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Text, author, and reader: mutations of Arabic creativity in the digital age
Full text linkAbstract The triad of the reader, author, and text is undergoing significant transformations with the advent of the new digital paradigm and the emergence of born-digital literary forms. Since the late 1980s, when electronic literary studies began to take shape, ‘reader agency’ has expanded (Murray 2018: 6–7), and authorship has evolved into a distributed, shared, and collaborative activity between the author and the reader/interactor. With the advancement of digital communication technologies and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), this triad has been assigned even more advanced capacities and roles. This study examines the dynamics of interaction and collaboration within the reader–author–text triad, analysing their manifestations in several Arabic literary texts against the backdrop of English texts. The primary aim is to trace the evolution of reading, authorship, and textuality as they transition from traditional literacy to digitality, offering a conceptualization and definition of their new roles and horizons in Arabic literature. An interdisciplinary approach, grounded in digital literary studies and cultural critique, will be employed. The theoretical framework will address related concepts such as interactivity, distributed authorship, and augmented and immersive reading. The practical analysis will explore how these creative tactics and dynamics have opened new avenues and expanded the boundaries of authorship and reading in various Arabic literary texts
Bayesian nonparametric inference in McKean–Vlasov models
Full text linkWe consider nonparametric statistical inference on a periodic interaction potential W from noisy discrete space-time measurements of solutions ρ=ρW of the nonlinear McKean–Vlasov equation, describing the probability density of the mean field limit of an interacting particle system. We show how Gaussian process priors assigned to W give rise to posterior mean estimators that exhibit fast convergence rates for the implied estimated densities ρ¯ towards ρW. We further show that if the initial condition ϕ is not too smooth and satisfies a standard deconvolvability condition, then one can consistently infer Sobolev-regular potentials W at convergence rates N−θ for appropriate θ>0, where N is the number of measurements. The exponent θ can be taken to approach 1/2 as the regularity of W increases corresponding to ‘near-parametric’ models
A safe strategy for redo sternotomy for emergency ascending aorta and hemiarch replacement.
Full text linkRedo sternotomy and complex redo surgery to replace the ascending aorta and the aortic hemiarch in the presence of an aortocutaneous fistula presents a unique technical challenge to prevent exsanguination upon chest re-entry and organ (particularly cerebral) ischemia during circulatory arrest. Meticulous preoperative planning, peripheral cardiopulmonary bypass, moderate hypothermic circulatory arrest before chest re-entry, and apical left ventricular venting were the cornerstones of our successful surgical approach. Adjunctive selective unilateral antegrade cerebral perfusion extended the safe hypothermic circulatory arrest time, reducing neurological morbidity. We present a case of aortic rupture two years after aortic root abscess repair and aortic valve replacement, describing our approach for safe redo surgery while ensuring sufficient cerebral and body perfusion
Multimode nanobeam photonic crystal cavities for Purcell enhanced quantum dot emission
Full text linkEpitaxial III–V semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) integrated with nanophotonic structures are promising on-demand sources of indistinguishable single photons for quantum photonic circuits. Close proximity of QDs to etched sidewalls in such structures, however, may induce excitonic linewidth broadening, reducing photon indistinguishability. Here, we design and demonstrate GaAs photonic crystal cavities based on multimode nanobeam waveguides that maximize QD separation from etched surfaces beyond an empirically determined threshold that suppresses spectral broadening, while enabling QD access through higher-order waveguide modes. Although multimode propagation adds design complexity, simulations predict quality factors Q≈103 and mode volumes V/(λ/n)3≈2 for Purcell radiative rate enhancements of Fp≈100. Fabricated devices containing QD ensembles exhibit resonances consistent with these predictions, and single-QD measurements yield Fp<5 for 11 randomly located emitters. Monte Carlo simulations of spatially dependent Fp distributions indicate that slow carrier capture and relaxation dynamics, rather than QD placement, primarily limit the observation of higher Purcell factors. These results highlight the potential of our cavities for integrating epitaxial QDs while clarifying key constraints on observation of radiative rate enhancement
Validation of the 'United Registries for Clinical Assessment and Research' [UR-CARE], a European Online Registry for Clinical Care and Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
Full text linkBACKGROUND: The 'United Registries for Clinical Assessment and Research' [UR-CARE] database is an initiative of the European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation [ECCO] to facilitate daily patient care and research studies in inflammatory bowel disease [IBD]. Herein, we sought to validate the database by using fictional case histories of patients with IBD that were to be entered by observers of varying experience in IBD. METHODS: Nineteen observers entered five patient case histories into the database. After 6 weeks, all observers entered the same case histories again. For each case history, 20 key variables were selected to calculate the accuracy for each observer. We assumed that the database was such that ≥ 90% of the entered data would be correct. The overall proportion of correctly entered data was calculated using a beta-binomial regression model to account for inter-observer variation and compared to the expected level of validity. Re-test reliability was assessed using McNemar's test. RESULTS: For all case histories, the overall proportion of correctly entered items and their confidence intervals included the target of 90% (Case 1: 92% [88-94%]; Case 2: 87% [83-91%]; Case 3: 93% [90-95%]; Case 4: 97% [94-99%]; Case 5: 91% [87-93%]). These numbers did not differ significantly from those found 6 weeks later [NcNemar's test p > 0.05]. CONCLUSION: The UR-CARE database appears to be feasible, valid and reliable as a tool and easy to use regardless of prior user experience and level of clinical IBD experience. UR-CARE has the potential to enhance future European collaborations regarding clinical research in IBD
Specificity vs. Inclusivity in Blood Donor Appeals Among Ethnic Minority Communities: The Risks of ‘Othering’
No full textObjectives: Encouraging blood donation from ethnic minorities improves patient care, especially
for conditions like sickle cell disease (SCD). Campaigns can be specific (highlighting SCD’s prevalence in
Black communities) or inclusive (emphasising shared responsibility). This study evaluates the relative
efficacy of specific vs. inclusive campaigns to encourage Black blood donors in the UK.
Methods: A 2x2x2 online experiment (N=1,745; 718 Black, 1,027 Non-Black) varied campaign
focus (specific vs. non-specific), inclusivity (inclusive vs. non-inclusive), and medium (contextualised vs.
not). Participants saw one of four messages (baseline, specific, inclusive, mixed) and reported willingness
to donate, perceived othering, and affect. Awareness of the need for well-matched blood was assessed as a
moderator.
Results: Relative to baseline, specific and mixed messages significantly increased campaign
response, but specific also increased perceived othering among Black participants. Among Non-Black
participants, specific messages decreased campaign response relative to inclusive ones and elicited more
othering. Mediation analysis confirmed that perceived othering reduces campaign response. Awareness of
the need for well-matched blood moderated these effects: participants aware of matching needs reported
less othering and more positive reactions to specific messages.
Conclusions: Specific campaigns can be effective, especially for Black audiences, but risk
fostering perceived othering. Raising awareness of medical need mitigates these effects. To balance
efficacy with inclusivity, campaigns should consider combining specific and inclusive messages alongside
efforts to increase awareness. Findings generalise to other health contexts requiring demographically
targeted messaging.
Keywords: Blood donation, Ethnic minorities, Othering, Specificity vs. Inclusivity, Healthcare,
Recruitment, Inequalit
Effect of the [Fe(salen)]2-μ-oxo Catalyst Electronic Structure on Reductive Hydroamination.
Full text linkSalen ligands are privileged scaffolds in transition metal catalysis due to their electronic tunability and capacity to stabilize diverse oxidation states. Herein, we report the synthesis and comparative study of three electronically differentiated [Fe(salen)]2(μ-oxo) complexes and their application in catalytic reductive hydroamination (HA) of nitroarenes with alkenes. A mechanistic framework involving iron-hydride intermediates and hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) was developed, revealing that modulation of the salen ligand electronics significantly impacts product distribution and catalytic efficiency. Systematic investigation of substrate LUMO energies and precatalyst UV-vis spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, along with DFT calculations on the key HAT step, was undertaken. Notably, the complex bearing para-CF3 substituents outperformed its analogues across a range of olefin partners. These findings underscore the critical role of ligand electronics in tuning HAT-based catalysis
3D hydrodynamic simulations of large-scale precessing jets: radio morphology
Full text linkABSTRACT
The prospect of relativistic jets exhibiting complex morphologies as a consequence of geodetic precession has long been hypothesized. We have carried out a 3D hydrodynamics simulation study varying the precession cone angle, jet injection speed, and number of turns per simulation time. Using proxies for the radio emission we project the sources with different inclinations to the line of sight to the observer. We find that a number of different precession combinations result in characteristic ‘X’ shaped sources which are frequently observed in radio data, and some precessing jet morphologies may mimic the morphological signatures of restarting radio sources. We look at jets ranging in scale from tens to hundreds of kiloparsecs and develop tools for identifying known precession indicators of point symmetry, curvature, and jet misalignment from the lobe axis and show that, based on our simulation sample of precessing and non-precessing jets, a radio source that displays any of these indicators has a 98 per cent chance of being a precessing source
Autism in children and young people with functional tic-like behaviours: a retrospective cross-sectional study.
Full text linkBACKGROUND: Functional tic-like behaviours (FTLB) are characterised by multiple, complex, vocal and/or motor tics, typically with adolescent onset. Emerging research highlights neurodevelopmental conditions as vulnerability markers for FTLB development, yet no studies have specifically studied this subgroup. This study (1) investigates the prevalence of autism in young people with FTLB, (2) compares demographic and clinical features between patients with FTLB with and without autism and (3) examines the diagnostic accuracy of the Development and Well-Being Assessment (DAWBA) in identifying autism in this patient group. METHODS: The study comprised 63 children presenting to the Great Ormond Street Hospital Tic Service between August 2020 and May 2022 with an FTLB diagnosis. Demographic and clinical variables were determined through retrospective chart review. RESULTS: In the FTLB sample, 69.8% were diagnosed with autism and 37% had Tourette syndrome, both much higher than in the general population. Results indicated that young people with FTLB with and without autism have similar rates of reported impairment, as measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, but those with autism had higher rates of co-occurring attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD, 61%) and specific learning disorders (27%). The DAWBA demonstrated poor sensitivity (ranging from 0.09 to 0.26) in predicting likelihood of autism in this group. CONCLUSIONS: There is a high prevalence of autism in patients with FTLB. Those with FTLB and autism may be more likely to have ADHD and specific learning disorder compared with those with FTLB alone. Better clinical screening for autism is essential in patients with FTLB as DAWBA is insufficient
Harnessing intrinsic cardiac motion vs. external mechanical vibrations: a comparison of MRI cine-tagging and MR elastography for liver fibrosis assessment.
Full text linkOBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess and compare the diagnostic accuracy of MRI cine-tagging and magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) for staging histologically confirmed liver fibrosis in patients with chronic liver disease. METHODS: MRI cine-tagging evaluates liver strain as the deformation induced by intrinsic cardiac motion on the left liver lobe, whereas MRE captures liver stiffness in response to externally applied vibrations from a mechanical driver. A head-to-head comparison of MRI cine-tagging and MRE was performed in 76 participants with biopsy-proven chronic liver disease. Spearman's rank correlation coefficients and areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) were assessed. AUCs were compared using the Delong method. RESULTS: MRE-derived shear modulus increased, while strain obtained from tagged cine MRI decreased with higher fibrosis stages (ρ = 0.73 and ρ = -0.67, respectively; P < .0001). Both shear modulus and strain values exhibited significant differences across fibrosis stages (P < .0001) and correlated with each other (ρ = -0.44, P < .0001). MRE provided higher AUCs than MRI cine-tagging only for distinguishing stages ≤F3 vs. F4 (0.91 vs. 0.87, P = .043). There were no significant differences in AUCs for differentiating other dichotomized fibrosis stages, including stages F0 vs. ≥F1 (0.87 vs. 0.81, P = .083), ≤F1 vs. ≥F2 (0.84 vs. 0.84, P = .889), and ≤F2 vs. ≥F3 (0.89 vs. 0.86, P = .116). CONCLUSION: MRI cine-tagging provided a similar diagnostic performance compared to MRE for staging liver fibrosis, except for the diagnosis of cirrhosis (F4). It is possible to assess liver strain as part of abdominal MRI screening, offering additional insight into the left lobe without the need for additional equipment. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: A head-to-head comparison of magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), the most accurate technique for the noninvasive staging of liver fibrosis, and MRI cine-tagging has not been performed yet. We found that MRI cine-tagging, having the advantage of not requiring any additional hardware, provides a similar diagnostic performance compared to MRE for staging liver fibrosis, except for the diagnosis of cirrhosis in patients with chronic liver disease