bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A diachronic analysis of the FIRE character
Authors: Huang Danqing , Geeraerts Dirk , Zhang Weiwei
Published: January 2021

Chinese radicals are the semantic components of Chinese characters that generally indicate major concepts and categories. Characters that share the same radical may be semantically linked in various ways to the broad semantic category that the radical represents, and radicals may thus be considered a categorization mechanism to distinguish lexical meanings. Given the fact that FIRE is an independent character that can also be used as a radical in composite characters, the question arises as to what extent the semantic developments of the FIRE character and the FIRE radical are similar, i.e. does the FIRE radical develop independently of the FIRE character? Against the background of this question, this paper studies the diachronic semantic structure of the FIRE character, which will be compared to the FIRE radical in composite characters in follow-up studies. The analysis shows that the overall diachronic development of the FIRE character exhibits prototypical characteristics and a radial network structure.
Delayed treatment of bacteremia during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Miyagami Taiju , Uehara Yuki , Harada Taku , Watari Takashi , Shimizu Taro , Nakamura Ayako , Ogura Naoya , Kushiro Seiko , Masuyama Katsutoshi , Kanai Yoshinori , Yang Kwang-Seok , Naito Toshio
Published: January 2021

Objectives

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) blindness, that is, the excessive consideration of the disease in diagnosis, has reportedly led to delayed diagnosis of some diseases. We compared several clinical measures between patients admitted for bacteremia during the two months of the COVID-19 pandemic and those admitted during the same period in 2019. We hypothesized that the pandemic has led to delayed treatment of bacteremia.

Methods

This retrospective observational study compared several measures undertaken for patients who visited the emergency unit in two hospitals between March 1 and May 31, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic and whose blood cultures tested positive for bacteremia with those for corresponding patients treated during the same period in 2019. The primary measure was time from consultation to blood culture/antimicrobials.

Results

We included 29 eligible patients from 2020 and 26 from 2019. In 2020, the time from consultation to antimicrobial administration was significantly longer than in 2019 (mean [range], 222 [145–309] min vs. 139 [102–179] min, p=0.002). The frequency of chest computed tomography (CT) was significantly higher in 2020 (96.6 vs. 73.1%, p=0.021). Significant differences were not observed in the time to blood culture or chest CT preceding the blood culture between the two periods.

Conclusions

Our findings suggested that due to the COVID-19 epidemic/pandemic, focusing on the exclusion of its infection using CT scans leads to an overall delay in the diagnosis and treatment of bacteremia. Medical providers must be aware of COVID-19 blindness and evaluate patients objectively based on rational criteria and take appropriate action.
Fabrication of N-halamine polyurethane films with excellent antibacterial properties
Authors: Peng Panpan , Yang Jianjun , Wu Qingyun , Wu Mingyuan , Liu Jiuyi , Zhang Jianan
Published: January 2021

An N-halamine precursor, namely, 2-amino-5-(2-hydroxyethyl)-6-methylpyrimidin-4-one (AHM), was used as a chain extender in the preparation of a series of N-halamine polyurethane (PU) films, in order to also instill antibacterial properties. The mechanical properties, thermodynamic performance, and antimicrobial performance of the functionalized PU films were systematically studied. The results showed that the addition of AHM could improve the thermodynamic and mechanical properties of the developed PU films. Conducting tests in the presence of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus as the model microorganisms revealed that prior to chlorination the antibacterial properties of the chlorinated PU-AHM-Cl films improved significantly relative to the analogous films. The excellent antibacterial properties and the overall superior performance of the PU-AHM-Cl films allow their potential application in microbiological protection materials and related fields.
Weighted boundedness of multilinear Calderón commutators
Authors: Chen Yanping , Han Xueting
Published: January 2021

The main result of this paper is to give that if

b
∈

Lip
⁡

(

ℝ
n

)

{b\in\operatorname{Lip}(\mathbb{R}^{n})}

,

h
j

∈

BMO
⁡

(

ℝ
n

)

{h_{j}\in\operatorname{BMO}(\mathbb{R}^{n})}

,

j
=

1
,
…
,
k

{j=1,\ldots,k}

,

k
∈

ℤ
+

{k\in\mathbb{Z}^{+}}

and

w
∈

A
p

{w\in A_{p}}

,

1
<
p
<
∞

{1<p<\infty}

, then the multilinear Calderón commutators

T

Ω
,
b
,

h
→

{T_{\Omega,b,\vec{h}}}

with variable kernels are bounded on

L
p

⁢

(
w
)

{L^{p}(w)}

. In addition, the authors extend the above result to the Morrey space.
A non-commutative differential module approach to Alexander modules
Authors: Kontogeorgis Aristides , Paramantzoglou Panagiotis
Published: January 2021

The theory of R. Crowell on derived modules is approached within the theory of non-commutative differential modules. We also seek analogies to the theory of cotangent complex from differentials in the commutative ring setting. Finally, we give examples motivated from the theory of Galois coverings of curves.
Helicoidal surfaces with prescribed curvatures in a conformally flat 3-space
Authors: Lee Chul Woo , Lee Jae Won , Yoon Dae Won
Published: January 2021

In this paper, we study a conformally flat 3-space

𝔽
3

{\mathbb{F}_{3}}

which is an Euclidean 3-space with a conformally flat metric
with the conformal factor

1

F
2

{\frac{1}{F^{2}}}

, where

F
⁢

(
x
)

=

e

-

x
1
2

-

x
2
2

{F(x)=e^{-x_{1}^{2}-x_{2}^{2}}}

for

x
=

(

x
1

,

x
2

,

x
3

)

∈

ℝ
3

{x=(x_{1},x_{2},x_{3})\in\mathbb{R}^{3}}

.
In particular, we construct all helicoidal surfaces in

𝔽
3

{\mathbb{F}_{3}}

by solving the second-order non-linear ODE with extrinsic curvature and
mean curvature functions. As a result, we give classification of minimal helicoidal surfaces as well as
examples for helicoidal surfaces with some extrinsic curvature and mean curvature functions in

𝔽
3

{\mathbb{F}_{3}}

.
Effect of CaO on catalytic combustion of semi-coke
Authors: Kou Luyao , Tang Junjing , Hu Tu , Zhou Baocheng , Yang Li
Published: January 2021

Generally, adding a certain amount of an additive to pulverized coal can promote its combustion performance. In this paper, the effect of CaO on the combustion characteristics and kinetic behavior of semi-coke was studied by thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. The results show that adding proper amount of CaO can reduce the ignition temperature of semi-coke and increase the combustion rate of semi-coke; with the increase in CaO content, the combustion rate of semi-coke increases first and then decreases, and the results of TG analysis showed that optimal addition amount of CaO is 2 wt%. The apparent activation energy of CaO with different addition amounts of CaO was calculated by Coats–Redfern integration method. The apparent activation energy of semi-coke in the combustion reaction increases first and then decreases with the increase in CaO addition. The apparent activation energies of different samples at different conversion rates were calculated by Flynn–Wall–Ozawa integral method. It was found that the apparent activation energies of semi-coke during combustion reaction decreased with the increase in conversion.
The future of humanity
Authors: Ejiofor Promise Frank
Published: January 2021

With the recent advancements in scientific comprehension of genetics and the decipherment of complex techniques for editing human genomes, liberal eugenics—eugenic ideal premised on the liberal values of autonomy and pluralism that leaves reproductive choices to parents rather than anachronistic statist authoritarian interventions—has inevitably become a polarising conundrum in contemporary liberal societies as to its utility and destructiveness. Focusing on one species of liberal eugenics—namely, genome editing interventions—I contend that liberal eugenics could be harmful—harm herein construed as that which undermines the salient liberal values of equality, autonomy, and pluralism—since it is itself antithetical to the bases of the liberal society. This contention is based upon three premises: first, that individuals are rather seldom rational decision-makers such that leaving all reproductive choices to the whims of individual parents would be immensely counterproductive to future offspring’s right to open future; second, that liberal eugenics—much like its authoritarian antecedent—could intersect with myriad identities, including race, class, sex, disability, and sexual orientation in ways that might exacerbate social divisions, marginalise different groups, and engender homogeneity; and third, that it undermines individual autonomy of the future person as a member of the liberal community, particularly if their capacities and abilities are tailored to fit parents’ specific life projects and putatively reasonable conceptions of the good. The underscored potential malaises of liberal eugenics should, I argue, be discursively negotiated between parents and the state via the development of robust general laws that regulate heritable genome editing interventions to ensure that the welfare of the future persons is prioritised and that the liberal commitment to autonomy is immune to antiliberal perversions.
Ethical aspects of dying and death in clinical practice in anaesthesiology and intensive medicine departments
Authors: Firment Jozef , Bednár Marián
Published: January 2021

In clinical practice, modern medicine, especially intensive medicine, has made outstanding technological progress that has changed diagnostic and therapeutic paradigms. Nowadays, some patients for whom there were no treatments in the past not only survive but return to active life thanks to intensive medicine. However, in some cases intensive care will not help patients in a critical condition and merely prolong death. In such situations, the treatment is terminated or not extended, and the patient is allowed to die in dignity. In this specific situation all intensive procedures are terminated. Palliative care is the next stage. This is a sensitive issue that should be discussed with healthcare professionals and experts from other areas of life to ensure it is communicated appropriately to patients and their relatives.
Consensus and majoritarian democracies: Problems with under-informed single-level analyses
Authors: Ani Emmanuel Ifeanyi
Published: January 2021

I argue that when conceiving or assessing normative ideas about how we should organize society into the kind of ecosystem we desire, it is unwise to completely ignore empirical conditions. I also demonstrate that when evaluating empirical difficulties attending a social system, it is also unwise to do so in total oblivion to the normative idea or objective informing the establishment of such a system. Each of these assessments I call an under informed single-level analysis. By contrast I advocate a multi-level analysis (by which we evaluate both the normative and empirical dimensions of an idea or a social system) or, at the least, an informed single-level analysis (by which we evaluate either a normative idea or an empirical system with an implicit awareness of the content of the other level). I demonstrate that these models of analysis would never yield the same conclusions as an under informed single-level analysis. For my case studies I focus on the various models of analyses used in the debate about liberal majoritarian and consensus/communal democracies.
The Relationship Between a Kelsenian Constitutional Court and an Entrenched National Ideology: Lessons from Thailand and Indonesia
Authors: Leelapatana Rawin , Pratomo Abdurrachman Satrio
Published: January 2021

Hans Kelsen was a pro-democracy Austrian jurist, who, owing to his Jewish ancestry, was forced to flee to the United States of America after Adolf Hitler’s rise to power. His well-known theory of centralised constitutional review has not only influenced the design of many constitutional courts in Western Europe. It has also expanded to other parts of the world, including Thailand and Indonesia. Having determined to break with their authoritarian pasts, these two Southeast Asian countries decided to establish a Constitutional Court (in 1997 in Thailand and in 2003 in Indonesia), to consolidate their democratic transition as well as to safeguard democracy from attack. This decision inevitably brought the liberal-democratic assumptions underlying Kelsen’s model into competition with entrenched national ideologies traditionally exploited by political power holders and the military to preserve their hegemony – Thai-ness in Thailand and Pancasila in Indonesia. In contrast to Kelsen’s original theory, both these ideologies advocate strong leadership, national harmony and social hierarchy. This paper explores the extent to which the ideological hegemony of Thai-ness and Pancasila affects the performance and jurisprudence of the Thai and Indonesian Constitutional Courts respectively. An alternative understanding of the implementation of the Kelsenian-style Constitutional Court in the absence of its facilitative conditions will ultimately be proposed.
Kelsen versus Schmitt and the Role of the Sub-National Entities and Minorities in the Appointment of Constitutional Judges in Continental Systems
Authors: Abat Ninet Antoni
Published: January 2021

In composed and decentralised states, sub-national entities and (ethnic, linguistic, racial) minorities ought to play a determinant role in the process of appointment of constitutional courts justices to obtain a balanced representation in the guardian of the constitution. The necessary appearance of constitutional justice independence can be at stake without a proportionated participation of minorities and sub-national entities in the court. It is not enough to introduce a symbolic presence. The first section of this essay analyses the transcendence and political-legal significance that the system of appointment of constitutional court judges has and its relation to the separation of powers (horizontal and vertical). The second section is a return to the roots, ie the system of appointment the Austrian Constitution of 1920, even that first constitutional court was created in 1919, and Kelsen’s theory on federalism. The third section carries out an analysis from a comparative constitutional law perspective by using as an analytical basis the reports on the composition of the Constitutional Courts of the European Commission for Democracy through Law. The paper ends with a reflection on Schmitt considerations on the Guardians of Constitutions.
ʻJudicial Activismʼ in Europe: Not a Neat and Clean Fit
Authors: Palazzo Nausica
Published: January 2021

Achieving a proper balance between enforcing the constitution and avoiding that the courts exercise a policy-making function that that is better left to legislatures is not without its difficulties. In the United States, this issue has gained substantially higher traction giving rise to intense activism talk. The relevant American literature has exerted a deep fascination abroad, also in the light of the current globalization of constitutional discourse. Yet, the article intends to advance two claims: first, it warns against an uncritical import of US-style notions of judicial activism to continental Europe; second, it argues that contemporary research on comparative judicial activism currently has low explanatory utility. The first section takes a glimpse of the relevant US literature ‒ both legal and empirical ‒ to shed light on the multidimensional essence of the concept. Section 2 proceeds to articulate three sets of tentative reasons why activism talk should be ʻhandled with careʼ. These reasons pivot on considerations around structure, culture, and type of decisions in continental Europe. After parsing out each aspect, an argument is made that US-style judicial activism is too dependent on the US form of government; too divisive and as such unsuitable to the different European legal professional culture; and misleading, as the way European constitutional courts display activism in their decisions is distinctive. Ultimately, the article argues for the avoidance of US-style notions of judicial activism in European constitutional discourse.
Idiosyncratic Constitutional Review in Cyprus: (Re-)Design, Survival and Kelsen
Authors: Kombos Constantinos
Published: January 2021

The model of the Austrian Constitutional Court, with its Kelsenian origins, has been influential in the Cypriot constitutional context in a variety of intertwined and changing ways. The initial constitutional design followed the centralized and concentrated constitutional review by the Supreme Constitutional Court. The collapse of the bi-communal structure of the Cypriot system resulted in the application of the law of necessity and the establishment of a new Supreme Court with a simultaneous decentralization of constitutional review. At the time of writing a new reform initiative is underway, and the discussion about the Austrian model and Kelsen is revived. The continuous and varied influence from the Austrian prototype and interestingly the Kelsenian logic is assessed while recognizing the delicate idiosyncrasies of the Cypriot setting. The argument is that at neither stage the Austrian model was purely applied in Cyprus and the systemic adjustments were the result of improvisation rather than model adherence. This paper highlights the inconsistencies in the understanding of the Austrian model and explains the ‘modelling vertigo’.
How to Handle Health-Related Small Imbalanced Data in Machine Learning?
Authors: Rauschenberger Maria , Baeza-Yates Ricardo
Published: January 2021

When discussing interpretable machine learning results, researchers need to compare them and check for reliability, especially for health-related data. The reason is the negative impact of wrong results on a person, such as in wrong prediction of cancer, incorrect assessment of the COVID-19 pandemic situation, or missing early screening of dyslexia. Often only small data exists for these complex interdisciplinary research projects. Hence, it is essential that this type of research understands different methodologies and mindsets such as the Design Science Methodology, Human-Centered Design or Data Science approaches to ensure interpretable and reliable results. Therefore, we present various recommendations and design considerations for experiments that help to avoid over-fitting and biased interpretation of results when having small imbalanced data related to health. We also present two very different use cases: early screening of dyslexia and event prediction in multiple sclerosis.
Reflecting on Social Media Behavior by Structuring and Exploring Posts and Comments
Authors: Herder Eelco , Roßner Daniel , Atzenbeck Claus
Published: January 2021

Social networks use several user interaction techniques for enabling and soliciting user responses, such as posts, likes and comments. Some of these triggers may lead to posts or comments that a user may regret at a later stage. In this article, we investigate how users may be supported in reflecting upon their past activities, making use of an exploratory spatial hypertext tool. We discuss how we transform raw Facebook data dumps into a graph-based structure and reflect upon design decisions. First results provide insights in users motivations for using such a tool and confirm that the approach helps them in discovering past activities that they perceive as outdated or even embarrassing.
Asymptotic properties of the two one-sided t-tests – new insights and the Schuirmann-constant
Authors: Palmes Christian , Bluhmki Tobias , Funke Benedikt , Bluhmki Erich
Published: January 2021

The two one-sided t-tests (TOST) method is the most popular statistical equivalence test with many areas of application, i.e., in the pharmaceutical industry. Proper sample size calculation is needed in order to show equivalence with a certain power. Here, the crucial problem of choosing a suitable mean-difference in TOST sample size calculations is addressed. As an alternative concept, it is assumed that the mean-difference follows an a-priori distribution. Special interest is given to the uniform and some centered triangle a-priori distributions. Using a newly developed asymptotical theory a helpful analogy principle is found: every a-priori distribution corresponds to a point mean-difference, which we call its Schuirmann-constant. This constant does not depend on the standard deviation and aims to support the investigator in finding a well-considered mean-difference for proper sample size calculations in complex data situations. In addition to the proposed concept, we demonstrate that well-known sample size approximation formulas in the literature are in fact biased and state their unbiased corrections as well. Moreover, an R package is provided for a right away application of our newly developed concepts.
Analysis of caffeine and chlorogenic acids content regarding the preparation method of coffee beverage
Authors: Bobková Alica , Jakabová Silvia , Belej Ľubomír , Jurčaga Lukáš , Čapla Jozef , Bobko Marek , Demianová Alžbeta
Published: January 2021

This research was focused on the evaluation of selected parameters of coffee quality, regarding the beverage preparation method, using high-performance liquid chromatography. Samples of Coffea arabica from South America were analyzed. For the preparation of the final beverage were used filtration and moka methods. All samples roasted at medium dark roasting level Full City ++, contained less than 5% of moisture. The values of pH and dry matter content did not show a significant difference. The lowest content of chlorogenic acid reached value (1.41 g·100 g−1) prepared from filtration and 1.49 g·100 g−1 prepared from moka method. The highest content of chlorogenic acid ranged from 2.94 g. 100 g−1 filtration method and 3.36 g. 100 g−1 moka. Similarly, caffeine content, showed lower values using the filtration method. Values ranged from 1.37 to 1.57% (filtration) and from 1.54 to 1.78% (moka). However, PCA didn’t show a significant difference.
Cognitive metaphor theories in translation studies: Toward a dual-model parametric approach
Authors: He Sui
Published: January 2021

Cognitive metaphor theory provides a systematic framework to better understand the working mechanism of metaphor. Its recent development further allows translation researchers to have a clearer insight into the movement of metaphor across languages and culture. Building on an empirical study, this paper examines the complementary relationship between two prominent cognitive metaphor theories – Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) and Conceptual Blending Theory (CBT), and discusses the practical contribution that this relationship could make to the existing research on metaphor translation. To construct a comparable basis for CMT and CBT, two parameters are adopted for data analysis, which is proven useful to serve the purpose. The two chosen parameters are: projection and provenance, denoting the content and the type of metaphor respectively. Metaphorical expressions analyzed in this paper are sourced from cosmology-themed articles published in Scientific American in 2017 and their Simplified Chinese translations published in Huanqiukexue. Findings show that delineated by the two parameters, CMT and CBT indeed share a complementary relationship owing to their different focuses and organizing mechanisms. Furthermore, the collaboration between CMT and CBT offers a well-rounded analytical framework for translation studies. In turn, the correlation between metaphor parameters and translation solutions provides detailed clues for studying metaphor across culture. Finally, the reflection of this dual-model parametric approach regarding its pros and cons is also shown to shed light on future research.
Immune response in glioma’s microenvironment
Authors: Chen Houminji , Li Ming , Guo Yanwu , Zhong Yongsheng , He Zhuoyi , Xu Yuting , Zou Junjie
Published: January 2021

Objectives

Glioma is the most common tumor of the central nervous system. In this review, we outline the immunobiological factors that interact with glioma cells and tumor microenvironment (TME), providing more potential targets for clinical inhibition of glioma development and more directions for glioma treatment.

Content

Recent studies have shown that glioma cells secrete a variety of immune regulatory factors and interact with immune cells such as microglial cells, peripheral macrophages, myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), and T lymphocytes in the TME. In particular, microglia plays a key role in promoting glioma growth. Infiltrating immune cells induce local production of cytokines, chemokines and growth factors. Further leads to immune escape of malignant gliomas.

Summary and Outlook

The complex interaction of tumor cells with the TME has largely contributed to tumor heterogeneity and poor prognosis. We review the immunobiological factors, immune cells and current immunotherapy of gliomas, provide experimental evidence for future research and treatment of gliomas.
Primary renal Ewing’s sarcoma in an adult: an enigma
Authors: Das Suvraraj , Aggarwal Gaurav , Gupta Sujoy , Midha Divya
Published: January 2021

Objectives

Extraskeletal Ewing’s sarcoma is a rarity, with a renal primary in an adult, being even rarer. There is no consensus on the optimal imaging modality, as well as best therapeutic option, making them an enigma for clinicians.

Case presentation

We report the case of a 34-year-old lady, a known case of invasive lobular carcinoma of the left breast (ER,PR positive, Her2neu negative), having completed treatment in 2017, wherein, on an ultrasound evaluation for left flank pain, was incidentally found to have a left renal mass. A CT scan corroborated with the ultrasound, with an additional Level 1, left renal vein thrombus. She underwent an open left radical nephrectomy with renal vein thrombectomy. Histopathology of the resected tumor revealed features of Ewing’s sarcoma of the kidney, confirmed by Fluorescent In Situ Hybridisation (FISH) and Immunohistochemistry (IHC).

Conclusion

Primary renal Ewing’s sarcoma in an adult is a rare occurrence, with no characteristic imaging features, and no universally accepted guideline based management protocols. Akin with standard Ewings sarcoma treatment strategies, a margin negative- radical nephrectomy with adjuvant chemotherapy, seems the most apt treatment strategy.
Evaluating feedback requirements for trust calibration in automated vehicles
Authors: Wintersberger Philipp , Janotta Frederica , Peintner Jakob , Löcken Andreas , Riener Andreas
Published: January 2021

The inappropriate use of automation as a result of trust issues is a major barrier for a broad market penetration of automated vehicles. Studies so far have shown that providing information about the vehicle’s actions and intentions can be used to calibrate trust and promote user acceptance. However, how such feedback could be designed optimally is still an open question. This article presents the results of two user studies. In the first study, we investigated subjective trust and user experience of (N=21) participants driving in a fully automated vehicle, which interacts with other traffic participants in virtual reality. The analysis of questionnaires and semi-structured interviews shows that participants request feedback about the vehicle’s status and intentions and prefer visual feedback over other modalities. Consequently, we conducted a second study to derive concrete requirements for future feedback systems. We showed (N=56) participants various videos of an automated vehicle from the ego perspective and asked them to select elements in the environment they want feedback about so that they would feel safe, trust the vehicle, and understand its actions. The results confirm a correlation between subjective user trust and feedback needs and highlight essential requirements for automatic feedback generation. The results of both experiments provide a scientific basis for designing more adaptive and personalized in-vehicle interfaces for automated driving.
Zur Wahlkompetenz von Studierenden
Authors: Reichmann Gerhard , Ladner Klaus , Staněk Rostislav
Published: January 2021

Diese Untersuchung ist aus informationswissenschaftlicher Sicht dem Themenbereich der Informationskompetenz zuzuordnen und überprüft die Wahlkompetenz von wahlberechtigten Studierenden. Dabei werden diese um eine Einschätzung der Positionen der wichtigsten politischen Parteien Österreichs gebeten. Die Wahlkompetenz wird umso höher eingeschätzt, je geringer die als Fehlerquote bezeichnete Abweichung zwischen subjektiver Einschätzung und tatsächlicher Position ist. Die für die Untersuchung benötigten Daten zu den Pateipositionen wurden der Wahlempfehlungsplattform „wahlkabine.at“ entnommen. Die Einschätzung der Position erfolgte mittels strukturierter Befragung von 620 Studierenden. Zusätzlich wird analysiert, ob es bei der Wahlkompetenz studiums-, geschlechter-, alters- oder interessensspezifische Unterschiede gibt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen eine recht hohe Wahlkompetenz der Studierenden. Im Durchschnitt lag die Fehlerquote, je nach Methodik, zwischen 24,7 und 36,6 Prozent. Signifikant besser schnitten v. a. Studierende mit einem hohen Interesse an Politik ab.
Lagrangian multipliers for generalized affine and generalized convex vector optimization problems of set-valued maps
Authors: Zeng Renying
Published: January 2021

In this paper, we introduce some definitions of generalized affine set-valued maps: affinelike, preaffinelike, nearaffinelike, and prenearaffinelike maps. We present examples to explain that our definitions of generalized affine maps are different from each other. We derive a theorem of alternative of Farkas–Minkowski type, discuss Lagrangian multipliers for constrained set-valued optimization problems, and obtain some optimality conditions for weakly efficient solutions.
Effect of fennel on primary dysmenorrhea: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Shahrahmani Hadis , Ghazanfarpour Masumeh , Shahrahmani Nasim , Abdi Fatemeh , Sewell Robert D. E. , Rafieian-Kopaei Mahmoud
Published: January 2021

Background

One of the most common complaints for women is dysmenorrhea. Several studies investigated the treatment effects of medicinal plants on primary dysmenorrhea.

Objectives

This systematic review and meta-analysis investigates the effect of Foeniculum vulgare (Fennel) on pain in primary dysmenorrhea in comparison to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as mefenamic acid.

Methods

PubMed, EMBASE, EBSCO Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane library, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Science Direct, ProQuest, ISI Web of Science, Google Scholar, Magiran, SID, Iran Medex, and Irandoc were searched up to January 2019. Quality assessment of clinical trials was conducted using Jadad scoring system. Totally, 12 studies were entered in the meta-analysis. I
2 was calculated to determine heterogeneity. Fixed effects and/or random effects models were applied.

Results

Meta-analysis of these trials showed that F. vulgare intake decreased significantly the intensity of dysmenorrhea compared to the placebo (SMD −0.632; CI: −0.827 to −0.436; p<0.001; heterogeneity p=0.807; I
2=0%; fixed effect model; seven articles). However, the effect of Mefenamic acid with F. vulgare was not different from each other (SMD=−0.214; CI: −0.446 to 0.017; p=0.07; heterogeneity p=0.58; I
2=0%; fixed effect model; six trials).

Conclusion

The F. vulgare alleviates dysmenorrhea. Regarding the same effect of F. vulgare with NSAIDs, it is highly recommend to the women suffered from dysmenorrhea specifically the ones who have high tendency toward herbal medicine.
On the convergence of recursive SURE for total variation minimization
Authors: Xue Feng , Ai Xia , Liu Jiaqi
Published: January 2021

Recently, total variation (TV) regularization has become a standard technique for image recovery. The mean squared error (MSE) of the reconstruction can be reliably estimated by Stein’s unbiased risk estimate (SURE). In this work, we develop two recursive evaluations of SURE, based on Chambolle’s projection method (CPM) for TV denoising and alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) for TV deconvolution, respectively. In particular, from the proximal point perspective, we provide the convergence analysis for both iterative schemes and the corresponding Jacobian recursions, in terms of the solution distance, from which follows the convergence of noise evolution of Monte-Carlo simulation in practical computations. The theoretical analysis is supported by numerical examples.
Joint inversion of high-frequency induction and lateral logging sounding data in earth models with tilted principal axes of the electrical resistivity tensor
Authors: Nechaev Oleg , Glinskikh Viacheslav , Mikhaylov Igor , Moskaev Ilya
Published: January 2021

In this article, we are the first to formulate the direct and inverse problems of resistivity logging on determining the components of the electrical resistivity tensor of rocks from a set of high-frequency induction and lateral logging sounding measurements.
Using a finite element approximation, high-order hierarchical basis functions, computationally efficient multilevel methods and a multistart algorithm with the DFO-LS local optimization method, we investigate the capability of reconstructing the horizontal and vertical resistivity components, as well as the tilt of the resistivity tensor principal axes with regard to the study of complex geological objects.
A separate consideration is given to a realistic generalized geoelectric model of the unique hydrocarbon source with hard-to-recover reserves, the Bazhenov Formation.
Polydisperse Colloids Two-Moment Diffusion Model Through Irreversible Thermodynamics Considerations
Authors: Bouzghaia Mohamed , Souidi Ferhat , Larbi Zakaria
Published: January 2021

This study deals with the problem of diffusion for polydisperse colloids. The resolution of this complex problem usually requires computationally expensive numerical models. By considering the number of colloidal particles and their mass as independent variables, the equations of state for a dilute polydisperse colloid are derived on a statistical mechanics basis. Irreversible thermodynamics is then applied to obtain a simple two-moment diffusion model. The validity of the model is illustrated by comparing its results with those obtained by a classical size spectrum approach, in a sedimentation equilibrium problem and in an unsteady one-dimensional diffusion problem in Stokes–Einstein regime, and under the hypothesis that the size spectrum distribution is stochastic. In the first problem, the two-moment diffusion problem allows to represent rigorously the vertical size segregation induced by gravity, while in the second one, it allows a convenient description of the diffusion of polydisperse colloids by using two coupled diffusion equations, with an accuracy comparable with that of the classical size spectrum approach. The contribution of our work lies primarily in the application of a non-equilibrium thermodynamics methodology to a challenging issue of colloid modeling, namely, polydispersity, by going from statistical mechanics to the derivation of phenomenological coefficients, with the two-moment approach as a guideline.
A QoS provisioning architecture of fiber wireless network based on XGPON and IEEE 802.11ac
Authors: Mohammadani Khalid H. , Butt Rizwan A. , Memon Kamran A. , Pirzado Azhar A. , Faheem Muhammad , Abro Adeel , Ali Babar , Ain Noor-ul
Published: January 2021

The integration of the XGPON network with the 5G WLAN network is a suitable solution for next-generation high-speed access Internet service. We demonstrated the integration of two different standards via the QoS concept. Further, this work also presents a proper mapping scheme of QoS traffic between XG-PON and fifth-generation Wi-Fi standards known as IEEE 802.11ac. The analysis assessment compares the behavior of different IEEE 802.11ac standards with XGPON with-respect-to multimedia traffic in the FiWi network. To assess the performance of the FiWi network, the OMNET++ and INET framework are used to carrying out a comparative analysis in terms of upstream (US) delay and fairness index. The study concludes that the EDCA Wi-Fi module has better performance than the DCF Wi-Fi module with the integrated XGPON system for the FiWi access network.
A photonic crystal based de-multiplexer with uniform channel spacing
Authors: Hassangholizadeh-Kashtiban Mahdi , Fathi Emamali , Hassanlou Asghar
Published: January 2021

Having uniform channel spacing is very important for all optical communication networks. In spite of its importance designing optical de-multiplexer with uniform channel spacing seems to be very complicated. In this paper we proposed an all optical de-multiplexer with uniform channels spacing. Four high quality factor ring resonator were used for designing the desired structure. In the proposed structure the output channels are at 1555.2, 1556.2, 1557.2 and 1558.2 nm. The channel spacing for all of the adjacent channels are 1 nm. Also for the final structure the quality factor values vary from 7758 to 15,582.
Optimal timing to screen for asymptomatic bacteriuria during pregnancy: first vs. second trimester
Authors: Langermans Lisa-Marie , Cools Wilfried , Van Limbergen Ingrid , Gucciardo Leonardo , Faron Gilles
Published: January 2021

Objectives

Although current guidelines advice to screen for asymptomatic bacteriuria during pregnancy, little is known about the best moment of testing. The goal of this study is to analyze the optimal timing (first vs. second trimester) to screen for asymptomatic bacteriuria during pregnancy.

Methods

A retrospective cohort analysis, comparing patients that were screened for asymptomatic bacteriuria in the first vs. second trimester was performed. The main question was to compare the rate of positive urinary culture in both trimesters. Study included patients all followed a prenatal consultation at the University Hospital of Brussels between 2012 and 2017. Other outcomes considered were the nature of identified germs, treatments, possible risk and confounding factors (age, BMI, gravidity-parity-abortus [GPA], type of conception, ethnicity, education, prior urinary tract infection (UTI), diabetes, hypertension, prior preterm delivery and sickle cell disease) and complications (UTI, preterm delivery, preterm rupture of the membranes and chorio-amnionitis).

Results

A total of 2,005 consecutive files were reviewed, 655 concerned patients screened during the first trimester group and 1,350 in the second trimester group. Asymptomatic bacteriuria was present in only 71 cases (3.54%), 23 in the first trimester group (3.50%) and 48 in the second trimester group (3.55%). Escherichia coli was the most frequently identified germ (37 cases (1.8%), 14 in the first trimester group and 23 in the second trimester group). Our logistic regression analysis shows no statistical difference according to the moment the urinary culture was done for the presence of asymptomatic bacteriuria (E. coli or others), for its association with hospitalization for pyelonephritis, preterm contractions, preterm pre-labor rupture of the membranes (PPROM) and/or preterm delivery.

Conclusions

If recommendations remain to screen for asymptomatic bacteriuria at least once during pregnancy, this study indicates that the moment of testing (first vs. second trimester) has no clinical impact on obstetrical outcomes.
Amniotic fluid embolism – implementation of international diagnosis criteria and subsequent pregnancy recurrence risk
Authors: Cahan Tal , De Castro Hila , Kalter Anat , Simchen Michal J.
Published: January 2021

Objectives

An international diagnostic criterion for amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) diagnosis has recently been published. Data regarding subsequent pregnancies is scarce. We sought to implement recent diagnostic criteria and detail subsequent pregnancies in survivors.

Methods

A case series of all suspected AFE cases at a tertiary medical center between 2003 and 2018 is presented. Cases meeting the diagnostic criteria for AFE were included. Clinical presentation, treatment, and outcomes described. Pregnancy outcomes in subsequent pregnancies in AFE survivors detailed.

Results

Between 2003 and 2018 14 women were clinically suspected with AFE and 12 of them (85.71%) met the diagnostic criteria for AFE. Three cases occurred during midtrimester dilation and evacuation procedures, and the remaining occurred in the antepartum period. Of the antepartum cases, mode of delivery was cesarean delivery or vacuum extraction for expedited delivery due to presentation of AFE in 8/9 cases (88.88%). Clinical presentation included cardiovascular collapse, respiratory distress and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC). Heart failure of varying severity was diagnosed in 75% (9/12) cases. Composite maternal morbidity was 5/12 (41.66%), without cases of maternal mortality. 11 subsequent pregnancies occurred in four AFE survivors. Pregnant women were followed by a high-risk pregnancy specialist and multidisciplinary team if pregnancy continued beyond the early second trimester. Six pregnancies resulted in a term delivery. No recurrences of AFE were documented.

Conclusions

Use of a diagnostic criterion for diagnosis of AFE results in a more precise diagnosis of AFE. Nevertheless, the accuracy of clinical diagnosis is still high. Subsequent pregnancies were not associated with AFE recurrence.
The relator noun construction in Assamese
Authors: Bez Gitanjali
Published: January 2021

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of relator noun constructions in Assamese, an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the eastern part of India by a majority of people living in the state of Assam. The construction consists of a relator noun that functions as a head, and a genitive case marked noun that functions as a dependent. Semantically, most of the relator nouns encode spatial relation, such as place, path. However, some other relator nouns signal other relations, such as the ‘for’, ‘about’ etc. The occurrence of relator nouns is not an unusual phenomenon in Indo-Aryan languages. It has been analyzed as adpositions in many Indo-Aryan languages. However, I argue that the syntax of Assamese does not allow this analysis. It forms a distinct syntactic category, the behaviour of which is not similar to adpositions. Further, Assamese shares some close affinity regarding the relator noun construction with the neighbouring Tibeto-Burman languages such as Boro and Dimasa, rather than with the Indo-Aryan languages. Thus, this paper further investigates whether the resemblance occurs as a result of language contact or by accident.
Reductionist Intellectual Property Protection and Expansionist (and “Prodevelopment”) Competition Rules as a Human Rights Imperative? Enhancing Technology Transfer to the Global South
Authors: Beiter Klaus D.
Published: January 2021

Increasingly, the economy of industrialised countries moves away from being based on a multiplicity of independent innovators to one characterised by cross-licensing and the pooling of intellectual property (IP) rights. Competition law is accorded a more limited role. Refusals to license or restrictive licence terms are tolerated. This paradigm emphasises the innovation at the expense of the dissemination rationale of IP and competition law. The pressure on developing countries is to follow suit. However, this approach jeopardises overcoming the technology dependence of these states. Yet, the political consensus underlying the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) was that, in exchange for IP rights protection, a transfer and dissemination of technology benefiting the global South would occur. This has not taken place so far. Taking this promise seriously requires according an enhanced, more social role to competition law. Articles 8(2), 31 and 40 of TRIPS – the TRIPS competition rules – could be interpreted in a way to accomplish this. This article argues in favour of a “prodevelopment” approach to IP-related competition law. This could be viewed as a demand of the rule of law at the international level. On the one hand, treaties such as TRIPS are to be interpreted in good faith. On the other, public interest and human rights considerations justify, as it were, require, such an approach. Articles 7 and 8 of TRIPS can play a crucial role in this regard. They reflect such public interest considerations as “object and purpose” of TRIPS. They also provide a link to international human rights law (IHRL). IHRL protects a (group) right to development, confirming “policy space” for World Trade Organization (WTO) members and the freedom to opt for a competition law model that facilitates dissemination. The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) further protects various economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its applications (REBSPA). These rights may be said to give rise to “transfer and dissemination of technology” as a human right. Duties under the right to development and “territorial” and “extraterritorial” human rights obligations (ETOs) under the ICESCR support an understanding of competition law which is pro development, which takes account of local access and welfare needs. The article concludes with a set of 10 consolidated considerations for a “prodevelopment” IP-related competition law.
Individual Social Capital of Librarians: Results of Research Conducted in 20 Countries
Authors: Wojciechowska Maja
Published: January 2021

Social capital is a concept that has attracted increased interest among researchers in social science. It was originally introduced to sociological literature in the 1970s by Pierre Bourdieu. The term “social capital” is used to signify a set of specific behaviours and social interactions that many researchers associate with a positive impact on various aspects of human life. These include: democracy, economic development, effective governance, development of communities, education and culture, individual and public health and wellbeing, or even crime prevention. It is often claimed now that libraries as institutions intended to satisfy the intellectual needs of a society and stimulate social development may participate in the development of this capital. The paper presents the results of research on individual social capital of librarians in 20 countries across the world.
The status and ecology of the sand cat in the Uruq Bani Ma’arid Protected Area, Empty Quarter of Saudi Arabia
Authors: Amin Rajan , Wacher Tim , Bruce Tom , Barichievy Chris
Published: January 2021

The sand cat is one of the world’s least studied small cats. Our camera-trap survey, one of the largest undertaken in a desert system, generated over 1500 images of the species across 100 camera-traps distributed systematically over the 2400 km2 core area of the Uruq Bani Ma’arid Protected Area of the Empty Quarter, Saudi Arabia. The study revealed a much more significant and widespread sand cat population in the ecosystem than previously understood. Sand cats were detected across one-third of the core area in all major habitats, comprising escarpment plateau, sand dunes and interdunal gravel valleys. The species showed a marginal preference for the interior parallel dune system with interspersed gravel valleys where they also preferred sand dunes over the gravel valley in the hot season. There was no evidence of strong spatial interactions with other predators. The ecosystem’s larger predators (Arabian red fox and honey badger, and all records of wild and feral cats) were primarily associated with the escarpment plateau. The smaller Rueppell’s fox was the only other carnivore more consistently present in the main dune system. Sand cats were strictly nocturnal and 14% more active in the hot season than the cool season.