bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Maximal vs. Submaximal Isometric Fatiguing Exercise on Subsequent Submaximal Exercise Performance
Authors: Miller William M. , Ye Xin , Jeon Sunggun
Published: June 2019

Miller, WM, Ye, X, and Jeon, S. Effects of maximal vs. submaximal isometric fatiguing exercise on subsequent submaximal exercise performance. J Strength Cond Res 34(7): 1875–1883, 2020—Exercise-induced muscle fatigue directly influences subsequent exercise performance. Thus, we examined task failure times for submaximal intermittent fatiguing isometric contractions performed after a bout of sustained maximal vs. submaximal isometric fatiguing contractions with the dominant elbow flexors. Twenty physically active individuals 8 men (mean ± SD = 21.4 ± 1.8 years; 80.9 ± 12.5 kg; 180 ± 6.4 cm) and 12 women (mean ± SD = 21.4 ± 2.7; 66.8 ± 15.6 kg; 165.7 ± 7.1 cm) participated in a 3-visit randomized cross-over study. Visit 1 included familiarization, and 2 and 3 were randomized for sustained maximal (until force was below 50% of the maximal force value) or submaximal conditions (50% of maximal force until task failure), followed by submaximal intermittent isometric contractions to task failure. Surface electromyography was recorded through the biceps brachii during all fatiguing contractions. Task failure time was significantly shorter for the maximal compared with submaximal condition, and no significant difference in sex or condition was found for the subsequent fatiguing condition. Electromyography amplitude significantly increased in the submaximal intermittent isometric contractions from prefatigue and first and final postfatigue with no condition or sex differences. Electromyography mean frequency significantly decreased from prefatigue and first and final postfatigue for both sexes, with no condition or sex differences. With both maximal and submaximal exercises inducing the same level of force deficit, our results suggested that both exercises might have imposed a similar burden on the neuromuscular system, thereby not providing differential effects on the subsequent submaximal exercise performance.
Warm Working as a Potential Substitute for Hot Working of Austenitic Steel in Selected Applications
Authors: Aashranth B. , Arvinth Davinci M. , Samantaray Dipti , Borah Utpal
Published: June 2019

The conventional manufacturing route for austenitic steels involves casting, ingot breakdown, subsequent hot working, and finally cold working, with numerous intermediate heat treatment stages. In this study, the potential of warm working to substitute some steps of the conventional manufacturing process is examined. A low-carbon austenitic stainless steel, SS304L, is subjected to cold, warm, and hot deformation in light of recent understanding of warm working. The deformation response in these two regimes is compared on the basis of metallurgical, mechanical, and process variables. Metallurgical response is compared on the basis of resultant grain size and stability of microstructure to subsequent heat treatment. The differences in mechanical response in the two regimes are evaluated through analysis of flow curves. Finally, the important but often ignored parameter of process stability is examined by performing nonisothermal deformation and examining the effect on microstructure. The results are used to propose some applications where warm working can substitute hot and cold working.
Next-Generation Sequencing Reveals Increased Anti-oxidant Response and Ecdysone Signaling in STAT Supercompetitors in Drosophila
Authors: Sitaram Poojitha , Lu Sean , Harsh Sneh , Herrera Salvador C , Bach Erika A
Published: June 2019

Cell competition is the elimination of one viable population of cells (the losers) by a neighboring fitter population (the winners) and was discovered by studies in the Drosophila melanogaster wing imaginal disc. Supercompetition is a process in which cells with elevated JAK/STAT signaling or increased Myc become winners and outcompete wild-type neighbors. To identify the genes that are differentially regulated in STAT supercompetitors, we purified these cells from Drosophila wing imaginal discs and performed next-generation sequencing. Their transcriptome was compared to those of control wing disc cells and Myc supercompetitors. Bioinformatics revealed that STAT and Myc supercompetitors have distinct transcriptomes with only 41 common differentially regulated genes. Furthermore, STAT supercompetitors have elevated reactive oxygen species, an anti-oxidant response and increased ecdysone signaling. Using a combination of methods, we validated 13 differentially expressed genes. These data sets will be useful resources to the community.
Modeling of emergency condenser system response to loss of coolant accident in a BWR III+ generation
Authors: Bryk Rafał , Schmidt Holger , Mull Thomas
Published: June 2019

Emergency Condenser (EC) is a heat exchanger composed of a large number of slightly inclined U-tubes arranged horizontally.
The inlet header of the condenser is connected with the top part of the Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV), which is occupied by steam
during critical operation. The lower header in turn is linked with the RPV below the liquid water level during normal operation of
the reactor. The tube bundle is filled with cold water and it is located in a vessel filled with water of the same temperature. Thus,
the EC and RPV form together a system of communicating vessels. In case of an emergency and a decrease of the water level in
the RPV, the water flows gravitationally from U-tubes to the RPV. At the same time the steam from the RPV enters to the EC and
condenses due to its contact with cold walls of the EC. The condensate flows then back to the RPV due to the tubes inclination.
Hence, the system removes heat from the RPV and serves as a high- and low-pressure injection system at the same time. In this
paper a model of the EC system is presented. The model was developed with Modelica modeling language and OpenModelica
environment which had not been used in this scope before. The model was verified against experimental data obtained during
tests performed at INKA (Integral Test Facility Karlstein) ̶ a test facility dedicated for investigation of the passive safety systems
performance of KERENA ̶ generation III+ BWR developed by Framatome.
Fatigue strength reliability assessment of turbo-fan blades by Kriging-based distributed collaborative response surface method
Authors: Gao Hai-Feng , Wang Anjenq , Zio Enrico , Ma Wei
Published: June 2019

Fatigue crack propagation affects the operational reliability of engine turbo-fan blades. In this article, we integrate a Kriging
regression model and a distributed collaborative response surface method (DCRSM) for the reliability assessment of turbo-fan
blades, considering the relevant uncertainty. Following a series of deterministic analyses, such as steady-state aerodynamic
analysis, harmonic response analysis and Campbell diagram, and based on the assumption that vibration stress is mainly from
aerodynamic load, the fatigue strength is calculated for turbo-fan blades under coupling aerodynamic forces, according to a
modified Goodman curve of titanium-alloy. Giving consideration to the uncertainty of the resonance frequencies and material
properties, the fatigue strength of the turbo-fan blade is evaluated, including probabilistic analysis and sensitivity analysis. In the
case study analyzed, the conclusions are that the fatigue strength reliability reaches 96.808% with confidence level of 0.95 for the
turbo-fan blade under the coupling aerodynamic forces, and the first three-order resonant frequencies are found to have important
influence on the fatigue performance of turbo-fan blades.
Reliability analysis of complex uncertainty multi-state system based on Bayesian network
Authors: Wang Haipeng , Duan Fuhai , Ma Jun
Published: June 2019

Reliability analysis of complex multi-state system has uncertainty, which is caused by complex structures, limited test samples,
and insufficient reliability data. By introducing fuzzy mathematics and grey system theory into the Bayesian network, the model
of the grey fuzzy Bayesian network is built, and the reliability analysis method of complex uncertainty multi-state system with the
non-deterministic membership function and the interval characteristic quantity is proposed in this paper. Using the trapezoidal
membership function with fuzzy support radius variable to describe the fault state of the component, it can effectively avoid the
influence of human subjective factors on the selection of the membership function and solve the problem that the fault states of the
system and its components are difficult to define accurately. And the conditional probability table containing interval grey numbers
is constructed to effectively express the uncertain fault logic relationship between the system and its components. Moreover, a parameter planning model of the system reliability characteristic quantities is constructed, and the system reliability characteristic
quantities are expressed as the form of interval values. Finally, two sets of numerical experiments are conducted and discussed,
and the results show that the proposed method is an effective and a promising approach to reliability analysis for complex uncertainty multi-state systems.
The validity and inter-rater reliability of project assessment in mathematics learning
Authors: Kusaeri Kusaeri , Sutini Sutini , Suparto Suparto , Wardah Faiqotul
Published: June 2019

[English]: A common criticism of project assessment is the subjectivity and inconsistency of raters in scoring. In the present article, we provide the result of validity and inter-rater reliability test of the project assessment instrument. The instrument with a rubric was used to assess students’ project task in grade eight for function and relation topic. The task was adopted from mathematics textbooks used in the schools. The instrument has been tested to 10 raters/teachers and 94 grade eight students from three schools (in Surabaya and Gresik). Data were collected through the project assessment sheet along with its rubric as the scoring guidance for the teachers. Construct validity was analyzed through confirmatory factor analysis, while a reliability test was conducted by using inter-rater reliability method with the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient. The result of the validity test showed that the instrument did not fulfill the criteria of construct validity. It is indicated by the different number of factors between the initial construction and the empirical test result. In term of inter-rater reliability, the instrument is highly reliable. The findings indicate the need for testing the non-test assessment instrument provided on mathematics textbooks, so the aspects of its assessment sheet fulfill the valid and reliable criteria.

Keywords: Validity, Reliability, Inter-rater, Project assessment, Project task

[Bahasa]: Subjektivitas dan kurang konsistennya guru/rater dalam proses penyekoran merupakan kritik yang umum ditujukan pada penilaian proyek dalam pembelajaran matematika. Oleh karena itu, artikel ini menyajikan hasil uji validitas konstruk dan reliabilitas inter-rater instrumen penilaian projek. Instrumen yang dilengkapi rubrik tersebut digunakan untuk menilai tugas proyek siswa kelas VIII SMP pada materi relasi dan fungsi. Tugas diambil dari buku matematika yang digunakan di sekolah. Instrumen diujicobakan pada 10 raters/guru dan 94 siswa di tiga sekolah berbeda di Kota Surabaya dan Kabupaten Gresik. Data dikumpulkan melalui lembar penilaian projek yang dilengkapi rubrik penilaian sebagai pedoman guru dalam melakukan penskoran. Validitas konstruk dianalisis dengan menggunakan Confirmatory Factor Analysis, sedangkan reliabilitas inter-rater dianalisis dengan Intraclass Correlation Coefficient. Hasil uji validitas menunjukkan bahwa instrumen penilaian yang digunakan tidak valid secara konstruk. Ketidakvalidan ditandai dengan perbedaan banyaknya faktor hasil konstruksi awal dengan hasil uji empiris. Dari sisi reliabilitas inter-rater, instrumen penilaian proyek yang digunakan reliabel. Temuan ini mengindikasikan perlunya dilakukan pengujian instrumen penilaian non tes pada buku matematika, sehingga aspek-aspek dalam lembar penilaian menjadi valid dan reliabel.

Kata kunci: Validitas, Reliabilitas, Inter-rater, Penilaian proyek, Tugas proyek
Assessing Reproductive Decision-making Among HIV-Positive Women in Kumasi, Ghana
Authors: Hersey Alicia E. , Norman Betty , Reece Rebecca
Published: June 2019

Background or Objectives: HIV-positive women have higher rates of unmet need for contraception and unintended pregnancy and face unique obstacles in accessing family planning services, such as healthcare- related stigma and disclosing HIV status to partners. This study characterizes factors that influence the reproductive decision-making of women living with HIV and identifies areas for improvement in reproductive counseling in Kumasi.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, HIV-positive women, ages 18 to 45 years, presenting for care at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital between June and August 2017 were interviewed using structured surveys. Information gathered included demographics, method of contraceptive use, initiation of anti- retroviral therapy (ART), knowledge and use of contraception, and future reproductive plans. The primary outcome was current family planning use and future reproductive desire. Univariate analysis was used to characterize the demographics of the study group. Bivariate analysis including Chi-squared test was employed to assess the association between use of family planning between women with an HIV-positive and HIV-negative partner, with significance set at p < 0.05.

Results: A total of 88 women were interviewed. The unmet need for contraception was 10%. Among all sexually active women, 26% did not use contraception. Fewer women with HIV-negative or untested partners were using contraception (65% and 67%, respectively), compared to women with HIV-positive partners (93%). Partner preference was the most common reason cited for not using a method of contraceptive (46%). Similar trends were found in future reproductive desires based on age cohorts, partner status, and use of family planning.

Conclusion and Global Health Implications: Significant barriers to family planning use among HIV- positive women remain, especially those with a serodiscordant partner. Most partners were aware of their partner’s HIV status. This highlights an important opportunity to include partners in HIV and contraceptive counseling.

Key words: • HIV • Family planning • Contraception • LARC • Serodiscordant • Ghana • Africa

 

Copyright © 2019 Hersey et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Addressing the drug resistant tuberculosis challenge through implementing a mixed model of care in Uganda, 2012- 2017
Authors: Kasozi Samuel , Kirirabwa Nicholas Sebuliba , Kimuli Derrick , Luwaga Henry , Kizito Enock , Turyahabwe Stavia , Lukoye Deus , Byaruhanga Raymond , Lisa Chen , Suarez Pedro
Published: June 2019

Background

Worldwide, Drug resistant Tuberculosis (DR-TB) remains a big problem; the diagnostic capacity has superseded the DR-TB clinical management capacity thereby causing ethical challenges. In Sub-Saharan Africa, treatment is either inadequate or lacking and some diagnosed patients are on treatment waiting lists. In Uganda, various health system challenges impeded scale up of DR-TB care in 2012; only three treatment initiation facilities existed, with only 41 of the estimated 1010 cases enrolled on treatment yet 300 were on the waiting list and there was no DR-TB treatment scale up plan. To scale up care, National TB/Leprosy Program (NTLP) with partners rolled out a DR-TB mixed model of care. In this paper, we share achievements and outcomes resulting from the implementation of this mixed Model of DR-TB care.

Methods

Routine NTLP DR-TB program data from 2013 to 2017 cohorts was collected from all the 15 DR-TB treatment initiation sites and analyzed using STATA version 14.2. We presented outcomes as the number of patient backlog cleared, DR-TB initiation sites, cumulative patients enrolled, percentage of co-infected patients on co-trimoxazole preventive therapy (CPT) and antiretroviral therapy (ART) as well as the six, twelve interim and 24 months treatment outcomes as per the Uganda NTLP 2016 Programmatic Management of drug Resistant Tuberculosis (PMDT) guidelines.

Results

Over the period 2013-2017, DR-TB treatment initiation sites increased from three to 15, cumulative patient enrollment rose from 41 to 1,311 and the 300-patient backlog was cleared. Treatment success rate (TSR) of 73% was achieved above the global TSR average rate of 50%.

Conclusions

The Uganda DR-TB mixed model of care coupled with early application of continuous improvement approaches, enhanced cohort reviews and use of multi-disciplinary teams allowed for rapid DR-TB program expansion, rapid clearance of patient backlog, attainment of high cumulative enrollment and high treatment success rates. Sustainability of these achievements is needed to further reduce the DR-TB burden in the country. We highly recommend this mixed model of care in settings with similar challenges.
Exploring health professionals understanding of evidence based treatment for idiopathic toe walking: a cross-sectional study.
Authors: Williams Cylie , Gray Kelly , Davies Nina , Barkocy Marybeth , Fahey Michael , Simmonds Jane , Accardo Pasquale , Eastwood Deborah , Pacey Verity
Published: June 2019

Background
Idiopathic toe walking (ITW) is an exclusionary diagnosis and varies in severity, from those children with full range of ankle motion, to those with associated ankle equinus. In the absence of a consensus in the treatment for this gait pattern, many clinicians are faced with challenges in understanding available evidence-based treatment options. The research aim was to understand agreement between health professionals’ knowledge of evidence for common treatment strategies for idiopathic toe walking (ITW) and if health professionals supported these strategies being used in clinical practice.

Methods:
An international online survey was opened to registered health professionals who treat children with ITW between July 2017 and March 2018. The survey had two components: 1) demographic variables and variables relating to knowledge of evidence about ITW treatments and 2) support for common treatment strategies. Additional data on strategy use, referrals, and preference were collected. Kappa statistics described intra-rater agreement between evidence knowledge and support. Multivariable regression analyses identified factors associated with the 10 most commonly preferred treatments.

Results:
There were 908 international responses. Kappa agreement for paired correct responses determined a fair agreement for evidence support knowledge for four strategies including Watch and Wait (Kappa=0.24), Stretching (Kappa=0.30), Sensory Integration Strategies (Kappa=0.40) and Motor Control Strategies (Kappa =0.24) and moderate responses for thirteen others. No strategies had greater than moderate agreement between correct knowledge of evidence and strategy support. Profession, location, number of children seen in practice, and not correctly identifying the evidence factored into many of the most commonly used strategies for ITW (p<0.05).

Conclusions:
The results from this study confirm a variety of interventions are utilised in the management of ITW around the world. Furthermore, there remains a disconnect between clinicians understanding of the evidence of common treatment strategies of ITW and a consensus for the treatment of this condition.
Cryopreserved Amniotic Membrane, Autologous Serum Eye Drops, and Tea-Tree Oil Lid Scrubs in combination for the treatment of Keratoconjunctivitis in a Staphylococcus Hypersensitive Teenager
Authors: Doll Tracy
Published: June 2019

Abstract

Background and Objective: The purpose is to present an interventional case report detailing recurrent bilateral keratoconjunctivitis secondary to Staphylococcus hypersensitivity in a teenage female. At least three times yearly, for five years, the patient has experienced episodes of severe bilateral catarrhal infiltrative or phlyctenular keratoconjunctivitis.  Comprehensive corneal and conjunctival cultures had been historically performed, twice, yielding only growth of Staphylococcus aureus and epidermidis. Prior short-term treatment regimens of topical steroids and antibiotics had not prevented recurrences.

Methods: This is an interventional case report: In this patient, placement of a topical cryopreserved amniotic membrane, Prokera Slim (PKS by BioTissue), after one week of topical steroid treatment (Durezol (difluroprednate 0.05%) qid) in the right eye (OD) is compared to a steroid (difluroprednate 0.05%) taper in the left eye (OS) over an approximate one-month time period. Both eyes then continue chronic, long-term maintenance therapy with autologous serum eye drops (ASED) dosed six times daily and tea tree oil containing lids scrubs (SteriLid Foam by TheraTears) two times daily, until the present time. Supportive meibomian gland expression for meibomian gland dysfunction was also performed at the three month treatment mark.

Results: The PKS treatment in the right eye resulted in superior visual acuity and ocular comfort when compared to a steroid taper in the left eye over an approximate one-month time period. These results were maintained in the left eye at the 12 month- time frame. The right eye experienced a recurrence when the patient self-discontinued all therapy in both eyes at the 4 month mark. With re-initiation of maintenance therapy of ASED and tea tree oil containing lids scrubs, she has remained symptom-free for over eight months in the right eye. 

Conclusions: Further comparison and study of the treatment modalities above could result in a potentially faster, safer, and superior treatment and prevention protocol for topical ocular inflammation in Staphylococcus hypersensitive keratoconjunctivitis, particularly in pediatric populations.
Las cláusulas abusivas en los contratos de consumo (análisis a la luz de la Ley 24.240)
Authors: Pereyra Zabala Gastón
Published: June 2019

I. Introducción. II. Las cláusulas abusivas en la ley 24.240: a) Nociones generales b) Casuística del art. 37 de la ley 24.240 c) Pautas interpretativas que impone el art. 37 de la LDC d) La resolución 53/2003- III. Control de las cláusulas abusivas: a) Nociones generales b) Control Administrativo c) Control judicial. IV. La sanción de nulidad de las cláusulas abusivas. V. Contratos con régimen especial en materia de cláusulas abusivas: a) Situaciones contractuales especiales b) Jurisprudencia. VI. Conclusión.
La aplicación de los principios del derecho del consumo al contrato de transporte terrestre de personas
Authors: Viramonte Carlos Ignacio
Published: June 2019

I. Introducción. Aproximación a la cuestión. II. El transporte terrestre de personas. III. El contrato de transporte. III. 1. Concepto. III. 2. Obligaciones de las partes. III. 3. Clasificación y régimen legal aplicable. III. 4. Límites témporo-espaciales del contrato de transporte. IV. El contrato de transporte como relación de consumo. V. Reflexión final.
La aplicación del derecho del consumo al corretaje inmobiliario
Authors: Córdoba González Juan Ignacio
Published: June 2019

I.- Introducción. II.- El corredor inmobiliario III.- La condición de proveedor profesional del corredor inmobiliario. IV.- La relación de consumo que establece con los adquirentes o locatarios de inmuebles. V.- La exclusión legal VI.- La calidad de profesión liberal del corretaje inmobiliario VII.- Las consecuencias de la exclusión. VIII.- El quid de la cuestión: La naturaleza mercantil de la actividad de intermediación inmobiliaria. IX.- Los efectos que la comercialidad de la profesión proyecta en la relación de consumo. (a) La tensión de intereses. El interés especulativo del corredor vs. el interés del consumidor. (b)La forma de prestación del corretaje inmobiliario. (c) El corredor inmobiliario como agente de económico o de mercado. X.- La deficiente protección de las leyes que regulan la actividad intermediadora. XI.- Conclusiones
La tutela procesal diferenciada del consumidor y usuario y el beneficio de justicia gratuita
Authors: Garay Karim Gabriela
Published: June 2019

1. El caso comentado. 2. El beneficio de justicia gratuita como supuesto de tutela procesal diferenciada. 3. Discusiones sobre el alcance del beneficio de justicia gratuita. 4. Nuestra opinión
Desafíos de los procesos colectivos. La inviabilidad de la acción individual como recaudo previo
Authors: Lincon Yessica N.
Published: June 2019

La admisibilidad del reclamo colectivo que canaliza judicialmente pretensiones individuales homogéneas requiere, en la instancia liminar del juicio, no solo de la acreditación de la causa fáctica común, sino que la vía se presente como más idónea o superior a la acción individual. No obstante, si se involucran asuntos de tutela preferente para el estado nacional, el análisis de la procedencia de la superioridad de la vía en la oportunidad de sentenciar, luce, no solo prudente, sino conforme al sistema interamericano de derechos humanos.
La labor de la Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos a 40 años de su vigencia: delimitación y desarrollo de estándares jurídicos en materia de migraciones
Authors: Mortarotti Pablo C.
Published: June 2019

El artículo expone el desarrollo y la delimitación de los estándares jurídico más sobresalientes establecidos por la Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos en materia de migraciones en los últimos años, tanto en sus opiniones consultivas como en sus fallos. Con cuarenta años de labor, la Corte se presenta como fiel y final intérprete de la Declaración Americana de Derechos Humanos y de la Convención Americana de Derechos Humanos, bregando por el desarrollo vía jurisprudencial, a través de su competencia contenciosa y consultiva, de determinados temas que cobran notoriedad en el plano regional y mundial. El tema migratorio, es uno de ellos. El artículo presenta el abordaje que la Corte hace de varios aspectos de las migraciones, a saber: la condición jurídica del migrante, y en particular del migrante indocumentado; los derechos de los migrantes, con un especial enfoque en los derechos y garantías del niño migrante en el contexto de la migración y/o en necesidad de protección internacional; el derecho a la asistencia consular, el debido proceso, y supuestos de expulsión masiva, entre otros.El escrito invita al lector a transitar la evolución jurisprudencial en la materia luego de tantos años de labor en el ámbito de protección de derechos humanos americano.
La Corte Reafirma una vez más su Jurisprudencia en Materia de Autonomía Municipal en el Fallo Municipalidad de la Banda c/ Prov. de Santiago del Estero de 2018
Authors: Altavilla Cristian
Published: June 2019

Nota de fallo.
Å le eller ikke le: Holdninger til religionshumor i den norske befolkning
Authors: Botvar Pål Ketil
Published: June 2019

Do Norwegians think it is okay to laugh at humour that is related to religion? This is the question I explore, based on a representative survey conducted in Norway. In recent years the relationship between religion and humour has been a topic of public discourse, sparked initially in 2005/2006 when the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten and the Norwegian weekly Magazinet published cartoons depicting the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The publications led to heated debate, riots and demonstrations in different parts of the world. The 2015 attack on the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo brought the topic back into the public eye. The controversy over boundaries for joking about religion is part of a larger debate about freedom of expression and the rights of vulnerable groups such as religious minorities. Given the public debate on the topic, one can assume that many Norwegians have made up their minds about the topic of humour and religion in the public sphere.
«My God, that’s funny»: Religionshumor i amerikanske og britiske komedier
Authors: Hanno Schwind Kai
Published: June 2019

This chapter discusses different approaches to religious satire from the context of the Anglo-American cultural sphere by exploring various television comedies, such as The Vicar of Dibley, Father Ted and the work of Monty Python in the UK, and The Simpsons, South Park, Family Guy and Curb Your Enthusiasm in the United States. From stand-up jokes, cartoons and sitcoms about priests and men of faith to satires of the contemporary culture clash between Christians, Jews and Muslims, humour about religion in the United States, Britain and the pan- Scandinavian context operates from the same premise: identifying and negotiating the contradictions between our own Christian traditions and the challenges of religious pluralism and freedom of speech in an increasingly globalised world.
Humor som bro eller hinder: Islam i två norska filmkomedier
Authors: Sjö Sofia
Published: June 2019

Since the turn of the millennium, characters identified as Muslims have become more common in Nordic film productions. While these characters are predominantly found in dramas or crime stories, they also appear in a number of comedies. This chapter explores how Islamic religious beliefs, practices and characters are presented in two Norwegian comedies. Specific focus is on how two different comedic genres – the romantic comedy and the teen comedy – shape how Islam is represented, as well as how Muslim characters and experiences of being a Muslim in a Scandinavian country today shape and challenge traditional narratives, structures and perspectives in comedy. Special attention is given to aspects of gender, ethnic humour and affect. The author argues that the films uphold certain stereotypes but also contest ideas relating to the «other» and contemporary Scandinavian identities.
«Hvis jeg virkelig ville forandre verden, burde jeg nok ha gjort noe annet»: Standupkomikere om religionshumor
Authors: Gresaker Ann Kristin , Hovdelien Olav
Published: June 2019

Norwegian stand-up comedy has been criticized for being unpolitical and harmless and Norwegian comedians are not considered risk-takers. Is this also the case when religion is on the agenda? This chapter examines how Norwegian comedians deal with the topic of religion. Based on interviews with nine comedians with different religious backgrounds and self-identifications, the chapter explores the comedians’ experiences of producing humor on religion and their views on acceptable and unacceptable humorous portrayals of religion. The findings show that although the comedians believe making fun of religion is fundamentally unproblematic, some religions are easier to make fun of than others; Islam, for example, is described as more challenging. The idea of the comedian as an uncompromising critic of religion and defender of freedom of speech is for some an ideal, although few of the comedians interviewed regard themselves in this way.
Islam, muslimer og humor
Authors: Sultan Shoaib
Published: June 2019

Humour has always been prevalent in Muslim communities. This chapter examines various aspects of Islam, Muslims and humour with an emphasis on humour in popular culture today. The focus is on humour performed by comedians with a Muslim background rather than humour about Muslims from non- Muslims. First, a historical context from the Muslim world is presented, including the many humorous stories about the figure Mulla Nasruddin who lived 700 years ago in what is now Turkey. The main part of the chapter, however, concerns Muslim humour in a modern context, including both humour in the Muslim world today and Muslim humour in the West. Muslim stand-up comedians, represented by the American comedian group Allah Made Me Funny, and humour about and with Muslims in sitcoms, such as the Canadian series Little Mosque on the Prairie, are examined.
Jødisk humor hver fredag
Authors: Haaland Gunnar
Published: June 2019

For six years (2011–2017), the weekly newsletter of the Jewish Community of Oslo included «The Joke of the Week» on the last page. The present study of these jokes provides a) a mapping of predominant themes and b) expositions of jokes representative of these themes, addressing cultural and religious contexts and characteristics and employing – when applicable – the typology of Jewish jokes developed by Richard Raskin (1992). Predominant themes include marriage, family, dietary laws, holiday observance, God and the rabbis, biblical narratives and heroes, and intercultural and interreligious encounters. This collection of jokes reflects the international character of the Jewish community in Norway and confirms the common notion that Jewish humor typically is self- disparaging. Jokes at the expense of non-Jews are rare, a handful of slightly disrespectful jokes about Jewish–Catholic encounters being the main exceptions. Even the jokes about interreligious encounters usually make fun of the Jewish protagonist. Anti-Semitic stereotypes of Jewish cleverness, cunning and love for money appear prominently. There is striking silence, however, when it comes to topics that have sparked humor controversies in Norway: circumcision, the Holocaust, and Israeli military aggression and superiority towards the Palestinians.
A Semantic Retrieval System for Case Law
Authors: Ebietomere Esingbemi Princewill , Ekuobase Godspower Osaretin
Published: June 2019

Legal reasoning, the core of legal practice in many countries, is “stare decisis” and its soundness is usually strengthened by relevant case law consulted. However, the task of relevant case law access and retrieval is tiring to legal practitioners and constitutes a serious drain on their productivity. Existing efforts at addressing this problem are conceptional, restrictive or unreliable. Specifically, existing semantic retrieval (SR) systems for case law are desirous of exceptional retrieval precision. Ontology promises to meet this desire, if introduced to the SR system. As a consequence, an ontology-based SR system for case law has been built using the systems analysis and design methodology. In particular, the component-based software engineering and the agile methodologies are employed to implement the system. Finally, the search and retrieval performance of the resultant SR system has been evaluated using the heuristics evaluation method. The retrieval system has shown to have a search and retrieval performance of about 94 % precision, 80 % recall and 84 % F-measure. Overall, the paper implements the SR system for case law with excellent precision and affirms the superiority of ontology approach over other semantic approaches to SR systems for document retrieval in the legal domain.
Predicting longevity from the line of life: is it accurate?
Authors: Lucas Teghan , Dhugga Amrita , Henneberg Maciej
Published: June 2019

Palmistry or Chiromancy is the art of reading lines on the palm of the hands. Today, many researchers believe that the lines on the palms of the hands can predict the individual’s future. Computer programs are being designed which can automatically read the lines on the palm of the hand. One popular theory is that the length of the line of life will indicate lifespan. This theory was investigated in 1974 by Wilson and Mather who found no significant correlation between life expectancy and the length of the line of life. In 1990 Newrick and colleagues found a significant correlation as measured on 100 cadavers. These conflicting investigations are the only existing studies which have explored the relationship between palmistry and longevity. Since then no other study has validated nor disproven these claims. A total of 60 cadavers donated to The University of Adelaide were used in this study. Total hand length and the line of life length were measured on all cadavers. The age at and cause of death were also recorded. Linear regressions were used to establish any correlations between longevity and the length of the line of life. No significant correlations were found. There was also no significant difference between males and females or the right or left hands. As no significant correlations were found between longevity and the line of life all efforts at producing more reliable and automatic ways to read the lines are futile. This study puts to rest any debate surrounding the use of the line of life in palmistry as introduced by Newrick and colleagues.
The Structures of Social Structural Explanation: Comments on Haslanger’s What is (Social) Structural Explanation?
Authors: Sterken Rachel Katharine
Published: June 2019

In a recent paper (Haslanger 2016), Sally Haslanger argues for the importance of structural explanation. Roughly, a structural explana- tion of the behaviour of a given object appeals to features of the struc- tures—physical, social, or otherwise—the object is embedded in. It is opposed to individualistic explanations, where what is appealed to is just the object and its properties. For example, an individualistic explanation of why someone got the grade they did might appeal to features of the essay they wrote—its being well-written, answering the set question, etc. But if the class is graded on a curve, then a better explanation will appeal to features of the class—of the social structure in which the student is embedded. That she wrote a better paper than 90% of the class explains better than that she wrote a well-argued paper. In this paper, I get clear as to various candidate concepts of structure that we might appeal to in structural explanations, argue that Haslanger’s preferred account is lacking, and present an alterna- tive that is more conducive to social structural explanation.
On Haslanger’s Meta-Metaphysics: Social Structures and Metaphysical Deflationism
Authors: Díaz-León E.
Published: June 2019

The metaphysics of gender and race is a growing area of concern in contemporary analytic metaphysics, with many different views about the nature of gender and race being submitted and discussed. But what are these debates about? What questions are these accounts trying to answer? And is there real disagreement between advocates of differ- ent views about race or gender? If so, what are they really disagreeing about? In this paper I want to develop a view about what the debates in the metaphysics of gender and race are about, namely, a version of metaphysical deflationism, according to which these debates are about how we actually use or should use the terms ‘gender’ and ‘race’ (and other related terms), where moral and political considerations play a central role. I will also argue that my version of the view can overcome some recent and powerful objections to metaphysical deflationism of- fered by Elizabeth Barnes (2014, 2017).
Virtual Reality: Digital or Fictional?
Authors: McDonnell Neil , Wildman Nathan
Published: June 2019

Are the objects and events that take place in Virtual Reality genuinely real? Those who answer this question in the affirmative are realists, and those who answer in the negative are irrealists. In this paper we argue against the realist position, as given by Chalmers (2017), and present our own preferred irrealist account of the virtual. We start by disambiguating two potential versions of the realist position—weak and strong— and then go on to argue that neither is plausible. We then introduce a Waltonian variety of ictionalism about the virtual, arguing that this sort of irrealist approach avoids the problems of the realist positions, fits with a unifying theory of representational works, and offers a better account of the phenomenology of engaging in virtual experiences.
Cytogenetic Abnormalities in Seed Progenies of Pinus Pallasiana D. Don Stands from Technogenic Polluted Lands in the Steppe of Ukraine
Authors: Korshikov Ivan , Belonozhko Yulia , Lapteva Helena
Published: June 2019

In this study, we compare the pathological mitosis rates, chromosomal abnormalities and nucleolar organizer activity in Pinus pallasiana D. Don seedlings from natural population in the Crimean Mountains and from the urban plantations in the steppe of Ukraine. On the stages of anaphase and telophase of mitosis, such chromosomal abnormalities as bridges were most often found in the seeds of plantations exposed to air pollutants, whereas lead and agglutination of chromosomes were found in seeds from iron ore dump stands. Our studies have shown that P. pallasiana can be used for genotoxic monitoring of technogenic polluted lands.
Floristic Biodiversity of Weed Communities in Arable Lands of Istria Peninsula (From 2005 to 2017)
Authors: Štefanić Edita , Kovačević Vesna , Antunović Slavica , Japundžić-Palenkić Božica , Zima Dinko , Turalija Alka , Nestorović Nikola
Published: June 2019

This paper analyses the floristic biodiversity of weed communities in the arable lands of the Istrian peninsula during a twelve year period (2005–2017). A total of 50 fields were surveyed for each sampling time using the seven-degree Braun-Blanquet cover abundance scale in the following agricultural categories: a) permanent crops (vineyards/olive groves), b) alfalfa fields, c) cereals, d) row crops and e) ruderal areas. The taxonomic identification was performed during the full development of vegetation, for cereals in June and July, and for the rest – in August and September. A total of 175 weed species were determined during both study periods with Asteraceae and Poaceae families as the most abundant. Altogether, therophytes were dominant in both surveys, followed by hemycryptophytes and geophytes. Variations in species composition were visible in both study periods (2005 and 2017) as well as in the selected habitat types. Exclusive species were found in addition to those that were common for both surveys. Changes in species composition between 2005 and 2017 referred to the difference in row spacing in earlier period, and ruderal vs. agricultural habitats in the recent survey. The differences in phenological traits between the past and present surveys were greatest for germination season in permanent crops and row crops, flowering start for permanent crops, flowering period for ruderal area and weed height for permanent crops. Significant differences between the past and present survey for other plant traits did not occur.
The Characteristics of Aftershock Activities of Dien Bien Earthquake on 19 February 2001 and Their Relation to the Local Geomorphological, Tectonic Features
Authors: Lu Ngo Thi , Hang Phung Thi Thu , Tuyen Nguyen Huu , Giang Ha Thi , Hai Nguyen Thanh
Published: June 2019

This article examines in detail the characteristics of Dien Bien earthquake on 19 February 2001 and its aftershocks. On the basis of the temporal development of aftershocks and the spatial distribution of tectonic faults, five aftershock series have been determined. The analysis of spatial distribution and temporal evolution of these five aftershock series has clarified the development in the source zone of Dien Bien earthquake, which is closely related to the active and recent activities of tectonic faults in the area, especially Lai Chau Dien Bien fault. The comparison between characteristics of aftershock activities of Dien Bien earthquake and geomorphological features as well as tectonic activities in the area has indicated that the magnitude of these aftershocks and their temporal evolution (early or late) depend not only on the closer or further distance compared to the mainshock and the active faults that cause them but also on terrain elevation, slope index, lineament density and their positions relative to other tectonic faults in the studied area.
Pricing Policy Aspects in Competitive Fight Between Low-Cost Airlines on Kosice Airport
Authors: Kelemen Miroslav , Pilát Marek , Makó Sebastián , Rozenberg Róbert , Tobisová Alica
Published: June 2019

Wizzair was the first low-cost airline to operate at Kosice Airport. From the beginning, it has shown exceptionally good results and the occupancy of its lines has been over 80%. The situation that took place in Vienna forced Wizzair to cancel the base in Kosice and to move the fleet to Vienna. Ryanair takes advantage of this change and enters the market with practically the same line as Wizzair from Kosice to London. The aim of this paper is to describe the situation at Kosice airport. The competitive fight between these two companies is visible from the very first moment when Ryanair introduced its flights at a much better price than Wizzair. The paper also focuses on the comparing these prices and fares as well as the profit over the period under review.
Identification and Analysis of Information Surplus in Aeronautical Systems
Authors: Kozłowski Michał , Dudek Ewa
Published: June 2019

This article is a continuation of the Authors’ study on issues concerning safety of aeronautical data and information. This time, however, the main focus was placed on identification and analysis of information surplus in aeronautical systems. After a short introduction the redundant reliability structure was characterised and types of excesses used in aeronautical systems were distinguished. Special attention was paid to the title information surplus. Then, aeronautical data and information were described – the purpose and forms of their publication and the fundamental categories of aeronautical data and information were identified. In the following part of the publication, information surpluses for indicated categories of aeronautical data and information, published in various forms, were identified and the risk profile of information surplus appearance was analysed. The whole article was summed up with conclusions. Analysed issues will be the subject of Authors’ further study.
Metaphorical Nomination in IT Terminology in Lithuanian and English Languages
Authors: Celiešienė Vilija , Juzelėnienė Saulutė
Published: June 2019

Metaphorical nomination is peculiar in every language, it is related to reality and world view perception, it also reveals the traits of nation mentality. However, there are universal models of metaphorical nomination. In both languages, special concepts can be nominated according to similar areas, e.g. human body, its physiological and mental peculiarities, mode of life, fauna, flora, objects of natural world, etc.

The aim of this article is to analyse tendencies of metaphorical nominations in IT terminology in English and Lithuanian languages, reveal universalities and peculiarities of metaphorical nomination models. Research data of Lithuanian metaphorical terms and their English equivalents show that semantic loan-words constitute the major part of Lithuanian metaphorical terms. Consequently, their metaphorical meanings are borrowed but a substantial part of them are fairly motivated in the Lithuanian language and only a small part of them have a doubtful motivation. Having analysed various ways of metaphorical transference it is possible to claim that figurative nomination of concepts is the most universal with reference to flora names and items of mode of life. It is noted that there is a tendency to nominate concepts meaning particular objects in both English and Lithuanian languages whereas analogies of abstract things are less abundant.
Experimental Investigation of the Relationship Between Noise Level and Thermal Power Inside the Boiler Plant – Study Case
Authors: Bailescu Catalin , Iordache Vlad , Iordache Florin , Marin Adrian
Published: June 2019

The acoustic comfort of a building or house is typically given little or no attention during project planning and design. This study is aimed at quantifying noise pollution from a building technical room. To attain the research specified result, simultaneous measurements were recorded for the gas flow and noise level in the boiler room. The noise levels were recorded for different operation statuses of the boilers (different thermal loads). It was observed that noise level depends on the thermal load: the increase of thermal load is directly proportional to the noise level inside the plant room). Further, the measured values of the noise level were compared with literature predicted values and the maximum limit values from the Romanian norm. These research findings are useful for mechanical design engineers and architects in order to assure the noise protection and fulfill the residents’ expectations.