bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Repellent rings at titanium cylinders against overgrowth by fibroblasts
Authors: Fosodeder Peter , Baumgartner Werner , Steinwender Clemens , Hassel Achim Walter , Florian Camilo , Bonse Jörn , Heitz Johannes
Published: May 2020

The invention of new miniaturized and smart medical implants continues in all medical fields, including miniaturized heart pacemakers. These implants often come with a titanium (Ti) casing, which may have to be removed after several months or years and shall therefore not be completely overgrown by cells or scar tissue after implantation. Scar tissue is mainly formed by fibroblast cells and extracellular matrix proteins like collagen produced by them. Suppression of fibroblast growth at Ti surfaces could be achieved by 800 nm femtosecond laser-ablation creating self-organized sharp spikes with dimensions in the 10 μm-range which are superposed by fine sub-μm parallel ripples. On flat Ti control samples, the best results regarding suppression of cell growth were obtained on spike-structures which were additionally electrochemically anodized under acidic conditions. When Ti cylinders with a diameter of 8 mm (similar as the pacemakers) were placed upright in a culture of murine fibroblasts, a multi-layer cell growth up to a height of at least 1.5 mm occurred within 19–22 days. We have demonstrated that a laser-structured and anodized ring around the Ti cylinder surface is an effective way to create a barrier that murine fibroblasts were not able to overgrow within this time.
Auf den Leib eingeschrieben, auf das Foto gebannt? – Fotografische Konturen des muslimischen Leibes in Russisch-Mittelasien vor 1917. Ein Versuch zur historischen Körpersoziologie
Authors: Sidikov Bakhodir
Published: May 2020

Abstrakt

Inscribed on the body, locked within the photo? – Photographic contours of Muslim body in Russian Central Asia before 1917. An essay of historical sociology of the body

Der folgende Beitrag besteht aus zwei Teilen. Im ersten Teil werden sowohl theoretische Überlegungen und Konzepte wie auch methodologische Annäherungen an das oben angekündigte Thema vorgestellt. Im zweiten Teil werden ausgewählte historische Ansichtskartenfotografien aus Russisch-Mittelasien vor 1917 praxeologisch (praxistheoretisch) analysiert mit dem Ziel, relevante historische Inhalte zu generieren. Der Zeitraum der Analyse orientiert sich an dem Aufkommen der Ansichtskarte an der Wende vom 19. zum 20. Jahrhundert. In dieser Zeit etabliert sie sich in Europa bzw. Russland als das erste globale Massenkommunikationsmedium.

Holzheid 2011.
Der Umbruch der Bibliothekslandschaft in SBZ und früher DDR im Spiegel einer kleinen Spezialbibliothek
Authors: Altekamp Stefan
Published: May 2020

Der Beitrag analysiert die konkreten Auswirkungen von Entnazifizierung, Umverteilung von Bibliotheksgut, Bezugsmöglichkeiten im Antiquariatsbuchhandel und Angeboten der Buchreproduktion in Fotografie und Mikroformen auf die Bestandsgeschichte einer Spezialbibliothek vor dem Hintergrund des Umbruchs der Bibliothekslandschaft in der Sowjetischen Besatzungszone und der frühen DDR.
Acht Lehren aus acht Jahren Open Access
Authors: Fund Sven
Published: May 2020

Knowledge Unlatched war die erste Initiative, die die Finanzierung von Monographien in den Geistes- und Sozialwissenschaften im Open Access verfügbar gemacht hat. Seitdem werden jährliche Pledging-Runden durchgeführt. Das Modell ist zwischenzeitlich deutlich gewachsen und umfasst auch Zeitschriften und andere Produktkategorien. Der Beitrag betrachtet aus der Insider-Perspektive die zentralen Learnings. Sie sind für Verlage, Bibliotheken und Forschungsfinanzierer, aber auch für vergleichbare Initiativen von Bedeutung für die Weiterentwicklung des Ansatzes.
Die Buchpublikationen der „Academic Communities“ in Dänemark und den Niederlanden: Rückschlüsse für globale Publikationsstrategien
Authors: Tausch Arno
Published: May 2020

Unser Aufsatz hat zahlreiche Kriterien entwickelt, mit denen die Bibliometrie und Szientometrie des auf akademische Bücher spezialisierten Verlagswesens betrieben werden kann. Wir testen den Einfluss von Messgrößen, wie sie auf Grund von Altmetrics, Entlehnungsstatistiken, Libcitation nach OCLC Worldcat und anderen Unionskatalogen in Industrie- und Entwicklungsländern, subjektivem Ranking durch academic communities und Zitierungen im Book Citation Index gewonnen werden können. 57 global operierende Buchverlage, über die sämtliche Daten vorhanden sind, stehen dabei im Mittelpunkt. All diese Daten haben eine Relevanz für die Publikationsstrategie-Beratung der Wissenschaft durch die Bibliotheksdienste im 21. Jahrhundert. Die Innovation dieses Aufsatzes besteht vor allem in der Verwendung von neuen Daten über die Publikationspräferenz zweier renommierter akademischer communities in Europa, nämlich Dänemark (landesweit) und von der Reichsuniversität Groningen in den Niederlanden in der multivariaten Analyse. Unsere Auswertungen zeigen, dass sowohl Ansätze, die auf die Zitierungen im Book Citation Index oder auf Größen der Libcitation (globale Verbreitung im OCLC Worldcat) ausschließlichen Wert legen, die komplexe Realität des heutigen internationalen Publikationswesens nicht erfassen. Nirgends haben Daten des Book Citation Index oder Libcitation (globale Verbreitung im OCLC Worldcat) jene überragende Bedeutung für die Publikationsentscheidungen der dänischen und niederländischen Wissenschaftler, wie bisherige Prototheorien des globalen Publikationswesens bisher annahmen. Bei den dänischen Wissenschaftlern scheint der Faktor „size and high quality“ der ausschlaggebende zu sein. Für Groningen kommt als determinierender Faktor noch die international anerkannte Verlagsqualität hinzu. Vergleiche unserer Ergebnisse mit den landesweiten subjektiven Verlagseinschätzungen der einzigen Wissenschaftscommunity, wo solche Daten erhoben wurden (Spanien) bestätigen unsere multivariaten Ergebnisse.
Analyzing the Effect of Mandatory Water Restrictions on Water Usage
Authors: Dronyk-Trosper Trey , Stitzel Brandli
Published: May 2020

As water rights and water usage become an ever more important part of municipalities’ and states’ way of life, it becomes important to understand what policies can be effective for encouraging conservation of water. One method that has been employed at various times and throughout numerous communities is to limit outdoor watering days. We use a dataset with over 3 million property-month observations during the 2007–2015 period in Norman, Oklahoma, to identify whether the periodic implementation of mandatory water restrictions reduces water usage. Our data allow us to exploit variance in the timing of these water restriction programs. Our findings indicate that this policy reduces water consumption by 0.7 % of total water consumption. Additionally, we use home assessment prices to identify heterogeneity in this response, finding that high priced homes are more responsive to water use restrictions.
Is Labor Market Mismatch a Big Deal in Japan?
Authors: Shibata Ippei
Published: May 2020

This paper estimates Japanese labor market mismatch between 2000 and 2019 by using the method of Sahin et al. (“Mismatch Unemployment.” The American Economic Review 104 (11): 3529–64, 2014). We quantify contract-type (regular or non-regular), employment-type (full or part-time), and occupational mismatch and their respective contributions to changes in unemployment. All three types of mismatch show a countercyclical pattern, sharply increasing during the global financial crisis (GFC), but slowly declining during the recovery. Contract-type and occupational mismatch accounted for a significant portion of the rise in the unemployment rate during the GFC, each accounting for around 30 and 20–40 percent, respectively. Employment-type mismatch, on the other hand, accounted for much less–at around 15 perecent of the rise in unemployment for the same period.
Titanium coating: introducing an antibacterial and bioactive chitosan-alginate film on titanium by spin coating
Authors: Vakili Nasim , Asefnejad Azadeh
Published: May 2020

Coating of titanium (Ti) implants with biocompatible polymers were performed to improve bone healing. In this study, pure Ti implants were coated via chitosan and alginate by spin coating method at 1000, 4000, and 8000 rpm. The coating layer was cross-linked by calcium chloride. Their chemical structures were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) evaluations. The morphology of the created coating was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the best uniformity was observed in the prepared coating at 8000 rpm (6093× g) spinal speed. The adhesion strength of the coating layer on the substrate was evaluated by the adhesion pull-off test. Also, the best adhesion strength was achieved at an 8000 rpm (6093× g) coating rate. Bioactivity of the chitosan-alginate coating on Ti sheets was evaluated by soaking the samples in a simulated body fluid (SBF) solution. The apatite formation on prepared Ti sheets was investigated by SEM, XRD, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). A higher mineralization appeared on coated samples compared with pure Ti. The antibacterial behavior of the implants was analyzed by bacterial counting against Escherichia coli. The presence of chitosan and alginate on the Ti sheets resulted in a better antibacterial effect. In-vitro experiments, with L929 fibroblast cells, confirmed the biocompatibility of the implants. Coating the Ti implants with chitosan and alginate improved biomineralization and biological behavior of the implant especially at the spinal speed of 8000 rpm (6093× g). These implants can support osteoblast cell adhesion and facilitate bone regeneration.
Electrocardiography (ECG) analysis and a new feature extraction method using wavelet transform with scalogram analysis
Authors: Yanık Hüseyin , Değirmenci Evren , Büyükakıllı Belgin , Karpuz Derya , Kılınç Olgu Hallıoğlu , Gürgül Serkan
Published: May 2020

Electrocardiography (ECG) signals and the information obtained through the analysis of these signals constitute the main source of diagnosis for many cardiovascular system diseases. Therefore, accurate analyses of ECG signals are very important for correct diagnosis. In this study, an ECG analysis toolbox together with a user-friendly graphical user interface, which contains the all ECG analysis steps between the recording unit and the statistical investigation, is developed. Furthermore, a new feature calculation methodology is proposed for ECG analysis, which carries distinct information than amplitudes and durations of ECG main waves and can be used in artificial intelligence studies. Developed toolbox is tested using both Massachusetts Institute of Technology-Beth Israel Hospital (MIT-BIH) Arrhythmia ECG Database and an experimentally collected dataset for performance evaluation. The results show that ECG analysis toolbox presented in this study increases the accuracy and reliability of the ECG main wave detection analysis, highly fasten the process duration compared to manual ones and the new feature set can be used as a new parameter for decision support systems about ECG based on artificial intelligence.
New evidence regarding the early history of the Monastery of Vatopedi (Mt Athos): unpublished sigillographical material
Authors: Stavrakos Christos , Liakos Dimitrios
Published: May 2020

This paper deals with an unpublished lead seal was found during the excavation works within the chandler’s workshop of Vatopedi, a later structure which was added to the eastern face of the bell tower (1427). The seal names a Constantine, chartoularios and epi tou patriarchikou sekretou and dates back to 10th till early 11th century. It is one of the rare direct sources regarding the very early period of the monastery, from which we have no other information, and serves to highlight the attention which the central ecclesiastical administration placed upon it already from the first years after its founding. It also shows the vibrant activities of its monks and their notable network of contacts with high-ranking political and ecclesiastical officials in the capital.
文化關聯與中文學習興趣
Authors: 仕俊 文
Published: May 2020

提要

本文為一個融入多元文化以改變學生學習興趣的行動研究，藉以推動更長遠的學習成效。研究者為本地中學中文教師，主要負責教授非華語學生，研究對象為 18 名中三非華語學生，並藉著課堂觀察、實際教學施行、學生訪談及自我檢討等方法，以驗證運用「文化關聯教學法」的實際成效。研究結果顯示，研究對象在研究者融入「文化關聯教學法」後，中文學習興趣有所提升，對單元的理解及認知皆有增益。
Multimodal Discourse Analysis of Judges’ Footing Shifts in Criminal Courtroom
Authors: Chen Jinshi
Published: May 2020

The paper, based on the concept of FOOTING, makes a multimodal discourse analysis of the relationship between the judge’s discourse and his footing shifts in a criminal courtroom. The results show that in the interaction, multimodal resources in judges’ discourse include conversational features (prolonging keywords, interrupting, repeating, taking turns, etc.), acoustic ones (ascending F0 for pitches and dB for intensity, transition tracks between consonants and formants of vowels, duration of some keywords in important sentences, etc.), and visual ones (facing other parties, facing the materials, etc.). The multimodal resources activate different judges’ footings, including ANIMATOR, ANIMATOR + AUTHOR and ANIMATOR + AUTHOR + PRINCIPAL, and identify the judge’s footing shifts in the courtroom. The results also demonstrate that the judge’s footing shifts perform the functions of trial organizing, information confirming, fact investigating, spokesperson of the collegial panel, law educating and so on in criminal trials.
Mock Impoliteness and Co-Construction of Hudui Rituals in Chinese Online Interaction
Authors: Zhao Linsen
Published: May 2020

This paper examines an under-researched phenomenon of mock impoliteness in Chinese online interaction, namely, the practice of hudui (lit. reciprocal jocular abuse) as a solidarity enhancing device among acquaintances. Drawing on data from Qzone interaction among Chinese university students, this study focuses on ritual features, sequential patterns and interpersonal functions of hudui through the lens of Kádár’s (2013, 2017) interpersonal ritual theory. The results show that hudui is co-constructed by the online participants with the symmetric pattern of mutual abuse, which distinguishes it from previous studies of jocular abuse (i.e., the asymmetric pattern of abuser– recipient). They also reveal that hudui accomplishes various kinds of relational work, including fostering intimacy, enhancing mutual affection-based face and creating amusement.
A New Mixed Functional-probabilistic Approach for Finite Element Accuracy
Authors: Chaskalovic Joël , Assous Franck
Published: May 2020

The aim of this paper is to provide a new perspective on finite element accuracy. Starting from a geometrical reading of the Bramble–Hilbert lemma, we recall the two probabilistic laws we got in previous works that estimate the relative accuracy, considered as a random variable, between two finite elements

P
k

{P_{k}}

and

P
m

{P_{m}}

(

k
<
m

{k<m}

). Then we analyze the asymptotic relation between these two probabilistic laws when the difference

m
-
k

{m-k}

goes to infinity. New insights which qualify the relative accuracy in the case of high order finite elements are also obtained.
On derived equivalences and homological dimensions
Authors: Fang Ming , Hu Wei , Koenig Steffen
Published: May 2020

Unlike Hochschild (co)homology and K-theory, global and dominant dimensions of algebras are far from being invariant under derived equivalences in general. We show that, however, global dimension and dominant dimension are derived invariant when restricting to a class of algebras with anti-automorphisms preserving simples. Such anti-automorphisms exist for all cellular algebras and in particular for many finite-dimensional algebras arising in algebraic Lie theory. Both dimensions then can be characterised intrinsically inside certain derived categories. On the way, a restriction theorem is proved, and used, which says that derived equivalences between algebras with positive ν-dominant dimension always restrict to derived equivalences between their associated self-injective algebras, which under this assumption do exist.
On a method of synthesis of correlation-immune Boolean functions
Authors: Karelina Ekaterina K.
Published: May 2020

An efficient recursive method for synthesis of correlation-immune Boolean functions is proposed. At the first stage, this method uses minimal correlation-immune functions. A classification of 6-variable minimal correlation-immune functions under the Jevons group is put forward. New results on minimal correlation-immune functions are given.
Verdinglichung und das Netz der Normen
Authors: Thompson Michael J.
Published: May 2020

This paper proposes a reconstruction of Georg Lukács’ thesis of reification by viewing it through the normative theory of consciousness. As I see it, reification of consciousness is the result of the ways that norms that have been patterned by external social systems come to be absorbed into the background structures of cognition. As a result, consciousness becomes increasingly fitted to these normative patterns. A web of norms therefore comes to heteronomously link consciousness and social systems via processes of socialisation. I end with a consideration of how a theory of critical judgment can be used to overcome this reification of consciousness, all the while sticking to Lukács’ basic line of argument.
A note on the strong summability of two-dimensional Walsh–Fourier series
Authors: Tephnadze George
Published: May 2020

In this paper, we investigate the strong summability of two-dimensional Walsh–Fourier series obtained in [F. Weisz,
Strong convergence theorems for two-parameter Walsh–Fourier and trigonometric-Fourier series,
Studia Math. 117 1996, 2, 173–194] (see Theorem W) and prove
the sharpness of this result.
Ulam type stability for non-instantaneous impulsive Caputo fractional differential equations with finite state dependent delay
Authors: Agarwal Ravi , Hristova Snezhana , O’Regan Donal
Published: May 2020

Four Ulam type stability concepts for non-instantaneous impulsive fractional
differential equations with state dependent delay are introduced. Two different approaches to the interpretation of solutions are investigated. We study the case of an unchangeable lower bound of the Caputo fractional derivative and the case of a lower bound coinciding with the point of jump for the solution. In both cases we obtain sufficient conditions for Ulam type stability. An example is also provided to illustrate both approaches.
Stability some sunflower genotypes across divergent environments
Authors: Abdelsatar Mohamed Ali , Hassan Tamer Hassan Ali , Attia Mahrous Abd El-Baset
Published: May 2020

Simultaneously identify superior performing in terms of seed yield and seed oil content and broad adaptation across a wide range of different environments is an important target for sunflower breeder. So, 10 sunflower genotypes were evaluated across the eight various environments created by sowing at four locations i. e. Kafr El Hamam/ Sharkia, Shandaweel /Sohag, Tag El Ezz/ Dakahlia and Al Arish/ North Sinai Agricultural Research Stations, Agricultural Research Center (ARC), Egypt during the two successive summer seasons 2018 and 2019 using randomized complete block designs with four replications in each environment. Results showed that mean squares due to environments, genotypes and their interaction were highly significant for seed yield and seed oil content. Most stability approaches revealed that high performing stable genotypes were L240 for seed yield and Sakha 53, L110 and L235 for seed oil content under divergent environments. Hence, these four stable sunflower genotypes could be behaved as good breeding materials stock for sunflower improvement.
Comprehensive analysis of peptides and low molecular weight components of the giant ant Dinoponera quadriceps venom
Authors: Rádis-Baptista Gandhi , Dodou Hilania V. , Prieto-da-Silva Álvaro R.B. , Zaharenko André J. , Kazuma Kohei , Nihei Ken-ichi , Inagaki Hidetoshi , Mori-Yasumoto Kanami , Konno Katsuhiro
Published: May 2020

Ants (Hymenoptera, Apocrita, Aculeata, Formicoidea) comprise a well-succeeded group of animals. Like bees and wasps, ants are mostly venomous, having a sting system to deliver a mixture of bioactive organic compounds and peptides. The predatory giant ant Dinoponera quadriceps belongs to the subfamily Ponerinae that includes one of the largest known ant species in the world. In the present study, low molecular weight compounds and peptides were identified by online peptide mass fingerprint. These include neuroactive biogenic amines (histamine, tyramine, and dopamine), monoamine alkaloid (phenethylamine), free amino acids (e.g. glutamic acid and proline), free thymidine, and cytosine. To the best of our knowledge, most of these components are described for the first time in an ant venom. Multifunctional dinoponeratoxin peptide variants (pilosulin- and ponericin-like peptides) were characterized that possess antimicrobial, hemolytic, and histamine-releasing properties. These venom components, particularly peptides, might synergistically contribute to the overall venom activity and toxicity, for immobilizing live prey, and for defending D. quadriceps against aggressors, predators, and potential microbial infection.
PINK1 and Parkin: team players in stress-induced mitophagy
Authors: Bader Verian , Winklhofer Konstanze F.
Published: May 2020

Mitochondria are highly vulnerable organelles based on their complex biogenesis, entailing dependence on nuclear gene expression and efficient import strategies. They are implicated in a wide spectrum of vital cellular functions, including oxidative phosphorylation, iron-sulfur cluster synthesis, regulation of calcium homeostasis, and apoptosis. Moreover, damaged mitochondria can release mitochondrial components, such as mtDNA or cardiolipin, which are sensed as danger-associated molecular patterns and trigger innate immune signaling. Thus, dysfunctional mitochondria pose a thread not only to the cellular but also to the organismal integrity. The elimination of dysfunctional and damaged mitochondria by selective autophagy, called mitophagy, is a major mechanism of mitochondrial quality control. Certain types of stress-induced mitophagy are regulated by the mitochondrial kinase PINK1 and the E3 ubiquitin ligase Parkin, which are both linked to autosomal recessive Parkinson’s disease.
Microstructural evolution during high-temperature tensile creep at 1,500°C of a MoSiBTiC alloy
Authors: Uemura Sojiro , Kamata Shiho Yamamoto , Yoshimi Kyosuke , Tsurekawa Sadahiro
Published: May 2020

Microstructural evolution in the TiC-reinforced Mo–Si–B-based alloy
during tensile creep deformation at 1,500°C and 137 MPa was
investigated via scanning electron microscope-backscattered electron diffraction
(SEM-EBSD) observations. The creep curve of this alloy displayed no clear steady
state but was dominated by the tertiary creep regime. The grain size of the
Moss phase increased in the primary creep regime. However, the grain
size of the Moss phase was found to remarkably decrease to
<10 µm with increasing creep strain in the tertiary creep
regime. The EBSD observations revealed that the refinement of the Moss
phase occurred by continuous dynamic recrystallization including the transformation
of low-angle grain boundaries to high-angle grain boundaries. Accordingly, the
deformation of this alloy is most likely to be governed by the grain boundary sliding
and the rearrangement of Moss grains such as superplasticity in the
tertiary creep regime. In addition, the refinement of the Moss grains
surrounding large plate-like T2 grains caused the rotation of their
surfaces parallel to the loading axis and consequently the cavitation preferentially
occurred at the interphases between the end of the rotated T2 grains and
the Moss grains.
China–India relations in Eurasia: Historical legacy and the changing global context
Authors: Denisov Igor , Safranchuk Ivan , Bochkov Danil
Published: May 2020

The relationship between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of India has traditionally been seen in terms of the interaction of two different trends—cooperation and competition. At the same time, the positive or negative dynamics of China–Indian contacts have mostly been shaped by the extent to which the political leadership of China and India have been prepared at various times to be guided by pragmatic interests and the desire to overcome the legacy of the past. This set of problems includes long-standing territorial disputes, New Delhi’s suspicions of the “all-weather strategic partnership” between Beijing and Islamabad, as well as the sensitive issues of Tibet and the Dalai Lama. Although the idea of ChIndia, as a condominium of the global interests of the two Asian giants and a manifestation of their growing interdependence, is no longer relevant, this article argues that cooperation or confrontation between China and India should not be linked solely to historical matters, but should be viewed from a broader regional and international perspective.
Artificial, cheap, fake: Free associations as a research method for outdoor billboard advertising and visual pollution
Authors: Urban Marek , Avilés Dany Josué Vigil , Bojović Miloš , Urban Kamila
Published: May 2020

The free association method is often employed in marketing research to investigate perceptions of a particular product or brand in different socio-cultural groups of customers. In our research, international and domestic students produced free associations in response to photographs of outdoor billboards from two different locations in one city (city centre and outskirts). The results indicate that free associations can depict qualitative aspects of outdoor billboards like poor quality (relating to the categories of amateurish and fake), problematic content (relating to female stereotypes, gender stereotypes and cultural differences), and that they have the potential to capture the general atmosphere of the neighbourhood (categories of decay, depression, danger and past).
Inadequate awareness of cervical cancer and its prevention among young women of Delhi, India: public health policy implications
Authors: Sharma Priyanka , Bhilwar Meenakshi , Tiwari Poornima , Parija Pragyan Paramita , Saha Sunil Kumar , Mehra Kriti
Published: May 2020

Background

The increasing burden of cancer is a cause of concern worldwide including in India. Cervical cancer is amongst the most common cancers among women associated with high morbidity and mortality. Younger women are at risk of acquiring human papilloma virus (HPV) infection that can lead to cervical cancer later in life. The present study is an attempt to assess awareness about cervical cancer, its prevention and HPV among young women so that future policies can be designed accordingly.

Methodology

This was a cross-sectional study conducted among college-going women students of Delhi. Data was collected using a pre-designed, pretested semi-structured tool followed by descriptive statistical analysis.

Results

Although 83% women students had heard of cervical cancer, the signs and symptoms were known to less than half (41.9%) of the students. HPV vaccine availability was known to 56.0% of the students, but very few students were vaccinated (15.0%). Similar disparity was also found in screening knowledge and practices.

Conclusion

With poor knowledge about risk factors, and preventive strategies among young women, this study highlights the need for health education programmes related to cervical cancer targeting young women. As most of the risk factors of cervical cancer are modifiable, awareness generation at a young age could bring about a paradigm shift in incidence and the mortality associated with it.
Behavioural and neuro-electrical correlates of cognitive performance in young mobile gamers of endless runner and match three genres
Authors: Jiwal Sekhar , Jain Preeti , Jain Ajay Kumar
Published: May 2020

Video game players have been shown to significantly out-perform non-video game players on a wide range of cognitive tasks. Exposure to specific genres of video games may also have a significant bearing in impacting certain task-specific domains of cognition. However, there is limited availability of scientific literature exploring the role of mobile game sub-genres on the cognitive abilities of an individual. The present study was therefore conducted to assess and compare the impact of playing either endless running video games (ERGs) or match three video games (MTGs) on behavioral and neuro-electrical correlates of cognitive performance in young adults, by using reaction time (RT) and P300, respectively. The ERG group included 45 male:female (M:F) ratio = 38:7 and the MTG group included 39 (M:F = 21:18) subjects who played ≥5 h/week of each respective video game genre in past 6 months. The ERG group had better behavioral performance in comparison to the MTG group, as indexed by their significantly faster visual reaction time (VRT). The ERG subjects also had significantly lower P300 amplitudes as compared to MTG subjects. However, no difference in either auditory reaction time (ART) or P300 latency could be ascertained between the two groups. These results suggest that not only were ERG players able to make faster decisions and performed better in visuo-motor tasks but, also had better optimization of neural resources in them as compared to the MTG players. The current data supports the notion that not only exposure to video games but also the nature (i.e. genre) of mobile game play determines the extent to which neural processes concerned with attentional orientation, information processing and cognitive control are influenced.
A Parametric Bootstrap for the Mean Measure of Divergence
Authors: Zertuche F. , Meza-Peñaloza A.
Published: May 2020

For more than 50 years the Mean Measure of Divergence (MMD) has been one of the most prominent tools used in anthropology for the study of non-metric traits. However, one of the problems, in anthropology including palaeoanthropology (more often there), is the lack of big enough samples or the existence of samples without sufficiently measured traits. Since 1969, with the advent of bootstrapping techniques, this issue has been tackled successfully in many different ways. Here, we present a parametric bootstrap technique based on the fact that the transformed θ, obtained from the Anscombe transformation to stabilize the variance, nearly follows a normal distribution with standard deviation

$\sigma = 1 / \sqrt{N + 1/2}$

σ
=
1

/

N
+
1

/

2

, where N is the size of the measured trait. When the probabilistic distribution is known, parametric procedures offer more powerful results than non-parametric ones. We profit from knowing the probabilistic distribution of θ to develop a parametric bootstrapping method. We explain it carefully with mathematical support. We give examples, both with artificial data and with real ones. Our results show that this parametric bootstrap procedure is a powerful tool to study samples with scarcity of data.
Variable selection for high-dimensional quadratic Cox model with application to Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Li Cong , Sun Jianguo
Published: May 2020

This paper discusses variable or covariate selection for high-dimensional quadratic Cox model. Although many variable selection methods have been developed for standard Cox model or high-dimensional standard Cox model, most of them cannot be directly applied since they cannot take into account the important and existing hierarchical model structure. For the problem, we present a penalized log partial likelihood-based approach and in particular, generalize the regularization algorithm under marginality principle (RAMP) proposed in Hao et al. (J Am Stat Assoc 2018;113:615–25) under the context of linear models. An extensive simulation study is conducted and suggests that the presented method works well in practical situations. It is then applied to an Alzheimer’s Disease study that motivated this investigation.
„Aber es ist insgesamt zu wenig und es fehlt ein klares Konzept“ ‒ Willkommensklassen in Berlin
Authors: Gamper Jana , Röttger Evelyn , Steinbock Dorotheé , Falke Ulrich
Published: May 2020

Schulpflichtige Sprachanfänger/innen des Deutschen werden in Berlin in sogenannten Willkommensklassen unterrichtet. Trotz langjähriger Erfahrung mit dieser Beschulungsform fehlen konkrete Vorgaben und Konzepte für eine erfolgreiche Integration von Schüler/innen und Lehrkräften. Die im Beitrag vorgestellte Online-Befragung von 315 Berliner Willkommensklassenlehrkräften aller Schulformen bestätigt diese Auffassung in Teilen und bietet einen differenzierten Einblick zu Bedarfen und Mängeln.
Zur Situation der Beschulung neu zugewanderter Schüler/innen
Authors: Erichsen Göntje
Published: May 2020

Je nach Bundesland und Schule ist die Beschulung neu zugewanderter Schüler/innen strukturell unterschiedlich organisiert. Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird diese Organisation exemplarisch anhand eines nordrhein-westfälischen Gymnasiums gezeigt. Hierzu werden im Sinne der Situationsanalyse relevante menschliche Akteur/innen und nicht menschliche Aktanten identifiziert und miteinander in Beziehung gesetzt. Dabei kann die Vernetzung der unterschiedlichen Akteur/innen und Aktanten und somit die Komplexität des Gefüges aufgezeigt werden.
Making cross-cultural meaning in five Chinese promotion clips: Metonymies and metaphors
Authors: Guan Yue , Forceville Charles
Published: May 2020

Metonymy and metaphor are fundamental and ubiquitous meaning-generating tropes that operate on a conceptual, not just a verbal, level. The goal of this paper is to demonstrate to scholars outside of the Conceptual Metaphor Theory and Conceptual Metonymy paradigm how these two tropes cue meaning verbally, visually, musically, sonically, and multimodally in five Chinese clips promoting Chinese cities and Chinese trade fairs, all produced after, and in the spirit of, president Xi Jinping’s “Belt and Road” initiative (2013). We also pay attention to how interpretations are to some extent bound to differ depending on whether the audience does or does not have detailed knowledge of Chinese culture. We end by briefly arguing that a full analysis of the clips – as indeed of most discourses – requires awareness of yet other tropes as well as expertise in other humanities disciplines.
Transforming linear time-varying optimal control problems with quadratic criteria into quadratic programming ones via wavelets
Authors: Malmir Iman , Sadati Seyed Hossein
Published: May 2020

In this paper, an algorithm for solving optimal control of linear time-varying systems with quadratic performance indices is presented. By using important matrices which are derived from Chebyshev wavelets properties, the original problem is converted to a quadratic programming one. This parameter optimization method is applied on both constrained and unconstrained control systems having linear state equations of integer and fractional orders. The computing time saved by this approach is much better than with other methods in which there is no need to calculate the optimal costs of systems by substituting the approximations of the state and control vectors
and their values are default outputs of the quadprog solvers.
Antiproliferative effects of combinational therapy of Lycopodium clavatum and quercetin in colon cancer cells
Authors: Banerjee Antara , Pathak Surajit , Jothimani Ganesan , Roy Susmita
Published: May 2020

Background

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most prevalent form of cancer and fourth leading cause of morbidity worldwide. Surgical resection remains the only curative approach for CRC, but recurrence following surgery is the main problem and ultimate cause of death. Lycopodium clavatum and quercetin have been found to exert its anticancer properties. The aim of the present study is to investigate whether quercetin or L. clavatum extract and combination of both have any profound role in reducing major inflammatory cytokines in Colo-320 cells.

Methods

L. clavatum and Quercetin alone or in combination was administered to colon cancer cells and various toxicity markers, gene expression analyses of apototic genes and gelatin zymmography were performed.

Results

Quercetin (50 μm) in combination with L. clavatum extract (10 μL) distinctly reduced cell growth and highlighted their potential effects in extirpation of colon cancer cells. Treatment with increased dose of L. clavatum extract in combination with quercetin reduced the colony size and proliferation potential when compared to the sole treatment of plant extracts. In the antimicrobial assays, it was observed that Lycopodium alone exhibited antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Characterization of L. clavatum extract and quercetin was performed and confirmed the presence of flavonoids and alkaloids. Treatment with Lycopodium and quercetin combination induced significant down-regulation in activities of MMP2 and MMP9 tested by gelatin zymography. The combined treatment greatly affected the mRNA expression of p53, Bcl2, Bax, Caspase 3, Wnt 1, Cyclin D1, and Catalase genes in colon cancer cells.

Conclusion

The synergistic effect between Lycopodium and quercetin might bring forward the enhanced antitumorigenic properties of combinational therapy with natural products to successfully combat the cancer progression with minimal side effects and resistance to drugs.
Lithotriptic effect of Safūf Hajar-al Yahūd in patients of Hasat-ul Kilya (Nephrolithiasis) – an open prospective clinical validation trial
Authors: Ahmed Noor Zaheer , Ahmed Kabiruddin , Anwar Noman , Ezhil Radhakrishnan , Anjum Nighat , Khan Asim Ali
Published: May 2020

Background

Hasat-ul Kilya (Nephrolithiasis) is one of the most common chronic conditions and has been known to the mankind since antiquity. The incidence is increasing globally with geographic, racial and gender variation in its occurrence. Medical management of Nephrolithiasis still poses a considerable challenge for modern medical practice. Unani drugs possessing lithotriptic activity are not only cost effective but also have least side effects. Safūf Hajar-al Yahūd has been used since long for the treatment of Hasat-ul Kilya (Nephrolithiasis) but no documentary evidence based on scientific parameters as to its safety and efficacy are available.

Objective

To validate the safety and efficacy of Safūf Hajar-al Yahūd in the treatment of Hasat-ul Kilya.

Methodology

An open prospective clinical trial was carried out on 107 subjects of renal calculi of 3–7 mm diameter diagnosed by Ultrasonogram-KUB (USG-KUB). Subjects were evaluated by clinical history & examination, laboratory investigations followed by USG-KUB for confirmation. The safety was assessed by reporting of adverse events and by pathological and biochemical investigations. Assessment of efficacy was based on improvement observed in VAS score and expulsion/reduction of stone size as detected by USG-KUB.

Results

Substantial reduction (53%) in the size of calculi confirmed by USG-KUB and considerable lowering of VAS score (75%) were observed with the active intervention in majority of the cases

Conclusion

The trial has revealed that the Unani pharmacopoeal formulation Safūf Hajar-al Yahūd was well tolerated and has the therapeutic potential in the reduction and expulsion of renal calculi.
Shaping the Profession: Some Thoughts on Office, Duty, and the Moral Problematisation of Professional Activities in the Counter-Reformation
Authors: Faitini Tiziana
Published: May 2020

This paper investigates the theorisation of the duties belonging to different – both lay and professional – conditions, elaborated upon by post-Tridentine moral theology, in order to highlight its contribution to the modern conceptualisation of the profession, and, more generally, to modern economic and political rationality. It focuses particularly on how work and professional activities are dealt with in Juan Azor’s Institutiones morales, Hermann Busenbaum’s Medulla theologiae moralis and Alfonso de Liguori’s Theologia moralis, between the early seventeenth and mid-eighteenth centuries. The paper begins with some quick historical remarks on the theological elaboration on the states of life (in the context of early-modern political and moral thought on duty and office) and the tradition de officiis underpinning these sources. The specific prescriptions imposed by these sources on professional activities in their discussions of the Third Commandment, and the obligation to rest or fast on certain days, are then examined. A brief analysis of the paragraphs explicitly devoted to the duties of professionals (legal and health professionals in particular) precedes some final observations about the post-Tridentine model of profession and its influence on the moral and socio-political valorisation of professional activities.
Additivity of the algebraic entropy for locally finite groups with permutable finite subgroups
Authors: Giordano Bruno Anna , Salizzoni Flavio
Published: May 2020

Additivity with respect to exact sequences is, notoriously, a fundamental property of the algebraic entropy of group endomorphisms.
It was proved for abelian groups by using the structure theorems for such groups in an essential way.
On the other hand, a solvable counterexample was recently found, showing that it does not hold in general.
Nevertheless, we give a rather short proof of the additivity of algebraic entropy for locally finite groups that are either quasihamiltonian or FC-groups.
Sociolinguistics and history: An interdisciplinary view of bilingualism in imperial Russia
Authors: Offord Derek
Published: May 2020

Using a study of the historical phenomenon of Franco-Russian bilingualism in imperial Russia as its point of departure, this article has three interlocking aims. First, it reflects on the common interest that historical sociolinguists and certain types of historian have in language use and language choice. Secondly, building on recent work by historical sociolinguists, it considers the ways in which historians’ and historical sociolinguists’ investigation of such matters as the social, political, cultural and literary functions of the French language in lands where French was not the mother tongue can be broadened and deepened by familiarity with each others’ findings. Thirdly, it seeks to illuminate the role of linguistic meta-discourse in the sort of grand narratives about the history and culture of national communities in which historians may be interested. In the specific case I examine, the narratives concern the relationship of Russia to the West, the wholeness or fragmentation of the Russian nation, the effects of cultural borrowing, the nature of Russian national identity and culture and the degree to which Russia is historically and culturally exceptional. In pursuit of these aims, I hope to illustrate the importance of linguistic matters in the history of societies, polities, and cultures and the potential that an interdisciplinary approach has to lend scholarship on these matters richer context and finer nuance than work which falls purely within either the historical or the historical-sociolinguistic domain tends to yield.
A non-iterative method for recovering the space-dependent source and the initial value simultaneously in a parabolic equation
Authors: Wang Zewen , Chen Shuli , Qiu Shufang , Wu Bin
Published: May 2020

This paper is concerned with the inverse problem for determining the space-dependent source and the initial value simultaneously in a parabolic equation from two over-specified measurements. By means of transforming information of the initial value into the source term and obtaining a combined source term, the parabolic equation problem is converted into a parabolic problem with homogeneous conditions. Then the considered inverse problem is formulated into a regularized minimization problem, which is implemented by the finite element method based on solving a sequence of well-posed direct problems. The uniqueness of inverse solutions are proved by the solvability of the corresponding variational problem, and the conditional stability as well as the convergence rate of regularized solutions are also provided. Then the error estimate of approximate regularization solutions is presented in the finite-dimensional space. The proposed method is a very fast non-iterative algorithm, and it can successfully solve the multi-dimensional inverse problem for recovering the space-dependent source and the initial value simultaneously. Numerical results of five examples including one- and two-dimensional cases show that the proposed method is efficient and robust with respect to data noise.
FEM-based Scalp-to-Cortex EEG data mapping via the solution of the Cauchy problem
Authors: Koshev Nikolay , Yavich Nikolay , Malovichko Mikhail , Skidchenko Ekaterina , Fedorov Maxim
Published: May 2020

We propose an approach and the numerical algorithm for mapping the electroencephalographic (EEG) data from the scalp to the cortex. The algorithm is based on the solution of ill-posed Cauchy problem for the Laplace’s equation using
tetrahedral finite elements. The FEM-based scheme allows to calculate the volumetric distribution of a potential over the head
volume. We demonstrate the usage of the the algorithm for accurate estimation of the depth of
electric sources in the head. The algorithm sufficiently increases the spatial
resolution of the EEG technique making it comparable with intracranial techniques.
Inborn errors of metabolism detectable by tandem mass spectrometry in Beijing
Authors: Yang Nan , Gong Li-fei , Zhao Jin-qi , Yang Hai-he , Ma Zhi-jun , Liu Wei , Wan Zhi-hui , Kong Yuan-yuan
Published: May 2020

Background

Individual inborn errors of metabolism (IEMs) are rare disorders. Expanded newborn screening for IEMs by tandem mass spectrometry (TMS) is an efficient approach for early diagnosis. Here we provide the newborn screening program for the application of this approach (between July 2014 and March 2019) to the identification of newborns in Beijing at risk of developing a potentially fatal disease.

Methods

The amino acids and acylcarnitines in dried blood spots were analyzed by TMS. Diagnoses of newborns with elevated metabolites were confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, biochemical studies, and genetic analysis.

Results

Among the healthy newborns, 16 metabolic disorder cases were confirmed, giving a total birth prevalence of 1:3666 live births. Organic acidemia (OA) was the most common (9/16 patients; 56%), and methylmalonic acidemia was the most frequently observed OA (7/9 patients; 89%). Five infants were diagnosed with methylmalonic acidemia with homocystinuria type CblC, two with isolated methylmalonic acidemia, one with propionic acidemia, and one with isovaleric acidemia. Four patients (4/16, 25%) were diagnosed with hyperphenylalaninemia. One suffered with medium-chain acyl CoA dehydrogenase deficiency, one with carnitine uptake deficiency, and one with citrin deficiency. Eleven cases underwent genetic analysis. Seventeen mutations in eight IEM-associated genes were identified in 11 confirmed cases. Symptoms were already present within 2 days after birth in 44% (7/16) cases. The infant with propionic acidemia died at 7 days after birth. The other cases received timely diagnosis and treatment, and most of them grew well.

Conclusions

The results illustrate challenges encountered in disease management highlighting the importance of newborn screening for inherited metabolic disorders, which is not yet nationally available in our country. Regional newborn screening programs will provide a better estimation of the incidence of IEM.