bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Side Friction of Rock‐Socketed Piles Involving Thick Sediment
Authors: Wang Tie Hang , Zhang Liang , Hao Yan Zhou , Jin Xin
Published: December 2020

This paper investigates the skin friction transfer characteristics of the rock‐socketed section of a rock‐socketed pile resting on thick sediment by conducting in situ core‐drilling tests and static loading tests. Test results show that when using the impact hole‐forming method in weakly cemented soil, a layer of sediment is deposited at the pile bottom. Due to the existence of sediment, when the load reaches a certain value, sudden and large subsidence is observed. This indicates that the end resistance does not contribute to the bearing capacity. Thus, it is not appropriate to consider both end resistance and side resistance in the existing design method of a rock‐socketed pile. The bearing capacity of a single rock‐socketed pile should be determined according to the side resistance of the soil layer and rock‐socketed section only. Numerical analysis is performed to determine the deformation and load‐carrying capacity of the pile and the distribution of friction on the sides of the rock‐socketed segment. Under a given applied load, small settlement is observed when socketed thickness and rock strength are relatively large. The distribution of side friction of the socketed segment along the vertical direction shows a double‐peak saddle shape. When the socketed thickness and rock strength are relatively smaller, the lower peak is higher than the upper peak, and conversely, when the socketed thickness and rock strength are relatively larger, the lower peak is smaller than the upper peak. For a given applied load on the pile top, smaller socketed thickness results in larger settlement and side friction. Due to the thick layer of sediment, the axial force of the rock‐socketed segment of the pile gradually decreases along the vertical direction from the applied load on the pile top to zero at the bottom. According to the mechanical properties at different shear stages, a function is derived for the complete constitutive model for a pile‐rock interface. Analytical solutions for the friction of a single pile are obtained under the conditions of failure and elasticity deformation of the surrounding rock. Its load transfer equation is derived as well. Accordingly, an equation is proposed for calculating the bearing capacity of rock‐socketed piles resting on sediment at the bottom.
Two Cases of Cranial Nerve Metastasis Treated with Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy in Patients with Lung Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Kobayashi Erika , Masuda Takeshi , Nakao Satoshi , Yamaguchi Kakuhiro , Sakamoto Shinjiro , Horimasu Yasushi , Miyamoto Shintaro , Nakashima Taku , Iwamoto Hiroshi , Fujitaka Kazunori , Hamada Hironobu , Hattori Noboru
Published: December 2020

The incidence of central nervous system metastasis is known to be high among patients with lung cancer. The frequency of brain metastasis and carcinomatous meningitis during the entire clinical course of non-small cell lung cancer is reported to be about 40% and 5%, respectively. In contrast, the incidence of cranial nerve metastasis is extremely rare, and detailed reports of its clinical course remain limited. Herein, we report 2 patients diagnosed with cranial nerve metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma and treated with radiotherapy and systemic chemotherapy. Both patients had cranial nerve symptoms, and brain magnetic resonance imaging showed cranial nerve enhancement. However, no evidence of carcinomatous meningitis was noted on magnetic resonance imaging and cerebrospinal fluid cytology. Based on these observations, these patients were diagnosed with cranial nerve metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy were performed in both cases. In both cases, neurological symptoms had not worsened and imaging findings did not indicate any deteriorations. Therefore, radiotherapy and systemic chemotherapy should be considered when treating cranial nerve metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma. Early therapeutic intervention may lead to attenuation of the cranial nerve dysfunction resulting from cranial nerve metastasis.
Factors Predicting Urethral Stricture Recurrence after Dorsal Onlay Augmented, Buccal Mucosal Graft Urethroplasty
Authors: Shalkamy Osama , Abdelazim Hassan , Elshazly Ahmed , Soliman Ahmed , Agha Mohammed , Tagreda Ibrahim , Hindawy Mohammed , Kotb Ayman , Farid Mamdouh , Ahmed Abul-fotouh
Published: December 2020

Introduction: This study was carried out to identify the predictors of urethral stricture recurrence after dorsal onlay buccal mucosal graft (BMG) urethroplasty. Materials and Methods: The medical records of patients with anterior urethral stricture who underwent dorsal onlay BMG urethroplasty at a single tertiary medical center during the period from March 2010 to January 2018 were reviewed. Only patients with ≥2-year follow-up were included. Data regarding patient demographics, clinical characteristics, stricture characteristics, postoperative course, and adverse events were recorded. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to assess the recurrence-free survival and likelihood of stricture recurrence. Cox regression analysis was used to identify potential independent predictors of stricture recurrence. Results: This study included 266 patients with a mean age of 37.71 years and a mean follow-up period of 49.77 months. From the overall study cohort, 34 (12.8%) reported stricture recurrence and 232 (87.2%) were not. The mean recurrence-free time was 79.93 months and mean time to recurrence was 21.59 months. On multivariate analysis, obesity (hazard ratio (HR): 6.02; 95% conference interval (CI): 1.91, 19.03: p = 0.002), inflammatory aetiology (HR: 9.13; 95% CI: 3.50, 23.81; p < 0.001), prior urethroplasty (HR: 8.81; 95% CI: 3.26, 23.86; p < 0.001), penile stricture location (HR: 3.09; 95% CI: 1.10, 8.71; p = 0.033), and stricture length >4.5 cm (HR: 6.83; 95% CI: 1.69, 27.62; p = 0.007) were the significant independent predictors of stricture recurrence. Conclusions: Dorsal onlay BMG urethroplasty has a reasonable recurrence-free rate with acceptable postoperative complications. Obesity, inflammatory etiology, prior urethroplasty, penile stricture location, and longer stricture were the factors associated with urethral stricture recurrence.
La labor paleontológica de Thomas Huxley
Authors: García-Peralta Luis Eduardo , Pérez-Malváez Carlos , Bribiesca-Escutia Guadalupe
Published: December 2020

Si toda la vida en la Tierra comparte un ancestro común, con la evolución como mecanismo diversificando gradualmente a través del tiempo, entonces, el registro fósil debería proporcionar formas graduadas intermedias. Sin embargo, para 1859 (año de la publicación de El origen de las especies), éstas aún no habían sido descubiertas. Para Charles Darwin (1809-1882), esto representaba una seria objeción a su teoría evolutiva e intentó explicar esta evidencia negativa a través de la imperfección del registro fósil. Por lo tanto, la paleontología era la clave que podía presentar evidencia a favor de la evolución. Thomas Henry Huxley (1825-1895), hallaría formas de transición que unirían grandes grupos animales sin relación aparente, por ejemplo, las aves con los reptiles a través de los dinosaurios. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue llevar a cabo una investigación sobre la obra paleontológica de Thomas Huxley, haciendo un especial énfasis en su apoyo a las ideas evolutivas de Darwin. Se llegó a la conclusión de que su labor paleontológica demostró que los hechos de la paleontología, en lo que concierne a las aves y a los reptiles, no se oponen a la doctrina de la evolución, sino que, al contrario, eran muy parecidos a los que la doctrina nos llevaría a esperar.
Nutrition gap in children, urban-rural
Authors: Bermúdez Jhael N. , Ayala Daniel , Herrán Oscar F.
Published: December 2020

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the nutritional situation of children under five years old from both urban and rural areas of Colombia. METHOD: Analytical study, based on cross-sectional data, collected from ENSIN-2015. The sample consisted of 12,256 children aged between 0 and 4 years old. We calculated the prevalence ratios (PR) with their respective 95% confidence interval (95%CI). PR were assessed by binomial regression models with malnutrition or overweight as the dependent variable and geographic area as the explanatory variable. We used context variables to adjust the estimated PR and control the confounder within. RESULTS: Acute malnutrition (weight-for-height) had a prevalence of 1.6%, while overweight had a 5.6% rate. No differences per geographic zone in the weight-for-height indicator were found. Stunted growth – chronic malnutrition – was higher in the rural area (PR = 1.2; 95%CI 1–1.53; p = 0.050). Prevalences adjusted by variables related to structural, social and economic developement showed that both the household chief’s educational level and the food insecurity of the area account for malnutrition. CONCLUSION: The height-for-age indicator works better to establish development level. Measures against coverage, relevance and quality of education and access to food can harm the nutritional status of the children.
Coinfecção TB-HIV
Authors: Cavalin Roberta Figueiredo , Pellini Alessandra Cristina Guedes , Lemos Regina Rocha Gomes de , Sato Ana Paula Sayuri
Published: December 2020

OBJETIVO: Descrever a distribuição espacial e temporal da coinfecção TB-HIV, assim como o perfil das características da população coinfectada no município de São Paulo. MÉTODOS: E studo e cológico e d e s érie t emporal c om d ados d o S istema d e C ontrole d e Pacientes com Tuberculose (TBWeb), incluindo todos os casos novos de tuberculose coinfectados pelo HIV residentes no município no período de 2007 a 2015. Tendências temporais do agravo foram analisadas por regressão de Prais-Winsten. Os casos foram geocodificados pelo endereço de residência para a elaboração de mapas com as taxas de incidência suavizadas pelo método bayesiano empírico local. Os índices de Moran global e local avaliaram a autocorrelação espacial. O perfil dos indivíduos foi descrito e as características dos casos com e sem residência fixa foram comparadas pelos testes de qui-quadrado ou exato de Fisher. RESULTADOS: Foram analisados 6.092 casos novos de coinfecção TB-HIV (5.609 com residência fixa e 483 sem residência fixa). A proporção de coinfecção TB-HIV variou de 10,5% a 13,7%, com queda de 3,0% ao ano (IC95% -3,4 – -2,6), e foi maior nos indivíduos sem residência fixa em todo o período. As taxas de incidência apresentaram diminuição de 3,6% ao ano (IC95% -4,4% – -2,7%), declinando de 7,0 para 5,3 por 100 mil habitantes/ano. A coinfecção apresentou autocorrelação espacial positiva e significativa, com padrão espacial heterogêneo e um aglomerado de alto risco na região central do município. A cura foi alcançada em 55,5% dos casos com residência fixa e em 32,7% daqueles sem residência. CONCLUSÕES: Os dados indicam um importante avanço no controle da coinfecção TB-HIV no período analisado. Todavia, foram identificadas áreas e populações que se apresentaram desigualmente afetadas pelo agravo, e que devem ser priorizadas no aprimoramento das ações de prevenção e controle da coinfecção.
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF DETERMINATION MODELS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PSYCHE AS THE BASIS FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS CONSTRUCTION FOR CHILDREN WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES
Authors: Pogozhina Irina N. , Egorova Varvara A.
Published: December 2020

Relevance. Specialists providing psychological assistance to children with developmental disorders use programs based on different determination models. Each model and the resulting technology solves a well-defined range of problems and has limitations. The content of the models, as a rule, is not reflected, which reduces their efficiency. Purpose of the work is to compare the models determining the development of the psyche and behavior as the basis for constructing programs of psychological assistance to children with special needs. Method. Theoretical critical analysis and synthesis of literature on the research problem. Results. The contents of determination models of the development of the psyche and behavior (classical, neo-classical, post-neo-classical) are compared according to 4 characteristics. The types of determination factors and psychological assistance programs for children with developmental disorders are analyzed. A comparative analysis of psychological assistance programs and deterministic models on the basis of which they are built is carried out. The limitations of the models when using them to build developing programs are highlighted and described. It is shown how groups of factors under study are taken into account in the content of training programs. The limitations of models are highlighted and described. An innovative technology and algorithm for studying the system of determination influences in the framework of the post-neo-classical model of the private level for their use in research and practice of helping difficult children is proposed Conclusions. Determination models can be practically reviewed as clarifying and complementing each other. Understanding the possibilities and limitations of intervention technologies developed on the basis of different models expands the possibilities of providing psychological assistance to children and adolescents with developmental disabilities. The groups of external factors that determine the indicators of the development of “difficult” children do not fundamentally differ from those of normo-typical children. Groups of internal factors related to the indicators of the viability of a child and adolescent with developmental disabilities can act as learning goals in the construction of programs for psychological and pedagogical assistance to difficult children. The analysis of psychological assistance programs for children with special needs has shown that they are based on classical and neo-classical models and have both strengths and limitations due to the concepts of the systemic nature of the human psyche embedded in the models.
FAMILY FACTORS OF AUTONOMY DEVELOPMENT AND SEPARATION PROCESSES IN ADOLESCENCE
Authors: Poskrebysheva Natalia N. , Babkina Aleksandra Y.
Published: December 2020

Relevance. Adolescence is an important stage in human life. It offers a lot of possibilities for personal development, but it also presents serious challenges, such as development of autonomy, the search for individuality. Parent-child relationships are generally considered a factor of the development of adolescent’s autonomy. Family psychology identifies adolescence as basis for a separate stage in the family life cycle. In this regard, it seems important to investigate the processes of separation and development of the autonomy of adolescents not only in parent-child relations, but in a wider family context. Objective. The goal of the research is to study the family factors of autonomy and separation processes development in adolescence. Method and participants. 51 adolescents in age from 13 to 18 years took part in the study. The following methods were used: questionnaires on autonomy and separation processes, family and child-parent relations, “Family Sociogram”, the incomplete sentences method. Main results. The main content of the ideas about independence and autonomy in adolescents is shown: adolescents determine their autonomy primarily through the behavioral aspect and alienation. Emotional differentiation goes difficult, and adolescents are often susceptible to emotional influence in relationships with significant people. Fear of losing sovereignty is negatively associated with family cohesion, expressiveness, and independence of family members. Neurotic denial of dependence on others is negatively associated with family cohesion, independence of family members, and transparency of family rules. Lack of acceptance of the adolescent, excessive emotional distancing and lack of consent and cooperation in the family is negatively connected with autonomy development and separation of adolescents. Conclusions. It is necessary to consider the development of autonomy and separation processes in adolescence in the context of family relations. Negative family factors are connected with separation difficulties and lack of autonomy in adolescence.
How Propaganda Works: Nationalism, Revenge and Empathy in Serbia
Authors: Kiper Jordan , Gwon Yeongjin , Wilson Richard Ashby
Published: December 2020

What is the relationship between war propaganda and nationalism, and what are the effects of each on support for, or participation in, violent acts? This is an important question for international criminal law and ongoing speech crime trials, where prosecutors and judges continue to assert that there is a clear causal link between war propaganda, nationalism, and mass violence. Although most legal judgments hinge on the criminal intent of propagandists, the question of whether and to what extent propaganda and nationalism interact to cause support for violence or participation remains unanswered. Our goal here is to contribute to research on propaganda and nationalism by bridging international criminal law and the behavioral and brain sciences. We develop an experiment conducted with Serbian participants that examines the effects of propaganda as identified in the latest international speech crime trial as causing mass violence, and thereby test hypotheses of expert witness Anthony Oberschall’s theory of mass manipulation. Using principal components analysis and Bayesian regression, we examine the effects of propaganda exposure and prior levels of nationalism as well as other demographics on support for violence, ingroup empathy, and outgroup empathy. Results show that while exposure to war propaganda does not increase justifications of violence, specific types of war propaganda increase ingroup empathy and decrease outgroup empathy. Further, although nationalism by itself is not significant for justifying violence, the interaction of increased nationalism and exposure to violent media is significant for altering group empathies. The implications of these findings are discussed with respect to international criminal law and the cognitive science of nationalism.
Labour in a Single Shot: The Deskilling and Mechanisation of Labour in Harun Farocki
Authors: Fletcher Alex
Published: December 2020

From the late 1960s until his death in 2014, the filmmaker and artist Harun Farocki repeatedly returned in his work to the subject of labour. This article examines a selection of Farocki’s films and video installations, delineating his recurrent chronicling of the historical trajectory of the labour process and technological development under capitalist industrialisation. In particular, it focuses on Farocki’s sustained investigation into capitalism’s drive to systematically displace forms of skilled craft from the production process by subordinating both manual and intellectual labour to an incremental process of deskilling and mechanisation, as well as his interrogation of the implication of various instrumental and automated visual technologies in such processes. In doing so, I underline the continuing significance of Marxist theory for analysing Farocki’s critical portrayal of capitalist modernity as dominated by an abstract and alienated historical dynamic toward the increasing rationalisation and control of production and social life.
Between Fantasy and Realism
Authors: Baldacchino Jean-Paul , Park Eun-Jee
Published: December 2020

English-language studies of Korean drama (Korean TV serials) have tended to focus on the transnational consumption of drama in the context of the ‘Korean Wave’ (Hallyu). Analysing the classification and reception of Korean drama and its interaction with Korean audiences, this paper argues that there has been a significant shift both in the dramas produced and in the audience expectations and interactions with these texts. Building on twenty-one in-depth interviews and ethnographic data, the authors analyse the gendered structures of identification with the characters of dramas. Korean dramas are increasingly held to a standard of realism wherein audiences expect them to represent ‘reality’ rather than a fantastical escape from it. The authors argue, therefore, that dramas are also fulfilling a social function in being able to represent and generate dialogue over social problems in contemporary Korean society.
A Strategic Compromise: Universality, Interdisciplinarity, and the Case for Modal Emotions in History of Emotion Research
Authors: Irish Bradley J.
Published: December 2020

Historians of emotion largely agree that their research can be usefully informed by interdisciplinary engagement with disciplines like psychology and neuroscience. There is, however, an immediate barrier to such interdisciplinary work: researchers in the affective sciences largely believe that human emotions are meaningfully universal, while historians of emotion overwhelmingly reject the concept of emotional universality. The current essay argues that, despite this fundamental difference, it is still possible for historians of emotion to learn from universalist affective science. This can be done, I suggest, by taking a cue from Klaus Scherer’s concept of ‘modal emotions’, which provides a roadmap for how historians of emotion might make a strategic compromise with universalist science – one that would allow them to access a much wider pool of interdisciplinary opportunity, but would not require them to sacrifice their anti-universalist beliefs. My paper proposes that emotion history will be better served by expanding the scope of its interdisciplinary borrowings, and offers a model for how this might be responsibly done.
Trading Halal: Halal Certification and Intra-Muslim Trade in South Africa
Authors: Tayob Shaheed
Published: December 2020

Halal certification introduces a new discursive and material basis for the regulation of Muslim consumption in a world of global trade and complex food technology. Through chemical tests and state of the art supply chain management the halal certification industry aims to replace the necessity of intra-Muslim trade for the practice of halal. This paper presents the approach of two competing halal certification organizations in South Africa in interaction with Muslim businesses. It argues that the aim of the halal certification industry to standardize, trace and trade in halal is limited by the communal practice of halal that emphasizes intra-Muslim trade and exchange. Halal certification is an incomplete recalibration of halal. Attention to Muslim business practices illuminates the limitation of audit cultures to the practice of halal, offering a view of the complexity of halal in practice.
The Four Basic Religious Themes in the Development of Philosophical Thinking in the West
Authors: van Haeften Chris
Published: December 2020

Introduction to the translation of “De vier religieuze grondthema’s in den ontwikkelingsgang van het wijsgeerig denken van het avondland” by Herman Dooyeweerd (1941), Philosophia Reformata 6 (4), pp. 161–179.
De-Universalising Male Normativity: Feminist Methodologies for Studying Masculinity in Premodern Islamic Ethics Texts
Authors: Ayubi Zahra
Published: December 2020

Historically, texts of the Islamic intellectual tradition characterised the ideal Muslim by exclusively referring to men and their concerns. Only recently have scholars of Islam begun to engage in critical study of the category of masculinity. This essay focuses on theories and methodologies of studying masculinity and manhood in premodern Islamic ethics. I demonstrate the gains to be made from gender-critical study of masculinity by way of consolidating approaches scholars have taken and arguing for feminist reasons and methodologies for unpacking male normativity. Because premodern Islamic ethics texts across multiple genres of the scriptural and intellectual tradition presume male readers and subjects, we must take male normativity, the assumption that Muslim ethics is for men, male bodies and practiced by persons marked by maleness, as our critical starting point.
Humility in Islamic Contemplative Ethics
Authors: Khalil Atif
Published: December 2020

From the origins of Islamic history, humility (khushūʿ/tawāḍuʿ) has occupied a central place in Muslim piety. This has been in large part due to its defining role in the Qurʾān and ḥadīths, and no less because it stands as the opposite of pride (kibr)—the cardinal sin of both Iblīs and Pharaoh in Scripture. By drawing on the literature of Sufism or taṣawwuf from its formative period to the 20th century—spanning the writings of such figures as al-Makkī (d. 386/996), al-Qushayrī (d. 465/1072), Ibn al-ʿArabī (d. 638/1240), Rūmī (d. 672/1273), al-Sha⁠ʿrānī (d. 973/1565), al-Darqāwī (d. 1239/1823), and al-Sharnūbī (d. 1348/1929)—the article examines the defining characteristics of this virtue, its marks or signs, and the dangers that lie in its embodiment. In the process, we shall see how humility occupies a place somewhere in between pride, conceit, and self-admiration, on the one hand, and self-loathing, self-denigration, and outright self-hatred, on the other. Although humility is, in theory, to be exercised towards both God and other human beings, the precise nature of its embodiment, as we might expect, varies in relation to both. The article ends with an epilogue on what it means to transcend humility altogether.
Contributions to the study of the grasshopper (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Gomphocerinae) courtship songs from Kazakhstan and adjacent territories
Authors: VEDENINA VARVARA , SEVASTIANOV NIKITA , TARASOVA TATIANA
Published: December 2020

Male courtship songs of 9 grasshopper species of Gomphocerinae from Kazakhstan and Orenburg region and Altai Republic of Russia were studied. We analyzed not only the sound, but also the stridulatory movements of the hind legs to more entirely describe the songs. We also analyze the frequency spectra of the songs and the whole visual display during courtship. The courtship songs of three species, Stenobothrus miramae, Chorthippus dubius and Ch. angulatus, were studied for the first time. In four species, Omocestus haemorrhoidalis, O. petraeus, Myrmeleotettix pallidus, Ch.karelini, we found certain differences in temporal pattern of the courtship songs in comparison with the previous data on the respective species from other regions. In five species, O. viridulus, S. miramae, M. pallidus, Ch. dubius and Ch. karelini, various parts of elaborate courtship songs differed in the carrier frequency. In four species, O. haemorrhoidalis, O. petraeus, M. pallidus and Ch. dubius, the dominant frequencies of the courtship song were shown to lie in the range higher than 20 kHz. The conspicuous movements of antennae and legs during courtship were studied in M. pallidus, S. miramae and Gomphocerus sibiricus.
Description of two new species of Sindosium Johnson, 2007 from Australia (Coleoptera, Ptiliidae)
Authors: NANKERVIS JASON F. MATÉ
Published: December 2020

As part of an ongoing inventory of the Australian fauna of Ptiliidae (Coleoptera, Staphylinoidea), several specimens were found in different berlesate samples from across the east coast of Queensland that did not conform to any of the genera currently known from Australia. The material proved to be two new species belonging to the genus Sindosium Johnson, 2007, Sindosium queenslandicum sp. n. and Sindosium lamingtoni sp. n. The species are described and compared to the other known species, a key to all known species is provided, and their distribution and biology are discussed.
Recent Water Mass Changes Reveal Mechanisms of Ocean Warming
Authors: Zika Jan D. , Gregory Jonathan M. , McDonagh Elaine L. , Marzocchi Alice , Clément Louis
Published: December 2020

Over 90% of the buildup of additional heat in the Earth system over recent decades is contained in the ocean. Since 2006, new observational programs have revealed heterogeneous patterns of ocean heat content change. It is unclear how much of this heterogeneity is due to heat being added to and mixed within the ocean leading to material changes in water mass properties or is due to changes in circulation that redistribute existing water masses. Here we present a novel diagnosis of the “material” and “redistributed” contributions to regional heat content change between 2006 and 2017 that is based on a new “minimum transformation method” informed by both water mass transformation and optimal transportation theory. We show that material warming has large spatial coherence. The material change tends to be smaller than the redistributed change at any geographical location; however, it sums globally to the net warming of the ocean, whereas the redistributed component sums, by design, to zero. Material warming is robust over the time period of this analysis, whereas the redistributed signal only emerges from the variability in a few regions. In the North Atlantic Ocean, water mass changes indicate substantial material warming while redistribution cools the subpolar region as a result of a slowdown in the meridional overturning circulation. Warming in the Southern Ocean is explained by material warming and by anomalous southward heat transport of 118 ± 50 TW through redistribution. Our results suggest that near-term projections of ocean heat content change and therefore sea level change will hinge on understanding and predicting changes in ocean redistribution.
Data Validation and Mesoscale Assimilation of Himawari-8 Optimal Cloud Analysis Products
Authors: Otsuka Michiko , Seko Hiromu , Hayashi Masahiro , Koizumi Ko
Published: December 2020

Himawari-8 optimal cloud analysis (OCA), which employs all 16 channels of the Advanced Himawari Imager, provides cloud properties such as cloud phase, top pressure, optical thickness, effective radius, and water path. By using OCA, the water vapor distribution can be inferred with high spatiotemporal resolution and with a wide coverage, including over the ocean, which can be useful for improving initial states for prediction of the torrential rainfalls that occur frequently in Japan. OCA products were first evaluated by comparing them with different kinds of datasets (surface, sonde, and ceilometer observations) and with model outputs, to determine their data characteristics. Overall, OCA data were consistent with observations of water clouds with moderate optical thicknesses at low to midlevels. Next, pseudorelative humidity data were derived from the OCA products, and utilized in assimilation experiments of a few heavy rainfall cases, conducted with the Japan Meteorological Agency’s nonhydrostatic model–based Variational Data Assimilation System. Assimilation of OCA pseudorelative humidities caused there to be significant differences in the initial conditions of water vapor fields compared to the control, especially where OCA clouds were detected, and their influence lasted relatively long in terms of forecast hours. Impacts of assimilation on other variables, such as wind speed, were also seen. When the OCA data successfully represented low-level inflows from over the ocean, they positively impacted precipitation forecasts at extended forecast times.
Digital Discretion: Unpacking Human and Technological Agency in Automated Decision Making in Sweden’s Social Services
Authors: Ranerup Agneta , Henriksen Helle Zinner
Published: December 2020

The introduction of robotic process automation (RPA) into the public sector has changed civil servants’ daily life and practices. One of these central practices in the public sector is discretion. The shift to a digital mode of discretion calls for an understanding of the new situation. This article presents an empirical case where automated decision making driven by RPA has been implemented in social services in Sweden. It focuses on the aspirational values and effects of the RPA in social services. Context, task, and activities are captured by a detailed analysis of humans and technology. This research finds that digitalization in social services has a positive effect on civil servants’ discretionary practices mainly in terms of their ethical, democratic, and professional values. The long-term effects and the influence on fair and uniform decision making also merit future research. In addition, the article finds that a human–technology hybrid actor redefines social assistance practices. Simplifications are needed to unpack the automated decision-making process because of the technological and theoretical complexities.
Mapping the cryptic spread of the 2015–2016 global Zika virus epidemic
Authors: Sun Haoyang , Dickens Borame L. , Jit Mark , Cook Alex R. , Carrasco L. Roman
Published: December 2020

Background

Zika virus (ZIKV) emerged as a global epidemic in 2015–2016 from Latin America with its true geographical extent remaining unclear due to widely presumed underreporting. The identification of locations with potential and unknown spread of ZIKV is a key yet understudied component for outbreak preparedness. Here, we aim to identify locations at a high risk of cryptic ZIKV spread during 2015–2016 to further the understanding of the global ZIKV epidemiology, which is critical for the mitigation of the risk of future epidemics.

Methods

We developed an importation simulation model to estimate the weekly number of ZIKV infections imported in each susceptible spatial unit (i.e. location that did not report any autochthonous Zika cases during 2015–2016), integrating epidemiological, demographic, and travel data as model inputs. Thereafter, a global risk model was applied to estimate the weekly ZIKV transmissibility during 2015–2016 for each location. Finally, we assessed the risk of onward ZIKV spread following importation in each susceptible spatial unit to identify locations with a high potential for cryptic ZIKV spread during 2015–2016.

Results

We have found 24 susceptible spatial units that were likely to have experienced cryptic ZIKV spread during 2015–2016, of which 10 continue to have a high risk estimate within a highly conservative scenario, namely, Luanda in Angola, Banten in Indonesia, Maharashtra in India, Lagos in Nigeria, Taiwan and Guangdong in China, Dakar in Senegal, Maputo in Mozambique, Kinshasa in Congo DRC, and Pool in Congo. Notably, among the 24 susceptible spatial units identified, some have reported their first ZIKV outbreaks since 2017, thus adding to the credibility of our results (derived using 2015–2016 data only).

Conclusion

Our study has provided valuable insights into the potentially high-risk locations for cryptic ZIKV circulation during the 2015–2016 pandemic and has also laid a foundation for future studies that attempt to further narrow this key knowledge gap. Our modelling framework can be adapted to identify areas with likely unknown spread of other emerging vector-borne diseases, which has important implications for public health readiness especially in resource-limited settings.
Investigation of DDT resistance mechanisms in Anopheles funestus populations from northern and southern Benin reveals a key role of the GSTe2 gene
Authors: Tchigossou Genevieve M. , Atoyebi Seun M. , Akoton Romaric , Tossou Eric , Innocent Djegbe , Riveron Jacob , Irving Helen , Yessoufou Akadiri , Wondji Charles , Djouaka Rousseau
Published: December 2020

Background

Understanding the molecular basis of insecticide resistance in mosquito, such asAnopheles funestus,is an important step in developing strategies to mitigate the resistance problem. This study aims to assess the role of theGSTe2gene in DDT resistance and determine the genetic diversity of this gene inAn. funestus.

Methods

Gene expression analysis was performed using microarrays and PCR while the potential mutation associated with resistance was determined using sequencing.

Results

Low expression level ofGSTe2gene was recorded in Burkina-Faso samples with a fold change of 3.3 while high expression (FC 35.6) was recorded in southern Benin in Pahou (FC 35.6) and Kpome (FC 13.3). The sequencing ofGSTe2gene in six localities showed that L119F-GSTe2mutation is almost getting fixed in highly DDT-resistant Benin (Pahou, Kpome, Doukonta) and Nigeria (Akaka Remo) mosquitoes with a low mutation rate observed in Tanongou (Benin) and Burkina-Faso mosquitoes.

Conclusion

This study shows the key role of theGSTe2gene in DDT resistantAn. funestusin Benin. Polymorphism analysis of this gene across Benin revealed possible barriers to gene flow, which could impact the design and implementation of resistance management strategies in the country.
Cesarean birth in the Global Network for Women’s and Children’s Health Research: trends in utilization, risk factors, and subgroups with high cesarean birth rates
Authors: Harrison Margo S. , Garces Ana L. , Goudar Shivaprasad S. , Saleem Sarah , Moore Janet L. , Esamai Fabian , Patel Archana B. , Chomba Elwyn , Bose Carl L. , Liechty Edward A. , Krebs Nancy F. , Derman Richard J. , Hibberd Patricia L. , Carlo Waldemar A. , Tshefu Antoinette , Koso-Thomas Marion , McClure Elizabeth M. , Goldenberg Robert L.
Published: December 2020

Background

The objectives of this analysis were to document trends in and risk factors associated with the cesarean birth rate in low- and middle-income country sites participating in the Global Network for Women’s and Children’s Health Research (Global Network).

Methods

This is a secondary analysis of a prospective, population-based study of home and facility births conducted in the Global Network sites.

Results

Cesarean birth rates increased uniformly across all sites between 2010 and 2018. Across all sites in multivariable analyses, women younger than age twenty had a reduced risk of cesarean birth (RR 0.9 [0.9, 0.9]) and women over 35 had an increased risk of cesarean birth (RR 1.1 [1.1, 1.1]) compared to women aged 20 to 35. Compared to women with a parity of three or more, less parous women had an increased risk of cesarean (RR 1.2 or greater [1.2, 1.4]). Four or more antenatal visits (RR 1.2 [1.2, 1.3]), multiple pregnancy (RR 1.3 [1.3, 1.4]), abnormal progress in labor (RR 1.1 [1.0, 1.1]), antepartum hemorrhage (RR 2.3 [2.0, 2.7]), and hypertensive disease (RR 1.6 [1.5, 1.7]) were all associated with an increased risk of cesarean birth, p < 0.001. For multiparous women with a history of prior cesarean birth, rates of vaginal birth after cesarean were about 20% in the Latin American and Southeast Asian sites and about 84% at the sub-Saharan African sites. In the African sites, proportions of cesarean birth in the study were highest among women without a prior cesarean and a single, cephalic, term pregnancy. In the non-African sites, groups with the greatest proportion of cesarean births were nulliparous women with a single, cephalic, term pregnancy and all multiparous women with at least one previous uterine scar with a term, cephalic pregnancy.

Conclusion

Cesarean birth rates continue to rise within the Global Network. The proportions of cesarean birth are higher among women with no history of cesarean birth in the African sites and among women with primary elective cesarean, primary cesarean after induction, and repeat cesarean in the non-African sites.
Addressing the relationship between perceived fear of COVID-19 virus infection and emergence of burnout symptoms in a sample of Egyptian physicians during COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Abdelghani Mohamed , El-Gohary Hayam M. , Fouad Eman , Hassan Mervat S.
Published: December 2020

Background

Physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic are working under relentless stress. This study aimed to identify the impact of the perceived fears of COVID-19 virus infection on the quality of life and the emergence of burnout syndrome among physicians in Egypt during the COVID-19 outbreak. This cross-sectional study was conducted between May 10th and June 9th, 2020, and included 320 Egyptian physicians who were working during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants were interviewed using the Fear of COVID-19 scale (FCV-19S), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Maslach Burnout Inventory, and World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale (WHOQOL-BREF) for assessment of the perceived fears of COVID-19 virus infection, associated anxiety and depressive symptoms, burnout symptoms, and quality of life, respectively.

Results

Overall, most physicians were females (63%). Ideas about death, moderate-to-severe anxiety, and depressive symptoms were reported by 11, 28, and 29% of physicians, respectively. For burnout symptoms, high emotional exhaustion, high depersonalization, and low personal accomplishment were reported by 20, 71, and 39% of physicians, respectively. The perceived fear of COVID-19 virus infection was positively correlated with anxiety, depression, and burnout emotional exhaustion, and depersonalization symptoms, and negatively correlated with personal accomplishment and all quality of life domains.

Conclusions

Egyptian physicians experienced higher levels of COVID-19-related fears, anxiety, and depressive and burnout symptoms. There was a robust correlation between these perceived fears, and higher burnout symptoms, and poor quality of life among physicians. Specific interventions should be tailored to minimize the physical and mental burdens on the physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A randomised controlled study of face-to-face versus internet-based teaching of CBT skills for healthcare professionals in Sudan
Authors: Ismail Ahmed , Rakovshik Sarah , Abdelrahim Sarah
Published: December 2020

Background

A need has been identified for affordable and scalable methods for disseminating cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT) to countries with barriers to traditional methods of teaching.

Objective

This study evaluated the effectiveness of internet-based teaching versus face-to-face teaching in improving the CBT theory, assessment, and formulation skills of a group of mental health practitioners in Khartoum, Sudan.

Method

Participants (N = 36) were randomly assigned to (a) a 3 h live lecture, or (b) a computer-based multimedia recorded lecture of the same duration. Participants were rated before and after training for their ability to assess a simulated patient and construct a CBT formulation of the presenting difficulties. Participants also rated the feasibility and acceptability of the training they had received.

Results

Both teaching methods resulted in significant improvements in participants’ abilities to carry out the assessment and formulation tasks. However, participants allocated to computer-based teaching performed better than those allocated to live teaching (between-groups effect size d = 0.26–0.74). Both teaching methods were rated as highly acceptable and feasible by participants.

Conclusions

Computer-based teaching could offer a cheaper and effective method to help disseminate CBT to countries with limited resources and expertise, replacing and supplementing other costly traditional methods such as face-to-face teaching.
Eco-evolutionary dynamics with environmental feedback: Cooperation in a changing world
Authors: Wang Xin , Fu Feng
Published: December 2020

Eco-evolutionary game dynamics which characterizes the mutual interactions and the coupled evolutions of strategies and environments has been of growing interest in very recent years. Since such feedback loops widely exist in a range of coevolutionary systems, such as microbial systems, social-ecological systems and psychological-economic systems, recent modeling frameworks that unveil the oscillating dynamics of social dilemmas have great potential for practical applications. In this perspective paper, we overview the latest progress of evolutionary game theory in this direction. We describe both mathematical methods and interdisciplinary applications across different fields. The ideas worthy of further consideration are discussed in prospects, with the central role of promoting cooperations in a changing world.
Electronic course "Introduction to engineering class"
Authors: Turanova Larisa , Styugin Andrey
Published: December 2020

The electronic course "Introduction to the engineering class" is an electronic educational course for the implementation of the module of the vocational guidance program of additional education for schoolchildren of a technical orientation. Powered by LMS Moodle platform, contains multimedia and interactive resources. Available through a browser with built-in FleshPlayer, no additional software required. The electronic course includes materials on mathematics, physics, astronomy. Classes based on the e-course involve the use of electronic course resources in teleconference mode and independent work mode.
Electronic course "PEDAGOGICAL SUPPORT OF PUPILS IN A DISTRIBUTED PROFORIENTATION CLASS IN THE CONDITIONS OF ELECTRONIC LEARNING"
Authors: Turanova Larisa , Styugin Andrey
Published: December 2020

Электронный курс является электронным образовательным курсом для реализации дополнительной профессиональной программы повышения квалификации. Дополнительная профессиональная программа повышения квалификации «Педагогическое сопровождение школьников в распределенном профориентационном классе в условиях электронного обучения» направлена на развитие у обучающихся в системе повышения квалификации компетенций, установленных ФГОС ВО / СПО, умений и знаний, установленных соответствующим профессиональным стандартом, необходимых для выполнения заявленных трудовых функций (ТФ): общепедагогическая функция (обучение), воспитательная деятельность, развивающая деятельность, педагогическая деятельность по реализации программ основного и среднего общего образования. Электронный курс работает на базе платформы LMS Moodle, содержит мультимедийные и интерактивные ресурсы. Доступен через браузер со встроенным FleshPlayer, не требует установки дополнительного ПО. Электронный курс включает материалы по темам: − Особенности организации профориентационной работы со школьниками в условиях цифровизации.
Planning, development, monitoring and evaluation of the Academia da Cidade do Recife action plan during COVID-19
Authors: Oliveira Danyelle de Cássia Ribeiro de , Holmes Tatiana Martins Ferraz , Lemos Emmanuelly Correia de , Tassitano Rafael Miranda , Pajeú Raquel Bezerra , Oliveira Gledson da Silva , Souza Luiz Eduardo Nunes de , Santos Renan Wallacy Yvson dos , Silva Charles Barbosa Gomes da , Silva Marcílio Paulo da , Campos Gabriela Maranhão Câmara , Silva Ricardo Augusto Menezes da
Published: December 2020

The aim of the study was to describe the Programa Academia da Cidade do Recife (PAC-REC) action plan during the social isolation requirement due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As temporary measures to confront the COVID-19, the City of Recife has published a contingency  plan, which suspended the non-essential services, including the presential operations of PAC-REC. Considering the program's commitment to the Unified Health System and to the Primary Health Care the PAC's board committee developed an action plan, restructuring its potential through the reorganization of remote activities to be offered to their users. The action plan has six stages encompassing planning (first and second), development (third and fourth), monitoring and evaluation (fifth and sixth). Despite the changes in the epidemiological scenario and the format of actions, the PAC-REC is maintaining its Health Promotion actions throughout its territory.
The Optimality of Call Provision Terms
Authors: Powers Eric
Published: December 2020

There is substantial variation in fixed-price call provision terms—call price premium and call protection. I investigate determinants of call price, call protection, and estimated call option value. Consistent with agency theory and asymmetric information models, I find that lower credit quality and opaque issuers choose higher call premiums, longer call protection, and overall less valuable call options. Higher-quality issuers, particularly financial institutions that struggle when interest rates are low, do the opposite.

This paper was accepted by David Simchi-Levi, finance.
Cacarequinhos ou Coleção de pequenas mortes
Authors: Tomé Piti
Published: December 2020

Os trabalhos apresentados fazem parte da série “Cacarequinhos ou Coleção de pequenas mortes” e foram feitos desde 2016 até os dias atuais. Nesta série, a artista relaciona objetos da natureza e fotografias apropriadas refletindo sobre a relação desses materiais com a morte.