered in terms of the main premises of heritage as a cultural and political process. These include the tree (rhizome), battery (Rube Goldberg machine), monument (souvenir), lecture (dialogue), and library (open source). These metaphors are considered through a variety of heritage spaces in the world, including Castle of Matrera, the fresco of Christ in Borja, the Denver International Airport, the Staten Island Ferry Disaster Memorial Monument, O. M. Henrikson Poplar Trees Mall, the Bodie ghost town, the Buddhas of Bamiyan, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, and the World Data Archive..
American Storytelling, Myths, and Tales
Authors: de Caro Frank
Published: March 2018

Folktales (fictional stories, told orally) have been popular generally for various reasons, as have myths (orally told stories about creation and the gods). They offer models for human behavior and in particular give the message that people must use their wits to trick others when necessary. Folktales can be analyzed from this viewpoint, although they can also be interpreted using psychoanalyis and other methods (much of the scholarship on them has been concerned with collecting and “typing” them) to determine what they mean. In the United States, several kinds have been popular, including tall and other humorous, hero, John and Old Marster, animal, and fairy tales. There have been well-known tellers of such stories, though they have not received their due, because they have chosen to be performers of existing tales rather than creators of new ones, although they may have created new ways of narrating.
Convergence and Persistence in Corporate Law and Governance
Authors: Gordon Jeffrey N.
Published: March 2018

This chapter discusses the question of “convergence or persistence” in corporate law and governance. It first considers efforts to measure convergence directly by focusing on the evolution of law-on-the-books governance provisions before analyzing capital market evidence on convergence, with particular emphasis on capital market indicators such as the decline in “cross-listings” onto US stock exchanges by firms from jurisdictions with weaker investor protection and the increase in initial public offerings (IPOs) on emerging market stock markets. The chapter proceeds by reviewing evidence of divergence, especially “divergence within convergence,” and the failure of the European Union to produce more convergent corporate governance. It also looks at the “End of History” debate over whether corporate governance has converged on a “shareholder value” model and concludes by asking whether “stability” will become a general objective of corporate governance convergence.
Hope Theory
Authors: Rand Kevin L. , Touza Kaitlin K.
Published: March 2018

Hope is defined as the perceived ability to produce pathways to achieve desired goals and to motivate oneself to use those pathways. Definitions and explanations are given for the core concepts of Snyder’s (1994a) cognitive model of hope, including: goals, pathways, and agency. Emotions are conceptualized as sequelae of goal-directed thoughts and actions and function as feedback regarding perceived success or failure of a goal pursuit. A temporal model of the goal-pursuit process is presented, and the roles of hope cognitions are explained. Research on hope is reviewed. Higher hope corresponds with superior academic and athletic performance, greater physical and psychological well-being, enhanced interpersonal relationships, and better work performance. Future directions for research and application of hope theory are suggested, including: examining associations between hope and life outcomes in different groups, exploring possible maladaptive aspects of hope, and using hope theory to understand and ameliorate crises.
Formal Religion
Authors: Aldhouse-Green Miranda
Published: March 2018

The presence of any kind of ‘formal’ religion in the European Iron Age is debatable but, as the period progressed, persistent patterns of religious expression began to emerge over wide areas of non-Mediterranean Europe. By the time of Roman intervention, religion began to become codified and personified, and the local deities named in written text and inscriptions, attest to a formalization of cults and gods. Some deities apparently had influence over vast regions, whereas others belonged to a single place. Other topics considered in the chapter are the role of the Druids in orchestrating religion, power, and justice in the late pre-Roman Iron Age, the reinvention of Druidism in Gaul in the Roman period, and the lack of a clear-cut interface when the monotheistic new faith of Christianity was added to the melting pot of established cults in the fourth century AD.