bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dark Matter and (g - 2)μ,ein radiative Dirac neutrino mass models
Authors: Chowdhury Talal Ahmed , Ehsanuzzaman Md. , Saad Shaikh
Published: August 2022

The origin of neutrino mass is a mystery, so is its nature, namely, whether neutrinos are Dirac or Majorana particles. On top of that, hints of large deviations of the muon and the electron anomalous magnetic moments (AMMs) are strong evidence for physics beyond the Standard Model. In this work, piecing these puzzles together, we propose a class of radiative Dirac neutrino mass models to reconcile (g- 2)μ,eanomalies with neutrino oscillation data. In this framework, a common set of new physics (NP) states run through the loops that generate non-zero neutrino mass and, due to chiral enhancement, provide substantial NP contributions to lepton AMMs. In addition, one of the three models studied in this work offers a Dark Matter candidate automatically stabilized by the residual symmetry, whose phenomenology is non-trivially connected to the other two puzzles mentioned above. Finally, our detailed numerical analysis reveals a successful resolution to these mysteries while being consistent with all colliders and cosmological constraints.
Black hole solutions in scalar-tensor symmetric teleparallel gravity
Authors: Bahamonde Sebastian , Gigante Valcarcel Jorge , Järv Laur , Lember Joosep
Published: August 2022

Symmetric teleparallel gravity is constructed with a nonzero nonmetricity tensor while both torsion and curvature are vanishing. In this framework, we find exact scalarised spherically symmetric static solutions in scalar-tensor theories built with a nonminimal coupling between the nonmetricity scalar and a scalar field. It turns out that the Bocharova-Bronnikov-Melnikov-Bekenstein solution has a symmetric teleparallel analogue (in addition to the recently found metric teleparallel analogue), while some other of these solutions describe scalarised black hole configurations that are not known in the Riemannian or metric teleparallel scalar-tensor case. To aid the analysis we also derive no-hair theorems for the theory. Since the symmetric teleparallel scalar-tensor models also includef(Q)gravity, we shortly discuss this case and further prove a theorem which says that by imposing that the metric functions are the reciprocal of each other (grr= 1/gtt), thef(Q)gravity theory reduces to the symmetric teleparallel equivalent of general relativity (plus a cosmological constant), and the metric takes the (Anti)de-Sitter-Schwarzschild form.
Classical cosmological collider physics and primordial features
Authors: Chen Xingang , Ebadi Reza , Kumar Soubhik
Published: August 2022

Features in the inflationary landscape can inject extra energies to inflation models and produce on-shell particles with masses much larger than the Hubble scale of inflation. This possibility extends the energy reach of the program of cosmological collider physics, in which signals associated with these particles are generically Boltzmann-suppressed. We study the mechanisms of this classical cosmological collider in two categories of primordial features. In the first category, the primordial feature is classical oscillation, which includes the case of coherent oscillation of a massive field and the case of oscillatory features in the inflationary potential. The second category includes any sharp feature in the inflation model. All these classical features can excite unsuppressed quantum modes of other heavy fields which leave observational signatures in primordial non-Gaussianities, including the information about the particle spectra of these heavy degrees of freedom.
Goos–Hänchen shift of a light beam tunable by graphene in the resonant optical tunneling structure
Authors: Bocharov A A
Published: August 2022

The structure for implementing resonant optical tunneling effect is a simple layered system of dielectrics that provides full light transmission for resonance condition, despite the presence of barrier layers partially locking light. The presence of a sharp resonant peak both for the intensity and for the spatial shift of the transmitted light beam makes such a structure promising for the creation of sensors and light control devices. This paper focuses on the spatial shift called the Goos–Hänchen shift of such a structure with interfaces of the waveguide layer coated by graphene. The effect of Goos–Hänchen shift near the resonance in this case may be controlled by small changes in the chemical potential or the Fermi energy of graphene, which can be controlled both chemically and by electrical bias. The characteristics of transmitted light beam strongly depend on the beam width for the selected optimal focusing condition.
The high-temperature oxidation and mechanical properties of the Cr/Zr and CrN/Zr coating
Authors: Zhou Teng , Gao Xiong , Chen Huan , Zhang Rui-Qian , Shang Lunlin , Zhang Guangan , Cai Zhen-Bing
Published: August 2022

Coating technology to modify the property of zirconium (Zr) alloy is a potential method for accident-tolerant fuel claddings. In this work, Cr-coated and CrN-coated are prepared on the surface of Zr alloy by using multi-arc ion plating technology. The effect of coatings on the high-temperature oxidation performance at 800, 1000, and 1200 °C has been investigated. The oxidation behavior, microstructure, and phase composition of the samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscope and x-ray diffraction analysis. The mechanical properties of the coatings before and after oxidation were examined by ring compressive and hardness tests. It is shown that all the Cr and CrN coating can effectively protect the substrate from oxidation corrosion in air due to the formation of Cr2O3, which can effectively reduce the penetration of oxygen. The thickness of the oxide layer from the side of the coating doesn’t exceed to 5 μm at 1000 °C, and from the uncoated side reaches to 70 μm with pores and rough structure. Bubbles appeared on the surface of the coated samples after oxidizing at 1200°C. These bubbles are located at the Cr and Cr2O3 layers. The high-temperature oxidation resistance of Cr coating at 1200 °C is better than that of CrN, the latter appears to crack and spall on the oxide layer. Due to the higher fracture toughness, ductility of the Cr coating and more suitable deformation compatibility, the Cr coating possesses better crack resistance than the CrN coating under mechanical loading.
Low temperature CVD growth of WSe2 enabled by moisture-assisted defects in the precursor powder
Authors: Sassi Lucas M , Krishnamoorthy Aravind , Hachtel Jordan A , Susarla Sandhya , Apte Amey , Castro-Pardo Samuel , Ajnsztajn Alec , Vajtai Robert , Vashishta Priya , Tiwary Chandra Sekhar , Puthirath Anand B , Ajayan Pulickel M
Published: August 2022

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have been proposed for a wide variety of applications, such as neuromorphic computing, flexible field effect transistors, photonics, and solar cells, among others. However, for most of these applications to be feasible, it is necessary to integrate these materials with the current existing silicon technology. Although chemical vapor deposition is a promising method for the growth of high-quality and large-area TMD crystals, the high temperatures necessary for the growth make this technique incompatible with the processes used in the semiconductor industry. Herein, we demonstrate the possibility of low-temperature growth of TMDs, using tungsten selenide (WSe2) as a model, by simply using moisture-assisted defective tungsten oxide (WO3) precursor powders during the growth of these materials. Density functional theory calculations reveal the mechanism by which moisture promotes the defect formation on the precursor crystal structure and how it dictates the reduction of the temperature of the growth. The results were compared with the standard growth at high temperatures and with a precursor mixture with alkali salts to show the high quality of the WSe2 grown at temperatures as low as 550 °C. To conclude, the work improves the understanding of nucleation and growth mechanisms of WSe2 at low temperatures and provides a useful strategy for the growth of TMDs at temperatures required for the back-end-of-line compatibility with current silicon technology.
Formation of smoother grain boundaries in 2D materials using high deposition rates during the last stages of growth
Authors: Aarão Reis Fabio D A , Marguet Bastien , Pierre-Louis Olivier
Published: August 2022

Grain boundary (GB) roughness can affect electronic and mechanical properties of two-dimensional materials. This roughness depends crucially on the growth process by which the two-dimensional material is formed. To investigate the key mechanisms that govern the GB roughening, we have performed kinetic Monte Carlo simulations of a simple model that includes particle attachment, detachment, and diffusion. We have studied the closure of the gap between two flakes during growth, and the subsequent formation of the GB for a broad range of model parameters. The well-known near-equilibrium (attachment-limited) and unstable (diffusion-limited) growth regimes are identified, but we also observe a third regime when the precursor flux is sufficiently high to saturate the gap between the edges with diffusing species. This high deposition rate regime forms GBs with spatially uncorrelated roughness, which quickly relax to smoother configurations. Extrapolating the numerical results (with support from a theoretical approach) to edge lengths and gap widths of some micrometres, we confirm the advantage of this regime to produce GBs with minimal roughness faster than near-equilibrium conditions. This suggests an unexpected route towards efficient growth of two-dimensional materials with smooth GBs.
Zr alloying effects on the microstructure, compression performance and oxidation resistance of refractory high entropy alloys
Authors: Zhang Song , Li Rui , Xu Yonggang
Published: August 2022

Three refractory high entropy alloys (RHEAs) with nominal compositions of Mo0.5NbHf0.25CrZrxTiAl (x = 0, 0.5, 1, mole ratio) were prepared by vacuum non-consumable arc melting technology. The influences of Zr addition on the microstructure, compressive performance and oxidation resistance at 1473 K of RHEAs were investigated and evaluated integrally. The results show that the three RHEAs are all composed of BCC1, BCC2 and Laves phases. With increasing the Zr content, the microstructure of RHEA has gradually become BCC1 + BCC2 eutectics, and also the area fraction of BCC2 phase exhibits a rising trend. Both peak stresses are displayed at the strains of near 0.03 and 0.08 respectively in the compressive stress-strain curves of the three RHEAs. On the whole, the compressive yield strength of RHEA shows an increasing trend with Zr addition. The oxide scales of the three RHEAs all possess good adhesion and obviously layered structures. The different oxidation products are distributed in their oxide scales and internal oxidation zones. The oxidation resistance of RHEA is dramatically degraded due to the decreased compactness of the oxide scale with Zr addition.
Direct determination of arbitrary dimensional entanglement monotones using statistical correlators and minimal complementary measurements
Authors: Ghosh Debadrita , Jennewein Thomas , Sinha Urbasi
Published: August 2022

Higher dimensional quantum systems (qudits) present a potentially more efficient means, compared to qubits, for implementing various information theoretic tasks. One of the ubiquitous resources in such explorations is entanglement. Entanglement monotones (EMs) are of key importance, particularly for assessing the efficacy of a given entangled state as a resource for information theoretic tasks. Till date, investigations towards determination of EMs have focused on providing their tighter lower bounds. There is yet no general scheme available for direct determination of the EMs. Consequently, an empirical determination of any EM has not yet been achieved for entangled qudit states. The present paper fills this gap, both theoretically as well as experimentally. First, we derive analytical relations between statistical correlation measures i.e. mutual predictability (MP), mutual information (MI) and Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) and standard EMs i.e. negativity (N) and entanglement of formation (EOF) in arbitrary dimensions. As a proof of concept, we then experimentally measure MP, MI and PCC of two-qutrit pure states and determine their N and EOF using these derived relations. This is a useful addition to the experimenter’s toolkit wherein by using a limited number of measurements (in this case 1 set of measurements), one can directly measure the EMs in a bipartite arbitrary dimensional system. We obtain the value of N for our bipartite qutrit to be 0.907 ± 0.013 and the EOF to be 1.323 ± 0.022. Since the present scheme enables determination of more than one EM by the same limited number of measurements, we argue that it can serve as a unique experimental platform for quantitatively comparing and contrasting the operational implications of EMs as well as showing their non-monotonicity for a given bipartite pure qudit state.
Superconductivity of high-entropy-alloy-type transition-metal zirconide (Fe,Co,Ni,Cu,Ga)Zr2
Authors: Kasem Md Riad , Arima Hiroto , Ikeda Yoichi , Yamashita Aichi , Mizuguchi Yoshikazu
Published: August 2022

We synthesized a new high-entropy-alloy-type (HEA-type) superconductor (Fe,Co,Ni,Cu,Ga)Zr2 with a T
c of 2.9 K. The EDX analyses revealed that the actual composition of the transition-metal site (Tr-site) is Tr = Fe0.17(1)Co0.18(2)Ni0.21(2)Cu0.25(1)Ga0.19(1), which gives the configurational entropy of mixing ΔS
mix = 1.60 R for the Tr site. Neutron powder diffraction revealed that the sample has a tetragonal CuAl2-type (space group: #140). The lattice constant of a monotonically decreases with decreasing temperature, but the lattice constant of c does not exhibit a clear shrinkage. Isotropic displacement parameter for both the Tr and Zr sites are large, which is probably caused by the HEA-type Tr site. The small temperature dependences of U
iso for both sites also indicate the presence of the local structural disorder in (Fe,Co,Ni,Cu,Ga)Zr2. From electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, and specific heat measurements, bulk superconductivity was confirmed.
Roadmap on Li-ion battery manufacturing research
Authors: Grant Patrick S , Greenwood David , Pardikar Kunal , Smith Rachel , Entwistle Thomas , Middlemiss Laurence A , Murray Glen , Cussen Serena A , Lain M J , Capener M J , Copley M , Reynolds Carl D , Hare Sam D , Simmons Mark J H , Kendrick Emma , Zankowski Stanislaw P , Wheeler Samuel , Zhu Pengcheng , Slater Peter R , Zhang Ye Shui , Morrison Andrew R T , Dawson Will , Li Juntao , Shearing Paul R , Brett Dan J L , Matthews Guillaume , Ge Ruihuan , Drummond Ross , Tredenick Eloise C , Cheng Chuan , Duncan Stephen R , Boyce Adam M , Faraji-Niri Mona , Marco James , Roman-Ramirez Luis A , Harper Charlotte , Blackmore Paul , Shelley Tim , Mohsseni Ahmad , Cumming Denis J
Published: August 2022

Growth in the Li-ion battery market continues to accelerate, driven primarily by the increasing need for economic energy storage for electric vehicles. Electrode manufacture by slurry casting is the first main step in cell production but much of the manufacturing optimisation is based on trial and error, know-how and individual expertise. Advancing manufacturing science that underpins Li-ion battery electrode production is critical to adding to the electrode manufacturing value chain. Overcoming the current barriers in electrode manufacturing requires advances in materials, manufacturing technology, in-line process metrology and data analytics, and can enable improvements in cell performance, quality, safety and process sustainability. In this roadmap we explore the research opportunities to improve each stage of the electrode manufacturing process, from materials synthesis through to electrode calendering. We highlight the role of new process technology, such as dry processing, and advanced electrode design supported through electrode level, physics-based modelling. Progress in data driven models of electrode manufacturing processes is also considered. We conclude there is a growing need for innovations in process metrology to aid fundamental understanding and to enable feedback control, an opportunity for electrode design to reduce trial and error, and an urgent imperative to improve the sustainability of manufacture.
Simple mechanism rules the dynamics of volleyball
Authors: Chacoma Andrés , Billoni Orlando V
Published: August 2022

In volleyball games, we define a rally as the succession of events observed since the ball is served until one of the two teams on the court scores the point. In this process, athletes evolve in response to physical and information constraints, spanning several spatiotemporal scales and interplaying co-adaptively with the environment. Aiming to study the emergence of complexity in this system, we carried out a study focused on three steps: data collection, data analysis, and modeling. First, we collected data from 20 high-level professional volleyball games. Then we conducted a data-driven analysis from where we identified fundamental insights that we used to define a parsimonious stochastic model for the dynamics of the game. On these bases, we show that it is possible to give a closed-form expression for the probability that the players perform n hits in a rally using only two stochastic variables. Our results fully agree with the empirical observations and represent a new advance in the comprehension of team-sports competition complexity and dynamics.
Charting the 𝑞-Askey scheme
Authors: Koornwinder Tom
Published: August 2022

Following Verde-Star [Linear Algebra Appl. 627 (2021), pp. 242–274] we label families of orthogonal polynomials in the

q
q

-Askey scheme together with their

q
q

-hypergeometric representations by three sequences

x
k

,

h
k

,

g
k

x_k, h_k, g_k

of Laurent polynomials in

q
k

q^k

, two of degree 1 and one of degree 2, satisfying certain constraints. This gives rise to a precise classification and parametrization of these families together with their limit transitions. This is displayed in a graphical scheme. We also describe the four-manifold structure underlying the scheme.
Determinant of 𝔽_{𝕡}-hypergeometric solutions under ample reduction
Authors: Varchenko Alexander
Published: August 2022

We consider the KZ differential equations over

C

\mathbb {C}

in the case, when the hypergeometric solutions are one-dimensional integrals. We also consider the same differential equations over a finite field

F

p

\mathbb {F}_p

. We study the polynomial solutions of these differential equations over

F

p

\mathbb {F}_p

, constructed in a previous work joint with V. Schechtman and called the

F

p

\mathbb {F}_p

-hypergeometric solutions.

The dimension of the space of

F

p

\mathbb {F}_p

-hypergeometric solutions depends on the prime number

p
p

. We say that the KZ equations have ample reduction for a prime

p
p

, if the dimension of the space of

F

p

\mathbb {F}_p

-hypergeometric solutions is maximal possible, that is, equal to the dimension of the space of solutions of the corresponding KZ equations over

C

\mathbb {C}

. Under the assumption of ample reduction, we prove a determinant formula for the matrix of coordinates of basis

F

p

\mathbb {F}_p

-hypergeometric solutions. The formula is analogous to the corresponding formula for the determinant of the matrix of coordinates of basis complex hypergeometric solutions, in which binomials

(

z
i

−

z
j

)

M
i

+

M
j

(z_i-z_j)^{M_i+M_j}

are replaced with

(

z
i

−

z
j

)

M
i

+

M
j

−
p

(z_i-z_j)^{M_i+M_j-p}

and the Euler gamma function

Γ
(
x
)

\Gamma (x)

is replaced with a suitable

F

p

\mathbb {F}_p

-analog

Γ

F

p

(
x
)

\Gamma _{\mathbb {F}_p}(x)

defined on

F

p

\mathbb {F}_p

.
The endoplasmic reticulum contributes to lysosomal tubulation/sorting driven by LRRK2
Authors: Bonet-Ponce Luis , Cookson Mark R.
Published: August 2022

A role of the ER as a new regulator of lysosomal sorting is reported. Using advanced microscopy, it is reported that ER tubules colocalize with lysosomal tubules in the sorting site. Mechanistically, it is shown that reduction of the number of ER tubules leads to a significant decrease in lysosomal sorting.
A role for Nup153 in nuclear assembly reveals differential requirements for targeting of nuclear envelope constituents
Authors: LaJoie Dollie , Turkmen Ayse M. , Mackay Douglas R. , Jensen Christopher C. , Aksenova Vasilisa , Niwa Maho , Dasso Mary , Ullman Katharine S.
Published: August 2022

Selective defects in protein targeting to the nuclear envelope when the nucleoporin Nup153 is depleted reveal new information about nuclear assembly.
Vicious Cycle: Violations of Foreign Nationals’ Rights among CAT Countries
Authors: Kahn-Nisser Sara
Published: August 2022

This article explains abuse of foreigners’ rights by identifying an unexplored by-product of human rights shaming—reciprocation. By identifying this phenomenon, the article explains countries’ noncompliance with treaty obligations, focusing in particular on noncompliance with the Convention against Torture's (CAT) provisions on foreign nationals’ rights. States who learn about violations of their citizens’ rights in other ratifying countries violate foreigners’ rights at home. The article hypothesizes that the likelihood of violations of foreign nationals’ rights in a country is positively associated with mentions of violations of that country's citizens’ rights in other treaty countries. To test these propositions, the article presents new data on countries’ violations of foreign nationals’ human rights as documented in the CAT Treaty Body's reports. The results of rare events logistic regression analysis support the hypothesis. Conceptualizing this dynamic among CAT countries as negative diffuse reciprocity, the article draws theoretical conclusions and policy implications.
Correlation between Bacterial Wound Colonization and Skin-Graft Loss in Burn Patients
Authors: Wellkamp Lukas , Obed Doha , Enechukwu Anieto Onochie Matthias , Bingoel Alperen Sabri , Dastagir Khaled , Vogt Peter Maria
Published: August 2022

Loss of skin grafts can be a dangerous complication during the early postoperative course of patients with extensive burns. A major risk factor for impaired healing of grafts is local wound infection due to bacterial colonization. Burn wounds are particularly prone to bacterial colonization. In this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed correlations between bacteria isolates from burn wounds and loss of skin grafts after surgical treatment. A cohort of patients with burn wounds who received split-skin grafts for wound coverage was divided into groups with and without loss of skin grafts. Demographics, comorbidities, trauma characteristics and bacterial isolates from wound cultures were reviewed and compared. Bacterial colonization isolated from burn wounds upon hospital admission was found to be a significant predictor of skin-graft loss. Additionally, an Abbreviated Burn Severity Index greater 6 predicted graft loss. When comparing bacterial swab results from admission with isolates from revision surgery after graft loss, causative pathogens were found to have changed.
Incidence of in Situ vs Invasive Melanoma: Testing the “Obligate Precursor” Hypothesis
Authors: Olsen Catherine M , Pandeya Nirmala , Rosenberg Philip S , Whiteman David C
Published: August 2022

Background

Melanoma incidence has been rising in populations with predominantly European ancestry (White), speculated to be partly driven by heightened detection of indolent tumors. If in situ melanomas are destined to evolve to invasive cancers, detecting and removing them should deplete the pool of invasive lesions, and people with in situ melanoma should, on average, be younger than those with invasive melanoma.

Methods

We analyzed long-term incidence trends (1982-2018) for in situ and invasive melanomas in 3 predominantly White populations with high, medium, and low melanoma rates: Queensland (Australia), United States White, and Scotland. We calculated the incidence rate ratio (IRR) of in situ to invasive melanomas and estimated the contributions of age, period, and cohort effects. We compared age at diagnosis of in situ vs invasive melanomas overall and stratified by sex and anatomic site.

Results

In all 3 populations, the in situ to invasive incidence rate ratio increased statistically significantly from less than 0.3 in 1982 to 1.95 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.88 to 2.02) in Queensland, 0.93 (95% CI = 0.90 to 0.96) in the US White population, and 0.58 (95% CI = 0.54 to 0.63) in Scotland in 2018. The mean age at diagnosis of in situ melanomas was the same or higher than invasive melanomas for almost all time periods among men and women and on all body sites except the lower limbs.

Conclusions

The increasing ratio of in situ to invasive melanoma incidence over time, together with the high (and increasing) mean age at diagnosis of in situ melanomas, is consistent with more indolent lesions coming to clinical attention than in previous eras.
Primary and Secondary Attack Rates by Vaccination Status after a SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 (Delta) Variant Outbreak at a Youth Summer Camp—Texas, June 2021
Authors: Baker Julia M , Shah Melisa M , O’Hegarty Michelle , Pomeroy Mary , Keiser Philip , Ren Ping , Weaver Scott C , Maknojia Sara , Machado Rafael R G , Mitchell Brooke M , McConnell Allan , Tate Jacqueline E , Kirking Hannah L
Published: August 2022

Children are capable of initiating COVID-19 transmission into households, but many questions remain about the impact of vaccination on transmission. Data from a COVID-19 Delta variant outbreak at an overnight camp in Texas during June 23–27, 2021, were analyzed. The camp had 451 attendees, including 364 youths aged  < 18 years and 87 adults. Detailed interviews were conducted with 92 (20.4%) of consenting attendees and 117 household members of interviewed attendees with COVID-19. Among 450 attendees with known case status, the attack rate was 41%, including 42% among youths; attack rates were lower among vaccinated (13%) than among unvaccinated youths (48%). The secondary attack rate was 51% among 115 household contacts of 55 interviewed index patients. Secondary infections occurred in 67% of unvaccinated household members and 33% of fully or partially vaccinated household members. Analyses suggested that household member vaccination and camp attendee masking at home protected against household transmission.
Single-incision laparoscopic ileocolectomy for solitary cecal colon diverticulitis with calcified fecalith: a case report
Authors: Shimizu Akito , Yoshimitsu Masanori , Yano Takuya , Chogahara Ichiya , Fukuhara Sotaro , Nakano Kanyu , Idani Hitoshi , Okajima Masazumi , Ishida Michihiro , Satoh Daisuke , Choda Yasuhiro , Shirakawa Yasuhiro , Matsukawa Hiroyoshi , Shiozaki Shigehiro
Published: August 2022

The prevalence of colonic diverticular disease has been on the increase in Japan due to an increase in westernized diet and a rapidly aging population. However, solitary cecal diverticulum is rare and considered congenital in etiology. Solitary cecal diverticulitis with calcified fecaliths is even rarer. Herein, we report a case of cecal colon diverticulitis caused by a calcified fecalith in a 38-year-old woman treated with single-incision laparoscopic surgery. To the best of our knowledge, this report describes the first case of cecal colon diverticulitis caused by a calcified fecalith that was successfully treated with single-incision laparoscopic ileocolectomy.
Superior mesenteric artery syndrome secondary to thyrotoxicosis
Authors: Jacobs Abigail , Brasileiro Silva Pacheco Tulio , Sohail Amir , Goparaju Anirudha
Published: August 2022

Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) syndrome is defined as a narrowed space and decreased angle between the SMA and aorta leading to partial or complete obstruction of the third portion of the duodenum. SMA syndrome patients may have comorbid conditions associated with extreme weight loss, hypermetabolism or malnutrition. We present the case of a 55-year-old male with SMA syndrome due to acute weight loss secondary to thyrotoxicosis. The patient was nutritionally optimized and euthyroid prior to undergoing a robotic-assisted duodenojejunostomy. In this patient, the thyrotoxicosis was controlled medically, and he remained euthyroid postoperatively. His duodenal obstruction was relieved by the operation and he continued to gain weight appropriately.
Weavers, Scribes, and Kings
Authors: Podany Amanda H.
Published: August 2022

This sweeping history of the ancient Near East (Mesopotamia, Syria, Anatolia, Iran) takes readers on a journey from the creation of the world’s first cities to the conquests of Alexander the Great. The book is built around the life stories of many ancient men and women, from kings, priestesses, and merchants to bricklayers, musicians, and weavers. Their habits of daily life, beliefs, triumphs, and crises, and the changes that they faced over time are explored through their written words and the archaeological remains of the buildings, cities, and empires in which they lived. Rather than chronicling three thousand years of kingdoms, the book instead creates a tapestry of life stories through which readers come to know specific individuals from many walks of life, and to understand their places within the broad history of events and institutions in the ancient Near East. These life stories are preserved on ancient cuneiform tablets, which allow us, for example, to trace the career of a weaver as she advanced to became a supervisor of a workshop, to listen to a king trying to persuade his generals to prepare for a siege, and to feel the pain of a starving young couple who were driven to sell all four of their young children into slavery during a famine. What might seem at first glance to be a remote and inaccessible ancient culture proves to be a comprehensible world, one that bequeathed to us many of our institutions and beliefs, a truly fascinating place to visit.
Builders and Organizers
Authors: Podany Amanda H.
Published: August 2022

The chapter begins with an overview of developments in the ancient Near East prior to the growth of cities, such as long-distance trade, beginnings of settlements, farming, and the invention of pottery. Uruk was the first city of the Near East to have monumental architecture and a population of tens of thousands of inhabitants. It seems to have been the biggest city in the world in 3500 bce and it was the site of many innovations that had a lasting impact on the Near East and the world. A remarkable structure called the Stone Cone Temple provides a window into several aspects of the society and economy of the time. Although the temple was built before writing was invented, archaeologists can draw conclusions about its construction based on the material remains that survive. Innovation was prized, as seen in the new building materials, such as a form of concrete and stone cones used to create mosaics. The workforce was organized, as seen in the use of clay tokens, bullae, and cylinder seals for record-keeping and administration, and in the use of beveled-rim bowls, probably for distributing rations. A male figure shown in art on cylinder seals and on the Uruk Vase was probably a priest-king who venerated the goddess Inana and played an important role in the city.
Merchants and Families
Authors: Podany Amanda H.
Published: August 2022

While Isin and Larsa dominated southern Mesopotamia, other states existed to the north, such as Ashur. This chapter examines the kingdom of Ashur during the Old Assyrian period (c. 2000–1600 bce) and its trading relationship with Anatolian kingdoms, especially Kanesh, on the Anatolian plateau. The city of Ashur is described, along with its government. At this point, the rulers there were less powerful than in many other kingdoms, and a City Assembly made many decisions. The years were named for an annual official chosen by lot, known as a limmum. Thousands of Assyrian tablets have been found in ancient Kanesh, providing details of the trade between the two lands. The Assyrian merchants were independent, not representatives of their king. They carried tin and textiles to Kanesh in donkey caravans; the Anatolians paid for the goods in silver and gold. Kanesh was ruled by a royal couple, who resided in a palace on the tell and maintained contracts with the traders. The Assyrian merchants lived and worked in a suburb (called the karum) outside the walls that surrounded the city. The chapter includes a profile of a family of traders headed by the patriarch Ashur-idi. His son Ashur-nada was his chief agent in Anatolia. Ashur-nada had one family in Ashur and another in Anatolia; his children in Ashur chose to leave there in order to join him in Kanesh. The logistics of the donkey caravans and their itineraries are detailed, along with the concerns expressed in letters between traders.
A Lawgiver, Land Overseers, and Soldiers
Authors: Podany Amanda H.
Published: August 2022

Although Hammurabi (1792–1750) is renowned as a lawgiver, he was not the first. Hammurabi’s first years were relatively uneventful; Babylon was not especially powerful. Elam was the great power of the time. Hammurabi began building his empire in response to aggression from Larsa and Elam, eventually expanding south to the Gulf, and north as far as Mari. Two of Hammurabi’s administrators in Larsa are profiled: Sin-idinnam, governor general, and Shamash-hazir, overseer of fields. Both wrote and received letters from Hammurabi, revealing their responsibilities. These included, for Sin-idinnam, collecting taxes and issuing orders to other governors, and, for Shamash-hazir, allocating subsistence fields, determining field ownership, arbitrating land disputes, organizing maintenance of the irrigation system, supervising the shearing of palace sheep, and keeping records. The subsistence land provided to a soldier was his ilkum; in exchange he did military service and corvée labor, and paid taxes. Shepherds who cared for the royal herds also received subsistence land. They had to account for every sheep and goat, and the products from them. Hammurabi’s laws provide insights into daily life of the time, but don’t cover all crimes, and often don’t specify how the death penalty would be carried out. Court cases show that monetary fines were common and death penalties uncommon. Another profile reconstructs the life and responsibilities of an ilkum soldier named Mashum, based on Hammurabi’s laws and Shamash-hazir’s letters. Hammurabi’s laws provide details about many aspects of Old Babylonian life, including the structure of social classes.
Negotiators, Sea Traders, and Famine Sufferers
Authors: Podany Amanda H.
Published: August 2022

During the thirteenth century bce, Ramses II brought Egypt to new heights of wealth, while Elamite kings claimed the right to rule Babylon, and the Middle Assyrian empire expanded through conquests. After an indecisive battle between Hatti and Egypt at Kadesh, the Hittite monarchs—Hattusili III and queen Puduhepa—negotiated a peace treaty and diplomatic marriage with Ramses II. The treaty committed the two lands to peaceful brotherhood and mutual support. A letter from Puduhepa to Ramses II reveals her negotiating tactics. Other letters reflect Hattusili III’s concerns about Assyrian aggression. Ugarit, a busy port in coastal Syria, was subject to Hatti. Urtenu, a sea trader there, was closely tied to the local royal family; many of their archival letters were found in his house. He worked for a sea trading firm run by a queen of Ugarit. Shipwrecks have revealed the types of ships used and the cargos carried. By 1200, a growing grain shortage was causing famine. Emar’s government is described, along with details of its major religious festival, the zukru. A family in Emar headed by a couple named Ku’e and Zadamma give a face to the growing crisis. They had four very small children, whom they could not afford to support, deciding to sell the children in order to survive. Many cities were destroyed in the early twelfth century bce across the Near East, some probably by the Sea Peoples who also fought in Egypt, others by different forces. Famine and drought contributed to the disruptions.
Conspirators, Diviners, and Officials
Authors: Podany Amanda H.
Published: August 2022

Esarhaddon, king of Assyria (681–669 bce), is the subject of this chapter, along with his search for divine guidance and for people conspiring against him, using diviners and prophets of various kinds. It begins when Esarhaddon was named crown prince, continues through his exile in Syria, his father’s assassination, his return to Nineveh to take the throne, his reign, and his attempts to conquer Egypt. Although Assyrians had sworn an oath to support Esarhaddon as crown prince, once he became king he was the subject of plots, and several other men planned to usurp the throne. The diviners he consulted read the plans of the gods in dreams, astronomical signs, and internal organs of sacrificed animals (extispicy). Others consulted patterns of oil on water (libanomancy). Urartu, where the assassins had fled, was mountainous and hard to conquer. Its kings had created an extensive kingdom north of Assyria. Bel-ushezib was a diviner and astronomer who supported Esarhaddon. Various conspiracies against Esarhaddon were promoted by a female prophet, a city overseer, and the chief eunuch, while these were debunked using extispicy and dream interpretation. Esarhaddon was often unwell, and his chief physician provided medicines for his physical health and advice and incantations for his mental health. He also oversaw the appointment of substitute kings when Esarhaddon’s death was foretold. Esarhaddon purged his court of possible conspirators. He forced subjects to swear an oath to support his son Ashurbanipal after his death. Esarhaddon died en route to Egypt for his third campaign there.
“Ain’t Gonna Study War No More”
Authors: Zolten Jerry
Published: August 2022

The release of the first Hummingbirds records came at a time when petroleum-based shellac records were banned to put a reserve on that material for the war effort. The Hummingbirds relied on constant travel and word of mouth to sustain their fledgling career. They added a new lead singer, teenager Ira Tucker from nearby Spartanburg. Tucker was already locally well known as a gospel singer because as a child he busked door to door offering a song in exchange for a coin. He learned from Spartanburg's strong support community, where younger singers were trained by elders at weekly home gatherings. He sang with friends in hallways and on street corners. When his reputation reached James Davis and Barney Parks, they auditioned him and immediately invited Tucker into the group. He was a minor, so his mother gave her consent and Tucker became a Dixie Hummingbird. In the early 1940s, the Hummingbirds stayed close to home, performing where they could. The region, however, was rural and paying audiences dwindled as most had heard the group numerous times. They understood that to continue as a livelihood, they had to travel farther and afar. The young Hummingbirds established a string of favorite destinations that included the Jacksonville area in northern Florida and West Virginia’s coal mining towns where black miners had relocated to find work. The Hummingbirds were not getting rich, but they sustained by building a following and perfecting their skills as singers, businessmen, and navigators on the gospel highway.
“My Record Will Be There”
Authors: Zolten Jerry
Published: August 2022

The Korean War was in full swing, the civil rights movement heating up, and stories of violence and lynching frequently in the news. Pop was America's mainstream music with country on the rise and rhythm and blues, especially vocal groups, just beginning to captivate the youngest generation. Black gospel was vibrant in Philadelphia. Ivin Ballen with the Dixie Hummingbirds headlining his Gotham roster recorded Philly's Angelic Gospel Singers, the Davis Sisters, and the Clara Ward Singers. The Hummingbirds, Ira Tucker, James Davis, Beachey Thompson, and William Bobo, experimented with instrumental backing and teamed up in the studio with the Angelic Gospel Singers. Their releases sold well and fueled demand for appearances. Incessant touring was both rewarding and challenging: racism, exhaustion, and separation from family. The Hummingbirds, however, thrived on connecting with fans. Staying at segregated hotels, they often crossed paths with entertainers they admired including Ray Charles, Duke Ellington, and Louis Armstrong. Gospel had become a “big money” attraction that packed the house. Radio and records broadened the fan demographic. Some major labels now entered the market. Industry giant Columbia Records revived their long-dormant Okeh label and the Dixie Hummingbirds, with Paul Owens joining the group, signed on. The two records they released, one by themselves, the other with the Angelic Gospel Singers, were critically well received but sold moderately. The Hummingbirds were still in the hunt for a label and a sound that would put them over the top.
“Loves Me Like a Rock”
Authors: Zolten Jerry
Published: August 2022

As rock ‘n’ roll evolved into the 1960s, gospel vocalizing and stagecraft continued to influence solo artists and vocal harmony groups that evolved from doo-wop to soul and Motown: Ray Charles, James Brown, Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin, the Miracles, the Temptations. The Dixie Hummingbirds and black gospel itself evolved against the backdrop of generational rebellion, civil rights unrest, war protest, and assassinations. The trend shifted from quartets to soloists and choirs, the gospel fan base broadening as the music became appreciated both as an art and as roots music form. President Kennedy was assassinated and in 1964, the Hummingbirds made their television debut on the program TV Gospel Time. They performed “Our Prayer for Peace” with a new verse about the assassination. The Hummingbirds adapted to the tastes of the times and remained Peacock’s most consistently bestselling gospel artists. Multiple tracks were recorded and strategically released as singles every few months followed by album collections. Robey sold the Peacock catalog to ABC records. The Hummingbirds had an international following and performed at venues such as Disneyland, Madison Square Garden, and both the Newport Jazz and Folk Festivals. Paul Simon invited the Hummingbirds to collaborate on “Loves Me Like a Rock,” which in their own rendition won them their first Grammy. They also recorded with Stevie Wonder. The Hummingbirds suffered a setback in 1976 with the death of bass singer William Bobo. They soldiered on and more than six decades into their career were dubbed the “Iron Men of Gospel.”
Zhuangzi
Authors: Olberding Amy
Published: August 2022

The early Chinese text, the Zhuangzi, can only count as “neglected” if we likewise neglect the millions and millennia of the East Asian regions broadly influenced by the text. So the author seeks to draw attention to the text for a particular audience, those trained largely or exclusively in Western-lineage philosophy. As both putative author and exemplar of the text, Zhuangzi offers a model of what a philosopher can be that we do well to notice. Comic, uncertain, and playful, Zhuangzi challenges a philosopher’s impulse to order and sort the world, evincing instead a model of philosophical inquiry that largely eschews solutions to problems but revels in the curious, the ambiguous, and the puzzling perplexity of experience. Zhuangzi serves as an exemplar of a healthy and flourishing stupidity that one would do well sometimes to embrace.
Sor Juana’s “Let us pretend I am happy”
Authors: Shapiro Lisa
Published: August 2022

This chapter considers Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz’s poem, “Let us pretend I am happy.” The poem on its face offers a series of skeptical arguments that undermine the possibility of knowledge. The author articulates this core argument, and argues that, unlike her contemporaries, Sor Juana does not think skeptical challenges can be answered by a recognition of the limits of human understanding. The interpretive question then is whether she thinks there is a response to skepticism, and if so, what it is. The author suggests that Sor Juana’s choice of poetry as the genre to express her philosophy should be factored into one’s interpretation. Taking into account its poetic form, the author argues that Sor Juana aims to temper the natural desire to pursue knowledge, to avoid its excesses, through affective elements of the poem itself. By tempering one’s epistemic desires, it is possible to move beyond skepticism. The author further suggests that in the poem, Sor Juana presents a conception of thought as essentially affective, and that account of the nature of thought makes poetry a particularly appropriate genre for her philosophy.
Ida B. Wells-Barnett’s The Red Record
Authors: Kofi Bright Liam
Published: August 2022

Ida B. Wells-Barnett’s argument against the obvious moral crime of lynching has a lot to teach the reader. By paying attention to her own deliberate use of newspaper sources that were, by her own lights, biased toward white interests, one can gain insight into how best to be a scholar-activist. One can see that there are good epistemic reasons for Wells-Barnett’s restriction of her own evidence set, and the underlying epistemic good she sought to attain has been precisely explicated in contemporary work on philosophy of statistics. That she sought this good, and why she did so, turn out to be illustrative for the virtues that a scholar-activist should seek to uphold.
Republics of Difference
Authors: Graubart Karen B.
Published: August 2022

Medieval and early modern Spanish monarchs governed through jurisdictional pluralism, placing corporate groups into competition with one another and delegating tax collection and the management of civil conflict to them. Doing so enabled some autonomy, but also constrained the way they interacted with others. This book examines these subordinate republics in two asynchronous locations: peoples of Muslim, Jewish, and sub-Saharan African descent in fifteenth-century Seville, and Indigenous and (sometimes) Black peoples in sixteenth and seventeenth-century Lima. It does so through two lenses–space and jurisdiction–which enable the reader to reimagine and supplement absent archival materials. At times, those in power wished to separate the subordinate republics: to contain their contamination, or to protect them from predatory influences. Using arcGIS mapping in conjunction with archival documentation, the book explores the ways that members of these republics utilized the urban environment in contradistinction to narratives of separation, producing their own hierarchies that intersected with local society. Jurisdiction was also permeable, as urban residents could venue-shop, but the existence of judges and law within communities meant that they could occasionally enact justice on their own terms. Finally, the book turns to two case studies, of Black republics (one extant in Seville but mostly refused in the empire), and of Lima’s Cercado, an Indian town on the city's outskirts. These cases demonstrate the key functions of the republics but also the ways they participated in the racialization of identities in the Spanish world. The limited autonomy of the subordinate republic could also be a vehicle for producing discriminatory difference.