bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sampling density and date influence spatial representation of tree ring reconstructions
Authors: Maxwell Justin T. , Harley Grant L. , Matheus Trevis J. , Strange Brandon M. , Van Aken Kayla , Au Tsun Fung , Bregy Joshua C.
Published: March 2020

Abstract. Our understanding of the natural variability of hydroclimate before the instrumental period (ca. 1900 in the United States; US) is largely dependent on tree-ring-based reconstructions. Large-scale soil moisture reconstructions from a network of tree-ring chronologies have greatly improved our understanding of the spatial and temporal variability in hydroclimate conditions, particularly extremes of both drought and pluvial (wet) events. However, certain regions within these large-scale reconstructions in the US have a sparse network of tree-ring chronologies. Further, several chronologies were collected in the 1980s and 1990s, thus our understanding of the sensitivity of radial growth to soil moisture in the US is based on a period that experienced multiple extremely severe droughts and neglects the impacts of recent, rapid global change. In this study, we expanded the tree-ring network of the Ohio River Valley in the US, a region with sparse coverage. We used a total of 72 chronologies across 15 species to examine how increasing the density of the tree-ring network influences the representation of reconstructing the Palmer Meteorological Drought Index (PMDI). Further, we tested how the sampling date influenced the reconstruction models by creating reconstructions that ended in the year 1980 and compared them to reconstructions ending in 2010 from the same chronologies. We found that increasing the density of the tree-ring network resulted in reconstructed values that better matched the spatial variability of instrumentally recorded droughts and to a lesser extent, pluvials. By sampling tree in 2010 compared to 1980, the sensitivity of tree rings to PMDI decreased in the southern portion of our region where severe drought conditions have been absent over recent decades. We emphasize the need of building a high-density tree-ring network to better represent the spatial variability of past droughts and pluvials. Further, chronologies on the International Tree-Ring Data Bank need updating regularly to better understand how the sensitivity of tree rings to climate may vary through time.
A Fundamental Climate Data Record of SMMR, SSM/I, and SSMIS brightness temperatures
Authors: Fennig Karsten , Schröder Marc , Andersson Axel , Hollmann Rainer
Published: March 2020

Abstract. The Fundamental Climate Data Record (FCDR) of Microwave Imager Radiances from the Satellite Application Facility on Climate Monitoring (CM SAF)
comprises inter-calibrated and homogenized brightness temperatures from the Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR), the Special Sensor
Microwave/Imager (SSM/I), and the Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder SSMIS radiometers. It covers the time period from October 1978 to
December 2015 including all available data from the SMMR radiometer aboard Nimbus-7 and all SSM/I and SSMIS radiometers aboard the Defense
Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) platforms. SMMR, SSM/I, and SSMIS data are used for a variety of applications, such as analyses of the
hydrological cycle, remote sensing of sea ice, or as input into reanalysis projects. The improved homogenization and inter-calibration procedure
ensures the long-term stability of the FCDR for climate-related applications. All available raw data records from different sources have been
reprocessed to a common standard, starting with the calibration of the raw Earth counts, to ensure a completely homogenized data record. The data
processing accounts for several known issues with the instruments and corrects calibration anomalies due to along-scan inhomogeneity, moonlight
intrusions, sunlight intrusions, and emissive reflector. Corrections for SMMR are limited because the SMMR raw data records were not available.
Furthermore, the inter-calibration model incorporates a scene dependent inter-satellite bias correction and a non-linearity correction in the
instrument calibration. The data files contain all available original sensor data (SMMR: Pathfinder level 1b) and metadata to provide a completely
traceable climate data record. Inter-calibration and Earth incidence angle normalization offsets are available as additional layers within the data
files in order to keep this information transparent to the users. The data record is complemented with noise-equivalent temperatures (NeΔT),
quality flags, surface types, and Earth incidence angles. The FCDR together with its full documentation, including evaluation results, is freely
available at: https://doi.org/10.5676/EUM_SAF_CM/FCDR_MWI/V003 (Fennig et al., 2017).
Laminar-turbulent transition characteristics of a 3-D wind turbine rotor blade based on experiments and computations
Authors: Özçakmak Özge Sinem , Madsen Helge Aagaard , Sørensen Niels Nørmark , Sørensen Jens Nørkær
Published: March 2020

Abstract. Laminar-turbulent transition behaviour of a wind turbine blade section is investigated in this study by means of field experiments and 3-D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) rotor simulations. The power spectral density (PSD) integrals of the pressure fluctuations obtained from the high frequency microphones mounted on a blade section are analyzed to detect laminar-turbulent transition locations from the experiments. The atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) velocities and the turbulence intensities (T.I.) measured from the field experiments are used to create several inflow scenarios for the CFD simulations. Results from the natural and the bypass transition models of the in-house CFD EllipSys code are compared with the experiments. It is seen that the bypass transition model results fit well with experiments at the azimuthal positions where the turbine is under wake and high turbulence, while the results from other cases show agreement with the natural transition model. Furthermore, the influence of inflow turbulence, wake of an upstream turbine and angle of attack (AOA) on the transition behaviour is investigated through the field experiments. On the pressure side of the blade section, at high AOA values and wake conditions, variation of the transition location covers up to 44 % of the chord during one revolution, while for the no wake cases and lower AOA values, variation occurs along a region that covers only 5 % of the chord. The effect of the inflow turbulence on the effective angle of attack as well as its direct effect on transition is observed. Transition locations for the wind tunnel conditions and field experiments are compared together with 2D and 3D CFD simulations. In contrast to the suction side, significant difference in the transition locations is observed between wind tunnel and field experiments on the pressure side for the same airfoil geometry. It is seen that the natural and bypass transition models of EllipSys3D can be used for transition prediction of a wind turbine blade section for high Reynolds number flows by applying various inflow scenarios separately to cover the whole range of atmospheric occurrences.
Fear of a Yellow Planet: The Gilets Jaunes and the End of the Modern World-System
Authors: Wilkin Peter
Published: March 2020

The emergence of the Gilet Jaunes has seen a section of the popular classes present a significant challenge to the elite-driven ideological frameworks that have dominated since the end of the cold war: neoliberalism and the Clash of Civilisations. What Immanuel Wallerstein calls ‘centrist liberalism’ has been the dominant ideological foundation of the modern world-system since the late nineteenth century. Its current form, neoliberalism, is in crisis across the core of the world-system, intensified following the Great Recession of 2008. This has invited new challenges from revived and reconstituted political formations of both right and left. Populist movements are a part of this process of ideological reconstitution, and the Gilets Jaunes are an important example of progressive populism calling for social and economic justice. What was triggered by a protest directed at increased fuel taxes rapidly escalated into a much broader protest movement whose influence has spread beyond French borders. Importantly, the Gilet Jaunes have brought a layer of the French working-classes into the public realm in dramatic fashion, raising issues such as equality, public welfare, and participatory and direct democracy that challenge neo-liberal norms. The agenda that has emerged from the Gilet Jaunes illustrates the way in which a working-class left is being reconstituted in opposition to forces of the political right. The article addresses three main questions: Why have the Gilet Jaunes emerged? Who makes up these protests? What do they mean?
Marine flatworms in the Gulf of Guinea: a description of a new species of Pseudobiceros (Platyhelminthes; Polycladida) from Principe Island
Authors: Pérez-García Patricia , Herrero-Barrencua Aketza , Noreña Carolina , Lucas Cervera Juan
Published: March 2020

A new species of polyclad flatworm belonging to the genus Pseudobiceros Faubel, 1984 is described based on external and internal morphological features from specimens collected on the coasts of Principe Island. Pseudobiceros principensis sp. nov. is a large-sized worm,
with well-developed pseudotentacles, an elongated oval body shape, and deep marginal ruffles. It is characterized by a blackish to reddish background color, with scattered yellow and white spots or stripes of different sizes (forming a star-like shape) along the whole dorsal surface.
P. N. Tkachev, el predecesor de Lenin con (sin) impacto
Authors: Marchevský Ondrej
Published: March 2020

El artículo se centra en el alcance de las graves tensiones ideológicas de la segunda mitad del siglo XIX y primera del XX, que formaron notablemente los marcos de valores y crearon los acontecimientos sociales reales del entorno ruso. Fue una época en la que se produjo el enfrentamiento entre el pensamiento religioso y el secular. Este último es crucial, ya que describe la manifestación más dominante del pensamiento secular de la época, es decir, el populismo ruso (narodnismo). El artículo se enfoca en la rama revolucionaria del populismo ruso, cuya quintaesencia es P. N. Tkachev. Acercarse a los principales pilares conceptuales de las obras de Tkachev proporciona las bases para un análisis del posible impacto e influencia del populismo ruso radical en las acciones de una de las figuras más controvertidas no solo en la historia rusa sino también en la historia de la humanidad como tal: Vladímir Ilich Lenin. También se esbozan posibles marcos y cuestiones relativas a la relación entre el populismo ruso y Lenin. El objetivo es estimular nuevos estudios críticos, histórico-filosóficos sobre el populismo ruso, así como sobre el legado genuino de Lenin. Sin embargo, se rechaza cualquier ideologización o excusa del leninismo.
Flight to Quality Existence in the Egyptian Stock Market: An Analysis of Stock Market, Quality Stock and Treasury Bills
Authors: Sedeek Doaa Samy , Elgiziry Khairy
Published: March 2020

This paper examines the existence of the flight to quality phenomenon in the Egyptian stock market and highlights the role of quality stock and Treasury bills in mitigating the risk associated with the falling condition of the stock market. We used the return of market portfolio (EGX30), Treasury bill and quality sorted portfolio from January 2008 to December 2017. We employed the auto regressive distributed lag model (ARDL) to postulate both the co-movement between quality stock return and market portfolio return and the co-movement between Treasury bill return and market portfolio return. Our findings show no existence of flight to quality behavior in the Egyptian stock market, and quality stock is a good diversifier. Whereas, flight to quality behavior exists between the stock market and treasury bills in the crisis periods, and treasury bill can be used as stabilizing investment tool.
Corporate Governance Mechanisms and Firm’s Performance: Evidence from Jordan
Authors: Fayad Altawalbeh Mohammad Abdullah
Published: March 2020

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of corporate governance mechanisms on the firm’s performance. Corporate governance practices were divided into two groups; board structure and ownership structure. The sample of the study consists of 60 companies from industrial and service sectors that are listed on Amman stock exchange (ASE). Data was gathered manually through the annual financial reports for the period from 2012-2017 results in 366 year-observation. Stata statistical software was used to test the study hypotheses. The results revealed that board meetings frequency and government ownership positively and significantly impact the firm’s performance, these results suggest that board meetings frequency is considered an indicator of the board effectiveness that enhances decision making quality and thus the firm performance, the results suggest that government ownership is providing a helping hand that improves the firm’s performance. The findings also showed that board independence negatively and significantly impact the firm’s performance, this result suggests that independent board members do not guarantee to improve the performance of a firm, and it stays the firm’s responsibility to choose independent board members who are able to exercise effective oversight function for the purpose of enhancing the performance of a firm. This study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence from developing countries about the impact of corporate governance measures and practices on firms’ performance.
Entrepreneurship through Agriculture In Nigeria
Authors: Ajekwe Clement C. M. , Ibiamke Adzor
Published: March 2020

Poverty is one of the supreme challenges in Nigeria. This paper explores entrepreneurship in agriculture as a strategy for a drastic reduction in unemployment and poverty in Nigeria. Agriculture creates employment opportunities to 70% -75% of the Nigerian working population and contributes about 20.9% of Nigeria’s total gross domestic product. Yet, young educated and ambitious Nigerians do not show much interest in agriculture. Currently, Nigerian farmers are elderly, toiling away with outdated techniques and tools. Not only are these old farmers unlikely to use latest technologies that guarantee rewards in agriculture and afford a modern lifestyle. The youth believe that career in agriculture would “condemn” them to a “backwards”, “dirty” lifestyle associated with the elderly “uneducated” farmers currently performing physical arduous backbreaking farm work. Meanwhile, the educated and ambitious youth struggle almost hopelessly to find employment in the few highly esteemed sectors, such as the civil service, banking, engineering, medicine and law. This paper persuades youths to take up a career in the agricultural sector through entrepreneurship activities; the paper tells stories of successful educated young entrepreneurs in agriculture. Some young successful educated and ambitious agri-preneurs are identified and their stories are told. These agri-preneurs are potential role models (i.e., people whose achievements in agricultural entrepreneurship the youths can emulate/imitate). The paper advises youths to start small with simple straightforward projects capable of producing cash rewards in the short-term and to look out for the several government and UN grants opportunities that encourage agropreneurship. Before launching their enterprises, aspiring agri-preneurs are counselled to avail themselves of training and apprentice opportunities from successful agri-preneurs.
Vindicating Service Quality of Education through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM): International Students’ Perspective
Authors: Osman Abu Rashed , Sohel-Uz-Zaman Abu Saleh , Ashraf Mohammad Ali , Uddin Aslam
Published: March 2020

The prime objective of this paper is to identify the factors that influence service quality of education mediating by institutional image in higher education perspective. To this aim, the Nordic model was used as a theoretical base of the study. Program quality as a technical quality as well as industrial link and student satisfaction as functional quality were postulated to positively influence image toward the service quality education. Data (n=294) were collected from foreign students studying at University Utara Malaysia located in northern Malaysia through convenient sampling procedure. The structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized for analyzing the data. Analysis of the data indicates that image has a full mediating role in the relationship between industrial link and service quality education. To uphold service quality in education, the academic authorities need to nurture earnestly industrial link and image of the institution because image occupied full mediation role between industrial link and service quality of education. Moreover, program quality and student satisfaction have shown direct significant impact on image and service quality of education and can be regarded as critical factors for certifying image and service quality in higher education. The conceptual model of this study would give more recognition if any tertiary level institution addresses this in order to increase their image and overall ranking. This study incorporated institutional image as a mediating variable, which is an exceptional endeavor in tertiary level education for enriching existing body of literature in perspective of international students.
Students’ Perspective on the Emotional Intelligence of Teachers on Student Engagement
Authors: Welmilla I.
Published: March 2020

Student Engagement has emerged as a central theme in the context of Higher Education in recent years. Thus, there is great consent towards it. Due to several factors, undergraduates are diverted and disengaged consequently, especially the state universities of Sri Lanka currently experiencing this issue. Even there are many factors impact student engagement. This study explored the significance of teachers with their emotional intelligence competencies for getting student engagement. University students prefer to take student-centered teaching where it is possible if only teachers are ready and capable to take account of students' interests, needs, and perspectives on adaptation with their teaching approach. Having understood the phenomenon above, the current study designed to investigate the impact of the emotional intelligence of teachers in higher education on student engagement based on students’ perspectives. This is an explanatory study that the data collected from the sample of 1455 undergraduates selected from the state universities in Sri Lanka on which stratified random sampling method was adopted. Finding reveals that students are engaged but not actively and as per the students’ point of view lecturers are just good rather excellent enough on emotional intelligence competencies. However, there is a strong positive relationship as well as have a significant positive impact of emotionally intelligent teachers of higher education on student engagement. Ultimately it is concluded that higher education teachers require to expand the substantial amount of skill on emotional intelligence. Further, then active student engagement can be ensured.
Mathematical Methods of Calculating the Reliability of Standby Systems with Renewal
Authors: G.S Mokaddis , Alhajeri Hana’a
Published: March 2020

The mathematical methods of calculating the reliability of renewable systems based on the use of Markov's random processes (RYABININ, L., 1976). The simplest case of calculating the reliability of a renewable system without redundant units has been given. The availability and the reliability of a lightly loaded standby redundant system have been considered. Explicit results are obtained in the case of two main units and two standby redundant units.
CO-ACTIVE COACHING SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF SKILLS IN SOLVING ETHICAL DILEMMAS IN ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE-RELATED PROFESSIONS
Authors: Stankiewicz Janina , Bortnowska Hanna , Łychmus Patrycja
Published: March 2020

In contemporary market economy, an increasing importance is attributed to the
observance of ethics. The subject of considerations of researchers dealing with this issue
is also the ethical dimension of professions, including those ones, which are related to accounting
and finances. It is recognized the need to develop substantive and interpersonal
competences, but also in the field of professional ethics. The aim of the article is: 1) to demonstrate
that co-active coaching is a particularly useful tool for developing skills to solve
ethical dilemmas among employees working in accounting and finance; 2) to present the key
competencies of a co-active coach, with particular emphasis on the ability to ask questions
facilitating analysis and decision-making for the coachee when facing an ethical dilemma;
3) to present the stages of a coaching session supporting the development of skills to solve
ethical dilemma common among professionals whose job relates to accounting and finance
using the GROW model, plus to indicate selected questions recommended in each of these
stages. It was achieved on the basis of the results of the analysis of the literature of the subject.
USAGE OF POWER PURCHASING AGREEMENTS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
Authors: Michalski Dariusz
Published: March 2020

The purpose of this article is to indicate power purchase agreements (PPA) as an important supporting element of the development of renewable energy sources (RES). The author states that as result of the reduction of RES investment costs, PPA become the competitive way to support the development of generation capacities in power sector. That is why the RES power procurement done by large industrial plants in many markets is competitive
in relation to conventional power producers. In this situation, the PPA contracts become an instrument replacing state subsidies in securing the financing of RES investments. The more so that PPAs are concluded by more and more industrial enterprises, also increasing their geographical coverage. The article defines PPAs, their classification and the most important examples of their application.
Sociocultural Interaction and Symbolism in Prehistoric South America: Quartz Crystal Manuports from Tierra del Fuego
Authors: Estela Mansur María , Horacio De Angelis Hernán , Esther Parmigiani Vanesa , Celina Alvarez Soncini María , Franch Bach Anna
Published: March 2020

The use of mineral elements with special characteristics, such as quartz crystals, in ornamental or ceremonial contexts, is not uncommon in archaeology. Their appearance in different archaeological sites is the basis to discuss their significance for past societies. However, while these objects are loaded with symbolic value, it is difficult to identify them in hunter-gatherer sites. In this chapter, we discuss this subject from the case of a series of crystals discovered in the central area of the Big Island of Tierra del Fuego, and we outline their interpretation based on technofunctional analysis confronted with the ethnographic information for the region. Tierra del Fuego is located at the southern tip of South America. It was inhabited by hunter-gatherer societies since the end of last glaciation until the beginning of the twentieth century. In historical times, the central-northern sector of the Big Island was occupied by the Selknam society, in which there is an extensive ethnographic and ethnohistorical bibliography. Archaeological research in the central area of Tierra del Fuego has revealed a continuous occupation of hunter-gatherer societies. The analysis of provenience of raw materials lets us to propose hypothesis about mobility and interaction networks that can be confronted with the ethnographic information.
Tectonophysical criteria for forecasting the locations of quartz crystal deposits (case of Subpolar Ural)
Authors: Sim L. A.
Published: March 2020

Spatial reconstruction of tectonic stresses within the Subpolar Ural quartz crystal-containing province was conducted by the kinematic method [Gushchenko, 1973, 1979] based on the main indicators of tectonic stresses on slickensides. Local stress states (LSS) and general stress fields for large blocks were reconstructed by the method described in [Sim, Marinin, 2015]. In the blocks with numerous occurrences of quartz crystal (Pelingichey and Omega-Shor blocks), the general stress fields is characterized by a stress state close to uniaxial tension, i.e. the Lode-Nadai coefficient µ=–1. In these blocks, thick quartz veins are perpendicular to the tension axis of the general stress field. In the block without quartz crystal (West Saled), the general stress field is characterized by a triaxial stress state or pure shear state (–1˂µσ˂+1). The LSS of the quartz crystal deposits show the following: the stress state of µ=–1 is typical of quartz veins without quartz crystal nests, and a special kind of stress state is reconstructed near the nests with piezoelectric material. It is named a variation of the type of stress state (VTSS), which means that within one tectonic stage, the type of stress state changes approximately as follows: µσ=+1 (40 %), µσ=–1 (40 %), and –1˂µσ˂+1. It means that in the piezoelectric mineral deposits, pulsating tectonic stresses provided for a fluid flow of hydrothermal solutions at the intersection of ore-bearing and ore-controling faults when tension (µ=–1) was replaced with compression (µ=+1), while the orientations of compression and tension axes remained unchanged. Apparently, such a regime was caused by alternating activation of the above-mentioned faults. The tectonic stress reconstructions were performed for 33 mineral deposits and occur­rences of quartz crystal. VTSS was determined in 32 deposits; one mineral occurrence is characterized by uniaxial tension. Therefore, we propose using VTSS (variation of the type of stress state) as a criterion for predicting the locations of quartz crystal deposits.
Investment Media and Information Consumption
Authors: Mukhopadhyay Tirtha Prasad ,   Society for Phenomenology and Media
Published: March 2020

Post-market economies are driven by ownership or shareholding interests. We may consider ourselves to be living in societies driven by investment blocks - there is no doubt in our minds, given our awareness of the information blocks that compose media content, that the interests of these investment quarters in a globalized geo-economy is what determines how news is presented and consumed. What are the characteristics of investment-driven media scenarios? Our concept of media scenario differs from information dispersal models in brand capitalism and media franchise (Chomsky 2002; Golding et al 2012)? The disintegration of values of social responsibility in journalism is also apparent in the rise of investment driven journalism, with its absolute dependence on the mirror neuronal mechanics of social behavior, where the individual likes falling in with performance, and post-truth dialogue. But there are also options and limits of consensus within such discursive practice, and selective attention as the consumer betrays preference for information. We hypothesize that the new information media is a product of investment acts, and is fluid by nature, never innocent, and is always conditioned by local interest factors, and is as Barnett argues in a paper, a simulacrum of shareholder values (Barnett 2009).
Media as Borgean Aleph
Authors: Graciela Trógolo Marta , Fernández Alejandra de las Mercedes , Zapponi Rosario ,   Society for Phenomenology and Media
Published: March 2020

This paper entails the issue around total visibility of media vs. paradoxically invisibility of “real world.” From Kant onwards it entails that it is impossible to know the world in its totality, it is a transcendental idea that cannot be cognized, “thing in itself” (noumeno); therefore, its representation is at the mercy of the illusion or fantasy. The immanence of the world and its representations have been transposed by the infinite range of possibilities -replicants and mutants- of the media (permanent presence, “without death”). To paraphrase of Borges's idea (Aleph), the media are the non-objective object that resides in the basement of the house of “Carlos Daneri,” “the place where they are, without being confused, all the places of the world,” “multum in parvo” (= much in a small place) according to Cusano cited there, the media are so powerful with their convictions to be able to cover everything that happens at the same time and in uninterrupted sequences, producing active realities even before they were possible, resulting an ontological naturalization similar to oblivion, alienation, etc. to cover the nothingness. Maybe it is that the media are nothing but fascinating and hallucinatory ways of producing “aesthetic truths,” are such fictions powerful that end up preventing us from discerning with clarity and distinction, things among themselves and between their representations, between the truthful (Sachverhalt=facts) and false representations, etc.?
Work and Experience from a Phenomenological Approach
Authors: Garabito Ballesteros Gustavo ,   Society for Phenomenology and Media
Published: March 2020

The article presents a phenomenological approach to the analysis of work experience from the notion of context of meaning and context of experience in finite areas of meaning in the work of Alfred Schütz. From this approach, a three-dimensional analysis of the world of work (Wirkwelt) is proposed, where work is simultaneously considered as a structure, as a social action and as an intersubjective environment. With this, it is sought to deepen a better understanding of the heterogeneous phenomena of the world of work.
Ecosocialism
Authors: Struhl Karsten J. ,   Philosophy Documentation Center
Published: March 2020

I shall argue that the solution to the ecological crisis will require a combined political-economic and psychological-spiritual approach. Specifically, I will argue that while there is no way to avoid eco-catastrophe within the framework of capitalism, ecosocialism understood as a political-economic construct focused wholly or even primarily on the survival and flourishing of our species is not a sufficient solution and could, in its anthropocentric and productivist form, exacerbate the problem. What is needed is an understanding of ecosocialism that is both biocentric and ecocentric, an ecosocialism that is sensitive to the suffering and inherent value of the members of other species as well as to the inherent value of whole ecosystems. It will require a new radically different mode of being and a radically new sensibility. I will argue that Buddhism can make a valuable contribution both to the construction of such a society and to the political praxis necessary to achieve it.
A Longitudinal Study on Breastfeeding Practice among Women Living in Western Saudi Arabia
Authors: Shahbar Anwaar , Bahijri Suhad , Weber Janet , Eid Noura M.S.
Published: March 2020

This paper presents a longitudinal study of breastfeeding at two private hospitals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Soliman Fakeeh (SF) follows the WHO's baby-friendly hospital initiative (BFHI), Saudi Germany Hospital (SGH) does not. Participants were 102 women in both hospitals (52 BFHI, 50 non-BFHI). Two semi-quantitative questionnaires, translated into Arabic, were used at baseline and one month postpartum. Results showed that most women in the study have initiated breastfeeding but turned to mixed feedings after one month. We also found that self-efficacy has the biggest influence on breastfeeding practice at one month, measured by the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale (BSES) and regardless of other variables. The BFHI made breast milk the first nutritive substance infants received and had a higher percentage of early initiation of breastfeeding than the non-BFHI. The BFHI hospital supported women to breastfeed practically and educationally. Support was provided by books, internet, and educational sessions. Yet, any effects no longer existed at one month postpartum, at which point most women had shifted to mixed feeding. There was no relationship between the BSES and BFHI status. Thus, we recommend developing breastfeeding promotion programs before delivery and at least a six-months follow-up after delivery, in addition to peer counselling approaches.
Prioritizing the Prevention of Child-Family Separation: The Value of a Public Health Approach to Measurement and Action
Authors: Mansourian Hani
Published: March 2020

Disaster-affected children are among the most vulnerable populations and face a wide range of threats to their health and wellbeing. One of the most significant risks to children is separation from their family, a problem that occurs in most humanitarian contexts. Because separation can have lasting adverse consequences for children’s health and wellbeing, child protection actors frequently develop programs to respond to the needs of separated children. However, methods to measure prevalence, characteristics, and root causes of separation are scarce and rarely deployed in humanitarian settings. Existing measurement and programmatic approaches focus primarily on responding to already separated children and give little attention to the prevention of separation at a population level, the context and prevalence of separation, and the root causes of separation. Analyzing how a public health approach helps to fill these gaps, this paper presents a systematic, conceptual and practical case for incorporating a public health approach in the measurement of and programming for separation of children in humanitarian settings. It argues that a population-level, preventive approach to measurement and programming will complement the more common case-based, responsive approach to separation of children and enables children’s well-being amidst adversity.
La nueva generación Z: conectada, pragmática y familiar
Authors: Montaña Blasco Mireia
Published: March 2020

Si hace un par de años se hablaba de quién y cómo eran los millennials, ahora es noticia la generación Z. Este colectivo, también conocido como posmillennial, centennial, generación K o posbieber, hace referencia a los jóvenes de hasta veinticuatro años. Esta nueva generación, nacida en pleno auge de las redes sociales, iría desde los preadolescentes hasta los jóvenes de poco más de veinte años que comenzarían a entrar en el mundo laboral.
¡Sin miedo! 8 pistas para introducir los videojuegos en casa
Authors: Aranda Dani
Published: March 2020

Muy a menudo me llegan dudas y preocupaciones de amigos, colegas o conocidos sobre qué deben hacer con los videojuegos. Los temas siempre suelen ser los mismos: es que no sé nada del tema, a qué edad, cuánto tiempo...
Tal día como hoy
Authors: Ollé Candela
Published: March 2020

Y ya hace 35 años que nació Televisió de Catalunya y con la primera emisión del Telenotícies (TN, telediario) también se estableció una política de preservación y documentación de su fondo creando el Departamento de Documentación. Consultar el fondo documental de la cadena es una buena manera de saber cómo ha cambiado un país y disfrutar del patrimonio audiovisual que tiene. Las vías de difusión de los contenidos como el Servicio TV3 a la carta o el perfil de Twitter del archivo nos permiten hacer memoria de programas, personajes, series o efemérides y son un fondo muy valioso para ser analizado en trabajos de fin de grado y máster.
Adolescentes, tecnología y riesgo: del 'like' a la 'finstagram'
Authors: San Cornelio Gemma
Published: March 2020

Los jóvenes y adolescentes siempre están en el punto de mira en relación con su consumo de medios digitales. Uno de los tópicos más extendidos es que están dispuestos a cualquier cosa a cambio de obtener un like, incluso a arriesgar su vida… A propósito de este extremo, me preguntaron recientemente por qué los jóvenes estaban dispuestos a arriesgar su vida por hacerse un selfie. La cuestión tenía relación con la noticia sobre una chica que se había quedado colgando de una cornisa mientras le tomaban una fotografía y tuvo que ser rescatada por los Mossos d’Esquadra.
Privacidad, datos personales y empresas de comunicación, en la vorágine
Authors: Martínez Martínez Silvia
Published: March 2020

La sucesión de acontecimientos relacionados con la privacidad y los datos personales están marcando la agenda mediática de estos últimos meses. El caso de Cambridge Analytica y Facebook ha sido uno de los más sonados de inicios de 2018, pero no es este el único hecho noticioso con impacto para empresas que se dedican al sector de la comunicación. La aplicación de un nuevo reglamento, el debate ante nuevas medidas en ciernes, así como acciones y reacciones derivadas de ello ponen a estas compañías en el centro de la vorágine.
Entrevista a Sònia Lluch, estudiante del máster universitario de Social Media: Gestión y Estrategia
Authors: Sivera Sílvia
Published: March 2020

«Espero que este máster me abra puertas para especializarme profesionalmente». Con este firme deseo conversamos con Sònia, que decidió cursar el máster en un año, mientras hace prácticas y trabaja al mismo tiempo. Persona inquieta, trabajadora y con muchas ganas de aprender, se matriculó en este máster oficial de la UOC para poderse especializar en un ámbito con una gran demanda profesional. Sin duda, la digitalización ha supuesto un cambio en la manera de trabajar de los periodistas y actualmente los profesionales de la comunicación ya no son los únicos que producen contenidos informativos.
Trastorno 6C51: el videojuego se trastorna
Authors: Aranda Dani
Published: March 2020

La Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) acaba de publicar la última edición de la Clasificación Internacional de Enfermedades (ICD-11). El objetivo es básicamente clasificar y codificar enfermedades, sus síntomas y causas.
DataverseNL
Authors: Wittenberg Marion
Published: March 2020

A presentation from the European Dataverse Workshop 2020.
Impact of Self-efficacy and Social Support on Intention to Quit Drug Use among People with Drug Abuse Cases
Authors: Olubunmi Mokuolu, Bolade , Adedotun Ajiboye Samuel
Published: March 2020

Self-efficacy and social support according to various researches have shown to be important factors in the initiation, recognition and enactment of behavioural changes. This study examines the influence of self-efficacy and social support on the intention to quit drug use among clients in some mental health settings and students in a university setting. The sampled participants in this study include 25 students of Ekiti State University, Nigeria and 60 patients drawn from different mental health settings. General self-efficacy scale was used to measure self-efficacy while multi-dimensional social support scale was used to measure social support. Intention to quit drug use was measured using the Stages of Change Readiness and Treatment Eagerness Scale (SOCRATES). The result shows that there is a significant difference between drug abusers in a mental health setting and drug abusers in a university setting on all the three dimensions of intention to quit drug use; the patients having a higher score on the three. The three dimensions of social support do not have a significant influence on intention to quit drugs while Self-efficacy has a major influence on the intention to quit drug use (Beta = .244, P<.05). From the research findings, individual characteristics like self-efficacy play a major role in therapy and on patients’ intention to quit drugs than social support but this does not negate the importance of social support in therapy. So, therapists should endeavour to assess and develop an individual's attitude to prevent relapse after treatment. More so, psycho-education is pivotal in drug use cessation when compared with the population that was not exposed to psycho-education. So, awareness about the dangers of drug abuse should not only be done in mental health settings; but also in schools and our society at large.
Effect of Squid (Sepiotheutis lessoniana) Ink on Hematological Profile of Rats Rattus norvegicus
Authors: Pringgenies Delianis , Pertiwi Meida M. M. , Ridlo Ali
Published: March 2020

Iron deficiency anaemia includes the highest incidence of nutritional deficiency diseases in the world. Red cell indices on full blood counts is regularly used to diagnose early anaemia. Currently strategies medicines of iron deficiency anaemia are belonged to preventif medicine as well as fortification of food and iron supplementation directly to the body. Recent studies show the effectiveness of treatment of iron deficiency anaemia in rats with squid ink. This study aim is to analyse the iron content of squid ink (Sepioteuthis lessoniana) and squid ink effects on haematological profile of male Wistar rat Rattus norvegicus. The measured iron content of squid ink (Sepioteuthis lessoniana) is 2,14 ± 0,46 mg/g. Rats were used in this study, are induced NaNO2 (50 mg/kgbw (1 ml dosing volume)) at first, then divided into 4 groups experiment for 14 days experimental. The 1st group is negative control (without any treatment), 2nd group is positive control (with Sangobion®), 3rd group is given a low dosage of squid ink (10 mg/kgbw/day) and the last 4thgroup is given a high dosage of squid ink (100 mg/kgbw/day). Based on the result, there was an effect of given squid ink to the haemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, mean haemoglobin content, red blood cell distribution width and red blood cell count of rats that showed by increasing numbers to the end of the experiment compared to the negative control (1st group). The most significant effect is in haemoglobin, especially Hb of rats which appeared on the low dosage of squid ink group and positive control group to the negatif group (p<0,05).
Relationship between Consumption of Convenience Foods and Health Status of the Working Women
Authors: Dhir Bhavya , Singla Neerja , Jain Rohini
Published: March 2020

Consumption of convenience foods has been found to be inexorable in modern scenario due to rapid urbanization, changing life-style of women, rising purchasing power and adaptation to western culture. The chief objective was to assess the correlation between health status and frequency and consumption of convenience foods among working (employed) and non-working (unemployed) women. A total of 120 subjects aged 25-40 years including 60 working as school teachers, bank employees or those working in private sector for 6-8 hours per day and 60 non-working women with family monthly income ranging from Rs. 1-2 lakhs were selected randomly from Ludhiana city. Majority of working women (41.7%) spent more than 30% of their total food expenditure on convenience foods, while among non-working women, it was 8.3%. Working women consumed bakery products, ready-to-eat snacks, ready-to-cook products and beverages thrice a week; sandwich spreads and frozen foods twice a week; sweets rarely whereas non-working women consumed these products fortnightly/ rarely. The average body mass index (BMI), waist-hip ratio (W/H) and total lipid profile was found to be significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher among working women whereas a non-significant difference was observed for Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and Haemoglobin (Hb) levels. BMI, waist-hip ratio, total blood cholesterol and triglycerides were found to be significantly (p ≤ 0.01) correlated with consumption of convenience foods among women. Excessive consumption of convenience foods is one of the major factors for higher incidence of obesity and other non-communicable diseases among women.
In silico Analysis of Phytochemicals from Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC against Mycobacterium tuberculosis Causing Tuberculosis
Authors: Das Debasmita , Das Sunanya , Pandey Mukundjee , Bhattacharyay Dipankar
Published: March 2020

Tuberculosis is somewhat a disease of poverty that mainly targets the low-income populations of developing countries. At the same time, the disease act as a barrier for economic growth to affected people and families caring for them which in turn results into increased poverty in the community. Thesepopulation below the poverty line lacks access due to higher retail price and unavailability of the medicines. To overcome these obstacles researchers are nowadays opting to derive medicines from plant extract containing phytochemicals rather than synthesizing new chemicals which proved to be more expensive and unsafe compared to their organic counterpart. Phytochemicals are non-nutritive compounds obtained from plants. It has been reported that Mucuna pruriens plant extract is expected to cure Tuberculosis, which is caused by  Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The said microbe contains 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase enzyme which is reported to be very crucial for the survival of the organism. The molecular docking of the phytochemicals with the microbial enzyme was studied using Biovia Discovery Studio. The machine learning protocols analyze and predict the volume of the molecular interactions occurring between the plant phytochemical and the bacterial enzyme occurring at the active site of the enzyme. The strength of the interaction was evaluated based on -CDocker energy and -CDocker interaction energy. Subsequently the study displays high positive values for both the parameters indicating that out of different phytochemicals present in Mucuna pruriens, L-Dopa can effectively deactivate the enzymatic metabolic activity by interrupting β-oxidation of fatty acid in the microbial cell which causes termination of the life cycle of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
The Influence of Green Procurement Practice on Organisational Performance. Ghana Water Company Ltd. and Bayport Savings and Loans Plc as Point of Convergence
Authors: Anane Augustine
Published: March 2020

This study was a comparative analysis of Ghana Water Co. Ltd. and Bayport Savings and Loans Plc with respect to Green Procurement practice and organizational performance by assessing the moderating role of supplier collaboration. This study employed a quantitative research approach; a structured questionnaire was used to solicit primary data from 160 staffs of both Ghana Water Co. Ltd and Bayport Savings and Loans Plc. SPSS was used to analyze the data. From the perspective of both Ghana Water Co. Ltd. and Bayport Savings and Loans, the study found that green procurement was a significant determinant of organizational performance. Moreover, from the perspective of both Ghana Water Co. Ltd. and Bayport Savings and Loans, the study again revealed that supplier collaboration has a significant effect on organizational performance. From the perspective of Ghana Water Co. Ltd., the study again revealed that supplier collaborations significantly moderate the relationship between green procurement and organizational performance. On the other hand, from the perspective of Bayport, the study found that those supplier collaborations significantly moderate the relationship between green procurement and organizational performance. The study found both Ghana Water Co. Ltd. and Bayport Savings and Loans Plc indicated that challenges in practicing green procurement spanned from lack of top management support, lack of cooperation from the staff, weak knowledge on green procurement to the cost of fully implementing green procurement. In conclusion, the study found no clear distinctiveness between green procurement practices in both Ghana Water Co. Ltd. and Bayport Savings and Loans Plc in terms of performance, supplier collaboration and challenges. The study recommends the need for green procurement implementation among corporate entities in order to increase performance.