bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Protection Method Based on Feature Cosine and Differential Scheme for Microgrid
Authors: Lei Lai , Wang Cong , Gao Jie , Zhao Jinjin , Wang Xiaowei
Published: March 2019

The fault current level of microgrid is different between islanded mode and grid connected mode. This situation degrades the performance of traditional overcurrent protection schemes. Hence, this paper proposes a protection method based on feature cosine and differential scheme. Firstly, feature cosine is proposed; it employs ellipse equation and minimum least squares to quantify the united behavior about voltage and current. Secondly, fault current direction and feature cosine are analyzed when fault occurs at different locations of a typical microgrid, and then the difference of feature cosine between faulty and healthy section locations is obtained. Thirdly, based on feature cosine and differential scheme, the differential direction is defined and utilized to detect faulty section location. Lastly, various time domain simulation case studies, including different microgrid operation modes, grounding resistances, faulty types, faulty section locations, and noise influence, are conducted and demonstrate that the proposed protection has high accuracy.
High Diversity in Iron Cycling Microbial Communities in Acidic, Iron-Rich Water of the Pyhäsalmi Mine, Finland
Authors: Bomberg Malin , Mäkinen Jarno , Salo Marja , Kinnunen Päivi
Published: March 2019

Microbial communities of iron-rich water in the Pyhäsalmi mine, Finland, were investigated with high-throughput amplicon sequencing and qPCR targeting bacteria, archaea, and fungi. In addition, the abundance ofLeptospirillumandAcidithiobacilluswas assessed with genus-specific qPCR assays, and enrichment cultures targeting aerobic ferrous iron oxidizers and ferric iron reducers were established. The acidic (pH 1.4–2.3) mine water collected from 240 m, 500 m, and 600 m depth from within the mine had a high microbial diversity consisting of 63-114 bacterial, 10-13 archaeal, and 104-117 fungal genera. The most abundant microorganisms in the mine water were typical acid mine drainage (AMD) taxa, such as acidophilic, iron-oxidizingLeptospirillum,Acidiphilum,Acidithiobacillus,Ferrovum, andThermoplasma. The fungi belonged mostly to the phylum Ascomycetes, although a great part of the fungal sequences remained unclassified. The number of archaeal 16S rRNA genes in the mine water was between 0.3 and 1.2 × 107copies mL−1in the samples from 500 m and 600 m, but only 3.9 × 103at 240 m and archaea were in general not enriched in cultures. The number of fungal 5.8S rRNA genes was high only in the mine water from 500 m and 600 m, where 0.2–3.4 × 104spore equivalents mL−1were detected. A high number ofLeptospirillum16S rRNA genes, 0.6–1.6 × 1010copies mL−1, were detected at 500 m and 600 m depth and in cultures containing ferrous iron, showing the importance of iron oxidizers in this environment. The abundance of bacteria in general was between 103and 10616S rRNA gene copies mL−1. Our results showed a high microbial diversity in the acid- and iron-impacted waters of the Pyhäsalmi mine, whereLeptospirillumbacteria were especially prominent. These iron oxidizers are also the main nitrogen-fixing microorganisms in this ecosystem.
Free Vibration of Functionally Graded Sandwich Shallow Shells on Winkler and Pasternak Foundations with General Boundary Restraints
Authors: Wang Xiancheng , Li Wei , Yao Jianjun , Wan Zhenshuai , Fu Yu , Sheng Tang
Published: March 2019

In this investigation, an exact method based on the first‐order shear deformation shallow shell theory (FSDSST) is performed for the free vibration of functionally graded sandwich shallow shells (FGSSS) on Winkler and Pasternak foundations with general boundary restraints. Vibration characteristics of the FGSSS have been obtained by the energy function represented in the orthogonal coordinates, in which the displacement and rotation components consisted of standard double Fourier cosine series and several closed‐form supplementary functions are introduced to eliminate the potential jumps and boundary discontinuities. Then, the expansion coefficients are determined by using Rayleigh‐Ritz method. The proposed method shows good accuracy and reliability by comprehensive investigation concerning free vibration of the FGSSS. Numerous new vibration results for FGSSS on Winkler and Pasternak foundations with various curvature types, geometrical parameters, and boundary restraints are provided, which may serve as benchmark solutions for future research. In addition, the effects of the inertia, shear deformation, and foundation coefficients on free vibration characteristic of FGSSS are illustrated.
Outcomes of Myomectomy at the Time of Cesarean Section among Pregnant Women with Uterine Fibroids: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Zhao Rong , Wang Xin , Zou Liying , Zhang Weiyuan
Published: March 2019

Objective. A retrospective study was performed to evaluate the safety and feasibility of cesarean myomectomy among pregnant women with uterine fibroids (UFs). Methods. Upon data collection, the pregnant women with UF underwent cesarean section in the 39 hospital divided into two groups: cesarean myomectomy group, receiving cesarean section and myomectomy; cesarean group, receiving cesarean section only. Information about the type, location, and number of UFs was collected from the medical records or the prenatal ultrasound examinations. Results. In the cesarean myomectomy group, the proportion of subserous UFs was significantly higher than the cesarean group (65.6% versus 49.3%, P < 0.0001). The comparison of postpartum hemorrhage, neonatal weight, fetal distress, and neonatal asphyxia showed no statistical significance. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that birth weight ≥4000 g (OR 3.1, 95% CI:1.6–6.0) and presence of diameter > 5 cm fibroids (OR 2.2, 95%CI:1.3–4.0) were high risk factors for PPH ≥1,000 ml. Conclusions. Myomectomy during cesarean section was a common procedure in mainland China. Myomectomy cesarean could be safe and feasible based on the estimation by experienced obstetricians. During the procedure, special attention should be paid to a large-sized leiomyoma ≥5cm and birth weight ≥4,000 g.
A Subclass of Bi-Univalent Functions Defined by Generalized Sãlãgean Operator Related to Shell-Like Curves Connected with Fibonacci Numbers
Authors: Singh Gurmeet , Singh Gurcharanjit , Singh Gagandeep
Published: March 2019

The aim of this paper is to study certain subclasses of bi-univalent functions defined by generalized Sãlãgean differential operator related to shell-like curves connected with Fibonacci numbers. We find estimates of the initial coefficients a2 and a3 and upper bounds for the Fekete-Szegö functional for the functions in this class. The results proved by various authors follow as particular cases.
The Swallowing Clinical Assessment Score in Parkinson’s Disease (SCAS-PD) Is a Valid and Low-Cost Tool for Evaluation of Dysphagia: A Gold-Standard Comparison Study
Authors: Branco Larissa L. , Trentin Sheila , Augustin Schwanke Carla Helena , Gomes Irenio , Loureiro Fernanda
Published: March 2019

Background. Dysphagia is a predictor of mortality in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Developing alternative methods to videofluoroscopy swallowing study (VFSS) for the evaluation of dysphagia is a public health necessity. The Swallowing Clinical Assessment Score in Parkinson’s Disease (SCAS-PD) is an alternative and low-cost tool for diagnosis of dysphagia, but had not been properly validated in comparison to the gold-standard method. The objective of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of the SCAS-PD. Methods. SCAS-PD was applied to 31 patients with PD, and VFSS was conducted concurrently. This clinical assessment uses different volumes and viscosities to identify signs of swallowing impairments. For validation purposes, the interclass correlation coefficient and the weighted kappa were calculated. The AUC of the ROC curve, sensitivity, and specificity values for detection of penetration/aspiration (PA) were assessed. Internal consistency was calculated by Cronbach’s alpha. Results. Fifty-one percent of patients were classified with dysphagia. SCAS-PD was differentiated between normal/functional deglutition and dysphagia with AUC 0.97, 95% CI 0.92–1.00, and an optimal cutoff at 19 (sensitivity 100% and specificity 87.5%). The internal consistency was α = 0.91 for the total score. The internal consistency of the SCAS-PD domains was oral phase (α = 0.73), pharyngeal phase (α = 0.86), and signs of PA (α = 0.95). The weighted kappa analysis demonstrated a high rate of concordance at 0.71 (p<0.001) between SCAS-PD and VFSS. Conclusions. SCAS-PD has been shown to have a good concordance with the VFSS. Considering this, SCAS-PD is highly applicable in clinical settings, since it is a simple and low-cost diagnostic tool for detecting dysphagia in PD patients.
Cognitive Driven Multilayer Self‐Paced Learning with Misclassified Samples
Authors: Zhu Qi , Yuan Ning , Guan Donghai
Published: March 2019

In recent years, self‐paced learning (SPL) has attracted much attention due to its improvement to nonconvex optimization based machine learning algorithms. As a methodology introduced from human learning, SPL dynamically evaluates the learning difficulty of each sample and provides the weighted learning model against the negative effects from hard‐learning samples. In this study, we proposed a cognitive driven SPL method, i.e., retrospective robust self‐paced learning (R2SPL), which is inspired by the following two issues in human learning process: the misclassified samples are more impressive in upcoming learning, and the model of the follow‐up learning process based on large number of samples can be used to reduce the risk of poor generalization in initial learning phase. We simultaneously estimated the degrees of learning‐difficulty and misclassified in each step of SPL and proposed a framework to construct multilevel SPL for improving the robustness of the initial learning phase of SPL. The proposed method can be viewed as a multilayer model and the output of the previous layer can guide constructing robust initialization model of the next layer. The experimental results show that the R2SPL outperforms the conventional self‐paced learning models in classification task.
Serum Creatinine Level and APACHE-II Score within 24 h of Admission Are Effective for Predicting Persistent Organ Failure in Acute Pancreatitis
Authors: Wan Jianhua , Shu Wenqing , He Wenhua , Zhu Yin , Zhu Yong , Zeng Hao , Liu Pi , Xia Liang , Lu Nonghua
Published: March 2019

Aim. The present study was aimed at comparing serum markers and APACHE-II score to predict persistent organ failure (POF) in early acute pancreatitis (AP). Methods. In this retrospective study, data from 6024 patients with AP were included within 24 h of their admission. Serum levels of urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, glucose, and hematocrit and APACHE-II score were analyzed for patients with AP. We employed the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity analyses to evaluate the accuracy of the studied laboratory parameters and APACHE-II score. Results. Our study included 2090 (35%) patients out of 6024 patients who were evaluated within 24 h of hospital admission. For predicting POF, serum creatinine level≥1.8 mg/dl had the highest specificity (98%). The second classification tree has shown that when the serum creatinine level>1.8 and APACHE−II≥8 within 24 h were combined, the rates of predicted persistent organ failure achieved 66.7%. Conclusions. In this large, hospital-based retrospective study, we demonstrated that an APACHE-II score≥8 and a serum creatinine level≥1.8 mg/dl within 24 h of admission can positively predict POF in AP and that serum creatinine levels<1.8 mg/dl within 24 h of admission can be useful for negatively predicting POF in AP.
Contribution of Zinc and Zinc Transporters in the Pathogenesis of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
Authors: Ohashi Wakana , Fukada Toshiyuki
Published: March 2019

Intestinal epithelial cells cover the surface of the intestinal tract. The cells are important for preserving the integrity of the mucosal barriers to protect the host from luminal antigens and pathogens. The mucosal barriers are maintained by the continuous and rapid self-renewal of intestinal epithelial cells. Defects in the self-renewal of these cells are associated with gastrointestinal diseases, including inflammatory bowel diseases and diarrhea. Zinc is an essential trace element for living organisms, and zinc deficiency is closely linked to the impaired mucosal integrity. Recent evidence has shown that zinc transporters contribute to the barrier function of intestinal epithelial cells. In this review, we describe the recent advances in understanding the role of zinc and zinc transporters in the barrier function and homeostasis of intestinal epithelial cells.
EleutherococcusSpecies Cultivated in Europe: A New Source of Compounds with Antiacetylcholinesterase, Antihyaluronidase, Anti-DPPH, and Cytotoxic Activities
Authors: Adamczyk Kuba , Olech Marta , Abramek Jagoda , Pietrzak Wioleta , Kuźniewski Rafał , Bogucka-Kocka Anna , Nowak Renata , Ptaszyńska Aneta A. , Rapacka-Gackowska Alina , Skalski Tomasz , Strzemski Maciej , Sowa Ireneusz , Wójciak-Kosior Magdalena , Feldo Marcin , Załuski Daniel
Published: March 2019

Secondary metabolites of the roots ofEleutherococcusspp. cultivated in Poland, or the bioactivity, are not fully known. The 75% methanol extracts of fiveEleutherococcusspp. (E. senticosus,E. divaricatus,E. sessiliflorus,E. gracilistylus, andE. henryi) were examined for the content of polyphenols and phenolic acids as well as for antiacetylcholinesterase, antihyaluronidase, anti-DPPH∗, and cytotoxic activities. The richest in polyphenols were the roots ofE. henryi(10.4 mg/g DW), while in flavonoids the roots ofE. divaricatus(6.5 mg/g DW). The richest in phenolic acids occurred the roots ofE. henryi[protocatechuic acid (1865 μg/g DE), caffeic acid (244 μg/g DE), andp-coumaric and ferulic acids (55 μg/g DE)]. The highest inhibition of AChE was observed forE. gracilistylusandE. sessiliflorus(32%), at the concentration of 100 μg/0.19 mL of the reaction mixture, while that of Hyal for the roots ofE. henryi(40.7%), at the concentration of 100 μg/0.16 mL of the reaction mixture. Among five species tested, theE. henryiextract exhibited the strongest HL-60 cell line growth’s inhibition (IC50270 μg/mL). The extracts reduced DPPH∗in a time-dependent mode, at the concentration of 0.8 mg/mL. After 90 min from 14.7 to 26.2%, DPPH∗was reduced. A phytochemical composition and activity of theEleutherococcusspecies, cultivated in Poland, are still under research; however, on the basis of the results obtained, it may be concluded that they may become a source of phytochemicals and be useful for Europe’s citizens.
Dynamical Analysis of Two‐Microorganism and Single Nutrient Stochastic Chemostat Model with Monod‐Haldane Response Function
Authors: Chi Mengnan , Zhao Wencai
Published: March 2019

In this paper, we formulate and investigate a two‐microorganism and single nutrient chemostat model with Monod‐Haldane response function and random perturbation. First, for the corresponding deterministic system, we introduce the conditions of the stability of the equilibrium points. Then, using Lyapunov function and Itô’s formula, we investigate the existence and uniqueness of the global positive solution of the stochastic chemostat model. Furthermore, we explore and obtain the criterions of the extinction and the permanence for the stochastic model. Finally, numerical simulations are carried out to illustrate our main results.
Comparison of the Intestinal Microbial Community in Ducks Reared Differently through High-Throughput Sequencing
Authors: Zhao Yan , Li Kun , Luo Houqiang , Duan Longchuan , Wei Caixia , Wang Meng , Jin Junjie , Liu Suzhen , Mehmood Khalid , Shahzad Muhammad
Published: March 2019

Birds are an important source of fecal contamination in environment. Many of diseases are spread through water contamination caused by poultry droppings. A study was conducted to compare the intestinal microbial structure of Shaoxing ducks with and without water. Thirty 1-day-old Shaoxing ducks (Qingke No. 3) were randomly divided into two groups; one group had free access to water (CC), while the other one was restricted from water (CT). After 8 months of breeding, caecal samples of 10 birds from each group were obtained on ice for high-throughput sequencing. A total of 1507978 valid sequences were examined and clustered into 1815 operational taxonomic units (OTUs). At phylum level, Firmicutes (41.37%), Bacteroidetes (33.26%), Proteobacteria (13.67%), and Actinobacteria (8.26%) were found to dominate the microbial community in CC birds, while Firmicutes (53.62%), Bacteroidetes (33.06%), and Actinobacteria (11.13%) were uncovered to be the prime phyla in CT ducks. At genus level, Bacteroides (25.02%), Escherichia-Shigella (11.02%), Peptococcus (7.73%) and Parabacteroides (5.86%) were revealed to be the mainly genera in the CC group ducks, while Bacteroides (18.11%), Erysipelatoclostridium (10.94%), Ruminococcaceae_unclassified (10.43%), Lachnospiraceae_unclassified (5.26%), Coriobacteriales_unclassified (5.89%), and Faecalibacterium (4.2%) were detected to staple the microbial flora in the CT birds. One phylum and 13 genera were found to have the significant difference between the two bird groups (p<0.05). At phylum level, Proteobacteria in CT ducks were found to be obviously lower than ducks in CC birds (p<0.05). At genus level, Escherichia-Shigella (p<0.05) and Peptococcus (p<0.05) were found to be notably lower in CT birds, while Erysipelatoclostridium (p<0.05), Ruminococcaceae_unclassified (p<0.01), Coriobacteriales_unclassified (p<0.05), Faecalibacterium (p<0.01), Atopobiaceae_unclassified (p<0.01), Alistipes (p<0.05), Eggerthellaceae_unclassified (p<0.05), Prevotella_7 (<0.05), Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group (p<0.05), Prevotellaceae_uncultured (p<0.05), and Shuttleworthia (p<0.05) were observed to be prominently higher in CT ducks. In conclusion, the present study revealed the effects of keeping ducks away from swimming with obvious changes in the microbial community. Though higher microbial richness was found in the ducks without swimming, more pathogenic genera including Eggerthella, Erysipelatoclostridium, Alistipes, Prevotella_7, and Shuttleworthia; zoonotic genera including Eggerthella and Shuttleworthia; inflammatory genus Alistipes; anti-inflammatory Faecalibacterium genus; and tumor genus Rikenellaceae were examined in these ducks. The CT ducks also showed significant changes at genera level regarding the metabolism (Peptococcus, Ruminococcaceae, and Coriobacteriales).
Study on the Processing Technology of Calamine Calcination by Near-Infrared Spectroscopy
Authors: Zhang Xiaodong , Chen Long , Bai Yu , Chen Keli
Published: March 2019

Near-infrared spectroscopy has been widely used in qualitative and quantitative analysis and online monitoring in the production process of traditional Chinese medicines. The aim was to establish a fast determination model of zinc oxide (ZnO) content in calcined calamine and to explore methods through judging the end point of calamine calcination. Eight batches of calamine samples sourced from hydrozincite with different sizes and textures were calcined at different temperatures. During the calcination process, ZnO contents, X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, and near-infrared spectra of the samples were used to analyze their changes rules. The model of determining ZnO content of calcined calamine was established to use near-infrared spectroscopy based on the partial least squares (PLS) regression algorithm. In addition, this paper summarized the change rules of calamine in calcination according to XRD patterns, using the “K value” quantitative method to define the characteristic T value. When the T value was equal to 1.00 (100%), that is to say, the calamine sample was completely calcined. Then, matching the near-infrared spectroscopy data with the T value and establishing the T value analysis model using the PLS algorithm were performed. Through cross and independent validation and evaluation, it was proved that the two models were very effective and had strong predictive abilities. Finally, the purpose of the online monitoring of the calcination process and controlling the quality of the calcined calamine was achieved.
Dynamic Amplification Factor of Shear Force on Bridge Columns under Impact Load
Authors: Ma Haiying , Cao Zhen , Shi Xuefei , Zhou Junyong
Published: March 2019

Shear failure is a common mode for bridge column collapse during a vehicle‐column collision. In current design codes, an equivalent static load value is usually employed to specify the shear capacity of bridge columns subject to vehicle collisions. But how to consider the dynamic effect on bridge columns induced by impact load needs further research. The dynamic amplification factor (DAF) is generally used in the analysis and design to include the dynamic effect, which is usually determined using the equivalent single degree of freedom (SDOF) method. However, SDOF method neglects the effect of the higher‐order modes, leading to big difference between the calculated results and the real induced forces. Therefore, a novel method to obtain dynamic response under concentrated impact load including the effect of higher‐order modes is proposed in the paper, which is based on the modified Timoshenko beam theory (MTB) and the classical Timoshenko beam theory (CTB). Finite element models are conducted to validate the proposed method. The result comparisons show that the results from the proposed method have more accuracy compared with the results from the CTB theory. Additionally, the proposed method is employed to calculate the maximum DAF of shear forces for bridge columns under impact load. Parametric studies are conducted to investigate the effect on the DAF of shear forces including slenderness ratio, boundary condition, and shape and position of impact load. Finally, a simplified formula for calculating the maximum DAF of shear force is proposed for bridge column design.
Biopsychosocial Correlates of Adjustment to Cancer during Chemotherapy: The Key Role of Health-Related Quality of Life
Authors: Lauriola Marco , Tomai Manuela
Published: March 2019

Background. Patients adjust to cancer in a continuous process that follows the course of the disease. Previous research has considered several illness-related variables and demographics, quality of life, personality, and social factors as predictors of adjustment to cancer, which can be maladaptive (e.g., helplessness-hopelessness and anxious preoccupation) or adaptive (e.g., fighting spirit). Aims. Assuming a biopsychosocial view, we test an empirical model in which disease stage, patient’s age, and gender are viewed as the distal antecedents of positive and negative adjustment to cancer for chemotherapy patients. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has a key role, interposing between the distal antecedents and adaptational outcomes. Social support and positive thinking are also included in the model as related to adjustment. Methods. One-hundred-sixty-two consecutive cancer patients receiving adjuvant or standard chemotherapy participated in the study. Patients completed the Mini-Mental Adjustment to Cancer, the Brief-COPE, the Social Provision Scale, and the SF-12 Health Survey. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was applied for model building and hypotheses testing. Results. We found a negative association between advanced stage and physical functioning, a strong positive link between physical functioning and mental health, and significant relations between mental health and helpless-hopelessness, anxious preoccupation, and cognitive avoidance. Social support and positive thinking were related to fighting spirit and fatalism. Cancer stage and female gender were indirectly associated with adaptational outcomes through HRQoL. The patient’s age had no significant relationships in the model. Discussion. HRQoL (both physical and mental) is a key factor for preventing maladjustment in chemotherapy patients. Social support and positive thinking coping style fosters fighting spirit and fatalism on health outcomes. Two potential lines of action seem promising: preventing maladaptive and promoting adaptive adjustments working on patient’s mental health individually and involving significant others in supportive care, respectively.
Multifocal Metastatic Breast Carcinoma to the Thyroid Gland Histologically Mimicking C Cell Lesions
Authors: Ghias Adeeba F. , Epps Gregory , Cottrill Elizabeth , Mardekian Stacey K.
Published: March 2019

The thyroid gland is an uncommon site of metastatic disease. Renal cell carcinoma is the most common primary source, while metastasis from breast carcinoma is very rare. However, given that thyroid nodules are more common in women, and women with a history of breast cancer are at higher risk of developing thyroid cancer, the possibility of metastatic breast carcinoma must be considered when evaluating a thyroid nodule. We present the case of a 67-year-old woman who presented with dysphonia and dysphagia secondary to multinodular goiter and was found to have multifocal metastatic breast carcinoma in her surgical resection specimen. The histologic appearance focally mimicked C cell hyperplasia and medullary thyroid carcinoma, so immunohistochemistry was critical for establishing the diagnosis. Metastasis to the thyroid should always be included in the differential diagnosis for a thyroid nodule in a patient with a history of previous malignancy.
The Pleasures of Lyric in Plutarch’s Hierarchies of Taste
Authors: Driscoll David F.
Published: March 2019

In his Quaestiones Convivales, a sympotic text recounting more than 75 purportedly historical banquets set in Rome and Greece, Plutarch represents intellectuals engaging with early lyric (melic, iambic, and elegiac poetry) as they express broader views about aesthetic taste. In contrast to Homeric poetry, which is commonly quoted by all characters in the symposium but proportionally more by lower-ranking participants, those who quote lyric appear to be exclusively individuals of higher status. The paper provides specific metrics that further illuminate this phenomenon, and it makes a number of suggestions regarding the relationship between literary taste and social status in Plutarch’s Quaestiones Convivales.
Fat Cats and Porky Pooches: “Pet Obesity,” Moral Panic, and Multi-Species Possibilities
Authors: Bunyak Garrett
Published: March 2019

Fat feline and canine bodies are increasingly medicalized in stories from veterinary journals that describe a “rising tide of pet obesity.” The construction of “obesity epidemics” and “pandemics” drive the storylines of these journals that claim fat bodies are at risk of increased pain during life and early death. Despite the authoritarian tone of the stories, few certainties and agreements exist within the literature. Yet the stories weave together with a fatphobic culture, technoscience, humanism, and neoliberalism to shape the types of choices available for “responsible pet owners” and practicing veterinarians. Laced with fatphobia, veterinary knowledges have the potential power to literally reshape the bodies of companion animals. For more accurate descriptions of reality and more diverse futures, science needs new stories that recognize and construct heterogenous ways of being and relating within and between species.
Thermoregulation of the lizard Barisia imbricata at altitudinal extremes
Authors: Fierro-Estrada Natalia , González González Yasmin Guadalupe , Miles Donald B. , Martínez Gómez Margarita , García Andrés , Salgado-Ugarte Isaías Hazarmabeth , Méndez de la Cruz Fausto R.
Published: March 2019

Ambient temperature is a primary factor affecting the physiology and activity of reptiles. Thermoregulation involves a series of mechanisms to maintain an organism’s body temperature within a narrow range. The study of thermal ecology of lizards is relevant for understanding their distribution, life history, ecology and thermal requirements. Moreover, determining how species are able to attain physiologically active body temperatures in challenging environments is necessary for assessing the risk of extinction due to climate change, especially for threatened endemic species. We evaluated and compared the thermal ecology of two populations of the viviparous lizard Barisia imbricata, at contrasting elevations (2200 and 3700 m). We obtained variation in thermal data from winter through autumn for multiple years. We determined thermal efficiency indices based on field active body temperatures, preferred temperatures (in a thermal gradient), and operative environmental temperatures (according to null models). We also recorded substrate and air temperatures at the time of capture. Mean body temperature of both populations showed a positive correlation with environmental temperatures. We found significant seasonal differences in body temperature in both populations, and between body temperatures of the two populations. Our results suggest that B. imbricata is an eurythermic species and can thermoregulate actively at any given time. However, when environmental temperatures are within the range of preferred temperatures, the species does not engage in thermoregulatory behavior. This information expands knowledge on the range of possible thermal responses to environmental variation within a species.
Combinatory sound object play in cockatiels: a forerunner of music?
Authors: Le Covec Mathilde , Aimé Carla , Bovet Dalila
Published: March 2019

An interest in producing sounds during play behaviour might be a forerunner for music. Thus, we explored object play behaviour involving sounds in cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus). We provided them with several objects producing sounds and recorded sound production, spontaneous warbles and drumming during breeding, pre- and post-breeding. Birds manipulated the objects in a playful way. They manipulated them less during breeding than during pre- and post-breeding, but the proportion of manipulations producing sounds were higher during post-breeding and breeding than during pre-breeding. Males manipulated the objects more frequently and produced more sounds than females. Youngsters manipulated the objects more than adults. One bird repeatedly put a bell on a xylophone; we discuss several possible explanations for the behaviour, including tool use. Only males warbled and drummed, and during breeding only. Our results suggest an enriching effect of the objects on the birds. Many aspects of musicality remain to be studied.
Behavioural response of the mud lobster, Thalassina anomala Herbst, 1804 (Decapoda, Gebiidea), to different trapping devices
Authors: Hossain Mohammad S. , Bujang Japar S. , Kamal Abu Hena M. , Zakaria Muta H. , Muslim Aidy M.
Published: March 2019

The behavioural response of the mud lobster, Thalassina anomala Herbst, 1804, to different trapping devices (TD), was studied in the mangrove areas of Sibuti, Sarawak, East Malaysia. Nine different TDs were deployed in this study. Observations revealed that there were no differences in response, neither due to the various types of mound, or as a result of the different TDs: rather, the lobsters either avoided, or obstructed those TDs. Detailed observations revealed that the mud lobsters showed skilled avoidance by either moving freshly dug, moist mud into the TD-types made of bamboo and plastic, or moved the fishing net out of the burrow when it was obstructed by such a type of TD. The damaged parts of the mound caused by deployment of the TD were successfully reconstructed or rebuilt by the mud lobster, using moist mud from the bottom of their tunnel. There was no particular period determined, i.e., neither by day nor at night, when the mud lobsters repaired or rebuilt their opened or otherwise disturbed burrows.
Crayfish chelae usage suggests predominantly ambidextrous habitude
Authors: Lele Sandra-Florina , Pârvulescu Lucian
Published: March 2019

Heterochely is an important feature in some marine decapod crustaceans, but it is seldom investigated in freshwater crayfish. In this study, we applied a biometrical analysis targeting wild populations of three European crayfish species, Astacus leptodactylus, Astacus astacus, and Austropotamobius torrentium, as well as one invasive North American species, Faxonius limosus. Field data were combined with video-recorded observations to understand the usage of chelae in laboratory experiments for A. leptodactylus and F. limosus. According to biometrical measurements, heterochely was evenly distributed between species and sexes in wild populations, leading to the assumption that there is no specific pattern in chela size. Moreover, we found that the ambidextrous usage of chelae is a commonly encountered behaviour in crayfish, since no significant relationship was found between their chelae and asymmetry. This behaviour could maximize the chances of survival for crayfish in general, since losing one or both chelae is often recorded in the wild.
Studies on the efficiency of different inoculation methods of rice white-tip nematode, Aphelenchoides besseyi
Authors: Xie Jialian , Yang Fang , Wang Yanping , Peng Yunliang , Ji Hongli
Published: March 2019

To fulfil different research purposes, five methods to inoculate Aphelenchoides besseyi onto seedlings and panicles of rice, Oryza sativa, were evaluated in this study and the efficiency of the inoculation methods assessed by success rates and recovery rates. Among the three methods leading to the infection of young seedlings without obvious mechanical wounds, i.e., water flotation, seed soaking and leaf spraying, the inoculation of 125 nematodes plant−1 by the water flotation method gave rise to the highest success rate and recovery rate, 95.6 and 8.3%, respectively, in growth chamber experiments. When conducted in the plastic house, seed soaking and leaf spraying of 125 nematodes plant−1 resulted in 75.6 and 66.7% success rate, respectively, and 155.7 and 178.1% recovery rates, respectively. The injection or spraying of 2000 nematodes panicle−1 at the booting or flowering stage gave 100% infection.
Rethinking Jewish Approaches to Wastefulness
Authors: Yoreh Tanhum
Published: March 2019

This paper demonstrates that attitudes toward idolatry and the influence of foreign cultural practices in rabbinic sources play a central role in the conceptualization of the rabbinic prohibition against wastefulness (bal tashḥit). This has been essentially ignored in the contemporary discourse on wastefulness but has the potential to shift the manner in which the prohibition is perceived, especially from a practical point of view, among observant Jewish communities. Prima facie, through the prohibition against wastefulness, Judaism has the tools and values to mitigate wastefulness. Yet this prohibition has had only modest success in accomplishing this. In order to understand how and why religious theory is translated into practice in a particular way it is essential to understand the history of this concept.
Necessary but Insufficient: Civil Society in International Mediation
Authors: Jewett Georgia
Published: March 2019

Civil conflicts are more intractable and complex than ever before. In these conflicts, civilians are increasingly targeted and weaponized. Yet, because civilians are disproportionately affected by the ensuing violence and instability, they also have a larger role to play in the peacemaking process. This stems from the fact that local civil society organizations (CSO) assume new responsibilities vis-a-vis their communities as the state disintegrates. They often became the coordinators and providers of basic security and services. Unsurprisingly, CSO leaders often emerge as the only credible and authoritative actors in this complex environment, trusted by both the disputing parties and the affected communities. This article argues that CSOs are necessary to any international mediation process; however, they must be leveraged in conjunction with conventional third party mediator resources (that is, financial, technical and military assistance) to maximize the potential of an enduring peace deal.
Reasons Behind the Forced Migration of Bangladeshi Hindu Religious Minorities to India
Authors: Mithun Mahanam Bhattacharjee
Published: March 2019

The number of Bangladeshi Hindu religious minorities have been dropping rapidly during the last few decades. Bangladesh shares a long border with India, and due to linguistic and cultural similarities, many Bangladeshi religious minorities choose to take refuge in India. This research explores the reasons forcing Hindu minorities to leave Bangladesh. It also provides an overview of the situation in Bangladesh with regard to minority protection, law enforcement and government actions. The findings of this research also illustrate why forced migration is an ongoing process and the main factors behind that exodus.
Erasmus and Aesop
Authors: Regier Willis Goth
Published: March 2019

Erasmus was a fluent Aesopian. In books and letters he cited Aesop’s fables to explain, admonish, and insult. The Adagiorum Chiliades alludes to more than seventy different fables, including two adages about Aesop: “Ne Aesopum quidem trivisti” (2.6.27); and “Aesopicus sanguis” (2.6.63). The great adage “Scarabeus aquilam quaerit” (3.7.1) begins with Aesop’s fable. Erasmus’ own contributions to collections of fables were printed in Antwerp, Basel, Louvain, Strasbourg, Paris, and Venice. This paper examines Erasmus’ use of Aesop, identifies the fables Erasmus favored, and places his versions of fables in the history of Aesop transmission.
Political Representation from a Pragmatist Perspective: Aesthetic Democratic Representation
Authors: Räber Michael I.
Published: March 2019

In this article I discuss the advantages of a theory of political representation for a pragmatist theory of (global) democracy. I first outline Dewey’s disregard for political representation by analyzing the political, epistemological and aesthetic underpinnings of his criticism of the Enlightenment ideal of democracy and its trust in the power of the detached gaze. I then show that a theory of political representation is not only compatible with a pragmatist Deweyan-pragmatist perspective on democratic politics but also that Dewey’s concept of “publics”, if applied to contemporary circumstances of globalized politics, requires such a theory. I suggest a pragmatic theory of political representation that combines elements of Dewey’s aesthetics, particularly his own theory of vision, with Michael Saward’s conception of representative claim-making into the notion of aesthetic democratic representation.
Gradual conventionalization of pragmatic inferences
Authors: Mejías-Bikandi Errapel
Published: March 2019

The alternation in Spanish between y and e on the one hand, and u and o in the other, is examined. It is proposed that the standard account under which the choice of one variant over the other is sensitive only to the phonetic context is incomplete. Specifically, the paper argues that pragmatic inferences that typically appear cross-linguistically associated with these connectors, and that result in asymmetric interpretations, are not favoured in Spanish with the morphological variants e and u, which favour symmetric interpretations. The paper proposes that the relevant pragmatic inferences have been partially conventionalized for y and o, but that this conventionalization has not occurred in the case of e and u for the reason that they are much less frequently used. Thus, discussion and data offer a view of a stage in a gradual process of semantic change via conventionalization of pragmatic inferences.
Story, Storyteller, and Storytelling
Authors: Weedon Alexis
Published: March 2019

Nothing has had so much impact on our daily lives in the past two decades as the revolution in technologies of communication. Across the resulting debate in industry and academia the notion of ‘storytelling’ has come into prominence. It is a term in need of conceptual placement and theoretical framing. Publishers may feel that they have first call on storytelling as primary producers of the written text. When oral traditions documented by scribes gave way to authorship of the written text, the dissemination of knowledge became by way of print. But since the invention and adoption of other media—film, radio, internet, web, book apps, interactive mobile media—storytelling has been the exclusive domain of none. This paper provides a definition of ‘story’, ‘storytelling’, and ‘storyteller’ based on contemporary examples and historical usage, and traces how the affordances of new technologies have opened up pathways in storytelling by looking at examples from the origins of media convergence in the early 20th century to today.
Computer-Generated Fiction in a Literary Lineage
Authors: Henrickson Leah
Published: March 2019

This article examines the place of computer-generated literary texts within the boundaries of modern literary analysis. Any act of reading engages interpretive faculties; modern readers assume a text to embody human agency. With this assumption, readers assign authorial intention and hence develop a perceived contract between the author and the reader. Yet computer-generated texts bring this contract into question. Drawing from historical examples of conceptual writing, this article shows how computer-generated fiction calls into question current conceptions of authorship and what it means to be a reader, but it nevertheless fits within a longstanding literary lineage.
Wallensteins Tod in der Geschichtsschreibung
Authors: Krobb Florian
Published: March 2019

This article investigates how contemporary news media, pamphlets and (slightly later) some more elaborate justificatory accounts of the events treated the death of Imperial Commander-in-Chief Wallenstein. The analysis of strategies of emplotment, structure and rhetorical devices of the relevant texts reveal how they all, regardless of the text’s position on either side of the religious and political divide, affirm the power of ‘history’ (fate, providence) to re-establish a balance that had previously been disturbed. A parallel analysis of Friedrich Schiller’s groundbreaking account of the Thirty Years War reveals how, 150 years later, the belief in the self-healing powers of history, the capacity of achieving its own equilibrium, still dominates his philosophy of history.
Kweneng: A Newly Discovered Pre-Colonial Capital Near Johannesburg
Authors: Sadr Karim
Published: March 2019

Kweneng is an extensive aggregation of stone-walled ruins that represent a pre-colonial Tswana capital. It is located 30 km south of today’s Johannesburg. The Molokwane architectural style predominates at this site. This style dates from around the mid- eighteenth to the mid- nineteenth centuries AD. The northern sector of Kweneng contains some structures in an architectural style from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries AD. Scattered here and there on the fringes of Kweneng are Type N compounds, which represent the oldest architectural style in this region and date to the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries AD. With a long sequence from formation to collapse, Kweneng will shed light not only on the birth of complex urban society in this region, but also in more distant times and places where the evidence might be considerably less intact. This preliminary report introduces the site and the principal features of its built environment.
Pleasing the Emperor: Revisiting the Figured Chinese Manuscript of Matteo Ricci’s Maps
Authors: Fangyi Cheng
Published: March 2019

Aside from John Day’s important survey of the figured manuscript copies of Matteo Ricci’s map, there has been little investigation of the reasons they were made, the sources of their content or how they circulated. Key to understanding these maps is the text Zhifang waiji [職方外紀] (1623) edited by Giulio Aleni and Yang Tingyun. This text was actually the work of Diego de Pantoja and Sabatino de Ursis in Beijing, composed on the orders of the Wanli emperor. At the same time, a figured manuscript copy of Ricci’s map was composed, which was copied by other scholars in Beijing and circulated at court. These efforts, however, were largely aimed at pleasing the Wanli Emperor rather than impressing the literati with the extent of Jesuit knowledge.
The Star Charts of Ignatius Kögler (1680–1746) in the Korean Court
Authors: A. Pegg Richard
Published: March 2019

Star-chart screens based on the work of the Jesuit Ignatius Kögler (1680–1742), functioned in the eighteenth-century Korean court as a way of consolidating imperial authority around the calendar and more broadly conceptions of space and time. This occurred in the aftermath of the collapse of Ming calendrical authority and in the context of the developing relationship between Korea and the Qing court. The network of envoys that brought back astronomical science between the Joseon court in Korea and the Ming and Qing courts in China is discussed, and Kögler’s star chart of 1723 is compared with several large format Korean star chart screens that acted as symbols of royal power and legitimacy in the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910) court.
Optimal foraging and physiological responses to the risk of predation: how fecal cortisol concentrations from trapped Allenby’s gerbil (Gerbillus andersoni allenbyi) relate to foraging under the risk of predation
Authors: Juliana Justin R. St. , Kotler Burt P. , Pinshow Berry , Kronfeld-Schor Noga
Published: March 2019

We studied the influence of manipulating predation risk on Allenby’s gerbil (
Gerbillus andersoni allenbyi) held in a large, outdoor enclosure. We measured giving up densities (GUDs), apprehension, time allocation to foraging, harvest strategy (grab and go (GAG) vs. eat at tray (EAT)), and fecal cortisol concentration. First we established the time necessary for cortisol and corticosterone concentrations to change significantly from baseline after a stressful experience. To do this we collected feces from gerbils 2, 4, 6, or 8 hours after being handled (treatment) or not (control). After 8 h, fecal cortisol, but not corticosterone, concentration was significantly higher in treatment animals. We used the results from the hormone time course experiment to design the predation experiment. We used a dog, trained to harass gerbils, to increase predation risk for the gerbils. We predicted that fecal cortisol concentrations would increase directly in the face of predation risk, or indirectly, due to reduced foraging time because of perceived predation risk that, in turn, leads to increased hunger levels. As predicted, in the presence of a predator, GUDs were higher, time allocation lower, and GAG foraging was used more in treatment animals than in controls, but we found no change in apprehension. There was no difference in cortisol concentration between predator present and no-predator treatments. However, individuals that tended to have higher average fecal cortisol concentrations also tended, on average, to spend more time foraging. This indicates a relationship between stress hormones and optimal foraging. This relationship is potentially causal. While nightly changes in behavior may not be related to stress hormones, over course time scales, stress hormones may be driving gerbils to forage more.
A checklist of Israeli land vertebrates
Authors: Meiri Shai , Belmaker Amos , Berkowic Daniel , Kazes Kesem , Maza Erez , Bar-Oz Guy , Dor Roi
Published: March 2019

Faunal lists are important tools in ecology, biogeography, and conservation planning. Such lists can identify gaps in our knowledge of the distribution and taxonomy of regional faunas, and highlight issues needing further study. We present an up to date list of all land vertebrates occurring in Israel. We identify 786 species, of which 551 are birds, 130 are mammals, 97 are reptiles and eight are amphibians. Of these 369 species breed in Israel (including reintroductions), 199 (mostly birds) are regular visitors and 182 are accidental. Fourteen other species are invasive, and 22 species are extinct. We identify issues with the taxonomy and status of several species, and note recent developments in our understanding the Israeli land vertebrate fauna.