bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Curcumin prevents neuronal loss and structural changes in the superior cervical (sympathetic) ganglion induced by chronic sleep deprivation, in the rat model
Authors: Erfanizadeh Mahboobeh , Noorafshan Ali , Namavar Mohammad Reza , Karbalay-Doust Saied , Talaei-Khozani Tahereh
Published: July 2020

Background

In modern societies, sleep deprivation is a serious health problem. This problem could be induced by a variety of reasons, including lifestyle habits or neurological disorders. Chronic sleep deprivation (CSD) could have complex biological consequences, such as changes in neural autonomic control, increased oxidative stress, and inflammatory responses. The superior cervical ganglion (SCG) is an important sympathetic component of the autonomic nervous system. CSD can lead to a wide range of neurological consequences in SCG, which mainly supply innervations to circadian system and other structures. As the active component of Curcuma longa, curcumin possesses many therapeutic properties; including neuroprotective. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of CSD on the SCG histomorphometrical changes and the protective effect of curcumin in preventing these changes.

Methods

Thirty-six male rats were randomly assigned to the control, curcumin, CSD, CSD + curcumin, grid floor control, and grid floor + curcumin groups. The CSD was induced by a modified multiple platform apparatus for 21 days and animals were sacrificed at the end of CSD or treatment, and their SCGs removed for stereological and TUNEL evaluations and also spatial arrangement of neurons in this structure.

Results

Concerning stereological findings, CSD significantly reduced the volume of SCG and its total number of neurons and satellite glial cells in comparison with the control animals (P < 0.05). Treatment of CSD with curcumin prevented these decreases. Furthermore, TUNEL evaluation showed significant apoptosis in the SCG cells in the CSD group, and treatment with curcumin significantly decreased this apoptosis (P < 0.01). This decrease in apoptosis was observed in all control groups that received curcumin. CSD also changed the spatial arrangement of ganglionic neurons into a random pattern, whereas treatment with curcumin preserved its regular pattern.

Conclusions

CSD could potentially induce neuronal loss and structural changes including random spatial distribution in the SCG neurons. Deleterious effects of sleep deprivation could be prevented by the oral administration of curcumin. Furthermore, the consumption of curcumin in a healthy person might lead to a reduction of cell death.
Collapse columns in Permian and Carboniferous Formations of coal, Qinshui Basin, China
Authors: Liao Zonghu , Zhang Lin , Wen Long , Zeng Lianbo
Published: July 2020

Seismic survey data collected for coal gas exploration show that there are many collapse columns distributed in the subsurface of Qinshui Basin, China. The interesting features of the collapse columns are observed by the seismic attributes, including the circular discontinuous patches on the horizon of the Shanxi Formation and multiple parallel discontinuities in vertical profiles of amplitudes. We speculate that the wide presence of these collapse columns are point constraints for the migration and accumulation of coal gas on a large scale.

Geological feature: Collapse columns within coal reservoirs Seismic appearance: The coherence illuminates circular/oval discontinuities on the horizon of the Shanxi Formation; the vertical amplitude profiles show cylindrical/funnel-shaped discontinuities. Alternative interpretations: Fault damage zones; velocity pulldown from the overburden Features with similar appearance: Fault-karst in carbonate reservoir; reef pinnacles Formation: Permian Shanxi Formation and Carboniferous Taiyuan Formation Age: Late Permian Location: Qinshui Basin in Shanxi, north-central China Seismic data: Provided by PetroChina Huabei Oilfield Company Contributors: Zonghu Liao, Lin Zhang, and Lianbo Zeng Analysis tools: The seismic amplitude and attribute of coherence from the seismic survey (prestack time migrated)
Potential Makeshift Solution to Coronavirus Disease 2019–Related N95 Mask Shortage
Authors: Hoffmann Cassandra , Tripi Paul , Rubin Kasia
Published: July 2020

N95 respirator masks are used by medical providers for respiratory protection from airborne pathogens of transmissible diseases. In extreme situations or pandemics, when N95 masks may be in short supply, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) reported that some groups created their own N95 mask utilizing an anesthesia circuit mask plus a filter for use in short but high-risk procedures. The makeshift option for personal protective equipment was tested with a qualitative respirator mask fit test.
Differentiation of salivary gland tumor using diffusion-weighted imaging with a fractional order calculus model
Authors: Chen Wei , Zhu Liu-Ning , Dai Yong-Ming , Jiang Jia-Suo , Bu Shou-Shan , Xu Xiao-Quan , Wu Fei-Yun
Published: July 2020

Objective:

To evaluate the feasibility of using imaging parameters (D, β and μ) obtained from fractional order calculus (FROC) diffusion model to differentiate salivary gland tumors.

Methods:

15 b-value (0–2000 s/mm2) diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) was scanned in 62 patients with salivary gland tumors (47 benign and 15 malignant). Diffusion coefficient D, fractional order parameter β (which correlates with tissue heterogeneity) and a microstructural quantity μ of the solid portion within the tumor were calculated, and compared between benign and malignant groups, or among pleomorphic adenoma (PA), Warthin’s tumor (WT), and malignant tumor (MT) groups. Performance of FROC parameters for differentiation was assessed using receiver operating characteristic analysis.

Results:

None of the FROC parameters exhibited significant differences between benign and malignant group (D, p = 0.150; β, p = 0.967; μ, p = 0.693). WT showed significantly lower D (p < 0.001) and β (p < 0.001), while higher μ (p = 0.001) than PA. Combination of D, β and μ showed optimal diagnostic performance (area under the curve, AUC, 0.998). MT showed significantly lower D (p = 0.001) and β (p = 0.025) than PA, while no significant difference was found on μ (p = 0.064). Combination of D and β showed optimal diagnostic performance (AUC, 0.933). Significant difference was found on β (p = 0.027) between MT and WT, while not on D (p = 0.806) and μ (p = 0.789). Setting a βof 0.615 as the cut-off value, optimal diagnostic performance could be obtained (AUC = 0.806).

Conclusion:

A non-Gaussian FROC diffusion model can serve as a noninvasive and quantitative imaging technique for differentiating salivary gland tumors.

Advances in knowledge:

(1) PA showed higher D and β and lower μ than WT. (2) PA had higher D and β than MT. (3) WT demonstrated lower β than MT. (4) β, as a new FROC parameter, could offer an added value to the differentiation.
Index Option Trading Activity and Market Returns
Authors: Chordia Tarun , Kurov Alexander , Muravyev Dmitriy , Subrahmanyam Avanidhar
Published: July 2020

Do order flows in index derivatives play an informational role? Weekly index put order flow on the International Securities Exchange positively and robustly predicts weekly S&P 500 index returns. This result obtains mainly for net put buying and is stronger in high VIX periods and in periods following macroeconomic announcements. We explore rationales for our findings, which include investor sentiment, the notion that market makers trade on information in options markets, and option-based risk protection strategies used by retail investors. The last explanation accords best with our analysis.

This paper was accepted by Tyler Shumway, finance.
What barriers prevent health professionals screening women for domestic abuse? A literature review
Authors: Kirk Leah , Bezzant Kim
Published: July 2020

Background:

Domestic abuse is known to affect one in four women (although it is difficult to quantify) and has significant short- and long-term health implications. As people who often have regular contact with women in a variety of circumstances, including routine appointments, health professionals, particularly nurses and midwives, are in an ideal position to screen women for domestic abuse. However, it is recognised that there is a reluctance by some health professionals to undertake this important role.

Aim:

To identify the potential barriers preventing health professionals from screening women for domestic abuse and to consider how these barriers could be overcome.

Method:

A literature review of electronic databases using predetermined search terms and inclusion/exclusion criteria was undertaken. Seven studies were identified for review, consisting of five qualitative and two quantitative pieces of research.

Conclusion:

Several barriers to screening by health professionals were identified, including lack of training, education, time, privacy, guidelines, policies and support from the employer, with the most prevalent of these being a lack of training and education. Further research is required, specifically within the UK, to provide more details about how these barriers might be addressed.
Ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma diagnosis and control in practice
Authors: Hinde Davinia , Evans Mike , Scott Phil
Published: July 2020

This article discusses the diagnosis and control of ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma (OPA), an ‘iceberg disease’ which can have both a large economic impact on flocks, and a damaging effect on the reputation of flocks supplying animals for breeding purposes. The potential control methods and their limitations are discussed, and two case studies illustrate how they have been applied by mixed practitioners working on commercial farms.
Efficacy and safety of dabigatran for venous thrombosis prophylaxis after knee replacement surgery in Thai patients: a prospective non-randomized controlled trial
Authors: Intiyanaravut Tawan , Thongpulsawasdi Nimit , Sinthuvanich Napol , Songtaweesap Sasikarn
Published: July 2020

Background

Dabigatran, a direct oral anticoagulant, has been approved for the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) after orthopedic surgery in many countries. The efficacy and safety of this agent were most studied in Western countries.

Objective

To assess the efficacy and safety of dabigatran in preventing venous thromboembolic diseases after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in Asian patients.

Methods

We conducted a prospective nonrandomized controlled study in Thai patients undergoing TKA. Thirty-two patients received 220 mg of dabigatran once daily for 14 days as thromboprophylaxis and 32 patients in the control group received none. The primary efficacy outcome was deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which was identified by color Doppler ultrasonography and/or diagnosed pulmonary embolism (PE). The primary safety outcomes were major bleeding and clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding events.

Results

There were no DVTs or PEs diagnosed in either group. The difference in the composite incidence of major and clinically relevant nonmajor bleedings between the dabigatran and control groups did not reach significant (6.2% vs. 0%, P = 0.15).

Conclusion

Dabigatran might have no clear benefit for the prevention of VTE after TKA in Thai patients. We do not recommend the routine use of dabigatran as a chemical thromboprophylaxis after TKA in Thai patients. To determine the safety profile, further study with larger sample sizes is required.
Paradise Lost: Accounting Narratives Without Numbers
Authors: Abela Mario
Published: July 2020

Regulations addressing corporate reporting in the United Kingdom require reporting entities to disclose their business model in their Strategic Report. The business model is intended as the organising concept for the non-financial disclosures, with its principal role being to explain how the reporting entity creates value for stakeholders. The business model concept has become a pervasive concept for corporate reporting with global organisations such as the IIRC, AICPA and IFAC emphasising it central role in external reporting. Using interviews conducted with FTSE 350 company executives and others in the reporting ecosystem, this paper analyses the extent to which responses from the interviewees align with the economic and strategic management literature framing the conceptualisation of business models. It is argued in this paper that there is a powerful preformative aspect to business model reporting. It does not strengthen accountability but serves a different purpose: to colonise new arenas of value by installing unstable concepts like purpose, value and stakeholders. These business model disclosures obfuscate and provide an opportunity for managers to construct narratives that are untethered from the financial statements to create stories without numbers. This ‘reinvention’ of capitalism is more a recasting of old principles rather than ushering an era of a more enlightened view of the corporation. It is a salutary reminder that regulation of corporate reporting does not necessarily lead to improved accountability.
A Game Theoretic Analysis of the Relative Payouts to Operational Creditors and Financial Creditors from Bankruptcy Resolution in India
Authors: Prasad Rohit , Gupta Gaurav , Mathur Yogesh B.
Published: July 2020

This paper analyses the outcomes of the cases resolved under Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code of India to examine the treatment of admitted claims for the two main classes of creditors i.e. operational and financial creditors. It shows that, at an aggregate level, operational creditors and financial creditors realize an equal percentage of their claims. However, at an individual level, there is wide heterogeneity in the treatment of the two classes of creditors. Three benchmark division rules – Proportional division, Constrained Equal Losses and Constrained Equal Awards, are used to characterize the actual divisions in each case. This analysis allows us to hypothesize that when aggregate claims of operational creditors are tiny, the Constrained Equal Awards (that is extremely generous to small creditors), does well. When aggregate claims of operational creditors are large, the Proportional rule does well. But when the claims of operational creditors fall in an intermediate range, the Constrained Equal Losses rule which is most unfavourable to the operational creditor comes to the fore. Hence, some broad guidelines that can be applied on a case by case basis appear to be desirable.
Trends in Life Insurance Demand and Lapse Literature
Authors: Srbinoski Bojan , Strozzi Fernanda , Poposki Klime , Born Patricia H.
Published: July 2020

The article analyzes the interconnectedness and gaps between two interrelated streams of literature, evolving in different time periods, by employing bibliometric tools. The research on the factors of life insurance demand started in the late 1960s and early 1970s, while more intensive works on the drivers of lapses in life insurance appeared during the 2000s. We map the research fields using our own criteria to create clusters and visualize the flow of knowledge within and between the clusters employing citation network analysis (CNA). We contribute by providing the most comprehensive systematic review that integrates both fields, additionally encapsulating studies on the demand for policy loans. The article detects the most important drivers of life insurance policyholder behavior during his/her lifetime and opens new horizons for future research.
Transnational postgraduate students’ experience of voice and participation
Authors: Kaufhold Kathrin
Published: July 2020

The article examines transnational students’ experiences of participation in European higher education by applying the notion of voice that encompasses the capacity to communicate and to be heard (Hymes 1996. Ethnography, linguistics, narrative inequality: Toward an understanding of voice. London: Taylor & Francis). Relating voice to access and participation, the article moves forward debates around incorporating students’ multilingual knowledge resources in diverse writing practices in academia. It takes into account structural and ideological conditions as well as the creative potential of translanguaging in students’ knowledge production. The instrumental case study explores the lived experiences of three multilingual students with highly diverse linguistic and educational backgrounds, who are enrolled in humanities master’s programmes at a Swedish university. It investigates the students’ perceptions of how they can make use of their linguistic and educational repertoires. The data derive from interviews around texts and audio-recorded writing diaries. The results demonstrate how translanguaging is mainly connected to writing for personal use and limited or regulated in assignment writing. They reveal multiple and contrasting ideological views on language use and knowledge, and highlight possibilities and obstacles for appropriating and recontextualising knowledge across languages, educational contexts and disciplines. The article thus connects translanguaging to questions of participation and access more broadly.
A review of foot pose and trajectory estimation methods using inertial and auxiliary sensors for kinematic gait analysis
Authors: Okkalidis Nikiforos , Camilleri Kenneth P. , Gatt Alfred , Bugeja Marvin K. , Falzon Owen
Published: July 2020

The use of foot mounted inertial and other auxiliary sensors for kinematic gait analysis has been extensively investigated during the last years. Although, these sensors still yield less accurate results than those obtained employing optical motion capture systems, the miniaturization and their low cost have allowed the estimation of kinematic spatiotemporal parameters in laboratory conditions and real life scenarios. The aim of this work was to present a comprehensive approach of this scientific area through a systematic literature research, breaking down the state-of-the-art methods into three main parts: (1) zero velocity interval detection techniques; (2) assumptions and sensors’ utilization; (3) foot pose and trajectory estimation methods. Published articles from 1995 until December of 2018 were searched in the PubMed, IEEE Xplore and Google Scholar databases. The research was focused on two categories: (a) zero velocity interval detection methods; and (b) foot pose and trajectory estimation methods. The employed assumptions and the potential use of the sensors have been identified from the retrieved articles. Technical characteristics, categorized methodologies, application conditions, advantages and disadvantages have been provided, while, for the first time, assumptions and sensors’ utilization have been identified, categorized and are presented in this review. Considerable progress has been achieved in gait parameters estimation on constrained laboratory environments taking into account assumptions such as a person walking on a flat floor. On the contrary, methods that rely on less constraining assumptions, and are thus applicable in daily life, led to less accurate results. Rule based methods have been mainly used for the detection of the zero velocity intervals, while more complex techniques have been proposed, which may lead to more accurate gait parameters. The review process has shown that presently the best-performing methods for gait parameter estimation make use of inertial sensors combined with auxiliary sensors such as ultrasonic sensors, proximity sensors and cameras. However, the experimental evaluation protocol was much more thorough, when single inertial sensors were used. Finally, it has been highlighted that the accuracy of setups using auxiliary sensors may further be improved by collecting measurements during the whole foot movement and not only partially as is currently the practice.This review has identified the need for research and development of methods and setups that allow for the robust estimation of kinematic gait parameters in unconstrained environments and under various gait profiles.
Seaweed resources of Korea
Authors: Hwang Eun Kyoung , Choi Han Gil , Kim Jang Kyun
Published: July 2020

Korea has a long history of utilizing seaweeds, as the country has a high biodiversity of seaweeds. The abundance and composition of seaweed species have changed over the past decades due to climate change and anthropogenic influences. Some species showed a significant extension of their distribution range to the north while some species declined. Some areas have even become barren ground. Korea has put extensive effort into restoring the seaweed resources in these deforested areas. Korea is one of the most advanced countries in the World in terms of seaweed aquaculture. However, the aquacultured species are mostly limited to three genera, Saccharina, Undaria and Pyropia/Porphyra, which represent 96% of the entire seaweed production in the country. Korea has developed highly advanced cultivation technologies as well as various cultivars using breeding and hybridization technologies for these species. There has also been considerable effort in developing environmentally sustainable aquaculture systems using seaweed cultivation (e. g. integrated multi-trophic aquaculture, nutrient bioextraction and biofloc). This study discusses the current status and challenges of the above mentioned topics in detail. In addition, the present study encourages South and North Korean scientists to collaborate in the study of seaweed resources at the border of these two countries.
Exploring the possibilities of infrared spectroscopy for urine sediment examination and detection of pathogenic bacteria in urinary tract infections
Authors: Steenbeke Mieke , De Bruyne Sander , Boelens Jerina , Oyaert Matthijs , Glorieux Griet , Van Biesen Wim , Linjala Jere , Delanghe Joris R. , Speeckaert Marijn M.
Published: July 2020

Objectives

In this study, the possibilities of Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) for analysis of urine sediments and for detection of bacteria causing urinary tract infections (UTIs) were investigated.

Methods

Dried urine specimens of control subjects and patients presenting with various nephrological and urological conditions were analysed using mid-infrared spectroscopy (4,000–400 cm−1). Urine samples from patients with a UTI were inoculated on a blood agar plate. After drying of the pure bacterial colonies, FTIR was applied and compared with the results obtained by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Chemometric data analysis was used to classify the different species.

Results

Due to the typical molecular assignments of lipids, proteins, nucleic acids and carbohydrates, FTIR was able to identify bacteria and showed promising results in the detection of proteins, lipids, white and red blood cells, as well as in the identification of crystals. Principal component analysis (PCA) allowed to differentiate between Gram-negative and Gram-positive species and soft independent modelling of class analogy (SIMCA) revealed promising classification ratios between the different pathogens.

Conclusions

FTIR can be considered as a supplementary method for urine sediment examination and for detection of pathogenic bacteria in UTI.
Characteristics of the root exudate release system of typical plants in plateau lakeside wetland under phosphorus stress conditions
Authors: Duan Xu , Zhao Yang-yi , Zhang Jian-cong
Published: July 2020

In this study, the root exudates of wetland plants, Pistia stratiotes, black algae, and Cyperus alternifolius, exposed to six phosphorus concentration gradients (0, 0.2, 1, 5, 10, and 20 mg/L) were characterized. The experimental seedlings were cultivated in Hoagland solutions, which were then extracted, decompressed, and concentrated with CH2Cl2; subsequently, a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis was performed to study the root exudates effects under different phosphorus concentrations. Results showed the existence of several organic compounds, such as alkanes, esters, alcohols, amines, benzene, and acids (phthalic acid, cycloheptasiloxane, benzoic acid, and cyclopentasiloxane) in the root exudates of the wetland plants. The relative contents of phthalate, benzene dicarboxylic acid, and cyclohexasiloxane in the root exudates first increased, and then decreased, with the change in phosphorus concentration. The relative contents of three compounds in Pistia were the highest at 1 mg/L of phosphorus, and the lowest relative contents of phthalic acid and benzene dicarboxylic acid were observed at 20 mg/L of phosphorus. However, the relative content of cyclohexasiloxane was the lowest in the absence of P stress. In black algae, the relative contents of the three compounds were 36.66, 16.24, and 14.61%, respectively. The relative content of cyclohexasiloxane in the black algae first decreased and then increased, with its lowest relative content occurring at 5 mg/L of phosphorus and the highest at 10 mg/L of phosphorus. In Cyperus alternifolius, the highest relative concentrations of the four compounds: phthalic acid, dimethyl phthalate, octadecane, and diphenyl sulfone in Cyperus were observed at 5 mg/L phosphorus and the lowest at 10 mg/L phosphorus.
Learning formulaic creativity: Chunking in verbal art and speech
Authors: Pagán Cánovas Cristóbal
Published: July 2020

The chunking problem is central to linguistics, semiotics, and poetics: How do we learn to organize a language into patterns and to use those patterns creatively? Linguistics has mainly offered two answers, one based on rule inference through innate capacities for processing and the other based on usage and on outstanding capacities for memory and retrieval. Both views are based on induction and compositionality. The Parry–Lord theory of oral composition-in-performance has argued that oral singers produce complex poems out of rehearsed improvisation through the mastery of a system of formulas, chunks that integrate phrasal, metrical, and semantic structures. The framework of formulaic creativity proposed here argues that the cognitive study of oral poetics can provide crucial insights into the chunking problem. I show the major connections between Parry–Lord and usage-based cognitive linguistics, mainly Construction Grammar and Frame Semantics. However, these approaches still remain compositional and thus struggle to model creativity and learning in oral poetry and everyday speech. The alternative is to explore a model of formulaic creativity not based on compositional patterns, but on wide learning for connecting discriminative perceptual features directly to semantic contrasts within a complex dynamic system, without the intermediation of a set of discrete units.
Efficient Stock-Market Prediction Using Ensemble Support Vector Machine
Authors: Nti Isaac Kofi , Adekoya Adebayo Felix , Weyori Benjamin Asubam
Published: July 2020

Predicting stock-price remains an important subject of discussion among financial analysts and researchers. However, the advancement in technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques has paved the way for better and accurate prediction of stock-price in recent years. Of late, Support Vector Machines (SVM) have earned popularity among Machine Learning (ML) algorithms used for predicting stock price. However, a high percentage of studies in algorithmic investments based on SVM overlooked the overfitting nature of SVM when the input dataset is of high-noise and high-dimension. Therefore, this study proposes a novel homogeneous ensemble classifier called GASVM based on support vector machine enhanced with Genetic Algorithm (GA) for feature-selection and SVM kernel parameter optimisation for predicting the stock market. The GA was introduced in this study to achieve a simultaneous optimal of the diverse design factors of the SVM. Experiments carried out with over eleven (11) years’ stock data from the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) yielded compelling results. The outcome shows that the proposed model (named GASVM) outperformed other classical ML algorithms (Decision Tree (DT), Random Forest (RF) and Neural Network (NN)) in predicting a 10-day-ahead stock price movement. The proposed (GASVM) showed a better prediction accuracy of 93.7% compared with 82.3% (RF), 75.3% (DT), and 80.1% (NN). It can, therefore, be deduced from the fallouts that the proposed (GASVM) technique puts-up a practical approach feature-selection and parameter optimisation of the different design features of the SVM and thus remove the need for the labour-intensive parameter optimisation.
Starting Business Out of Unemployment: How Do Supported Self-employed Individuals Perform?
Authors: Dvouletý Ondřej
Published: July 2020

The study empirically contributes to the discussion on the effects of start-up subsidies for unemployed individuals as a part of the active labour market policy. The article provides insights into the survival and performance of the subsidized businesses in the Czech Republic. The study follows up cohorts of self-employed individuals that were supported during years 2009–2017. The obtained findings show that a vast majority of the supported businesses were still officially active 2 years after the allocation of the start-up subsidy, and even later. The firm-level data further relieve that most of the individuals starting a business out of unemployment stay solo (only less than four per cent of self-employed individuals employ besides themselves at least one employee) and the economic outcomes of the subsidized businesses, measured as annual turnover, are rather modest. The empirical results further showed that higher intensity of public support is negatively associated with business closure and positively with employment and turnover categories. The study concludes that the start-up subsidy for unemployed succeeded in activating unemployed individuals to pursue an economic activity, although further research concerning other outcome variables such as personal income, job satisfaction and well-being is needed.
“Reading the Ritual”: Representation and Meaning on an Etruscan Funerary Monument in Perugia
Authors: Taylor Laurel
Published: July 2020

An unusual circular funerary monument in the National Archaeological Museum in Perugia (inv. no. 634) depicts a remarkable, multifigured narrative combining generic and unique scenes of Etruscan funerary ritual. Despite its singular character, this Archaic-period monument has never been the focus of an in-depth study. The monument features a frieze with two distinct scenes, each composed around a central focal point. On one side appears a prothesis scene in which a corpse occupies the central space with figures aligned on each side of the funerary bed. On the opposite side, figures are arranged on both sides of an altar featuring a burning fire, a scene without comparison in Etruscan funerary iconography. Though many of the figures have parallels within Etruscan imagery in both gesture and in attribute, much about this monument from its morphology to its pendant scenes is exceptional. Prothesis scenes, which appear almost exclusively in the Chiusi area and only during the Archaic period, are typically combined with images of funerary banqueting, dancing, and/or lamentation scenes. The pairing here with the altar/fire image raises interesting interpretive questions about the constitutive effect of these two events and how these may have been read and comprehended by the ancient viewer. Formally, the scenes invite connection and comparison, perhaps even to convey a symbolic and/or temporal relationship between these two events. The prothesis may have preceded and necessitated some sort of ritual purification by fire. Alternatively, the fire may reference a type of sacrifice part of funerary ritual. Neither, however, was part of the iconographic tradition. In attempting to these scenes, this paper uses a proxemics-based approach (a model used frequently in New World archaeology), to understand how the formal and physical characteristics of the monument reflect aspects of ancient visuality that is, the interplay between viewer, perception, and space. The figuration, composition, and morphology of this monument suggest that these scenes were intended less as narratives to be read and more as evocations of a ritual landscape whose broad contours could be perceived and understood with even a cursory engagement. These scenes are the visual evocation of ritual performance and environments. Though unusual in many aspects, the Perugia monument may have more far-reaching implications for ancient viewership.
Energiewende in Zeiten des Populismus
Authors: Radtke Jörg , Drewing Emily
Published: July 2020

Als zentrales Projekt der Nachhaltigkeitstransformation ist die Energiewende gleichermaßen Gegenstand gesamtgesellschaftlicher und lokaler Kontroversen. (Wahrgenommene) Defizite der Steuerung und Mitbestimmung begünstigen populistische Reaktionen. Zudem bietet das vermeintlicheGemeinschaftswerkPopulist*innen ein Themenfeld zur strategischen Aneignung. Der Beitrag geht schlaglichtartig auf bereits sich ausbreitende sowie naheliegende Verknüpfungen ein und diskutiert mögliche Ansätze zu ihrer vertieften Erforschung.
“The marquise went out at 5 o’clock”: Novel beginnings and realistic expectations
Authors: Mikkonen Kai
Published: July 2020

This paper poses the question of how the beginning of a narrative may (or may not) imply a generic frame. More precisely, the objective is to examine the way in which the given narrative mood (perspective, type of discourse) and the initial narrating instance (or narrative situation) relate to generic expectations. Specific attention is given to cues of realism in the openings of nineteenth-century European novels. The discussion critically assesses F. K. Stanzel’s (A Theory of Narrative) and Philippe Hamon’s (“Un discours contraint”) assumptions about the way in which initial narrative choices might identify the genre of the text. Both Stanzel and Hamon, in their differing ways, over-emphasise the generic implications of the narrative mode. The crucial point of distinction for Stanzel in this regard is the reflector mode. More specifically, he argues that an initial figural narrative situation could be considered conspicuouslyfictional. Hamon, in turn, highlights the question of novelistic conventions in realistic discourse, one generic marker of which is what he calls the “narrative concretization (alibi) of the performance of the discourse,” such as the strategy of delegating the narration to a narrator-character at the beginning of the novel. It is maintained in this paper that although novelistic beginnings cannot determine the text’s fictionality or genre by their narrative mode alone, the narrative perspective and situation in the opening can evoke, in connection with other potential markers, such as perspective, personal pronouns, verb tense, peritexts, and their combined rhetorical function, generic expectations that shape the reader’s understanding of the text. Paul Valéry’s famous mock-novelistic beginning “The marquise went out at 5 o’clock” is used as a point of reference in the discussion, and representative examples of “realistic” beginnings are drawn from Charles Dickens, Émile Zola and contemporary literature.
Dynamics of mid-channel bars in the Middle Vistula River in response to ferry crossing abutment construction
Authors: Sosnowska Anna
Published: July 2020

The investigation focused on the non-migrating mid-channel bars that emerged in the river channel as a consequence of river engineering. A reach of around 280 km of Middle Vistula River (Poland) was taken into account as the study site. The most vivid examples of the river engineering works potentially influencing the river channel are the ferry crossings. Along the Middle Vistula River reach, there are 17 ferry crossings that were constructed from 1970s to 1990s. A cartographic analysis was carried out to determine the influence of the ferry crossing construction over the river channel. It was performed on the basis of aerial photographs (traditional aerial photography and UAV photography). In 3 out of 17 potential localizations, the emergence of large non-migrating mid-channel bars was observed. A study of cartographic materials (from 1950s to 2000s) allowed determination of the dynamics of those bars, including time of emergence and the changes of their size.
Wood grain angles variations inEucalyptusand their relationships to physical-mechanical properties
Authors: Coelho José Clailson Franco , Vidaurre Graziela Baptista , da Silva João Gabriel Missia , de Almeida Maria Naruna Felix , Oliveira Ramon Ferreira , Segundinho Pedro Gutemberg de Alcântara , Alves Rejane Costa , Hein Paulo Ricardo Gherardi
Published: July 2020

The relationship between grain angle and wood properties has not been focus of researches in wood industry. The aim of this study was to establish grain angle variations in commercialEucalyptuslogs and their effects on physical-mechanical wood properties. Wood maximum angular deviation (MAD) was correlated with density, volumetric shrinkage, compressive strength parallel to grain, flexural strength and stiffness as determined by bending and acoustic methods in wood of sevenEucalyptus grandis × Eucalyptus urophyllaclones at 13 years old. The relationship between MAD at pith-bark and base-top positions and its effect on the physical and mechanical properties were evaluated. Amplitude of MAD values was small for the seven clones, and the mean was 6.2°. The grain deviation decreased by only 8% in base-top direction, and the correlations among MAD and three logs heights were small and negative (r = −0.13). MAD values presented an increasing trend of 33% in pith-bark direction, with a small positive correlation (r = 0.42). Basic density (BD) presented a significant correlation with the MAD (r = 26). There was no significant correlation between the MAD and volumetric shrinkage, mechanical properties and modulus of elasticity dynamic (determined by stress wave timer, ultrasound or transverse vibration).
Trait cheerfulness sensitivity to positive and negative affective states
Authors: López-Benítez Raúl , Coll-Martín Tao , Carretero-Dios Hugo , Lupiáñez Juan , Acosta Alberto
Published: July 2020

Recent research suggests that trait cheerfulness triggers larger state cheerfulness variations after facing amusing and sad clips. The present study aimed at replicating and extending these effects. A sample of 80 psychology students (68 women) was selected depending on their scores in trait cheerfulness. Participants watched a set of positive and negative pictures, which was accompanied by statements, and were asked to report their affective states before and after watching them. The results showed that high versus low trait cheerfulness participants reported a larger increase in state cheerfulness, valence, and joy measures after the positive induction and a larger decrease in state cheerfulness after the negative induction. The results replicate and extend previous findings and support the idea that high trait cheerfulness people are more sensitive to the affective environment.
Study on drying characteristics of corn based on 3D model
Authors: Jin Xu , Wang Chen , Bi Qingyue , Liu Zhongyan , Zhang Zhentao
Published: July 2020

In this study, the moisture diffusion process and mass transfer resistances for the drying process of corn were studied numerically. A 3D mathematical model for the heat and mass transfer of the hot air drying of corn was established. The heterogeneity of the corn kernels' physical structure was designed by multi-component modeling of the corn geometry. The distributions of the temperature and moisture inside the kernel during the drying process were simulated by COMSOL Multi physics software. The effects of drying air temperature, relative humidity, and wind velocity on the mass transfer process of drying corn were analyzed. The pericarp resistance comprised the majority of the mass transfer resistance in the drying process. The drying air temperature significantly reduced pericarp resistance. The higher the wind velocity was, the lower the boundary layer resistance.
A generalization of weighted companion of Ostrowski integral inequality for mappings of bounded variation
Authors: Alomari Mohammad Wajeeh
Published: July 2020

A weighted companion of Ostrowski type inequality is established. Some sharp inequalities are proved. Application to a quadrature rule is provided.
Multilingualism in Luxembourg: (Dis)empowering Cape Verdean migrants at work and beyond
Authors: Tavares Bernardino
Published: July 2020

This paper explores the entanglement of language with issues such as discrimination and the reproduction of social hierarchies. It unpacks this interplay to show how the use and abuse of language serve as the main mechanism of inclusion, exclusion and limitation of migrants in the labour market, contributing to certain migrant groups and their descendants remaining in the bottom stratum of society. It investigates how language use can both empower and disqualify migrants, creating ethnic pools of work. This paper draws on interviews with a successful middle-aged Cape Verdean man, Pedrinhu, to illustrate this language impact. He came to Luxembourg at a young age and his sports skills helped him to be fast-tracked to acquire Luxembourgish citizenship. He talks about his migration trajectories, his sociolinguistic life and his job interactions with Cape Verdean workers at a private employment enterprise where he now holds a high position. He seeks “to empower” Cape Verdean migrants, challenging some of the institutionalised linguistic demands of the state employment agency he collaborates with; at the same time, he is aware of the reproduction of inequality and the ethnic stratification of his enterprise. The paper concludes by highlighting the ambivalences of multilingualism and empowerment interventions in accessing resources, such as work, in the condensed migration contexts of Luxembourg.
Language as a resource with fluctuating values: Arabic speakers in humanitarian and social work
Authors: Hassemer Jonas , Garrido Maria Rosa
Published: July 2020

This paper investigates the fluctuating value of Arabic when constructed as a linguistic resource for multilingual, “languaged” workers in a counselling centre for refugees in Austria and in an international humanitarian agency operating in ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. Drawing on a variety of ethnographic data (observations, interviews and documents), our analyses of the institutionalised division of labour and of workers’ narrative positioning show how workers in both organisations discursively construct this linguistic resource as being of ambivalent value in their positioning vis-à-vis their colleagues, for their careers and in work interactions. Stratifying and empowerment effects are interwoven in the varying and coexisting values of Arabic.
On integrals associated with the free particle wave packet
Authors: Patkowski Alexander E.
Published: July 2020

We discuss some properties of integrals associated with the free particle wave packet,ψ⁢(x,t){\psi(x,t)}, which are solutions to the time-dependent Schrödinger equation for a free particle. Some noteworthy discussion is made in relation to integrals which have appeared in the literature. We also obtain formulas for half-integer arguments of the Riemann zeta function.
Impact of Private Labels and Information Campaigns on Organic and Fair Trade Food Demand
Authors: Bougherara Douadia , Ropars-Collet Carole , Saint-Gilles Jude
Published: July 2020

We use two Almost Ideal Demand Systems models on scanner data to analyze the demand for two food products (milk and coffee). Each demand system is composed of four products varying in the presence of an ecolabel (with or without) and the brand (national brand vs. private label). First, we aim to compare the demand for PL and NB ecolabeled products. While PLs are brands owned and controlled by retailers and specific to each retailer, NBs are owned and controlled by manufacturers and can be offered by several retailers. Second, we aim to assess the impact of information campaigns designed to raise awareness and knowledge of ecolabels. We find that demand is more elastic for ecolabeled goods as in the literature but we find this result only for NB goods (milk and coffee) and not for PL goods. We also find substitutability between ecolabeled and conventional goods as in the literature but only within the NB goods (milk only) and within the PL goods (milk and coffee). We also find complementarity between NB conventional and PL ecolabeled goods (milk and coffee). Finally, we find that information campaigns increase the predicted expenditure shares of PL organic milk by 33% and of NB fair trade coffee by 50%. But these effects are non-lasting.
„Idemität“. Zum Konzept Meister Eckharts in seinem selektiven Kommentar zum Johannesevangelium
Authors: Mieth Dietmar
Published: July 2020

Abstrakt

Der Philosoph Heinrich Rombach, einer der Interpreten Meister Eckharts, hat den Vorschlag gemacht, Wechsel-Beziehungen begrifflich nicht als Beziehung von Identitäten zu verstehen, sondern statt dessen den Begriff der „Idemität“ zu benutzen, d.h. die Fassung einer Einheit in einer sich ständig rückkoppelnden Bewegung: bei sich selber sein und sich doch aus der Beziehung verstehen. Sie hat zwar ihre eigene Selbigkeit, aber als Geschehen ist sie auf andere Weise in sich differenziert. Diese Figur nennt Meister Eckhart „Unterscheidung durch Ununterschiedenheit“. Er zielt damit nicht ein Paradox an, sondern eine innere Differenzierung ohne kategorialen Außenbezug. Von Eckhart übernimmt Rombach eine Struktur, die er „vermittelte Unmittelbarkeit“ nennt. Dietmar Mieth versucht, diese Struktur der „Idemität“ in Meister Eckharts Johanneskommentar gleichsam als strukturgleiche Parallele von Wort/Sprache, Beieinandersein („apud“), Sohn/Menschwerdung/Geburt, Gerechtigkeit zu erläutern. Dabei erinnert der Johanneskommentar an verschiedenen Stellen auch an die eckhartsche Bildlehre, führt sie aber weniger aus als z.B. im Genesiskommentar, in Pauluszitaten oder in den deutschen Predigten. Umso gewichtiger ist es, auch hier die strukturgleiche Parallele zu zeigen. Zusätzlich scheint es ihm wichtig, den im Johanneskommentar verwendeten Naturbegriff genauer zu betrachten. Denn entweder bezeichnet der Naturbegriff ganz verschiedene Dinge, also die Natur Gottes, die Natur des Menschen, die Natur der christlichen Sittlichkeit, die Natur der Naturgesetze, oder er bezeichnet die Gründe der Philosophen im Unterschied oder in Korrespondenz zu den Motiven des Glaubens. D.h. es geht gar nicht um das, was wir heute mit „Natur“ im Sinne säkularer Wissenschaft assoziieren, sondern um ein Lesegerät für eine metaphorische, d.h. über ihre immanente Rekonstruktion hinausweisende, Bedeutung der Eigengesetzlichkeit der Dinge. Dies käme dem nahe, was Bernhard von Claivaux im Unterschied zum „liber revelationis“ als „liber creaturae“ bezeichnet hat, das Buch der Schöpfung im Unterschied zum Buch der Erlösung. Der Unterschied bezieht sich bei Eckhart jedoch nicht auf zwei unterschiedliche Regionen der Erkenntnis sondern auf eine Beziehung, in welcher Zwei und Eines zugleich miteinander korrespondieren.