bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Herschel-PACS photometry of the five major moons of Uranus
Authors: Detre Ö. H. , Müller T. G. , Klaas U. , Marton G. , Linz H. , Balog Z.
Published: July 2020

Aims.We aim to determine far-infrared fluxes at 70, 100, and 160μm for the five major Uranus satellites, Titania, Oberon, Umbriel, Ariel, and Miranda. Our study is based on the available calibration observations at wavelengths taken with the PACS photometer aboard theHerschelSpace Observatory.

Methods.The bright image of Uranus was subtracted using a scaled Uranus point spread function (PSF) reference established from all maps of each wavelength in an iterative process removing the superimposed moons. The photometry of the satellites was performed using PSF photometry. Thermophysical models of the icy moons were fitted to the photometry of each measurement epoch and auxiliary data at shorter wavelengths.

Results.The best-fit thermophysical models provide constraints for important properties of the moons, such as surface roughness and thermal inertia. We present the first thermal infrared radiometry longward of 50μm for the four largest Uranian moons, Titania, Oberon, Umbriel, and Ariel, at epochs with equator-on illumination. Due to this inclination geometry, heat transport took place to the night side so that thermal inertia played a role, allowing us to constrain that parameter. Also, we found some indication for differences in the thermal properties of leading and trailing hemispheres. The total combined flux contribution of the four major moons relative to Uranus is 5.7 × 10−3, 4.8 × 10−3, and 3.4 × 10−3at 70, 100, and 160μm, respectively. We therefore precisely specify the systematic error of the Uranus flux by its moons when Uranus is used as a far-infrared prime flux calibrator. Miranda is considerably fainter and always close to Uranus, impeding reliable photometry.

Conclusions.We successfully demonstrate an image processing technique for PACS photometer data that allows us to remove a bright central source and reconstruct point source fluxes on the order of 10−3of the central source as close as ≈3 × the half width at half maximum of the PSF. We established improved thermophysical models of the five major Uranus satellites. Our derived thermal inertia values resemble those of trans-neptunian object (TNO) dwarf planets, Pluto and Haumea, more than those of smaller TNOs and Centaurs at heliocentric distances of about 30 AU.
Inner crust of a neutron star at the point of crystallization in a multicomponent approach
Authors: Carreau T. , Fantina A. F. , Gulminelli F.
Published: July 2020

Context. The possible presence of amorphous and heterogeneous phases in the inner crust of a neutron star is expected to reduce the electrical conductivity of the crust, potentially with significant consequences on the magneto-thermal evolution of the star. In cooling simulations, the disorder is quantified by an impurity parameter, which is often taken as a free parameter.

Aims. We aim to give a quantitative prediction of the impurity parameter as a function of the density in the crust, performing microscopic calculations including up-to-date microphysics of the crust.

Methods. A multicomponent approach was developed at a finite temperature using a compressible liquid-drop description of the ions with an improved energy functional based on recent microscopic nuclear models and optimized on extended Thomas-Fermi calculations. Thermodynamic consistency was ensured by adding a rearrangement term, and deviations from the linear mixing rule were included in the liquid phase.

Results. The impurity parameter is consistently calculated at the crystallization temperature as determined in the one-component plasma approximation for the different functionals. Our calculations show that at the crystallization temperature, the composition of the inner crust is dominated by nuclei with charge number around Z ≈ 40, while the range of the Z distribution varies from about 20 near the neutron drip to about 40 closer to the crust-core transition. This reflects on the behavior of the impurity parameter that monotonically increases with density reaching up to around 40 in the deeper regions of the inner crust.

Conclusions. Our study shows that the contribution of impurities is non-negligible, thus potentially having an impact on the transport properties in the neutron-star crust. The obtained values of the impurity parameter represent a lower limit; larger values are expected in the presence of nonspherical geometries and/or fast cooling dynamics.
Pathogen-related specificity of subtilase VVISBT4.19 X1 in the Vitis vinifera defence response
Authors: Figueiredo Joana , Cunha Jorge , Eiras-Dias José , Sousa Silva Marta , Figueiredo Andreia
Published: July 2020

Grapevine, Vitis vinifera L., is one of the most cultivated fruit plants worldwide with high economic value. Powdery mildew and gray mold diseases, caused by Erysiphe necator and Botrytis cinerea, respectively, are within the most devastating diseases, which are controlled by using several fungicide applications over a single growing season. A more sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative for pest control is associated to the development of breeding programs, in which American and Asian Vitis species, presenting natural resistance characteristics, are crossed with V. vinifera varieties that are susceptible to diseases caused by fungal or oomycete pathogens. As a result, new grapevine varieties that combine the good berry quality with a high degree of resistance to grapevine pathogens are obtained. One example is the Vitis vinifera cv ‘Regent’ that acquired high tolerance degree against E. necator and Plasmopara viticola. To ensure durable resistance introgression in breeding programs, a full understanding of grapevine defence mechanisms is crucial. Previous studies on grapevine-P. viticola pathosystem have suggested the participation of serine proteases in the establishment of the interaction between both organisms, which is the case of VviSBT4.19 X1. The gene expression of this subtilase increases up to 300-fold 6 hours after ‘Regent’ inoculation with P. viticola. Nowadays, no information is available about the participation of subtilases in grapevine response to E. necator and B. cinerea infection. In the present study, the gene expression profile of VviSBT4.19 X1 in the first hours of ‘Regent’ inoculation with E. necator and B. cinerea was analysed to understand its response towards different pathogenic agents.
Stator elements optimization of centrifugal compressor intermediate type stage by CFD methods
Authors: Marenina Lyubov , Galerkin Yuri , Drozdov Alexandr
Published: July 2020

Optimal gas-dynamic design is a complex and time-consuming process. Modern CFD methods help in solving optimization problems and reliably calculating characteristics of stator elements of centrifugal compressor stages. To carry out such calculations, it is necessary to create a parametrized model, which facilitates automation of the process of changing the flow path geometry, rebuilding its dimensions and the computational grid. Using the Direct Optimization program of the ANSYS software package, we have optimized the flow path of the stator elements of a centrifugal compressor intermediate type stage consisting of a vaneless diffuser and a return channel. In this paper, the MOGA (Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm) optimization method was used. The object of the study was stator elements of one of the model stages designed by the Problem Laboratory of Compressor Engineering, SPbPU. The goal was to achieve the minimum value of the loss coefficient of stator elements when changing 5 geometric parameters: the number of vanes, the inlet vane angle, the height of the vane at the inlet to the return channel vane cascade, the radius of curvature of the leading edge and the thickness of the vane profile. For the best variants based on the results of optimization, the characteristics of the loss coefficient depending on the flow rate coefficient were calculated, their characteristics were compared with the initial variant of the stator elements. The best variant in the design mode has a loss coefficient 4.4% lower than the reference model. With a flow rate coefficient of 1.63 times greater than the calculated one, the optimized variant’s loss coefficient is 33% less.
Simulation of wind power plant with double-fed machine when operating in autonomous system in parallel with synchronous commensurable power generator
Authors: Mustafayev Rauf , Hasanova Laman
Published: July 2020

Autonomous system, containing synchronous generators in a classic design, driven by either diesel or gas turbine, which operates in parallel with a wind power plant (WPP) containing an asynchronous double-fed machine (ADFM) through external network, is considered in the paper. At the same time, the power transmission scheme and the corresponding equivalent circuit are also drawn up. The equations of the synchronous generator and the external network are written in the axes rotating at the speed of the synchronous generator rotor, and the equations of the WPP’s generator in the axes rotating at the speed of its rotor. By means of “docking” equations a digital model of the entire system is compiled with the external network parameters and loads on the side of the synchronous generator and WPP’s asynchronous generator, which are represented by constant-conductivity shunts. Static and dynamic characteristics of the system are calculated.
Comparative analysis of trend of change of Azerbaijan’s energy sector functioning stability at the current development stage
Authors: Nasibov Valeh , Alizade Rana
Published: July 2020

Methodological and practical aspects of the trend of the change of the Azerbaijan’s energy sector functioning stability in 2012-2018, based on the methodology presented by the World Energy Congress (WEC), are analyzed and considered in the paper. The basis of the methodology for the assessment of power engineering stability is the use of an energy triangle, where the vertices are energy security, environmental sustainability and energy availability, where a set of indicators with their own weighting coefficients is used to evaluate each of the subsystems. The number of indicators, and, of course, the weighting coefficients are adjusted in time in order to fully take into account all the features of the power engineering. Recalculated The values of the Azerbaijan’s energy sector functioning stability during the period under review, taking into account all available indicators, some of which were not taken into account in the calculation of the WEC for the assessment of the individual subsystems, have been recalculated, due to this fact the Azerbaijan’s place in the ranking of countries has moved a few positions higher.
Improving the efficiency of electroosmotic drying of electric motors insulation
Authors: Nemirovskiy Alexandr , Kichigina Galina , Sergievskaya Irina , Udaratin Alexey , Alyunov Aleksandr , Gracheva Yelena
Published: July 2020

The actual problem of electric motors (EM) operation associated with wetting of windings insulation is considered. A new method of EM drying based on electrokinetic phenomenon of electroosmosis was developed at the Department of Electrical Equipment of Vologda State University. It was shown that water molecules can take part in formation of non-mobile hydrated positively charged hydrogen ions. In this case, hydrogen ions become bound, lose their mobility and ability to take part in the process of electroosmotic drying (EOD). EOD efficiency is drastically reduced. It was proved that it is possible to prevent ion hydration, increase their mobility, penetration ability and, thereby, increase the EOD efficiency by applying a pulsed voltage component to the EOD process with a duty factor of 4. As a result, a new EOD method was developed using a pulsed voltage component that increases the speed of EM insulation drying by three times.
Features of electroosmosis usage for drying and moisture protection of electrical equipment
Authors: Nemirovskiy Alexandr , Kichigina Galina , Salikhova Regina , Alyunov Alexandr
Published: July 2020

The article describes a new method for drying electric motors and transformers based on electrokinetic phenomenon of electroosmosis. The process of electroosmotic motion of moisture in insulation capillaries is described. The advantages of electroosmotic drying associated with a significant reduction in energy and labor costs are presented.
Assessment of efficiency of diesel generators use in distributed energy industry
Authors: Alyunov Alexandr , Vyatkina Olga , Smirnov Ivan , Nemirovskiy Alexandr , Gracheva Elena
Published: July 2020

The existing methods for calculation electricity tariffs for enterprises are analyzed numerically. The efficiency of diesel generators use for power supply was estimated using a real object as an example. A methodology has been developed for choosing the optimal price category, based on the schedule for consumption of electrical energy of a particular enterprise, taking into account introduction of its own generation in the 0.4 kV network. It is shown how to get the maximum benefit using one of the most affordable and autonomous power sources, taking into account the peculiarities of tariff setting for electricity.
Combination of Lorcaserin and GLP-1/glucagon Coagonist
Improves Metabolic Dysfunction in Diet Induced-obese Mice
Authors: Patel Vishal , Joharapurkar Amit , Kshirsagar Samadhan , Patel Maulik , Savsani Hardikkumar , Bahekar Rajesh , Jain Mukul
Published: July 2020

Background Obesity and diabetes are major metabolic disorders that
progress to severe morbidity and mortality. Neuroendocrine mechanisms
controlling energy balance indicate that combination therapies are needed to
sustain weight loss. Lorcaserin was one of the approved therapies for the
treatment of obesity, which is recently withdrawn because a safety clinical
trial, shows an increased occurrence of cancer. Coagonist of
glucagon-like-peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucagon receptors is a novel
investigational therapy demonstrated to have both anti-obesity and
anti-diabetic effect. Here, we investigated the effect of combination of
lorcaserin and a GLP-1 and glucagon receptors coagonist in diet-induced
obese (DIO) mice model.

Methods The diet-induced obese C57BL/6J mice were used to
assess acute and chronic effect of lorcaserin, coagonist of GLP-1and
glucagon receptors and their combination on food intake, body weight, and
biochemical parameters.

Results In acute study, combination of lorcaserin and coagonist
causes synergistic reductions in food intake and body weight. Repeated
treatment of combination of lorcaserin and coagonist showed enhanced body
weight loss over time, which is due to reduction in fat mass (subcutaneous,
retroperitoneal, mesenteric and epididymal fat pad) compared to individual
therapy. Also, suppression of locomotor activity seen with lorcaserin was
not evident in combination with coagonist. No additive effect was observed
in glucose tolerance (intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test or insulin
tolerance test), serum lipids, hepatic lipids, and energy expenditure in
combination group.

Conclusion These data suggest that combination of lorcaserin and
coagonist could be a better combination to induce body weight loss.
What to think about
Authors: Cowart Holly
Published: July 2020

This study examines how agenda setting works on social media in the United States. Unlike previous platform
studies, this research seeks to examine not just if, but also how agenda setting works in a social media setting. Three areas were
tested for their effect on issue salience: repetition, story order, and endorsement. More than 360 U.S. participants viewed
variations of a mock Facebook feed and answered questions about issue importance. Using issue importance as the dependent variable
and repetition, story order, and endorsement as the independent variables, three hypotheses were tested. One hypothesis had the
effect predicted: Increased repetition of a news story topic did influence participants’ perception that the news story topic was
important. Additional items were tested as covariates. Gender, and ethnicity had a significant influence on perceived story
importance. The results of this study indicate that agenda setting on social media occurs through repetition. Implications are
explored.
Sja‐miR‐71a in Schistosome egg‐derived extracellular vesicles suppresses liver fibrosis caused by schistosomiasis via targeting semaphorin 4D
Authors: Wang Lifu , Liao Yao , Yang Ruibing , Yu Zilong , Zhang Lichao , Zhu Zifeng , Wu Xiaoying , Shen Jia , Liu Jiahua , Xu Lian , Wu Zhongdao , Sun Xi
Published: July 2020

Schistosomiasis is characterized by liver fibrosis, and studies have indicated that Schistosoma japonicum (S. japonicum) eggs can limit the progression of liver fibrosis. However, the detailed molecular mechanisms are yet unclear. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) contain a selection of miRNAs for long‐distance exchange of information and act as an important pathway for host‐parasite communication. This study aimed to explore the potential role of S. japonicum egg‐derived EVs and its key miRNA in liver fibrosis. Herein, we found that S. japonicum egg‐derived EVs can inhibit the activation of hepatic stellate cells, which is mediated via the high expression of Sja‐miR‐71a. Sja‐miR‐71a in EVs attenuates the pathological progression and liver fibrosis in S. japonicum infection. Sja‐miR‐71a inhibiting TGF‐β1/SMAD and interleukin (IL)‐13/STAT6 pathways via directly targeting semaphorin 4D (Sema4D). In addition, Sja‐miR‐71a can also suppress liver fibrosis by regulating Th1/Th2/Th17 and Treg balance. This study contributes to further understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying Schistosoma‐host interactions, and Sema4D may be a potential target for schistosomiasis liver fibrosis treatment.
Sodium intake and kidney function in the general population: an observational, population-based study
Authors: Cirillo Massimo , Bilancio Giancarlo , Cavallo Pierpaolo , Palladino Raffaele , Terradura-Vagnarelli Oscar , Laurenzi Martino
Published: July 2020

Background

The relationships of sodium intake to kidney function within the population have been poorly investigated and are the objective of the study.

Methods

This observational, population-based, cross-sectional and longitudinal study targeted 4595 adult participants of the Gubbio study with complete data at baseline exam. Of these participants, 3016 participated in the 15-year follow-up (mortality-corrected response rate 78.4%). Baseline measures included sodium:creatinine ratio in timed overnight urine collection, used as an index of sodium intake, together with serum creatinine, sex, age and other variables. Follow-up measures included serum creatinine and other variables. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR, mL/min/1.73 m2) was calculated using serum creatinine, sex and age and was taken as an index of kidney function.

Results

The study cohort was stratified in sex- and age-controlled quintiles of baseline urine sodium:creatinine ratio. A higher quintile associated with higher baseline eGFR (P < 0.001). In multivariable analysis, the odds ratio (OR) of Stage1 kidney function (eGFR ≥90 mL/min/1.73 m2) was 1.98 times higher in Quintile 5 compared with Quintile 1 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.50–2.59, P < 0.001]. The time from baseline to follow-up was 14.1 ± 2.5 years. Baseline to follow-up, the eGFR change was more negative along quintiles (P < 0.001). In multivariable analysis, the OR in Quintile 5 compared with Quintile 1 was 2.21 for eGFR decline ≥30% (1.18–4.13, P = 0.001) and 1.38 for worsened stage of kidney function (1.05–1.82, P = 0.006). Findings were consistent within subgroups.

Conclusions

Within the general population, an index of higher sodium intake associated cross-sectionally with higher kidney function but longitudinally with greater kidney function decline.
‘If we Can’t Have a Conversation with our Past, then What will be Our Future?’: HIV/AIDS, Queer Generationalism, and Utopian Performatives in Matthew Lopez’s The Inheritance
Authors: Hann Louisa
Published: July 2020

As the HIV/AIDS epidemic approaches its fifth decade, and emerging generations of queer-identified youth experience and conceptualize the virus in new ways, questions surrounding the memorialization and historicization of queer history have arisen within the arts. In the domain of theatre in particular, as mainstream revivals of crisis-era plays such as Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart (1985) and Tony Kushner’s Angels in America (1991) proliferate, criticisms have arisen that such revivals feed into a narrative of the so-called ‘AIDS nostalgia’, pushing the idea that HIV/AIDS is a thing of the past and ignoring the ways in which the virus continues to shape individual social and sexual experiences. Recently, however, new plays such as Jonathan Harvey’s Canary (2010), the GHP Collective’s The Gay Heritage Project (2013), and Matthew Lopez’s The Inheritance (2018) have explicitly addressed this issue, conceptualizing a revised queer politics of HIV/AIDS that transcends Angels’ famous call for ‘The Great Work’ to begin. This article explores how The Inheritance in particular problematizes ‘AIDS nostalgia’ and configures novel approaches to the politics of HIV/AIDS in the twenty-first century. Alongside scholarship within the field of queer utopian studies such as José Estaban Muñoz’s Cruising Utopia (2009) and Jill Dolan’s Utopia in Performance (2005), it analyses the ways in which Lopez’s play employs utopian performatives to move towards a new politics of queer heritage.
Turbulent Wake-Flow Characteristics in the Near Wake of Freely Flying Raptors: A Comparative Analysis Between an Owl and a Hawk
Authors: Krishnan Krishnamoorthy , Ben-Gida Hadar , Morgan Gareth , Kopp Gregory A , Guglielmo Christopher G , Gurka Roi
Published: July 2020

Synopsis

Owl flight has been studied over multiple decades associated with bio-inspiration for silent flight. However, their aerodynamics has been less researched. The aerodynamic noise generated during flight depends on the turbulent state of the flow. In order to document the turbulent characteristics of the owl during flapping flight, we measured the wake flow behind a freely flying great horned owl (Bubo virginianus). For comparison purposes, we chose to fly a similar-sized raptor a Harris’s hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus): one is nocturnal and the other is a diurnal bird of prey. Here, we focus on the wake turbulent aspects and their impact on the birds’ flight performances. The birds were trained to fly inside a large-scale wind tunnel in a perch-to-perch flight mode. The near wake of the freely flying birds was characterized using a long duration time-resolved particle image velocimetry system. The velocity fields in the near wake were acquired simultaneously with the birds’ motion during flight which was sampled using multiple high-speed cameras. The turbulent momentum fluxes, turbulent kinetic energy production, and dissipation profiles are examined in the wake and compared. The near wake of the owl exhibited significantly higher turbulent activity than the hawk in all cases, though both birds are similar in size and followed similar flight behavior. It is suggested that owls modulate the turbulence activity of the near wake in the vicinity of the wing, resulting in rapid decay before radiating into the far-field; thus, suppressing the aerodynamic noise at the far wake.
Plasma PIK3CA Mutation Testing in Advanced Breast Cancer Patients for Personalized Medicine: A Value Proposition
Authors: Ferreira-Gonzalez Andrea
Published: July 2020

Background

Even though endocrine therapy is often initially successful in treating advanced breast cancer, most patients inevitably face disease progression. In advanced hormone receptor–positive (HR+) breast cancer, activation of the PI3K downstream pathway is a critical feature of the mechanism of endocrine resistance. A significant recent advance in treating HR+ advanced breast cancer has been the recent introduction of PI3K inhibitor (PI3Ki) for the treatment of patients with HR+, HER2-negative (HER2−) advanced or metastatic breast cancer that harbors PIK3CA mutations. A value proposition concept was applied to assess the potential benefits of cell-free tumor DNA (ctDNA) testing to identify patients who might respond to PI3Ki treatment.

Content

By applying the framework of the value proposition to >35 publications, in addition to recommendations from professional organizations, it was evident that robust clinical evidence exists to support the role of ctDNA PIK3CA mutation evaluation in identifying patients with advanced breast cancer who could benefit from PI3Ki treatment.

Detection of PIK3CA gene mutations in HR+HER2− advanced breast cancer patients allows for the identification of patients who might benefit from more effective personalized treatment with molecularly targeted drugs.
Clinical Characteristics and Outcome of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection in Italian Pediatric Oncology Patients: A Study From the Infectious Diseases Working Group of the Associazione Italiana di Oncologia e Ematologia Pediatrica
Authors: Bisogno Gianni , Provenzi Massimo , Zama Daniele , Tondo Annalisa , Meazza Cristina , Colombini Antonella , Galaverna Federica , Compagno Francesca , Carraro Francesca , De Santis Raffaela , Meneghello Linda , Baretta Valentina , Cesaro Simone
Published: July 2020

Background

Little is known as yet about the outcome of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in children being treated for cancer.

Methods

We collected information on the clinical characteristics and outcomes of a cohort of 29 children (16 female and 13 male; median age, 7 years [range, 0–16 years]) diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection while on chemotherapy/immunotherapy (n = 26), or after stem cell transplantation (n = 3) during the peak of the epidemic in Italy. These patients suffered from leukemia (n = 16), lymphoma (n = 3), solid tumors (n = 10), and Langerhans cell histiocytosis (n = 1).

Results

The course of the disease was mild in all cases, with only 12 children developing symptoms (pneumonia in 3 cases), and none needing intensive care. Fifteen patients were hospitalized, including 7 asymptomatic patients. Nine patients (including 5 with no symptoms) were given hydroxychloroquine, and 3 of them were also given lopinavir/ritonavir. Among the 26 patients on chemotherapy/immunotherapy, the treatment was suspended in 16 cases for a median of 26 days (range, 15–68 days), whereas 8 patients continued their chemotherapy and 2 had minor modifications to their treatment regimen.

Conclusions

SARS-CoV-2 infection seems to take a milder clinical course in children than in adults with cancer. Specific SARS-CoV-2 treatment seems unnecessary for most children. In light of our findings, and albeit with the necessary caution, we suggest avoiding major changes to planned anticancer treatments in pediatric patients acquiring COVID-19.
Repressed Religious Modernity: Zhu Weizhi and the Rise of the Bible as Literature in Modern China, 1925–35
Authors: Wang Zhixi
Published: July 2020

This article examines the origin and early development of the Bible as literature in China in the second and third decades of the 20th century, as represented by the works of the single most influential literary critic in this regard, Zhu Weizhi. It argues that the rise of the Bible as literature in China since its inception is best understood as a repressed religious modernity among the multiple forms of Chinese literary modernity. The case study of Zhu Weizhi in the first decade of his literary-critical life (1925–35) may enrich our understanding of both the globalisation of the literary readings of the Bible in the 20th century and the complex, underrepresented, entanglements of religion and literature in modern China.
The implications of vitamin D deficiency on COVID-19 for at-risk populations
Authors: DeLuccia Rosemary , Clegg Deborah , Sukumar Deeptha
Published: July 2020

Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread to > 10 000 000 individuals in a short time. With no pharmacological agents successfully implemented to control the outbreak, the use of less invasive nonpharmacological agents, such as vitamin D, are increasingly being studied. This purpose of this article is to determine the current knowledge about the risk of COVID-19 development for populations at risk for vitamin D deficiency, including individuals living with overweight and obesity, those of older age, and racial or ethnic minorities. Despite the documented impact of vitamin D on viral disease prevention, many subgroups at risk for contracting COVID-19 are also known to have increased rates of vitamin D deficiency. Because vitamin D is most commonly obtained from sunlight, when interpreted alongside the stay-at-home orders, the importance of identifying safe approaches to obtain sufficient vitamin D is apparent. Furthermore, elucidating the cause-and-effect relationship between vitamin D and COVID-19, including optimal dosing for COVID-19 outcomes, is also warranted for immediate investigation.
Symbolic Politics and Contention in the Turkish Republic
Authors: Aslan Senem
Published: July 2020

This chapter examines how different state actors in Turkey have used symbolic practices to govern and transform society. Based on examples largely drawn from the single party era (1923–1950) and the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government, it discusses three separate functions that symbolic practices serve. First, it analyzes the relationship between symbolic politics and legitimation of state authority and ideology. Second, it focuses on how symbolic politics can be used for coercive purposes, signaling state power and omnipresence. Finally, it examines the state’s efforts to use symbolism for cooptation purposes, communicating the material benefits that it provides to citizens in exchange for political support. Calling attention to unintended consequences, the chapter underlines how symbols usually generate contention and become a means of struggle between the state and dissident political movements. In the Turkish context, extensive use of symbolic politics has created hardened political identities, curtailing meaningful deliberation and undermining common norms. The Turkish example shows that symbolic politics can exacerbate political polarization by sharpening cultural contestation and invoking strong emotions in society.
Transparency
Authors: Diakopoulos Nicholas
Published: July 2020

This chapter describes algorithmic decision-making (ADM) systems. ADM systems are tools that leverage an algorithmic process to arrive at some form of decision such as a scoring, ranking, classification, or association that may then drive further system action and behavior. Such systems could be said to exhibit artificial intelligence (AI) insofar as they contribute to decision-making tasks that might normally be undertaken by humans. However, it is important to underscore that ADM systems must be understood as composites of nonhuman actors woven together with human actors such as designers, data-creators, maintainers, and operators into complex sociotechnical assemblages. If the end goal is accountability, then transparency must serve to help locate the various positions of human agency and responsibility in these large and complex sociotechnical assemblages. Ultimately, it is people who must be held accountable for the behavior of algorithmic systems. The chapter then highlights what is needed to realistically implement algorithmic transparency in terms of what is disclosed and how and to whom transparency information is disclosed.
Body Image and Eating Disorders among Sexual and Gender Minority Populations
Authors: Morrison Todd G. , Katz Joshua W. , Mirzaei Yaser , Zare Somayyeh
Published: July 2020

This chapter reviews current literature pertaining to body image and pathogenic eating practices among sexual and gender minority populations. The authors begin by detailing three dominant theoretical frameworks that have been used to particularize why some sexual and gender minority persons are at risk of body dissatisfaction and disordered eating—the minority stress model, sociocultural theory, and objectification theory—as well as the pantheoretical model of dehumanization. Then, to highlight dominant trends in the literature, the authors summarize narrative and meta-analytic reviews on body image and eating disorders that target gay men, lesbian women, bisexual persons, and trans persons. The authors conclude by detailing obstacles that prevent researchers from better grasping the corporeal psychology of sexual and gender minority persons. These obstacles include (1) inconsistent and ambiguous operationalizing of constructs such as the “gay community”—constructs that are often invoked to explain why sexual and gender minority persons are at risk; (2) reliance on outdated measures of sexual orientation; (3) the elision of bisexual persons in body image scholarship; (4) the limited attention that is paid to the variability existing within sexual and gender minoritized groups; (5) the absence of research focusing on the dynamics of intersectionality as they pertain to the body; and (6) the lack of studies conducted outside of the United States.
Transformative Career Education in Schools and Colleges
Authors: Barnes Anthony
Published: July 2020

This chapter makes the case for transformative career education in schools and colleges by drawing on the links that can be made between career development theory and transformative learning theory. Transformative career education has the power to make profound and lasting differences to young people’s lives. It is not well researched, although there is considerable evidence that career education can have small to moderate impacts often for modest inputs. The scope and value of career education in the curriculum are often contested. This chapter explores the potential to achieve radical and progressive outcomes from more ambitious programmes of career education. It explores the potential benefits for individuals, the economy, and society in relation to how people live, learn, and work in rapidly changing and unpredictable times. It discusses how career education can be embedded in the curriculum and explores the supporting structures, systems, and technologies that schools and colleges can harness to facilitate transformative career education. Last, the chapter describes effective pedagogical approaches to teaching, learning, and assessment that can assist learners in transforming their self-understanding, their relation to others, their potential to act, and their worldview.
Humanism and the Conceptualization of Value and Well-Being
Authors: Butler Philip
Published: July 2020

This chapter explores the relationship between humanism and well-being through the lens of value. Several conceptions of well-being will be explored. The first is Peter Derkx’s description of what constitutes a meaningful life. The second is Anthony Pinn’s notion of presence, absence, and the quest for complex subjectivity. The chapter provides critique of both proposals before moving to examine Yasmin Trejo’s exploration of Latina nones who struggle for value, through recognition, in Latin American communities. The chapter also connects Monica Miller’s presentation of Black youth and Jay-Z, as outlaw humanists, to well-being by constructing one’s self-worth. Through an examination of an often overlooked or underexplored demographic along with groups who have historically experienced dehumanization, the chapter lifts up the desire to be recognized as a necessary factor in well-being. And the ability to construct one’s own sense of meaning as a humanist practice is an essential element for increasing well-being. Ultimately, this chapter asserts that value, whether given, unearthed, or constructed, is the foundation of humanist well-being.
Violent Victimization in Poor Neighborhoods of Bogotá, Lima, and Santiago
Authors: Manzano Liliana , Mohor Alejandra , Jiménez Williams
Published: July 2020

This chapter tests the collective efficacy theory by examining the influence of household and neighborhood vulnerability, as well as organizational and community mechanisms, on the victimization risk for violent crime in poor neighborhoods of Bogotá (Colombia), Lima (Peru), and Santiago (Chile.) To test the theory, the authors apply a random “Survey on Violence in Neighborhoods” in each of the cities. They confirmed that structural factors such as social vulnerability increase the risk of violent victimization, whereas neighborhood attachment and social cohesion are mediating factors that are key to decreasing said risks. However, the influence of neighborhood residential stability and informal social control has not been verified, and, hence, the collective efficacy theory cannot be confirmed for the neighborhoods included in this study.
Reading Fluency in Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Readers
Authors: Easterbrooks Susan R. , Schwanenflugel Paula J.
Published: July 2020

Prior to 2000, the role of fluency was poorly understood in deaf and hard-of-hearing learners beyond the examination of the use of repeated readings as an intervention technique. In 2000, the National Reading Panel identified factors critical to the development of literacy: phonological awareness, alphabetic principle, vocabulary, reading comprehension, motivation, and fluency. Since that time, much has been written on all these topics, except motivation and fluency. This chapter examines the various points of view necessary to understand the complexities of fluency, including but not limited to speed of word reading, vocabulary, prosody, and supralexical unitization. Further, it examines how these components differ based on an individual child’s first language. A concluding section explores successful interventions and lays out a research agenda that will allow the field to move forward.
The Neural Correlates of Consciousness
Authors: Morales Jorge , Lau Hakwan
Published: July 2020

Our understanding of the neural basis of consciousness has substantially improved in the last few decades. New imaging and statistical techniques have been introduced, experiments have become more sophisticated, and several unsuccessful hypotheses have been quite conclusively ruled out. However, neuroscientists still do not entirely agree on the critical neural features required for sustaining perceptual conscious experiences in humans and other primates. This chapter discusses a selection of influential views of the neural correlates of consciousness and the predictions they make. By highlighting some neurobiological and computational modelling results, it will be argued that the currently available evidence favors a hierarchical processing architecture that confers a crucial, if subtle and specific, role to prefrontal cortex.
Representationalism about Consciousness
Authors: Pautz Adam
Published: July 2020

According to representationalists, sensory consciousness is a matter of representing the world to be a certain way. Some (Armstrong, Tye, Dretske) have suggested that representationalism fits well with the idea that consciousness can be reduced to something physical. Others think that representationalism makes the mind–body problem harder because our usual models for reducing representation do not apply in the special case of conscious representation. This chapter formulates representationalism, discusses an argument for it, and considers standard objections. The chapter concludes by looking at reductive and nonreductive representationalism.
In Pursuit of Policies of ‘Reconciliation’ from an Intransigent State: An Exercise in Folly?
Authors: Eppel Shari
Published: July 2020

Zimbabwe has had only one real transition of power, at independence in 1980. Since then, Zimbabwe has had a long history of (selectively) drawing lines through the past and of extreme political intolerance. The ruling party ZANU-PF has acted ruthlessly against any political opposition—first in the 1980s, when many thousands of civilians in the west of the country were massacred during the deployment of a special brigade, targeted at the support base of ZAPU, then the dominant political party in that region. Systematic repression and torture in this region led to the first semi-transition in 1987, with the Unity Accord. The uneasy peace was broken again in 2000, with the rise of the MDC, and once more violence was unleashed to ensure ZANU-PF retained its increasingly militarized power base. A government of national unity and a coup marked further semi-transitions. These multiple eras of state violence and semi-transitions have all been accompanied by calls for initiatives to promote ‘peace’ and ‘reconciliation’ as well as justice but official truth telling has proved elusive. However, the semi-transition resulting from the coup of November 2017 may have shifted the space to talk about the past: the constitutionally mandated National Peace and Reconciliation Commission finally achieved legislative backing in 2018, and may offer opportunities for transitional justice initiatives. Importantly, the underlying structural causes of violence and repression, dating back to colonial times, need to be addressed. Truth telling alone will not ensure a more tolerant future.
Remaking Political Studenthood: Zimbabwean Student Activism during the 2000s ‘Crisis’
Authors: Hodgkinson Dan
Published: July 2020

During the post-2000 ‘crisis’ in Zimbabwe, student activists were some of the most vocal critics of Robert Mugabe’s regime and a key constituency in the coalition of partners surrounding the opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Yet what it meant to be a student activist changed significantly during these years. These changes are best understood, this article argues, through the concept of ‘political studenthood’, a historically constituted and widely recognized transitional subjectivity that helped shape student activists’ collective behaviours and individual aspirations, and which provided routes into mainstream politics. The dominant form of political studenthood in Zimbabwe was reworked during the crisis, as material hardship and political polarization pushed activists into ever more dependent relationships with the MDC. These dependencies undermined student leaders’ historically radical and autonomous political authority, and caused resentment among many student activists, leading to ruptures in civic organizations and the splitting of the student union. Rank-and-file activists, who suffered expulsion from university and state oppression, also came to depend on the party to continue their activism. Their dependence eroded the intellectual status and radical protest traditions of their political studenthood, rendering them akin to MDC party youth—expendable instruments of MDC leaders.
The Politics of Civil Society in Zimbabwe
Authors: Chipato Farai , Ncube Cornelias , Dorman Sara Rich
Published: July 2020

The late 1990s was a key moment when Zimbabwe’s civil society actors actively shaped political discourse, but also a time in which their roles were challenged and their networks came under attack. As the 2000s progressed, they were further challenged by brain drain, the difficulties of power-sharing, an increasingly factionalized political environment, and changing donor demands. NGOs, unions, churches, and other groups in Zimbabwe formed an essential part of the political contestations of these turbulent years. Drawing on research by the authors across three decades, this chapter explores how Zimbabwe’s civil society organizations legitimize, resist, and attempt to transform hegemonic norms.
Ethics of Care Approaches in Psychotherapy
Authors: Elsner Anna Magdalena , Rampton Vanessa
Published: July 2020

The ethics of care poses a special case for psychotherapy. At first glance, key elements of care ethics such as acknowledging our dependence on others, attention to emotions, and creating a supportive environment for healing overlap substantially with key characteristics of psychotherapy. Care ethics’ emphasis on attentiveness and empathetic concern, and related acts such as listening and talking to patients point in the direction of salutary therapeutic relationships, and also of valorizing psychotherapy as a practice. Yet psychotherapy has a long history of critical engagement with the therapeutic relationship, using terms and concepts other than “care.” This chapter shows that while relatively little work has been done on care ethics approaches in psychotherapy, such approaches complement traditional attentiveness to the (psycho)therapeutic relationship by asking to what extent psychotherapists are practicing care and what this entails. Conversely, because psychotherapy has long been concerned with intersubjectivity, as exemplified by the concepts of transference and countertransference, it offers valuable theoretical and practical resources for care ethics approaches.
Ethics of Psychotherapeutic Interventions in Palliative Care
Authors: Bernard Mathieu , Krenz Sonia , Jox Ralf J.
Published: July 2020

Psychotherapeutic interventions are a cornerstone of modern palliative care. In this context, they are as diverse as psychotherapeutic approaches in general and encompass modalities from the psychoanalytic, cognitive behavioral, systemic, and existential traditions. All of these psychotherapies are based on inherent and often implicit values and are closely interrelated with philosophical traditions. In psychological practice in palliative care, professionals encounter a wide range of ethical questions that can be classified according to the four principles of biomedical ethics: beneficence, non-maleficence, respect for autonomy, and justice. This chapter highlights some of the most salient of these ethical questions to help the reader become aware and reflect on them.
Professional Conduct and Handling Misconduct in Psychotherapy: Ethical Practice between Boundaries, Relationships, and Reality
Authors: Franke Irina , Riecher-Rössler Anita
Published: July 2020

The special nature of the professional relationship in psychotherapy requires a code of conduct that protects the patient, but also allows therapeutic flexibility. However, the limits of professional conduct are transgressed when a psychotherapist goes beyond his or her professional boundaries to satisfy his or her own needs. The implications of misconduct are considered to be particularly severe in psychotherapy. Misconduct has various faces and facets. Sexual misconduct is the most drastic form of boundary violation; however, this should not detract attention from other forms of misconduct, especially because they often precede the more severe boundary violations. Any form of misconduct is profoundly connected with the person of the therapist. Nevertheless, research often addresses the question of what professional misconduct is, rather than how ethical professional conduct can be facilitated. This chapter aims to give an overview of the current literature to (1) define professional conduct and outline ethical reasoning, (2) describe different forms of misconduct, (3) discuss options for prevention and intervention, and (4) discuss options for improving training of future psychotherapists.
The Early Origin of Religion
Authors: Kardong Kenneth V.
Published: July 2020

Natural selection works to cull features from a population, if those features are negative and return no biological advantages, Yet religion pervades. Human culture so reasonably plays a positive, supportive role in biological survival; looking to primitive religions to discover these biological roles of religion has the advantage of viewing religion at its most fundamental, before becoming embellished and encrusted with secondary social roles. Successful traditions and cultural customs persist because they improve the survival of individuals practicing them. Celestial punishments may await the mortal sinner, but in this world, biological sins matter most because they can send an individual to an early grave without passing along genes or adaptive customs to offspring. Religion functions as a survival kit; in its beliefs, ceremonies, and myths are bundled basic knowledge that directs one to meet the challenges posed by the environment.