bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Estimation of benefits from the actual use of inland water ecosystem services in the Slovak Republic
Authors: Bujnovský Radoslav
Published: September 2018

The primary aim of the article is to obtain an overview of benefits from the actual use of inland water ecosystem services (ESSs) in Slovakia. The evaluation, which includes both surface water and groundwater, is primarily focused on demand side. Methods for assessing the benefits of the most prevalent ESSs, designated by Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES classification) v. 4.3, are described and discussed. The evaluation is performed at the level of 10 sub-basins to which available data are allocated. In the absence of necessary data or the impossibility of allocating them to sub-basins, the benefit from the use of some ESSs is estimated at the level of whole Slovak territory. The use of ESSs valuation in practice, especially with regard to water protection of surface water and groundwater, is discussed. The evaluation of benefits from ESSs of inland waters in Slovakia so far does not allow direct use of obtained results for proposal of measures within river basin management plans as suggested by several authors. Main reason is the input data availability and quality. At the present time, the significance of the ESSs evaluation may rather lie in the awareness of the value that human society gains from the use of inland waters. It becomes more evident that increase in environmental awareness alone is not sufficient in terms of the protection of ecosystems and their services. To achieve unambiguous and lasting improvement in this area, it is necessary to address the deeper causes, closely related to human thinking and behaviour.
From linguocentrism to acknowledgment of picture’s autonomy
Authors: Michalovič Peter
Published: September 2018

In the presented paper we try to reconstruct Roland Barthes’ journey from the strict linguocentrism (i.e. logocentrism and phonocentrism) to the fact that even though the word and image find themselves in one semiotic space and might be under certain circumstances in a complementary relationship or work together to achieve the very same aim, at the same time, the images (and especially analogical images) always contain something which can’t be wholly translated into words.
Ježíšek (‘Baby Jesus’?) as a conceptual construct and the key word of the Czech culture
Authors: Vaňková Irena
Published: September 2018

The study of the relationship between language and culture has recently found an interesting source of inspiration in the theoretical-methodological basis of cognitive linguistics and ethnolinguistics. The paper draws on this resource, especially on the findings of J. Bartmiński’s Ethnolinguistic School of Lublin and the theory of culturally key words by Anna Wierzbicka, and following the previous ethnolinguistic research of Czech Christmas, it focuses on the image of the Christmas giver Ježíšek in contemporary Czech (private and public) discourse. This image has been reconstructed based on the analysis of language data and culturally significant texts dealing with the Ježíšek topic, and also based on a survey conducted among Czechs on social networks. The objective of the analysis is to contribute to the formulation of the so-called cognitive definition connected to the Ježíšek conceptualization, and to identify some of its aspects.
Dispositional experience and current language research strategy
Authors: Žigo Pavol
Published: September 2018

The contribution deals with the degree of unity, complexity, intensity and their relatedness to the dispositional experience within linguistic investigation. Contemporary research strategies in linguistics testify to the liberalization of language and to the effort to re-evaluate the previous attitudes to the linguistic canon. A considerable role within formulating the theories about linguistic changes is played by the ability to identify the natural basis of the common thought of the ordinary users of language, by their public opinion concerning language, their voice of naturalness, their ability – as well as the strength – of their prejudices, but not to elevate/promote/raise the particular mistakes into the role of changes. A thorough theory of the identification or of the definition of linguistic changes and of the dynamism in language should be able to question also its own discourse and view it within the perspective of the phenomenal idea of R. Barthes “Do not do what I say but what I do”.
A Study of Interviewer Compliance in 2013 and 2014 Census Test Adaptive Designs
Authors: Walejko Gina , Wagner James
Published: September 2018

Researchers are interested in the effectiveness of adaptive and responsive survey designs that monitor and respond to data using tailored or targeted interventions. These designs often require adherence to protocols, which can be difficult when surveys allow in-person interviewers flexibility in managing cases. This article describes examples of interviewer noncompliance and compliance in adaptive design experiments that occurred in two United States decennial census tests. The two studies tested adaptive procedures including having interviewers work prioritized cases and substitute face-to-face attempts with telephone calls. When to perform such procedures was communicated to interviewers via case management systems that necessitated twice-daily transmissions of data. We discuss reasons when noncompliance may occur and ways to improve compliance.
Effect of cold stratification on seed germination in Solidago × niederederi (Asteraceae) and its parental species
Authors: Pliszko Artur , Kostrakiewicz-Gierałt Kinga
Published: September 2018

In this study, we investigated the influence of cold stratification on seed germination in S. × niederederi, a hybrid between the North American S. canadensis and the European S. virgaurea, using fruit samples collected in 2016 in Poland. We aimed to test the hypothesis that the low temperature exposure decreases the final percentage and speed of seed germination in the hybrid and its parental species. For each species, sets of 100 achenes in three replications were mixed with dry sand and stored in Petri dishes in darkness for 12 weeks, at −18 °C and + 4 °C, and + 25 °C. The seeds were incubated for 21 d at room temperature (+25 °C), under the 12 h photoperiod (630 lx). We showed a lack of significant differences in: (i) the final percentage of germinated seeds of studied species stored at the same conditions, (ii) the final percentage of germinated seeds between the applied stratification conditions in the hybrid and its parental species, and (iii) the mean values of Timson’s index, mean germination time, and coefficient of velocity of germination between the stratification conditions in each species. The statistically significant inter-specific differences in the mean germination time parameter after the +25 °C treatment suggest that the seeds of S. × niederederi are able to germinate faster than the seeds of its parental species. However, to improve our knowledge of naturalization and invasion abilities of S. × niederederi by sexual reproduction, the seed germination and seedling survival of the hybrid should be tested in the field.
DNA Detection Using Programmed Bilayer Nanopores
Authors: Balasubramanian Ramkumar , Pal Sohini , Joshi Himanshu , Chakraborty Banani , Naik Akshay , Varma Manoj , Maiti Prabal K.
Published: September 2018

Pore-functionalization has been explored by several groups as a strategy to control DNA translocation through solid-state nanopores. Here we present a hybrid nanopore system consisting of single-layer graphene and a DNA origami layer to achieve base-selective control of DNA translocation rate through aligned nanopores of the two layers. This is achieved by incorporating unpaired dangling bases called overhangs to the origami near the pore region. Molecular dynamics simulations were used to optimize the design of the origami nanopore and the overhangs. Specifically, we considered the influence of the number and spatial distribution of overhangs on translocation times. The simulations revealed that specific interactions between the overhangs and the translocating single stranded DNA resulted in base-specific residence times.
How to Quantify Isotropic Negative Thermal Expansion: Magnitude, Range or Both?
Authors: Coates Chloe , Goodwin Andrew
Published: September 2018

Negative thermal expansion (NTE) is the useful and counterintuitive material property of volume contraction on heating. Isotropic NTE is the rarest and most useful type, and is known to occur in a variety of different classes of materials. In this mini-review we ask the simple question of how best to compare NTE behaviour amongst these different systems? We summarise the two main mechanisms for isotropic NTE, and illustrate how these favour alternatively NTE magnitudeand NTE range. We argue in favour of a combined metric of NTE capacity, which balances both effects and allows unbiased identification of the most remarkable NTE materials, irrespective of the underlying microscopic mechanism at play. By organising known NTE materials according to these various metrics, we find intuitive trends in behaviour that help identify key materials for specific NTE applications.
Polarizable Drude Model with s-type Gaussian or Slater Charge Density for General Molecular Mechanics Force Fields
Authors: Ghahremanpour Mohammad , van Maaren Paul J. , Caleman Carl , Hutchison Geoffrey , van der Spoel David
Published: September 2018

Submitted manuscript that describes derivation of atomic polarization and exponents for Gaussian or Slater distribution functions to describe polarizable atoms in force fields. Parameters are provided based on the General Amber Force Field, for H, C, N, O, F, P, S, Cl, Br, I.
Sustaining Urban Forestry Activities: The Case Study of Çivril District, Denizli-Turkey
Authors: YÜCEDAĞ Cengiz , KAYA Latif Gürkan , AŞIKKUTLU Hüseyin Samet , SAĞIR Eşe
Published: September 2018

Çivril is the
third largest district of Denizli-Turkey with about 61000 of population. It has
many important recreational and touristic areas including Gümüşsu (Homa)
waterfall, Eumania antique city, Dedeköy and Serbanşah mosques, Beycesultan,
Lake Işıklı, Gökgöl, Ak and Çıtak bridges, Akdağ Nature Park, old mansion, Koca
plateau and Canyon Tokalı. In this study, the observation, examination,
interview and assessment are done in the parks, gardens, roadsides and refuges
of Çivril district, Lake Işıklı, Gümüşsu waterfall and Akdağ Nature Park.
Accordingly, there is no problem with the selection of woody plant species,
planting and maintenance (irrigation, weeding, struggle with disease etc.) in
big parks of district but although the selection of those in small parks is
good and adequate, planting and maintenance have not been taken care of. Color,
aesthetics, appearance, harmony and functional values in the selection of woody
plant species used in the planting activities of the pavement and the refuge
are taken into consideration but not their eco-biological characteristics.
Gümüşsu waterfall and Akdağ Nature Park provide recreational activities but
Lake Işıklı which has natural visualization does not provide. Accessibility is
a negative factor for the recreational usage of these areas. Finally, urban
forestry activities of Çivril should be primarily started with the planning,
designing and management of the open and green lands of the city center in an
integrated way considering the ecological and technical criteria.
Uso potencial de biorreactores para la producción de lacasas de hongos basidiomicetos
Authors: Candia-Sanchez Luis Felipe , Álvarez-Cervantes Jorge , Díaz Rubén , Díaz-Godínez Gerardo ,   Laboratorio de Biotecnología, Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, México
Published: September 2018

Las enzimas lacasas son un grupo de enzimas azúl cobre-oxidasas, las cuales catalizan la oxidación varios sustratos, como son polifenoles, aminofenoles, y aminas aromáticas, por lo cual son capaces de degradar la lignina así como muchos contaminantes ambientales altamente recalcitrantes. Estas enzimas son producidas por muchos hongos y son muy utilizadas en varios procesos biotecnológicos. El desarrollo de la biotecnología ha sido posible, gracias principalmente a técnicas de cultivo de células, incluyendo la tecnología de fermentación a gran escala, en la que son muy importantes biorreactores como el airlift o el
tanque con agitación para producir biomasa y metabolitos. Tales técnicas han permitido el establecimiento de condiciones para el cultivo de hongos, para la síntesis de una diversidad de metabolitos de interés. En los últimos años, han realizado esfuerzos extraordinarios para producir laccasas y enfoques para mejorar la expresión funcional o la estabilidad. Los hongos basidiomicetos producen altos niveles de enzimas ligninolíticas tales como laccasas.
Guillermo E. Perry, Luis Servén, and Rodrigo Suescún (eds.). Fiscal Policy, Stabilisation, and Growth: Prudence or Abstinence? Washington, D.C: The World Bank. 2008. Paperback. 329 Pages. Price not Given.
Authors: Mahmood Khalid
Published: September 2018

‘Fiscal Policy, Stablisation, and Growth’ edited by Guillermo Perry, is an excellent volume covering the typical but current debate on “Does Fiscal Policy Matters”. The book highlights the procyclical and anti-investment biases embedded in fiscal policies, explores their causes and macroeconomic consequences. The text provides empirical substance to the theoretical models and offers policy and recommendations, to help overcome the procyclicality and anti-investment biases of fiscal policies adopted thereof. With wide range of technical and empirical discussions, political economy aspects of the budgets have also been examined. Though the focus of the book is Latin American and the Caribbean countries, the debate is so holistic that it can be used for policy recommendations else where as well. The book is organised in two parts; the first part, spread over four chapters, covers the procyclicality of Fiscal policy while the Part II, comprised of five chapters, elucidates the impact of fiscal policy on economic growth. The discourse takes into account the fiscal policy solvency condition and its imbedded biases towards certain policy options. Chapter 1 provides an excellent overview of what is discussed in the volume. The book argues that excessive focus of fiscal agents on short term indicators of fiscal health, namely the government debt or cash flows, may detract attention from tracking the intertemporal solvency. Such detraction will affect the macroeconomic stability and long-term growth, argues the book. Perverse incentives, that have political economy context, are at the root of flawed policies such as procyclical policies, contends the book.
Regional Integration in South Asia: An Analysis of Trade Flows Using the Gravity Model
Authors: Naseem Akhtar  , Ejaz Ghani
Published: September 2018

The study deals with trade benefits from the free trade agreement of the SAARC countries. It assesses the trade potential and trade creation with member and non-member countries. The gravity model has been used to measure the bilateral trade flows and to assess the trade effect for member and non-member countries. Two analyses estimate the gravity model. The first analysis is based on crosssectional data to capture the trade effect individually each year; and the second analysisutilises the pooled data to measure the overall trade effects and trade flows for the period 2003 to 2008. The results from the two approaches show that estimated coefficients are consistent with the model assumptions. Both analyses show that the regional trade agreement of the SAARC countries could divert the trade for member countries as well as for the non-member countries. However, trade volume will increase only if the major partners (Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka) sign regional trade agreements. JEL classification: F15 Keywords: Trade; Regional Integration; Gravity Model
Devolution, Accountability, and Service Delivery in Pakistan
Authors: Zahid Hasnan
Published: September 2018

This paper examines into the relationship between devolution, accountability, and service delivery in Pakistan by examining the degree of accessibility of local policymakers and the level of competition in local elections, the expenditure patterns of local governments to gauge their sectoral priorities, and the extent to which local governments are focused on patronage, or providing targeted benefits to a few as opposed to providing public goods. The main findings of the paper are threefold. First, the accessibility of policy-makers to citizens in Pakistan is unequivocally greater after devolution, and local government elections are, with some notable exceptions, as competitive as national and provincial elections. Second, local government sectoral priorities are heavily tilted towards the provision of physical infrastructure—specifically, roads, water and sanitation, and rural electrification—at the expense of education and health. Third, this sectoral prioritisation is in part a dutiful response to the relatively greater citizen demands for physical infrastructure; in part a reflection of the local government electoral structure that gives primacy to village and neighbourhood-specific issues; and in part a reaction to provincial initiatives in education and health that have taken the political space away from local governments in the social sectors, thereby encouraging them to focus more towards physical infrastructure. JEL classification: H7, D72, H4 Keywords: State and Local Government, Inter-government Relations, Political Processes, Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behaviour, Publically Provided Goods
Shankar Acharya and Rakesh Mohan (eds.) India’s Economy—Performance and Challenges: Essays in Honour of Montek Singh Ahluwalia. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2010. xv+465 pages.
Authors: Rashid Amjad
Published: September 2018

This volume comprises a compilation of essays written by distinguished Indian economists, and international economists and observers on India, in honour of Montek Singh Ahluwalia, an eminent economist and currently Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, widely recognised as one of the main architects and drivers of the economic reform process. In a very well-written Introduction to this festschrift, capturing the essence of the contributions to the volume and weaving them into an excellent overview, Shankar Acharya and Rakesh Mohan state, “Indeed the story of India’s economic policies over the past three decades could easily be woven around Montek’s career as the pre-eminent government economist through most of this time”. This role is earlier acknowledged in the foreword to the volume by the current Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, the initiator of the overall reform process as Finance Minister from 1991-96, when Montek (as he is popularly known) worked under him in important positions. This recognition also finds strong support amongst the authors, who were close associates of Montek in policy-making, as they recount the role he played in both shaping and driving the economic policy reform agenda. How a small but well-knit team of economists, most of whom had earlier worked in the World Bank or the IMF, could actually achieve this in a country as large and complex as India would baffle any observer. While the book provides no explicit answer, the reform process appears to have initially found favour in response to the economic crisis in 1991. The process then gained momentum as the reforms showed measurable success, and this helped win over the trust and confidence of the political ruling élite.
Francisco Gutierrez and Gerd Schonwalder (eds.) Economic Liberalisation and Political Violence—Utopia or Dystopia? 2010. International Development Research Centre Canada (IDRC). Canada: Pluto Press. 355 pages. US$35.00.
Authors: Laila Sohail
Published: September 2018

No debate is as engaging in the twenty-first century, as the one surrounding the phenomenon of globalisation. Economists, political scientists public policy experts, and specialists from a range of diverse disciplines are attracted to analyse this phenomenon and apply it to the world around them. The analysts are generally divided in two camps—those who praise globalisation as an evolutionary process leading to peace and prosperity, and those for whom globalisation is a curse instigating violence and conflict by undermining the role of the State and adversely affecting democracy.
SYSTEM OF INDUSTRIAL FURNACES NAMES AT PERM PLANTS IN COPPER-SMELTING TERMINOLOGY AT THE END OF THE XVIII - IN THE XIX CENTURY
Authors: Panteleeva Liliya Mikhailovna
Published: September 2018

The article is devoted to the semantic-thematic analysis of the copper melting vocabulary of the XVIII-XIX centuries, related to the subject field “Types of Industrial Furnaces”. The theoretical significance of the research is determined by the terms of the mining vocabulary of the past centuries introduced into scientific use, as well as the conducted systematization of the notions of a particular area of the metallurgical sphere. The conclusions on the volume, lexical-thematic and semantic peculiarities of the nominations of copper-smelting furnaces in the mining vocabulary of the XVIII-XIX centuries make it possible to identify, on the one hand, some individuality of copper-smelting terms within mining and metallurgical vocabulary, and on the other hand, the connection of industrial terminology with the national language and dialects.
Öğretmen Adaylarının Bilimsellik Değer Algılarının Karakter Eğitimi Programı Yoluyla Geliştirilmesi: Bir Eylem Araştırması
Authors: ER TÜRKÜRESİN Hafize
Published: September 2018

Bu
araştırmada sosyal bilgiler öğretmen adaylarına yönelik hazırlanan bir karakter
eğitimi programının bilimsellik değer algısına olan etkisini belirlemek
amaçlanmıştır. Araştırma, 2015-2016 eğitim öğretim yılında Kütahya Dumlupınar
Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Sosyal Bilgiler Öğretmenliği Bölümü’nde öğrenim
gören 21 gönüllü öğrenci ve gönüllü öğrenciler arasından seçilen 5’i kız 6’sı
erkek olmak üzere toplam 11 odak öğrenciyle gerçekleştirilmiştir. Araştırma
verileri; video kayıtları, yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeler, araştırmacı ve
öğrenci günlükleri, öğrencilere ait el yapımı ürünler ve “Bilimsellik Ölçeği”
kullanılarak toplanmıştır. Araştırmanın nicel verileri SPSS 20.0 programı ile
çözümlenmiş ve yorumlanmıştır. Nitel veriler ise, NVivo 9.0 programı kullanılarak
betimsel analiz tekniğiyle çözümlenmiş ve elde edilen bulgular araştırma
sorularına bağlı olarak yorumlanmıştır. Analiz sonuçlarına göre karakter
eğitimi programına katılan öğrencilerin “Bilimsellik” değer algılarının pozitif
yönde değiştiği sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Nitel verilerden elde edilen bulgular
nicel verileri desteklemektedir.
Diversidad de Araneae (Arachnida) en la Reserva Colonia Benitez, Chaco Oriental Húmedo, Argentina
Authors: Escobar M. J. , Avalos G. , Damborsky M. P.
Published: September 2018

Se estudió la diversidad y composición del ensamble de arañas de la Reserva Educativa Colonia Benítez, Chaco, Argentina. Las técnicas de captura incluyeron trampas de caída, golpeteo de follaje, tamizado de hojarasca, captura manual nocturna y aspiración de la vegetación mediante el uso de G-vac. El período de muestreo abarcó octubre, noviembre y diciembre de 2011. Los resultados describen la diversidad detectada (familias, especies y morfoespecies), preferencia de ambientes, eficiencia de métodos de captura, índices de riqueza específica, diversidad y abundancia. Un total de 1527 arañas fueron recolectadas, representantes de 27 familias, 179 especies y morfoespecies. Las familias más diversas fueron Araneidae, Lycosidae, Salticidae y Anyphaenidae. La mayor abundancia se registró en el bosque (59%) donde se identificaron 21 familias, seis de ellas se encontraron solo en este ambiente (Deinopidae, Mimetidae, Selenopidae, Senoculidae, Sparassidae y Uloboridae). En el pastizal se recolectaron 629 individuos ( 41 % ) agrupados también en 21 familias, seis de ella5 no encontrada5 en el Bosque (Amphinectidae, Dictynidae, Oxyopidae, Pholcidae, Scytodidae y Trechaleidae). Las técnicas G-Yac en el pa5tizal y golpeteo de foll~je en el bosque demostraron ser muy efectivas para el muestreo de la diversidad de arañas.
A window on China. An introduction
Authors: Raymond Alex
Published: September 2018

In May-June 2015, I was invited by the Confucius Institute and the BeijingNormal University to conduct research on the spread of Nestorian Christianityin China, and I was asked by the Beijing Normal University to give a lectureon the subject. That invitation was the earliest stage of links woven betweenthe Faculty of History at Beijing Normal University (now one of the top fiveuniversities in China) and the History department of the Faculty of Arts andSocial Sciences at the University of Balamand. Close cooperation betweenthe two universities is underway with the enthusiastic support of the Dean,Prof. Georges Dorlian, having in view, among other things, to encouragethe exchange of students and teaching staff between our two respectiveuniversities. A delegation from a Chinese university was sent to UOB for thefirst time in April 2016. The delegation was composed of five professors fromBeijing Normal University: two of its faculty members agreed to give twolectures on topics chosen jointly by the responsible of the two universities andwhich were of great significance for both. One was on the history of the SilkRoad and the other on the origins of Christianity in China. We are pleased topresent these two texts.
Les écosystèmes des pôles de compétitivité
Authors: De Benedittis Julien , Geindre Sébastien , Dominguez-Péry Carine
Published: September 2018

Trois formes d’écosystèmes sont présentes dans la littérature sur les réseaux territoriaux organisés : les écosystèmes d’innovations, d’affaires et de connaissances. Si des liens ont été établis entre ces trois formes, leurs interactions restent peu étudiées. À travers l’exemple des pôles de compétitivité, les auteurs illustrent que ces trois formes sont complémentaires. Les pôles de compétitivité apparaissent comme des structures hybrides qui ont progressivement inventé leur modèle d’affaires, en développant des propositions de valeur différenciées et complémentaires.
El uso de Twitter por parte de los principales candidatos en las campañas electorales para las elecciones generales españolas: 2011 y 2015. ¿Brecha digital y generacional?
Authors: Cervi Laura , Roca Trenchs Núria
Published: September 2018

¿Los candidatos usan Twitter para relacionarse más directamente con el electorado? En esta investigación nos preguntamos sobre el uso cuantitativo y cualitativo de esta red por parte de los principales candidatos durante las campañas electorales españolas de 2011 y 2015. Nos planteamos si existe una brecha digital entre los candidatos de la “vieja” y “nueva” política. Cuantitativamente analizamos los tuits, retuits, respuestas, seguidores y personas a quienes siguen, y los “me gusta” de los candidatos. Cualitativamente valoramos el uso informativo, deliberativo y de participación. Los resultados demuestran que no existe dicha brecha digital y que, de hecho, los candidatos estuvieron lejos de proponer estrategias innovadoras de comunicación más directa con los electores.
Self-efficacy effect on basic level learners in speaking activities
Authors: Joni Dewa Ayu Ari Wiryadi , Wirastuti I Gusti Agung Putri
Published: September 2018

This study aims to reveal the effect of self-efficacy on the elementary level students and factors causing the high level of self-efficacy and its influence on students' English speaking ability. The population of this study were all students of grade VIII SMPN 3 Gianyar, while the sample of this study was taken by random sampling technique with lottery system. For research and data collection methods, the researcher uses some valid and reliable instruments, namely (1) speaking performance appraisal to know students' ability to speak English consisting of 3 criteria ie smoothness, pronunciation and improvisation, (2) self-efficacy questionnaire for knowing the high level of self-efficacy and its influence on students' speaking ability consisting of 4 components ie learning experience, field experience, social invitation, and psychological and emotional condition and analyzed with SPSS 16.0, (3) FGD guide (Focus Group Discussion) to know the factors causing the high low self-efficacy consisting of these 8 interview questions. A total of 33 students with details of 12 male and 21 female students were grouped into 3 large groups (high, medium, low) to be interviewed through FGD. The results of this study is self-efficacy gives a significant effect on students' speaking ability at the basic level of contribution of 91%. It was also found that the four criteria in self-efficacy have significant influence on students 'speaking ability, the most dominant is the criteria of students' psychic and emotional state when learning to speak English. This study contributes empirically that teachers can update their teaching techniques by observing self-efficacy in students by using creativity in teaching. In addition students can find out what happens to them during English learning so that together can create a comfortable and conducive learning atmosphere.
Editorial: Umkämpfte Arbeit
Authors: Redaktion Prokla
Published: September 2018

Editorial: Umkämpfte Arbeit
Mythen und Erfahrungen: die Einheit der deutschen Arbeiterklasse um 1900
Authors: Schmidt Dorothea
Published: September 2018

In the last decades, farewell to the working class has been celebrated repeatedly. This perception normally goes hand in hand with the idea that in contrast to the socially fragmented present, a unified working class existed before 1914. I want to show that the German experience contradicts this. Two exemplary fields of ideological battles as well as concrete actions are presented: 1) the harsh rejection of specific demands of the proletarian women by the social democratic party, and 2) the struggles of the workers for higher wages and shorter working hours, where a coexistence of radically different strategies by workers in distinct branches, according especially to varying company sizes, could be observed. Even if the working class of this time was not unified in a way the left leaders wanted to see it, main parts of it achieved remarkable success. As a consequence, today’s over and over noticed weakness of the working class is not to be explained principally by a lack of unity, but by other circumstances.
Facetten der Debatte über das digitale Arbeiten
Authors: Sevignani Sebastian
Published: September 2018

This article introduces the reader to the so called ‘digital labor debate’ in the context of the political economy of (new) media and (digital) communication. The political economy of social media is best qualified as surveillance-driven production of culture and as an interplay between distinct modes of production (commons based peer production and commodity production). The latter gives rise to the problem of how to understand the interplay between these modes. The article discusses contributions from different theoretical angels, such as the materialist theory of communication, the theory of cognitive capitalism, the theory of prosumption, and the theory of rent in the informational age. The discussion is organized by three topics: Does the use of social media qualify as work? Are users subsumed to capital control? Are users exploited? The article marks theoretical challenges for a critical theory of informational capitalism.
Der Mythos des globalen Kapitalismus und die Aktualität des Nationalen
Authors: Wendl Michael
Published: September 2018

This contribution is a critical response to the article “Global Capitalism in a State of Emergency” written by the editorial board and published in PROKLA 185. In contrast to the editors’ analysis, it argues that capitalism does not qualify as a global system with an international form of government and an international ruling class. We are still living in a state of „Varieties of Capitalism“ dominated by national states. This was proven by the deep crisis of the European Union and the political struggles within the EU. The model of finance-dominated capitalism is not able to explain why the export-oriented German capitalism, German politics and the German economic ideology of mercantilism can dominate the economies and the states in the European Union.
Rechtspopulismus als Krisenbearbeitung
Authors: Opratko Benjamin
Published: September 2018

The article discusses the rise of right-wing populism in Europe in the context of neoliberal capitalism’s „crisis of hegemony“. The cases of the Austrian FPÖ and Germany’s AfD are analyzed as instances of an „autoritarian populism“, intervening into this crisis and offering subjective modes of engagement with it. Three dimensions of the crisis of hegemony are considered in particular: A crisis of political representation, a crisis of the public sphere, and an economic crisis.
An Efficient Algorithm to Determine Probabilistic Bisimulation
Authors: Groote Jan Friso , Rivera Verduzco Jao , De Vink Erik P.
Published: September 2018

We provide an algorithm to efficiently compute bisimulation for probabilistic labeled transition systems, featuring non-deterministic choice as well as discrete probabilistic choice. The algorithm is linear in the number of transitions and logarithmic in the number of states, distinguishing both action states and probabilistic states, and the transitions between them. The algorithm improves upon the proposed complexity bounds of the best algorithm addressing the same purpose so far by Baier, Engelen and Majster-Cederbaum (Journal of Computer and System Sciences 60:187–231, 2000). In addition, experimentally, on various benchmarks, our algorithm performs rather well; even on relatively small transition systems, a performance gain of a factor 10,000 can be achieved.
Blockchain: A Tale of Two Applications
Authors: Ferreira Micael , Rodrigues Sven , Reis Catarina I. , Maximiano Marisa
Published: September 2018

Bitcoin continues to get more and more attention from the media, mainly because of the volatility of its value and insignificantly associated with the technological innovation. This cryptocurrency is supported by an immutable database and is distributed throughout a network of thousands of nodes, known as Blockchain. One way to ensure that all the concepts behind the Blockchain technology and infrastructure are seized is to conduct the development of one of the most popular context applications for it: a wallet for well-known cryptocurrencies. Yet Another Bitcoin Wallet (YABW) is a hybrid application available for both Android and iOS, which was developed with the Ionic and Angular frameworks. This application communicates with Bitcoin Blockchain to send, receive and store bitcoins; provides a set of features focused on security and user experience, and is available on the Play Store and Apple Store. A rather relevant issue that is becoming a major subject of current research is the application of the Blockchain infrastructure to other contexts that are neither directly connected to cryptocurrencies, nor are finance related. The implementation of a proof-of-concept application proposes the use of a blockchain for a specific case study: the exchange of meal vouchers of an institution amongst students. This is achieved using the decentralized platform Ethereum, which allows us to create a Smart Contract using the Solidity programming language to create a token that follows the Ethereum Request for Comment (ERC), the ERC-20 standard and represents the meal vouchers. This second application uses the architecture defined for YABW, reusing major components and custom developing specific modules to enhance the required features. There is still a lot of research to be done on the non-financial applicability of the Blockchain infrastructure and technology, but for the moment, we have left further evidence that it is possible and is a relative straight-forward process to accomplish from the technological perspective.
Optimization of the Antioxidant Potentials of Red Pitaya Peels and Its In Vitro Skin Whitening Properties
Authors: Vijayakumar Ramya , Abd Gani Siti Salwa , Zaidan Uswatun Hasanah , Halmi Mohd Izuan Effendi
Published: September 2018

In this study, response surface methodology (RSM) was employed for the optimization of the antioxidant potentials of red pitaya peels using independent variables: temperature (45–65 °C), ethanol concentration (70–90%, v/v) and time (80–120 min) through its responses, which were DPPH scavenging activity, ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and beta-carotene bleaching (BCB) inhibition, respectively. In Vitro anti-tyrosinase and vitamin C content assays were carried out spectrophotometrically to determine the skin whitening efficacy of the optimized red pitaya peel extract. A gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis was employed to identify the chemical constituents present in the optimized extract. The optimized conditions were ethanol 82% (v/v) for 103 min at 56 °C with values of 75.98% for DPPH, 7.45 mM Fe2+/g dry weight for FRAP and 93.29% for BCB respectively. The in vitro anti-tyrosinase and vitamin C content evaluation of the optimized extract showed a good tyrosinase inhibition of 66.29% with IC50 of 24.06 µg/mL while the vitamin C content was 5.45 mg/g of the extract. The GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of thirty phytoconstituents with l-(+)-ascorbic acid 2,6-dihexadecanoate being the most abundant with a peak area of 14.66%. This study evidently suggests the potential of red pitaya peels to be exploited as a natural skin whitening agent in the cosmeceutical and pharmaceutical formulations.
Fault Severity Monitoring of Rolling Bearings Based on Texture Feature Extraction of Sparse Time–Frequency Images
Authors: Du Yan , Chen Yingpin , Meng Guoying , Ding Jun , Xiao Yajing
Published: September 2018

Rolling bearings are important components of rotating machines. For their preventive maintenance, it is not enough to know whether there is any fault or the fault type. For an effective maintenance, a fault severity monitoring needs to be conducted. Currently, the bearing fault diagnosis method based on time–frequency image (TFI) recognition is attracting increasing attention. This paper contributes to the ongoing investigation by proposing a new approach for the fault severity monitoring of rolling bearings based on the texture feature extraction of sparse TFIs. The first and main step is to obtain accurate TFIs from the vibration signals of rolling bearings. Traditional time–frequency analysis methods have disadvantages such as low resolution and cross-term interference. Therefore, the TFIs obtained cannot satisfactorily express the time–frequency characteristics of bearing vibration signals. To solve this problem, a sparse time–frequency analysis method based on the first-order primal-dual algorithm (STFA-PD) was developed in this paper. Unlike traditional time–frequency analysis methods, the time–frequency analysis model of the STFA-PD method is based on the theory of sparse representation, and is solved using the first-order primal-dual algorithm. For employing the sparse constraint in the frequency domain, the STFA-PD obtains a higher time–frequency resolution and is free from cross-term interference, as the model is based on a linear time–frequency analysis method. The gray level co-occurrence matrix is then employed to extract texture features from the sparse TFIs as input features for classifiers. Vibration signals of rolling bearings with different fault severity degrees are used to validate the proposed approach. The experimental results show that the developed STFA-PD outperforms traditional time–frequency analysis methods in terms of the accuracy and effectiveness for the fault severity monitoring of rolling bearings.
The Application of Deep Learning and Image Processing Technology in Laser Positioning
Authors: Lin Chern-Sheng , Huang Yu-Chia , Chen Shih-Hua , Hsu Yu-Liang , Lin Yu-Chen
Published: September 2018

In this study, machine vision technology was used to precisely position the highest energy of the laser spot to facilitate the subsequent joining of product workpieces in a laser welding machine. The displacement stage could place workpieces into the superposition area and allow the parts to be joined. With deep learning and a convolutional neural network training program, the system could enhance the accuracy of the positioning and enhance the efficiency of the machine work. A bi-analytic deep learning localization method was proposed in this study. A camera was used for real-time monitoring. The first step was to use a convolutional neural network to perform a large-scale preliminary search and locate the laser light spot region. The second step was to increase the optical magnification of the camera, re-image the spot area, and then use template matching to perform high-precision repositioning. According to the aspect ratio of the search result area, the integrity parameters of the target spot were determined. The centroid calculation was performed in the complete laser spot. If the target was an incomplete laser spot, the operation of invariant moments would be performed. Based on the result, the precise position of the highest energy of the laser spot could be obtained from the incomplete laser spot image. The amount of displacement could be calculated by overlapping the highest energy of the laser spot and the center of the image.
Solutions to Abel’s Integral Equations in Distributions
Authors: Li Chenkuan , Humphries Thomas , Plowman Hunter
Published: September 2018

The goal of this paper is to study fractional calculus of distributions, the generalized Abel’s integral equations, as well as fractional differential equations in the distributional space D ′ ( R + ) based on inverse convolutional operators and Babenko’s approach. Furthermore, we provide interesting applications of Abel’s integral equations in viscoelastic systems, as well as solving other integral equations, such as ∫ θ π / 2 y ( φ ) cos β φ ( cos θ − cos φ ) α d φ = f ( θ ) , and ∫ 0 ∞ x 1 / 2 g ( x ) y ( x + t ) d x = f ( t ) .
Targeted UPLC-MS Metabolic Analysis of Human Faeces Reveals Novel Low-Invasive Candidate Markers for Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Cubiella Joaquin , Clos-Garcia Marc , Alonso Cristina , Martinez-Arranz Ibon , Perez-Cormenzana Miriam , Barrenetxea Ziortza , Berganza Jesus , Rodríguez-Llopis Isabel , D’Amato Mauro , Bujanda Luis , Diaz-Ondina Marta , Falcón-Pérez Juan M.
Published: September 2018

Low invasive tests with high sensitivity for colorectal cancer and advanced precancerous lesions will increase adherence rates, and improve clinical outcomes. We have performed an ultra-performance liquid chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-(TOF) MS)-based metabolomics study to identify faecal biomarkers for the detection of patients with advanced neoplasia. A cohort of 80 patients with advanced neoplasia (40 advanced adenomas and 40 colorectal cancers) and 49 healthy subjects were analysed in the study. We evaluated the faecal levels of 105 metabolites including glycerolipids, glycerophospholipids, sterol lipids and sphingolipids. We found 18 metabolites that were significantly altered in patients with advanced neoplasia compared to controls. The combinations of seven metabolites including ChoE(18:1), ChoE(18:2), ChoE(20:4), PE(16:0/18:1), SM(d18:1/23:0), SM(42:3) and TG(54:1), discriminated advanced neoplasia patients from healthy controls. These seven metabolites were employed to construct a predictive model that provides an area under the curve (AUC) median value of 0.821. The inclusion of faecal haemoglobin concentration in the metabolomics signature improved the predictive model to an AUC of 0.885. In silico gene expression analysis of tumour tissue supports our results and puts the differentially expressed metabolites into biological context, showing that glycerolipids and sphingolipids metabolism and GPI-anchor biosynthesis pathways may play a role in tumour progression.
Performance of an Auto-Reduced Nickel Catalyst for Auto-Thermal Reforming of Dodecane
Authors: Jo Seong Bin , Ju Dong Geon , Jung Suk Yong , Ha Dong Su , Chae Ho Jin , Lee Soo Chool , Kim Jae Chang
Published: September 2018

To investigate the catalytic performance of diesel reforming catalysts for production of hydrogen gas, Ni-Al catalyst was prepared by the polymer-modified incipient method (NA10-PM). NA10-PM showed excellent catalytic performance and economic feasibility in the auto-thermal reforming reaction, compared to other commercially available catalysts. In particular, auto-reduced NA10-PM showed higher dodecane conversion and similar selectivity at 750 °C compared to H2-reduced NA10-PM. X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies showed that the fresh state of NA10-PM initially automatically reduced by product gases through thermal decomposition of dodecane, and then NiAl2O4 was completely reduced to metallic nickel by the CO and H2 gases produced during the reaction. Additionally, catalytic performance of auto-reduced NA10-PM were investigated at varying steam/carbon molar ratio (S/C) and oxygen/carbon molar ratio (O2/C) in order to determine the optimum conditions of the auto-thermal reforming reaction. The conversion of dodecane over auto-reduced NA10-PM catalyst was remarkable (93%) and increased during the reaction, under conditions of S/C = 1.23, O2/C = 0.25, and gas hourly space velocity of 12,000 h−1 at 750 °C. The results of this study demonstrated that the auto-reduced NA10-PM catalyst was applied successfully for auto-thermal reforming of dodecane.
New Residue Number System Scaler for the Three-Moduli Set {2n+1 − 1, 2n, 2n − 1}
Authors: Hiasat Ahmad
Published: September 2018

This work proposes the first scaler designed specifically for the three-moduli set M 1 = { 2 n + 1 − 1 , 2 n , 2 n − 1 } . Hence, there is no other functionally similar scaler to compare the proposed scaler with. However, when compared with the latest published scalers for a different moduli set, M 2 = { 2 n + 1 , 2 n , 2 n − 1 } , the proposed scaler has a better area and power performance, while it requires a longer time delay. As demonstrated in earlier publications, replacing the ( 2 n + 1 ) channel in the M 2 moduli set by the ( 2 n + 1 − 1 ) channel, to form the M 1 moduli set, considerably improves the overall time performance of residue-based multiply–accumulate arithmetic units.
Effects of the Plastic of the Realistic GeePS-L2S-Breast Phantom
Authors: Rydholm Tomas , Fhager Andreas , Persson Mikael , Geimer Shireen D. , Meaney Paul M.
Published: September 2018

A breast phantom developed at the Supelec Institute was interrogated to study its suitability for microwave tomography measurements. A microwave measurement system based on 16 monopole antennas and a vector network analyzer was used to study how the S-parameters are influenced by insertion of the phantom. The phantom is a 3D-printed structure consisting of plastic shells that can be filled with tissue mimicking liquids. The phantom was filled with different liquids and tested with the measurement system to determine whether the plastic has any effects on the recovered images or not. Measurements of the phantom when it is filled with the same liquid as the surrounding coupling medium are of particular interest. In this case, the phantom plastic has a substantial effects on the measurements which ultimately detracts from the desired images.