bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Playful iconicity: structural markedness underlies the relation between funniness and iconicity
Authors: DINGEMANSE MARK , THOMPSON BILL
Published: January 2020

abstract

Words like ‘waddle’, ‘flop’, and ‘zigzag’ combine playful connotations with iconic form–meaning resemblances. Here we propose that structural markedness may be a common factor underlying perceptions of playfulness and iconicity. Using collected and estimated lexical ratings covering a total of over 70,000 English words, we assess the robustness of this association. We identify cues of phonotactic complexity that covary with funniness and iconicity ratings and that, we propose, serve as metacommunicative signals to draw attention to words as playful and performative. To assess the generalisability of the findings we develop a method to estimate lexical ratings from distributional semantics and apply it to a dataset 20 times the size of the original set of human ratings. The method can be used more generally to extend coverage of lexical ratings. We find that it reliably reproduces correlations between funniness and iconicity as well as cues of structural markedness, though it also amplifies biases present in the human ratings. Our study shows that the playful and the poetic are part of the very texture of the lexicon.
Retrospectives: Uses of history of science in the late Ottoman Empire and early republican Turkey
Authors: BILGILI ALPER
Published: January 2020

I am a Turkish student of [the] History of Science and have been working on the subject within the last six years for the preparation of a History of Science [book] in Turkish.
Comparison of the effects of multiple variables on the levels of infection of the rat tapeworm,Hymenolepis diminuta, in its intermediate host, the confused flour beetleTribolium confusum
Authors: Yezerski A. , Luyten Y. , Dubiel T.
Published: January 2020

The interaction of the rat tapeworm,Hymenolepis diminuta, with its intermediate beetle host,Tribolium confusum, is a well-studied model system. However, there is so much variation in the methods and designs of the studies that it is difficult to draw comparisons. This study simultaneously compared several aspects of the infection protocol including beetle age, sex, density and mating status; parasite egg condition, infection environment humidity and the times for the three steps of infection: starvation, feeding and post-feeding development. Although statistically limited by low prevalence and intensity levels, we were able to detect the relative effects of the variables. The effects of these variables on prevalence (percent infection) and intensity (mean number of cysticercoids) do not necessarily correlate with each other. Egg condition, reduced starvation times, higher beetle density and longer development times reduced prevalence. However, differences in intensity were only detected with older beetles. When coupled with survivorship data, our study found that our current infection protocol is optimal for infection success. However, the results suggest extending the study to other intermediate hosts and the inclusion of additional variables.
Effectiveness of mirtazapine as add-on to paroxetine v. paroxetine or mirtazapine monotherapy in patients with major depressive disorder with early non-response to paroxetine: a two-phase, multicentre, randomized, double-blind clinical trial
Authors: Xiao Le , Zhu Xuequan , Gillespie Amy , Feng Yuan , Zhou Jingjing , Chen Xu , Gao Yuanyuan , Wang Xueyi , Ma Xiancang , Gao Chengge , Xie Yunshi , Pan Xiaoping , Bai Yan , Xu Xiufeng , Wang Gang , Chen Runsen
Published: January 2020

Background

This study aimed to examine the efficacy of combining paroxetine and mirtazapine v. switching to mirtazapine, for patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) who have had an insufficient response to SSRI monotherapy (paroxetine) after the first 2 weeks of treatment.

Methods

This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, three-arm study recruited participants from five hospitals in China. Eligible participants were aged 18–60 years with MDD of at least moderate severity. Participants received paroxetine during a 2-week open-label phase and patients who had not achieved early improvement were randomized to paroxetine, mirtazapine or paroxetine combined with mirtazapine for 6 weeks. The primary outcome was improvement on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression 17-item (HAMD-17) scores 6 weeks after randomization.

Results

A total of 204 patients who showed early non-response to paroxetine monotherapy were randomly assigned to receive either mirtazapine and placebo (n = 68), paroxetine and placebo (n = 68) or mirtazapine and paroxetine (n = 68), with 164 patients completing the outcome assessment. At week 8, the least squares (LS) mean change of HAMD-17 scores did not significantly differ among the three groups, (12.98 points) in the mirtazapine group, (12.50 points) in the paroxetine group and (13.27 points) in the mirtazapine plus paroxetine combination group. Participants in the paroxetine monotherapy group were least likely to experience adverse effects.

Conclusions

After 8 weeks follow-up, paroxetine monotherapy, mirtazapine monotherapy and paroxetine/mirtazapine combination therapy were equally effective in non-improvers at 2 weeks. The results of this trial do not support a recommendation to routinely offer additional treatment or a switch in treatment strategies for MDD patients who do not show early improvement after 2 weeks of antidepressant treatment.
Anxiety and depression among HIV patients of the infectious disease department of Conakry University Hospital in 2018
Authors: Camara A. , Sow M.S. , Touré A. , Sako F.B. , Camara I. , Soumaoro K. , Delamou A. , Doukouré M.
Published: January 2020

Anxiety and depression continue to be significant comorbidities for people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of anxiety and depression disorder among HIV patients at Conakry, Guinea. In this cross-sectional study, we described socio-demographic, clinical and psychosocial data related to anxiety and depression in 160 HIV patients of the University Teaching Hospital, Conakry, Guinea. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used for measuring depression and anxiety in the prior month. The HADS score of ⩾8 was used to identify possible cases of depression and anxiety. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression. The prevalence of comorbid depression and anxiety among HIV patients was 8.1% and the prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms among HIV-infected patients was 13.8% and 16.9%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that individuals having BMI ⩽ 18 (AOR = 3.62, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.37–9.57) and who did not receive antiretroviral treatment (AOR = 18.93, 95% CI 1.88–188.81) were significantly more likely to have depressive symptoms. Similarly, having age <40 years (AOR = 2.81, 95% CI 1.04–7.58) was also significantly associated with anxiety. Prevalence of symptoms of anxiety and depression was high in these HIV patients. This suggests a need for training on the screening and management of anxiety and depression among HIV patients.
Pygoscelis penguin diets on King George Island, South Shetland Islands, with a special focus on the krill Euphausia superba
Authors: Panasiuk Anna , Wawrzynek-Borejko Justyna , Musiał Aleksandra , Korczak-Abshire Małgorzata
Published: January 2020

In the krill-based ecosystem of the Antarctic, fluctuations in the distribution and abundance of Euphausia superba may have strong impacts on predator populations; thus, it is crucial to observe the feeding ecology of Antarctic predators, especially in the light of climate change and increasing human pressure. We determined the composition of euphausiid species in diet samples collected from Adélie (Pygoscelis adeliae), chinstrap (Pygoscelis antarcticus) and gentoo (Pygoscelis papua) penguins on King George Island (South Shetlands Islands) during a breeding season. For all three penguin species, euphausiids (mainly E. superba) represented almost the entirety of researched stomach samples (i.e. 99.9% in the case of Adélie and chinstrap penguins), while gentoo penguins also proved to feed on fish (99.4% krill; 0.5% fish). Analysed material differed in the size of eaten E. superba specimens, with the smallest crustaceans consumed by Adélie penguins. Furthermore, we found differences in the ratio of consumed krill and krill size. Such disparities may be a result of sex-based differences and slight differences in feeding areas between the birds. Additionally, we noted some fragments of plastic debris in the investigated penguin diet samples.
Changes in the waterbird community of the Parc National du Banc d’Arguin, Mauritania, 1980–2017
Authors: OUDMAN THOMAS , SCHEKKERMAN HANS , KIDEE AMADOU , VAN ROOMEN MARC , CAMARA MOHAMED , SMIT COR , TEN HORN JOB , PIERSMA THEUNIS , EL-HACEN EL-HACEN MOHAMED
Published: January 2020

The Parc National du Banc d’Arguin in Mauritania hosts the largest concentrations of coastal waterbirds along the East Atlantic Flyway. In spite of this importance, a review of the changes in the numbers of waterbirds in the area is lacking since the first complete count in 1980. Here we analysed the seven complete waterbird counts made since then, and the additional yearly counts made in one subunit (Iwik region) since 2003. We present evidence for changes in the community composition of waterbirds over the past four decades. Total waterbird numbers showed a decrease between 1980 and 2017, with only Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus showing a significant increase in numbers. Five species showed significant declines: Long-tailed Cormorant Phalacrocorax africanus, Red Knot Calidris canutus, Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica, Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata, and Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus. In the remaining species, the variation in numbers between counts was too large, and the number of complete counts too small, for trends to be detected. The yearly counts at Iwik region also showed sharp decreases in the numbers of Red Knot, Bar-tailed Godwit, and Marsh Harrier, but not of Long-tailed Cormorant and Eurasian Curlew. A multivariate analysis revealed a significant change in species composition over time, which was caused mainly by changes in the species depending on the intertidal mudflats for feeding (generally in decline) vs. the species depending on fish and crustaceans in the sublittoral and offshore zones (often showing increases).
Capping Human Water Footprints in the World's River Basins
Authors: Hogeboom Rick J. , de Bruin Davey , Schyns Joep F. , Krol Maarten S. , Hoekstra Arjen Y.
Published: January 2020

Increased water demand and overexploitation of limited freshwater resources lead to water scarcity, economic downturn, and conflicts over water in many places around the world. A sensible policy measure to bridle humanity's water footprint, then, is to set local and time‐specific water footprint caps, to ensure that water appropriation for human uses remains within ecological boundaries. This study estimates—for all river basins in the world—monthly blue water flows that can be allocated to human uses, while explicitly earmarking water for nature. Addressing some implications of temporal variability, we quantify trade‐offs between potentially violating environmental flow requirements versus underutilizing available flow—a trade‐off that is particularly pronounced in basins with a high seasonal and interannual variability. We discuss several limitations and challenges that need to be overcome if setting water footprint caps is to become a practically applicable policy instrument, including the need (for policy makers) to reach agreement on which specific capping procedure to follow. We conclude by relating local and time‐specific water footprint caps to the planetary boundary for freshwater use.
On Estimation of Daytime Equatorial Vertical (E × B) Plasma Drifts Using Optical Neutral Dayglow Emission Measurements
Authors: Karan Deepak K. , Pallamraju Duggirala
Published: January 2020

Vertical drift (E × B) over the geomagnetic equator of the Earth is one of the fundamental parameters that governs the equatorial electrodynamics, which is responsible for the formation of large‐scale phenomena in low and equatorial latitudes. We present a novel approach using ground‐based optical neutral oxygen dayglow emission intensity measurements to estimate the daytime equatorial vertical drifts. The diurnal patterns of the dayglow emission intensities at OI 557.7, 630.0, and 777.4 nm wavelengths obtained from a low‐latitude location, Hyderabad (78.4°E, 17.5°N; 8.9°N MLAT), India, are observed to be symmetric with respect to local noon on some days and asymmetric on some other. The extent of asymmetric nature is characterized by a parameter called Asymmetricity in Time (AT), which shows similar variations with the integrated Equatorial Electrojet (EEJ) strength. AT values obtained from the dayglow measurements are used to infer the vertical drifts. Vertical drifts derived by this method match well with the global climatological model estimates and with radar measurements. This new approach provides an alternative method for obtaining vertical drifts to enable systematic investigations of equatorial electrodynamics.
Rapid Outer Radiation Belt Flux Dropouts and Fast Acceleration During the March 2015 and 2013 Storms: The Role of Ultra‐Low Frequency Wave Transport From a Dynamic Outer Boundary
Authors: Ozeke L. G. , Mann I. R. , Olifer L. , Dufresne K. Y. , Morley S. K. , Claudepierre S. G. , Murphy K. R. , Spence H. E. , Baker D. N. , Degeling A. W.
Published: January 2020

We present simulations of the outer radiation belt electron flux during the March 2015 and 2013 storms using a radial diffusion model. Despite differences in disturbance short‐time intensity between the two storms, the response of the ultra‐relativistic electrons in the outer radiation belt was remarkably similar, both showing a sudden drop in the electron flux followed by a rapid enhancement in the outer belt flux to levels over an order of magnitude higher than those observed during the pre‐storm interval. Simulations of the ultra‐relativistic electron flux during the March 2015 storm show that outward radial diffusion can explain the flux dropout down to L*~4. However, in order to reproduce, the observed flux dropout at L* < 4 requires the addition of a loss process characterized by an electron lifetime of around 1 hr operating below L*~3.5 during the flux dropout interval. Nonetheless, during the pre‐storm and recovery phase of both storms, the radial diffusion simulation reproduces the observed flux dynamics. For the March 2013 storm, the flux dropout across all L‐shells is reproduced by outward radial diffusion activity alone. However, during the flux enhancement interval at relativistic energies, there is evidence of a growing local peak in the electron phase space density at L*~3.8, consistent with local acceleration such as by very low frequency chorus waves. Overall, the simulation results for both storms can accurately reproduce the observed electron flux only when event specific radial diffusion coefficients are used, instead of the empirical diffusion coefficients derived from ultra‐low frequency wave statistics.
A Study on Meteor Head Echo Using a Probabilistic Detection Model at Jicamarca
Authors: Li Yanlin , Zhou Qihou , Scott Mark , Milla Marco
Published: January 2020

A coded long pulse is applied to the Jicamarca 50 MHz high power large aperture radar to study meteor head echoes. We develop a probabilistic detection model, which finds 25% more meteors than the commonly used signal‐to‐noise threshold method. The long code and the probabilistic approach allow us to detect over 180 meteors per minute during the dawn hours, which is several times higher than reported previously. The typical mass of the meteoroids is estimated to be about 10−9 kg, slightly smaller than other sensitive very‐high‐frequency and ultrahigh‐frequency high power large aperture radars except the Arecibo radar. The high sensitivity allows us to observe numerous meteors in the presence of the strongest equatorial electrojet. We report and discuss the characteristics of meteor flux rate, ablation height, and velocity with a constant noise power for the first time for the Jicamarca radar. The highest average detection height is found to be near 2 a.m., instead of near 6 a.m. when the largest average velocity is observed. This is likely due to the combination of the relative large atmospheric velocity and the substantial atmospheric entry angles around 2 a.m. The observed characteristics suggest that many meteors are detected 8° off zenith despite that the full beam width is only 2.4°.
Polynomial Reconstruction of the Reconnection Magnetic Field Observed by Multiple Spacecraft
Authors: Denton R. E. , Torbert R. B. , Hasegawa H. , Dors I. , Genestreti K. J. , Argall M. R. , Gershman D. , Le Contel O. , Burch J. L. , Russell C. T. , Strangeway R. J. , Giles B. L. , Fischer D.
Published: January 2020

We describe methods for polynomial reconstruction of the magnetic field close to a cluster of spacecraft and apply that to reconstruction of the magnetic field observed during a magnetic reconnection event on 10 August 2017 by the Magnetospheric Multiscale spacecraft. Four different models are described, which vary in complexity between a 12‐parameter linear model, which has only linear variation with respect to the spatial coordinates, and a 27‐parameter quadratic model, which has the full quadratic expansion except that the second derivative with respect to the Minimum Directional Derivative minimum gradient coordinate
has been neglected. In contrast to previous reconstruction techniques, these reconstructions can be found using only the magnetic field and current density measured at a single time by the cluster of spacecraft. The equations satisfying
are satisfied exactly, while the equations specifying the model fields at the spacecraft locations are satisfied for most models in a best least squares sense. For this magnetotail event, the models have very small errors in magnetic field components (
0.1 nT) at a distance from the nearest spacecraft on the order of the spacecraft separation,
, here equal to 20.5 km. The magnetic structures found using the quadratic models are very time dependent, with a stretched field leading to plasmoid formation at one point in time.
Irrigation‐Induced Potential Evapotranspiration Decrease in the Heihe River Basin, Northwest China, as Simulated by the WRF Model
Authors: Zhang Xuezhen , Ding Nana , Han Songjun , Tang Qiuhong
Published: January 2020

Evapotranspiration occurs via land‐atmosphere coupling. To understand the impacts of irrigation on local potential evapotranspiration, we carried out a couple of simulations with the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model, where an irrigation scheme was incorporated, for the irrigated area in the middle reaches of the Heihe River, Northwest China. By comparing the irrigation simulation (hereafter, the IRRG case) with the simulation excluding irrigation (hereafter, the NATU case), we found that irrigation may lead to a decrease in reference evapotranspiration (ET0) during the growing season (May to September), which is a metric of potential evapotranspiration, by approximately 1.05 mm d−1, accounting for approximately 19% of NATU ET0. The ET0 in the IRRG is closer to the ground measurements than the NATU ET0, with a root‐mean‐square error of 0.75 mm d−1 in the IRRG and 1.86 mm d−1 in the NATU cases. Meanwhile, irrigation leads to an actual evapotranspiration (ETa) increase of approximately 2.1 mm d−1 for croplands. Such an asymmetric relationship between ET0 decrease and ETa increase was found over the irrigated croplands. The ET0 decrease was mainly induced by the moistening and cooling effects of irrigation through intensified evapotranspiration and reduced sensible heat. This study highlights the importance of considering land‐atmosphere coupling when assessing the impacts of climatic change on irrigation water requirements.
COPD and asthma in patients with opioid dependency: a cross-sectional study in primary care
Authors: Mehta S. , Parmar N. , Kelleher M. , Jolley C. J. , White P. , Durbaba S. , Ashworth M.
Published: January 2020

Patients treated for drug addiction have high asthma and COPD prevalence rates. The relative contributions of cigarette smoking, smoking intensity and possible smoking of other substances has not been described. We aimed to describe the prevalence and determinants of asthma and COPD in patients prescribed methadone as opioid substitution therapy (OST). In a cross-sectional study of an anonymised patient-level primary care dataset of UK inner-city general practices (n = 46), 321,395 patients aged ≥18 years were identified. A total of 676 (0.21%) had a record of a methadone ever issued in primary care. The association between respiratory disease and methadone prescribing was examined using logistic regression. Models were adjusted for potential effects of clustering by practice. A total of 97.3% of patients prescribed methadone were cigarette smokers, either current (81.2%) or ex-smokers (16.1%). The prevalences of asthma and COPD were higher in methadone patients (14.2% and 12.4%, respectively) compared to non-methadone patients (4.4% and 1.1%, respectively). Methadone was an independent determinant of asthma, adjusting for smoking status (OR 3.21; 95% CI: 2.52, 4.10) or for smoking intensity (3.08; 2.27, 4.19), and of COPD, adjusting for smoking status (6.00; 4.61, 7.80) or for smoking intensity (5.80; 4.12, 8.17). COPD and asthma prevalence were substantially higher in those prescribed methadone compared to those never prescribed methadone. Prescription of methadone was an independent predictor for both COPD and asthma, even after adjustment for smoking status and smoking intensity. Possible explanations include confounding by association with smoking of heroin or crack cocaine, both of which may have a causal association with COPD and asthma.
Koala retrovirus viral load and disease burden in distinct northern and southern koala populations
Authors: Sarker Nishat , Fabijan Jessica , Owen Helen , Seddon Jennifer , Simmons Greg , Speight Natasha , Kaler Jasmeet , Woolford Lucy , Emes Richard David , Hemmatzadeh Farhid , Trott Darren J. , Meers Joanne , Tarlinton Rachael Eugenie
Published: January 2020

Koala retrovirus (KoRV) displays features of both an endogenous and exogenous virus and is linked to neoplasia and immunosuppression in koalas. This study explores the apparent differences in the nature and impact of KoRV infection between geographically and genetically separated “northern” and “southern” koala populations, by investigating the disease status, completeness of the KoRV genome and the proviral (DNA) and viral (RNA) loads of 71 northern and 97 southern koalas. All northern animals were positive for all KoRV genes (gag, pro-pol and env) in both DNA and RNA forms, whereas many southern animals were missing one or more KoRV genes. There was a significant relationship between the completeness of the KoRV genome and clinical status in this population. The proviral and viral loads of the northern population were significantly higher than those of the southern population (P < 0.0001), and many provirus-positive southern animals failed to express any detectable KoRV RNA. Across both populations there was a positive association between proviral load and neoplasia (P = 0.009). Potential reasons for the differences in the nature of KoRV infection between the two populations are discussed.
Whispering-Gallery Mode Lasing in a Floating GaN Microdisk with a Vertical Slit
Authors: Zhu Gangyi , Li Jiaping , Zhang Nan , Li Xin , Dai Jun , Cui Qiannan , Song Qinghai , Xu Chunxiang , Wang Yongjin
Published: January 2020

Controlling the lasing mode, emission direction, threshold, and quality factor of whispering-gallery mode lasing is important for practical applications such as optical interconnections, on-chip communications, trace detection, high-density storage, etc. In order to simultaneously control the mode and emission direction and to achieve a high-quality factor in a low-threshold whisper-gallery mode laser, such as a GaN floating microdisk, a novel fabrication design of a microdisk with a vertical slit is proposed. To demonstrate proof of concept, we experimentally measure whispering-gallery mode lasing spectra of microdisks with and without a slit. Our findings suggest that the disks can indeed operate in whispering-gallery mode, and the slit is able to change the optical path in the microcavity without breaking lasing resonance. The slit in the microdisk can also influence the lasing mode, quality factor, and directional emission. Therefore, our study provides a feasible way to control whispering-gallery mode lasing properties.
Poly-γ-glutamic acid induces system tolerance to drought stress by promoting abscisic acid accumulation in Brassica napus L.
Authors: Xu Zongqi , Ma Junjie , Lei Peng , Wang Qian , Feng Xiaohai , Xu Hong
Published: January 2020

As a new plant biostimulant, poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) may be an effective anti-drought agent that can efficiently alleviate the damage to plants under drought stress. In this study, the effects of γ-PGA on the physiological responses of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) seedlings under drought stress were investigated using hydroponics. Growth and development of the rape seedlings were significantly inhibited in a polyethylene glycol-simulated drought environment. However, 12 d after application of γ-PGA under drought stress, the fresh weight, chlorophyll content, and relative water content of rape seedlings all markedly increased. Moreover, proline content and antioxidant enzyme activity were all markedly enhanced, and the malondialdehyde content was significantly reduced in rape seedlings treated with γ-PGA. Furthermore, the content of the important anti-drought response hormone, abscisic acid (ABA), as well as the expression levels of the ABA metabolism regulation genes BnNCED3, BnZEP, and BnAAO4, significantly increased. These results indicate that γ-PGA may induce elements of a tolerance system to drought stress by promoting ABA accumulation in B. Napus.
Combined network pharmacology and virtual reverse pharmacology approaches for identification of potential targets to treat vascular dementia
Authors: Lagunin Alexey A. , Ivanov Sergey M. , Gloriozova Tatyana A. , Pogodin Pavel V. , Filimonov Dmitry A. , Kumar Sandeep , Goel Rajesh K.
Published: January 2020

Dementia is a major cause of disability and dependency among older people. If the lives of people with dementia are to be improved, research and its translation into druggable target are crucial. Ancient systems of healthcare (Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Sowa-Rigpa) have been used from centuries for the treatment vascular diseases and dementia. This traditional knowledge can be transformed into novel targets through robust interplay of network pharmacology (NetP) with reverse pharmacology (RevP), without ignoring cutting edge biomedical data. This work demonstrates interaction between recent and traditional data, and aimed at selection of most promising targets for guiding wet lab validations. PROTEOME, DisGeNE, DISEASES and DrugBank databases were used for selection of genes associated with pathogenesis and treatment of vascular dementia (VaD). The selection of new potential drug targets was made by methods of NetP (DIAMOnD algorithm, enrichment analysis of KEGG pathways and biological processes of Gene Ontology) and manual expert analysis. The structures of 1976 phytomolecules from the 573 Indian medicinal plants traditionally used for the treatment of dementia and vascular diseases were used for computational estimation of their interactions with new predicted VaD-related drug targets by RevP approach based on PASS (Prediction of Activity Spectra for Substances) software. We found 147 known genes associated with vascular dementia based on the analysis of the databases with gene-disease associations. Six hundred novel targets were selected by NetP methods based on 147 gene associations. The analysis of the predicted interactions between 1976 phytomolecules and 600 NetP predicted targets leaded to the selection of 10 potential drug targets for the treatment of VaD. The translational value of these targets is discussed herewith. Twenty four drugs interacting with 10 selected targets were identified from DrugBank. These drugs have not been yet studied for the treatment of VaD and may be investigated in this field for their repositioning. The relation between inhibition of two selected targets (GSK-3, PTP1B) and the treatment of VaD was confirmed by the experimental studies on animals and reported separately in our recent publications.
Simulation of nanodielectrics: nanoparticle and interphase effects on electric field distributions
Authors: Hashim Zuridah , Lau Kwan Yiew , Tan Chee Wei , Ching Kuan Yong
Published: January 2020

Nanodielectrics have been regarded as a class of material system that can provide significantly improved chemical, mechanical and dielectric properties over conventional microcomposites. This is due to the presence of a high volume fraction of the interphase between nanoparticles and polymers. However, precise effects of nanodielectrics are not well understood, leading to difficulties in interpreting the dielectric behaviours of nanodielectrics. In the current work, effects of nanoparticle distributions, interparticle distances, nanoparticle sizes, interphase permittivities and interphase thicknesses on the possible electric field variations within a nanodielectric model have been simulated using Finite Element Method Magnetics (FEMM) 4.2. The results demonstrate that different nanoparticle and interphase configurations lead to different effects on the electric field intensity within the nanodielectric model. Mechanisms leading to changes in dielectric properties based on the observed electric field variations are discussed.
Stellar magnetic activity and the butterfly diagram of Kepler-63
Authors: Netto Y. , Valio A.
Published: January 2020

Context. The study of young solar-type stars is fundamental for better understanding the magnetic activity of the Sun. Most commonly, this activity manifests itself in the form of spots and faculae. As a planet in transit crosses in front of its host star, a dark spot on the stellar surface may be occulted, causing a detectable variation in the light curve. Kepler-63 is a young solar-like star with an age of only 210 Myr that exhibits photometric variations compatible with spot signatures. Because the planet that orbits it is in an almost polar orbit, different latitudes of the star can be probed by the method of spot transit mapping.

Aims. The goal of this work is to characterise the spots of Kepler-63 and thus decipher the behaviour of the young Sun. Because planetary orbit is highly oblique, the latitudinal distribution and thus the differential rotation of the spots may be determined.

Methods. A total of 150 transits of Kepler-63b were observed in the short-cadence light curve, corresponding to a total duration of about four years. Each transit light curve was fit by a model that simulates planetary transits and allows including starspots on the surface of the host star. This enables the physical characterisation of the spot size, intensity, and location. We determined the spot position in a reference frame that rotates with the star, and thus obtained the latitudinal distribution of the spots.

Results. We fit a total of 297 spots and determined their sizes, intensities, and positions. The longitude and latitude of the spots were calculated in a reference frame that rotated with the star. The latitude distribution of spots exhibits a bimodality with a lack of spots around 34°. Moreover, the spot sizes tend to be larger close to the equator, but decrease toward the latitude distribution gap, after which they again increase toward the poles. High-latitude spots dominate the magnetic cycle of Kepler-63. For a mean stellar rotation period of 5.400 d, 59 spots were found at approximately the same longitude and latitude on a later transit. Some of these spots were detected eight transits later. This shows that the lifetimes of spots can be at least 75 d.

Conclusions. The geometry of the Kepler-63 system, enabled us to build a starspot butterfly diagram, similar to that of sunspots. It was also possible to infer the differential rotation of Kepler-63 from the spots at different latitudes. This star was found to rotate almost rigidly with a period of 5.400 d and a relative shear close to 0.01% for latitudes lower than 34°, whereas the high latitudes do not follow a well-behaved pattern.
String Shooter’s overall shape in ambient air
Authors: Abello Margaux , Courson Juliette , Maury Arnaud , Renaud Julian
Published: January 2020

In this article, we study the behaviour of a looped string launched in ambient air using motorised wheels. We show that the loop, once it reaches its stationary state, is either in the pulley or the air-lifted state. The transition between these two distinct states occurs at the so-called takeoff speed. We prove that this speed differs from one string to another based on its characteristics. However, it is independent from the loop’s length and its initial launch angle. This speed indeed corresponds to the threshold where air drag starts compensating for the weight of the string.
Adaptive Constrained Differential Evolution Algorithm by Using Generalized Opposition-Based Learning
Authors: Wu Wenhai , Guo Xiaofeng , Zhou Siyu , Liu Jintao
Published: January 2020

Differential evolution is a global optimization algorithm based on greedy competition mechanism, which has the advantages of simple structure, less control parameters, higher reliability and convergence. Combining with the constraint-handling techniques, the constraint optimization problem can be efficiently solved. An adaptive differential evolution algorithm is proposed by using generalized opposition-based learning (GOBL-ACDE), in which the generalized opposition-based learning is used to generate initial population and executes the generation jumping. And the adaptive trade-off model is utilized to handle the constraints as the improved adaptive ranking mutation operator is adopted to generate new population. The experimental results show that the algorithm has better performance in accuracy and convergence speed comparing with CDE, DDE, A-DDE and. And the effect of the generalized opposition-based learning and improved adaptive ranking mutation operator of the GOBL-ACDE have been analyzed and evaluated as well.
A Strategy for Uncertainty Evaluation of Airport Operation Safety Based on Interval Inverse Power Method
Authors: Wang Zhongye , Liu Hao , Hu MingHua , Zhang Honghai
Published: January 2020

In order to maintain a safe and suitable state of civil airports, it is necessary to conduct an airport operation safety evaluation. Aiming at uncertainty of airport operation safety evaluation and the deficiencies of analytic hierarchy process, we propose an improved analytic hierarchy process for solving this problem. By estimating the spectral radius of the interval judgment matrix and using it as shift, we propose an interval inverse power method with shift, and apply this algorithm to airport operation safety evaluation. The numerical examples show that this method can comprehensively consider the certainty and uncertainty of airport safety evaluation and compute the combined weight and relative importance of the evaluating indicators. Our method is more flexible and effective than traditional method, and is very suitable for uncertainty evaluation of airport operation safety.
A new impact dynamics model of a clearance joint considering the adhesive effects in space environment
Authors: Tong Ruiting , Quan Zefen , Wan Qi , Fu Xiaojun , Liu Geng
Published: January 2020

In space environment, there is severe adhesive effect, and the impact contact process shows different phenomenon due to the adhesive forces. In this paper, a new impact dynamics model of a clearance joint is developed considering the adhesive effects. The Hertz contact model, L-J potential and Dugdale model are combined, and an adhesive force term is included in the original hybrid contact force model. Taking a clearance joint as an example, the theory of adhesive forces during the impact contact process is given, and the influence of the adhesive forces is investigated. Negative forces are discovered at the beginning of the contact, and the contact forces of the modified model are higher than the hybrid model. Besides, the indentation depth is also higher than the hybrid model. The energy conservation principle is employed to explain the phenomena, and the contact forces will be underestimated if the adhesive effects are ignored. This work could be contributed to estimating the contact forces and friction forces more reasonablely in the space environment.
Design and Testing of a Valveless Piezoelectric Pump with Conical Vortex Diodes
Authors: Zou Lei , Li Kai , Huang Jun
Published: January 2020

The valveless piezoelectric pump delivers fluid based on the difference of flow resistance of internal tube. In this paper, a vortex diode with conical tangential tube is proposed, which possesses the great characteristic of reverse cut-off, and the analysis of the forward and reverse flow resistance of the conical vortex diode is verified by finite element analysis. Then, a valveless piezoelectric pump with conical vortex diodes as the internal channel is designed, and the prototype is manufactured. The results of the output performance experiment show that the maximum output flow rate of the valveless piezoelectric pump is 10.44 g/min at the drive frequency of 45Hz, and the maximum output pressure is 560 Pa at the drive frequency of 35Hz. The proposal of the valveless piezoelectric pump provides a good reference for more new types of valveless piezoelectric pumps.
Reflex Photosensitive Epilepsy
Authors: Arya Kapil
Published: January 2020

Reflex seizure provoked by light or pattern stimulation are an interesting and, at times, difficult to treat entity. Such seizures occur in patients with a variety of well-described epileptic syndromes, although in most spontaneous seizures are also described. This paper attempts to describe epileptic syndromes with primarily light or pattern provoked seizures.
Severe Hyponatraemia Associated with the Use of Arginine–Vasopressin in Two Neonates with Complex Congenital Heart Disease
Authors: Leister Nicolas , Rohe Daniel , Schumacher Christine , Trieschmann Uwe , Menzel Christoph , Hannes Tobias
Published: January 2020

We report two cases of neonates with complex congenital heart disease and volume, catecholamine, and corticosteroid refractory shock treated with arginine–vasopressin. Arginine–vasopressin was able to reverse critical hypotension, but both patients developed severe hyponatremia, which recovered after discontinuation of arginine–vasopressin. Close control and prompt substitution of serum sodium is required in neonates with advanced heart failure on high-dose vasopressin therapy.
A construction-based account of the synchrony and diachrony of the Chinese middle construction
Authors: Chen Yue
Published: January 2020

Chinese middle construction (Chinese MC) uses the form ‘N+V+qilai+C’ to express passive
meaning. This study has shown that Chinese MC’s internal connections can be reflected by its synchronic hierarchy. Chinese MC
expands horizontally through argument structure and vertically through semantics and its expansion mechanism can be explained by
the varying abstraction model of categorization which combines the prototype and the exemplar model. This study has also validated
the truth that Chinese MC is a concept encompassing unclear boundaries within its members by using the schematic network model
which is the combination of the radial set model and the overlapping set model to represent the internal connections of Chinese
MC. By connecting Chinese MC with patient-subject sentences, this study has shown that the expansion of Chinese MC is affected by
other structures. Finally, this study has unveiled the affinity between constructionalization and grammaticalization by examining
how Chinese MC relates to V-qilai’s grammaticalization.
Modal particle meanings
Authors: Schoonjans Steven
Published: January 2020

One of the challenges of modal particle research is the search for appropriate ways to describe the meanings these particles convey. As these meanings are subtle and situated at the abstract and non-propositional level of intersubjective meaning making, the function of the particles is notoriously hard to pin down. As a consequence, scholars also disagree on what the precise relation between different but related particles is. In this paper, I show that gesture analysis can shed new light on these issues. By looking at the gestures used with the German particles denn, ja, doch, eben, einfach, and halt, the paper illustrates how studying gestures can lead to a better understanding of the particles and their mutual relations by showing how gesture data can offer new evidence for existing hypotheses and help in finding a way out of matters of discussion.
The effects of L1 congruency, L2 proficiency, and the collocate-node relationship on the processing of L2 English collocations by L1-Chinese EFL learners
Authors: Ding Chen , Reynolds Barry Lee
Published: January 2020

This study investigated the effects of first language (L1) congruency, second language (L2) proficiency, and the collocate-node relationship (i.e., verb-noun, adjective-noun, noun-noun) on collocation processing by logographic L1-Chinese learners of English. Comparisons were made of accuracy rates and response times to a collocation lexical decision task completed by L1-Chinese English as a Foreign Language (EFL) English Majors (n = 30), L1-Chinese EFL non-English Majors (n = 30), and L1-English Native Speakers (n = 26). Analysis of the data revealed that while congruent collocations were processed more accurately and faster than incongruent collocations by both L1-Chinese participant groups, the English Majors showed a processing advantage over their non-English Major peers. Further analysis revealed a processing advantage for noun-noun collocations, providing additional evidence in explaining the difficulties L1-Chinese have in acquiring verb-noun collocations. These results and other nuanced statistical findings are discussed in relation to pedagogical means of enhancing L2 collocation acquisition by L1-Chinese speakers.
The salience of local schemas in a productive word-formation process
Authors: Twardzisz Piotr , Nowosielska Barbara
Published: January 2020

Word-formation rules of a generative type are insufficient to describe a mechanism which appears to be productive, on the one hand, but is also irregular in its productivity, on the other. Cognitive morphological accounts have stressed the importance of a wide range of more and less detailed schemas (rather than rules), sanctioning different kinds of novel formations. This article addresses the issue of morphological productivity in the context of the formation of abstract deverbal action nouns, also known as Nomina Actionis, with names of political states as derivational bases. The very number and variety of relevant lexicalized nominalizations as well as hapax legomena is impressive, which makes the phenomenon look productive. The data obtained from COCA and specialist literature show interesting tendencies and gaps in the system. Numerous nominalizations are motivated semantically and pragmatically and are sanctioned by local schemas.
Making do
Authors: Gustafsson Hana
Published: January 2020

This paper argues that the cognitive usage-based model enhanced by a complexity theory perspective can provide
useful insights into L2 learners’ non-target-like use of L2 phraseological chunks. Firstly, L2 chunks are conceptualized here as
L2 complex form-meaning mappings subject to developmental schematization and entrenchment, as well as productive cut-and-paste
mechanisms. Traces of these mechanisms at community level are interpreted as emergent patterns, a complexity theory concept in
line with the cognitive usage-based model. Next, learner expressions for two task-elicited notions (depositing money and
donating money) in a community of L2 English learners (N = 167; L1 Dutch) are analyzed for emergent
patterns at different levels of schematicity. The findings indicate that L2 phraseological chunks are not constructed from a
target-like initial exemplar that becomes entrenched or schematized. The paper concludes that within the cognitive usage-based
model this is a major impeding factor in L2 learners’ target-like use of L2 phraseological chunks.
The source-path-goal image schema in gestures for thinking and teaching
Authors: Williams Robert F.
Published: January 2020

This article examinessource-path-goalimage-schematic structure in gestures used to solve counting problems (gesture for thinking) and to teach children how to read a clock (gesture for teaching). The analyses illustrate how path schemas inherent in idealized cognitive models are exhibited in gesture forms and in gesture sequences and combinations, manifesting conceptual content beyond that articulated in speech. While at times the path structure is incidental, enacting part of a cognitive model that is not the focus of discourse, at other times the path structure is essential, in that listeners must perceive thesource-path-goalstructure in the gesture in order to construct the proper understanding. The examples support the view that image schemas at the heart of cognitive models partly motivate and structure gestures for cognitive and communicative purposes, and that listener attunement to this structure contributes to intersubjective understanding and the perpetuation of cultural practices for distributed cognition.
The semantics of the English complex prepositionnext to
Authors: Brenda Maria
Published: January 2020

The present paper is an analysis of the semantic structure of the complex spatial prepositionnext to. Theoretical concepts of the cognitive framework promote a deep understanding of spatial relations and their metaphorical transfers encoded by individual prepositional senses. Assuming the usage-based model of language, the study takes a closer look at corpus data which is the basis for proposing five distinct meanings of the preposition under investigation. Conceptual metaphor theory is used to explain metaphorical transfer of spatialnext toto abstract domains of human experience.
A cognitive linguistic view of control mechanism in Iranian culture
Authors: Bakhtiar Mohsen
Published: January 2020

This research deals with the conceptualizations ofeffatin Persian and seeks to find out how this cultural key concept regulates the sexuality of Iranians. The analysis of the data collected from the Persian newspaperKayhanindicates thateffatis part of a larger cultural model that operates to restrict the sexuality of Iranians and keep the sexes segregated. The analysis demonstrates thateffatexclusively functions to discipline the body and set limits to bodily desires. Within the identified cultural model,effat’s main task is to segregate men and women by creating a cover/barrier between them, blocking/concealing the ways through which sexual desire might be aroused. The results show that metaphor is the primary means of representing the functions ofeffat. Theeffat is a curtainandeffat is a barriermetaphors mark the boundaries between individuals and prohibited areas of the culture. Moreover, metaphors contribute to discovering the relationship betweeneffatand its most related concepts. Metaphorical conceptualizations ofeffatprovide significant evidence as to how embodied experience is informed and constituted by culture. The research also finds that the body bears the imprint ofeffat. Compared to anthropological accounts, this research provides a more comprehensive image of this concept by simultaneously taking into account the role of bodily, cognitive, social-cultural, and discursive representations in the formation of the cultural model ofeffat.