bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Structural MRI in Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Last Briana S. , Rizvi Batool , Brickman Adam M.
Published: June 2020

Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a powerful tool to visualize and quantitate morphological and pathological features of the aging brain. Most work that has used structural MRI to study Alzheimer’s disease (AD) focused on the spatial distribution of atrophic changes associated with disease. These studies consistently show focal atrophy beginning in medial temporal lobes in early and presymptomatic stages of AD before spreading globally throughout the cortical mantle. Normal cognitive aging—aging in the absence of major neurodegenerative disease—on the other hand follows and anterior-to-posterior gradient of atrophic change. In addition to atrophic changes, conventional structural MRI can be used to appreciate markers of small and large vessel cerebrovascular disease, including white matter hyperintensities (WMHs), cerebral microbleeds, and infarction. Studies that have examined cerebrovascular changes associated with AD also show a consistent relationship with risk and severity of clinical AD, particularly with regard to lobar microbleeds and posterior WMH. It is unclear whether cerebrovascular changes play an independent role in the clinical expression of AD or whether it is more mechanistically related, reflecting a core feature of the disease. This chapter reviews recent work on regional atrophy in AD and normal aging, as well as work on small and large cerebrovascular disease in AD.
The Blood–Brain Barrier in Cognitive Decline and Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Nation Daniel A. , McIntosh Elissa
Published: June 2020

The neurovascular unit is a multicellular organ that has attracted recent attention as a key microvascular regulator of cerebral blood flow and blood–brain barrier permeability that is implicated in homeostatic and pathological processes impacting cognitive function. Breakdown of the blood–brain barrier invariably causes brain tissue damage and dysfunction due to influx of toxic blood proteins, cells, ions and metals. Clinical studies employing markers of blood–brain barrier permeability suggest an important role in vascular and neurodegenerative dementias. The chapter discusses how the introduction of new neuroimaging and biomarker technologies has opened new pathways of investigation into the blood–brain function in Alzheimer’s disease.
Arterial Stiffening and Cerebrovascular Resistance in Cognitive Decline and Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Yew Belinda , Blanken Anna , Nation Daniel A.
Published: June 2020

The impact of vascular factors on cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has been increasingly recognized. AD and vascular cognitive impairment exhibit significant overlap, individuals with vascular risk factors experience elevated risk for AD, and vascular mechanisms have been implicated in the genetic and pathological processes underlying development of AD. Arterial stiffening and cerebrovascular resistance have been identified as potential junctions through which vascular dysfunction promotes AD pathogenesis and cognitive decline. This chapter outlines the pathophysiology of arterial stiffening and cerebrovascular resistance, beginning in the aorta and small vessels of the brain, respectively. As these processes proliferate, cerebral circulation is disrupted, compromising capacity to meet neuronal metabolic needs and culminating in cognitive declines. An overview is provided of in vivo markers for arterial stiffening and cerebrovascular resistance, including methods employing pulse wave velocity, transcranial Doppler ultrasonography, and arterial spin labeling magnetic resonance imaging. Relevant research developments and their implications for conceptualization of vascular contributions to cognitive decline are discussed.
Unraveling the Role of Mitochondria in Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Correia Sónia C. , Moreira Paula I. , Perry George
Published: June 2020

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an intriguing and still unsolved puzzle that has attracted, over the last decades, the interest of the scientific community. Despite the limited knowledge regarding the initial cause(s) of AD, mitochondrial abnormalities have been pinpointed as one of the earliest and strongest events related with the pathological course of this complex neurodegenerative disease. In this sense, the present chapter addresses three distinct but connected pieces of the AD puzzle: (a) how could defects of mitochondrial bioenergetics and dynamics contribute to AD pathology? (b) Could mitochondrial defects promote the disease-defining amyloid-β and tau pathologies, and vice versa? and (c) Are mitochondria feasible therapeutic targets to postpone AD symptomatology and neuropathology, and, if so, how and when? The understanding and connection of these puzzle pieces provide a more comprehensive picture about the fundamental role of mitochondrial (mal)function in the neurodegenerative processes that occur in AD and propels future research interventions aimed to forestall AD-related pathological phenotype by bolstering mitochondrial “health.”
Cognitive Change and Elective Surgeries With Anesthesia
Authors: Wiggins Margaret E. , Hernaiz Carlos , Fahy Brenda G. , Price Catherine C.
Published: June 2020

As our lifespan increases, so do the number of older adults who undergo surgeries that require general anesthesia. This poses a significant public health concern; research has highlighted the potential for increasing negative postoperative outcomes (i.e., delirium or postoperative cognitive decline) in the older adult population. Despite this, we currently do not have clear answers about risk factors that make individuals most vulnerable to postoperative changes or how surgical stress can accelerate brain changes, if at all. It is critical that we remain alert to signs of potential neurodegenerative disorders or brain vulnerabilities to implement optimal patient care. These signs may occur at any point during the perioperative process including prior to surgery, during the operative environment, and during postoperative recovery. The present chapter provides an overview of known risk factors at each stage of perioperative care, as well as considerations for neuropsychologists when working with patients in the perioperative environment.
Management of Mild Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Ravona-Springer Ramit , Korczyn Amos D.
Published: June 2020

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a prodromal syndrome often linked to the eventual emergence of dementia syndromes such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD). Research regarding the potential treatment of MCI is reviewed. Current research suggests that neurocognitive decline associated with MCI that may evolve into a dementia syndrome is potentially managed by treating cardiovascular risk factors, appropriate diet and physical exercise, challenging mental activity, intervention for any neuropsychiatric issues, and encouraging meaningful psychosocial relationships. Recent research also suggests potentially better effect on neuropsychological functioning when medication such as donepezil is used to manage both dementia and MCI.
Private Debt Markets
Authors: Cumming Douglas , Fleming Grant , Liu Zhangxin (Frank)
Published: June 2020

The chapter provides an overview of private debt and private debt markets. It explains the array of different specific types of private debt investments that are observed in practice, and the role equity incentives play in private debt deals. The chapter examines evidence from different countries around the world, including developed and developing markets. The chapter also describes the motives and contexts for using private debt, including but not limited to transactions involving private placements, syndicated loans, and direct lending. Private debt is not restricted to private companies but includes public ones as well. Further, the chapter characterizes private debt investors and their evolution over time. Additionally, it reviews evidence on the returns that private debt investors enjoy. The chapter concludes by identifying gaps in existing knowledge of private debt and offering suggestions for future research.
Looking as Rebellion
Authors: Richardson Allissa V.
Published: June 2020

Chapter 1 outlines the book’s concept of black witnessing by giving it three characteristics: it (1) assumes an investigative editorial stance to advocate for African American civil rights; (2) co-opts racialized online spaces to serve as its ad-hoc news distribution service; and (3) relies on interlocking black public spheres, which are endowed with varying levels of political agency, to engage diverse audiences.
The Origins of Bearing Witness While Black
Authors: Richardson Allissa V.
Published: June 2020

Chapter 2 traces the genealogy of black witnesses through three overlapping eras of domestic terrorism against African Americans: slavery, lynching, and police brutality. Black storytellers in each of these timeframes leveraged the technologies of their day to produce emancipatory news. In this manner, advocacy journalism has remained a central component of black liberation for more than 200 years—from slave narratives to smartphones.
Shooting Back
Authors: Richardson Allissa V.
Published: June 2020

Chapter 7 explores the powerful, deliberate, and fresh iconography that Black Lives Matter activists have inspired. They have used historic juxtapositions, symbolic deaths, and satiric Internet memes to create supporting imagery for their news stories. Many of these approaches have evolved the images of black protest—from the iconic photographs of snarling German shepherds and lunch counter sit-ins, to the contemporary depictions of human chains across highways and mass die-ins.
Black Witnessing, Body Cams, and the Enduring Fight for the Whole Truth
Authors: Richardson Allissa V.
Published: June 2020

Chapter 9 investigates how the moral panic inspired by Black Lives Matter triggered the body cam backlash. This additional layer of surveillance is more invasive than any other form of police video, such as cruiser dash cams, helicopter camera footage, or street corner blue lights, as Dr. Richardson has argued. Body cams also privilege the viewpoint of the officer and restore the official narrative into the hands of the powerful. Dr. Richardson explains how this next frontier of “toutveillance,” where everyone is watching everyone, could imperil the gaze of black witnesses.
A Brief History of Indigenous Religious Authority in Mexico, 1519–1900
Authors: Pulido Elisa Eastwood
Published: June 2020

This brief history of indigenous spiritual authority in Mexico begins in 1513 with the arrival of the Spaniards and includes the argument that the conquest of Mexico resulted in the loss of indigenous spiritual authority through the defrocking of the Aztec priests and four centuries of indigenous exclusion from the Catholic clergy. The chapter contextualizes the search for indigenous identity and spiritual voice by recounting native responses to religious subjugation, including Indian rebellions, native prophets, bloody conflicts, and combinative religious practices through the nineteenth century. The arrival of Protestant and Mormon missionaries after the Civil War offered indigenous Mexican converts new avenues to ordination, education, and the development of leadership skills.
North of the U.S.-Mexico Border
Authors: Pulido Elisa Eastwood
Published: June 2020

This chapter examines Bautista’s U.S. residency (1910 to 1922) and its influence on his spiritual trajectory. It argues that during his first twelve years in the United States, Bautista experienced a decade of unprecedented personal growth and opportunity, which probably led him to expect a lifetime of increasing responsibility as a Mexican member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Bautista crossed the border a month before the Mexican Revolution began. He settled first in Mesa, Arizona, but moved to Utah in 1913 where he helped found the first Spanish-speaking branch of the Mormon Church in Salt Lake City. Though initially a gardener on Temple Square, Bautista became president of his congregation and the Lamanite Genealogical Society, mastered temple rituals and Mormon doctrine, published an article, and spoke to audiences about his experiences as a Mexican Mormon.
The Third Convention, April 21, 1936
Authors: Pulido Elisa Eastwood
Published: June 2020

This chapter discusses Bautista’s 1936 involvement in the Third Convention, a grassroots movement of Mexican Mormons who petitioned the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the appointment of an ethnically Mexican mission president. The author argues that Bautista fomented the rebellion in association with Mexican Mormons who had served as Zapatista soldiers in the Mexican Revolution and whose ideology had been influenced by agrarian anarchism, nationalism, and indigeneity. The chapter follows the formation of the Third Convention, the efforts of the mainstream Church to halt the movement, the excommunication of Conventionist leaders, and Bautista’s expulsion from the Third Convention when his pursuit of polygamous wives became known. By 1937 Bautista had lost his friends and his spiritual community. His lack of community catapulted him into a new religious role, that of religious entrepreneur. Bautista began to proselytize his own independent following.
Distal humerus
Authors: Lague Michael R. , Menter Colin G.
Published: June 2020

Anatomical descriptions are presented for six distal humeri from Sterkfontein. These fossil specimens, and one humerus from Makapansgat, are compared to those of extant hominids and a variety of fossil hominins using geometric morphometric data from a transverse section through the distal diaphysis. Principal components analysis is used to summarize morphometric affinities among specimens. Procrustes distances are used to measure shape dissimilarity between pairs, and total sample variation is quantified as the sum of squared distances (SSD) of pairwise Procrustes. Bootstrap resampling of SSD is used to evaluate the possibility of taxonomic heterogeneity in the Sterkfontein assemblage. Humeral variation at Sterkfontein/Makapansgat reflects three distinct groups, one of which resembles Homo erectus (Stw 150, 182), one of which resembles Australopithecus sediba (Stw 339, MLD 14), and one of which resembles non-sediba australopiths (Stw 38, Stw 124, Stw 431c). Based on variation within extant species, we cannot reject the null hypothesis that the Sterkfontein specimens are conspecific. On the other hand, Sterkfontein SSD is significantly high with reference to a mixed-species sample of australopiths from across Africa. On balance, we suggest that only those specimens in the last group (non-sediba autralopiths) should be attributed to A. africanus.
Pelvis
Authors: Haeusler Martin , Ruff Christopher B.
Published: June 2020

The hominin pelvis is a remarkable structure that plays a central role in many critical biological processes, most notably bipedal locomotion and parturition. Here we describe each pelvic element from Sterkfontein and reconstruct the pelvis of the partial skeletons of Sts 14 and StW 431. Based on preserved contours, if human sexing methods can be accurately applied to australopiths, it is likely that Sts 14 represents a female individual, with the larger size, narrower greater sciatic notch of Sts 65 and StW 431 and other morphologies suggesting that these individuals were male. Some degenerative defects of the StW 431 acetabulum also suggest this may have been an older adult. This chapter also presents complete pelvic reconstructions of all of these fragmentary hipbone fossils.
Tibia and fibula
Authors: Carlson Kristian J. , Zipfel Bernhard , Jungers William L.
Published: June 2020

This chapter presents description and analysis of the Sterkfontein tibiae and fibulae, which have not previously been subjected to a careful systematic study. Among these elements, there is a clear range of variation expressed in several functionally relevant features. The distal tibia, StW 358, uniquely exhibits an absence of metaphyseal expansion beyond the talar facet, which appears unique among hominins. If the fibular shaft, StW 356, is associated with StW 358, it could offer additional functional insights into the locomotor repertoire of this individual that might help contextualize this apparently unique trait. Two sets of paired proximal and distal tibiae, StW 514/515 and StW 389/567, suggest possible functional differences in knee and ankle joint configurations, albeit the first is smaller in size than the second. Additional morphological and functional evaluation of variation expressed in many of the features exhibited by these Sterkfontein fossils, along with systematic comparisons to new discoveries from the site, will undoubtedly further elucidate the potential existence of distinct “morphs” in the Sterkfontein hominin fossil assemblage.
Metatarsals and pedal phalanges
Authors: Zipfel Bernhard , Wunderlich Roshna
Published: June 2020

The metatarsals and tarsals from most of the foot bones found at Sterkfontein by the time of this monograph have been described previously, but this chapter presents new analyses and interpretations of these important specimens. The hominin forefoot, comprised of the metatarsus and phalanges, represents an important functional component of the foot that can potentially answer a number of questions regarding the evolution of the foot, more specifically the advent of bipedalism in the human lineage. Metatarsal morphology suggests that the lateral column of the Sterkfontein hominin feet was human-like, and similar to that of virtually all other known hominins, suggesting a stable lateral column early in the evolution of the foot. In contrast, the medial column shows a mosaic of derived and ape-like characters consistent with bipedalism, but also with grasping in arboreal behavior. There is arguably also evidence of two morphs in foot morphology and function, suggesting a second species of Australopithecus within Member 4 of Sterkfontein.
An Inconsistent Jurisprudence: The Doctrinal Spectrum
Authors: Purcell Edward A. Jr.
Published: June 2020

This chapter explores Justice Antonin Scalia’s constitutional jurisprudence across the broad range of issues he addressed. The chapter shows that he contradicted his originalist jurisprudence in interpreting the First Amendment (both its free speech and religion clauses) as well as the Fourth, Fifth, and Eleventh Amendments, and that he did the same in construing a variety of other constitutional doctrines including those involving standing, the treaty power, affirmative action, the Commerce Clause, the Fourteenth Amendment, and the U.S. Supreme Court’s own appellate jurisdiction. The chapter argues that he frequently twisted, ignored, and abandoned his jurisprudential principles and methodologies he proclaimed and that the principal consistency his decisions and opinions reveal was his commitment to his own ideological goals and values.
A Manipulative Jurisprudence: Unprincipled and Expedient Reasoning
Authors: Purcell Edward A. Jr.
Published: June 2020

This chapter offers a more detailed analysis of some of Justice Antonin Scalia’s most striking inconsistencies. Its first section addresses Scalia’s use of James Madison as a principal and particularly prestigious originalist source, especially his essays in the Federalist Papers. The chapter examines in particular his inconsistent uses of Madison’s writings in such cases as United States v. Windsor and Morrison v. Olson and in his attitude toward affirmative action and Madison’s idea of the “extended republic” in his decisions on the Eleventh Amendment. The chapter shows that he used Madison when his writings supported Scalia’s own views but ignored him when they contradicted those views. The chapter’s second section examines two of Scalia’s most dubious actions on the Court, joining the five-justice conservative majority in Shelby County v. Holder and writing a deeply flawed opinion for the Court in Boyle v. United Technologies. The chapter argues that the two cases show Scalia at his most inconsistent, contradictory, and willful in serving his ideological and political goals, in the first case voiding a critical provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and in the second expanding federal common law to protect military contractors from tort suits.
The Nature of American Constitutionalism
Authors: Purcell Edward A. Jr.
Published: June 2020

This chapter examines the third reason for Justice Antonin Scalia’s enduring historical significance for an understanding of American constitutionalism. The chapter argues that he was a man of his times, who adapted “conservative” politics and values to meet what he saw as the abuses of the Warren Court and twentieth-century liberalism. To counter broad assertions of federal legislative and judicial power, he developed doctrines to limit both of those branches, and to counter liberal attempts to limit presidential power after Watergate, he developed doctrines to expand the power of the executive. The chapter criticizes his embrace of positivism and his ideas about both law and the rule of law. It also argues that the nature of “conservatism” has evolved and changed over the decades and that Scalia’s jurisprudence broke with the conservative jurisprudence of the pre-Reagan era. The chapter concludes that Scalia’s jurisprudence and career demonstrate—contrary to his central jurisprudential claims—the third fundamental characteristic of American constitutionalism, its truly “living” nature.
Queer Surrealism
Authors: Matz Jesse
Published: June 2020

The fantasy that close reading should be some purer, more total encounter with a text is usefully dispelled by readings that achieve their closeness precisely because they have a specific need for proximity with their particular text. As this chapter shows in developing a queer reading of The Waste Land, that ‘need’ might make a reading blind to things that do not suit its purposes, but this blindness must always be a factor even in the purest of close readings. A specific need that has been made explicit has the virtue of calling indirect attention to a reading’s blind spots. The transformation of Eliot’s text from an early twentieth-century moment of non-specific disorientation to a proto-trans opportunity to celebrate bodily transformation is not a violation of the text itself but a valid use for it—an insight into the text itself sharpened by a sense of discursive opportunity.
Thinking Small
Authors: Freed-Thall Hannah
Published: June 2020

This chapter understands modernist close reading in an expanded sense, as an open-ended practice of attention to the look and feel of things. This practice is not exclusively directed at literary texts. Rather, it is a way of seeing that takes a wide variety of phenomena—from a poem to a fiddler crab—as lifeworlds to be read. Close reading, understood in this manner, is less a specific strategy than an ethical relation. Sensitive to variations and valances of difference, elisions and silences, the close reader cultivates patience as she learns to listen for the intermittent and the unexpected. The chapter examines two works that exemplify close reading’s imaginative possibilities: marine biologist Carson’s 1955 book, The Edge of the Sea, and literary and cultural theorist Roland Barthes’s 1977–78 seminar at the Collège de France, The Neutral.
The Life of Words
Authors: Williams David-Antoine
Published: June 2020

For centuries, investigations into the origins of words were entwined with investigations into the origins of humanity and the cosmos. With the development of modern etymological practice in the nineteenth century, however, many cherished etymologies were shown to be impossible, and the very idea of original ‘true meaning’ asserted in the etymology of ‘etymology’ declared a fallacy. Structural linguistics later held that the relationship between sound and meaning in language was ‘arbitrary’, or ‘unmotivated’, a truth that has survived with small modification until today. On the other hand, the relationship between sound and meaning has been a prime motivator of poems, at all times throughout history. The Life of Words studies a selection of poets inhabiting our ‘Age of the Arbitrary’, whose auditory-semantic sensibilities have additionally been motivated by a historical sense of the language, troubled as it may be by claims and counterclaims of ‘fallacy’ or ‘true meaning’. Arguing that etymology activates peculiar kinds of epistemology in the modern poem, the book pays extended attention to poems by G. M. Hopkins, Anne Waldman, Ciaran Carson, and Anne Carson, and to the collected works of Seamus Heaney, R. F. Langley, J. H. Prynne, Geoffrey Hill, and Paul Muldoon.
Urban Sexual Selection
Authors: Sepp Tuul , McGraw Kevin J. , Giraudeau Mathieu
Published: June 2020

Human-modified habitats can present both challenges and opportunities for wild animals. Changes in the environment caused by urbanization can affect who survives and reproduces in wild animal populations. Accordingly, we can expect that changes in sexual selection pressures may occur in response to urbanization. Changes in sexually selected traits like bird song and colouration have been one of the main thrusts of urban ecology in recent decades. However, studies to date have focused on describing changes in sexual phenotypes in response to urban environmental change, and knowledge about genetic/microevolutionary change is lacking. Also, while some signalling modalities have been well studied and linked to human activities (e.g., changes in auditory signals in response to anthropogenic noise), others have received comparatively less attention in this context (e.g., effects of air pollution on chemical signalling). In addition, the focus has been mainly on the signal sender, instead of the signal receiver, thereby missing an important side of sexual selection. This chapter reviews the evidence that sexual selection pressures and sexually selected traits have been impacted by urban environments, with attention to the potential for rapid adaptive and plastic shifts in traits of signallers and receivers. It explores the possibilities that urbanization causes evolutionary change and speciation in wild animal populations through sexual selection. Finally, it provides new ideas for future studies to explore these questions and especially the evolution of female preferences in urban environments.
Parameterizing subject–verb inversion across Verb Second languages
Authors: Casalicchio Jan , Cognola Federica
Published: June 2020

By discussing novel data from two Dolomitic Ladin languages spoken in Northern Italy, Badiotto and Gardenese, it is shown that in these Verb Second languages subject-finite verb inversion is constrained by the syntactic (adverb or object) and discourse (focus or topic) nature of the sentence-initial constituent, and by the discourse status of the DP subject. The chapter demonstrates that in both varieties subjects in inversion either appear in a FocusP of the vP periphery or in an A position in the IP layer, and that the observed distribution of inversion follows from two universal constraints of movement affecting extraction through the vP edge: (a) cyclicity (extraction through the edge of the vP phase) and (b) locality/ Relativized Minimality (RM). By comparing the distribution of DP subjects in Ladin with that observed in other V2 languages, such as Mòcheno and Mainland Scandinavian, the chapter proposes a novel typology of V2 languages and of subject-finite verb inversion to be captured in terms of parametric variation.
The role of ambiguity in child errors
Authors: Gould Isaac
Published: June 2020

This chapter compares two contrasting approaches to accounting for the verb placement errors in child Swiss German that are described in Schönenberger (2001). The first is a learning model that captures the errors because it both learns from ambiguous input and has a rich hypothesis space of interacting parameters (Gould 2017). The second captures the errors instead by means of a cognitive bias early in development, namely a heuristic for Dependency Length Minimization (DLM) (cf. Futrell et al. 2015). The latter approach is notable in that it (a) does not rely on learning from ambiguous input to capture child errors (cf. Sakas and Fodor 2001), (b) offers a prima facie simpler way of capturing the errors, and (c) is novel in applying DLM to account for child errors. Nevertheless, closer investigation shows that a DLM-based model does not provide a principled account of the children’s developmental trajectory and is clearly not any simpler than the alternative. Further, there is some reason to think more generally that DLM does not play a role in the development of the Swiss German children during the course of Schönenberger’s study. In contrast, an approach based on parameter interaction does provide the desired principled account. This comparison provides support for a non-biased learning model that has parameter interaction and learns from ambiguous input.
What is this Book About?
Authors: Zubairy M. Suhail
Published: June 2020

This chapter begins with a brief history of how classical mechanics evolved into quantum mechanics. Next a bird’s-eye view of the basic aspects of quantum mechanics and its applications is given. In subsequent chapters, these topics are discussed with reasonable completeness, with a minimum of mathematical background.
Quantum Interference: Wave–Particle Duality
Authors: Zubairy M. Suhail
Published: June 2020

Young’s double-slit experiment played a crucial role in establishing the wave nature of light. In this chapter, the shocking result that incident electrons yield a similar interference pattern as that formed by light waves is described. It is shown that the only way the experimental results could be explained is via a wave function description of electrons. It is also shown that, in the same experiment, the interference fringes disappear if the which-path information becomes available. This is the essence of wave–particle duality. The first of the Einstein–Bohr debates on wave-particle duality and Bohr’s principle of complementarity in the double-slit experiment is also discussed. Also presented are the counterintuitive notions of delayed choice and quantum eraser effects showing how the availability or erasure of information generated in the future can affect how the data in the present can be interpreted.
Quantum Computing II
Authors: Zubairy M. Suhail
Published: June 2020

This chapter deals with some of the most prominent successes of quantum computing. The most well-known quantum computing algorithm, Shor’s algorithm for factoring a number in its prime factors, is discussed in details. The key to Shor’s algorithm is the quantum Fourier transform that is explained with the help of simple examples. The role of quantum entanglement is also discussed. The next important quantum computing algorithm is Grover’s algorithm that helps in searching an item in an unsorted database. This algorithm is motivated by first discussing a quantum shell game in which a pea hidden under one of the four shells is found in one measurement with certainty each time. This amazing result is then generalized to an arbitrary number of objects and Grover’s algorithm.
Navigating the Regulatory Environment in American Urban Areas
Authors: Lehnert Matthew , Nilsson Isabelle , Reid Neil
Published: June 2020

The impressive growth in the number of craft breweries in the United States has created both opportunities and challenges for municipalities. On the one hand, it is evident that craft breweries can add to the diversity of the urban fabric and contribute in a meaningful way to neighborhood vitality and, in the case of distressed areas, to neighborhood revitalization. On the other hand, zoning regulations in many municipalities have not been particularly accommodating. Craft breweries pose a challenge to municipalities, as their businesses represent a hybrid of restaurant, manufacturer, and entertainment. To capitalize on the growing popularity of craft breweries, municipalities have been changing their zoning ordinances. In this chapter, we examine the relationship between craft breweries and zoning in three American cities. We seek to highlight the differences and similarities that craft breweries face in seeking optimal locations, in the face of zoning challenges.
The Orators and the Athenian Past
Authors: Westwood Guy
Published: June 2020

Chapter 1 is divided into seven sections which address different topics of guiding importance for the content and argument of the work as a whole; some can also be read as free-standing discussions of the topics they cover. Chapter 1.1 examines the mnemonic function of public statuary in classical Athens and situates it within a civic memorial landscape which helped shape how ordinary Athenians thought about their past. Chapter 1.2 looks at some ‘fictions’ in Athenian public discourse which enable orators to engage audiences when discussing the past and to create community among audience members with different experiences of that past. Chapters 1.3 and 1.4 discuss why Athenian orators make use of the past for persuasive purposes in the first place, and where and how they do so, cover the treatment of the historical example in contemporary rhetorical theory (Aristotle and the Rhetorica ad Alexandrum), and identify some patterns in the usage of Demosthenes and Aeschines to prepare the reader for the case-study chapters (2–6). Chapter 1.5 outlines key recent scholarly approaches to the topic and situates this work within the field. Chapter 1.6 sketches the historical context of Aeschines’ and Demosthenes’ careers, with particular emphasis on Athens’s responses to the growth and eventual hegemony of Macedon from the 350s onwards. Chapter 1.7 comes to some working views about how we can use the speech texts we have, looking at issues first of revision and dissemination and then of authenticity and authorship.
The Making of Chad’s Truth Commission
Authors: Abakar Mahamat Hassan
Published: June 2020

This chapter examines the establishment of the Chadian Truth Commission. As Hissène Habré’s successor, one of Idriss Déby’s first acts upon taking power in 1990 was to empanel a truth commission to document Habré’s crimes in Chad. The commission of inquiry into the crimes committed by the ex-president, his collaborators, and/or accomplices was established in Chad by decree number 014 on 29 December 1990. The mandate of the commission was to execute two essential but distinct missions. The first concerned crimes committed against persons. The mandate indicated to investigate allegations of kidnappings, detentions, assassinations, disappearances, torture, and barbarous acts, inhuman treatment, other violations of physical or moral integrity, and all human rights violations and trafficking in illegal substances. The second mission concerned crimes against property. The chapter then considers the challenges of working for the new regime to discredit the old, as well as the Commission's findings and their impact on the future prosecutions for Habré-era crimes in Chad and Senegal.
Creating the EAC in Senegal
Authors: Kioko Ben
Published: June 2020

This chapter assesses how Judge Ben Kioko, former Director of the Legal Department of the Commission of the African Union, led the AU's early efforts to construct a court to try those responsible for atrocities committed in Chad from 1982–1990. The creation of the Extraordinary African Chambers (EAC) in Senegal for the Hissène Habré trial was an important milestone for the AU. It gave a real meaning to the principles contained in the Constitutive Act that affirm the Union's commitment to fighting impunity and protecting human rights. The chapter then describes the many twists, turns, and challenges that the AU faced in the establishment of the EAC, providing insights as to the political drama surrounding the court's creation. Ultimately, Africans must continue to interrogate how international crimes committed on their continent can be prosecuted on African soil while ensuring that the interests of the victim are at the centre of all these efforts.
Covering Habré
Authors: Dieng Ngoundji
Published: June 2020

This chapter explores Senegalese journalist Ngoundji Dieng's coverage of the Hissène Habré trial for the Dakar daily Le Quotidien, discussing her process of reporting on Habré, including her travels to Chad to observe fact-finding efforts there. Dieng began to follow the Hissène Habré case when the lawyers of the victims came to Dakar and organized press conferences with elements of Senegalese civil society—notably, the Rencontre Africaine pour la Défense des Droits de l'Homme (RADDHO)—to demand justice. At the time, the Senegalese were not interested in the case, but she continued to cover on a regular basis, challenging a narrative that this was a case driven by international activists. The coverage of the trial exposed Le Quotidien to criticism from the Habré camp. The lawyers for the defence who had made the decision not to collaborate with the EAC had also decided to declare war on them, refusing to talk to their paper despite multiple requests on the Le Quotidien's part. Nevertheless, the paper maintained their neutrality during the hearings, of which Dieng wrote accounts.
Replacement of Fascia Iliaca Catheters with Continuous Erector Spinae Plane Blocks Within a Clinical Pathway Facilitates Early Ambulation After Total Hip Arthroplasty
Authors: Xu Lei , Leng Jody C , Elsharkawy Hesham , Hunter Oluwatobi O , Harrison T Kyle , Vokach-Brodsky Lindsey , Kumar Gunjan , Funck Natasha , Hill Jonay N , Giori Nicholas J , Indelli Pier F , Kou Alex , Mariano Edward R
Published: June 2020

Objective

The optimal continuous peripheral nerve block (CPNB) technique for total hip arthroplasty (THA) that maximizes both analgesia and mobility is unknown. Continuous erector spinae plane (ESP) blocks were implemented at our institution as a replacement for fascia iliaca (FI) catheters to improve our THA clinical pathway. We designed this study to test the hypothesis that this change will increase early postoperative ambulation for elective primary THA patients.

Methods

We identified all consecutive primary unilateral THA cases six months before and six months after the clinical pathway change to ESP catheters. All other aspects of the THA clinical pathway and multimodal analgesic regimen including perineural infusion protocol did not change. The primary outcome was total ambulation distance (meters) on postoperative day 1. Other outcomes included total ambulation on postoperative day 2, combined two-day ambulation distance, pain scores, opioid consumption, inpatient length of stay, and minor and major adverse events.

Results

Eighty-eight patients comprised the final sample (43 FI and 45 ESP). Postoperative day 1 total ambulation distance was greater for the ESP group compared with the FI group (median [10th–90th percentiles] = 24.4 [0.0–54.9] vs 9.1 [0.7–45.7] meters, respectively, P = 0.036), and two-day ambulation distance was greater for the ESP group compared with the FI group (median [10th–90th percentiles] = 68.6 [9.0–128.0] vs 46.6 [3.7–104.2] meters, respectively, P = 0.038). There were no differences in pain scores, opioid use, or other outcomes.

Conclusions

Replacing FI catheters with continuous ESP blocks within a clinical pathway results in increased early ambulation by elective primary THA patients.
The Polls—Trends
Authors: Mader Matthias , Olmastroni Francesco , Isernia Pierangelo
Published: June 2020

Since the last review of public opinion on European defense policy and NATO concluded that Europeans wanted both European defense integration and a continuing commitment to NATO, the EU has almost doubled in size and new initiatives have been launched to develop a Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP). We reexamine these issues and trace public opinion trends in all 28 EU member states from 2000 to 2019. With little variation across countries, general support for CSDP and NATO remains substantial. While Europeans, especially in continental Western Europe, believe that the EU should take a more independent approach from the United States in security and diplomatic affairs, large segments of the publics show no clear opinion on whether European defense should mean a transfer of decision-making power from the state to the EU level and the end of NATO. Cross-country differences are more pronounced when it comes to the creation of an EU army and its deployment.
Distinct features between HLA-DR+ and HLA-DR− PD-1hi CXCR5– T peripheral helper cells in seropositive rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Yamada Hiroki , Sasaki Takanori , Matsumoto Kotaro , Suzuki Katsuya , Takeshita Masaru , Tanemura Shuhei , Seki Noriyasu , Tsujimoto Hideto , Takeuchi Tsutomu
Published: June 2020

Objectives

PD-1hi CXCR5– T peripheral helper (Tph) cells are newly identified pathogenic CD4 helper T cells in RA. We evaluated the usefulness of Tph cell subsets as biomarkers of RA.

Methods

RA patients who visited our rheumatology department between May 2015 and September 2017 and met the 2010 ACR/EULAR classification criteria were included. We compared the correlation of DAS28-ESR between Tph cell subsets and 40 immune cell subsets. We also explored which subsets reflected the chronological changes in the disease activity after treatment.

Results

Thirty-four seropositive RA patients, 11 seronegative RA patients and 34 healthy controls were included. Tph cell subsets that correlated with the DAS28-ESR were HLA-DR+ Tph cells (rs = 0.50, P = 0.002), HLA-DR– Tph cells (rs = 0.39, P = 0.03) and Tph1 cells (rs = 0.41, P = 0.02). Among the other 40 immune cell subsets, HLA-DR+ Th1-17 cells (rs = 0.38, P = 0.03), activated B cells (rs = –0.35, P = 0.04), plasma cells (rs = 0.43, P = 0.01) and CD14++ CD16+ monocytes (rs = 0.36, P = 0.04) correlated, but not strongly as HLA-DR+ Tph cells. However, MTX treatment reduced the proportion of HLA-DR+ Tph cells independently of the disease activity. In contrast, HLA-DR– Tph cells accurately reflected the change in the DAS28-ESR during MTX treatment.

Conclusion

HLA-DR+ Tph cells were decreased with MTX treatment, independent of the disease activity, while HLA-DR– Tph cells reflected the disease activity accurately during the treatment.
The Gut Microbiome and Xenobiotics: Identifying Knowledge Gaps
Authors: Sutherland Vicki L , McQueen Charlene A , Mendrick Donna , Gulezian Donna , Cerniglia Carl , Foley Steven , Forry Sam , Khare Sangeeta , Liang Xue , Manautou Jose E , Tweedie Donald , Young Howard , Alekseyenko Alexander V , Burns Frank , Dietert Rod , Wilson Alan , Chen Connie
Published: June 2020

There is an increasing awareness that the gut microbiome plays a critical role in human health and disease, but mechanistic insights are often lacking. In June 2018, the Health and Environmental Sciences Institute (HESI) held a workshop, “The Gut Microbiome: Markers of Human Health, Drug Efficacy and Xenobiotic Toxicity” (https://hesiglobal.org/event/the-gut-microbiome-workshop) to identify data gaps in determining how gut microbiome alterations may affect human health. Speakers and stakeholders from academia, government, and industry addressed multiple topics including the current science on the gut microbiome, endogenous and exogenous metabolites, biomarkers, and model systems. The workshop presentations and breakout group discussions formed the basis for identifying data gaps and research needs. Two critical issues that emerged were defining the microbial composition and function related to health and developing standards for models, methods and analysis in order to increase the ability to compare and replicate studies. A series of key recommendations were formulated to focus efforts to further understand host-microbiome interactions and the consequences of exposure to xenobiotics as well as identifying biomarkers of microbiome-associated disease and toxicity.
Framework and Outcomes of a Critical Care Pharmacy Visiting Clinical Professor Program
Authors: Louzon Patricia R. , Willmon Julie , Coles Laura , Barreto Erin F.
Published: June 2020

Objectives:

Experiences with utilizing a visiting clinical professor program to mentor institutions and collaborate on best practices in critical care pharmacy are described to provide a framework for these services and a synopsis of key outcomes.

Design:

The Society of Critical Care Medicine Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology Section implemented a visiting clinical professor program to address the need for collaboration, idea-sharing, mentorship, and diffusion of innovation to clinicians in critical care practice.

Setting:

Critical care pharmacy departments at 12 medical centers.

Subjects:

Twelve visiting clinical professors and host institutions from 2007-2018.

Intervention:

After an application is submitted to the section steering committee, an experienced clinician is paired with an institution, and a site visit is planned in collaboration with the visiting clinical professor program coordinators. The expert clinician visits the institution to share their insights and best practices based on visit goals and objectives. Reflective debriefing with both the host institution and the visiting clinical professor occurs after the visit.

Measurements and Main Results:

The program has demonstrated numerous benefits including shared best practices related to critical care clinical services, expansion and refinement of care delivery models, development and optimization of research programs, and advancement of new training programs including specialty pharmacy residencies. Both the site and visiting professor find these partnerships beneficial, which has resulted in sustained success of the program over an 11-year period. Key resultant deliverables after visits have included new pharmacist positions, advancement of pharmacy services, and expanded access to academic opportunities.

Conclusions:

A professional organization led visiting clinical professor program is viable, sustainable, and yields clear benefit for critical care pharmacy programs across the country. Application of this framework to other areas of pharmacy practice may be an avenue to share best practices and advance pharmacy services.
Patient and Care Delivery Characteristics Associated With Harm From Neuromuscular Blockade
Authors: Poole Brian R. , Reese Zachary A. , Dechen Tenzin , Tocci Noah , Elsamadisi Pansy , Holland Susan , Hayes Margaret M. , Stevens Jennifer P.
Published: June 2020

Objectives:

To identify the prevalence of and evaluate factors associated with down-titration of sedation in patients receiving neuromuscular blockade.

Design:

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting:

Tertiary care teaching hospital in Boston, MA.

Patients:

All patients over 18 years old admitted to the medical, surgical, or cardiac ICUs from 2013 to 2016, and who received cisatracurium for at least 24 hours.

Interventions:

We examined patients for whom sedation was decreased despite accompanying ongoing neuromuscular blockade administration.

Measurements and Main Results:

Of the 300 patients who met inclusion criteria (39% female, mean age of 57 yr old), 168 (56%) had sedation down-titrated while receiving neuromuscular blockade with a mean decrease in sedation dose of 18.7%. Factors associated with down-titration of sedation were bispectral index usage (90/168 [53.6%] vs 50/168 [29.8%] patients; p < 0.01; odds ratio, 1.82; 1.12–2.94), and bolus dose of neuromuscular blockade prior to continuous infusion (138/168 [82.1%] vs 79/168 [47.0%] patients; p < 0.0001).

Conclusions:

Down-titration of sedation among mechanically ventilated patients receiving neuromuscular blockade was common and was correlated with bispectral index monitor usage. Clinicians should be aware of the limitations of quantitative electroencephalography monitoring devices and recognize their potential to cause inappropriate down-titration of sedation. Substantial opportunity exists to improve the quality of care of patients receiving neuromuscular blockade through development of guidelines and standardized care pathways.