bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“No trabajaré pa' ellos”: Entrepreneurship as a form of state resistance in Havana, Cuba
Authors: Vertovec John
Published: December 2020

Strict state policies and regulations restrict private‐sector growth in Cuba. And yet, many people (scholars and others) view Cuban entrepreneurialism as a celebrated feature of recent Cuban economic transformations. Entrepreneurship usually surges under more liberalized circumstances, where resources are more readily available or individual economic actors are given opportunities to use their flexibility to innovate new or enhanced products and services that fill market gaps. In Cuba, however, the state maintains strong control over the economy, firmly regulating access to resources and restricting the possibilities for entrepreneurial growth and ingenuity. Furthermore, entrepreneurs are often pitted against the political‐economic morals of the state. And yet, Cubans continue to enter this precarious line of work. This article explores this contradiction, asking, why do entrepreneurs choose to engage in entrepreneurship in the first place, and how might their entrepreneurial activities help them respond to barriers left by the state? I draw from ethnographic research conducted in Havana (2018–19) to argue that entrepreneurship in Cuba is driven not just in spite of but also because of restrictive government policies and regulations and that entrepreneurial strategies can be innovative and flexible forms of state resistance.
Information disclosure and the market for acquiring technology companies
Authors: Chondrakis George , Serrano Carlos J. , Ziedonis Rosemarie H.
Published: December 2020

Research Summary

The market for acquiring technology companies is rife with information frictions. Although such frictions can stifle trading activity, they also provide room for strategic gain. We investigate this dual role of information frictions by exploiting an institutional reform that releases technological information to the public domain. Leveraging cross‐sectoral variation in the magnitude of disclosure, we find an increase in acquisition activity and in the technological distance between matched pairings. In line with predictions from strategic factor market theory, however, we also find a disproportionate decline in acquirer returns on average. Our findings suggest that information disclosed through the reform‐facilitated exchange in the takeover market yet had a leveling effect on the returns to acquirers.

Managerial Summary

Firms acquire technology‐oriented companies to complement internal R&D projects and accelerate the innovation process. But identifying promising targets is challenging, not least due to the lack of information about the value of acquired technologies. This study investigates an information shock and tests its effects on the market for acquiring technology‐intensive companies. We find that greater disclosure of technological information to the public domain intensifies trading activity and allows acquirers to better identify and assess targets outside their core technological domains. But it also reduces the returns to acquirers. In combination, our findings illuminate a dual role of information disclosure: placing more information into the public domain may facilitate trade in corporate takeover markets while simultaneously restricting acquirer opportunities for strategic gain.
Entry deterrence when the potential entrant is your competitor in a different market
Authors: Ropero Miguel Ángel
Published: December 2020

In this article, we present a two‐period model in which one firm operates in two markets: a monopoly and a duopoly. Assuming that this firm has private information on the cross‐price elasticity of demand between the products sold in both markets, it limits its quantity supplied in the monopoly market in order to make its rival in the other market believe that entry into the monopolized market is unprofitable. As a result of this strategy, the average prices observed in both markets increase. This result suggests that the detrimental effects of entry deterrence on consumers' welfare are stronger than those predicted by previous literature.
Mixing solutions for the Muskat problem with variable speed
Authors: Noisette Florent , Székelyhidi László
Published: December 2020

We provide a quick proof of the existence of mixing weak solutions for the Muskat problem with variable mixing speed. Our proof is considerably shorter and extends previous results in Castro et al. (Mixing solutions for the Muskat problem, 2016,arXiv:1605.04822) and Förster and Székelyhidi (Comm Math Phys 363(3):1051–1080, 2018).
Magnetic fields of M dwarfs
Authors: Kochukhov Oleg
Published: December 2020

Magnetic fields play a fundamental role for interior and atmospheric properties of M dwarfs and greatly influence terrestrial planets orbiting in the habitable zones of these low-mass stars. Determination of the strength and topology of magnetic fields, both on stellar surfaces and throughout the extended stellar magnetospheres, is a key ingredient for advancing stellar and planetary science. Here, modern methods of magnetic field measurements applied to M-dwarf stars are reviewed, with an emphasis on direct diagnostics based on interpretation of the Zeeman effect signatures in high-resolution intensity and polarisation spectra. Results of the mean field strength measurements derived from Zeeman broadening analyses as well as information on the global magnetic geometries inferred by applying tomographic mapping methods to spectropolarimetric observations are summarised and critically evaluated. The emerging understanding of the complex, multi-scale nature of M-dwarf magnetic fields is discussed in the context of theoretical models of hydromagnetic dynamos and stellar interior structure altered by magnetic fields.
PASCAL versus MitraClip-XTR edge-to-edge device for the treatment of tricuspid regurgitation: a propensity-matched analysis
Authors: Sugiura Atsushi , Vogelhuber Johanna , Öztürk Can , Schwaibold Zita , Reckers David , Goto Tadahiro , Kavsur Refik , Becher Marc Ulrich , Zimmer Sebastian , Nickenig Georg , Weber Marcel
Published: December 2020

Background

Transcatheter tricuspid valve repair (TTVR) is a promising technique for the treatment of tricuspid regurgitation (TR). Data comparing the performance of novel edge-to-edge devices (PASCAL and MitraClip-XTR) are scarce.

Methods

We identified 80 consecutive patients who underwent TTVR using either the PASCAL or MitraClip-XTR system to treat symptomatic TR from July 2018 to June 2020. To adjust for baseline imbalances, we performed a propensity score (PS) 1:1 matching. The primary endpoint was a reduction in TR severity by at least one grade at 30 days.

Results

The PS-matched cohort (n = 44) was at high-surgical risk (EuroSCORE II: 7.5% [interquartile range (IQR) 4.8–12.1%]) with a mean TR grade of 4.3 ± 0.8 and median coaptation gap of 6.2 mm [IQR 3.2–9.1 mm]. The primary endpoint was similarly observed in both groups (PASCAL: 91% vs. MitraClip-XTR: 96%). Multiple device implantation was the most common form (59% vs. 82%, p = 0.19), and the occurrence of SLDA was comparable between the PASCAL and MitraClip-XTR system (5.7% [2 of 35 implanted devices] vs. 4.4% [2 of 45 implanted devices], p = 0.99). No periprocedural death or conversions to surgery occurred, and 30-day mortality (5.0% vs. 5.0%, log-rank p = 0.99) and 3-month mortality (10.0% vs. 5.0%, log-rank p = 0.56) were similar between both groups. During follow-up, functional NYHA class, 6-min walking distance, and health status improved in both groups.

Conclusions

Both TTVR devices, PASCAL and MitraClip-XTR, appeared feasible and comparable for an effective TR reduction. Randomized head-to-head comparisons will help to further define the appropriate scope of application of each system.
Hydrogeology and geochemistry of the sulfur karst springs at Santa Cesarea Terme (Apulia, southern Italy)
Authors: D’Angeli Ilenia M. , De Waele Jo , Fiorucci Adriano , Vigna Bartolomeo , Bernasconi Stefano M. , Florea Lee J. , Liso Isabella S. , Parise Mario
Published: December 2020

This work describes the geochemical and hydrogeological characteristics of Santa Cesarea Terme, an active sulfuric acid speleogenetic system located along the Adriatic coastline (Apulia, southern Italy). It represents a very peculiar site, where rising thermal and acidic waters mix with seawater creating undersaturated solutions with respect to CaCO3, able to dissolve and corrode limestone and create caves. The Santa Cesarea Terme system is composed of four caves: Fetida, Sulfurea, Gattulla, and Solfatara. Hypogene morphologies and abundant deposits of native sulfur (especially in Gattulla Cave) and sulfate minerals are present in these caves. Fetida and Gattulla caves were investigated primarily because they are easily accessible throughout the whole year through artificial entrances, the other caves being reachable only from the sea. Geochemical analysis of water, monitoring of cave atmosphere, and measurement of the stable isotopes of S, O, and H helped to identify the main processes occurring in this complex cave system. In particular, changes in Ba2+and Sr2+concentration allowed for the identification of two main domains of influence, characterized by marine and rising acidic waters.
Associations and correlates of general versus specific successful ageing components
Authors: Thoma Myriam V. , Kleineidam Luca , Forstmeier Simon , Maercker Andreas , Weyerer Siegfried , Eisele Marion , van den Bussche Hendrik , König Hans-Helmut , Röhr Susanne , Stein Janine , Wiese Birgitt , Pentzek Michael , Bickel Horst , Maier Wolfgang , Scherer Martin , Riedel-Heller Steffi G. , Wagner Michael
Published: December 2020

The heterogeneity in the operationalisation of successful ageing (SA) hinders a straightforward examination of SA associations and correlates, and in turn, the identification of potentially modifiable predictors of SA. It is unclear which SA associations and correlates influence all facets of the SA construct, and whether psychosocial reserve models developed in neuropathological ageing research can also be linked to SA. It was therefore the aim of this study to disentangle the effect of various previously identified SA associations and correlates on (1) a general SA factor, which represents the shared underpinnings of three SA facets, and (2) more confined, specific factors, using bifactor modelling. The associations and correlates of three recently validated SA operationalisations were compared in 2478 participants from the German AgeCoDe study, aged 75 years and above. Based on participants’ main occupation, cognitive reserve (CR) and motivational reserve (MR) models were built. Younger age, male gender, more education, higher socio-economic status, being married or widowed, as well as more physical exercise and cognitive activities in old age were found to correlate positively with the general SA factor, indicating a simultaneous effect on all aspects of SA. Smoking and ApoE-ε4 were related only to the physiological facet of SA. CR models were significantly related to the general SA factor. Among all SA associations and correlates, proxy indicators of lifelong cognitive activity and physical exercise showed the strongest effects on SA. Future intervention studies should assess the influence of the preservation of active lifestyle across the life span on SA.
Molecular evidence of host-parasite interactions between zooplankton and Syndiniales
Authors: Zamora-Terol S. , Novotny A. , Winder M.
Published: December 2020

Although parasitism is one of the most prevalent interactions in nature, studies of aquatic food webs rarely include parasites. Syndiniales (Dinophyceae, Alveolata) is a diverse parasitic group of dinoflagellates, common in all marine environments, and are described as dominant components of pelagic ecosystems. However, their temporal dynamics, prevalence, and host-specificity are poorly known. Using DNA metabarcoding to explore trophic interactions of zooplankton, we found a high proportion of Syndiniales sequence reads associated with the targeted consumers. We observed the occurrence of Syndiniales in copepods, cladocerans, appendicularians, and polychaete larvae, ranging between 11 and 36% relative read abundance, encompassing 11 main putative clades. Zooplankton–Syndiniales interactions showed variability in occurrence across the taxa, but also certain host-specificity. The study suggests that the observed copepod–Syndiniales interactions can be both direct parasitic infections and the result of trophic transmission through potentially infected prey by Syndiniales. Given the quantitative importance of Syndiniales and zooplankton in marine environments, our findings emphasize that their interactions should be recognized as key players in the structure and connectivity of plankton food webs.
The occurrence of bacteria from different species of Pectobacteriaceae on seed potato plantations in Poland
Authors: Motyka-Pomagruk Agata , Zoledowska Sabina , Sledz Wojciech , Lojkowska Ewa
Published: December 2020

Bacteria from the genera Dickeya and Pectobacterium, the causative agents of soft rot and blackleg, trigger significant economic losses in potato production worldwide. Efficient struggle with these phytopathogens is highly challenging taking into consideration the lack of available control procedures. As only preventive measures are accessible, we decided to provide insight into the soft rot Pectobacteriaceae (SRP) present in Poland. During the growing seasons of 2013 and 2014, altogether 531 potato plants were collected from 138 seed potato fields and 23 storage facilities. Plant origin of the isolated bacteria, frequencies of coinfections with different species, the affected potato cultivars in addition to seasonal variation in the occurrence of SRP were studied. It was shown that bacteria from the Pectobacterium genus were abundant and outnumbered the ones classified to Dickeya spp. The vast majority of strains was isolated from the plant samples collected in July 2013 or in June–July 2014. The presence of all taxa of interest: Pectobacterium atrosepticum, Pectobacterium carotovorum, Pectobacterium parmentieri, Dickeya dianthicola and Dickeya solani were confirmed in July each year. We were able to isolate bacteria from the genus Dickeya and Pectobacterium from 35 out of 58 potato cultivars tested. The majority of SRP was isolated from potato stems, not from potato tubers. In four cases, coinfections of potato samples with even three diverse species of SRP, i.e. P. atrosepticum, P. carotovorum and P. parmentieri, were noted. It seems that since the first documented appearance of Dickeya solani in Poland in 2005, this pathogen has not played a dominating role in our country. The reported data describing the appearance and distribution of SRP in Poland might allow for prediction of the risks associated with infections initiated by these bacteria.
DSC examination of rotator cuff damage in patients with total shoulder arthroplasty
Authors: Nöt László G. , Bata András , Szabó Hajnalka , Cifra János , Lőrinczy Dénes
Published: December 2020

The assessment of rotator cuff tear prior to shoulder replacement is based on the physical findings and imaging procedures, preferably magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, MRI is not always available, and in trauma patients, the CT-scan-based classification of glenohumeral arthritis or tendon damage is generally not applicable. In case of 4-part dislocated proximal humerus fractures the right diagnosis is crucial prior to choose between different type protheses or osteosyntheses. Therefore, there is a need for novel methods for the evaluation of rotator cuff damage. Our aim was to evaluate whether differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) could determine the grade of rotator cuff damage in patients undergoing shoulder replacement. Small samples of rotator cuff tendons of patients undergoing reversed shoulder replacement due to orthopedic or trauma indications were resected during surgery, and thermal parameters were measured using DSC. Radiological evaluation was also performed to classify the degree of rotator cuff damage and glenohumeral arthritis. In case of orthopedic samples, the consequence of advanced tendon damage was well demonstrated by the shape and the running of the curves, compared to the control sample. In trauma samples, the moderately degenerated tendons also exhibited significant difference from the control in the shape of the scans and in the thermal parameters. DSC curves demonstrated a clear difference in the thermal parameters of healthy and pathologic samples. DSC could be a useful additional method in the evaluation of rotator cuff tear arthropathies in future studies.
Dilatometric study of the phase transformations under conditions of recrystallized and non-recrystallized austenite in 3Mn–1.5Al steel
Authors: Morawiec M. , Grajcar A. , Kozłowska A. , Zalecki W. , Burian W.
Published: December 2020

This work presents the results of prior austenite state on the phase transformation behavior in a medium manganese steel alloyed with Al. The austenite was plastically deformed at two different temperatures. The first was at 1050 °C to ensure its recrystallization before cooling. The second treatment included deformation at 900 °C to keep high dislocation density in the austenite. The analysis of recrystallization process or its lack on the phase transformation behavior was analyzed. The study included thermodynamic calculations to analyze proper conditions of selected heat treatments. The dilatometric analysis of the phase transitions dependence on deformation temperatures was carried out. Deformation continuous cooling transformation diagrams were formed on this basis. The metallographic investigations were performed to determine microstructure constituents after cooling. The investigation proved the presence of ferrite untransformed during the austenitization step at 1100 °C. The dominant phase was bainite which was kept present up to 100 °C s−1 cooling rate. The amount of martensite increased with increasing the cooling rate. For the non-recrystallized austenite, more bainite was present in the microstructure for higher cooling rates compared to the recrystallized one. This was the result of higher density of preferable places for bainite nucleation in the non-recrystallized austenite. The Vickers hardness measurements were conducted after the applied heat treatments. The hardness of steel increased together with applying the higher cooling rates, which corresponded to the higher martensite amount. These values were higher for the non-recrystallized austenite because of higher dislocation density.
Model-based mechanical design of a passive lower-limb exoskeleton for assisting workers in shotcrete projection
Authors: Capitani Stefano L. , Bianchi Matteo , Secciani Nicola , Pagliai Marco , Meli Enrico , Ridolfi Alessandro
Published: December 2020

Despite the current industrial trend towards automation, many workers are still daily exposed to heavy loads during their duties. Regarding the construction industry, the shotcrete projection results in a particularly arduous whole-body effort for the so-called “concrete reinforcement workers”. In this paper, the design of a passive robotic human assistance tool to assist workers in dealing with the specific task of shotcrete projection will be described. If the design of an effective aid plays a crucial role in improving the job’s quality, following the guidelines given by the French company Eiffage Infrastructures; besides, the acceptance of the proposed solution shall have special consideration. Therefore, starting from an in-site assessment of the scenario, the presented solution has been profoundly adjusted to address the issues coming from this particular task. The exoskeleton adaptability to different lower-limb activities has been preserved without lowering its comfort during daily life in the working area. The developed solution’s operation range has been specifically optimized to assist the worker during specific efforts without hindering the other movements.
Classifying Metaheuristics: Towards a unified multi-level classification system
Authors: Stegherr Helena , Heider Michael , Hähner Jörg
Published: December 2020

Metaheuristics provide the means to approximately solve complex optimisation problems when exact optimisers cannot be utilised. This led to an explosion in the number of novel metaheuristics, most of them metaphor-based, using nature as a source of inspiration. Thus, keeping track of their capabilities and innovative components is an increasingly difficult task. This can be resolved by an exhaustive classification system. Trying to classify metaheuristics is common in research, but no consensus on a classification system and the necessary criteria has been established so far. Furthermore, a proposed classification system can not be deemed complete if inherently different metaheuristics are assigned to the same class by the system. In this paper we provide the basis for a new comprehensive classification system for metaheuristics. We first summarise and discuss previous classification attempts and the utilised criteria. Then we present a multi-level architecture and suitable criteria for the task of classifying metaheuristics. A classification system of this kind can solve three main problems when applied to metaheuristics: organise the huge set of existing metaheuristics, clarify the innovation in novel metaheuristics and identify metaheuristics suitable to solve specific optimisation tasks.
Ecosocial Philosophy of Education: Ecologizing the Opinionated Self
Authors: Pulkki Jani , Varpanen Jan , Mullen John
Published: December 2020

While human beings generally act prosocially towards one another — contra a Hobbesian “war of all against all” — this basic social courtesy tends not to be extended to our relations with the more-than-human world. Educational philosophy is largely grounded in a worldview that privileges human-centered conceptions of the self, valuing its own opinions with little regard for the ecological realities undergirding it. This hyper-separation from the ‘society of all beings’ is a foundational cause of our current ecological crises. In this paper, we develop an ecosocial philosophy of education (ESPE) based on the idea of an ecological self. We aspire to consolidate voices from deep ecology and ecofeminism for conceptualizing education in terms of being responsible to and for, a complex web of interdependent relations among human and more-than-human beings. By analyzing the notion of opinions in light of Gilles Deleuze’s critique of the ‘dogmatic image of thought,’ we formulate three aspects of ESPE capable of supporting an ecological as opposed to an egoistic conception of the self: (i) rather than dealing with fixed concepts, ESPE supports adaptable and flexible boundaries between the self and the world; (ii) rather than fixating on correct answers, ESPE focuses on real-life problems shifting our concern from the self to the world; and (iii) rather than supporting arrogance, EPSE cultivates an epistemic humility grounded in our ecological embeddedness in the world. These approaches seek to enable an education that cultivates a sense of self that is less caught up with arbitrary, egoistic opinions of the self and more attuned to the ecological realities constituting our collective life-worlds.
Molecular probes for the human adenosine receptors
Authors: Yang Xue , Heitman Laura H. , IJzerman Adriaan P. , van der Es Daan
Published: December 2020

Adenosine receptors, G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs) that are activated by the endogenous ligand adenosine, have been considered potential therapeutic targets in several disorders. To date however, only very few adenosine receptor modulators have made it to the market. Increased understanding of these receptors is required to improve the success rate of adenosine receptor drug discovery. To improve our understanding of receptor structure and function, over the past decades, a diverse array of molecular probes has been developed and applied. These probes, including radioactive or fluorescent moieties, have proven invaluable in GPCR research in general. Specifically for adenosine receptors, the development and application of covalent or reversible probes, whether radiolabeled or fluorescent, have been instrumental in the discovery of new chemical entities, the characterization and interrogation of adenosine receptor subtypes, and the study of adenosine receptor behavior in physiological and pathophysiological conditions. This review summarizes these applications, and also serves as an invitation to walk another mile to further improve probe characteristics and develop additional tags that allow the investigation of adenosine receptors and other GPCRs in even finer detail.
Mechanisms of Allergen Immunotherapy in Allergic Rhinitis
Authors: Drazdauskaitė Gabija , Layhadi Janice A. , Shamji Mohamed H.
Published: December 2020

Purpose of Review

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a chronic inflammatory immunoglobulin (Ig) E-mediated disease of the nasal mucosa that can be triggered by the inhalation of seasonal or perennial allergens. Typical symptoms include sneezing, rhinorrhea, nasal itching, nasal congestion and symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis. AR affects a quarter of the population in the United States of America and Europe.

Recent Findings

AR has been shown to reduce work productivity in 36–59% of the patients with 20% reporting deteriorated job attendance. Moreover, 42% of children with AR report reduced at-school productivity and lower grades. Most importantly, AR impacts the patient’s quality of life, due to sleep deprivation. However, a proportion of patients fails to respond to conventional medication and opts for the allergen immunotherapy (AIT), which currently is the only disease-modifying therapeutic option. AIT can be administered by either subcutaneous (SCIT) or sublingual (SLIT) route. Both routes of administration are safe, effective, and can lead to tolerance lasting years after treatment cessation. Both innate and adaptive immune responses that contribute to allergic inflammation are suppressed by AIT. Innate responses are ameliorated by reducing local mast cell, basophil, eosinophil, and circulating group 2 innate lymphoid cell frequencies which is accompanied by decreased basophil sensitivity. Induction of allergen-specific blocking antibodies, immunosuppressive cytokines, and regulatory T and B cell phenotypes are key pro-tolerogenic adaptive immune responses.

Conclusion

A comprehensive understanding of these mechanisms is necessary for optimal selection of AIT-responsive patients and monitoring treatment efficacy. Moreover, it could inspire novel and more efficient AIT approaches.
Locus Coeruleus Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Neurological Diseases
Authors: Galgani Alessandro , Lombardo Francesco , Della Latta Daniele , Martini Nicola , Bonuccelli Ubaldo , Fornai Francesco , Giorgi Filippo Sean
Published: December 2020

Purpose of Review

Locus coeruleus (LC) is the main noradrenergic nucleus of the brain, and its degeneration is considered to be key in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. In the last 15 years,MRI has been used to assess LC in vivo, both in healthy subjects and in patients suffering from neurological disorders. In this review, we summarize the main findings of LC-MRI studies, interpreting them in light of preclinical and histopathological data, and discussing its potential role as diagnostic and experimental tool.

Recent findings

LC-MRI findings were largely in agreement with neuropathological evidences; LC signal showed to be not significantly affected during normal aging and to correlate with cognitive performances. On the contrary, a marked reduction of LC signal was observed in patients suffering from neurodegenerative disorders, with specific features.

LC-MRI is a promising tool, which may be used in the future to explore LC pathophysiology as well as an early biomarker for degenerative diseases.
Rethinking the Anti-FGM Zero-Tolerance Policy: from Intellectual Concerns to Empirical Challenges
Authors: O’Neill Sarah , Bader Dina , Kraus Cynthia , Godin Isabelle , Abdulcadir Jasmine , Alexander Sophie
Published: December 2020

Purpose of Review

Based on the discussions of a symposium co-organized by the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and the University of Lausanne (UNIL) in Brussels in 2019, this paper critically reflects upon the zero-tolerance strategy on “Female Genital Mutilation” (FGM) and its socio-political, legal and moral repercussions. We ask whether the strategy is effective given the empirical challenges highlighted during the symposium, and also whether it is credible.

Recent Findings

The anti-FGM zero-tolerance policy, first launched in 2003, aims to eliminate all types of “female genital mutilation” worldwide. The FGM definition of the World Health Organization condemns all forms of genital cutting (FGC) on the basis that they are harmful and degrading to women and infringe upon their rights to physical integrity. Yet, the zero-tolerance policy only applies to traditional and customary forms of genital cutting and not to cosmetic alterations of the female genitalia. Recent publications have shown that various popular forms of cosmetic genital surgery remove the same tissue as some forms of “FGM”. In response to the zero-tolerance policy, national laws banning traditional forms of FGC are enforced and increasingly scrutinize the performance of FGC as well as non-invasive rituals that are culturally meaningful to migrants. At the same time, cosmetic procedures such as labiaplasty have become more popular than ever before and are increasingly performed on adolescents.

This review shows that the socio-legal and ethical inconsistencies between “FGM” and cosmetic genital modification pose concrete dilemmas for professionals in the field that need to be addressed and researched.
The Importance of Realism, Character, and Genre: How Theatre Can Support the Creation of Likeable Sociable Robots
Authors: LePage Louise
Published: December 2020

Stage plays, theories of theatre, narrative studies, and robotics research can serve to identify, explore, and interrogate theatrical elements that support the effective performance of sociable humanoid robots. Theatre, including its parts of performance, aesthetics, character, and genre, can also reveal features of human–robot interaction key to creating humanoid robots that are likeable rather than uncanny. In particular, this can be achieved by relating Mori's (1970/2012) concept of total appearance to realism. Realism is broader and more subtle in its workings than is generally recognised in its operationalization in studies that focus solely on appearance. For example, it is complicated by genre. A realistic character cast in a detective drama will convey different qualities and expectations than the same character in a dystopian drama or romantic comedy. The implications of realism and genre carry over into real life. As stage performances and robotics studies reveal, likeability depends on creating aesthetically coherent representations of character, where all the parts coalesce to produce a socially identifiable figure demonstrating predictable behaviour.
Early hemodynamic changes after transcatheter aortic valve implantation in patients with severe aortic stenosis measured by invasive pressure volume loop analysis
Authors: Seppelt Philipp Christian , De Rosa Roberta , Mas-Peiro Silvia , Zeiher Andreas Michael , Vasa-Nicotera Mariuca
Published: December 2020

Replacement of a stenotic aortic valve reduces immediately the ventricular to aortic gradient and is expected to improve diastolic and systolic left ventricular function over the long term. However, the hemodynamic changes immediately after valve implantation are so far poorly understood. Within this pilot study, we performed an invasive pressure volume loop analysis to describe the early hemodynamic changes after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) with self-expandable prostheses. Invasive left ventricular pressure volume loop analysis was performed in 8 patients with aortic stenosis (mean 81.3 years) prior and immediately after transfemoral TAVI with a self-expandable valve system (St. Jude Medical Portico Valve). Parameters for global hemodynamics, afterload, contractility and the interaction of the cardiovascular system were analyzed. Left ventricular ejection fraction, (53.9% vs. 44.8%,p = 0.018), preload recruitable stroke work (68.5 vs. 44.8 mmHg,p = 0.012) and end-systolic elastance (3.55 vs. 2.17,p = 0.036) both marker for myocardial contractility declined significantly compared to baseline. As sign of impaired diastolic function, TAU, a preload-independent measure of isovolumic relaxation (37.3 vs. 41.8 ms,p = 0.018) and end-diastolic pressure (13.1 vs. 16.4 mmHg,p = 0.015) raised after valve implantation. Contrarily, a smaller ratio of end-systolic to arterial elastance (ventricular-arterial coupling) indicates an improvement of global cardiovascular energy efficiency (1.40 vs. 0.97p = 0.036). Arterial elastance had a strong correlation with the number of conducted rapid ventricular pacings (Pearson correlation coefficient,r = 0.772,p = 0.025). Invasive left ventricular pressure volume loop analysis revealed impaired systolic and diastolic function in the early phase after TAVI with self-expandable valve for the treatment of severe aortic stenosis. Contrarily, we found indications for early improvement of global cardiovascular energy efficiency.
Material selection and testing of composite panels made of glass and fibre-reinforced plastic
Authors: Joachim Alina , Wünsch Jan , Weller Bernhard
Published: December 2020

The trend in modern architecture towards high-quality building envelopes is continuing. Due to its high surface quality and the broad colour spectrum, enamelled glass is used for weather protection and as a design element. The novel elements discussed in this paper do not require any sealant or adhesive since the fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP) layer is directly applied on the rear glass surface. On the one hand, the applied polymer provides a matrix for embedding the fibres and on the other hand, it provides an adhesive bond to the glass. Therefore, no additional bonding process is required. The combination of both materials enables a full composite action. The novel material combination utilises the positive characteristics of each material. The high durability of glass provides protection against environmental impacts and the FRP provides an enhanced load-bearing behaviour. This paper presents the choice of suitable materials for FRP and gives an insight into the experimental testing of the novel material combination. This shows that the glass contributes to the load transfer in the system due to the significant coupling effects.
The impact of multilevel referral system in patients with peritonitis in Indonesia: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Hipolitus Damianus , Fauzi Aditya Rifqi , Handaya Adeodatus Yuda , Barmawi Agus , Seswandhana Muhammad Rosadi
Published: December 2020

ABSTRACT

Background:

Peritonitis requires emergency surgery, and delays in treatment can lead to death. We aimed to determine the correlation between the periods from onset to hospital admission with postoperative mortality for patients with peritonitis and to compare it with the effect of national health insurance implementation.

Methods:

This study was a cross-sectional study conducted at a tertiary health center in Indonesia. We ascertained 150 patients with peritonitis from January 2012–December 2015.

Results:

One hundred and fifty patients were ascertained, including 72 patients before National Health Insurance (NHI) era and 78 patients after the NHI era (Males: 90 vs females: 60). The most frequent age group was age 46–65 years (44.67%). The period between onsets to hospital mainly occurred within 24–72 h (42%). Most of the patients had some comorbidity with one or more diseases (52.67%). Mortality was found in as many as 61 people (40.67%). The highest etiology of peritonitis was appendix perforation (28%) and gastric perforation (22%). Mortality was most common in the period between onset to time treated within 24–72 h (N:35; 23.33%) (P < 0.05). Before the NHI era, the period between onset to time treated was mostly after > 72 h (18.66%), whereas after the NHI era it was mostly within 24–72 h (25.33%) (p < 0.05).

Conclusion:

The multilevel referral system implemented in the NHI era significantly affects the time-to-treat and outcome of patients with peritonitis.

Highlights
Density functional theory calculation of the properties of carbon vacancy defects in silicon carbide
Authors: Wang Xiuhong , Zhao Junlei , Xu Zongwei , Djurabekova Flyura , Rommel Mathias , Song Ying , Fang Fengzhou
Published: December 2020

As a promising material for quantum technology, silicon carbide (SiC) has attracted great interest in materials science. Carbon vacancy is a dominant defect in 4H-SiC. Thus, understanding the properties of this defect is critical to its application, and the atomic and electronic structures of the defects needs to be identified. In this study, density functional theory was used to characterize the carbon vacancy defects in hexagonal (h) and cubic (k) lattice sites. The zero-phonon line energies, hyperfine tensors, and formation energies of carbon vacancies with different charge states (2−, −, 0,+ and 2+) in different supercells (72, 128, 400 and 576 atoms) were calculated using standard Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof and Heyd–Scuseria–Ernzerhof methods. Results show that the zero-phonon line energies of carbon vacancy defects are much lower than those of divacancy defects, indicating that the former is more likely to reach the excited state than the latter. The hyperfine tensors of VC+(h) and VC+(k) were calculated. Comparison of the calculated hyperfine tensor with the experimental results indicates the existence of carbon vacancies in SiC lattice. The calculation of formation energy shows that the most stable carbon vacancy defects in the material are VC2+(k), VC+(k), VC(k), VC−(k) and VC2−(k) as the electronic chemical potential increases.
The Christianization of Western Baetica
Authors: Sanchez Velasco Jeronimo
Published: December 2020

The province of Baetica, in present-day Spain, was one of the most important areas in the Roman Empire in terms of politics, economics, and culture. And in the late medieval period, it was the centre of a rich and powerful state, the Umayyad Caliphate. But the historical sources on the intervening years are limited, and we lack an accurate understanding of the evolution of the region. In recent years, however, archaeological research has begun to fill the gaps, and this book-built on more than a decade of fieldwork-provides an unprecedented overview of urban and rural development in the period.
Film History as Media Archaeology
Authors: Elsaesser Thomas
Published: December 2020

Since cinema has entered the digital era, its very nature has come under renewed scrutiny. Countering the 'death of cinema' debate, Film History as Media Archaeology presents a robust argument for the cinema's current status as a new epistemological object, of interest to philosophers, while also examining the presence of moving images in the museum and art spaces as a challenge for art history. The current study is the fruit of some twenty years of research and writing at the interface of film history, media theory and media archaeology by one of the acknowledged pioneers of the 'new film history' and 'media archaeology'. It joins the efforts of other media scholars to locate cinema's historical emergence and subsequent transformations within the broader field of media change and interaction, as we experience them today.
Cinema and Narrative Complexity
Authors: Hven Steffen
Published: December 2020

Since the mid-1990s, a number of films from international filmmakers have experimented with increasingly complicated narrative strategies-including such hits as Run, Lola, Run, 21 Grams, and Memento. This book sets those films and others in context with earlier works that tried new narrative approaches, including Stage Fright and Hiroshima, Mon Amour, to show how they reveal the limitations of most of our usual tools for analysing film. In light of that, Steffen Hven argues for the deployment of an 'embodied' reconfiguration of the cinematic experience, one that allows us to rethink such core constituents of narrative understanding as cognition, emotion, and affect.
An Experts' Guide to International Protocol
Authors: Monod de Froideville Gilbert , Verheul Mark
Published: December 2020

Although modern life grows increasingly casual, in many sectors, protocol still reigns supreme. An Expert's Guide to International Protocol offers an overview of its associated practices, including those found within the context of diplomatic relations and the business world. Focusing on a wide range of countries and cultures, the book covers topics like seating arrangements, the history and use of flags, ceremonies, invitations and dress codes, and gifts and decorations. Throughout, influential diplomatic, business, cultural, and sports figures share their own experiences with protocols around the world.
Fatwa in Indonesia
Authors: Boy ZTF Pradana
Published: December 2020

This book looks at fatwa in Indonesia during the period following the fall of President Suharto. It is an in-depth exploration of three fatwa-making agencies-Majelis Ulama Indonesia, Lajnah Bahth al-Masail Nahdlatul Ulama, and Majelis Tarjih Muhammadiyah-all of which are highly influential in shaping religious thought and the lives of Muslims in Indonesia. Rather than look at all the fatwa that have emerged in the period, Pradana Boy ZTF focuses on those that have strong repercussions for intra-community relations and the development of Indonesian Muslims more generally, including fatwa pertaining to sectarianism, pluralism, secularism and liberalism.
Writing History!
Authors: Rümke Sebas , van Rossum Matthias , Legene Susan , Kamp Jeannette
Published: December 2020

Historians not only have knowledge of history, but by writing about it and engaging with other historians from the past and present, they make history themselves. This companion offers young historians clear guidelines for the different phases of historical research; how do you get a good historical question? How do you engage with the literature? How do you work with sources from the past, from archives to imagery and objects, art, or landscapes? What is the influence of digitalisation of the historical craft? Broad in scope, Writing History! also addresses historians' traditional support of policy makers and their activity in fields of public history, such as museums, the media, and the leisure sector, and offers support for developing the necessary skills for this wide range of professions.
Policy priority inference: A computational framework to analyze the allocation of resources for the sustainable development goals
Authors: Guerrero Omar A. , Castañeda Gonzalo
Published: December 2020

We build a computational framework to support the planning of development and the evaluation of budgetary strategies toward the 2030 Agenda. The methodology takes into account some of the complexities of the political economy underpinning the policymaking process: the multidimensionality of development, the interlinkages between these dimensions, and the inefficiencies of policy interventions, as well as institutional factors that promote or discourage these inefficiencies. The framework is scalable and usable even with limited publicly available information: development-indicator data. However, it can be further refined as more data becomes available, for example, on public expenditure. We demonstrate its usage through an application for the Mexican federal government. For this, we infer historical policy priorities, that is, the non-observable allocations of transformative resources that generated past changes in development indicators. We also show how to use the tool to assess the feasibility of development goals, to measure policy coherence, and to identify accelerators. Overall, the framework and its computational tools allow policymakers and other stakeholders to embrace a complexity (and a quantitative) view to tackle the challenges of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Inca Human Sacrifices on Misti Volcano (Peru)
Authors: Socha Dagmara M. , Reinhard Johan , Chávez Perea Ruddy
Published: December 2020

One of the most impressive examples of an Incacapacochaceremony was discovered during an archaeological expedition to the summit of Misti volcano in 1998. The offerings at the site included several human sacrifices, along with fine ceramics and figurines made from gold, silver, andSpondylussp. shell. One of the two burials appeared to contain the bones of males and the other of females. The sex was established based on the contents of the graves, because the fragile skeletal material had been badly affected by volcanic activity and exact identification was difficult to make in situ. To limit the risk of damage, the bones were excavated together with the surrounding soil and transported in frozen blocks to the Museo Santuarios Andinos of Universidad Católica de Santa María in Arequipa. This material was the object of a bioarchaeological investigation in February and March 2018. The results revealed that at least eight individuals had been buried in the graves. The findings have increased our understanding of the age categories and physical condition of the individuals chosen to be sacrificed during thecapacocharitual.
Subduction zone processes and crustal growth mechanisms at Pacific Rim convergent margins: modern and ancient analogues
Authors: Dilek Yildirim , Ogawa Yujiro
Published: December 2020

Continents grow mainly through magmatism, relamination, accretionary prism development, sediment underplating, tectonic accretion of seamounts, oceanic plateaus and oceanic lithosphere, and collisions of island arcs at convergent margins. The modern Pacific–Rim subduction zone environments present a natural laboratory to examine the nature of these processes. The papers in this special issue focus on the: (1) modern and ancient accretionary margins of Japan; (2) arc–continent collision zone in the Taiwan orogenic belt; (3) accreting versus non-accreting convergent margins of the Americas; and (4) several examples of ancient convergent margins of East Asia. Subduction erosion and sediment underplating are important processes, affecting the melt evolution of arc magmas by giving them special crustal isotopic characteristics. Oblique arc–continent collisions cause strong deformation partitioning that results in orogen-parallel extension, crustal exhumation and wrench faulting in the hinterland, and thrust faulting–folding in the foreland. Trench-parallel widths of subducting slabs exert major control on slab geometries, the degree of coupling–decoupling between the lower and upper plates, and subduction velocity partitioning. An initially large width of the subducting Palaeo-Pacific Plate against East Asia caused flat subduction and resistance to slab rollback during the Triassic Period. These conditions resulted in shortening across SE China. Foundering and delamination of the flat slab during the Early Jurassic Epoch led to slab segmentation and reduced slab widths, followed by slab steepening and rollback. This pull-away tectonics induced lithospheric extension and magmatism in SE China during Late Jurassic – Cretaceous time. Melting of subducted carbonaceous sediments commonly produces networks of silicate veins in CLM that may subsequently undergo partial melting, producing ultrapotassic magmas.