bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical utility of urinary gonadotrophins in hypergonadotrophic states as Turner syndrome
Authors: Boncompagni Alessandra , McNeilly Jane , Murtaza Mohammed , Lucaccioni Laura , Iughetti Lorenzo , Wong Sze Choong , Mason Avril
Published: October 2020

Background

Girls with Turner syndrome (TS) are at an increased risk of primary ovarian insufficiency (POI). Good correlation between serum and urinary gonadotrophins exists in children assessed for disorders of puberty, but there is little evidence of their reliability in hypergonadotropic states.

Objectives

To determine whether there was a correlation between serum and urinary Luteinising Hormone (uLH) and Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (uFSH) in hypergonadotrophic states, and whether uFSH could suggest an ovarian failure in TS as Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH).

Patients and Methods

Retrospective cohort study of 37 TS girls attending the paediatric TS clinic in Glasgow between February 2015 and January 2019, in whom 96 non-timed spot urine samples were available with a median age at time of sample of 12.89 years (3.07–20.2 years). uLH and uFSH were measured by chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay. Simultaneous serum gonadotrophins and AMH were available in 30 and 26 girls, respectively. AMH <4 pmol/L was considered indicative of ovarian failure.

Results

A strong correlation was found between serum LH and uLH (r 0.860, P<0.001) and serum FSH and uFSH (r 0.905, p<0.001). Among patients≥10 years not on oestrogen replacement, ROC curve identified uFSH as a reasonable marker for AMH<4 pmol/L uFSH of >10.85 U/L indicates an AMH <4 pmol/L with 75% sensitivity and 100 % specificity (AUC 0.875)with similar ability as serum FSH (AUC 0.906).

Conclusion

uLH and uFSH are non-invasive, useful and reliable markers of ovarian activity in hypergonadotropic states as TS. uFSH could provide an alternative to AMH (in centres which are limited by availability or cost) in revealing ovarian failure and requirement for oestrogen replacement in pubertal induction.
Female adolescents and young women previously treated for pediatric malignancies: assessment of ovarian reserve and gonadotoxicity risk stratification for early identification of patients at increased infertility risk
Authors: Parissone Francesca , Di Paola Rossana , Balter Rita , Garzon Simone , Zaffagnini Stefano , Neri Maria , Vitale Virginia , Tridello Gloria , Cesaro Simone
Published: October 2020

Objectives

Childhood and adolescent cancer survivors (CACSs) are at risk of adverse reproductive outcomes. Assessment of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels is the most common test used to diagnose premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) whereas anti-m|llerian hormone (AMH) and antral follicle count (AFC) have been proposed as ovarian reserve markers. We assessed the correlation between these markers and treatment gonadotoxicity risk (GR) in CACSs.

Methods

A total of 55 female CACSs were enrolled. GR was graded as low, medium, or high according to classifications based on disease and treatments and on cyclophosphamide equivalent dose score. FSH, AMH, and AFC were determined. POI was defined by amenorrhea and FSH>30 IU/L. For remaining patients, diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) was defined by AMH<5th centile. FSH and AFC cut-offs proposed in the literature as DOR markers were also considered (FSH>10 IU/L or >95th centile; AFC<8 or <5th centile).

Results

Ovarian reserve results to be compromised in 23 (41.8%) patients: 14 with DOR and 9 with an established POI. Results showed GR classifications to be a good predictor of ovarian reserve, with significantly lower AMH and AFC in the high-risk groups. AFC resulted to be directly correlated with AMH (r=0.75, p<0.001).

Conclusions

In CACSs, GR classifications correlate with post-treatment AMH and AFC. These are useful tools in the early identification of young patients with DOR, who may benefit from reproductive and fertility preservation counseling. Further studies are needed to determine the rate and time of progression from DOR to POI in this population.
Pregnant women’s knowledge and behaviour to prevent cytomegalovirus infection: an observational study
Authors: Vena Flaminia , D’Ambrosio Valentina , Pajno Cristina , Boccherini Chiara , Corno Sara , Di Mascio Daniele , Piccioni Maria Grazia , Salerno Maria Giovanna , Bisogni Francesco , Brunelli Roberto , Muzii Ludovico , Panici Pierluigi Benedetti , Pizzuti Antonio , Giancotti Antonella
Published: October 2020

Objectives

Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) infection can negatively affect pregnancy outcomes, but may be prevented by simple precautions. Literature suggests that gynaecologists do not always adequately inform about preventive behaviour and most pregnant women have a low-level knowledge regarding cCMV infection. The aim of this study is to evaluate knowledge and risk behaviours related to cCMV infection in an unselected group of pregnant women.

Methods

An institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted in three Maternal and Fetal Divisions in Rome between November and February 2019 on 296 pregnant women, their knowledge on cCMV was measured using six cytomegalovirus (CMV) related questions.

Results

Out of the 296 respondents, 59.1% had heard, read or seen information about cCMV infection. Regarding the way of transmission, 96/296 (32.4%) correctly recognize children as a potential source of the infection but only 25/296 (8.44%) knew all prevention practices, 28/296 (9.5%) of women reported that they have never performed cCMV test during pregnancy.

Conclusions

The results of this survey show that knowledge on cCMV infection among pregnant women is poor. This highlights the need to improve counselling on all preventive practices for cCMV infection during perinatal care consultation.
Systematic screening for SARS-CoV-2 in pregnant women admitted for delivery in a Portuguese maternity
Authors: Figueiredo Rita , Tavares Sara , Moucho Marina , Ramalho Carla
Published: October 2020

Objectives

The burden of undocumented SARS-Cov-2 infections in Portuguese pregnant women is unknown. At our institution, routine COVID-19 testing was implemented from 19th of March on to all pregnant women who were admitted for delivery. The purpose of the study was to estimate the SARS-CoV-2 infection rate in our obstetric population admitted for delivery.

Mathods

Between 19th March and May 4th, 184 pregnant women were screened for SARS-CoV-2 infection upon admission.

Results

Eleven women were positive for SARS-CoV-2, corresponding to a global prevalence of 6.0%. Of these, only two reported symptoms at admission. The prevalence of asymptomatic infection was 4.9%. We report a lower rate of positive cass than other studies. Eighty-two percent of our cases had no symptoms at admission.

Conclusions

The proportion of asymptomatic infection highlights the importance of universal laboratory screening for all women admitted for delivery as opposed to symptom-based screening.
Clinical manifestation, outcomes in pregnant women with COVID-19 and the possibility of vertical transmission: a systematic review of the current data
Authors: Han Yu , Ma Huijing , Suo Mingli , Han Fang , Wang Fang , Ji Jingru , Ji Jing , Yang Hailan
Published: October 2020

Objectives

To assess perinatal outcomes of COVID-19 infections during pregnancy and the possibility of vertical transmission.

Methods

An analysis was performed using Stata 15.0, and Q-test was used to evaluate the heterogeneity of the included studies.

Results

The most common symptoms were found to be fever (64.78%), cough (59.81%) and shortness of breath or dyspnea (23.86%). Of this 88.73% patients demonstrated typical COVID-19 signs on chest CT or X-ray. Intubation was carried out in 35.87% of patients, and 4.95% of mothers were admitted to the intensive care unit, where the rate of maternal death was <0.01% and that of premature delivery was 25.32%. The rate of the birth weight being <2,500 g was 30.65% and that of Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission was 24.41%. Positive nasopharynx swabs or sputum from newborns was <0.01%.

Conclusions

Pregnant patients with COVID-19 most commonly presented with fever, cough, shortness of breath and dyspnea, most of which possessed imaging manifestations. The risk of intubation and admission to intensive care unit were high. The risk of premature delivery was higher, leading to a high risk of NICU admission and low neonatal birthweight. Vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from mother to child was found to be unlikely.
Microfunciones temporales en el contrato de arrendamiento
Authors: Daum Uwe Manfred , Fernández Jesús M. Doña
Published: October 2020

The contract is one of the most used documents in any language within the legal field. It is therefore of interest for the study of microfunctions in this genre of text in order to determine linguistic functions and to advance in the detection of nuances of languages. For this reason, this paper proposes the analysis of a subgenre of contract, the lease, focusing the study on one of the most characteristic microfunctions of this genre, the temporal microfunctions. In a comparative corpus, the temporal microfunctions are analyzed using a contrastive methodology for the German and Spanish texts.
Towards a CPD Framework of Reference for the Translation Profession
Authors: Taebi Ehsan , Razavi Mir Saeed Mousavi
Published: October 2020

Population ageing continues to perpetuate the widening of the generation gap in a world where the younger inexperienced yet “tech-savvier” novice trainee is trained by the elder professional albeit more conservative “expert” trainer. It is against this backdrop that Continuing Professional Development (CPD) finds more significance. We have argued that systematic CPD ought to be an integral component of any translator qualification programme. Based on this premise, we have defined qualification-oriented competence and CPD for translators and then proposed our preliminary five-stage CPD framework of reference for the translation profession which revolves around the core concepts of translation competence (TC), TC emergence, and reciprocal mentoring.
„Ich werde dich immer Mr. Knightley nennen“
Authors: Hubmann Sandra
Published: October 2020

Translating you into German means deciding between different pronouns of address, a choice that can express either hierarchy, formality or intimacy between speaker and listener. This paper analyses to what extent the pronominal address is used to characterise fictional relationships in the eight German translations of Jane Austen’s novel Emma by comparing them with original German literature written around 1815, the year when the English novel was first published. While the selected parallel texts highlight special relationships like close friendships or romantic love with the pronominal address, the paper shows that this is less frequently the case in the translations.
Translation als Mythos
Authors: Alhussein Akkad
Published: October 2020

This paper investigates the reception history of the Danish Poet and fairytale writer Hans Christian Andersen in 19th-century Germany and its influence on his (auto)biographical depiction. Like many Scandinavian poets, Andersen discovered Germany’s literary potential and took advantage of it to further his career. In most cases, he was pictured as a genius who suffered systematic underestimation in Denmark. This narrative which determined his reception plays a central role in his German autobiography Märchen meines Lebens (Fairy Tale of my Life). Analyzing Andersen’s autobiographical discourse, I will reconstruct the process of the construction of Andersen’s (auto)biographical myth, emphasizing translation’s role in shaping autobiographical narratives.
Anne Brontë’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and Waldo Leirós’ Spanish Translation: A comparative study
Authors: Torralbo Caballero Juan de Dios
Published: October 2020

This paper focuses on The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1848) and analyses the Spanish translation by Waldo Leirós (1997, 2017) through a specific selection of quotations and fragments. It follows the evolution of the narrative thematically through the different sections of the novel in order to present the reader with an overview of the novel’s plot. The poem presented in the nineteenth chapter, “Farewell to thee”, is then examined alongside the translation offered by Leirós; this is followed by a new, alternative version proposed by the author. By way of conclusion, the translator’s faithfulness and dedication to Anne Brontë’s original text is demonstrated, while certain inaccuracies, omissions and oversights are acknowledged and analysed from the perspective of literary translation studies.
Revising an implicational hierarchy for the meanings of ideophones, with special reference to Japonic
Authors: McLean Bonnie
Published: October 2020

An elicitation task was conducted with speakers of Japonic varieties to investigate whether stimuli of varying sensory modalities (e.g. audio, visual, tactile etc.) were more or less likely to elicit ideophones or iconic words. Stimuli representing sounds, movements, shapes and textures were most likely to elicit ideophones, and this is posited to reflect the relative ease or naturalness with which these domains can be mapped iconically to speech. The results mirror macro-level patterns of linguistic diversity, as these are also domains in which ideophones are most widely attested cross-linguistically. The findings call for the revision of a previously constructed implicational hierarchy for the semantic development of ideophone systems, adding to it the categories of FORM and TEXTURE as domains in which ideophones are most likely to develop, after SOUND and MOVEMENT. Independent evidence for the revised hierarchy comes from a semantic analysis of the elicited ideophones, where it was found that domains early in the hierarchy were more likely to be sources for semantic extension, while later domains were more likely to be targets. These findings are expected to be replicable for other languages, and offer exciting new directions for research into the semantic typology of ideophones.
Two Ambiguities in Object-Oriented Aesthetic Interpretation
Authors: Taxier Eric
Published: October 2020

The aesthetic theory of Graham Harman’s Object-Oriented Ontology (OOO) revolves around the concept of allure, a nonliteral experience of an object’s displacement from its qualities that draws attention to a deeper reality. But applying allure to aesthetic interpretation is hampered in two ways. First, OOO necessarily moves between the constrained viewpoint of experience and a more global perspective. Yet mixing these “inside” and “outside” views can risk ambiguity. Second, the phenomenological difference between the parts and qualities of an object must be clarified before Harman’s model of wholes and parts can be incorporated into OOO aesthetics. Addressing these two ambiguities will make it possible to further develop OOO’s resources for aesthetic commentary. For instance, one conclusion is that allure itself has two varieties: a tension between the object and its qualities (“allusion”) and a tension between the whole and its parts (“collusion”). These options parallel Harman’s twofold critique of reductionism. Another conclusion is that the literal needs an explanation within the framework of OOO insofar as it is a genuine feature of experience.
Terminology of polymers in advanced lithography (IUPAC Recommendations 2020)
Authors: Jones Richard G. , Ober Christopher K. , Hayakawa Teruaki , Luscombe Christine K. , Stingelin Natalie
Published: October 2020

As increasingly smaller molecular materials and material structures are devised or developed for technological applications, the demands on the processes of lithography now routinely include feature sizes that are of the order of 10 nm. In reaching such a fine level of resolution, the methods of lithography have increased markedly in sophistication and brought into play 2terminology that is unfamiliar, on the one hand, to scientists tasked with the development of new lithographic materials or, on the other, to the engineers who design and operate the complex equipment that is required in modern-day processing. Publications produced by scientists need to be understood by engineers and vice versa, and these commonly arise from collaborative research that draws heavily on the terminology of two or more of the traditional disciplines. It is developments in polymer science and material science that lead progress in areas that cross traditional boundaries, such as microlithography. This document provides the exact definitions of a selection of unfamiliar terms that researchers and practitioners from different disciplines might encounter.
Was tut ein Geschichtsschreiber?
Authors: Kuhn-Treichel Thomas
Published: October 2020

Lucian’s workDe historia conscribendanot only presents reflections on how one should or should not write history, but also illustrates possible ways to represent the authorial activity of a historian (i. e. how one writes ‘metahistory’). In this, two basic forms can be distinguished, both of which can be understood from a narratological perspective as metalepses. In the first case, the historian is represented as the direct originator of the action; in the second he acts as a mere observer, but one who moves spatially in and with his action. Both forms of statement stand within traditions of motifs that can be traced from antiquity through to the modern era; yet Lucian nonetheless makes an innovative contribution by inscribing value judgements into the motifs. The result is the suggestion that the historian fulfils the role of observer, while the role of originator turns out to be more apt for the poet than for the historian. This permits far-reaching conclusions to be drawn about the conception of poetry and historiography as a whole.
The Sorrowful Song of Philomela (Aetna 586–587)
Authors: Vespoli Lorenzo
Published: October 2020

This paper focuses on two lines of the poem Aetna that are generally considered to be corrupt (586–587). I suggest two emendations aimed at restoring a reasonable form of the text, consistent with the traditional portrait of the Pandionids. In order to solve the crux it is necessary to restore the two topoi related to the representation of the Pandionids after their metamorphoses: the place where they reside and the mourning song of the nightingale.
A New Supplement to Diogenes of Oenoanda’s Fr. 6 Smith: a Case of Epicurean Language Selection
Authors: Corrado Alberto
Published: October 2020

This paper intends to offer a new supplement to a corrupt passage of the Epicurean inscription of Oenoanda. Smith, in the lacuna of Fr. 6, uses the phrasal term πρῶτα σώματα to indicate the atoms. The supplement is not satisfying as it is based solely on evidence drawn from non-Epicurean texts and Lucretius, who writes in Latin and is not always reliable for reconstructing the Epicurean terminology. In this article, I will try to demonstrate that πρῶτα σώματα is in fact a peripatetic – and subsequently stoic – term indicating the elements in general, which has never been used by any Epicurean author for polemical reasons. Finally, I will propose an alternative supplement.
Love dolls and sex robots in unproven and unexplored fields of application
Authors: Bendel Oliver
Published: October 2020

Love dolls, the successors of blow-up dolls, are widespread. They can be ordered online or bought in sex shops and can be found in brothels and households. Sex robots are also on the rise. Research, however, has been slow to address this topic thoroughly. Often, it does not differentiate between users and areas of application, remaining vague, especially in the humanities and social sciences. The present contribution deals with the idea and history of love dolls and sex robots. Against this background, it identifies areas of application that have not been investigated or have hardly been investigated at all. These include prisons, the military, monasteries and seminaries, science, art and design as well as the gamer scene. There is, at least, some relevant research about the application of these artefacts in nursing and retirement homes and as such, these will be given priority. The use of love dolls and sex robots in all these fields is outlined, special features are discussed and initial ethical, legal and pragmatic considerations are made. It becomes clear that artificial love servants can create added value, but that their use must be carefully considered and prepared. In some cases, their use may even be counterproductive.
A study on an applied behavior analysis-based robot-mediated listening comprehension intervention for ASD
Authors: Louie Wing-Yue Geoffrey , Korneder Jessica , Abbas Ibrahim , Pawluk Cristyn
Published: October 2020

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong developmental condition that affects an individual’s ability to communicate and relate to others. Despite such challenges, early intervention during childhood development has shown to have positive long-term benefits for individuals with ASD. Namely, early childhood development of communicative speech skills has shown to improve future literacy and academic achievement. However, the delivery of such interventions is often time-consuming. Socially assistive robots (SARs) are a potential strategic technology that could help support intervention delivery for children with ASD and increase the number of individuals that healthcare professionals can positively affect. For SARs to be effectively integrated in real-world treatment for individuals with ASD, they should follow current evidence-based practices used by therapists such as Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). In this work, we present a study that investigates the efficacy of applying well-known ABA techniques to a robot-mediated listening comprehension intervention delivered to children with ASD at a university-based ABA clinic. The interventions were delivered in place of human therapists to teach study participants a new skill as a part of their overall treatment plan. All the children participating in the intervention improved in the skill being taught by the robot and enjoyed interacting with the robot, as evident by high occurrences of positive affect as well as engagement during the sessions. One of the three participants has also reached mastery of the skill via the robot-mediated interventions.
Betriebliche Mitbestimmung in Deutschland: Verbreitung, Auswirkungen und Implikationen
Authors: Schnabel Claus
Published: October 2020

Die Mitbestimmung der Arbeitnehmer ist ein Eckpfeiler der betrieblichen Arbeitsbeziehungen in Deutschland. Claus Schnabel verdeutlicht, dass Betriebsräte und andere Vertretungsorgane weniger verbreitet sind als oft angenommen. Theoretische Ansätze postulieren sowohl positive als auch negative Auswirkungen von Mitbestimmung auf Betriebe und Arbeitnehmer. Ein Überblick über die empirische Forschungsliteratur zeigt einerseits, dass Mitarbeiterpartizipation langfristig die betriebliche Produktivität erhöhen, die Personalpolitik verbessern und die Arbeitnehmerfluktuation verringern kann. Andererseits können Umverteilungseffekte nicht ausgeschlossen werden, da in Betrieben mit Betriebsrat die Entlohnung meist höher ausfällt als in anderen Betrieben. Ob damit auch ein Rückgang der Gewinne einhergeht, ist umstritten. Insgesamt wird deutlich, dass betriebliche Mitbestimmung weder der Fluch noch der Segen ist, als der ihre Gegner bzw. Befürworter sie gelegentlich hinstellen.
One Ring to Rule Them All? Appearance and Identity of Early Nordic Bronze Age Women
Authors: Felding Louise
Published: October 2020

Through a multi-scalar approach using archaeological and statistical methods this paper investigates identity through a comparative study of 270 female gendered burials from Jutland, Funen, Bornholm and Northern Germany. The understanding of the societal structure in the Bronze Age is based on a binary gender system and the variation within these gender categories is emphasised as highly significant for our understanding of gendered social roles in the Early Nordic Bronze Age (NBA). This paper demonstrates that elite women in Early NBA (c.1600–1100 BCE) held high social standing as well as holding multi-facetted social roles, reflecting both status and identity but with a change in status observed from NBA period II to III (c. 1300 BCE onwards). Network investigations of the female graves revealed that one armring in particular was dominant in the material and is seen a key identity marker for Early Nordic Bronze Age women. Further, it is concluded that analyses of object-type combinations can point towards potential dual identities of some of these women.
Sorption of U(VI) onto ZrSiO4 gamma irradiated and functionalized with phytic acid
Authors: Escalante-Gutiérrez Danae Carolina , Ordóñez-Regil Eduardo , Ortíz-Landeros José , Almazán-Torres María Guadalupe
Published: October 2020

In the suitability assessment of candidate materials as engineering barriers for a Deep Geological Repository (DGR), new studies concerned with zirconium silicate have been carried out. The zirconium silicate extracted from beach sand, was submitted to gamma irradiation in order to evaluate its structural stability and then functionalized with phytic acid (IP6) and measured its sorption capacity vis-a-vis uranium. The purified, irradiated and functionalized material was then characterized by several analytical techniques. The surface parameters including the surface area and density of surface sites were also determined. The results obtained from physic-chemical characterization showed that there were no significant changes in the structure of zirconium silicate after its gamma-irradiation. These results are consistent with those of sorption experiments. Uranium (VI) sorption capacity of zirconium silicate is increased in the presence of phytic acid and remained constant after its exposition to high doses of gamma-radiation (10 and 30 MGy). These results show that the IP6-functionalized zirconium silicate can be used as engineering barriers for a DGR.
Radioiodination and biological evaluation of irbesartan as a tracer for cardiac imaging
Authors: Sanad M. H. , Marzook F. A. , Abd-Elhaliem S. M.
Published: October 2020

Irbesartan was labeled using 125I or 131I with N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) as an oxidizing agent. A lot of operators such as, quantity of substrate, the quantity of oxidizing agent, reaction temperature, reaction time, and pH of reaction medium were studied to optimize high radiochemical yield of [125I]IodoIrbesartan ([125I]Irb.). The preclinical evaluation of IodoIrbesartan in experimental mice indicated high accumulation in target organ of heart with a high heart/blood ratio of 12.85 at 30 min post-injection. This study indicates the suitability of [125I]IodoIrbesartan ([125I]Irb.) for cardiac imaging.
A review on preventive role of ketogenic diet (KD) in CNS disorders from the gut microbiota perspective
Authors: Rawat Kajal , Singh Neha , Kumari Puja , Saha Lekha
Published: October 2020

The gut microbiota plays an important role in neurological diseases via the gut–brain axis. Many factors such as diet, antibiotic therapy, stress, metabolism, age, geography and genetics are known to play a critical role in regulating the colonization pattern of the microbiota. Recent studies have shown the role of the low carbohydrate, adequate protein, and high fat “ketogenic diet” in remodeling the composition of the gut microbiome and thereby facilitating protective effects in various central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Gut microbes are found to be involved in the pathogenesis of various CNS disorders like epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease (PD), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), multiple sclerosis (MS), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and stress, anxiety and depression. In vivo studies have shown an intricate link between gut microbes and KD and specific microbes/probiotics proved useful in in vivo CNS disease models. In the present review, we discuss the gut–brain bidirectional axis and the underlying mechanism of KD-based therapy targeting gut microbiome in in vivo animal models and clinical studies in neurological diseases. Also, we tried to infer how KD by altering the microbiota composition contributes towards the protective role in various CNS disorders. This review helps to uncover the mechanisms that are utilized by the KD and gut microbiota to modulate gut–brain axis functions and may provide novel opportunities to target therapies to the gut to treat neurologic disorders.
Bayesian reconstruction of transmission trees from genetic sequences and uncertain infection times
Authors: Montazeri Hesam , Little Susan , Mozaffarilegha Mozhgan , Beerenwinkel Niko , DeGruttola Victor
Published: October 2020

Genetic sequence data of pathogens are increasingly used to investigate transmission dynamics in both endemic diseases and disease outbreaks. Such research can aid in the development of appropriate interventions and in the design of studies to evaluate them. Several computational methods have been proposed to infer transmission chains from sequence data; however, existing methods do not generally reliably reconstruct transmission trees because genetic sequence data or inferred phylogenetic trees from such data contain insufficient information for accurate estimation of transmission chains. Here, we show by simulation studies that incorporating infection times, even when they are uncertain, can greatly improve the accuracy of reconstruction of transmission trees. To achieve this improvement, we propose a Bayesian inference methods using Markov chain Monte Carlo that directly draws samples from the space of transmission trees under the assumption of complete sampling of the outbreak. The likelihood of each transmission tree is computed by a phylogenetic model by treating its internal nodes as transmission events. By a simulation study, we demonstrate that accuracy of the reconstructed transmission trees depends mainly on the amount of information available on times of infection; we show superiority of the proposed method to two alternative approaches when infection times are known up to specified degrees of certainty. In addition, we illustrate the use of a multiple imputation framework to study features of epidemic dynamics, such as the relationship between characteristics of nodes and average number of outbound edges or inbound edges, signifying possible transmission events from and to nodes. We apply the proposed method to a transmission cluster in San Diego and to a dataset from the 2014 Sierra Leone Ebola virus outbreak and investigate the impact of biological, behavioral, and demographic factors.
Musical meaning and indexicality in the analysis of ceremonial mbira music
Authors: Perman Tony
Published: October 2020

In this essay I examine three different indexical processes that inform meaning during a mbira performance in Zimbabwe in order to clarify the nature of meaning in musical practice. I continue others’ efforts to provincialize language and correct the damage done by “symbolocentrism’s” continued reliance on post-Saussurian models of signification and structure by addressing processes of purpose, effect, and agency in meaning. Emphases on language and/or structure mislead explanations of musical meaning and compromise the understanding of meaning itself. By foregrounding the unique properties of indexicality in musical practice, and highlighting three distinct indexical processes that drive music’s meaning (deictic, metonym, and replica), I help free meaning from language and offer an ethnomusicological counterpoint to multidisciplinary efforts that define meaning within linguistic and physiological paradigms. Indexical meaning is direct but unpredictable, rooted in experience, embodied habits, and the here and now.
Image and word as forms of iconic depiction
Authors: Ponzio Luciano
Published: October 2020

This paper focuses on the relation between icon and depiction and their equally central role both in verbal and in nonverbal artistic texts. For this purpose, I will examine the contact points between Jakobson and Bakhtin’s theory of text. In particular, I will dwell on Jakobson’s “Quest for the essence of language” and on Bakhtin’s “The Problem of the Text in Linguistics, Philology, and the Human Sciences.” Both Jakobson and Bakhtin build their idea of text on this dialogue between different dimensions. According to Bakhtin dialogical logic is the specific logic of the text. Though indispensable in the initial phase of understanding, the first is reductive if it claims to exhaust the semantic import of the text. Both in Bakhtin and in Jakobson, this idea of text based upon a dialogue between different dimensions implies that sign expression cannot be exhausted in representation because there is something which exceeds representation. I will call this excedent element “depiction.” Depiction is what is at stake in the artistic text, what exceeds the symbolic level of representation. “Depiction” can be configured, both in verbal and non-verbal text, as an idea of iconicity which exceeds resemblance and immediate visibility.
Atrición lingüística, ¿término correcto para este “nuevo” fenómeno lingüístico?
Authors: Dorado Escribano Guadalupe
Published: October 2020

La lingüística abarca una amplia gama de fenómenos que evolucionan a la misma velocidad que las lenguas lo hacen. Algunos fenómenos lingüísticos como la atrición han sido confundidos con otros fenómenos y han recibido nombres distintos en el transcurso de la historia debido al contacto entre varias lenguas. Por ese motivo, un estudio sobre dicho fenómeno se estima oportuno. Esto engloba la elección de la palabraatricióncomo traducción deattrition, su definición, las circunstancias que deben producirse para que surja, los tipos de atrición que pueden darse y una comparación de la atrición lingüística con otros fenómenos lingüísticos. Esta exploración concluye con el hecho de que la atrición es el término apropiado, ya que delimita este fenómeno lingüístico que, aunque no es un fenómeno nuevo, sí es cada vez más actual debido a las migraciones y a la globalización.
Priorität oder Randerscheinung? Eine Analyse zur Relevanz der Digitalisierung in Sportvereinen
Authors: Ehnold Peter , Steinbach Dirk , Schlesinger Torsten
Published: October 2020

Trotz einer bereits vor der COVID-Krise erkennbar großen gesellschaftlichen Bedeutung und möglicher Potenziale der Digitalisierung für den organisierten Sport, liegen bislang nur wenige aussagekräftige Befunde darüber vor, welchen Stellenwert Sportvereine der Digitalisierungsthematik innerhalb der Vereinsarbeit beimessen. Vor diesem Hintergrund geht der Beitrag folgenden Fragen nach: (i) Welche Priorität messen Sportvereine dem Thema Digitalisierung bei? (ii) Welche vereinsspezifischen Faktoren beeinflussen die jeweilige Priorisierung des Themas Digitalisierung? Die Priorisierung der Digitalisierung wird dabei in Abhängigkeit von Vereinszielen, einstellungs- und organisationskulturbezogenen Faktoren sowie den unterschiedlichen organisationalen Kapazitäten der Sportvereine modelliert. Für die Analyse konnte eine Stichprobe von n = 787 Sportvereinen generiert werden. Die Befunde zeigen, dass Digitalisierung für Vereine vor der COVID-Krise zwar ein wichtiges Thema, aber kein Thema von herausgehobener Priorität innerhalb der Vereinsarbeit darstellt. Die Ergebnisse des logistischen Regressionsmodells deuten darauf hin, dass die Unterschiede in der Priorisierung vor allem auf Differenzen in der Organisationskultur und der Organisationskapazität zurückzuführen sind.
Evaluation of the acoustic emission caused by the chip segmentation frequency during machining of titanium alloy
Authors: Schwär Daniel , González Germán , Segebade Eric , Zanger Frederik , Heizmann Michael
Published: October 2020

This work investigates the relationship between acoustic emission and chip segmentation frequency of Ti-6Al-4V at the external longitudinal turning process. Therefore, several sensors like structure borne sensors, microphones and a force dynamometer have been installed in a vertical turning machine. To induce a change of the segmentation frequency, several experiments with different feed rates have been carried out. From each experiment the acoustic emissions have been recorded and the generated chips have been analyzed. Since the chips get stretched or compressed during the chip formation the change in the length is calculated to get an estimation of the segmentation frequency. The comparison of the spectral analysis of the acoustic emission signals and the chip analysis has shown that both methods show the same tendency. The segmentation frequency decreases with increasing feed.
Probable alterations in fecal bacterial microbiota by somatostatin receptor analogs in acromegaly
Authors: Sendur Suleyman Nahit , Ergunay Koray , Akyon Yakut , Brinkmann Annika , Serdar Muhittin , Dagdelen Selcuk , Erbas Tomris , Nitsche Andreas , Yilmaz Engin
Published: October 2020

Objective

Data on bacterial diversity and microbiota alterations in acromegaly are currently lacking. The effects of somatostatin receptor analogs on gut microbiota remain unknown. The objective of this study was to determine microbiota alterations in patients with acromegaly and to assess the effects of somatostatin receptor analogs on gut microbiota.

Methods

The study was designed as a cross-sectional case-control research and three cohorts, comprising individuals with acromegaly without medical therapy (n=5), acromegaly receiving octreotide acetate (OCT) (n=8) and healthy controls (n=5), were evaluated.

Results

No statistically-supported changes in Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria abundance were observed. Bacteroidaceae, Odoribacteraceae, Porphyromonadaceae, Prevotellaceae and Alistipes families of Bacteroidetes and Bifidobacterium genus of the Actinobacteria phyla were detected, without overt differences. Variations in Clostridia, Erysipelotrichaceae and Veillonellaceae were not significant, while Lactobacillales were increased in individuals receiving OCT. Moreover, Akkermansia mucinophila was present in patients under OCT treatment.

Conclusion

Our preliminary results suggest that the bacterial community profile under OCT treatment may facilitate a colonic microenvironment for improved glucose metabolism. Alterations in the gut microbiota may be a factor affecting diabetes development during somatostatin analog treatment in acromegalic patients.
General location across languages: On the division of labour between functional and lexical items in spatial categories
Authors: Ursini Francesco-Alessio
Published: October 2020

In many languages, it is possible to describe the location of any entity with respect to a landmark object without specifying the exact place that the locatum occupies (e.g. Englishatinat home). Such vocabulary items usually contrast with items that belong to the same categories but have more restricted senses (e.g.on top ofinon top of the shelf). Thus, the degree of “abstractness” that such spatial case markers can convey usually depends on the organization of the lexicon and grammar of spatial terms in each language. The goal of this paper is to explore these properties across a small sample of languages and offer an account of this variation that is connected to previous theories of spatial case markers (e.g. adpositions). Our key proposal is that the morpho-syntactic structure of spatial case markers and their phrases can license a clear division of labour between functional and lexical spatial senses. However, intermediate solutions blurring categories and semantic boundaries are shown to be possible. We formalize this proposal via a fragment of Lexical Syntax, and show that degrees of distinction between ‘functional’ and ‘lexical’ sense types and categories can be modelled via a unified account.
Datenschutzrechtliche Anforderungen an den Einsatz der Blockchain-Technologie im Aktienrecht
Authors: Spindler Gerald
Published: October 2020

Blockchain-Technologien gelten als eine der größten Chancen der Digitalisierung, erlauben sie doch fälschungssichere Transaktionen ohne Intermediäre. Dementsprechend sieht auch die Digitalisierungsstrategie der Bundesregierung vor, die Möglichkeiten des Einsatzes der Blockchain-Technologie im Gesellschaftsrecht auszuloten. Hierzu gehören aber datenschutzrechtliche Anforderungen, die zum Teil mit der Blockchain-Technologie im Konflikt stehen. Der Beitrag untersucht die datenschutzrechtlichen Herausforderungen und plädiert für den Einsatz einer privaten zulassungsbedingten Blockchain anstelle der Nutzung einer öffentlich dezentralen Permissionless Blockchain. Schließlich werden auch noch im Hinblick auf den Einsatz der Blockchain-Technologie Fragen der Haftung und des Regresses innerhalb der Blockchain, des Schutzes vor nachträglichen Änderungen sowie kollisionsrechtliche Probleme erörtert.
Dynamic response analysis of fluid-saturated porous rectangular plates
Authors: Lixian Wang
Published: October 2020

Based on Biot’s model for saturated porous media, the governing equation of fluid-saturated porous rectangular plates is presented, in which the compressibility of solid particles and fluid and the viscosity of pore fluid is taken into account. A series solution is given for simply-supported fluid-saturated porous plates. The accuracy of the solution is validated by degenerating the fluid-saturated porous rectangular plates into single-phase solid rectangular plates. As a numerical example, the free vibration characteristic and the dynamic response under harmonic loads are analysed. The influence of surface infiltration conditions, porosity, pore fluid permeability coefficient and loading frequency on the free vibration frequency is discussed.
New sodium-rich mixed Mn/In chalcogenido metallates Na
12
MnIn
2

Q

10
(Q = S, Se)
Authors: Langenmaier Michael , Brantl Julian , Röhr Caroline
Published: October 2020

The sodium-rich sulfido and selenido metallates Na12MnIn2
Q
10 (Q = S/Se) were synthesized in pure phase from melts composed of stoichiometric quantities of the manganese monochalcogenides MnQ, elemental indium and the chalcogens together with either Na2S (Q = S) or elemental sodium (Q = Se) as starting material. The samples were heated up to maximum temperatures of 1000/900 °C under an argon atmosphere; crystallization was achieved by slow cooling rates of 10 K h−1. The two isotypic compounds (monoclinic, space group P21/m, a = 678.26(2)/698.85(10), b = 2202.77(7)/2298.7(3), c = 766.39(3)/800.59(13) pm, β = 90.232(2)/90.147(5)°, Z = 2, R1 = 0.0516/0.0575) crystallize in a new structure type. According to the division of the formula as Na12[InQ
4][MnInQ
6] the salts contain ortho indate anions [InIII
Q
4]5− besides hetero-bimetallic dimers [MnIIInIII
Q
6]7−, which consist of two edge-sharing [MQ
4] tetrahedra. The seven crystallographically different sodium cations exhibit an either tetrahedral or octahedral coordination by the chalcogen atoms. Thus, the overall structure of the salt is best described by a hexagonal close packing of the sulfide/selenide anions, in which the octahedral voids of every second interlayer section are fully occupied by the (overall 5/f.u.) Na
+
positions with CN = 6. In the other half of the interlayer sheets, all tetrahedral voids (overall 10/f.u.) are occupied by the seven CN = 4 Na
+
cations, one In3+ of the ortho anion and the two Mn2+/In3+ cations (which statistically occupy one crystallographic site). This structure relation is also verified by a Bärnighausen group-subgroup tree connecting the h.c.p. (Mg type) aristotype (with its tetrahedral and octahedral voids) by an overall index of 60 with the structure of the two title compounds.
Behavior of beryllium halides and triflate in acetonitrile solutions
Authors: Spang Nils , Müller Matthias , Augustinov William , Buchner Magnus R.
Published: October 2020

The solution behavior of beryllium halides and triflate in acetonitrile was studied by NMR, IR and Raman spectroscopy. Thereby mononuclear units [(MeCN)2BeX
2] (X = Cl, Br, I, OTf) were identified as dominant species in these solutions. The solid state structure of [(MeCN)2Be(OTf)2] has been determined by X-ray diffraction. If only one equivalent of MeCN is used the dinuclear compounds [(MeCN)BeX
2]2 (X = Cl, Br, I) are formed. Partial halide and triflate dissociation into the monomeric complexes as well as the formation of hetero-halide complexes [(MeCN)2BeClBr], [(MeCN)2BeClI] and [(MeCN)2BeBrI] was observed.
Astaxanthin–garlic oil nanoemulsions preparation using spontaneous microemulsification technique: optimization and their physico–chemical properties
Authors: Tabrizi Seyedalireza Mortazavi , Javadi Afshin , Anarjan Navideh , Mortazavi Tabrizi Seyyed Javid , Mirzaei Hamid
Published: October 2020

Garlic oil in water nanoemulsion was resulted through subcritical water method (temperature of 120 °C and pressure of 1.5 bar, for 2 h), using aponin, as emulsifier. Based on the prepared garlic oil nanoemulsion, astaxanthin–garlic oil nanoemulsions were prepared using spontaneous microemulsification technique. Response surface methodology was employed to evaluate the effects of independent variables namely, amount of garlic oil nanoemulsion (1–9 mL) and amount of provided astaxanthin powder (1–9 g) on particle size and polydispersity index (PDI) of the resulted nanoemulsions. Results of optimization indicated that well dispersed and spherical nanodroplets were formed in the nanoemulsions with minimum particle size (76 nm) and polydispersity index (PDI, 0.358) and maximum zeta potential value (−8.01 mV), using garlic oil nanoemulsion amount of 8.27 mL and 4.15 g of astaxanthin powder. Strong antioxidant activity (>100%) of the prepared astaxanthin–garlic oil nanoemulsion, using obtained optimum amounts of the components, could be related to the highest antioxidant activity of the colloidal astaxanthin (>100%) as compared to that of the garlic oil nanoemulsion (16.4%). However, higher bactericidal activity of the resulted nanoemulsion against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, were related to the main sulfur bioactive components of the garlic oil in which their main functional groups were detected by Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy.
Thermodynamics and acoustic effects of quercetin on micellization and interaction behaviour of CTAB in different hydroethanol solvent systems
Authors: Abbot Vikrant , Sharma Poonam
Published: October 2020

Flavonoids amongst the class of secondary metabolites possess numerous health benefits, are known for its use in pharmaceutical industry. Quercetin, a flavonoid has more prominent medical advantages however its utilization is constrained because of various instability and insolubility issues and therefore, taken into consideration for studying its physico-chemical properties. In view of that, the thermodynamic and thermoacoustic properties of quercetin were examined in presence of cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) at different hydroethanolic concentrations and temperatures. The conductivity studies were used to calculate change in enthalpy (∆H

o

m
), change in entropy (∆S

o

m
) and change in Gibbs free Energy (∆G

o

m
) of micellization. The interactions between quercetin and CTAB were found to be endothermic, entropically controlled and spontaneous. Further, ultrasonic sound velocity and density studies were carried out and utilized for the calculation of thermoacoustic parameters i.e. apparent molar volume and apparent molar compressibility. Thermoacoustic properties revealed that at higher surfactant concentration, hydrophobic interactions are dominant. The results suggested that the flavonoid-surfactant interactions in hydroethanolic solutions is more favourable as compared with aqueous solution. Overall, the data is favourable for the framework to be used for detailing advancement, drug development, drug industry, pharmaceutical industry, medical administration and formulation development studies.