bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Achievements of the Late Professor Teruaki Mukaiyama
Authors: Murakami Masahiro
Published: December 2020

This essay illuminates the quintessence of the life of the late Professor Teruaki Mukaiyama, the founding editor ofThe Chemical Record. It shares first‐hand knowledge of his heartfelt and enlightening mentorship as well as his major scientific contributions to the chemical community. It will serve as an ever‐lasting message of the didactic guidance and encouragement he provided for the future generations.
Learning energy efficiency networks in Latin America: Lessons learned from the Argentinean case
Authors: Carpio Claudio F. , Recalde Marina Yesica
Published: December 2020

The article describes the results achieved so far in the implementation of five Learning Energy Efficiency Networks (LEENs) and Energy Management Systems (EMSs) in industry, based on ISO 50001. These LEENs are a component of the Energy Efficiency Project between the European Union and the Argentinean Government (www.eficienciaenergetica.net.ar). Their objective is to implement EMS for the participants, and prepare them for certification of the ISO 50001 Standard. This EU funded Project aims to support the Government of Argentina in its efforts to modernize its energy sector through the creation of an enabling environment for energy efficiency and the facilitation of technologies and transfer of knowledge for key sectors, such as industry. The LEEN and EMS are a collaborative methodology between different industrial actors pursuing a common objective, using the exchange of experiences and receiving technical support offered by experts. These Networks have been and are being widely used in the industrial sector of Germany, where there is the largest number of Learning Networks; there are also Latin American experiences in applying Learning Networks in industrial sectors in Mexico, led by the National Commission for the Efficient Use of Energy (CONUEE). Since the initiation of the Project in Argentina, this concept has been applied to about 60 industrial companies distributed in five regional networks. The article concludes with the implementation and results of these networks so far in Argentina, along with suggestions on designing future strategies for LEENs, promoting their expansion all over the industrial sector in Latin America.

This article is categorized under:

Energy Efficiency > Climate and Environment
Simultaneous recovery of ammonium and total phosphorus from toilet tail water by modified palygorskite–bentonite clay
Authors: Sun Shengguang , Ji Guixia , Lv Yicheng , Liu Hongbo , Hu Tao , Chen Zhongbing , Xu Suyun
Published: December 2020

Suitable treatment of toilet sewage is a worldwide challenge. The anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR)–microbial fuel cell (MFC)–microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) (AMM) coupling treatment system has been constructed achieving effective removal of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus from toilet sewage and resource recovery; however, ammonium (NH4+‐N) and total phosphorus (TP) accumulation in tail water is a found problem of the system. In this study, acid‐modified and alkali‐heat modified palygorskite–bentonite (Pal‐Ben) were used to recover NH4+‐N and TP from the AMM toilet tail water simultaneously. The higher adsorption capacity of the modified clay is attributed to the changes of surface structure of the material. The modified clay Pal‐Ben (mass ratio 1:3) activated with alkali performed the highest NH4+‐N and TP recovery rates of 83.6% and 85.5%, respectively. The adsorption of NH4+‐N was more in line with the pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model and confirmed to be a chemical adsorption process, while the adsorption of TP was more in line with the pseudo‐first‐order kinetics and a physical adsorption process; the adsorption capacity of NH4+‐N accelerated with decrease of TP removal when pH increased. This study developed a low cost and high capacity of alkaline thermally modified clay removing/recovering NH4+‐N and TP from toilet tail water simultaneously.

Practitioner points

A cheap composite clay was developed to recover nitrogen and phosphorus from toilet tail water simultaneously.

The low costs and high capacity of alkaline thermally modified clay make it stand out in NH4+‐N and TP removal of toilet tail water.

The process mechanism of simultaneous nitrogen and phosphorus recovery was clarified with characterization and kinetic model fitting.

The used clay loaded with nutrients could be applied as a slow‐release compound fertilizer for soil improvement.
Urban water security in South Asia: Crucial policy lessons from the Nepalese town of Bidur
Authors: Ojha Hemant , Neupane Kaustuv R. , Khatri Dil , Devkota Kamal , Maskey Gyanu , Dahal Ngamindra , Joshi Tikeshwari , Kovacs Eszter K.
Published: December 2020

The rapidly urbanizing and highly populated South Asian region is facing a water crisis. As a key response, large centralized water systems are being put in place, replacing small and community‐based systems. In this discussion note, we present the case of Nepal's town of Bidur to show that Himalayan South Asian towns cannot ensure water supply by neglecting community‐based and small‐scale water supply systems. Using insights from qualitative and quantitative data collected during 2014–2019, we argue that decentralized and community‐based urban water systems are more resilient than large ones during disasters. Our argument is based on the analysis of Bidur's response to the 2015 earthquake as well as the COVID‐19 pandemic. We show that a mixed approach of large and small water supply schemes provides a promising solution to water insecurity in the South Asian towns. This approach can be realized by promoting diversity of water management strategies and creating research‐informed planning and discussion forums at the community and municipality levels. We also recommend municipalities to formulate a comprehensive water security strategy, considering the current and future scenarios of water demand and supply.
Trends in agricultural production as influenced by growth in irrigation resources in India
Authors: Singh Gyanendra
Published: December 2020

The majority of the people in rural areas of India depend upon agriculture and allied activities for their livelihood. Due to limited irrigation facilities, productivity has been very, very low and the country depended upon the importation of food. An analysis has been made to study the effect of measures that have been taken to promote the growth of agriculture, especially irrigation facilities. The total area under irrigation in 1950–51 from all the sources was 20.85 million hectare (mha) and as a result, food grains production was only 51 million tonnes with an all‐India average yield of 522 kg/ha. This has increased to 281.37 m tonnes in 2018–19 and horticulture production has increased to 314.47 m tonnes during the same period. Average rainfall in India is 1,170 mm, but it is highly erratic and unevenly distributed across the country with high‐intensity storms interspersed with long dry spells. This affects agricultural production. Surface and groundwater have both been exploited to increase the irrigation facilities. Quality seeds, fertilizer, plant protection measures, farm energy, mechanization, and minimum support price contributed to the growth in agriculture. Water arresting in catchment areas, increasing groundwater recharge, water storage, channelization, and distribution, and reducing water wastage in irrigation systems are to be promoted to enhance water availability.
Flavour effects in gravitational leptogenesis
Authors: Samanta Rome , Datta Satyabrata
Published: December 2020

Abstract

Within the Type-I seesaw mechanism, quantum effects of the right-handed (RH) neutrinos in the gravitational background lead to an asymmetric propagation of lepton and anti-leptons which induces a Ricci scalar and neutrino Dirac-Yukawa coupling dependent chemical potential and therefore a lepton asymmetry in equilibrium. At high temperature, lepton number violating scattering processes try to maintain a dynamically generated lepton asymmetry in equilibrium. However, when the temperature drops down, the interactions become weaker, and the asymmetry freezes out. The frozen out asymmetry can act as a pre-existing asymmetry prior to the standard Fukugita-Yanagida leptogenesis phase (Ti ∼ Mi, where Mi is the mass of ith RH neutrino). It is then natural to consider the viability of gravitational leptogenesis for a given RH mass spectrum which is not consistent with successful leptogenesis from decays. Primary threat to this gravity-induced lepton asymmetry to be able to successfully reproduce the observed baryon-to-photon ratio is the lepton number violating washout processes at Ti ∼ Mi. In a minimal seesaw set up with two RH neutrinos, these washout processes are strong enough to erase a pre-existing asymmetry of significant magnitude. We show that when effects of flavour on the washout processes are taken into account, the mechanism opens up the possibility of successful leptogenesis (gravitational) for a mass spectrum M2 » 109GeV » M1 with M1 ≳ 6.3 × 106 GeV. We then briefly discuss how, in general, the mechanism leaves its imprints on the low energy CP phases and absolute light neutrino mass scale.
Phenomenology of combined resummation for Higgs and Drell-Yan
Authors: Rabemananjara Tanjona R.
Published: December 2020

Abstract

We study the phenomenological impact of a recently suggested formalism for the combination of threshold and a so-called threshold-improved transverse momentum resummation, by using it to improve the fixed-order results. This formalism allows for a systematic improvement of the transverse momentum resummation that is valid in the entire range of pT by the inclusion of the threshold contribution. We use the Borel method as a suitable prescription for defining the inverse Mellin and Fourier transforms in the context of combined resummed expression. The study is applied to two QCD processes, namely the Higgs boson produced via gluon fusion and Z boson production via the Drell-Yan mechanism. We compare our results to the standard transverse momentum resummation, as well as to the fixed-order results. We find that the threshold-improved transverse momentum resummation leads to faster perturbative convergence at small pT while the inclusion of threshold resummation improves the agreement with fixed-order calculations at medium and large pT. These effects are more pronounced in the case of Higgs which is known to have slower perturbative convergence.
Bilateral adrenal enhancement revised—adrenal-to-spleen ratio as an appropriate mortality predictor
Authors: Winzer Robert , Martin Ron , Kaiser Daniel , Baldus Jan Christian , Hoberück Sebastian , Hoffmann Ralf-Thorsten , Fedders Dieter
Published: December 2020

Purpose

To investigate whether adrenal gland radiodensities alone or set in relation to either the inferior vena cava (IVC) or the spleen can predict hospital mortality in intensive care unit patients.

Methods

One hundred thirty-three intensive care patients (90 males, age: 66.3 ± 14.5 years) with an acute clinical deterioration were included in this retrospective analysis. CT attenuation (Hounsfield units) of adrenal glands, IVC, and spleen was evaluated by 2 radiologists separately. Adrenal-to-IVC and adrenal-to-spleen ratios were calculated. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, combined with the Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) as a classifier, was used to assess which parameter is the most suitable for short-term, intermediate-term, and overall mortality prediction. Interrater agreement was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).

Results

The highest discriminative power to distinguish between deceased and survivors was found for the adrenal gland-to-spleen ratio for the 72-h mortality. A threshold of > 1.4 predicted 72-h mortality with a sensitivity of 79.31% and a specificity of 98.08% (area und the curve (AUC) = 0.94; p < 0.0001; MCCs = 0.81). The positive likelihood ratio was 41; the positive predictive value was 92.20%. Adrenal gland-to-spleen ratio was also best suited to predict the 24-h and overall mortality. ICCs of HU measurements in adrenal gland, IVC, and spleen indicated a high interrater agreement (ICC 0.95–0.99).

Conclusions

To conclude, the adrenal-to-spleen ratio in CT in portal venous phase may serve as an imaged-based predictor for short, intermediate, and overall mortality and as reproducible prognostic marker for patient outcome.
Large body size variation is associated with low communication success in tandem running ants
Authors: Wagner Thomas , Bachenberg Lena , Glaser Simone M. , Oikonomou Avgousta , Linn Melissa , Grüter Christoph
Published: December 2020

Diversity in animal groups is often assumed to increase group performance. In insect colonies, genetic, behavioural and morphological variation among workers can improve colony functioning and resilience. However, it has been hypothesized that during communication processes, differences between workers, e.g. in body size, could also have negative effects. Tandem running is a common recruitment strategy in ants and allows a leader to guide a nestmate follower to resources. A substantial proportion of tandem runs fail because leader and follower lose contact. Using the antTemnothorax nylanderias a model system, we tested the hypothesis that tandem running success is impaired if leader and follower differ in size. Indeed, we found that the success rate of tandem pairs drops considerably as size variation increases: tandem runs were unsuccessful when the leader–follower size difference exceeded 10%, whereas ~ 80% of tandem runs were successful when ants differed less than 5% in body length. Possible explanations are that size differences are linked to differences in walking speed or sensory perception. Ants did not choose partners of similar size, but extranidal workers were larger than intranidal workers, which could reduce recruitment mistakes because it reduced the chance that very large and very small ants perform tandem runs together. Our results suggest that phenotypic differences between interacting workers can have negative effects on the efficiency of communication processes. Whether phenotypic variation has positive or negative effects is likely to depend on the task and the phenotypic trait that shows variation.

Significance statement

Diversity is often assumed to increase colony performance in social insects. However, phenotypic differences among workers could also have negative effects, e.g. during communication. Tandem running is a common recruitment strategy in ants, but tandem runs often fail when ants lose contact. We used the antTemnothorax nylanderito test the hypothesis that body size differences between tandem leader and follower impair tandem communication. We show that the success rate of tandem pairs drops considerably as size variation increases, possibly because ants of varying size also differ in walking speed. Our study supports the hypothesis that phenotypic variation among workers might not always be beneficial and can negatively impact the efficiency of communication processes.
Chronic exposure to urban noise during the vocal learning period does not lead to increased song frequencies in zebra finches
Authors: Liu Ying , Zollinger Sue Anne , Brumm Henrik
Published: December 2020

It has often been observed that birds sing at a higher pitch in cities and other areas that are polluted with intense low-frequency noise. How this pattern arises remains unclear though. One prevailing idea is that songbirds adjust song frequencies to environmental noise profiles through developmental plasticity via vocal learning. However, the conclusions of previous studies testing this hypothesis are inconsistent. Here we report the findings from two song learning experiments with zebra finches (Taenopygia guttata), in which we exposed young birds to anthropogenic noise during their sensitive vocal learning period. Unlike previous studies that addressed this issue, we did not use constant synthetic noise but natural urban noise with its typical amplitude fluctuations that was broadcast at realistic sound levels. We found that noise-exposed males in neither experiment developed higher pitched songs compared to control males. This suggests that the natural fluctuations between higher and lower noise levels in cities may allow young birds to exploit relatively quiet moments to hear their tutors and themselves, permitting them to make accurate copies of even low-frequency song elements.

Significance statement

If animals are to persist in urban habitats, they often must adjust their behavior to the altered conditions. Birds in cities are often observed to sing at a higher pitch, but we are largely ignorant of how this phenomenon arises. We investigated whether low-frequency traffic noise interferes with the song learning of birds so that they develop higher pitched songs. Accordingly, we played back natural traffic noise from urban bird habitats to young birds during their learning period and then analyzed their adult songs. We found that birds that learned their songs in noise did not sing at higher frequencies compared to control males that learned their song with no noise exposure. Our results show that typical traffic noise in cities may not be sufficient to interfere with vocal learning in a way that birds develop higher-pitched songs.
Split sex ratios and genetic relatedness in a primitively eusocial sweat bee
Authors: Pennell Tanya M , Field Jeremy
Published: December 2020

In eusocial Hymenoptera, queens and their helper offspring should favour different sex investment ratios. Queens should prefer a 1:1 investment ratio, as they are equally related to offspring of both sexes (r = 0.5). In contrast, helpers should favour an investment ratio of 3:1 towards the production of female brood. This conflict arises because helpers are more closely related to full sisters (r = 0.75) than brothers (r = 0.25). However, helpers should invest relatively more in male brood if relatedness asymmetry within their colony is reduced. This can occur due to queen replacement after colony orphaning, multiple paternity and the presence of unrelated alien helpers. We analysed an unprecedentedly large number of colonies (n = 109) from a UK population of Lasioglossum malachurum, an obligate eusocial sweat bee, to tease apart the effects of these factors on colony-level investment ratios. We found that multiple paternity, unrelated alien helpers and colony orphaning were all common. Queen-right colonies invested relatively more in females than did orphaned colonies, producing a split sex ratio. However, investment ratios did not change due to multiple paternity or the presence of alien helpers, reducing inclusive fitness pay-offs for helpers. Queen control may also have been important: helpers rarely laid male eggs, and investment in female brood was lower when queens were large relative to their helpers. Genetic relatedness between helpers and the brood that they rear was 0.43 in one year and 0.37 in another year, suggesting that ecological benefits, as well as relatedness benefits, are necessary for the maintenance of helping behaviour.

Significance statement

How helping behaviour is maintained in eusocial species is a key topic in evolutionary biology. Colony-level sex investment ratio changes in response to relatedness asymmetries can dramatically influence inclusive fitness benefits for helpers in eusocial Hymenoptera. The extent to which helpers in primitively eusocial colonies can respond adaptively to different sources of variation in relatedness asymmetry is unclear. Using data from 109 colonies of the sweat bee Lasioglossum malachurum, we found that queen loss, but not multiple paternity or the presence of alien helpers, was correlated with colony sex investment ratios. Moreover, we quantified average helper-brood genetic relatedness to test whether it is higher than that predicted under solitary reproduction (r = 0.5). Values equal to and below r = 0.5 suggest that relatedness benefits alone cannot explain the maintenance of helping behaviour. Ecological benefits of group living and/or coercion must also contribute.
Advances in the use of microgels as emulsion stabilisers and as a strategy for cellulose functionalisation
Authors: Lefroy Katherine S. , Murray Brent S. , Ries Michael E.
Published: December 2020

Microgel particles have recently emerged as an alternative route to emulsion stabilisation. Classed as soft colloidal particles, their ability to swell to differing degrees in certain solvents and to rearrange once attached to an interface makes them highly suitable for systems requiring long-term stabilization, such as formulations in the food, agricultural, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Microgels made with biocompatible polymers such as proteins and polysaccharides in particular offer an environmental advantage and currently form a very active area of research. Cellulose, being a natural, biodegradable polymer, is an attractive ingredient for gels and microgels. However, its use as a functional material is often somewhat hindered by its insolubility in water and most other organic solvents. Furthermore, the surface activity of cellulose has proven difficult to harness and therefore its ability to act as an emulsion stabiliser has been almost exclusively applied to oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions, with very few reports on its water in oil (W/O) activity. This review aims to summarise some of the recent progress made in the microgel field including their ability to act as emulsion stabilisers, with a focus on cellulose microgels (CMGs). A brief overview of cellulose processing is also given, describing the dissolution and reprecipitation routes used to functionalise cellulose without covalent modification and the potential for cellulose particles and CMGs to act as O/W and W/O emulsion stabilisers.

Graphic abstract
Virtual action
Authors: Heinrichs Jan-Hendrik
Published: December 2020

In the debate about actions in virtual environments two interdependent types of question have been pondered: What is a person doing who acts in a virtual environment? Second, can virtual actions be evaluated morally? These questions have been discussed using examples from morally dubious computer games, which seem to revel in atrocities. The examples were introduced using the terminology of “virtual murder” “virtual rape” and “virtual pedophilia”. The terminological choice had a lasting impact on the debate, on the way action types are assigned and on how moral evaluation is supposed to be conducted. However, this terminology and its theoretical consequences, while sometimes resulting in correct results, lead to absurd results when applied across the board. It will be suggested that these absurd consequences can be avoided by a different answer to the question what people in virtual worlds are doing. Alleged virtual actions are first and foremost the creation and modification of data-structures and the resulting output in computer hardware. Such modifications of data structure and imagery can be performed with different intentions, purposes and styles, which will influence the type and moral evaluation of a user’s actions. This reinterpretation allows for a more complex analysis of the moral reasons for praiseworthiness or blameworthiness of actions in virtual environments. This analysis takes not just harm and effects on character into account but the peculiar ways in which speech acts can be morally wrong: e.g. agitatory, deceptive, bullshitting.
Dominating OP Returns: The Impact of Omni and Veriblock on Bitcoin
Authors: Strehle Elias , Steinmetz Fred
Published: December 2020

Bitcoin has always been used to store arbitrary data, particularly since Bitcoin Core developers added a dedicated method for data storage in 2014: the OP Return operator. This paper provides an in-depth analysis of all OP Return transactions published on Bitcoin between September 14, 2018, and December 31, 2019. The 32.4 million OP Return transactions (22% of all Bitcoin transactions) published during this period added 10 GB to the blockchain’s size. Almost all OP Return transactions can be attributed to one of 37 blockchain services. The two dominant services are Veriblock (58% of OP Return transactions) and Omni/Tether (40%). Veriblock transactions pay only 14% of the average transaction fee, partly because most of them are submitted during times when overall activity on Bitcoin is low. Omni transactions, on the other hand, pay more than twice the average transaction fee and therefore compete with regular Bitcoin transactions for inclusion in new blocks.
Die „medizinische Notwendigkeit“ humangenetischer Leistungen aus den Perspektiven des Faches und der Kostenträger
Authors: Schmidtke Jörg
Published: December 2020

In dieser Arbeit werden die Indikationskriterien zu humangenetischen Leistungen aus evidenzbasierter fachlicher Sicht dargestellt und die Pflicht zur Kostenübernahme oder die Berechtigung zu deren Ablehnung auf der Basis der gesetzlichen Grundlagen und der Rechtsprechung beleuchtet. Sie soll als eine Handlungsempfehlung sowohl für die indikationsstellende als auch für die gutachtlich tätige ärztliche Person dienen und als ein Appell an den Gesetzgeber, die Ungleichbehandlungen bezüglich humangenetischer Leistungen zu beseitigen.
Differential diagnosis of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions and benign atrophy in older women using p16 immunocytochemistry
Authors: Yan Peisha , Du Hui , Wang Chun , Song Fangbin , Huang Xia , Luo Yingjie , Wu Ruifang
Published: December 2020

Background

For cervical cancer screening, routine cytology has a high specificity but a lower sensitivity. In older women, atrophy, which may mimic HSIL, presents a diagnostic challenge. p16 is a widely used biomarker for histological diagnosis of HSIL. Our objective was to evaluate PathCIN® p16INK4aimmunocytology in identification of high grade dysplasiavs.benign atrophy.

Methods

As part of a multi-center screening program, 3351 women were co-tested by p16 immunocytology. Among women referred for colposcopy on basis of cytology and high-risk HPV status, those with atrophy were older than the population screened (52vs.43 years). Cases from older women with atrophy (n ​= ​116) and controls without atrophy (n ​= ​47) were identified by re-examination of Pap smears. The detection of CIN2+ was compared for p16, cytology and HR-HPV results.

Results

The sensitivity of routine cytology (≥LSIL) was much lower for cases with atrophy (17%) than non-atrophic cases (75%). The sensitivity of p16 immunocytology and of HR-HPV testing was high (88%–100%) both with and without atrophy. The specificity of routine cytology (≥LSIL) was higher for cases with atrophy (79%) than non-atrophic cases (38%). The specificity of p16 immunocytology was high (88–95%) and the specificity of HR-HPV testing was low (31%–33%) both with and without atrophy. Combining p16 with HPV testing and/or routine cytology had no benefit, as compared to p16 staining alone.

Conclusions

p16 immunocytology compares favorably with routine cytology and HPV testing in the differential diagnosis of HSIL and benign atrophy. It is more sensitive than cytology for atrophic specimens, and is more specific than HPV testing. p16 immunocytology may decrease the need for colposcopy referrals and could be a useful tool for early detection of cervical cancer in peri- and post-menopausal women, who are more likely to have HSIL coexisting with atrophy.
Trauma factors among adult and geriatric blunt trauma patients
Authors: Ahmadinejad Mojtaba , Mohammadzadeh Sanaz , Shirzadi Alireza , Soltanian Ali , Ahmadinejad Izadmehr , Pouryaghobi Seyyed Mohsen
Published: December 2020

ABSTRACT

Background:

Trauma is known as a third leading cause of mortality among all-aged patients.

Objective:

The aim of this study is to investigate pre-trauma physiological factors and trauma-related factors that can increase the risk of mortality among the adult and geriatric patients.

Method:

In this longitudinal data analysis study, 500 non-penetrating adult trauma patients who were referred to (Shahid Madani Hospital) from January 2019–December 2019 were enrolled. Information such as age, sex, occupation, place of residence, hospitalization and surgical history, underlying illnesses, medications (such as antihypertensive drugs, etc.), lab findings (complete blood cell and creatinine levels) were recorded in the form of a questionnaire. The patients were divided in group A (aged 65 and above) and group B (aged below 65 years). The data obtained was analyzed statistically using SPSSv18.

Result:

The mean age of all patients under study was 51.6 years. Among all participants, 68% (341) were male and 32% (159) were female. Regarding the cause of trauma, group A had significantly greater incidence (p-value = 0.001). The two groups were also significantly different in terms of the region of the injury (p-value = 0.014). Furthermore, underlying diseases were also statistically significant among the two groups (p-value = 0.0093). There was a significant difference between the two groups in terms of smoking and drugs (p-value = 0.01 and 0.001, respectively). Finally, the mortality rate in patients older than 65 years old (4.3%) was significantly higher than those in patients under the age of 65 years (2.9%) (p-value = 0.0001).

Conclusion:

The results of this study showed that among the trauma patients aged below 65 years and those aged 65 years and above, underlying illness, mortality rate, usage of drugs, cause of trauma, type of injury, vital signs, white blood cell count and platelet count, hemoglobin and serum creatinine vary significantly.

Highlights
Secularism, Assimilation and the Crisis of Multiculturalism
Authors: Jansen Yolande
Published: December 2020

This remarkable study develops a theoretical critique of contemporary discourses on secularism and assimilation, arguing that the perspective of assimilating distinct religious minorities by incorporating them into a secular and supposedly neutral public sphere may be self-subverting. To flesh out this insight, Jansen draws on the paradoxes of assimilation as experienced by the French Jews in the late 19th century through a contextualised reading of Proust's In Search of Lost Time. She proposes a dynamic, critical multiculturalism as an alternative to discourses focusing on secularism, assimilation and integration.
Expanding Welfare in an Age of Austerity
Authors: Kevins Anthony
Published: December 2020

In recent decades, and particularly since the financial crisis, continental Europe has seen an increasing gap between those workers who have well-protected, good-paying jobs with strong benefits and those who work lower-quality, nonstandard jobs, or who have no regular work at all. This situation would seem to call for increased spending on the social safety net, yet governments throughout the region have instead been turning to austerity. In the face of that reality, the options for helping disadvantaged workers are to extend coverage through re-allocating the benefits given to higher-level workers, maintain the benefits of the well-off as the number of outsiders continues to grow, or simply ignore the problem. This book asks why different nations have taken different tacks in handling-or not handling-this problem.
Flagellant Confraternities and Italian Art, 1260–1610
Authors: Chen Andrew H.
Published: December 2020

This book examines the art and ritual of flagellant confraternities in Italy from the fourteenth to the seventeenth centuries. Meeting regularly to beat themselves with whips, members of these confraternities concentrated on the suffering of Christ in the most extreme and committed way, and the images around them provided visual prompts of the Passion and the model suffering body. This study presents new findings related to a variety of artworks including altarpieces, banners, wall paintings, illuminated manuscripts, and paintings for the condemned, many from outside the Florence-Rome-Venice triangle.
Construction of Ottonian Kingship
Authors: Grabowski Antoni
Published: December 2020

German historians long assumed that the German Kingdom was created with Henry the Fowler's coronation in 919. The reigns of both Henry the Fowler, and his son Otto the Great, were studied and researched mainly through Widukind of Corvey's chronicle Res Gestae Saxonicae. There was one source on Ottonian times that was curiously absent from most of the serious research: Liudprand of Cremona's Antapodosis. The study of this chronicle leads to a reappraisal of the tenth century in Western Europe showing how mythology of the dynasty was constructed. By looking at the later reception (through later Middle Ages and then on 19th and 20th century historiography) the author showcases the longevity of Ottonian myths and the ideological expressions of the tenth century storytellers.
DRAT: Data risk assessment tool for university–industry collaborations
Authors: Sikorska Joanna , Bradley Sam , Hodkiewicz Melinda , Fraser Ryan
Published: December 2020

For research in the fields of engineering asset management (EAM) and system health, relevant data resides in the information systems of the asset owners, typically industrial corporations or government bodies. For academics to access EAM data sets for research purposes can be a difficult and time-consuming task. To facilitate a more consistent approach toward releasing asset-related data, we have developed a data risk assessment tool (DRAT). This tool evaluates and suggests controls to manage, risks associated with the release of EAM datasets to academic entities for research purposes. Factors considered in developing the tool include issues such as where accountability for approval sits in organizations, what affects an individual manager’s willingness to approve release, and how trust between universities and industry can be established and damaged. This paper describes the design of the DRAT tool and demonstrates its use on case studies provided by EAM owners for past research projects. The DRAT tool is currently being used to manage the data release process in a government-industry-university research partnership.
Mortuary Rituals and the Suttee among Mapuche Chiefdoms of Pampa-Patagonia: The Double Human Burial of Chimpay (Argentina)
Authors: de Jong Ingrid , Serna Alejandro , Mange Emiliano , Prates Luciano
Published: December 2020

This article discusses a Mapuche Indigenous mortuary context of the nineteenth century from the middle valley of the Negro River in northern Patagonia, Argentina, which is characterized by a double burial of a man and a woman. The use of both archaeological and ethnohistorical data allows us to hypothesize that the burial is of a man with a high status in the political and military hierarchy (cacique or capitanejo) and that the corpse of the woman was one of his wives who was sacrificed so she could accompany the man in his trip to Allhue Mapu, the land of souls. We contextualize this site with existing knowledge about the suttee practice in the Pampas and Norpatagonia during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. This case is an example of the burial ritual known as suttee that occurred between the last decades of Indigenous autonomy (1850–1880) and the first decades after the state conquest of their territory (1880–1900).
Different measurements of bilingualism and their effect on performance on a Simon task
Authors: Champoux-Larsson Marie-France , Dylman Alexandra S.
Published: December 2020

We investigated how operationalizing bilingualism affects the results on a Simon task in a population of monolingual and bilingual native English speakers (N = 166). Bilingualism was measured in different ways within participants, and the measurements were used both as dichotomous and continuous variables. Our results show that the statistical significance and effect size varied across operationalizations. Specifically, the Composite Factor Score (the Language and Social Background Questionnaire’s general score), showed a bilingual disadvantage on reaction times regardless of how it was used (dichotomously or continuously). When dividing participants into monolinguals and bilinguals based on the Nonnative Language Social Use score (a Language and Social Background Questionnaire subscore), differences in accuracy and reaction times were found between the groups, but the Nonnative Language Social Use score did not predict accuracy when used as a continuous variable (only reaction times). Finally, earlier age of acquisition predicted faster reaction times, but only when used on a continuum. Effect sizes were between the small and medium range. No differences on the Simon effect were found. Our results call for cautiousness when comparing studies using different types of measurements, highlight the need for clarity and transparency when describing samples, and stresses the need for more research on the operationalization of bilingualism.
Real-time comprehension of garden-path constructions by preschoolers: A Mandarin perspective
Authors: Zhou Peng , Shi Jiawei , Zhan Likan
Published: December 2020

The present study investigated whether 4- and 5-year-old Mandarin-speaking children are able to process garden-path constructions in real time when the working memory burden associated with revision and reanalysis is kept to minimum. In total, 25 4-year-olds, 25 5-year-olds, and 30 adults were tested using the visual-world paradigm of eye tracking. The obtained eye gaze patterns reflect that the 4- and 5-year-olds, like the adults, committed to an initial misinterpretation and later successfully revised their initial interpretation. The findings show that preschool children are able to revise and reanalyze their initial commitment and then arrive at the correct interpretation using the later-encountered linguistic information when processing the garden-path constructions in the current study. The findings also suggest that although the 4-year-olds successfully processed the garden-path constructions in real time, they were not as effective as the 5-year-olds and the adults in revising and reanalyzing their initial mistaken interpretation when later encountering the critical linguistic cue. Taken together, our findings call for a fine-grained model of child sentence processing.
Prolonged or preserved working life? Intra-organisational institutions embedded in human resource routines
Authors: Liff Roy , Wikström Ewa
Published: December 2020

The purpose of this paper is to provide an understanding of why people are still retiring earlier than would have been expected, despite policies that increase the retirement age. This is a qualitative study in a large public-service organisation in Sweden focusing particularly on how human resource routines aimed at middle management tend to inhibit the promotion of a prolonged working life, despite government efforts aimed at changing these actions. The results highlight three key routines (development talks, salary talks and internal recruitment) that inhibit prolonged working life. These routines seem rational and appropriate to the organisation's managers, because the demands of the job must have priority over employees’ capabilities in recruitment routines. Furthermore, it could be considered economically rational to prioritise salary demands of younger employees over those of older employees, and it may appear economically rational to stop further training efforts for older employees. In general, then, it seems reasonable to managers to make decisions based on objective criteria like age. Nevertheless, our results suggest that these routines may need to be redesigned in order to support a prolonged working life and to avoid a discrepancy between accepted prolonged working-life policies and the actions of organisational actors. The study further reveals how intra-organisational institutions (e.g.taken-for-granted mind-sets and norms) embedded in human resource routines may promote or inhibit prolonged working life, suggesting a need for change in those institutions.
Feeding infants with complex congenital heart disease: a modified Delphi survey to examine potential research and practice gaps
Authors: Elgersma Kristin M. , McKechnie Anne Chevalier , Gallagher Tipper , Trebilcock Anna L. , Pridham Karen F. , Spatz Diane L.
Published: December 2020

Objective:

To determine clinical consensus and non-consensus in regard to evidence-based statements about feeding infants with complex CHD, with a focus on human milk. Areas of non-consensus may indicate discrepancies between research findings and practice, with consequent variation in feeding management.

Materials and Methods:

A modified Delphi survey validated key feeding topics (round 1), and determined consensus on evidence-based statements (rounds 2 and 3). Patients (n=25) were an interdisciplinary group of clinical experts from across the United States of America. Descriptive analysis used SPSS Statistics (Version 26.0). Thematic analysis of qualitative data provided context for quantitative data.

Results:

Round 1 generated 5 key topics (human milk, developing oral feeding skills, clinical feeding practice, growth failure, and parental concern about feeding) and 206 evidence-based statements. The final results included 110 (53.4%) statements of consensus and 96 (46.6%) statements of non-consensus. The 10 statements of greatest consensus strongly supported human milk as the preferred nutrition for infants with complex CHD. Areas of non-consensus included the adequacy of human milk to support growth, need for fortification, safety, and feasibility of direct breastfeeding, issues related to tube feeding, and prevention and treatment of growth failure.

Conclusions:

The results demonstrate clinical consensus about the importance of human milk, but reveal a need for best practices in managing a human milk diet for infants with complex CHD. Areas of non-consensus may lead to clinical practice variation. A sensitive approach to these topics is needed to support family caregivers in navigating feeding concerns.
Disruptions in the development of feeding for infants with congenital heart disease
Authors: Jones Courtney E. , Desai Hema , Fogel Jennifer L. , Negrin Karli A. , Torzone Andrea , Willette Susan , Fridgen Jenn L. , Doody Lisa R. , Morris Kimberly , Engstler Katherine , Slater Nancy L. , Medoff-Cooper Barbara , Smith Jodi , Harris Brittney D. , Butler Samantha C.
Published: December 2020

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect for infants born in the United States, with approximately 36,000 affected infants born annually. While mortality rates for children with CHD have significantly declined, there is a growing population of individuals with CHD living into adulthood prompting the need to optimise long-term development and quality of life. For infants with CHD, pre- and post-surgery, there is an increased risk of developmental challenges and feeding difficulties. Feeding challenges carry profound implications for the quality of life for individuals with CHD and their families as they impact short- and long-term neurodevelopment related to growth and nutrition, sensory regulation, and social-emotional bonding with parents and other caregivers. Oral feeding challenges in children with CHD are often the result of medical complications, delayed transition to oral feeding, reduced stamina, oral feeding refusal, developmental delay, and consequences of the overwhelming intensive care unit (ICU) environment. This article aims to characterise the disruptions in feeding development for infants with CHD and describe neurodevelopmental factors that may contribute to short- and long-term oral feeding difficulties.
Pattern of head circumference growth following bidirectional Glenn in infants with single ventricle heart disease
Authors: Tseng Stephanie Y , Anixt Julia , Meinzen-Derr Jareen , Thomas Cameron , Cooper David S , Heydarian Haleh C
Published: December 2020

Background:

Infants with single ventricle congenital heart disease demonstrate increasing head growth after bidirectional Glenn; however, the expected growth trajectory has not been well described.

Aims:

1) We will describe the pattern of head circumference growth in the first year after bidirectional Glenn. 2) We will determine if head growth correlates with motor developmental outcomes approximately 12 months after bidirectional Glenn.

Methods:

Sixty-nine single ventricle patients underwent bidirectional Glenn between 2010 and 2016. Patients with structural brain abnormalities, grade III–IV intra-ventricular haemorrhage, significant stroke, or obstructive hydrocephalus were excluded. Head circumference and body weight measurements from clinical encounters were evaluated. Motor development was measured with Psychomotor Developmental Index of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Third Edition. Generalised estimating equations assessed change in head circumference z-scores from baseline (time of bidirectional Glenn) to 12 months post-surgery.

Results:

Mean age at bidirectional Glenn was 4.7 (2.3) months and mean head circumference z-score based on population-normed data was −1.13 (95% CI −1.63, −0.63). Head circumference z-score increased to 0.35 (95% CI −0.20, 0.90) (p < 0.0001) 12 months post-surgery. Accelerated head growth, defined as an increase in z-score of >1 from baseline to 12 months post-surgery, was present in 46/69 (66.7%) patients. There was no difference in motor Psychomotor Developmental Index scores between patients with and without accelerated head growth.

Conclusion:

Single ventricle patients demonstrated a significant increase in head circumference after bidirectional Glenn until 10–12 months post-surgery, at which time growth stabilised. Accelerated head growth did not predict sub-sequent motor developmental outcomes.
The Probabilistic Description Logic
Authors: BOTHA LEONARD , MEYER THOMAS , PEÑALOZA RAFAEL
Published: December 2020

Description logics (DLs) are well-known knowledge representation formalisms focused on the representation of terminological knowledge. Due to their first-order semantics, these languages (in their classical form) are not suitable for representing and handling uncertainty. A probabilistic extension of a light-weight DL was recently proposed for dealing with certain knowledge occurring in uncertain contexts. In this paper, we continue that line of research by introducing the Bayesian extension of the propositionally closed DL . We present a tableau-based procedure for deciding consistency and adapt it to solve other probabilistic, contextual, and general inferences in this logic. We also show that all these problems remain ExpTime-complete, the same as reasoning in the underlying classical .