bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nommer les dieux hittites : au sujet de quelques épithètes divines
Authors: Mouton Alice
Published: December 2020

After a short overview of Hittite divine epithets (Anatolia of the second half of the second millennium BCE), this paper explores the attestations of two particular divine names, namely “the bloody god U.GUR” and “the vengeful nakkiu-/nakkiwa‐s.” These entities are studied in context in order to determine their identity and functions. Through this contextual analysis, it appears that these supernatural entities are held responsible for various anomalies in the context of Luwian rituals probably coming from the Lower Land (south-central Anatolia).
Creation in the Poimandres and in Other Creation Stories
Authors: Graf Fritz
Published: December 2020

My paper develops from the observation that the cosmogonies in Ovid’s Metamorphoses and the Hermetic Poimandres are related to each other. After an analysis of Ovid’s text as an example of a diakrisis cosmogony in which the world is created by the sorting out of its originally confused elements, I give a short overview of the history of this type of cosmogony before Ovid. I then analyze the respective cosmogony in the Poimandres as another example of the same typology. A look at the use of diakrisis cosmogonies in late antiquity, including in the first ‘Moral Poem’ of Gregory of Nazianzus, closes the paper and demonstrates the attraction of this cosmogonical model in the Imperial epoch.
Christliche Weltherrschaft im ›Parzival‹
Authors: Haferland Harald
Published: December 2020

The article takes the open ending of ›Parzival‹ as its point of departure. It analyses information about the expansion of the grail community: The grail is at the heart of a hidden take-over of world domination. This idea originates in the military orders. In ›Parzival‹, it is associated with an eschatological perspective. However, Wolfram obscures the beginning of the eschaton, just as he obscures the topographical location of Munsalvaesche. The idea of world domination goes back to the Third Crusade and the role of Frederick Barbarossa. It can be assumed that Wolfram had direct contact with men who had taken part in the campaign. His conception of the grail can be traced to the Black Stone of the Kaaba, to which it constitutes a Christian counterpart.
Identification of dental pain sensation based on cardiorespiratory signals
Authors: Teichmann Daniel , Hallmann Alexander , Wolfart Stefan , Teichmann Maren
Published: December 2020

The aim of this study is to investigate the feasibility of the detection of brief periods of pain sensation based on cardiorespiratory signals during dental pain triggers. Twenty patients underwent dental treatment and reported their pain events by pressing a push button while ECG, PPG, and thoracic effort signals were simultaneously recorded. Potential pain-indicating features were calculated from the physiological data (sample length of 6 s) and were used for supervised learning of a Random forest pain detector. The best feature combination was determined by Feature forward selection. The best feature combination comprises nine feature groups consisting of four respiratory and five cardiac related groups. The final algorithm achieved a sensitivity of 87% and a specificity of 63% with an AUC of 0.828. Using supervised learning it is possible to train an algorithm to differentiate between short time intervals of pain and no pain solely based on cardiorespiratory signals. An on-site and real-time detection and rating of pain sensations would allow a precise, individuum- and treatment-tailored administration of local anesthesia. Severe phases of pain could be paused or avoided, this would allow more comfortable treatment and yield better patient compliance.
Adsorption and sugarcane-bagasse-derived activated carbon-based mitigation of 1-[2-(2-chloroethoxy)phenyl]sulfonyl-3-(4-methoxy-6-methyl-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl) urea-contaminated soils
Authors: Ahmad Khuram Shahzad , Amjad Iqra , Ali Daoud
Published: December 2020

Burgeoning pesticide usage in agriculture sector required to be evaluated by assessing the adsorption rate in soils. The herbicide triasulfuron was used in this research to analyze its sorption behavior in seven distinct soils using batch equilibrium methodology. The adsorption coefficient (Kd) values ranged from the 3.32 to 29.7 µg/mL. Peshawar soil displayed the highest Kd value because of the distinct physiochemical properties when compared with the other six samples. Gibbs free energy exhibited negative values displaying less contact between soil particles and pesticides, showing the exothermic nature of the phenomena. A negative association was observed between the pH of the soil samples and Kd (R2 = −0.71) but a direct relation with the organic content (R2 = 0.74). Triasulfuron mitigation was performed by the economical remediation of soils using acid-activated charcoal prepped from Saccharum officinarum husk. Activated carbon derived from biomass displayed the great potential for triasulfuron removal from soils.
Ultrasound prenatal diagnosis of a de novo 14q distal duplication associated with foetal anomalies: a case report
Authors: Garofalo Anna , Lanna Mariano , Ronzoni Luisa , Toto Valentina , Izzo Giana , Rustico Maria Angela
Published: December 2020

Objectives

Partial trisomy 14q is a rare chromosomal abnormality with an extremely variable phenotype ranging from mild to severe forms of malformation. Most of the cases described in literature are postnatal clinical findings although few prenatal cases have been reported.

Case presentation

A 33-year-old woman at 21+6 weeks’ gestation was referred to our hospital for a detailed foetal ultrasound with suspected partial agenesis of corpus callosum and ureterocele. On examination, we found a short corpus callosum and ureterocele with a duplicated right renal collecting system. Moreover, there was an intrarotation of left foot with a prominent part departing from the ankle, both thighs appeared thicker, a thickening of the nuchal fold, a mild hypertelorism and a thick heterogeneous placenta. The patient underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which confirmed the foetal anomalies. The couple opted for a termination of pregnancy. Chromosome analysis and molecular karyotyping of amniocytes revealed a de novo rearrangement of chromosome 14 with an interstitial gain 14q31.1–14q32.22 and a terminal deletion 14q32.33.

Conclusions

The majority of partial trisomy 14q reporter are postnatal diagnoses. Improvement in the quality of foetal imaging and molecular techniques have made possible to identify many genetic syndromes prenatally. In our opinion, anomalies of the brain, urinary system and limbs may be the core findings of trisomy 14q. To our knowledge, no such case has ever been described previously.
Effects of rotational speed on the Al0.3CoCrCu0.3FeNi high-entropy alloy by friction stir welding
Authors: Lin Po-Ting , Wu Chan-Sheng , Peng Chun-Hao , Tsai Che-Wei , Sato Yutaka S.
Published: December 2020

Welding and relevant studies are indispensable to employ high-entropy alloys for practical applications. In this study, Al0.3CoCrCu0.3FeNi high-entropy alloy with single FCC phase was used to make “bead-on-plate” friction stir welds at different rotational speeds, and the effects on microstructure and mechanical properties were studied. Several banded structures containing oxide or nitride particles were observed in the stir zone (SZ), and the chemical wear of the polycrystalline cubic boron nitride tool was confirmed. The microhardness distribution of the welds showed higher hardness in the SZ because of grain refinement and the presence of deformed grains. The electron backscattered diffraction results suggested that the high-entropy alloy with low stacking-fault energy experienced recrystallization during friction stir welding, which was similar to other conventional materials with low stacking-fault energy.
Damage accumulation and lifetime prediction of fiber-reinforced ceramic-matrix composites under thermomechanical fatigue loading
Authors: Li Longbiao
Published: December 2020

In this paper, the damage accumulation and life prediction in fiber-reinforced ceramic-matrix composites (CMCs) subjected to thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) loading are investigated. The relationships between TMF damage mechanisms, fatigue hysteresis-based damage parameters, fraction of broken fiber, and applied cycles are established. Evolution of fatigue hysteresis dissipated energy, fatigue hysteresis modulus, fatigue peak strain, fatigue broken fiber fraction versus applied cycle curves, and the fatigue life S–N curves is analyzed. Damage accumulation and fatigue life of cross-ply silicon carbide/magnesium aluminosilicate composite under in-phase (IP)- and out-of-phase (OP)-TMF and isothermal fatigue (IF) loading are predicted. Under the same fatigue peak stress, the fatigue lifetime decreases from IF loading at 566°C to IF loading at 1,093°C, IP-TMF and OP-TMF. The TMF loading significantly reduced the fatigue lifetime of CMCs.
Pruning and repopulating a lexical taxonomy: experiments in Spanish, English and French
Authors: Nazar Rogelio , Balvet Antonio , Ferraro Gabriela , Marín Rafael , Renau Irene
Published: December 2020

In this paper we present the problem of a noisy lexical taxonomy and suggest two tasks as potential remedies. The first task is to identify and eliminate incorrect hypernymy links, and the second is to repopulate the taxonomy with new relations. The first task consists of revising the entire taxonomy and returning a Boolean for each assertion of hypernymy between two nouns (e.g.brie is a kind of cheese). The second task consists of recursively producing a chain of hypernyms for a given noun, until the most general node in the taxonomy is reached (e.g.brie → cheese → food →etc.). In order to achieve these goals, we implemented a hybrid hypernym-detection algorithm that incorporates various intuitions, such as syntagmatic, paradigmatic and morphological association measures as well as lexical patterns. We evaluate these algorithms individually and collectively and report findings in Spanish, English and French.
Comparison of hematological parameters and perinatal outcomes between COVID-19 pregnancies and healthy pregnancy cohort
Authors: Erol Koç Esin Merve , Fındık Rahime Bedir , Akkaya Hatice , Karadağ Işılay , Tokalıoğlu Eda Özden , Tekin Özlem Moraloğlu
Published: December 2020

Objectives

To evaluate the relationship between Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in pregnancy and adverse perinatal outcomes. The secondary aim is to analyze the diagnostic value of hematologic parameters in COVID-19 complicated pregnancies.

Methods

The current study is conducted in a high volume tertiary obstetrics center burdened by COVID-19 pandemics, in Turkey. In this cohort study, perinatal outcomes and complete blood count indices performed at the time of admission of 39 pregnancies (Study group) complicated by COVID-19 were compared with 69 uncomplicated pregnancies (Control group).

Results

There was no significant difference between the obstetric and neonatal outcomes of pregnancies with COVID-19 compared to data of healthy pregnancies, except the increased C-section rate (p=0.026). Monocyte count, red cell distribution width (RDW), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and monocyte/lymphocyte ratio (MLR) were significantly increased (p<0.0001, p=0.009, p=0.043, p<0.0001, respectively) whereas the MPV and plateletcrit were significantly decreased (p=0.001, p=0.008) in pregnants with COVID-19. ROC analysis revealed that the optimal cut-off value for MLR was 0.354 which indicated 96.7% specificity and 59.5% sensitivity in diagnosis of pregnant women with COVID-19. A strong positive correlation was found between the MLR and the presence of cough symptom (r=41.4, p=<0.0001).

Conclusions

The study revealed that, pregnancies complicated by COVID-19 is not related with adverse perinatal outcomes. MLR may serve as a supportive diagnostic parameter together with the Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) in assessment of COVID-19 in pregnant cohort.
The integral part of a nonlinear form with a square, a cube and a biquadrate
Authors: Ge Wenxu , Li Weiping , Zhao Feng
Published: December 2020

In this paper, we show that if

λ

1

,

λ

2

,

λ

3

{\lambda }_{1},{\lambda }_{2},{\lambda }_{3}

are non-zero real numbers, and at least one of the numbers

λ

1

,

λ

2

,

λ

3

{\lambda }_{1},{\lambda }_{2},{\lambda }_{3}

is irrational, then the integer parts of

λ

1

n

1

2

+

λ

2

n

2

3

+

λ

3

n

3

4

{\lambda }_{1}{n}_{1}^{2}+{\lambda }_{2}{n}_{2}^{3}+{\lambda }_{3}{n}_{3}^{4}

are prime infinitely often for integers

n

1

,

n

2

,

n

3

{n}_{1},{n}_{2},{n}_{3}

. This gives an improvement of an earlier result.
Zur militärischen Mobilmachung in der DDR
Authors: Wenzke Rüdiger
Published: December 2020

Der Beitrag beschäftigt sich mit dem militärischen Mobilmachungssystem in der DDR. Im Rahmen der Umstellung von Frieden auf Krieg in allen gesellschaftlichen Bereichen nahm die Mobilmachung der Nationalen Volksarmee (NVA) einen zentralen Platz ein. Ihre Struktur-, Mobilmachungs- und Einsatzplanungen waren eng miteinander verknüpft. Im Mobilmachungsfall sollten unter anderen fünf Divisionen der NVA-Landstreitkräfte auf der Basis sogenannter Ausbildungszentren personell und materiell aufgestellt werden, um nach 48 Stunden Mobilmachung und weiteren 48 Stunden Ausbildung voll einsatzbereit zu sein. Ständige Kontrollen und Überprüfungen unterstrichen die Bedeutung der Mobilmachungsarbeit in den ostdeutschen Streitkräften. Die militärische Mobilmachung als Teil des gesamtstaatlichen Mobilmachungssystems förderte die Militarisierung der ostdeutschen Gesellschaft in erheblichem Maße.
„Die schönste griechische Stadt“. Syrakus bei Cicero und Silius Italicus
Authors: Schwameis Christoph
Published: December 2020

Both in the fourth book of Cicero’sDe signis(Verr. 2,4) and in the fourteenth book of Silius Italicus’Punica, there are descriptions of the city of Syracuse at important points of the texts. In this paper, both descriptions are combined and for the first time thoroughly related. I discuss form and content of the accounts, show their functions in their oratorical and epic contexts and consider their similarities. The most important facets, where the descriptions coincide in, seem to be their link to Marcellus’ conquest in the Second Punic War, the resulting precarious beauty of the city and the specifically Roman perspective on which theseekphraseisare based.
Byzantinische Flotten in der venezianischen Lagune 806 – 810/811
Authors: Kislinger Ewald
Published: December 2020

Between 806 and 811 three Byzantine fleets operated in the Venetian lagoon. We owe the informations about it to the Annales regni Francorum, which however manipulated the chronology and contents of the encounter with Pepin. The aim behind such doing was both, to present the Frankish actions in a favourable light and not to offend the Byzantines, since 811/12 on good terms with the Carolingians. The present contribution tries to re-establish the correct sequence of events.
Concentrated sulfuric acid production from non-condensable gases and its effect on alkali and sulfur balances in pulp mills
Authors: Mahecha-Botero Andrés , Bandekar Rohan , Sêco Isabel M. C. L. , Aksenov Igor , Cooper C. Guy , Foan Jon , Sirikan Kam , Wearing Jim
Published: December 2020

The pulp and paper industry often encounters challenges that require process improvements to remain competitive. These challenges may include the requirement to meet more stringent environmental regulations, stricter energy policies, or the need to improve product quality, increase production capacity and profitability. As a result, the pulp mills of today have to focus on becoming more efficient by possessing an effective chemical recovery system and reducing chemical losses. The high degree of closure is beneficial for environment, water consumption and mill economy but can upset the Na/S balance and increase the build-up of non-process elements in the system. Installing an acid plant to convert the sulfur containing Non Condensable Gases (NCG) into sulfuric acid will eliminate the NCG as a sulfur input to the recovery cycle, eliminate purchases of sulfuric acid, reduce caustic purchases, and produce additional steam that will positively impact the mill’s heat balance. This paper provides an overview of the OptimumAcid™ technology required to produce sulfuric acid in a pulp mill from NCG, presents some of the unique challenges related to feed variability, and discusses some of the technical features of NORAM’s sulfuric acid OptimumAcid™ process technology and equipment.
Variations sur les expressions figées : quelle(s) traduction(s) chez les apprenants?
Authors: Nita Raluca , Solano Ramón Martí
Published: December 2020

This paper analyses the translations that French undergraduate students come up with when they are to deal with fixed expressions (FEs) in English that have been modified morphologically, syntactically, lexically or semantically. FEs in English are not always used in their canonical form and are often modified in the media for contextualization purposes or stylistic reasons. They can be modified by lexical substitution, lexical insertion and by lexical and semantic inversion resulting in distinct expressions with a different sense.

The paper reveals the sources of mistranslation and the pedagogic means to deal with them based upon this specific type of translation exercise. Two types of FEs are taken into account: FEs in the target language sharing all or parts of the lexical constituents with those in the source language and FEs with no direct equivalent in French. The study can also have a more general impact on translation methodology as a whole: mistranslation analysis of FEs demonstrates the difficulties students have in recognizing and/or in adapting the translation of FEs according to their modification and their context. Translating FEs could therefore be used as a first methodological step in initiating students to the specific problems of translation as a whole.
Single-molecule force spectroscopy: A facile technique for studying the interactions between biomolecules and materials interfaces
Authors: Wang Li , Qian Yuhong , Sun Yantao , Liu Bin , Wei Gang
Published: December 2020

The quantification of the interactions between biomolecules and materials interfaces is crucial for design and synthesis functional hybrid bionanomaterials for materials science, nanotechnology, biosensor, biomedicine, tissue engineering, and other applications. Atomic force spectroscopy (AFM)-based single-molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) provides a direct way for measuring the binding and unbinding forces between various biomolecules (such as DNA, protein, peptide, antibody, antigen, and others) and different materials interfaces. Therefore, in this review, we summarize the advance of SMFS technique for studying the interactions between biomolecules and materials interfaces. To achieve this aim, firstly we introduce the methods for the functionalization of AFM tip and the preparation of functional materials interfaces, as well as typical operation modes of SMFS including dynamic force spectroscopy, force mapping, and force clamping. Then, typical cases of SMFS for studying the interactions of various biomolecules with materials interfaces are presented in detail. In addition, potential applications of the SMFS-based determination of the biomolecule-materials interactions for biosensors, DNA based mis-match, and calculation of binding free energies are also demonstrated and discussed. We believe this work will provide preliminary but important information for readers to understand the principles of SMFS experiments, and at the same time, inspire the utilization of SMFS technique for studying the intermolecular, intramolecular, and molecule-material interactions, which will be valuable to promote the reasonable design of biomolecule-based hybrid nanomaterials.
Stability of functionals of perturbed Markov chains under the condition of uniform minorization
Authors: Golomoziy Vitaliy
Published: December 2020

In this paper, we investigate the stability of functionals and trajectories of two different, independent, time-inhomogeneous, discrete-time
Markov chains on a general state space.
We obtain various stability estimates such as an estimate for a difference in expectations of functionals,

L
2

{L_{2}}

stability, and a probability of large deviations.
The key condition that is used is the minorization condition on the whole space. We consider different limitations on the functional and on the proximity of
two chains. We use the coupling method as a primary technique in our proofs.
Unwillingly traumatizing: is there a psycho-traumatologic pathway from general surgery to postoperative maladaptation?
Authors: Vogel Matthias , Meyer Frank , Frommer Jörg , Walter Martin , Lohmann Christoph H. , Croner Roland
Published: December 2020

Background

Surgery may possibly be undermined by psychologic, psychiatric and psychosomatic problems, as long as these problems interfere with a patient’s capacity to cope with surgery adaptively. Recent studies have shown that interpersonal trauma, e.g. abuse or neglect, and its correlates are involved in the adaptation to surgery. This observation is heuristically coherent, given the respective traumatization is an interpersonal event occurring in a relationship. Notably, surgery inevitably leads to the violation of physical boundaries within a doctor-patient relationship. Based on the principles of psycho-traumatologic thinking, such a constellation is deemed qualified to activate posttraumatic symptoms in the traumatized.

Method

The present topical review summarizes the respective findings which point to a subgroup of patients undergoing surgery, in whom difficulty bearing tension and confiding in others may cause adaptive problems relevant to surgery. Although this theorizing is empirically substantiated primarily with respect to total knee arthroplasty (TKA), a pubmed-research reveals psychopathologic distress to occur prior to surgery beyond TKA. Likewise, posttraumatic distress occurs in large numbers in the context of several operations, including cardiac, cancer and hernia surgery.

Conclusion

Aspects of psychological trauma may be linked to the outcomes of general surgery, as well, e.g. biliary, hernia or appendix surgery. The mechanisms possibly involved in this process are outlined in terms of a hierarchical organization of specific anxiety and negative affect as well as in terms of psychodynamics which imply the unconscious action of psychologic defenses at their core.

Implications

Not least, we encourage the screening for trauma and its correlates including defenses prior to general surgery in order to identify surgical candidates at risk of, e.g. chronic postoperative pain, before the operation.
Lymphocyte-to-C-reactive protein ratio may serve as an effective biomarker to determine COVID-19 disease severity
Authors: Bal Tayibe , Dogan Serdar , Cabalak Mehmet , Dirican Emre
Published: December 2020

Objectives

We aimed to evaluate the ability of lymphocyte-C-reactive protein ratio (LCR) to discriminate between different levels of severity of COVID-19 disease.

Methods

This retrospective observational single-center study was performed on 61 confirmed (PCR positive) COVID-19 patients between March and June 2020. The study population was separated into three groups: mild/moderate (n=24), severe (n=25) and critically ill (n=12). The optimal cut-off values of the LCR and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in discriminating between patients with different severity levels were calculated by applying the receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis.

Results

At baseline, the LCR decreased significantly across the three severity groups (mild/moderate > severe > critically ill). ROC analysis showed that a mean LCR of 43.21 was the cut-off value which best discriminated patients with the critically ill disease from severe patients (sensitivity: 84% and specificity: 69%). The discriminative performance of LCR (ROC AUC 0.820) was better than that of NLR (0.751) in this regard. LCR, unlike NLR was able to distinguish severe patients from mild/moderate patients, with a cut off value of 458.19 (sensitivity: 80% and specificity: 45%).

Conclusion

LCR was observed to be able to distinguish COVID-19 infected patients of different severity (mild/moderate, severe and critically ill) and was superior to NLR in this regard.
Down-regulation of SORL1 is associated with Alzheimer’s disease through activating ABC transporter pathway
Authors: Wei Zhiqiang , Qi Xingdi , Zhai Shijun , Chen Yan , Xia Xiaoshuang , Zheng Boyu , Sun Xugang , Zhang Guangming , Wang Ling , Zhang Qi , Xu Chen , Jiang Shihe , Li Xiulian , Xie Bingxin , Liao Xiaohui , Ai Zhu , Li Xin
Published: December 2020

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disease with high morbidity among elderly people. A genetic attribution has been extensively proved. Here, we propose to further prioritize genes that harbor single nucleotide variation (SNV) or structural variation (SV) for AD and explore the underlying potential mechanisms through exploiting their expression and methylation spectra. A high-confidence AD-associated candidate gene list was obtained from the ClinVar and Human Gene Mutation Database (HGMD). Genome-wide methylation and expression profiles of AD and normal subjects were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Through comprehensive comparison of expression and methylation levels between AD and normal samples, as well as different stages of AD samples, SORL1 was identified as the most plausible gene for AD incidence and progression. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) revealed significant activation of the ABC (ATP binding cassette) transporter with the aberrant up-regulation of SORL1 within AD samples. This study unfolds the expression and methylation spectra of previously probed genes with SNV or SV in AD for the first time, and reports an aberrant activation of the ABC transporter pathway that might contribute to AD progression. This should shed some light on AD diagnosis and precision treatment.
Safflower injection inhibits pulmonary arterial remodeling in a monocrotaline-induced pulmonary arterial hypertension rat model
Authors: Chen Aifeng , Ding Shibiao , Kong Liangliang , Xu Jianpu , He Fei , Ru Chuhui , Lin Xu’ai
Published: December 2020

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a group of diseases with an increase of pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) and pulmonary vascular resistance. Here, the effects of safflower injection, a preparation of Chinese herbs, was investigated in a monocrotaline (MCT)-induced PAH rat model. PAP, carotid artery pressure (CAP), and the right ventricular hypertrophy index (RVHI) increased in the PAH group, while safflower injection was able to inhibit this increase to similar levels as observed in the normal group. The arteriole wall of the lungs and cardiac muscle were thickened and edema was observed in the PAH group, while these pathologies were improved in the herb-treated group in a dose-dependent manner. MCT treatment induced proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs), which was inhibited by safflower injection in a dose-dependent manner. Our experimental results demonstrated that safflower injection can regulate pulmonary arterial remodeling through affecting the expression of connective tissue growth factor, transforming growth factor-β, integrin, collagen or fibronectin, which subsequently affected the thicknesses of the arteriole walls of the lungs and cardiac muscle, and thereby benefits the control of PAH. This means safflower injection improved the abnormalities in PAP, CAP and RVHI, and pulmonary arterial remodeling through regulation of remodeling factors.
Prevalence of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, Bother, and Risk Factors and Knowledge of the Pelvic Floor Muscles in Norwegian Male and Female Powerlifters and Olympic Weightlifters
Authors: Skaug Kristina Lindquist , Engh Marie Ellström , Frawley Helena , Bø Kari
Published: December 2020

Skaug, KL, Bø, K, Engh, ME, and Frawley, H. Prevalence of pelvic floor dysfunction, bother, and risk factors and knowledge of the pelvic floor muscles in Norwegian male and female powerlifters and Olympic weightlifters. J Strength Cond Res 36(10): 2800–2807, 2022—Strenuous exercise has been suggested as a risk factor of pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD). Powerlifters and Olympic weightlifters compete with high external loads. To date, knowledge of PFD in these athletes has been sparse. The aim of this study was to investigate prevalence, risk factors, and bother of PFD in powerlifters and Olympic weightlifters and their knowledge of the pelvic floor muscles (PFM). All athletes aged ≥18 years competing in ≥1 National Championship in powerlifting or Olympic weightlifting in 2018/2019 were invited. The International Consensus on Incontinence Questionnaires were used to assess PFD. One hundred eighty women and 204 men participated. The prevalence of urinary incontinence (UI), anal incontinence (AI), and pelvic organ prolapse in women was 50.0, 80.0, and 23.3%, respectively. Stress UI (SUI) was reported by 41.7% of the women and 87.8% reported a negative influence on sport performance. The prevalence of UI and AI in men was 9.3 and 61.8%. In women, increasing body mass index was significantly associated with SUI (odds ratio [OR]: 1.09, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01–1.17) and international level of competition (OR: 3.27, 95% CI: 1.32–8.07) and weightlifting ≥4 d·wk−1 (OR: 0.26, 95% CI: 0.08–0.86) with AI. In men, increasing age (OR: 1.03, 95% CI: 1.00–1.07) and frequently straining to void (OR: 4.84, 95% CI: 1.02–22.94) were significantly associated with AI. Forty-three percent of the women and 74% of the men did not know why and 44.4 and 72.5% how to train the PFM. In conclusion, the prevalence of PFD was high, and the athletes had limited knowledge of the PFM.
Constraint Deformation Behavior of Sand-EPS Beads Mixture Using Discrete Element Modeling (DEM)
Authors: Tizpa Parichehr , Jamshidi Chenari Reza , Farrokhi Farhang
Published: December 2020

Lightweight composite materials are increasingly used in geotechnical engineering projects. This paper presents experimental and numerical investigations on the compressibility characteristics and “at-rest” lateral earth pressure of the mixture of expanded polystyrene (EPS) beads and some virtual steel pellets that are completely rounded particulates. The mixtures were prepared by adding EPS beads to the steel pellets at 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5 % by weight. The experiments were carried out using two types of oedometers: the standard Casagrande and a tall oedometer apparatus. The discrete element modeling (DEM), in turn, is conducted to simulate the compressibility characteristics and “at-rest” lateral earth pressure of the EPS composite particulates using the open-source framework YADE. To this end, the mechanical parameters of different constituents are calibrated based on the direct shear experiments on the pure steel and EPS beads. Comparison of the experimental and numerical results illustrates that the DEM model can properly predict the compression and lateral earth pressure behavior of the mixtures of EPS beads and sand.
A Large-Scale True Triaxial Apparatus with Rigid-Flexible-Flexible Boundary for Granular Materials
Authors: Shao Shengjun , Wang Yongxin , Shao Shuai
Published: December 2020

The true triaxial apparatus is applied to test the deformation properties of coarse soil under three principal stress loadings without mutual interference. In this paper, based on the true triaxial apparatus mechanism under a vertical rigid boundary and an orthogonal two-direction flexible boundary on the horizontal plane loading, the small-scale true triaxial instrument with a specimen size of 70 by 70 by 70 mm and 70 by 70 by 140 mm is further developed into a large-scale true triaxial instrument with a specimen size of 300 by 300 by 600 mm. The two characteristics of the chamber loading mechanism are the adjacent flexible hydraulic capsule isolated by the balance plate device and servo hydraulic loading with Proportional-Integral-Differential (PID) closed control algorithm. The problem of mutual interference between two orthogonal flexible capsules on the horizontal plane is solved by using the isolation balance plate device. PID closed control optimization algorithm is used to solve the stability problem of an automatic control system. Finally, to verify the effectiveness and accuracy of a large-scale true triaxial instrument, a series of coarse soil tests were carried out to investigate the strength and deformation characteristics of geotechnical materials.
Comparison of the Effects of Clay Modeling & Cat Cadaver Dissection on High School Students’ Outcomes & Attitudes in a Human Anatomy Course
Authors: Grigg Emma K. , Hart Lynette A. , Moffett Jenny
Published: December 2020

Increasing public concern over the use of animal dissection in education is driving development and testing of alternatives to animal use. Clay modeling has proven successful in achieving comparable or superior learning at postsecondary levels, but it has not yet been tested at secondary levels. This study tested the effectiveness and appeal of clay models vs. cat cadaver dissection in teaching human anatomy to high school students. Student performance on a content knowledge assessment increased following both the model and dissection laboratories. The use of clay models produced better short-term learning outcomes in human anatomy for high school students than the use of cat dissection techniques, although this improvement was not retained in students’ final examination scores. Students found the clay models both useful and enjoyable. Overall, the majority of students chose dissection as the preferred technique; however, after the laboratory exercises, the proportion of students who chose dissection decreased, for both the clay modeling and cat dissection laboratory sections. In the clay modeling group, the proportion of students expressing preference for clay modeling was slightly higher than the proportion preferring cat dissection.
Planarian Regeneration
Authors: Bierema Andrea M.-K.
Published: December 2020

There are benefits to both laboratory exercises and scientific modeling, and connecting the two may allow for deeper understanding and interest. Laboratory exercises provide students with opportunities to experience phenomena, but without scientific modeling, students may still lack understanding of the mechanisms at play. This article describes an example of how a traditional laboratory exercise on planarian regeneration is enhanced with a modeling activity on cell signaling.
Metrical Restoration From Local and Global Melodic Cues
Authors: Creel Sarah C.
Published: December 2020

What factors influence listeners’ perception of meter in a musical piece or a musical style? Many cues are available in the musical “surface,” i.e., the pattern of sounds physically present during listening. Models of meter processing focus on the musical surface. However, percepts of meter and other musical features may also be shaped by reactivation of previously heard music, consistent with exemplar accounts of memory. The current study explores a phenomenon that is here termed metrical restoration: listeners who hear melodies with ambiguous meters report meter preferences that match previous listening experiences in the lab, suggesting reactivation of those experiences. Previous studies suggested that timbre and brief rhythmic patterns may influence metrical restoration. However, variations in the magnitude of effects in different experiments suggest that other factors are at work. Experiments reported here explore variation in metrical restoration as a function of: melodic diversity in timbre and tempo, associations of rhythmic patterns with particular melodies and meters, and associations of meter with overall melodic form. Rhythmic patterns and overall melodic form, but not timbre, had strong influences. Results are discussed with respect to style-specific or culture-specific musical processing, and everyday listening experiences. Implications for models of musical memory are also addressed.
All Eyes on Me
Authors: Küssner Mats B. , Van Dyck Edith , Burger Birgitta , Moelants Dirk , Vansteenkiste Pieter
Published: December 2020

Duo musicians exhibit a broad variety of bodily gestures, but it is unclear how soloists’ and accompanists’ movements differ and to what extent they attract observers’ visual attention. In Experiment 1, seven musical duos’ body movements were tracked while they performed two pieces in two different conditions. In a congruent condition, soloist and accompanist behaved according to their expected musical roles; in an incongruent condition, the soloist behaved as accompanist and vice versa. Results revealed that behaving as soloist, regardless of the condition, led to more, smoother, and faster head and shoulder movements over a larger area than behaving as accompanist. Moreover, accompanists in the incongruent condition moved more than soloists in the congruent condition. In Experiment 2, observers watched videos of the duo performances with and without audio, while eye movements were tracked. Observers looked longer at musicians behaving as soloists compared to musicians behaving as accompanists, independent of their respective musical role. This suggests that visual attention was allocated to the most salient visuo-kinematic cues (i.e., expressive bodily gestures) rather than the most salient musical cues (i.e., the solo part). Findings are discussed regarding auditory-motor couplings and theories of motor control as well as auditory-visual integration and attention.
Ethics for Development Research
Authors: Keahey Jennifer
Published: December 2020

Development ethics emerged as a joint critique of economic development research and practice, giving rise to three alternative traditions: human development, sustainable development, and participatory development. The ethical issues surrounding the mainstreaming of these schools have implications for investigators. In this article, I revisit the transformative values at the root of these traditions to articulate common research principles for an international and interdisciplinary field. Ethicists are asking development researchers to deliver actionable and multiparadigmatic understanding by improving measures, aligning values and approaches, and decolonizing knowledge. While these emerging research models can strengthen development relevancy and impact, they are challenging to facilitate and vulnerable to elite co-optation. Not only should the production of knowledge be rigorous and accurate, but scholars also have a responsibility to query power and embrace difference. The principles presented in this article comprise a set of shared values that may be used as a practical guide for planning, conducting, and evaluating development research across methods, topics, and disciplines.
Evaluating Informal Politics in Mexico City
Authors: Schmidt Steven
Published: December 2020

The rise of participatory democracy in urban Latin America has increased citizen deliberation in local politics, improved access to state officials and given residents greater control over municipal budgets. Simultaneously, welfare state retrenchment across the region has ensured the continued importance of the informal sector in securing citizen livelihoods, including informal political arrangements such as clientelism. Given their documented co-existence, how do informal political strategies operate in this new landscape of formal, local democracy? To answer this question, this article analyzes 21 semi-structured interviews with urbanists in Mexico City who evaluate the informal tactics of two groups that mobilize through participatory democratic initiatives: street vendor unions and white collar neighborhood councils. Urbanists regularly denounce informal, corporatist-clientelistic political strategies when they are used by street vendor groups. However, when deployed by white collar neighborhood councils, these tactics are tolerated and even celebrated. The differential reception of informal political tactics by city officials draws attention to how they construct the legitimacy or illegitimacy of informal political action. I argue that considering legitimacy adds a new analytical category to studies of informal politics that captures which groups are able to use informal tactics to advance their claims in local participatory democracy.
MATHEMATICAL MODELLING OF IMMUNE PROCESSES AND ITS APPLICATION
Authors:   Glushkov Institute of Cybernetics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, ARALOVA N. I.
Published: December 2020

The aim of the study was to develop a mathematical model to research hypoxic states in case of simulation of an organism infectious lesions. The model is based on the methods of mathematical modeling and the theory of optimal control of moving objects. The processes of organism damage are simulated with the mathematical model of immune response developed by G.I. Marchuk and the members of his scientific school, adapted to current conditions. This model is based on Burnet’s clone selection theory of the determining role of antigen. Simulation results using the model are presented. The dependencies of infectious courses on the volumetric velocity of systemic blood flow is analyzed on the complex mathematical model of immune response, respiratory and blood circulation systems. The immune system is shown to be rather sensitive to the changes in blood flow via capillaries. Thus, the organ blood flows can be used as parameters for the model by which the respiratory, immune response, and blood circulation systems interact and interplay.
A new species and first record of the genus Solenocentrum (Orchidaceae: Cranichidinae) from Peru
Authors: Damián Alexander , Salazar Gerardo A. , Mitidieri Nicole , Altamirano Saul
Published: December 2020

Solenocentrum oblongum from southern Peru is described and illustrated, representing the first record of this genus for the country. It is similar to Bolivian S. lueri, but can be distinguished by its oblong, sub-pandurate labellum (vs. triangular to sagittate) with rounded base (vs. sagittate), glabrous margins (vs. densely ciliate) and slender oblong calli (vs. broadly ovate). Line drawings of labellum outlines and an identification key to the four accepted species of Solenocentrumare provided.

Key Words: Andes, Bolivia, Cusco, Pseudocentrum, Solenocentrum lueri
Prevalence and molecular epidemiology of ceftaroline non-susceptible methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates, first clinical report from Iran
Authors: Khoshbayan Amin , Shariati Aref , Ghaznavi-Rad Ehsanollah , van Belkum Alex , Darban-Sarokhalil Davood
Published: December 2020

Background

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the major pathogens in Iran with a high prevalence and a high level of antibiotic resistance. Ceftaroline is a fifth generation cephalosporin binding and inhibiting penicillin binding protein (PBP2a).

Methods

In the present study, 228 clinical MRSA isolates were collected from four cities of Iran and their susceptibility to ceftaroline was evaluated by E-test and the disk diffusion method.

Results

Our results showed a high susceptibility rate (97.3%) to ceftaroline in MRSA strains from Iran. Six isolates were found to be ceftaroline non-susceptible (CPT-NS) with Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ≥2 µg/mL. All CPT-NS isolates were isolated from blood and tracheal aspirate and belonged to SCCmec type III as well as agr type I and were all susceptible to vancomycin. Out of six isolates, three, two and one belonged to spa type t030, t4864, and t969, respectively. Vancomycin, quinupristin/dalfopristin, linezolid, chloramphenicol, and tigecycline were the most active agents against CPT-NS isolates.

Conclusion

Due to the broad-spectrum activity and low toxicity of ceftaroline as well as the increased rate of vancomycin resistance among MRSA strains in recent years, ceftaroline can be considered as a novel approach to treat MRSA-induced infections.
Identification and antifungal susceptibility of Saprochaete clavata from invasive infections in Turkey
Authors: Özkaya Esra , Tosun İlknur , Tüfekçİ Enİs Fuat , Buruk Celal Kurtuluş , Kaklıkkaya Neşe , Aydın Faruk
Published: December 2020

Saprochaete clavata is an emerging opportunistic pathogen, that causes life-threatening infections, but there are limited evidence and information about the evaluation of in vitro antifungal susceptibility test results. The aim of this study was to determine S. clavata isolates from clinical specimens and to investigate their in vitro antifungal susceptibility. S. clavata was identified by API ID20C AUX (BioMérieux, Brussels, Belgium), MALDI TOF (Bruker Daltonik, Germany), and ITS gene region sequencing. In vitro susceptibility tests were performed using Sensititre YeastOne (TREK Diagnostic System, East Grinstead, UK). During the study period, 4,736 fungi were isolated from various clinical samples and, S. clavata was identified in eight patients with underlying diseases namely, pancreatic neoplasma, acute myeloid leukaemie, follicular lymphoma, cholelithiasis. Anidulafungin and micafungin minimum inhibitory concentration values were 1–2 and 1–4 mg/L, respectively, while those of the azole group antifungals were much lower. This is the first study in Turkey reporting isolation, identification and antifungal susceptibilities of S. clavata from clinical specimens. Higher MIC values seen in some isolates suggest that continuous monitoring of sensitivity rates and observation of regional differences will thus be useful guides in determining infection control and antifungal use policies.
Across 20 Years: A Bibliometric Analysis of the Journal’s Publication Output Between 2000 and 2020
Authors: Károly Krisztina , Winkler Bea , Kiszl Péter
Published: December 2020

This article offers an overview of the birth and the publication output of Across Languages and Cultures: A Multidisciplinary Journal for Translation and Interpreting Studies spanning the period between 2000 and the present day. It presents the circumstances and the aims of its creation and, based on the results of a thorough bibliometric analysis, it reveals how the journal has evolved into a Q1 international journal of Translation Studies through publishing individual as well as collaborative research conducted internationally. The analyses present the activity of the journal dominantly (but not exclusively) in ﬁgures, relating to the number and the lengths of the articles it publishes, its authorship, the countries where its authors work and its citations. The second part of the study reveals the main focuses, themes and languages of inquiry as reﬂected by the most frequently used words and expressions in the titles, abstracts and the lists of keywords of the articles. The paper ends by demonstrating the ways in which the journal has contributed to furthering and shaping translation research in Hungary, Europe and worldwide.
Phrase Frames as an Exploratory Tool for Studying English-to-Polish Translation Patterns: A Descriptive Corpus-Based Study
Authors: Grabowski Łukasz
Published: December 2020

Designed as a proof-of-concept, this descriptive corpus-based study focuses on the concept of phrase frame, deﬁned as a contiguous sequence of n words identical except for one (Fletcher 2002). Although phrase frames were already used as a means of exploring pattern variability across and within different text types or registers written in English, they have been rarely, if ever, employed so far as a unit of analysis in descriptive research on translation. In this study, we use the English‒Polish parallel corpus Paralela (Pęzik 2016) to identify and describe Polish translation patterns that emerge from two functionally-deﬁned English phrase frames (it is * clear that, it is * difﬁcult to ). The ﬁndings provided insights into language in use in English-to-Polish translation, which revealed that the Polish equivalents are realized with a high degree of regularity and can be generalized into syntagmatic patterns similar to phrase frames. We also obtained valuable cross-linguistic insights into corresponding syntagmatic structures in English and Polish.