bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The study of the selectivity of the catalyst based on Pt-Re/γ-Al2O3 in the cracking reactions of n-hexane
Authors: Petrov S , Valieva A
Published: July 2019

The actual task in the fuel and energy sector is the conversation of alkanes, which are a part of the light hydrocarbon fractions of petroleum, into the top requested chemical feedstock. Perspective technologies are the technologies ofther olefinic and aromatic hydrocarbons production which are used as feedstock for the synthesis of valuable chemical products with a high discount of the market price from the cost of production. A study of the n-hexane conversion over a stationary layer of a catalytic system based on γ-Al2O3 containing Pt, Re, In, Ti at 400 and 450 °C and a rate of volume flow of 4 h−1 was performed. The specific surface of the catalytic system is more than 190 m2/g. It was revealed that an increase in the catalysis temperature by 50 °C leads to an increase in both the conversion of n-hexane by a factor of 2 and the methyl-substituted benzenes selectivity to 33.2 wt %. The catalytic system did not change before and after the experiments according to X-ray fluorescence and X-ray spectral analyzes, the elemental and phase composition.
Physical model experiment of heavy oil aquathermolysis with cobalt-iron based catalyst
Authors: Sitnov S , Baigildin E , Khelkhal M , Chemodanov A , Vakhin A
Published: July 2019

Increasing steam-thermal methods efficiency for heavy using various catalysts is generating considerable interest in scientific research all over the world. Thus, it is worth to optimize catalyst effectiveness during their in-situ formation from oil soluble precursors using different transition metals. In this paper, a physical simulation of heavy oil catalytic aquathermolysis from the Ashalchinskoye field was carried out. The process was carried out in the presence of a hydrogen donor and a mixture of oil-soluble iron and cobalt metal tallate (1:1 weight ratio) at temperatures 250 °C and different exposure time (6 and 24 h). It was found that the most effective conditions for the thermal conversion of the oil under study are a temperature of 250 °C at 24 hours. In this case, a significant decrease in the proportion of high molecular weight components, mainly resins (by 39 %) and viscosity (about 45 %) occurs due to the course of destructive processes. At the same time, GCMS analysis of the aromatic oil fraction showed that an increase in time promotes the redistribution of mono- and polyaromatic structures.
A comparative study of heavy oil oxidation thermal behavior in the presence of Cu-Mn tallates
Authors: Khelkhal M , Eskin A , Vakhin A
Published: July 2019

Heavy oil in-situ combustion process has many benefits among other thermal enhancing oil recovery methods. However, its application is still a complex task due to the irregular propagation of combustion front in the reservoir and its early breaking down. Recent finding regarding in-situ combustion development have led to use catalysts based on transition metals in order to stabilize and enhance combustion front flow. Transition metals was chosen rather than other types of catalysts because of their practical, feasible and economic impact in a wide range of industrial processes.

Current solutions to catalytic in-situ combustion are inconsistent with their application in real fields due the problems associated to the injection of catalysts in the reservoir from one side and to the high cost that can be generated from the use of certain type of catalysts. In this context, we studied the effect of copper and manganese tallates in different metal ratios on the oxidation of heavy oil by applying various physical and physical-chemical methods. As a result, we have obtained accurate results demonstrating the potential effect of Cu-Mn tallates in stabilizing combustion front during high temperature oxidation reactions.
Aquathermolysis of heavy oil in the presence of supercritical water
Authors: Petrov S. , Soldatova R. , Lakhova A.
Published: July 2019

The purpose of the work is to identify patterns of transformation of high-molecular components of super-heavy oil by hydrothermal-catalytic processes, namely in the presence of a supercritical state of water. The regularities of changes of the component, structural-group, fractional and elemental compositions of heavy oil during the conversion under the above conditions were established, rheological characteristics of the initial crude oil and converted oil were studied as well. As a result of carrying out aquathermolysis in the supercritical water environment and in the presence of carbonaceous substances, the high-molecular weight components of the initial crude oil were degraded with the formation of light distillate fractions, which were scarcely present in the initial crude oil.
Natural heavy oil reservoirs porosity and saturation coefficients estimation based on wavelet analysis of X-Ray computed tomography histogram
Authors: Kadyrov R , Starovoytov A , Utemov E , Statsenko E , Sagirov R , Validov M
Published: July 2019

With the development of unconventional resources the standard task of evaluation the porosity and oil saturation needs new approach. Heavy oil and bitumen can act as cement in many sand reservoirs, which excludes the use of standard measuring techniques. A new method for estimating the porosity and oil saturation of heavy oil reservoirs, based on wavelet X-ray computed tomography histogram analysis, was proposed. Its advantages are the ability to work with loose sand reservoirs, for which it is not possible to use standard assessment methods. A comparative analysis of the proposed method with a standard method for estimating porosity based on sample saturation with kerosene showed that the values of the porosity coefficient in the tomography resolution range 5-15 μm differed by 3-7% in the direction of the wavelet analysis method. This effect is due to the presence of transient voxels – mixels.
Stages of thermal transformation of oil shales organic-mineral substance of the Middle Volga region during combustion
Authors: Korolev E , Eskin A , Korolev A , Barieva E
Published: July 2019

The study of the staging of the thermal conversion of oil shale, common in the Middle Volga region, was carried out. It is established that the organic matter of rocks due to the polycomponent composition undergoes multi-stage pyrolysis in the temperature range 200-600°C. The most favorable temperature of pyrolysis, when up to 80% of the potential heat of shale is released, falls within the interval of 460-480°C. The main thermal transformations of the ash component are carried out at temperatures above 480°C. They are due to the release from the structure of clay minerals of the OH group, the oxidation of pyrite, the decomposition of calcite and the formation of spinels.

Summing up the obtained results, we can draw to the following conclusions:

1. Oil shale of the Middle Volga region is characterized by significant variations in the content of organic matter from 9 to 40%. The light isotopes C12 predominance in the composition of organic carbon indicates the predominantly biochemical origin of the organic matter.

2. The configuration of the DSC curve in the temperature range of 200–600°C indicates both the multicomponent composition of the organic compounds of oil shale and their multi-stage pyrolysis.

3. The most favorable pyrolysis temperature, when up to 80% of the potential heat of shale is released, is in the range of 460-480°C.

4. In the process of burning oil shale, the ash component of the rock also subjected to thermal transformation. The composition of rock-forming minerals determined the main temperature ranges of transformation in the areas of 480–600°C (extraction of hydroxyl water from clays, oxidation of pyrite with the formation of hematite), 680–800°C (destruction of calcite), 880–900°C (formation of spinels).
Influence of formation conditions on reservoir thickness and reservoir properties
Authors: Uspensky B V , Khaliullina S V , Valeeva S E , Vafin R F
Published: July 2019

Authors of the article identified the influence of sedimentation conditions on reservoir thickness and the patterns of change in reservoir properties of superviscous oil field from the following three zones of the sandstone sequence of the Sheshminsky horizon: Northern, Southern and Central identified by PJSC Tatneft and prepared for initial development. The following relationships have been investigated: open porosity relation with bitumen content (by weight and by volume), open porosity relation with carbonate content, open porosity relation with bulk density, carbonate content relation with bulk density, bitumen content (by weight and by volume) relation with carbonate content, and also bitumen content relation with their depth. The revealed patterns of changes in reservoir properties and bitumen content within the sandstone sequence can be the result of not only changing conditions of sedimentation, but also the result of post-sedimentation processes resulting in calcitization or redistribution of carbonate cement in the rock under the influence of aggressive products (oxidation, biodegradation) of oil deposits destruction.
Fabrication of free standing collagen membranes by pulsed-electrophoretic deposition
Authors: Barrett David J , Linley Matthew D , Best Serena M , Cameron Ruth E
Published: July 2019

This work reports an important new development in the production of collagen membranes, based on pulsed electrophoretic deposition (P-EPD), suitable for a wide range of biomedical applications. Collagen membranes are of great interest as a biomaterial and in a range of other industries, though current production techniques suffer from limitations with scaling up, homogeneity, and complex shapes. P-EPD can be used to rapidly create detachable, large-area, homogeneous products with controlled thickness in a wide variety of shapes. We provide a new understanding of the influence of a range of parameters (pulse width, voltage, duty cycle, solvent additions) and their effects on membrane structure. Characterisation by AFM, SEM, and cryoSEM revealed the ability to produce dense, structurally defect-free membranes, and significantly, we show and discuss the ability to produce thicker membranes by sequential deposition without seeing a corresponding increase in cell electrical resistance. We anticipate this novel, rapid, and controllable method for the production of collagen membranes to be of interest for a wide range of fields.
Operator functions and the operator harmonic mean
Authors: Uchiyama Mitsuru
Published: July 2019

The objective of this paper is to investigate operator functions by making use of the operator harmonic mean ‘

!

\,!\,

’. For

0
>
A
≦
B

0>A\leqq B

, we construct a unique pair

X
X

,

Y
Y

such that

0
>
X
≦
Y
,

A
=
X

!

Y
,

B
=

X
+
Y

2

0>X\leqq Y, \; A=X\,!\,Y,\; B=\frac {X+Y}{2}

. We next give a condition for operators

A
,
B
,
C
≧
0

A, B, C\geqq 0

in order that

C
≦
A

!
 
B

C \leqq A\,!\ B

and show that

g
≠
0

g\ne 0

is strongly operator convex on

J
J

if and only if

g
(
t
)
>
0

g(t)>0

and

g
(

A
+
B

2

)
≦
g
(
A
)

!

g
(
B
)

g (\frac {A+B}{2}) \leqq g(A)\,!\,g(B)

for

A
,
B

A, B

with spectra in

J
J

. This inequality particularly holds for an operator decreasing function on the right half line. We also show that

f
(
t
)

f(t)

defined on

(
0
,
b
)

(0, b)

with

0
>
b
≦
∞

0>b\leqq \infty

is operator monotone if and only if
<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="f left-parenthesis 0 plus right-parenthesis greater-than normal infinity comma f left-parenthesis upper A factorial upper B right-parenthesis less-than-over-equals one half left-parenthesis f left-parenthesis upper A right-parenthesis plus f left-parenthesis upper B right-parenthesis right-parenthesis">

f
(
0
+
)
>
∞
,

f
(
A

!

B
)
≦

1
2

(
f
(
A
)
+
f
(
B
)
)

f(0+)>\infty , \;f (A\,!\,B)\leqq \frac {1}{2}(f(A) + f(B))

. In particular, if

f
>
0

f>0

, then

f
f

is operator monotone if and only if

f
(
A

!

B
)
≦
f
(
A
)

!

f
(
B
)

f (A\, !\, B) \leqq f(A)\, !\, f(B)

. We lastly prove that if a strongly operator convex function

g
(
t
)
>
0

g(t)>0

on a finite interval

(
a
,
b
)

(a, b)

is operator decreasing, then

g
g

has an extension

g
~

\tilde {g}

to

(
a
,
∞
)

(a, \infty )

that is positive and operator decreasing.
The torsion of real toric manifolds
Authors: Kim Jin
Published: July 2019

In view of various results and the nature of their constructions for real toric objects, it is an interesting and also natural problem to know how much torsion can be contained in their cohomology groups. The aim of this paper is to answer this question by explicitly constructing examples of real toric objects to show the richness of torsion which can appear in the cohomology groups with coefficients in a locally constant presheaf. That is, we show that a real quasitoric manifold (or small cover) which plays an important role in the category of real toric objects can have an arbitrary amount of torsion in its cohomology groups with coefficients in a locally constant presheaf. This will be achieved by crucially using the Torsion Theorem for links of Bosio and Meersseman.
Central limit theorems for sums of quadratic characters, Hecke eigenforms, and elliptic curves
Authors: Murty M. Ram , Prabhu Neha
Published: July 2019

We prove central limit theorems (under suitable growth conditions) for sums of quadratic characters, families of Hecke eigenforms of level

1
1

and weight

k
k

, and families of elliptic curves, twisted by an

L
L

-function satisfying certain properties. As a corollary, we obtain a central limit theorem for products

χ
(
p
)

a
f

(
p
)

\chi (p)a_f(p)

where

χ
\chi

is a quadratic Dirichlet character and

f
f

is a normalized Hecke eigenform.
The pivotal roles of the NOD-like receptors with a PYD domain, NLRPs, in oocytes and early embryo development†
Authors: Amoushahi Mahboobeh , Sunde Lone , Lykke-Hartmann Karin
Published: July 2019

Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptors with a pyrin domain (PYD), NLRPs, are pattern recognition receptors, well recognized for their important roles in innate immunity and apoptosis. However, several NLRPs have received attention for their new, specialized roles as maternally contributed genes important in reproduction and embryo development. Several NLRPs have been shown to be specifically expressed in oocytes and preimplantation embryos. Interestingly, and in line with divergent functions, NLRP genes reveal a complex evolutionary divergence. The most pronounced difference is the human-specific NLRP7 gene, not identified in rodents. However, mouse models have been extensively used to study maternally contributed NLRPs. The NLRP2 and NLRP5 proteins are components of the subcortical maternal complex (SCMC), which was recently identified as essential for mouse preimplantation development. The SCMC integrates multiple proteins, including KHDC3L, NLRP5, TLE6, OOEP, NLRP2, and PADI6. The NLRP5 (also known as MATER) has been extensively studied. In humans, inactivating variants in specific NLRP genes in the mother are associated with distinct phenotypes in the offspring, such as biparental hydatidiform moles (BiHMs) and preterm birth. Maternal-effect recessive mutations in KHDC3L and NLRP5 (and NLRP7) are associated with reduced reproductive outcomes, BiHM, and broad multilocus imprinting perturbations. The precise mechanisms of NLRPs are unknown, but research strongly indicates their pivotal roles in the establishment of genomic imprints and post-zygotic methylation maintenance, among other processes. Challenges for the future include translations of findings from the mouse model into human contexts and implementation in therapies and clinical fertility management.
Strategies for validating biomarkers using data from a reference set
Authors: Wang Lu , Huang Ying , Feng Ziding
Published: July 2019

Candidate biomarkers discovered in the laboratory need to be rigorously validated before advancing to clinical application. However, it is often expensive and time-consuming to collect the high quality specimens needed for validation; moreover, such specimens are often limited in volume. The Early Detection Research Network has developed valuable specimen reference sets that can be used by multiple labs for biomarker validation. To optimize the chance of successful validation, it is critical to efficiently utilize the limited specimens in these reference sets on promising candidate biomarkers. Towards this end, we propose a novel two-stage validation strategy that partitions the samples in the reference set into two groups for sequential validation. The proposed strategy adopts the group sequential testing method to control for the type I error rate and rotates group membership to maximize the usage of available samples. We develop analytical formulas for performance parameters of this strategy in terms of the expected numbers of biomarkers that can be evaluated and the truly useful biomarkers that can be successfully validated, which can provide valuable guidance for future study design. The performance of our proposed strategy for validating biomarkers with respect to the points on the receiver operating characteristic curve are evaluated via extensive simulation studies and compared with the default strategy of validating each biomarker using all samples in the reference set. Different types of early stopping rules and boundary shapes in the group sequential testing method are considered. Compared with the default strategy, our proposed strategy makes more efficient use of the limited resources in the reference set by allowing more candidate biomarkers to be evaluated, giving a better chance of having truly useful biomarkers successfully validated.
Advanced glycation endproducts and dicarbonyls in end-stage renal disease: associations with uraemia and courses following renal replacement therapy
Authors: Martens Remy J H , Broers Natascha J H , Canaud Bernard , Christiaans Maarten H L , Cornelis Tom , Gauly Adelheid , Hermans Marc M H , Konings Constantijn J A M , van der Sande Frank M , Scheijen Jean L J M , Stifft Frank , Kooman Jeroen P , Schalkwijk Casper G
Published: July 2019

Background

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is strongly associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) and dicarbonyls, major precursors of AGEs, may contribute to the pathophysiology of CVD in ESRD. However, detailed data on the courses of AGEs and dicarbonyls during the transition of ESRD patients to renal replacement therapy are lacking.

Methods

We quantified an extensive panel of free and protein-bound serum AGEs [N∈-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML), N∈-(carboxyethyl)lysine (CEL), Nδ-(5-hydro-5-methyl-4-imidazolon-2-yl)ornithine (MG-H1)], serum dicarbonyls [glyoxal (GO), methylglyoxal (MGO), 3-deoxyglucosone (3-DG)] and tissue AGE accumulation [estimated by skin autofluorescence (SAF)] in a combined cross-sectional and longitudinal observational study of patients with ESRD transitioning to dialysis or kidney transplantation (KTx), prevalent dialysis patients and healthy controls. Cross-sectional comparisons were performed with linear regression analyses, and courses following renal replacement therapy were analysed with linear mixed models.

Results

Free and protein-bound AGEs, dicarbonyls and SAF were higher in chronic kidney disease (CKD) Stage 5 non-dialysis (CKD 5-ND; n = 52) and CKD Stage 5 dialysis (CKD 5-D; n = 35) than in controls (n = 42). In addition, free AGEs, protein-bound CML, GO and SAF were even higher in CKD 5-D than in CKD5-ND. Similarly, following dialysis initiation (n = 43) free and protein-bound AGEs, and GO increased, whereas SAF remained similar. In contrast, following KTx (n = 21), free and protein-bound AGEs and dicarbonyls, but not SAF, markedly declined.

Conclusions

AGEs and dicarbonyls accumulate in uraemia, which is even exaggerated by dialysis initiation. In contrast, KTx markedly reduces AGEs and dicarbonyls. Given their associations with CVD risk in high-risk populations, lowering AGE and dicarbonyl levels may be valuable.
Uber happy? Work and well-being in the ‘Gig Economy’
Authors: Berger Thor , Frey Carl Benedikt , Levin Guy , Danda Santosh Rao
Published: July 2019

We study the rise of the so-called ‘gig economy’ through the lens of Uber and its drivers in the United Kingdom. Using administrative data from Uber and a new representative survey of London drivers, we explore their backgrounds, earnings, and subjective well-being. We find that the vast majority of Uber drivers are male immigrants, primarily drawn from the bottom half of the London income distribution. Most transitioned out of permanent part- or full-time jobs and about half of drivers’ report that their incomes increased after partnering with Uber. After covering vehicle operation costs and Uber’s service fee, we estimate that the median London driver earns about £11 per hour spent logged into the app. But while Uber drivers remain at the lower end of the London income distribution, they report higher levels of life satisfaction than other workers. Consistent with a trade-off between evaluative and emotional well-being observed among the self-employed, they also report higher anxiety levels. We hypothesize that the higher life satisfaction among Uber drivers partly reflects their preferences for flexibility and the autonomy that the platform offers. We provide suggestive evidence showing that drivers who emphasize flexibility as an important motivation to join Uber also report higher levels of subjective well-being. However, a minority of drivers who report that they would prefer work as an employee report lower levels of life satisfaction and higher levels of anxiety. Overall, our findings highlight the importance of non-monetary factors in shaping the welfare of workers in the gig economy.
Communication between primary and secondary care: deficits and danger
Authors: Dinsdale Elsa , Hannigan Ailish , O’Connor Ray , O’Doherty Jane , Glynn Liam , Casey Monica , Hayes Peter , Kelly Dervla , Cullen Walter , O’Regan Andrew
Published: July 2019

Background

Timely and accurate communication between primary and secondary care is essential for delivering high-quality patient care.

Objective

The aim of this study is to evaluate the content contained in both referral and response letters between primary and secondary care and measure this against the recommended national guidelines.

Methods

Using an observational design, senior medical students and their general practice supervisors applied practice management software to identify 100 randomly selected adults, aged greater than 50 years, from a generated list of consults over a 2-year period (2013–2015). All data included in referral and response letters for these adults were examined and compared with the gold standard templates that were informed by international guidelines.

Results

Data from 3293 referral letters and 2468 response letters from 68 general practices and 17 hospitals were analysed. The median time that had elapsed between a patient being referred and receiving a response letter was 4 weeks, ranging from 1 week for Emergency Department referral letters to 7 weeks for orthopaedic surgery referral letters. Referral letters included the reason for referral (98%), history of complaint (90%) and current medications (82%). Less commonly included were management prior to referral (65%) and medication allergies (57%). The majority of response letters included information on investigations (73%), results (70%) and follow-up plan (85%). Less commonly, response letters included medication changes (30%), medication lists (33%) and secondary diagnoses (13%).

Conclusions

Future research should be aimed at developing robust strategies to addressing communication gaps reported in this study.
An RNA-based quantitative and compositional study of ammonium-oxidizing bacteria and archaea in Lake Taihu, a eutrophic freshwater lake
Authors: Liu Tong-tong , Yang Hong
Published: July 2019

Ammonium-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB) play crucial roles in ammonium oxidation in freshwater lake sediment. However, previous reports on the predominance of AOA and AOB in the surface sediment of Lake Taihu have been based on DNA levels, detecting the total abundance of microbiota (including inactive cells), and have resulted in numerous contradictory conclusions. Existing RNA-level studies detecting active transcription are very limited. The current study, using RNA-based real-time quantification and clone library analysis, demonstrated that the amoA gene abundance of active AOB was higher than that of active AOA, despite conflicting results at the DNA level. Further exploration revealed a significant positive correlation between the potential nitrification rate (PNR) and the abundance of AOA and AOB at the RNA level, with irregular or contradictory correlation found at the DNA level. Ultimately, using quantitative analysis of RNA levels, we show AOB to be the active dominant contributor to ammonium oxidation. Our investigations also indicated that AOB were more diverse in high-ammonium lake regions, with Nitrosomonas being the active and dominating cluster, but that AOA had an advantage in the low-ammonium lake regions.
Opportunistic Infections Are More Prevalent in Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis: A Large Population-Based Study
Authors: Sheriff Mohammed Zaahid , Mansoor Emad , Luther Jay , Ananthakrishnan Ashwin N , Abou Saleh Mohannad , Ho Edith , Briggs Farren B S , Dave Maneesh
Published: July 2019

Background

Opportunistic infections (OIs) are more common in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); however, there have been limited large-scale studies of OIs in IBD. We investigated the epidemiological characteristics of OI in Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) using a large population-based database.

Methods

Data were collected from a commercial database (Explorys Inc., Cleveland, OH, USA) that provided electronic health records from 26 major integrated US health care systems from 1999 to March 2018. In this data set, we identified all CD and UC patients, based on Systemized Nomenclature of Medicine–Clinical Terms. Within these cohorts, we identified a variety of OIs and compared the prevalence rate of OI in individuals with IBD with that of controls (patients in the database between March 2013 and March 2018 without the diagnosis of IBD).

Results

Explorys included 153,290 patients with CD and 128,540 patients with UC between March 2013 and March 2018. The prevalence of OIs was 17.8% in CD, 19.2% in UC, and 7% in non-IBD controls. When compared with non-IBD controls, all OIs were more common in CD (prevalence ratio [PR], 2.54; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.51–2.57) and UC (PR, 2.74; 95% CI, 2.71–2.77). Overall, viral infections were numerically more common, whereas bacterial infections had the highest PRs in CD and UC when compared with controls without IBD.

Conclusions

We found significantly higher rates of OI in IBD. Our study suggests the need for close follow-up of IBD patients to diagnose and provide vaccinations where applicable for prevention of infections.
David and Goliath? Small Developing Countries, Large Emerging Markets, and South-South Preferential Trade Agreements
Authors: Donno Daniela , Rudra Nita
Published: July 2019

Has the rise of large emerging economies influenced the foreign economic policies of smaller nations? Many of the BRICS' (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) dominance in export markets for low-skilled goods pose a particular challenge for “surplus-labor” countries characterized by large populations of unskilled and underemployed labor. We theorize the incentives of firms and governments in surplus-labor countries to form South-South preferential trade agreements (SSPTAs) as a means of diversifying and expanding trade relationships in the face of this challenge. Of all the BRICS, our findings show that China poses the greatest challenge; the countries forming the most South-South agreements are those whose exports have been most displaced by China. We verify this pattern using both systemic and country-specific measures of the China “shock.” Imports from China, in contrast, have no significant effect on SSPTA formation. Our account, which helps resolve the dual puzzle of declining trade with rich countries and the proliferation of SSPTAs in recent decades, underlines the implications of China's rise on the developing world.
The Kalobeyei Settlement: A Self-reliance Model for Refugees?
Authors: Betts Alexander , Omata Naohiko , Sterck Olivier
Published: July 2019

In 2016, the Kalobeyei refugee settlement was created, just 3.5 kilometres from the Kakuma camps in Kenya. In a departure from Kenya’s policy of not allowing refugees to work, its aim was to provide self-reliance to refugees and greater refugee–host interaction. But are refugee policies and programmes in Kalobeyei really different from those in Kakuma? If so, what are the differences? And do these differences actually translate into different self-reliance outcomes for refugees? Drawing upon a mixed-methods approach, we compare aid models, self-reliance enabling factors and self-reliance outcomes between Kalobeyei and Kakuma. After just 15 months, we find that self-reliance-enabling factors—such the environment, assets, networks, markets and public goods—remain similar across both sites and, in some cases, are better in Kakuma. The major differences between the sites are in the aid model: Kalobeyei’s cash-assistance and agricultural programmes. We find improved nutritional outcomes and a greater perception of autonomy in Kalobeyei, both of which may be attributable to differences in the aid models. These findings have implications for how we conceptualize the institutional design of self-reliance in Kalobeyei and elsewhere.
Information Spotlighting in Americans’ Decisions Surrounding Refugee Resettlement Policy
Authors: Garinther Alexander , Mayorga Marcus , Västfjäll Daniel , Slovic Paul
Published: July 2019

Violent conflict in the Middle East has forced millions to flee their homes and seek refuge in host nations around the globe. Across three studies, we asked American participants (N ∼ 1,500) to consider a refugee-resettlement policy that would bring displaced families from the Middle East into their communities, and tracked the items of information these Americans were interested in seeing during the consideration of their decision. Results suggest that participants who rejected the resettlement policy were especially concerned with security-related information and uninterested in humanitarian-related information, while participants who supported the policy expressed interest in a more balanced ratio of security and humanitarian-related information. We situate these findings within the broader literature on attitude-confirming behaviour (e.g. conformation bias, selective exposure) and discuss how information spotlighting might exacerbate polarization on politically charged issues like refugee policy.
Governing Commercial Access to Health Data for Public Benefit: Charity Law Solutions
Authors: Bell Jessica L
Published: July 2019

There is a growing body of evidence that supports the view that research participants and the public are concerned about commercial access to health data. Evidence also suggests that attitudes are ameliorated when charity organisations are involved and where research promises to deliver ‘public benefit’. To a significant extent, therefore, mechanisms that ensure the public benefit are key to sustaining public and participant support for research access to health data. As a regime founded on the concept of public benefit, charity law provides regulatory and governance mechanisms through which the public benefit of a charity is protected and promoted. This article examines the merits of charity law mechanisms and analyses their significance for governance of commercial access to health data for public benefit, using UK Biobank Ltd, a charitable company limited by guarantee, as an example. The article critically analyses three charity law mechanisms that operate to ensure that an organization providing access to data meets its public benefit requirements: charitable purposes; members’ and directors’ powers and duties; and accountability via the oversight powers of the Charity Commission and charity proceedings in court. The article concludes that there is potential for the charity model to be the benchmark for governing commercial access to health data for public benefit research, but notes the limitations of the model and recommends the appointment of independent data governance committees to further bolster the charity law framework.
The lowest detected stellar Fe abundance: the halo star SMSS J160540.18−144323.1
Authors: Nordlander T , Bessell M S , Da Costa G S , Mackey A D , Asplund M , Casey A R , Chiti A , Ezzeddine R , Frebel A , Lind K , Marino A F , Murphy S J , Norris J E , Schmidt B P , Yong D
Published: July 2019

We report the discovery of SMSS J160540.18−144323.1, a new ultra metal-poor halo star discovered with the SkyMapper telescope. We measure $\left[\rm {Fe}/\rm {H}\right]= -6.2 \pm 0.2$ (1D LTE), the lowest ever detected abundance of iron in a star. The star is strongly carbon-enhanced, $\left[\rm {C}/\rm {Fe}\right] = 3.9 \pm 0.2$, while other abundances are compatible with an α-enhanced solar-like pattern with $\left[\rm {Ca}/\rm {Fe}\right] = 0.4 \pm 0.2$, $\left[\rm {Mg}/\rm {Fe}\right] = 0.6 \pm 0.2$, $\left[\rm {Ti}/\rm {Fe}\right] = 0.8 \pm 0.2$, and no significant s- or r-process enrichment, $\left[\rm {Sr}/\rm {Fe}\right] \lt 0.2$ and $\left[\rm {Ba}/\rm {Fe}\right] \lt 1.0$ (3σ limits). Population III stars exploding as fallback supernovae may explain both the strong carbon enhancement and the apparent lack of enhancement of odd-Z and neutron-capture element abundances. Grids of supernova models computed for metal-free progenitor stars yield good matches for stars of about $10\, \rm M_\odot$ imparting a low kinetic energy on the supernova ejecta, while models for stars more massive than roughly $20\, \rm M_\odot$ are incompatible with the observed abundance pattern.
The House of Sciences
Authors: Ihsanoglu Ekmeleddin
Published: July 2019

This book examines the process of founding a Western institution, namely a university, in the Ottoman Empire, a cultural environment wholly different from its place of origin in Western Europe. This study sheds new light on an important and pioneering experiment involving both Islamic and Western cultures. It tracks the multifaceted transformation at work in İstanbul during the transition from classical to modern modes of scientific education. As well as explaining the origins of the Darülfünun and the motivations for its founding, this study also highlights the impact of the Ottoman University outside the Ottoman domain. To put this study in the right perspective, concise introductory information is given regarding the origin of the university in Europe, the modernization of the university in the nineteenth century, and the diffusion of the university as an institution of higher education outside Europe, specifically to the Muslim world.
Genesis, Development, and Closure of the Darülfünun
Authors: İhsanoğlu Ekmeleddİn
Published: July 2019

Part I explains the emergence of the educational tradition and the idea of a darülfünun [House of Sciences]. There had been several attempts to build a university, and each attempt had failed for different reasons. Part I discusses the socioeconomic reasons of such attempts and their failures. As far as education was concerned, the Ottomans inherited the academic institutions and traditions that had proliferated under the rule of their political predecessors, the Seljuk Turks (1037–1194). These charitably funded centers of learning had been in continuous existence since the founding of the Ottoman Empire until its end in the first quarter of the twentieth century. Until the nineteenth century, the Ottomans continued to seek answers to their most pressing intellectual and practical problems from within Islamic culture and its institutions of learning. It was only after the Ottoman government was compelled to face the political advance of Europe that Ottoman administrators turned their attention westward for scientific and pedagogical inspiration.
On Pain and the Origin of Language
Authors: Ferber Ilit
Published: July 2019

The first chapter raises objections to two commonplace paradigms about the relationship between language and pain: first, the idea that the radically isolating character of pain makes it uncommunicable—and thus unsharable with others; and second, that because pain has such an effect on humans’ capacity for communicating it, it also shatters language altogether and becomes destructive to their linguistic capacities. Language Pangs challenges these conceptions and proposes a reconsideration of the relationship between pain and language in terms of an essential interconnectedness rather than the common exclusive opposition. The twofold premise of the chapter is that the experience of pain cannot be penetrated without consideration of its inherent relation to language, and that the nature of language essentially depends on an understanding of its inherent relationship with pain. The chapter presents two of the book’s two main figures, Herder and Philoctetes, showing how they are relevant to one another and to the book’s overall argument.
Language and Hearing
Authors: Ferber Ilit
Published: July 2019

Chapter 4 provides a close reading of Heidegger’s “On the Essence of Language: The Metaphysics of Language and the Essencing of the Word” (1939), a seminar on Herder’s Treatise. From Heidegger’s obscure preparatory notes to the seminar (as well as his students’ notes), the chapter reconstructs his interpretation of Herder, focusing on the sense of hearing and its importance to language. This chapter not only discusses a text rarely considered in the literature about Herder but also points out what seems to be Herder’s profound influence on Heidegger’s later ideas. Along with hearing, another central topic is the exploration of the relationship between the internal and external which Heidegger discusses, following Herder, in terms of what he calls “the crossing-over,” a unique space between inside and outside, sounds and silence. This is the space in which, according to Heidegger, language and hearing reside.
Pain, Expression, and Sympathy
Authors: Ferber Ilit
Published: July 2019

Chapter 5 provides a discussion of one scene in Sophocles’ play: Philoctetes’ pain attack in light of Herder’s theory of the origin of language. The interpretation focuses on Philoctetes’ cries of pain and how they constitute the possibility of sympathy for the pain of the other. The problem of the possibility, or impossibility, of sympathy conjures Stanley Cavell’s notion of “acknowledgment.” The chapter turns to Cavell as a philosopher who brings the problem of pain together with that of language and sympathy, using the implications of skepticism to put forth his own approach to the possibility, or impossibility, of knowing the other’s pain. It ends with a discussion of André Gide’s Philoctetes and with Werner Hamacher’s philosophy of language.
Language Pangs
Authors: Ferber Ilit
Published: July 2019

Chapter 6 revisits the book’s main issue: the relationship between pain and language. It returns to the two paradigms about pain and offers a third. The first paradigm considers the destructive nature of pain and the violence it inflicts on body, psyche, and sense of self. The second deals with the separation that pain creates between those in pain and those witnessing it, destroying the possibility of a relationship with others. This chapter glances back on Herder, Heidegger, and Sophocles thereby offering a third paradigm arguing that the relationship between language and pain is not exhausted by these functions and demands a different outlook. It concludes that pain is not the end or demise of humanity and language but indicates, rather, their common origin.
This Is My Last Shot
Authors: Zeiger Spencer James
Published: July 2019

Participants were asked to recall their final year of teaching, when they knew they would be leaving, and to describe how it affected their job performance. Some claimed there was no measurable difference in their last year, but for most their last year in academia was special. Some participants articulated a sense of relief: their work had come to a natural end, and now they were happy to pass the torch. With The Next Chapter approaching, many participants looked forward to a relaxed transition and to calmer days. The desire to “go out strong” was a popular response. This chapter describes how professors approaching The Next Chapter were resolute that their final year would be their best ever. They were fired up, and in turn ignited their students.
Old Folks Boogie
Authors: Zeiger Spencer James
Published: July 2019

The chapter explores how retirement provides an opportunity to appreciate what gives us meaning and adds to the value of our experiences. The study participants were asked to describe how their current stage of lifespan development affects their life today. Topics include a time for reflection and integration; physical limitations; and aging positives. The author proposes that as we make the transition from our role as a social work educator into The Next Chapter, we shift our focus from living life for a purpose (satisfying the requirements set forth by others) to searching for life’s meaning (satisfying our own internal needs by replacing “have to” with “want to” activities).
Twinkle in Their Eyes
Authors: Zeiger Spencer James
Published: July 2019

This chapter answers the question: “What do people do after they leave the academy?” Participants were asked what they were doing now that they did not have the time or inclination to do before. Their responses will provide knowledge, comfort, and a glimpse of hope for the future. As participants described their post-academia life, their facial expressions and gestures became animated. They had a twinkle in their eye. They seemed at peace and happy; they were having fun beyond traditional work. Responses to the question “What are you doing now that you are no longer a professor?” can be broken down into five categories: freedom/life control; positive changes in human relationships; a greater appreciation of life; new and renewed ambitions and activities; and a description of the “daily putter.”
The Future of Social Work Education
Authors: Zeiger Spencer James
Published: July 2019

Former social work educators, and social work educators standing on the threshold of The Next Chapter, have wisdom to share regarding the future of social work education. We must pay attention to their ideas; our profession is at stake. Topics covered in this chapter include doctoral preparation (with the growth of social work education programs in the United States and a large wave of social work educators retiring, attracting well-prepared new faculty has never been greater); online concerns (most study participants were reluctant to give online programs a ringing endorsement); and the need for increased content on aging (as baby boomers progress through their lifespan, and as life expectancy increases with medical advances, the number of older adults requiring social services will continue to rise).
1 to 5, with an Explanation
Authors: Zeiger Spencer James
Published: July 2019

Study participants were asked if they would be willing to live their lives as social work educators again. Eighty-five percent responded that they definitely would. This chapter delineates the reasons for such a positive response, but also gives voice to the few who had negative reflections. Positive comments included the opportunity to follow one’s passion (they were able to answer a calling); having a positive impact on students (the most popular response); and collegial benefits (working with colleagues who share your values. But a few indicated that, if given the opportunity to relive their lives, they would have chosen other professions, such as becoming a fishing guide.
The Paradox of Nonexistence
Authors: Yourgrau Palle
Published: July 2019

The paradox of nonexistence, bequeathed us by Parmenides, is introduced: how can there be something that fails to exist if there’s nothing “there” to not exist? This is a paradox since, intuitively, many things do in fact fail to exist—for example, creatures of fiction or myth, impossible objects like the round square, past objects like the dead, and so on. Bertrand Russell’s proposed solution in 1902 is explained, suggesting we distinguish existence from “being,” where being is taken to belong to everything we can think of, existent or not. This distinction, or something like it, is then seen to be echoed by a number of philosophers, historical and contemporaneous, though not always in the context of attempting to resolve the paradox of nonexistence.
The Predicate of Existence
Authors: Yourgrau Palle
Published: July 2019

Kant famously declared that existence is not a (real) predicate. This famous dictum has been seen as echoed in the doctrine of the founders of modern logic, Gottlob Frege and Bertrand Russell, that existence isn’t a first-order property possessed by individuals, but rather a second-order property expressed by the existential quantifier. Russell in 1905 combined this doctrine with his new theory of descriptions and declared the paradox of nonexistence to be resolved without resorting to his earlier distinction between existence and being. In recent years, however, logicians and philosophers like Saul Kripke, David Kaplan, and Nathan Salmon have argued that there is no defensible reason to deny that existence is a property of individuals. Kant’s dictum has also been re-evaluated, the result being that the paradox of nonexistence has not, after all, disappeared. Yet it’s not clear how exactly Kripke et al. propose to resolve the paradox.
Where You Go When You’re Dead
Authors: Yourgrau Palle
Published: July 2019

Where do you go when you’re dead, when you leave this world? The dead, like the unborn and the living, are possible persons. To be possible, arguably, means to exist in some possible world. It’s tempting, therefore, to assume that when you die, you simply “travel” to another possible world. The temptation, however, should be resisted. There is no travel between possible worlds. What happens in one possible world has no effect on what happens in another. And the same is true of coming to exist. You don’t enter this world by traveling from another one. How you get to this world depends on the type of object in question. Buildings are “born” by being built. People are born (usually) via sexual intercourse. These ordinary facts need to be understood from an ontological point of view. Just as you don’t enter this world from another, when you leave it, you don’t go to another.
Time and Existence
Authors: Yourgrau Palle
Published: July 2019

The nonexistence of the dead is a consequence of the fact that people are objects in time, and something’s position in time determines whether or not it exists. This is known as presentism. Objects like the dead, which belong exclusively to the past, are nonexistent. At least, this is true of time in the intuitive sense. Relativity theory, however, appears to contradict intuitive time, as was argued by Gödel. A defense is offered of Gödel’s argument, based on how Einstein himself understood special relativity, but arguments are also considered which reject the conventional understanding of relativity. Quantum mechanics also conflicts, here, with relativity. The conclusion is that there appears to be no decisive reason to reject intuitive time based on the inconclusive and divided deliverances of physical science, and thus no decisive reason to reject the view that the dead are nonexistent.