bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
De luces y sombras
Authors: Pantaleón Panaro Carlos
Published: June 2022

Este artículo de reflexión parte de un antiguo debate sobre las posibilidades reales del conocimiento del mundo sensible a partir de nuestros sentidos. La reflexión se efectúa considerando ejemplos desarrollados en el ámbito de la representación: del arte y de la arquitectura, que demuestran que muchas veces las limitaciones de nuestra capacidad para percibir los objetos pueden ser transformadas en recursos creativos por el talento de sus autores. Algunas de estas obras son guiños a esas limitaciones y nos recuerdan que lo que percibimos, tal como lo hacemos, no necesariamente se corresponde con el objeto real que da origen a la imagen sensible.Los ejemplos aquí analizados son aperturas a nuestra forma convencional de observar que nos revelan que la realidad puede ser muy diferente a lo que creemos ver.Los artistas y arquitectos se valen de esas diferencias para asombrarnos y hacernos dudar sobre los alcances de nuestro conocimiento, conformado a partir de nuestras sensaciones y de nuestra cultura sustentada en la experiencia y en la razón. Basta para ello con quebrar el sistema hermenéutico en el que estamos acostumbrados a contrastar las cosas para que estas obras nos enseñen y nos provoquen una profunda reflexión.
Implementation of Indonesian Islamic Family Law to Guarantee Children’s Rights
Authors: Nasution Khoiruddin , Nasution Syamruddin
Published: June 2022

This paper aims to discuss and observe the legal practice of child protection, particularly, custody and the legal attitude in Muslim society and of the parents, specifically in Indonesia. Deploying a socio-legal approach, it is clear that theoretically, through a number of laws and regulations, the state has provided legal protection to children in terms of custody, as well as from violence. In practice, the legal rights to custody are hardly obtained by children in either legal decisions or executorial steps. The paper argues that the failure of this legal protection is due to the problem of case settlement in the Islamic (religious) court, which tends to be more administrative than judiciary, and that theoretically to provide justice, the work of judges must not only be certain, but also judicial. This paper also analyses the reasons why judges in Religious Courts tend to be more oriented toward administrative issues than judiciary ones. One reason is that the atmosphere of the Religious Courts (PA) now supports administrative decisions more than judicial ones.[Artikel ini membahas dan mengamati praktik hukum perlindungan anak khususnya penjagaan dan perilaku hukum pada orang tua dan masyarakat muslim di Indonesia. Terlepas dari pendekatan sosiologi hukum, secara teoritis negara memberikan perlindungan hukum pada anak dalam kerangka penjagaan dari kekerasan melalui sejumlah hukum dan peraturan. Dalam praktiknya, hak penjagaan sulit didapatkan oleh anak baik dalam bentuk putusan atau eksekusinya. Artikel ini menjelaskan bahwa kegagalan tersebut terkait dengan penyelesaian kasus di pengadilan agama, yang cenderung administratif  daripada substantif, meski secara teoritis tetap mendorong keadilan, dan kerja hakim bukan hanya memberikan kepastian hukum tetapi juga kemanfaatan. Artikel ini juga membahas alasan putusan hakim pengadilan agama cenderung berorientasi administratif  daripada substantif. Salah satu alasannya adalah atmosfir pengadilan agama yang lebih mendukung putusan administratif..]
On the Normalization of Diplomatic Relationship Between Israel and Muslim Countries: A Study of Classic Fiqh and Contemporary Fatwas
Authors: Muslimin JM , Hosny Mahmoud Mohamed
Published: June 2022

This article discusses the different legal opinions of Muslim scholars of various trends in the past and modern time, on the normalization of diplomatic relationship between Muslim countries and Israel. The article aims to compare among these different opinions and also to clearly define the common and specific argument on which they agreed, as well as to accurately define the points of disagreement. The focus of study will be the theoretical reasons as well as practical effects, through the analysis of fatwas and their context. The exploration will give the reader a clear understanding of the nature of these differences yet the conflicting arguments among them. This article follows the methodology of the jurisprudential and contextual analytical comparison. The research questions will follow this logical sequence: what are the general opinions of Muslim religious scholars regarding the issue of diplomatic normalization with Israel? what are the areas of agreements and differences between them? and what are the current fatwas and their reasons for their opinions in the perspective of Islamic law? However, in some points, due to its actual and comprehensive argument as well as the worldwide circulation, Yusuf al-Qaradhawi’s legal opinion and fatwa will be cited and referred longer than others as examining stone and completing legal validity and representing contemporary logics of prominent Muslim jurist. The article concludes some points of theoretical differences, similarities and practical implications as well as recommendations of notifications for future study. [Artikel ini membahas perbedaan pendapat antar sarjana muslim mengenai trend di masa lalu dan kini tentang normalisasi hubungan diplomatik antara negara muslim dan Israel. Artikel ini membandingkan perbedaan opini dan dan juga menjernihkan titik kesepahaman dan ketidaksepahaman yang disepakati bersama. Fokus pembahasan mulai dari aspek teoritis hingga efek praktis melalui analisis fatwa dan konteksnya. Pembahasan juga memberikan pemahaman bagi pembaca keadaan yang berbeda termasuk argumen konflik diantara mereka. Artikel ini menggunakan metode analisis perbandingan hukum dan kontekstual. Setidaknya ada dua pertanyaan yang akan dijawab yaitu apa pendangan umum sarjana muslim mengenai wacana normalisasi hubungan diplomatik dengan Israel dan apa fatwa terbaru serta penjelasannya dalam perspektif hukum Islam? Dalam beberapa hal, argumen aktual dan komprehensif mengikuti sirkulasi yang lebih luas. Fatwa dan pendapat Yusuf Qaradawi akan dikutip dan dirujuk lebih banyak sebagai pijakan serta validasi dan representasi komplit logika kontemporer bagi pemikir muslim ternama. Artikel ini menyimpulkan beberapa hal penting terkait perbedaan dan persamaan teoritis serta implikasi praktis, termasuk juga rekomendasi untuk kajian ini ke depan]
Animal Ethics and the Philosophy of Its Existence; An Outline of the Theory of “Common Beliefs”
Authors: Shiravand Mohsen , Razi Sepideh
Published: June 2022

Countless scientific efforts have been made for tackling the environmental crises and a relative success is achieved in awakening of different nations as regards the seriousness of the ever-increasing crisis. The current essay is also an effort in the same spirit. The goal of this essay is providing an outline of the Theory of “Common Beliefs”. This essay proves that animals like humans have such common beliefs as monotheism, prophecy and resurrection. Moreover, due to the difficulty of the acceptance of this idea for the mainstream minds, the possibility of the existence of such a claim is demonstrated based on the philosophical principles of Mulla Sadra. The method used in this research is documented-analytical using library sources. The main source of this study is Holy Quran, the exegeses of Quran, Islamic traditions as well as the works of Sadra and his followers. Among the results of the present research are making this claim acceptable in view of the rational and philosophical principles, creation of a spiritual, peaceful, and even humane sense in the domain of environment, establishment of an environmental law based on a generous interaction between the man and the animal and arrangement of the interreligious dialogues among the religiously grounded cultures. [tak terhitung usaha ilmiah dalam menghadapi krisis lingkungan dan cukup banyak keberhasilan yang dicapai dalam kebangkitan beberapa negara serius merespon pertambahan krisis. Dengan semangat yang sama, artikel ini ingin menyajikan outline teori Common Belief yang membuktikan bahwa binatang seperti halnya manusia menerima prinsip monoteisme, takdir dan kebangkitan kembali. Mengingat kesulitan penerimaan ide ini bagi orang awam, kemungkinan eksistensi klaimnya dapat ditunjukkan berdasarkan prinsip filosofisnya Mulla Sadra. Artikel ini menggunakan metode analisis dokumen dengan sumber utamanya adalah Qur’an, tafsir Qur’an, karya Mulla Sadra dan murid-muridnya. Beberapa kesimpulan menunjukkan bahwa klaim bisa diterima secara rasional dan filosofis, penciptaan spiritualitas, kedamaian, masuk akal dalam konteks lingkungan, dan kemapanan hukum lingkungan berdasarkan hubungan baik antara manusia dan mahluk hidup (binatang) serta mengatur dialog lintas keyakinan dengan latar budaya masing-masing].
MECHANICAL PERFORMANCE OF ALKALIACTIVATED CONCRETE INCORPORATING RECYCLED AGGREGATES AND STEEL FIBERS
Authors: El-Hassan Hilal , El-Maaddawy Tamer , Hussein Abdalla , Medljy Jamal
Published: June 2022

This study evaluates the mechanical performance of alkali-activated concrete cured at ambient conditions and made with recycled aggregates (RA) and steel fibers. The precursor binder was either ground granulated blast furnace slag or a blend of slag and fly ash (3:1 and 1:1). The alkaline activator solution was a blend of sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate. Coarse aggregates were either natural aggregates (NA) or RA, while fine aggregates comprised desert dune sand. Steel fibers were incorporated, in 2%, by volume, in RA-based concrete mixes. Results showed that replacing NA by 100% RA in plain alkali-activated slag concrete led to decreases of 21, 23, and 51% in compressive, tensile splitting, and flexural strengths, respectively. Meanwhile, alkaliactivated slag-fly ash blended (3:1 and 1:1) mixes experienced respective losses of up to 65, 50, and 57%. The corresponding properties of alkali-activated counterparts made with 100% RA increased by up to 172, 273, and 167% upon the addition of 2% steel fibers, by volume. Yet, the impacts of RA and steel fiber incorporation on the mechanical properties were more pronounced in concrete mixes having higher fly ash replacement. Alkali-activated slag and slag-fly ash blended concrete mixes incorporating 2% steel fibers, by volume, and 100% RA exhibited equivalent compressive strength and superior tensile splitting and flexural strengths to those of NA-based counterparts.
DEVELOPMENT OF URINE TREATMENT TECHNOLOGY FOR ITS REUSE APPLICATION
Authors: Kothari Manisha Sukhraj , Manna Rahul , Mistry Ami , Patel Shivangi , Vyas Mihir , Aly Hassan Ashraf
Published: June 2022

Application of treated human urine as flush water is one of the most promising solutions to combat water scarcity. A grown-up human flushes out nearly 1.5-1.8 L of urine per day. However, this small volume is multiplied 10 times by flush water used to flush this urine making it 15-18 L/Capita/Day. Human urine consists of approximately 91-96% (w/w) water and remaining portion is comprised of organics and inorganics mainly urea which is converted to ammonia by bacteria and makes it difficult to store because of obnoxious odor and color. Electrochemical treatment of urine is performed in 2 L lab scale reactor using Ti-RuO2 electrodes and NaCl electrolyte. Various operating parameters like applied current (1-4 Ampere), treatment time (60-240 min), and electrolyte dose (100-400 mg/L) were studied. Analytical parameters tested were ammonical nitrogen, chemical oxygen demand (COD), odor, turbidity, free chlorine and color. Results revealed that 69% COD, 88% ammonical nitrogen, 95% color, almost 99% turbidity could be removed in 180 minutes of treatment time by applying 4 Ampere current in presence of 300 mg/L of NaCl dose. Available free chlorine was 137 mg/L at the end of treatment which serves as disinfectant. Moreover, electrochemically treated water does not have any unpleasant odor, which makes it suitable for reusing as flush water. Thus, onsite electrochemical treatment can be proposed to recycle human urine to be used as flush water.
IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES OF SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES: A THEORETICAL EVALUATION ON A COUNTRY’S CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY
Authors: Cooper Baccus B.K.
Published: June 2022

Recent years have seen many challenges associated with sustainable construction practices, which stem mainly from the need to maintain a balance between the different dimensions of sustainability, including economic, social, and environmental. As a result, the paper investigates previous literature on the challenges of implementing sustainable practices in the South African construction industry. The data for this paper came from a systematic literature review, which included references to published theoretical literature. According to literature findings, one of the major challenges in sustainability implementation is capital cost, which is followed by information gathering, a lack of legislative incentives, leadership/management barriers, the challenges of chronic labor shortages, a lack of innovation and adaptability among industry stakeholders, and the industry's overall resistance to change. The study is primarily a literature review on the challenges of implementing sustainable practices as well as contributing innovative strategies to the thinking on sustainability in the South African construction industry. It is recommended that the construction industry be robust, have an attitude shift in finding practical solutions to tackle sustainable construction barriers, and develop standards and training objectives to ensure that the construction processes undertaken by various construction firms result in higher levels of education and environmental awareness.
AN OVERVIEW OF MULTI-CRITERIA DECISION MAKING TECHNIQUES IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS CLAIMS MANAGEMENT
Authors: Matseke Dikeledi Anna , Khatleli Nthatisi , Root David
Published: June 2022

Claims in the construction sector result from, but not limited to, poor contract performance, delays, conflicts and force majeure. The use of Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) techniques are proposed in construction-related decision-making and prove advantageous in ensuring that claims management processes are effective. This paper provides an overview of existing MCDM techniques proposed for construction claims management. A narrative literature review is performed where Google Scholar and EBSCO host are used to identify relevant articles for the study and 49 articles were selected. From literature, some of the proposed techniques in construction claims management are AHP, ANN, NN, MAUT, SWOT, TOPSIS and VIKOR. Findings from the study indicate that the outdated nature of traditional standalone MCDM techniques has seen the use of hybridised models in construction-related decision-making more useful. Supplementing MCDM techniques with techniques such as BIM is rather relevant since BIM alone has the potential to reduce claims emerging from large construction projects.
STUDY THE EFFECT OF ADDING HIGH-DENSITY POLYETHYLENE ON THE ASPHALT MIXTURE
Authors: Issa Amjad , Abu Sheikah Areen , Nazzal Rassmya , Jaber Ameed
Published: June 2022

This paper aims at studying the impact of adding high-density polyethylene (HDPE) on the 3⁄4” hot mix asphalt (HMA). Polyethylene is used as it forms a considerable amount of the existing plastic wastes in the world in general and in Palestine at specific. These plastic materials are used as additives to check the performance and the characteristics and properties of the HMA. Accordingly, six different batches of asphalt concrete (AC) samples are prepared using polyethylene as a percentage of the weight of optimum bitumen in varying proportions (0%, 2%, 4%,6% 8%, and 10%). The performance of the HA mixture is examined by checking different parameters such as stability, flow, air voids, VMA, density, etc. The dry process of binominal mixtures (Marshall Method) is used and the required and needed experiments are carried out according to the ASTM specifications. The results indicate that the addition of high-density polyethylene improves and refines the properties of the 3⁄4 inch HMA considering medium traffic in terms of stability and the remaining Marshall parameters. The optimum plastic content is 4% by weight of bitumen which satisfies all specifications.
XRD INVESTIGATIONS ON COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH GAIN OF UHPC SUBJECTED TO VARIOUS CURING TECHNIQUES
Authors: Haroon Aysha , Hemalatha T.
Published: June 2022

Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC) is a relatively novel structural material which can be regarded as an advanced cementitious material with great stiffness, very high mechanical strength, and, extraordinary toughness in a broad sense. Even after cracking, the existence of tiny steel fibers confers the capacity to withstand deformations and, resist flexural and tensile stresses. Curing procedure is a key characteristic to enrich the qualities of the toughened concrete due to the inclusion of the mineral admixtures and a small water to binder ratio. If the process of curing is flawlessly completed, properties such as durability, volume stability, water tightness, strength, abrasion resistance, and resistance to freezing and thawing is highly enhanced. The impact of conventional water curing, hot air curing and, steam curing on the compressive strength of UHPC is explored in this study. UHPC cubes of side 70 mm are cast and the samples are subjected to water curing at 25°C, steam curing at 70°C temperature and, 75% RH and, hot air curing at 200°C. The cured samples are tested for compressive strength at different ages. The powders acquired after crushing the cubes are used for X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies. The variation in the compressive strength when subjected to different types of curing is analyzed using XRD studies, based on the products formed during hydration.
COMMUNITY RESILIENCE MODEL: A CASE STUDY OF AN EARTHQUAKE DISASTER
Authors: Willar Debby , Supit Steve , Kabo Don , Senduk Novatus
Published: June 2022

The aim of the study is to construct a model of community resilience using the earthquake in Indonesia as a case study. Indonesia has problems with how the community prepares itself before, during, and after a disaster. The study employs exploratory focus group interviews with respondents grouped into communities from Central Sulawesi and West Java who were affected by the earthquake. The study reveals that there are clear gaps in the community response to the mitigation, preparation, and recovery of humanitarian disasters. There is a lack of disaster awareness, cooperation and coordination between the community and the local government, and the need for strategic steps before a disaster is one of the key findings from the interviews. This study provides a model of strategic mitigation, preparation, response, and recovery for the community so that the dynamics of the disaster management cycle can be understood, and lessons provided to improve their resilience in the case of future emergencies.
AUTONOMOUS ROBOTIC SYSTEMS FOR PIPE INSPECTION USING MAPPING AND NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING
Authors: Hamoush Sameer , El-SHERIF HOSSAMELDIN , Yi Sun , LI XINGGUANG , Megri Ahmed
Published: June 2022

This paper presents the development of a mapping and nondestructive technique (NDT) for the assessment of concrete pipeline networks. It focuses on the inspection of open-end culverts and storm drain systems using sensor networks. The network consists of 3D Lidar/3D camera/radar with NDT sensors. These sensors are mounted on autonomous vehicles that are set to reduce the extent of human operator involvement through intelligent control algorithms. More accurate remote monitoring is achieved by using smart robots and sensor networks equipped with advanced AI-based techniques. In the systems, ground robots are used with onboard sensing to enable environmental observation. The ground robots have the capability of remote communication, teleoperation, and the transmission of collected data. Effective automated mapping requires the flexibility to allow real-time changes in planning to accommodate unmodeled/unexpected uncertainties and disturbances. The autonomous system can be used repeatedly with reduced cost, primarily for maintenance. In addition, making the process autonomous can reduce the risk to human inspectors and save time during inspections. Also, it can be operated by personnel who require less training to obtain the data than standard inspection processes. The developed technology is demonstrated by actual field and lab testing. It provides accurate assessment tools for underground pipeline networks.
APPLICATION OF BUCKLING RESTRAINED DAMPER TO TRUSS BRIDGE FOR BETTER SEISMIC PERFORMANCE
Authors: Enkhbold Namkhainyambuu , Sosorburam Purevdorj , Yamaguchi Eiki
Published: June 2022

The buckling restrained bracing (BRB) is widely used to improve seismic behavior of buildings. It is employed for bridges as well, but the application is very limited. The BRB can be used also as a damper, in which case the device may be called a buckling restrained damper (BRD). Yet such application has not been explored. There are quite a few bridges designed by the old design codes in Japan. Their seismic resistance may not be satisfactory for the current seismic design codes. Against this background, the behavior of a steel truss bridge under a large seismic loading is investigated by the nonlinear dynamic finite element analysis. Some members are indeed found damaged in the earthquake. Retrofit is needed. To this end, the application of the BRD is tried in the present study: a parametric study on the seismic behavior of a steel truss bridge with BRD is conducted by changing the length and the cross-sectional area of the yielding core of the BRD. The study concludes that with the application of well-designed BRDs to appropriate locations, a steel truss bridge could go through a large earthquake without damage.
Intelligent system of adaptation typical laws automatic regulation with the function of identification structure and parameters object
Authors: Lysenko Dmitrij S.
Published: June 2022

The structure of an intelligent system for adapting typical automatic control laws with the function of identifying the structure and parameters of an object has been developed and described. The developed system solves a complex of interrelated tasks: identification of the structure and parameters of an object, calculation and selection of the controller type, determination of parametric disturbances in a closed control loop. The intelligent system consists of three circuits: the identification circuit, the ACS design circuit, and the executive circuit. The tasks of the identification circuit include: identification of the structure and parameters of the object by observing the time characteristic of the object with a step action at the input; determination of the presence of a parametric disturbance by the method of comparative assessment of transient processes of the reference model and the real control object. According to the results of identifying the structure and parameters of the object, the controller is designed - the calculation of parameters and the choice of the type of controller. The executive circuit is represented by a closed control system. Neural networks were chosen as a tool for implementing the identification subsystem and the regulator design subsystem. As a prototype of the control object, typical dynamic links and their connections were chosen. The article contains: description of the structure of the intelligent system of adaptation of typical automatic control laws; description of subsystems for identifying and designing the regulator, structural and graphical diagrams, simulation results.
Extraction and characterization of oil from seeds of the medicinal plant Withania coagulans (Stocks) Dunal (Doda paneer)
Authors: Raghav Priya , Choudhary Priyvart , Singh Ajay , Sharma Rohit , Sharma Nishesh
Published: June 2022

Withania coagulans (Stocks) Dunal commonly known as Doda panner/ Indian Rennet is a well-known medicinal plant but remains underutilized mainly due to scarce distribution in nature and extremely poor germination rate. In the present study oil was extracted from seeds of Withania coagulans which was subsequently subjected to FTIR and GC-MS analysis to identify phytochemical components of extracted oil. FTIR analysis revealed presence of diverse group of compounds including alcohols, alkane, alkene, aldehyde, ketone and halo compounds. GC-MS analysis depicted presence of 49 phytoconstituents in the oil extracted from seeds of W. coagulans. among which hexanoic acid, n-hexadecenoic acid, Vitamin E, gamma-Tocopherol, squalene, fucosterol, 2-Pyrrolidinone, 1-methyl, octadecanoic acid represent major phytoconstituents identified. Several compounds identified to be present in extracted oil have been reported to possess one or more pharmacological activity. Hence, the study suggests validation of plant oil to be utilized as ingredient of different pharmacological, cosmetic and other food products.
Recontextualizing the Cinematic Code: The “Female Gaze” of Sai Paranjpye inSparsh,Chashme Buddoor, andKatha
Authors: Tholia Shipra , Singh Amar
Published: June 2022

A central concern of the article is to examine how the female gaze is evident in the films of Indian film director Sai Paranjpye. More specifically, this research article analyses the ways, how female gaze asserts itself by playing with established cinematic codes while keeping the political and social condition of the time in the foreground. In this article, the focus is on examining the reflexive disposition of Sai by recontextualizing the conversant tropes popularized in Hindi films. This article also explores the ways in which a film itself participates in defining the “gaze” or, in other words, in questioning the cultural training of viewing. For the article, three films,Sparsh,Chashme Buddoor, andKatha, are taken as case studies. Using these three films as examples, the article explores how narrative techniques can be used to challenge established cinematic codes while making the female gaze distinguishable. The examples discussed are chosen in such a way that, on the one hand, they occupy cases of a broad continuum of cinematic narration specific to Bollywood, and on the other, they introduce a semiotic approach.
Transoral thyroid surgery vestibular approach
Authors: Karakas Elias , Klein Günther , Schopf Stefan
Published: June 2022

Objectives

Transoral thyroid surgery vestibular approach (TOETVA) is a novel and feasible surgical technique that allows for cervical surgery without visible incisions. TOETVA represents a new frontier in endocrine surgery since aesthetic results play a more and more decisive role in elective surgery. However, acceptance is different around the world with widespread prevalence in Asian countries and some high-volume centres in the US. While inclusion criteria for TOETVA are limited regarding size and volume a combination with other extracervical techniques like the retroauricular endoscopic cephalic access thyroid surgery (EndoCATS) approach or transaxillary access is an option.

Methods

TOETVA is carried out through a three-port technique placed at the oral vestibule. Originally one 10-mm port for a 30° endoscope and two additional 5-mm ports for dissecting and coagulating instruments are used. Alternatively, one 5-mm and one or two 3 mm ports can be used. CO2 insufflation pressure is set at 6 mmHg. An additional device to optimize gas outflow for optimum view might be helpful. An anterior cervical subplatysmal space is created by hydrodissection from the oral vestibule to the sternal notch, laterally to the sternocleidomastoid muscle. Conventional endoscopic instruments are used. Combination of TOETVA with a modified retroauricular access includes insertion of a 10–12 mm trocar placed subcutaneously via a skin incision on the scalp, behind the ear by blunt dissection.

Results

Since Anuwong published the first case series of 60 patients who underwent scarless thyroidectomy via the lower vestibule of the mouth with excellent results in 2016 almost 1,000 cases are reported in literature to date with comparable results especially regarding traditional complications. In contrast to other extracervical approaches, areolar or axillary for example, the transoral access route is short and the dissection planes are rather like transcervical surgery. Surgical indications and contraindications have been modified since its first description and are partly institution specific to date. To amend indications combination with other extracervical techniques is an option. In addition, patients must carefully be selected for and surgeons` candidacy is of utmost importance in transoral surgery.

Conclusions

Transoral surgery will likely continue to gain attraction as surgeons become more experienced with the technique. With increased operative use and surgeon experience the gap in conventional outcomes between transoral surgery and the transcervical approach will narrow, with both operative time and the incidence of specific complications diminishing. Experience in thyroid and endoscopic surgery is required to achieve excellent results with low complication rates. However, the new transoral technique is related to novel complications that must be evaluated.
Generational differences in the low tones of Black Lahu
Authors: Yang Cathryn , Stanford James N. , Luo Chunxia , Zhang Naluo
Published: June 2022

We investigate apparent-time variation of the low falling (T21) and low level (T11) tones of the Black Lahu language of Yunnan, China. Linear mixed-effects modeling of spontaneous speech shows that both tones have a higher F0 trajectory among younger speakers and in certain phonetic environments. Since F0 is known to lower with increasing age, for comparison we also analyze variation in the high rising tone (T45) and find no evidence of generational difference. This suggests that the effect of age on low tones is not due to physiological change across the life span. We leave open the question of whether this result reflects a change in progress or a stable sociotonetic difference between older and younger speakers. This study contributes towards two underrepresented areas of sound change research: (1) sociotonetic approaches to tone variation in naturalistic speech styles, and (2) engagement with Indigenous scholars who are cultural insiders in small rural minority language communities.
Can L2 learners acquire native-like typicality representation in categorization?
Authors: Hao Yuxin , Bai Bing , Han Xue
Published: June 2022

The typicality effect delineates a graded membership structure during categorization, whereby a typical item is easier to be judged as a member of a category than is an atypical item. The current study brought experimental evidence of the typicality representation of advanced Thai learners of Chinese, in order to compare the organization of the mental lexicon in the learners’ second language and first language. Three types of instances (i.e., typical in both Chinese and Thai (C1), typical in Chinese but not in Thai (C2), and typical in Thai but not in Chinese (C3)) in five categories (i.e., BIRD, VEGETABLE, FRUIT, FURNITURE, APPLIANCE) were presented in instance-category order. The response time of typicality judgement showed a similarity between natives and L2 learners, but that the response time of second language learners to C1 was not significantly longer than that to C2. These results suggested that high proficiency could modify the construction of a qualitatively native-like typicality representation, and that language-specific typicality was still beyond conceptualization in second language.
The interpretation of urbanonyms in discourse: Reconciling theoretical accounts with experimental results
Authors: Ursini Francesco-Alessio , Samo Giuseppe
Published: June 2022

The goal of this paper is to offer an account of the discourse properties of urbanonynms in Italian (e.g. Via Roma, Piazza di Spagna). The paper introduces urbanonyms as a sub-type of toponyms (place names) whose linguistic properties have received little attention so far. The paper proposes an experimental study that shows how urbanonyms can enter in anaphoric relations mediated via urbanonyms’ lexico-grammatical properties. Via these experimental results, it is shown that urbanonyms can act as antecedents of indexical pronouns (e.g. qui ‘here’), and complex noun phrases (e.g. questa via ‘this street’). It is also shown that urbanonyms can involve co-referring patterns in sentences including verba nominandi (chiamarsi ‘to be called’). These results are discussed against the theoretical proposals investigating toponyms and other proper names. It is suggested that the two main “rival” theories on names, the description theory and the causal reference theory, can only address the novel data if combined into a new theoretical synthesis.
L2 rhythm production and musical rhythm perception in advanced learners of English
Authors: Jekiel Mateusz
Published: June 2022

The aim of this research is to investigate the relation between musical aptitude and the acquisition of L2 rhythm by Polish advanced learners of English. A longitudinal study was conducted among 50 Polish students of English reading the “Please Call Stella” passage before and after an intensive two-semester accent training course supplemented by an extensive practical course in English phonetics and phonology. Participants also completed two musical hearing tests (Mandell 2009) and a survey on musical experience. Automated alignment was performed in DARLA (Reddy and Stanford 2015) and reviewed in Praat (Boersma and Weenink 2019). We compared the rhythm metrics calculated in Correlatore (Mairano and Romano 2010) before and after training and juxtaposed them against the pronunciation teachers’ results. We reported a significant difference between the scores for vocalic intervals across all rhythm metrics, indicating that participants’ produced higher vocalic variation after training, more similar to their teachers. However, we observed no significant relationship between the participants’ rhythm metric scores and their musical hearing test scores or musical experience, suggesting that musical aptitude might not play a crucial role in the L2 rhythm production in a formal academic learning environment.
Neolithic rondels in Central Europe and their builders: an analysis of multi-rondel sites
Authors: Vondrovský Václav , Kovačiková Lenka , Smejtek Lubor
Published: June 2022

Monumental enclosures are a widespread phenomenon of the European Neolithic. One category of enclosure is the mid-fifth-millennium BC rondel sites of Central Europe. In parts of this region, rondel sites are grouped, drawing attention to notable differences in individual rondel forms. Here, we use Bayesian modelling of radiocarbon dates from the ditches of two rondels at Praha-Krč, Bohemia, to demonstrate their contemporaneity. In turn, this informs interpretations of the role played by multi-rondel sites in symbolic competition between regional communities, who invested in rondels as part of translocal negotiation. The concept of translocality may prove fruitful for the investigation of the monumental architecture of other periods and regions.
Predictive Factors For Conversion Of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy To Open Procedure
Authors: Hawrame Taher , Hama Shareef Sirwan , Sherko Zanko
Published: June 2022

Background and objective: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the gold stander surgery for gallbladder diseases, especially symptomatic gall stone disease. to identify the factors that causes the conversion of planed laparoscopic cholecystectomy to an open procedure. Identifying these predictive factors will predict the conversion rate and eventually will help the surgeon, the patient and the hospital in planning the surgery. Methods: Retrospective study. Between October 2003 and December 2004 hundred and fifty patients with symptomatic gallstone underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy in Department of Surgery, Sulaimaniyah Teaching Hospital Results: ages of the patients were between 11-70 years with a mean of 40, female to male were 5/1, and in 47% the symptoms were present for more than two years. Conversion incidence was 8.7. Conclusion: The predictive factors for conversion in our study accordingly were duration of the symptoms, abnormal intra-abdominal findings, concurrent illnesses, and intra-operative complications.
A Case Report on Osler -Weber Rendu Disease
Authors: S Khan Ameez , Salih Sama Muhammed
Published: June 2022

Osler weber rendu disease, also known as hereditary hemorrhagic telengiectasia is a rare autosomal dominant genetic disorder that leads to abnormal blood vessel formation in skin, mucous membrane and in organs such as lungs, liver and brain. A 68 year old postmenopausal lady was admitted to our hospital following multiple episodes of hematemesis and malena for past 5 days. Upper GI endoscopy revealed multiple telengiectasia with active spurting, gastric polyp. Patient was treated with 1 unit of PRBC transfusion for anemia, Inj.Tranexamic acid 500 mg IV tid, Inj. Ondanseteron 4 mg IV for hematemesis. Tab. Thalidomide 100 mg hs have been given for treating hereditary hemorrhagic telengiectasia. The treatment is only palliative, with no consensus on the best treatment option. It is essential to promote control of the disease as long as possible.
A Good Person Shouldn’t Feel This Way: Moralized Attitudes, Identity, and Self-Esteem
Authors: Ekstrom Pierce , Lai Calvin
Published: June 2022

Moralized attitudes are the attitudes that people construe as matters of right and wrong. In this study, we examine how moralized attitudes relate to how people evaluate themselves using the Attitudes, Identities, and Individual Differences (AIID) dataset—a survey of over 200,000 individuals asked to report their attitudes in one of 95 domains. In pre-registered analyses that were based on exploratory analyses of a subset of the data, we found that the specific attitudes that people moralize differ greatly from individual to individual and that moralized attitudes are more central to one’s identity than non-moralized attitudes. We also examined whether mental conflict between identity-central attitudes and gut feelings about the corresponding attitude objects would be related to lower self-esteem, finding mixed and weak evidence supporting that claim. Together, our findings indicate that the attitudes that people moralize are tremendously diverse and are reliably connected to a sense of self. At the same time, peoples’ self-esteem may be resilient to specific instances in which their gut feelings fall short of the attitudes that are central to their identity.
Blockchain-Based Transaction Manager for Ontology Databases
Authors: Knez Timotej , Gašperlin Domen , Bajec Marko , Žitnik Slavko
Published: June 2022

Knowledge graphs are commonly represented by ontology-based databases. Tracking the provenance of ontological changes and ensuring ontology consistency is important. In this work, we propose a transaction manager for ontology-based database manipulation that combines blockchain and Semantic Web technologies. The latter is used for the efficient querying and modification of data, whereas the blockchain is used for the secure storage and tracking of changes. The blockchain enables a decentralized setup and data restoration. We evaluate our solution by measuring cost and time. Our solution introduces some overhead for updates whereas querying works at the same speed as the underlying ontology database.
Dynamics of change of high-speed and strengt preparedness of volleyball players under the influence of a set of exercises according to Тabata protocol
Authors: Melnyk Alina , Skrobecki Jerzy , Liakhova Tamara , Pashchenko Natalya , Lebediev Serhii
Published: June 2022

Purpose: to determine changes in indicators of speed-strength abilities of volleyball players under the influence of a set of exercises according to the Tabata protocol.

Material & Method: 10 volleyball players of the male student team "KhSAPC", aged 17-21, took part in the pedagogical experiment, they have the first category in volleyball. The experiment lasted 2 months and consisted in using the Tabata protocol in the educational and training process of volleyball players. In the dynamics of the experiment, the speed-strength abilities of a selected group of volleyball players were tested. The assessment of the statistical reliability of the results of a comparative analysis of the indicators studied in this work was carried out using a nonparametric sign test.

Results: at the beginning of the pedagogical experiment, volleyball players had the following test results: push-ups for 20 s 17,30±0,45 times; standing long jump with push of two legs 229,20±2,98 cm; lifting the torso from the prone position in 30 s 30,40±1,37 times; throwing a stuffed ball weighing 1 kg from behind the head with two hands in a jump of 11,20 ± 0,93 m; jump up from a place (according to V. M. Abalakov) 49,60±2,51 cm. After the pedagogical experiment, the values of indicators of the speed-strength abilities of volleyball players for each of the five tests turned out to be significantly higher compared to the results of the corresponding tests obtained before the start of the experiment.

Conclusions: the proposed sets of exercises according to the Tabata protocol turned out to be effective, as they made it possible to significantly improve (p˃0.01) the speed-strength abilities of volleyball players in all tests. The results obtained allow us to recommend the use of exercise complexes according to the Tabata protocol for the training activity of volleyball players.
Features of the development of strength training of highly qualified football referees in the competitive period
Authors: Abdula Anatoliy , Pertsukhov Andrii , Wnorowski Krzysztof , Mozharovska Svitlana , Mozharovskyy Yuriy
Published: June 2022

Purpose: to identify the features of the development of strength training of highly qualified football referees in the competitive period.

Material & Methods: the study involved 30 highly qualified football referees aged 35-42: 4 FIFA referees, 15 Premier League referees and 11 First League referees.

Results: the training program for strength development in the competitive period included new fitness training tools using TRX® functional loops, step platform, BOSU hemisphere, 6D sliding. In the preparatory and final part of the training session, we included MFR exercises to fill the muscles with the maximum volume of blood and activate the nerve centers for their additional stretching. The results of testing the physical fitness of highly qualified referees at the beginning and end of the competitive period indicate that the training program developed by us, aimed at developing strength in competitive microcycles, most significantly influenced the increase in the manifestation of strength qualities in flexion and extension of the arms in emphasis. 8% and speed endurance in the YO-YO test - by 15,1%. There was also an improvement in the results in the manifestations of speed by 7.4% and by 2.3% in the 40 m run and the 4x10 m shuttle run, as well as by 5,7% in the speed-strength abilities in the standing long jump test.

Conclusions: the results of the study indicate the effectiveness of the strength training program for referees of different levels and qualifications and its use in training microcycles of the competitive period to improve physical fitness.
Guide to Using Silica Fume in Precast/Prestressed Concrete Products
Authors:   PCI Committee on Durability
Published: June 2022

This PC/ Committee report provides guidelines to the industry for producing high performance precast/prestressed concrete products containing silica fume. The mechanism, physical characteristics, benefits, and production aspects of concrete made with silica fume are described. Recommendations are given for measuring, mixing, handling, transporting, placing, finishing, and curing concrete with silica fume additives.
1990s
Authors: Raboteau Albert J , Wills David W
Published: June 2022

Like many fields, the academic study of religion has under-gone a number of intellectual turns. The ethnological turn of the late twentieth century challenged scholars to rethink the normative histories upon which our intellectual history is built. The study of “Black Religion” has played a key role in modeling this kind of interrogation. In a 1991 issue of the CSSR Bulletin, Albert J. Raboteau and David W. Wills presented a report on a collaborative, grant funded project to enrich scholars’ archival and methodological resources for thinking about “Afro-American religious history,” and “American religious history” more broadly. Additionally, the online presence of their work is among the earliest examples of open-source scholarship in the academic study of religion (https://aardoc.sites.amherst.edu/menu.html).
Scalable Multitask Policy Gradient Reinforcement Learning
Authors: El Bsat Salam , Bou Ammar Haitham , Taylor Matthew
Published: June 2022

Policy search reinforcement learning (RL) allows agents to learn autonomously with limited feedback. However, such methods typically require extensive experience for successful behavior due to their tabula rasa nature. Multitask RL is an approach, which aims to reduce data requirements by allowing knowledge transfer between tasks. Although successful, current multitask learning methods suffer from scalability issues when considering large number of tasks. The main reasons behind this limitation is the reliance on centralized solutions. This paper proposes to a novel distributed multitask RL framework, improving the scalability across many different types of tasks. Our framework maps multitask RL to an instance of general consensus and develops an efficient decentralized solver. We justify the correctness of the algorithm both theoretically and empirically: we first proof an improvement of convergence speed to an order of O(1/k) with k being the number of iterations, and then show our algorithm surpassing others on multiple dynamical system benchmarks.
The Multivariate Generalised von Mises Distribution: Inference and Applications
Authors: Navarro Alexandre , Frellsen Jes , Turner Richard
Published: June 2022

Circular variables arise in a multitude of data-modelling contexts ranging from robotics to the social sciences, but they have been largely overlooked by the machine learning community. This paper partially redresses this imbalance by extending some standard probabilistic modelling tools to the circular domain. First we introduce a new multivariate distribution over circular variables, called the multivariate Generalised von Mises (mGvM) distribution. This distribution can be constructed by restricting and renormalising a general multivariate Gaussian distribution to the unit hyper-torus. Previously proposed multivariate circular distributions are shown to be special cases of this construction. Second, we introduce a new probabilistic model for circular regression inspired by Gaussian Processes, and a method for probabilistic Principal Component Analysis with circular hidden variables. These models can leverage standard modelling tools (e.g. kernel functions and automatic relevance determination). Third, we show that the posterior distribution in these models is a mGvM distribution which enables development of an efficient variational free-energy scheme for performing approximate inference and approximate maximum-likelihood learning.
Inductive Logic Programming At 30: A New Introduction
Authors: Cropper Andrew , Dumančić Sebastijan
Published: June 2022

Inductive logic programming (ILP) is a form of machine learning. The goal of ILP is to induce a hypothesis (a set of logical rules) that generalises training examples. As ILP turns 30, we provide a new introduction to the field. We introduce the necessary logical notation and the main learning settings; describe the building blocks of an ILP system; compare several systems on several dimensions; describe four systems (Aleph, TILDE, ASPAL, and Metagol); highlight key application areas; and, finally, summarise current limitations and directions for future research.