bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Detection of F94L mutation of the MSTN gene in four Indonesian local cattle breeds
Authors: Anwar S. , Volkandari S. D. , Wulandari A. S. , Putra W. P. B. , Sophian E. , Said S.
Published: May 2020

The F94L mutation of the MSTN gene (MSTN-F94L) is considered not to cause disrupted the function of the myostatin gene drastically. Interestingly, this mutation has a very significant effect on muscle mass, carcass, or meat yield and meat quality without any associated severe negative problems. This study aimed to confirm the MSTN-F94L mutation in four local cattle breeds in Indonesia. A total of 518 individuals (140 of Bali, 107 of Sumbawa, 168 of Pasundan, and 103 of Holstein-Friesian (H-F) cattle) were used in this study. Genotype identification was performed by PCR-RFLP method. In the present study showed that the wild-type C allele was fixed (1.000) in Bali, Sumbawa, and HF cattle. However, the wild-type C allele and the mutant A allele were found in Pasundan cattle, even though the frequency of the mutant A allele was very low (0.012). Therefore, in conclusion, the mutation of the MSTN-F94L was detected in Pasundan cattle but no in all three cattle breeds. However, the presence of the mutant A allele in Pasundan cattle allegedly derived from Limousin bulls. The further investigation in other local and exotic breeds and its crossing will answer the status of the MSTN-F94L mutation in local cattle breeds in Indonesia.
Michell truss type theories as a Γ-limit of optimal design in linear elasticity
Authors: Olbermann Heiner
Published: May 2020

We show how to derive (variants of) Michell truss theory in two and three dimensions rigorously as the vanishing weight limit of optimal design problems in linear elasticity in the sense of Γ-convergence. We improve our results from [H. Olbermann, Michell trusses in two dimensions as a Γ-limit of optimal design problems in linear elasticity, Calc. Var. Partial Differential Equations 56 2017, 6, Article ID 166] in that our treatment here includes the three-dimensional case and that we allow for more general boundary conditions and applied forces.
Materials for D-D-A ternary organic solar cells: an absorption model study
Authors: Lewińska Gabriela
Published: May 2020

Heterojunction solar cells based on ternary blends of two donors (absorbers and one acceptor) were investigated using modeling. The Tauc-Lorentz model and experimental absorption spectra of selected compounds were used in the simulations. The optimization process was carried out in this way to maximize the absorption of the system. Poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (PEHT) was investigated as a first donor, which was mixed respectively with poly(3-octylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3OT), coumarin 153, purpurin, fluorescent brightener 184, N-chloroethylene carbazole, and 1,3,6,8 tetrachloro 9n amylocarbazole. Simulations were also performed for the Tauc-Lorentz model.
Synagogenordnungen als Zeichen und Instrumente für eine Neudefinition jüdischer Identität im Mähren des 18. und 19. Jahrhunderts
Authors: Grözinger Karl E.
Published: May 2020

Takkanot have been an important instrument for the unification of Ashkenazi culture since the Middle Ages. They spread from the Rhineland to the East, to Poland, Bohemia and Moravia. They regulated all areas of Jewish life. Whereas the addressees of the Takkanot were the Jewish communities, the new Synagogenordnungen (Statutes for the Synagogue), developed first in the West and soon followed by Moravia in the East, were directed primarily at the Christian authorities. This change began as early as the mid-18th century when the Austrian empress Maria Theresia asked for a translation of older Takkanot in order to formulate new legal standards for the Jewish life in her lands. The translation of these Jewish regulations into German, brought with it, nolens volens, a Christianization of Jewish technical terms used in their institutions. Soon, the Jewish Neologists and reformers welcomed these translations as useful for their own aspirations to transform Judaism. This was the case in both the West and the East. Among them was Samson Raphael Hirsch, the later leader of the Neo-Orthodox community in Frankfurt am Main and Chief Rabbi of Moravia in Nikolsburg.
Heroes Sung and Unsung: Explorers’ Narratives of Mongolia, 1890s to the 1930s
Authors: Shearer David
Published: May 2020

Petr Kuzmich Kozlov and Roy Chapman Andrews were well known figures in the world of popular culture, exploration, and science of their respective homelands, Imperial Russia and America. In the early years of the twentieth century, both were famous for spectacular discoveries in the deserts of Mongolia – Kozlov in archeology and Andrews in paleontology. Both were celebrity explorers in their native countries when they met in Mongolia in 1922, and both kept field journals and notes from which they produced popularly published accounts of their travels and exploits. Like all the great explorer-adventurers, Andrews and Kozlov made themselves the hero of their own narratives (Maclulich 1977). And yet, neither could have achieved what he did, nor likely have met, had it not been for a third individual, one who was indispensable to both explorers, but an individual who has nearly disappeared from the historical record. Tsokto Garmaevich Badmazhapov, a native of Buryatia, in Siberia, acted as an intermediary for both Kozlov and Andrews. He played a central role in the stories of the two explorers, the unsung hero in their narratives, but he was a remarkable individual in his own right – a successful and polyglot commercial agent, a go-between, an explorer, and a Mongolian government official. In the early 1920s all three individuals were prominent figures in Mongolia, and yet by the mid-1930s, all three had been excluded from the lands that drew them. This article explores the interaction of these three, the visions of Inner Asia that motivated and separated each, and the circumstances – scientific, geo-political, and personal – that both produced and then discarded these remarkable people.
Raw fusion of camera and sparse LiDAR for detecting distant objects
Authors: Rövid András , Remeli Viktor , Szalay Zsolt
Published: May 2020

Environment perception plays a significant role in autonomous driving since all traffic participants in the vehicle’s surroundings must be reliably recognized and localized in order to take any subsequent action. The main goal of this paper is to present a neural network approach for fusing camera images and LiDAR point clouds in order to detect traffic participants in the vehicle’s surroundings more reliably. Our approach primarily addresses the problem of sparse LiDAR data (point clouds of distant objects), where due to sparsity the point cloud based detection might become ambiguous. In the proposed model each 3D point in the LiDAR point cloud is augmented by semantically strong image features allowing us to inject additional information for the network to learn from. Experimental results show that our method increases the number of correctly detected 3D bounding boxes in sparse point clouds by at least 13–21 % and thus raw sensor fusion is validated as a viable approach for enhancing autonomous driving safety in difficult sensory conditions.
Predictive tracking with improved motion models for optical belt sorting
Authors: Pfaff Florian , Pieper Christoph , Maier Georg , Noack Benjamin , Gruna Robin , Kruggel-Emden Harald , Hanebeck Uwe D. , Wirtz Siegmar , Scherer Viktor , Längle Thomas , Beyerer Jürgen
Published: May 2020

Optical belt sorters are a versatile means to sort bulk materials. In previous work, we presented a novel design of an optical belt sorter, which includes an area scan camera instead of a line scan camera. Line scan cameras, which are well-established in optical belt sorting, only allow for a single observation of each particle. Using multitarget tracking, the data of the area scan camera can be used to derive a part of the trajectory of each particle. The knowledge of the trajectories can be used to generate accurate predictions as to when and where each particle passes the separation mechanism. Accurate predictions are key to achieve high quality sorting results. The accuracy of the trajectories and the predictions heavily depends on the motion model used. In an evaluation based on a simulation that provides us with ground truth trajectories, we previously identified a bias in the temporal component of the prediction. In this paper, we analyze the simulation-based ground truth data of the motion of different bulk materials and derive models specifically tailored to the generation of accurate predictions for particles traveling on a conveyor belt. The derived models are evaluated using simulation data involving three different bulk materials. The evaluation shows that the constant velocity model and constant acceleration model can be outperformed by utilizing the similarities in the motion behavior of particles of the same type.
Reference Evil – Bibliografische Herausforderungen bei Videospielen
Authors: Arndt Tracy , Freybe Konstantin , Lahmann André , Roth Martin
Published: May 2020

Im Zuge der intensiveren Beschäftigung mit Videospielen als Forschungsgegenstand stellen sich zunehmend Fragen nach der Formalisierung von Methoden und Daten in dem Feld der Game Studies. Die Angaben innerhalb von Referenzen sollten sich im optimalen Fall in der bibliografischen Beschreibung wiederfinden und umgekehrt. Ziel dieses Beitrags ist es, zur Präzision der Referenzierungspraxis von Videospielen beizutragen und für die Problemlagen im Umgang mit Videospielen zu sensibilisieren.
Learning Circles: Learning Online Together at the Cologne Public Library
Authors: James Nicole
Published: May 2020

The Cologne Public Library has offered small, facilitated study groups for online learning, called learning circles, for the past two years. The development of learning circles by Peer 2 Peer University (P2PU) is discussed, as well as the Library’s experiences with this learning model. An introduction is given to the Erasmus+ project Learning Circles in Libraries (LCIL).
Genotypic distribution of human oncogenic papillomaviruses in sexually active women in Burkina Faso: Central, Central-Eastern and Hauts-Bassins regions
Authors: Ouedraogo Rogomenoma Alice , Zohoncon Théodora Mahoukèdè , Traore Ina Marie Angèle , Ouattara Abdoul Karim , Guigma Sindimalgdé Patricia , Djigma Florencia Wendkuuni , Obiri-Yeboah Dorcas , Ouedraogo Charlemagne , Simpore Jacques
Published: May 2020

Objective

this study was conducted to determine the distribution of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) genotypes in women in the general population of three regions of Burkina Faso.

Method

This multicenter, descriptive cross-sectional study involved 1321 sexually active women in five cities in three regions of Burkina Faso: Central, Central-Eastern and Hauts-Bassins regions. After collection of endocervical specimens, pre-cervical lesions were screened by visual inspection with acetic acid and lugol (VIA / VILI). HR-HPV genotypes were characterized by multiplex real-time PCR after extraction of viral DNA.

Results

The mean age of women was 31.98 ± 10.09 years. The HR-HPV infection in the three regions ranged from 26.16% to 43.26% with 35.42% as overall prevalence in women. The most common HR-HPV genotypes in descending order were: HPV 56, 52, 66, 59, 39, 51, 18, 35. The prevalence of bivalent vaccine genotypes (HPV16 / 18) was 7.83% against 63.78% of genotypes not covered by HPV vaccine; 36.32% (170/468) of women had multiple concomitant HR-HPV infections.

Conclusion

this study showed significant regional variation and high prevalence of HR-HPV infection in women. The predominant genotypes differ from those covered by available vaccines in Burkina Faso. These results will help guide our health policies towards better prevention of cervical cancer. The diversity of oncogenic genotypes is sparking a large-scale study in the West African sub-region, particularly in cases of cancer and the introduction of the nonavalent vaccine which includes HPV 52 found among the predominant genotypes in this study.
Relationship between iodine and carbohydrate contents in the seagrass Zostera marina on the northwestern Pacific coast of central Japan
Authors: Satoh Yuhi , Wada Shigeki , Hisamatsu Shun’ichi
Published: May 2020

Previously, we reported seasonal variation in iodine contents in the seagrass Zostera marina. Herein, we sought the factors controlling this variation, and investigated relationships between iodine and carbohydrate contents, using extracts and residues of seagrass samples extracted with 0.1 N HCl. In plants, carbohydrates in HCl-extracted and residual fractions are considered to represent storage and structural carbohydrates, respectively. On average, 44% and 56% of total iodine in samples was contained in the HCl-extracted and residual fractions, respectively. Both HCl-extracted and residual iodine contents showed seasonal trends similar to that of total iodine, being high in winter–spring and low in summer. Total and HCl-extracted carbohydrate contents showed reverse seasonal trends from those of iodine, whereas residual carbohydrate contents had comparable values throughout the sampling period. In the total and HCl-extracted fractions, negative correlations between iodine and carbohydrate contents were confirmed, suggesting that carbohydrates do not play important roles in iodine accumulation. Although most monosaccharide contents were not correlated with iodine contents in these two fractions, residual galactose content was positively correlated with residual iodine. We accordingly suggest that one or more specific structural carbohydrate constituents may potentially function as an iodine store in Z. marina.
Volumetric absorptive microsampling and dried blood spot microsampling vs. conventional venous sampling for tacrolimus trough concentration monitoring
Authors: Veenhof Herman , Koster Remco A. , Junier Lenneke A.T. , Berger Stefan P. , Bakker Stephan J.L. , Touw Daan J.
Published: May 2020

Objectives

Monitoring tacrolimus blood concentrations is important for preventing allograft rejection in transplant patients. Our hospital offers dried blood spot (DBS) sampling, giving patients the opportunity to sample a drop of blood from a fingerprick at home, which can be sent to the laboratory by mail. In this study, both a volumetric absorptive microsampling (VAMS) device and DBS sampling were compared to venous whole blood (WB) sampling.

Methods

A total of 130 matched fingerprick VAMS, fingerprick DBS and venous WB samples were obtained from 107 different kidney transplant patients by trained phlebotomists for method comparison using Passing-Bablok regression. Bias was assessed using Bland-Altman. A multidisciplinary team pre-defined an acceptance limit requiring >80% of all matched samples within 15% of the mean of both samples. Sampling quality was evaluated for both VAMS and DBS samples.

Results

32.3% of the VAMS samples and 6.2% of the DBS samples were of insufficient quality, leading to 88 matched samples fit for analysis. Passing-Bablok regression showed a significant difference between VAMS and WB, with a slope of 0.88 (95% CI 0.81–0.97) but not for DBS (slope 1.00; 95% CI 0.95–1.04). Both VAMS (after correction for the slope) and DBS showed no significant bias in Bland-Altman analysis. For VAMS and DBS, the acceptance limit was met for 83.0% and 96.6% of the samples, respectively.

Conclusions

VAMS sampling can replace WB sampling for tacrolimus trough concentration monitoring, but VAMS sampling is currently inferior to DBS sampling, both regarding sample quality and agreement with WB tacrolimus concentrations.
Harmonising EQA schemes the next frontier: challenging the status quo
Authors: Badrick Tony , Stavelin Anne
Published: May 2020

There is a focus on standardisation and harmonisation of laboratory results to reduce the risk of misinterpretation of patient results assayed in different laboratories. External quality assessment (EQA) is critical to assess the need for harmonisation and to monitor the success of procedures to achieve harmonisation. However, EQA providers are being stretched to meet the needs of their participants with proven commutable material with reference method targets, a range of clinically significant levels of the materials, detailed and customised data analysis, and educational support. The path ahead for harmonisation of EQA schemes will require leadership from an organisation that has the support and confidence of EQA providers, like the European Organisation for External Qualily Assurance Providers in Laboratory Medicine.
Production of a bioflocculant by using activated sludge and its application in Pb(II) removal from aqueous solution
Authors: Yan Zibo , Peng Li , Deng Miao , Lin Jinhui
Published: May 2020

In this study, the characteristics of a bioflocculant produced by using activated sludge as raw materials were investigated. The performance of this bioflocculant in the removal of Pb(II) from aqueous solution and the corresponding mechanisms were determined as well. After cultivating a bioflocculant-producing strain in an alkaline thermal pre-treatment sludge for 60 h, approximately 4.45 g of bioflocculant containing a protein backbone was harvested from 1 L of fermentation broth. This bioflocculant can remove 98.5% of Pb(II) from aqueous solutions under optimal conditions, which include a bioflocculant dosage of 6 mg/L and a CaCl2 concentration of 70 mg/L at a pH of 6.5.
Anticancer, antioxidant, and acute toxicity studies of a Saudi polyherbal formulation, PHF5
Authors: Abutaha Nael , Al-zharani Mohammed , Al-Doaiss Amin A. , Baabbad Almohannad , Al-malki Ahmed Mfreh , Dekhil Hafedh
Published: May 2020

A popular polyherbal formulation prepared from five plants (PHF5) may have anticancer effects. However, there is a lack of adequate scientific evidence. We assessed the anticancer, antioxidant, and acute toxicity effects of PHF5. Cancer cells were treated with 0 to 300 μg/mL PHF5 extract. Established assays were used to assess cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and radical scavenging activities. In the acute toxicity study, mice were administered a single oral dose (2,000 mg/kg) of PHF5, and biochemical and histopathological parameters were assessed. The IC50values of PHF5 on LoVo, HepG2, MCF-7, and MDA-MB 231 cells were 71.8, 64.8, 45.3, and 47.3 μg/mL, respectively. Fluorescence staining demonstrated that PHF5 induced MCF-7 cell apoptosis. After 48 h, the percentage of late apoptotic cells increased significantly compared with the control cells (74.16 ± 0.64 vs 3.7 ± 2.05,P< 0.05). No mortality or behavioral alterations were observed in mice treated with a single dose (2,000 mg/kg) of PHF5, indicating that the LD50value exceeded 2,000 mg/kg. However, histopathological changes were observed in the liver tissues. PHF5 has potential as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of human carcinoma. Further safety data will be necessary before clinical use.
Translocalization and Social Rescaling: Case Studies of Linguistic Landscapes in Guangzhou
Authors: Han Yanmei , Wu Xiaodan
Published: May 2020

Languages and linguistic resources transport from one locality to another, adapting to the norms, customs, and regulations of a new locality. This process involves translocalization. Translocalization emphasizes the movement of linguistic resources against the backdrop of globalization and the combination or reframing of resources from different localities. This research explores the extent to which translocalization is reflected by the linguistic landscapes of three distinct commercial areas in Guangzhou, China. It goes on to discuss how translocalization works together with social rescaling to incur the movement of linguistic resources and to result in distinct linguistic landscapes of the three commercial areas. It concludes that some languages or linguistic resources, such as English, pinyin and traditional Chinese writing, are transported to local contexts for the purpose of rescaling, whereas other languages or dialects, like Cantonese, might gradually lose their function of rescaling and retain its function in indexing local identity and solidarity. This study calls for more attention to the local resources and contexts in linguistic landscape studies. It argues for the indexical function of linguistic resources in social rescaling and city planning.
Morley FEM for a Distributed Optimal Control Problem Governed by the von Kármán Equations
Authors: Chowdhury Sudipto , Nataraj Neela , Shylaja Devika
Published: May 2020

Consider the distributed optimal control problem governed by the von Kármán equations defined on a polygonal domain of

ℝ
2

{\mathbb{R}^{2}}

that describe the deflection of very thin plates with box constraints on the control variable.
This article discusses a numerical approximation of the problem that employs the Morley nonconforming finite element method (FEM) to discretize the state and adjoint variables.
The control is discretized using piecewise constants.
A priori error estimates are derived for the state, adjoint and control variables under minimal regularity assumptions on the exact solution.
Error estimates in lower-order norms for the state and adjoint variables are derived.
The lower-order estimates for the adjoint variable and a post-processing of control leads to an improved error estimate for the control variable.
Numerical results confirm the theoretical results obtained.
Semantic differences between strong and weak verb forms in Dutch
Authors: De Smet Isabeau , Van de Velde Freek
Published: May 2020

Dutch, like other Germanic languages, disposes of two strategies to express past tense: the strong inflection (e.g.,rijden–reed‘drive – drove’) and the weak inflection (spelen–speelde‘play – played’). This distinction is for the most part lexically determined in that each verb occurs in one of the two inflections. Diachronically the system is in flux though, with the resilience of some verbs being mainly driven by frequency. Synchronically this might result in variable verbs (e.g.,schuilen–schuilde/school‘hide – hid’ orraden–raadde/ried‘guess – guessed’). This diachronic (1300–2000) corpus study shows that this variation is not haphazard, but that semantic factors are at play. We see two such effects. First of all, synchronically, the variation is exapted in an iconic manner to express aspect: durative meanings tend to be expressed by longer verb forms and punctual meanings tend to be expressed by shorter verb forms. Secondly, we see that metaphorical meanings come to be associated within obsolescent inflectional forms, as predicted by Kuryłowicz’s “fourth law of analogy”.
Area minimizing surfaces of bounded genus in metric spaces
Authors: Fitzi Martin , Wenger Stefan
Published: May 2020

The Plateau–Douglas problem asks to find an area minimizing surface of fixed or bounded genus spanning a given finite collection of Jordan curves in Euclidean space. In the present paper we solve this problem in the setting of proper metric spaces admitting a local quadratic isoperimetric inequality for curves. We moreover obtain continuity up to the boundary and interior Hölder regularity of solutions. Our results generalize corresponding results of Jost and Tomi-Tromba from the setting of Riemannian manifolds to that of proper metric spaces with a local quadratic isoperimetric inequality. The special case of a disc-type surface spanning a single Jordan curve corresponds to the classical problem of Plateau, in proper metric spaces recently solved by Lytchak and the second author.
Uniform bounds on harmonic Beltrami differentials and Weil–Petersson curvatures
Authors: Bridgeman Martin , Wu Yunhui
Published: May 2020

In this article we show that for every finite area hyperbolic surface X of type

{(g,n)}

and any harmonic Beltrami differential μ on X, then the magnitude of μ at any point of small injectivity radius is uniform bounded from above by the ratio of the Weil–Petersson norm of μ over the square root of the systole of X up to a uniform positive constant multiplication.
We apply the uniform bound above to show that the Weil–Petersson Ricci curvature, restricted at any hyperbolic surface of short systole in the moduli space, is uniformly bounded from below by the negative reciprocal of the systole up to a uniform positive constant multiplication. As an application, we show that the average total Weil–Petersson scalar curvature over the moduli space is uniformly comparable to

{-g}

as the genus g goes to infinity.
Lokale und globale Idealisierungen
Authors: Borbone Giacomo
Published: May 2020

Ernst Cassirer’s epistemological trilogy –Substanzbegriff und Funktionsbegriff(1910),Zur Einsteinschen Relativitätstheorie(1921) andDeterminismus und Indeterminismus(1937) – is well known to Western scholars, some of whom recently devoted a number of in-depth and interesting studies to Cassirer’s epistemology. Nonetheless, they overlooked aspects of Cassirer’s concept of idealisation and his model of science as found in his last epistemological work:Determinismus und Indeterminismus. In this essay I will consider these two almost disregarded aspects of Cassirer’s epistemology in order to provide a better understanding of his idea of science.
Seinsbegegnung
Authors: Felgenhauer Katrin
Published: May 2020

The contemporary realist turn in philosophy can be seen as a reaction to a merely constructivist understanding of being. The formulation of a realist ontology was already the central concern of Nicolai Hartmann’s philosophy. Hartmann argues that in order to pose the ontological question critically, a realist analysis of the cognitive relation must precede posing the question of being. From the critical analysis, it follows that the cognitive relation is embedded in the relationship of being. Thus, the epistemic relation becomes understandable in the sense of beings encountering and touching one another. In this respect, some proponents of the contemporary realist turn emphasize that there is a philosophically relevant experience of being that can be understood as resistance. Beyond this statement, Hartmann’s analysis of the encounter with being is able to take into account the fact that different kinds of being touch us differently.
Brief aus Südkorea
Authors: Beuthan Ralf
Published: May 2020

The following contribution attempts to outline the current situation of philosophy in South Korea. The thesis is advocated that the current situation cannot be understood solely in terms of history of philosophy or research-historical contexts, but that the specifics of Korean philosophy in research and teaching can only be adequately explained against the background of far-reaching and partly global political and cultural-historical contexts. On the basis of a general sketch of the historical situation in South Korea as well as on the basis of a few individual observations (common for the classic letter form) in everyday life outside and inside of the University, an attempt is made to capture typical features of philosophical life in Korea. Above all, the direct influence of global axes of conflict and the resulting accelerated dynamic of cultural changes on philosophy and its concrete forms in research and teaching should be made clear. In addition, the particularly pluralistic character of Korean philosophy can be understood in this way.
Extending balance assessment for the generalized propensity score under multiple imputation
Authors: Frank Anna-Simone J. , Matteson David S. , Solvang Hiroko K. , Lupattelli Angela , Nordeng Hedvig
Published: May 2020

This manuscript extends the definition of the Absolute Standardized Mean Difference (ASMD) for binary exposure (M = 2) to cases for M > 2 on multiple imputed data sets. The Maximal Maximized Standardized Difference (MMSD) and the Maximal Averaged Standardized Difference (MASD) were proposed. For different percentages, missing data were introduced in covariates in the simulated data based on the missing at random (MAR) assumption. We then investigate the performance of these two metric definitions using simulated data of full and imputed data sets. The performance of the MASD and the MMSD were validated by relating the balance metrics to estimation bias. The results show that there is an association between the balance metrics and bias. The proposed balance diagnostics seem therefore appropriate to assess balance for the generalized propensity score (GPS) under multiple imputation.
Regression analysis of unmeasured confounding
Authors: Knaeble Brian , Osting Braxton , Abramson Mark A.
Published: May 2020

When studying the causal effect of x on y, researchers may conduct regression and report a confidence interval for the slope coefficient

β

x

${\beta }_{x}$

. This common confidence interval provides an assessment of uncertainty from sampling error, but it does not assess uncertainty from confounding. An intervention on x may produce a response in y that is unexpected, and our misinterpretation of the slope happens when there are confounding factors w. When w are measured we may conduct multiple regression, but when w are unmeasured it is common practice to include a precautionary statement when reporting the confidence interval, warning against unwarranted causal interpretation. If the goal is robust causal interpretation then we can do something more informative. Uncertainty, in the specification of three confounding parameters can be propagated through an equation to produce a confounding interval. Here, we develop supporting mathematical theory and describe an example application. Our proposed methodology applies well to studies of a continuous response or rare outcome. It is a general method for quantifying error from model uncertainty. Whereas, confidence intervals are used to assess uncertainty from unmeasured individuals, confounding intervals can be used to assess uncertainty from unmeasured attributes.
Hermeneutical Injustice, Contract Law, and Global Value Chains
Authors: Tjon Soei Len Lyn K.L.
Published: May 2020

Global value chains (GVCs) resist dominant contract framing, because presumptions about contract’s bilateral structure and party autonomy fail to capture the complex interconnections between private exchange relations. Contract law seems to obscure, rather than capture, the ways in which the relationships and experiences of various actors in GVCs are linked. This article argues that, in doing so, contract law contributes to systemic hermeneutical injustice. Systemic hermeneutical injustice captures how shared interpretative resources can render those in disadvantaged positions of social power unable to make intelligible that what is in their interest to render intelligible. The article’s primary aim is to show how this form of injustice bears on contract law and how it can function as an independent normative constraint on the institution of contract law.
Geopolitics, Economic Freedom and Economic Performance
Authors: Weede Erich
Published: May 2020

Geopolitics and economics overlap in studying the rise and decline of nations. One influential explanation of the rise of Europe and the West, of them overcoming mass poverty before other civilizations, contrasts the geopolitical fragmentation of Europe with civilizations unified under repressive rule elsewhere, and explains the rise of the West by its greater degree of economic freedom than elsewhere. After World War II, the dominant economy promoted economic freedom globally and thereby granted advantages of backwardness to less fortunate peoples. Although the global expansion of economic freedom lifted at least one billion people out of abject poverty, the same process undermined American economic dominance. The imminent power transition between America and China implies an increased risk of war. If a trade war between China and America ends the era of globalization, then the outlook becomes dark: less economic freedom, less prosperity, less political stability and higher risks of war.
Assessment of wood industrial pollutants based on emission coefficients in China
Authors: Chu Jie , Kumar Anuj
Published: May 2020

The implementation of circular economy in wood industries is an effective way for future sustainable development. The wood industries in China are not in the direction of circular economy approach due to less availability of assessment/calculation data of pollutants as per life cycle assessment (LCA) criteria. The present study focuses on the calculation of emission and pollutants from wood industries as per LCA; the emission and pollution data were collected from fiberboard Medium-density fiberboard (MDF), plywood and particleboard (PB) production. The comparative analysis of dust emissions, industrial waste gases and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were performed among three wood industries. The results revealed that the fiberboard industry was the highest emitter of dust, industrial waste gas and COD; and particleboard industry was the least emitter. Further, results indicated that pollutant index of wood industries were significantly changed between 2015 and 2017; the industrial waste water discharge increased five folds and the COD, dust and industrial gases increased two times. This study provides with the emission and pollutants data of wood industries as per LCA to promote the sustainable development for circular and low carbon economics.
Influence of cooling rate on the physical properties, chemical composition, and mechanical properties of heat-treated rubberwood
Authors: Chen Chuanfu , Tu Dengyun , Zhao Xiangyu , Zhou Qiaofang , Cherdchim Banyat , Hu Chuanshuang
Published: May 2020

This study aimed to reduce the loss of mechanical strength in heat-treated rubberwood by rapid cooling. Heat-treated rubberwood specimens were prepared by controlling their cooling rate during the cooling phase of the heat treatment. The effects of cooling rate on the physical properties, chemical composition, and mechanical properties of heat-treated rubberwood were evaluated. Results indicated that cooling rate significantly influenced mass loss (ML). ML in heat-treated rubberwood cooled at 6 °C min−1 decreased by 23% relative to that in heat-treated rubberwood subjected to natural cooling. Compared with the heat-treated rubberwood subjected to natural cooling, the heat-treated rubberwood that was cooled at 4.5 °C min−1 increased in modulus of rupture (MOR), surface hardness, and screw withdrawal strength (tangential section) by 26, 8, and 16%, respectively. The cool rates exerted less effects on the dimensional stability, surface color, modulus of elasticity (MOE), compressive strength parallel to grain (CS), and screw withdrawal strength (radial section) of the heat-treated rubberwood. The application of rapid cooling to wood heat treatment could efficiently shortened the heat treatment period, thus increasing productivity.
Reduction of adsorbable organically bound halogens (AOX) formation at near-neutral pH chlorine dioxide bleaching of softwood kraft pulp
Authors: Starrsjö Sara , Sevastyanova Olena , Sandström Peter , Fiskari Juha , Boman Maria , Lindström Mikael E.
Published: May 2020

Recently, a new type of bleaching sequence, Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) light with one D stage, has been developed. It combines the efficiency and high selectivity of chlorine dioxide (ClO2) bleaching with more environmental friendly oxygen based bleaching chemicals. This work examines the effect of pH on the formation of adsorbable organically bound halogens (AOX) in an intermediate D stage – a single ClO2 stage at the middle of an ECF light bleaching sequence. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is used to generate a bicarbonate buffer in situ, stabilizing the pH during the bleaching. Near-neutral pH is hypothesized to decrease the formation of strongly chlorinating species, so that the AOX formation is reduced. The results indicate that a near-neutral pH D stage can reduce the AOX content in the effluents with up to 30%. The ISO brightness was unchanged to a lower ClO2 consumption. The pulp viscosity was slightly higher after near-neutral pH D stage, but to its disadvantage a lesser delignification and removal of HexA was obtained. The degradation of HexA correlated well with the AOX, affirming earlier theories that HexA has a major impact on the AOX formation. The higher amounts of residual HexA and lignin resulted in more thermal yellowing of the pulps bleached with a near-neutral pH D stage.
From the discovery to molecular understanding of cellular iron-sulfur protein biogenesis
Authors: Lill Roland
Published: May 2020

Protein cofactors often are the business ends of proteins, and are either synthesized inside cells or are taken up from the nutrition. A cofactor that strictly needs to be synthesized by cells is the iron-sulfur (Fe/S) cluster. This evolutionary ancient compound performs numerous biochemical functions including electron transfer, catalysis, sulfur mobilization, regulation and protein stabilization. Since the discovery of eukaryotic Fe/S protein biogenesis two decades ago, more than 30 biogenesis factors have been identified in mitochondria and cytosol. They support the synthesis, trafficking and target-specific insertion of Fe/S clusters. In this review, I first summarize what led to the initial discovery of Fe/S protein biogenesis in yeast. I then discuss the function and localization of Fe/S proteins in (non-green) eukaryotes. The major part of the review provides a detailed synopsis of the three major steps of mitochondrial Fe/S protein biogenesis, i.e. the de novo synthesis of a [2Fe-2S] cluster on a scaffold protein, the Hsp70 chaperone-mediated transfer of the cluster and integration into [2Fe-2S] recipient apoproteins, and the reductive fusion of [2Fe-2S] to [4Fe-4S] clusters and their subsequent assembly into target apoproteins. Finally, I summarize the current knowledge of the mechanisms underlying the maturation of cytosolic and nuclear Fe/S proteins.
Solidification pathways and phase equilibria in the Mo–Ti–C ternary system
Authors: Ida Shuntaro , Sekido Nobuaki , Yoshimi Kyosuke
Published: May 2020

The liquidus surface projection and isothermal section at 1,800°C in the Mo–Ti–C ternary system are examined using arc-melted alloys. A ternary transition peritectic reaction (L + Mo2C → Mo + TiC) takes place during solidification, which is apparently different from the ternary eutectic reaction (L → Mo + TiC + Mo2C) observed in a previous report. Since the composition of the eutectic reaction (L → Mo + TiC) shifts toward the Mo–Ti binary line with increasing Ti concentration, the volume fraction of the Mo phase and the interlamellar spacing of the Mo and TiC phases increase in the eutectic microstructure. At 1,800°C, the TiC phase in equilibrium with the Mo phase can contain more than 28 at% Mo and a Mo/TiC/Mo2C three-phase region exists at around Mo–15Ti–10C.
„Wie tief der kern dieses Volkes dem antiken wesen verwandt ist“ „Cultural Brokers“ und ihre Strategien zur Vermittlung des Unbekannten
Authors: Schönhärl Korinna
Published: May 2020

Der vorliegende Aufsatz fragt nach Strategien kultureller Vermittler, den bei der Erstbegegnung mit einer fremden Kultur eintretenden Schock zu verarbeiten und die kulturellen Differenzen neu zu semantisieren und sinnhaft zu deuten. Er greift drei geografisch und chronologisch weit auseinanderliegende Fallbeispiele von kulturellen Vermittlern auf, die vor dem Hintergrund ihres umfassenden antiken Bildungswissens versuchten, die Fremde als „lebende Antike“ zu interpretieren: Missionare in Neuspanien im 16. und 17. Jahrhundert, einen Griechenlandreisenden der 1830er und einen Japanreisenden der 1930er Jahre. Der analysierte Vermittlungsprozess wird als „doppelte Allelopoiese“ beschrieben: die brokers stilisierten einerseits die Antike als zwar weit zurückliegenden, aber essentiellen Teil ihrer eigenen kulturellen Identität; sie parallelisierten andererseits die fremde Lebenswelt, mit der sie konfrontiert wurden, mit eben dieser Antike; in einem (nur analytisch zu isolierenden) dritten Schritt konnten sie so Parallelen zwischen der Fremde und dem Eigenen hervorheben und wechselseitige kulturelle Aneignungen (Transformationen) einleiten und rechtfertigen. Der Artikel schlägt eine weitere Ausarbeitung der „doppelten Allelopoiese“ als analytisches Instrument für die Erforschung der cultural brokers vor.
Innenansichten des Bundesrates im Deutschen Kaiserreich 1871–1918
Authors: Haardt Oliver F. R.
Published: May 2020

Der Aufsatz möchte den bisher weitgehend vernachlässigten Bundesrat ins Blickfeld der Forschung zur Politik- und Verfassungsgeschichte des Kaiserreiches rücken. Zu diesem Zweck durchleuchtet er die innere Dynamik des Bundesrates und klärt deren Bezug zu den größeren Entwicklungen des föderalen Regierungssystems. Der erste Abschnitt des Aufsatzes beschreibt die Aufgaben und Arbeitsweisen des Bundesrates. Dabei wird deutlich, dass die Reichsverfassung ihm eine zentrale Stellung im nationalen Willensbildungsprozess gab. Danach werden die methodischen Grundlagen einer Analyse vorgestellt, die in den nächsten beiden Abschnitten das Anwesenheitsverhalten der preußischen und kleinstaatlichen Bundesratsdelegationen statistisch untersucht. Der erste Teil dieser Betrachtung zeigt, dass die preußische Bank über die Jahre immer mehr von Vertretern der obersten Reichsverwaltung infiltriert und so zu einem Instrument der Reichsleitung wurde. Der quantitative Nachweis dieser Entwicklung liefert den ersten belastbaren Beleg für die Verreichlichung Preußens. Der zweite Teil der statistischen Analyse deckt ein komplexes Vertretungssystem unter den Kleinstaaten auf. Dieses stellte sicher, dass ein Großteil der kleinen Fürstentümer stets mit Preußen stimmte und so zuverlässige Mehrheiten für die preußische Bundesratsbank bereitstellte. Nachdem diese von Reichsbeamten übernommen worden war, hatte die Reichsleitung den Bundesrat daher fest im Griff. Der letzte Abschnitt des Aufsatzes zeigt, dass diese internen Entwicklungen des Bundesrates in direktem Zusammenhang mit dem Wandel seiner Funktion im Regierungssystem, der Zentralisierung der föderalen Kompetenzstruktur und der schrittweisen Ausdehnung des Einflusses des Reichstags über die Reichsleitung standen.
Una aproximación etnográfica a las narrativas producidas en contextos de migración
Authors: Patiño-Santos Adriana
Published: May 2020

Este artículo sitúa la narrativa, en sus diferentes formas, como uno de los métodos preferidos por los etnógrafos sociolingüistas que trabajan en temas de migración, para recoger las experiencias tanto de las personas migrantes, sus razones para migrar y sus percepciones frente a las sociedades de llegada. Asimismo, busca integrar al análisis cuestiones referidas a dos formas de reflexividad. Por un lado, la reflexividad que se produce en las narraciones de los participantes, al dar cuenta del curso de sus acciones y, por otra, la reflexividad metodológica que tiene que ejercer el etnógrafo en el campo, además de aspectos referidos a las condiciones bajo las cuales estas narrativas son co-producidas. Solo así se podrán comprender las razones de los narradores para contarnos sus historias en el momento y de la forma en la que lo hacen.
Bisphenol S adsorption with activated carbon prepared from corncob: optimization using response surface methodology
Authors: Zhang Xiangyang , Han Xiuli , Chang Chun , Li Pan , Li Hongwei , Xu Chunbao (Charles)
Published: May 2020

Activated carbon derived from raw corncob (CCAC), which prepared with steam as the activating agent, was used to adsorb bisphenol S (BPS) from aqueous solution. Characterizations of CCAC were measured by using the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Adsorption conditions including initial BPS concentration, contact time, adsorbent dosage and pH were optimized by response surface methodology (RSM). The results show that adsorption equilibrium was well described by the Langmuir and Koble–Corrigan models. The maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of BPS was found to be 617.29 mg g−1 at 298 K. Based on the thermodynamic parameters analysis, the BPS adsorption process was turned out to be spontaneous and exothermic. The adsorption process of BPS was well described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. It also found that H-bonding, π–π interaction, and electrostatic interaction were the main mechanisms in the process of BPS adsorption onto the CCAC.
Optimization of multiple parameters of coking wastewater (CWW): catalytic thermolysis (CT) at high pressure reactor (HPR)
Authors: Verma Vibha , Chaudhari Parmesh Kumar , Mazumdar Bidyut
Published: May 2020

Present study deals with the treatment of coking waste water (CWW) for the reduction of pollutants COD, phenol and cyanide using catalytic thermolysis (CT). For screening of catalyst and optimization of pH the CT was performed at 100 °C, pH = 3–11 using catalyst mass loading Cw = 3 g/L. In this study Cu (NO3)2gave best performance. Further, CT was carried out using Cu (NO3)2catalyst in high pressure reactor (HPR). The investigated parameters range were initial pH (pHi) = 3–11, Cw = 1–5 g/L, temperature (T) = 100–160 °C and treatment time (tR) = 6 h. The maximum percentage reduction for COD, phenol and cyanide were 83.33, 80.57 and 97.61%, respectively at pH = 9, Cw = 4 g/L, T = 140 °C and tR = 6 h. The CT did not give complete reduction of pollutant; therefore it was further treated using adsorption process as second stage treatment. The initial value of COD = 610 mg/L, phenol = 70.58 mg/L and cyanide = 0.45 mg/L were further reduced to 98.85, 100.00 and 55.55%, respectively, when adsorption process was performed at pH = 9, adsorbents dose Aw = 4 g/L, tR = 2 h. The response surface methodology (RSM) was performed through central composite design (CCD) for the designing of experiments and optimization of both the process. The kinetics studies of CT at HPR showed first order with respect to COD and phenol, and 0.24–0.608 order with respect to CW.
Ultrasound-assisted extraction of phenolic compounds from avocado leaves (Persea americana Mill. var. Drymifolia): optimization and modeling
Authors: Che-Galicia Gamaliel , Váquiro-Herrera Henry A. , Sampieri Álvaro , Corona-Jiménez Edith
Published: May 2020

Ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) was performed to extract the total phenolic compounds from avocado (Persea americana Mill. var. Drymifolia; Lauraceae) leaves with different electric powers (UAE 0%, UAE 60%, and UAE 100%) and extraction times. Ultrasonic extraction parameters were optimized by using a mathematical model made by stepwise regression (SWR) for the determination of the maximum total phenolic content (TPC) and their antioxidant activity. Moreover, TPC extraction was modeled applying heterogeneous models to elucidate the involved mechanisms phenomena that determine the extraction rates. Optimization results found that the maximum value of TPC reached 48,732 mg GAE/100 g D.M. at 84.5% electric power and 29.7 min of extraction, which was superior to 0% electric power UAE. It was also found that the ultrasound causes the degradation of phenolic compounds, whereas the final extraction yield of TPC increases and their antioxidant activity decreased with the increase of ultrasound electric power. Proposed models gave a satisfactory quality of fit data using a second-order reaction for the degradation kinetics of TPC under ultrasound application. The estimated effective diffusivity values were in a range from 1.3889 × 10−11 m2/s to 2.2128 × 10−11 m2/s for the UAE 0% and UAE 100%, respectively. UAE significantly increased the extraction yield through the enhancement of the effective diffusivity, demonstrating that it is a promising technology to extract phenolic substances from avocado leaves.