bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
TLR-9 agonist and CD40-targeting vaccination induces HIV-1 envelope-specific B cells with a diversified immunoglobulin repertoire in humanized mice
Authors: Godot Véronique , Tcherakian Colas , Gil Laurine , Cervera-Marzal Iñaki , Li Guangming , Cheng Liang , Ortonne Nicolas , Lelièvre Jean-Daniel , Pantaleo Giuseppe , Fenwick Craig , Centlivre Mireille , Mouquet Hugo , Cardinaud Sylvain , Zurawski Sandra M. , Zurawski Gerard , Milpied Pierre , Su Lishan , Lévy Yves
Published: November 2020

The development of HIV-1 vaccines is challenged by the lack of relevant models to accurately induce human B- and T-cell responses in lymphoid organs. In humanized mice reconstituted with human hematopoietic stem cells (hu-mice), human B cell-development and function are impaired and cells fail to efficiently transition from IgM B cells to IgG B cells. Here, we found that CD40-targeted vaccination combined with CpG-B adjuvant overcomes the usual defect of human B-cell switch and maturation in hu-mice. We further dissected hu-B cell responses directed against the HIV-1 Env protein elicited by targeting Env gp140 clade C to the CD40 receptor of antigen-presenting cells. The anti-CD40.Env gp140 vaccine was injected with CpG-B in a homologous prime/boost regimen or as a boost of a NYVAC-KC pox vector encoding Env gp140 clade C. Both regimens elicited Env-specific IgG-switched memory hu-B cells at a greater magnitude in hu-mice primed with NYVAC-KC. Single-cell RNA-seq analysis showed gp140-specific hu-B cells to express polyclonal IgG1 and IgG3 isotypes and a broad Ig VH/VL repertoire, with predominant VH3 family gene usage. These cells exhibited a higher rate of somatic hypermutation than the non-specific IgG+hu-B-cell counterpart. Both vaccine regimens induced splenic GC-like structures containing hu-B and hu-Tfh-like cells expressing PD-1 and BCL-6. We confirmed in this model that circulating ICOS+memory hu-Tfh cells correlated with the magnitude of gp140-specific B-cell responses. Finally, the NYVAC-KC heterologous prime led to a more diverse clonal expansion of specific hu-B cells. Thus, this study shows that CD40-targeted vaccination induces human IgG production in hu-mice and provides insights for the development of a CD40-targeting vaccine to prevent HIV-1 infection in humans.
La música de Ligeti en Secundaria a través de 2001: Una Odisea del Espacio
Authors: Cano Palomo Alejandro
Published: November 2020

El trabajo llevado a cabo en esta investigación se centra en el uso de los medios audiovisuales como recurso didáctico en el aula de música de la enseñanza secundaria española, así como la música del compositor húngaro G. Ligeti (1923-2006) y el uso de sus partituras en la película 2001: Una odisea del espacio (1968) del director Stanley Kubrick (1928-1999).

Tras la parte de investigación, se presenta una propuesta didáctica para el resto de la comunidad educativa, de posible aplicación a la hora de abordar la música de Ligeti y el concepto de música textural a través de la cinta de Kubrick y las piezas musicales Requiem, Lux Aeterna y Atmosphères, con materiales de elaboración propia.
El inicio del hip-hop en Chile (1984-1987): la recepción y el aprendizaje de una cultura musical extranjera en tiempos de dictadura
Authors: Rodríguez Nelson Leandro
Published: November 2020

El artículo estudia la recepción y aprendizaje del hip-hop en Chile en el período 1984-1987. La importancia de esta etapa se explica en que se asimilaron las distintas subjetividades de esta cultura musical norteamericana, resultando fundamental para la posterior conformación de bandas y surgimiento de las primeras grabaciones de discos. La hipótesis de este trabajo es que la dictadura militar de Augusto Pinochet generó las condiciones necesarias para que a través de diferentes canales de información (la televisión, el cine y los exiliados políticos) el hip-hop se desplegara por primera vez en Chile. La factibilidad de este proceso se debió también a la aparición de una nueva generación de jóvenes que tenían integrados en su identidad los cambios que estaba experimentando la sociedad chilena, especialmente en lo que respecta a gusto musical, ya que se sentían más atraídos por formas musicales extranjeras que aquellas con un predominante discurso social y político.
Centralizáció és gazdasági ciklusok: miért központosítunk akkor is, ha már nem kéne? – Egy kvalitatív megközelítés
Authors: Bakonyi Zoltán
Published: November 2020

Válság idején a vállalatok centralizálnak, hogy növeljék hatékonyságukat. Azonban a hatalomkoncentráció rövid távú előnyei felülírják annak hátrányait. Másrészről, mivel a vállalatok hajlamosabbak fellendülés idején decentralizálni, ezért láthatjuk, hogy a szervezetek a gazdasági ciklusoknak megfelelően változtatják centralizációjuk szintjét. Magyar és brit felső vezetőkkel készített interjúk alapján e tanulmány egy olyan elméleti modellt vázol fel, mely megmutatja, hogy egyes vállalatok miért hajlamosak az ideálisnál tovább fenntartani a központosítást. A megfelelő időben történő átalakítással a szervezetek adaptációs előnyre tehetnek szert.
Ideología y gobernanza rebelde: acercamientos e influencia en grupos guerrilleros y grupos paramilitares
Authors: Figueroa Rivera Edwin Jyefferson , Arévalo Bucheli Andrea Fernanda
Published: November 2020

El presente artículo busca evidenciar las conexiones existentes entre la ideología de las guerrillas y los grupos paramilitares y los modelos de gobernanza rebelde que estos actores armados han consolidado en territorios asegurados en Colombia. En ese sentido, se hace referencia a los principales conceptos y planteamientos de las perspectivas teóricas existentes para discutirlos y contrastarlos con la realidad. Para ello, se empleó una metodología cualitativa y la revisión documental como herramienta investigativa. Se encontró que la interacción entre ideología y gobernanza rebelde puede ser comprendida a través de: 1. los intereses que ejercen los actores armados sobre el control territorial, 2. los elementos empleados para ejercer dicho control, 3. la legitimidad de la población civil hacia la gobernanza rebelde consolidada y 4. la relación entre actores armados y población civil. Estos hallazgos ofrecen un punto de partida novedoso para profundizar teóricamente sobre el comportamiento de otros grupos armados en realidades distintas a la colombiana.
Analysis of Influence of Tilt Angle on Variable-Speed Fixed-Pitch Floating Offshore Wind Turbines for Optimizing Power Coefficient Using Experimental and CFD Models
Authors: Wisatesajja Wongsakorn , Roynarin Wirachai , Intholo Decha
Published: November 2020

This study focused on optimization of the power coefficient of floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) to maintain their wind power performance in order to overcome problems with the tilt angle resulting from an unstable wind turbine platform, which can reduce the effective area of wind turbine energy extraction. FOWTs with a variable-speed fixed-pitch control strategy were investigated using an experimental model in a wind tunnel and a CFD simulation model for analysis and comparison, using wind speeds of 2–5.5 m/s and tilt angles of 3.5–6.1°. The results showed that average rotational speed differences of 16.4% and optimal power coefficients of 0.35–0.36 could be maintained at tip speed ratios of 7.7–9.6 during wind speeds of 3–5 m/s with tilt angles of 3.9–5.8°. The results of this study provide insights into a new concept of power coefficient optimization using variable tilt angle for small to medium fixed pitch FOWTs, to reduce the cost of pitch control systems.
Uniwersytet podczas informacyjnego tsunami
Authors: Wróbel Szymon
Published: November 2020

Luciano Floridi and Nick Srnicek claims that with a decline in manufacturing profitability, capitalism has turned to data as one way to maintain economic growth in the face of a slow production sector. In the twenty-first century data have become central to firms and their relations with workers and customers (Floridi, 2013; Srnicek 2017). The platform has emerged as a new model, capable of extracting and controlling immense amounts of data, and with this shift we have seen the rise of monopolistic firms. We are told that today we are living in an age of massive transformation. Platforms, big data, additive manufacturing, advanced robotics, machine learning, and the internet of things – create our current living environment. In the presented text I am going to ask what is the place of the university in such a new digital constellation? What are universities for in the time of platform capitalism? My main line of reasoning follows to idea of “entrepreneurial state”. An innovative university is understood as an analogue of an “entrepreneurial state”. Mariana Mazzucato has convincingly demonstrated that developments like railways, the internet, computing, supersonic flight, space travel, satellites, pharmaceuticals, voice-recognition software, nanotechnology, touchscreensand clean energy have all been nurtured and guided by states, not corporations. During the golden postwar era of research and development, two-thirds of research and development was publicly funded. High-risk inventions and new technologies are too risky for private capitalists to invest in (Mazzucato, 2014; Srnicek, Williams, 2015). Socializing of the risk and privatization of profits – this is the main climate of “non-innovative capitalism”.
Biomarkers in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Janeiro Manuel H. , Ardanaz Carlos G. , Sola-Sevilla Noemí , Dong Jinya , Cortés-Erice María , Solas Maite , Puerta Elena , Ramírez María J.
Published: November 2020

Background

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease. AD is the main cause of dementia worldwide and aging is the main risk factor for developing the illness. AD classical diagnostic criteria rely on clinical data. However, the development of a biological definition of AD using biomarkers that reflect the underling neuropathology is needed.

Content

The aim of this review is to describe the main outcomes when measuring classical and novel biomarkers in biological fluids or neuroimaging.

Nowadays, there are three classical biomarkers for the diagnosis of AD: Aβ42, t-Tau and p-Tau. The diagnostic use of cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers is limited due to invasive collection by lumbar puncture with potential side effects. Plasma/serum measurements are the gold standard in clinics, because they are minimally invasive and, in consequence, easily collected and processed. The two main proteins implicated in the pathological process, Aβ and Tau, can be visualized using neuroimaging techniques, such as positron emission tomography.

Outlook

As it is currently accepted that AD starts decades before clinical symptoms could be diagnosed, the opportunity to detect biological alterations prior to clinical symptoms would allow early diagnosis or even perhaps change treatment possibilities.
LogikôsArgumentation in Aristotle’s Natural Science
Authors: Woodcox Adam
Published: November 2020

This paper offers a novel interpretation of the nature and role of logical (logikôs) argumentation in Aristotle’s natural philosophy. In contrast to the standard domain interpretation, which makeslogikôsargumentation the contrary ofphusikôs, relying on principles drawn from outside the domain of natural science, I propose that the essential or defining feature oflogikôsargumentation is the use of principles that are general relative to the question under investigation. My interpretation is developed and illustrated with a close textual analysis of Aristotle’s explanation of mule sterility inGeneration of AnimalsII 8.
Theologie im Tauchbad
Authors: Wilke Carsten L.
Published: November 2020

This article surveys three centuries of rabbinic culture in Schnaittach (Central Franconia) on the basis of unexplored Hebrew sources. Located in an enclave within the Nuremberg territory, the Schnaittach rabbinate served four rural communities and variously exerted jurisdiction over large areas of Franconia, Upper Palatinate, and Bavaria. As a provincial authority, the rabbinate was oriented toward the political centers in Amberg, Munich, and Vienna, as well as toward the Jewish hubs of Fürth and Frankfurt. The rabbis of Schnaittach produced literary works in the fields of responsa and homiletics that this study contextualizes within a multilevel network of social relations. Early modern rabbis interacted with local tribunals, Christian theologians, Jewish fellow scholars, and migrant students while guiding rural Jews in their daily lives. Several documents show how they mediated, jointly with their wives, in issues of marital sexuality and cared for the female space that was the ritual bath.
Eurasia, Jewish
Nachlässe
Authors: Shahar Galili
Published: November 2020

Die Frage nach der Zukunft der Judaistik ruft uns dazu auf, den Nachlass, die Überbleibsel der deutsch-jüdischen Literatur, auf die Frage nach den verborgenen, unerfüllten Potentialen ihrer Schriften anzusprechen. Die Frage nach der Zukunft unserer Studien impliziert nicht nur eine Bewegung vorwärts, sondern auch einen »Rückschritt« in die Verborgenheit der Tradition, d. h. in das, was übrig geblieben, verborgen ist. Sie nimmt uns mit auf einen langen Lernweg, der auch Umwege, Aussetzungen, Wiederholungen und Fluchtwege beinhaltet. Der vorliegende Aufsatz schlägt eine kurze Expedition in das Feld der deutsch-jüdischen Literatur vor, indem drei »Fallstudien« betrachtet werden: Franz Kafkas unvollendeter Roman Der Prozess, Else Lasker-Schülers orientalische Prosa und Erich Auerbachs Essay »Figura«. Hauptanliegen des Essays ist es, eine Neuorientierung auf diesem Gebiet anzubieten und die vergangenen Formen jüdischer Schriften als Potential für futuristische Erfahrungen zu verwerten, bei denen die orientalischen (östlichen) Ressourcen des jüdischen Literaturbetriebs nicht vernachlässigt werden, und sogar die Möglichkeit einer neuen Landkarte der Leserschaft, genannt »Eurasien«, aufzuzeigen.
The Effects of the State Prepaid Tuition Program on College Attainment
Authors: Shen Ying
Published: November 2020

By locking in today’s tuition rate for future college attendance, the prepaid tuition program (PTP) is designed to encourage parents to invest in their children’s human capital. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of the state PTP on college attainment by using data from the 2011–2013 American Community Survey. By exploiting cross-state variation in the timing of the implementation of the state PTP, I found that the program adoption was associated with a 0.7–1.0 percentage point increase in college enrollment rates and a 0.5–0.7 percentage point increase in college completion rates.
Uncertain Outcomes and Climate Change Policy Using an Expo-Power Utility Function
Authors: Sadefo Kamdem Jules , Akame David
Published: November 2020

This paper extends the work of Pindyck, R. S. 2012. “Uncertain Outcomes and Climate Change Policy.” Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 63 (3): 289–303. by taking into consideration a large class of different utility functions of economic agents. As in Pindyck, R. S. 2012. “Uncertain Outcomes and Climate Change Policy.” Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 63 (3): 289–303, instead of considering a social utility function that is characterized by constant relative risk aversion (C.R.R.A), we use the expo-power utility function of Saha, A. 1993. “Expo-power Utility: A ‘Flexible’ Form for Absolute and Relative Risk Aversion.” American Journal of Agricultural Economics 75 (4): 905–13. In fact, depending on the choice of the expo-power utility function parameters, we cover a diverse range of utility functions. Apart from covering the other utility functions that a C.R.R.A omits, the Expo-power utility function permits us to discern if under the other utility-regimes of economic agents, the willingness to pay remains more affected by uncertain outcomes than certain outcomes when we vary the expectation and standard deviation of the temperature’s probability distribution. Our paper has maintained the small-tailed gamma distributions of temperature and economic impact of Pindyck, R. S. 2012. “Uncertain Outcomes and Climate Change Policy.” Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 63 (3): 289–303. not only because they hinder infinite future welfare losses (for an exponential utility function), but because it is easy to change some moments of the distribution (jointly or holding the others fixed) while studying how uncertainty influences the willingness to pay as explained in Pindyck, R. S. 2012. “Uncertain Outcomes and Climate Change Policy.” Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 63 (3): 289–303.
The anti-inflammatory cytokine response characterized by elevated interleukin-10 is a stronger predictor of severe disease and poor outcomes than the pro-inflammatory cytokine response in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Authors: Henry Brandon Michael , Benoit Stefanie W. , Vikse Jens , Berger Brandon A. , Pulvino Christina , Hoehn Jonathan , Rose James , Santos de Oliveira Maria Helena , Lippi Giuseppe , Benoit Justin L.
Published: November 2020

Objectives

Severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with a dysregulated immune state. While research has focused on the hyperinflammation, little research has been performed on the compensatory anti-inflammatory response. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory cytokine response to COVID-19, by assessing interleukin-10 (IL-10) and IL-10/lymphocyte count ratio and their association with outcomes.

Methods

Adult patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 were recruited. The primary endpoint was maximum COVID-19 severity within 30 days of index ED visit.

Results

A total of 52 COVID-19 patients were enrolled. IL-10 and IL-10/lymphocyte count were significantly higher in patients with severe disease (p<0.05), as well as in those who developed severe acute kidney injury (AKI) and new positive bacterial cultures (all p≤0.01). In multivariable analysis, a one-unit increase in IL-10 and IL-10/lymphocyte count were associated with 42% (p=0.031) and 32% (p=0.013) increased odds, respectively, of severe COVID-19. When standardized to a one-unit standard deviations scale, an increase in the IL-10 was a stronger predictor of maximum 30-day severity and severe AKI than increases in IL-6 or IL-8.

Conclusions

The hyperinflammatory response to COVID-19 is accompanied by a simultaneous anti-inflammatory response, which is associated with poor outcomes and may increase the risk of new positive bacterial cultures. IL-10 and IL-10/lymphocyte count at ED presentation were independent predictors of COVID-19 severity. Moreover, elevated IL-10 was more strongly associated with outcomes than pro-inflammatory IL-6 or IL-8. The anti-inflammatory response in COVID-19 requires further investigation to enable more precise immunomodulatory therapy against SARS-CoV-2.
Searching for a role of procalcitonin determination in COVID-19: a study on a selected cohort of hospitalized patients
Authors: Dolci Alberto , Robbiano Cristina , Aloisio Elena , Chibireva Mariia , Serafini Ludovica , Falvella Felicia Stefania , Pasqualetti Sara , Panteghini Mauro
Published: November 2020

Objectives

Procalcitonin (PCT) has been proposed for differentiating viral vs. bacterial infections. In COVID-19, some preliminary results have shown that PCT testing could act as a predictor of bacterial co-infection and be a useful marker for assessment of disease severity.

Methods

We studied 83 COVID-19 hospitalized patients in whom PCT was specifically ordered by attending physicians. PCT results were evaluated according to the ability to accurately predict bacterial co-infections and death in comparison with other known biomarkers of infection and with major laboratory predictors of COVID-19 severity.

Results

Thirty-three (39.8%) patients suffered an in-hospital bacterial co-infection and 44 (53.0%) patients died. In predicting bacterial co-infection, PCT showed a relatively low accuracy (area under receiver-operating characteristic [ROC] curve [AUC]: 0.757; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.651–0.845), with a strength for detecting the outcome not significantly different from that of white blood cell count and C-reactive protein (CRP). In predicting patient death, PCT showed an AUC of 0.815 (CI: 0.714–0.892), not better than those of other more common laboratory tests, such as blood lymphocyte percentage (AUC: 0.874, p=0.19), serum lactate dehydrogenase (AUC: 0.860, p=0.47), blood neutrophil count (AUC: 0.845, p=0.59), and serum albumin (AUC: 0.839, p=0.73).

Conclusions

Procalcitonin (PCT) testing, even when appropriately ordered, did not provide a significant added value in COVID-19 patients when compared with more consolidated biomarkers of infection and poor clinical outcome. The major application of PCT in COVID-19 is its ability, associated with a negative predictive value >90%, to exclude a bacterial co-infection when a rule-out cut-off (<0.25 μg/L) is applied.
On correlation of hyperbolic volumes of fullerenes with their properties
Authors: Egorov A. A. , Vesnin A Yu.
Published: November 2020

We observe that fullerene graphs are one-skeletons of polyhedra, which can be realized with all dihedral angles equal to π /2 in a hyperbolic 3-dimensional space. One of the most important invariants of such a polyhedron is its volume. We are referring this volume as a hyperbolic volume of a fullerene. It is known that some topological indices of graphs of chemical compounds serve as strong descriptors and correlate with chemical properties. We demonstrate that hyperbolic volume of fullerenes correlates with few important topological indices and so, hyperbolic volume can serve as a chemical descriptor too. The correlation between hyperbolic volume of fullerene and its Wiener index suggested few conjectures on volumes of hyperbolic polyhedra. These conjectures are confirmed for the initial list of fullerenes.
A low-cost web-based smart street lighting geographical information system for smaller towns and villages
Authors: Pružinec Filip , Mego Peter , Đuračiová Renata
Published: November 2020

The use of LED lights in smart street lighting to save energy is efficient and very common in many developed cities. However, such a system results in higher initial costs, which may discourage smaller towns and villages from its purchasing. This paper therefore deals with the design and development of a smart street lighting control system for smaller cities and villages. Such a system is required to be economical from the perspective of development and production. Considering other requirements such as platform independence, high availability and broad support, we proposed to build a system as a web application using a custom light control service component. The result is a web application that consists of a user interface served by a web server and an application server used to communicate with light control service. In addition, the system is designed as a geographical information system to be easy to use for managing street lights in groups or individually, while displaying them on the map. The system allows automatic sensor-based light intensity modulation by default with the possibility of manual adjustment or override of the illumination. It also includes a device error notification system with a tool to navigate faulty devices. The presented system is a low-cost solution for intelligent street lighting control designed for smaller cities or villages. They can apply the designed architecture of the system and the specific technologies suitable because of their low-cost implementation.
Student experiences of project-based learning in an analytical chemistry laboratory course in higher education
Authors: Matilainen Rose , Nuora Piia , Valto Piia
Published: November 2020

This study describes students’ experiences in project-based learning (PjBL) incorporated as part of a revised undergraduate analytical chemistry laboratory course. We examined which phases were the easiest as well as the most challenging and what student skills developed during the research project. The research data were collected between 2016 and 2018 via two questionnaires. They were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. One questionnaire focused on the whole course (in 2016–2018, n = 127) of which only the answers on the research project questions were analyzed. The other questionnaire focused on only the research project (in 2018, n = 42). Based on the results of our study, students felt that the research project was useful for their future laboratory experiments. Several sets working life skills as well as self-assessment skills were also developed during the project. These included skills related to laboratory work, group working, planning the research, problem solving and data collection. The students named the easiest phases to be the concrete laboratory experiments, making the seminar presentation, drawing up the research plan and reporting the results. As the most challenging phases, they named the design phase of the project, challenges related to experimental works and data collection. For example, students experienced uncertainty when gathering information and the whole project appeared challenging during the design phase. However, when students started to work, they saw that the work progressed smoothly if they had designed it well. When students have an opportunity to create their own research project, they acquire meaningful learning experiences.
Pensare Dio. Spunti di riflessione in dialogo con Anca Vasiliu
Authors: Longo Angela
Published: November 2020

The following work features elements to ponder and an in-depth explanation taken on the Anca Vasiliu’s study about the possibilities and ways of thinking of God by a rational entity, such as the human being. This is an ever relevant topic that, however, takes place in relation to Platonic authors and texts, especially in Late Antiquity. The common thread is that the human being is a God’s creature who resembles him and who is image of. Nevertheless, this also applies within the Christian Trinity according to which, not without problems, the Son is the image of the Father. Lastly, also the relationship of the Spirit with the Father and the Son, always within the Trinity, can be considered as a relationship of similarity, but again not without critical issues between the similarity of attributes, on the one hand, and the identity of nature, on the other.
FMEA method in operational reliability of forest harvesters
Authors: Kováč Ján , Ťavoda Pavol , Krilek Jozef , Harvánek Pavol
Published: November 2020

The article deals with the research of operational reliability of forest felling machines by FMEA method (Failure Mode and Effect Analysis). It describes collection of operational data and its analysis. It explains the procedure of realization for the method FMEA in the organization. Harvesters John Deere 1070D in the Company Lesy SR B. Bystrica were chosen for this research. The research was held in real operational conditions. Application of the FMEA method allows flexibility in case of unexpected situations and optimization of human potential abilities. FMEA tool is a tool preventing outages operational reliability and preventive tool for ensuring the maintenance of facilities. The method of information analysis mentioned below is simple ale precise enough for implementation in real working conditions.
Microwave-assisted synthesis of the lipase-catalyzed ring-opening copolymerization of ε-caprolactone and ω-pentadecanolactone: Thermal and FTIR characterization
Authors: Herrera-Kao Wilberth A. , Aguilar-Vega Manuel J. , Cervantes-Uc José Manuel
Published: November 2020

Microwave-assisted synthesis of the lipase-catalyzed ring opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone (ε-CL) and ω-pentadecanolactone (ω-PDL) monomers was studied. A series of P(CL-co-PDL), with different molar feed ratios, including (ε-CL/ω-PDL) 100/0, 75/25, 50/50, 25/75, and 0/100, were synthesized. The resulting polyesters were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The microwave-assisted polymerization of the monomers reached high conversions (91–95%) within 60 min. FTIR spectra showed the typical absorption bands of these polyesters. A very intense band in the carbonyl region, which was shifted from 1,720 cm−1 for PCL to 1,732 cm−1 for PPDL homopolymer, as well as peaks owing to methylene groups in the 2,990–2,850 cm−1 range. DSC results revealed that all polyester samples were semi-crystalline. Interestingly, the copolymers exhibited only one melting peak (T
m), and their T
m values linearly increased from 57°C to 95°C as PPDL concentration was increased. Thermal stability of polyesters also depended on PDL content; an increase in PDL concentration increases polymer degradation temperature (T
d).
The distinction problems for Sp4 and SO3,3
Authors: Lu Hengfei
Published: November 2020

This paper studies the Prasad conjecture for the special orthogonal group

SO

3
,
3

\mathrm{SO}_{3,3}

.
Then we use the local theta correspondence between

Sp
4

\mathrm{Sp}_{4}

and

O
⁢

(
V
)

\mathrm{O}(V)

to study the

Sp
4

\mathrm{Sp}_{4}

-distinction problems over a quadratic field extension

E
/
F

E/F

and

dim
⁡
V

=
4

\dim V=4

or 6.
Thus we can verify the Prasad conjecture for a square-integrable representation of

Sp
4

⁢

(
E
)

\mathrm{Sp}_{4}(E)

.
Analysis and prediction of LUCC change in Huang-Huai-Hai river basin
Authors: Wang Jianwei , Wang Kun , Qin Tianling , Nie Hanjiang , Lv Zhenyu , Liu Fang , Shi Xiaoqing , Hu Yong
Published: November 2020

Land use/cover change plays an important role in human development and environmental health and stability. Markov chain and a future land use simulation model were used to predict future change and simulate the spatial distribution of land use in the Huang-Huai-Hai river basin. The results show that cultivated land and grassland are the main land-use types in the basin, accounting for about 40% and 30%, respectively. The area of cultivated land decreased and artificial surfaces increased from 1980 to 2010. The degree of dynamic change of land use after the 1990s was greater than that before the 1990s. There is a high probability of exchange among cultivate land, forest and grassland. The area of forest decreased before 2000 and increased after 2000. Under the three emission scenarios (RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5) of IPSL-CM5A-LR climate model, the area of cultivated land will decrease and that of grassland will increase in the upstream area while it will decrease in the downstream area. The above methods and rules will be of great help to future land use planning.
M-GAM method in function of tourism potential assessment: Case study of the Sokobanja basin in eastern Serbia
Authors: Bratić Marija , Marjanović Miloš , Radivojević Aleksandar R. , Pavlović Mila
Published: November 2020

The Sokobanja basin is an area in Eastern Serbia with diverse geological and geomorphological features. Also, it is an area with developed spa tourism. The Sokobanja basin has numerous geoheritage features, which tourist potential has not been discovered yet. In this article, several geosites were analyzed, which present significant geoheritage formations. Geosites were selected by authors of this article based on the degree of their attractiveness for the geotourism development. The main goal of this article is to emphasize the geotourism potential of the Sokobanja basin and to determine the current state and geotourism potential of evaluated geosites by applying the modified geosite assessment model (M-GAM). A total of seven geosites were evaluated throughout the basin. The values of the investigated parameters were entered into the matrix of the M-GAM based on the number of points. Based on the research and the results obtained, it can be concluded that the Sokobanja basin has the potential for the development of geotourism, but it is necessary to improve additional values to become a true geotourism destination.
Adolescents creating cartoons: A developmental study of humor
Authors: Pedrazzini Ana , Bugallo Lucía , Zinkgräf Constanza , Scheuer Nora
Published: November 2020

Developmental studies on humor have historically approached a limited age range – from birth until early adolescence – and have mostly considered humor interpretation and the production of situational and verbal humor. Focusing on cartooning, a highly demanding cognitive and communication activity, in this paper we aim to provide empirical data drawn from a larger age span than usual – 10 to 18 years old – to better understand what adolescents find humorous and how they create humor. Our corpus comes from nine workshops of cartoon production and interpretation conducted between 2015 and 2018, in which a total of 63 girls and 72 boys participated. Based on a fine-grained cognitive and communication analysis, we distinguished six different profiles of texts depending on: whether and how a fictional situation (i.e. a humorous incongruity) was built, its relation to the referenced situation addressed (topic), and the author’s motivation. Simple Correspondence Analyses enabled us to identify that these texts varied according to the adolescents’ age and the cartoon’s format (single panel or strip). Greater cognitive sophistication was evidenced in single panel cartoons and among middle and late adolescents, who also showed a concern for social issues. Some gender variations were found.
Who Was Mrs. Benway?
Authors: Sertic Petra
Published: November 2020

From 1985 to 1991, the artist Jutta Koether contributed a column titled Mrs. Benway to the pop cultural magazine Spex, for which she developed a form of art criticism that would appeal to a mostly music interested readership. In the process, Koether advanced a form of critique as a practice with the ability to actively determine the conditions for one’s own life, connecting to contemporaneous evaluations of models of critique for their ability to initiate change. Spex not only provided a platform for evaluation and judgment, but functioned as a launch pad where the habit of responding and taking position to current events was routinely exercised in step with the magazine’s monthly publication rhythm and Cologne’s dynamic art calendar.
Implementing family based treatment in a child and youth eating disorder program: impact on admissions
Authors: Thompson Hayley , Hurst Kim , Green Heather , Watkins Jodie , Collings Nigel , Read Shelly
Published: November 2020

Objectives

Anorexia Nervosa (AN) treatment is frequently associated with high costs often due to the use of hospitalization. In Family Based Treatment (FBT) a main goal is to manage recovery of AN in the home environment rather than relying on lengthy hospital admissions. This study examined whether the use of hospitalization altered following the introduction of FBT to a youth eating disorders program in 2009.

Method

This study compared retrospective data of 71 female adolescent patients diagnosed with AN: 10 who received treatment as usual prior to the implementation of FBT; 10 who were treated immediately after FBT implementation; and a further 51 adolescents who received FBT since 2009.

Results

Results indicate that since the implementation of FBT there was a significant reduction in admissions to the medical ward and a significant reduction in cumulative length of stay on both the psychiatric and medical wards in adolescents presenting with AN.
Association between parents and peer attachment with health locus of control: a cross-sectional study among Iranian adolescents
Authors: Ghahremani Leila , Shirdel Tiam , Nazari Mahin , Kaveh Mohammad Hossein
Published: November 2020

Introduction

Evidence suggests that the quality of family relationships is associated with health locus of control in family members. The present study aimed to determine the correlation between the health locus of control and adolescent-parent attachment.

Materials and Methods

In this descriptive, analytical cross-sectional study, at each of these 10 schools, 40 students aged 14 and 15, will be randomly selected among Behbahan middle schools. 400 students were selected. Rotters Locus of Control Scale and the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA) were used for data collection. Data were analyzed using SPSS software and Pearson correlation coefficient, t-test and ANOVA statistical techniques.

Results

Findings showed that the mean and standard deviation of attachment level to father (95.97±19.66), mother (99.62±15.60) friends (93.78±17.59) were all high. Between source of health control (intrinsic, affective, and luck), parental attachment and peers have predictive power (beta=0.263, p≤0.001).

Conclusion

According to the findings, to increase attachment to parents, it is better that Intervention should also be carried out on the father and the mother and health Locus control will be increased.
High humidity air-impingement blanching (HHAIB) improves drying characteristics and quality of ground-cover chrysanthemum heads
Authors: Dai Jian-Wu , Wang Jie , Yang Sheng-Lin , Wen Meng-Da , Yin Peng-Fei , Qin Wen , Liu Yao-Wen , Liu Qi , Liu Shu-Xiang , Xu Li-Jia , Li Ying-Lu
Published: November 2020

Effects of high humidity air-impingement blanching (HHAIB) temperature, relative humidity over a range of application time and drying temperature on air-impingement drying kinetics, colour attributes, browning index, blanching weight loss and total flavonoids content of chrysanthemum heads were studied. HHAIB could shorten the drying time of chrysanthemum heads significantly (p < 0.05) by up to 52% compared to the control group without blanching. Meanwhile blanching humidity has a greater influence on drying kinetic than other blanching parameters. D

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values of samples declined first and rose later with the growth of blanching humidity, while increased continuously with the growth of blanching temperature. The highest growth of total flavonoids content can be up to 21.6% under the HHAIB blanching conditions (110 °C of blanching temperature, 45% of relative humidity, 150 s of blanching time) in comparison with the control group. Lightness of all blanched samples was lower than the control group, and redness and total colour difference under different blanching conditions showed significant differences compared to the control group, while no obvious variation was observed in terms of yellowness values.
Stress wave propagation in different number of fissured rock mass based on nonlinear analysis
Authors: Lou Xiaoming , Sun Mingwu , Yu Jin
Published: November 2020

The fissures are ubiquitous in deep rock masses, and they are prone to instability and failure under dynamic loads. In order to study the propagation attenuation of dynamic stress waves in rock mass with different number of fractures under confining pressure, nonlinear theoretical analysis, laboratory model test and numerical simulation are used respectively. The theoretical derivation is based on displacement discontinuity method and nonlinear fissure mechanics model named BB model. Using ABAQUS software to establish a numerical model to verify theoretical accuracy, and laboratory model tests were carried out too. The research shows that the stress attenuation coefficient decreases with the increase of the number of fissures. The numerical simulation results and experimental results are basically consistent with the theoretical values, which verifies the rationality of the propagation equation.
The same cloze for all occasions?
Authors: Brown James Dean , Grüter Theres
Published: November 2020

Target language proficiency assessment has become an integral part of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) research design, with cloze tests frequently serving this purpose for reasons of practicality. Assumptions underlying the interpretation of such cloze test scores, however, are often not examined. With the goal of providing researchers with better means for drawing inferences from cloze test scores, we present an analysis of a combined dataset comprised of scores from 1,724 test takers on a frequently used English cloze test (Brown 1980). We examine variation in score distributions and reliability estimates among L2 groups, between L2 and native-speaker (NS) examinees, and for different scoring methods, and investigate the degree to which different sets of items were effective for classifying low- vs high-proficiency L2 examinees and L2 vs NS test takers. Standardized scores are provided for each scoring method so that future researchers can reference their scores to this larger set.
Water Footprint of Food Quality Schemes
Authors: Bodini Antonio , Chiussi Sara , Donati Michele , Bellassen Valentin , Török Áron , Dries Lisbeth , Ćorić Dubravka Sinčić , Gauvrit Lisa , Tsakiridou Efthimia , Majewski Edward , Ristic Bojan , Stojanovic Zaklina , Gil Roig Jose Maria , Lilavanichakul Apichaya , An Nguyễn Quỳnh , Arfini Filippo
Published: November 2020

Water Footprint (WF, henceforth) is an indicator of water consumption and has taken ground to assess the impact of agricultural production processes over freshwater. The focus of this study was contrasting non-conventional, certified products with identical products obtained through conventional production schemes (REF, henceforth) using WF as a measure of their pressure on water resources. The aim was to the show whether products that are certified as Food Quality Schemes (FQS, henceforth) could also incorporate the lower impact on water among their quality features. To perform this comparison, we analysed 23 products selected among Organic, PDO and PGI as FQS, and their conventional counterparts. By restricting the domain of analysis to the on-farm phase of the production chain, we obtained that that no significant differences emerged between the FQS and REF products. However, if the impact is measured per unit area rather than per unit product, FQS showed a significant reduction in water demand.
Electrical vestibular nerve stimulation as an adjunctive therapy in the management of type 2 diabetes
Authors: Goothy Sai Sailesh Kumar , McKeown Jason , D. Mcgeoch Paul , B Srilatha , Vijayaraghavan Rajagopalan , Manyam Ravikanth , Vijay Khanderao Mahadik
Published: November 2020

Objectives

Vestibular nerve stimulation using the portable battery-operated vestibular nerve stimulator is a sophisticated method noninvasive, safe, and easy to operate. It was hypothesized that vestibular nerve stimulation is effective in the management of type 2 diabetes. Hence, the present study was undertaken to determine the effectiveness of vestibular nerve stimulation using portable battery-operated vestibular nerve stimulator in the management of diabetes.

Methods

The present study was a double-blind randomized controlled trial with 1:1 split between the control and experimental groups. A total of 30 participants with type 2 diabetes were part of the study after obtaining the written informed consent. After recording the baseline values, the vestibular nerve stimulation was administered to the participants in the intervention group for 90 days. Sham stimulation was administered to the control group for 90 days. Outcome measures were recorded after 30 days and after 90 days of the intervention in both the groups.

Results

There was significant decrease in the total body weight, fasting, postprandial blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin levels, leptin, very low density lipoproteins levels followed by the intervention. There was significant improvement in both spatial and verbal memory scores. Depression and stress scores and systolic blood pressure decreased and remained in normal limits.

Conclusions

The study results have proven multimodal action of vestibular stimulation. It not only acts on regulation of the glucose metabolism but also can regulate the autonomic activity and improve cognition and relieve stress. This is the interesting finding of our study, which needs detailed further research to support implementation of vestibular nerve stimulation as an adjunctive therapy in the management of diabetes.
Secret sharing and duality
Authors: Csirmaz Laszlo
Published: November 2020

Secret sharing is an important building block in cryptography. All explicit secret sharing schemes which are known to have optimal complexity are multi-linear, thus are closely related to linear codes. The dual of such a linear scheme, in the sense of duality of linear codes, gives another scheme for the dual access structure. These schemes have the same complexity, namely the largest share size relative to the secret size is the same. It is a long-standing open problem whether this fact is true in general: the complexity of any access structure is the same as the complexity of its dual. We give a partial answer to this question. An almost perfect scheme allows negligible errors, both in the recovery and in the independence. There exists an almost perfect ideal scheme on 174 participants whose complexity is strictly smaller than that of its dual.
Radio over fiber on gigabit passive optical network using QPSK modulation scheme
Authors: Kavitha Thandapani , Arulmary Arokiam , Nagarajan Pandian
Published: November 2020

Hybrid gigabit-passive optical network (GPON) is one of the hybrid optical networks, it integrates both Wave length Division Multiplexing (WDM) GPON and Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) GPON into a single passive network, which lowers the energy consumption, networking expenditure and boosts the data rate. In this paper, Radio over Fiber Technique of 10 GB/s GPON network architecture is implemented and verified using Quadrature Phase Shift Keying Modulation of 2.4 GHz radio frequency. Single-mode fiber of length 50 km is used to propagate the radio signals. Commercial OptiSystem simulation software is used to simulate the model. In total, 32 and 64 users are supported through this model. Based on the response of the constellation diagram, received power, eye diagram, and optical signal-to-noise ratio, the system is analyzed.
A multilayers adaptive ALACO-OFDM for spectral efficiency improvement using PSO algorithm in visible light communication systems
Authors: Hameed Aymen Abdalmunam , Safar Anuar Mat , Nordin Junita , Abas Montadar , Nawawi Norizan
Published: November 2020

In this paper, we propose a new adaptive layered asymmetrically-clipped optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (ALACO-OFDM) technique as a method to improve the spectral efficiency of optical system, especially visible light communication (VLC). Particle swarm optimisation (PSO)-based LACO-OFDM method is used for this purpose and the channel capacities are studied. Simulations using variable layers are carried out to validate the theoretical steps. The simulation results indicate that the ALACO-OFDM technique has significantly improve the spectral efficiency compared to previous techniques such as ACO-OFDM. Moreover, it is shown that channel capacities of different layers are significantly improved when electrical power is increased.