bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Cost of Nonconvexity in Deterministic Nonsmooth Optimization
Authors: Kong Siyu , Lewis A. S.
Published: November 2023

We study the impact of nonconvexity on the complexity of nonsmooth optimization, emphasizing objectives such as piecewise linear functions, which may not be weakly convex. We focus on a dimension-independent analysis, slightly modifying a 2020 black-box algorithm of Zhang-Lin-Jegelka-Sra-Jadbabaie that approximates an ϵ-stationary point of any directionally differentiable Lipschitz objective using [Formula: see text] calls to a specialized subgradient oracle and a randomized line search. Seeking by contrast a deterministic method, we present a simple black-box version that achieves [Formula: see text] for any difference-of-convex objective and [Formula: see text] for the weakly convex case. Our complexity bound depends on a natural nonconvexity modulus that is related, intriguingly, to the negative part of directional second derivatives of the objective, understood in the distributional sense.

Funding: This work was supported by the National Science Foundation [Grant DMS-2006990].
O Que se Espera de um Diplomata? Mudanças Curriculares no Instituto Rio Branco no Governo Bolsonaro | What is Expected of a Diplomat? Curriculum Changes in the Rio Branco Institute in the Bolsonaro Government
Authors: Marques Ricardo Almeida , Velasco Júnior Paulo Afonso Monteiro
Published: November 2023

A utilização do currículo como ferramenta capacitadora de indivíduos, sua função primária, é praticada em qualquer instituição com tal propósito. Entretanto, há a possibilidade de seu uso como um recurso para reprodução de lógicas e visões de mundo específicas, cunhadas de acordo com os interesses das lideranças que o idealizaram. O presente estudo realiza uma análise das mudanças no currículo de ensino do corpo diplomático brasileiro realizadas no governo Bolsonaro, a fim de constatar se elas foram norteadas pelas posturas governamentais, de modo a servir como instrumento de propagação da ideia de realidade das lideranças no poder. A partir do estudo comparativo das grades curriculares anterior e posterior à dita administração, é possível observar que houve inclinações para tal direção com as alterações realizadas na grade, ainda que algumas tenham, a princípio, partido de iniciativas mais pragmáticas.Palavras-chave: Diplomacia; Currículo; Política Externa.ABSTRACTThe use of curriculum as a training tool for individuals, its primary function, is practiced in any institution with such purpose. However, there is the possibility of its use as a resource for the reproduction of specific logics and worldviews, coined according to the interests of the leaders who idealized it. This study carries out an analysis of the changes in the teaching curriculum of the Brazilian diplomatic corps carried out during the Bolsonaro governance, in order to verify whether they were guided by government postures, as to serve as an instrument for propagating the idea of reality of the leaders in power. From the comparative analysis of the curricula before and after said administration, it is possible to observe that there were inclinations in that direction with the changes made to the curriculum, although some, at first, began from more pragmatic initiatives.Keywords: Diplomacy; Curriculum; Foreign Policy. Recebido em: 30 abr. 2022 | Aceito em: 24 jan. 2023.
Conflictos Interestatales antes y después de las armas nucleares, 1875-2014 | Interstate Conflicts before and after nuclear weapons, 1875-2014
Authors: Olmedo González Hernán
Published: November 2023

Para los científicos de la política internacional orientados al estudio de la seguridad internacional, uno de los problemas relevantes ha sido investigar sobre la relación entre armas nucleares y conflictos interestatales. Sobre este problema pueden identificarse al menos tres enfoques teóricos diferentes. En el marco del debate teórico y empírico sobre esta relación, este estudio tiene por objetivo estimar el efecto de las armas nucleares en los niveles de conflictividad de las relaciones interestatales condicionadas por este tipo de armamento. Para ello, este estudio consiste en una investigación descriptiva sustentada en la aplicación del método estándar de diferencias en diferencias. Los resultados empíricos muestran evidencia favorable a una de las tres grandes posiciones teóricas sobre esta relación, centrando la explicación de tales patrones en los efectos del mecanismo de disuasión nuclear.
Recibido el: 24 de febrero. 2023 | Aceptado el: 25 oct. 2023.
A estratégia de diplomacia cultural do governo Lula na parceria estratégica Brasil-Reino Unido: a dimensão simbólica como vetor da projeção internacional do Brasil entre 2003 e 2010 | Lula Government’s cultural diplomacy strategy within the Brazil-UK strategic partnership: the symbolic dimension as a vector of Brazil’s international projection between 2003 and 2010
Authors: De Souza Freitas Marcello
Published: November 2023

Este artigo analisa as estratégias de diplomacia cultural do governo Lula para a parceria estratégica Brasil-Reino Unido e seu papel no avanço dos interesses brasileiros dentro dela. Enfoca como tal governo conseguiu construir uma estratégia de diplomacia cultural abrangente, que incluiu não apenas a implementação do programa de difusão cultural do Itamaraty, mas também a instrumentalização do poder simbólico presente em diversas atividades diplomáticas (inclusive fora do campo cultural). Para tanto, o artigo adotou uma visão ampliada de diplomacia cultural, que a entende como uma abordagem diplomática voltada para instrumentalizar a dimensão simbólica das relações internacionais. Essa visão foi inspirada pelo conceito de poder simbólico de Pierre Bourdieu e orientada por uma epistemologia construtivista. Assim, é demonstrado que a implementação eficiente dessa estratégia de diplomacia cultural permitiu ao governo Lula não apenas aprofundar sua parceria com o Reino Unido, mas alterar seus termos em favor dos interesses brasileiros. Argumenta-se que tal estratégia foi fundamental para a consecução dos objetivos brasileiros e transformação da parceria com o Reino Unido numa plataforma para a melhor inserção e projeção internacional do Brasil.
Recebido em 27 fev. 2023 | Aceito em 19 abr. 2023.
Orden Nuclear en jaque... ¿Por parte de quién? | The Nuclear Order in check... by whom?
Authors: Vera Nevia , Colombo Sandra , Guglielminotti Cristian
Published: November 2023

¿Cuándo se debilita o entra en contradicción un régimen u orden internacional? ¿Por qué se dice que el orden nuclear internacional actual está en crisis? Este artículo trata de abordar posibles respuestas a estas preguntas para contribuir al debate en torno al aparente debilitamiento del Régimen Internacional de No Proliferación. Para ello analiza dos casos particulares: por un lado, el acuerdo de 2005 entre Estados Unidos y la India, y el posterior apoyo a la entrada de esta última al Grupo de Proveedores Nucleares; por otro, la alianza militar AUKUS constituida en torno a la provisión de submarinos a propulsión nuclear por parte de Estados Unidos y Reino Unido a Australia, lo cual no está exento de riesgos de proliferación. El artículo sostiene que el debilitamiento del orden nuclear no está ocurriendo solo por las posibilidades de proliferación de países como Irán, sino también por las contradicciones de las propias potencias nucleares.
Recibido el: 28 de febrero. 2023 | Aceptado el: 25 oct. 2023.
Dinâmica do Relacionamento Nuclear entre EUA, Rússia e China e seus Impactos para o Regime de Não-Proliferação | The Dynamics of the Nuclear Relationship Among The U.S., Russia and China and its Impacts on the Non-Proliferation Regime
Authors: Dawood Layla , Diniz Eugenio
Published: November 2023

Discutem-se os desafios colocados ao regime de não-proliferação pela dinâmica contemporânea de cooperação e conflito entre EUA, Rússia e China. Para tanto, o artigo recupera o histórico do relacionamento nuclear entre as superpotências nucleares durante a Guerra Fria, com ênfase nas discussões da dissuasão nuclear e da busca da chamada estabilidade nuclear por EUA e URSS. Retoma, ainda, a criação dos principais acordos relacionados aos armamentos nucleares e a importância da cooperação entre as superpotências nucleares para a concretização desses arranjos. Finalmente, realiza-se um paralelo entre os esforços de modernização dos arsenais nucleares chineses e o pensamento francês sobre dissuasão mínima. Argumenta-se que a análise da política nuclear chinesa é central para o entendimento das baixas perspectivas de realização e manutenção de acordos de armas nucleares entre as potências nucleares na atualidade, bem como de iniciativas de desarmamento nuclear.
Recebido em: 21 out. 2023 | Aceito em: 22 nov. 2023.
Wound cleansing and care in treating leg ulcers: a commentary on a Cochrane systematic review
Authors: Hamer Oliver , Counsell Louise , King Angela , Hill James Edward
Published: November 2023

Leg ulcers pose a significant challenge to healthcare services, requiring effective wound cleansing strategies to promote healing and prevent complications. Large amounts of nursing time is spent managing patients with venous leg ulcers (VLUs), with an average appointment time of approximately 30 minutes. Yet, there is a lack of clear guidance for the treatment of VLUs, with nurses adopting a wide range of cleansing practices. This commentary provides an overview of existing evidence on wound cleansing and care in treating leg ulcers, for the benefit of healthcare professionals working within clinical practice.
The evolution of leg ulcer guidelines and recommendations
Authors: Ingleby Anna
Published: November 2023

Background:

Clinical guidelines aim to consolidate and incorporate the latest evidence and opinion to improve patient outcomes and reduce variations in practice.

Aims and methods:

This article will examine the evolution of clinical guidelines and recommendations in leg ulcer assessment and management, from the seminal Royal College of Nursing clinical guideline (1998) to the current Leg Ulcer Recommendations from the National Wound Care Strategy Program (2023) . The evolving definitions of leg ulcers will be discussed, as well as the multidisciplinary approach needed to manage the underlying aetiology of this condition.

Findings and conclusion:

A national appetite for improving leg ulcer assessment and treatment, is being informed by clinical guidelines and recommendations. The cornerstones of assessment and management remain constant, although some fundamental elements around ankle brachial pressure index ranges, historically used to aid diagnosis of leg ulcer aetiology, have been omitted in the recent recommendations.
Advancing pressure ulcer prevention: evaluating the impact of patient and lay carer education
Authors: Phoong Kar Yen , Hardacre Charlotte Louise , Hill James Edward
Published: November 2023

Decubitus ulcers, also known as bed ulcers or pressure ulcers, result from prolonged pressure on the skin, with contributing factors such as shear forces, friction and excessive moisture. Pressure ulcers have significant physical, social and psychological consequences for patients and impose a substantial financial burden on healthcare providers. Patient and caregiver education has been suggested as a potential approach for preventing pressure ulcers. In order to investigate the potential preventive impact, O'Connor et al (2021) conducted a Cochrane systematic review. Their study aimed to assess the effectiveness of educational interventions for patients and caregivers in preventing pressure ulcers. This commentary aims to critically appraise the methods used within the Cochrane systematic review by O'Connor et al (2022) and expand on the findings in the context of clinical practice.
A case of monorchidism in a domestic rabbit
Authors: Sibbald Rachel
Published: November 2023

Registered veterinary nurses are often involved in complex, unusual cases found in veterinary medicine and play a large role in aiding the veterinary surgeon to reach a diagnosis. Through academic writing and transfer of knowledge and experience, veterinary nurses should be encouraged by peers to report on unusual cases (that may be left unpublished otherwise), enabling a more significant contribution to the veterinary field and documentation of information that is useful to both veterinary surgeons and nurses alike. In this article, the case of a rabbit with monorchidism is reported, alongside documentation of diagnostic aids used by the veterinary surgeon and clinical outcome.
Reentry Service Engagement Among a Reentry Population with Co-occurring Mental Health and Opioid Use Disorders in Massachusetts Jails
Authors: Shaffer Paige M. , Smelson David , Helm Abigail , Gaba Ayorkor , Marcus Sarah , Shaffer Howard J.
Published: November 2023

Aim: Co-occurring opioid use and mental health disorders (COD) are common among people with criminal legal involvement. Reentry is a vulnerable period with low treatment engagement, often resulting in relapse, reincarceration, and overdose. While both linkage and multicomponent COD wraparound interventions have supported reentry, little is known about which are most effective for treatment engagement post release.

Methods: This quasi-experimental study included 293 nonrandomized persons involved in the criminal legal system enrolled in a multicomponent COD intervention (n=173) or a linkage only model (n=120) for treatment. Kaplan Meier Curves and Cox Proportional Hazards were computed to determine differences in engagement.

Results: Engagement was significantly different between interventions (X2=58.33, P <.0001). We observed a 73.3% reduction in hazard of early discharge for participants receiving the multicomponent COD intervention as compared to the linkage only model (P<.0001) and a higher 12-month engagement rate (51.5%) compared to the linkage only model (20.8%).

Conclusions: Future research should include a randomized controlled trial to examine factors that influence post-release engagement as well as treatment effects and outcomes. We suggest that programs consider both interventions and assess client reentry needs in advance of release to match to the best suited post-release COD treatment.
A INCERTEZA SOB A ÓTICA DA ECT E ECM NO SISTEMA AGROINDUSTRIAL DO LEITE: um estudo com produtores e fornecedores paranaenses
Authors: Mirales Elisa , De Souza José Paulo
Published: November 2023

O presente artigo tem como objetivo compreender a influência do atributo incerteza nas transações entre produtores e os processadores do Sistema Agroindustrial (SAG) lácteo localizados no estado do Paraná. A fase empírica do estudo foi realizada no estado do Paraná, por intermédio de pesquisa qualitativa do tipo descritiva. A coleta de dados foi realizada por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas com produtores e processadores lácteos do Estado. Como resultado, identificou-se que as incertezas associadas ao ambiente e ao comportamento dos agentes são elevadas, sendo a adaptação o mecanismo de minimização dos efeitos resultantes. Enquanto a incerteza comportamental é mais evidente para aqueles que adotam o contrato informal, a incerteza informacional, acerca dos atributos do leite, é minimizada pela mensuração dos atributos do produto, o que reduz as incertezas associadas à distribuição de valor.
REABILITAÇÃO PROFISSIONAL DO INSS: análise das capacidades estatais do programa no Tocantins
Authors: Mesquita de Moura Cristiana Maria , Almeida Lia
Published: November 2023

Diante das mudanças recentes na política previdenciária, há um panorama de incerteza na política de Reabilitação Profissional do INSS, devido ao enfraquecimento e reestruturação institucional do mesmo. Neste sentido, esta pesquisa tem como objetivo analisar a capacidade estatal do Programa de Reabilitação de atingir os seus objetivos institucionais. Foram consultados documentos institucionais e realizadas entrevistas com os profissionais que atuam no PRP – TO no Tocantins de forma a identificar as capacidades técnico-administrativas e político-relacionais. Observou-se a existência de uma burocracia altamente qualificada, todavia insuficiente para atender à demanda, limitada capacidade de garantir os recursos financeiros de forma a viabilizar questões básicas de funcionamento. Percebeu-se limitações quanto à coordenação interna e externa. No nível político-relacional verificou-se fragilidade nas relações com outras instituições, impossibilitando atender às diversas demandas que perpassam pelas políticas transversais que dialogam com o PRP.  É essencial o investimento do setor público para superar as debilidades das capacidades encontradas.
GESTÃO AMBIENTAL E AS INFERÊNCIAS NOS RECURSOS HÍDRICOS: um diagnóstico do Rio Espraiado em Soledade/RS
Authors: Santos Fabiano Ezequiel dos , Moraes Antônio Agnaldo Rodrigues de , Schwantz Patricia Inês , Lara Daniela Mueller de
Published: November 2023

Buscou-se analisar as inferências do desenvolvimento regional e gestão ambiental, a partir do mapeamento e diagnóstico ambiental, na qualidade do Rio Espraiado em Soledade/RS. A pesquisa é descritiva e a metodologia utilizada foi a pesquisa-ação. Para o diagnóstico ambiental, foram avaliados dados sobre a característica do município. Para o mapeamento hidrográfico, utilizou-se o software ArcGis junto ao Sistema de Informações Geográfica, para obter mapas e informações geográficas. Foi possível observar a ausência parcial da circunferência de vegetação nativa, ausência de sub-bosque e processos erosivos, presença de resíduos e rejeitos nas margens do afluente, mata ciliar densa de difícil acesso, posição crítica ambientalmente pela ocupação nas margens do rio e, as margens apresentam-se fortemente degradadas. Sugere-se ações de restabelecimento da APP para manter a qualidade e o fluxo hídrico, assim como, investimento em políticas públicas para preservação das áreas que margeiam o rio.
A GOURMETIZAÇÃO COMO PRÁTICA SOCIAL NO COMPLEXO TURÍSTICO EM BARRA GRANDE PIAUÍ BRASIL
Authors: OLIVINDO CELINA MARIA DE SOUZA , Melo Salmito Mendes Maria de Lourdes de
Published: November 2023

Compreender os contextos sociais que a sociedade vive é um viés que pode oportunizar condições para mitigar possíveis conflitos sociais. Assim sendo, o objetivo é compreender como a prática da Gourmetização afeta os hábitos gastronômicos locais do complexo turístico de Barra Grande, Piauí. PI. Para tanto, utilizou-se como base epistemológica e metodológica as teorias da prática, se colocando em um lugar mais próximo das realidades vividas. O estudo é qualitativo com uma abordagem pós-qualitativa, isso porque entende que tanto os humanos quanto os não humanos podem afetar o campo. Após coleta e interpretação dos dados, a pesquisa interpreta que a prática gourmet afeta os hábitos gastronômicos no trade turístico, tendo a prática um papel tanto de impulsionar quanto de reprimir gostos, hábitos, culturas, sentimentos como o de pertencimento e partilha no campo
MODELAGEM DE PROCESSOS, DECISÕES E FALHAS: uma aplicação no contexto de serviços da Política Nacional de Assistência Estudantil
Authors: Silva Mauro Henrique , Leal Fabiano
Published: November 2023

A Política Nacional de Assistência Estudantil tem contribuído para o desenvolvimento acadêmico dos estudantes nas instituições federais de ensino. No entanto, assim como outros órgãos públicos, estas instituições se depararam com o desafio de prestar serviços de modo eficiente aos cidadãos. O artigo tem por objetivo analisar falhas do processo de atendimento clínico do Serviço Odontológico ofertado pelo segmento de assistência estudantil aos alunos de uma instituição federal de ensino. Pelo seu caráter complementar, utilizou-se as técnicas FTA e FMEA para analisar as falhas identificadas a partir de modelos do processo criados por meio das técnicas BPMN, que registrou a sequência de atividades, e DMN, que registrou a lógica que guia as decisões, as quais influenciam no comportamento do processo. Os resultados desta aplicação foram as ações propostas para a melhoria do processo selecionado e um método voltado à melhoria de processos de negócio por meio da análise de falhas.
CRIAÇÃO E DESINSTITUCIONALIZAÇÃO DE PRÁTICAS PRODUTIVAS: o trabalho institucional no campo da cachaça mineira
Authors: Stacanelli Thatiana , Calbino Daniel , Brito Valeria , Brito Mozar
Published: November 2023

As formas de produção se apresentam como um fator diferencial na cachaça de qualidade, sendo o estado de Minas Gerais uma referência em seu valor agregado. Portado sob a ótica do Trabalho Institucional, o objetivo do artigo foi compreender como se deram as práticas que modificaram a cachaça mineira, saindo de uma bebida de baixa qualidade, até a década de 1980, para a liderança nacional. Em termos metodológicos recorreu-se a um estudo qualitativo sobre quatro décadas de trabalho institucional. Constatou-se que a criação de uma rede de atores, a pressão por mudanças legais e o avanço de investigações científicas favoreceram as mudanças institucionais. Somado a isso, a ruptura com as rudimentares técnicas produtivas, acompanhada de um rígido processo de fiscalização, facilitou a descontinuidade com as antigas práticas. Os resultados da pesquisa contribuem com elementos que explicam a criação e desinstitucionalização em um contexto teórico ainda pouco explorado na literatura.
CONCENTRAÇÃO REGIONAL DA INDÚSTRIA DA CERÂMICA VERMELHA NA PARAÍBA, BRASIL (2006 – 2020)
Authors: De Freitas Graziela Pinto , Santos Júnior Edvaldo Pereira , Fonseca Amadeu Junior da Silva , Freire Barboza Maurício Clarisse , Coelho Junior Luiz Moreira
Published: November 2023

This work analyzed the regional concentration of the red ceramic sector, from 2006 to 2020. It carried out a statewide analysis of the sector's conjuncture, its relation to firewood consumption and the regional concentration was determined through the indicators: Concentration Ratio CR(k ), Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI), Theil entropy (E) and the Gini coefficient (G). The results showed that Borborema has the highest number of red ceramic companies when compared to the other mesoregions of the state. The CR(k) rated with moderately low concentration. The HHI for municipalities and microregions showed low concentration. The municipal, micro-regional and meso-regional E indices of Paraíba indicated deconcentration. G showed weak to average inequality for municipalities and microregions and weak inequality for mesoregions. Thus, it was concluded that the ceramic sector in Paraíba is not concentrated and that the supply is associated with raw material stocks and the energy vector of firewood.
A PRESENÇA DA MULHER MICROEMPREENDEDORA INDIVIDUAL NO MERCADO DE TRABALHO NA RMVPLN, SP: Um Estudo Exploratório
Authors: Formoso Ilka Ramos , Costa Sandra Maria Fonseca
Published: November 2023

O presente artigo apresenta uma análise da participação da mulher, como MEI na RMVPLN, detalhando as análises no município de São José dos Campos, SP. Foram utilizados dados do SEBRAE, segundo o Perfil dos Microempreendedores, de 2019, dados da Receita Federal, de 2021, índices do IBGE, quanto a Pesquisa Mensal de Empresa – Trabalhadores e PNAD Contínua, de 2019. Verificou-se que, entre 2010 e 2020 ocorreu uma crescente formalização de MEI's no País e, no mesmo período, as mulheres tiveram uma participação exponencial em atividades da indústria, comércio e prestação de serviços, inseridas como MEI's no mercado de trabalho formal. Na RMVPLN, entre 2010 a 2020, houve um crescimento de 1.874,75% no número de MEI’s registrados, cenário que aponta para um crescimento da informalidade, no último decênio. Desta forma, destaca-se a importância da figura da mulher MEI no mercado formal e para a geração de renda familiar.
OBJETIVOS DE DESENVOLVIMENTO SUSTENTÁVEL (ODS) EM PROJETOS DE RESPONSABILIDADE SOCIAL DA INDÚSTRIA ALIMENTÍCIA DE CARNES E DERIVADOS
Authors: Branco Lucivone Maria Peres de Castelo Branco , Pereira Raquel da Silva Pereira , Mendes Paulo , Santos Cicero Marcelo Bezerra dos Santos
Published: November 2023

A presente pesquisa aborda a Responsabilidade Social Corporativa na Indústria Alimentícia de Carnes e Derivados por meio de análise sobre os reflexos dos Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentáveis (ODS) e das demandas dos stakeholders em projetos de natureza socioambiental. A pesquisa é classificada como exploratória e de abordagem qualitativa. Foram analisadas as quatro indústrias alimentícias que se encontravam classificadas no Novo Mercado, pela Bolsa Brasil Balcão (B3), a bolsa de valores de São Paulo. Foi realizada análise de conteúdo da etapa documental da pesquisa e das respostas obtidas dos gestores participantes. Pode-se concluir a existência de diversas ações de responsabilidade social dessas indústrias no período observado (2016 a 2020), muitas delas relacionadas aos ODS, sendo contemplados alguns dos stakeholders por elas identificados. Constata-se que os ODS estão sendo parcialmente considerados pelas empresas estudadas, podendo ser mais enfatizados, assim como o fortalecimento no relacionamento com os stakeholders.
Pickwick and Scrooge: Two Excellent Men of Business
Authors: Moore Tara
Published: November 2023

Abstract: Created six years apart, Scrooge and Pickwick exhibit extraordinary similarities in their backgrounds and plot trajectories. Scrooge and Pickwick start out as relatively isolated businessmen who make journeys of discovery and learn lessons in compassion. Their metamorphoses are deepened through their relationships with loyal employees. This article explores the scant details about the two men's business lives, including Scrooge's role as a creditor and his connection to the Second Royal Exchange in London, which burned down in January 1838. It also contextualizes Pickwick's ties to the South American sugar trade and the enslaved labor that contributes to his great wealth. The article speculates on the parallelisms between Scrooge and Pickwick and the effects of seeing them both within the scope of their identified business practices.
Jaggers the Plotter and the Pretty Child: Masculine Vulnerability to Beauty in Great Expectations
Authors: Martín Sara
Published: November 2023

Abstract: This article examines the role of the criminal lawyer Mr. Jaggers in Great Expectations , arguing that beyond his function as the hidden link between Miss Havisham and Abel Magwitch, his masculine vulnerability before the pretty little child who becomes Estella is an essential plot element. Jaggers's decision to save this child from poverty, and perhaps prostitution, characterizes the lawyer as Dickens's main authorial collaborator and key plotter. Jaggers's actions, wholly disclosed in Chapter 51, characterize him thus as a fully rounded minor or supporting character. His motivations to rescue Estella, however, are ambiguous, appearing to be either an example of compassionate chivalry or, in a darker reading, a strategy to control his sexual impulses.
Trans Visual Narratives: Representing Gender and Nature in Early Modern Europe
Authors: Vicente Marta V.
Published: November 2023

Abstract: This article studies the portraits of two gender-ambiguous individuals, the seventeenth-century Spanish soldier Antonio (née Catalina) de Erauso and the eighteenth-century French diplomat the Chevalier (Chevalière) d’Eon, as they offer a window into early modern debates on the representation of nature through its wonders. Making sense of the representations of Erauso and d’Eon requires viewing them as depictions of nature that belonged to the genre of the cabinet of curiosities. When seen as part of the cabinet of curiosities, their paintings appear as part of the artistic and scientific explorations that negotiated changing concepts of nature in early modern Europe. While Erauso’s portrait belonged to a tradition that embraced the sitter’s gender ambiguities, d’Eon’s portrait appears instead as a transitional object between two ways of organizing knowledge of nature. D’Eon’s portrait reflected a grown interest in the eighteenth century of representing nature in an objective way with a clear separation between the genders.
Entertaining Knowledge: Play and Chance in Premodern Kabbalistic Recipe Books
Authors: Paluch Agata
Published: November 2023

Abstract: Contribution to the essay forum "The Jewish Recipe."
The Aesopic Wisdom of Tevi: A Tale of Two Tongues
Authors: Wenger Ayelet
Published: November 2023

Abstract: This essay shows that the character of Tevi is not homogenous but a conglomerate of shifting topoi. The tannaitic Tevi is pious, the amoraic Tevi is learned, and a Tevi as portrayed in an episode in Leviticus Rabbah is a smart-mouth. This last shift hints at a different character who has merged into the Tevi cycle: the episode in Leviticus Rabbah parallels an anecdote that appears in the Life of Aesop that has received little scholarly attention. The parallel highlights the shifting nature of Tevis and the transformation of Tevi into something of an Aesop figure: the clever slave who can answer power with wit. The connections between the rabbinic and Greek traditions are, in this instance, prolonged. An ancient reworking of the Leviticus Rabbah episode alters the narrative in ways that align more closely with a different version of the Greek tradition, erasing Tevi and his wisdom from the story. Much like Aesop, the rabbinic slave figure becomes uncannily wise and subsequently—or consequently—disappears.
Ifra Hormiz and the Use of Mini-Corpora in the Study of the Babylonian Talmud
Authors: Siegali Michal Bar-Asher
Published: November 2023

Abstract: Ifra Hormiz is mentioned in five short stories in the Babylonian Talmud, each time accompanied by a description: "the mother of Shapur Malka," Shapur the king. This essay examines the stories about Ifra Hormiz from a literary angle. It suggests that an intratalmudic, comparative, literary analysis of these stories can offer a new perspective on their creation, and that we can better reveal and highlight the differing agendas and motifs of stories that have similar literary nuclei when we examine them as part of a broader corpus of similar stories. This analysis will shed light on the stories' anonymous authors, their intended audiences, and the ways they chose to address gender issues and their attitude toward the Persian rulers of their times.
Feeling Angry: White Creole Cognition in Jean Rhys’s Novels of Slow Futurity
Authors: Román Valentina Montero
Published: November 2023

ABSTRACT: This essay reads Jean Rhys’s early twentieth-century novels through theories of slowness developing in fields like eco-criticism, disability studies, and feminist studies. Reading Rhys through these paradigms suggests that her novels can be understood not just as noting the limitations of narratives of progressive development and their temporalities, but as offering a different way for narrating humanity within them. The recursive, fragmented cognitive representation of Rhys’s writing privileges the slow futurities that exist within developmental time and depicts a story of how someone feels as a valuable story of subjectivity. In the end, an analysis that privileges slowness instead of progress offers insight into the ways Rhys’s novels function, but it also suggests the ways Western conceptualizations of progressive individualism continue to inflect our theories and our criticism.
“Things Done and Undone”: Zora Neale Hurston’s Temporality of Refusal
Authors: Dimitriou Aristides
Published: November 2023

ABSTRACT: This essay argues that temporality becomes inseparable from the intersectionality of race and gender in Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God . By emphasizing the need to negotiate unequal, androcentric conventions, Hurston historicizes the experience of time as predetermined, restricting, and subjugating from the position of a Black female subjectivity. In response, Hurston develops a strange temporality necessitating refusal through successive negations that, paradoxically, advance this subject toward greater autonomy. Hurston combines linearity and non-linearity to capture this dialectical conflict, instantiating in novel form the autonomy and agency that Lindsey Stewart aligns with a “politics of Black joy.” This process defines what I call Hurston’s temporality of refusal , which renders the novel coextensive with a form of becoming that is otherwise unavailable across Hurston’s transnational contexts.
Temporalities Beyond Transition: Form, Genre, and Contemporary Trans Novels
Authors: Pellegrini Chiara
Published: November 2023

ABSTRACT: Popular narratives about trans identity traditionally rely on a metaphorical understanding of trans embodiment as a linear and unidirectional journey. This paper discusses how this temporality is questioned, reshaped, interrupted, and sidestepped in five recent novels by trans and non-binary authors: Torrey Peters’s Detransition, Baby (2021), Andrea Lawlor’s Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl (2017), Juno Dawson’s Wonderland (2020), Rivers Solomon’s An Unkindness of Ghosts (2017), and Alison Rumfitt’s Tell Me I’m Worthless (2021). The spatiotemporal organization of these novels negotiates the linearities that are conventionally employed in relation to trans stories, as each text engages with the conventions of specific genres—from the Bildungsroman to the picaresque, from science fiction to “chick lit,” from young adult literature to horror—in order to move beyond the structure of the personal transition journey.
Controlling lateral thickness distributions of magnetron sputtering deposited coatings using shadow masks
Authors: Chen Shanglin , Sun Jian , Li Jingping , Yi Kui , Wang Chenfei , Shao Jianda , Zhu Meiping
Published: November 2023

A lateral thickness distribution control model for magnetron sputter-deposited coatings was established using shadow masks. The sputtering yield distributions were investigated in detail, particularly the variation trend from straight to curved tracks, based on the erosion profiles of rectangular targets. On this basis, a mathematical model for a planetary rotation system was established to simulate the thickness distribution of coatings on different substrates, including flat, spherical, and aspherical shapes, accurately. A shadow mask with multi-Gaussian outlines was proposed, and the coating thickness was effectively controlled according to specific distribution requirements by optimizing the profile parameters of the masks using a genetic algorithm. Flat and ellipsoidal substrates were used to prepare Mo and Si monolayer coatings to verify the effectiveness of this model. Although the diameters of the substrates were close to the lengths of the rectangular targets, the results showed that uniform coatings were obtained on the flat substrate, whereas the ellipsoidal substrate exhibited high-precision gradient coatings, with maximum deviations below 0.5%, which proved the validity of this approach.
Motion-resolved, reference-free holographic imaging via spatiotemporally regularized inversion
Authors: Gao Yunhui , Cao Liangcai
Published: November 2023

Holography is a powerful technique that records the amplitude and phase of an optical field simultaneously, enabling a variety of applications such as label-free biomedical analysis and coherent diffraction imaging. Holographic recording without a reference wave has been long pursued because it obviates the high experimental requirements of conventional interferometric methods. However, due to the ill-posed nature of the underlying phase retrieval problem, reference-free holographic imaging is faced with an inherent tradeoff between imaging fidelity and temporal resolution. Here, we propose a general computational framework, termed spatiotemporally regularized inversion (STRIVER), to achieve motion-resolved, reference-free holographic imaging with high fidelity. Specifically, STRIVER leverages signal priors in the spatiotemporal domain to jointly eliminate phase ambiguities and motion artifacts, and, when combined with diversity measurement schemes, produces a physically reliable, time-resolved holographic video from a series of intensity-only measurements. We experimentally demonstrate STRIVER in near-field ptychography, where dynamic holographic imaging of freely swimming paramecia is performed at a framerate-limited speed of 112 fps. The proposed method can be potentially extended to other measurement schemes, spectral regimes, and computational imaging modalities, pushing the temporal resolution toward higher limits.
Nonlinear refraction and absorption properties of optical materials for high-peak-power long-wave-infrared lasers
Authors: Polyanskiy Mikhail , Pogorelsky Igor , Babzien Marcus , Vodopyanov Konstantin , Palmer Mark
Published: November 2023

Optical materials transparent in the CO₂ laser wavelength range have been evaluated regarding their suitability for components in ultrashort-pulse (≤ a few ps), high-peak-power (≥ a few TW) long-wave infrared (LWIR) lasers. We provide values for the nonlinear refractive index (n₂) for seventeen materials, and thresholds for nonlinear absorption for eleven materials. Characterizations were performed using a 2 ps laser pulse at λ = 9.2 μm. This paper methodically presents the newly acquired data in conjunction with existing literature on linear optical properties, establishing it as a comprehensive reference for designing high-peak-power LWIR laser systems.
Incidence of long-term post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection related to pain and other symptoms: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Hoshijima Hiroshi , Mihara Takahiro , Seki Hiroyuki , Hyuga Shunsuke , Kuratani Norifumi , Shiga Toshiya
Published: November 2023

Background

Persistent symptoms are reported in patients who survive the initial stage of COVID-19, often referred to as “long COVID” or “post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection” (PASC); however, evidence on their incidence is still lacking, and symptoms relevant to pain are yet to be assessed.

Methods

A literature search was performed using the electronic databases PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and CHINAL and preprint servers MedRχiv and BioRχiv through January 15, 2021. The primary outcome was pain-related symptoms such as headache or myalgia. Secondary outcomes were symptoms relevant to pain (depression or muscle weakness) and symptoms frequently reported (anosmia and dyspnea). Incidence rates of symptoms were pooled using inverse variance methods with a DerSimonian-Laird random-effects model. The source of heterogeneity was explored using meta-regression, with follow-up period, age and sex as covariates.

Results

In total, 38 studies including 19,460 patients were eligible. Eight pain-related symptoms and 26 other symptoms were identified. The highest pooled incidence among pain-related symptoms was chest pain (17%, 95% confidence interval [CI], 11%-24%), followed by headache (16%, 95% CI, 9%-27%), arthralgia (13%, 95% CI, 7%-24%), neuralgia (12%, 95% CI, 3%-38%) and abdominal pain (11%, 95% CI, 7%-16%). The highest pooled incidence among other symptoms was fatigue (44%, 95% CI, 32%-57%), followed by insomnia (27%, 95% CI, 10%-55%), dyspnea (26%, 95% CI, 17%-38%), weakness (25%, 95% CI, 8%-56%) and anosmia (19%, 95% CI, 13%-27%). Substantial heterogeneity was identified (I2, 50–100%). Meta-regression analyses partially accounted for the source of heterogeneity, and yet, 53% of the symptoms remained unexplained.

Conclusions

The current meta-analysis may provide a complete picture of incidence in PASC. It remains unclear, however, whether post-COVID symptoms progress or regress over time or to what extent PASC are associated with age or sex.
Most bothersome symptom in migraine and probable migraine: A population-based study
Authors: Kim Seung Jae , Lee Hye Jeong , Lee Sue Hyun , Cho Soomi , Kim Kyung Min , Chu Min Kyung
Published: November 2023

Recently, the most bothersome symptom has been recommended as a co-primary endpoint in clinical trials on the acute treatment of migraine. Probable migraine is a subtype of migraine that fulfills all but one criterion for migraine diagnosis. We aimed to compare the most bothersome symptom between probable migraine and migraine. This study analyzed data from a nationwide study conducted in Korea, and the most bothersome symptom was assessed by requesting the participants to select one of the four typical accompanying symptoms of migraine. Responses to acute treatment were evaluated using the migraine Treatment Optimization Questionnaire-6. Nausea was the most bothersome symptom, followed by phonophobia and vomiting in the migraine group (nausea, 61.8%; phonophobia, 25.3%; vomiting, 10.0%; and photophobia, 2.9%) and the probable migraine group (nausea, 82.2%; phonophobia, 9.5%; vomiting, 5.6%; and photophobia, 2.7%). In participants with migraine, vomiting (adjusted odds ratio = 6.513; 95% confidence interval, 1.763–24.057) and phonophobia (adjusted odds ratio = 0.437; 95% confidence interval, 0.206–0.929) were significantly associated with severe headache intensity and nausea was significantly associated with >3 headache days per 30 days (adjusted odds ratio = 0.441; 95% confidence, 0.210–0.927). Different patterns of associations were observed in probable migraine.
Do non-traumatic stressful life events and ageing negatively impact working memory performance and do they interact to further impair working memory performance?
Authors: Wallace Denise , Cooper Nicholas R. , Sel Alejandra , Russo Riccardo
Published: November 2023

Stress and normal ageing produce allostatic load, which may lead to difficulties with cognition thereby degrading quality of life. The current study’s objective was to assess whether ageing and cumulative stress interact to accelerate cognitive decline. With 60 participants, Marshall et al. found that ageing and cumulative stress interact significantly to impair working memory performance in older adults, suggesting vulnerability to the cumulative effects of life events beyond 60 years old. To replicate and extend this finding, we increased the sample size by conducting 3 independent studies with 156 participants and improved the statistical methods by conducting an iterative Bayesian meta-analysis with Bayes factors. Bayes factors deliver a more comprehensive result because they provide evidence for either the null hypothesis (H0), the alternative hypothesis (H1) or for neither hypothesis due to evidence not being sufficiently sensitive. Young (18–35 yrs) and older (60–85 yrs) healthy adults were categorised as high or low stress based on their life events score derived from the Life Events Scale for Students or Social Readjustment Rating Scale, respectively. We measured accuracy and reaction time on a 2-back working memory task to provide: a) Bayes factors and b) Bayesian meta-analysis, which iteratively added each study’s effect sizes to evaluate the overall strength of evidence that ageing, cumulative stress and/or the combination of the two detrimentally affect working memory performance. Using a larger sample (N = 156 vs. N = 60) and a more powerful statistical approach, we did not replicate the robust age by cumulative stress interaction effect found by Marshall et al.. The effects of ageing and cumulative stress also fell within the anecdotal range (⅓<BF<3). We therefore conclude that there was inconclusive statistical evidence, as measured with a life events scale, that ageing and cumulative life stress interact to accelerate cognitive decline.
The effects of temporal cues, point-light displays, and faces on speech identification and listening effort
Authors: Sewell Katrina , Brown Violet A. , Farwell Grace , Rogers Maya , Zhang Xingyi , Strand Julia F.
Published: November 2023

Among the most robust findings in speech research is that the presence of a talking face improves the intelligibility of spoken language. Talking faces supplement the auditory signal by providing fine phonetic cues based on the placement of the articulators, as well as temporal cues to when speech is occurring. In this study, we varied the amount of information contained in the visual signal, ranging from temporal information alone to a natural talking face. Participants were presented with spoken sentences in energetic or informational masking in four different visual conditions: audio-only, a modulating circle providing temporal cues to salient features of the speech, a digitally rendered point-light display showing lip movement, and a natural talking face. We assessed both sentence identification accuracy and self-reported listening effort. Audiovisual benefit for intelligibility was observed for the natural face in both informational and energetic masking, but the digitally rendered point-light display only provided benefit in energetic masking. Intelligibility for speech accompanied by the modulating circle did not differ from the audio-only conditions in either masker type. Thus, the temporal cues used here were insufficient to improve speech intelligibility in noise, but some types of digital point-light displays may contain enough phonetic detail to produce modest improvements in speech identification in noise.
Evaluating the utility of the Allplex STI Essential Assay to determine the occurrence of urogenital sexually transmitted infections among symptomatic and asymptomatic patients in Cape Town, South Africa
Authors: Moodley Clinton , Tootla Hafsah , Amien Imaan , Engel Mark E.
Published: November 2023

Background

Sexually transmitted infections are among the most commonly occurring infections globally, with countries in sub-Saharan Africa exhibiting disproportionately higher prevalence rates. Numerous reports indicate the need for accurate detection, epidemiological characterisation, and appropriate management of these infections. This prospective observational laboratory study sought to determine the occurrence of STI, using a validated molecular assay as a diagnostic and surveillance tool in our setting.

Methods

Urogenital swabs from symptomatic and asymptomatic patients, submitted to the National Health Laboratory Service, at Groote Schuur Hospital, from 04 August 2021–03 February 2022, for routine microbiological investigations, were subjected to the Allplex™ STI Essential Assay (Seegene Inc, South Korea) to determine the distribution of STI pathogens in our setting. This multiplex assay includes C. trachomatis, Mycoplasma genitalium, Mycoplasma hominis, N. gonorrhoeae, Trichomonas vaginalis, Ureaplasma parvum, and Ureaplasma urealyticum. Correlations between detected organisms and participant age and clinical indications for testing were determined using Stata® software.

Results

A total of 148 urogenital swabs (91.2% from women) were included in the analysis, of which 56/148 (37.84%) were from symptomatic patients. Up to 83.8% of the samples tested positive for ≥1 organism, with all seven target organisms detected in at least one sample. Ureaplasma parvum was the most common organism detected, followed by N. gonorrhoeae, M. hominis, U. urealyticum, T. vaginalis, C. trachomatis, with M. genitalium being the least detected. All 25 samples submitted for routine antenatal Group B Streptococcal screening were positive for at least one STI organism, and one sample from sexual non-accidental injury tested positive for five different organisms.

Conclusions

STIs comprise a variety of organisms in our setting, with many patients exhibiting coinfection with multiple organisms. This suggests the need for a critical evaluation of current syndromic testing and treatment guidelines so as to stem inadvertent spread of STI organisms and the development of resistance. The use of molecular testing methods may improve detection, especially in resource limited settings, providing speedy results, and thus allowing for guided therapy in only infected patients.