bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Opinie studentów z wybranych państw Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej na temat stosunku do zwierząt
Authors: Cynk Karolina
Published: December 2019

The purpose of this article is description of perception and valuation of animals by students from selected countries of Central and Eastern Europe. In the first part of article was presented the history of the relationship between human and animal. The theoretical part of text includes also reflections on the moral status of animals. In the second part of article was presented results of the research which was conducted by author in 2015. The subject of the researches was: “Environmental values in the awareness of the students of humanities and life sciences from the selected European countries”. The project was conducted based on the quantitative method. The sample was comprised 520 students. In the article proposes the following research problems: Does the perception of animals depend on the direction the respondents study? Does gender affect how respondents perceive animals? The questions and independent variables were nominal, and their analysis required the use of a chi-squared test to examine. On the base statistical calculations can be concluded that sex and faculty of study doesn’t differentiate respondent’s opinion about animals welfare. The lack of differences in opinions between respondents is explained by the fact that it is the result of specifics of cultural Central Eastern Europe, not of gender or field of study. Obtained conclusions are pushing for further research in this area.
Biomonitoring of concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in blood and urine of children at playgrounds within Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria
Authors: Wirnkor Verla Andrew , Ngozi Verla Evelyn , Ajero Chigbo Medo , Charity Lele Kelechi , Ngozi Okechukwu StellaMaris , Ebere Enyoh Christian , Emeka Amaobi Collins
Published: December 2019

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) exposure is among the leading air pollutants associated with diverse adverse health effects due to their persistent, bio-accumulative and toxic characteristics. Children are most affected by these pollutants, yet studies directly related children to these pollutants are scarce in Nigeria. In this study, blood and urine from 36 children between the ages 4-14 years were collected as per sterile procedures by a licensed phlebotomist from the antecubital fossa into BD vacutainer tubes® while a mid-stream urine sample into acid-washed 120 mL BD vacutainer urine cups and stored in refrigerator at –4˚C for 6 hours, then each 5 mL was extracted with 10 mL of pentane and analyzed for 15 PAHs using GC-MS. Results revealed that PAHs concentrations (53.48 to 70.8 μg/dL) in blood was lower than in urine (94.98 to 115.04 μg/dL). Mean values had no significant (p>0.5) differences between schools, possibly due to the fact that all schools were experiencing similar anthropogenic disturbances. At 5% level of significance, positive and strong correlationships (r=0.83, r=0.73) were observed for fluorene-fluoranthene (FLa) and benzo (a) anthracene-FLa respectively in blood samples. Two and three rings PAHs had generally low concentrations in both blood and urine. Despite being the most distributed compound, the concentration of dibenzo (a,h) anthracene was highest for urine than in blood. Urine PAHs showed higher concentration of carcinogenic PAHs than blood. Elimination ratios (ER) such as for acenaphthene (0.06) and anthracene (Ant; 0.11) were considered low while values such as for FLa (1.36) and indeno [1, 2, 3-cd] pyrene (1.55) were considered high ER. Trends in elimination ratios showed close similarity. In conclusion there was elevated PAHs in blood and urine of children with consequent high carcinogenic and then non-carcinogenic risks. This research is significant in setting the stage for more detailed work at same time alerting policy makers on the need for urgent mitigation steps that will reduce children exposure to this class of dangerous pollutants.
Hybrid Semantic Annotation: Rule-based and Manual Annotation of the Open American National Corpus with Top-Level Ontology
Authors: Andrade Guidson Coelho de , Oliveira Alcione de Paiva , Moreira Alexandra
Published: December 2019

O processamento de linguagem natural ainda enfrenta o desafio de fazer com que as máquinas compreendam o significado contido nas palavras que ocorrem em uma frase. A anotação semântica ajuda nesse processo adicionando metadados que atribuem significado aos lexemas. Existem diversos aspectos semânticos que podem ser anotados, tais como função, papel semântico e categorias ontológicas. As categorias ontológicas de nível superior adicionam informações sobre a natureza do conceito denotado pelo lexema e permitem eliminar ambiguidades. A proposta de trabalho é uma abordagem híbrida de anotação semântica baseada em ontologias de nível topo aplicadas a um corpus em inglês americano. A pesquisa é dividida em duas etapas de anotação, ambas usando as categorias de alto nível topo do Schema.org como rótulos de anotação. Na primeira etapa é criado um anotador baseado em regras, e na segunda etapa é feita uma anotação manual para correção e adição de rótulos no corpus anotado na etapa anterior. A contribuição deste trabalho é a geração de um corpus anotado que pode ser usado no treinamento de anotadores automáticos.
Geliebtes Monster. Die Bedeutung und Wirkung parasozialer Beziehungen im Quality TV
Authors: Godulla Alexander
Published: December 2019

Bei Quality TV handelt es sich um fiktionale Serienformate, die sich durch besonders hohe Komplexität auszeichnen. Die dort dargestellten Figuren sind vielschichtig und authentisch. Daher bieten sie sich in besonderer Weise als Anknüpfungspunkte für sogenannte parasoziale Interaktionen (PSI) und parasoziale Beziehungen (PSB) an. Damit wird die menschliche Bereitschaft beschrieben, mit unerreichbaren Personen oder inexistenten Wesen kurz- oder langfristige Bindungen einzugehen. Dieser Beitrag stellt neben diversen Forschungsergebnissen zu dieser Thematik auch ausgewählte Resultate von zwei neuen Studien vor. Diese setzen sich mit den Fragen auseinander, wie wichtig dem Publikum das Erleben von PSB im Verhältnis zu anderen Aspekten von Quality TV ist und ob dadurch die Zustimmung zu ethisch bedenklichen Verhaltensweisen zunimmt.
„Die verhängnisvolle Neigung der Medien…“ Plädoyer für einen Humanitären Journalismus
Authors: Hafez Kai
Published: December 2019

Der Mediendiskurs über Migrant_innen und Geflüchtete (re-)produziert ethnisch-religiöse Stereotype und trägt eine Mitverantwortung für Fremdenfeindlichkeit. Medien können aber auch Agenten des Kosmopolitismus sein. Der Essay reflektiert die Frage, inwieweit die Labilität des Diskurses nicht nur auf politische und ökonomische Einflüsse, sondern auch auf eine ethische Verunsicherung der Medien zurückzuführen ist. Durch die Verschiebung der Globalisierung in den Innenraum der Gesellschaften entstehen Probleme des diskursstrukturellen Rassismus und der populistischen Öffentlichkeit, die von den Medien und ihren Standesvertretern zu wenig reflektiert werden. Der Essay plädiert für ein Nachdenken über eine Ethik des „Humanitären Journalismus“, die die Medien als zentrale Akteure der Globalisierung in die Pflicht nimmt und zugleich ihre Autonomie in humanitären Belangen stärkt.
Gender and the Sportification of Mountaineering: Case Studies
Authors: Pfister Gertrud , Gems Gerald R.
Published: December 2019

The topic of this article is the history of mountaineering using the concepts of gender and “sportification” as theoretical frameworks. Mountains have been and in many regions of the world still are deserted areas which may be accessed by hunters or used in the valleys for goat and sheep framing. People who had to cross them used, as far as possible, the valleys. These attitudes and practices changed in the second half of the 19th century when climbing developed as a sport and when increasing numbers of male “alpinists” competed for first ascents. As this sport was difficult, strenuous and dangerous, mountains were considered as “playing grounds” of men. However, there were some female mountaineers who accompanied men or even climbed with other women. A specific focus of this article will be on the women who, in the true sense of the term, conquered new grounds countering gender stereotypes and the femininity ideals of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Sekundäre Traumatisierung bei ehrenamtlichen FlüchtlingshelferInnen. Eine querschnittliche Analyse von Risiko- und Schutzfaktoren
Authors: Leuteritz Sophie , Thomsen Tamara , Bockmann Ann-Katrin
Published: December 2019

Zahlreiche ehrenamtliche HelferInnen engagieren sich derzeit für die Integration von Flüchtlingen. In Anlehnung an Studien zu Sekundärer Traumatisierung (ST) bei TraumatherapeutInnen wurde an N = 231 ehrenamtlichen FlüchtlingshelferInnen die Prävalenz von ST und deren Zusammenhang mit emotionaler Empathie als Risikofaktor sowie verschiedenen Copingstrategien als Risiko- und Schutzfaktoren anhand einer Online-Befragung untersucht. Die Prävalenz von ST lag bei 10,5%. Insbesondere emotional empathische FlüchtlingshelferInnen zeigten höhere Werte in ST. Dysfunktionale Copingstrategien verstärkten diesen Zusammenhang. Es konnten keine schützenden Copingstrategien identifiziert werden, sodass es diesbezüglich weiterer Forschung bedarf.
Perspektiven und Handlungslogiken der Integration von Geflüchteten an beruflichen Schulen: Einblicke aus Sachsen/Deutschland
Authors: Glorius Birgit , Schondelmayer Anne-Christin
Published: December 2019

Am Beispiel einer Studie zur Bildungsintegration von jugendlichen Geflüchteten in Sachsen werden divergierende Akteur*innenperspektiven auf Integration offengelegt. Diese unterschiedlichen Lesarten und damit verbundenen Vorstellungen von Integrationserfolgen resultieren in unterschiedlichen und manchmal widersprüchlichen Praktiken der Integration von Geflüchteten. Divergierende Auffassungen von ›Integration‹ sind nicht allein auf individuelle Einstellungen zurückzuführen, sondern eng mit professionellen und organisationalen Perspektiven und Logiken verknüpft. Diese lassen sich nur begreifen, wenn die entsprechenden Perspektiven auf Integration in ihrem raum-zeitlichen Entstehungszusammenhang interpretiert werden. Auf dieser Basis lassen sich Handlungsempfehlungen für die weitere Entwicklung von Integrationsmaßnahmen ableiten.
Welche Tätigkeitsanforderungen und Ausbildungsmotive haben Betriebe, die Geflüchtete ausbilden? Eine Analyse auf Basis des BIBB-Betriebspanels
Authors: Gerhards Christian
Published: December 2019

Seit 2015 kamen viele junge Geflüchtete im erwerbsfähigen Alter nach Deutschland - viele davon ohne Berufsausbildung. Eine qualifizierte Teilnahme am Arbeitsmarkt durch Ausbildung erscheint allerdings für die Integration in Deutschland essentiell. Unklar bleibt bislang, welche Determinanten bestimmen, dass ein Betrieb Geflüchtete ausbildet. Im vorliegenden Aufsatz wird vor dem Hintergrund unterschiedlicher betrieblicher Eigenschaften und Strategien bei der Rekrutierung von Auszubildenden mit Daten des BIBB-Betriebspanels untersucht, ob neben betriebsstrukturellen Merkmalen wie der Größe auch Faktoren wie Berufssegmente, Ausbildungsmotive der Betriebe und die Art der Tätigkeiten im Betrieb eine Rolle spielen.
Internationale Friedensmissionen und nationale Interessen
Authors: Kocks Alexander
Published: December 2019

Neither the established theories of international relations nor common foreign policy theories can satisfactorily explain why states participate in foreign military operations and what determines the concrete extent of their support. In this study, the author remedies this failing by drawing on the theory of public goods. Using Germany as an example, he shows that support for foreign missions is motivated by the production of private (country-specific) goods, such as having a good reputation as an ally, and that a level of support is chosen that is expected to generate the greatest private benefit. Only the prospect of the production of private goods creates an incentive to participate, because private benefit cannot be maximised by free-riding. The realisation of humanitarian objectives in the form of the provision of public goods, such as the protection of human rights, thus becomes a by-product of the production of private goods.
The Book of Life in the hermeneutics of Johann Georg Hamann
Authors: Gilmanov V. Kh.
Published: December 2019

In this article, I consider the philosophy of the Book in the context of reflections on her­meneutics in the works of the 18th-century Königsbergian thinker Johann Georg Hamann. Hamann’s bibliocentric hermeneutics treats the ‘philosophy of the Book’ as the question as to whether the experience of truth as such is possible. In the light of his hermeneutics, the fate of ontology is a function of the quality of reading since its dialogical nature directly determines a person’s special hermeneutic responsibility towards all that exists. In being the Book of Life, all that exists communicates with the human being as if it were the Book. It does so within the complex dialectics of objectivation in the epistemological linguisticality of a prophet, a scien­tist, or a poet and, through them, reaches out to countless generations of the Reader, who is voluntarily or involuntarily involved in the existential fate of the ontological dialogue. The ‘death of the Book’, or the transformation of the Book into a simulacrum, may confirm the diagnosis given by many modern philosophers: the world of culture is turning into an autoch­thonous flicker of hybrid quotations ruins.
Lithuanian gymnasium students’ career education: Professional self-determination context
Authors: Lamanauskas Vincentas , Augienė Dalia
Published: December 2019

Professional self-determination/career choice is one of the most essential things in a young human’s life. Choosing a further life path is rather complicated. Self-cognition, harmony of one’s abilities and desires is difficult to be achieved. It is important for the young people to choose a profession corresponding to their interests, values, inclinations. It is not less important that the work/chosen profession would have a demand in the labour market. So, professional self-determination is inseparable from the all-round and directional personality education. A representative, complex research was conducted at the beginning of 2018, in which 643 Lithuanian gymnasium 11-12 grade students participated. Applying a questionnaire as an instrument, the gathered data were analysed using measures of descriptive statistics, correlation and factor analysis. In this research, it was emphasized on how Lithuanian gymnasium students valued their future personal career, how they planned their future professional activity, and the internal structure of the career choice process was established. The most significant factors for career choice were Personal feature importance, Profession prospects, and Important people’s position. The least significant factor was Coincidence factors. Some gender differences were found in significance of the factors contributing to career choice. Research results allow stating that differentiated and individualised approach remains urgent in the career education of students in the gymnasium. The role of psychologists, social workers and professional consultants working at school and its development remains very important as well.
Иновативно изследване, посветено на естетическите преференции и индивидуалните особености на личността
Authors: Krastev Lyudmil Dimitrov
Published: December 2019

Представен е отзив за книгата на Биляна Йорданова „Естетически предпочитания на личността”.
Enhancement of Creativity in Math Skills of People with ID in Education Process
Authors: Tursunai Ibragimova , Amangul Kokazhaeva , Bayan Kuanbaeva , Gulniet Batyrbayeva , Bissenbayeva Zhanat , Saltanat Kadyrova
Published: December 2019

This paper describes the enhancement of the math skills of people with ID in the education process and development of the mathematics methodology. As well this research gives details of its piloting and evaluation with a cohort of learners with ID who were enrolled in an education course.
The objective of the correctional school is to provide learners with the necessary math training, to introduce them into the big world of math, to make it an effective means of learning about the surrounding reality, development of thinking and moral perfection.
All of the above determines the relevance of the problem of math education of children with mental retardation in the circle of calculations.
The aim of the study is theoretically substantiated and experimentally test the system of correctional and pedagogical work on the math education of younger school children with intellectual disabilities in circle math classes.
Learners with intellectual disability (ID) have to overcome many barriers and difficulties in order to access all levels of education and partake in college life. Thankfully, educational institutes around the globe are slowly beginning to examine how they can support the equal rights of individuals with ID. In Kazakhstan, one university has recently accredited an innovative education program for college learners with intellectual disabilities.
The results of the study are presented by the emergent methodology’s which focuses on mathematics and realizes the important role that numeracy, which plays a great role in today’s society. Despite the increased emphasis on general mathematics education, the authors found there to be a dearth of research regarding the development of such a methodology for learners with ID.
Animal health and welfare state and technical efficiency of dairy farms: possible synergies
Authors: Tremetsberger L , Winckler C , Kantelhardt J
Published: December 2019

This study sought to investigate whether animal health and welfare state and changes were associated with technical efficiency in a sample of 34 Austrian dairy farms. Health and welfare were assessed twice using the Welfare Quality® (WQ) assessment protocol for dairy cattle. Following a baseline welfare assessment, farm-specific health and welfare planning was conducted on the farms. This included the identification, selection and implementation of measures in housing and management that aimed at improving health and welfare states. One year after implementation, farms were reassessed to evaluate changes in health and welfare states and consequences for farms’ technical efficiency were analysed using the Malmquist index. Our results indicated that farms with a higher health state (WQ principle score ‘Good health’) achieved higher technical efficiencies. However, we could not show that changes in the welfare state within a one-year period affected technical efficiency: across all farms, technical efficiency remained stable and Malmquist indices (indicating efficiency and technological change) could not be explained by the different welfare scores. Nevertheless, our study showed data envelopment analysis to be a valuable method for analysing the relationship between animal welfare and farm success and our results indicate substantial potential synergies between these two aspects.
Changes in the welfare of mink (Neovison vison) with date of assessment in the winter and growth periods have limited effects on the overall WelFur categorisation
Authors: Marsbøll AF , Henriksen BIF , Hansen BK , Møller SH
Published: December 2019

In this study we investigated the robustness of the WelFur welfare assessment system for farmed mink (Neovison vison) to date of assessment in the winter and growth assessment periods. The prevalence of occurrences of certain measurements was hypothesised to increase with date of assessment (too thin, fur-chewing and stereotypic behaviour in the winter period and injuries, diarrhoea and exploratory mink in the growth period). The welfare was assessed on eight Danish mink farms according to the WelFur-Mink protocol. Each farm was assessed once in the nursing period (to be able to calculate WelFur-Mink scores), four times in the growth period and three times in the winter period. WelFur scores were calculated based on the assessments in the three periods: one calculation for each assessment in the winter and growth periods. The odds of fur-chewing increased with date of assessment in the winter period, and the odds of injuries, diarrhoea and exploratory mink increased with date of assessment in the growth period. The odds of too thin mink in the winter period decreased, ie the change was in the opposite direction to what was expected. The effect of these changes on the aggregated WelFur scores on the higher levels was limited, but could potentially lead to changes in the overall welfare categorisation of farms if the principle scores were close to a threshold between two categories. A potential way to eliminate the effect of date of assessment could be to develop a correction factor for the measurements that can be expected to change within each assessment period.
Preference for and behavioural response to environmental enrichment in a small population of sexually mature, commercial boars
Authors: Sirovica LV , Creamer M , Horback KM
Published: December 2019

An increasing public concern over the welfare of livestock species is motivating more producers to consider changes to production practices. Providing environmental enrichment for intensively housed animals is one such potentially welfare-enhancing change. The goal of environmental enrichment is to provide biologically relevant environmental stimuli that allows an animal to perform highly motivated, species-specific behaviours. To date, there is no research specific to the applicability of environmental enrichment for commercial boars(Sus scrofa domesticus),nor on commercial boar welfare in general. In this study, eight individually housed, mature boars were observed to prefer interacting with hanging cotton rope enrichment over hanging rubber chew sticks when given the option. There was a significantly negative correlation between the amount of time boars spent interacting with rope and the amount of time they spent performing stereotypic pen manipulation, suggesting that the rope was more effective at reducing stereotypic behaviour than the rubber. Such reductions in amount of time spent performing abnormal stereotypic behaviours could indicate that some of the animals’ behavioural needs are being met by the enrichment object. Thus, the results of this study could help provide producers with more objective, research-based suggestions concerning the efficacy of practical enrichment choices for individually housed boars.
Race and Nation in Ella McFadyen’s Pegmen Tales
Authors: Kelen Kit
Published: December 2019

In Ella McFadyen’s 1940’s Pegmen Tales the reader witnesses an Australian wishfulness read in the triumphant adventures of the small – of domestic objects brought to life through the imagination of children. In McFadyen’s highly didactic tales, clothes pegs stolen and deliberately misused come to embody an understated national ethos with biblical pretensions. The Peg family sail the world in their “Ark”, spreading antipodean wonder, cheer and ingenuity everywhere they go. The Pegs themselves – as home-made toys – represent the imaginative ingenuity of Australian children. These are toys any child could make, and so may be read as a social leveller. The dream bringing them to life is that of decent, healthy children and the Pegs (as post-war family, sans father, strive to set themselves and the world good standards).
Every anthropomorphism is deservedly read as comment on the human race or some department or aspect of it, and in this case it is Australian class, race and national pretensions which are promoted through the vehicle of mainly exemplary characters who, in their travels – for the sake of plot – negotiate a series of mildly ethical crises, and always come out smiling.
This paper proceeds by considering the issues raised above in relation a small number of episodes from the tales: these dealing with the invasion of rogue mice, the creation of the Pegmen, with Pongo (from the Congo) and the Australian Aborigines, with the Peg’s expedition to Antarctica and with the metamorphosis of swagmen into grey kangaroos.
 
Race and Nation in Ella McFadyen’s Pegmen Tales

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Creative writing as a way to approach children’s and young adult literature in teacher training
Authors: Neira Piñeiro María del Rosario
Published: December 2019

The aim of this work is to analyse the benefits of creative writing in teacher training, on the basis of the study of several experiences carried out along 4 academic courses, with a sample of 182 students, in the course of “Teaching Children’s Literature” of the Degree of Infant Education.  Using a model of action research, with a qualitative methodology, the process is described and the final results are analysed. Participant observation, final products and the students’ perception are taken into account. As a result, the students made 40 recreations of children’s and young adult literature (CYAL) texts, created with different techniques. The students appreciated the task, highlighting its practical character, the relation with their professional future, together with creativity, enjoyment and the learning reached. The task conformed to students’ interests, fostered their motivation, promoted an active learners’ role, promoted an approach to CYAL, involved the application of knowledge acquired during the course and favoured the development of competences essential for teachers. To conclude, it is clear that creative writing are appropriate practices for teacher training, especially in the context of literary education.
La competencia digital de los docentes de los conservatorios. Estudio de autopercepción en España
Authors: Palau Martín Ramon Félix , Usart Mireia , Ucar Carnicero María José
Published: December 2019

En los conservatorios de música en general existe un parco uso de la tecnología educativa, con un profesorado que alega falta de tiempo y formación en este ámbito. Además, pocos son los estudios científicos dedicados a medir y estudiar la percepción de los docentes sobre su propia Competencia Digital (CD). El objetivo principal de este estudio es conocer el nivel de Competencia Digital Docente (CDD) autopercibida por los profesores de conservatorio en España. En concreto, se ha estudiado esta variable en relación a la edad, experiencia docente, comunidad autónoma, familia de instrumento y género. Se ha realizado un estudio no-experimental y transeccional mediante la aplicación de un test de autopercepción de la CDD, COMDID-A, a una muestra de 364 profesores de conservatorio del territorio español, en activo. Los resultados indican una baja evaluación de la CDD de los mismos profesores para las dos dimensiones Didáctica curricular y metodológica y Relacional ética y seguridad. Los hallazgos de este estudio dejan patente el bajo nivel de autopercepción de la CDD, esencialmente entre aquellos con más años de experiencia docente, y pueden servir como punto de partida para la implementación de programas de capacitación en TIC para los futuros profesores, así como para aumentar la calidad de uso de las herramientas tecnológicas cada vez más presentes en nuestros centros superiores de formación musical.
Características organizativas y didácticas del concierto didáctico. Un estudio de caso sobre la coordinación entre profesorado de Música de Educación Primaria y Secundaria en la ciudad de Manises
Authors: Capel Martín María , Morant Navasquillo Remigi
Published: December 2019

Este estudio de caso plantea, como objetivo principal de investigación, determinar si un concierto didáctico facilita la coordinación entre el profesorado de música de Primaria y Secundaria en la ciudad de Manises. El marco teórico aborda las investigaciones sobre colaboración y coordinación docente, los conciertos didácticos y la transición entre ambas etapas educativas. Un cuestionario, un grupo de discusión y la memoria del grupo de trabajo han revelado las percepciones de los informantes sobre el tema de estudio desde un enfoque cualitativo; y el programa ATLAS.Ti ha facilitado el análisis de datos proporcionando mapas de categorías emergentes. Como conclusión, este proyecto basado en una praxis musical activa, significativa y compartida genera estrategias de aprendizaje colaborativo capaces de mejorar la práctica docente. Aunque hemos detectado dificultades logísticas y administrativas, el grupo de profesores se mantiene cohesionado por afinidades profesionales, por el compromiso por la educación y por la satisfacción de conectar emocionalmente con el alumnado a través de la música.
Materialitat i errors de composició d’un incunable poètic (b2/87FD): la rendibilitat ecdòtica
Authors: Martos Josep Lluís
Published: December 2019

The material analysis of the witnesses of a literary work is part of the phase of recension in a process of textual criticism,which must go beyond the mere description of the content. It is necessary to pay attention to the information that thesecharacteristics give about the contents, about the process of textual transmission, because these data will have ecdoticvalue. Thus, this work studies the materiality and compositorial errors of a Valencian poetical incunabulum, which is thefirst of a trilogy of printed works dedicated to the Immaculate Conception and sponsored by Ferran Dies.
Sherlock Holmes Is Not Out There: Some Ideas for An Anti-Exoticist Account of Fictional Characters
Authors: Favazzo Jansan
Published: December 2019

Abstract: Many philosophers include fictional objects like Sherlock Holmes in their ontological inventory. Yet, if Sherlock Holmes is part of reality, then he must be an «exotic» entity: either non-concrete or non-actual or non-existent. In this paper, I will assume that whatever there is (in reality) is concrete, actual, and existent. Accordingly, I will sketch a way to get rid of fictional entities, based on Sellars' metalinguistic strategy for nominalism. Roughly speaking, the main result can be stated as follows: when we talk about Sherlock Holmes, we are actually talking about Sherlock Holmes depictions.
Keywords: Fiction, Nominalism, Actualism.
Quaderns de filosofia VI, 2
Authors: Fia Quad
Published: December 2019

Número complet / Número completo / Full Issue
Making simulation results reproducible—Survey, guidelines, and examples based on Gradle and Docker
Authors: Elmenreich Wilfried , Moll Philipp , Theuermann Sebastian , Lux Mathias
Published: December 2019

This article addresses two research questions related to reproducibility within the context of research related to computer science. First, a survey on reproducibility addressed to researchers in the academic and private sectors is described and evaluated. The survey indicates a strong need for open and easily accessible results, in particular, reproducing an experiment should not require too much effort. The results of the survey are then used to formulate guidelines for making research results reproducible. In addition, this article explores four approaches based on software tools that could bring forward reproducibility in research results. After a general analysis of tools, three examples are further investigated based on actual research projects which are used to evaluate previously introduced tools. Results indicate that the evaluated tools contribute well to making simulation results reproducible but due to conflicting requirements, none of the presented solutions fulfills all intended goals perfectly.
Pelvic floor pressure distribution profile in urinary incontinence: a classification study with feature selection
Authors: Carafini Adriano , Sacco Isabel C.N. , Vieira Marcus Fraga
Published: December 2019

Background

Pelvic floor pressure distribution profiles, obtained by a novel instrumented non-deformable probe, were used as the input to a feature extraction, selection, and classification approach to test their potential for an automatic diagnostic system for objective female urinary incontinence assessment. We tested the performance of different feature selection approaches and different classifiers, as well as sought to establish the group of features that provides the greatest discrimination capability between continent and incontinent women.

Methods

The available data for evaluation consisted of intravaginal spatiotemporal pressure profiles acquired from 24 continent and 24 incontinent women while performing four pelvic floor maneuvers: the maximum contraction maneuver, Valsalva maneuver, endurance maneuver, and wave maneuver. Feature extraction was guided by previous studies on the characterization of pressure profiles in the vaginal canal, where the extracted features were tested concerning their repeatability. Feature selection was achieved through a combination of a ranking method and a complete non-exhaustive subset search algorithm: branch and bound and recursive feature elimination. Three classifiers were tested: k-nearest neighbors (k-NN), support vector machine, and logistic regression.

Results

Of the classifiers employed, there was not one that outperformed the others; however, k-NN presented statistical inferiority in one of the maneuvers. The best result was obtained through the application of recursive feature elimination on the features extracted from all the maneuvers, resulting in 77.1% test accuracy, 74.1% precision, and 83.3 recall, using SVM. Moreover, the best feature subset, obtained by observing the selection frequency of every single feature during the application of branch and bound, was directly employed on the classification, thus reaching 95.8% accuracy. Although not at the level required by an automatic system, the results show the potential use of pelvic floor pressure distribution profiles data and provide insights into the pelvic floor functioning aspects that contribute to urinary incontinence.
A Case of Fungal Ball with Cholesterol Granuloma in the Middle Ear Cavity
Authors: Kim Su Geun , Lee Eun Jung , Yoo Ji Seob , Yeo Cha Dong
Published: December 2019

Fungal balls consist of rounded conglomerates of fungal mycelia, which can form within a preexisting cavity. They are mostly found in the paranasal sinuses in the head and neck regions. Cholesterol granuloma is a fibrotic lesion that develops as a tissue response to a foreign body such as cholesterol crystals or hemosiderin and is often associated with chronic otitis media. We present the unusual case of a 62-year-old male who was treated for chronic otitis media, which was histologically confirmed as a fungal ball and cholesterol granuloma in the middle ear cavity following tympanomastoidectomy. This is the first reported case of synchronous fungal ball and cholesterol granuloma in the middle ear cavity.
Characterization of continuous bed motion effects on patient breathing and respiratory motion correction in PET/CT imaging
Authors: Meier Joseph G. , Erasmus Jeremy J. , Gladish Gregory W. , Peterson Christine B. , Diab Radwan H. , Mawlawi Osama R.
Published: December 2019

Continuous bed motion (CBM) was recently introduced as an alternative to step‐and‐shoot (SS) mode for PET/CT data acquisition. In CBM, the patient is continuously advanced into the scanner at a preset speed, whereas in SS, the patient is imaged in overlapping bed positions. Previous investigations have shown that patients preferred CBM over SS for PET data acquisition. In this study, we investigated the effect of CBM versus SS on patient breathing and respiratory motion correction. One hundred patients referred for PET/CT were scanned using a Siemens mCT scanner. Patient respiratory waveforms were recorded using an Anzai system and analyzed using four methods: Methods 1 and 2 measured the coefficient of variation (COV) of the respiratory cycle duration (RCD) and amplitude (RCA). Method 3 measured the respiratory frequency signal prominence (RSP) and method 4 measured the width of the HDChest optimal gate (OG) window when using a 35% duty cycle. Waveform analysis was performed over the abdominothoracic region which exhibited the greatest respiratory motion and the results were compared between CBM and SS. Respiratory motion correction was assessed by comparing the ratios of SUVmax, SUVpeak, and CNR of focal FDG uptake, as well as Radiologists’ visual assessment of corresponding image quality of motion corrected and uncorrected images for both acquisition modes. The respiratory waveforms analysis showed that the RCD and RCA COV were 3.7% and 33.3% lower for CBM compared to SS, respectively, while the RSP and OG were 30.5% and 2.0% higher, respectively. Image analysis on the other hand showed that SUVmax, SUVpeak, and CNR were 8.5%, 4.5%, and 3.4% higher for SS compared to CBM, respectively, while the Radiologists’ visual comparison showed similar image quality between acquisition modes. However, none of the results showed statistically significant differences between SS and CBM, suggesting that motion correction is not impacted by acquisition mode.
Carbon Nanotube‐Reinforced Aluminum Matrix Composites
Authors: Mohammed Sohail M. A. K. , Chen Daolun L.
Published: December 2019

Herein, the investigations conducted in the area of aluminum (Al) matrix composites reinforced with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are presented. The application of CNT reinforcement in Al alloys is driven by its exceptional chemical and mechanical properties. The critical issues in the processing techniques, challenges in the interfacial mechanisms between the Al matrix and CNTs, and strengthening effects due to the presence of reinforcements are reviewed. The mechanical properties of CNT/Al composites are found to be effectively enhanced with an addition of CNTs even at a small amount. The extent of strength improvements depends mainly on the dispersion of CNTs in the matrix and interfacial bonding between the matrix and CNTs. Limited theoretical modeling can predict the properties of CNT/Al composites to some extent, but without considering the detailed processing parameters. Based on the gaps identified here, future research directions are suggested, including the relationships between the processing parameters and micro‐ and nanostructures, and multiscale mechanical modeling and simulation, aiming to further understand the strengthening mechanisms and develop advanced CNT‐reinforced Al and other metal composites for critical engineering applications.
The Plot Thickens: The Emerging Role of Matrix Viscosity in Cell Mechanotransduction
Authors: Cantini Marco , Donnelly Hannah , Dalby Matthew J. , Salmeron‐Sanchez Manuel
Published: December 2019

Cell mechanotransduction is an area of intense research focus. Until now, very limited tools have existed to study how cells respond to changes in the extracellular matrix beyond, for example, mechanical deformation studies and twisting cytometry. However, emerging are a range of elastic, viscoelastic and even purely viscous materials that deform and dissipate on cellular length and timescales. This article reviews developments in these materials, typically translating from 2D model surfaces to 3D microenvironments and explores how cells interact with them. Specifically, it focuses on emerging concepts such as the molecular clutch model, how different extracellular matrix proteins engage the clutch under viscoelastic‐stress relaxation conditions, and how mechanotransduction can drive transcriptional control through regulators such as YAP/TAZ.
Fully Conjugated Phthalocyanine Copper Metal–Organic Frameworks for Sodium–Iodine Batteries with Long‐Time‐Cycling Durability
Authors: Wang Faxing , Liu Zaichun , Yang Chongqing , Zhong Haixia , Nam Gyutae , Zhang Panpan , Dong Renhao , Wu Yuping , Cho Jaephil , Zhang Jian , Feng Xinliang
Published: December 2019

Rechargeable sodium–iodine (Na–I2) batteries are attracting growing attention for grid‐scale energy storage due to their abundant resources, low cost, environmental friendliness, high theoretical capacity (211 mAh g−1), and excellent electrochemical reversibility. Nevertheless, the practical application of Na–I2 batteries is severely hindered by their poor cycle stability owing to the serious dissolution of polyiodide in the electrolyte during charge/discharge processes. Herein, the atomic modulation of metal–bis(dihydroxy) species in a fully conjugated phthalocyanine copper metal–organic framework (MOF) for suppression of polyiodide dissolution toward long‐time cycling Na–I2 batteries is demonstrated. The Fe2[(2,3,9,10,16,17,23,24‐octahydroxy phthalocyaninato)Cu] MOF composited with I2 (Fe2–O8–PcCu/I2) serves as a cathode for a Na–I2 battery exhibiting a stable specific capacity of 150 mAh g−1 after 3200 cycles and outperforming the state‐of‐the‐art cathodes for Na–I2 batteries. Operando spectroelectrochemical and electrochemical kinetics analyses together with density functional theory calculations reveal that the square planar iron–bis(dihydroxy) (Fe–O4) species in Fe2–O8–PcCu are responsible for the binding of polyiodide to restrain its dissolution into electrolyte. Besides the monovalent Na–I2 batteries in organic electrolytes, the Fe2–O8–PcCu/I2 cathode also operates stably in other metal–I2 batteries like aqueous multivalent Zn–I2 batteries. Thus, this work offers a new strategy for designing stable cathode materials toward high‐performance metal–iodine batteries.
Quantum‐Confinement‐Enhanced Thermoelectric Properties in Modulation‐Doped GaAs–AlGaAs Core–Shell Nanowires
Authors: Fust Sergej , Faustmann Anton , Carrad Damon J. , Bissinger Jochen , Loitsch Bernhard , Döblinger Markus , Becker Jonathan , Abstreiter Gerhard , Finley Jonathan J. , Koblmüller Gregor
Published: December 2019

Nanowires (NWs) hold great potential in advanced thermoelectrics due to their reduced dimensions and low‐dimensional electronic character. However, unfavorable links between electrical and thermal conductivity in state‐of‐the‐art unpassivated NWs have, so far, prevented the full exploitation of their distinct advantages. A promising model system for a surface‐passivated one‐dimensional (1D)‐quantum confined NW thermoelectric is developed that enables simultaneously the observation of enhanced thermopower via quantum oscillations in the thermoelectric transport and a strong reduction in thermal conductivity induced by the core–shell heterostructure. High‐mobility modulation‐doped GaAs/AlGaAs core–shell NWs with thin (sub‐40 nm) GaAs NW core channel are employed, where the electrical and thermoelectric transport is characterized on the same exact 1D‐channel. 1D‐sub‐band transport at low temperature is verified by a discrete stepwise increase in the conductance, which coincided with strong oscillations in the corresponding Seebeck voltage that decay with increasing sub‐band number. Peak Seebeck coefficients as high as ≈65–85 µV K−1 are observed for the lowest sub‐bands, resulting in equivalent thermopower of S2σ ≈ 60 µW m−1 K−2 and S2G ≈ 0.06 pW K−2 within a single sub‐band. Remarkably, these core–shell NW heterostructures also exhibit thermal conductivities as low as ≈3 W m−1 K−1, about one order of magnitude lower than state‐of‐the‐art unpassivated GaAs NWs.
High‐Energy Interlayer‐Expanded Copper Sulfide Cathode Material in Non‐Corrosive Electrolyte for Rechargeable Magnesium Batteries
Authors: Shen Yinlin , Wang Yujia , Miao Yingchun , Yang Meng , Zhao Xiangyu , Shen Xiaodong
Published: December 2019

Rechargeable magnesium batteries (RMB) have been regarded as an alternative to lithium‐based batteries because of their abundant elemental resource, high theoretical volumetric capacity, and multi‐electron redox reaction without the dendrite formation of magnesium metal anode. However, their development is impeded by their poor electrode/electrolyte compatibility and the strong Coulombic effect of the multivalent Mg2+ ions in cathode materials. Herein, copper sulfide material is developed as a high‐energy cathode for RMBs with a non‐corrosive Mg‐ion electrolyte. Given the benefit of its optimized interlayer structure, good compatibility with the electrolyte, and enhanced surface area, the as‐prepared copper sulfide cathode exhibits unprecedented electrochemical Mg‐ion storage properties, with the highest specific capacity of 477 mAh g−1 and gravimetric energy density of 415 Wh kg−1 at 50 mA g−1, among the reported cathode materials of metal oxides, metal chalcogenides, and polyanion‐type compounds for RMBs. Notably, an impressive long‐term cycling performance with a stable capacity of 111 mAh g−1 at 1 C (560 mA g−1) is achieved over 1000 cycles. The results of the present study offer an avenue for designing high‐performance cathode materials for RMBs and other multivalent batteries.
Self‐Folding Using Capillary Forces
Authors: Kwok Kam Sang , Huang Qi , Mastrangeli Massimo , Gracias David H.
Published: December 2019

Self‐folding broadly refers to the assembly of 3D structures by bending, curving, and folding without the need for manual or mechanized intervention. Self‐folding is scientifically interesting because self‐folded structures, from plant leaves to gut villi to cerebral gyri, abound in nature. From an engineering perspective, self‐folding of sub‐millimeter‐sized structures addresses major hurdles in nano‐ and micro‐manufacturing. This review focuses on self‐folding using surface tension or capillary forces derived from the minimization of liquid interfacial area. Due to favorable downscaling with length, at small scales capillary forces become extremely large relative to forces that scale with volume, such as gravity or inertia, and to forces that scale with area, such as elasticity. The major demonstrated classes of capillary force assisted self‐folding are discussed. These classes include the use of rigid or soft and micro‐ or nano‐patterned precursors that are assembled using a variety of liquids such as water, molten polymers, and liquid metals. The authors outline the underlying physics and highlight important design considerations that maximize rigidity, strength, and yield of the assembled structures. They also discuss applications of capillary self‐folding structures in engineering and medicine. Finally, the authors conclude by summarizing standing challenges and describing future trends.
An Effective Relithiation Process for Recycling Lithium‐Ion Battery Cathode Materials
Authors: Yang Tairan , Lu Yingqi , Li Liurui , Ge Dayang , Yang Heng , Leng Weinan , Zhou Hui , Han Xu , Schmidt Nolan , Ellis Michael , Li Zheng
Published: December 2019

Rapid adoption of lithium‐ion batteries for electronics and electric vehicles requires cost‐effective and efficient recycling of battery components especially the valuable cathode active materials. The direct recycling method transforms end‐of‐life (EOL) cathode materials into battery grade materials with minimal energy consumption and least environmental disruption. In direct recycling, the relithiation step to restore the lithium stoichiometry of the cathode materials is critical. In this work, a novel electrochemical relithiation approach in an aqueous electrolyte followed by a heat treatment for recycling cathode materials in EOL lithium‐ion batteries is demonstrated and analyzed. Using LiCoO2 as an example, it is shown that the recycled LiCoO2 materials show equivalent crystal structure, morphology, and electrochemical performance to the commercial LiCoO2.