bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Layer‐by‐Layer Solution Processing Method for Organic Solar Cells
Authors: Li Xinrui , Du Xiaoyang , Zhao Juewen , Lin Hui , Zheng Caijun , Tao Silu
Published: November 2020

Organic solar cells (OSCs) have attracted wide attention due to their economy, environmental protection, and potential for large‐scale commercial production. The layer‐by‐layer (LbL) solution processing method, where donor solution and acceptor solution are coated sequentially, is a simple and effective way to fabricate OSCs, achieving a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of up to 17%. Compared with bulk‐heterojunction (BHJ) OSCs, LbL solution‐processed OSCs separately adjust different layers, making the components distribute ideally in the vertical direction that is beneficial for exciton dissociation, charge transport, and charge collection. Moreover, the LbL approach has better potential in the preparation of large‐area devices, which is a key link in the commercialization of OSCs. Herein, the basic principles and the latest research progress of LbL solution‐processed OSCs are summarized, and the existing challenges and prospects of the LbL solution processing method in industrial production are discussed.
Leveraging machine learning for software redocumentation—A comprehensive comparison of methods in practice
Authors: Geist Verena , Moser Michael , Pichler Josef , Santos Rodolfo , Wieser Volkmar
Published: November 2020

Source code comments contain key information about the underlying software system. Many redocumentation approaches, however, cannot exploit this valuable source of information. This is mainly due to the fact that not all comments have the same goals and target audience and can therefore only be used selectively for redocumentation. Performing a required classification manually, for example, in the form of heuristics, is usually time‐consuming and error‐prone and strongly dependent on programming languages and guidelines of concrete software systems. By leveraging machine learning (ML), it should be possible to classify comments and thus transfer valuable information from the source code into documentation with less effort but the same quality. We applied classical ML techniques but also deep learning (DL) approaches to legacy systems by transferring source code comments into meaningful representations using, for example, word embeddings but also novel approaches using quick response codes or a special character‐to‐image encoding. The results were compared with industry‐strength heuristic classification. As a result, we found that ML outperforms the heuristics in number of errors and less effort, that is, we finally achieve an accuracy of more than 95% for an image‐based DL network and even over 96% for a traditional approach using a random forest classifier.
Assessing Students’ Perspective on Teaching and Learning. The Case of National Students’ Surveys
Authors: Deaconu Stefan Marius , Olah Roland , Haj Cezar Mihai
Published: November 2020

In the last decade, the Bologna Process has underlined many times the need for Student-Centred Learning (SCL), Innovation in Learning and Teaching, providing support to learners and removing obstacles that students face in order to fulfil their potential. As SCL is still at the core of the Bologna Process, the instruments which are meant to record the students’ perspective are very important. However, we consider that there is a deficit regarding the needed research that would lead to efficient ways of delivering positive outcomes for the entire academic community. In that sense, this paper will focus on how national student surveys have been developed in several countries, as there are some reasons to consider this instrument as one of the most efficient, especially in consolidating and developing learning and teaching. The paper will take into consideration three examples from the European Higher Education Area: the National Student Survey (United Kingdom), Studiebarometeret (Norway) and the National Sociological Research about Students’ Satisfaction (Romania) and will approach aspects such as the structures and stakeholders which are involved in developing and coordinating the process, the subjects tackled by these questionnaires, why and how they were selected. Our study provides an insight regarding the usefulness of a national student survey for the future development of European Higher Education Area. It also shows the potential relevance of these questionnaires for the Bologna Process. The paper will also present how these instruments have evolved across time and how they were received by the public opinion. We will draw a set of conclusions starting from examined good practices and the literature review. As a result of this paper, we consider that a national students’ survey represents one of the most useful tools for HE stakeholders in order to assess the quality of learning and teaching.
Quo Vadis EHEA: Balancing Structural Continuation and Political Variety
Authors: Jungblut Jens , Maassen Peter , Elken Mari
Published: November 2020

While the EHEA has achieved its goal to reduce structural barriers for student and staff mobility, the situation is different when it comes to the realization of the agreed upon promotion of basic values and principles. For example, in a number of EHEA countries the adherence of academic freedom has deteriorated since 2010. In addition, various studies have suggested a decreasing level of political commitment to Europeanisation of higher education in a growing number of countries. Achieving progress in the coming period in this key part of the EHEA’s objectives is difficult also as a result of the problems the overall process of European integration faces. For example, Brexit, the rise of anti-EU political parties and movements, and growing disagreements among EU member states on the key ideas and principles underlying European integration are posing serious challenges for Europe’s way forward in higher education collaboration. In this chapter, we will discuss a number of the challenges facing, directly or indirectly, the EHEA. We will start with a discussion of the importance of the rise of science diplomacy for the EHEA, being a consequence of the growing connection between foreign affairs and the higher education & science policy areas. Next, we will analyse the growing intra-European political tensions, with a number of EHEA countries not adhering to basic European values and principles concerning liberal democracy and open societies. Further, we will examine relevant trends in EU-funded higher education collaboration within the EHEA, with special attention for the European University Initiative. Finally, the discussions and analyses presented in the chapter lead to proposing two complementary EHEA trajectories for the coming period, the first implying a move away from the geographical focus on Europe, the second including only those countries that adhere to promoting academic freedom, institutional autonomy and other basic values and principles. Both trajectories take as a starting-point that the EHEA is in need of fundamental reforms.
Taking Stock of the Bologna Process at 20: The Possibilities and Limits of Soft Law Governance
Authors: Deca Ligia , Harmsen Robert
Published: November 2020

The Bologna Process stands as both an exemplar of regional cooperation in the higher education policy sector and as a comparatively successful instance of the use of so-called ‘soft law governance’ policy instruments. While the formal launch of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) in 2010 represents a significant milestone in the process, it nevertheless left many politically sensitive questions unanswered. Today, as this pan-European process now marks two decades of existence, many of the questions concerned with the direction and purpose of the process are being addressed with increasing urgency. Against this background, the present paper specifically focuses on recent debates surrounding the (non-)implementation of key commitments; on the functioning of the EHEA as a policy forum in relation to both its own membership and the wider international higher education policy landscape; and on the manner in which the EHEA may respond to increasingly serious challenges to the fundamental values that underpin the process. The authors draw on both the substantial body of scholarship that has emerged on the process and practitioner insights to examine its past achievements and current challenges, while having in mind the specificity of the EHEA as a policy process in a complex European context. Finally, the paper underlines the need for a more nuanced understanding of the EHEA governance model, based on an overall balance sheet that suggests the likely direction(s) of the process going forward.
Higher Education Institutions Towards Digital Transformation—The WUT Case
Authors: Grosseck Gabriela , Maliţa Laura , Bunoiu Mădălin
Published: November 2020

New emerging digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, augmented reality, cloud computing, blockchain, robotization, the Internet of Things, big data, etc. have produced a powerful disruptive effect in almost all areas of our existence and have radically changed the way we live, work, learn or relax. Without consciously realizing it, everyone is adapting to the digital era. As nothing “escapes” the all-encompassing digital transformation, higher education follows track too. So, it is natural to ask ourselves: what are the higher education institutions doing to keep up with this rapidly evolving digital world? In this paper, we present the case of West University of Timişoara as an example of good practice in dealing with the effects of digital transformation on the university and its academic community (teachers, students, administrative staff). Our goal is to gain an understanding of what is being proposed through the institutional development strategy, and what is actually happening in our university from the digitalization perspective. Thus, we conduct an exploratory research using a quantitative approach that involves a survey applied to students enrolled in different study programs, at different levels. We focus on their opinion about how our university can prepare and transform in order to adopt an integrated digital approach, looking into topics like: technology-enabled services, digital enrollment of students, digitization of the administrative processes, implementation of digital procedures to offer recommendations or file complains, digital curricula, new modes of digital learning delivery, etc. Our findings reveal that West University of Timişoara must take significant steps towards the implementation of digital transformations, while, however, remaining watchful and cautious of the hidden implications of this process.
Internationalization of Higher Education in Romania and Portugal—Strategies and Transitions at the (Semi-)Periphery
Authors: Deca Ligia
Published: November 2020

Governments and higher education institutions see internationalization of higher education as one of the main factors that influence their strategic endeavors in the years to come. When looking at the national level, the drivers of internationalization are linked to economic and geo-political positioning, cultural influences, as well as international competitiveness for knowledge and human capital. Party politics, foreign affairs, economy and immigration policies also play a big role in shaping country level approaches. For universities, prestige factors, disciplinary or constitutive groups’ interests and financial imperatives predominantly drive internationalization policies. In this context, the paper will look at national and institutional strategic pursuits in the field of internationalization of higher education, in the case of two countries geographically (and perhaps economically) positioned at Europe’s periphery: Romania and Portugal. The choice of these two countries relies on their recent transition from totalitarian regimes to democracies, coupled with similar trends of massification and underfunding of the higher education sector. The conclusion will include policy lessons for decision-makers, especially with a view on whether well-established global models of internationalization of higher education are fit for purpose for transitioning countries. The author’s work for this article was supported by the scholarship for a post-doctoral research fellowship, provided by the New Europe College (NEC), during the 2018–2019 academic year.
Towards an understanding of technology fit and appropriation in business networks: evidence from blockchain implementations
Authors: Seebacher Stefan , Schüritz Ronny , Satzger Gerhard
Published: November 2020

Existing information systems research thoroughly explains how task-technology fit and appropriation affect performance on an individual or group level. This was appropriate for many years, as technology is typically used to fulfill a certain task on these levels. Today, however, companies are tightly interconnected and rely on business networks to develop, produce, and deliver products and services. They collaboratively engage in joint implementation and utilization of new technologies that are applied and integrated into their business processes. These technologies, such as the newly introduced blockchain technology, operate across business networks and, thus, unfold their benefits not only on an individual or group level, but ideally on a network level. On this level, though, knowledge of the application and performance of information technology is still scarce. To drive the performance of technology in such networks, we investigate the impact of fit and technology appropriation on a network level. Due to the technology’s expected impact and characteristics, we select blockchain technology to explore potential factors, impacting fit, appropriation and, in turn, performance. We draw upon a set of interviews with experts that have implemented blockchain solutions in large business network settings. Based on our analysis, we propose a comprehensive model elevating the Fit-Appropriation Model to a network level. We contribute to the general understanding of technology utilization and performance by extending existing theory to a network-level perspective. Using insights on blockchain implementations as our empirical base, we also provide guidance to business leaders, intending to connect their partners through blockchain technology.
Exploring the bushmeat market in Brussels, Belgium: a clandestine luxury business
Authors: Gombeer Sophie , Nebesse Casimir , Musaba Prescott , Ngoy Steve , Peeters Marc , Vanderheyden Ann , Meganck Kenny , Smitz Nathalie , Geers Frank , Van Den Heuvel Sarah , Backeljau Thierry , De Meyer Marc , Verheyen Erik
Published: November 2020

The European Union prohibits the import of meat (products) unless specifically authorised and certified as being eligible for import. Nevertheless, various scientific papers report that passengers from west and central African countries illegally import large quantities of meat, including bushmeat, into Europe via its international airports. They also suggest that African bushmeat is an organised luxury market in Europe. In the present study we explore several aspects of the African bushmeat market in Brussels, Belgium. We demonstrate the clandestine nature of this market where bushmeat is sold at prices at the top of the range of premium livestock and game meat. Inquiries among central and western African expatriates living in Belgium, who frequently travel to their home countries, indicate that the consumption of bushmeat is culturally driven by the desire to remain connected to their countries of origin. DNA-based identifications of 15 bushmeat pieces bought in Brussels, reveal that various mammal species, including CITES-listed species, are being sold. Moreover, we find that several of these bushmeat pieces were mislabelled.
A synthesis of patterns of environmental mercury inputs, exposure and effects in New York State
Authors: Evers D. C. , Sauer A. K. , Burns D. A. , Fisher N. S. , Bertok D. C. , Adams E. M. , Burton M. E. H. , Driscoll C. T.
Published: November 2020

Mercury (Hg) pollution is an environmental problem that adversely affects human and ecosystem health at local, regional, and global scales—including within New York State. More than two-thirds of the Hg currently released to the environment originates, either directly or indirectly, from human activities. Since the early 1800s, global atmospheric Hg concentrations have increased by three- to eight-fold over natural levels. In the U.S., atmospheric emissions and point-source releases to waterways increased following industrialization into the mid-1980s. Since then, water discharges have largely been curtailed. As a result, Hg emissions, atmospheric concentrations, and deposition over the past few decades have declined across the eastern U.S. Despite these decreases, Hg pollution persists. To inform policy efforts and to advance public understanding, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) sponsored a scientific synthesis of information on Hg in New York State. This effort includes 23 papers focused on Hg in atmospheric deposition, water, fish, and wildlife published in Ecotoxicology. New York State experiences Hg contamination largely due to atmospheric deposition. Some landscapes are inherently sensitive to Hg inputs driven by the transport of inorganic Hg to zones of methylation, the conversion of inorganic Hg to methylmercury, and the bioaccumulation and biomagnification along food webs. Mercury concentrations exceed human and ecological risk thresholds in many areas of New York State, particularly the Adirondacks, Catskills, and parts of Long Island. Mercury concentrations in some biota have declined in the Eastern Great Lakes Lowlands and the Northeastern Highlands over the last four decades, concurrent with decreases in water releases and air emissions from regional and U.S. sources. However, widespread changes have not occurred in other ecoregions of New York State. While the timing and magnitude of the response of Hg levels in biota varies, policies expected to further diminish Hg emissions should continue to decrease Hg concentrations in food webs, yielding benefits to the fish, wildlife, and people of New York State. Anticipated improvements in the Hg status of aquatic ecosystems are likely to be greatest for inland surface waters and should be roughly proportional to declines in atmospheric Hg deposition. Efforts that advance recovery from Hg pollution in recent years have yielded significant progress, but Hg remains a pollutant of concern. Indeed, due to this extensive compilation of Hg observations in biota, it appears that the extent and intensity of the contamination on the New York landscape and waterscape is greater than previously recognized. Understanding the extent of Hg contamination and recovery following decreases in atmospheric Hg deposition will require further study, underscoring the need to continue existing monitoring efforts.
A Second-Order Sufficient Optimality Condition for Risk-Neutral Bi-level Stochastic Linear Programs
Authors: Claus Matthias
Published: November 2020

The expectation functionals, which arise in risk-neutral bi-level stochastic linear models with random lower-level right-hand side, are known to be continuously differentiable, if the underlying probability measure has a Lebesgue density. We show that the gradient may fail to be local Lipschitz continuous under this assumption. Our main result provides sufficient conditions for Lipschitz continuity of the gradient of the expectation functional and paves the way for a second-order optimality condition in terms of generalized Hessians. Moreover, we study geometric properties of regions of strong stability and derive representation results, which may facilitate the computation of gradients.
Only a Burden for Females in Math? Gender and Domain Differences in the Relation Between Adolescents’ Fixed Mindsets and Motivation
Authors: Heyder Anke , Weidinger Anne F. , Steinmayr Ricarda
Published: November 2020

Gendered occupational and educational choices have often been traced back to gender differences in students’ domain-specific ability self-concept and intrinsic motivation. This study explored the role of believing in an “innate” math or language arts ability (i.e., having a fixed mindset) for gender differences in students’ ability self-concept and intrinsic motivation in 423 female (49%) and 447 male (51%) tenth graders from Germany (age M = 16.09 years, SD = 0.68, range: 14–18 years). In line with math-male stereotypes, believing in “innate” math ability was associated with lower ability self-concept and intrinsic motivation in female but not male students. In language arts, students’ mindsets were unrelated to their motivation. The results suggest that a fixed mindset presents an additional burden for female students in math, but not for male or female students in language arts.
On the Radial and Longitudinal Variation of a Magnetic Cloud: ACE, Wind, ARTEMIS and Juno Observations
Authors: Davies Emma E. , Forsyth Robert J. , Good Simon W. , Kilpua Emilia K. J.
Published: November 2020

We present observations of the same magnetic cloud made near Earth by the Advance Composition Explorer (ACE), Wind, and the Acceleration, Reconnection, Turbulence and Electrodynamics of the Moon’s Interaction with the Sun (ARTEMIS) mission comprising the Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) B and THEMIS C spacecraft, and later by Juno at a distance of 1.2 AU. The spacecraft were close to radial alignment throughout the event, with a longitudinal separation of $3.6^{\circ}$

3.6
∘

between Juno and the spacecraft near Earth. The magnetic cloud likely originated from a filament eruption on 22 October 2011 at 00:05 UT, and caused a strong geomagnetic storm at Earth commencing on 24 October. Observations of the magnetic cloud at each spacecraft have been analysed using minimum variance analysis and two flux rope fitting models, Lundquist and Gold–Hoyle, to give the orientation of the flux rope axis. We explore the effect different trailing edge boundaries have on the results of each analysis method, and find a clear difference between the orientations of the flux rope axis at the near-Earth spacecraft and Juno, independent of the analysis method. The axial magnetic field strength and the radial width of the flux rope are calculated using both observations and fitting parameters and their relationship with heliocentric distance is investigated. Differences in results between the near-Earth spacecraft and Juno are attributed not only to the radial separation, but to the small longitudinal separation which resulted in a surprisingly large difference in the in situ observations between the spacecraft. This case study demonstrates the utility of Juno cruise data as a new opportunity to study magnetic clouds beyond 1 AU, and the need for caution in future radial alignment studies.
High incidence of (ultra)low oesophageal temperatures during cryoballoon pulmonary vein isolation for atrial fibrillation
Authors: Molenaar M. M. D. , Hesselink T. , Scholten M. F. , Kraaier K. , Bouman D. E. , Brusse-Keizer M. , Stevenhagen Y. J. , van Dessel P. F. H. M. , ten Haken B. , Grandjean J. G. , van Opstal J. M.
Published: November 2020

Background

Low oesophageal temperatures (OTs) during cryoballoon pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) have been associated with complications. This study assessed the incidence of low OT in clinical practice during cryoballoon PVI and verified possible predictive values for low OT.

Methods

Consecutive patients who underwent PVI using the second-generation cryoballoon were retrospectively included. The distance from the oesophagus to the different pulmonary veins (PVs) (OP distance), body mass index (BMI), sex, age, balloon temperature and application time were studied as potential predictors of low OTs. Computed tomography was performed before the procedure to determine the OP distance. OT was measured using an oesophageal temperature probe. Applications were ended prematurely if the OT reached <16 °C. Low and ultralow OT were defined as OT <20 and <16 °C respectively.

Results

Two hundred and four patients were included. Low OT was observed in 54 patients (26%) and 27 patients (13%) reached ultralow OTs. OP distance was the only predictor of low OTs after multivariate analysis. A cut-off value of 19 mm showed 96.2% sensitivity and 37.8% specificity in predicting low OTs. No clinically relevant relation was found between low OTs and BMI, age, sex, balloon temperature or application duration.

Conclusions

The incidence of low OT was 26% for cryoballoon PVI. OP distance was the only predictor of low OTs. Since an OP distance <19 mm was present in all patients in at least one PV, we recommend routine OT measurement during PVI cryoballoon therapy to prevent oesophagus-related complications.
Does Mothers’ Self-Reported Mindful Parenting Relate to the Observed Quality of Parenting Behavior and Mother-Child Interaction?
Authors: Potharst Eva S. , Leyland Anna , Colonnesi Cristina , Veringa Irena K. , Salvadori Eliala A. , Jakschik Marta , Bögels Susan M. , Zeegers Moniek A. J.
Published: November 2020

Objectives

Growing academic interest in mindful parenting (MP) requires a reliable and valid measure for use in research and clinical setting. Because MP concerns the way parents relate to, and nurture, their children, it is important to evaluate the associations between self-reported MP and observed parenting and parent-child interaction measures.

Methods

Seventy-three mothers who experience difficulties with their young children aged 0–48 months admitted for a Mindful with your baby/toddler training (63% in a mental health care and 27% in a preventative context) were included. Mothers completed the Interpersonal Mindfulness in Parenting scale (IM-P) and video-observations of parent-child interactions were coded for maternal sensitivity, acceptance, mind-mindedness, and emotional communication (EC).

Results

The IM-P total score was positively associated only with mothers’ gaze to the child (EC). IM-P subscale Listening with Full Attention negatively predicted non-attuned mind-mindedness, Compassion with the Child positively predicted maternal sensitivity and positive facial expression (EC), and Emotional Awareness of Self positively predicted mothers’ gaze to the child (EC) and dyadic synchrony of positive affect (EC).

Conclusions

The current study provides support for the hypothesis that the IM-P total score is predictive of maternal actual attention for the child during a face-to-face interaction. When the IM-P is administered with the aim to gain understanding of different aspects of parenting behavior and the parent-child interaction, it is important not only to employ the IM-P total score but also to incorporate the individual IM-P subscales, as meaningful associations between IM-P subscales and observed parenting and parent-child interactions were found.
Fast computation of elastic and hydrodynamic potentials using approximate approximations
Authors: Lanzara Flavia , Maz’ya Vladimir , Schmidt Gunther
Published: November 2020

We propose fast cubature formulas for the elastic and hydrodynamic potentials based on the approximate approximation of the densities with Gaussian and related functions. For densities with separated representation, we derive a tensor product representation of the integral operator which admits efficient cubature procedures. We obtain high order approximations up to a small saturation error, which is negligible in computations. Results of numerical experiments which show approximation order $$\mathscr {O}(h^{2M})$$

O
(

h

2
M

)

, $$M=1,2,3,4$$

M
=
1
,
2
,
3
,
4

, are provided.
On the “Strength” of Behavior
Authors: Simon Carsta , Bernardy João Lucas , Cowie Sarah
Published: November 2020

The place of the concept of response strength in a natural science of behavior has been the subject of much debate. This article reconsiders the concept of response strength for reasons linked to the foundations of a natural science of behavior. The notion of response strength is implicit in many radical behaviorists’ work. Palmer (2009) makes it explicit by applying the response strength concept to three levels: (1) overt behavior, (2) covert behavior, and (3) latent or potential behavior. We argue that the concept of response strength is superfluous in general, and an explication of the notion of giving causal status to nonobservable events like latent behavior or response strength is harmful to a scientific endeavor. Interpreting EEG recordings as indicators of changes in response strength runs the risk of reducing behavior to underlying mechanisms, regardless of whether such suggestions are accompanied by behavioral observations. Many radical behaviorists understand behavior as a discrete unit, inviting conceptual mistakes reflected in the notion of response strength. A molar view is suggested as an alternative that accounts for the temporally extended nature of behavior and avoids the perils of a response-strength based approach.
Newborns, Infants, and Adolescents in Postmedieval Northern Finland: A Case Study from Keminmaa
Authors: Lipkin Sanna , Niinimäki Sirpa , Tuovinen Saara , Maijanen Heli , Ruhl Erika , Niinimäki Jaakko , Junno Juho-Antti
Published: November 2020

Four coffins dating from the period between the mid-18th and mid-19th centuries from Keminmaa in northern Ostrobothnian Finland were examined using computed-tomography (CT) scanning, a methodology with research applications for exploring human remains, coffins, and funerary textiles. The age and, in two cases, sex of the remains were estimated, and both historical sources and archaeological material suggest that socialization through gender was apparent in this collection. This article explores both the material testimony of care, dedication, and innocence of newborn and infant burials, as well as the socialization process and role of women adolescents in providing children’s funerary materials.
Performance improvement of sacrificial anode cathodic protection system for above ground storage tank
Authors: Jawad Muhammad N. , Amouzad Mahdiraji Ghafour , Hajibeigy Mohammad Taghi
Published: November 2020

This study presents a controlled sacrificial anode (magnesium anodes) cathodic protection system for aboveground storage tanks. The proposed method is able to control the anode’s current, which leads to enhance the performance of anodes, therefore, increase the anode’s lifetime. The proposed system has been implemented in a laboratory-based tank contains saline water (5661 ppm). In this experiment, the overprotection and anode energy loss were eliminated, and the anodes lifetime has been extended 35.55 times higher compared to the conventional system. The proposed method reduced the protection current and stabilized the system overall.
Practice of spinal anesthesia among anesthetists in the operation room of referral hospital: Cross-sectional study
Authors: Ferede Yonas Admasu , Nigatu Yonas Addisu , Agegnehu Abatneh Feleke , Mustofa Salh Yalew
Published: November 2020

ABSTRACT

Background:

spinal anesthesia is easy to access, cheap safe for surgery done below umbilicus but it has a lot of complications like total spinal, high spinal, hypotension and sever neurological abnormality due to in adequate preparation and poor practice while administration spinal anesthesia in the operation theatres. This audit was aimed to improve practice of spinal anesthesia in our theatre meet the audit standards or not.

Methods:

This audit was conducted from January 01/2019 to February 01/2019. Anesthetists who administers spinal anesthesia in surgical and obstetric operation rooms were included. Data were collected by direct observation using standardized checklist prepared from recommendations of Ney work Society of Regional Anesthesia (NYSORA). Data were collected prospectively before, during and after administer spinal anesthesia.

Results:

Total of 50 anesthetists were observed before, during and after they deliver spinal anesthesia. From those audit standards only communication with patients during spinal injection to end of surgery was fully practiced. However, anesthetist should wash their hands, wear sterile gown and the area should be draped with fenestrated drapes in a sterile fashion were not practice.

Conclusions:

Practice of spinal anesthesia in our operation theatre was satisfactory. But still it needs some improvement that scored below the average and those audit standards that were not practiced at all.

Highlights:
The acquisition of English articles among L1 Dagbani L2 English learners
Authors: Kwame Abukari , Westergaard Marit
Published: November 2020

This study investigates the acquisition of articles in L2 English by L1 speakers of Dagbani, a Gur language spoken in Ghana. Dagbani differs from English in that it has two definite articles, no indefinite article, and a zero-article which may express definiteness, indefiniteness as well as genericity. The study consisted of a Forced-choice task (FCT) and an Acceptability judgement task (AJT) which were administered to Dagbani teenagers with an intermediate proficiency in English (n = 45) and a group of native English speakers as controls (n = 8). The results showed that the learners’ article choice was based on definiteness, not specificity (i.e., no fluctuation between the two) and that they had slightly more problems with indefinite than definite contexts, while generic contexts were the most problematic. Except for a certain task effect as well as a possible interference of instruction (in the FCT), the results can be argued to generally be due to influence from the L1 and to the difficulty of feature reassembly.
Novelization as Postcolonial Self-Fashioning: Lee Kok Liang’sLondon Does Not Belong to Me
Authors: Holden Philip
Published: November 2020

This article exemplifies a mode of analysis in which the novel is read as a practice of self-making under decolonization. The argument is illustrated through attention to Lee Kok Liang’s novelLondon Does Not Belong to Me. Written describing Lee’s experiences as a Malayan law student in London in the 1950s, the novel was published posthumously in Malaysia fifty years later. Comparison of the published text with Lee’s journal of his student days enables a careful study of the process of the novelization of the self as an example of larger processes of subjectification through authorship in the process of decolonization, and in the creation of elite citizen-subjects in the nation-state of Malaya and its successor states of Malaysia and Singapore.
Terrestrial Humanism and the Weight of World Literature: Reading Esi Edugyan’sWashington Black
Authors: Davies Dominic
Published: November 2020

Through an extended reading of Canadian author Esi Edugyan’s novel,Washington Black(2018), this article aims to revise and reinsert both the practice of close reading and a radically revised humanism back into recent world literature debates. I begin by demonstrating the importance of metaphors of weight to several theories of world literature, before tracking how, with the same metaphors, Edugyan challenges Enlightenment models of earth, worlds, and humanism. The article draws on the work of several theorists, including Emily Apter, Katherine McKittrick, Steven Blevins, Edward Said, and Frantz Fanon, to argue that “terrestrial humanism” might provide a framework from which to develop a grounded, politicized, earthly practice of close reading world literary texts. The aim is not to arrive at a prescriptive or “heavy” methodology, but to push instead for a reading practice that remains open to the contrapuntal geographies, affective materialisms, and radically humanist politics of literary texts themselves.
When East Met East: Dutch East Indies Planters and the Ukraine Project (1942–1944)
Authors: Miller Michael B.
Published: November 2020

Historians divide over the question of how far “classic” European colonial experience in overseas empires provided the model for the Nazi empire in eastern Europe. Missing from arguments on either side of the debate have been the colonialists themselves. The Ukraine Project to enlist Dutch plantation companies for occupied Ukraine shows what happened when efforts were made to transfer traditional colonial expertise into the Nazi East. From the perspective of the project's proponents, there was indeed continuity between the two imperialisms. However, the company at the center of the project, the Deli Maatschappij, the ruling and tone-setting firm on Sumatra, saw no connection with its East Indies history and spurned all efforts to take it into Ukraine. Thus the Ukraine Project, despite its short-lived and failed history, complicates arguments from both perspectives and offers a trans-imperial history of a different sort than we are accustomed to encountering.
The Unexpectedness of Events: GDR-Born Academics on Becoming Historians after 1989–1990
Authors: Allen Jennifer , Hoffmann Stefan-Ludwig , Morina Christina , Poutrus Patrice
Published: November 2020

Thirty years ago, on October 3, 1990, two German states became one. The academy, however, had a long way to go before it could begin to make a similar claim. The relatively swift dismantling of the “Wall on the ground” did not occasion an equally swift dismantling of the so-called “Wall in the head,” especially within the historical field in the new Federal Republic. Young scholars from the “Workers’ and Peasants’ State” launched their careers as professional historians in a profoundly different political and social context than the one into which they had been socialized. Few would describe this new academic constellation as “unified.” This forum developed, on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the events of 1989–1990, as an attempt to understand the ways that having lived through a world-historical transition has impacted the work of historians from the former German Democratic Republic. It explores the ways these scholars’ experiences—lived experiences of a necessarily transnational kind of history—have shaped their appreciation of the project of history: its form, its purpose, its promises, and its limits. It considers the ways the academy in the new Federal Republic did and did not make room for these scholars and their historiographical perspectives. It reflects on the power of culture, politics, and memory on conceptualizations of the past. To engage with these themes, Central European History's editor invited Jennifer Allen (Yale University) to convene a forum. She invited Stefan-Ludwig Hoffmann (University of California, Berkeley), Christina Morina (Universität Bielefeld), and Patrice Poutrus (Universität Erfurt) to participate.
PHILOSOPHY AND POLITICAL AGENCY IN THE WRITINGS OF FREDERICK II OF PRUSSIA
Authors: LIFSCHITZ AVI
Published: November 2020

Frederick II's writings have conventionally been viewed either as political tools or as means of public self-fashioning – part of his campaign to raise the status of Prussia from middling principality to great power. This article, by contrast, argues that Frederick's works must also be taken seriously on their own terms, and interpreted against the background of Enlightenment philosophy. Frederick's notions of kingship and state service were not governed mostly by a principle of pure morality or ‘humanitarianism’, as argued influentially by Friedrich Meinecke. On the contrary, the king's views were part and parcel of an eighteenth-century vision of modern kingship in commercial society, based on the benign pursuit of self-love and luxury. A close analysis of Frederick's writings demonstrates that authorial labour was integral to his political agency, publicly placing constraints on what could be perceived as legitimate conduct, rather than mere intellectual window-dressing or an Enlightened pastime in irresolvable tension with his politics.
The Definition of Member / Shareholder in the South African Companies Act: A Brief Comparison with Australian Legislation
Authors: Kilian Neels
Published: November 2020

This article discusses relevant Australian case law with reference to the oppressive remedy in company law. In South Africa, only shareholders who are entered in the shareholders’ register can make use of the remedy, contrary to the Australian application. The Australian case law explains thelocus standiof shareholders who are not entered in the register. Reference is also made to South Africa's previous Companies Act 1973 due to theSmyth v Investecappeal court case, where the court applied the principles, relevant to an oppressive remedy under the 1973 act. In this regard, the appeal court's reasoning is compared to that of the Australian court; possible new perspectives relevant to South Africa's new Companies Act 2008 are also discussed. The Australian perspective is included to facilitate investigation of a South African court's approach to oppressive conduct concerning the narrow interpretation of “shareholder”. It is concluded that “shareholder” should also be interpreted to include a beneficial shareholder.
The Normative Nature of the Ecosystem Approach: A Mediterranean Case Study
Authors: Futhazar Guillaume
Published: November 2020

The purpose of this article is to explore the normative nature of the Ecosystem Approach in international environmental law. To do so, the article examines the implementation of this approach in two Mediterranean regimes: the Barcelona Convention and the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean. As these two regimes have implemented the Ecosystem Approach by taking into account the experiences of other international regimes, they are representative of broader trends in relation to this concept. The examination reveals that the Ecosystem Approach operates as an interstitial principle: a norm that fulfils the functions of a principle with regard to other rules, but is devoid of normative autonomy. This understanding of the Ecosystem Approach brings clarity to a concept that is ambiguous yet is widely disseminated in environmental governance. It may also further the progressive emergence of the Ecosystem Approach as a general principle of international environmental law.
Boulder Fall Activity in the Jezero Crater, Mars
Authors: Sinha R. K. , Rani A. , Conway S. J. , Vijayan S. , Basu Sarbadhikari A. , Massé M. , Mangold N. , Bhardwaj Anil
Published: November 2020

Jezero crater is the landing site for the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover. We report 63 boulder fall tracks within the crater using High‐Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) images. The boulder tracks have both fresh and faded morphologies similar to those reported elsewhere on Mars, but reported for the first time in Jezero crater. We combine observations from 16 boulder‐tracks on the western delta deposit with 47 in the surrounding regions to infer possible process(es) of boulder destabilization, which can be tested with rover observations. This newly found hazard should be taken into account for rover operations. Boulders associated with tracks are geologically “recent falls,” so it is possible that the surfaces of these boulders may provide an opportunity to sample material less exposed to radiation than other rocks at the martian surface and could be ideal targets to analyze for organics.
Linear Relation Between Shifting ITCZ and Dust Hemispheric Asymmetry
Authors: Evans Stuart , Dawson Eliza , Ginoux Paul
Published: November 2020

Mineral dust is emitted primarily from arid regions, which may shrink or expand in one or both hemispheres, producing a complex and asymmetric pattern of radiative forcing that varies on interannual to millennial timescales. We assess the impact of hemispheric dust asymmetry on tropical precipitation. Using the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) coupled climate model CM3 to simulate dust emission, we vary source strength in each hemisphere individually. Hemispherically asymmetric dust emission produces asymmetric dust load and radiative forcing. We find that the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) shifts away from the hemisphere with enhanced dust load in response to the forcing asymmetry. We find significant linear relationships between the hemispheric imbalance and the latitude of tropical precipitation globally, in the Pacific, and especially in the Atlantic basin. This relationship offers a first‐order estimation of dust effects on the hydrological cycle when investigating records of paleodust and for accurately predicting dust effects and feedbacks on future climate.
Measured and Predicted Turbulent Kinetic Energy in Flow Through Emergent Vegetation With Real Plant Morphology
Authors: Xu Yuan , Nepf Heidi
Published: November 2020

Velocity and forces on individual plants were measured within an emergent canopy with real plant morphology and used to develop predictions for the vertical profiles of velocity and turbulent kinetic energy (TKE). Two common plant species, Typha latifolia and Rotala indica, with distinctive morphology, were considered. Typha has leaves bundled at the base, and Rotala has leaves distributed over the length of the central stem. Compared to conditions with a bare bed and the same velocity, the TKE within both canopies was enhanced. For the Typha canopy, for which the frontal area increased with distance from the bed, the velocity, integral length‐scale, and TKE all decreased with distance from the bed. For the Rotala, which had a vertically uniform distribution of biomass, the velocity, integral length‐scale, and TKE were also vertically uniform. A turbulence model previously developed for random arrays of rigid cylinders was modified to predict both the vertical distribution and the channel‐average of TKE by defining the relationship between the integral length‐scale and plant morphology. The velocity profile can also be predicted from the plant morphology. Combining with the new turbulence model, the TKE profile was predicted from the channel‐average velocity and plant frontal area.
Rapid response to the alpha-1 adrenergic agent phenylephrine in the perioperative period is impacted by genomics and ancestry
Authors: Wenric Stephane , Jeff Janina M. , Joseph Thomas , Yee Muh-Ching , Belbin Gillian M. , Owusu Obeng Aniwaa , Ellis Stephen B. , Bottinger Erwin P. , Gottesman Omri , Levin Matthew A. , Kenny Eimear E.
Published: November 2020

The emergence of genomic data in biobanks and health systems offers new ways to derive medically important phenotypes, including acute phenotypes occurring during inpatient clinical care. Here we study the genetic underpinnings of the rapid response to phenylephrine, an α1-adrenergic receptor agonist commonly used to treat hypotension during anesthesia and surgery. We quantified this response by extracting blood pressure (BP) measurements 5 min before and after the administration of phenylephrine. Based on this derived phenotype, we show that systematic differences exist between self-reported ancestry groups: European-Americans (EA;n = 1387) have a significantly higher systolic response to phenylephrine than African-Americans (AA;n = 1217) and Hispanic/Latinos (HA;n = 1713) (31.3% increase,pvalue < 6e−08 and 22.9% increase,pvalue < 5e−05 respectively), after adjusting for genetic ancestry, demographics, and relevant clinical covariates. We performed a genome-wide association study to investigate genetic factors underlying individual differences in this derived phenotype. We discovered genome-wide significant association signals in loci and genes previously associated with BP measured in ambulatory settings, and a general enrichment of association in these genes. Finally, we discovered two low frequency variants, present at ~1% in EAs and AAs, respectively, where patients carrying one copy of these variants show no phenylephrine response. This work demonstrates our ability to derive a quantitative phenotype suited for comparative statistics and genome-wide association studies from dense clinical and physiological measures captured for managing patients during surgery. We identify genetic variants underlying non response to phenylephrine, with implications for preemptive pharmacogenomic screening to improve safety during surgery.