bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatial variations in terrestrial net ecosystem productivity and its local indicators
Authors: Cui Erqian , Bian Chenyu , Luo Yiqi , Niu Shuli , Wang Yingping , Xia Jianyang
Published: December 2020

Abstract. Multiple lines of evidence have demonstrated the persistence of global land
carbon (C) sink during the past several decades. However, both annual net
ecosystem productivity (NEP) and its inter-annual variation (IAVNEP)
keep varying over space. Thus, identifying local indicators for the
spatially varying NEP and IAVNEP is critical for locating the major and
sustainable C sinks on land. Here, based on daily NEP observations from
FLUXNET sites and large-scale estimates from an atmospheric-inversion
product, we found a robust logarithmic correlation between annual NEP and
seasonal carbon uptake–release ratio (i.e. U ∕ R). The cross-site variation in
mean annual NEP could be logarithmically indicated by U ∕ R, while the spatial
distribution of IAVNEP was associated with the slope (i.e. β)
of the logarithmic correlation between annual NEP and U ∕ R. Among biomes, for
example, forests and croplands had the largest U ∕ R ratio (1.06 ± 0.83)
and β (473 ± 112 g C m−2 yr−1), indicating the
highest NEP and IAVNEP in forests and croplands, respectively. We
further showed that these two simple indicators could directly infer the
spatial variations in NEP and IAVNEP in global gridded NEP products.
Overall, this study provides two simple local indicators for the intricate
spatial variations in the strength and stability of land C sinks. These
indicators could be helpful for locating the persistent terrestrial C sinks
and provide valuable constraints for improving the simulation of
land–atmospheric C exchanges.
Mapping buried paleogeographical features of the Nile Delta (Egypt) using the Landsat archive
Authors: Ullmann Tobias , Nill Leon , Schiestl Robert , Trappe Julian , Lange-Athinodorou Eva , Baumhauer Roland , Meister Julia
Published: December 2020

Abstract. The contribution highlights the use of Landsat spectral-temporal metrics (STMs) for the detection of surface anomalies that are potentially related to buried near-surface paleogeomorphological deposits in the Nile Delta (Egypt), in particular for a buried river branch close to Buto. The processing was completed in the Google Earth Engine (GEE) for the entire Nile Delta and for selected seasons of the year (summer/winter) using Landsat data from 1985 to 2019. We derived the STMs of the tasseled cap transformation (TC), the Normalized Difference Wetness Index (NDWI), and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). These features were compared to historical topographic maps of the Survey of Egypt, CORONA imagery, the digital elevation model of the TanDEM-X mission, and modern high-resolution satellite imagery. The results suggest that the extent of channels is best revealed when differencing the median NDWI between summer (July/August) and winter (January/February) seasons (ΔNDWI). The observed difference is likely due to lower soil/plant moisture during summer, which is potentially caused by coarser-grained deposits and the morphology of the former levee. Similar anomalies were found in the immediate surroundings of several Pleistocene sand hills (“geziras”) and settlement mounds (“tells”) of the eastern delta, which allowed some mapping of the potential near-surface continuation. Such anomalies were not observed for the surroundings of tells of the western Nile Delta. Additional linear and
meandering ΔNDWI anomalies were found in the eastern Nile Delta in the immediate surroundings of the ancient site of Bubastis (Tell Basta), as well as several kilometers north of Zagazig. These anomalies might indicate former courses of Nile river branches. However, the ΔNDWI does not provide an unambiguous delineation.
Robust historical evapotranspiration trends
across climate regimes
Authors: Hobeichi Sanaa , Abramowitz Gab , Evans Jason
Published: December 2020

Abstract. Evapotranspiration (ET) links the hydrological, energy, and carbon cycle on the land surface. Quantifying ET and its spatiotemporal changes is also key to understanding climate extremes such as droughts, heatwaves and flooding. Regional ET estimates require reliable observationally-based gridded ET datasets, and while many have been developed using physically-based, empirically-based and hybrid techniques, their efficacy, and particularly the efficacy of their uncertainty estimates, is difficult to verify. In this work, we extend the methodology used in Hobeichi et al. (2018) to derive a new version of the Derived Optimal Linear Combination Evapotranspiration (DOLCE) product, with observationally constrained spatiotemporally varying uncertainty estimates, higher spatial resolution, more constituent products and extended temporal reach (1980–2018). After successful evaluation of the efficacy of these uncertainty estimates out-of-sample, we derive novel ET climatology clusters for the land surface, based on the magnitude and variability of ET at each location. The verified uncertainty estimates and extended time period then allow us to examine the robustness of historical trends spatially and in each of these six ET climatology clusters. We find that despite robust decreasing ET trends in some regions, these do not correlate with behavioural ET clusters. Each cluster, and the vast majority of the Earth's surface, show clear robust increases in ET over the recent historical period.
High-resolution stable isotope signature of a land-falling
Atmospheric River in southern Norway
Authors: Weng Yongbiao , Sodemann Harald , Johannessen Aina
Published: December 2020

Abstract. Heavy precipitation at the west coast of Norway is often connected to elongated meridional structures of high integrated water vapour transport known as Atmospheric Rivers (AR). Here we present high-resolution measurements of stable isotopes in water vapour and precipitation during a land-falling AR event in western Norway on 07 December 2016. In our analysis, we aim to identify the influences of moisture source conditions, weather system characteristics, and post-condensation processes on the isotopic signal in near-surface water vapour and surface precipitation. A total of 71 precipitation samples were collected during the 24-h sampling period, mostly taken at sampling intervals of 10–20 min. The isotope composition of near-surface vapour was continuously monitored in-situ with a cavity ring-down spectrometer. Local meteorological conditions were in addition observed from a vertical pointing rain radar, a laser disdrometer, and automatic weather stations. We observe a stretched, W-shaped evolution of isotope composition during the event. Combining isotopic and meteorological observations, we define four different stages of the event. The two most depletion periods in the isotope δ values are associated with frontal transitions, namely a combination of two warm fronts that follow each other within a few hours, and an upper-level cold front. The d-excess shows a single maximum, and a step-wise decline in both precipitation and a gradual decrease in near-surface vapour. Thereby, isotopic evolution of the near-surface vapour closely follows the precipitation with a time delay of about 30 min, except for the first stage of the event. Analysis using an isotopic below-cloud exchange framework shows that the initial period of low and even negative d-excess in precipitation was caused by evaporation below cloud base. At the ground, a near-constant signal representative of the airmass above is only reached after transition periods of several hours. Moisture source diagnostics for the event show that the moisture source conditions for these steady periods are partly reflected in the surface precipitation at these times. Based on our observations, we revisit the interpretation of precipitation isotope measurements during AR events in previous studies. Given that the isotopic signal in surface precipitation reflects a combination of atmospheric dynamics through moisture sources and atmospheric distillation, as well as cloud microphysics and below-cloud processes, we recommend caution regarding how Rayleigh distillation models are used during data interpretation. While the isotope composition in water vapour during convective precipitation events may be more adequately represented by idealized Rayleigh models, additional factors should be taken into account when interpreting a surface precipitation isotope signal from stratiform clouds.
Erratum to: Buss, R. R., & Allen, J. G. (2020). Leader scholar communities: Supporting EdD students’ dissertation in practice efforts. Impacting Education: Journal on Transforming Professional Practice, 5(3), 1-7.
Authors: Jones Stephanie J.
Published: December 2020

The article Buss, R. R., & Allen, J. G. (2020). Leader scholar communities: Supporting EdD students’ dissertation in practice efforts. Impacting Education: Journal on Transforming Professional Practice, 5(3), 1-7 https://doi.org/10.5195/ie.2020.98 contained incorrect information for the degree title and college name of author James G. Allen. His degree has been changed from PhD to EdD and his school from College of Education and Human Services to College of Education. This error occurred as a result of inaccurate information in the manuscript which was overlooked during the journal editing phase. The online version has been corrected to reflect this change.
Case Report: General Anesthetic Management for Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy in Paramyotonia Congenita
Authors: McGreal Analise , Slagle Daniel , Dickens Andrew
Published: December 2020

Background: Paramytonia congenita is a rare disorder affecting skeletal muscle. Patients with this condition experience intermittent episodes of sustained myotonia, though the disease is non-progressive. Due to the predisposition for prolonged muscle contraction, special attention must be paid to anesthetic management during operative procedures to prevent complications similar to those seen in patients with malignant hyperthermia. To date, however, limited reports of anesthetic management in paramyotonia congenita are available.

Case: Therefore, the present report describes successful general anesthetic management in a patient with paramyotonia congenita using propofol and ketamine for induction, non-depolarizing rocuronium for muscle paralysis, and continuous nitric oxide and IV propofol infusion for sedation. The patient remained stable throughout the case without myotonic episodes or other complications.

Conclusion: Our report describes successful anesthetic management in a patient with paramyotonia congenita. This provides a potential management plan that may be applied to PC patients undergoing a variety of surgical procedures and eliminates risk associated with succinylcholine and possibly volatile anesthetics. Further research is needed to determine whether this approach is superior to previously reported techniques, and should also aim to identify which agents may be effectively utilized to reverse a myotonic episode in PC patients should one occur intra-operatively.
Fixed Drug Eruption: A Rare Case of Polysensitivity between Two Unrelated Fixed Dose Combination Preparations - A Case Report
Authors: Kaushal Jessica , Rakesh Abhimanyu
Published: December 2020

Background: A fixed drug eruption is a type IV hypersensitivity reaction to a medication that characteristically re-emerges on the same site each time the specific drug is taken. Antimicrobials (including fixed dose combinations) are frequently implicated in fixed drug eruption while gliptins (as separate drugs or as combined preparations) on the other hand are infrequent triggers. Drugs belonging to similar classification and having similar chemical structures can show cross reactivity, but here we describe a case of cross reactivity between unrelated drug classes, also known as polysensitivity.

The Case: A 58-year-old man presented with painful, burning, and pruritic blisters with ulcerations on the oral mucosa of lips, hard palate, and tip of the tongue. The patient had been on vildagliptin - metformin fixed dose combination tablets for one year. He was asked to stop the drug and lesions started improving thereafter. A week later he suffered from gastroenteritis for which he took a combined preparation of ofloxacin and ornidazole and lesions re-appeared at the same site as before with severe itching and burning.

Conclusion: This case highlights polysensitivity amongst chemically unrelated drugs, especially available in fixed-dose combination. It is an extremely rare occurrence (less than 0.2%). Moreover, there have only been a few cases of such delayed reactions occurring to gliptins, especially vildagliptin. A clinician must keep a high index of suspicion to identify this phenomenon.
Pap Smear Readability on Google: An Analysis of Online Articles Regarding One of the Most Routine Medical Screening Tests
Authors: Parry Mark J. , Dowdle Travis S. , Steadman Jesse N. , Guerra Tiffany R. , Cox Kim L.
Published: December 2020

Background: The Papanicolau smear (Pap smear, Pap test) is one of the most routine of all screening tests performed in medicine. Its advent and widespread use has brought a considerable decrease in the incidence of cervical cancer. Unfortunately, this malignancy continues to convey significant morbidity and mortality. Much of this is the result of inadequate compliance with routine Pap smear screening, in which limited education is thought to play a role, particularly among ethnic minorities.

Methods: A Google search using the phrase “pap smears” was performed and the first fourteen Uniform Resource Locators were analyzed using four standardized readability indices: the Flesh-Kinkaid Grade Level, the SMOG index, the Gunning Fog Index and the Automated Readability Index. An average grade level readability was then obtained and compared to the AMA recommendation that health care information be written at a 5th or 6th grade reading level.

Results: The average grade level readability of the fourteen analyzed sites using four aforementioned indices were 8.86, 8.82, 11.92 and 8.35, respectfully. The total average readability after considering all four indices was 9.49, three grade levels above what the AMA has recommended.

Conclusion: The readability of commonly accessed internet information regarding Pap smears is above what is recommended by the AMA. Physicians should be cognizant of this, particularly given this is a routine healthcare test that should be undergone by nearly fifty percent of the world’s population at various points throughout their lifetime.
Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Associated with COVID-19 Among School Students in Bharatpur, Chitwan District of Nepal
Authors: Subedi Deepak , Bhandari Suman , Gaire Asmita , Kandel Milan , Subedi Sanju , Karki Surendra
Published: December 2020

Background: The emergence of the novel Coronavirus in December 2019 from Wuhan, China, now named SARS-COV-2, which causes COVID-19 disease has now reached the pandemic level. The ongoing pandemic has already infected more than fifteen million people and over hundred thousand people around the world has died. The knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of people towards this disease is important to understand to limit its transmission.

Methods: A purposive cross-sectional study was conducted among 101 secondary level students in Bharatpur, Chitwan, Nepal to assess their KAP.

Results: The majority of the students were found to be knowledgeable of the timeline of the first outbreak (92.08%) and nearly three-fourth participants were aware of the hand-washing duration of 20 seconds (73.27%). The knowledge of the presence of disease in Nepal (50.50%), the causative agent of disease (65.53%), and symptoms (57.43%) showed that there is significant knowledge gap among participants. The good proportion of participants were found to have a positive attitude towards the prevention and control of the disease. The majority of the respondents reported using face mask (77.23%), adopting handwashing measures (79.21%) as preventive measures for COVID-19. The majority of the students were highly concerned about the disease.

Conclusion: In summary, secondary level students of Chitwan, Nepal were found to have fair knowledge and understanding of the disease, showed a moderately positive attitude towards preventive measure and reported appropriate preventive practices against COVID-19. It is recommended that a similar
Recurrence of COVID-19: Treading the Fine Line Between Relapse and Re-infection
Authors: Mondal Ritwick , Deb Shramana , Lahiri Durjoy , Shome Gourav
Published: December 2020

The ongoing outbreak of COVID-19 that began in Wuhan, China, has constituted a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, with cases confirmed in more than 200 countries. Currently, infected individuals are the primary source of infection and multiple cases of relapse are also reported following the recovery. It is highly concerning the nature of relapse which may be caused due to reactivation or reinfection. While the present testing scenario of using different molecular techniques has several loopholes that can report false results and hamper the process of effectively preventing the transmission of the virus. Various recommendations need modifications to effectively stop the horizontal transmission of the virus and look deeply into the links with relapse cases to prevent a second wave during a pandemic.
Perceptions of Mentors and Mentees in School-based Cross-Age Peer Mentoring in a Low-income Rural Community
Authors: San Antonio Donna Marie , Martel Jeff , Weisbart Cindy
Published: December 2020

Cross-age peer mentoring programs are not always effective, and some researchers have questioned the effectiveness of this model.  In this article, we use evaluation data to describe a project that has been going for twenty years.  The project enrolls high school students as mentors to struggling elementary school students.  The article reviews the current literature and details the perceptions of mentors and mentees regarding relational and academic benefits and disappointments.  Both mentors and mentees report that the project gave them purpose, motivation, and a sense of belonging in the school and community.  They also describe frustrations and regrets.  Some findings echo previous studies; however, by presenting a twenty-year retrospective, and including mentor and mentee voices, the article provides a unique contribution to the field.  The article provides an appendix with resources and recommendations for effective practices to those seeking to implement such a program.
La evolución de los movimientos sociales en la era de la mediación tecnológica
Authors: Ye Xinyu
Published: December 2020

Pleyers, G. (2018). Movimientos sociales en el siglo XXI: Perspectivas y herramientas analíticas. Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina: CLACSO.
Distribution and Antifungal Sensitivity of Candida Isolates Detected in Blood Cultures
Authors: Beder Duygu , Esenkaya Taşbent Fatma , Doğan Metin
Published: December 2020

Candidemia is a serious clinical condition that can result in mortality. This condition is particularly common in intensive care patients. This retrospective study aimed to identify Candida strains isolated from blood cultures and to determine antifungal susceptibility patterns. For this purpose, isolated Candida species were identified and, their susceptibility to amphotericin B, caspofungin, flucytosine, fluconazole, micafungin and voriconazole were investigated. VITEK 2 automated system was used to identify and detect antifungal susceptibility of Candida species that were subjected to Gram staining and germ tube tests on Candida species detected from blood cultures sent to our laboratory between January 2014 and December 2018. Candida spp. isolation rate was found most frequently (n=157; 64.9 %) in intensive care units; followed by internal clinics (n=64; 26.5 %) and surgical clinics (n=21; 8.6 %). The most frequently isolated species among these Candida isolates are Candida albicans (100/242; 41.3 %) and Candida parapsilosis (92/242; 38 %). Especially in intensive care patients, rapid identification of Candida species and determination of their antifungal susceptibilities are important for planning treatment. It is thought that collecting data reflecting regional resistance status at certain intervals will be guiding in terms of treatment approaches.
Resistance Rates of Acinetobacter baumannii Against Some Antibiotics: Comparison of 2018 and 2006 Results
Authors: Uzuner Nurullah , Atmaca Selahhattin , Çelik Muhammet , Kangül Handan
Published: December 2020

Acinetobacter baumannii is a type of bacteria that causes serious hospital infections in intensive care units (ICUs) and immunocompromised patients. In this study, the one-year cumulative antibiogram results of A.baumannii strains, which are serious infection factors especially in intensive care patients, were retrospectively analyzed, at the same time, the results of sensitivity in a similar study conducted in our hospital in 2006 were compared with our results. Of the 388 isolates included in the study, 208 were isolated from male (53.6 %), 180 from female (46.4 %) patients, 87 % of the strains were from adults, 13 % from children (including newborns). 46.4 % of the factors were produced by the respiratory tract, 26.80 % from blood culture, 11.85 % from urine, 9.53 % from the wound 85 % of the samples were sent from intensive care units, 15 % from services (9.4 % internal service, 5.6 % surgical service), 6.95 % from the burn unit. The vast majority of the isolated A.baumannii strains were found to be adults. As a result of the antibiogram, the highest resistance rate to imipenem with 94.84 %; the lowest resistance rate was determined against colistin with 20 %. In the comparison of the results obtained in our hospital with the results of similar studies conducted in 2006, a significant increase in resistance was found for amikacin, ciprofloxacin, imipenem and meropenem (p<0.005), For trimethoprim / sulfamethoxazole, the resistance rate decreased (p>0.005). In this study, we showed that the resistance rates against A.baumannii strains increased over time, and the treatment options related to this are now very limited. Determining the resistance rates of common infectious agents at certain intervals by each hospital will be a guide in the effective treatment of infections that develop due to strains with limited antibiotic options.
An Investigation of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococcus Grown in Rectal Screening Samples and Clinical Samples: Seven-Years Surveillance, A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Kirişçi Özlem , Çalışkan Ahmet
Published: December 2020

Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are multidrug-resistant microorganisms that cause nosocomial infections, prolong hospital stay and cause mortality. Current recommendations are active surveillance, screening and contact isolation to prevent the spread of VRE positivity among patients. It has been observed that the failure of the systematic screening caused the spread of VRE and increased costs. It was aimed to determine vancomycin resistance rates in Enterococcus spp., which was grown from rectal swab samples and clinical samples sent for screening of hospitalized patients between January 2013 and May 2019, to investigate the distribution of resistant isolates to departments. A rectal swab sample for VRE screening was obtained from each patient admitted to intensive care units in our hospital, and subcultured onto VRE chromogenic medium (Gül Laboratories, Turkey). The susceptibility of the isolates to vancomycin (30 μg) was detected by Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method in accordance with the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) criteria. The VITEK2 Compact automated system was used to determine the vancomycin susceptibility of enterococci isolated from clinical samples. VRE growth was detected in 316 (6 %) of the 5249 rectal swab samples sent to the laboratory, and vancomycin resistance was detected in 51 (3.9 %) of 1306 Enterococcus spp. from clinical specimens. Of the 51 isolates with vancomycin resistance, 80 % were isolated from urine, 14 % from blood, 4 % from wound, and 2% from joint fluid. While the VRE rate in rectal swab samples was 5.5 % in 2013, it increased to 11.6 % in 2019. Vancomycin resistance was 1.6 % in 2013 and peaked at 7.7 % in 2017 in Enterococcus spp. Twenty nine percent of the 51 clinical VRE isolates were grown from patients with VRE positive rectal swabs. The highest rate of VRE growth in rectal swab samples and culture samples was observed in the Anesthesia Intensive Care Unit. No relationship was found between VRE positivity decrease and increase rates of rectal swab and clinical samples over the years. In order to prevent the spread of VRE in the hospital environment, it is necessary to take surveillance cultures regularly in centers, to provide necessary training to hospital staff, to control the use of antimicrobials, and to ensure good cooperation between the microbiology laboratory and services.
Spices on the Edges of the Empire. A Pepper Pot from Roman Histria
Authors: Țârlea Alexandra , Lițu Alexandra , Dabîca Mircea , Iliescu Iulia
Published: December 2020

Roman-age pepper pots are among the rarer archaeological finds and, on occasion, have been tentatively identified as such. This paper presents a gilded bronze container found during excavations in Histria, on the western coast of the Black Sea. In our opinion, its physical characteristics (intentional perforation of its bottom, the presence of legs that allow for display on a table/support, and its particular, aquatic plant shape) strongly encourage its identification as a piperatorium. The container was subjected to physicochemical analyses, whose results are also presented here. Finally, we extended our perspective to the cultural aspects of the consumption of spices at the edges of the Roman Empire and their corresponding apparel, focusing on pepper as the most popular, accesible, but still luxurious spice available.
The Cult of St. Olaf in the Latin and Greek Churches between the Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries
Authors: Dragnea Mihai
Published: December 2020

This study aims to investigate how the cult of St. Olaf, the most famous Nordic saint, was instrumentalized after the Great Schism. We can observe a theological tendency of the papacy to centralize and standardize the Latin rite in Scandinavia by eliminating all Orthodox influences within the Scandinavian churches. This measure would ensure the Catholicization of the cult of St. Olaf by passing over in silence any Eastern ecclesiastical connection. In what follows, we will see that as St. Olaf was increasingly assimilated by the Latin church, the Byzantines in Constantinople reduced his spiritual power within the imperial political ideology.
The Inochentism: Faith, Ritual Practices, and Sacred Spaces. New Data and Approaches
Authors: Onica Dorina
Published: December 2020

The Movement of the Hieromonk Inochentie of Balta, known in historiography as Inochentism, has attracted the attention of several disciplines, including cultural anthropology. This religious movement took place between 1909 and 1917 in Bessarabia, Podolia, the Kherson regions, and other areas of the Russian Empire, and it continues to have followers to the present day in the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, and Romania. The documentary base of the research in this field is provided by references to the relevant scientific studies published, oral history data recorded in the ethnographic fieldwork, and the press. The objectives of this article are to analyze synthetically the historical context in which the movement appears, the changes of exposure, and its forms; to mention and explain the attributions of the leaders and status within the group; to study the catechesis and ritual practices; and to describe the sacred spaces. Also, the eschatological prophecies, imagology representations, apocryphal sources and sacred texts, and behavioral and aggregation gestures are analyzed.
Diálogo multinivel en los sistemas internacionales de protección de los derechos humanos: ¿Hacia dónde vamos?
Authors: Fuchs Marie-Christine , Barboza López Miguel
Published: December 2020

El diálogo multinivel en los sistemas de protección de los derechos humanos presenta desafíos tanto a nivel técnico-metodológico, jurisprudencial y político. A

partir del principio pro homine y de solidaridad, es necesario que exista una comunicación constante entre los diferentes tribunales regionales de derechos humanos que

coadyuven a la defensa de la persona humana. En el presente artículo abordaremos este

tema desde diferentes posturas jurisprudenciales y académicas.
Algunas reflexiones acerca de las violaciones sistemáticas de derechos humanos de las mujeres en América Latina y su relación con la problemática de la igualdad
Authors: Sabadell Ana Lucia
Published: December 2020

El texto presenta un análisis de violaciones de derechos humanos de las

mujeres en países de América Latina, a la luz de las teorías de la igualdad jurídica en

confrontación con los textos constitucionales.
Redemption for Olympic Weightlifting: Is a Doping-Free Future Possible?
Authors: Liu Brian
Published: December 2020

The purpose of this article is to find if a doping-free equilibrium is possible in the sport of Olympic Weightlifting. A thorough literature review was conducted as well as a 3 player model (Athletes, Management, Customers) similar to the basic inspection game. It was found that with the new payoffs introduced after the McLaren report, where high level corruption was uncovered and exposed, a doping-free N.E. (Nash Equilibrium) can be achieved. The principal factor was that customers must demand test results from the management of all athletes, and be supportive when dopers are caught. A complete contrast to the current system where the organizations completely control the information flow and decide when and if a negative was found. If this change wasn’t implemented, management would prefer to keep all the tests hidden to ensure that profits would continue to rise. However, this conclusion is the most pareto efficient result as athletes won’t have to use drugs that would harm their body for years to come. And customers can enjoy the continuous advancement of technique and training in Olympic Weightlifting.
Metformin effects on zonulin level in polycystic ovarian women
Authors: Ibrahim Manal , Ahmeid Mutaz
Published: December 2020

Zonulin protein is a haptoglobin precursor and functions to modulate the permeability of tight junctions between enterocytes. Local inflammation or systemic inflammation can trigger zonulin expression. While the increased zonulin level causes an increase of intestinal permeability and entrance of foreign antigens, the latter can increase insulin resistance and inflammation. Polycystic ovarian syndrome affects women during their reproductive age characterized by hyperinsulinemia and/or hyperandrogenemia and associated with infertility problems. Changes in gut permeability such as irritable bowel syndrome are often found in PCOS patients. While metformin increases insulin mediates glucose uptake and, acts as an insulin-sensitizing drug used to treat PCOS patients is recently discovered to reshape intestinal bacteria and hence may affect intestinal action. This study was designed to find any association between zonulin level and other parameters in PCOS patients and to find metformin treatment effects on zonulin in PCOS patients. Thirty-one newly diagnosed PCOS women agree to take metformin 850 mg twice daily for three months and, and to give fasting serum samples to measure zonulin, FSH, LH, total testosterone, free testosterone, SHBG, fasting insulin, and fasting serum glucose before and after treatment. The free testosterone and zonulin are determined by the ELISA technique while the other parameters are determined by the Cobas technique. According to patients’ Homeostatic Model Assessment (HOMA-IR), the Patients were divided into two sub-groups: the first group consisting of those with initial HOMA-IR less than two and the second group was those of an initial HOMA-IR of between two to four. Whereas the first group showed no significant response to treatment, the second group showed a better response to metformin treatment, as demonstrated by their LH, total testosterone, free testosterone, fasting insulin, zonulin, and glucose levels. These parameters markedly improved after metformin treatment with p-values of 0.08, 0.09, 0.07. 0.04, 0.01 and 0.06, respectively.
Optoelectronic rotary connector for data transmission
Authors: Drozd Tadeusz , Jakubaszek Marcin , Zygmunt Marek , Niedzielski Roman
Published: December 2020

Many technical solutions require the transmission of data between rotating parts. The article presents a data transmission solution based on an optoelectronic rotary connector. The optoelectronic connector is characterised by high speed of data transmission and long life of the mechanical components, with the choice of synchronous and asynchronous data transmission modes.
Keywords: optoelectronic rotary connector, optical data transmission, detection of optical radiation
TEACHER – PRESUMER AND RESEARCHER IN PEDAGOGY
Authors: Kabat Małgorzata
Published: December 2020

The article focuses on introducing a new idea emerging in the field of education. The unknown issue indicated here requires showing its roots along with an understanding of presumenism relating to the teacher’s activities in the process of education and conducting research. In both areas, activity, inventiveness, creativity, mobility are required of the teacher so that the content of teaching and studying as well as the research plan are presented in an interesting way. Knowledge from these forms of activity is used to modernize the individual, as well as jointly created, artistry. The teacher’s experience accumulated as a presumer may contribute to the promotion of educational products and services, which will positively affect the status of the entire education system. The theoretical argumentation will show the interpenetration of new and diverse ideas into the teaching duties and research. They will become a determinant of specific transformations involving multiple educational changes. Familiarity with them may be a valuable source of information and inspiration for the modernization of the teaching practice and promotion of education as a specific brand.
DEVELOPING THE PEDAGOGICAL CULTURE OF PARENTS AS A CHALLENGE OF CONTEMPORARY TIMES
Authors: Cudak Henryk , Cudak Sławomir
Published: December 2020

Interactions of parental care, family education and socialisation take place in two ways. The first track of interactions is spontaneous, occasional. The other one is purposeful and aware. This second path of interaction is related to the level of parents’ pedagogical education. The aim of this paper is to diagnose pedagogical culture, and to develop a system of pedagogical education for parents. Familiologists’ studies indicate a low level of parents’ educational awareness. Parental pedagogical education through parallel education is occasional and inefficient. Therefore, primary school can successfully complete tasks in the field of shaping parents’ pedagogical culture. The implementation of the actions taken by the school will be based on the universality of education and the purposeful, planned and systematic organization of parents’ pedagogical training.
VARIETIES OF ACTIVE AGEING IN POLISH REALITY
Authors: Kozerska Agnieszka
Published: December 2020

The aim of the research is to check, in which areas older people actively shape their learning environment in everyday life. Method: 192 people participated in the study. Age of the respondents: from 60 to 92 years old. In order to group older people in terms of their activities, the k-medium cluster analysis method was used. Results: three dominant profiles of activity were identified: 1. Religious profile; 2. Profile characterized by striving to meet own needs; 3. Profile with low level of activity. The profiles were compared in terms of selected independent variables.
Insect pests in the forests of Bulgaria and their economic importance
Authors: Zaemdzhikova Gergana
Published: December 2020

Based on the forest-pathological inventories for the last 30 years, the economic importance of the insect pests in the Bulgarian forests and its dynamics for the periods 1990–2002 and 2003–2018 were determined. Insect pest attacks have declined sharply in the last sixteen years- in coniferous forests they have decreased three times and in deciduous ones - almost six times. Generally, the health status of the forests, with regard to pest status, after 2003 is improving, and this is more clearly expressed in the deciduous forests. As a result of this development, the pest control measures areas gradually shifted from deciduous to coniferous forests. Since 2003, deterioration in the health status of ageing coniferous plantations has been identified, however, with the attacks of two major groups of pests escalating- pine sawflies and bark beetles.
ART TECHNIQUES USED BY TEACHER OF EARLY SCHOOL EDUCATION AS A FACTOR DETERMINING THE LEVEL OF HANDWRITING QUALITY OF FIRST GRADE STUDENTS
Authors: Plieth-Kalinowska Izabela
Published: December 2020

In the context of a child’s intellectual, emotional and social development, writing skills (along with speaking) form the absolute basis. They allow the child to better interpret, but also to formulate concepts, feelings and thoughts, and thus to acquire key competences quicker. The more worrying are then reports showing low quality of writing of students at the initial stage of education. It is necessary to take actions aimed at developing motor skills using both conventional and unconventional methods. One of such options in integrated education are the art techniques. This study examines how the use of these techniques translates
into better writing skills in early education.
IDEAS ABOUT PROFESSIONS OF THIRD-GRADE STUDENTS OF PRIMARY SCHOOL BASED ON OWN RESEARCH
Authors: Matusek Beata
Published: December 2020

The presented publication is the result of qualitative research on the ideas of professions carried out among third-grade students of primary school. The subject is of interest to researchers all over the world. The aim of the research was to check how third-grade students imagine professional work in general and how they imagine the work of people in particular occupations. The main problem that included specific problems was the question: What are the ideas of the professions of third-year primary school students? The research results show a positive image of professional work of third-grade students. They are able to identify their
own interests, see the practical side of their professional work (obtaining the means necessary for living), understand the work as a service to other people (they associate the profession with the responsible work of a firefighter, policeman, teacher, doctor, secretary),they also have general knowledge about the work of their parents, correctly associate objects (props) with professions, know the names of the professions and they are able to indicate the features of a good and bad employee. The publication is supplemented with works by third-grade students presenting work in various professions.
Central HMA Acceptance Lab Process Improvement Implementation Plan Project
Authors: Boehm Ted W. , Handy Jim
Published: December 2020

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) Central Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) Acceptance Lab was opened on March 29, 2018 at the Office of Materials Management (OMM) facility in Indianapolis. The state-of-the-art lab conducts acceptance testing on HMA samples from INDOT’s Crawfordsville and Greenfield districts, as well as testing of appeals samples from the other four INDOT districts. Each HMA sample undergoes multiple sequences acceptance testing processes. In 2019, project SPR-4353 “Central HMA Acceptance Lab Process Improvement Project” was conducted with the goal to improve organization, flow of work and efficiency in the central region HMA Acceptance Lab for all tests done, and provide implementation leading to the reduction of turnaround time from six days to four days. This project follows key recommended actions from SPR-4353 to implementation.
Prädikatsexamen
Authors: ter Haar Philipp , Lutz Carsten , Wiedenfels Matthias
Published: December 2020

Die fünfte Auflage des Werkes berücksichtigt die infolge der Reformen der Juristenausbildung weiter gestiegenen Anforderungen. Die Empfehlungen wurden zum einen aufgrund der im ständigen Dialog mit den Lesern gewonnenen praktischen Hinweise überarbeitet. Zum anderen fließen die langjährigen Erfahrungen der Autoren als Prüfer im Staatsexamen in die Neuauflage ein.

Das vollständig aktualisierte Lehrbuch enthält unter anderem noch weiter verfeinerte

Hinweise zum effektiven Lernen,

Muster-Pläne für Arbeitsgruppen,

Lernpläne und

Tipps, wie eine Arbeitsgruppe zum Hochleistungsteam geformt werden kann.

Die Rückmeldungen der Leser belegen, dass das Buch eine wertvolle oder sogar eine unverzichtbare Hilfe auf dem Weg zum Prädikatsexamen sein kann. Viel Erfolg!
Explainable Artificial Intelligence (xAI) Approaches and Deep Meta-Learning Models
Authors: Dağlarli Evren
Published: December 2020

The explainable artificial intelligence (xAI) is one of the interesting issues that has emerged recently. Many researchers are trying to deal with the subject with different dimensions and interesting results that have come out. However, we are still at the beginning of the way to understand these types of models. The forthcoming years are expected to be years in which the openness of deep learning models is discussed. In classical artificial intelligence approaches, we frequently encounter deep learning methods available today. These deep learning methods can yield highly effective results according to the data set size, data set quality, the methods used in feature extraction, the hyper parameter set used in deep learning models, the activation functions, and the optimization algorithms. However, there are important shortcomings that current deep learning models are currently inadequate. These artificial neural network-based models are black box models that generalize the data transmitted to it and learn from the data. Therefore, the relational link between input and output is not observable. This is an important open point in artificial neural networks and deep learning models. For these reasons, it is necessary to make serious efforts on the explainability and interpretability of black box models.
Chaos and Complexity Dynamics of Evolutionary Systems
Authors: Mohan Saha Lal
Published: December 2020

Chaotic phenomena and presence of complexity in various nonlinear dynamical systems extensively discussed in the context of recent researches. Discrete as well as continuous dynamical systems both considered here. Visualization of regularity and chaotic motion presented through bifurcation diagrams by varying a parameter of the system while keeping other parameters constant. In the processes, some perfect indicator of regularity and chaos discussed with appropriate examples. Measure of chaos in terms of Lyapunov exponents and that of complexity as increase in topological entropies discussed. The methodology to calculate these explained in details with exciting examples. Regular and chaotic attractors emerging during the study are drawn and analyzed. Correlation dimension, which provides the dimensionality of a chaotic attractor discussed in detail and calculated for different systems. Results obtained presented through graphics and in tabular form. Two techniques of chaos control, pulsive feedback control and asymptotic stability analysis, discussed and applied to control chaotic motion for certain cases. Finally, a brief discussion held for the concluded investigation.
Soil Management and Conservation: An Approach to Mitigate and Ameliorate Soil Contamination
Authors: Ayobami Ogunsola Oluwatosin , David Adeniyi Odunayo , Abimbola Adedokun Victoria
Published: December 2020

The chapter mainstreamed Soil Management and Conservation approach as a potent remedy for Soil Contamination. Largely, microbial activities play significant role in maintaining balance within the ecosystem however changes in Land-use has a direct influence on soil biota, including the floral and fauna components. The introduction of contaminants, from varying sources such as agrochemicals, petrochemicals, landfills, sludge, effluents, etc., into the soil builds up the amount of heavy metals present in the deposits hence degrading the soil and polluting groundwater. Integrating soil management options to enhance biodiversity and strengthen microbial activities improve the soil ecology thus creating a buffer for neutralizing potential contaminants.
Analysis of Spatiotemporal Variability of Surface Temperature of Okhotsk Sea and Adjacent Waters Using Satellite Data
Authors: Lozhkin Dmitry
Published: December 2020

The chapter is divided into 5 parts. The first part describes what the satellite data is and describes the levels of its processing. In the second part, attention is paid to sea surface temperature anomalies, the conditions for the appearance of the most significant anomalies and their influence on the behavior and survival of aquatic organisms are described. The third part is devoted to calculating linear trends in ocean surface temperature from a 20-year series of satellite data. It is shown that the heat content of the surface layer of Okhotsk Sea decreases, most significantly in its northern and western parts. This trend is especially pronounced in the spring, which may be due to a decrease in ice cover and a more significant cooling of the waters due to winter convection. In the fourth part, periodic fluctuations in the temperature of the surface of the ocean are considered. It is demonstrated how, using the calculated trend and several basic harmonics, one can try to predict the temperature next year. And the last part concludes the chapter.
Stoic Counsel for Interpersonal Relations
Authors: Ferraiolo William ,   National Philosophical Counseling Association
Published: December 2020

The foundational principle of stoic counsel is the claim that one’s psychological and emotional health need not depend upon anything that does not directly answer to the exertion of one’s will. Whatever the difficulty, whatever the circumstance, the ideally rational agent will concern himself only with that which is entirely a matter of his own choosing, and will remain imperturbable by anything that he cannot directly control through the force of his will alone. The ideally rational agent will, thereby, rid himself of psychological and emotional distress. In this paper, I attempt to elucidate and defend this element of stoic counsel.
Comments on Professor Elliot Cohen, “Philosophy With Teeth”
Authors: Taylor James Stacey ,   National Philosophical Counseling Association
Published: December 2020

This paper comments on Cohen’s “Philosophy with Teeth” (also in this issue), and raises four questions surrounding the relationship between philosophy and psychology, most of which are requests for clarification from Cohen but two of which are more critical in character: Against Cohen’s claim that APPE disavows any intrinsic connection between philosophical counseling and psychology, it is suggested that this still leaves open the pos­sibility of an instrumental connection. And against Cohen’s claim that pure philosophy is “grist for the classroom” or for “stimulating discussions over coffee,” it is maintained that pure philosophy may have more “teeth” than what this suggests.
A Theoretical Model of Fragile Authenticity Structure
Authors: Marten William H. J. ,   National Philosophical Counseling Association
Published: December 2020

An increasingly number of patients in Western civilizations suffer from weak authenticity structure which is characterized by a lack of self-realization, autonomy, character strength, stereotype behavior, inability to use (internal) dialogue in order to learn about oneself and defining oneself as a individual, and so on. In this paper a theoretical model of fragile authenticity structure and some suggestions to regain a more authentic attitude are presented.