bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multimodal corpus analysis of subtitling
Authors: Ramos Pinto Sara , Mubaraki Aishah
Published: February 2020

This article proposes a new methodology for multimodal corpus analysis. It does so by particularly focusing on the issue of the translation of non-standard language varieties. This new methodology, which is significantly influenced by the work ofIedema (2003),Jimenez Hurtado and Soler Gallego (2013),Pastra (2008)andRamos Pinto (2018), is capable of identifying the modes and resources at play and the relations identified between them, as well as how such relations participate in the construction of the non-standard varieties’ communicative meaning. It also accounts for the impact of the introduction of subtitles on preserving, cancelling or modifying the intermodal relations identified in the source text and, consequently, the diegetic functions they support; that is, the function they assume in the fictional world of the film. In this regard, the methodology assumes a clear translational perspective.
Effect of consecutive jumping trials on metatarsophalangeal, ankle, and knee biomechanics during take‐off and landing
Authors: Lam Wing‐Kai , Jia Sheng‐Wei , Baker Julien S. , Ugbolue Ukadike C. , Gu Yaodong , Sun Wei
Published: February 2020

This study examined the differences in single and consecutive jumps on ground reaction forces (GRF) as well as metatarsophalangeal (MTP), ankle and knee kinematics and kinetics during jumping take‐off and landing. Eighteen basketball players performed countermovement jumps in both single and consecutive movement sessions. Synchronised force platform and motion capture systems were used to measure biomechanical variables during take‐off and landing. Paired t‐tests (or Wilcoxon signed‐rank tests) were performed to examine any significant differences regarding mean and coefficient of variation in each of the variables tested. A Holm–Bonferroni correction was applied to P‐values to control the false discovery rate of 5%. The findings indicated that consecutive jumps had lower jump height, take‐off velocity and landing impact. During take‐off, consecutive jumps demonstrated larger peak MTP and ankle extension velocities, knee extension moments as well as larger values for ankle and knee power generation; During landing, the consecutive jumps had larger peak MTP flexion angle, joint velocities (MTP, ankle and knee), and peak knee flexion moments and power absorption. Additionally, consecutive jumps had higher within‐trial reliability (i.e. smaller CV) for peak MTP flexion angle at landing (P < 0.05), but lower reliability (i.e. higher CV) for peak knee flexion velocity and power absorption at landing. These results suggest that the consecutive jump trials led to distinct movement kinematics and higher loading responses in jump take‐off and landing.
Modeling and identification of the hysteresis nonlinear levitation force in HTS maglev systems
Authors: Li Haitao , Liu Di , Hong Ye , Yu Jinbo , Zheng Jun , Deng Zigang
Published: February 2020

High-temperature superconducting (HTS) maglev has great potential in the field of high-speed transportation due to its capability for passive stabilization. The levitation force between the bulk HTSs and the permanent magnet guideway is a significant parameter relating to operational safety and comfort. This force has an obvious hysteresis nonlinear characteristic, which can be represented by nonlinear stiffness and damping. The stiffness and the damping are functions of vertical displacement and velocity, respectively. The vibration velocity of a HTS maglev vehicle can at times exceed 100 mm s−1, but the existing levitation force test methods are almost quasi-static. These methods are unable to accurately measure the damping characteristic of the maglev system. In this paper, a viscoelasticity model is introduced to describe the dynamic force. The parameters in the model are identified using the least square method based on the vibration response of the HTS maglev system. Meanwhile, the effectiveness of the model and identification method are tested by numerical simulations. The hysteresis loops derived from the motion theory coincide with the practical ones. Finally, the method is applied to identify the parameters of hysteresis nonlinear levitation force in a previous experiment with dampers. Based on the established hysteretic model, the dynamic characteristics of the HTS maglev system can be well presented.
Delocalized information in quantum networks
Authors: Miguel-Ramiro J , Dür W
Published: February 2020

We consider entanglement-based quantum networks where information is stored in a delocalized way within regions or the whole network. This offers a natural protection against failure of network nodes, loss and decoherence, and has built-in security features. Quantum information is transmitted within the network by performing local measurements on individual nodes only. Information can be localized within regions or at a specific node by collaborative actions using only entanglement within a region, or sometimes even without entanglement. We discuss several examples based on error correction stabilizer codes, Dicke states and correlation space encodings. We show how to design fully functional networks using encoded states or correlation space resources.
A method of generating random bits by using electronic bipolar memristor*
Authors: Yang Bin-Bin , Xu Nuo , Zhou Er-Rui , Li Zhi-Wei , Li Cheng , Yi Pin-Yun , Fang Liang
Published: February 2020

The intrinsic stochasticity of resistance switching process is one of the holdblocks for using memristor as a fundamental element in the next-generation nonvolatile memory. However, such a weakness can be used as an asset for generating the random bits, which is valuable in a hardware security system. In this work, a forming-free electronic bipolar Pt/Ti/Ta2O5/Pt memristor is successfully fabricated to investigate the merits of generating random bits in such a device. The resistance switching mechanism of the fabricated device is ascribed to the electric field conducted electrons trapping/de-trapping in the deep-energy-level traps produced by the “oxygen grabbing” process. The stochasticity of the electrons trapping/de-trapping governs the random distribution of the set/reset switching voltages of the device, making a single memristor act as a random bit in which the resistance of the device represents information and the applied voltage pulse serves as the triggering signal. The physical implementation of such a random process provides a method of generating the random bits based on memristors in hardware security applications.
In situ luminescence measurement of 6H-SiC at low temperature*
Authors: Qiu Meng-Lin , Yin Peng , Wang Guang-Fu , Song Ji-Gao , Luo Chang-Wei , Wang Ting-Shun , Zhao Guo-Qiang , Lv Sha-Sha , Zhang Feng-Shou , Liao Bin
Published: February 2020

To understand the evolution of defects in SiC during irradiation and the influence of temperature, in situ luminescence measurements of 6H-SiC crystal samples were carried out by ion beam induced luminescence (IBIL) measurement under 2 MeV H+ at 100 K, 150 K, 200 K, 250 K, and 300 K. A wide band (400–1000 nm) was found in the spectra at all temperatures, and the intensity of the IBIL spectra was highest at 150 K among the five temperatures. A small peak from 400 nm to 500 nm was only observed at 100 K, related with the D1 defect as a donor–acceptor pair (D–A) recombination. For further understanding the luminescent centers and their evolution, the orange band (1.79 eV) and the green band (2.14 eV) in the energy spectrum were analyzed by Gaussian decomposition, maybe due to the donor–deep defect/conduction band–deep defect transitions and Ti related bound excition, respectively. Finally, a single exponential fit showed that when the temperature exceeded 150 K, the two luminescence centers’ resistance to radiation was reduced.
Negative bias-induced threshold voltage instability and zener/interface trapping mechanism in GaN-based MIS-HEMTs*
Authors: Zhu Qing , Ma Xiao-Hua , Chen Yi-Lin , Hou Bin , Zhu Jie-Jie , Zhang Meng , Wu Mei , Yang Ling , Hao Yue
Published: February 2020

We investigate the instability of threshold voltage in D-mode MIS-HEMT with in-situ SiN as gate dielectric under different negative gate stresses. The complex non-monotonic evolution of threshold voltage under the negative stress and during the recovery process is induced by the combination effect of two mechanisms. The effect of trapping behavior of interface state at SiN/AlGaN interface and the effect of zener traps in AlGaN barrier layer on the threshold voltage instability are opposite to each other. The threshold voltage shifts negatively under the negative stress due to the detrapping of the electrons at SiN/AlGaN interface, and shifts positively due to zener trapping in AlGaN barrier layer. As the stress is removed, the threshold voltage shifts positively for the retrapping of interface states and negatively for the thermal detrapping in AlGaN. However, it is the trapping behavior in the AlGaN rather than the interface state that results in the change of transconductance in the D-mode MIS-HEMT.
Optimization of FADs-based tuna fishing in the Fishing Port of Pondokdadap, East Java, Indonesia
Authors: Damora A , Gigentika S , Adityarini S , Rahmah A , Tamanyira M M , Nurdin E , Wiadnya D G R
Published: February 2020

The Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Regulation number 26/2014 has decreed that the distance between FADs should not be less than 10 nautical miles and should not be installed to make a fence effect. Highly dense FADs that are deployed with not enough distance between them in a certain period will change the movement pattern of tuna. This study aims to obtain information on the actual data of FADs deployed in the southern waters of East Java, to estimate the deployment area and to provide a recommendation on the ideal number of FADs deployed in these waters. The FAD deployment area has been estimated to be 219,792 km2 or 21,979,200 ha. Based on this estimation, it is calculated that the ideal number of FADs installed in these waters is 814 units. Estimates of the optimal number of tuna fishing units are carried out using linear goal programming (LGP) which suggests 380 units of sekoci (fishing vessel) as the optimal unit number that can operate annually at the Fishing Port of Pondokdadap, Malang Regency. The number of sekoci currently operating at this port is 644 units.
Thresher sharks (Alopiidae) catch in the pelagic fisheries of Western Indonesia
Authors: Ichsan M , Ula S , Simeon B , Muttaqin E , Booth H
Published: February 2020

Thresher sharks (family Alopiidae) are an evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered species group. Indonesia is the world’s largest shark fishing nation, and a global priority for reducing the capture of threatened shark species. Kutaradja port is one of Indonesia’s largest fishing ports, located in the capital of Aceh Province, Banda Aceh, Western Indonesia. Kutaradja is a large oceanic port serving a variety of fisheries, from small scale to industrial fleets. One of the main fisheries operating from Kutaradja port is an industrial purse seine fleet targeting valuable pelagic fish, particularly tuna. Pelagic sharks such as threshers are vulnerable to capture in these fisheries, due to their co-occurrence with stocks of valuable pelagic species. Here we describe the volume and composition of shark catch in Kutaradja’s purse seine fleet, based on daily landing monitoring conducted in January 2017 to May 2019. Our results show that the dominant species caught are thresher sharks (Alopiidae), which make up 51% of all shark landings. A total of 627 thresher sharks were landed during the monitoring period, consisting of 558 individuals of pelagic threshers shark (Alopias pelagicus) and 69 individuals of bigeye thresher shark (Alopias superciliosus). The catch is dominated by mature females, which could be particularly detrimental to the reproductive capacity of the population. Fishers in purse seine vessels often catch these threshers with hand-lines, which are used as a secondary gear while the main fishing gear is soaking. Based on these findings, we proposed recommendations for reducing thresher shark fishing mortality, including restricting the use of secondary fishing gears and releasing incidentally captured sharks.
Evaluation of managed access approach in Anambas Islands Marine Recreational Park, Riau Islands Province
Authors: Jannah A R , Kamal M , Susanto H A
Published: February 2020

Managed access with reserved (MAR) is an approach for sustainable fisheries management, combined community-based conservation approach with spatial management to restore and protect Indonesia’s small-scale fisheries. This paper examines the implementation of MAR programs in Batu Belah village of Anambas islands marine recreational park, Riau islands province. The structured household survey and semi-structured interviews were conducted along with field observation during December 2018. The descriptive analysis applied to understand community knowledge, acceptance, participation, and perception on the current of marine environmental conditions, while the Analytic Network Process (ANP) used to identify problems and best strategies to improve future actions. Community knowledge and participation in MAR programs are at a moderate level, while community acceptance of MAR programs is at a high level. They mostly responded that the coastal environment is in better condition compared to previous years. Overall, the level of community perception in Batu Belah about the MAR program is in the moderate level category. There needs some improvement in terms of management capacity, creation of economic activities, and government budget allocation for monitoring and surveillance. Intensive community engagement and high commitment of leadership are among the key component to change community behavior and their paradigm regarding conservation perspective and coastal resources management in general.
Bioerosion in massive porites at reef flat area of the south Java Sea
Authors: Luthfi O M , Priyambodo A H
Published: February 2020

Scleractinian coral as the main builder of the reef contributes to building a complex reef framework through produce growing aragonite in their skeleton. In shallow water area (reef flat) the reef constructional process will be equal with erosional one, can be caused by mechanical damage such as storm or water motion and biological way (bioerosion). This research focused on the biological agent that influence on bioerosion process on massive Porites. 3 types of bioerosion they were grazing, boring, and etching. We monitored 10 massive Porites coral that was abundant at Pantai Kondang Merak, where each coral colony was segmented into 12 parts and then photographed to record data grazing and boring in massive Porites coral, while for etching was observed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The result showed the number of bioerosion from grazing was 581 and boring was 1,155. The etching process was dominated by cyanobacteriaPlanobola macrogatathat live inside of coral skeleton. The grazing process caused by parrotfish and triggerfish, boring caused by polychaetes, bivalves, and sponge. Bioerosion process not only weakening reef structures but also increase habitat complexity of reef-associated biota and expand coral occupy in space with natural propagation.
The daily variance of CO2and CH4emission from shrimp ponds
Authors: Rifqi M , Widigdo B , Wardiatno Y , Mashar A , Adianto W
Published: February 2020

Scientist and environmentalist highlight the negative impact of a shrimp farm. The last decade analyzed numerous greenhouse gas emissions and aquaculture activities previously discussed. However, there are limited studies that reveal the emission of CO2and CH4related to aquaculture activities. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to examine the daily dynamics of these gases flux across the water-air interface of the shrimp ponds using a 3-day observation method and by examining the environmental factors responsible. This research was carried out in TIR Karawang shrimp farm area, with the gas samples were taken six times daily every 4 hours and analyzed using the gas chromatography. The results of this study show that in 24 hours, the minimum CO2emission (-0.15841+0.19220 mg m-2minute-1) found at 00.00 – 02.00 local time, and the maximum (0.22544+0.18361 mg m-2minute-1) at 12.00-14.00 local time. Conversely, the minimum CH4emission (-0.00024+0.00023 mg m-2minute-1) was at 00.00-02.00 local time and the maximum (0.00023+0.00017 mg m-2minute-1) at 12.00-14.00 local time. The dominant environmental factor influencing both gas is temperature. The semi-intensive shrimp farm CO2-e calculated is 0.02707 g C m-2day-1, for 2,500 m2ponds within a 110-day of culture, with 7.44545 kg C emitted.
Abrasive water jet machining of Sisal/Pineapple epoxy hybrid composites with the addition of various fly ash filler
Authors: Sumesh K R , Kanthavel K
Published: February 2020

This research was based on influence of various fly ash filler content in the machining properties of Pineapple (P)/Sisal (S) hybrid fiber reinforcement composites. Fly ash from bio waste materials of Bagasse (BGFA), Banana (BFA) and Coir (CFA) were used. High hardness nature of 3% BFA (22.73 HV) and 3% CFA (23.85 HV) reduces Material Removal Rate (MRR) and increases its surface roughness nature of the composites. Maximum MRR of 376.38 mm3 min−1 was observed in 3% BGFA combinations with 250 MPa Water jet Pressure (WP), 1mm Standoff Distance (SOD) and 20 mm min−1Traverse Speed (TS) as machining parameters. MRR of 353.64 and 352.76 mm3 min−1 was found out with 1% CFA and 1% BFA combinations. Lower surface roughness of 6.39 μm, 6.71 μm and 6.75 μm was found in 3% BGFA, 1% CFA and 1% BFA based composites. Filler surface created a tight bonding with the matrix, which reduces the erosion of fiber particles at higher WP. Untreated fibers showed lesser machining properties due to low fiber/matrix bonding. SEM results showed reducing of cracks and matrix breakages by the substitution of filler powders.
Pyrocatechol violet sensitized Ho-TiO2/ZnO nanostructured material: as photoanode for dye sensitized solar cells
Authors: Ullah Naimat , Shah Syed Mujtaba , Hussain Hazrat , Ansir Rotaba , Hussain Muhammad Nasir
Published: February 2020

In this work TiO2, Holmium doped (Ho-TiO2) Titanium oxide nanoparticles (NPs) and the corresponding nanostructured combinations (Ho-TiO2/ZnO NC) were successfully synthesized through sol gel method and reflux techniques respectively. The prepared nano materials were characterized with the help of x-ray diffraction Analysis (XRD), UV–visible spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive x-ray Analysis (EDX) and Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The absorption spectra of nano materials were used for band gaps calculation. The band gap of pure TiO2NPs was found to be 3.10 eV which was effectively tuned to 2.65 eV by the doping of Holmium at different concentrations. XRD patterns confirmed the crystalline nature and purity of the synthesized nano materials. Morphology and elemental composition of the material were investigated using SEM and EDX respectively. FTIR helped in detecting the functional groups and grafting of the dye on the surface of nanoparticles. The nano materials were used as Photo-anodes in dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC). Pyrocatechol Violet dye was used as a photo-sensitizer. P3HT (polymer), a hole conducting polymer, was employed as a solid state electrolyte. I–V measurements were used for characterization of fabricated solar cells. Ho-TiO2/ZnO nanomaterial photosensitized with Pyrocatechol violet dye gave the highest percentage efficiency of 1.51. Other characteristic parameters of the fabricated devices such as short circuit current (Jsc), open circuit voltage (Voc), maximum power point (Mpp) and fill factor were found to be 11.2 mA cm−2, 0.41 V, 1.55(mW cm−2) and 0.33 respectively.
Lattice dynamics of Pnma Sn(S1–xSex) solid solutions: energetics, phonon spectra and thermal transport
Authors: Skelton Jonathan M
Published: February 2020

Alloying is widely used as a means to fine-tune the properties of thermoelectric materials by reducing the lattice thermal conductivity. However, the effects of compositional variation on the lattice dynamics of alloy systems are not well understood, due in part to the difficulty of building realistic first-principles models of structurally-complex solid solutions. This work builds on our previous study of Sn
n
(S1–x
Se
x
)
m
solid solutions (Gunn et al 2019 Chem. Mater.
31 3672) to explore the lattice dynamics of the Pnma Sn(S1–x
Se
x
) system, which has been widely studied for potential thermoelectric applications. We find that the vibrational internal energy and entropy have a large quantitative impact on the mixing free energy and are likely to be particularly important in alloy systems with competing phases. The thermodynamically-averaged phonon dispersions and density of states curves show that alloying preserves the structure of the low-frequency bands of modes associated with the Sn sublattice but broadens the high-frequency chalcogen bands into a near-continuous spectrum at the 50/50 mixed composition. This results in a general reduction in the phonon mode group velocities and an increase in the number of energy-conserving scattering channels for heat-carrying low-frequency modes, which is consistent with the decrease in thermal conductivity observed in experimental measurements. Finally, we discuss some of the limitations of our first-principles modelling approach and propose methods to address these in future studies.
Improvement of the Bernstein-type theorem for space-like zero mean curvature graphs in Lorentz-Minkowski space using fluid mechanical duality
Authors: Akamine S. , Umehara M. , Yamada K.
Published: February 2020

Calabi’s Bernstein-type theorem asserts that a zero mean curvature entire graph in Lorentz-Minkowski space

L
3

\boldsymbol {L}^3

which admits only space-like points is a space-like plane. Using the fluid mechanical duality between minimal surfaces in Euclidean 3-space

E
3

\boldsymbol {E}^3

and maximal surfaces in Lorentz-Minkowski space

L
3

\boldsymbol {L}^3

, we give an improvement of this Bernstein-type theorem. More precisely, we show that a zero mean curvature entire graph in

L
3

\boldsymbol {L}^3

which does not admit time-like points

(
(

namely, a graph consists of only space-like and light-like points

)
)

is a plane.
A Dictionary of Media and Communication
Authors: Chandler Daniel , Munday Rod
Published: February 2020

Over 3,600 entries

‘…not only a dictionary of communication and media but also a liberal education that enables users to see interesting relationships between many of the concepts it discusses.’ Professor Arthur Asa Berger, San Francisco State University

This authoritative and up-to-date A–Z offers points of connection between communication and media and covers all aspects of interpersonal, mass, and networked communication, including digital and mobile media, advertising, journalism, social media, and nonverbal communication.

In this new edition, over 2,000 entries have been revised and more than 500 have been newly added to include current terminology and concepts such as artificial intelligence, cisgender, fake news, hive mind, use theory, and wikiality. It bridges the gap between theory and practice and contains many technical terms that are relevant to the communication industry, including dialogue editing, news aggregator and primary colour correction. Additional material includes a biographical notes appendix, and entries are complemented by approved web links which guide further reading.

This is an indispensable guide for undergraduate students of media and communication studies and also for those taking related subjects such as television studies, video production, communication design, visual communication, marketing communications, semiotics, and cultural studies.
Camus and the absurd
Authors: Gloag Oliver
Published: February 2020

What is the absurd? ‘Camus and the absurd’ explains that the absurd is a feeling that comes out of experience. For Camus it was a near-death experience: the brutal onset of tuberculosis at the age of 17. The absurd convinced Camus that there is no meaning to life because it could be cut short at any moment. His first three major works, Caligula, The Stranger, and The Myth of Sisyphus, are described. They were about narrating the absurd experiences, and the sometime violent clashes between those awakened to the absurdity of life and those who choose to ignore it.
Rebel without a cause
Authors: Gloag Oliver
Published: February 2020

In the midst of the Second World War, Camus realized that he could not be indifferent to the Nazi occupation of France and thus the nihilism of his absurd was untenable. Camus was still firmly against all-explaining theories and systemic change, but he had to find a way to theorize and narrate his decision to join the resistance, which on many levels contradicted some of the central tenets of the absurd. ‘Rebel without a cause’ describes how Camus would drastically change his stance in his second trilogy of works—The Plague, The Just Assassins, and The Rebel—which are part of Camus’s cycle of revolt.
Camus and Sartre—the breaks that made them inseparable
Authors: Gloag Oliver
Published: February 2020

‘Camus and Sartre—the breaks that made them inseparable’ describes how Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre critically reviewed each other’s work and, despite some unfavourable comments, how they became firm friends when they eventually met in 1943. They mostly socialized and there were no long conversations about one another’s works. The point of divergence between Camus’s absurd and Sartre’s existentialism led to the writers’ first genuine row. The two men had another ongoing disagreement with respect to the question of political violence. In short, however, it was colonialism that was at the centre of the ongoing dispute between the two men.
1. What is forensic science?
Authors: Fraser Jim
Published: February 2020

‘What is forensic science?’ describes forensic science as the investigation, explanation, and evaluation of events of legal relevance including the identity, origin, and life history, and interaction of humans, materials, substances, and artefacts. A variety of techniques and methodologies, some of which are scientific, are used to describe, infer, and reconstruct events based on the analysis and evaluation of fragmentary physical evidence and other relevant information. From these facts, established to some pre-determined legal standard, the law infers behaviour, motivation, and criminal intent. In short, forensic science answers the central questions in a criminal investigation: who, what, where, when, why, and how?
3. Crime scene management and forensic investigation
Authors: Fraser Jim
Published: February 2020

‘Crime scene management and forensic investigation’ shows how the actions of investigating officers at a crime scene can affect the availability and efficacy of forensic tests later in the investigation. The purpose of crime scene management is to control, preserve, record, and recover evidence and intelligence from the scene of an incident in accordance with legal requirements and to appropriate professional and ethical standards. Any items removed from a scene by investigators must be packaged and labelled correctly to prevent contamination and minimize damage. Once forensic analysis begins, it is essential to consider the investigative implications of actions and decisions. It is sometimes more effective, quicker, or convenient to bring the specialist to the crime scene.
5. DNA profiling and databases
Authors: Fraser Jim
Published: February 2020

‘DNA profiling and databases’ looks at the biological basis of DNA profiling and how DNA is analysed and interpreted in different case types. It first explains the structure of DNA and the process of extraction and purification of the DNA. The analysis, interpretation, and evaluation of DNA evidence are then discussed along with the use of DNA databases in the investigation of crime. The impact of DNA profiling has been immense because it can eliminate or identify an individual from minute traces with great confidence. However, the ultimate meaning of any DNA evidence depends not only on the experts, but those who are called to adjudicate the evidence of a case as a whole.
6. Prints and marks: more ways to identify people and things
Authors: Fraser Jim
Published: February 2020

‘Prints and marks: more ways to identify people and things’ uses fingerprints and shoe marks to illustrate the general characteristics of marks evidence, the principles involved in their examination, and how the evidence is evaluated. Marks can be visible (patent) or invisible (latent), and require specialist optical, physical, or chemical techniques to visualize them. They can be made in a variety of substances such as mud, blood, dust, and sweat (referred to as ‘negative’ marks) or by transferring a material to another surface (‘positive’ marks). Fingerprints are a reliable means of identification, but there are important issues about procedures, standards, and the training of experts that still need to be addressed.
9. Science and justice—a case study
Authors: Fraser Jim
Published: February 2020

The defining feature of forensic science is its relationship with the law. ‘Science and justice—a case study’ considers the final stages of a criminal inquiry—adjudication by the courts. The significance of forensic evidence is assessed by human cognition. The evidence is weighed carefully by experts, but words can be misunderstood or manipulated. The murder of Jill Dando in 1999 is used as a case study, where the significance of gunshot residue became a critical part of the case. The canon of forensic technologies will continue to develop and change. The conceptual gap between technology and the law is likely to remain and perhaps increase.
Introduction
Authors: Mladenov Philip V.
Published: February 2020

The oceans cover 71 per cent of our planet’s surface, create a vast globally connected fluid living space, and support a diverse array of life forms. The Introduction outlines the ocean environment’s role in providing essential services for human survival and well-being. They produce half of the oxygen we breath; stabilize our climate; sustain ecosystems that protect our coasts; provide us with abundant healthy food and with natural products for medicine and biotechnology; and support many forms of recreation and tourism. But all of this is under threat due to human activity. Action is required to create a more sustainable relationship with our oceans so that they can be restored and protected for future generations.
6. Deep-ocean biology
Authors: Mladenov Philip V.
Published: February 2020

The deep ocean is currently defined as the water column and ocean bottom greater than 500 metres, which is the depth at which seasonal variation in temperature and salinity and the influence of sunlight is minimal. This habitat encompasses roughly 90 per cent of the ocean’s volume yet this vast region is the least investigated and understood environment on the planet. ‘Deep-ocean biology’ explains that there are many issues for the existence of life in the deep ocean: lack of light, extreme pressure, scarcity of food, and temperature. However, deep-ocean animals have adapted to their surroundings. The diversity of deep-ocean benthic animals is described along with the unique ecosystems found around hydrothermal vents and seamounts.
Seasonally specific changes in migration phenology across 50 years in the Black-throated Blue Warbler
Authors: Covino Kristen M , Horton Kyle G , Morris Sara R
Published: February 2020

The availability of detailed information that encompasses the geographic range of a species, spans a long-term temporal range, and yields individual information (e.g., age and sex), is a principle challenge in ecology. To this end, the North American Bird Banding Laboratory maintains a unique and underutilized dataset that can be used to address core questions of phenological change in migratory birds. We used records from 1966 to 2015 to quantify how the timing of migration has shifted in a long-distance migrant, the Black-throated Blue Warbler (Setophaga caerulescens). Additionally, we examined age and sex differences in the timing of migratory movements. We observed that early spring migrants passed through sites ~1.1 days earlier per decade and the peak of spring migration also occurred earlier over the 50 yr of this study. Additionally, phenological change was more rapid with increasing latitude during peak spring migratory periods. During fall, the peak of migration stayed consistent across the 50 yr studied, but the migratory season showed protraction overall. During spring, males consistently migrated earlier than females and adults migrated earlier than young individuals. During fall, there was no difference in timing between males and females, but young birds migrated earlier than adults. Additionally, migration proceeded faster in spring compared with the fall. This study reveals differential strategies in migrant timing, across seasons, age groups, and by sex, and shows that en route adjustments across latitude may account for changes in migrant timing. This basic information about such a fundamental ecological process is crucial to our understanding of migration and we must utilize these unique data to appreciate critical shifts at relevant scales of migration.
Two-part joint model for a longitudinal semicontinuous marker and a terminal event with application to metastatic colorectal cancer data
Authors: Rustand Denis , Briollais Laurent , Tournigand Christophe , Rondeau Virginie
Published: February 2020

Joint models for a longitudinal biomarker and a terminal event have gained interests for evaluating cancer clinical trials because the tumor evolution reflects directly the state of the disease. A biomarker characterizing the tumor size evolution over time can be highly informative for assessing treatment options and could be taken into account in addition to the survival time. The biomarker often has a semicontinuous distribution, i.e., it is zero inflated and right skewed. An appropriate model is needed for the longitudinal biomarker as well as an association structure with the survival outcome. In this article, we propose a joint model for a longitudinal semicontinuous biomarker and a survival time. The semicontinuous nature of the longitudinal biomarker is specified by a two-part model, which splits its distribution into a binary outcome (first part) represented by the positive versus zero values and a continuous outcome (second part) with the positive values only. Survival times are modeled with a proportional hazards model for which we propose three association structures with the biomarker. Our simulation studies show some bias can arise in the parameter estimates when the semicontinuous nature of the biomarker is ignored, assuming the true model is a two-part model. An application to advanced metastatic colorectal cancer data from the GERCOR study is performed where our two-part model is compared to one-part joint models. Our results show that treatment arm B (FOLFOX6/FOLFIRI) is associated to higher SLD values over time and its positive association with the terminal event leads to an increased risk of death compared to treatment arm A (FOLFIRI/FOLFOX6).
Relating Hippocratic and Christian Medical Ethics
Authors: Cavanaugh Tom A
Published: February 2020

This article articulates the Hippocratic medical ethic found in the Oath and the Christian medical ethic as exemplified in the parable of the Good Samaritan. It proposes that the Oath has a natural-law-based deontological character (as understood by Aquinas) that governs friendships of utility (as understood by Aristotle) between student and teacher and physician and patient. The article elaborates on the Samaritan’s conduct as exemplifying Christian agapeic-love. It contrasts agapeic-love with friendship-love, while noting that the Samaritan relies on friendship-love (as found between the Samaritan and the innkeeper) to realize agapeic-love towards the robbers’ victim. It concludes with noting that the grace-based Christian medical ethic perfects the nature-based Hippocratic ethic not by destroying it, but, rather, by employing it.
Brain Transplant and Personal Identity
Authors: Jung Kevin
Published: February 2020

Should Christians support the view that one’s psychological continuity is the main criterion of personal identity? Is the continuity of one’s brain or memory states necessary and sufficient for the identicalness of the person? This paper investigates the plausibility of the psychological continuity theory of personal identity, which holds that the criterion of personal identity is certain psychological continuity between persons existing at different times. I argue that the psychological continuity theory in its various forms suffers from interminable problems. Then, I introduce an alternate account of personal identity, according to which personal identity is not further analyzable in terms of qualitative properties (“suchnesses”) of persons. Rather, persons are individuated by their primitive thisnesses (haecceities), which are nonqualitative properties of immaterial substances (or souls). This alternate conception of personal identity would be of particular relevance to those who believe in the immortality of the soul and are looking for a nonphysicalist account of personal identity.
Individual Variation in Glucocorticoid Plasticity: Considerations and Future Directions
Authors: Guindre-Parker Sarah
Published: February 2020

The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis regulates the secretion of glucocorticoids, hormones with diverse roles ranging from regulating daily metabolic demand to coping with sudden perturbations. As a result, glucocorticoids are thought to help vertebrates track their changing environments and coordinate plasticity in diverse phenotypes. While this endocrine system is highly plastic—where one individual can produce multiple phenotypes across varying environmental conditions—little is understood about the degree to which individuals, populations, or species differ in circulating glucocorticoid plasticity. Empirical research quantifying individual variation in glucocorticoid plasticity has increased in recent years, though the multiple complex roles of the HPA-axis make it challenging to generalize the extent to which individual variation in plasticity exists. I provide an overview of current findings on variation in glucocorticoids plasticity, and outline multiple types of glucocorticoid plasticity researchers should consider in future work to advance our understanding of the causes and consequences of individual variation in glucocorticoid plasticity.
Trust and Support for Comprehensive Trade Agreements in the European Parliament
Authors: Norrevik Sara
Published: February 2020

Comprehensive Trade Agreements (CTAs) constitute a new generation of free trade agreements, which challenge traditional models of trade preferences. To understand preferences toward CTAs I present a new predictor, trust in government, that explains support for CTAs in the European Parliament. I develop a unified framework that includes economic and noneconomic factors to explain trade preferences, and analyze support for three recent CTAs: the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement with Canada (CETA), and the EU-Korea Free Trade Agreement. Using an original dataset on trade voting and a multilevel model, I show that higher levels of citizens’ trust in government make Members of the European Parliament more likely to vote in favor of CTAs. My research offers a novel theoretical argument and insights on the connection between public trust and elite position-taking.
POCT Analysts’ Perspective: Practices and Wants for Improvement
Authors: Westgard Sten A , Goldschmidt Henk M J , Ehrmeyer Sharon S
Published: February 2020

Background

Point-of-care testing (POCT) continues to expand worldwide. Concerns remain about result quality despite guidelines and standards that specify testing practices. To better understand POCT testing worldwide, we polled analysts to obtain their views on actual practices and needs for improvement.

Methods

An online questionnaire was constructed on SurveyMonkey, a commercially available website for conducting such surveys. POCT analysts were sought worldwide from a pool of healthcare providers subscribed to a westgard.com newsletter or visitors to westgard.com and/or LinkedIn to one of the authors.

Results

Seventy-three percent of testing occurred in hospitals with 64% conducted in specialty settings. Regulatory mandates were followed by 88%. For most, less than 100 tests were performed per day fewer less than 25 devices. Nurses top the list of analysts. All but 5% of analysts received some form of training primarily from manufacturers. Eighty-seven percent verified devices/methods prior to implementation. Five percent do not perform daily QC; all analyzed external QC at least once per month. When QC limits exceed acceptable limits, 92% stop testing. Expired materials were used by 5%. The majority collected data for quality improvements. Eleven percent thought their organization’s POCT is acceptable. The majority of respondents believe improvements need to be made in POCT.

Conclusions

Analysts' POCT practices have and are improving to contribute positively to patients’ healthcare and safety. Analysts do recognize problems and their wants/needs provide important information to improve their practices. Most participants desire more in-house and/or manufacturer training, explicit directions from manufacturers, manufacturer built-in quality and function checks, and oversight.
Evaluation of equine rectal inoculum as representative of the microbial activities within the horse hindgut using a fully automated in vitro gas production technique system
Authors: Kujawa Theresa J , van Doorn David A , Wambacq Wendy A , Hesta Myriam , Pellikaan Wilbert F
Published: February 2020

The in vitro gas production technique (IVGPT) has been a valuable tool in ruminant nutrition research for decades and has more recently been used in horse nutrition studies to investigate fermentation activities of the equine hindgut though primarily using feces as inoculum. This study was conducted to evaluate the use of equine rectal content in the IVGPT system as a viable inoculum that can be considered representative of the activities throughout the equine hindgut. Additionally, the study was conducted to measure the effects on fermentation kinetics and end-product production using inoculum from horses fed supplemental levels of coated sodium butyrate in an IVGPT system. Eight warmblood horses were fed a diet consisting of haylage (1% DM intake based on ideal body weight [BW]) and a mash concentrate formulated to provide 2.5 g nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC)/kg BW per meal. The diet was intended to create a NSC challenge to the microbial populations of the hindgut. The horses were randomly assigned to treatment or control group and after a 1-wk diet-adaptation period, the treatment group received 0.4 g/kg BW per day of a coated sodium butyrate supplement, while the control group received a placebo (coating only). After a 3-wk treatment period, the animals were sacrificed and digesta from the cecum, left ventral colon, right dorsal colon, and the rectum were collected within 30 min postmortem and used as inocula for the IVGPT trial. Haylage and concentrates fed to the test animals were also used as substrates in vitro. Sodium butyrate supplementation was not significant for gas production parameters or VFA measured suggesting no effect of sodium butyrate supplementation on the extent or kinetics of gas production or microbial end-product production (P ≥ 0.073). Differences in inocula were significant for organic matter corrected cumulative gas production (P = 0.0001), asymptotic gas production of the second phase (A2) (P < 0.0001); and maximal rate of OM degradation of the second phase (Rmax2) (P = 0.002). Inocula had a significant effect on total VFA (P = 0.0002), butyrate (Bu) (P = 0.015), branched chain fatty acids (P < 0.0001), pH (P < 0.0001), and ammonia (NH3) (P = 0.0024). In conclusion, based on observed results from this study, total tract digestibility may be overestimated if using rectal content inoculum to evaluate forage-based feeds in an IVGPT system.
Comparison of lymphatic complications between sentinel node navigation surgery and pelvic lymphadenectomy in patients with cervical cancer
Authors: Togami Shinichi , Kubo Rintaro , Kawamura Toshihiko , Yanazume Shintaro , Kamio Masaki , Kobayashi Hiroaki
Published: February 2020

Background

Sentinel node navigation surgery (SNNS) has been frequently used in early cervical cancer. However, the incidence and potential reduction of lymphatic complications following the removal of the sentinel lymph node remain unknown. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the occurrence of lymphatic complications post sentinel node navigation surgery in patients with early cervical cancer.

Methods

A total of 167 patients, including 70 and 97 patients who had undergone SNNS and pelvic lymphadenectomy (PLA), respectively, were enrolled in this study. We compared the lymphatic complications (lower extremity lymphedema and pelvic lymphocele) between the SNNS and PLA groups.

Results

The median number of sentinel lymph nodes removed was 2 (range: 1–14). Among the 70 patients in the SNNS group, there were 0 (0%) and 3 (4.3%) occurrences of lower extremity lymphedema and pelvic lymphocele, respectively. The occurrences of lower extremity lymphedema and pelvic lymphocele were significantly lower in the SNNS group than in the PLA group, despite circumflex iliac node removal.

Conclusions

The occurrence of lymphatic complications (lower extremity lymphedema and pelvic lymphocele) was significantly lower in the SNNS group than in the PLA group. We found that SNNS, and not PLA, was the best treatment option for preventing the development of lower extremity lymphedema and pelvic lymphocele, despite circumflex iliac node preservation.
Modern development of high-dose-rate brachytherapy
Authors: Itami Jun
Published: February 2020

Brachytherapy is an invasive therapy with placement of radiation source into or near the tumor. The difference between planning target volume and clinical target volume is minimal, and the dose out of the tumor reduces rapidly due to the inverse-square law. High-dose-rate brachytherapy enables three-dimensional image guidance, and currently, tumor dose as well as doses of the surrounding normal structures can be evaluated accurately. High-dose-rate brachytherapy is the utmost precision radiation therapy even surpassing carbon ion therapy. Biological disadvantages of high-dose rate have been overcome by the fractional irradiation. High-dose-rate brachytherapy is indispensable in the definitive radiation therapy of cervical cancer. Also in prostate cancer and breast cancer, high-dose-rate brachytherapy plays a significant role. Brachytherapy requires techniques and skills of radiation oncologists at the time of invasive placement of the radiation source into the tumor area. Education of young radiation oncologists is most urgent and important.