bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The influence of growth hormone therapy on the cardiovascular system in Turner syndrome
Authors: Dyrka Kamil , Rozkiewicz Nikola , Obara-Moszynska Monika , Niedziela Marek
Published: November 2020

Short stature, ovarian dysgenesis, infertility, and cardiovascular malformations are classic features in Turner syndrome (TS), but the phenotypical spectrum is wide. Through early diagnosis and appropriate treatment, TS patients have a chance to achieve satisfactory adult height and sexual development. The doses of recombinant growth hormone (rGH) used are usually higher than the substitution dose. The safety aspects of this therapy are very important, especially in terms of the cardiovascular system. The presented study aimed to analyze how the rGH therapy may influence the cardiovascular system in TS based on current literature data. We conducted a systematic search for studies related to TS, cardiovascular system, and rGH therapy. The results show that rGH seems to have a positive effect on lipid parameters, reducing the risk of ischemic disease. It is additionally optimized by estradiol therapy. Although rGH may increase insulin resistance, the metabolic derangement is rare, probably due to lower fat content and an increase in lean body mass. Several studies showed that rGH treatment could cause aorta widening or increase the aorta growth rate. IGF-1 can be independently associated with increased aortic diameters. The studies analyzing the impact of GH on blood pressure show conflicting data. The proper cardiovascular imaging before and during rGH treatment and detecting the known risk factors for aorta dissection in every individual is very important. The long-term effects of growth hormone treatment on the heart and arteries are still not available and clearly estimated and have to be monitored in the future.
SARS-CoV-2 in pregnancy: maternal and perinatal outcome data of 34 pregnant women hospitalised between May and October 2020
Authors: Hall Mirijam , Endress David , Hölbfer Susanne , Maier Barbara
Published: November 2020

Objectives

To report clinical data on maternal outcome, mode of delivery and immediate neonatal outcome in women infected with COVID-19.

Methods

Retrospective data collection.

Results

A total of 8.6% of the total population of hospitalised SARS-CoV-2 positive pregnant women were admitted to a critical care unit. The premature birth rate for births before 34+0 weeks of gestation among pregnant women who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 was 7.1%. One newborn (3.6%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 two days after birth and showed symptoms.

Conclusions

Pregnant women with COVID-19 seem to be at higher risk of invasive ventilation, admission to a critical care unit and preterm birth, and should therefore be considered a high-risk-population.
Dimensions of E-Readiness in University Libraries: Identification and Prioritization Using AHP Technique
Authors: Keshavarz Hamid , Noorafrooz Ali Hossein
Published: November 2020

The current research aimed to identify and prioritize the main dimensions underlying the concept of electronic readiness (e-readiness) in university libraries. A mixed exploratory method was used as the research methodology including documentary and survey methods. The literature coding process was confirmed by two different researchers in related fields, which resulted in a conceptual framework including 66 indicators, 12 components and four main dimensions of human resources, electronic infrastructures, networked programs and services, and enablers of the network world. To assess the indicators, a reliable and validated questionnaire derived from the framework was administrated among 221 participants including faculty members in related fields in Iran. By identifying the reliable items using a one-sample t-test, a refined AHP version of the initial questionnaire was also administrated among a set of 20 managers of university libraries located at Tehran city. Findings confirmed the consistency comparison for different matrices, which then resulted in satisfactory and reliable relevance for all components. Findings also showed that the dimensions network programs and services, human resources, electronic infrastructures and enablers of the networked world had the standard relevance respectively. The final framework and its priorities provide library managers and policymakers in higher education with a list of indicators and considerations for appraisal purposes.
On the Economics of Restructuring World Railways, with a Focus on Russia
Authors: Pittman Russell
Published: November 2020

The lecture opens with a discussion of the modern history of economists’ treatment of network industries: from cost-of-service regulation through incentive regulation to vertical restructuring. This history is then applied to the freight railways sector, followed by a discussion of the current state of the rail restructuring debate – what we term the European versus the American model, or vertical versus horizontal separation – first generally and then in the Russian Federation. Finally, we seek to derive lessons relevant to Russia from both the empirical literature and the results of recent reform policies implemented in the United States and the European Union.
Behçet’s disease with latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection
Authors: Shen Yan , Ma Haifen , Luo Dan , Cai Jianfei , Zou Jun , Bao Zhijun , Guan Jianlong
Published: November 2020

Objective

The aim of this study is to examine the clinical features of patients with Behçet’s disease (BD) in the presence or absence of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI).

Methods

This was a retrospective study of 232 consecutive patients with active BD hospitalized between October 2012 and June 2017. LTBI was diagnosed based on the positive T-SPOT.TB assay, negative clinical, and imaging examinations.

Results

Among the 232 patients, 68 (29.3%) had LTBI. The frequency, number, and scope of oral ulcers in the BD-LTBI group were significantly more serious than in the non-LTBI group (all P < 0.05). Genital ulcers and eye involvement in the LTBI group were significantly higher than in the non-LTBI group (both P < 0.01). No active TB was diagnosed during follow-up (median, 27.9 months; range, 3–58 months). The patients with LTBI had signs of liver damage compared with the non-LTBI group. In the LTBI group, the frequency of alanine transaminase >2.0, the upper limit of normal, was higher in the rifampicin subgroup compared with the non-rifampicin subgroup (P = 0.033).

Conclusion

Patients with BD and LTBI had worse clinical features than those with BD without LTBI. Rifampicin might be associated with the damage to liver in BD patients combined with latent TB.
Prävalenz und Vorhersage von intramuralem Fehlverhalten und Lockerungsmissbräuchen in der Sozialtherapie
Authors: Biedermann Laura , Rettenberger Martin
Published: November 2020

Die Prognose von intramuralem Fehlverhalten und Lockerungsmissbräuchen ist ein wichtiger Bestandteil der Vollzugsplanung und in der Regel eine Voraussetzung für die Gewährung von Lockerungen und weiteren freiheitsbezogenen Maßnahmen. Derzeit existierende Rückfallprognoseinstrumente wurden bislang kaum dahingehend untersucht, ob sie sich auch für diese Form der Prognose eignen. In der vorliegenden Studie wurden unterschiedliche aktuarische Prognoseinstrumente (Static-99, SVG-5 und OGRS 3) bei 129 Straftätern, die in den Jahren 2013 bis 2018 aus der Sozialtherapeutischen Anstalt in Ludwigshafen entlassen wurden, angewendet und ihre Prognoseleistung geprüft. Zusätzlich wurden zwei anstaltsinterne Checklisten in die Untersuchung mit aufgenommen. Im Ergebnis zeigten sich alle drei aktuarischen Instrumente und darüber hinaus die Anstaltscheckliste zur Fluchtgefahr als valide für die Vorhersage von intramuralem Fehlverhalten, wobei die OGRS 3 (AUC = .77) die besten Werte erzielte. Für die Prognose von Lockerungsmissbräuchen waren die Ergebnisse von OGRS 3 und SVG-5 vielversprechend, wobei auch hier die OGRS 3 (AUC = .77) am besten abschnitt. Gerade bei der Prognose von Lockerungsmissbräuchen zeigten die Ergebnisse jedoch auch Limitationen der zur Verfügung stehenden Analysemethoden auf, die bei der praktischen Anwendung angemessen berücksichtigt werden sollten.
“Quierojuksar en lajulaftenito” – Playfulness and metalinguistic awareness in translingual family interactions
Authors: Johnsen Ragni Vik
Published: November 2020

This article explores playfulness and creativity in translingual family interactions. In particular, it focuses on how and to what ends adolescents mobilize multilingual resources in family interactions. It investigates the cases of two multilingual families with adolescent children (13–18 years old). The families have different linguistic backgrounds, but have in common that one of the parents have migrated from a Spanish-speaking Latin-American country to Northern-Norway, and that Spanish represents a linguistic resource and a heritage language in the families. The data consists of self-recorded family interactions (29 recordings, ca. 5 h.) and were collected over the course of one year. By analysing interactions where the adolescents employ Spanish features, the article offers insights into how adolescents negotiate the position of the heritage language Spanish in the family. A close, turn-by-turn analysis demonstrates that the adolescents in a creative and playful manner employ a multitude of linguistic resources to fulfil interactional achievements: Through metalinguistic talk and playful translingual practices, the adolescents challenge and negotiate identities and family roles, exert agencies, and demonstrate metalinguistic awareness and sociolinguistic control.
I, You, We: Community and Redemption in Rosenzweig
Authors: Morgan Michael L.
Published: November 2020

In the early decades of the twentieth century, the concept of community (Gemeinschaft) was associated with an ideal society or polity; a host of figures conceived of redemption as the creation and development of community. In this paper, I briefly discuss how this ideal was appropriated by Martin Buber and how genuine community came to mean, for him, a society organized in terms of a collection of I-Thou oriented relationships. I then consider how the same ideal might help us to understand the social and historical ideal which Franz Rosenzweig takes to be the redemptive ideal of Judaism and the Jewish people.
Hitting the ‘pause’ button: What does COVID-19 tell us about the future of heritage sounds?
Authors: Spennemann Dirk H. R. , Parker Murray
Published: November 2020

Human existence is accompanied by environmental sounds as by-products of people’s activities and sounds that are intentionally generated to allow human society to function. The resulting soundscapes that surround people’s daily existence are subject to technological, as well as behavioural change. Cultural heritage management has begun to address the question of which sounds and soundscapes should be preserved and maintained as part of humanity’s legacy to future generations. A side-effect of the dramatic social and behavioural change caused by governmental responses to COVID-19 has been a dramatic temporary alteration of urban cultural sound-scapes. In this paper we will consider the nature and extent of these and will explore to what extent the COVID-19-induced reality can be employed to project a future of urban cultural soundscapes if no active heritage intervention were to occur.
Erased or Surviving Despite Challenges? The State of Anthropology in Poland
Authors: Goździak Elżbieta M.
Published: November 2020

Two years have passed since Jarosław Gowin, the Polish Minister of Science and Education, has signed a new law known as the Constitution for Science (Konstytucja dla nauki) or simply Law 2.0 (Ustawa 2.0). Law 2.0 declared that ethnology and anthropology are no longer independent fields of scientific inquiry, but are part of a new discipline: the study of culture and religion. In this essay, I analyze the effects of this law on ethnology and anthropology in Poland. I look at how the law affected anthropological research, especially its financing, and training, including enrollment of students. I place this discussion withing the broader context of reforms aimed at Polish higher education.
An Exploratory Study on Linguistic Gender Stereotypes and their Effects on Perception
Authors: Lindvall-Östling Mattias , Deutschmann Mats , Steinvall Anders
Published: November 2020

This study explores how stereotypical preconceptions about gender and conversational behaviour may affect observers’ perceptions of a speaker’s performance. Using updated matched-guise techniques, we digitally manipulated the same recording of a conversation to alter the voice quality of “Speaker A” to sound “male” or “female.” Respondents’ perceptions of the conversational behaviour of Speaker A in the two guises were then measured with particular focus on floor apportionment, interruptions and signalling interest. We also measured respondents’ explicit stereotypical gender preconceptions of these aspects. Results showed that respondents perceived the male guise as having more floor apportionment and interrupting more than the female guise. Results also indicated that the respondents had explicit stereotypes that matched these patterns, i.e. that interrupting and taking space were deemed to be stereotypically male behaviour, while signalling interest was deemed to be a female feature. The study suggests that stereotypical preconceptions about gender and conversational behaviour may skew perceptions of similar linguistic behaviour.
Junia – A Woman Lost in Translation: The Name IOYNIAN in Romans 16:7 and its History of Interpretation
Authors: Hartmann Andrea
Published: November 2020

The name of the second person greeted in Romans 16:7 is given as IOYNIAN, a form whose grammatical gender could be either feminine or masculine which leads to the question: Is it Junia or Junias – a woman or a man – who is greeted alongside Andronicus as “outstanding among the apostles?” This article highlights early influential answers to this question in the history of interpretation (John Chrysostom’s commentary, the discipleship list of Pseudo-Epiphanius, Luther’s translation, and Calvin’s interpretation) showing that societal perceptions of women’s roles were a factor in how they interpreted IOYNIAN. The article then summarises the last 150 years of interpretation history which saw (a) the disappearance of Junia from the text and from scholarly discussion due to the impact of the short-from hypothesis in the nineteenth century, (b) the challenge to this male interpretation in connection with second wave feminism, and (c) the restoration of the female reading in the ensuing debate. Bringing together the main lines of the argument, it will be shown that there is only one reading supported by the evidence, the female reading which throughout the centuries was the more difficult reading in light of the church’s and society’s perception of women’s participation.
CH4 dissociation on the Pd/Cu(111) surface alloy: A DFT study
Authors: Akça Aykan
Published: November 2020

The periodic four-layered model of the pure Cu(111) surface has been considered, and the effect of doping with palladium on CH4dissociation has been investigated. The most stable adsorption geometries of CHxspecies (x= 1–4) and H atom on the PdCu(111) and pure Cu(111) surfaces have been obtained. Their computed adsorption energy results on the pure Cu(111) surface have been compared with the previously reported studies. Then, transition state geometries of CH4dehydrogenation steps on both surfaces were calculated by the climbing image nudged elastic band method. Finally, the relative energy diagram for CH4complete dehydrogenation has been represented. The results show that the PdCu(111) surface is more favorable than the Cu(111) surface in terms of the activation energies. The addition of Pd atoms to the Cu(111) surface significantly improves the catalytic activity. This knowledge can enable an efficient catalyst design at a lower cost using different strategies.
A short history of multiferroics
Authors: Lottermoser Thomas , Meier Dennis
Published: November 2020

The realization that materials with coexisting magnetic and ferroelectric order open up efficient ways to control magnetism by electric fields unites scientists from different communities in the effort to explore the phenomenon of multiferroics. Following a tremendous development, the field has now gained some maturity. In this article, we give a succinct review of the history of this exciting class of materials and its evolution from “ferroelectromagnets” to “multiferroics” and beyond.
Surface modification methods of ceramic filler in ceramic-carbon fibre composites for bioengineering applications – A systematic review
Authors: Nakonieczny Damian S. , Antonowicz Magdalena , Paszenda Zbigniew
Published: November 2020

The present review paper focuses on the current state of the art of the alumina-silicate ceramics and surface modifications of ceramics dedicated as fillers in composites with carbon fiber. The use of aluminum-silicates in the form of a cenosphere due to their outstanding properties, i.e., low density, high hardness, and total chemical inertness seem to be promising in biomaterial engineering applications. First of all, the possibilities of the composites application in orthopedic and prosthetic implantology. The following section discusses problems with the use of aluminum silicate ceramics and their processing. Subsequently, in the paragraphs to follow, the possibilities of modifying the surface with chemical methods are discussed, among others oxidation, chemical methods like ionic liquids etching, silanization, and physical processes i.e., thermal treatment. In the summary, the directions of development of ceramic-carbon fiber composites and the primary deficiencies of these composites on which to focus on and solve are discussed.
Stabilisation Treatments for Paper with Green Copper Pigment Verdigris
Authors: Malešič Jasna , Kolar Jana , Denac Mitja , Kolar Bačnik Bor
Published: November 2020

The focus of this research is the stabilisation of paper with Verdigris, a green copper pigment. Due to its corrosive effects on paper, many important documents, paintings and maps are in danger. The efficiency of several commercially available deacidification agents on paper samples with Verdigris was tested, including magnesium-based Bookkeeper® dispersion, nano calcium hydroxide containing Nanorestore® and CaLoSiL® dispersions as well as a recently developed dispersion of nano calcium carbonate. The antioxidant tetrabutylammonium bromide was tested either alone or in combination with nano calcium based deacidification agents. The effect of the treatments was evaluated using colour, tensile strength, degree of polymerization and pH measurements. The results indicate that acidic degradation does not play a major role during accelerated degradation of paper containing Verdigris with moderately acidic pH value and that oxidative decay could be the main culprit of the decay. The method described, which involves the use of antioxidant tetrabutylammonium bromide in combination with calcium carbonate based deacidification dispersion, was proved to have a superior effect against degradation of paper with Verdigris in comparison to the treatments which involve deacidification agents only. Nano calcium hydroxide based deacidification agents result in high pH values of the paper samples and therefore cannot be advised for use on paper documents.
Tracing the Alteration of Verdigris Pigment through Combined Raman Spectroscopy and X-ray Diffraction, Part II: Natural Ageing
Authors: Brostoff Lynn B. , Connelly Ryan Cynthia , Black Isabella
Published: November 2020

This study explores the natural alteration of verdigris, both in the form of neutral verdigris (Cu(II) (CH3COO)2⋅H2O) and basic verdigris (Cu(II)
x
(CH3COO)
y
(OH)
z
⋅nH2O), through combined Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction investigation of samples created seven to eleven years prior to analysis. The naturally aged paint films of neutral or basic verdigris in gum arabic on paper and parchment provide insight into the pigment’s well-known instability relevant to historical works in aqueous media on maps, prints, books and manuscript materials. The latter historical application is an area that has received far less attention than alteration of verdigris in oil-based paint films. Findings shed new light on alternate pathways for conversion of neutral verdigris to basic verdigris, including the formation of a previously unknown form of verdigris and amorphous material on alkaline paper substrates. Additionally, we demonstrate for the first time that copper hydroxyl chlorides can form in situ from neutral verdigris, in this case on parchment that has a chlorine-rich surface. These results advance our understanding of neutral verdigris alteration, and complement results from our prior artificial ageing study. Both studies point to neutral verdigris as the historically more important form throughout its heyday. Improved understanding of neutral verdigris instability and its alteration pathways are critical for confident identification of the pigment in historical works, leading to better risk assessment of collections of verdigris-containing heritage, such as maps.
The Number Ten Reconsidered: Did the Pythagoreans Have an Account of the Dekad?
Authors: Deretić Irina , Knežević Višnja
Published: November 2020

We critically reconsider an old hypothesis of the role of the dekad in Pythagorean philosophy. Unlike Zhmud, we claim that: 1) the dekad did play a role in Philolaus’ astronomical system, and 2) Aristotle did not project Plato’s theory of the ten eidetic numbers onto the Pythagoreans. We claim that the dekad, as the τέλειος ἀριθμός, should be understood in Philolaus’ philosophy as completeness and the basis of counting in Greek – as in most other languages – in a decimal system. Additionally, we argue that the number ten is not even a candidate for the τέλειος ἀριθμός in Plato’s philosophy. As a final result of our discussion, we compare and contrast Philolaus’, Plato’s, and Speusippus’ accounts of completeness in relation to numbers.
Harm as Negative Prudential Value: A Non-Comparative Account of Harm
Authors: de Villiers-Botha Tanya
Published: November 2020

In recent attempts to define “harm,” comparative accounts of harm, specifically counterfactual comparative accounts, have been touted as the most promising approaches to defining the concept. Nevertheless, such accounts face serious difficulties. This has led to the call for the concept to simply be dropped from the moral lexicon altogether. I reject this call, arguing thatnon-comparativeapproaches to defining harm have not been sufficiently explored. I develop such an account and claim that it avoids the difficulties faced by comparative accounts while not presupposing a substantive theory of well-being, which is taken as a key failing of non-comparative accounts. I conclude that this definition renders a concept of harm thatcanbe meaningfully employed in our moral discourse.
Against Ethical Exceptionalism – Through Critical Reflection on the History of Use of the Terms ‘Ethics’ and ‘Morals’ in Philosophy
Authors: Fink Hans
Published: November 2020

In this paper, I aim to support contextual ethics as a broad and open understanding of ethics and the ethical by commenting on the origin of the words ‘ethics’ and ‘ethical’ in Greek philosophy and on the ambiguities built into them from the beginning. I further list some complexities that arose when the Latinate words ‘morals’ and ‘moral’ began to be used in Roman, medieval and modern philosophy, sometimes as synonyms of and sometimes in contrast to ‘ethics’ and ‘ethical’. Finally, I return to discuss the prospects of contextual ethics in the context of developments in moral philosophy in the twentieth century, adding some pragmatist arguments in its favour.
The symbolic usage of stone beyond its function as a construction material: Example of residential architecture in Iraqi Kurdistan
Authors: Shareef Sardar S. , Sani Rafooneh M.
Published: November 2020

This study examines the symbolic use of stone beyond its basic function as a construction material in architecture. It investigates the meaning of stone using Iraqi Kurdistan residential architecture as a case study. The theoretical framework of the study is developed through the content analysis method, by applying Hershberger’s basic model of meaning, and by exploring Krampen’s writings on semiotics in architecture. The relevant theoretical framework was tested through systematic physical observation of selected houses in Iraqi Kurdistan and by using the inductive reasoning method. The study recognises that stone, beyond being a construction material, conveys the symbolic meaning of “power,” “wealth,” and “belonging” in contemporary houses of Iraqi Kurdistan. Based on that, a meaningful situation model was created to evaluate the phenomenon. The model can also be useful in analysing similar cases and research situations.
RoboDoc: Semiotic resources for achieving face-to-screenface formation with a telepresence robot
Authors: Due Brian L.
Published: November 2020

Face-to-face interaction is a primordial site for human activity and intersubjectivity. Empirical studies have shown how people reflexively exhibit a face orientation and work to establish a formation in which everyone is facing each other in local participation frameworks. The Face has also been described by, e.g., Levinas as the basis for a first ethical philosophy. Humans have established these Face-formations when interacting since time immemorial, but what happens when one of the participants is present through a telepresence robot? Based on ethnomethodology, Peircean/Goodwinian semiotics, multimodal conversation analysis and video data from a Danish residential rehabilitation center, the article shows the ways in which participants manage to interactively, cooperatively, and moment by moment achieve an F-formation in situ. The article contributes a detailed analysis and discussion of the kind of participant a telepresence robot is, in and through situated interactions: I propose that we term this participant the RoboDoc, given that it is an assemblage of a doctor who controls a robot. By focusing on the affordances of mobility, the article contributes to a renewed understanding of the importance and relevance of establishing Face-orientations in an increasingly technofied telepresence world.
How actions and words come to make sense in a continuously changing world of work: A case study from software development
Authors: Roth Wolff-Michael , Socha David , Tenenberg Josh
Published: November 2020

To be successful, collaboration at work requires its participants to have a common sense about what is happening and where things are heading. But how can collaborators have such a sense in common if what is going on continuously changes? This study investigates the joint communicative work participants in collaborative activity do to remain aligned on how things are going and where things are at for the purpose of maintaining a ground in common. Our test case for illustrating this joint work is the fluid and constantly changing world of software development. Our study uses a transactional approach to show how software developers working together continuously make available what they are attuned to, which constitutes their common ground that allows actions and talk to make sense. The common ground enables a common, inherently shared sense of what is happening and how things are going. Rather than having “meaning” in themselves, signifiers (words, gestures, body movements, cursor movements) create and are part of the common ground against which they make sense. Signifiers are motivated by and produce an accented visible that is available to all group members; and this accented visible (including the signs) makes for the common ground.
The role of Language Planning Agencies in higher education in South Africa - comparing two cases
Authors: du Plessis Theodorus
Published: November 2020

The question about the role of Language Planning Agencies (LPAs) in higher education is very relevant within the South African context. A range of policy provisions regarding language in higher education are characterised by the use of language policy and planning (LPP) jargon found in the Framework for Language Planning Goals, pointing to the need for a range of LPAs to be involved in this language domain. Since such involvement has been documented in the case of the institutionalisation of Afrikaans as alternative language of higher education during the period 1910-1961, it provides the basis for a comparison with post-1994 initiatives regarding the elevation of the Sintu languages and the extension of their use in this language domain. Such comparison is undertaken on the basis of a Typology of LPAs that is developed from earlier insights that evolved during the International Research Project on Language Planning Processes at the University of Hawaii in the 1970s, essentially distinguishing between LPAs involved in regulatory, productive and promotional language planning functions. Evidence on the work of LPAs involved during the two periods is collected from secondary sources documenting the cases and analysed in terms of this typology. The results of the study provide insights into the role of LPAs in each case and in their relative effectiveness in aiding the institutionalisation of the designated languages. The article concludes by suggesting the “ideal” LPA mix for the realisation of LPP goals in higher education in South Africa.
Evaluation of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and cortisol/dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate ratio in chronic spontaneous urticaria
Authors: Vurgun Eren , Memet Bachar , Kocaturk Emek , Guntas Gulcan
Published: November 2020

Background

Various studies have reported different results for cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels in patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) and these were not sufficient for explaining the underlying reasons.

Objectives

To evaluate the levels of cortisol, DHEA-S and 25(OH)D in patients with CSU and to investigate the relationships between these parameters.

Methods

Fifty patients who had diagnosed with CSU and 30 healthy controls were enrolled into the study. Stress levels of CSU and control groups were determined by perceived stress scale (PSS-14). The activity of urticaria of the patients was also determined by urticaria activity score (UAS7). Serum DHEA-S, cortisol and 25(OH)D levels of the participants were measured and compared.

Results

DHEA-S and 25(OH)D levels of CSU patients were lower than the control group (p<0.001 and p<0.001, respectively) while stress level and cortisol/DHEA-S ratio were higher (p<0.001 and p=0.003, respectively).

Conclusions

Lower 25(OH)D levels and higher cortisol/DHEA-S ratio in CSU patients who have higher stress level indicate that the level of 25(OH)D seems to be associated with steroidogenesis and thus 25(OH)D levels may decrease secondarily in CSU.
Any Evil, a Stalking Ghost, and the Bull-Headed Demon
Authors: Schwemer Daniel
Published: November 2020

Based on first-millennium cuneiform manuscripts from Aššur, Babylon, and Uruk, this article offers an edition of a ritual against an illness conceptualized as the demon ‘Any Evil’. The text sheds light on how the catch-all figure Any Evil corresponds to the idea of a universal cure for any physical ailment, and how the rhetoric of the incantation articulates this relationship and facilitates the active participation of the patient. The ritual instructions of this and a closely related text show that Any Evil is envisaged as a bull-headed, male demon. This points to an adaptation of motifs that are typically associated with ghosts in ancient Mesopotamian thought and raises questions concerning the pictorial representation of Any Evil and its conceptual foundations.
Freud by Numbers? – Hysteria and Transgenerational Haunting in Patrick McGrath’s Constance (2013)
Authors: Vermeulen Jeroen
Published: November 2020

This article investigates the literary technique with which Patrick McGrath opposes two narrators and illustrates how the subtle story of one of them, Constance, deconstructs the apparently dominant discourse of the second narrator, Sidney. This article furthermore refutes the current critical interpretation of Constance as a hysteric and demonstrates that it is Sidney who deliberately constructs this notion of hysteria and who himself – paradoxically – can be linked to Histrionic Personality Disorder. This article finally explores how Constance experiences what Abraham and Torok called transgenerational haunting and how this psychoanalytic theory is reinforced and commented upon by a series of metaphors.
Reading Strategies and Impossible Worlds in Fiction: With Reference to Lincoln in the Bardo
Authors: Farsi Roghayeh
Published: November 2020

Postmodern fiction is marked by impossible worlds, the appreciation of which challenges readers and draws upon different cognitive operations. The present study reacts to the reading strategies proposed by Alber, J. 2016. Unnatural Narrative: Impossible Worlds in Fiction and Drama. Lincoln, NB and London: University of Nebraska Press. It adopts and adapts these strategies in a case study of Saunders’s experimental novel, Lincoln in the Bardo (2017). There is an attempt to investigate the cognitive operations that are activated in the process of communicating with and understanding such texts. The study evinces the pros and cons of Alber’s reading strategies. It proposes the cognitive operation of schematization in both online and offline forms as another reading strategy which helps readers understand impossibilities in texts.
Thallium diphosphates
Authors: Weil Matthias , Stöger Berthold
Published: November 2020

Three thallium(I) diphosphates with compositions Tl4P2O7, Tl2H2P2O7, Tl2H2P2O7(H2O)0.5 and the mixed-valent thallium(I,III) diphosphate Tl2P2O7 (= TlITlIIIP2O7) were obtained from aqueous solutions using an ion-exchange resin (Tl4P2O7), through thermal treatment of TlH2PO4 at 190 °C and subsequent crystallization from aqueous solutions (Tl2H2P2O7, Tl2H2P2O7(H2O)0.5), and from a phosphate flux at 220 °C (Tl2P2O7). The crystal structures of monoclinic Tl4P2O7 (C2/c, Z = 4) and orthorhombic Tl2H2P2O7 (Pbca, Z = 8) are unique, whereas monoclinic Tl2H2P2O7(H2O)0.5 (C2/c, Z = 8) is isotypic with its potassium analogue, and triclinic Tl2P2O7 (P

1
‾

$‾{1}$

, Z = 4) crystallizes in the TlInAs2O7 structure type. The crystal structure of Tl2P2O7 is related to that of In2P2O7 (= InIInIIIP2O7; P21/c, Z = 4) by a translationengleiche group-subgroup relationship (t2). IR spectra of Tl4P2O7, Tl2H2P2O7 and Tl2P2O7 are reported and discussed.
Synthesis and characterization of heterostructured nanoparticle for efficient photocatalytic performance for dye degradation
Authors: Iqbal Munawar , Shar Ghulam A. , Ibrahim Sobhy M. , Iftikhar Shan , Asif Muhammad , Khan Muhammad I. , Kusuma Heri S. , Yaseen Muhammad , Nazir Arif
Published: November 2020

This paper focusses on the synthesis of cobalt vanadate (CoVO4) nanoparticles (NPs) by precipitation method. This was further augmented by assistance from microwave. Nanotechnology has been a wonderful tool with the promising application in different fields of life. The CoVO4 NPs synthesized by microwave assisted precipitation method was characterized by advanced techniques such as X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Ultraviolet visible spectroscopy (UV–vis) techniques. Rhodamine B (RhB) dye was used to evaluate the photo catalytic activity (PCA) of NPs by degradation of dye. The conditions were optimized for maximum degradation of dye. The NPs were in the nano flowers form and the size was ≤100 nm. The results regarding degradation of RhB was through PCA were promising; 83% dye was degraded at pH 10, reaction time 160 min and catalyst dose 1 g. It may conclude that the synthesized NPs could further be employed for possible treatment of industrial effluents particularly textile industry.
Noms de variétés de poiriers dans la toponymie de la Bourgogne
Authors: Chambon Jean-Pierre
Published: November 2020

Thanks to Burgundy’s toponymy we are able to postulate the existence of about ten complex lexical units (unattested in the dictionaries) formed on poirier and denoting different types of pear tree.
Refugees’ Pandemic Responses in a Palestinian Camp in Lebanon
Authors: Fiddian-Qasmiyeh Elena , Qasmiyeh Yousif M.
Published: November 2020

Palestinian refugee camps, long established in Lebanon, have become havens for people from other nationalities as well, most recently Syrians who fled the civil war. Accustomed to neglect or outright hostility from Lebanese officials, camp residents have come to rely on each other for support. The COVID-19 pandemic has stretched these networks of mutual aid to the limit. This article offers an intimate view of everyday life during the crisis in a camp in northern Lebanon.
Social Protection and the Pandemic in the MENA Region
Authors: Jawad Rana
Published: November 2020

Nations in the Middle East and North Africa have traditionally seen the primary function of social policy as serving the goal of economic growth. But the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the need for a more balanced approach to make societies more resilient, with social protection policies that provide citizens with basic security throughout their lives. Beyond cash transfer programs and other emergency measures, governments should recognize the need for universal provision of health care and other essential assistance. Otherwise they risk leaving the Arab Spring’s popular demands for dignity unheeded.
First Peoples of the Atomic Age
Authors: Lindee M. Susan
Published: November 2020

In this article, I explore the history of biological materials that scientists and physicians collected from those who survived the atomic bombings at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Originally acquired beginning in 1946 to track the genetic effects of radiation in the offspring of atomic bomb survivors, these materials gradually became relevant to other kinds of biological and biomedical research. Many of the samples still held at the Radiation Effects Research Foundation are from individuals (approximately 65 percent) who are no longer alive. To scientists and others engaged with their management and use, these samples are uniquely valuable, timeless, a legacy for “all mankind.” Like materials taken from isolated populations around the world, the atomic bomb samples are both unique and universalized. They join other forms of Big Data in their seamless transition from dramatic specificity to general relevance. My paper explores what such legacies mean, and what they might teach us about the history of biology, the practices of biobanking, and the post-1945 Pacific world.

This essay is part of a special issue entitled Pacific Biologies: How Humans Become Genetic, edited by Warwick Anderson and M. Susan Lindee.
El profesor migrante y su saber pedagógico. Autobiografías de maestros en condición de tercera edad
Authors: Cruz Guzmán Jeidy , Argüello Parra Andrés
Published: November 2020

A partir del horizonte epistemológico del método biográfico-narrativo, se propone analizar los procesos de constitución del saber pedagógico vinculados al trabajo docente y a las trayectorias de vida de cuatro maestros migrantes en condición de tercera edad. Los participantes construyen textos autobiográficos configuradores de experiencias y sentidos de sus procesos formativos articulados a un sistema vital múltiple que opera como fundamento de una concepción amplia y compleja de saber pedagógico. Desde este punto de vista, las narrativas de vida de los maestros se integran a la formación de nuevos profesores desde el rediseño de talleres para las áreas de Proyecto Pedagógico Investigativo, en la Facultad de Educación de la UPTC. Finalmente, las características de los maestros aquí considerados, en tanto ser migrante y ser en condición de tercera edad, espera contribuir a los debates contemporáneos de la educación en el contexto nacional colombiano, donde no es común valorar el testimonio de los adultos mayores en las acciones pedagógicas y donde el fenómeno migratorio emergente confronta los modos de asumir la pluralidad, la convivencia y el intercambio cultural.
Educación superior en clave digital: Una apuesta de la Universidad Santo Tomás para articular sus funciones sustantivas y fortalecer la formación integral
Authors: Pabón Serrano Oscar Mauricio , Díaz Contreras Gustavo Adolfo , Mantilla Contreras Mónica Andrea
Published: November 2020

El siguiente artículo presenta la fundamentación normativa, epistemológica y tecnopedagógica del proceso de innovación educativa implementado por el Departamento de Humanidades de la Universidad Santo Tomás Seccional Bucaramanga, que esta direccionado el mejoramiento y la redefinición del proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje desde una perspectiva virtual, con el que se intenta fortalecer la formación integral, humanizar los escenarios digitales y promover el desarrollo de las habilidades investigativas como eje articulador del conocimiento, para brindar un entorno personal de aprendizaje que favorezca a los estudiantes de la Institución.
LOS ESPACIOS OLVIDADOS DE PARTICIPACIÓN Y AUTONOMÍA ESCOLAR FRENTE A LOS PROCESOS DE RENDICIÓN DE CUENTAS Y BUROCRACIA EN MÉXICO
Authors: Quiroz Reyes Haleyda
Published: November 2020

Este articulo reflexiona en la disyuntiva que presentan los discursos internacionales sobre una renovación educativa que apuesta por conceder autonomía a las escuelas como centros neurálgicos en donde se desarrollan los verdaderos espacios de acción pedagógica, en contraposición con las exigencias por la obtención de resultados exitosos en exámenes, comparativas globales y rendición de cuentas. Es en este reto contradictorio, agobiante e inoperante de la educación donde pretendemos centrar este análisis que abordamos con una mirada positiva a la autonomía progresista y su lucha por adaptarse a las particularidades y necesidades del contexto social y cultural de las escuelas, bajo el influjo de un contexto burocrático. En el caso de México, enfrentándose a dos retos importantes, deshacerse de estructuras burocráticas y a su vez responder a las exigencias de transparencia y rendición de cuentas que obstaculizan las iniciativas pedagógicas y de participación de la gestión escolar bajo procesos evaluativos con requerimientos inquisitivos diseñados y programados desde la cúpula central. No obstante, existe un inagotable esfuerzo por avanzar en el desafío de reestablecer los espacios y canales de participación democrática y colaborativa, en donde nuevamente se puedan enlazar los propósitos educativos con las aspiraciones, metas y vida cotidiana de la comunidad escolar.
Effect of different amounts of biochar on meadow soil characteristics and maize yields over three years
Authors: Wang Zhihui , Tang Chunshuang , Wang Hongyi , Zhao Changjiang , Yin Dawei , Yuan Ye , Yang Kejun , Li Zuotong
Published: November 2020

To evaluate the effect of biochar on soil characteristics and maize yields in meadow soil, a three-year field experiment was performed using different amounts of biochar (0, 10, 20, 40, and 80 t/ha). The soil pH decreased over time when biochar was applied to weakly basic soil. Single biochar applications increased the organic carbon, total nitrogen, available K, and cation exchange capacity for three continuous years, in proportion to the amount of biochar applied. However, as time progressed, the soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, available K, and cation exchange capacity began to decrease. The biochar stimulated the availability of soil phosphorus in the meadow soil and stably increased the available P content in the soil for three years. For maize, the biochar application decreased the occurrence of barren ear tips and increased the ear length, grain number per row, 100-kernel weight, and yield. When the single applications of biochar were greater than 40 t/ha, the soil characteristics showed continuous improvements and the maize yields stably increased for three years.
Electromagnetic field of the circular magnetic source in biconical section
Authors:   Karpenko Physico-Mechanical Institute of the NAS of Ukraine, Sharabura O.M. , Kuryliak D.B. ,   Karpenko Physico-Mechanical Institute of the NAS of Ukraine
Published: November 2020

The problem of axially-symmetric electromagnetic wave diffraction from the perfectly conducting biconical scatterer formed by the finite cone placed in the semi-infinite conical region is solved rigorously using the mode-matching and analytical regularization techniques. The problem is reduced to the infinite systems of linear algebraic equations (ISLAE) of the second kind. The obtained equations admit the reduction procedure and can be solved with a given accuracy for any geometrical parameters and frequency. The numerical examples of the solution are presented. The analysis of the source location influences on the far-field pattern for different geometrical parameters of the bicone is carried out.
Determination of corrosion rate in places of insulation damage of underground pipelines
Authors:   Karpenko Physico-Mechanical Institute of the NAS of Ukraine, Dzhala R.M. , Verbenets’ B.Ya. ,   Karpenko Physico-Mechanical Institute of the NAS of Ukraine, Dzhala V.R. ,   Karpenko Physico-Mechanical Institute of the NAS of Ukraine, Lozovan V.P. ,   Karpenko Physico-Mechanical Institute of the NAS of Ukraine, Senyuk O.I. ,   Karpenko Physico-Mechanical Institute of the NAS of Ukraine
Published: November 2020

The electromagnetic method of non-contact current measurements makes it possible to quickly monitor the state of passive (insulating coatings) and active (cathodic polarization) corrosion protection of underground pipelines (UP); detect places of unsatisfactory insulation, determine the transient resistance and its components (resistances of soil, insulating layer, polarization) in different sections, the area of insulation damage, the current distribution of cathodic protection of UP. In combination with contact measurements of direct and alternating voltages, ohmic and polarization potentials, it is possible to determine the polarization resistance and estimate the corrosion rate.