bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hiding from Whom?
Authors: Ermoshina Ksenia , Musiani Francesca
Published: May 2019

Following Edward Snowden’s revelations, end-to-end encryption is becoming increasingly widespread in messaging tools—solutions that propose a large variety of ways to conceal, obfuscate, disguise private communications and online activities. Designing privacy-enhancing tools requires the identification of a threat model that serves to agree upon an appropriate threshold of anonymity and confidentiality for a particular context of usage. In this article, we discuss different use-cases, from “nothing-to-hide” low-risk situations to high-risk scenarios in war zones or in authoritarian contexts, to question how users, trainers, and developers co-construct threat models, decide which data to conceal, and how to conceal it. We demonstrate that classic oppositions such as high-risk versus low-risk, privacy versus security, should be redefined within a more relational, processual, and contextual approach.
Surveillant Intimacies
Authors: Hogan Mél
Published: May 2019

We often think of surveillance as ubiquitous, secretive, top-down, corporate, and governmental—and in many ways, it is. Through three vignettes, this essay prods at the ways in which our everyday tools, technologies, and gestures extend surveillance’s reach into our intimate lives and relationships. Each vignette is a story constructed from facts gleaned in news stories, social media, or personal conversations. As such, these vignettes are neither empirical nor entirely speculative. In an effort to consider surveillance as an ongoing and daily activity, they invite readers into more intimate contexts than those that are usually the object of rigorous scholarly analysis. In their intimacy, these stories serve to remind us of the ways in which communication devices are always, in some capacity, tracking and trailing our desires.

Vignette 1 tells the story of the NSA agent who uses the agency’s powerful database to spy on an ex-lover. Vignette 2 explores the kinds of information users can get (about themselves) from Big Tech companies, from social media and dating apps. Vignette 3 looks at Internet cookies and their capacity to make unlikely—and unwanted—introductions. Technology, apps, and our always-on devices complicate the boundaries of intimacy and often work to redefine the trajectories of our desire in the process. The breaches of trust detailed in these stories expose the ways in which Big Tech’s desire to predict and to measure human emotion and behaviour exists in tension with our memories, our secrets, and our wild imaginations.
La vie rêvée des empires : Amérindiens et Européens en Nouvelle-France selon David Hackett Fischer*
Authors: Cohen1 Paul
Published: May 2019

Il s’agit dans cet article d’analyser la place accordée aux Autochtones dans Le rêve de Champlain, la biographie que l’historien David Hackett Fischer consacre à Samuel de Champlain. Selon Fischer, Champlain a non seulement fait preuve d’un esprit de tolérance et d’ouverture envers les Amérindiens, mais il a bâti son projet colonial autour de cet esprit. La Nouvelle-France aurait donc incarné une orientation de coexistence pacifique entre colonisateurs et Autochtones unique à travers les Amériques. En situant l’argument de Fischer dans le contexte de l’historiographie récente sur les Autochtones et les empires, l’article avance que Le rêve de Champlain trace un portrait réducteur et anachronique des rapports entretenus par Champlain avec les Amérindiens. Enfin, l’article étudie la réception du livre au Canada, où il a été instrumentalisé dans un débat sur la place des Autochtones dans le Canada aujourd’hui.
D’un stade mal-aimé à un stade oublié : l’Autostade de Montréal
Authors: Gaudette Marilyne , Roult Romain , Khomsi Mohamed Reda , Lefebvre1 Sylvain
Published: May 2019

Érigé sur un secteur démantelé dans le cadre de la planification de l’Expo 67 (Goose Village), l’Autostade fut construit pour devenir « le stade » et l’enceinte sportive principale de cette exposition universelle. Financé presque entièrement par le secteur privé et conçu par les architectes Victor Prus et Maurice Desnoyers dans l’optique de devenir une structure amovible et démontable, ce stade fut toutefois rapidement considéré comme une simple solution de rechange pour différents évènements festifs et sportifs. Remis à l’avant-scène en 1975 pour pallier aux déboires financiers et de construction du Stade olympique, l’Autostade fut de nouveau écarté pour des raisons principalement politiques. Par le biais d’une analyse de divers fonds d’archives et de plusieurs écrits scientifiques, cet article permet de retracer la « vie » relativement courte de l’Autostade (1966-1978), oeuvre architecturale ayant naviguée d’un statut de mal-aimé voire d’incompris à celui de grand oublié du paysage festif et sportif montréalais, et par le fait même de démontrer à quel point cette infrastructure a été au coeur d’importants débats politiques et économiques à cette époque. Parallèlement, cette étude met en lumière le caractère architectural novateur de ce stade peut-être trop avant-gardiste pour des élites locales ayant eu constamment du mal à envisager sa gestion, à un point tel que ce modèle de gouvernance relativement improvisé se reproduisit à l’occasion des Jeux Olympiques de 1976.
The Development of a Suburban City in the Midst of the Boreal Forest: Thompson,
Manitoba, Canada, 1956–19701
Authors: Stott Greg
Published: May 2019

Thompson, Manitoba, was established in the late 1950s as both a mining
community and a service centre for the north. A collaborative project between provincial
officials and the International Nickel Company of Canada (INCO), Thompson borrowed heavily from post–Second World War trends in urban and
suburban planning and development while grafting these ideas onto the realities of the
boreal forest. At the same time, this orderly design was heavily influenced by the area’s
First Nations and the newly arrived inhabitants who came from across Canada and much of the
world. While not always a seamless or harmonious process, the interactions and agency of
these various players shaped Thompson as a centre for mining and services, as well as a
diverse and complex community bridging southern trends and northern
realities.
Emergência dos equipamentos coletivos: Estado do progresso dos trabalhos
Authors: Nalli Marcos , Dal Pozzo Pez Tiaraju
Published: May 2019

Fazendo o inventário dos arquivos de seu colega falecido do departamento de Filosofia de Paris 8, Kyril Ryik, Alain Brossat se deparou com um texto datilografado e mimeografado intitulado “Emergência dos equipamentos coletivos: Estado do progresso dos trabalhos”, com a menção manuscrita lacônica “Foucault, julho de 1974”. Este texto não está nos Dits et Écrits, posto que evidentemente ele jamais foi publicado. Ele não se encontra também – sob reserva de inventário exaustivo– nos arquivos Foucault depositados na BnF.O texto datilografado se apresenta como esboço, corrigido e anotado à mão – provavelmente de uma mesma mão, mas sem certeza –, de um relatório intermediário cujo destinatário é o demandante de uma pesquisa contratada. À leitura do texto, cujas referências pitorescas não enganam por muito tempo, uma evidência se impõe: o texto é certamente de Foucault, a tal ponto que se tem a impressão momentânea de ler um resumo de passagens de Surveiller et Punir, que vem à lume sete meses mais tarde (fevereiro de 1975).
Impotencia y tiempo en los escritos de juventud de Simone Weil
Authors: Ruiz Jiménez Juan Manuel
Published: May 2019

Si bien la concepción del tiempo de la joven Simone Weil adopta los parámetros generales de Kant para dar cuenta de la experiencia humana, establece no obstante elementos problemáticos, conducentes a vislumbrar en la primera filosofía weiliana la posibilidad de un nexo epistemológico directo, aunque reducido, entre sujeto y naturaleza en sí. En efecto, la afirmación de Lagneau, que destaca la existencia de una dimensión expresiva del tiempo como marca que revela la impotencia radical del hombre, le permitirá a Weil reevaluar la condición cognoscitiva y existencial del sujeto kantiano. Asimismo, es a partir de esta consciencia de los límites estructurales impuestos por el tiempo al hombre, lo que llevará a S. Weil a replantear, bajo una nueva perspectiva, el mecanismo cartesiano del cogito ergo sum, con miras a descifrar el papel determinante que juega el tiempo en las condiciones de posibilidad del pensamiento.
Modes de subjectivation et pratiques de liberté autour du « Délit de solidarité »
Authors: Sferco Senda Ines
Published: May 2019

Récemment, le Conseil Constitutionnel français a invoqué le Principe de Fraternité pour révoquer les condamnations que, au nom du “Délit de Solidarité” (L622-1 CESEDA) punissent l’aide portée aux migrants en France. Dans cet article, nous mènerons une analyse de cas, d’après le prisme philosophique foucauldien, pour mettre en valeur la portée les modes de subjectivation concrets à partir lesquels, dans un contexte de crise humanitaire migrante à échelle mondiale, la solidarité et la fraternité sont devenues des actes de désobéissance. Nous analyserons la portée éthique et politique de ces pratiques, leur capacité de faire “actualité”, et nous tenterons, avec elles, de fournir des pistes le champ d’expériences ouvert par la conceptualisation foucauldienne des “pratiques de liberté” en valorisant leur allure collective.
Focos y desenfoques en la analítica del poder: Apuntes metodológicos
Authors: Araya Adán Salinas , Yuing Tuillang
Published: May 2019

Se propone una serie de precisiones metodológicas respecto a la analítica del poder presentada por Foucault, intentando visibilizar la importancia de ciertas decisiones clave en el trabajo del autor francés. En primer lugar la cuestión de la positividad y su relevancia para entender el funcionamiento de las relaciones de poder y las razones por las que una analítica del poder tiene como objeto central la noción de tecnología.
Soberania e Biopolítica: dos nexos entre poder soberano e biopoder no pensamento político de Michel Foucault e de seus usos na atualidade
Authors: Yazbek André Constantino
Published: May 2019

O presente trabalho examina as relações entre as noções de poder soberano, biopoder e governamentalidade liberal no pensamento de Michel Foucault a fim de explorar alguns de seus nexos e de seus possíveis usos em nossa atualidade. Nesse sentido, ao passo que a primeira e a segunda parte deste artigo procuram mapear a temática da soberania e do biopoder no pensamento do próprio Foucault, a última parte dedica-se a assinalar, pontualmente, as interlocuções que Giorgio Agamben, Roberto Esposito e Achille Mbembe estabelecem com o tema em foco.
Verdade-acontecimento e alteração no pensamento de Michel Foucault
Authors: Galantin Daniel Verginelli
Published: May 2019

Neste artigo examinamos uma possível repercussão da separação entre uma verdade-demonstração e uma verdade acontecimento, em distintos momentos do pensamento de Foucault. Se Foucault descreve seu pensamento sob a série da verdade-acontecimento, sugerimos que essa série ainda pode ser estendida para a definição de seus livros enquanto livros-experiência. Neste caso, também a relação entre experiência e ficção, no sentido da produção de algo que não existe ainda, vincula seu pensamento à verdade-acontecimento. Tentamos descrever o sentido dessa produção nos termos de uma alteração, irredutível a uma alteridade definida por uma filosofia primeira. Finalmente, defendemos que também a forma com que a parresía é trabalhada em seu último curso segue o mesmo eixo da verdade-acontecimento. Todos esses elementos fornecem bases para que pensemos o estatuto da verdade do pensamento de Foucault, assim como ajudam a explicar como ele não pode remeter a qualquer normatividade.
A arqueologia e seus limites
Authors: Stival Monica Loyola
Published: May 2019

Trata-se de mostrar os limites da noção de arqueologia, considerando particularmente o livro A arqueologia do saber, que Foucault publica em 1969. A questão é o estatuto da síntese que delimita uma formação discursiva e, mais do que isso, o sentido do vínculo que desenha o espaço quase-transcendental de uma episteme, considerando não tanto a descontinuidade que a separa de outra episteme, mas a espessura que lhe fornece um sentido próprio. Com efeito, o artigo procura mostrar o inconveniente de uma arqueologia (como em Alain de Libera), sugerindo que outras perspectivas metodológicas, como a própria genealogia, permitiriam efetivamente descrever uma rede de acontecimentos, relançada em sua contingência radical.
Shockley–Read–Hall lifetime in homoepitaxial p-GaN extracted from recombination current in GaN p–n+ junction diodes
Authors: Maeda Takuya , Narita Tetsuo , Ueda Hiroyuki , Kanechika Masakazu , Uesugi Tsutomu , Kachi Tetsu , Kimoto Tsunenobu , Horita Masahiro , Suda Jun
Published: May 2019

The Shockley–Read-Hall (SRH) lifetime in homoepitaxial p-GaN (N
a = 1 × 1017 cm−3) is investigated by analyzing forward current–voltage (I–V) characteristics in GaN-on-GaN p–n+ junction diodes with mesa-isolation structure. The ideality factor around 2 due to recombination current was obtained in the 1.8–2.7 V window, which is different from the characteristic of a p+-n− junction involving considerable diffusion current. The recombination current was proportional to the junction area, indicating that the recombination current is a bulk component, not a mesa-surface component. Analyzing the recombination current with consideration of the SRH recombination rate in the depletion layer, we obtained an SRH lifetime of 46 ps at 298 K. The temperature dependence of the I–V characteristics was also investigated and the SRH lifetimes were extracted in the range of 223–573 K. The SRH lifetime in homoepitaxial p-GaN followed the empirical power law of

τ

SRH

 = 1.2 × 10−16 × T
2.25 (s).
Comparative study on thermal robustness of GaN and AlGaN/GaN MOS devices with thin oxide interlayers
Authors: Nozaki Mikito , Terashima Daiki , Yamada Takahiro , Yoshigoe Akitaka , Hosoi Takuji , Shimura Takayoshi , Watanabe Heiji
Published: May 2019

Similarities and differences in the design of the interfaces between gate dielectrics and GaN-based semiconductors were systematically investigated with a focus on the thermal stability of the interlayers. Although the excellent electrical properties of a SiO2/GaN interface with a thin Ga-oxide interlayer (SiO2/GaO
x
/GaN) were deteriorated by high-temperature treatment at around 1000 °C, the thin oxide on the AlGaN surface (SiO2/GaO
x
/AlGaN) exhibited superior thermal stability and interface quality even after treatment at 1000 °C. Physical characterizations showed that thermal decomposition of the thin GaO
x
layer on the GaN surface is promoted by oxygen transfer, which produces volatile products, leading to remarkable roughening of the GaN surface. In contrast, decomposition of the thin GaO
x
layer was suppressed on the AlGaN surface under the high temperatures, preserving a smooth oxide surface. The mechanisms behind both the improved and degraded electrical properties in these GaN-based MOS structures are discussed on the basis of these findings.
The vaccinaTion & Hpv Knowledge (THinK) questionnaire: a reliability and validity study on a sample of women living in Sicily (southern-Italy)
Authors: Matranga Domenica , Lumia Cristina , Guarneri Rossella , Arculeo Vincenza Maria , Noto Marcello , Pivetti Alessia , Serra Gregorio , Guarneri Maria Francesca , Spera Antonio
Published: May 2019

Objective

The aim of this study was to introduce the VaccinaTion & Hpv Knowledge (THinK) questionnaire to assess knowledge about human papillomavirus (HPV) and attitude to HPV-vaccination. Its reliability and validity was demonstrated in a sample of women living in Sicily (southern Italy).

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted on a sample of 220 women at the “Paolo Giaccone” University Hospital in Palermo (Sicily), aged 18–61. Data were analyzed through Cronbach’s alpha and exploratory factor analysis, followed by a structural equation model with measurement component. The two-level data structure was explicitly considered.

Results

Three dimensions were found: “knowledge of HPV infection (kHPV), “Attitude to be vaccinated against HPV (aHPV)” and “Knowledge about vaccines (KV)” (97% overall explained variance). Internal consistency was good for the whole questionnaire (0.82) and the first dimension (0.88) and acceptable for the second (0.78) and the third dimension (0.73). 23% of women showed no or little knowledge of HPV and 44.3% of women had no or little knowledge about HPV induced lesions.

Discussion

The use of a validated questionnaire may serve as a useful measure to assess general knowledge about HPV and attitude towards vaccination against HPV in the primary prevention setting.
Water permeability/impermeability in seeds of 15 species of Caragana (Fabaceae)
Authors: Chen Dali , Zhang Rui , Baskin Carol C. , Hu Xiaowen
Published: May 2019

Majority legumes in the temperate and arctic zones have water-impermeable seeds (physical dormancy, PY). However, various authors have reported that seeds of some Caragana species are water-permeable and thus non-dormant. We (1) tested seeds of 15 species of Caragana matured in the same site in 2014, 2016 and/or 2017 for presence of PY, (2) determined if dry storage decreased or increased the percentage of seeds with PY and (3) located the site on the seed coat of 11 species where water enters the seed. Sixty-three percent and 45% of the seeds of C. roborovskyi had PY in 2016 and 2017, respectively, but only 0–14% of the seeds of the other 14 species had PY. The palisade layer in the seed coat of water impermeable seeds had no cracks in it, whereas cracks were present in the palisade layer of water-permeable seeds. Year of collection and dry storage had significant effects on imbibition of two species (C. acanthophylla and C. roborovskyi). In two (C. acanthophylla and C. roborovskyi) of the 11 species tested, the hilum was the site of water entry into seeds (control seeds, not any dormant broken treatments), but for the other nine species tested water entered through all parts of the seed coat.
Antimicrobial Efficacy of Selected Natural Products on Microorganisms Isolated from Throat of Patients with Throat Infection
Authors: Omoya F. O. , Omole T. E. , Falese O. A. , Ajayi K. O.
Published: May 2019

Introduction: Natural products have been used in traditional medicines for treatment of infections due to the antimicrobial activity they exhibit. This study therefore evaluates the efficacy of honey, ginger (Zingiber officinale) and garlic (Allium sativum) extracts on microorganisms isolated from throat of patients with throat infection.

Methods: The antibacterial and antifungal efficacy of honey, ginger (Zingiber officinale) and garlic (Allium sativum) extracts was investigated against microorganisms isolated from throats of infected patients at the ENT Department of State Specialist Hospital, Akure, using agar disc diffusion and agar well diffusion technique respectively.

Results: Bacteria isolated from patients with throat infection were Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Proteus mirabilis while the fungal isolates were Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis. The antibacterial and antifungal assay results showed that all bacterial isolates were inhibited by honey, garlic and ginger extract. Honey, ginger and garlic showed highest inhibition against P. mirabilis (19.01±0.31 mm), P. aeruginosa (20.20±0.42 mm) and S. aureus (23.00±0.01 mm) respectively also, antifungal assay results showed that all the extracts had antifungal effect on the fungal isolates. The combination of equal concentrations of honey plus garlic showed the highest inhibitory effect on all the test bacteria followed by honey plus ginger then garlic plus ginger while the combination of honey plus garlic had the highest inhibitory effect on Candida albicans (21.63±0.02 mm) but garlic plus ginger combination showed the highest inhibitory effect on Candida tropicalis (21.68±0.04 mm).

Conclusion: The result of this study therefore showed that the bacteria and fungi isolated from throat of patients with throats infection demonstrated sensitivity towards the tested samples of honey, garlic and ginger and hence, can serve as effective therapeutic agents in the treatment of throat infections.
The Effects of Mindfulness Training on Wisdom in Elementary School Teachers
Authors: Boulware Jean Ngoc , Huskey Brenda , Mangelsdorf Heather Harden , Nusbaum Howard C.
Published: May 2019

Aims: School teachers have hundreds of spontaneous interactions with students each hour, requiring frequent decision-making. Often these interactions require social understanding and emotional self-regulation, two constructs often identified with wisdom and mindfulness.  Increasing mindfulness could aid wiser management of classroom demands. The present study evaluated effects of an online mindfulness course on measured wisdom in a sample of public elementary school teachers.

Study Design: This study used a pretest posttest design using data collected immediately before taking the online mindfulness course and after completion of the course. End of the school year follow-up data was analyzed for all teachers.

Place and Duration of Study: Participants were enrolled from multiple cities across the United States including Boston, Columbus, Chicago, Milwaukee, Seattle, and San Diego between June 2014 and June 2015. Data were collected online and analyzed at the University of Chicago.

Methodology: Public elementary school teachers (n = 12) were assigned to a mindfulness training or a matched wait-list condition (11 female, 1 male; age range 26 – 57 years). Teachers had a range of teaching experiences from 1 to 36 years (median =18 years) and taught grades K-4 at schools with 30% - 50% Caucasian students with 40%-60% students receiving free and reduced-price lunches. We used standardized measures for mindfulness, wisdom, emotion regulation, compassion, theory of mind, state/trait anxiety, stress, burnout, and efficacy.

Results: Online mindfulness training produced a significant increase in mindful awareness and changes in cognitive wisdom implying increased understanding of inter/intrapersonal concerns. There was a significant increase in mindful attention in those who completed both pre- and post-class online evaluations (n = 10) solicited by Mindful Schools (t (9) = 2.738, p = .02) from 54.3 to 59.9 following training (ΔM= 5.6, SD = 6.5). Wisdom, measured with Ardelt’s Three-Dimensional Wisdom Scale (n =12), demonstrated a significant change increase in the cognitive dimension of wisdom (t(11) = 2.39, p =.03) with a non-significant increase in the affective dimension (t(11) =1.38, p =.19) and a non-significant reduction in the reflective dimension of wisdom (t(11) =.96, p = .35) following mindfulness training.

Conclusion:  Online mindfulness training may help develop wise decision making as a skill for teachers to aid classroom management and social problem solving.
Adaptive Monte Carlo Integration
Authors: Huber Mark
Published: May 2019

Markov chain Monte Carlo uses a Markov chain to generate samples approximately drawn from a target distribution. There are several well‐known techniques such as Metropolis–Hastings for building a Markov chain whose limiting distribution equals the target distribution. In Adaptive Markov chain Monte Carlo, the Markov chain used changes slightly from step to step, learning from the states of the chain already visited in order to make the process converge more rapidly to its limiting distribution. While the resulting process will not be strictly Markovian, as long as the adaptation obeys certain rules, the process will still converge to the target distribution. With a well‐chosen adaptation, this convergence can be much faster than a basic Markov chain approach.
Dutch Book
Authors: Vineberg Susan
Published: May 2019

A Dutch Book is a series of bets that collectively guarantee a loss to one side, regardless of the outcome of the individual bets. Dutch Books have been invoked to defend a variety of constraints on degrees of belief and to ground the subjective interpretation of probability. The article describes how Dutch Books have been so used, and identifies the central presuppositions involved. The use of Dutch Books in supporting additional probabilistic norms, including Bayesian Conditionalization principles, is also discussed.
Causal Graph Models for Predictive and Prescriptive Analytics
Authors: Cox Louis A.
Published: May 2019

Causal graph models such as causal Bayesian networks and influence diagrams are highly useful for describing how the probability distributions of some variables depend on the values of others; predicting the values of as‐yet unobserved variables from the values of observed ones; forecasting how changes in current controllable actions, decisions, or policies will change the probabilities of future outcomes; prescribing what choices to take to maximize expected utility; and evaluating the effects of past policies and interventions. Algorithms for learning such models from data are increasingly widely available. This article reviews the main concepts, applications, and methods of causal graph modeling and analysis and discusses various meanings for “cause.”
Enriched Biomarker‐Driven Clinical Trials
Authors: Wang Xiaofei , Cai Jianwen , George Stephen L.
Published: May 2019

Commonly used designs for clinical trials involving biomarkers include targeted design, biomarker‐stratified design (BSD), and biomarker‐guided (strategy) design (BGD). This article gives details of these designs and discusses their strengths and drawbacks. For these designs, efficiency of testing certain treatment parameters can often be improved by enrichment, increasing the proportion of biomarker‐positive patients, especially when the proportion of biomarker positives is low in the underlying patient population. An enriched biomarker‐stratified design (EBSD) enriches the cohort of randomized patients by directly oversampling the relevant patients with the true biomarker based on the biomarker value. When the cost or difficulty of assessing the true biomarker for all patients prior to randomization is high, one can also improve efficiency by oversampling biomarker positives based on a cheaper auxiliary variable or a surrogate biomarker that correlates with the true biomarker, using an auxiliary‐variable‐enriched biomarker‐stratified design (AEBSD). For both enriched designs, we discuss how to choose the optimal enrichment proportion when testing a single hypothesis or two hypotheses simultaneously.
Illness‐Death Model
Authors: Touraine Célia
Published: May 2019

The illness‐death model is a simple multistate model that has been widely used in medical applications. It is useful to describe situations where individuals are in an initial state “health” and will experience a terminal event, corresponding to the absorbing state “death,” that may or may not be preceded by an intermediate event, corresponding to the transient state “illness.” We first describe this model, focusing on its most common form: the irreversible Markov illness‐death model. Then, we review some estimation methods and R packages depending on whether the underlying process is observed in continuous time or in discrete time regarding entry into the illness state. Finally, we address the issues of reversibility and relaxation of the Markov assumption.
Ghosh,JayantaKumar
Authors: Ghosal Subhashis , Purkayastha Sumitra , Ramamoorthi R. V.
Published: May 2019

In this article, we describe the legacy of Jayanta Kumar Ghosh, 1937–2017 with glimpses of his career milestones, academic achievements, and personal life.
Particle Filtering
Authors: Johansen Adam M.
Published: May 2019

Particle filtering is a (sequential) Monte Carlo technique for simulation‐based inference in intractable general state space hidden Markov models for which such inference is not analytically tractable. It is an approach to characterize the distribution of an indirectly observed Markov chain as observations become available, which involves simulating the evolution of a system of particles, which can be used to approximate estimators of interest.
General Micromagnetic Theory and Applications
Authors: Kronmüller Helmut
Published: May 2019

The objective of this contribution is to review the principles of the continuum theory of micromagnetism and to show its applications to the main static and dynamic problems of ferromagnetic materials. Micromagnetism as a continuum theory closes the gap between quantum theory, dealing with atomic scales, and the Maxwell theory, dealing with macroscopic dimensions. Micromagnetism therefore corresponds to the tool to deal with nano‐ and microscales. Micromagnetism has become an indispensible theory for a fundamental understanding of magnetic domain configurations, magnetization processes, and the interaction between magnetization and microstructures. After Landau–Lifshitz's wall calculations in 1935 and Brown's publication of the so‐called Brown's micromagnetic equations in 1940/41, micromagnetism became the standard method to analyze the basic magnetic properties of ferromagnetic materials in the range of nano‐ and microscales.

The following review gives a brief presentation of the different energy terms involved in the magnetic Gibbs free energy and a derivation of the micromagnetic equilibrium conditions and of the effective field. Some characteristic applications illustrate the effectiveness of micromagnetism in the case of domain walls, nucleation problems, interaction with microstructures, domain patterns, and the dynamics of magnetization processes.

This contribution also gives a definition of the different exchange lengths related to dipolar fields, magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy, magnetostatic energy of external fields, and the magnetoelastic coupling energy.

Whereas only a few cases exist where analytical solutions of the highly nonlinear micromagnetic equations are available, the progress in computational micromagnetism allowed the numerical solution of many open problems treated in the contributions by Miltat et al., Schrefl et al., and D. Goll in theHandbook of Magnetism and Advanced Magnetic Materialsed. by Kronmüller and Parkin Kronmüller and Parkin (2007).
Relationships Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Health Status in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Authors: DeQuattro Kimberly , Trupin Laura , Li Jing , Katz Patricia P. , Murphy Louise B. , Yelin Edward H. , Rush Stephanie , Lanata Cristina , Criswell Lindsey A. , Dall'Era Maria , Yazdany Jinoos
Published: May 2019

Objective

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with poor adult health and immune dysregulation. The impact of ACEs on patients with autoimmune disease is unknown. The present study was undertaken to compare the prevalence of ACEs in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) to a population‐based survey estimate and to investigate relationships between ACEs and SLE outcomes.

Methods

Data derived from the California Lupus Epidemiology Study (CLUES), a sample of adult patients with SLE. Participants completed a 10‐item ACE questionnaire covering 3 domains (abuse, neglect, household challenges). We estimated ACE prevalence in 269 CLUES participants compared to geographically matched respondents from the 2015 California Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), which was standardized to CLUES participant characteristics (age, sex, race/ethnicity). We examined associations of patient‐reported and physician‐assessed health status measures with overall ACE levels and domains using multivariable linear regression, controlling for sociodemographics, nephritis, and juvenile‐onset SLE.

Results

Although specific domains varied, overall ACE levels were similar for CLUES and BRFSS respondents. Among SLE patients, 63.2% had ≥1 ACE, and 19.3% had ≥4. ACEs were more prevalent in those who were older, women, Latino or African American, and without college degrees, but not in those with lupus nephritis. In adjusted models, higher ACE levels and ACE domains were associated with worse patient‐reported SLE activity, depression, and health status but were not significantly associated with physician‐assessed SLE activity, damage, or severity.

Conclusion

Given the association between ACE levels and important patient‐reported outcomes in SLE, our study reinforces the need for prevention of ACEs in childhood and for clinical interventions to promote resilience among adults who have experienced ACEs.
Patient‐Reported Barriers at School for Children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Authors: Chomistek Kelsey , Johnson Nicole , Stevenson Rebeka , Luca Nadia , Miettunen Paivi , Benseler Susanne M. , Veeramreddy Dwaraka , Schmeling Heinrike
Published: May 2019

Objective

The objective of this study was to identify patient‐reported school barriers and their associated impact in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).

Methods

A cross‐sectional observational study of children aged 8 to 17, diagnosed with JIA, and followed in the rheumatology clinic/Alberta Children's Hospital was performed. Demographics, diagnosis, and disease course were obtained from health records. A questionnaire was administered to the child to assess the barriers experienced by JIA patients at school. The questionnaire collected information about school attendance/performance, impact of JIA symptoms (eg, pain and fatigue), physical challenges and accommodations, communication, participation and peers, and school support. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data.

Results

A total of 98 children with JIA were recruited into the study. The median age of participants was 13 years (interquartile range 11‐15). The JIA subtypes in this cohort reflected the normal JIA distribution. Physical challenges at school (eg, gym, writing, and sitting for long periods of time) were reported by 42.1% of patients. Accommodations (eg, modified gym, accommodation letter, and computer access) were used by 23% of patients. The inability to participate in activities in class or outside with their peers occurred for 32.2% of patients and in gym for 40.7% of patients. Social concerns included embarrassment from talking about their illness, worry regarding being treated differently, and being told they were fabricating their illness.

Conclusion

Children with JIA experienced barriers at school, especially physical challenges, with a need for accommodations in a proportion of children. Decreased participation and increased social anxiety were additional key barriers.
Tissue Beads: Tissue‐Specific Extracellular Matrix Microbeads to Potentiate Reprogrammed Cell‐Based Therapy
Authors: Lee Jung Seung , Roh Yoon Ho , Choi Yi Sun , Jin Yoonhee , Jeon Eun Je , Bong Ki Wan , Cho Seung‐Woo
Published: May 2019

Microbeads have been utilized as efficient cell culture carriers and injectable scaffolds for cell transplantation. However, various polymers currently used to generate microbeads have limited applicability due to loss of biological functions and tissue‐specific effects. Here, a tissue bead platform is reported that can provide a tissue‐specific microenvironment to facilitate cell culture and potentiate cell therapy. Using a flow‐focusing microfluidic device, uniform‐sized tissue microbeads are fabricated with extracellular matrix (ECM) from various decellularized tissues. The tissue microbeads are tested for tissue‐specific encapsulation of induced hepatic (iHep), induced cardiac (iCar), and induced myogenic (iMyo) cells, which are directly reprogrammed from mouse primary fibroblasts. Tissue‐specific microbeads significantly enhanced the viability, lineage‐specific maturation, and functionality of each type of reprogrammed cell, as compared to functionality when using conventional microbeads from a single ECM component (collagen). Finally, tissue microbeads are confirmed to mediate the successful in vivo engraftment of reprogrammed cells (iHep and iMyo) after transplantation, potentiating cell therapy and promoting functional tissue regeneration in tissue defective animal models. The study suggests that the use of a decellularized tissue matrix combined with a microfluidic technique can be employed to produce tissue‐specific ECM microbeads with increased versatility and efficacy for reprogrammed cell‐based therapy.
A Hypoxia‐Responsive Albumin‐Based Nanosystem for Deep Tumor Penetration and Excellent Therapeutic Efficacy
Authors: Yang Guangbao , Phua Soo Zeng Fiona , Lim Wei Qi , Zhang Rui , Feng Liangzhu , Liu Guofeng , Wu Hongwei , Bindra Anivind Kaur , Jana Deblin , Liu Zhuang , Zhao Yanli
Published: May 2019

Uncontrolled cancer cell proliferation, insufficient blood flow, and inadequate endogenous oxygen lead to hypoxia in tumor tissues. Herein, a unique type of hypoxia‐responsive human serum albumin (HSA)‐based nanosystem (HCHOA) is reported, prepared by cross‐linking the hypoxia‐sensitive azobenzene group between photosensitizer chlorin e6 (Ce6)‐conjugated HSA (HC) and oxaliplatin prodrug‐conjugated HSA (HO). The HCHOA nanosystem is stable under normal oxygen partial pressure with a size of 100–150 nm. When exposed to the hypoxic tumor microenvironment, the nanosystem can quickly dissociate into ultrasmall HC and HO therapeutic nanoparticles with a diameter smaller than 10 nm, significantly enabling their enhanced intratumoral penetration. After the dissociation, the quenched fluorescence of Ce6 in the produced HC nanoparticles can be recovered for bioimaging. At the same time, the production of singlet oxygen is increased because of the enhancement in the photoactivity of the photosensitizer. On account of these improvements, combined photodynamic therapy and chemotherapy is realized to display superior antitumor efficacy in vivo. Based on this simple strategy, it is possible to achieve the dissociation of hypoxic‐responsive nanosystem to enhance the tumor penetration and therapeutic effect.
A Macrophage–Magnesium Hybrid Biomotor: Fabrication and Characterization
Authors: Zhang Fangyu , Mundaca‐Uribe Rodolfo , Gong Hua , Esteban‐Fernández de Ávila Berta , Beltrán‐Gastélum Mara , Karshalev Emil , Nourhani Amir , Tong Yao , Nguyen Bryan , Gallot Mathieu , Zhang Yue , Zhang Liangfang , Wang Joseph
Published: May 2019

Magnesium (Mg)‐based micromotors are combined with live macrophage (MΦ) cells to create a unique MΦ–Mg biohybrid motor system. The resulting biomotors possess rapid propulsion ability stemming from the Mg micromotors and the biological functions provided by the live MΦ cell. To prepare the biohybrid motors, Mg microparticles coated with titanium dioxide and poly(l‐lysine) (PLL) layers are incubated with live MΦs at low temperature. The formation of such biohybrid motors depends on the relative size of the MΦs and Mg particles, with the MΦ swallowing up Mg particles smaller than 5 µm. The experimental results and numerical simulations demonstrate that the motion of MΦ–Mg motors is determined by the size of the Mg micromotor core and the position of the MΦ during the attachment process. The MΦ–Mg motors also perform biological functions related to free MΦs such as endotoxin neutralization. Cell membrane staining and toxin neutralization studies confirm that the MΦs maintain their viability and functionality (e.g., endotoxin neutralization) after binding to the Mg micromotors. This new MΦ–Mg motor design can be expanded to different types of living cells to fulfill diverse biological tasks.
Direct Alkenylation of 2‐Methylquinolines with Aldehydes through Synergistic Catalysis of 1,3‐Dimethylbarbituric Acid and HOAc
Authors: Liang En , Wang Junqi , Wu Yinrong , Huang Liangbin , Yao Xingang , Tang Xiaodong
Published: May 2019

An efficient and practical direct alkenylation of 2‐methylquinolines with aldehydes has been achieved through a novel synergistic organocatalysis. The HOAc‐ activated 2‐methylquiolines undergo a Michael addition to 1,3‐dimethylbarbituric acid‐activated aldehydes, followed by a retro‐Michael addition to release 1,3‐dimethylbarbituric acid and the target products. The transformation produced various 2‐alkenylquinolines with good to excellent yields and featured mild reaction conditions, atom‐ and step‐economy, good functional group tolerance, and operational simplicity.

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Highly Efficient Aqueous‐Processed Hybrid Solar Cells: Control Depletion Region and Improve Carrier Extraction
Authors: Chen Nan‐Nan , Jin Gan , Wang Li‐Jing , Sun He‐Nan , Zeng Qing‐Sen , Yang Bai , Sun Hai‐Zhu
Published: May 2019

Environmental friendly aqueous‐processed solar cells have become one of the most promising candidates for the next‐generation photovoltaic devices. Researchers have made lots of progress in designing active materials with novel structures, manipulating the defects in active materials, optimizing device architecture, etc. However, it has long been a challenge to control the width of the depletion region and enhance carrier extraction ability. Fabrication of a thick bulk heterojunction (BHJ) film is an effective strategy to address these issues but difficult to realize. Herein, the thicker BHJ film of ZnO:CdTe is successfully fabricated and incorporated into CdTe‐poly(p‐phenylenevinylene) hybrid solar cells. As expected, this BHJ film enhances light absorption, extends the width of the depletion region, prolongs carrier lifetime, and promotes carrier extraction ability. Moreover, the electron transport layer of sol–gel ZnO with excellent transmittance and electrical conductivity boosts electron generation, transport, and injection, which further improves the device performance. As a result, the highest short current density (Jsc) of 19.5 mA cm−2, power conversion efficiency of 6.51%, and the widest depletion region (177 nm) are obtained in aqueous‐processed hybrid solar cells.
Metastatic cancer cell attachment to endothelium is promoted by endothelial glycocalyx sialic acid degradation
Authors: Mensah Solomon A. , Harding Ian C. , Zhang Michelle , Jaeggli Michael P. , Torchilin Vladimir P. , Niedre Mark J. , Ebong Eno E.
Published: May 2019

While it is known that cancer cell interactions with vascular endothelial cells (ECs) drive metastatic cancer cell extravasation from blood vessels into secondary tumor sites, the mechanisms of action are still poorly understood. Here, we tested the hypothesis that neuraminidase‐induced degradation of EC surface glycocalyx (GCX), particularly the sialic acid (SA) residue components of the GCX, will substantially increase metastatic cancer cell attachment to ECs. To our knowledge, our study is the first to isolate the role of GCX SA residues in cancer cell attachment to the endothelium, which were found to be differentially affected by the presence of neuraminidase and to indeed regulate metastatic cancer cell homing to ECs. We hope that this work will eventually translate to identification of EC GCX‐based cancer markers that can be therapeutically targeted to hinder the progression of metastasis.
Adaptation and divergence in edaphic specialists and generalists: serpentine soil endemics in the California flora occur in barer serpentine habitats with lower soil calcium levels than serpentine tolerators
Authors: Sianta Shelley A. , Kay Kathleen M.
Published: May 2019

Premise

Adaptation to harsh edaphic substrates has repeatedly led to the evolution of edaphic specialists and generalists. Yet, it is unclear what factors promote specialization versus generalization. Here, we search for habitat use patterns associated with serpentine endemics (specialists) and serpentine tolerators (generalists) to indirectly test the hypothesis that trade‐offs associated with serpentine adaptation promote specialization. We predict that (1) endemics have adapted to chemically harsher and more bare serpentine habitats than tolerators, and (2) edaphic endemics show more habitat divergence from their sister species than tolerators do among on‐ and off‐serpentine populations.

Methods

We selected 8 serpentine endemic and 9 serpentine tolerator species representing independent adaptation to serpentine. We characterized soil chemistry and microhabitat bareness from one serpentine taxon of each species and from a paired nonserpentine sister taxon, resulting in 8 endemic and 9 tolerator sister‐taxa pairs.

Results

We find endemic serpentine taxa occur in serpentine habitats averaging twice as much bare ground as tolerator serpentine taxa and 25% less soil calcium, a limiting macronutrient in serpentine soils. We do not find strong evidence that habitat divergence between sister taxa of endemic pairs is greater than between sister taxa of tolerator pairs.

Conclusions

These results suggest serpentine endemism is associated with adaptation to chemically harsher and more bare serpentine habitats. It may be that this adaptation trades off with competitive ability, which would support the longstanding, but rarely tested, competitive trade‐off hypothesis.
Polymorphism in the vitamin D receptor gene is associated with maternal vitamin D concentration and neonatal outcomes: A Brazilian cohort study
Authors: Pereira‐Santos Marcos , Carvalho Gisele Q. , Louro Iúri D. , dos Santos Djanilson B. , Oliveira Ana M.
Published: May 2019

Objectives

This study evaluated the associations between single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene, maternal vitamin D concentration, and gestational outcomes.

Methods

The cohort consisted of 270 pregnant women who received prenatal services at basic public healthcare centers in the city of Santo Antônio de Jesus, Bahia, Brazil. For statistical analysis, multiple linear regression was used.

Results

A mean of 72.62 (SD = 31.51) nmol/L for 25‐hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations was found. The mean birth weight was 3.340 g (SD = 0.545 g), and the mean duration of gestation was 38.66 (SD = 1.83) weeks. Pregnant women who were homozygous for the low‐frequency allele GG of SNP TaqI had a higher concentration of vitamin D during gestation (β = 14.09 nmol/L; 95% CI = 0.85, 27.34) than the higher frequency homozygotes AA (β = 3.33 nmol/L; 95% CI = −4.37, 11.05). The children of heterozygous women for the ApaI SNP (GA) were born with a lower weight (β = −131.99 g, 95% CI = −258.50, −5.47, P = .04). The heterozygote genotype of the SNP TaqI (CA) decreased the risk of short duration of gestation (β = 0.54 weeks, 95% CI = 0.09, 0.99, P = .01), and the homozygote for the lower frequency allele in the SNP ApaI (CC) showed a negative effect, decreasing the duration of gestation (β = −0.69 weeks, 95% CI = −1.35, −0.26, P = .04).

Conclusions

The VDR gene is an important genetic predictor of a higher concentration of vitamin D during gestation, low birth weight, and decreasing duration of gestation.
Homozygous variants in the gene SCAPER cause syndromic intellectual disability
Authors: Kahrizi Kimia , Huber Mareike , Galetzka Danuta , Dewi Sri , Schröder Julia , Weis Eva , Kariminejad Ariana , Fattahi Zoherh , Ropers Hans‐Hilger , Schweiger Susann , Najmabadi Hossein , Winter Jennifer
Published: May 2019

The S‐Phase Cyclin A Associated Protein In The ER (SCAPER) gene is a ubiquitously expressed gene with unknown function in the brain. Recently, biallelic SCAPER variants were described in four patients from three families with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and intellectual disability (ID). Here, we expand the spectrum of pathogenic variants in SCAPER and report on 10 further patients from four families with ID, RP, and additional dysmorphic features carrying homozygous variants in SCAPER. The variants found comprise frameshift, nonsense, and missense variants as well as an intragenic homozygous deletion, which spans SCAPER exons 15 and 16 and introduces a frameshift and a premature stop codon. Analyses of SCAPER expression in human and mouse brain revealed an upregulation of SCAPER expression during cortical development and a higher expression of SCAPER in neurons compared to neural progenitors. In the adult brain SCAPER is expressed in several regions including the cerebral cortex where it shows a layer‐specific expression with an expression peak in lower layer glutamatergic neurons. Our study supports the role of SCAPER variants in the pathogenesis of ID and RP, expands the variant spectrum and highlights the need for functional studies concerning the role of SCAPER during brain development and function.