bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Between translation studies and adaptation studies: Via the case of Li Shaohong’s cinematic domestication of Gabriel García Márquez’s Chronicle of a Death Foretold
Authors: Jiang Xiaohu
Published: February 2021

This article investigates the Chinese director Li Shaohong’s film Bloody Morning (1992), which was adapted from Gabriel García Márquez’s novella Chronicle of a Death Foretold (1981), and the Chinese philosophical and cultural tradition that shaped this case of adaptation. By incorporating the Colombian story, Li Shaohong expressed her concern about China’s backwards rural areas. Her adaptation localizes and incorporates the foreignness of the source text to meet the ideological and aesthetic horizons of expectation and the common concerns of her Chinese audience. This article argues that the director’s domestication has its philosophical and cultural roots in China’s history of war against foreign aggression, although the Chinese film has nothing to do with war against foreign powers.
‘I was your slave’: Revisioning kinship in Toni Morrison and Rokia Traoré’s Desdemona
Authors: Rapetti Valentina
Published: February 2021

This article offers a critical reading of Desdemona (2012), a cross-cultural theatre adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Othello staged by American theatre and opera director Peter Sellars, with texts by African American Nobel laureate Toni Morrison and music and lyrics by Malian singer-songwriter Rokia Traoré. By drawing on early modern race studies and Marshall Sahlin’s notion of ‘mutuality of being’, the article discusses Morrison’s lyrical prose as well as Traoré’s songs and performance to show how they merge and amplify one another in Sellars’ meditative staging to jointly rearticulate early modern notions of race, kinship and family embedded in Othello. By questioning what lies dormant, unseen and unheard in the Shakespearean tragedy, Desdemona supplements it with what Imtiaz Habib has termed ‘imprints of the invisible’ and invites its readers and audiences to ponder the onset of European colonialism, the slave trade, colour-based racism and their global aftermath, positing theatre as a metaphor for other civic, shared spaces where honest conversations about race, gender and class inequalities can open up a path to healing and reconciliation.
What if a girl in the Holocaust had Instagram? Éva’s Story as a case of indirect translation
Authors: Kohn Ayelet , Weissbrod Rachel
Published: February 2021

This article deals with the adaptation of a written text – the diary of 13-year-old Éva Heyman who died in the Holocaust – into a series of Instagram stories, joined to create a 50-minute film. We employ translation studies and the concept of ‘indirect translation’ to investigate this unique case in which a genre characterized by its ephemerality is used to commemorate and perpetuate the past. The project, which caused a furore because Instagram was considered inappropriate for dealing with such a grave subject, was motivated by the desire to transmit the diary to contemporary audiences and retain its relevance for them. We have found that the diary served as a general framework, but its contents and the character of Éva that emerges from it were overshadowed by two factors: turning Éva into a contemporary youngster, so as to attract today’s youth; and relying on Hollywood traditions of filming the Second World War and the Holocaust.
Una historia del primer programa latinoamericano de postgrado en educación matemática
Authors: Pacheco Moros Vanesa , González Fredy Enrique
Published: February 2021

El estudio que aquí se reporta ofrece una versión de la historia del programa de Maestría en Educación Matemática del Instituto Pedagógico de Caracas, Venezuela (MEM-IPC), fundado en 1974 y actualmente vigente. Se detallan los pormenores de la creación de dicho programa con el propósito de ofrecer argumentos que muestren que este fue el primero de los programas de postgrado en Educación Matemática creados en América Latina.
La revolución educativa y el humanismo italiano: de ingenuis moribus et liberalibus adolescentiae studiis de Pier Paolo Vergerio
Authors: Cagnolati Antonella
Published: February 2021

A principios del siglo xv comenzaron a ser publicados en Italia los primeros tratados pedagógicos dirigidos a la elaboración de las líneas educativas básicas para la generación más joven. La calidad y cantidad de esos tratados se debe al cambio global producido al final de la Edad Media en la sociedad italiana: ya no se parece a la otra vida, sino a la vita activa y concreta de las ciudades, gobernadas por élites y por la clase media mercantil. Este cambio de perspectiva requiere que los que gobiernan sean educados y entrenados de acuerdo a los valores morales expresados en las obras de los clásicos griegos y latinos. El primer tratado educativo es De ingenuis moribus et liberalibus adolescentiae studiis, escrito por Pier Paolo Vergerius, un distinguido humanista italiano que vivió entre 1370 y 1444. El trabajo pone de relieve el papel tanto de la familia como del tutor para formar el carácter de los adolescentes y, al mismo tiempo, dibuja un currículum educativo moderno y eficaz que será retomado por todos los humanistas de la época siguiente, convirtiéndose en un modelo a imitar y seguir.
La educación moral en las primeras edades a través del teatro español del siglo XVIII y primera mitad del XIX
Authors: Briante Benítez Federico
Published: February 2021

En la España del siglo xviii y gran parte del xix se produjo un interés extraordinario por todo lo relacionado con la educación de los más jóvenes, uno de los colectivos en los que los ilustrados depositaron sus esperanzas del tan anhelado renacer de la patria. En este sentido, el teatro, por su amplio alcance y poder didáctico, se alzaba en una plataforma de valor inigualable para la transmisión e inculcaciónde las nuevas ideas y corrientes pedagógicas en boga en la época. Aunque este fenómeno ya ha sido reseñado por la crítica literaria, generalmente se ha hecho en relación a obras dramáticas estelares de aquel momento como El sí de las niñas, de Moratín. Resulta necesario, pues, detenerse en otros textos teatrales quizá menos conocidos, pero que también reflejan a todas luces cómo se instó desde las tablas a la promoción de una reforma moral de la juventud española.
El método Montessori en la educación infantil española: luces y sombras
Authors: Sanchidrián Blanco Carmen
Published: February 2021

En este artículo se revisa la Introducción, difusión y aplicación de la pedagogía de Montessori en España en tres etapas. Durante la primera (1914-1936) se editan en español muchas de sus obras, se realizan las primeras experiencias y la misma Montessori pasa años en nuestro país; en la segunda (franquismo), tras dos décadas de rechazo frontal a toda la Escuela Nueva, Montessori fue encontrando su pequeño lugar, y, por último, en la España democrática veremos una cierta diversidad  e incluso confusión en torno a la aplicación de sus métodos. La vida y la obra de Montessori han estado ocultas por escritos  hagiográficos y es preciso estudiarlas sin perder de vista su contexto, su educación, sus creencias y sus intereses; solo así se podrá distinguir a los que mantienen sus principios pedagógicos de los que intentan vender cosas diversas en su nombre.
La pedagogía de Milani en España e Iberoamérica
Authors: Corzo Toral José Luis
Published: February 2021

El autor se fija más en la pedagogía que en los métodos didácticos de la Escuela de Barbiana, cuya Lettera a una professoressa (1967) se tradujo a más de 60 lenguas y nunca ha faltado de las librerías italianas y españolas, traducida como Carta a una maestra por sugerencia de Marta Mata. Ya en 1969 Meri Franco Lao la tradujo para Argentina y Uruguay, de donde pasó a otros lugares de Iberoaméricacomo Carta a una profesora. La principal aportación de esta Carta es doble: la escuela obligatoria ha de ser compensatoria de los últimos, carentes de la palabra que nos hace iguales. La escuela actual daña más a quienes triunfan en ella sin ver la parte mejor de la humanidad. Esta crítica radical espanta a los partidarios de una escuela competitiva y liberal. Son muchos los pedagogos que la ignoran para  rechazarla, o que solo leen en ella un reclamo contra el fracaso y el abandono escolar prematuro. Por eso repasa el autor la lista de profesores, editoriales y revistas que –en España sobre todo– asumen Barbiana y otorgan a Lorenzo Milani un puesto en la pedagogía contemporánea.
Challenges the finance profession has been facing following the 2008-2009. A multi-country research
Authors: Dankó András , Barakonyi Károly
Published: February 2021

In the successful strategic management of the modern companies each function plays their specific role. While today’s businesses in many ways are different from their ancestors, the key fundamentals are derived from the same roots. Their main purpose of existence is to serve the needs of their shareholders and stakeholders by creating value (Pike et al., 1993). To achieve this effectively and efficiently the various functions need to work in close cooperation with each other. The global crisis, starting in 2008, proved that volatility is higher for the financial markets and the ordinary businesses that have been anticipated before. As the recession started as a financial crisis many people started to blame – amongst others – banks and financial institutions for excessive risk taking and taking short profits ahead of long term sustainable growth. Accordingly the lost confidence in the financial institutions has taken a toll on the reputation of other Finance professionals such as accountants, book keepers, treasury, tax people and others. The finance function’s strategic importance is linked to its ability to help interpreting the business performance and provide transparency. In order to restore the trust the finance profession is now facing one of the biggest challenges of its history, the need to reinvent itself. This paper presents the findings of a recent international research conducted in the United Kingdom, France, Hungary and Poland interviewing 169 executives of the business sector plus the review of 237 job descriptions of finance professionals in order to understand the challenges of the modern finance function. The findings of the study could provide relevant answers and help to overcome a very current problem that Finance is facing today, how to rebuild reputation and to stay a trusted partner and enabler for long term business strategy.
A globe-kutatás kultúraváltozóinak vizsgálata faktoranalízis segítségével (Cultural variables of the GLOBE research computed by factor analysis)
Authors: Bakacsi Gyula
Published: February 2021

A szervezeti kultúraváltozók nem függetlenek egymástól. A tanulmány a GLOBE társadalmi kultúra, társadalmi értékek és a kettő különbségéből képzett differenciaváltozók faktoranalízisével kísérel meg főfaktorokat meghatározni és azokat értelmezni. / === / The cultural variables are not independent. This paper describes and discusses consolidated cultural variables computed by factor analysis from 9 original GLOBE variables of societal paracices, societal values, and differentiation scales.
A marketingeszközök és –tevékenységek részvényesi értékre gyakorolt hatása (The effect of marketing assets and activities on shareholder value)
Authors: Kovács Kármen , Kuti Mónika
Published: February 2021

A vállalati marketing pénzügyi teljesítményre, különösen részvényesi értékre gyakorolt hatásának kimutatása mind fontosabbá válik a marketingráfordítások nagyságának növekedésével, valamint annak felismerésével, hogy a részvényesek számára vevői érték nélkül nem lehet hosszú távon értéket biztosítani, azonban kedvező piaci eredményekkel sem feltétlenül valósul meg a pénzügyi teljesítmény növekedése. A szerzők tanulmányukban a marketingeszközök és -tevékenységek részvényesi értékre gyakorolt hatását vizsgálják, rámutatnak arra, hogy milyen módon befolyásolhatják a részvényeseket megillető szabad pénzáramot, a tulajdonosi megtérülést, a stratégiai tervezési időhorizontot és a végértéket. A marketing néhány lehetséges negatív hatását is kiemelik. Ezt követően felvázolják a marketingjellegű beruházások reálopciós karakterisztikáit, valamint játékelméleti összefüggéseit dinamikusan változó környezetben. ________ Proving the effect of corporate marketing on financial performance, especially on shareholder value, becomes more and more important as marketing expenditures increase. Furthermore by the recognition that for shareholders without customer value it is not possible to provide value in the long run, however, neither good market results can assure the growth of financial performance. In this paper the authors examine the effect of marketing assets and activities on shareholder value, they point out how these can influence free cash flow to equity, shareholder return, strategic planning time period and terminal value. They emphasize also some possible negative effects of marketing. The authors outline the real optional characteristics of marketing investments and their game theoretical relations in dynamic environment.
Versenyző együttműködés és a turisztikai desztinációk versenyképessége - "Hol volt, hol nem volt...?" (Co-opetition and the competitiveness of touristic destinations - "Where was, where it was not...?")
Authors: Sziva Ivett
Published: February 2021

A versenyző együttműködés (co-opetition) népszerű fogalma számos elméleti alátámasztást nyert a versenyképesség elméleti megközelítéseiben is, így a regionális versenyképesség és a klaszterek elméleti alapvetéseinek területén. Maga a fogalom pedig kifejezetten „divatossá” vált hazánk turizmusában: a közelmúltban kerültek a versenyző együttműködést és a turisztikai versenyképességet szolgáló desztináció-menedzsment szervezetek (Turisztikai Desztináció Menedzsment Szervezetek, TDMSZ a továbbiakban) a turisztikai irányításpolitika és a turisztikai szakma figyelmének középpontjába. Jelen cikkben a szerző célja a versenyző együttműködés és a turisztikai desztinációk versenyképessége közötti elméleti összefüggés feltárása. További cél az elméleti alapvetések primer kutatás során való vizsgálata: az együttműködés mintáinak feltárása a desztinációk szereplői között három (egy hazai és két ausztriai) esettanulmány keretében, a hazai és nemzetközi esetek specifikumainak, valamint a desztinációk fejlettsége miatti kritikus különbségeknek a kimutatása által. / === / The popular term of co-opetition gained theoretical support even in the theoretical approaches of the area of competitiveness, particularly in the field of regional competitiveness and the clusters.The term became rather popular in Hungary: as the tools of destination management and the destination management organizations (DMOs) focusing on the development of co-opetition and competitiveness came to the focus of the Hungarian touristic practice, governmental decisions in the recent past. In this article the author’s aim is to describe the theoretical connections among co-opetition, and the competitiveness of the touristic destinations. Further aim is to analyze the theoretical baselines in primary research, to map the samples of cooperation among the actors of touristic destinations in three case studies (made in one Hungarian, and two Austrian destinations) regarding the topic with regard to Hungarian and international cases, as well as the stage of development.
Államadósság és privatizáció
Authors: Török László
Published: February 2021

A tanulmány arra keresi a választ, hogy az európai adósságválságban leginkább érintett PIIGS-országok (Portugália, Írország, Olaszország, Görögország és Spanyolország, valamennyien a Gazdasági és Monetáris Unió [GMU] tagjai) államadósság-csökkentésében milyen súlyt és szerepet tud betölteni a privatizáció. Ennek megválaszolásakor a tanulmány bemutatja a nevezett országok 2010-re kialakult adósságkrízisállapotát, az IMF előrejelzése alapján azok 2016-ra prognosztizált államadósság-rátáit, az ismertté vált privatizálandó vagyonelemeket, ezek bevételének az államadósság csökkentésében betöltendő szerepét, valamint a magánosítás nem kvantifikálható, egyéb pozitív következményeit. Nem része a tanulmánynak az adósságcsapda kialakulását determináló tényezők bemutatása, továbbá az államadósság-csökkentés privatizáción kívüli elemeinek (költségvetés kiadásainak csökkentése, privatizáción kívüli bevételeinek növelése, adósságkönnyítés-adósságrendezés, gazdasági növekedés dinamizálása stb.) vizsgálata.
Preparation and characterization of attapulgite microcapsules coated with acrylic polymer
Authors: Song Lining , Li Zhenxu , Yang Lina , Wang Ning , Zhao Jie , Gu Zheng
Published: February 2021

The attapulgite core-shell microcapsule type flame retardant was prepared by in situ polymerization. Attapulgite (ATP) was used as a core material with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and poly(methyl methacrylate-co-acrylic acid) [P(MMA-co-AA)] as shell materials. The attapulgite was modified by the silane coupling agent. The effects of different shell materials and modification methods on the structure and properties of attapulgite core-shell microcapsules were studied by scanning electron microscopy, particle size distribution, infrared analysis and thermogravimetric analysis. The results showed that the coating effect was best when the amount of silane coupling agent was 1% of the attapulgite mass. The particle size of the microcapsule prepared with PMMA as shell material was uniform and the coating efficiency was better. After the copolymerization of acrylic acid (AA) in MMA shell materials, the cladding efficiency was improved. At the same time, the thermal decomposition temperature of the microcapsule shell material was greatly reduced, which is beneficial to the performance of attapulgite flame retardant.
The effect of plasticizers and chitosan concentration on the structure and properties of Gracilaria sp.-based thin films for food packaging purpose
Authors: Sinaga M. Zulham Efendi , Gea Saharman , Zuhra Cut Fatimah , Sihombing Yuan Alfinsyah , Zaidar Emma , Sebayang Firman , Ningsih Tya Utari
Published: February 2021

Gracilaria sp. is well known as one kind of species of red algae. The major component of polysaccharide in this alga is agar that mostly used for making thin film. In this study, the Gracilaria sp.-based thin film had been prepared using two plasticizers (glycerol and sorbitol, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 wt %), and chitosan (1, 2, and 3 wt %). The FT-IR analysis confirmed the interaction that happened among the component of the mixture of Gracilaria sp., plasticizers, and chitosan was based on hydrogen bonding due to the presence of -OH and -NH2 groups. The plasticizers and chitosan concentration have significant role to the mechanical properties of Gracilaria sp.-based thin film. The optimum concentration of plasticizers and chitosan based on mechanical testing result was found at 0.2 and 3.0 wt %, respectively. At those concentrations, the thin film that prepared with sorbitol showed the highest mechanical properties. Other characterizations, i.e. TGA (Thermogravimetric Analysis), SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy), and WVP (Water Vapor Permeability) also brought the same result. The antimicrobial properties of the as prepared thin film in the presence of chitosan on agar medium and as a packaging on selected bread showed the Gracilaria sp.-based thin films was able to inhibit the growth of microbes. This antimicrobial activity can be used to declare the potential of Gracilaria sp.-based thin film as a new active food packaging.
The effect of printing velocity on the temperature and viscosity of the polymer thread at the nozzle exit in 3D printers
Authors: Baeza-Campuzano Alberto , Castaño Victor M.
Published: February 2021

Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) is a powerful method for advanced additive manufacturing of polymeric materials, due to its simplicity and low cost. However, the process implies complex phenomena which are not fully understood yet. In particular, the effect of viscosity on the printed thread is a key parameter to control if good quality products are to be obtained. Experimental data of two grades of acrylonitrile-butadiene- styrene copolymer (ABS) was employed to analyse, by using ANSYS Fluent simulation package, six printing velocities at a temperature of 230°C. A drastic temperature change was observed as the printing velocity increases, confirming the effect of viscosity on the shear created on the wall of the nozzle transversal to the printing bed. The polymers analysed present different viscosity behavior even under the same angular frequency range (0.1 to 100 rad/s), and testing temperature (230°C), which could lead to inhomogeneities. Our results allow taking into account these parameters as part of the design criteria.
Anxiety: phenomenology, epidemiology, and risk factors during the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic
Authors: Merkin A. G. , Akinfieva S. S. , Martyushev-Poklad A. V. , Beloskurskaya O. P. , Dinov E. N. , Ostrovsky S. L. , Komarov A. N. , Zakharova O. Yu. , Kazhin V. A. , Nikiforov I. A. , Glover M.
Published: February 2021

The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic in 2020 led to significant negative social consequences associated inter alia with adverse effects on mental health. One of the most common mental illness is anxiety disorders, the rise in which is characteristic of social upheaval periods. This paper analyzes the problem of anxiety, reviews information on the epidemiology of anxiety, on the factors and mechanisms of its development. It unveils the association of anxiety with addictive disorders, lifestyle factors, and traumatic childhood experience and highlights the problem of increased anxiety in the context of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemics in Russia.
Evaluation of the efficacy and tolerability of naftidrofuryl in the therapy of chronic cerebral ischemia
Authors: Dadasheva M. N. , Zolotovskaya I. A. , Gorenkov R. V. , Dadasheva K. N. , Lebedeva D. I.
Published: February 2021

Objective: to study the clinical efficacy and tolerability of naftidrofuryl (Duzofarm®) in patients with chronic cerebral ischemia (CCI).

Patients and methods. A prospective open-label multicenter observational study evaluated the clinical efficiency and tolerability of naftidrofuryl treatment in patients with CCI. To statistically evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of naftidrofuryl, the investigators used data from 200 outpatients with Stages I–II CCI who were included in the program of treatment and received its full cycle. The patients were prescribed naftidrofuryl at a dose of 100 mg (2 tablets) thrice daily. Basic therapy that the patients had received before their inclusion in the observation program was not discontinued. The patients' status was evaluated using a specially designed questionnaire. Four visits were scheduled. All the patients underwent neurological examination. To study the patients' cognitive functions and emotional state, the investigators used the following tests and scales: the Mini-Cog test, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, the Asthenia Subjective Assessment Scale, and the Modified Scoring Scale for Subjective Sleep Characteristics. Adverse reactions were recorded to evaluate the tolerability of therapy.

Results and discussion. Naftidrofuryl therapy significantly improved health and reversed complaints in the patients. By the end of the treatment cycle, there was a significant improvement on all scales, which suggested a decrease in the severity of cognitive impairment and asthenic and mild anxiety disorders. When performing the Mini-Cog test, the proportion of patients who were able to remember and recall three words without errors increased from 43 to 86%, and when doing the clock drawing test, the proportion increased by 65%. Cognitive functions on the MMSE were observed to statistically significantly improve by 1.2 scores. According to the Zung Anxiety Self-Rating Scale, the number of patients with anxiety disorders decreased by 24%, those with insomnia significantly declined by 31% compared with the baseline level.

Conclusion. The findings showed the high efficiency and appropriateness of naftidrofuryl administration to patients with Stages I–II CCI and hypertension.
The role of the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in the progression and development of cerebrovascular diseases. A competent choice of pathogenic treatment is the key to success in treatment and prevention. An expert’s view from the ‘red zone’
Authors: Kovalchuk V. V.
Published: February 2021

COVID-19 worsens the course of cerebrovascular diseases (CVD), including chronic cerebral ischaemia (CCI). The Actovegin drug, which has long been widely used in CCI treatment, has an antioxidant and endothelium protective effect. It makes sense to study the effect of Actovegin therapy on the clinical manifestations of CCI in patients with a recent experience of COVID-19.

Objective: to evaluate Actovegin efficacy in the treatment of CCI in patients with a recent experience of COVID-19.

Patients and methods. The study included 440 patients (234 female; 206 male) with a recent experience of COVID-19, suffering from CCI, their average age being 67.8 years (from 54 to 85 years). All patients were broken down into two groups of 220 people (the patients in Group 1 were administrated Actovegin, the ones in Group 2 – were not). All patients were followed up for 90 days; their condition was assessed by the severity of clinical manifestations of CCI, using special scales and questionnaires.

Results and discussion. After 90 days of follow-up, the frequency of complaints of cognitive impairment, sleep disorder, dizziness, fatigue, emotional disorders, and headache in Group 1 was significantly lower than in Group 2 (p<0.05). According to Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20), and Spiegel Sleep Questionnaire (SSQ), the average indicators improved significantly more in Group 1 than in Group 2 (p<0.05). The absence of quality of life impairment and their minimal severity were observed in Group 1 in 77.9%; in Group 2 – in 33.7% (p<0.001). Statistically significant differences between the groups of patients were also observed in relation to emotional state recovery according to the Wakefield Questionnaire and the Spielberger State Trait Anxiety inventory.

Conclusion. The observational study demonstrated the efficacy of Actovegin in the treatment of main clinical manifestations of CCI in patients with recent COVID-19 experience.
Cognitive behavioral therapy in the treatment of chronic migraine: a clinical case report
Authors: Golovacheva V. A. , Golovacheva A. A. , Parfenov V. A. , Tabeeva G. R. , Romanov D. V. , Osipova V. V. , Katsarava Z.
Published: February 2021

The paper describes a clinical case of a female patient with chronic migraine (CM) and shows a modern approach to diagnosing CM and assessing chronicity factors. The patient received interdisciplinary treatment that involved standard therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a psychological treatment for pain and emotional disorders. The use of CBT in this clinical case was justified by the fact that the patient had pain catastrophizing, emotional disorder, abuse of painkillers and their discontinuation problems, and unsatisfactory tolerability of preventive pharmacotherapy for migraine. CBT could change the patient's ideas about the causes and prognosis of the disease, increase her intraday activity, teach effective skills to overcome pain, and cope with the symptoms of anxiety and depression. A long-term (12-month) follow-up of the female patient receiving behavioral interdisciplinary treatment showed a clinically significant improvement as transformation from chronic to episodic of migraine, as normalization of the emotional state, and as an increase in daily activity.
A conceptual framework for effective contracting in construction supply chains
Authors:   School of Science and Technology, Hellenic Open University, Greece, Rompoti Kondylia , Madas Michael ,   Department of Applied Informatics, University of Macedonia, Greece, Kitsios Fotis ,   Department of Applied Informatics, University of Macedonia, Greece
Published: February 2021

Construction supply chains are characterised by lack of trust and poor collaboration due to the short-term, project-based organisational structure of the construction industry. The lack of collaboration and trust among construction supply chain stakeholders affects the transparency and exchange of information, as well as the efficiency of the supply chain. Existing literature has shown that collaboration problems can be overcome through better integration, partnering and contractual governance. The latter requires some form of compatibility analysis and matching between the stakeholder profile and the appropriate contract type. This paper aims to develop a conceptual framework that will assist General Contractors in dealing with the complicated relationships and risks in construction supply chains through effective contracting. The methodology employed for the purposes of our analysis is based on constructive literature review, qualitative correlation of existing research and combination of concepts drawn from the fields of construction supply chain management and stakeholder analysis. The construction supply chain is viewed as a network of stakeholders organised around a General Contractor. Borrowing principles and tools from Stakeholder Analysis, a matching mechanism is developed with the aim to facilitate General Contractors in determining the suitable contract type for different profiles of construction supply chain stakeholders. The main conclusion of this paper is that stakeholder theory and contractual management can be effectively used to tackle opportunism and its negative impacts on construction supply chains.
Study of Some Physical Properties for Polyvinyl Alcohol-Polyethylene Glycol Blends
Authors: Najm Sanaa S.
Published: February 2021

A polymer blends (PVA/PEG) have been prepared at various concentrations(6%, 8%, 10%, 12%, and 14%) g /ml by dissolving different weights from the powders{Pva and Peg}.The behavior of this mixture has been studied utilize some physical properties such as ultrasonic absorption coefficient, relaxation amplitude, specific acoustic Impedance, compression, bulk modulus, shear viscosity, and Reduced viscosity. The outcomes referenced that each of these characteristics increased with increasing concentration of polymeric solutions, "while compressibility decreased with increasing concentration solutions".
Preparation of Composite Derived from Banana Peel Activated Carbon and MgFe2O4 as Magnetic Adsorbent for Methylene Blue Removal
Authors: Hardian Arie , Rosidah Rosi , Budiman Senadi , Syarif Dani Gustaman
Published: February 2021

Methylene blue (MB) is one of the dyes used often by the textile industry. Therefore, MB residual is contained in the textile industry waste. MB can irritate, leading to permanent eye and animal injuries; therefore, the textile industry waste concentration must be degraded before disposed to the environment. MB residual in textile industry waste can be treated with activated carbon adsorption. However, the adsorption method is less effective because the deposition takes a long time. This research aims to make activated carbon composites from banana peels and magnesium ferrite (BPAC/MgFe2O4) using the coprecipitation method to obtain activated carbon with magnetic properties (magnetic adsorbent). The obtained composite was characterized using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-Ray (EDX), and Surface Area Analyzer. The adsorption performance of methylene blue on composites was evaluated with variations in pH, concentration, contact time, determination of adsorption isotherms, and kinetics of adsorption. XRD analysis results showed the composite has a cubic crystal structure with a crystallite size of 7.69 nm. SEM analysis results show the surface morphology has pores with irregular shapes. EDX analysis results showed that the composition of activated carbon composite was 65.56% carbon, 2.28% Mg, 5.50% Fe, and 26.66% O. The results surface area analysis showed a composite surface area of 88.134 m2/g. Composite adsorption performance showed maximum results at pH 7, variations in concentration at 10 ppm, and contact time 180 minutes with adsorption capability of 99.26%. Determination of the adsorption isotherm follows the Freundlich adsorption isotherm model with a pseudo-second-order adsorption kinetics model. The obtained BPAC/MgFe2O4 composite can potentially be a magnetic adsorbent capable of adsorbing methylene blue in an aqueous solution.
Parâmetros psicométricos da Prosocial and Antisocial Behavior Sport Scale (PABSS) para o contexto brasileiro
Authors: Gonçalves MARINA , Morais Peixoto Evandro , Pestillo de Oliveira Leonardo , Cruz Porto Rebeca , Nickenig Vissoci João Ricardo
Published: February 2021

Contar com uma medida psicometricamente adequada para a avaliação dos comportamentos moralmente relevantes de atletas é importante para fomentar pesquisas e viabilizar estratégias de intervenção eficazes. O objetivo da presente pesquisa foi estimar propriedades psicométricas da Prosocial and Antisocial Behavior Sport Scale (PABSS) para o contexto brasileiro. A amostra foi composta por 360 atletas de ambos os sexos (idade média 16.1 ± 3.61; 64.7 % homens). A análise fatorial exploratória indicou a pertinência da estrutura composta por quatro fatores: (1) comportamento pró-social direcionado aos companheiros de equipe (CPC); (2) comportamento pró-social direcionado aos adversários (CPA); (3) comportamento antissocial direcionado aos companheiros de equipe (CAC); (4) comportamento antissocial direcionado aos adversários (CAA), explicando conjuntamente 66.1 % da variância total, o que corrobora a hipótese teórica. Adicionalmente, a análise fatorial semiconfirmatória apresentou comprovação do modelo composto por quatro fatores: [(ƛ2 = 126.685, gl = 116. p = .234; ƛ2 /gl = 1.09; CFI = 0.998 (IC 95 % = 0.997-0.999); GFI = 0.991 (IC 95 % = 0.997- 0.999); RMSEA = 0.018 (IC 95% = 0.016-0.020)]. Todos os fatores apresentaram índices desejáveis de consistência interna, alfa de Cronbach superiores a .78 e ômega de Mcdonald superiores a .88. Também foram observadas as associações entre comportamento moral e valores no esporte. Conclui-se que a versão brasileira da PABSS reúne evidências psicométricas adequadas, podendo ser utilizada em estudos futuros.
Creencias sobre la violencia y sus efectos en la prevalencia de la violencia en el noviazgo
Authors: Orozco Vargas Arturo Enrique , Mercado Monjardín María del Rocío , García López Georgina Isabel , Venebra Muñoz Arturo , Aguilera Reyes Ulises
Published: February 2021

La violencia en el noviazgo es un fenómeno multifactorial que requiere de estudios que profundicen respecto a los efectos que tienen las creencias culturales en el comportamiento tanto del agresor como de la víctima. Teniendo esto en cuenta, el objetivo de la presente investigación fue determinar la relación entre las creencias acerca de la violencia y la prevalencia de la violencia en el noviazgo. Para ello, se contó con una muestra de 420 estudiantes de dos universidades públicas mexicanas que respondieron el Inventario de creencias acerca de la violencia hacia la esposa, el Inventario de conflictos en las relaciones de noviazgo, y un cuestionario de información sociodemográfica. Los datos recolectados fueron examinados por medio de un análisis de correlación canónica, y los resultados mostraron que el modelo en general fue estadísticamente significativo (Wilks λ = .654, F (20, 677.54) = 4.626, p < .05); que el tamaño del efecto del modelo general fue de .346, lo que indica que este explicó el 34.6 % de la varianza compartida por los dos conjuntos de variables; y que, específicamente en la primera función, el coeficiente de mayor magnitud fue el de la variable de justificación de la violencia (r2 s= 76.2; h2 = 90.0), seguido por la del apoyo que se le puede brindar a la víctima (r2 s = 57.1; h2 = 94.5).
Validación del Cuestionario de Actitudes Socioculturales sobre la Apariencia (SATAQ-4) en población colombiana
Authors: Villegas Moreno Martha Juliana , Londoño Pérez Constanza , Pardo Adames Carlos Antonio
Published: February 2021

El deseo de cumplir estándares modernos estéticos corporales no alcanzables afecta la salud mental, debido a que las personas internalizan los ideales de belleza y aceptan las presiones sociales acerca de la apariencia corporal incluso por encima de su bienestar. El objetivo del presente estudio instrumental fue evaluar las propiedades psicométricas del Cuestionario de actitudes socioculturales sobre la apariencia (SATAQ-4) en población colombiana, para lo cual se utilizó una muestra estratificada no aleatorizada conformada por 214 personas -138 mujeres y 76 hombres-, con un promedio de edad de 25.13 años (DE = 7.66). Se retomó la versión en español del instrumento validado en Argentina, que fue evaluada por jueces expertos para realizar la adaptación lingüística y que se aplicó a una muestra piloto antes de la aplicación definitiva, hecha bajo las normas éticas exigidas. Se realizó el análisis de las condiciones psicométricas desde la teoría de respuesta al ítem, mediante el modelo Rasch, y por medio del software WINSTEPS. Los resultados indican que la versión en español cumple las condiciones psicométricas adecuadas en las cinco dimensiones que componen el instrumento (.72-.94); y que el grado de dificultad y de habilidad alcanzan valores de ajuste apropiados, lo que indica que el cuestionario cuenta con adecuadas condiciones psicométricas y mantiene su estructura interna original. En conclusión, la versión final de esta adaptación del SATAQ-4 puede ser utilizada en población de similar procedencia, a fin de evaluar el efecto de los aspectos socioculturales en la satisfacción con la imagen corporal.
Protocatechuic acid attenuates cerebral aneurysm formation and progression by inhibiting TNF-alpha/Nrf-2/NF-kB-mediated inflammatory mechanisms in experimental rats
Authors: Xiao Gang , Zhang Mei , Peng Xing , Jiang Guangyuan
Published: February 2021

Our current research aims to examine whether protocatechuic acid (PCA) can be used as a therapeutic agent for the development of cerebral aneurysm (CA) and to elucidate the mechanisms behind this. We assessed the effects of PCA at 50 and 100 mg/kg on the activation of signaling pathways for tissue necrosis factor (TNF)-α/nuclear factor (NF)-κB/nuclear factor erythroid 2 (Nrf-2) on progression and development in an elastase-induced CA model, accompanied by a high-salt diet to induce hypertension. The expression of inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukins (IL)-8, IL-17, IL-6, IL-1β, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 was analyzed by ELISA, western blot, and reverse transcriptase quantative polymerase chain reaction. The expression levels of antioxidant enzymes and translocation of Nrf-2 were also determined. The group treated with PCA demonstrated a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in the aneurysmal size in rats compared to the CA-induced group. We found that PCA treatment suppressed the invasion of macrophage and activation of TNF-α/NF-κB/Nrf-2 signaling pathways. There was a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in pro-inflammatory cytokine and chemokine levels in a dose-dependent manner. We found that PCA treatment exerts protective effects by suppressing the development and progression of CA through the inhibition of inflammatory responses in macrophages via TNF-α/NF-κB/Nrf-2 signaling pathways, thus demonstrating that PCA can act as a treatment for CA.
Histomorphometric study on effects of monosodium glutamate in liver tissue of Wistar rats
Authors: Reddy Anil Kumar , Ghoshal Joy A. K. , PK Sankaran , Trivedi Ganesh N. , Ambareesha Kondam
Published: February 2021

Objectives

Thousands of food additives are being used by the food industries in ready to eat packed food. These food additives act as either preservatives or enhancers of palatability. Monosodium glutamate (MSG), a sodium salt of glutamic acid is a widely used food additive for enhancing taste. It gives the unique taste to the food called “Umami” or “Savory taste”, which is different from four primary tastes namely, sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. The current experimental study was investigated by dose-related effects of MSG on adult Wistar rats using histological and histomorphometric techniques.

Methods

Twenty-eight adult Wistar rats were divided into four groups i.e.; one control and three experimental groups. Rats were administered orally with different doses of MSG to the experimental groups and distilled water to the control groups consecutively for 45 days. At the end of the study, rats were sacrificed and tissues were collected for the examination.

Results

Histomorphometric data of the nuclei diameter of hepatocytes showed significant variation between control and experimental groups. Less PAS-positive material found in a higher dose of MSG-induced rats in histochemical observation.

Conclusions

One of the challenges of the problem of animal experimental studies is the application of results to human dietary intake of MSG. Based on the dose-dependent findings of the current study; it is evident that the administration of MSG is hepatotoxic in adult Wistar rats.
Evidence that Ginkgo Biloba could use in the influenza and coronavirus COVID-19 infections
Authors: Ibrahim Manal A. , Ramadan Hanan H. , Mohammed Rasha N.
Published: February 2021

Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic invades the world. Public health evaluates the incidence of infections and death, which should be reduced and need desperately quarantines for infected individuals. This article review refers to the roles of Ginkgo Biloba to reduce the risk of infection in the respiratory tract, the details on the epidemiology of corona COVID-19 and influenza, and it highlights how the Ginko Biloba could have been used as a novel treatment.

Ginkgo Biloba can reduce the risk of infection by several mechanisms; these mechanisms involve Ginkgo Biloba contains quercetin and other constituents, which have anti-inflammatory and immune modulator effects by reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines concentrations. Cytokines cause inflammation which have been induced the injuries in lung lining.

Some observational studies confirmed that Ginkgo Biloba reduced the risk of asthma, sepsis and another respiratory disease as well as it reduced the risk of cigarette smoking on respiratory symptoms. While other evidences suggested the characters of Ginkgo Biloba as an antivirus agent through several mechanisms. Ginkgolic acid (GA) can inhibit the fusion and synthesis of viral proteins, thus, it inhibit the Herpes Simplex Virus type1 (HSV-1), genome replication in Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and the infections of the Zika Virus (ZIKV). Also, it inhibits the wide spectrum of fusion by inhibiting the three types of proteins that have been induced fusion as (Influenza A Virus [IAV], Epstein Barr Virus [EBV], HIV and Ebola Virus [EBOV]).

The secondary mechanism of GA targeting inhibition of the DNA and protein synthesis in virus, greatly have been related to its strong effects, even afterward the beginning of the infection, therefore, it potentially treats the acute viral contaminations like (Measles and Coronavirus COVID-19). Additionally, it has been used topically as an effective agent on vigorous lesions including (varicella-zoster virus [VZV], HSV-1 and HSV-2). Ginkgo Biloba may be useful for treating the infected people with coronavirus COVID-19 through its beneficial effect. To assess those recommendations should be conducted with random control trials and extensive population studies.
Condensed groups in product varieties
Authors: Osin Denis
Published: February 2021

A finitely generated group 𝐺 is said to be condensed if its isomorphism class in the space of finitely generated marked groups has no isolated points.
We prove that every product variety

U
⁢
V

\mathcal{UV}

, where 𝒰 (respectively, 𝒱) is a non-abelian (respectively, a non-locally finite) variety, contains a condensed group.
In particular, there exist condensed groups of finite exponent.
As an application, we obtain some results on the structure of the isomorphism and elementary equivalence relations on the set of finitely generated groups in

U
⁢
V

\mathcal{UV}

.
Engaging Children’s Reading with Reflective Augmented Reality
Authors: ChanLin Lih-Juan
Published: February 2021

This study explored the integration of mobile augmented reality (AR) into reading in elementary schools. With the reflective messages designed using AR (termed as reflective AR), children were guided to process the story content through preview, reading, and review of the content. The study focused on the enhancement of children’s reading comprehension using reflective AR and the implementation processes of reading with reflective AR experienced by teachers and children. A blended research approach was used for data collection. Via the quantitative approach, the reading comprehension scores of the children in the reflective AR and control group (without reflective AR) were compared. Via the qualitative approach, observations and interviews with the teachers from four elementary schools were conducted. It was observed that students achieved better reading scores when using the reflective AR approach (p < 0.001). Both teachers and students enjoyed the AR reading exploration. Teachers were devoted to planning the settings required in the reading exploration. Reading via the AR approach of preview–reading–review engaged children in the reading content. From the study, the implementation of AR reflective reading provides a model to guide children’s reading. However, the research is preliminary and might have sampling limitations for generalization. Future research on diverse learning settings is needed.
Successive approximations for a differential equation in a Banach space via Constantin condition
Authors: Dutkiewicz Aldona , Zima Mirosława
Published: February 2021

We give some sufficient conditions for the convergence of the sequence of successive approximations to the unique solution of first order Cauchy problem in a Banach space. Our approach is based on a generalized Nagumo condition due to A. Constantin and the properties of the Kuratowski measure of noncompactness.
Tailoring the electron and hole dimensionality to achieve efficient and stable metal halide perovskite scintillators
Authors: Tan Zhifang , Pang Jincong , Niu Guangda , Yuan Jun-Hui , Xue Kan-Hao , Miao Xiangshui , Tao Weijian , Zhu Haiming , Li Zhigang , Zhao Hongtao , Du Xinyuan , Tang Jiang
Published: February 2021

Metal halide perovskites have recently been reported as excellent scintillators for X-ray detection. However, perovskite based scintillators are susceptible to moisture and oxygen atmosphere, such as the water solubility of CsPbBr3, and oxidation vulnerability of Sn2+, Cu+. The traditional metal halide scintillators (NaI: Tl, LaBr3, etc.) are also severely restricted by their high hygroscopicity. Here we report a new kind of lead free perovskite with excellent water and radiation stability, Rb2Sn1-x
Te
x
Cl6. The equivalent doping of Te could break the in-phase bonding interaction between neighboring octahedra in Rb2SnCl6, and thus decrease the electron and hole dimensionality. The optimized Te content of 5% resulted in high photoluminescence quantum yield of 92.4%, and low X-ray detection limit of 0.7 µGyair s−1. The photoluminescence and radioluminescence could be maintained without any loss when immersing in water or after 480,000 Gy radiations, outperforming previous perovskite and traditional metal halides scintillators.