bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Hemodiafiltration on Self-Reported Sleep Duration: Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Han Maggie , Guedes Murilo , Larkin John , Raimann Jochen G. , Lesqueves Barra Ana Beatriz , Canziani Maria Eugênia Fernandes , Cuvello Neto Américo Lourenço , Poli-de-Figueiredo Carlos Eduardo , Kotanko Peter , Pecoits-Filho Roberto
Published: December 2019

Introduction: Dialysis patients suffer from poor sleep duration and quality. We examined the self-reported sleep duration in patients randomized to either high-volume hemodiafiltration (HDF) or high flux hemodialysis (HD). Methods: Patients from 13 Brazilian dialysis clinics were enrolled in the HDFIT randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigating the impact of HDF on physical activity and self-reported outcomes. Self-reported sleep duration was taken from patient diaries recording sleep start and end time over a week during baseline, months 3 and 6, respectively. Sleep duration was analyzed by shift and nights relative to dialysis. Results: The HDFIT study enrolled 197 patients; sleep data were available in 173 patients (87 HD; 86 HDF). Patients’ age was 53 ± 15 years, 57% were white, 72% were male, 34% had diabetes, Kt/V was 1.54 ± 0.40, and albumin 3.97 ± 0.36 g/dL. Most patients reported sleeping 510–530 min/night. At 3 months, HDF patients slept 513 ± 71 min/night, HD patients 518 ± 76 min/night. At 6 months, HDF patients slept 532 ± 74 min/night, HD patients 519 ± 80 min/night. At baseline, 1st shift patients slept 406 ± 86 min the night before HD, 534 ± 64 min the night after HD, and 496 ± 99 min the night between 2 non-HD days. Compared to patients in the 2nd and 3rd shifts, patients dialyzed in the 1st shift slept less in the night before dialysis. Similar patterns were seen after 3 and 6 months. Conclusion: In our RCT, the dialysis modality (HDF vs. HD) had no effect on self-reported sleep duration. In both groups, dialysis in the 1st shift adversely affected self reported sleep duration.
Variations in Morning Serum Cortisol Levels Based on Sex and Pubertal Status
Authors: Jacob Sarah A. , Williams David D. , Boyd Jennifer , Dileepan Kavitha , Tsai Sarah L.
Published: December 2019

Introduction: Patients with suspected adrenal insufficiency undergo screening with a serum morning cortisol level and confirmatory testing with an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation test. However, much of the data collected to determine appropriate values for morning cortisol levels are derived from adult populations and may not accurately represent pediatric physiology. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the mean morning cortisol level in the pediatric population based on pubertal status and sex in order to better understand such influences on laboratory evaluation of adrenal insufficiency. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted using electronic medical records of patients seen at Children’s Mercy Kansas City from 11/01/2007 to 11/01/2017. Patients between 2 and 18 years of age who had pubertal staging assessed by a pediatric endocrinologist and confirmed adrenal sufficiency by high-dose ACTH stimulation testing were included. Two-sample Wilcoxon rank sum (Mann-Whitney) tests or t tests were used to compare morning cortisol levels between females and males – both independent of Tanner stage and by Tanner stage. Multivariable regression models were used to evaluate associations among covariates on two outcomes: morning cortisol levels and peak cortisol values with ACTH stimulation. Results: Morning cortisol levels were greater in females than males independent of Tanner staging (p = 0.0054) and also in Tanner stage 1 (p = 0.0042). No differences in mean morning cortisol levels between Tanner stage 2–5 females and males were found (p = 0.4652). Morning cortisol levels were not significantly different between Tanner 1 patients and Tanner 2–5 patients independent of sex (p = 0.0575). Sex was predictive of serum morning cortisol levels (p = 0.015), and morning cortisol levels were predictive of peak cortisol levels during ACTH stimulation testing (p < 0.001). Conclusions: These data suggest that different normative cortisol values may need to be established for pediatric females and males, and by pubertal status. Larger prospective studies are needed to evaluate the role of sex and pubertal status in identifying adrenal insufficiency in the ­pediatric population.
HSV-1/TLR9-Mediated IFNβ and TNFα Induction Is Mal-Dependent in Macrophages
Authors: Zyzak Joanna , Mitkiewicz Małgorzata , Leszczyńska Ewa , Reniewicz Patryk , Moynagh Paul N. , Siednienko Jakub
Published: December 2019

Innate immune response is a universal mechanism against invading pathogens. Toll-like receptors (TLRs), being part of a first line of defense, are responsible for detecting a variety of microorganisms. Among them TLR9, which is localized in endosomes, acts as a sensor for unmethylated CpG motifs present in bacteria, DNA viruses (e.g., HSV-1), or fungi. TLRs differ from one another by the use of accessory proteins. MyD88 adapter-like (Mal) adapter molecule is considered a positive regulator of TLR2- and TLR4-dependent pathways. It has been reported that this adapter may also negatively control signal transduction induced by TLR3 anchored in the endosome membrane. So far, the role of Mal adapter protein in the TLR9 signaling pathways has not been clarified. We show for the first time that Mal is engaged in TLR9-de­pendent expression of genes encoding IFNβ and TNFα in HSV-1-infected or CpG-C-treated macrophages and requires a noncanonical NF-κB pathway. Moreover, using inhibitor of ERK1/2 we confirmed involvement of these kinases in TLR9-dependent induction of IFNβ and TNFα. Our study points to a new role of Mal in TLR9 signaling through a hitherto unknown mechanism whereby lack of Mal specifically impairs ERK1/2-mediated induction of noncanonical NF-κB pathway and concomitant IFNβ and TNFα production.
Hepatic Myxoid Leiomyoma: A Very Rare Tumor
Authors: Fraga João , Caetano Oliveira Rui , Terracciano Luigi , Silva Mário Rui , Cipriano Maria Augusta
Published: December 2019

Introduction: Mesenchymal tumors of the liver are rare, and in this group, myxoid leiomyomas are even rarer. So far, only 2 cases have been reported in the literature. Case Presentation: We aim to report the case of a 16-year-old female with a large lesion on the right hepatic lobe, grossly composed of gelatinous and heterogeneous tissue. Discussion: Histological evaluation revealed a benign mesenchymal neoplasm with expansive growth, paucicellular, with monotonous and dispersed spindle and ovoid cells, positive for α-smooth actin and h-caldesmon, without atypia or mitoses, consistent with the diagnosis of primary myxoid leiomyoma.
A Combination of the Mayo Adhesive Probability Score and the RENAL Score to Predict Intraoperative Complications in Small Renal Masses
Authors: Jin Dachun , Zhang Junyong , Zhang Yuanfeng , Ren Dong , Xu Guangyong , Ge Chengguo , Wang Delin , Zhang Weili
Published: December 2019

Introduction: To evaluate the potential predictive value of the Mayo Adhesive Probability (MAP) score combined with the RENAL score for intraoperative outcomes in retroperitoneal laparoscopic nephron-sparing surgery (NSS) in an Eastern Asian population. Methods: An initial of 388 patients undergoing retroperitoneal laparoscopic NSS were identified. MAP and RENAL scores were calculated according to CT and a logistic regression model was adopted as a combination of the RENAL score and the MAP score. Results: A total of 293 patients were included. The overall intraoperative complication rate was 7.5% (21 cases). The MAP score was found to correlate with operation time (OT; r = 0.169), estimated blood loss (EBL; r = 0.318), and intraoperative complications (r = 0.242). The RENAL score was correlated with warm is­chemia time (r = 0.503), OT (r = 0.334), intraoperative complications (r = 0.178), and EBL (r = 0.218). The MAP score and the RENAL score were reliable predictors of overall intraoperative complications, with areas under the curve (AUC) of 0.728 and 0.759, respectively. After combination of these 2 scores, the AUC of overall intra-operative complications was improved with statistical significance (AUC = 0.847, combination vs. RENAL score: p = 0.044 < 0.05; combination vs. MAP score: p = 0.005 < 0.05). Conclusion: The MAP score is an important predictor of EBL, OT, and intraoperative complications in retroperitoneal laparoscopic NSS and its combination with the RENAL score showed a superior predictive value compared to a single score in overall intraoperative complications. The MAP score might be considered in preoperative radiologic aspects as regularly as the RENAL score.
Evaluation of Patients with High National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale as Thrombectomy Candidates Using the Kentucky Appalachian Stroke Registry
Authors: Grewal Parneet , Dobbs Michael R. , Pennypacker Keith , Kryscio Richard J. , Kitzman Patrick , Wolfe Marc , Elkins Kelley , Bix Gregory J. , Fraser Justin F.
Published: December 2019

Introduction: Mechanical thrombectomy has become standard of care for emergent large vessel occlusive stroke. Estimates of incidence for thrombectomy eligibility vary significantly. National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) of 10 or greater is highly predictive of large vessel occlusion. Using our Kentucky Appalachian Stroke Registry (KApSR), we evaluated temporal trends in stroke admissions with NIHSS ≥10 to determine patient characteristics among that group along with effects and needs in thrombectomy utilization. Methods: Using the KApSR database that captures patients throughout the Appalachian region in our stroke network, we evaluated patients admitted with ischemic stroke with NIHSS ≥10. We recorded demographics, comorbidities, treatment (thrombectomy, decompressive craniectomy), and county of origin. Change in NIHSS from admission to discharge was used as an indicator of inpatient outcome. Results: Between 2010 and 2016, 1,510 patients were admitted with NIHSS ≥10. 87.2% had high blood pressure, 69.6% had dyslipidemia, and 41.7% used tobacco. There were significant sex differences in the types of patients presenting with NIHSS ≥10 with females being older on average and having more atrial fibrillation and obesity. There was an increase in thrombectomy utilization from 2010 to 2016, but only 7.5% of the potentially eligible patients underwent the procedure. In comparison to the period 2010–2014, the 2015–2016 period had higher rates of obesity and tobacco abuse. Conclusion: Among patients with significant burden of ischemic stroke, the most common coexisting medical condition was high blood pressure. Patients who underwent thrombectomy had significantly better inpatient clinical improvement. These data support the need to maximize utilization of thrombectomy along with need to devote increased resources on modifiable stroke risk factors.
ОГЛЯД МЕТОДІВ УЛЬТРАЗВУКОВОЇ ДІАГНОСТИКИ ДИСПЛАЗІЇ КУЛЬШОВОГО СУГЛОБУ ТА ВИЗНАЧЕННЯ НАЙБІЛЬШ ПРИЙНЯТНИХ ІЗ НИХ ДЛЯ КОМП'ЮТЕРНОГО ПРОГНОЗУВАННЯ ЗАХВОРЮВАННЯ
Authors: Bilynsky Y. Y. , Nikolskyy O. I. , Huralnyk A. B. , Pogoriliy V.V.
Published: December 2019

Зроблено огляд методів ультразвукової діагностики дисплазії кульшового суглобу (ДКС) та визначення найбільш прийнятних із них для комп'ютерного прогнозування захворювання. Основними методами ультразвукового дослідження для діагностики кульшового суглобу є методи Графа, Розендаля, Харке й Моріна, Терьєсена, Дальстрьома. Окрім наведених методів, успішно розвиваються динамічні методи ДКС, засновані на вже відомих методах.

Показано, що використання комп'ютерних технологій має перспективи в діагностиці дисплазії кульшового суглобу. Система діагностики та класифікації ДКС, заснована на суб'єктивному оцінюванні кісткового трикутника вертлюжної западини і даху хряща, а також на вимірах кута даху вертлюжного хряща (в кута) та кута нахилу вертлюжної западини (а кута), метод Графа. Крім того, діагностика ДКС може бути зроблена іншими методами. Описано вимірювання охоплення головки стегнової кістки, як в методі Моріна.

Для комп'ютерного аналізу найбільш прийнятні методи, що використовують вимірювання геометрії елементів кульшового суглобу. Методи Графа з модифікацією методом Розендаль, метод Харке-Моріна, метод Терьесена, на думку авторів, найбільше підходять із розглянутих, для комп'ютерного оброблення, вимірювання та комп'ютерного розпізнавання ДКС немовляти.
Reclassification of Ischemic Stroke Etiological Subtypes on the Basis of High-Risk Nonstenosing Carotid Plaque
Authors: Kamel Hooman , Navi Babak B. , Merkler Alexander E. , Baradaran Hediyeh , Díaz Iván , Parikh Neal S. , Kasner Scott E. , Gladstone David J. , Iadecola Costantino , Gupta Ajay
Published: December 2019

Background and Purpose—

Carotid artery plaque with <50% luminal stenosis may be an underappreciated stroke mechanism. We assessed how many stroke causes might be reclassified after accounting for nonstenosing plaques with high-risk features.

Methods—

We included patients enrolled in the Cornell Acute Stroke Academic Registry from 2011 to 2015 who had anterior circulation infarction, magnetic resonance imaging of the brain, and magnetic resonance angiography of the neck. High-risk plaque was identified by intraplaque hemorrhage ascertained from routine neck magnetic resonance angiography studies using validated methods. Infarct location was determined from diffusion-weighted imaging. Intraplaque hemorrhage and infarct location were assessed separately in a blinded fashion by a neuroradiologist. We used the McNemar test for matched data to compare the prevalence of intraplaque hemorrhage ipsilateral versus contralateral to brain infarction. We reclassified stroke subtypes by including large-artery atherosclerosis as a cause if there was intraplaque hemorrhage ipsilateral to brain infarction, regardless of the degree of stenosis.

Results—

Among the 1721 acute ischemic stroke patients registered in the Cornell Acute Stroke Academic Registry from 2011 to 2015, 579 were eligible for this analysis. High-risk plaque was more common ipsilateral versus contralateral to brain infarction in large-artery atherosclerotic (risk ratio [RR], 3.7 [95% CI, 2.2–6.1]), cryptogenic (RR, 2.1 [95% CI, 1.4–3.1]), and cardioembolic strokes (RR, 1.7 [95% CI, 1.1–2.4]). There were nonsignificant ipsilateral-contralateral differences in high-risk plaque among lacunar strokes (RR, 1.2 [95% CI, 0.4–3.5]) and strokes of other determined cause (RR, 1.5 [95% CI, 0.7–3.3]). After accounting for ipsilateral high-risk plaque, 88 (15.2%) patients were reclassified: 38 (22.6%) cardioembolic to multiple potential etiologies, 6 (8.5%) lacunar to multiple, 3 (15.8%) other determined cause to multiple, and 41 (20.8%) cryptogenic to large-artery atherosclerosis.

Conclusions—

High-risk carotid plaque was more prevalent ipsilateral to brain infarction across several ischemic stroke subtypes. Accounting for such plaques may reclassify the etiologies of up to 15% of cases in our sample.
Influence of Expected Reward on Temporal Order Judgment
Authors: Rakhshan Mohsen , Lee Vivian , Chu Emily , Harris Lauren , Laiks Lillian , Khorsand Peyman , Soltani Alireza
Published: December 2019

Perceptual decision-making has been shown to be influenced by reward expected from alternative options or actions, but the underlying neural mechanisms are currently unknown. More specifically, it is debated whether reward effects are mediated through changes in sensory processing, later stages of decision-making, or both. To address this question, we conducted two experiments in which human participants made saccades to what they perceived to be either the first or second of two visually identical but asynchronously presented targets while we manipulated expected reward from correct and incorrect responses on each trial. By comparing reward-induced bias in target selection (i.e., reward bias) during the two experiments, we determined whether reward caused changes in sensory or decision-making processes. We found similar reward biases in the two experiments indicating that reward information mainly influenced later stages of decision-making. Moreover, the observed reward biases were independent of the individual's sensitivity to sensory signals. This suggests that reward effects were determined heuristically via modulation of decision-making processes instead of sensory processing. To further explain our findings and uncover plausible neural mechanisms, we simulated our experiments with a cortical network model and tested alternative mechanisms for how reward could exert its influence. We found that our experimental observations are more compatible with reward-dependent input to the output layer of the decision circuit. Together, our results suggest that, during a temporal judgment task, reward exerts its influence via changing later stages of decision-making (i.e., response bias) rather than early sensory processing (i.e., perceptual bias).
Traces of Meaning Itself: Encoding Distributional Word Vectors in Brain Activity
Authors: Sassenhagen Jona , Fiebach Christian J.
Published: December 2019

How is semantic information stored in the human mind and brain? Some philosophers and cognitive scientists argue for vectorial representations of concepts, where the meaning of a word is represented as its position in a high-dimensional neural state space. At the intersection of natural language processing and artificial intelligence, a class of very successful distributional word vector models has developed that can account for classic EEG findings of language, that is, the ease versus difficulty of integrating a word with its sentence context. However, models of semantics have to account not only for context-based word processing, but should also describe how word meaning is represented. Here, we investigate whether distributional vector representations of word meaning can model brain activity induced by words presented without context. Using EEG activity (event-related brain potentials) collected while participants in two experiments (English and German) read isolated words, we encoded and decoded word vectors taken from the family of prediction-based Word2vec algorithms. We found that, first, the position of a word in vector space allows the prediction of the pattern of corresponding neural activity over time, in particular during a time window of 300 to 500 ms after word onset. Second, distributional models perform better than a human-created taxonomic baseline model (WordNet), and this holds for several distinct vector-based models. Third, multiple latent semantic dimensions of word meaning can be decoded from brain activity. Combined, these results suggest that empiricist, prediction-based vectorial representations of meaning are a viable candidate for the representational architecture of human semantic knowledge.
The Philippine Pro-Parliamentary Position and the Comparative Constitutional Design Literature
Authors: Torres Crisline G.
Published: December 2019

This paper aims to illustrate how the comparative literature on constitutional design that is skeptical of the pro-parliamentary claims can be employed to critically review one of the central arguments of the Philippine pro-parliamentary position. This argument is the claimed superiority of parliamentary over presidential systems in promoting more efficient and harmonious executive-legislative relations and in avoiding political gridlock between the two branches. The paper argues that the counter-arguments of some comparative constitutional design scholars pose serious challenges to the validity of the Philippine pro-parliamentary position. Hopefully, this preliminary effort can serve as a template that can be used and developed by those interested in pursuing a similar comparative constitutional design literature-based criticism of the other arguments raised by Filipino parliamentary advocates.
The Convergence of Religious Legal Consciousness in the Context of Global Migration Processes
Authors: Yuri Arsenovich Reyent (Reent) , Abdurazakov Akhmed Abdurakhmanovich , Abolmasova Tatiana Evgenjevna , Kuchenev Andrey Vlademerovich , Khvan Tat’yana Sergeevna
Published: December 2019

The purpose of this research is to identify the peculiarities of religious legal consciousness and to review the conflicts, gaps, and additional specific problems arising amidst a convergence of peoples confessing Islam within the European legal-cultural domain. Approaching this question from the perspective of Russian scholarship, the authors evaluate and apply methods of inquiry such as sociological surveys and analysis of law enforcement practices, together with historical, dialectico-materialistic, interdisciplinary, and logical approaches. The given article highlights problems of cultural interaction with special reference to the role of religion in this process, including relative degrees of legal implementation of religion and the influence of religion on personality formation. Here religion is regarded both as a means of social regulation and as a reflection of the specific characteristics and cultural environment of a particular community with its concepts of justice, legality, and ethics. In general, modern secular states fail to take into account the different roots of religious legal consciousness in different cultures, instead perceiving the legality of a juridical fact through the prism of their own respective cultures. Nonetheless, understanding the mechanisms through which legal consciousness forms – including the impact of religion on such formation – represents an important tool for addressing and resolving a number of grave social problems.
Secular Governance and Islamic Law
Authors: Caeiro Alexandre
Published: December 2019

In this paper I examine the uses of the concept of minority by contemporary Muslim public intellectuals engaged simultaneously in discussions about the status of Muslims in the West and the place of non-Muslims in the Islamic world. I show how the concept of minority – rendered in Arabic through the neologism aqalliyya – is both problematic and indispensable to the discussions taking place in the transnational spaces of Islamic normative debate. Drawing on Saba Mahmood’s work, I argue that the minority question is both a strategy of modern secular governance and a tool used by a set of actors pursuing different projects. I suggest that the Islamic traditions that are often seen as foundational to the inequalities that shape the life of non-Muslims in the Middle East are in fact more ambiguous in their effects than they may appear at first sight. Although Islamic legal discourse has been predicated on a hierarchy that places non-Muslims in a subaltern status, it also embodies universalist norms that serve to counter some of these inequalities – even if the goals it articulates and the language it deploys are not always immediately intelligible within a modern context.
Piety, Practice and Habitus: Saba Mahmood’s Dialogue with Aristotle and His Legacy
Authors: Turner Bryan S.
Published: December 2019

The article concentrates primarily on Saba Mahmood’s Politics of Piety in order to explore her treatment of agency in women’s piety movements. It argues that, while the influence of Judith Butler and Pierre Bourdieu on her work is obvious, the influence of Aristotle on her key concepts (agency, habitus, practice, and embodiment) has been neglected in the general literature. Aristotle’s treatment of ethics and politics has a natural affinity with Mahmood’s views on politics, religion and the ethical life. In addition, it is well known that Aristotle through numerous translations had an important impact on the Arab world and Islamic philosophy. Particular attention is given to Aristotle’s idea of Eudaimonia or flourishing as the ultimate aim of human activity. Mahmood’s criticisms of Bourdieu give a special emphasis to the importance of training and education in the creation of a pious habitus, and offer an alternative to the blunt determinism of Bourdieu’s ideas about habitus. Finally, Mahmood’s telling criticisms of the secularist assumptions behind the sociology and anthropology of religion were an important, if controversial, element in her understanding of Islam.
Cosmology, Gender, Structure, and Rhythm
Authors: Palmer David A.
Published: December 2019

This article interrogates the near-complete absence of China as a source of materials and inspiration for constructing theoretical concepts and models in mainstream sociology and anthropology. I outline the story of the largely forgotten mutual engagements, influences, and missed connections between the work of the French sociologist and sinologist Marcel Granet (1884–1940), whose work revolved around Chinese religion, and key figures in the history of sociological and anthropological theory, exemplified by Durkheim, Mauss, and Lévi-Strauss. My purpose is to restore Granet—and, through Granet, China—in the genealogy of classical anthropological and social theory. This involves showing how Granet’s work was informed by the theoretical debates that animated his mentors and colleagues in the French sociological school, and how he, in turn, directly or indirectly influenced subsequent theoretical developments. It also involves raising questions about the implications of connections that were missed, or only briefly evoked, by theoreticians in subsequent generations. These questions open bridges for advancing a mutually productive dialogue between the study of Chinese cosmology, religion, and society, and theory construction in sociology and anthropology.
The Continent of the Gods
Authors: Lagerwey John
Published: December 2019

It first occurred to me some thirty years ago that Shenzhou 神州, translated “continent of the gods,” was a perfect way of talking about “China in the Daoist mirror.” It made it possible to think of China as a series of concentric spaces, going from the self to the cosmos, all structured in the same away around nodal points occupied by gods. Because it revealed a dense organization at every level, this space-based approach led me as well to call into question the classic distinction between “diffused” and “organized” religion. Subsequent work, both historical and in the field, gradually enabled me to see this as a long evolutionary history which begins with elite attacks on spirit-medium religion in the Warring States and culminates with the emergence of popular religion in the Song. This religion includes popular versions of the Three Teachings, but it is built around the local, anthropomorphic gods whose primary task was the protection of bounded territory and whose natural servants were the ever-maligned spirit-mediums.
Rethinking Mediumship in Contemporary Wenzhou
Authors: Junliang PAN
Published: December 2019

The study of spirit mediums has drawn the attention of international scholars from the 1960s onward, and the topic continues to thrive. Yet little work has been done on spirit mediums in mainland China, which have mainly been glimpsed through studies of mediumship in Taiwan. This article draws on ethnographic research to explore the diverse traditions of spirit mediums in Wenzhou. While spirit mediums are viewed with ambivalence, they play a significant role within broader Chinese folk religions. It is crucial to understand spirit mediums through the appropriate cultural context in order to understand their diverse practices and roles in local society. I discuss why Wenzhou’s mediumship should be regarded as a form of shamanism in spite of differences between its discourse and practices and those of Minnan mediumship, as well as those of Siberian or Korean shamanism.
Creepy No More
Authors: Chan Selina Ching
Published: December 2019

Ever since the classification of Hong Kong’s Chaozhou Hungry Ghosts Festival as a national-grade intangible cultural heritage in 2011, a series of conservation activities have been initiated by some local Chaozhou communities, ngos, and the Hong Kong government. One of these activities is the Chaozhou Hungry Ghosts Cultural Festival, and this paper discusses the heritagization of religious festivals by examining the invention of this festival. The Cultural Festival reveals how the elite-cum-businessmen attempt to educate the general public, to promote the festival so as to reverse its decline in popularity, and to celebrate ethnic culture and Chinese culture. To overwrite the old-fashioned stereotypical creepy images associated with the traditional Hungry Ghosts Festival, new programs featuring spectacular and fun elements have been invented. This paper delineates how these newly invented programs highlight and promote moral and cultural meanings and capture the attention of the general public, especially the younger generation, thereby attracting wider participation in the festival. I will discuss how the spectatorial, participatory, and educational aspects of the Cultural Festival are meant to attract domestic visitors as well as international tourists. Nevertheless, the majority of worshippers and local organizers do not have a significant role in the Cultural Festival.
Simone de Beauvoir et ses lecteurs
Authors: Strasser Anne
Published: December 2019

C’ est pour « parler au lecteur de personne à personne » que Beauvoir se lance dans l’ écriture autobiographique en 1958. Elle semble y être parvenue, si on en juge par les nombreux lecteurs qui lui ont écrit pour lui parler à leur tour de personne à personne. Nous voudrions ici étudier la présence des lecteurs dans l’ autobiographie beauvoirienne : on y découvre le souci principal de l’ auteur, soit « dissiper les malentendus » tant à propos d’ elle-même que de ses œuvres. On y lit aussi sa conception d’ une littérature engagée, étroitement liée à celle de son rapport à autrui, idéalement fait de réciprocité.
Sirr al-ʿālamayn: un Ġazālī apocrifo o inaspettato?
Authors: Carusi Paola
Published: December 2019

Sirr al-ʿālamayn wa kašf mā fī’l-dārayn is a work whose attribution to al-Ġazālī has long been debated, and whose authenticity today is almost unanimously denied. In what may be considered as its second part, it contains some passages relating to alchemy and its operations that seem to be worthy of reflection. Such passages, present in a work attributed to Ġazālī, do not necessarily cast further doubts on its attribution; because if on the one hand some passages are to be considered perhaps a bit too ‘audacious’, on the other a non-negligible part of the work is dedicated to Ġazalian themes treated in a way that appears parallel to what is expressed in authentic works. After examining different arguments for and against the attribution to Ġazālī, arguments destined however to leave the question open, we realize that the Sirr being or not being a work by Ġazālī is not the most interesting thing in our research: for a historian of science, and in particular of alchemy, the main contribution of this work is in the role that it plays over time in its diffusion and among its readers: be it authentic or not authentic, this work, as attributed to Ġazālī, probably contributed to creating or consolidating the image of a Ġazālī connoisseur of alchemy and magic, and perhaps also to relating the search for transmutation to the search for God; a not insignificant circumstance, if we consider the progressive affirmation of a ‘spiritual’ reading of alchemy and transmutation.
Al-Ġazālī e il “buon mercante”
Authors: Francesca Ersilia
Published: December 2019

Medieval economic thought broke down the boundaries set by the natural economy and placed the merchant on a higher level than the farmer or the artisan. Rich merchants represented a powerful and respected class in Islamic world, near power without ever acquiring the capacity to manage or condition it. Merchant behaviour was considered the correct (or at least partially correct) way to use money. Trading meant putting money (and wealth in general) in circulation; so like charity and alms, it guarantees the virtuous circulation of goods within the community.

Taking clearly stimulus from Abū Ṭālib al-Makkī (d. 996), al-Ġazālī (d. 1111) represents the moral weakness and ambiguity of the merchant and his constant hovering in society as a figure lying between selfish greed and public usefulness. This is not the author’s aversion to earnings and trade; on the contrary he considered the merchant to be part of the “natural order” of things. Only through “exchange” can man satisfy all his needs, and the market/merchant is the link between the producer (farmer and artisan) and consumer. In this way a complex society is created in which the accumulation of wealth is essential for further development and where the market itself – the law of supply and demand – defines the “fair price”. Thus al-Ġazālī recognises the importance of trade in the economy of the Muslim world and, like Abū Ṭālib al-Makkī, he dictates the rules for behaviour for a “good merchant”.
Why is English Green? The Preference for English on Environmental Discourse at a Thai University
Authors: Jocuns Andrew
Published: December 2019

This paper reports on an analysis of environmental discourse, or green discourse, in the linguistic and geosemiotic landscape of a Thai university. The overwhelming majority of green discourse signs at the university are in English and where they are bilingual (Thai and English), they tend to contain English in the preferred position. The language usage on the signage is also shown to be related to the sociolinguistics of globalization (Blommaert 2010) in terms of scale, indexical order, and polycentricity. These data are triangulated with data collected from walking interviews with students. The literature on ecolinguistics, the ecology of language and green discourse are reviewed within the context of the present study. The analysis focuses upon the geosemiotics (Scollon and Scollon 2003) of green discourse and how such discourse reflects patterns of the sociolinguistics of globalization.
Language Choice as a Technology of Talk: A Case Study of Thai Teacher Trainees
Authors: de Groot Freek Olaf
Published: December 2019

This paper discusses the ways Thai teacher trainees of English conceptualize their language choices inside the classroom, the affordances and constraints this creates for their learning and how it affects their identifications as teacher trainees. Drawing on data from a longitudinal ethnographic study in central Thailand, this paper describes how language choice functions as a ‘technology of talk’ (Jones 2016) that creates both affordances and constraints for our social interaction and the ways our identity is negotiated in social interaction in the classroom. It demonstrates that language choice, in societies in which our literacy practices are increasingly mediated by digital technology, is not only conceptualized through discourses on the situated appropriateness of literacy practices in the classroom, but also influenced by an extended network of digital literacy practices students engage outside the classroom. These digital literacy practices afford new ways of expressing, doing and saying in languages that are otherwise scarcely accessible outside the classroom. Engaging in these practices constructs networks of widely dispersed literacy practices forming intricate nodes between both online and offline sites and gradually permeate traditionally bounded spaces such as the classroom.
The sprightly little sphaerodactyl: Systematics and biogeography of
the Puerto Rican dwarf geckos Sphaerodactylus (Gekkota, Sphaerodactylidae)
Authors: DAZA JUAN D. , PINTO BRENDAN J. , THOMAS RICHARD , HERRERA-MARTINEZ ALEXANDRA , SCANTLEBURY DANIEL P. , GARCÍA LUIS F. PADILLA , BALARAMAN RAJESH P. , PERRY GAD , GAMBLE TONY
Published: December 2019

Studies of the Caribbean herpetofauna (amphibians and reptiles) have made significant contributions to our knowledge of evolutionary patterns and processes. A prerequisite for these studies are accurate taxonomies and robust phylogenetic hypotheses. One notable Caribbean radiation lacking such data are dwarf geckos of the genus Sphaerodactylus. Systematics of the Puerto Rican Sphaerodactylus have been turbulent since the initial species descriptions and no molecular phylogenies exist that include complete or near-complete taxon sampling. Here, we combine a multi-locus molecular phylogeny with extensive morphological information to investigate the current diversity of Sphaerodactylus geckos from the Puerto Rican Bank, with a large number of species from Hispaniola as an outgroup. In particular, we focus our efforts on resolving the taxonomy of the Sphaerodactylus macrolepis Günther species complex. We find S. macrolepis sensu lato (currently two nominal species with nine subspecies) is made up of at least four diagnosable species within two clades: (1) the sister species Sphaerodactylus macrolepis sensu stricto from the Virgin Islands (including St. Croix) and Culebra, and S. parvus King from islands in the northern Lesser Antilles; and (2) all other Sphaerodactylus macrolepis subspecies from Puerto Rico, Vieques, and Culebra. We resurrect Sphaerodactylus grandisquamis Stejneger from synonymy to refer to all subspecies from Puerto Rico and elevate the subspecies Sphaerodactylus inigoi Thomas & Schwartz for geckos from Vieques and western Culebra. The resulting phylogeny and revised taxonomy will be a useful tool for subsequent research into Sphaerodactylus conservation and evolution.
One new species of Mycterothrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) from southern Iran
Authors: ALICHI MAHMOOD , MINAEI KAMBIZ
Published: December 2019

The genus Mycterothrips, with 36 species worldwide, is primarily Holarctic, but with several species occurring in the Old World tropics including Australia and Africa (ThripsWiki 2019). The species apparently all feed and breed on leaves, although adults can disperse widely onto many plants. An identification key to 27 species was provided (Masumoto & Okajima 2006), but seven further species were subsequently described from Iran (Mirab-balou et al. 2011; Alavi et al. 2013; Minaei et al. 2017) and a key for distinguishing nine species from this country was presented by Alavi et al. (2013). Recently two further new species were described from tea plants together with a key for 10 species in China (Li et al. 2017).
Fusion Process Neural Networks Classifier Oriented Time Series
Authors: Li Ge , Jing Hu , Guangsheng Chen
Published: December 2019

Based on the consideration of complementary advantages, different wavelet, fractal and statistical methods are integrated to complete the classification feature extraction of time series. Combined with the advantage of process neural networks that processing time-varying information,
we propose a fusion classifier with process neural network oriented time series. Be taking advantage of the multi-fractal processing nonlinear feature of time series data classification, the strong adaptability of the wavelet technique for time series data and the effect of statistical features
on the classification of time series data, we can achieve the classification feature extraction of time series. Additionally, using time-varying input characteristics of process neural networks, the pattern matching of timevarying input information and space-time aggregation operation is realized.
The feature extraction of time series with the above three methods is fused to the distance calculation between time-varying inputs and cluster space in process neural networks. We provide the process neural network fusion to the learning algorithm and optimize the calculation process of the
time series classifier. Finally, we report the performance of our classification method using Synthetic Control Charts data from the UCI dataset and illustrate the advantage and validity of the proposed method.
Landslide Detection Device Using Global Positioning System Module Sensor Technology
Authors: Singh Swati , Gupta Sheifali , Gupta Rupesh , Singla Kamali
Published: December 2019

A landslide detection device includes a memory, a microprocessor coupled to the memory, a sensor module communicatively coupled to the microprocessor and a plurality of sensors, a Global Positioning System module (GPS) communicatively coupled to the microprocessor, the plurality of
sensors, and a server, a global system for Mobile communications module (GSM) communicatively coupled to the microprocessor and the server, wherein the microprocessor is configured to collect, through the sensor module, data associated with an area gathered through the plurality of sensors,
acquire through the GPS, location parameters associated with the plurality of sensors, identify, based on analysis of the collected data at the server, likelihood of a landslide like event and transfer, through the GSM.
Towards Pending Interest Table Management Solutions in Named Data Networking
Authors: Gupta Divya , Rani Shalli , Ahmed Syed Hassan , Hussain Rasheed
Published: December 2019

The transition of current Internet from host-centric communication to content-centric communication has been realized due to rapid growth in the number of users and their demands. Named Data Network (NDN) has emerged as Future Internet Architecture to meet the demands related to content
oriented communication. Among other data structures such as Forwarding Information Base (FIB) and Content Store (CS), Pending Interest Table (PIT) holds record of the pending interests for which response has not yet received. Despite the benefits of PIT for fast packet forwarding (such as
address less communication, loop detection, multi-path routing, packet aggregation, efficient bandwidth utilization), there are challenges faced by PIT. These challenges include name lookup speed, PIT memory consumption and PIT Entry Lifetime (PEL) that may render PIT as a bottleneck and hence
will affect the system performance. In this paper, we thoroughly and systematically study the PIT management schemes. Our study covers the solutions for PIT management spanning over the last 7 years. As far as considering our learning, we are the first to study PIT based on both PIT memory
size reduction to achieve fast look-up speed and different PEL calculation schemes. The study will help the research community in modeling better and optimized PIT management solutions. The paper also presents the research trends on the basis of different regions, publishing outlets, contributing
patterns etc. in the field of PIT management in NDN.
Recommender System: Towards Classification of Human Intentions in E-Shopping Using Machine Learning
Authors: Kaur Babaljeet , Sharma Richa , Rani Shalli , Gupta Deepali
Published: December 2019

Recommender systems were introduced in mid-1990 for assisting the users to choose a correct product from innumerable choices available. The basic concept of a recommender system is to advise a new item or product to the users instead of the manual search, because when user wants to
buy a new item, he is confused about which item will suit him better and meet the intended requirements. From google news to netflix and from Instagram to LinkedIn, recommender systems have spread their roots in almost every application domain possible. Now a days, lots of recommender system
are available for every field. In this paper, overview of recommender system, recommender approaches, application areas and the challenges of recommender system, is given. Further, we study conduct an experiment on online shoppers’ intention to predict the behavior of shoppers using
Machine learning algorithms. Based on the results, it is observed that Random forest algorithm performs the best with 93% ROC value.
A Efficient Resource Utilization Flexible Trust Based Secure Signal Transmission in Pervasive Computing Environment
Authors: Mohan Ajay , Batra Neera
Published: December 2019

In today’s environment, pervasive computing plays important role to perform data transmission between IoT objects in distributed environment which communicate, each other directly without any centralized object. Security is very challenging task in pervasive computing where simulation
environment is distributed. In this paper, an attempt has been made to resolve this kind of issues and a secure trust based signals transmission in distributed environment of pervasive computing mechanism has been proposed. In this trust value of each IoT object is calculated on the basis
of their context information and these objects have been distinguished on the basis of this trust value that either the object is trusted or not. Later, propose a mechanism to enhance utilization of energy of resources used in smart office environment and this has been implemented in ONE (Opportunistic
Network Environment) simulator.
Resource Scheduling in Fog: Taxonomy and Related Aspects
Authors: Malik Swati , Gupta Kamali
Published: December 2019

The era of technological advancements has arisen the need to cultivate the research process to its fullest extent. Emerging technologies in the domain of service-oriented paradigms have engrossed the users in the network manifestation and its computing paradigms. The world of utility
computing has successfully rendered a helping hand to its customers by offering computing paradigms like cloud, fog and other similar utilities. Therefore, reaping the benefits of such models could rapidfire services in a very short span of time. Besides, faster service time has been made
viable by enablement of fog computing paradigm. Therefore, exploiting its resource utilization to maximum point would lead maximized profit to the providers of the services. Mechanisms needs to be devised that could efficaciously manage resources. This the orientation of this paper has been
directed towards exploring all the resource management techniques in fog model and current challenges that are prevailing in existing mechanisms.
High Isolation Superwideband Monopole Antenna with Mitigation of Dual Interfering Bands (WiMAX/C and Satellite Communication System in X Band) for Wireless Applications
Authors: Kapil Manoj , Sharma Manish
Published: December 2019

In this manuscript, a dual notched superwideband Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO) monopole antenna is verified in frequency, time and spatial domain. Antenna occupies space of 18340.787 mm3 and is printed on (Rogers RT Duroid5880) microwave substrate. Proposed antenna
is capable of covering bandwidth 2.66 GHz–22.31 GHz with bandwidth ratio > 10:1. Proposed antenna rejects WiMAX/C band (3.28 GHz–4.36 GHz) which is obtained by using L-shaped stub connected with ground and X-band satellite downlink/uplink interference is removed by etching inverted
U-shaped slit in microstrip feedline. Also, antenna offers maximum gain of and radiation efficiency of 5.30 dBi and 96.20% respectively in operating band. Proposed antenna also shows good diversity performance in terms of ECC (Envelope Correlation Coefficient), DG (Directive Gain) and TARC
(Total Active Reflection Coefficient).
Drivers and Barriers of Telemedicine in India: Seeking a New Paradigm
Authors: Bakshi Sonika , Tandon Urvashi , Mittal. Amit
Published: December 2019

Telemedicine has emerged as a solution to the triad of accessibility, cost and quality in case of healthcare delivery systems world over. Despite its immense potential, its rate of usage is disappointingly low. The research identifies various factors influencing telemedicine acceptance
in India. A modified version of UTAUT2 (Unified Theory of Acceptance and use of Technology is proposed to understand the integration of telemedicine by doctors in India. Government policy, support of the senior management and project team capability are additional variables being proposed
in the study. Along with the drivers, the barriers and moderators affecting the behavior intention and actual usage of telemedicine in India are also identified through literature review. The results would assist policy makers and healthcare managers to recognize the variables influencing
the acceptance, adoption and diffusion of telemedicine and, therefore, realize its potential in an emerging country like India.