bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microbiota associated with the skin, gills, and gut of the fish Parachondrostoma toxostoma from the Rhône basin
Authors: Guivier Emmanuel , Pech Nicolas , Chappaz Rémi , Gilles André
Published: December 2019

The close relationships between hosts and their microbiota underlie the current concept of holobionts. This biological entity enlarges our perception of the genomic diversity supported by individuals/species and the potential abilities of hosts to respond to the environment.

We investigated a total of 54 specimens of the sofie fish Parachrondrostoma toxostoma (Pt) for the taxonomic and functional composition of microbiota associated with the skin, gills, and gut tissues. Five wild populations from the Ardèche and Durance river basins in the Mediterranean part of the large catchment of the Rhône (southern France) were compared.

We found that the skin microbiota was more diverse and variable in bacterial community composition than the gut microbiota. These differences suggest that different deterministic factors underlie the composition of these bacterial communities, resulting in tissue‐specific variation of the microbiota composition between wild fish populations inhabiting two rivers. Microbiota diversity and composition differed between wild Pt populations at both regional and local spatial scales.

Using the Picrust tool, the taxonomic variation of the microbiota composition in the river fish populations could be associated with the enrichment of predicted metabolic pathways. In particular, carbohydrate metabolism was more represented and xenobiotic biodegradation pathways less represented in the gut microbiota of Pt populations from the Ardèche than of those from the Durance. This result suggests variability in the ability to acclimate to environmental features through the assimilation of food resources from plants and the detoxification of xenobiotic components.

This study opens perspectives in the detection of subtle shifts in environmental features through the description of the microbiota composition, and in the potential prediction of the functional capacities of species to acclimate.
The effects of supported shared‐care and hemodialysis self‐care on patient psychological well‐being, interdialytic weight gain, and blood pressure control
Authors: Maharjan Sarju Raj Singh , Davenport Andrew
Published: December 2019

Introduction: Traditionally hemodialysis (HD) treatments are undertaken by dialysis staff. Self‐care has been reported to improve psychological well‐being and treatment compliance for patients with chronic diseases. We evaluated our shared‐care HD program to determine whether shared‐care benefits patients.

Methods: We reviewed the electronic health care and HD sessional records and psychological distress thermometer (DT) scores of patients in our HD centers. HD shared care was classified as grade 0—none, grade 1 patients weighing themselves and measuring blood pressure (BP), grade 2 performs HD, and grade 3 additionally troubleshoots problems.

Findings: We reviewed 675 HD patients; mean age 64.1 ± 16.3 years, 62.3% male, 45.9% diabetic, Stoke‐Davies co‐morbidity grade 1 (1‐1), frailty score 4 (3‐5), DT 3 (0‐5). 60.3% performed no shared care, 19% grade 1, 14.8% grade 2, and 6% grade 3. Patients performing more shared care were younger, less frail, less co‐morbid, and physically stronger. We then propensity matched 113 patients with grade ≥ 2 shared care for age and frailty with 113 no shared‐care patients. Fewer shared‐care patients were prescribed antihypertensives (50.7 vs. 70.7%, P < 0.01), and had lower serum N terminal probrain natriuretic peptide 3033 (1083‐8502) vs. 4814(1514‐135821) pg/mL), phosphate (1.62 ± 0.49 vs. 1.78 ± 0.62 mmol/L), and higher albumin (40.7 ± 4.3 vs. 38.0 ± 4.3 g/L), all P < 0.05 but no differences in psychological DT scores.

Discussion: Although there was no significant benefit in psychological well‐being, as measured by the self‐reported DT, patients performing more shared care demonstrated other benefits in terms of blood pressure and volume control.
IN THE FOLDS OF TIME: RASHĪD AL‐DĪN ON THEORIES OF HISTORICITY
Authors: PFEIFFER JUDITH
Published: December 2019

By focusing on Rashīd al‐Dīn's (d. 718/1318) historiographical oeuvre and here in particular his “History of the World,” this article challenges the usual approach to his Jāmiʿ al‐tawārīkh (Compendium of Chronicles) and argues that his was a deeply pluralistic enterprise in a world with many centers, tremendous demographic change, high social mobility, and constantly shifting truth‐claims in an ever expanding cosmos, to which Rashīd al‐Dīn's method, language, and the shape of his history were perfectly adaptable. This article introduces the notion of “parallel pasts” to account for Rashīd al‐Dīn's method. By placing the Jāmiʿ al‐tawārīkh and its author in their historical and intellectual context, this article also argues that this method is not restricted to Rashīd al‐Dīn's historiography: His historiographical work ought to be seen as part of his larger theological and philosophical oeuvre into which the author placed it consciously and explicitly, an oeuvre that is, like Rashīd al‐Dīn's historiography, pluralist at heart, and that could be as easily classified as “theology” or “philosophy” as “historiography.”
TO OBSERVE, TO RECORD, TO DEPICT: MEMORIALIZING THE CIRCUMCISION OF AN OTTOMAN PRINCE, C. 1582–C. 1600
Authors: ŞAHİN KAYA
Published: December 2019

A circumcision celebration in the summer of 1582, organized by the Ottoman ruler Murād III (r. 1574–1595) for his son Meḥmed, is one of the most extensively recorded events in early modern Ottoman history. Contemporary and near‐contemporary testimonies include archival sources, odes, event‐based narratives, illustrated accounts, passages in regnal and universal histories, and several descriptions by European observers. The celebration occurred amid tensions fueled by ongoing warfare, rising prices, elite factionalism, and apocalyptic anxieties. It also coincided with a time of exceptional cultural productivity at the Ottoman palace and among the Ottoman literati. This article discusses the celebration's treatment in event‐based narratives, illustrated accounts, and regnal and universal histories from the period, to emphasize the multiplicity of approaches to the writing and recording of history. Ottoman works of a historical nature defy easy categorizations such as official history or court history; they also blur compartmentalized notions of history, art history, and literature that emerged in the nineteenth century. Ottoman historical writing, like any other historical tradition, was closer to a meeting ground, where authors and patrons gathered and competed, than a common ground where consent and hegemony were supposedly produced. Authorial agency was crucial in creating demand, fostering competition, and building reputation; moreover, authors and patrons had to negotiate a multiplicity of languages, linguistic registers, styles, and techniques, some of which had been bequeathed by past generations, whereas others had been invented or reinvented recently.
LIVING IN A TIME OF MADNESS: LAST DAYS OF JAVA'S LAST PROPHETIC POET
Authors: FLORIDA NANCY
Published: December 2019

Shortly before his death in December 1873, the renowned Javanese court poet R. Ng. Ronggawarsita composed a short work of social criticism and Islamic ethics that is among the most celebrated of Javanese literary texts. Serat Kalatidha (The Time of Darkness) reflects upon the avenues that remain open to the ethical subject in what Ronggawarsita calls the “time of madness,” the time of darkness and error that marked his dismal present in high colonial Java. Most celebrated as a prophecy, the poem is, in part, a critical reworking of an early nineteenth‐century prophetic reflection on the Javanese past. My article explores the troubled context in which the author wrote this twelve‐stanza (108‐line) poem and how its text forms both a critical commentary on the state of the poet's current‐day society and a pensive reflection on the ethical imperatives of Islam. In the course of this exploration, I reveal how Ronggawarsita's poem forms a prophecy, not as a foretelling of an already determined future, but rather as a work that moves along prophetic time to provoke in his readers a productive intimacy with both pasts and futures.
Impact of emotional labour and workplace violence on professional quality of life among clinical nurses
Authors: Kwak Yeunhee , Han Yonghee , Song Jae‐seok , Kim Ji‐su
Published: December 2019

Aim

We examined Korean nurses professional quality of life, emotional labour and workplace violence to guide development of interventions to improve nurses professional quality of life.

Background

Nurses face heavy exposure to emotional labour and workplace violence. Stress experienced by nurses reduces compassion satisfaction and increases compassion fatigue.

Methods

Participants comprised 399 clinical nurses chosen by convenience sampling. Questionnaires measured demographic characteristics, emotional labour, workplace violence and professional quality of life.

Results

Nurses professional quality of life was affected by emotional labour and workplace violence. Graduate educational level, emotional exposure and emotional supervision were associated with compassion satisfaction. Burnout was commonly associated with emotional exposure, experience and supervision of workplace violence. Secondary traumatic stress was associated with emotional exposure and experience of workplace violence.

Conclusions

We elucidated the relationship between professional quality of life, emotional labour and workplace violence. Raising professional quality of life among nurses requires regular analysis of emotional labour and provision of organizational‐level interventions. Counselling programmes that address violence prevention education and comprehensive response strategies among nurses and policies that foster an organizational culture of respect and cooperation in hospitals are needed.
Searching hard versus searching smart: The role of search process quality in an internship context
Authors: Stremersch Jolien , Van Hoye Greet
Published: December 2019

Based on a self‐regulatory approach, we propose that students searching for an internship following a high‐quality process will show greater search success. In a sample of 191 Belgian final year students looking for an internship, the quality of students’ search process was positively related to both self‐reported and objective search outcomes, beyond the mere intensity of their search. Specifically, reflection related positively to students’ satisfaction and perceived fit with their internship, as well as to organizations’ assessment of students’ internship performance. Planning related positively to the speed of finding an internship. Furthermore, the four search process quality dimensions explained incremental variance in these outcomes beyond a unidimensional measure of metacognitive activities, supporting the added value of our multidimensional approach.
Breaking Down the Binary: Layers of Vulnerability among Internally and Internationally Mobile Workers in the Context of Southern Africa
Authors: Kudejira Denboy
Published: December 2019

The end of apartheid in 1994 heralded a new era in South Africa's migrant labour recruitment system. The new democratic government spearheaded reforms to improve labour relations and recruitment practices in the agriculture sector. Using a layered vulnerability analysis framework, this article describes how the recruitment of migrants for agricultural work has shifted since the end of apartheid. Findings from an ethnographic study of undocumented Zimbabwean migrants in the Limpopo province show that the post‐apartheid reforms have not effectively tackled the vulnerabilities which undocumented agricultural workers face. The lack of a coordinated recruitment system motivates farmers to employ strategies which expose migrants to various layers of vulnerability. A win‐win outcome could be achieved by implementing a recruitment programme that does not impose stringent requirements on migrant agricultural workers. Pursuing this approach would reduce the vulnerabilities that the migrants face, enhance adherence to legislation and promote efficiency in agricultural productivity.
Egg size is unrelated to ambient temperature in the opportunistically breeding zebra finch
Authors: Griffith Simon C. , Andrew Samuel C. , McCowan Luke S. C. , Hurley Laura L. , Englert Duursma Daisy , Buchanan Katherine L. , Mariette Mylene M.
Published: December 2019

In many birds, there is significant variation in egg size both across and within clutches that remains to be explained. Birds lay one egg per day and in hot climates, the first laid eggs may start to develop before the laying of the rest of the clutch is complete, through warming by the ambient air temperature. Here, we test the hypothesis that in hot conditions, skews in egg size across the laying sequence may be more pronounced, as females use egg size to compensate for hatching asynchrony, providing a higher level of provisioning to the later laid eggs that would hatch later due to ambient incubation. We have focused on the zebra finchTaeniopygia guttata, a species that typically breeds over an extended period of the year, and therefore across a particularly wide range of ambient temperatures. We characterised the variation in egg size using data from over 700 clutches, including historical specimens, a wild population, and both domesticated and wild birds breeding in captivity, in addition to clutches produced experimentally in controlled‐temperature rooms. Here, we document significant variation in egg size between and within clutches, with eggs increasing in size over the laying order, with both maternal identity and population differences playing an important role (domesticated birds laid eggs that were much larger than their wild counterparts). However, we found no support for the idea that variation in egg size either within a clutch, and across clutches and populations, is related to variation in ambient temperature, despite the large range of thermal environments experienced during laying. In conclusion, whilst egg size is clearly a labile characteristic there is no evidence this is flexibly adjusted to local ambient temperatures before and during laying.
Seasonal occupancy and connectivity amongst nearshore flats and reef habitats by permit Trachinotus falcatus: considerations for fisheries management
Authors: Brownscombe Jacob W. , Griffin Lucas P. , Morley Danielle , Acosta Alejandro , Hunt John , Lowerre‐Barbieri Susan K. , Crossin Glenn T. , Iverson Sara J. , Boucek Ross , Adams Aaron J. , Cooke Steven J. , Danylchuk Andy J.
Published: December 2019

We used acoustic telemetry to quantify permit Trachinotus falcatus habitat use and connectivity in proximity to the Florida Keys, USA, and assessed these patterns relative to current habitat and fisheries management practices. From March 2017 to June 2018, 45 permit tagged within 16 km of the lower Florida Keys were detected at stationary acoustic receivers throughout the south Florida region, the majority of which remained within the Special Permit Zone, where more extensive fisheries harvest regulations are implemented. There was a high level of connectivity between nearshore flats (i.e., <3 m water depth) and the Florida reef tract (FRT; 15–40 m water depth), with 75% of individuals detected in both habitats. These locations probably function primarily as foraging and spawning habitats, respectively. Permit occupancy on the FRT peaked during the months of March–September, with the highest number of individuals occurring there in April and May. Specific sites on the FRT were identified as potentially important spawning locations, as they attracted a high proportion of individuals that exhibited frequent visits with high residency durations. There were also significant positive relationships between seasonal habitat‐use metrics on the FRT and an empirical permit gonadosomatic index. Large aggregations of permit at spawning sites on the FRT are potentially vulnerable to the effects of fishing (including predation during catch and release) at a critical point in their life cycle. These data on permit space use and movement, coupled with knowledge of stressors on their ecology, provide insights for implementing science‐based strategic management plans.
Comment on: Transforming Asian Health Equity: PINE/PIETY Study Special Issue
Authors: Yoshikawa Thomas T.
Published: December 2019

See the Reply by Li et al.
Metabolic bone diseases in intestinal failure
Authors: Allan P. J. , Lal S.
Published: December 2019

Metabolic bone diseases are a group of conditions that are common complications in patients with intestinal failure. These may occur as a result of the underlying condition, leading to intestinal failure, particularly inflammatory conditions such as Crohn’s disease and their associated treatments including corticosteroids. Malabsorption, as a result of a loss of enterocyte mass or gut function, of many nutrients, including vitamin D, may further compound metabolic bone problems, and there has been historical contamination of parenteral nutrition with aluminium that has prevented normal bone metabolism contributing to osteoporosis. This review looks at the diagnosis and current management of bone health in patients with intestinal failure.
Anatomy and academies of art I: founding academies of art
Authors: Sealy U. , Lee T.C.
Published: December 2019

The structure of the human body and its parts is of obvious relevance in medicine, but it has also played a role in art. Accurate observation of surface or external anatomy is essential in both disciplines, and its understanding has been enhanced by knowledge of what is found beneath the skin, the internal anatomy, usually based on dissection. The role of anatomy in art in general, and in academies of art in particular, is the theme of this paper. The revival of dissection in 14th‐century Italy was, if not causative, at least coincidental with the Renaissance. In 1563, Vasari founded the Accademia del Disegno in Florence, with una Anatomia included in its regulations. As a liberal art taught by university graduates, anatomy helped raise the status of painters and sculptors from artisans to artists and from guild to academy. Anatomy teaching was required in subsequent academies in Rome (1593) and Paris (1648), where the pattern of drawing from drawings, from casts, and from life was established and a Professor of Anatomy appointed in 1777. Anatomy was central to two of the Academy’s most important genres, history painting and portraiture. The Academy system, with its emphasis on anatomy, spread to other European cities and to the Caribbean and the Americas from the 17th to the 19th centuries. This paper is concerned with the role of anatomy in the founding of art academies in general, while its companion paper, 'A Tale of Two Cities', considers the cases of the academies in London and Dublin in particular.
Phenotypic features of vascular calcification in chronic kidney disease
Authors: Dai L. , Debowska M. , Lukaszuk T. , Bobrowski L. , Barany P. , Söderberg M. , Thiagarajan D. , Frostegård J. , Wennberg L. , Lindholm B. , Qureshi A. R. , Waniewski J. , Stenvinkel P.
Published: December 2019

Background

Patients with chronic kidney disease stage 5 (CKD5) are predisposed to vascular calcification (VC), but the combined effect of factors associated with VC was sparsely investigated. We applied the relaxed linear separability (RLS) feature selection model to identify features that concomitantly associate with VC in CKD5 patients.

Methods

Epigastric arteries collected during surgery from living donor kidney transplant recipients were examined to score the histological extent of medial VC. Sixty‐two phenotypic features in 152 patients were entered into RLS model to differentiate between no–minimal VC (n = 93; score 0‐1) and moderate–extensive VC (n = 59; score 2‐3). The subset of features associated with VC was selected on the basis of cross‐validation procedure. The strength of association of the selected features with VC was expressed by the absolute value of ‘RLS factor’.

Results

Among 62 features, a subset of 17 features provided optimal prediction of VC with 89% of patients correctly classified into their groups. The 17 features included traditional risk factors (diabetes, age, cholesterol, BMI and male sex) and markers of bone metabolism, endothelial function, metabolites, serum antibodies and mitochondrial‐derived peptide. Positive RLS factors range from 1.26 to 4.05 indicating features associated with increased risk of VC, and negative RLS factors range from −0.95 to −1.83 indicating features associated with reduced risk of VC.

Conclusion

The RLS model identified 17 features including novel biomarkers and traditional risk factors that together concomitantly associated with medial VC. These results may inform further investigations of factors promoting VC in CKD5 patients.
Fuzzy epistemology: Decolonizing the social sciences
Authors: Reiter Bernd
Published: December 2019

This article first argues that the social sciences need to be decolonized, as the current epistemologies and research methodologies are too narrowly based on the European and North American experiences and hence unable to adequately capture non‐European experiences and realities. I then argue that decolonizing dominant social science epistemology means freeing it from its Aristotelian foundation. The next step undertaken is to discuss five non‐Western epistemologies from West Africa, China, Melanesia, India, and South America. Building on the work of Jimi Adesina (2002), I find that all five share a fuzzy perception of reality, allowing for statements that are non‐exclusive, non‐discrete, and hence fuzzy. I propose an operationalization of these fuzzy epistemologies by applying Charles Ragin's Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fscqa).
Making sense of the self: an integrative framework for moral agency
Authors: Pesch Udo
Published: December 2019

The self is conceptualized in a multitude of ways in different scholarly fields; at the same time moral agency appears to presuppose a unitary conception of the self. This paper explores this tension by introducing ‘moral senses’ which inform the normative evaluations of a person. The moral senses are featured as innate dispositions, but they inevitably recruit discursive categorizations in order to function. These senses forward both an ‘individual self’, by experiencing a unitary body, mind and character, and a ‘social self’, that is similarly experienced as a body, a mind, and a character. This social self is enabled by the capacity to internalize other people's feelings and intentions and the need to have otherworldly explanations for observable reality. This integrative framework of moral senses provides an understanding that helps to address the challenge of moral heterogeneity and plurality.
Literacy learning as cruelly optimistic: recovering possible lost futures through transmedial storytelling
Authors: Dernikos Bessie P. , Thiel Jaye Johnson
Published: December 2019

In this article, we “think with” theories of affect and transmedial storytelling to explore the cruel optimism that standardised reading pedagogies (e.g. read alouds; leveled readers/independent reading) can produce for readers. We draw on particular moments in a first grade classroom to argue that such pedagogies transmit “normalizing” affects that promise upward mobility, college and career readiness/success, classroom community, and happiness but insteadproduceliterate identities, which cruelly reinforce the racialised, gendered and classist myth of meritocracy. According to Blackman (2019), cruel optimism is harmful because it normalises particular fictions and fantasies that are presented as scientific truths without acknowledging that these dominant stories are but one narrative, thereby closing off other ways of knowing, being and doing. This work offers pedagogical possibilities for bodies that are often read as unsuccessful (e.g. disengaged and struggling) and/or successful (e.g. happy and engaged) and explains how the guise of optimism can fail to acknowledge the larger social, political and economic forces at play. These forces shape the unfolding of academic realities that are simultaneously connected to the past, present and future.
Neighborhood effects on soil properties, mycorrhizal attributes, tree growth, and nutrient status in afforested zones
Authors: Sheng Min , Chen Xuedong , Yu Xiaojuan , Yan Jie , Zhang Xinlu , Hamel Chantal , Sheng Yangyang , Tang Ming
Published: December 2019

A harmonious interspecies relationship is the key to the success of mixed afforestation. This study was conducted to assess the responses of afforestation species to their neighboring trees. We examined five types of stands—monocultures of Chinese pine (Pinus tabuliformis), black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), sea‐buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides), and two mixtures (Chinese pine × black locust mixture and Chinese pine × sea‐buckthorn mixture)—in the Loess Plateau, northwestern China. The height and diameter at breast height of each tree species were measured, and rhizosphere soil, shoot, and root were sampled. In monocultures, black locust was taller than Chinese pine and sea‐buckthorn, while the height of Chinese pine and sea‐buckthorn was similar. In mixtures, Chinese pine grew better with sea‐buckthorn than alone as a result of modified soil properties and plant nutrition, but not with black locust. When Chinese pine was used as neighbors, it affected the level of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) colonization of black locust, soil properties and AM fungal spore density of black locust and sea‐buckthorn, but did not significantly affect their growth. Our results suggest that the reciprocal effects between tree species in mixture are not symmetric, and thus planning for efficient mixed afforestation requires knowledge of species‐specific growth rate, nutrient requirements, and species interactions.
In vitro killing of canine strains of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius and Escherichia coli by cefazolin, cefovecin, doxycycline and pradofloxacin over a range of bacterial densities
Authors: Blondeau Joseph M. , Fitch Shantelle D.
Published: December 2019

Background

Bacterial densities likely fluctuate during infection and may exceed the bacterial density used in susceptibility testing. As such, investigation of bacterial killing by antibiotics over a range of varying bacterial densities may provide important differences between compounds and could impact drug selection for therapy.

Hypothesis/Objectives

To measure killing of clinical isolates of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius and Escherichia coli by cefazolin, cefovecin, doxycycline and pradofloxacin at clinically relevant (minimum inhibitory, mutant prevention, maximum serum and maximum tissue) drug concentrations against varying densities of bacteria.

Animals/Materials

Bacterial strains collected from dogs with urinary tract infections were studied.

Methods and materials

High bacterial densities ranging from 106 to 109 colony forming units (cfu)/mL were exposed to minimum inhibitory, mutant prevention, blood and tissue drug concentrations, and the percentages (log10) of viable cells killed following 30 min, 1, 2, 4, 6, 12 and 24 h of drug exposure were quantified.

Results

Doxycycline exhibited bacteriostatic properties with less killing than the other three agents. For example, at a 107 cfu/mL density of S. pseudintermedius, more cells were killed by pradofloxacin (P < 0.0001) and cefovecin (P = 0.0014) but not cefazolin when compared to doxycycline at the maximum serum drug concentration following 12 h of drug exposure.

Conclusions and clinical importance

Differences were seen between some drugs in the speed and extent of bacterial killing; this could be clinically important and may impact drug selection and length of therapy.
Is sexual risk behaviour associated with an increased risk of transfusion‐transmissible infections in blood donors from Western and Pacific countries? A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Van Remoortel Hans , Matthysen Wout , Avau Bert , Compernolle Veerle , Vandekerckhove Philippe , De Buck Emmy
Published: December 2019

Background and Objectives

The donor medical questionnaire is designed to aid blood establishments in supporting a safe blood supply. According to blood donor deferral policies, sexual risk behaviour (SRB) leads to a (temporary) deferral from blood donation. This systematic review aimed to scientifically underpin these policies by identifying the best available evidence on the association between SRB and the risk of transfusion transmissible infections (TTIs).

Materials & Methods

Studies from three databases investigating the link between SRB (excluding men who have sex with men (MSM)) and TTIs (HBV, HCV, HIV, Treponema pallidum) in donors from Western and Pacific countries were obtained and assessed on eligibility by two reviewers independently. The association between SRB and TTIs was expressed by calculating pooled effect measures via meta‐analyses. The GRADE methodology (Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation) was used to assess the quality of evidence.

Results

We identified 3750 references and finally included 15 observational studies. Meta‐analyses showed that there is a significant (P < 0·05) positive association between the following SRB and HBV and/or HCV infection: having sex with an intravenous drug user (high‐certainty evidence), receiving money or goods for sex (moderate‐high certainty evidence), having a sex partner with hepatitis/HIV (moderate‐certainty evidence) and paid for sex or anal sex (low‐certainty evidence).

Conclusion

Sexual risk behaviour (including having sex with an intravenous drug user, receiving money or goods for sex or having a sex partner with hepatitis/HIV) is probably associated with an increased risk of HBV/HCV infection in blood donors from Western and Pacific countries.
Sizing an Off-Grid Photovoltaic System and Economic Comparison with Petrol Generator Using Life Cycle Cost (LCC) Approach for a Typical Rural Primary Healthcare Center in Nigeria
Authors: I.K Okakwu, , O.E Olabode, , O.O Ade-Ikuesan, , Airoboman A.E
Published: December 2019

It is needless to re-emphasize that modern day healthcare systems require uninterruptible power supply, relying on the national grid for power supply most especially in remote areas in Nigeria is a deliberate attempt to paralysis and underutilize both the human and non-human resources. This paper presents the sizing of a stand-alone photovoltaic system and economic comparison with petrol generator in powering a rural Primary Health Care Center (PHC) in Agbado, Ado-Odo, Ota Local Government, Ogun State, Nigeria. Load survey of the PHC was done in order to know the daily energy demand. The average annual solar radiation and the estimated load for the PHC used as case study are 4.89kWh/m2/day and 14.40kWh/day respectively. The result obtained from sizing the photovoltaic system reveals that the estimated load will require 5.25kW photovoltaic array capacity, 21 modules (24V, 250W each), 10 batteries (12V, 200Ah each), 3 solar charge controllers (24V, 80A each), 1 unit of 4kW inverter (24Vdc/220Vac, 50Hz), 3x70mm2 insulated flexible copper cable and 3x2.5mm2 insulated flexible copper cable. Life Cycle Cost (LCC) technique was used to assess the most economically viable option in powering the PHC. The study also reveals a savings of 64.4% in LCC using PV system as against petrol generators in powering the PHC. The replacement cost constitutes the higher factor affecting the LCC of the PV system constituting about 47.7%, while the operation and maintenance cost forms the least factor with about 28.9%. Also, for that of petrol generator, the fuel cost constitutes the highest factor affecting the LCC, constituting about 87.6%, while the initial capital cost forms the least factor which is about 0.24%. The insights from this study can be reciprocated to other rural PHCs in Nigeria.
CO2 Methanation over Mesoporous Silica Based Catalyst: A Comprehensive Study
Authors: N. A. A. Fatah , A. A. Jalil , A. F. A. Rahman , H. U. Hambali , I. Hussain
Published: December 2019

The abundance presence of CO2 released into the atmosphere has gained numerous consideration for an effective method to mitigate the CO2 build up and recycling the carbon resource. Among the catalytic reactions, the methanation of CO2 has been an indispensable reaction to transform toxic CO2 into methane which can be use as energy carrier or valuable chemical. The application of heterogeneous catalyst in CO2 methanation plays a significant role due to its effectiveness and stability which led to lower costs for large scale production.  This article discussed the recent developments of silica based catalyst for CO2 methanation with emphasized on its physicochemical properties and catalytic performance. In summary, the nature of silica support material such as morphology, textural properties and nature of basicity has a great influence on its catalytic performance towards CO2 methanation.
BOND AND FLEXURAL STRENGTH CHARACTERISTICS OF PARTIALLY REPLACED SELF-COMPACTING PALM KERNEL SHELL CONCRETE
Authors: Odeyemi Samson Olalekan , Abdulwahab Rasheed , Abdulsalam Adebayo Akeem , Anifowose Mukaila Abiola
Published: December 2019

Self-compacting concrete (SCC) is an innovative concrete that has helped in overcoming challenges associated with vibrated concrete such as congested reinforcements, noise from vibrators, and cost of hiring vibrators. This research examined the bond strength between partially replaced Self Compacting Palm Kernel Shell (SCPKS) concrete and high yield reinforcing bars wherein the granite content of the concrete was replaced by 50% of palm kernel shell (total replacement disintegrated on removal of mould). SCPKS concrete specimens of mix ratios 1:2:4, 1:1.5:3 and 1:1:2 were produced and cured for 7 days, 21 days and 28 days at water to cement ratio (w/c) of 0.5 and 0.6 respectively. Flow, bond strength, and flexural tests were conducted on the samples. The highest bond strength was recorded for mix ratio 1:1:2 at w/c of 0.5 when tested at 28 days with a value of 5.56 N/mm2. This value is 0.072% higher than the 28th day strength of 5.52 N/mm2 for SCC without replacement of the granite content. Also, the highest flexural strength was recorded for mix ratio 1:1:2 at w/c of 0.5 when tested at 28 days with a value of 6.88 N/mm2. It was concluded that palm kernel shell can be safely used for partial replacement in SCC.
ASSESSMENT OF IMPACT OF LAND USE TYPES ON SOIL ORGANIC CARBON CONTENT IN SOUTH WEST, NIGERIA
Authors: Omofunmi Olorunwa Eric , Omotayo Best Ayoyimika
Published: December 2019

The present study attempts to relate the soil organic carbon content with four different land uses (Faculty of Agriculture Teaching and Research farm, cashew plantation and Agricultural and Bioresources experimental farm and oil palm plantation) which come under South west, Nigeria. The objective of the study was to assess the effects of different land uses on soil organic carbon. The sampled soils were collected from different land uses at 0–15 cm (surface), 15 – 30 cm and 30 - 45 cm (sub-surface) depth and were analyzed for soil physical properties with standard procedures. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results indicated that the oil palm plantation land use recorded the highest mean of soil organic carbon content compared with other land use types at 0 – 15 cm soil depth (23 ±4 g kg-1), which was 1.5, 2.6 and 53.3 % more than in the Faculty of Agriculture Teaching and Research farm land, the cashew plantation land and the Agricultural and Bioresources experimental farm land. This is attributed to more inputs of litter fall and reduced decomposition of organic matter. Similarly, the lowest soil organic carbon content under Agricultural and Bioresorces engineering as compared to others was attributed to reduce of organic matter and frequent tillage which encouraged oxidation of organic matter. The finding indicated that the means of soil organic carbon were significantly different (P < 0.05) between the land use types. Conservation farming should be practiced
Benefits of higher resistance‐training volume are related to ribosome biogenesis
Authors: Hammarström Daniel , Øfsteng Sjur , Koll Lise , Hanestadhaugen Marita , Hollan Ivana , Apró William , Whist Jon Elling , Blomstrand Eva , Rønnestad Bent R. , Ellefsen Stian
Published: December 2019

Key points

For individuals showing suboptimal adaptations to resistance training, manipulation of training volume is a potential measure to facilitate responses. This remains unexplored.

Here, 34 untrained individuals performed contralateral resistance training with moderate and low volume for 12 weeks. Moderate volume led to larger increases in muscle cross‐sectional area, strength and type II fibre‐type transitions.

These changes coincided with greater activation of signalling pathways controlling muscle growth and greater induction of ribosome synthesis.

Out of 34 participants, thirteen displayed clear benefit of MOD on muscle hypertrophy and sixteen showed clear benefit of MOD on muscle strength gains. This coincided with greater total RNA accumulation in the early phase of the training period, suggesting that ribosomal biogenesis regulates the dose–response relationship between training volume and muscle hypertrophy.

These results demonstrate that there is a dose‐dependent relationship between training volume and outcomes. On the individual level, benefits of higher training volume were associated with increased ribosomal biogenesis.

Resistance‐exercise volume is a determinant of training outcomes. However not all individuals respond in a dose‐dependent fashion. In this study, 34 healthy individuals (males n = 16, 23.6 (4.1) years; females n = 18, 22.0 (1.3) years) performed moderate‐ (3 sets per exercise, MOD) and low‐volume (1 set, LOW) resistance training in a contralateral fashion for 12 weeks (2–3 sessions per week). Muscle cross‐sectional area (CSA) and strength were assessed at Weeks 0 and 12, along with biopsy sampling (m. vastus lateralis). Muscle biopsies were also sampled before and 1 h after the fifth session (Week 2). MOD resulted in larger increases in muscle CSA (5.2 (3.8)% versus 3.7 (3.7)%, P < 0.001) and strength (3.4–7.7% difference, all P < 0.05. This coincided with greater reductions in type IIX fibres from Week 0 to Week 12 (MOD, −4.6 percentage points; LOW −3.2 percentage points), greater phosphorylation of S6‐kinase 1 (p85 S6K1Thr412, 19%; p70 S6K1Thr389, 58%) and ribosomal protein S6Ser235/236 (37%), greater rested‐state total RNA (8.8%) and greater exercise‐induced c‐Myc mRNA expression (25%; Week 2, all P < 0.05). Thirteen and sixteen participants, respectively, displayed clear benefits in response to MOD on muscle hypertrophy and strength. Benefits were associated with greater accumulation of total RNA at Week 2 in the MOD leg, with every 1% difference increasing the odds of MOD benefit by 7.0% (P = 0.005) and 9.8% (P = 0.002). In conclusion, MOD led to greater functional and biological adaptations than LOW. Associations between dose‐dependent total RNA accumulation and increases in muscle mass and strength point to ribosome biogenesis as a determinant of dose‐dependent training responses.
La construcción de la memoria colectiva del conflicto armado en Colombia desde el video universitario (2005-2014)
Authors: Urbanczyk María
Published: December 2019

Este artículo pretende mostrar cómo se construyen las memorias del conflicto armado en Colombia desde las narrativas audiovisuales universitarias en el período 2005-2014. Hay que aclarar que, dependiendo del formato audiovisual, los videos evidencian diferentes propósitos narrativos, mientras que los cortometrajes de ficción se centran en los cuestionamientos éticos. Los documentales además de visibilizar los acontecimientos traumáticos desde los recuerdos de las víctimas, van más allá, relatando los intentos por superar los traumas a través del arte y el contacto con la naturaleza, dándole apertura a unos nuevos horizontes de vida pacífica. Llama la atención que los videos experimentales manejan lenguajes más arriesgados, que penetran la conciencia del espectador a partir de denuncias simbólicas, dirigidas a descubrir las maléficas alianzas entre la violencia, la política y los medios de comunicación al servicio de grandes capitales multinacionales.
Consumo de prácticas culturales en jóvenes universitarios de algunos países latinoamericanos
Authors: Villamil Guzmán Clara Inés , Hurtado Torres Luz Marina
Published: December 2019

El artículo tiene como objetivo hacer una revisión de estudios sobre el consumo de prácticas culturales en jóvenes de algunas universidades Latinoamericanas. Se entiende como práctica cultural las actividades referentes a medios escritos y audiovisuales, museos, exposiciones, deportes virtuales, tecnologías de la información y la comunicación. Se analizaron 52 investigaciones de artículos, revistas indexadas, tesis e informes, realizados entre los años 2001 y 2018, en los cuales se presentan los avances y vacíos en esta temática. Los análisis de estos estudios permiten concluir que el consumo cultural de los jóvenes universitarios se transformó como consecuencia de la globalización, el avance de las tecnologías de la información y comunicación, y la influencia de las nuevas industrias culturales.
Kinetostatic and Dynamic Modeling of Flexure-Based Compliant Mechanisms: A Survey
Authors: Ling Mingxiang , Howell Larry L. , Cao Junyi , Chen Guimin
Published: December 2019

Flexure-based compliant mechanisms are becoming increasingly promising in precision engineering, robotics, and other applications due to the excellent advantages of no friction, no backlash, no wear, and minimal requirement of assembly. Because compliant mechanisms have inherent coupling of kinematic-mechanical behaviors with large deflections and/or complex serial-parallel configurations, the kinetostatic and dynamic analyses are challenging in comparison to their rigid-body counterparts. To address these challenges, a variety of techniques have been reported in a growing stream of publications. This paper surveys and compares the conceptual ideas, key advances, and applicable scopes, and open problems of the state-of-the-art kinetostatic and dynamic modeling methods for compliant mechanisms in terms of small and large deflections. Future challenges are discussed and new opportunities for extended study are highlighted as well. The presented review provides a guide on how to select suitable modeling approaches for those engaged in the field of compliant mechanisms.
Buckling and Post-Buckling of Thin-Walled Composite Laminated Beams—A Review of Engineering Analysis Methods
Authors: Mittelstedt Christian
Published: December 2019

Thin-walled beams made of laminated composite materials are increasingly used in any engineering branch where structural weight is one of the major aspects in the design process of load bearing structures. Quite naturally, when composite materials are being employed, analysis methods are required that adequately take effects such as material anisotropy, coupling effects, and shear deformations into account which are inherent to this class of materials. This paper aims to provide an overview of engineering analysis methods concerning the buckling and post-buckling behavior of thin-walled composite laminated beams, covering topics such as exact and closed-form analytical approximate solutions as well as semi-analytical and numerical methods wherein a distinction is made between local and global buckling of beam structures, and the interaction of global and local buckling modes. This paper also covers an overview of experimental investigations as well as of design optimization studies and closes with an outlook on future investigations.
Experiences Influencing Walking Football Initiation in 55- to 75-Year-Old Adults: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Cholerton Rachel , Breckon Jeff , Butt Joanne , Quirk Helen
Published: December 2019

Adults aged 55 and older are least likely to play sport. Despite research suggesting this population experiences physical and psychological benefits when doing so, limited research focuses on older adult sport initiation, especially in “adapted sports” such as walking football. The aim of this study was to explore initiation experiences of walking football players between 55 and 75 years old. Semistructured interviews took place with 17 older adults playing walking football for 6 months minimum (Mage = 64). Inductive analysis revealed six higher order themes representing preinitiation influences. Eight further higher order themes were found, relating to positive and negative experiences during initiation. Fundamental influences preinitiation included previous sporting experiences and values and perceptions. Emergent positive experiences during initiation included mental development and social connections. Findings highlight important individual and social influences when initiating walking football, which should be considered when encouraging 55- to 75-year-old adults to play adapted sport. Policy and practice recommendations are discussed.
The Physiological, Physical, and Biomechanical Demands of Walking Football: Implications for Exercise Prescription and Future Research in Older Adults
Authors: Harper Liam D. , Field Adam , Corr Liam D. , Naughton Robert J.
Published: December 2019

The aim of this investigation was to profile the physiological, physical, and biomechanical responses during walking football. A total of 17 male participants (aged 66 ± 6 years) participated. Heart rate; blood lactate; accelerometer variables (biomechanical load [PlayerLoad™], changes of direction); and rating of perceived exertion were measured. Participants mean percentage of maximum heart rate was 76 ± 6% during the sessions, with rating of perceived exertion across all sessions at 13 ± 2. Blood lactate increased by ∼157% from presession (1.24 ± 0.4 mmol/L) to postsession (3.19 ± 1.7 mmol/L; p ≤ .0005). PlayerLoad™ values of 353 ± 67 arbitrary units were observed, as well as ∼100 changes of direction per session. In conclusion, walking football is a moderate- to vigorous-intensity activity. The longitudinal health benefits of walking football remain to be elucidated, particularly on bone health, cardiovascular fitness, and social and mental well-being.
Measuring Externalities: The Imperative Next Step to Sustainability Assessment in Sport
Authors: McCullough Brian P. , Orr Madeleine , Watanabe Nicholas M.
Published: December 2019

A paradox exists between the ways sport organizations evaluate their economic impact, compared with their environmental impact. Although the initial sustainability and corporate social responsibility efforts of sport organizations should be celebrated, it is appropriate to call for the next advancement concerning the assessment and measurement of environmental sustainability efforts in sport organizations. Specifically, there is a need for improved and increased monitoring and measurement of sustainable practices that include negative environmental externalities. To usher this advancement, the authors first reviewed the extant research and current industry practice involving environmental impact reporting in sport. Second, the authors proposed a conceptual framework that expands the scope of environmental assessment to be more comprehensive. As such, this expanded, yet more accurate, assessment of environmental impact can identify specific aspects of the event and the inputs and outputs of the before and after event phases that can be curtailed or modified to reduce environmental impacts of sport events.