bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Generalized Langevin Equation Theory of Thermal Conduction across Material Interfaces
Authors: Zeng Yi , Avritte Jalaan T. , Dong Jianjun
Published: October 2020

The thermal conduction across material interfaces is studied using a generalized Langevin equation (gLE) theory. A general statistical formula of thermal interfacial conductance (TIC) is derived at the slow fluctuation limit in terms of the time auto‐correlation functions of interfacial heat current (QACF) ⟨q(t)q(0)⟩ and the heat capacityCV. At the bulk limit of , this general TIC formula reduces to the previously proposed Green–Kubo type of TIC formula. Beyond the bulk limit, the TIC of a material with finiteCVcan be calculated using the first and second moments of the interfacial QACF. These statistical TIC formulas provide the basis to adopt equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations to calculate the TIC of real material interfaces beyond the bulk limit, including the interfaces at the nanoscale. The TIC of two types of non‐Markov model interfaces with analytic forms of QACF is predicted by the reported gLE theory, and the results of these non‐Markov interfaces are compared with those of a Markov interface.
Circular prediction regions for miss distance models under heteroskedasticity
Authors: Johnson Thomas H. , Haman John T. , Wojton Heather , Freeman Laura
Published: October 2020

Circular prediction regions are used in ballistic testing to express the uncertainty in shot accuracy. We compare two modeling approaches for estimating circular prediction regions for the miss distance of a ballistic projectile. The miss distance response variable is bivariate normal and has a mean and variance that can change with one or more experimental factors. The first approach fits a heteroskedastic linear model using restricted maximum likelihood, and uses the Kenward‐Roger statistic to estimate circular prediction regions. The second approach fits an analogous Bayesian model with unrestricted likelihood modifications, and computes circular prediction regions by sampling from the posterior predictive distribution. The two approaches are applied to an example problem, and are compared using simulation.
The 2020 Pandemic: Economic repercussions and policy responses
Authors: Orlowski Lucjan T.
Published: October 2020

This paper analyses the economic and financial repercussions of the 2020 COVID‐19 pandemic. It argues that the pandemic has inflicted serious injuries to the labor force but has not damaged the physical capital stock. Therefore, the resolution policies of this crisis ought to be carefully tailored to supporting structural adjustments to the labor market. The analysis asserts that the impact of the pandemic crisis is exacerbated by the identification gap between the unobserved and the officially reported cases of COVID‐19. The gap increases financial risks, including market‐, credit‐, default‐, and foreign exchange risks.
The role of human papillomavirus in the pathogenesis of sinonasal inverted papilloma: a narrative review
Authors: Gupta Rohit , Rady Peter L. , Sikora Andrew G. , Tyring Stephen K.
Published: October 2020

Sinonasal inverted papillomas (IPs) are rare tumours arising from the nasal epithelial mucosa. Most lesions are benign, but a subset of IPs progress to dysplasia and squamous cell carcinoma. Although the epidemiology and clinical features of IPs are well known, the pathogenesis is still unclear. Given the established role of human papillomaviruses (HPVs) in the formation of other mucosal tumours including cervical and oropharyngeal cancer, some have suggested the virus may play a role in IP development. However, the association between HPV and IPs has not yet been proven, and the variable detection of HPV DNA in IPs has cast uncertainty on whether the virus plays a major role in pathogenesis. In this review, we summarize early clinical reports and synthesize recent studies that may elucidate the association between HPV and IPs. We also discuss the role HPV may have in the progression of benign IP to dysplasia and malignancy, as well as potential pathological mechanisms. We hope that synthesizing the initial and recent studies on this topic will not only lead to a better understanding of research in the role of HPV in IP development, but also help guide and contextualize future studies.
Auxiliary model multiinnovation stochastic gradient parameter estimation methods for nonlinear sandwich systems
Authors: Xu Ling , Ding Feng , Yang Erfu
Published: October 2020

This article studies the identification problem of the nonlinear sandwich systems. For the sandwich system, because there are inner variables which cannot be measured in the information vector of the identification models, it is difficult to identify the nonlinear sandwich systems. In order to overcome the difficulty, an auxiliary model is built to predict the estimates of inner variables by means of the output of the auxiliary model. For the purpose of employing the real‐time observed data, a cost function with dynamical data is constructed to capture on‐line information of the nonlinear sandwich system. On this basis, an auxiliary model stochastic gradient identification approach is proposed based on the gradient optimization. Moreover, an auxiliary model multiinnovation stochastic gradient estimation method is developed, which tends to enhance estimation accuracy by introducing more observed data dynamically. The numerical simulation is provided and the simulation results show that the proposed auxiliary model identification method is effective for the nonlinear sandwich systems.
Performance of ensemble‐learning models for predicting eutrophication in Zhuyi Bay, Three Gorges Reservoir
Authors: Hu Mingming , Wang Yuchun , Sun Zhiyu , Su Yuming , Li Shanze , Bao Yufei , Wen Jie
Published: October 2020

Eutrophication and sporadic algal blooms occurring in the tributary bays of the Three Gorges Reservoir in Hubei, China, have become major environmental issues following impoundment. However, predicting eutrophication with traditional methods based on monthly monitoring data remains challenging. In order to explore the potential of data‐driven models in eutrophication prediction and establish reliable prediction data‐driven model based on monthly monitoring data. In this study, two ensemble‐learning models, random forests (RF) and gradient boosted decision trees (GBDT), were used to predict eutrophication in Zhuyi Bay. To address the target, three objectives were solved. First, RF and GBDT used to regress chlorophyll‐a concentrations showed good model fit across two monitoring data sets, with R2 values of 0.809 and 0.822 for RF and 0.824 and 0.828 for GBDT. Second, the relative variable importance plots computed by ensemble‐learning models was calculated for selecting monitoring parameters and identify drivers of eutrophication. To improve model fit, it was more important to monitor key parameters of eutrophication (such as water transparency) than to increase sample size. Third, K‐Means++ modelling was used to partition eutrophication data into discrete levels. For three eutrophication levels, the classification accuracies of RF and GBDT were 0.8936 and 0.9064, respectively. When using only two eutrophication levels, accuracies for both models increased to 0.9617. This study suggests that ensemble‐learning models, and in particular GBDT (firstly used in eutrophication), show excellent fitting ability for eutrophication compared with other machine‐learning models and provided reliable eutrophication prediction method based on monthly monitoring data.
Tissue-specific mesenchymal stem cell-dependent osteogenesis in highly porous chitosan-based bone analogs
Authors: Midha Swati , Jain Krishan G. , Bhaskar Nitu , Kaur Amtoj , Rawat Sonali , Giri Shibashish , Basu Bikramjit , Mohanty Sujata
Published: October 2020

Among conventional fabrication techniques, freeze-drying process has widely been investigated for polymeric implants. However, the understanding of the stem cell progenitor-dependent cell functionality modulation and quantitative analysis of early osseointegration of highly porous scaffolds have not been explored. Here, we developed a novel, highly porous, multimaterial composite, chitosan/hydroxyapatite/polycaprolactone (CHT/HA/PCL). The in vitro studies have been performed using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from three tissue sources: human bone marrow-derived MSCs (BM-MSCs), adipose-derived MSCs (AD-MSCs), and Wharton's jelly-derived MSCs (WJ-MSCs). Although cell attachment and metabolic activity [3-4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl-(2,5 diphenyl-2H-tetrazoliumbromide) assay] were ore enhanced in WJ-MSC-laden CHT/HA/PCL composites, scanning electron microscopy, real-time gene expression (alkaline phosphatase [ALP], collagen type I [Col I], osteocalcin [OCN], and bone morphogenetic protein 4 [BMP-4]), and immunostaining (COL I, β-CATENIN, OCN, and SCLEROSTIN [SOST]) demonstrated pronounced osteogenesis with terminal differentiation on BM-MSC-laden CHT/HA/PCL composites only. The enhanced cell functionality on CHT/HA/PCL composites was explained in terms of interplay among the surface properties and the optimal source of MSCs. In addition, osteogenesis in rat tibial model over 6 weeks confirmed a better ratio of bone volume to the total volume for BM-MSC-laden composites over scaffold-only and defect-only groups. The clinically conformant combination of 3D porous architecture with pore sizes varying in the range of 20 to 200  μm together with controlled in vitro degradation and early osseointegration establish the potential of CHT/HA/PCL composite as a potential cancellous bone analog.
Genetic association studies with bivariate mixed responses subject to measurement error and misclassification
Authors: Zhang Qihuang , Yi Grace Y.
Published: October 2020

In genetic association studies, mixed effects models have been widely used in detecting the pleiotropy effects which occur when one gene affects multiple phenotype traits. In particular, bivariate mixed effects models are useful for describing the association of a gene with a continuous trait and a binary trait. However, such models are inadequate to feature the data with response mismeasurement, a characteristic that is often overlooked. It has been well studied that in univariate settings, ignorance of mismeasurement in variables usually results in biased estimation. In this paper, we consider the setting with a bivariate outcome vector which contains a continuous component and a binary component both subject to mismeasurement. We propose an induced likelihood approach and an EM algorithm method to handle measurement error in continuous response and misclassification in binary response simultaneously. Simulation studies confirm that the proposed methods successfully remove the bias induced from the response mismeasurement.
A Ligand‐Doped Silver Triazolate MOF on the Removal of Diclofenac Sodium via Anion Exchange
Authors: Miao Huixia , Hou Hongwei , Zhang Wenhua , Yang Guang
Published: October 2020

A ligand‐doped silver triazolate MOF{[Ag8(Ph2tz)5.6(tBu2tz)0.4](BF4)2(H2O)6} (AgTz‐1/2, Ph2tzH=3,5‐di‐phenyl‐1,2,4‐triazole; tBu2tzH=3,5‐di‐tert‐butyl‐1,2,4‐triazole), was successfully synthesized by the use of solid solution approach and characterized by different techniques. The obtained material featuring good thermal and chemical stability is isostrutural with an earlier reported MOF {[Ag8(Ph2tz)6](BF4)2(H2O)3} (AgTz‐1). The study on the diclofenac sodium (DCF) adsorption from water by AgTz‐1/2 at higher pH value (pH=10) shows better efficiency in comparison with the parent MOF AgTz‐1. Especially, using AgTz‐1/2 as the adsorbent, the adsorption capacity at low concentration as well as the reaction rate is remarkable among those reported traditional and MOF materials. Anion‐exchange between BF4− and anionic DCF play a vital role on the adsorption. More importantly, the used AgTz‐1/2 adsorbent can be well regenerated and reused for the next four cycles of DCF adsorption while maintaining the structural integrity and the removal efficiency.
A Novel Low‐Cost Approach to Chloromethylated MIL‐101(Cr) Using p‐Xylene as Starting Material
Authors: Gholipour Fatemeh , Rahmani Mohammad , Panahi Farhad
Published: October 2020

The chloromethylation of MIL‐101(Cr) was achieved via pre‐synthesis modification approach starting from p‐xylene as starting material, for the first time. A low‐cost three‐step procedure including chloromethylation of p‐xylene, oxidation of chloromethylated p‐xylene to form chloromethylated terephthalic acid and hydrothermal formation of metal organic framework was applied to synthesize chloromethylated MIL‐101(Cr). The main advantage of this new protocol is the elimination of methoxyacetyl chloride as an expensive reagent which was previously used for the chloromethylation step. Different techniques including nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, GC‐Mass analysis, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), FTIR, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM) and N2 sorption measurement confirmed the successful formation of MIL‐101(Cr) and chloromethylated MIL‐101(Cr).
The Charge Transfer Complex Formed between the Components of Photopolymer Material as an Internal Sensitizer of Spectral Sensitivity
Authors: Derevyanko Dmitry I. , Shelkovnikov Vladimir V. , Kovalskii Victor Y. , Zilberberg Igor L. , Aliev Sergei I. , Orlova Natalya A. , Ugozhaev Vladimir D.
Published: October 2020

A photosensitive charge transfer complex (CTC) is formed between the components of the photopolymer material: the tetra–acrylate monomer synthesized from dihydroxydiphenyl sulfide (TADDS) and a photoinitiator, a cationic sulfonium salt synthesized from diethylthioxanthen‐9‐one (SSDETX). It allows one to perform laser recording of the microstructures in the hybrid photopolymer material using absorption of CTC at λ=473 nm. The 1 : 1 molecular composition of CTC was confirmed by applying the Job's method of continuous variation to determine the stoichiometry. The association constant (KAS(278°K)=17 L mol−1) was calculated using the modified Benesi‐Hildebrand equation. The thermodynamic parameters, such as enthalpy (ΔH=−15.63 kJ mol), entropy (ΔS°=−32.6 J mol−1 K−1), and the Gibbs free energy (ΔG=−6.63 kJ mol−1) were calculated using the Van't Hoff equation. These results indicate that CTC formation is an exothermic reaction. The experimental findings were supplemented by density functional theory (DFT) study of CTCs at the UB3LYP/6‐311G level as implemented in the Gaussian 09 software package. Charge transfer excitations were simulated by means of the time‐dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) approach. The DFT‐calculated spectra agree with the experimental data of spectral and photochemical properties of the [SSDETX‐TADDS] CTC.
Two‐Fragment‐Dummy‐Template Molecularly Imprinted Polymers Mn Doped ZnS Quantum Dots Based Room‐Temperature Phosphorescene Probing for Hepatotoxic Homologues of Microcystin
Authors: Li Yanyue , You Jiaqi , He Yu , Ge Yili , Song Gongwu , Zhou Jiangang
Published: October 2020

Fragment‐dummy‐template molecularly imprinted polymers‐Mn doped ZnS QDs (FMIP−Mn doped ZnS QDs) were synthesized by surface imprinting technique and specifically recognize microcystin (MC), especially MC‐LR, MC‐RR and MC‐YR. Pentylbenzene and L‐arginine were used as fragment dummy template of MC to form specific recognition site cavity. The introduction of dummy template reduced the toxicity and cost of MC as template in the synthesis process. When MC was added to the FMIP, the room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) intensity is quenched regularly, thereby achieving the effect of detecting MC. The two‐fragment‐dummy‐template molecularly imprinted polymers‐Mn doped ZnS QDs (FMIP‐1) have distinct linearly RTP quenching toward MC in the concentration range of 0.0025‐0.0175 nM. The linear relationship between ΔP/P0 and CMC‐LR, CMC‐YR and CMC‐RR were observed with the regression equation ΔP/P0=0.0150+24.70CMC‐LR, ΔP/P0=0.0995+21.38CMC‐YR, and ΔP/P0=0.101+16.96CMC‐RR (where concentration was in nM), with the detection limit of 0.25 pM, 1 pM and 0.6 pM, respectively. This method was applied to detect MC in water and freshwater products. The method have the potential for effective detection of other harmful substances in the complicated matrix.
A Harmonized Applied and Theoretical Exploration for Nanomolar Level Recognition of Perilous F− and CN− by Multichannel Chemosensor: Proposition of Hg2+‐Mediated Logic Gate Imitator
Authors: Mondal Amita , Hazra Abhijit , Chakrabarty Jitamanyu , Murmu Naresh C. , Banerjee Priyabrata
Published: October 2020

An inimitable Schiff‐base chemosensor PMA (9‐anthracenecarboxaldehyde pentafluorophenylhydrazone) was premeditated and implicated with the aim of detecting F− and CN− in semi‐aqueous medium. Highly photostable, multichannel sensory probe, PMA (with 31 % quantum yield) exhibited amusing sensing efficiency towards F− and CN− by dint of colorimetric, fluorimetric as well as electrochemical alterations, with a very low detection limit (76 nM for F− and 92 nM CN−). However, all the experimental outcomes evidenced PMA to be more sensitive towards F− than CN− owing to the more electronegativity and smaller size of F−. The spectroscopic characterizations of the chemosensor along with the sensing studies were performed by more than a few erudite analytical tools, whereas the theoretical calculations also substantiated the experimental consequences. Here the thorough investigation on the theoretical aspect was performed to ensure the effective and plausible reason behind different sensitivity towards these two perilous anions. Moreover, the recyclability of PMA upon simultaneous addition of F−/CN− and Hg2+ also helped to intend a three input logical circuitry.
Design, Synthesis and Pharmacological Evaluation ofN‐Benzyl Linoleamide Analogues fromTropaeolum tuberosumas NF‐κB Inhibitors and Nrf2 Activators
Authors: Apaza Ticona Luis , Tena Pérez Víctor , Serban Andreea Madalina , Sánchez‐Corral Javier , Rumbero Sánchez Ángel
Published: October 2020

NineteenN‐benzyl linoleamide analogues (macamide fromTropaeolum tuberosum) were synthesised, modifying the molecular structure (benzyl position, aromatic ring and carbonyl group). The structures were confirmed using nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry techniques. Cell viability and anti‐inflammatory activity of these compounds were evaluated in three brain cell lines (C8‐D1 A, Neuro‐2a, and EOC 13.31). Regarding the effect on NF‐κB, several analogues had better inhibition potential than their natural precursor (N‐benzyl linoleamide), being theN‐(1‐(3,5‐dimethyl‐α‐methylbenzyl)‐linolethiamide the most active, with IC50values of 0.01±0.01, 0.01±0.01 and 0.02±0.01 μM, respectively. Finally, all analogues activated Nrf2, with the same compound being the most active, presenting EC50values of 0.03±0.01, 0.07±0.01 and 0.11±0.02 nM, respectively. Analysing the link between chemical structure and pharmacological activity, our study shows that the changes made toN‐benzyl linoleamide lead us to obtaining an analogue with greater anti‐inflammatory activity than its precursor and with potential for the treatment of migraine.
Preparation and Comparison of Chemical Properties of Phenazasiline Monomer, Dimer, Trimer, and Polymer
Authors: Hayashi Hideki , Ishigaki Yuzo , Koizumi Take‐aki
Published: October 2020

For the synthesis of phenazasiline with various degree of polymerization, phenazasilinediboronic acid esters (B‐Phz‐Bs) were prepared. Each absorption λmax of B‐Phz‐Bs was observed at longer wavelength than that of corresponding dibromophenazasiline derivatives (Br‐Phz‐Br). Reactions of B‐Phz‐B with monobromophenazasiline and Br‐Phz‐Br gave terphenazasiline (Me‐3Phz‐Mes) and poly(phenazasiline) (PPhz), respectively. The optical and electrochemical properties of phenazasilines with various degrees of polymerization were also studied. The absorption λmax of the compound with higher degree of polymerization was observed at longer wavelength. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) of monophenazasiline showed a one‐step reversible redox process. On the other hand, CVs of biphenazasiline and poly(phenazasiline) showed two‐step reversible redox process and that of terphenazasiline showed three‐step reversible redox process, respectively.
Novel Access to Known and Unknown Thiourea Catalyst via a Multicomponent‐Reaction Approach
Authors: Nickisch Roman , Gabrielsen Solveig M. , Meier Michael A R.
Published: October 2020

Thioureas are frequently used in organocatalysis and typically rely on 3,5‐bis(trifluoromethyl) phenyl moieties motifs to enhance their catalytic activity. In this work, these common motifs were replaced with tailorable functional groups, such as ester or sulfone aryls, applying elemental sulfur in a multicomponent reaction (MCR) strategy for the first time for thiourea catalyst synthesis. First, several thioureas bearing aryl, benzylic or aliphatic moieties were synthesized and tested for their hydrogen bonding strength by evaluating thiourea phosphine oxide complexes via 31P NMR and their catalytic activity in an Ugi four‐component reaction (U‐4CR). Finally, ester and sulfone aryl thioureas were tested in the aminolysis of propylene carbonate, leading to conversions similar to those previously reported in the literature using the 3,5‐bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl moiety, proving that these groups are suitable alternatives for the trifluoromethyl group.
Catalytic Access to Succinimide Products Containing Stereogenic Quaternary Carbons
Authors: Sadiq Abdul , Nugent Thomas C.
Published: October 2020

Enantioselective α‐branched aldehyde Michael addition to N‐phenylmaleimide resulting in non‐stereogenic quaternary carbon containing succinimides is common. Here we emphasize the use of N‐benzylmaleimide with a focus on stereogenic quaternary carbon formation. In particular, the potassium carboxylate salt of either L‐isoleucine (L‐isoLeu) or O−tBu−L‐threonine (O−t‐Bu−L‐Thr), 5.0 mol %, proved effective for the formation of α‐quaternary‐β‐tertiary aldehydic succinimide products in high isolated yield (80–97 %) and excellent enantioselectivity (90–99 %). Furthermore, a carbon‐substituted maleimide electrophile has enabled the first example of α‐quaternary carbon formation with β‐ and γ‐stereogenic center formation in 98 % ee, albeit in 40 % yield (product 17). From the thirteen formed products, six are reported here for the first time.
Estimating software development effort using fuzzy clustering‐based analogy
Authors: Amazal Fatima Azzahra , Idri Ali
Published: October 2020

During the past decades, many studies have been carried out in an attempt to build accurate software development effort estimation techniques. However, none of the techniques proposed has proven to be successful at predicting software effort in all circumstances. Among these techniques, analogy‐based estimation has gained significant popularity within software engineering community because of its outstanding performance and ability to mimic the human problem solving approach. One of the challenges facing analogy‐based effort estimation is how to predict effort when software projects are described by a mixture of continuous and categorical features. To address this issue, the present study proposes an improvement of our former 2FA‐kprototypes technique referred to as 2FA‐cmeans. 2FA‐cmeans uses a clustering technique, called general fuzzy c‐means, which is a generalization of the fuzzy c‐means clustering technique to cluster objects with mixed attributes. The performance of 2FA‐cmeans was evaluated and compared with that of our former 2FA‐kprototypes technique as well as classical analogy over six datasets that are quite diverse and have different sizes. Empirical results showed that 2FA‐cmeans outperforms the two other analogy techniques using both all‐in and jackknife evaluation methods. This was also confirmed by the win–tie–loss statistics and the Scott–Knott test.
Transferring Handmaids: Iconography, Adaptation, and Intermediality
Authors: Newell Kate
Published: October 2020

This chapter examines the intermedial transfer of Handmaid iconography across platforms and contexts, and the mechanisms that facilitate such movement. The author begins with a consideration of the intermedial network established within Margaret Atwood’s novelThe Handmaid’s Taleto show that, even prior to adaptation, the Handmaid is understood as a product of intermedial transfer. The author then surveys the movement of Handmaid iconography in a variety of print- and motion-based media, such as book cover design, illustration, graphic novel, ballet, film, and television, and also in more generalized spheres. The image of the Handmaid transfers through processes of adaptation that interpret visual markers in distinct modalities, each of which emphasizes particular traits or characteristics over others. The emphasis or disclosure that characterizes each iteration is accompanied by concealment; that is, as an adaptation foregrounds one particular modality, it simultaneously represses another. This tension between disclosing and concealing operates thematically and in terms of its foregrounded media.
Building Bridges: The Modes of Architecture
Authors: Vieira Miriam
Published: October 2020

The crossing of borders between architecture and literature has been scrutinized under various scopes. However, the two media types are rarely studied together in terms of “architectural ekphrasis”. The aim of this chapter is to elaborate on this notion by investigating the modes of architecture. To achieve that goal, the author counts on architecture as a medium, as suggested by Patrick Schumacher. Since the limited amount of architectural media traits that are likely to be satisfactorily transmediated by literature are not fully identified by the parameters of already consolidated pictorial models, the author also uses Elleström’s model for analyzing media transformations. The four modalities of media, along with their qualifying aspects, are the backbone of an interpretative framework proposed to explore the presence of architecture in literature. The chapter also leans on the notions of embodiment and perspective.
Competing Jurisdictions: Data Privacy Across the Borders
Authors: Celeste Edoardo , Fabbrini Federico
Published: October 2020

Borderless cloud computing technologies are exacerbating tensions between European and other existing regulatory models for data privacy. On the one hand, in the European Union (EU), a series of data localisation initiatives are emerging with the objective of preserving Europe’s digital sovereignty, guaranteeing the respect of EU fundamental rights and preventing foreign law enforcement and intelligence agencies from accessing personal data. On the other hand, foreign countries are unilaterally adopting legislation requiring national corporations to disclose data stored in Europe, in this way bypassing jurisdictional boundaries grounded on physical data location. The chapter investigates this twofold dynamic by focusing particularly on the current friction between the EU data protection approach and the data privacy model of the United States (US) in the field of cloud computing.
Introduction
Authors: Hardon Anita
Published: October 2020

The everyday lives of contemporary youth are awash with chemicals to boost pleasure, energy, sexual performance, appearance, and health. What do pills, drinks, sprays, powders, and lotions do for youth? What effects are youth seeking? The ChemicalYouth ethnographies presented here, based on more than five years of fieldwork conducted in Amsterdam, Brooklyn, Cayagan de Oro, Paris, Makassar, Puerto Princesa, and Yogyakarta, show that young people try out chemicals together, compare experiences, and engage in collaborative experiments. ChemicalYouth: Navigating Uncertainty: In Search of the Good Life makes a case for examining a broader range of chemicals that young people use in their everyday lives. It focuses not just on psychoactive substances—the use of which is viewed with concern by parents, educators, and policymakers—but all the other chemicals that young people use to boost pleasure, moods, vitality, appearance, and health, purposes for using chemicals that have received far less scholarly attention. It takes the use of chemicals as situated practices that are embedded in social relations and that generate shared understandings of efficacy. More specifically, it seeks to answer the question: how do young people balance the benefits and harms of chemicals in their quest for a good life?
Chemical Highs
Authors: Hardon Anita
Published: October 2020

Chemical Highs looks at how young people themselves develop and share with their peers a multitude of ways to maximize the pleasures and minimize the risks involved in getting high, an empowering practice that we refer to as “harm reduction from below.” Ethnographies from the Amsterdam festival and afterparty scene illuminate two patterns: young people’s efforts to creatively self-regulate to achieve “hassle-free highs,” and the potentially positive role of government policy. This context is contrasted with that of youth in Indonesia, who also seek out hassle-free highs with their peers, but live under a government that is waging a deadly war against drugs, where they have little access to harm reduction information and tools. Our team discovered that Indonesian youth are turning to psychoactive prescription drugs (PPDs) to get high, which they consider safer than illicit drugs that can lead to the death penalty, but which are also highly addictive.
Chemical Sexualities
Authors: Hardon Anita
Published: October 2020

In this chapter, we present ethnographies from the Philippines, Indonesia, Ethiopia, and France that together show how young people use chemicals to shape their bodies, enhance their sexual pleasure, and foster their sexual hygiene. Through these intimate stories, we show how young people use chemicals to try out different sexual identities, connect with partners, enhance sexual experiences, and prevent unwanted pregnancies, as well as enhance their sexual performance. In this way, chemicals are used both as a way to relate to others and also to explore themselves. InChemical Sexualities, we show how young people use chemicals to address their sexual needs and explore their sexual desires in four distinct ways: to shape their bodies, to enhance sexual performance, for sexual hygiene and STI prevention, and to abort unwanted pregnancies. Each of these “do-it-yourself” chemical sexualities involves various practices, which we compare and contrast across field sites to gain a better understanding of what is at stake in young people’s sexual lives.
Chemical 24/7
Authors: Hardon Anita
Published: October 2020

This chapter shines a light on what happens in the dark: specifically, we present ethnographic insights from the nightlife economy and how chemicals enable youth to work “24/7.” Producers, promoters, DJs, hosts, artists, performers, drag queens, musicians, stage managers, bartenders, hospitality girls, and dancers from Amsterdam, Brooklyn, Bira (Indonesia), and Puerto Princesa (the Philippines) share with the ChemicalYouth team the various stimulants they use to stay awake and perform their jobs during non-typical working hours, and the other chemicals that they take in order to be able to sleep and recover afterwards. In Chemical 24/7 we compare and contrast the chemical practices of youth working at leisure industry sites in the global North to those of the low-income service sector and manual workers in the global South, and discuss how these different working conditions perpetuate chemical use. Our interlocutors rely on a range of chemicals for their work and social lives, and they develop practices to moderate their use in order to avoid adverse effects. Yet their practices differ depending on the availability, marketing, and policing of the substances.
Introduction
Authors: Ouaissa Rachid , Pannewick Friederike , Strohmaier Alena
Published: October 2020

This essay collection is the outcome of interdisciplinary research into political, societal, and cultural transformation processes in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region at the Philipps-Universität in Marburg, Germany. It builds on many years of collaboration between two research networks at the Center for Near and Middle Eastern Studies: the research network “Re-Configurations: History, Remembrance and Transformation Processes in the Middle East and North Africa” (2013–19), funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), and the Leibniz-Prize research group “Figures of Thought | Turning Points: Cultural Practices and Social Change in the Arab World” (2013–20), funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). Both research projects’ central interest lay in the political, social, and cultural transformation that has become especially visible since 2010–11; we conceptualize this transformation here using the term “re-configurations.” At the core of the inquiry are interpretations of visions of past and future, power relations and both political and symbolic representations.
Teachers’ Resistance to Educational Change and Innovations in the Middle East and North Africa: A Case Study of Tunisian Universities
Authors: Hamlaoui Sihem
Published: October 2020

The effective implementation of change remains a crucial concern for educational leaders in the twenty-first Century. One of the major challenges to the effective implementation of reforms is the resistance to change among teachers or staff members, as this habit slows the process of implementation of any educational reform. Resistance to technology has been found to be a prominent reason for most system failures. This highlights the importance of understanding technology resistance causes, and possible remedies. Studies have explored the black box of resistance and suggested a theoretical explanation. This chapter seeks to expose the hidden reasons for Tunisian faculty members’ resistance to digitalization and suggests a theoretical implementation strategy for reaching the intended reform goals.
The Role of Social Movements in the Re-Configuration of Youth Transition Regimes: The Biography of an Unemployed Graduates Activist in Morocco
Authors: Schwarz Christoph
Published: October 2020

This chapter analyzes the transitions to adulthood of young university graduates in Morocco, more precisely, activists of the unemployed graduates movement. Their protests offer a case in point to shed light on how youth transitions in the region are institutionalized and brokered. Based on particpant observation and life story interviews, this chapter applies a ‘youth transitions regime’ perspective in order to highlight he political dimension of youth transitions. How is the structure of these transitions and the hegemonic cultural definitions of ‘youth’ and ‘adulthood’ implicit in them linked to class, gender, social exclusion and precariousness? Has the ‘Arab Spring’ impacted the Moroccan youth transitions regime and the strategies of the unemployed graduates?
Family Memories and the Transmission of the Independence Struggle in South Yemen
Authors: Augustin Anne-Linda Amira
Published: October 2020

In 2007, a protest movement emerged in South Yemen called the Southern Movement. At the beginning, it was a loose amalgamation of people, most of them former army personnel and state employees of the former People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY) who had been forced out of their jobs after the southern faction lost the war in 1994. Because of the state security forces’ brutality against protesters, more and more people joined the demonstrations, and the claims began to evolve into concrete political demands, such as the restored independence of the territory that once formed the PDRY, which in 1990 unified with the Arab Republic of Yemen to form the Republic of Yemen, as a separate state. By appropriating hidden forms of resistance, such as the intentionally and unintentionally intergenerational transmission of a counternarrative, South Yemenis have strengthened the calls for independence in recent years.
On the Re-Configurations of Cinematic Media-Spaces: From Diaspora Film to Postdiaspora Film
Authors: Strohmaier Alena
Published: October 2020

This chapter analyzes the formation of the (self-applied) designation “Iranian diaspora” and its cinematic representations. The Iranian diaspora and its filmmaking are suitable objects of investigation because they can be used to illustrate two transformations, both of diaspora into postdiaspora and diaspora film into postdiaspora film. This reconfiguration manifests itself spatially on three levels: the real space of the diaspora, which is subject to socio-political changes; the internal-diegetic spaces in the films themselves, which constantly bring new themes to the fore; and film as a space-creating instance in itself, which constantly updates its own mediality. In Iranian (post-)diaspora film, these different spatial dimensions come together, as illustrated by this chapter’s analysis of Ana Lily Amirpour’s A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (USA, 2014).
Carroll versus Galilei from a brane perspective
Authors: Bergshoeff Eric , Izquierdo José Manuel , Romano Luca
Published: October 2020

Abstract

We show that our previous work on Galilei and Carroll gravity, apt for particles, can be generalized to Galilei and Carroll gravity theories adapted to p-branes (p = 0, 1, 2, ⋯). Within this wider brane perspective, we make use of a formal map, given in the literature, between the corresponding p-brane Carroll and Galilei algebras where the index describing the directions longitudinal (transverse) to the Galilei brane is interchanged with the index covering the directions transverse (longitudinal) to the Carroll brane with the understanding that the time coordinate is always among the longitudinal directions. This leads among other things in 3D to a map between Galilei particles and Carroll strings and in 4D to a similar map between Galilei strings and Carroll strings. We show that this formal map extends to the corresponding Lie algebra expansion of the Poincaré algebra and, therefore, to several extensions of the Carroll and Galilei algebras including central extensions. We use this formal map to construct several new examples of Carroll gravity actions. Furthermore, we discuss the symmetry between Carroll and Galilei at the level of the p-brane sigma model action and apply this formal symmetry to give several examples of 3D and 4D particles and strings in a curved Carroll background.
The association of GATM polymorphism with statin-induced myopathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Liu Mengyuan , Fan Fangfang , Zhang Yan , Li Jianping
Published: October 2020

Purpose

Statin-induced myopathy (SIM) is the commonest reason for discontinuation of statin therapy. The aim of this present meta-analysis is to assess the relationship between glycine amidinotransferase gene (GATM) polymorphism and risk of SIM.

Methods

MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases were searched systematically for case-control studies investigating the relationship between GATM polymorphism and SIM. Retrieved articles were carefully reviewed and assessed according to the inclusion criteria. Associations were assessed in pooled data by calculating odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals. Subgroup analysis was performed according to comedications and severity of SIM.

Results

Six studies with 707 cases and 2321 controls were included in this meta-analysis. GATM rs9806699 G>A was associated with decreased risk of SIM (OR = 0.80, 95% CI 0.68–0.94, P = 0.006). This association remained significant in the subgroup with fibrates or niacin excluded. However, the association of rs9806699 G>A with severe SIM was not significant. In addition, another two variations at GATM, rs1719247 C>T, and rs1346268 T>C were also associated with declined risk of SIM.

Conclusions

GATM polymorphism including rs9806699 G>A, rs1719247 C>T, and rs1346268 T>C may be protective factors of SIM. GATM rs9806699 G>A may only exert protective effect on mild SIM cases. Our meta-analysis indicates that GATM polymorphism may represent a pharmacogenomics biomarker for predicting incidence of SIM, which contributes to risk stratification and optimizing statin adherence.
The role of multiparametric resonance and biopsy in prostate cancer detection: comparison with definitive histological report after laparoscopic/robotic radical prostatectomy
Authors: Rapisarda S. , Bada M. , Crocetto F. , Barone B. , Arcaniolo D. , Polara A. , Imbimbo C. , Grosso G.
Published: October 2020

Purpose

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) targeted biopsy increases overall detection rates and decreases the risk of clinically insignificant PCa detection. The aim of this retrospective study is to compare concordance rates regarding side of lesion and Gleason Score at fusion targeted/systematic biopsy and MRI with the definitive histologic report of prostatectomy specimen.

Methods

115 patients underwent multiparametric (mp) MRI and successively fusion targeted/systematic biopsy. 107 patients, with a positive biopsy for PCa, further underwent laparoscopic/robotic radical prostatectomy. We compared surgical histologic report with biopsy histologic report for side of lesion and Gleason Score. We further compared PIRADS score at mpMRI with Gleason Score of both histologic reports.

Results

Concordance rate for mpMRI lesion side was 74% compared to biopsy and 52.3% compared to surgical histologic report (p < 0.0001). Fusion targeted/systematic biopsy reported a concordance rate with surgical histologic report of 67.3% for side of the lesion, while Gleason Score was concordant for 73.6% for clinically significant cancer (Gleason Score ≥ 7) (p < 0.0001). PIRADS score ≥ 3 was further associated with clinically significant cancer at surgical histologic report in 92.4% of cases (p = 0.359).

Conclusion

Multiparametric MRI of the prostate reaches a good and improvable accuracy in the detection of suspicious PCa before biopsy. A combined approach of fusion targeted and systematic biopsy could further increase the overall accuracy in PCa diagnosis, especially in biopsy-naïve patients, reaching concordance rates with definitive histologic report up to 52.3% and 85.5%.
Nest ornaments and feather composition form an extended phenotype syndrome in a wild bird
Authors: Järvinen Pauliina , Brommer Jon E.
Published: October 2020

Many species throughout the animal kingdom construct nests for reproduction. A nest is an extended phenotype—a non-bodily attribute—of the individual building it. In some bird species, including our study population of blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus), conspicuous feathers or other material are placed on top of the nest. These so-called nest ornaments do not contribute to nest insulation, but are hypothesised to have a signalling function. Here, we apply the concept of behavioural syndromes, with focus on between-individual variation (repeatability) and between-individual correlations, to the study of avian nest construction. We find that nest ornamentation is a moderately repeatable trait in female blue tits, which suggests it is an extended phenotype of the female. Furthermore, the tendency to ornament the nest covaries across females with another aspect of her extended phenotype, the composition of the nest lining material, and these two traits thus form an extended phenotype syndrome. Assuming the correlation is reflected on a genetic level, it implies that nest ornamentation and composition of the nest lining do not evolve in isolation; one aspect may be an evolutionary by-product of selection on the other aspect and their overall flexibility to respond to change is reduced.

Significance statement

The avian nest is an extended phenotype (a non-bodily attribute) of its builder with potentially multiple functions in terms of insulation and signalling. In particular, many bird species’ nests contain nest ornaments, feathers or other materials that are placed on top of the nest and that stand out from the nest material due to their colour and/or size. We quantified between-individual variation (repeatability) of nest ornamentation behaviour in a wild population of blue tits and between-individual covariation (syndrome) of nest ornamentation to other features of nest construction. We find that nest ornamentation is a repeatable trait limited to females in our study population. The tendency to ornament the nest covaries across females with another aspect of her extended nest phenotype, the composition of the nest lining material. These correlated traits thus form an extended phenotype syndrome. It hence becomes crucial to recognise that a study of a single aspect of nest construction in isolation captures only a part of the complexity, as one aspect may have evolved as a correlated response of selection on the other aspect. Moreover, such a syndrome implies limited flexibility in the range of adaptive response.
The Challenges of Implementing Artificial Intelligence into Surgical Practice
Authors: Tranter‐Entwistle Isaac , Wang Holly , Daly Kenny , Maxwell Scott , Connor Saxon
Published: October 2020

Background

Artificial intelligence is touted as the future of medicine. Classical algorithms for the detection of common bile duct stones (CBD) have had poor clinical uptake due to low accuracy. This study explores the challenges of developing and implementing a machine‐learning model for the prediction of CBD stones in patients presenting with acute biliary disease (ABD).

Methods

All patients presenting acutely to Christchurch Hospital over a two‐year period with ABD were retrospectively identified. Clinical data points including lab test results, demographics and ethnicity were recorded. Several statistical techniques were utilised to develop a machine‐learning model. Issues with data collection, quality, interpretation and barriers to implementation were identified and highlighted.

Results

Issues with patient identification, coding accuracy, and implementation were encountered. In total, 1315 patients met inclusion criteria. Incorrect international classification of disease 10 (ICD‐10) coding was noted in 36% (137/382) of patients recorded as having CBD stones. Patients with CBD stones were significantly older and had higher aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), bilirubin and gamma‐glutamyl transferase (GGT) levels (p < 0.001). The no information rate was 81% (1070/1315 patients). The optimum model developed was the gradient boosted model with a PPV of 67%, NPV of 87%, sensitivity of 37% and a specificity of 96% for common bile duct stones.

Conclusion

This paper highlights the utility of machine learning in predicting CBD stones. Accuracy is limited by current data and issues do exist around both the ethics and practicality of implementation. Regardless, machine learning represents a promising new paradigm for surgical practice.