bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Werk maken van moreel werk van leraren door reflectie en dialoog
Authors: de Keijzer Helma , Jacobs Gaby , van Swet Jacqueline , Veugelers Wiel
Published: August 2020

Making work of the morality of teachers daily practice through reflection and dialogue

An exploratory case study to teachers’ meaning given to their daily practice experiences with pupils

This article reports a study into the reflection of teachers. The teachers participated in a professional learning community (PLC) to investigate their interactions with pupils in a dialogical process with colleagues. For this purpose a ‘critical reflexive dialogue’ was developed. First, we investigated how teachers give meaning to their experiences through three types of reflection – content, process and critical reflection – and or a shift in type of reflection takes place with the use of a critically reflexive dialogue. Second, we studied how the moral-political dimension occurred in teachers’ critical reflection. The research was conducted as an explorative case study in which the theoretical framework establishes a connection between moral educational practice with the types of reflection for teachers. Based on observations and field notes from eleven PLC meetings, results show when teachers make sense individually, they mainly pay attention to the content and the process of reflection. In this situation critical reflection is not self-evident. However, the results also show that teachers get more involved in critical reflection through critical dialogue and collective learning with colleagues in the PLC. Moral-political dimension included teachers’ critical reflection, but mainly focus on the meaning of their own beliefs for their daily practice and pupils and rarely on social and political influences. Based on these results, it is recommended that the moral-political dimension receives more explicit attention in teachers’ reflection.
Het lespakket Homo in de Klas: goede voornemens?
Authors: Boersma Henriëtte , Bucx Freek , Keuzenkamp Saskia
Published: August 2020

Lessons Queer in the classroom: good intentions?

This study investigates the effect of Homo in de Klas (Queer in the classroom) on the willingness of orthodox Christian pupils from four Reformed schools to change their attitudes regarding homosexuality. The study has a quantitative and qualitative part. A survey was carried out among 636 pupils (37 classes) from the third grade havo / vwo (ninth-grade students: college entrance level). The study had a quasi-experimental design. The results show a positive effect of the intervention on the intention for more social interaction, but not on the intention to reduce the abusive word ‘gay’. No support was found for the idea that the classroom climate plays a role in this.

To gain more insight an additional qualitative study was done. Interviews afterwards with eight teachers and 35 pupils showed a positive classroom climate with a lot of interaction during the intervention. The meeting with the guest speaker impresses the pupils in particular. According to the teachers and pupils, these elements encourage a change in the behavior, towards more social interaction and less use of  ‘gay’ as a swearword.
Pesten op ‘De Gezonde Basisschool van de Toekomst’: een exploratief onderzoek
Authors: van Run Saskia , van Schayck Onno , Urlings Eline , Coppens Karien , Winkens Bjorn , Willeboordse Maartje
Published: August 2020

Bullying on ‘the Healthy Primary School of the Future’: An explorative study

To improve the well-being and health of students, several Dutch schools currently implement health promoting lifestyle interventions. To which degree these interventions influence bullying behavior in the school setting is unknown. This mixed methods study examines the influence of a lifestyle intervention at four primary schools (The Healthy Primary School of the Future; HPSF) on bullying. A longitudinal survey among 6th grade students indicated some decrease in bullying at intervention schools compared to control schools (p = .041). Interviews and focus groups conducted with school staff of the intervention schools reveal a decrease in conflicts between children, which most likely also affects bullying. According to the staff, the structural aspects of HPSF create a safer school environment with less opportunity for conflict behavior. This study demonstrates a possible positive (side) effect of a lifestyle intervention on conflicts and bullying. Further research is needed to confirm these observations.
Implementeren en Leren
Authors: Akkermans-Rutgers Marlot , Doornenbal Jeannette , Kassenberg Annelies , Doolaard Simone , Bosker Roel
Published: August 2020

To implement, and learn. The implementation and subsequent lessons of a module aimed at enhancing home-based parental literacy involvement

With this study, we (a) analyze the implementation of the parental involvement module of Success for All aimed at enhancing home-based parental literacy involvement in the first, second, and third Grade, and (b) draw lessons from that implementation. For three school years, seven Dutch elementary schools with relatively many students from low socio-economic backgrounds, have implemented the parental involvement module. Afterwards, in-depth interviews with 22 professionals have been conducted. Based on the interview data, two dimensions of implementation have been analyzed: the level of structural implementation and the process of implementation. We distinguished three levels of structural implementation: low, medium, and high. Our analyses reveal that one school obtained a medium level of structural implementation, and the other six a low level. With knowledge of the process of implementation, we interpreted this outcome. Our analyses show that a higher level of structural implementation relies on (1) how the innovation is embedded in the school’s organizational structure, (2) whether or not a program champion (who is supported by coworkers and supervisors) is present, (3) the necessity felt for successful implementation of core elements of the module, (4) the enthusiasm of the school’s staff for the innovation, (5) asking the help of external experts in order to, with joint forces, help solve a blockage in the implementation process and (6) active involvement of parents and positive parental responses.
A global long-term (1981–2000) land surface temperature product for NOAA AVHRR
Authors: Ma Jin , Zhou Ji , Göttsche Frank-Michael , Liang Shunlin , Wang Shaofei , Li Mingsong
Published: August 2020

Abstract. Land Surface Temperature (LST) plays an important role in the research of climate change and various land surface processes. Before 2000, global LST products with relatively high temporal and spatial resolutions are scarce, despite of a variety of operational satellite LST products. In this study, a global 0.05° × 0.05° historical LST product is generated from NOAA AVHRR data (1981–2000), which includes three data layers: (1) instantaneous LST, a product generated by integrating several Split-Window Algorithms with a Random Forest (RF-SWA); (2) orbital drift corrected (ODC) LST, a drift corrected version of RF-SWA LST; (3) monthly averages of ODC LST. For an assumed maximum uncertainty in emissivity and column water vapour content of 0.04 and 1.0 g/cm2, respectively and evaluated against the simulation data set, the RF-SWA method has a Mean Bias Error (MBE) of less than 0.10 K and a Standard Deviation (STD) of 1.10 K. To compensate the influence of orbital drift on LST, the retrieved RF-SWA LST was normalized with an improved ODC method. The RF-SWA LST were validated with in-situ LST from Surface Radiation Budget (SURFRAD) sites and water temperatures obtained from the National Data Buoy Center (NDBC). Against the in-situ LST, the RF-SWA LST has a MBE 0.03 K with a range of −1.59 K–2.71 K and STD is 1.18 K with a range of 0.84 K–2.76 K. Since water temperature only changes slowly, the validation of ODC LST was limited to SURFRAD sites, for which the MBE is 0.54 K with a range of −1.05 K to 3.01 K and STD is 3.57 K with a range of 2.34 K to 3.69 K, indicating a good product accuracy. As global historical datasets, the new AVHRR LST products are useful for filling the gaps in long-term LST data. Furthermore, the new LST products can be used as input to related land surface models and environmental applications. Furthermore, in support of the scientific research community, the datasets are freely available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3934354 for RF-SWA LST (Ma et al., 2020a); https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3936627 for ODC LST (Ma et al., 2020c); https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3936641 for monthly averaged LST (Ma et al., 2020b).
ISBA-MEB (SURFEX v8.1): model snow evaluation for local-scale
forest sites
Authors: Napoly Adrien , Boone Aaron , Welfringer Théo
Published: August 2020

Abstract. An accurate modelling of the effect of snow cover on the surface energy and mass fluxes is required from land surface models. The Interactions between Soil–Biosphere–Atmosphere (ISBA) model adopts a default configuration using a composite soil-vegetation energy budget approach which is shown to have certain limitations for representing snow and soil phase change processes in areas of high vegetation cover since it does not explicitly represent the snow pack lying on the ground below the canopy. In particular, previous studies using ISBA have pointed out that the snowpack ablation tends to occur to early in the season in forest regions in the northern hemisphere. The multi-energy balance (MEB) version of ISBA has been developed recently, to a large degree, to address this issue. A vegetation layer, which is distinct from the soil, has been added to ISBA and new processes are now explicitly represented such as snow interception and an under-story litter layer. To evaluate the behavior of this new scheme in a cold forested region, long-term offline simulations have been performed for the three Berms forest sites located in Saskatchewan, Canada. It is shown that the new scheme leads to an improved energy budget representation, especially in terms of the ground and sensible heat fluxes, with decreases in RMSE of 77 and 18 %, respectively. A consistent positive impact for soil temperatures is obtained, particularly in terms of bias which is reduced from −6.2 to −0.1 K at a 10 cm soil depth on average for the three sites and 12 studied years. The impact of using MEB on the snowpack simulation is in a better agreement with observations during the snow season, especially in terms of the time of ablation: errors are on the order of 1 day averaged over the 3 sites and all of the years using MEB, which represents a reduction in error of 20 days compared to the composite scheme. The analysis shows that this improvement is mostly cause by the ability of MEB to represent a snowpack that nearly completely covers the soil below the canopy decouples the soil from the atmosphere while keeping a close coupling between the vegetation and the atmosphere.
Revisiting the global hydrological cycle: is it intensifying?
Authors: Koutsoyiannis Demetris
Published: August 2020

Abstract. As a result of technological advances in monitoring
atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere and biosphere, as well as in data
management and processing, several databases have become freely available.
These can be exploited in revisiting the global hydrological cycle with the
aim, on the one hand, to better quantify it and, on the other hand, to test
the established climatological hypotheses according to which the
hydrological cycle should be intensifying because of global warming. By
processing the information from gridded ground observations, satellite data
and reanalyses, it turns out that the established hypotheses are not
confirmed. Instead of monotonic trends, there appear fluctuations from
intensification to deintensification, and vice versa, with deintensification
prevailing in the 21st century. The water balance on land and in the sea appears to
be lower than the standard figures of literature, but with greater
variability on climatic timescales, which is in accordance with
Hurst–Kolmogorov stochastic dynamics. The most obvious anthropogenic signal
in the hydrological cycle appears to be the over-exploitation of groundwater,
which has a visible effect on the rise in sea level. Melting of glaciers has an
equal effect, but in this case it is not known which part is anthropogenic,
as studies on polar regions attribute mass loss mostly to ice dynamics.
POLARIMETRIC CALIBRATION OF THE SPACEBORNE DIRECTIONAL POLARIMETRIC CAMERA INSTALLED ON THE GF-5 SATELLITE
Authors: Yuan Y. , Liu Z. , Zheng X. , Kang Q. , Wu H. , Li J. , Li S. , Luo D. , Hong J.
Published: August 2020

Abstract. The Spaceborne Directional Polarimetric Camera (SDPC) is dedicated to obtain an accurate information of clouds and microphysical properties of aerosol particles via multi-angle, multi-spectral and multi-polarization observations. It images the Earth with 110° field of view (FOV) in 3 polarimetric spectral bands and 5 non-polarimetric spectral bands from visible to near infrared. Due to its wide FOV telecentric optical system and multi-channels, polarization sensitivity of optical components (PSOC) and non-uniform response of pixels (NURP) are the main uncertainty factors of polarimetric calibration.In this paper, a polarimetric calibration model of SDPC has been constructed for increasing the measurement accuracy. Combined an integrating sphere with a polarization generator as source, PSOC can be measured in high accuracy by using the Fourier series analysis method which reduces the impact form the alignment error of the generator. The sectional viewing field measurement method is used to acquire NURP while the large aperture integrating sphere served as reference source. Subsequently, the data of NURP have been corrected by the relative transmittance of high frequency and low frequency respectively for polarized channels. The result of validation experiment shows that the polarization measurement errors in 0°, 15°, 30°, and 45° half field of view (HFOV) are all less than 0.5% when the degree of linear polarization of reference source is larger than 0.1.
Geminal parahydrogen-induced polarization: accumulating long-lived singlet order on methylene proton pairs
Authors: Dagys Laurynas , Ripka Barbara , Leutzsch Markus , Moustafa Gamal A. I. , Eills James , Colell Johannes F. P. , Levitt Malcolm H.
Published: August 2020

Abstract. In the majority of hydrogenative parahydrogen-induced polarization (PHIP) experiments, the hydrogen molecule undergoes pairwise cis addition to an unsaturated precursor to occupy vicinal positions on the product molecule. However, some ruthenium-based hydrogenation catalysts induce geminal hydrogenation, leading to a reaction product in which the two hydrogen atoms are transferred to the same carbon centre, forming a methylene (CH2) group. The singlet order of parahydrogen is substantially retained over the geminal hydrogenation reaction, giving rise to a singlet-hyperpolarized CH2 group. Although the T1 relaxation times of the methylene protons are often short, the singlet order has a long lifetime, provided that singlet–triplet mixing is suppressed, either by chemical equivalence of the protons or by applying a resonant radiofrequency field. The long lifetime of the singlet order enables the accumulation of hyperpolarization during the slow hydrogenation reaction. We introduce a kinetic model for the behaviour of the observed hyperpolarized signals, including both the chemical kinetics and the spin dynamics of the reacting molecules. Our work demonstrates the feasibility of producing singlet-hyperpolarized methylene moieties by parahydrogen-induced polarization. This potentially extends the range of molecular agents which may be generated in a hyperpolarized state by chemical reactions of parahydrogen.
Correlation between subsurface salinity anomalies in the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean Dipole and governing mechanisms
Authors: Zhang Zheen , Pohlmann Thomas , Chen Xueen
Published: August 2020

Abstract. Lead-lag correlations between the subsurface temperature/salinity anomalies in the Bay of Bengal (BoB) and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) are revealed in model results, ocean synthesis, and observations. Mechanisms for such correlations are further investigated using the Hamburg Shelf Ocean Model (HAMSOM), mainly on the salinity variability. It is found that the subsurface salinity anomaly of the BoB positively correlates to the IOD with a lag of three months on average, while the subsurface temperature anomaly negatively correlates. The model results suggest the remote forcing from the equatorial Indian Ocean dominates the interannual subsurface salinity variability in the BoB. The coastal Kelvin waves carry signals of positive (negative) salinity anomalies from the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean and propagate counterclockwise along the coasts of the BoB during positive (negative) IOD events. Subsequently westward Rossby waves propagate these signals to the basin at a relatively slow speed, which causes a considerable delay of the subsurface salinity anomalies in the correlation. By analyzing the salinity budget of the BoB, it is found that the diffusion dominates the salinity changes near the surface, while the advection dominates the subsurface; the vertical advection of salinity contributes positively to this correlation, while the horizontal advection contributes negatively. These results suggest that the IOD plays a crucial role in the interannual subsurface salinity variability in the BoB.
Tobacco Consumption Pattern of Selected Districts of Gujarat
Authors: Viradiya Rinkal B , Patwa Jay R , Patel Nilesh G
Published: August 2020

Background: Globally, among the leading preventable causes of premature deaths tobacco stands on the top. The consumption patterns of tobacco in various forms of chewing and smoking vary across different regions and socioeconomic levels.

Objectives: To study tobacco consumption pattern in two districts of Gujarat and compare among them.

Methodology: A cross sectional study was carried out on 504 participants during January 2015 to September 2016 among 15-64 years age group. A pre designed and pre tested Questionnaire was used to collect data on tobacco consumption pattern. Descriptive and analytical statistical methods were used for the data analysis.

Results: Smoking was reported among 11.51% and 18.25% in Gandhinagar and Mehsana district respectively. Out of which around 90% of them in both district were smoking daily. 34.52% of the studied population in Mehsana district was using smokeless tobacco as compared to Gandhinagar district (26.19%). Initiation of smoking was in later age as compared to smokeless tobacco.

Conclusion: Present study concludes that large number of people including younger population was using smokeless tobacco in both districts. Early initiation of use of smokeless tobacco suggests an urgent need for action.
A Study to Know Self-Care Practice among Diabetic Patients Residing At Urban Slum Area of Asarwa, Ahmedabad
Authors: Patel Vaishali C , Patel Hely B , Shah Chintul
Published: August 2020

Background: Self-care of diabetes is essential for control of disease and improvement of quality of patient's life. The study was conducted to explore self-care practice of diabetic patients.

Objectives: The Present study was conducted to determine the self-care practice and related factors among diabetes patients and to find out association between Glycaemic control and self-care practice.

Methods: A Community based cross-sectional study was conducted by doing house to house survey. Total 120 samples who were already diagnosed taken from urban slum of asarwa, Ahmedabad. A Pre-tested structured questionnaire was adopted from Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities(SDSCA) and Morisky Medication Adherence Scale. Data was entered and analysed in Microsoft Excel.

Results: Out of 120 patients, 63 were male and 57 were female. Majority of respondent between the age group of 45-60 years(49.17%). Half of the patients consulting from civil hospital. 68(56.7%) of respondents had good glycaemic control. Self-care practice were positively associated with achieved glycaemic control.

Conclusion: As evidenced by the study, patients who were regularly involved in self-care practices have achieved better glycaemic control.
Accessing Medical Information on Smart-Phone: Usage and Perception among Post Graduate Students of A Medical College, Central Karnataka - A Cross Sectional Study
Authors: Kumar Aswin , Ratnaprabha G K , Anatao Faye Rose
Published: August 2020

Introduction: There is scant reliable evidence on the usage of smart phone by postgraduate students/residents in India. The study conducted to assess the usage of smart phone to access medical information among postgraduate students of a medical college and to explore the perceptions about accessing medical information on smart phone among them.
Methodology: A cross sectional study was done among postgraduate students of a medical college in central Karnataka during December 2018 to January 2019. Every postgraduate student of the college available at the campus was approached for the study.
Results: Smart-phone use and internet facility in it was almost universal (99.2%). Mean years of smart-phone usage among postgraduates was 7.4 + 2.5 years and they were using internet around 3.4 + 1.5 hours a day. Medical information was accessed by 97.4% of postgraduates over smart-phone and pubmed was the most common site accessed. Information on drug dosages and search for seminar presentations were the most searched reasons. Usefulness of medical information available on internet was graded at 3.62 + 0.85 on a scale of 0-5.
Conclusions: Online information aid clinical/academic activity of the subjects significantly. This makes it necessary to train them about the search methodologies and information about validity and reliability of the information provided in the online resources.
The CoViBE: An Innovating Self-Paced Elearning to Teach Virtually Bench-Top Practice
Authors: Hammoud Aya Abou , Pallares-lupon Nestor , Bouter Anthony , Faucheux Corinne
Published: August 2020

COVID-19 pandemic is a disaster and prolonged crisis that has disrupted the education of millions of students with the closure of schools and universities in world-wide. This hard situation rises the necessity to develop a new teaching method to solve the problem of the massive disruption specially to practice work access. The goal of this paper is to set-up an innovative teaching approach for practical work. The comic as a new self-paced e-learning product to teach bench-top practice: the “CoViBE’’ which means Comic Virtual Bench-top Elearning. For using comics to transform practical work sessions by distance you should at first list all the steps that you need to perform your experiment. Then, you choose the actors and material images. For the third step, you have to decide how many frames you need to your comic trip to develop the following instructions: How to do, What to do, What not to do and What to ask. Moreover, you need to provide flashbacks to remind students what kind of knowledges they need to carry on their experiment; the final step is to include humor. Using online survey, positive feedbacks of 179 students on the CoViBE impact about their learning of practical work allowed us to determine around 80% of satisfaction. Finally, during any other situations for the training period, the CoViBE concept could be used in the future to complete practical work session for revisions, for the internationalization of this education system through distance work and for a hybrid education system.
Thinking Ecologically, Knowing Responsibly
Authors: Code Lorraine ,   International Association for Environmental Philosophy
Published: August 2020

This essay extends my engagements with questions of epistemic agency and the politics of epistemic location, in Epistemic Responsibility and in Ecological Thinking to consider how questions of understanding and of certainty play diversely into human and other ecological circumstances. In so doing, it opens lines of inquiry not immediately available in standard western-northern approaches to epistemology with their concentration on medium-sized physical objects in their presupposed neutrality and replicability. Working from a tacit assumption that knowing and knowers are always situated, and that they are enabled or restricted in so being, the book engages with specific epistemic situations in order to show how “situatedness” indeed makes knowledge possible, while regarding it as an enabling rather than a constraining modality.
Is There Something Wrong With the Task of Thinking?
Authors: Colebrook Claire ,   International Association for Environmental Philosophy
Published: August 2020

One way to approach the widely acknowledged failure to act on climate change would be to turn to the philosophical tradition, going back to Kant at least, that diagnoses all the internal impediments to thinking. It is with Heidegger, however, that thinking is curiously divided between a disclosure of the world, and the world’s occlusion. Rather than pursue Heidegger’s project of destroying throught’s accretions and returning to the world I will argue that it is the very concept of ‘thinking’ in the grand sense that needs to be destroyed if we are to be open to the future.
Latest Developments of Existentialism
Authors: Pareyson Luigi , Fulvi Daniele ,   Philosophy Documentation Center
Published: August 2020

In this paper, Pareyson provides an analysis of the existential features of the philosophies of Jaspers and Heidegger, that he considers as the two greatest philosophers of the second half of the twentieth century. In Jaspers, Pareyson identifies the idea that truth is both singular and one, meaning that it can be grasped only through a personal interpretation and never in absolute terms. This implies that truth and person are inseparably tied to each other and that existence carries transcendence in itself: just as truth transcends our personal knowledge of it, Being itself transcends our personal existence. Moreover, Pareyson sees Heidegger as the initiator of an existential ontology that poses a fundamental relation between the human being and Being itself; hence, the philosophical discourse on human existence inevitably turns into a discourse on Being. Therefore, Heidegger finally manages to overcome traditional metaphysics and its forgetfulness of the question of Being itself, by giving such question a central role within philosophical reflection. In conclusion, Pareyson maintains that Jaspers and Heidegger are able to make the voice of Being been heard, in contrast with the humanist and nihilist tendencies of twentieth century philosophy.
O comportamento de curto prazo da volatilidade de commodities agrícolas brasileiras em relação ao mundo: uma aplicação do modelo VAR
Authors: Conte Bruno Pereira , Coronel Daniel Arruda , Granzotto Alberto , Halberstadt Ismael Alan , Amaral Luciano
Published: August 2020

A atividade agropecuária está sujeita a diversas mudanças que variam desde as climáticas, os efeitos políticos, as pestes e doenças e; também; os efeitos financeiros e econômicos. No que tange aos últimos, podem-se elencar como sendo agentes mudanças governamentais, estrutura de preços, relação oferta/demanda e sazonalidade de preços. Diante desse contexto, o objetivo deste trabalho foi o de analisar o comportamento de curto prazo da volatilidade presente nas commodities açúcar, café, farelo de soja, óleo de soja brasileira frente ao mundo, e vice-versa com o intuito de investigar se as alterações de preços de cada uma destas commodities estão relacionadas com as variações mundiais e brasileiras. A fim de atingir este objetivo, o estudo fez uso dos modelos GARCH, GJR e EGARCH para determinar qual destes se ajustava melhor ao modelo. Para determinar o comportamento de curto prazo, o estudo fez uso do modelo de vetores autorregressivos (VAR) nas commodities par a par. Observou-se que, para o mercado mundial, a commodity que tem maior volatilidade associada é o café, e no Brasil, o açúcar. Sob o prisma do comportamento de curto prazo das volatilidades, observou-se que o açúcar é o mais sazonal, com influências de volatilidade em até 14 defasagens. Para o café e o farelo de soja, notou-se que o mercado mundial não sofre influência do brasileiro, e o brasileiro tem influência direta do mercado mundial. Para o óleo de soja e a soja em grão, observou-se a presença de volatilidade unidirecional, isto é, os mercados não têm relação entre si, o que indica que para estes dois últimos mercados, os riscos associados estão presentes apenas em seus mercados.
The image of Boris Godunov in the drama by A. S. Pushkin and opera by M. P. Mussorgsky: comparative analysis of philosophical-aesthetic, psychological and social components
Authors: Zhang Hui
Published: August 2020

The subject of this research is the image of Boris Godunov viewed in three different aspects in the eponymous drama by A. S. Pushkin and in the opera by M. P. Mussorgsky. The goal consist in description of multifacetedness and complexity of image of the Tsar, as well as his main traits in representation of the poet and the composer, which helps the performers in staging the opera “Boris Godunov”. A comparative analysis of drama and opera is conducted in accordance with the tree main categories: philosophical-aesthetic foundation, psychological portrait, peculiarities of social environment and place of the hero therein. The main conclusions consist in determination of the important sides of possible interpretation of the image of Tsar as: 1) basic philosophical idea that underlies the entire play, and thus defines the role of Godunov in the artistic concept of stage director and actor; 2) key psychological traits that set the emotional tone for the image of Tsar Boris Godunov; 3) nature and specificity of relations between the protagonist and other characters. The scientific novelty of this article is defined by an attempt to determine the key trends in creating an artistic image of the hero by means of theoretical analysis of representations on protagonist in the drama by A. S. Pushkin and opera by M. P. Mussorgsky. The author believes that the range of qualities and traits imposed by these prominent upon Boris Godunov would help the novice actors to find the key to their unique interpretation of this character.
Potential Review on Palmyra (Borassus flabellifer L.)
Authors: Krishnaveni T. R. Sridevi , Arunachalam R. , Chandrakumar M. , Parthasarathi G. , Nisha R.
Published: August 2020

The state tree of Tamil Nadu, Borassus flabellifer L. is a nature’s gift to the mankind. It is plant that serves various ecological, medicinal, economical and sociological benefits to the society. It a plant of heaven that could sustain adverse climatic conditions and withstand natural calamities. It is one among the most beneficial species that has economical and medicinal value for each and every part. It found widely in tropical and arid countries ranging from India through South-East Asia to New Guinea. The plant has a very close connection with the rural livelihood and cottage and agro based industries of Indian economy. The utility of the plant could be widely classified into Non-edible, edible and value addition based uses. This paper attempts to give a birds eye view about palmyra’s distribution, nutritional and medicinal properties, different utility forms and the impact on rural livelihood.
"Dimitrie Gusti" National Village Museum - Short Philatelic History Review
Authors: Cioruța Bogdan-Vasile , Pop Alexandru Leonard , Coman Mirela
Published: August 2020

We all have a special connection with the village museum (in this case “Dimitrie Gusti” National Village Museum), our origin as a people being intimately linked to the life of the village. Traveling through the villages, it is easy to notice that most of the settlements have their old wooden church and houses, created by the local craftsmen. But few are accessible to the general public to visit, study, or learn about the history behind village life. Each church and house has its history and story inlaid in wood. Through this paper, we intend to review some philatelic aspects regarding the Romanian cultural heritage, respectively the wooden houses from the “Dimitrie Gusti” National Village Museum. Following the analyzes carried out based on the data from the consulted literature, as well as following other observations made about the sites with philatelic content, we concluded that there is an important and special series, at the same time, of philatelic issues that support the idea of cultural tourism. Such tourism can bring many benefits to the Romanian people, who also is firmly in the culture of the village, traditional architecture, handicrafts, and traditions as old as time itself.
Effect of Stocking Density on Survival Rate and Growth of Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus Linnaeus, 1758) in Round Container with Water Current Combined with Venturi Aeration System
Authors: Yustiati Ayi , Nariswari Shalsabilla , Rostini Iis , Suryadi Ibnu Bangkit Bioshina
Published: August 2020

The aim of this research is determine of the optimal stocking density for survival rate and growth of tilapia in round container with water current combined with venturi aeration system. Place of research in the Aquaculture Laboratory, Building 4 Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences, Universitas Padjadjaran. The research method used is experimentally with using the Completely Randomized Design (CRD) method which consists of three treatments, there are 15 fish, 22 fish, 30 fish, with five replications. Using water of 15 L per container. The fish used are 3-5 cm tilapia fingerlings. Fish were maintained for 40 days. The feed given is 5% from biomass which is adjusted every 10 days. The parameters observed were survival rate (SR) and observed everyday, daily grow rate (DGR), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and feed efficiency were observed every 10 days. The result was significantly different from the analysis of variance (ANOVA) with the F test at 95% confidence intervals and then using Duncan test to compare the rates between treatments. The results showed that the best treatment was stocking density of 15 fish / 15 L in round container with current combined with venturi aeration system with survival rate of 78.67 ±10.95%, daily grow rate of 3.68 ± 0.12%, feed conversion ratio of 1.19 ± 0.13 and feed efficiency of 85.01 ± 8.97%.
Impact of Some Natural Extracts and Nutrients on Different Growth Measurements of Washington Navel Orange Transplants
Authors: Sabbagh M. N. A. Al- , Badawy H. E. M. El- , Baiea M. H. M. , Gioushy S. F. El-
Published: August 2020

This study was conducted throughout the two successive seasons of 2018 and 2019 at Fruit Nursery of Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture at Moshtohor, Benha University Qalubia Governorate, Egypt., to study the impact of some natural treatments, i.e., Algae, Yeast extract, Moringa leaves extract and nutrients as compound that containing both macro (N, P, K) and micro (Fe, Zn, Mn, Fe, Cu) elements and compound containing macro and microelements and some growth regulators. These materials (natural extracts and nutrients) were applied as a foliar spray at different concentrations to evaluate their effect on different growth parameters of one year old Washington navel orange transplants budded on sour orange rootstock. These materials were applied once in a month started from the last week in April to the last week in September .as per the treatment as: Blue-green algae extract (1, 2 and 3 ml/L), Yeast extract (10, 20 and 30 ml/L), Moringa leaves extract (2.5, 5 and 7.5 g/L). Nitro active 20: 20: 20 (commercial grade) (0.5, 1 and 1.5 g/L) and Estima green (commercial grade) (0.5, 1 and 1.5 g/L). The result indicated that the application of Blue-green algae at 3 ml/L  and Estima green at  0.5g/L cause a significant increase in the different growth parameters under this study i.e.,  length, diameter, number of leaves, leaf area, fresh and dry weights. On the contrary, the least values of the abovementioned parameters were usually in concomitant to T1 - control (water sprayed) which ranked statistically last during both seasons of study.
Protein Intake of Vegetarians and Non-vegetarians in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria
Authors: Orisa C. A. , Usoroh C. I.
Published: August 2020

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the protein intake of vegetarians and non-vegetarians in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Methodology: Four objectives and four research questions guided the study. A survey research design was adopted for the study. A sample size of 400 respondents was selected using Taro Yamene formula and purposive sampling techniques. The instrument used for data collection was a questionnaire tagged: Protein Intake of Vegetarians and Non-Vegetarians in Port Harcourt Questionnaire (CPIBVNVQ). The instrument was validated by three experts with a reliability coefficient of 0.56. Data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage) and findings were presented on tables.

Results: Prevalence of vegetarianism was high in females (53%) than in males (47%). Protein intake by the vegetarians was high (97%) when compared with vegetarians who do not eat proteinous foods (3%). Among the non-vegetarians, 94% eat proteinous foods while 6% do not eat. The study also showed that protein intake is better in non-vegetarians than vegetarians. Higher percentages of non-vegetarians (84.3%) fell sick and got diagnosed of ailments as compared with 17.4% for vegetarians suggesting that the vegetarians experience enhanced immune function. Reduced saturated fat and blood cholesterol was a tool that influenced the respondents in choosing the vegetarian lifestyle with 82.5% for vegetarian and 13.8% for non-vegetarian.

Conclusion: Based on the findings, it was recommended that vegetarians should be encouraged to consume more plant proteins especially soy based foods since they are high biological value protein food comparable to animal products.
The Mediating Role of Counterproductive Work Behaviour in Exploring the Association between University Staff Work-related Expectancies, Procedural Fairness, Employee Voice and Job Satisfaction
Authors: Mkamwa Thadeus F.
Published: August 2020

This study examined the mediating role of counterproductive work behaviour in the association between University’s staff work-related expectancies, procedural fairness, employee voice and job satisfaction. The study built on Social Attribution Theory and the Expectancy Theory to explain causal inferences when individuals’ motivations for success and failure occur. The study consisted of a simple random survey among employees in a private university in North-Western Tanzania in 2014/15. The sample was made up of 187 respondents which was a 33% response rate. The study among other things established total effect and direct effect of employee voice and work-related expectancies on job satisfaction independent of mechanisms represented by counterproductive work behaviour. The results for the test of indirect effects of procedural fairness, employee voice and work-related expectancies on job satisfaction via counterproductive work behaviour showed no significant indirect effects. The study also showed a significant positive correlation between work-related expectancies and job satisfaction (r = .25, p < .01), with the implication that higher work-related expectancies (specifically pay raise and promotion) are positively related to job satisfaction. Overall, multiple regression analysis results show the study model accounted for about 47 per cent of the variance (Model R) in employee job satisfaction [F(8,156) = 5.822, p < .001). Theoretical and practical implications for these findings are discussed.
Eleusine indica Linn, Baertin (Poaceae) Ethanol Leaf Extract and Its Ethyl Acetate Fraction Display Potential Anti-inflammatory Activities
Authors: Akah Peter Achunike , Ezeugo Adaobi Ogonna
Published: August 2020

Objective: Inflammation is the underlying cause of most of the chronic diseases that occur with aging. Although many drugs are available for the management of inflammatory disorders and their symptoms, most of these drugs possess serious adverse effects that limit their usefulness. This has encouraged the unending search for potent anti-inflammatory drugs from plant sources as alternatives to conventional drug treatment of inflammation. This study investigated the anti-inflammatory activities of the ethanol leaf extract of E. indica and the ethylacetate fraction in rodents.

Materials and Methods: The leaves were extracted with ethanol by cold maceration and the extract was fractionated with n-hexane, ethylacetate, butanol and water. The oral acute toxicity (LD50) of the extract and the phytochemical constituents of the extract and the fractions were determined. The anti-inflammatory activities of the ethanol extract (EE) and ethylacetate fraction (ETF) and their possible mechanisms of actions were investigated.

Results: The oral LD50 of the extract was above 5000 mg/kg. Both the EE and ETF displayed dose-dependent inhibition of the rat paw edema, with ETF producing between 48-54% edema inhibition. Xylene-induced topical edema was significantly (p < 0.05) reduced by both the EE and ETF, with ETF causing between 48 and 65% inhibition. The EE and ETF preserved the integrity of gastric mucosa. Their average ulcer index (1.37±0.02) was significantly lower than that of indomethacin (5.20±0.23). Pre-treatment with the EE and ETF significantly (p < 0.05) reduced leucocyte migration, especially the neutrophils. Both heat- and hypotonicity-induced hemolysis of RBC membrane were remarkably inhibited.

Conclusion: The mechanisms of the anti-inflammatory activity may involve among others inhibition of leukocyte migration and membrane stabilization.
Preparation and Physicochemical Evaluation of Lumefantrine-2-Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin Binary Systems
Authors: Adegbola Adebanjo J. , Omotoso Ezekiel , Olubiyi Olujide O. , Soyinkaa Julius O. , Bolaji Oluseye O. , Onyeji Cyprian O.
Published: August 2020

Lumefantrine contributes significant roles in artemisinin-based combination therapy for malaria treatment but associated with a limitation of poor aqueous solubility and low permeability. This study investigated lumefantrine-2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin complex to improve its solubility profile. A phase-solubility analysis and molecular modelling were carried out before the preparation of the complex by physical mixture, kneading, co-evaporation and freeze-drying methods. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopic and powder X-ray diffractometric (PXRD) techniques were used to characterised the complex. The phase-solubility studies showed a type AL diagram with an apparent stability constant value of 243.4 M-1 suggesting the formation of a soluble and stable complex. Significant improvements in aqueous solubility was achieved, notably the freeze-dried system gave a 3-fold and 11-fold increase in solubility in simulated gastric and intestinal fluids respectively. The FT-IR spectra and PXRD patterns of co-evaporated and freeze-dried systems indicated stronger interactions and complexation of lumefantrine in the 2-HP-β-CD cavities. Our findings suggest that the host-guest binary system of lumefantrine-2-HP-β-CD is achievable, structural stable via intermolecular interactions consisting of hydrogen bonding and van der Waals interaction. The inclusion complex is considered a formulation option to ameliorate the poor aqueous solubility of lumefantrine which might improve the absorption and therapeutic efficacy of the drug.
Investment in the Water Supply and Economic Problems: Solutions
Authors: Musaevich Babadjanov Abdirashid
Published: August 2020

The article analyzes the importance of investing in the development and development of the water sector economy, and investment policy is a key area of economic development in the country. It is proposed to solve the problems of attracting investments into the sector's economy. Projects for land reclamation and land reclamation, developed by the Ministry of Water Resources, will be financed through foreign investment in the implementation of a program to improve irrigation and drainage infrastructure. In order to further develop irrigation and land reclamation measures, we believe it is expedient to strengthen investment activities in the water sector of the country and attract foreign investments into the economy of the water sector.
When do you Retire? Examining Intended Retirement Age Decision among Public Sector Employees in Sri Lanka
Authors: Madhuwanthi L. A. Pavithra
Published: August 2020

With the growing number of ageing population in Sri Lanka and continuous expansion in the public sector employment tend to create dynamic consequences on the economy. While mandatory retirement age in the public sector is forcing the employees to quit from the job yet rising ageing population in the country is seeking for employment opportunities for retirees. Hence, the objective of this study is to find out factors affecting intended retirement age decision among the public sector employees in Sri Lanka. The theoretical lens used in the study is theory of planned behaviour. This is a quantitative study which applied stepwise regression and path analysis to examine the factors affecting intended retirement age. The sample was consisted of 400 staff grade public sector officials and conducted a survey through a self-administered questionnaire. The results indicated that perceived health and attitudes of the employees towards the retirement are the major factors influenced on intended retirement age decision among the public sector employees. Employees’ job satisfaction and family relationships have some impact whilst anticipated financial position has a minor impact on intended retirement age. The findings indicated the public sector organizations need to introduce health insurance schemes for employees and to maintain an attractive organizational environment and friendly organizational culture to inculcate positive attitudes towards working environment in order to delay the retirement of the employees.
Curcumin attenuates angiotensin II‐induced podocyte injury and apoptosis by inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress
Authors: Yu Nan , Yang Lin , Ling Lilu , Liu Yuan , Yu Ying , Wu Qing , Gu Yong , Niu Jianying
Published: August 2020

Podocytes are an important component of the glomerular filtration barrier in the kidneys. The dysfunction and apoptosis of podocytes are important factors that can lead to the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). In CKD, angiotensin II is continuously elevated in circulation and is considered to have key roles in inducing podocyte injury and apoptosis. Curcumin is a hydrophobic polyphenolic compound extracted from turmeric. Increasing evidence demonstrates that curcumin has a protective effect on the kidneys in CKD. However, the mechanisms mediating this protective effect remain unclear. The aim of this study was to explore whether curcumin could protect against angiotensin II‐induced injury and apoptosis of podocytes. We performed western blotting, immunofluorescence, phalloidin staining, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase nick‐end labeling staining to observe the expression level of podocyte‐specific proteins, apoptosis‐related proteins, and the arrangement of F‐actin. We found that curcumin could reverse angiotensin II‐induced podocyte injury and apoptosis in a dose‐dependent manner. In addition, curcumin dose‐dependently attenuated a pro‐apoptotic pathway, activated by angiotensin II‐induced endoplasmic reticulum stress. Conversely, the protective effects of curcumin were impaired upon addition of tunicamycin, an activator of endoplasmic reticulum stress. Thus, we speculate that curcumin protects against angiotensin II‐induced podocyte injury and apoptosis, at least partly by inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress.