bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evolution Towards Criticality in Ising Neural Agents
Authors: Khajehabdollahi Sina , Witkowski Olaf
Published: February 2020

Criticality is thought to be crucial for complex systems to adapt at the boundary between regimes with different dynamics, where the system may transition from one phase to another. Numerous systems, from sandpiles to gene regulatory networks to swarms to human brains, seem to work towards preserving a precarious balance right at their critical point. Understanding criticality therefore seems strongly related to a broad, fundamental theory for the physics of life as it could be, which still lacks a clear description of how life can arise and maintain itself in complex systems. In order to investigate this crucial question, we model populations of Ising agents competing for resources in a simple 2D environment subject to an evolutionary algorithm. We then compare its evolutionary dynamics under different experimental conditions. We demonstrate the utility that arises at a critical state and contrast it with the behaviors and dynamics that arise far from criticality. The results show compelling evidence that not only is a critical state remarkable in its ability to adapt and find solutions to the environment, but the evolving parameters in the agents tend to flow towards criticality if starting from a supercritical regime. We present simulations showing that a system in a supercritical state will tend to self-organize towards criticality, in contrast to a subcritical state, which remains subcritical though it is still capable of adapting and increasing its fitness.
Adages as Insults
Authors: Regier Willis Goth
Published: February 2020

The Chiliades is Erasmus’ extended Antibarbari, a manual for battling enemies of belles lettres. Erasmus did not stop with adages against ignorance and vulgarity. Adages also assail particular types of scholarly misbehavior: stubbornness, pretension, repetition, distemper, plagiarism, vacuity, superfluity, low- and narrow-mindedness. The scores of insults scattered through the Chiliades answer perennial scholarly needs, providing scholars with the wherewithal to insult, or respond if insulted, with precedents from classical Latin and Greek.
Poetics, Polymathy, and Critice. On Some Controversial Notions in Early Modern Intellectual History
Authors: Deitz Luc
Published: February 2020

In this article, Julius Caesar Scaliger’s Poetices libri septem and Johannes Wower’s De polymathia tractatio are analyzed and contrasted with each other, and a number of hitherto unnoticed similarities between the two works are brought to the fore. It is argued that these similarities are rooted in a shared understanding of the notions of grammatice and of critice, which, in turn, is traced back to a number of passages in Sextus Empiricus’s Adversus grammaticos. It is further argued that Sextus Empiricus was initially not read as a Pyrrhonian sceptic in the fifteenth century, but that at least some of his arguments were used in order to structure the encyclopedia of grammatical knowledge, understood in the widest possible meaning of this word. It is finally argued that Poliziano was the driving force behind this initial understanding; that poetics and polymathy were almost indistinguishable intellectual pursuits in the context of early modern erudition; and that their eventual drifting apart was mainly due to the key notion of critice being invested with different, irreconcilable meanings in the course the seventeenth century.
A taxonomic reassessment of Chlamydomonas meslinii (Volvocales, Chlorophyceae) with a description of Paludistella gen.nov.

Authors: SUSANTI HANI , YOSHIDA MASAKI , NAKAYAMA TAKESHI , NAKADA TAKASHI , WATANABE MAKOTO M.
Published: February 2020

Chlamydomonas (Volvocales, Chlorophyceae) is a large polyphyletic genus that includes numerous species that should be classified into independent genera. The present study aimed to examine the authentic strain of Chlamydomonas meslinii and related strains based on morphological and molecular data. All the strains possessed an asteroid chloroplast with a central pyrenoid and hemispherical papilla; however, they were different based on cell and stigmata shapes. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on 18S rDNA, atpB, and psaB indicated that the strains represented a distinct subclade in the clade Chloromonadinia. The secondary structure of ITS-2 supported the separation of the strains into four species. Based on the results, we propose a novel genus, Paludistella, including P. meslinii comb. nov., P. chlorostelatta comb. nov., P. asymmetrica sp. nov., and P. trianguloculus sp. nov.
Revision of Agelopsis (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae)
Authors: BEZDĚK JAN
Published: February 2020

The genus Agelopsis Jacoby, 1896 is redefined and revised. Zizonia Chen, 1976 and Liroetinus Lopatin, 2004 are proposed as new synonyms of Agelopsis. Nine species of Agelopsis are recognized: A. aeneoviridis (Lopatin, 2004) (comb. nov.) (China: Sichuan), A. belousovi (Lopatin, 2004) (comb. nov.) (China: Sichuan, Yunnan), A. caeruleus Jacoby, 1896 (Nepal, India: Jharkhand, West Bengal), A. metallicus (Bryant, 1954) (comb. nov.) (Myanmar), A. spinipes (Ogloblin, 1936) (comb. nov.) (China: Gansu, Sichuan), A. tibetanus (Chen, 1976) (comb. nov.) (China: Xizang), A. konstantinovi sp. nov. (China: Shaanxi, Sichuan), A. malaisei sp. nov. (Myanmar, China: Yunnan) and A. traxlerorum sp. nov. (China: Yunnan). Colour photos of habitus and aedeagi as well as drawings of female genitalia are presented.
On the Average Shape of the Largest Waves in Finite Water Depths
Authors: Karmpadakis Ioannis , Swan Chris
Published: February 2020

This paper investigates the average shape of the largest waves arising in finite water depths. Specifically, the largest waves recorded in time histories of the water surface elevation at a single point have been examined. These are compared to commonly applied theories in engineering and oceanographic practice. To achieve this both field observations and a new set of laboratory measurements are considered. The latter concern long random simulations of directionally spread sea states generated using realistic Joint North Sea Wave Project (JONSWAP) frequency spectra. It is shown that approximations related to the linear theory of quasi-determinism (QD) cannot describe some key characteristics of the largest waves. While second-order corrections to the QD predictions provide an improvement, key effects arising in very steep or shallow water sea states are not captured. While studies involving idealized wave groups have demonstrated significant changes arising as a result of higher-order nonlinear wave–wave interactions, these have not been observed in random sea states. The present paper addresses this discrepancy by decomposing random wave measurements into separate populations of breaking and nonbreaking waves. The characteristics of average wave shapes in the two populations are examined and their key differences discussed. These explain the mismatch between findings in earlier random and deterministic wave studies.
When militant organizations lose militarily but win politically
Authors: Acosta Benjamin , Rogers Melissa Ziegler
Published: February 2020

The literature on political violence emphasizes two main ways that militant organizations ‘win’: eliminating the adversary outright or coercing the adversary into making concessions. While most do not win in this way, some organizations that fail to win go on to achieve their goals in post-conflict political competition. What explains variation in the post-conflict political success of militant organizations that did not achieve their organizational goals on the battlefield? In this study, we run the first large- n empirical analysis of the phenomenon. Our empirical results show that organizational size and wartime lethal capacity positively predict the political success of militant organizations that did not win on the battlefield. Other plausibly related features of militant organizations, such as their united wartime front or coherent ideology, do not predict eventual political success. Additionally, we investigate the case of Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional in El Salvador and present marginal effects analyses—further illustrating the effects of a legacy of violence and organizational size on post-conflict political success.
Prevalence of Long Work Hours by Spouse’s Degree Field and the Labor Market Outcomes of Skilled Women
Authors: McKinnish Terra
Published: February 2020

Using 2009 to 2015 American Community Survey (ACS) data, this article estimates the effect of the prevalence of long hours and short hours of work in a husband’s field of work, as defined by his undergraduate degree field, on the labor market outcomes of skilled married women. When individuals work in fields that require longer hours of work, their spouses experience spillover effects. The labor market outcomes of female spouses are more negatively affected than are those of male spouses. Specifically, female spouses face lower total earnings, hourly wages, employment options, and hours of work for married women with children relative to married men with children or married women without children. Little evidence supports the idea that the rate of short hours of work in a spouse’s degree field differentially affects married women with children.
Like dishwashing detergents, all analogies are not the same: A commentary on Ambridge (2020)
Authors: Koring Loes , Giblin Iain , Thornton Rosalind , Crain Stephen
Published: February 2020

This response argues against the proposal that novel utterances are formed by analogy with stored exemplars that are close in meaning. Strings of words that are similar in meaning or even identical can behave very differently once inserted into different syntactic environments. Furthermore, phrases with similar meanings but different underlying syntactic structures can give rise to disparities in meaning in particular contexts. In short, analogy falls short of explaining both adult knowledge of language and children’s syntactic development.
Shared Decision Making: From Decision Science to Data Science
Authors: Shaoibi Azza , Neelon Brian , Lenert Leslie A.
Published: February 2020

Background. Accurate diagnosis of patients’ preferences is central to shared decision making. Missing from clinical practice is an approach that links pretreatment preferences and patient-reported outcomes. Objective. We propose a Bayesian collaborative filtering (CF) algorithm that combines pretreatment preferences and patient-reported outcomes to provide treatment recommendations. Design. We present the methodological details of a Bayesian CF algorithm designed to accomplish 3 tasks: 1) eliciting patient preferences using conjoint analysis surveys, 2) clustering patients into preference phenotypes, and 3) making treatment recommendations based on the posttreatment satisfaction of like-minded patients. We conduct a series of simulation studies to test the algorithm and to compare it to a 2-stage approach. Results. The Bayesian CF algorithm and 2-stage approaches performed similarly when there was extensive overlap between preference phenotypes. When the treatment was moderately associated with satisfaction, both methods made accurate recommendations. The kappa estimates measuring agreement between the true and predicted recommendations were 0.70 (95% confidence interval = 0.052–0.88) and 0.73 (0.56–0.90) under the Bayesian CF and 2-stage approaches, respectively. The 2-stage approach failed to converge in settings in which clusters were well separated, whereas the Bayesian CF algorithm produced acceptable results, with kappas of 0.73 (0.56–0.90) and 0.83 (0.69–0.97) for scenarios with moderate and large treatment effects, respectively. Limitations. Our approach assumes that the patient population is composed of distinct preference phenotypes, there is association between treatment and outcomes, and treatment effects vary across phenotypes. Findings are also limited to simulated data. Conclusion. The Bayesian CF algorithm is feasible, provides accurate cluster treatment recommendations, and outperforms 2-stage estimation when clusters are well separated. As such, the approach serves as a roadmap for incorporating predictive analytics into shared decision making.
On the role of stiffness and synchronization in human–robot handshaking
Authors: Mura Domenico , Knoop Espen , Catalano Manuel G , Grioli Giorgio , Bächer Moritz , Bicchi Antonio
Published: February 2020

This article presents a system for soft human–robot handshaking, using a soft robot hand in conjunction with a lightweight and impedance-controlled robot arm. Using this system, we study how different factors influence the perceived naturalness, and give the robot different personality traits. Capitalizing on recent findings regarding handshake grasp force regulation, and on studies of the impedance control of the human arm, we investigate the role of arm stiffness as well as the kinesthetic synchronization of human and robot arm motions during the handshake. The system is implemented using a lightweight anthropomorphic arm, with a Pisa/IIT Softhand wearing a sensorized silicone glove as the end-effector. The robotic arm is impedance-controlled, and its stiffness changes according to different laws under investigation. An internal observer is employed to synchronize the human and robot arm motions. Thus, we simulate both active and passive behavior of the robotic arm during the interaction. Using the system, studies are conducted where 20 participants are asked to interact with the robot, and then rate the perceived quality of the interaction using Likert scales. Our results show that the control of the robotic arm kinesthetic behavior does have an effect on the interaction with the robot, in term of its perceived personality traits, responsiveness, and human-likeness. Our results pave the way towards robotic systems that are capable of performing human–robot interactions in a more human-like manner, and with personality.
Giving voice to jazz singers’ experiences of flow in improvisation
Authors: Forbes Melissa
Published: February 2020

Jazz instrumentalists’ experiences of improvisation have informed psychological research on a range of topics including flow in improvisation, yet there is scant evidence of jazz singers’ improvising experiences. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), this study investigated the experiences of three professional Australian jazz singers who improvise extensively in their performance practice: How do these singers experience improvisation? IPA of semi-structured interviews with the singers resulted in two superordinate themes which both related to the flow state: (a) singers experienced flow when improvisation “went well”; (b) singers experienced flow as meaningful—flow provided singers with both the freedom to express the self and the opportunity to contribute to something beyond the self. These findings reveal a new context for flow experiences. Implications for vocal jazz education and practice are discussed.
Qualitative methods III: On different ways of describing our work
Authors: Hitchings Russell , Latham Alan
Published: February 2020

In two previous reviews, we examined how human geographers currently report on projects involving their preferred qualitative methods – interviews and ethnographic observation. This final review steps back from specific techniques to evaluate some of the broader presentational conventions that typify this work. What can be inferred from where these geographers discuss data collection in their papers? Why do they develop new methods and what do they say about fieldwork failures? How often do they reflect on the provisional status of their findings? And what are the implications of how they define their purpose in working with qualitative material?
Where is religion in political ecology?
Authors: Wilkins Dominic
Published: February 2020

Political ecology has grown rapidly over the past four decades, incorporating insights from wide-ranging swaths of the academy. One topic it has not yet substantively engaged with, however, is religion. This article argues that the failure to critically engage with the study of religion has led political ecologists to neglect important factors in their analyses and has resulted in incomplete conceptualizations of interpersonal power relations. It does this by first reviewing the scattered literature across political ecology engaging with religion before suggesting potential paths for scholars interested in further incorporating religion into political ecology.
Machines and measure
Authors: Moore Phoebe V , Briken Kendra , Engster Frank
Published: February 2020

This Special Issue, entitled ‘Machines & Measure’, is largely the dissemination from a workshop held at University of Leicester School of Business, organised by editor Phoebe V Moore, for the Conference for Socialist Economists South Group in February 2018, which was hosted by the University of Leicester School of Business, Philosophy and Political Economy Centre. Not all the authors in the Special Issue were speakers at the event, but this collection provides a carefully selected, representative collection of articles and essays which address the questions and disturbances that drove the event’s concept, those being, as articulated in the event description: How are machines being used in contemporary capitalism to perpetuate control and to intensify power relations at work? Theorising how this occurs through discussions about the physical machine, the calculation machine and the social machine, the workshop was designed to re-visit questions about how quantification and measure both human and machinic become entangled in the social and how the incorporation and absorption of workers as appendages within the machine as Marx identified, where artificial intelligence and the platform economy dominate today’s discussions in digitalised work research.Stemming from Marxist critical theory, questions of money, time, space are also revisited in the Special Issues articles, as well as less debated concepts in rhythmanalysis and a revival of historically frequently discussed issues such as activities on the shop floor, where a whole range of semi-automated and fully automated methods to manage work through numeration without, necessarily, remuneration continue. Articles ask the most important questions today and begin to identify possible solutions from a self-consciously Marxist perspective.
Before-and-After Empirical Bayes Evaluation of Achieving Bare Pavement using Anti-Icing on Urban Roads
Authors: Gouda Maged , El-Basyouny Karim
Published: February 2020

Canadian municipalities are increasingly choosing to achieve bare pavement (BP) for snow and ice control during fall/winter seasons. When a snowstorm event is forecasted, one strategy is to apply anti-icing chemicals to the pavement surface to prevent the snow and ice from forming a bond with the road surface. Such an approach facilitates a more efficient plowing operation and reduces the amount of deicing chemicals needed to achieve BP. This study assesses the safety performance of achieving BP using anti-icing compared with the traditional reactive winter road maintenance (WRM) approach on urban roads using the before-and-after Empirical Bayes technique. Results suggest that achieving BP significantly reduces all collision types and severities on midblocks with a reduction value in the range of 13.7% to 19.7%. Attaining BP at intersections was found to be very effective in reducing injury collisions with an estimated reduction of 12.5%. When sites were grouped based on a WRM priority-basis, it was found that anti-icing was effective for reducing the majority of collision types and severities at the different priority levels with reductions ranging from 8.7% to 49.83% on midblocks and between 5.37% and 13% at intersections. All reductions were statistically significant. The monetary benefits of the reductions in property-damage only and nonfatal injury collisions were estimated at 60 million Canadian dollars using a 1.92% interest rate and a 2-year service life. These findings provide unequivocal evidence that achieving BP using anti-icing can lead to significant societal safety benefits that economically translate to huge collision cost savings.
Drivers’ Saccade Characteristics in Curves of Extra-Long Urban Underwater Tunnels
Authors: Jiao Fangtong , Du Zhigang , Wang Shoushuo , Ni Yudan , He Rui
Published: February 2020

Traffic accidents in extra-long urban underwater tunnels are characterized by high numbers of causalities and severe traffic congestion. Analyzing drivers’ saccade characteristics under different curvature conditions in urban underwater tunnels can provide solutions to reduce the rates of such accidents and increase traffic safety. This paper reports real vehicle tests conducted in extra-long urban underwater tunnels, on curved sections of radii of 400, 680, 1,000, 1,500, and 3,000 m, and also on straight sections. Indicators of drivers’ saccade behavior, such as saccade angle, time, and frequency, and the saccade time ratio were evaluated. The coefficient of variation was used to analyze the discreteness of the saccade angle. The driver’s saccade characteristics, such as saccade time and frequency, were explored by combining the visual distances for different curved sections. The results demonstrated that (a) small angles in the range of [0, 10°] constituted the main distribution section of the driver’s saccade angle in extra-long urban underwater tunnels, and the saccade angle discreteness increased with increase in the radius, (b) the driver’s average saccade time increased while the average saccade frequency decreased with the increase of the radius, (c) the driver’s visual load was higher for long straight sections and small-radius curves, (d) the driver’s safety was generally higher on right-curving sections than on left-curving sections.
Biologically Regulated Marrow Stimulation by Blocking TGF-β1 With Losartan Oral Administration Results in Hyaline-like Cartilage Repair: A Rabbit Osteochondral Defect Model
Authors: Utsunomiya Hajime , Gao Xueqin , Deng Zhenhan , Cheng Haizi , Nakama Gilberto , Scibetta Alex C. , Ravuri Sudheer K. , Goldman Julia L. , Lowe Walter R. , Rodkey William G. , Alliston Tamara , Philippon Marc J. , Huard Johnny
Published: February 2020

Background:

Microfracture or bone marrow stimulation (BMS) is often the first choice for clinical treatment of cartilage injuries; however, fibrocartilage, not pure hyaline cartilage, has been reported because of the development of fibrosis in the repair tissue. Transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1), which can promote fibrosis, can be inhibited by losartan and potentially be used to reduce fibrocartilage.

Hypothesis:

Blocking TGF-β1 would improve cartilage healing in a rabbit knee BMS model via decreasing the amount of fibrocartilage and increasing hyaline-like cartilage formation.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

An osteochondral defect was made in the patellar groove of 48 New Zealand White rabbits. The rabbits were divided into 3 groups: a defect group (defect only), a BMS group (osteochondral defect + BMS), and a BMS + losartan group (osteochondral defect + BMS + losartan). For the rabbits in the BMS + losartan group, losartan was administrated orally from the day after surgery through the day of euthanasia. Rabbits were sacrificed 6 or 12 weeks postoperatively. Macroscopic appearance, microcomputed tomography, histological assessment, and TGF-β1 signaling pathway were evaluated at 6 and 12 weeks postoperatively.

Results:

The macroscopic assessment of the repair revealed that the BMS + losartan group was superior to the other groups tested. Microcomputed tomography showed superior healing of the bony defect in the BMS + losartan group in comparison with the other groups. Histologically, fibrosis in the repair tissue of the BMS + losartan group was significantly reduced when compared with the other groups. Results obtained with the modified O’Driscoll International Cartilage Repair Society grading system yielded significantly superior scores in the BMS + losartan group as compared with both the defect group and the BMS group ( F value: 15.8, P < .001, P = .012, respectively). TGF-β1 signaling and TGF-β-activated kinase 1 of the BMS + losartan group were significantly suppressed in the synovial tissues.

Conclusion:

By blocking TGF-β1 with losartan, the repair cartilage tissue after BMS was superior to the other groups and consisted primarily of hyaline cartilage. These results should be easily translated to the clinic because losartan is a Food and Drug Administration–approved drug and it can be combined with the BMS technique for optimal repair of chondral defects.

Clinical Relevance:

Biologically regulated marrow stimulation by blocking TGF-β1 (oral intake of losartan) provides superior repair via decreasing fibrocartilage formation and resulting in hyaline-like cartilage as compared with outcomes from BMS only.
Visual Embodied Actions in Interview-Based Writing Research: A Methodological Argument for Video
Authors: Olinger Andrea R.
Published: February 2020

People communicate through language as well as visual embodied actions like gestures, yet audio remains the default recording technology in interview-based writing research. Given that texts and writing processes are understood to involve semiotic resources beyond language, interview talk should receive similar treatment. In this article, I synthesize research that examines how visual embodied actions reveal and construct embodied knowledge and stance, and I apply these lenses to my own study, showing how visual embodied actions are essential to understanding three writers’ experiences with particular writing styles. I conclude by discussing the benefits of videorecording for writing research, offering guidance on how video can help researchers explore the interview as a social practice, and suggesting ways to design the consent process with transparency and democratic practice in mind. Ultimately, this article serves as a guide for writing researchers who wish to challenge the audio default when conducting interviews.
In vitro comparison of conventional surgical and rotary ultrasonic bone drilling techniques
Authors: Gupta Vishal , Singh Ravinder Pal , Pandey Pulak M , Gupta Ravi
Published: February 2020

In orthopedic and trauma surgical operations, drilling of bone is one of the commonly used procedures performed in hospitals and is a clinical practice for fixing the fractured parts of human bones. Force, torque and temperature play a significant role during the bone drilling and decide the stability of the medical implants. Therefore, it is necessary to minimize force, torque and temperature while drilling to avoid the thermal necrosis and osteosynthesis. This study focused on studying the influence of various types of bone drilling parameters (rotational speed, feed rate, drill diameter and ultrasonic amplitude), tools (solid tool, hollow tool and conventional twist drill bit) and techniques (conventional surgical drilling, rotary ultrasonic bone drilling and rotary bone drilling) on force, torque, temperature and microcracks produced in the drilled surface of the bone. The experimental investigations were conducted on porcine bone samples to perform the comparative study. Results revealed that increasing the diameter of drill tool and feed rate results in the increase in force, torque and temperature, while low rotational speed (500 r/min) generated a low temperature, high cutting force and torque for all types of drilling processes and tools evaluated in this study. Experimental results also revealed that rotary ultrasonic bone drilling with hollow tool generated the lowest cutting force, torque, temperature (<47 °C) and microcracks in the drilled surface of the bone as compared to the other four types of drilling techniques evaluated in this study. Influence of external irrigation technique on temperature was also studied with respect to the rotary ultrasonic bone drilling with a hollow tool, which could eliminate the problem of thermal necrosis. In conclusion, this study revealed that the rotary ultrasonic bone drilling process with hollow tool produced lesser cutting force as compared to rotary bone drilling and conventional surgical drilling for hollow and solid tools. The study also revealed that rotary ultrasonic bone drilling process has the potential to minimize the cutting force, torque and temperature as compared to the conventional surgical drilling for orthopedic surgery.
Twenty years of research on political discourse: A systematic review and directions for future research
Authors: Randour François , Perrez Julien , Reuchamps Min
Published: February 2020

There is a long tradition of linguistic research on political discourse, but little attention has been paid to what the concept of political discourse itself encompasses. With this in mind, this article aims to understand what types of discourse are categorized as ‘political’ in linguistic research and what their characteristics are (form, type of actors, policy domains, geographical coverage). To this end, we conducted a systematic literature review of 164 scientific articles from the Scopus database. Overall, the findings show that political discourse is generally limited to the discourses of (institutionalized) political elites and most specifically to oral monological speeches. The review also highlights discrepancies regarding the geographical scope and the policy domains covered by the empirical analyses, more specifically a bias toward the Western world and issues related to external defense policies, justice and home affairs.
‘You sick, twisted messes’: The use of argument and reasoning in Islamophobic and anti-Semitic discussions on Facebook
Authors: Burke Shani , Diba Parisa , Antonopoulos Georgios A
Published: February 2020

This research used critical discursive psychology to analyse anti-Semitic and Islamophobic discourse on the English Defence League’s (EDL) Facebook page. The discussion by Facebook users began about ‘reopening’ concentration camps, in which to incarcerate Muslims. Facebook users also expressed anti-Semitic discourse such as Holocaust denial, and the idea that Jews ‘could have done more’. The analysis focuses on the reasoning used when expressing this extreme idea, and how this was contested by other Facebook users, through the use of three strategies: (1) the construction of ‘sickness’, (2) Muslims as ‘the new Nazis’, (3) devictimising Jews as victims. This research shows how the EDL used positive aligning with Jews as means to present Muslims as problematic, and how such alignment resulted in the marginalisation of both Jews and Muslims. Findings are considered in terms of how critical discursive psychology can uncover the function of extreme discourse on social media, and the potential implications of hate speech online.
Adaptive neural impedance control with extended state observer for human–robot interactions by output feedback through tracking differentiator
Authors: Yang JianTao , Peng Cheng
Published: February 2020

Although impedance control has huge application potential in human–robot cooperation, its engineering application is still quite limited, owing to the high nonlinearity of the human–robot dynamics and disturbances. This article presents a novel adaptive neural network controller with extended state observer for the human–robot interaction using output feedback. The adaptive neural network with extended state observer integrates the adaptive neural network and extended state observer to combine their advantages. The proposed algorithm can address the challenges encountered in human–machine systems, for example, slow convergence of neural networks, internal and external disturbances. Output feedback is realized using tracking differentiator to avoid the costly measurements of certain states. The errors of the closed-loop system are proven to converge to a small compact set containing 0 by Lyapunov theory. Simulations and experiments were conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed controller. Results show that the proposed strategy offers superior convergence and better tracking performance compared with the adaptive neural network. The proposed controller can be widely applied in various human–machine interactions to enhance productivity and efficiency.
Non-Invasive Monitoring of Oxygen Tension and Oxygen Transport Inside Subcutaneous Devices After H2S Treatment
Authors: Najdahmadi Avid , Smink Alexandra M. , de Vos Paul , Lakey Jonathan R.T. , Botvinick Elliot
Published: February 2020

Medical devices for cell therapy can be improved through prevascularization. In this work we study the vascularization of a porous polymer device, previously used by our group for pancreatic islet transplantation with results indicating improved glycemic control. Oxygen partial pressure within such devices was monitored non-invasively using an optical technique. Oxygen-sensitive tubes were fabricated and placed inside devices prior to subcutaneous implantation in nude mice. We tested the hypothesis that vascularization will be enhanced by administration of the pro-angiogenic factor hydrogen sulfide (H2S). We found that oxygen dynamics were unique to each implant and that the administration of H2S does not result in significant changes in perfusion of the devices as compared with control. These observations suggest that vascular perfusion and density are not necessarily correlated, and that the rate of vascularization was not enhanced by the pro-angiogenic agent.
The selection of dermatomes for sham (placebo) acupuncture points is relevant for the outcome of acupuncture studies: a systematic review of sham (placebo)-controlled randomized acupuncture trials
Authors: Ots Thomas , Kandirian Asal , Szilagyi Istvan , DiGiacomo Susan M , Sandner-Kiesling Andreas
Published: February 2020

Background:

Many randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of acupuncture reveal no significant differences between acupuncture and so-called placebo acupuncture. There is a strong tendency to replace the term “placebo” by the term “sham,” because any needling stimulates a certain physiological response. However, neither concept accounts for the great diversity of results in RCTs comparing verum acupuncture and sham (placebo) acupuncture. Some trials have shown little or no difference, while other studies have found statistically significant differences.

Objective:

Verum acupuncture and sham (placebo) acupuncture may achieve similar results to the extent that they share active constituents. We identified these common active constituents as dermatomes: the segmental structure of the human body. In our study, we tested the hypothesis that the more verum and sham (placebo) acupuncture share the same dermatomes, the closer the clinical outcomes will be, and vice versa.

Methods:

All major databases were searched for RCTs that tested acupuncture versus sham (placebo) acupuncture. The dermatome charts of Hansen and Schliack were used to verify verum and sham (placebo) needling locations. Reported clinical outcomes were assessed in relation to the percentage of overlap between the dermatomes stimulated by acupuncture and sham (placebo) acupuncture.

Results:

Our literature search yielded a total of 1738 references. Thirty-four studies met the inclusion criteria. The effects of sham (placebo) acupuncture varied according to the dermatomes stimulated: high overlap with those stimulated by verum acupuncture resulted in almost identical efficacy, while low overlap resulted in significant differences in efficacy. Clinical outcomes were similar when verum acupuncture and sham (placebo) acupuncture shared the same dermatomes (p < 0.01).

Discussion:

The findings of this review confirm our hypothesis. Acupuncture studies that employed verum and sham locations on overlapping dermatomes helped to create a mediocre to negative picture of acupuncture’s efficacy. The segmental structure of the body with its interconnected reflex system offers an additional neurophysiological explanation for the effectiveness of acupuncture applied to structures segmentally innervated by the spinal and visceral nervous system. Further comparative acupuncture studies should be based on knowledge of segmental anatomy. In testing verum acupuncture versus sham acupuncture, the chosen sham acupuncture needling locations should be situated on non-overlapping dermatomes.
A Tale of Mystery Shopping: Mausummery Perspective!
Authors: Arif Farrah , Sarfraz Sarah S.
Published: February 2020

Mausummery, founded in the year 1997, designed and manufactured lawn (lightweight cotton) clothing in Lahore, Pakistan. As the lawn industry became more competitive and the product became homogeneous, the company wanted to focus on service excellence to differentiate its brand and achieve higher sales and market share. The company had opened a number of its own stores in the hope of providing outstanding customer service. However, mystery shopping research had shown the company stores performing poorly relative to the competition, despite the sales training. The CEO and COO had to decide how to handle the situation moving forward.
Hip-Hop and Haring: Pop Culture and Interdisciplinary Learning for the General Music Classroom
Authors: Vasil Martina
Published: February 2020

Teachers are searching for accessible, relevant, and engaging lessons for students as elementary classrooms grow more diverse and high-stakes testing constrict curricula and recess time. General music teachers may consider implementing lessons that blend popular culture with collaborative, interdisciplinary projects. Artist Keith Haring was inspired by 1980s hip-hop music and drew break dancing figures in much of his artwork. Both Haring’s artwork and hip-hop culture have broad appeal and are accessible to students. The purpose of this article is to share an exploratory series of lessons that used hip-hop music and dance in conjunction with the artwork of Haring. The author provides a brief background on 1980s hip-hop music and break dancing and the artwork of Haring, then delves into the details of the collaborative art and music project completed with grades K–5. Tips for bringing popular culture into the general music classroom are offered.
A Life of Good Governance, Positive Activism, Accountability & Integrated Thinking: An Interview with Mervyn King
Authors: Ghio Alessandro , McGuigan Nicholas
Published: February 2020

This paper provides a critical discussion of integrated thinking, accountability, and corporate governance through an explorative interview with global corporate governance expert and positive activist Mervyn King. In a period in which the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are encouraging organizations to be connected and accountable to society and the environment, Mervyn King’s groundbreaking global corporate governance vision highlights how organizations may develop a “conscious leadership” to pursue the common good.
Is the Bridge Broken? Increasing Ethnic Attachments and Declining Party Influence among Latino Voters
Authors: Morín Jason L. , Macías Mejía Yoshira , Sanchez Gabriel R.
Published: February 2020

In this article, we test whether perceptions of Latino linked fate influence partisan identification and voting behavior among the Latino electorate across time. Specifically, we contend that attachments to the Latino community have become more widely used heuristics for Latino voters due to an increase in anti-immigrant (Latino) sentiment. Moreover, growing attachments to the Latino community have the potential to influence partisanship and even compete with traditional partisan loyalties (i.e., partisan heuristics) at the polls. To test our argument, we rely on multiple surveys of Latino likely voters with similar measures that span over a decade and a half. Our results indicate that perceptions of linked fate, to varying degrees, are associated with Latino’s decisions to identify with the Democratic Party. At least in more recent presidential elections, they also indicate that Latinos are becoming increasingly reliant on ethnic heuristics while becoming less reliant on their own partisan identity to make decisions at the polls. The findings have important implications for the future of the Democratic and Republican Parties’ ability to court Latino voters and our understanding of how party identification operates among the Latino electorate.
Dimensions of Ethnic Diversity and Underground Economic Activity: Cross-country Evidence
Authors: Berdiev Aziz N. , Goel Rajeev K. , Saunoris James W.
Published: February 2020

Cultural and ethnic factors crucially affect economic agents’ propensities toward law-abiding behavior and operating in the underground economy is an important, widely prevalent, aspect. However, there are many dimensions of ethnic diversity, and the relative influences of each on underground behavior are not well articulated. This article uniquely considers the effects of five dimensions of ethnic/cultural diversity, including ethnic income inequality, ethnic–linguistic fragmentation, cultural fragmentation, ethnolinguistic polarization, and ethnic–linguistic segregation, on the international shadow economy. Placing the empirical analysis in the context of the empirical determinants of the shadow economy, results show income inequality across ethnic groups increases underground activity across different modeling variations, while the effects of the other dimensions are statistically insignificant. This unique finding underscores the notion that not all dimensions of ethnic diversity are alike when it comes to their influences on the informal sector.
Tilt-and-crush: A safe, effective and energy-saving technique for soft cataract removal
Authors: Harb Ashraf Wasfy , Sadiq Salman Naveed
Published: February 2020

Background and Objective:

The tilt and crush technique is a modified chopping technique developed mainly to maximize safety and effectiveness in emulsifying soft cataracts.

Material and Methods:

After clear corneal incision and continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis, the hydro-dissection cannula is introduced under the anterior capsule about 90 degrees to the axis of the main wound and injection of fluid is continued until the distal pole of the nucleus prolapses out of the capsulorhexis rim into the anterior chamber. The centre of the nucleus is then engaged with the phacoemulsification tip using high vacuum and tilted vertically in the anterior chamber. The second instrument is passed behind the full length of the vertically tilted nucleus to crush it against the phacoemulsification tip.

Results:

This technique was successfully performed in 517 eyes by a single experienced surgeon. The mean effective phaco time was 0.11 ± 0.32 s, and it was zero in 382 (73.9%) eyes. The mean total phaco time was 4.79 ± 10.71 s. In 322 (62.3%) eyes, no phaco energy was utilized to remove cataract. None of the eyes experienced any complication during or after the surgery.

Conclusion:

This safe and reliable technique is significantly more energy-efficient compared to other traditional techniques like divide-and-conquer and phaco-chop. Unlike, some widely known pre-chopping techniques, it can be taught easily with good reproducibility.
A study on the multiobjective optimization model for tourism development – Take Shanghai as example
Authors: Li Qian , Tang Meiwei , Li Chengbo
Published: February 2020

This article establishes a multiobjective optimization model for discussing tourism development issues. Tourism direct gross value added (TDGVA), tourism employment (TE) and tourism carbon emissions (TCEs) are integrated in the model, and sets of Pareto solutions are defined. By solving multiobjective optimization model through genetic algorithm, we design three tourism industry structure optimization schemes, namely, the growth-biased scheme, low-carbon emissions-biased scheme and employment-biased scheme. Compared with the actual data for 2012, TDGVA increased by 23.8 billion yuan rising by 14.8% in the growth-biased scheme, TCE fell by 4.97 million tons decreasing by 11.3% in the low-carbon emissions-biased scheme and TE increased by 83.53 thousand jobs increasing by 2% in the employment-biased scheme. The selection of tourism policy depends on the preference of decision makers.
Combining big data search analytics and the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System database to detect a potential safety signal of mirtazapine abuse
Authors: Spachos Dimitrios , Siafis Spyridon , Bamidis Panagiotis , Kouvelas Dimitrios , Papazisis Georgios
Published: February 2020

This study sought to detect a potential safety signal of mirtazapine abuse by combining two different sources of surveillance, specifically Google Analytics (Google, Inc., Mountain View, CA, USA) and the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System database. Data from the first quarter of 2004 to the second quarter of 2017 were collected and analysed. The search interest over time, the frequencies of abuse-related terms in the search analytics domain, and the odds ratio of abuse events in FDA Adverse Event Reporting System were determined. Correlations between the two aforementioned domains using quarterly data from the timeline series were also assessed. Our results suggest a positive correlation between abuse-related searches in the Google domain and abuse-related events in FDA Adverse Event Reporting System database. These results indicate that these methods can be used in combination with each other as a pharmacovigilance supplementary tool to detect drug safety signals.
Red circles, embodied literacies, and neoliberalism: The art of noticing an unruly placemaking event
Authors: Johnson Thiel Jaye
Published: February 2020

This article presents a data story that illustrates unruly placemaking from an event that unfolded during a six-year research enquiry exploring the out-of-school literacies of young people in an informal neighbourhood making space. Specifically, I analyse the happenings between a four-year-old boy and a red marker through theories of critical posthumanism and companion species to illustrate how the white space of paper and the marks made on that space are acts of placemaking, and thus political in nature, and I suggest that noticing the unruliness of such bodily acts can help us disrupt the embodied literacies of hyper-capitalist structures underpinning traditional understandings of everyday childhood practices.
What are the chances you’re right about everything? An epistemic challenge for modern partisanship
Authors: Joshi Hrishikesh
Published: February 2020

The American political landscape exhibits significant polarization. People’s political beliefs cluster around two main camps. However, many of the issues with respect to which these two camps disagree seem to be rationally orthogonal. This feature raises an epistemic challenge for the political partisan. If she is justified in consistently adopting the party line, it must be true that her side is reliable on the issues that are the subject of disagreements. It would then follow that the other side is anti-reliable with respect to a host of orthogonal political issues. Yet, it is difficult to find a psychologically plausible explanation for why one side would get things reliably wrong with respect to a wide range of orthogonal issues. While this project’s empirical discussion focuses on the US context, the argument generalizes to any situation where political polarization exists on a sufficiently large number of orthogonal claims.
Examining the Administration of Youth Interrogation Rights: A Field Study of Canadian Police Practices
Authors: McCardle Meagan I. , Luther Kirk , Snook Brent
Published: February 2020

The delivery of interrogation rights to youth suspects and associated behaviours (e.g. seeking evidence of comprehension) were examined in a sample of real-world interrogations ( N = 31). Interrogation rights were delivered fully in approximately one-third of interrogations. Verification of comprehension was attempted rarely, and interrogators asked the youth to explain each right in their own words in less than 10 per cent of interrogations. Without improvement in the administration of interrogation rights, youth suspects remain vulnerable and unprotected in the criminal justice system.