bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluating the Potential of Domestic Animal Manure for Biogas Production in Ethiopia
Authors: Gemechu Fikadu Kumsa
Published: November 2020

Energy is one of the most important needy resources that found in the form of renewable and nonrenewable sources. The world demand for energy grows rapidly, and therefore, it is a time to look alternative and renewable energy resources to replace the rapidly depleting supply of fossil fuels. This study is aimed at analyzing the effects of temperature (°C), retention time (days), and potential of animal waste on the biogas production and its %CH4 compositions as responses to the factors of the study. The materials used in this study were cow dung, sheep, and pig manures. Anaerobic batch digesters (plastic water bottle) with a total volume of 2000 ml were used as digester (bioreactor) in this experiment. The glucose drip (tube) was fitted to the lids of each digester. Average temperature of digester was increased starting from the 6th to 10th day in cow dung and sheep manure. In this experiment, optimum time for best biogas yield was recorded. Analysis of the gas component shows the significant volume of methane component recorded in cow dung (66.9%) followed by sheep manure (62.1%). Cow dung was one of the best in producing biogas, while the sheep manure was medium, and pig manures are fewer producers as compared to others.
Migratory Dates, Breeding Phenology, and Reproductive Success of European Turtle Doves between Lowlands and Highest Breeding Habitats in North Africa
Authors: Mansouri Ismail , Mounir Mohamed , Squalli Wafae , Elhanafi Laila , Dakki Mohamed , El Ghadraoui Lahsen
Published: November 2020

The migratory time, breeding chronology, and reproductive success of the European turtle doves (Streptopelia turtur) were studied in Midelt as a high-altitude breeding habitat and Beni Mellal as a low-altitude breeding site from 2015 to 2018 in Morocco. Migration dates, breeding phenology, and breeding success were recorded from March to October for each season. As a result, during four years, arrival dates were earlier at the low breeding site, while departure dates were earlier at the high breeding site. Similarly, breeding phenology from nest building to fledging was early at low-altitude site. On the other hand, with four breeding seasons and 893 nests (467 at Midelt and 426 at Beni Mellal), average breeding success was 57% of chicks at Midelt compared to 60.15% at Beni Mellal. Moreover, at Midelt, 18.89% of eggs and 10.54% of chicks were predated, while at Beni Mellal 21.80% of eggs and 4.65% of chicks were deserted due to human disturbance. As a response, at Midelt breeding period was shorter and shifted to hot periods to ensure better reproductive success. Finally, our results highlight that the turtle dove breeding season is later and shorter at breeding highlands, which might allow this bird to avoid the vigorous climate conditions at mountains and their effect on reproductive success.
Tennis Rehabilitation Training-Assisted Paclitaxel Nanoparticles in Treatment of Lung Tumor
Authors: Hu Di , Yang YiMin
Published: November 2020

Paclitaxel nanoparticles are a compound with unique anticancer effects. Its mechanism of action is to prevent tumor rupture by stabilizing tumor proteins, while preventing cell division, leading to cell death, thereby inhibiting the spread of lung tumors. This article aims to study the treatment of lung tumors with paclitaxel nanoparticles assisted by tennis rehabilitation training. In this paper, paclitaxel nanoparticles were prepared by a solvent displacement method, and their particle size and morphology were measured. The TA2 series of experimental rats were selected to establish animal lung tumor models, and they were randomly divided into 5 groups: local injection of saline, porphyrin, and low-, medium-, and high-dose paclitaxel nanoparticles for treatment. The experimental results in this paper show that the average particle size of the paclitaxel nanoparticles prepared in the experiment is about 153,54 nm. Each treatment group inhibited tumor development to varying degrees. Among them, the inhibitory volume rate of paclitaxel nanoparticles in the middle- and high-dose groups was significantly higher than that in the paclitaxel treatment group, indicating that paclitaxel nanoparticles can release drugs slowly.
A Rural Road Accident Probability Model Based on Single-Vehicle Hazard Properties including Hazard Color and Mobility: A Driving Simulator Study
Authors: Sheikholeslami Sina , Boroujerdian Amin M. , Asadamraji Morteza
Published: November 2020

Road safety has recently been considered an important issue in the country. Single-vehicle accident statistics show the importance of this issue. From a safety viewpoint, drivers need to have a reasonable time window for hazard recognition and reaction; therefore, the hazard has to be in sight from a distance preferably longer than the standard minimum stopping sight distance. Nevertheless, if the roadside configuration makes the sight available for a very long distance, the hazard properties are the ones defining the visibility. The hazard size, color, and mobility are some of the most important hazard properties, which may mainly interact with ambient light (like being day or night) and driving speed. In this research, effect of hazard properties on driving accident likelihood was investigated in a condition that enough recognition and reaction time window was available for the driver to provide a ceteris paribus experiment. To fulfil that in a safe experiment condition, a driving simulator was used to test the behavior of 90 licensed drivers encountering an average of 14 hazards with various sets of properties. Based on the findings of this research, there are some interactions between influential hazard properties. The results imply that it is approximately 23% more likely to observe an accident when encountering a dark small stationary hazard at nighttime like a dark-colored with an observed size of 0.5 m × 0.5 m (e.g., a stone) than a major moving light-colored hazard in the daytime like a camel of 1.5 m

∗

2 m in size. A green-colored hazard is 27% less likely to involve in an accident at nighttime than hazards with other colors. Each 10 km/h speed increment leads to 1.9% more accident likelihood, and every time the driver encounters a hazard, they will be 0.84% less likely to crash next time.
Resilience Analysis of Urban Road Networks Based on Adaptive Signal Controls: Day-to-Day Traffic Dynamics with Deep Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Shang Wen-Long , Chen Yanyan , Li Xingang , Ochieng Washington Y.
Published: November 2020

Improving the resilience of urban road networks suffering from various disruptions has been a central focus for urban emergence management. However, to date the effective methods which may mitigate the negative impacts caused by the disruptions, such as road accidents and natural disasters, on urban road networks is highly insufficient. This study proposes a novel adaptive signal control strategy based on a doubly dynamic learning framework, which consists of deep reinforcement learning and day-to-day traffic dynamic learning, to improve the network performance by adjusting red/green time split. In this study, red time split is regarded as extra traffic flow to discourage drivers to use affected roads, so as to reduce congestion and improve the resilience when urban road networks are subject to different levels of disruptions. In addition, we utilize the convolution neural network as Q-network to approximate Q values, link flow distribution and link capacity are regarded as the state space, and actions are denoted as red/green time split. A small network is utilized as a numerical example, and a fixed time signal control and other two adaptive signal controls are employed for the comparisons with the proposed one. The results show that the proposed adaptive signal control based on deep reinforcement learning can achieve better resilience in most of the cases, particularly in the scenarios of moderate and severe disruptions. This study may shed light on the advantages of the proposed adaptive signal control dealing with major emergencies compared to others.
Use of Tramadol or Other Analgesics in Patients Treated in the Emergency Department as a Risk Factor for Opioid Use
Authors: Machado-Alba Jorge Enrique , Serna-Echeverri Laura Sofía , Valladales-Restrepo Luis Fernando , Machado-Duque Manuel Enrique , Gaviria-Mendoza Andrés
Published: November 2020

The objective of this cohort study was to determine the association between the use of tramadol in emergency departments and the later consumption of opioids at the outpatient level in a group of patients from Colombia. Based on a medication dispensation database, patients over 18 years of age treated in different clinics in Colombia who for the first time received tramadol, dipyrone, or a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) in the emergency room between January and December 2018 were identified. Three mutually exclusive cohorts were created, and each patient was followed up for 12 months after the administration of the analgesic to identify new formulations of any opioid. A Cox proportional-hazards regression model was constructed to identify variables associated with receiving a new opioid. A total of 12,783 patients were identified: 6020 treated with dipyrone, 5309 treated with NSAIDs, and 1454 treated with tramadol. The mean age was 47.1 ± 20.4 years, and 61.6% were women. A total of 17.3% (n = 2207) of all patients received an opioid during follow-up. Those treated with tramadol received a new opioid with a higher frequency (n = 346, 23.8%) than the other cohorts (14.7% NSAIDs and 17.9% dipyrone, both

p
<
0.001

). In the tramadol group, using more than 10 mg of morphine equivalents was associated with a greater use of new opioids (HR:1.47, 95%CI:1.12–1.93). Patients treated with tramadol in emergency departments have a higher risk of opioid use at the one-year follow-up than those treated with NSAIDs or dipyrone.
Research on Urban Rainfall Runoff Pollution Prediction Model Based on Feature Fusion
Authors: Yao Junping , Sun Tianle
Published: November 2020

In this paper, a rainfall runoff pollution prediction method based on grey neural network algorithm is proposed in consideration of the current situation that the accuracy of research results related to rainfall runoff pollution prediction needs to be improved. Meanwhile, the characteristics of rainfall runoff pollution are analyzed from the perspectives of the main sources of rainfall runoff pollution, the types of rainfall runoff pollution, and the initial erosion. The neural network algorithm is optimized and trained according to the sample data to obtain the sample features; the sample data are predicted according to the extracted sample features, and the prediction model is generated by using the feature fusion technology for two groups of prediction results to generate the prediction model and realize the water drop prediction. The pollution concentration of runoff was obtained by the exponential function method. The experimental results show that the predicted values of discharge and pollution concentration are well fitted with the actual values, indicating that the proposed method has high accuracy and feasibility. Finally, from the viewpoint of non-engineering measures and engineering measures, the suggestions for treating runoff pollution and relevant supports for ecological environment protection are given.
Multiple Roles of 25-Hydroxycholesterol in Lipid Metabolism, Antivirus Process, Inflammatory Response, and Cell Survival
Authors: Cao Qin , Liu Zhongzhong , Xiong Yan , Zhong Zibiao , Ye Qifa
Published: November 2020

As an essential lipid, cholesterol is of great value in keeping cell homeostasis, being the precursor of bile acid and steroid hormones, and stabilizing membrane lipid rafts. As a kind of cholesterol metabolite produced by enzymatic or radical process, oxysterols have drawn much attention in the last decades. Among which, the role of 25-hydroxycholesterol (25-HC) in cholesterol and bile acid metabolism, antivirus process, and inflammatory response has been largely disclosed. This review is aimed at revealing these functions and underlying mechanisms of 25-HC.
Molecular Typing of Klebsiella pneumoniae Clinical Isolates by Enterobacterial Repetitive Intergenic Consensus Polymerase Chain Reaction
Authors: Sedighi Parinaz , Zarei Omid , Karimi Kiana , Taheri Mohammad , Karami Pezhman , Shokoohizadeh Leili
Published: November 2020

Aim. Klebsiella pneumoniae is one of the most important causes of nosocomial infections, including pneumonia, sepsis, and urinary tract infection. Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus polymerase chain reaction (ERIC-PCR) technique is a quick, reliable, and cost-effective method for molecular typing of Enterobacteriaceae family members. This study aimed to detect genetic relatedness among K. pneumoniae isolates from hospitals in Hamadan city, using ERIC-PCR technique. Materials and Methods. A total of 72 K. pneumoniae isolates were collected from patients admitted to Besat and Sina hospitals. After detection and confirmation of K. pneumonia isolates by chemical and conventional microbiological methods, DNAs were extracted after 24 hours of incubation at 37°C, using the boiling method. ERIC-PCR technique was carried out, and the ERIC patterns were analyzed by online data analysis service (inslico.ehu.es). ERIC profiles were compared using Dice method and clustered by UPGMA (unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean) program. Also, the samples were evaluated by PCR method for the detection of aerobactin gene within their genome. Finding. The genetic relatedness among K. pneumoniae isolates was studied, and results established the genetic diversity of the clinical isolates by detecting 25 different ERIC types, including 14 common types and 11 unique types. Also, none of the isolates had aerobactin gene. Discussion. The results of this study showed high genetic diversity among K. pneumoniae strains, indicating the polyclonal distribution of K. pneumoniae isolates in Hamadan hospitals. This diversity causes problems for the treatment of infections due to the circulation of diverse K. pneumoniae clones, which possibly have different antimicrobial susceptibility patterns.
Designing Efficient Smart Home Management with IoT Smart Lighting: A Case Study
Authors: Khoa Tran Anh , Nhu Le Mai Bao , Son Hoang Hai , Trong Nguyen Minh , Phuc Cao Hoang , Phuong Nguyen Thi Hoang , Van Dung Nguyen , Nam Nguyen Hoang , Chau Dong Si Thien , Duc Dang Ngoc Minh
Published: November 2020

Smart homes are an element of developing smart cities. In recent years, countries around the world have spared no effort in promoting smart cities. Smart homes are an interesting technological advancement that can make people’s lives much more convenient. The development of smart homes involves multiple technological aspects, which include big data, mobile networks, cloud computing, Internet of Things, and even artificial intelligence. Digital information is the main component of signal control and flow in a smart home, while information security is another important aspect. In the event of equipment failure, the task of safeguarding the system’s information is of the utmost importance. Since smart homes are automatically controlled, the problem of mobile network security must be taken seriously. To address these issues, this paper focuses on information security, big data, mobile networks, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things. Security efficiency can be enhanced by using a Secure Hash Algorithm 256 (SHA-256), which is an authentication mechanism that, with the help of the user, can authenticate each interaction of a given device with a WebServer by using an encrypted username, password, and token. This framework could be used for an automated burglar alarm system, guest attendance monitoring, and light switches, all of which are easily integrated with any smart city base. In this way, IoT solutions can allow real-time monitoring and connection with central systems for automated burglar alarms. The monitoring framework is developed on the strength of the web application to obtain real-time display, storage, and warning functions for local or remote monitoring control. The monitoring system is stable and reliable when applying SHA-256.
Diagnosis of Neonatal Herpes Simplex Infection from the Placenta
Authors: Smith Amanda E. , McKenney Amy , Rabinowitz Laura , Das Anirudha
Published: November 2020

Due to a high rate of fetal demise and premature birth in intrauterine HSV infection, the outcome in neonates is usually adverse. A female preterm infant with a gestational age of 25 1/7 weeks with expected early clinical course tested positive for neonatal herpes simplex virus (HSV) 2 after the neonatologist was informed of positive immunohistochemistry for the virus on the fifth day of life by the pathologist. Pathological examination of the placenta had revealed subacute necrotizing inflammation with stromal cell necrosis suggestive of intrauterine infection, possibly ascending due to prolonged rupture of membranes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case wherein placental pathology indicated exposure to HSV in utero before the infant presented with signs or symptoms of neonatal HSV resulting in a favorable outcome for the infant. Due to the variability of presentation of intrauterine HSV infection, pathological examination of the placenta in the first 2–5 days of life in premature infants can provide clues to the diagnosis of neonatal HSV which may significantly impact the outcome.
O direito do poder administrativo: entre juridificação instrumental e comunicação racional: uma leitura do capítulo IV de “facticidade e validade”, de Jürgen Habermas
Authors: Alberto Marco Antônio Moraes
Published: November 2020

Este artigo tem o objetivo de propor uma leitura do capítulo IV de Direito e democracia: entre facticidade e validade, de Jürgen Habermas, que seja capaz de, simultaneamente, abarcar as diferenças de diagnóstico do autor sobre o direito público e evidenciar nesse diagnóstico uma linha de continuidade crítica. Entendendo o conceito de “reconstrução” como eixo da teoria social habermasiana, este artigo examina dois momentos da reconstrução do direito público na visão do autor. No primeiro, analisa-se como a teoria da ação comunicativa, ao pressupor a oposição entre poder administrativo e ação comunicativa, afirma a instrumentalidade do direito público à pretensão colonizadora dos sistemas político e jurídico sobre o mundo da vida (diagnóstico da juridificação). No segundo, enfatiza-se a constitucionalidade do direito sobre a esfera pública, o que abre espaço para o diagnóstico do potencial do mundo da vida em criar espaços de comunicação racional em oposição à pretensão instrumental e reificante do sistema jurídico e do poder administrativo (diagnóstico da constitucionalização). Em sua conclusão, o artigo argumenta que a continuidade entre os dois momentos deve ser encontrada na pretensão de legitimidade do direito ocupado em regular o poder administrativo.
Os encargos do Estado com pessoal ativo e equilíbrio financeiro
Authors: Soares Leonardo Romano
Published: November 2020

Os gastos do Estado com pessoal ativo constituem parcela significativa do orçamento público de todos os entes federativos. Esse artigo pretende mostrar a relação entre o regime constitucional de estabilidade e remuneração dos servidores públicos e a composição das despesas públicas. Com base em dados atuais, é possível investigar o impacto dos gastos com pessoal nas finanças públicas. A rigidez desse regime, políticas de expansão dos quadros de servidores e a recessão econômica vivenciada recentemente mostram o risco real de que esses gastos prejudiquem substancialmente investimentos públicos em diversas áreas. Algumas mudanças administrativas e jurídicas já estão em curso e serão discutidas aqui como o novo regime fiscal. Além disso, outras possíveis soluções para esse problema são abordadas: a mudança do regime de estabilidade e remuneração dos agentes públicos, um planejamento financeiro melhor para decisões que impliquem incremento de gastos com pessoal, a revisão da Lei Complementar n. 101/2000, maior eficiência na gestão dos recursos humanos com auxílio da tecnologia.
As manifestações brasileiras de junho de 2013 e suas implicações jurídico-políticas
Authors: Coelho Vinicius Azevedo
Published: November 2020

Este artigo realiza um estudo das manifestações ocorridas no Brasil, em junho de 2013. O objetivo é explorar relações entre movimentos sociais e direitos, e consequentemente investigar implicações causadas pelas manifestações nos sistemas jurídico e político brasileiros. Parte-se da hipótese de que movimentos sociais, no contexto de complexidade da sociedade contemporânea, provocam irritações no ambiente do direito e da política, que processam ou não as expectativas dos manifestantes. Se não indiferentes, os sistemas podem reagir nas formas de conservação ou mudança. Para ilustrar essa hipótese, três eventos destacados das jornadas de junho são sequencialmente analisados: (i) demanda pelo direito de transporte; (ii) repressão ao direito de manifestação; (iii) discussão sobre projetos de alteração legislativa PEC n. 37/2011 e PDC n. 234/2011. Os resultados desta investigação sugerem que as manifestações, a princípio rejeitadas, produziram mudanças jurídicas e políticas, evidenciadas pela revogação do aumento nas tarifas do transporte e pelo arquivamento dos projetos legislativos.
Da Escola de Salamanca ao limiar do século 21: a difícil missão de proteger os direitos indígenas
Authors: Ditão Ygor Pierry Piemonte , Marcello Karen
Published: November 2020

O presente trabalho revisita as lições da Escola de Salamanca com destaque a Francisco de Vitória, Fernando Vázquez de Menchaca e Domingo de Soto, bem como as contribuições contemporâneas do Direito Internacional na proteção dos Direitos Indígenas e, ao final, analisa as posições adotas pela Jurisdição Internacional sobre o assunto para, então, levantar a defesa pela aplicação genuína da autodeterminação dos povos e não a maneira mitigada hoje aplicada.
Rechts- und Sachmängelhaftung im römischen Kaufrecht: stipulatio simplae und Ausschluss der Wandelung
Authors: Conti André Nunes
Published: November 2020

Die noch heute relevante Unterscheidung zwischen Rechts- und Sachmängelhaftung war bereits im klassischen römischen Privatrecht bekannt. Diese zwei Arten der Mängelhaftung hatten schon damals unabhängige Grundlagen und folgten je einer eigenen Logik. Einerseits ergab sich die Rechtsmängelhaftung meistens aus einer genau zu diesem Zweck abgeschlossenen Stipulation, wogegen die Sachmängelhaftung hauptsächlich im Ädilenedikt zur Marktregulierung vorgesehen war, und zwar in Form der ädilizischen Klagen actio redhibitoria und quanti minoris. Beide Haftungsformen durchkreuzen sich anscheinend im interessanten Fragment D. 21, 1, 48, 8 des Pomponius, das entgegen der vorherrschenden Meinung eine Hypothese der Verbindung zwischen beiden Seiten der Mängelhaftung des Verkäufers enthält. Würde nämlich die Rechtsmängelhaftung vertraglich gemindert (d.h. würde die „stipulatio simplae“ anstelle der üblichen „duplae“ abgeschlossen, worin die sogenannte „venditio simplaria“ bestanden haben müsste), so würde das Schweigen der Parteien in Bezug auf Sachmängelhaftung als ihren Ausschluss angenommen. Diese Auslegung des Fragments stützt sich nicht nur auf eine grammatikalische Analyse des Textes (die sich auf das interessante, sonst nirgends auftauchende Wort „simplaria“ fokussiert), sondern auch auf mehrere einschlägige Rechtsquellen, insbesondere auf den ägyptischen Papyrus P. Cair. Preis. 1, wo die von Pomponius erwähnte Vermutung anscheinend von einem Anwalt in einem realen Fall angewandt wird.
O princípio da eficiência e as contratações públicas com o terceiro setor
Authors: Souza Letícia Beatriz de Oliveira de
Published: November 2020

O presente artigo pretende tratar dos novos instrumentos de contratação da Administração Pública com as entidades do Terceiro Setor, instituídos pela Lei Federal n. 13.019/2014, buscando compreender em que medida o novo regime legal permite o cumprimento do Princípio Constitucional da Eficiência.
Entre a judicialização e o descrédito: a necessária reforma do regimento interno da Câmara dos Deputados
Authors: Balbani Arthur Paku Ottolini
Published: November 2020

A discussão acerca da crise institucional brasileira passa, essencialmente, pela carência de legitimidade e de efetividade do Poder Legislativo, cujo processo decisório, além de burocrático, não alcança sua finalidade última – a criação de políticas públicas – e nem é socialmente respaldado. Assim, no âmbito da Câmara dos Deputados, é fundamental a discussão acerca da necessidade de reforma de seu Regimento Interno, cujas atualizações pontuais são incapazes de, hodiernamente, recuperar a coesão normativa, afastando os defeitos de técnica legislativa e superando as inúmeras dificuldades vislumbradas pela práxis parlamentar.
O casamento precoce no Brasil enquanto violação dos direitos humanos
Authors: Bezerra Ana Clara de Moraes
Published: November 2020

O presente artigo se propõe a analisar a realidade do casamento precoce no Brasil, enquanto grave violação dos direitos humanos, buscando suscitar o debate quanto à gravidade da situação brasileira e a busca por soluções possíveis. O casamento infantil constitui violação dos direitos humanos e, principalmente, das meninas. O Brasil é o quarto país no mundo em números absolutos de casamento precoce, sendo o país com os piores índices da América Latina. Entretanto, não há debates oficiais sobre o assunto, sendo que a questão não faz parte das agendas de governo, perpetuando, assim, a desigualdade de gênero e o ciclo da pobreza.
Detainee Operations in Ukraine
Authors: Teleki Cristina
Published: November 2020

Detention operations have been a salient feature of the military conflict in Eastern Ukraine. Often referred to as exchanges or swaps of detainees, the operations leading to the simultaneous release and transfer of detainees (srtd) offer fertile terrain for inquiring about the applicability of international humanitarian law (ihl) and international human rights law (ihrl). This article attempts to fill a gap in the literature on detention operations outside the war on terror framework. It offers a chronological review of the detention operations that have taken place in Ukraine since the beginning of the military conflict. This paper then follows a classical two-step analysis first of ihl, ihrl and domestic law provisions applicable to srtds and, second, of the impact of these provisions on the human rights protection of the persons involved. The preliminary conclusions of this analysis indicate that, despite the praise of the international community for the srtds in Ukraine, human rights violations have resulted from srtds. More specifically, the legal framework under which srtds take place appears to be a ‘cocktail’ of ihl and ihrl provisions. Certainly, srtds have attracted international media coverage and support for Ukraine. At the same time, however, the ‘hidden cost’ of these operations begins to be understood as well because the legal status of many participants in the srtds appears to worsen, access to justice appears to be hampered and the independence of justice appears to be threatened as a result of these operations.
Unanticipated Movements: Examining the Role of ICT in Leadership and Decision Making during the Shahbag Protests in Bangladesh
Authors: Sharma Shudipta
Published: November 2020

This paper explores the role of information and communication technology (ICT) in leadership and decision making in social movements. To do so, this study examines the 2013 Shahbag protests in Bangladesh through the lens of new social movement theories. The study employs a multi-level and multi-method approach in analyzing the protests. It finds that, along with traditional communication tools, ICT played an important role in the leadership and decision-making process in the first three days of the protests that made it an example of new social movement. However, when the political party members captured the protests, it became a hybrid. I argue that the new network society formed by using ICT changes the communication pattern among activists, the nature of leadership, and the process of decision making of a movement and that this differentiates it from other conventional social movements.
With a little help from his friends
Authors: Sammut Adam
Published: November 2020

Around 1617, Caravaggio’s Rosary Madonna (Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna) was gifted to the Dominican church in Antwerp by a quadrumvirate of art-lovers – Rubens, Jan Brueghel I, Hendrick van Balen and the merchant Jan Cooymans – who were joined together by the love that is friendship (amor amicitiæ). By enacting the virtues of friendship within Antwerp’s elite circles, the art-lovers could persuade wealthy burghers to sponsor the Rosary Madonna as a civic investment. This process is examined through Rubens’ relationship with Brueghel, the election of Cooymans as ‘prince of the Violieren’ chamber of rhetoric, the artists’ deanships of the Romanists’ guild and their personal acquaintance with Hendrick Goltzius. In the Dominican church, the Rosary Madonna became part of the early modern political economy like few other artworks. As the author demonstrates, the altarpiece indexed the cultural capital of the quadrumvirate, but also their amor amicitiæ, to which it stood as an enduring testament.
‘For an assured freende is the medicine of life’
Authors: Weiler Larissa
Published: November 2020

During his time in England as the lead court artist, Anthony van Dyck came into contact with the English Virtuosi, their discourses and their practical research into nature. This article examines the connection between English virtuosity and ideal ideas of friendship and the role that the artist played in this. Argueing that Van Dyck was part of a friendly circle of said Virtuosi and reconstructing that circle on a small scale, it discusses the famous double portrait of Van Dyck and Endymion Porter as a portrait of friendship as well as a product of the symbiotic culture of friendship and English virtuosity and the making of knowledge that springs from it.
‘Mille complimens et amitiés’
Authors: Jonkman Mayken
Published: November 2020

This article discusses the complex and nuanced nature of friendship and gift-giving in the eighteenth-century Paris art world. By studying the case of the Dutch artist Gerard van Spaendonck (1746-1822) it is possible to gain insight into the essential role friendship played in the career trajectory of an artist of that time.
Injection Laryngoplasty for the Treatment of Type 1 Laryngeal Clefts: A Single Institution Experience
Authors: Al-Alawneh Mohammad , Caballero Ladd , DeBroux Elijah , Herr Michael J. , Petro Amy Claire , Thompson Jerome , McLevy Jennifer , Wood Joshua , Mamidala Madhu , Sheyn Anthony
Published: November 2020

Objective:

Standards for treatment of laryngeal clefts remain poorly defined. There are no large case series that report the efficacy of injection laryngoplasty (IL) in the treatment of pediatric Type 1 laryngeal clefts (LC-1). The objective of this study is to measure the effect of IL in young children with LC-1.

Methods:

A retrospective case series of 130 patients was completed over 3 years at a at a single institution included patients aged 1 month to 8 years, diagnosed with aspiration and penetration issues during swallowing based on a Videofluoroscopic Swallow Study (VFSS). Patients underwent surgical evaluation and intervention using carboxymethylcellulose gel injection. Collected data points included age in months at time of first injection, gender, race, pre- and post-operation VFSS scores, number of injections, co-morbidities and post-operative complications. VFSS scores were evaluated pre- and post-operatively to assess efficacy of intervention. A secondary outcome was efficacy in patients with aspiration compared to those with penetration alone.

Results:

This study included 77 male and 53 female patients. Sixty-two patients (48%) demonstrated a significant post-operative improvement in their swallowing function ( P < .05). There were no statistical differences in age, number of injections, or the volume of the first injection. Patients that showed a post-operative improvement in swallowing function were on average 5 months older and had more severe aspiration and penetration compared to those who did not demonstrate a post-operative benefit and underwent less injections. The volume of injection did not appear to play a role in the success rate.

Conclusion:

Injecting the inter-arytenoid area in patients with LC-1 appears to confer some benefit to close to half of our patient population. Successful procedures seemed to occur in patients with more severe aspiration and penetration and older age.
Informing National Health Service patients about participation in clinical research: A comparison of opt-in and opt-out approaches across the United Kingdom
Authors: Henshall Catherine , Potts Jennifer , Walker Sophie , Hancock Mark , Underwood Mark , Broughton Nick , Ede Roger , Kernot Catherine , O’Neill Lorcan , Geddes John R , Cipriani Andrea
Published: November 2020

Objective:

Recruitment to clinical research in the National Health Service remains challenging. One barrier is accessing patients to discuss research participation. Two general approaches are used in the United Kingdom to facilitate this: an ‘opt-in’ approach (when clinicians communicate research opportunities to patients) and an ‘opt-out’ approach (all patients have the right to be informed of relevant research opportunities). No evidence-based data are available, however, to inform the decision about which approach is preferable. This study aimed to collect information from ‘opt-in’ and ‘opt-out’ Trusts and identify which of the two approaches is optimal for ensuring National Health Service patients are given opportunities to discuss research participation.

Method:

This sequential mixed methods study comprised three phases: (1) an Appreciative Inquiry across UK Trusts, (2) online surveys and (3) focus groups with National Health Service staff and patients at a representative mental health Trust.

Results:

The study was conducted between June and October 2019. Out of seven National Health Service Mental Health Trusts contacted (three ‘opt-out’ and four ‘opt-in’), only four took part in phase 1 of the study and three of them were ‘opt-out’ Trusts. Benefits of an ‘opt-out’ approach included greater inclusivity of patients and the removal of research gatekeepers, while the involvement of research-active clinicians and established patient–clinician relationships were cited as important to ‘opt-in’ success. Phases 2 and 3 were conducted at a different Trust (Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust) which was using an ‘opt-in’ approach. Of 333 staff and member survey responders, 267 (80.2%) favoured moving to an ‘opt-out’ approach (phase 2). Nineteen staff and 16 patients and carers participated in focus groups (phase 3). Concern was raised by staff regarding the lack of time for clinical research, with clinical work taking precedence over research; patients were concerned about a lack of research activity; all considered research to be beneficial and were supportive of a move to ‘opt-out’.

Conclusion:

Findings suggest that ‘opt-out’ is more beneficial than ‘opt-in’, with the potential to vastly increase patient access to research opportunities and to enable greater equality of information provision for currently marginalised groups. This should ensure that healthcare research is more representative of the entire population, including those with a mental health diagnosis.
The Contemporary Salience of Deprivation Theory: Prison Personnel Perceptions of Inmates and the Pains of Solitary Confinement
Authors: Aranda-Hughes Vivian , Mears Daniel P. , Pesta George B. , Brown Jennifer M.
Published: November 2020

In recent decades, long-term solitary confinement has become a mainstay of prison systems. Critiques and research of this confinement typically have focused on its potential harms. Few studies have examined the range of harms to those placed in it; fewer still have examined solitary confinement’s potential benefits or sought insight from those who work with them. Guided by Sykes’ deprivation theory, we draw on focus groups and interviews with 144 correctional personnel to examine their perceptions of incarcerated individuals’ experiences with, and responses to, deprivations of solitary confinement. We show that staff view the pains of imprisonment as potentially increasing or decreasing in solitary confinement and that they view incarcerated persons as adapting to such confinement in different ways.
Situational Action Theory and School Bullying: Rethinking the Moral Filter
Authors: Liu Weidi , Qiu Geping , Zhang Sheldon
Published: November 2020

Utilizing a sample from Chinese schools, we test the key ingredients of Situational Action Theory within the context of school bullying in a non-Western culture. The results show that morality has a robust effect on bullying behaviors, whereas control mechanisms (i.e., self-control and deterrence) have little restraining effect when personal morality is low. Our findings, together with prior mixed findings regarding conditional effects of control mechanisms, suggest that the moral filter may work differently for behaviors associated with different levels of stigmatization. We speculate that, for less stigmatized behaviors, “habitualization” easily materialize but “moral exclusion” does not, and thus controls exert stronger impact when morality is higher. Implications for the theory and directions for future research are discussed.
Existential–Humanistic and Relational Psychotherapy During COVID-19 With Patients With Preexisting Medical Conditions
Authors: Gordon Robert M. , Dahan Jacqueline Fine , Wolfson Joanna B. , Fults Erin , Lee Yuen Shan Christine , Smith-Wexler Lucia , Liberta Taylor A. , McGiffin Jed N.
Published: November 2020

Unexpected traumatic events, including life-threatening medical conditions, brain injuries, and pandemics, can be catalysts for patients and clinicians to consider existential issues, including meaning in life. The existential–humanistic and relational perspectives on therapeutic interventions emphasize creating meaning, taking responsibility for one’s own life and self-narratives, choosing and actualizing ways of being in the world that are consistent with values, and expanding the capacity for agency, commitment, and action. Myriad factors have made the COVID-19 pandemic upsetting and potentially traumatic for individuals, including the novel experience of self and other as possibly infectious and dangerous, a sense that anyone is vulnerable, and protracted uncertainty about the duration of the crisis and its consequences. The vignettes included in this article explore risk and reliance factors relevant to patients with preexisting medical conditions during COVID-19 and highlight the benefits of exploring values, priorities, and assumptions, asking open-ended questions about meaning in life and posttraumatic growth, learning for each emotion, and interpretation of dreams. The existential–humanistic and relational approaches offer unique insights into how practitioners might help their patients to reflect on the unanticipated changes and anxieties ignited by COVID-19, while reinforcing the potential to live with greater purpose and intention.
Focus of Attention Verbalizations in Beginning Band: A Multiple Case Study
Authors: Parsons John E. , Simmons Amy L.
Published: November 2020

Although the effects of focus of attention (FOA) on the performance of gross motor skills are now well understood, less is known about the role of FOA in naturalistic classroom settings where learners are engaged in the ongoing acquisition and refinement of complex motor skills. The purpose of this study, the first of its kind, was to explore how music teachers focus learners’ attention on physical actions (internal focus) and on the effects of those actions (external focus). We recorded three experienced band directors teaching beginner classes (sixth graders) and completed a content analysis of video recordings to describe (a) teachers’ use of internally focused (IF) and externally focused (EF) verbalizations and (b) patterns among IF and EF verbalizations. These teachers most often directed student attention to internal aspects of performance, and they also paired IF and EF statements to clearly convey how those actions affect external outcomes. Although our descriptive multiple case study design precludes generalization, these data suggest possibilities for future studies that could explore relationships between teachers’ FOA verbalizations and skill development in music classrooms.
Intonational Variation in the North-West of England: The Origins of a Rising Contour in Liverpool
Authors: Nance Claire , Kirkham Sam , Lightfoot Kate , Carroll Luke
Published: November 2020

This paper investigates intonation in the urban dialect of Liverpool, Scouse. Scouse is reported to be part of a group of dialects in the north of the UK where rising contours in declaratives are a traditional aspect of the dialect. This intonation is typologically unusual and has not been the subject of detailed previous research. Here, we present such an analysis in comparison with Manchester, a city less than 40 miles from Liverpool but with a noticeably different prosody. Our analysis confirms reports that rising contours are the most common realization for declaratives in Liverpool, specifically a low rise where final high pitch is not reached until the end of the phrase. Secondly, we consider the origin of declarative rises in Scouse with reference to the literature on new dialect formation. Our demographic analysis and review of previous work on relevant dialects suggests that declarative rises were not the majority variant when Scouse was formed but may have been adopted for facilitating communication in a diverse new community. We highlight this contribution of intonational data to research on phonological aspects of new dialect formation, which have largely considered segmental phonology or timing previously.
Reciprocity in Conversation
Authors: Guydish Andrew J. , D’Arcey J. Trevor , Fox Tree Jean E.
Published: November 2020

This work provides initial evidence of reciprocity in conversation. We tested whether conversations with contribution imbalances brought on by task demands contained attempts to redress the created imbalance. Pairs of participants identified public art via phone communication. One member of the pair, the director, gave instructions using a map while the other, the follower, walked around a small town finding public art pieces. Later, trained raters coded the participants’ transcribed conversational turns as either on-task or off-task. As observed in similar studies, directors spoke more in on-task portions of the dialogue. We newly found that in off-task communication, followers spoke more than their directors and used a greater number of words per turn than their directors. We interpret the pattern as reflecting behaviors leading toward balance in contributions across the conversation as a whole, a process we refer to as reciprocity in conversation.
Motivated Reasoning in Identity Politics: Group Status as a Moderator of Political Motivations
Authors: Boyer Ming M , Aaldering Loes , Lecheler Sophie
Published: November 2020

Western democracies are increasingly defined by identity politics, where politics appeals to both political and other social identities. Consequently, political information processing should depend not just on political identity, but also on other identities, such as gender, race, or sexuality. For any given issue, we argue that the extent to which reasoning is motivated by one’s political identity depends on citizens’ group status in other relevant identities, that is, that political identity more strongly motivates high-status group members than low-status group members for issues of identity politics. A survey experiment (N = 1012) concerning a gender quota policy shows that political identity motivates men more strongly than women, leading to political polarization between left-wing and right-wing men, but not women. This suggests that political motivated reasoning should be addressed differently in situations of identity politics, and urges the consideration of group status as a conditional factor of motivated reasoning.
Hybrid coordination of city organisations: The rule of people and culture in the shadow of structures
Authors: Leixnering Stephan , Meyer Renate E , Polzer Tobias
Published: November 2020

Under far-reaching reforms, many cities have delegated core tasks previously delivered by their administrations to independent organisations that they formally own, e.g. municipal companies, or supervise, e.g. municipal trust funds. The coordination of these (as we call them) ‘domestic’ city organisations has proven challenging. Extant literature argues that such coordination is achieved through a mix of various hierarchical, market and network mechanisms. Yet it is unclear how these modes are combined. Addressing this gap, we ask: How do governance modes interact in the hybrid coordination of domestic city organisations? Analysing the case of Vienna, where 100 domestic organisations employ about 60,000 people, we find that while cultural mechanisms, rooted in the network mode, are predominant, they unfold in the shadow of latent structural mechanisms, which are associated with hierarchy and market. In the background, structural mechanisms keep cultural coordination effective, while cultural mechanisms allow structural coordination to remain (generally) hidden. This study aims to contribute to the literature on the governance of public organisations by exploring the relationship between governance modes as well as furthering urban governance studies by applying insights from studies on the coordination of public organisations to the city context.
Predictive Role of Classroom Management in Literacy Development in Preschool Children at Risk of EBD
Authors: Chow Jason C. , Granger Kristen L. , Broda Michael D. , Peterson Nicole
Published: November 2020

The purpose of this study was to better understand the association between teachers’ incoming classroom management skills and end-of-year literacy skills of preschool children with or at risk of emotional and behavioral disorders. Furthermore, we explored the contribution of students’ incoming engagement and communication skills to end-of-year literacy skills. A series of multilevel models revealed that teacher classroom management predicted end-of-year letter sound fluency, but not letter naming fluency, after controlling for other factors. We conclude with a discussion of these preliminary findings and provide suggestions for future research and practice in early intervention settings.