bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
P2P energy trading via public power networks: Practical challenges, emerging solutions, and the way forward
Authors: Zhou Yue , Wu Jianzhong , Gan Wei
Published: May 2023

Peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading is an emerging energy supply paradigm where customers with distributed energy resources (DERs) are allowed to directly trade and share electricity with each other. P2P energy trading can facilitate local power and energy balance, thus being a potential way to manage the rapidly increasing number of DERs in net zero transition. It is of great importance to explore P2P energy trading via public power networks, to which most DERs are connected. Despite the extensive research on P2P energy trading, there has been little large-scale commercial deployment in practice across the world. In this paper, the practical challenges of conducting P2P energy trading via public power networks are identified and presented, based on the analysis of a practical Local Virtual Private Networks (LVPNs) case in North Wales, UK. The ongoing efforts and emerging solutions to tackling the challenges are then summarized and critically reviewed. Finally, the way forward for facilitating P2P energy trading via public power networks is proposed.
Spur cells in liver cirrhosis are predictive of acute-on-chronic liver failure and liver-related mortality regardless of severe anaemia
Authors: Bevilacqua Michele , De Marco Leonardo , Stupia Roberta , Dima Francesco , Cattazzo Filippo , Paon Veronica , Ieluzzi Donatella , Dalbeni Andrea , Sacerdoti David
Published: May 2023

Chronic anaemia in advanced liver disease is a frequent finding. The aim was to explore the clinical impact of spur cell anaemia, a rare entity typically associated with end-stage of the disease. One-hundred and nineteen patients (73.9% males) with liver cirrhosis of any etiology were included. Patients with bone marrow diseases, nutrients deficiencies and hepatocellular carcinoma were excluded. In all patients, a blood sample was collected to check for the presence of spur cells on blood smear. A complete blood biochemical panel was recorded together with Child–Pugh (CP) score and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score. For each patients, clinically relevant events, such as acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) and 1 year liver-related mortality, were registered. Patients were then grouped according to the percentage of spur cells at smear (> 5%, 1–5%, < 1%). Severe anaemia was defined as haemoglobin levels lower than 8 g/dL. 9.2% of subjects had > 5% spur cells, only 2 had evidence of haemolysis. In patients with > 5% spur cells, haemoglobin and albumin were lower compared with the other sub-group, while MELD score, CP score, International Normalized Ratio, ferritin, creatinine and unconjugated bilirubin were higher. Patients with more spur cells were more decompensated and developed more frequently ACLF. ACLF and liver-related mortality were significantly and independently associated with the presence of > 5% spur cells but not with baseline severe anaemia. Cirrhotic patients have a fairly high prevalence of spur cells, not always associated with severe haemolytic anaemia. The presence of spur red cells is per se associated with a worse prognosis and, therefore, should be always evaluated to prioritize patients for intensive management and eventually liver transplantation.
The Verlinde traces for $$SU_{X}(2,\xi )$$ and blow-ups
Authors: Moreno-Mejía Israel , Silva-López Dan
Published: May 2023

Given a compact Riemann surface X of genus at least 2 with automorphism group G, we provide formulae that enable us to compute traces of automorphisms of X on the space of global sections of G-linearized line bundles defined on certain blow-ups of projective spaces along the curve X. The method is an adaptation of one used by Thaddeus to compute the dimensions of those spaces. In particular, we can compute the traces of automorphisms of X on the Verlinde spaces corresponding to the moduli space $$SU_{X}(2,\xi )$$

S

U
X

(
2
,
ξ
)

when $$\xi $$
ξ
is a line bundle G-linearized of suitable degree.
Wasserstein enabled Bayesian optimization of composite functions
Authors: Candelieri Antonio , Ponti Andrea , Archetti Francesco
Published: May 2023

Bayesian optimization (BO) based on the Gaussian process model (GP-BO) has become the most used approach for the global optimization of black-box functions and computationally expensive optimization problems. BO has proved its sample efficiency and its versatility in a wide range of engineering and machine learning problems. A limiting factor in its applications is the difficulty of scaling over 15–20 dimensions. In order to mitigate this drawback, it has been remarked that optimization problems can have a lower intrinsic dimensionality. Several optimization strategies, built on this observation, map the original problem into a lower dimension manifold. In this paper we take a novel approach mapping the original problem into a space of discrete probability distributions endowed with a Wasserstein metric. The Wasserstein space is a non-linear manifold whose elements are discrete probability distributions. The input of the Gaussian process is given by discrete probability distributions and the acquisition function becomes a functional in the Wasserstein space. The minimizer of the acquisition functional in the Wasserstein space is then mapped back to the original space using a neural network. Computational results for three test functions with dimensionality ranging from 5 to 100, show that the exploration in the Wasserstein space is significantly more effective than that performed by plain Bayesian optimization in the Euclidean space and its advantage grows with the dimensions of the search space.
A Heterogeneous Sampling Strategy to Model Earthquake-Triggered Landslides
Authors: Yang Hui , Shi Peijun , Quincey Duncan , Qi Wenwen , Yang Wentao
Published: May 2023

Regional modeling of landslide hazards is an essential tool for the assessment and management of risk in mountain environments. Previous studies that have focused on modeling earthquake-triggered landslides report high prediction accuracies. However, it is common to use a validation strategy with an equal number of landslide and non-landslide samples, scattered homogeneously across the study area. Consequently, there are overestimations in the epicenter area, and the spatial pattern of modeled locations does not agree well with real events. In order to improve landslide hazard mapping, we proposed a spatially heterogeneous non-landslide sampling strategy by considering local ratios of landslide to non-landslide area. Coseismic landslides triggered by the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake on the eastern Tibetan Plateau were used as an example. To assess the performance of the new strategy, we trained two random forest models that shared the same hyperparameters. The first was trained using samples from the new heterogeneous strategy, and the second used the traditional approach. In each case the spatial match between modeled and measured (interpreted) landslides was examined by scatterplot, with a 2 km-by-2 km fishnet. Although the traditional approach achieved higher AUCROC (0.95) accuracy than the proposed one (0.85), the coefficient of determination (R2) for the new strategy (0.88) was much higher than for the traditional strategy (0.55). Our results indicate that the proposed strategy outperforms the traditional one when comparing against landslide inventory data. Our work demonstrates that higher prediction accuracies in landslide hazard modeling may be deceptive, and validation of the modeled spatial pattern should be prioritized. The proposed method may also be used to improve the mapping of precipitation-induced landslides. Application of the proposed strategy could benefit precise assessment of landslide risks in mountain environments.
Positive Changes in Safety Perception Among Blacks with HIV and Comorbidities: Assessment of Social Determinants of Health During COVID-19
Authors: Fleming Marc , Lee Deidra , Oranu Chukwuezugo , Schommer Jon C. , Cocohoba Jennifer , Cooper Jennifer , Hodge Crystal K. , Nedjat Saharnaz , Borgmann Kathleen
Published: May 2023

Purpose

This study aimed to examine the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on social determinants of health (SDOH) among Blacks with HIV and a comorbid diagnosis of hypertension or type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods

This was a longitudinal survey study. The inclusion criteria were adults ≥ 18 years and the presence of hypertension and/or diabetes, along with a positive HIV diagnosis. This study enrolled patients in the HIV clinics and chain specialty pharmacies in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) area. A survey of ten questions examining SDOH was conducted before, during, and after the lockdown. A proportional odds mixed effects logistic regression model was applied to assess differences between time points.

Results

A total of 27 participants were included. Respondents felt significantly safer in their living place post-lockdown than in the pre-lockdown period (odds ratio = 6.39, 95% CI [1.08–37.73]). No other statistically significant differences in the responses were found over the study timeframe. However, borderline p values indicated better SDOH status post-lockdown as compared to pre-lockdown.

Conclusion

Study participants feel safer one year after lockdown compared to pre-lockdown. The CARES Act and the moratorium on rent and mortgage are among the factors that may explain this increase. Future research should include designing and evaluating interventions for social equity enhancement.
A practical type-3 Fuzzy control for mobile robots: predictive and Boltzmann-based learning
Authors: Alkabaa Abdulaziz S. , Taylan Osman , Balubaid Muhammed , Zhang Chunwei , Mohammadzadeh Ardashir
Published: May 2023

This study presents an innovative path-following scheme using a new intelligent type-3 fuzzy system for mobile robots. By designing a non-singleton FS and incorporating error measurement signals, this system is able to handle natural disturbances and dynamics uncertainties. To further enhance accuracy, a Boltzmann machine (BM) models tracking errors and predicts compensators. A parallel supervisor is also included in the central controller to ensure robustness. The BM model is trained using contrastive divergence, while adaptive rules extracted from a stability theorem train the NT3FS. Simulation results using chaotic reference signals show that the proposed scheme is accurate and robust, even in the face of unknown dynamics and disturbances. Moreover, a practical implementation on a real-world robot proves the feasibility of the designed controller. To watch a short video of the scheme in action, visit shorturl.at/imoCH.
Spatial prediction of soil organic carbon in coal mining subsidence areas based on RBF neural network
Authors: Qi Qiangqiang , Yue Xin , Duo Xin , Xu Zhanjun , Li Zhe
Published: May 2023

A quantitative research on the effect of coal mining on the soil organic carbon (SOC) pool at regional scale is beneficial to the scientific management of SOC pools in coal mining areas and the realization of coal low-carbon mining. Moreover, the spatial prediction model of SOC content suitable for coal mining subsidence area is a scientific problem that must be solved. Taking the Changhe River Basin of Jincheng City, Shanxi Province, China, as the study area, this paper proposed a radial basis function neural network model combined with the ordinary kriging method. The model includes topography and vegetation factors, which have large influence on soil properties in mining areas, as input parameters to predict the spatial distribution of SOC in the 0–20 and 2040 cm soil layers of the study area. And comparing the prediction effect with the direct kriging method, the results show that the mean error, the mean absolute error and the root mean square error between the predicted and measured values of SOC content predicted by the radial basis function neural network are lower than those obtained by the direct kriging method. Based on the fitting effect of the predicted and measured values, the R2 obtained by the radial basis artificial neural network are 0.81, 0.70, respectively, higher than the value of 0.44 and 0.36 obtained by the direct kriging method. Therefore, the model combining the artificial neural network and kriging, and considering environmental factors can improve the prediction accuracy of the SOC content in mining areas.
Artificial benchmark for community detection with outliers (ABCD+o)
Authors: Kamiński Bogumił , Prałat Paweł , Théberge François
Published: May 2023

The Artificial Benchmark for Community Detection graph (ABCD) is a random graph model with community structure and power-law distribution for both degrees and community sizes. The model generates graphs with similar properties as the well-known LFR one, and its main parameter $$\xi$$
ξ
can be tuned to mimic its counterpart in the LFR model, the mixing parameter $$\mu$$
μ
. In this paper, we extend the ABCD model to include potential outliers. We perform some exploratory experiments on both the new ABCD+o model as well as a real-world network to show that outliers pose some distinguishable properties. This ensures that our new model may serve as a benchmark of outlier detection algorithms.
Relevanzen des Imaginären
Authors: Mahler Andreas
Published: May 2023

Das Programm der Verbindung von Literaturwissenschaft und Geistesgeschichte basiert auf dem Konzept des Kontexts. Literarischer Text und geistesgeschichtlicher Kontext scheinen auf den ersten Blick problemlos voneinander trennbar. Allerdings stecken in jedem Text immer schon Spuren von Kontext wie in jedem Kontext immer schon Anteile von Textualität. Wesentlich mithin ist beider Relation. Dies vermittelt vor allem der Ansatz der Funktionsgeschichte, indem er weniger nach der Nachträglichkeit von Funktionszuweisungen fragt denn nach den Funktionsvorgaben von Strukturbildungen. Hierdurch kommt die scheinbar natürliche Vorordnung der Struktur vor die Funktion – und zugleich hermeneutisch die Relation von Frage und Antwort wie epistemologisch die Frage nach dem Realen und dem Imaginären – ins Schwanken: der kontextuelle ›Sitz im Leben‹ beeinflusst die jeweilige Textbildung offenbar in gleichem Maße, wie der textuelle Sinn seinerseits auf den Kontext auszugreifen sucht; scheint das Konstrukt einer ›Realität‹ eine plausible imaginäre Antwort auf die Frage nach der Welt, so ist das Imaginieren in Literatur und Kunst oftmals der Ort ihrer Rückführung in Fragen. In der Vormoderne als Zeit der Umstellung von einer – über eine quasi göttlich gesetzte Geschlossenheit des Kosmos – vornehmlich ähnlichkeitsgeführten Weltversicherung zu einer – sich öffnenden und damit eine menschenbestimmt Geltung beanspruchende Vorstellung von Wirklichkeit allererst herstellenden – Verzeitlichung und Kausalisierung ist dies ein wesentlicher Motor für einen an Veränderungen des gesellschaftlichen Imaginären, seiner Rahmung wie Findung, nachzeichenbaren ›epochalen‹ Wandel.
Regulatory, safety and economic considerations of over-the-counter medicines in the Indian population
Authors: Narang Prashant , Garg Vandana , Sharma Atul
Published: May 2023

Background and purpose of review

Over-the-counter (OTC) medication has been an integral component of an established health care system but their easy accessibility might pose significant risks. This review has attempted to highlight the present scenario of OTC utilization in India, regarding standard practices followed globally. An attempt has also been made to highlight the lifecycle of a prescription and OTC medicine and the benefits and regulatory process involved in the prescription-to-OTC switch.

Findings

A paradigm shift has been observed in self-medication practice with OTC medicines in recent times and has become a widespread practice worldwide. Numerous key drivers, such as increasing consumer awareness, broader consumer access to essential medication, and socio-economic benefits to the public health care system, have advocated this practice. On the other hand, self-medication using OTC is also inextricably linked with inevitable risks such as excessive drug dosage, polypharmacy, drug abuse, and drug interactions. Nevertheless, these issues could be further regulated by employing a defined OTC framework. The government of India has recognized the utmost need to develop a robust policy framework for the effective utilization of OTC drugs. Also, various initiatives toward modifying existing laws or developing new OTC drug policies has been taken.

Conclusion

Prioritizing the utmost safety of the consumers and evident need of strong regulatory framework with respect to OTC drugs, the term “OTC” has been recommended as a distinct category of drugs by Government of India. This review has highlighted various factors that can play an essential role in OTC utilization and can be considered during policy reformation.
Impact of accumulation of copper from application of copper-based fungicides on soil properties in Ghana
Authors: Kakutey Kingsford , Sackey Lyndon N. A. , Akoto Osei
Published: May 2023

Black pod disease causes yield losses in cocoa production, and copper-based fungicides are used to control the disease. The study investigated the extent of accumulated copper from copper-based fungicides and interaction with soil chemical properties and microbial biomass in three communities: Akaasu, Kyeikrom, and Tuntum in the Bibiani–Anhwiaso–Bekwai District. Soil samples were collected at 0–15 cm and 15–30 cm. The fresh soil samples were divided into two, sieved and stored under different conditions; 4 °C and room temperature. Physicochemical (soil pH, Organic Carbon, Total Nitrogen) and microbial analyses (Microbial biomass was determined by the chloroform fumigation method and extraction and soil microbial mass of phosphorus) were conducted on the samples. Tuntum had the highest concentration of total copper (286.54 mg/kg), while the Akaasu cocoa plantation had the lowest total copper concentration (215.63 mg/kg). Extractable and total copper vary significantly (p < 0.05) in the three cocoa farms' (Akaasu, Kyeikrom and Tumtum) top and subsoils compared to the reference values. However, soil pH, nitrogen and organic matter from soils of the cocoa farms did not vary significantly (P > 0.05) from their reference soils. The correlation analysis revealed that extractable and total Cu at different soil depths (0–15 cm and 15–30 cm) correlated negatively with organic matter contents. There was negative correlation between extractable and total Cu with microbial biomass though not significantly different at p > 0.05 in all the study locations. Generally, the concentrations of copper in the soil at all sites have not reached their critical levels of 800 mg/kg.
Bladelets, Blood, and Bones: Integrating Protein Residue, Lithic Use-Wear, and Faunal Data from the Moorehead Circle, Fort Ancient
Authors: Riordan Robert V. , Miller G. Logan , Stone Abigail Chipps
Published: May 2023

Modified teeth and jaws have long been recognized as important ceremonial objects during the Middle Woodland period of eastern North America. Direct evidence for the manufacture of the objects is exceedingly rare because they are typically recovered from mortuary contexts or ceremonial caches. Here, we present multiple lines of evidence pointing to the manufacture of modified teeth and jaws at the Moorehead Circle post enclosure within the Fort Ancient Earthworks. The convergence of protein residue, lithic use-wear, and faunal data indicate that bear and likely canid bones were modified by artisans working within the Moorehead Circle. These findings add an important new layer of understanding to our knowledge of these objects, human–animal relations, and craft production in the Middle Woodland.
Building the Ohio Hopewell Chronology: An Incremental Approach to Historical Reckoning
Authors: Seeman Mark F. , Nolan Kevin C.
Published: May 2023

Ohio Hopewell is an archaeological concept that is known worldwide but that suffers from “a disarray of radiocarbon results” (Lynott 2015:60). Here, we establish a comprehensive dataset of 425 14C dates from Ohio Hopewell sites and apply formal chronometric hygiene criteria to all dates. We then iteratively assess the temporal placement and span of the six most important Ohio Hopewell sites—the Hopewell Mound Group, Liberty, Mound City, Seip, Tremper, and Turner. A staged relaxation of hygiene criteria for our best three categories (Classes 1–3) permits alternate but generally consistent conclusions. As the first large-scale analyses of Ohio Hopewell temporality since the publication of IntCal20 (Reimer et al. 2020), the available data show a ritual complex that begins 90 or more years later than generally has been recognized circa 2010 14C BP, or as Bayesian modeled, AD 90–120. Our analysis reveals site histories of differing spans, more late dates than early dates, and with most Hopewell activity ending across these sites circa 1640 14C BP, or as Bayesian modeled, AD 395–430. An increased consideration of contingency in contemporary temporal reckoning increases the utility of the historical narratives that we as archaeologists can construct.
The syntax of silent directional prepositions in Jordanian Arabic
Authors: Alhailawani Mohammad
Published: May 2023

In Jordanian Arabic (JA), the complement of some motion verbs optionally appears without a visible preposition in what is known as (P)reposition-drop (Ioannidou and den Dikken 2009). This article offers a detailed description of P-drop in JA, showing that the common properties of P-drop found in languages with P-drop hold in JA. I argue that Gehrke and Lekakou's (2013) pseudo noun incorporation approach to P-drop cannot account for the P-drop facts in JA. I show, through different diagnostics, that the prepositionless noun in JA does not exhibit the typical properties of pseudo-incorporated nouns. Instead, I argue that P-drop in JA involves a full PP–DP structure with a silent P head (Ioannidou and den Dikken 2009, Myler 2013, Biggs 2014, Bailey 2018). The findings of this article add insights to the ongoing debate regarding the underlying mechanisms involved in P-drop.
City data ecosystems between theory and practice: A qualitative exploratory study in seven European cities
Authors: Liva Giovanni , Micheli Marina , Schade Sven , Kotsev Alexander , Gori Matteo , Codagnone Cristiano
Published: May 2023

The exponential growth of data collection opens possibilities for analyzing data to address political and societal challenges. Still, European cities are not utilizing the potential of data generated by its citizens, industries, academia, and public authorities for their public service mission. The reasons are complex and relate to an intertwined set of organizational, technological, and legal barriers, although good practices exist that could be scaled, sustained, and further developed. The article contributes to research on data-driven innovation in the public sector comparing high-level expectations on data ecosystems with actual practices of data sharing and innovation at the local and regional level. Our approach consists in triangulating the analysis of in-depth interviews with representatives of the local administrations with documents obtained from the cities. The interviews investigated the experiences and perspectives of local administrations regarding establishing a local or regional data ecosystem. The article examines experiences and obstacles to data sharing within seven administrations investigating what currently prevents the establishment of data ecosystems. The findings are summarized along three main lines. First, the limited involvement of private sector organizations as actors in local data ecosystems through emerging forms of data sharing became evident. Second, we observed the concern over technological aspects and the lack of attention on social or organizational issues. Third, a conceptual decision to apply a centralized and not a federated digital infrastructure is noteworthy.
Does Digitalization Reshape the Principle of Non-Intervention?
Authors: Willmer Lukas
Published: May 2023

While digitalization has led to renewed attention to the principle of non-intervention, not the least by Western states rediscovering the protective dimension of sovereignty, it remains plagued by a certain vagueness. Attempts by academics to fill the gaps lead to starkly different results, ranging from the insertion of democratic values to the inadvertent reinforcement of protectionist tendencies. Overall, digitalization has so far had less of an effect on the principle of non-intervention than its renewed importance may have on the type of international law more generally.
Constructing “Electronic Liability” for International Crimes: Transcending the Individual in International Criminal Law
Authors: Swart Mia
Published: May 2023

It is increasingly clear that autonomous agents can commit international crimes such as torture and genocide. This article aims to construct ‘electronic liability’ for such international crimes. It will argue that it is not sufficient to hold the persons or programmers behind the autonomous agents liable, but that it should be possible to hold the autonomous agents that commit international crimes liable. It will examine ways in which legal personality can be attributed to machines and argue that if there is a continuum of potential subjects of ICL, then the argument for electronic personhood and liability of machines is as compelling as for other non-humans such as corporate entities and animals. It will be argued that the ICC will potentially only be able to meaningfully prosecute international crimes committed by autonomous agents if it is willing to accommodate strict liability and other faultless models of liability that have so far been anathema to international criminal justice.
Meta’s Oversight Board and Transnational Hybrid Adjudication—What Consequences for International Law?
Authors: Gulati Rishi
Published: May 2023

Meta, formerly the Facebook Company, faces immense pressure from users, governments, and civil society to act transparently and with accountability. Responding to such calls, in 2018, it announced plans to create an independent oversight body to review content decisions. Such a forum is now in place in the form of the Oversight Board. To Meta’s credit, the speed at which the Oversight Board has been established is remarkable. Within two years, a global consultation process was completed with input obtained from users as well as experts, the regulatory infrastructure for the Oversight Board built, its members selected, and the first decisions of the Board already rendered in January 2021. With its institutional structure in place, and plenty of resources to tap into, the Oversight Board could have a real effect on how some transnational disputes are resolved. Thus, the Oversight Board may very well be setting the direction for how tech companies in particular, and multinational corporations in general, go about providing grievance mechanisms to individuals who their actions adversely affect. Through a study of the Oversight Board, this article considers whether we are witnessing the birth of a special type of “transnational hybrid adjudication” that could have a systemic impact on international law, or an experiment with limited relevance.
Asymptotic theory of Mack-mode receptivity in hypersonic boundary layers due to interaction of a heating/cooling source and a freestream sound wave
Authors: Zhao Lei , He Jianhong , Dong Ming
Published: May 2023

In this paper, we study the local receptivity of the inviscid Mack modes in hypersonic boundary layers induced by the interaction between a surface heating or cooling source (HCS) and a freestream acoustic wave. The asymptotic analysis reveals that among the three distinguished layers, i.e. the main, wall and Stokes layers, the leading-order receptivity is attributed to the interaction of the HCS-induced mean-flow distortion and the acoustic signature in the wall layer; the second-order contribution appears in the Stokes layer; the third-order contribution appears in both the main and wall layers. Interestingly, at a moderate Reynolds number, the third-order contribution to the receptivity efficiency may be quantitatively greater than the second-order one, but this does not lead to breakdown of this asymptotic theory. Assuming the HCS intensity to be sufficiently weak, the asymptotic predictions are made for four representative cases involving different Mach numbers and wall temperatures, which are compared with the results obtained by the finite-Reynolds-number theory based on either the extended compressible Orr–Sommerfeld equations or the harmonic linearised Navier–Stokes (HLNS) calculations. Taking into account the first three orders of the receptivity efficiency, the asymptotic predictions are confirmed to be sufficiently accurate even when the Reynolds number is a few thousands, and the agreement with the finite-Reynolds-number calculations is better when the wall temperature of the base flow approaches the adiabatic wall temperature. The HLNS calculations are also conducted for moderate HCS intensities. It is found that the nonlinearity does not affect the receptivity coefficient much even when the temperature distortion of the HCS reaches

$80\,\%$

of the temperature at the wall.
Exposing Fascism: The Rise of Bolsonarismo and the Naked Politics of Brazil’s First Trans Men’s Football Team
Authors: Snyder Cara
Published: May 2023

From 2016 to 2019, the backlash in Brazil against so-called gender ideology framed gender dissidence as a reason for the country’s perceived decline, playing a central role in the rise of Bolsonarismo, a movement increasingly identified as fascist. In this gender-hostile environment, I examine Brazil’s first trans men’s soccer team, the Meninos Bons de Bola (MBB), and its use of nudity as a response to the political shift rightward and to tell a story about the precarity of minoritized groups across the Americas. The team’s changing approach to trans representation exposes the period as a watershed in Brazilian politics. The MBB’s naked protest during this time of governmental change reveals resistance to the machinations of Brazilian fascism, including censorship, backlash, and shaming. By asserting that the MBB were never just about futebol, the team uses the national sport to enact trans politics and to claim belonging beyond the bounds of normative citizenship.
Transcultural, Transnational Histories: A Response to Stefano Bianchini’s Liquid Nationalism and State Partitions in Europe
Authors: Mohanram Radhika
Published: May 2023

Stefano Bianchini’s comprehensive work Liquid Nationalism focuses on the frequent redrawing of state borders, especially in Eastern Europe, the fluidity of the contours of nations, and the vagaries and idiosyncratic nature of political changes in the European continent from the 19th to the 21st centuries. The title of this work takes its inspiration from Zygmunt Bauman’s famous work, Liquid Modernity (2000). Bauman’s work, which was published in 2000 in the aftermath of the dissolution of the Soviet Union and also Yugoslavia that resulted in the Balkan wars of the 1990s, first posits the obvious – that fluids cannot hold their shape as solids do because the structural arrangements of solids, unlike liquids, bind their atoms together. Bauman characterizes solidity as having hardened contours and belonging to a pre-modernity with its unchanging or slowly changing social, political, and economic mores. Modernity, on the other hand, is likened to liquids in that, like time, there is a fluidity and a fast-moving quality associated with it brought about by the European Enlightenment and the development of democracy and capitalism. As he states, “When describing solids, one may ignore time altogether; in describing fluids, to leave time out of account would be a grievous mistake. Descriptions of fluids are all snapshots, and they need a date at the bottom of the picture” (2). The lightness of touch, the quickness of response to changing times that liquid modernity promised, he points out, has resulted in postmodernity or late capitalism as “deregulation, liberalization, ‘flexibilization’, increased fluidity, unbridling the financial, real estate and labor markets, easing the tax burden, etc.” (5).
Insomnia, depression and anxiety in patients urgently referred with suspicion of head and neck cancer
Authors: Mullan Thomas , Montgomery Jenny , Fleming Leanne
Published: May 2023

Objective

To determine differences in insomnia, depression and anxiety between ENT patients with benign and malignant conditions prior to and after an urgent suspicion of cancer appointment.

Methods

Out-patients with urgent suspicion of cancer completed three psychometric questionnaires prior to their appointment and at two to four weeks post-diagnosis.

Results

There was no significant difference in questionnaire scores between malignant and benign patients prior to the patients’ appointments (p > 0.05 for all questionnaires). In benign patients, there was significant improvement in scores for all questionnaires (p < 0.01) and in malignant patients there was significant worsening of scores for all questionnaires (p < 0.01) at follow-up appointments.

Conclusion

Prior to appointments, patients with benign and malignant conditions experienced similar levels of insomnia, depression and anxiety. Following diagnosis, cancer patients had significantly poorer scores, indicating worsening of these symptoms. In patients with benign diagnoses, all questionnaire scores improved, indicating resolution of their symptoms and possible association between the appointment and their baseline scores.
Wormwood, nomads’ rights, and capitalism: the birth of a chemical industry in Russian Turkestan (1870s–1914)
Authors: Penati Beatrice
Published: May 2023

A variety of wormwood, Artemisia cina, once grew abundantly in the Syr-Darya province of Russian Turkestan. Santonin, a drug derived from it, was in high demand. Flowers harvested by Kazakhs were handed over to intermediaries to be processed in Europe, but from the 1880s entrepreneurs from different parts of the Russian empire established their own chemical plants in Chimkent and Tashkent. They pressured the Russian imperial government to restrict the rights of the Kazakhs on land where Artemisia cina grew, and grant them the exclusive right to exploit this resource. These entrepreneurs used conservationist arguments and advocated a ‘cultured’ approach to the management of natural resources located on supposedly ‘State land’. These attempts collided with the usage rights of the Kazakhs, as defined by Turkestan’s governing Statute. By shifting the argument to the political, rather than legal, level, the industrialists eventually gained a monopoly to the exclusion of local entrepreneurs and even assumed State-like functions. This article reconstructs this controversy and allows a glimpse into the evolving claims to natural resources in the ‘periphery’ by both Tsarist colonial power and the Kazakhs themselves. The article also explores the features of autochthonous and Russian entrepreneurship and situates Turkestan in a web of trade connections to the global pharmaceutical industry.
Evil is still evidence: comment on Almeida
Authors: Bass Robert
Published: May 2023

Michael Almeida has recently tried to show that if S5 correctly represents metaphysical necessity, there can be no non-trivial evidence for or against the existence of the traditional God. Evidence would thus be irrelevant to the reasonability of traditional theistic belief. Almeida's argument has implications beyond its announced target: it amounts to a new argument for sweeping scepticism. Almeida's argument for the irrelevance of evidence to the existence of God would apply to any state of affairs that entails some metaphysical necessity. In S5, every state of affairs entails some metaphysical necessity, so Almeida should conclude that non-trivial evidence for or against any state of affairs is impossible. I argue that the problem is not with S5 but with inadequately motivated assumptions about evidential support. Avoiding those assumptions disables the argument for sweeping scepticism and without foreclosing the possibility of non-trivial evidence for or against the existence of the traditional God.
Sacred groves: a model of Zagros forests for carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation
Authors: Moradi Aioub , Shabanian Naghi
Published: May 2023

Forests are the most important carbon pools among terrestrial ecosystems, and ensuring less disturbance of sacred groves might constitute a form of forest management for carbon sequestration and climate change reduction. The carbon contents in Zagros oak sacred groves and silvopastoral lands were compared to determine the carbon sequestration potential of these forests. Using a nested sampling design, we measured total carbon content (tC ha–1; aboveground tree biomass, aboveground sapling biomass, belowground biomass, soil organic carbon, leaf litter, herbs and grasses and dead wood and fallen stumps) in both forest groves and silvopastoral lands. The mean total biomass and mean total carbon content varied between sacred groves (453.8 t ha–1and 338.79 tC ha–1, respectively) and silvopastoral lands (89.4 t ha–1and 113.46 tC ha–1, respectively). Mean soil organic carbon was significantly lower (71.44 tC ha–1) in silvopastoral lands than in sacred groves (125.49 tC ha–1). The mean total sequestered carbon dioxide (CO2) was 1243.36 tCO2ha–1in the sacred groves and 416.40 tCO2ha–1in silvopastoral lands. We conclude that human activities have reduced the CO2absorption capacity of the forests. The substantial disparities between the landscapes emphasize the need to restore damaged forests, and sacred groves might be a useful model for increasing carbon storage in these forests.
AEPC recommendations for training in interventional catheterisation for CHD
Authors: Krasemann Thomas , Butera Gianfranco , Thomson John , Chessa Massimo , Bokenkamp Regina
Published: May 2023

To reflect new developments in imaging, indications, and techniques in catheterisation of patients with CHD, the training recommendations of the Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology (AEPC) for the training in interventional catheterisation for CHD have been reviewed and updated after more than 7 years. They include detailed information about knowledge, skills, and approach to clinical practice expected from trainees at basic, intermediate, and advanced level.
A clinical audit of patient safety in an Irish radiotherapy department
Authors: O’Sullivan K. , Lyons C. A
Published: May 2023

Introduction:

Radiotherapy is an ever-changing field with constant technological advances. It is for this reason that risk management strategies are regularly updated in order to remain optimal.

Methodology:

A retrospective audit of all reported incidents and near misses in the audited department between 1 November 2020 and 30 April 2021 was performed. The root cause of each radiotherapy error (RTE), safety barrier (SB) and the causative factor (CF) would be defined by the Public Health England (PHE) coding system. The data will then be analysed to determine if there are any frequently occurring errors and if there are any existing relationships between multiple error.

Results:

670 patients were treated during the study period along with 35 reports generated. 77·1% (n = 27) were incidents, and 22·9% (n = 8) were near misses. 2·8% (n = 1) were reportable incidents. The ratio of RTEs to prescriptions was 0·052:1 (5·2%). 37% of RTEs were associated with image production. Slips and lapses were involved in 54·2%. Adherence to procedures/protocols was a factor in 48·5% (n = 17). Communication was a factor in 11·4% (n = 4).

Discussion:

The proportion of Level 1 incidents was higher in this department (2·8%) than in the PHE report (0·9%). Almost one-third, 31·4% (n = 11) of errors stemmed from one technical fault in image production. SB breaches were prevalent at the pre-treatment planning stage of the pathway. A relationship between slips/lapses and non-conformance to protocols was identified.

Conclusion:

The rate of reported radiotherapy incidents in the UK is lower when compared with this department; this could be improved with the implementation of the quality improvement plan outlined above.
The Golden Age of Pragmatic Socialism: Wisconsin Socialists at the State Level, 1919–37
Authors: Kluever Joshua
Published: May 2023

Throughout the 1920s and early 1930s, Socialists in Wisconsin experienced a “golden age” of political successes in the state legislature. Whereas the 1920s are commonly seen as a period of socialist decline, Wisconsin Socialists entered the decade with a renewed sense of optimism. Following World War I, the Wisconsin Democratic Party collapsed as a viable political option and the Wisconsin Socialist Party found itself the second most powerful party behind the Republican Party. Wisconsin Socialists took a pragmatic approach to legislative debates and allied with progressive Republicans to defeat conservative opposition. Socialists were vital to progressive reform prior to World War I; however, the Socialist-Progressive alliance reached its full potential in the 1920s. From 1919–31, the Wisconsin legislature passed 295 Socialist-authored pieces of legislation ranging from labor demands, public utilities, and criminal justice reform. Many of the proposals resulted from negotiations between the Socialist and Progressive caucuses. The success of the Wisconsin Socialists—and their alliance with progressive Republicans—suggests that at least in some places the Progressive Era extended into the 1920s.
Lightning VHF Radiation Mapping Method for an Irregular Short‐Baseline Array
Authors: Yuan Shanfeng , Qie Xiushu , Jiang Rubin , Sun Zhuling , Li Fengquan , Yang Jing
Published: May 2023

Lightning very high frequency interferometry is a crucial tool for studying the development of lightning leaders within thunderclouds, and the conventional antenna array is composed of two coplanar orthogonal baselines. In this study, we develop two new location methods for an irregular array based on the optimization algorithm, using all baselines in the calculation. Besides, we have analyzed the effects of two kinds of time uncertainty on the location result and provided a calibration method. The first type—the systematic time drift of antennas—can induce an offset on the location result, leading to a worse accuracy. We can calibrate the time drift of each antenna efficiently during the experiment. The second type—the waveform distortion between different antennas—can introduce the noise on time, leading to worse precision. The location precision improves when more baselines are used, whether they are independent or redundant. Our result shows that the non‐coplanar configuration can significantly improve the elevation uncertainty near the horizon and the azimuth uncertainty near the zenith after considering the angular uncertainty's theoretical distribution.
Titanite Petrochronology Records Secular Temperature and Fluid Evolution During Ductile Deformation: An Example From Late Cretaceous Shear Zones in the Eastern Transverse Ranges
Authors: Moser Amy C. , Lusk Alexander D. , Attia Snir , Garber Joshua M. , Seward Gareth G. E. , Kylander‐Clark Andrew R. C.
Published: May 2023

Quantifying the timing and conditions of ductile deformation is essential for quantitative models of lithospheric deformation. Yet, directly constraining these variables and documenting how they change during a single deformation event remain difficult. We present titanite microstructural, zoning, trace‐element, and U‐Pb data from <m‐scale mylonitic shear zones in the Eastern Transverse Ranges, CA (Joshua Tree National Park) that record (a) the timing and conditions of ductile deformation and (b) the evolution of deformation conditions within a single, punctuated ductile deformation event. Titanite grains in sheared plutonic rocks yield a bimodal distribution of dates (∼151 and ∼75 Ma) interpreted as the independently constrained pluton crystallization and shear zone deformation ages, respectively. Synkinematic titanite neocrystallization at ∼75 Ma documents early deformation at ∼640–710°C under hydrous fluid conditions. Recrystallized titanite rims with ∼75 Ma dates indistinguishable from the neocrystallized titanite record Zr‐in‐titanite temperatures of 600–610°C and higher F contents, suggesting that the fluid became a more halogen‐rich brine as deformation progressed and the system cooled. Chemical zoning related to fluid‐driven recrystallization occurs in tandem with lattice misorientations and partially to fully reset U‐Pb dates in bent titanite, implying that reactive fluid flow is the ultimate mechanism by which dates are reset in titanite deformed by dislocation creep. These data document a punctuated (e.g., ∼1–3 Myr) phase of high‐temperature deformation that accompanied local pluton emplacement and demonstrate that titanite petrochronology can capture multiple, discrete reactions associated with crustal weakening and variables that affect the rheological evolution of ductile shear zones.
Mass Cytometry reveals unique phenotypic patterns associated with subclonal diversity and outcomes in multiple myeloma
Authors: Baughn Linda B. , Jessen Erik , Sharma Neeraj , Tang Hongwei , Smadbeck James B. , Long Mark D. , Pearce Kathryn , Smith Matthew , Dasari Surendra , Sachs Zohar , Linden Michael A. , Cook Joselle , Keith Stewart A. , Chesi Marta , Mitra Amit , Leif Bergsagel P. , Van Ness Brian , Kumar Shaji K.
Published: May 2023

Multiple myeloma (MM) remains an incurable plasma cell (PC) malignancy. Although it is known that MM tumor cells display extensive intratumoral genetic heterogeneity, an integrated map of the tumor proteomic landscape has not been comprehensively evaluated. We evaluated 49 primary tumor samples from newly diagnosed or relapsed/refractory MM patients by mass cytometry (CyTOF) using 34 antibody targets to characterize the integrated landscape of single-cell cell surface and intracellular signaling proteins. We identified 13 phenotypic meta-clusters across all samples. The abundance of each phenotypic meta-cluster was compared to patient age, sex, treatment response, tumor genetic abnormalities and overall survival. Relative abundance of several of these phenotypic meta-clusters were associated with disease subtypes and clinical behavior. Increased abundance of phenotypic meta-cluster 1, characterized by elevated CD45 and reduced BCL-2 expression, was significantly associated with a favorable treatment response and improved overall survival independent of tumor genetic abnormalities or patient demographic variables. We validated this association using an unrelated gene expression dataset. This study represents the first, large-scale, single-cell protein atlas of primary MM tumors and demonstrates that subclonal protein profiling may be an important determinant of clinical behavior and outcome.