bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevention of Hand Eczema among Nurse Apprentice (PREVEDERM): An Interventional Study
Authors: Moldovan Horatiu Remus , Manole Ionela , Suru Alina , Butacu Alexandra-Irina , Tatu Alin Laurentiu , Lupu Adriana , Dascalu Mihai , Tiplica George-Sorin , Salavastru Carmen Maria
Published: November 2020

Background

Workers in the healthcare sector are at high risk of developing occupational hand eczema mainly due to frequent exposure to irritants and/or allergens. Amongst workers in healthcare, nurses are at higher risk of developing hand dermatitis.

Objectives

To evaluate the effectiveness of a short educational intervention program in preventing occupational hand eczema in nurse apprentices, using two objective tools, namely TEWL and EH, and the HECSI score.

Methods

Data regarding professions, wet work exposure, activities performed during working hours, self-reported eczema were collected from 230 nurse students, divided in two study groups: the intervention and the control group (CG). The intervention group (IG) was given education about risks and proper skin care and was provided with cosmeceuticals to be used for skin care during hospital activity. The evaluation of skin properties was performed using questionnaires, HECSI score, measurement of transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and epidermal hydration (EH).

Results

A number of 139 apprentice nurses completed the study. Of those participants who completed the study, 19.1% from CG and 19.6% from IG reported, at T1, hand eczema in the last 3 months, while at T2 (3 months later), 59.52 % of the CG and only 11.34 % from the IG stated having eczema in the last 3 months. In the IG, results showed an improvement of CM with 17% and of TEWL with 16%, with only a 0.5% improvement of CM in CG and a marked impairment of TEWL by 33%.

Conclusion

Hand eczema is a common occupational dermatosis affecting the medical staff, even during apprenticeship. Early preventive training programs are effective in reducing the burden of occupational contact dermatitis.
Does night-time aircraft noise trigger mortality? A case-crossover study on 24 886 cardiovascular deaths
Authors: Saucy Apolline , Schäffer Beat , Tangermann Louise , Vienneau Danielle , Wunderli Jean-Marc , Röösli Martin
Published: November 2020

Aims

It is unclear whether night-time noise events, including from aeroplanes, could trigger a cardiovascular death. In this study, we investigate the potential acute effects of aircraft noise on mortality and the specific role of different night-time exposure windows by means of a case-crossover study design.

Methods and results

We selected 24 886 cases of death from cardiovascular disease (CVD) from the Swiss National Cohort around Zürich Airport between 2000 and 2015. For night-time deaths, exposure levels 2 h preceding death were significantly associated with mortality for all causes of CVD [OR = 1.44 (1.03–2.04) for the highest exposure group (LAeq > 50 dB vs. <20 dB)]. Most consistent associations were observed for ischaemic heart diseases, myocardial infarction, heart failure, and arrhythmia. Association were more pronounced for females (P = 0.02) and for people living in areas with low road and railway background noise (P = 0.01) and in buildings constructed before 1970 (P = 0.36). We calculated a population attributable fraction of 3% in our study population.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that night-time aircraft noise can trigger acute cardiovascular mortality. The association was similar to that previously observed for long-term aircraft noise exposure.
Long-term oral anticoagulant after catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation
Authors: Chew Derek , Piccini Jonathan P
Published: November 2020

Catheter ablation is superior to antiarrhythmic therapy for the reduction of symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF), recurrence, and burden. The possibility of a true ‘rhythm’ control strategy with catheter ablation has re-opened the debate on rate vs. rhythm control and the subsequent impact on stroke risk. Some observation studies suggest that successful AF catheter ablation and maintenance of sinus rhythm are associated with a decrease in stroke risk, while the CABANA trial had demonstrated no apparent reduction. Other observational studies have demonstrated increased stroke risk when oral anticoagulation (OAC) is discontinued after catheter ablation. When and in whom OAC can be discontinued after ablation will need to be determined in properly conducted randomized control trials. In this review article, we discuss our current understanding of the interactions between AF, stroke, and anticoagulation following catheter ablation. Specifically, we discuss the evidence for the long-term anticoagulation following successful catheter ablation, the potential for OAC discontinuation with restoration of sinus rhythm, and novel approaches to anticoagulation management post-ablation.
Realities of School ‘Integration’: Insights from Syrian Refugee Students in Jordan’s Double-Shift Schools
Authors: Salem Hiba
Published: November 2020

Recent agendas have sought to encourage governments to integrate refugees into national education systems. However, clearer nuances of integration and examples of positive and negative approaches are necessary to help understand the effects of policies on students’ learning and well-being. This article explores the perceptions of Syrian refugee students who have been integrated into Jordan’s schools through the double-shift system. Drawing on a broader study which explored students’ perceptions through semi-structured interviews, this article illustrates how educational settings have shaped students’ perceptions of their spaces, learning, and aspirations. It portrays the issues that arise from a system that formally integrates refugee students in formal school while keeping them physically and socially segregated from native students. By shedding light on the ways in which educational spaces enhance or reduce differences between societies, this article argues that harmonized policies, structures, and practices are essential for inclusive and equal learning opportunities.
Improving Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Compliance Through Direct Physician Contact in a Military Treatment Facility: A Non-randomized Pilot Study
Authors: McDermott Alexis K , McDermott Andrew J , Osbaldiston Richard , Lennon Robert P
Published: November 2020

Introduction

Screening for breast cancer (BC) and cervical cancer (CC) decreases morbidity and mortality. Most interventions to improve screening rely on automated modalities or nonphysician patient contact. There is limited data on direct patient contact by a physician to encourage BC and CC screening. This non-randomized pilot study sought to evaluate the potential of direct physician contact to improve BC and CC screening rates.

Materials and Methods

A Family Medicine physician telephoned patients on his panel who were due or overdue for BC and CC screening. If the patient did not answer her phone, a voicemail was left; if unable to leave a voicemail, a letter was mailed. The completion rate of recommended screening tests was measured 3 months after contact and compared to a retrospectively identified control population. The change in compliance of the patient panel over 3 months was also calculated.

Results

Direct physician conversation by telephone yielded higher completion rates for BC and CC screening versus control patients, but only the CC completion rate increase was statistically significant. Direct conversation BC screening completion rate: 41.2% versus 22.7% (P = .22, n = 48). Direct conversation CC screening completion rate: 45% versus 13.9% (P = .01, n = 44). The intervention patient panel compliance with screening recommendations increased 20.5% for BC and 10.5% for CC.

Conclusion

Direct physician contact may be beneficial to increase compliance for more invasive screening tests.
Exploring reionization and high-z galaxy observables with recent multiredshift MWA upper limits on the 21-cm signal
Authors: Greig Bradley , Trott Cathryn M , Barry Nichole , Mutch Simon J , Pindor Bart , Webster Rachel L , Wyithe J Stuart B
Published: November 2020

We use the latest multiredshift (z = 6.5−8.7) upper limits on the 21-cm signal from the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) to explore astrophysical models which are inconsistent with the data. We explore these limits in the context of reionization astrophysics by using 21CMMC to connect the disfavoured regions of parameter space to existing observational constraints on reionization such as high-z galaxy ultraviolet (UV) luminosity functions, the background UV photoionization rate, the intergalactic medium (IGM) neutral fraction, the electron scattering optical depth and the soft-band X-ray emissivity. We find the vast majority of disfavoured models to already be inconsistent with existing observational constraints. These can be broadly classified into two types of models: (i) ‘cold’ reionization and (ii) pure matter density fluctuations in a cold, neutral IGM (i.e. no reionization). Interestingly, a small subsample of models inconsistent with the MWA is consistent with the aforementioned constraints (excluding the X-ray emissivity). This implies that the current MWA limits are already providing unique information to disfavour models of reionization, albeit extremely weakly. We also provide the first limits on the soft-band X-ray emissivity from galaxies at high redshifts, finding 1σ lower limits of ϵX, 0.5−2 keV ≳ 1034.5 erg s−1 Mpc−3. Finally, we recover 95 per cent disfavoured limits on the IGM spin temperature of $\bar{T}_{\rm S}\lesssim$ 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.8, 2.1, and 2.4 K at z = 6.5, 6.8, 7.1, 7.8, 8.2, and 8.7. With this, we infer the IGM must have undergone, at the very least, a small amount of X-ray heating. Note, the limits on ϵX, 0.5–2 keV and $\bar{T}_{\rm S}$ are conditional on the IGM neutral fraction.
On the combined role of cosmic rays and supernova-driven turbulence for galactic dynamos
Authors: Bendre Abhijit B , Elstner Detlef , Gressel Oliver
Published: November 2020

Large-scale coherent magnetic fields observed in the nearby galaxies are thought to originate by a mean-field dynamo. This is governed via the turbulent electromotive force (EMF, $\overline{{\boldsymbol {\cal E}} {}}$) generated by the helical turbulence driven by supernova (SN) explosions in the differentially rotating interstellar medium (ISM). In this paper, we aim to investigate the possibility of dynamo action by the virtue of buoyancy due to a cosmic ray (CR) component injected through the SN explosions. We do this by analysing the magnetohydrodynamic simulations of local shearing box of ISM in which the turbulence is driven via random SN explosions and the energy of the explosion is distributed in the CR and/or thermal energy components. We use the magnetic field aligned diffusion prescription for the propagation of CR. We compare the evolution of magnetic fields in the models with the CR component to our previous models that did not involve the CR. We demonstrate that the inclusion of CR component enhances the growth of dynamo slightly. We further compute the underlying dynamo coefficients using the test-field method and argue that the entire evolution of the large-scale mean magnetic field can be reproduced with an α − Ω dynamo model. We also show that the inclusion of CR component leads to an unbalanced turbulent pumping between magnetic field components and additional dynamo action by the Rädler effect.
The multiphase environment in the centre of Centaurus A
Authors: Borkar A , Adhikari T P , Różańska A , Markowitz A G , Boorman P , Czerny B , Migliori G , De Marco B , Karas V
Published: November 2020

We study the multiphase medium in the vicinity of the active galactic nucleus Centaurus A (Cen A). Combined high-resolution observations with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and Chandra X-ray Observatory indicate that the hot X-ray emitting plasma coexists with the warm and cold media in Cen A. This complex environment is a source of CO lines with great impact for its diagnostics. We present the images from the two above-mentioned instruments covering the nuclear region (diameter of 10 arcsec, i.e. ∼180 pc), and we study the conditions for plasma thermal equilibrium and possible coexistence of cool clouds embedded within the hot X-ray emitting gas. Further, we demonstrate that the multiphase medium originates naturally by the thermal instability arising due to the interaction of the high-energy radiation field from the nucleus with the ambient gas and dust. We demonstrate that cold gas clouds can coexist in the mutual contact with hot plasma, but even colder dusty molecular clouds have to be distanced by several hundred pc from the hot region. Finally, we propose a 3D model of the appearance of the hot plasma and the CO line-emitting regions consistent with the Chandra image, and we derive the integrated emissivity in specific molecular lines observed by ALMA from this model. To reproduce the observed images and the CO line luminosity the dusty shell has to be ∼420 pc thick and located at ∼1000 pc from the centre.
Spatially offset black holes in the Horizon-AGN simulation and comparison to observations
Authors: Bartlett Deaglan J , Desmond Harry , Devriendt Julien , Ferreira Pedro G , Slyz Adrianne
Published: November 2020

We study the displacements between the centres of galaxies and their supermassive black holes (BHs) in the cosmological hydrodynamical simulation Horizon-AGN, and in a variety of observations from the literature. The BHs in Horizon-AGN feel a subgrid dynamical friction force, sourced by the surrounding gas, which prevents recoiling BHs being ejected from the galaxy. We find that (i) the fraction of spatially offset BHs increases with cosmic time, (ii) BHs live on prograde orbits in the plane of the galaxy with an orbital radius that decays with time but stalls near z = 0, and (iii) the magnitudes of offsets from the galaxy centres are substantially larger in the simulation than in observations. We attribute the stalling of the infall and excessive offset magnitudes to the fact that dynamical friction from stars and dark matter is not modelled in the simulation, and hence provide a way to improve the BH dynamics of future simulations.
Cosmology dependence of halo masses and concentrations in hydrodynamic simulations
Authors: Ragagnin Antonio , Saro Alexandro , Singh Priyanka , Dolag Klaus
Published: November 2020

We employ a set of Magneticum cosmological hydrodynamic simulations that span over 15 different cosmologies, and extract masses and concentrations of all well-resolved haloes between z = 0 and 1 for critical overdensities $\Delta _\textrm {vir}, \Delta _{200c}, \Delta _{500c}, \Delta _{2500c}$ and mean overdensity Δ200m. We provide the first mass–concentration (Mc) relation and sparsity relation (i.e. MΔ1 − MΔ2 mass conversion) of hydrodynamic simulations that is modelled by mass, redshift, and cosmological parameters Ωm, Ωb, σ8, h0 as a tool for observational studies. We also quantify the impact that the Mc relation scatter and the assumption of Navarro–Frank–White (NFW) density profiles have on the uncertainty of the sparsity relation. We find that converting masses with the aid of an Mc relation carries an additional fractional scatter ($\approx 4{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$) originated from deviations from the assumed NFW density profile. For this reason, we provide a direct mass–mass conversion relation fit that depends on redshift and cosmological parameters. We release the package hydro_mc, a python tool that perform all kind of conversions presented in this paper.
Simulations and observational tests of primordial magnetic fields from Cosmic Microwave Background constraints
Authors: Vazza F , Paoletti D , Banfi S , Finelli F , Gheller C , O’Sullivan S P , Brüggen M
Published: November 2020

We present the first cosmological simulations of primordial magnetic fields derived from the constraints by the Cosmic Microwave Background observations, based on the fields’ gravitational effect on cosmological perturbations. We evolved different primordial magnetic field models with the enzo code and compared their observable signatures (and relative differences) in galaxy clusters, filaments, and voids. The differences in synchrotron radio powers and Faraday rotation measure from galaxy clusters are generally too small to be detected, whereas differences present in filaments will be testable with the higher sensitivity of the Square Kilometre Array. However, several statistical full-sky analyses, such as the cross-correlation between galaxies and diffuse synchrotron power, the Faraday rotation structure functions from background radio galaxies, or the analysis of arrival direction of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays, can already be used to constrain these primordial field models.
On the energy and redshift distributions of fast radio bursts
Authors: Zhang Rachel C , Zhang Bing , Li Ye , Lorimer Duncan R
Published: November 2020

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are millisecond-duration radio transients from cosmological distances. Their isotropic energies follow a power-law distribution with a possible exponential cut-off, but their intrinsic redshift distribution, which contains information about the FRB sources, is not well understood. We attempt to constrain both distributions by means of Monte Carlo simulations and comparing the simulations results with the available FRB specific fluence distribution, dispersion measure (DM) distribution, and the estimated energy distribution data. Two redshift distribution models, one tracking the star formation history of the Universe and another tracking compact binary mergers, are tested. For the latter model, we consider three merger delay time-scale distribution (Gaussian, lognormal, and power-law) models. Two FRB samples detected by Parkes and the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder, respectively, are used to confront the simulation results. We confirm the ∼−1.8 power-law index for the energy distribution but the exponential cut-off energy of the distribution, if any, is unconstrained. For the best energy distribution model, none of the redshift distributions we considered are rejected by the data. A future, larger, uniform FRB sample (such as the one collected by the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment) can provide better constraints on the intrinsic FRB redshift distribution using the methodology presented in this paper.
Quality of patient-reported outcome reporting according to the CONSORT statement in randomized controlled trials with glioblastoma patients
Authors: Garnier Louis , Charton Emilie , Falcoz Antoine , Paget-Bailly Sophie , Vernerey Dewi , Jary Marine , Ducray François , Curtit Elsa
Published: November 2020

Background

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) represent the best evidence in oncology research. Glioblastoma is the most frequent and deadly primary brain tumor, affecting health-related quality of life. An important end point is patient-reported outcomes (PROs). There are no data regarding how well publications of glioblastoma RCTs report PROs. A specific PRO extension of the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement was created to improve the quality of reporting. The aim of this study was to evaluate adherence to the CONSORT-PRO statement in reporting RCTs addressing the treatment of patients with glioblastoma. PRO analysis methodology was explored and criteria associated with higher quality of reporting were investigated.

Methods

From PubMed/MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library databases, all phase 2 and 3 RCTs related to glioblastoma published between 1995 and 2018 were reviewed according to the CONSORT-PRO statements. An overall quality score on a 0 to 100 scale was defined based on these criteria and factors associated with this score were identified.

Results

Forty-four RCTs were identified as relevant according to predefined criteria. The median overall quality score was 26. No difference was observed regarding reporting quality over the years. CONSORT-PRO items concerning data collection and analysis were poorly reported. Thirty-four trials (77%) used longitudinal data. The most frequent statistical method for PROs analysis was the mean change from baseline (63%). Factors associated with improved overall quality score were the presence of a secondary publication dedicated to PROs results, the statement of any targeted dimensions, and when trials reported results using multiple methods.

Conclusion

Despite the importance of measuring PROs in patients with glioblastoma, employment of the CONSORT-PRO statement is poor in RCTs.
Prevalence of Young Adult Vaping, Substance Vaped, and Purchase Location Across Five Categories of Vaping Devices
Authors: Cwalina Sam N , Braymiller Jessica L , Leventhal Adam M , Unger Jennifer B , McConnell Rob , Barrington-Trimis Jessica L
Published: November 2020

Introduction

The rapidly evolving landscape of vaping devices has complicated analyses of use patterns among youth and young adults. The current study describes the prevalence of use, substances vaped, and purchasing behaviors across five different vaping device categories.

Aims and Methods

Participants (n = 2505; mean age = 19.2, SD = 0.46) from a cohort in the Los Angeles area completed web-based surveys from June 2018 to October 2019. For each of four device type categories depicted via digital images (any pod-style vape, cigalike, box-mod, vape pen) and for JUUL specifically, participants reported ever and past 30-day use, substance vaped (mostly nicotine, nicotine and tetrahydrocannabinol [THC], mostly THC, neither), ownership of device (yes/no), where they obtained that device (eg, purchased themselves, from a friend), and if purchased, purchase location (eg, vape shop, online).

Results

Overall, 44.9% reported ever use, and 26.2% reported past 30-day use of at least one of the devices. The prevalence of past 30-day use was highest for pod-style vapes (any pod = 17.0%; JUUL = 15.1%). Among respondents who reported ever owning any device (n = 643 [25.7%]), 59.9% reported purchasing the device themselves, despite not being of legal purchasing age (15.4% of total sample); across all device types, products were most often purchased in vape shops or online.

Conclusions

Across all devices, the prevalence of self-purchase of vaping devices among underage young adults in the Los Angeles area was high, and most were purchased from a vape shop or online. Tobacco control policies to prevent underage purchase of tobacco products—particularly among never smokers—are needed.

Implications

A high proportion of underage young adults reported owning their own vaping device and having purchased it themselves from a vape shop or online. Stronger tobacco control policies and better enforcement efforts are needed to successfully prevent underage purchase of tobacco products.
Our Love Affair with Drugs
Authors: Winter Jerrold
Published: November 2020

Prescription, illicit, and recreational drugs touch all of our lives yet a basic understanding of these chemicals is largely absent among Americans. Jerrold Winter offers a comprehensive account of psychoactive drugs, chemicals which influence our brains in myriad ways. Manifestations of their influence on the brain are quite varied. There may be the comfort provided by opioids to those who are dying or in pain or, in everyday life, the surge of contentment for the users of caffeine, nicotine, heroin, alcohol, or marijuana upon the taking of their drug of choice. Turning to the more exotic, a drug such as LSD may alter the way the world looks to us; it may even inspire thoughts of God. Adding to the purely scientific questions which confront us are the ways in which our society chooses to respond to the presence of psychoactive drugs. Should they be banned and their users sent to prison, tolerated as a reflection of man's eternal search for an escape from anxiety, pain, and the monotony of daily life, or celebrated as therapeutically useful agents? Our Love Affair with Drugs is written for experts and novices alike. There are stories of, for example, how Timothy Leary caused the repeal of the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937. Readers will learn of the transformation by Sir Charles Locock of a drug intended to dampen female sexual activity into the first effective drug for the treatment of the ancient disease of epilepsy. Alexander Shulgin's love of psychoactive drugs and his unconventional research practices illuminate the story of methylenedioxymethamphetamine, a.k.a. Ecstasy, a drug now likely to find value in treating veterans and others suffering post-traumatic distress disorder. Winter links the excitement of drug discovery with the very practical matter of balancing the benefits and risks of these drugs.
Virtual Reality for Assessment of Episodic Memory in Normal and Pathological Aging
Authors: Plancher Gaën , Piolino Pascale
Published: November 2020

Memory is one of the most important cognitive functions in a person’s life. Memory is essential for recalling personal memories and for performing many everyday tasks, such as reading, playing music, returning home, and planning future actions, and, more generally, memory is crucial for interacting with the world. Determining how humans encode, store, and retrieve memories has a long scientific history, beginning with the classical research by Ebbinghaus in the late 20th century (Ebbinghaus, 1964). Since this seminal work, the large number of papers published in the domain of memory testifies that understanding memory is one of the most important challenges in cognitive neurosciences. With population growth and population aging, understanding memory failures both in the healthy elderly and in neurological and psychiatric conditions is a major societal issue. A substantial body of evidence, mainly from double dissociations observed in neuropsychological patients, has led researchers to consider memory not as a unique entity but as comprising several forms with distinct neuroanatomical substrates (Squire, 2004). With reference to long-term memory, episodic memory may be described as the conscious recollection of personal events combined with their phenomenological and spatiotemporal encoding contexts, such as recollecting one’s wedding day with all the contextual details (Tulving, 2002). Episodic memory is typically opposed to semantic memory, which is viewed as a system dedicated to the storage of facts and general decontextualized knowledge (e.g., Paris is the capital of France), including also the mental lexicon. Episodic memory was initially defined by Tulving as a memory system specialized in storing specific experiences in terms of what happened and where and when it happened (Tulving, 1972). Later, phenomenological processes were associated with the retrieval of memories (Tulving, 2002). Episodic memory is assumed to depend on the self, and involves mental time travel and a sense of reliving the original encoding context that includes autonoetic awareness (i.e., the awareness that this experience happened to oneself, is not happening now, and is part of one’s personal history).
Multimodal Biomarkers to Discriminate Cognitive State
Authors: Quatieri Thomas F. , Williamson James R.
Published: November 2020

Multimodal biomarkers based on behavioral, neurophysiological, and cognitive measurements have recently increased in popularity for the detection of cognitive stress and neurologically based disorders. Such conditions significantly and adversely affect human performance and quality of life in a large fraction of the world’s population. Example modalities used in detection of these conditions include speech, facial expression, physiology, eye tracking, gait, and electroencephalography (EEG). Toward the goal of finding simple, noninvasive means to detect, predict, and monitor cognitive stress and neurological conditions, MIT Lincoln Laboratory is developing biomarkers that satisfy three criteria. First, we seek biomarkers that reflect core components of cognitive status, such as work­ing memory capacity, processing speed, attention, and arousal. Second, and as importantly, we seek biomarkers that reflect timing and coordination relations both within components of each modality and across different modalities. This is based on the hypothesis that neural coordination across different parts of the brain is essential in cognition. An example of timing and coordination within a modality is the set of finely timed and synchronized physiological components of speech production, whereas an example of coordination across modalities is the timing and synchrony that occur between speech and facial expression during speaking. Third, we seek multimodal biomarkers that contribute in a complementary fashion under various channel and background conditions. In this chapter, as an illustration of the biomarker approach, we focus on cognitive stress and the particular case of detecting different cognitive load levels. We also briefly show how similar feature-extraction principles can be applied to a neurological condition through the example of major depressive disorder (MDD). MDD is one of several neuropsychiatric disorders where multimodal biomarkers based on principles of timing and coordination are important for detection (Cummins et al., 2015; Helfer et al., 2014; Quatieri & Malyska, 2012; Trevino, Quatieri, & Malyska, 2011; Williamson, Quatieri, Helfer, Ciccarelli, & Mehta, 2014; Williamson et al., 2013, 2015; Yu, Quatieri, Williamson, & Mundt, 2014).
Computational Neuropsychology
Authors: Parsons Thomas D. , Kane Robert L.
Published: November 2020

Other chapters in this volume focus on the use of technology to enhance and expand the field of neuropsychology. Some of the enhancements are natural outgrowths of trends present in society at large and involve updating the assessment process to make it more efficient and reliable. Computerized approaches to assessment frequently use off-the-shelf technology, in some cases to administer traditional style tests, while in others to present tasks not readily accomplished with test booklets and paper (see Section II of this book on “Beyond Paper-and-Pencil Assessment”). The computer has also permitted the implementation of new testing paradigms such as scenario-based assessment and the use of virtual reality (see Section III: “Domain and Scenario-based Assessment”). The use of the computer has also made possible efforts to expand access to care through the development of efficient test batteries and telemedicine-based assessment (see Chapter 5 on Teleneuropsychology). The use of computers, the ability to implement life-like scenarios in a controlled environment, and tele­medicine will also expand available approaches to cognitive remediation with cellphones augmenting the ability of individuals to engage in self-monitoring. The integration of neuroimaging into the assessment process was clearly presented in the chapter in this volume by Erin Bigler (see also Section IV of this book on “Integrating Cognitive Assessment with Biological Metrics”). An addi­tional role for neuroimaging is the use of its ever evolving techniques and methods to model neural networks and to refine our understanding of how the brain works and how best to conceptualize cognitive domains. Both neuroimaging to model neural networks and the role of neuroinformatics will be discussed in the remaining sections of this chapter on some prospects for a future computational neuropsychology. Technological advances in neuroimaging of brain structure and function offer great potential for revolutionizing neuropsychology (Bilder, 2011). While neuroimaging has taken advantage of advances in computerization and neuroinfor­matics, neuropsychological assessments are outmoded and reflect nosological attempts at classification that occurred prior to contemporary neuroimaging (see Chapter 13 in this volume).
Iconic Architecture and Capitalist Globalization
Authors: Sklair Leslie
Published: November 2020

In previous publications I have set out a theoretical framework to guide substantive research on this qualitatively new phase of capitalism in global perspective (Sklair 2001, 2002). This framework identifies the basic unit of analysis as transnational practices, practices that cross existing state bor­ders and whose agents and institutions include combinations of non- state and state actors (sometimes overlapping categories), at the local, urban, national, international, transnational, and global levels. The key players in the economic sphere are the major transnational corporations; the politi­cal sphere is dominated by the transnational capitalist class (TCC); and in the culture-ideology sphere consumerism dominates. The general problem with capitalism, intensified in the era of capitalist globalization, is that it cannot resolve two crises inherent in capitalism as a mode of production and social organization, namely, class polarization and ecological unsustainability. Class polarization is the consequence of the growing numbers of the very rich, the persistence of very large numbers of very poor people, increasing economic insecurity of those in between and widening gaps be­tween the very rich and the rest. The ecological crisis is the consequence of the culture-ideology of consumerism, characterized by an obsession with unlimited growth serviced by a destructive fossil- fuel energy system, de­fined as an addiction to more and more possessions and to constantly novel experiences (Sklair 2002: esp. 48–53, 2009a; D’Alisa et al. 2014). These are the conditions under which almost everyone in the world today must live. Architecture has not been exempt from the general pressures exerted by the rise of capitalist globalization. The Icon Project in architecture and urban design driven by the TCC is one important weapon in the struggle to create and solidify capitalist hegemony in the global era. To document and explain how this process works in the field of architecture and urban design is the object of the book. In the pre-global era, the centuries before the start of the electronic revolution in the 1960s, what we now term iconic architec­ture tended to be the preserve of religious or political elites (Kostof 2000).
Heavy, Superheavy . . . Quo Vadis?
Authors: Karol Paul J.
Published: November 2020

Uranium was Discovered in 1789 by the German chemist Martin Heinrich Klaproth in pitchblende ore from Joachimsthal, a town now in the Czech Republic. Nearly a century later, the Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev placed uranium at the end of his periodic table of the chemical elements. A century ago, Moseley used x-ray spectroscopy to set the atomic number of uranium at 92, making it the heaviest element known at the time. This chapter will deal with the quest to explore that limit and heavy and superheavy elements, and provide an update on where continuation of the periodic table is headed and some of the significant changes in its appearance and interpretation that may be necessary. Our use of the term “heavy elements” differs from that of astrophysicists who refer to elements above helium as heavy elements. The meaning of the term “superheavy” element is still not exactly agreed upon and has changed over the past several decades. “Ultraheavy” is occasionally used. Interestingly, there is no formal definition of “periodic table” by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) in their glossary of definitions: the “Gold Book.” But there are plenty of definitions in the general literature—including Wikipedia, the collaborative, free, internet encyclopedia which calls the “periodic table” a “tabular arrangement of the chemical elements, organized on the basis of their atomic numbers, electron configurations (electron shell model), and recurring chemical properties. Elements are presented in order of increasing atomic number (the number of protons in the nucleus).” IUPAC’s first definition of a “chemical element” is: “A species of atoms; all atoms with the same number of protons in the atomic nucleus.” Their definition of atom: “the smallest particle still characterizing a chemical element. It consists of a nucleus of positive charge (Z is the proton number and e the elementary charge) carrying almost all its mass (more than 99.9%) and Z electrons determining its size.”
The Periodic System: A Mathematical Approach
Authors: Restrepo Guillermo
Published: November 2020

The Periodic Table, Despite its near 150 years, is still a vital scientific construct. Two instances of this vitality are the recent formulation of a periodic table of protein complexes (Ahnert et al. 2015) and the announcement of four new chemical elements (Van Noorden 2016). “Interestingly, there is no formal definition of ‘Periodic Table’,” claims Karol (2017) in his chapter of the current volume. And even worse, the related concepts that come into play when referring to the periodic table (such as periodic law, chemical element, periodic system, and some others) overlap, leading to confusion. In this chapter we explore the meaning of the periodic table and of some of its related terms. In so doing we highlight a few common mistakes that arise from confusion of those terms and from misinterpretation of others. By exploring the periodic table, we analyze its mathematics and discuss a recent comment by Hoffmann (2015): “No one in my experience tries to prove [the periodic table] wrong, they just want to find some underlying reason why it is right.” We claim that if the periodic table were “wrong,” its structure would be variable; however the test of the time, including similarity studies, show that it is rather invariable. An approach to the structure of the periodic system we follow in this chapter is through similarity. In so doing we review seven works addressing the similarity of chemical elements accounting for different number of elements and using different properties, either chemical or physical ones. The concept of “chemical element” has raised the interest of several scholars such as Paneth (1962) and is still a matter of discussion given the double meaning it has (see, e.g., Scerri 2007, Earley 2009, Ruthenberg 2009, Ghibaudi et al. 2013, van Brakel 2014, Restrepo & Harré 2015), which is confusing, leading to misconceptions. The two meanings of the concept of chemical element are basic and simple substance. According to Paneth (1962), a basic substance belongs to the transcendental world and it is devoid of qualities, and therefore is not perceptible to our senses.
Molecules, Microbes, and Meals
Authors: Kelly Alan
Published: November 2020

The goal of Molecules, Microbes, and Meals is to provide an overview of the science of food, exploring all aspects of how food products we purchase and consume come to have the characteristics they do. The key focus is on the science underpinning the appearance, flavor, texture and qualities of food, and the transformations that occur when we cook food products. Every food product is a highly complex scientific entity, and a key objective of the book is to show that an understanding of the science of food can enhance our appreciation and wonder at it. Another key theme will be the convergence of science and art in food, and the history of food, whereby we have known how to undertake what are exceptionally scientifically complex activities such as fermentation, pasteurization and cooking long before the scientific basis for what was happening was understood.
The Climate Question
Authors: Rohling Eelco J.
Published: November 2020

In 2015, annual average atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels surpassed a level of 400 parts per million (ppm) for the first time in three million years. This has caused widespread concern among climate scientists, and not least among those that work on natural climate variability in prehistoric times, before humans. These people are known as "past climate" or palaeoclimate researchers, and author Eelco J. Rohling is one of them. The Climate Question offers a background to these concerns in straightforward terms, with examples, and is motivated by Rohling's personal experience in being intensely quizzed about whether modern change is not all just part of a natural cycle, whether nature will not simply resolve the issue for us, or whether it won't be just up to some novel engineering to settle things quickly. This book discusses in straightforward terms why climate changes, how it has changed naturally before the industrial revolution made humans important, and how it has changed since then. It compares the scale and rapidity of variations in pre-industrial times with those since the industrial revolution, infers the extent of humanity's impacts, and looks at what these may lead to in the future. Rohling brings together both data and process understanding of climate change. Finally, the book evaluates what Mother Nature could do to deal with the human impact by itself, and what our options are to lend her a hand.
Morphogenesis and Evolution
Authors: Thomson Keith Stewart
Published: November 2020

Today developmental and evolutionary biologists are focussing renewed attention on the developmental process--those genetic and cellular factors that influence variation in individual body shape or metabolism--in an attempt to better understand how evolutionary trends and patterns within individuals might be limited and controlled. In this important work, the author reviews the classical literature on embryology, morphogenesis, and paleontology, and presents recent genetic and molecular studies on development. The result is a unique perspective on a set of problems of fundamental importance to developmental and evolutionary biologists.
Mirror worlds?
Authors: Gelernter David
Published: November 2020

what are they? They are software models of some chunk of reality, some piece of the real world going on outside your window. Oceans of information pour endlessly into the model (through a vast maze of software pipes and hoses): so much information that the model can mimic the reality’s every move, moment-by-moment. A Mirror world is some huge institution’s moving, true-to-life mirror image trapped inside a computer—where you can see and grasp it whole. The thick, dense, busy sub-world that encompasses you is also, now, an object in your hands. A brand new equilibrium is born. Suppose you are sitting in a room somewhere in a city, and you catch yourself wondering—what’s going on out there? what’s happening? At this very instant, traffic on every street is moving or blocked, your local government is making brilliant decisions, public money is flowing out at a certain rate, the police are deployed in some pattern, there’s a fire here and there, the schools are staffed and attended in some way or other, oil and cauliflower are selling for whatever in local markets... This list could fill the rest of the book. Suppose you’d like to have some of this information. why? who are you to be so nosy? Let’s say you’re a commuter or an investment house or a school principle or a CEO or journalist or politician or policeman or even a mere, humble, tax-paying citizen. Let’s say you’re just curious. You want to browse, take in the big picture (it’s your city, isn’t it?)—form some impression of how well the whole thing is working. So you build a model. You lay out a detailed map on your living room floor. You add little model buildings and bridges and cars and policemen and so on, and lots of blackboards. On the blackboards you will record information that doesn’t correspond to any physical object—the state of the budget, the weather; thousands or maybe millions of other tidbits. The blackboards are scattered all over. Given the blackboards, you don’t really need the map, the buildings and so on—the city-in-miniature.
The Relationship between the Inherent and the Apparent Optical Properties of Surface Waters and its Dependence on the Shape of the Volume Scattering Function
Authors: Kirk John T. O.
Published: November 2020

Let us begin by reminding ourselves just what we mean by “the inherent optical properties” and “the apparent optical properties” of surface waters. The inherent optical properties are those that belong to the aquatic medium itself: properties that belong to a small sample of the aquatic medium taken out of the water body just as much as they belong to a great mass of the medium existing within the water body itself. The properties of particular concern to us are the absorption coefficient, a, the scattering coefficient, b, and the volume scattering function, β(θ). The absorption coefficient at a given wavelength is a measure of the intensity with which the medium absorbs light from a parallel beam per unit pathlength of medium (see Eq. 1.18). The scattering coefficient at a given wavelength is a measure of the intensity with which the medium scatters light from a parallel beam per unit pathlength of medium (see Eq. 1.17). Both a and b have the units, m-1. The normalized volume scattering function specifies the angular (θ) distribution of single-event scattering around the direction of a parallel incident beam. It is often normalized to total scattering and referred to as the scattering phase function, P(θ) (see Eq. 1.21). Since these properties belong, as I have already said, to a small sample of the medium, just as much as they do to a great slab of ocean, they can be measured in the laboratory. The absorption coefficients at various wavelengths can be measured with a suitable spectrophotometer: the scattering coefficient and the volume scattering function can be measured with a light scattering photometer. The apparent optical properties are not properties of the aquatic medium as such although they are closely dependent on the nature of the aquatic medium. In reality they are properties of the light field that, under the incident solar radiation stream, is established within the water body.
Spoken Natural Language Dialog Systems
Authors: Smith Ronnie W. , Hipp D. Richard
Published: November 2020

As spoken natural language dialog systems technology continues to make great strides, numerous issues regarding dialog processing still need to be resolved. This book presents an exciting new dialog processing architecture that allows for a number of behaviors required for effective human-machine interactions, including: problem-solving to help the user carry out a task, coherent subdialog movement during the problem-solving process, user model usage, expectation usage for contextual interpretation and error correction, and variable initiative behavior for interacting with users of differing expertise. The book also details how different dialog problems in processing can be handled simultaneously, and provides instructions and in-depth result from pertinent experiments. Researchers and professionals in natural language systems will find this important new book an invaluable addition to their libraries.