Identical Mean Research Articles

Review: The Routledge Companion to Women in Architecture

Review: <i>The Routledge Companion to Women in Architecture</i>

Tvær blækur labba inn á bar

Abstract This article examines the limited productivity of a minimally schematic Icelandic microclass, originally containing bók ‘book’, bót ‘patch’, brók ‘trousers’, nót ‘fishing net’, and rót ‘root’ only. Productivity is betrayed by the addition of feminine blók ‘nonentity’ and forms of neuter kók ‘Coke™’. While plural nominative/accusative blækur and kækur speak to the productivity of the microclass specifically, doublet forms in both paradigms follow multiple inflection classes. Some are of the opinion that plural kækur belies real language use, as it is only used for humorous effect. The current paper applies a usage-based cognitive analysis to the relevant data with two objectives. First, to account for graded membership in the microclass as a function of limited productivity. Secondly, to demonstrate that innovative kækur and blækur are deduced by identical means. It is concluded that productivity is a property of language use, which is posited as a function of analogy.

A CO2-independent cloud mask from Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) radiances for climate applications

Abstract. With more than 15 years of continuous and consistent measurements, the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) radiance dataset is becoming a reference climate data record. To be exploited to its full potential, it requires a cloud filter that is accurate, unbiased over the full IASI life span and strict enough to be used in satellite data retrieval schemes. Here, we present a new cloud detection algorithm which combines (1) a high sensitivity, (2) a good consistency over the whole IASI time series and between the different copies of the instrument flying on board the suite of Metop satellites, and (3) simplicity in its parametrization. The method is based on a supervised neural network (NN) and relies, as input parameters, on the IASI radiance measurements only. The robustness of the cloud mask over time is ensured in particular by avoiding the IASI channels that are influenced by CO2, N2O, CH4, CFC-11 and CFC-12 absorption lines and those corresponding to the ν2 H2O absorption band. As a reference dataset for the training, version 6.5 of the operational IASI Level 2 (L2) cloud product is used. We provide different illustrations of the NN cloud product, including comparisons with other existing products. We find very good agreement overall with version 6.5 of the operational IASI L2 with an identical mean annual cloud amount and a pixel-by-pixel correspondence of about 87 %. The comparison with the other cloud products shows a good correspondence in the main cloud regimes but with sometimes large differences in the mean cloud amount (up to 10 %) due to the specificities of each of the different products. We also show the good capability of the NN product to differentiate clouds from dust plumes.

State Governments: Constructing Fortifications Against Fraudulent Activities

Vision, mission and objective statements are essential for the government departments to declare their fortifications for protecting public assets and upholding the highest possible ethical standards. Vision, mission and objective statements are defined and documented by state government departments in Malaysia to deter, among other things, official wrongdoing and dishonesty. The objective of this study is to investigate the efforts made by state government agencies to stop employee fraud and misconduct. The phrase integrity and its synonyms in the vision, mission and objective statements are recognized and examined after studying all of the state governments' official websites in Malaysia. The fact that the term "integrity" even exists can serve as a sign of how committed state government agencies are to upholding a responsible and reputable organization. The descriptive statistical analysis technique was utilized in the study to examine Malaysian state government departments' attention to preventing fraudulent actions from occurring. A keyword search method was employed. An examination of the official websites of state-affiliated organizations with the goal of determining if local governments promote integrity in their major identity statements. Results from the study indicate most state governments in Malaysia are not committed to the fight against fraud because integrity is not emphasized in their vision, mission and objective statements. Future research may take into consideration each term and phrase that has an identical meaning to that of the integrity. To date, studies on the importance of these statements are quite limited. Therefore, this study can be a preliminary study to provide important information in instilling integrity in state government employees by emphasizing it in the vision, mission and objective statements.

Analysis of the carbon emission driving factors and prediction of a carbon peak scenario——A case study of Xi'an city

The continuous growth of global carbon emissions has become the focus of attention in political and academic circles in various countries. Understanding the driving factors of change in urban carbon emissions and predicting the peak of carbon emissions is of great significance for guiding the formulation of urban as well as national carbon emission reduction policies. Using Xi'an as an example, this study analyses the changing trend of its carbon emissions over the past 20 years. Based on carbon emissions and total economic volume, a Tapio decoupling elasticity analysis model was constructed, the decoupling coefficient of Xi'an from 2000 to 2020 was calculated, and the decoupling status of economic growth and carbon emissions were analysed. Using the Kaya identity and logarithmic mean divisia index (LMDI) decomposition to analyse the driving factors of the city's carbon emissions, combined with a multi-scenario forecasting method, three different scenarios were subdivided, and the approximate time of Xi'an's carbon peak was estimated. The results show that from 2000 to 2020, the overall carbon emissions in Xi'an showed an upwards trend. In recent years, the decoupling status of economic growth and carbon emissions in Xi'an has been ideal, and the effect of carbon emission reduction is obvious. Population and per capita gross domestic product (GDP) have a positive driving effect on carbon emissions, and energy intensity has a negative driving force on carbon emissions. During early years, the carbon intensity of energy consumption showed a positive effect on carbon emissions. With the improvement of the energy structure, the intensity of energy consumption inhibits the growth of carbon emissions. Under the three scenarios of low carbon, baseline and high carbon, the carbon peak years will be achieved approximately in 2016, 2025 and 2035, and the corresponding carbon peaks are approximately 29.5 million tons, 29.66 million tons and 31 million tons, respectively.

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Abstract The earliest attestation of the toponym Taghavard, from Artsakh’s Martuni region, dates back to the 17th century. This coincided with the founding of Avetaranots, the settlement of Varanda’s rulers Melik-Shahnazaryan. Taghavard is located on the right bank of the Köndalan river and to the roads to Avetaranots. This article discusses the identical meaning of river-name Köndalan with the place-name Taghavard and the important role for its interpretation. Taghavard’s geographic location and its function as an entrance to Melik’s settlement deduced the meaning of the toponym as a “corridor pavilion.”

Syncretism of Body and Sexuality in The Catcher in the Rye

The present paper examines the syncretism of body and sexuality and its consequences in The Catcher in the Rye written by J.D. Salinger. This paper further discusses how the young adult Holden Caulfield perceives his body and sexuality; and how the body and sexuality work in The Catcher in the Rye. Moreover, this paper analyzes body celebration, abuse and sexuality of young adult Holden. This study argues that young adults perceive their body as a means of power, freedom, identity and maturity. Young adults employ their body and sexuality as agencies to be distinct and noticeable in their community and society. For these purposes, this paper primarily employs the ideas of Roberta S. Trites and Judith Butler as theoretical tools. This paper opens an avenue for further research about young adults of Nepal and other topography besides America.

A Reconciliation between Yi Nationality’s Religious Beliefs and Modern Political Identities: An Interpretation of Christianity in a Yi Village

In order to explore how ethnic minorities in China reshape their perception of themselves today, I conducted field research in K Village in southwest China. In this anthropological research about this village which has a majority of Yi minorities, I did in-depth interviews, discourse analysis, and participatory observance to examine the conflicts between three different identities, the tensions behind the contemporary society, the history of Christianity in this village, and the meaning of different identities to individuals. Based on the analysis of this cultural phenomena in K Village, I interpret the cultural meaning of Christianity there––Yi minorities in this village are using Christianity as a tool to reconcile their modern political identities and cultural or religious identities. This research not only contributes to the understanding of ethnic minorities’ bodily practices of negotiating various cultures, but also assists governments in developing better ethnic policies.

Dreaming, Temporality in Diasporic Space, and Religious Reflections among Kabyle Immigrant Converts in France

This article explores diasporic experiences and reflections on religious conversion through analyzing visitational, predictive/generative, and inspirational dreams recalled and related by Kabyle immigrant converts in France, which prompted their earlier conversion from Islam in their home region of Kabylie in Algeria, North Africa, prior to their migration to France. There is an approach to dreaming as both self-psychoanalysis and social practice in which visions in visitational dreams illuminate complex cultural identity and belonging in contexts of believed soul travel in dream time and transcultural migration over space. Useful in this analysis is Mikhail Bakhtin’s concept of the chronotope, referring to how configurations of time and space are represented in language—in the present case, dreams—analyzed here in terms of how converts’ dreaming, cultural theories of dreams, and dream-sharing construct ambiguous, changing, and ambivalent meanings of conversion in bringing together, but also highlighting contrasts between, cultural and religious distances over time and space. Pre- and post-conversion disruptions emerge in dreams that reveal both religious change and cultural continuity in ways these diasporic converts forge new meanings of identity and belonging as they cope with remembered political violence in Algeria and ongoing economic precarity, political discrimination, and social ambiguity in France. More broadly, an approach inspired by a Bakhtinian (1981) “chronotopic” metaphor hopefully opens up rich perspectives in the study of diasporic spaces and entangled religions in contexts of both conjunctions and disjunctions between dreaming and waking lifeworlds of contradictions and dilemmas over time.

Arabic digit processing in adults with mathematical learning disability.

The processing of Arabic digits is a core difficulty of children suffering from mathematical learning disability (MLD). Dominant accounts assume a semantic impairment affecting either the magnitude representation per se or its access from numerical symbols. But recent data have raised the hypothesis that the impaired processing of Arabic digits may be explained by a selective deficit of digit visual recognition (i.e., recognising a symbol as one of the digits, no matter its identity or numerical meaning). This study aims at testing whether the difficulty to process Arabic digits remains prevalent in adults with MLD and whether it is effectively associated with a digit visual recognition deficit. To do so, we compared 19 adults with MLD to 19 matched controls in an Arabic digit comparison task that required to identify the largest of two digits, and in an Arabic digit lexical decision task that required to decide whether a visual stimulus is a digit or not. The results showed that MLD participants took more time than control participants to perform the comparison task. In contrast, their performance in the digit lexical decision task was within the range of the control participants. Overall, this finding indicates that adults with MLD continue to experience difficulties to process the magnitude of Arabic digits efficiently, and this cannot be explained by a visual recognition deficit for Arabic digits. We conclude that their difficulties are best explained by an impaired representation of number magnitude or by an impaired access to this representation.

Hanfu as therapeutic governance in neo/non-liberal China: a multimodal discourse analysis of Hanfu videos on Bilibili

Drawing on the concepts of therapeutic governance and neo/non-liberal China, this study examines the discourse of Hanfu, which is the modern incarnation of traditional Chinese clothing styles of various ancient dynasties, as manifested in popular videos shared on Bilibili, a Chinese video-sharing site. Using multimodal discourse analysis, we found nine codes that fell into three categories: self-expression (aesthetic, cultured, and confident), traditional culture (genuine, long-established, and original), and identity boundaries (vs. capital, vs. Western modernity, and vs. Asian neighbors). In addition, we showed that the Hanfu videos mobilized traditional Chinese culture as a resource to buttress neoliberal self-expression and state-sanctioned meanings of identity. We argue that the discursive construction of Hanfu simultaneously cultivates individuals’ positive affects and solidifies the state’s legitimacy as a mode of governance in contemporary Chinese society. The findings of this study showed that to understand contemporary China, aspects of popular culture, such as Hanfu, should be situated in the broader mode of governance in Chinese society, which includes consumption, ideology, and most importantly, personal affect.

Explanatory hypotheses of the ecology of new clinical presentations of Dissociative Identity Disorders in youth.

Dissociative Identity Disorders (DIDs) are controversial psychiatric conditions encountered in clinical practice and nosology. DID as described in the international classifications has little similarity with the clinical picture of “DID” met in current youth psychiatry. From this Perspective, we hypothesize that this current clinical presentation does not satisfy the categorical criteria of the international classifications. Based on the two terminological challenges related to the definition of DID (i.e., the notion of dissociative disorders and the different meanings of the term identity), we propose to differentiate two distinct entities from each other. The first is medical and listed in diagnostic criteria of international classifications; the second comes from popular culture and refers to the vast majority of clinical presentations received in daily clinical practice—presented under the term Dissociative Identity Conditions (DIC). Since the status of DIC is a hot topic in current clinical psychiatry, we aim to identify eight possible explanations that can be provided to support its occurrence: (1) impact of iatrogenicity; (2) factors of suggestibility and desire for social acceptability; (3) psychoanalytic explanations; (4) neuropsychological explanations; (5) socio-cognitive explanations; (6) emotional labeling; (7) narrative explanations; (8) and transient illnesses explanations. In conclusion, we sustain that DIC results from a narrative interpretation of medical discourse by popular culture, developing in patients presenting undeniable distress. Such a transient disease fits in an ecological niche, which echoes the values of society, persisting under the action of a need for narrative continuity of the self.

LIP-PRINTS – EVIDENCE LOST TO IMPERTINENCE

Objective: Identity means determination of individuality of a person beyond doubt, based on physical characteristics unique to an individual. Article-6 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone has a right to identity as a person. The wrinkles and grooves on labial mucosa called form a characteristic pattern and the study of these is referred to as cheiloscopy. These are unique to an individual just like the fingerprints thus, hold the potential for identification purpose. This study was designed to evaluate lip-prints as a tool of forensic identification. Methods: The study was done in North Haryana on 1000 subjects aged between 15 and 25 years over a period of 2 years. Purposive sampling was done and subjects were asked to produce lip prints on bond paper, which were examined based on Suzuki and Tsuchihashi classification. Data obtained were analyzed using Student’s t-test. Results: It was found that no two individuals had similar lip prints. Type I pattern was most common followed by Type II whereas Type V was least common. Conclusion: However, till date, no reliable system with repeatability has been developed for studying lip-prints especially to remove observer bias. Nor any comprehensive studies are available comparing lip-prints in live and dead subjects to authenticate their forensic identification potential, raising question at forethought and purpose of practical application of research in the field of cheiloscopy.

The Schelling-Eschenmayer Controversy, 1801: Nature and Identity by Benjamin Berger and Daniel Whistler

Reviewed by: The Schelling-Eschenmayer Controversy, 1801: Nature and Identity by Benjamin Berger and Daniel Whistler Mark J. Thomas Benjamin Berger and Daniel Whistler. The Schelling-Eschenmayer Controversy, 1801: Nature and Identity. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2020. Pp. xvi + 269. Hardback, £80.00. This excellent book focuses on a decisive moment in Schelling's philosophical development: his 1801 dispute with Eschenmayer shortly before publishing Presentation of My System, the inaugural text of his identity philosophy. Carl August Eschenmayer was a German physician whose Kant-inspired writings in the philosophy of nature greatly influenced Schelling, especially with respect to the doctrine of the potencies. Nonetheless, he is a marginal figure in the history of philosophy, and one might assume that this volume will only interest Schelling specialists or those concerned with the minutiae of nineteenth-century Naturphilosophie. That would be a mistake. As Berger and Whistler demonstrate, the 1801 controversy has significant implications for understanding the trajectory of German Idealism and its debates on methodology, the meaning of identity, and the place of nature in philosophy. [End Page 703] Part 1 of this volume contains translations of the two essays at the heart of the dispute, both published in January 1801 (Judith Kahl and Daniel Whistler are the translators). The essay by Eschenmayer, "Spontaneity = World Soul, or The Highest Principle of Philosophy of Nature," critiques Schelling's 1799 nature-philosophy and presents his own Fichte-inspired approach. Schelling's rejoinder is the essay "On the True Concept of Philosophy of Nature and the Correct Way of Solving Its Problems," which anticipates the new identity philosophy he would present later that year. Translations of the two thinkers' correspondence and selections from other works by Eschenmayer are included in appendices. Overall, the translations are precise and quite readable—an achievement for German texts with scientific jargon. Moreover, the translators are thoughtful in their rendering of tricky words like Verhältnis, which can mean "relation," "proportion," or "ratio" in different contexts (see xiii–xiv). Occasionally there are minor inaccuracies, but they do not detract from the texts' main arguments. What, then, are the main points of disagreement between Schelling and Eschenmayer? In the preface, the authors identify a "twofold difference" (ix). The first concerns the relationship of the philosophy of nature to transcendental philosophy. Eschenmayer follows Fichte in including the former within the latter: the "I" is ultimately responsible for nature's determinate features. By contrast, Schelling insists on the self-sufficiency of naturephilosophy and argues for its priority: consciousness and the transcendental standpoint are not original but are derived from nature (9–10). The second difference concerns the source of qualitative difference among natural phenomena. While Eschenmayer reduces quality to mathematical proportions of attraction and repulsion, Schelling argues that such a reduction amounts to explaining nature's diversity through varying degrees of density (56). The bulk of the volume (part 2) is a series of chapters on themes related to the dispute and its aftermath. Though labeled "commentaries," they are really critical essays, providing historical context and analysis while engaging with an impressive range of secondary literature. The first chapter is devoted to the construction of material qualities, the "guiding thread" of Eschenmayer's essay (83). The authors carefully trace the problem from Kant through the two philosophers' evolving conceptions of nature-philosophy leading up to the 1801 dispute. Though Schelling rejects Eschenmayer's account of quality in terms of attraction and repulsion, he is "greatly influenced" by his sparring partner's emphasis on quantitative difference in explaining quality, even adopting some of his mathematical concepts (89). The most important of these is "potency," the subject of the next chapter and one of the central concepts in Schelling's thought for the next forty years. After an account of its roots in mathematics and Eschenmayer's nature-philosophy, the authors analyze core features of potency in the 1801 Presentation, contrasting it with dynamis in Aristotle. Fundamentally, the series of potencies involves differentiation through intensification of the same underlying identity: "Life is nothing more than intensified inorganic matter" (102). The chapter concludes with a strong defense of Schelling against Hegel's charge of formalism—though it still seems to me that the schema of...

S1073 Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty in Class III Obesity (BMI&gt;40): A Propensity-Matched, Retrospective Comparison of Short-Term Safety and Efficacy vs Bariatric Surgery

Introduction: Less than 1% of eligible patients undergo bariatric surgery, mainly due to apprehensions over adverse events. Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) may increase adoption of bariatric procedures while limiting potential procedural morbidity. Although there are no guidelines that specify applicability, ESG is still predominantly offered to patients with class I (BMI 30-35 kg/m2) and class II obesity (BMI 35-40 kg/m2). There is a lack of data evaluating ESG amongst its surgical bariatric alternatives in patients with class III obesity (BMI > 40 kg/m2). This is the largest study yet to assess short term (30d) safety and efficacy of ESG in patients with class III obesity and compare its performance to sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and Roux-en-Y bypass (RNYB). Methods: We retrospectively evaluated over 500,000 patients undergoing ESG, SG, and RNYB across 800 hospitals from the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP) database from 2016-2020. ESG patients were grouped by obesity class (Class III and Class I-II) and propensity matched to compare outcomes between groups. ESG patients with class III obesity were also propensity matched separately to SG and RNYB patients with class III obesity to compare outcomes. Outcomes measured at 30d included adverse events (AE), readmissions, reoperations, reinterventions, total body weight loss (TBWL), emergency room (ER) visits, and outpatient treatments for dehydration. Results: In patients who underwent ESG, there was no difference in AE, readmissions, reoperations, or reinterventions between Class III and Class I-II obesity cohorts (p >0.05). ESG led to greater mean %TBWL at 30d in Class III obesity versus Class I-II obesity (p< 0.05). For class III obese patients, ESG had similar AE to SG (p >0.05) and far less than RNYB (p< 0.05). ESG led to nearly identical mean %TBWL as SG and RNYB at 30d (p< 0.05). ESG patients had similar rates of readmissions and reoperations (p >0.05) compared to SG, but more reinterventions (p < 0.05). SG had more outpatient treatments for dehydration (p< 0.05) and ER visits (p< 0.05) than ESG. Compared to RNYB, ESG had fewer readmissions, reoperations, outpatient treatments for dehydration, and ER visits (p< 0.05). Conclusion: ESG is safe in class III obesity, with no difference in AE between obesity classes. The safety of ESG in class III obesity mirrored SG and exceeded RNYB, with comparable efficacy. Clinicians should consider expanding access to ESG regardless of BMI. Table 1. - Short-Term Safety and Efficacy of Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty in Class III Obesity versus Bariatric Surgery ESG in Class III Obesity (n= 2,626) ESG in Class I-II Obesity (n= 2,626) P SG in Class III Obesity (n= 5,252) P RNYB in Class III Obesity (n= 5,252) P Mean BMI (SD) 47.79 (7.23) 35.38 (2.73) < 0.001 48.31 (7.44) 0.003 47.85 (6.84) 0.707 Mean Change from Pre-Op to Post-Op BMI (SD) -2.44 (3.42) -1.30 (1.84) < 0.001 -2.65 (2.29) 0.002 -2.58 (2.47) 0.057 Mean % Total Body Weight Loss at 30d (SD) 5.0 (6.0) 3.2 (7.3) < 0.001 5.4 (3.8) < 0.001 5.3 (4.4) 0.003 Mean Number of Days from Procedure to Discharge (SD) 1.01 (1.65) 0.73 (2.23) < 0.001 1.52 (1.33) < 0.001 1.94 (1.84) < 0.001 Mean Procedure Length, minutes (SD) 68.94 (49.15) 60.49 (44.48) < 0.001 78.99 (40.17) < 0.001 134.97 (65.25) < 0.001 Major Adverse Event, n (%) 36 (1.4) 37 (1.4) 1 76 (1.4) 0.866 172 (3.3) < 0.001 Anastomotic Leak, n (%) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 1 1 (0.2) 0.808 2 (0.3) 0.718 Pneumonia, n (%) 2 (0.1) 7 (0.3) 0.182 9 (021) 0.784 24 (0.5) 0.01 Intra-operative or Post-operative Blood Transfusion, n (%) 11 (0.4) 15 (0.6) 0.555 25 (0.5) 0.859 68 (1.3) < 0.001 Mean Number of Blood Products Transfused (SD) 0.11 (0.87) 0.10 (0.56) 0.965 0.10 (0.56) 0.835 0.25 (1.05) 0.017 Vein Thrombosis requiring therapy, n (%) 0 (0.0) 2 (0.1) 0.479 12 (0.2) 0.032 10 (0.2) 0.057 Sepsis, n (%) 6 (0.2) 6 (0.2) 1 7 (0.1) 0.492 13 (0.2) 1 Unplanned Admission to ICU, n (%) 12 (0.5) 9 (0.3) 0.662 29 (0.6) 0.698 58 (1.1) 0.006 Bowel Obstruction, n (%) 1 (0.3) 0 (0.0) 1 2 (0.0) 0.883 6 (0.9) 0.383 Reoperation within 30 days, n (%) 32 (1.2) 33 (1.3) 1 53 (1.0) 0.464 138 (2.6) < 0.001 Readmission within 30 days, n (%) 101 (3.8) 92 (3.5) 0.557 179 (3.4) 0.355 334 (6.4) < 0.001 Reintervention within 30 days, n (%) 68 (2.6) 62 (2.4) 0.657 53 (1.0) < 0.001 125 (2.4) 0.624 Received Treatment for Dehydration Outpatient, n (%) 75 (2.9) 54 (2.1) 0.075 206 (3.9) 0.019 269 (5.1) < 0.001 Emergency Department Visit Not Resulting in Admission, n (%) 148 (5.6) 108 (4.1) 0.012 364 (6.9) 0.032 522 (9.9) < 0.001

Tasting Light: Ten Science Fiction Stories to Rewire Your Perceptions

Reviewed by: Tasting Light: Ten Science Fiction Stories to Rewire Your Perceptions April Spisak Cappetta, A.R., ed. Tasting Light: Ten Science Fiction Stories to Rewire Your Perceptions; ed. by A. R. Capetta and Wade Roush. MITeen, 2022 [320p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781536219388 $16.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9781536227093 $9.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R* Gr. 8-12 Hard science fiction is relatively rare in YA literature, which is unfortunate considering how well suited it seems for teen readers. By its very nature, adolescence is a quest beyond the familiar boundaries of childhood, a search for a unique identity formed from what was and what is. Hard science fiction uses that same model of combining known and not quite realized technology into speculation that pushes the world forward. This sublime collection highlights those parallels with both wit and wisdom, and the stories affirm how impactful and memorable this sub-genre can be. Editors Capetta and Roush deploy the short story format with precision and purpose; the stories are distinctly beautiful, immediately engaging, and relentlessly provocative. The connective tissue is the meaning and significance of identity—who we are, who we can never be, or who we can, with a healthy dose of luck or grit, become in the swirl of time, place, situation, and cultural moments. Each story here is intentionally, effectively diverse, and each celebrates the quest to create labels that actually fit individual identities, rather than choosing from suffocating frameworks that earn legitimacy only by their familiarity. Concepts of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and even humanity itself are challenged and redefined with a fearlessness and brash disregard for tradition that is reserved primarily for the young. "Melantis" by Junauda Petrus-Nasah is an instant classic, examining the political and cultural fallout of an expensive drug used by pregnant mothers to boost the intelligence of (almost exclusively white) babies. Years later, an unexpected side effect emerges: those children and teens are now experiencing a change in their melanin production, causing uproar about how their privileged selves are being treated now that they are perceived as Black. Similarly, K. Ancrum's "Walk 153" is immediately powerful—masked walkers roam cities with cameras on their chests, paid to essentially be proxies for their customers and send their anonymous perspective to people who can't or won't leave their homes. This premise pushes the limitations and dehumanization of gig culture out to an extreme degree before looping back to humanity after two people risk breaking the rules to make an actual connection. A.S. King's final story, "Smile River," wraps up the collection in stunning fashion, offering a tale that may feel startlingly familiar to readers who have been told to "just smile" all their lives. As the narrative jumps between different generations of one family, readers track how the societal emphasis on happiness (and control) [End Page 39] leads to the development of a neural implant that forces someone—most often, a woman—to smile. It is a sickeningly small leap to this future where smiling is compulsory and medically enforced for women from a present that has yet to fully recognize a woman's autonomy. The story makes a worthy finisher, as the clever and harsh critique of the whole darn time continuum and how women fare on it ultimately gives way to a hopeful, perhaps even quietly empowering, closing note. Science fiction is all about the "what ifs," but hard sci-fi with protagonists as bold as these becomes something more about how to get to a better future rather than wondering whether that future is possible. These characters are running full speed away from social limitations and toward entirely new models that could still exist within the known world. Teens who are very much living in a world that is on the brink of both disaster and possibility (in not always equal measures) will connect with the urgency in these stories. Such is the magic of hard science fiction, and these editors have found an impressive range of authors to explore the next possible steps, both dire and hopeful. Copyright © 2022 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Robust Revenue Maximization Under Minimal Statistical Information

We study the problem of multi-dimensional revenue maximization when selling m items to a buyer that has additive valuations for them, drawn from a (possibly correlated) prior distribution. Unlike traditional Bayesian auction design, we assume that the seller has a very restricted knowledge of this prior: they only know the mean μ j and an upper bound σ j on the standard deviation of each item’s marginal distribution. Our goal is to design mechanisms that achieve good revenue against an ideal optimal auction that has full knowledge of the distribution in advance. Informally, our main contribution is a tight quantification of the interplay between the dispersity of the priors and the aforementioned robust approximation ratio. Furthermore, this can be achieved by very simple selling mechanisms. More precisely, we show that selling the items via separate price lotteries achieves an O (log r ) approximation ratio where r = max j (σ j /μ j ) is the maximum coefficient of variation across the items. To prove the result, we leverage a price lottery for the single-item case. If forced to restrict ourselves to deterministic mechanisms, this guarantee degrades to O ( r 2 ). Assuming independence of the item valuations, these ratios can be further improved by pricing the full bundle. For the case of identical means and variances, in particular, we get a guarantee of O (log ( r/m )) that converges to optimality as the number of items grows large. We demonstrate the optimality of the preceding mechanisms by providing matching lower bounds. Our tight analysis for the single-item deterministic case resolves an open gap from the work of Azar and Micali (ITCS’13). As a by-product, we also show how one can directly use our upper bounds to improve and extend previous results related to the parametric auctions of Azar et al. (SODA’13).

Modeling the effects of pulse plating on dendrite growth in lithium metal batteries

The formation of dendrites on lithium electrodes presents safety and cycling challenges for the development of high-performance, rechargeable lithium metal batteries. While a constant current (CC) charging protocol has been standard, recent studies have shown that a pulse plating (PP) charging protocol is effective at reducing dendrite growth and improving cycle life. In this study, dendrite growth at the anode-electrolyte interface was simulated using an Extended Butler-Volmer Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (eBV-SPH) model implemented in LAMMPS. Square waveform PP protocols were implemented and compared to CC results to understand the effect of charging protocols on lithium deposition and dendrite morphology. The charging conditions were controlled by the applied potential, as the model does not currently enforce galvanostatic conditions. Past studies compared CC and PP results at a single charging current density. In similar work on lithium-ion batteries, PP and CC results compared at the identical mean current resulted in little to no benefit to cycling performance. In this investigation, lithium anode PP protocols performed worse when compared with CC plating at the identical mean current. The PP and CC simulation results from the eBV-SPH model simulated the expected morphology and behavior found in experimental investigations and provide more detailed morphologies than previous computational simulations.

The career identity of young working fathers in dual-earner relationships: A family-relatedness of work decisions perspective.

IntroductionTaking on an identity lens, we explore how young working fathers (in the establishment phase of their careers), experience their careers in the context of their changing family roles (shifting ideologies of fathering). We propose that working fathers’ work experiences, work decisions, and career identity are the product of social and cognitive processes in a dual-earner relationship.Materials and methodsThis qualitative study was conducted using an interpretive, and qualitative survey. The data was collected amongst a purposive sample of 45 young South African, well-educated, working fathers, using semi-structured interviews, until data saturation was reached. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis.ResultsThe three main themes extracted from the data were: “the meaning of family identity,” “the impact of family identity on career identity,” and finally, “the types of negotiation scenarios” used by working fathers in dual-earner relationships, and how they balance the work-family challenges they face.ConclusionThis study provides strong empirical support for the family-relatedness of the work decisions perspective, as we highlight the roles of working fathers as indicative of their family identities, and how these then influence their career decisions. Furthermore, our findings shed light on how dual-earner couples negotiate their work-family needs to foster positive work-family outcomes.

What is to be sustained? The polysemy of sustainability and sustainable tourism across languages and cultures

“Sustainability” and “sustainable tourism” are widely debated concepts in tourism worldwide. However, the specific meaning of both concepts across different cultures has not been fully researched, and the terms are frequently assumed to have identical meanings to audiences from different cultures. We aim to close this research gap by studying how tourists from four different countries define and conceptualise “sustainability” and “sustainable tourism.” Specifically, we asked participants from Germany, Italy, Norway, and the United States to define “sustainability” and “sustainable tourism” using open ended questions in a qualitative study. We study the responses using an interdisciplinary framework which is based on research from tourism, intercultural studies, linguistics, and cognitive psychology. The findings show significant cross-cultural differences in respondents’ interpretations of sustainability and sustainable tourism, regarding both the content and the linguistic form of the definitions. Our research challenges the silent assumption that consumers worldwide share a common understanding of sustainability in tourism. We conclude that strategies for promoting sustainability and sustainable tourism must use strong verbal and visual cues tailored to the culture and language of diverse target groups. This includes the use of meaningful culture-specific symbols representing sustainability. Additionally, tourism researchers should be aware that an injudicious transfer of polysemous terms such as “sustainability” and “sustainable tourism” across different contexts and study designs may bias research results.