bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Italian transnational masculinity: Jeeg Robot, Il ragazzo invisibile and MilzaMan
Authors: Rushing Robert A.
Published: December 2019

This article looks at three recent examples of superheroic masculinity in Italian film and media, arguing that it is always conceptualized transnationally, triangulated between Italy, the United States and a vague 'East'. This transnational masculinity is repeatedly coupled with fantasies and anxieties about the environment – the toxic, as Mel Chen suggests, is animate, weaving in and out of containers, bodies and borders, allowing it to threaten Italian bodies (toxic waste, garbage, the 'ecomafia' of the South), and allowing us to imagine that it might bestow on those same bodies the strength, vitality and power to resist the toxic. Ultimately, these toxic and transnational male bodies may be always from elsewhere, but strangely Italian, too – after all, Esposito argues that the hallmark of Italian thought is precisely a refusal of the idea of a stable and strong national identity.
Andy Warhol Eating a Hamburger as part of the universe of art1
Authors: Kristensen Kim
Published: December 2019

In this article I will place Leth's clip of Andy Warhol in the tradition of artistic gestures, as they evolved after Duchamp's 1917 Fountain. By treating Warhol as a ready-made, Leth posed the same questions as Duchamp, Joyce, Pound and even Warhol himself and provided an elegant solution.
High Accuracy of Convolutional Neural Network for Evaluation of Helicobacter pylori Infection Based on Endoscopic Images: Preliminary Experience
Authors: Zheng Wenfang , Zhang Xu , Kim John J. , Zhu Xinjian , Ye Guoliang , Ye Bin , Wang Jianping , Luo Songlin , Li Jingjing , Yu Tao , Liu Jiquan , Hu Weiling , Si Jianmin
Published: December 2019

OBJECTIVES:

Application of artificial intelligence in gastrointestinal endoscopy is increasing. The aim of the study was to examine the accuracy of convolutional neural network (CNN) using endoscopic images for evaluating Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection.

METHODS:

Patients who received upper endoscopy and gastric biopsies at Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital (January 2015–June 2015) were retrospectively searched. A novel Computer-Aided Decision Support System that incorporates CNN model (ResNet-50) based on endoscopic gastric images was developed to evaluate for H. pylori infection. Diagnostic accuracy was evaluated in an independent validation cohort. H. pylori infection was defined by the presence of H. pylori on immunohistochemistry testing on gastric biopsies and/or a positive 13C-urea breath test.

RESULTS:

Of 1,959 patients, 1,507 (77%) including 847 (56%) with H. pylori infection (11,729 gastric images) were assigned to the derivation cohort, and 452 (23%) including 310 (69%) with H. pylori infection (3,755 images) were assigned to the validation cohort. The area under the curve for a single gastric image was 0.93 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.92–0.94) with sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 81.4% (95% CI 79.8%–82.9%), 90.1% (95% CI 88.4%–91.7%), and 84.5% (95% CI 83.3%–85.7%), respectively, using an optimal cutoff value of 0.3. Area under the curve for multiple gastric images (8.3 ± 3.3) per patient was 0.97 (95% CI 0.96–0.99) with sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 91.6% (95% CI 88.0%–94.4%), 98.6% (95% CI 95.0%–99.8%), and 93.8% (95% CI 91.2%–95.8%), respectively, using an optimal cutoff value of 0.4.

DISCUSSION:

In this pilot study, CNN using multiple archived gastric images achieved high diagnostic accuracy for the evaluation of H. pylori infection.
Model Pendidikan Karakter Anak Usia Dini Dan Anak Usia Sekolah Dasar Di Jepang.
Authors: Mulyadi Budi
Published: December 2019

The title of this paper is The character education of early childhood and elementery school age children in Japan. The main goal of this research is to know how to apply   the character education of early childhood and elementery school age children in Japan. This research is the combination between liblary reaserach and field research. The step method used in this research is observation, interview, clasification, analysis, interpretasion and description. From the result of this paper in general can be describe there are uniqueness and  differences from the application of character education of early childhood and elementery school age children in Japan. But there are similarities that both are very concerned with moral education and personality. Moral education and personality is not taught trough special subject but is applied in daily life.
Effects of planting dates on the growth and grain yield of two indigenous varieties of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br.) in a forest-savanna transition zone of Edo State, Nigeria
Authors: NWAJEI Sunday Ebonka , OMOREGIE Anthony Uhunomwan , OGEDEGBE Felix Omonkeke
Published: December 2019

Effects of planting dates on the growth and grain yield of two indigenous varieties of pearl millet was carried out at the Teaching and Research Farm, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma. The experiment was a 2 × 5 factorial scheme fitted into a randomized complete block design with the two varieties of pearl millet (‘Gero Bida’ and ‘Gero Badeggi’) and five planting dates (April, May, June, July and August) replicated three times. The results obtained showed that delays in planting date significantly reduced growth in pearl millet examined. Similar pattern was observed on days to 50 % flowering and grain maturity. Improved growth with early sowing could have allowed increased availability of assimilates that later supported reproductive growth. These assimilates were remobilized under unfavourable climatic condition in the late cropping season to the reproductive structures. ‘Gero Badeggi’ sown in April, had significantly, the highest growth in the measured characters than ‘Gero Bida’ sown in August and other dates. ‘Gero Badeggi’ planted in May had the highest total grain yield (9.33 t ha-1) while ‘Gero Bida’ planted in July had the smallest (4.27 t ha-1). Therefore, ‘Gero Baddegi’ planted in May is a better variety for pearl millet grain production in Ekpoma.
Optimisation of the drill-in behaviour of the EcoFit® SC threaded cup
Authors: Thorwächter Christoph , Woiczinski Matthias , Santos Inês , Schmidutz Florian , Paulus Alexander , Jansson Volkmar , Weber Patrick
Published: December 2019

Threaded cups show good clinical results when implanted correctly. In clinical use, multiple cases with an incomplete placement of the EcoFit threaded cup (implantcast) were observed. This behaviour could not be explained intra- and postoperatively. The aim of this study was to compare and optimise the drill-in-behaviour of the EcoFit cup in a biomechanical investigation. EcoFit cup sizes 46, 50 and 54 mm were compared with the SC cup (Aesculap) size 50 mm. Foam blocks (Sawbones) of density 0.16 g/ml (pcf 10), 0.32 g/ml (pcf 20) and 0.48 g/ml (pcf 30) were used. After standardised placement using a universal testing system (n = 8 per group), the primary stability, the overhang of the cups and the drill-in behaviour were measured. Overreamings of 1 and 2 mm were performed (pcf 20, n = 8) for the EcoFit cup size 50 and the primary stability as well as the overhang measurements were examined. Measurements of the cup diameter, thread depth and thread pitch were performed on three-dimensional (3D) images of the cup size 50 mm. The drill-in behaviour was different between the EcoFit and the SC cups. Even with maximum torque, the EcoFit cup could not be positioned as deep as the SC cup in standard reaming conditions (overhang of 1.1 ± 0.4 mm for the EcoFit size 50 in pcf 20 and of −0.01 ± 0.2 mm for the SC cup). The primary stability was lower for the EcoFit cup in comparison to the SC cup (128.8 ± 3.2 Nm vs. 138.6 ± 9.1 Nm, p = 0.0291). With overreaming to 51 mm, a deeper positioning of the EcoFit was possible (overlap of −0.3 ± 0.1, comparable to the SC cup). The overreaming of the cavity also led to a significantly higher primary stability of 143.4 ± 3.7 Nm (p < 0.001) comparable to the unaltered condition (128.8 ± 3.2 Nm). Overreaming to 52 mm had no further advantage in terms of primary stability or overhang. The geometric measurements showed significant differences as well. The previously clinically observed difficulties in inserting the cup were confirmed by this study. By overreaming to 51 mm, the drill-in behaviour, the primary stability and the measured overhang were comparable to the reference cup. The obtained results suggest that the extension of the acetabulum cavity to 51 mm while using the implantcast EcoFit size 50 should be implemented in clinical applications.
A simulation model for the need for intra-plant transport operation planning by AGV
Authors: Fedorko Gabriel , Vasil Martin , Podracka Bibiana
Published: December 2019

Intra-plant transport has an important role in the systems of enterprise logistics. At present, automated transport systems (AGV) are used for its efficient operation, with minimal operator attendance. For the proper and reliable functioning of such a transport system, there is currently a wide range of methods, of which the method of computer simulation is increasingly dominant. In the application, however, it is necessary to take into account that the functioning of AGV systems is a very demanding process with high demands on the used simulation software. Within the article, it will be described the use of the method of additional programming, as an effective tool in the creation of a simulation model of the AGV system for the need of its planning. The model presents the possibilities of increasing of the output of the analyzed production process to more than 70%, and at the same time it indicates insufficient use of workplaces that in one case reaches the value about 10%. The application of this model pointed to the reduction of the number of workplaces by one and with this related increase of output of other workplace.
美国华裔家庭日常口语与文化传承模式研究（上）：跨文化沟通下的和谐与冲突
Authors: 邱 新富
Published: December 2019

提要

在强调着上下二元的隔代关系的华裔家庭中，孩童常被要求服从家长的命令与指导，在这样的意识形态下，孩童与生俱来的自尊心常常被忽略。而在追求双方平等亲子关系的移民家庭中，保障孩童享有个人自尊、自主与自由。虽说前者（上下二元家庭）常被偏重于宏观概述的文献误解为家庭纷争的集中营，但本文利用录音录像的田野调查所得的语料，探讨分析家庭冲突是如何因中美价值体系上的相互抵触而在后者（双方平等家庭）产生。借由微观细腻地描述大洛杉矶地区华裔移民家庭语言的真实使用，本文企图弥补当代华裔主流研究的缺失。
Kraft lignin reaction with paraformaldehyde
Authors: Paananen Hanna , Pakkanen Tuula T.
Published: December 2019

Lignin is the second most abundant biopolymer and will be an important source for carbon-containing compounds in the future. Based on their similar phenolic structures, lignin has great potential to become a valuable substitute for phenol in phenol-formaldehyde resin adhesives. To meet this aim, the sodium hydroxide (NaOH)-catalyzed reaction of kraft lignin with formaldehyde was studied by using paraformaldehyde (PFA) as a formaldehyde source. The advantage of using PFA, the solid polymer of formaldehyde, is the simple composition of the depolymerized solution. According to the results of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), the lignin reaction was found to require a high NaOH concentration in order for the reaction with PFA to proceed at reasonably low temperatures compared to the curing temperature of phenol-formaldehyde resins (approximately 150°C). On the other hand, high alkalinity conditions are known to favor the disproportionation of formaldehyde to formic acid and methanol. Due to the moderate reactivity of lignin, the Cannizzaro reaction can compete with the methylolation reaction of lignin. Based on the results of13C,31P and1H-13C heteronuclear single quantum correlation nuclear magnetic resonance (HSQC NMR), methylolation was found to be the main reaction occurring in the lignin-formaldehyde reaction.
Wozu (ge-)brauchen Ingenieure figurative Verben? Eine Analyse auf Basis wissenschaftlicher Artikel
Authors: Heine Antje
Published: December 2019

Figurative Verben gehören zu denjenigen Wortschatzelementen, die aus der Alltagssprache bekannt sind, in der wissenschaftlichen Kommunikation jedoch eine neue Bedeutung übernehmen. Unklar ist bislang allerdings, ob sie in allen Fächern gleichermaßen Verwendung finden. Dieser Frage versucht der Beitrag auf Basis eines ingenieurwissenschaftlichen Korpus nachzugehen.
Dàgáárè complex constructions: Serial verb constructions, multi-aspectual constructions and coordination
Authors: Angsongna Alexander
Published: December 2019

The Serial Verb Construction (SVC) phenomenon is widely researched across many languages. It is generally regarded as a construction in which two or more verbs share the same arguments within a single clause. The verbs in the series must share some grammatical properties such as tense, aspect and polarity. However, there is a verb sequence construction in Dàgáárè that shows apparent similarities to SVCs but with different values for aspect on the verbs. This paper investigates the internal structure of Dàgáárè SVCs and other verb sequence constructions such as multi-aspectual constructions (MACs) and coordinate structures. Applying a variety of syntactic and semantic tests, the paper distinguishes SVCs from MACs and coordination and shows the relation between MACs and coordination. Based on the results of the tests, I argue that although MACs have some properties of SVCs, they are not SVCs. Rather; I conclude that MACs pattern with coordination or covert coordination in Dàgáárè and they are perceived to express distinct events.
The syntax and semantics of helping: Sociative causation in Kinande
Authors: Schneider-Zioga Patricia , Mutaka Philip Ngessimo
Published: December 2019

We investigate the syntax and semantics of the sociative causative in Kinande (D42), a Bantu language spoken in eastern DRC. We present our discovery that Kinande, apparently unique among Bantu languages, grammaticalizes this type of causation with a specialized morpheme. In sociative causatives, the causer causes through social interaction rather than physical manipulation (direct causation) or words (indirect causation). We propose sociative causation in Kinande more exactly means ‘y carries out a subevent of P to help x do P.’ Helping here is by doing and is not comitative: rather, it is partitive – each actor does part of the action. This accounts for the classes of verbs that can undergo sociative causation. We establish that the construction is mono-clausal and note that the sociative morpheme is closely related to the benefactive applied morpheme. A second extension that occurs in this construction marks transitivity. We observe that the transitive extension can co-occur with the passive extension which tells us there is more than one voice projection in Kinande. Finally, we look more closely at the partitive reading of the caused event and note that the partitivity can be morpho-syntactically manifested either through partitive marking of the object of the caused event or through partitive marking of the caused event itself.
Manual Labour and Biblical Reading in Late Medieval France
Authors: Hoogvliet Margriet
Published: December 2019

This article discusses artisans and people doing manual work in the French-speaking areas of Western Europe who owned and read the Bible or parts of its text during the late Middle Ages and the early sixteenth century. The historical evidence is based on post-mortem inventories from Amiens, Tournai, Lyon, and the Toulouse area. These documents show that Bibles were present in the private homes of artisans, some of them well-to-do, but others quite destitute. This development was probably related to a shift in the cultural representation of manual work in the same period: from a divine punishment into a social space of religion. The simple artisan life of the holy family, as imagined based upon the Gospel text, and their religious reading practices were recommended as an example to follow by both lay people and clerics.
Framing Biblical Reading Practices: The Impact of the Paratext of Jacob van Liesvelt’s Bibles (1522–1545)
Authors: Hoff Renske Annelize
Published: December 2019

The production and reception of early modern vernacular Bibles was not a uniform enterprise: printed scripture appeared in different sizes, translations, confessional colours, layout, and content. Through the analysis of the paratextual material in several Dutch Bible editions, this paper aims to determine whether different editions stimulated and framed different biblical reading practices, with a focus on complete Bibles and New Testaments published between 1522 and 1544 by the Antwerp printer Jacob van Liesvelt. The comparison of the paratextual features of Van Liesvelt’s complete Bibles and his other, smaller editions, shows that both types animated non-canonical, discontinuous and essentially active reading. However, whereas Van Liesvelt’s New Testaments seemed to encourage the reader to approach the book as a practical tool in his or her daily life, shaped by the rhythm of the zodiac and liturgy, the paratextual features of the complete Bibles facilitate a studious, almost encyclopaedic reading of the book.
Sudden sex hormone withdrawal and the effects on body composition in late pubertal adolescents with gender dysphoria
Authors: Ghelani Rahul , Lim Cheryl , Brain Caroline , Fewtrell Mary , Butler Gary
Published: December 2019

Background

Sex hormones initiate profound physical and physiological changes during the pubertal process, but to what extent are they responsible for continuing the body composition changes of late adolescence and what happens to body composition on sudden sex hormone withdrawal?

Methods

Thirty-six healthy, phenotypically and chromosomally normal late and post-pubertal individuals aged 15–17 years with gender dysphoria (transgirls – birth-registered males identifying as female n = 11; and transboys – birth-registered females identifying as male n = 25) underwent Tanita body composition analysis at 0, 6 and 12 months during reproductive hormone suppression with Triptorelin as part of the standard therapeutic protocol.

Results and conclusions

In the transgirl cohort, paired t-test analysis demonstrated a significant decrease in height and lean mass standard deviation scores over the 12-month period, going against an expected trajectory over that time. In contrast, oestrogen suppression appeared not to affect the body composition of transboys; their measurements were not significantly different at baseline and after 12 months of treatment. The withdrawal of sex hormone secretion does not appear to have a significant impact on female post-pubertal body composition, in contrast to that seen at the menopause. This suggests that other factors may preserve normal body balance in adolescents in the absence of sex steroids.
Pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants in theSHOX,GHRandIGFALSgenes among Indian children with idiopathic short stature
Authors: Kumar Anil , Jain Vandana , Chowdhury Madhumita Roy , Kumar Manoj , Kaur Punit , Kabra Madhulika
Published: December 2019

Background

Our objective was to estimate the prevalence of pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants in theSHOX,GHR, andIGFALSgenes among Indian children with idiopathic short stature (ISS), and assess the genotype-phenotype correlation.

Methods

We recruited 61 children with short stature, who were born appropriate for gestational age, had no obvious dysmorphism or disproportion, and in whom step-wise investigative work-up (including provocative growth hormone test) was normal. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification was undertaken for identifying deletions/duplications in theSHOXgene. Bidirectional sequencing was performed for identifying variants in theSHOXandGHRgenes in all, and for theIGFALSgene in those with serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) <−1 standard deviation. The genotype-phenotype correlation was studied.

Results

Four children (6.5%) had pathogenic heterozygous variants in theSHOXgene, with one child each having duplication of exon 5, splice site point variant c.278-1G > C in exon 3, partial deletion and complete deletion. None of the patients had pathogenic variants in theGHRgene. Of the 39 patients in whom theIGFALSgene was sequenced, novel heterozygous likely pathogenic variants were found in two children. One had the frameshift variant c.764_765insT, p.A265Gfs*114. The second had the missense variant c.1793G > A, p.R598H predicted by MutationTaster as ‘disease causing’, and indicated by the protein-modelling study as having compromised binding with IGF-1 and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) due to altered conformation of the interacting loop.

Conclusions

Pathogenic variants in theSHOXandIGFALSgenes account for a significant proportion of Indian children with ISS. Further molecular studies using next generation sequencing are needed to gain insight into pathophysiological mechanisms and effective treatment strategies for ISS.
A new species of crab-eating rat of the genus Ichthyomys, from Ecuador (Rodentia, Cricetidae, Sigmodontinae)
Authors: de Córdova Javier Fernández , Nivelo-Villavicencio Carlos , Reyes-Puig Carolina , Pardiñas Ulyses F.J. , Brito Jorge
Published: December 2019

Based on two adult specimens collected in the Río León (Azuay, Ecuador), we describe a new highland species of a small crab-eating rat of the genus Ichthyomys Thomas (Rodentia, Cricetidae, Ichthyomyini). It is distinguishable from Ichthyomys hydrobates (Winge, 1891), the species phenetically closest to it, by its smaller size, bicolored tail (unicolored in I. hydrobates), broad and heavily fringed hindfoot (narrower and moderately fringed in I. hydrobates), and several craniodental traits (e.g. rostrum short broad; nasals anteriorly truncated; interorbital region narrow; supraorbital margins smoothly rounded; supraorbital foramina small, zygomatic plate very narrow; incisors opisthodont; length of M3 half that of M2). The new species occurs in the western Andes in southern Ecuador and is allopatric with Ichthyomys stolzmanni Thomas, 1893, which also has a bicolored tail but is larger. The new species brings the number of Ecuadorean Ichthyomys to four, Ecuador thus becoming the country with the greatest diversity of Ichthyomyini (four genera and eight species).
The “corpse bride” strikes again: first report of the Davian behaviour in the Eurasian badger
Authors: Colombo Marco , Mori Emiliano
Published: December 2019

We reported the first record of Davian behaviour (necrophilia) in the Eurasian badgerMeles meles(L., 1758) in northern Italy. A male badger was observed in a camera-trap survey courting and trying to copulate with a probably road-killed female, in February. The dead female was a sexually mature, adult individual; the male was probably a young mature individual. Social behaviour of this carnivore may have evolved to guarantee the access to females only to the dominant male. Usually, female badgers passively receive mating by excited males. This behaviour may have enticed the young male to start courtship and copulation with the road-killed female.
Fitness of the pestiferous small rodent Mastomys natalensis in an agroecosystem in Mayuge district, Lake Victoria Crescent, Uganda
Authors: Mayamba Alex , Broecke Bram Vanden , Leirs Herwig , Isabirye Brian E. , Byamungu Robert M. , Nakiyemba Alice , Isabirye Moses , Kifumba David , Massawe Apia W. , Kimaro Didas N. , Mdangi Mshaka E. , Mulungu Loth S.
Published: December 2019

A 2.5-year study was conducted to understand the fitness of Mastomys natalensis in an agroecosystem in relationship with environmental predictors. The study was conducted in Mayuge district, in the Lake Victoria Crescent zone in Eastern Uganda. Fitness was measured in terms of survival, maturation and capture probability and estimated using multi-event capture-recapture models. Survival rates were higher after high rainfall in the previous month and increased with increasing population density of the animals. Maturation rate, on the other hand, showed no significant association with any predictor variables, while capture probability was significantly associated with sex of the animals, with higher capture probability for males. The results demonstrate that the fitness of M. natalensis in an agroecosystem is dependent on rainfall, sex and current population density. The aforementioned results were associated with increasing vegetation which provides cover for animal nesting and abundant food for the animals during rainfall periods and thus increased survival, high mobility in males in search for mates thus exposing animals to high chances of being captured and increased prey saturation at high population density resulting in high animal survival. These results have important implications for the timing of management strategies, i.e. control efforts should be enforced during the rainfall seasons to prevent high population buildup in the succeeding seasons.
The monotonicity of ratios involving arc tangent function with applications
Authors: Yang Zhen-Hang , Tin King-Fung , Gao Qin
Published: December 2019

In this paper, we investigate the monotonicity of the functions

$$\begin{array}{}
\begin{split}{}
\displaystyle
x &\mapsto &\frac{1}{x}\left( 1-a+\sqrt{\frac{2}{3}ax^{2}+a^{2}}\right)
\arctan x, \\
x &\mapsto &\frac{1}{x}\left( \frac{4}{\pi ^{2}}+\sqrt{\frac{4}{\pi ^{2}}%
x^{2}+a}\right) \arctan x
\end{split}
\end{array}$$

on (0, ∞) for a > 0, which not only gives relative errors of known bounds with quadratic for arctan x, but also yields some new accurate bounds. Moreover, the known bounds are extended and a more accurate estimate for arctan x is presented.
Injective hulls of many-sorted ordered algebras
Authors: Zhang Xia , Ma Wen , Rump Wolfgang
Published: December 2019

This paper is devoted to the study of injectivity for ordered universal algebras. We first characterize injectives in the category
$\begin{array}{}
\displaystyle
{\mathsf{OAL}_{{\it\Sigma}}^{\leqslant}}
\end{array}$ of ordered Σ-algebras with lax morphisms as sup-Σ-algebras. Second, we show that every ordered Σ-algebra has an σ⩽-injective hull, and give its concrete form.
Almost periodic solutions of a commensalism system with Michaelis-Menten type harvesting on time scales
Authors: Xue Yalong , Xie Xiangdong , Lin Qifa
Published: December 2019

In this paper, we consider an almost periodic commensal symbiosis model with nonlinear harvesting on time scales. We establish a criterion for the existence and uniformly asymptotic stability of unique positive almost periodic solution of the system. Our results show that the continuous system and discrete system can be unify well. Examples and their numerical simulations are carried out to illustrate the feasibility of our main results.
The crystal structure of 2-phenyl-4,6-bis(prop-2-yn-1-yloxy)-1,3,5-triazine, C15H11N3O2
Authors: Li Jin , Chen Yan , Wu Ziqing , Liu Yali , Yin Dachuan , Zuo Zhenyu
Published: December 2019

C15H11N3O2, triclinic, P1̄ (no. 2), a = 8.4680(5) Å, b = 9.7578(5) Å, c = 10.2101(6) Å, α = 104.578(5)°, β = 111.882(6)°, γ = 106.589(5)°, V = 686.77(8) Å3, Z = 2, R
gt(F) = 0.0394, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.1261, T = 250(2) K.
Does Digital Exclusion Undermine Social Media’s Democratizing Capacity?
Authors: Mutsvairo Bruce , Ragnedda Massimo
Published: December 2019

Claims have been made that the advent of social media and its assumed ability to fuel social strife and organize anti-government protests has empowered people around the world to successfully challenge repressive authorities. However, in an era in which several issues ranging from digital colonialism to digital exclusion among other challenges, have become so dominant, it is our role as researchers to question some of these claims especially when they seem unsubstantiated. Sharing or finding solidarity is something that can be done on social media platforms but nothing is as critical as being part of the digital community. In that regard, questions surrounding digital exclusion are critical especially when discussing the extent to which social media influences democracy, questions that several scholars from every corner of the world are currently seized with. In this article, we not only identify social media’s potential but we also probe problems associated with beliefs that digital networks have the capacity to support democratization. Contemporary societies should be asking what the real gains of the fall of the Berlin Wall are in the work of these fundamental digital shifts, which have left both negative and positive outcomes on all countries including established Western democracies.
Parental Value for Tuber Yield in Potato Under High Temperature Environments in Climate Change Conditions
Authors: Manuel Gastelo , Diaz Luis , Quispe Katherine , Bonierbale Merideth
Published: December 2019

Potato crop is expanding to areas with temperatures higher than those required. Climate change is increasing temperatures in traditional areas of potato production, thereby affecting tuber yield. The International Potato Center has developed a population adapted to these new conditions, being more tolerant to high temperatures, resistant to late blight, virus PVX and/or PVY and early maturity. In breeding programs it is very important to know the parental value of the progenitors. The parental value of 34 selected potato clones was determined through general combining ability for marketable, total yield and average tuber weight under high temperatures. Using the line by tester mating design, the potato clones were crossed as lines and varieties Katahdin, Huagalina and clones CIP398098.204 and CIP302533.31 as testers. The field experiments were carried out in three locations in Peru: San Ramon, La Molina and Majes, where average temperatures at night were between 15.25 to 21.65°C, and during the day fluctuated between 21.47 to 27.20°C. We used a randomized complete block design, with three replications. At harvest the number and weight of marketable and non-marketable tubers were taken. Then the average tuber weight, marketable and total yield per hectare was calculated. 18 potato clones were identified with high parental value for marketable yield, seventeen for total tuber yield and 11 for average tuber weight; nine of them combine high parental value for the three characteristics studied. These clones with late blight resistance, heat tolerant, adapted to medium altitudes, growing period of 90 days and high parental value can be used as parents in breeding programs, to obtain new varieties under the new climate change scenarios with high temperatures. 12 crosses that presented high SCA are the most promising for the development of superior clones.
Phrasem-Konstruktionen kontrastiv Deutsch–Spanisch: ein korpusbasiertes Beschreibungsmodell anhand ironischer Vergleiche
Authors: Carmen Mellado Blanco
Published: December 2019

In the persistently sparse interlingual studies in the field of Construction Grammar, grammatical constructions are the main concern of research (Koch 2016; Boas and Ziem 2018), while constructional idioms, defined as form–meaning pairings with lexically fixed constituents and free lexical slots, have been analyzed mainly monolingually, with very few exceptions.

See, amongst others, Dobrovol’skij and Pöppel (2017), Mollica and Schafroth (2018) and Mellado Blanco et al. (forthcoming).

This lack of studies from a contrastive point of view may be related to the lexical underspecification of constructional idioms and to the difficulties in assessing their often high pragmatic potential. Against this background, the present paper aims to give impetus to the contrastive studies in the field of constructional idioms and Construction Grammar by means of the language pair German–Spanish. In order to achieve this goal, a multi-level corpus-based description method for the determination and analysis of interlingual equivalent constructional idioms at the lexicographical level was developed using five comparison parameters. The contrastive description model was successfully implemented on the comparative constructional idiom [von A so viel
verstehen/Ahnung haben/sich auskennen
wie X von/vom Y] (‘von A absolut nichts verstehen’) ([from A V to have as much understanding / knowledge as X from Y] (‘to understand absolutely nothing from A’)) and on its functionally equivalent construction in Spanish [Ventender/saber
de A lo (mismo) que/como yo de X]. Both comparative constructions are characterized by their negation value and a pronounced ironic meaning, respectively. Their intralingual description from a constructional grammatical point of view represents a further goal of this paper.
Zur Äquivalenz der minimalen lexikalisch geprägten Muster „Präposition + Substantiv“ im deutsch-slowakischen Kontrast
Authors: Peter Ďurčo , Monika Hornáček Banášová , Simona Fraštíková , Jana Tabačeková
Published: December 2019

The paper focuses on the problems of the lexicon-grammar continuum using the example of the lexical-syntagmatic combinatorics of minimal phrases. The focus is on binary preposition + noun phrases with their recurrent collocation partners and syntagmatic context patterns. Together with other (con)textual elements, they form conventionalized and lexically stabilized patterns that have flowed together through recurrent use and repeated occurrence of related linguistic structures in various contexts. The phenomenon requires an inductive bottom-up analysis process. Statistically calculated syntagmatic profiles of selected German prepositions based on linguistic corpora serve as our analytic starting point. The German preposition–noun constructions are then subjected to a corpus-based examination in the contrast language Slovak with respect to their equivalence from the following aspects:

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individual language specifics and cross-language regularities of the lexical stabilization of individual phrases

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nature of lexical fillers in comparable patterns

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equivalence of meanings and/or functions by different contextual factors.
Word class effect in online processing of proverbs: A reaction-time study
Authors: Claudia Lückert
Published: December 2019

Proverbs (asEasy come, easy go) are a type of conventionalized multiword unit that can be used as separate, complete statements in speech or writing (Mieder 2007; Steyer 2015). The rationale of this study is to examine word class effects in online processing of proverbs. In Lückert and Boland (submitted), we reported facilitative effects associated with proverb keywords which suggests that word-level properties are active alongside properties of the level of the multiword unit. Previous research has shown that individual word classes have different effects in online language processing. Numerous studies revealed that verbs are processed more slowly (Cordier et al. 2013) and involve greater processing demands compared to nouns (Macoir et al. 2019). The results of the present study suggest that verbs rather than nouns facilitate proverb processing. A distributional analysis of word classes in proverb corpora implies a trend to prefer verbs over nouns in American English proverbs.
The effect of oxygen plasma pretreatment on the properties of mussel-inspired polydopamine-decorated polyurethane nanofibers
Authors: Ghorbani Farnaz , Zamanian Ali , Torabinejad Bahman
Published: December 2019

In this study, polyurethane (PU) scaffolds were fabricated by electrospinning technology and modified through the deposition of polydopamine (PDA) on the activated surface under oxygen plasma treatment. Herein, the effect of the modification process on the homogeneous surface coating and the changes in the physicochemical and biological properties were evaluated. Morphological observations demonstrated decoration of the nanofibrous microstructure with PDA, while the uniformity and homogeneity of the deposited layer increased after plasma oxygen treatment. Hydrophilicity measurements and swelling ratio indicated a remarkable improvement in the interaction of scaffolds with water molecules when the PDA coating is applied on the surface of the treated nanofibers. The biomineralization of the samples was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) images. It was found that PDA has the capability for mineralization, and the amount of deposited hydroxyapatite increased as a function of PDA content. Thein vitroevaluation of constructs indicated great improvement in cell-scaffold interactions, biocompatibility, and alkaline phosphatase activity after coating the PDA on the plasma-modified matrix. These results suggest that PDA coating, especially after oxygen plasma treatment, improves the physicochemical andin vitroproperties of PU scaffolds for bone tissue engineering application.
An interview with Howell Tong
Authors: Jawadi Fredj
Published: December 2019

Howell Tong (simplified Chinese: 汤家豪) is a pioneer in the field of nonlinear time series analysis, linking it with deterministic chaos. He is the father of the threshold time series models, which have extensive applications in ecology, economics, epidemiology and finance. Since October 1, 2009, he has been an Emeritus Professor at the London School of Economics and was twice (2009, 2010) holder of the Saw Swee Hock Professorship of Statistics at the National University of Singapore. He was a Distinguished Visiting Professor of Statistics at the University of Hong Kong from 2005 to 2013. He got a Master in Science degree in 1969 and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1972 from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST), where he studied under Maurice Priestley. From 1999 to September 2009, Tong was Chair of Statistics at LSE and founded the Centre for the Analysis of Time Series. Between 1997 and 2004, Tong was also Chair Professor of Statistics, Founding Dean of the Graduate School and later Pro-Vice Chancellor, University of Hong Kong. He was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics in 1993, an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries, England in 1999, and a Foreign Member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters in 2000. In 2000, he became the first statistician to win the (class II) the State Prize in Natural Sciences in China. In 2002, the University of Hong Kong gave him their then-highest award, the Distinguished Research Achievement Award, carrying with it a research grant of HK$1,000,000 per annum for three years. The Royal Statistical Society, UK, awarded him their Guy Medal in Silver in 2007 in recognition of his “…many important contributions to time series analysis over a distinguished career and in particular for his fundamental and highly influential paper ‘Threshold autoregression, limit cycles and cyclical data,’ read to the Society in 1980, which paved the way for a major body of work in non-linear time series modelling.” In 2012, the International Chinese Statistical Association awarded him the Distinguished Achievement Award. Tong is also a Distinguished Professor-at-Large at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China in Chengdu, China, and a Distinguished Visiting Professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China.
Inline-Computertomographie zur automatisierten Bauteilbewertung im Takt der Fertigung
Authors: Schlotterbeck Maxim , Fritsch Carsten , Sievers Torsten , Wojek Christian
Published: December 2019

Der Zylinderkopf und das Kurbelgehäuse gehören zu den meist beanspruchten Gussbauteilen im Verbrennungsmotor. Die hohe Funktionsintegration und der gleichzeitige Wandel der Automobilindustrie zum Leichtbau führen zu geometrisch hochkomplexen sowie mechanisch und thermisch stark belasteten Gussbauteilen. Die Inline-Computertomographie (CT) wird eingesetzt, um die geforderte Auslieferqualität jedes Bauteils im Takt der Fertigungslinie zu garantieren.

Die Herausforderung bei der Prüfung besteht in der geringen zur Verfügung stehenden Prüfzeit. Der Takt der Fertigungsstraße, welcher teilweise weniger als eine Minute beträgt, gibt den Zeitrahmen für die Prüfung vor. Eine weitere zu bewältigende Aufgabe entsteht durch den Herstellungsprozess der Bauteile. Der eingesetzte Kokillenguss führt zu individuellen Abweichungen jedes Bauteiles von der Idealgeometrie, was den einfachen Vergleich zur Sollgeometrie unmöglich macht. Durch den Einsatz der CT-Prüfung können diese Abweichungen aufgezeigt, analysiert und bewertet werden. Die umfangreiche Analyse der Zylinderköpfe und Kurbelgehäuse in Kombination mit einem fehlenden Standard für die CT-spezifische Defektauswertung führen zu einem enorm hohen manuellen Aufwand. Der Einfluss des jeweiligen Mitarbeiters prägt dabei ein stark subjektiv beeinflusstes Prüfergebnis für jedes Bauteil.

Die im Folgenden beschriebenen Weiterentwicklungen beziehen sich auf die automatische Analyse und Bewertung durch ein Inline-CT für Zylinderköpfe. Im Ergebnis kann eine effiziente Qualitätssicherung bei gleichzeitiger Reduktion des menschlichen Einflusses bei der Bauteilbewertung erreicht werden.
The structural diversity of ginsenosides affects their cholinesterase inhibitory potential
Authors: Özturan Özer Eda , Unsal Tan Oya , Turkoglu Suna
Published: December 2019

Background/Objective

Ginsenosides, the major active components of the ginseng, are known to have various effects on nervous systems. The present study aimed to clarify the inhibition potentials of ginsenosides Rb1, Rc, Re and Rg1 on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butrylcholinesterase (BChE) activities, and to evaluate the underlying mechanisms of inhibitions provided by protein-ligand interactions considering their probable candidates of prodrug.

Materials and methods

The inhibitory mechanisms of ginsenosides related with their structural diversity were analyzed kinetically and protein-ligand interactions for both enzymes were evaluated with most potent ginsenosides, by molecular docking studies.

Results

Ginsenosides Re and Rg1, with sugar moieties attached to the C-6 and C-20 positions of core structure were found to possess the most powerful inhibitory effect on AChE and BChE activities. Molecular docking studies have been confirmed by kinetic studies. Ginsenosides having a direct interaction with amino acid residues belonging to the catalytic triad revealed the most powerful inhibition with lowest enzyme-inhibitor dissociation constant (Ki) values.

Conclusions

Ginsenosides Re and Rg1, either alone or in a specific combination, may provide beneficial effects on neurodegenerative pathologies in therapeutic terms.
The Effect of TiO2 on Engine Emissions for Gas Turbine engine Fueled with jatropha, butanol, Soya and Rapeseed Oil
Authors: Booma Devi P. , Joseph D. Raja , Gokulnath R. , Manigandan S. , Gunasekar P. , Anand T.P. Prem , Venkatesh S. , Vimal M. Rakesh
Published: December 2019

This paper aims in assessing the effect of biofuel blend such as butanol, jatropha methyl ester, soya methyl ester and rapeseed methyl ester as an additive for the aviation fuel. In addition to the blends, the nanoparticle TiO2 of 3 % is added to the biofuel. The nanoparticle mixed at the concentration of 300ppm by ultrasonication process. The fuel Jet A, B27T, J27T, S27T and R27T are investigated for combustion and emission characteristics for various throttle settings in micro gas turbine engine. Addition of additives improves the ultimate property of the fuel by reducing the kinematic viscosity. The fuel blend B27T reports 25 % increase in total static thrust and 22 % reduction in thrust specific fuel consumption. From the results it is evident that, all fuel blends showed a significant reduction in emission values owing to high oxygen content. In addition, the thermal efficiency of the B27T and J27T is improved appreciably to 30 % and 10 % higher than Jet A fuel owing to the influence of the nanoparticle TiO2. On the other hand, the emissions like CO and NOx reduced drastically up to 70 % and 45 % respectively.
A Framework for Sequential Measurements and General Jarzynski Equations
Authors: Schmidt Heinz-Jürgen , Gemmer Jochen
Published: December 2019

We formulate a statistical model of two sequential measurements and prove a so-called J-equation that leads to various diversifications of the well-known Jarzynski equation including the Crooks dissipation theorem. Moreover, the J-equation entails formulations of the Second Law going back to Wolfgang Pauli. We illustrate this by an analytically solvable example of sequential discrete position–momentum measurements accompanied with the increase of Shannon entropy. The standard form of the J-equation extends the domain of applications of the standard quantum Jarzynski equation in two respects: It includes systems that are initially only in local equilibrium, and it extends this equation to the cases where the local equilibrium is described by microcanononical, canonical, or grand canonical ensembles. Moreover, the case of a periodically driven quantum system in thermal contact with a heat bath is shown to be covered by the theory presented here if the quantum system assumes a quasi-Boltzmann distribution. Finally, we shortly consider the generalised Jarzynski equation in classical statistical mechanics.
Visual Modulation of Resting State α Oscillations
Authors: Webster Kelly , Ro Tony
Published: December 2019

Once thought to simply reflect passive cortical idling, recent studies have demonstrated that α oscillations play a causal role in cognition and perception. However, whether and how cognitive or sensory processes modulate various components of the α rhythm is poorly understood. Sensory input and resting states were manipulated in human subjects while electroencephalography (EEG) activity was recorded in three conditions: eyes-open fixating on a visual stimulus, eyes-open without visual input (darkness), and eyes-closed without visual input (darkness). We show that α power and peak frequency increase when visual input is reduced compared to the eyes open, fixating condition. These results suggest that increases in α power reflect a shift from an exteroceptive to interoceptive state and that increases in peak frequency following restricted visual input (darkness) may reflect increased sampling of the external environment in order to detect stimuli. They further demonstrate how sensory information modulates α and the importance of selecting an appropriate resting condition in studies of α.
Zika Virus Infection in the Developing Mouse Produces Dramatically Different Neuropathology Dependent on Viral Strain
Authors: Noguchi Kevin K. , Swiney Brant S. , Williams Sasha L. , Huffman Jacob N. , Lucas Katherine , Wang Sophie H. , Kapral Kayla M. , Li Amber , Dikranian Krikor T.
Published: December 2019

Zika virus (ZIKV) infection during pregnancy has been causally linked to a constellation of neurodevelopmental deformities in the fetus resulting in a disease termed congenital Zika syndrome (CZS). Here we detail how ZIKV infection produces extensive neuropathology in the developing mouse brain and spinal cord of both sexes. Surprisingly, neuropathology differs depending on viral strain with a French Polynesian isolate producing primarily excitotoxicity and a Brazilian isolate being almost exclusively apoptotic but occurring over a prolonged period that is more likely to produce severe hypoplasia. We also show exposure can produce a characteristic pattern of infection that mirrors neuropathology and ultimately results in gross morphological deformities strikingly similar to CZS. This research provides a valuable mouse model mirroring the clinical course of disease that can be used to test potential therapies to improve treatment and gain a better understanding of the disabilities associated with CZS.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTZika virus (ZIKV) infection during pregnancy has been causally linked to a constellation of neurodevelopmental deformities in the fetus resulting in a disease termed congenital Zika syndrome. Despite its devastating effects, very little is known about how ZIKV infection produces fetal neuropathology. Here we detail the temporal progression of ZIKV infection in the mouse brain and spinal cord resulting in massive neurodegeneration of infected regions. We also report a ZIKV strain from a region of Brazil with high levels of microcephaly (abnormally small head circumference) produces particularly devastating neuropathology.