bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of heat treatment on cytotoxicity of self-adhesive resin cements: Cell viability analysis
Authors: Klein-Júnior Celso Afonso , Zimmer Roberto , Hentschke Guilherme Scotta , Machado Denise Cantarelli , dos Santos Rubem Beraldo , Reston Eduardo Galia
Published: June 2018

Objective: The aim of the study was to assess, in vitro, the influence on cytotoxicity of heat treatment applied before photopolymerization, while mixing three self-adhesive resin cements, in an NIH/3T3 fibroblast cell culture, based on cell viability measures. Methods: Samples were divided into three groups: (1) no heat treatment while mixing (control), (2) 37°C, and (3) 60°C heat treatment while mixing. Cements were light-cured immediately after mixing and immersed in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Media for the extraction of possibly uncured products after 24 h and 7 days. Cultures contained 0.5 mL of NIH/3T3 fibroblasts per well at a concentration of 0.4 × 105 cells/mL and specific extracts for each sample. Statistical Analysis Used: Data were statistically analyzed with ANOVA and post hoc Student–Newman–Keuls (significance of 5%). Results: Cement cytotoxicity increased with time, as shown by the higher values observed at 7 days. There was a slight difference in intragroup cytotoxicity levels between 24 h and 7 days. Heat treatment at 60°C was associated with a major decrease in cytotoxicity levels in all three groups, both at 24 h and at 7 days, with no differences among the cements. Conclusions: Heat treatment at 60°C should be considered as a strategy to reduce cytotoxicity of self-adhesive resin cements, as evidenced by the results observed at 24 h and 7 days of analysis.
In vitro evaluation of microbial adhesion on the different surface roughness of acrylic resin specific for ocular prosthesis
Authors: Andreotti Agda Marobo , Sousa Cecília Alves De , Goiato Marcelo Coelho , Silva Emily Vivianne Freitas da , Duque Cristiane , Moreno Amália , Santoso Daniela Micheline Dos
Published: June 2018

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of surface roughness in biofilm formation of four microorganisms (Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Candida albicans) on acrylic resin surface of ocular prostheses. Materials and Methods: Acrylic resin samples were divided into six groups according to polishing: Group 1200S (1200 grit + silica solution); Group 1200; Group 800; Group 400; Group 120 and Group unpolished. Surface roughness was measured using a profilometer and surface images obtained with atomic force microscopy. Microbial growth was evaluated after 4, 24, and 48 hours of incubation by counting colony-forming units. Statistical Analysis Used: For roughness, it was performed 1-way ANOVA and parametric Tukey test α5% (P ≤ 0.05). For CFU data found, it was applied Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests. Results: Group 120 and 400 presented the highest roughness values. For S. epidermidis and S. aureus, Group 1200S presented the lowest values of microbial growth. For E. faecalis at 4 hour, microbial growth was not observed. C. albicans did not adhere to the acrylic resin. Except for Group 1200S, different surface roughnesses did not statistically interfere with microbial adhesion and growth on acrylic surfaces of ocular prostheses. Conclusions: The roughness did not interfere with the microbial adhesion of the microorganisms evaluated. The use of silica decreases significantly microbial growth.
An investigation of fracture toughness and dynamic mechanical analysis of polymer nano-composites
Authors: Raju G.U. , Rajeswari C.G. , Balannavar R. , Kodancha K.G.
Published: June 2018

The study deals with development of a new composite material with an  objective to increase the mechanical and thermal properties. The proposed work involves the preparation of novel polymer based composite material reinforced with cenosphere and multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and to investigate fracture toughness and dynamic mechanical properties. MWCNTs have high tensile strength which contributes to increase in strength of composite as well as the load transfer capability. The 20 weight % of  cenosphere and upto 0.5wt% of MWCNTs are used for the study. Dynamic mechanical analysis and fracture toughness tests of the composite were carried out. It was found that fracture toughness of the sample with 0.2 wt% MWCNT increased by 12% than the epoxy cenosphere composite. The  results obtained by experimental test are compared with the simulation results. Thermal properties obtained by DMA have shown better thermal stability. The SEM analysis was carried out to study the interfacial bonding between the fiber-matrix and also to substantiate the fracture toughness result.Keywords: MWCNT, Cenosphere, Dynamic Mechanical Analysis, Fracture toughness
Agri-Food and Rural Development
Authors: Marsden Terry
Published: June 2018

The agri-food and rural development world has experienced significant changes in recent years. The evolution towards globalized and highly complex food supply systems has been accompanied by growing competition, reduced state subsidies as well as concerns about quality, output and the environment. At the beginning of the 21st century, the agri-food industry is urgently searching for new solutions.

Exploring these recent developments, Agri-Food and Rural Development highlights the latest research on understanding and promoting sustainable food systems. Featuring a range of international case studies, it investigates different models of rural development for food production, examines the implications for a sustainable future, analyzes future challenges, and suggests new strategies for future agri-food development in a world fast exceeding its resources.

An ambitious new study written by a leading authority in the field, this book offers a vital new perspective on this important debate and is destined to become a landmark text for students, scholars and policy-makers in food studies, agriculture, rural sociology, and geography.
The Agency of Eating
Authors: Abbots Emma-Jayne
Published: June 2018

Deciding what to eat and how to eat it are two of the most basic acts of everyday life. Yet every choice also implies a value judgement: ‘good’ foods versus ‘bad’, ‘proper’ and ‘improper’ ways of eating, and ‘healthy’ and ‘unhealthy’ bodies. These food decisions are influenced by a range of social, political and economic bioauthorities, and mediated through the individual ‘eating body’. This book is unique in the cultural politics of food in its exploration of a range of such bioauthorities and in its examination of the interplay between them and the individual eating body. No matter whether they are accepted or resisted, our eating practices and preferences are shaped by, and shape, these agencies.

Abbots places the body, materiality and the non-human at the heart of her analysis, interrogating not only how the individual’s embodied eating practices incorporate and reject the bioauthorities of food, but also how such authorities are created by the individual act of eating. Drawing on ethnographic case studies from across the globe, The Agency of Eating provides an important analysis of the power dynamics at play in the contemporary food system and the ways in which agency is expressed and bounded. This book will be of great benefit to any reader with an interest in food studies, anthropology, sociology and human geography.
The Bloomsbury Handbook of Food and Popular Culture
Authors: LeBesco Kathleen , Naccarato Peter
Published: June 2018

The influence of food has grown rapidly as it has become more and more intertwined with popular culture in recent decades. The Bloomsbury Handbook of Food and Popular Culture offers an authoritative, comprehensive overview of and introduction to this growing field of research. Bringing together over 20 original essays from leading experts, including Amy Bentley, Deborah Lupton, Fabio Parasecoli, and Isabelle de Solier, its impressive breadth and depth serves to define the field of food and popular culture.

Divided into four parts, the book covers:

- Media and Communication; including film, television, print media, the Internet, and emerging media

- Material Cultures of Eating; including eating across the lifespan, home cooking, food retail, restaurants, and street food

- Aesthetics of Food; including urban landscapes, museums, visual and performance arts

- Socio-Political Considerations; including popular discourses around food science, waste, nutrition, ethical eating, and food advocacy

Each chapter outlines key theories and existing areas of research whilst providing historical context and considering possible future developments. The Editors' Introduction by Kathleen LeBesco and Peter Naccarato, ensures cohesion and accessibility throughout.

A truly interdisciplinary, ground-breaking resource, this book makes an invaluable contribution to the study of food and popular culture. It will be an essential reference work for students, researchers and scholars in food studies, film and media studies, communication studies, sociology, cultural studies, and American studies.
A long-term time series of global and diffuse photosynthetically active radiation in the Mediterranean: interannual variability and cloud effects
Authors: Trisolino Pamela , di Sarra Alcide , Anello Fabrizio , Bommarito Carlo , Di Iorio Tatiana , Meloni Daniela , Monteleone Francesco , Pace Giandomenico , Piacentino Salvatore , Sferlazzo Damiano
Published: June 2018

Abstract. Measurements of global and diffuse photosynthetically active
radiation (PAR) have been carried out on the island of Lampedusa, in the
central Mediterranean Sea, since 2002. PAR is derived from observations made
with multi-filter rotating shadowband radiometers (MFRSRs) by comparison with
a freshly calibrated PAR sensor and by relying on the on-site Langley plots.
In this way, a long-term calibrated record covering the period 2002–2016 is
obtained and is presented in this work. The monthly mean global PAR peaks in June, with about 160 W m−2, while
the diffuse PAR reaches 60 W m−2 in spring or summer. The global PAR
displays a clear annual cycle with a semi amplitude of about 52 W m−2.
The diffuse PAR annual cycle has a semi amplitude of about 12 W m−2. A simple method to retrieve the cloud-free PAR global and diffuse irradiances
in days characterized by partly cloudy conditions has been implemented and
applied to the dataset. This method allows retrieval of the cloud-free
evolution of PAR and calculation of the cloud radiative effect, CRE, for
downwelling PAR. The cloud-free monthly mean global PAR reaches
175 W m−2 in summer, while the diffuse PAR peaks at about
40 W m−2. The cloud radiative effect, CRE, on global and diffuse PAR is calculated as
the difference between all-sky and cloud-free measurements. The annual
average CRE is about −14.7 W m−2 for the global PAR and
+8.1 W m−2 for the diffuse PAR. The smallest CRE is observed in
July, due to the high cloud-free condition frequency. Maxima (negative for
the global, and positive for the diffuse component) occur in March–April and
in October, due to the combination of elevated PAR irradiances and high
occurrence of cloudy conditions. Summer clouds appear to be characterized by
a low frequency of occurrence, low altitude, and low optical thickness,
possibly linked to the peculiar marine boundary layer structure. These
properties also contribute to produce small radiative effects on PAR in
summer. The cloud radiative effect has been deseasonalized to remove the influence
of annual irradiance variations. The monthly mean normalized CRE for global
PAR can be well represented by a multi-linear regression with respect to
monthly cloud fraction, cloud top pressure, and cloud optical thickness, as
determined from satellite MODIS observations. The behaviour of the normalized
CRE for diffuse PAR can not be satisfactorily described by a simple
multi-linear model with respect to the cloud properties, due to its non-linear dependency, in particular on the cloud optical depth. The analysis
suggests that about 77 % of the global PAR interannual variability may be
ascribed to cloud variability in winter.
Source influence on emission pathways and ambient PM2.5 pollution over India (2015–2050)
Authors: Venkataraman Chandra , Brauer Michael , Tibrewal Kushal , Sadavarte Pankaj , Ma Qiao , Cohen Aaron , Chaliyakunnel Sreelekha , Frostad Joseph , Klimont Zbigniew , Martin Randall V. , Millet Dylan B. , Philip Sajeev , Walker Katherine , Wang Shuxiao
Published: June 2018

Abstract. India is currently experiencing degraded air quality, and future economic development will lead to challenges for air quality management. Scenarios of sectoral emissions of fine particulate matter and its precursors were developed and evaluated for 2015–2050, under specific pathways of diffusion of cleaner and more energy-efficient technologies. The impacts of individual source sectors on PM2.5 concentrations were assessed through systematic simulations of spatially and temporally resolved particulate matter concentrations, using the GEOS-Chem model, followed by population-weighted aggregation to national and state levels. We find that PM2.5 pollution is a pan-India problem, with a regional character, and is not limited to urban areas or megacities. Under present-day emissions, levels in most states exceeded the national PM2.5 annual standard (40 µg m−3). Sources related to human activities were responsible for the largest proportion of the present-day population exposure to PM2.5 in India. About 60 % of India's mean population-weighted PM2.5 concentrations come from anthropogenic source sectors, while the remainder are from other sources, windblown dust and extra-regional sources. Leading contributors are residential biomass combustion, power plant and industrial coal combustion and anthropogenic dust (including coal fly ash, fugitive road dust and waste burning). Transportation, brick production and distributed diesel were other contributors to PM2.5. Future evolution of emissions under regulations set at current levels and promulgated levels caused further deterioration of air quality in 2030 and 2050. Under an ambitious prospective policy scenario, promoting very large shifts away from traditional biomass technologies and coal-based electricity generation, significant reductions in PM2.5 levels are achievable in 2030 and 2050. Effective mitigation of future air pollution in India requires adoption of aggressive prospective regulation, currently not formulated, for a three-pronged switch away from (i) biomass-fuelled traditional technologies, (ii) industrial coal-burning and (iii) open burning of agricultural residue. Future air pollution is dominated by industrial process emissions, reflecting larger expansion in industrial, rather than residential energy demand. However, even under the most active reductions envisioned, the 2050 mean exposure, excluding any impact from windblown mineral dust, is estimated to be nearly 3 times higher than the WHO Air Quality Guideline.
Spring and summer time ozone and solar ultraviolet radiation variations over Cape Point, South Africa
Authors: du Preez D. Jean , Ajtić Jelena V. , Bencherif Hassan , Bègue Nelson , Wright Caradee Y.
Published: June 2018

Abstract. The correlation between solar ultraviolet radiation (UV) and atmospheric ozone is well understood. Decreased stratospheric ozone levels which led to increased solar UV radiation levels at the surface have been recorded. These increased levels of solar UV radiation have potential negative impacts on public health. This study was done to determine whether or not the break-up of the Antarctic ozone hole has an impact on stratospheric columnar ozone (SCO) concentrations and resulting ambient solar UV-B radiation levels at Cape Point, South Africa. At Cape Point, the strongest anti-correlation on clear-sky days was found at solar zenith angle 20° with exponential fit R2 values of 0.71 and 0.66 for total ozone column and SCO, respectively. An average radiation amplification factor of 0.92 was found and the largest decrease in ozone levels occurred during September months. The MIMIOSA-CHIM model showed that the polar vortex had a limited effect on ozone levels at 435–440 K for September and 600 K over Cape Point during November. Tropical air-masses more frequently affect the study site, and this requires further investigation.
Reconciling drainage and receiving basin signatures of the Godavari River system
Authors: Usman Muhammed Ojoshogu , Kirkels Frédérique Marie Sophie Anne , Zwart Huub Michel , Basu Sayak , Ponton Camilo , Blattmann Thomas Michael , Ploetze Michael , Haghipour Negar , McIntyre Cameron , Peterse Francien , Lupker Maarten , Giosan Liviu , Eglinton Timothy Ian
Published: June 2018

Abstract. The modern-day Godavari River transports large amounts of
sediment (170 Tg per year) and terrestrial organic carbon
(OCterr; 1.5 Tg per year) from peninsular India to the
Bay of Bengal. The flux and nature of OCterr is considered
to have varied in response to past climate and human forcing. In order to
delineate the provenance and nature of organic matter (OM) exported by the
fluvial system and establish links to sedimentary records accumulating on its
adjacent continental margin, the stable and radiogenic isotopic composition
of bulk OC, abundance and distribution of long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs),
sedimentological properties (e.g. grain size, mineral surface area, etc.) of
fluvial (riverbed and riverbank) sediments and soils from the Godavari basin
were analysed and these characteristics were compared to those of a sediment
core retrieved from the continental slope depocenter. Results show that river
sediments from the upper catchment exhibit higher total organic carbon (TOC)
contents than those from the lower part of the basin. The general
relationship between TOC and sedimentological parameters (i.e. mineral
surface area and grain size) of the sediments suggests that sediment
mineralogy, largely driven by provenance, plays an important role in the
stabilization of OM during transport along the river axis, and in
the preservation of OM exported by the Godavari to the Bay of Bengal. The stable
carbon isotopic (δ13C) characteristics of river sediments
and soils indicate that the upper mainstream and its tributaries drain
catchments exhibiting more 13C enriched carbon than the lower
stream, resulting from the regional vegetation gradient and/or net balance
between the upper (C4-dominated plants) and lower
(C3-dominated plants) catchments. The radiocarbon contents of
organic carbon (Δ14COC) in deep soils and eroding
riverbanks suggests these are likely sources of “old” or pre-aged carbon to
the Godavari River that increasingly dominates the late Holocene portion of
the offshore sedimentary record. While changes in water flow and sediment
transport resulting from recent dam construction have drastically impacted
the flux, loci, and composition of OC exported from the modern Godavari
basin, complicating reconciliation of modern-day river basin geochemistry
with that recorded in continental margin sediments, such investigations
provide important insights into climatic and anthropogenic controls on OC
cycling and burial.
Changes in carbon stocks of Fagus forest ecosystems along an altitudinal gradient on Mt. Fanjingshan in Southwest China
Authors: Cai Qiong , Ji Chengjun , Zhou Xuli , Fang Wenjing , Zheng Tianli , Zhu Jiangling , Shi Lei , Li Haibo , Zhu Jianxiao , Fang Jingyun
Published: June 2018

Abstract. There are four components of carbon (C) pools in a natural forest ecosystem: vegetation, soil, litter and woody debris. Quantifying these C pools and their contributions to forest ecosystems is important in understanding C cycling in forests. Here, we investigated these four C pools in nine beech (Fagus L., Fagaceae) forests along an altitudinal gradient in southwest China. We found that the C pools of beech forest ecosystems ranged from 190.7 to 503.9 Mg C ha−1, mainly attributed to vegetation C (accounting for 33.7–73.9 %) and soil C (accounting for 24.6–65.4 %). No more than 4 % of ecosystem C pools were stored in woody debris (0.25–3.4 %) and litter (0.2–0.7 %). Ecosystem C storage increased significantly with altitude, where the vegetation and woody debris C pools increased concomitantly with increasing altitude, while those of litter and soil exhibited no significant variations. The forest stand age was found to be a key driver of such altitudinal patterns, especially for vegetation C storage. The present study provides reliable data for understanding the structure and function of Chinese beech forests, and emphasizes the importance of considering the influence of stand age on C accumulation.
Two drastically different climate states on an Earth-like terra-planet
Authors: Kalidindi Sirisha , Reick Christian H. , Raddatz Thomas , Claussen Martin
Published: June 2018

Abstract. We study an Earth-like terra-planet (water-limited terrestrial planet) with
an overland recycling mechanism bringing fresh water back from the high
latitudes to the low latitudes. By performing model simulations for such a
planet we find two drastically different climate states for the same set of
boundary conditions and parameter values: a cold and wet (CW) state with
dominant low-latitude precipitation and a hot and dry (HD) state with only
high-latitude precipitation. We notice that for perpetual equinox conditions,
both climate states are stable below a certain threshold value of background
soil albedo while above the threshold only the CW state is stable. Starting
from the HD state and increasing background soil albedo above the threshold
causes an abrupt shift from the HD state to the CW state resulting in a
sudden cooling of about 35 ∘C globally, which is of the order of the
temperature difference between present day and the Snowball Earth state.
When albedo starting from the CW state is reduced down to zero the
terra-planet does not shift back to the HD state (no closed hysteresis). This
is due to the high cloud cover in the CW state hiding the surface from solar
irradiation so that surface albedo has only a minor effect on the top of the
atmosphere radiation balance. Additional simulations with present-day Earth's
obliquity all lead to the CW state, suggesting a similar abrupt transition
from the HD state to the CW state when increasing obliquity from zero. Our
study also has implications for the habitability of Earth-like terra-planets.
At the inner edge of the habitable zone, the higher cloud cover in the CW
state cools the planet and may prevent the onset of a runaway greenhouse
state. At the outer edge, the resupply of water at low latitudes stabilizes
the greenhouse effect and keeps the planet in the HD state and may prevent
water from getting trapped at high latitudes in frozen form. Overall, the
existence of bistability in the presence of an overland recycling mechanism
hints at the possibility of a wider habitable zone for Earth-like
terra-planets at low obliquities.
Multivariate bias adjustment of high-dimensional climate simulations: the Rank Resampling for Distributions and Dependences (R2D2) bias correction
Authors: Vrac Mathieu
Published: June 2018

Abstract. Climate simulations often suffer from statistical biases with respect to observations or reanalyses. It is therefore common to correct (or adjust) those simulations before using them as inputs into impact models. However, most bias correction (BC) methods are univariate and so do not account for the statistical dependences linking the different locations and/or physical variables of interest. In addition, they are often deterministic, and stochasticity is frequently needed to investigate climate uncertainty and to add constrained randomness to climate simulations that do not possess a realistic variability. This study presents a multivariate method of rank resampling for distributions and dependences (R2D2) bias correction allowing one to adjust not only the univariate distributions but also their inter-variable and inter-site dependence structures. Moreover, the proposed R2D2 method provides some stochasticity since it can generate as many multivariate corrected outputs as the number of statistical dimensions (i.e., number of grid cell  ×  number of climate variables) of the simulations to be corrected. It is based on an assumption of stability in time of the dependence structure – making it possible to deal with a high number of statistical dimensions – that lets the climate model drive the temporal properties and their changes in time. R2D2 is applied on temperature and precipitation reanalysis time series with respect to high-resolution reference data over the southeast of France (1506 grid cell). Bivariate, 1506-dimensional and 3012-dimensional versions of R2D2 are tested over a historical period and compared to a univariate BC. How the different BC methods behave in a climate change context is also illustrated with an application to regional climate simulations over the 2071–2100 period. The results indicate that the 1d-BC basically reproduces the climate model multivariate properties, 2d-R2D2 is only satisfying in the inter-variable context, 1506d-R2D2 strongly improves inter-site properties and 3012d-R2D2 is able to account for both. Applications of the proposed R2D2 method to various climate datasets are relevant for many impact studies. The perspectives of improvements are numerous, such as introducing stochasticity in the dependence itself, questioning its stability assumption, and accounting for temporal properties adjustment while including more physics in the adjustment procedures.
A simplified model of precipitation enhancement over a heterogeneous surface
Authors: Cioni Guido , Hohenegger Cathy
Published: June 2018

Abstract. Soil moisture heterogeneities influence the onset of convection and subsequent evolution of precipitating systems through the triggering of mesoscale circulations. However, local evaporation also plays a role in determining precipitation amounts. Here we aim at disentangling the effect of advection and evaporation on precipitation over the course of a diurnal cycle by formulating a simple conceptual model. The derivation of the model is inspired by the results of simulations performed with a high-resolution (250 m) large eddy simulation model over a surface with varying degrees of heterogeneity. A key element of the conceptual model is the representation of precipitation as a weighted sum of advection and evaporation, each weighed by its own efficiency. The model is then used to isolate the main parameters that control precipitation variations over a spatially drier patch. It is found that these changes surprisingly do not depend on soil moisture itself but instead purely on parameters that describe the atmospheric initial state. The likelihood for enhanced precipitation over drier soils is discussed based on these parameters. Additional experiments are used to test the validity of the model.
Transport variability of the Brazil Current from observations and a data assimilation model
Authors: Schmid Claudia , Majumder Sudip
Published: June 2018

Abstract. The Brazil Current transports from observations and the Hybrid Coordinate
Model (HYCOM) model are analyzed to improve our understanding of the
current's structure and variability. A time series of the observed transport is derived
from a three-dimensional field of the velocity in the South Atlantic covering
the years 1993 to 2015 (hereinafter called Argo & SSH). The mean transports
of the Brazil Current increases from 3.8 ± 2.2 Sv (1 Sv is
106 m3 s−1) at 25∘ S to 13.9 ± 2.6 Sv at
32∘ S, which corresponds to a mean slope of 1.4 ± 0.4 Sv per
degree. Transport estimates derived from HYCOM fields are somewhat higher
(5.2 ± 2.7 and 18.7 ± 7.1 Sv at 25 and 32∘ S,
respectively) than those from Argo & SSH, but these differences are small
when compared with the standard deviations. Overall, the observed latitude
dependence of the transport of the Brazil Current is in agreement with the
wind-driven circulation in the super gyre of the subtropical South Atlantic.
A mean annual cycle with highest (lowest) transports in austral summer
(winter) is found to exist at selected latitudes (24, 35, and 38∘ S).
The significance of this signal shrinks with increasing latitude (both in
Argo & SSH and HYCOM), mainly due to mesoscale and interannual variability.
Both Argo & SSH, as well as HYCOM, reveal interannual variability at 24 and
35∘ S that results in relatively large power at periods of 2 years
or more in wavelet spectra. It is found that the interannual variability at
24∘ S is correlated with the South Atlantic Subtropical Dipole
Mode (SASD), the Southern Annular Mode (SAM), and the Niño 3.4 index.
Similarly, correlations between SAM and the Brazil Current transport are also
found at 35∘ S. Further investigation of the variability reveals
that the first and second mode of a coupled empirical orthogonal function of
the meridional transport and the sea level pressure explain 36 and 15 % of
the covariance, respectively. Overall, the results indicate that SAM, SASD,
and El Niño–Southern Oscillation have an influence on the transport of
the Brazil Current.
Animating virtual worlds: Emergence and ecological animation of Ryzom’s living world of Atys
Authors: Manning Paul
Published: June 2018

Ryzom is a long-running (from 2004–present) science fantasy MMORPG (henceforth MMO) set in the science fantasy game world of the planet Atys, an entirely organic “rootball” teeming with alien life forms. The most oft-cited distinctive properties of Ryzom in the MMO world is the way creates not only an immersive sense of “worldness”, but a living, breathing, organic world. The game world is not only a richly animated “world” like all MMOs, but the aggregate of these animations also produce a sense of life, a “living world”. Following Silvio (2010) in particular, I ask how and when the properties of animation — understood in the narrow sense as a medium or media form — can produce a broader sense of “animacy” (Chen, 2012), a lively affect of “animatedness”: how and when animation (movement) is read as life; how an animated world becomes a living world. Specifically, why is it that in the animated world of Ryzom, as in animated cartoons, the animation of animality is central to this transition from animation to life: why the reading of animated “movement-as-life tends to settle on cartoon animals”. The “immersive” feeling of Atys as a ‘living world’ is displayed in the “emergent” animation of animals, particularly the ways that animals interact via “ecological” algorithms of predation and mutual care. animations which players explore as part of the emergent living worldness of Atys.
Dietary supplementation with papaya (Carica papaya L.) leaf affects abundance of rumen methanogens, fermentation characteristics and blood plasma fatty acid composition in goats
Authors: Jafari Saeid , Goh Yong M. , Rajion Mohamed A. , Ebrahimi Mahdi , Jahromi Mohammad F.
Published: June 2018

The objective of this study was to test the effect of feeding papaya leaf (PL) on rumen microbial population, fermentation characteristics, blood fatty acid composition and antioxidant activity in goats. Three rumen fistulated male goats were assigned in a 3×3 latin square design using three levels of PL: no addition of PL in basal diet (control, CON, 50% concentrate + 50% alfalfa hay), 25% of alfalfa hay in basal diet replaced by PL (medium PL, MPL) and 50% of alfalfa hay in basal diet replaced by PL (high PL, HPL). Rumen fluid and blood plasma were sampled from the animals at the end of feeding trial (third week). Papaya leaf treatments (MPL and HPL) showed significant differences (p<0.05) in terms of rumen fermentation parameters as compared to the CON group at different times of measurement. The concentration of methanogenic archaea (log10cell/L) decreased (p<0.05) in both PL treatment groups as compared with CON group at all sampling times. The concentration of α-linolenic acid and total conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) were also higher (p<0.05) in the blood of goats fed PL especially HPL, compared to the CON. Blood plasma malondialdehyde concentration (mM/mL) of PL treatment groups showed a significant reduction as compared with CON. Supplementation of PL allowed the modulation of rumen characteristics which might represent a feeding strategy to reduce methane emission by directly inhibiting methanogens while improving the health benefits of ruminant products.
An 84-year-old man with lower extremity bullae
Authors: Dittman Katherine , Williams Christopher Jake , Rohan Craig
Published: June 2018

Deep vein thromboses (DVT) are often associated with post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS) and long term side effects such as chronic venous insufficiency or venous stasis ulcers, but these symptoms typically develop months-to-years after presentation of the DVT. Here, we report a case of severe lower extremity bullae and ulcers one week after diagnosis and treatment of DVT.
Do student demographics and country location affect the international learning experience of nursing students?
Authors: Chow Susan Ka Yee , Fung Keith Hin Kee
Published: June 2018

Objective: Nursing students who participate in overseas placements are considered to have excellent opportunities to broaden their horizons and promote their personal and professional development. This study examines and compares nursing students’ learning outcomes from their international experience in various countries.Methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study. The study was conducted in a university that arranges overseas clinical placements for nursing students in pre-registration programmes. The participants were students in different years of study from a variety of nursing programmes. A questionnaire developed by the researchers, the International Education Survey was used to collect data.Results: One hundred and forty-five valid questionnaires were collected. The students spent their summer overseas placement in a variety of countries, including the United Kingdom, United States, Japan, and mainland China. On a macro level, students benefitted from the experiences. For international perspective, the students who visited Japan gave the highest rating of 5.30 (SD = 0.51), while the score for China was among the lowest at 5.02 (SD = 0.51). For personal development, the mean score was 4.58 (SD = 0.84) for students who visited China, while the highest mean score was 5.16 (SD = 0.54) for students who visited the US. For intellectual development, the lowest mean score was 4.45 (SD = 0.97) for students who visited China, while those who visited the US gave the highest rating of 5.14 (SD = 0.62). There was a significant difference in the scores for personal development between students who travelled to different countries, at p < .05. A chi-square test showed a significant association in international perspective between junior and senior students.Conclusions: Demographics and country location influenced the students’ overseas learning experience. Nurse educators are encouraged to use a reflective approach to help students to identity what they have gained from their placement, to maximize the value of their overseas experiences.
Relevance of open magnetic resonance imaging position (sitting and standing) to quantify pelvic organ prolapse in women
Authors: Abdulaziz Marwa , Kavanagh Alex , Stothers Lynn , Macnab Andrew J.
Published: June 2018

Introduction: In pelvic organ prolapse (POP), posture and gravity impact organ position and symptom severity. The advanced magnet configuration in open magnetic resonance imaging (MRO) allows patients to be imaged when sitting and standing, as well in a conventional supine position. This study evaluated if sitting and standing MRO images are relevant as a means of improving quantification of POP because they allow differences in organ position not seen on supine imaging to be identified.Methods: Forty women recruited from a university urogynecology clinic had MRO imaging (0.5 T scanner) with axial and sagittal T2-weighted pelvic scans obtained when sitting, standing, and supine. Pelvic reference lines were used to quantify the degree of POP, and the relevance of imaging position on the detection of POP compared.Results: Images from 40 participants were evaluated (20 with POP and 20 asymptomatic controls). Our results indicate that the maximal extent of prolapse is best evaluated in the standing position using H line, M line, mid-pubic line, and perineal line as reference lines to determine POP.Conclusions: MRO imaging of symptomatic patients in a standing position is relevant in the quantification of POP. Compared with supine images, standing imaging identifies that greater levels of downward movement in the anterior and posterior compartments occur, presumably under the influence of posture and gravity. In contrast, no appreciable benefit was afforded by imaging in the sitting position, which precluded use of some reference lines due to upward movement of the anorectal junction.
A Longitudinal Study of Dynamic Changes in and Contributing Factors of Learner Belief of Chinese Foreign Language Learners
Authors: Liu Xinmiao
Published: June 2018

A longitudinal study was conducted to assess changes in and contributing factors of learner belief for a sample of 70 Chinese foreign language learners. Foreign language proficiency and learner factors such as learner belief and learning strategy were measured four times at approximately fifty-day intervals. The results show that there were significant changes in self-efficacy belief, belief about learning difficulty and belief about learning strategy. The major contributing factors to changes in self-efficacy belief include learning strategy, effort, foreign language anxiety, motivation and foreign language proficiency. Meanwhile, learning style, learning strategy and foreign language anxiety have significant effects on changes in learner belief about learning strategy.
Quantos médicos de família e comunidade temos no Brasil?
Authors: Augusto Daniel Knupp , David Leandro , Ornelas Pereira Salvador de Oliveira Denize , Da Trindade Thiago Gomes , Lermen Junior Nulvio , Poli Neto Paulo
Published: June 2018

A formação de médicos especialistas no Brasil se dá por meio da conclusão de um programa de residência médica ou pela realização de uma prova e obtenção de um título de especialista. São caminhos paralelos e que por vezes se sobrepõem. Além disso, as instituições responsáveis por esses respectivos modelos de formação de especialistas, que são a Comissão Nacional de Residência Médica e a Associação Médica Brasileira, não dispõem de uma base de dados unificada. Em função desses fatores, sempre foi difícil definir com alguma precisão o número de médicos de família e comunidade no país. Com mudança recente no sistema da informação da Comissão Nacional de Residência Médica (SIS-CNRM), foi possível obter informações sobre certificados de conclusão de residência médica anteriores à criação do sistema. A partir desses dados do SIS-CNRM foi possível se obter o número atual de médicos de família e comunidade no país. O levantamento desse número, inédito para a Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina de Família e Comunidade, é elemento essencial para planejar o crescimento e o futuro da especialidade no país.
Middle school students' and mathematicians' judgments of mathematical typicality
Authors: Walkington Candace , Cooper Jennifer , Leonard Olubukola , Williams-Pierce Caroline , Kalish Chuck
Published: June 2018

K-12 students often rely on testing examples to explore and determine the truth of mathematical conjectures. However, little is known about how K-12 students choose examples and what elements are important when considering example choice. In other domains, experts give explicit consideration to the typicality of examples – how representative a given item is of a general class. In a pilot study, we interviewed 20 middle school students who classified examples as typical or unusual and justified their classification. We then gave middle school students and mathematicians a survey where they rated the typicality of mathematical objects in two contexts – an everyday context (commonness in everyday life) and a mathematical context (how likely conjectures that hold for the object are to hold for other objects). Mathematicians had distinct notions of everyday and mathematical typicality – they recognized that the objects often seen in everyday life can have mathematical properties that can limit inductive generalization. Middle school students largely did not differentiate between everyday and mathematical typicality – they did not view special mathematical properties as limiting generalization, and rated items similarly regardless of context. These results suggest directions for learning mathematical argumentation and represent an important step towards understanding the nature of typicality in math.
It’s not what you think: Perceptions regarding the usefulness of mathematics may hinder performance
Authors: Espinosa Adriana
Published: June 2018

The present study investigated the moderating effect of self-confidence in one’s ability to learn mathematics on the relation between beliefs about its usefulness and performance. The study was conducted using a sample of college students from an urban college in the Eastern US (N = 306). Moderation was tested using hierarchical regressions as well as the Johnson-Neyman Technique. The results indicate that performance and beliefs about the usefulness of mathematics were not statistically related amongst individuals with high self-confidence, and negatively related for participants with low self-confidence. The findings suggest that teaching approaches aiming to improve student performance in mathematics by enhancing student beliefs about its usefulness, would likely be more effective if they primarily focused on increasing student self-confidence in their mathematics ability.
A tale of two researchers: Commonalities, complementarities, and contrasts in an examination of mental computation and relational thinking
Authors: Osana Helena P. , Proulx Jérôme
Published: June 2018

This paper describes a research collaboration between an educational psychologist and a mathematics education researcher, namely a didacticien des mathématiques. Our joint project aimed to explore the mental computation strategies of preservice teachers in an elementary mathematics methods course and to investigate the relationship between mental computation and relational thinking. The primary objective of the paper, however, is to go beyond the data and their interpretation. We describe the commonalities, complementarities, and points of contrast that emerged between us as researchers who hail from different disciplines, but who have the same overarching interests in mathematical thinking. In particular, we untangle issues we encountered during our collaboration related to our research questions, methodologies, and epistemological stances. We detail the ways in which we navigated these issues in the context of the research and describe what we learned about our own disciplinary perspectives and each other’s. We conclude by discussing what our story offers as a means of reflecting on our individual fields and potential interactions between them.
Relational equity and mathematics learning: Mutual construction during collaborative problem solving
Authors: Gutiérrez José F. , Brown Sarah A. , Alibali Martha W.
Published: June 2018

We present an emerging interdisciplinary approach to the study of mathematics learning, which brings together strands from psychology and mathematics education. Our aim was to examine how students navigate the cognitive and social aspects of peer collaboration as they generate and adopt new strategies. We analyzed video data from a laboratory study involving pairs of elementary students working collaboratively to solve mathematical equivalence problems (e.g., 8 + 5 + 4 = 4 + ___). We adopted a qualitative micro-analytic approach that focused on multimodal action (i.e., verbal utterance, gesture, inscription production, body positioning, and eye gaze) to examine three cases. These cases illustrate the complex ways that students interacted in this particular context and, in some instances, attempted to teach one another. Our findings show how “relational equity” (Boaler, 2008) and mathematics knowledge were co-constructed differently in each case. We argue that a micro-analytic approach, complemented by a blending of theory from these two fields, reveals hidden aspects of the interaction that may help explain, for example, why some students generate or adopt correct strategies and others do not. As such, this interdisciplinary approach offers a rich account of the learning processes that occur in peer collaboration.
Natural alternatives to natural number: The case of ratio
Authors: Matthews Percival G. , Ellis Amy B.
Published: June 2018

The overwhelming majority of efforts to cultivate early mathematical thinking rely primarily on counting and associated natural number concepts. Unfortunately, natural numbers and discretized thinking do not align well with a large swath of the mathematical concepts we wish for children to learn. This misalignment presents an important impediment to teaching and learning. We suggest that one way to circumvent these pitfalls is to leverage students’ non-numerical experiences that can provide intuitive access to foundational mathematical concepts. Specifically, we advocate for explicitly leveraging a) students’ perceptually based intuitions about quantity and b) students’ reasoning about change and variation, and we address the affordances offered by this approach. We argue that it can support ways of thinking that may at times align better with to-be-learned mathematical ideas, and thus may serve as a productive alternative for particular mathematical concepts when compared to number. We illustrate this argument using the domain of ratio, and we do so from the distinct disciplinary lenses we employ respectively as a cognitive psychologist and as a mathematics education researcher. Finally, we discuss the potential for productive synthesis given the substantial differences in our preferred methods and general epistemologies.