Dominant Sign Research Articles

A hybrid approach using CNN and active contour model for automated segmentation of macular edema

Macula is the part of retina responsible for sharp and clear vision. Macular edema is caused by the accumulation of intraretinal fluid (IRF) in the macula, which is further distinguished by the compromised integrity of the blood-retinal barrier, particularly evident in the retinal vasculature. This results in swelling, that may lead to vision impairment and is the dominant sign of several ocular diseases, including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, etc. Quantitative analysis of the fluid regions in macular edema helps in ascertaining the severity as well as the response to treatment of the diseases. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a major tool used by ophthalmologists for visualizing edema. The prevalent practice for diagnosing and treating macular edema involves measuring Central Retinal Thickness (CRT). Segmenting the IRF in OCT images offers the potential for a more accurate and better quantification of macular edema. This paper proposes a novel method combining convolutional neural network (CNN) and active contour model for segmenting the IRF to ascertain the severity of macular edema. The IRF region is initially segmented using an encoder-decoder architecture. Contour evolution is then performed on this segmented image to demarcate the IRF boundaries. The advantage of the method is that it does not require precisely labeled images for training the CNN. A comparison of the experimental results with models employing CNN alone and with other state-of-the art methods demonstrates the superior performance and consistency of the proposed method.

VISUAL SEMIOTICS IN THE STUDY OF ART PHENOMENA: SYMBOL AND SYMPTOM

The study aims to use the approach of visual semiotics to analyse the ritual graphic signs of the Rezekne Jewish cemetery as a segment of the city in terms of "signifier" and "signified", or “expression” and “content”. The Star of David, as the dominant sign of the ritual graphics, is gradually losing the status of a sacred symbol and in a series of tombstones confirms the structure of a symptom. The paper is devoted not only to clarifying the cultural and social causes of such changes but also to the study of the mechanism of mutual transitions between symbols and symptoms, the differences in the coding of these types of signs, which has not been done in visual semiotics so far.Theoreticians have hitherto not paid due attention to the study of signs of graves as a segment of the urban environment. Moreover, the theory of visual semiotics also lacks a description of the specificity of signs in ritual graphics. Ritual graphics is an important indicator of the regularity of cultural processes in an ethnically diverse environment. When surveying the Jewish cemeteries of the Latgale region, the difference in the choice of visual graphics in the city and the countryside is obvious. In rural cemeteries that are still in use, the content and structure of verbal messages, as well as decorative graphics are traditional, therefore predictable. In city cemeteries, there is a change in graphics, deviations from tradition, its modification and obvious violations of tradition. Along with the verbal report about the deceased, the ritual graphic, on the one hand, complements it as an integral part, on the other hand, lives an independent life, because the first, and the only sign that the observer notices is the visual or non-verbal sign. In terms of information, the visual sign is noticeably more capacious, as it is older than the verbal and requires much less time for perception. The focus of the study is the divergence between the meanings of the sacred hexagram and the secular yellow star or “badge”, the causal relationships of their use and perception from the point of view of visual semiotics and cultural philosophy - phenomena of symbolization and desymbolization.

MANIFESTATIONS OF POSTMODERNISM IN HERMANN HESSE'S NOVEL “THE GLASS BEAD GAME”

The paper attempts to consider the connections between postmodernism, aesthetics and Herman Hesse’s novel The Glass Bead Game referring to the history of the last most influential manifestation of the theoretical and aesthetic thought of the West – postmodernism, also characterized by paradoxes. Based on a number of fundamental principles of the aesthetics of postmodernism and data on the work of Hermann Hesse, the specific relations that connect Hesse’s work with postmodernism, are considered. This refers first to the ideas of the world as chaos, then aesthetic eclecticism, multiculturalism and finally game. Within the framework of the idea the world as chaos, the wide use of the concept of simulacrum in both Hesse’s and postmodernist works is considered. Aesthetic eclecticism, which is “the dominant sign of the culture of the postmodern era” (J.-F. Lyotard, I. Ilyin), is also found in Hesse’s novel in various manifestations. Multiculturalism, both as a social utopia and as an aesthetic principle, is also widespread among postmodernist aesthetes (especially L. Fiedler) and in Hesse’s novel. In the novel the East-West political and cultural dialogue also deepens. Finally, the game, being one of the stable European cultural codes, is rediscovered both in Hesse’s novel and in postmodernist aesthetics (U. Eco).

Анализ распространения нефтегазоносных базальных терригенных отложений на территории Ангаро-Ленской ступени юга Сибирской платформы (на примере правобережного участка)

The distribution of Vendian-Cambrian basal terrigenous deposits, which are a search object for oil and gas on the territory of the Lena-Tunguska oil and gas province, is of practical interest, almost all identified accumulations of hydrocarbons are confined to them. A detailed study of the internal structure of the sedimentary strata formed in different lithofacies zones shows that the dominant sign of reservoir development for the territory is lithological homogeneity (heterogeneity).

Prevalence of Cattle Trypanosomosis and Temporal Vector Distribution in Jima Arjo District, Upper Didessa Valley, Western Ethiopia.

Trypanosomosis is a protozoan disease, mostly transmitted by the tsetse fly, Glossina species, which causes severe disease of livestock in Ethiopia. The disease is also widespread across the globe especially in sub-Saharan African states. A cross-sectional study with the objectives of determining the prevalence of bovine trypanosomosis and assess the apparent densities of the disease vectors was conducted from October 2019 to July 2020 G.C in Jima Arjo district, east Wollega zone, Oromia regional state, Ethiopia. A parasitological study using conventional buffy coat technique was employed for the determination of prevalence of trypanosomosis and species was identified by Giemsa stain technique, while baited traps were used for the vector survey. The results of parasitological study revealed that the overall prevalence was 36 (8.2%) at 95% CI. From the total trypanosome positive animals 22 (5.0%), 8 (1.82%) and 6 (1.36%) of them harbor T. congolense, T. vivax, and T. brucei, respectively. Relatively higher prevalence (10.91%) was seen in animals with poor body condition than those with medium (7.38%) and good (5.55%), body condition though it is not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Higher infection rate was observed in male 26 (12.26%) than female 10 (4.39%) due to male cattle more exposed to the tsetse fly area or early released from home for drought reason. Out of the total positive animals, only 12 of them were anemic on buffy coat test of sampled blood. This justifies that animal could be positive for trypanosomosis without showing clinical sign of anemia which is the dominant sign in this disease. A total of 2185 vectors trypanosomes were collected among which 1,569 were tsetse flies and 616 were other biting flies. The density of Glossina species was 15.1 fly/trap/day. Glossina morsitans submorsitans and G. tachnoides were the two dominant species of tsetse flies recorded from the area. The present study indicated that tsetse and non-tsetse fly-borne trypanosomosis is a leading bottle neck for production and health of animals in Jima Arjo districts and similar case was found throughout the country which necessitates a coordinated vector and parasite control in order to alleviate the problem of the disease.

Vortex formation and quantum turbulence with rotating paddle potentials in a two-dimensional binary Bose-Einstein condensate

We conduct a theoretical study of the creation and dynamics of vortices in a two-dimensional binary Bose-Einstein condensate with a mass imbalance between the species. To initiate the dynamics, we use one or two rotating paddle potentials in one species, while the other species is influenced only via the interspecies interaction. In both species, the number and the dominant sign of the vortices are determined by the rotation frequency of the paddle potential. Clusters of positive and negative vortices form at a low rotation frequency comparable to that of the trap when using the single paddle potential. In contrast, vortices of the same sign tend to dominate as the rotation frequency of the paddle increases, and the angular momentum reaches a maximum value at a paddle frequency where the paddle velocity becomes equal to the sound velocity of the condensate. When the rotation frequency is sufficiently high, the rapid annihilation of vortex-antivortex pairs significantly reduces the number of vortices and antivortices in the system. For two paddle potentials rotating in the same direction, the vortex dynamics phenomenon is similar to that of a single paddle. However, when the paddle potentials are rotated in the opposite direction, both positive- and negative-signed vortices occur at all rotational frequencies. At the low rotation frequencies, the cluster of like-signed vortices produces the ${k}^{\ensuremath{-}5/3}$ and ${k}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ power laws in the incompressible kinetic energy spectrum at low and high wave numbers, respectively, a hallmark of the quantum turbulent flows.

The Vulnerability of Emerging Sign Languages: (E)merging Sign Languages?

Emerging sign languages offer linguists an opportunity to observe language emergence in real time, far beyond the capabilities of spoken language studies. Sign languages can emerge in different social circumstances—some in larger heterogeneous communities, while others in smaller and more homogeneous communities. Often, examples of the latter, such as Ban Khor Sign Language (in Thailand), Al Sayyid Bedouin Sign Language (in Israel), and Mardin Sign Language (in Turkey), arise in communities with a high incidence of hereditary deafness. Traditionally, these communities were in limited contact with the wider deaf community in the region, and so the local sign language remained relatively uninfluenced by the surrounding signed language(s). Yet, in recent years, changes in education, mobility, and social communication patterns have resulted in increased interaction between sign languages. Rather than undergoing language emergence, these sign languages are now facing a state of “mergence” with the majority sign language used by the wider deaf community. This study focuses on the language contact situation between two sign languages in Kufr Qassem, Israel. In the current situation, third-generation deaf signers in Kufr Qassem are exposed to the local sign language, Kufr Qassem Sign Language (KQSL), and the dominant sign language of the wider Israeli deaf community, Israeli Sign Language (ISL), both of which emerged around 90 years ago. In the current study, we analyzed the signing of twelve deaf sign-bilinguals from Kufr Qassem whilst they engaged in a semi-spontaneous task in three language conditions: (1) with another bilingual signer, (2) with a monolingual KQSL signer, and (3) with a monolingual ISL signer. The results demonstrate that KQSL-ISL sign-bilinguals show a preference for ISL in all conditions, even when paired with a monolingual KQSL signer. We conclude that the degree of language shift in Kufr Qassem is considerable. KQSL may be endangered due to the risk of social and linguistic mergence of the KQSL community with the ISL community in the near future.

Emergence or Grammaticalization? The Case of Negation in Kata Kolok

Typological comparisons have revealed that signers can use manual elements and/or a non-manual marker to express standard negation, but little is known about how such systematic marking emerges from its gestural counterparts as a new sign language arises. We analyzed 1.73 h of spontaneous language data, featuring six deaf native signers from generations III-V of the sign language isolate Kata Kolok (Bali). These data show that Kata Kolok cannot be classified as a manual dominant or non-manual dominant sign language since both the manual negative sign and a side-to-side headshake are used extensively. Moreover, the intergenerational comparisons indicate a considerable increase in the use of headshake spreading for generation V which is unlikely to have resulted from contact with Indonesian Sign Language varieties. We also attest a specialized negative existential marker, namely, tongue protrusion, which does not appear in co-speech gesture in the surrounding community. We conclude that Kata Kolok is uniquely placed in the typological landscape of sign language negation, and that grammaticalization theory is essential to a deeper understanding of the emergence of grammatical structure from gesture.

Deconvolving the components of the sign problem

Auxiliary field Quantum Monte Carlo simulations of interacting fermions require sampling over a Hubbard-Stratonovich field $h$ introduced to decouple the interactions. The weight for a given configuration involves the products of the determinant of matrices $M_\sigma(h)$, where $\sigma$ labels the species, and hence is typically not positive definite. Indeed, the average sign $\langle {\cal S} \rangle$ of the determinants goes to zero exponentially with increasing spatial size and decreasing temperature for most Hamiltonians of interest. This statement, however, does not explicitly separate two possible origins for the vanishing of $\langle {\cal S} \rangle$. Does $\langle {\cal S} \rangle \rightarrow 0$ because {\it randomly} chosen field configurations have ${\rm det}\big(M(h)\big) < 0$, or does the `sign problem' arise because the specific subset of configurations chosen by the weighting function have a greater preponderance of negative values? In the latter case, the process of weighting the configurations with $|{\rm det}\big(M(h)\big)|$ might steer the simulation to a region of configuration space of $h$ where positive and negative determinants are equally likely, even though randomly chosen $h$ would preferentially have determinants with a single dominant sign. In this paper we address the relative importance of these two mechanisms for the vanishing of $\langle {\cal S} \rangle$ in quantum simulations.

Formal variation in the Kata Kolok lexicon

Sign language lexicons incorporate phonological specifications. Evidence from emerging sign languages suggests that phonological structure emerges gradually in a new language. In this study, we investigate variation in the form of signs across 20 deaf adult signers of Kata Kolok, a sign language that emerged spontaneously in a Balinese village community. Combining methods previously used for sign comparisons, we introduce a new numeric measure of variation. Our nuanced yet comprehensive approach to form variation integrates three levels (iconic motivation, surface realisation, feature differences) and allows for refinement through weighting the variation score by token and signer frequency. We demonstrate that variation in the form of signs appears in different degrees at different levels. Token frequency in a given dataset greatly affects how much variation can surface, suggesting caution in interpreting previous findings. Different sign variants have different scopes of use among the signing population, with some more widely used than others. Both frequency weightings (token and signer) identify dominant sign variants, i.e., sign forms that are produced frequently or by many signers. We argue that variation does not equal the absence of conventionalisation. Indeed, especially in micro-community sign languages, variation may be key to understanding patterns of language emergence.Appendices: &amp;nbsp;https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/FN4XE

Dihedral-Angle Dependence of Intermolecular Transfer Integrals in BEDT-BDT-Based Radical-Cation Salts with θ-Type Molecular Arrangements

We report the structural and physical properties of a new organic Mott insulator (BEDT-BDT)AsF6 (BEDT-BDT: benzo[1,2-g:4,5-g′]bis(thieno[2,3-b][1,4dithiin). This AsF6 salt has the same structure as the PF6 salt. Although the anions are disordered, the donor molecules form a θ-type arrangement. The temperature dependence of the resistivity exhibits semiconducting behavior. The static magnetic susceptibility follows Curie–Weiss law over a wide temperature range; however, below 25 K, the magnetic susceptibility is in agreement with a one-dimensional chain model with the exchange coupling J = 7.4 K. No structural phase transition was observed down to 93 K. At 270 K, the Fermi surface calculated by the tight-binding approximation is a two-dimensional cylinder; however, it is significantly distorted at 93 K. This is because the dihedral angles between the BEDT-BDT molecules become larger due to lattice shrinkage at low temperatures, which results in a smaller transfer integral (t1) along the stack direction. This slight change in the dihedral angle gives rise to a significant change in the electronic structure of the AsF6 salt. Radical-cation salts using BEDT-BDT, in which the highest occupied molecular orbital does not have a dominant sign throughout the molecule, are sensitive to slight differences in the overlap between the molecules, and their electronic structures are more variable than those of conventional θ-type conductors.

Speech and language disorders as core diagnostic tools for differentiation of neurodegenerative diseases

AbstractBackgroundA patient suffering from a neurodegenerative disease may demonstrate various combinations of dysarthria, aphasia, and apraxia. Besides, a speech disorder can be a primary and dominant sign (primary progressive aphasia or apraxia), or can develop secondarily as part of general clinical picture. No unified approach to classification and diagnostics of various speech disorder forms has been developed to date. Aim: to study speech disorders in various forms of neurodegenerative diseases, to assess common structure, clinical‐neuroimaging heterogeneity, and to develop a unified algorithm for differential diagnosis.Method1008 patients with neurodegenerative diseases were included in the study by continuous sampling of consultant practice specializing in neurodegenerations: 234 AD, 118 DLB, 62 FTD (behavior and language variants), 366 PD, 22 PSP, 14 CBS, and 292 patients with unspecified and other forms of neurodegenerative pathology. All patients were screened for cortical speech disorders (pure dysarthria was not considered). Patients demonstrating speech and language disorders were tested using the speech disorder assessment test battery we have developed. Structural MRI was performed for all the patients with speech and language disorders to assess ROI.Resultspeech and language disorders were identified in 41% of patients in aggregate group, 78% of AD, 48% of DLB, 31% of PD, 82% of FTD, 64% of PSP, and 96% of CBS patients. Based on the detailed speech assessment battery in aggregate group of all the neurodegenerative diseases 7 subtypes of speech and language disorders were highlighted by means of cluster analysis (Figure 1), principal component method allowed to identify the most significant tests for differentiation of these forms. Aphasia forms and neurodegenerative diseases forms were matched using multinomial logistic regression (Figure 2). We identified the main ROI for all subtypes (Figure 3)Conclusionspeech disorders in patients with neurodegenerative diseases have a specific structure with clinical‐neuroimaging heterogeneity, which allowed to develop a unified algorithm for differential diagnosis.

ANALISIS PUISI “JARAK” KARYA HERI ISNAINI DENGAN PENDEKATAN SEMIOTIKA

The aim of this study is to describe a poem of Jarak by Heri Isnaini by using a semiotics approach. The article is focused on the marking aspect that appears throughout the poem which is analyzed to represent the sense of the meaning. This research is motivated by the author's interest in the contents of the poem which provides an overview of how closely related humans are to death. Only death can separate the two lives with a very secret time. The method uses qualitative descriptive method. The data analysis technique was carried out by: (1) reading poetry, (2) understanding the meaning of every verse in the poetry, (3) analyzing poetry with a semiotics approach, (5) concluding the results of the analysis. The results show that the dominant sign in the poem Jarak is index. An index is a sign that gives an idea of the causal relationship between the object. The object used in this poem has a difference in each stanza. Although the object used is different, but has the same meaning, which explains how the relationship humans and death. Death becomes a transfer from the realm of the world to the barzakh realm, which is the realm of separation between the world and the hereafter. Therefore, this poem is highly recommended for all people, old as well as young, to always prepare provisions for worship and good deeds for prepare for life after death.

Magnetic Helicity Flux across Solar Active Region Photospheres. I. Hemispheric Sign Preference in Solar Cycle 24

Abstract A hemispheric preference in the dominant sign of magnetic helicity has been observed in numerous features in the solar atmosphere, i.e., left-handed/right-handed helicity in the northern/southern hemisphere. The relative importance of different physical processes that may contribute to the observed hemispheric sign preference (HSP) of magnetic helicity is still under debate. Here, we estimate magnetic helicity flux (dH/dt) across the photospheric surface for 4802 samples of 1105 unique active regions (ARs) that appeared over an 8 yr period from 2010 to 2017 during solar cycle 24, using photospheric vector magnetic field observations by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). The estimates of dH/dt show that 63% and 65% of the investigated AR samples in the northern and southern hemispheres, respectively, follow the HSP. We also find a trend that the HSP of dH/dt increases from ∼50%–60% up to ∼70%–80% as ARs (1) appear at the earlier inclining phase of the solar cycle or higher latitudes and (2) have larger values of , the total unsigned magnetic flux, and the average plasma-flow speed. These observational findings support the enhancement of the HSP mainly by the Coriolis force acting on a buoyantly rising and expanding flux tube through the turbulent convection zone. In addition, the differential rotation on the solar surface as well as the tachocline α-effect of a flux-transport dynamo may reinforce the HSP for ARs at higher latitudes.

The Use of Bilingualism in Sidoarjo Linguistics Landscape

This article aims to present a case of bilingualism, the use of two languages together, in the Sidoarjo linguistic landscape. The data consists of advertisements, street signs, shop names, and other signs collected from three different neighbourhoods in Sidoarjo, Masangan Kulon, Legok, and Taman Pondok Jati. The data are first collected by taking pictures of the signs, which are then classified, and analyzed. It is found that people in those areas utilise two different combinations of languages on different kinds of signs. These combinations are Indonesian and English and Indonesian and Javanese. The order of the languages varies depending on the type of sign. The researcher also found that the most dominant sign found containing bilingualism is shop signs, and the area with the most signs is Taman Pondok Jati. The finding also shows that the most frequently occurring kind of bilingualism in the study is the use of Indonesian and English combinations.

The effectiveness of risk stratification systems in diagnosis of nodular thyroid disorders

Risk stratification systems, one of the optimal solutions for differential diagnosis of nodular pituitary disorders, are currently under development. The high prevalence of pituitary diseases makes it necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of risk stratification systems and to widely implement them into routine clinical practice. To evaluate the effectiveness of modern risk stratification systems used to diagnose nodular pituitary disorders. A total of 1,606 medical records of patients operated on for nodular pituitary disorders in 20062014 were analyzed. The preoperative ultrasonography results and cytological findings were evaluated. The ultrasonography results were classified using the TI-RADS system, while the biopsy data were classified using the TBSRTC system. The surgery protocol and the pathomorphological data were the truth criterion. The effectiveness of the TI-RADS and TBSRTC systems, as well as their contribution to the performance of endocrinologists in outpatient clinics, was analyzed. Cluster analysis revealed a significant volatility of ultrasonography signs in the TI-RADS category, while there was no dominant sign that could be considered the diagnostic standard. Factor analysis proved the consistency of the imaging TI-RADS system based on individual signs. The signs being evaluated are characterized by high significance level but different priorities depending on the type of putative pathology. Discriminant analysis revealed that TI-RADS was a robust and versatile system to be used for various types of nodular pituitary disorders. The overall effectiveness of the TI-RADS system in diagnosis of pituitary tumors was low: it was characterized by 75.4% sensitivity, 84.7% specificity, and 80.1% accuracy. However, this system concretized the indications for fine-needle aspiration biopsy and drew the cytologists attention to the likelihood of pituitary tumor. The implementation of the TBSRTC system reduced the percentage of non-informative (by 9.8%) and controversial results (by 1.7%). Cytological examination was more effective in detection of pituitary cancer compared to ultrasonography (91.0% accuracy, 94.9% specificity, and 76.5% sensitivity). The impressions of ultrasound technicians and cytologists were concordant in 873 (54.4%) cases. A survey conducted among endocrinologists in outpatient clinics showed that implementation of the TI-RADS and TBSRTC risk stratification systems reduced the decision time (p0.001) and errors both in diagnostics (p0.001) and treatment approach selection (p0.001). The combined use of the TI-RADS and TBSRTC systems allows one to personalize the treatment approaches for patients with nodular pituitary disorders. The implementation of these systems has a positive effect on endocrinologists performance as it reduces the decision time and the likelihood of making errors in diagnosis and treatment strategy selection.

Symbolic Meaning of the Image of the Bird as a Reflection of the Religious and Worldview Notions in the Paleolithic Art

Formulation of the problem. Most of the Paleolithic animalistic drawings not only reproduced the visual images of nature, but also had a symbolic and semantic load and were used as zoomorphic codes of the tiers of the universe. The image of the bird served as a symbol of the upper part in the vertical model of the universe. However, its semantics is not limited to this value and is not an entirely elucidated problem. Its solution should be related to another problem that has been raised in the scientific literature of recent decades and refers to the reflection of the leading religious worldview ideas of a particular period of history in the characterization of the dominant sign of the Zodiac (under which at that time was the point of intersection of the ecliptic and celestial equator during 2150 years). There is no doubt that in the civilized societies with the dominant constellation in which the sun rose on the day of the vernal equinox, ancient astronomers linked a number of concepts and principles that corresponded to the main religious worldview ideas of their time. But the problem of matching the characteristics of the dominant signs of the zodiac with the leading cults in earlier periods of the primitive history remains open. The purpose of the article is to determine religious ideas related to the bird image in the Paleolithic and to investigate whether they were reflected in the characteristics of the zodiac signs that dominated at the time of the emergence of these ideas. Results. The analyzed artifacts show that in the minds of the Paleolithic people the bird was perceived as the only one of natural beings able to overcome the earthly gravitation and ascend to heaven. As a result, its image acquired significance not only as a zoomorphic code of the upper part of the universe but also as the symbol of the soul of man who, after death, ascends to the higher world. In addition, the image of the bird could be combined with the image of the woman because she was considered a bearer of the soul of a child. Religious ideas related to the image of birds were reflected in the characteristics of zodiacal signs dominant at the time of the emergence of these ideas. The earliest evidence of the association of bird with soul and woman as a carrier of children’s souls (the image of a woman-bird on a bone plate from the Hayensenklosterl) falls on 38 millennia B.C., the astronomical era of the zodiac sign of Virgo, positioning the female maternal principle. The most ancient image of a bird as a zoomorphic code of the upper part in the symbolic model of the universe, made on stone from the settlement of Mala Siya, dates back to 33rd–32ndmillennia B.C. This coincides with the time of the Earth being under the zodiac sign of Gemini, positioning the pair principle. The most ancient laying of sculptures of birds in the burial place, as the cult analogues of the soul of the deceased (in the settlement of Malta) testifying to the awareness of the connection of the soul with the spiritual world of the sky, falls on 23rd - 22ndmillennia B.C., on the astronomical era of the zodiacal sign of Aquarius, positioning a special susceptibility to the supernatural spiritual reality. The awareness of the three-tier vertical model of the universe, where the bird played the role of a zoomorphic symbol of the upper zone, occurs in the 16th–15thmillennia B.C., the astronomical era of Scorpio, and is reflected in the characterization of this zodiacal sign which has three hypostases: a snake, a scorpion, and a bird, positions the combination of three tiers of the universe. The reflection of leading religious ideas in the characteristics of zodiac signs before the appearance of astronomy suggests that this phenomenon was a consequence of not a human thought but higher intelligence.Article received 16.04.2019

Diagnostic Value of the Thoracic Ultrasonography Compared to Conventional Chest X-Rays in Pneumonia for Children between 0 to 15 Years: Case Study in Two Hospitals in Yaound&amp;#233;

Introduction: The diagnosis of pneumonia is usually made based on clinical manifestations and chest X-ray. The use of ultrasound in detecting pulmonary diseases in general, and especially consolidation syndrome has been demonstrated. The objective of this study was to determine the accuracy of thoracic ultrasound compared to chest X-ray in the diagnosis of infectious pneumonia in children. Methods: Children between 0 to 15 years were included in our study. The lung ultrasound results obtained were compared with those of the chest X-ray used as the reference. Our data were introduced into the EpiInfo 3.5.4 software and analyzed with the EpiInfo 3.5.4 and IBMSPSS Statistics version 20.0 softwares. Microsoft Office Excel 2016 was used to produce Charts. Continuous quantitative variables were presented. Cohen’s Kappa concordance test was applied with confidence interval of 95%. Results: 52 children were enrolled in the study. In imaging, the dominant sign was consolidation syndrome (75.0%) of cases by chest radiography, and in 78.8% of cases by lung ultrasound (p < 0.05). The chest radiograph was identified pleural effusion in 5 cases whereas lung ultrasound was identified in 6 cases. 3 patients with apparently normal chest X-rays had pulmonary ultrasounds suggestive of pneumonia. The degree of agreement between chest X-ray and lung ultrasound in detecting lesions compatible with pneumonia was satisfactory (kappa: 0.784) and excellent in the detection of pleural effusion (0.898). Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that lung echography is a non-ionizing and reliable tool in the diagnosis of childhood’s pneumonia.

A preliminary look at negative constructions in South African Sign Language: Question-Answer clauses

How negation is expressed by means of manual and/or non-manual markers has been described in a wide range of sign languages. This work has suggested a split between sign languages requiring a manual negative element in negative clauses (manual dominant sign languages) and those where a non-manual marker only can be used (non-manual dominant sign languages) (Zeshan 2006; 2004). To date there is only one published study on negation in SASL which describes SASL as a non-manual dominant language (De Barros and Sieborger 2016). However, Oomen and Pfau (2017) have recently indicated that such a typological split is too radical. They show that larger data sets are necessary to identify the range of expressions used within one sign language to express negation. This paper will contribute to this typological debate by considering some preliminary data from South African Sign Language (SASL), highlighting a particular construction, known as a polar Question-Answer clause, which is not generally mentioned in the literature on negation in sign languages. The paper will conclude with a reflection on the implications of these observations for a typology of negation in sign languages.

The reversed and normal flux contributions to axial dipole decay for 1880–2015

The axial dipole component of Earth’s internal magnetic field has been weakening since at least 1840, an effect widely believed to be attributed to the evolution of reversed flux patches (RFPs). These are regions on the core-mantle boundary (CMB) where the sign of radial flux deviates from that of the dominant sign of hemispheric radial flux. We study dipole change over the past 135years using the field models gufm1, COV-OBS.x1 and CHAOS-6; we examine the impact of the choice of magnetic equator on the identification of reversed flux, the contribution of reversed and normal flux to axial dipole decay, and how reversed and normal field evolution has influenced the axial dipole. We show that a magnetic equator defined as a null-flux curve of the magnetic field truncated at spherical harmonic degree 3 allows us to robustly identify reversed flux, which we demonstrate is a feature of at least degree 4 or 5. Additionally, our results indicate that the evolution of reversed flux accounts for approximately two-thirds of the decay of the axial dipole, while one third of the decay is attributed to the evolution of the normal field. We find that the decay of the axial dipole over the 20th century is associated with both the expansion and poleward migration of reversed flux patches. In contrast to this centennial evolution, changes in the structure of secular variation since epoch 2000 indicate that poleward migration currently plays a much reduced role in the ongoing dipole decay.