bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ultrafast Room‐Temperature Synthesis of Yb3+/Er3+ Codoped K3ZrF7 Nanocrystals for Thermal Enhancement of Upconversion
Authors: Fu Huhui , Xie Wenfeng , Qian Yuanqi , Li Xiao , Zhang Yaning , Lu Jingbing , Xiong Qi , Wu Anhua , Su Liangbi , Liu M.
Published: December 2024

Lanthanide (Ln3+)‐doped upconversion nanocrystals (NCs) have attracted great attention due to their outstanding luminescent performance and wide applications in various fields. However, the preparation of most Ln3+‐doped NCs requires rigorous conditions such as high reaction temperature, long reaction time, strict anhydrous and oxygen‐free environment, and tedious post‐treatment process. Herein, sub‐100 nm Yb3+/Er3+ codoped K3ZrF7 octahedral NCs are prepared by an extremely simple coprecipitation method (10 s only at room temperature). The resulting NCs show excellent upconversion luminescence (UCL), significantly superior to both their conventional high‐temperature‐synthesized counterparts and the room‐temperature‐synthesized NaBiF4:Yb/Er controls. More importantly, abnormal thermally enhanced UCL over a temperature range from room temperature to 473 K is found in these K3ZrF7:Yb/Er NCs, making them promising candidates for ratiometric thermometry applications. By employing the luminescence intensity ratio between two non‐thermally coupled energy levels of Er3+, namely 4F9/2 and 2H11/2, these NCs display an extraordinarily high absolute sensitivity of 443.2% K−1 and a comparatively large relative sensitivity of 1.55% K−1 at room temperature. These results reveal that K3ZrF7:Yb/Er NCs can not only be facilely prepared via an ultrafast room‐temperature synthesis, but also hold great potential in various areas such as optical temperature sensing and biological applications.
Enhancing Sensitivity of Piezoresistive Pressure Sensor at Low Pressures Using Photo‐Sensitive Resin Plate as Flexible Substrate
Authors: Akrami Ferdos , Hamedi Samaneh
Published: December 2024

In this paper, flexible highly sensitive piezoresistive pressure sensors for low compressive stress detection (9.8 Pa to 10.7 kPa) are proposed, by using Photo‐Sensitive Resin Plate (PSRP). The photolithography method is employed to create the micro‐dome structure pattern on PSRP. Finally, the active parts of the sensors are made by depositing a thin layer of silver (Ag), as the sensing element, on the micro‐dome patterns. Herein, the effect of three different surface pattern dimensions as well as two different thicknesses of the Ag layer on sensor sensitivity are evaluated. The sensor fabricated with a diameter of 300 µm for micro‐dome structure, and 70 nm for the thickness of Ag layer demonstrated ultrahigh sensitivity of 29343 and 5 × 106 kPa−1 in the pressure ranges of 0.2–5 and 5–10.7 kPa, respectively. The sensor with a diameter of 300 µm for micro‐domes and an Ag‐thickness layer of 100 nm has a low working voltage of 0.1 V, a high sensitivity of 223.69 kPa−1 in the pressure range <0.11 kPa, and lowest limit of detection 9.8 Pa. The response and recovery times of this sensor are 270 and 60 ms, respectively. Furthermore, the sensor maintained high and stable performance over a 17‐min period.
Cord Blood Transplantation Using Myeloablative Conditioning for Pediatric Advanced Myelodysplastic Syndrome in AMeD Syndrome With a Novel ADH5 Variant
Authors: Morishita Yusuke , Hamada Motoharu , Uemura Suguru , Kikuchi Hiroaki , Hisakawa Hiroaki , Fujikawa Tomoko , Tamura Akihiro , Okuno Yusuke , Wakamatsu Manabu , Muramatsu Hideki , Takahashi Yoshiyuki , Hasegawa Daiichiro , Kosaka Yoshiyuki
Published: December 2024

Aplastic anemia, mental retardation, and dwarfism syndrome (AMeDS) is a rare inherited bone marrow failure syndrome. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo‐HSCT) is the only possible treatment option for hematological complications in AMeDS; however, there are no reports addressing allo‐HSCT for AMeDS. A 6‐year‐old female diagnosed with AMeDS accompanying myelodysplastic syndrome with increased blast was successfully treated with cord blood transplantation followed by myeloablative conditioning (MAC). A novel ADH5 c.1101‐3C>G variant detected in this patient was demonstrated to be a null variant causing several patterns of alternative splicing in ADH5 gene. MAC might be feasible and effective in AMeDS.
Evaluating the Prognostic Impact of Apparent Diffusion Coefficient in Definitive Radiotherapy for Gleason Score 7 Prostate Cancer Patients
Authors: Onal Cem , Elmali Aysenur , Erbay Gurcan , Demirhan Birhan , Sutera Philip , Deek Matthew P. , Tran Phuoc T. , Guler Ozan Cem
Published: December 2024

Background

To investigate the utility of diffusion‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW‐MRI) in evaluating Gleason score (GS) 7 tumors before definitive radiotherapy (RT) and to explore its association with clinicopathological factors and treatment outcomes.

Materials and Methods

Clinical data of 266 prostate cancer (PCa) patients with biopsy‐confirmed GS 7 who underwent RT were retrospectively analyzed. Pretreatment DW‐MRI was utilized to measure apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of primary tumors. Treatment outcomes, including biochemical disease‐free survival (bDFS) and prostate cancer‐specific survival (PCSS), were assessed. Statistical analyses were conducted to determine the correlation between tumor ADC values, clinicopathological factors, and treatment outcomes.

Results

Tumors with a GS of 3 + 4 had significantly higher ADC values than those with a GS of 4 + 3 (0.746 ± 0.150 vs. 0.702 ± 0.157 × 10−³ mm²/s; p < 0.001). Median follow‐up time was 8.6 years, and the 7‐year rates for bDFS and PCSS were 89.1% and 95.3%, respectively. Lower tumor ADC values were significantly correlated with higher GS and increased risk of disease progression. A primary tumor ADC cutoff value of 0.682 × 10−³ mm²/s was identified for predicting disease progression. Patients with higher ADC values exhibited significantly better 7‐year bDFS rates (92.8% vs. 83.2%; p = 0.02). However, GS 4 + 3 tumors independently predicted poorer bDFS and PCSS outcomes. In the multivariable analysis, only GS 4 + 3 tumor was predictive for worse bDFS and PCSS.

Conclusions

Tumor ADC values are a reliable biomarker for differentiating between GS 3 + 4 and 4 + 3 tumors in the GS 7 category. Tumors exhibiting lower ADC values have been associated to higher risk factors and an increased likelihood of disease progression, particularly in GS 3 + 4 tumors where GS upgrading could happen.
Boosting the efficacy of fungal biocontrol: miRNA339‐5p‐mediated mosquito immunity regulation
Authors: Zhang Ruonan , Kang Zehong , Dong Shengzhang , Shangguan Duanwen , Shoukat Rana Fartab , Zhang Jie , Zafar Junaid , Wu Hongxin , Yu Xiao‐Qiang , Xu Xiaoxia , Jin Fengliang
Published: December 2024

BACKGROUND

Aedes mosquitoes are vectors for numerous viral diseases, including dengue, zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever. Therefore, underscoring the urgent need for eco‐friendly alternatives to combat insecticide resistance and the scarcity of effective vaccines. Entomopathogenic fungi present a sustainable alternative to chemical insecticides; however, their widespread application is limited by their relatively low virulence.

RESULTS

Here, we investigated the immunological interactions between Metarhizium anisopliae and Aedes albopictus, demonstrating that fungal infection significantly up‐regulated immune‐related genes in the Toll and melanization pathways, thereby enhancing antifungal and antibacterial defenses at 48 h post‐infection (hpi). Small RNA sequencing identified miR339‐5p as a crucial modulator, targeting the immune genes Gram‐Negative Binding Protein 1 (GNBP1) and CLIP‐domain Serine Protease B15 (CLIPB15), which are critical for Toll and phenoloxidase (PO) pathway activation. The administration of a synthetic miR339‐5p mimic increased fungal virulence, resulting in a higher mortality rate among adult mosquitoes and a significant increase in the mortality rate of mosquito larvae within 24 hpi. GNBP1 was found to regulate both Toll and PO pathways, while CLIPB15 specifically modulated the PO system by cleaving prophenoloxidase (PPO).

CONCLUSION

This research highlights the potential of leveraging Ae. albopictus‐encoded miR339‐5p through advanced genetic engineering techniques to bolster the efficacy of existing fungal‐based mosquito control strategies, providing a promising approach in the fight against mosquito‐borne diseases. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
Creating a Three‐Dimensional Auxetic System Using Torsion Springs
Authors: Farrugia Pierre‐Sandre , Gatt Ruben , Grima Joseph N.
Published: December 2024

In this article, a three‐dimensional (3D) auxetic system is designed by linking layers of rotating squares with torsion springs. The orientation of the rotating squares in the different layers is organized in such a way that when a tensile load is applied on them, corresponding squares would rotate in opposite directions. This creates a torque that acts on the torsion spring. As a consequence, the length of the torsion spring increases resulting in a negative Poisson's ratio in three dimensions. An analytical model for the Poisson's ratio is derived and then tested using a 3D‐printed specimen of the proposed design. The results are found to be in general good agreement.
Selective Patterning of p‐Type Dopants on MoS2 via Atomic Force Microscopy‐Assisted Surface Modification
Authors: Jo Euihyun , Lee Youngchel , Woo Minhyeong , Kim Hyunki , Park Jaesung , Lee Minbaek
Published: December 2024

The selective patterning of gold chloride (AuCl3) dopants on few‐layer molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) flakes is investigated with the objective of manipulating the electrical properties of 2D material‐based devices. MoS2, renowned for its exceptional properties, is doped with AuCl3 via spin coating. The removal of the dopants is achieved using contact‐mode atomic force microscopy (AFM), with control over the extent of dopant obtained by varying the AFM tip's contact force. Scanning electron microscopy and energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy confirm the patterning of the dopants. The application of this patterning method to MoS2‐based field‐effect transistors results in rectified output characteristics, in contrast to the ohmic behavior observed in pristine and fully coated devices. This method offers a valuable approach for customizing MoS2 surfaces, advancing 2D material‐based electronic devices and next‐generation semiconductor designs with tailored properties.
Binding of Perfluoroalkyl Substances to Nanoplastic Protein Corona Is pH‐Dependent and Attenuates Their Bioavailability and Toxicity
Authors: Zhao Zongshan , Yao Jiaqiang , Li Haimei , Lan Jing , Bao Yan , Zhao Lining , Zong Wansong , Long Yanmin , Feng Lei , Hollert Henner , Zhao Xingchen
Published: December 2024

There is a severe lack of understanding of the effects of micro/nanoplastics on human proteins and cells, especially in the presence of organic pollutants. Herein, both in vivo and in vitro assays are conducted to structurally evaluate blood protein complexed with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) as well as their coronas formed on polystyrene nanoplastics (PNs). PFOS is bound to serum albumin (SA) about 4 times as firmly as PFOA, which is not influenced by protein corona formation onto PN surfaces. However, the small molecular binding dramatically suppresses SA–PN aggregation. Low pH weakens the protein interaction of PFOS while not PFOA, which is also independent of PN adsorption, but the interaction with SA is still stronger for PFOS than PFOA, indicating higher serum persistence and risks. The presence of PN suppresses the cellular uptake of the chemicals and attenuates cytotoxicity due to low bioavailability. Overall, these results provide fundamental information on the ternary interaction mode of protein, particle, and organic pollutants in physiological environments with varying pH, as well as the subsequent cellular responses.
Investigation on Crystallization of CaO‐Al2O3‐B2O3‐BaO Slag Using Differential Scanning Calorimeter and In Situ High‐Temperature Raman Spectroscopy
Authors: Lin Yong , Gyakwaa Francis , Kokkonen Tommi , Mattila Riku , Yan Baijun , Fabritius Timo , Shu Qifeng
Published: December 2024

CaO‐Al2O3‐B2O3‐based slag is among the most promising “nonreactive” mold fluxes for continuous casting of high‐aluminum steel. However, CaO‐Al2O3‐B2O3‐based slag system exhibits a stronger crystallization ability compared to traditional mold fluxes. Herein, calcium oxide in CaO‐Al2O3‐10%B2O3 slag is partially replaced by the same mass of barium oxide (5 and 10 mass%) to adjust the crystallization ability. The crystallization of glassy slags is then investigated using a differential scanning calorimeter and their crystallization kinetics are analyzed using the Matusita–Sakka model. The structural evolution of glassy slags from room temperature to 1200 °C is also investigated using in situ Raman spectroscopy. The kinetic analysis shows that the crystallization process of CaO‐Al2O3‐B2O3‐BaO glassy slags follows the surface crystallization mechanism. The predominant crystalline products are calcium monoaluminate (CaAl2O4) and calcium borate (Ca3(BO3)2). The partial replacement of calcium oxide by barium oxide inhibits the growth of CaAl2O4 in the slag by increasing the activation energy of crystal growth. The high‐temperature Raman spectroscopy study shows that the band between 700 and 900 cm−1 gets weaker relative to the band between 450 and 650 cm−1 at high temperatures. This indicates the strengthening of bending vibration of Al‐O‐Al, which is consistent with the precipitation of CaAl2O4 with full oxygen bridging.
Influencing of Molten Pool Dynamic Behavior on the Weld Formation during the Laser‐Arc Hybrid Welding of 12 mm Thick Steel
Authors: Li Zufa , Xu Liyun , Liu Qingyong , Shang Gang , He Hanwu , Feng Junbo , Zhang Peilei , Yu Zhishui
Published: December 2024

A numerical simulation model is put forward to study the molten pool dynamic behavior and clarify its influencing mechanism on the undercut defects in laser‐arc hybrid welding (LAHW). The undercut defect is a common and challenging problem to address. However, a controversy exists on whether the dynamic process of molten pool can affect undercut defects, and the potential mechanism has been still unclear. The results suggest that profile variation of molten pool surface is driven by surface tension gradient, and the existence of eddy can alter the morphology and surface tension distribution of molten pool, which is the main factor to homogenize the flow field. Compared with the short‐circuit transfer mode, the molten metal flows toward the welds edge at a constant velocity (2.5–3.75 m min−1) in the spray transfer mode, which improves the stability of molten pool flow. It can be observed that the irregular fluctuation of molten metal during the solidification process can directly cause the undercut defects.
Softening index‐based equivalent linear modeling approach for bolt‐connected precast concrete frame
Authors: Yi Jie , Zhao Bin , Wu Di , Zhu Huiqing
Published: December 2024

Precast concrete structures with bolt‐connected joints have been widely constructed in the world, and their prospective application market is still considerable. Considering the clear load transferring path and damage mechanism, simplified analysis method is feasible for the bolt‐connected precast concrete frame. This paper proposes an equivalent linear modeling approach (ELMA) for this type of structure, which is convenient and high efficiency to help the preliminary design of structures and seismic assessment of existing buildings. In this method, a series of linear models are established to simulate the real structure in different seismic intensity levels. The softening indices summarized from the variation of modal frequencies are defined to represent the stiffness degradation of structures. In order to obtain specific softening indices, a shaking table test for a bolt‐connected precast concrete frame was implemented. Based on the test results, the recommended softening indices, applicable to bolt‐connected frames with similar design performance objectives, are 0.325, 0.713, and 0.816 for the minor, moderate, and major earthquake levels, respectively. Following the ELMA, the numerical model of the test frame was constructed and its equivalent seismic behaviors were analyzed. By comparison with the test results, the convenience and effectiveness of this method is validated, and the precision of simulation meets the requirement of engineering application. The ELMA is also applicable for precast frames with different joints or design requirements, if the softening indices are appropriately defined by shaking table test of the structure or cyclic loading test of its single‐connection model.
Impact of a Priori Gravity Field Models on SLR Data Processing
Authors: Geisser Linda , Meyer Ulrich , Arnold Daniel , Jäggi Adrian
Published: December 2024

Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) is essential for the geodetic parameter determination, e.g., geocenter and station coordinates, and, therefore, for long-term stable reference frame realizations. However, the orbit modeling and the quality of the parameter estimation partially depend on the background models. This study analyses the impact of static and time-variable a priori gravity field models provided by the Center for Space Research (CSR), the International Laser Ranging Service (ILRS), and the Combination Service for Time-variable Gravity Fields (COST-G) on the SLR data processing of spherical geodetic SLR satellites (LAGEOS-1/2 and LARES) at different orbital altitudes, by comparing the estimates of Earth rotation parameters, station coordinates and observation residuals. The COST-G model is further used to examine the impact of the mean pole model and the replacement of the spherical harmonic coefficients $$C_{21}/S_{21}$$

C

21

∕

S

21

according to convention provided by the International Earth Rotation Service (IERS).

While for LAGEOS-1/2 SLR data processing the a priori gravity field model has only a minor impact, the lower flying LARES satellite is more sensitive to the Earth’s gravity field and requires a more sophisticated gravity field modeling, e.g., COST-G Fitted Signal Model (FSM). In order to achieve higher consistency and thus improved solutions, the same mean pole model should be used in the SLR data processing as for the generation of the used a priori gravity field model.

This study confirms the high quality of the COST-G FSM and demonstrates its suitability for potential use in the ILRS operational SLR processing.
Spatial Statistics of Three-Dimensional Growth Dynamics of Spindle Microtubules
Authors: Yamashita Norio , Morita Masahiko , Yokota Hideo , Mimori-Kiyosue Yuko
Published: December 2024

The latest high-resolution 3D live-cell imaging technology, lattice light-sheet microscopy (LLSM), has successfully tracked the dynamics of microtubule growth throughout the entire mitotic spindle with unparalleled precision. By using green fluorescent protein-labeled end-binding protein 1 (EB1-GFP) as a marker for growing microtubule ends, LLSM has generated an extensive collection of multidimensional datasets mapping the positions and trajectories of these growing microtubule ends. Processing this data requires statistical analysis in three-dimensional space. This chapter describes the spatial statistical methods developed for this purpose, illustrated with practical examples. Finally, we discuss future prospects for analyzing complex, large-scale image data.
Setting the Scene for Automated Mobility: A Comparative Introduction to the Mobility Systems in Germany and Japan
Authors: Kuhnimhof Tobias , Miyoshi Hiroaki , Taniguchi Ayako , Suzuki Shoichi , Hasegawa Yu , Fleischer Torsten , Eisenmann Christine
Published: December 2024

This chapter presents a comparative analysis of the mobility systems in Germany and Japan, providing insights into how these systems might influence the implementation of vehicle automation. This comparison begins by exploring the historical evolution of transport in both countries, noting that both have long-established infrastructures shaped by unique geographical and historical contexts. Germany’s transport system, for instance, developed within a landlocked nation with extensive rail networks, while Japan’s transport was influenced by its island geography and mountainous terrain. The chapter then examines key dimensions of the current transport systems, including demography, settlement patterns, road transport governance, public transport infrastructure, and the automotive industry’s role. Comparative statistics are provided, illustrating the differences and similarities between Germany and Japan. The analysis highlights how these existing systems serve as both enablers and barriers to the integration of automated vehicles. The chapter concludes that the introduction of vehicle automation will not revolutionize these transport systems overnight but will gradually adapt to existing frameworks. The success of vehicle automation depends on the interplay between technological advances and established transport policies, regulations, and cultural norms. This chapter suggests that understanding the deep-rooted structures of transport systems in Germany and Japan can offer valuable insights into how vehicle automation might unfold in other regions with mature mobility markets. In conclusion, the chapter provides a holistic framework for analyzing the potential impacts of vehicle automation, stressing the importance of considering the existing transport system’s legacy and the multifaceted nature of mobility in Germany and Japan.
Social Acceptance of CAD in Japan and Germany: Conceptual Issues and Empirical Insights
Authors: Fleischer Torsten , Taniguchi Ayako , Schippl Jens , Yamasaki Yukari , Tanaka Kosuke , Nakao Satoshi
Published: December 2024

It is widely acknowledged that social acceptance of automated vehicles (AVs) is a crucial factor for the future development and deployment of the technology in mobility systems. In general, mobility systems are sociotechnical systems. Their design and development depend on a multitude of technical and non-technical factors, including aspects of public or social acceptance. However, as will be shown in this chapter, social acceptance can have different meanings and can be addressed by various approaches. Different objects of acceptance (e.g. trust in robots, AVs as a useful means of transport etc.) as well as different subjects of acceptance (users, citizens, industrial interest groups etc.) can be distinguished. In addition, the subjects can be in different relationships to the objects (use, approval, protest etc.). Against this backdrop, we start this chapter with an in-depth conceptualization of social acceptance. Following this, we present empirical material that sheds lights on different dimensions of acceptance. We draw on two surveys carried out in Japan and Germany in recent years. The surveys provide insights on relevant public perceptions and attitudes towards AVs, and make it clear that not only public perceptions but also the views and attitudes of many other actors are relevant for acceptance and diffusion of AVs. To give an additional perspective on this topic, we provide insights on media reporting on AVs in Japan and Germany.
Transportation Effects of CAD in Japan
Authors: Miyoshi Hiroaki , Watanabe Shoji , Kii Masanobu
Published: December 2024

As part of the Cross-Ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program of Automated Driving for Universal Services (SIP-adus) spearheaded by Japan’s Cabinet Office, we construct microeconomics-based models to simulate the market diffusion of AVs, using the predictions of these models as a common source of basic numerical data to characterize the impact of AVs in various sectors. In this chapter, we briefly introduce our way of classifying automated driving systems, and two models developed to simulate the diffusion of AVs. We then present the results of a variety of variable-sensitivity analyses conducted using these models, and their policy implications. The main finding of the analyses is that enhancement of consumer expectations will be crucial for ensuring the diffusion of AVs in the future.
Variations on 44: The Verbivocovisual Sophistication of Dieter Roth’s Non-Semantic Poetry
Authors: Rosenau Maggie
Published: December 2024

Swiss-Icelandic artist Dieter Roth is largely celebrated as a visual artist who redefined the book as an art-object. While many of his artist’s books present typographical experiments and collaged language material, investigations rarely include close readings. This chapter highlights his poem “Some Variations on 44”—both as a single unit and part of the larger work in which it exists—and argues that, despite its non-linguistic composition and graphic design appearance, the work visually articulates rhetorical elements central to lyrical poetry. Aesthetic response theory is useful for interpreting the visual iconicity of concrete poetry. Drawing on Iser’s concept of “gestalt” as an organized whole that emerges through the process of reading, Roth’s aesthetic object reveals both a conceptual whole and an unexpected readability. Although Roth has created a categorically concrete and therefore almost unutterable work of poetry, it is capable of engaging in a discourse on any aspect of the verbivocovisual.
Aurality and Cyborg Poetry
Authors: Silva Ana Marques
Published: December 2024

This chapter intends to discuss aurality and the notion of cyborg poetry in the context of generative literature, or literature that is programmed to be automatically generated. By aurality we mean reading as listening (orality refers to speaking, aurality to listening). By cyborg poetry we mean a hybrid form of textuality. This reflection is based on two cybertexts in which language is inscribed through sound rather than written signs: THE LISTENERS, by John Cayley, and AIM BAD, by Jhave, both brought to the public in 2015. THE LISTENERS is a linguistic performance that takes place between humans and Alexa, Amazon’s home voice assistant. With this work, the author began to explore the concept of “aurature”: if literature comes from littera (letter), “aurature” comes from auris (ear). AIM BAD is an example of what Jhave calls cyborg poetry: the author programs a generator that produces texts that are read aloud non-linearly and intuitively as they are generated, making this reading a form of writing.
On Antiviral Music
Authors: Lyon Eric
Published: December 2024

With the technological annihilation of personal privacy in modern society due to various tendrils of surveillance capitalism, both public and private, a radically private art has become a spiritual necessity of the twenty-first century. Antiviral music is an early twenty-first-century art form that serves this growing need. In the search for antiviral music, we look for Internet-accessible music that has largely averted the gaze of the attention economy as indicated by low numbers of views or hits, and that possesses a latent strangeness that is redeemable as an artistic experience. The scope of this chapter is limited to music. However, the concept of antiviral music can be applied to many other art domains, especially digital and networked art forms.
Ciao! Manhattan: The Rise and Fall of the Underground
Authors: Kaloudi Kostoula
Published: December 2024

In 1972, after five years of intermittent filming, John Palmer and David Weisman completed their film Ciao! Manhattan, starring Edie Sedgwick, Andy Warhol’s muse and for a brief period in the mid-1960s, an icon of New-York counterculture. The film tells the story of a former underground cinema superstar who looks back on a past that strongly resembles Edie Sedgwick’s own story. Considered a unique example of avant-garde cinema, Ciao! Manhattan uses a weird, boundary-breaking narrative. Is it a biopic of a real-life celebrity or a docudrama? Each reference conjures up a different chapter of underground mythology, along with widespread drug use, self-destruction, abuse, and sexual addiction. Ciao! Manhattan is a “a requiem for the Sixties.” Successfully depicting the transition of a generation and its culture from euphoria, non-stop partying and pushing the limits to decline and exhaustion, the film still holds a special place in the landscape of underground cinema.
Invisible Environments: CAyC and Countercultural Cybernetics
Authors: O’Sullivan Jye
Published: December 2024

In 1971, the artistic collective Centro de Artes y Comunicación participated in the Argentine Biennial with the exhibition Arte de Sistemas. Luis Benedit’s Laberinto Invisible, a dematerialized labyrinth that required the interactor to navigate a complex series of invisible boundaries, formed part of the core of this exhibition. Expanding on his earlier Laberinto de Hormigas (1970), Benedit created a distinct cybernetically informed political statement by treating the human as a variable element in a system of invisible control. Despite the international profile of this exhibition, however, CAyC and Benedit have remained invisible in the art historical canon. This chapter explores CAyC’s contribution to the global postmodern avant-garde through an engagement with cybernetics, makes explicit the difference between a counterculture within a neoliberal democracy and a military dictatorship, and demonstrates through CAyC how the use of a cybernetic mode of interpretation can illuminate otherwise obscured systems of communication and technocratic control through sound.
Spillane, by John Zorn: Aural Cinema and the Lettrist Legacy
Authors: Duarte Anabela
Published: December 2024

John Zorn’s interest in Mickey Spillane, the master of hardboiled novels, or what might be called postpulp, is fascinating and brings to the fore lesser-known issues in literature, music, and experimental cinema. Based on the 1987 release of Spillane and the 1999 CD edition of Godard/Spillane, this work aims to explore the notion of “aural cinema” as introduced by the composer in the liner notes to G/S, and the influence of Lettrism, an avant-garde artistic movement of the 1940s, on the building and development of such a concept. In our view, aural cinema opens up the field of possibilities for experimental film and a cinema without images by placing the emphasis on aural perception and speech rather than on the filmed image. However, as much as Godard and others have contributed to this new cinema of the ear, there is an overwhelming neglect of the true perpetrators of this paradigm shift: the Lettrists and the Lettrist legacy.
Sound as Model: Lucier Versus Murail
Authors: Van Herck Bert
Published: December 2024

When the properties of sound become the center of the work, we might think of sound art. By focusing on sound, we may escape the traditional architecture of classical composition. However, sound art may be more of an attitude than a focus on sound. When Alvin Lucier composed “I’m sitting in a room,” he literally showed the result of a repeated recorded loop at work. Exactly the same idea is used by Tristan Murail in “Mémoire, Érosion”: he composed from the deterioration of the sonic properties of sound as if it were played in a loop. The theory of Michael Polanyi is used in this chapter to study and compare these two approaches, with a specific focus on how a composition is the result of the perspectives held by the composer—even if they take the same phenomenon as a starting point.
Gravitas: An Audiovisual Cadavre Exquis for Times of Lexicon Reduction
Authors: Brandão Daniel , Alvelos Heitor
Published: December 2024

Gravitas is an audiovisual piece that brings together three creative outputs generated independently: a concert, an audio reconstruction/edit, and a video. All three converge in the final piece while the overall motto (acoustic ascension / figurative revelation) remains consistent. The piece signals a migration of the avant-garde onto a broader sphere of resonance, by weaving pure acoustics with field recordings, visual abstraction with tangible figuration, semiotic deconstruction with narrative allure. However, while the avant-garde can no longer afford its own traditional entrenchment, visibility as a duty in contemporary culture may demand dilution to the point of irrelevance. Gravitas attempts to untangle this conundrum.
Gothic as the First Avant-Garde Art
Authors: Lima Antónia
Published: December 2024

If avant-garde means an anti-conventional passion for change and renewal in any art form, then the Gothic can be considered the first avant-garde art. Many modern art movements have much in common with the Gothic: the same interest in the collapse of traditional values of authoritarian systems, the desire to transgress and escape from conventional processes of representation, a curiosity about irrational and perverse impulses inherited from the primitive man. Throughout its history, the Gothic has also been an anti-realist protest, a rebellion of the imagination, an aesthetic of excess. Some contemporary artists, such as Mike Kelley, Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin or Douglas Gordon, produce their works not only as expressions of profound transformations in artistic practices, but also as manifestations of contemporary fears. Horror still connects us to our primal emotions and desires. Perhaps this is why some of the most innovative works in contemporary art are often Gothic art.
Eugene Jolas and the Revolution of Language
Authors: Sokolova Olga , Feshchenko Vladimir
Published: December 2024

The chapter examines the concept of universal language of the American-French avant-garde poet, literary critic, and publisher Eugene Jolas. Universal language was a project aimed at an “interracial synthesis” of all the languages “being spoken in America today.” In this conception, Jolas goes beyond multilingualism as an integration of languages to a transformation of the very basis of language. Central to this transformation is Jolas’s theory of the universal language as a “mantic compost,” that is constantly changing and developing at all linguistic levels. The study focuses on such issues as the images of language in Jolas’s works; the “revolution of language” as the dominant feature of his linguistic theory; the transformation of the linguistic and communicative aspects of his aesthetic program in the process of transition from the concept of “vertical poetry” to a new understanding of creative communication between individuals, which he called “vertigralism.”
Dada Countercultural Practices at the University of Iowa
Authors: Floyd Kathryn M. , Van Hoesen Brett M.
Published: December 2024

This essay argues that academic scholarship and artistic actions centered on the history of Dada can themselves enact critiques that resonate with Dada’s original resistance to institutional power. Specifically, we discuss the under-examined case of Dada-related studies, exhibitions, and activities at the University of Iowa. Beginning in the 1960s, a unique group of scholars and art practitioners who were interested in and influenced by German Dada converged in this academic setting. Led by professors Stephen C. Foster, Rudolf Kuenzli, Hans Breder, and others in the arts and humanities, this interdisciplinary group nurtured Dada-derived experiments and critical approaches that directly and indirectly called into question the very institutional structures that helped bring them forth. In other words, Dada studies at the University of Iowa mimicked and reinforced the self-critical and interventionist tactics of historical Dada. Current histories of the movement often speak more to the corporatized theatrics of contemporary art institutions and cultural centers, frequently overlooking the truly integrated and authentic countercultural approaches that were integral to Dada and, in turn, the Iowa spirit. This essay presents an urgently necessary historical overview and legacy of the fortuitous constellation of countercultural programs, events, spaces, and collections at the University of Iowa.
Kafāla in Belgium: Private International Law as an Essential Tool to Establish Migration Law Consequences?
Authors: Bruijnen Leontine
Published: December 2024

This chapter explains how kafāla-cases are handled in Belgium, including the respective migration case law and migration legal framework. This article emphasises that a kafāla should be characterised as a child protection measure under the 1996 Child Protection Convention but that the Convention does not solve all issues relating to kafāla. The Belgian general recognition rules offer a solution for kafālas outside the scope of the 1996 Child Protection Convention. It is suggested that the private international law framework should be considered when determining whether a makfūl (ward) can be regarded as an unaccompanied minor.
Principles to Ensure a Cross-Border Kafāla Placement Is in the Best Interests of the Child
Authors: Ricciardi Giovanna , Wöllenstein-Tripathi Jeannette
Published: December 2024

This contribution aims at highlighting principles as well as recommended practice to guide states in ensuring a cross-border kafāla placement is in the best interests of a child. These principles stem from the ISS’ conviction that, from a child rights perspective, both public international and private international law provisions must inform approaches concerning cross-border kafāla. This joint approach is based on ISS’ long-standing casework experience in working daily and across the globe on complex cross-border child protection cases.
An Introduction to FAMIMOVE, Its Accomplishments and Its Challenges
Authors: Pertegás Sender Marta
Published: December 2024

The author summarises the genesis, working methods and objectives of the FAMIMOVE project.
The Child’s Best Interests in International Jurisdiction Under the Brussels IIter Regulation
Authors: González Marimón María
Published: December 2024

Cross-border conflicts dealing with parental responsibility matters have a wide diversity which is projected in the Brussels IIter Regulation international jurisdiction model. In particular, the system is articulated on the principle of the best interests of the child, linked to the criterion of proximity. Following this logic, the Brussels IIter Regulation, inheriting the system from its predecessor, reflects a much more accurate balance between the two conceptions of the best interests of the child, in abstracto and in concreto. The aim of this chapter is to present the jurisdiction model on parental responsibility matters of the Brussels IIter Regulation, from the necessary children-based approach that should be paramount in any case involving children, including Private International Law rules. This overview will allow to reflect on how the jurisdiction rules seek to answer to the complexity of international movement of families through the articulation of the best interest of the child principle.
The Principle of the Child’s Best Interests in EU Law on Third-Country Nationals
Authors: Goldner Lang Iris
Published: December 2024

This chapter demonstrates that the principle of the child’s best interests is an integral value of EU law and serves as an underlying rationale for EU legislation and judgments. It is analysed how the principle of the best interests of the child affects the rights of third country nationals in the EU, with a focus on decisions relating to family reunification and EU migration and asylum law. In this chapter a multidimensional conception of the child’s best interests principle is developed, emphasising its threefold function as a substantive right, as an interpretative tool and as a procedural rule. The article concludes that the principle of the child’s best interests will continue to grow in importance in EU law on third-country nationals.
Guardianship and Other Protective Measures for Minor Refugees in Germany
Authors: Heiderhoff Bettina
Published: December 2024

This chapter explains the legal framework on guardianship and other protective measures, especially the so-called provisional taking into care, for unaccompanied minor refugees in Germany and explores the central terms “minor” and “unaccompanied”. Significant problems are highlighted in this chapter, in particular a conflict of interest on the part of the Youth Welfare Office, a lack of specific knowledge of asylum law on the part of guardians, the handling of cross-border guardianships, and certain problems in assessing age and responsibility.
Advancing Cities’ Resilience: A Comprehensive Review and Mapping of Research
Authors: Belaïd Fateh , Apeaning Raphael , Arora Anvita
Published: December 2024

The concept of resilient cities has emerged as a critical paradigm for addressing the complex challenges facing urban areas in the twenty-first century. We conducted a comprehensive analysis integrating bibliometric techniques and latent topic modeling to elucidate the evolving research landscape on resilient cities. We used a dataset comprising 532 research articles from the Web of Science database to identify key themes and trends shaping urban resilience and development discourse. Through multiple correspondence analysis and structural topic modeling, we extracted and analyzed the underlying conceptual structure of the literature, uncovering interconnected topics and prevalent themes. Our findings revealed eight primary topics: smart urban development, climate adaptation, climate risks, governance, risk management, community planning, green infrastructure, and energy management. By visualizing the intricate connections between these topics, we provide a nuanced understanding of the multifaceted nature of urban resilience. Our findings underscore the imperative of integrated urban planning and policy-making approaches that transcend disciplinary boundaries and embrace the complex dynamics shaping urban systems. The insights gleaned from this study not only enrich scholarly discourse but also offer actionable guidance for policymakers, urban practitioners, and researchers, facilitating the development of evidence-based strategies to foster resilient, sustainable, and equitable urban futures.
Grey Carbon—A New Nature-Positive Carbon Removal Technology for the Built World
Authors: Chami Ralph , Cosimano Thomas , Hilmi Nathalie , Nieburg Dinah , Swisher Rebekkah
Published: December 2024

Humanity is in a race to reduce carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. Emissions must be reduced while also accelerating net carbon dioxide removal (CDR). Historically, carbon removal has been shouldered by “green” and “blue” nature—land, coastal areas, and ocean. With the world’s growing population, impacts from climate change, and increasing urbanization, it is clear nature cannot handle all the CDR needed. Natural systems are under threat, risking their ability to maintain the same rate of carbon sequestration. Man-made technology must deliver more. The IPCC Assessment Report 6 (AR6) highlights a mix of nature- and technology-based CDR solutions that will be needed. Here, we look at a new CDR solution for the construction industry, which is responsible for 38% of global CO2 emissions. Since climate change is only increasing demand for construction, we must reimagine how and what we build with. We need building technologies that can help keep their own industry’s emissions in check while also reducing CO2 from the atmosphere. This is where “grey carbon” comes in. Like its blue and green cousins, grey carbon offers net carbon removal from man-made technology and presents a pathway that delinks pollution and development. Here, we use a case example of how the Bahamas is turning to a grey carbon building product to respond to housing demand and climate adaptation. We describe the science behind this CDR technology and apply financial valuation techniques to calculate the monetary value that could be derived from the grey carbon credits. We show how grey carbon delivers climate, nature, and community benefits from the following: CO2 avoidance and removal during production, longer-term carbon removal as the materials continue to weather, ocean protection through reduced brine waste, and social benefits from the sale of grey carbon credits. We show that a 1250 ft2 home built with this cement can deliver 170.94 tCO2e credits over 20 years for a present value of $38,145 per home and $57.22 million for 1500 homes. We conclude that grey carbon can mitigate emissions from the built world while also helping to deliver a future in which the biosphere and Technosphere, blue, green, and grey climate solutions, coexist as allies for human well-being and climate stabilization.
Burying beetles as a model organism to study sex differences in parental care
Authors: Ratz T.
Published: December 2024

In species where both sexes care for offspring, one parent—generally the female—typically provides more care than the other. While current theory offers broad predictions on the evolution of sex differences in parental care, it remains unclear whether ecological factors, such as short-term environmental variation and the intrinsic state of parents, also influence the size of existing asymmetries between parents. Here, I highlight how recent work on burying beetles (Nicrophorus sp.), a now well-established taxon to study biparental care, has contributed to research on sex differences in parenting. Although female burying beetles provide more care than males, the extent of this asymmetry is context-dependent as each sex constantly readjusts care depending on the surrounding environment and own state. Nevertheless, despite variation in the magnitude of the sex differences, there are still clear patterns of care specific to each species, highlighting the importance of the evolutionary history. Finally, the presence of sex differences presumably has consequences for the efficiency of parental care and can affect offspring performance. To gain a more comprehensive understanding of the life-history and environmental conditions driving sex differences in parenting, we need more natural history research on the less commonly studied Nicrophorus species and more work examining behavioural responses to rapid environmental changes in all taxa. Addressing these gaps will contribute to our understanding of how sexual conflict over care is resolved and how biparental cooperation persists despite asymmetries between caring parents.
Impact of low-dose sevoflurane with propofol-based anesthesia on motor-evoked potentials in infants: a single-arm crossover pilot study
Authors: Kojima Taiki , Nakahari Hirofumi , Ikeda Makoto , Kurimoto Michihiro
Published: December 2024

Purpose

The influence of anesthetic interactions on motor-evoked potentials in infants has rarely been reported. In infants, adding a small dose of sevoflurane to propofol-based total intravenous anesthesia is reasonable for reducing propofol administration. We collected preliminary data regarding the effect of low-dose sevoflurane in propofol-based total intravenous anesthesia on motor-evoked potentials in infants.

Methods

This pilot interventional study included 10 consecutive infants requiring motor-evoked potentials between January 2023 and March 2024. The motor-evoked potential amplitudes in the upper and lower extremities were recorded twice when general anesthesia was maintained using (1) propofol-based total intravenous anesthesia and (2) 0.1–0.15 age-adjusted minimum alveolar concentration sevoflurane + propofol-based total intravenous anesthesia.

Results

The motor-evoked potential amplitude in the right upper extremity was not significantly different after the addition of a small dose of sevoflurane [192 (75.3–398) μV, 121 (57.7–304) μV, P = 0.19]. All the motor-evoked potential amplitudes in the right lower extremity (quadriceps femoris, anterior tibialis, and gastrocnemius muscles) were significantly attenuated by adding a small dose of sevoflurane (median [interquartile range]: 47.9 [35.4–200] μV, 25.2 [12.4–55.3] μV, P = 0.014; 74.2 [51.9–232] μV, 31.2 [2.7–64] μV, P = 0.0039; 29.8 [20–194] μV, 9.9 [3.8–92.4] μV, P = 0.0039, respectively). Similar results were observed in the left lower extremities.

Conclusion

Adding even 0.1–0.15 age-adjusted minimum alveolar concentration sevoflurane to propofol-based total intravenous anesthesia attenuated the motor-evoked potential amplitudes in the lower extremities. A further prospective interventional study with an appropriate sample size is required to investigate the study hypothesis.