bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Towards a global initiative for fibrosis treatment (GIFT)
Authors: Molina-Molina Maria , Agusti Alvar , Crestani Bruno , Schwartz David A. , Königshoff Melanie , Chambers Rachel C. , Maher Toby M. , Faner Rosa , Mora Ana Lucia , Rojas Mauricio , Antoniou Katerina M. , Sellares Jacobo
Published: December 2017

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive lung disease characterised by increased scarring of lung tissue. Despite the recent introduction of novel drugs that slow disease progression, IPF remains a deadly disease, and the benefits of these new drugs differ markedly between patients.

Human diseases arise due to alterations in an almost limitless network of interconnected genes, proteins, metabolites, cells and tissues, in direct relationship with a continuously changing macro- or microenvironment. Systems biology is a novel research strategy that seeks to understand the structure and behaviour of the so-called “emergent properties” of complex systems, such as those involved in disease pathogenesis, which are most often overlooked when just one element of disease pathogenesis is observed in isolation.

This article summarises the debate that took place during a European Respiratory Society research seminar in Barcelona, Spain on December 15–16, 2016, which focused on how systems biology could generate new data by integrating the different IPF pathogenic levels of complexity. The main conclusion of the seminar was to create a global initiative to improve IPF outcomes by integrating cutting-edge international research that leverages systems biology to develop a precision medicine approach to tackle this devastating disease.
High-quality draft genome sequence of Aquidulcibacter paucihalophilus TH1–2T isolated from cyanobacterial aggregates in a eutrophic lake
Authors: Cai Haiyuan , Zeng Yonghui
Published: December 2017

Aquidulcibacter paucihalophilus TH1–2T is a member of the family Caulobacteraceae within Alphaproteobacteria isolated from cyanobacterial aggregates in a eutrophic lake. The draft genome comprises 3,711,627 bp and 3489 predicted protein-coding genes. The genome of strain TH1–2T has 270 genes encoding peptidases. And metallo and serine peptidases were found most frequently. A high number of genes encoding carbohydrate active enzymes (141 CAZymes) also present in strain TH1–2T genome. Among CAZymes, 47 glycoside hydrolase families, 37 glycosyl transferase families, 38 carbohydrate esterases families, nine auxiliary activities families, seven carbohydrate-binding modules families, and three polysaccharide lyases families were identified. Accordingly, strain TH1–2T has a high number of transporters (91), the dominated ones are ATP-binding cassette transporters (61) and TonB-dependent transporters (28). Major TBDTs are Group I, which consisted of transporters for various types of dissolved organic matter. These genome features indicate adaption to cyanobacterial aggregates microenvironments.
Aligning Practice to Policies: Changing the Culture to Recognize and Reward Teaching at Research Universities
Authors: Dennin Michael , Schultz Zachary D. , Feig Andrew , Finkelstein Noah , Greenhoot Andrea Follmer , Hildreth Michael , Leibovich Adam K. , Martin James D. , Moldwin Mark B. , O’Dowd Diane K. , Posey Lynmarie A. , Smith Tobin L. , Miller Emily R.
Published: December 2017

Recent calls for improvement in undergraduate education within STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines are hampered by the methods used to evaluate teaching effectiveness. Faculty members at research universities are commonly assessed and promoted mainly on the basis of research success. To improve the quality of undergraduate teaching across all disciplines, not only STEM fields, requires creating an environment wherein continuous improvement of teaching is valued, assessed, and rewarded at various stages of a faculty member’s career. This requires consistent application of policies that reflect well-established best practices for evaluating teaching at the department, college, and university levels. Evidence shows most teaching evaluation practices do not reflect stated policies, even when the policies specifically espouse teaching as a value. Thus, alignment of practice to policy is a major barrier to establishing a culture in which teaching is valued. Situated in the context of current national efforts to improve undergraduate STEM education, including the Association of American Universities Undergraduate STEM Education Initiative, this essay discusses four guiding principles for aligning practice with stated priorities in formal policies: 1) enhancing the role of deans and chairs; 2) effectively using the hiring process; 3) improving communication; and 4) improving the understanding of teaching as a scholarly activity. In addition, three specific examples of efforts to improve the practice of evaluating teaching are presented as examples: 1) Three Bucket Model of merit review at the University of California, Irvine; (2) Evaluation of Teaching Rubric, University of Kansas; and (3) Teaching Quality Framework, University of Colorado, Boulder. These examples provide flexible criteria to holistically evaluate and improve the quality of teaching across the diverse institutions comprising modern higher education.
Measurement Instrument for Scientific Teaching (MIST): A Tool to Measure the Frequencies of Research-Based Teaching Practices in Undergraduate Science Courses
Authors: Durham Mary F. , Knight Jennifer K. , Couch Brian A.
Published: December 2017

The Scientific Teaching (ST) pedagogical framework provides various approaches for science instructors to teach in a way that more closely emulates how science is practiced by actively and inclusively engaging students in their own learning and by making instructional decisions based on student performance data. Fully understanding the impact of ST requires having mechanisms to quantify its implementation. While many useful instruments exist to document teaching practices, these instruments only partially align with the range of practices specified by ST, as described in a recently published taxonomy. Here, we describe the development, validation, and implementation of the Measurement Instrument for Scientific Teaching (MIST), a survey derived from the ST taxonomy and designed to gauge the frequencies of ST practices in undergraduate science courses. MIST showed acceptable validity and reliability based on results from 7767 students in 87 courses at nine institutions. We used factor analyses to identify eight subcategories of ST practices and used these categories to develop a short version of the instrument amenable to joint administration with other research instruments. We further discuss how MIST can be used by instructors, departments, researchers, and professional development programs to quantify and track changes in ST practices.
Edge-preserving smoothing for simultaneous-source full-waveform inversion model updates in high-contrast velocity models
Authors: Anagaw Amsalu Y. , Sacchi Mauricio D.
Published: December 2017

Full-waveform inversion (FWI) can provide accurate estimates of subsurface model parameters. In spite of its success, the application of FWI in areas with high-velocity contrast remains a challenging problem. Quadratic regularization methods are often adopted to stabilize inverse problems. Unfortunately, edges and sharp discontinuities are not adequately preserved by quadratic regularization techniques. Throughout the iterative FWI method, an edge-preserving filter, however, can gently incorporate sharpness into velocity models. For every point in the velocity model, edge-preserving smoothing assigns the average value of the most uniform window neighboring the point. Edge-preserving smoothing generates piecewise-homogeneous images with enhanced contrast at boundaries. We adopt a simultaneous-source frequency-domain FWI, based on quasi-Newton optimization, in conjunction with an edge-preserving smoothing filter to retrieve high-contrast velocity models. The edge-preserving smoothing filter gradually removes the artifacts created by simultaneous-source encoding. We also have developed a simple model update to prevent disrupting the convergence of the optimization algorithm. Finally, we perform tests to examine our algorithm.
The fungal snoRNAome
Authors: Canzler Sebastian , Stadler Peter F. , Schor Jana
Published: December 2017

Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) are essential players in the rRNA biogenesis due to their involvement in the nucleolytic processing of the precursor and the subsequent guidance of nucleoside modifications. Within the kingdom Fungi, merely a few species-specific surveys have explored their snoRNA repertoire. However, the wide range of the snoRNA landscape spanning all major fungal lineages has not been mapped so far, mainly because of missing tools for automatized snoRNA detection and functional analysis. For the first time, we report here a comprehensive inventory of fungal snoRNAs together with a functional analysis and an in-depth investigation of their evolutionary history including innovations, deletions, and target switches. This large-scale analysis, incorporating more than 120 snoRNA families with more than 7700 individual snoRNA sequences, catalogs and clarifies the landscape of fungal snoRNA families, assigns functions to previously orphan snoRNAs, and increases the number of sequences by 450%. We also show that the snoRNAome is subject to ongoing rearrangements and adaptations, e.g., through lineage-specific targets and redundant guiding functions.
INTERVENCIÓN EN DIFICULTADES DE APRENDIZAJE DE LAS MATEMÁTICAS: INCIDENCIA DE LA GRAVEDAD DE LAS DIFICULTADES
Authors: Areces Débora , Cueli Marisol , García Trinidad , Rodríguez Celestino , González - Castro Paloma
Published: December 2017

La Representación Dinámica Integrada (RDI) es una estrategia de intervención que pretende mejorar las competencias matemáticas básicas y la resolución de problemas. El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo analizar la eficacia de la RDI en estudiantes con dificultades de aprendizaje en matemáticas (DAM) con un nivel de gravedad leve y moderado. Para ello, un total de 80 estudiantes (6-9 años) que presentaban DAM de forma leve o moderada, fueron clasificados en grupo comparativo (GC; 40 estudiantes que seguían la metodología habitual) y grupo tratamiento (GT; 40 estudiantes que trabajaron con la RDI). Los resultados mostraron la efectividad de la RDI frente a la metodología tradicional para los dos niveles de DAM. El GT mejoró en la totalidad de las competencias independientemente del nivel de gravedad. El GC mostró una mejora en algunas de las competencias en el nivel de gravedad leve. Los resultados sugieren que la RDI proporciona buenos resultados en estudiantes con un nivel de gravedad leve y moderado.
COMPRENSIÓN DE NOCIONES DEL SISTEMA MÉTRICO DECIMAL MEDIADA POR LA LSM EN EL AULA DE SORDOS [17-21]: ESTUDIO DE CASOS
Authors: Barojas Gómez Andrea , Garnica Dovala Ignacio
Published: December 2017

Un problema central de la enseñanza de las matemáticas del Sordo es la comunicación entre docente y aprendiz, situación que exige reconocer las Lenguas de Señas como naturales. Nuestra investigación parte de este principio y se orienta a la comprensión de la Lengua de Señas Mexicana (LSM) en su relación con nociones matemáticas que se desarrollan en el aula de Sordos, específicamente a la de su gramática y a la construcción de Señas relativas a nociones del sistema métrico decimal (SMD). Se propone un modelo de comunicación para desarrollar tres procesos en el aula: enseñanza, indagación e investigación que propició  la constitución de Señas pertinentes a cada una de nueve nociones: siete de matemáticas y dos de instrumentos de medición. Se realizó en condiciones de tiempo real en el aula con ocho jóvenes Sordos. Los resultados evidencian la relevancia del reconocimiento antes descrito y la necesaria presencia de la lengua escrita.
ARGUMENTACIONES DE ESTUDIANTES DE PRIMARIA SOBRE REPRESENTACIONES EXTERNAS DE DATOS: COMPONENTES LÓGICAS, NUMÉRICAS Y GEOMÉTRICAS
Authors: Estrella Soledad , Olfos Raimundo , Morales Sergio , Vidal - Szabó Pedro
Published: December 2017

Argumentar y representar son habilidades promovidas en los currículos escolares de muchos países. En este estudio, se presentan las argumentaciones sostenidas por seis estudiantes de grados distintos, desde primero a cuarto, sobre representaciones externas construidas por ellos. Se analizó la estructura de su argumentación respecto a algunas componentes presentes en estas  representaciones mediante el modelo simple de Toulmin, realizando una interpretación de las  argumentaciones e integrando la  representación construida con la argumentación. Los elementos argumentativos verbales y gestuales parecen verse influidos por habilidades de expresión oral, conocimientos numéricos y geométricos de los estudiantes. Los argumentos sobre la componente lógica, variable, y la componente numérica, frecuencia, fueron verbalizados por los estudiantes, mientras que las componentes geométricas, base - lineal y linealidad - gráfica, fueron argumentados mediante el lenguaje oral, el gesto y la metaforización.
Influence over school discipline policy: Variation across levels of governance, school contexts, and time
Authors: Curran F. Chris
Published: December 2017

Little research explores the relative influence of various stakeholders on school discipline policy. Using data from the SASS and ordered logistic regression, this study explores such influence while assessing variation across schools types and changes over time. Principals consistently rate themselves and teachers as the most influential stakeholders over setting school discipline policy. The proportion of racial minorities in a school predicts greater influence from higher levels of governance while charter schools report less. Increases in influence of principals and teachers over time are documented. The results may inform both policymakers and practitioners as they work to improve equitable disciplinary outcomes for students.
Causes of motor system overload in step aerobics: Literature review
Authors: Rutkowska-Kucharska Alicja
Published: December 2017

Many publications have indicated the positive impact of step aerobics on health. Although step aerobics aims to improve endur­ance and other health parameters, injuries incurred from overload happen to both instructors and participants. Values of vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) while stepping on and off the bench do not lead to overload on the motor system - they are simi­lar to the values obtained for walking or stair climbing. One reason for injuries may be the step workout technique. Overloads may be caused by incorrect technique of foot positioning on the bench, small knee angle during stepping off, and small angle of trunk flexion. This study presents an overview of current research on the load of the motor system in step aerobics.
Showrunner as Auteur: Bridging the Culture/ Economy Binary in Digital Hollywood
Authors: Blakey Elizabeth
Published: December 2017

This article engages the metaphor of showrunner as auteur to examine freedom of expression in television. News articles offer the metaphor of showrunner as auteur, with Hollywood journalists discussing the writer-producers of the new Golden Age of Television. Media convergence, including cable and digital technologies, has disrupted traditional TV organisations and power brokers, bringing about a renaissance. Jenkins (2006) challenges scholars to see media convergence in terms of voice and participation, rather than technology. Following Jenkins, this study engages auteur theory, and Marshall McLuhan’s analysis of the medium and the message, to better understand TV showrunners. Critical insights from Marx and Bourdieu are considered with regard to the interplay of cultural and economic forces. The analysis compares earlier film directors-Jim Jarmusch and the Coen Brothers-with showrunners of the cable and digital era, including David Chase, the Wachowskis, David Benioff, and Diablo Cody. Because of disruptive technologies, TV showrunners are able to break free from media restraints and bridge the culture/economy binary that structures TV as a field of production. No longer bound by broadcast censorship and scheduled programming, TV showrunners are producing shows that express their signature messages, transforming TV into a cinematic experience.
The Cotton Tensor and the Ricci Flow
Authors: Mantegazza Carlo , Mongodi Samuele , Rimoldi Michele
Published: December 2017

We compute the evolution equation of the Cotton and the Bach tensor under the Ricci flow of a Riemannian manifold, with particular attention to the three dimensional case, and we discuss some applications.
Generation of lignin polymer models via dehydrogenative polymerization of coniferyl alcohol and syringyl alcohol via several plant peroxidases involved in lignification and analysis of the resulting DHPs by MALDI-TOF analysis
Authors: Shigeto Jun , Honjo Hiroki , Fujita Koki , Tsutsumi Yuji
Published: December 2017

The mechanism of lignin dehydrogenative polymerization (DHP), made by means of horseradish peroxidase (HRP), was studied in comparison with other plant peroxidases. Interestingly, HRP is efficient for guaiacyl type polymer formation (G-DHPs), but is not efficient in the case of syringyl type DHPs (S-DHPs). It was previously demonstrated that lignification-relatedArabidopsisthalianaperoxidases, AtPrx2, AtPrx25 and AtPrx71, and cationic cell-wall-bound peroxidase (CWPO-C) fromPopulus albaare successful to oxidize syringyl- and guaiacyl-type monomers and larger lignin-like molecules. This is the reason why in the present study the DHP formation by means of these recombinant peroxidases was tested, and all these enzymes were successful for formation of both G-DHP and S-DHP in acceptable yields. CWPO-C led to S-DHP molecular size distribution similar to that of isolated lignins.
Bemerkungen zur Geschichte der religiösen Gewalt im Mittelalter
Authors: Weltecke Dorothea
Published: December 2017

In diesem Beitrag wird das Verhältnis zwischen religionswissenschaftlicher, soziologischer und historischer Forschung zur religiösen Gewalt erörtert und vor allem für die Geschichtswissenschaft mangelnde Vernetzung konstatiert. Eine eigene historische Perspektive, die die diachrone Perspektive ins Zentrum stellen müsste, existiert bisher nicht. Die Erforschung der religiösen Gewalt kann daher weder Dynamiken noch Transformationen oder Emergenzen theoretisch gerecht werden. Religiöse Gewalt hat eine Geschichte, die erklärt werden muss und durch die bisher vorgebrachten Theorien nicht hinreichend erklärt werden kann. Als spezifische historische Bedingung der christlichen und der islamischen mittelalterlichen Welten wird die Tatsache bestimmt, dass Religion, neben anderen, eine Kategorie sozialer Ungleichheit war. Zugleich wurde um politische und religiöse Teilhabe, Integration und Macht gefochten. Außerdem waren die politischen Strukturen zum Teil sehr schwach. Die sozialen Strategien zur Aufrechterhaltung der religiösen Hierarchie konnten soziale Konflikte schüren. Die Hierarchie bot zugleich die Möglichkeit, über Gewalt gegen geduldete oder ausgeschlossene Andersreligiöse eigene politische und soziale Interessen zu verfolgen. Treibend sind oft Akteure, die innerhalb der herrschenden Religion in konkreten Kämpfen um Deutungshoheit und Macht stehen. Dagegen scheint weder die reine Existenz differenter Doxa noch des Menschen Neigung zur Gewalt im Allgemeinen als eine notwendige oder hinreichende Bedingung für religiöse Gewalt.
From Excavation to Restitution of the Networks of Roman and Pre-roman Roads: The Footprints of the 2222 m and 2535 m Leagues in the Carnute, Senon and Parisii Territories (Gallia Lugdunensis/France)
Authors: Bruant Jean
Published: December 2017

The excavation of a section of the Old path from Orleans to Paris at Massy has shown a real archaeogeographical textbook case outlining the different phases of the transformation of a gallic sunken road in a gallo-roman road, whose route was used until the Modern period. Outside this focus, the whole of the ancient road has been restituted by observing on the maps the traces left by the use of the Gallo- Roman (2222 m) and the Gallic (2535 m) leagues during the survey campaigns. The cartographic analysis was extended to routes between the cities of Paris, Chartres, and Orleans (fig. 1), and it shows the use of an identical gallic league in Carnute, Senon and Parisii territories and the use of common zero points established on the urban limits for the calculation of the distances. Beyond the restitution of the road networks, this study has revealed that many menhirs, supposedly Neolithic, were in fact standing on points established with the gallo-roman league metric and sometimes directly erected on the limits (Fines) of ancient cities. This data allows one to reconsider the dating of the erection of these megaliths, thereby advancing the idea of a terminus post quem from the ancient period.
Self-Regulated Strategies for School Writing Tasks: A Cross-Cultural Report
Authors: Malpique Anabela , Veiga Simão Ana Margarida V. , Frison Lourdes Maria B.
Published: December 2017

We investigated cross-cultural differences in ninth-grade students’ reported use of self-regulated strategies for writing. We assessed 12 self-regulated strategies for writing tapping environmental, behavioural, and personal self-regulated processes. Seven hundred and thirty-two Portuguese and Brazilian students in transition to high school (Mage= 14.3; 372 male and 306 female) from mainstream urban schools reported on their use of the strategies. Statistical analyses included a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) with 12 dependent variables (self-regulated strategies for writing) and 2 between-subjects variables (country and gender). There were significant main effects for country with medium effect sizes and statistically significant small effect sizes for gender main effects. All-male and all-female comparisons indicated significant differences and medium effect sizes within gender groups. The majority of the differences tapped personal self-regulated strategies. Taken together, these findings suggest that initiating and controlling writing may be a contextualised bounded process.
Metaphor Comprehension and Interpretation in Cleft Palate Children Aged 6–9
Authors: Konopka Katarzyna , Pisula Ewa , Łojek Emilia , Fudalej Piotr
Published: December 2017

The level of metaphor comprehension and interpretation was investigated in a sample of children with cleft palate (CP), aged 6;0-8;11, and healthy controls matched with age, sex, socioeconomic status, and IQ level. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Revised (WISC-R) was used to evaluate the children’s cognitive functioning, and the metaphor tests from a modified version of the Right Hemisphere Language Battery - Polish version (RHLB-PL) were used to assess comprehension of figurative language. The CP and control groups differed significantly in Verbal IQ values and in performance in the Vocabulary test, Comprehension test, Picture Metaphor Explanation test, and Written Metaphor Explanation test. In both metaphor explanation tests, children with CP gave fewer responses than controls. The results suggest no differences between children with CP and controls in understanding figurative language, although they point to weaker performance in communicating responses and producing statements in the CP children group.
Metaphor Processing in Schizophrenia Patients: A Study of Comprehension and Explanation of Metaphors
Authors: Pawełczyk Agnieszka , Łojek Emilia , Pawełczyk Tomasz
Published: December 2017

The study assessed the quantity and quality of errors made by schizophrenia patients in understanding and interpretation of the same metaphors, to evaluate metaphor understanding and explanation depending on the type of presentation material, and to analyze the correlation of illness symptoms with metaphor comprehension and explanation. Two groups of participants were examined: a schizophrenia sample (40 participants) and a control group (39 participants). Metaphor processing was assessed by the subtests of the Polish version of the Right Hemisphere Language Battery (RHLB-PL). The patients were also evaluated with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Schizophrenia patients scored significantly lower in explanation of metaphors, making more incorrect literal and abstract mistakes or providing no answer more frequently. No differences were observed in understanding metaphors; no correlation between symptoms and metaphor processing was obtained. In both groups, picture metaphors were easier to comprehend and written metaphors were easier to comprehend than to explain.
Actividad de imagen: caracterización y tipología en la interacción comunicativa / Facework: characteristics and typology in communicative interaction
Authors: Hernández Flores Nieves
Published: December 2017

El propósito de este trabajo es profundizar en el concepto de actividad de imagen y defender su utilidad como categoría de estudio para comprender diferentes tipos de comportamiento que afectan a la imagen social de los hablantes en la interacción comunicativa: cortesía, descortesía y actividad de autoimagen. Teniendo como base estudios sociopragmáticos del español desde una perspectiva cultural y estudios teóricos en inglés de la última década, se tratará el concepto de actividad de imagen, el cual se caracteriza de acuerdo con dos conceptos claves: el del efecto social que un comportamiento comunicativo tiene sobre las imágenes de los hablantes y el del continuo social, la conexión que se establece entre sus imágenes en la interacción. De esta forma, se propone tratar la actividad de imagen desde dos perspectivas relacionadas: la de la dirección seguida por el efecto social hacia los interactuantes (la direccionalidad) y la de las características de este efecto (la modalidad), siendo su interrelación el factor que permite identificar y caracterizar el tipo de actividad de imagen.
Descripción diacrónica de la construcción discursiva de discapacidad: los Censos en México / Diachronic description of the discursive construction of “disability”: The Census in Mexico
Authors: Flores Treviña María Eugenia , Bustos García Brenda Araceli
Published: December 2017

Nombrar implica ejercer el poder sobre lo nombrado, involucra coacción y coerción social. La atribución de nombres, adjetivos, designaciones, favorece la taxonomía cognitiva, pero también socio-ideológico-cultural. Cuando una Institución al servicio del Estado nomina, esas denominaciones tienen consecuencias en los sujetos nombrados. En México, a través de las prácticas semiótico- discursivas (Haidar, 1996, 1998, 2006) se llevó a cabo esta edificación del concepto de discapacidad con importantes implicaciones. El objetivo de este artículo es describir la construcción discursiva, a través de la historia de la nominación de la discapacidad (Valdés, 1948) para vincular este hecho con el imaginario social de México y revisar las implicaciones socio-ideológicas resultantes (Bourdieu, 2003; Pechêux, 1970; Foucault 1970, 2003; Goffman 1963, 1986). Para efectuar un primer acercamiento, estudiamos los términos con que se designa la discapacidad en los Censos de población y vivienda (Lerner, 2001) realizados por el organismo responsable y sustentamos la exposición del proceso a partir de las propuestas de Lyons (1980) y Serrano (1992) sobre las implicaciones semánticas vinculadas con la designación; de Thiebaut (1990) respecto a la articulación semántica del nombre con la pragmática del texto, y con apoyo en Koike (2002) para la co-construcción del significado.
Going international im Krisenmodus
Authors: Scherle Nicolai , Pillmayer Markus
Published: December 2017

Wie kaum eine zweite Branche verkörpert Tourismus Internationalisierung par excellence: So sind nicht nur Angebot und Nachfrage weitgehend internationalisiert, sondern es gehört auch zum wesentlichen Merkmal der Dienstleistung als solcher, dass sie – zumindest im internationalen Kontext – in grenzüberschreitender Kooperation erstellt wird. Der vorliegende Beitrag unternimmt – primär anhand einer qualitativ-empirischen Studie – den Versuch, einen Einblick in laufende Internationalisierungsprozesse klein- und mittelständischer Tourismusunternehmen in Jordanien zu gewähren. In diesem Zusammenhang werden nicht nur zentrale konzeptionelle Zugänge zur Internationalisierung von Unternehmensaktivitäten erschlossen, sondern es soll auch reflektiert werden, inwieweit entsprechende Ansätze die untersuchten Internationalisierungsprozesse widerspiegeln. Eine besondere Relevanz respektive Brisanz erhält die Studie durch die komplexen und weitreichenden Implikationen des sogenannten ‚Arabischen Frühlings‘, welche die Internationalisierungsambitionen der relevanten Akteure immer wieder torpedieren und so manchem Internationalisierungsprozess einen kontinuierlichen Krisenmodus überstülpen.
Cruise Industry 2030 – Produkt- und Marktentwicklung sowie laterale Diversifikation
Authors: Wolf Antje , Mozuni Mehdi
Published: December 2017

Der Kreuzfahrtmarkt weist seit fast zwei Jahrzehnten ein erhebliches Wachstum auf. Derzeit ist der Kreuzfahrtmarkt vor allem markt- und marketinggetrieben, aber wenig innovativ. Megatrends wie der demographische Wandel, die Digitalisierung und die Individualisierung werden diese Muster stark beeinflussen und für neue Entwicklungen in der Kreuzfahrtbranche sorgen. Bedingt durch die zunehmende Marktsättigung werden sich Kreuzfahrtunternehmen in naher Zukunft verstärkt mit unterschiedlichen Diversifikationsstrategien auseinandersetzen müssen.
Wertschätzung von Kulturlandschaften durch Touristen und Einheimische
Authors: Richter Frauke , Matloch Jessica , Schiller Daniel
Published: December 2017

Dieser Beitrag identifiziert Einflüsse auf die Wertschätzung von Kulturlandschaften und vergleicht dabei Touristen und Einheimische. Als Untersuchungsraum dient die Hansestadt Lübeck und ihre Umgebung. Auf Basis von Befragungen wurde mit Hilfe eines Contingent Valuation-Ansatzes die Zahlungsbereitschaft für unterschiedliche Kulturlandschaftstypen ermittelt. Touristen sind insgesamt zahlungsbereiter für die Kulturlandschaften ihrer Urlaubsregion als Einheimische für ihre alltägliche Umgebung. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass soziodemographische Merkmale kaum einen Einfluss auf die Wertschätzung von Kulturlandschaften haben. Stattdessen zeigt sich für Touristen und Einheimische gleichermaßen ein signifikanter Einfluss psychosozialer Merkmale wie beispielsweise die Beziehung zur Natur und zur Region.
Hermann Burchardt at Siwa: unpublished pictures
Authors: Struffolino Stefano
Published: December 2017

While traveling through Siwa oasis, Herman Burchardt wrote down his experiences. His report contains descriptions about the social context of the oasis or its natural environment and a note that the report is associated with “zahlreiche wohlgelungene photographische Aufnahmen”, not yet published. These pictures are important concerning the history of archaeological research in Siwa and wtll be first published here.
Die Studien zur Konfirmand*innenarbeit und ihr Ertrag: eine kritische Bilanz
Authors: Pohl-Patalong Uta
Published: December 2017

Der Artikel streicht heraus und veranschaulicht beispielhaft, inwiefern die umfangreichen Bundesweiten und Europäischen Studien zur Konfirmandenarbeit wichtige Einsichten in die gegenwärtige Situation dieses kirchlichen Bildungsangebots liefern. Darüber hinaus wird darauf hingewiesen, dass diese Studien in vielfältigem Sinn dazu beitragen, die Herausforderungen und bisher nicht eingelösten Erfordernisse besser zu verstehen, die mit den religiösen Einstellungen und Interessen Jugendlicher, ihrer Beziehung zur Kirche sowie ihrer Bereitschaft zum freiwilligen Engagement innerhalb und außerhalb der Kirche verbunden sind.
Die Studien zur Konfirmandenarbeit in Europa (2007–2017) als Beispiel für international-vergleichende religionspädagogische Forschung
Authors: Simojoki Henrik , Tervo-Niemelä Kati
Published: December 2017

Der Beitrag basiert auf zwei zusammenhängenden international-vergleichenden empirischen Studien zur Konfirmandenarbeit in Europa, die 2007–2010 und 2012–2017 in folgenden Ländern durchgeführt wurden: Deutschland, Österreich, Schweiz, Dänemark, Finnland, Norwegen, Schweden, Polen (nur zweite Studie) und Ungarn (nur zweite Studie). In beiden Studien wurde ein umfassender Datensatz erhoben, der ausgefüllte Fragebögen von um 30.000 Respondenten einschloss. Befragt wurden Konfirmandinnen und Konfirmanden, ehren- und hauptamtliche Mitarbeitende, in manchen Ländern auch die Eltern; die zweite Studie schloss zudem eine Befragung zwei Jahre nach der Konfirmation ein. Im vorliegenden Aufsatz werden zentrale Befunde des Forschungsprojektes präsentiert, auch um die Fruchtbarkeit international-vergleichender Forschung religionspädagogisch zu belegen. Der Beitrag mündet in ausgewählten Entwicklungsperspektiven für international-vergleichende Forschung zur Konfirmandenarbeit.
Subjektorientierte Religionspädagogik
Authors: Kunstmann Joachim
Published: December 2017

Der allgemeine Bedeutungsverlust der Religion stellt den Erfolg religionsdidaktischer Arbeit in Frage. Anzunehmen ist, dass die spätmoderne Autonomie notwendig in die Distanz zu einer Religionsform gehen muss, die sich nach wie vor an Traditionsvorgaben orientiert. Darum wird hier ein subjektorientiertes Konzept vorgeschlagen, das das religionspädagogische Plädoyer für Erfahrungsbezug einlöst und die Lebenserfahrung der Individuen zum Ausgangspunkt nimmt. Religion ist symbolische Lebens-Deutung. So verstanden kann Religion neu an Plausibilität gewinnen. Didaktisch geht das Konzept daher von den Lebensfragen und Erfahrungen der Subjekte aus, die es einer religiösen Symbolisation und deren offener Kommunikation zuführt.
Physical and Cognitive Functions, Physical Activity, and Sedentary Behavior in Older Adults With Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Bollaert Rachel E. , Motl Robert W.
Published: December 2017

Background and Purpose:

Older adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience age-related declines in physical and cognitive functions that may be compounded by the disease and its progression and worsened by physical inactivity and sedentary behavior. However, the extent to which impairments in physical and cognitive functions are manifestations of MS and disease progression, reflective of the general aging process, or perhaps 2 detrimental processes exacerbating the synergistic effects of the other is relatively unknown. This study compared physical and cognitive functions, sedentary behavior, and physical activity between 40 older adults with MS (ie, 60 years of age and older) and 40 age- and sex-matched healthy older adults. We further examined whether physical activity and/or sedentary behavior explained differences between groups in physical and cognitive functions.

Methods:

Participants initially underwent the cognitive assessments, followed by the physical function assessments. The order of tests was standardized and participants were provided seated-rest between the administrations of the physical function assessments. Participants were then instructed to wear an accelerometer and document wear time in a log book for a 7-day period after the testing session.

Results:

Multivariate analyses of variance indicated that older adults with MS (n = 40) performed worse on all measures of physical function, and 1 measure of cognitive function (ie, information-processing speed), compared with healthy controls (n = 40). Older adults with MS engaged in less moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, more sedentary behavior, and longer duration of long sedentary bouts than healthy controls. Pearson correlations demonstrated that levels and patterns of physical activity were significantly associated with a majority of physical function variables but not cognitive function variables in both older adults with MS and healthy controls but to a greater extent in older adults with MS. Partial Pearson correlations further demonstrated that levels and patterns of sedentary behavior were significantly associated with a majority of physical function variables but not cognitive function variables primarily in older adults with MS. Linear regression analyses indicated that levels and patterns of physical activity and sedentary behavior partially accounted for differences in physical and cognitive function variables between older adults with MS and healthy controls.

Conclusion:

There is evidence of reduced function in older adults with MS, and this might be partially managed by behavioral interventions that target physical activity and sedentary behavior for the promotion of healthy aging in older adults with MS.
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection in domestic and wild mammals
Authors: Salamone Daniel F , Canel Natalia G , Rodríguez María Belén
Published: December 2017

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) has become a useful technique for clinical applications in the horse-breeding industry. However, both ICSI blastocyst and offspring production continues to be limited for most farm and wild species. This article reviews technical differences of ICSI performance among species, possible biological and methodological reasons for the variable efficiency and potential strategies to improve the outcomes. One of the major applications of ICSI in animal production is the reproduction of high-value specimens. Unfortunately, some domestic species like the bovine show low rates of pronuclei formation after sperm injection, which led to the development of various artificial activation protocols and sperm pre-treatments that are discussed in this article. The impact of ICSI technique on equine breeding programs is considered in detail, since in contrast to other species, its use for elite horse reproduction has increased in recent years. ICSI has also been used to produce genetically modified animals; however, despite numerous attempts in several domestic species, only transgenic pigs have been consistently produced. Finally, the ICSI is a promising tool for genetic rescue of endangered and wild species. In conclusion, while ICSI has become a consistent ART for some species, it needs further development for others. The low results obtained for some domestic species, the high training needed and the equipment required have limited this technique to the production of elite specimens or for research purposes.
Powerful Inference with the D-Statistic on Low-Coverage Whole-Genome Data
Authors: Soraggi Samuele , Wiuf Carsten , Albrechtsen Anders
Published: December 2017

The detection of ancient gene flow between human populations is an important issue in population genetics. A common tool for detecting ancient admixture events is the D-statistic. The D-statistic is based on the hypothesis of a genetic relationship that involves four populations, whose correctness is assessed by evaluating specific coincidences of alleles between the groups. When working with high-throughput sequencing data, calling genotypes accurately is not always possible; therefore, the D-statistic currently samples a single base from the reads of one individual per population. This implies ignoring much of the information in the data, an issue especially striking in the case of ancient genomes. We provide a significant improvement to overcome the problems of the D-statistic by considering all reads from multiple individuals in each population. We also apply type-specific error correction to combat the problems of sequencing errors, and show a way to correct for introgression from an external population that is not part of the supposed genetic relationship, and how this leads to an estimate of the admixture rate. We prove that the D-statistic is approximated by a standard normal distribution. Furthermore, we show that our method outperforms the traditional D-statistic in detecting admixtures. The power gain is most pronounced for low and medium sequencing depth (1–10×), and performances are as good as with perfectly called genotypes at a sequencing depth of 2×. We show the reliability of error correction in scenarios with simulated errors and ancient data, and correct for introgression in known scenarios to estimate the admixture rates.
Pas de deux: An Intricate Dance of Anther Smut and Its Host
Authors: San Toh Su , Chen Zehua , Rouchka Eric C , Schultz David J , Cuomo Christina A , Perlin Michael H
Published: December 2017

The successful interaction between pathogen/parasite and host requires a delicate balance between fitness of the former and survival of the latter. To optimize fitness a parasite/pathogen must effectively create an environment conducive to reproductive success, while simultaneously avoiding or minimizing detrimental host defense response. The association between Microbotryum lychnidis-dioicae and its host Silene latifolia serves as an excellent model to examine such interactions. This fungus is part of a species complex that infects species of the Caryophyllaceae, replacing pollen with the fungal spores. In the current study, transcriptome analyses of the fungus and its host were conducted during discrete stages of bud development so as to identify changes in fungal gene expression that lead to spore development and to identify changes associated with infection in the host plant. In contrast to early biotrophic phase stages of infection for the fungus, the latter stages involve tissue necrosis and in the case of infected female flowers, further changes in the developmental program in which the ovary aborts and a pseudoanther is produced. Transcriptome analysis via Illumina RNA sequencing revealed enrichment of fungal genes encoding small secreted proteins, with hallmarks of effectors and genes found to be relatively unique to the Microbotryum species complex. Host gene expression analyses also identified interesting sets of genes up-regulated, including those involving stress response, host defense response, and several agamous-like MADS-box genes (AGL61 and AGL80), predicted to interact and be involved in male gametophyte development.
Crown cover of native trees in the structural development of reforestations in Rondônia
Authors: Bentes Michelliny Pinheiro de Matos , Rocha Rodrigo Barros , Almeida Ana Luma Caldas
Published: December 2017

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to assess the initial development of a reforestation structure using the crown projection method as an indicator to monitor the recovery in degraded areas in the State of Rondônia. The method consisted of correlating canopy projection data with structural performance variables of six native tree species of the Amazon region. The study found that the species “large acacia” had the best capacity to promote shading, favor rapid covering, protection, and stabilization of the soil in the initial phase, at 24 months, with a crown area of 62.82 m². The crown projection method was suitable to identify the native trees that stand out in the initial years of restoration of degraded areas. The method can be used to indicate variations in the structural development of species as a function of site quality and to assist in determining the feasibility of native tree species selected for reforestation. Therefore, further studies on this approach are needed to develop models of crown cover prediction and validate crown cover as an indicator of reforestation development in restoration processes in the Amazon region.
Parasitismo da cochonilha-farinhenta Planococcus citri (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) por Coccidoxenoides perminutus (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) 1
Authors: Menezes Karen Oliveira de , Fernandes Maria Herlândia de Araújo , Paz Huanna Húbia Rodrigues , Souza Adriana Maria de , Torres Jorge Braz , Oliveira José Eudes de Morais
Published: December 2017

RESUMO Planococcus citri é uma importante praga da videira, no submédio do Vale do São Francisco, e seu parasitismo por Coccidoxenoides perminutus, de ocorrência natural nesta região, foi estudado por meio da determinação dos parâmetros de resposta funcional. O experimento foi conduzido com ninfas de segundo ínstar dessa cochonilha, ofertadas nas densidades de 2, 4, 8, 14, 28, 40 e 50, empregando discos de folhas de videira (cv. Syrah). Fêmeas recém-emergidas e alimentadas do parasitoide foram confinadas com as ninfas por 24h. A taxa de parasitismo resultou em resposta funcional do tipo III, com os parâmetros tempo de manipulação (Th) e taxa de ataque (a’) de 0,9824h e 0,00718h-1, respectivamente. Observou-se correlação de 94,3% entre o parasitismo observado e o estimado pelo modelo de resposta funcional, com máximo de 27 e 24,44 ninfas parasitadas em 24h, respectivamente. A emergência de parasitoides de ninfas mumificadas variou entre 64 e 95%, em função das densidades estudadas. Os resultados mostraram que a resposta funcional de C. perminutus em ninfas de P. citri é do tipo III e que a taxa de emergência do parasitoide é influenciada pelas diferentes densidades de ninfas de P. citri oferecidas. Com base na resposta funcional determinada, C. perminutus apresenta potencial de controle da praga, contribuindo com informações para um futuro programa de controle biológico.
Forage mass, botanical composition and stocking density of bermudagrass overseeded with forage legumes
Authors: Anjos Amanda Nunes Assis dos , Olivo Clair Jorge , Leme Denise Pereira , Aguirre Priscila Flôres , Pires Franciane de Almeida , Falk Débora Ribeiro
Published: December 2017

ABSTRACT Pastures of the genus Cynodon are being cultivated alone in conventional production with high rates of nitrogen fertilizer. Information and research about its use on mixed-pasture system is scarce. The objective of this study was to evaluate three grazing systems with coastcross-1 (CC) + 100 kg N ha-1 year-1 + common vetch; CC + 100 kg N ha-1 year-1 + arrowleaf clover; and CC + 200 kg N ha-1 year-1. The experiment was carried out from May 2013 to April 2014. The sward height, forage mass, botanical composition, leaf:stem ratio, and animal stocking density were evaluated. Experimental design was completely randomized with three treatments (grazing systems) and three replicates (paddocks) in completely split-plot time (grazing cycles). The average stocking rate was 7.0, 6.8, 6.8 cows ha-1 day-1 for the respective forage systems. Better results were found with coastcross-1 mixed with common vetch + 100 kg N ha-1 year-1 in winter and spring and coastcross-1 alone + 200 kg N ha-1 year-1 in autumn.
Carbon dioxide quantified by the infrared in evaluation of respiratory activity of wheat seeds
Authors: Dranski João Alexandre Lopes , Malavasi Marlene de Matos , Malavasi Ubirajara Contro , Schuster Ivan , Lazaretti Norma
Published: December 2017

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to develop and validate the methodology of carbon dioxide concentration in the evaluation of vigor of Triticum aestivum L. seeds based on infrared spectroscopy. The proposed method quantifies CO2 content using a drag system and exhaustion to the gas released by the seeds. Samples of 50 seeds of six lots of cultivar CD 123 were incubated at temperatures of 15, 25 and 40 °C. The CO2 content released after 1, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 24 h of incubation were quantified. Additionally, the percentage of normal seedlings emerged in the field were evaluated. The simple correlation coefficients were evaluated among tests. After determining the reading conditions, the precision and accuracy of the proposed method were evaluated, using 15 lots of seeds. For the evaluation of the respiratory activity in Triticum aestivum seeds, a sample of 25 seeds, incubated at 25 °C for a minimum of 12 h is recommended since it allows to classify lots with different levels of vigor and predict the establishment of seedlings in the field, being the appropriate method for measuring CO2 as it externalizes precision between successive measurements and agreement with the reference method.