bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Monetary Policy and Its Unintended Consequences
Authors: Rajan Raghuram
Published: June 2023

A call for an end to aggressive monetary policy and a return to smart growth from an eminent researcher and former central banker.

Central banks took extraordinary measures to stabilize markets and enhance growth after the financial crisis of 2008, but without giving much thought to the long-term consequences. It was a response, Raghuram Rajan argues, that set a dangerous precedent: the more centrals bank did, the more they were expected to do, and the more they ended up doing. Monetary Policy and Its Unintended Consequences looks back at what this meant for where we are now.

A former central banker who foresaw the 2008 crisis and wrote a bestselling book about the risks of excessively accommodative monetary policy, Rajan takes a hard look at central bank behavior and its embrace of increasingly aggressive strategies to keep economies afloat. Despite efforts to strengthen markets, the 2020 pandemic showed economies remain as vulnerable as ever to adverse shocks, prompting large-scale interventions that, in the case of Covid, led to persistent inflation and market volatility. By examining these undertheorized outcomes, Rajan hopes central banks will recognize the unintended consequences of using all of the instruments available to them, which will encourage them to return to their core mandates of low inflation and financial stability.

Monetary Policy and Its Unintended Consequences is the most thorough account yet of the choices central banks have made to meet the economic challenges of our century and why they must rethink these choices.
Categories We Live By
Authors: Murphy Gregory L.
Published: June 2023

An in-depth analysis of how humanity's compulsion to categorize affects every aspect of our lived experience.

The minute we are born—sometimes even before—we are categorized. From there, classifications dog our every step: to school, work, the doctor's office, and even the grave. Despite the vast diversity and individuality in every life, we seek patterns, organization, and control. In Categories We Live By, Gregory L. Murphy considers the categories we create to manage life's sprawling diversity. Analyzing everything from bureaucracy's innumerable categorizations to the minutiae of language, this book reveals how these categories are imposed on us and how that imposition affects our everyday lives.

Categories We Live By explores categorization in two parts. In part one, Murphy introduces the groundwork of categories—how they are created by experts, imperfectly captured by language, and employed by rules. Part two provides a number of case studies. Ranging from trivial categories such as parking regulations and peanut butter to critical issues such as race and mortality, Murphy demonstrates how this need to classify pervades everything. Finally, this comprehensive analysis demonstrates ways that we can cope with categorical disagreements and make categories more useful to our society.
Rational Accidents
Authors: Downer John
Published: June 2023

An unflinching look at the unique challenges posed by complex technologies we cannot afford to let fail—and why the remarkable achievements of civil aviation can help us understand those challenges.

Nuclear reactors, deep-sea drilling platforms, deterrence infrastructures—these are all complex and formidable technologies with the potential to fail catastrophically. In Rational Accidents, John Downer outlines a new perspective on technological failure, arguing that undetectable errors can lurk in even the most rigorous and “rational” assessments of these systems due to the inherent limits of engineering tests and models. Downer finds that it should be impossible, from an epistemological viewpoint, to achieve the near-perfect reliability that we require of our most safety-critical technologies. There is, however, one such technology that demonstrably appears to achieve these “impossible” reliabilities: jetliners.

Downer looks closely at civil aviation and how it has reckoned with the problem of failure. He finds that the way we conceive of jetliner reliability hides the real practices by which it is achieved. And he shows us why those practices are much less transferrable across technological domains than we are led to believe. Fully understanding why jetliners don't crash, he concludes, should lead us to doubt the safety of other “ultra-reliable” technologies.

A unique and sobering exploration of technological reliability from an STS perspective, Rational Accidents is essential reading for understanding why our most safety-critical technologies are even more dangerous than we believe.
The Beauty of Games
Authors: Lantz Frank
Published: June 2023

How games create beauty and meaning, and how we can use them to explore the aesthetics of thought.

Are games art? This question is a dominant mode of thinking about games and play in the twenty-first century, but it is fundamentally the wrong question. Instead, Frank Lantz proposes in his provocative new book, The Beauty of Games, that we think about games and how they create meaning through the lens of the aesthetic. We should think of games, he writes, the same way we think of literature, theater, or music—as a form that ranges from deep and profound to easy and disposable, and everything in between. Games are the aesthetic form of interactive systems, a set of possibilities connected by rules of cause and effect.

In this book, Lantz analyzes games from chess to poker to tennis to understand how games create beauty and evoke a deeper meaning. He suggests that we think of games not only as hyper-modern objects but also as forms within the ancient context of artistic production, encompassing all of the nebulous and ephemeral qualities of the aesthetic experience.
From Geometry to Behavior
Authors: Mallot Hanspeter A.
Published: June 2023

An overview of the mechanisms and evolution of spatial cognition, integrating evidence from psychology, neuroscience, cognitive science, and computational geometry.

Understanding how we deal with space requires input from many fields, including ethology, neuroscience, psychology, cognitive science, linguistics, geography, and spatial information theory. In From Geometry to Behavior, cognitive neuroscientist Hanspeter A. Mallot provides an overview of the basic mechanisms of spatial behavior in animals and humans, showing how they combine to support higher-level performance. Mallot explores the biological mechanisms of dealing with space, from the perception of visual space to the constructions of large space representations: that is, the cognitive map. The volume is also relevant to the epistemology of spatial knowledge in the philosophy of mind.

Mallot aims to establish spatial cognition as a scientific field in its own right. His general approach is psychophysical, in that it focuses on quantitative descriptions of behavioral performance and their real-world determinants, thus connecting to the work of theorists in computational neuroscience, robotics, and computational geometry. After an overview of scientific thinking about space, Mallot covers spatial behavior and its underlying mechanisms in the order of increasing memory involvement. He describes the cognitive processes that underlie advanced spatial behaviors such as directed search, wayfinding, spatial planning, spatial reasoning, object building and manipulation, and communication about space. These mechanisms are part of the larger cognitive apparatus that also serves visual and object cognition; understanding events, actions, and causality; and social cognition, which includes language. Of all of these cognitive domains, spatial cognition most likely occurred first in the course of evolution and is the most widespread throughout the animal kingdom.
MONETARY POLICY AND SMALL MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (SMEs) PERFORMANCE IN NIGERIA
Authors: ILO Bamidele Muzliu , SOYEBO Yusuf Aina , OLOWOFELA Olusola Enitan
Published: June 2023

The Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have been known to play significant roles in promoting economic growth, employment generation and foreign exchange earnings among others, of both developed and developing economies. Monetary policy, on the other hand, actions and strategies employed by a central bank or monetary authority to control and regulate the money supply, interest rates, and credit conditions in an economy. This study therefore, examines how monetary policy affects the performance of SMEs in Nigeria based on the data covering the period from 1981–2020 using the Autoregressive Distributed Lag Model (ARDL). ARDL captures both long-run equilibrium relationships and short-term dynamics, allowing researchers to examine the interplay between variables over time. The study found that monetary policy has not been a potent tool for promoting the performance SMEs in Nigeria
Disordered Eating Attitudes and Food Choice Motives Among Individuals Who Follow a Vegan Diet in Brazil
Authors: Mazzolani Bruna Caruso , Smaira Fabiana Infante , Esteves Gabriel P. , Santini Martin Hindermann , Leitão Alice Erwig , Santo André Heloísa C. , Gualano Bruno , Roschel Hamilton
Published: June 2023

Importance

It remains controversial whether adhering to a vegan diet may be associated with a higher prevalence of disordered eating. Also, main food choice motives and their association with disordered eating in this population are still unknown.

Objective

To determine the association between disordered eating attitudes and food choice motives of individuals who follow a vegan diet.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This is a cross-sectional online survey conducted between September 2021 and January 2023. Individuals of both sexes, aged 18 years or older, following a vegan diet for at least 6 months, currently living in Brazil were recruited through advertisements on social media.

Exposure

Adherence to a vegan diet and food choice motives.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Disordered eating attitudes and food choice motives.

Results

Nine hundred seventy-one participants completed the online survey. Median (IQR) age and BMI of participants was 29 (24-36) years and 22.6 (20.3-24.9), respectively, and 800 participants (82.4%) were female. Most participants (908 respondents [94%]) were categorized with the lowest level of disturbed eating attitudes. “Need and hunger,” “liking,” “health,” “habits,” and “natural concerns” were the most important food choice motives in this population, while “affect regulation,” “social norms,” and “social image” were the less important ones. Adjusted models showed that “liking,” “need and hunger,” and “health” were associated with lower levels of disordered eating attitudes, while “price,” “pleasure,” “sociability,” “traditional eating,” “visual appeal,” “social norms,” “social image,” “weight control,” and “affect regulation” were associated with higher levels of disordered eating attitudes.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this cross-sectional study, as opposed to previous suggestions, levels of disordered eating were very low among vegans, although certain food choice motives were associated with disordered eating attitudes. Understanding the motivations of adhering to diets that may impose restrictions, which include vegan diets, may help tailor interventions focused on promoting healthy eating and preventing or treating disordered eating.
Rehabilitation Interventions for Head and Neck Cancer–Associated Lymphedema
Authors: Cheng Jessica T. , Leite Victor F. , Tennison Jegy M. , Gutierrez Carolina , Kline-Quiroz Cristina , Capozzi Lauren C. , Yu Shui , Krause Kate J. , Langelier David , Parke Sara C.
Published: June 2023

Importance

Head and neck cancer–associated lymphedema (HNCaL) affects up to 90% of survivors of head and neck cancer and is a substantial contributor to disability following head and neck cancer treatment. Despite the prevalence and morbidity associated with HNCaL, rehabilitation interventions are not well studied.

Objective

To identify and appraise the current evidence for rehabilitation interventions in HNCaL.

Evidence Review

Five electronic databases were searched systematically from inception to January 3, 2023, for studies on HNCaL rehabilitation interventions. Study screening, data extraction, quality rating, and risk of bias assessment were performed by 2 independent reviewers.

Findings

Of 1642 citations identified, 23 studies (1.4%; n = 2147 patients) were eligible for inclusion. Six studies (26.1%) were randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and 17 (73.9%) were observational studies. Five of the 6 RCTs were published during 2020 to 2022. Most studies had fewer than 50 participants (5 of 6 RCTs; 13 of 17 observational studies). Studies were categorized by intervention type, including standard lymphedema therapy (11 studies [47.8%]) and adjunct therapy (12 studies [52.2%]). Lymphedema therapy interventions included standard complete decongestive therapy (CDT) (2 RCTs, 5 observational studies), modified CDT (3 observational studies), therapy setting (1 RCT, 2 observational studies), adherence (2 observational studies), early manual lymphatic drainage (1 RCT), and inclusion of focused exercise (1 RCT). Adjunct therapy interventions included advanced pneumatic compression devices (APCDs) (1 RCT, 5 observational studies), kinesio taping (1 RCT), photobiomodulation (1 observational study), acupuncture/moxibustion (1 observational study), and sodium selenite (1 RCT, 2 observational studies). Serious adverse events were either not found (9 [39.1%]) or not reported (14 [60.9%]). Low-quality evidence suggested the benefit of standard lymphedema therapy, particularly in the outpatient setting and with at least partial adherence. High-quality evidence was found for adjunct therapy with kinesio taping. Low-quality evidence also suggested that APCDs may be beneficial.

Conclusions and Relevance

The results of this systematic review suggest that rehabilitation interventions for HNCaL, including standard lymphedema therapy with kinesio taping and APCDs, appear to be safe and beneficial. However, more prospective, controlled, and adequately powered studies are needed to clarify the ideal type, timing, duration, and intensity of lymphedema therapy components before treatment guidelines can be established.
Development of a novel RBFNN‐trained nonlinear channel equalizer based on GDEBOA technique
Authors: Mohapatra Pradyumna Kumar , Rout Saroja Kumar , Nayak Manoj Kumar
Published: June 2023

The equalization of digital channels is generally known to be a nonlinear classification problem. Applications such as these can benefit from networks that approximate nonlinear mappings. It gets good performance by adjusting only one coefficient and one center closest to the input vector of the radial basis function network (RBFN), which is a simplified version of stochastic gradient techniques. Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) are suitable for channel equalization because they have the capability to map between variables. Having only one hidden layer in Radial Basis Function Neural Network (RBFNN) makes it the most preferred equalizer to mitigate distortions in the channels. The ability to equalize nonlinear channels is strength of radial RBFNN, which is a simplified version of stochastic gradient techniques. The conventional “hit and trial” approach poses the greatest difficulty when designing RBFNN Equalizers. As a solution to these limitations, this work suggests a training strategy based on Gaussian distribution estimation strategy (GDE) in hybrid butterfly optimization algorithm (GDEBOA) for RBFNN channel equalizer. The proposed RBFNN equalizer is being trained using a population‐based optimization algorithm. An algorithm, called GDEBOA, based on a GDE approach is developed in this paper. The proposed training scheme significantly outperforms existing metaheuristic algorithms in terms of mean square error (MSE) and bit error rate (BER). Furthermore, based on burst error scenarios and bit error probability (BEP), the proposed method has demonstrated greater robustness than other methods when faced with such scenarios. The effectiveness of the suggested scheme over a wide range of signal‐to‐noise ratios has been validated by several simulation studies. Additionally, statistical importance of the suggested technique is analyzed. It is visualized that GDEBOA performs better than existing algorithms for training RBFNN equalizer.
Positional Isomers of Phenylacridine/Spirobifluorene as Deep‐Blue Fluorescent Emitters for Organic Light‐Emitting Diodes
Authors: Brouillac Clément , Kong Fan‐Cheng , Rault‐Berthelot Joëlle , Quinton Cassandre , Jiang Zuo‐Quan , Poriel Cyril
Published: June 2023

Designing deep‐blue fluorophores with a low CIEy is an important request for organic light‐emitting diode (OLED) technology either for display applications or to develop new applications such as light source with antibacterial properties. The challenge of deep‐blue emitting OLEDs mainly relies on the difficulty to reach efficient emitters fulfilling all the characteristics desired to insure a high device performance with suitable CIE coordinates. Herein, we report on the synthesis, the physico‐chemical properties and the application as emissive layer in an OLED of two deep‐blue emitters constructed on the association of Spirofluorene‐N‐PhenylAcridine (SPA‐F) and SpiroBiFluorene (SBF) molecular fragment. Two emitters, 2,2‐SPAF‐SBF and 2,3‐SPAF‐SBF have been constructed following a similar design strategy. The emission wavelength is tuned by the substitution pattern of the SBF backbone (meta or para linkage). Through a structure/properties relationship study, the electrochemical, photophysical and thermal/morphological properties are discussed. When used as emitter in a multi‐layer OLED, 2,2‐SPA‐SBF displays a deep‐blue emission reaching an EQE of ≈1.7% and a Von of 4 V. The electroluminescent spectrum displays a λmax below 400 nm (i.e. 394 nm) and CIE coordinates of (0.182, 0.054). The CIEy coordinate of 0.054 is low and fits the NTSC and EBU standards.
Fully Open Ring Microcavities Based on Metagratings
Authors: Zhou Ling , Li Hao , Du Junjie
Published: June 2023

Open optical microcavities are crucial to precise manipulation of light–matter interaction in solid‐state and biological systems. However, only open linear microcavities are practically realized, limiting the application of open microcavities in more scenarios. Herein, an ease‐fabrication fully open ring microcavity is theoretically demonstrated that supports simultaneously multiple concentric cavity modes with coupling interaction. It comprises two orthogonal dielectric metagratings, which are a single layer of silicon rods and enable transmitted waves to travel in a negative angle. Except for fully open configuration, the open microcavity also incorporates the advantages of low absorption loss and the compatibility to the current CMOS process. It offers a unique platform for controlling the interaction between light and atoms, molecules, nanoparticles, or biomolecules and will find a broad range of applications.
Photonic Neural Networks with Kramers–Kronig Activation
Authors: Tian Ye , Han Yanan , Zhao Siting , Guo Xingxing , Zhang Yahui , Xiang Shuiying
Published: June 2023

Photonic neural networks (PNNs) are promising to replace conventional deep learning hardware due to their potentially higher energy efficiency and computational speed. Other than the fast progress on optical linear transformer, the nonlinear activators are much less mature. Usually, the optical activators employ the nonlinear mapping from input amplitude to output amplitude, which is limited by high threshold and loss, or rely on additional bias voltage and heterogeneous integration of external circuits. Herein, the activation induced by the Kramers–Kronig relationship is proposed, i.e., the connection between amplitude and phase of the light field, but not purely the light amplitude itself, namely, Kramers–Kronig activation (KKA). PNN with KKA exhibits learning capability apparently better than the activation‐free linear network and comparable to the network with popular activation functions like ReLU, Softplus, and so on. Moreover, PNN with KKA is highly programmable and cascadable supporting ultra‐deep networks. The essence of KKA is attributed to the learning of nonlinear features in relatively low‐dimensional RN × N space by linear features in high‐dimensional CN × N space. Considering besides the amplitude–phase coupling, several other parameters like wavelength, frequency, polarization, etc., can be also mutually linked. This approach may expand to new avenues for optical activations.
Circularly Polarized Spoof Surface Plasmon Polariton Beam Splitter Based on Transmissive Spin‐Decoupled Metasurface
Authors: Wang Dengpan , Wang Guangming , Tang Shiwei , Cai Tong
Published: June 2023

Circularly polarized (CP) spoof surface plasmon polariton (SSPP) functional metadevices, especially those with spin decoupling and hybrid modes, play an important role in modern photonics applications. However, currently available SSPP functional metadevices have the defect of restricted functionalities and single‐working modes for a given polarization, as it is a great challenge to simultaneously support SSPPs with hybrid modes and different wavefronts. Herein, a general strategy is proposed for designing CP SSPP functional metadevices with spin decoupling and hybrid modes based on transmissive spin‐decoupled metasurfaces and angle‐insensitive anisotropic SSPP eigenmode plates (EMPs). The metasurface can simultaneously and independently control the resonant and geometrical phases of the CP waves, and the SSPP EMP satisfies the hybrid‐mode (both transverse magnetic [TM] and transverse electric [TE] modes) momentum matching with high angular/momentum stability of the propagating SSPPs. For verification, a CP SSPP beam splitter is designed, fabricated, and experimentally demonstrated, which can convert incident right‐handed (R) and left‐handed (L) CP plane waves to CP hybrid‐mode SSPP deflected beams and decoupled beams, respectively. The work paves the way for the realization of CP SSPP multifunctional‐integration metadevices with hybrid modes and other functionalities, which can find extensive applications in different frequency domains.
Catalytic Activity of Molybdenum Complexes Bearing PNP‐Type Pincer Ligand toward Ammonia Formation
Authors: Mitsumoto Taichi , Ashida Yuya , Arashiba Kazuya , Kuriyama Shogo , Egi Akihito , Tanaka Hiromasa , Yoshizawa Kazunari , Nishibayashi Yoshiaki
Published: June 2023

We newly designed and prepared a novel molybdenum complex bearing a 4‐[3,5‐bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]pyridine‐based PNP‐type pincer ligand, based on the bond dissociation free energies (BDFEs) of the N−H bonds in molybdenum‐imide complexes bearing various substituted pyridine‐based PNP‐type pincer ligands. The complex worked as an excellent catalyst toward ammonia formation from the reaction of an atmospheric pressure of dinitrogen with samarium diiodide as a reductant and water as a proton source under ambient reaction conditions, where up to 3580 equivalents of ammonia were formed based on the molybdenum atom of the catalyst. The catalytic activity was significantly improved by one order of magnitude larger than that observed when using the complex before modification.
Artificial Intelligence in Ecology: A Commentary on a Chatbot's Perspective
Authors: Reyhani Haghighi Sajjad , Pasandideh Saqalaksari Mikaeel , Johnson Scott N.
Published: June 2023

The potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to shape research and education is a highly topical issue. The recent release of ChatGPT (Chat Generative Pre‐trained Transformer) by OpenAI on November 30, 2022 has opened up new possibilities for the use of chatbot services in ecological research and education. In this perspective article, we address associated contemporary topics including the use of chatbot services in ecology education and academic writing, the application of AI in ecology, the potential environmental impact, and ethical considerations of using such services. Several logistical, ethical and environmental factors were identified that should be considered in the context of ecological research. We argue that ChatGPT can help reduce the workload of researchers, generate new insights and ideas, and serve as a personal instructor and assistant for students. While we show how AI chatbots have the potential to be useful assets for ecologists, several challenges arose. AI in ecological research includes the limited ability of AI algorithms to capture complexity and nuance, the dependence of AI models on data quality, and ethical concerns about the use of AI in research. The construction and operation of such services also have potential environmental impacts but may also provide environmental benefits in comparison with other conventional approaches, all of which should be evaluated. Despite these limitations and challenges, we consider that the use of AI can be a valuable tool in ecological research and could enhance the speed and efficiency of research by automating certain tasks (e.g. data collection and management) and analyzing large amounts of data. However, we emphasize the importance of taking a responsible, sustainable and transparent approach to using chatbot services and AI in ecological research and education, while remaining mindful of the potential impact on the environment, society, and ethical concerns.
Can video‐assisted and three‐dimensional (3D) anatomy teaching be an alternative to traditional anatomy teaching? Randomized controlled trial on muscular system anatomy
Authors: Yilmaz Halil , Güler Hatice
Published: June 2023

The aim of this study was to determine the optimal method for teaching human anatomy by comparing classical laboratory (traditional), video‐assisted and three‐dimensional (3D) application methods for students who had previously received only online academic anatomy education. GPower 3.1.9.4 was used for power analysis to establish sample size. After power analysis, it was decided to have 28 people in each group. Participants were given pre‐anatomy education tests and divided into four matched groups: Group 1: no additional education, Group 2: Video‐assisted education, Group 3: Applied 3D anatomy education, Group 4: Practical laboratory anatomy education. Each group received 5 weeks of education in muscular system anatomy. The pre‐test results showed no statistically significant differences among the groups. The post‐test results showed statistically significant improvement in scores (p < 0.001): group 4; 59%, group 3; 33%, group 2; 9%. The difference between group 1 and group 2 was statistically significant (p < 0.01). The difference between the groups in post hoc comparisons with all other groups was also statistically significant (p < 0.001). The results of this study show that while the optimal anatomy teaching method is conservative, the best alternative is 3D application.
A sinonasal NUT midline carcinoma in an 84‐year‐old man undergoing radiation and proton therapy
Authors: Zhang Katherynn , Laxague Francisco , MacMillan Christina , MacNeil S. Danielle , Fung Kevin , Yoo John , Nichols Anthony C. , Mendez Adrian
Published: June 2023

NUT midline carcinomas are rare, aggressive, and poorly differentiated tumors that must be considered in the differential diagnosis of midline head and neck tumors. Despite the scarce data, proton therapy could be an option for some patients.
Superficial femoral artery–anterior tibial artery bypass with great saphenous vein grafting via the lateral femoropopliteal route for infection after Viabahn placement
Authors: Watanabe Saeki , Morimoto Hironobu , Futagami Daisuke , Kitaura Junya , Mukai Syogo , Kobayashi Taira
Published: June 2023

Key Clinical Message

We report a case involving an elderly man who successfully underwent superficial femoral artery–anterior tibial artery bypass via the lateral femoropopliteal route following development of a stent infection after placement of a small‐diameter covered stent for a ruptured superficial femoral artery pseudoaneurysm. This report suggests that appropriate treatment strategies for device infection subsequent to device removal are paramount for the prevention of reinfection and preservation of the affected extremity.
Distributed nonlinear model predictive control for cobalt removal process in zinc hydrometallurgy considering error compensation modelling
Authors: Wang Qianqian , An Aimin , Tang Minan , Lu Jiawei
Published: June 2023

To address the strong nonlinearity, uncertainty, and mutual coupling in the cobalt removal process of zinc hydrometallurgy, an algorithm based on an improved genetic algorithm (GA) backpropagation (BP) neural network combined with distributed nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) is proposed. This method was applied to improve the quality of the purification solution and reduce the consumption of zinc powder, overcoming the challenges faced by the current cobalt removal process. First, a synergistic continuously stirred tank reactor (SCSTR) model was constructed for the dynamic cobalt removal process. Second, aiming at the problem that a single SCSTR model has difficulty describing the process accurately, based on the highly nonlinear mapping ability of data‐driven models, a method that organically integrates the SCSTR model and an error compensation model based on the GA‐BP neural network was proposed (GA‐BP‐SCSTR) to provide a more accurate online prediction of the process indicators. Then, a distributed NMPC architecture was developed using the GA‐BP‐SCSTR model, control vector parameterization (CVP) technique, and sequential quadratic programming (SQP) algorithm to achieve the coordinated control of the cobalt removal process. Finally, simulation results of an actual site showed that the prediction accuracy of the GA‐BP‐SCSTR model was higher than those of other models. The proposed predictive control method can maintain the outlet cobalt ion concentrations at the set values while achieving accurate control of the zinc powder addition. This approach can provide guidance for on‐site production and eliminate the blindness of manual experience control.
Design and Optimization of an F‐type Air‐Cooling Structure for Lithium‐Ion Battery of Electric Vehicle
Authors: Zhang Furen , Shi Yazhou , He Yanxiao , Liu Peiwen
Published: June 2023

Air cooling is a common cooling strategy to guarantee the performance and safety of electric vehicles, in battery thermal management systems (BTMS). Based on the traditional Z‐type and U‐type, a novel F‐type air‐cooling BTMS is proposed in this paper. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method is used to investigate the cooling performance of F‐type BTMS, and the effectiveness of the CFD method is verified by experiments. First, the effect of the outlet's position on the cooling efficiency of the F‐type BTMS is explored. It is revealed in the results that the outlet's position plays an important role in the cooling effect. Subsequently, the angle of the distribution manifold of the F‐type model is optimized. It is shown in the results that the maximum temperature (Tmax) and the maximum temperature difference (ΔTmax) of the optimized model are reduced by 2.28 (5.22%) and 4.36 °C (89.33%), respectively, compared with the Z‐type model. Then, baffles are added to some air flow channels and the shape of the battery box top corners is changed to further optimize its heat dissipation performance. Compared with the Z‐type model, the Tmax and ΔTmax of the optimum model are decreased by 2.48 (5.66%) and 4.60 °C (94.26%), respectively.
Child drowning and associated risk factors: Findings from a qualitative study in Bangladesh
Authors: Al‐Mamun Md. , Alam Morshed , Hossain Md. Jamal , Khatun Mst. Rukaia , Das Pranto Kumer , Alam Falguni , Islam Md. Rabiul , Ahmmed Foyez , Islam Md. Monirul
Published: June 2023

Background

World Health Organization (WHO) has classified drowning as a major public health problem. The most vulnerable victims of drowning are children from low and middle‐income countries. Previously, it was the primary cause of death among children aged between 1 and 17 years in Bangladesh.

Aims

This study explored the surrounding circumstances and associated factors of child drownings in Bangladesh.

Methods

A qualitative phenomenological approach has been used to conduct the study. Bangladesh was chosen as the study area, and data were gathered using a semi‐structured, open‐ended questionnaire. Using convenience and snowball sampling methods, we have collected data from Dhaka and seven additional districts in Bangladesh. We reached a total of 44 individuals, where 22 agreed to participate in an interview (face‐to‐face and online interviews). The remaining 22 participants were selected in two focus group discussions via the web platform “ZOOM cloud meeting.”

Results

Our investigation revealed several factors associated with child drowning, including a lack of adequate parental supervision and monitoring, geographic locations and environment, seasonal factors, low living standards, peer pressure and risky behaviors, social stigma and prejudices, and natural disasters and calamities. According to our findings, a lower socioeconomic position is linked to a higher risk of nonfatal drowning. Moreover, this research also indicates a substantial nexus between child drowning fatalities and the socioeconomic conditions of the families of the victims.

Conclusion

The study adds to the existing body of knowledge by underlining the associated factors of child drowning fatalities in Bangladesh, which will aid in developing preventive policies. An essential aspect of any drowning prevention program for Bangladesh should be enhanced for community awareness of safe water rescue and resuscitation practices.
Drivers of household antibiotic use in urban informal settlements in Northern Ghana: Implications for antimicrobial resistance control
Authors: Vicar Ezekiel K. , Walana Williams , Mbabila Augustina , Darko George K. , Opare‐Asamoah Kwame , Majeed Saeed F. , Obeng‐Bempong Mauvina
Published: June 2023

Background

Urban informal settlements have been described as the epicenters of frequent antibiotic misuse, which has local and global consequences on the goals of antimicrobial stewardship. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between knowledge, attitude, and practices of antibiotic use among households in urban informal settlements in the Tamale metropolis of Ghana.

Method

This study was a prospective cross‐sectional survey of the two major informal settlements in the Tamale metropolis, namely Dungu‐Asawaba and Moshie Zongo. In all, 660 households were randomly selected for this study. Households with an adult and at least a child under 5 years old were randomly chosen. An adult with knowledge of household healthcare practices was selected  to respond to a structured questionnaire.

Results

In all, 291 (44.1%) of the 660 households reported taking at least one type of antibiotic within the last month before the study and 30.9% (204/660) had used antibiotics without a prescription. Information on which antibiotics to use was obtained mostly from friends/family members 50 (24.5%) and were commonly purchased from a medical store or a pharmacy 84 (41.2%), saved up from a previously used antibiotic 46 (22.5%), a friend/family members 38 (18.6%), and drug hawkers 30 (14.7%). Amoxicillin 95 (26.0%) was the most frequently used antibiotic and the commonest indication for antibiotics use was diarrhea 136 (37.9%). Female respondents (odds ratio [OR] = 3.07; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.199–4.301; p < 0.0001), larger households (OR = 2.02; 95% CI = 1.337–3.117; p = 0.0011) and those with higher monthly household income (OR = 3.39; 95% CI = 1.945–5.816; p < 0.0001) were more likely to have good knowledge of appropriate antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance. Furthermore, bad attitudes influenced participants' use of antibiotics without prescription (OR = 2.41; 95% CI = 0.432–4.05; p = 0.0009).

Conclusion

This study exposes the drivers of inappropriate use of antibiotics at the household level, particularly in urban informal settlements. Policy interventions aimed at controlling the indiscriminate use of antibiotics in such settlements could improve the responsible use of antibiotics. Keywords: antibiotic resistance, informal settlements, Tamale, Ghana
Outcomes and toxicity of concurrent CDK4/6 inhibitor and locoregional radiotherapy for patients with de novo metastatic breast cancer
Authors: Beddok Arnaud , Mouren Victoire , Cottu Paul , Laki Fatima , Fourquet Alain , Kirova Youlia
Published: June 2023

The objective of the present study was to assess the outcomes and toxicity of patients treated with concurrent administration of CDK4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) and locoregional radiation therapy (RT), including the breast with a boost or the thoracic wall after mastectomy and the regional lymph node areas. We retrospectively analyzed data from 27 patients with hormone receptor‐positive, HER2‐negative de novo metastatic breast cancer treated with CDK4/6i and concomitant locoregional RT in 2017/2022. Survival rates were calculated by Kaplan‐Meier method. Prognostic factors were tested with log‐rank test. CDK4/6i was used as the first systemic metastatic treatment for all the patients, and the median overall treatment time was 26 months. The median time from initiation of CDK4/6i to the start of RT was 10 months (IQR: 7‐14 months). The median duration of concomitant CDK4/6i and RT administration was 21 days (IQR: 14.5‐23 days). After a median follow‐up of 19 months (IQR: 14‐36 months), 1 patient died, 11/27 had distant metastases and 1 patient had local recurrence, respectively. The 1‐ and 3‐years progression‐free survival (PFS) were 61.4% (95% CI: 45.1%‐83.7%) and 53.7% (35.8%‐80.5%), respectively. The acute toxicities most observed during RT were neutropenia (44%) and dermatitis (37%). Dermatitis was significantly more frequent in patients with large target volumes (CTV > 911 cc and PTV > 1285 cc). CDK4/6i had to be discontinued in five patients during RT (due to toxicity in three cases and disease progression in two cases). One patient has developed grade 2 late pulmonary fibrosis. Finally, our study demonstrated that concurrent administration of locoregional RT and CDK4/6i did not induce severe late toxicity for most patients.
The effect of real earnings management on earnings persistence and informativeness before and during COVID‐19
Authors: Nhu Le Thi Bao , Diem Tran Thi Hong , Tran Yen Thi , Hoang Trang Cam
Published: June 2023

This study examines the effect of real earnings management (REM) on earnings persistence and informativeness and also considered in the context of the COVID‐19 pandemic. REM is quantified by two aggregate metrics. The sample consists of 2256 firm‐year observations of listed companies in Vietnam from 2016 to 2021. We find evidence that REM is negatively associated with the persistence of earnings and its components, with REM affecting cash flows more strongly than accruals. We also find that REM limits the relationship between current earnings and future cash flows. Furthermore, when confronted with the COVID‐19 pandemic, the effect of REM on earnings quality does not improve.
Taxonomic significance of anatomical and micro‐morphological characteristics of Silene takesimensis Uyeki & Sakata
Authors: Zaman Wajid , Park SeonJoo
Published: June 2023

This study used the foliar epidermal anatomical characteristics through microscopic techniques to compare the foliar anatomy of Silene takesimensis Uyeki & Sakata (Caryophyllaceae). The species is endemic to South Korea. This study examined the foliar epidermal anatomical traits. The leaf morphological traits of the species are essential to distinguish the species from other taxa. The comparative systemic significance of the character species was examined. The epidermal cell shape, the epidermal cell wall, and the number of lobes per cell were among the distinctive foliar anatomical characteristics. The variations in quantitative characteristics were significant. The systematics of the genus Silene were supported by various microscopic methods. The foliar epidermal anatomical characteristics of the endemic species S. takesimensis have significant taxonomic characteristics to differentiate the species.

Research Highlights

Silene takesimensis, a member of the Caryophyllaceae family, has been studied in‐depth.

Valuable insights and knowledge were obtained about the unique characteristics and behaviors of Silene takesimensis using SEM.
Coral growth persistence amidst bleaching events
Authors: Mantanona Hanna C. , DeCarlo Thomas M.
Published: June 2023

As mass bleaching events decimate stony coral populations, production of calcium carbonate is diminished on reefs, dampening their capacity to keep pace with rising sea levels. However, perturbations to the calcification process of surviving wild corals during bleaching are poorly constrained, owing to the lack of suitable techniques to retroactively extract this information from coral skeletons at sufficient resolution. Here, we use novel Raman spectrometry techniques to test the biogeochemical response of long‐lived corals before, during, and after bleaching. Maintenance of high aragonite saturation state (ΩAr) in the coral calcifying fluid is key to driving rapid skeletal growth but would be expected to decrease when corals become energetically depleted without their symbionts. Contrary to this expectation, our results demonstrate that corals upregulate calcifying fluid ΩAr during bleaching and for at least 2 yr after recovery. This indicates that the calcification process of coral‐bleaching survivors is unexpectedly resilient.
Niedervalente Hauptgruppenelemente
Authors: Neubauer Max , Hering‐Junghans Christian
Published: June 2023

Verbindungen von Hauptgruppenelementen in ungewöhnlich niedrigen Oxidationsstufen machen Reaktionen, die für Übergangsmetalle typisch sind. Unter anderem aktivieren niedervalente Hauptgruppenverbindungen kleine Moleküle wie N2 und CO.
Interview: Chemisches Recycling ist keine neue Idee
Authors: Neubauer Uta
Published: June 2023

Die Chemieindustrie will Plastikmüll in einen Erdölersatz verwandeln und so Kunststoffe im Kreislauf halten. Kerstin Kuchta, Expertin für Abfallwirtschaft und Professorin an der Technischen Universität Hamburg, ist skeptisch und sieht noch viele technische Hürden.
Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz: Für immer Hanna?
Authors: Kretschmer Robert
Published: June 2023

Im März wurden Vorschläge zur Reform des Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetzes vorgelegt, und seit Juni ist der Referentenentwurf öffentlich. Die Wissenschaftswelt bleibt skeptisch. Was sind die Gründe und welche Probleme des Gesetzes sind zu lösen?
Kinder und akademische Karriere: Wenn es normal wird
Authors: Tietze Alexandra
Published: June 2023

Lena Daumann will als Professorin dazu beitragen, dass Forschung an der Universität und Mutterschaft einander nicht ausschließen.
Promotionsquoten: Begehrte Doktortitel
Authors: Zbikowski Frauke
Published: June 2023

In Deutschland promovieren mehr Hochschulabsolventen als in anderen Industrieländern. Die höchste Promotionsquote haben Chemiestudiengänge.
Nachruf: Helmut Ringsdorf (1929 – 2023)
Authors: Gros Leo
Published: June 2023

„Ein Hochschullehrer hat eine klare politische und soziale Verantwortung“, sagte Helmut Ringsdorf, Polymerchemiker und bis 1994 Professor an der Uni Mainz, vor drei Jahren in den Nachrichten.1)
Five questions with Carina Sitkus of Lehigh University
Authors: Talarico Donna
Published: June 2023

On occasion, our marketing column will profile a communications professional via a “Five questions with” feature to give you an inside look at what's happening in departments like yours.
Supporting pregnant and parenting students: Legal responsibilities and student rights
Authors: Bowers Blaze M.
Published: June 2023

Countless pregnant and parenting students come to college and university campuses across the country every year. According to the Urban Institute, over 5.4 million parenting students were pursuing higher education as of December 2022. Whether a first‐time freshman or a doctoral‐level graduate student, these students are owed a robust support system by universities and colleges striving to achieve inclusive, developmental, and academic excellence.
Synchronizing lockdown and vaccination policies for COVID‐19: An optimal control approach based on piecewise constant strategies
Authors: Salcedo‐Varela Gabriel A. , Peñuñuri Francisco , González‐Sánchez David , Díaz‐Infante Saúl
Published: June 2023

We are still facing the devastating consequences of COVID‐19. At the beginning of this pandemic, lockdown and non‐pharmaceutical measures were the unique, effective strategy to overcome the ongoing outbreak. After almost a year, an exceptional effort gave the first efficient protective vaccines. Despite these significant advances, new challenges as its mass production and fair distribution emerge. Our work aims to address this balance by formulating an optimal epidemic control problem controlled by lockdown and vaccination but in a synchronized manner. In such a way that the sought‐after solution optimizes the burden and economic implications of COVID‐19 infections and deaths. Thus, we formulate an optimal control problem with a differential equation to describe the spread of COVID‐19. Our formulation measures the efficiency of these controls by a functional cost involving the burden of COVID‐19 quantified in DALYs and the costs regarding vaccination and lockdown. Then we minimize this cost subject to the controlled system and find optimal policies that are constant in time intervals of a given size. To this end, we apply the well‐established heuristic method known as differential evolution. One of the advantages of these policies relies on their practical implementation since the health authority has to make only a finite number of different decisions. Our methodology to find optimal policies allows changes in the dynamics, the cost functional, or how frequently the policymaker changes actions. We show how a well‐synchronized tradeoff between vaccination and lockdown could under‐peak of the outbreak, with a delicate balance to overcome possible economic consequences.
Preparation of high‐performance hyperbranched polybenzoxazine with low dielectric constant
Authors: Lin Hao , Lu Xin , Lu Angui , Yuan Manlin , Xin Zhong
Published: June 2023

A high‐performance hyperbranched polybenzoxazine with low dielectric constant was prepared. A hyperbranched benzoxazine (HTTr‐d) was synthesized from 1,1,1‐tris(4‐hydroxyphenyl) ethane, 1,12‐dodecanediamine and paraformaldehyde through an A2 + B3 approach with p‐tertbutyl phenol as an end‐capping reagent. After thermal curing, hyperbranched polybenzoxazine (PHTTr‐d) was obtained. For comparison, trifunctional polybenzoxazine (PTr‐s) with long alkyl groups was also synthesized. The introduction of long alkyl chains can effectively reduce the dielectric constants of polybenzoxazines. Due to the presence of tertiary butyl groups and the forming of hyperbranched structure, the dielectric constant of PHTTr‐d was 2.59 at 1 MHz, which was lower than 2.68 of PTr‐s. Compared with PTr‐s, PHTTr‐d exhibited higher thermal stability with the glass transition temperature (Tg) of 197 °C. These results indicated that the hyperbranched polybenzoxazine has potential application as a low dielectric constant material in the field of electronic information.