Laying Bare: Agamben, Chandler, and The Responsibility to Protect

This paper demonstrates the hidden similarities between Raymond Chandler’s prototypical noir The Big Sleep, and the United Nations Responsibility to Protect (R2P) document. By taking up the work of philosopher Giorgio Agamben, this paper shows that the bare life produces the form of protection embodied by Philip Marlowe in Chandler’s novel and by the United Nations Security Council in R2P. Agamben’s theorizing of the extra-legal status of the sovereign pertains to both texts, in which the protector exists outside of the law. Philip Marlowe, tasked with preventing the distribution of pornographic images, commits breaking-and-entering, withholding evidence, and murder. Analogously, R2P advocates for the Security Council’s ability to trespass laws that safeguard national sovereignty in order to prevent “bare” atrocities against human life. As Agamben demonstrates, the extra-legal position of the protector is made possible by “stripping bare” human life. This paper also gestures towards limitations of Agamben’s thought by indicating, through a comparison of these two texts, that bare life produces states of exception as the object of protection rather than punishment

Supplementary material from Limitations of rotational manoeuvrability in insects and hummingbirds: evaluating the effects of neuro-biomechanical delays and muscle mechanical power

This supplementary material includes the discussion about data sources used in the study, and the supplementary figures

Comparative Analysis of Risky Behaviors of Electric Bicycles at Signalized Intersections

<div><p><b>Objective:</b> The primary objective of this study was to compare the risky behaviors of e-bike, e-scooter, and bicycle riders as they were crossing signalized intersections.</p><p><b>Methods:</b> Pearson's chi-square test was used to identify whether there were significant differences in the risky behaviors among e-bike, e-scooter, and bicycle riders. Binary logit models were developed to evaluate how various variables affected the behaviors of 2-wheeled vehicle riders at signalized intersections. Field data collection was conducted at 13 signalized intersections in 2 cities (Nanjing and Kunming) in China.</p><p><b>Results:</b> Three different types of risky behaviors were identified, including stop beyond the stop line, riding in motorized lanes, and riding against traffic. Two-wheeled vehicle riders’ gender and age and traffic conditions were significantly associated with the behaviors of 2-wheeled vehicle riders at the selected signalized intersections.</p><p><b>Conclusions:</b> Compared to e-bike and bicycle riders, e-scooter riders are more likely to take risky behaviors. More specifically, they are more likely to ride in motorized lanes and ride against traffic.</p></div

Modeling the Frequency of Opposing Left-Turn Conflicts at Signalized Intersections Using Generalized Linear Regression Models

<div><p><b>Objective:</b> The primary objective of this study was to identify whether the frequency of traffic conflicts at signalized intersections can be modeled. The opposing left-turn conflicts were selected for the development of conflict predictive models.</p><p><b>Methods:</b> Using data collected at 30 approaches at 20 signalized intersections, the underlying distributions of the conflicts under different traffic conditions were examined. Different conflict-predictive models were developed to relate the frequency of opposing left-turn conflicts to various explanatory variables. The models considered include a linear regression model, a negative binomial model, and separate models developed for four traffic scenarios. The prediction performance of different models was compared.</p><p><b>Results:</b> The frequency of traffic conflicts follows a negative binominal distribution. The linear regression model is not appropriate for the conflict frequency data. In addition, drivers behaved differently under different traffic conditions. Accordingly, the effects of conflicting traffic volumes on conflict frequency vary across different traffic conditions.</p><p><b>Conclusions:</b> The occurrences of traffic conflicts at signalized intersections can be modeled using generalized linear regression models. The use of conflict predictive models has potential to expand the uses of surrogate safety measures in safety estimation and evaluation.</p></div

Identifying factors affecting the safety of mid-block bicycle lanes considering mixed 2-wheeled traffic flow

<p><b>Objective</b>: Electric bikes (e-bikes) have been one of the fastest growing trip modes in Southeast Asia over the past 2 decades. The increasing popularity of e-bikes raised some safety concerns regarding urban transport systems. The primary objective of this study was to identify whether and how the generalized linear regression model (GLM) could be used to relate cyclists' safety with various contributing factors when riding in a mid-block bike lane. The types of 2-wheeled vehicles in the study included bicycle-style electric bicycles (BSEBs), scooter-style electric bicycles (SSEBs), and regular bicycles (RBs).</p> <p><b>Methods</b>: Traffic conflict technology was applied as a surrogate measure to evaluate the safety of 2-wheeled vehicles. The safety performance model was developed by adopting a generalized linear regression model for relating the frequency of rear-end conflicts between e-bikes and regular bikes to the operating speeds of BSEBs, SSEBs, and RBs in mid-block bike lanes.</p> <p><b>Results</b>: The frequency of rear-end conflicts between e-bikes and bikes increased with an increase in the operating speeds of e-bikes and the volume of e-bikes and bikes and decreased with an increase in the width of bike lanes. The large speed difference between e-bikes and bikes increased the frequency of rear-end conflicts between e-bikes and bikes in mid-block bike lanes. A 1% increase in the average operating speed of e-bikes would increase the expected number of rear-end conflicts between e-bikes and bikes by 1.48%. A 1% increase in the speed difference between e-bikes and bikes would increase the expected number of rear-end conflicts between e-bikes/bikes by 0.16%.</p> <p><b>Conclusions</b>: The conflict frequency in mid-block bike lanes can be modeled using generalized linear regression models. The factors that significantly affected the frequency of rear-end conflicts included the operating speeds of e-bikes, the speed difference between e-bikes and regular bikes, the volume of e-bikes, the volume of bikes, and the width of bike lanes. The safety performance model can help better understand the causes of crash occurrences in mid-block bike lanes.</p

Catalytic Ozonation of Air toward Direct Nitric Acid Production Using Hierarchical Co₃O₄ with a Tunable Microstructure

The nitrogen oxidation reaction (NOR) to form nitric acid by applying natural air and H2O under ambient conditions is a sustainable approach to achieving efficient and selective N2 fixation for industrial applications. In this study, four kinds of Co3O4 catalysts with a controllable microstructure were prepared to catalyze the direct NOR of N2 in the air. At the same time, the reaction mechanism of the conversion of N2 to nitric acid under catalytic ozonation was explored through experimental research and density functional theory (DFT) calculation. The results showed that the prepared porous nanosheets self-assembled into microflower-structured samples. The HCOF showed extraordinary catalytic performance for direct NOR to produce a high concentration of nitric acid. The maximum rate of nitric acid formation could be as high as 6.67 mmol/(h·gcat), which was higher than those of most reported photocatalytic or electrocatalytic N2 fixation processes for direct NOR to produce NO3–. Furthermore, the 15N isotopic-labeling experiment confirmed that the produced NO3– originated from N2 in the air by the direct NOR process. In the direct NOR mechanism, inert N2 molecules were captured at the Co3+ active sites by the acceptance–donation electron conduction mode, and the oxygen vacancies boosted the chemical adsorption of N2 molecules and greatly reduced the activation energy barrier of N2 molecules. The active free radicals •OH and •O2– generated by the decomposition of O3 molecules oxidized N2 to the intermediate *NO, which was the rate-determining step, and it was then absorbed by water to form nitric acid. The air catalytic ozonation method in this study was proposed as a facile pathway for efficient nitrogen fixation. This research provides a new method for environmental protection and efficient production of nitric acid at distributed sources

Organic Ligand-Mediated Dissolution and Fractionation of Rare-Earth Elements (REEs) from Carbonate and Phosphate Minerals

Global efforts to build a net-zero economy and the irreplaceable roles of rare-earth elements (REEs) in low-carbon technologies urge the understanding of REE occurrence in natural deposits, discovery of alternative REE resources, and development of green extraction technologies. Advancement in these directions requires comprehensive knowledge on geochemical behaviors of REEs in the presence of naturally prevalent organic ligands, yet much remains unknown about organic ligand-mediated REE mobilization/fractionation and related mechanisms. Herein, we investigated REE mobilization from representative host minerals induced by three representative organic ligands: oxalate, citrate, and the siderophore desferrioxamine B (DFOB). Reaction pH conditions were selected to isolate the ligand-complexation effect versus proton dissolution. The presence of these organic ligands displayed varied impacts, with REE dissolution remarkably enhanced by citrate, mildly promoted by DFOB, and showing divergent effects in the presence of oxalate, depending on the mineral type and reaction pH. Thermodynamic modeling indicates the dominant presence of REE–ligand complexes under studied conditions and suggests ligand-promoted REE dissolution to be the dominant mechanism, consistent with experimental data. In addition, REE dissolution mediated by these ligands exhibited a distinct fractionation toward heavy REE (HREE) enrichment in the solution phase, which can be mainly attributed to the formation of thermodynamically predicted more stable HREE–ligand complexes. The combined thermodynamic modeling and experimental approach provides a framework for the systematic investigation of REE mobilization, distribution, and fractionation in the presence of organic ligands in natural systems and for the design of green extraction technologies

Analysis of dynamic determinants of vehicles involved in crash affecting severity based on in-depth crash data

The dynamic characteristics of vehicles involved in crashes may be an important factor affecting the crash severity. This study investigates the relationship between the dynamic characteristics of vehicles involved in crashes in the five seconds before the occurrence and the crash severity. The findings aim to offer insights for preventing severe crashes and advancing autonomous vehicle technology. This study aims to investigate the impact of dynamic features, such as speed, acceleration, and relative distance of vehicles involved in the crash in the five seconds before the crash, on the crash severity. Five hundred ninety-six crash samples from the China In-depth Mobility Safety Study-Traffic Accident database were selected for crash reconstruction. A random parameters logit model was used to extract and analyze the effect of dynamic features of the vehicles involved in the crash on the crash severity. The random parameters logit model demonstrated a satisfactory fit. Analysis of the parameter estimation results of the model showed that the variables of speed, acceleration, and relative distance between vehicles involved in the crash at some time points during the five seconds before the crash significantly affected the crash severity. Notably, the coefficient of variation of relative distance over 5 s emerged as the most influential positive determinant of the crash severity. Certain dynamic characteristics of vehicles involved in a crash in the five seconds before a crash significantly impact the crash severity. The study’s findings can serve as a reference for preventing severe crashes and advancing the development of autonomous vehicles.</p

Data_Sheet_1_Validation of GLIM criteria on malnutrition in older Chinese inpatients.pdf

ObjectiveMalnutrition is a nutritional disorder and common syndrome that has a high incidence and is easily ignored in hospitalized older patients. It can lead to multiple poor prognoses, such as frailty. Early identification and correct evaluation of possible malnutrition and frailty are essential to improve clinical outcomes in older patients. Therefore, our objective was to explore the applicability and effectiveness of the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria for identifying malnutrition in older patients.MethodsIn total, 223 participants aged ≥60 years were involved. Nutrition was evaluated using the Mini Nutritional Assessment-Full Form (MNA-FF) and GLIM criteria, which adopt a two-step procedure. The first step was to use three different methods for the screening of nutritional risk: the Nutrition Risk Screening 2002, the Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Form (MNA-SF), and the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool. The second step was to link a combination of at least one phenotypical criterion and one etiological criterion to diagnose malnutrition. The Clinical Frailty Scale was used to assess frailty. Sensitivity, specificity, Youden index, kappa values, and positive and negative predictive values were used to evaluate the validity of the GLIM criteria. Logistic regression models were used to assess whether there was a correlation between malnutrition, as defined by the GLIM criteria, and frailty.ResultsWe found that 32.3–49.8% of our patient sample were at risk of malnutrition based on the GLIM diagnosis and using the three different screening tools; 19.3–27.8% of the patients were malnourished. GLIM criteria with MNA-SF as a diagnostic validation and MNA-FF as a reference showed high consistency (K = 0.629; p ConclusionsThe incidence of GLIM-defined malnutrition was 19.3–27.8% using different screening tools. The consistency between the GLIM criteria using the MNA-SF and the MNA methods was high. Malnutrition, as diagnosed by the GLIM criteria with MNA-SF, was significantly correlated with frailty. GLIM criteria with MNA-SF may be a more reliable malnutrition assessment process in older inpatients.</p

High burden of human papillomavirus infection among men in Guangzhou, South China: Implications for HPV vaccination strategies

The epidemiological and clinical aspects of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection in women have been extensively studied. However, there is a lack of information regarding HPV characteristics in males. In this study, we conducted a retrospective and observational study of 3737 consecutive male individuals attending outpatient clinics of Guangdong Women and Children Hospital from 2012 to 2023 in Guangzhou, South China, to determine the age- and genotype-specific prevalence of HPV in men. The results showed the overall prevalence of HPV among men was 42.15% (1575/3737), with variations ranging from 29.55% to 81.31% across distinct diagnostic populations. Low-risk HPV6 (15.47%), HPV11 (8.94%), and high-risk HPV52 (5.51%) were the most common types. The annual HPV prevalence decreased significantly (Z = −3.882, p Chlamydia trachomatis was significantly higher among HPV-positive individuals in comparison to HPV-negatives (16.14% vs. 11.25%, p < .05). Our findings reveal a substantial prevalence of HPV infection among outpatient men in Guangzhou, South China. It is recommended to consider the inclusion of HPV vaccination for adolescent males in national immunization schedules, once an adequate supply of vaccines is accessible.</p