bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Immersion pulmonary edema: an analysis of 31 cases from Oceania
Authors: Edmonds Carl , Lippmann John ,   DAN Asia-Pacific Foundation/Australasian Diving Safety Foundation, Victoria, Australia,   Department of Public Health and Preventative Medicine, Monash University, Victoria, Australia, Bove Alfred ,   Department of Public Health and Preventative Medicine, Monash University, Victoria, Australia,   Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, PA, U.S.
Published: December 2020

Aim: To review incidents of immersion pulmonary edema (IPE) from Oceania, to determine the demographics, diving parameters, and comorbidities that may be related to this disorder. Method: Incidents of IPE, most of which were documented by Divers Alert Network Asia-Pacific (DAN AP) or reported in our medical literature, were analyzed. They included interviews with the survivors and a review of available medical records. Only incidents diagnosed as IPE by specialist diving physicians or pathologists with experience in the investigation of diving accidents were included. Results: Thirty-one IPE incidents in divers from Oceania were documented. There were two surface snorkelers, 22 scuba air divers and seven nitrox divers, which included three closed-circuit rebreathers (CCR). The mean (SD) age was 53 (12) years, 58% of victims were females, and the average dive profile was to a maximum depth of 19 msw for 25 minutes. Six victims (19%) had previous episodes of IPE. There were nine recorded fatalities in this cohort. Medical comorbidities were recorded in 68%, with 42% being cardiac. The latter included valvular disease in 29%, transient cardiomyopathies in 26% and dysrhythmias in 16%. Conclusion: IPE was more likely in middle-aged females, in experienced divers, and during ascent or after surfacing. Commonly reported associations such as exertion, stress, cold exposure, negative inspiratory pressure, hypertension, overhydration, tight wetsuit, aspiration and certain medications were identified. This series supports the hypothesis that the elderly IPE subjects are likely to have comorbidities and be susceptible to IPE recurrences and fatalities unless the contributing factors can be identified and addressed.
The Art of Design: from philosphy to practice
Authors: Kathryn Jane Moore
Published: December 2020

This exposition sets out evidence of the research undertaken over the last decade to understand the implications beyond the academy of the new paradigm presented in ‘Overlooking The Visual: Demystifying the Art of Design’ (2010), leading to
‘Towards New Research Methodologies in Design: Shifting Inquiry Away from the Unequivocal Towards the Ambiguous’ (2018). The exposition shows the process of developing ‘The Art of Design’ at a regional scale through a number of sequential case studies. Requiring investigative and analytical drawing from a position of knowledge and the reimagining and re-presenting of places in order to rekindle and reinvent the connection between communities and the space they inhabit, recognising the pride people take in that space, its cultural identity, be it urban, suburban or rural, is very much a modern, contemporary view of how our landscapes work.

The ideas expressed in the visual narratives have engaged a wide range of decision makers and are shifting perceptions, planning policy and practices at a local, national and international level.  The student work exhibited in 2019 (BCU) explored the spatial implications of the ethos of the West Midlands National Park focused on specific locations and was vital in persuading key regional and national stakeholders of the significance of this new approach.

This predominantly visual exposition presents the transformative practice-based research process manifest as visual artefacts from philosophy to practice interrogating the art of design.
Fiscal deficit and trade deficit nexus in Pakistan: An econometric inquiry
Authors: Abbas Shujaat , Waheed Abdul
Published: December 2020

This study is an attempt to explore the short-term and long-term effects of
the fiscal deficit along with other macroeconomic variables on the
deteriorating trade deficit of Pakistan from 1980 to 2018 by using time
series estimation techniques. The result of the autoregressive distributed
lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach and error correction term revealed the
existence of cointegration among variables of interest. The estimated
long-run and short-run results of the ARDL approach showed a significant
positive effect of fiscal deficit on Pakistan's trade deficit in the
short-run, whereas a significant adverse effect is observed in the long-run.
The findings validated the twin deficit hypothesis in the short-run, whereas
twin divergence proposition is observed in the long run. The study suggests
prudent fiscal and monetary policies to make macroeconomic conditions
favorable for the development and competitiveness of domestic production
sectors engaged in the international trade.
USE OF CULTURAL LANDSCAPES AS A PART OF OPEN-AIR MUSEUMS
Authors:   Lviv Polytechnic National University Department of Architectural Design and Architecture Fundamentals, M Brych
Published: December 2020

In Ukraine, there is no holistic perception of historical and cultural environments of monumental ensembles and complexes as an object of protection and use today. Their preservation will be effective only when the understanding of the object of protection is extended to the boundaries of the cultural landscape, including all its valuable elements. The best way to implement this concept is to include cultural landscapes in the open-air museum exhibition as its integral, active, and living element.
COVID-19 and Homoeopathic Intervention- A Case Report
Authors:   Research Officer (H)/ S-1, Dr Anjali Chatterji Regional Research Institute (H), Kolkata, West Bengal under Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy, Pal Partha Pratim
Published: December 2020

Studies are going worldwide to develop an effective method for treatment against the global pandemic of COVID-19 but unfortunately no treatment method has been declared as a specific therapeutic approach against COVID-19. History stands as evidence where homeopathy intervention has been beneficial in both preventive and curative aspects of various epidemics. Holistic symptomatological aspect based on generalities enables Homeopathy to be effective in any disease condition. Selection of homeopathic remedy is always on basis of the totality of symptoms and in most cases the changes occurring in cellular and molecular level are not required except in few occasions of dose and potency determination. This concept of healing through homoeopathy is different from other conventional methods of treatment where molecular pathogenesis is the fulcrum of the drug protocols. Hence, in the era of fight to discover vaccine against COVID-19, the following case report shows how a COVID-19 positive individual with mild symptomatology of vomiting, fever, malaise, heaviness of head and loss of taste, recovers with prescription of Bryonia alba 200, followed by Tuberculinum 200, 1M and 10M and at the same time RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 becomes negative in the duration of two weeks. Therefore, this case report demonstrates why Homoeopathic intervention should be emphasized in the management of this international crisis. Keywords Coronavirus disease; Bryonia; Tuberculinum; RT-PCR
Developing Medical Learning Materials to Promote Learners’ Creativity: A Corpus-based Case Study
Authors: Niu Junwei , Dhamotharan Mogana
Published: December 2020

For a long time in Mainland China, there exists a need for authentic supplementary materials and an extensive native speaker environment in courses like English as a Foreign Language and English for Specific Purposes. Yet, how to promote learners’ creativity in the process of developing medical learning materials practice? This study aims to develop certain medical learning materials as an Enriched Corpus-Based English Supplement. Developing those proper medical learning materials for medical learners can help them to develop relevant strategies of corpus-based learning creatively. It had been conducted from December 2016 to November 2019 with four teachers and 180 third-year medical students at Xinxiang Medical University in the Medical English course. Mixed methods were chosen to observe and investigate the use of ECBES among third-year medical students. Both quantitative and qualitative data in the learning process and the outcome had been collected and analyzed. The practice showed that more than 60% of the learners thought they were language learners; their needs were the starting point of enriching creative supplementary materials. Quantitative data of learners’ production after the practice were displayed, which implied that the ECBES practice of four skills was practical and useful. Then it discussed several aspects of qualitative indexes for the learners’ creative production, such as their choosing autonomy opportunities, practice opportunities from the learners’ views. The findings suggested that certain corpus-based materials could be developed to promote learners’ creativity in ESP learning.
Investigation of Factors Influencing Speaking Performance of Saudi EFL Learners
Authors: Alrasheedi Saleh
Published: December 2020

Equal focus needs be placed on teaching all four basic skills of language learning: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. However, it is observed that due attention is not devoted to developing speaking skills in Saudi EFL learners; this task is especially challenging as English is not widely used or spoken in their day-to-day communication. The current study aims to investigate the psychological factors which affect learners’ speaking performance by: (a) examining the strategies learners use for developing speaking skills, (b) identifying obstacles confronted by learners in developing speaking skills, and (c) suggesting ways to facilitate the acquisition of English speaking skills. The research seeks answers to these questions: (1) What are some psychological factors affecting speaking skills of students? (2) Why do learners find speaking in English so difficult? . I distributed a questionnaire among 200 female and male participants majoring in various fields at Majmaah university in Saudi Arabia. I employed SPSS to analyze the accumulated data and displayed the results in descriptive tables. The results reveal that affective factors impacting students’ performance in speaking skills are shyness, peer pressure, anxiety, and fear of making mistakes. Other factors that hinder speaking performance are paucity of necessary vocabulary, lack of exposure to the target language, and scarce opportunities to practice speaking outside the classroom. The study contributes to the existing English language learning (ELL) literature through its focus on the affective factors impacting speaking performance in Arabic-speaking EFL learners.
Does Conferencing Feedback Improve Non-English Majors’ Paragraph-Writing? A Case Study in Vietnam
Authors: Hung Do Minh , Thi Thuy Diem Tran
Published: December 2020

Corrective feedback in learning English as a foreign language (EFL), especially in writing skills, has been investigated for years. Feedback is in various modes, including direct, indirect, electronic, and conferencing between teachers and students. The current study attempted to apply teacher-student conferencing feedback to a class of non-English majors of low English proficiency levels at a local college, located in Can Tho City, South of Vietnam. The study aimed to determine: (1) Does conferencing feedback improve the target students’ writing skills? (2) How do these students react to conferencing feedback? Answers to these questions are useful because they are supposed to provide more insights into the existing knowledge about the nature of conferencing feedback regarding its potential to be applied in different cultural contexts. The data-collecting instruments of pre-post tests and pre-post questionnaire surveys were employed. There were five conferences between the teacher and the participants during the intervention program. The results showed that conferencing feedback enhanced the participants’ English writing performance through the intervention. It also gained their positive attitudes demonstrated in the post questionnaire. Thereby, discussions and recommendations are provided.
Empirical study on big data of workplace spirituality theory method and computational simulation
Authors: Cao EnWei , Green Jim
Published: December 2020

Workplace spirituality, job engagement, and perceived organisational support have become the themes over which heated discussion is held in the fields of management and public research. With the development of science and technology and the arrival and upgrading of burgeoning technologies, the competition among enterprises has been aggravated, while the employee's job engagement has become one of the key aspects to keep the competitive edge. By taking workplace spirituality as the premise variable of job engagement and perceived organisational support, the influences of workplace spirituality, perceived organisational support, and job engagement are discussed in this paper. In addition, by taking perceived organisational support as the regulated variable, a theoretical model was built and the regulating effect of perceived organisational support on workplace spirituality and job engagement was discussed. The empirical data of the model was obtained through 187 questionnaires. Data analysis and research hypothesis was implemented through SPSS23.0, theory method, and computational simulation. In sum, workplace spirituality and job involvement are remarkable and are positively associated with each other. Perceived organisational support plays a role in regulating the job engagement. These results provide new perspectives for exploring unemployment problems existing due to lack of job engagement. The organisation can intervene in employees’ work by cultivating workplace spirituality.
Effects of Sintering Temperature on Structural and Electrical Properties of Fe3+ Doping PZT Ceramics
Authors: Dumitru Alina Iulia , Clicinschi Florentina , Dumitru Tudor-Gabriel , Patroi Delia , Pintea Jana , Velciu Georgeta , Peter Ildiko
Published: December 2020

The influence of the sintering temperature on the structure and on the hysteresis loops of Fe3+ doped Pb(ZrxTi1-x)O3 system has been investigated. Three compositions have been selected in the following mode: one in rhombohedral region, one in MPB region and one in tetragonal region have been obtained by solid state reaction technique. Sintering has been carried out at 12000C and 12500C respectively. The nature of the phases has been investigated in detail using X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). All the sintered samples reveal a perovskite type structure. The surfaces have been lapped and metalized in order to obtaine the hysteresis loops at room temperature. The results showed a similar behaviour with “hard” PZT ceramics.
FTIR characterization of Sahara honey and propolis and evaluation of its anticandidal potentials
Authors: Ahmed Moussa , Amirat Mokhtar , Aissat Saad , Aissa Mohamed Amine , Khiati Baghdad
Published: December 2020

Antifungal of bee products have been shown to be protective against microbial biofilms invasion Sahara honey and propolis were applied as an antimicrobial in treatment for many infections in Algeria. In this study, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis was utilized to characterize the chemical structures and functional groups. In addition, in this study, we determined the anti-candida activity of honey used alone or in combination with propolis. Proteins, carbohydrates, carboxylic acids, free amino acids, cellulose and lipids, ketones and phenol compounds were identified by FTIR analysis. Combination of Sahara honey and propolis increased antifungal efficacy, compared to compounds tested alone. Propolis increased the anti-candidal effect of Sahara honey. In addition, the treatment of Sahara honey and Propolis-Sahara honey catheters with a Candida albicans biofilms reduced biofilm formation after 24 and 48-h exposure period. The results provide evidence that honey/propolis combination may help in designing a more potent novel, natural antibiofilm blend at sufficiently low concentrations in medical domain.
Optimizing the Resource Consumption of Blockchain Technology in Business Systems
Authors: Juričić Vedran , Radošević Matea , Fuzul Ena
Published: December 2020

Background

Blockchain technology has gained a great public interest due to the appearance of cryptocurrencies, a digital asset used for exchanging funds. Although blockchain calculations offer the benefits of security and reduced costs, blockchain is still strongly criticised for its lack of usefulness and resource-heavy consumption.

Objectives

The aim of this research is to provide different insights into blockchain technology and to propose NP-complete problems as a suitable alternative to the current consensus algorithm.

Methods/approach

This research discusses the current state of proposed alternatives, projects such as distributed volunteering for scientific purposes and different consensus algorithms within cryptocurrencies but focusing on incorporating NP-complete problems as a secondary, more useful option.

Results

Using the properties of NP-complete problems, it is possible to solve various problems in different areas, such as science, biology, medicine and finance, but also to improve business processes, optimize markets, payments and supply chains while decreasing environmental costs.

Conclusions

This paper shows that the alternative mechanisms are being developed and used to substitute an existing Blockchain algorithm with a more efficient one. It also suggests further investigation in this area because the alternatives greatly improve blockchain’s usability and efficiency.
Ridesharing in the Polish Experience: A Study using Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology
Authors: Cylwik Stefan , Gabryelczyk Renata , Chlebus Marcin
Published: December 2020

The main aim of this article is to examine the factors that influence the acceptance of ridesharing technologies in Polish society, including dynamic vanpooling on demand. The study was conducted using the UTAUT 2 model (Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology). We have employed statistical and econometric data analyses such as factor analysis and linear regression using the Partial Least Square (PLS) method. Based on the review of the publications on ridesharing in the context of sharing economy, we have modified the UTAUT 2 model by supplementing it with the trust factor, which is a significant contribution to the development of this theory when applied to the acceptance of ridesharing technologies. Further, the outcomes allowed us to identify the factors that influence people's attitudes in using shared-ride technology (performance expectancy, hedonistic motivation and habit) and the intention to use this technology (effort expectancy, performance expectancy, price value, habit and trust). This study has practical implications as it has helped identify the factors that affect the acceptance of ridesharing technologies in Poland and these factors are significant for the suppliers of these technologies. The findings can certainly become a starting point for further research on other communities and the application of other models of technology.
Virtual reality and imagination - a possible ethical framework based on the thought of Gregory of Nazianzus
Authors: Ježek Václav
Published: December 2020

The present article discusses the thoughts of Gregory of Nazianzus in relation to virtual reality especially man-made virtual reality in all its forms. We argue that the benefits of virtual reality, such as freedom, imagination, creativity can be paradoxically curtailed by virtual reality itself, since it is highly subjective and as its medium shows, can be an a priori matrix and prison for the human being. Gregory of Nazianzus, building his theology on a firm basis on substance and contemplation, offers a way out, where one acknowledges everything around us as beneficial and beautiful and therefore free, but this must be based on a firm grounding of truthfulness and guidance offered by an all-encompassing form of Divine love and creativity.
Freedom in the Society of Control: Ethical challenges
Authors: Laniuk Yevhen
Published: December 2020

The Society of Control is a philosophical concept developed by Gilles Deleuze in the early 1990s to highlight the transition from Michel Foucault’s Disciplinary Society to a new social constitution of power assisted by digital technologies. The Society of Control is organized around switches, which convert data, and, in this way, exercise power. These switches take data inputs (digitized information about individuals) and transform them into outputs (decisions) based on their pre-programmed instructions. I call these switches “automated decision-making algorithms” (ADMAs) and look at ethical issues that arise from their impact on human freedom. I distinguish between negative and positive aspects of freedom and examine the impact of the ADMAs on both. My main argument is that freedom becomes endangered in this new ecosystem of computerized control, which makes individuals powerless in new and unprecedented ways. Finally, I suggest a few ways to recover freedom, while preserving the economic benefits of the ADMAs.
Forest plantation productivity – soil interactions within Western Forest-Steppe of Ukraine: effects of pH and cations
Authors: Raspopina Svitlana , Debryniuk Yuriy , Hayda Yuriy
Published: December 2020

Dark grey podzolized soils on the loess like loams, which are represented in the soil cover within fresh and humidity gradients in the Western Forest Steppe of Ukraine, are characterized by high forest vegetation potential, which ensure the formation of mostly pure and mixed larch and spruce stands with high level of the productivity. Despite the fact that both species are coniferous, their effect on the soil, in particular, on its acid-base indicators (actual and potential forms of acidity, sum of absorbed bases, degree of saturation of bases, content of mobile aluminium), which are important components of soil fertility, are specific. Due to the fact that there is a close interaction between forest plantations and soil properties, changing the participation of species in the stand, it is possible to adjust the actual soil fertility.

The soils under both pure and mixed spruce and larch stands are characterized by a high level of potential acidity that reaches the high acidic values in the upper horizons. A similar reaction of soil solution under coniferous forests is caused by acid hydrolysis of aluminosilicates and accumulation of mobile Al in the rhizosphere zone. Simultaneously, the same acidic characteristics, including the presence of movable aluminium, are also found in soils under broadleaved plantations. In general, acid-exchange properties of soils (high potential acidity, unsaturation of bases and availability of movable aluminium) traditionally are considered as unfavourable for vegetation. However, our researches refute it and prove that within certain values, these indicators do not limit the productivity of pure and mixed spruce and larch stands.
Anaplasmosis in Animals
Authors: Karlsen A. , Vojtek B. , Mojžišová J. , Prokeš M. , Drážovská M.
Published: December 2020

Anaplasmosis is a vector-borne, infectious and non-contagious disease. The disease is caused by various pathogens of the genus Anaplasma. The different species cause different types of anaplasmosis depending on which cells that are infected in the mammalian host. Anaplasmosis has a wide host range, including humans, and it is distributed worldwide. The zoonotic potential of some species is of great importance in regards to public health concerns. This review presents information about anaplasmosis in animals and its prevalence in Europe, and other countries in the world.
Gestalt and Movement between Music and Dance
Authors: Cattaruzza Serena , Coppola Walter
Published: December 2020

The famous essay by Christian von Ehrenfels, Über Gestaltqualitäten (1890), opens up, as is well-known, an important seam not only in the psychology of perception but also of aesthetics, of the psychology and philosophy of music, art and language. Here, in fact, the form understood as ‘Gestalt’ is something concretely audible and visible and not simply a formal abstraction. It is about a pioneering programme rich in ideas and original connections. The author does not mean simply to define the meaning of the concept of Gestalt, but he also sets out a fertile variety of extraordinary applications. In the first place – following a suggestion of Ernst Mach’s – he indicates an application in the field of music, in particular in the exemplary case of melody. In this sense the melody, as a temporal Gestalt, is a more fitting illustration of Gestalt than a spatial Gestalt (e.g. of a geometric figure). But in other cases, as for instance in the case of perception of movement, both temporal and spatial Gestalts are admitted. And a characteristic example is provided by dance. In this article, we shall investigate the comparison between sound movement and visual–gestural movement, and we shall also be discussing the matter by having recourse to the experience of professional dancers.
Consequences of immigrating during a recession: Evidence from the US Refugee Resettlement program
Authors: Mask Joshua
Published: December 2020

Are there long-term labor consequences in migrating to the US during a recession? For most immigrants, credibly estimating this effect is difficult because of selective migration. Some immigrants may not move if economic conditions are not favorable. However, identification is possible for refugees as their arrival dates are exogenously determined through the US Refugee Resettlement program. A one percentage point increase in the arrival national unemployment rate reduces refugee wages by 1.98% and employment probability by 1.57 percentage points after 5 years.
Nesting Efectiveness of Red Mason Bee Osmia rufa (L.) in Reed Stalk Phragmites australis (Cav.)
Authors: Michołap Paweł , Cierpisz Marcin , Sikora Aneta , Sikora Marcin
Published: December 2020

The research enabled the optimal parameters of reed stalks Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud, to be determined and then be used for rearing red mason bees (Osmia rufa L.). During research conducted in 2015 and 2016, 3,293 reed stalks were occupied by red mason bees, and 19,461 nest cells were counted in the stalks, of which there were 16,222 non-parasitized larvae. The mean weight of one cocoon was 0.085 g. The mean length of the reed stalk occupied by the red mason bee was 169.45 mm, its mean diameter was 6.11 mm and the mean number of cells in the reed was 5.47. The mean length of the first cell, the vestibulum, was 38.38 mm. The mean degree of parasitism was 0.16. The length of the reed stalk positively correlated with the number of cells in the reed nest (r=0.543), vestibulum length (r=0.392) and cocoon mass (r=0.362) The diameter of the reed positively correlated with the mass of the cocoon (r=0.536), the number of cells in the reed (r=0.406) and vestibulum length (r=0.254). Correlation between degree of parasitatism and length, and diameter of the reed was insignificant. Reed stalks with a length of 150 to 200 mm and a diameter of 5–7 mm are recommended for the choice of red mason bee nesting material.
“Obey My Will Or Suffer”:1 Violence Against Women in Icelandic Folk Legends
Authors: Jónsdóttir Dagrún Ósk
Published: December 2020

This article* will look at how domestic and sexual violence against women is presented in the Icelandic folk legend collections from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Gender-based violence is a subject relatively absent in Icelandic legend collections which were mostly told, collected and published by men (the exception being the collection of Torfhildur Þorsteinssdóttir Hólm). Violence plays a role in the subordination of women, and there is good reason to consider how violence against women is portrayed in the oral legends of the past. I will among other things consider the effect these particular legends might have had on those who heard them and examine the roles of the legends in maintaining and shaping a discourse which in many cases may well have attempted to normalise this violence.
Rated Power Determination for Autonomous Micro Combined Heat and Power and Rechargeable Battery System
Authors: Fedotov A. , Vagapov G. , Grackova L. , Abdullazyanov R.
Published: December 2020

An autonomous micro combined heat and power (Micro-CHP) is usually installed to increase energy efficiency and reduce energy costs in areas remote from large power systems. The main goal of autonomous Micro-CHP is to provide residential and industrial areas with electricity and heat. By designing an autonomous Micro-CHP, one of the key issues is the determination of rated power, since the energy efficiency of equipment and the costs of fossil fuels depend on the rated power. The mathematical model can better calculate the necessary rated power for an autonomous Micro-CHP in the case of operation with rechargeable batteries. Overall, the results have shown that the engine characteristics, operation process of three-phase synchronous generator and statistical information on loads are the criteria for improving energy efficiency.
On a chain of reproducing kernel Cartan subalgebras
Authors: Kraidi Anoh Yannick , Kangni Kinvi
Published: December 2020

Let 𝔤 be a semisimple Lie algebra, j a Cartan subalgebra of 𝔤, j*, the dual of j, jv the bidual of j and B(., .) the restriction to j of the Killing form of 𝔤. In this work, we will construct a chain of reproducing kernel Cartan subalgebras ordered by inclusion.
Variation in the diet and breeding biology of the Common Barn-owl (Tyto alba) in a demographic cycle of Common Vole (Microtus arvalis) between two outbreaks×
Authors: Horváth Adrienn , Bank László , Horváth Győző F.
Published: December 2020

In the present study, we analysed the variation of breeding parameters and the diet composition of the Common Barn-owl (Tyto alba) in three different demographic phases of the Common Vole (Microtus arvalis) in a complete population cycle between two outbreaks. The study was conducted in the south-eastern part of the Transdanubian region in South Hungary. For the analysis, we used data of 81 randomly selected first clutches from 2015 to 2019, a time period which represented a full demographic cycle of the Common Vole after the 2014 outbreak with an exceptionally high peak. We tested the impact of prey abundance and diversity of diet composition as continuous predictors as well as the demographic phase of Common Vole and the mesoregion as categorical explanatory variables on the measured reproductive outputs as response variables using Generalized Linear Models (GLM). Considering the breeding parameters, the number of fledglings, and fledging and reproductive success were significantly higher in the increase phase than during the vole crash phase. Based on GLM models, our results demonstrated that the clutch size of the Common Barn-owl is determined ultimately by the availability and consumption rate of the Common Vole as main prey, while other small mammal prey categories did not affect the clutch size. These results support the finding that the clutch size of vole-eating raptors and owls, which begin breeding periods in early spring predicts the vole abundance in this early spring period. Considering the other investigated small mammal prey groups, the alternative prey role was confirmed only in case of the Murid rodent prey categories (Apodemus spp., Muridae).
Cities Towards Migrants. Case Study of Local Integration Policies of Gdańsk and Wrocław
Authors: Matusz Patrycja
Published: December 2020

In migration research, one can observe a turn towards locality and interest in the role of municipal authorities in multi-level migration governance. Migration governance can be defined as set of legislation and regulatory measures, as well as actions developed and implemented by public and private actors, at transnational, national and local levels. Integration strategies include long-term programs, as well as short-term and ad hoc activities. Migration and growing diversity in cities bring both challenges and opportunities for the local authorities. The local responses to the settlement of migrants should not be underestimated because of the focus on integration, this can build upon a common sense of belonging. This paper analyses the institutionalization of local integration strategies in two Polish cities: Gdańsk and Wrocław. The goal is to analyse the relations of diverse actors in a multi-level governance context. It looks at the aims of the strategies, tools, target groups and the definition of integration.
Characterisation of Electrochemical Sensor-Array for Utilisation in Construction of BOD Bioelectronic Tongue
Authors: Pitman Kätlin , Nerut Jaak , Raud Merlin , Kikas Timo
Published: December 2020

There is need to rapidly measure biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) to estimate organic pollution in wastewater. Biosensors are able to estimate BOD values within 5–30 minutes, but they have some limitations that can be overcome with biosensor-array. This work used sensor-array, which consists of 8 × 3 electrodes. The working electrode was inner Pt circle electrode, counter electrode was a Pt band electrode and the reference electrode was a silver wire. The potentiostat was used to record cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The pumping speed was set at 1.5 cm3 min−1 or higher, to avoid the interference. Next, sensor-array was tested to measure different oxygen amounts and calibrated accordingly. Lastly, Pseudomonas putida membranes were calibrated and used to estimate BOD value. The calibration gave linear range up to 85 mg L−1 of BOD and sensitivity from 0.0018 to 0.0068. Real industrial wastewater, from lignocellulosic bioethanol production, was used to test the biosensor-array. It underestimated BOD values from 8 to 37 %. This biosensor-array allows to measure BOD value in less than 15 minutes.
Fish Processing Efficiency Ranking
Authors: Indzere Zane , Blumberga Dagnija
Published: December 2020

Fish as food has been widely used, and as its consumption is increasing, the efficiency of fish production companies needs to be increased as well. Fish production may consist of many processes, depending on the type of fish products they produce. Based on this, the increase in the efficiency of the whole company could be expensive, especially for small size companies, whose revenues per year are rather small. Therefore, to evaluate and understand which part of the company is the least efficient and needs to be improved first to have the highest increase in the efficiency of the company, the decision making method needs to be used for the evaluation. In this research, the method MULTIMOORA was chosen to evaluate the specific company’s production efficiency. The results have shown that fish preliminary processing is the least efficient process for the chosen case study. Recommendations for improvement the efficiency of the least efficient stage have been developed, therefore improving the efficiency for the whole company.
The Arts Of The Performance – Beyond The Limits
Authors: Bilic Laura
Published: December 2020

Drama writings and theatre performances have always been, in my opinion, the mirror in which our society reflects itself. If in the decades before the 90s our society witnessed a total or quasi-total lack of freedom and a lack of voices to be heard in theatres, in the 90s we have all been witnesses to an absolute freedom that has been constantly managed chaotically. Immediately after The Revolution, the long lost freedom has soon become confusing and has turned into a heavy tormenting issue. The new drama writing and theatre performance have needed more than 10 years to change into something new. The independent theatres and the new drama have arisen as a reaction to the crisis that our theatres underwent in the 90s. The new artist of the new millennium is often self-taught, he has to improve his organizational abilities, to think big when it comes to new projects, to see the bigger picture and not to remain stranded into his own piece of art.
Enhanced Bone Regeneration With Umbilical Cord Stem Cells: A Case Report And Histomorphometric Analysis
Authors:   Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon, American Board Of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Diplomate International Congress Oral Implantologist, California, United States, Smiler Dennis
Published: December 2020

Combining bone-marrow aspirate with xenograft and allograft particulate material has been demonstrated to produce a significant quantity of new bone growth. However, securing 1 to 4 ccs of adult autogenous stem cells by means of bone-marrow aspiration is invasive, and the aspirated stem cells are typically senescent, as the procedure most often is used in aging patients
The Importance of Avoiding Satisfaction of Search Bias in a Case of Concurrent Calcaneonavicular Coalition and Osteoid Osteoma
Authors: Hurley Patrick , Panchal Hiten , Kho James , Botchu Rajesh
Published: December 2020

We report a rare case of concurrent calcaneonavicular osseous coalition and osteoid osteoma of the navicular. While each pathology is relatively common, the combination of the two in one foot is rare and as such can present a unique challenge to imaging interpretation. This case reinforces the importance of the concept of “satisfaction of search.”
Somatosensory evoked potentials in Hirayama disease: A Brazilian study
Authors: Fustes Otto Hernandez , Kay Cláudia Suemi Kamoi , Lorenzoni Paulo José , Ducci Renata Dal-Prá , Werneck Lineu Cesar , Scola Rosana Herminia
Published: December 2020

Background:

Hirayama’s disease (HD) is characterized by an insidious onset asymmetric weakness and atrophy of the forearm and hand. Taking as a premise, the etiopathogenesis of the disease is attributed to forward displacement of posterior wall of lower cervical dural canal in neck flexion causing marked compression and flattening of lower spinal cord. This may result in compression of the posterior column of the spinal cord and seems likely to result in somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) abnormalities. In the present study, we studied the possible involvement of the lemniscal dorsal pathway in patients with HD.

Methods:

SSEPs in upper and lower extremities were prospectively performed in eight patients with HD. All the patients were recruited from the outpatient clinic of a neuromuscular disorder center from South Brazil. SSEPs were obtained by transcutaneous electrical stimulation of the median and posterior tibial nerves, on both sides. We collected the amplitude and the latency of the different components obtained in each channel. The interpretation was based on Brazilian study standards.

Results:

We evaluated seven men and one woman (mean age 27). The data obtained were compared to a control group consisting of eight patients with spondylotic cervical myelopathy, 6 men and 2 women with mean age of 59 years. The measurements of obtained by the SSEP were also compared between the groups and no significant difference was found for any of them.

Conclusion:

SSEP did not turn out to be an electrophysiological marker in our HD patients.
Procrastinación académica en estudiantes peruanos de educación superior pedagógica
Authors: Estrada Araoz Edwin Gustavo , Gallegos Ramos Néstor Antonio , Huaypar Loayza Karl Hebert
Published: December 2020

El objetivo de la presente investigación fue analizar la procrastinación académica en estudiantes peruanos de educación superior pedagógica. El enfoque de investigación fue cuantitativo, el diseño no experimental y el tipo de diseño transeccional descriptivo. La muestra estuvo conformada por 151 estudiantes a quienes se les aplicó la Escala de Procrastinación Académica, instrumento con la confiabilidad y validez requerida. Los resultados indican que el nivel de procrastinación académica y postergación académica que caracterizó a los estudiantes fue alto y el nivel autorregulación académica fue bajo. Por otro lado, se hallaron asociaciones estadísticamente significativas entre la procrastinación académica y el grupo etario, género, año de estudio y rendimiento académico, mas no con la especialidad a la que pertenecían. Se concluyó que es necesario que las universidades e institutos formulen y apliquen programas orientados al desarrollo de la autorregulación, la gestión y organización del tiempo, estrategias de autocontrol y metacognición, que permitan que los estudiantes afronten eficazmente las actividades académicas y realicen oportunamente sus trabajos.
Half-Auxeticity and Anisotropic Transport in Pd Decorated Two-Dimensional Boron Sheets
Authors: Ma Fengxian , Jiao Yalong , Wu Weikang , Liu Ying , Yang Shengyuan A. , Heine Thomas
Published: December 2020

If one strains a material, most materials shrink normal to the direction of applied strain. Similarly, if a material is compressed, it will expand in the direction orthogonal to the pressure. Few materials, those of negative Poisson ratio, show the opposite behavior. Here, we show an unprecedented feature, a material that expands normal to the direction of stress, regardless if it is strained or compressed. Such behavior, namely half-auxeticity, is demonstrated for a borophene sheet stabilized by decorating Pd atoms. We explore Pd-decorated borophene, identify three stable phases of which one has this peculiar property of half auxeticity. After carefully analyzing stability, mechanical and electronic properties we explore the origin of this very uncommon behavior, and identify it as a structural feature that may also be employed to design further 2D nanomaterials.
El espacio urbano en el año 2020. Reflexiones en el marco de la contingencia sanitaria.
Authors: Sousa-González Dr. Eduardo
Published: December 2020

Con este número publicado en el mes de Septiembre, CONTEXTO. Revista de la Facultad de Arquitectura de la Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, cierra sus publicaciones en este año del 2020; primeramente, con una noticia muy importante para la Revista y seguramente para todos los interesados en la publicación, ya que CONTEXTO fue evaluada y aceptada en el índice de SCOPUS y a la brevedad se terminará el proceso para completar su indexación; por otro lado, el año 2020, visiblemente se ha caracterizado por una creciente e incontrolable contingencia sanitaria y pandémica mundial.
Crear: especular y subvertir
Authors: Granados-Manjarrés Maritza
Published: December 2020

¿Dónde está su lugar de creación? Este artículo establece que, para hacer propuestas innovadoras en el proyecto arquitectónico, los diseñadores deben romper las leyes de lo que saben, ver más allá de lo que se da y subvertir el statu quo.La propuesta se sitúa en el cruce entre el ejercicio proyectual y los procesos cognitivos detrás de la creatividad, invitando a proyectar desde la ruptura que supone pensar universos aparentemente inconexos.Para respaldar esa propuesta, proporcionamos una definición de creatividad a la luz de la Teoría de Sistema de Csikszentmihalyi desde la que se explican los procesos creativos en las disciplinas proyectuales y luego brindamos una definición del tipo de problemas que enfrentan los diseñadores.A partir de ahí, describimos el comportamiento social de la arquitectura según Bourdieu y finalmente proponemos el pensamiento divergente y el metafórico como las herramientas cognitivas que permitirán propuestas innovadoras.
USABILITY OF CONTROL CHARTS TO MONITOR VARIATION OF QUALITY PARAMETERS IN COAL-FIRED THERMAL POWER PLANTS
Authors: Özdemir Ali Can
Published: December 2020

During the production of electrical energy from coal-fired thermal power plants, calorific and unit
power values are the most important indicators for evaluating the productivity of the process.
These values are measured periodically, and the resulting measurements are monitored to detect
root causes of variation that may occur in production process. As this application is currently
performed by manual methods, the probability of obtaining incorrect results is quite high. This
study aims to statistically analyze process control on the variation of quality parameters and
detect root causes of unusual variations using Shewhart and cumulative sum control charts. For
this purpose, the usability of these control charts was tested on Afşin-Elbistan B thermal power
plant. As a result, these charts identified fluctuations in the efficiency of generating electrical
energy and unusual variations in the process. Furthermore, it is recommended that these control
charts could be developed and applied in similar type of process.
Utilidad del Score de la Colecistectomía Dificultosa según conversión laparoscópica
Authors: Carrizo Santiago Pablo , Magris Juan Martin , Da Rosa José Luis , Garcias Lucas Mariano , Gramatica Luis
Published: December 2020

Introducción: La litiasis biliar (LB) es un problema muy frecuente en la consulta diaria de un cirujano general, por lo que actualmente, del 10 al 15% de la población adulta en los países desarrollados presenta LB.
Metodología: Se realizó un estudio descriptivo, observacional y transversal con los pacientes sometidos a colecistectomía laparoscópica en un período comprendido entre el 1 de enero del 2018 y el 31 de diciembre del 2018. El objetivo principal de este estudio es determinar diferencias de media del score de riesgo de colecistectomía dificultosa según conversión a cirugía abierta en pacientes con diagnóstico de litiasis biliar sintomática.
Resultados: A través de los datos registrados se puede decir que ser hombre, con recuento de leucocitos >12.000 mm3, con IMC >30, presencia de coledocolitiasis y pared vesicular mayor a 3 mm son factores que incrementan el riesgo de conversión a cirugía abierta en esta serie de pacientes. Es factible y seguro utilizar este score para determinar aquellos pacientes con mayor riesgo de conversión dado que todos los factores independientes identificados no son modificables.
Conclusión: En definitiva, ser hombre, con recuento de leucocitos >10.000 mm3, con IMC >30, presencia de coledocolitiasis y pared vesicular mayor a 3 mm son factores que incrementan el riesgo de conversión a cirugía abierta en una serie de pacientes sometidos a video laparoscopía en un Hospital universitario y es factible y seguro utilizar este score para identificar esos pacientes con mayor riesgo de conversión.
The Contribution of Crafts in Improving the Touristique Image of Essaouira: The Case of Marquetry
Authors: Bouragba Mustapha , Elkandoussi Fatima
Published: December 2020

In order to enhance tourism in Morocco, the 2020 vision is concentrating on an integrated and a proactive approach to national land-use planning. Eight territories have been set up, and each one has a positioning that the ministry of tourism plans to promote. Essaouira, which is a part of Marrakech Atlantic territory, is hence, presented as a destination that embodies the art of living. Namely, the marquetry, which is reflecting cultural and artistic identity has played a key role in fostering the touristic image of Essaouira. However, this role is not well highlighted and Essaouira's marquetry is encountering several obstacles that need to be fixed so as to improve this craft, which is the symbol of an entire province. The aim of this article is to evaluate the managerial practices of Essaouira's inlayers, in order to recommend suitable actions for the improvement of the city's marquetry sector and therefore contribute into the enhancement of its touristic image.