bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Faculty knowledge and attitudes regarding predatory open access journals: a needs assessment study
Authors: Swanberg Stephanie M. , Thielen Joanna , Bulgarelli Nancy
Published: April 2020

Objective: The purpose of predatory open access (OA) journals is primarily to make a profit rather than to disseminate quality, peer-reviewed research. Publishing in these journals could negatively impact faculty reputation, promotion, and tenure, yet many still choose to do so. Therefore, the authors investigated faculty knowledge and attitudes regarding predatory OA journals.Methods: A twenty-item questionnaire containing both quantitative and qualitative items was developed and piloted. All university and medical school faculty were invited to participate. The survey included knowledge questions that assessed respondents’ ability to identify predatory OA journals and attitudinal questions about such journals. Chi-square tests were used to detect differences between university and medical faculty.Results: A total of 183 faculty completed the survey: 63% were university and 37% were medical faculty. Nearly one-quarter (23%) had not previously heard of the term “predatory OA journal.” Most (87%) reported feeling very confident or confident in their ability to assess journal quality, but only 60% correctly identified a journal as predatory, when given a journal in their field to assess. Chi-square tests revealed that university faculty were more likely to correctly identify a predatory OA journal (p=0.0006) and have higher self-reported confidence in assessing journal quality, compared with medical faculty (p=0.0391).Conclusions: Survey results show that faculty recognize predatory OA journals as a problem. These attitudes plus the knowledge gaps identified in this study will be used to develop targeted educational interventions for faculty in all disciplines at our university.
Donald A. B. Lindberg, MD, Honorary MLA Member
Authors: Humphreys Betsy L. , Rosenbloom Megan
Published: April 2020

Donald Allan Bror Lindberg, MD, director emeritus of the US National Library of Medicine (NLM) and Honorary MLA Member, died on August 17, 2019, in Bethesda, Maryland. Lindberg was NLM’s longest serving director and led the library through extraordinary changes that affected health sciences libraries and access to health information worldwide.
Lucretia W. McClure, AHIP, FMLA
Authors: Messerle Judith
Published: April 2020

With the passing of Lucretia W. McClure, AHIP, FMLA, on October 17, 2019, the Medical Library Association, the library profession, and the field of medical history lost an important friend and colleague. She was a role model for many and a bright light for the association.
De quiasmos y perspectivas: encuentro entre mundos y lógicas visuales en la América Tropical
Authors: Caputo-Jaffe Alessandra
Published: April 2020

El siguiente artículo ofrece un estudio comparativo sobre las formas de concebir las lógicas visuales y ontologías entre el mundo amerindio y el europeo, cuyo encuentro genera aún hoy discusiones sobre cómo interpretar o qué elementos considerar a la hora de abordar los estudios entorno a la estética en Latinoamérica. El estudio parte con el análisis de dos pares de ejemplos visuales relacionados con la América Tropical: confrontaremos dos grabados europeos, que retratan un particular imaginario acerca de los habitantes de América, con dos estatuillas de cerámica procedentes del mundo precolombino que guardan una sorprendente relación formal con las anteriores figuras. Por un lado, recapitularemos a partir de la literatura preexistente en qué medida los europeos se encontraron en América con un mundo repleto de seres fantásticos que reconocían a partir del imaginario clásico-medieval, pero que a su vez intentaban explicar a partir de una lógica racionalista y naturalista, producto de una incipiente modernidad. Sin embargo, por otro lado estudiaremos dichos imaginarios con lo que hoy en día conocemos acerca de las lógicas visuales del mundo amerindio, a partir de los enfoques antropológicos que estudian las ontologías amerindias y que teorizan acerca del perspectivismo amazónico. Observaremos por tanto bajo qué perspectiva pudieron haber sido concebidos estos seres “fantásticos” desde la lógica y las cosmovisiones amerindias frente a la mirada europea, para reconocer así ciertos puntos de concomitancia, así como de distancia, entre ambos mundos.
De Finlandia a Nueva Zelanda. Las artes en educación infantil
Authors: Oliver Mar
Published: April 2020

En este artículo se analiza y compara el tratamiento de la educación artística en los currículums de Educación Infantil de Finlandia y Nueva Zelanda/Aotearoa, dos currículums internacionalmente reconocidos. Nuestro objetivo es examinar los puntos en común de estos dos currículums con vistas a identificar buenas prácticas en la elaboración de un currículo artístico en la primera infancia. Para ello se realiza un análisis documental mixto, utilizando una aproximación comparativa en base a dos constructos que parten de nuestro marco teórico: lugar del arte en la estructura curricular y el sentido de la educación artística. Los resultados señalan en primer lugar que el arte y la cultura ocupan un papel claro, relevante y transversal en los currículums, en segundo lugar muestran una diversidad de argumentos que justifican la educación artística, pero todos coherentes bajo un paradigma socioconstructivista que pretende una sociedad más justa; en tercer lugar indican la necesidad de adaptar el currículum al contexto y a la cultura local, y en cuarto y último lugar una ligera apertura hacia nuevas disciplinas artísticas como circo o audiovisuales.
Hannah Arendt, Verdad y mentira en política, traducción de R. Ramos Fontecoba, Editorial Página Indómita, Barcelona, 2017, 147 pp.
Authors: Linares Abadía Laura
Published: April 2020

Reseña del libro de Hannah Arendt, Verdad y mentira en política, traducción de R. Ramos Fontecoba, Editorial Página Indómita, Barcelona, 2017, 147 pp.
Antonio López Martínez, De la República al franquismo. Legalidad, legitimidad y memoria histórica, Universidad de Murcia, Editum, 2017, 451 pp.
Authors: Gracia Arce Beatriz
Published: April 2020

Reseña del libro de Antonio López Martínez, De la República al franquismo. Legalidad, legitimidad y memoria histórica, Universidad de Murcia, Editum, 2017, 451 pp.
Laughter's Truths: Hurston, Ellison, and Open-Ended Dialogue
Authors: Ellis Juniper
Published: April 2020

For Hurston and Ellison in laughter as for Mikhail Bakhtin in dialogue, every sounding includes and anticipates a response, revealing the “whole life” of a person or a nation. Hurston's and Ellison's presentation of humor also sharpens the conflictual nature of open-ended dialogue, presenting anger and aggression as an explicit aspect of humor. Challenging Dexter Gordon's suggestion that African American humor is “always making visible the invisible while masking its own anger and rage,” Hurston and Ellison use humor to unveil conflict. Hurston suggests that the men who ask the women for their “can” (buttocks) pretend to deride what they want but in fact elevate them. Ellison's black man laughing in a laughing barrel seems to show respect to those who would contain his laughter but actually shows derision. The world is turned backside forward and bottom up—detonating an open-ended “American joke” that is still ongoing.
Business Organization as Public Partner of Community: A Social Vision of the Organization Through the Public Engagement
Authors: Lo Presti Letizia , Maggiore Giulio
Published: April 2020

The importance of private organizations for social and economic development has been a motivating factor for understanding the role of public engagement as a lever of competitive advantage.In recent years the public engagement construct was defined and conceptualized differently in public sector. Instead, few papers have analysed the implications of public engagement for private sector. The difficulty to contextualize and conceptualise correctly public engagement for the private sector is liable for the lack of a thorough description of its antecedent factors and main definitions.This research uses a Systematic Literature Review as research method and analyses 21 papers published in the main journals of management. The study found that public engagement and community engagement are the main conceptual approaches used to explain the engagement of private sector with their publics. Social and dialogical dimensions of communication are factors influencing the engagement of the publics in the private sector. This research aims to study public engagement in a management perspective and advance the understanding of this construct also in private organizations.
Effect of Edutainment Instructional Approach on Students’ Academic Achievement and Retention in Building Technology in Technical Colleges
Authors: Eze T. I. , Ekon Magnus G. , Obidile Jacinta Ifeoma
Published: April 2020

The teaching and learning of building technology in technical colleges seems to be characterised by poor academic achievement and retention of concepts. This called for the search for innovative teaching approaches like the edutainment instructional approach. The study was therefore conducted to determine the effect of edutainment instructional approach on students’ academic achievement and retention in building technology in technical colleges. Two research questions guided the study and two null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted the quasi-experimental design in which there were pre-test and post-test in the experimental and control groups. The population of the study comprised all the 946 senior technical II (ST2) students offering building technology in the six public technical colleges in Akwa Ibom State. Purposive sampling technique was used to select four technical colleges in the study area. Three instrument namely: edutainment lesson plans, conventional lesson plans and building technology achievement test (BTAT) were used in the study. Three experts validated the instrument. Test-retest reliability of the instrument which yielded an index of 0.87 obtained using Pearson product moment correlation coefficient. The data collected for the study were analysed using the mean scores and standard deviation for answering the research questions while hypotheses were tested with the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) at 0.05 level of significance. The study found that: the edutainment instructional approach enhanced students’ academic achievement and retention in building technology more than the conventional lecture method. There was significant difference in the academic achievement and retention of students in building technology between the two groups. The significance was attributed to the experimental group which obtained a higher mean score in the post-test and retention test. It was recommended that: teachers of building technology in technical colleges in Akwa Ibom State should adopt edutainment instructional approach in the teaching of building technology courses in order to enhance students’ academic achievement and retention in building technology.
Are Routine Follow-up Radiographs Necessary for Extra-articular Scapula Body Fractures Managed Conservatively?
Authors: Steinmetz R. Garrett , Maupin Jeremiah J. , Johnson Eric B. , Cantrell Austin J. , Fox Jake A. , Bernhardt Jeremy A. , Pasque Charles B. , Teague David C.
Published: April 2020

Introduction:

Extra-articular scapula body fractures have been shown to have good outcomes with nonsurgical management. What is not known is whether routine postinjury imaging of these fractures is necessary for monitoring healing and alignment. As the shift toward providing cost-effective healthcare continues, we sought to evaluate if routine postinjury imaging of these fractures resulted in any change in management while secondarily evaluating the imaging for fracture patterns at risk of displacement.

Methods:

A retrospective review of all extra-articular scapula body fractures managed nonsurgically at our institution was performed from January 2013 to December 2017. We measured the glenopolar angle, lateral border offset, sagittal angulation, and translation on both injury CT scans and follow-up radiographs to evaluate if any displacement occurred. In fractures that displaced more than 10 mm or 10° in any measurement, we evaluated the fracture pattern to see if any particular pattern posed a risk for displacement. In addition, we evaluated the cost of imaging for all radiographs obtained in the follow-up period.

Results:

A total of 139 patients with 147 extra-articular scapula body fractures were included in our analysis. No patient experienced a change in management based on postinjury radiographs. A total of 120 patients underwent postinjury imaging with a total of 204 radiographic series ordered, equating to $172,769.50 in radiograph expenses. Final radiographs were obtained at an average of 48.4 days postinjury, and overall, no significant difference was observed (P < 0.05) in any radiographic measurement when compared with the initial injury imaging; however, when looking at fractures that displaced, transverse fracture patterns of the scapula body represented a risk factor for displacement (relative risk = 6.5).

Discussion:

Satisfactory outcomes have previously been demonstrated with nonsurgical management of scapula body fractures and for most of these injuries postinjury imaging may not be necessary or cost effective.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV
Reviewer acknowledgements for International Journal of Biology, Vol. 12, No. 2
Authors: Bai Liam
Published: April 2020

Reviewer acknowledgements for International Journal of Biology, Vol. 12, No. 2, 2020
Comparison of Magnesium Sulfate and Nifedipine in Prevention of Preterm Labor
Authors: Shahbazian Nahid , Saadati Najmieh , Mahdavi Mina
Published: April 2020

Introduction: Fetal and neonatal complications are more common in premature than full term pregnancy. Treatment of preterm labor and postpone delivery increases neonatal survival and better quality of life and reduces health care costs for premature infants. This study aimed to compare the effects of Nifedipine and Magnesium sulfate in arresting preterm labor and to adverse the effects of these drugs.

Materials and Methods: This randomized and clinical trial study was performed on 100 pregnant women who were hospitalized for preterm labor pain. The participants were pregnant women with the gestational age of 28 to 34 weeks and with a single pregnancy and symptoms of preterm were studied. They were randomly divided into two equal groups. After not suppressing the pain by fluid therapy, in the first group Magnesium sulfate infused injection (N=50) was performed, while in the second group, oral Nifedipine were given. The research uses SPSS software (version 20) statistical software issue 20 to analyze the result of tests with descriptive statistical methods including independent T test and chi square test.

Results: Mean maternal age, gestational age, parity converted Magnesium sulfate and Nifedipine group had no significant difference in statistical analysis. Delivery was delayed more than 48 hours in 48% (24 person) of cases in the Magnesium sulfate group and in 72% (36 person) in Nifedipine group (p=0.03). A statistically significant difference in response to treatment was more in group of Nifedipine.

Conclusion: The results showed that Nifedipine is more effective than Magnesium sulfate in postponing delivery (more than 48 hours), producing minimal side effect, having adequate price and applying an easy use method. Therefore, Nifedipine, as a tocolytic, can be a good substitute for Magnesium sulfate in preterm labor treatment.
Correlation Between mpMRI Staging and Final Surgical Pathology in Prostate Cancer
Authors: Lashay Alireza , Gholivandan Jafar , Sehri Yaghoob , Elahian Amirreza , Ghafari Mahyar
Published: April 2020

Purpose: We evaluated the role of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) in the diagnosis of prostate cancer and predicting of surgical staging of prostate cancer.

Materials and Methods: The study was done in 110 subjects who got mpMRI before radical prostatectomy in our hospital from 2016 to 2019. Preoperative mpMRI findings of 110 were compared to surgical pathology results following radical Prostatectomy. A comparison was made between pathologic staging of prostate cancer and the mpMRI findings.

Results: pathologic evaluation confirmed prostate cancer foci (237) were recognized in 110 subjects. Generally, mpMRI sensitivity of 46.4% was found for prostate cancer detection (110/237). Pathological tumor volume was a significant predictor of prostate cancer detection using mpMRI. In 33% of the cases, the pathologic staging is precisely similar to mpMRI and in 43%of the cases, there was a slight difference between the pathologic staging and staging by mpMRI but the cancer was confined to the prostate.in 24% of the cases, there was a significant difference between the pathologic staging and staging by mpMRI. The mpMRI was not able to identify the significant cancer in 24% of the cases.

Conclusion: The preoperative mpMRI was useful in detecting prostate cancer and in predicting surgical staging. However, the detection of 24% of clinically significant cancer was missed using mpMRI. As we move toward personalized medicine, use of MRI to biopsy each man's prostate differently rather than based on a pre-defined 12 core seems to be supported in the recent literature.
The Fuzzy SAW Method and Weights Determined Based on Fuzzy Entropy
Authors: Kacprzak Dariusz
Published: April 2020

The paper presents a new approach to the fuzzy SAW method, which uses fuzzy entropy. It allows to identify the best alternative by the application FSAW method if decision makers use fuzzy numbers or linguistic variables. Moreover, the presented method allows to avoid subjectivity and imprecision caused by incomplete knowledge, judgments, opinions and preferences of decision makers.
International Market Segmentation with the Use of CMS Method and Cluster Analysis
Authors: Salamaga Marcin
Published: April 2020

The segmentation of foreign markets is currently treated as an important element of the strategy of operations of enterprises that participate in international exchange of goods and services. This paper fits squarely into a current trend in research on the matter. The article presents the possibility of combining the model of Constant Market Share developed by Leamer, Stern (1970) with cluster analysis. The CMS method allows for a detailed assessment of the sources of changes occurring in the export of compared countries, and in particular its results allow for answering the following question: To what extent may changes in export be explained by the economic situation in the world trade of individual clusters of commodities and to what extent do they result from the competitiveness of these countries? The application of the multivariate statistical methods for the designated effects will allow for the identification of the clusters of countries of the most similar position in the spatial and commodity arrangement, including countries of similar competitiveness of trade. This approach has been applied to the segmentation of EU countries’ markets.
Influence of entities with foreign capital investments on employment level
Authors: Kłosiewicz-Górecka Urszula
Published: April 2020

An aim of the article is to identify the impact of investment outlays by entities with foreign capital on employment in the Polish economy. The subject of research is quantitative changes of investment outlays and the number of employees in the economy as well as in entities with foreign capital. Correlation and comparative analyses of investments outlays and number of employees in entities with foreign capital by kinds of economic activity, i.e. Agriculture, forestry and fishing, Industry, Construction, Services, were used. Absolute data, Pearson correlation coefficients, dynamics and structure indicators, as well as relation between the dynamics of investment outlays and the number of employees were applied in the research. The survey was based on Statistics Poland data for the years 2009—2015.
The analyses findings confirmed the hypothesis of the existence of substantial differences concerning the relationship between investments and employment in particular kinds of economic activity. In entities with foreign capital, there was a strong correlation between investment outlays and employment in industry, while moderate between investment outlays and employment in services. The dynamics of employment in entities with foreign capital was higher than the dynamics for all entities in the economy, whereas services received the highest rate in the employment structure.
Education and problems of the labour market
Authors: Szreder Mirosław
Published: April 2020

The aim of the article is to answer the question whether it would be appropriate to reduce the percentage of young people who decide to complete the higher education before taking up employment. Increasing lack of employees in Poland and the attempts undertaken by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education in order to improve the quality of academic education by moving away from mass education, make this question extremely current.
The research uses data for the years 2008—2017 taken from the resources of the OECD, Statistics Poland and the Public Opinion Research Center. The results of the conducted analyses, considering all levels of education, indicated that people who completed tertiary education, both in Poland and abroad, are characterised by the highest economic activity rate and are the most willing to take part in vocational programmes at an adult age. For many years, graduates of higher education institutions in Poland have been the least exposed to unemployment. Taking into account other benefits from education — in individual and social terms — the claim that the economic or social development of the country will be facilitated by the reduction of the percentage of young people obtaining higher education is not justified.
Fossil fuels abundance and institutional changes in the post-socialist countries
Authors: Matuszak Piotr
Published: April 2020

The aim of the research was to indicate whether fossil fuels abundance had a negative effect on political and economic changes in the post- -socialist countries in the years 1991—2015. The research covered 28 countries of Central-Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Data were collected from the Freedom House (FH) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) databases, as well as the BP database.
The results of conducted study showed that the abundance of fossil fuels resources did not have a decisive influence on the process of market economy creation and democratisation of the post-socialist countries of Central-Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.
Convergence of household incomes in the European Union countries
Authors: Muszyńska Joanna , Oczki Jarosław , Wędrowska Ewa
Published: April 2020

The aim of the study is to verify the hypothesis of a tendency towards levelling of household income in the EU countries in the years 2007—2015. Convergence process of the level and the distribution of household disposable income was analysed. The basic source of information were Eurostat’s data from EU-SILC database. The convergence analysis of income levels was carried out for the mean, median and first decile of annual equivalised household disposable incomes, weighted by country population. To examine their convergence, regression models used in economic convergence analyses were adapted and the concept of absolute ß convergence was used. In the study of income distributions convergence the income distribution in households by decile groups was used, and the degree of their discrepancy was assessed using the generalised form of the Jensen-Shannon divergence measure. The study was conducted for 27 EU countries, 15 of the old EU states and 12 new member states.
On the basis of the obtained results, it was concluded that there was no convergence of the distributions of income by quantiles. However, the convergence of the considered characteristics of income distributions (mean, median, first decile) was observed.
Effectiveness of forms of professional activisation by voivodships
Authors: Bieszk-Stolorz Beata , Dmytrów Krzysztof
Published: April 2020

The objective of the article is the assessment of the diversity of voivodships with respect to values of cost and employment effectiveness of basic forms of professional activation, implemented by the powiat labour offices in the years 2008—2016. The data source were the publications of The Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy. The k-means method was used for clustering.
In the analysed period it can be observed that the coefficients of cost (except for substantial decline in 2011) and employment effectiveness had an increasing trend. The three homogeneous groups of voivodships were obtained. The first group consisted of voivodships with the most advantageous values of effectiveness, the second one — with the average values of effectiveness and the third one — the most disadvantageous.
The Generation Gap Among Nurses in Poland: Its Causes and Outlook for Change
Authors: Karkowski Tomasz Adam , Banaś Michał
Published: April 2020

According to a study on the number of registered and employed nurses and midwives up to the year 2030, the number of nurses with retirement pension rights will systematically increase. The mean age of nurses working in the healthcare system will also increase as there will be no generational renewal in nursing staff. The reason for this is an excessive difference (more than 100,000) between the number of nurses with retirement pension rights and the number of qualified nursing graduates. The consequence of this will be a decrease in the number of nurses per 1,000 Polish inhabitants, an indicator that is already very low—5.2 according to OECD data for 2016. A remedy for this situation could be encouraging nurses to take up their profession again by offering them higher, guaranteed salaries, increasing the number of vacancies in nursing undergraduate programs, offering nurses employment contracts, and encouraging nursing graduates to pursue their professional careers. The aim of this article is to discuss issues related to the generation gap among nursing staff as well as actions taken to increase the number of nurses in Poland. The article is based on Polish topical literature, legal acts, and strategies prepared by the Main Chamber of Nurses and Midwives. It is based on desk research analysis.
Generational Differences in the Evaluation of Labor Market Leaving Models: The Example of the Baby Boomer Generation and Generation Z
Authors: Król Małgorzata
Published: April 2020

Considerations contained in the article cover the issues of labor market leaving models and their evaluation by the representatives of two generations: one ending and the other beginning its professional activity. Consecutive parts of the article present brief characterizations of the generations under scrutiny (Baby Boomers and Generation Z), discuss the labor market leaving models that were the subject of evaluation (the rigid, flexible, and gradual models), and showcase the results of a survey carried out among 567 representatives of the two generations. An attempt was made to verify the research hypothesis on the basis of the survey results. That hypothesis assumed the existence of differences in the evaluation of labor market leaving models by representatives of Baby Boomers and Generation Z and posited that representatives of Generation Z rate the flexible and gradual models higher than representatives of the Baby Boomer generation, while the Baby Boomer generation rates the rigid model higher than Generation Z.
Why do politicians use Facebook and Twitter the way they do? The influence of perceived audience expectations
Authors: Kelm Ole
Published: April 2020

Politicians’ social media use affects their relationship with citizens. For example, politicians are better evaluated when they communicate interactively. However, they mostly use social media to broadcast information to their audience. This study asks why politicians use Facebook and Twitter the way they do. The study contends that politicians want to satisfy their audiences’ expectations, to get favorable reactions and increase their visibility, and that politicians from different parties have different audiences who have different expectations for how politicians should communicate. Data from two surveys conducted among national (n = 118) and local (n = 859) German politicians show that politicians’ Facebook and Twitter communication is strongly oriented to their perceptions of their audiences’ expectations. The party size did not influence politicians’ Twitter communication, but their Facebook communication: Compared to politicians from major parties, politicians from minor parties communicate in more interactive ways via Facebook. In addition, politicians from minor parties perceive more strongly than their colleagues from major parties that their audience expects them to criticize other politicians or journalists.
Voxel generation. Raising awareness for informatics and society among high-school pupils through a game-design project
Authors: Schwarz Vera , Götzenbrucker Gerit , Kayali Fares , Grill Christiane , Purgathofer Peter
Published: April 2020

Our research project was aimed at teaching high-school pupils game design skills and raising their awareness for the subject area “informatics and society.” A project-based-teaching approach enabled us to incorporate social learning by having teams of pupils work on informatics-and-society topics and subsequently design their own games. The focus of this article is an online survey conducted twice, at the beginning and end of the pupils’ project participation, showing if and how the participants’ attitudes towards and awareness of informatics and society changed during this school year. We discuss the most important survey results, also in relation to studies on internet use of adolescents in the German-speaking countries. Additionally, an evaluation group discussion with the involved teachers provides expert validity. We found that our project-based and social-learning approach was successful in raising awareness for informatics and society as well as in teaching game design.
Net Zero Energy Buildings and Low Carbon Emission, a Case of Study of Madagascar Island
Authors: Kameni Nematchoua Modeste , Reiter Sigrid
Published: April 2020

The buildings respecting the concept “Net Zero energy” are becoming more and more flowering in the world these last years. The main goal of this research is to evaluate the different possibilities of implementation of buildings with Net zero energy and low environmental impacts in Sub-Saharan Africa. The proposed building is 80% made of local materials with low carbon emissions and especially at lower cost. The optimization and modeling of the building is carried out by the Design Builder software, which is a world-renowned software in the field of optimization of comfort, cost, carbon reduction, etc. By fixing the insulation thickness up to 11 cm, cooling and heating energy are found equal to zero during the different operating seasons in this residential building. The results show that the optimal solution to consider a net zero energy building in Antananarivo city requires an additional expense estimated at 40% of the cost of buildings more conventional encountered in the island. This will save $475 each year starting in 2030, with 99% reduction in the CO2 release. The choice of local materials with low conductivity, low emissions, and low cost, has a significant impact on the implementation of a sustainable building, and more adapted to climate change concept.
Vascular Involvement in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Caraba Alexandru , Iurciuc Stela , Iurciuc Mircea
Published: April 2020

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) represents the one of the most common inflammatory rheumatic diseases, which generates disability and significantly reduces the quality of life. RA can affect the vascular system, in addition to joint involvement. Vascular involvement increases the morbidity and mortality among these patients. Macrovascular disease, related to accelerated atherosclerosis, has a high prevalence among RA patients, in the form of carotid artery disease, ischemic heart disease, and peripheral arterial obstructive disease. Microvascular disease, studied in recent years by means of nailfold capillaroscopy, is present even in the early stage of RA evolution. Rheumatoid vasculitis can occur in severe forms of RA.
Thiazolidinone-Related Heterocyclic Compounds as Potential Antitrypanosomal Agents
Authors: Kryshchyshyn Anna , Kaminskyy Danylo , Grellier Philippe , Lesyk Roman
Published: April 2020

Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) and Chagas disease are neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) due to parasite protists from the Trypanosoma genus transmitted by insect vectors. Trypanosomiases affect mostly poor populations in the developing countries, and the development of new antitrypanosomal drugs is underinvested by governments and the pharmaceutical industry. In this chapter, we described the development of 4-thiazolidinone and thiazole derivatives with heterocyclic fragments which exhibit good inhibition of trypanosome growth and might constitute potential candidates for the development of new drugs against trypanosomiasis. Antitrypanosomal design, mainly within structure-based design, led to the synthesis of 5-ene-4-thiazolidinone-3-alkanecarboxylic acids; 2,3-disubstituted 4-thiazolidinones; thiazolidinone-pyrazoline, phenylindole-thiazolidinone, and imidazothiadiazole-thiazolidinone hybrids; as well as 4-thiazolidinone-based fused heterocycles, especially thiopyrano[2,3-d]thiazoles, and non-thiazolidinone compounds–namely, isothiocoumarine derivatives. Moreover, antitrypanosomal 4-thiazolidinones are of special interest in the search for new antimalarial and antileishmanial agents. Also many active anticancer agents among the abovementioned 4-thiazolidinones have been discovered.
Avaliação da qualidade da água da baía do Guajará em Belém/PA
Authors: Santos Letícia Furtado dos , Marinho Eduardo Ribeiro , Moreira Fernanda da Silva de Andrade , Carneiro Bruno Santana , Faial Kelson do Carmo Freitas
Published: April 2020

A água é um recurso vital que exerce importante papel para sociedade e meio ambiente. Entretanto, sua qualidade vem sofrendo prejuízos, devido o crescimento desordenado da população, acompanhada da urbanização. A poluição da água pode advim de origem química, física e biológica, em que o lançamento no corpo hídrico de qualquer tipo destes poluentes pode alterar características da água e do sedimento e consequentemente impactar a biota aquática. Com isso, este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a qualidade da água da baía do Guajará por meio de medições dos parâmetros físico-químicos e microbiológico, conforme o período sazonal da chuva. As coletas ocorreram no ano de 2015, nos meses de março, junho, setembro e dezembro, correspondente ao período chuvoso e menos chuvoso da região amazônica. Nos períodos estudados, o volume precipitado foi acima da média das normais climatológicas no período chuvoso, e no período menos chuvoso foi abaixo da média. Nas análises química e microbiológica, as concentrações de nitrato, nitrito, cloreto e o pH, estão dentro do permitido pela Resolução do CONAMA nº357/05, classe II para águas doces. Entretanto, o parâmetro OD apresentou nos pontos PT01 CH (3,6 mg/L), PT02 CH (4,4 mg/L) e PT03 CH (4,1 mg/L), abaixo do permitido por essa resolução. Em todos os pontos a DBO (mínimo= 5,2 mg/L; máximo= 14,3 mg/L) constataram valores acima do limite de referência do CONAMA nº357/05, além de elevadas concentrações de DQO (mínimo=12,5mg/L; máximo= 27,3mg/L) e alta CE (mínimo= 86,4 uS/cm²; máximo= 573,4 uS/cm²). A DQO e OD apontaram uma forte correlação negativa, em que o aumento da DQO está ocasionando a diminuição do OD na baía do Guajará. Na análise de coliformes termotolerantes, com exceção do PT04 do período chuvoso e menos chuvoso, todos os pontos apresentaram valores acima do permitido pelo CONAMA nº357/05. O comportamento desses parâmetros é correspondente ao aumento da matéria orgânica apresentada na região. Devido às práticas portuárias frequente na área analisada, e a concentração urbana que despeja efluente, principalmente de origem doméstica, sem pré-tratamento na baía do Guajará, que é agravado pelo período chuvoso. Isso pode gerar danos irreversíveis para o ecossistema aquático, prejudicando também a população que utiliza esse corpo hídrico para práticas de pescas e/ou recreação.
Application of chemical reagents as innovative remediation technologies for groundwater impacted by petroleum hydrocarbons in Italy
Authors: Dal Santo Mara , Prosperi Giuseppe Alberto
Published: April 2020

Innovative technologies with injection of chemical compounds were applied in order to remediate 28 contaminated sites with petroleum hydrocarbon impacted groundwater spread in the Italian territory. The used reagents can be classified into three main technologies: enhanced bioremediation products with oxygen released, In Situ Chemical Oxidation (ISCO) and surfactants. The analysis of these technologies allowed to better understand how to conduct the design, the execution and monitoring phases of the remediation. For the design phase soil and groundwater samples were collected from each site in order to identify the magnitude of the contamination and different calculation methods were tested to quantify the reagents needed for the remediation. For the execution phase the following application methods were performed and analysed: reagents injection into monitoring wells, injection by direct push into the soil, injection into devoted injection wells, application of the reagents into filter socks, application of the reagents into a dig. Pros and cons of each method were so identified. During the monitoring phase the remediation efficacy was evaluated using, not only chemical concentration of contaminants, but also chemicalphysical parameters spatial distribution as a valid support. In the wide range of remediation technologies, the use of chemical reagents has been progressively more appreciated by the designers and by public authorities and is now extensively applied because it is in some cases more effective, cheaper or quicker. These technologies, in fact, proved to be a solid and sustainable alternative to plant technologies, and they were very effective also in fine aquifers. For 62% of the analysed sites, chemical injections led to a reduction of the contamination within 1 year from the application.
Water resources and main groundwater bodies in the Province of Siena in the framework of the land management plan
Authors: Barazzuoli Piero , Migliorini Jenny , Capacci Fausto
Published: April 2020

The management of water resources, especially drinking water, is no longer the responsibility of single municipal councils or groups of councils because European Union, national and regional legislation created and appointed authorities and bodies for this purpose. Faced with a strategic problem such as the management of water resources, local government in Tuscany has the task of defining planning strategies in line with Regional law no. 65/2014. This study is part of research aimed at defining water management at province level in the framework of regional planning. The study area includes the whole Province of Siena, where we evaluated surface- and ground- water resources, during preparation of the land management plan (territorial coordination plan) of the province, with special attention to aquifers that the Regional government considers significant (Relevant Groundwater Bodies and therefore strategic for the Province. We compared the groundwater resources with the overall demand for water in the Province in order to assess the sustainability of activities determining that demand; we also evaluated the danger level and risk of contamination, defining the corresponding vulnerabilities for the whole Province. The vulnerabilities were matched with a series of rules aimed at regulating land use so as to minimise the risk of polluting groundwater.
Making Time on Mars
Authors: Mirmalek Zara
Published: April 2020

An examination of how the daily work of NASA's Mars Exploration Rovers was organized across three sites on two planets using local Mars time.

In 2004, mission scientists and engineers working with NASA's Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) remotely operated two robots at different sites on Mars for ninety consecutive days. An unusual feature of this successful mission was that it operated on Mars time—the daily work was organized across three sites on two planets according to two Martian time zones. In Making Time on Mars, Zara Mirmalek shows that this involved more than a resetting of wristwatches; the team's struggle to synchronize with Mars time involved technological and communication breakdowns, informal workarounds, and extra work to support the technology that was intended to support people. Her account of how NASA created an entirely new temporality for the MER mission offers insights about the assumptions behind the organizational relationship between clock time and work.

Mirmalek, herself a member of the mission team, offers an insider's view of the MER workplace and community. She describes the discord among MER's multiple temporalities and examines issues of professional identity that helped shape the experience of working according to Mars time. Considering time and work relationships through a multidisciplinary lens, Mirmalek shows how contemporary and historical human–technology relationships inform assumptions about the unalterability of clock time. She argues that the organizational connection between clock time and work, although still operational, is outdated.
Palustrine forested wetland vegetation communities change across an elevation gradient, Washington State, USA
Authors: Hough-Snee Nate
Published: April 2020

Background

Forested wetlands support distinct vegetation and hydrology relative to upland forests and shrub-dominated or open water wetlands. Although forested wetland plant communities comprise unique habitats, these ecosystems’ community structure is not well documented in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Here I surveyed forested wetland vegetation to identify changes in community composition and structure across an elevation gradient that corresponds to flooding stress, asking: (1) How do forested wetland plant communities change across an elevation gradient that corresponds to flood frequency and duration? (2) At what relative elevations do different plant species occur within a wetland?

Methods

I measured overstory tree basal area and structure and understory vascular plant composition in three zones: wetland buffers (WB) adjacent to the wetland, an upper wetland (UW) extent, and a lower wetland (LW) extent, surveying individual trees’ root collar elevation relative to the wetland ordinary high-water mark (OHWM). I estimated understory plant species abundance in sub-plots and surveyed these plots’ height above the OHWM. I used non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination to identify patterns in vegetation communities relative to wetland elevation, and tested for compositional differences between the WB, UW and LW zones using PERMANOVA. I calculated overstory and understory indicator species for each wetland zone using indicator species analysis.

Results

Forest overstory composition changed across the elevation gradient, with broad-leaved trees occupying a distinct hydrologic niche in low-lying areas close to the OHWM. Conifer species occurred higher above the OHWM on drier microsites.Pseudotsuga menziesii(mean elevation = 0.881 m) andTsuga heterophylla(mean elevation = 1.737 m) were overstory indicator species of the WB, whileFraxinus latifolia(mean elevation = 0.005 m) was an overstory indicator for the upper and lower wetland. Understory vegetation differed between zones and lower zones’ indicator species were generally hydrophytic species with adaptations that allow them to tolerate flooding stress at lower elevations. Average elevations above the OHWM are reported for 19 overstory trees and 61 understory plant species. By quantifying forested wetland plant species’ affinities for different habitats across an inundation gradient, this study illustrates how rarely flooded, forested WB vegetation differs from frequently flooded, LW vegetation. Because common management applications, like restoring forested wetlands and managing wetland responses to forest harvest, are both predicated upon understanding how vegetation relates to hydrology, these data on where different species might establish and persist along an inundation gradient may be useful in planning for anticipated forested wetland responses to restoration and disturbance.
Os desafios do secretário executivo como sujeito pesquisador
Authors: Vale Juliana Cidrack Freire do , De Souza Stefani , Rossi Elaine , Moreira Kátia Denise
Published: April 2020

Em níveis mais avançados, a pesquisa se materializa por meio da pós-graduação stricto sensu, cujo objetivo é a formação de alto nível, naquilo que se refere ao exercício de funções relacionadas à produção de conhecimento. Todavia, a inserção nesses programas acontece por meio de processo seletivo rígido, que exige do candidato, dentre outros, a aproximação com as linhas de pesquisa ofertadas e considerável produção científica. Nessa direção, o secretariado encontra-se frente a uma barreira, visto que não há cursos de pós-graduação stricto sensu específicos para a área e, ainda, experiencia diversos desafios para a sua consolidação como campo de conhecimento. Dessa maneira, tem-se como objetivo deste estudo verificar quais foram os desafios enfrentados pelos servidores técnico-administrativos secretários-executivos da Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), na inserção em um programa de pós-graduação stricto sensu. Para tanto, realizou-se um estudo de campo com os Secretários que já cursaram ou estão cursando mestrado e doutorado. Em termos metodológicos, este estudo caracteriza-se como básico, descritivo e de abordagem qualitativa. Como resultado, identificou-se que as adversidades são equilibradas, porém, acredita-se que todas têm uma mesma origem, qual seja, a falta de experiência/maturidade em termos de atuação no campo científico.
Mercado de vizinhança ou atacarejo para consumidores de baixa renda em regiões periféricas
Authors: Bozzo Andrea Luisa , Ferreira Manuel Portugal
Published: April 2020

Neste estudo escrutinamos um conjunto dos principais determinantes das preferências dos consumidores de baixa renda, consumidores de regiões periféricas, considerando os formatos de mercado de vizinhança e atacarejo. As regiões periféricas têm forte concentração de consumidores de baixa renda que são clientes dos formatos de supermercado. O entendimento da preferência do consumidor é importante para as decisões de investimento na expansão das redes supermercadistas no Brasil. Para entender os critérios de seleção dos consumidores de baixa renda sobre a escolha do formato de supermercado, conduzimos um survey junto a clientes de lojas de diferentes formatos, com uma amostra de 107 respondentes. Os resultados apontam que embora o preço ser um fator importante da satisfação dos consumidores, o acesso fácil às lojas (isto é, a localização em proximidade) é um fator crucial determinante da escolha do supermercado para consumidores de baixa renda. Como implicações gerenciais, este estudo auxilia a compreender os critérios de decisão dos consumidores, e proporciona insights para a expansão das redes de supermercados direcionadas ao mercado de baixa renda, incluindo a conceção da oferta de produtos e serviços que ajudam a atrair mais consumidores.