bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Correction to: Prognostic biomarkers related to breast cancer recurrence identified based on Logit model analysis
Authors: Zhou Xiaoying , Xiao Chuanguang , Han Tong , Qiu Shusheng , Wang Meng , Chu Jun , Sun Weike , Li Liang , Lin Lili
Published: December 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.
Comparison of the cost of illness of primary liver cancer between Japan and Taiwan
Authors: Wu Yinghui , Matsumoto Kunichika , Chen Ya-Mei , Tung Yu-Chi , Chiu Tzu-Ying , Hasegawa Tomonori
Published: December 2020

Background

Primary liver cancer (PLC) is the fifth and second leading cause of death in Japan and Taiwan, respectively. The aim of this study was to compare the economic burden of PLC between the two countries using the cost of illness (COI) method and identify the key factors causing the different trends in the economic burdens of PLC.

Materials and methods

We calculated the COI every 3 years using governmental statistics of both countries (1996–2014 data for Japan and 2002–2014 data for Taiwan). The COI was calculated by summing the direct costs, morbidity costs, and mortality costs. We compared the COIs of PLC in both countries at the USD-based cost. The average exchange rate during the targeted years was used to remove the impact of foreign exchange volatility.

Results

From 1996 to 2014, the COI exhibited downward and upward trends in Japan and Taiwan, respectively. In Japan, the COI in 2014 was 0.70 times the value in 1996, and in Taiwan, the COI in 2014 was 1.16 times greater than that in 1996. The mortality cost was the greatest contributor in both countries and had the largest contribution ratio to the COI increase in Japan. However, the direct cost in Taiwan had the largest contribution ratio to the COI decrease.

Conclusions

To date, the COI of PLC in Japan has continuously decreased, whereas that in Taiwan has increased. Previous health policies and technological developments are thought to have accelerated the COI decrease in Japan and are expected to change the trend of COI of PLC, even in Taiwan.
The effect of carnosine or β-alanine supplementation on markers of glycaemic control and insulin resistance in human and animal studies: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Matthews Joseph J. , Dolan Eimear , Swinton Paul A. , Santos Livia , Artioli Guilherme G. , Turner Mark D. , Elliott-Sale Kirsty J. , Sale Craig
Published: December 2020

Background

Diabetes is a major public health issue and there is a need to develop low-cost, novel interventions to prevent or reduce disease progression. Growing evidence shows that supplementation with carnosine, or its rate-limiting precursor β-alanine, can ameliorate aspects of the metabolic dysregulation that occurs in diabetes. There is, however, a need to develop a better understanding of the magnitude of effect and the factors associated with positive outcomes. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to evaluate the effect of carnosine or β-alanine supplementation on markers of glycaemic control and insulin resistance in humans and animals.

Methods

We will perform a systematic search for randomised and non-randomised controlled trials. Studies will be retrieved by searching electronic databases, clinical trial registers, author review, and cross-referencing. Primary outcomes include changes in (i) fasting glucose, (ii) glycated haemoglobin, and (iii) 2-h glucose following a glucose tolerance test. A set of additional outcomes includes other markers of glycaemic control and insulin resistance. Risk of bias (RoB) will be assessed using the Cochrane RoB 2.0 tool (human studies) and the Systematic Review Centre for Laboratory Animal Experimentation (SYRCLE) RoB tool (animal studies). Confidence in the cumulative evidence will be assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. All meta-analyses will be conducted within a Bayesian framework, providing a flexible modelling approach to account for uncertainty in model parameters and underlying structures within the data.

Discussion

By including all available human and animal data, we will provide the most comprehensive overview on the topic to date. The results will have implications for those working in prediabetes, diabetes, and metabolic health in general and may lead to the development of new treatment approaches.

Dissemination

Study results will be presented at a professional conference and published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Systematic review registration

CRD42020191588
Takotsubo syndrome induced by brachytherapy in a patient with endocervical adenocarcinoma
Authors: Vieira Aline Cristini , Ribeiro Mauricio Fernando Silva Almeida , Lima Julianne , Filho Jacob Sessim , de Andrade Carvalho Heloisa , Mano Max Senna
Published: December 2020

Background

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS), also known as stress cardiomyopathy, apical ballooning syndrome and broken heart syndrome, is characterized by acute-onset chest pain, electrocardiographic (ECG) abnormalities and reversible left ventricular (LV) disfunction in the absence of a culprit obstructive lesion in the coronary arteries; therefore, myocardial infarction is the most important differential diagnosis. Usually induced by emotional/physical stress, its treatment consists in hemodynamic support until complete and spontaneous recovery occurs, which is generally achieved within a few days to weeks. Cervical malignancies are an important public health issue in low/middle-income countries and, in the setting of locally advanced disease, concurrent chemoradiation followed by brachytherapy is considered the standard treatment, harboring curative potential.

Case report

We report a case of a 38-year-old woman who underwent concurrent chemoradiotherapy and developed cardiopulmonary arrest in ventricular fibrillation during a brachytherapy session. Complementary tests disclosed altered ECG and cardiac biomarkers, no evidence of coronary artery obstruction, as well as LV disfunction consistent with TTS on echocardiogram and cardiac MRI. After few days of supportive therapy, complete recovery of heart function was observed.

Conclusions

Especially for cancer patients, who usually experience intense emotional/physical stress intrinsically associated with their diagnosis and aggressive treatments, considering TTS as a differential diagnosis is warranted. Intracavitary brachytherapy procedure may represent a trigger for TTS.
Correlation between increased serum malondialdehyde and spectrum of cranial ultrasonography findings in hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy: could it be used as a predictor of disease severity?
Authors: Seif El Dein Hadeel M. , Fahmy Nouran , El Din Zahraa Ezz , Morgan Marianne , Fattah Marwa Abdel , Eltatawy Sara S.
Published: December 2020

Background

Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in neonates. Malondialdehyde (MDH) is a colorless lipid that can be used as a marker for oxidative stress. Cranial ultrasound sensitivity and specificity in detection of neonatal HIE ought to be further investigated. This study aims to detect whether serum (MDH) can be used as an indicator for HIE severity and to assess the role of cranial ultrasound in diagnosis of HIE neurological disorders, correlating ultrasound findings to MDA levels.

Results

Statistically significant differences were found between the serum MDA levels in patients compared to controls as well as among serum MDA in patients with advancing Sarnat stages (I, II, III) P value < 0.001. Statistically significant levels of serum MDA were found in patients with ischemic US findings compared to those with normal scan; 36.4% of cases with ischemic US findings were diagnosed as Sarnat stage II while 63.6% were diagnosed with stage III with a statistically significant difference (P = 0.016).

Conclusion

Cranial ultrasound can be used for diagnosis of neonatal hypoxic ischemic insults, with lower sensitivity in mild cases and increased sensitivity in severe cases; and when combined with measuring serum MDA levels, it can be used as a diagnostic marker and as a predictor for severity of HIE.
Transcription-dependent enrichment of the yeast FACT complex influences nucleosome dynamics on the RNA polymerase III-transcribed genes
Authors: Shukla Ashutosh , Bhalla Pratibha , Potdar Pooja Kiran , Jampala Preethi , Bhargava Purnima
Published: December 2020

The FACT (FAcilitates Chromatin Transactions) complex influences transcription initiation and enables passage of RNA polymerase (Pol) II through gene body nucleosomes during elongation. In the budding yeast, ∼280 noncoding RNA genes highly transcribed in vivo by Pol III are found in the nucleosome-free regions bordered by positioned nucleosomes. The downstream nucleosome dynamics was found to regulate transcription via controlling the gene terminator accessibility and hence, terminator-dependent Pol III recycling. As opposed to the enrichment at the 5′-ends of Pol II-transcribed genes, our genome-wide mapping found transcription-dependent enrichment of the FACT subunit Spt16 near the 3′-end of all Pol III-transcribed genes. Spt16 physically associates with the Pol III transcription complex and shows gene-specific occupancy levels on the individual genes. On the non-tRNA Pol III-transcribed genes, Spt16 facilitates transcription by reducing the nucleosome occupany on the gene body. On the tRNA genes, it maintains the position of the nucleosome at the 3′ gene end and affects transcription in a gene-specific manner. Under nutritional stress, Spt16 enrichment is abolished in the gene downstream region of all Pol III-transcribed genes and reciprocally changed on the induced or repressed Pol II-transcribed ESR genes. Under the heat and replicative stress, its occupancy on the Pol III-transcribed genes increases significantly. Our results show that Spt16 elicits a differential, gene-specific and stress-responsive dynamics, which provides a novel stress-sensor mechanism of regulating transcription against external stress. By primarily influencing the nucleosomal organization, FACT links the downstream nucleosome dynamics to transcription and environmental stress on the Pol III-transcribed genes.
Possible two-photon absorption in the near-infrared region observed by cavity ring-down spectroscopy
Authors: Yang Lei , Lin Hong , Plimmer Mark , Feng Xiao-Juan , Chu Hong-Wei , Ma Yong-Jian , Luo Jing-Ting , Sun Hui-Bin , Zhang Jin-Tao
Published: December 2020

Two-photon absorption spectra are difficult to observe using direct absorption spectroscopy especially in the near-infrared region. Cavity ring-down spectroscopy is a promising absorption spectroscopy technique which has been widely applied to linear and saturated single-photon absorption spectra. In the present study, we report the observation of a possible two-photon absorption in the near-infrared using cavity ring-down spectroscopy, namely a two-photon resonance of methane. Using an optical frequency comb, the single-photon wavenumber of the double-quantum transition has been determined to be 182 207 682.645 MHz with a standard deviation of 75 kHz.
Planar nanophotonic structures for intensity based readout refractive index sensing applied to dissolved methane detection
Authors: Blevins Morgan G. , Michel Anna P. M. , Boriskina Svetlana V.
Published: December 2020

As global temperatures rise, permafrost in the Arctic is thawing, stimulating increased release of methane, a key greenhouse gas. Accurate, low cost, and portable sensors are needed to measure the dissolved methane concentration in seawater and freshwater to quantify methane release in nature and to better understand how these sources are contributing to increasing global methane levels. This paper analyzes and compares three simple and low-cost planar nanophotonic and plasmonic structures as optical transducers for measuring the refractive index change of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymer films doped with cryptophane-A molecules, which selectively trap methane. To measure the concentration of dissolved methane, changes in the refractive index (RI) of PDMS functionalized to selectively trap methane molecules, can be measured via an optical readout mechanism. However, the range of the RI change is very narrow, from 1.41198 to 1.41358 for methane concentration levels ranging from 0 nM to 300 nM, which requires the use of highly sensitive optical sensors. Through numerical simulations, we evaluate the sensitivity of the proposed structures and demonstrate that they exhibit superior performance in the reflectance intensity readout mode to that of the standard surface-plasmon-polariton-mode Spreeta sensor. A practical implementation of this chip with a simple intensity-based measurement scheme is proposed. Integration of this planar structure into a small, portable, and low-cost dissolved methane sensor offers a way to make methane monitoring more widespread and accessible.
Numerical investigation of a narrowband absorber with a simple structure
Authors: Suchitta Aakansha , Dhawan Anuj , Xu Xianfan
Published: December 2020

We propose a simple structure of a metamaterial (MM) to achieve near-perfect narrowband absorption. This MM utilizes both a plasmonic antenna and its complimentary structure for trapping electromagnetic fields, without the use of a complete ground plate compared to conventional designs. The simple design opens a new possibility of engineering perfect absorbers that can be easily fabricated, and thus many potential applications in mid-infrared include thermal imaging, energy harvesting, localized biological sensing, optical tweezers, and laser beam shaping.
Om Puri: The man who presented the real faces of the subcontinent of India
Authors: Rehman Sharaf N.
Published: December 2020

The Indian film industry continues to turn out between 1600 and 2000 films every year, making it the largest movie-producing country in the world. Yet, it would be a challenge for an average European or American moviegoer to name a film actor from the Indian subcontinent. Naming the films may be easier. For instance, millennials may be able to name Slumdog Millionaire (2008), Generation X crowd may mention Gandhi (1982) and the older audiences may recall The Party (1968) and Ganga Din (1939) as movies about the Indians and India. It was not until the movie Gandhi that Indian actors were allowed to play as Indians. Sam Jaffe and Abner Biberman played as Indians in Ganga Din; Peter Sellers was the Indian actor in The Party, and Shirley MacLaine was the Princess Aouda in Around the World in 80 Days (1956). It is reasonable to assume that many film viewers may be unfamiliar with Om Puri, an actor who played in over 325 films in India, Pakistan, the United Kingdom and the United States, and made films in English, Bengali, Punjabi and Tamil languages. Om Puri passed away in 2017. His name may be unfamiliar, but his face and his work as an actor will remain unforgettable. Between Gandhi (1982) and Viceroy’s House (2017), Puri acted in two dozen films in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. This article discusses Puri’s work in popular Hindi cinema, in Indian Parallel Cinema, and European and North American films.
Development of recombinant nucleocapsid protein-based indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for sero-survey of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome
Authors: Phani Kashyap S. , Hiremath Jagadish , Vinutha S. , Patil Sharanagouda S. , Suresh Kuralayanapalya P. , Roy Parimal , Hemadri Divakar
Published: December 2020

Background and Aim: Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is a disease endemic in many countries and is of economic importance. India was free from PRRS until the first outbreak was reported from a North-East Indian state in 2013. Since then, disease outbreaks have been reported from North-East India and the pilot study conducted earlier showed that it is gradually spreading to the rest of India. Considering there are no locally developed population screening tests available for PRRS and imported diagnostic/screening tests are expensive, the present study was aimed at developing recombinant nucleocapsid (rN) protein-based indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA).

Materials and Methods: The rN protein of PRRS virus (PRRSV) was produced following standard cloning, expression, and purification procedures. Using this antigen, iELISA was optimized for the detection of serum antibodies to PRRSV. The sensitivity and specificity of the test were assessed by comparing it with a commercial PRRSV antibody detection kit.

Results: A total of 745 serum samples from ten different states of India were screened using the developed iELISA. The iELISA had a relative specificity of 76.18% and sensitivity of 82.61% compared to the commercial ELISA (Priocheck PRRSV ELISA kit, Thermo Fisher Scientific, USA).

Conclusion: The iELISA, which deployed rN protein from Indian PRRSV, was found to be suitable in the serological survey and may be a useful tool in future disease surveillance programs.
Effect of entrepreneurial education on entrepreneur's intention among Nigerian graduates.
Authors: Mzughulga Jeremiah Iwasen , Anza Calvin Nyianshima , Nkpurukwe Obabuike Ikeni
Published: December 2020

This study examined the effect of Entrepreneurial Education on Entrepreneurs Intention among Nigerian graduates, and focused on NYSC batch B posted to Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State as at 2018. Using a population of 104, out of which a sample size of 83 was determined using Taro Yamenes formula. The sample size was distributed using Bowleys formula. Primary data was employed and the instrument used in gathering data was questionnaire. The validity of the researched instrument was ascertained by seeking guidance from his supervisor for vetting before the questionnaires were administered, and also the researcher adopted a pilot survey to check the validity of the measuring instrument. Reliability of the measuring instrument was conducted using split-half method, in which questionnaires were randomly administered to two groups of 10 respondents. The reliability result of 0.512 representing 51.2% was obtained, and the instrument was accepted for use. The variables were statistically analyzed using Simple Linear Regression technique to test the hypotheses using SPSS V.21.0. Undergraduate entrepreneurial courses, seminars and conferences were the predictors variables to starting of new business, discovering of new business and self-employment intentions. The study found that; Undergraduates Entrepreneurial courses has a positive significant relationship with starting of new business (β=0.716, p=0.000), Entrepreneurial seminars has a positive significant relationship with discovering of new business (β=0.323, p=0.000) and Entrepreneurial conferences has a positive significant relationship with self-employment intentions (β=0.523, p=0.000). The study however, recommended that academic institutions, government agencies and corporate bodies should encourage and support training and development of graduates and students respectively through organizing undergraduates entrepreneurial coursess, conferences, seminars, workshops, excursions and siwes to enhance entrepreneurial education which may increase attitude towards starting of new business, discovering of new ideas and opportunities and also for them to develop high sense of self-reliance in order to reduce the problem of unemployment among Nigerian graduates.
La pérdida de la membresía del Sistema Nacional de Investigadores: Hallazgos de investigación
Authors: Camarillo Hinojoza Hugo Manuel , Vázquez Martínez Alejandro Ernesto , Ramírez Gómez Ana Elizabeth , Barboza Regalado Claudia Daniela
Published: December 2020

El objetivo de este artículo es presentar los hallazgos respecto de los significados e interpretaciones que una muestra intencional de catorce académicos de la Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez (uacj) otorgan a la pérdida de la distinción concedida por el Sistema Nacional de Investigadores (sni) y a la posibilidad latente de que esto ocurra en cada proceso de evaluación. Se utilizó la teoría fundamentada (grounded theory) como metodología y aproximación epistemológica. Para el análisis de los datos, se recurrió a la codificación abierta, axial y selectiva propuesta por Strauss y Corbin (2002). Entre los hallazgos más relevantes que se presentan en los resultados se hallan los efectos que genera la pérdida de la distinción en el aspecto económico y personal; la falta de productividad académica por privilegiar los cargos y actividades administrativas; la necesidad institucional de apoyar la compra de reactivos de laboratorio para evitar la pérdida del nombramiento, así como la creencia de que al salir del sni se pierde la credibilidad. Además, en las conclusiones se propone el concepto de desmoronamiento o colapso de la distinción, concepto que emerge a partir de las narrativas de los informantes, del proceso de categorización y de las interpretaciones realizadas.
Critical discourse analysis of university teacher educators’ professionalism in Chilean teacher education policy
Authors: Hinostroza-Paredes Yenny
Published: December 2020

This article uses critical discourse analysis (CDA) to interrogate the discursive construction of Chilean university teacher educators’ professionalism in government initial teacher education policy and institutional policy enactment documents. The study examines the network of discourses—new managerialist, quality assurance, performance, functionalist professional development—producing a version of professionalism akin to organizational professionalism. Used as a form of managerial control over teacher educators’ professional practices, such professionalism exacerbates performativity while reducing professional agency opportunities and consistent professional/academic development. Ultimately, this study contributes to the necessary questioning of Chilean ITE policy reform and the need to examine its effects on university TEs’ professional lives and the professional modeling of their student teachers.
India’s Inequality Trap: The Role Played by Taxation Policies and Automation
Authors: Agrawal Binit
Published: December 2020

Recent increases in automation and unemployment have aggravated income inequality in India. Thus, it is imperative for policy-makers to cut down on inequality and unemployment while promoting planned automation. This paper proposes a joint solution to reform India’s taxation framework to fight income inequality while promoting planned automation. The paper finds that the current tax policies are severely increasing income inequality in India, and this, in turn, has lead to alarming consumption and economic slowdown in key industries. Unable to encourage the demand side, industries have responded by cutting down labour costs. This has created an inequality trap. To bring India out of this trap, it is imperative that India moves ahead with taxing concentrated capital and invests in re-skilling. Further, India also must give effect to Baumol’s cost disease insight and create new job opportunities for the rural youth, which is at the highest risk of unemployment.
Familiarity and Phenomenology in Greece: Accumulated Votives as Group-made Monuments
Authors: Rask K.A.
Published: December 2020

Greek devotional activity from the eighth through third centuries included the accumulation of common votive types, many of which exhibited similar motifs and repetitive designs. This paper explores constructed assemblages by focusing on the dedication of objects featuring visual and iconographic “sameness.” Building on the work of D. Morgan and J. González, this paper theorizes Greek votive accumulations as larger conglomerations that impact religious experience through the artifacts’ very number and ubiquity. Evidence from Athens and Corinth suggests that an individual’s personal biography and past movements through the local landscape gave pervasive religious imagery a sense of familiarity and meaningfulness. While the appearance of ubiquitous votives may have been dictated by tradition and manufacturing realities, their use to create monumental votive deposits had phenomenological impact. Drawing on evidence from treasury records and excavated material at a number of Greek sanctuaries, this paper argues that, when they formed assemblages of repetitive religious images, worshippers created larger, dynamic monuments out of individual items. The clustered offerings participated in an “aesthetics of accumulation,” visually and physically linking individuals to a network of other worshippers.
How Education Empowers Women in Developing Countries
Authors: Le Kien , Nguyen My
Published: December 2020

This paper evaluates the impacts of education on women’s relational empowerment, within a context of 70 developing countries across the world. Exploiting the variation in educational attainment between biological sisters, we find that education is positively associated with women’s intra-household decision making authority in both financial and non-financial domains. Moreover, education reduces relational friction, especially women’s exposure to psychological abuse. Our mechanism analyses provide suggestive evidence that these improvements could be attributed to increased access to information, assortative matching, and better labor market outcome.
Ambiguität und Doppelung
Authors: Schneider Christian
Published: December 2020

Focusing on the ›Münchner Oswald‹ and ›Orendel‹, this article traces ambiguity and narrative doubling in early Middle High German adventure and bridal-quest legends (formerly also called ›minstrel epics‹). It argues that these ambiguities, which surface in the texts as instances of narrative incoherence, point toward an incommensurability between certain religious and secular narrative »gestures«, as well as between their underlying forms of thought. To the extent that (presumably) later adaptations of ›Oswald‹ and ›Orendel‹ display an effort to smooth out the incoherences in their source materials, they attest to a decreasing tolerance for ambiguity not uncharacteristic of the late medieval and early modern periods more generally.
Experimental investigation on the three-dimensional flow field from a meltblowing slot die
Authors: Ji Changchun , Wang Yudong
Published: December 2020

To investigate the distribution characteristics of the three-dimensional flow field under the slot die, an online measurement of the airflow velocity was performed using a hot wire anemometer. The experimental results show that the air-slot end faces have a great influence on the airflow distribution in its vicinity. Compared with the air velocity in the center area, the velocity below the slot end face is much lower. The distribution characteristics of the three-dimensional flow field under the slot die would cause the fibers at different positions to bear inconsistent air force. The air velocity of the spinning centerline is higher than that around it, which is more conducive to fiber diameter attenuation. The violent fluctuation of the instantaneous velocity of the airflow could easily cause the meltblowing fiber to whip in the area close to the die.
New form cultivated sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) with resistance to the herbicides Pulsar and Express
Authors: Christov Michail , Hristova-Cherbadzhi Miroslava
Published: December 2020

New traits that are useful for the cultivated sunflower can be received by applying classical breeding methods. A new form sunflower that is resistant to herbicides Pulsar and Express was obtained by hybridization between the sunflower mutant M-95-674 and the line HA 425. Test results from the period 2017–2019 confirm the resistance to both herbicides. This resistance can be transferred into other classical selected lines.
Zenodoros, Tetrarch der Ituräer – und Räuberhauptmann?
Authors: Hoffmann-Salz Julia
Published: December 2020

Wie alle ituräischen Dynasten wird auch der Tetrarch Zenodoros in den Quellen negativ dargestellt. Seine Abwertung als eine Art Räuberhauptmann verdeckt dabei das offenkundige Bemühen des Zenodoros, seine Territorien herrschaftlich zu durchdringen. Gerade sein Zugriff auf die Ressourcen führte zu einer intensiven ökonomischen Konkurrenz mit den Nachbarn, die sich in den negativen Quellenberichten niederschlägt. Der Beitrag zeichnet nach, warum Zenodoros in dieser Konkurrenz unterlag und welche Rolle dabei insbesondere sein Verhältnis zur römischen Zentrale spielte. Denn obwohl er etwa durch seine Münzprägung und vielleicht auch durch Bauprojekte versuchte, die an ihn als Klientelherrscher Roms gerichtete Erwartungshaltung zu erfüllen, scheint er nicht über ein ausreichend einflussreiches Netzwerk in Rom verfügt zu haben, so dass seine Nachbarn ihn um seinen Ruf und schließlich um seine Tetrarchie bringen konnten.
Quellen sammeln, Geschichte schreiben. Zur Materialität historischen Wissens im 19. Jahrhundert
Authors: Müller Philipp
Published: December 2020

Der Beitrag analysiert den für die historische Forschung im 19. Jahrhundert zentralen Konnex von Sammeln und Wissen. Forscher und Gelehrte verpflichteten sich im 19. Jahrhundert zunehmend, Aussagen über die Vergangenheit auf der Grundlage von materialfundierten Beobachtungen anzustellen. Diese autonome Setzung hatte zur Folge, dass Gelehrte in Abhängigkeit gerieten von Akteuren und Einrichtungen, die über relevantes Quellenmaterial verfügten. Die Fallstudie zu Johann G. Droysens neuzeitgeschichtlichem Debüt über den preußischen General Yorck von Wartenburg ermöglicht es, eine praxeologische Perspektive zu entfalten, um die komplexe Gemengelage aufzuzeigen, in der Historiker im 19. Jahrhundert allgemein operierten. Hier wird nicht nur die handwerklich-praktische Dimension des vorrangig als Theoretiker rezipierten Historikers Droysen sichtbar, sondern die Analyse zeigt repräsentativ am Fallbeispiel Droysens Elemente auf, die das Feld historischen Forschens im 19. Jahrhundert allgemein auszeichneten und mitstrukturierten. Die archivpolitische Maxime des secretum, die Mikropolitik von Forschern, Vermittlern und Unterstützern sowie Quellengeschenke für den Historiker seitens der Leser, all dies hatte maßgeblich Anteil an der Produktion von Wissen und manifestierte sich schließlich in Droysens historischer Studie. Die Untersuchung legt damit nicht nur einen für das historische Wissen und Schreiben konstitutiven Konnex von Quellensammeln und Geschichteschreiben frei, sondern erfasst zugleich ein produktives Moment historischer Forschung im 19. Jahrhundert, das bestehende Ideen und Begriffe veränderte und Narrative maßgeblich mitgestaltete.
Exchange Rate Forecasting Using Ensemble Modeling for Better Policy Implications
Authors: Tripathi Manas , Kumar Saurabh , Inani Sarveshwar Kumar
Published: December 2020

This study aims to contribute in the area of foreign exchange forecasting. Exchange rate plays an essential role for the economic policy of a country. Due to the floating exchange rate regime, and ever-changing economic conditions, analysts have observed significant volatility in the exchange rates. However, exchange rate forecasting has been a challenging task before the analysts over the years. Various stakeholders such as the central bank, government, and investors try to maximize the returns and minimize the risk in their decision-making using exchange rate forecasting. The study aims to propose a novel ensemble technique to forecast daily exchange rates for the three most traded currency pairs (EUR/USD, GBP/USD, and JPY/USD). The ensemble technique combines the linear and non-linear time-series forecasting techniques (mean forecast, ARIMA, and neural network) with their most optimal weights. We have taken the data of more than seven years, and the results indicate that the proposed methodology could be an effective technique to forecast better as compared to the component models separately. The study has crucial economic and academic implications. The results derived from this study would be useful for policymakers, regulators, investors, speculators, and arbitrageurs.
An equivalent quasinorm for the Lipschitz space of noncommutative martingales
Authors: Ma Congbian , Ren Yanbo
Published: December 2020

In this paper, an equivalent quasinorm for the Lipschitz space of noncommutative martingales is presented. As an application, we obtain the duality theorem between the noncommutative martingale Hardy space

h

p

c

(
ℳ
)

{h}_{p}^{c}( {\mathcal M} )

(resp.

h

p

r

(
ℳ
)

{h}_{p}^{r}( {\mathcal M} )

) and the Lipschitz space

λ

β

c

(
ℳ
)

{\lambda }_{\beta }^{c}( {\mathcal M} )

(resp.

λ

β

r

(
ℳ
)

{\lambda }_{\beta }^{r}( {\mathcal M} )

) for

0
<
p
<
1

0\lt p\lt 1

,

β
=

1
p

−
1

\beta =\tfrac{1}{p}-1

. We also prove some equivalent quasinorms for

h

p

c

(
ℳ
)

{h}_{p}^{c}( {\mathcal M} )

and

h

p

r

(
ℳ
)

{h}_{p}^{r}( {\mathcal M} )

for

p
=
1

p=1

or

2
<
p
<
∞

2\lt p\lt \infty

.
Instantaneous blow-up of solutions to the Cauchy problem for the fractional Khokhlov-Zabolotskaya equation
Authors: Jleli Mohamed
Published: December 2020

In this paper, we consider the Cauchy problem for a second-order nonlinear equation with mixed fractional derivatives related to the fractional Khokhlov-Zabolotskaya equation. We prove the nonexistence of a classical local in time solution. The obtained instantaneous blow-up result is proved via the nonlinear capacity method.
Die DDR als Operations- und Durchmarschgebiet der Vereinten Streitkräfte auf dem Westlichen Kriegsschauplatz
Authors: Diedrich Torsten
Published: December 2020

In den Warschauer-Pakt-Staaten wurde die Mobilmachung als die bereits im Frieden notwendige Vorbereitung auf einen »imperialistischen Überfall« und dabei als gesamtgesellschaftliche Aufgabe deklariert. Die DDR war mit ihrer geografischen Lage an der Nahtstelle der beiden Blöcke in besonderem Maße betroffen. Sie hatte die Aufgabe, ihr Territorium für die Offensivstrategie der Vereinten Streitkräfte des Paktes vorzubereiten und deren Kampfhandlungen und Bewegungen ökonomisch, logistisch und medizinisch sicherzustellen. Die von der Sowjetunion geforderte operative Vorbereitung machte das kleine Land zum weltweit größten militärischen Aufmarsch-, Sammel- und Konzentrierungsraum seit dem Zweiten Weltkrieg. Das führte auch zu einer ständig vorangetriebenen Militarisierung der DDR-Gesellschaft, die zugleich zum Instrument der Herrschaftssicherung der SED-Diktatur wurde.
Dänemarks Vorbereitungen auf einen möglichen heißen Krieg im Kalten Krieg
Authors: Wegener Friis Thomas
Published: December 2020

Während des Kalten Krieges existierte weithin ein stabiles Kriegsszenario im Ostseeraum. Vereinte westdeutsch-dänische Land-, Luft-, und Seestreitkräfte würden die Ostseeausgänge vor einem sowjetischen, polnischen, ostdeutschen Angriff verteidigen. Die Streitkräfte der sozialistischen Ostseestaaten würden auf der Kimbrischen Halbinsel vorstoßen sowie Landungskräfte gegen die dänischen Inseln einsetzen und damit die Flanken der Hauptoffensive in Zentraleuropa abdecken und die Sowjetische Ostseeflotte würde den Sprung in die Nordsee ermöglichen. Auf Basis genau dieser Annahme führten beide Seiten im Ost-West-Konflikt über Jahrzehnte ihre militärischen Übungen durch. Umso wichtiger gestalteten sich die Vorbereitungen, die bereits zu Friedenszeiten ergriffen werden konnten. Dieser Artikel fokussiert vor allem auf die westliche Seite und ihre Verteidigung des dänischen Raumes. Besondere Berücksichtigung finden dabei die folgenden Faktoren: Verstärkungen, Ausbau militärischer Strukturen, nachrichtendienstliche Tätigkeit, Kernwaffen und Zivilverteidigung.
Omnia in melius reformantur: Handelten römische Kaiser zukunftsorientiert?
Authors: Meyer-Zwiffelhoffer Eckhard
Published: December 2020

The paper seeks to examine whether Roman emperors legitimized their political actions with a view towards the future achievement of social and political order. The heuristic point of departure is Koselleck’s concept of ‚futures past‘ (vergangene Zukunft) which has been widely discussed in early modern and medieval research while its applicability to prechristian antiquity is still unexplored. The example of the so-called reforms of Augustus and Diocletian reveals that even in response to severe crises in the Roman Empire the emperors did not command any ideas of order in alternative to prevailing conditions. Neither did they have any ‚master plan‘ of coordinated reforms, but reacted in a situational manner with improvements of administrative practice which were mainly aimed at consolidating their power and authority. All ‚reforms‘ were pronounced retrotopically as a return to better days (restitutio) or as a preservation (conservatio) of ‚happier times‘ (felicitas temporum). Looking at the monarchical discourse of power and the messages exchanged in various media between the emperor and his subjects, it is evident that the dominant time regime of imperial chronopolitics lay in a ‚presentism‘ which extended the present, as ‚eutopia‘, into eternity and glorified it as a golden age, whereas the future was only envisaged in dynastic terms. The horizon of expectations of both the emperor and his subjects was restricted to present-day provision. Only Christians were able to imagine a worldly and transcendent horizon of the future. The political success and duration of the Roman Empire left no room for alternative horizons of possibilities, which also explains why the Roman Empire – in contrast to the Greek world – had no notion of utopia.
Klassizistisch oder innovativ? Zur Rechtsprechung von Diokletians Reskriptenkanzlei
Authors: Harke Jan Dirk
Published: December 2020

Modern research has established the prejudice that Diocletian focused on defending Roman law against the influence of primitive legal concepts of non-Roman origin and aimed to protect classical law from any kind of change. This is based, on the one hand, on circular textual criticism, which declared all innovations in the jurisprudence of Diocletian’s chancellery to be the result of later alterations of the primary texts, and, on the other hand, on the assumption that the parties to a dispute confronted the emperor directly with their own legal ideas, even though they knew that he judged only according to Roman law. An unbiased examination of Diocletian’s decisions on the law of obligations reveals a completely different picture: The rulings by which Diocletian’s chancellery purportedly reacted to popular legal ideas can almost always be explained by misunderstandings which stem from the concepts of classical Roman law itself. And once liberated from the exaggerated textual criticism of the 20th century, one can identify a variety of innovations that are more in keeping with Diocletian’s character than the obstinate conservatism that is commonly attributed to him in legal matters.
Media Bias: A Corpus-based Linguistic Analysis of Online Iranian Coverage of the Syrian Revolution
Authors: Al-Gamde Amaal , Tenbrink Thora
Published: December 2020

This study explores the influence of a government’s ideology on linguistic representation in a news agency that characterizes itself as independent. It focuses on the coverage of the Syrian civil war as reported by the Iranian news agency Fars, addressing the discursive constructions of anti-government powers in relevant online reports released between 2013 and 2015. Since the Islamic Republic of Iran was a major regional ally of the Syrian government, we questioned the extent to which ideological independence could be expected during a politically critical time frame. Taking a corpus-based linguistic approach, the study explores the semantic macrostructures representing the opposition as well as the lexical clusters and keywords characterizing the news discourse. The findings indicate that Fars’ representation of the Syrian Revolution was, to some extent, biased, despite its claimed independence of the government’s political stance. It excluded the Sunni social actors, suppressed the Islamic faction identity of the rebels and depicted the uprising as a war against foreign-backed militants. The rebels were stereotyped in terms of terrorism and non-Syrians. In addition, the analysis reveals Fars’ tendency to emphasize the power of the government, depicting it as the defender of the Arab land and foregrounding the discourse of international conspiracy against Syria. The results of this work project the dimension of media bias caused by the underpinning political perspective of media institutions.
Existence and uniqueness of the solutions of forward-backward doubly stochastic differential equations with Poisson jumps
Authors: Al-Hussein AbdulRahman , Gherbal Boulakhras
Published: December 2020

The paper addresses a system of nonlinear fully coupled forward-backward doubly stochastic differential equations with Poisson jumps. These equations are allowed to live in Euclidean spaces of different dimensions, and the system is Markovian in the sense that the terminal value of the backward equation depends on the terminal value of the solution of the forward one. Under some monotonicity conditions we establish the existence and uniqueness of strong solutions of such equations by using a continuation method.
Malliavin calculus used to derive a stochastic maximum principle for system driven by fractional Brownian and standard Wiener motions with application
Authors: Bouaziz Tayeb , Chala Adel
Published: December 2020

We consider a stochastic control problem in the case where the set of the control
domain is convex, and the system is governed by fractional Brownian motion with
Hurst parameter

H
∈

(

1
2

,
1
)

{H\in(\frac{1}{2},1)}

and standard Wiener
motion. The criterion to be minimized is in the general form, with initial
cost. We derive a stochastic maximum principle of optimality by using two famous
approaches. The first one is the Doss–Sussmann transformation and the second one is the
Malliavin derivative.
Decoding of facial expressions of pain in avatars: does sex matter?
Authors: Meister Eleonora , Horn-Hofmann Claudia , Kunz Miriam , Krumhuber Eva G. , Lautenbacher Stefan
Published: December 2020

Objectives

The decoding of facial expressions of pain plays a crucial role in pain diagnostic and clinical decision making. For decoding studies, it is necessary to present facial expressions of pain in a flexible and controllable fashion. Computer models (avatars) of human facial expressions of pain allow for systematically manipulating specific facial features. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether avatars can show realistic facial expressions of pain and how the sex of the avatars influence the decoding of pain by human observers.

Methods

For that purpose, 40 female (mean age: 23.9 years) and 40 male (mean age: 24.6 years) observers watched 80 short videos showing computer-generated avatars, who presented the five clusters of facial expressions of pain (four active and one stoic cluster) identified by Kunz and Lautenbacher (2014). After each clip, observers were asked to provide ratings for the intensity of pain the avatars seem to experience and the certainty of judgement, i.e. if the shown expression truly represents pain.

Results

Results show that three of the four active facial clusters were similarly accepted as valid expressions of pain by the observers whereas only one cluster (“raised eyebrows”) was disregarded. The sex of the observed avatars influenced the decoding of pain as indicated by increased intensity and elevated certainty ratings for female avatars.

Conclusions

The assumption of different valid facial expressions of pain could be corroborated in avatars, which contradicts the idea of only one uniform pain face. The observers’ rating of the avatars’ pain was influenced by the avatars’ sex, which resembles known observer biases for humans. The use of avatars appeared to be a suitable method in research on the decoding of the facial expression of pain, mirroring closely the known forms of human facial expressions.
Do intensity of pain alone or combined with pain duration best reflect clinical signs in the neck, shoulder and upper limb?
Authors: Veiersted Kaj Bo , Hanvold Therese N. , Lunde Lars-Kristian , Koch Markus , Knardahl Stein , Wærsted Morten
Published: December 2020

Objectives

It is important to validate self-reported musculoskeletal pain used in epidemiological studies for evaluation of pain outcome measures. The main objective of this paper was to assess the association between self-reported neck/shoulder/upper limb pain and clinical signs of disorders in the region, especially by comparing a measure that only used pain intensity with a measure that combined pain intensity and pain duration.

Methods

Four hundred and twenty technical school students of both genders were included with a median age of 17 years (16–28). The students stated the pain in four intensity grades and the pain duration in four period lengths within the preceding four weeks period. A pain severity index was calculated by multiplying the pain intensity (0–3) and the duration (1–4). A clinical examination was performed within a week after completing the form. The associations were evaluated by agreement, correlation and symmetric strength of association (contingency).

Results

The study found low correlation and low positive agreement for neck/shoulder and upper limb pain related to clinical signs of disorders in the region. However, the relationship showed high negative agreement and high contingency. The negative agreement increased for the neck/shoulder region with higher cut-off points for dichotomization, but not for the upper limb region. The index combining reports of pain intensity with pain duration, do not improve agreement, correlation or contingency with clinical signs compared to use of pain intensity alone.

Conclusions

This study showed an association between self-reported neck/shoulder/upper limb pain intensity and clinical signs of musculoskeletal disorders of the region. An index combining pain intensity and duration (Pain Severity Index) did not increase this association. From the results we suggest using pain intensity reports alone and if dichotomizing is wanted, choosing a cut-off point at high pain levels, especially for neck and shoulder pain.
Some comments on enzyme kinetics studies
Authors: Acan N. Leyla
Published: December 2020

Molecular and kinetic characterizations of the enzymes that lead to the identification of the biochemical reactions constitute an important area of biochemistry. In kinetic studies, kinetic constants and reaction mechanisms are investigated. These studies may lead to novel drug design. Correct results require a precise study and sufficient knowledge. Here, I try to point out some aspects of the enzyme kinetics studies I noted when I had been assigned as a reviewer for several journals. I hope these suggestions may be helpful to the researchers in their future work.
A data analysis study: is there a relationship between 25(OH)D deficiency and iron-deficient anaemia in the pediatric population?
Authors: Gul Huseyin Fatih , Bozkurt Hayrunnisa Bekis , Özbolat Güluzar , Celik Seda
Published: December 2020

Objectives

The purpose of this retrospective study was to investigate the relationship between 25 OH vitamin D (25[OH]D) deficiency and iron-deficient anaemia (IDA) in the pediatric population. This was aimed to provide a better insight to IDA follow-up and treatment.

Methods

The data of 120 patients diagnosed with IDA and 125 healthy pediatric patients were analyzed retrospectively. Serum vitamin B12, Folate and 25(OH)D levels, between IDA and healthy groups were evaluated. The relationship between vitamins levels and IDA parameters were examined. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess whether 25(OH)D deficiency levels were an independent risk factor for diagnosing IDA.

Results

In the comparison of vitamins levels between groups, only mean serum 25(OH)D levels were found to be statistically significantly (p=0.000) lower (13.00 ± 2.50 ng/mL) in the group with IDA compared to the healthy group (25.98 ± 3.66 ng/mL). There were strong positive correlations between 25(OH)D deficiency levels and IDA. The deficiency of 25(OH)D levels was not found to be an independent risk factor for IDA (ORs: 0.958, 95%CI: 0.917–1.000).

Conclusions

Although current results confirm the association between 25(0H)D deficiency and IDA in pediatric patients, they indicate that there was no independent risk factor for IDA.