bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Film Zostawcie Robinsona! czyli węgiersko-kubańska interpretacja przygód bohatera powieści Defoe oraz inne filmowe adaptacje losów Robinsona Crusoe
Authors: Bubak Grzegorz
Published: July 2020

Historia Robinsona Crusoe została w filmie opowiedziana wielokrotnie, czasem z dochowaniem wierności oryginałowi literackiemu, częściej z licznymi odstępstwami i mniej lub bardziej pomysłowymi wariantami. Twórcy różnej rangi i autoramentu wpisywali przygody bohatera w liczne schematy gatunkowe, poczynając – w sposób najbardziej naturalny – od filmu przygodowego, a kończąc na komedii i science fiction. Inspiracji dostarczał raczej Daniel Defoe niż prototyp jego bohatera – Alexander Selkirk. Co ciekawe, daleko idące transkrypcje przygód Robinsona pojawiły się już w latach trzydziestych ubiegłego wieku. O tym, co działo się wcześniej, niewiele wiadomo. Filmy, o których informacje można znaleźć, przeważnie uchodzą za zaginione. W swoim tekście piszę o węgiersko-kubańskiej wersji przygód Robinsona Crusoe oraz o innych filmach, które w pewnym stopniu mogły być dla reżysera tego dzieła, Pétera Tímára inspiracją.
Comparison of Two Techniques of Pattern Recognition in the Image Analysis-Based Wheat Stalk Length Characterization
Authors: Benthien Jan Thore , Heldner Sabrina , Seppke Benjamin , Hörbelt Jan
Published: July 2020

The chaff quality or, more specifically, the distribution of stalk length after straw shredding during wheat harvest with a combined harvester is of significant interest for ploughless tillage practices. The currently applied characterization methods (manual length measurement or the cascade sieve analysis) are time-consuming and labour-intensive. Image analysis-based size characterization has the potential to solve these problems. In this study, two techniques of digital image processing, the well-known method of image moments (rectangular model) and a sub-pixel skeletonization approach (flow lines-tracing), were applied comparatively for stalk length measurement. Upon applying the rectangular model, the analyzed stalks were found to be longer than when the flow lines-tracing algorithm was applied. This was attributed to the unbiased decision criteria of the measuring method. A greater length of the stalk is to be expected in the main stalk than when the length of a twisted or branched stalk is measured from the edge length of a rectangular box that encloses it.
The Study of Particle Size Distribution of Micronized Oat Bran Layer
Authors: Dziki Dariusz , Tarasiuk Wojciech , Łysiak Grzegorz , Jochymek Paweł
Published: July 2020

The aim of this work was to study the particle size distribution of micronized oat bran. An impact classified mill was used to pulverizing. Before the pulverizing raw material was sterilized using overheated steam at 150°C during 3.5 min. The moisture of bran after sterilization decreased from 7.2 to about 3.9%. Five speeds of the rotor disc were used: 2600, 2970, 3340, and 3710 rpm. For each speed of the rotor disc the following speeds of classifier wheel were applied: 480, 965, 1450, 1930, 2410 and 2890 rpm. The particle size distribution of oat bran layer was measured by laser light scattering. Moreover, the sense of touch of coarse particles of micronized oat bran on a tongue was assessed according to five point scale. The largest fragmentation of the oat bran was obtained at a disc speed of 3710 rpm and at a classifier rotation speed of 1930 rpm, whereas the most coarse particles were obtained when these parameters were 3340 rpm and 480 rpm, respectively. On the other hand, the highest uniformity in size of particles in size was observed when the lowest speed of disc and classifier were used. Moreover, for the most samples the pulverized particles of oat bran were almost not discernible on tongue.
Assessment of Selected Parameters of Sowing Quality of Vistula Parsley Seeds with a Precision Seed Drill with a Pneumatic Seeding System
Authors: Ignaciuk Szymon , Zarajczyk Janusz
Published: July 2020

Results of laboratory tests on the sowing quality of Vistula parsley seeds with a working section of a seed drill by Weremczuk company Max Pneumatic S 156 model with a pneumatic sowing system were presented. Tests of the sowing section of a seed drill were carried out in laboratory conditions on a special stand. They showed that the seed drill speed and rotations of the sowing disc have a significant impact on the sowing quality expressed with participation of single, double sowing and passes. The most favourable results at all set distances between seeds in a row were obtained with a seed drill speed of 1 km·h−1. On the other hand, the increase of the working speed of a seed drill and rotations of a sowing disc influenced significantly the deterioration of the sowing quality.
A Few Bad Friends: Dynamics of Male Dominance and Failure of Masculine Bonding in David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross
Authors: Hashemi Mahsa
Published: July 2020

David Mamet is often considered as the quintessential dramatist of American urban life whose stage is peopled exclusively, and at times questionably, with men. Glengarry Glen Ross is the outstanding epitome of Mamet’s avid engagement with the world of men and their primordial, instinctive thirst for dominance, authority, and the celebration of their masculine prowess. Exploring the turbulent dynamics of male interactions determined and affected by contemporary capitalism, the present study investigates the disturbed depiction of masculinity and male bonding. Mainstream masculinity has been fundamentally linked to power and organized for domination. Historically changing and politically fraught, masculinity is the product of social learning or socialization. Rather than a celebration of the camaraderie of men, as most criticisms of Mamet focus upon, it is argued that the play highlights the failure of such fellowship and the tragic consequences. In Mamet, capitalism and the market economy do to men what in a patriarchal system men do to women: marginalize, dominate, displace. Men, therefore, are losing their cultural centrality, and with that, their capacity for constructive male bonds. Glengarry Glen Ross faithfully captures the sad ethos of American capitalism. The dynamics of dominance and success, the exercise of power, and the hierarchies of control lead to a dysfunctional network of male connections and interactions. Men are expected to develop more instrumentally functioning abilities and roles while maintaining the more expressively dominant roles they used to possess. Caught in between, they are only subject to alienation. This is the paradox of contemporary American men.
Autonom autobiografisch: Zu Thomas MannsDie Entstehung des Doktor Faustus
Authors: Hermann Lukas
Published: July 2020

In its peritext, Thomas Mann’sEntstehung des Doktor Faustusis described as a “Roman eines Romans”. The essay reasons that this description of its genre as well as structural aspects of its composition mark it as an autobiographical text. Instead of following most studies on theDoktor Faustus, which regard theEntstehungsimply as a documentary source for exposing autobiographical intricacies of Mann’s novel, textual evidence for theEntstehung’s autonomy is given. The analysis focuses first on the structural frame of theEntstehungin order to show Mann’s central techniques of autobiographical self-stylization. In this context auto-fictional elements can also be identified. Exemplary passages from two longer sections are taken into account based on these findings. While theDoktor Faustusis a recurrent topic in these passages, it is not, by any means, the only one. Combined with varying autobiographical writing techniques, theEntstehungis thus displaying continuous independence from theFaustus. Based on these insights, future Mann studies on both works may reevaluate the role of theEntstehungfor the reception of theFaustusand the status of autobiographical literature in the works of Thomas Mann.
Levantinizing the Balkans: Outlines for a Literary Geography of Encounters
Authors: Snel Guido
Published: July 2020

The debate on the ‘where’ of the Balkans seem to be stuck between national paradigms and a nostalgia for cosmopolitanism. This essay explores an alternative spatial mapping of the region, opening it up to the wider Eastern-Mediterranean, in particular the fuzzy and contested notion of the Levant. First, it looks into various instances of ‘the Levant’ and ‘the Levantine,’ ranging from Turkish and Greek to Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian examples – with a particular focus on the latter. Secondly, by then ‘levantinizing’ the Balkans, in an explicit analogy to Édouard Glissant’s understanding of ‘creolization’ in the Caribbean, it attempts to draw the outlines of a geography of encounters. Finally, it offers a sample of what such a geography might look like and what its literary-historical repercussions might be, bringing together the work of Semezdin Mehmedinović and Etel Adnan.
Thingspeak-based respiratory rate streaming system for essential monitoring purposes
Authors: Jarjees Mohammed S. , Ayoub Mohammed G. , Farhan Mazin N. , Qassim Hassan M.
Published: July 2020

Introduction

Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases are the most common disease worldwide. Asthma and sleep apnea are the most prevalent of pulmonary diseases. Patients with such chronic diseases require special care and continuous monitoring to avoid any respiratory deterioration. Therefore, the development of a dedicated and reliable sensor with the aid of modern technologies for measuring and monitoring respiratory parameters is very necessary nowadays.

Objective

This study aims to develop a small and cost-effective respiratory rate sensor.

Methods

A microcontroller and communication technology (NodeMCU) with the ThingSpeak platform is used in the proposed system to view and process the respiratory rate data every 60 s. The total current consumption of the proposed sensor is about 120 mA. Four able-bodied participants were recruited to test and validate the developed system.

Results

The results show that the developed sensor and the proposed system can be used to measure and monitor the respiratory rate.

Conclusions

The demonstrated system showed applicable, repeatable, and acceptable results.
Corporate Social Responsibility and Wage Inequality
Authors: Pi Jiancai , Zhao Runzhi
Published: July 2020

This paper analyzes how corporate social responsibility (CSR) generates an impact on wage inequality. We find that wage inequality decreases (resp. increases) with the degree of CSR when the substitution elasticity between unskilled labor and capital in the production of the urban sector is sufficiently small (resp. large).
Monocyte distribution width (MDW) as a screening tool for sepsis in the Emergency Department
Authors: Agnello Luisa , Bivona Giulia , Vidali Matteo , Scazzone Concetta , Giglio Rosaria Vincenza , Iacolino Giorgia , Iacona Alessandro , Mancuso Silvia , Ciaccio Anna Maria , Lo Sasso Bruna , Ciaccio Marcello
Published: July 2020

Objectives

The diagnosis of sepsis in the Emergency Department (ED) is challenging and a reliable biomarker is needed. The current study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of monocyte distribution width (MDW) for the early identification of sepsis in the ED.

Methods

We performed a large observational study including consecutive adult patients (≥18 years of age) presenting to the ED between September and November 2019, with an order for complete blood count (CBC) evaluation. A total of 2,215 patients were enrolled and classified based on Sepsis-2 criteria as the control group (1,855), infection group (172), Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) group (100), and sepsis group (88).

Results

MDW levels were higher in patients with sepsis than in all other groups (p<0.001). ROC curve analysis showed an optimal diagnostic accuracy of MDW for sepsis prediction at a cut-off point of 23.5, with an AUC of 0.964, sensitivity and specificity of 0.920 and 0.929, respectively.

Conclusions

Our findings encourage further investigation to validate the use of MDW as a screening tool for the early identification of patients at risk of sepsis in the ED.
Lower nasopharyngeal viral load during the latest phase of COVID-19 pandemic in a Northern Italy University Hospital
Authors: Clementi Nicola , Ferrarese Roberto , Tonelli Marco , Amato Virginia , Racca Sara , Locatelli Massimo , Lippi Giuseppe , Silvestri Guido , Clementi Massimo , Mancini Nicasio
Published: July 2020

Objectives

A milder clinical course of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has been anecdotally reported over the latest phase of COVID-19 pandemic in Italy. Several factors may contribute to this observation, including the effect of lockdown, social distancing, lower humidity, lower air pollution, and potential changes in the intrinsic pathogenicity of the virus. In this regard, the clinical severity of COVID-19 could be attenuated by mutations in SARS-CoV-2 genome that decrease its virulence, as well as by lower virus inocula.

Methods

In this pilot study, we compared the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) amplification profile of 100 nasopharyngeal swabs consecutively collected in April, during the peak of SARS-CoV-2 epidemic, to that of 100 swabs collected using the same procedure in May.

Results

The mean Ct value of positive samples collected in May was significantly higher than that of samples collected in the previous period (ORF 1a/b gene: 31.85 ± 0.32 vs. 28.37 ± 0.5, p<0.001; E gene: 33.76 ± 0.38 vs. 29.79 ± 0.63, p<0.001), suggesting a lower viral load at the time of sampling. No significant differences were observed between male and females in the two periods, whilst higher viral loads were found in (i) patients over 60-years old, and (ii) patients that experienced severe COVID-19 during the early stages of the pandemic.

Conclusions

This pilot study prompts further investigation on the correlation between SARS-CoV-2 load and different clinical manifestation of COVID-19 during different phases of the pandemic. Laboratories should consider reporting quantitative viral load data in the molecular diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Bayesian estimation of generalized partition of unity copulas
Authors: Masuhr Andreas , Trede Mark
Published: July 2020

This paper proposes a Bayesian estimation algorithm to estimate Generalized Partition of Unity Copulas (GPUC), a class of nonparametric copulas recently introduced by [18]. The first approach is a random walk Metropolis-Hastings (RW-MH) algorithm, the second one is a random blocking random walk Metropolis-Hastings algorithm (RBRW-MH). Both approaches are Markov chain Monte Carlo methods and can cope with ˛at priors. We carry out simulation studies to determine and compare the efficiency of the algorithms. We present an empirical illustration where GPUCs are used to nonparametrically describe the dependence of exchange rate changes of the crypto-currencies Bitcoin and Ethereum.
The properties of lubricated friction pairs with diamond-like carbon coatings
Authors: Kowalczyk Joanna , Milewski Krystian , Madej Monika , Ozimina Dariusz
Published: July 2020

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the properties of diamond-like carbon DLC coatings with ionic liquids and cutting fluid containing zinc aspartate used as lubricants. The DLC coatings (a–C:H) were deposited onto the 100Cr6 steel substrate by physical vapour deposition PVD. The surface morphology testing, cross section and chemical composition analyses of the DLC coatings were performed using the scanning electron microscope, equipped with an EDS microanalyzer. Surface geometry measurements prior to and after tribological tests were performed on a confocal microscope with interferometry. The tribological tests were carried out on an Anton Paar TRB3 tribometer under technically dry friction and lubricated conditions with an ionic liquid, trihexyltetradecylphosphonium bis (trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide and 1–butyl– 3–methylimidazolium bis (trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide and cutting fluid with zinc aspartate. The results show that DLC coatings and ionic liquids can significantly reduce resistance to motion.
All-optical non-conjugated multi-functionalized photorefractive polymers via ring-opening metathesis polymerization
Authors: Pei Haiyan , Liu Yingliang , Wang Dongfang , Wang Jin , Wang Chunjiang , Wu Yanzhao , Pan Wei , Su Chaohua , Song Meng , Cao Shaokui
Published: July 2020

Non-conjugated multi-functionalized all-optical photorefractive (PR) polymers were designed and synthesized via ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of two monomers using Grubbs II catalyst as an initiator. The polymers were characterized by infrared (IR) spectrum, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), UV-visible spectrum (UV-Vis), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetry (TG) and so on. The number-average molar mass (M
n) of the polymers is no less than 8.5 × 104 while their glass transition temperatures of 52°C and 45°C are close to the room temperature, which is helpful to the enhancement of PR orientation and the fabrication of PR devices. The polymers have good thermal stability and great solubility in tetrahydrofuran (THF). Without any plasticizer, the transparent optical films can be prepared by solution-casting with THF solution of polymers. Their PR properties at 633 nm were evaluated by two beam coupling (TBC) experiments under zero electric field without prepoling. It is shown that the single-component polymer has obvious all-optical PR behavior.
Assessing the Social Entrepreneurship Business Model: An Exploratory Case Study in the Italian Cultural Heritage Sector
Authors: Cucari Nicola , D’Angelo Eugenio , Esposito Eduardo , Ciasullo Maria Vincenza
Published: July 2020

Social entrepreneurship (SE) has gained prominence in recent years, becoming a primary field of study and providing rich research opportunities that are both challenging and intriguing. This paper seeks to fill the knowledge gap in this field by improving the understanding of business models of SE and, more specifically, investigating how social entrepreneurs design their business models in order to create both social and economic value. Using the abductive approach method, the paper explores a single case study that enquires about the business model of the social enterprise named “La Paranza Cooperative”, located in southern Italy and operating in the cultural heritage industry. Our main theoretical contribution lies in illustrating and formalising the ambidexterity perspective through which social enterprises simultaneously pursue goals that are apparently contradictory, such as economic and social ones. Furthermore, on the practical side, we assess the win–win managerial mechanisms that benefit social enterprises through their external environment as a bundle of distinctive resources while contributing to its requalification. Finally, our explorative study opens-up for deeper and more detailed future research on the business model of SE.
„ich gelobe euch, weniger in fantastischem Übermut zu luxurieren, frömmer, kindlicher zu sein“
Authors: Heimböckel Hendrick
Published: July 2020

Die philologische Frage danach, welche Gattungen es gibt, welche Merkmale sie auszeichnen und wann sie entstehen, können von unterschiedlichen Perspektiven aus gestellt werden: Analysen textimmanenter Strukturen eröffnen einen Blick, der über einzelne Epochen hinausgeht, oder zeigen, wie sich verschiedene Gattungen verändern, einander annähern oder in Vergessenheit geraten. Hingegen ermöglichen Untersuchungen mit dem Fokus auf poetologische Aussagen, zeitgenössische Gattungsverständnisse zu rekonstruieren. In diesem Sinne konzentriert sich der Artikel auf Vorreden und Rahmenerzählungen romantischer Kindermärchen der 1810er und 1820er Jahre. An der Frage orientiert, wie Vorreden und Rahmenerzählungen von Kindermärchen der deutschsprachigen Romantik Einbildungskraft semantisieren, rekonstruiert der Aufsatz dreierlei: (1) die Bedeutung, die der Einbildungskraft im Kontext der Kinder- und Jugendliteratur in den 1810er und 1820er Jahren beigemessen wird, (2) die Konturen, die die Gattung des Kindermärchens anhand der Reflexionen auf Einbildungskraft annimmt, sowie (3) den Verlust des frühromantischen Absolutheitsanspruchs der Einbildungskraft in poetologischen Aussagen über das romantische Kindermärchen.
The end of the affair: Catholic plots and sinful detectives
Authors: Valente Simão
Published: July 2020

The first paragraph of Greene’sThe End of the Affairestablishes a clear link between two of the major themes of the novel: storytelling and Catholicism. Maurice Bendrix, the first-person narrator, considers whether it is his craft as a professional writer that leads him to begin telling his story the way he does, or, were he a believer, whether the hand of God played a role in organizing the events that he retells. The order in which a story is told is pitted against the chronological order of the events depicted, this contrast in turn masking the one between human choice and divine intervention. The gist of the story is the affair Bendrix conducted with Sarah Miles, and its unexpected and unexplained end at her behest a year before the opening scene, at the height of the Blitz. That mystery is the crux of the plot, for Bendrix’s obsession with uncovering it leads him to hire a private detective, Parkis, whose exploits allow Greene to appropriate the narrative structure of detective fiction to frame his work, especially in what concerns what Franco Moretti called a “double system of meanings”, following Todorov’s work on detective fiction: the superficial level of investigation hides the deeper level of the crime which is only revealed at the end. My suggestion is that Greene’s novel operates under this system, superimposing it to his concerns with jealousy, religion, and how to tell it. The concern with God, however posits issues of authorship and narrative that go beyond the classical detective story. The interplay between narrative time and experienced time expressed in the novel’s initial paragraph is in this way rendered more complicated by a detective story’s reliance on its conclusion for it to “work”. Although theThe End of the Affairopens by emphasizing its own opening, both title and structure point to the source of meaning: the end.
Characteristics of radio-frequency/vacuum combined with mechanical press drying of heavy softwood timbers with longitudinal kerf
Authors: Zhao Xuefeng , Lee Changjin
Published: July 2020

The aim of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of radio-frequency/vacuum combined with mechanical press (RF/VP) drying on three softwood timbers (Douglas fir, Hemlock, and Radiata pine) with longitudinal kerfs. The results were as follows: Due to the dielectric permittivity of wood, RF/VP drying at a fixed frequency of 13.56 MHz significantly influenced the moisture content (MC) distribution, the number of surface checks, shrinkage, and warp. These observations were attributed to the formation of a temperature gradient along the charge plate during the drying. The presence or absence of pith, more affected an occurrence of surface checks than that of the stresses within the wood during drying. The longitudinal kerf reduced the number of surface checks, but did not affect the MC distribution or the twist after drying.
Properties of a formaldehyde-free tannin adhesive and mechanical strength of oriented bamboo scrimber board bonded with it
Authors: Chung Min-Jay , Chang Tzu-Cheng , Chang Shang-Tzen , Wang Sheng-Yang
Published: July 2020

In this study, oriented bamboo scrimber board (OBSB) was manufactured with a synthesized formaldehyde-free tannin adhesive. The chemical properties of the tannin adhesive were analyzed with 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (13C-NMR) and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFT). Results revealed that 70% aqueous acetone extractives of Acacia confusa bark (AcBAE) contained abundant phenolic compounds and condensed tannins comprising mainly B-type flavonoid bonds. Moreover, cross polarization magic angle spinning (CP/MAS) 13C-NMR mapping of cured Acacia confusa bark tannin glue (AcBTanGlu) revealed that condensed tannin reacted with hexamethylenetetramine to form a polymer with a cross-link structure through a polymerization mechanism. According to the results obtained from gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) analysis, no formaldehyde was emitted from AcBTanGlu-glued OBSB. Thermogravimetric analysis indicated that AcBTanGlu significantly improved the thermal stability of AcBAE after the curing reaction. Comparison of the DRIFT spectra of bamboos before and after AcBTanGlu-glued treatment indicated AcBTanGlu did not impact the chemical functional properties of the bamboo. Compared to phenol formaldehyde (PF) and urea formaldehyde (UF)-glued OBSBs, AcBTanGlu-glued OBSBs statistically had lower modulus of elasticity (MOE) and modulus of rupture (MOR). As for the nail withdraw resistance, AcBTanGlu-glued OBSBs are statistically comparable to PF-glued OBSBs and higher than UF-glued OBSBs.
Temperature-dependent proportional limit stress of SiC/SiC fiber-reinforced ceramic-matrix composites
Authors: Li Longbiao
Published: July 2020

In this paper, the temperature-dependent proportional limit stress (PLS) of SiC/SiC fiber-reinforced ceramic-matrix composites (CMCs) is investigated using the micromechanical approach. The PLS of SiC/SiC is predicted using an energy balance approach considering the effect of environment temperature. The relation between the environment temperature, PLS, and composite damage state is established. The effects of the fiber volume, interface properties, and matrix properties on the temperature-dependent PLS and composite damage state of SiC/SiC composite are analyzed. The experimental PLS and interface debonding length of 2D SiC/SiC composites with the PyC and BN interphase at elevated temperatures are predicted. The temperature-dependent PLS of SiC/SiC composite increases with the fiber volume, interface shear stress and interface debonding energy, and the matrix fracture energy and decreases with the interface frictional coefficient at the same temperature.
Bharatamuni’s hāsya in Nāṭya Śāstra and Bergson’s Laughter: A comparative study of the aesthetics of the comic
Authors: Venkat Vishaka , Balakrishnan Vinod
Published: July 2020

The paper elucidates the “paradox of comedy”—a perpetual philosophical concern regarding the nature of theatrical/stage comedy—through a cross-cultural comparison between Bharatamuni’s (circa 500 A.D.) and Henri Bergson’s (1859–1941) theorization of the comic and thereupon, fathoms the Indian comic tradition in the canon of comedy studies. Bharata’s hāsya in Nāṭya Śāstra and Bergson’s Laughter become tenable for a comparative aesthetic study as they approach the stagecraft of the comic socio-aesthetically. The comic paradox implies the tension in the nature of comedy, which on one hand has to arouse emotion in the audience and simultaneously, has to detach them from the emotion for the comic manifestation. This is further elaborated through: the personal and social nature of the comic; the absence and presence of feeling; the degrees of the comic paradox through detachment and indifference; the identification and isolation of the character; the aim of the comedy. The authors argue for Bergson’s position of the comic as an ‘outward’ and Bharata’s as an ‘inward-outward’ operation. The study also includes an appendix, which validates Bergson’s approach to laughter as the earliest attempt to dedicate an elaborate study on the nature of the comic.
Endocannabinoids release after Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment. A brief review
Authors: Buscemi Andrea , Martino Simona , Scirè Campisi Santi , Rapisarda Alessandro , Coco Marinella
Published: July 2020

Objectives

Since 70’s, scientific research has analyzed how many acute and chronic issues can affect body systems. In case of depression, chronic pain and overtraining, centrals and peripherals systems act to manage and maintain body adaptations. The aim of this study is to evaluate if the osteopathic treatment can increase the release of Cannabinoid receptor (CB) and promote the linkage with their receptors.

Content

Documents research is based on PubMed and Google Scholar databases. Keywords used were “osteopathic treatment”, “manual therapy”, “endocannabinoid”, “beta endorphin (BE)”, and “ CB1” “massage”. From 70 articles collected (published in the last 10 years) 52 were excluded as non-relevant to the study aim.

The Key points have been the similar results found by different authors during different treatment periods and with different doses. From 22 articles examined, 13 have established positive effects on CB increasing post osteopathic treatment, three articles have indicated the most targeted tissues in which the substances are most expressed, two articles indicate how physical activities produce antalgic effects by increasing CB’s values.

Outlook

As a result of this review, osteopathic manipulation treatment seems to be a valid and effective instrument for the treatment of a series of pathologies such as chronic low back pain, fibromyalgia, spinal cord lesions, myofascial graft point, migraine, GI tract dysfunctions, and depression.
On the odd order composition factors of finite linear groups
Authors: Betz Alexander , Chao-Haft Max , Gong Ting , Ter-Saakov Anthony , Yang Yong
Published: July 2020

In this paper, we study the product of orders of composition factors of odd order in a composition series of a finite linear group.
First we generalize a result by Manz and Wolf about the order of solvable linear groups of odd order.
Then we use this result to find bounds for the product of orders of composition factors of odd order in a composition series of a finite linear group.
Convergence and stability analysis of the half thresholding based few-view CT reconstruction
Authors: Huang Hua , Lu Chengwu , Zhang Lingli , Wang Weiwei
Published: July 2020

The projection data obtained using the computed tomography (CT) technique are often incomplete and inconsistent owing to the radiation exposure and practical environment of the CT process, which may lead to a few-view reconstruction problem.
Reconstructing an object from few projection views is often an ill-posed inverse problem.
To solve such problems, regularization is an effective technique, in which the ill-posed problem is approximated considering a family of neighboring well-posed problems.
In this study, we considered the

ℓ

1
/
2

{\ell_{1/2}}

regularization to solve such ill-posed problems.
Subsequently, the half thresholding algorithm was employed to solve the

ℓ

1
/
2

{\ell_{1/2}}

regularization-based problem.
The convergence analysis of the proposed method was performed, and the error bound between the reference image and reconstructed image was clarified.
Finally, the stability of the proposed method was analyzed.
The result of numerical experiments demonstrated that the proposed method can outperform the classical reconstruction algorithms in terms of noise suppression and preserving the details of the reconstructed image.
Wavelength division multiplexing techniques based on multi transceiver in low earth orbit intersatellite systems
Authors: Alatwi Aadel M. , Zaki Rashed Ahmed Nabih , El-Gammal Eman Mohsen
Published: July 2020

System performance, which depends on the data transmission rates and propagation distances between two satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) based on wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) techniques, is thoroughly studied. This study demonstrates the effect of WDM techniques on multi transceiver inter-satellite wireless optical communications. The system performance parameters with propagation distance at a multiple transceiver system are discussed using two previous models. The system performance parameters are investigated with 250 Gb/s transmission bit rates and 5000 km propagation distances for 16 transceiver systems. The maximum quality factor (Q factor), light peak signal per noise ratio, and signal peak per noise ratio are the primary important performance parameters in this study.
On the application of nature-inspired grey wolf optimizer algorithm in geodesy
Authors: Yetkin M. , Bilginer O.
Published: July 2020

Nowadays, solving hard optimization problems using metaheuristic algorithms has attracted bountiful attention. Generally, these algorithms are inspired by natural metaphors. A novel metaheuristic algorithm, namely Grey Wolf Optimization (GWO), might be applied in the solution of geodetic optimization problems. The GWO algorithm is based on the intelligent behaviors of grey wolves and a population based stochastic optimization method. One great advantage of GWO is that there are fewer control parameters to adjust. The algorithm mimics the leadership hierarchy and hunting mechanism of grey wolves in nature. In the present paper, the GWO algorithm is applied in the calibration of an Electronic Distance Measurement (EDM) instrument using the Least Squares (LS) principle for the first time. Furthermore, a robust parameter estimator called the Least Trimmed Absolute Value (LTAV) is applied to a leveling network for the first time. The GWO algorithm is used as a computing tool in the implementation of robust estimation. The results obtained by GWO are compared with the results of the ordinary LS method. The results reveal that the use of GWO may provide efficient results compared to the classical approach.
Expert advice about therapeutic exercise during pregnancy reduces the symptoms of sacroiliac dysfunction
Authors: Filipec Manuela , Matijević Ratko
Published: July 2020

Objectives

There are growing evidence that exercise improves sacroiliac dysfunction symptoms in pregnant women; but no data about the effect of expert advice regarding this matter. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of expert advice about therapeutic exercise on sacroiliac dysfunction in pregnancy.

Methods

A total of 500 women with sacroiliac dysfunction diagnosed in pregnancy were randomized in study and control group. Study group has conducted expert advice on therapeutic exercise; while control group continued with their normal lifestyle. Pain intensity by Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and degree of functional disability by Quebec scale were assessed at enrolment and after 3 and 6 weeks.

Results

Significantly better reduction in pain intensity assessed by VAS (p=0.001) and degree of functional disability assessed by Quebec scale (p=0.001) was noted in study compared to control group. Better results for both outcome measures were obtained if intervention was implemented earlier i.e., in second (p=0.001; p=0.001) compared to third (p=0.005; p=0.001) trimester. Strong positive correlation was found between pain intensity and degree of functional disability in both groups.

Conclusions

Expert advice on therapeutic exercise is effective in reduction of sacroiliac dysfunction symptoms during pregnancy.

Trial registration

ACTRN12617000556347
unrechtliche peinliche schmehung oder dem gemeinen nutz nuetzlich?Eine Fallstudie zur Normenkonkurrenz im Schmähschriftprozess des 16. Jahrhunderts
Authors: Siegemund Jan
Published: July 2020

Libel played an important and extraordinary role in early modern conflict culture. The article discusses their functions and the way they were assessed in court. The case study illustrates argumentative spaces and different levels of normative references in libel trials in 16th century electoral Saxony. In 1569, Andreas Langener – in consequence of a long stagnating private conflict – posted several libels against the nobleman Tham Pflugk in different public places in the city of Dresden. Consequently, he was arrested and charged with ‘libelling’. Depending on the reference to conflicting social and legal norms, he had therefore been either threatened with corporal punishment including his execution, or rewarded with laudations. In this case, the act of libelling could be seen as slander, but also as a service to the community, which Langener had informed about potentially harmful transgression of norms. While the common good was the highest maxim, different and sometimes conflicting legally protected interests had to be discussed. The situational decision depended on whether the articulated charges where true and relevant for the public, on the invective language, and especially on the quality and size of the public sphere reached by the libel.
Between Universalism and Fundamentalism: A Critique on the Position of Conservative Shia Clergy on Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran
Authors: Peykani Jalal , Khalili Mostafa
Published: July 2020

The Islamic Republic of Iran is unsecular and follows religious interpretations from Shia Islam in deciding the laws of the land. In recent decades, the strengthening of civil society in the country has shaped various political debates on human rights among secular intellectuals and reflected in the discourse of some religious figures as well. While the regime has officially adopted the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam (CDHRI) since 1990, different views on the Islamic human rights and its social implications still exist among the conservative and reformist Shia clergy within the country. This paper examines the view of an influential conservative pro-regime clergy, Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi, who has been concerned about the Western interpretation of human rights and engaged in its theorization based on his interpretation of Shia Islam. He has criticized the theoretical and philosophical foundations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and its each single item and has also proposed his own version of the Islamic Declaration of Human Rights and Obligations. While Islamic fundamentalists have no concrete theoretical support for their negative view of the Western conceptions regarding human rights, Mesbah Yazdi’s approach is based on a reading of Shia theology and Sadraean ontology. He engages in a dialogue with the Western ideologies and rejects UDHR after philosophical and theological reasoning. His stance can be viewed as a reflection of the unsecular political Shia Islam as the main characteristic of the conservative faction within the Islamic Republic of Iran which results in serious policy and social implications on the rights of the people living in the country.
Synthesis and crystal structure of 3-N-acetyl-5-(pyridin-3-yl)-2-(quinolin-2-yl)-1,3,4-oxadiazoline, C18H14N4O2
Authors: Yu Xiang , Peng Lu , Wang Xin , Chen Ya-Fang
Published: July 2020

C18H14N4O2, triclinic, P1̄ (no. 2), a = 7.6557(7) Å, b = 11.0905(8) Å, c = 11.3544(9) Å, α = 61.6430(10)°, β = 73.600(2)°, γ = 75.397(2)°, V = 805.86(11) Å3, Z = 2, R
gt(F) = 0.0609, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.1633, T = 298 K.
Crystal structure of 4,4′-(oxybis(methylene))bis(bromobenzene), C14H12Br2O
Authors: Lo Kong Mun , Lee See Mun , Tiekink Edward R.T.
Published: July 2020

C14H12Br2O, monoclinic, C2 (no. 5), a = 29.7356(3) Å, b = 5.88712(4) Å, c = 11.10915(9) Å, β = 99.1700(8)°, V = 1919.88(3) Å3, Z = 6, R
gt(F) = 0.0166, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.0443, T = 100(2) K.
Cooperation, Media and Framing Processes
Authors: Jönsson Anna Maria , Karlsson Mikael
Published: July 2020

Cooperation and communication play an important role for environmental governance. This holds true for the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe, one of the most disturbed ecosystems in the world, where insufficient cooperation between different stakeholders is one reason for goal failure. This article addresses the linkages between (media) framing on the one hand, and cooperation on the other. The case in focus is a set of negotiations related to the Baltic Sea Action Plan, the most central governance strategy in the Baltic Sea region. Our results show that in order to influence political decision-making, key stakeholders compete over the power to define and interpret problems, causes and solutions to an extent impeding cooperation. We focus the analysis on eutrophication, which we show to be a complex and controversial topic, framed in incompatible ways by different stakeholders.
Examining the Experiences of Older Women with ICTs
Authors: Ratzenböck Barbara
Published: July 2020

A current empirical study explores how Austrian women aged 60 to 70 use and ascribe meaning to ICTs such as television, radio, mobile phone, computer or the Internet. In the study, life-graphs, semi-structured interviews, and indoor walking interviews are used to examine the everyday usage and interpretation of ICTs by older women, coming from various social backgrounds and living in the Austrian region of Styria. Analysing empirical material of the study, this paper focuses on the interrelation of generation-specific media practices and individual (media) biographies as they both influence older women's usage of and attitude towards ICTs. By using Maierhofer's concept of “anocriticism” as a frame for the analysis of the material in addition to Mannheim's idea of “generation location”, it becomes possible to elaborate on a more nuanced understanding of the relation between collective experiences within time and individual life-course perspectives in the context of ICTs.
Types of allography
Authors: Meletis Dimitrios
Published: July 2020

Variation in writing is highly frequent at both the visual and the functional levels. However, as of yet, the associated notion of allography has not been systematically described. In this article, two major types of allography are proposed: graphetic allography, conceptually comparable to allophony, depends on visual similarity and captures how concrete units are associated with visual abstractions, i.e., how three graphs in  are instances of the basic shape |a|. Graphematic allography, conceptually closer to allomorphy, does not depend on visual similarity but groups together units that share the same function, i.e., represent the same linguistic unit (phoneme, syllable, morpheme, etc.) and are complementarily distributed, meaning there exist no contexts in which they contrast. An example is the positionally conditioned alternation between |σ| vs |ς| for the Greek grapheme <σ>. By means of a number of criteria, subtypes of graphetic and graphematic allography are proposed and examples are given from different writing systems. A special case that is discussed is the complex phenomenon of capitalization. Additionally, examples of variation phenomena that are not included in the concept of allography are given, and orthographic variation is addressed as a marginal case of variation dependent on the norm rather than the system.
The state of Spanish /s/ variation in Concepción, Chile: Linguistic and social trends
Authors: Rogers Brandon M. A.
Published: July 2020

The current study examines /s/ variation in the southern-central city of Concepción, Chile and its relation to a variety of linguistic and social factors. A proportional-odds mixed effects model, with the random factor of “speaker”, was used to treat the categorically coded data on a continuum of acoustical variation ([s] > [h] > ∅). The results presented show that contrary to the previous assertions, heavy sibilant reduction, especially elision, in Concepción, Chile is the rule, rather than the exception, to the extent that it is no longer a marker of certain social demographics as has been reported previously. Furthermore, based on the trends reported, it is likely that this has been the case for several decades. Finally, the overall observed trends are indicative that the rates of /s/ elision will continue to increase across social demographics and different phonetic and phonological contexts in Concepción, Chile.
A mitigator in Mandarin: the sentence-final particleba(吧)
Authors: Fang Hongmei , Hengeveld Kees
Published: July 2020

It has been widely claimed in the literature that the sentence-final particlebain Mandarin Chinese is a modal element. This article argues against this claim and shows thatbais an element that has a unified mitigating function with scope over the utterance as a whole. Using the framework of Functional Discourse Grammar (FDG), and more specifically its hierarchical, layered organization, the article provides several arguments that support this new classification ofba. First,ba, like mitigators in general, but unlike modal elements, can occur in sentences with different basic illocutions. Second,bamay co-occur with modal elements of all different subtypes and thus cannot be a modal element itself. Third,bamay occur in sentences in which the speaker is highly confident of the propositional content. Fourth, unlike modal elements,bamay occur in certain types of non-propositional utterances. And fifth, the position thatbaoccupies with respect to other sentence-final particles shows that it has scope over the utterance as a whole. After thus arguing for the status ofbaas a mitigator, we show how the general mitigating function ofbacan acquire the more specific mitigating effects that have previously been attributed to it in the literature.
A multimodal discourse analysis of English dentistry texts written by Saudi undergraduate students: A study of theme and information structure
Authors: Alyousef Hesham Suleiman
Published: July 2020

The study of multimodality in discourse reveals the way writers articulate their intended meanings and intentions. Systemic functional analyses of oral biology discourse have been limited to few studies; yet, no published study has investigated multimodal textual features. This qualitative study explored and analyzed the multimodal textual features in undergraduate dentistry texts. The systemic functional multimodal discourse analysis (SF-MDA) is framed by Halliday’s (Halliday, M. A. K. 2014.Introduction to Functional Grammar. Revised by Christian M. I. M. Matthiessen. 4th ed. London/New York: Taylor and Francis) linguistic tools for the analysis of Theme and Kress and van Leeuwen’s (Kress, Gunther, and Theo van Leeuwen. 2006.Reading Images: The Grammar of Visual Design. London: Routledge) framework for the analysis of visual designs. Oral biology discourse intertwines two thematic progression patterns: constant and linear. Although a split-rheme pattern was minimally employed, disciplinary-specific functions of this pattern emerged. The SF-MDA of the composition of information in oral biology pictures extends Kress and van Leeuwen’s functional interpretations of the meaning-making resources of visual artifacts. Finally, the pedagogical implications for science tutors and for undergraduate nonnative science students are presented.
Metaphysical Primitives: Machines and Assemblages in Deleuze, DeLanda, and Bryant
Authors: Kleinherenbrink Arjen
Published: July 2020

Some variants of Object-Oriented Ontology define entities in terms of their powers. Such variants are rooted in Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari’s theory of “machinic assemblages”. This article asks whether such entities can be metaphysical primitives with regard to similarity and change. This is the case if no further existents are needed to account for these two features of reality. According to Levi Bryant’s machine-oriented ontology, entities defined in terms of powers are such primitives. According to Manuel DeLanda’s assemblage theory, they are not. DeLanda therefore holds that further metaphysical primitives must exist. After reconstructing the key features of the theories involved, I argue that Bryant’s position is ultimately more parsimonious, and that DeLanda’s theory confuses epistemological models with ontological realities.
Ἰουδαίαν in Acts 2:9: a Diachronic Overview of its Conjectured Emendations
Authors: Altena Vincent van , Krans Jan , Bakker Henk , Stoter Jantien
Published: July 2020

The appearance of Ἰουδαίαν in the table of nations (Acts 2:9–11) has troubled interpreters for centuries. Several scholars have proposed to emendate the text. The argumentations for such conjectures vary in elaboration and support. This article gives a diachronic overview of the conjectured emendations. It concludes with an evaluation of the discussion from a phenomenological perspective and a summary of the used argumentation, thereby providing input for a reversed engineering approach to the issue.