bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inglês como Língua Franca (ILF) e o ensino-aprendizagem de língua inglesa em tempos de ensino remoto: um relato de caso aplicado ao ensino fundamental I
Authors: De Lima Jane Helen Gomes , Sávio Gislane , Peruch Rosso Graziela Pavei
Published: December 2020

O ensino-aprendizagem da língua inglesa na educação básica passou por mudanças significativas em seu foco em meados de 2017, a partir das discussões propostas pela Base Nacional Comum Curricular (BNCC). Antes, norteado pelos Parâmetros Curriculares Nacionais (PCNs), o inglês era tratado como língua estrangeira (ILE). Agora, com as novas diretrizes curriculares nacionais, ele aparece como língua franca (ILF). O objetivo deste relato de experiência é apresentar a materialização do conceito de ILF em aulas virtuais de uma escola municipal de ensino fundamental I do extremo sul catarinense. Por meio da descrição e da análise de duas práticas de ensino-aprendizagem propostas durante o ensino remoto, discutimos como é possível levar a cabo a proposta do ILF numa perspectiva que busca descentralizar o falante nativo de inglês, expor as crianças aos diferentes tipos de ingleses, focar em suas competências comunicativas e incentivá-las, acima de tudo, a se experimentarem como falantes legítimas deste idioma.
Ensino remoto na pandemia de COVID-19: lições aprendidas em um projeto de extensão universitário
Authors: Soares Tárcila Lorrane Fernandes de Souza , De Santana Ícaro Silva , Comper Maria Luiza Caires
Published: December 2020

O distanciamento social, decorrente da pandemia da COVID-19, resultou na suspensão das aulas presenciais em todo mundo, fazendo com que os métodos de educação fossem rapidamente adaptados para serem ministrados no formato de ensino remoto de emergência. Essa adaptação inesperada impactou estudantes e professores que, juntos, empreenderam esforços para a experimentação de novas formas de ensinar e aprender a fim de manter a continuidade das atividades de ensino, pesquisa e extensão. É neste contexto, que este artigo se propõe a descrever o processo de adaptação das atividades de ensino de um projeto de extensão universitário para a modalidade de ensino remoto, compartilhando experiências e lições aprendidas que podem contribuir para o desenho de novas estratégias pedagógicas.
O (Re)inventar da Educação em Tempos de Pandemia
Authors: Teixeira Rosiley Aparecida , Terçariol Adriana Aparecida  de Lima , Barros Daniela Melaré Vieira , Mafra Jason Ferreira
Published: December 2020

A Revista Dialogia publica o número 36, contemplando o Dossiê “O (Re)inventar da Educação em Tempos de Pandemia”. Este Dossiê acolheu pesquisas que apresentaram como temática as diferentes nuances e processos de adaptação/transformação da Educação Básica e Ensino Superior que, dentre outras mudanças, reestruturaram-se no ambiente on-line, de forma inesperada. Em certa medida, tal migração acelerou o (re)inventar de práticas pedagógicas, ressignificando antigos espaços e criando novos lugares para a aprendizagem e o ensino. Esta nova situação tem gerado inúmeros desafios à Educação, como um todo, atingindo, em especial, docentes, estudantes, gestores e familiares, ao mesmo tempo em que oportunizou um despertar para a valorização e ampliação da educação online no país e no mundo.
Risco e Retorno dos Investimentos em Empresas com Práticas de Sustentabilidade e de Governança Corporativa
Authors: Kuronuma Cleiton Ricardo , Barciella Roberto Preti , Silva Fabiana Lopes
Published: December 2020

A preocupação com a sustentabilidade e a governança corporativa são fenômenos recentes que ganham destaque nas organizações de todos os portes e segmentos econômicos. Medidas de desempenho foram desenvolvidas para avaliar as ações de empresas que investem nestes temas, como os índices de sustentabilidade empresarial (ISE) e de governança corporativa (IGC) na B3. Objetiva-se comparar empresas com práticas de sustentabilidade e governança com o mercado, evidenciando as divergências quanto ao risco e retorno das ações. Coletaram-se posições de fechamento diário dos ISE, IGC e IBOVESPA entre 01/2007 e 12/2016, totalizando 2.472 observações para cada índice. Resultados mostraram que ao nível de significância de 5% não há diferenças entre retornos médios das carteiras analisadas; a com índice IGC apresenta risco menor que as com índices ISE ou IBOVESPA. Empresas que investem em sustentabilidade e governança apresentam retornos similares comparando-se às que não adotam essas práticas, enquanto as que possuem práticas de governança apresentam riscos menores quando comparadas às que não possuem.
Aplicação do Método PDCA para Redução do Risco de Explosão na Operação de Transporte de Grãos
Authors: Silva Elaine Patussi da , Paula Verica Marconi Freitas de , Paula Verônica Angélica Freitas de
Published: December 2020

Este relato tecnológico descreve a experiência de um grupo de Melhoria Contínua (CCQ) de uma organização de transporte integrado para a redução de risco de explosão na planta operacional devido a alguns fatores como excesso de pó, poeira e baixa umidade. Com a aplicação do Método PDCA e de ferramentas de Qualidade, o grupo delineou duas propostas de ação. A proposta escolhida, de custo consideravelmente inferior, foi implementada - as metas estabelecidas foram superadas, proporcionando ainda melhorias em diferentes aspectos da operação da organização.
Método de Apoio à Decisão para Adoção de uma Nova Tecnologia de Distribuição de Conteúdo para a Indústria de Mídia e Difusão
Authors: Facchin Tiago , Benedetti Mauricio Henrique
Published: December 2020

Diante do avanço da tecnologia, crescente demanda por conteúdos audiovisuais e mudanças nos hábitos de consumo de mídia, empresas produtoras têm a necessidade de desenvolverem novas e eficientes plataformas de distribuição dos seus conteúdos, buscando maior abrangência, flexibilidade na entrega e, por consequência, melhora da qualidade da experiência dos usuários. Neste contexto, a indústria de radiodifusão de sons e imagens necessita rever seus processos e reduzir seus custos operacionais na etapa de distribuição de conteúdo a fim de ser competitiva, em um mercado com players mundiais. Para tanto, quebrar paradigmas se tornou fundamental. Com o objetivo de buscar alternativas para solucionar o problema que a indústria em pauta enfrenta e trazer uma contribuição para facilitar a tomada de decisão na análise de implementação de novas tecnologias, a utilização de métodos multicritérios minimiza a possibilidade de erros, mitigando os riscos e aumentando a eficácia no processo decisório. A partir das dimensões competitivas baseadas na teoria da Estratégia de Operações, foi aplicado o método de Análise Hierárquica de Processos (AHP - Analytic Hierarchy Process) para determinar o cenário que apresenta o melhor resultado, de acordo com as variáveis competitivas previamente definidas. Uma vez selecionada a melhor alternativa, para a priorização das ações, foi aplicada a matriz GUT, viabilizando e dando celeridade à sua implementação, bem como suportando a melhoria e a eficácia do processo. Para o desenvolvimento da pesquisa, foram coletadas opiniões de especialistas e interessados. Portanto, tratar com o ineditismo na aplicação de uma nova tecnologia, lidar com interesses conflitantes dos stakeholders e analisar diferentes variáveis no processo de decisão significam que estes desafios deverão ser vencidos para a escolha e o sucesso na implementação da nova plataforma de distribuição de conteúdos. Assim, com um mapeamento estruturado e a visão completa do processo, duas etapas distintas de implementação foram adotadas de maneira sequencial. Como resultado, uma primeira solução foi proposta com o objetivo de redução dos atuais custos operacionais, além de servir de base e estrutura para uma segunda intervenção, que busca novos modelos e oportunidades de negócio.
Analysis of volatility and contagion effect of countries from Latin America
Authors: Cardoso Guilherme Freitas , Souza Guilherme Santos , Carvalho Luciano Ferreira , Ribeiro Karem Cristina de Sousa
Published: December 2020

Objetivo do Trabalho: A volatilidade consiste em uma preocupação para investidores e acadêmicos, ambos tentando entender e prever, de forma lógica, a dispersão de retornos para um determinado índice de segurança ou mercado, mas esses movimentos têm mostrado uma influência irregular, complexa e cada vez menor de fatores individuais. Assim, o objetivo da pesquisa é investigar a volatilidade dos retornos e verificar os co-movimentos e o efeito contágio dos países da América Latina. Metodologia: A amostra compreende dados diários de janeiro de 2002 a dezembro de 2016 para medir a volatilidade das bolsas de valores de países da América Latina, utilizando-se um modelo de regressão automática com modelos de heterocedasticidade condicional, ARCH/GARCH. Para verificar os efeitos do contágio nas bolsas de valores, utilizou-se modelos de volatilidade e modelos de regressão automática vetorial (VAR). Originalidade: O impacto e o comportamento da volatilidade nos mercados tem sido uma grande preocupação para pesquisadores e profissionais em relação à disseminação dos retornos. Um melhor entendimento do contágio nos mercados emergentes, especificamente os mercados latino-americanos, pode se apresentar como uma oportunidade de diversificação para os investidores e um conjunto de regras a serem implementadas, para melhorar as regulamentações nesses mercados.Principais Resultados: Os resultados indicam evidências de um efeito contágio em todos os países, com dois fatos relevantes, o primeiro é a influência da bolsa brasileira em todos os outros países da amostra e, o outro, é a baixa representatividade dos fatores endógenos para explicar o comportamento de volatilidade da bolsa de valores do México. Os resultados também demonstraram que, durante o período de maior volatilidade, a crise subprime, as correlações apresentaram maior volatilidade entre os demais períodos, identificando que os benefícios da diversificação diminuem durante períodos mais voláteis. A partir disso, foi possível constatar que a bolsa brasileira tem grande influência na Argentina, mas a mesma influência não é observada quando se analisa a força da bolsa de valores argentina, sobre o mercado acionário brasileiro.Contribuições Teóricas: Melhor entendimento da volatilidade e dos efeitos ondulantes entre os mercados latino-americanos, assim como sua relevância para investidores e formuladores de políticas, no que diz respeito ao fluxo de investimentos e à aplicação de regulamentos. Além disso, fornecemos evidências de que, durante o período de maior volatilidade, os benefícios de diversificação diminuem, sendo observado o efeito de contágio em todos os países, com dois fatos relevantes, o primeiro é a influência da bolsa de valores brasileira em todos os outros países da amostra e, o segundo, a baixa representatividade de fatores endógenos para explicar o comportamento da volatilidade da bolsa de valores do México.
Contratos de sustentação de valor: uma estrutura de governança para ativos específicos, estratégicos e difíceis de mensurar
Authors: Cunico Eliana , Souza José Paulo De , Schiavi Sandra Mara de Alencar
Published: December 2020

Objetivo: Compreender como uma estrutura de governança pode coordenar recursos estratégicos compartilhados a fim de gerar e sustentar vantagens competitivas por meio da redução dos custos de transação, proteção e distribuição de valor.Metodologia: A aplicação empírica foi desenvolvida no SAG Piscícola do Oeste Paranaense, com abordagem qualitativa, exploratória-descritiva. A coleta de dados envolveu 51 entrevistas, além visitas aos estabelecimentos e pesquisa documental, cujos resultados foram submetidos a análise de conteúdo por meio do software MAXQDA®.Originalidade: A interdependência entre os agentes no agronegócio define complexidade para a coordenação de recursos estratégicos compartilhados visando, além da eficiência, gerar e sustentar vantagens competitivas, dado a existência de objetivos conflitantes. Tal condição remete à necessidade de formas específicas de governança para coordenação dos negócios, neste estudo abordados teoricamente a partir da Economia dos Custos de Transação, da Economia dos Custos de Mensuração em complementaridade com a Resource Based-View.Contribuições teóricas/metodológicas: Teoricamente os CSV se mostram capazes de incentivar a competitividade horizontal, por meio do direito legal atualmente inexistente no SAG. Metodologicamente destaca-se a abrangência e a triangulação de dados em um SAG de referência para o agronegócio brasileiro.Principais resultados: Como principal resultado, propõe-se os ‘Contratos de Sustentação de Valor (CSV)’ como uma estrutura de governança eficiente, direcionado à organização vertical e à competitividade horizontal no segmento produtor, com base em incentivos que recompensem com rendas ricardianas e com vantagens estratégicas, amparadas na mensuração.
21 years of Polish military NATO membership - glass half empty
Authors: Wojciechowski Sławomir
Published: December 2020

After the accession to NATO, Polish military should have adapted to new realities but the process coincided with changes of the security environment and NATO strategic reorientation. In order to meet expectations and contribute to Allied requirements, Polish Armed Forces faced the dilemma of keeping balance between transformation, the forces numerical decrease and modernization of the inventory. Due to the choice of direction with the focus on the capability problems, the change has not brought expected effect until now. Applying existing terminology and notions, the article examines discrepancy between perceptions of the NATO accession and the state of the military effectiveness in the face of deepening Polish - American military strategic partnership.
Environmental information in the consolidated financial statements of selected energy companies in Poland – a comparative analysis
Authors: Majchrzak Iwona , Nadolna Bożena
Published: December 2020

Purpose: The article compares the scope and place of disclosure of valuable environmental information in the annual consolidated financial statements of the largest listed companies in Poland's energy sector.
Methodology/approach: The empirical study used content analysis of the consolidated statements of the examined entities and comparative analysis.
Results: The study showed that the largest publicly traded companies in the energy sector disclose similar groups of environmental information, but where they were presented and the detailed content were more varied. The information is presented in different parts of the financial statements, often in several different layouts and forms. Due to this approach, users of financial statements are required to group and compile the information on their own in order to compare it. This is not conducive to the transparency and some-times even the credibility of comparative environmental information between individual companies. Thus, it may negatively impact investor decisions.
Research limitations/implications: This study should be extended to compare the published environmen-tal information contained in the consolidated financial statements of companies from other industries whose activities have a significant impact on the natural environment.
Originality/value: The research is innovative, as it indicates the scope of valuable information in the field of the natural environment that should be taken into account when standardizing the financial reporting of companies.
The informative role of financial reporting in risk detection
Authors: Babuśka Ewa
Published: December 2020

The informative role of financial reporting in risk detection
The concept of a ratio analysis of consolidated financial statements applied to listed capital groups on the example of the Deutsche Börse Group
Authors: Karmańska Anna , Wiśniewska Dorota
Published: December 2020

Purpose: The article concerns the ratio analysis of consolidated financial statements. The aim is to en-courage and conduct a discussion about its specifics and usefulness. Methodology/approach: The concept of ratio analysis of consolidated reporting created by Karmańska in 1999 (and later verified) is presented. The advantages of this analytical method were illustrated on the example of the corporate group of the German stock exchange operator. Findings: The concept has shown its usefulness in identifying aspects of business activity that are specif-ic for capital groups. The authors recommend its usage either fully or to a limited extent, depending on the area of analysis where functioning in a capital group matters and can enrich the reasoning. Research limitations/implications: This article does not present the results of direct empirical studies conducted using the proposed analytical approach but is oriented on a specific aspect of business activity assessment. It is aimed at a wider community of academics and practitioners verifying the proposed analytical concept. Originality/value: The article concentrates on the specifics of consolidated financial statement analysis, which has, until now, been present in the literature only to a limited extent. Moreover, this is the first work where a detailed financial analysis of a stock exchange operator was performed.
Współczesne dylematy równości i sprawiedliwości
opodatkowania (cz. 1)
Authors: Radzikowski Krzysztof
Published: December 2020

Cele artykułu to konfrontacja najważniejszych nurtów myśli polityczno-ekonomicznej, które traktowały o postulacie
równomiernego, a co za tym idzie – sprawiedliwego, rozłożenia ciężaru podatkowego, ze współczesnymi
uwarunkowaniami społeczno-gospodarczymi oraz ocena, czy polski system podatkowy realizuje te postulaty.
Istotą tego problemu jest pytanie: czy bogatsi powinni płacić wyższe i o ile wyższe podatki niż biedniejsi (tradycyjny
dylemat podatku proporcjonalnego albo progresywnego)1?
Artykuł podsumowuje i rozwija referaty:
1) Podatek solidarnościowy a solidarność podatku: czy polski system podatkowy realizuje postulaty sprawiedliwości
i solidarności społecznej?, który wygłosiłem na XX Konferencji Wydziałowej WPiA UW pt. Solidarność
i dobro wspólne jako wartości w prawie (Warszawa, 1-4 marca 2019 r.);
2) Współczesne dylematy równości opodatkowania, który wygłosiłem na XXI Konferencji Wydziałowej WPiA UW
pt. Równość i nierówności w prawie (Warszawa, 28 lutego 2020 r.).
Elementy systemu walki w cyberprzestrzeni
Authors: Dela Dela
Published: December 2020

1
A expansão e interiorização do ensino superior público no paraná: o caso da região de Guarapuava- PR (1980-1990)
Authors: Szeuczuk Anderson , Silva João Carlos da
Published: December 2020

Este artigo discute a interiorização do ensino superior público no Estado do Paraná,  examinando os determinantes sociais e políticos  na constituição do ensino superior público na região Centro-Sul paranaense a partir de  1970. Tem como referencia de análise a Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Guarapuava (FAFIG), atualmente Universidade Estadual do Centro Oeste-UNICENTRO, fundada em 1990. Analisa a expansão da educação superior paranaense a partir de especificidades locais e regionais. Grupos hegemônicos locais disputavam e reivindicavam espaço no sentido na criação das Instituições de Ensino Superior (IES). A interiorização da educação superior no Paraná, desencadeou-se a partir dos anos 70, por meio de políticas públicas voltadas à criação das fundações edu­cacionais de direito privado. Além de uma revisão bibliográfica sobre a temática, tendo como principais referencias Saviani (2001), Sheen, (1986), Cunha (2007), Dourado (1997) e Freitag (1979), destaca fontes documentais tendo como base leis, decretos e relató­rios junto ao Centro de Documentação e Memória (CEDOC). No processo de constituição das IES, interesses diversos se entrecruzaram, desde os interesses político-eleitoreiros, passando pelas demandas sociais e econômicas e pela luta da educação como direito.
Lehrerbildung in Deutschland neu denken?
Authors: Barany Thomas , Gehrmann Axel , Hoischen Julian , Puderbach Rolf
Published: December 2020

Der Beitrag gibt einen Überblick über Formen des Quer- und Seiteneinstieges in den Lehrerberuf, die in Deutschland praktiziert werden, um dem aktuellen Lehrkräftemangel zu begegnen. Am Beispiel des Bundeslands Sachsen wird u. a. die rechtliche Gestalt solcher alternativer Berufszugänge erörtert.
Auswirkungen von Corona auf das Schulleben – Ein Rechtsprechungsreport
Authors: Größl Monika , Hövelmann Jana , Lodd Maximilian
Published: December 2020

Der Beitrag gibt einen Überblick über die Rechtsprechung im Kontext des Corona-Virus und des Schulbetriebes. Die Gerichte hatten sich insbesondere mit Schulschließungen, der Durchführung von schulischen Abschlussprüfungen sowie der Wiederaufnahme des Präsenzunterrichtes zu beschäftigen.
Nationale Gerichte und die Durchsetzung des EU-Rechts
Authors: Terhechte Jörg Philipp
Published: December 2020

Im europäischen Rechtsprechungsverbund garantieren die nationalen Gerichte zusammen mit dem Gerichtshof der Europäischen Union (EuGH) die direkte und vorrangige Anwendung des EU-Rechts. Damit dieser Verbund im Lichte der rechtsstaatlichen Werte der EU (Art. 2 EUV) dauerhaft funktionieren kann, kommt es in besonderer Weise darauf an, dass das Recht in der EU durch unabhängige und unparteiische mitgliedstaatliche Gerichte gesichert wird, die sich gegenseitig (d.h. insbesondere „grenzüberschreitend“) vertrauen. Zudem verlangt ein gelebter Rechtsprechungsverbund, dass die effektive gerichtliche Durchsetzung der unionsseitig vermittelten Rechte und Pflichten des Einzelnen sichergestellt wird, wobei dem Vorlageverfahren gem. Art. 267 AEUV eine besondere Bedeutung zukommt. Der vorliegende Beitrag konzentriert sich auf diese essentiellen „Gelingensbedingungen“ des europäischen Rechtsprechungsverbunds und zeigt zugleich die Grenzen auf, die insbesondere das Bundesverfassungsgericht (BVerfG) und ihm z.T. folgend die Fachgerichtsbarkeit in Deutschland gezogen haben, damit der europäische Rechtsprechungsverbund nicht zu einer Aushöhlung der rechtsstaatlichen Garantien des Grundgesetzes führt. Im Lichte der gegenwärtigen Rechtsstaatlichkeitskrise in einigen Mitgliedstaaten der EU hat das deutsche Justizsystem ohne Zweifel eine besondere Vorbildfunktion, die eine Auseinandersetzung mit auch hierzulande zu verzeichnenden Problemlagen umso drängender erscheinen lässt.
A perspective on utilizing legal frameworks to obligate service providers to protect human rights in Malawi: A Case of the Mandatory Provision on Pro Bono Services under the Legal Education and Legal Practitioners Act, 2018
Authors: MTAWALI Grace
Published: December 2020

Malawi's Constitution of 1994 changed the law in a pro-human rights direction. It provides for safe guarding measures aimed at protecting human rights. Malawi also has progressive pro-human rights legislations which emulate provisions of international and regional human rights instruments. However, enforcement of legal frameworks remains a challenge, partly due to poverty hence a large percentage of the population is unable to meet legal costs; lack of legal literacy and distance hinders access justice. A culture of silence continues to perpetuate human rights violations, so too uncoordinated efforts by service providers in protecting human rights. The majority of legal practitioners practice commercial law hence over burdening the Legal Aid Bureau with under privileged clients, whose cases mostly border on human rights violations. This paper will look at the opportunities government has in utilizing the legal frameworks to obligate duty bearers to provide services that aim to promote human rights including access to justice for under privileged Malawians. Legal practitioners are now, under the Legal Education and Legal Practitioners Act of 2018, obligated to provide pro bono legal services in order to have their licenses renewed. This has seen a rise in the number of under privileged people, particularly women, able to access justice at various levels. This can also be attributed to human rights awareness done by the Human Rights Commission, human rights lawyers and civil society organizations. This paper will therefore examine the positive impact such an initiative has had in protecting human rights and upholding the rule of law in Malawi.
Sportbezogener Protest gegen die Apartheid in Südafrika 1956–1992
Authors: Hangebrauck Jan
Published: December 2020

The present study offers a novel and comprehensive insight into the characteristics and effects of sport-related, national and transnational protests against apartheid.

It traces the history of racial segregation in sports – particularly concerning athletics, rugby and football - and focuses on the increasing national and international resistance against this system of inequality.

The focus is on the investigation of transnational protests using the example of governments, newspapers, sports associations and the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany and the former GDR. The role of international orgamisations, in particular the IOC and the United Nations, in the fight against apartheid is also presented.
Bank Service Delivery in Nigeria
Authors: James Olalekan Akinbode
Published: December 2020

Nigeria as a country has recorded significant efficiency in bank service delivery considering her history of banking services. This assertion reflects in the views of banking sector stakeholders in the country and foreign assessors. One milestone was the introduction and effective use of electronic banking system in the last two decades which eliminated hurdles overt with the conventional banking era. Today, banking activities in Nigeria are possible at any time of the day and anywhere without any stress. This is not to say that it has fully complied with global best practices as there are still pockets of complaints from stakeholders especially customers which have expressed dissatisfaction in the quality of banking services rendered to them. In spite of the level of customers’ dissatisfaction, bank service delivery is better than what it was, and the Nigerian banking sector is presently at the front burner in terms of banking service delivery in Africa. Although challenges of employees’ knowledge gaps, technology, inadequate legal framework, incompetent manpower and staff improper attitude remain contentious in the Nigerian banking system, efforts from stakeholders especially the regulator to eliminate these challenges would bring about improved banking service delivery in Nigeria and make it close to global best practices, if not achieve it.
New Malaysia, Brexit and US-China Trade War: Credit Risk to Malaysian Banks
Authors: Keong Yong Wooi , Meng Yong Wooi
Published: December 2020

A country’s economic prosperity is intimately linked to the external and internal forces that exert influences on its economy. While some of these forces may not be under the overt control of the country’s economic planners, any disruption to the economy by these forces may just tip the balance that causes financial hardship to millions of people. Certainly, national governments through fiscal and monetary policy measures may attempt to prevent such a catastrophe, but what happens if at such a critical time, the needed government leadership is suddenly not available? In such a situation, what will be the most appropriate reaction from the central bank and what is the likely effect to the country’s banking industry? While this scenario might sound like an interesting thought experiment in a banking classroom, a similar situation is in fact unfolding in real life at this very moment in Malaysia.
Agricultural Solid Wastes: Causes, Effects, and Effective Management
Authors: Oluseun Adejumo Isaac , Adebukola Adebiyi Olufemi
Published: December 2020

The role of the agricultural sector in human development and economic development cannot be overemphasized. Awareness for increased agricultural production is on the increase, arising from the need to feed the ever-increasing human population. Interestingly, almost all agricultural activities generate wastes, which are generated in large quantities in many countries. However, these wastes may constitute a serious threat to human health through environmental pollution and handling them may result in huge economic loss. Unfortunately, in many developing countries where large quantities of these wastes are generated, they are not properly managed because little is known about their potential risks and benefits if properly managed. There are studies that address some of the challenges of agricultural solid wastes as well as suggestions on how they can be properly managed. In this chapter, we intend to explore the major sources of agricultural solid wastes, their potential risks, and how they can be properly managed.
Sequencing of Norovirus in Southern, Nigeria: Prevalent Genotypes and Putative GII.4 Novel Recombinants among Children
Authors: Osazuwa Favour
Published: December 2020

Norovirus is now known to be the leading cause of gastroenteritis among children worldwide. This present report highlights the genetic diversity of norovirus among children less than 5 years in Southern, Nigeria. Stool specimens were collected from 300 children with diarrhea and analyzed for norovirus using conventional reverse transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction. Sequencing of the capsid region was performed to genotype the strains. Norovirus was detected in 45 (11.1%) of children with diarrhea. Genogroup II norovirus was detected in 38/45 (84.4%) patients, while genogroup I (GI) noroviruses were identified in 7/38 (15.6%) patients. Genotype diversity was large, as demonstrated by the nine identified genotypes (2 GI and 7 GII). GII.4 was the most predominant genotype. Two norovirus GII.4 variants, New Orleans_2009 and Sydney_2012 were identified in this study. A putative novel GII.4 recombinant was also detected. This study report for the first time the detection of norovirus GII.17 Kawasaki strain in South–South, region of Nigeria.
Excessive and Disproportionate Use of Chemicals Cause Soil Contamination and Nutritional Stress
Authors: Bisht Nikita , Singh Chauhan Puneet
Published: December 2020

Incredible achievements have been made in agricultural production worldwide, but many daunting challenges remain unresolved to ensure food security and environmental sustainability. Chemical fertilisers are used in excessive and disproportionate quantities to raise crop yields in order to combat certain circumstances. However, apart from being processed in crop plants, chemical fertilisers above the threshold level pollute the atmosphere. As the availability of nutrients becomes a constraint of plant growth and production, sustained crop productivity relies on constant renewal. To increase agriculture production and maintain soil fertility, the application of chemical fertilisers is indispensable. However, insufficient or unnecessary application of fertiliser does not guarantee consistently growing yields, which can result in low efficiency of nutrient usage. Today, the key goals are the study of the effective use of chemicals, the reduction of production costs and the efficient use of fertilisation.
The Resistance of New Kind of High-Strength Cement after 5 Years Exposure to Sulfate Solution
Authors: Bačuvčík Michal , Martauz Pavel , Janotka Ivan , Cvopa Branislav
Published: December 2020

This article deals with the determination of technically important properties, the recognition of microstructure and pore structure, and the mortar resistance of a new cement kind NONRIVAL CEM I 52.5 N containing 7.94% wt. of C3A to 5% sodium sulfate solution. Both reference types of cement were industrially manufactured: 1) ordinary Portland cement CEM I 42.5 R and 2) Portland cement CEM I 42.5 R – SR 0, declared as sulfate resistant because of C3A = 0%. The research was carried out at standardized mortars. The used sodium sulfate solution, which contained 33802.8 mg of aggressive SO42− per liter, exceeded approximately 5 to 10 times the concentration of the third degree of aggressiveness of the XA chemical environment according to STN EN 206 + A1. The reference medium was drinking water. The 5-year results of non-destructive and destructive physical-mechanical tests as well as the formed microstructure and pore structure in both liquid media were evaluated. The cause of the NONRIVAL CEM I 52.5 N sulfate resistance was explained, despite the manufacturer’s declared C3A content of up to 8% by weight. Sulfate resistance of NONRIVAL CEM I 52.5 N is found comparable to that of sulfate resistant CEM I 42.5 R – SR 0.
Finding the Number of Clusters in Data and Better Initial Centers for K-means Algorithm
Authors:   Faculty of Sciences and Humanitarian Study,Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Aflaj, KSA., Fahim Ahmed
Published: December 2020

The k-means is the most well-known algorithm for data clustering in data mining. Its simplicity and speed of convergence to local minima are the most important advantages of it, in addition to its linear time complexity. The most important open problems in this algorithm are the selection of initial centers and the determination of the exact number of clusters in advance. This paper proposes a solution for these two problems together; by adding a preprocess step to get the expected number of clusters in data and better initial centers. There are many researches to solve each of these problems separately, but there is no research to solve both problems together. The preprocess step requires o(n log n); where n is size of the dataset. This preprocess step aims to get initial portioning of data without determining the number of clusters in advance, then computes the means of initial clusters. After that we apply k-means on original data using the resulting information from the preprocess step to get the final clusters. We use many benchmark datasets to test the proposed method. The experimental results show the efficiency of the proposed method.
Predicting Financial Prices of Stock Market using Recurrent Convolutional Neural Networks
Authors:   Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, 86400, Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia, Zulqarnain Muhammad , Ghazali Rozaida , Ghouse Muhammad Ghulam , Hassim Yana Mazwin Mohmad , Javid Irfan
Published: December 2020

Financial time-series prediction has been long and the most challenging issues in financial market analysis.The deep neural networks is one of the excellent data mining approach has received great attention by researchers in several areas of time-series prediction since last 10 years. Convolutional neural network (CNN) and recurrent neural network (RNN) models have become the mainstream methods for financial predictions. In this paper, we proposed to combine architectures, which exploit the advantages of CNN and RNN simultaneously, for the prediction of trading signals. Our model is essentially presented to financial time series predicting signals through a CNN layer, and directly fed into a gated recurrent unit (GRU) layer to capture long-term signals dependencies. GRU model perform better in sequential learning tasks and solve the vanishing gradients and exploding issue in standard RNNs. We evaluate our model on three datasets for stock indexes of the Hang Seng Indexes (HSI), the Deutscher Aktienindex (DAX) and the S&P 500 Index range 2008 to 2016, and associate the GRU-CNN based approaches with the existing deep learning models. Experimental results present that the proposed GRU-CNN model obtained the best prediction accuracy 56.2% on HIS dataset, 56.1% on DAX dataset and 56.3% on S&P500 dataset respectively.
Active Selection Constraints for Semi-supervised Clustering Algorithms
Authors:   University of Jeddah, College of Computing and Information Technology at Khulais, Department of Information Technology, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Atwa Walid , Ali Almazroi Abdulwahab
Published: December 2020

Semi.-supervised clustering algorithms aim to enhance the performance of clustering using the pairwise constraints. However, selecting these constraints randomly or improperly can minimize the performance of clustering in certain situations and with different applications. In this paper, we select the most informative constraints to improve semi-supervised clustering algorithms. We present an active selection of constraints, including active must.-link (AML) and active cannot.-link (ACL) constraints. Based on Radial-Bases Function, we compute lower-bound and upper-bound between data points to select the constraints that improve the performance. We test the proposed algorithm with the base-line methods and show that our proposed active pairwise constraints outperform other algorithms.
Effects of the calisthenic exercise program in the physical education teaching on the elementary school pupils' motor abilities
Authors: Gadžić Aleksandar
Published: December 2020

The development of humanity is directed towards general progress, but one of the negative consequences of that progress is that children are increasingly living a sedentary lifestyle, that they are increasingly becoming obese, and that they adopt bad behavioral patterns. One of the ways to encourage students to engage in a regular physical activity is to present it to them in an interesting way, with adequate methods, tools and content. The goal of this research is to determine the effects of the program of calisthenic exercises on the motor abilities of elementary school children. The research is an experimental study with parallel groups of 50 students from two fifth-grade classes. After an experimental program that lasted 10 weeks during regular physical education classes, it was determined that the boys in the experimental group achieved better results than the boys in the control group on three of the eight motor tests, while no statistically significant differences were found in girls. However, in the girls of the experimental group, progress in motor abilities was determined between the initial and final measurement, while in the girls of the control group this was not the case. The applied program of calisthenic exercises can lead to positive transformations of motor abilities, and the recommendation for future research is to enrich the content with the use of various props and music, which would probably lead to a greater engagement of girls and boys during exercise.
Influence of application of sandwich panel on static and dynamic behaviour of ferry ro-ro ramp door
Authors: Tuswan Tuswan , Zubaydi Achmad , Piscesa Bambang , Ismail Abdi , Rizky Chandra , Ilham Fathi , Fikri Indra
Published: December 2020

The implementation of a sandwich panel on the marine structure needs better knowledge of mechanical behaviour, primarily static and dynamic response. The static and dynamic response is investigated due to the application of a sandwich panel on the ferry ro-ro ramp door using finite element software ABAQUS. Five modification models using different sandwich thickness and stiffener configuration were compared using static analysis to analyze a comparison of structural strength and weight saving. Additionally, the dynamic response was also investigated due to debonding problem. The influence of debonding ratio, geometry, number of debonding, debonding depth, debonding location, and boundary condition was carried out. Debonding was estimated by using free vibration analysis where the Lanczos method for Eigen values extraction was applied. Result of the static analysis showed that Model C caused an increase in strength to weight ratio compared to the existing model. Furthermore, the natural frequency was being calculated as modal parameters to investigate the debonding problem. The natural frequency of the debonded model decreased due to discontinuity in the damaged area. The dynamic response using natural frequency change can be performed as a structural health monitoring technique.
The role of military service in the development of the Serbian strategic culture
Authors: Starčević Srđan , Blagojević Srđan
Published: December 2020

The general obligation to do military service in Serbia was introduced in the second half of the 19th century with the national standing army. The authors show that this obligation has played an important role in the development of the Serbian strategic culture in the young modern Serbian state, but also in encouraging the Serbian military and political elite to hear the "whisper" of the Serbian social character and understand those structures of national culture that are important, perhaps determinative, for what is today called strategic culture. The development of the Serbian strategic culture has been considered through the analysis of the actions of two differently directed, but complementary currents, one being marked as elitist, and the other one as structuralist. Regardless of the obvious differences, both currents are important for the establishment of the Serbian military doctrine, at the dawn of the 20th century, before the historical storm of the Balkan wars and the First World War. The obligation to do military service was maintained until the Decision on the suspension of the obligation to do military service, which was passed by the National Assembly in December 2010. Having in mind that the Republic of Serbia has made the decision to be military neutral, the authors suggest that the reconsideration of the decision to suspend the obligation to do military service is a logical consequence of this choice. The decision on military neutrality requires not only that others (the international community) respect such a decision of a state, but also the respect within the state itself. This means that a state that aspires to neutrality does not give up on defending its own values or handing them over to the others at the mercy and/or protection, but establishes (or preserves) the ability to credibly defend its identity and values. The burden of the consequences of this decision is even harder because it does not count on military alliances. The neutral countries in Europe base their ability of credible defense mainly on the concept of total defense, but it also implies a large number of citizens trained for the military tasks and the tasks of civil protection, which calls for the obligation to do military service. At the same time, military service is the best way for citizens to understand the impact of the decision on military neutrality, but also to accept it as their own free choice and a part of a collective identity. Thus, the obligation to do military service remains an important fulcrum point of the state in actively shaping its strategic culture.
Antibiotics: A food safety issue
Authors: Stancu Alina , Suvorov Nicolae
Published: December 2020

Population growth and globalization are currently having many negative effects on the agri-food sector's ability to ensure safe and qualitative food. Use of medicines and chemicals in animal husbandry can considerably increases production and animals' resistance to disease and pests. Elevated levels of exposure to food contaminated with chemical residues from the use of antibiotics in animal husbandry and various growth hormones are very dangerous to human health. They contribute to genetic changes at the cellular level and decreased resistance of the body to viruses and bacteria. Frequent use of antibiotics may result in chemical residues in milk, meat, eggs and honey due to large-scale application of drugs in veterinary practice. In addition to its toxicity, antibiotic residues are carcinogenic and ingested in the long term lead to increased tolerance to medication against human diseases caused by deadly bacteria. Continuous monitoring of the production phase of the agri-food chain is absolutely necessary to identify the risks of contamination and reduce the use of illegal antibiotics in animal husbandry. This research aims to determine the main causes of food contamination with chemical residues and to create an overview of the negative effects that antibiotics have on human health.
Impact of Traffic Load Randomness on Fatigue of Steel Bridges
Authors: Wysokowski Adam
Published: December 2020

The article considers the influence of the randomness of traffic load on the fatigue of elements of steel bridge structures. The phenomenon occurs specifically in the case of bridges characterized by significant width, with many traffic lanes and a high vehicle velocity, especially in the case of heavy goods vehicles. It has been shown that underestimation of operational durability, including fatigue durability, can be up to 23%. Operational loads increase due to the overlapping of traffic loads, which leads to the increased fatigue of elements of steel bridge structures. In an effort to assess this influence and its value, elements of the problem of the randomness of road traffic loads were compiled and described, and a simulative analysis of the operational strength of various lengths (spans) of the main girders of bridges was carried out. The analyses showed that for the structures with spans length of up to 10.0 m, the influence of passing vehicles could be skipped in calculations, especially in the case of weak traffic.
Case Study on the Effect of Recycled Asphalt Layer Parameters on the Bearing Capacity of the Pavement
Authors: Zariņš Atis
Published: December 2020

Numerous ways to use recycled asphalt (RA) in the road base course will provide both environmental and economic benefits, allowing to recycle and utilise this initially waste material in road or pavement reconstruction projects. However, the properties and parameters of RA necessary for the application of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) in a new pavement structure in most cases are not detectable in the design stage, which complicates design and construction process. The purpose of this paper is to study possibilities for evaluating the performance and parameters of RA, as well as to review the possibilities, methods and applications for RA testing. Data for this case study were obtained from recently completed road structures in the form of FWD measurements, together with lab explored parameters of drilled pavement cores. Based on that data, the relationships between the main pavement structural parameters, such as modulus on the surface of the pavement, compressive strength of RA core segment, thickness of bound layers and back calculated modulus were examined. On the way to exploring different analytical approaches, two approximation models were developed and compared, using the obtained data: by directly approximating the obtained data and after processing them with artificial neural network (ANN).
Caccia e bracconaggio come conflitti socio-ambientali in Africa: violenza, ineguaglianze e politiche (neo)coloniali
Authors: Pegorini Marta
Published: December 2020

Starting from a reflection about the role held by political ecology, anthropology, critical theories in a possible dialogue between social and environmental dimension, I would like to demonstrate how strong is the connection between them, how much nature is a category culturally created and a translation of specific politics, specific social and power relations: social environmental conflicts totally represent this condition and, in particular, poaching proves to be a context of widespread violence, organized criminality and social economical decay in local contexts, as well as example of cruelty against non human endangered species. Environmental crimes as social environmental conflicts prove the urgency to formulate international politics, create collaborations between governments, NGO, academics, activists and review epistemological categories for a holistic knowledge and interconnected fields of study.