bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Wave Superposition Method Applied To Calculate the Radiation Sound Power of a Stiffened Plate
Authors: Zhu Yongyong , Liu Bao , Zhang Kai
Published: June 2020

An indirect boundary element method using discrete sound field of virtual sound source is used to calculate the acoustic and vibration coupling response of the stiffened plate in water. In this paper, the relationship between the structural vibration mode coefficient and the virtual sound source intensity is established by using the superposition principle through Fourier transform using structural dynamics equations and boundary compatibility condition satisfying the function of virtual sound source intensity. Once the virtual sound source intensity is obtained, the radiation power can be determined. Taking the simply supported rectangular thin plate as an example, the sound radiation power is calculated on the condition that surface velocity is unknown, and the results are compared with the results of the analytical method, which shows that the method has high accuracy.
Distributed Power Grid Fault Diagnosis Based on Naive Bayesian Network and D-S Evidence Theory
Authors: Liu Xiaoqin , Yang Xing , Li Chengyu , Liu Jinsong , Zhang Fengwei
Published: June 2020

On the basis of Bayesian network, evidence theory is introduced, a kind of distributed power network fault diagnosis method based on Naive Bayesian network and D-S evidence theory is proposed. Firstly, the fault area is determined by the real-time connection method, the fault region is segmented by the butterfly segmentation method. Secondly, according to the historical fault samples, the decision table is established, and knowledge reduction based on Rough Set Theory. The naive Bayesian network model is constructed according the best combination, and the probability of each node is trained. Finally, D-S evidence fusion is performed on the fault component diagnosis information in the overlap between the subnets. The simulation results show that the proposed method can reduce the complexity of modeling and improve the fault tolerance of the system in the condition of incomplete information, and has good diagnosis results.
Study on Flow Characteristics of Microfluid in Electroosmotic Flow Mixer
Authors: Xue Yawen , Zhou Yi , Yin Yemao
Published: June 2020

As one of the important components of modern microfluidic devices, micromixers have attracted more and more attention. Among many microfluidic mixers, electro-osmotic flow mixers have been widely studied and applied due to their advantages such as simple structure, convenient control and remarkable mixing effect. In this paper, a two-dimensional numerical model of an electro-osmotic flow micromixer with an annular mixing chamber is established by means of the simulation software COMSOL Multiphysics. The mixing process of fluid in the electro-osmotic flow micromixer is simulated, and the flow characteristics of fluid in the micromixer are analyzed. The analysis shows that the electroosmotic flow micromixer generates electroosmotic flow under the action of alternating electric field, and disturbs the fluid to form vortex, thus greatly improving the mixing efficiency. The results show that the micromixing efficiency increases with the increase of zeta potential and applied alternating electric field potential, and in a certain range, the micromixing efficiency increases first and then decreases with the increase of alternating electric field frequency.
Security Detection Technology of Ubiquitous Power Internet Terminal
Authors: Zhou Chao , Huang Wei , Sun Yunxiao , Jiang Haitao , Guo Jing
Published: June 2020

In order to explore the effect of terminal security system detection in the ubiquitous power internet of things, in this study, the data analysis method is used to study the technology of terminal security detection in the Internet. The research results show that under the influence of Internet, the terminal security of power system has great problems in protocol defects, hacker attacks, various viruses, software vulnerabilities, mis-operation and malicious behavior of users in backdoor network, information leakage, etc. In this study, the combination of VRV system and SVM algorithm to achieve various effective operations can significantly improve the accuracy of terminal security detection, the security has been greatly improved.
Research on Coordinated Power Supply Mode of Multi-voltage Level Distribution Network Considering Reliability
Authors: Li Juan , He Ping , Wang Zhe , Zhang Liang
Published: June 2020

In order to address that current coordinated power supply research of distribution networks only considers single voltage level, coordinated power supply modes for multi-voltage distribution networks considering 110kV lines are established, and optimized based on economic performance and load supply capability. Firstly, based on the connection modes of distribution lines, interconnecting structure of substations and allocation of transformers, the typical power supply modes for medium-voltage distribution networks are constructed, and the mode attributes are calculated. Then, based on economic analysis and load supply capability, the optimal match mode and mode parameters for network/substation on different voltage levels are selected with the objective of minimizing load supply cost. Finally, 110kV distribution networks are introduced, and the power supply relations between 110kV lines and 110kV transformers are studied, and the optimal coordinated power supply mode for multi-voltage distribution networks considering 110kV lines is obtained, which can provide guidance for the coordination and planning of regional distribution networks.
Optimization Method of Annual Power Generation and Transmission Maintenance Plan for New Energy Consumption
Authors: Xue Bin , Ma Xiaowei , Chu Yunlong , Lan Xuanli , Zhang Tianyu , Wang Yang
Published: June 2020

Recently, with the rising proportion of new energy installed capacity in China, the problem of new energy consumption in the northwest region is particularly prominent, and the phenomenon of abandoning wind power and solar power is serious. In order to alleviate this situation, this paper proposes an annual maintenance plan optimization method for new energy consumption. Under the premise of considering the new energy output, the goal is to minimize the limited power of new energy generation and the minimum cost of maintenance. Transmission maintenance planning model is mixed integer linear programming model and can be solved by a solver such as CPLEX. The feasibility of the method is verified by a provincial power grid example, which effectively reduces the limited power of new energy generation.
Research on Simulation of Electromagnetic Field of DC Motor Based on Finite Element Analysis
Authors: Zhao Wang
Published: June 2020

With the continuous development of science and technology, the magnetic field distribution of DC motors is analyzed based on the finite element theory. These provide a theoretical basis and reliable basis for analyzing the working principle of DC motors and the further development and application of DC motors, establishing a reasonable non-linear model of DC motors, and applying a finite element analysis software to establish a simulation model of the electromagnetic field of DC motors. The characteristics of the electromagnetic field were analyzed during the start-up process, and the analysis results provided a theoretical basis and basis for the further optimization of the electromagnetic field of the DC motor.
Application of Solar Noise Barrier Power Generation System Envisaged on Urban Elevated Roads
Authors: Wang Yuting
Published: June 2020

Aiming at the noise problem in the second ring of Kunming is increasingly outstanding. An assumption of constructing solar energy noise barriers is proposed. The construction of solar noise barriers can not only reduce noise transmission, but also use amorphous silicon solar panels to generate electricity for the power load of road street lights. It reduces the economic burden for road management departments. According to the daily average solar radiation data of Kunming, combined with a suitable model of solar panels, the theoretical power generation forecast is performed. The calculation results show that it can meet almost half of the road street light load. It shows that the proposed method will bring good power generation benefits while reducing noise.
Application of Power Load Forecasting in Urban Distribution Network Planning Based on 3D Real Scene Platform
Authors: Huang Yu , Zhuang Xingang , Liu Haiyan , Yu Qing , Luo Shaohua
Published: June 2020

The 3D real-view platform technology builds a power load forecasting platform in urban distribution network planning. The completion of this system can provide integrated support for power load forecasting in power distribution line planning, and further provide a three-dimensional foundation platform for power load forecasting analysis and calculation software in power distribution planning. Urban distribution network planning is an important task for power supply companies. The quality of its construction directly affects the development of urban economy and the improvement of people’s quality of life. This paper combines the years of work experience to introduce the importance of power distribution network planning, which optimizes the structure of the power distribution network, which can ensure the safe operation of the power grid, reduce power loss, improve power supply reliability, and accurately predict power loads. To meet the needs of urban power load development.
Propagation equations for waves in moving thin films of perfect liquids with weak sources at the bottom
Authors: Brener A , Yegenova A , Botayeva S
Published: June 2020

The paper deals with the problem of modelling nonlinear waves propagation in thin liquid layers in the presence of weak sources at the bottom. It is established the conditions under which the model equation has the left-hand side bearing a resemblance to the Korteweg-de-Vries equation with slowly evolved parameters, and perturbed right-hand side. At the same time the specific conditions under which the appearance of solitary waves can be nevertheless possible have been defined.
Estimation of prevalence in rare disease using pooled samples
Authors: Martins J P , Santos R , Felgueiras M
Published: June 2020

The use of pooled samples for screening infected individuals is a known procedure to reduce costs. In an estimation problem, the aim is only to determine how many individuals are infected instead of determining who is infected (classification problem). In that setting, our goal was to compare the performance of using one or two-dimensional arrays. The best performance was established according to one of the following criteria: minimizing the number of individuals or the number of tests required to attain a certain estimate accuracy. It is observed that when we want to minimize the number of individuals used, the two-dimensional procedures have a little advantage over the one-dimensional procedures. However, when the major concern is the cost, the one-dimensional procedures clearly outperform the two-dimensional procedures.
Multi-value opinion sharing based on information source influence in agent-based network
Authors: Kitajima Eiki , Murata Akihiro , Takadama Keiki
Published: June 2020

This paper proposes the information sharing algorithm for preventing propagation of wrong information in the agent-based network such as SNS, and aims at investigating the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm through the complex network such as a small world network. Towards practical applications, this paper extends the conventional opinion sharing model (OSM) to cope with the multi-value opinion from the binary opinion, and proposes the new algorithm for preventing propagation of wrong information to cope with the multi-value opinion. The intensive simulations of three types of the complex network have revealed that the accuracy of the correct opinion of agents in the proposed algorithm (called Self-information Weight Tuning (SWT)) reaches around 80% which is not affected by the number of opinion states in the multi-value opinions, while that of the conventional algorithm (called Autonomous Adaptive Tuning (AAT)) is lower than the proposed algorithm and decreases as the number of opinion states increases.
A benchmarking protocol for breath analysis: the peppermint experiment
Authors: Henderson Ben , Ruszkiewicz Dorota M , Wilkinson Max , Beauchamp Jonathan D , Cristescu Simona M , Fowler Stephen J , Salman Dahlia , Francesco Fabio Di , Koppen Gudrun , Langejürgen Jens , Holz Olaf , Hadjithekli Andria , Moreno Sergi , Pedrotti Michele , Sinues Pablo , Slingers Gitte , Wilde Michael , Lomonaco Tommaso , Zanella Delphine , Zenobi Renato , Focant Jean-François , Grassin-Delyle Stanislas , Franchina Flavio Antonio , Malásková Michaela , Stefanuto Pierre-Hugues , Pugliese Giovanni , Mayhew Christopher , Thomas C L Paul
Published: June 2020

Sampling of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) has shown promise for detection of a range of diseases but results have proved hard to replicate due to a lack of standardization. In this work we introduce the ‘Peppermint Initiative’. The initiative seeks to disseminate a standardized experiment that allows comparison of breath sampling and data analysis methods. Further, it seeks to share a set of benchmark values for the measurement of VOCs in breath. Pilot data are presented to illustrate the standardized approach to the interpretation of results obtained from the Peppermint experiment. This pilot study was conducted to determine the washout profile of peppermint compounds in breath, identify appropriate sampling time points, and formalise the data analysis.

Five and ten participants were recruited to undertake a standardized intervention by ingesting a peppermint oil capsule that engenders a predictable and controlled change in the VOC profile in exhaled breath. After collecting a pre-ingestion breath sample, five further samples are taken at 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 h after ingestion. Samples were analysed using ion mobility spectrometry coupled to multi-capillary column and thermal desorption gas chromatography mass spectrometry. A regression analysis of the washout data was used to determine sampling times for the final peppermint protocol, and the time for the compound measurement to return to baseline levels was selected as a benchmark value. A measure of the quality of the data generated from a given technique is proposed by comparing data fidelity.

This study protocol has been used for all subsequent measurements by the Peppermint Consortium (16 partners from seven countries). So far 1200 breath samples from 200 participants using a range of sampling and analytical techniques have been collected. The data from the consortium will be disseminated in subsequent technical notes focussing on results from individual platforms.
Weather Generators
Authors: Yin Shuiqing , Chen Deliang
Published: June 2020

Weather generators (WGs) are stochastic models that can generate synthetic climate time series of unlimited length and having statistical properties similar to those of observed time series for a location or an area. WGs can infill missing data, extend the length of climate time series, and generate meteorological conditions for unobserved locations. Since the 1990s WGs have become an important spatial-temporal statistical downscaling methodology and have been playing an increasingly important role in climate-change impact assessment. Although the majority of the existing WGs have focused on simulation of precipitation for a single site, more and more WGs considering correlations among multiple sites, and multiple variables, including precipitation and nonprecipitation variables such as temperature, solar radiation, wind, humidity, and cloud cover have been developed for daily and sub-daily scales. Various parametric, semi-parametric and nonparametric WGs have shown the ability to represent the mean, variance, and autocorrelation characteristics of climate variables at different scales. Two main methodologies including change factor and conditional WGs on large-scale dynamical and thermal dynamical weather states have been developed for applications under a changing climate. However, rationality and validity of assumptions underlining both methodologies need to be carefully checked before they can be used to project future climate change at local scale. Further, simulation of extreme values by the existing WGs needs to be further improved. WGs assimilating multisource observations from ground observations, reanalysis, satellite remote sensing, and weather radar for the continuous simulation of two-dimensional climate fields based on the mixed physics-based and stochastic approaches deserve further efforts. An inter-comparison project on a large ensemble of WG methods may be helpful for the improvement of WGs. Due to the applied nature of WGs, their future development also requires inputs from decision-makers and other relevant stakeholders.
African Union and European Union Politics: The Veiled Account of Long-standing Interregional Relations
Authors: Nshimbi Christopher Changwe
Published: June 2020

Africa turned the corner of marginalization in international affairs at the beginning of the 21st century. The end of the Cold War and global shifts in power toward the end of the previous century were closely followed by “Africa rising.” This contrasted previous decades-long narratives of a hopeless, war-ravaged, and plague-ridden continent. The Africa rising mantra followed reforms implemented in the late 1980s and early 1990s that improved institutional capacities and established African countries on firm business, economic, and political trajectories. This promised improved business environment, economic vitality, and positive democratic outlook.

Africa has thus become important to major powers. They court it for its support to govern challenges that necessitate international cooperation and to enhance the major powers’ influence in global institutions and on the world. Rising Asian economies such as China and India compete for Africa’s natural resources against traditional global powers like the European Union (EU).

The EU has long been economically and politically involved with Africa and has generally dominated these relations. Leading theories, discussions, and research that examine the historic, economic, and geopolitical factors at play in the evolution of African Union (AU)-EU relations suggest that elements of dependency are a calculated creation of colonialism and encounters that occurred between Africa and Europe before the advent of colonialism. Dependency continues to characterize these relations, as shown by formal AU-EU pacts. Decolonial scholars argue that the dependency is real, as Africa did not demolish colonial structures at independence. Some critical scholars further argue that the history of colonialism is also pertinent to the history of the EU in that the history of European integration was partly influenced by the history of colonialism. That is, the history of colonialism contributed to the political creation of the EU, and attempts by Western European countries to form a pan-European organization coincided with early 20th-century efforts to stabilize colonialism in Africa. The European countries could only efficiently exploit Africa by combining their political and economic capacities.

AU-EU relations face many challenges in the 21st century. Influence in the relations is predominately unidirectional, with the EU determining the terms of engagement even on issues peculiar to Africa or the AU and where the latter appears to have the upper hand. The challenges show that the AU and EU are interdependent, but the onus is on the AU to set priorities right and enhance capabilities for engaging the EU. This would be easier if the EU were not continuously devising ways to maintain its dominance in the “partnership.” An overarching challenge in the partnership, therefore, is finding common ground and leveling the playing field.
Italy’s LGBT Movement and Interest Groups
Authors: Prearo Massimo
Published: June 2020

The Italian LGBTQI+ movement emerged in the 1970s in the context of the 1968 and post-1968 protests. Its history is characterized by a discontinuous trajectory, marked by several key moments of internal divisions and conflicts, related to political events, such as the alliance with the Radical Party, in the mid-1970s, or the approval of the same-sex Civil Unions Bill, in 2016. In the history of the Italian LGBTQI+ movement, three moments in particular can be identified that have led from the first revolutionary homosexual front (FUORI), an anti-institutional one, to the foundation of a structured and organized, and then institutionalized, movement both at a local and national level: 1974–1985, a founding moment; 1996–2000, a re-founding moment; 2016–2018, a reconfiguration moment. An intra-comparative diachronic analysis, within the Italian national context, shows how confrontations between different meanings and projects of what an “LGBTQI+ movement” is and has to be have led Italian activists to shape specific social movement organizations and practices.
Behavioral Public Administration
Authors: Tummers Lars
Published: June 2020

Behavioral public administration is an interdisciplinary research field that studies public administration topics by connecting insights from public administration with psychology and, more broadly, the behavioral sciences. Behavioral public administration scholars study important public problems such as discrimination, corruption, and burnout. Various public administration scholars—including Herbert Simon—have stressed the importance of connecting psychology and public administration. Yet until the early 2010s, public administration did not work systematically on this connection. This has changed profoundly with the development of various overview articles, dedicated special issues in general public administration journals, and development of new journals. Behavioral public administration has several uses. First, behavioral public administration tests and extends theories and concepts from psychology in political-administrative settings. Examples include tests of prospect theory and the choice overload hypothesis in public-administrative settings. Second, it tests and extends the micro-foundations of public administration theories and concepts, such as concerning co-production and isomorphism. Third, behavioral public administration scholars develop new theories and concepts. This has probably been less widespread than the previous two uses, but is nonetheless already apparent in, for instance, concepts such as public service motivation, policy alienation, and administrative burden. Fourth, behavioral public administration can help in tackling practical public problems. Insights from behavioral public administration have been used to increase diversity within public organizations and reduce burnout. The field of behavioral public administration can develop further. The field could move beyond one-shot single studies and aim to build cumulative knowledge. This can be done via large-scale collaborations and replications. In addition, it is also beneficial if behavioral public administration scholars broaden their methodological toolkit to answer different kinds of research questions. It should not only focus on causal inference questions but also on questions concerning description of societal problems (e.g. via representative surveys) or concerning prediction (e.g. by using machine learning).
Q Methodology in Public Administration: State of the Art
Authors: Nederhand José , Molenveld Astrid
Published: June 2020

Q methodology is an approach well suited to identifying and comparing patterns of similarity and differences in people’s viewpoints. The method systematically maps perceptions—including which elements of the perceptions are shared or unique. Q methodology originated in psychology, but it has been widely applied in multiple disciplines. The approach has also increasingly gained ground in public administration, in which studying perceptions, attitudes, and related biases is of key importance. William Stephenson, one of the founders of the method, developed Q methodology in order to be able to study persons as a complex whole, instead of just their characteristics, which is common among statistical methods.

Unraveling the multiplicity of debates and perceptions is very useful for informing and evaluating the practice of public administration researchers and practitioners. By providing systematic insight into clusters of perceptions surrounding a specific topic, Q methodology allows researchers to develop new concepts and to advance the (existing) literature. For practitioners, the method is particularly suited for describing societal and political debates and practices, for designing governance and policy interventions, and for evaluating the implementation of policy programs.
Blame Avoidance and Crisis Inquiries
Authors: Sulitzeanu-Kenan Raanan
Published: June 2020

Public inquiries are ad hoc institutions, formally external to the executive branch, established by governments or a minister for the task of investigating crises, policy failures, or disasters. Inquiries play an important role in the aftermath of crisis by serving as instruments of accountability and policy learning. Yet the very existence and function of public inquiries are shaped by post crisis politics, in which public and politically independent inquiries create risks to potentially implicated players, who seek to avoid and mitigate potential blame. The blame-avoidance literature indeed provides a useful theoretical framework for the study of public inquiries. Empirical studies suggest that blame-attribution patterns are predictive of the political decision of whether to appoint an inquiry into a crisis. Studies of the effects of inquiries on public opinion show that, at the investigation stage, the institutional attributes of inquiries foster their legitimacy as a procedure for policy learning and accountability. However, after an inquiry reports its findings, members of the public can evaluate the report, rendering institutional attributes negligible in evaluating the inquiry. As for the effects of inquiries on the public agenda, existing evidence provides no support for a quantitative effect of inquiry appointment on the level of media coverage of a crisis. An integrated analysis of these findings offers an up-to-date theory of the political role of post crisis inquiries and points to some current gaps in our understanding of them.
Crisis Agenda-Setting and Aviation Security Policy After the September 11 Attacks
Authors: Lewis Zachary R. , Schwaeble Kathryn L. , Birkland Thomas A.
Published: June 2020

The September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States were a focusing event that greatly increased attention to particularly large acts of terrorism as a threat to the United States and to particular interests. One of these interests is the aviation industry. The September 11 attacks exploited features of the aviation industry that made it prone to attack and that made an attack on this industry particularly vivid and attention-grabbing.

The September 11 attacks led to policy changes in the United States and around the world with respect to aviation security, but those changes were not made in a vacuum. The changes that followed the September 11 attacks were made possible by efforts to learn from the range of aviation security incidents and challenges that have faced commercial aviation throughout its history. While the September 11 attacks were shocking and seemed novel, prior experience with aviation security crises provided those working in the aviation security policy realm with potential responses. The responses were drawn from a set of politically feasible responses that addressed the lapses in security demonstrated by terrorist attacks. The history of policy changes related to terrorism in aviation parallel the changes to policies that were made across the board in response to the elevation of terrorism on the agenda.
Automaticity in Political Decision Making
Authors: Pérez Efrén , Riddle Isaac
Published: June 2020

Rather than being a slow, deliberative, and fully conscious process, political thinking is steeped in automaticity: that is, it is fast, relatively effortless, and often unconscious. Political and social psychologists have made great strides in measuring different components of this automaticity while pinpointing its influence on different types of citizens under a variety of social and political circumstances. There are manifold ways through which automaticity seeps into political cognition by focusing on various important domains of political decision-making, including intergroup relations, identity and information processing, and candidate evaluation. Multiple research frontiers in political science exist where automaticity can help break new conceptual and theoretical ground as it relates to people’s thinking, judgment, and evaluation of politics.
Milgram’s Experiments on Obedience to Authority
Authors: Gibson Stephen
Published: June 2020

Stanley Milgram’s experiments on obedience to authority are among the most influential and controversial social scientific studies ever conducted. They remain staples of introductory psychology courses and textbooks, yet their influence reaches far beyond psychology, with myriad other disciplines finding lessons in them. Indeed, the experiments have long since broken free of the confines of academia, occupying a place in popular culture that is unrivaled among psychological experiments. The present article begins with an overview of Milgram’s account of his experimental procedure and findings, before focussing on recent scholarship that has used materials from Milgram’s archive to challenge many of the long-held assumptions about the experiments. Three areas in which our understanding of the obedience experiments has undergone a radical shift in recent years are the subject of particular focus. First, work that has identified new ethical problems with Milgram’s studies is summarized. Second, hitherto unknown methodological variations in Milgram’s experimental procedures are considered. Third, the interactions that took place in the experimental sessions themselves are explored. This work has contributed to a shift in how we see the obedience experiments. Rather than viewing the experiments as demonstrations of people’s propensity to follow orders, it is now clear that people did not follow orders in Milgram’s experiments. The experimenter did a lot more than simply issue orders, and when he did, participants found it relatively straightforward to defy them. These arguments are discussed in relation to the definition of obedience that has typically been adopted in psychology, the need for further historical work on Milgram’s experiments, and the possibilities afforded by the development of a broader project of secondary qualitative analysis of laboratory interaction in psychology experiments.
From Psychological Humanities to African Psychology: A Review of Sources and Traditions
Authors: Nwoye Augustine
Published: June 2020

The purpose of the article is to trace the intellectual history of the new postcolonial discipline of African psychology. African psychology as currently conceptualized in universities in the South and other regions of Africa is a proud heir to a vast heritage of sound and extensive intellectual traditions and psychological scholarship on Africa and its peoples found scattered in the multiple disciplines of the humanities (anthropology, archaeology, literature, philosophy, religion, etc.). Even before and after the critical evolution that led to the emergence of African psychology as a new discipline situated in the departments of psychology in some forward-thinking African universities, the different fields of the humanities offered legitimate research and writings on the nature of the life of the mind and culture in pre- and postcolonial Africa. The article reviews the variety and changing psychological themes that occupied the attention of the African and Western humanists and intellectuals within and outside Africa.

However, the great limitation of all psychological research and writings which constitute psychological humanities is that they could not and, indeed, are not meant to replace the legitimate role being played by African psychology as a fledgling postcolonial discipline and center of thought and scholarship. This fledgling discipline came into being to argue against and partner with Western psychology and the black psychology popularized in North America, with a view toward the enrichment of both Western and black psychological knowledge with new perspectives for understanding the psychology of Africans in continental Africa. The purpose of the article is to elaborate on these issues.
Long-Distance Trade in Medieval Europe
Authors: Kallioinen Mika
Published: June 2020

Traditional historiography has overestimated the significance of long-distance trade in the medieval economy. However, it could be argued that, because of its dynamic nature, long-distance trade played a more important role in economic development than its relative size would suggest. The term commercial revolution was introduced in the 1950s to refer to the rapid growth of European trade from about the 10th century. Long-distance trade then expanded, with the commercial integration of the two economic poles in the Mediterranean and in Flanders and the contiguous areas. It has been quantitatively shown that the integration of European markets began in the late medieval period, with rapid advancement beginning in the 16th century.

The expansion of medieval trade has been attributed to advanced business techniques, such as the appearance of new forms of partnerships and novel financial and insurance systems. Many economic historians have also emphasized merchants’ relations, especially the establishment of networks to organize trade. More recently, major contributions to institutional economic history have focused on various economic institutions that reduced the uncertainties inherent in premodern economies.

The early reputation-based institutions identified in the literature, such as the systems of the Maghribis in the Mediterranean, Champagne fairs in France, and the Italian city-states, were not optimal for changing conditions that accompanied expansion of trade, as the number of merchants increased and the relations among them became more anonymous, as generally happened during the Middle Ages. An intercommunal conciliation mechanism evolved in medieval northern Europe that supported trade among a large number of distant communities. This institution encouraged merchants to travel to distant towns and establish relations, even with persons they did not already know.
Folk Etymology and Contamination in the Romance Languages
Authors: Maiden Martin
Published: June 2020

‘Folk etymology’ and ‘contamination’ each involve associative formal influences between words which have no ‘etymological’ (i.e., historical), connexion. From a morphological perspective, in folk etymology a word acquires at least some elements of the structure of some other, historically unrelated, word. The result often looks like a compound, of a word composed of other, independently existing, words. These are usually (but not necessarily) ‘compounds’ lacking in any semantic compositionality, which do not ‘make sense’: for example, French beaupré ‘bowsprit’, but apparently ‘beautiful meadow’, possibly derived from English bowsprit. Typically involved are relatively long, polysyllabic, words, characteristically belonging to erudite or exotic vocabulary, whose unfamiliarity is accommodated by speakers unfamiliar with the target word through replacement of portions of that word with more familiar words. Contamination differs from folk etymology both on the formal and on the semantic side, usually involving non-morphemic elements, and acting between words that are semantically linked: for example, Spanish nuera ‘daughter-in-law’, instead of etymologically expected **nora, apparently influenced by the vowel historically underlying suegra ‘mother-in-law’. While there is nothing uniquely Romance about these phenomena, Romance languages abound in them.
Dalmatian (Vegliote)
Authors: Maiden Martin
Published: June 2020

Dalmatian is an extinct group of Romance varieties spoken on the eastern Adriatic seaboard, best known from its Vegliote variety, spoken on the island of Krk (also called Veglia). Vegliote is principally represented by the linguistic testimony of its last speaker, Tuone Udaina, who died at the end of the 19th century. By the time Udaina’s Vegliote could be explored by linguists (principally by Matteo Bartoli), it seems that he had no longer actively spoken the language for decades, and his linguistic testimony is imperfect, in that it is influenced for example by the Venetan dialect that he habitually spoke. Nonetheless, his Vegliote reveals various distinctive and recurrent linguistic traits, notably in the domain of phonology (for example, pervasive and complex patterns of vowel diphthongization) and morphology (notably a general collapse of the general Romance inflexional system of tense and mood morphology, but also an unusual type of synthetic future form).
Dietary Sodium Intake and Sodium Density in the United States: Estimates From NHANES 2005–2006 and 2015–2016
Authors: Hu Jiun-Ruey , Sahni Shivani , Mukamal Kenneth J , Millar Courtney L , Wu Yingfei , Appel Lawrence J , Juraschek Stephen P
Published: June 2020

BACKGROUND

In the United States, current guidelines recommend a total sodium intake <2,300 mg/day, a guideline which does not consider kilocalorie intake. However, kilocalorie intake varies substantially by age and sex. We hypothesized that compared with sodium density, total sodium intake overestimates adherence to sodium recommendations, especially in adults consuming fewer kilocalories.

METHODS

In the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), we estimated the prevalence of adherence to sodium intake recommendations (<2,300 mg/day) and corresponding sodium density intake (<1.1 mg/kcal = 2,300 mg at 2,100 kcal) by sex, age, race/ethnicity, and kilocalorie level. Adherence estimates were compared between the 2005–2006 (n = 5,060) and 2015–2016 (n = 5,266) survey periods.

RESULTS

In 2005–2006, 23.1% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 21.5, 24.9) of the US population consumed <2,300 mg of sodium/day, but only 8.5% (CI: 7.6, 9.4) consumed <1.1 mg/kcal in sodium density. In 2015–2016, these figures were 20.9% (CI: 18.8, 23.2) and 5.1% (CI: 4.4, 6.0), respectively. In 2015–2016, compared with 2005–2006, adherence by sodium density decreased more substantially (odds ratio = 0.59; CI: 0.48, 0.72; P < 0.001) than adherence by total sodium consumption (odds ratio = 0.85; CI: 0.73, 0.98; P = 0.03). The difference in adherence between total sodium and sodium density goals was greater among those with lower kilocalorie intake, namely, older adults, women, and Hispanic adults.

CONCLUSIONS

Adherence estimated by sodium density is substantially less than adherence estimated by total sodium intake, especially among persons with lower kilocalorie intake. Further efforts to achieve population-wide reduction in sodium density intake are urgently needed.
Travel-related fever in the time of COVID-19 travel restrictions
Authors: Norman Francesca F , Chamorro-Tojeiro Sandra , Crespillo-Andújar Clara , Comeche Belén , Caballero Juan de Dios , López-Vélez Rogelio
Published: June 2020

Travel-related infections with prolonged incubation periods should be considered in febrile patients despite the current epidemiological situation, especially if alternative more frequent diagnoses, such as COVID-19, are not confirmed.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in Military Aviators
Authors: Deal J Banks , Magee Anthony J
Published: June 2020

Introduction

The incidence of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is increased in occupations exposed to repetitive motion, poor wrist posture, and vibration exposure. While all pilots are exposed to these factors, helicopter pilots are especially exposed to vibration. The study is to identify the incidence and risk factors for CTS in military aviators.

Materials and Methods

Clearance was obtained from Tripler Army Medical Center IRB. The Defense Medical Epidemiological Database was queried for all new cases of CTS from 2006 to 2015. Incidence rates (IRs) were determined for helicopter pilots, fixed-wing pilots, and nonpilot officers. Poisson regression analysis was used to calculate adjusted IR in order to control for demographic factors. Race was also taken into account, where pilots would classify themselves into a white or non-white race, defined by each individual. Race was assessed in the study to see if there were any differences in IR of CTS between white and non-white pilots.

Results

We identified 7,398 new cases of CTS among 2,319,352 person-years within the study period. Increasing age, female gender, and non-white race were significantly correlated with higher IR. Fixed-wing pilots demonstrated significantly lower adjusted IR than nonpilot officers in each age group. Helicopter pilots demonstrated higher IR than fixed-wing pilots in each age group. Helicopter pilots had lower incidence of CTS early in their career compared to nonpilot officers, but by age 40+, their IR ratio was significantly higher (1.21).

Conclusion

Analysis of the database indicates that fixed-wing pilot status is a protective factor against development of CTS among U.S. military officers. In contrast, helicopter pilots were found to be at an increased rate of CTS than their fixed-wing counterparts. Their incidence is comparable to their nonpilot officer peers early in their career, but is significantly increased at the senior level. Increasing age and female gender are risk factors in the military officer population as expected. Non-white race was found to increase risk in the military population, in contrast to reports of the civilian population.
“Your Finger or Mine?”—Patient Preferences in the Collection of Fecal Occult Blood Testing in the Emergency Department
Authors: Freeman Paul , Couperus Kyle , Walsh Ryan , Ward Michael J , McNaughton Candace D , Bothwell Jason
Published: June 2020

Introduction

There are a number of presenting Emergency Department complaints that may necessitate the testing of stool for the presence of blood. A provider-performed digital rectal examination is frequently performed solely for the collection of stool for a fecal occult blood testing (FOBT). With increased emphasis on patient autonomy and shared decision-making, it is appropriate to consider patient preferences with regard to who performs the invasive collection of stool. Our objective was to determine patient preference in regard to provider versus self-collection of stool sample for use in FOBT and identify patient demographics associated with those more likely to self-collect. Finally, we examined specimen adequacy and patient satisfaction by open-ended comment.

Materials and Methods

We conducted a 1-year, prospective, non-randomized, observational trial with a convenience sample of 100 patients. After enrollment, study participants were offered the choice of self-collection versus provider collection. Stool collection proceeded according to participant preference. Simple descriptive statistics were used to analyze the primary outcome. The secondary proportional univariate outcomes were evaluated with chi-square testing (alpha level—0.05). We used a multivariable logistic regression model to evaluate the association of independent variables with the likelihood to perform self-collection.

Results

A total of 100 patients were enrolled over 1 year, with 51% choosing to collect their own sample. Younger age was the only statistically significant predictor for self-collection (p < 0.001); furthermore, for every year of increasing age, patients were 3% less likely to choose self-collection. All self-collected samples were adequate for testing. In univariate analyses, patients younger than 35 were more likely to perform self-collection (66%) compared with those over 35 (36%). Those over 64 self-collected only 24% of the time. Neither sex nor race were associated with collection method preference.

Conclusions

When offered the choice between self-directed or provider-performed stool sample collection, more than half of participants chose to obtain their own sample; furthermore, age was the only statistically significant predictor of preference for collection method. All patients who self-collected were able to provide an adequate sample. Our evidence suggests the offer of FOBT self-collection is a feasible method to enhance patient autonomy and improve therapeutic alliances.
Bayesian Evaluation of Temporal Signal in Measurably Evolving Populations
Authors: Duchene Sebastian , Lemey Philippe , Stadler Tanja , Ho Simon Y W , Duchene David A , Dhanasekaran Vijaykrishna , Baele Guy
Published: June 2020

Phylogenetic methods can use the sampling times of molecular sequence data to calibrate the molecular clock, enabling the estimation of evolutionary rates and timescales for rapidly evolving pathogens and data sets containing ancient DNA samples. A key aspect of such calibrations is whether a sufficient amount of molecular evolution has occurred over the sampling time window, that is, whether the data can be treated as having come from a measurably evolving population. Here, we investigate the performance of a fully Bayesian evaluation of temporal signal (BETS) in sequence data. The method involves comparing the fit to the data of two models: a model in which the data are accompanied by the actual (heterochronous) sampling times, and a model in which the samples are constrained to be contemporaneous (isochronous). We conducted simulations under a wide range of conditions to demonstrate that BETS accurately classifies data sets according to whether they contain temporal signal or not, even when there is substantial among-lineage rate variation. We explore the behavior of this classification in analyses of five empirical data sets: modern samples of A/H1N1 influenza virus, the bacterium Bordetella pertussis, coronaviruses from mammalian hosts, ancient DNA from Hepatitis B virus, and mitochondrial genomes of dog species. Our results indicate that BETS is an effective alternative to other tests of temporal signal. In particular, this method has the key advantage of allowing a coherent assessment of the entire model, including the molecular clock and tree prior which are essential aspects of Bayesian phylodynamic analyses.
Novel Primer Sets for Rapid Detection of Zymoseptoria tritici in Wheat
Authors: Kuzdraliński Adam , Leśniowska-Nowak Justyna , Nowak Michał , Kawęcka Magdalena , Kot Anna , Różaniecka Karolina , Ostrowska Agnieszka , Muszyńska Marta , Waśko Adam , Szczerba Hubert
Published: June 2020

Zymoseptoria tritici is a fungal pathogen causing losses in wheat yields. Here, we present new primer sets for species-specific identification of this microorganism in wheat leaf samples using conventional PCR. Primer sets were validated in silico using tools available in genetic databases. Furthermore, in vitro tests were also carried out on 190 common wheat samples with visual symptoms of Septoria tritici blotch (STB) collected in Poland in three growing seasons (2015, 2016, 2017). The designed primer sets showed full hybridization to the available genetic resources deposited in the NCBI GenBank database, and their high specificity and sensitivity were demonstrated on wheat leaf samples and selected fungal strains.