bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A new adaptive XOR, hashing and encryption-based authentication protocol for secure transmission of the medical data in Internet of Things (IoT)
Authors: Chaudhari Dipalee Ashok , Umamaheswari Ekambaram
Published: August 2020

Internet of Things (IoT) plays a prominent role in health-care of patients, which assist the physicians and patients through the assistance in effective decision-making and additionally, in the medical field, IoT plays a significant role in real-time monitoring of the patients. Even though the data provided by the IoT devices ensure the effective decision-making, the data is susceptible to the network attacks. Thus, the paper proposes an authentication protocol for enabling the secure data transmission in IoT based on three functions, such as encryption function, hashing function, and adaptive XOR function. The proposed authentication protocol is named as, Adaptive XOR, hashing and Encryption Key Exchange (AXHE) protocol, which is the combination of the functions, such as encryption function, hashing function, and adaptive XOR function. The protocol ensures the security in the communication through two successive phases, such as registration and authentication of the user, where the user name, password, public keys, private keys, and security factor are employed. The authentication is progressed as seven levels and whenever the security factor matches, the user is authenticated and the communication continues. The analysis of the proposed AXHE is performed using 50 and 100 nodes in the presence of DOS and black hole attacks, which acquires the detection rate, throughput, and detection delay of 0.3859, 0.32, and 6.535 s, respectively.
Reassessment of Tristan da Cunha Gelidium (Gelidiales, Rhodophyta) species
Authors: Freshwater D. Wilson , Scott Sue , Tronchin Enrico M. , Saunders Gary W.
Published: August 2020

Three endemic species of Gelidium have been described from the remote Tristan da Cunha archipelago. A recent barcode survey of Tristan da Cunha red algae in combination with the clarification of vouchers for previously sequenced specimens has prompted a molecular and morphological reassessment of these species. Analyses of rbcL and COI-5P data indicated that all sequenced Tristan da Cunha specimens represented a single taxon, and furthermore that this genetic group was conspecific with Gelidium micropterum from southern Africa. Morphologically the Tristan da Cunha specimens represented either Gelidium concinnum or Gelidium regulare, and there was a grade of character states between both of these species, as well as G. micropterum. Based on these results the synonymy of G. concinnum and G. regulare under G. micropterum is proposed and an expanded description of G. micropterum provided. None of the studied Tristan da Cunha specimens clearly fit the description of the third endemic species, Gelidium inflexum, and its status could not be determined.
Results of the first pilot external quality assessment (EQA) scheme for anti-SARS-CoV2-antibody testing
Authors: Haselmann Verena , Özçürümez Mustafa K. , Klawonn Frank , Ast Volker , Gerhards Catharina , Eichner Romy , Costina Victor , Dobler Gerhard , Geilenkeuser Wolf-Jochen , Wölfel Roman , Neumaier Michael
Published: August 2020

Objectives

Assessment of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection prevalence and immunity is cornerstones in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic. For pandemic control, reliable assays for the detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies are required. This pilot external quality assessment (EQA) scheme aimed to independently assess the participants’ clinical performance of anti-SARS-CoV-2 testing, to identify shortcomings in clinical practice and to evaluate the suitability of the scheme format.

Methods

The EQA scheme consisted of eight serum samples with variable reactivity against SARS-CoV-2 intended for the analysis of anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin (Ig)G, IgA, and IgM antibodies. Laboratories reported: (1) results for each sample and the respective method, (2) raw data from replicate testing of each sample.

Results

The 16 selected pilot EQA participants reported 294 interpreted results and 796 raw data results from replicate testing. The overall error rate for the anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG, IgA, and IgM tests was 2.7, 6.9, and 16.7%, respectively. While the overall diagnostic specificity was rated as very high, sensitivity rates between 67 and 98% indicate considerable quality differences between the manufacturers, especially for IgA and IgM.

Conclusions

Even the results reported by the small number of participants indicate a very heterogeneous landscape of anti-SARS-CoV-2 serological testing. Differences of available tests and the individual performance of laboratories result in a success rate of 57.1% with one laboratory succeeding for all three antibody-classes. These results are an incentive for laboratories to participate in upcoming open EQA schemes that are needed to achieve a harmonization of test results and to improve serological testing.
Optimization of operational and design parameters of a Simultaneous Mixer-Separator for enhanced continuous biodiesel production
Authors: Fayyazi Ebrahim , Ghobadian Barat , Mousavi S. Mohamad , Najafi Gholamhassan , Yue Jun , Hosseinzadeh Bahram
Published: August 2020

Nowadays, biodiesel is promoted as an alternative and renewable fuel. The mass-transfer limited transesterification reaction is commonly used for biodiesel production, but it could benefit from process intensification technologies. The Simultaneous Mixer-Separator (SMS) is a novel process intensification reactor capable of integrating the mixing and separation of reactants within a single unit. The current study aims to determine the ideal parameters for continuous biodiesel production using an SMS setup that was exclusively designed and fabricated in-home for enhanced biodiesel production. The research statistically analyzed the effect of the space between the rotor and the bottom of reactor (h) (0.7, 1.0, 1.3 cm), the diameter ratio between the rotor and the stator (Dr/Ds) (0.5, 0.7, 0.9), and the frequency of the rotor’s rotary speed (R

f
) (20, 40, 60 Hz) on biodiesel yield using the Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Optimal oil to fatty acid methyl ester(FAME) conversion of 93.2% and the optimal volumetric production rate of 1,980 (kg FAME/m3·h) were obtained by setting the SMS to a rotational frequency of 39 Hz, an h of 0.7 cm, and a D

r

/D

s
of 0.85.
Septated fetal bladder in a case of 2q13 deletion
Authors: Montenegro del Moral María , Isabel González Villa , Padilla Pérez Ana I. , Alvarez-de-la-Rosa Rodríguez Margarita
Published: August 2020

Objectives

We aim to report a case of a septated urinary bladder with kidney dysplasia in a fetus presenting with 2q13 microdeletion. Several genes have been related to urogenital malformations. Reports of fetal multi-septated urinary bladder are extremely rare. Deletion 2q13 is responsible for a wide range of phenotypic manifestations but not commonly urogenital diseases.

Case presentation

We present a case of a primigravida with no contributing history referred to our center for suspected fetal kidney dysplasia. Ultrasound scan at 25 weeks gestation revealed septated urinary bladder and severe pelvic renal dilatation. CGH array showed de novo deletion 2q13. Upon counseling the parents opted for termination. Autopsy confirmed the urinary tract findings and normal external female genitalia.

Conclusions

To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of a 2q13 microdeletion and septated bladder. We suggest offering genetic counseling at the finding of a septated bladder and determine prognosis upon renal parenchymal destruction.
Translation Semiotics: The Disciplinary Essence
Authors: Wang Mingyu , Li Jing
Published: August 2020

Translation semiotics studies the transformation of signs in translation, which generally involves semiosis, sign behavior, sign relations, semiotic hierarchy, intersemiosis, semiotic function, and semiotic conservation. This paper attempts to explore, from these seven dimensions, the disciplinary essence of TS and foresees the development of this burgeoning discipline as a branch of semiotics.
Hegels negative Dialektik
Authors: Gelhard Andreas
Published: August 2020

Hegel’s approach to ancient scepticism is often discussed only in the context of epistemological questions. But it is also of crucial importance for his practical philosophy. Hegel draws on central figures of Pyrrhonian scepticism in order to subject Kant’s antinomies – i. e., Kant’s cosmology – to a fundamental revision. He radicalises Kant’s sceptical method to “self-completing scepticism”. At the same time he gives Kant’s concept of the world a practical twist: In Hegel’sPhenomenology of Spirit, world means an inhabited sphere in which powers and counter-powers are in conflict with each other. In doing so, he opens up the tradition of negativist thinking in political philosophy, which ranges from Marx and Adorno to the current theories of radical democracy. When Hegel calls Pyrrhonian skepticism a “negative dialectic”, he thereby marks what he views as a deficit: the inferiority of Pyrrhonian skepticism to speculative philosophy. However, it is precisely the practical dimension of Hegel’s dialectic that suggests that the sceptical motives of his thinking should be given great weight. This can be seen most clearly in Hegel’s concept ofBildung, which defines emancipation processes as the reactivation of open power relations in static conditions of domination.
Was heißt Gestalt? – für eine morphologische Designphilosophie
Authors: Arnold Florian
Published: August 2020

The paper proposes a morphological approach towards a philosophy of design. Beginning with the question: what is “Gestalt”? it argues that there is a crucial difference between the concepts of “Gestalt” and “form”. I will proceed in three steps, beginning with the Aristotelian doctrine of the four causes and its implications for the concept of nature. Secondly I will briefly discuss Goethe’s notion of “Gestalt” within his “Morphologie” and how it was used among his successors (including the “Bauhaus”), which leads straight into contemporary debates about computational design. Finally, and in conclusion, I introduce a morpho-logical “Gestalt”-thinking as a distinct and original kind of design-philosophy, beyond common design-history, or mere design-thinking.
Entrepreneurial Action and Competencies: Exploring Pathways to Venturing Accomplishments
Authors: Botha Melodi , Pietersen Michael
Published: August 2020

Scholars often cite an entrepreneur’s actions and their skills, know-how and entrepreneurial competencies (ECs) as the most influential factors related to the accomplishment of important venturing outcomes. Yet the joint impact of these factors on venturing accomplishments is yet to be explored. This paper aims to fill this void by empirically developing and testing a mediation model exploring three EC mechanisms by which entrepreneurial actions—specifically discovery and exploitation activities—led to the achievement of specific venturing accomplishments—namely the time to breakeven and turnover achieved. Data were collected from 1150 South African entrepreneurs using an online survey. Covariance-based structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized model. Results show that entrepreneurial action (EA) significantly impacts on the efficiency and effectiveness of a venture through the development of three key ECs. Furthermore, the type of action taken by entrepreneurs during the entrepreneurial process differentially influences competency development and venturing accomplishments. More specifically, opportunity discovery and exploitation activities have a varying impact on EC development, as the engagement in these distinct venture-related activities provides unique feedback for the development of appropriate behavioral scripts for specific contexts which lead to distinct venturing accomplishments. This research offers novel insights into the newly emerging scholarly conviction that engagement in the entrepreneurial process itself may affect key entrepreneurial abilities and accomplishments. In so doing, this paper builds on, and has implications for, theories of competency development and venturing performance, as well as pedagogical interventions aimed at enhancing entrepreneurship.
Strata behavior and control strategy of backfilling collaborate with caving fully-mechanized mining
Authors: Wei Yin , Jiaqi Wang , Xiaomin Bai , Wenjie Sun , Zheyuan Zhou
Published: August 2020

This article analyzes the technical difficulties in full-section backfill mining and briefly introduces the technical principle and advantages of backfilling combined with caving fully mechanized mining (BCCFM). To reveal the strata behavior law of the BCCFM workface, this work establishes a three-dimensional numerical model and designs a simulation method by dynamically updating the modulus parameter of the filling body. By the analysis of numerical simulation, the following conclusions about strata behavior of the BCCFM workface were drawn. (1) The strata behavior of the BCCFM workface shows significant nonsymmetrical characteristics, and the pressure in the caving section is higher than that in the backfilling section. φ has the greatest influence on the backfilling section and the least influence on the caving section. C has a significant influence on the range of abutment pressure in the backfilling section. (2) There exits the transition area with strong mine pressure of the BCCFM workface. φ and C have significant effect on the degree of pressure concentration but little effect on the influence range of strong mine pressure in the transition area. (3) Under different conditions, the influence range of strong mine pressure is all less than 6 m. This article puts forward a control strategy of mine pressure in the transition area, which is appropriately improving the strength of the transition hydraulic support within the influence range (6 m) in the transition area according to the pressure concentration coefficient. The field measurement value of Ji15-31010 workface was consistent with numerical simulation, which verifies the reliability of control strategy of the BCCFM workface.
The Effectiveness of Administrative Detention of Migrants in Relation to Return Rates: A Compared Analysis along States of EU South Frontier: Italy, France, Greece and Spain as Cases Study
Authors: Falsone Luca
Published: August 2020

Administrative detention has gradually become a fundamental instrument in migration policies of European States. The law generally assigns to this measure a key role in supporting removal procedure. On the other hand, administrative detention has been recognised as a symptom of the crimmigration crisis. This article aims to challenge the expected benefits of administrative detention as an effective measure to guarantee the enforcement of removal procedures, analysing available data of imprisonments and removals relative to Italy, France, Spain and Greece in the period of time 2014–2019.
Rapid and nondestructive evaluation of hygroscopic behavior changes of thermally modified softwood and hardwood samples using near-infrared hyperspectral imaging (NIR-HSI)
Authors: Ma Te , Schimleck Laurence , Inagaki Tetsuya , Tsuchikawa Satoru
Published: August 2020

The objective of this work was to provide a rapid and nondestructive imaging method for evaluating the hygroscopic behavior of thermally modified lignocellulosic materials (softwood and hardwood). The difference in the hygroscopic behavior was explained by moisture content (MC) mapping results and molecular association characteristics of absorbed water (i.e. weakly, moderately, and strongly hydrogen-bonded water molecules) with wood at various relative humidities (RH). To achieve this goal, near-infrared (NIR) spectral images in the wavelength range 1816–2130 nm (covering the combination of stretching and deformation vibrations for OH) were used to visualize MC distributions over the surface of Japanese cedar and European beech samples which had been thermally treated at different temperatures. A curve fitting method was utilized to explore changes in water-wood structure characteristics based on shifts to longer wavelength in spectral signals caused by increasing MC. The curve fitting results support the recent nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies that different bound water stabilities may pool in different compartments of the wood cell wall. Furthermore, water was firmly bound to wood at low RHs and H-bonds gained mobility as the number of absorbed molecules increased. It is concluded that NIR hyperspectral imaging also has the potential to be a complementary methodology for studying the transient changes of wood-water interactions before equilibrium.
Complete NMR assignment and analysis of molecular structural changes of β–O–4 lignin oligomer model compounds in organic media with different water content
Authors: Tokunaga Yuki , Nagata Takashi , Kondo Keiko , Katahira Masato , Watanabe Takashi
Published: August 2020

The conformation of lignin in solvents is major key factors governing the physicochemical properties of aromatic polymers. However, the conformational changes of lignin in good and poor solvents is not clearly understood at the molecular level. In this study, short- (DP 2.77) and long-chain (DP 4.49) lignin oligomer model compounds composed solely of interunit β–O–4 bonds with a narrow polydispersity were synthesized, and their NMR spectra were recorded to evaluate the molecular structural changes induced by addition of water to an organic solvent. The spectral signals were completely assigned in DMSO-d
6 and D2O by applying 2D 1H–13C HSQC, HMBC, and long-range heteronuclear single quantum multiple bond correlation (LR-HSQMBC). The conformation of the long- and short-chain lignin models were analyzed by 2D 1H–1H ROESY. In all the solvent systems, consisting of DMSO-d
6 and containing 0–90% volume of acetic acid-d

4
buffer in D2O (pD 5.0), the lignin models were found to have folded conformations, but more compact structures were observed in D2O compared with DMSO-d
6.
Mechanisms of liquid imbibition in Douglas-fir inferred from 1H nuclear magnetic resonance methods
Authors: Nguyen Dang Mao , Care Sabine , Courtier-Murias Denis , Zhou Meng , Coussot Philippe
Published: August 2020

This study aims at identifying the mechanisms of oil and water imbibition in heartwood and sapwood of Douglas-fir through a combination of original experiments with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation measurements for oil and free water, and deformation measurements for bound water. Experiments by weighing are performed to verify whether the imbibition process is also consistent with Washburn law. All the results are discussed taking into account the structure of wood (tubular tracheids closed at their tips, but possibly connected to each other via open pits on the side faces) and the preparation of samples. The observation of relatively fast oil flow imbibition confirms that sapwood exhibits a connected hydraulic network through which a liquid can a priori flow and climb along the structure. However, the spontaneous water imbibition is strongly damped by its very poor wetting when in contact with cell-walls only partially saturated with bound water, so that the diffusion of bound water control the uptake dynamics. However, due to preferentially closed pits, the heartwood does not exhibit a continuous hydraulic network and water essentially penetrates into wood by diffusion through the cell walls.
Co-curing of epoxy resins with aminated lignins: insights into the role of lignin homo crosslinking during lignin amination on the elastic properties
Authors: Ott Marcus W. , Dietz Christian , Trosien Simon , Mehlhase Sabrina , Bitsch Martin J. , Nau Maximilian , Meckel Tobias , Geissler Andreas , Siegert Gregor , Huong Jasmin , Hertel Brigitte , Stark Robert W. , Biesalski Markus
Published: August 2020

To improve the reactivity of lignin for incorporation into high value polymers, the introduction of amines via Mannich reaction is a commonly used strategy. During this functionalization reaction, intra- as well as intermolecular lignin–lignin crosslinking occurs, which can vastly change the elastic properties of the lignin, and therefore, the properties of the resulting polymer. Therefore, the molecular structure of the amine that is used for such a lignin functionalization may be of great importance. However, the relationship between the molecular structure of the amine and the elastic properties of the lignin-based polymer that is generated thereof, has not been fully understood. Herein, this relationship was investigated in detail and it was observed that the molecular flexibility of the amines plays a predominant role: The use of more flexible amines results in an increase in elasticity and the use of less flexible amines yields more rigid resin material. In addition to the macroscopic 3-point bending flexural tests, the elastic modules of the resins were determined on the nanometer scale by using atomic force microscopy (AFM) in the PeakForce tapping modus. Thus, it could be demonstrated that the intrinsic elasticities of the lignin domains are the main reason for the observed tendency.
Effectiveness of nutrition education in improving fruit and vegetable consumption among selected college students in urban Puducherry, South India. A pre-post intervention study
Authors: Patel Namita , Lakshminarayanan Subitha , Olickal Jeby Jose
Published: August 2020

Objectives

World Health Organization (WHO) suggests intake of five servings (400 g) of fruits and vegetables (F&V) per day to ensure an adequate dietary fibre and to reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases. Risk factor survey of Non-Communicable Diseases (2007–08), reports that only 1% population in Tamil Nadu, South India consumed more than five servings a day. So we aimed to assess the effectiveness of nutrition education in improving the daily intake of fruit and vegetable servings and stage of behaviour change among college students.

Methods

A pre-post intervention study was conducted among undergraduate students from two selected women’s colleges in urban Puducherry, South India during September–October 2019. The two English departments were randomly allocated into intervention group (IG), control group (CG) and 75 students in each group were chosen by systematic random sampling. IG received 30 min of nutrition education programme; which includes importance and minimum daily intake of fruits & vegetables, local availability, cost and awareness about myths and misconceptions. CG received pamphlets regarding healthy dietary intake. Knowledge regarding portion sizes, average daily servings of fruit & vegetable intake and stage of behaviour change were assessed at baseline and after one month of intervention.

Results

There was a significant increase in knowledge regarding portion sizes (28– 64%) after intervention in IG (p<0.001) compared to CG (24– 40%). The knowledge regarding the required number of servings of fruits (27–56%) and vegetables (15–58%) also increased significantly (p<0.001) in the IG. Intake of fruits, vegetables and juices in the last 24 h were significantly increased in IG compared to CG (p<0.001). There was a significant increase (p=0.002) in contemplation and preparation stage (13–34%) in IG after intervention.

Conclusions

A well designed nutrition education programme is an effective tool in promoting healthy eating habits among adolescents. It enabled a significant increase in knowledge regarding portion sizes of F&V and daily intake of fruits and vegetables.
The correlation of Internet addiction towards adolescents’ social interaction
Authors: Yusuf Ah. , Rachmawati Praba Diyan , Rachmawati Diana
Published: August 2020

Objectives

Internet addiction is a pathological condition that drives a person to use technology excessively. Internet addiction can cause problems among adolescents to lose interest in everyday life and triggers social interaction problems. Aim: explaining the correlation between Internet addiction and adolescents’ social interaction.

Methods

This study was a correlational design with a cross-sectional approach. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling. Respondents in this study were high school adolescents aged 15–18 years (n=215). The independent variable used in this study was Internet addiction and dependent variable was adolescents’ social interaction (social interaction between adolescents and parents, peer, school environment and community). The level of Internet addiction was measured by the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) by Kimberly S. Young and Griffiths. The data obtained were analyzed using the Spearman rho.

Results

There was a significant that relationship between adolescent Internet addiction and interaction with parents (r=−0.568; p=0.000), peers (r=−0.587; p=0.000), and school environment (r=−0.213; p=0.002) but there was no relation between Internet addiction towards social interaction of adolescents with the community (r=−0, 090; p=0.191).

Conclusions

This study showed that Internet addiction could affect adolescent social interactions with parents, peers and their interactions in the school environment.
Ameliorative effect of Neera, nonfermented coconut inflorescence sap, on cisplatin-induced renal toxicity by abating oxidative stress
Authors: Silpa Prabha , Meera Nair , Shaji Edappilly M. , Indu Muralidharan S. , Kuzhivelil Balu T. , Babu Thekkekara D.
Published: August 2020

Objectives

Neera, nonfermented coconut inflorescence sap (NFCIS) from unopened spadix of Cocos nucifera L., is a well-known traditional beverage. But, scientific reports on its health benefits are limited. NFCIS is reported to exhibits free radical scavenging activity, and its chemical composition is found promising. In the present study, the effect of NFCIS on alleviating cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity was analyzed in mice.

Methods

The renal toxicity was induced by cisplatin (16 mg/kg b.wt. ip) in Swiss albino mice. The antioxidant activity of NFCIS was evaluated by nitric oxide radical scavenging assay and phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate–induced superoxide radical generation in mice peritoneal macrophages. Total polyphenolic content of sap was determined using Folin–Ciocalteu reagent. The phytochemicals present in NFCIS was identified using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy.

Results

NFCIS was found to scavenge nitric oxide (NO) radicals (IC50 = 32 ± 2.47 μL/mL) and shown to inhibit superoxide (SO) generation (53.5 ± 2.1%) in macrophages. High polyphenolic content (193 µg gallic acid/mL) was determined in the sap. The FT-IR spectrum of NFCIS revealed the presence of several phytochemicals indicate its pharmaceutical and nutritional value. Cisplatin-induced hike in urea, creatinine and lipid peroxidation was significantly decreased to 65.16, 87.74 and 53.41% by NFCIS, respectively. Hb (42.37%) and total count (72.81%) were also found to be increased. Additionally, the activity of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and reduced glutathione was enhanced to 53.06, 40, 52.22 and 38.49%, respectively.

Conclusions

Results indicate that NFCIS effectively alleviates cisplatin-mediated renal toxicity by its antioxidant activity.
Determining the Number of Factors in Static Approximate Factor Models Using Discrete Fourier Transforms and Pseudo-Eigenvalues
Authors: Ruan Weihua , Hou Qian
Published: August 2020

This paper is concerned with the applications of discrete Fourier transforms in identification of the number of common factors of static approximate factor models. We report and explain the effects of discrete Fourier transforms to matrices, and show how the effects can be used to improve the performance of a number of eigenvalue-based estimators. In addition, we develop a set of pseudo-eigenvalues using cross-sectional discrete Fourier transforms, and use them to develop new estimators. Mathematical proofs of the consistency of the new estimators are provided, and Monte Carlo experiments are conducted to compare the new estimators with some existing ones in the literature.
Der Wirtschaftshistorische Ausschuss des Vereins für Socialpolitik
Authors: Hesse Jan-Otmar
Published: August 2020

The Economic History Committee of the Verein für Socialpolitik was founded 70 years ago as the first interest group for economic and social history in Germany. As did its five counterparts of other subfields in economics, the committee aimed at intensifying academic exchange in this field. Furthermore, it served as a lobby organisation for the discipline in the fast changing politics of higher education in Germany. It therefore can be considered as an important step in the discipline’s professionalization. The article gives a brief overview of the development of economic history in Germany starting with the Historical School at the end of the 19th century. The second part is dedicated to the institutional and academic history of the committee using archival documentation.
Irreducible representations of Braid group 𝐵𝑛 of dimension 𝑛 + 1
Authors: Sysoeva Inna
Published: August 2020

We prove that there are no irreducible representations of

B
n

{B_{n}}

of dimension

n
+
1

{n+1}

for

n
⩾
10

{n\geqslant 10}

.
A Decision Methodology for Determining Suitable Post-Disaster Accommodations: Reconsidering Effective Indicators for Decision-making Processes
Authors: Hosseini S. M. Amin , de la Fuente Albert , Pons Oriol , Mendoza Arroyo Carmen
Published: August 2020

One of the main challenges in assisting displaced persons who have lost their homes as a result of a natural hazard is the provision of adequate post-disaster accommodations, such as temporary housing. Although the need for temporary housing has increased around the world in recent years, it has been criticized on economic, environmental, and social grounds. A universal approach to post-disaster accommodations cannot successfully deal with this issue because each recovery process involves a unique set of conditions. Therefore, rather than defining a specific strategy, this study aims to present an approach capable of producing customized strategies based on contextual and social conditions. To this end, first, the main factors influencing the choice of post-disaster accommodations are identified through five case studies. It is concluded that all of the factors can be organized into three main vertices to simplify the highly complex issues involved in post-disaster accommodations. The case studies also show that the decision-making process consists of two main parts. To date, a recurring failure to distinguish between these two parts has led to unsuitable outcomes. Thus, this paper presents a new decision-making methodology, consisting of multiple steps, phases, and indicators based on the main vertices.
A 2 × 20 Gbps hybrid MDM-OFDM–based high-altitude platform-to-satellite FSO transmission system
Authors: Gomathy Vel Murugan , Sundararajan T. V. Paramasivam , Boopathi C. Sengodan , Venkatesh Kumar Pandiyan , Vinoth Kumar Krishnamoorthy , Vidyarthi Abhay , Maheswar Rajagopal
Published: August 2020

In the present study, the application of free space optics (FSO) transmission system to realize a long-reach high-altitude platform (HAP)-to-satellite communication link has been exploited. High-speed information transmission without interference is accomplished using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). Further, the information capacity of the proposed system is increased by employing mode division multiplexing (MDM). We have investigated the proposed MDM-OFDM-HAP-to-satellite FSO transmission system performance over varying FSO range, diameter of the receiver, pointing errors, and input power. Also, an improved transmission performance of the proposed system using a square root module is reported.
Non-classical lipoid adrenal hyperplasia presenting as hypoglycemic seizures
Authors: Garg Meenal , Chugh Vasundhara , Dutt Sharma Sunil , Mitharwal Prashant , Mangla Ankit
Published: August 2020

Introduction

Primary adrenal insufficiency is a potentially life-threatening condition that can have many underlying causes. Mutations in the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) gene produce lipoid congenital adrenal hyperplasia (LCAH) which usually presents in the infantile period with severe symptoms of adrenal insufficiency. Less commonly, a non-classical form is identified which may present at a later age in affected individuals. Till date, around 30 individuals with the non-classical form have been described.

Case presentation

We describe a 4-year-old 46, XX Indian girl who presented with hypoglycemic seizures and was subsequently diagnosed as non-classical LCAH on genetic analysis, with homozygous R188C mutation in the StAR gene.

Conclusions

StAR mutations may have a variety of clinical presentations and are likely under-diagnosed. Genetic diagnosis is important for treatment as well as monitoring of reproductive function.
Early postpartum discharge during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Bornstein Eran , Gulersen Moti , Husk Gregg , Grunebaum Amos , Blitz Matthew J. , Rafael Timothy J. , Rochelson Burton L. , Schwartz Benjamin , Nimaroff Michael , Chervenak Frank A.
Published: August 2020

Objectives

To report our experience with early postpartum discharge to decrease hospital length of stay among low-risk puerperium patients in a large obstetrical service during the COVID-19 pandemic in New York.

Methods

Retrospective analysis of all uncomplicated postpartum women in seven obstetrical units within a large health system between December 8th, 2019 and June 20th, 2020. Women were stratified into two groups based on date of delivery in relation to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York (Mid-March 2020); those delivering before or during the COVID-19 pandemic. We compared hospital length of stay, defined as time interval from delivery to discharge in hours, between the two groups and correlated it with the number of COVID-19 admissions to our hospitals. Statistical analysis included use of Wilcoxon rank sum test and Chi-squared test with significance defined as p-value<0.05.

Results

Of the 11,770 patients included, 5,893 (50.1%) delivered prior to and 5,877 (49.9%) delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic. We detected substantial shortening in postpartum hospital length of stay after vaginal delivery (34 vs. 48 h, p≤0.0001) and cesarean delivery (51 vs. 74 h, p≤0.0001) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conclusions

We report successful implementation of early postpartum discharge for low-risk patients resulting in a significantly shorter hospital stay during the COVID-19 pandemic in New York. The impact of this strategy on resource utilization, patient satisfaction and adverse outcomes requires further study.
The Machinery of International Law and Democratic Backsliding: The Problem of Term Limits
Authors: Ginsburg Tom
Published: August 2020

Our era is one of democratic backsliding. International courts and institutions have provided some bulwark against this trend, but we are now witnessing leaders seeking to use international law to extend their power. Courts in several countries have relied on international human rights norms to facilitate term limit extensions by leaders seeking to retain power beyond what is constitutionally allowed. This Article documents these cases and calls for a more robust and substantive international law of democracy-protection.
Rights Revolution and Counter-Revolution: Democratic Backsliding and Human Rights in Hungary
Authors: Halmai Gábor
Published: August 2020

The Article discusses the democratic backsliding after 2010 in Hungary, and how it affected the state of human rights in the country, a Member State of the European Union. The main argument of the Article is that paradoxically the non-legitimate 1989 constitution provided full-fledged protection of fundamental rights, while the procedurally legitimate 2011 constitution-making resulted in curtailment of rights and their constitutional guarantees. The Article first describes the democratic transition that occurred in 1989–1990 as a rights revolution and the results of the 2011 “illiberal” constitution, called Fundamental Law, as counter-revolution. The second part of the Article illustrates the constitutional and statutory regulation of human rights protection after this “rule of law revolution,” and the activist jurisprudence of the first Constitutional Court using the concept of an “invisible constitution” to protect human rights. The third part discusses the rights provisions of the new Fundamental Law and several statutes dismantling the guarantees of human rights, with special attention to the decreased possibilities of state institutions, such as the Constitutional Court, the ordinary judiciary and ombudsmen, as well as civil society organizations to effectively protect fundamental rights. The fourth part assesses the efforts of European institutions to force the Hungarian government to comply with the human rights standards laid down in the European Convention of Human Rights and in the Treaty of the European Union. The Article concludes that neither internal nor external challenges could prevent the development of a new authoritarian regime with no guaranteed human rights.
(Non)culmination by abduction
Authors: Gyarmathy Zsófia , Altshuler Daniel
Published: August 2020

Recent literature has aimed to explain (non-)culminating accomplishment inferences, which often involve the perfective aspect, but can also involve the imperfective. The goal of our paper is to explore how these inferences come about with the Hindi perfective and the Russian imperfective. We propose thatabduction, that is, inference to the best explanation, is ideally suited for this task. We show how the occurrence of a (non-)culminated event is abduced in the relevant cases based on a semantic analysis which adopts the distinction betweenculminatedandmaximalevents, as well as a set of non-defeasible rules encoding general mereological principles. We also show how our abductive framework can take into account facts about the conversation. This, among other things, allows us to make more nuanced predictions about what speakers will infer and when, thereby addressing possible worries of overgeneralization that an abductive framework inevitably faces. We end the paper with two outstanding issues warranting further research. First, we raise questions about the nature of (non-)culminating accomplishment inferences, which have previously been taken to be conversational implicatures. Second, we take some preliminary steps towards extending our analysis to defeasible causatives in Germanic and Romance languages.
A forgotten rodent from the Garden of Eden: what really happened to the long-tailed nesokia rat in the Mesopotamian marshes?
Authors: Kryštufek Boris , Al-Sheikhly Omar F. , Lazaro Javier , Haba Mukhtar K. , Hutterer Rainer , Mousavi Sayed B. , Ivajnšič Danijel
Published: August 2020

The greater part of expected mammalian extinctions will be of smaller-bodied mammals, including rats which are more generally known only as pests and carriers of pathogens. We address the long-tailed nesokia rat, which is among the least studied Palaearctic mammals. The species is known from merely five specimens, collected between March 1974 and January 1977 within a radius of 30 km around Qurna inside the seasonally flooded Mesopotamian marshes in southern Iraq. In the 1990s, this extensive aquatic habitat has been deliberately reduced to <15% of its original area and the IUCN expressed fear that such a disaster “almost certainly” caused the extinction of the long-tailed nesokia. Although the interventions after 2003 reversed the shrinking trend and marshes started to expand, the continuous presence of the long-tailed nesokia could not be unambiguously confirmed. We provide meagre evidence suggesting that the rat might be still present in the marshes. Next, our habitat modelling shows that the area of the long-tailed nesokia might be more extensive than expected with a highly suitable habitat covering 15,650 km2 of Mesopotamian marshland in Iraq (between Basra and Salah Ad Din provinces) and the Hawizeh Marshes in the adjacent Iranian Khuzestan.
Bipartite graphs with close domination and k-domination numbers
Authors: Ekinci Gülnaz Boruzanlı , Bujtás Csilla
Published: August 2020

Let

k

k

be a positive integer and let

G

G

be a graph with vertex set

V
(
G
)

V(G)

. A subset

D
⊆
V
(
G
)

D\subseteq V(G)

is a

k

k

-dominating set if every vertex outside

D

D

is adjacent to at least

k

k

vertices in

D

D

. The

k

k

-domination number

γ

k

(
G
)

{\gamma }_{k}(G)

is the minimum cardinality of a

k

k

-dominating set in

G

G

. For any graph

G

G

, we know that

γ

k

(
G
)
≥
γ
(
G
)
+
k
−
2

{\gamma }_{k}(G)\ge \gamma (G)+k-2

where

Δ
(
G
)
≥
k
≥
2

\text{Δ}(G)\ge k\ge 2

and this bound is sharp for every

k
≥
2

k\ge 2

. In this paper, we characterize bipartite graphs satisfying the equality for

k
≥
3

k\ge 3

and present a necessary and sufficient condition for a bipartite graph to satisfy the equality hereditarily when

k
=
3

k=3

. We also prove that the problem of deciding whether a graph satisfies the given equality is NP-hard in general.
Influence factors of extra-articular manifestations in rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Chen Xing , Zhang Mingmei , Wang Tao , Li Yunming , Wei Meng
Published: August 2020

Background and objective

Extra-articular manifestations (EAMs) are serious outcomes or complications of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with increasing mortality and morbidity. The purpose was to explore the factors influencing EAMs, tissue-specific/systemic EAMs, and the concurrence of several EAMs.

Patients and methods

In total, 519 inpatients with RA were enrolled. The clinical characteristics, laboratory parameters, and medications of RA patients and the details of EAMs were recorded carefully. Differences between groups were examined by a Chi-square test, independent samples t test, one-way analysis of variance, Mann–Whitney U test, and Kruskal–Wallis H test. Binary and ordinal logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the relationship between influential factors and EAMs, tissue-specific/systemic EAMs, and the concurrence of several EAMs.

Results

The morbidity of EAMs was 44.70%. Male sex, age, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) were independent influential factors of EAMs, and a number of statistically significant influence factors were found in the multivariate analysis of tissue-specific/systemic EAMs. Finally, age, CRP levels, number of RA-affected types of joints, and TCM were the factors that independently influenced the concurrence of several EAMs.

Conclusion

Influential factors identified in this study could be recommended in clinical work, which is hopeful to decrease the morbidity and mortality of EAMs in RA.
The Shari’a Approach to Contemporary Problems of Mass Surveillance
Authors: Almutairi Sattam Eid
Published: August 2020

The phenomenon of mass surveillance has confronted legal systems throughout the world with significant challenges to their fundamental norms and values. These dilemmas have been most extensively studied and discussed in relation to the kind of privacy cultures that exist in Europe and North America. Although mass surveillance creates the same kinds of challenges in Muslim countries, the phenomenon has rarely been discussed from the perspective of Shari’a. This article seeks to demonstrate that this neglect of mass surveillance and other similar phenomena by Shari’a scholars is unjustified. Firstly, the article will address objections that Shari’a does not contain legal norms that are relevant to the modern practice of state surveillance and that, if these exist, they are not binding on rulers and will also seek to show that, whatever terminology is employed, significant aspects of the protection of privacy and personal data that exists in other legal systems is also be found deeply-rooted in Shari’a. Secondly, it will assess the specific requirements that it makes in relation to such intrusion on private spaces and private conduct and how far it can benefit from an exception to the general prohibition on spying. Finally, it is concluded that mass surveillance is unlikely to meet these Shari’a requirements and that only targeted surveillance can generally do so.
Nonprofit Advocacy in the Era of Trump
Authors: Lamothe Meeyoung , Lavastida Vicki
Published: August 2020

The election of Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential race was said to result in an unprecedented surge in public support for nonprofit advocacy organizations. Given the cyclical nature of public attention to hard-to-solve social problems and the challenges associated with free-riding in collective action, a question arises as to the extent to which such elevated public support sustains itself over time. The purpose of this study is to examine whether local nonprofit advocacy groups experienced a post-election boost for public support and to what extent the increase, if any, sustained itself 18 months or longer after the election. Our study also explores various organizational incentives advocacy groups use to maintain support. We gather data from structured interviews of advocacy organizations in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. Our findings suggest that many local advocacy groups did receive enhanced public support in the forms of volunteer requests, donations, and membership immediately after the election and the majority of them were able to retain the support over time. Normative organizational incentives were predominantly used to recruit and retain supporters, while utilitarian incentives, similar to Olson’s selective private benefits, were not commonly adopted.
Jet-cooked papermaking starches studied using 1H NMR-relaxometry and viscometry
Authors: Raunio Jenna , Nikolskaya Ekaterina , Hiltunen Yrjö
Published: August 2020

Two wet-end starches (potato and barley), one surface sizing starch (barley) and one coating binder starch (barley) were jet-cooked. Samples were collected and stored at 90, 60 and 40 °C. 1H NMR-relaxometry and viscometry were used to monitor the jet-cooked solutions as they cooled to room temperature. Samples stored at different temperatures were also monitored using 1H NMR-relaxometry and viscometry. A sediment formed into the surface sizing and coating binder starches stored at 90 °C. The sediment and supernatant were separated and collected, and measured using 1H NMR-relaxometry. The

T

2

{T_{2}}

relaxation rates of jet-cooked starches showed significant differences between potato and barley starches, as had also been examined in previous studies. The NMR method was also sensitive to differences in solids content and chemical modification (degree of cationization, degree of oxidation and molecular weight). The cooking temperature, cooking speed and viscosity did not influence

T

2

{T_{2}}

relaxation rates. The sediment separated from the surface sizing and coating binder starches held at 90 °C had a significantly higher relaxation rate than the supernatant, indicating that the sediment contained a high amount of retrograded starch.