bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The State Administration of the German Colonies of the Russian Empire in the Second Half of the Nineteenth Century
Authors: Sinko Galina , Shaidurov Vladimir , Guseynova Asiyat
Published: October 2021

German migration to the Russian state has a long history. Between the sixteenth and the mid-eighteenth centuries, prisoners of war captured during the Livonian War (1558–1583) and persons invited to Russia by the Muscovite grand princes and Russian tsars (Ivan III, Ivan IV, Peter I, etc.) settled in Russia. In the second half of the eighteenth century, the resettlement of Germans became part of the state’s migration policy, which determined the fate of one of the empire’s most numerous ethnic minorities for many decades. This article deals with changes to the administration of German rural settlements in the Russian Empire in the second half of the nineteenth century. This period was important for the legal status of foreign colonies due to the adoption of the Statute of Colonies of 1857, which provided detailed regulation of the rights and obligations of foreign colonists. One of the tasks of the political, economic, and social reforms of the 1860s–1870s was the unification of the rural population and the elimination of the social exclusivity of foreign colonists. A pragmatic approach regarding the use of colonists for the settlement and rational development of empty territories brought positive results for these regions. The analysis here makes it possible to consider the measures taken by the Russian authorities to streamline the legislation, norms, and rules for the economic, administrative, everyday, and spiritual life of German colonists. With the help of comparative analysis, the authors study changes in state policy towards foreign colonists and the abolition of privileges as a result of the adoption of the law “the supremely approved rules about the management of settler-owners (former colonists)” on 4 June 1871. The study makes it possible to assess the impact of large-scale administrative changes on various spheres of life and activities of the German colonists, a separate category of the Russian Empire’s population.
The Destinies of German-Born People in Russia at the Turn of the Millennium
Authors: Thorvaldsen Gunnar
Published: October 2021

This article studies the stories of Russian citizens who were born in Germany but reside in Russia. Most of them had relocated to Russia as a result of the withdrawal of Russian troops from Germany after 1990. Analysing individual data from the 2002 and 2010 censuses, the author traces the lives of children born into the families of Soviet military men based in East Germany after World War II. Over 140,000 such migrants can be found in the 2002 census, far more than from any other country that was not part of the Soviet Union. Repatriation was accomplished from 1991 to 1994; and even though Germany financed part of the operation, it was necessary to solve the problems of accommodation and employment of the military men and their families locally. As a result of the study, the author manages to determine the territories inhabited by Russians born in Germany in the early twenty-first century. The number of people among them who speak foreign languages and have post-secondary education is higher than average, which testifies to the fact that the joint effort of the two countries was more beneficial for the future of the people born in Germany than might have been expected. The competence and education they acquired, together with the social networks between those repatriated, added significantly to their human capital and their contributions to Russian society.
The Last Princes of Tarusa in the Synodikon of the Moscow Cathedral of the Dormition
Authors: Khoruzhenko Oleg
Published: October 2021

New data on the genealogy of the princes of Tarusa in the Synodikon of the Cathedral of the Dormition in Moscow are compared with rare mentions of representatives of this family in the testaments and treaties of the grand princes of Muscovy from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, as well as other sources. Some researchers suggested identifying the princes of Tarusa in these sources with representatives of other families, i. e. Prince Vasily Ivanovich of Tarusa in the Moscow-Lithuanian treaty of 1449 with Prince Vasily Ivanovich of Obolensk, Prince Ivan Borisovich of Tarusa in the razryad of the Smolensk campaign of 1502 with Prince Ivan Borisovich of Ruza, and Princess Evdokia of Tarusa in the grand princely testament of 1504 with Grand Princess Evdokia, the widow of Dmitry Donskoy. The author demonstrates that the commemoration of the princes of Tarusa in the Synodikon of the Moscow Cathedral of the Dormition provides grounds for a literal interpretation of the mentions of this family between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, while the identifications proposed in the literature require unnecessarily risky presumptions.
A Promissory Note on a Wooden Tablet from Mangazeya
Authors: Vershinin Evgeny , Vizgalov Georgy
Published: October 2021

The reason that prompted the authors to write this article was an archaeological artifact (found in 2009 during excavations of the Mangazeya settlement) in the form of a pine tablet with Cyrillic letters carved on it. The analysis of the inscription demonstrates that it was neither an educational text nor a meaningless set of letters. This was a completely coherent document, called “a debt bondage” (Rus. кабала) in the seventeenth century and earlier and “a promissory note” later. The document refers to private legal acts, but due to the absence of surnames and the names of witnesses confirming its contents, it is difficult to consider this promissory note a completed legal act. The appearance and content of the tablet refer to similar private legal acts from the northwest of Russia (Veliky Novgorod and Pskov) and demonstrate certain archaic features. This proves the survivability of northern Russian culture in colonised northern Siberia (where for obvious reasons there was a deficit of paper, an already common material in the seventeenth century). The promissory note from Mangazeya is a sample of everyday writing, a rather archaic form of private legal act that existed in the Novgorodian north long before the start of the Russian colonisation of Siberia.
A high temperature optical filter using Si/Si3N4 one dimensional photonic crystal for GaSb thermophotovoltaic applications
Authors: Chakraborty Sohom , Ghosh Rajib , Chatterjee Abir
Published: October 2021

Photonic crystals (PhCs) can control the light flow in certain directions and it can be used for different applications. Specific type of 1D PhC can be used in Thermophotovoltaic systems (TPVs), where PhC can act as an optical filter and can enhance the efficiency of the TPV system.
In this work, GaSb is used as a semiconductor convertor in TPV system. The 1D PhC (Si/Si3N4) optical filter reflects the photons whose wavelengths lie in the photonic bandgap range while transmits the photons which lie in its passband range. The reflected photons go back
to the radiator for recycling and the transmitted photons go to the GaSb semiconductor convertor. Use of Si3N4 has been proposed due to its excellent thermal shock absorbing capability and high temperature applications. In this study, the thicknesses of Si layers and
Si3N4 layers are considered as 145 nm and 200 nm respectively. The designed PhC optical filter has a stopband in the range 1788 nm to 2233 nm which corresponds to the bandgap of GaSb. The designed filter has a passband in the range of 991 nm to 1788 nm which makes it
transmit the above bandgap photons to GaSb. The passband also makes it suitable for use in other optical communication applications.
Dijital Ortamlarda Benlik Sunumu ve Kimlik İnşası
Authors: KIRAN Özgür
Published: October 2021

Bu araştırmada sosyal medyayı yaygın olarak kullanan bir yaş kategorisi olan üniversite gençlerinin sosyal medya araçlarında nasıl bir benlik sunumu sergilediklerinin istatistiksel olarak ölçülmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırmada temel problem; üniversite öğrencilerinin sosyal medya kullanım durumları ile benlik sunumları arasında bir ilişki olup olmadığının ortaya konulmasıdır. Araştırmanın evreni Samsun Üniversitesi ve Ondokuz Mayıs Üniversitesi öğrencileridir. Örneklemi ise 2019-2020 eğitim öğretim yılında öğrenim görmekte olan Samsun Üniversitesi İktisadi, İdari ve Sosyal Bilimler Fakültesi, Havacılık ve Uzay Bilimleri Fakültesi öğrencileri ile Ondokuz Mayıs Üniversitesi Fen-Edebiyat Fakültesi, Eğitim Fakültesi, Tıp Fakültesi, Diş Hekimliği Fakültesi, Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesi, Hukuk Fakültesi, İlahiyat Fakültesi, Güzel Sanatlar Fakültesi, Mimarlık Fakültesi ve Meslek Yüksek Okulu öğrencileri arasından kolayada örneklem yolyla geri dönenler oluşturmaktadır. Araştırmada gençlerin sosyo demografik özellikleri ile sosyal medya kullanım durumlarını ölçen bir adet anket formu ile benlik sunumlarını ölçmeyi amaçlayan ve Türkçe standardizasyonu Atay (2009) tarafından yapılmış olan “Narsisistik Kişilik Envanteri” kullanılmıştır. Anket internet üzerinden çevrimiçi uygulanmıştır. Verilerin Cronbach’s Alpha değeri 0,63; KMO değeri 0,701; Bartletts küresellik testi P=0,00<0,05 bulunmuştur. Öğrencilerin sosyal medyada en fazla Instagram kullandıkları görülürken, bunu Whatsapp ve Twitter takip etmektedir. Katılımcıların büyük çoğunluğu sosyal medyada kendi gerçek isimlerini ve yine büyük çoğunluğu profil resmi olarak kendi resimlerini kullanmaktadırlar. Sosyal medyada profil resmi değiştirme sıklıkları “yılda bir veya birkaç kez” şekildedir. Bunu “ayda bir veya birkaç kez” değiştirenler takip etmektedir. Fotoğraf paylaşma sıklıkları ise düzensiz aralıklar (ayda/yılda birkaç kez) şeklindedir. Cinsiyet değişkenine göre katılımcılıların narsisizm puanları arasında fark bulunmuştur. Kadın öğrencilerde kendine yeterlilik ve hak iddia etme faktör ortalamaları yüksekken, erkek öğrencilerde otorite, teşhircilik ve sömürücülük faktörleri yüksektir. Araştırma problemlerine göre üniversite öğrencilerinin sosyal medyayı yoğun olarak kullanmalarına karşın benlik algılarında narsistik kişilik özelliği taşımadıkları, sosyo-demografik özellikleri ve sosyal medya kullanımları ile narsisizm arasında anlamlı ilişki bulunmadığı tespit edilmiştir.
Norbert Elias’ta Ölüm Kavramı Üzerine Bir Değerlendirme
Authors: ÇAĞLI KAYNAK Elif
Published: October 2021

İçerisinde bulunduğumuz dönem ölümün sayılarla ifade edilir hale geldiği, tablodaki rakamların normalleştiği arkasındaki sosyal boyutun görünmez kılındığı bir şekilde karşımıza çıkmaktadır. Hastanede veya evde izole şekilde hastalıkla mücadele ederken belki de hiç olmadığı kadar Elias’ın medeni toplumlardaki ölümün yalnızlaşmasını ele alış biçimini tekrar değerlendirmekte fayda var. Hijyen alanlarına hapsedilip, yaşamın kıyısına itilen ölüm ve ölme hali aslında bizlere ne kadar da ötelesek yakınımızda olduğunu tekrar hatırlatırken ölüm kavramının sadece biyolojik değil aynı zamanda sosyolojik öğelerle de değerlendirmenin gerekliliği bu dönemde bir kez daha karşımıza çıkıyor. Bu nedenle bu makalenin amacı ölüm kavramının Elias tarafından nasıl analiz edildiğini açıklamaya çalışmak ve bunu yaparken çeşitli eserlerini bir arada değerlendirerek kavramın hem ilişkiselliğini hem de Elias’ın kendi yazıları içindeki bağlantıları ortaya koyabilmektir. Ölüm kavramının modernite ile olan ilişkisi, tarihsel süreç içerisinde nasıl değiştiği bu çerçevede değerlendirilerek ele alınacaktır. Böylelikle gündelik yaşamın kıyısına itilen bir olgu olan ölüm tekrar yaşamın bir parçası olarak analiz edilme imkânına sahip olacaktır. Orta Çağ’dan günümüze ölüm kavramının değişimini algılamak hem bugüne ışık tutarken hem de toplumsal yapının değişimiyle gündelik yaşamın en belirgin olgusunda nasıl bir değişiklik meydana geldiğini göstermesi açısından anlamlıdır. Ölümün bireysel, toplumsal, ulusal ve hatta bugünün koşullarında küresel bir mesele haline gelip gelmediğini tarihsel ve sosyolojik açıdan bakarak kavramak oldukça önemlidir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Siyaset sosyolojisi, Ölüm, Yalnızlık, Modernleşme
Gelişmekte Olan Ekonomilerde Finansal Gelişmişlik ve Ekonomik Büyüme İlişkisi
Authors: TUNCAY Özhan , ORUÇ Duygu
Published: October 2021

Sürdürülebilir bir ekonomik büyümenin gerçekleştirilmesi gerek gelişmiş ve gerekse de gelişmekte olan ülkelerin temel hedefidir. Bu hedefin gerçekleştirilebilmesinde finansal sistem önemli bir rol üstlenmektedir. Finansal gelişme, finansal sistemin büyüklüğü ve finansal yapıdaki değişim olarak tanımlanmakta ve tasarrufları artırarak yatırımlara dönüşebilmesini sağlamaktadır. Finansal gelişmişliğin incelenmesinde kısa ve uzun dönemli süreçte finansal yapıda meydana gelen değişiklikler ön plana çıkmakta ve finansal yapıyı oluşturan bileşenlerden finansal araçlar, finansal kurumlar ve bunların çeşitliliğindeki artış önem kazanmaktadır.Finansal gelişme ile büyüme ilişkisinin yönünün belirlenmesi, ekonomik büyümeyi artırmada gerekli olan yaklaşımların ortaya çıkmasına katkıda bulunmaktadır. Literatürde iki değişken arasındaki nedensellik ilişkisine yönelik iki yaklaşımın olduğu görülmektedir. Bunlardan ilki, reel ekonomi geliştikçe yeni finansal hizmetlere olan talebin artacağını savunurken; diğer yaklaşım ise finansal sektörün gelişmesinin ekonomik büyümeyi teşvik edeceğini savunmaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı ekonomik açıdan benzer olduğu düşünülen ve Türkiye, Tayland, Polonya, Romanya, Meksika, Malezya, Endonezya, Şili, Brezilya, Arjantin’den oluşan on gelişmekte olan ekonomi için 2010-2018 dönemleri arasında finansal gelişme ile ekonomik büyüme ilişkisinin incelenmesidir. Bu amaç doğrultusunda Tahmin Edilebilir En Küçük Kareler (Feasible Generalized Least Square- FGLS) yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Bu çalışmada finansal gelişmeyi temsilen; bankaların özel sektöre verdiği yurt içi krediler, özel sektör tarafından kullanılan yurt içi krediler, geniş para arzı, Tüketici fiyatları enflasyonu, devletin nihai tüketim harcamaları, gayri safi sabit sermaye oluşumu değişkenleri kullanılmıştır. Ekonomik büyümeyi temsilen Kişi Başına Gayri Safi Yurt İçi Hasıladaki yıllık yüzde büyüme değişkeni kullanılmıştır. Analiz sonucunda bağımsız değişkenlerden devletin nihai tüketim harcamaları dışındaki değişkenlerin anlamlı olduğu; geniş para arzının, özel sektörün kullandığı yurt içi kredilerin, enflasyon değişkeninin bağımlı değişkeni negatif yönde etkilediği tespit edilmiştir. Bankalar tarafından özel sektöre verilen yurt içi krediler, devletin nihai tüketim harcamaları ve gayri safi sabit sermaye oluşumu değişkenlerinin ekonomik büyümeye pozitif yönde etkisinin olduğu sonucuna ulaşılmıştır.
Türkiye’de Ücret Gelirlerinin Vergilendirilmesinde Vergi Adaleti: Sporcuların Vergilendirilmesi Örneği
Authors: ERGÜR Osman Kağan , KÖSTEKÇİ Ahmet
Published: October 2021

İnsanların toplu bir yaşama geçişi ile birlikte ortaya çıkan toplumsal ihtiyaçlar, devlet dediğimiz modern organizasyonlar tarafından karşılanmıştır. Devlet, bir yandan toplumun ihtiyaçlarını karşılarken diğer yandan kamusal ihtiyaçların finansmanını sağlamak üzere kamu gelirlerine gereksinim duymuştur. Bu süreçte vergiler, kamusal hizmetlerin finanse edilmesinde önemli bir mali araç olarak ön plana çıkmıştır. 20. Yüzyılda yaşanan gelişmeler ve devletin ekonomiye müdahalesiyle birlikte vergi, ekonomik ve sosyal amaçların gerçekleştirilmesinde de başvurulan bir araç olmuştur. Dolayısıyla vergiler, kamu harcamalarının finanse edilmesi, ekonomik büyüme ve kalkınmanın sağlanması ve gelir dağılımında adaletin tesis edilmesi gibi çok boyutlu bir yapıya kavuşmuştur. Ancak vergi sistemlerinin iç dinamikleri ve yapısından kaynaklı olarak vergilemede adaletsizlik söz konusu olmaktadır. Verginin sosyal amacının gerçekleştirilmesini güçleştiren böylesi bir yapı, kayıt içi ekonomide devletin vergi kaybına neden olarak verginin mali amacının da tesis edilmesini güçleştirmektedir. Buradan hareketle yapılan bu çalışmada, sporcu ücretlerinin vergilendirilmesinde uygulanan tevkifat oranları ve vergilendirme usulleri dikkate alınarak, vergi adaletsizliğine ve kayıt içi ekonomide devletin vergi kaybına neden olan unsurların tespit edilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Belirtilen amaç kapsamında yapılan araştırmada, Türkiye’de sporcu ücretlerinin vergilendirilmesinde uygulanan sistemin hem vergilemede adaletsizliğe hem de kayıt içi ekonomide gelir kaybına neden olduğu sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Diğer bir ifade ile herkesin mali gücü ölçüsünde kamu giderlerini karşılama yükümlülüğü altına girmediği tespit edilmiştir. Elde edilen tespitler dikkate alınarak, sporcu ücretlerinin vergilendirilmesinden kaynaklı vergilemede adaletsizliğin giderilmesine ve devletin gelir kaybının azaltılmasına ilişkin politika önerileri sunulmuştur.
Practical Language Processing for Virtual Humans
Authors: Leuski Anton , Traum David
Published: October 2021

NPCEditor is a system for building a natural language processing component for virtual humans capable of engaging a user in spoken dialog on a limited domain. It uses a statistical language classification technology for mapping from user's text input to system responses. NPCEditor provides a user-friendly editor for creating effective virtual humans quickly. It has been deployed as a part of various virtual human systems in several applications.
Reinforcement Learning for Closed-Loop Propofol Anesthesia: A Human Volunteer Study
Authors: Brett L. Moore Brett L. Moore , Panousis Periklis , Kulkarni Vivek , Pyeatt Larry , Anthony G. Doufas Anthony G. Doufas
Published: October 2021

Research has demonstrated the efficacy of closed-loop control of anesthesia using the bispectral index (BIS) of the electroencephalogram as the controlled variable, and the development of model-based, patient-adaptive systems has considerably improved anesthetic control. To further explore the use of model-based control in anesthesia, we investigated the application of reinforcement learning (RL) in the delivery of patient-specific, propofol-induced hypnosis in human volunteers. When compared to published performance metrics, RL control demonstrated accuracy and stability, indicating that further, more rigorous clinical study is warranted.
Ambulatory Energy Expenditure Estimation: A Machine Learning Approach
Authors: Shahabdeen Junaith= , Baxi Amit , Nachman Lama
Published: October 2021

This paper presents a machine learning approach for accurate estimation of energy expenditure using a fusion of accelerometer and heart rate sensing. To address short comings in existing off-the-shelf solutions, we designed Jog Falls, an end to end system for weight management in collaboration with physicians in India. This system is meant to enable people to accurately monitor their energy expenditure and intake and make educated tradeoffs to reach their weight goals. In this paper we describe the sensing components of Jog Falls and focus on the energy expenditure estimation algorithm. We present results from controlled experiments in the lab, as well results from a 15 participant user study over a period of 63 days. We show how our algorithm mitigates many of the issues in existing solutions and yields more accurate results.
International construction joint ventures as a resourcing model
Authors: Chao Qian , Ebun Rotimi Funmilayo , Bamidele Rotimi James Olabode
Published: October 2021

Shortages in materials, skilled labour and equipment are well known within construction industries, and impede performance on ongoing and pipeline projects. This study explores international construction joint ventures (ICJVs) as a resourcing model that could relieve pressures within the New Zealand (NZ) construction industry. The study goes further to identify the risks and constraints associated with ICJVs. There is a dearth of literature on the role of ICJVs and their impact on the industry within the context of resource acquisition. The data for this study were collected by way of the administration of an online questionnaire survey to a representative sample of contractors, developers and consultants. A simple descriptive method of analysis was employed for ease of understanding. The study established that materials and labour were the most demanding resources that ICJVs could help address in NZ. Risks associated with compliance with local regulations and certification requirements and those related to lead times were the most critical constraints for international material acquisition. The study findings also indicate that language and communication barriers and differences in the practice of rules and regulations were the most significant constraints for utilising international skilled labour.
Timelines and Temporal Pointing in Chinese Sign Language
Authors: Lin Hao , Kuhn Jeremy , Sheng Huan , Schlenker Philippe
Published: October 2021

We argue that Chinese Sign Language (CSL) provides new insights into temporal anaphora, as well as new puzzles. Partee (1973) showed that temporal talk in English involves abstract anaphoric mechanisms akin to pronouns, although with a very different form. Schlenker (2013) argued that in American Sign Language (ASL), one and the same overt pronominal form, the pointing sign, can have individual and temporal uses, but his data involved the same loci across domains: no formal property distinguished temporal from individual anaphora. We replicate ASL temporal anaphora data in CSL, but we also display a new finding: CSL allows for locus establishment and anaphoric pointing on two specifically temporal timelines, a sagittal one (past is backwards) and a vertical one (past is up). Not only can temporal anaphora be overt in CSL; it can also be morphologically distinguished from nominal anaphora (various interesting restrictions on the timelines are also described).
Formal variation in the Kata Kolok lexicon
Authors: Lutzenberger Hannah , de Vos Connie , Crasborn Onno , Fikkert Paula
Published: October 2021

Sign language lexicons incorporate phonological specifications. Evidence from emerging sign languages suggests that phonological structure emerges gradually in a new language. In this study, we investigate variation in the form of signs across 20 deaf adult signers of Kata Kolok, a sign language that emerged spontaneously in a Balinese village community. Combining methods previously used for sign comparisons, we introduce a new numeric measure of variation. Our nuanced yet comprehensive approach to form variation integrates three levels (iconic motivation, surface realisation, feature differences) and allows for refinement through weighting the variation score by token and signer frequency. We demonstrate that variation in the form of signs appears in different degrees at different levels. Token frequency in a given dataset greatly affects how much variation can surface, suggesting caution in interpreting previous findings. Different sign variants have different scopes of use among the signing population, with some more widely used than others. Both frequency weightings (token and signer) identify dominant sign variants, i.e., sign forms that are produced frequently or by many signers. We argue that variation does not equal the absence of conventionalisation. Indeed, especially in micro-community sign languages, variation may be key to understanding patterns of language emergence.Appendices:  https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/FN4XE
Resolving ambiguous polarity stripping ellipsis structures in Persian
Authors: Rasekhi Vahideh , Harris Jesse
Published: October 2021

Previous studies have shown that English speakers use a range of factors including locality, information structure, and semantic parallelism to interpret clausal ellipsis structures. Yet, the relative importance of each factor is currently underexplored. As cues to information structure and semantic parallelism are often implicit in English, we turned to Persian which marks information structure overtly via word order scrambling and uses the -rā morpheme to indicate definiteness/specificity on direct objects. To determine what strategies Persian speakers use to disambiguate clausal ellipsis, we conducted a naturalness rating study and sentence completion task on polarity stripping structures. Our results show that information structure and parallelism strongly influence correlate resolution in both tasks, but that a weaker preference for a local correlate emerges in scrambling in the sentence completion task. As these results diverge from those obtained in English studies, we speculate that the morphosyntactic properties of Persian constrain the strategies the processer uses in selecting a contrastive correlate and resolving ambiguity in stripping ellipsis.
Book review: C. Popan (2019). Bicycle Utopias Imagining Fast and Slow Cycling Futures. Routledge.
Authors: Paltoglou Aspasia
Published: October 2021

Cosmin’s book ‘Bicycle Utopias: Imagining Fast and Slow Cycling Futures’ invites us to imagine a different world where predominantly bikes are used (at least) for short-distance travel within cities and claims that the domination of cars is unsustainable and certainly not inevitable.  It also discusses the merits of slow cycling and warns that the needs for speed and eternal economic growth are not sustainable. He uses utopia as one of the methods to examine our commonly held beliefs and practices, along with auto-ethnography and other methods. This book will certainly make the reader think, question their practices and priorities, realize that today’s actions can shape the future, and that a car-centric world is not sustainable. A city dominated by slow cycling could encourage the development of the local economy and small coops for cycle repairs, deliveries, and generally helps create a virtuous cycle of sustainable, sociable and healthy living.  
The impact of adding fetal MRI to sonographically diagnosed intrauterine ventriculomegaly: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Mahmod Mostafa , Ragaee Sara M , Hamed Soha T , Abbas Ahmed , Mourad Mohamed A.F.
Published: October 2021

Objective: Intrauterine fetal ventriculomegaly (IVM) is one of the most commonly detected fetal anomalies. Prenatal diagnosis in IVM is considered a challenge with a significant impact on management. The current study aims to evaluate the added value of performing fetal MRI to sonographically diagnosed IVM.
Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted at a tertiary University Hospital in the period between January 2017 and March 2019. We included pregnant women with a single fetus sonographically diagnosed IVM (symmetrical or asymmetrical). First, a basic obstetric sonographic examination was done, followed by a detailed (2D/3D) fetal CNS anomaly scan for the detection of other associated anomalies. A fetal MRI brain scan was performed for all cases.
Results: Sixty women were included in the study. Of the 60 fetuses with IVM, additional findings were seen on MRI in 14 cases (23%), and most of these findings were identified in fetuses with severe IVM (about 50%). No additional abnormalities were identified in fetuses of less than 24 weeks gestation. Callosal and septum pellucidum lesions (29%), along with posterior fossa abnormalities (28%) and cortical malformations (21%) accounted for the most common additional significant fetal MRI findings. Fetal MRI sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values in correlation with those of prenatal ultrasound turned out to be notably higher, approaching nearly 100 %.
Conclusions: Fetal MRI for sonographically diagnosed moderate or severe IVM is recommended to guide clinical management.
Efficacy and safety of Elagolix in the treatment of endometriosis associated pain: a systematic review and network meta-analysis
Authors: Mattar Omar M , Namous Lubaba O , Ros Mohamed , Fathi Mohamed , Elgendy Fares A , Elghazaly Shrouk M , Ibrahim Ahmed H , Gadallah Ahmed , Faraag Esraa Abdelmon'em M , Sayed Omnia , Samy Ahmed , Abbas Ahmed M
Published: October 2021

Background: Endometriosis commonly presents with dysmenorrhea, non-menstrual pelvic pain, and infertility. Elagolix is an oral, short-acting, gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist acting through complete estrogen suppression.
Objective: To evaluate the evidence from published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) about the efficacy and safety of Elagolix in the treatment of endometriosis associated pain.
Search strategy: Electronic databases containing articles published between January 2000 and February 2020 were searched using the MeSH terms (Elagolix OR gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist OR GnRH antagonist OR antigonadotropin) AND (endometriosis) AND (pelvic pain).
Selection criteria: All RCTs assessing the efficacy of Elagolix in the treatment of pain associated with endometriosis were considered for this network meta-analysis, where five studies were deemed eligible for this review.
Data collection and analysis: The mean difference (MD) and confidence intervals (95% CI) for continuous outcomes including analgesic use, dysmenorrhea, non-menstrual pelvic pain, and quality of life were calculated.
Main results: Elagolix 250 mg reduced dysmenorrhea significantly, as compared to placebo, (MD = -0.41, 95% CI [-0.7, -0.13]) at 12 weeks, while Elagolix 200 mg reduced dysmenorrhea significantly (MD= -1.2, 95% CI [-1.9, -0.57]) compared to placebo after 24 weeks of treatment.
Conclusions: Elagolix 200 mg seems to be an effective drug with fewer side effects when used to reduce dysmenorrhea and non-menstrual pelvic pain after 24 weeks of treatment in patients with endometriosis.
Effect of dexamethasone on reducing pain and gastrointestinal symptoms associated with cesarean section: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Abdelmonem Mohamed , Sayed Fatma M. , Mohammed Omar M , Abdeltawab Ahmed K , Abdelmonem Hanaa , Hosny Manar M. , Masoud Ahmed T. , Samy Ahmed , Abbas Ahmed M
Published: October 2021

Background: Dexamethasone has analgesic and antiemetic actions that have been documented in the literature. Therefore, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate its overall effectiveness in reducing a variety of negative outcomes after cesarean section.
Objectives: To investigate the efficacy and safety of dexamethasone for reducing pain associated with cesarean section, nausea, vomiting, pruritus, postoperative need for analgesia, postoperative antiemetic requests and headache.
Methods: We searched PubMed, Cochrane CENTRAL, SCOPUS, and Web of Science for relevant clinical trials. We then performed a systematic review and meta-analysis, including only randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials. Our main population target was women undergoing elective cesarean delivery. The intervention under consideration was dexamethasone administered both by intravenous (IV) or subcutaneous (SC) over a variety of doses. The comparator was a placebo. Our main outcomes included: (1) perceptions as indicated by pain scores, (2) occurrence of nausea and (3) occurrence of vomiting. Secondary outcomes included: (4) occurrence of pruritus, (5) need for postoperative analgesia, (6) need for postoperative antiemetic drugs and (7) occurrence of headache. We assessed the quality of included studies using the risk of bias tool described in Cochrane's handbook for systematic reviews of interventions.
Results: We found that dexamethasone seemed to significantly reduce scores for pain at rest (p<0.001), as well as occurrence of nausea (p<0.001) and vomiting (p<0.001). The drug also showed significant reduction of negative symptoms in other secondary outcomes, including need for postoperative analgesia (p<0.001) and postoperative antiemetic drugs (p<0.001). However, the drug showed no significant effect in reducing headache and pruritus or in improving pain at movement scores.
Conclusion: Dexamethasone appears to decrease perception of pain at rest and protects against nausea and vomiting. However, it does not seem effective against headaches or pruritus.
Quantitative blood loss: a validation study
Authors: Ulmer Keely K , Radke Stephanie , Ryckman Kelli
Published: October 2021

Objective: To determine if quantitative blood loss would correlate to predicted blood loss based on change in blood concentration of hemoglobin.
Conclusion: The correlation between calculated blood using modified Brecher’s formula showed poor overall correlation to quantitative blood loss. There was a higher correlation at blood loss greater than 1500 cc which is where estimated blood loss has been shown to be most poor. Possible reasons for this poor correlation include maternal factors influencing hemoglobin levels, gestational age, error in blood loss calculation, inaccuracy of Brecher’s formula in pregnancy.
Confinement et continuité pédagogique
Authors: BADRINATHAN Vasumathi
Published: October 2021

Provoked in March 2020 by the global Covid 19 pandemic, the migration of education to virtual has not been without challenges. Like many other countries, India has been forced to implement virtual modalities in education as a response to the crisis. This study highlights the complex nature of EFL teaching and learning, the pedagogical and emotional difficulties caused by digital technology. It also sets out some recommendations for making better use of the virtual. Semi-directed interviews with teachers help us to identify the new situation, their perception of this change, and their strategies. They also allow us to identify the specificities of online teaching and learning of French as a foreign language.
Le pédagogique avant l’outil
Authors: GERMAIN RUTHERFORD Aline
Published: October 2021

In July 2020, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published a text in its Coronavirus Responses series (COVID-29) on The potential of e-learning for adults: early lessons from the COVID-19 crisis, where one of the priorities identified was the training of teachers in pedagogical design of quality online courses for effective learning (OECD, 2020). The TALIS Report 2018 notes that although a large majority of teachers in schools willingly participate in professional development activities, many still feel ill-prepared to use new media in their teaching. They would therefore like to go beyond basic digital skills to receive more in-depth training on information and communication technologies (ICT) and their pedagogical integration for quality hybrid or online teaching (OECD, 2019).
Cours de chinois pendant le confinement
Authors: GUO Jing
Published: October 2021

With approximately 1,000 students enrolled, the Chinese Studies Department of the Inalco (National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations) is one of the largest Chinese language training centres in Europe. Founded in 1843, this department has about 40 teachers who give more than 70 classes per week. The courses are held exclusively in the Institute's premises. The brutal confinement following the health crisis that the whole world has experienced since the beginning of 2020 has been a real shock for the students and teachers who have seen their working and studying conditions totally modified. How did the department arrange courses to ensure good pedagogical continuity? How did the learners follow these courses and what were their assessments of the effectiveness of the courses offered? This article presents the results of two surveys of undergraduate and graduate students in the Department of Chinese Studies.
Tâches, interaction et présence à distance
Authors: HOPPE Christelle
Published: October 2021

This article presents the highlights of the learning experience within the teaching-learning scheme of French as an additional language as it was proposed to international students at the university to ensure pedagogical continuity during the health crisis between April and June 2020. Through vignettes that give an overview of the course, it proposes, on the one hand, to reflect on the pedagogical choices that were made in order to measure their effects effectively. On the other hand, it looks at the role of the tasks and the way in which they stimulate interaction, articulate or organise the cognitive, conative and socio-affective presence at a distance in this particular context. What emerges from the experience is that the flexible articulation of a set of tasks creates an organising framework that helps learners to shape their own curriculum while supporting their engagement. Overall, the pedagogical organisation of the device has led to potentially beneficial creative and socio-interactive use.
WhatsApp, un outil pour les apprenants non scolarisés antérieurement
Authors: HUSY Pauline
Published: October 2021

A French as a foreign language workshop entirely on WhatsApp? Without video conferencing and with learners who do not master the written word? Without the confinement imposed so suddenly, this experiment would probably never have been carried out in Paris, with the group of beginner learners at the Paris Anim' centre in the rue de Buzenval.
Les sons et les bruits racontent ma vie quotidienne
Authors: LECLERCQ Isabelle
Published: October 2021

This text presents the context, the motivations, the course and the results of a didactic sequence which took place with an A1-A2 LANSAD public, from March to May 2020 during the first period of confinement due to the Covid-19. The main objectives were to ensure pedagogical continuity with the students while developing their auditory acuity through play.
Pandémie, défis et acquis
Authors: VAJTA Katharina
Published: October 2021

In Sweden, as elsewhere, Covid-19 has profoundly changed daily life, almost overnight, at all levels of society. But unlike most other countries, the strategy adopted by the government and the Folkhälsomyndigheten did not consider total containment as a realistic way forward. Instead, the recommendations given to avoid the spread of the virus were clear and, if not mandatory, formal and resolute. With a strong tradition of civic obedience and trust in the welfare state, the result was that Swedes mostly stayed at home, worked remotely when possible, and were not able to go to the theatre or the cinema, let alone travel or meet in large groups. In education, although schools remained open, colleges and universities were forced to move all their activities online, usually to Zoom.
L’apprentissage confiné
Authors: VERJANS Martine
Published: October 2021

The University of Hasselt or UHasselt has a long tradition of didactic innovation. From its inception in 1972, the academic year was divided into six six-week periods with only a few courses in each period ending with a final assessment. Subsequently, internships were scheduled from the beginning of the course so that students would have the most concrete picture possible of their future working environment.
In the early 2000s, it was decided that the training of students should prepare them as well as possible for a professional life integrating lifelong learning. In addition, their training should make maximum use of the possibilities offered by new technologies. At the same time, the university was instructed to examine how much and how different disciplines could use self-directed learning while reducing the volume of on-campus courses. The proposed target was one third face-to-face and two thirds self-directed. The calculation tool was the ECTS where one credit could only count for 27 hours. For a subject such as "Business French", which weighed six ECTS, this meant 54 hours of classroom teaching and 108 hours of autonomous teaching.
Fracture numérique
Authors: YUN-ROGER Soyoung
Published: October 2021

This article will provide feedback on one of our university distance learning courses conducted during the national lockdown in 2020. The choice of the implementation modalities of this distance learning was initially guided by our decision to ensure immediate pedagogical continuity, as soon as we entered the lockdown in March, while including all the students. These principles led to a technologically 'frugal' solution, in the sense that it required low-cost computer and communication resources, as opposed to video conferencing in particular. We will see how this solution proved appropriate in terms of pedagogical continuity and inclusion, in line with the initial intention, and we will also discuss, based on student feedback, the other pedagogical benefits that it proved to have and which led us to maintain its format over time.
Higher Education: Learning of students with disabilities in remote education in times of pandemic
Authors: Sugahara Cibele Roberta , Ferreira Denise Helena Lombardo , Branchi Bruna Angela
Published: October 2021

A new reality affected the educational system with the Covid-19 pandemic, significantly altering social life. Higher education institutions recognize the need to analyze the impacts of their measures on remote education, in the context of the pandemic, which affect each group of students, including people with disabilities. Efforts that deserve special attention in view of the potential of these people, as citizens who seek to build new skills from higher education. Brazil is not isolated in the face of this challenge, but the development of inclusive relationships for people with disabilities in remote classes and educational activities depends on the adequacy of the virtual environment to the characteristics and state of difficulty of the students to exercise their autonomy in the teaching and learning process. The experience reports, presented in this article, point out the learning challenges of students with disabilities during remote education in the Covid-19 pandemic. The classes and activities in the remote environment were at the heart of the establishment of a monitoring routine between student, teacher, monitors and a professional specialist in the accessibility program of the educational institution. In a scenario like the one presented, interventions to overcome limitations such as the construction of meaning to texts, due to the lack of reading skills and the capacity for abstraction, were successful. A collaborative support network of professionals is shown to be an important measure for welcoming the peculiarities of students, especially in remote education, and it shows in practice respect for their individual characteristics.
Teleworking: the challenge of work in the post-pandemic world
Authors: Schneider Patrick Verfe , Sugahara Cibele Roberta , Silva Luiz Henrique Vieira da
Published: October 2021

Since 2019, humanity has been affected by one of the most serious pandemics in recent history, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The number of cases and deaths scalation in Brazil and the significant socioeconomic challenges have led organizations around the globe to recommend isolation and social distance, to mitigate the pandemic impacts. In this context, organizations are looking for alternatives to the temporary interruption of business activities through teleworking. As it proves to be temporary, it begins to take on perpetuity contours, with companies announcing the sale of buildings and the extinction of their offices. The study identified whether initiatives presented elements of precariousness in the work relationship. To this end, the theoretical framework addressed the situation of work relations with the pandemic from the home office. The research method was based on a descriptive study with a qualitative approach and bibliographic design. The discussion showed that, after twelve months since the first confirmed case of Covid-19 in Brazil, it is necessary to regulate teleworking activities, with formalization by means of a contractual amendment, as well as checking if there is any expenditure of extraordinary resources by employees due to the new type of work. It was concluded that all world leaders should be engaged in combating precarious work and this extends to the context of the pandemic, to prevent the atypical modality from facilitating the loosening of labor relations
CIM in the context of smart cities: how the interoperability between BIM and SIG can assist the development of smart cities.
Authors: Dias Alvaro Jose , De Oliveira João Paulo Leonardo
Published: October 2021

Nowadays, Smart Cities are one of the most debated and discussed subjects related to urban development. Various technological and innovative processes are being integrated into society’s everyday life, aiming at fulfilling the new demands for a sustainable growth that is led by the citizens, by and large. In this context, the infrastructure sector figures as one of the most important points to reach that goal. This paper seeks to study the applicability of the Building Information Modeling (BIM), and of the Geographic Information System (GIS) to Smart Cities, highlighting the main potentialities and challenges of the utilization of these processes. The study will be realized through a literature review of the most relevant works, focusing on the integration of technologies and placing the concepts of City Information Modeling (CIM) in the discussion. It is our understanding that the adoption of CIM concepts by city managers, and by the entire construction sector, could be an important step in the development of Smart Cities around the world.
Bruno Taut y la invención de los estándares globales para los conjuntos de viviendas a gran escala en el siglo 20
Authors: Bortolli Junior Oreste
Published: October 2021

Con un importante déficit de hogares, las transformaciones políticas y económicas en Alemania después de la Primera Guerra Mundial impulsaron la demanda de la construcción de viviendas. En consecuencia, amplias lagunas en el entorno de Berlín de otras ciudades alemanas fueron ocupadas por grandes conjuntos habitacionales - los siedelungs, que se concretaron gracias a la creación de sociedades sindicales y de cooperativas de construcción sin ánimo de lucro, así como la actuación de equipos arquitectos, destacando entre ellos al visionario Bruno Taut, autor de innumerables conjuntos habitacionales en Berlín y en otras ciudades alemanas. Seis de estos asentamientos urbanos en 2008 fueron elevados por la UNESCO a la categoría de Patrimonio de la Humanidad, de los cuales cuatro son de autoría de Bruno Taut.  Adoptando métodos tales como levantamiento bibliográfico y de visitas in loco, el presente artículo tiene como objetivo destacar la actuación de Taut frente a los problemas habitacionales refiriéndose, al mismo tiempo, a la trayectoria y a las posturas de Taut frente a sus invenciones, tanto en el campo de la vivienda colectiva como en sus propuestas para la Deutscher Werkebund - Federación Alemana del Trabajo.  Los resultados obtenidos llevan a afirmar que la obra de Taut preconiza la construcción de los conjuntos habitacionales e incluso de ciudades a los moldes racionalistas.