bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Christian Lovesickness: Richard of St. Victor's The Four Degrees of Violent Love
Authors: Stevens Travis
Published: January 2021

This article argues that Richard of St. Victor's The Four Degrees of Violent Love makes use of the literary and medical concept of lovesickness in order to create a Christian spirituality that conceives of love in new ways. This article traces Richard's translation of lovesickness from the literary and medical to the theological, in order to reveal the effects on those wounded by the love of God. By uniting violent love with lovesickness, Richard opens lovesickness to Christian meaning and interpretation, placing it at the center of an individual's journey to God, and transforms lovesickness by associating it with the wound and with violence more broadly.
“And most semely for to be”: Julian of Norwich and The Cloud of Unknowing on Spiritual Similitude
Authors: Harkaway-Krieger Kerilyn
Published: January 2021

Both Julian of Norwich and the author of The Cloud of Unknowing use the Middle English term semely to navigate moments of tension surrounding the ability of material signs to convey divine truth. The authors treat a variety of signs, some linguistic, some not, all of which require interpretation to be properly understood. The wide variety of such material signs is captured in the authors' use of the Middle English terms goostly and bodily to identify spiritual and material realities, but also figurative and literal meanings. Seemly signs are suitable, appropriate for the task of communicating spiritual truths. Ultimately, for Julian and the Cloud author, semely identifies a particular relationship between embodied, finite reality, and divine infinitude—while there is no ultimate analogy between these two realities such that material signs are necessary or sufficient to reveal spiritual truths, some material particularities are the “best possible” or “most fitting” way to communicate.
El rol de la empatía y apertura en la intimidad de las amistades adolescentes
Authors: Brotfeld Cristian , Berger Christian
Published: January 2021

Si bien se ha estudiado la relevancia de las amistades de calidad como un factor favorecedor del bienestar de los adolescentes, es menos claro cuáles son las variables que facilitan que las amistades sean percibidas como íntimas. Este estudio aporta evidencias sobre el rol que podría cumplir la empatía para favorecer la construcción de amistades íntimas, utilizando como referencia el modelo de intimidad interpersonal (Reis & Shaver, 1988), que plantea que la intimidad se logra y construye desde la apertura de experiencias personales con amigos. El diseño es no experimental y la muestra corresponde a preadolescentes y adolescentes entre 10 y 19 años. A través de un modelo SEM, se contrastó y confirmó el modelo hipotetizado, encontrándose que la empatía afectiva y cognitiva tienen un efecto en la dimensión de apertura, y que esta dimensión a su vez media la relación entre ambas formas de empatía con la intimidad. Los resultados se discuten a la luz de los procesos a través de los que se mantiene la intimidad en la adolescencia, y sobre cómo la empatía puede ser un factor explicativo de estos procesos.
Un enfoque social sobre las diferencias de género en depresión en trabajadores: la importancia del conflicto trabajo-familia
Authors: González-Medina Gabriel Alonso , Letelier-Fuentes Natalia Estolaza , Aguirre-Iduya Daniela
Published: January 2021

Las mujeres en Chile, como en gran parte del mundo, presentan más prevalencia de depresión que los hombres. El conflicto trabajo-familia (CTF) indica el impacto del doble rol como proveedora y cuidadora en las mujeres que trabajan. Debido a la desigualdad de género en la distribución de las tareas del hogar, este tipo de conflicto sería más frecuente en mujeres, lo que podría estar asociado a la mayor prevalencia de depresión en este sexo. El siguiente artículo busca determinar si existen diferencias de género de depresión en la población chilena trabajadora, con similar nivel de CTF. Se utilizó la base de datos de la Encuesta ENCAVI (2015-2016), con un diseño muestral estratificado geográficamente y trietápico. Se delimitó la población entre 25 y 55 años, activos laboralmente. El tamaño de la muestra fue de 2.259: 1.086 hombres (edad media: 40,05) y 1.173 mujeres (edad media: 38,85). Los resultados indican que la presencia de CTF aumentaría en 3,28 veces más las probabilidades de tener sintomatología depresiva, siendo la variable con mayor magnitud de asociación. En conclusión, políticas públicas e intervenciones diseñadas a disminuir prevalencia de depresión en mujeres adultas trabajadoras tendrían que enfocarse en aspectos sociales y laborales vinculadas doble carga de trabajo
Una revisión de Historia oculta de la psicología en Colombia. Ciencia y religión a finales del siglo XIX
Authors: Pulido Martínez Hernán Camilo
Published: January 2021

Autor: Gilberto Leonardo Oviedo Palomá

Editorial: Pontificia Universidad Javeriana.

Lugar de edición: Bogotá, Colombia

Número de páginas: 222

Año: 2019

ISBN: 978-958-781-352-4

Datos autor: Gilberto Leonardo Oviedo Palomá es doctor en historia con énfasis en historia de la psicología de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia, magíster en psicología comunitaria y psicólogo de la Pontificia Universidad Javeriana en Bogotá. Actualmente se desempeña como profesor en las facultades de psicología de la Javeriana, de la Universidad El Bosque y del programa de psicología de la universidad Externado de Colombia. Ha recibido el premio Antonio Caparros otorgado por la Sociedad Española de Historia de la Psicología. También realizó labores investigativas en el Instituto para la Historia de la Psicología de la Universidad de Passau (Alemania), por invitación del profesor Horst Gundlach entre los años 1999 y 2003.
Caregiving and Conferencing: Supporting Faculty Participation in Conference Travel
Authors: Tower Leslie
Published: January 2021

Participation in academic conferences is vital to faculty careers. A statewide program in West Virginia sought to remove travel-related barriers for scholars by reimbursing caregiving costs incurred from traveling. While women were the majority of applicants, faculty of immigrant status and those of color reported more benefits from travel. Family travel funds were requested most often to offset childcare responsibilities for dual career couples. For institutions aiming to implement intersectional, multipronged approaches to institutional change, supporting family travel is vital for the professional development of underrepresented faculty.
Leadership in the Time of COVID-19
Authors: Rivera-Mills Susana
Published: January 2021

Leadership in higher education has been challenged to manage a crisis with more unknowns than knowns and at a pace of change and decision-making that is unprecedented. How will we ensure that we keep our values front and center? Lessons learned by a Latina Provost emphasize the importance of inclusivity, transparency, shared governance, and self-care. Discussion on the adverse impact on women leaders in STEM fields and how we can best support them during these times is also included. Lastly, leaders are challenged to be agents of positive change and to seize opportunities for innovation and creativity in advancing equitable and inclusive work environments.
Current Assets Management, Remuneration, and Operating Cash Flow of UAE Construction Companies
Authors: Nobanee Haitham , Salman Mohammed Haitham A. , Abraham Jaya Anitha
Published: January 2021

This paper examines the effect of current assets management and remuneration on operating cash flow of construction firms listed in the United Arab Emirates stock market before and after the financial crises of 2008. The results present a negative and significant relationship between cash conversion cycle and operating cash flow for the full sample. The results also show a negative and significant relationship between the cash conversion cycle and operating cash flow of the firms during the crisis period. This indicated that the UAE construction companies were more efficient in managing their current assets during the crisis period.
Environmental Operations Review and Stakeholders’ Wealth of Extracting Firms: Evidence From Nigeria
Authors: Asuquo Akabom Ita , Dan Nicholas Obun , Odey Innocent Oko , Linus Mkpa Ubuo , Uklala Ashishie Peter , Tapang Arzizeh Tiesieh
Published: January 2021

The research surveyed environmental operations review and stakeholders’ wealth of extracting firms taking evidence from Nigeria. The purpose was to consider the effect and necessities of environmental evaluation toward enhancement and maximization of the wealth of the stakeholders of extracting firms obtaining facts from Nigeria. The survey methodology and ex-post-facto design were adopted and material pieces of evidence needed for the validation of the propositions made in the exploration were gathered from both primary and secondary sources, and appropriate statistical techniques were applied in examining the raw material pieces of evidence. The domino effect and findings exposed that environmental operations review is greatly connected to the stakeholders’ wealth in the extracting firms. Consequently, the elements of environmental operations review ought to be reflected in making a decision concerning stakeholders’ wealth of extracting firms because it is appropriate that establishments put up with their stakeholders’ wealth in the midst of environmental defies. Finally, as originality/value, it was advocated and backed that extracting firms ought to display facts on environmental costs in their financial statements. This is obligatory in ensuring that environmental overhead besides environmental conservation is guaranteed towards ecological and green nourishment and sustenance.
The Impact of Learning Organizations Dimensions on the Organisational Performance: An Exploring Study of Saudi Universities
Authors: Meshari Abdulrahim Zaher , Othayman Majed Bin , Boy Frederic , Doneddu Daniele
Published: January 2021

The education sector is crucial to any nation committed to building future human capital. The Higher Education sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is at the centre of transforming the nation's future in a radical move to end oil-dependency. But this is only possible if universities make a decisive change and start working as learning organisations in all employee's levels. The present study investigates the direction of higher education in becoming learning organisations. We collected data from 840 staff members in 20 public Saudi universities. We designed a questionnaire exploring the seven dimensions of learning organisation found in the literature.  Regression analyses were used to assess the impact of those dimensions on the organisational performance. Results showed that universities that adhered most to the learning organisation principles demonstrated a better organisational performance, particularly concerning research and knowledge performance. We recommend that universities should (1) use change agents to help transform effectively and meet rising demands and (2), promote continuous learning for all employees to increase productivity.
Assessment of Synergistic Impact of Ambient Surface Ozone and Fine Particulate Matter on Experimentally Grown Wheat Crop
Authors: Sharma Rohit , Sachdeva Kamna , Sharma Anu Rani
Published: January 2021

The present study aims to understand how increasing surface ozone and fine particulate matter concentrations affect wheat crop productivity under ambient conditions. A pot experiment was conducted spanning over a period of 117 days starting from December 2016 to April 2017 at one of the receptor locations in Delhi characterized with high levels of surface ozone and fine particulate matter. The study site recorded highest concentrations of PM1, PM2.5, PM10 and surface ozone of 159±77 μg m−3, 172±79 μg m−3, 280±108 μg m−3 and 335±18 μg m−3, respectively during the crop cycle indicating the high levels of air pollutants at the site. The crops were treated with ascorbic acid under different experimental setups. A large number of growth, biochemical and yield parameters were evaluated at the vegetative, reproductive and grain formation stage of the crop cycle. Results indicated that the chlorophyll content and harvest yield of crops grown under ambient conditions were ∼23% and ∼14% lower than those of crops grown under controlled environment. Furthermore, a ∼13%, 5%, 15% and 10% decline in root length, plant height, number of tillers and number of leaves was observed in crops that were exposed to only surface ozone in comparison to crops exposed to only fine particulate matter under vegetative stage, respectively. Relative water content, chlorophyll content and air pollution tolerance index observed ∼56%, 23% and 61% decline with fully exposed setup in comparison control setup in the vegetative stage, while ∼57%, 23% and 44% decline was observed in the reproductive stage. Experiments also suggested that surface ozone had a more pronounced influence on overall productivity of wheat crops in comparison to fine particulate matter.
Elaboration of occupational risks
evaluation models considering the
dynamics of impact of harmful factors
Authors: Bochkovskyi A.P.
Published: January 2021

Purpose: Elaborate and substantiate stochastic models of occupational risk evaluation for
application in the occupation health and safety.
Design/methodology/approach: Analysis of scientific and technical literature and
regulatory framework for risk evaluation in the occupation health and safety; methods of
probability theory, theory of Markov processes; methods of restoration theory.
Findings: A system of differential equations and limit conditions for finding the limit
distribution of probabilities of a random process of occupational dangers is derived. Based
on the results of solving the limit value task, expressions to determine a number of key
indicators by which the level of occupational risk can be evaluated are obtained.
Research limitations/implications: The proposed approach aims to evaluation the risk
associated with the impact on the employee of harmful factors, but can also be used to
evaluate the injury risk. But in this case the received limit value task will be much more difficult.
Practical implications: The application of the proposed approach allows to increase
the level of occupational safety by taking into account the stochastic characteristics of the
negative factors impact on the employee during occupational risks evaluating, as well as
the possibility of setting such values of controllable parameters that will allow with a certain
probability to ensure not to exceed the level of impact accumulation in the employee of the
consequences of these factors.
Originality/value: Stochastic models of occupational risk evaluation based on the
application of Markov drift processes for the modeling the hybrid nature of the negative
factors impact on the employee, which occurs within the real systems "man - technical
system - production environment" were elaborated and substantiated for the first time.
Blockchain Havens and the Need for Their Internationally-Coordinated Regulation
Authors: Marian Omri
Published: January 2021

This Article describes the rise of a new form of regulatory havens. Jurisdictions that have traditionally been characterized as “tax havens” are gradually becoming hubs for blockchain-based ventures. These jurisdictions attract blockchain entrepreneurs by offering refuge from regulatory and tax burdens imposed by developed economies. These new “Blockchain Havens” create a regulatory “race to the bottom” that is traditionally associated with the world of international tax evasion and avoidance.

Over the past several years, developed economies have put to use—mostly through coordinated efforts—several regulatory frameworks aimed to address some of the negative effects of tax havens. These regulatory instruments are aimed against the haven jurisdictions themselves, or the private institutions operating in such jurisdictions.However, this Article argues that the unique nature of blockchain-based technology—most importantly, decentralization and temper resistance—makes such traditional anti-tax haven policies ineffective in the blockchain context.

This Article argues that coordinated international regulatory policies must be quickly developed to address certain important aspects of blockchain technology. Such coordination is necessary to prevent an uncontrolled regulatory race to the bottom, while at the same time preserving the benefits of blockchain-based applications.
Fragen über Fragen – zum Rechtsrahmen der Interpellation und der exekutiven Antwortpflicht
Authors: Singer Jens Peter
Published: January 2021

The legal framework of the parliamentary right of interpellation and the executive’s obligation to respond to these questions has traditionally been a field of contention between the government and the opposition . The Federal Constitutional Court has recently issued several decisions that have again concretized and expanded this framework . The number of parliamentary questions, which has been high for decades, has once more reached a new dimension in the current Bundestag’s legislative period and has led to demands for a legal limitation . Its feasibility is constitutionally controversial . The right to information under press law competes with the parliamentary right to ask questions and the executive’s obligation to respond . There is no legal claim of the questioner to be the first to use the answer in the media . However, it is good practice within a parliamentary system for the government not to thwart this practice .
Ausgestaltung von Controlling und Informationsversorgung in der öffentlichen Abwasserentsorgung
Authors: Hoffjan Andreas , Richter Adrian
Published: January 2021

Abwasserbetriebe besitzen eine natürliche Monopolstellung. Bei hohen oder steigenden Benutzungsentgelten geraten die Betriebe unter einen zunehmenden Legitimitätsdruck. Effektivität und Effizienz der Entsorgungsdienstleistung hängen von der grundsätzlichen Ausgestaltung der betriebswirtschaftlichen Steuerung ab. Im Rahmen einer qualitativen empirischen Studie werden Umsetzungsstand von Informationsversorgung und Controlling untersucht. Es wird ein repräsentativer Querschnitt der Ziele, Aufgaben, Organisation und vor allem Instrumente des Controllings in der Abwasserwirtschaft erhoben. Als zentraler Erfolgsfaktor eines abwasserbetrieblichen Controllings stellt sich die integrierte Betrachtung von technischen und kaufmännischen Kosten- und Leistungsgrößen heraus.
Zur Bewertung von Patenten bei Spin-offs
Authors: Follert Florian
Published: January 2021

In ihrem in Heft 1-2 des 43. Jahrgangs dieser Zeitschrift publizierten Beitrags präsentieren Gawenko und Hinz (2020) einen Vorschlag zur Patentbewertung und tragen damit zur Diskussion um die zweckadäquate Bewertung immaterieller Vermögenswerte im Allgemeinen und die Bewertung geistiger Eigentumsrechte im Speziellen bei. Der vorliegende Beitrag setzt es sich zum Ziel, den Blick für Probleme innerhalb des Gawenko-Hinz-Modells zu schärfen. Aus Sicht der Bewertungstheorie, welche universell zur Bewertung zukünftiger unsicherer Zahlungsströme geeignet ist, ist insbesondere die Verwendung des CAPM als kritisch anzusehen, da dieses Gleichgewichtsmodell die reale Entscheidungssituation eines Gründers nicht abbilden kann. Auch der Umgang mit der gerade bei jungen Unternehmen besonders stark ausgeprägten Unsicherheit erscheint als nicht zweckadäquat. Ziel dieses Kommentars ist es, für diese Probleme zu sensibilisieren, um die Diskussion zu bereichern. Insgesamt wird es auch in Zukunft die Aufgabe der bewertungstheoretischen Forschung sein, den Spagat zwischen Individualität und Typisierung zu schaffen.
Fünf Jahre EU-Türkei-Erklärung und die Frage nach dem institutionellen Blickwechsel in den bilateralen Beziehungen
Authors: Tekin Funda
Published: January 2021

Five years after the “EU-Turkey statement” it is time for a review. This statement of 29 November 2015 has defined a comprehensive roadmap for deepening EU-Turkey relations. It is perceived to represent an institutional shift from a rules-based accession process to an interest-driven transactional character of the relationship. This paper analyses whether such a change in perspective can indeed be identified. To this end, the question is addressed as to which different goals and thus also inherent path dependencies the declaration pursues. The conceptual classification of Turkey as a candidate country, a key partner and a strategic partner is helpful in this respect. In a further step, the extent to which circumstances in these three areas have changed after the statement and how this affects the implementation of the objectives and path dependencies is discussed. The paper concludes with a critical assessment and draws lessons for the future development of EU-Turkey relations.
Weather Nowcasting Using Deep Learning Techniques
Authors: Senekane Makhamisa , Mafu Mhlambululi , Benedict Taele Molibeli
Published: January 2021

Weather variations play a significant role in peoples’ short-term, medium-term or long-term planning. Therefore, understanding of weather patterns has become very important in decision making. Short-term weather forecasting (nowcasting) involves the prediction of weather over a short period of time; typically few hours. Different techniques have been proposed for short-term weather forecasting. Traditional techniques used for nowcasting are highly parametric, and hence complex. Recently, there has been a shift towards the use of artificial intelligence techniques for weather nowcasting. These include the use of machine learning techniques such as artificial neural networks. In this chapter, we report the use of deep learning techniques for weather nowcasting. Deep learning techniques were tested on meteorological data. Three deep learning techniques, namely multilayer perceptron, Elman recurrent neural networks and Jordan recurrent neural networks, were used in this work. Multilayer perceptron models achieved 91 and 75% accuracies for sunshine forecasting and precipitation forecasting respectively, Elman recurrent neural network models achieved accuracies of 96 and 97% for sunshine and precipitation forecasting respectively, while Jordan recurrent neural network models achieved accuracies of 97 and 97% for sunshine and precipitation nowcasting respectively. The results obtained underline the utility of using deep learning for weather nowcasting.
Photocatalytic and Biological Oxidation Treatment of Real Textile Wastewater
Authors: Gebregiorgis Teklit
Published: January 2021

With rapidly growing urbanization and industrialization in developing countries, a large volume of wastewater is produced from industries that contain chemicals generating high environmental risks, which could affect health and socio-economic activities if not treated properly. In this study, the discoloration of wastewater containing azo dyes by chemical oxidation process combined with a biological treatment was evaluated and applied on real textile wastewater generated from one Ethiopian industrial site. The use of TiO2 as a photocatalyst and the effect of the addition of H2O2 on color removal were investigated. Photocatalysis was followed by aerobic biological treatment and their combination resulted in 93.3 and 90.4% removal of color and chemical oxygen demand (COD), respectively. These results revealed that the combination of photocatalytic and biological treatment approach shows a promising potential for the removal of color from real textile wastewater.
Medical Provision of the Population within an Outbreak of a Traumatic Defeat an Earthquake: A Fundamental Tool of the Staged Health Risk Management
Authors: Dimitrova Diana
Published: January 2021

The most destructive and unpredictable disasters around the world are determined earthquakes. Various consequences are reported as possible negative effects and therewithal health-related of them. The identification and classification of the different types of health risk factors is an initial goal in an uncomplicated earthquake setting and a fundamental tool to a good understanding and effective organization of the health care system (HCS) in case of complicated medical situation. The health care system works at high tension with considerable difficulties due to the calamity of a large magnitude outbreak of a traumatic defeat such as an earthquake. In conditions of the worst-case earthquake scenario with the subsequent provoked multi-secondary disasters and with multi-secondary risk factors possibilities to take accurate solutions is a real challenge for the health risk manager. They are available critically low resource constraints. Two main critical points are formed. On the one hand the description of a structure of mass victim and achievement high quality medical triage in complicated setting due to earthquakes is a conceptual medical stage of health risk management. On the other hand it is a main step of medical provision of the population and a step of risk reduction strategy.
Corporate Social Responsibility and the Public Health Imperative: Accounting and Reporting on Public Health
Authors: Adaeze Nwobu Obiamaka
Published: January 2021

It has never been more urgent for corporate entities to ensure that they are accountable for public health issues arising from their business operations. Corporate social responsibility is constantly being redefined from what it used to be in terms of corporate responsibility to people and the planet. This redefinition is mainly due to issues affecting public health. Hence, it is important for corporate entities to account for how their business operations affect public health. It is also important for corporate entities to account for how public health issues affect their business operations. The nexus between corporate social responsibility and public health could also create a ‘new normal’ by accounting and corporate reporting on public health.
Nanoengineered Polysaccharide-Based Adsorbents as Green Alternatives for Dye Removal from Wastewater
Authors: Kamdem Paumo Hugues , Katata-Seru Lebogang , Moremedi Tshepiso , Joseph Hato Mpitloane , Sardar Soumen , Bandyopadhyay Abhijit
Published: January 2021

Water represents one of the essential resources on earth, and all living organisms rely on it for survival. However, freshwater systems are directly under serious threat by human activities. A recent World Health Organization report has estimated that 2 billion people use contaminated water sources. The major organic contaminants in water bodies include organic dyes. These are directly related to the spread of diseases owing to their allergenic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic characteristics. Dyes occur in the environment through untreated industrial effluents. Also, the advancement in human civilisation cannot be considered without the development of modern industries. However, an attempt to limit the resulting impacts of coloured effluents on global freshwater quality has become the focus of recent research. For this reason, the use of efficient, simple, and low-cost methods for the treatment of dyes-containing industrial wastewater could serve as a useful tool. An effort to meet the demand for “green chemistry” and sustainable development has led to several investigations on polysaccharide-based adsorbents. This chapter exposes a critical discussion on the literature concerning the biopolymeric xanthan gum and kappa-carrageenan polysaccharides as adsorbents for dye removal in an aqueous medium. Functionalisation of these biopolymers through graft copolymerisation and inclusion of inorganic nanoparticles for improved adsorption performance is systematically elaborated.
Rebars for Durable Concrete Construction: Points to Ponder
Authors: K. Kar Anil
Published: January 2021

Reinforced concrete is the number one medium of construction. It is important to have good quality concrete and reinforcing bar (rebar). It is equally important to have competent bond between rebar and concrete. About six decades ago ribbed rebars of high strength steel started replacing plain round bars of mild steel, the use of which had made reinforced concrete constructions durable. It was overlooked that ribbed rebars of carbon steel would be highly susceptible to corrosion at accelerated rates. That would not only make reinforced concrete constructions reach states of distress early, that could also destroy or reduce bond between ribbed rebars and concrete. The continued use of ribbed rebars of high strength carbon steel demonstrates a widespread lack of understanding of the phenomenon of bond between rebars and concrete. This lack of understanding of bond has led to the introduction of epoxy coated ribbed rebars, ribbed stainless steel bars and glass fiber reinforced and granite reinforced polymer rebars, all of which permit reinforced concrete carry static loads because of engagement between such rebars and concrete. But the load-carrying capacity of reinforced concrete elements is impaired, and such elements become vulnerable to local or even total failure during vibratory loads. The use of PSWC-BAR, characterized by its plain surface and wave-type configuration, permits the use of medium strength and high strength steel. In the absence of ribs, the rate of corrosion is greatly reduced. The use of PSWC-BARs, at no added effort or cost, in lieu of conventional ribbed bars, leads to enhancement of effective bond or engagement between such rebars and concrete, thereby leading to increased load-carrying capacity, several-fold higher life span, ductility and energy-absorbing capacity, and great reduction in life cycle cost and adverse impact of construction on the environment and the global climate. In keeping with a lack of understanding of bond between rebars and concrete, there is arbitrariness in the selection of the required level of percent elongation and ductility of rebars.
Evaluation of Particulate Matter Pollution in Micro-Environments of Office Buildings—A Case Study of Delhi, India
Authors: Mendiratta Saurabh , Gulia Sunil , Goyal Prachi , Kumar Goyal Sanjeev
Published: January 2021

High level of particulate matter in an office building is one of the prime concerns for occupant’s health and their work performance. The present study focuses on the evaluation of the distribution pattern of airborne particles in three office buildings in Delhi City. The study includes the Assessment of PM10, PM2.5 and PM1 in the different indoor environments, their particle size distribution, I/O ratio, a correlation between pollutants their sources and management practices. The features of buildings I, II, and III are old infrastructure, new modern infrastructure, and an old building with good maintenance. The results indicate that the average concentrations of PM10, PM2.5, and PM1 are found in the range of 55–150 μg m−3, 41–104 μg m−3 and 37–95 μg m−3, respectively in Building I, 33–136 μg m−3, 30–84 μg m−3 and 28–73 μg m−3, respectively in Building II and 216–330 μg m−3, 188–268 μg m−3 and 171–237 μg m−3, respectively in Building III. The maximum proportion of the total mass contributed by PM0.25–1.0 i.e., up to 75%, 86%, and 76% in the meeting room of Building I, II and III, respectively. The proportion of ultrafine particles was found higher in the office area where the movement was minimum and vice versa. The higher I/O indicates the contribution of the presence of indoor sources for ultra-fine and finer particles. Further, possible strategies for indoor air pollution control are also discussed.
DNA Damage and Repair Mechanisms Triggered by Exposure to Bioflavonoids and Natural Compounds
Authors: Goodenow Donna , Lalwani Kiran , Richardson Christine
Published: January 2021

Eukaryotic cells use homologous recombination (HR), classical end-joining (C-NHEJ), and alternative end-joining (Alt-EJ) to repair DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). Repair pathway choice is controlled by the activation and activity of pathways specific proteins in eukaryotes. Activity may be regulated by cell cycle stage, tissue type, and differentiation status. Bioflavonoids and other environmental agents such as pesticides have been shown to biochemically act as inhibitors of topoisomerase II (Top2). In cells, bioflavonoids directly lead to DNA double-strand breaks through both Top2-dependent and independent mechanisms, as well as induce DNA damage response (DDR) signaling, and promote alternative end-joining and chromosome alterations. This chapter will present differences in expression and activity of proteins in major DNA repair pathways, findings of Top2 inhibition by bioflavonoids and cellular response, discuss how these compounds trigger alternative end-joining, and conclude with implications for genome instability and human disease.
Submarine Stratovolcano Peperite Syn-Formational Alteration - A Case Study of the Oligocene Smrekovec Volcanic Complex, Slovenia
Authors: Kralj Polona
Published: January 2021

The Oligocene Smrekovec Volcanic Complex is a remnant of a submarine composite stratovolcano with a complex succession of lavas, autoclastic, pyroclastic, syn-eruptive resedimented volcaniclastic and siliciclastic deposits was a favourable environment for the development of peperites. Despite very complex alteration related to the stratovolcano-hosted hydrothermal system with a deep igneous source, locally elevated geothermal gradients and superimposed hydrothermal/geothermal regimes controlled by the emplacement of a shallow intrusive body, authigenic minerals in peperites - particularly pumpellyite and actinolite - show higher temperature stability ranges than those in the underlying and overlying volcanic deposits irrespectively of their lithofacies, porosity and permeability. The formation of authigenic minerals in peperites, such as laumontite, pumpellyite, epidote, prehnite or actinolite, was apparently controlled by ephemeral and localised high-temperature regimes originating from the parent lava flow. Heated pore waters in the host sediment that could have undergone local mixing with deuteric fluids circulated in peperites until thermal gradients persisted, and were the cause of alteration of juvenile clasts and the mingling sediment. The development of pumpellyite required a suitable precursor - fine-grained volcanic ash.
The Asymmetric Flexure Hinge Structures and the Hybrid Excitation Methods for Piezoelectric Stick-Slip Actuators
Authors: Cheng Tinghai , Zhang Xiaosong , Lu Xiaohui , Li Hengyu , Gao Qi , Qiao Guangda
Published: January 2021

Piezoelectric stick–slip actuators have become viable candidates for precise positioning and precise metering due to simple structure and long stroke. To improve the performances of the piezoelectric stick–slip actuators, our team deeply studies the actuators from both structural designs and driving methods. In terms of structural designs, the trapezoid-type, asymmetrical flexure hinges and mode conversion piezoelectric stick–slip actuators are proposed to improve the velocity and load based on the asymmetric structure; besides, a piezoelectric stick–slip actuator with a coupled asymmetrical flexure hinge mechanism is also developed to achieve the bidirectional motion. In terms of driving methods, a non-resonant mode smooth driving method (SDM) based on ultrasonic friction reduction is first proposed to restrain the backward motion during the rapid contraction stage. Then, a resonant mode SDM is further developed to improve the output performance of the piezoelectric stick–slip actuator. On this basis, the low voltage and symmetry of the SDM are also discussed. Finally, the direction-guidance hybrid method (DGHM) excitation method is presented to achieve superior performance, especially for high speed.
Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy of the Respiratory Tract: From the Proof of Principles to Clinical Application
Authors: M. Inada Natalia , D. Dias Lucas , C. Blanco Kate , Kassab Giulia , H. Buzzá Hilde , S. Bagnato Vanderlei
Published: January 2021

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and its relevant health consequences have been explicitly framed as a shared global problem and are estimated to be one of the largest causes of death worldwide by 2050. Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) proposes an alternative treatment for localized infections in response to AMR’s ever-growing problem. This technique combines molecular oxygen, a non-toxic photoactivatable photosensitizer (PS), and light of appropriate wavelength, leading to the formation of cytotoxic reactive oxygen species. Besides the ability to inactivate resistant pathogens via a non-selective approach (multiple targets), a relevant advantage of aPDT resides in the fact that no evidence of microorganism resistance has ever been reported to it. In this chapter, we address some efforts to use this technology to kill bacteria in the respiratory tract, from in vitro to clinical applications. We put forward three focuses: pharyngotonsillitis, pneumonia, and preventing secondary infections during the use of a photosensitizer-functionalized endotracheal tube. The results here presented offer a foundation for what may become a much larger clinical approach to treat respiratory tract infections.
Celiac Disease Management through Gluten-Free Diets
Authors: Olawoye Babatunde , Kadiri Oseni , Fisoye Fagbohun Oladapo , David Oluwajuyitan Timilehin
Published: January 2021

In recent times, there had been an increase in the consumption of food products made from cereals other than wheat flour. This is partly due to the surge or rise in wheat importation thereby led to a high foreign exchange spending for countries with comparative disadvantage in the cultivation and production of wheat grain. Aside from this, there had been a major concern on the health challenges emanating as a result of the consumption of food made from wheat flour. This health challenge is called celiac disease; an immune-mediated disease arising from the inability of the consumer to ingest gluten-containing products. This book chapter intends to write on the management of celiac disease using gluten-free diets.
What To Do When the Battery Runs Out
Authors: Guevin Benedict M. ,   The National Catholic Bioethics Center
Published: January 2021

I recently published two articles on pacemakers. My focus in both articles was on the moral permissibility of deactivating the pacemaker at the end of life. But an attentive reader sent me an email with the gentle reminder that I failed to discuss in either article whether it is ethical to allow the battery that powers the pacemaker to run out when a person has dementia or Alzheimer’s disease or is terminally ill. With people living longer, and with ever-increasing uses of pacemakers, what to do in such cases has become a growing and confusing issue.
NCBC Statement on the Zika Virus
Authors:   The National Catholic Bioethics Center
Published: January 2021

A suspected connection between the Zika virus and microcephaly, or abnormally small heads, in children who were in the womb when their mothers contracted the virus has raised public health alarms in South America, the United States, and elsewhere around the globe. Appropriate recommendations to safeguard the health of all persons, and particularly those most susceptible to any serious effects of the disease, are warranted. Zika is the most recent and high-profile instance of any number of diseases that might have deleterious effects on the unborn children whose mothers contract it while pregnant. In no way, however, would it justify a change in the Catholic Church’s consistent teachings on the sacredness and inviolability of human life and the dignity and beauty of the means of transmitting life through marital relations. Direct abortion and contraceptive acts are intrinsically immoral and contrary to these great goods, and no circumstances can justify either.
Mercy and Physician-Assisted Suicide
Authors: Harvey Kathryn E. ,   The National Catholic Bioethics Center
Published: January 2021

Physician-assisted suicide (PAS) affects patients and also their families and loved ones. Committing suicide deprives a person of the remaining time he or she has in this life. It also deprives the family and friends of someone whose life they’ve shared. This reality causes tremendous pain for those left behind and gives rise to many complex emotions and questions. PAS is not a dignified way to die. One of the most central elements of Catholic doctrine is its emphasis on how we are created in the image and likeness of God, who is the beginning and end of all living beings. Since Catholics believe that God is the author and giver of life, it is morally wrong to purposely end one’s life or the life of another directly or indirectly.
A Brief History of Catholic Bioethics
Authors: Mitchell Louise A. ,   The National Catholic Bioethics Center
Published: January 2021

The foundations of modern Catholic bioethics were laid with the teachings of Christ, especially in the example He set as the Divine Physician and through the parable of the Good Samaritan. The Church thus cared for the sick and built hospitals for two thousand years before adopting a definite bioethical focus. Equally important for Catholic bioethics, especially in clinical practice, was the development of the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services. They are based on the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Hospitals, which were first published by the Catholic Hospital Association in 1948, revised in 1955, and revised and adopted by the United States Catholic Conference in 1971. Secular bioethics split from theology and metaphysics in favor of the rationalism and humanism which developed out of Enlightenment thought, whereas Catholic bioethics continued its own development, keeping both its theological and its metaphysical roots.
Feticide and US Law
Authors: Bradley Gerard V. ,   The National Catholic Bioethics Center
Published: January 2021

That abortion kills someone with a right-to-life has become easier to see since Roe v. Wade. Progress in scientific research and medical practice has made both birth and viability unrealistic criteria for demarcating between human life, which demands moral respect, and merely “potential life” which does not have moral or legal equivalency with maternal interest. The near ubiquity of sonograms has probably done more than intellectual arguments to convince the public that a real baby resides in the uterus by the tenth week of pregnancy. Earlier and earlier prenatal medical interventions on behalf of the unborn patient confirm this impression, and DNA indubitably substantiates that a fertilized embryo is biologically identical to the individual who is born nine months later and who has an undeniable right not to be killed.
Solidarism and the EpiPen
Authors: Babcock Paul ,   The National Catholic Bioethics Center
Published: January 2021

The price of health care has been rising with no discernible ceiling, and most people do not understand why this is so. Mylan’s EpiPen is a simple example of prices rising on a single commodity. The solidarist perspective suggests that the price gouging occurred because the drug maker wanted to capture the market through weaknesses in our health care system, thus taking advantage of the buyer of their product. This creates an injustice because buyers are no longer free to make decisions but are held ransom by their health needs or those of their loved ones. This is why supply and demand cannot ultimately determine just prices; the supply is now controlled by one entity, which can manipulate the price for its own benefit regardless of demand or need within the society.
Senior Care and Sexuality
Authors: Seng Aaron ,   The National Catholic Bioethics Center
Published: January 2021

In recent years, more attention has been paid to enduring sexual desire among the elderly. As senior care entities place ever-greater emphasis on resident satisfaction, they note that sexual desire, although typically diminished with age, does not disappear. Similarly, a growing number of articles and studies highlight the various health benefits associated with remaining sexually active later in life. As baby boomers begin utilizing senior care services, providers are well aware of the demonstrated differences between their views on sex and marriage and those held by preceding generations. In light of this shift toward the acceptance of sexual activity that society previously considered morally unacceptable, as well as the rapid changes in cultural and jurisprudential understandings of sex, marriage, and family, it is unsurprising that senior care organizations are striving to give greater freedom of sexual self-expression to their residents. Autonomy and privacy begin to emerge as the highest values.
Moral Certitude in Bioethics
Authors: Austriaco Nicanor Pier Giorgio ,   The National Catholic Bioethics Center
Published: January 2021

How much certitude is warranted in bioethics? According to Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas, it is the mark of an educated man to seek that level of certitude that is appropriate to a particular arena of human experience. Thus, for the ancients, it would be foolish to expect the same level of certitude in psychology, the study of human behavior, as one would expect in mathematics, the study of number and quantity. By the very nature of their subject matter, fickle human beings in psychology and stable unchanging quantities in mathematics, less certitude is attainable in the former than in the latter. Given the contingent nature of the types of judgments common in bioethics, therefore, it is not reasonable to expect metaphysical or physical certitude in this arena of human conduct. Moral certitude can and must suffice.
Gender Ideology Leads to Gender Confusion
Authors: McTavish James ,   The National Catholic Bioethics Center
Published: January 2021

For millennia, gender identity did not generate much confusion. In every epoch it has been accepted that one is either male or female. Gender confusion is a modern phenomenon, caused by the advance of gender ideology, an attempt to radically sever biological sex (the condition of being male or female) from the outward cultural and social expression of sex (gender). In doing so, it gives free rein to sexual expression, including homosexual and bisexual activity. This is clear from recent attempts to enshrine these concepts in national legislation. Various countries, including the United States, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom, are now aggressively exporting their ideologies to the developing world.
Understanding Social Science Studies on the Family
Authors: Smith Carr J. , Smith Julia M. ,   The National Catholic Bioethics Center
Published: January 2021

Opinions vary as to the relative importance of Roger Bacon’s Opus majus composed in the 1200s, the invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg around 1440, and Isaac Newton’s 1687 work, Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy, but few would disagree that the scientific revolution ushered in by these and works by scores of other scientists, inventors, and engineers has transformed the world. Material and intellectual progress has placed science on the highest pedestal of modern society. It is only natural that the social sciences would covet the credibility of the more objective experimental sciences. Even with the two most statistically powerful and well-controlled protocols for human evaluation—the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial and the prospective epidemiology study—a high degree of expertise and care is essential to avoid inadvertently introducing bias into the study design. Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to avoid doing this in social science studies.