Compelling Concept Research Articles

An Initial Validation of Transformative Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Competencies Scale Among Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Teachers

Although transformative social and emotional learning (SEL) has been recognized as a compelling concept to advance SEL practices toward equitable outcomes for both students and adults in schools, psychometrically and theoretically sound measurement tools facilitating the implementation of transformative SEL practices are still lacking. To address this research gap, we conducted the initial validation of a teacher self-reflection scale initially developed by Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) to assess teachers’ perception of their social and emotional competencies in transformative SEL practices among a sample of 249 Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) teachers in the U.S. Results of exploratory confirmatory factor analyses suggested that a 22-item version of the Transformative Social and Emotional Learning Competencies Scale (TSELCS-22) was best supported by a second-order model with one second-order factor of overall social and emotional competencies and five first-order factors. The measurement invariance test indicated that the factor structure of the current scale was consistent across genders. Correlation analyses showed that teachers’ self-reported social and emotional competencies based on TSELCS-22 generally had positive correlations with teachers’ subjective well-being. TSELCS-22’s practical implications in supporting the transformative SEL practices for AAPI teachers and teachers and students from other diverse backgrounds were discussed. Impact Statement This study is the first validation study of the Transformative Social-Emotional Learning Competencies Scale among Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) teachers. In alignment with CASEL’s transformative social and emotional learning (TSEL) framework, it provides the initial empirical evidence for a self-reported assessment tool to understand and support transformative SEL practices among teachers and to improve teacher well-being and workforce, particularly for those from racial/ethnic minoritized backgrounds.

Optimization of logistics processes of transportation of raw materials and materials

One of the main tasks of the economic activity of enterprises is to provide production with material resources because of the logistic approach. Any downtime reduced work efficiency causes financial losses for the company. To reduce losses caused by delivery problems, optimizing logistics processes is becoming increasingly crucial for the modern automotive industry. The paper examines the main theoretical directions of optimizing the transportation of materials and raw materials and characterizes their role in preventing the stoppage of the technological process. At a production enterprise of any industrial direction, the technological process or packaging line is stopped due to a shortage of raw materials, equipment components, or packaging materials. The scenarios of production recovery were considered. The scheme and stages of the logistics process are analyzed: external and internal logistics. In connection with the large variety of parts and their application on the production line, the paper considers the compelling concept of determining the "sequencing point". For a complete understanding of the construction of logistics supply chains according to the JIT principle, each element of the parts delivery scheme is considered. Any manufacturing industry faces a fundamental dilemma: higher inventory costs and lower shipping costs due to fewer shipments or vice versa. Today, it is practically impossible to ensure the daily transportation of the required number of parts, that is, to foresee the formation of small batches without the involvement of warehouses, which is explained by the large number of required parts. Logistics connections' main task is dividing work by stages of goods movement, leading to individual processes' division. The solution to this task is carried out by organizing within a single process the movement of materials and information along the entire chain from the producer to the consumer, ensuring the interaction of individual stages and coordinating the actions of all participants in the logistics chain. Keywords: consumers, logistics chain, downtime, transportation, logistics processes.

Examining the Domain of Green Finance Through Bibliometric Research Analysis of 22 Years (2000–2022): An Analytical Retrospective

Green finance has evolved as a concept aiming to integrate environmental protection and economic profits. Growing global concern towards climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, industrial pollution control, waste management, and environmental protection has caught the attention of countries and policymakers towards innovative financial products and services that are used to address a broader range of environmental concerns. Financial instruments such as green bonds, green stocks and loans effectively guide capital investment towards environment-friendly projects and promote the United Nations’ sustainable development goals. Thus, green finance is considered a compelling concept that plays a vital role in promoting sustainability. The authors used the Scopus database to perform a bibliometric review of green finance from 2001 to 2022 to determine the current trend and progress in the field. The article presents a thorough bibliometric and temporal analysis that provides inputs that other researchers on this topic have not evaluated. VoS Viewer and Biblioshiny. The software was used to visually analyse the data and identify patterns of co-occurrences and prominent research themes. The graphical and systematic mapping illustrates the evolution in publications over time and identifies areas of current research interests. The findings show that the research on green finance has gained momentum from 2014 onwards. The analysis provides a comprehensive overview of the green finance-related research, which will help the researchers and policymakers to examine better the trends and future direction of the development of green finance.

Knitting towards sustainability, circular economy and Industry 4.0

AbstractAs part of the recent trend towards sustainability in modern society, in general, the knitting sector has done its part to emphasise social responsibility and the careful use of resources. Focus has been placed on reusing, recycling and upcycling raw materials and reducing or even eliminating knitting waste. Manufacturers and users have rethought processes, production and consumption volumes. Sustainable preparation and finishing processes have been developed. Knitting machines that offer environmentally friendly manufacturing techniques with less impact on people and the environment and production methods that significantly reduce the wasted or unproductive time between manufacturing phases have been favoured. Sustainability is not just a new approach or a trend that is fashionable right now, but a must, a compelling concept for the survival of businesses in the future. Knitting as a unique technology spans quite opposite poles: hand and machine production, hobby and money‐making, individual and mass production, assembled and seamless products, fashion and technical market, and so forth. As such, it can adapt, expand and evolve towards sustainability, circular economy and Industry 4.0. This paper provides an overview of the versatility and complexity of knitting today, as well as its sustainability potential, optimisation and merging within knitting and with other processes and opportunities for transition to the circular economy and Industry 4.0, covering digitalisation, the Internet of things and robotisation in knitting. It also analyses the market for knitting machines, knitted fabrics and knitted goods, and addresses the pitfalls of consumerism.

A digital twin in transportation: Real-time synergy of traffic data streams and simulation for virtualizing motorway dynamics

The introduction of digital twins is expected to fundamentally change the technology in transportation systems, as they appear to be a compelling concept for monitoring the entire life cycle of the transport system. The advent of widespread information technology, particularly the availability of real-time traffic data, provides the foundation for supplementing predominated (offline) microscopic simulation approaches with actual data to create a detailed real-time digital representation of the physical traffic. However, the use of actual traffic data in real-time motorway analysis has not yet been explored. The reason is that there are no supporting models and the applicability of real-time data in the context of microscopic simulations has yet to be recognized. Thus, this article focuses on microscopic motorway simulation with real-time data integration during system run-time. As a result, we propose a novel paradigm in motorway traffic modeling and demonstrate it using the continuously synchronized digital twin model of the Geneva motorway (DT-GM). We analyze the application of the microscopic simulator SUMO in modeling and simulating on-the-fly synchronized digital replicas of real traffic by leveraging fine-grained actual traffic data streams from motorway traffic counters as input to DT-GM. Thus, the detailed methodological process of developing DT-GM is presented, highlighting the calibration features of SUMO that enable (dynamic) continuous calibration of running simulation scenarios. By doing so, the actual traffic data are directly fused into the running DT-GM every minute so that DT-GM is continuously calibrated as the physical equivalent changes. Accordingly, DT-GM raises a technology dimension in motorway traffic simulation to the next level by enabling simulation-based control optimization during system run-time that was previously unattainable. It, thus, forms the foundation for further evolution of real-time predictive analytics as support for safety–critical decisions in traffic management. Simulation results provide a solid basis for the future real-time analysis of an extended Swiss motorway network.

REDUCING THE POLLUTION OF THE AIRSPACE OF THE CITY'S MAIN HIGHWAY AREAS

The article deals with problems of air pollution in large cities and how to solve them. In Europe, road transport produces nearly half of NOx emissions, which ensures urban air quality. Analysis of reference data has revealed scientists' active interest in reducing air pollution in large cities. However, since the objects of territorial planning continue to develop dangerously, one can speak of the absence of a sufficiently compelling concept of architectural and urban planning to ensure the environmental safety of the air basin of urban areas. Therefore, we propose to consider the object of the research and protection as systemic integrity of three entities: areas near trunk roads, air basins, and population. The paper presents an ER model of the research object and determines the main parameters of each entity, their interrelationships, and the action area. We propose an engineering and planning solution for installing special units to remove the most dangerous admixtures of nitrogen oxides and dust from the air basin near the city trunk roads through ozonation and absorption. The basis of the proposed treatment plant is a scrubber with combined processes of wet dust collection and ozonation characterized by high efficiency in removing fine dust and nitrogen oxides. The work presents a process flow diagram of purification and determines the operating conditions of the equipment. To substantiate the unit's operational safety in an emergency with ozone emission, we have simulated the process of ozone dispersion in the surrounding areas.

A study of the influence of orifice diameter on a Dual Mode, Turbulent Jet Ignition engine through variable engine speed

The increasingly strict worldwide emission regulations for internal combustion engines force car manufacturers to exploit innovative combustion technologies. One expects a change from pure thermal engines to more advanced internal combustion engine. A high engine compression ratio with high EGR dilution has an impact on increasing engine efficiency. A compelling concept to burn diluted combustion can be a DM-TJI combustion system, which consists of a pre-chamber and main chamber connected with one or more small orifices. This technology effectively achieves diluted combustion by improving engine dilution tolerance and knock performance. This paper focused on the impact of engine speed with variation in pre-chamber nozzle orifice diameter. Experiments were conducted with three different pre-chamber nozzle orifice diameters of 1.25, 1.5, and 1.75 mm with an engine speed range from 1500 to 2300 rpm. A numerical analysis was conducted to investigate the nozzle orifice diameter effect on the engine speed beyond 2500 rpm. Engine speed variation affects the performance of each orifice’s diameters. Small orifice diameter performs better for lower engine speed, and large orifice diameter performs better for higher engine speed. The 1.25 mm orifice diameter provided fast combustion. However, when the engine speed increases, the combustion stability suffers. Orifice diameter of 1.5 mm has better combustion stability in all tested speed ranges and higher efficiency in the speed range of 1500–2000 rpm, with a maximum indicated efficiency of 44.18%. The 1.75 mm orifice diameter performs better in the high engine speed ranges between 2100 and 2300 rpm, with a maximum indicated efficiency of 44.56% at an engine speed of 2300 rpm. This study has demonstrated the capability of the DM-TJI system to work with a high level of EGR dilution (up to 45%) and delivered a better indicated efficiency than the conventional spark ignition engines.

Review: Curating America’s Painful Past: Memory, Museums, and the National Imagination, by Tim Gruenewald

Review: <i>Curating America’s Painful Past: Memory, Museums, and the National Imagination</i>, by Tim Gruenewald

Mainstream News Media's Engagement with Friedrich Engels’s Concept of Social Murder

Literature now exists on how the media reports on health inequalities. One compelling concept as to the sources and impacts of health inequalities is “social murder” as articulated by Friedrich Engels in his 1845 volume, The Condition of the Working Class in England, whereby the capitalist economic system sent workers prematurely to the grave to serve the profit motives of the bourgeoisie. There is a reemergence of the concept in the academic literature in response to growing social and health inequalities, but is this material being reported to the public? We examine news content since the turn of the 21st century and find a significant increase since 2017 in reporting that evokes the social murder concept in relation to the Grenfell Tower Fire, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the imposition of austerity in Canada and the UK. We consider these developments in relation to journalists’ roles and their reporting on health inequalities.

Mobility as a service (MaaS) – Going somewhere or nowhere?

Noting the continuing lack of agreement as to how the concept of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) should be defined, this short topical issues paper offers an evaluation of the extent to which MaaS faces a very uncertain future. While MaaS remains a compelling concept, without evidence of MaaS contributing to sustainability goals, the multimodal future may be one of contactless deep linked customer-oriented Apps offering potential customer convenience but with no provision for bundling mobility services. The latter has been shown in the Sydney MaaS trial to be the source of positive societal outcomes such a reduced car use and emissions. A MaaS Champion with a proactive approach, led by government, seems essential for any future positive outcomes.

Semantic segmentation from remote sensor data and the exploitation of latent learning for classification of auxiliary tasks

In this paper we address three different aspects of semantic segmentation from remote sensor data using deep neural networks. Firstly, we focus on the semantic segmentation of buildings from remote sensor data and propose ICT-Net: a novel network with the underlying architecture of a fully convolutional network, infused with feature re-calibrated Dense blocks at each layer. Uniquely, the proposed network combines the localization accuracy and use of context of the U-Net network architecture, the compact internal representations and reduced feature redundancy of the Dense blocks, and the dynamic channel-wise feature re-weighting of the Squeeze-and-Excitation(SE) blocks. The proposed network has been tested on the INRIA and AIRS benchmark datasets and is shown to outperform other state of the art. Secondly, as the building classification is typically the first step of the reconstruction process, we investigate the relationship of the classification accuracy to the reconstruction accuracy. Due to the lack of (1) scene depth information, and (2) ground-truth (blueprints) for large urban-areas, the evaluation of the 3D reconstructions is not possible. Thus, we use boundary localization as a proxy to reconstruction accuracy and perform the evaluation in 2D. A comparative quantitative analysis of reconstruction accuracies corresponding to different classification accuracies confirms the strong correlation between the two. We present the results which show a consistent and considerable reduction in the reconstruction accuracy. Finally, we present the simple yet compelling concept of latent learning and the implications it carries within the context of deep learning. We posit that a network trained on a primary task (i.e. building classification) is unintentionally learning about auxiliary tasks (e.g. the classification of road, tree, etc.) which are complementary to the primary task. Although embedded in a trained network, this latent knowledge relating to the auxiliary tasks is never externalized or immediately expressed but instead only knowledge relating to the primary task is ever output by the network. We experimentally prove this occurrence of incidental learning on the pre-trained ICT-Net and show how sub-classification of the negative label is possible without further training/fine-tuning. We present the results of our experiments and explain how knowledge about auxiliary and complementary tasks – for which the network was never trained – can be retrieved and utilized for further classification. We extensively tested the proposed technique on the ISPRS benchmark dataset which contains multi-label ground truth, and report an average classification accuracy (F1 score) of 54.29% (SD=17.03) for roads, 10.15% (SD=2.54) for cars, 24.11% (SD=5.25) for trees, 42.74% (SD=6.62) for low vegetation, and 18.30% (SD=16.08) for clutter. The source code and supplemental material is publicly available at http://www.theICTlab.org/lp/2020ICTNet/.

A Funky-Formal Fashion Collection: Struggling for a Creative Concept in HUGO BOSS

In this case study, we follow a group of five young talented fashion designers in HUGO BOSS charged with creating a new concept for the brand BOSS Orange. The concept is to be neither formal nor funky but, precisely, funky-formal. Based on ethnographic fieldwork among these designers, the case describes in detail how the initial idea of a funky-formal fashion collection gradually grows into a more concrete creative concept for such a collection. In particular, it shows how the designers struggle to get to know the HUGO BOSS brands, to become truly inspired, to generate a compelling concept and, finally, to make a decision between competing concepts. These processes involve not just the talented designers but also, and not least, the Creative Director of BOSS Orange, making it evident how creativity in fashion is by no means an individual idiosyncrasy but rather a social phenomenon.

Tools of the Trade?

Problem, research strategy, and findings A growing number of planning researchers and practitioners argue for a shift from mobility-centered transportation planning to an accessibility-focused one. Accessibility is a compelling concept that has proven more difficult to operationalize than mobility, which helps to explain why so many accessibility metrics have been developed for urban research and planning practice. To assess the state of these metrics, we reviewed 54 of them in light of their theoretical basis, data requirements, units of analysis, travel modes and trip purposes accounted for, and potential applications to planning practice. We also reviewed the substantial literature on accessibility measurement and interviewed planning practitioners who are applying accessibility metrics in practice. We find that accessibility theory and measurement has advanced more rapidly than applications in practice. However, a new generation of tools is emerging that may accelerate the move to accessibility planning. Although many of the measures focus on a single travel mode, the number of multimodal metrics is growing. Most of the measures are designed for regional-scale planning and scenario evaluation; only a few to date are intended for project evaluation. Takeaway for practice The 54 accessibility metrics and tools we reviewed vary widely and none stands out as obviously superior for planning practice. Although most calculate the accessibility of places, and many do so reasonably well, we see the most promise in measures of the accessibility of travelers, which can then be aggregated for place-based analyses while still shedding light on how access can vary substantially across different types of travelers. The principal challenge to broadly deploying accessibility analyses in practice in the years ahead is in developing measures that meaningfully measure the many salient dimensions of access, have manageable data requirements, and are understandable to planners, public officials, and community members.

Comorbidity and Lymphatic Disease: The Lymphatic Continuum Re-Examined.

It has now been ∼20 years since the original Lymphatic Continuum conference was convened, and this continuum has transitioned from a compelling concept to a reality. The explosive growth in our comprehension of lymphatic genetics, development, and function has expanded and modified our traditional views regarding what is, and is not, lymphatic disease. Groundbreaking investigations over the past decade have now defined a large and growing list of pathological conditions in which morphological or function lymphatic alterations can be identified. This list includes atherosclerosis and dyslipidemia, hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases, inflammation and inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, narrow angle glaucoma, and, most recently and compellingly, neurodegenerative disease. The sometimes overlapping but largely disparate nature of these various aforementioned disease categories suggests that the presence, or absence, of structural or functional lymphatic derangements may represent a previously unrecognized unifying influence in the maintenance of health and the promotion of disease. Future investigation of lymphatic mechanisms in disease will likely continue to elucidate the influences of lymphatic dysfunction, perhaps subtle, that can invest other, seemingly unrelated, diseases. In future, such discoveries will provide mechanistic insights and may potentiate the development of a new lymphatic-based approach to human disease diagnosis and therapeutics.

Open-Source Multi-Access Edge Computing for 6G: Opportunities and Challenges

Multi-access edge computing (MEC) is capable of meeting the challenging requirements of next-generation networks, e.g., 6G, as a benefit of providing computing and caching capabilities in the close proximity of the users. However, the traditional MEC architecture relies on specialized hardware and its bespoke software functions are closely integrated with the hardware, hence it is too rigid for supporting the rapidly evolving scenarios in the face of the demanding requirements of 6G. As a remedy, we conceive the compelling concept of open-source-defined cellular networking and intrinsically amalgamate it with MEC, which is defined by open-source software running on general-purpose hardware platforms. Specifically, an open-source-defined MEC (OpenMEC) scheme is presented relying on a pair of core principles: the decoupling of the MEC functions and resources from each other with the aid of network function virtualization (NFV); as well as the reconfiguration of the disaggregated MEC functions and resources into customized edge instances. This philosophy allows operators to adaptively customize their users’ networks. Then, we develop improved networking functions for OpenMEC decoupling and discuss both its key components as well as the process of OpenMEC reconfiguration. The typical use cases of the proposed OpenMEC scheme are characterized with the aid of a small-scale test network. Finally, we discuss some of the potential open-source-related technical challenges when facing 6G.

Aeronautical $Ad~Hoc$ Networking for the Internet-Above-the-Clouds

The engineering vision of relying on the ``smart sky" for supporting air traffic and the ``Internet above the clouds" for in-flight entertainment has become imperative for the future aircraft industry. Aeronautical ad hoc Networking (AANET) constitutes a compelling concept for providing broadband communications above clouds by extending the coverage of Air-to-Ground (A2G) networks to oceanic and remote airspace via autonomous and self-configured wireless networking amongst commercial passenger airplanes. The AANET concept may be viewed as a new member of the family of Mobile ad hoc Networks (MANETs) in action above the clouds. However, AANETs have more dynamic topologies, larger and more variable geographical network size, stricter security requirements and more hostile transmission conditions. These specific characteristics lead to more grave challenges in aircraft mobility modeling, aeronautical channel modeling and interference mitigation as well as in network scheduling and routing. This paper provides an overview of AANET solutions by characterizing the associated scenarios, requirements and challenges. Explicitly, the research addressing the key techniques of AANETs, such as their mobility models, network scheduling and routing, security and interference are reviewed. Furthermore, we also identify the remaining challenges associated with developing AANETs and present their prospective solutions as well as open issues. The design framework of AANETs and the key technical issues are investigated along with some recent research results. Furthermore, a range of performance metrics optimized in designing AANETs and a number of representative multi-objective optimization algorithms are outlined.

Multiscale characterization of heart failure

Dilated cardiomyopathy is a progressive irreversible disease associated with contractile dysfunction and heart failure. During dilated cardiomyopathy, elevated diastolic wall strains trigger mechanotransduction pathways that initiate the addition of sarcomeres in series and an overall increase in myocyte length. At the whole organ level, this results in a chronic dilation of the ventricles, an increase in end diastolic and end systolic volumes, and a decrease in ejection fraction. However, how exactly changes in sarcomere number translate into changes in myocyte morphology, and how these cellular changes translate into ventricular dilation remains incompletely understood. Here we combined a chronic animal study, continuum growth modeling, and machine learning to quantify correlations between sarcomere dynamics, myocyte morphology, and ventricular dilation. In an eight-week long volume overload study of six pigs, we found that the average sarcomere number increased by +3.8%/week, from 47 to 62, resulting in a myocyte lengthening of +3.3%/week, from 85 to 108 μm, while the sarcomere length and myocyte width remained unchanged. At the same time, the average end diastolic volume increased by +6.0%/week. Using continuum growth modeling and Bayesian inference, we correlated alterations on the subcellular, cellular, and organ scales and found that the serial sarcomere number explained 88% of myocyte lengthening, which, in turn, explained 54% of cardiac dilation. Our results demonstrate that sarcomere number and myocyte length are closely correlated and constitute the major determinants of dilated heart failure. We anticipate our study to be a starting point for more sophisticated multiscale models of heart failure. Our study suggests that altering sarcomere turnover-and with it myocyte morphology and ventricular dimensions-could be a potential therapeutic target to attenuate or reverse the progression of heart failure. Statement of SignificanceHeart failure is a significant global health problem that affects more than 25 million people worldwide and increases in prevalence as the population ages. Heart failure has been studied excessively at various scales; yet, there is no compelling concept to connect knowledge from the subcellular, cellular, and organ level across the scales. Here we combined a chronic animal study, continuum growth modeling, and machine learning to quantify correlations between sarcomere dynamics, myocyte morphology, and ventricular dilation. We found that the serial sarcomere number explained 88% of myocyte lengthening, which, in turn, explained 54% of cardiac dilation. Our results show that sarcomere number and myocyte length are closely correlated and constitute the major determinants of dilated heart failure. This suggests that altering the sarcomere turnover—and with it myocyte morphology and ventricular dimensions–could be a potential therapeutic target to attenuate or reverse heart failure.

Jefferson's Body: A Corporeal Biography by Maurizio Valsania

Reviewed by: Jefferson's Body: A Corporeal Biography by Maurizio Valsania Tara Strauch (bio) Jefferson's Body: A Corporeal Biography maurizio valsania Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2017 265 pp. Maurizio Valsania's Jefferson's Body: A Corporeal Biography presents readers with an intriguing and compelling concept: that one's body tells a story of its own. This is a valuable book for anyone interested in understanding historical actors and builds on recent scholarship about corporeality and sensory history. Elegantly written and filled with important insights on Jefferson, the body, and embodiment, this book was a pleasure to read. Divided not into chapters but simply into two parts, the book [End Page 296] has a narrow focus but vast consequences because Valsania challenges us to think about historical people as embodied actors. A corporeal biography is important, the author notes, because "[o]ur bodies control us at least as much as we control our bodies," and corporeality adds to our understanding of historical figures (3). This idea, that one's body and one's perception of bodies is important to understanding her or his worldview, is especially applicable to Thomas Jefferson, who was very careful to guard his personal life from public scrutiny. Valsania argues that much of what we "know" about Jefferson's private life was actually carefully scripted to reveal only what he thought decorous or polite. For example, while his private life was private—such as what he said in letters like his infamous "head and heart" letter to Maria Cosway revealing his feelings for her—these communications were simultaneously "a strategy of public revelation" (123). Jefferson thought about his body and communicated with his body, and his body—particularly his white maleness—shaped how he thought about others and the world around him. And because Jefferson was particularly adept at keeping other people from observing his body in unguarded moments most of what we know about his body comes from his conscious corporeal performance. Valsania starts his biography with Jefferson's own body. He asks important and stunningly basic questions: What, exactly, did Jefferson look like—How did he understand his body compared to other bodies—What image did he want to convey to the world through his body—These questions may seem simple but are quite complex. The Jefferson Americans have come to know was ramrod straight, tall, and stately. But that presence was cultivated through the years by Jefferson himself and his devoted family and followers. Even so, Valsania shows the reader that descriptions of Jefferson sometimes misinterpret Jefferson's conscious efforts at self-display. Sometimes described as indifferent to fashion, Jefferson, Valsania notes, "adhered to more than one standard, doing more than one thing with the apparel he donned" (48). His clothing was chosen to make a statement and not just to please himself or others. Like everyone's, Jefferson's body and his understanding of that body was inconstant. Part 1 dwells frequently on Jefferson's understanding of what was natural and how best to train other Americans to desire a simple, natural world befitting middle-class republicans. Valsania uses textual and visual sources, particularly descriptions and depictions of Jefferson to consider the embodied [End Page 297] Jefferson. These sources also include Jefferson's clothing purchases, instructions to others, and letters describing his perception of his own body. Although earlier in his life he had preferred to dress like a British gentleman, "Jefferson's body, eventually, underwent a bourgeois revolution" (67). As the Republic grew, Jefferson came to prefer loose pantaloons. His dress came to reflect the middle-class habits he wanted to inculcate in the nation. This transformation was acceptable to Jefferson because "his Enlightenment principles led him to a very modern perspective, that he could perfect his own corporeality" (4). To attain perfection meant to change and develop new aesthetics and as a patriarch he could do just that. His role as a patriarch also allowed him to reject some cultural norms. Throughout his life Jefferson was accused of being feminine in his voice and mannerisms, almost pacific in his interactions with others. While this persona does not reinforce what contemporary readers may think of as a patriarch, Valsania argues...

Patient Blood Management.

Patient Blood Management is a book that considers a concept that transcends transfusion medicine. It is solely aimed at disease management rather than focusing on a single therapeutic modality, transfusion.The foreword by Denton A. Cooley sums up the essence of patient blood management (PBM) by stating that it is a “compelling concept to preempt anemia, correct bleeding disorders, and minimize blood loss.” He continues by stating that this is an evidence-based approach that has yielded the desired outcomes of improved patient’s health and reduced resource utilization. The preface, written by the three editors, expands on the concept and focuses on the intent of this PBM “book” by addressing the multiprofessional and multidisciplinary approach that spans a multitude of topics from preoperative anemia management to management of patients for whom blood is not an option. Although referred to as a book, this publication is more appropriately described as a “manual” on PBM. Recognizing the burgeoning data on patient outcome associated with a large number of possible interventions (beyond the current single approach—transfusion) applied together or as a single modality, this bundled care includes identification, diagnosis and treatment of anemia, blood conservation both surgical and phlebotomy, and “tolerating” anemia, while therapeutic modalities other than transfusions are implemented effectively. The manual’s content would encourage the reader to explore elsewhere for more detailed data and newer data that are constantly being added to the literature.The editors have gathered a long list of both new and senior contributors to PBM. Although these contributors have been asked to address specific topics, their knowledge of PBM extends far beyond the contributions seen in this manual.Knowing that this publication is an expansion of the original German version of this book, the extensive list of topics is impressive and covers most if not all related PBM topics and issues.To the casual reader, the history and development of PBM and additional material on the future of PBM in the new healthcare milieu would be of value. These items are not included in this book. While they are not necessarily needed in this manual, they would help explain the evolution of PBM and are addressed in other PBM textbooks. Offering the long view in medicine can usually explain the present and help form the future.Each of the chapters is well organized, and for the most part, presents the current thinking in PBM. Although weighted toward transfusion medicine, the editors’ reminder to focus on patients and improved outcome resonates throughout the manual.Despite overall enthusiasm expressed for PBM, some sections of the text offer recommendations that can be challenged since significant controversy exists on these topics. As an example, the sections on pharmacologic agents, parenteral iron, and erythroid-stimulating agents represent conclusions on the basis of old data that have been challenged and are in need of fresh interpretation. Other recommendations ignore the inconsistency of the data used to make a recommendation such as those present in section “transfusion guidelines.” In regard to transfusion indication, the threshold (“trigger”) in patients with coronary artery disease has not been established. Although addressed in the text, table 5.2 appears to present the information in what seems to be a more conclusive manner. Regardless, most of the recommendations are sound and useful.Although open to all disciplines of clinical medicine, the surgical approach to PBM dominates throughout the book. One can extrapolate to other patient populations since PBM is written as disease management of entities such as anemia, coagulation defects, and other hematologic conditions rather than concentrating solely on transfusion as a therapy.Caught between informative and instructive, the manual serves best as an initial overview of each of the topics. It does not lend itself as a guide to therapy nor does it fully expose all of the data and challenges of PBM in an in-depth fashion. The chapters address each topic in a thoughtful and balanced fashion without exposing areas on controversy in any details.There is no question in this reviewer’s mind that the primary audience is anesthesiologists and surgeons followed by internal medicine and others in related fields. Reading through the stimulating chapters and sections, one quickly finds oneself seeking to attain more information—which can be found, for example, in the section on PBM at www.blood.gov.au—to enhance their knowledge and repertoire on PBM. This manual is an essential step in increasing awareness on PBM and helps organize the topic, resulting in easy reading and, in turn, better patient care and outcome.

Fate of Flames by Sarah Raughley

Reviewed by: Fate of Flames by Sarah Raughley April Spisak Raughley, Sarah Fate of Flames. Simon Pulse, 2016 [368p] (Effigies) Trade ed. ISBN 978-1-4814-6677-6 $17.99 E-book ed. ISBN 978-1-4814-6679-0 $10.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 8-10 Maia idolizes the Effigies, four girls chosen to save the planet from murderous phantoms who sometimes attack the world. As a sidelines sort of girl, she can’t even begin to wrap her head around the fact that, after the death of one Effigy, she has been selected to represent the element of fire. New York, and indeed the world, is in big trouble, though, as there’s a new Effigy around, a fifth one, who appears to be able to control phantoms and who seems to have no qualms about murdering anyone to get what he wants. It’s a compelling concept, and the mix of fragility, [End Page 144] defiance, strength, and utter exhaustion that plays out in the girls feels authentic. Each of the young women is developed carefully, making them memorable and distinct as individuals even while the primary focus remains Maia, who is learning on the fly, just as readers will be. A sequel will likely be eagerly anticipated, as these four together have only begun to find their groove, and it’s clear there are more intriguing and disturbing details about this world to uncover. Copyright © 2016 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois