bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Experimental and numerical assessment of suspended ceiling joints
Authors: Fiorin Laura , Brandolese Sara , Scotta Roberto 
Published: December 2020

AbstractDuring an earthquake, damages of non-structural components can prevent the safe occupancy of buildings and contribute largely to the global economic losses. Ceiling systems are among the most common non-structural components, since they are widely installed in public buildings, retails and offices. As demonstrated by the failures reported after seismic events worldwide, ceiling joints are often subjected to damage that ultimately leads to collapse of the ceiling system. While perimeter joints have been assessed in many experimental campaigns, there are limited data regarding experimental and numerical characterisation of inner joints. Moreover, the available experimental results are characterized by elasto-fragile behaviour and concern devices which differ in size and type from the mechanical connections commonly manufactured in Europe. In this work a preliminary numerical study on a full-scale suspended ceiling model has been performed to evaluate the main actions on suspended ceiling joints. Moreover, an extensive experimental campaign has been conducted on a type of the so-called “standard” and “seismic” joints, produced in Europe and installed in different typologies of runners. Specimens were subjected to monotonic and cyclic quasi-static tests, using a similar setup to the ones used in Literature to allow a comparison of the performances obtained. Moreover, numerical models of the joints were developed and calibrated on the experimental results. The aim of this work is to evaluate the performance of different types of inner joints and investigate the influence of shape and dimensions of tees to the performance of the connection. The results here presented allows to accurately characterise the behaviour of inner joints and finally enhancing the global seismic behaviour of suspended ceilings.
Why are We So Good At Football, and They So Bad? Institutions and National Footballing Performance
Authors: Batarfi Meshael , Reade James 
Published: December 2020

AbstractThe basic production technology in football is identical for each team that competes. All around the world, a field, goalposts and a ball is all that is required, in addition to players. It’s hard to imagine the quality of informal football in public parks, streets and alleys the world over differs much. Yet at each country’s highest level, there exists vast quality differences in the national football teams across countries. This paper sketches out broad patterns in this variation in performance, and seeks to understand why some countries are very good, whilst others perform poorly. We investigate a range of macroeconomic, demographic and political explanations, alongside more conventional sporting metrics. We also consider the extent to which they explain the observed variation in footballing performance historically. We find that higher level of GDP per capita helps nations to win more often, but that population hinders this. A more developed domestic footballing structure appears to be helpful too.
‘Today a Christian Nation, Tomorrow a Muslim Nation’: a Defence of Rotating State Religions
Authors: de Vries Bouke 
Published: December 2020

AbstractIn more than 20% of countries, a single religion is recognized in the constitution. This article argues that there are good reasons for opposing such ‘mono-recognition’ as it fails to show due concern to members of constitutionally unrecognized (non-extremist) religions. Yet rather than opting for disestablishment as Sweden did in 2000, I show that there may be a better alternative in many cases: To constitutionally recognize a variety of religions. After distinguishing synchronic forms of plural recognition whereby multiple religions are constitutionally recognized simultaneously from diachronic forms whereby state religions are rotated, I defend the latter option. On this approach, a multi-religious state might have Catholicism as the state religion during the first part of the year, then Islam, then Judaism, and so on, whereby I argue that there ought to be differences in the amount of time that religions are recognized depending on differences in the strength of their claims to constitutional recognition. Besides being fairer than mono-recognition and synchronic plural recognition, I show that when some religious groups are marginalized, diachronic plural recognition has significant advantages over non-recognition of any religion as constitutionally recognizing these groups’ religions sends valuable signals that their members belong to society.
Geometric construction of homology classes in Riemannian manifolds covered by products of hyperbolic planes
Authors: Zschumme Pascal 
Published: December 2020

AbstractWe study the homology of Riemannian manifolds of finite volume that are covered by an r-fold product $$({\mathbb {H}}^2)^r = {\mathbb {H}}^2 \times \cdots \times {\mathbb {H}}^2$$

(

H

2

)

r

=

H

2

×
⋯
×

H

2

of hyperbolic planes. Using a variation of a method developed by Avramidi and Nguyen-Phan, we show that any such manifold M possesses, up to finite coverings, an arbitrarily large number of compact oriented flat totally geodesic r-dimensional submanifolds whose fundamental classes are linearly independent in the homology group $$H_r(M;{\mathbb {Z}})$$

H
r

(
M
;
Z
)

.
Identification of Critical Transcriptomic Signaling Pathways in Patients with H Syndrome and Rosai-Dorfman Disease
Authors: Lara-Reyna Samuel , Poulter James A. , Vasconcelos Elton J.R. , Kacar Mark , McDermott Michael F. , Tooze Reuben , Doffinger Rainer , Savic Sinisa 
Published: December 2020

AbstractBiallelic mutations in SLC29A3 cause histiocytosis-lymphadenopathy plus syndrome, also known as H syndrome (HS). HS is a complex disorder, with ~ 25% of patients developing autoinflammatory complications consisting of unexplained fevers, persistently elevated inflammatory markers, and unusual lymphadenopathies, with infiltrating CD68+, S100+, and CD1a− histiocytes, resembling the immunophenotype found in Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD). We investigated the transcriptomic profiles of monocytes, non-activated (M0), classically activated (M1), and alternatively activated macrophages (M2) in two patients with HS, one without autoinflammatory (HS1) and one with autoinflammatory complications (HS2). RNA sequencing revealed a dysregulated transcriptomic profile in both HS patients compared to healthy controls (HC). HS2, when compared to HS1, had several differentially expressed genes, including genes associated with lymphocytic-histiocytic predominance (e.g. NINL) and chronic immune activation (e.g. B2M). The transcriptomic and cytokine profiles of HS patients were comparable to patients with SAID with high levels of TNF. SERPINA1 gene expression was found to be upregulated in all patients studied. Moreover, higher levels of IFNγ were found in the serum of both HS patients when compared to HC. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis of the DEGs in HS patients revealed the terms “type I IFN,” “IFNγ signaling pathway,” and “immune responses” as the top 3 most significant terms for monocytes. Gene expression analysis of lymph node biopsies from sporadic and H syndrome-associated RDD suggests common underlying pathological process. In conclusion, monocytes and macrophages from both HS patients showed transcriptomic profiles similar to SAIDs and also uniquely upregulated IFNγ signature. These findings may help find better therapeutic options for this rare disorder.
Highly Efficient Adsorption of Cd(II) onto Carboxylated Camelthorn Biomass: Applicability of Three-Parameter Isotherm Models, Kinetics, and Mechanism
Authors: Hashem A. , Taha G. M. , Fletcher A. J. , Mohamed L. A. , Samaha S. H. 
Published: December 2020

AbstractA series of malonic acid treated camelthorn (MATC) sorbents were produced via the reaction of camelthorn biomass with malonic acid, and factors affecting the extent of modification were investigated, including malonic acid concentration, dehydration time and temperature. The optimum sorbent, by carboxylic acid content, was subsequently characterised for surface charge behaviour (pHPZC), surface chemical functionalities (FTIR), morphological structure (SEM), and available surface area. The sorbent was subsequently utilised for adsorption of Cd(II) ions from aqueous media, and parameters influencing adsorption at 30 °C, such as sorbent dose, initial solution pH, exposure time, metal concentration, were investigated. Isothermal analyses were performed using eight models, including two and three parameter equations, with appropriateness of fit assessed via non-linear regression analysis. The adsorption data indicated that the Langmuir model gives the most appropriate fit to experimental curves, with the models ordered as Langmuir > Hill > Toth > Sips > Jossens > Khan > Redlich-Peterson > Freundlich. The highest uptake (qmax) of 582.6 mg g−1was determined at pH 6. The Freundlich constants, KFand n, at 30 °C were found to be 24.94 mg g−1and 2.33, respectively. The value of n (2.33), being in the range 0–10, indicates that adsorption of Cd(II) ions onto malonic acid treated camelthorn biomass is favourable. Evaluation of a series of kinetic models, allowed elucidation of the adsorption mechanism, as a pseudo-second order model gave the most appropriate fit, indicating that chemisorption processes are involved. Cd(II) ions adsorption onto MATC is enhanced by a higher level of active surface sites but was show to be independent of surface area. The work presented here indicates that this sorbent offers effective adsorption potential for Cd(II) ions from water, with potential in wastewater processing.
In Defence of a Reciprocal Turing Test
Authors: Mallory Fintan 
Published: December 2020

AbstractThe traditional Turing test appeals to an interrogator's judgement to determine whether or not their interlocutor is an intelligent agent. This paper argues that this kind of asymmetric experimental set-up is inappropriate for tracking a property such as intelligence because intelligence is grounded in part by symmetric relations of recognition between agents. In place, it proposes a reciprocal test which takes into account the judgments of both interrogators and competitors to determine if an agent is intelligent. This form of social interaction better tracks both the evolution of natural intelligence and how the concept of intelligence is actually used within our society. This new test is defended against the criticisms that a proof of intelligence requires a demonstration of self-consciousness and that semantic externalism entails that a non-embodied Turing test is inadequate.
Combined hazard of typhoon-generated meteorological tsunamis and storm surges along the coast of Japan
Authors: Heidarzadeh Mohammad , Rabinovich Alexander B. 
Published: December 2020

AbstractTwo hazardous typhoons, Lionrock (August 2016) and Jebi (September 2018), destructively affected the coast of Japan and produced extreme sea level variations. The results of field surveys in the impacted regions showed that multiple deaths and extensive floods were caused by the combined effect of low-frequency sea level raise (storm surges) and intensive high-frequency (HF) tsunami-like waves (meteotsunamis). The data from ten tide gauges for the 2016 event and eight gauges for the 2018 event were used to examine the properties of the observed sea levels, to estimate the relative contribution of the two sea level components and to evaluate their statistical characteristics (maximum wave heights, amplitudes and periods of individual components, etc.). For the 2016 event, we found that the surge heights were from 12 to 35 cm and that the mean contribution of surges into the total observed sea level heights was ~ 39%; the meteotsunami amplitudes were from 22 to 92 cm, and they contributed 61% of the total height. For the 2018 event, storm surges were significantly stronger, from 46 to 170 cm, while HF amplitudes were from 38 to 130 cm; their relative inputs were 67% and 33%, respectively. Combined, they formed total flood heights of up to 120 cm (2016 event) and 288 cm (2018 event). Previously, the contribution of storm seiches (meteotsunamis) in coastal floods had been underestimated, but results of the present study demonstrate that they can play the principal role. What is even more important, they produce devastating currents: according to our estimates, current speeds were up to 3 knots (1.5 m/s) during the Lionrock event and more than 5 knots (2.6 m/s) during Jebi; these strong currents appear to be the main reason for the resulting damage of coastal infrastructure. The most important characteristic of the recorded meteotsunamis is their trough-to-crest maximum height. During the 2016 event, these heights at three stations were > 1 m: 171 cm at Erimo, 109 cm at Hachijojima and 102 cm at Ayukawa. The 2018 event was stronger; maximum meteotsunami wave heights were 257 cm at Gobo, 138 cm at Kushimoto, 137 cm at Kumano and 128 cm at Murotomisaki. The 2018 Gobo height of 257 cm is much larger than historical non-seismic seiche maxima for the Pacific coast of Japan (140–169 cm) estimated by Nakano and Unoki (1962) for the period of 1930–1956.
The effects of nonlinear damping on degenerate parametric amplification
Authors: Li Donghao , Shaw Steven W. 
Published: December 2020

AbstractThis paper considers the dynamic response of a single degree of freedom system with nonlinear stiffness and nonlinear damping that is subjected to both resonant direct excitation and resonant parametric excitation, with a general phase between the two. This generalizes and expands on previous studies of nonlinear effects on parametric amplification, notably by including the effects of nonlinear damping, which is commonly observed in a large variety of systems, including micro- and nano-scale resonators. Using the method of averaging, a thorough parameter study is carried out that describes the effects of the amplitudes and relative phase of the two forms of excitation. The effects of nonlinear damping on the parametric gain are first derived. The transitions among various topological forms of the frequency response curves, which can include isolae, dual peaks, and loops, are determined, and bifurcation analyses in parameter spaces of interest are carried out. In general, these results provide a complete picture of the system response and allow one to select drive conditions of interest that avoid bistability while providing maximum amplitude gain, maximum phase sensitivity, or a flat resonant peak, in systems with nonlinear damping.
Bank regulation and systemic risk: cross country evidence
Authors: Chen Lei , Li Hui , Liu Frank Hong , Zhou Yue 
Published: December 2020

AbstractUsing data for banks from 65 countries for the period 2001–2013, we investigate the impact of bank regulation and supervision on individual banks’ systemic risk. Our cross-country empirical findings show that bank activity restriction, initial capital stringency and prompt corrective action are all positively related to systemic risk, measured by Marginal Expected Shortfall. We use the staggered timing of the implementation of Basel II regulation across countries as an exogenous event and use latitude for instrumental variable analysis to alleviate the endogeneity concern. Our results also hold for various robustness tests. We further find that the level of equity banks can alleviate such effect, while bank size is likely to enhance the effect, supporting our conjecture that the impact of bank regulation and supervision on systemic risk is through bank’s capital shortfall. Our results do not argue against bank regulation, but rather focus on the design and implementation of regulation.
Epoché and institution: the fundamental tension in Jan Patočka’s phenomenology
Authors: Meacham Darian , Tava Francesco 
Published: December 2020

AbstractThis article examines the relation between two key, but seemingly opposed concepts in Jan Patočka’s thought: epoché and the concrete institutional polis. In doing so it attempts to elucidate the inextricable relation between phenomenology and politics in the work of the Czech philosopher, and illustrate more broadly the possibilities for approaching the political from a phenomenological perspective. The article provides a phenomenological interpretation of “care for the soul” as closely linked to Patočka’s reformulation of the core phenomenological notion of epoché. It argues that in Patočka’s work, the epoché, traditionally conceived as a radical stepping back from the world must be rendered differently, not only as a negative freedom, but as the foundation of positive politics. Thus, the authors argue that there is a thematic and conceptual continuity between Patočka’s phenomenological studies and his political work.
Decomposition and nutrient mineralisation of leaf litter in smallholder cocoa agroforests: a comparison of organic and conventional farms in Ghana
Authors: Asigbaase Michael , Dawoe Evans , Sjogersten Sofie , Lomax Barry H. 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Purpose
Although litter decomposition and nutrient release patterns have been studied in cocoa agroforestry systems in general, studies focusing on organic and conventional cocoa systems are lacking which is critical as organic farms are particularly dependent on nutrient returns from decomposing litter.

Materials and methods
Dynamics in leaf litter decomposition and the mineralisation of macro- and micro-nutrients in organic and conventional cocoa agroforestry systems were studied using the litterbag technique for 12 months.

Results
The average monthly mass loss was more than two times higher on organic farms (9.2–14.4 g month−1) compared to conventional farms (4.2–7.3 g month−1) in the first five months. The annual rate of decomposition (k) was higher on organic farms (1.9) compared to conventional systems (1.4). The time required for 50% (t50) and 99% (t99) decomposition of leaf litter was both lower on organic farms (t50 = 0.4 years, t99 = 2.6 years) than conventional farms (t50 = 0.5 years, t99 = 3.5 years). The estimated k values for macro- and micro-nutrients on organic cocoa systems ranged from 2.3 for calcium to 4.5 for potassium compared to 1.6 (Ca) to 2.8 (K) on conventional farms. The k values of all nutrients (except nitrogen and phosphorus) were significantly greater on organic farms than conventional systems. The estimated k values for both litter decomposition and nutrient mineralisation correlated with soil pH and moisture content, but not initial litter chemistry.

Conclusions
Organic management of smallholder cocoa agroforestry systems enhanced leaf litter decomposition and nutrient mineralisation through improved soil conditions. Thus, organic management of cocoa agroforestry systems may contribute to sustainable cocoa production in smallholder systems through enhanced nutrient return from litter decomposition.
Kritik und Normativität in der (empirischen) Legitimitätsforschung
Authors: Barnickel Christiane 
Published: December 2020

ZusammenfassungDer Beitrag nimmt die seit längerer Zeit in der Legitimitätsforschung geführte Debatte um die als zu reduktionistisch empfundene, dichotome Unterscheidung zwischen normativen und empirischen Zugängen zum Ausgangspunkt, um aufzuzeigen, welche unterschiedlichen normativen Dimensionen auch der empirischen Legitimitätsforschung inhärent sind. Hierzu wird eine Systematisierung vorgeschlagen, die die Debattenstränge zu Normativität und Kritik sowie die bewertungssoziologische Unterscheidung zwischen Werten und Bewerten aufnimmt. Es wird argumentiert, dass durch diese Differenzierungen unterschiedliche Lagerungen der Legitimationsforschung, insbesondere der empirischen Legitimationsforschung, greifbar werden.Hierzu extrahiert der Beitrag zwei Leitunterscheidungen zwischen, erstens, Werten und Bewerten sowie, zweitens, danach, wer jeweils wertet und bewertet. Entlang dieser Achsen ordnet der Beitrag exemplarisch Zugriffe der bestehenden Legitimitäts- und Legitimationsforschung, auf der Basis wessen normativen Referenzrahmens ein Legitimitätsurteil gefällt wird und auf welcher Ebene Legitimität beurteilt wird, ein. So wird illustriert, dass Unterschiede in der normativen Lagerung anhand der Systematisierung klarer zutage treten und unterschiedliche Spielarten der Legitimationsforschung genauer verortet werden können als in bisherigen Systematisierungsversuchen.Dabei geht es dem Beitrag nicht darum, für ein bestimmtes Modell der Legitimitätsforschung zu plädieren. Vielmehr soll die Vielfalt des Umgangs mit der normativen Dimension – und damit auch der (sich ergänzenden) Varianten des Verständnisses von Legitimität – in der empirischen Forschung aufgefächert werden. So wird veranschaulicht, auf welchen Ebenen Kritik und Normativität jeweils verortet sind, um die Implikationen für eine (meta-)kritische Legitimitätsforschung zu diskutieren.
Delinquenz kultursensibel erklären – ein theoretisches Rahmenmodell
Authors: Schmidt Stefanie , Ward Tony 
Published: December 2020

ZusammenfassungDie hohe kulturelle Diversität der Straffälligenpopulation bringt eine ganze Reihe an Herausforderungen für Forschung und Praxis mit sich. Diesen Herausforderungen ist mit gängigen Erklärungsmodellen von Delinquenz jedoch kaum zu begegnen. Einerseits bestehen erhebliche Zweifel an deren allgemeiner Gültigkeit im interkulturellen Kontext, weil sie fast ausschließlich für den euroamerikanischen Raum entwickelt wurden. Andererseits bauen viele der Theorien auf dem Konzept der dynamischen Risikofaktoren auf, welches vage definiert ist. Viele dieser Theorien können Delinquenz kaum erklären, weil sie die zugrunde liegenden psychologischen Mechanismen nur wenig spezifizieren. Mit dem Cultural Agency-Model of Criminal Behavior (CAMCB) schlagen die Autoren ein Rahmenmodell vor, das auf die zugrunde liegenden individuellen psychologischen Mechanismen zielgerichteten Handelns abhebt und dabei systematisch zwischen universellen Komponenten und deren kulturell und individuell gefärbten Ausprägungen differenziert. Im CAMCB wird der Einfluss der kulturellen Sozialisation nicht an eine geografische oder ethnische Herkunft gebunden, sondern an kulturelle „traits“ (z. B. interdependenter Verarbeitungsstil), welche die Verhaltensgenese allgemein beeinflussen. An einem Beispiel wird gezeigt, dass delinquentes Verhalten je nach angenommenem kulturellen Trait unterschiedlich erklärt werden kann, während sich die Situation und die Reaktion nicht unterscheiden müssen. Wesentlich sind: erstens die Identifikation der universellen Verhaltenskomponenten, zweitens die Beschreibung deren kulturell und individuell gefärbter Ausprägungen und drittens die Erklärung von Delinquenz auf der Grundlage dieses Wissens. Dieses stufenweise Vorgehen erscheint nicht nur für die kriminalpsychologische Theorieentwicklung von Bedeutung, sondern auch für die forensische Praxis, bei der für jeden Einzelfall kultursensibel eine individuelle Delinquenztheorie formuliert werden muss.