bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Waveguide-based augmented reality displays: perspectives and challenges
Authors: Ding Yuqiang , Yang Qian , Li Yannanqi , Yang Zhiyong , Wang Zhengyang , Liang Haowen , Wu Shin-Tson
Published: December 2023

Augmented reality (AR) displays, as the next generation platform for spatial computing and digital twins, enable users to view digital images superimposed on real-world environment, fostering a deeper level of human-digital interactions. However, as a critical element in an AR system, optical combiners face unprecedented challenges to match the exceptional performance requirements of human vision system while keeping the headset ultracompact and lightweight. After decades of extensive device and material research efforts, and heavy investment in manufacturing technologies, several promising waveguide combiners have been developed. In this review paper, we focus on the perspectives and challenges of optical waveguide combiners for AR displays. We will begin by introducing the basic device structures and operation principles of different AR architectures, and then delve into different waveguide combiners, including geometric and diffractive waveguide combiners. Some commonly used in-couplers and out-couplers, such as prisms, mirrors, surface relief gratings, volume holographic gratings, polarization volume gratings, and metasurface-based couplers, will be discussed, and their properties analyzed in detail. Additionally, we will explore recent advances in waveguide combiner design and modeling, such as exit pupil expansion, wide field of view, geometric architectures of waveguide couplers, full-color propagation, and brightness and color uniformity optimization. Finally, we will discuss the bottlenecks and future development trends in waveguide combiner technologies. The objective of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of waveguide combiner technologies, analyze their pros and cons, and then present the future challenges of AR displays.
Impact of spirituality on elderly people's quality of life and life satisfaction after acute myocardial infarction: Iranian hospital-based study
Authors: Marznaki Zohreh Hosseini , Khalilizad Majid , Moradi Azadeh , Mamun Mohammed A.
Published: December 2023

Background

As people age, survival after a heart attack can affect their quality of life and lead to a decrease in life satisfaction. After a myocardial infarction, elderly patients may experience physical, psychological, emotional and social changes that affect their thoughts and behaviour in relation to spirituality.

Aims

To investigate the relationship between spiritual well-being and other sociodemographic and medical history-related factors on quality of life and life satisfaction among elderly people after myocardial infarction.

Method

In a census-based cross-sectional study conducted at the Imam Reza Hospital in Amol, Iran, from May 2020 to May 2021, data on sociodemographics, medical history, subjective well-being, life satisfaction and quality of life were collected from 502 participants who were referred at the heart clinic.

Results

The findings showed that spiritual well-being dimensions (religious well-being, [self-assessment of one's relationship with God], and existential well-being, [self-assessment of one's sense of purpose in life and life satisfaction]) were not significantly associated with life satisfaction, but a high perception of both dimensions of spiritual well-being were associated with higher self-reported quality of life. A history of past-year hospital admission and cardiopulmonary resuscitation were significant predictors of life satisfaction, and educational level was a predictor of quality of life.

Conclusions

The study found no significant association between spiritual well-being and life satisfaction among elderly people following myocardial infarction. This finding might have been influenced by the physical and emotional challenges experienced by the participants during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further studies are needed to confirm this relationship.
Molar Pregnancy–Induced Hyperthyroidism: The Importance of Early Recognition and Timely Preoperative Management
Authors: Walfish Laurel , Gupta Nisha , Nguyen Dong Bach , Sherman Mark
Published: December 2023

Hyperthyroidism due to gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) is a rare but potentially life-threatening condition. Optimal perioperative management is crucial for favorable outcomes and prevention of thyroid storm. However, scarce data exist defining the ideal approach to this complex clinical presentation. This case report describes a first-time pregnant 32-year-old woman who was found to be biochemically hyperthyroid in the context of a 10-week gestation molar pregnancy. Despite her biochemical values, the patient remained clinically asymptomatic of her thyroid disease. The Gynecology and Anesthesiology services urgently consulted Endocrinology, and empiric treatment for prevention of potential impending thyroid storm was initiated prior to operative uterine evacuation. After 2 uneventful dilation and curettages with chemotherapy and a transient prescription of antithyroid medication, the patient normalized her human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) level and recovered to biochemical euthyroidism. Other than a pruritic rash that may have been due to propylthiouracil, the patient's hyperthyroidism improved without further complications. This case highlights the importance of recognizing the link between GTD and thyrotoxicosis to allow for timely initiation of appropriate preoperative treatment. Fortunately, the multidisciplinary approach facilitated management to prevent evolution to thyroid storm.
Efficacious Primary Pasireotide Therapy in a Case of a Large Invasive Adrenocorticotropin-secreting Pituitary Tumor
Authors: Tamaki Yuko , Nakaue Junko , Nishimura Fumihiko , Takahashi Yutaka
Published: December 2023

A 41-year-old woman presented with a headache, diplopia, weight gain, moon face, and central obesity. Her plasma adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) level was 25.5 pmol/L (116 pg/mL) (normal range, 1.6-13.9 pmol/L [7.2-63.3 pg/mL]), serum cortisol level was 397.3 nmol/L (14.4 µg/dL) (normal range, 195.1-540.7 nmol/L [7.1-19.6 µg/dL]), and urinary free cortisol was 413.9 nmol/day (150.3 µg/day) (normal range, <221.5 mmol/day [<80.3 µg/day]). ACTH-dependent hypercortisolism was present, with cortisol suppression using a high-dose dexamethasone suppression test. Cushing disease was diagnosed and a contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging scan demonstrated a 36-mm pituitary tumor with right cavernous sinus invasion. Before surgery, 20 mg pasireotide long-acting-release was initiated, and her symptoms rapidly improved. After 1 month, obvious tumor shrinkage was observed, ACTH and cortisol levels decreased, and diplopia resolved; therefore, we continued medical therapy. After 11 months, her ACTH and cortisol levels normalized, and most of the tumor had disappeared. The clinical course in this case suggests that pasireotide may be useful for preoperative treatment and primary medical therapy, at least in some patients with Cushing disease caused by a large tumor predicted to have difficulty achieving remission by surgery.
Effects of Dual-Release Hydrocortisone on Bone Metabolism in Primary and Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency: A 6-Year Study
Authors: Hasenmajer Valeria , Ferrari Davide , De Alcubierre Dario , Sada Valentina , Puliani Giulia , Bonaventura Ilaria , Minnetti Marianna , Tomaselli Alessandra , Pofi Riccardo , Sbardella Emilia , Cozzolino Alessia , Gianfrilli Daniele , Isidori Andrea M
Published: December 2023

Context

Patients with primary (PAI) and secondary adrenal insufficiency (SAI) experience bone metabolism alterations, possibly due to excessive replacement. Dual-release hydrocortisone (DR-HC) has shown promising effects on several parameters, but bone metabolism has seldom been investigated.

Objective

We evaluated the long-term effects of once-daily DR-HC on bone in PAI and SAI.

Methods

Patients on immediate-release glucocorticoid therapy were evaluated before and up to 6 years (range, 4-6) after switching to equivalent doses of DR-HC, yielding data on bone turnover markers, femoral and lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD), and trabecular bone score (TBS).

Results

Thirty-two patients (19 PAI, 18 female), median age 52 years (39.4-60.7), were included. At baseline, osteopenia was observed in 38% of patients and osteoporosis in 9%, while TBS was at least partially degraded in 41.4%. Higher body surface area–adjusted glucocorticoid doses predicted worse neck (P < .001) and total hip BMD (P < .001). Longitudinal analysis showed no significant change in BMD. TBS showed a trend toward decrease (P = .090). Bone markers were stable, albeit osteocalcin levels significantly varied. PAI and SAI subgroups behaved similarly, as did patients switching from hydrocortisone or cortisone acetate. Compared with men, women exhibited worse decline in TBS (P = .017) and a similar trend for neck BMD (P = .053).

Conclusion

After 6 years of chronic DR-HC replacement, BMD and bone markers remained stable. TBS decline is more likely due to an age-related derangement of bone microarchitecture rather than a glucocorticoid effect. Our data confirm the safety of DR-HC replacement on bone health in both PAI and SAI patients.
Neurosurgery and Sport-Related Concussion at the Amsterdam Consensus Meeting
Authors: Davis Gavin A. , Cantu Robert C. , Manley Geoff T. , Sato Haruhiko
Published: December 2023

The 6th International Conference on Concussion in Sport held in Amsterdam in October 2022 was a scientifically rigorous process that included international experts in sport-related concussion (SRC) from many medical and allied health disciplines. The scientific process included 10 systematic reviews that addressed SRC prevention, diagnosis, management, and potential long-term sequelae. The definition of SRC was revised to include contemporary neurophysiological and neuroimaging findings. Outputs from the meeting included the updated Concussion Recognition Tool 6, Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 6 and Child Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 6, and the introduction of new tools, the Sport Concussion Office Assessment Tool 6 and Child Sport Concussion Office Assessment Tool 6. The consensus statement included prevention strategies, the importance of physical activity and aerobic exercise in SRC management, rehabilitation strategies, the role of advanced neuroimaging and biomarkers in SRC research, management of retirement issues, analysis of potential long-term effects of SRC, pediatric recommendations, para athlete management, and ethical considerations. This review also discusses the important role of the neurosurgeon in concussion management, research, and advocacy.
Diagnostic and Monitoring Value of β-2 Transferrin and Transferrin for Intracranial Infection After Neurosurgery
Authors: Chen Yuxin , Ding Yaowei , Zhang Guojun , Yang Zhijun
Published: December 2023

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:

After neurosurgery, intracranial infection is a common complication with high rates of clinical impairment and death. Traditional diagnostic approaches are time-consuming. Early and correct diagnosis improves infection control, treatment success, and survival. Novel markers are used to diagnose and classify post-neurosurgical meningitis (PNM) to overcome the difficulties of diagnosing postoperative intracranial infections and avoid the drawbacks of existing diagnostic measures. The objective was to investigate the diagnostic value of β-2 transferrin (β-2TF) and transferrin (TF) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for the identification of intracranial infection after neurosurgery.

METHODS:

Owing to their symptoms and laboratory results, 168 patients with suspected intracranial infection after neurosurgery were divided into 3 groups: post-neurosurgical bacterial meningitis (PNBM; n = 61), post-neurosurgical aseptic meningitis (PNAM; n = 45), and non-PNM (n = 62). We measured lactate (LA), β-2TF, and TF levels in the CSF.

RESULTS:

CSF LA levels were significantly higher in the PNM, PNBM, and PNAM groups compared with the non-PNM group (P < .05). The CSF β-2TF level in PNM, PNBM, and PNAM were statistically higher than those in non-PNMs (P < .05). CSF TF levels in the PNBM group were statistically higher than those in the PNAM and non-PNM groups (P < .05). The PNBM and non-PNM receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis indicates that the cutoff values for the combination (LA, β-2TF, TF) was 0.349, and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.945 (P < .0001), with 92.86% sensitivity and 92.98% specificity. The PNAM and non-PNM ROC analysis indicates that the cutoff values for the combination (LA, β-2TF, TF) was 0.346, and the AUC was 0.962 (P < .0001), with 89.29% sensitivity and 90.24% specificity. The PNM and non-PNM ROC analysis indicates that the cutoff values for the combination (LA, β-2TF, TF) was 0.609, and the AUC was 0.941 (P < .0001), with 96.36% sensitivity and 82.83% specificity. A Glasgow Coma Scale score ≤8, LA, β-2TF/TF ratio, length of hospital stay, intensive care unit admission, poor surgical wound, and craniotomy were associated with poor outcomes (P < .05). LA and β-2TF were independent risk factors for intracranial infection.

CONCLUSION:

Postoperative cerebral infections can be identified using CSF β-2TF as a particular marker protein. CSF TF helps distinguish PNBM from PNAM. Combining CSF LA with them improves diagnostic speed, sensitivity, and accuracy. LA and β-2TF were independent risk factors for cerebral infection.
May the Force Be with Youth: Foundational Strength for Lifelong Development
Authors: Faigenbaum Avery D. , Ratamess Nicholas A. , Kang Jie , Bush Jill A. , Rial Rebullido Tamara
Published: December 2023

Today's youth are weaker than previous generations, and measurable reductions in physical fitness are beginning to emerge. Without targeted initiatives that recognize the foundational importance of resistance training, weaker children and adolescents may be more likely to experience the inevitable consequences of neuromuscular dysfunction and less likely to experience the pleiotropic benefits of exercise and sport. Early exposure to strength-building activities is needed to prepare today's youth for ongoing participation in varied physical activities throughout this developmental phase of life. The novel iceberg of physical development is a metaphoric image that illustrates the sequential and cumulative influence of muscular strength on motor skills and physical abilities. Efforts to enhance the physical capacity of youth should include resistive skills that improve basic movement patterns and enhance motoric competence. A shift in our conceptual thinking about youth resistance training is needed to alter the current trajectory toward physical inactivity and related comorbidities.
Νομοθετικό καθεστώς για τις εθνικές προστατευόμενες περιοχές στο πλαίσιο της ευρωπαϊκής περιφερειακής ανάπτυξης
Authors: Ζηκούλη Αθηνά
Published: December 2023

Η παρούσα διδακτορική έρευνα αντιπαραβάλει δύο βασικές θεματικές, την εξελικτική πορεία του Ευρωπαϊκού και του Εθνικού Δικαίου σε σχέση με τη διατήρηση και περιφερειακή ανάπτυξη των Εθνικών Προστατευόμενων Περιοχών. Σκοπός της έρευνας είναι να προσεγγίσει όσο το δυνατόν πληρέστερα τις Ευρωπαϊκές νομοθετικές Πράξεις / Οδηγίες 79/409/ΕΟΚ και 92/43/ΕΟΚ καθώς και τους σχετικούς κανονισμούς της Πολιτικής Συνοχής σε σχέση με την αντίστοιχη Εθνική Νομοθεσία επιχειρώντας έτσι να αναδείξει τις ιδιαιτερότητες των κανόνων δικαίου, εξετάζοντας την ιστορική εξέλιξη της Ευρωπαϊκής και Εθνικής Νομοθεσίας και στη συνέχεια τη συσχέτιση της Εθνικής Νομοθεσίας με σημαντικά εθνικά γεγονότα και τους στόχους της βιώσιμης ανάπτυξης. Περαιτέρω, η έρευνα εξειδικεύεται αναλύοντας τα επιχειρησιακά έργα που εγκρίθηκαν την προγραμματική περίοδο 2014-2020 μέσω των Ευρωπαϊκών Διαρθρωτικών και Επενδυτικών Ταμείων με δικαιούχους τους μέχρι πρότινος Φορείς Διαχείρισης έξι Εθνικών Δρυμών της Ελλάδας. Στη διατριβή επιχειρήθηκε η ιχνηλάτιση της προσαρμογής του Εθνικού Δικαίου στο Ευρωπαϊκό Δίκαιο και να προταθεί ένα εργαλείο λήψης αποφάσεων για την επιλογή καταλληλότερης χρηματοδότησης, εστιάζοντας σε μία περιοχή μελέτης, τον Εθνικό Δρυμό Παρνασσού που με τις διατάξεις του Ν.4685/2020 εντάχθηκε στη Μονάδα Διαχείρισης Εθνικών Πάρκων Παρνασσού, Οίτης και Προστατευόμενων Περιοχών Ανατολικής Στερεάς Ελλάδας. Η αναζήτηση μεθοδολογικών εργαλείων σε άλλα επιστημονικά πεδία, όπως αυτά της πολιτικής και της διοίκησης οργανισμών αποτελεί βασικό στοιχείο της ερευνητικής προσέγγισης και την καθιστά πρωτότυπη.
Pediatric residency milestone performance is not predicted by the United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 2 Clinical Knowledge
Authors: Miller Benjamin , Nowalk Andrew , Ward Caroline , Walker Lorne , Dewar Stephanie
Published: December 2023

Objectives: This study aims to show whether correlation exists between pediatric residency applicants’ quantitative scores on the United States Medical Licensing Exam Step 2 Clinical Knowledge examination and their subsequent performance in residency training based on the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Milestones, which are competency-based assessments that aim to determine residents’ ability to work unsupervised after postgraduate training. No previous literature has correlated Step 2 Clinical Knowledge scores with pediatric residency performance assessed by Milestones.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, the United States Medical Licensing Exam Step 2 Clinical Knowledge Scores and Milestones data were collected from all 188 residents enrolled in a single categorical pediatric residency program from 2012 - 2017. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated amongst available test and milestone data points to determine correlation between test scores and clinical performance.

Results: Using Pearson correlation coefficients, no significant correlation was found between quantitative scores on the Step 2 Clinical Knowledge exam and average Milestones ratings (r = -0.1 for post-graduate year 1 residents and r = 0.25 for post-graduate year 3 residents).

Conclusions: These results demonstrate that Step 2 scores have no correlation to success in residency training as measured by progression along competency-based Milestones. This information should limit the importance residency programs place on quantitative Step 2 scores in their ranking of residency applicants. Future studies should include multiple residency programs across multiple specialties to help make these findings more generalizable.
HR TECH IN THE RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION OF CANDIDATES: FROM MANUAL OPERATIONS TO THE TASK’S MANAGEMENT
Authors: Panova E. , Oparina Natalya
Published: December 2023

In modern society, digitalization of the human resource (HR) system and processes is an objectively set need of companies, a vector and format of HR policy and HR strategy. The transfer of HR management processes to “digital” has become a powerful factor in the survival of the enterprise in the ever-increasing “struggle for Talents”, a driver of increasing the effectiveness of implemented HR policies. HR management today is moving to a new level — the “HR 3.0” model, based on the use of algorithms, digital products, cloud technologies, mobile applications, artificial intelligence, integrated software, etc. One of the main directions of using digital technologies in the field of HR management is digital recruitment (digital recruiting). Digital recruiting as one of the most progressively developing areas of HR policy, which determines the practical value of this research. The focus of the article is the question of the forms and possibilities of using various digital technologies within the key stages of the process of recruitment and selection of candidates for vacant positions of the organization. The conclusion is made about the most striking trends in the digitalization of recruiting from the point of view of the analysis of the practice of Russian state and commercial structures. The request for transformation of the spectrum of key functions of a modern recruitment manager operating in a highly improvised social space is indicated. The scientific novelty of the article consists in determining the capabilities of modern digital technologies in the search and selection of candidates.
Zaufanie w relacjach uczniów i nauczycieli w rzeczywistości hybrydalnej
Authors: Groenwald Maria
Published: December 2023

The paper considers selected aspects of trust in relationships between students and teachers established in a hybrid environment. An analysis of existing data – from research reports and source literature – has been conducted according to David Tripp’s ‘critical incidents’ approach. It allowed for the identification of confidence as a basic value connecting participants of hybrid education, which transforms, however, very easily into distrust, otherwise currently dominant in their relationships. Attention was drawn to mutuality and its significant role in shaping confidence – both its creation and preservation as well as in leading to its destruction.
Widening the learning lens
Authors: Dubiel Jan
Published: December 2023

While they might be complex, children's learning behaviours need to be established as part of an early years curriculum, explains Jan Dubiel
Estimating Battery Size Requirements for Tractor Electrification of Row-Crop Planting Operations
Authors: Liew CheeTown , Donesky Andrew , Freyhof Mark , Tempelmeyer Ian , Pitla Santosh Kumar
Published: December 2023

Highlights

Calculate and compare engine power needed for row-crop planting from ASAE standards and reported CAN data.

Estimate energy requirements and the equivalent electric battery’s volume and mass for row-crop tractor.

Discuss the feasibility for electrification of a fully electric row-crop tractor.

Abstract. Power sources such as batteries, used for both on-road and off-road vehicles, are advancing at a rapid pace. Electric batteries are becoming more power dense, thus allowing them to be used as a power source to replace previous diesel or gasoline-powered systems. Efforts are underway to transition off-road agricultural vehicles from Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs); however, the energy requirements of typical agricultural field operations need to be fully understood before such a transition can occur. Theoretical prediction equations available in the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) standards or the use of engine load data from a tractor’s Controller Area Network (CAN) bus are two methods for determining the energy demands of implements on tractors. In this study, tractor CAN bus data was collected from multiple no-till corn planting operations to estimate the energy requirements of the planting operation in kWh. The estimated energy requirement was used to determine the equivalent physical mass and volume of a lithium-ion battery needed to power a hypothetical fully electric tractor for comparable planting operations. The estimated battery capacities using the worst-case field-use scenario in this study were 1117 kWh for operating a 16-row planter to plant 68 ha (168 acre) in a day at an average ground speed of 8.6 km h-1 (5.4 mph) for 14 hours, and 2658 kWh for operating a 48-row planter to plant 158 ha (391 acre) in a day at an average ground speed of 8.9 km h-1 (5.6 mph) for 15 hours. Given the current battery energy density requirements, the equivalent battery masses and volumes were found to be 5,319 kg and 3.33 m3, 12,657 kg and 7.93 m3, for 16-row planter and 48-row planter, respectively. These high kWh estimates needed to power future fully-electric tractor power units are based on worst-case scenarios that could be encountered in real field operations that use wide planters over long operating hours. Keywords: Battery, Controller Area Network, Electric Vehicles, Electrification, No-till, Planting, Row-crop, Tractor.
Non-destructive Assessment of White Striping in Broiler Breast Meat Using Structured-Illumination Reflectance Imaging with Deep Learning
Authors: Olaniyi Ebenezer , Lu Yuzhen , Sukumaran Anuraj Theradiyil , Jarvis Tessa , Rowe Clinton
Published: December 2023

Highlights

Broiler breast meat with white striping (WS) was imaged under sinusoidally modulated structured illumination.

Amplitude component (AC) images resolved better WS characteristics than direct component (DC) images.

Models built on deep features classified meat samples into 2 and 3 classes according to WS severity.

The AC images consistently outperformed the DC images and achieved the best accuracy of 96.6% in 2-class modeling.

Abstract. Visual inspection is the prevailing practice in the industry for assessing white striping (WS) in broiler breast meat. However, this approach is subjective, laborious, and prone to error. Several studies have utilized imaging technology under uniform illumination; however, detecting defects, such as WS, remains challenging. This study investigated the efficacy of the emerging structured illumination reflectance imaging (SIRI) combined with deep learning (DL) for the WS assessment of broiler meat. Broiler fillets with varying degrees of WS were imaged using a custom-assembled monochromatic SIRI system (0.05-0.40 cycles/mm). The acquired SIRI pattern images were demodulated into direct components (DC) and amplitude components (AC) at each spatial frequency. Pre-trained DL models, including two Very Deep Convolutional Networks (VGG16 and VGG19) and two Densely Connected Convolutional Neural Networks (DenseNet121 and DensetNet201), were evaluated as fine-tuned end-to-end classifiers and feature extractors separately to differentiate the meat samples. Fine-tuned VGG16 resulted in the best 2-class and 3-class classification accuracies of 94.5% and 74.6%, respectively, based on the AC images at 0.30 cycles/mm, improving over the accuracies of the corresponding DC images by 10.4% and 8.9%, respectively. Fine-tuned VGG19 and DenseNet201 also achieved substantial improvements of AC over DC images by 12% or higher. Linear discriminant analysis, in conjunction with principal component analysis for dimension reduction, yielded better accuracies of 96.6% in 2-class and 83.4% in 3-class classification, based on the deep features extracted by DenseNet121 from the AC images at 0.40 cycles/mm and 0.30 cycles/mm, respectively, representing improvements of 5.0% and 2.9% based on the features of the corresponding DC images. The SIRI technique combined with DL is effective for differentiating between normal and WS-affected broiler meat. Keywords: Deep learning, Imaging, Meat quality, Poultry, Structured illumination, White striping.
Greek literature in a time of conflict: the Emperor Julian as a writer of polemic
Authors: Hilton John
Published: December 2023

ABSTRACT: This article argues that the writings of the Emperor Julian show that he was engaged in sustained polemic with a number of opponents: Cynic philosophers, the people of Antioch, Christian teachers who criticized Hellenic religion, a Roman senator posing as an outspoken philosopher, and even, posthumously, with members of his own family (especially Constantine and Constantius). In this war of words, Julian employed his considerable erudition, which ranged from the Homeric epics and the interpretation of myth to Classical and Neoplatonic philosophy, in an attempt to refute his enemies and to halt what he perceived as an erosion of Hellenic literature, philosophy, and religion.
Bashing Belisarius: polemical characterizations in Procopius’ Secret History
Authors: Stewart Michael Edward
Published: December 2023

ABSTRACT: When attacking their enemies late Roman and Byzantine intellectuals recognized that words could be effective and sometimes deadly weapons. These authors have left some memorable polemics. Of these, the most famous and widely read today is the sixth-century Anecdota or Secret History by Procopius. This article examines the role polemic plays in the Secret History and particularly Procopius’ hostile portrait of his former superior, the general Belisarius. Capitalizing upon recent advancements made in our understanding of the possible literary and political context behind the Secret History , I suggest that Procopius’ seeming turn against Belisarius in this work, which inverts the historian’s heroic characterization of Belisarius from his De bellis or On the Wars , is best seen as a calculated piece of political manoeuvring rather than as evidence of the historian’s ‘true’ animosity towards the general.
Polemic in Tacitus
Authors: Pomeroy Arthur J.
Published: December 2023

ABSTRACT: In contrast with his predecessors in ancient historiography such as Polybius or Livy, Tacitus avoids attacks on named predecessors. He does claim superiority for his own writings in his prefaces, but on the grounds that he was free from the influences that distorted earlier efforts, such as concern about political disfavour or apparent flattery in a contemporary context. The desire for vengeful self-justification after an emperor, now seen as a tyrant, had died also called into question authors’ impartiality. While the critique of imperial activities has often been taken as the basis of Tacitus’ writing, this paper argues that the most important feature of his histories is the emphasis on the behaviour of the ruling class, the historian’s senatorial peers. The social etiquette of this group is a strong influence on the nature of Tacitus’ criticism and reflects the continuing difficulties in writing about the past even under ‘good’ emperors.
Facing fear in Troades : Hecuba's and Andromache's competing strategies
Authors: Currie Michelle
Published: December 2023

ABSTRACT: Seneca's philosophical works propose that resignation or hope may restrain fear. In his tragedy Troades , Seneca reflects further on the relative effectiveness of these approaches through the 'doublet' characters Hecuba and Andromache. Though the women are not Stoics, their ways of facing fear echo Seneca's philosophical recommendations and illustrate some finer details of managing emotions. While resignation may theoretically seem superior, their experiences reveal how specific circumstances may instead call for hope. Seneca's play reveals his insights on each approach's nuances, including why either hope or resignation suits individual situations and the unique challenges and benefits each offers. The complications of choosing and adhering to a method of emotional control and the importance of using reason as the basis for such control become especially clear through this play's detailed treatment of the women's situations.
Bronze Art, Cultural Norms, and Group Identity: A Group of Late Western Zhou and Early Spring and Autumn He Vessels Analyzed in Their Temporal and Spatial Contexts
Authors: HUA Xia , Shelach-Lavi Gideon
Published: December 2023

A new generation of scholars has called into question the homogeneous nature of Western Zhou
culture and the sweeping imposition of this culture over a large region that covers much of present-day China. Our study contributes to this debate by focusing on a coherent group of bronze vessels
dated to the end of the Western Zhou and beginning of the Spring and Autumn periods. He (盉)
vessels with drum-shaped bodies, bird-like lids, and human-like legs are among the most unique and
artistically innovative artifacts of this period. While these unique artifacts have been found in and
near the center of the Western Zhou polity, they are not associated with the rituals of the royal
house, but rather with those of other aristocratic lineages. We argue that the artistic style of the
vessels was part of the culture developed around the royal Zhou house and in areas close to it,
although it is not strictly representative of the royal culture of the Western Zhou, being instead
associated with minor lineages. A multi-dimensional analysis of this group of vessels, addressing
their geographical distribution, location within their archaeological context, and social associations,
combined with an analysis of their decorative scheme and the inscriptions cast inside them, enables
us to better understand the socio-cultural landscape of this period. Our study suggests that diversity
existed not only in remote border areas or among the lower strata of society, but also within the
cultural core of the Western Zhou polity and among the highest echelons of the aristocracy. Such
processes of diversification are associated with the development of local and regional identities and
with the growth of the political independence of aristocratic lineages during the final years of the
transition from the Western Zhou to the Spring and Autumn periods. KEYWORDS: homogeneous
culture, ritual and identity, bronze art, he vessels, winged animal and human figurines, Western Zhou
and Spring and Autumn periods
News from the East
Authors: Bale Anthony
Published: December 2023

Abstract: The first dateable English printed document is an indulgence to raise money against the Turks. In this essay I take this indulgence, printed by William Caxton at Westminster in 1476, as a starting-point for a reconsideration of fifteenth-century English literary and cultural representations of Rhodes and the advancing Ottoman Turks. The 1480 siege of the Hospitaller island of Rhodes was a turning-point in the production and dissemination of writing about the Turkish conquests. John Kay's Siege of Rhodes , printed c. 1482, reflects the interest in current affairs both at Edward IV's court and at the humanist Italian courts where Kay, Edward's self-described laureate, had spent time. I then introduce a letter from John Paston, describing a Turk in his household, and the fifteenth-century poem The Turke and Sir Gawain , to consider how the Turkish male body was represented. I argue that representations of the Turk in later fifteenth-century England reveal admiration, fear, and a sense of proximity and similarity. Such representations show how the Turk was frequently discussed in cultural discourse, and inaugurate the "Turk" as a discursive representation in the English imagination. The recent turn to the "Global Middle Ages" in medieval English studies has not yet fully attended to the specifics of interactions between Latin Christendom and the Ottoman Turks. This requires an acknowledgment of the importance in later fifteenth-century England of mediated news reports concerning the growing Ottoman empire and the parlous state of Christian lands in the eastern Mediterranean.
Constance and the Holy Land in the Cronicles of Nicholas Trevet
Authors: Brent Jonathan
Published: December 2023

Abstract: Nicholas Trevet's version of the Constance story, most often read in excerpt against its poetic adaptations ( The Man of Law's Tale and Gower's "Tale of Constance"), falls at the middle of Trevet's Anglo-Norman Cronicles (c. 1334), a history of the world from Creation to the 1320s. This article suggests that Trevet's Constance story gains political and historical meaning as a part of this longer world history. The Cronicles uses the "Old Testament" as a frame for the Anglo-British past, positing a certain affinity between Israel and England. That the biblical Maccabees—who had been cast in Latin Europe as prototypical crusaders—play a major role in this project points to Trevet's interest in holy war. The Maccabees help to demonstrate that righteous actors oppose idolatry; the Constance story represents an epochal moment in which "idolatry" is reformulated as Islam. The Constance story further suggests the nation's special place in the history of crusade, yoking Christian England to Islam at their respective points of origin. Later episodes, such as that of the Third Crusade, pick up where the Constance story leaves off, with Plantagenet kings continuing the work of their Maccabean forebears. Like the Maccabees, however, England's righteous kings are threatened by the treachery of their co-religionists. That Trevet highlights such fissures within "Christendom" points to the rhetorical environment of 1330s geopolitics, a time when religious authority facilitated English nation-building and the prospect of an Anglo-French crusade was intractably connected to more local projects of regnal expansion.
Thomas Hoccleve of London: New Evidence of Hoccleve's Family and Finances
Authors: Schieberle Misty
Published: December 2023

Abstract: Building on the 2014 identification by Estelle Stubbs and Linne Mooney of Thomas Hoccleve's father as the London draper "William Occlyf," this article presents more records that connect William Hoccleve to the prominent Londoners William and Maud Holbech. These real estate documents and wills reveal that William Hoccleve was operating as a draper in London as early as 1365, before Thomas's birth; they record his property dealings with Maud Holbech and suggest that William Hoccleve died between 1381 and 1383; and they identify Thomas as being on a clerical career path, lending credence to the claims that these men are indeed the poet and his father, and that Thomas Hoccleve was born a Londoner. This essay places the documents within the context of Hoccleve's marriage and frustrations at the benefice system; examines the care with which Maud Holbech sought to provide for Hoccleve and others in her will; and suggests that Maud Holbech may have been William Hoccleve's sister and Thomas Hoccleve's aunt. These documents establish a previously unrecognized professional and likely familial network for the Hoccleves in London.
Richard Sotheworth, Chancery Clerks, and a Discourse of Books
Authors: Fisher Matthew
Published: December 2023

Abstract: The Chancery clerk Richard Sotheworth (d. 1419) listed a copy of the Canterbury Tales and three other books in his will, making him the earliest named owner of Chaucer's poem. I identify here a manuscript owned and copied by Sotheworth, and also a number of Chancery documents in his hand. Considering the wills and manuscripts owned by individuals connected to Sotheworth, this essay recovers a network of the books and belongings of Chancery clerks. From this network, I demonstrate that a distinct discourse emerges from how Chancery clerks described the books that were their daily business and also occupied them as they imagined their own deaths. The recurring attention in these wills to who bought, copied, and owned books of every type reveals the ways in which Sotheworth and his colleagues conceived of books as things that themselves required narration—as objects that Chancery clerks conceptualized, described, and valued not only for their texts, but in terms of the social relationships they embodied and the personal memories they evoked.
Superpixels meet essential spectra for fast Raman hyperspectral microimaging
Authors: Gilet Valentin , Mabilleau Guillaume , Loumaigne Matthieu , Coic Laureen , Vitale Raffaele , Oberlin Thomas , de Morais Goulart José Henrique , Dobigeon Nicolas , Ruckebusch Cyril , Rousseau David
Published: December 2023

In the context of spectral unmixing, essential information corresponds to the most linearly dissimilar rows and/or columns of a two-way data matrix which are indispensable to reproduce the full data matrix in a convex linear way. Essential information has recently been shown accessible on-the-fly via a decomposition of the measured spectra in the Fourier domain and has opened new perspectives for fast Raman hyperspectral microimaging. In addition, when some spatial prior is available about the sample, such as the existence of homogeneous objects in the image, further acceleration for the data acquisition procedure can be achieved by using superpixels. The expected gain in acquisition time is shown to be around three order of magnitude on simulated and real data with very limited distortions of the estimated spectrum of each object composing the images.
Terahertz dynamic multichannel holograms generated by spin-multiplexing reflective metasurface
Authors: Du Zhiqiang , He Canhui , Xin Jinhao , Song Zhengyong
Published: December 2023

In recent years, metasurfaces have attracted considerable interest for their unprecedented capabilities to manipulate intensity, phase, and polarization of an electromagnetic wave. Although metasurface-based wavefront modulation has achieved numerous successful results, implementation of multifunctional devices in a single metasurface still meet significant challenges. Here, a novel multilayer structure is designed using properties of vanadium dioxide (VO2). Propagation phase and geometric phase are introduced in this structure to achieve multichannel holographic imaging in terahertz band. When the temperature is above 68°C, VO2 becomes a metal and it plays a role in wavefront modulation for terahertz wave. The left-handed channel realizes a hologram letter L and the right-handed channel realizes a hologram letter R. When the temperature is below 68°C, VO2 changes to an insulator, and electromagnetic wave is controlled by gold structures embedded inside a VO2 film. In this case, hologram number 2 is realized in the left-handed channel and hologram number 6 appears in the right-handed channel. Our structure has advantages of low crosstalk, multiple channels, and large bandwidth. This novel design paves a new road for multichannel imaging and information encryption.
Multifocal meta-fiber based on the fractional Talbot effect
Authors: Jiang Meiling , Zhang Mingsi , Xie Fei , Qin Fei , Sun Li-peng , Li Xiangping , Cao Yaoyu
Published: December 2023

Multi-focusing of light is a crucial capability for photonic devices that can be effectively achieved by precisely modulating the phase delay on the incident wavefront. However, integrating functional structures into optical fibers for remote light focusing remains challenging due to the complex device design and limited fabrication approaches. Here, we present the design and fabrication of metalens array on the end-face of a tailored single-mode step-index fiber for focusing light field into closely packed focal spot array. The metalenses are configured based on the fractional Talbot effect and benefit a modular design capability. Light passing through the optical fiber can be focused into different focal planes. With a synergistic 3D laser nanoprinting technique based on two-photon polymerization, high-quality meta-fibers are demonstrated for focusing light parallelly with a uniform numerical aperture (NA) as high as approximately 0.77. This may facilitate various applications such as optical trapping, generation of sophisticated beam profiles, and boosting light coupling efficiencies.
Effectiveness of oral prednisone tapering following intravenous methylprednisolone for acute optic neuritis in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Wilf-Yarkoni Adi , Feldmann Kristina , Rubarth Kerstin , Dorsch Eva-Maria , Rust Rebekka , Urman Ilia , Hellmann Mark A. , Friedman Yitzhak , Lotan Itay , Bialer Omer , Buenrostro Gilberto Solorza , Zimmermann Hanna G. , Leutloff Carla , Schmitz-Hübsch Tanja , Paul Friedemann , Asseyer Susanna , Stiebel-Kalish Hadas
Published: December 2023

Acute optic neuritis treatment lacks standardized protocols. The value of oral prednisone taper (OPT) following intravenous methylprednisolone (IVMP) on visual outcome parameters in optic neuritis (ON) has never been explored. In the present retrospective study, we investigated whether OPT after IVMP affects the structural and functional visual outcomes of inaugural clinically isolated syndrome (CIS)- or multiple sclerosis (MS)-ON. Adult patients with acute, inaugural, unilateral CIS- or MS-ON, treated with IVMP in Germany and Israel were stratified into patients treated with IVMP alone—versus IVMP and OPT. Inclusion criteria were age ≥18, CIS or MS diagnosis according to McDonald criteria 2017, available visual acuity (VA) at nadir before treatment initiation and at follow-up ≥5 months, as well as a spectral domain optic coherence tomography (OCT) data scan at follow-up. Exclusion criteria included recurrent ON, concomitant ophthalmological comorbidities, optical coherence tomography (OCT) of insufficient quality and ON-related escalation therapy after IVMP. The structural outcome was defined as the average retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) difference between the ON-affected and the unaffected eye, while the functional outcome was defined as the final high-contrast best-corrected VA (HC-BCVA) at follow-up compared to nadir. The comparative analysis was performed using linear regression analysis, adjusted for sex, age, and days-to-treatment. Fifty-one patients met the inclusion criteria (25% male). The mean age was 33.9 (±10.23) years. Twenty-six patients (51%) received OPT following IVMP. There was no difference in nadir HC-BCVA between the groups (0.39 No OPT; 0.49 With OPT, P = 0.36). Adjusted linear regression analysis did not indicate an influence of OPT on RNFL thickness or on HC-BCVA (beta coefficient for RNFL difference in percentages: 0.51, 95%-CI: [-4.58, 5.59], beta coefficient for logMAR: 0.11, 95%; CI [-0.12, 0.35] at follow-up. In conclusion, the addition of OPT to IVMP did not affect RNFL thickness or the final VA in a retrospective cohort of 51 patients with inaugural acute CIS- or MS-ON. The results of this exploratory study are currently being re-examined in a large-scale, demographically diverse, prospective study.
What makes a peer? Characteristics of certified peer recovery support specialists in an emergency department-based intervention
Authors: Kirk Mia R. , Dawkins Ashley D. , Wei Xing , Ajumobi Olufemi , Lee Lisa C. , Oman Roy , Woodard Stephanie , Wagner Karla D.
Published: December 2023

Providing brief interventions by certified peer recovery support specialists (CPRSS) in the emergency department (ED) following a drug related visit is a promising method of service engagement and has garnered national attention. This study examines CPRSS’s perceptions of the qualities that enable them to deliver interventions in the ED. We conducted qualitative interviews with 14 CPRSSs working in EDs. Interview topics included how the participants became involved with CPRSS work, experiences working in the ED, how the ED differs from other settings, and what interactions with patients look like. Interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed, and analyzed for emerging categories. Three categories were identified relating to CPRSS work: (1) how they approach peer work, (2) inherent qualities required to do the work, regardless of the setting, and (3) context-specific skills required to do the work in the ED. When describing their approach to this work, participants talked about CPRSS work as their life calling and their passion. Participants also identified certain qualities that all CPRSS workers possess, regardless of the setting, including the ability to build rapport, strong listening skills, and a shared lived experience. Lastly, participants identified how specific hard and soft skills help them to navigate organizational and structural challenges in the ED. The unique conditions of the ED and the required qualities of a CPRSS should be considered when implementing an ED-based intervention.