bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MEASUREMENT OF RESIDUAL STRESS BY CORING AND MATERIAL TESTING OF MINUTE TEST PIECES
Authors: Suzuki Yasuo , Ninomiya Tomohiro , Sugiura Kunitomo
Published: March 2020

In this research, the distortion resulting from stress relaxation was measured by opening a core with strain gauge, which was attached to several places of a full-scale steel beam, and the residual stress was calculated from the measured strains. This research summarized and compared the calculated residual stress distribution. In the material testing using the minute test piece for grasping mechanical characteristics, tensile test and Charpy impact test were conducted. In these each two experiments, two kinds of minute test pieces with different dimensions and joining method that assumed to be manufactured by a core about 20 millimeter in diameter were used. In tensile testing, this study shows that the reduction in board thickness direction, shape of the specimen and initial strain affect the strength and Young’s modules. In Charpy impact testing, this study shows that it is possible to obtain correct Charpy absorbed energy by using welded specimen.
FLEXURAL BEHAVIOR AND SHEAR CONNECTION OF SHALLOW CELLULAR COMPOSITE FLOOR BEAM
Authors: Chen Shiming , Limazie Toi , Gu Ping
Published: March 2020

An experimental study of the flexural behavior and shear transfer mechanisms of shallow cellular composite floor beams is presented. Four full-scale specimens were designed and tested. The four composite shallow cellular beams are composed with “asymmetric I” steel section with regularly spaced circular openings along the web and “inverted T” steel section with regularly spaced clothoidal openings along the web. The shear connections are formed by combination of tie-bar elements with the infill concrete passing through openings. The aims of the study are to provide information on the flexural behavior of the shallow cellular composite floor beams, and to assess the shear resisting properties of the proposed shear connections. The tested composite beams showed satisfactory composite behavior and possessed satisfactory horizontal shear resistance. The proposed shear connections significantly increased the shear resistance, slip capacity and ductility of the shear connections. A tentative calculation method of the shear resistance of the proposed shear connections is developed.
SITUATIONAL ELEARNING WITH IMMERSIVE TECHNOLOGIES
Authors: Newton Sidney , Lowe Russell
Published: March 2020

Immersive digital technologies simulate key aspects of the physical world to provide visual, aural, haptic and other cues to the user that create a keen sense of presence or being in the simulated situation. There is broad potential application for such immersive technologies in construction, including the delivery of managed first-person experiences of construction activities where access to actual situations may be problematic or risky. The Situation Engine is an application that makes specific and adaptive practical experience available to users in a hyper-immersive digital rendition of a real-world context. This paper will describe a particular application of the Situation Engine to teaching undergraduate architecture and building students about domestic construction technology in Australia. The paper also reports on a student survey evaluating a trial of situational e-learning with 150 undergraduate students, gauging their views on of their learning experiences with the Situation Engine. There was strongest agreement that this video game technology is useful to a specific understanding of design and/or construction practice, with some reservations over the approach as a replacement for actual work experience.
POSSIBILITIES OF MODERNIZATION OF FLAT ROOFS
Authors: Miniotaite Ruta
Published: March 2020

In Lithuania, there are about 40 million square meters of flat roofs, such as roofs of apartment houses, public and industrial buildings and other. Subject to the construction of the roof, the building can lose as much as up to 30-35% of the heat through the roof partition. Therefore, the renovation of roof is among the primary works in the renovation of buildings. Condition of flat roofs which were installed 20 or more years ago is poor, as there were used old technologies, poor materials and insulation of roof does not meet today’s requirements. Today about 70% of all roofing works consists of the renovation work. However there are often made mistakes, not used options of roof’s modernization. The purpose of this work is to analyze the renovation techniques of flat roof used in Lithuania and typical mistakes of renovation, as well as describe the emerging option for modernization of flat roof.
SUCCESS AND FAILURE IN INDUSTRIALIZED PREFABRICATED HOUSING
Authors: O'Brien Michael J.
Published: March 2020

Prefabrication and modular production of housing is one of the oldest “new topics” in architectural discourse. Prefabrication in North America has been underway continuously since the 17th century. It flourishes in economic booms in remote locations, and as an interim solution to disaster relief, but unlike the giants of the automotive industry, innovators in residential prefabrication seldom succeed, or endure. This research is about using the historical record to understand the characteristics of failed and successful residential prefabrication systems. A literature search was undertaken to identify the key professional publications and governmental programs impacting the topic. Professional Journals, Federal reports, and books published by prefabrication advocates were examined for the answer to “What happened to housing prefabrication as a mode of residential construction innovation?” It was discovered that proprietary package systems or kits employing non-wood-based materials and connectors required sophisticated industrial tooling, management and production/shipping methods that cannot be successfully amortized in the competitive residential construction market. Perhaps the most important discovery was that compatibility and extensibility within the residential building culture are the key indicators of longevity/success in the marketplace.
IMAGE ANALYSIS BASED FINITE STRAIN MEASUREMENT OF LOCAL DEFORMATION UNDER UNIAXIAL LOAD USING NATURAL STRAIN
Authors: Kato Yasuyuki
Published: March 2020

This paper describes the effectiveness of image analysis based on the Natural Strain theory for measuring the finite strain. Since the additive law of strain on an identical line element can be satisfied and the rigid body rotation can clearly be removed from the shearing strain components, the Natural Strain theory is significantly effective for representing the stress-strain behavior under large elasto-plastic deformation. In this study, the strain measurements under large deformation are conducted by making use of such merits into the image analysis. In our previous studies, in order to verify the effectiveness of this method, the results of strain measurement by image analysis have been compared with the results of conventional strain measurement based on the displacement meter. Consequently, since the results of both measurements almost coincide, the validity of this image analysis has been confirmed. However, these experiments were limited to uniform deformation fields, although in the range of finite deformation. Hence, as for the local deformation, the detailed measurements have not been carried out yet in our previous study. So, in this paper, the local deformations generated under uniaxial tension and simple shear are investigated as the fundamental research. Especially, the progress of local deformations is revealed by comparing the measured values of upper and middle positions in the specimen.
MANAGEMENT OF STRUCTURAL INFORMATION AND CONTROLS WITH BIM
Authors: Di Giuda G. M. , Villa V. B.
Published: March 2020

The aim of this research is the definition of a control planning for the reinforced concrete structures in place and the organization of all this information with the aid of BIM methodology. To better illustrate the process of information flow through BIM system, structural controls and the control plan have been applied to a case study concerning a new building. The BIM model contains all the information necessary for the design, scheduling, testing, construction, operation, management and maintenance of the structural parts of the building. The use of BIM model with relevant information and control sheet has enabled us to exploit the full potential of BIM during the construction phase; its main value consists in granting immediate access to as-built/as-operated building information. We created two models: the first identifies the technical elements that make up the building (LOD 100); while the second is characterized by a detailed definition (LOD 400). The frequencies systematization, organized according to the flow charts, has allowed the definition of a Gantt chart integrated with the control sheets. Controls referred to initial controls (i.e., acceptance of materials), follow-up controls and final controls. It is also possible to control and automatically update the final technical item tolerances.
A NEW METHOD FOR STRENGTHENG CONCRETE STRUCTURES USING PRESTRESSED FRP LAMINATES
Authors: Haghani Reza , Al-Emrani Mohammad , Kliger Robert
Published: March 2020

Using bonded fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) laminates for strengthening and repair of structural members has been proven to be an effective and economic method. High strength and stiffness, light weight and good fatigue and durability properties of FRP composites together with advantages offered by adhesive bonding have made it a suitable alternative for traditional strengthening and repair techniques. It has also been recognized that pre-stressing the FRP laminates prior to bonding would bring additional advantages such as reduced crack widths, postponing the yielding in tensile reinforcement, increasing the load bearing capacity and saving reinforcement material. Using pre-stressed laminates, however, is associated with very high interfacial stresses in the bond line at the laminate ends, which necessitates the use of mechanical anchors. This paper presents a new method and a device for applying pre-stressed FRP laminates to flexural structural members without the need for mechanical anchorage of the laminates. The principle of the method is based on controlling the interfacial stresses in the bond line using a non-uniform pre-stressing force profile. The principle of the method along with lab verifications and field applications are presented and discussed.
STRUCTURAL DESIGN OF NEW LINING FOR DIVERSION TUNNELS: ROGUN DAM AND HPP PROJECT
Authors: Ebrahimi Idin , Binazadeh Niloofar , Mehinrad Abolfaz
Published: March 2020

Rogun dam is a 335m high clay core rockfill dam which will be constructed on Vakhsh River in Tajikistan. Originally, two diversion tunnels with similar geometry were designed for discharging the seasonal floods, up to 3290m3/s. River diversion was carried out in November 1987 and a 45m high rockfill cofferdam was constructed. However, because of two collapses in the diversion tunnels, the cofferdam was overtopped in May 1993. Reconstruction of these tunnels started in 2009 and the collapsed areas were repaired. Nowadays, the design of complementary rehabilitation including new concrete lining for those parts of the tunnels will be used as tailrace tunnels are underway. The present paper describes the present conditions of diversion tunnels No. 1 and 2, explains the procedure used for the structural design of these tunnels, and presents the results of such design.
ASSET LEVELS OF SERVICE-BASED DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR MUNICIPAL INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT: A FRAMEWORK
Authors: Sharma Vishal , Al-Hussein Mohamed
Published: March 2020

The most significant challenge facing municipalities today is a shortage of funds required to upgrade or expand aging infrastructure. A chronic lack of funding impairs a municipality's ability to maintain desired infrastructure levels of service. Over the last decade, municipalities in Canada have faced the pressures of increased complexities in infrastructure asset management decision making, which to some extent is attributed to cost escalation, increasing demand, and interdependencies between infrastructure networks. This paper presents a framework to develop an asset levels of service (ALOS)-based decision support system for municipal infrastructure funding investments. This paper focuses primarily on the allocation of funds in the maintenance, rehabilitation, and repair (MR&R) of municipal networks based on ALOS, future demand, and network interdependencies.
DEVELOPMENT OF GREEN CONSTRUCTION ASSESSMENT MODEL FOR BUILDING PROJECT
Authors: Soemardi Biemo W. , Ervianto Wulfram
Published: March 2020

The construction sector as one of the parties using natural resources in the form of manufacturing or natural material needs to evaluate the activity of the construction process. Indonesia as a developing country requires various types of infrastructure, one of which is building construction. Various studies show that the impact of the construction process produces a large number of wastes and causes a decrease in the number of non-renewable materials. One of approaches to organize those impacts is by applying the principle of green construction. In Indonesia, this principle has not been clearly defined the meaning and the size that will be used. The purpose of this research is to develop green construction assessment model for building construction in Indonesia to improve the performance of contractor in the construction process. The scoring model is developed hierarchically composed of aspect, factor, and green construction indicator using additive model. The test model was carried out in three different project characteristics, reflecting the combination of planned green construction and green contractors. The result of green construction assessment model is able to represent the fact that occurred in the construction process.
AN INTRODUCTION TO 4-D DECODING METHOD OF DEVELOPMENT PROJECT REPORTS
Authors: Khadjeh Anvary Vahid , Karimi Yazdi Hamideh
Published: March 2020

Generally, the tool of comparison between performances of each stage in the life of a project, is the percentage of project progress, which in most cases is only determined as One-Dimensional with referring to one factor (Physical / Time or Cost). In many projects in developing countries, there are controversies on accuracy and the way of analyzing progress. Identifying weakness points of One-Dimensional look on project and determining a reliable and engineering approach for multi-dimensional decoding information receivable from reports is of great importance in project management. This can be a tool to help identification of hidden diseases and problems before appearing irreversible symptoms that are usually delay or increased costs of execution. The method used in this paper is defining and developing a hypothetical project (based on several real project situations and restrictions) as an example and investigates distinct scenarios and numerical comparison of them, and finally, by analyzing different scenarios, the possibility or impossibility of predicting the occurrence is examined through the evidence of One-dimensional method.
BOND STRENGTH RECOVERY OF FIRE-DAMAGED CONCRETE AFTER POST-FIRE-CURING
Authors: Li Zhuguo , Ryuda Yasuhiro
Published: March 2020

The effects of post-fire-curing on the bond strength recovery of fire-damaged concrete were investigated in this study. Normal strength concrete (NSC) and high-strength concrete (HSC) specimens with deformed steel bars were prepared respectively. We measured the bond strength of unheated NSC and HSC, and exposed other NSC and HSC specimens to high temperatures of 300℃, 400℃, and 500℃, respectively for 120 minutes. Following by rapid cooling with water, the bond strengths of heated NSC and HSC were measured instantly without re-curing, the remains were cured in water for 28 days, or further in the air of 20℃, 60% R.H. for 56 ~62 days. After the re-curing, the pull-out tests were conducted. The test results indicate that the post-fire-curing contributes to a substantial bond strength recovery of heated concrete. The longer the re-curing in water, the greater the recovery extent. At 90 days of re-curing age, the bond strength rose up to around 77% for NSC, and around 70% for HSC, respectively.
LONG-TERM MECHANICAL BEHAVIOR OF A GREEN CEMENTITIOUS COMPOSITE
Authors: Tian H. , Zhang Y. X.
Published: March 2020

In this paper, a new green hybrid bagasse fiber (3% by volume) and steel fiber (0.7% by volume) reinforced cementitious composites with high volume fly ash (fly ash to cement ratio of 1.6) is developed and cured in weather condition up to 10 months. Basic mechanical tests, such as compressive test, Young’s modulus test, flexural test, and uniaxial tensile test and SEM tests were conducted at the age of 28 days, 3 months, 6 months and 10 months, respectively. Through comparison with the mechanical behavior of the composite at the age of 28 days, the long-term effect on the mechanical properties of the composite is evaluated. It is found the mechanical properties of the new composite increases greatly with aging. At the age of 10 months, the composite becomes more compacted and the composite is of excellent mechanical properties making it very promising to be used as commercial building materials.
An examination of student experiences of wellbeing during the year abroad
Authors: Lees David
Published: March 2020

This chapter examines student experiences of wellbeing during the Year Abroad (YA). Drawing on the responses to a student questionnaire by a cohort of language students at Warwick, this piece identifies the challenges to student wellbeing while abroad. Defining wellbeing as a ‘see-saw’ which requires a balance of challenge and resource to remain positive, the chapter argues for a framework for supporting students with wellbeing which places equal emphasis on the responsibilities of the student and of the home institution. It also argues that such a framework enables students to rise to the most common – frequently everyday – challenges to their wellbeing abroad.
“I pray sir, hear me: I am married”: Language and Sexual Politics in Webster’sThe Duchess of Malfi
Authors: Hamamra Bilal Tawfiq
Published: March 2020

This article follows the critical lines of new historicism, feminism, psychoanalysis and performance studies so as to reveal Webster’s challenge of the conventional gender roles via the binary opposites of speech and silence. Within the context of new historicism, I contend that Webster’sThe Duchess of Malfi(1613–1614) comments on the corruption and abuse of absolute political power within the reign of King James I and the Catholic Church through the figures of Ferdinand (the head of the state) and the Cardinal (the head of the Church). Contrary to the new historicism’s conception of all-encompassing ideology, Webster attributes male figures’ loss of control over their voices and the movement of the plot to their aural closure to the Duchess’s moral speech. Following the methodology of feminism, I argue that this tragedy enacts an inversion of gender roles with respect to discourse. Webster associates the Duchess of Malfi’s voice and silence with honesty and dramatic authority and her tyrannical brothers’ voices with incestuous and murderous desires. Drawing on Freudian and Jungian concepts of psychoanalysis, I propose that Ferdinand and the Cardinal whose voices are associated with murderous and incestuous desires are linked with the psychic zone of the id while the Duchess, who expresses and acts on her sexual desire within the sphere of marriage, is linked to the ego, the reality principle. Her appearance as an echo in the tragic closure reveals her progression towards perfection, the superego. While Ferdinand’s misogyny is a projection of his unconscious sexual desire towards his sister, his madness is a sign of incestuous frustration. At a meta-theatrical level, I argue that this subversion of gender roles via the binary opposites of embodiment and disembodiment and silence and speech is linked to theatrical performance. Webster shows that the boy actor impersonating the Duchess’s voice and silence appropriates masculine agency while male figures’ voices are linked to madness and lack of subjectivity.
Bodily and Spiritual Borders in the Parsi Males of Rohinton Mistry’s Tales from Firozsha Baag
Authors: Somacarrera-Íñigo Pilar
Published: March 2020

In this essay, I am going to read the bodies of the Parsi male characters in Rohinton Mistry’s Tales from Firozsha Baag (1987) through the lens of Julia Kristeva’s theories of the abject. According to Kristeva, the abject refers to the human reaction (horror, vomit) to a threatened breakdown in meaning caused by the loss of the distinction between subject and object or between self and other, a reaction elicited by bodily fluids such as excrement, blood or even semen. The bodies of the Parsi males in Tales of Firozsha Baag are a site of awareness in which the “bodily borders” (Moreno-Álvarez 2014: 39) explode. In the first section of the essay, I will discuss the stories “One Sunday”, “The Collectors” and “Exercisers”. In the second section, I will delve into Mistry’s Canadian trilogy — ”Squatter”, “Lend Me Your Light” and “Swimming Lessons” — whose main subject is the young Parsi male striving for happiness and individual liberation (moksha) through emigration to North America. I will conclude that these Parsi men have difficulties integrating themselves in their Indian and North American contexts because the realms of the corporeal and the spiritual are, quoting Frantz Fanon’s phrase, “zones of occult instability” (Fanon 1967: 21).
Performance comparison of two next-generation sequencing panels to detect actionable mutations in cell-free DNA in cancer patients
Authors: Macías Mónica , Cañada-Higueras Eva , Alegre Estibaliz , Bielsa Arancha , Gracia Javier , Patiño-García Ana , Ferrer-Costa Roser , Sendino Teresa , Andueza María P. , Mateos Beatriz , Rodríguez Javier , Corral Jesús , Gúrpide Alfonso , Lopez-Picazo José M. , Perez-Gracia Jose L. , Gil-Bazo Ignacio , Alkorta-Aranburu Gorka , González Álvaro
Published: March 2020

Background

Genomic alterations studies in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) have increasing clinical use in oncology. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology provides the most complete mutational analysis, but nowadays limited data are available related to the comparison of results reported by different platforms. Here we compare two NGS panels for cfDNA: Oncomine™ Pan-Cancer Cell-Free Assay (Thermo Fisher Scientific), suitable for clinical laboratories, and Guardant360® (GuardantHealth), with more genes targeted but only available in an outsourcing laboratory.

Methods

Peripheral blood was obtained from 16 advanced cancer patients in which Guardant360® (G360) was requested as part of their clinical assistance. Blood samples were sent to be analyzed with G360 panel, and an additional blood sample was drawn to obtain and analyze cfDNA with Oncomine™ Pan-Cancer (OM) panel in an Ion GeneStudio S5™ System.

Results

cfDNA analysis globally rendered 101 mutations. Regarding the 55/101 mutations claimed to be included by manufacturers in both panels, 17 mutations were reported only by G360, 10 only by OM and 28 by both. In those coincident cases, there was a high correlation between the variant allele fractions (VAFs) calculated with each panel (r = 0.979, p < 0.01). Regarding the six actionable mutations with an FDA-approved therapy reported by G360, one was missed with OM. Also, 12 mutations with clinical trials available were reported by G360 but not by OM.

Conclusions

In summary, G360 and OM can produce different mutational profile in the same sample, even in genes included in both panels, which is especially important if these mutations are potentially druggable.
A progesterone receptor membrane component 1 antagonist induces large vesicles independent of progesterone receptor membrane component 1 expression
Authors: Wang-Eckhardt Lihua , Eckhardt Matthias
Published: March 2020

Treatment of different cell lines with progesterone receptor membrane component 1 (PGRMC1) antagonist AG-205 rapidly induces the formation of large vesicular structures that likely represent endosomes. Crispr/Cas9 was used to target the PGRMC1 and progesterone receptor membrane component 2 (PGRMC2) genes in CHO-K1 and HeLa. Unexpectedly, deficiency in one of these or both genes did not inhibit the formation of enlarged vesicles by AG-205, demonstrating additional molecular target(s) of this compound besides PGRMC1. Thus, AG-205 cannot be regarded as a PGRMC1-specific antagonist. However, provided that its currently unknown target(s) will be identified, AG-205 may serve as a new reagent to study endosomal trafficking.
Organizational challenges in the management of point-of-care diagnostics in healthcare facilities
Authors: Kachler Marco , Maschek Christiane
Published: March 2020

This text is a synopsis of the “Seminar on Organizational Aspects of POCT Management” which was part of the 4th Munich POCT symposium 2019. The session was chaired in part 1 by Christiane Maschek (Berlin) and Anke Urban (Ludwigshafen), and in part 2 by Barbara Oschwald-Häg (Offenburg) and Marco Kachler (Klagenfurt/AT). The seminar was held in German in order to allow non-English-speaking medical technicians the full understanding of the presented contents. Part 1: Nice to Know – Challenges for networking POCT systems (Michaela Markhoff, Hamburg). Best Practice – Implementation of POCT in a hospital without central lab services (Jennifer Planz, Essen). Best Practice – Benefits of the POCT commission demonstrated using the example of implementing glucose POCT devices (Barbara Oschwald-Häg, Offenburg). Part 2: Best Practice – Challenges of a group-wide implementation of a POCT competence management (Sandra Mütze, Berlin). Nice to Know – Learning from mistakes in preanalytics (Reno Konzack, Berlin). New IFCC recommendation for checking reference intervals (Harald Maier, Altötting).
An Approximation to Inclusive Language in LMOOCs Based on Appraisal Theory
Authors: Barcena Elena , Read Timothy , Sedano Beatriz
Published: March 2020

This article explores inclusive language as a form of verbal communication in an open online language course for refugees and migrants. Firstly, the existing evidence of the benefits of using inclusive language in education is analyzed. Secondly, the specific need to use this type of language in the context of online courses for displaced people is discussed. Thirdly, a first approximation towards the identification of linguistic resources that may impact both group inclusion and individual discrimination is attempted, based on principles and categories from Appraisal Theory. Fourthly, the presence and effects of these linguistic resources are analyzed in the materials and forums of a highly successful LMOOC of elementary Spanish for refugees and migrants. Fifthly and finally, conclusions are drawn on the convenience of incorporating inclusive language as a design element in LMOOCs for displaced people, enhance its use in forums, and train facilitators accordingly.
Study on the Usefulness of Machine Translation in the Migratory Context: Analysis of Translators’ Perceptions
Authors: Macías Lorena Pérez , Ramos María del Mar Sánchez , Rico Celia
Published: March 2020

The use of machine translation in the field of migrations seems to be very limited and, in view of the latest developments, it is only natural to explore its usefulness in the migratory context. In an attempt to introduce this technology into this particular area, this article reports on a qualitative study on translators’ perceptions towards machine translation and post-editing tasks. The findings of the study indicate that both are not widely developed within the migratory context and further work is required. Based on our findings, we believe that this study can contribute to opening the way for machine translation and post-editing tasks to be included into the field of migrations.
Mothers of a Nation: How Motherhood and Religion Intermingle in the Hebrew Bible
Authors: Bergmann Claudia D.
Published: March 2020

Conception, pregnancy, childbirth, and the rearing of children are truly human experiences. But in religions and in their authoritative texts, these experiences are regularly utilized in metaphorical or symbolic language, or in narratives that tell of the origins of families or even peoples, of the relationship between individuals and groups or the relationship between humanity and the gods. Taking a closer look at the events surrounding childbirth and the time period of breastfeeding, it will be shown how literary texts from the Hebrew Bible go about intermingling motherhood and religion for the purpose of describing the origins of a nation.
Effects of oral alcohol administration on heat pain threshold and ratings of supra-threshold stimuli
Authors: Capito Eva Susanne , Lautenbacher Stefan , Wolstein Jörg , Horn-Hofmann Claudia
Published: March 2020

Background and aims

Evidence for analgesic effects of oral alcohol consumption on heat pain has recently been documented in a placebo-controlled, randomized and double-blind design. We aimed at further investigating these effects and now set the focus on pain threshold and the ratings of supra-threshold pain to cover most of the pain range. Moreover, we now firstly evaluated sex differences in these effects.

Methods

We investigated 41 healthy participants (22 females) in a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled design and targeted two different moderate breath-alcohol levels of 0.06% and 0.08%. Before and after an alcoholic or placebo drink, contact heat was applied at the forearm. Subjects evaluated pain threshold (method of adjustment) and rated pain intensity and pain unpleasantness of supra-threshold stimuli (intensity: threshold +3 °C; duration: 5 s).

Results

Analgesic effects taking the form of increased pain thresholds were found after both alcohol doses, surprisingly with more pronounced effects for the lower dose. While the high alcohol dose exerted small analgesic effects on pain intensity ratings (i.e. decrease), slightly increased ratings of pain intensity and pain unpleasantness after the low alcohol dose rather suggest pain enhancement. Alcohol did not affect intensity vs. unpleasantness ratings differentially. We found no evidence for sex differences in any of these effects.

Conclusions

Overall, acute alcohol effects on pain were subtle. Our findings suggest that while low alcohol doses already exert analgesic effects on pain threshold, stronger doses are required for pain reduction on supra-threshold pain levels. Furthermore, sex differences could not be detected within our experimental paradigm but should be further explored in future research.

Implications

Analgesic effects of sub-toxic alcohol doses – as normally occurring during social drinking – might be weak; however, susceptibility to pain relieving effects of alcohol might be a risk factor for the use of alcohol as self-medication in acute pain states.
Conditioned pain modulation in elite athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: McDougall Jessica , Jutzeler Catherine R. , Scott Alex , Crocker Peter R.E. , Kramer John L.K.
Published: March 2020

Background and aims

Elite athletes reportedly have superior pain tolerances, but it is unclear if results extend to conditioned pain modulation (CPM). The aim of our study was to synthesize existing literature in order to determine whether CPM is increased in elite athletes compared to healthy controls.

Methods

A systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis was conducted. Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, SPORTDiscus, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science, and PubMed were searched for English-language studies that examined CPM in adult elite athlete populations.

Results

Seven studies were identified; all were of poor to fair methodological quality. There was no overall difference in CPM between elite athletes and controls (Hedges g = 0.37, CI95 −0.03−0.76; p = 0.07). There was heterogeneity between studies, including one that reported significantly less CPM in elite athletes compared to controls. An exploratory meta-regression indicated that a greater number of hours trained per week was associated with higher CPM.

Conclusions

The overall number and quality of studies was low. Despite nominally favoring higher CPM in elite athletes, aggregate results indicate no significant difference compared to healthy controls. A possible factor explaining the high degree of variability between studies is the number of hours elite athletes spent training.

Implications

Based on available evidence, athletes do not have remarkable endogenous pain modulation compared to controls. High quality experimental studies are needed to address the effect of hours trained per week on CPM in athletes.
Celtic and Venetic in contact: the dialectal attribution of the personal names in the Venetic record
Authors: Prósper Blanca María
Published: March 2020

Dieser Aufsatz behandelt eine Reihe von Problemen, die in der vermutlich keltischen Onomastik auf venetischen Inschriften auftreten. In diesem Zusammenhang werden hier neben der eigentlichen etymologischen Analyse eine Reihe von Fragen bezüglich des Verlusts von /p/ im Keltischen, des frühkeltischen Akzents, Anlautgruppen, Wortstellung, Schemata der Bildung komponierter Nomina agentis, Fehlwahrnehmungen oder unerwarteter phonemischer Interpretationen fremder Formen durch einheimische Schreiber sowie areallinguistischer Phänomene wie des Verlusts von intervokalischem -u̯- und -s- behandelt.
Activity-guided isolation of cholinesterase inhibitors quercetin, rutin and kaempferol from Prunus persica fruit
Authors: Szwajgier Dominik , Borowiec Kamila , Zapp Josef
Published: March 2020

Prunus persica fruit is a source of anti-cholinesterase agents and led to an increase of acetylcholine levels in brain tissue as a usefull tool in the Alzheimer’s disease therapy. This study aimed to propose a convenient method for the purification of cholinesterase inhibitors from P. persica water extract. Water extract from the fruit was ultrafiltered (0.2 μm→5 kDa→3 kDa) followed by preparative chromatography (Sephadex LH-20, high pressure C18) and high pressure analytical C18 chromatography. The chemical structures of inhibitors were confirmed using infrared and 1H-NMR spectroscopies. The anti-acetylcholinesterase activity was measured using the colorimetric method in fractions obtained after each stage of purification. Polyphenolic cholinesterase inhibitors identified in peach fruit were kaempferol, quercetin and quercetin-3-O-rhamnoglucoside (rutin). The relatively fast purification procedure elaborated in this work can be adopted for the isolation of phenolic cholinesterase inhibitors from fruit extracts related to P. persica fruit.
Ripensare la lingua delFlos sanctorumcatalano
Authors: Gesiot Jacopo
Published: March 2020

The article represents an attempt to reconsider the exceptional linguistic status of the manuscript Esp. 44 in the Bibliothèque nationale de France, containing the Old Catalan translation of Jacopo da Varazze’sLegenda aurea. First studied by Joan Coromines, its language appeared remarkably conservative and vernacular to the great philologist, however now, more than a half-century after his judgment, the comparison with other products of what has been defined the earliest Catalan scripta leads to relativize linguistic traits of the Parisian manuscript. In particular, it is shown that the manuscript 713 in the library of the University of Barcelona is also distinguished by its linguistic features, and yet it is studied here for the first time.
Caracterización formal y semántica del sujeto y del objeto directo léxicos en construcciones transitivas en la historia del español
Authors: Puerma Bonilla Javier
Published: March 2020

The main objective of this research is to characterize the form and the semantics of the transitive arguments lexical subject and direct object in transitive constructions throughout the history of the Spanish language. Firstly, this paper presents the analysis of the internal structural complexity of the subject and the direct object. Secondly, it shows the evolution of the features ±humanand ±concreteof both arguments. The hypothesis is that Spanish has experienced a weakening of the typical lexical-semantic features of transitive arguments in parallel to an increase of their internal structural complexity. The quantitative evidence is supported byzstatistic proof.
Vicissitudini lessicografiche di cocoggio e di acudia
Authors: Merida Raphael
Published: March 2020

The word cocuyo ‘luminous insect originating from central America’ appears in Italian texts of the last few centuries in a variety of forms. In the article, we analyse the historic events that allowed the creation and spread of the ghost-word acudia (from the original word cocuyo) and how this is present in various Italian dictionaries.
Corrosion Evaluated by Using Speckle Decorrelation with Potentiodynamic Test of the Corrosion Rate
Authors: Nascov Victor , Samoilă Cornel , Ursuţiu Doru
Published: March 2020

There are corrosion experiments that require an investigated surface larger than the normal surface permitted by the apparatus specializing in such measurements. There are also corrosive environments in which the classic electrodes used are in danger of damage. Thus, in this article, a test in which the surface is investigated using speckle and the electrodes are all made from graphite, a material that is more resistant to chemical attacks, was imagined. The optical method used to investigate the surface alteration was speckle decorrelation, which has proved to be a sensitive indicator of corrosion. Because the decorrelation speed is obviously influenced by the corrosion rate, the main objective was to find out if there is a relationship between these two quantities in the frame of the speckle measurements. Using the electrochemical procedure of chronopotentiometry, it was found that the speckle decorrelation is sensitive not only to surface alteration due to corrosion but also to some reversible processes that occur in the electrolyte near the sample surface. In the first phase of the tests a solution of NaCl was used in order to have a reference environment known for the results obtained, followed in the next stage by more corrosive solutions that change the environment.
Targeted Krüppel-Like Factor 4 Gene Knock-Out in Retinal Ganglion Cells Improves Visual Function in Multiple Sclerosis Mouse Model
Authors: Talla Venu , Koilkonda Rajeshwari
Published: March 2020

Axonal demyelination injury and neuronal degeneration are the primary causes of visual disability in multiple sclerosis (MS)-linked optic neuritis patients. Immunomodulatory therapies targeting inflammation have failed to avert the disease progression and no therapies exist to prevent the neuronal deficits seen in MS to date. Neuroprotective strategies targeting oligodendrocytes and astroglia have shown limited success due to a lack of axonal regeneration from injured neurons. In this study, we used the chronic experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mouse model of MS to investigate the axonal regenerative approach to improve the neuronal function. Our approach focused on targeted knock-out (KO) of the developmentally regulated axon growth inhibitory Krüppel-like factor 4 (Klf4) gene in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) ofKlf4fl/flmice by intravitreal delivery of AAV2-Cre-ires-EGFP recombinant virus (1) at the time of EAE sensitization and (2) after the onset of optic neuritis-mediated visual defects in the mice.Klf4gene KO performed simultaneous with EAE sensitization prevented the visual loss as assessed by pattern electroretinograms (PERGs) in the mice and protected the RGCs from EAE-mediated death. More importantly, however,Klf4gene KO after the onset of optic neuritis also resulted in RGC neuroprotection with additional restoration of their function, thereby improving the visual function outcomes in the EAE model. This study establishes the efficacy ofKlf4targeted knock-down in EAE even after the onset of disease symptoms, and thus should be further explored as a potential treatment strategy for MS/optic neuritis patients.
Predator Neoliberalism
Authors: Dib Kamal
Published: March 2020

Lebanon, a multi-confessional state, is undergoing a deep socioeconomic change that could trigger a review of its constitutional arrangement. The tiny republic on the Mediterranean was born in 1920 as a liberal democracy with a market economy, where the Christians had the upper hand in politics and the economy. In 1975, Lebanon witnessed a major war that lasted for fifteen years, and a new political system emerged in 1989, dubbed the Ta’ef Accord. The new constitutional arrangement, also known as the “second republic,” transferred major powers to the Muslims. Under the new republic, illiberal policies were adopted in reconstruction, public finance, and monetary policy, coupled with unprecedented corruption at the highest levels. On 17 October 2019, the country exploded in a social revolution which could precipitate the death of the second republic or the demise of the country as another victim of predator neoliberalism.
Colonial Legacy in Algerian–French Relations
Authors: Hamidani Salim
Published: March 2020

The colonial period in Algeria was a time of suffering and struggle for Algerians who fought to win back their freedom and defend their values against French attempts to subjugate them. It was also a struggle to end foreign control over the country’s wealth and resources. National independence sought a sovereign state with free decision-making, away from French influence in particular, in a context of ideological polarization and mutual hostility between ex-colonial forces and independent states. The root of such hostility lies in what both parties lost, and resulted in a distinctive pattern of French–Algerian bilateral relations tainted by nostalgia from the French side and the struggle for parity from the Algerian side. The three decades following Algeria’s independence witnessed, to a certain extent, a national sentiment opposed to colonial France, and it is the sentiment that Algerian politicians attempted to use to manage relations between the two countries and obtain some benefits by invoking the past in speeches at a local level, and to overcome that past in building relations with France. As a security crisis and economic decline hit Algeria, it became apparent that the French regime was to exert effective influence on the country and control its foreign policy to meet French aspirations and ambitions in both Africa and the Arab world. This conclusion suggested to several observers the fall of the Algerian elite, responsible for decision-making, under French influence. Moreover, this elite group, while dealing with several regional issues, was not able to assert complete independence in its decision-making regarding foreign affairs, whether due to its past and formation or to the network of new relations built between the Algerian and French systems. This reality, which is deeply rooted in the Algerian foreign policy system, raises the question of the ability of the Algerian elite to pull away from its colonial inheritance and the grip of the French regime. One might therefore wonder how historical events and Algerian solid ties with the French administration shape French–Algerian relations and their political agendas.
China’s Impact on the Middle East and North Africa’s Regional Order
Authors: Quero Jordi
Published: March 2020

This article explores the impact of China on the norms and institutions constituting the regional order in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). It does so by assessing the effect that China’s challenges to the global order will have on the MENA. It is argued that scholars tend to focus on Beijing’s foreign policy directly targeting the region, especially the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). But in doing so, they overlook another parallel channel through which China may have an important, even critical, impact: the consequences unfolding from China’s different challenges to the global order. The fact that China may prove successful in articulating parallel and/or alternative norms and institutions to those that currently define the global liberal order could trigger shifts in the MENA normative environment. Three cases are examined in order to assess this potential: its challenge to some elements of the Bretton Woods global economic order; China’s contestation of the Law of the Sea; and its challenge to particular liberal elements of the global order.
Fugitive Rhetorics in Media Representations of Sanctuary
Authors: Mejía Oscar A. , Ono Kent A.
Published: March 2020

Representations of undocumented people on television shows such as The Fosters can impact how audiences understand contemporary issues concerning sanctuary and migrants. In this Critical Intervention forum essay, we examine the intricate representation of Ximena, a Latinx woman, and her struggle as an undocumented person who takes up sanctuary in a church to avoid being arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This televisual representation of Ximena highlights the need to incorporate the complexity of undocumented people's experiences into mainstream narratives. As activist scholars, in this brief essay we support, critique, and contextualize representations of undocumented people and sanctuary as part of the work that needs to be done to help challenge dehumanizing representations, laws and policies, and actions.
“Let Me Give You Some Advice”
Authors: Elers Steve
Published: March 2020

This essay is a personal reflection about an email I received from a Professor Emeritus at my university after my research received nationwide news media coverage. During my doctoral research, I located racist public statements made by William Ferguson Massey (1856–1925), former prime minister of New Zealand, whom my university (Massey University) is named after. The white Professor Emeritus, who I have never met, took it upon himself to email me, a Māori [Indigenous] junior faculty member, and chastise me for presenting my archival research to other faculty members. The Professor Emeritus's email epitomizes white power and white fragility in the academy that work to silence “Other” voices.
Drama and politics in the Atlantis story
Authors: Bartninkas Vilius
Published: March 2020

This paper explores the prevailing readings of the Atlantis story. The purpose of this paper is to show how interpretative judgements on the narrator’s intentions, the objectives of the characters, and the genre and the development of the story prepares the grounds for the political understanding of Athens and Atlantis. In this way, I will show how the dramatic framework influences the expression of political thought. I argue that the most important dramatic feature of the story is Critias’ interaction with Socrates and Timaeus, which explains why Critias composes two speeches that are essentially dedicated to the question of political origins.