bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thermally‐Switchable Metalenses Based on Quasi‐Bound States in the Continuum
Authors: Malek Stephanie C. , Tsai Cheng‐Chia , Yu Nanfang
Published: October 2024

Dynamic wavefront shaping with optical metasurfaces has presented a major challenge and inspired a large number of highly elaborate solutions. Here, this study experimentally demonstrates thermo‐optically reconfigurable, nonlocal metasurfaces using simple device architectures and conventional CMOS‐compatible dielectric materials. These metasurfaces support quasi‐bound states in the continuum (q‐BICs) derived from symmetry breaking and encoded with a spatially varying geometric phase, such that they shape optical wavefront exclusively on spectrally narrowband resonances. Due to the enhanced light‐matter interaction enabled by the resonant q‐BICs, a slight variation of the refractive index introduced by heating and cooling the entire device leads to a substantial shift of the resonant wavelength and a subsequent change to the optical wavefront associated with the resonance. This study experimentally demonstrates a metalens modulator, the focusing capability of which can be thermally turned on and off, and reconfigurable metalenses, which can be thermo‐optically switched to produce two distinct focal patterns. The devices offer a pathway to realize reconfigurable, multifunctional meta‐optics using established manufacturing processes and widely available dielectric materials that are conventionally not considered “active” materials due to their small thermo‐optic or electro‐optic coefficients.
Resource‐Saving and High‐Robustness Image Sensing Based on Binary Optical Computing
Authors: Zhou Zhanhong , Li Ziwei , Zhou Wei , Chi Nan , Zhang Junwen , Dai Qionghai
Published: October 2024

Computational imaging, as a novel technology utilizing encoded image acquisition, relies on intelligent decoding methods for effective image restoration and sensing. Optical computing‐based decoders can efficiently process and extract features from pre‐sensor information, reducing the computational burden on digital computers. However, mainstream parallel optical neural network (ONN) architectures based on wavefront propagation typically possess complex network structures and high‐precision parameters, which pose challenges in terms of precise fabrication and system calibration, as well as sensitivity to signal‐to‐noise ratios. In this work, a binary‐weighted optical computing engine is proposed with spatial multiplexing and aggregation (B‐OSMA), a large‐scale passive ONN implementation that achieves high‐efficiency image sensing. Employing B‐OSMA as an optical decoder, demonstrated image categorizing from 2% compressive is experimented sampling with 92.0% and 83.8% accuracy on MNIST and fashion‐MNIST datasets, respectively, approaching the performance of full‐precision electronic computing while reducing storage requirements by 97%. Compared to conventional ONNs with analog weights, the B‐OSMA exhibits enhanced resilience against systematic errors and ambient noise. This work represents a significant advancement towards practical applications of optical computing in image sensing.
Wavelength‐switchable synchronously pumped Raman fiber laser near 1.7 µm for multispectral photoacoustic microscopy
Authors: Park Sang Min , Bak Seongjin , Kim Gyeong Hun , Kim Chang‐Seok , Cho Soon‐Woo , Bouma Brett E. , Lee Hwidon
Published: October 2024

We present a wavelength‐switchable, synchronously pumped Raman fiber laser based on a dual‐cavity design operating in the 1.7 µm region, specifically developed for multispectral photoacoustic microscopy (PAM). By precisely engineering the lengths of the pump laser cavity and the Raman laser cavity and meticulously controlling the modulation frequency, we achieved synchronous pumping by synchronizing the Stokes light within the Raman laser cavity to have the identical round‐trip time as the pump light. Adjusting the electrical modulation frequency of the pump laser to 126.398 kHz, 128.136 kHz, and 130.808 kHz enabled rapid switching of the Raman laser output to final wavelengths of 1700.2 nm, 1710.4 nm, and 1720.3 nm, respectively, with a pulse duration of 4 ns and a pulse energy exceeding 500 nJ. Integrating this advanced laser into a near‐infrared PAM system facilitated the acquisition of spectroscopic photoacoustic signals and images from polymer films with distinct C─H compositions: polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyimide. Our results demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed laser for wavelength switching in the 1700 nm region and its significant potential for differentiating molecules with various C─H groups in PAM applications.
The false promise of individual digital sovereignty in Europe: Comparing artificial intelligence and data regulations in China and the European Union
Authors: Nanni Riccardo , Bizzaro Pietro G. , Napolitano Maurizio
Published: October 2024

In the digital sovereignty debate, countries and blocks seek to build technological and regulatory capacity to ascertain technological autonomy—definitions notwithstanding. Meanwhile, these actors seek to position themselves discursively, differentiating their own understanding of digital sovereignty from that of competing powers. In this context, the European Union (EU) elaborated the concept of digital sovereignty as something obtainable on an individual level, where regulations are put in place for users to be able to choose what personal data (not) to share. Meanwhile in China the government launched a number of artificial intelligence (AI) and data protection regulations along with an antitrust crackdown on numerous platform companies. This aimed at bringing technological giants (namely platforms), capable of handling massive amounts of data and influencing people's everyday lives, under stricter government rule. While the Chinese government has only partially framed these actions within frameworks akin to ‘digital sovereignty’, the purported aim was accruing individual autonomy vis‐à‐vis big techs, arguably falling close to the EU's ‘digital sovereignty’ discursive framework. By comparing EU and Chinese AI and data governance regulations, this article unpacks the EU discourse on the individual element of digital sovereignty and finds the EU regulatory effort insufficient to achieve its declared objective.
Theoretical Study of the Grafting Reaction of a New Antioxidant to Cross‐Linked Polyethylene and the Antioxidation Mechanism
Authors: Deng Chi , Zhang Hui , Du Yang , Du Xia , Shang Yan , Yang Hongda , Wang Xuan , Chen Qingguo , Li Zesheng
Published: October 2024

Cross‐linked polyethylene (XLPE) insulation has been used in most advanced power cable technology. Strategies for decreasing the amount of antioxidants have been proposed to reduce conductivity further. In this study, the structural design of a new dual‐functional antioxidant has been established. Theoretical investigation of the antioxidative behavior and grafting reaction of the new antioxidant by ultraviolet (UV) radiation was performed using the density functional theory (DFT) method. The reaction potential energy information of the six reaction channels at the B3LYP/6‐311+G (d,p) level was obtained. Frontier molecular orbitals (MOs) and natural bond orbital (NBO) charge populations of the designed antioxidant molecule were analyzed. The calculation results indicate that the reaction Gibbs energy barrier of the designed antioxidant and O2 required to achieve the antioxidative effect is about 0.8 eV lower than that of the polyethylene chain. Moreover, due to the lower reaction Gibbs energy barrier, the reaction active site of the designed antioxidant accepting H is located on the O of the CO groups. The proposed mechanism would be beneficial to understanding the molecular functions of antioxidants and further broadening the design ideas of thermoplastic insulation materials for future advanced power cables.
A data‐driven safety preserving control architecture for constrained cyber‐physical systems
Authors: Attar Mehran , Lucia Walter
Published: October 2024

In this article, we propose a data‐driven networked control architecture for unknown and constrained cyber‐physical systems capable of detecting networked false‐data‐injection attacks and ensuring plant's safety. In particular, on the controller's side, we design a novel robust anomaly detector that can discover the presence of network attacks using a data‐driven outer approximation of the expected robust one‐step reachable set. On the other hand, on the plant's side, we design a data‐driven safety verification module, which resorts to worst‐case arguments to determine if the received control input is safe for the plant's evolution. Whenever necessary, the same module is in charge of replacing the networked controller with a local data‐driven set‐theoretic model predictive controller, whose objective is to keep the plant's trajectory in a pre‐established safe configuration until an attack‐free condition is recovered. Numerical simulations involving a two‐tank water system illustrate the features and capabilities of the proposed control architecture.
Sustainable livelihoods following an extreme event: Post‐earthquake practices of the Tibetan community in Jiuzhaigou World Heritage site, China
Authors: Cheng Li , Li Jun , Ling Huan , Wei Xiurong , Mou Lunchao , Wu Shuang , Wall Geoffrey
Published: October 2024

Under the guidance of a sustainable livelihoods framework and using qualitative research methods, members of Tibetan communities in Jiuzhaigou World Heritage site were interviewed following an earthquake. Based on grounded theory and methods, the core elements, connotation and impact relationships concerning the sustainable livelihoods of Tibetan residents after an extreme event were extracted. A framework comprised of livelihood capital, livelihood vulnerability, institutions and systems, livelihood intentions, livelihood strategies, and livelihood outcomes, was developed to examine the effects of an earthquake on livelihoods at a World Heritage site in western China. The elements of this framework better reflect China's conditions and regional characteristics, which leads to different meanings and logical relationships in the composition of sustainable livelihood elements. It was found that the institutions and organizational systems of the heritage site and the livelihood intentions of the community members shaped the use of livelihood capital, thereby influencing livelihood strategies and livelihood outcomes. Cultural capital is important in the reconstruction of livelihoods and for the diversification of tourism.
Impact Deposition of a Single Droplet of Low‐Melting‐Point Alloy as the Top Electrode for Organic Photovoltaics
Authors: Yu Boyang , Kang Liangyuqi , Liu Jianning , Xia Huihui , Deng Weiwei , Zhao Xinyan
Published: October 2024

Top electrodes of organic photovoltaics (OPVs) are usually thermally evaporated in the vacuum, which is non‐continuous and time‐consuming and has been the bottleneck for the OPV fabrication process. Printable top electrodes that are free of vacuum, high temperature, and solvents will make OPVs more attractive. Low‐melting‐point alloys (LMPAs) are promising candidates for printable OPV electrodes thanks to the merits of matching work functions, high electron conductivity, high environment stability, and no need for post‐treatment. Here, LMPA electrodes are directly deposited on OPVs by simply falling a single LMPA droplet onto the substrate. The LMPA droplet spreads to form a thin film with a smooth interface intimately contacting the substrate. The electrode area can be tailored by adjusting the droplet diameter or the Weber number, which is the ratio of inertia to surface tension. The interface morphology is mainly affected by the contact temperature. The degree of oxidation and charges on the droplet can also influence the electrode area and interface morphology. OPVs with droplet‐impacted LMPA electrodes exhibit power conversion efficiencies of up to 16.17%. This work demonstrates the potential of single‐droplet impact deposition as a simple method for printing OPV electrodes for scalable manufacturing.
Direct Reduction of Solid V2O5 with Hydrogen at 600–1400 °C
Authors: Levchenko Mykyta , Kovtun Oleksandr , Guhl Stefan , Gräbner Martin , Volkova Olena
Published: October 2024

In this study, it is aimed to assess the feasibility of converting vanadium pentoxide into vanadium metal via hydrogen reduction. To achieve this, V2O5 powder is pressed into a cylindrical shape and subjected to a reduction in a high‐temperature microscope under a constant hydrogen flow rate of 0.5 L min−1, within a temperature range of 600–1400 °C. The experimental results are complemented by thermodynamic calculations using FactSage 7.2. The microstructure and composition of the samples are analyzed using scanning electron microscopy with energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction analyses. Subsequent to the experiment, only V2O3 and VO are identified in the samples, and no metallic vanadium is observed.
Effect of Cooling Practice on the Mechanical Properties of Medium‐Manganese Aluminum‐Alloyed Steels after Intercritical Annealing Quench and Partition Treatment
Authors: Ahmed Shahroz , Oja Olli , Kaijalainen Antti , Peura Pasi
Published: October 2024

This study reports the effect of different cooling practices after hot rolling on the microstructure and mechanical properties of intercritically annealed quench and partitioned low‐carbon medium‐manganese aluminum‐alloyed steel. The outcomes show that the tensile strength and uniform elongation of medium‐manganese steels can be improved by manipulating the cooling cycle after hot rolling. The starting microstructure, obtained after hot rolling and cooling, influences the fraction of austenite formed at the end of intercritical annealing, thereby impacting the fraction of martensite produced at the interrupted quenching step. The results illustrate that during intercritical annealing austenite tends to nucleate at a higher temperature from a ferritic microstructure compared to a microstructure consisting of mainly bainite or a mixture of ferrite, martensite, cementite, and retained austenite. Partition temperature of 400 °C facilitates the partition of carbon from martensite to austenite while partition temperature of 450 °C supports the formation of high carbon secondary martensite.
Impact of Groundnut Oil/Candelilla Wax Oleogel Replacement on Physicochemical Properties of Whole Wheat Pasta
Authors: Kabi Sandhya Rani , Sahu Deblu , Jarzebski Maciej , Anis Arfat , Kim Doman , Nayak Amit Kumar , Pal Kunal
Published: October 2024

The current study investigates replacing water (2.5–15%) in whole wheat pasta with groundnut oil/candelilla wax (GNO/CW) oleogel. To assess the impact of incorporating GNO/CW oleogel at varied concentrations, both uncooked and cooked pasta samples are physicochemically characterized. The water absorption capacity of oleogel‐containing cooked pasta samples is found to be lower. Microscopic analysis of the surface of pasta samples (uncooked and cooked) exhibits considerable changes in their topology as the composition varied. Black patches on the cooked pasta samples are observed when the GNO/CW oleogel replacement is on the higher side (10% and 15% replacement), implying the formation of starch–lipid complexes. FTIR analysis is performed to analyze the changes in functional groups and molecular bonds. There are no major changes in the water and the starch regions of pasta samples (uncooked and cooked). The addition of GNO/CW oleogel in the pasta samples enhances their stiffness. Additionally, the pasta samples exhibit viscoelastic properties. Therefore, the incorporation of GNO/CW oleogel into the whole wheat pasta dough can change the physicochemical properties of both uncooked and cooked pasta samples.
Black flowers and real forms of higher spin symmetries
Authors: Sammani R. , Saidi E. H.
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Using Chern-Simons formulation, we investigate higher spin (HS) black holes in AdS3 with soft Heisenberg hair and establish linkage with the real forms of the underlying complexified gauge symmetries taken here as SL(N, ℂ)L × SL(N, ℂ)R. We study the various conserved currents characterizing the HS black flowers (HS-BF) and show that they can be formed of layers indexed by the elements of the centre of the gauge symmetry. This feature follows from requiring the holonomy of the asymptotic gauge connection around the thermal cycle to sit in the centre ℤN of the symmetry group. With regard to the compact subgroups of the real forms of the complexified gauge symmetry, we calculate the entropies of the HS-BF and verify that, unless we are considering trivial holonomies, there are no continuous paths joining the HS-BF to the core spin 2 black holes. As explicit illustrations, we give quantum field realisations of the soft Heisenberg hair in terms of bosonic and fermionic primary conformal fields and compute the HS-BF entropy as a function of the number of fermions occupying the ground state of the Heisenberg soft hair.
S100 as marker for immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome
Authors: Schulenburg Axel , Rüsing Lina Z. , Bumberger Armin , Mitterbauer Margit , Rabitsch Werner
Published: October 2024

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy is a new and successful treatment for otherwise refractory malignancies but despite the growing number of applications, this form of treatment is still associated with significant toxicity. Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) in particular are common and dangerous side effects. This report is about two patients who received CAR‑T cell therapy and subsequently developed ICANS. This was successfully treated. During CAR‑T cell therapy, a blood marker, S100, was monitored daily. It correlated with the occurrence and progression of ICANS.
Subchorionic Hematoma Associated with Thrombophilia: Report of Three Cases
Authors: Heller Debra S. , Rush Demaretta , Baergen Rebecca N.
Published: October 2024

Subchorionic hematomas (SCHs) are associated with poor reproductive outcome including spontaneous abortions and stillbirth. Although many associations with maternal and prenatal factors have been reported, an underlying etiology has not been elucidated. We report three cases of SCHs associated with thrombophilias in the mother. One patient suffered a fetal demise at 30 wk gestational age, and two patients had second trimester losses. The mother of the 30-wk fetus was homozygous for mutations on the methylene-tetrahydrofolate reductase gene C677T. The other two patients had Protein S deficiency. SCHs may be associated with abnormal coagulative states suggesting that the underlying etiology of SCH may be related to hypercoagulability in the maternal circulation. The presence of a SCH may be the first indicator of an underlying thrombophilia and, thus, it is suggested that women who have placentas showing SCH should undergo a thrombophilia workup.
Intersection distribution of degree four polynomials over finite fields
Authors: Li Shuxing , Xiong Maosheng
Published: October 2024

Given a polynomial f over the finite field $$\mathbb {F}_q$$

F
q

, its intersection distribution provides fruitful information on how lines in the affine plane intersect the graph of f over $$\mathbb {F}_q$$

F
q

. The intersection distribution in its simplest cases gives rise to oval polynomials in finite geometry and Steiner triple systems in design theory. Previously, the intersection distribution of degree two and degree three polynomials has been computed. In this paper, we determine the intersection distribution of all degree four polynomials over finite fields. As an application, we present a direct construction of Steiner systems using polynomials with prescribed intersection distribution.
Internationalization pathways of sharing economy companies
Authors: Thornton Heidi Coral , Parente Ronaldo
Published: October 2024

The past decade has seen a global surge of sharing economy companies (sharecoms) engaged in increasing cross-border activities. However, the process by which they internationalize remains under-theorized. Addressing this gap, we present new, empirically driven insights into how sharecoms expand internationally. Through a qualitative multi-case study investigation, we discover that sharecoms internationalize through a combination of passive and active means, allowing them to increase their scale and scope simultaneouly—a strategy that constrasts with the processes posited in existing internationalization literature. We identify three key internationalization patterns adopted by sharecoms: the Maximizer, the Optimizer, and the Penetrator. Additionally, we devise a framework of both theoretical relevance to scholars and practical relevance to sharecom founders and managers.
Understanding the Dynamics of Hedonic and Eudaimonic Motives on Daily Well-Being: Insights from Experience Sampling Data
Authors: van Halem Sjoerd , van Roekel Eeske , Denissen Jaap
Published: October 2024

Previous studies have consistently found that hedonic and eudaimonic motives positively predict subjective well-being. In this study, we emphasized the importance of considering curvilinear effects alongside main effects and interactions to fully understand these relationships. Using polynomial regression models, we examined the relationships between hedonic motives, eudaimonic motives, and subjective well-being. To examine both trait-level and momentary-level relations with well-being, we used experience sampling methodology to collect real-time data from 161 participants over a 7-day period. Our findings suggested that engaging in activities towards fulfilling both motives was associated with positive experiences, and individuals with high levels of hedonic and eudaimonic motives in their daily lives generally reported higher subjective well-being. Nevertheless, we also identified negative interaction effects between both motives on subjective well-being, which imply that there may be a limit to the positive contributions of combinations of both motives to subjective well-being. We discuss the implications of our findings for understanding the nuanced relationships between hedonic and eudaimonic motives and subjective well-being.
Against Exclusionary Reasons as Only Razian Facts
Authors: Gálvez Bermúdez Carlos
Published: October 2024

Legal rules are often understood in terms of exclusionary reasons, and exclusionary reasons are normally understood as reasons for action according to Raz. In this paper, I engage with the literature on the metaphysics of reasons for action and explain how exclusionary reasons can be used in different conceptions of what reasons for action are (and not only by the one defended by Joseph Raz). To do that, I proceed as follows: In the first part, and after differentiating between factual and psychological conceptions of what reasons for action are, I engage with different approaches to reasons for action as facts (such as those claiming that reasons are explanation or evidence of “oughts”, primitive facts, and value-based instrumental and non-instrumental facts) to defend that exclusionary reasons can be accommodated inside all of those factual conceptions of reasons for action. In the second part, I engage with those claiming that reasons for action are grounded in mental states (such as will, desires, beliefs, and intentions) to explore whether exclusionary reasons can work inside those psychological conceptions of what reasons for action are. As a result, by showing how exclusionary reasons can be accommodated inside different factual and psychological conceptions of what reasons for action are, I defend that exclusionary reasons are an open concept that is not conceptually linked to Raz’s conception of what reasons for action are.
Shaping New Aims and Practices of Teaching Controversial Issues in Response to Conservative Critics
Authors: Stitzlein Sarah M.
Published: October 2024

While the teaching of controversial issues has generally been supported by schools and education scholars, new laws and public outcry have impacted whether and how controversial issues are taught. Calls to ban or limit teaching of controversial issues have largely been spurred by conservative parents, policymakers, and political groups. Some teachers and many education scholars are deeply concerned and want to preserve teaching about controversial issues. This situation suggests that inquiry is needed into changes in the educational aims held and practices endorsed by various stakeholders. This article reconsiders the aims used to justify teaching controversial issues and situates them within larger understandings of good citizenship, revealing important differences in the explanations and values endorsed by opposing groups. It categorizes the aims more generally held by teachers, philosophers of education, and citizenship education scholars as: reasoning, engaging, communicating, and sustaining democratic communities. Then, those aims are compared to aims circulating within the discourse of opposing parents, policymakers, and political organizations. Finally, this article argues that pragmatic adjustments to educational aims held by many teachers and education scholars are both warranted and wise. It provides potential ways to better justify the teaching of controversial issues, including through approaches that more strongly ground teaching in American principles, historical examples, and a commitment to living together well.
Application of Analytical Solutions of the Reactive Transport Equation for Underground Methanation Reactors
Authors: Hagemann Birger , Hogeweg Sebastian , Strobel Gion
Published: October 2024

Fluctuations in the production of renewable-based electricity have to be compensated by converting and storing the energy for later use. Underground methanation reactors (UMR) are a promising technology to address this issue. The idea is to create a controlled bio-reactor system in a porous underground formation, where hydrogen obtained from renewable energy sources by electrolysis and carbon dioxide from industrial sources are fed into the reactor and converted into methane. Microorganisms, known as methanogenic archaea, catalyze the chemical reaction by using the two non-organic substrates as nutrients for their growth and for their respiratory metabolism. The generated synthetic methane is renewable and capable to compete with the fossil methane. Mathematical models play an important role in the design and planning of such systems. Usually, a numerical solution of the model is required since complex initial-boundary problems cannot be solved analytically. In this paper, an existing bio-reactive transport model for UMR is simplified to such an extent that an analytical solution of the advection-dispersion-reaction equation can be applied. A second analytical solution is used for the case without dispersion. The analytical solutions are shown for both the educt (hydrogen) and the reaction product (methane). In order to examine the applicability of the analytical models, they are compared with the significantly more complex numerical model for a 1D case and a 3D case. It was shown that there is an acceptable agreement between the two analytical solutions and the numerical solution in different spatial plots of hydrogen and methane concentration and in the methane concentration in the withdrawn gas. The mean absolute error in the mole fraction is well below 0.015 in most cases. The spatial distribution of the hydrogen concentration in the comparison to the 3D case shows a higher deviation with a mean absolute error of approx. 0.023. As expected, the model with dispersion shows a slightly lower error in all cases, as only here the gas mixing resulting in smeared displacement fronts can be represented. It is shown that analytical modeling is a good tool to get a first estimation of the behavior of an UMR. It allows to help in the design of well spacing in combination with the injection rate and injected gas composition. Nevertheless, it is recommended to use more complex models for the later detailed analysis, which require a numerical solution.
Prospective Comparison of [18F]FDG and [18F]AIF-FAPI-74 PET/CT in the Evaluation of Potentially Resectable Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Yun Won-Gun , Gil Joonhyung , Choi Hongyoon , Han Youngmin , Jung Hye-Sol , Cho Young Jae , Suh Minseok , Kwon Wooil , Lee Yun-Sang , Cheon Gi Jeong , Jang Jin-Young
Published: October 2024

Purpose

Accurate clinical staging of potentially resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is critical for establishing optimal treatment strategies. While the efficacy of fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F]FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in clinical staging is unclear, PET/CT detecting fibroblast-activation protein (FAP) expression has recently received considerable attention for detecting various tumors, including PDAC, with high sensitivity. We explored the efficacy of [18F]FDG and [18F]AIF-FAPI-74 PET/CT in the initial evaluation of potentially resectable PDAC.

Procedures

Between 2021 and 2022, twenty participants with newly diagnosed potentially resectable PDAC were enrolled. After the initial evaluation with pancreatic CT, [18F]FDG PET/CT, and [18F]AIF-FAPI-74 PET/CT, treatment strategies were determined considering the participant’s general status, clinical staging, and resectability. Pathological information from the surgical specimens was only available in 17 participants who underwent curative-intent surgery. Head-to-head comparisons of quantitative radiotracer uptake and diagnostic performance were performed among imaging modalities.

Results

[18F]AIF-FAPI-74 PET/CT showed a significantly higher maximum standardized uptake value than [18F]FDG PET/CT did in evaluating primary pancreatic lesions (median [interquartile range]; 12.6 [10.7–13.7] vs. 6.3 [4.8–9.2]; P < 0.001). In contrast, [18F]AIF-FAPI-74 PET/CT showed a significantly lower mean standardized uptake value than [18F]FDG PET/CT did in evaluating background organ (median [interquartile range]) 0.8 [0.7–0.9] vs. 2.6 [2.3–2.7]; P < 0.001). In addition, the sensitivity of [18F]AIF-FAPI-74 PET/CT in detecting metastatic lymph nodes was higher than that of [18F]FDG PET/CT (50.0% vs. 0.0%; P = 0.026).

Conclusion

This study demonstrated that [18F]AIF-FAPI-74 PET/CT could improve the clinical staging of potentially resectable PDAC.
Forest Owner Attitudes Toward Climate-Proof Forest Management in Sweden and the Netherlands—Between Forest Strategies and Practical Measures
Authors: Sikkema Richard , Wilhelmsson Erik , Ellison David , Petersson Hans
Published: October 2024

Our research targets the role of forests under the international Paris Climate Agreement, the EU Green Deal and Forest Strategy. In line with the latter objectives, Member States are expected to encourage forest owners to contribute to international climate goals via national strategic plans and new management measures. How forest owners will respond, however, to a range of climate smart forestry (CSF) measures in the near future, is not well known. After postal and email distribution in 2020, 98 Swedish (response rate 21%) and 241 Dutch forest owners (24%) filled out a forest-climate survey. Based upon specific CSF measures, several hypothetical climate-related scenarios were incorporated into the survey. Dutch forest owners are planning to introduce new tree species, more mixed species stands (a gradual shift to broadleaved species) and additional water reservoirs in anticipation of increased drought periods, all part of a hypothetical climate adaptation package for 2030. Swedish forest owners prefer earlier thinning and salvaging activities. Zooming in on Dutch scale differences, small forest owners rely less on current public subsidy packages and show significantly less interest in committing to the adaptation package than large forest owners. In Sweden, preferences for the high forest management intensity scenario is significantly affected by size class: more intensive activities are the least popular with the smallest forest owners. The greatest difference between both countries is the way in which CSF measures should be financially supported. In general, Dutch forest owners would prefer to maintain subsidy schemes but adapt them to new circumstances, while Swedish forest owners benefit from timber and bioenergy markets.
A Convergent Semi-Lagrangian Scheme for the Game $$\infty $$-Laplacian
Authors: Carlini Elisabetta , Tozza Silvia
Published: October 2024

We propose a new semi-Lagrangian scheme for the game $$\infty $$
∞
-Laplacian. We demonstrate the convergence of the scheme to the viscosity solution of the given problem, showing its consistency, monotonicity, and stability. The proof of this result is established following the Barles-Souganidis analysis. This analysis assumes convergence at the boundary in a strong sense and is applied to our proposed scheme, augmented with an artificial viscosity term.
Beekeeping and agropastoralism interactions through floral resources in the French Mount Lozère
Authors: Gonella Gabriel , Leoni Estelle , Mouillard-Lample Léo , Aubron Claire , Decourtye Axel , Deconchat Marc , Barnaud Cécile
Published: October 2024

Beekeeping has faced increasing difficulties during the past decades, among which is the decline in floral resources. Agriculture provides essential floral resources for beekeeping, but some farming practices have also been shown to be responsible for their decline. To provide floral resources for beekeeping, what type of agricultural transformation should be promoted, and how? To answer these questions, we still lack knowledge about the floral resources that are used by beekeeping and about the technical-economic obstacles that farmers face in implementing more favorable farming practices, particularly in agropastoral settings. To help fill these gaps, we develop a novel approach that frames both agropastoral farming and beekeeping as farming systems, by characterizing the beekeeping systems of a given place, the floral resources they use, and the impacts these farming systems have on floral resources. This approach is applied to the agropastoral landscapes of Mount Lozère, southern France, using a methodology based on semi-structured interviews with farmers and beekeepers addressing the agronomical functioning of their farms. We demonstrate that the floral resources used by beekeepers on Mount Lozère are threatened by the current dominant agricultural development paths, which seek to maximize the material productivity of labor. Such paths lead to the intensification of agricultural practices in harvested areas and the extensification of rangelands. These pathways are reinforced by the low remuneration of agropastoral labor and by the current rules of the European Union Common Agricultural Policy. “Frugal” farming, a farming system based on reduced inputs and investments, and labor-intensive practices, namely, a labor-intensive use of pasture, seems an effective way to produce floral resources. Both, agropastoral farmers and beekeepers, would benefit from an increase in the number of agricultural workers in agropastoral landscapes. This calls for public policies that promote a better remuneration of agropastoral labor, either directly or by driving market mechanisms.
ProbFuzzOnto: A Fuzzy Ontology-Driven Uncertainty Approach Using Fuzzy Bayesian Networks
Authors: Riali Ishak , Fareh Messaouda , Bobillo Fernando
Published: October 2024

The need to deal with uncertain semantics is rising in importance in most of the important technology trends, and consequently, many proposals have emerged as solutions in recent years. Fuzzy ontologies were proposed to remedy the limitations of standard ontologies using fuzzy logic to deal with vague and imprecise knowledge. Nevertheless, fuzzy ontologies cannot deal with probabilistic knowledge which is an important characteristic of most real-world applications. This paper proposes a novel solution that aims at enhancing the knowledge representation and reasoning in fuzzy ontologies. Indeed, the proposed solution is a probabilistic extension of fuzzy ontologies with Fuzzy Bayesian Networks (FBN) that we named Probabilistic Fuzzy Ontologies (ProbFuzzOnto). It takes into account vague, imprecise, and probabilistic knowledge simultaneously. Moreover, this paper proposes a process to guide ontology engineers step by step in building ProbFuzzOnto. Also, it provides reasoning algorithms to drive implicit knowledge by utilizing explicit knowledge stored in a fuzzy ontology based on fuzzy Bayesian inference. To show the usefulness of the proposed solution, a case study in Renal Cancer is presented.
Journey to the Centre of the Self
Authors: Arya Rina , Bhugra Dinesh
Published: October 2024

This book presents previously untold narratives of South Asian psychiatrists in the UK and provides insight into the significance of cultural identity, migration and marginalisation on their lives and work. The development of cultural psychiatry arose to meet the needs of multiethnic populations. A hitherto overlooked area in the field is the impact of white privilege on psychiatrists from ethnic minority backgrounds. Through the lived experience of South Asian psychiatrists, this pioneering book delves into the effects of structural inequality, the culturally specific needs of South Asian populations, and the impact of migration across generations. Personal accounts impart the importance of recognising the cultural hybridity of ethnic identities and how to work within cultural frameworks. Set in the UK context, findings can be applied more widely to other diaspora settings and are critical in understanding contemporary insights into cultural psychiatry and diverse cultural environments.
Eleventh Annual Charles N. Brower Lecture: Sir Christopher Greenwood
Authors: Shaffer Greg , Greenwood Christopher
Published: October 2024

Welcome, everyone. I am Greg Shaffer, president of the Society, and it is my huge pleasure to introduce the Brower Lecture. Of course, this is thanks to our good friend, Judge Charles Brower and I am thrilled that we are able to offer the offer this opportunity every year to have such great lectures.
ASIL Assembly and Keynote
Authors: Shaffer Gregory , Goodwin Michele Bratcher , Sinha S. Mona
Published: October 2024

Okay. Now is the moment we have been waiting for. It is my pleasure to welcome to the stage Sharmila Mona Sinha and Michele Goodwin for a keynote conversation. Mona Sinha is a globally recognized advocate, thought leader, and philanthropist who works tirelessly on behalf of gender equality in business and in society. She co-led the largest-to-date capital campaign for women's education, totaling nearly a half-a-billion dollars. Mona's career began in finance, spanning Morgan Stanley, Unilever, and the restructuring of Elizabeth Arden/Unilever, to her critical work today at the intersection of social justice and women's leadership. She has been described as having a muscle for finance and a passion for justice. She has worn many hats in advocating for human rights and advancement of girls and women. She currently serves as Board Chair of Women Moving Millions, a community of women who fund boldly, committing at least a million dollars each year to lifting the lives of women and girls, Chair of the ERA Coalition Fund for Women's Equality, and Vice Chair of the Executive Council of the Smithsonian's American Women's History Museum. Today Mona is Global Executive Director of Equality Now, a critically important feminist organization that uses law to promote and protect the human rights of all women and girls throughout the globe. She and her colleagues create, reform, challenge, and apply the law to establish enduring equality for women and girls throughout the world.
Measuring the Collective Community Capacity of a Network to Address Health Inequities during a Public Health Emergency: Findings from the National COVID-19 Resiliency Network
Authors: Freij Maysoun , Ubri Petry , Khanna Saumya , Coffee-Borden Brandon , Henderson Shalanda , Gaglioti Anne , Mack Dominic H.
Published: October 2024

Objective

This study assesses the collective community capacity of the National COVID-19 Resiliency Network (NCRN), a multisectoral network mitigating the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on minoritized populations.

Methods

From January to April 2022, we used two concurrent data collection methods: a Collective Community Capacity (C3) survey (n=65) and key informant interviews (KIIs) (n=26). The C3 assessed capacity for creation of a shared vision, engagement in community change, and distributive leadership. KIIs assessed perspectives on network formation and implementation. We used a convergent design and triangulation for interpretation.

Results

NCRN has growing collective community capacity. The C3 survey found high capacity for establishing a shared mission and evidence of mutual commitment, trust, and accountability. About three-quarters of respondents strongly agreed that partners addressed social, economic, and cultural barriers related to COVID-19. Interviewees valued NCRN leaders’ openness, availability, and willingness to listen. Partners learned from one another, increased their health communication capacity, and supported sustainability. They sought greater opportunities to partner and support decision-making.

Conclusions

NCRN developed a collaborative network with a shared vision of improving health equity during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, while identifying areas for improvement in distributive leadership. Findings can support other organizations seeking to build collective community capacity to address equity in public health emergencies.
Viewing Violence through a Partisan Lens: How Electoral Violence Shapes Citizens' Support for Democracy
Authors: Fjelde Hanne , Olafsdottir Gudlaug
Published: October 2024

In many elections across the world, the regime in power uses violence to influence electoral dynamics and outcomes. What is the effect of such violence on citizens' attitudes to democracy? We argue that the effect of government-perpetrated electoral violence on citizens' democratic commitment will diverge depending on whether the individual supports the ruling or opposition party. While those affiliated with the opposition should become more likely to support democracy in the wake of government violence, we expect those affiliated with the incumbent to support more power concentrated in the hands of the executive. We examine these expectations using cross-national, geo-referenced survey data from the Afrobarometer, alongside event data on electoral violence. We find that while incumbent supporters generally display lower baseline support for democracy in the absence of violence, violent elections do not further erode their democratic commitment. Violence is, however, associated with increased support for democracy amongst opposition supporters.
$L^p$
-BOUNDEDNESS OF THE BEREZIN TRANSFORM ON GENERALISED HARTOGS TRIANGLES
Authors: ZOU QINGYANG
Published: October 2024

We study the

$L^p$

-boundedness of the Berezin transform on the generalised Hartogs triangles which are defined by

$$ \begin{align*}H_k:=\{(z, w)\in\mathbb C^n\times\mathbb C: |z_1|^2+\cdots+|z_n|^2<|w|^{2k}<1\},\end{align*} $$

where

$z=(z_1, \ldots , z_n)$

and

$k\in \mathbb N$

. We prove that the Berezin transform is bounded on

$L^p(H_k)$

if and only if

$p>nk+1$

.
Trade, Slavery, and State Coercion of Labor: Egypt during the First Globalization Era
Authors: Saleh Mohamed
Published: October 2024

I investigate the effects of trade on labor coercion under the dual-coercive institutions of slavery and state coercion. Employing novel data from Egypt, I document that the cotton boom in 1861–1865 increased both imported slaveholdings of the rural middle class and state coercion of local workers by the elite. As state coercion reduced wage employment, it reinforced the demand for slaves among the rural middle class. While the abolition of slavery in 1877 increased wages, it did not affect state coercion or wage employment. I discuss the political effects of the abolition as a potential explanation for these findings.

“The barbarism of the [U.S.] South, while destroying itself, [appeared] in the providence of God to be working out the regeneration of Egypt.”

North American Review 98, no. 203 (1864, p. 483), quoted in Earle (1926)
Party ideology in Nigeria's Four Republics: a case of right-wing convergence
Authors: Husaini Sa'eed A.
Published: October 2024

Do Nigerian political parties take left/right ideological positions? Perspectives in comparative politics see party competition in Africa's ‘third wave’ democracies as devoid of disagreement on class or economic grounds – and thus as ‘absent’ of left/right ideology. Yet, a dearth of disagreement among governing parties can also suggest ideological agreement or ‘convergence’. This article maps the development of the left/right cleavage in Nigeria's party system, examining the evolution of economic pledges in the manifestos of parties that took power across Nigeria's four attempts at electoral democracy. It finds that relative to the deeper levels of economic disagreement voiced in earlier periods, the governing parties of Nigeria's Fourth Republic are now largely unanimous in the enunciation of their economic visions. Evidence of such convergence troubles a strict insistence on either the polarisation or ‘absence’ of economic ideology among governing parties in Africa's largest electoral democracy.
Explaining the territorial trap: Revisiting the geographical assumptions of International Relations theory
Authors: Kadercan Burak
Published: October 2024

Territory and territoriality lie at the heart of both world politics and International Relations (IR) theory. In terms of IR theory’s geographical assumptions, one of the most influential studies to date has been political geographer John Agnew’s 1994 article on the ‘the territorial trap’ (TTT). While Agnew’s original insights and subsequent research has reached canonical status in political geography, mainstream IR scholarship has yet to fully engage TTT. Political geographers, in turn, have largely dealt with the consequences of TTT for our understanding of world politics. This study offers the first detailed account of the origins of TTT, which are hidden in broad daylight in IR’s own history. The origins of TTT and mainstream IR are intertwined in terms of two dynamics: the racist and colonial origins of IR, and the selective nationalistic ontology that dominated IR especially in the first half of the 20th century. The arguments offered in this study have a wide variety of implications for problematising the ways in which IR-as-epistemological-community approaches territory and territoriality as well as our understanding of the origins and evolution of the present-day global territorial order.
Reflections on the Theology of the Blessed Trinity
Authors: Ernst Cornelius
Published: October 2024

The reflections offered here have properly to do with the theology of the Holy Trinity rather than with the Trinity itself; their purpose is to consider how we advance in our theological understanding of the revelation of the Holy Trinity communicated to us by Scripture and Tradition, by pointing to those movements of our spp iritual life which are especially relevant to our theological understanding of the faith. St Augustine, in the later books of his de Trinitate, was the first to dopt this procedure explicitly; and his has been the determining influence in all Latin theology after him. But the later theology so much took his Preliminary investigations for granted that it is not easy for the reader of a moderm dogmatic treatise dealing with the Holy Trinityto understand the truly religious and spiritual interest of the theology of the Trinity: he may admire the technical Ingenuity of the solutions proposed, the sustained intellectual effort and the scrupulous integrity required to present within manageable limits the essential Catholic doctrines, but he may fail to enter with a quick sympathy into the inner life of such and investigation.