bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Transform
Authors: Fisher Jeremy , O'Sullivan Jane , Pender Anne 
Published: October 2020

In a cultural context of rapid change, the pressure is on to transform bodies, material possessions, and the environment, simply to keep up. Self-improvement, home renovation, behaviour modification, makeovers, extreme or otherwise are sold as essential components of a responsible, fully functioning, and appropriately aspirational member of society. Transformation may involve the pursuit of something quite new, or take the form of a nostalgic restitution of an earlier state. It may be the result of an intense, life-changing experience. Whatever form it takes, to transform is to be driven by a desire for something better. Transformation is a kind of alchemy or metamorphosis, but there is no secrecy here, or intimations of magic. Rather, the change is quite public, a cause for celebration, and the process itself laid bare as a source of fascination. For the gods in Ovid’s Metamorphoses, transformation was doled out to mortals as punishment for greed, narcissism, and other such flaws and misdeeds. In pantomime, the transformation, or disclosing scene, had the lead actors transform into the players for the comic harlequinade while in full view of the audience. The concept of Renaissance self-fashioning, as discussed by Stephen Greenblatt (Renaissance Self-Fashioning: From More to Shakespeare, 1980), details how selected sixteenth-century “gentlemen” decisively transformed their subjectivity in an early process of identity formation. Today, like the robots (“Transformers”) in the film of the same name (Dir. Michael Bay, 2007), proponents of popular culture have many means by which to transform themselves, and the world. This issue of M/C Journal presents a selection of critical essays that investigate the impetus to transform, its current and historical manifestations in a reflexive process of self-fashioning and manufacturing, and various links to a cultural will to modify or control “the natural.” The invited essay from Jane Goodall offers a framing discussion of historical and current manifestations, or transformations, of Lewis Carroll’s Red Queen. The essay raises questions of identity, and focuses on transformation as potentially disruptive of the order of nature, social hierarchies, and the laws of destiny. In her interrogation of the interaction of the Red Queen and the mirror, Goodall illustrates the tradition of self-fashioning, and the role of myth and fantasy in charting its history. Her essay introduces the concerns of the shorter articles that comprise this issue.
Preventing Brain Drain: Kazakhstan’s Presidential “Bolashak” Scholarship and Government Regulations of Intellectual Migration
Authors: Bokayev Baurzhan , Torebekova Zulfiya , Davletbayeva Zhuldyz 
Published: October 2020

This article considers the Republic of Kazakhstan's internal intellectual migration within the scope of the Bolashak International Scholarship Program which aims to train highly-killed specialists at the best universities in the world. The analysis covers mechanisms of public investment in training of highly-qualified specialists, regulatory measures to promote employment opportunities nationally and the geographical scope of internal-intellectual migration of Bolashak graduates. A survey of Bolashak graduates assesses the country’s labour market capacity and detects factors affecting migration among Kazakh youth.
The study showed that most graduates of the Bolashak program want to contribute to the development of the country, but they are not satisfied with the level of wages in Kazakhstan. Migratory moods were noted only among graduates aged 23-28 years, while older graduates aged 29 to 35 still preferred to stay at home. Moreover, among the first group of graduates, the priority was given to the standard of living in the country of destination rather than professional opportunities. Graduates from the second group were more interested in career prospects rather than in the standard of living in the country of destination.
This research was funded by the Science Committee of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Grant No. АР05136246).
Algorithms Are Not Enough
Authors: Roitblat Herbert L. 
Published: October 2020

Why a new approach is needed in the quest for general artificial intelligence.
Since the inception of artificial intelligence, we have been warned about the imminent arrival of computational systems that can replicate human thought processes. Before we know it, computers will become so intelligent that humans will be lucky to be kept as pets. And yet, although artificial intelligence has become increasingly sophisticated—with such achievements as driverless cars and humanless chess-playing—computer science has not yet created general artificial intelligence. In Algorithms Are Not Enough, Herbert Roitblat explains how artificial general intelligence may be possible and why a robopocalypse is neither imminent nor likely.
Existing artificial intelligence, Roitblat shows, has been limited to solving path problems, in which the entire problem consists of navigating a path of choices—finding specific solutions to well-structured problems. Human problem-solving, on the other hand, includes problems that consist of ill-structured situations, including the design of problem-solving paths themselves. These are insight problems, and insight is an essential part of intelligence that has not been addressed by computer science. Roitblat draws on cognitive science, including psychology, philosophy, and history, to identify the essential features of intelligence needed to achieve general artificial intelligence.
Roitblat describes current computational approaches to intelligence, including the Turing Test, machine learning, and neural networks. He identifies building blocks of natural intelligence, including perception, analogy, ambiguity, common sense, and creativity. General intelligence can create new representations to solve new problems, but current computational intelligence cannot. The human brain, like the computer, uses algorithms; but general intelligence, he argues, is more than algorithmic processes.
Urinary Reconstructions in Patıents with Locally Advanced Rectosigmoid Cancers, a Single Center Experience
Authors: Erşen Ogün , Mercan Ümit , Demirci Salim 
Published: October 2020

Urinary system resections due to rectosigmoid cancers are an issue where the number of experienced surgeons is low because they are not performed frequently.The selection and application of the type of reconstruction after resection are technical procedures that should be performed by experienced cancer surgeons and urologists.
Aims: It was aimed to present the urine reconstruction methods and results applied in local advanced rectal and sigmoid colon cancer surgeries performed by the same team for many years.
Study Design: Patients who were operated for rectosigmoid region tumor and had urinary resection-reconstruction between 2016-2020 were reviewed. The demographic data of the patients, clinicopathological notes, reconstruction types, postoperative urinary leakage and fistula rates were examined and noted.
Methodology: Retrospective patient document analysis using electronic hospital file system and clinical notes.
Results: 37 patients were included in the study within the criteria. 17 (46%) of the patients were male and 20 (54%) were female. The mean age of the patients was 58.6 ± 16 years. The most common reconstruction procedures were Ureteroneocystostomy and bladder reconstruction. The least used method was ureteroureterostomy uteretostomy. It was observed that urine leakage / fistula developed in 11 (29.7%) of 37 patients included in the study.
Conclusion: Although the rate of urological complications is also affected by the chosen technique, it may also be affected by factors such as the presence of preoperative hydronephrosis, multiorgan resections, and age.
Factors Influencing Bridge Employment Engagement: With Reference on Health Sector in Sri Lanka
Authors: Senasinghe Pabasara , Sachitra Vilani 
Published: October 2020

Purpose: Ageing population will eventually have a dramatic effect on the country’s economy, as it influences on the size of the labor force available. Indorsing longer working lives by encouraging retirees back to the work force has been encouraged by many as a viable option to combat this issue and one way to do this is through bridge employment. Bridge employment is paid work undertaken after retirement from the main vocation but before leaving the labor force completely. The aim of this study is to identify factors influencing bridge employment in health sector in Sri Lanka.
Design: Comparing developed and developing context literatures, the study focused on how job-related factors (financial motives and organizational environment) and the societal-level factors (personal fulfillment and social relationship) affect to the bridge employment. Quantitative approach was used. Primary data were collected through a questionnaire survey. To fulfill the study aim, 296 employees representing doctors and nurses, were taken as the sample of this study.
Findings: The binary logistic regression analysis results indicated that 21.9 per cent variation of the bridge employment can be explained by organizational environment, financial motives, social relationship and personal fulfillment. Among the factors, personal fulfillment, social relationship and organizational environment were significant determinants of bridge employment in health sector in Sri Lanka. Financial motive was not a significant predictor on bridge employment engagement.
Research Implications: The study findings can aid to healthcare centers and pharmaceutical industry as great opportunity in gaining expertise knowledge of bridge employees by understanding influences of personal fulfillment, social relationship and organizational environment factors on their expectations. Further, the findings will be useful to local and global human resources specialists to access and evaluate the research findings to develop new HRM practices based on bride employment.
Limitations: The responsiveness of older employees to providing data, is below than the expected responsiveness.
Pencil Drawing Stable Interface for Reversible and Durable Aqueous Zinc‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Li Zhiwei , Wu Langyuan , Dong Shengyang , Xu Tiezhu , Li Shaopeng , An Yufeng , Jiang Jiangmin , Zhang Xiaogang 
Published: October 2020

AbstractZinc‐ion batteries (ZIBs) have been regarded as one of the most promising aqueous energy storage devices due to their low‐cost, high capacity, and intrinsic safety. However, the relatively low Coulombic efficiency caused by the dendrite formation and side reactions greatly hinders the rejuvenation of ZIBs. Here, an utterly simple approach by pencil drawing is employed to improve the poor performance of normal Zn anode and hinders the formation of passivated byproduct as well as serious dendrite growth. Significantly, the functional graphite layer can not only act as ions buffer, but also guide the uniform nucleation of Zn2+ in graphite voids. With such synergy effect, the graphite‐coated Zn anode (Zn–G) displays low overpotential, high reversibility, and dendrite‐free durability compared with the pristine Zn. Consequently, a low voltage hysteresis of ≈28 mV can be achieved and maintained over 200 h. Furthermore, the Zn–G anode is paired with a V2O5·xH2O cathode to construct a rechargeable ZIB. As‐assembled device can output high energy/power density of 324.3 Wh kg−1/3269.8 W kg−1 (based on the active mass loading in cathode) together with a capacity retention of ≈84% over 1500 cycles at a current density of 5 A g−1.
Eppur si Muove: Proton Diffusion in Halide Perovskite Single Crystals
Authors: Ceratti Davide Raffaele , Zohar Arava , Kozlov Roman , Dong Hao , Uraltsev Gennady , Girshevitz Olga , Pinkas Iddo , Avram Liat , Hodes Gary , Cahen David 
Published: October 2020

AbstractIon diffusion affects the optoelectronic properties of halide‐perovskites (HaPs). Until now, the fastest diffusion has been attributed to the movement of the halides, largely neglecting the contribution of protons, on the basis of computed density estimates. Here, the process of proton diffusion inside HaPs, following deuterium–hydrogen exchange and migration in MAPbI3, MAPbBr3, and FAPbBr3 single crystals, is proven through D/H NMR quantification, Raman spectroscopy, and elastic recoil detection analysis, challenging the original assumption of halide‐dominated diffusion. The results are confirmed by impedance spectroscopy, where MAPbBr3‐ and CsPbBr3‐based solar cells respond at very different frequencies. Water plays a key role in allowing the migration of protons as deuteration is not detected in its absence. The water contribution is modeled to explain and forecast its effect as a function of its concentration in the perovskite structure. These findings are of great importance as they evidence how unexpected, water‐dependent proton diffusion can be at the basis of the ≈7 orders of magnitude spread of diffusion (attributed to I− and Br−) coefficient values, reported in the literature. The reported enhancement of the optoelectronic properties of HaP when exposed to small amounts of water may be related to the finding.
Ultrahigh Thermoresistant Lightweight Bioplastics Developed from Fermentation Products of Cellulosic Feedstock
Authors: Nag Aniruddha , Ali Mohammad Asif , Kawaguchi Hideo , Saito Shun , Kawasaki Yukie , Miyazaki Shoko , Kawamoto Hirotoshi , Adi Deddy Triyono Nugroho , Yoshihara Kumiko , Masuo Shunsuke , Katsuyama Yohei , Kondo Akihiko , Ogino Chiaki , Takaya Naoki , Kaneko Tatsuo , Ohnishi Yasuo 
Published: October 2020

AbstractProduction of bioplastics from renewable biological resources is a prerequisite for the development of a circular and sustainable society. Current bioplastics are mostly heat‐sensitive aliphatic polymers, requiring thermoresistant aromatic bioplastics. Herein, 3‐amino‐4‐hydroxybenzoic acid (AHBA) and 4‐aminobenzoic acid (ABA) are produced from kraft pulp, an inedible cellulosic feedstock, using metabolically engineered bacteria. AHBA is chemically converted to 3,4‐diaminobenzoic acid (DABA); subsequently, poly(2,5‐benzimidazole) is obtained by the polycondensation of DABA and processed into an ultrahigh thermoresistant film. The copolymerization of DABA with a small amount of ABA dramatically increases the degradation temperatures of the resulting films (over 740 °C) to yield the most thermoresistant plastic on record. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the incorporation of ABA strengthens the interchain hydrogen bonds between aromatic imidazole rings. Thus, an alternative organic molecular design is proposed for thermoresistant plastics without using heavy inorganics, although continuous aromatic heterocycles are widely considered ideal for polymer thermoresistance. This innovative macromolecular design increases thermoresistance and can be widely applied to well‐processable plastics for the production of lightweight materials and is expected to contribute to the development of a more sustainable society.
Overcoming the Anisotropic Growth Limitations of Free‐Standing Single‐Crystal Halide Perovskite Films
Authors: Chen Yuan , Zeng Haibo , Ma Peipei , Chen Gaoyuan , Jian Jie , Sun Xing , Li Xiaoming , Wang Haiyan , Yin Wanjian , Jia Quanxi , Zou Guifu 
Published: October 2020

AbstractIt is extremely challenging to grow single‐crystal halide perovskite films (SCHPFs) with not only desired transport properties but also large lateral size with much thinner thickness. Here, we report the growth of freestanding single crystal CsPbBr3 SCHPFs with thickness less than 100 nm and a lateral size close to centimeter for the first time. A new model for growth kinetics (Ψ=Aexp[−(EA−Es)/(kBT)]) is proposed to address the surface energy and temperature effect on the growth rate of ultrathin CsPbBr3 single‐crystal film. The experimental results and DFT calculations both demonstrated that the surfactant plays a critical role in modifying the surface energy and achieving anisotropic growth. This work opens new opportunities for high‐quality SCHPFs with large lateral size and controllable thickness that may find wide applications for optoelectronic devices.
Oxygen‐ and Nitrogen‐Embedded Zigzag Hydrocarbon Belts
Authors: Tan Mei‐Ling , Guo Qing‐Hui , Wang Xue‐Yuan , Shi Tan‐Hao , Zhang Qian , Hou Sheng‐Kai , Tong Shuo , You Jingsong , Wang Mei‐Xiang 
Published: October 2020

AbstractDespite the aesthetically appealing structures and tantalizing physical and chemical properties, zigzag hydrocarbon belts and their heteroatom‐embedded analogues remain challenging synthetic targets. We report herein the synthesis of diverse O/N‐doped zigzag hydrocarbon belts based on selective bridging of the fjords of resorcin[4]arene derivatives through intramolecular SNAr and palladium‐catalyzed intermolecular C−N bond formation reactions. Preorganized conformations of mono‐macrocyclic, half‐belt and quasi‐belt compounds were revealed to facilitate cyclization reactions to construct heteroatom‐linked octahydrobelt[8]arenes. The acquired products had strained square‐prism‐shaped belt structures in which all six‐membered heterocyclic rings adopted an unusual boat conformation with equatorially configured alkyl groups. The unprecedented heteroatom‐bearing belts also exhibited different photophysical and redox properties to those of octahydrobelt[8]arene analogues.
Thin‐film composite forward osmosis membrane prepared from polyvinyl chloride/cellulose carbamate substrate and its potential application in brackish water desalination
Authors: Zheng Ke , Zhou Shaoqi , Cheng Zuqin , Huang Guoru 
Published: October 2020

AbstractSynthesized by the reaction between α‐cellulose and m‐tolyl isocyanate (MTI), cellulose carbamate (CC) was blended with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) to fabricate substrates for thin‐film composite (TFC) forward osmosis (FO) membranes. The introduction of CC into substrates improved both membrane structure and performance. The substrates exhibited higher porosity and hydrophilicity, and better connective pore structure; while rejection layer exhibited better morphology but limited cross‐linked degree decrease after the introduction of CC. According to the results, the CC blend ratio of 10% was the optimal ratio. With this blend ratio, the TFC‐10 membrane presented favorable water permeability (1.86 LMH/bar) and structure parameter (337 μm), which resulted in excellent FO performance (water flux with a value of 40.40 LMH and specific salt flux with a value of 0.099 g/L under rejection layer faces draw solution [DS] mode when 1 M NaCl and deionized water were utilized as DS and feed solution). In addition, the TFC‐10 membrane showed good water flux and low‐sulfate ion leakage in the potential application of brackish water desalination.
Synthesis and evaluation of antimicrobial and anticancer activities of 3‐phenyl‐1‐phenylsulfonyl pyrazoles containing an aminoguanidine moiety
Authors: Huang Yushan , Hu Hongmei , Yan Rui , Lin Liwen , Song Mingxia , Yao Xiaodong 
Published: October 2020

AbstractA series of 3‐phenyl‐1‐phenylsulfonyl pyrazoles containing an aminoguanidine moiety was designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their antimicrobial and anticancer activities. The majority of the target compounds showed broad‐spectrum antimicrobial activity against the tested strains, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranging from 2 to 64 μg/ml. Compound 5k, showing the most potent antimicrobial activity against Bacillus subtilis CMCC 63501 and multidrug‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 43300 with an MIC value of 2 μg/ml, was the most promising one in this series. It was also effective for S. aureus ATCC 33591 and multidrug‐resistant Escherichia coli ATCC BAA‐196 at higher concentrations. The bactericidal time–kill kinetics test illustrated that compound 5k had rapid bactericidal potential. Docking results exhibited that compound 5k showed various kinds of binding to the FabH receptor, reflecting that 5k could bind with the active site well. All compounds showed excellent activity against the investigated cancer cells, with IC50 values ranging from 1.90 to 54.53 µM. Among them, compound 5f showed prominent cytotoxicity with IC50 = 1.90 µM against A549 cells, while exhibiting lower inhibitory activity against 293T cells (IC50 = 41.72 µM), indicating that it has the potential for a good therapeutic index as an anticancer drug.
Electric‐field‐enhanced selective separation of products of an enzymatic reaction in a membrane micro‐contactor
Authors: Romanov Alexandr , Slouka Zdeněk , Přibyl Michal 
Published: October 2020

AbstractProcesses employed in separations of products of enzyme reactions are often driven by diffusion, and their efficiency can be limited. Here, we exploit the effect of a direct current (DC) electric field that intensifies mass transfer through a semipermeable membrane for fast, continuous, and selective separation of electrically charged molecules. Specifically, we separate low‐molecular‐weight reaction products (phenylacetic acid, 6‐aminopenicillanic acid) from the original reaction mixture containing a free enzyme (penicillin acylase). The developed microfluidic dialysis‐membrane contactor allows a stable counter‐current arrangement of the retentate and permeates liquid streams on which DC electric field is perpendicularly applied. The applied electric field significantly accelerates the transport of electrically charged products through the semipermeable membrane yielding high separation efficiencies at short residence times. The residence time of 5 min is sufficient to reach 100% separation yield in the electric field. The same residence time provides only a 50% yield in the diffusion‐controlled experiments. We experimentally demonstrated that a combined microreactor–microextractor with a recycle of the soluble penicillin acylase can continuously produce both the reaction products at high concentrations. The developed membrane‐contactor is a versatile platform allowing to tune its characteristics, such as selectivity given by the membrane, or the type of the retentate phase, for a specific application.
Dihydrotestosterone in Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis—The missing link?
Authors: Sawal Nishit , Kaur Jasbinder , Kaur Kamaljeet , Gombar Satinder 
Published: October 2020

AbstractObjectiveTestosterone has been postulated to be involved in ALS causation.Materials and methodsCSF levels of free testosterone and dihydrotestosterone were measured in 13 ALS patients [7 males, 6 females] and 22 controls [12 males, 10 females].ResultsCSF free testosterone levels did not show any significant differences but CSF dihydrotestosterone levels were significantly decreased in all male and female ALS patients.ConclusionsDHT is probably integral to survival of motor neurons. In patients predisposed to develop ALS, there is possibly a sort of “testosterone resistance” at level of blood–brain barrier [BBB] existing right from birth and is likely the result of dysfunctional transport protein involved in testosterone transfer across the BBB. In these patients, lesser amount of testosterone is able to breach the BBB and enter the central neural axis. Lesser amount of testosterone is available to 5 α reductase in the anterior pituitary to be converted to DHT and lesser amount of DHT is generated. There is inadequate negative feedback suppression of LH at the level of anterior pituitary by DHT. As a result of higher LH levels, testosterone levels rise in the peripheral testosterone fraction [the fraction outside the BBB] and this explains the various physical attributes of ALS patients like lower Ratio of the index and ring finger lengths (2D:4D ratio), increased incidence of early onset alopecia etc. This deficiency of DHT leads to motor neuron death causing ALS.