bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Machine learning evaluation of LV outflow obstruction in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy using three-chamber cardiovascular magnetic resonance
Authors: Sahota Manisha , Saraskani Sepas Ryan , Xu Hao , Li Liandong , Majeed Abdul Wahab , Hermida Uxio , Neubauer Stefan , Desai Milind , Weintraub William , Desvigne-Nickens Patrice , Schulz-Menger Jeanette , Kwong Raymond Y. , Kramer Christopher M. , Young Alistair A. , Lamata Pablo ,   the HCMR investigators
Published: October 2022

Left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO) is common in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), but relationships between anatomical metrics and obstruction are poorly understood. We aimed to develop machine learning methods to evaluate LVOTO in HCM patients and quantify relationships between anatomical metrics and obstruction. This retrospective analysis of 1905 participants of the HCM Registry quantified 11 anatomical metrics derived from 14 landmarks automatically detected on the three-chamber long axis cine CMR images. Linear and logistic regression was used to quantify strengths of relationships with the presence of LVOTO (defined by resting Doppler pressure drop of > 30 mmHg), using the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUC). Intraclass correlation coefficients between the network predictions and three independent observers showed similar agreement to that between observers. The distance from anterior mitral valve leaflet tip to basal septum (AML-BS) was most highly correlated with Doppler pressure drop (R2 = 0.19, p < 10–5). Multivariate stepwise regression found the best predictive model included AML-BS, AML length to aortic valve diameter ratio, AML length to LV width ratio, and midventricular septal thickness metrics (AUC 0.84). Excluding AML-BS, metrics grouped according to septal hypertrophy, LV geometry, and AML anatomy each had similar associations with LVOTO (AUC 0.71, 0.71, 0.68 respectively, p = ns), significantly less than their combination (AUC 0.77, p < 0.05 for each). Anatomical metrics derived from a standard three-chamber CMR cine acquisition can be used to highlight risk of LVOTO, and suggest further investigation if necessary. A combination of geometric factors is required to provide the best risk prediction.
Eco-friendly and solar light-active Ti-Fe2O3 ellipsoidal capsules’ nanostructure for removal of herbicides and organic dyes
Authors: Mohamed Hanan H. , Besisa Dina H. A.
Published: October 2022

In this work, Ti-doped Fe2O3 with hollow ellipsoidal capsules nanostructure has been prepared in a green manner using plant extract (flax seed). This new green hematite nanomaterial has been evaluated as photocatalyst for water treatment by testing its activity for degradation of bromophenol blue dye (BPB) and 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D) herbicide. For a better understanding of the green material properties, a comparison with the pristine Fe2O3 nanospheres previously prepared by the same procedure is included. Structural and optical properties of the green prepared materials are studied. The results revealed the success doping of Ti4+ at Fe3+ site, without forming any of TiO2 phases. It was also found that the Ti doping resulted in the reduction of the band gap of Fe2O3 as well as changing the morphology. The Ti-doped Fe2O3 nanomaterial exhibited an enhanced photocatalytic activity either for BPB dye or for 2,4-D degradation with more than 2 times higher rate than that using pristine Fe2O3.
Thermal convection in a Brinkman–Darcy–Kelvin–Voigt fluid with a generalized Maxwell–Cattaneo law
Authors: Straughan Brian
Published: October 2022

We investigate thoroughly a model for thermal convection of a class of viscoelastic fluids in a porous medium of Brinkman–Darcy type. The saturating fluids are of Kelvin–Voigt nature. The equations governing the temperature field arise from Maxwell–Cattaneo theory, although we include Guyer–Krumhansl terms, and we investigate the possibility of employing an objective derivative for the heat flux. The critical Rayleigh number for linear instability is calculated for both stationary and oscillatory convection. In addition a nonlinear stability analysis is carried out exactly.
Explaining Populist Attitudes: The Impact of Policy Discontent and Representation
Authors: Huber Robert A. , Jankowski Michael , Wegscheider Carsten
Published: October 2022

Recently, scholars of populism have increasingly started to theorise and capture susceptibility to populism at the individual level. Most of these studies, however, focus on the consequences of populist attitudes on political behaviour. Less attention has been paid to the question of which citizens have high levels of populist attitudes and why. While some scholars argue that populist attitudes more resemble an unchangeable personality trait, meaning that individuals may be more or less populist, others argue that it is a response to outside grievances or discontent. The latter suggests that levels of populist attitudes are dynamic and may change if grievances are addressed (or remain unaddressed). We contribute to this literature by asking how discontent fuelled by unfulfilled policy preferences affects the level of populist attitudes. Following the conception of populism as a thin-centred ideology, we argue that high levels of populist attitudes are not connected with certain issues per se. Rather, our argument is that people are more populist when they feel poorly represented on policy issues that they care strongly about. This argument provides an explanation for the observation that even voters of non-populist parties sometimes show high levels of populist attitudes. We test the impact of policy discontent on populist attitudes using data from the GLES 2021 Pre-Election Cross Section survey by combining information on citizens’ issue specific discontent with the perceived salience of respective issues. The results are in line with our expectations: Individuals with higher policy discontent are more populist.
Can Leptin/Ghrelin Ratio and Retinol-Binding Protein 4 Predict Improved Insulin Resistance in Patients with Obesity Undergoing Sleeve Gastrectomy?
Authors: Hany Mohamed , Demerdash Hala M. , Agayby Ann Samy Shafiq , Ibrahim Mohamed , Torensma Bart
Published: October 2022

Introduction

Obesity is associated with metabolic syndrome (MBS), a cluster of components including central obesity, insulin resistance (IR), dyslipidemia, and hypertension. IR is the major risk factor in the development and progression of type 2 diabetes mellitus in obesity and MBS. Predicting preoperatively whether a patient with obesity would have improved or non-improved IR after bariatric surgery would improve treatment decisions.

Methods

A prospective cohort study was conducted between August 2019 and September 2021. We identified pre- and postoperative metabolic biomarkers in patients who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Patients were divided into two groups: group A (IR < 2.5), with improved IR, and group B (IR ≥ 2.5), with non-improved IR. A prediction model and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) were used to determine the effect of metabolic biomarkers on IR.

Results

Seventy patients with obesity and MBS were enrolled. At 12-month postoperative a significant improvement in lipid profile, fasting blood glucose, and hormonal biomarkers and a significant reduction in the BMI in all patients (p = 0.008) were visible. HOMA-IR significantly decreased in 57.14% of the patients postoperatively. Significant effects on the change in HOMA-IR ≥ 2.5 were the variables; preoperative BMI, leptin, ghrelin, leptin/ghrelin ratio (LGr), insulin, and triglyceride with an OR of 1.6,1.82, 1.33, 1.69, 1.77, and 1.82, respectively (p = 0.009 towards p = 0.041). Leptin had the best predictive cutoff value on ROC (86% sensitivity and 92% specificity), whereas ghrelin had the lowest (70% sensitivity and 73% specificity).

Conclusion

Preoperative BMI, leptin, ghrelin, LGr, and increased triglycerides have a predictive value on higher postoperative, non-improved patients with HOMA-IR (≥ 2.5). Therefore, assessing metabolic biomarkers can help decide on treatment/extra therapy and outcome before surgery.

Graphical Abstract
GIS-based identification of potential watershed recharge zones using analytic hierarchy process in Sikkim Himalayan region
Authors: Zimik Horthing V. , Angchuk Thupstan , Misra Anil Kumar , Ranjan Rakesh Kr. , Wanjari Nishchal , Basnett Smriti
Published: October 2022

Identification of groundwater recharge zone is an important factor for water resource management in any area. The present study investigates the potential water recharge zones in the Sikkim state, a mountain region of the Eastern Himalayas. To identify potential watershed recharge zone in the region, a combination of geographic information system (GIS)-based weighted overlay index (WOI) tools and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) pairwise matrix techniques was applied. The delineated watershed recharge sites were classified into five different potential zones. The results show that the majority of the study area (54.22%) was under moderate recharge potential zone. Some of the suitable recharge potential sites are forest-covered regions; therefore, the construction of surface check dams could be a suitable recharge method; it will escalate the discharge in springs and also help to make them perineal. This study provides first-hand information on the groundwater recharge potential of East Sikkim, where the populace depends largely on spring water discharge. Also, it is useful in selecting areas for digging staggered contour trenches, pits, and other structures to recharge the spring water and improve the watershed management system.
From In Vitro to Perioperative Vascular Tissue Engineering: Shortening Production Time by Traceable Textile-Reinforcement
Authors: Mohapatra Saurav Ranjan , Rama Elena , Melcher Christoph , Call Tobias , Al Enezy-Ulbrich Miriam Aischa , Pich Andrij , Apel Christian , Kiessling Fabian , Jockenhoevel Stefan
Published: October 2022

Background:

The production of tissue-engineered vascular graft (TEVG) usually involves a prolonged bioreactor cultivation period of up to several weeks to achieve maturation of extracellular matrix and sufficient mechanical strength. Therefore, we aimed to substantially shorten this conditioning time by combining a TEVG textile scaffold with a recently developed copolymer reinforced fibrin gel as a cell carrier. We further implemented our grafts with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents to allow thein-vitromonitoring of the TEVG’s remodeling process.

Methods:

Biodegradable polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) was electrospun onto a non-degradable polyvinylidene fluoride scaffold and molded along with copolymer-reinforced fibrin hydrogel and human arterial cells. Mechanical tests on the TEVGs were performed both instantly after molding and 4 days of bioreactor conditioning. The non-invasivein vitromonitoring of the PLGA degradation and the novel imaging of fluorinated thermoplastic polyurethane (19F-TPU) were performed using 7T MRI.

Results:

After 4 days of close loop bioreactor conditioning, 617 ± 85 mmHg of burst pressure was achieved, and advanced maturation of extracellular matrix (ECM) was observed by immunohistology, especially in regards to collagen and smooth muscle actin. The suture retention strength (2.24 ± 0.3 N) and axial tensile strength (2.45 ± 0.58 MPa) of the TEVGs achieved higher values than the native arteries used as control. The contrast agents labeling of the TEVGs allowed the monitorability of the PLGA degradation and enabled the visibility of the non-degradable textile component.

Conclusion:

Here, we present a concept for a novel textile-reinforced TEVG, which is successfully produced in 4 days of bioreactor conditioning, characterized by increased ECM maturation and sufficient mechanical strength. Additionally, the combination of our approach with non-invasive imaging provides further insights into TEVG’s clinical application.
Influence of blood pressure and rheology on oscillatory shear index and wall shear stress in the carotid artery
Authors: Kumar Nitesh , Pai R. , Abdul Khader S. M. , Khan S. H. , Kyriacou P. A.
Published: October 2022

Atherosclerosis is a localized complication dependent on both the rheology and the arterial response to blood pressure. Fluid–structure interaction (FSI) study can be effectively used to understand the local haemodynamics and study the development and progression of atherosclerosis. Although numerical investigations of atherosclerosis are well documented, research on the influence of blood pressure as a result of the response to physio–social factors like anxiety, mental stress, and exercise is scarce. In this work, a three-dimensional (3D) Fluid–Structure Interaction (FSI) study was carried out for normal and stenosed patient-specific carotid artery models. Haemodynamic parameters such as Wall Shear Stress (WSS) and Oscillatory Shear Index (OSI) are evaluated for normal and hypertension conditions. The Carreau–Yasuda blood viscosity model was used in the FSI simulations, and the results are compared with the Newtonian model. The results reveal that high blood pressure increases the peripheral resistance, thereby reducing the WSS. Higher OSI occurs in the region with high flow recirculation. Variation of WSS due to changes in blood pressure and blood viscosity is important in understanding the haemodynamics of carotid arteries. This study demonstrates the potential of FSI to understand the causes of atherosclerosis due to altered blood pressures.
Coordination Effect-Promoted Durable Ni(OH)2 for Energy-Saving Hydrogen Evolution from Water/Methanol Co-Electrocatalysis
Authors: Fu Guodong , Kang Xiaomin , Zhang Yan , Yang Xiaoqiang , Wang Lei , Fu Xian-Zhu , Zhang Jiujun , Luo Jing-Li , Liu Jianwen
Published: October 2022

Electrocatalytic water splitting is a viable technique for generating hydrogen but is precluded from the sluggish kinetics of oxygen evolution reactions (OER). Small molecule oxidation reactions with lower working potentials, such as methanol oxidation reactions, are good alternatives to OER with faster kinetics. However, the typically employed Ni-based electrocatalysts have poor activity and stability. Herein, a novel three-dimensional (3D)-networking Mo-doped Ni(OH)2 with ultralow Ni–Ni coordination is synthesized, which exhibits a high MOR activity of 100 mA cm−2 at 1.39 V, delivering 28 mV dec−1 for the Tafel slope. Meanwhile, hydrogen evolution with value-added formate co-generation is boosted with a current density of more than 500 mA cm−2 at a cell voltage of 2.00 V for 50 h, showing excellent stability in an industrial alkaline concentration (6 M KOH). Mechanistic studies based on density functional theory and X-ray absorption spectroscopy showed that the improved performance is mainly attributed to the ultralow Ni–Ni coordination, 3D-networking structures and Mo dopants, which improve the catalytic activity, increase the active site density and strengthen the Ni(OH)2 3D-networking structures, respectively. This study paves a new way for designing electrocatalysts with enhanced activity and durability for industrial energy-saving hydrogen production.
Multi-Dimensional Composite Frame as Bifunctional Catalytic Medium for Ultra-Fast Charging Lithium–Sulfur Battery
Authors: Tian Shuhao , Zeng Qi , Liu Guo , Huang Juanjuan , Sun Xiao , Wang Di , Yang Hongcen , Liu Zhe , Mo Xichao , Wang Zhixia , Tao Kun , Peng Shanglong
Published: October 2022

The shuttle effect of soluble lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) between electrodes and slow reaction kinetics lead to extreme inefficiency and poor high current cycling stability, which limits the commercial application of Li–S batteries. Herein, the multi-dimensional composite frame has been proposed as the modified separator (MCCoS/PP) of Li–S battery, which is composed of CoS2 nanoparticles on alkali-treated MXene nanosheets and carbon nanotubes. Both experiments and theoretical calculations show that bifunctional catalytic activity can be achieved on the MCCoS/PP separator. It can not only promote the liquid–solid conversion in the reduction process, but also accelerate the decomposition of insoluble Li2S in the oxidation process. In addition, LiPSs shuttle effect has been inhibited without a decrease in lithium-ion transference numbers. Simultaneously, the MCCoS/PP separator with good LiPSs adsorption capability arouses redistribution and fixing of active substances, which is also beneficial to the rate performance and cycling stability. The Li–S batteries with the MCCoS/PP separator have a specific capacity of 368.6 mAh g−1 at 20C, and the capacity decay per cycle is only 0.033% in 1000 cycles at 7C. Also, high area capacity (6.34 mAh cm−2) with a high sulfur loading (7.7 mg cm−2) and a low electrolyte/sulfur ratio (7.5 μL mg−1) is achieved.
Agenda-Setting for COVID-19: A Study of Large-Scale Economic News Coverage Using Natural Language Processing
Authors: Lu Guang , Businger Martin , Dollfus Christian , Wozniak Thomas , Fleck Matthes , Heroth Timo , Lock Irina , Lipenkova Janna
Published: October 2022

Over the past two years, organizations and businesses have been forced to constantly adapt and develop effective responses to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The acuteness, global scale and intense dynamism of the situation make online news and information even more important for making informed management and policy decisions. This paper focuses on the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, using natural language processing (NLP) techniques to examine the news media as the main source of information and agenda-setters of public discourse over an eight-month period. The aim of this study is to understand which economic topics news media focused on alongside the dominant health coverage, which topics did not surface, and how these topics influenced each other and evolved over time and space. To this end, we used an extensive open-source dataset of over 350,000 media articles on non-medical aspects of COVID-19 retrieved from over 60 top-tier business blogs and news sites. We referred to the World Economic Forum’s Strategic Intelligence taxonomy to categorize the articles into a variety of topics. In doing so, we found that in the early days of COVID-19, the news media focused predominantly on reporting new cases, which tended to overshadow other topics, such as the economic impact of the virus. Different independent news sources reported on the same topics, showing a herd behavior of the news media during this global health crisis. However, a temporal analysis of news distribution in relation to its geographic focus showed that the rise in COVID-19 cases was associated with an increase in media coverage of relevant socio-economic topics. This research helps prepare for the prevention of social and economic crises when decision-makers closely monitor news coverage of viruses and related topics in other parts of the world. Thus, monitoring the news landscape on a global scale can support decision-making in social and economic crises. Our analyses point to ways in which this monitoring and issues management can be improved to remain alert to social dynamics and market changes.
The effects of astronomically forced climate change on hemipelagic carbonate sedimentation in a tectonically active setting: the Albian Mioño Formation in Castro Urdiales (Cantabria, N Spain)
Authors: Payros Aitor , Martínez-Braceras Naroa , Agirrezabala Luis M. , Dinarès-Turell Jaume , Rosales Idoia
Published: October 2022

Our understanding of the stratigraphic expression of astronomically driven climate-change cycles in the Milankovitch frequency band has improved significantly in recent decades. However, several aspects have been little studied to date, such as the nature of the climatically regulated environmental processes that ultimately control cyclic sedimentation. Similarly, relatively little is known about the expression of Milankovitch cycles in successions accumulated in tectonically active basins. In order to fill this knowledge gap, the Albian hemipelagic deposits of the Mioño Formation exposed in Castro Urdiales (Basque-Cantabrian Basin) are studied herein. These deposits were accumulated during a rifting phase with strong tectonic activity. The sedimentological, petrographic and cyclostratigraphic analysis demonstrates that, despite the synsedimentary tectonic instabilities and some diagenetic overprinting, the hemipelagic carbonate alternation was astronomically forced 110.68–110.47 Ma. Seasonality fluctuations driven by precession cycles caused periodic (20 ky) variations in the rate of carbonate productivity (abundance of pelagic calcareous plankton and micrite exported from adjacent shallow-water areas) and/or siliceous dilution (terrestrially derived siliciclastic sediment supply and siliceous particle production by sponges). These variations resulted in the formation of marly limestone beds when annual seasonality was low (i.e., boreal summer at aphelion, winter at perihelion) and the accumulation of marlstones when seasonality increased (i.e., boreal summer at perihelion, winter at aphelion). The incidence of these processes increased and decreased in line with seasonality modulation by short-eccentricity cycles of 100 ky. In conclusion, this study shows that Milankovitch cycles can be reliably recorded in hemipelagic successions accumulated in tectonically active settings if sediment gravity flows or other disturbances do not affect autochthonous sedimentation.
Machine Learning Workflow to Explain Black-Box Models for Early Alzheimer’s Disease Classification Evaluated for Multiple Datasets
Authors: Bloch Louise , Friedrich Christoph M. ,   for the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: October 2022

Hard-to-interpret black-box Machine Learning (ML) was often used for early Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) detection. To interpret eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), Random Forest (RF), and Support Vector Machine (SVM) black-box models, a workflow based on Shapley values was developed. All models were trained on the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) dataset and evaluated for an independent ADNI test set, as well as the external Australian Imaging and Lifestyle flagship study of Ageing (AIBL), and Open Access Series of Imaging Studies (OASIS) datasets. Shapley values were compared to intuitively interpretable Decision Trees (DTs), and Logistic Regression (LR), as well as natural and permutation feature importances. To avoid the reduction of the explanation validity caused by correlated features, forward selection and aspect consolidation were implemented. Some black-box models outperformed DTs and LR. The forward-selected features correspond to brain areas previously associated with AD. Shapley values identified biologically plausible associations with moderate-to-strong correlations with feature importances. The most important RF features to predict AD conversion were the volume of the amygdalae and a cognitive test score. Good cognitive test performances and large brain volumes decreased the AD risk. The models trained using cognitive test scores significantly outperformed brain volumetric models ($$p<0.05$$

p
<
0.05

). Cognitive Normal (CN) vs. AD models were successfully transferred to external datasets. In comparison to previous work, improved performances for ADNI and AIBL were achieved for CN vs. Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) classification using brain volumes. The Shapley values and the feature importances showed moderate-to-strong correlations.
Chord Function Recognition as Latent State Transition
Authors: Uehara Yui , Tojo Satoshi
Published: October 2022

This paper proposes an unsupervised learning of chord classification aiming at an autonomous recognition of chord functions. In this research, we employ hidden semi-Markov model to incorporate music metrical structure, and in addition, we combine the model with neural network components to embed context information such as beat positions and preceding chord sequences. Experimental results show that the added contexts considerably improve the perplexity. With the help of these neural networks, the proposed model automatically learns hidden states that appropriately represent chord categories. To this purpose, we pre-process the dataset minimally; that is, we only transpose pieces so as not to possess key signatures and ignore octave positions in pitch events. We observe the chord categories effectively cover chords that appeared in the corpus. We further show that the transitions between chord categories reflect the difference of tonalities with a tendency consistent with known chord functions.
Alien versus alien: spatiotemporal overlaps among introduced ungulates in a Mediterranean island ecosystem
Authors: Fedele Ettore , Mori Emiliano , Giampaoli Rustichelli Margherita , Del Sala Federico , Giannini Francesca , Meriggi Matteo , Santini Giacomo , Zaccaroni Marco
Published: October 2022

Assessing the spatiotemporal behaviour of alien species is pivotal to designing effective management plans. Interspecific niche partitioning among ungulates is reported as a strategy to avoid direct interactions. The Mediterranean mouflon and wild boar are two ungulates introduced to Elba island for hunting and aesthetic purposes. We used intensive camera trapping to test whether species occupancy and temporal activity rhythms would vary in response to the presence or absence of the co-occurring species through multi-species occupancy modelling. Our findings report a lack of spatial and temporal segregation between the two species for the late spring–summer and late summer–autumn seasons. In contrast, results for the winter–early spring period suggest that spatial partitioning between wild boar and mouflon is present in areas with high artificial cover (e.g., paved roads). Animals may indeed exploit roads to move more rapidly in search of food; however, their occurrence in these areas seems to be influenced by the presence of the other species.
Ethics and diversity in artificial intelligence policies, strategies and initiatives
Authors: Roche Cathy , Wall P. J. , Lewis Dave
Published: October 2022

A burgeoning of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies in recent years has led to increased discussion about its potential to address many issues considered otherwise intractable, including those highlighted by the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and associated Sustainable Development Goals. In tandem with this growth in AI is an expanding body of documentation regarding how such advanced technologies should be governed and managed. Issued by a variety of sources and comprising frameworks, policies and guidelines, this body of work encompasses the legal, social, ethical and policy issues around AI. With at least 470 such documents identified, as of May 2021, in the Council of Europe’s tracker of AI initiatives, questions are emerging around the diversity of views expressed, especially regarding the influence of the Global North or Euro-American perspectives. Our previous analysis of a corpus of largely grey literature discovered blind spots regarding both gender representation and perspectives from the Global South. Expanding on that work, this paper examines a significantly extended corpus, with a focus on the role of underrepresented groups in the wider AI discourse. We find that voices from the Global South and consideration of alternative ethical approaches are largely absent from the conversation. In light of the prominence of social, cultural and ethical perspectives from the Global North, this paper explores implications for the development of standards for ethical AI. Concluding by offering approaches to incorporate more diverse ethical viewpoints and beliefs, we call for increased consideration of power structures when developing AI ethics policies and standards within these alternative socio-cultural and socio-economic contexts.
Understanding risk with FOTRES?
Authors: Räz Tim
Published: October 2022

The present paper examines the recidivism risk assessment instrument FOTRES, addressing the questions whether FOTRES provides us with an adequate understanding of risk, whether we actually understand FOTRES itself, and whether FOTRES is fair. The evaluation of FOTRES uses the criteria of empirical accuracy, representational accuracy, domain of validity, intelligibility, and fairness. This evaluation is compared to that of COMPAS, a different, much-discussed risk assessment instrument. The paper argues that FOTRES performs poorly in comparison to COMPAS with respect to some of the criteria, and that both FOTRES and COMPAS do not show a satisfactory performance with respect to other criteria.
The societal impact of the metaverse
Authors: Henz Patrick
Published: October 2022

In the 1920s developed a new artistic and cultural movement called “Surrealism”, which not only included the revolutionary paintings and sculptures, but also philosophical texts and novels. Around 100 years later, the arrival of the Metaverse with its independence of physical laws promises to bring Surrealism to a next level. On the other hand, the pure market power of some of the companies developing their concepts may limit this potential freedom for the users. As observed with social media platforms, inside the initial competition, various providers had to close their platforms, leading to today’s oligopoly. This means less choice for the users and a stronger position of the providers to create solutions maximizing their economic benefit. Today, independent companies work on their visions of the Metaverse, but unequal starting positions may make it difficult for them to compete with the established competitors. Similar to the attractivity of social media, also the Metaverse requires a high number of active users and service providers (private companies, but also governmental offices), fostering the tendency to an oligopoly. Based on literature, economy, psychology, and art, this paper discusses the opportunities and risks of the Metaverse, including an outlook on a predicted societal impact, especially laying its focus on the holistic connections of the different points of view. As the Metaverse only appeared in smaller parts yet, academic papers are still lacking. One aim of this article is to start an academic discussion. So far, actual concepts had been widely inspired by popular science fiction novels, ignoring Ray Bradbury’s thoughts: “It’s ‘prevent the future,’ that’s the way I put it. Not predict it, prevent it”.
Cerebral Glucose Metabolism in Patients with Chronic Disorders of Consciousness
Authors: Usami Noriko , Asano Yoshitaka , Ikegame Yuka , Takei Hiroaki , Yamada Yuichi , Yano Hirohito , Shinoda Jun
Published: October 2022

Objective:

To measure regional cerebral metabolic rate of glucose (CMRGlu) in patients with chronic disorders of consciousness (DOCs) using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET).

Methods:

This retrospective cohort study examined 50 patients (mean age: 40.9 ± 20.1 years) with traumatic brain injury (TBI)-induced chronic DOCs [minimally conscious state (MCS)+, n = 20; MCS−, n = 15 and vegetative state (VS), n = 15]. We measured FDG-PET-based CMRGlu values in 12 regions of both brain hemispheres and compared those among MCS+, MCS − and VS patients.

Results:

In both hemispheres, the regional CMRGlu reduced with consciousness deterioration in 11 of 12 regions (91.7%). In seven right hemisphere regions, CMRGlu values were markedly higher in MCS+ patients than in MCS− patients. Furthermore, CMRGlu was suggestively higher in the left occipital region in MCS− patients than in VS patients.

Conclusion:

Functional preservation in the left occipital region in patients with chronic DOCs might reflect an awareness of external environments, whereas extensive functional preservation in the right cerebral hemisphere might reflect communication motivation.
Mentoring strategies to support diversity in research-focused junior faculty: A scoping review
Authors: Williams Joni S. , Walker Rebekah J. , Burgess Kaylin M. , Shay L. Aubree , Schmidt Susanne , Tsevat Joel , Campbell Jennifer A. , Dawson Aprill Z. , Ozieh Mukoso N. , Phillips Shane A. , Egede Leonard E.
Published: October 2022

Objective:

The purpose of this scoping review is two-fold: to assess the literature that quantitatively measures outcomes of mentorship programs designed to support research-focused junior faculty and to identify mentoring strategies that promote diversity within academic medicine mentoring programs.

Methods:

Studies were identified by searching Medline using MESH terms for mentoring and academic medicine. Eligibility criteria included studies focused on junior faculty in research-focused positions, receiving mentorship, in an academic medical center in the USA, with outcomes collected to measure career success (career trajectory, career satisfaction, quality of life, research productivity, leadership positions). Data were abstracted using a standardized data collection form, and best practices were summarized.

Results:

Search terms resulted in 1,842 articles for title and abstract review, with 27 manuscripts meeting inclusion criteria. Two studies focused specifically on women, and four studies focused on junior faculty from racial/ethnic backgrounds underrepresented in medicine. From the initial search, few studies were designed to specifically increase diversity or capture outcomes relevant to promotion within academic medicine. Of those which did, most studies captured the impact on research productivity and career satisfaction. Traditional one-on-one mentorship, structured peer mentorship facilitated by a senior mentor, and peer mentorship in combination with one-on-one mentorship were found to be effective strategies to facilitate research productivity.

Conclusion:

Efforts are needed at the mentee, mentor, and institutional level to provide mentorship to diverse junior faculty on research competencies and career trajectory, create a sense of belonging, and connect junior faculty with institutional resources to support career success.
The associated impact of standardized admission screening on vancomycin-resistant Enterococci bloodstream infections
Authors: Pfister Ted R. , Chow Blanda , Shen Ye , Ellison Jennifer , Bush Kathryn
Published: October 2022

Objective:

To determine whether discontinuing active screening for vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) in Alberta, Canada, acute-care facilities had an associated impact on the rate of rise of hospital-acquired (HA) VRE bloodstream infection (VRE-BSI).

Setting:

Acute-care facilities in Alberta, Canada.

Patients:

All patients who were admitted to Alberta Health Services or Covenant Health acute-care facilities between January 1, 2013, and March 31, 2020, and who met the definition for hospital-acquired VRE-BSI were included in the analyses.

Methods:

An intervention time-series Poisson regression was used to determine the slope change in VRE incidence between the pre- and postintervention (screening) periods. The patient population was separated into 3 cohorts: group 1 (low risk, VRE screening stopped), group 2 (high risk, VRE screening stopped), and group 3 (high risk, VRE screening continued). For all groups, a level- and slope-change model was used.

Results:

We did not find a statistically significant difference in the slope change or rate of rise in VRE-BSI before and after the intervention, with incidence rate ratio (IRRs) of 1.015 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.982–1.049), 1.025 (95% CI, 0.967–1.086), and 0.989 (95% CI, 0.924–1.059) for groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively.

Conclusions:

In Alberta, the rate of HA VRE-BSI has remained consistent, and our findings indicate that there has been no increase in the rate of rise of HA VRE-BSI in sites or units that discontinued screening for VRE, regardless of patient risk group.
Conditional Probabilities and Symmetric Grounding
Authors: Brenner Andrew
Published: October 2022

I present new counterexamples to the asymmetry of grounding: we have prima facie reason to think that some conditional probabilities partially ground their inverse conditional probabilities, and vice versa. These new counterexamples may require that we reject the asymmetry of grounding or, alternatively, that we reject one or more of the assumptions (regarding, e.g., the correct interpretation of probability) that enable the counterexamples. Either way, by reflecting on these purported counterexamples to grounding asymmetry, we learn something important, either about the formal properties of grounding or about the nature of probability (or both).
International Sports Events and Repression in Autocracies: Evidence from the 1978 FIFA World Cup
Authors: SCHARPF ADAM , GLÄßEL CHRISTIAN , EDWARDS PEARCE
Published: October 2022

How do international sports events shape repression in authoritarian host countries? International tournaments promise unique gains in political prestige through global media attention. However, autocrats must fear that foreign journalists will unmask their wrongdoings. We argue that autocracies solve this dilemma by strategically adjusting repression according to the spatial-temporal presence of international media. Using original, highly disaggregated data on the 1978 World Cup, we demonstrate that the Argentine host government largely refrained from repression during the tournament but preemptively cleared the streets beforehand. These adjustments specifically occurred around hotels reserved for foreign journalists. Additional tests demonstrate that (1) before the tournament, repression turned increasingly covert, (2) during the tournament, targeting patterns mirrored the working shifts of foreign journalists, (3) after the tournament, regime violence again spiked in locations where international media had been present. Together, the article highlights the human costs of megaevents, contradicting the common whitewashing rhetoric of functionaries.
QUASICONTINUITY, NONATTRACTING POINTS, DISTRIBUTIVE CHAOS AND RESISTANCE TO DISRUPTIONS
Authors: KUCHARSKA MELANIA , PAWLAK RYSZARD J.
Published: October 2022

We prove that any continuous function can be locally approximated at a fixed point
$x_{0}$
by an uncountable family resistant to disruptions by the family of continuous functions for which
$x_{0}$
is a fixed point. In that context, we also consider the property of quasicontinuity.
Bilateral Ménière's disease according to its form of debut: synchronous and metachronous disease
Authors: Pérez-Carbonell T , Orts-Alborch M , Pla-Gil I , Pérez-Guilén V , Tenías-Burrillo J M , Marco-Algarra J , Pérez-Garrigues H
Published: October 2022

Objective

Bilateral Ménière's disease is classified according to the time of appearance of symptoms in each ear into synchronous and metachronous types. A descriptive longitudinal study, involving 59 bilateral Ménière's disease patients, was carried out to assess the two forms of bilateral Ménière's disease.

Method

Data on symptomatic chronology in each ear, auditory evolution and evolution of vertiginous crisis, among other aspects, were obtained, analysed and compared. Possible risk factors for Ménière's disease becoming bilateral were analysed after conducting nested case–control studies in a cohort.

Results

The metachronous form was seen in 76.3 per cent of cases, and the time it took for the disease to become bilateral took a median time of seven years. The symptomatic triad was the most frequent symptomatic debut for the first ear in both forms. Synchronous debut presented a greater average hearing loss. Suffering from migraine and a symptomatic onset with a greater number of symptoms appear to be possible predictors of conversion to bilateral Ménière's disease.

Conclusion

Bilateral Ménière's disease temporal models presented differences. The study of them helps to better understand, prevent and predict the behaviour of these patients.
The trouble with local community in Longyearbyen, Svalbard: Howbig politicsand lack offellesskaphinder a not-yet-decided future
Authors: Sokolíčková Zdenka
Published: October 2022

Based on long-term ethnographic fieldwork data, this article argues there is tension between how Longyearbyen’s residents wish to perform as a community and hindrances the town inherited from its past and accepts as demarcation lines of Norway’s Svalbard politics. The population of Longyearbyen has undergone considerable change since the 1990s, turning from a predominantly Norwegian mining community into a highly diversified group of people from all over the world. This article places Longyearbyen into the wider context of settlements with similar traces (in Scandinavia, the Arctic, multilingual and immigrant communities worldwide, or in the context of extractivism) and discusses the existing barriers of communitification. Encounters with four participants illuminate the tensions and contradictions when it comes to cultivating social cohesion and shaping Longyearbyen’s “desired futures.” Unless the process of increasing the community’s agency is actively encouraged by people living there and those governing it from the outside, the future of the settlement risks being alienating for its inhabitants, weakening further the communitification potential.
Striped hyaena den site selection in Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, India
Authors: Ashish K. , Ramesh Tharmalingam , Kalle Riddhika
Published: October 2022

The den is a multi-purpose critical space of carnivores and provides a growth conducive refuge which ensures both substances and protection from interspecific predation and harsh climate. Selection of optimal den sites determined by various site-specific factors potentially reduces aversive interspecific interactions and provides cost-effective access to food sources. In this study, we have assessed the factors determining the den site selection by a small population of striped hyaena,Hyaena hyaenain a shared landscape dominated by large carnivores. We assessed den site selection as a function of vegetation patch characteristics, site-specific anthropogenic threats/activities and topographical variables using Bayesian algorithm through field collected binomial data on den use by the species. Our model suggested that hyaenas select rocky refugia surrounded by trees and tall grasses, situated on mountain slopes proximate to a water body. Our study consolidated the importance of undulating terrain in the species ecology and postulated the slope as an ‘energy-expensive’ terrain that refrains frequent movement of other carnivores, in turn providing more affordable denning space for the striped hyaena. This study provides critical information on denning ecology of last remaining major breeding population striped hyaena of southern India.
A longitudinal study into learners’ productive collocation knowledge in L2 German and factors affecting the learning
Authors: Boone Griet , De Wilde Vanessa , Eyckmans June
Published: October 2022

This longitudinal study explored the roles of item- and learner-related variables in L2 learners’ development of productive collocation knowledge (L1 = Dutch; L2 = German; NLearners= 50). Learners’ form recall knowledge of 35 target collocations was measured three times over a 3-year period. The item-related variables investigated were L1-L2 congruency, corpus frequency, association strength, and imageability. We also explored the learner-related variables L2 prior productive vocabulary knowledge and L2 immersion. Mixed-effects regression modeling indicated a significant effect of time, congruency, and prior productive vocabulary knowledge on learners’ collocation learning. While learners’ knowledge of congruent collocations remained relatively stable after year one, knowledge of incongruent collocations increased significantly. Learners’ prior productive vocabulary knowledge was clearly associated with growth of productive collocation knowledge, but besides overall growth there were instances of attrition.
Queering Romeo and Juliet in South Korea: Homonormativity as Gay Utopian Fantasy
Authors: IM YEEYON
Published: October 2022

This article examines two recent queer adaptations of Romeo and Juliet in Seoul, attending to their opposite receptions in relation to the gap between queer theory and gay reality. It focuses on LAS's Juliet and Juliet, hailed as ‘female queer theatre’ despite being conservative gay, while discussing briefly in comparison Yohangza's Romeo and Juliet, decried as ‘anti-queer’ for all its queerness. Although the dream of a happy married life in Juliet and Juliet appears similar to the much-critiqued homonormativity, I defend it as a ‘gay utopian fantasy’ rooted in the predicament of Korean queers under the ideology of familism. Questioning the adequacy of Western-centric queer theory to explain Korean gay reality, I call for the need to develop alternative concepts and positive vocabularies to give voice to the lived experience and aspiration of sexual minorities in countries like Korea, for whom the post-gay era has not yet arrived.
Resistance to the Neo-liberal Economy and the Life of a Play: The Jana Natya Manch and Theatre Activism
Authors: GHOSH ARJUN
Published: October 2022

For left cultural activism, ‘theatre’ forms an important ‘worksite of democracy’ which allows theatre activists to provide creative intervention within the existing ‘field of forces’. Cultural organizations and theatre groups of the Left – like the Delhi-based Jana Natya Manch (People's Theatre Forum) offer a critique of neo-liberalism through theatre. First performed in the year 2000, the street play Nahi Qubool (Unacceptable) was designed to expose neo-liberal policies undertaken by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government. The play continued to be performed even after a change of government with suitable modifications for changed circumstances. This genealogy of performance demonstrates the contours of politics and activist performances in contemporary India. It reveals that theatre as a ‘laboratory for democracy’ can also perform a diagnostic role to enhance the effectiveness of political strategy.
Eimuntas Nekrošius's Transnational ‘Voice from Lithuania’: Reinterpreting Polish Classics within Frames of the Theatre of Sensual Metaphors
Authors: DUDA ARTUR
Published: October 2022

The aim of this article is an interpretation of Eimuntas Nekrošius's performances staged in the National Theatre Warsaw in the last years of his life. In the context of complex political and cultural relationships between Poland and Lithuania, the aesthetics of the theatre of sensual metaphors invented by Nekrošius might be perceived from an uncommon perspective – not as a type of universal art presenting crucial issues of mankind, but as a transnational reinterpretation of Polish classic plays – first of all, the nineteenth-century Forefathers’ Eve by Adam Mickiewicz, the Polish poet born near Vilnius in Lithuania. From this point of view, the theatre of Nekrošius reveals his political potential to create a transnational bridge between neighbour states. The author tries to apply notions of ‘subaltern agency’ (Gayatri Spivak) and the ‘cosmopolitan subject’ (Yana Meerzon) to present the complex issue of empowerment of Polish and Lithunanian subjects – from rejection of the false messianic consciousness to transnational rapprochement.