bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of intercritical temperature on the strain hardening of dual-phase bainite/ferrite steel
Authors: Nawaz Bilal , Yang Zhinan , Zhang Fucheng , Li Junkui
Published: August 2020

Medium-carbon dual-phase bainite/ferrite steels with different bainite and carbide volume fractions were prepared via intercritical annealing and austempering. Bainite dominated the microstructure at high intercritical temperatures, and carbides and ferrite phase dominated at low temperatures. Carbides existed in two types, undissolved alloy–cementite and vanadium carbide. The ferrite grain size was reduced to 1.22 ± 0.7 µm at 790°C. Modified Crussard–Jaoul (MC–J) model was used to analyse the strain hardening process, and the highest strain hardening rate was obtained at 755°C. The high carbide fraction at 755°C increased the ferrite dislocation density and enhanced the ferrite phase strength. The high dislocation density in ferrite and the small strength difference in bainite and ferrite enhanced the strain hardening rate at 755°C.
Long noncoding RNA amplified in lung cancer rewires cancer pathways
Authors: Martínez-Terroba Elena , Dimitrova Nadya
Published: August 2020

Athie et al. (2020. J. Cell Biol. https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.201908078) identify ALAL-1, a lncRNA frequently amplified or overexpressed in lung cancer, as an oncogenic driver, capable of promoting the proliferation and altering the immunogenicity of lung cancer cells.
Mitophagy is induced by short ubiquitin chains on mitochondria
Authors: Ikeda Fumiyo
Published: August 2020

Mitophagy has a critical role in maintaining cellular homeostasis by removing damaged mitochondria. In this issue, Yamano et al. (2020. J. Cell Biol. https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.201912144) uncover that a novel complex of the autophagy adaptor optineurin and the membrane protein ATG9A specifically regulate ubiquitin-induced mitophagy.
β-Catenin induces transcriptional expression of PD-L1 to promote glioblastoma immune evasion
Authors: Du Linyong , Lee Jong-Ho , Jiang Hongfei , Wang Chengde , Wang Silu , Zheng Zhihong , Shao Fei , Xu Daqian , Xia Yan , Li Jing , Zheng Yanhua , Qian Xu , Li Xinjian , Kim Hyung-Ryong , Xing Dongming , Liu Pengyuan , Lu Zhimin , Lyu Jianxin
Published: August 2020

PD-L1 up-regulation in cancer contributes to immune evasion by tumor cells. Here, we show that Wnt ligand and activated EGFR induce the binding of the β-catenin/TCF/LEF complex to the CD274 gene promoter region to induce PD-L1 expression, in which AKT activation plays an important role. β-Catenin depletion, AKT inhibition, or PTEN expression reduces PD-L1 expression in tumor cells, enhances activation and tumor infiltration of CD8+ T cells, and reduces tumor growth, accompanied by prolonged mouse survival. Combined treatment with a clinically available AKT inhibitor and an anti–PD-1 antibody overcomes tumor immune evasion and greatly inhibits tumor growth. In addition, AKT-mediated β-catenin S552 phosphorylation and nuclear β-catenin are positively correlated with PD-L1 expression and inversely correlated with the tumor infiltration of CD8+ T cells in human glioblastoma specimens, highlighting the clinical significance of β-catenin activation in tumor immune evasion.
A modified trifilar pendulum for simultaneously determining the moment of inertia and the mass of an irregular object
Authors: Wang Hengyu , Fang Zheng , Zhao Weiliang , Rui Yunjun
Published: August 2020

In college physics experiments, a pendulum is often applied to measure the moment of inertia (J) of a rigid body. In this paper, we demonstrate a trifilar pendulum to determine not only J, but also the mass (m) of an irregular object. To this end, a standard weight is used to balance the pendulum, and a laser pointer is used to observe the amount of imbalance. According to the parallel axis theorem, a formula is deduced for the first time, which is related with m, J, oscillation period (T) of the pendulum, and the position (d) of the balancing standard. By the least squares fitting of a straight line to the experimental data of T
2 ∼ d
2, m and J can be obtained from the slope and intercept, respectively. It is found that the relative differences (between the experimental and theoretical values) of m and J are both less than 5.0% when four irregular objects (a tuning fork, a stainless steel meter ruler, an apple, and a bunch of keys) are tested. The reason for the difference and the improvement of this measuring system are discussed.
Fast design of plasmonic metasurfaces enabled by deep learning
Authors: Mall Abhishek , Patil Abhijeet , Tamboli Dipesh , Sethi Amit , Kumar Anshuman
Published: August 2020

Metasurfaces is an emerging field that enables the manipulation of light by an ultra-thin structure composed of sub-wavelength antennae and fulfills an important requirement for miniaturized optical elements. Finding a new design for a metasurface or optimizing an existing design for a desired functionality is a computationally expensive and time consuming process as it is based on an iterative process of trial and error. We propose a deep learning (DL) architecture dubbed bidirectional autoencoder for nanophotonic metasurface design via a template search methodology. In contrast with the earlier approaches based on DL, our methodology addresses optimization in the space of multiple metasurface topologies instead of just one, in order to tackle the one to many mapping problem of inverse design. We demonstrate the creation of a Geometry and Parameter Space Library (GPSL) of metasurface designs with their corresponding optical response using our DL model. This GPSL acts as a universal design and response space for the optimization. As an example application, we use our methodology to design a multi-band gap-plasmon based half-wave plate metasurface. Through this example, we demonstrate the power of our technique in addressing the non-uniqueness problem of common inverse design. Our network converges aptly to multiple metasurface topologies for the desired optical response with a low mean absolute error between desired optical response and the optical response of topologies searched. Our proposed technique would enable fast and accurate design and optimization of various kinds of metasurfaces with different functionalities.
Motion correction for PET data using subspace-based real-time MR imaging in simultaneous PET/MR
Authors: Marin Thibault , Djebra Yanis , Han Paul K , Chemli Yanis , Bloch Isabelle , El Fakhri Georges , Ouyang Jinsong , Petibon Yoann , Ma Chao
Published: August 2020

Image quality of positron emission tomography (PET) reconstructions is degraded by subject motion occurring during the acquisition. Magnetic resonance (MR)-based motion correction approaches have been studied for PET/MR scanners and have been successful at capturing regular motion patterns, when used in conjunction with surrogate signals (e.g. navigators) to detect motion. However, handling irregular respiratory motion and bulk motion remains challenging. In this work, we propose an MR-based motion correction method relying on subspace-based real-time MR imaging to estimate motion fields used to correct PET reconstructions. We take advantage of the low-rank characteristics of dynamic MR images to reconstruct high-resolution MR images at high frame rates from highly undersampled k-space data. Reconstructed dynamic MR images are used to determine motion phases for PET reconstruction and estimate phase-to-phase nonrigid motion fields able to capture complex motion patterns such as irregular respiratory and bulk motion. MR-derived binning and motion fields are used for PET reconstruction to generate motion-corrected PET images. The proposed method was evaluated on in vivo data with irregular motion patterns. MR reconstructions accurately captured motion, outperforming state-of-the-art dynamic MR reconstruction techniques. Evaluation of PET reconstructions demonstrated the benefits of the proposed method in terms of motion artifacts reduction, improving the contrast-to-noise ratio by up to a factor 3 and achieveing a target-to-background ratio up to 90% superior compared to standard/uncorrected methods. The proposed method can improve the image quality of motion-corrected PET reconstructions in clinical applications.
Entropy squeezing for a V-type three-level atom interacting with a single-mode field and passing through the amplitude damping channel with weak measurement*
Authors: Zhang Cui-Yu , Fang Mao-Fa
Published: August 2020

The entropy squeezing of a V-type three-level atom interacting with a single-mode field and passing through the amplitude damping channel is investigated in detail. Our results show that when coupled to the single-mode field, the atom in appropriate initial states can not only generate obvious entropy squeezing but also keep in the optimal squeezing state, while passing through the amplitude damping channel, the atom can generate entropy squeezing under the control of the weak measurement. Besides, it is proved again that as a measurement method for atomic squeezing, the entropy squeezing is precise and effective. Therefore our work is instructive for experiments in preparing three-level system information resource with ultra-low quantum noise.
Shear-horizontal transverse-electric seismoelectric waves in cylindrical double layer porous media*
Authors: Wang Wei-Hao , Zhu Xiao-Yan , Liu Jin-Xia , Cui Zhi-Wen
Published: August 2020

The shear-horizontal (SH) waves excited by the shear source in a borehole are easy to analyze due to the simple waveform. The borehole-side structures make the formation properties discontinuous. We consider a cylindrical double layer structure and study the borehole shear-horizontal and transverse-electric (SH-TE) seismoelectric waves. We first derive the expressions of the basic field quantities, and simulate the acoustic field and electric field using the real axis integral method. Compared with the wave fields of an infinitely homogeneous porous medium outside the borehole, the cylindrical layered structure makes the multi-mode cylindrical Love waves and their accompanying electric fields excited. Next, in order to study the interface response law of the inducing electric fields, we use the secant integral method to calculate the interface converted electromagnetic waves and analyze the causes of each component. It is found that an interface response occurs each time the SH wave impinges the interface in the layered porous medium. The results show that the SH-TE mode has a potential application for borehole-side interface detection in geophysical logs.
Research on SDN Multi Controller Deployment based on K-means++
Authors: Yue Li , Junyan Chen , Chuxin Liang , Xiaochun Lei
Published: August 2020

In large-scale SDN network, a single centralized controller can not meet the demand, and multiple controllers are needed to deal with the problem, which leads to the problem of multi control balanced deployment. In this paper, the topology of SDN switches and links is known. The main research contents are as follows: the mathematical model of SDN multi controller deployment is established, and the appropriate network topology is selected and the multi controller deployment problem is solved. In the research, the number of controllers needed in the network and the switches managed by each controller is determined by the algorithm results, and the mapping relationship between controllers and switches is established. By analyzing the deployment results of the same network topology under different algorithms, the influence of different clustering algorithms on the experimental results is obtained. At the same time, the better deployment experiment results are simulated.
Semantic understanding processing model based on machine learning
Authors: Li Kunying , Ding Yu , Shi Ying , Xu Hongchao , Zeng Yufei
Published: August 2020

Machine learning and artificial intelligence have become very diverse, and progress h as been made in perception technology, which can recognize the senses of machines, including hearing, vision, smell, taste and touch. We are recently studying a technological change that ha s grown the dialogue information in our lives into a mainstream recognizable digital activity. T his project will build a conversation subject model in the computing framework, which tracks t he conversation speech behavior by the functional grammar model. The recognition of Machin e Cognition and logic language is the key path of our research. The language model used is Rol e and Reference Grammar (RRG) to decompose sentences and understanding. In addition, we find an optimization scheme to assist the main body thinking is internal effect and external effect. (1) The subject has its own emotions (anger, joy, sadness, disappointment, joy), which c an affect the subject’s state at any time. (2) the external effect of the subject is determined by pe ople and other subjects, and the intelligent conversation agent will get interaction and composit e response through two effects. The RRG directional link system will be used in the language f ramework to build a language model in the software to help the machine analyze human langua ge through speech behavior. This interactive language analysis model ensures that the machine can accurately define human meaning in intelligent conversation. In this project, we will impro ve the development of machine learning and artificial intelligence in human language recogniti on and analysis, and the technology is very useful in various human behaviors such as smart ho me, enterprise management and data analysis. There is no doubt that this technology will make a great contribution to human beings in the field of Computing Science in the future.
Numerical solution of a class of hyperbolic equations with variable coefficients
Authors: Xiangguo Liu Dongyin Wang
Published: August 2020

The boundary value problem of hyperbolic equation with variable coefficients is solved by the finite difference method, and the numerical simulation is carried out. The simulation results show that the method is feasible and effective, and the difference scheme is stable when the Mesh ratio is as small as possible.
Research on Agricultural Food Safety Based on Blockchain Technology
Authors: Wang Ya , Yang Yanmei
Published: August 2020

As a disruptive Internet technology, blockchain technology is more open, authentic, and traceable than traditional Internet technology. Compared with the traditional food safety tracing system, the food safety tracing system based on blockchain technology has the advantages of reducing costs, improving efficiency, and facilitating supervision by the regulatory department or the general public. However, due to the short development time of the blockchain technology, the food safety under the “blockchain + agriculture” model will still face challenges such as lack of infrastructure and talent, higher hazards of information and data leakage, and lagging of relevant laws and regulations.
A Water Surface Moving Target Detection Based on Information Fusion Using Deep Learning
Authors: Zhang Wei , Yang Chi-fu , Jiang Feng , Gao Xian-zhong , Yang Kai
Published: August 2020

An unmanned surface vehicle (usually referred to as USV) is an unmanned surface ship that has been developed in recent years. Surface unmanned boats can be used for a variety of civil and military missions, such as marine environmental monitoring, personnel search, anti-mine mines; island map mapping, offshore facility maintenance, and hydrographic surveys. Therefore, the research on unmanned surface vehicles has important theoretical significance and practical application value. The optical image information collected by the camera and the point cloud information collected by the laser radar are used for information fusion, and the optical image is processed by the deep neural network to obtain the target type, the detection confidence and the target position. At the same time, the point cloud information of the lidar image is used to obtain the distance and orientation information of the target. Finally, the two information is combined to obtain the type of surface target or obstacle, the confidence of the detection, and the distance and bearing information from the unmanned surface vehicles.
An experimental and theoretical study on nanomachining forces along zigzag and armchair lattice orientations of monolayer MoS2
Authors: Li Meng , Zhang Yu , Wang Lu , Xi Ning , Xin Xiaoning , Jin Xiaoshi , Wu Meile
Published: August 2020

Recent progresses in the synthesis of large-area and stable atomically thin MoS2 have evoked enormous interest toward the future applications of two-dimensional (2D) electronics. Although considerable theoretical researches have been conducted to examine the zigzag and armchair lattice orientations of MoS2, which are closely related to the physical and chemical properties of this material, experimental investigations into these two orientations are still quite rare. In this paper, we present an experimental study on nanofabrication along the zigzag and armchair orientations of monolayer MoS2 using normal- and phase-mode AFM. After identifying the zigzag and armchair orientations, distinctly different nanofabrication forces along these two orientations are obtained, which are approximately 15.9 nN and 35.8 nN, respectively. To determine the underlying mechanism of this discrepancy, molecular dynamics simulation is performed. The simulated nanofabrication forces along the zigzag and armchair orientations are 12.16 ± 0.59 nN and 21.45 ± 0.74 nN, respectively, in good agreement with the experimentally measured ones. The results provide a better understanding of the zigzag and armchair lattice orientations of monolayer MoS2 as well as a promising approach to closed-loop fabrication of 2D materials with desirable lattice orientations.
Measurement of the small field output factors for 10 MV photon beam using IAEA TRS-483 dosimetry protocol and implementation in Eclipse TPS commissioning
Authors: Kinhikar Rajesh , Saini Vinay , Upreti Ritu Raj , Kale Shrikant , Sutar Avadhoot , Tambe Chandrashekhar , Kadam Sudarshan
Published: August 2020

Dosimetry of small fields (SF) is vital for the success of highly conformal techniques. IAEA along with AAPM recently published a code of practice TRS-483 for SF dosimetry. The scope of this paper is to investigate the performance of three different detectors with 10 MV with-flatting-filter (WFF) beam using TRS-483 for SF dosimetry and subsequent commissioning of the Eclipse treatment planning system (TPS version-13.6) for SF data. SF dosimetry data (beam-quality TPR
20,10(10), cross-calibration, beam-profile, and field-output-factor (F.O.F)) measurements were performed for PTW31006-pinpoint, IBA-CC01 and IBA-EFD-3G diode detectors in nominal field size (F.S) range 0.5 × 0.5cm2 to 10 × 10 cm2 with water and solid water medium using Varian Truebeam linac. However, Eclipse-TPS commissioning data was acquired using IBA-EFD-3G diode, and absolute dose calibration was performed with FC-65G detector. The dosimetric performance of the Eclipse-TPS was validated using TLD-LiF chips, IBA-PFD, and IBA-EFD-3G diodes. Dosimetric performance of the PTW31006-pinpoint, IBA-CC01, and IBA-EFD-3G detectors was successfully tested for SF dosimetry. The F.O.Fs were generated and found in close agreement for all F.S except 0.5 × 0.5cm2. It is also found that TPR20,10(10) value can be derived within 0.5% accuracy from a non-reference field using Palmans equation. Cross-calibration can be performed in F.S 6 × 6 cm2 with a maximum variation of 0.5% with respect to 10 × 10cm2. During profile measurement, the full-width half-maxima (FWHM) of F.S 0.5 × 0.5cm2 was found maximum deviated from the geometric F.S. In addition, Eclipse-TPS was commissioned along with some limitations: F.O.F below F.S 1 × 1cm2 was ignored by TPS, PDD and profiles were dropped from configuration below F.S 2 × 2 cm2, and F.O.F which does not satisfy the condition 0.7 < A/B < 1.4 (A and B are FWHM in cross-line and in-line direction) have higher uncertainty than specified in TRS-483. Validation tests for Eclipse-TPS generated plans were also performed. The measured dose was in close agreement (3%) with TPS calculated dose up to F.S 1.5 × 1.5cm2.
Soret and Dufour features in peristaltic motion of chemically reactive fluid in a tapered asymmetric channel in the presence of Hall current
Authors: Khan Nargis , Riaz Muhammad , Hashmi Muhammad Sadiq , Khan Sami Ullah , Tlili Iskander , Ijaz Khan M , Nazeer Mubbashar
Published: August 2020

The present work examines heat and mass transfer characteristics of peristaltic motion of Johnson-Segalman fluid in a tapered asymmetric channel along with chemical reaction, by taking into account the Soret and Dufour effects. Effects of Hall current have also been discussed in mathematical modeling and analysis. Following the peristaltic wave procedure, the tapered asymmetric channel is based on the non uniform boundaries having diverse phases and amplitudes. The channel walls show excellent agreement with more realistic convective conditions. The modeled flow problem is directed into ordinary differential equations set with proper utilization of similarity quantities. The estimation of high wavelength as well as small Reynolds number are acknowledged to deduce the equations of Johnson-Segalman liquid model. The adopted solution procedure is constructed via homotopic algorithm. The results have been analyzed for various parameters of interest and sketched for better understanding. The velocity profile reveals decreasing behavior for increasing values of Weissenberg number and Hartman number while converse behavior is found for mean flow rate and Hall parameter. The temperature profile falloffs for heat transfer Biot number and Hartman number whereas it increases for Prandtl number, Brinkman number, Dufour number and Hall parameter. The concentration profile tends to decrease for mass transfer Biot number and increase for Schmidt constant.
The European Union’s International Promotion of LGBTI Rights in its Foreign Relations
Authors: Thiel Markus
Published: August 2020

Despite ongoing challenges, the European Union (EU) not only is a major actor on the world stage, but also emphasizes human rights for LGBTI individuals in its internal and external policies, thus setting a powerful example for acceptance and inclusion worldwide. While this establishes the EU as a presumptive normative actor from a liberal human rights perspective, a number of disputes over those rights policies and the way they are promoted have emerged in bilateral relations between the EU and other states in recent years. Given Europe’s colonial history, the fact that the bloc is collectively the world’s largest provider of development assistance, and the volatility of LGBTI human rights defenders, it is important to investigate how the EU and its member states promote LGBTI rights internationally. The EU institutions attempt to jointly formulate and implement guidelines for the external promotion of such rights, though no uniform rights standards exist across the various member states.

The compatibility of EU and member states’ conceptions of LGBTI rights and the more general question of how far the EU is, can, or should be a “normative” agenda-setting power on the world stage are central. This heavily contested but also popular ideational concept glosses over the limited consensus that exists in the EU with regard to many of its policies and the role it should assume in international affairs. Such incoherence is particularly evident in normatively contested and geopolitically intertwined areas like sexual rights and equality (ranging from nondiscrimination based on sexual and gender expression to positive rights of partnership recognition and childcare). To the extent that a common approach on LGBTI rights is developed, one can detect promotion attempts in the external policy areas in which rights promotion is formulated and diffused, namely in development and foreign aid, in enlargement and neighborhood policies, and in exchange with other international organizations. However, these come with their own politicizing issues, so that alternatives to the presently emphasized conditionality and visibility policies may provide a better way forward.
Social Cognition
Authors: Ratner Kyle G.
Published: August 2020

Contemporary models of how the mind operates and methods for testing them emerged from the cognitive revolution in the middle of the 20th century. Social psychology researchers of the 1970s and 1980s were inspired by these developments and launched the field of social cognition to understand how cognitive approaches could advance understanding of social processes. Decades later, core social psychology topics, such as impression formation, the self, attitudes, stereotyping and prejudice, and interpersonal relationships, are interpreted through the lens of cognitive psychology conceptualizations of attention, perception, categorization, memory, and reasoning. Social cognitive methods and theory have touched every area of modern social psychology. Twenty-first-century efforts are shoring up methodological practices and revisiting old theories, investigating a wider range of human experience, and tackling new avenues of social functioning.
Reducing Prejudice and Discrimination
Authors: Turner Rhiannon N.
Published: August 2020

Scholars have developed a plethora of approaches to reducing prejudice and discrimination, many of which have been successfully applied in schools, workplaces, and community settings. Research on intergroup contact suggests that contact between members of different groups, particularly when that contact is warm and positive (for example through friendships) reduces negative emotional reactions (e.g., anxiety) and promotes positive emotions (e.g., empathy), results in more positive attitudes toward members of that group. One might expect that, in an increasingly connected world characterized by global mobility and diversity, higher levels of contact would be associated with a significant lessening of prejudice and discrimination. However, critics have pointed out that changes in attitudes at the individual level do not necessarily translate into reduced prejudice and discrimination at a societal level. Moreover, not everyone has the opportunity to engage in meaningful contact with members of other groups, and even when they do, these opportunities are not always capitalized on. One solution to lack of opportunities for contact is to capitalize on “indirect contact.” These are interventions based on the principles of contact, but which do not involve a face-to-face encounter. Extended contact, which refers to knowing in-group members who have out-group friends, and vicarious contact, which involves learning about the positive contact experiences of our fellow group members, for example via the media, online intergroup contact, and imagining intergroup contact, have each been shown to promote more positive intergroup attitudes. Another way to reduce prejudice and discrimination is to change the way people categorize social groups. When people perceive members of their own group and another group to belong to the same overarching group—that is, they hold a common in-group identity—there is evidence of reduced intergroup bias. However, when our group membership is important to us, this may constitute a threat to our identity, and lead to a reactive increase in bias in order to reassert the distinctiveness of our group. One solution to this is to encourage a dual identity, whereby an individual holds both the original group membership and a common in-group identity that encompasses both groups simultaneously. Alternatively, given the many and varied group memberships that individuals hold, social categories become less useful as a way of categorizing people. There is also evidence that taking a multicultural approach, where differences are acknowledged, rather than a color-blind approach, where differences are ignored, is less likely to result in prejudice and discrimination. Finally, there is evidence that teaching people about other groups, and about the biases they hold but perhaps are not aware of, can help to reduce prejudice and discrimination.
Primatology and the Study of Humanity’s Primate Heritage
Authors: Snowdon Charles T.
Published: August 2020

Darwin’s theory of evolution opened the way for the study of nonhuman primates as a valuable method for understanding human behavior. Psychologists and anthropologists both value the study of nonhuman primates, but they have different methods and goals. Broadly speaking, anthropologists have studied the behavior and social lives of animals in their natural habitat with interests in how primates adapt to their environment and in tracing primate evolutionary history. Psychologists typically study captive primates where controlled experiments are possible to understand the ontogeny and underlying mechanism controlling behavior. The two approaches are complementary and, when integrated, can lead to important insights.

Since the middle of the 20th century, primate research has expanded exponentially, with an increasing number of long-term field sites providing important data across generations with expanded studies of a great variety of species. Captive research also has thrived with the establishment of national primate research centers. Primate research has illuminated our understanding of cognition, language evolution, tool use, culture, and social structure, including mating systems and sexual behavior, parenting, aggression, and cooperation. However, the majority of nonhuman primate species are threatened or endangered in their natural habitats and require human intervention to preserve our primate heritage.
Brain Development
Authors: Gibb Robbin
Published: August 2020

The process of brain development begins shortly after conception and in humans takes decades to complete. Indeed, it has been argued that brain development occurs over the lifespan. A complex genetic blueprint provides the intricate details of the process of brain construction. Additional operational instructions that control gene and protein expression are derived from experience, and these operational instructions allow an individual to meet and uniquely adapt to the environmental demands they face. The science of epigenetics provides an explanation of how an individual’s experience adds a layer of instruction to the existing DNA that ultimately controls the phenotypic expression of that individual and can contribute to gene and protein expression in their children, grandchildren, and ensuing generations. Experiences that contribute to alterations in gene expression include gonadal hormones, diet, toxic stress, microbiota, and positive nurturing relationships, to name but a few. There are seven phases of brain development and each phase is defined by timing and purpose. As the brain proceeds through these genetically predetermined steps, various experiences have the potential to alter its final form and behavioral output. Brain plasticity refers to the brain’s ability to change in response to environmental cues or demands. Sensitive periods in brain development are times during which a part of the brain is particularly malleable and dependent on the occurrence of specific experiences in order for the brain to tune its connections and optimize its function. These periods open at different time points for various brain regions and the closing of a sensitive period is dependent on the development of inhibitory circuitry. Some experiences have negative consequences for brain development, whereas other experiences promote positive outcomes. It is the accumulation of these experiences that shape the brain and determine the behavioral outcomes for an individual.
Kindling
Authors: Teskey G. Campbell
Published: August 2020

The kindling phenomenon is a form of sensitization where, with repetition, epileptiform discharges become progressively longer and behavioral seizures eventually appear and then become more severe. The classic or exogenous kindling technique involves the repeated application of a convulsant stimulus. This technique also lowers seizure thresholds, the minimum intensity of a stimulus required to evoke an electrographic seizure, a process known as epileptogenesis. Endogenous kindling typically occurs following a brain-damaging event which lowers seizure thresholds to the point where self-generated epileptiform discharges recur, lengthen, propagate, and drive progressively more severe behavioral seizures. While exogenous kindling results in alterations in neuronal molecular, cellular/synaptic, and network function that give rise to altered behavior, there is a paucity of evidence for loss of neurons. In contrast, brain-damaging events, with neuronal loss, typically give rise to endogenous kindling. Kindling is a pan-species phenomenon and all mammals that have been examined, including humans, manifest exogenous kindling when seizure-genic (forebrain) structures have been targeted. Since humans display both exogenous and endogenous kindling phenomena this serves as a sober warning to clinicians to prevent seizures. Kindling serves as a robust and reliable model for epileptogenesis, focal as well as secondarily generalized seizures, and certain epileptic disorders.
International Drug Trafficking: Past, Present, and Prospective Trends
Authors: Giommoni Luca , Gundur R.V. , Cheekes Erik
Published: August 2020

Since the early 20th century, the illegal drug trade has received increasing focus throughout the world. However, the use of mind-altering substances predates attempts to prohibit or regulate them. Early control efforts date back to the teachings of Mohammed in the Koran, though wider-scale control efforts did not occur until the 18th century. Since that time, both the production of mind-altering substances and their regulation or prohibition has been commonplace throughout the world. Several illicit markets exist in response to the ongoing demand. Four notable products are cocaine, heroin, cannabis, and synthetically produced, mind-altering substances that are sold predominantly to users in North America and Europe.

The production, transportation, and usage of these substances are all impacted by the histories and geographies of the producer, intermediary, and user countries. Shifts in tolerance of certain substances; geopolitical events, such as war; international policy and policing initiatives, such as the implementation of the United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988 and improved means of detecting illicit payloads at international boarders; and changes in demand for specific products have all influenced how trafficking routes and the organizations that participate in the drug trade form and adapt.

Regardless of these changes, one constant is that no aspect of the drug trade has ever been dominated by a single, monolithic organization; several illicit enterprises have historically come together to form the often supply global chains. In the 2011, the first darknet market, the Silk Road, emerged as a means by which some buyers and sellers could connect, thus potentially reducing the links of the supply chain. Ongoing changes in technology as well as shifts in the regulatory frameworks on controlled substances will impact illicit substances that are sold and how buyers and sellers interact, and will require innovated research strategies to evaluate their evolution.
Anti-Trafficking in Southeast Asia
Authors: Ham Julie
Published: August 2020

The positioning of Southeast Asia (comprising Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar or Burma, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) as an anti-trafficking hub belies the global relevance of regional patterns. The configurations of anti-trafficking vary across countries; however, the specific trends and patterns hold relevance to the region as a whole. For instance, the research on anti-trafficking in Thailand examines the co-constitutive interactions between the illegibility of human trafficking and the growth of the anti-trafficking industry, particularly in relation to market-based interventions. Critical research on Vietnam offers an instructive analysis of the fusion between humanitarianism and punishment that characterizes “rehabilitation” efforts in anti-trafficking. Research on Singapore and Indonesia considers the function of co-constitutive interactions between the hyper-visibility of sex trafficking and the relative invisibility of labor trafficking. In Indonesia—as a country of origin, transit, and destination—the fractured contours of anti-trafficking responses have produced unexpected or unpredictable interactions, marked by competing understandings of what trafficking is and the accountability of differing governmental bodies. Recent research on the Philippines illustrates the use of gendered surveillance in barring the departure of Filipino nationals as a means of “preventing” human trafficking. These patterns demonstrate the uneasy fusions and alliances among humanitarianism, market economies, law enforcement, and border control that mark responses to human trafficking in Southeast Asia.
Penal Paradigms of Juvenile Justice in Canada and Hong Kong
Authors: Adorjan Michael , Chui Wing Hong
Published: August 2020

A penal paradigm is an overarching criminal justice framework, salient within a certain era, that guides how we perceive of crime and criminality (including those who commit crimes) and how appropriate responses align with the internal logic of the wider philosophical framework. Paradigms of response to youth crime and delinquency in Canada and Hong Kong emerged in response to shifting sociopolitical exigencies salient in both contexts, respectively. Three epochs are of particular relevance in Canada: the penal welfare period under the Juvenile Delinquents Act, the due process and crime control framework salient during the Young Offenders Act, and the proportionate justice model central to the current Youth Criminal Justice Act. While both Canada and Hong Kong have drawn on Britain in crafting their youth justice systems, Hong Kong’s colonial period is of relevance, particularly the 1960s and 1970s, during which time unique cultural factors influenced Hong Kong’s framework of welfare protectionism and disciplinary welfare in response to youth delinquency and crime. Contemporary trends in juvenile justice and recent political unrest and potential implications for youth in Hong Kong refer back to this historical period, and comparing Canadian and Hong Kong penal paradigms of juvenile justice promotes a criminological imagination with the relation of state and citizen as central to understanding the significance of responses to youth deviance and criminality.
Effective Co-Teaching Practices Within the Inclusive Classroom
Authors: Magiera Kathleen
Published: August 2020

Co-teaching can be defined with a multitude of formats in a variety of educational settings. Its underlying concept is that at least two professionals collaborate during their instruction and strengthen their delivery, resulting in improved student outcomes. Partnerships that can be deemed as co-teaching could include pairing various combinations of university instructors, teachers of English-language learners, special education service providers, and student teachers but the following review of co-teaching targets the special education service model.

In the preschool through high school setting, the continuing trend toward greater inclusion of students with disabilities means that all teachers are faced with teaching their content to increasingly diverse students. A popular service used to accomplish inclusive practices from preschool to high school is co-teaching. Co-teaching is a service by which students with disabilities and their teachers collaborate together for the purpose of providing students with and without disabilities access to the general education curriculum with specially designed instruction. Co-teaching usually occurs for a designated portion of the instructional day.

By carefully planning together, co-teaching pairs provide more intense instruction to the entire class based on the general education content and the learning goals for students with disabilities. While instructing together, both teachers often form smaller instructional groups for more individualized lessons. The co-teachers use their assessment data to inform future instruction within the inclusive classroom. By implementing the effective co-teaching practices of shared planning, instructing, and assessing, teachers become equal partners for the benefit of all students.
Inclusive and Special Education in Canada and the United States
Authors: Sokal Laura , Katz Jennifer
Published: August 2020

The development of inclusive educational practices and their current practices differ significantly between the North American nations of Canada and the United States. Although these countries do share similarities in both theoretical underpinnings and educational programming, the current differences in policy oversight nationally and at the provincial and state levels promote a wider range of policy and programmatic differences across Canada than in the United States. Governance structures, the resulting policies, and their similarities and differences between and within these countries serve as foundations that underpin innovative inclusive educational programming in each country. The interplay between legislation and activism has both reflected and provoked the movement away from special education and toward inclusive education to varying degrees in both Canada and the United States.
Dual Certification Programs
Authors: Blanton Linda , Pugach Marleen
Published: August 2020

Dual certification refers to a teaching license both for general primary and/or secondary education and special needs education simultaneously. This term is unique to the United States, where licensure policy has traditionally offered options for teacher candidates to earn an initial stand-alone license in either general or special needs education, and contrasts with initial teacher education policy patterns outside the United States, where teachers are not typically permitted to earn an initial license for special needs education alone. Various forms of dual certification have existed in the United States for many decades, but until recently they were not the norm. Contemporary teacher educators and policymakers in the United States have adopted and encouraged dual certification as a way of supporting the preparation of teachers for effective inclusive teaching. As a result, dual certification is viewed as a means of restructuring and expanding the entirety of the preservice, initial teacher education curriculum to become highly responsive both to the increasing diversity of students and to the wider range and more complex needs of students who struggle in school, among them students with special needs.

Because dual certification addresses the vital question of how best to prepare initial teachers for inclusive teaching, its fundamental, underlying concerns transcend specific national structural or policy issues regarding licensure. Instead, dual certification reflects a focus on the content of initial teacher preparation writ large regarding what kinds of redesigned, reconceptualized clinical, course, and curricular experiences might be most effective in preparing teachers for high-quality inclusive teaching practice. Dual certification calls into question the nature of teacher expertise, challenging basic beliefs about where the responsibility of general education teachers ends and where that of special needs education teachers begins. In this way, dual certification can be viewed as a specific national policy vehicle that addresses common international concerns for developing appropriate preservice curricula that are responsive to the demands of inclusive educational practice. Implementing dual certification is not without its challenges, however, as reflected in some of the early and ongoing attempts at implementation. Therefore, it is critical both to anticipate potential pitfalls as well as to identify potential solutions that are appropriate to the fundamental purposes of preparing teachers for inclusive practice.
Influence of Medical and Social Perspectives of Disability on Models of Inclusive Education in the United States
Authors: Connor David , Olander Louis
Published: August 2020

Ideological disputes about what human differences constitute disabilities undergird two very distinct positions that are known as medical and social models of disability. The positions significantly impact how inclusive education is envisioned and enacted, with proponents of each model holding fast to what they believe is “best” for students. Related areas of significant dissension among the two viewpoints include: (a) the concept of disability and “appropriate” placement of students deemed disabled, (b) the purpose of schools, (c) the nature of teaching and learning, (d) a teacher’s roles, (e) the notion of student success and failure, and (f) perceptions of social justice and disability. These interconnected and sometimes overlapping areas convey how medical or social models of inclusive education can vary dramatically, depending upon an educator’s general ideological disposition toward disability or difference.
Gender and STEM in Higher Education in the United States
Authors: Bystydzienski Jill M.
Published: August 2020

Despite recently improved numbers of women and other historically underrepresented groups in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) in U.S. higher education, women continue to lag significantly in comparison with men in many STEM disciplines. Female participation is especially low in computer science, engineering, and physics and at the advanced levels in academic STEM—at full professor and in administrative (department head or chair, dean) positions. While there have been various theoretical approaches to explain why this gender gap persists, a particularly productive strand of research indicates that deeply rooted gendered, racialized, and heteronormative institutional structures and practices act as barriers to a more significant movement of diverse women into academic STEM fields. More specifically, this research documents that a hostile academic climate, exclusionary practices, and subtle forms of discrimination in hiring and promotion, as well as lack of positive recognition of female scientists’ work, account for relatively low numbers of women in fields such as engineering, physics, and computer science. Nevertheless, since the early 2000s, numerous initiatives have been undertaken in U.S. higher education to remedy the situation, and some progress has been made through programs that attempt to transform STEM departments and colleges into more inclusive and equitable academic spaces.