bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Boosting return to work after breast cancer: The mediator role of perceived emotional intelligence
Authors: Gómez‐Molinero Rocío , Guil Rocío
Published: August 2020

Objective

This study aimed to explore work ability (WA) in breast cancer (BC) survivors and to examine the mechanism by which perceived emotional intelligence (PEI) acts as a covitality factor that preserves WA and promotes the return to work in this clinical population.

Methods

The sample was composed of 622 women divided into two groups: BC survivors (6.75%) and healthy controls (93.25%). Participants completed the Work Ability Index and Trait‐Meta‐Mood Scales. Descriptive statistical and serial mediation analyses were conducted to explore the mechanism by which PEI influences the relationship between BC survivors and WA.

Results

Preliminary descriptive analysis showed that BC survivors displayed lower levels of WA than healthy controls. The overall serial mediation analysis revealed that BC and PEI predicted 35.4% of the variance of WA. The direct effects showed that BC and age decrease WA. Regarding PEI, our results indicated that emotional clarity and mood repair lead to higher WA, while emotional attention decreased the ability to work in both, the BC sample and healthy controls. The mediation analysis revealed that WA could be preserved in BC survivors by an indirect effect through mood repair.

Conclusions

Our findings support previous research demonstrating that BC patients have lower levels of WA compared to healthy controls. This study highlighted the relevance of PEI as a covitality factor that enhances WA. Our research offers vital support for the need to improve emotional competences in BC patients to increase WA levels and return to work odds.
SINGV: A convective‐scale weather forecast model for Singapore
Authors: Dipankar Anurag , Webster Stuart , Sun Xiangming , Sanchez Claudio , North Rachel , Furtado Kalli , Wilkinson Jonathan , Lock Adrian , Vosper Simon , Huang Xiang‐Yu , Barker Dale
Published: August 2020

Numerical weather prediction (NWP) capabilities in the Maritime Continent are not as developed as in the midlatitudes. Countries in the region do not develop their own modelling systems; rather they adapt models primarily developed for the midlatitudes. Due to the complexity of processes involved in the region, this adaptation is non‐trivial. In this article the developments made by the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) and the United Kingdom Met Office (UKMO) to implement a convective‐scale NWP system for short‐range weather prediction for Singapore and the surrounding regions are presented. In particular, this article describes the changes to the initial model configuration, which was based on the UKMO's convective‐scale NWP system (the UKV), to produce operational forecasts over this region. Results presented here demonstrate the benefit of convection‐permitting simulations over convection parametrized simulations and show that the model performance is greatly affected by the choice of driving model, the cloud scheme, and the turbulence scheme.
The KOALA program: Wavefunction frozen‐density embedding
Authors: Höfener Sebastian
Published: August 2020

The KOALA program is presented, and its capabilities are discussed. KOALA is an ab initio code that uses Gaussian‐type basis sets with a focus on a treatment of wavefunction embedding methods, for which all subsystems can be relaxed with their corresponding wavefunction density. Among the key features of the program is a Davidson solver that is capable of treating, for example, both linear response for coupled‐cluster methods and density functional theory, as well as solving the Z‐vector equations for orbital‐relaxed ground‐state and excited‐state molecular properties. This solver is combined with frozen‐density embedding, which circumvents the problem of the steep scaling of conventional supermolecular correlation methods, enabling the computation of anisotropic environment effects without using semiempirical methods. A brief theoretical overview is given, and case studies for which the program could be used are discussed, as well as the efficiency for systems containing a total of hundreds of atoms, which can be divided into smaller subsystems.
The magnetic binary lithium clusters W2Lin (n = 15‐19): A theoretical prediction of “di‐superatomic molecules”
Authors: Yan Lijuan
Published: August 2020

Based on the super valence bond (SVB) model, a motif of face‐sharing bi‐tetrahexahedral superatomic molecules M1M2@Li20 (M1/M2 = Ti and W) was recently constructed by fusion of two tetrahexahedral superatoms Ti@Li14 and W@Li14. Here, as an extension of the formation of molecules from superatoms, binary lithium clusters W2Lin (n = 14‐19) are studied in conjunction with particle swarm optimization algorithm search and density functional theory calculations. The lowest‐lying isomers of W2Lin (n = 15‐19) with the magnetic moments of 0 to 3 μB are identified as superatomic molecules by analysis of their molecular orbitals and chemical bonding patterns, whereas the global minimum isomer of W2Li14 does not possess the geometric structure of monomer. Via a lithium atom sequentially removed, a series of superatomic bond orders of 3, 3.5, 4, and 4.5 are exposed, reminiscent of classical chemical bonds. Meanwhile, many isosupermolecules are found in the low‐energy structures, predicting the diversity assembly of superatom materials. Our results highlight the tremendous opportunities for molecules assembled by superatoms, which may be in favor of the designs of nanoparticles or functional materials in future according to the SVB model.
Embedding spanning subgraphs in uniformly dense and inseparable graphs
Authors: Ebsen Oliver , Maesaka Giulia S. , Reiher Christian , Schacht Mathias , Schülke Bjarne
Published: August 2020

We consider sufficient conditions for the existence of kth powers of Hamiltonian cycles in n‐vertex graphs G with minimum degree for arbitrarily small . About 20 years ago Komlós, Sarközy, and Szemerédi resolved the conjectures of Pósa and Seymour and obtained optimal minimum degree conditions for this problem by showing that suffices for large n. For smaller values of the given graph G must satisfy additional assumptions. We show that inducing subgraphs of density d > 0 on linear subsets of vertices and being inseparable, in the sense that every cut has density at least , are sufficient assumptions for this problem and, in fact, for a variant of the bandwidth theorem. This generalizes recent results of Staden and Treglown.
Cellulose Fibrils Extracted from Bamboo Chips as a Reinforcing Material for Prolonged Drug Release
Authors: Yan Guihua , Feng Yunchao , Wang Huiqiang , Sun Yong , Tang Xing , Zeng Xianhai , Lin Lu
Published: August 2020

Despite significant improvements in the intelligent delivery of drugs, the search for drug carriers with low cost and long‐term sustainable release still faces enormous challenges. In this study this issue was addressed for porous cellulose‐based aerogels by developing a Temperature/pH stimuli‐responsive carrier for drug controlled release. The prepared aerogels exhibited a smart 3D network with large specific surface area (112.6 m2 g−1) that facilitated the loading and transport of drug molecules. The aerogels were highly responsive to both temperature and pH in aqueous solution, which acted as a good switch for the molecular to control the release by adjusting the solution parameters. Moreover, the cell cytotoxicity and acute oral toxicity tests did not cause specific reactions and showed excellent biocompatibility. The simple manufacturing process, reversible drug release performance as well as the excellent biocompatibility make it a promising candidate for drug delivery.
Usability implications in software architecture: The case study of a mobile app
Authors: Capilla Rafael , Kazman Rick , Romera Carlos , Carrillo Carlos
Published: August 2020

Usability is a highly desired but often ignored software quality. Effective user interfaces tend to increase learnability, effectiveness and user satisfaction. But usability is often neglected in the early stages of software development and is thus frequently not address in a system's architectural design. Furthermore, because usability is often neglected or deferred, it is difficult to estimate the effort specifically spent on adding or improving usability mechanisms in the software architecture and in code. In this work, we present a case study where we analyze the impact of introducing a variety of usability mechanisms to a mobile application and we report on the architectural changes that must be made in the software architecture to accommodate them. We also report on the additional code required to implement these usability mechanisms and we investigate the users' satisfaction of combining and using several usability mechanisms in a mobile application. Finally, we evaluated user responses—both positive and negatives—to these usability mechanisms via a questionnaire involving 25 users from different roles and different organizations and including contextual interviews to analyze the qualitative responses of the subjects. Our results show that apart from the relatively modest modeling and coding effort, the combination of several usability mechanisms seems beneficial for users of mobile systems and increases the satisfaction during the interaction with the system.
Framing Atmospheres: Goffman, Space, and Music in Everyday Life
Authors: de la Fuente Eduardo , Walsh Michael James
Published: August 2020

In this article, we synthesize Goffman's microsociology with recent developments in fields such as aesthetics, geography, and urban studies labeled “atmosphere theory.” Our central rationale is if microsociology is to deepen its account of embodiment and the noncognitive it needs a theory of spatialized moods. In the second half, we develop our synthesis with respect to musical atmospheres and conclude by drawing on our own research regarding how social actors use music to shape “involvements” and “disinvolvements” in the spatial ambiances of public transportation, the street, the workplace, and the home.
Responding to Informational Texts Across the Efferent–Aesthetic Continuum in Preschool
Authors: Robinson Ariel
Published: August 2020

The author compared preschool teachers’ and students’ responses to informational texts (nonfiction) as they read together in small groups. Drawing from reader response theory, similarities and differences were found in teachers’ and students’ reading behaviors. Teachers took a predominantly efferent stance toward the texts because the teachers’ primary purposes were to provide students with information on topics of interest and to expose students to academic vocabulary and content. Conversely, students moved fluidly along the efferent–aesthetic continuum as they sought information, engaged in perspective taking, and responded with strong emotions and through dramatic interpretation. Based on these findings, teachers might reflect on their past experiences and reactions to informational texts so they can widen their own repertoires of response and encourage students to respond in a wide variety of ways during read‐alouds.
Tests of Seiberg-like dualities in three dimensions
Authors: Kapustin Anton , Willett Brian , Yaakov Itamar
Published: August 2020

Abstract

We use localization techniques to study several duality proposals for supersymmetric gauge theories in three dimensions reminiscent of Seiberg duality. We compare the partition functions of dual theories deformed by real mass terms and FI parameters. We find that Seiberg-like duality for$$ \mathcal{N} $$N= 3 Chern-Simons gauge theories proposed by Giveon and Kutasov holds on the level of partition functions and is closely related to level-rank duality in pure Chern-Simons theory. We also clarify the relationship between the Giveon-Kutasov duality and a duality in theories of fractional M2 branes and propose a generalization of the latter. Our analysis also confirms previously known results concerning decoupled free sectors in$$ \mathcal{N} $$N= 4 gauge theories realized by monopole operators.
Private money-making indulgence and inefficiency of primary healthcare in Nigeria: a qualitative study of health workers’ absenteeism
Authors: Agwu Prince , Ogbozor Pamela , Odii Aloysius , Orjiakor Charles , Onwujekwe Obinna
Published: August 2020

Objectives

Generating additional personal income is common with primary healthcare (PHC) workforce in Nigeria, which could be because of the inconsistencies marring their monthly salaries. Therefore, this study investigates the drivers of private economic activities of PHC providers in the public sector, and the links to absenteeism, as well as inefficiency of PHC facilities in Nigeria.

Methods

A qualitative study design was used to collect data from 30 key-informants using in-depth interviews. They were selected from 5 PHC facilities across three local government areas in Enugu state, south-eastern Nigeria. Data were analysed thematically, and guided by phenomenology.

Results

Findings showed that majority of the health workers were involved in different private money-making activities. A main driver was inconsistencies in salaries, which makes it difficult for them to routinely meet their personal and household needs. As a result, PHC facilities were found less functional.

Conclusions

Absenteeism of PHC providers can be addressed if efforts are made to close justifiable gaps that cause health workers to struggle informally. Such lesson can be instructive to low- and middle-income countries in strengthening their health systems.
Next-generation epidemiology: the role of high-resolution molecular phenotyping in diabetes research
Authors: Franks Paul W. , Pomares-Millan Hugo
Published: August 2020

Epidemiologists have for many decades reported on the patterns and distributions of diabetes within and between populations and have helped to elucidate the aetiology of the disease. This has helped raise awareness of the tremendous burden the disease places on individuals and societies; it has also identified key risk factors that have become the focus of diabetes prevention trials and helped shape public health recommendations. Recent developments in affordable high-throughput genetic and molecular phenotyping technologies have driven the emergence of a new type of epidemiology with a more mechanistic focus than ever before. Studies employing these technologies have identified gene variants or causal loci, and linked these to other omics data that help define the molecular processes mediating the effects of genetic variation in the expression of clinical phenotypes. The scale of these epidemiological studies is rapidly growing; a trend that is set to continue as the public and private sectors invest heavily in omics data generation. Many are banking on this massive volume of diverse molecular data for breakthroughs in drug discovery and predicting sensitivity to risk factors, response to therapies and susceptibility to diabetes complications, as well as the development of disease-monitoring tools and surrogate outcomes. To realise these possibilities, it is essential that omics technologies are applied to well-designed epidemiological studies and that the emerging data are carefully analysed and interpreted. One might view this as next-generation epidemiology, where complex high-dimensionality data analysis approaches will need to be blended with many of the core principles of epidemiological research. In this article, we review the literature on omics in diabetes epidemiology and discuss how this field is evolving.
Modeling heat stress under organic dairy farming conditions in warm temperate climates within the Mediterranean basin
Authors: Blanco-Penedo Isabel , Velarde Antonio , Kipling Richard P. , Ruete Alejandro
Published: August 2020

We studied the effect of heat stress on milk quality in Spanish organic dairy farms using published milk productivity equations. We collected data from 23 weather stations and 14,424 milk test-days for milk yield and milk fat and protein content for the period July 2011 to June 2013. As an indicator of heat stress, we used the maximum daily temperature–humidity index (THI) from 2 days before the milk test date. We fitted the data using hierarchical regression models stratified by farm, cow parity and monthly test-day milk records. The effect of THI was deemed low on biological costs through milk yield. However, the known negative relationship between milk yield and milk quality (protein and fat content) became even steeper when the THI increased, suggesting a significant negative correlation between heat stress and milk quality. Therefore, although the milk yield of cows in the organic farming systems analyzed appeared resilient to heat stress conditions, milk quality, a major selling point for organic dairy products, was negatively affected. The model presented here could be used to predict the potential impacts of different climate change scenarios on dairy farming, and to delineate adaptation strategies within organic systems.
On the dissipation rate of temperature fluctuations in stably stratified flows
Authors: Basu Sukanta , DeMarco Adam W. , He Ping
Published: August 2020

In this study, we explore several integral and outer length scales of turbulence which can be formulated by using the dissipation of temperature fluctuations ($$\chi$$
χ
) and other relevant variables. Our analyses directly lead to simple yet non-trivial parameterizations for both spatially-averaged $$\overline{\chi }$$

χ
¯

and the structure parameter of temperature ($$C_T^2$$

C
T
2

). For our purposes, we make use of high-fidelity data from direct numerical simulations of stratified channel flows.
Environmentally safe release of plant available potassium and micronutrients from organically amended rock mineral powder
Authors: Basak B. B. , Sarkar Binoy , Naidu Ravi
Published: August 2020

The staggering production of rock dusts and quarry by-products of mining activities poses an immense environmental burden that warrants research for value-added recycling of these rock mineral powders (RMP). In this study, an incubation experiment was conducted to determine potassium (K) and micronutrients (Zn, Cu, Fe and Mn) release from a quarry RMP to support plant nutrition. Four different size fractions of the RMP were incubated with organic amendments (cow dung and legume straw) under controlled conditions for 90 days. Samples were collected at different intervals (7, 15, 30, 45, 60 and 90 days) for the analysis of available K and micronutrients in the mineral-OM mixtures and leachates. There was a significant (p <0.05) increase in pH of leachates from the mineral-OM mixtures. The K release was significantly higher from the finer size fraction of RMP. About 18.7% Zn added as RMP was released during the incubation period. Zn release increased from 4.7 to 23.2% as the particle size of RMP decreased. Similarly, Cu release from RMP increased from 2.9 to 21.6%, with a decrease in the particle size. Fe and Mn recovery from RMP recorded 11.2 and 6.6%, respectively. Combined application of OM and RMP showed significantly higher nutrient release than other treatments. This study indicates that effective blending of RMP with organic amendments could be a potential source of K and micronutrients in agriculture without posing a risk of toxic element contamination to the soil.
Deep N fertilizer placement mitigated N2O emissions in a Swedish field trial with cereals
Authors: Rychel Vide , Meurer Katharina H. E. , Börjesson Gunnar , Strömgren Monika , Getahun Gizachew Tarekegn , Kirchmann Holger , Kätterer Thomas
Published: August 2020

Deep fertilizer placement is a proposed strategy to increase crop yield and nitrogen (N) use efficiency while decreasing nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from soil to atmosphere. Our objective was to test three fertilization depth orientations to compare overall N use efficiency, based on a 2-year field trial on a mineral soil cropped with cereals in Uppsala, Sweden. The field was fertilized with ammonium nitrate at a rate of 120 kg ha−1 (2016) and 105 kg ha−1 (2017) and a deep fertilizer placement (DP) at 0.20 m was compared to a shallow placement (SP) at 0.07 m and a mixed-depth placement (MP) where fertilizer was halved between the depths of 0.07 and 0.20 m, and a non-fertilized control (NF). In 2016, compared to SP, MP and DP increased N content in harvested grain by 3.6% and 2.5% respectively, and DP increased grain yield by 11% (P < 0.05). In both years, N2O emissions were similar in DP and NF, whereas SP and MP emissions were similar but generally higher than those in DP and NF. Fertilizer-induced emission factors (EF) for the growing season of 2017 decreased with fertilizer placement depth and were 0.77 ± 0.07, 0.58 ± 0.03, and 0.10 ± 0.02 for SP, MP, and DP, repectively. Although deep N placement benefits are likely dependent on weather conditions and soil type, this strategy has a clear potential for mitigating N2O emissions without adversely affecting yield.
The impact of tropical storms on the accumulation and composition of government debt
Authors: Mohan Preeya , Strobl Eric
Published: August 2020

This paper investigates the impact of tropical storms on government debt accumulation and decomposition. To this end, we combine quarterly debt data and tropical storm loss data for the period 1993–2013 for the Eastern Caribbean. Our econometric results show that damaging storms cause debt to increase up to three quarters after the event, where this increase can be considerable for damaging enough storms. Much of this increase in debt is due to borrowing from foreign lenders by the central government. At the same time, there is also some shifting of the share of debt toward public corporations, although these tend to react more by financing from domestic sources.
Comparative osteoconductivity of bone void fillers with antibiotics in a critical size bone defect model
Authors: Oliver Rema A. , Lovric Vedran , Christou Chris , Walsh William R.
Published: August 2020

The study aimed to evaluate the comparative osteoconductivity of three commercially available bone void fillers containing gentamicin with respect to new bone, growth, host tissue response and resorption of the implant material. Defects were created in the cancellous bone of the distal femur and proximal tibia of 12-skeletally mature sheep and filled with three commercially available bone void fillers containing gentamicin (Stimulan-G, Cerament-G, Herafill-G). Peripheral blood was taken pre-operatively and at the time of implantation, as well as at intermittent timepoints following surgery to determine systemic gentamicin levels (5-,15- and 30- minutes, 1, 2, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48- and 72-hours, 3-, 6- and 12-weeks). Decalcified, embedded samples were stained with haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and used to assess the host tissue response and the formation of new bone in the presence of test implant materials. No adverse reactions were noted at harvest at any time points for any cancellous implantation sites with the various implant materials. Comparative microCT analysis of the Stimulan-G, Cerament-G and Herafill-G test materials revealed a similar increase in bone surface area and volume between animals implanted with Stimulan-G or Cerament-G test materials. Animals implanted with Herafill-G test materials demonstrated the lowest increases in bone volume and surface area of the test materials tested, at levels similar to the negative control sites. By 12-weeks, Stimulan-G defects were completely closed with mature bone and bone marrow whilst the Cerament-G material was still present after 12 weeks by histological examination. In conclusion, this study demonstrated differences in the bone regenerative capacity of a range of bone void fillers in an in vivo setting.
Minimal Non-invertible Maps on the Pseudo-Circle
Authors: Boroński Jan P. , Kennedy Judy , Liu Xiao-Chuan , Oprocha Piotr
Published: August 2020

In this article we show that R.H. Bing’s pseudo-circle admits a minimal non-invertible map. This resolves a conjecture raised by Bruin, Kolyada and Snoha in the negative. The main tool is a variant of the Denjoy–Rees technique, further developed by Béguin–Crovisier–Le Roux, combined with detailed study of the structure of the pseudo-circle. This is the first example of a planar 1-dimensional space that admits both minimal homeomorphisms and minimal noninvertible maps.
The influence of cardiac output on propofol and fentanyl pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in patients undergoing abdominal aortic surgery
Authors: Bienert Agnieszka , Sobczyński Paweł , Młodawska Katarzyna , Hartmann-Sobczyńska Roma , Grześkowiak Edmund , Wiczling Paweł
Published: August 2020

Cardiac output (CO) is expected to affect elimination and distribution of highly extracted and perfusion rate-limited drugs. This work was undertaken to quantify the effect of CO measured by the pulse pressure method on pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of propofol and fentanyl administrated during total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA). The data were obtained from 22 ASA III patients undergoing abdominal aortic surgery. Propofol was administered via target-controlled infusion system (Diprifusor) and fentanyl was administered at a dose of 2–3 µg/kg each time analgesia appeared to be inadequate. Hemodynamic measurements as well as bispectral index were monitored and recorded throughout the surgery. Data analysis was performed by using a non-linear mixed-effect population modeling (NONMEM 7.4 software). Three compartment models that incorporated blood flows as parameters were used to describe propofol and fentanyl pharmacokinetics. The delay of the anesthetic effect, with respect to plasma concentrations, was described using a biophase (effect) compartment. The bispectral index was linked to the propofol and fentanyl effect site concentrations through a synergistic Emax model. An empirical linear model was used to describe CO changes observed during the surgery. Cardiac output was identified as an important predictor of propofol and fentanyl pharmacokinetics. Consequently, it affected the depth of anesthesia and the recovery time after propofol-fentanyl TIVA infusion cessation. The model predicted (not observed) CO values correlated best with measured responses. Patients‘ age was identified as a covariate affecting the rate of CO changes during the anesthesia leading to age-related difference in individual patient’s responses to both drugs.
Effortful Control and Community Violence Exposure as Predictors of Developmental Trajectories of Self-serving Cognitive Distortions in Adolescence: A Growth Mixture Modeling Approach
Authors: Esposito Concetta , Affuso Gaetana , Dragone Mirella , Bacchini Dario
Published: August 2020

Self-serving cognitive distortions are biased or rationalizing beliefs and thoughts that originate from the individual persistence into immature moral judgment stages during adolescence and adulthood, increasing the individual’s engagement in antisocial or immoral conducts. To date, the literature examining trajectories of cognitive distortions over time and their precursors is limited. This study sought to fill this gap, by examining effortful control and community violence exposure as individual and environmental precursors to developmental trajectories of cognitive distortions in adolescence. The sample consisted of 803 Italian high school students (349 males; Mage = 14.19, SD = 0.57). Three trajectories of cognitive distortions were identified: (1) moderately high and stable cognitive distortions (N = 311), (2) moderate and decreasing cognitive distortions (N = 363), and (3) low and decreasing cognitive distortions (N = 129). Both low effortful control and high exposure to community violence were significant predictors for moderately high and stable trajectory of cognitive distortions. These results point to the importance of considering moral development as a process involving multiple levels of individual ecology, highlighting the need to further explore how dispositional and environmental factors might undermine developmental processes of morality.
Interactions of local habitat type, landscape composition and flower availability moderate wild bee communities
Authors: Neumüller Ulrich , Burger Hannah , Krausch Sabrina , Blüthgen Nico , Ayasse Manfred
Published: August 2020

Context

Landscape and local habitat traits moderate wild bee communities. However, whether landscape effects differ between local habitat types is largely unknown.

Objectives

We explored the way that wild bee communities in three distinct habitats are shaped by landscape composition and the availability of flowering plants by evaluating divergences in response patterns between habitats.

Methods

In a large-scale monitoring project across 20 research areas, wild bee data were collected on three habitats: near-natural grassland, established flower plantings and residual habitats (e.g. field margins). Additionally, landscape composition was mapped around the research areas.

Results

Our monitoring produced a dataset of 27,650 bees belonging to 324 species. Bee communities on all three habitats reacted similarly to local flower availability. Intensively managed grassland in the surrounding landscape had an overall negative effect on the studied habitats. Other landscape variables produced diverging response patterns that were particularly pronounced during early and late season. Bee communities in near-natural grassland showed a strong positive response to ruderal areas. Flower plantings and residual habitats such as field margins showed a pronounced positive response to extensively managed grassland and woodland edges. Response patterns regarding bee abundance were consistent with those found for species richness.

Conclusion

We advise the consideration of local habitat type and seasonality when assessing the effect of landscape context on bee communities. A reduction in the intensity of grassland management enhances bee diversity in a broad range of habitats. Moreover, wild bee communities are promoted by habitat types such as ruderal areas or woodland edges.
Vico’s “Scienza Nuova”: Sematology and Thirdness in the Law
Authors: Heritier Paolo
Published: August 2020

Is it the task of legal semiotics or the legal philosophers to define legal semiotics? For the philosopher of law, the question recalls the distinction between philosophers’ philosophy of law and legal scholars’ philosophy of law. The thesis that the paper argues is that a semiotic legal perspective can also be sought from the analysis of anthropological knowledge on the origin of the social bond and society, implying a social and institutional theory of the mind. In the first paragraph, the search for a different kind of rationality emerges from a semiotician, Jürgen Trabant, who analyses semiotically the thought of a rhetorician and philosopher of law, Giambattista Vico. In the second paragraph, the anthropological notion of social bond emerges from the debate on the relationship between the idea of the gift and that of exchange. In the third paragraph, the analysis of the legal notion of thirdness recognizes the central role of myth and fiction in the configuration of the civil world and sign, returning to Vico’s critical view of the philosophy of language as an institution of society.
Do Feeding and Eating Disorders Fit the General Definition of Mental Disorder?
Authors: Amoretti M. Cristina
Published: August 2020

This paper aims at considering the conceptual status of feeding and eating disorders (FEDs). Now that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) has changed the classification and some relevant criteria of FEDs, it is particularly relevant to evaluate their psychiatric framework and their status as mental disorders. I focus my efforts on addressing only one specific question: Do FEDs fit the DSM-5 general definition of mental disorder? In DSM-5 a mental disorder is defined as a syndrome that reflects adysfunctionand is usually associated with significantdistress or disability. More importantly, there is an explicit statement saying thatallmental disorders listed in the manual must meet the requirements highlighted by the general definition. Thus, I evaluate whether or not FEDs are really meant to reflect a dysfunction and are usually associated with significant distress or disability.
Population increase and synurbization of the yellow-necked mouse Apodemus flavicollis in some wooded areas of Warsaw agglomeration, Poland, in the years 1983–2018
Authors: Lesiński Grzegorz , Gryz Jakub , Krauze-Gryz Dagny , Stolarz Przemysław
Published: August 2020

Studies on the contribution of the yellow-necked mouse Apodemus flavicollis and of other vertebrates to the diet of the tawny owl Strix aluco were carried out in Warsaw (central Poland) in the years 1983–2018. The frequency of the yellow-necked mouse in owl pellets increased at the break of the 20th and 21st centuries, particularly in some woodlands in the peri-urban area of the agglomeration. In the second half of the first decade of the twenty-first century, this mouse species colonised a park in the city centre. The yellow-necked mouse may become an important competitor for the synurbic population of the striped field mouse Apodemus agrarius.
Conflicting Judgments and Weakness of Will
Authors: Heinzelmann Nora
Published: August 2020

This paper shows that our popular account of weakness of will is inconsistent with dilemmas. In dilemmas, agents judge that they ought to do one thing, that they ought to do something else, and that they cannot do both. They must act against either of their two judgments. But such action is commonly understood as weakness of will. An agent is weak-willed in doing something if she judges that she ought to and could do something else instead. Thus, it seems that, in a dilemma, the agent is weak-willed by definition. But this is puzzling: clearly, the two are different phenomena. The puzzle may support scepticism about weakness of will or dilemmas. Here, I argue that the two are consistent on a revised understanding of weakness of will. To do so, I further distinguish the mental states of an agent in a dilemma from those of a weak-willed person.
Advancing Global Health Equity in the COVID-19 Response: Beyond Solidarity
Authors: Johnson Stephanie B.
Published: August 2020

In the coming weeks and months SARS-CoV-2 may ravage countries with weak health systems and populations disproportionately affected by HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and other infectious diseases. Without safeguards and proper attention to global health equity and justice, the effects of this pandemic are likely to exacerbate existing health and socio-economic inequalities. This paper argues that achieving global health equity in the context of COVID-19 will require that notions of reciprocity and relational equity are introduced to the response.
Location privacy-preserving in online taxi-hailing services
Authors: Shen Xiaoying , Wang Licheng , Pei Qingqi , Liu Yuan , Li Miaomiao
Published: August 2020

Online taxi-hailing has become people’s most popular trip mode due to its convenience and low cost. However, it also poses a privacy threat to passengers and drivers, since the online taxi-hailing service providers are able to track their precise mobility trajectories. In addition, there is a certain time delay between the time of a passenger makes a request and the time of the driver arrives the passenger’s boarding position in current online taxi-hailing system. To solve these two problems, we present a new and efficient location privacy protection scheme based on the MinHash algorithm (LPPM). With the LPPM, the exact positions of passengers and drivers are generalized into a set of points of interest around them, and the distance between them is transformed into the similarity between the two sets. Thus a service provider can efficiently match passengers and drivers by using MinHash algorithm without revealing their specific location information. In this paper, we use mobile edge computing technology in the online taxi-hailing system to address the second challenge. It can speed up data processing, drivers can make decisions in advance and reduce the possibility of road congestion. Security analysis shows that LPPM has high security, and the final experimental results confirmed that LPPM is effective.
Coastal Impacts, Recovery, and Resilience Post-Hurricane Sandy in the Northeastern US
Authors: Babson Amanda L. , Bennett Richard O. , Adamowicz Susan , Stevens Sara
Published: August 2020

Post-Hurricane Sandy research has improved our understanding of coastal resilience during major storm events, accelerated sea level rise, and other climate-related factors, helping to enhance science-based decision-making, restoration, and management of coastal systems. The central question this special section examines is: “looking across the breadth of research, natural resource management actions and restoration projects post-Hurricane Sandy, what can we say about coastal impact, recovery, and resilience to prepare for increasing impacts of future storms?” These five studies, along with lessons from other published and unpublished research, advance our understanding beyond just the documentation of hurricane impacts but also highlights both natural and managed recovery, thereby advancing the developing field of coastal resilience.
On the Universal Unfolding of Vector Fields in One Variable: A Proof of Kostov’s Theorem
Authors: Klimeš Martin , Rousseau Christiane
Published: August 2020

In this note we present variants of Kostov’s theorem on a versal deformation of a parabolic point of a complex analytic 1-dimensional vector field. First we provide a self-contained proof of Kostov’s theorem, together with a proof that this versal deformation is indeed universal. We then generalize to the real analytic and formal cases, where we show universality, and to the $${\mathcal {C}}^\infty $$

C

∞

case, where we show that only versality is possible.
Spatio-temporal evolution characteristics of precipitation in the north and south of Qin-ba Mountain area in recent 43 years
Authors: Cheng Zhigang , Chen Xiaoxiao , Zhang Yueyue , Jin Liya
Published: August 2020

Using the daily precipitation data at 89 stations during 1975–2017 in the Qin-ba Mountain area, variation characteristics of different-grade precipitation in the north and south of the Qin-ba Mountain area are analyzed by the linear regression, Mann-Kendall test, and correlation analysis, based on the precipitation grade classification standard proposed by Dai Aiguo and the division of the geo-ecological boundary in mountain range presented by Kang Muyi. The results are as follows: (1) Light rain occurs most frequently, and the percentage of light rain in the north is twice that of the southern region. Rainstorms are the most rare. Precipitation above 800 mm mainly occurs south of the study area, and the result is consistent with the boundary between the north and south of the precipitation. (2) The beginning of precipitation mainly occurs in early April. The high precipitation concentration (PCD) in the north is an important reason for the debris flow disaster. The north-south precipitation concentration period (PCP) is about 1 month ahead of the central part. (3) In the past 43 years, the overall precipitation in the Qin-ba Mountain area has shown a decreasing trend, with the frequency of light rain and the percentage of heavy rain decreasing year by year. (4) The frequency of light rain is negatively correlated with other frequencies. In addition, the fewer days of precipitation, the later the precipitation concentration period (PCP) occurs, which means that the disaster occurs later.
Early Determinants of Work Disability in an International Perspective
Authors: Börsch-Supan Axel , Bucher-Koenen Tabea , Hanemann Felizia
Published: August 2020

This study explores the interrelated roles of health and welfare state policies in the decision to take up disability insurance (DI) benefits due to work disability (WD), defined as the (partial) inability to engage in gainful employment as a result of physical or mental illness. We exploit the large international variation of health, self-reported WD, and the uptake of DI benefits in the United States and Europe using a harmonized data set with life history information assembled from SHARE, ELSA, and HRS. We find that the mismatch between WD and DI benefit receipt varies greatly across countries. Objective health explains a substantial share of the within-country variation in DI, but this is not the case for the variation across countries. Rather, most of the variation between countries and the mismatches are explained by differences in DI policies.
Radium-223 voor gemetastaseerd castratieresistent prostaatcarcinoom: stand van zaken en toekomstperspectief
Authors: Wyndaele Dirk N. J.
Published: August 2020

Samenvatting

Het arsenaal aan levensverlengende systemische behandelingen voor gemetastaseerd castratieresistent prostaatcarcinoom (mCRPC) is de afgelopen jaren uitgebreid met radium-223 (Ra-223), abirateron, enzalutamide en cabazitaxel. Ra-223 is sinds 2013 in de Europese Unie als Targeted alpha Therapy (TaT) geregistreerd voor de behandeling van patiënten met mCRPC met symptomatische botmetastasen. Recente aanbevelingen van een Europese expertgroep voor de optimale inzet van alle levensverlengende behandelopties voor mCRPC geven aan dat Ra-223 een relevante optie is voor de tweede- en derdelijnsbehandeling na androgeenreceptorremmers en/of docetaxel. Dit overzichtsartikel vat deze aanbevelingen samen. Tevens wordt de praktijkervaring beschreven die de afgelopen jaren met Ra-223 is opgebouwd en wordt ingegaan op de belangrijkste recent voltooide en nog lopende klinische studies naar Ra-223 in combinatie met docetaxel, androgeenreceptorremmers, immuunmodulerende antikankermiddelen of PARP-remmers. De mogelijk toekomstige toepassing van op PSMA gerichte radioligandtherapie bij prostaatkanker wordt kort uitgelicht.
Strongly Possible Keys for SQL
Authors: Alattar Munqath , Sali Attila
Published: August 2020

Missing data value is an extensive problem in both research and industrial developers. Two general approaches are there to deal with the problem of missing values in databases; they could be either ignored (removed) or imputed (filled in) with new values (Farhangfar et al. in IEEE Trans Syst Man Cybern-Part A: Syst Hum 37(5):692–709, 2007). For some SQL tables, it is possible that some candidate key of the table is not null-free and this needs to be handled. Possible keys and certain keys to deal with this situation were introduced in Köhler et al. (VLDB J 25(4):571–596, 2016). In the present paper, we introduce an intermediate concept called strongly possible keys that is based on a data mining approach using only information already contained in the SQL table. A strongly possible key is a key that holds for some possible world which is obtained by replacing any occurrences of nulls with some values already appearing in the corresponding attributes. Implication among strongly possible keys is characterized, and Armstrong tables are constructed. An algorithm to verify a strongly possible key is given applying bipartite matching. Connection between matroid intersection problem and system of strongly possible keys is established. For the cases when no strongly possible keys hold, an approximation notion is introduced to calculate the closeness of any given set of attributes to be considered as a strongly possible key using the $$g_3$$

g
3

measure, and we derive its component version $$g_4$$

g
4

. Analytical comparisons are given between the two measures.
Schilddrüse: Fertilität, Schwangerschaft und Laktation
Authors: Pilz Stefan , Theiler-Schwetz Verena , Malle Oliver , Steinberger Eva , Pandis Marlene , Lerchbaum Elisabeth , Trummer Christian
Published: August 2020

Schilddrüsenhormone und Schilddrüsenerkrankungen spielen eine wichtige Rolle bei Fertilität, Schwangerschaft und Laktation. Die diversen Richtlinien und Expertenempfehlungen zur Diagnostik und Therapie von Schilddrüsenerkrankungen bei Kinderwunsch und Schwangerschaft sind teils heterogen und oftmals ohne klare Handlungsanweisung für oder gegen eine bestimmte Maßnahme, was eine gewisse Verunsicherung hervorruft. In diesem Übersichtsartikel möchten wir daher die derzeitige Evidenz auf diesem Gebiet in Bezug auf praktische Handlungsanweisungen darlegen, um dem Leser für die Praxis eine nützliche Entscheidungshilfe an die Hand zu geben. Wir werden besonders auf die aktuelle Evidenzlage bzgl. der Behandlung der latenten Hypothyreose präkonzeptionell, bei Infertilität und in der Schwangerschaft eingehen, sowie auf die Wichtigkeit der Beratung und gemeinsamen Therapieentscheidung bei Hyperthyreose und Kinderwunsch bzw. Schwangerschaft. Wir möchten auch besonders betonen, dass diverse wichtige Studien erst nach Publikation der aktuellen Richtlinien auf diesem Gebiet veröffentlicht wurden, was in der Routinebehandlung unserer Patientinnen natürlich berücksichtigt werden sollte. Da manifeste Schilddrüsenerkrankungen präkonzeptionell und in der Schwangerschaft häufig und in der Regel therapiebedürftig sind, plädieren wir für ein generelles Screening auf Schilddrüsenfunktionsstörungen bei allen Frauen mit Kinderwunsch sowie bei allen mit positivem Schwangerschaftstest.
Resident selection for emergency medicine specialty training in Canada: A survey of existing practice with recommendations for programs, applicants, and references
Authors: Hale Michael K. P. , Frank Jason R. , Cheung Warren J.
Published: August 2020

Objective

Little is known about how the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) residency programs are selecting their residents. This creates uncertainty regarding alignment between current selection processes and known best practices. We seek to describe the current selection processes of Canadian RCEM programs.

Methods

An online survey was distributed to all RCEM program directors and assistant directors. The survey instrument included 22 questions and sought both qualitative and quantitative data from the following six domains: application file, letters of reference, elective selection, interview, rank order, and selection process evaluation.

Results

We received responses from 13 of 14 programs for an aggregate response rate of 92.9%. A candidate's letters of reference were identified as the most important criterion from the paper application (38.5%). Having a high level of familiarity with the applicant was the most important characteristic of a reference letter author (46.2%). In determining rank order, 53.8% of programs weighed the interview more heavily than the paper application. Once final candidate scores are established following the interview stage, all program respondents indicated that further adjustment is made to the final rank order list. Only 1 of 13 program respondents reported ever having completed a formal evaluation of their selection process.

Conclusion

We have identified elements of the selection process that will inform recommendations for programs, students, and referees. We encourage programs to conduct regular reviews of their selection process going forward to be in alignment with best practices.
TWO OLD BABYLONIAN MARRIAGE CONTRACTS FROM ISIN
Authors: Kh. J. Al-Shamari Mohannad , Al-Jalili Muzahim
Published: August 2020

Our study establishes that two tablets from the Iraq Museum are marriage contracts dating to the Old Babylonian period and in particular from the city of Isin. The dating formula of IM 201688 refers to a hitherto unpublished year name for Erra-imittī, who became king of Isin in 1868 BC. The event concerns the making of four large copper lions as a votive offering. This might have been done in preparation for a military campaign in connection with the rivalry between Isin and Larsa. The dating formula of IM 183636 is completely damaged. However, the text includes a witness described as a citizen of Isin. These two tablets are a very useful addition to the limited number of published OB marriage contracts and especially those from Isin. The tablets were written using formulaic legal expressions in Sumerian throughout with the exception of proper names. Both texts show a remarkably equal treatment of the two spouses in matters relating to compensation in the event of divorce.