bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interwar and Contemporary Poland. A Comparison of the Protection of Minority Rights in the Second and in the Third Polish Republics
Authors: Witkowska-Chrzczonowicz Katarzyna
Published: December 2021

This paper is devoted to the problem of the protection of minority rights in Poland in the interwar period in comparison with the contemporary situation. On the one hand, before the Second World War Poland was a very heterogeneous country, inhabited for generations by multiple and internally diverse religious, national, ethnic, or linguistic minorities. On the other hand, contemporary Poland is a country in which national and ethnic minorities constitute only a few percent of the population, and the proportion of such minorities in Poland compared to other European countries is one of the lowest in Europe. The duties of the Polish authorities towards national minorities were determined by internal legal acts: decrees of the Chief of State, and above all the March Constitution and national law, as well as many international legal acts, for instance such as the so-called Little Treaty of Versailles. The second part of the paper discusses the contemporary situation of the minorities in Poland, for instance the situation of the national and ethnic minorities and the situation of sexual minorities.
Wytwarzanie pamięci. Współczesne opowieści o „Gejerelu”
Authors: Tuszyńska Justyna
Published: December 2021

Artykuł stanowi analizę utworów przedstawiających nieheteronormatywną rzeczywistość PRL w perspektywie badań nad pamięcią (memory studies). Przedmiot zainteresowania stanowią teksty, które tematyzują zarazem homoseksualność (przede wszystkim męską), jak i sam PRL z jego codziennymi absurdami i społeczno-politycznymi zawiłościami: Płynąc w ciemnościach Tomasza Jędrowskiego, Kryptonim Hiacynt i Zbrodnia, której nie było Andrzeja Selerowicza, Zatoka ostów Tadeusza Olszewskiego oraz Gejerel Krzysztofa Tomasika. Analiza pozwoliła ujawnić szereg strategii i taktyk odzyskiwania, przepisywania i zastępowania pamięci o tej części polskiej historii. Wszystkie omawiane tu utwory realizują te same taktyki, przedstawiają te same motywy, wyrastają z tej samej potrzeby uzupełnienia luk w pamięci zbiorowej. Co za tym idzie, tworzą (brakującą) narrację, wchodzą w dialog z historią. Można je zatem traktować, zgodnie z definicją sformułowaną przez Marianne Hirsch, jako działania postpamięciowe.
Jak brzmiał realny socjalizm? Dźwiękowa nostalgia za PRL-em. Artefakty i praktyki
Authors: Brzostek Dariusz
Published: December 2021

Artykuł zawiera analizę współczesnych praktyk polskiej kultury popularnej, związanych wprost z mediami audialnymi, muzyką oraz pejzażem dźwiękowym Polskiej Rzeczpospolitej Ludowej – postrzeganymi jako nacechowane nostalgią elementy kultury pamięci. Przedmiotem refleksji stają się m.in. takie zjawiska jak reedycje wydawnictw muzycznych z czasów realnego socjalizmu, powrót analogowych mediów dźwiękowych (płyt winylowych, kaset magnetofonowych), a także crate digging, czyli praktyka poszukiwania w antykwariatach i serwisach aukcyjnych nagrań z czasów PRL-u, mających posłużyć jako źródło próbek dźwiękowych do wykorzystania we własnej działalności artystycznej oraz tworzenie kanałów w mediach społecznościowych poświęconych audiosferze minionej epoki. Zjawiska te są analizowane jako próby rekonstrukcji utraconego dziedzictwa – zaprzepaszczonej, socjalistycznej nowoczesności, przejawiającej się w ówczesnych praktykach życia codziennego.
Creencias y actitudes de los jóvenes universitarios canarios hacia la variedad andaluza.
Authors: Hernández Cabrera Clara Eugenia , Samper Hernández Marta
Published: December 2021

En este artículo se estudian las actitudes que muestran 117 estudiantes canarios de filología hispánica hacia la variedad andaluza, a partir de las respuestas obtenidas tras la aplicación de la encuesta diseñada en el marco del proyecto PRECAVES XXI. Las valoraciones de dos voces andaluzas cultas revelan una baja consideración de esta modalidad por parte de los universitarios isleños. El tipo de discurso (oral espontáneo o de lectura de texto) y la voz evaluada (masculina o femenina) son variables independientes que inciden significativamente en los resultados. En concreto, la mujer es sistemáticamente mejor considerada en todos los aspectos contemplados, a la vez que se le atribuyen unas características lingüísticas menos marcadas y, por consiguiente, se reconoce en menor medida como andaluza
Creencias y actitudes de los jóvenes universitarios de la Universidad de Varsovia hacia la variedad andaluza del español.
Authors: Sosinski Marcin , Waluch de la Torre Edyta
Published: December 2021

En el presente artículo se analizan las actitudes y creencias de los estudiantes de los primeros dos cursos del grado de Estudios Hispánicos de la Universidad de Varsovia (Polonia), a través de las herramientas proporcionadas por el proyecto PRECAVES XXI y, en particular, con respecto a la variedad andaluza del español. El interés del estudio reside en conocer las valoraciones subjetivas sobre el prestigio lingüístico de las modalidades del español en los momentos iniciales del aprendizaje del idioma y en un grupo constituido, en su mayoría, por futuros profesionales de español como lengua extranjera (ELE). El caso de los estudiantes de la Universidad de Varsovia es interesante, además, puesto que la capital polaca presenta una de las demandas más altas del mundo de las clases de español. El resultado más destacable es un desconocimiento generalizado de las variedades del español, tal vez con la excepción del rioplatense y el castellano, y la incipiente formación de estereotipo de la variedad más prestigiosa, el castellano y, específicamente, el castellano hablado en Madrid. Los encuestados no reconocen el geolecto andaluz ni lo consideran prestigioso.
Diacronía de los sonidos líquidos l y r en castellano: dos esquemas regulares en su disimilación.
Authors: Silvestre Llamas Miguel
Published: December 2021

El objetivo de esta investigación es aproximarnos a los cambios que sufrieron las líquidas l y r en el paso del latín al castellano, y observar los fenómenos disimilatorios que experimentaron estos sonidos, cómo operaron, qué formas resultaron, coexistieron y cuáles, finalmente, se fijaron en la lengua. Los cambios producidos en el orden de las líquidas, en concreto los relacionados con el fenómeno de la disimilación, han sido tratados con escasa profundidad en los estudios de historia de nuestra lengua, al considerarse procesos esporádicos que se originan simplemente por su semejanza articulatoria, pero en este trabajo intentaremos evidenciar la existencia de dos esquemas que, en el ámbito de la disimilación, servían para diferenciar ambos sonidos, como en marmore>mármol o cerebru>celebro (act. cerebro)
Decanonización de la poesía mexicana: los casos de Horacio Warpola y Andrea Alzati.
Authors: Ballester Pardo Ignacio
Published: December 2021

El objetivo de este trabajo es estudiar Carcass (2019), poemario que Horacio Warpola (Atizapán de Zaragoza, Estado de México, 1982) publicó en Instagram Stories, y las performances que Andrea Alzati (Guanajuato, 1989) comparte en dicha red de cara a una reconfiguración de la lírica reciente desde el país con más hispanohablantes. Para ello describiremos algunas obras de difícil y efímero acceso en torno a la experimentalidad; compararemos tales prácticas con las tradiciones que permean en ambos casos; hasta llegar a discutir tanto el concepto de marginalidad como el de poema. El estudio se basa en el campo cultural de Bourdieu y la teoría de los polisistemas de Even-Zohar; así como el dificultismo que aborda Palma y la densidad a la que llega Higashi; con la intención de entender el interés que despierta autoalejarse del canon desde las vanguardias a las actuales manifestaciones interartísticas.
Textovisualidades de la escritura digital. Transmedialidad, interacción y fragmentarismo a través del caso de Tatuaje (2014).
Authors: Escandell Montiel Daniel
Published: December 2021

La noción de transmedialidad se ha asociado de forma casi indisoluble a diferentes espacios para cada medio integrado en una obra. A través del análisis de Tatuaje (2014) proponemos que esto no solo es necesario ni excluyente, sino que supone una modificación de los parámetros circundantes a esa noción de transmedialidad, pues cambia aspectos como el tipo de interacción que requiere y la relevancia de los rasgos fragmentarios inherentes a los saltos mediáticos. Según exponemos, esto es posible por el aspecto textovisual de la escritura digital y la flexibilidad formal de la web, alcanzando mayor hibridación y una potente simbiosis mediática, aunque esto resulta en detrimento de la explotación completa de cada medio por la necesaria armonización que impone su aglutinamiento en un lienzo unificado.
Bocamina: carpeta interartística. Ut pictura de Aurelio Teno, Poesis de A. López Andrada.
Authors: Sánchez Dueñas Blas
Published: December 2021

Con el título Bocamina se ejecutó un proyecto interartístico en el que se fusionó la alquimia de arte pictórico de Aurelio Teno con la palabra trascendida de la poesía de Alejandro López Andrada. La presente investigación se centra en el análisis de las claves de la simbiosis entre ambas propuestas interdiscursivas con el fin de desentrañar sus parámetros estéticos, estudiar sus principales rasgos pictóricos y literarios y descifrar los referentes técnicos, temáticos y formales exhibidos en el cuerpo de esta pieza artística.
Decision Making in Financial Markets: A Thematic Review and Discussion
Authors: Imtiyaz Bisati Azhar , Imamul Haque Prof. S.M. , Jon Ganai Umer , Gulzar Ishfaq
Published: December 2021

Financial decision making is generally characterized by high degree of risk, uncertainty as well as complexity. Decision making in financial markets takes under consideration a stack of factors including personal, technical and situational factors and above all it necessitates an understanding of human instinct on the top of financial skills. In the broad arena of literature, research studies have proposed two primary themes of decision making-one is the rational approach and the another one is irrational or bounded rationality approach. Rational world presupposes being reasonable in every aspect and making unbiased decisions. Irrationality approach contents that investor behaviour is driven by emotions even if they are well informed. This research paper by using the relevant literature in the field of behavioural decision making and investor psychology, provides an overview of these two distinctive academic doctrines, which clears the way-out that how in actual world people undertake their decision making. Furthermore, this research paper reviews how behavioural biases can lead to errors in investment decision making.
Philosophy of Disability, Conceptual Engineering, and the Nursing Home-Industrial-Complex in Canada
Authors: Tremain Shelley Lynn
Published: December 2021

In this article, I indicate how the naturalized and individualized conception of disability that prevails in philosophy informs the indifference of philosophers to the predictable COVID-19 tragedy that has unfolded in nursing homes, supported living centers, psychiatric institutions, and other institutions in which elders and younger disabled people are placed. I maintain that, insofar as feminist and other discourses represent these institutions as sites of care and love, they enact structural gaslighting. I argue, therefore, that philosophers must engage in conceptual engineering with respect to how disability and these institutions are understood and represented. To substantiate my argument, I trace the sequence of catastrophic events that have occurred in nursing homes in Canada and in the Canadian province of Ontario in particular during the pandemic, tying these events to other past and current eugenic practices produced in the Canadian context. The crux of the article is that the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown into vivid relief the carceral character of nursing homes and other congregate settings in which elders and younger disabled people are confined.
On the process of upwelling
Authors: Sverdrup H.U.
Published: December 2021

Originally published April 9, 1938, in the Journal of Marine Research 1(2), 155???164
On properties of seawater defined by temperature, salinity, and pressure
Authors: Veronis George
Published: December 2021

Hydrographic station data, consisting principally of temperature and salinity determinations, have been used by physical oceanographers to develop a climatological picture of the distribution of these quantities in the oceans of the world. Density as determined by Knudsen's formula,
taken together with hydrostatic and geostrophic dynamics, also provides a crude picture of oceanic flow. However, the data probably contain substantially more information than has been derived from them in the past.The quantity that is orthogonal to potential-density curves in the S
plane is suggested as a useful variable to complement the information contained in potential density. The derivation of this quantity, denoted by τ in this paper, is straightforward. A polynomial expression for τ that is suitable for computer calculations of τ from hydrographic
station data is given. Shown are examples of hydrographic station data from the Atlantic plotted on the τσ diagram. The information contained in the τσ diagram shows many of the features exhibited in the TS plane. Vertical sections
of τ appear to provide information about mixing in different parts of the Atlantic. The distribution of τ for abyssal waters at selected stations in the oceans of the world resembles the distribution of abyssal density as plotted by Lynn and Reid (1968). From the data presented, it
appears that τ may serve as a good tracer for abyssal water movements.Since τ is defined to be orthogonal to σ, the expectation is that τ is a dynamically passive variable. However, since σ does not correlate with abyssal densities,
it appears to lose dynamical significance at great depth, and τ assumes dynamical significance because of its orthogonality to σ. This unexpected feature leads to an exploration of the dynamical significance of σ. A natural starting point
is the question of stability of abyssal water.A distinction is made between stability as determined by in situ determinations and as determined by the potential-density (σ) distribution. Simple examples are presented to show that analysis based on σ
alone can lead to incorrect conclusions about gravitational stability of the water in the abyssal ocean. The reason is that seawater is a multicomponent thermodynamic system, and the thermodynamic coefficients are functions of pressure, salinity, and temperature. This functional dependence
leads to adjustments in density as a water particle moves adiabatically in the vertical direction so that a layer of water that appears to be unstable near the surface may be stable (as determined by in situ determination) at great depth. A local potential density, which is simply the vertical
integral of the in situ stability, is derived. This quantity gives a precise picture of gravitational stability in the vertical direction. Some distributions of local potential density are shown.Originally published May 15, 1972, in the Journal of Marine Research 30(2), 227???255.
Sensitivity enhancement of a silver based surface plasmon resonance sensor via an optimizing graphene-dielectric composite structure
Authors: Wang Guiqiang , Huang Liang
Published: December 2021

A silver based surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor with dielectric-graphene composite film is presented. The influences of the dielectric layer and graphene on sensitivity and other sensing properties are theoretically calculated and then comprehensively discussed. The refractive index sensitivities for composite silver film based SPR sensors with graphene and dielectric layers could be increased by 29% and 288% more than that of monolayer silver film based SPR sensors, respectively. Further, the sensitivity could be enhanced by 202% when combining the graphene and dielectric layers together. Considering the high adsorptive capacity of graphene for biochemical molecules, the composite silver film with both a dielectric layer and graphene would have great potential application in biochemical sensing fields. Further, bovine serum albumin protein was successfully used to verify the biochemical sensing ability of the proposed SPR sensor. The shift of resonance angle is nearly 3.1 fold that of monolayer silver based SPR sensors.
Advances in laboratory-scale ptychography using high harmonic sources [Invited]
Authors: Loetgering Lars , Witte Stefan , Rothhardt Jan
Published: December 2021

Extreme ultraviolet microscopy and wavefront sensing are key elements for next-generation ultrafast applications, such as chemically-resolved imaging, focal spot diagnostics in pump-and-probe experiments, and actinic metrology for the state-of-the-art lithography node at 13.5 nm wavelength. Ptychography offers a robust solution to the aforementioned challenges. Originally adapted by the electron and synchrotron communities, advances in the stability and brightness of high-harmonic tabletop sources have enabled the transfer of ptychography to the laboratory. This review covers the state of the art in tabletop ptychography with high harmonic generation sources. We consider hardware options such as illumination optics and detector concepts as well as algorithmic aspects in the analysis of multispectral ptychography data. Finally, we review technological application cases such as multispectral wavefront sensing, attosecond pulse characterization, and depth-resolved imaging.
Compact polarization-independent quasi-adiabatic 2×2 3 dB coupler on silicon
Authors: Chung Hung-Ching , Chen Chih-Hsien , Hung Yung-Jr , Tseng Shuo-Yen
Published: December 2021

We demonstrate a quasi-adiabatic polarization-independent 2×2 3 dB coupler based on the silicon-on-insulator platform. Using a quasi-adiabatic taper design for the mode evolution/coupling region, the TE mode evolution is accelerated, and the TM mode coupling is achieved at a short coupling length. The measured working bandwidth is 75 nm with a compact mode evolution/coupling region of 11.7 μm.
Compact photothermal self-mixing interferometer for highly sensitive trace detection
Authors: Huang Zhen , Du Beiqing , Zhang Zhenghe , Ye Yanting , He Shimin , Li Zhixing , He Shibin , Hu Xiaohui , Li Dongyu
Published: December 2021

A self-mixing interferometer combined with the photothermal spectroscopy is utilized as a remarkable sensor for highly sensitive trace detection, featuring the beneficial property of a He-Ne laser with back-mounted photodiode, to the best of our knowledge, acting as an excitation laser, also as a probe laser, and even more, as a detector. Utilizing the novel implementation of the photothermal self-mixing (PTSM) interferometer with an external cavity modulation, the concentration of the sample is directly measured by the PTSM parameter extracted from the PTSM signal. The metrological qualities of the PTSM interferometer were investigated by methylene blue trace detection. For a low excitation power of 5 mW, a 7.7 nM of the limit of detection was achieved with a relative standard deviation of ∼3%. The compact and simple structure with high sensitivity has guiding significance to a robust analytical tool for the analysis of photosensitive compounds and in the detection of aquatic product hazards in aquaculture.
Direct optical wire bonding through open-to-air polymerization for silicon photonic chips
Authors: Rhee Hyun-Woo , Shim Joonsup , Kim Jae-Yong , Bang David Juseong , Yoon Hyeonho , Kim Myeongho , Kim Chong Cook , You Jong-Bum , Park Hyo-Hoon
Published: December 2021

We developed an inter-chip optical link using direct optical wire (DOW) bonding by open-to-air polymerization. An arch-shaped wire was drawn from a tip in a similar way to a metal wire, but the wire was formed from a polymer solution that solidified in the air during wiring. The DOW bonding was examined for silicon photonic chips where grating couplers are integrated for input/output coupling. Cone-shaped studs were formed at the ends of the wire, and their geometry was optimized using finite-difference time-domain simulation to give a mode conversion function. Although the polymer wire had a multimode scale of 7 µm, the wire bonding between the grating couplers showed a relatively low insertion loss of 5.8 dB at a wavelength of 1590 nm compared to a conventional connection using single-mode fiber blocks. It also showed a larger wavelength tolerance within the range of ∼1520–1590 nm. DOW bonding between a grating coupler and a single-mode fiber were also examined to verify the feasibility of out-of-plane connection with edge-coupling devices. The grating-to-fiber wire link also exhibited a large wavelength tolerance.
Binary amplitude switch for photoacoustic transducer toward dynamic spatial acoustic field modulation
Authors: Chen Yujie , Zhu Haobo , Wang Yan , Yu Hongbin
Published: December 2021

Photoacoustic (PA) transducers are an attractive method of producing high-amplitude, high-frequency, broad-bandwidth ultrasound signals with excellent immunity to electromagnetic interference, when compared with their traditional electroacoustic counterparts. However, the lack of effective control over the spatial sound field prohibits PA transducer technology from further widespread application. This paper presents the first, to the best of our knowledge, experimental study on the dynamic spatial ultrasound modulation strategy for the use of PA transducers, in which a novel PA transducer element is designed. This consists of a suspended compound PA conversion film, whose backing condition can be switched between air and glass through pneumatic actuation to create destructive and constructive acoustic wave interference, respectively. As a result, nearly an order of magnitude contrast in the output acoustic amplitude can be obtained by switching the device’s backing condition given the same laser excitation, thus achieving a binary amplitude tuning. Furthermore, a linear PA transducer array consisting of three independently controllable elements is used for a proof-of-concept demonstration of the dynamic spatial sound field manipulation. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first time that such a unique capability has been successfully applied to PA transducer technology.
Fluorescent concentrator based MISO-NOMA for visible light communications
Authors: Wang Zhaoming , Zhang Li , Li Jingzhou , Wei Guodan , Dong Yuhan , Fu H. Y.
Published: December 2021

The experimental realization of multiple-input single-output (MISO) in visible light communication (VLC) has always been difficult due to dynamic channels, complex alignment, and limited capacity. We designed a quantum dot (QD) fluorescent concentrator combined with power domain multiplexing of a non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) scheme to provide an estimation-free MISO system. The system supports a large detection area of over 4 cm2 and a sum rate up to 120 Mbps over 2.3-m free space, providing a promising connection for the Internet of things (IoT). The concentrator was further implemented in an underwater environment under insufficient incident power. A record data rate of 120 Mbps has been achieved in a 1.5-m underwater MISO system, with a mean bit error rate of 3.24 × 10−3, which is below the forward error correction criterion.
Loss of YhcB results in dysregulation of coordinated peptidoglycan, LPS and phospholipid synthesis during Escherichia coli cell growth
Authors: Goodall Emily C. A. , Isom Georgia L. , Rooke Jessica L. , Pullela Karthik , Icke Christopher , Yang Zihao , Boelter Gabriela , Jones Alun , Warner Isabel , Da Costa Rochelle , Zhang Bing , Rae James , Tan Wee Boon , Winkle Matthias , Delhaye Antoine , Heinz Eva , Collet Jean-Francois , Cunningham Adam F. , Blaskovich Mark A. , Parton Robert G. , Cole Jeff A. , Banzhaf Manuel , Chng Shu-Sin , Vollmer Waldemar , Bryant Jack A. , Henderson Ian R.
Published: December 2021

The cell envelope is essential for viability in all domains of life. It retains enzymes and substrates within a confined space while providing a protective barrier to the external environment. Destabilising the envelope of bacterial pathogens is a common strategy employed by antimicrobial treatment. However, even in one of the best studied organisms, Escherichia coli, there remain gaps in our understanding of how the synthesis of the successive layers of the cell envelope are coordinated during growth and cell division. Here, we used a whole-genome phenotypic screen to identify mutants with a defective cell envelope. We report that loss of yhcB, a conserved gene of unknown function, results in loss of envelope stability, increased cell permeability and dysregulated control of cell size. Using whole genome transposon mutagenesis strategies, we report the comprehensive genetic interaction network of yhcB, revealing all genes with a synthetic negative and a synthetic positive relationship. These genes include those previously reported to have a role in cell envelope biogenesis. Surprisingly, we identified genes previously annotated as essential that became non-essential in a ΔyhcB background. Subsequent analyses suggest that YhcB functions at the junction of several envelope biosynthetic pathways coordinating the spatiotemporal growth of the cell, highlighting YhcB as an as yet unexplored antimicrobial target.
Effects of pen enrichment on leg health of fast and slower-growing broiler chickens
Authors: Güz Bahadır Can , de Jong Ingrid C. , Da Silva Carol Souza , Veldkamp Fleur , Kemp Bas , Molenaar Roos , van den Brand Henry
Published: December 2021

Pen enrichment for broiler chickens is one of the potential strategies to stimulate locomotion and consequently contribute to better leg health and welfare. This study was designed to evaluate effects of using a plethora of pen enrichments (barrier perches, angular ramps, horizontal platforms, large distance between feed and water and providing live Black Soldier fly larvae in a dustbathing area) on tibia characteristics, locomotion, leg health and home pen behaviour of fast and slower-growing broiler chickens. The experiment was set up as a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement with a total of 840 male broiler chickens in a complete randomized design (7 pens per treatment and 30 chickens per pen) with the following treatments: 1) pen enrichment (enriched pen or non-enriched pen); 2) broiler strain (fast-growing Ross 308 or slower-growing Hubbard JA 757). Home pen behaviour and use of enrichment were observed. At approximately 1400 and 2200 g body weight, two chickens per pen were randomly selected and slaughtered, to investigate tibia morphological, biophysical and mechanical characteristics and leg health. Pen enrichment positively affected tibia biophysical characteristics, e.g., osseous volume (Δ = 1.8 cm3,P= 0.003), total volume (Δ = 1.4 cm3,P= 0.03) and volume fraction (Δ = 0.02%,P= 0.002), in both fast and slower-growing chickens, suggesting that pen enrichment particularly affects ossification and mineralization mechanisms. Accordingly, locomotion and active behaviours were positively influenced by pen enrichment. However, pen enrichment resulted in lower body weight gain in both strains, which might be due to higher activity or lower feed intake as a result of difficulties of crossing the barrier perches. Regarding the strain, slower-growing chickens showed consistently more advanced tibia characteristics and more active behaviour than fast-growing chickens. It can be concluded that pen enrichment may lead to more activity and better bone development in both fast and slower-growing chickens.
Low incidence of COVID-19 in a prospective cohort of patients with liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma treated at a tertiary medical center during the 2020 pandemic
Authors: Fründt Thorben , Kuballa Lilith , Lütgehetman Marc , Nörz Dominik , Arend Hannes , Brehm Thomas T. , Schulze zur Wiesch Julian , Horvatits Thomas , Horvatits Karoline , Huber Samuel , Wege Henning , Kluwe Johannes
Published: December 2021

Background and aims

Patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) are considered to be at increased risk for mortality when acquiring SARS-CoV-2 infection and subsequently developing Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). During the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals are regarded as sites with increased risk of infection. Therefore, patient contacts are often limited to urgent indications, which could negatively affect disease monitoring. However, data regarding actual infection rates in cirrhotic patients is limited. The aim of this prospective study was to assess the incidence of COVID-19 in patients with LC with/without hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with physical presentation at our University Medical Center.

Methods

Patients were enrolled between 1st April and 30th June 2020 at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany. Symptoms of upper airway infection at baseline and presence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (IgG/IgM/IgA) were assessed at baseline and follow-up (FU) using an Electro-chemiluminescence immunoassay (Roche Elecsys). FU visits, including liver function test, clinical assessment and symptom questionnaire, were conducted after 6–8 weeks (FU-1) and 6 months (FU-2). Prior to inclusion of the first patient, obligatory face masks and personal distance were implemented as protective measures.

Results

A total of 150 patients were enrolled, 23% (n = 35) also had diagnosis of HCC (median age: 64 years, range: 19–86), 69% were male. Liver function according to Child-Pugh score (CPS) was: CPS A: 46% (n = 62); CPS B: 37% (n = 50); CPS C: 17% (n = 23). Clinical symptoms indicating upper airway infection were present in 53% (n = 77): shortness of breath (n = 40) and coughing (n = 28) were the most frequent. For the 150 patients enrolled, 284 outpatient visits were registered and 33 patients were admitted to the University Medical Center during the follow-up period. After a median of 52 days, n = 110 patients completed FU-1 and n = 72 completed FU-2 after a median of 6.1 months. Only in one patient, an 80-year-old man with stable liver function (CPS A) and advanced HCC, SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were detected at baseline and FU-1, while antibody testing was negative in the remaining patients at baseline, FU-1 and FU-2.

Conclusion

The incidence of COVID-19 at our tertiary medical center during the pandemic was low in LC and HCC patients, when simple protective measures were implemented. Therefore, a routine care for patients with chronic liver diseases does not increase the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and should be maintained with protective measures.
Exploiting deep neural network and long short-term memory method-ologies in bioacoustic classification of LPC-based features
Authors: Gong Cihun-Siyong Alex , Su Chih-Hui Simon , Chao Kuo-Wei , Chao Yi-Chu , Su Chin-Kai , Chiu Wei-Hang
Published: December 2021

The research describes the recognition and classification of the acoustic characteristics of amphibians using deep learning of deep neural network (DNN) and long short-term memory (LSTM) for biological applications. First, original data is collected from 32 species of frogs and 3 species of toads commonly found in Taiwan. Secondly, two digital filtering algorithms, linear predictive coding (LPC) and Mel-frequency cepstral coefficient (MFCC), are respectively used to collect amphibian bioacoustic features and construct the datasets. In addition, principal component analysis (PCA) algorithm is applied to achieve dimensional reduction of the training model datasets. Next, the classification of amphibian bioacoustic features is accomplished through the use of DNN and LSTM. The Pytorch platform with a GPU processor (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti) realizes the calculation and recognition of the acoustic feature classification results. Based on above-mentioned two algorithms, the sound feature datasets are classified and effectively summarized in several classification result tables and graphs for presentation. The results of the classification experiment of the different features of bioacoustics are verified and discussed in detail. This research seeks to extract the optimal combination of the best recognition and classification algorithms in all experimental processes.
Efficacy of Zn-Aspartate in comparison with ZnSO4 and L-Aspartate in amelioration of drought stress in maize by modulating antioxidant defence; osmolyte accumulation and photosynthetic attributes
Authors: Ali Qasim , Mazhar Muhammad Waqas , Ishtiaq Muhammad , Hussain Abdullah Ijaz , Bhatti Khizar Hayat , Maqbool Mehwish , Hussain Tanveer , Khanum Humaira , Sardar Tauqeer , Mazhar Mubashir
Published: December 2021

Human population is exceeding beyond the carrying capacity of earth resources and stresses like water shortage faced by the plants is jeopardizing the food security. Current research study was aimed to investigate the potentials of Zn-Aspartate (Zn-Asp), Zn-Sulphate (ZnSO4) and L-Aspartate (L-Asp) to be used as osmolytes and role of various levels of these chemicals in combating drought stress in maize plants in Punjab, Pakistan. Study was performed on two plots corresponding to drought and controlled environments. The lamina of maize plants was sprinkled row wise with various treatments including No spray (NS), water sprinkle (WS), sprinkle with ZnSO4 0.25% and 0.50%, sprinkle with Zn-Asp 0.25% and 0.50% and Foliar sprinkle of L-Asp 0.5% and 1%, respectively. Role of major osmoprotectants and secondary metabolites was analyzed and positive changes were found in total soluble sugars (41.16), flavonoids (5387.74), tocopherol content (9089.18), ascorbic acid (645.27) and anthocyanin (14.84) conc. which assists in mitigating drought menace on maize. Shoot mineral ions (Ca, K, Zn, P, Mg and N) status of water stressed maize plants was also analyzed and it was found that application experimental dose enhanced their availability to crop. Physio-biochemical studies were performed on antioxidants enzymes like superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), carotenoid content (CC), malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide, aspartate and free amino acid contents. The activity of SOD was increased by 28.5% and activity of POD was increased by 33.33% due to foliar applied 0.5% Zn-Asp under drought stress. Photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll A, B and total chlorophyll content) analysis was also carried out in this study. It was found that conc. of different chlorophylls pigments increased (chl-A: 2.24, chl-B: 25.12, total chl: 24.30) which enhanced photosynthetic activity culminating into better growth and yield). The level of malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide decreased by 43.9% and 32.8% respectively on treatment with 0.5% Zn-Asp proving the efficacy of the treatment in drought amelioration. Study reveals that Zn-Asp induced modulations are far better than conventional sulphate salts in mitigating water scarce environment. Current study recommends the use of the Zn-Asp to meet the global food and agricultural challenges as compared to ZnSO4 and L-Asp due to its better drought amelioration properties. This research provides valuable informations which can used for future research and practical use in agriculture fields by indigenous and other people to enhance yield of maize to meet the food necessities of country.
Multi-state model for predicting ocular progression in acute Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis
Authors: Kinoshita Fumie , Yokota Isao , Mieno Hiroki , Ueta Mayumi , Bush John , Kinoshita Shigeru , Sueki Hirohiko , Asada Hideo , Morita Eishin , Fukushima Masanori , Sotozono Chie , Teramukai Satoshi ,   on behalf of The Japanese Research Committee on Severe Cutaneous Adverse Reaction
Published: December 2021

This study aimed to clarify the etiologic factors predicting acute ocular progression in SJS/TEN, and identify patients who require immediate and intensive ophthalmological treatment. We previously conducted two Japanese Surveys of SJS/TEN (i.e., cases arising between 2005–2007 and between 2008–2010), and obtained the medical records, including detailed dermatological and ophthalmological findings, of 230 patients. Acute ocular severity was evaluated as none, mild, severe, and very severe. A multi-state model assuming the Markov process based on the Cox proportional hazards model was used to elucidate the specific factors affecting the acute ocular progression. Our findings revealed that of the total 230 patients, 23 (24%) of 97 cases that were mild at initial presentation worsened to severe/very severe. Acute ocular progression developed within 3 weeks from disease onset. Exposure to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and younger patient age were found to be statistically significant for the progression of ocular severity from mild to severe/very severe [hazard ratio (HR) 3.83; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.48 to 9.91] and none to severe/very severe [HR 0.98; 95% CI 0.97 to 0.99], respectively. The acute ocular severity score at worst-condition was found to be significantly correlated with ocular sequelae. Thus, our detailed findings on acute ocular progression revealed that in 24% of SJS/TEN cases with ocular involvement, ocular severity progresses even after initiating intensive treatment, and that in younger-age patients with a history of exposure to NSAIDs, very strict attention must be given to their ophthalmological appearances.
Knapping tools in Magdalenian contexts: New evidence from Gough’s Cave (Somerset, UK)
Authors: Bello Silvia M. , Crété Lucile , Galway-Witham Julia , Parfitt Simon A.
Published: December 2021

Our knowledge of the recolonization of north-west Europe at the end of the Last Glacial Maximum depends to a large extent on finds from Gough’s Cave (Somerset, UK). Ultra-high resolution radiocarbon determinations suggest that the cave was occupied seasonally by Magdalenian hunters for perhaps no more than two or three human generations, centred on 12,600 BP (~14,950–14,750 cal BP). They left behind a rich and diverse assemblage of Magdalenian lithic and osseous artefacts, butchered animal bones, and cannibalised human remains. The faunal assemblage from Gough’s Cave is one of the most comprehensively studied from any Magdalenian site, yet new and unexpected discoveries continue to be made. Here, we record previously unrecognized flint-knapping tools that were identified during a survey of the Gough’s Cave faunal collection at the Natural History Museum (London). We identified bones used as hammers and teeth manipulated as pressure-flakers to manufacture flint tools. Most of the pieces appear to be ad hoc (single-use?) tools, but a horse molar was almost certainly a curated object that was used over an extended period to work many stone tools. This paper explores how these knapping tools were used to support a more nuanced understanding of Magdalenian stone-tool manufacturing processes. Moreover, we provide a standard for identifying minimally-used knapping tools that will help to establish whether retouchers and other organic stone-working tools are as rare in the Magdalenian archaeological record as current studies suggest.
Entomological surveillance of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae), vectors of arboviruses, in an ecotourism park in Cachoeiras de Macacu, state of Rio de Janeiro-RJ, Brazil
Authors: Balthazar Thamiris D’A. , Maia Danielle A. , Oliveira Alexandre A. , Marques William A. , Bastos Amanda Q. , Vilela Mauricio L. , Mallet Jacenir R. S.
Published: December 2021

Arboviruses are arthropod-dependent viruses to complete their zoonotic cycle. Among the transmitting arthropods, culicids stand out, which participate in the cycle of several arboviruses that can affect humans. The present study aimed to identify species of culicidae and to point out the risk of circulation, emergency, or reemergence of pathogenic arboviruses to humans in the region of the Jequitibá headquarters of the Parque Estadual dos Três Picos (PETP), in Cachoeiras de Macacu, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Sampling was carried out at five Sample Points (SP) demarcated on trails from the headquarters, with CDC light traps, HP model with dry ice attached to the side, for 48 hours of activity each month. Additionally, active catches were made with a castro catcher in the period of one hour per day in the field, from six to eleven o’clock in the morning, in each PM. After the captures, thematic map was assembled using the ArcGIS 10 software and performing a multidimensional scaling (MDS). A total of 1151 specimens were captured and the presence of culicids already incriminated as vectors of arboviruses circulating in the region was observed: Aedes fluviatilis Lutz, 1904 (71 specimens); Aedes scapularis Rondani, 1848 (55 specimens); Haemagogus leococelaenus Dyar and Shannon, 1924 (29 specimens). In addition to the subgenus Culex (culex) spp. (163 specimens). In this sense, we highlight the importance of strengthening the actions of continuous entomological surveillance of the emergence and re-emergence of new arboviruses in ecotourism visitation parks.
Improving mariculture insurance premium rate calculation using an information diffusion model
Authors: Zhang Qian
Published: December 2021

Mariculture is a well-known high-risk industry. However, mariculture insurance, which is an important risk management tool, is facing serious market failure. An important reason for this market failure lies in the unsound premium rate and pricing method. Due to a lack of long-term yield data, empirical rates are often adopted, but this adoption can lead to a high loss ratio. This paper provides an improved method for premium computation of mariculture insurance using an information diffusion model (IDM). An example of oyster insurance in China shows that, compared with the traditional pricing approach, the IDM can greatly improve the accuracy and stability of premium rate calculations, especially in cases of small samples.
Maternal hypertensive disorders in pregnancy and early childhood cardiometabolic risk factors: The Generation R Study
Authors: Gootjes Dionne V. , Posthumus Anke G. , Jaddoe Vincent W. V. , van Rijn Bas B. , Steegers Eric A. P.
Published: December 2021

The objective of this study was to determine the associations between hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and early childhood cardiometabolic risk factors in the offspring. Therefore, 7794 women from the Generation Rotterdam Study were included, an ongoing population-based prospective birth cohort. Women with a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy were classified as such when they were affected by pregnancy induced hypertension, pre-eclampsia or the haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelet count (HELLP) syndrome during pregnancy. Early childhood cardiometabolic risk factors were defined as the body mass index at the age of 2, 6, 12, 36 months and 6 years. Additionally, it included systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, total fat mass, cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin and clustering of cardiometabolic risk factors at 6 years of age. Sex-specific differences in the associations between hypertensive disorders and early childhood cardiometabolic risk factors were investigated. Maternal hypertensive disorders of pregnancy were inversely associated with childhood body mass index at 12 months (confounder model: -0.15 SD, 95% CI -0.27; -0.03) and childhood triglyceride at 6 years of age (confounder model: -0.28 SD, 95% CI -0.45; -0.10). For the association with triglycerides, this was only present in girls. Maternal hypertensive disorders of pregnancy were not associated with childhood body mass index at 2, 6 and 36 months. No associations were observed between maternal hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, body mass index, fat mass index and cholesterol levels at 6 years of age. Our findings do not support an independent and consistent association between maternal hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and early childhood cardiometabolic risk factors in their offspring. However, this does not rule out possible longer term effects of maternal hypertensive disorders of pregnancy on offspring cardiometabolic health.
A dual mode self-test for a stand alone AES core
Authors: Hossain Fakir Sharif , Sakib Taiyeb Hasan , Ashar Muhammad , Ferdian Rian
Published: December 2021

Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is the most secured ciphertext algorithm that is unbreakable in a software platform’s reasonable time. AES has been proved to be the most robust symmetric encryption algorithm declared by the USA Government. Its hardware implementation offers much higher speed and physical security than that of its software implementation. The testability and hardware Trojans are two significant concerns that make the AES chip complex and vulnerable. The problem of testability in the complex AES chip is not addressed yet, and also, the hardware Trojan insertion into the chip may be a significant security threat by leaking information to the intruder. The proposed method is a dual-mode self-test architecture that can detect the hardware Trojans at the manufacturing test and perform an online parametric test to identify parametric chip defects. This work contributes to partitioning the AES circuit into small blocks and comparing adjacent blocks to ensure self-referencing. The detection accuracy is sharpened by a comparative power ratio threshold, determined by process variations and the accuracy of the built-in current sensors. This architecture can reduce the delay, power consumption, and area overhead compared to other works.
Knowledge search, knowledge integration and enterprise breakthrough innovation under the characteristics of innovation ecosystem network: The empirical evidence from enterprises in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region
Authors: Zhang Yanli , Wang Dantong , Xu Long
Published: December 2021

Enterprises acquire heterogeneous knowledge through external knowledge search and adapt to the change of external environment, which is of great significance to enterprise breakthrough innovation. This paper takes the innovation ecosystem as the boundary of the research paradigm. Based on innovation ecosystem theory, knowledge management theory and enterprise innovation theory, this paper constructs a moderated mediation model of the enterprise knowledge search, knowledge integration and breakthrough innovation under the characteristics of innovation ecosystem network. This model is tested on the survey data of 344 technology enterprise and manufacturing industries including R&D departments in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. The research results show that: knowledge integration plays part of the intermediary role between knowledge search and enterprise breakthrough innovation; the larger the network scale, the stronger the network connection, the stronger the intermediary role of knowledge integration on the relationship between knowledge search and enterprise breakthrough innovation. The research results reveal the important role of the innovation ecosystem in enterprise breakthrough innovation. At the same time, the research on knowledge search and enterprise breakthrough innovation should consider the network characteristics of innovation ecosystem and the ability of enterprise knowledge integration.