bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantum Cryptography
Authors: S BENITAMARTINA
Published: November 2020

Nowadays, information is exchanged among the computer network. These data and information are involved in the business, military, academic education, research and etc. which are shared around the world in both private and public networks. Since, many categories of data are required restriction on the authorization of access, modify, delete, and insert, security in communication is increasingly important to network communication. Currently, computer security applies mathematic theory to computer security for encrypting and decrypting on both sender and receiver. To use a security attack with a high-performance computer (e.g. quantum computer), an attacker can find a key and then obtains the data infeasible period. Quantum cryptography is one of the solutions that use the property of polarization to ensure that transmitted data is not trapped by an eavesdropper. Quantum cryptography is improved significantly in the last decades including the most two dominant protocols BB84 and BB92.
Why Ross Survived When Franklin Died: Arctic Explorers and the Inuit, 1829–1848
Authors: Bayne Nicholas
Published: November 2020

The Franklin expedition disappeared in the High Arctic in the 1840s, looking for the North-West Passage. After a long search, contacts with local Inuit revealed they had all perished. Could the Inuit have saved Franklin’s crews? The experience of John and James Ross is instructive. A decade earlier they led a smaller party to an Arctic region near where Franklin’s crews landed. They made friends with an Inuit community and learnt useful skills in clothing, diet, shelter and transport. This enabled them to survivefourArctic winters and come home safely. But the Franklin expedition was poorly placed to benefit from Inuit contact. They were too numerous and had no interpreters. Trapped in the ice, they did not seek out Inuit villages. Leaving the ships, they turned towards a desert region and abandoned useful equipment. The wrecks ofErebusandTerrorwere only discovered in 2014 and 2016, again thanks to Inuit guidance. Britain has transferred the wrecks and their contents to Canada. They will be jointly held by the government and the Inuit ­people, whose ­contribution to the Franklin story is finally being recognized.
The Canadian Civil Wars of 1837–1838
Authors: Buckner Phillip
Published: November 2020

Canadian historians have traditionally stressed that the rebellions of 1837 and 1838 in Upper and Lower Canada were revolts against British imperial authority. Less stressed has been the fact that the rebellions were also civil wars and that British troops were aided by substantial numbers of loyalists in defeating the rebels. In recent years historians have tended to downplay the importance of French-Canadian nationalism, but by 1837–8 the rebellion in Lower Canada was essentially a struggle between French-Canadian nationalists and a broadly-based coalition of loyalists in Lower Canada. Outside Lower Canada there was no widespread support for rebellion anywhere in British North America, except among a specific group of American immigrants and their descendants in Upper Canada. It is a myth that the rebellions can be explained as a division between the older-stock inhabitants of the Canadas and the newer arrivals. It is also a myth that the rebels in the two Canadas shared the same objectives in the long run and that the rebellions were part of a single phenomenon. French-Canadian nationalists wanted their own state; most of the republicans in Upper Canada undoubtedly believed that Upper Canada would become a state in the American Union. Annexation was clearly the motivation behind the Patriot Hunters in the United States, who have received an increasingly favourable press from borderland historians, despite the fact that they were essentially filibusters motivated by the belief that America had a manifest destiny to spread across the North American continent. Indeed, it was the failure of the rebellions that made Confederation possible in 1867.
Los imaginarios de paz: construcción colectiva de estudiantes y maestros
Authors: Fuentes Fuentes Luz Stella
Published: November 2020

Partiendo de la pregunta sobre los imaginarios de paz en estudiantes y maestros de educación básica secundaria, se presenta aquí el resultado de entrevistas a grupos focales relacionada con el concepto y el proceso de paz. La unidad de análisis involucra grupos de jóvenes y maestros (dieciocho estudiantes distribuidos en tres grupos de seis y nueve maestros distribuidos en dos grupos). El enfoque cualitativo naturalista e interpretativo y el análisis descriptivo-interpretativo. Se concluyó que existe un vínculo indeleble entre convivencia y paz, los estudiantes se orientan a un concepto de paz como estado anhelado, vivencia en armonía, libertad y justicia, mientras que los maestros lo precisan como un proceso de construcción y responsabilidad social y sitúan el diálogo como dimensión de la misma. Respecto al proceso de paz, los maestros resaltan el esfuerzo loable del Estado colombiano y la reglamentación del Sistema Integral de Verdad, Justicia, Reparación y No Repetición.
SUGARCANE COMPANIES’ PREFERENCES FOR CERTIFIED SUPPLIERS IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Authors: Oenning Eduardo , De Oliveira Lucas , De Melo Fagner , Xavier Larissa , De Medeiros Denise Dumke
Published: November 2020

Goal: The main objective of this study was to evaluate the preference structure for MSS certifications in a Brazilian supply chain.
Design/methodology/approach: To form the set of attributes, five MSS were selected that certify companies in the Brazilian sugarcane supply chain, and a sample of 66 large and medium-sized companies in operation was obtained.
Results: The results show that the Brazilian sugarcane companies supply chain presented a higher preference for suppliers with ISO 9001 (38.7%), ISO 22000 (19.9%), ISO 14001 (19.6%), OHSAS 18001 (13.2%) and ISO 27001 (8.6%) certification and contribute to the literature by offering new and broader insight into industrial buying behavior in the business-to-business context with respect to the adoption of MSS.
Limitations of the investigation: The low number of observations may be a factor limiting the investigation. And the study is limited to sugar-alcohol companies in Brazil.
Practical implications: Companies within the supply chain still prefer the traditional certifications, even when the market is saturated with such certifications. These results help better explain industrial behavior and illuminate the relationships that companies develop within the supply chain, that might thus be of great assistance to suppliers wishing to become part of this supply chain by identifying which MSS certifications are most valued by purchasing companies.
Originality/value: The article analyzes which MSS are most important for the Brazilian companies of sugar cane and ethanol. And can be of great value to managers, suppliers, and stakeholders in this industry, as well as a model for developing countries.
Comparative Study between Leviteracetam, Phenytoin & Carbamazepine in Treating Post Traumatic Epilepsy
Authors: Hamed Dr. Rana Hani Mohammed Ali Al-Shaikh , Hussein Dr. Raad Ahmed , Ibraheem Sadoon A. , Jumaily Dr. Muhammed Hameed Faeadh Al
Published: November 2020

Aim: Evaluation of the advantages of Levetiracetam over Phenytoin & Carbamazepine in treatment of late post traumatic epilepsy. Objectives: To compare between the effectiveness of antiepileptic drugs leviteracetam, phenytoin & carbamazepine in management of post-traumatic epilepsy. Methods: This is a retrospective study on the medical treatment of 60 patients with post traumatic epilepsy. 20 patients of them were treated by leviteracetam, 20 patients by Tegretol, & 20 patients by phenytoin. Data was collected between January 2014 and January 2020 from the neurosurgical hospital in Baghdad. Patient demographics, aetiopathology, effectiveness & side effects were recorded. Results: All the 60 patients with Post traumatic epilepsy were recorded. Regarding the Aetiology: Brain CT scan demonstrated that 35 patients had brain cortical contusions, in 15 patients there were depressed skull fractures and 10 patients had acute subdural haemorrhage. All patients with depressed skull fractures & 8 patients wit subdural haematoma were treated surgically then medically. All the patients were treated with antiepileptic medications, so that 20 patients were treated with phenytoin, 20 patients with levetiracetam & 20 patients with carbamazepine. Conclusions: Levetiracetam (Keppra) is a broad-spectrum antiepileptic drug with low incidence of cognitive problems. It is not metabolized in the liver. It has advantage over Phenytoin & Carbamazepine in management of post traumatic epilepsy due to fewer side effects.
EFEKTIVITAS PERENDAMAN INDUK IKAN RAINBOW BOESEMANI (MELANOTAENIA BOESEMANI) DALAM MEDIA PEMIJAHAN YANG MENGANDUNG EKSTRAK TEPUNG TESTIS SAPI TERHADAP JANTANISASI BENIH
Authors: Shoimah Fitriyatus , Hastuti Sri , Yuniarti Tristiana
Published: November 2020

Ikan rainbow boesemani (Melanotaenia boesemani) merupakan salah satu ikan hias endemik asal Papua. Ikan ini banyak digemari oleh pembudidaya ikan hias, terutama untuk jenis rainbow jantan. Ikan rainbow jantan memiliki warna yang lebih menarik daripada ikan rainbow betina. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji efektivitas perendaman induk ikan rainbow boesemani (M. boesemani) dalam media pemijahan yang mengandung ekstrak tepung testis sapi terhadap jantanisasi benih.  Metode eksperimen yang digunakan adalah Rancangan Acak Lengkap (RAL) dengan 2 perlakuan dan 10 kali ulangan. Ikan uji yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah induk ikan rainbow boesemani jantan dan betina yang berumur 7 bulan. Induk ikan tersebut dipijahkan dalam wadah pemijahan yang telah berisi ekstrak tepung testis sapi dengan perbandingan rasio jantan betina yaitu 1:2, kemudian larva yang menetas dipindahkan kedalam akuarium pemeliharaan dengan kepadatan 50 ekor/wadah dengan waktu pemeliharaan 60 hari. Perlakuan dalam penelitian ini adalah pemberian ekstrak tepung testis sapi pada media pemijahan induk dengan dosis A (TTS 0 mg/L) dan dosis B (TTS 80 mg/L). Hasil penelitian menunjukan bahwa derajat penetasan telur ikan rainbow pada perlakuan A yaitu 90,09±1,80% dan perlakuan B 90,21±2,35%. Pertumbuhan panjang mutlak pada perlakuan A adalah 2,52±0,23cm dan bobot mutlaknya 0,350±0,07g, sedangkan panjang mutlak pada perlakuan B yaitu 2,68±0,14cm dan bobot mutlaknya 0,395±0,03g. Prosentase kelamin jantan pada perlakuan B yaitu 79,37±2,27% dan prosentase kelamin betina 20,63±2,27%, sedangkan pada perlakuan A prosentase kelamin jantan yaitu 34,29±2,11% dan prosentase kelamin betina 65,71±2,11%. Kelulushidupan ikan rainbow pada perlakuan A yaitu 88,6±2,12% dan pada perlakuan B adalah 89,2±3,29%. Kualitas air pada media pemeliharaan layak untuk budidaya ikan rainbow (M. boesemani) yaitu suhu 25 - 290C; pH 7,3 - 8,4; dan DO 5,1 - 6,4 mg/L. Kesimpulan penelitian ini yaitu perendaman induk ikan rainbow boesemani (M. boesemani) dalam media pemijahan yang mengandung tepung testis sapi efektif dalam meningkatkan prosentase kelamin jantan sebesar 79,37±2,27%.
Kulturoznawstwo – nowa dyscyplina czy nowy obszar badań?
Authors: Dziamski Grzegorz
Published: November 2020

Cultural Studies is a young discipline. It appeared in academic structures in the 70s of the last century, that is when the study of culture has long been divided between older and more distinguished disciplines. Cultural studies had to somehow define in relation to existing cultural sciences. Cultural studies deconstructed opposition canonical and non-canonical art practice. Se Dealing with art outside the canon had and still has political dimension, as it draws attention to subcultures in which it sees the cultural expression of marginalized groups. We have no longer translated the English name “cultural studies” as “science of culture” or “knowledge of culture”. We do not examine culture in its numerous manifestations, high or low, but the cultural nature of various phenomena, for example gender. Three generations of researchers can be indicated in the not too long, nearly half century of Polish cultural studies. Cultural studies already has a certain academic tradition and it is still difficult for us to decide whether it is more of a new scientific discipline or new area of research?
Co wynika z badań opartych na dowodach dla dalszego rozwoju nauk społecznych?
Authors: Kowalik Stanisław
Published: November 2020

Global social order calls for more and more knowledge of applicable character. As a result, medicine developed certain procedures known as evidence-based research and evidence-based practice. Both procedures are promoted with great intensity in the domain of social sciences. The article demonstrates that such a type of modernisation may pose a threat to social sciences and their development. An alternative model of conducting research in the field of social sciences has been presented, which would guarantee an increase in the regulatory scientific knowledge in relation to the practice and which, at the same time, would protect social sciences against excessive political and economic interference in its further development.
Direct and indirect impact of aesthetics on intention to buy smartphones
Authors: Le-Hoang Phuong Viet
Published: November 2020

This study aims to measure the direct and indirect impact of aesthetics on consumers' intention to buy smartphones through perceived value in the context of research in Vietnam. The research data conducted through three surveys: The first one is expert survey and group discussions to explore and adjust the scales. The second one is that the authors conducted a pilot study with 100 customers in Ho Chi Minh City to evaluate the reliability of scales, the last one is that the authors survey directly 200 customers and send 100 online surveys. And 275 valid observations with Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were conducted to find a direct and indirect impact on the intention to buy smartphones. The main results show that aesthetic has a direct and indirect impact on the intention to buy smartphones. The strongest influence is the indirect impact of aesthetics on the intention to purchase through social value; the second strong impact is the direct impact of aesthetics on the intention to buy, the two weakest indirect effects is through functional value and emotional value respectively. Based on the research results, the product developer can adjust the properties of aesthetics, and at the same time looking the ways to increase the perceived value of customers; thereby increasing revenue in selling smartphones.
Allocating participants: a mathematical model for selection process
Authors: Lim-Apo Flávio Araújo , Reis Silvia Araújo dos , Celestino Victor Rafael Rezende , Carvalho José Márcio
Published: November 2020

Selections, exams, and tests for knowledge assessment frequently require the participant be present on a facility to take a presential test. In 2017, 6.7 Million participants took the biggest Brazilian exam:  Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio (ENEM). Logistics is a fundamental key to the execution of these events, responsible to select the locations, allocate each participant in one of a list of possible preselect facilities, and hire temporary staff to apply the tests. Deciding the locations that will be used is a crucial step that determines the two major logistical costs (staff and rent), and a bad decision will directly impact the global costs of the event. Hence, the goal of this work is to elaborate mathematical models using Lingo 17.0 to assist the decision makers to decide which locations to use, including the designation where the participant will take the test, first to minimalize the costs and then maximize the participant service level. The resulting models include multiple complex and specific constraints solved extremely fast and focused on not only providing the best solution, but also automating a manual and time-consuming process. In addition, a trade-off curve between cost and participant service level assists the decision maker to select the best option for different scenarios.
Reversed Stein–Weiss Inequalities with Poisson-Type Kernel and Qualitative Analysis of Extremal Functions
Authors: Tao Chunxia
Published: November 2020

Through conformal map, isoperimetric inequalities are equivalent to the Hardy–Littlewood–Sobolev (HLS) inequalities involved with the Poisson-type kernel on the upper half space. From the analytical point of view, we want to know whether there exists a reverse analogue for the Poisson-type kernel. In this work, we give an affirmative answer to this question. We first establish the reverse Stein–Weiss inequality with the Poisson-type kernel, finding that the range of index 𝑝,

q
′

q^{\prime}

appearing in the reverse inequality lies in the interval

(
0
,
1
)

(0,1)

, which is perfectly consistent with the feature of the index for the classical reverse HLS and Stein–Weiss inequalities. Then we give the existence and asymptotic behaviors of the extremal functions of this inequality. Furthermore, for the reverse HLS inequalities involving the Poisson-type kernel, we establish the regularity for the positive solutions to the corresponding Euler–Lagrange system and give the sufficient and necessary conditions of the existence of their solutions. Finally, in the conformal invariant index, we classify the extremal functions of the latter reverse inequality and compute the sharp constant. Our methods are based on the reversed version of the Hardy inequality in high dimension, Riesz rearrangement inequality and moving spheres.
Multiple Periodic Solutions of a Class of Fractional Laplacian Equations
Authors: Cui Ying-Xin , Wang Zhi-Qiang
Published: November 2020

In this paper, we study the existence of multiple periodic solutions for the following fractional equation:

(

-
Δ

)

s

⁢
u

+

F
′

⁢

(
u
)

=
0

,

u
⁢

(
x
)

=

u
⁢

(

x
+
T

)

 

x
∈
ℝ

.

(-\Delta)^{s}u+F^{\prime}(u)=0,\qquad u(x)=u(x+T)\quad x\in\mathbb{R}.

For an even double-well potential, we establish more and more periodic solutions for a large period T. Without the evenness of F we give the existence of two periodic solutions of the problem. We make use of variational arguments, in particular Clark’s theorem and Morse theory.
Temporal coherence properties of laser modules used in headlamps determined by a Michelson interferometer
Authors: Popp Valerie , Ansorg Philipp , Fleck Burkhard , Neumann Cornelius
Published: November 2020

In this work, an investigation of the temporal coherence properties of radiation which is emitted by laser modules integrated in headlamps is presented. The motivation for these measurements was difficulties concerning the field of classification for laser products which function as conventional headlamps. Based on an experimental setup including a Michelson interferometer, a goniophotometer and a spectrometer, coherence lengths of 92.5 and 147.0 μm are obtained for two different laser modules. The results show that the temporal coherence of the examined radiation is appreciably higher than the temporal coherence of conventionally produced white light. Therefore, at this point in time, laser modules used in headlamps cannot be considered as customary white light sources.
Ensemble classification technique for heart disease prediction with meta-heuristic-enabled training system
Authors: Kumar Parvathaneni Rajendra , Ravichandran Suban , Narayana Satyala
Published: November 2020

Objectives

This research work exclusively aims to develop a novel heart disease prediction framework including three major phases, namely proposed feature extraction, dimensionality reduction, and proposed ensemble-based classification.

Methods

As the novelty, the training of NN is carried out by a new enhanced optimization algorithm referred to as Sea Lion with Canberra Distance (S-CDF) via tuning the optimal weights. The improved S-CDF algorithm is the extended version of the existing “Sea Lion Optimization (SLnO)”. Initially, the statistical and higher-order statistical features are extracted including central tendency, degree of dispersion, and qualitative variation, respectively. However, in this scenario, the “curse of dimensionality” seems to be the greatest issue, such that there is a necessity of dimensionality reduction in the extracted features. Hence, the principal component analysis (PCA)-based feature reduction approach is deployed here. Finally, the dimensional concentrated features are fed as the input to the proposed ensemble technique with “Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest (RF), K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN)” with optimized Neural Network (NN) as the final classifier.

Results

An elaborative analyses as well as discussion have been provided by concerning the parameters, like evaluation metrics, year of publication, accuracy, implementation tool, and utilized datasets obtained by various techniques.

Conclusions

From the experiment outcomes, it is proved that the accuracy of the proposed work with the proposed feature set is 5, 42.85, and 10% superior to the performance with other feature sets like central tendency + dispersion feature, central tendency qualitative variation, and dispersion qualitative variation, respectively.

Results

Finally, the comparative evaluation shows that the presented work is appropriate for heart disease prediction as it has high accuracy than the traditional works.
Nonlinear analysis of scalp EEGs from normal and brain tumour subjects
Authors: Selvam V. Salai , Devi S. Shenbaga
Published: November 2020

Measurement of features from the chaos theory or as popularly known, the concept of nonlinear dynamics, as indicatives of several pathological conditions and cognition states using the electroencephalography (EEG) signal is very popular. In this paper, the analysis of scalp EEG signals of normal subjects and brain tumour patients using the nonlinear dynamic features has been presented. The nonlinear dynamic features that represent the dimensional and waveform complexities of the signal being analyzed have been considered. The statistical analysis of the selected nonlinear dynamic features has been presented. The results show that the nonlinear dynamic features significantly discriminate the brain tumour group from the normal group.
Measurement of serum 17-hydroxyprogesterone using isotope dilution liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry candidate reference method and evaluation of the performance for three routine methods
Authors: Long Qichen , Zhang Tianjiao , Yan Ying , Zhao Haijian , Zhou Weiyan , Zeng Jie , Li Shuijun , Zhang Jiangtao , Zeng Qingzhang , Zhao Beibei , Zhang Chuanbao , Chen Wenxiang
Published: November 2020

Objectives

Accurate measurements of serum 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17OHP) are essential for diagnosis and treatment monitoring for congenital adrenal hyperplasia patients. The performance of serum 17OHP routine methods remains highly variable that calls for a candidate reference measurement procedure (cRMP) to improve the standardization of serum 17OHP measurements.

Methods

Serum samples spiked with internal standards were extracted with a combination of solid-phase extraction and liquid-liquid extraction. The 17OHP was quantified by the isotope dilution coupled with liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (ID-LC/MS/MS) with electrospray ionization in positive ion mode. Nine structural analogs of 17OHP were evaluated for interferences. The precision and analytical recovery were assessed. Twenty native and 40 spiked serum for performance evaluation were measured by the cRMP and two clinical LC/MS routine methods.

Results

No apparent interferences were found with the 17OHP measurement. The within-run, between-run, and total precision for our method were 0.4–0.8%, 0.6–2.0%, and 1.0–2.1% for four pooled serum (2.46–102.72 nmol/L), respectively. The recoveries of added 17OHP were 100.0–100.2%. For the performance of two LC/MS routine methods, they showed relative deviation ranges of −22.1 to 1.1% and −6.7 to 12.8%, respectively.

Conclusions

We developed and validated a reliable serum 17OHP method using ID-LC/MS/MS. The desirable accuracy and precision of this method enable it to serve as a promising cRMP to improve the standardization for serum 17OHP routine measurements.
Quality benchmarking of smartphone laboratory medicine applications: comparison of laboratory medicine specialists’ and non-laboratory medicine professionals’ evaluation
Authors: Jovičić Snežana , Siodmiak Joanna , Alcorta Marta Duque , Kittel Maximillian , Oosterhuis Wytze , Aakre Kristin Moberg , Jørgensen Per , Palicka Vladimir , Kutt Marge , Anttonen Mikko , Velizarova Mileva Georgieva , Marc Jania ,   European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine Working Group on Patient-Focused Laboratory Medicine
Published: November 2020

Objectives

There are many mobile health applications (apps) now available and some that use in some way laboratory medicine data. Among them, patient-oriented are of the lowest content quality. The aim of this study was to compare the opinions of non-laboratory medicine professionals (NLMP) with those of laboratory medicine specialists (LMS) and define the benchmarks for quality assessment of laboratory medicine apps.

Methods

Twenty-five volunteers from six European countries evaluated 16 selected patient-oriented apps. Participants were 20–60 years old, 44% were females, with different educational degrees, and no professional involvement in laboratory medicine. Each participant completed a questionnaire based on the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS) and the System Usability Scale, as previously used for rating the app quality by LMS. The responses from the two groups were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test and Spearman correlation.

Results

The median total score of NLMP app evaluation was 2.73 out of 5 (IQR 0.95) compared to 3.78 (IQR 1.05) by the LMS. All scores were statistically significantly lower in the NLMP group (p<0.05), except for the item Information quality (p=0.1631). The suggested benchmarks for a useful appear: increasing awareness of the importance and delivering an understanding of persons’ own laboratory test results; understandable terminology; easy to use; appropriate graphic design, and trustworthy information.

Conclusions

NLMP’ evaluation confirmed the low utility of currently available laboratory medicine apps. A reliable app should contain trustworthy and understandable information. The appearance of an app should be fit for purpose and easy to use.
Impact of routine S100B protein assay on CT scan use in children with mild traumatic brain injury
Authors: Lorton Fleur , Simon-Pimmel Jeanne , Masson Damien , Launay Elise , Gras-Le Guen Christèle , Scherdel Pauline
Published: November 2020

Objectives

To evaluate the impact of implementing a modified Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) rule including the S100B protein assay for managing mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in children.

Methods

A before-and-after study was conducted in a paediatric emergency department of a French University Hospital from 2013 to 2015. We retrospectively included all consecutive children aged 4 months to 15 years who presented mTBI and were at intermediate risk for clinically important traumatic brain injury (ciTBI). We compared the proportions of CT scans performed and of in-hospital observations before (2013–2014) and after (2014–2015) implementation of a modified PECARN rule including the S100B protein assay.

Results

We included 1,062 children with mTBI (median age 4.5 years, sex ratio [F/M] 0.73) who were at intermediate risk for ciTBI: 494 (46.5%) during 2013–2014 and 568 (53.5%) during 2014–2015. During 2014–2015, S100B protein was measured in 451 (79.4%) children within 6 h after mTBI. The proportion of CT scans and in-hospital observations significantly decreased between the two periods, from 14.4 to 9.5% (p=0.02) and 73.9–40.5% (p<0.01), respectively. The number of CT scans performed to identify a single ciTBI was reduced by two-thirds, from 18 to 6 CT scans, between 2013–2014 and 2014–2015. All children with ciTBI were identified by the rules.

Conclusions

The implementation of a modified PECARN rule including the S100B protein assay significantly decreased the proportion of CT scans and in-hospital observations for children with mTBI who were at intermediate risk for ciTBI.
A turbidity sensor development based on NL-PI observers: Experimental application to the control of a Sinaloa’s River Spirulina maxima cultivation
Authors: Flores Gerardo , Rodriguez-Mata Abraham Efraim , Amabilis-Sosa Leonel Ernesto , Gonzalez-Huitron Victor Alejandro , Hernández-González Omar , Lopéz-Peréz Pablo Antonio
Published: November 2020

This article addresses the problem of controlling the growth of microalgae originating in Mexican rivers, especially in the state of Sinaloa, Culiacan River. For this purpose, a robust, high-gain nonlinear observer is proposed to estimate the unknown disturbance in the cultivation of mixotrophic microalgae with the presence of organic nutrients. Once a perturbation function related to the change of ambient light is estimated, an output feedback control for the photobioreactor is proposed, in which through Lyapunov’s convergence functions, the final boundary stability conditions are obtained. Thus, a turbidity sensor was designed for Spirulina platensis, a native microalgae of Culiacan River, which is presented using the MATLAB-Arduino programming environment. This sensor is calibrated using biomass culture and is a low-cost device. Through the numerical study, the feasibility and performance of the control and the observer are evaluated. Finally, real-time experimental evaluations are made based on the literature, studying the use of robust controllers in a photobioreactor with a mixed culture, in the presence of environmental changes in lighting.
On the importance of things: a relational approach to agency
Authors: Mendoza-Collazos Juan Carlos
Published: November 2020

The present review is conceived to be a contribution from the double perspective of a semiotician and a designer to the current debate on the extended mind and on distributed cognition, focusing on the role of things (artefacts, material culture) for the emergence of agency in animate beings. The theory of material engagement as conceived by Lambros Malafouris was formally introduced seven years ago, proposing an idea of boundless cognition and reformulating key notions such as agency, intentionality, and mental representations, philosophically framed with the help of approaches such as postphenomenology (Ihde 2009; Ihde and Malafouris 2019). There is much to commend about a non-hierarchical, interdependent relationship between the world and living organisms — and more specifically between material things and human beings. Nevertheless, a balanced review of the notion of “material agency” is still called for. In this review, I show that an asymmetry can be introduced into the relationship between artefacts and human beings without committing the “sin” of anthropocentrism.
Machine Learning approaches for convergence of IoT and Blockchain
Authors: Singh Krishna Kant , Balamurugan B. , Smieee Naveen Chilamkurti , Rawal Kshatriya Bharat S.
Published: November 2020

Blockchain plays a significant role in providing security during data handling operations and defines how trusted transactions can be carried out addressing the solution for internet facing vulnerability problems. Blockchain solves the security fault line among AI and IoT, where most of the IoT devices are connected to each other through public networks. This special issue aims to publish a collection of high quality research articles in the area of blockchain, IoT and Machine Learning.
A case of diprosopus: a rare form of twinning radiology-pathology correlation
Authors: Du Xiao-Zhou , Del Bigio Marc R. , Stefanovici Camelia , Miller Elka , Fan Charity , Bunge Martin , Rozovsky Katya
Published: November 2020

Objectives

Diprosopus is a rare subtype of conjoined twinning, with approximately 30 reported cases in English literature. Due to the rarity of conjoined twins, the mechanism leading to this developmental anomaly is not yet understood.

Case presentation

We present a case of diprosopus with multimodality imaging (prenatal and postnatal), and with pathological correlations. Developmental anomalies include partial duplication of frontal lobes, formation of a midline “third” frontal lobe, as well as orofacial and cardiac anomalies. The constellation of anomalies coincide with development during embryonic days 23–26, where the anterior prosencephalon, prechordal plate/oropharyngeal membrane, and cardiogenic plate are in very close proximity to each other.

Conclusions

This case offers an opportunity to better appreciate the radiologic and pathologic manifestations of diprosopus, and adds to the current body of evidence.
A Cultural Semiotics of Jingshen: A Manifesto
Authors: Zhang Jie , Yu Hongbing
Published: November 2020

In the face of myriad crises in modern societies, semiotic inquiry has many valuable contributions to make. However, the long-standing dominant analytical paradigms in the field have made it exceedingly difficult, if not altogether impossible, to tackle the countless unanalyzable aspects of semiosis in the human condition. What needs to be done in semiotics is to highlight another mode of knowing, synthetic thinking, without excluding the analytical mode. Drawing inspiration and strength from classical Eastern philosophies and aesthetics, notably I Ching and Laozi, as well as classics and advances in global semiotics, the present paper proposes a cultural semiotics of jingshen, understood here as the holistic flux of mind, vitality, and creativity. This route of inquiry seeks cogent coalescence of the two foregoing modes of knowing so as to better inform semiotics in a new age. At the same time, it creates a unique methodology: the fusion of revelatory “embodied cognition” and “cognition via knowledge/ abstraction.” Viewed in this light, the purpose or function of semiotics is not limited to understanding signs and sign relations or uncovering laws governing the evolution of semiosis, but more importantly it embraces the improvement of mental capacity, the expansion of cognitive space, and the liberation of human thinking.
Digital Cosmetics
Authors: Leone Massimo
Published: November 2020

The earliest extant depictions of the human face are not simply realistic but represented through specific technologies (means) and techniques (styles). In these representations, the face was probably idealized in order to empower its agency through simulacra. The history of art sees humans become increasingly aware of the impact of technology and technique on the production of visual representations of the face. With photography, and even more so with its digital version, technology is developed, hidden, and miniaturized so as to democratize and market technique. The result, however, a naturalization of technology, is increasingly problematic in the era of algorithms: artificial intelligence absorbs the social bias of its engineers. This is particularly evident in the domain of “digital cosmetics”: successful apps are used to process and share billions of facial images, yet few critically reflect on the aesthetic ideology underpinning them. This is an urgent task for visual, social, and cultural semiotics.
Chirality analysis of helical polymers
Authors: Nakano Tamaki , Pietropaolo Adriana , Kamata Masahiro
Published: November 2020

Optically active macromolecules, having a preferred- or single-handed helical conformation, play important roles in polymeric materials and in life. This article presents how helical polymers can be assessed from a view of chirality. These assessments, based on optical rotation (OR) and circular dichroism (CD) spectral measurements with associated information, include theoretical spectral calculations as well as chromatographic resolution. Specific applied examples are discussed for poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene-2,7-diyl) and derivatives, stereoregular polyolefins bearing centers of chirality in the side chain, isotactic poly(triphenylmethyl methacrylate), and π-stacked poly(dibenzofulvene). For more convincing establishment of a helix, it is important to correlate chiroptical properties with related information such as molar-mass effects, temperature effects, and chemical transformation effects on the properties. Helices of the polyolefins and poly(TrMA) were confirmed considering these aspects. In addition, comparison of chiroptical properties between the polymer in question and a monomeric unit model compound generally helps to confirm a helix. There are no general, reliable methods to quantify helical sense excess. On the other hand, absolute helical sense can be determined by comparing experimental and theoretical CD spectra as well as considering exciton coupling effects in CD spectra. The former method can be more generally applied for a wide range of polymers as far as a good model for calculations is designed, while the latter can be more conveniently and empirically applied for a certain class of polymer structures that are suited to exhibit exciton coupling without using computers.
Making sense of rapid antigen testing in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) diagnostics
Authors: Mattiuzzi Camilla , Henry Brandon M. , Lippi Giuseppe
Published: November 2020

Although the most effective strategy for preventing or containing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreaks relies on early diagnosis, the paramount and unprecedented number of tests needed to fully achieve this target is overwhelming worldwide testing supply and capacity. Molecular detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in nasopharyngeal swabs is still considered the reference diagnostic approach. Nonetheless, identification of SARS-CoV-2 proteins in upper respiratory tract specimens and/or saliva by means of rapid (antigen) immunoassays is emerging as a promising screening approach. These tests have some advantages compared to molecular analysis, such as point of care availability, no need of skilled personnel and dedicated instrumentation, lower costs and short turnaround time. However, these advantages are counterbalanced by lower diagnostic sensitivity compared to molecular testing, which would only enable to identifying patients with higher SARS-CoV-2 viral load. The evidence accumulated to-date has hence persuaded us to develop a tentative algorithm, which would magnify the potential benefits of rapid antigen testing in SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics.
How the Better Reason Wins
Authors: Pollok Anne
Published: November 2020

This paper considers Mendelssohn’s attempt at a definition of Enlightenment in terms of Bildung, comprising the theoretical element of the enlightenment of reason with the practical requirements of culture. To avoid a possible dialectics of enlightenment, where the very methods one uses to enlighten harbour the seeds of new blindness, Mendelssohn advocates considering the lively connections between people, the role of traditions and personal relations in the formation of an individual self, and the connections we should have to our past, present, and future. Thus, his essay from 1784 can be read as an apt defence of a dialogical notion of freedom within the Enlightenment era.
Musonius Rufus, Cleanthes, and the Stoic Community at Rome
Authors: Harriman Benjamin
Published: November 2020

Surprisingly little attention has been devoted to Musonius Rufus, a noted teacher and philosopher in first–century CE Rome, despite ample evidence for his impact in the period. This paper attempts to situate Musonius in relation to his philosophical predecessors in order to clarify both the contemporary status of the Stoic tradition and the value of engaging with the central figures of that school’s history. I make the case for seeing Cleanthes as a particularly prominent predecessor for Musonius and reaffirm the importance of framing his philosophical commitments in the context of the Stoic tradition. On this latter point, I attempt to connect Musonius’ perspective onaskesisand moral development with that of Posidonius (and Seneca). In doing so, I push back against the sometimes overly schematic intellectualism attributed to Stoic ethics generally.
Curcumin-loaded polyvinyl butyral film with antibacterial activity
Authors: Qiao Yanchao , Duan Lijie
Published: November 2020

Antibacterial materials have found widespread interest in different fields nowadays. In this study, curcumin (Cur) was incorporated into the polyvinyl butyral (PVB) matrix by dissolving in ethanol for improving the functional properties of a pure PVB film. We found that Cur was uniformly dispersed in the PVB matrix, which showed good compatibility. Moreover, the incorporation of Cur could also improve thermal stability, hydrophilicity, and mechanical property. The UV-vis spectra of the PVB–Cur film demonstrated that the film could block ultraviolet radiation. Subsequently, the antibacterial activity of the PVB–Cur film was measured by the colony-counting method against S. aureus and E. coli. The results showed that the PVB–Cur film exhibited good antibacterial activity. Therefore, the PVB–Cur film was considered as a promising material for food and medical packaging applications.
Cultural landscape of the Gorica Hills in the nineteenth century: Franciscean land cadastre reports as the source for clarification of the classification of cultivable land types
Authors: Gomiršek Tanja
Published: November 2020

The Gorica Hills (Slovene Goriška brda and also Brda) represent a part of the hilly cultural landscapes in the northern Mediterranean. Because of the historical development of the states, the Gorica Hills are situated on the Slovenian western border. The Gorica Hills have been a synonym for a cultivated landscape since the Middle Ages. New studies have changed the pre-existing belief that the cultivation method and crop types have not changed through the centuries, except for the introduction of corn and potatoes. However, detailed descriptions of the cultivation methods and the types of predominant crops in the cadastre show that during the nineteenth century, and especially in the period after World War I, the cultivation method of the vine and the types of crops, in fact, changed significantly. At this point, the nineteenth century can be seen as the period of the final introduction of corn and potatoes. Thus, the cultural landscape of the Gorica Hills is the result of the responses to inside and outside economic and cultural pulses. The paper will point out the advantages of the land cadastre reports that were used in the reconstruction of the cultural landscape. It will also present the questions that have remained unanswered and are left open for further research.
Dehydration and stabilization of unconsolidated laminated lake sediments using gypsum for the preparation of thin sections
Authors: Dhavamani Ramachandran , Marián Golej , Dušan Starek , Radovan Pipík
Published: November 2020

An improved Lamoureux method for subsampling of unconsolidated laminated sediment is described. Here, we describe a new methodological approach that changes the Lamoureux method in four steps of which the most important change concerns dehydration and stabilization. In this step, we adopted gypsum embedding of the subsample, which took about 1 h to harden and keeps the sediment partially moist. After drying of the gypsum, the subsamples are impregnated with Epoxy 2000 resin under room temperature. This method requires commonly available equipment and can be implemented cost-effectively within 3–4 days.
Structural characteristics of plant cell wall elucidated by solution-state 2D NMR spectroscopy with an optimized procedure
Authors: Wang Wanwan , Cai Jibao , Xu Zhenyu , Zhang Yi , Niu Fanchao , Gao Miao , Yang Jun
Published: November 2020

A method was developed for rapid qualitative determination of lignocellulose in the tobacco cell wall by utilizing 2D heteronuclear single quantum coherence NMR spectra (2D HSQC NMR). Traditional methods for analyzing the structure of lignocellulose involve many steps of separation and extraction, which is labor-intensive. In this work, the whole cell wall was milled and dissolved in deuterium solvent. The solvent dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO-d6) containing hexamethylphosphoramide (HMPA-d18) enhanced swelling of the sample and gave high-resolution spectra. The tobacco samples are ball milled at different ball milling times, and the state of the particles is observed through an electron microscope, and then the probability of the particles being less than 5 µm is counted. Through the comparison of the abundance and integration of the peak signals in the spectra under different transmittances, it was determined that when the milling time was 6 h, the quality of the NMR spectra was the best. The optimum conditions of characterizing tobacco structure were DMSO-d6/HMPA-d18solution and 6 h milling time. Under these conditions, complete representation of the structure of lignocellulose and simplified process could be achieved.
Sustainable utilization of a converter slagging agent prepared by converter precipitator dust and oxide scale
Authors: Liu Bailong , Zhang Zhaohui , Sun Longxin , Yang Zhenghua , Feng Lu
Published: November 2020

A converter slagging agent was prepared using converter precipitator dust and oxide scale as raw materials and bentonite, calcium oxide, and soluble glass as binders. The influence of different binders on the strength of the converter slagging agent was studied. The optimum ratio of bentonite, calcium oxide, and sodium silicate was determined by orthogonal experiments. The chemical composition, strength, moisture content, alkalinity, and other indicators of the prepared converter slagging agent met the requirements for converter smelting. The drop intensity of the green pellet was 3.7 times, and the compressive strength of the dry pellet could reach 988.72 N/m2. Therefore, the sustainable utilization of converter precipitator dust and oxide scale could be realized by the preparation of a converter slagging agent.
Dilthey und einige Folgen
Authors: Müller Hans-Harald , Nottscheid Mirko
Published: November 2020

The first part of our text analyzes Dilthey’s seminal lecture and essay Archives of Literature in the context of his endeavors to form a philosophically founded empirical research program for the humanities. The second part describes the structure, aims, history, and activities of the Berliner Literatur-Archiv-Gesellschaft (LAG, 1891–1944) which was founded following Diltheyʼs essay. The third part compares the LAG with contemporary archives and archival endeavors by libraries and private collectors.
A Two-Stage Joint Modeling Method for Causal Mediation Analysis in the Presence of Treatment Noncompliance
Authors: Park Soojin , Kürüm Esra
Published: November 2020

Estimating the effect of a randomized treatment and the effect that is transmitted through a mediator is often complicated by treatment noncompliance. In literature, an instrumental variable (IV)-based method has been developed to study causal mediation effects in the presence of treatment noncompliance. Existing studies based on the IV-based method focus on identifying the mediated portion of the intention-to-treat effect, which relies on several identification assumptions. However, little attention has been given to assessing the sensitivity of the identification assumptions or mitigating the impact of violating these assumptions. This study proposes a two-stage joint modeling method for conducting causal mediation analysis in the presence of treatment noncompliance, in which modeling assumptions can be employed to decrease the sensitivity to violation of some identification assumptions. The use of a joint modeling method is also conducive to conducting sensitivity analyses to the violation of identification assumptions. We demonstrate our approach using the Jobs II data, in which the effect of job training on job seekers’ mental health is examined.