bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Memory Politics: US
Authors: Kurilla I.I.
Published: January 2021

Conflicts about the Past are no less characteristic of the United States than of European countries, although there they are more often referred to as a variant of culture wars. They are especially pronounced during periods of internal political crises, since the role of foreign policy in American discourse is almost negligible. Thus, memory of the World War II in the United States was used to unite the nation and did not, unlike in many European countries, become a basis for conflict with its neighbors. The article demonstrates how the two harshest conflicts over the Past in the last quarter century were connected with the crises, first of the Republican Party (the case of the Enola Gay exhibition in 1995), and then the Democratic Party (the case of the removal of Confederate monuments in 2017). The attack on the symbols of the Past after they ascribed to them negative meanings allows activists to mobilize supporters and overcome the ideological vacuum characteristic of a critical period. In other cases, both regarding the foreign policy “apologies for the USA” or the protests of the Italo-Americans after the authorities’ rejection to commemorate Christopher Columbus, conflicts did not acquire national character.
Political Terrorism in the Russian Empire in 1901-1911 and Its Role in the Historical Memory of Russia
Authors: Rocchi Т.
Published: January 2021

The first outbreak of mass political terrorism in the 20th century took place in the Russian Empire, especially in the First Russian Revolution of 1905-1907. However, these events have not received proper attention in the historical memory of Russia and Europe and in the history of world terrorism. The author examines the factors enabling the continued existence of a huge “blank spot” in the memory of Russia and the world. The under-evaluation of the significance of terrorism in the first decade of the 20th century is closely connected with the under-evaluation of the First Russian Revolution as an independent revolution. In the Soviet Union, historians emphasized that the Revolution of 1905-1907 was “the dress rehearsal” for the Great October Socialist Revolution of 1917. In post-Soviet Russia, many historians and publicists consider the Revolution of 1905-1907 “the dress rehearsal” for the “Golgotha” of 1917. There is a strong tendency to idealize the autocracy and right-wing movements and to demonize socialists and liberals. Many solid monographs and articles about terrorism are now being published in Russia. However, we still do not have exhaustive investigations covering the entire period of terrorism between 1866 (attempted assassination of Tsar Alexander II on April 4, 1866 by the revolutionary D.V. Karakozov) and 1911, examining the ideologies and tactics of different parties and movements, the government’s policies on political crimes, the relationships of society, especially among different political movements, to terrorism, and the differences between terrorism and other types of mass violence such as mass protest movements of different strata of the population and criminal violence. Only through a painstaking and multi-sided analysis of the terrorist phenomenon in the European-wide historical context we can determine the place of terrorism in the historical memory of Russia and Europe.
Memory Politics in the European Union: in Search for Common Landmarks
Authors: Semenenko I.S.
Published: January 2021

The article evaluates the reasons behind the surge of interest in memory politics in EU countries in the last decade. The author analyses the current memory studies agenda, the mechanisms and instruments proposed for use at EU level to promote a common European identity, and the practices of representing a shared European past in public spaces that have emerged over the last few years (such as the permanent exhibition of House of European History in Brussels). The evaluation of new priorities on the memory politics agenda can help shed light on the difficulties and threats to further promote European solidarity based on a common memory, especially having in mind the drastic consequences of the 2020 pandemic crisis. One can foresee the advancement of national and regional models of memory politics to the frontline of identity politics in Europe. The research is based on the analysis of discourses reflecting the changing memory politics agenda aimed at consolidating a common European space where Russia is considered as the alien Other. Empirical data was collected by the author during her visits to European museums and memory sites representing the history and the current state of the European integration project. This was complemented by the analysis of digital library and archive resources and expert reports dedicated to memory politics and identity policies in the EU.
A transzferárrendszer és a vállalati szervezeti rendszer összefüggései
Authors: Szabóné Veres Tünde
Published: January 2021

A transzferárak alkalmazása a nemzetközi szakmai publikációkban már több évtizedes múltra tekint vissza, ráadásul nem alapvetően az adóoptimalizáló jellege miatt. A vállalati szervezeti rendszerek fejlődésével, a vállalatvezetés területén a stratégiai gondolkodás jelentőségének növekedésével, valamint a globalizációs folyamatok kialakulásával és felerősödésével egyre komolyabb figyelmet kapott. A transzferárazás a vállalatvezetés eszközrendszerének eleme, a stratégiai vezetői számvitel egyik területe. Ezen a bázison a szerző célja a lehetséges transzferárrendszerek vizsgálata a vállalati szervezeti rendszer sajátosságainak függvényében, valamint a belső árak képzésére ható tényezők vizsgálata a vonatkozó nemzetközi szakirodalom áttekintése alapján.
Az élménymenedzsment koncepcionális alapjai
Authors: Zátori Anita
Published: January 2021

Az élménymenedzsment vizsgálatát indokolja, hogy a fogyasztói élmény mindinkább az értékteremtés kulcstényezőjévé válik. Jelentősége mára meghatározóvá vált. Erről tanúskodik az is, hogy az utóbbi másfél évtizedben több élménymenedzsment-koncepció is született és többen a fogyasztást mint élményt vizsgálták. A cikk az élménymenedzsment koncepcionális alapjainak feltérképezésére törekszik a koncepciók közös pontjainak és ellentmondásos tételeinek elemzésén keresztül. A tanulmány többek között rámutat arra, hogy a koncepciók terén az egyik fő törésvonal az élményteremtés eltérő módjaiban rejlik, ugyanakkor több területen is egyetértenek, amely alapján következtethetünk egy közös nevezőre – az élményközpontú menedzsment szemléletére.
MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION DESIGN
BASED ON DOING GOOD ACCORDING TO THE OLD TESTAMENT
Authors: ming davidming
Published: January 2021

Doing good is universal in which all people with various religious, ethnic and other backgrounds must be happy to do good. The problems that arise in the question are as follows: What are the values ​​of doing good according to the Bible? What is the challenge of "doing good" according to the dimensions of Multicultural Theology? How is the implementation of Multicultural Theology education about doing good into Christian ministry? The answer is: (1) Good deeds are commands given by God to His people. If a human being wants to be said to be good, he is obliged to do good. Because good deeds have a universal character. (2) The challenge of doing good in the dimension of multicultural theology is: the challenge of doing good in theocentric, the challenge of doing good in Christocentric (the principle of the Incarnation, the principle of salvation, the principle of the Holy Spirit, and the principle of the Naturality of the Church) and (2) the challenge "Doing Good" from Theocentric to Christocentric ".

(3) Multicultural theology regarding "doing good" becomes a very influential implementation to lead someone to enter the concept of theocracy which is then sharpened to Christocentric. Here the value of the Great Commission of Jesus Christ to win people becomes real and can be implemented properly. But, of course, the work of the Holy Spirit in the believer is critical to the success of the Great Commission mission.f
Biodegradable Synthetic Polymers in Textiles – What Lies Beyond PLA and Medical Applications? A Review.
Authors:   FTB, Hochschule Niederrhein - University of Applied Sciences, Webschulstrasse 31, 41065 Moenchengladbach, Germany, Grethe Thomas
Published: January 2021

Biodegradable polymers are currently discussed for applications in different fields and are becoming of increasing interest in textile research. While a plethora of work has been done for PLA in medical textiles, other biodegradable polymers and their textile application fields are studied less often, presumably due to higher costs and fewer market opportunities. However, some are emerging from research to pilot scale, and are already utilized commercially in packaging and other sectors but not, unfortunately, in textiles. The commercialisation of such polymers is fuelled by improved biotechnological production processes, show¬ing that textile applications are increasingly conceivable for the future. Additionally, commonly accepted definitions for biodegradability are probably misleading, if they are used to estimate the environmental burden of waste management or recycling of such materials. In this review, the current state of research in the field of biodegradable polymers for the application in textile materials is presented to identify emerging developments for new textile applications. It was clearly seen that PLA is most dominant in that field, while others facilitate new options in the future. The production costs of raw materials and the current patent situation are also evaluated. A special focus is placed on fibre raw materials, coatings, and additives for clothing and technical textiles. Fibre-reinforced composites are excluded, since polymers applied for the matrix component require very different properties compared to the textile materials. This represents a topic to be discussed separately. As a result, these new biodegradable polymers might serve as interesting coating materials for textiles that seem to sneak on to the textile market, as the patent search for such coating formulations suggests. Moreover, new biodegradable fibrous materials for clothing applications can be suggested, but some material properties must be addressed to render them processable on common textile machines.
Different Textile Materials as Light Shaping Attachments in Studio Photography and Their Influence on Colour Reproduction
Authors: Štampfl Veronika , Možina Klemen , Ahtik Jure
Published: January 2021

The research focuses on the quality of colour reproduction when using different light sources, often used toilluminate scenes in a photo studio, and different types of fabrics as lighting shapers. With the latter, the lightcan be converted into softer and more diffuse light, but the properties of the fabrics used affect the colourimpression and thus the quality of the reproduced colours. This was evaluated by analysing the colour differences which were calculated from the colorimetric values of the colour patches of the X-Rite ColorCheckerPassport test chart. Test chart was photographed in a controlled environment and illuminated with differentcombinations of light sources and tested fabrics. The results confirmed that not all combinations of variablesare suitable for use if the goal of the photograph is to achieve high quality colour reproduction.
Sentiment Analysis on Twitter Data using Big Data
Authors: Almonajed Obada , Jukić Samed ,   International Burch University
Published: January 2021

With the increasing number of users and data on the Internet, especially social media sites, sentiment analysis topic became one of the important and essential fields for most. Collection of people's feelings and sentiment and classifying the data attracted most businesses and companies. Recently, twitter sentiment analysis has attracted much attention, because of Twitter's growth and popularity. The solution for handling enormous amounts of data from social media is a new term called Big data. Big data is not just for having a large amount of data, but also the importance of processing and the usage of the data.
"Quantitative estimation of cooling load capabilities of residential buildings using machine learning"
Authors: Bećirović Nedret , Bejtović Ismail , Kevrić Jasmin
Published: January 2021

Based on previous research on energy efficiency of the buildings, particularly their cooling load capabilities we will develop a collection of machine learning methods for detecting buildings with best cooling load capabilities. This collection will study the influence of 8 input variables (relative compactness, surface area, wall area, roof area, overall height, orientation, glazing area, glazing area distribution) on one output parameter, that is cooling load of buildings. The results of this study support the practicability of using machine-learning software to estimate building parameters as a convenient and accurate approach, as long as the methods chosen are well suited for the type of data in question.
„Wczytywanie sztuki” – performatywnym odczytywaniem siebie
Authors: Wileczek Anna , Sroka Agata
Published: January 2021

Tekst dotyczy prezentacji założeń i efektów projektu „Wczytuję sztukę” realizowanych w jednym z kieleckich teatrów pod kątem m.in. egzystencjalnej hermeneutyki utworu dramatycznego. Warsztaty „wczytywania” są formą pracy z młodzieżą nad tekstem, obejmującej wspólne propozycje interpretacyjne i sceniczne wybranego utworu. Prezentacja założeń od strony realizatorów i uczestników może stać się ciekawą inspiracją do działań nie tylko popularyzujących teatr, ale także interakcji zespołowych oraz ćwiczeń z zakresu kreatywności, „uważności” i współdziałania tak potrzebnych we współczesnej szkole.
Technologie i opowiadanie o przeszłości a wyzwania animacji kultury
Authors: Zętar Joanna , Kowalski Łukasz
Published: January 2021

12 marca 2020 roku sztab kryzysowy z udziałem ministra kultury i dziedzictwa narodowego wprowadził w Polsce lockdown. Dla większości instytucji był to początek aktywności w zupełnie innych warunkach i przymus redefinicji dotychczasowych działań. Przez blisko trzy miesiące instytucje kultury pozbawione możliwości normalnej, stacjonarnej pracy musiały się zmierzyć z wyzwaniem funkcjonowania on-line. Szybko okazało się, że retransmisje wydarzeń, przypominanie archiwalnych nagrań ze spotkań autorskich i wirtualne spacery nie są rozwiązaniem, które na długo jest w stanie utrzymać uwagę publiczności. W celem tekstu jest przyjrzenie się warunkom i metodom, w jakich kultura, a zarazem edukacja może i powinna być dziś realizowana. Na tle prowadzonych przez polskie instytucje kultury działań animacyjnych i edukowania w nowej formie przedstawiony został przykład działań prowadzonych w Lublinie, przez Ośrodek „Brama Grodzka – Teatr NN”, który od końca lat 90. wykorzystuje w swoich działaniach Internet i nowe technologie do przekazywania wiedzy o historii i lokalnym dziedzictwie kulturowym. Autorzy w artykule szukają odpowiedzi na pytania czy instytucje kultury są przygotowane do działań z użyciem nowych technologii oraz jak realizują cele edukacji humanistycznej.
Analysis of type material of Opephora pacifica and emendation of the genus Opephora (Bacillariophyta)
Authors: Morales Eduardo A. , Wetzel Carlos E. , Ector Luc , Van de Vijver Bart
Published: January 2021

The genus Opephora currently contains 37 species and 27 infraspecific taxa. However, the existing literature reveals a wide morphological diversity and the need to establish defining characters to circumscribe the genus as a cohesive and, perhaps, monophyletic group. The type material of Opephora pacifica, the generitype, is analysed. We emend the description of both the species and the genus, the latter also based on published light and scanning electron microscopy observations of closely related species. After review of the available literature, we determined that currently only two species can be ascribed with certainty to the genus Opephora: O. pacifica and O. marina. Based on available literature, it is highly likely that O. fragilarioides also belongs to this genus. We present a table with all known species and infraspecific taxa and make comments regarding their recent transfer to other genera, their current accepted nomenclature, and the genus to which they should probably be ascribed pending the collection of further information.
Design of new activated carbon based adsorbents for improved desulfurization of heavy gas oil: experiments and kinetic modeling
Authors: Nawaf Amer T. , Jarullah Aysar T. , Hameed Shymaa A. , Mujtaba Iqbal M.
Published: January 2021

In this work, adsorption desulfurization is considered for making cleaner fuel. New efficient adsorbents have been designed by using two active metal oxides mainly potassium permanganate (KMnO4) and potassium phosphate (KPO4·3H2O) on Activated Carbon (AC). Ultrasonic assisted impregnation method (IWI) is used in designing the adsorbents offering high pore volume, pore size, surface chemistry, and high surface area. Use of ultrasonic method increases the dispersion of the active material (groups) on AC leading to increased number of collisions between O-atom on AC-support resulting in high sulfur removal from fuel. KMnO4 on AC shows higher adsorption capacity towards sulfur than KPO4·3H2O at the same operating conditions. New results with respect to sulfur removal has obtained compared with those obtained by previous studies. Finally, the adsorption kinetic parameters of such process are developed. Thomas and Yoon–Nelson models and the experimental data are used for this purpose using linear and non-linear regression analysis. Yoon–Nelson kinetic model fits well with the experiments data better than Thomas kinetic model in the entire adsorption column system.
Seawater degradation of PLA accelerated by water-soluble PVA
Authors: Huang Dan , Hu Zhi-De , Liu Tian-Yuan , Lu Bo , Zhen Zhi-Chao , Wang Ge-Xia , Ji Jun-Hui
Published: January 2021

In order to promote the degradation of PLA in seawater, a series of seawater-degradable polyester blends PVA/PLA were prepared by blending biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) with water-soluble modified polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) in this paper. ADR 4370S was introduced to bring a certain degree of improvement in compatibility of PVA/PLA blends. The results of degradation test in natural seawater for 180 days show that the weight loss of PVA/PLA blends in seawater is much higher compared with that of pure PLA. PVA can be used as an effective hydrolysis accelerator for PLA matrix, helping to significantly reduce the molecular weight of PLA. The channels caused by dissolution/swelling of PVA facilitate the entry of water and microorganisms into the materials to contact with PLA, thereby promoting the degradation process of PLA matrix itself. Thus, both dissolution/swelling of PVA and degradation of PLA occur in PVA/PLA blends, and the degree of rapid dissolution of PVA in the early stage determines the degree of degradation of PLA.
Acid red G dye removal from aqueous solutions by porous ceramsite produced from solid wastes: Batch and fixed-bed studies
Authors: Li Tianpeng , Fan Jing , Sun Tingting
Published: January 2021

A novel porous ceramsite was made of municipal sludge, coal fly ash, and river sediment by sintering process, and the performance of batch and fixed-bed column systems containing this material in the removal of acid red G (ARG) dye from aqueous solutions was assessed in this study. The results of orthogonal test showed that sintering temperature was the most important determinant in the preparation of porous ceramsite, and it possesses developed pore structure and high specific surface area. Batch experiment results indicated that the adsorption process of ARG dye toward porous ceramsite was a spontaneous exothermic reaction, which could be better described with Freundlich–Langmuir isotherm model (R2 > 0.992) and basically followed the pseudo-first-order kinetic equation (R2 > 0.993). Column experiment results showed that when the porous ceramsite was used as packing material, its adsorption capacity was roughly improved by 3.5 times compared with that in batch system, and the breakthrough behavior was simulated well with Yoon–Nelson model, with R2 > 0.954. This study suggested that the novelty man-made porous ceramsite obtained from solid wastes might be processed as a certain cost-effective treatment material fit for the dye removal in aqueous solutions.
Vorinostat exhibits anticancer effects in triple-negative breast cancer cells by preventing nitric oxide-driven histone deacetylation
Authors: Palczewski Marianne B. , Kuschman Hannah Petraitis , Bovee Rhea , Hickok Jason R. , Thomas Douglas D.
Published: January 2021

Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) that produce nitric oxide (NO) are more aggressive, and the expression of the inducible form of nitric oxide synthase (NOS2) is a negative prognostic indicator. In these studies, we set out to investigate potential therapeutic strategies to counter the tumor-permissive properties of NO. We found that exposure to NO increased proliferation of TNBC cells and that treatment with the histone deacetylase inhibitor Vorinostat (SAHA) prevented this proliferation. When histone acetylation was measured in response to NO and/or SAHA, NO significantly decreased acetylation on histone 3 lysine 9 (H3K9ac) and SAHA increased H3K9ac. If NO and SAHA were sequentially administered to cells (in either order), an increase in acetylation was observed in all cases. Mechanistic studies suggest that the “deacetylase” activity of NO does not involve S-nitrosothiols or soluble guanylyl cyclase activation. The observed decrease in histone acetylation by NO required the interaction of NO with cellular iron pools and may be an overriding effect of NO-mediated increases in histone methylation at the same lysine residues. Our data revealed a novel pathway interaction of Vorinostat and provides new insight in therapeutic strategy for aggressive TNBCs.
Friction stir lap welding thin aluminum alloy sheets
Authors: Wang Tao , Gong Xue , Ji Shude , Xue Gang , Lv Zan
Published: January 2021

In this work, thin aluminum alloy sheets with thickness of 0.8 mm were friction stir lap welded using small shoulder plunge depths of 0 and 0.1 mm. The joint formation, microstructure and mechanical properties were investigated. Results show that voids appear inside the stir zone when the small plunge depth of 0 mm is used because the tool shoulder cannot exert a good material-collecting effect at such low plunge depth. A plunge depth of 0.1 mm causes tight contact between the shoulder and the material and thus results in good material-collecting effect, which is helpful to eliminate the void. Sound joints are attained at a wide range of welding parameters when using the shoulder plunge depth of 0.1 mm. No crack is observed inside the bonding ligament. The joints own higher failure loads when the retreating side (RS) of the joint bares the main load during the lap shear tests. The shear failure load first increases and then decreases with increasing the rotating and welding speeds, and the maximum failure load of 6419 N is obtained at 600 rpm and 150 mm/min. The hardness of the joint presents a “W” morphology and the minimum hardness is obtained at the heat affected zone. The joints present tensile fracture and shear fracture when the advancing side and RS bare the main loads, respectively.
Simplified estimation of anisotropic non-homogeneous extinction coefficients in porous solids considering spherical and cylindrical pore networks
Authors: Ramirez-Cabrera Manuel A. , Valades-Pelayo Patricio J.
Published: January 2021

This manuscript presents a simplified analysis for estimating anisotropic, non-homogeneous extinction coefficients in porous solids as a function of the pore morphology and size distribution. The model contains two main simplifications: (1) the pore network consists of hollow interspersed spheres and cylinders, and (2) each surface exchanges radiation (through diffuse emission) only with itself and adjacent surfaces. The model yields photon flight length (PFL) probability distribution functions (PDFs), describing Beerian and non-Beerian anisotropic extinction processes. The method is three orders of magnitude faster than the Monte Carlo Ray Tracing Method (MCRT), yielding Root Mean Square Errors between 0 and 35% for the PFL–PDFs and 0–25% for the anisotropic extinction coefficients. Finally, this work presents a local geometric criterium determining whether the model applies to some given area of the porous solid, so it remains useful even when not applicable to the whole domain.
The electrochemical reduction mechanism of Fe3O4 in NaCl-CaCl2 melts
Authors: Li Hui , Jia Lei , Cao Weigang , Liang Jinglong , Wang Le , Yan Hongyan
Published: January 2021

In order to study the process of Fe3O4 reduction by melt electro-deoxidation. Electrochemical method was used to analyze the reduction mechanism of Fe3O4 in NaCl-CaCl2 melts. The effects of cell voltage and time on the product were discussed through constant cell voltage electrolysis. The results showed: (1) The reduction of solid Fe3O4 to metallic Fe is a two-step process for obtaining electrons. (2) The transformation process (600 min, 0–1.0 V) of the electrolysis products with the increase of the cell voltage is as follows: Fe3O4 → FeO → FeO + Fe → Fe. (3) The intermediate product Ca2Fe2O5 was formed (2.0 V, 10–300 min), which inhibited the deoxygenation process in the early stage of the reaction. When the electrolysis time exceeds 60 min, the main reaction is the reduction of Ca2Fe2O5 to Fe.
Research on fault clearing scheme for half-bridge modular multilevel converters high voltage DC based on overhead transmission lines
Authors: Zhang Jingru , He Baina , He Xingmin , Dong Yanchen , Jiang Renzhuo
Published: January 2021

When a short-circuit fault occurs on the transmission lines of high voltage DC transmission system based on modular multilevel converters, the fault cannot be cleared by adjusting the converter control system, which results in longer recovery time. Aiming at the problem above, a fault self-clearing scheme based on the fault clearing module for the half-bridge converter station is proposed. Combined with the actual operating status of the flexible DC transmission project, centralized parameter models are utilized to analyze the fault self-clearing mechanism. Besides, the impact of the discharge branch on the fault clearing effect is studied in depth to provide a design consideration for the fault clearing module and improve the comprehensive benefits of the proposed scheme. PSCAD/EMTDC simulation results show that the introduction of the fault clearing module in the half-bridge converter station can effectively suppress the fault short-circuit current and shorten the fault clearing time. In addition, circuit breakers on both sides of the line do not need to be tripped, providing a reliable guarantee for the subsequent adaptive restart process.
Who’s in charge?
Authors: Novakazi Fjollë , Johansson Mikael , Erhardsson Gustav , Lidander Linnéa
Published: January 2021

Fully automated drive still lies far ahead in the future. Therefore, vehicles with multiple modes of operation will not disappear fully as many road types, traffic and weather conditions will not allow fully automated drive. Instead, fragmented trips with regard to automation will prevail, where drivers will have different levels of automation available at different times. Given this scenario and the complexity of vehicles offering multiple levels of automation with different driving modes depending on prevailing conditions, the need for drivers to understand their responsibility during the different modes becomes critical. The aim of this paper is to contribute to further understanding of how perceived control influences the driver’s mode awareness of and responsibility for the driving task by reporting on an on-road Wizard-of-Oz study under real driving conditions. The results show that when confronted with a vehicle offering both a level 2 and a level 4 driving automation system, drivers have difficulty in determining whether control is allocated to them or to the system. Further results show that perceived control and responsibility for the driving task are closely linked, and that the driver’s perception of the driving system influence how they interact with it. Finally, conclusions are drawn regarding the way perceived control influences mode awareness when interacting with a vehicle that features multiple levels of automation.
The potentiation of beta-lactam and anti-bacterial activities of lipophilic constituents from Mesua ferrae leaves against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Alagasamy Sangeeta V. , Ramanathan Surash , Chear Nelson Jeng-Yeou , Tan Wen-Nee , Ramachandram Dinesh Sangarran , Ching-Ga Ai-Fein T. , Ponnusamy Yasodha , Lai Choon-Sheen , Murugaiyah Vikneswaran
Published: January 2021

Objectives

Mesua ferrae, from the family of Calophyllaceae, is traditionally used for the treatment of piles, fever and renal disorders. The present study was aimed to examine the antibacterial compounds from the leaves of M. ferrae and their β-lactam antibiotic potentiate activities against Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Methods

Stigmasterol (1) and β-caryophyllene oxide (2) were isolated from the n-hexane fraction of the leaves of M. ferrae using a bioassay-guided fractionation approach.

Results

The isolated compounds displayed anti-Staphylococcus and anti-MRSA activities. It is worth to note that both compounds demonstrated synergism with β-lactam antibiotics against S. aureus and MRSA. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis indicated the n-hexane fraction was dominated by triterpenes and sesquiterpenes, suggesting the total antibacterial activity exhibited by the fraction.

Conclusion

Based on the findings, it could conclude that M. ferrae is a promising natural source for the discovery of new anti-MRSA lead compounds.
Deep Bidirectional LSTM Network Learning-Based Sentiment Analysis for Arabic Text
Authors: Elfaik Hanane , Nfaoui El Habib
Published: January 2021

Sentiment analysis aims to predict sentiment polarities (positive, negative or neutral) of a given piece of text. It lies at the intersection of many fields such as Natural Language Processing (NLP), Computational Linguistics, and Data Mining. Sentiments can be expressed explicitly or implicitly. Arabic Sentiment Analysis presents a challenge undertaking due to its complexity, ambiguity, various dialects, the scarcity of resources, the morphological richness of the language, the absence of contextual information, and the absence of explicit sentiment words in an implicit piece of text. Recently, deep learning has obviously shown a great success in the field of sentiment analysis and is considered as the state-of-the-art model in Arabic Sentiment Analysis. However, the state-of-the-art accuracy for Arabic sentiment analysis still needs improvements regarding contextual information and implicit sentiment expressed in different real cases. In this paper, an efficient Bidirectional LSTM Network (BiLSTM) is investigated to enhance Arabic Sentiment Analysis, by applying Forward-Backward encapsulate contextual information from Arabic feature sequences. The experimental results on six benchmark sentiment analysis datasets demonstrate that our model achieves significant improvements over the state-of-art deep learning models and the baseline traditional machine learning methods.
Effects of COVID-19 pandemic on breastfeeding rates in a neonatal intensive care unit
Authors: Gunes Asli Okbay , Dincer Emre , Karadag Nilgun , Topcuoglu Sevilay , Karatekin Guner
Published: January 2021

Objectives

To find out if the expressed breast milk delivery rate to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for babies who were hospitalized for any reason other than COVID-19, and exclusive breastfeeding (EB) rates between discharge date and 30th day of life of those babies were affected by COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

Babies who were hospitalized before the date first coronavirus case was detected in our country were included as control group (CG). The study group was divided into two groups; study group 1 (SG1): the mothers whose babies were hospitalized in the period when mother were asked not to bring breast milk to NICU, study group 2 (SG2): the mothers whose babies were hospitalized after the date we started to use the informed consent form for feeding options. The breast milk delivery rates to NICU during hospitalization and EB rates between discharge and 30th day of life were compared between groups.

Results

Among 154 mother-baby dyads (CG, n=50; SG1, n=46; SG2, n=58), the percentage of breast milk delivery to NICU was 100%, 79% for CG, SG2, respectively (p<0.001). The EB rate between discharge and 30th day of life did not change between groups (CG:90%, SG1:89%, SG2:75.9; p=0.075).

Conclusions

If the mothers are informed about the importance of breast milk, the EB rates are not affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in short term, even if the mothers are obligatorily separated from their babies. The breast milk intake rate of the babies was lowest while our NICU protocol was uncertain, and after we prepared a protocol this rate increased.
Morphological features of Kiswahili youth language(s): Evidence from Dar es Salaam, Goma, Lubumbashi and Nairobi
Authors: Nassenstein Nico , Bose Paulin Baraka
Published: January 2021

Since the late 1980s, linguists’ analyses of Sheng, the urban youth language from Nairobi, have led to the growth of a considerable body of literature. In contrast, only a few studies are available that cover other youth registers from the Kiswahili-speaking parts of Africa. While most of the available studies either deal with techniques of manipulation or with adolescents’ identity constructions, our paper intends to give a comparative overview of specific morphological features of Kiswahili-based youth languages. While certain characteristics of Sheng (Nairobi/Kenya), Lugha ya Mitaani (Dar es Salaam/Tanzania), Kindubile (Lubumbashi/DR Congo) and Yabacrâne (Goma/DR Congo) largely diverge from East Coast Swahili (hereafter ECS) in regard to their nominal and verbal morphology, they all share specific features. Focusing on (apparent) supra-regional developments and changes in Kiswahili, this preliminary description of some structural features that transcend all four youth language practices aims to provide comparative insights into urban register variation, approaching East African youth languages from a micro-typological perspective.
He has committed a drinkable offence: the discourse of alcohol consumption among rural youth in Nigeria
Authors: Mensah Eyo O.
Published: January 2021

This article explores how identity and masculinity are framed and negotiated through interactional discourses which are related to alcohol consumption and drinking culture by rural youth in Southern Cross River State, South-Eastern Nigeria. In this culture, young men employ enregisterment of slang, metaphors and subjective narratives to symbolically construct their ideologies of alcohol. The study adopts the community of practice conceptual framework which sets the parameters for social and linguistic practices where language is (re)produced and (re)conceptualised through different forms of participation and engagement. With ethnographic observations, interviews, focus groups and qualitative analysis, I aim to reveal some of the dimensions of identity and masculinity that are enacted in the discourse of alcohol consumption. These include: knowledge of slang and metaphors associated with alcohol and its consumption, projecting an image of a light or heavy alcohol consumer, utilising alcohol as a necessity in resolving conflicts and relating alcohol consumption as a source of strength, toughness and other masculine attributes. I conclude that alcohol drinking culture forms part of the creative agency and social imaginaries of rural youth in defining their authentic social selves and local lifestyles.
Study on the continuous precipitation of U(IV) oxalate in a vortex precipitator
Authors: Li Chuanbo , Ning Yongzhi , Yan Taihong , Zheng Weifang
Published: January 2021

The effects of feeding location, stirring speed and apparent average residence time on oxalate crystals size and distribution, tackiness of the product on the walls of reactor and stirring paddle were investigated in a vortex continuous precipitator at 45 °C. The results showed agglomeration happened during nucleation and crystals growth of U(IV) oxalate. Both local supersaturations and agglomeration maked the particles size distribution of U(IV) oxalate from 10–100 µm and the average sizes 35–45 µm. On the other hand, when the nucleation process were controlled to happen in the forced vortex zone, two feeding locations: (a) both oxalic acid and U(IV) nitrate solution into the forced vortex zone, (b) oxalic acid into the free vortex and U(IV) nitrate solution into the forced vortex, tackiness of the crystals on the wall of the precipitator could be effectively avoided.
A comprehensive review on the integration of advanced oxidation processes with biodegradation for the treatment of textile wastewater containing azo dyes
Authors: Chaturvedi Anuj , Rai Birendra Nath , Singh Ram Saran , Jaiswal Ravi Prakash
Published: January 2021

The threat of dye contamination has achieved an unsurpassed abnormal state lately due to their massive consumption in several enterprises including textile, leather, cosmetic, plastic, and paper industries. This review focuses on the integrations of various advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), such as Fenton, photocatalysis, and ozonation, with biodegradation for the treatment of textile azo dyes. Such integrations have been explored lately by researchers to bring down the processing cost and improve the degree of mineralization of the treated dyeing wastewater. The review refers to the basic mechanisms, the influence of various process parameters, outcomes of recent works, and future research directions. All the three AOPs, independently, demonstrated substantial color reduction of 54–100%. The ozonation process, stand-alone, showed the most efficient decolorization (of 88–100%) consistently in all reviewed research works. In contrast, all three AOPs independently offered varied and inadequate COD reduction in the range of 16–80%. The AOPs, after getting integrated with biodegradation, yielded an additional reduction (of 11–70%) in the COD-levels and (of 16–80%) in the TOC-levels. Further, the integration of AOPs with biodegradation has potential to significantly reduce the treatment costs. The review suggests further research efforts in the direction of sequencing chemical and biological routes such that their synergistic utilization yield complete detoxification of the textile azo dyes economically at large-scale.
Slurry-phase ethylene polymerization processes: a review on multiscale modeling and simulations
Authors: Thakur Amit K. , Gupta Santosh K. , Chaudhari Pranava
Published: January 2021

Slurry polymerization processes using Zeigler–Natta catalysts, are most widely used for the production of polyethylene due to their several advantages over other processes. Significant advancements have been made in the modeling of these processes to obtain high-quality final products. The modeling work in this field has a very wide scope due to the great diversity of the catalyst types, polymerization processes, polymerization conditions, product qualities and microstructures that exist at the commercial scale. In this article, we have reviewed and discussed the slurry polymerization processes for the production of polyethylene and the multiscale modeling and simulation framework in slurry reactors. The multiscale modeling framework mainly comprises of the kinetic model, single-particle diffusion models, multiphase hydrodynamics, phase equilibria, reactor residence time distribution and the overall mass and heat balances. Guidelines to implement the multiscale mathematical modeling and simulation in slurry-phase olefin polymerization processes are proposed. Special focus is given on the need to reduce the computational effort for the simulation of industrial reactors so that the models can be used as an effective tool-kit for optimization studies using state-of-art algorithms.
Ambient air pollution and multiple sclerosis: a systematic review
Authors: Farahmandfard Mohammad Amin , Naghibzadeh-Tahami Ahmad , Khanjani Narges
Published: January 2021

Objectives

Some studies have shown that environmental risk factors, including air pollution, might be related to the incidence or recurrence of multiple sclerosis (MS). This systematic review was conducted to investigate the relation between air pollution and MS.

Methods

A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Embase, and Web of Science; until January 2020 with no restrictions. The search strategy was conducted with air pollution key words such as CO, PM2.5, PM10, SO2, and NO2, for exposure and the key word “Multiple sclerosis” as the outcome.

Results

Eventually, after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 17 articles were included. The methodologies and outcomes reported were heterogeneous and different metrics had been used in the results; therefore conducting a meta-analysis was not possible. Eight studies had analyzed the relation between particulate matter (PM) and the prevalence or relapse of MS and had observed a significant relation. NO2 and NOx were associated with recurrence or prevalence of MS in three studies. But, in three cohort studies, no association was observed between air pollution and recurrence or occurrence of MS.

Conclusions

The results of this systematic review show that outdoor air pollution, especially PM and nitrogen oxides might be related to the prevalence or relapse of MS.
On the extension property of dilatation monotone risk measures
Authors: Rahsepar Massoomeh , Xanthos Foivos
Published: January 2021

Let 𝒳 be a subset of

L
1

L^{1}

that contains the space of simple random variables ℒ and

ρ
:

X
→

(

-
∞

,
∞
]

\rho\colon\mathcal{X}\to(-\infty,\infty]

a dilatation monotone functional with the Fatou property.
In this note, we show that 𝜌 extends uniquely to a

σ
⁢

(

L
1

,
L
)

\sigma(L^{1},\mathcal{L})

lower semicontinuous and dilatation monotone functional

ρ
¯

:

L
1

→

(

-
∞

,
∞
]

\overline{\rho}\colon L^{1}\to(-\infty,\infty]

.
Moreover,

ρ
¯

\overline{\rho}

preserves monotonicity, (quasi)convexity and cash-additivity of 𝜌.
We also study conditions under which

ρ
¯

\overline{\rho}

preserves finiteness on a larger domain.
Our findings complement extension and continuity results for (quasi)convex law-invariant functionals.
As an application of our results, we show that transformed norm risk measures on Orlicz hearts admit a natural extension to

L
1

L^{1}

that retains robust representations.
Phase-Locking Requires Efficient Ca2+Extrusion at the Auditory Hair Cell Ribbon Synapse
Authors: Cuadra Adolfo E. , Hwang Fuu-Jiun , Burt Lindsay M. , Edmonds William C. , Chobany Anastasia V. , Li Geng-Lin
Published: January 2021

Proper perception of sounds in the environment requires auditory signals to be encoded with extraordinary temporal precision up to tens of microseconds, but how it originates from the hearing organs in the periphery is poorly understood. In particular, sound-evoked spikes in auditory afferent fibersin vivoare phase-locked to sound frequencies up to 5 kHz, but it is not clear how hair cells can handle intracellular Ca2+changes with such high speed and efficiency. In this study, we combined patch-clamp recording and two-photon Ca2+imaging to examine Ca2+dynamics in hair cell ribbon synapses in the bullfrog amphibian papilla of both sexes. We found that Ca2+clearance from single synaptic ribbons followed a double exponential function, and the weight of the fast component, but not the two time constants, was significantly reduced for prolonged stimulation, and during inhibition of the plasma membrane Ca2+ATPase (PMCA), the mitochondrial Ca2+uptake (MCU), or the sarcolemma/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ATPase (SERCA), but not the Na+/Ca2+exchanger (NCX). Furthermore, we found that both the basal Ca2+level and the Ca2+rise during sinusoidal stimulation were significantly increased by inhibition of PMCA, MCU, or SERCA. Consistently, phase-locking of synaptic vesicle releases from hair cells was also significantly reduced by blocking PMCA, MCU, or SERCA, but not NCX. We conclude that, in addition to fast diffusion mediated by mobile Ca2+buffer, multiple Ca2+extrusion pumps are required for phase-locking at the auditory hair cell ribbon synapse.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTHair cell synapses can transmit sound-driven signals precisely in the kHz range. However, previous studies of Ca2+handling in auditory hair cells have often been conducted in immature hair cells, with elevated extracellular Ca2+concentration, or through steady-state stimulation that may not be physiologically relevant. Here we examine Ca2+clearance from hair cell synaptic ribbons in a fully mature preparation at physiological concentration of external Ca2+and at physiological temperature. By stimulating hair cells with sinusoidal voltage commands that mimic pure sound tones, we recapitulated the phase-locking of hair cell exocytosis with anin vitroapproach. This allowed us to reveal the Ca2+extrusion mechanisms that are required for phase-locking at auditory hair cell ribbon synapses.
Complement Drives Synaptic Degeneration and Progressive Cognitive Decline in the Chronic Phase after Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Alawieh Ali , Chalhoub Reda M. , Mallah Khalil , Langley E. Farris , York Mikaela , Broome Henry , Couch Christine , Adkins DeAnna , Tomlinson Stephen
Published: January 2021

Cognitive deficits following traumatic brain injury (TBI) remain a major cause of disability and early-onset dementia, and there is increasing evidence that chronic neuroinflammation occurring after TBI plays an important role in this process. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms responsible for triggering and maintaining chronic inflammation after TBI. Here, we identify complement, and specifically complement-mediated microglial phagocytosis of synapses, as a pathophysiological link between acute insult and a chronic neurodegenerative response that is associated with cognitive decline. Three months after an initial insult, there is ongoing complement activation in the injured brain of male C57BL/6 mice, which drives a robust chronic neuroinflammatory response extending to both hemispheres. This chronic neuroinflammatory response promotes synaptic degeneration and predicts progressive cognitive decline. Synaptic degeneration was driven by microglial phagocytosis of complement-opsonized synapses in both the ipsilateral and contralateral brain, and complement inhibition interrupted the degenerative neuroinflammatory response and reversed cognitive decline, even when therapy was delayed until 2 months after TBI. These findings provide new insight into our understanding of TBI pathology and its management; and whereas previous therapeutic investigations have focused almost exclusively on acute treatments, we show that all phases of TBI, including at chronic time points after TBI, may be amenable to therapeutic interventions, and specifically to complement inhibition.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTThere is increasing evidence of a chronic neuroinflammatory response after traumatic brain injury (TBI), but little is known about the molecular mechanisms responsible for triggering and maintaining chronic inflammation. We identify complement, and specifically complement-mediated microglial phagocytosis of synapses, as a pathophysiological link between acute insult and a chronic neurodegenerative response, and further that this response is associated with cognitive decline. Complement inhibition interrupted this response and reversed cognitive decline, even when therapy was delayed until 2 months after injury. The data further support the concept that TBI should be considered a chronic rather than an acute disease condition, and have implications for the management of TBI in the chronic phase of injury, specifically with regard to the therapeutic application of complement inhibition.