bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Solution Plasma Synthesis of B-Doped Graphene Derivatives with Enhanced Photocatalytic Properties
Authors: Wang Xiaoyang , Chae Sangwoo , Saito Nagahiro
Published: December 2020

At present, human beings are facing two major problems: energy crisis and environmental pollution. Massive anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) associated with increased consumption of fossil fuels have contributed to global warming and the energy crisis. The photocatalytic CO2 reduction (PCCR) to solar fuels such as methane, methanol and carbon monoxide is considered to be one of the best solutions to solve these problems. In recent years, with the invention of graphene and its derivatives, heterographene photocatalytic materials have become the focus of attention, especially for the development of photocatalysts and the application of photocatalysis. Heterographene and its derivatives can overcome the limitations of traditional photocatalysts, due to their excellent physicochemical and electrical properties like high specific surface area, stability, corrosion resistance, photosensitivity, and electrical conductivity. Therefore, heterographene-based photocatalysts could be a viable strategy to break new grounds in the area of PCCR to useful chemicals/fuels, i.e. converting sunlight to fuels. The current methods for the synthesis of heterographene are complex or harsh conditions, so it is urgent to develop new methods for the synthesis of doped graphene. In this study, the B-doped graphene derivatives were synthesized for PCCR by solution plasma (SP), which can provide us a rapid synthesis at room temperature and atmospheric pressure.

Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by JST-OPERA (JPMJOP1843), JST-SICORP (JPMJSC18H1) and JSPS-KAKENHI (JP18K18998).
Electric Resistance Measurements of Anodic Oxide Films on Titanium and Zirconium
Authors: Nishiyama Yasuyuki , Tsuchiya Hiroaki , Fujimoto Shinji
Published: December 2020

Valve metals such as titanium and zirconium can be subjected to anodization to form a thick compact oxide film in fluoride-free electrolytes at room temperature, and the thickness and structure of the film can be controlled by anodization conditions. Although various studies on the formation, characterization and application of anodic titanium oxide film as well as zirconium oxide film have been carried out so far, the electrical resistivity of the anodic oxide films is quite limited. In the present work, we measured electric resistance of the anodic oxide films formed on titanium and zirconium under various anodization conditions, aiming at investigating effects of anodization on electrical resistivity of anodic oxide films.
Surface Analysis of 4-Methyl-2-Phenylimidazole Corrosion Inhibitor on Brass
Authors: Finsgar Matjaz
Published: December 2020

This work presents the first corrosion analysis of 4-methyl-2-phenylimidazole (MePhI) corrosion inhibitor for brass immersed in 3 wt.% NaCl solution, wherein MePhI was shown to be highly effective. Moreover, the structure of the surface layer, the formation of an organo-metallic complex, the spatial distribution of MePhI, and the thermal stability of the MePhI surface layer were described in detail using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Furthermore, a gas cluster ion beam source using different sizes and accelerating energies of the clusters was also employed to slowly sputter the organic surface layer associated with the surface layer analysis.
Development of Screen-Printed Impedance Sensor and Detections of Wiring Corrosion and Dew Condensation
Authors: Mouri Masahiro , Hoshi Yoshinao , Watanabe Hikari , Shitanda Isao , Itagaki Masayuki
Published: December 2020

The pitch of wiring on printed circuit boards has become finer for the development of small and lightweight electronic devices. Due to the finer pitch of wire, dew condensation causes a short circuit of wiring easier and there is a risk of breaking the wiring due to slight corrosion. It is crucial to develop a sensor for monitoring dew condensation and corrosion of wiring in order to prevent these corrosion phenomena. Our group 1) has developed a corrosion monitoring sensor with screen printing techniques. This sensor, which has a comb-like structure of silver wiring on the boards, can monitor dew condensation environments using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) because of the change of impedance spectra with condensation condition. Aiba 2) et al. have fabricated printed –type corrosion monitoring sensor which can evaluate amount of dew condensation. This sensor, which has wiring of a reference resistance by coating anticorrosion, can quantitatively evaluate dew condensation by standardizing the output impedance from the sensor with reference resistance. In this study, monitoring corrosion sensor that can accurately detect corrosion of wiring and dew condensation was developed using screen printing.

Polyimide was used for a substrate of the developed sensor, and silver wiring was printed on the substrate by using screen printing. The silver wiring consists of two parts. The upper and lower parts have comb-like structure and two parallel straight lines, respectively. Corrosion of wiring and dew condensation can be detected by the upper and the lower patterns, respectively. UV irradiation was performed for 10 minutes in an oxygen atmosphere only on the substrate to make hydrophilic partially.

Dew condensation on the surface of the corrosion sensor was detected by measuring impedance spectra. The measurements were performed in the chamber that temperature and the relative humidity were set at 25 ℃ and 90 %, respectively. The frequency range of impedance measurements were from 10 mHz to 10 kHz. The amplitude of voltage modulation for the sensor was 10 mV. The voltage during the measurements was set at 0 V.

In impedance spectra of the sensor without UV ozone treatment, although dew condensation occurred, the wiring did not short circuit and impedance spectrum remained on the real number axis. On the other hand, in impedance spectra of the sensor with UV ozone treatment, impedance spectrum of capacitive semicircle attributed to short circuit of wiring due to dew condensation was observed, that is, it was possible to detect dew condensation with high sensitivity.

References

I. Shitanda, A. Okumra, M. Itagaki, K. Watanabe, Y. Asano, Sensor Actuat B-Chem, 139, 292 (2009).

A. Aiba, N. Fujii, Y. Hoshi, I, Shitanda, M. Itagaki, J. Electrochem, Soc., 165, C743 (2018).
Plasmonic Platinum-Titania Photocatalyst Nanocomposite for Solar Application and Protective Titania Modified Nanocomposite Resin Coatings Against Steel Corrosion
Authors: Eduok Ubong
Published: December 2020

In the study, two main applications of titania nanocomposites are presented; solar application and corrosion protection. A chemical protocol for preparing a unique platinum-titania photocatalyst via solvothermal chemical reaction. This process utilized chloroplatinic acid hexahydrate and titanium butoxide as precursors in the presence of dimethyl sulfoxide. Synthesis was followed by morphological and crystalline structural characterizations as well as nanoparticle size distribution. Optical investigations revealed optical responses after UV-induced excitation. This photocatalyst also revealed photodegradation of diuron (a model algicide) and improved performance for photodecomposition after an hour. This composite also exhibited a defined self-cleaning ability when incorporated within fabrics.

For long-term performance in outdoor applications, compatible inorganic fillers with reliable corrosion inhibiting abilities are incorporated within acrylic coatings for metallic structures susceptible to atmospheric degradation. However, challenges still abound on the selection criteria for appropriate fillers suitable for most coatings, from both inorganic and organic pools. In this work, titania nanoparticles (TiO2NPs) were prepared from titanium ethoxide via sol-gel technique. Titania-modified acrylic resins were subsequently synthesized by incorporating TiO2NPs within different grams of an acrylic base resin. In-depth characterization has been conducted for both prepared TiO2NPs and the synthesized titania modified acrylic coatings. The inorganic/organic hybrid resin coating was applied on mild steel to prevent its corrosion in 5 wt% NaCl solution. The presence of TiO2NPs within these acrylic coatings further blocked inherent pathway to which corrosive ions and molecule could have permeated the coating; hence, delaying steel corrosion. The optimum amount of TiO2NP fillers required to prepare an anticorrosion acrylic resin coating with efficient barrier properties has been identified.

These particles further strengthened the gross mechanical properties of the coatings in terms of bulk structural reinforcement while also enhancing their barrier performances. This work highlights the correlation between coating content and the failure mechanisms or loss of corrosion resistance of degrading acrylic coatings in saline medium. These modified acrylic resin coatings may have a future as solar and outdoor protective coatings.

Keywords: Platinum-titania photocatalyst; Titania nanoparticles; Acrylic resin coatings; Protective coatings; Corrosion; Solar.
Oxidation Behavior of Additively Manufactured 316L in a Supercritical CO2 Environment
Authors: Schaller Rebecca Filardo , Melia Michael Anthony , Bocher Florent
Published: December 2020

The general properties of additively manufactured (AM) metals have been fairly well characterized to this point with respect to mechanical behavior and even general corrosion response. However, as the fields of application of AM metals broadens, the need for unique/specialized evaluation is required. For instance, there remains a lack in understanding how AM metals behave under atmospheric corrosion exposure conditions where local heterogeneous environments govern the surface reactivity and susceptibility. Similarly, knowledge gaps exist in specialized environment, for example supercritical CO2 (sCO2). Materials and environment parameters such as composition, pressure, and temperature will influence corrosion susceptibility and/or oxidation properties. As AM metals often display vastly different microstructures from their wrought counterparts due to non-equilibrium cooling during processing, an understanding of their behavior in these environments is critical prior to possible application. Additionally, typical engineering design of oxy-combustion gas turbine systems used in these environments, results in atypical conditions, usually localized, that are well known to affect environmental performance of materials (such as crevices, welds, residual stresses, or galvanic coupling).

Austenitic stainless steel, type 316L, specimens made by selectively laser melting (SLM) were exposed with their traditional wrought counterparts for comparison at 450°C and 7.6 MPa in pure sCO2 for one week. SLM samples were exposed in the as printed (a contour scan strategy was used) and the ground (ground to 1200 grit) state and compared to wrought samples ground to 1200 grit. Prior to exposure, samples were partially coated with a zirconia film to establish an initial true height to aid ellipsometry. Post exposure, oxide film thickness was measured with respect to the non-reactive coating height. Preliminary analysis of oxide film thickness measurements performed using ellipsometry showed a thinner oxide film grown on the in-process polished SLM samples (0.66 - 0.79 µm) versus the ground SLM (1.1 µm) or wrought samples (0.8 – 1.22 µm). Additional analysis was performed through scanning electron microscopy and focused ion beam combined with transmission electron microscopy to characterize the oxides formed and elucidate possible microstructural and/or morphological dependence of the film growth.

SNL is managed and operated by NTESS under DOE NNSA contract DE-NA0003525. SAND2020-4568 A
Diffusivity of Oxygen in Yttrium Silicates Estimated By Using High-Temperature Oxidation of Their Composites Dispersed with SiC Particles
Authors: Nanko Makoto , Dinh Vu Huy
Published: December 2020

Yttrium silicates, Y2SiO5 and Y2Si2O7, have been studied as candidate materials for the environmental barrier coating (EBC) system on SiC/SiC composites for advanced gas turbine blades because of low oxygen permeability, low volatility in steam conditions, and comparable thermal expansion with SiC/SiC composites. In order to design the EBC system, diffusion properties of yttrium silicates are important. In this work, diffusivity of oxygen in yttrium silicates is estimated by using kinetics of high-temperature oxidation of their composites dispersed with SiC particles. Assuming oxidation of SiC particles dispersed in yttrium silicates is promoted mainly with inward diffusion of oxygen, diffusion of oxygen in yttrium silicates can be estimated. Y2SiO5 powder was synthesized by using the solid-state reaction technique with Y2O3 and SiO2 powders at 1400ºC for 20 h in air. Y2Si2O7 powder was prepared with the solid-state reaction process from powder mixture of Y2O3 and SiO2 at at 1500ºC for 24 h in air. Densified bulks of yttrium silicates dispersed with 5 vol% SiC particles were obtained with the pulsed electric current sintering of powder mixture of yttrium silicate and SiC. The bulk samples were oxidized at 1300ºC in air. Depth of the zone in which SiC particles are oxidized was measured by observing the cross-section with scanning electron microstructure. Thickness of the oxidized zone obeys the parabolic law. In the both cases, the oxidation product layers were not observed significantly on the surface of the composites after high temperature oxidation. These results mean that outward diffusion of Y or Si did not occur significantly for oxidation of SiC dispersed in the yttrium silicates. That is, the oxidation of the SiC dispersoid was conducted with inward diffusion of oxygen. Diffusion coefficient of oxygen in yttrium silicates can be obtained as shown in Table 1. The value for Y2SiO5 is larger than that for Y2Si2O7. This fact means that the protection performance of oxygen diffusion on Y2Si2O7 is better than that on Y2SiO5 for the EBC applications.

Table 1 Diffusion coefficients of oxygen in yttrium silicates at 1300°C.

Y2SiO5

Y2Si2O7

D
O/ m2s-1

2.8×10-16

1.3×10-18
Priority COVID-19 Vaccination for Patients with Cancer while Vaccine Supply Is Limited
Authors: Ribas Antoni , Sengupta Rajarshi , Locke Trevan , Zaidi Sayyed Kaleem , Campbell Katie M. , Carethers John M. , Jaffee Elizabeth M. , Wherry E. John , Soria Jean-Charles , D'Souza Gypsyamber
Published: December 2020

Published series on COVID-19 support the notion that patients with cancer are a particularly vulnerable population. There is a confluence of risk factors between cancer and COVID-19, and cancer care and treatments increase exposure to the virus and may dampen natural immune responses. The available evidence supports the conclusion that patients with cancer, in particular with hematologic malignancies, should be considered among the very high-risk groups for priority COVID-19 vaccination.
TFEB Links MYC Signaling to Epigenetic Control of Myeloid Differentiation and Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Yun Seongseok , Vincelette Nicole D. , Yu Xiaoqing , Watson Gregory W. , Fernandez Mario R. , Yang Chunying , Hitosugi Taro , Cheng Chia-Ho , Freischel Audrey R. , Zhang Ling , Li Weimin , Hou Hsinan , Schaub Franz X. , Vedder Alexis R. , Cen Ling , McGraw Kathy L. , Moon Jungwon , Murphy Daniel J. , Ballabio Andrea , Kaufmann Scott H. , Berglund Anders E. , Cleveland John L.
Published: December 2020

MYC oncoproteins regulate transcription of genes directing cell proliferation, metabolism, and tumorigenesis. A variety of alterations drive MYC expression in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and enforced MYC expression in hematopoietic progenitors is sufficient to induce AML. Here we report that AML and myeloid progenitor cell growth and survival rely on MYC-directed suppression of Transcription Factor EB (TFEB), a master regulator of the autophagy–lysosome pathway. Notably, although originally identified as an oncogene, TFEB functions as a tumor suppressor in AML, where it provokes AML cell differentiation and death. These responses reflect TFEB control of myeloid epigenetic programs by inducing expression of isocitrate dehydrogenase-1 (IDH1) and IDH2, resulting in global hydroxylation of 5-methycytosine. Finally, activating the TFEB–IDH1/IDH2–TET2 axis is revealed as a targetable vulnerability in AML. Thus, epigenetic control by an MYC–TFEB circuit dictates myeloid cell fate and is essential for maintenance of AML.

Significance:

Alterations in epigenetic control are a hallmark of AML. This study establishes that a MYC–TFEB circuit controls AML differentiation and epigenetic programs by inducing IDH1/IDH2 and hydroxylation of 5-methylcytosine, that TFEB functions as a tumor suppressor in AML, and that this circuit is a targetable vulnerability in AML.

See related commentary by Wu and Eisenman, p. 116.
The Yield of Chromosomal Microarray in Pregnancies Complicated with Fetal Growth Restriction Can Be Predicted According to Clinical Parameters
Authors: Tzadikevitch Geffen Keren , Singer Amihood , Maya Idit , Ben-Shachar Shay , Sagi-Dain Lena , Daum Hagit , Michaelson-Cohen Rachel , Greenbaum Lior , Feingold-Zadok Michal , Sukenik Halevy Rivka
Published: December 2020

Introduction: We evaluated the yield of chromosomal microarray analysis in pregnancies complicated with fetal growth restriction (FGR) according to specific clinical parameters. Methods: The study was based on national records from the Israeli Ministry of Health. Chromosomal microarray analyses of amniocenteses performed nationwide for the indication of FGR, from January 2016 to March 2018, were included. The CMA yield was compared to 2 cohorts that reported the background risk. Results: Of 174 tests performed for the indication of FGR, there were 11 cases with a pathogenic/likely pathogenic result (6.3%). The yield of CMA was significantly higher in cases with major structural findings (29.4 vs. 3.4%, p = 0.001), compared to isolated FGR but not for minor structural findings (6.1 vs. 3.4%, p = 0.5). The rate of chromosomal aberrations was significantly higher for all cases with FGR, when compared to the background risk of a cohort of normal pregnancies (odds ratio [OR] 4.7, 95% CI 2.5–9 and OR 6.09, 95% CI 3.2–11.4) but not for isolated cases or cases diagnosed after 24 weeks of pregnancy. Conclusions: Chromosomal microarray analysis should be performed for all pregnancies complicated with FGR diagnosed before 24 weeks and for cases with major structural anomalies.
Trials in Sleep Apnea and Stroke
Authors: Boulos Mark I. , Dharmakulaseelan Laavanya , Brown Devin L. , Swartz Richard H.
Published: December 2020

Few randomized controlled trials have evaluated the effectiveness of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in reducing recurrent vascular events and mortality in poststroke obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). To date, results have been mixed, most studies were underpowered and definitive conclusions are not available. Using lessons learned from prior negative trials in stroke, we reappraise prior randomized controlled trials that examined the use of CPAP in treating poststroke OSA and propose the following considerations: (1) Intervention-based changes, such as ensuring that patients are using CPAP for at least 4 hours per night (eg, through use of improvements in CPAP technology that make it easier for patients to use), as well as considering alternative treatment strategies for poststroke OSA; (2) Population-based changes (ie, including stroke patients with severe and symptomatic OSA and CPAP noncompliers); and (3) Changes to timing of intervention and follow-up (ie, early initiation of CPAP therapy within the first 48 hours of stroke and long-term follow-up calculated in accordance with sample size to ensure adequate power). Given the burden of vascular morbidity and mortality in stroke patients with OSA, there is a strong need to learn from past negative trials and explore innovative stroke prevention strategies to improve stroke-free survival.
Best-First Beam Search
Authors: Meister Clara , Vieira Tim , Cotterell Ryan
Published: December 2020

Decoding for many NLP tasks requires an effective heuristic algorithm for approximating exact search because the problem of searching the full output space is often intractable, or impractical in many settings. The default algorithm for this job is beam search—a pruned version of breadth-first search. Quite surprisingly, beam search often returns better results than exact inference due to beneficial search bias for NLP tasks. In this work, we show that the standard implementation of beam search can be made up to 10x faster in practice. Our method assumes that the scoring function is monotonic in the sequence length, which allows us to safely prune hypotheses that cannot be in the final set of hypotheses early on. We devise effective monotonic approximations to popular nonmonontic scoring functions, including length normalization and mutual information decoding. Lastly, we propose a memory-reduced variant of best-first beam search, which has a similar beneficial search bias in terms of downstream performance, but runs in a fraction of the time.
Selective Solidarity and Discursive Modulation in the Brazilian Public Sphere
Authors: Blotta Vitor
Published: December 2020

In this article the author argues that solidarity can be used as an analytical concept in order to understand the dynamics of discourses in the public spheres of contemporary democracies. He begins by discussing conceptions of solidarity in political theory, followed by descriptions of its manifestations in recent public debates in different countries. After that, he relates solidarity to Habermas’s formal-pragmatic concept of communicative rationality, which enables him to sketch out notions such as discursive and selective solidarity, as well as discursive modulations of solidarity, which are formulated through analogies of discourse theory and musical theory. In the last part of the article, the author applies these notions to three specific examples of public debates in the Brazilian public sphere.
The Faust Variations
Authors: Toscano Alberto
Published: December 2020

This essay explores Jameson’s reading of Goethe’s Faust II in Allegory and Ideology, putting it into dialogue with enquiries into Goethian allegory by other Marxist critics, namely Georg Lukács, Cesare Cases and Franco Fortini. Allegories of monetisation and dispossession in Faust II are explored, along with the limits of Lukács’s partial devaluation of the allegorical. The essay focuses in particular on how Jameson’s reading of Faust II can be interpreted as an allegory of theory itself, and in particular of the dialectic, thereby returning us to Lukács’s own parallel reading of Faust and Hegel’s Phenomenology, albeit in a different key.
Perfect War: Alberico Gentili on the Use of Force and the Early Modern Law of Nations
Authors: Vadi Valentina
Published: December 2020

Gentili’s conceptualization of war as a conflict between states attempted to limit the legitimacy of war to external wars only, thus precluding the legitimacy of civil wars. It reflected both the emergence of sovereign states and the vision of international law as a law among polities rather than individuals. The conceptualization of war as a dispute settlement mechanism among polities rather than a punishment for breach of the law of nations and the idea of the bilateral justice of war humanized the conduct of warfare and the content of peace treaties. The idea of perfect war excluded brigandage, piracy, and civil wars from its purview. Some scholars have suggested that perfect war had a dark side, legitimizing imperial expansion. Others have cautioned that Gentili explicitly opposed imperial expansion rather adopting anti-imperialist stances. This article suggests that these ambivalent readings of the Gentilian oeuvre reflect the ambivalence of the early modern law of nations. Under the early modern law of nations, aggression for the sake of empire was clearly unjust; nonetheless, imperial expansion took place. Whereas ‘a law which many transgress[ed] [wa]s nonetheless a law’, there was a wide divide between theory and practice.1
“Look’d Like Milk”: Colonialism and Infant Feeding in the English Atlantic World
Authors: Cevasco Carla
Published: December 2020

While wet nursing interactions between enslaved women of African descent and colonial women have received extensive scholarly attention, much remains to be done in understanding colonial and Native women’s interactions around breastfeeding and infant feeding. This article close-reads two captivity narratives in which baby food features prominently: God’s Protecting Providence, Jonathan Dickinson’s 1699 narrative of being shipwrecked among Ais, Jeaga, Jobé, Santaluces, and Surruque Indians in coastal Florida in 1696; and God’s Mercy Surmounting Man’s Cruelty, Elizabeth Hanson’s 1728 narrative of being captured by Wabanaki people during Dummer’s War in 1724. Captivity rendered the colonists dependent upon intimate Native care for the survival of their children. When Dickinson and Hanson crafted their narratives of their captivities, however, they sought to reinscribe colonial supremacy after experiences that called it into question. The complexities of colonial-Native interactions around infant feeding in these sources demonstrate the need for further scholarship on reproduction and settler colonialism.
Hybrid Opportunities and Constraints: Chinese Top-Tier Overseas Postgraduate Students and Their Choices to Stay Abroad or Return Home
Authors: Ruan Nian
Published: December 2020

A considerable number of Chinese postgraduate students with strong academic and professional competences choose to stay abroad, despite the Chinese government’s success in attracting many overseas students. The paper explores the main considerations of these highly qualified non-returnees in choice-making between staying in the host country and returning home after graduation. The paper uses the Push-Pull framework to analyze online interview data with 12 participants. A hybrid “opportunity-constraint” heuristic has been extracted, and three types of Chinese overseas postgraduate students’ identities as stayers, nomads, and future returnees have been displayed. They emphasized career and individual development spaces, including access to different career choices, professional development, favorable social environment and lifestyle, and cultural recognition. This paper outlines the connection of Chinese students’ identity changes through international learning and decision making, provides insights for further analysis of the “brain drain,” “brain gain,” and “brain circulation.”
Chinese International Students’ Learning and Post-migration Growth Experiences: An Exploratory Study of a Foundation Studies Education Programme in Australia
Authors: Reyes Vicente , Zhang Wenbo
Published: December 2020

International empirical research shows international students experience varying degrees of complex and challenging transitional issues in their host country. Chinese international students (CISs) in particular often find themselves in vulnerable circumstances due to the significant disparities between the Chinese and Australian culture. This exploratory inquiry investigates the interconnections between international students’ post-migration growth, attitudes towards learning with a special focus on CISs’ experience. Results from this exploratory inquiry shed some new light on the direction of future research about foundation education programmes and international students.
Studying Abroad, Social Capital, and Sino-Swiss Scientific Research Collaboration: A Study of Chinese Scholars Studying in Switzerland
Authors: Wang Xiaona , Shen Wenqin
Published: December 2020

This study explores the relationship between studying abroad, social capital, and Sino-Swiss scientific research cooperation. Evidence from in-depth interviews involving 16 Chinese doctoral students, postdoctoral researchers, and visiting doctoral students in Switzerland informs the findings and conclusions drawn from this study. Social capital plays a vital role in the establishment of scientific research relations between China and Switzerland, especially in the initial stages of cooperation. Specifically, Chinese scholars use strong and weak ties to obtain information about studying in Switzerland. Findings show that in the initial stage of cooperative relationship establishment, structural holes play an essential role, and the relationship between trust and international research collaboration is differentiated between three types of academic mobility. Under the trend of antiglobalization, international scientific research cooperation is facing new challenges. How to build a trust relationship to maintain effective international cooperation deserves further research.
Secondary Malignancies: The Cost of Progress
Authors: Silberman Allan W. , Quadri Humair S. , Amersi Farin
Published: December 2020

Background

With advances in treatment of cancer, patients who survive their first malignancy are at risk of developing additional malignancies. Data on the risks of secondary malignancies after treatment of some of the more common cancers are lacking.

Methods

Our prospectively maintained database was queried from 1996 to 2016 to identify patients with breast cancer, colorectal cancer, melanoma, sarcoma, gastric, and pancreatic adenocarcinoma who developed additional malignancies. Predisposing clinical factors were included in our analysis.

Results

We identified 756 patients diagnosed with a solid malignancy who developed a second malignancy, of which 606 (80.1%) had one of the most common treated cancers. 59.5% of patients were women. 810 additional malignancies were identified in the 606 patients with breast and colon cancer being the most common secondary malignancies. Of these 606 patients, 460 (76%) patients had two malignancies; 145 (23.9%) had 3 or more malignancies. 15.2% of patients were diagnosed under the age of 40.63 years. 8.3% patients had a known genetic mutation, with BReast CAncer gene, and Lynch mutations being the most common.

Conclusion

Advances in cancer treatment have led to higher cure rates. These patients should continue surveillance and undergo screening as they may be at risk of developing additional malignancies.
A Model of Chinese Spelling Development in Hong Kong Kindergarteners
Authors: Ye Yanyan , McBride Catherine , Yin Li , Cheang Leo Man-Lit , Tse Chun Yu
Published: December 2020

Copying characters presented previously (delayed copying) is an important skill in Chinese literacy acquisition. The relations of delayed copying and a set of literacy-related skills (including vocabulary knowledge, rapid automatized naming, phonological awareness, morphological awareness, and orthographic awareness), visual-orthographic judgment, motor coordination, pure copying of foreign scripts, and delayed copying to Chinese spelling were examined among 294 typically developing Hong Kong kindergarteners. With all other variables statistically controlled, rapid automatized naming, phonological awareness, morphological awareness, orthographic awareness, motor coordination, and delayed copying all uniquely explained Chinese spelling. To further investigate how delayed copying interacts with other skills, path analyses were conducted. The final model showed that vocabulary knowledge, visual-orthographic judgment, and pure copying had indirect effects on spelling through delayed copying. These findings partly support spelling models developed in alphabetic writing systems, but also reflect the uniqueness of Chinese. In addition, results suggest that delayed copying is a unique window into how children learn to write words in Chinese. The potentially critical role of delayed copying in Chinese spelling makes it a potentially good clinical indicator of early spelling proficiency and spelling difficulties.
The problem of the missing dead
Authors: Dawkins Sophia
Published: December 2020

This article examines what scholars can learn about civilian killings from newswire data in situations of non-random missingness. It contributes to this understanding by offering a unique view of the data-generation process in the South Sudanese civil war. Drawing on 40 hours of interviews with 32 human rights advocates, humanitarian workers, and journalists who produce ACLED and UCDP-GED’s source data, the article illustrates how non-random missingness leads to biases of inconsistent magnitude and direction. The article finds that newswire data for contexts like South Sudan suffer from a self-fulfilling narrative bias, where journalists select stories and human rights investigators target incidents that conform to international views of what a conflict is about. This is compounded by the way agencies allocate resources to monitor specific locations and types of violence to fit strategic priorities. These biases have two implications: first, in the most volatile conflicts, point estimates about violence using newswire data may be impossible, and most claims of precision may be false; secondly, body counts reveal little if divorced from circumstance. The article presents a challenge to political methodologists by asking whether social scientists can build better cross-national fatality measures given the biases inherent in the data-generation process.
Time in the Mental Health Context: Neurotic Symptomatology, Defense Mechanisms and the Perception of Time Perspective Among Patients Diagnosed With Neurotic and Personality Disorders – A Clinical Study
Authors: Mostowik Joanna , Mielimąka Michał , Rutkowski Krzysztof , Ostrowski Tadeusz
Published: December 2020

Aim

The main objective of the study is to explore relations between the time perspective, neurotic symptoms, anxiety, and defense mechanisms in the group of patients diagnosed with neurotic and personality disorders (ICD-10 groups: F4x, F60.x and F61) treated with group psychotherapy. The research is conducted on the theoretical basis of the Zimbardo and Boyd’s Time Perspective Theory.

Methods

The study included 49 patients treated in the day ward for the Treatment of Neurotic Disorders and Behavioral Syndromes at the University Hospital. The measurement of the TP was performed with the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory. Patients also completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Defense Style Questionnaire 40. The diagnosis was done by licensed psychiatrists and supported with the measures: Symptom Checklist KO“O”, Neurotic Personality Questionnaire KON-2006.

Results

Multiple regression analysis models showed that the four time perspectives (past negative, present fatalistic, present hedonistic, and future) are predicted in different variations by the level of anxiety state or trait and repertoire of used defense mechanisms (immature or mature).

Conclusions

Considering the established bilateral correlations, change in the time perspective may constitute an important factor in the reduction of neurotic symptoms, possibly through changes in the repertoire of utilized defense mechanisms. However, there is also possible that altering neurotic symptomatology would alter time perspective. The assessment of the time perspective in patients with neurotic and personality disorders may provide useful data for the diagnosis and the monitoring of psychotherapy effectiveness. Based on the results of this study conducting further research on the role of the changes in the time perspective in the course of psychotherapy is recommended and necessary to expand the understanding of the relations observed in this study.
From a Barrio Chino Urban Stigma to the Raval Cultural Brand: Urban Memory and Cultural Policies in the Renewal of Central Barcelona
Authors: Rius-Ulldemolins Joaquim , Klein Ricardo
Published: December 2020

Barcelona, and especially, its historic center, has undergone a profound transformation from an industrial city to a global tourism and services center. Some authors insist on the destructive nature of the urban regeneration of the historic Barcelona district of Raval as a process of de-identification of the city center or as an intentional falsification of its identity to turn it into a tourist space. However, as we discuss in this article, urban branding and urban change projects should address not only the infrastructural issues of transformation, but also the development of new urban branding based on recreating a memory of the place. Thus, in the case of Raval, the urban and cultural planning led by the local government and the development of cultural institutions took place as part of the construction and revitalization of the identity of the neighborhood from that of a barrio chino red-light district stigma to one of a new cultural quarter.
E-Government and information technology coursework in public administration programs in Asia
Authors: McQuiston James , Manoharan Aroon P
Published: December 2020

New technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and blockchain are changing how the public sector serves constituents. Academic programs in public administration and public policy must adapt their coursework to best serve students in an increasingly technology-based world. This qualitative research analyzed 84 Asian public administration graduate programs to determine the degree to which information technology was taught throughout the region. Our findings indicate that considerable variation existed between the number of information technology classes offered and the types of information discussed in the classes. A majority of public administration programs throughout Asia offered coursework in information technology; but, core classes and IT-specific specializations in public administration programs were observed at a much lower rate. Discussions of the tactics taken by programs to educate students in information technologies provide actionable suggestions for practitioners, educators, researchers, and administrators alike.
A militant defence of democracy: A few replies to my critics
Authors: Lafont Cristina
Published: December 2020

In this essay, I address some questions and challenges brought about by the contributors to this special issue on my book ‘ Democracy without Shortcuts’. First, I clarify different aspects of my critique of deep pluralist conceptions of democracy to highlight the core incompatibilities with the participatory conception of deliberative democracy that I defend in the book. Second, I distinguish different senses of the concept of ‘blind deference’ that I use in the book to clarify several aspects and consequences of my critique of epistocratic conceptions of democracy and their search for ‘expertocratic shortcuts’. This in turn helps me briefly address the difficult question of the proper role of experts in a democracy. Third, I address potential uses of empowered minipublics that I did not discuss in the book and highlight some reasons to worry about their lack of accountability. This discussion in turn leads me to address the difficult question of which institutions are best suited to represent the transgenerational collective people who are supposed to own a constitutional project. Finally, I address some interesting suggestions for how to move the book’s project forward.
Status of cardiovascular surgery in Japan between 2017 and 2018: A report based on the Japan Cardiovascular Surgery Database. 4. Thoracic aortic surgery
Authors: Shimizu Hideyuki , Hirahara Norimichi , Motomura Noboru , Miyata Hiroaki , Takamoto Shinichi
Published: December 2020

Aim

We aimed to analyze the current treatment status of thoracic/thoracoabdominal aortic diseases in Japan.

Methods

Using the Japan Cardiovascular Surgery Database, the number of cases, operative mortality, and major morbidities (stroke, renal failure, pneumonia, paraplegia) of thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic surgery in 2017 and 2018 were analyzed by surgical site (root-ascending, arch, descending, thoracoabdominal aorta), surgical procedure, and age group.

Results

The total number of cases was 39,391 (50.1% aortic dissections, 49.9% non-dissections). The number of cases was highest in patients aged in their 70s. In elderly patients, the rates of root replacement (particularly valve-sparing procedures) in the root-ascending aorta and open-chest surgery in the arch and the descending and thoracoabdominal aorta were decreased. The outcome by procedure analysis showed the lowest mortality and morbidity rates for valve-sparing in the root-ascending region, and lower mortality and morbidity (cerebral infarction, renal failure, pneumonia) in non-open-chest procedures (thoracic endovascular aortic repair with/without branch reconstruction) than in open-chest procedures in the arch, descending, and thoracoabdominal regions. With regards to age, operative mortality in patients aged 80 years or older was significantly higher than in those under 80 years of age for all surgical procedures in the root-ascending, arch, and descending regions.

Conclusions

Thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic surgery in Japan was most commonly performed in elderly patients in their 70s, with a good overall mortality rate of 5.3%. Mortality and postoperative morbidity rates in patients aged 80 years or older were still high. In the future, further improvements in surgical outcomes are needed.
Nationalism: One or Many
Authors: Misra Salil
Published: December 2020

Vikas Pathak, Contesting Nationalisms: Hinduism, Secularism and Untouchability in Colonial Punjab, 1880–1930, Primus Books, Delhi, 2018, xvi + 266 pp., ₹1,495.
‘A veteran space’: A Military Integrated Nested Ecological Model to understand offending
Authors: Moorhead Justin
Published: December 2020

In recent years there has been an increased focus on military veterans as a distinct population within the criminal justice system. The prevalence and nature of offending, alongside the mental health concerns of this group have dominated existing research, bringing us closer to an informed evidence base. Yet, it is widely acknowledged that more research and insight into the complexity of the lived experience of this population is required. In response, this article proposes a ‘Military Integrated Nested Ecological Model’ (MINEM) as a useful analytical tool for those working with, supporting or researching military veterans post-conviction. In order to better understand the veteran offender, one must first understand the individual, familial, societal, and cultural spaces which they have experienced. Such insight into the veteran’s life course, across these ‘ecological spaces’, offers a framework to plot the life journey of the veteran, articulating the various risk and need factors therein. Ultimately, such an approach culminates in the realisation of the ‘veteran space’, or a representation of the complex and unique lived experience of veterans within the criminal justice system. To accompany this, the article will use alcohol-related domestic abuse, specifically intimate partner violence, as a case study to highlight issues specific to this offence and this population.
Selling TTIP: The European Commission’s information policy and the spectre of public opinion
Authors: Stavinoha Luděk
Published: December 2020

This article examines the European Commission’s information policy during the heavily politicised Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations. Through the methodologically innovative use of Freedom of Information requests, it moves beyond official discourse to reveal how internal deliberation among Commission officials is preoccupied with monitoring and containing civil society mobilisation against the deal. Underpinned by elitist conceptions of democracy, public opinion emerges as a problem to be solved through strategic public relations, despite the Commission’s discursive commitments to greater transparency and political dialogue with citizens. The findings challenge the widely-held notion that a ‘communication deficit’ between European Union institutions and their publics is at the root of the perennially elusive formation of a European public sphere. Instead, approaching TTIP as a key frontline in the struggle over post-democracy, I conclude that antipublic ideas encoded in the Commission’s information policy are reflective of historically engrained institutional ambivalence towards public-political participation.
Pharmacotherapy of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in individuals with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review of the literature
Authors: Joshi Gagan , Wilens Timothy , Firmin Elizabeth S , Hoskova Barbora , Biederman Joseph
Published: December 2020

Aim:

To assess the empirical evidence for the treatment of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in populations with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Methods:

A systemic PubMed, PsychINFO, Embase, and Medline database search of peer-reviewed literature was conducted. Included in the review were controlled trials published in English with sample sizes ⩾10 participants examining the safety and efficacy of anti-ADHD medication in ASD populations. Data was extracted on relevant variables of study design, demographics, associated psychopathology, medication dose, efficacy, and tolerability.

Results:

Nine controlled trials met the inclusion and exclusion criteria: five with methylphenidate, three with atomoxetine, and one with guanfacine. Sample sizes ranged from 10 to 128 with 430 children participating across all the trials. In all the trials, treatment response was significantly superior to placebo. However, almost all trials assessed only hyperactivity, and most included only participants with intellectual disability with high levels of irritability. None of the trials distinguished agitation from hyperactivity. The response on hyperactivity for methylphenidate and atomoxetine was less than that observed in the neurotypical population; however, the response for guanfacine surpassed results observed in neurotypical populations. Treatment-emergent mood lability (i.e. mood dysregulation and mood-related adverse events) was frequently associated with methylphenidate and guanfacine treatments. Worse treatment outcomes were associated with individuals with lower intellectual capability compared with those with higher IQs.

Conclusions:

here is a scarcity of controlled trials examining ADHD treatments in ASD populations, particularly in intellectually capable individuals with ASD and in adults. Response to ADHD medications in ASD were adversely moderated by the presence of intellectual disability and mood lability.
Anesthesia of a high-altitude area inhabitant who underwent aortic dissection emergency surgery in a low-altitude area
Authors: Zheng Huan , Wei Xin-Chuan , Yu Tao , Lei Qian
Published: December 2020

Heart surgery in patients from high-altitude areas is more challenging than usual. Few studies have been published on this issue, and none of them have discussed the effect of an altitude change (from high to low altitude) on a patient’s physiology or its effects on a patient’s perioperative management. Here, we present the case of a 46-year-old man who was a long-time resident of Tibetan area in Sichuan (altitude >3000 m) who underwent Stanford type A aortic dissection emergency surgery on the plain. Anesthetic management occurred through monitoring of the bispectral index (BIS) and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), and we used a relatively loose fluid hydration strategy. The surgery was performed using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), deep hypothermia (DH), and selective antegrade cerebral perfusion. The most prominent anesthesia challenges for these patients are physiological changes due to habitation in an high-altitude environment (chronic hypoxemia), which can cause hyperhemoglobinemia, polycythemia, hypercoagulable blood, and even pulmonary hypertension, cor pulmonale, or congestive heart failure. Optimized perioperative management and close cooperation among the entire cardiac medical team were the key factors in the successful management of this rare case.