bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of load types and critical molar ratios on strength properties and geopolymerization mechanism
Authors: Meng Tao , Ahmed Sara , Dai Dawang , Yu Yue
Published: May 2021

In this study, the effect of SiO2/Al2O3 (S/A), Na2O/Al2O3 (N/A) and H2O/Na2O (H/N) molar ratios on bending and compressive strength of geopolymer were investigated. The geopolymerization mechanism was also analyzed from microstructure difference by FTIR. The experimental results showed that compressive strength and bending strength of geopolymer has an opposite reaction under different critical molar ratios. The increase of S/A molar ratio and the decrease of N/A and H/N molar ratios have resulted in an increase of the compressive strength. However, it caused a noticeable decrease in bending strength. The microstructure of geopolymer indicated that the degree of polymerization and cohesion of geopolymer have systematical depending on these critical molar ratios, making the mechanical properties of geopolymer susceptible to different types of loads. This paper reveals the relationship between the microstructure of geopolymer and different mechanical properties and helps to selectively prepare corresponding geopolymer for different loading patterns.
The Impact of Mobile Number Portability on Demand Price Elasticities in Sub-Saharan African Countries
Authors: Mothobi Onkokame
Published: May 2021

This paper examines the effect of mobile number portability (MNP) on own- and cross-price elasticities. We use quarterly data for 27 mobile operators in seven Sub-Saharan Africa countries between 2010Q4 and 2014Q4 to estimate a differentiated products demand model. We find that the implementation of MNP increases price elasticities of demand for mobile services. This increase in price elasticities may be a result of reduction in switching costs between operators. On average, the introduction of MNP increases own-price elasticities by 0.47 in absolute value. We compare the level of price elasticities before and after the implementation of MNP in Ghana and Kenya, which implemented this policy in the time period of our study. Our results suggest that in Ghana, MNP increased own-price elasticities by an average of 0.35 in absolute term from an average of −0.74. In Kenya, the introduction of MNP increased own-price elasticities by an average of 0.21 in absolute term from a lower average of −0.39. However, we find that the average own-price elasticities in Kenya and Ghana remained small even after the implementation of MNP relative to other countries without MNP in place.
Assessing the Impact of Political Involvement on the Reliability and Validity of Virtualized Real-time-response Measurement
Authors: Waldvogel Thomas , Metz Thomas , Wagschal Uwe , Becker Bernd , Feiten Linus , Weishaupt Samuel
Published: May 2021

How does political involvement impact on data quality of virtualized Real-Time-Response (RTR) Measurement? The article addresses this issue, drawing on a large field study (n = 5660) conducted during the 2017 German general election campaign. Since it is unclear how heterogeneous characteristics of individuals influence data quality of RTR-Measurement from audiences surveyed outside the lab, we assess the impact of political involvement on the reliability and validity of virtualized real-time-response data. We show that political involvement shapes reliability and validity systematically but to a degree that does not compromise established standards of data quality. Thus, we conclude that virtualized RTR outside the laboratory with limited means of control is an appropriate method to survey heterogeneous samples in large N-field studies and therefore offers new paths of data collection.
Cloud-Nutzung in der Industrie 4.0
Authors: Fischer Tobias , Schmieder Benedikt
Published: May 2021

Nachdem sich die Nutzung von Cloud-Technologien in administrativen Bereichen von Unternehmen (z. B. Office-Software, Dokumentenmanagement, Unified Communications) inzwischen etabliert hat, drängen diese verstärkt in die Realität der industriellen Fertigung vor. Um bei deren Einführung möglichst methodisch und effizient vorgehen zu können, zeigt der Beitrag anhand eines Sechs-Dimensionen-Modells entsprechende Handlungsfelder und Risikofaktoren auf, die den Erfolg von Implementierungsprojekten unterstützen bzw. beeinflussen.
Ableitung eines Vorgehensmodells zur systematischen Wissensgenerierung aus Sensordaten
Authors: Molitor Dirk A. , Kubik Christian , Knoll Maximilian , Becker Marco , Groche Peter
Published: May 2021

In diesem Beitrag wird das KDT-EA (Knowledge Discovery in Time Series for Engineering Applications) vorgestellt, eine Verbesserung des bestehenden KDD-Prozesses, um speziell die Analyse von aufgezeichneten Zeitreihen in Produktionsprozessen zu adressieren. Es werden die Schritte von der Datenerfassung bis zur Implementierung der entwickelten Modelle in die Produktionsprozesse beschrieben und die Schlüsselfaktoren für eine erfolgreiche Machine-Learning-Anwendung identifiziert. Am Beispiel der Vorhersage des Biegewinkels in einem Folgeverbundwerkzeugprozess wird der Einfluss der einzelnen Entscheidungen innerhalb der Prozessschritte auf die Modellleistung aufgezeigt.
BAD BLOOD: THE CONDITIONS OF THE BLOOD BAN
Authors: Mecklai Faris
Published: May 2021

In Canada, men who have sex with men (MSM) are not able to donate blood until three months after their last sexual encounter in order to protect the national blood supply from HIV. This policy has been regarded as highly homophobic and prejudicial as it unjustly discriminates against a specific population. The context that first called for the Blood Ban some 40 years ago no longer exists. As such, in this paper, I determine and critically analyze the conditions that have allowed the Blood Ban to not only survive, but thrive in Canada. The first condition is Canada’s history of homophobia and stigma towards HIV/AIDS. The Blood Ban was first introduced when HIV/AIDS was thought to be exclusive to the MSM community. Homophobia allowed the world to wrongfully stigmatize MSM as disease-ridden and impure and thus further perpetuated MSM discrimination and the Blood ban. The second condition is fear of possible HIV transmissions to the general public. In Canadian Blood Services (CBS) history, there have been some instances of HIV transmission occurring via blood donation. As a way to mitigate any more scandals and calm public outrage, CBS has kept the outdated Blood Ban in place. The last condition is the delegitimization of citizenship for MSM who wish to be altruistic. Altruism allows individuals to be good citizens and should be considered a right. By denying MSM to donate blood, their right to be altruistic and thus act as a good citizen is taken away and their citizenship is infringed upon. These three conditions are nuanced and act independently and in cooperation with each other to perpetuate the existence, survival, and longevity of the Blood Ban.
HOME: A PLACE TO CALL MY OWN? INVESTIGATING THE QUESTION OF A “JUST” HOME THROUGH LITERATURE
Authors: Orrantia Mateo
Published: May 2021

In an ever more interconnected and "liquid" society, we see the spaces that we consider to be our "homes" - whether that be our houses themselves, our cities, or our nations - becoming party to outside presences. The daily presence of these outside forces within these spaces has forced us to critically re-examine the ways in which we exist in, interact with, and conceptualize our homes. Critically, they demand that we consider the question of justice in the home: what does it mean to create a “just” home? How can we “do justice” to those that find themselves in these spaces? These struggles of cohabitation, between people and outside presences in their homes permeate literature, both ancient and modern. Notably, Odysseus and his family contend with the presence of the suitors in The Odyssey. In a more modern rendition of the archetypal struggle, Loulou struggles with the daily presence of the poets in “Loulou; or, the Domestic Life of the Language”. In this paper, I will contrast the radically different ways of grappling with these forces presented by each text - which in turn informs what each text portrays as the "just" home in the presence of outsiders. Ultimately, I argue that “Loulou; or, the Domestic Life of the Language” gives us a more compelling account of how we can conceptualize and create “just” homes when they are made party to outsiders.
AN ESSAY CONCERNING THE NECESSITY OF HELP (WRIT- TEN IN THE STYLE OF CHRISTA WOLF’S CASSANDRA)
Authors: Hill Michaela
Published: May 2021

This essay examines the necessity of help in seeing and moving beyond unjust or oppressive systems. To do so, the paper looks at individual characters and relationships from five important works of literature: Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, Christa Wolf’s Cassandra, Jeff Ho’s Antigone Fong, and Cervantes Don Quixote. The form of this essay is very closely based on Christa Wolf’s Cassandra. Cassandra has a very distinctive style, which I have attempted to replicate in my own writing. Further, my essay follows a narrative journey that, in some sense, parallels Cassandra’s. While Cassandra reflects on the most important learnings from her life in the moments leading up to her death, I reflect on the most important learnings from my semester in the moments leading up to its end. Beginning first by examining characters who act in isolation, the essay moves on to centrally focus on what types of relationships and communities allow for full sight and movement beyond oppressive systems. The essay asks readers to consider the limitations of refusing help and opens the reader’s eyes to the possibilities that come from accepting it, however difficult that may be. The essay concludes by bringing together the learnings from the various books to generate a discussion of how to enable permanent transformation of systems characterized by injustice and oppression.
Flipping the Ship: Ocean Waves, Media Orientations, and Objectivity at Sea
Authors: Helmreich Stefan
Published: May 2021

The FLoating Instrument Platform (FLIP), a seagoing vessel managed by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, in La Jolla, California, offers an unorthodox vantage point on the sea. In its horizontal conformation, FLIP travels like an ordinary oceangoing craft. But by “flipping” 90 degrees into a vertical position once it arrives at its destination—with all the furniture and instrumentation inside swiveling correspondingly—it becomes an enormous spar buoy, more or less stationary in the wave field. With most of the platform’s 108-meter length below the surface, scientists can work in a stable environment, which helps them study sea surface phenomena such as waves against a largely unwavering baseline. This article offers an anthropologically informed media studies account of work on FLIP, as the author reports on working ethnographically alongside wave scientists in this Escheresque environment, a setting that often sees scientists shifting between aspirations to steady objectivism and moments of fleeting but motivating wonder. Placing FLIP in a longer history of physical oceanography, the author also argues that what wave scientists take ocean waves to be has been strongly imprinted by the techniques and technologies—mathematics, photography, spectral analysis, wave tanks—through which waves have been studied and come to be known. Wave science also inherits knowledge from mid-twentieth-century ocean observation projects in the Pacific Ocean that were conditioned by Cold War American maritime expansion. The paper suggests that the technological mediations, orientations, and re-orientations offered to scientists at sea on FLIP may serve as allegories for apprehending American oceanography’s oscillating visions of the relationship of science to society, of present research to future implications, and of objectivity to politics — visions that come into focus as scientists (and their anthropological interlocutors) switch, alternate, and flip their paradigm scripts, their frames of epistemic reference.
Marine Reserve Design [Video]
Authors: Steigerwald Douglas
Published: May 2021

Marine sanctuaries are an important part of ocean conservation today, but because of their local economic effects on industries such as fisheries, gas and oil extraction, and tourism, they produce conflicts of interest between different stakeholders and value systems. These conflicting interests were on display in the proposal for new marine reserve boundaries for the Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary, which was first created in 1980. To capture the interplay of these competing interests, a statistical decision maker model was built. The econometric model predicts the response of fishermen – in this case urchin divers – to each proposed marine preserve boundary. The predicted response could then be factored into the design of the preserve, to more accurately capture the actual biological gains from each proposed boundary.
 Video available at: https://vimeo.com/527396635
What Climate Models can tell us about Pacific Climate Variability [Video]
Authors: Stevenson Samantha
Published: May 2021

Global climate models are the main tool of climate scientists who investigate the impact of human action on future climate change. Run on supercomputers, these models can simulate global interdependencies of diverse climate factors such as ocean circulation, sea level rise, or vegetation growth. They also integrate socio-economic models that predict population growth, GDP, actions of cities and transportation, and air pollution. However, different models or model ensembles produce different future scenarios because the systems that are modeled are extremely chaotic: they contain a lot of “noise” and the slightest change in assumed background conditions or the recognition of feedback processes between, for example, ocean surface temperatures and cloud formations, will produce very different future scenarios. Since the apparent differences between climate models are due to both random internal climate variability and real structural differences in model physics, climate scientists are running model experiments (computer simulations) that compare the performance of the different models in order to better understand the physics behind them.
 Video available at: https://vimeo.com/527397952
Message in a Bottle: Operations and Epistemology of an Explorative Drifter [Video]
Authors: Lampoudi Sotiria , Vagt Christina
Published: May 2021

Despite marine sciences’ turn towards big data over the last decades, only a very small portion of the world’s oceans today are sufficiently understood. Their modeling requires constant research and development of new ocean technologies, a highly competitive field usually conducted by corporate industries or public research institutions. In this case, an ocean robotics engineer and a media theorist met over the summer of 2019 in Santa Barbara to explore and reflect on alternative approaches in the design process of oceanographic data engineering and the role that media theory could play in it. They built and deployed a GPS trackable floating device that provided some in situ data from the Santa Barbara Channel, and posed many open questions. The field report speaks of obstacles and failures, as well as surprising results and insights in the design process.
 Video available at: https://vimeo.com/527395527
Charting the Pacific ca. 1850: Melville, Maury, Marx, and Mormons [Video]
Authors: Durham Peters John
Published: May 2021

Navigating different media such as maps, names, novels, or data charts, media philosophy complicates the question of how oceans become objects or things. And the Pacific’s ontology appears to be particularly slippery: Around 1850, Herman Melville thinks of the Pacific through metaphysical or literary depictions, while Matthew Maury, one of the pioneers of oceanography, conceives of it as a data composite. Karl Marx understands it in terms of space-time compression, and Mormon missionaries reimagine the Pacific theologically as a deep history. Yet, when read alongside each other, one can discover a media theory in oceanography, and an oceanography in literature, and there never seems to be enough time and space to tell the whole story of the Pacific.
 Video available at: https://vimeo.com/527398349
Deciphering Data
Authors: Chanenson Steven L. , Berman Douglas A.
Published: May 2021

Sentencing data are ubiquitous, as are discussions about the need for and importance of data collection and assessments. More and more criminal justice stakeholders acknowledge—or even proclaim—that data are valuable, if not essential, for sentencing decision-making. This is a positive development, and one that should not be too readily considered inevitable or without the potential for controversy. This essay explores the sentencing and data nexus and makes recommendations for the future.
The Ohio Data Story in Three Part
Authors: Andrews Sara
Published: May 2021

The complex, intricate process of felony sentencing in Ohio makes ensuring clear, comprehendible sentences of the utmost import for the administration of justice and promoting confidence in the system. As such, for more than a year, the Ohio Criminal Sentencing Commission worked with justice system partners to develop a package of uniform felony sentencing documents that prescribe the most clear and concise, minimum language required to comply with Criminal Rule 32 and existing case law and establishes standardized, common data essential for identifying relationships and trends common to all felony courts.

The adoption of the package of felony sentencing documents is the first step to begin standardized, aggregate felony sentencing data collection in Ohio—the Ohio Sentencing Data Platform.

Sentencing data provide opportunities for robust research, including the ability to parse comparative data between counties, recognizing that community standards can drive law enforcement, prosecution, and sentencing decision-making.

The Ohio Sentencing Data Platform will improve information about the people we are trying to help in the criminal justice system and has been met with enthusiastic interest and support from judges and courts throughout the state. Our modest, incremental path will ultimately yield high dividends in building public trust in criminal justice processes and outcomes. At the same time, without fiscal or administrative burden, it will help give judges and decision- makers access to the best information available to perform their public service duty in the most impactful way.
Anticipating the Judicial Response to Ohio’s Proposed Statewide Sentencing Database
Authors: Anderson Scott A.
Published: May 2021

In her recent State of the Judiciary Address, Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor promoted a statewide sentencing database as a means for securing equal access to justice for all Ohioans. Chief Justice O’Connor argued that, to ensure confidence in the judicial system, the public “must be able to see justice for all, and understand how it is measured.” The proposed database would provide “metrics on sentencing and the outcomes of court proceedings” and would result in transparency for the public and accountability for sentencing judges.

Nearly a quarter-century ago, then Chief Justice Thomas Moyer set up a Commission on Racial Fairness charged with designing and implementing a comprehensive statewide sentencing database. But, to date, Ohio has not implemented one. “The main excuse,” the current Chief Justice related, is that “it’s difficult to do.”

What follows is an attempt to anticipate a response from Ohio judges to Chief Justice O’Connor’s call for a statewide sentencing database. The hope is that this anticipated judicial response will provide a more realistic picture of the systemic barriers to creating and implementing the Chief Justice’s proposal.

Judges are concerned that a statewide database will undercut the very values that uphold their authority as sentencing judges. When sentencing, judges want to maintain discretion, value proportionality, and honor local norms. After sentencing, judges don’t want to be pigeonholed or scapegoated. Any serious attempt to institute a statewide sentencing database must take into account these legitimate concerns. Ignoring them invites another quarter-century of justice delayed.
Under a Microscope? Show Them the Data
Authors: Reed Judge Jeffrey L.
Published: May 2021

Judges realize that each criminal defendant who appears for a sentencing is a unique individual, with his or her own peculiar background, experience, and motives. The overriding purposes of our sentencing decisions are to fairly punish the offender and protect the public.

For years, there has been no accurate way to study the data generated by sentencing decisions, even by judges. Yet statistics have always existed, and studies have sometimes made unscientific and unsubstantiated claims of disparity and unfairness in sentencing.

I was proud to volunteer my county to be a part of an effort to maintain confidence in the judiciary. Allen County is a medium-size county with all the types of criminal cases seen in smaller and larger counties. My court system is neither so big as to make the data collection experiment untenable, nor so small as to make the project too easy.

The data platform project is a marriage of two separate disciplines: the judiciary and technology. This is an opportunity to be a part of something important and innovative that will help promote public confidence in the independence, integrity, and impartiality of the judiciary. In the end, my hope is that the data collected will make me and my colleagues better judges and restore any lost confidence in the integrity of what we do.
Using Data to Achieve Justice Reform
Authors: Nellis Ashley
Published: May 2021

Americans have grown uneasy with our ranking as the world’s leader in incarceration, which has made way for thoughtful discussion and debate around how to reform our sentencing and corrections systems. To adequately measure progress toward ending mass imprisonment, federal and state prison data must become more readily available and transparent. The Sentencing Project embarked on the work of documenting the number of people serving life sentences after observing a large gap in adequate information or concern about expansion of long prison sentences. We now know that long-term imprisonment is a driver of mass incarceration and that one in seven prisoners is serving life. Though all states can provide aggregate figures on populations of prisoners upon request, this information is insufficient to fully understand the life-sentenced population, including shifting dynamics within the population. Going forward, simple access to de-identified administrative prison records can serve as a bridge between policy reform ideas and their implementation.
COVID-19 Vaccine Refusal and Related Factors
Authors: Hyatt Jordan M. , Baćak Valerio , Kerrison Erin M.
Published: May 2021

Since the global pandemic began in early 2020, COVID-19 has impacted almost every correctional facility in the country. In Pennsylvania, the pandemic response has required significant changes to the operation of correctional facilities and necessitated a reconsideration of the risks and responsibilities for staff. Although the risks of viral infection are not a completely new concern for people working in prisons, the highly transmissible coronavirus and the near-universal nature of the resulting pandemic has potentially changed how health and safety are viewed. To better understand these concerns, the staff of the PADOC was surveyed to allow them to self-report their perceptions of the pandemic response, the need for vaccination, and other relevant areas. This independent report draws on these data to provide insight into the current perspective held by the PADOC staff population regarding vaccination and some of the factors that are associated with that decision. In turn, these descriptive data can be used to inform the development of evidence-based public health and correctional policies during the pandemic.
Relativna atomska masa – što je to?
Authors: Raos Nenad
Published: May 2021

Pojam relativne atomske mase pojavljuje se u dva značenja: prvo proizlazi iz zakona stalnih masenih omjera („atomska težina“), a drugo, novije, iz definicije mola, kao Avogadrova broja atoma (čestica). U članku je opisana kako povijest određivanja „atomske težine“ (Dalton, Berzelius, Stas) tako i povijest njezina definiranja (prema vodiku, kisku ili nuklidu 12C). Dva značenja relativne atomske mase utjecala su i na način rješavanja stehiometrijskih zadataka.
ANN-based approach to model MC/DR of some fruits under solar drying
Authors: Sadadou Ahmed , Hanini Salah , Laidi Maamar , Rezrazi Ahmed
Published: May 2021

The aim of this work was to model the moisture content (MC) and drying rate (DR) using artificial neural network (ANN) methodology. Many architectures have been tested and the best topology was selected based on a trial and error method. The dataset was randomly divided into 60, 20, and 20 % for training, test, and validation stage of the ANN model, respectively. The best topology was 10-{29-13}-2 obtained with high correlation coefficient R (%) of {99.98, 98.41} and low root mean square error RMSE (%) (0.36, 6.29) for MC and DR, respectively. The obtained ANN can be used to interpolate the MC and DR with high accuracy.
The evolving role of whole-exome sequencing in the management of disorders of sex development
Authors: Tenenbaum-Rakover Yardena , Admoni Osnat , Elias-Assad Ghadir , London Shira , Noufi-Barhoum Marie , Ludar Hanna , Almagor Tal , Zehavi Yoav , Sultan Charles , Bertalan Rita , Bashamboo Anu , McElreavey Kenneth
Published: May 2021

Objective

Disorders of sex development (DSD) are defined as congenital conditions in which the development of chromosomal, gonadal and anatomical sex is atypical. Despite wide laboratory and imaging investigations, the etiology of DSD is unknown in over 50% of patients.

Methods

We evaluated the etiology of DSD by whole-exome sequencing (WES) at a mean age of 10 years in nine patients for whom extensive evaluation, including hormonal, imaging and candidate gene approaches, had not identified an etiology.

Results

The eight 46,XY patients presented with micropenis, cryptorchidism and hypospadias at birth and the 46,XX patient presented with labia majora fusion. In seven patients (78%), pathogenic variants were identified for RXFP2, HSD17B3, WT1, BMP4, POR, CHD7 and SIN3A. In two atients, no causative variants were found. Mutations in three genes were reported previously with different phenotypes: an 11-year-old boy with a novel de novo variant in BMP4; such variants are mainly associated with microphthalmia and in few cases with external genitalia anomalies in males, supporting the role of BMP4 in the development of male external genitalia; a 12-year-old boy with a known pathogenic variant in RXFP2, encoding insulin-like 3 hormone receptor, and previously reported in adult men with cryptorchidism; an 8-year-old boy with syndromic DSD had a de novo deletion in SIN3A.

Conclusions

Our findings of molecular etiologies for DSD in 78% of our patients indicate a major role for WES in early DSD diagnosis and management – and highlights the importance of rapid molecular diagnosis in early infancy for sex of rearing decisions.
FOXE1 polymorphism rs965513 predisposes to thyroid cancer in a European cohort
Authors: Owens Patrick W , McVeigh Terri Patricia , Miller Nicola , Guerin Carole , Sebag Frederic , Quill Denis , Bell Marcia , Kerin Michael J , Lowery Aoife J
Published: May 2021

Objective

FOXE1 is an intronless gene on chromosome 9 which plays a significant role in thyroid morphogenesis. Mutations in FOXE1 are associated with thyroid phenotypes including congenital hypothyroidism, thyroid dysgenesis and thyroid cancer. This study aims to investigate the frequency and impact of a SNP (rs965513, G>A) at 9q22.23 in a Western European cohort of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer(DTC), compared to controls.

Design

This is a candidate gene case control study.

Methods

277 patients with histologically confirmed DTC were recruited from tertiary referral centres in Ireland and France. 309 cancer-free controls were recruited from the community. DNA was extracted from buccal swabs or whole blood of control subjects and patients with DTC. Allelic and genotypic frequencies among patients were compared with controls, to assess the risk for disease conferred by homozygous and heterozygous carriers compared to WT genotypes. Genotyping was performed using Taqman-based PCR.

Results

277 patients with confirmed DTC and 309 non-cancer controls were genotyped for the variant (rs965513). The frequency of the minor allele among cases was 0.45 compared to 0.34 among controls. The genotypic odds ratio for heterozygotes was 1.66 (CI 1.16–2.39, P =0.00555), increasing to 2.93 (CI 1.70–5.05, P =0.00007) for rare homozygotes. All subjects were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (±χ2, P =0.09, P =0.07 respectively).

Conclusions

This FOXE1 polymorphism is a low penetrance variant associated with DTC susceptibility in this cohort. The minor allele was identified among patients with thyroid cancer significantly more frequently than controls. An allele dosage effect was observed, with rare homozygous genotypes conferring greater risk than heterozygotes.
Effects of steam-exploded wood as an insoluble dietary fiber source on the performance characteristics of broilers
Authors: Jung Ji Young , Heo Jung Min , Yang Jae-Kyung
Published: May 2021

Effects of modified insoluble fiber originating from steam-exploded Quercus mongolica were studied relative to growth performance, blood parameters, intestinal morphology, and other intestinal characteristics in poultry broilers. First, the effect of steam-explosion on physicochemical properties of insoluble fiber from Q. mongolica was investigated. Steam-explosion (severity factor Log (Ro) = 3.94) was found to increase the physical properties (water-holding capacity, oil-holding capacity, and swelling capacity) of Q. mongolica chip to different extents. Effects of feeding different concentrations of steam-exploded Q. mongolica on performance characteristics of broilers were investigated. Experimental diets of broilers consisted of a control diet (free of steam-exploded Q. mongolica), and four diets containing 0.5% to 2.0% steam-exploded Q. mongolica (severity factor Log (Ro) = 3.94). A diet containing 1.0% steam-exploded Q. mongolica promoted broiler growth performance (body weight (858.9 g) and improved blood characteristics (130.0 mg/dL), intestinal morphology (V:C ratio 7.50), and organ weights (length of intestine 17.6 cm/100 g body weight).
Parameter optimization via the Taguchi method to improve the mechanical properties of bamboo particle reinforced polylactic acid composites
Authors: Fazita R. Nurul , Johary Nurnadia , Khalil H. P. S. Abdul , Norazli Najieha , Azniwati A. , Haafiz M. K. Mohamad
Published: May 2021

Reinforcement with natural fibres is a common method to improve impact properties of poly(lactic acid) (PLA). In this study, composites made from PLA and bamboo particles were melt-compounded in a twin-screw extruder and formed by compression moulding. Tensile, flexural, and impact tests were conducted. Particle size (A), particle loading (B), screw speed (C), and die temperature (D) were varied at three levels. Tensile strength and modulus, flexural strength and modulus, and impact strength were the response variables. The experiment design was based on Taguchi’s (L9) orthogonal array. Through variance analysis, the particle loading was found to be the dominant factor influencing the mechanical properties, followed by die temperature. The optimum parameters were validated with a confirmation test. The results showed a noticeable improvement of impact properties compared to neat PLA by 55%, without compromising tensile and flexural properties. Flexural strength, flexural modulus, and tensile modulus of the composites were greater than that of pure PLA. However, only tensile strength was reduced by about 28% compared to pure PLA. Importantly, the DOE method with maximizing the desirability properties was found to be an effective systematic approach to identify an optimal parameter setting of the extrusion moulding process.
Hydrophobic copolymers added with starch at the size press of a paper machine: A review of findings and likely mechanisms
Authors: Bildik Dal Ahsen E. , Hubbe Martin A.
Published: May 2021

This article reviews publications with the goal of understanding the role of hydrophobic copolymers added to size-press starch as a means to make paper products more resistant to penetration by aqueous fluids. The underlying technology is considered, including background related to starch, size-press equipment, and various hydrophobic copolymers and latex products that have been evaluated. The resulting hydrophobization of the paper has been reported to depend not only on the dosage of the hydrophobic additive, but also on its molecular mass and ionic form. The mechanism appears to rely on an ability of starch to serve as a temporary host for hydrophobic compounds in aqueous solution. It has been proposed that hydrophobic copolymers added with size press starch tend to migrate to the air interface during drying of the starch film, thus allowing the low-energy functional groups, such as styrene or alkyl chains, to face outwards. Further research is needed to address various mechanistic questions. There may be opportunities to further raise the performance of this type of technology as practiced within paper production factories.
Incidence of COVID-19 and Risk of Diabetic Ketoacidosis in New-Onset Type 1 Diabetes
Authors: Kamrath Clemens , Rosenbauer Joachim , Eckert Alexander J. , Pappa Angeliki , Reschke Felix , Rohrer Tilman R. , Mönkemöller Kirsten , Wurm Michael , Hake Kathrin , Raile Klemens , Holl Reinhard W.
Published: May 2021

OBJECTIVES

With this study, our aim was to quantify the relative risk (RR) of diabetic ketoacidosis at diagnosis of type 1 diabetes during the year 2020 and to assess whether it was associated with the regional incidence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases and deaths.

METHODS

Multicenter cohort study based on data from the German Diabetes Prospective Follow-up Registry. The monthly RR for ketoacidosis in 2020 was estimated from observed and expected rates in 3238 children with new-onset type 1 diabetes. Expected rates were derived from data from 2000 to 2019 by using a multivariable logistic trend regression model. The association between the regional incidence of COVID-19 and the rate of ketoacidosis was investigated by applying a log-binomial mixed-effects model to weekly data with Germany divided into 5 regions.

RESULTS

The observed versus expected frequency of diabetic ketoacidosis was significantly higher from April to September and in December (mean adjusted RRs, 1.48–1.96). During the first half of 2020, each increase in the regional weekly incidence of COVID-19 by 50 cases or 1 death per 100 000 population was associated with an increase in the RR of diabetic ketoacidosis of 1.40 (95% confidence interval, 1.10–1.77; P = .006) and 1.23 (1.14–1.32; P < .001), respectively. This association was no longer evident during the second half of 2020.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that the local severity of the pandemic rather than health policy measures appear to be the main reason for the increase in diabetic ketoacidosis and thus the delayed use of health care during the pandemic.
Inflammation and Cardiovascular Disease: The Future
Authors: Arnold Natalie , Lechner Katharina , Waldeyer Christoph , Shapiro Michael D , Koenig Wolfgang
Published: May 2021

Despite considerable advances in reducing the global burden of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease by targeting conventional risk factors, significant residual risk remains, with low-grade inflammation being one of the strongest risk modifiers. Inflammatory processes within the arterial wall or systemic circulation, which are driven in a large part by modified lipoproteins but subsequently trigger a hypercoagulable state, are a hallmark of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and, in particular, its clinical complications. Extending conventional guideline-based clinical risk stratification algorithms by adding biomarkers of inflammation may refine phenotypic screening, improve risk stratification and guide treatment eligibility in cardiovascular disease prevention. The integration of interventions aimed at lowering the inflammatory burden, alone or in combination with aggressive lipid-modifying or even antithrombotic agents, for those at high cardiovascular risk may hold the potential to reduce the still substantial burden of cardiometabolic disease. This review provides perspectives on future clinical research in atherosclerosis addressing the tight interplay between inflammation, lipid metabolism and thrombosis, and its translation into clinical practice.
Formação continuada de professores na Educação Básica no Brasil: para além dos limites da titulação
Authors: Monteiro Biatriz de Souza , Félix Camila Mesquita , Alves Paula Trajano de Araujo , Souza Andrea Moura da Costa
Published: May 2021

Este artigo objetiva identificar os desafios e promover reflexões a respeito da formação de professores em serviço, especificamente nos cursos de mestrado e doutorado, nas modalidades profissional e acadêmico. Assim, o estudo se desenvolve a partir de uma abordagem qualitativa, utilizando como instrumento para coleta de dados a pesquisa documental e questionário com perguntas objetivas e subjetivas destinadas a um grupo de professores da Educação Básica. Como aporte teórico, dialogamos com Gatti (2008), Lima (2001); (2005) e Alvarado-Prada et al. (2010). A investigação destaca a importância primária da formação continuada na vida acadêmica e profissional docente, possibilitando o exercício das esferas política e social a que se destina o papel do professor.
O Modelo da Sala de Aula Invertida: Uma estratégia ativa para o ensino presencial e remoto
Authors: Tomaschewski Bueno Maria Bethânia , Da Rosa Rodrigues Emerson , Giusti Moreira Maria Isabel
Published: May 2021

O modelo da Sala de Aula Invertida abarca como uma possibilidade no processo de ensino e de aprendizagem e com o surgimento da Pandemia da Covid-19 se intensificou as reflexões por outras propostas no contexto educacional.  Com isso, esta pesquisa tem como objetivo refletir perante a percepção de docentes frente ao modelo da Sala de Aula Invertida como uma estratégia ativa no processo de ensino e de aprendizagem. A pesquisa possui abordagem qualiquantitativa e foi delineada aos 132 docentes do Campus Pelotas - Visconde da Graça do Instituto Federal Sul-rio-grandense com aplicação de um questionário pelo recurso do Google Forms com perguntas abertas e fechadas no período de dezembro de 2020 a janeiro de 2021. Os resultados evidenciaram que esses docentes estão dispostos a implementar e a conhecer outras propostas no contexto educacional, possuem o entendimento frente ao Ensino Híbrido e especificamente ao modelo delineado. Apesar do retorno exíguo de participantes, considera-se esta pesquisa uma provocação a futuros estudos, pois se trata de uma temática contemporânea, relevante e de discussão crescente.
Pogenic granuloma in children (literature review and own research data)
Authors:   Vinnytsa National Pirogov Memorial Medical University, Ukraine, Konoplitskyi V.S. , Pasichnyk O.V. ,   Vinnytsa National Pirogov Memorial Medical University, Ukraine, Korobko Yu.Ye. ,   Vinnytsa National Pirogov Memorial Medical University, Ukraine, Salii D.Yu. ,   Vinnytsa National Pirogov Memorial Medical University, Ukraine, Tarakhta A.O. ,   Vinnytsa National Pirogov Memorial Medical University, Ukraine
Published: May 2021

Pyogenic granuloma is a benign vascular formation that occurs as a result of the process of impaired wound healing in combination with vascular proliferation, and which can be regarded as a reactive process. Histologically, pyogenic granuloma is characterized by the growth of granulation tissue with a large number of dilated, swollen capillary endothelium, swollen stroma, sometimes containing an inflammatory infiltrate consisting of lymphocytes, neutrophils, plasma cells and fibroblasts among the loose connective tissue. Exophytic lobular proliferation of capillaries is well expressed, the epidermis is sometimes eroded with peripheral epidermal layers and areas of acanthosis on the periphery. For the last 5 years, in the period from 2015 to 2020, 18 patients with a diagnosis of pyogenic granuloma were hospitalized at the pediatric surgery Clinic of the Vinnytsia National Pirogov Memorial Medical University (Ukraine). The average age of patients was 8.98±0.97 years old. According to the obtained data, the maximum number of patients was in the range of 5–13 years, which coincides with the results of other researchers. Regarding the localization of pyogenic granuloma among all patients of the general study group, it was distributed as follows: head-neck – 14 patients, upper torso – 3 cases and in 1 child a pyogenic tumor was located on the finger. All children underwent surgical removal of pyogenic granuloma within healthy tissues. Complications and recurrences of the disease were not observed in any clinical case. Pediatricians should pay attention to the presence of tumors, especially those that have occurred at the site of injury, even minor, in order to exclude more complex pathology, such as melanoma. The research was carried out in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki Declaration. The study protocol was approved by the Local Ethics Committee of these Institutes. The informed consent of the patient was obtained for conducting the studies. The authors declare no conflicts of interests. Key words: pyogenic granuloma, children, neoplasms.
Pomiędzy miłością agapiczną a erozyczną. Praktyki miłości i związków intymnych wśród indyjskiej miejskiej klasy średniej
Authors:   Dr, Instytut Etnologii i Antropologii Kulturowej na Uniwersytecie Jagiellońskim, Kraków, Polska, Romanowicz Anna
Published: May 2021

Arranged marriages are the most common (and perceived as traditional) form of formalized heterosexual relationships in India. However, interest in relationships based on romantic love – especially among urban middle class –is increasing. The goal of the article is to present various practices related to romantic love, which cannot be inscribed in a rigid division for arranged and love marriages; to present everyday strategies and tactics, as they are being practiced by my research participants in context of sociocultural changes. The article is based on information gathered in ethnographic fieldwork (with a technique of participant observation) in Delhi.
Effects of co-inoculation and sequential inoculation of Wickerhamomyces anomalus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae on the physicochemical properties and aromatic characteristics of longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) wine
Authors: Liu Xiaozhu , Li Yinfeng , Zhou Jichuang , Huang Mingzheng
Published: May 2021

Wickerhamomyces anomalus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae were mixed by co-inoculation or sequential inocula-tion, and the physicochemical properties, electronic sensory characteristics, and aromatic characteristics of longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) wine were evaluated to analyze the effects of mixed fermentation on wine quality. The results demonstrate that mixed fermentation obtained by co-inoculation or sequential inoculation decreases the alcohol content of longan wine. Furthermore, mixed fermentation also leads to the reduction of the electronic sensory acidity and richness of longan wine. Moreover, the two mixed inoculation methods resulted in different effects on the aromatic characteristics of longan wine. The varieties of aldehyde and ketone aromatic compounds increase in longan wine fermented by co-inoculation, with increasing amounts of acids, aldehydes, ketones, and other compounds, and a decrease in the amounts of ester compounds. However, the variety of ester aromatic compounds and the amounts of acids, aldehydes, and ketones increase when using sequential inoculation. Therefore, the application of mixed fermentation can regulate the physicochemical properties, as well as the electronic sensory characteristics and aromatic characteristics of longan wine, and this contributes to the enrichment of the different types of longan wine.
A metaforização da mulher no Apocalipse de João
Authors: Matos Denilson Silva
Published: May 2021

O mal é inquietante. Sua presença é tão incômoda que motivou os mais importantes autores clássicos escreverem sobre. Desde os Mitos antigos à literatura moderna o mal é tema, e, também dilema, aporia. Uma tentativa, entre muitas, de resolver o problema do mal encontra-se na visão de mundo apocalíptica judaico-cristã. Dentre os diversos textos que surgiram desta perspectiva, apocalíptica, o Apocalipse de João é o mais famoso e conhecido devido sua presença no cânon bíblico, texto que moldou o imaginário Ocidental. Nesse artigo buscaremos identificar como João estrutura seu texto apocalíptico e como lida com a questão do mal por meio da metaforização das mulheres.Palavras-chave: Apocalíptica; Apocalipse de João; Metáfora Conceitual; Mulheres.
Przyjemność i dobro w dialogu Protagoras Platona
Authors: Gródek Wojciech Kleofas
Published: May 2021

Artykuł jest próbą wyjaśnienia, dlaczego w dialogu Protagoras Platon ustami Sokratesa uznaje przyjemność (hedone) za dobro (agathon). Interpretatorzy nie są zgodni co do oceny samej tezy i jej uzasadnienia przez Sokratesa. Wydaje się być ona sprzeczna z poglądami Platona w innych dialogach. Część interpretatorów twierdzi, że jest to prawdziwe spojrzenie samego Sokratesa lub wczesnego Platona z okresu, kiedy pisał dialog. Inni twierdzą, że teza ta jest przesłanką służącą do udowodnienia twierdzenia, iż cnota jest wiedzą. Pojawił się również pogląd, że jedynie pobieżne czytanie tekstu może skłaniać czytelnika do uznania, iż Sokrates poważnie traktuje tezę o związku przyjemności z dobrem. Jeżeli jednak nie traktuje tej tezy poważnie, to dlaczego próbuje przekonać do niej swoich rozmówców? Mając na uwadze te wątpliwości, podjęto analizę tekstu dialogu w celu rozpoznania, czy pojawia się w nim wzmianka o cechach właściwych dobru, które decydują o przyjemności. Ważnym punktem w uzasadnianiu związku przyjemności z dobrem jest wskazanie przez Sokratesa, czym należy się kierować w postępowaniu, aby odczuwać przyjemność w całym życiu i uniknąć złudzeń, dzięki którym pojawia się mniemanie, że przyjemność jest zła. W wyniku przeprowadzonych analiz można postawić wniosek, że decydującą rolę w uzyskaniu stanu gwarantującego przyjemność w ­całym życiu odgrywa panowanie nad sobą samym.
Zmierzch mistrzów i brzask bożyszcz. Ojca Bocheńskiego teoria autorytetu
Authors: Okołowski Paweł
Published: May 2021

Zjawisko autorytetu należy do zjawisk najważniejszych w życiu społecznym, a jego pojęcie do najtrudniejszych w teoretycznym ujęciu. Na tle obszernej literatury przedmiotu wyróżnia się niezrównana rozprawa ojca Jana Marii Bocheńskiego Co to jest autorytet? z roku 1974. Autor daje w niej 88 tez z metafizyki człowieka, charakteryzujących autorytet.Teza główna głosi, że „każdy autorytet jest autorytetem epistemicznym albo deontycznym”. Teza ta jest wątpliwa, lecz wywody Bocheńskiego niezwykle jasne – stwarzające w ogóle możliwość budowania teorii autorytetu. Autor niniejszego artykułu twierdzi, że zasadniczy podział autorytetów dzieli je na osobowe i instytucjonalne, te pierwsze zaś rozpadają się na bratnie i sekciarskie. Bratni autorytet osobowy to „miłość wzajemna do osoby, między nierównymi” – kategoria podstawowa, wyróżniona przez Arystotelesa. Jest on zawsze epistemiczno-deontyczny. Jako wzorzec zachowań silnie jest obecny także w Chinach czy Indiach. Bocheński go nie docenił.We współczesnym świecie Zachodu ma miejsce „upadek autorytetów” czy, inaczej mówiąc, „dominują autorytety fałszywe”. Oznacza to, że brakuje autorytetów bratnich, czyli mistrzów, a plenią się autorytety sekciarskie oraz związki typu idol-fan (kwitną „bożyszcza”). Upadek autorytetu jest skutkiem rozwoju technologii, która zasadniczo odmieniła warunki ludzkiego życia, utrudniając rozpoznawanie bratnich dusz.