bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Description of the puparium and adult genitalia of Dactylodeictes brevifacies James, 1974 (Diptera: Stratiomyidae)
Authors: Piau Braga Lara Duarte , Lopes Welinton Ribamar , Pujol-Luz José Roberto
Published: June 2020

The puparium of Dactylodeictes brevifacies was described based on fifty-eight specimens reared in laboratory until the emergence of adults. Larvae were collected under the bark of fallen trees in a Cerrado vegetation, Gallery forest; Palm swamp (Vereda) and open grassland (Campo Limpo) in States of Goiás and Tocantins, Brazil (New Record). The puparium was compared with that of Brachyodina lopesi, the most closely related species with a described puparium. Despite this species clearly shared the larval pachygastrinae features it has a remarkable character not know before for this subfamily: the presence of four pairs of ventral setae (V) in the eighth abdominal segment in ventral view, while in other larvae and puparia of this subfamily, there are five pairs of ventral setae. The adult male and female were described and figured.
New records of nasutiform termite (Nasutitermitinae: Termitidae: Isoptera) from Meghalaya, India
Authors: Das Khirod Sankar , Choudhury Sudipta
Published: June 2020

Termites, an important group of insects, present almost everywhere and play a vital role in the modification of their surrounding environment.  This taxonomic account is a part of our study on the termite fauna of Meghalaya and deals with two new records of nasutiform termite from the state.  The studied samples were identified as Hospitalitermes jepsoni Snyder, 1934 and Nasutitermes matangensis matangensis Haviland, 1898 based on the available morphological keys.  The genus Hospitalitermes Holmgren, 1912 is also documented for the first time from the state.  The range of the morphometrics for H. jepsoni has been revised.

, Nasutitermes matangensis matangensis, .
A record of gynandromorphism in the libellulid dragonfly Crocothemis servilia (Insecta: Odonata) from India
Authors: R.V. Renjith  , A. Vivek Chandran
Published: June 2020

Here we report a case of gynandromorphism in the dragonfly Crocothemis servilia (Drury, 1773), (Insecta: Odonata: Anisoptera: Libellulidae) from the Puzhakkal region of Kole wetlands, Thrissur, Kerala, southern India from a single photograph recorded during a survey conducted on 14 July 2019.  The individual exhibits bilateral gynandromorphism only in the thoracic region, half of which showed blood red colouration as in males and the other half pale yellow characteristic of females.  The base of the wing of the red half was marked with rich amber, in contrast with the other wing base which was paler.  The head, legs, and abdomen showed typical female morphology.
Breeding site records of three sympatric vultures in a mountainous cliff in Kahara-Thathri, Jammu & Kashmir, India
Authors: Kichloo Muzaffar A. , Kumar Sudesh , Sharma Neeraj
Published: June 2020

The current communication deals with the breeding records of three sympatric vultures, viz., Himalayan Vulture Gyps himalayensis, Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus, and Bearded vulture Gypaetus barbatus from a mountain cliff in Kahara, Thathri, a part of upper Chenab catchment in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Made of twigs and lined by dry grass, the nests mostly east-facing, were built on the ledges or in cavities and small caves on cliffs well protected from predators. The inaccessibility, rugged topography (for nesting) and the abundant food base (gorals, monkeys, langurs, pikas, and rodents) make it an ideal nesting location for the vultures. Authors suggested that intensive studies are required to be taken up on the resource apportionment and influence of habitat variables (climate, terrain, disturbance) on the nest site characteristics in such rugged landscapes.
Additions to the cicada (Insecta: Hemiptera: Cicadidae) fauna of India: first report and range extension of four species with notes on their natural history from Meghalaya
Authors: Sarkar Vivek , Mahapatra Cuckoo , Mohapatra Pratyush P. , Nair Manoj V.
Published: June 2020

In order to broaden our understanding about cicada diversity of northeastern India, a comprehensive survey was conducted in the year 2017, in Garo, Khasi, and Jaintia hills of Meghalaya and an occasional opportunistic survey was carried out in northern West Bengal and Arunachal Pradesh.  During these surveys, we came across four species of cicadas, viz., Meimuna duffelsi, Dundubia annandalei, Balinta tenebricosa, and Orientopsaltria fangrayae, which were not reported from India earlier and among them the genus Orientopsaltria is being reported for the first time from the country.  This work provides an account of the taxonomy, natural history, distribution, and acoustics of these four species of cicadas along with their attribute to the culture and customs of the indigenous tribes of the landscape.
Range extension of the Lilac Silverline Apharitis lilacinus to southern Rajasthan and a review of the literature
Authors: Sundar K.S. Gopi , Kittur Swati , Koli Vijay Kumar , Prajapati Utkarsh
Published: June 2020

In this note we report the first sighting of the Lilac Silverline butterfly from Kumbalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary in southern Rajasthan.  We also conducted a literature review of the sparse number of observations of this species to provide an updated understanding of the natural history, ecology and conservation status of this rare species.
First distribution record of Elongated Tortoise Indotestudo elongata (Blyth, 1853) (Reptilia: Testudines: Testudinidae) from Bihar, India
Authors: Arif  , Verma Sourabh , Mohammad Maslehuddin Ayesha , Uttam  , Kumar Mall Ambarish , Ojha Gaurav , Roy Hemkant
Published: June 2020

The Elongated Tortoise, Indotestudo elongata (Family Testudinidae) is one of the five land tortoises having distribution in India. For the first time, we report a new distributional record for this species from Valmiki Tiger Reserve region of Bihar.
Catheterization Laboratory Activation Time in Patients Transferred With ST-Segment–Elevation Myocardial Infarction: Insights From the Mission: Lifeline STEMI Accelerator-2 Project
Authors: Zeitouni Michel , Al-Khalidi Hussein R. , Roettig Mayme L. , Bolles Michele M. , Doerfler Shannon M. , Fordyce Christopher B. , Hellkamp Anne S. , Henry Timothy D. , Magdon-Ismail Zainab , Monk Lisa , Nelson R. Darrell , O’Brien Peter K. , Wilson B. Hadley , Ziada Khaled M. , Granger Christopher B. , Jollis James G.
Published: June 2020

Background:

Catheterization laboratory (cath lab) activation time is a newly available process measure for patients with ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction requiring inter-hospital transfers for primary percutaneous coronary intervention that reflects inter-facility communication and urgent mobilization of interventional laboratory resources. Our aim was to determine whether faster activation is associated with improved reperfusion time and outcomes in the American Heart Association Mission: Lifeline Accelerator-2 Project.

Methods and Results:

From April 2015 to March 2017, treatment times of 2063 patients with ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction requiring inter-hospital transfer for primary percutaneous coronary intervention from 12 regions around the United States were stratified by cath lab activation time (first hospital arrival to cath lab activation within [timely] or beyond 20 minutes [delayed]). Median cath lab activation time was 26 minutes, with a delayed activation observed in 1241 (60.2%) patients. Prior cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease, arterial hypotension at admission, and black or Latino ethnicity were independent factors of delayed cath lab activation. Timely cath lab activation patients had shorter door-in door-out times (40 versus 68 minutes) and reperfusion times (98 versus 135 minutes) with 80.1% treated within the national goal of ≤120 minutes versus 39.0% in the delayed group.

Conclusions:

Cath lab activation within 20 minutes across a geographically diverse group of hospitals was associated with performing primary percutaneous coronary intervention within the national goal of ≤120 minutes in >75% of patients. While several confounding factors were associated with delayed activation, this work suggests that this process measure has the potential to direct resources and practices to more timely treatment of patients requiring inter-hospital transfer for primary percutaneous coronary intervention.
The Emerging Threat of (Micro)Thrombosis in COVID-19 and Its Therapeutic Implications
Authors: McFadyen James D. , Stevens Hannah , Peter Karlheinz
Published: June 2020

The recent emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the ensuing global pandemic has presented a health emergency of unprecedented magnitude. Recent clinical data has highlighted that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with a significant risk of thrombotic complications ranging from microvascular thrombosis, venous thromboembolic disease, and stroke. Importantly, thrombotic complications are markers of severe COVID-19 and are associated with multiorgan failure and increased mortality. The evidence to date supports the concept that the thrombotic manifestations of severe COVID-19 are due to the ability of SARS-CoV-2 to invade endothelial cells via ACE-2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2), which is expressed on the endothelial cell surface. However, in patients with COVID-19 the subsequent endothelial inflammation, complement activation, thrombin generation, platelet, and leukocyte recruitment, and the initiation of innate and adaptive immune responses culminate in immunothrombosis, ultimately causing (micro)thrombotic complications, such as deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and stroke. Accordingly, the activation of coagulation (eg, as measured with plasma D-dimer) and thrombocytopenia have emerged as prognostic markers in COVID-19. Given thrombotic complications are central determinants of the high mortality rate in COVID-19, strategies to prevent thrombosis are of critical importance. Several antithrombotic drugs have been proposed as potential therapies to prevent COVID-19-associated thrombosis, including heparin, FXII inhibitors, fibrinolytic drugs, nafamostat, and dipyridamole, many of which also possess pleiotropic anti-inflammatory or antiviral effects. The growing awareness and mechanistic understanding of the prothrombotic state of COVID-19 patients are driving efforts to more stringent diagnostic screening for thrombotic complications and to the early institution of antithrombotic drugs, for both the prevention and therapy of thrombotic complications. The shifting paradigm of diagnostic and treatment strategies holds significant promise to reduce the burden of thrombotic complications and ultimately improve the prognosis for patients with COVID-19.
Routine Revascularization Versus Initial Medical Therapy for Stable Ischemic Heart Disease
Authors: Bangalore Sripal , Maron David J. , Stone Gregg W. , Hochman Judith S.
Published: June 2020

Background:

Revascularization is often performed in patients with stable ischemic heart disease. However, whether revascularization reduces death and other cardiovascular outcomes is uncertain.

Methods:

We conducted PUBMED/EMBASE/Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials searches for randomized trials comparing routine revascularization versus an initial conservative strategy in patients with stable ischemic heart disease. The primary outcome was death. Secondary outcomes were cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction (MI), heart failure, stroke, unstable angina, and freedom from angina. Trials were stratified by percent stent use and by percent statin use to evaluate outcomes in contemporary trials.

Results:

Fourteen randomized clinical trials that enrolled 14 877 patients followed up for a weighted mean of 4.5 years with 64 678 patient-years of follow-up fulfilled our inclusion criteria. Most trials enrolled patients with preserved left ventricular systolic function and low symptom burden, and excluded patients with left main disease. Revascularization compared with medical therapy alone was not associated with a reduced risk of death (relative risk [RR], 0.99 [95% CI, 0.90–1.09]). Trial sequential analysis showed that the cumulative z-curve crossed the futility boundary, indicating firm evidence for lack of a 10% or greater reduction in death. Revascularization was associated with a reduced nonprocedural MI (RR, 0.76 [95% CI, 0.67–0.85]) but also with increased procedural MI (RR, 2.48 [95% CI, 1.86–3.31]) with no difference in overall MI (RR, 0.93 [95% CI, 0.83–1.03]). A significant reduction in unstable angina (RR, 0.64 [95% CI, 0.45–0.92]) and increase in freedom from angina (RR, 1.10 [95% CI, 1.05–1.15]) was also observed with revascularization. There were no treatment-related differences in the risk of heart failure or stroke.

Conclusions:

In patients with stable ischemic heart disease, routine revascularization was not associated with improved survival but was associated with a lower risk of nonprocedural MI and unstable angina with greater freedom from angina at the expense of higher rates of procedural MI. Longer-term follow-up of trials is needed to assess whether reduction in these nonfatal spontaneous events improves long-term survival.
Multiphasic Computed Tomography Angiography Findings for Identifying Pseudo-Occlusion of the Internal Carotid Artery
Authors: Choi Jai Ho , Jang Jinhee , Koo Jaseong , Ahn Kook-Jin , Sam Shin Yong , Kim Bum-soo
Published: June 2020

Background and Purpose:

Differentiation between pseudo-occlusion and true occlusion of internal carotid artery (ICA) is important in treatment planning for acute ischemic stroke patients. We compared the findings of multiphasic computed tomography angiography between cervical ICA pseudo-occlusion and true occlusion at the cervical ICA in patients with anterior circulation acute ischemic stroke to determine their diagnostic value.

Methods:

Thirty patients with nonvisualization of the proximal ICA were included. Diagnosis of pseudo- or true occlusion of the ICA was made based on digital subtraction angiography. Diagnostic performances of multiphasic computed tomography angiography findings—(1) a flame-shaped stump and (2) delayed contrast filling at the cervical ICA— were evaluated and compared. The Fisher exact test, χ
2
test, or Wilcoxon rank-sum test and McNemar test were used in the data analysis.

Results:

Twelve patients had true proximal ICA occlusion and 18 had pseudo-occlusion. Delayed contrast filling at the cervical ICA on multiphasic computed tomography angiography was found in all patients with pseudo-occlusion of the ICA, while 1 case of true occlusion showed delayed contrast filling (
P
<0.001). The presence of a flame-shaped stump was not significantly different between the pseudo- and true occlusion groups. The sensitivity of delayed contrast filling (0.94 [95% CI, 0.73–1]) was significantly higher than that of flame-shaped stump (0.75 [95% CI, 0.36–0.83]).

Conclusions:

We demonstrated that the delayed filling sign on multiphasic computed tomography angiography could be a useful and readily available finding for differentiating proximal ICA pseudo-occlusion from true occlusion.
Transgender Children’s Right to Non-discrimination in Schools: The Case of Changing-room Facilities
Authors: Sørlie Anniken
Published: June 2020

Transgender people’s access to gender-binary facilities has recently become hotly debated. Those opposed argue that giving transgender people access to facilities corresponding to their gender identity creates a safety risk and discomforts others. This article addresses this controversy from the transgender children’s perspectives as reported by their parents. The findings on the arrangement of transgender children’s access to changing rooms in Norwegian schools show to what extent ways of accommodating transgender children’s use of changing and shower facilities at Norwegian schools accord with the right to non-discrimination. It is argued that the gender-binary organisation of facilities and the lack of private curtains in schools create inequality and exclude transgender children.
Adults’ Endorsement of Children’s Protection and Participation Rights and Likelihood of Reporting Abuse
Authors: Bourke Ashling , Morris Sonia , Maunsell Catherine
Published: June 2020

Children’s rights only serve their purpose in as far as they are recognised as rights by those who can exercise them. This study examined a sample of Irish adults’ (predominantly students; n=83) perceptions of children’s participation and protection rights across two age groups of children (seven- and 14-year-olds). Participants completed the Perceptions of Children’s Rights Questionnaires and likelihood of reporting child abuse online. A within-groups four-factor anova examined differences between the perceptions participation and protection rights across the two age categories. Participants endorsed protection rights more than participation rights for both age groups and reported a higher endorsement of protection rights and a lower endorsement of participation rights for seven-year-olds compared with 14-year-olds. Participants were more likely to report the abuse of a seven-year-old compared with a 14-year-old, and participants’ endorsement of protection rights significantly predicted likelihood of reporting abuse. These findings have implications for how children’s rights are viewed in Irish society and how these rights may be enacted.
Iranian Composite Creatures between the Caucasus and Western China: The Case of the So-Called Simurgh
Authors: Compareti Matteo
Published: June 2020

In the light of recent investigations by archaeologists and historians of art, several textile decorative patterns that have been uncritically attributed to Sasanian Persia in the past should be considered most likely Central Asian creations. Typical Iranian composite creatures, such as the so-called simurgh, had become very popular in Eurasia since the 7th century A.D. However, for some reason not completely clear, the so-called simurgh was not adopted by Central Asian Buddhists who, on the contrary, accepted other Iranian (possibly Sogdian) motifs, such as the wild boar head, the winged horse and birds holding a necklace in their beak within pearl roundel frames. The presence of such Iranian decorative motifs in monumental arts or objects of luxury arts (textiles, metalwork, glass, etc.) could be a valid instrument to propose better chronologies for excavated artifacts on a very wide area, which includes Persia, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Tibetan Plateau as well.
Myth, Allegory and Inspired Symbolism in Early and Late Antique Platonism
Authors: Kutash Emilie
Published: June 2020

The idea that mythos and logos are incompatible, and that truth is a product of scientific and dialectical thinking, was certainly disproven by later Platonic philosophers. Deploying the works of Hesiod and Homer, Homeric Hymns and other such literature, they considered myth a valuable and significant augment to philosophical discourse. Plato’s denigration of myth gave his followers an incentive to read myth as allegory. The Stoics and first-century philosophers such as Philo, treated allegory as a legitimate interpretive strategy. The Middle Platonists incorporated myth, for example, deifying the Monad and Dyad, as did 2nd century Platonists. Plutarch’s Isis and Osiris (2nd century CE), for example, equates Isis and Osiris with form and matter: the god (Osiris) sows in matter (Isis) logoi (forms or ideas) from himself (De Iside. 372F). Porphyry’s allegorizing of Plato’s Cave of the Nymphs is another example. Plotinus is a strong influence on how the late Neoplatonists regarded myth. This paper argues that these philosophers’ use of allegory prepared the way for the Neoplatonists treatment of myth as inspired symbolism. Proclus and Syrianus, as reported by Hermias, did something more extreme by using mythology to construct inspired symbolic argument. Mythos becomes another type of logos, a vehicle for representing the invisible world of being, another kind of truth that can even serve a function in anagogic ascent.
Chains and Arteries: Railways as Visual Propaganda during the Second Sino-Japanese War
Authors: Xueshan WU
Published: June 2020

From the time of their invasion in 1931, the Japanese commenced railway construction in China on a large scale, not only to transport troops and supplies, but, just as importantly, to verify Japan’s achievements in “constructing” a new East Asia. To this end, Japanese and Manchurian propaganda images were replete with high-speed trains, as epitomes of the technological progress of the times. Conversely, a primary military goal of the Chinese government was the destruction of these very railroads. Thus, a variety of photographs and woodcut prints of the period depict scenes of Chinese combatants and civilians cooperating to destroy Japanese railways and trains, which were taken to represent the Japanese invader’s machinery of violence. In this context, railroads and other implements of modernity were implicated by war, and both sides were fully cognizant of the capacity of railroads to conquer space. The battle over the sovereignty of these railways, then, whether to build or destroy them, signified an expansion of military and political power. Focusing on the different ways in which railroads were represented in this conflict, this paper explores how different visual narratives pointed to power relationships of the time, either to validate or subvert existing social governance.
Taxonomic revision of the Afrotropical Phytomia Guérin-Méneville (Diptera: Syrphidae)
Authors: DE MEYER MARC , GOERGEN GEORG , JORDAENS KURT
Published: June 2020

The Afrotropical representatives of the hoverfly genus Phytomia Guérin-Méneville (Diptera) are revised. In total, 19 species are recognized of which three are new to science: Phytomia austeni sp. nov., P. memnon sp. nov., and P. pallida sp. nov. Phytomia neavei Bezzi is considered a junior synonym of P. kroeberi (Bezzi), P. noctilio Speiser a junior synonym of P. pubipennis Bezzi, and P. ephippium Bezzi a junior synonym of P. melas (Bezzi). Lectotypes are designated for the following species: Megaspis bulligera Austen, Megaspis erratica Bezzi, and Megaspis poensis Bezzi. In addition, unpublished lectotype designations are hereby formally published for the following species: Megaspis bullata Loew, Megaspis curta Loew, and Megaspis capito Loew. Phytomia curta (Loew) is considered a valid species, and differentiated from P. natalensis (Macquart). Phytomia fronto Loew is tentatively considered to belong to the genus Simoides Loew. The relationship between the different Phytomia species, as well as the relationship between Phytomia and Simoides, is briefly discussed based on morphological and DNA data.
Species of Scina Prestandrea, 1833 (Amphipoda, Hyperiidea, Scinidae) from western Mexico with the description of a new species from the Gulf of California
Authors: GASCA REBECA , HENDRICKX MICHEL E.
Published: June 2020

Only a few previous surveys of the deep-water planktonic fauna have been accomplished off western Mexico, in particular in the Gulf of California. Samples of pelagic amphipods were obtained between surface and as deep as 2394 m using different gear during an extensive survey in this area. Among these samples, nine species of the genus Scina were recognized, including 78 specimens: 27 males and 51 females. The genus Scina inhabits mesopelagic waters at depths over 200 m, a community that remains largely unknown. The material examined includes a new species, the first reported from the Gulf of California, which is described and compared with its closest congeners, S. setigera Wagler, 1926 and S. parasetigera Zeidler, 1990. These three species share the presence of a long bristle on the base of the dactylus of pereopods 5 and 6. Scina sp. nov. differs from these other two species mainly by: 1) the shape and proportions of pereiopods 1–7; 2) the presence of three inner spiniform elements on uropod 1; 3) the insertion of the exopod on distal 1/3 of uropods. Of the remaining species collected during the survey S. borealis was by far the most abundant and widely distributed, followed by S. wolterecki and S. marginata. The other five species, S. curvidactyla, S. nana, S. pacifica, S. setigera, and S. submarginata, were represented by one or two specimens only. Co-occurence of species of Scina in samples was low with a maximum of four species in a single sample, all associated with S. borealis, the most common species. The distribution of Scina species collected during this survey is briefly discussed.
A Child is Being Caged: Resignation Syndrome and the Psychopolitics of Petrification
Authors: Butler Daniel G.
Published: June 2020

Uppgivenhetssyndrom, or resignation syndrome (RS), is a disorder that until recently was thought to affect the children of refugees in Sweden alone. The heuristic of psychopolitics is used to theorize RS as a form of abjection (Bataille, Kristeva) and petrification (Fanon, Marriott), and the movement from petrification to petrification in hallucinosis (Fanon, Bion) is delineated: first these children are petrified by persecutory and culturally specific stereotypes that precede and exceed them symbolically, and then, through a succession of shocks, they enter a post-traumatic stupor in which the faltering symbolization of the stereotype gives way to the (dis)embodiment of abject thinghood. Marriott’s distinction between mirror as mask and mask as mirror allows the attribution of RS not only to sociocultural mimesis and the psychosocial impact of stereotypes (mirror as mask) but also to a socially imposed absence that the stereotype simultaneously conceals and reveals (mask as mirror). RS ( petrification in hallucinosis) is considered the (dis)embodiment of this socially imposed absence.
Teleanalytic Therapy in the Era of Covid-19: Dissociation in the Countertransference
Authors: Svenson Kylie
Published: June 2020

While we and our patients have many transferences to the modality of video or telephone therapy, these meanings are ultimately not intrinsic to the medium itself. Rather, they are symbolic meanings we make of the modality. This paper discusses the symbolic meanings that we attribute to teletherapy and the ways we may use these attributed meanings to dissociate the trauma of Covid-19. It also explores the clinical opportunities in identifying these dissociated countertransferential experiences and embodying them in our own and our patients’ experiences.
Stretching the Analytic Frame: Analytic Therapists’ Experiences with Remote Therapy During COVID-19
Authors: Békés Vera , Aafjes–van Doorn Katie , Prout Tracy A. , Hoffman Leon
Published: June 2020

Remote therapy has been used by analytic therapists for quite some time, though many have been reluctant to use it regularly, out of concern that it might distort analytic frame and relational dynamics. Now the Covid-19 pandemic has forced therapists to make a sudden, across-the-board transition to remote therapy. This study reports on survey responses from 190 analytic therapists on their transition to online therapy via videoconferencing during the pandemic and their previous experience with remote therapy (the majority had such experience). During the pandemic they prepared themselves and their patients for the transition in a variety of ways. The majority of those surveyed reported feeling as confident and as competent in their online sessions as in their earlier in-person work. Moreover, despite technical and relational challenges, they remained as strong, emotionally connected, and authentic in their online therapy sessions as they were in person. These experiences during the pandemic led to more positive views of online therapy than they held before, but a majority still considered online therapy less effective than in-person sessions.
Beyond Beer's Law: Spectral Mixing Rules
Authors: Mayerhöfer Thomas G. , Popp Jürgen
Published: June 2020

Based on Beer's law, it is assumed that the absorbance of a mixture is that of the neat materials weighted by their relative amounts (linear mixing rule). In this contribution, we show that this is an assumption that holds only under various approximations for which no change of the chemical interactions is just one among several. To understand these approximations, which lead incrementally to different well known mixing rules, we finally derive the linear mixing rule from the Lorentz–Lorenz relation, with the first approximation that the local electric field is correctly described in this relation. Further levels of approximation are that the local field equals the applied field (Newton–Laplace mixing rule) and that the change of the index of refraction and, equivalently, absorption is weak (Gladstone–Dale/Arago–Biot mixing rule). Even then the linear mixing rule is only strictly valid if the indices of refraction in the transparency region at higher frequency than the absorption have the same value and the mixing is homogeneous relative to the resolving power of the light (“micro-homogeneous”). Under these preconditions, linear mixing of the individual absorbances is established. We illustrate the spectral differences between the different mixing rules, all of which are based on volume and not on mass fractions, with examples. For micro-heterogeneous samples, a different linear mixing rule governs the optical properties, which refers to the experimental quantities, reflectance, and transmittance. As a result, for such samples, mixtures of already comparably high content give only weak signals due to band flattening, which are hard to distinguish from baseline effects.
Serum myonectin is increased after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy
Authors: Li Lei , Wang Qianqian , Qin Chengkun
Published: June 2020

Objective

Myonectin, a newly discovered myokine, enhances fatty acid uptake in cultured adipocytes and hepatocytes and suppresses circulating levels of free fatty acids in mice. Recent studies showed that serum myonectin concentration is negatively correlated with obesity. This study was undertaken to evaluate the change of serum myonectin in obese patients after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.

Methods

This study was performed in a population of 42 obese and 58 control subjects from April of 2018 to December of 2019. All obese subjects underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Anthropometric measurements, lipid profiles, HbA1c and serum myonectin were assessed at baseline and six months after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.

Results

Serum myonectin concentrations were significantly lower in the obese patients than in the controls. Serum myonectin concentrations were increased at six months after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Simple linear regression analysis indicated that serum myonectin was negatively correlated with weight, waist circumference, hip circumference, body mass index, fasting plasma glucose, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance and HbA1c. Only body mass index was still inversely correlated with serum myonectin after multiple linear regression analysis.

Conclusion

Serum myonectin is correlated with obesity and increased after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.
Remodeler sa vie® (Lifestyle Redesign) : première étude pilote auprès d’aînés franco-canadiens
Authors: Lévesque Marie-Hélène , Trépanier Jordane , Tardif Marie-Ève , Lalanne Kevin , Boudriau Mélanie , Ainsley Sarah , Boislard Charles , Levasseur Mélanie
Published: June 2020

Description.

Récemment traduit et adapté au contexte franco-canadien, le programme Remodeler sa vie ( Lifestyle Redesign) vise le développement de modes de vie sains et porteurs de sens. On connaît toutefois peu l’influence de ce programme chez les aînés francophones.

But.

Décrire l’influence du programme Remodeler sa vie sur l’équilibre de vie, l’engagement dans les activités signifiantes, la compassion et la gratitude d’aînés franco-canadiens.

Méthodologie.

Une étude pilote mixte (préexpérimental et qualitatif clinique) a été réalisée auprès de 16 aînés répartis en deux groupes (avec et sans incapacités). Des questionnaires pré et post-intervention ainsi que des entretiens semi-dirigés ont été complétés.

Résultats.

Une augmentation de l’équilibre de vie de l’ensemble participants ( p = 0,03) et de l’engagement dans des activités signifiantes des aînés sans incapacité ( p = 0,02) a été observée. Les participants rapportaient des améliorations pour l’ensemble des résultantes.

Conséquences.

Remodeler sa vie est un programme prometteur pour promouvoir la santé des aînés franco-canadiens.
Adult Attachment, Social Self-Efficacy, Familismo, and Psychological Wellbeing: A Cross-Cultural Comparison
Authors: Zamudio Gabriel , Wang Chiachih DC , Jin Ling
Published: June 2020

This cross-cultural study investigated a moderated indirect effect model in which country membership and familismo were hypothesized to moderate the direct and indirect effects of attachment insecurity on well-being variables. A total of 360 Mexican university students from Mexico and 235 Mexican American university students from the United States completed research questionnaires. Results indicated that insecure attachment was associated with depressive symptoms and life satisfaction via an indirect effect of social self-efficacy (SSE) and that the indirect effects of attachment avoidance varied significantly by country membership. Familismo was also found to be a significant moderator for the direct effects of attachment anxiety on life satisfaction. Finally, several significant three-way interactions were found suggesting that the buffering effects of familismo on the direct and indirect paths of insecure attachment on SSE and outcome variables vary significantly by country membership. The limitations and implications are discussed.
Extended state observer–based sliding mode learning control for mechanical system
Authors: He Bing , Liu Gang , Chen Hailong , Hu Xiaoxiang
Published: June 2020

A novel sliding mode learning controller is proposed for uncertain mechanical system in this paper. The model of uncertain mechanical system is listed first, and then extended state observer is designed for the estimation of the uncertainty. Then, an extended state observer–based sliding surface is constructed. The sliding surface parameters are solved by Lyapunov function approach. Then, a sliding mode learning controller is proposed for uncertain mechanical system to overcome the inherent chattering. Finally, a numerical simulation is given to show the effectiveness of the proposed sliding mode learning controller.
Facial recognition system using LBPH face recognizer for anti-theft and surveillance application based on drone technology
Authors: Wang Li , Siddique Ali Akbar
Published: June 2020

Providing security to the citizens is one of the most important and complex task for the governments around the world which they have to deal with. Street crimes and theft are the biggest threats for the citizens and their belonging. In order to provide security, there is an urgent need of a system that is capable of identifying the criminal in the crowded area. This paper proposes a facial recognition system using Local Binary Patterns Histogram Face recognizer mounted on drone technology. The facial recognition capability is a key feature for a drone to have in order to find or identify the person within the crowd. With the inception of drone technology in the proposed system, we can use it as a surveillance drone as well through which it can cover more area as compared to the stationary system. As soon as the system identifies the desired person, it tags him and transmits the image along with the co-ordinates of the location to the concerned authorities using mounted global positioning system. Proposed system is capable of identifying the person with the accuracy of approximately 89.1%.
Mental status of patients with chronic insomnia in China during COVID-19 epidemic
Authors: Yang Lili , Yu Zhenghe , Xu You , Liu Wenjuan , Liu Lu , Mao Hongjing
Published: June 2020

Aim:

To study the sleep and mental health of chronic insomnia patients in China during coronavirus disease in 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic.

Methods:

A total of 764 patients with chronic insomnia were included in this study. From 17 January 2020 to 24 January 2020, insomnia, anxiety and physical symptoms were evaluated online, and they were followed up for 4 and 8 weeks. Main outcomes and indicators were assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and each factor score, the General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15), respectively. In addition, insomnia, anxiety and physical symptoms were assessed at baseline and at the end of fourth and eighth weeks. Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to compare the changes in patients’ scale scores at different time points.

Results:

Among the 764 participants, there were 755 and 738 evaluators who completed the fourth and eighth weeks, respectively, and the questionnaire completion rates were 98.82% and 96.60%, respectively. Among them, there are 459 (60.0%) aged 41–60 years old, 546 (71.5%) women, 218 (28.5%) men and 313 (41%) college degrees. After 8 weeks of follow-up, the differences in sleep status, anxiety symptoms and physical symptoms were statistically significant. Among the factors of PSQI, there were differences in subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, sleep disturbance (disorder), sleep efficiency and daytime function. At 4 weeks of follow-up, there was a statistically significant difference in the use of hypnotic drugs; at 8 weeks of follow-up, there was no statistically significant difference in the use of hypnotic drugs.

Conclusion:

Under the influence of the COVID-19, the sleep status and anxiety of patients with chronic insomnia are affected by the epidemic.
Simultaneous effects of rice husk silica and silicon carbide whiskers on the mechanical properties and morphology of sodium geopolymer
Authors: Rahman Akm Samsur , Shah Chirag , Gupta Nikhil
Published: June 2020

The current research is focused on developing a geopolymer binder using rice husk ash–derived silica nanoparticles. Four types of rice husks were collected directly from various rice fields of Bangladesh in order to evaluate the pozzolanic activity and compatibility of the derived rice husk ashes with precursors of sodium-based geopolymers. Silicon carbide whiskers were introduced into sodium-based geopolymers in order to evaluate the response of silicon carbide whiskers to the interfacial bonding and strength of sodium-based geopolymers along with rice husk ashes. Compression, flexural and short beam shear tests were performed to investigate the synergistic effect of rice husk ashes–derived silica and commercially available silicon carbide whiskers. Results show that rice husk ashes–derived spherical silica nanoparticles reduced nano-porosity of the geopolymers by ∼20% and doubled the compressive strength. The simultaneous additions of rice husk ashes and silicon carbide whiskers resulted in flexural strength improvement by ∼27% and ∼97%, respectively. The increase in compressive strength due to the inclusion of silica nanoparticles is related to the reduction in porosity. The increase in flexural strength due to simultaneous inclusion of silica and silicon carbide whiskers suggest that silica particles are compatible with the metakaolin-based geopolymers, which is effective in consolidation. Finally, microscopy suggest that silicon carbide whiskers are effective in increasing bridged network and crack resistance.
The Coronavirus in Context: Guidance for Psychotherapists During a Pandemic
Authors: Raskin Jonathan D. , Efran Jay S.
Published: June 2020

We outline a context-centered therapy approach to helping clients cope with the coronavirus pandemic. Context-centered therapy is a constructivist approach that emphasizes shifts in an individual’s contexts as the best way to generate therapeutic change. Contexts are defined as sets of presuppositions that shape a person’s experiences. We examine how two very common contexts, mind and self, can inform therapists’ understanding of how their clients are responding to the coronavirus pandemic. The mind consists of a person’s defensive and protective postures in the face of perceived threat, whereas the self takes a broader perspective and emphasizes human connections and interrelatedness. Therapists can use several mind/self contrasts—blame versus responsibility, insufficiency versus sufficiency, being at effect versus being at cause, and avoidance versus mastery—to assist people who are struggling in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.
Internet Pornography: Some Medical and Spiritual Perspectives
Authors: McTavish James
Published: June 2020

The Internet has made pornography available on a massive scale. Data released by “Pornhub” the world’s most popular Internet porn site, reveal that in 2019 alone, there were over 42 billion visits to its website, which in itself is an incredible waste of time and energy, which could be more fruitfully employed. Pornography viewing is poisonous for the conscience and commodifies the human body, reducing it to an object of abusive pleasure. Its negative effects can be broadly seen in three overlapping categories: personal, psychological, and social. The antidote is a renewed call to chastity, that self-mastery that can help direct one’s passions in a more fruitful way. Without prayer, we cannot live chastely as “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). There is an urgency for the new evangelization to help recapture the dignity of the body and counter the lie of pornography, and to ensure that in the digital world, the face of Christ needs to be seen and his voice heard.

The first part of this essay outlines some personal, psychological, and social dangers of pornography. Viewing of pornography is harmful, as it objectifies the human body and distorts one’s vision of sexuality. The second part of the essay gives some practical advice concerning how to ideally halt or reverse the epidemic of porn viewing, emphasizing the dignity of each person as subject, and reminding us of how a chaste gaze helps one rediscover the real beauty and value of the human body.
Simultaneous analysis of potassium and ammonium ions in the vitreous humour by capillary electrophoresis and their integrated use to infer the post mortem interval (PMI)
Authors: Palacio Covadonga , Gottardo Rossella , Cirielli Vito , Musile Giacomo , Agard Yvane , Bortolotti Federica , Tagliaro Franco
Published: June 2020

Post-mortem changes of ions in the body fluids have been proposed as an objective tool for inferring the time of death. In particular, the post-mortem increase of potassium concentrations in the vitreous humour has gained great attention in the literature. On the other hand, ammonium, another ion released in post-mortem processes, has received much less attention, potentially due to unresolved analytical issues using current clinical chemistry methods. This paper presents an application of a new analytical approach based on capillary electrophoresis providing the simultaneous analysis of potassium and ammonium ions in the vitreous humour. In addition, to assess the consistency of the post-mortem increase of ammonium concentrations in the vitreous humour, the determination of this ion in the vitreous humour of the two eyes of the same body at the same post-mortem interval has been verified. Vitreous humour was collected from 33 medico-legal cases where the time of death was known exactly. Prior to analysis, all samples were diluted 1:20 with a 40 μg/mL solution of BaCl2 (internal standard). In the study of the variability of the ammonium concentration between the two eyes, no statistically significant differences were found, supporting the hypothesis of an even post-mortem increase of the ion concentrations in this particular biological fluid. Significant correlations of potassium and ammonium ions with the post-mortem interval were found, with r2 of 0.75 and 0.70, respectively.
Locating the public interest in mega infrastructure planning: The case of Sydney’s WestConnex
Authors: Searle Glen , Legacy Crystal
Published: June 2020

In Western liberal democracies the planning of mega transport infrastructure projects is guided by public interest claims typically expressed through legislation and political mandates. But with the infrastructure boom being observed in many cities since the Global Financial Crisis, and the need to address unprecedented levels of urbanisation, the level of politicisation directed at infrastructure projects draws attention to how the public interest is treated in the planning and management of complex mega transport infrastructure projects in diverse local contexts. Looking to Sydney, an advanced neoliberal city building the largest transport infrastructure project in Australian history, we examine how public interest is asserted in a way that reinforces legitimacy of the process and consensus for the project. Under these conditions, planners fail or are unwilling to raise additional or new public interest issues. The vagaries of public interest mean that in being open to interpretation the public interest can be easily captured by the interests of capital and of ruling politicians. This raises important questions for urban studies about the role governments and, in particular, public-sector planners can play in advocating for actually existing public interest issues such as environmental sustainability without it amounting to just rhetoric with no follow through.
Impersonation and personification in mid-twentieth century mathematics
Authors: Barany Michael J.
Published: June 2020

Pseudonymous mathematician Nicolas Bourbaki and his lesser-known counterpart E.S. Pondiczery, devised respectively in France and in Princeton in the mid-1930s, together index a pivotal moment in the history of modern mathematics, marked by international infrastructures and institutions that depended on mathematicians’ willingness to play along with mediated personifications. By pushing these norms and practices of personification to their farcical limits, Bourbaki’s and Pondiczery’s impersonators underscored the consensual social foundations of legitimate participation in a scientific community and the symmetric fictional character of both fraud and integrity in scientific authorship. To understand authorial identity and legitimacy, individual authors’ conduct and practices matter less than the collective interpersonal relations of authorial assertion and authentication that take place within disciplinary institutions.
Introduction to the special issue on syntax and verbal short term/working memory in developmental disorders
Authors: Stavrakaki Stavroula
Published: June 2020

In the field of developmental disorders, two main research approaches, the linguistic approach and the cognitive psychology of memory approach, have been used to a great extent independently. Recently, researchers have investigated simultaneously the language and verbal memory abilities – especially verbal short term memory (VSTM) and verbal working memory (VWM) – of individuals with developmental disorders. The present Special Issue contributes to the discussion of the relation between VSTM/VWM and syntax in developmental disorders. It reports empirical data from six studies on the relation between verbal memory and syntax in different disorders and languages, and it raises theoretical issues concerning these cognitive mechanisms. It concludes with three commentary articles where the authors raise crucial theoretical and methodological issues: they pose questions concerning the status of VSTM/VWM and syntax, and spell out directions for future research in this field.
IRTBEMM: An R Package for Estimating IRT Models With Guessing or Slipping Parameters
Authors: Guo Shaoyang , Zheng Chanjin , Kern Justin L.
Published: June 2020

A recently released R package IRTBEMM is presented in this article. This package puts together several new estimation algorithms (Bayesian EMM, Bayesian E3M, and their maximum likelihood versions) for the Item Response Theory (IRT) models with guessing and slipping parameters (e.g., 3PL, 4PL, 1PL-G, and 1PL-AG models). IRTBEMM should be of interest to the researchers in IRT estimation and applying IRT models with the guessing and slipping effects to real datasets.