bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How user knowledge of psychotropic drug withdrawal resulted in the development of person-specific tapering medication
Authors: Groot Peter C. , van Os Jim
Published: July 2020

Coming off psychotropic drugs can cause physical as well as mental withdrawal, resulting in failed withdrawal attempts and unnecessary long-term drug use. The first reports about withdrawal appeared in the 1950s, but although patients have been complaining about psychotropic withdrawal problems for decades, the first tentative acknowledgement by psychiatry only came in 1997 with the introduction of the ‘antidepressant-discontinuation syndrome’. It was not until 2019 that the UK Royal College of Psychiatrists, for the first time, acknowledged that withdrawal can be severe and persistent. Given the lack of a systematic professional response, over the years, patients who were experiencing withdrawal started to work out practical ways to safely come off medications themselves. This resulted in an experience-based knowledge base about withdrawal which ultimately, in The Netherlands, gave rise to the development of person-specific tapering medication (so-called tapering strips). Tapering medication enables doctors, for the first time, to flexibly prescribe and adapt the medication required for responsible and person-specific tapering, based on shared decision making and in full agreement with recommendations in existing guidelines. Looking back, it is obvious that the simple practical solution of tapering strips could have been introduced much earlier, and that the traditional academic strategy of comparisons from randomised trials is not the logical first step to help individual patients. While randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are the gold standard for evaluating interventions, they are unable to accommodate the heterogeneity of individual responses. Thus, a more individualised approach, building on RCT knowledge, is required. We propose a roadmap for a more productive way forward, in which patients and academic psychiatry work together to improve the recognition and person-specific management of psychotropic drug withdrawal.
Stroke-Onset Seizures During Midbrain Infarction in a Patient With Top of the Basilar Syndrome
Authors: Mader Edward C. , Losada Vaniolky , Baity Jessica C. , McKinnies Ebony M. , Branch Lionel A.
Published: July 2020

Risk factors for early-onset seizures in acute ischemic stroke include anterior circulation stroke, infarction of the cerebral cortex, large infarct size, and ischemic-to-hemorrhagic transformation. We define stroke-onset seizures as seizures occurring within 2 hours of stroke onset. A 64-year-old woman presented with top of the basilar artery syndrome—thalamic infarction occurred first and midbrain infarction 12 days later. She manifested stroke-onset seizures during midbrain infarction, which was heralded by stupor. Within 2 hours of the onset of stupor, she had a clonic seizure of the lower extremities, electroencephalography (EEG) revealed nonconvulsive status epilepticus, and an episode of convulsive movements of all extremities was recorded on video and on EEG. Continuous EEG recording showed epileptiform discharges that would appear, disappear, and reappear over a 3-week period. It took 3 weeks and 4 antiepileptic drugs to fully suppress cortical hyperexcitability, perhaps because injury to some midbrain structures resulted in global lowering of the seizure threshold. The most important risk factor for stroke-onset seizures appears to be posterior circulation stroke, particularly brainstem infarction. The difference in risk profile between stroke-onset seizures and other forms of early-onset seizures suggest that their pathophysiology is not exactly the same. Focusing some of the research spotlight on stroke-onset seizures can help us better understand their unique clinical, electrographic, radiologic, and pathophysiologic features.
Breaking Bad News Training in the COVID-19 Era and Beyond
Authors: Soosaipillai Gehan , Archer Stephanie , Ashrafian Hutan , Darzi Ara
Published: July 2020

COVID-19 has disrupted the status quo for healthcare education. As a result, redeployed doctors and nurses are caring for patients at the end of their lives and breaking bad news with little experience or training. This article aims to understand why redeployed doctors and nurses feel unprepared to break bad news through a content analysis of their training curricula. As digital learning has come to the forefront in health care education during this time, relevant digital resources for breaking bad news training are suggested.
Early stage COVID-19 disease dynamics in Germany: models and parameter identification
Authors: Götz Thomas , Heidrich Peter
Published: July 2020

Since the end of 2019 an outbreak of a new strain of coronavirus, called SARS-CoV-2, is reported from China and later other parts of the world. Since January 21, World Health Organization (WHO) reports daily data on confirmed cases and deaths from both China and other countries (www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports). The Johns Hopkins University (github.com/CSSEGISandData/COVID-19/blob/master/csse_COVID_19_data/csse_COVID_19_time_series/time_series_COVID19_confirmed_global.csv) collects those data from various sources worldwide on a daily basis. For Germany, the Robert-Koch-Institute (RKI) also issues daily reports on the current number of infections and infection related fatal cases (www.rki.de/DE/Content/InfAZ/N/Neuartiges_Coronavirus/Situationsberichte/Gesamt.html). However, due to delays in the data collection, the data from RKI always lags behind those reported by Johns Hopkins. In this work we present an extended SEIRD-model to describe the disease dynamics in Germany. The parameter values are identified by matching the model output to the officially reported cases. An additional parameter to capture the influence of unidentified cases is also included in the model.
Keratolenticular adhesion removal for type 2 Peters anomaly: a case report
Authors: Li Zhangliang , Zou Rui , Zhao Yune
Published: July 2020

Background

Type 2 Peters anomaly is a rare anterior segment disorder characterized by central corneal leukoma with keratolenticular adhesion and cataract. Performing cataract surgery without corneal tissue transplantation in patients of type 2 Peters anomaly is extremely rare and challenging. We present a case of type 2 Peters anomaly treated by peeling off the adhesion without penetrating keratoplasty (PKP), in which restoration of corneal transparency is observed.

Case presentation

An 11-month-old female infant of type 2 Peters anomaly presented with bilateral corneal opacity with distinct demarcation, keratolenticular adhesion and cataract, which was first noted at the age of 3 months. By peeling off the adhesion from corneal endothelium combined with lensectomy and vitrectomy, there was a gradual reduction in corneal opacity and improvement in visual acuity after surgery over a 2-year period. Her visual acuity had improved from light perception preoperatively to 20/50 at the latest follow-up. No sight-threatening postoperative complications were noted.

Conclusion

It is safe and effective to peel off the keratolenticular adhesion in patients of type 2 Peters anomaly presented with distinctly demarcated corneal opacity.
Guidelines for planning and conducting high-quality research and testing on animals
Authors: Smith Adrian J.
Published: July 2020

There are important scientific, legal and ethical reasons for optimising the quality of animal research and testing. Concerns about the reproducibility and translatability of animal studies are now being voiced not only by those opposed to animal use, but also by scientists themselves.

Many of the attempts to improve reproducibility have, until recently, focused on ways in which the reporting of animal studies can be improved. Many reporting guidelines have been written. Better reporting cannot, however, improve the quality of work that has already been carried out - for this purpose better planning is required.

Planning animal studies should involve close collaboration with the animal facility where the work is to be performed, from as early a stage as possible. In this way, weaknesses in the protocol will be detected and changes can be made before it is too late. Improved planning must focus on more than the “mathematical” elements of experimental design such as randomisation, blinding and statistical methods. This should include focus on practical details such as the standard of the facility, any need for education and training, and all the factors which can improve animal welfare.

The PREPARE (Planning Research and Experimental Procedures on Animals: Recommendations for Excellence) checklist was developed to help scientists be more aware of all the issues which may affect their experiments. The checklist is supported by comprehensive webpages containing more information, with links to the latest resources that have been developed for each topic on the list.
Antithymocyte Globulin for Matched Sibling Donor Transplantation in Patients With Hematologic Malignancies: A Multicenter, Open-Label, Randomized Controlled Study
Authors: Chang Ying-Jun , Wu De-Pei , Lai Yong-Rong , Liu Qi-Fa , Sun Yu-Qian , Hu Jiong , Hu Yu , Zhou Jian-Feng , Li Juan , Wang Shun-Qing , Li Wei , Du Xin , Lin Dong-Jun , Ren Han-Yun , Chen Fang-Pin , Li Yu-Hua , Zhang Xi , Huang He , Song Yong-Ping , Jiang Ming , Hu Jian-Da , Liang Ying-Min , Wang Jing-Bo , Xiao Yang , Huang Xiao-Jun
Published: July 2020

PURPOSE

The role of antithymocyte globulin (ATG) in preventing acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) after HLA-matched sibling donor transplantation (MSDT) is still controversial.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We performed a prospective, multicenter, open-label, randomized controlled trial (RCT) across 23 transplantation centers in China. Patients ages 40-60 years with standard-risk hematologic malignancies with an HLA-matched sibling donor were randomly assigned to an ATG group (4.5 mg/kg thymoglobulin plus cyclosporine [CsA], methotrexate [MTX], and mycophenolate mofetil [MMF]) and a control group (CsA, MTX, and MMF). The primary end point of this study was grade 2-4 aGVHD on day 100.

RESULTS

From November 2013 to April 2018, 263 patients were enrolled. The cumulative incidence rate of grade 2-4 aGVHD was significantly reduced in the ATG group (13.7%; 95% CI, 7.8% to 19.6%) compared with the control group (27.0%; 95% CI, 19.3% to 34.7%; P = .007). The ATG group had significantly lower incidences of 2-year overall chronic GVHD (27.9% [95% CI, 20.1% to 35.7%] v 52.5% [95% CI, 43.8% to 61.2%]; P < .001) and 2-year extensive chronic GVHD (8.5% [95% CI, 3.7% to 13.3%] v 23.2% [95% CI, 15.9% to 30.5%]; P = .029) than the control group. There were no differences between the ATG and control groups with regard to cytomegalovirus reactivation, Epstein-Barr virus reactivation, 3-year nonrelapse mortality (NRM), 3-year cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR), 3-year overall survival, or 3-year leukemia-free survival. Three-year GVHD relapse-free survival was significantly improved in the ATG group (38.7%; 95% CI, 29.9% to 47.5%) compared with the control group (24.5%; 95% CI, 16.9% to 32.1%; P = .003).

CONCLUSION

Our study is the first prospective RCT in our knowledge to demonstrate that ATG can effectively decrease the incidence of aGVHD after MSDT in the CsA era without affecting the CIR or NRM.
Impressions and Glimpses of the Socio-Economic History of Migrant Settlement in Glasgow
Authors: Luthra Mohan
Published: July 2020

Accounts of the history of migrant and refugee settlement in Glasgow from mid nineteenth century onwards have been lacking in two aspects. Firstly, their arrival and settlement as well as their economic participation profile has not been placed in the context of the socio-economic evolution of the city. Secondly, a broader overview of the history of the arrival of a range of diverse migrant and settlement groups, their integration against a changing economic backdrop as well as ecological factors they encountered, and the implications of these for community relations, has not been constructed.
In addition, there appears to have been little attempt to focus on this period with a view to identify if there are any patterns of community economic identities which evolved based on enterprise development as well as the challenges the entrepreneurial or commercial sections of the community may have faced. In this first of the two-part series of working papers we explore mainly the experience and challenges of the invisible minority’s settlement patterns in these respects and attempt to develop an impressionistic socio-economic picture. We attempt to do the same for the post World War II Asian (mostly Panjabi’s of Indian and Pakistan origin) communities’ arrival and settlement in a subsequent working paper to be published soon.
Pitfalls of Nationalism in the Middle East and North Africa Region
Authors: Bendebka Ramzi
Published: July 2020

Nationalism in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is a fundamental issue. As long as this fundamental issue is not well discussed, any reforms in the regional system, including integration and state building, would be insufficient in alleviating the challenges faced by Arab nations as they attempt unity in the region. Any understanding of how and why MENA states make political choices towards stability and unity, necessitates the understanding of how they view themselves in terms of representing identity. The objective of this study is to investigate the transformation and the changing nationalism in the modern MENA region. For instance, Arab society has courted several ideologies from Arabism or Arab nationalism and Arab Islamic nationalism, among others. Ideologies do not exist in a vacuum. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the context in which several ideologies interact with each other and affect nationalism in the MENA region. Although Arab nationalism continues to play an ideological role, what is its relation with Islam? Why Arab Islamic nationalism in the MENA region does not unite states or non-state groups like the cases of Iran and the Kurds? It is therefore useful for this article to illustrate firstly, the relation between Arab nationalism and Arab Islamic nationalism, secondly, the case of Iran nationalism and finally, the Kurds and their strive for a separate nationalism.
Editorial
Authors: Camello Thereza Cristina Ferreira
Published: July 2020

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Considering your wellbeing needs in practice
Authors: Charles David
Published: July 2020

As part of the ‘Wellbeing & Diversity’ sessions at The British Cattle Veterinary Association's Congress 2019, David Charles discussed some important things to consider to protect your wellbeing in practice. He also touched on the importance of working to protect the wellbeing of new graduates and new team members in your practice. This article summarises some of the BCVA talk and lessons learned throughout the author's first year in practice.
Depositional environment of the Fort Member of the Jurasic Jaisalmer Formation, (western Rajasthan,.
Authors: AHMAD F. , QUASIM M.A , GHAZNAVI A.A , KHAN Z. , AHMAD A.H.M
Published: July 2020

Lithofacies and
granulometric analysis were carried out to decipher the depositional environment of the Fort Member of the Jurassic Jaisalmer Formation. Based on field data nine lithofacies have been identified including
trough cross-bedded sandstones, planar cross-bedded sandstones, matrix supported conglomerates, thinly bedded siltstone and sandstones, herringbone cross-bedded sandstones, wave rippled sandstones, laminated sandstones,
hummocky cross-bedded sandstones, limestones and shales. Granulometric analysis of the sandstones samples has been carried out for their statistical and textural parameters. Bivariant plots of textural parameters such as graphic skewness versus graphic standard deviation and skewness versus standard deviation confirm the high
energy (beach) origin of sandstones. These results suggest a wide spectrum of marine environments ranging from inner shelf to upper shoreface for the Fort Member sandstones.
Regionalisation of the callosal contribution to the barrel field activity in the mouse
Authors: Montanari Roberto , Cabrera Jorge , Alegre-Cortés Javier , Reig Ramón Reig
Published: July 2020

Synchrony of neural activity among cortical areas arises from functional coupling between those areas. Such a strong synchrony characterises the two mouse barrel fields (BFs) when the animal is deeply anaesthetised or asleep. In these conditions, neurons in the two hemispheres depolarise (up-state) and hyperpolarise to their resting potential (down-state) in a remarkably coordinated fashion. Callosal glutamatergic axons provide a means to functionally couple supra- and infragranular neurons of the two BFs. However, little is known about their relationship with the BF grid-like architecture: Are they able to influence the activity of barrel and/or septal neurons? Are there specific barrels more sensitive to the contralateral activity? To respond to these questions, we localised and counted the BF cells positive to c-Fos (c-Fos
+) resulting from a contralateral whiskers deprivation when mice were free to explore a novel environment. In layer 4, we found a greater number of c-Fos
+ cells in septa compared to barrels, which mainly localised in the posterior and lateral aspects of the sensory-deprived BF. To learn more about such interhemispheric recruitment, we studied the propagation of slow-oscillatory activity in anaesthetised mice. We performed whole-cell patch-clamp in the ipsilateral BF while recording LFPs in the contralateral BF. In the BF lateral region, neurons showed faster oscillatory cycles, shorter up-state duration and faster down-to-up transitions compared to neurons recorded in BF regions with a sparser c-Fos signal, suggesting the reception of extra inputs in the former. We thus propose that the lateral BF is a critical sub-region for BFs activity-coupling.
Factors that influence the retention of social volunteers in health: a comparison between the literature and the perception of volunteers
Authors: Braz Raquel pavan , Lima Gilson Brito Alves
Published: July 2020

Goal: The main objective is to identify the factors that influence the retention of social volunteers in the health area, supported by a comparison between a systematic literature review and the perception of a focus group of volunteers.

Design / Methodology / Approach: Word maps have been developed to compare data obtained from the literature review and the perceptions acquired in a focus group.

Results: the main findings of the research indicate that the factors that influence the retention of social volunteers in the health area need a more comprehensive and systematic investigation, avoiding that any subject or dimension of analysis is not addressed when trying to evaluate the reasons that influence the permanence in volunteer programs. It was also possible to detect some subjective contexts that may influence the volunteers' behavior and decisions. 

Limitations of the investigation: The main limitation of the study is the difficulty in generalizing the findings, considering the use of the focus group, which, because it represents a small number of individuals, may not reproduce common sense.

Practical implications: This study seeks to collaborate with future research using a methodology that allows us to evaluate whether what has been questioned in research instruments is close to the reality presented by the context.

 Originality/Value: The novelty concerns in the use of world maps to compare the perceptions of the literature findings with the results of a focus group analysis. This paper seeks to contribute to a new look on the qualitative treatment approach of data obtained in research in this area.
Naturalizacja władzy a kolonializm. Uwagi na marginesie Robinsona Cruzoe Daniela Defoe i Piętaszka, czyli Otchłani Pacyfiku Michela Tourniera, z Szekspirowską Burzą w tle
Authors: Lemann Natalia
Published: July 2020

Artykuł poświęcony jest analizie zmieniających się w kulturze europejskiej mechanizmów legitymizacji władzy. Robinson Cruzoe Daniela Defoe lokowany jest tradycyjnie w obrębie wczesnokapitalistycznego wzrostu indywidualizmu, przejawiającego się na polu ekonomicznego działania jednostki. Argumentuję, że aby Robinson mógł stać się na swej wyspie homo oeconomicus, który wyłącznie swą pracą przekształca dziką naturę w cywilizację, a następnie zostać władcą/królem/gubernatorem wyspy, musiały zajść zmiany w obrębie źródeł legitymizacji władzy. Robinson Cruzoe, everyman, może stać się władcą swej wyspy dzięki odejściu od boskiej legitymizacji władzy, która dominowała w kulturze europejskiej, począwszy od antyku, aż do czasów Oświecenia. Przywołuję więc postać Szekspirowskiego Prospera, maga i króla Neapolu, który włada swą wyspą przy pomocy magii jako ostatni literacki potomek „królów cudotwórców” (M. Bloch, E. Kantorowicz). Władza Robinsona opiera się za zasadach umowy społecznej i nie pochodzi z boskiego nadania. Analizuję opisywany przez Defoe mechanizm zdobywania i utrzymywania władzy przez Cruzoe, odwołując się do procesualności powstawania imperiów kolonialnych. Piętaszek, czyli otchłanie Pacyfiku Michela Tourniera z 1967 roku to powieść powstała w optyce Saidowskiej „lektury kontrapunktowej”, dlatego też Tournier dekonstruuje mechanizm naturalizacji, demokratyzacji władzy Robinsona, odwołując się do wcześniejszych mechanizmów metafizycznej legitymizacji. Dostrzegam więc procesualność mechanizmu zdobywania i utrzymywania władzy, co wydaje mi się istotne z punktu widzeniazrozumienia istoty i dynamiki imperializmu kolonialnego.
Robinsonada na scenie albo dzieje nieudanej adaptacji
Authors: Maleszyńska Joanna
Published: July 2020

Artykuł Robinson na scenie czyli dzieje nieudanej adaptacji dotyczy opery komicznej Robinson Crusoe Jacquesa Offenbacha, której libretto powstało w oparciu o fabułę wielkiej powieści Daniela Defoe. Adaptacja, dokonana przez francuskich librecistów w drugiej połowie XIX wieku, daleko odbiegła od epickiego pierwowzoru i z powieści będącej epickim hymnem na cześć ludzkiej zaradności i siły przetrwania uczyniła błahą komedię z banalną akcją i bez głębszego przesłania. Porównanie dwóch różnych gatunkowo tekstów o tym samym bohaterze przynosi wniosek o organicznej nieprzekładalności monumentalnej powieści, szczególnie na komedię, przeznaczoną na scenę muzyczną.
The design and manufacture of atmospheric plasma jet surgical handpiece
Authors: Bagheri Hamed , Reiazi Reza , Kasaie Mohammad , Mootabian Hosein
Published: July 2020

Background

Atmospheric plasma jet has different medical applications due to its low temperature at room temperature. In recent years, the effect of nonthermal plasmas on cancer cells has been studied, and it has been shown that this type of plasma has anti-proliferative effects on cancer cells.

Objectives

To design a plasma jet handpiece, which can be used in cutting operations in less bleeding surgery, eliminating cancer cells without damage to healthy cells and reducing the duration of wound healing.

Methods

The plasma handpiece simply consists of a nozzle body and two cathode and anode electrodes and a fully insulated body against heat and high voltage. Argon is introduced into the handpiece, and by plasma treatment, it is used for special purposes. Each piece was made according to its own manufacturing process and by assembling; the final product of the atmospheric plasma jet handpiece was ready for testing. The jet pipeline was then tested, and the effective parameters were examined.

Results

The cold atmospheric plasma jet length depends on factors such as power supply, applied voltage, gas flow rate and the distance between the electrodes. The results showed with increasing velocity, the flame and jet lengths decreased greatly due to high losses of plasma, including ions and electrons. Also with increasing the velocity of argon gas, its concentration decreased.

Conclusions

It is concluded that the performance of the proposed design is successful. The advantages include low-cost manufacturing, highly stable performance, and low erosion and can be considered for future development.
Impact of Moisture and Speed of Threshers on Efficiency of Crushing of Lupine Seeds
Authors: Gawłowski Sławomir , Kulig Ryszard , Łysiak Grzegorz , Kadhim Al Aridhee Jawad , Adam Zdybel , Hyła Paweł
Published: July 2020

The objective of the paper was to determine the impact of moisture and rotational speed of threshers on the process of crushing of lupine seeds. Raw material was led to four levels of moisture from 8 to 14% every 2%. The studies were carried out on the laboratory hammer mill with the use of variable speeds of mill hammers within 5500-7000 rot∙min−1. The studies that were carried out proved significant relations (p<0.05) between the analysed process variables and energy consumption and susceptibility of seeds to crushing. It was stated that along with the increase of the rotational speed, a reduction in the drop of the average dimension of particles of mill takes place. Along with the increase of moisture of lupine from 8 to 14% a unit energy of crushing increases on average by approx. 83%. It was proved that the susceptibility ratio of seeds to crushing increases along with the increase of raw material moisture. Such relations were determined for all investigated rotational speeds of hammers.
Benachteiligt der Open Access-Publikationsfonds der DFG die Geisteswissenschaften?
Authors: Regener Ralf , Wolff Ian
Published: July 2020

Der Beitrag versucht eine Reflexion über Kritikpunkte, die seitens der Geisteswissenschaften in Bezug auf Open Access-Fördermöglichkeiten geäußert wurden. Tendenzen werden einerseits über lokale Daten der UB Magdeburg, andererseits über allgemeine Bedingungen beschrieben, um schlussendlich mögliche Lösungsansätze zu verhandeln.
Complementarities between Labour Market Institutions and their Causal Impact on Youth Labour Market Outcomes
Authors: O’Higgins Niall , Pica Giovanni
Published: July 2020

We analyse theoretically and empirically the effects on young people’s labour market outcomes of two specific labour market institutions and their interaction: employment protection legislation and active labour market policy. The paper examines recent policy reforms in Italy focussing on the impact of the 2012 Fornero reforms of employment protection legislation as well as the initial impact of the EU-wide Youth Guarantee scheme introduced in Italy in March 2014. The paper then examines how these two policy reforms interacted. The analysis first confirms the finding that the Fornero reform increased permanent hires particularly amongst the very youngest workers; it then goes on to find that the YG was indeed successful in increasing the hires of young people, although this operated through a statistically significant increase in female hires on temporary contracts. Third, it finds some evidence of a dampening effect of the YG on EPL reforms as predicted by theory.
Do genetic polymorphisms in angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) gene play a role in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)?
Authors: Lippi Giuseppe , Lavie Carl J. , Henry Brandon M. , Sanchis-Gomar Fabian
Published: July 2020

Although some demographic, clinical and environmental factors have been associated with a higher risk of developing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and progressing towards severe disease, altogether these variables do not completely account for the different clinical presentations observed in patients with comparable baseline risk, whereby some subjects may remain totally asymptomatic, whilst others develop a very aggressive illness. Some predisposing genetic backgrounds can hence potentially explain the broad inter-individual variation of disease susceptibility and/or severity. It has been now clearly established that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus causing COVID-19, infects the host cell through biding and being internalized with angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), a surface protein expressed in a noticeable number of human cells, especially in those of upper and lower respiratory tracts, heart, kidney, testis, adipose tissue, gastrointestinal system and in lymphocytes. Accumulating evidence now suggests that genetic polymorphisms in the ACE2 gene may modulate intermolecular interactions with the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 and/or contribute to pulmonary and systemic injury by fostering vasoconstriction, inflammation, oxidation and fibrosis. We hence argue that the development of genetic tests aimed at specifically identifying specific COVID-19-susceptible or -protective ACE2 variants in the general population may be a reasonable strategy for stratifying the risk of infection and/or unfavorable disease progression.
Creativity, reuse, and regularity in music and language
Authors: Trousdale Graeme
Published: July 2020

A recent strand in research in historical linguistics has argued that language change often involves constructional routinization (e.g., Traugott and Trousdale 2013), while recent psycholinguistic work has also suggested parallels between alignment, routinization, and change (Garrod and Pickering 2013) — such routines have been shown to emerge in conversational flow as a product of interaction between speakers and hearers. Similar claims have been made for the development of musical routines in improvisation: much improvisational work involves the use of prefabricated routines (Torrance and Schumann 2018). This article seeks to contribute to the debate on creativity by providing an analysis of some of the similarities and differences between musical and linguistic conventions, including a comparison of creative improvisation in music and innovation in language. The discussion is couched in a cognitive linguistic framework with a particular focus on linguistic constructions (see the overview in Hoffmann and Trousdale 2013) and a reflection of how this might be extended to consider aspects of the cognitive representation of musical structures.
Criminal Community Detection Based on Isomorphic Subgraph Analytics
Authors: Sangkaran Theyvaa , Abdullah Azween , Jhanjhi NZ
Published: July 2020

All highly centralised enterprises run by criminals do share similar traits, which, if recognised, can help in the criminal investigative process. While conducting a complex confederacy investigation, law enforcement agents should not only identify the key participants but also be able to grasp the nature of the inter-connections between the criminals to understand and determine the modus operandi of an illicit operation. We studied community detection in criminal networks using the graph theory and formally introduced an algorithm that opens a new perspective of community detection compared to the traditional methods used to model the relations between objects. Community structure, generally described as densely connected nodes and similar patterns of links is an important property of complex networks. Our method differs from the traditional method by allowing law enforcement agencies to be able to compare the detected communities and thereby be able to assume a different viewpoint of the criminal network, as presented in the paper we have compared our algorithm to the well-known Girvan-Newman. We consider this method as an alternative or an addition to the traditional community detection methods mentioned earlier, as the proposed algorithm allows, and will assists in, the detection of different patterns and structures of the same community for enforcement agencies and researches. This methodology on community detection has not been extensively researched. Hence, we have identified it as a research gap in this domain and decided to develop a new method of criminal community detection.
A strong convergence theorem for a zero of the sum of a finite family of maximally monotone mappings
Authors: Wega Getahun B. , Zegeye Habtu , Boikanyo Oganeditse A.
Published: July 2020

The purpose of this article is to study the method of approximation for zeros of the sum of a finite family of maximally monotone mappings and prove strong convergence of the proposed approximation method under suitable conditions. The method of proof is of independent interest. In addition, we give some applications to the minimization problems and provide a numerical example which supports our main result. Our theorems improve and unify most of the results that have been proved for this important class of nonlinear mappings.
The optimal diagnostic methods for COVID-19
Authors: Harahwa Tinotenda A. , Lai Yau Thomas Ho , Lim-Cooke Mae-Sing , Al-Haddi Salah , Zeinah Mohamed , Harky Amer
Published: July 2020

As the world continues to study and understand coronavirus disease (COVID-19), existing investigations and tests have been used to try and detect the virus to slow viral transmission and its global spread. A ‘gold-standard’ investigation has not yet been identified for detection and monitoring. Initially, computed tomography (CT) was the mainstay investigation as it shows the disease severity and recovery, and its images change at different stages of the disease. However, CT has been found to have limited sensitivity and negative predictive value in the early stages of the disease, and the value of its use has come under debate due to whether its images change the treatment plan, the risk of radiation, as well as its practicality with infection control. Therefore, there has been a shift to the use of other imaging modalities and tests, such as chest X-rays and ultrasound. Furthermore, the use of nucleic acid-based testing such as reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) have proven useful with direct confirmation of COVID-19 infection. In this study, we aim to review and analyse current literature to compare RT-PCR, immunological biomarkers, chest radiographs, ultrasound and chest CT scanning as methods of diagnosing COVID-19.
Assessment of technical risk in maintenance and improvement of a manufacturing process
Authors: Kozień Ewa
Published: July 2020

Contemporary production companies operate in a dynamically changing environment and try to strengthen their competitive position. Therefore they take action acting at implementing new ones as well as improving and maintaining existing production processes, using for this purpose knowledge and available tools and methods. For dominant activities undertaken in the scope of improving and maintaining production the pro-quality activities can be included. Quality mainly depends on the efficiency of production processes, therefore manufacturing companies should focus their activities on maintaining and improving them. The methods of technical risk analysis and assessment are effective methods of maintaining production processes, whose application makes it possible to indicate any deviations from accepted standards. Analysis and assessment of the technical risk of the production process makes it possible not only to indicate non-conformities identified in the process, but mainly taking corrective actions. The aim of the article is to formulate of the method used to identify and assessment of the technical risk of the cutting process on the organizational side. The method has qualitative-quantitative type, and is the effective tools for technical risk assessment necessary to maintain the production process. It is assumed that the quality of the cutting process is ensured by the technical condition of the machine.
Crystal transition and thermal behavior of Nylon 12
Authors: Ma Ning , Liu Wentao , Ma Lili , He Suqin , Liu Hao , Zhang Zhenya , Sun Aihua , Huang Miaoming , Zhu Chengshen
Published: July 2020

The polyamide 12 (PA12) with different crystal forms is prepared with three crystallization paths. The crystal structures and corresponding thermal properties are systematically investigated. The results reveal that an α-form and a mixed (α + γ)-form of PA12 can be obtained by casting at 30°C and (40–80°C), respectively. Meanwhile, the γ-form of PA12 can be obtained by both casting at 90°C and slow melt cooling. However, the γ′-form is obtained only by melt quenching. Both the γ and γ′ forms of PA12 exhibit a single melting peak, whereas the α-form exhibits two melting peaks. The higher peak is attributed to the melting of γ-PA12, which originates from the melting–recrystallization of the α-PA12. It is found that the tensile properties of PA12 depend on the crystal forms. Both the γ and γ′-PA12 are strong and tough polymer materials, while α-PA12 is a strong but brittle polymer material.
Can Meta-Stereotyping Account for Unwarranted Negative Reception of the UK TV Documentary “The Romanians are Coming”?
Authors: Nadolu Delia
Published: July 2020

In February 2015 the UK TV station Channel 4 started screening James Bluemel’s series “The Romanians Are Coming”, a three-part documentary film about “the lives of poor Romanian people who seek work in Great Britain, seen through the eyes of the British people”. This documentary provoked strong opposition from some Romanian politicians and mass media outlets. In the UK the reaction was a contrasting one: sympathy, understanding and compassion. We showed the series to three Romanian university classes in 2017-18 and the students largely had a negative reaction similar to that of those Romanian commentators. A standard content analysis of the film, however, suggests that it gives a positive image of Romanian immigrants in the UK. Despite this, our audiences tended to form a negative perception of the film. We attribute this disparity to the wording of its title activating two classical stereotypes: that Romanians are often Roma, and that poor people are a source of social problems. The film as a whole in fact projects an opposite message, but once these stereotypes have been activated the content is automatically perceived as negative.
Zur Motivik des Märchenhaften im Werk von Tankred Dorst
Authors: Kamińska-Ossowska Ewelina
Published: July 2020

Der Beitrag untersucht Tankred Dorsts Umgang mit Märchenhaftem. Im Zentrum der Aufmerksamkeit stehen folgende Aspekte: Dorsts Erwägungen über Marionetten und Marionettentheater; Stoffe, Motive und Figuren, die Dorst bekannten Märchen direkt entlehnt hat; die Verbindung der Artus-Welt-Mythen und -Figuren mit märchenhaften Elementen; Kindertheaterstücke. Dorsts Texte sind Variationen auf alte Geschichten. In Sinn- und Rätselbildern spiegeln sich die Grundmuster menschlichen Verhaltens und existentielle Wahrheiten wider. Ziel des Beitrags ist, die Rolle und Umsetzung des Märchenhaften sowie dessen Bezug zur gegenwärtigen Wirklichkeit in Dorsts Werken herauszuarbeiten.
Engagement im Feld der Wohlfahrt zwischen Resonanz und Widerspruch
Authors: Kewes Andreas , Munsch Chantal
Published: July 2020

Auf der Grundlage von narrativen Interviews mit Personen, die ein Engagement in einem Wohlfahrtsverband abgebrochen haben, wird ein Spannungsfeld aus bindenden und abstoßenden Erfahrungen im bürgerschaftlichen Engagement diskutiert. Das Feld der Wohlfahrtspflege ermöglicht einerseits innigliche zwischenmenschliche Erfahrungen und ist andererseits durch Ökonomisierung geprägt. Anhand dieser Ergebnisse wird eine Heuristik zum Verständnis von Engagementprozessen vorgestellt, die auf feldspezifische Erfahrungen sowie auf Spannungsverhältnisse fokussiert.
Die Klimakrise ist ein medizinischer Notfall!
Authors: Herrmann Martin
Published: July 2020

Die Klimakrise ist die größte Bedrohung für die Gesundheit in unserem Jahrhundert. Sie gefährdet nicht nur akut Menschen – zum Beispiel mit Hitzewellen, einer Ausweitung der Pollensaison oder dem Vordringen bisher in unseren Breitengraden unbekannter Krankheitserreger. Der Klimawandel zerstört langfristig die Lebensgrundlagen auf diesem Planeten, für alle Lebewesen (planetary health). Die Deutsche Allianz für Klimawandel und Gesundheit e.V. ist ein Zusammenschluss von Akteuren aus Gesundheitsberufen, die sich zum Ziel gesetzt hat, die gesundheitlichen Folgen des Klimawandels nicht nur innerhalb des Gesundheitssystems, sondern auch in der Öffentlichkeit deutlich zu machen. Gleichzeitig fordert sie zum Handeln auf und betont die wichtige Rolle der Gesundheitsberufe, um die notwendige Transformation auf den Weg zu bringen.
Kapitalismus neu denken in Zeiten des Klimawandels
Authors: Fricke Thomas
Published: July 2020

Der Klimawandel hat viele Ursachen. Eine liegt in dem allzu blinden Vertrauen der vergangenen Jahrzehnte darin, dass die freien Marktkräfte im Grunde alle unsere großen Herausforderungen am besten bewältigen. Dieses marktliberale Paradigma steckt spätestens seit der großen Finanzkrise in der Krise. Um den Klimawandel zu stoppen, braucht es ähnlich wie im Kampf gegen das Auseinanderdriften von Reich und Arm oder die Krise der Globalisierung ein neues und gesunderes Verständnis der Rolle des Staates – einen geläuterten Kapitalismus. Eine Verkehrswende wird nicht gelingen, wenn nicht Regierungen die Voraussetzungen für eine entsprechende Infrastruktur schaffen. Oder dafür sorgen, dass der Ausstoß von Kohlendioxid tatsächlich stetig teurer wird – und so das gefährliche Auf und Ab unterbinden, das sich an freien Märkten oft ergibt.
Narrating eros and agape
Authors: Bojti Zsolt
Published: July 2020

Fin-de-Siècle

A Hungarian version of the present paper was published as “Erósz és Agapé: Erotextus Edward Prime-Stevenson Imre: Egy emlékirat című regényének expozíciójában” (2019) in Literatura affiliated with the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Supported by the ÚNKP-19-3 New National Excellence Program of the Ministry for Innovation and Technology.”

gay literature in English operated with a double narrative: one narrative offers a historical (and “innocent”) reading available to general readership; the other offers a personal (often illicit) reading available to the susceptible and initiated readers only. The double narrative, thus, allowed authors to give subtle visibility to same-sex desire in their works that would evade censorship. This paper argues that there is a similar double narrative in the exposition of Imre: A Memorandum by the American music critic and émigré writer Edward Prime-Stevenson. The double narrative of the novel, however, differs from that of prior gay literature. I argue that Prime-Stevenson thought it was a literary sin that prior gay literature offered a sensual, erotic, or even pornographic, subversive secondary reading to susceptible readers. In my reading, Prime-Stevenson consciously planted cues in the exposition of the novel, thus, created an erotext to trigger a similar subversive and illicit reading of his text. However, Prime-Stevenson used this technique to demonstrate that purely erotic literary representations denigrate same-sex desire; therefore, in what followed, he presented a different, agapeic view on same-sex desire. The paper substantiates that Prime-Stevenson’s intention was to break away from earlier narrative “traditions” of gay literature to offer a naturalised and legitimised representation and “script” of “homosexuality” per se. Prime-Stevenson did so in a crucial period of time, as the term “homosexual” just barely entered the English language and its pejorative connotations may not have been set in stone. The paper, as a result, casts a new complexion on sexuality as a literary phenomenon and the relevance of a complex narrative structure composed of “snares” and “false snares” in the exposition of Imre, which plays a crucial role in Prime-Stevenson authoring one of the very first openly homosexual novels in English, which has a happy ending.
Critique and its discontents
Authors: Tally Jr. Robert T.
Published: July 2020

In her celebrated studyThe Limits of Critique(2015), Rita Felski asserts that literary criticism during the past 40 years or more has been beholden to “the hermeneutics of suspicion,” a paranoid approach to interpretation that seeks to uncover concealed or repressed meanings without due appreciation for the texts as it appears. Felski believes that “critique” is necessarily implicated in this suspicious reading, and she argues instead for apostcriticalapproach to literature that would eschew interpretation in favor of description, affect, and enjoyment. Felski’s argument draws upon related critiques of critique, including calls for “surface reading,” “reparative interpretation,” “thin description,” a “new formalism,” and “ordinary language.” In recent years, the advocacy for a postcritical approach and the critical resistance to that approach, and thus the affirmation of the value of critique itself, have formed one of the more animated debates within literary and cultural studies in the United States and elsewhere. At the same time, perhaps ironically, critique seems more necessary and desirable than ever in confronting contemporary reality in the U. S. In this presentation, Robert T. Tally Jr. will discuss current debates over postcritical approaches to literature, and he will argue for an empowered understanding and employment of critique suited both to literary studies and to the world we live in today.
Regional-scale drought monitor using synthesized index based on remote sensing in northeast China
Authors: Sun Xiaofang , Wang Meng , Li Guicai , Wang Yuanyuan
Published: July 2020

Drought has a significant impact on agricultural, ecological, and socioeconomic spheres. Although many drought indices have been proposed until now, the detection of droughts at regional scales still needs to be further studied. The Standardized Vegetation Index (SVI) that represents vegetation growing condition, the Standardized Water Index (SWI) that represents canopy water content, and the Evaporative Stress Index (ESI) that quantifies anomalies in the ratio of actual to potential evapotranspiration were calculated based on the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data. A new remote sensing-based Vegetation Drought Monitor Synthesized Index (VDSI) was proposed by integrating the SVI, SWI, and ESI in the northeast China. When tested against the in situ Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), VDSI with proper weights of three variables outperformed individual remote sensing drought indices. The county-level yields of the main crops in the study area from 2001 to 2010 were also used to validate the VDSI. The correlation analysis between the yield data and the VDSI data during the crop growing season was performed, and its results showed that VDSI during the crop reproductive growth period was strongly correlated with the variation of crop yield. It was proved that this index is a potential indicator for assessment of the spatial pattern of drought severity in northeast China.
Application of combined electrical resistivity tomography and seismic reflection method to explore hidden active faults in Pingwu, Sichuan, China
Authors: Meng Fansong , Zhang Gang , Qi Yaping , Zhou Yadong , Zhao Xueqin , Ge Kaibo
Published: July 2020

Pingwu County, which is located at the northern end of the Longmenshan fault structural belt, has an active regional geological structure. For a long time, the Longmenshan fault tectonic belt has become intensely active with frequent earthquakes. According to the existing geological data, the Pingwu–Qingchuan fault passes through the urban area of Pingwu. However, because of the great changes in the original landform of Pingwu caused by the construction activities in this urban area, a precise judgment of the location of the Pingwu–Qingchuan fault according to the new landform characteristics is difficult. Here, the seismic reflection method, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), and drilling method were used to determine the accurate location of the buried active faults in Pingwu County. The seismic reflection method and ERT are used to determine the location of faults, the thickness of overlying strata of the fault, and the basic characteristics of faults. The drilling data can be used to divide the bedrock lithology and confirm the geophysical results. The geological model of the faults can be constructed by 3D inversion of ERT, and the structural characteristics of the faults can be viewed intuitively. The results of this study can provide a basis for earthquake prevention and construction work in Pingwu. The finding also shows that seismic reflection method and ERT can effectively explore buried active faults in urban areas, where many sources of interferences may exist.