bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Oculometric measures as a tool for assessment of clinical symptoms and severity of Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Reiner Johnathan , Franken Liron , Raveh Eitan , Rosset Israel , Kreitman Rivka , Ben-Ami Edmund , Djaldetti Ruth
Published: August 2023

Abnormalities of oculometric measures (OM) are widely described in people with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, knowledge of correlations between abnormal OM, disease severity and clinical assessment in PD patients is still lacking. To evaluate these correlations, PD patients (215 patients, mean age 69 ± 9.1 years, 79 females) with severe (H&Y > 3) and mild to moderate (H&Y ≤ 2) disease, and 215 age-matched healthy subjects were enrolled. All patients were evaluated using MDS-UPDRS and an oculometric test using computer vision and deep learning algorithms. Comparisons of OM between groups and correlations between OM and MDS-UPDRS scores were calculated. Saccadic latency (ms) was prolonged in patients with severe compared with mild to moderate disease (pro-saccades: 267 ± 69 vs. 238 ± 53, p = 0.0011; anti-saccades: 386 ± 119 vs. 352 ± 106, p = 0.0393) and in patients with mild to moderate disease versus healthy subjects (pro-saccades: 238 ± 53 vs. 220 ± 45, p = 0.0003; anti-saccades: 352 ± 106 vs. 289 ± 71, p < 0.0001). Error rate (%) was higher among patients with severe (64.06 ± 23.08) versus mild to moderate disease (49.84 ± 24.81, p = 0.0001), and versus healthy subjects (49.84 ± 24.81 vs. 28.31 ± 21.72, p = 0.00001). Response accuracy (%) was lower for patients with severe (75.66 ± 13.11) versus mild to moderate disease (79.66 ± 13.56, p = 0.0462), and versus healthy subjects (79.66 ± 13.56 vs. 90.27 ± 8.79, p < 0.0001). Pro- and anti-saccadic latency, error rate and accuracy were correlated with MDS-UPDRS scores (r = 0.32, 0.28, 0.36 and -0.30, respectively, p < 0.0001) and similar correlations were found with its axial subscore (R = 0.38, 0.29, 0.44, and -0.30, respectively, p < 0.0001). Several OM were different in patients under levodopa treatment. OM worsened as PD severity increases, and were correlated with MDS-UPDRS scores. Using OM can be implemented for PD patients’ assessment as a tool to follow disease progression.
Applying a Lens of Temporality to Better Understand Voice About Unethical Behaviour
Authors: Brooks Sarah , Richmond John , Blenkinsopp John
Published: August 2023

The relationship between time and voice about unethical behaviour has been highlighted as a key area for exploration within the voice and silence field (Morrison Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior 10:79–107, 2023). Previous studies have made only modest progress in this area, so we present a temporal lens which can act as a guide for others wishing to better understand the role of time and voice. Applying the concept of theory adaptation (Jaakkola AMS Review 10:18–26, 2020), a method which attempts to build on a given field through the application of a new theoretical lens, we begin by reviewing what is known in relation to voice about unethical behaviour specifically. Then we introduce two temporal frameworks, one suggested by Ancona, Okhuysen, and Perlow (Ancona et al. The Academy of Management Review 26:645–663, 2001a; Ancona et al. The Academy of Management Review 26:512–529, 2001b) as a useful way of analysing time in organisations, and a second one by Bansal, Anna, and Wood, (Bansal et al. Academy of Management Review 43:217–241, 2018) focusing on the way organisations include voice into their temporal rhythm. We then draw conclusions about the role of time in relation to voice about unethical behaviour and identify three insights; a) it takes time for voices to generate evidence for unethical behaviour, b) perceptions of unethical behaviour change over time, and c) it is most difficult to voice about unethical behaviour at the time it is most needed. Our recommendations for future avenues of research based on these insights recommend new research designs better suited to explore the relationship between voice and time and a focus on how the formality of voice mechanisms shapes the timing of voice.
Is hiring fast a good sign? The informativeness of job vacancy duration for future firm profitability
Authors: Chen Ciao-Wei , Li Laura Yue
Published: August 2023

Job vacancy duration reflects the time a firm spends searching, selecting, and hiring for a job opening. Capturing vacancy duration using the creation and deletion dates of job postings by US public firms, we examine the informativeness of vacancy duration for future firm profitability. We find that while firms that quickly fill low-skill job vacancies exhibit higher future profitability, firms that take more time to fill high-skill jobs exhibit higher future profitability. Our cross-sectional analyses across the benefits and costs of candidate selection and performance expectations suggest that the informativeness of vacancy duration comes from its reflection of firms’ hiring strategies. That is, firms expecting higher profitability recruit more intensively to avoid the opportunity cost associated with vacancies for low-skill jobs and to ensure the selection of high-quality workers for high-skill jobs. Further analyses show that the implication of job vacancy duration for future profitability is not incorporated timely in the capital markets, as evidenced by pessimistic analyst forecasts and positive earnings announcement returns in future quarters for firms with short (long) durations for low-skill (high-skill) jobs. These results demonstrate the informativeness of job vacancy duration for firm profitability and advance the understanding of firms’ hiring strategies.
The Effect of Short-Term Air Pollutants Exposure on Daily Mortality Among Elderly Individuals in China: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Liu Cong , Jia Fengwei , Ji Mengmeng , Qu Guofeng , Ye Chunping , Cheng Jiali , Schwingel Andiara , Gao Rong
Published: August 2023

To systematically review the literature regarding the effect of air pollutants on the excess mortality risk among the elderly Chinese. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science (WOS), and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) electronic databases were searched. A standardized data extraction form was used to collect methodological and outcome variables from each eligible study. The effect value was combined with a fixed- or random-effect model, and sensitivity analysis and publication bias test were performed. A total of 26 articles on air pollutants and excess risk (ER) of mortality in the Chinese elderly were identified. Among them, 16, 14, 8, and 8 articles contained PM2.5, PM10, SO2, and NO2 data, respectively. The meta-analysis results showed that the excess risk of mortality in the Chinese elderly associated with per 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5, PM10, SO2, and NO2 concentrations was 1.01%, 0.54%, 1.06%and 1.35%, respectively. Sufficient evidence supports that the increase in air pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, SO2, and NO2) will escalate the mortality of the elderly in China. Future research can study two or more air pollution models and the impact of air pollution on elderly mortality rates under different temperatures, duration of exposure, seasons and regions.
Methods for estimating insulin resistance from untargeted metabolomics data
Authors: Hsu Fang-Chi , Palmer Nicholette D. , Chen Shyh-Huei , Ng Maggie C. Y. , Goodarzi Mark O. , Rotter Jerome I. , Wagenknecht Lynne E. , Bancks Michael P. , Bergman Richard N. , Bowden Donald W.
Published: August 2023

Context

Insulin resistance is associated with multiple complex diseases; however, precise measures of insulin resistance are invasive, expensive, and time-consuming.

Objective

Develop estimation models for measures of insulin resistance, including insulin sensitivity index (SI) and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) from metabolomics data.

Design

Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Family Study (IRASFS).

Setting

Community based.

Participants

Mexican Americans (MA) and African Americans (AA).

Main outcome

Estimation models for measures of insulin resistance, i.e. SI and HOMA-IR.

Results

Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) and Elastic Net regression were used to build insulin resistance estimation models from 1274 metabolites combined with clinical data, e.g. age, sex, body mass index (BMI). Metabolite data were transformed using three approaches, i.e. inverse normal transformation, standardization, and Box Cox transformation. The analysis was performed in one MA recruitment site (San Luis Valley, Colorado (SLV); N = 450) and tested in another MA recruitment site (San Antonio, Texas (SA); N = 473). In addition, the two MA recruitment sites were combined and estimation models tested in the AA recruitment sample (Los Angeles, California; N = 495). Estimated and empiric SI were correlated in the SA (r2 = 0.77) and AA (r2 = 0.74) testing datasets. Further, estimated and empiric SI were consistently associated with BMI, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), and triglycerides. We applied similar approaches to estimate HOMA-IR with similar results.

Conclusions

We have developed a method for estimating insulin resistance with metabolomics data that has the potential for application to a wide range of biomedical studies and conditions.
They Were the Best and the Worst of Times: Reflections Illuminate Emerging Adults’ Sexual Experiences
Authors: Turner George , Pelts Michael , Frabotta Richelle , Paceley Megan S.
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Human sexuality courses are offered at most universities. Students often bring a breadth of experiences and a need for emotional processing of these narratives into these courses as it relates to course content. The purpose of this study was to expand research exploring emerging adults’ sexuality narratives to be inclusive of positive stories.

Methods

Guided by a semi-structured questionnaire, 113 students from two USA universities reflected in 2017 on their sexual history using an established educational activity asking students about their “best” and “worst” sexual experiences.

Results

Qualitative analysis resulted in five themes describing their “Best” and four themes describing their “Worst” sexual experiences and one theme with dual meaning. “Best of” was highlighted by student themes of romance, beyond intercourse, emotional intimacy, listening, and safety. “Worst of” was highlighted by themes of physical health factors, alcohol and/or substance use/misuse factors, exploitation and victimization, and feelings of shame. The dual meaning theme of firsts emerged in both best of and worst of.

Conclusions

Findings suggest that human sexuality courses must consider students’ lived experiences. Further, we propose a call-to-action for clinically trained mental health professionals, such as social workers, as sexuality educators.

Policy Implications

Universities should incorporate sexual health education policies that acknowledge students who bring a collection of sexuality stories to learning spaces. Centering a student’s sexual voice also would support campus programs, policies, and interventions that benefit students. Finally, policies that guide professional accreditation of social work university programs to include sexual wellness content in the curricula are warranted.
A novel adaptive parameter strategy differential evolution algorithm and its application in midcourse guidance maneuver decision-making
Authors: Xie Lei , Wang Yuan , Tang Shangqin , Huang Changqiang , Li Yintong , Dong Kangsheng , Song Ting
Published: August 2023

In this paper, a novel Adaptive Parameter Strategy Differential Evolution (APSDE) algorithm is proposed to overcome the parameters dependence and avoid local optima. The Parameter Update Mechanism (PUM), which has three different strategies, is used to reduce the dependence on parameters of DE. The Adaptive Proportion Adjustment Mechanism (APAM) is used to balance the proportion of PUM strategies in different development terms of exploitation and exploration, and the Random Restart Mechanism (RRM) is used to improve population diversity when exploitation is in stagnation. The proposed algorithm is verified in the CEC2018 test functions and the results show that APSDE has good abilities of exploitation, exploration, convergence, and stability. Secondly, Midcourse Guidance Maneuver Decision-making (MGMD) in Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air combat is studied and transformed into a single objective variational optimization problem, a MGMD system based on APSDE is established. Finally, the simulation of MGMD is carried out. The APSDE ranks first in the typical MGMD scenario experiment. In the adaptive Midcourse guidance confrontation, the winning rate of APSDE is 54%, and the statistical results show that the APSDE has an excellent MGMD ability.
Imperceptible graph injection attack on graph neural networks
Authors: Chen Yang , Ye Zhonglin , Wang Zhaoyang , Zhao Haixing
Published: August 2023

In recent years, Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) have achieved excellent applications in classification or prediction tasks. Recent studies have demonstrated that GNNs are vulnerable to adversarial attacks. Graph Modification Attack (GMA) and Graph Injection Attack (GIA) are commonly attack strategies. Most graph adversarial attack methods are based on GMA, which has a clear drawback: the attacker needs high privileges to modify the original graph, making it difficult to execute in practice. GIA can perform attacks without modifying the original graph. However, many GIA models fail to take care of attack invisibility, i.e., fake nodes can be easily distinguished from the original nodes. To solve the above issue, we propose an imperceptible graph injection attack, named IMGIA. Specifically, IMGIA uses the normal distribution sampling and mask learning to generate fake node features and links respectively, and then uses the homophily unnoticeability constraint to improve the camouflage of the attack. Our extensive experiments on three benchmark datasets demonstrate that IMGIA performs better than the existing state-of-the-art GIA methods. As an example, IMGIA shows an improvement in performance with an average increase in effectiveness of 2%.
Biosignals meet Adaptive Systems
Authors: Schultz Tanja , Maedche Alexander
Published: August 2023

This paper presents a perspective on Biosignal-Adaptive Systems (BAS) which automatically adapt to user needs by continuously interpreting their biosignals and by providing transparent feedback, thereby keeping the user in the loop. The major hallmark of the described BAS is the low latency with which biosignals are processed, interpreted, and applied to perform rapid system adaptation, providing the user in the loop with immediate feedback on the BAS’s understanding of his or her condition. In contrast to explicit user input or the interpretation of observable behavior, the rapid system adaptation relies on biosignals, which in context of a concrete application can be interpreted as implicit signals of user needs. Recently, great advances have been made in sensor integration into smart devices, making it possible to collect vasts amounts of multimodal biosignal data. Furthermore, powerful machine learning methods enable rapidly processing and learning from such data. We argue that the time has come to harness the full spectrum of low-latency processing of biosignals to understand user needs and to apply this information to deliver adaptive systems accordingly. However, this will just be the beginning: real-time signal processing in combination with ubiquitous devices that are always connected to huge processing and storage capacities allow systems to provide users (and bystanders) with instant and transparent feedback and adaptations for the recognized needs. In the future, such systems could run 24/7 to assist users @home, @work, and @play from the cradle to the grave. Thus, BAS must be human-centric to curate data, archive information, learn from experience, and adapt to individual users throughout their lifespan. In this position paper, we present the concept of BAS with its key building blocks, provide selected examples of BAS from our research, and articulate selected challenges for future research.
Comparing quantum and classical machine learning for Vector Boson Scattering background reduction at the Large Hadron Collider
Authors: Cugini Davide , Gerace Dario , Govoni Pietro , Perego Aurora , Valsecchi Davide
Published: August 2023

We report on a consistent comparison between techniques of quantum and classical machine learning applied to the classification of signal and background events for the Vector Boson Scattering processes, studied at the Large Hadron Collider installed at the CERN laboratory. Quantum machine learning algorithms based on variational quantum circuits are run on freely available quantum computing hardware, showing very good performances as compared to deep neural networks run on classical computing facilities. In particular, we show that such kind of quantum neural networks is able to correctly classify the targeted signal with an Area Under the characteristic Curve (AUC) that is very close to the one obtained with the corresponding classical neural network, but employing a much lower number of resources, as well as less variable data in the training set. Albeit giving a proof-of-principle demonstration with limited quantum computing resources, this work represents one of the first steps towards the use of near term and noisy quantum hardware for practical event classification in High Energy Physics experiments.
Sustainability of donor-funded projects in developing remote minority Tonga communities of Zimbabwe
Authors: Matsa Mark Makomborero , Dzawanda Beauty , Mupepi Oshneck , Hove John
Published: August 2023

Underdevelopment and poverty are causes for concern, towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in the Global South. In most developing countries donor-funded projects through non-governmental organisations (NGOs) accompany governments’ quest to achieve development through poverty reduction initiatives. However, the sustainability of these donor-funded projects in developing minority communities remains questionable. As such, this research evaluates the sustainability of donor-funded projects in developing remote-minority Tonga communities of Zimbabwe in pursuit of the SDGs. The research adopted a descriptive survey design triangulating quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques. Ten percent (805) of the total households (8053) in four wards of Binga District (Siabuwa Ward 23, Pashu Ward 19, Kabuba Ward 17, and Kani Ward 24) were selected to participate in this study. Findings indicated that there are various projects (food aid, water and sanitation, monetary aid, and climate change resilience) undertaken by NGOs in Binga District. There was a slight change in household socio-economic development since the operation of NGOs in the district and challenges were witnessed after donor-assistance withdrawal. This resulted in the stagnancy or collapse of some projects which affected the development of the Tonga minority community. There is an inadequate understanding of the livelihoods of the poor in Binga District due to a lack of adequate needs assessments, hence the need for participatory grassroots development approaches. Lack of development in Binga District, despite the various donor-funded projects operating in the area, is an indicator that the projects are insufficient and ineffective to deal with underdevelopment in this district. The paper recommends a shift in approaches used by both NGOs and the government to ensure sustainability in donor-funded projects to develop minority communities and help the government in its efforts to attain Vision 2030 and the SDGs.
Die Gesundheitsversorgung älterer türkeistämmiger Pendelmigrant*innen: qualitative Interviewstudie
Authors: Stern Alex , Akbulut Nurcan , Schönfeld Simone , Tezcan-Güntekin Hürrem , Özer-Erdogdu Ilknur , Aslan Meryem , Razum Oliver
Published: August 2023

Hintergrund

Im Rentenalter verbringen türkeistämmige Menschen oftmals längere Zeiträume in der Türkei. Mit höherem Alter steigt das Risiko, an chronischen Erkrankungen zu leiden. Pendeln chronisch erkrankte Menschen zwischen Deutschland und der Türkei, können Unregelmäßigkeiten in der medikamentösen und medizinischen Versorgung auftreten. Bisher fehlten genauere Untersuchungen hierzu.

Methode

Mit älteren chronisch erkrankten türkeistämmigen Pendelmigrant*innen, Hausärzt*innen sowie Praxismitarbeiterinnen wurden qualitative Interviews zu Versorgungsbarrieren und -bedürfnissen durchgeführt. Die Daten wurden mittels der qualitativen Inhaltsanalyse nach Mayring ausgewertet.

Ergebnis

Hinsichtlich ihrer medikamentösen und medizinischen Versorgung sind Pendelmigrant*innen teilweise mit sozialrechtlichen und kommunikationsbezogenen Barrieren konfrontiert, die die Nutzung der Gesundheitsversorgung in der Türkei erschweren oder verhindern. Manche Pendelmigrant*innen sind zudem nicht ausreichend über ihre Medikation aufgeklärt. Sprachbarrieren, Zeitmangel der Ärzt*innen und Diskriminierungserfahrungen der Patient*innen können die Versorgung in Deutschland beeinträchtigen. Eine ungeklärte Versorgungssituation der Pendelmigrant*innen in ihrem Herkunftsland kann bei Ärzt*innen zu ethischen Konflikten führen. Positiv wirken sich die Einbindung Angehöriger in die Versorgung, ein gutes ärztliches Vertrauensverhältnis und die frühzeitige Besprechung geplanter Türkeiaufenthalte auf die Versorgung aus.

Schlussfolgerungen

Um die Versorgung für Pendelmigrant*innen verlässlich zu gestalten, sind Anpassungen transnationaler Versorgungsstrukturen sinnvoll. Ebenso sollte die hausärztliche Versorgung in Deutschland mit den erforderlichen Ressourcen ausgestattet werden, um der Zielgruppe bedarfsgerecht und diversitätssensibel begegnen zu können. Aktives ärztliches Abfragen von Reiseplänen und Unsicherheiten oder Unzufriedenheit im Zusammenhang mit der Medikation kann Unregelmäßigkeiten vorbeugen.
Central Bank Independence and the Future of the Euro
Authors: Demetriades Panicos
Published: August 2023

Over the past decade central banks have taken on new and expanded roles in an attempt to manage the global financial crisis. The European Central Bank (ECB) has been no exception. If anything, because of the incomplete architecture of the euro, the ECB has faced more serious challenges than either the Bank of England or the Federal Reserve. With the onset of the euro crisis, the ECB was forced to take on powers that went well beyond the conventions of standard monetary policy to prevent European Monetary Union from unravelling.

Panicos Demetriades, former Governor of the Central Bank of Cyprus during the country's bailout in 2013, examines the role of the ECB and its adoption of these new powers, which have led to legal and political challenges, high level resignations and the controversial removal of central bankers from their posts without due process. Demetriades argues that at a time when stability and action are needed to secure the future of the euro, the very foundations of the Euro-system are being eroded, namely its ability to act independently. The book provides a lively and insightful account of the processes that can make or break the euro.
The History of Economics
Authors: Backhouse Roger E. , Tribe Keith
Published: August 2023

As a broad introduction to the history of economic thought - based on courses the authors have taught for many years - this book provides a magisterial overview for students and teachers who have not had the opportunity to cover the development of the field of economics in its historical context.

The text is presented as a series of twenty-four lectures, which can be used as the basis for self-study or for the delivery of a course. Each lecture presents an outline of aims, a select bibliography, a chronology, an overview of between 3,000 and 4,000 words, and questions for further study or reflection.

Contemporary understanding of economic principles sheds little light on the manner in which past thinkers thought, so the reader is provided with the much-needed context behind the development of ideas, as well as being guided through the original writings of economists such as Smith, Jevons, Marshall, Robbins, Keynes and others. The emphasis is on the broad developing stream of economic argument from the seventeenth century to the present, seeking to emphasize a diversity that is sometimes suppressed in more conventional textbooks, which tend to organize their histories into sequences of schools of thought.

Backhouse and Tribe bring their considerable insight and knowledge to bear on the text, having honed their presentation to the needs of those with no previous background in the subject, without sacrificing analysis or rigour. The book will be warmly welcomed by students and teachers alike.
Of Time and Lamentation
Authors: Tallis Raymond
Published: August 2023

Time's mysteries seem to resist comprehension and what remains, once the familiar metaphors are stripped away, can stretch even the most profound philosopher. In Of Time and Lamentation, Raymond Tallis rises to this challenge and explores the nature and meaning of time and how best to understand it. The culmination of some twenty years of thinking, writing and wondering about (and within) time, it is a bold, original and thought-provoking work. With characteristic fearlessness, Tallis seeks to reclaim time from the jaws of physics.

For most of us, time is composed of mornings, afternoons and evenings and expressed in hurry, hope, longing, waiting, enduring, planning, joyful expectation and grief. Thinking about it is to meditate on our own mortality. Yet, physics has little or nothing to say about this time, the time as it is lived. The story told by caesium clocks, quantum theory and Lorentz coordinates, Tallis argues, needs to be supplemented by one of moss on rocks, tears on faces and the long narratives of our human journey. Our temporal lives deserve a richer attention than is afforded by the equations of mathematical physics.

 For anyone who has puzzled over the nature of becoming, wondered whether time is inseparable from change, whether time is punctuate or continuous, or even whether time, itself, is real, Of Time and Lamentation will provoke and entertain.
The Informal Economy
Authors: Williams Colin C.
Published: August 2023

The 'informal' economy - economic activity and income outside government regulation, taxation and observation - is difficult to quantify. Recent estimates suggest it accounts, in OECD countries, for around 13% of national income (in the UK, the equivalent of £150 billion) and in developing nations it can make up as much as three-quarters of all non-agricultural employment. Whatever the exact figures, it is clear that the informal economy plays a significant role in national incomes and affects a large share of the global workforce.

Colin C. Williams provides an authoritative introduction to the topic, explaining what the informal economy is and how it can best be measured. Taking a global perspective, he examines its characteristics in developed, developing and transitional economies, and looks at its role as a driver of economic growth. The theoretical underpinnings are explored, from conceptual origins in the development models of the 1950s, through to present-day discussions, which question whether a formalised economy is always the ideal.

The book considers the economic motivations of the informal economy workforce, which may include tax evasion, circumventing regulations and maintaining state benefits, and assesses the different policy options available to governments to combat them, whether a punitive policy of deterrence, or one of accommodation that recognises the value of the sector in generating income and in meeting the needs of poor consumers.

The book provides a masterly summation of the published research on the informal economy and an expert assessment of the key areas for research going forward.
The Market
Authors: Watson Matthew
Published: August 2023

We have become accustomed to economists and politicians talking about 'market forces' as if they are immutable laws of the universe. But what exactly is 'the market'? Originally an abstract idea from economic theory - the locus of supply and demand - it has come to inform the way we speak about our relationship to the economic system as a whole.

Matthew Watson unpacks the concept to ask what does it really mean to allow ourselves to submit to market forces. And does economic theory really provide insights into the market institutions that shape our everyday life? In tackling these questions, the book provides a major contribution to a deeper appreciation of the dominant economic language of our time, challenging the idea that we can simply defer to the 'logic of the market'.
The New Politics of Trade
Authors: Young Alasdair R.
Published: August 2023

The negotiation of international trade agreements has become the issue of the moment. With Brexit, a change in administration in the United States, a fragile economic recovery in the Eurozone and China facing a slowdown in its growth, nothing is more critical to the future global economy than the terms of trade between its largest economic blocs. The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is Europe's most controversial trade agreement ever. Aimed at reducing regulatory barriers between the United States and the EU, it was expected to be fairly straightforward given strong business support on both sides of the Atlantic. It has not been so. The negotiations have dragged on far longer than anticipated and now look set to fail altogether. Yet the process of its negotiation, the terms of the potential agreement and its sticking points provide valuable lessons for policy-makers and academics tasked to bring future trade deals and arrangements to successful conclusions.

 Alasdair Young offers a penetrating analysis of the complexities of the TTIP negotiations and explores why they have proved so difficult to conclude, what motivates the different parties concerned and what implications there are for politics and policy. Young throws light on the limits of the transatlantic cooperation and the processes of globalization and teases out the implications for the UK in its post-Brexit trade negotiations and for other nations now facing a more protectionist stance from the United States.
Whatever It Takes
Authors: Papaconstantinou George
Published: August 2023

For generations, Europeans have become accustomed to rising prosperity, an increasingly supportive social safety net and the expectation that each generation will fare better than the last. Europe has built a social model that is second to none, and fashioned a continent of disparate nations into a community that shares common values with democratic institutions that are the envy of the world.

Yet, Europe, as a common project is increasingly questioned by its citizens. The emphasis on solidarity, the driving force behind the social and economic integration, has given way to suspicion and nationalism. Openness and tolerance are strained by xenophobic, anti-immigrant sentiments, while populists and extremists set the agenda and dominate the policy debate.

European countries have borne the brunt of the global economic forces that have strained its institutions and capacity to respond appropriately. Characterised by uncertainty and delay both in handling the Euro crisis, Greece's ongoing economic woes, Brexit and now a migrant crisis, Europe is at a crossroads in its development: a restructuring at the very least, if not a new settlement of power within the union, is on the cards. This book will attempt to understand what 'post-crisis Europe' will look like, and what the opportunities are to rethink its economic, social and institutional architecture as well as to address the nagging democratic deficit that undermines its legitimacy as a democratic entity.
Characteristics of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in Wild-Type Transthyretin Amyloidosis
Authors: Russell Angela , Khayambashi Shahin , Fine Nowell M. , Chhibber Sameer , Hahn Christopher
Published: August 2023

Background:

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is one of the most common extra-cardiac manifestations of wild-type transthyretin amyloidosis (wtATTR); however, the characteristics of CTS in this population remain poorly understood.

Methods:

This retrospective cohort study reports findings from a single-centre experience of comprehensive neurological screening at the time of wtATTR diagnosis by nerve conduction studies (NCS) and neurologist assessment.

Results:

Seventy-nine patients underwent neurological screening, 73 (92%) males, mean age 79.2 ± 7.5 years. Seventy-four (94%) had electrodiagnostic findings of median neuropathy at the wrist (MNW), 37 (50%) of which had a prior diagnosis of CTS and 37 (50%) had a new diagnosis of MNW. Over half of wtATTR patients (42, 53%) had bilateral MNW on screening. Most with pre-existing CTS had bilateral disease (28, 76%) and underwent bilateral carpal tunnel release (CTR) (23, 62%) prior to screening. Twenty-one (19%) wrists had mild MNW, 43 (38%) moderate and 49 (43%) severe. Twenty-one (28%) wtATTR patients with MNW were asymptomatic, 10 of which (48%) had moderate disease. Nineteen (36%) wtATTR patients with symptomatic MNW had recurrent disease despite previous CTR. As a result of screening, 36 (68%) patients with symptomatic MNW were referred for CTR.

Conclusions:

MNW is exceptionally common at the time of wtATTR diagnosis, affecting 94% of our patients. Most had severe, bilateral MNW on NCS. Some were asymptomatic, despite having moderate disease. The rate of recurrence following CTR was observed to be higher in wtATTR patients than the general population.
Cultural evolution from the producers’ standpoint
Authors: André Jean-Baptiste , Baumard Nicolas , Boyer Pascal
Published: August 2023

Standard approaches to cultural evolution focus on the recipients or consumers. This does not take into account the fitness costs incurred in producing the behaviours or artefacts that become cultural, i.e. widespread in a social group. We argue that cultural evolution models should focus on these fitness costs and benefits of cultural production, particularly in the domain of ‘symbolic’ culture. In this approach, cultural products can be considered as a part of the extended phenotype of producers, which can affect the fitness of recipients in a positive way (through cooperation) but also in a detrimental way (through manipulation and exploitation). Taking the producers’ perspective may help explain the specific features of many kinds of cultural products.
Spirit as a Riddle to Itself: Symbolic Art and the Deep History of Freedom
Authors: Gante Markus
Published: August 2023

In this article I suggest that we should understand symbolic art not as some kind of wonderous prequel to classical art, but as a theory of the advent of spiritual self-reflection on a collective scale. Symbolic art is the first form of what Hegel calls ‘absolute spirit’. I understand absolute spirit as the realm of reflective social practices through which humans discuss and reflect on what it is to be human. Symbolic art is thus the first form in which spirit generates genuine self-knowledge. I argue that symbolic art should be understood as the unprecedented beginning of asking what it is to be human, without having a picture of what it is to be human preceding it. The advantage of understanding Hegel's symbolic art in this way is that we are able to go beyond the narrow conception of symbolic art as existing only in the oriental world and arrive at an understanding of symbolic art which includes social practices from the deep history of our species.
How decisions are made: Antibiotic stewardship in dentistry
Authors: Schneider-Smith Erika G. , Suda Katie J. , Lew Daphne , Rowan Susan , Hanna Danny , Bach Tracey , Shimpi Neel , Foraker Randi E. , Durkin Michael J.
Published: August 2023

Background:

We performed a preimplementation assessment of workflows, resources, needs, and antibiotic prescribing practices of trainees and practicing dentists to inform the development of an antibiotic-stewardship clinical decision-support tool (CDST) for dentists.

Methods:

We used a technology implementation framework to conduct the preimplementation assessment via surveys and focus groups of students, residents, and faculty members. Using Likert scales, the survey assessed baseline knowledge and confidence in dental providers’ antibiotic prescribing. The focus groups gathered information on existing workflows, resources, and needs for end users for our CDST.

Results:

Of 355 dental providers recruited to take the survey, 213 (60%) responded: 151 students, 27 residents, and 35 faculty. The average confidence in antibiotic prescribing decisions was 3.2 ± 1.0 on a scale of 1 to 5 (ie, moderate). Dental students were less confident about prescribing antibiotics than residents and faculty (P < .01). However, antibiotic prescribing knowledge was no different between dental students, residents, and faculty. The mean likelihood of prescribing an antibiotic when it was not needed was 2.7 ± 0.6 on a scale of 1 to 5 (unlikely to maybe) and was not meaningfully different across subgroups (P = .10). We had 10 participants across 3 focus groups: 7 students, 2 residents, and 1 faculty member. Four major themes emerged, which indicated that dentists: (1) make antibiotic prescribing decisions based on anecdotal experiences; (2) defer to physicians’ recommendations; (3) have limited access to evidence-based resources; and (4) want CDST for antibiotic prescribing.

Conclusions:

Dentists’ confidence in antibiotic prescribing increased by training level, but knowledge did not. Trainees and practicing dentists would benefit from a CDST to improve appropriateness of antibiotic prescribing.
Comparison of antibiotic prescribing between physicians and advanced practice clinicians
Authors: Hersh Adam L. , Shapiro Daniel J. , Sanchez Guillermo V. , Hicks Lauri A.
Published: August 2023

We compared antibiotic prescribing rates for respiratory conditions in a national sample of outpatient visits from 2010 to 2018 between physicians and advanced practice clinicians (APCs). APCs prescribed antibiotics more frequently than physicians (58% vs 52%), but there were no differences in selection of guideline recommended first-line agents between specialties.
Anchoring Vignettes as a Diagnostic Tool for Cross-National (in)Comparability of Survey Measures: The Case of Voters’ Left-Right Self-Placement
Authors: Lin Nick , Lee Seonghui
Published: August 2023

There are potentially multiple sources that make it difficult to compare the typical survey measure of the left-right self-placement cross-nationally. We focus on differential item functioning (DIF) due to the different use of response scales when the left-right is framed as an aggregate dimension of policies. We also examine whether and to what extent ordinary citizens’ use of the scale is cross-nationally comparable. Our goal is twofold. First, we assess the cross-national comparability of the left-right self-placement scale using the anchoring vignette method used in nine European countries. Second, we propose a measure that quantifies the extent of DIF at the country level. Our original survey and other benchmark studies suggest that the size of cross-national DIF (CN-DIF) in citizens' use of a left-right scale is relatively small when the left-right concept is considered in policy terms and when a comparison is made between Western European countries.
Common and distinct functional brain network abnormalities in adolescent, early-middle adult, and late adult major depressive disorders
Authors: Long Yicheng , Li Xuemei , Cao Hengyi , Zhang Manqi , Lu Bing , Huang Yang , Liu Mengqi , Xu Ming , Liu Zhening , Yan Chaogan , Sui Jing , Ouyang Xuan , Zhou Xinyu
Published: August 2023

Background

The age-related heterogeneity in major depressive disorder (MDD) has received significant attention. However, the neural mechanisms underlying such heterogeneity still need further investigation. This study aimed to explore the common and distinct functional brain abnormalities across different age groups of MDD patients from a large-sample, multicenter analysis.

Methods

The analyzed sample consisted of a total of 1238 individuals including 617 MDD patients (108 adolescents, 12–17 years old; 411 early-middle adults, 18–54 years old; and 98 late adults, > = 55 years old) and 621 demographically matched healthy controls (60 adolescents, 449 early-middle adults, and 112 late adults). MDD-related abnormalities in brain functional connectivity (FC) patterns were investigated in each age group separately and using the whole pooled sample, respectively.

Results

We found shared FC reductions among the sensorimotor, visual, and auditory networks across all three age groups of MDD patients. Furthermore, adolescent patients uniquely exhibited increased sensorimotor-subcortical FC; early-middle adult patients uniquely exhibited decreased visual-subcortical FC; and late adult patients uniquely exhibited wide FC reductions within the subcortical, default-mode, cingulo-opercular, and attention networks. Analysis of covariance models using the whole pooled sample further revealed: (1) significant main effects of age group on FCs within most brain networks, suggesting that they are decreased with aging; and (2) a significant age group × MDD diagnosis interaction on FC within the default-mode network, which may be reflective of an accelerated aging-related decline in default-mode FCs.

Conclusions

To summarize, these findings may deepen our understanding of the age-related biological and clinical heterogeneity in MDD.
William Gillette's Sherlock Holmes, or the “Real” Sherlock Holmes: Seeking Reality in Materiality
Authors: Stowell-Kaplan Isabel
Published: August 2023

In 1901, the popular American actor and playwright, William Gillette, arrived in the United Kingdom to tour his new play, Sherlock Holmes. Born in Connecticut in 1853, Gillette was by this time a well-established actor and playwright in his native United States and not unknown to British audiences. Just a few years earlier, he had brought his play Secret Service to London, where his performance as an American Union spy had “created a sensation.” Despite his prior reputation and relative celebrity, there was a seeming belief at the time in a natural accord between Gillette and the character that would go on to define his career. A tale recounted by Harold J. Shepstone in the Strand magazine—already the fictional home of the world's most famous sleuth—underlines the belief in the symbiosis of William Gillette and Sherlock Holmes:

When Mr. Gillette arrived on the Celtic in Liverpool, in August last, Mr. Pendleton of the London and North-Western Railway, had a letter to deliver to him. He went on board and asked one of the passengers if he knew Mr. Gillette. The man replied:—

“Do you know Sherlock Holmes?”

The visitor was rather taken back, and said: “I have read the stories in The Strand Magazine.”

“That's all you need know,” said the passenger. “Just look around till you see a man who fits your idea of what Sherlock Holmes ought to be and that's he.”

Mr. Pendleton went away, with a laugh. As he was going up the companion-way he collided with a gentleman, and as he looked up to apologize the passenger's advice occurred to him, and he said, “Are you Mr. Gillette?”

“I was, before you ran into me,” was the reply.

“Here's a letter for you.”
AVICENNA ON THE IMPOSSIBILIA THE LETTER ON THE SOUL REVISITED
Authors: Mousavian Seyed N.
Published: August 2023

The Letter on the Soul is interesting and significant; it attempts to tackle fundamental problems that fall on the borderlines of psychology, epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of mind, and logic. The consensus among Avicenna scholars is that The Letter is Avicenna’s. In this paper, I will argue against this consensus. I will examine the philosophical and logical content of The Letter, as well as Avicenna’s view on the impossible forms in his authentic works, and construct a content-based argument against the authenticity of The Letter. This study, I hope, sheds some light on Avicenna’s view on the impossibilia, what they are, and how they can be apprehended.
Right ventricular dissection after arterial switch operation
Authors: Krzelj Kristina , Gasparovic Hrvoje , Duric Zeljko
Published: August 2023

Herein we present the right ventricular dissection and describe its successful management after arterial switch operation in a full-term male neonate. There are no evidence-based recommendations for the management of this rare complication. Our management included veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation placement and delayed surgical evacuation of the dissecting haematoma with beneficial outcomes.
Are multiword frequency effects stronger in non-native than in native speakers?
Authors: Ishida Tomomi
Published: August 2023

This study investigated whether non-native English speakers showed a processing advantage for high-frequency multiword units (multiword frequency effects), and whether the effects differed between native and non-native speakers. Such a difference has been identified in relation to single-word processing. Native English speakers and intermediate learners of English with languages of different scripts (native speakers of Japanese and German) judged whether English multiword units were grammatical. A significant processing advantage was identified for both native and non-native participants. More importantly, the multiword frequency effects were stronger among non-native than native speakers. The discrepancy persisted even after including individual vocabulary knowledge as a predictor in the mixed-effect models. Furthermore, there was no significant different impact of the effects between two non-native groups, even though German participants responded quicker than Japanese participants. This indicates that the varying influence between L1 and L2 could be explained by within-language, not between-language, variables.
Reimagining the Special and Differential Treatment Provisions in the WTO's Dispute Settlement Understanding
Authors: TANIA Sharmin , ATKINS Meika , CUNNINGHAM Robert , ANAWARATNA Ajith
Published: August 2023

The developed and developing members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) are deeply divided on the concept, scope, and beneficiaries of the special and differential treatment (SDT) provisions. The division was revealed in the Committee on Trade and Development meetings, where developed members rejected the Group of 90's proposals to strengthen and operationalize SDT provisions in WTO agreements. This article focuses on the SDT provisions in the Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU), positing that the provisions are ineffective in upholding the WTO's development objectives. It analyses the extent to which the needs and circumstances of low-income developing countries and least-developed countries have been considered by the WTO adjudicating bodies through the application and interpretation of SDT provisions in the DSU. The article seeks to reimagine SDT provisions’ role in the DSU through secondary lawmaking and progressive treaty interpretation to ensure development is integrated into the WTO's Dispute Settlement Mechanism.
Age and Transformational Leadership
Authors: Peng Yisheng , Ma Jie , Xu Xiaohong , Thrasher Greg
Published: August 2023

Abstract: Based on socioemotional selectivity theory, this study examined the indirect relationship between leader’s age and transformational leadership through motivation to lead. This study also investigated managerial discretion as a moderator of the association between age and motivation to lead. A multisourced and two-wave study of 186 Chinese leader–follower dyads shows that leader’s age was indirectly related with transformational leadership through motivation to lead. Managerial discretion moderates the negative age–motivation to lead relationship such that the relationship was significant and negative only for leaders with low managerial discretion. This study provides implications for the management of an increasingly age-diverse workforce and can inform human resource management practices aiming to maximize leadership effectiveness at a later age.