bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Land Use and Cover Change from 1990 to 2010: A Case Study of Jiangsu Province, China
Authors: Shi Ge , Ye Peng , Ding Liang , Quinones Agustin , Li Yang , Jiang Nan
Published: March 2019

Land use and cover change (LUCC) is one of the most significant parts of global environmental changes, which reflects the interaction between human society and natural resources. In China, the urbanization process is experiencing a rapid sprawl since the reform and open program in 1978, and there has been a serious change in situation in the human–land relationship. In this paper, taking Jiangsu province located in the eastern coastal developed region as an example, the historic evolution process of the land use situation from 1990 to 2010 was explored. Landsat images from three periods were analyzed, using the land use transition matrix model, the land use dynamic degree model, and the land use degree model to evaluate the LUCC of Jiangsu during two research periods from 1990 to 2000 and from 2000 to 2010. Additionally, logistic regression models and some quantitative analysis were applied to identify the major potential driving factors behind the LUCC during the research period based on different dimensions. The results showed the following: (1) the most obvious change was the continuous increase of built-up area and the decrease of arable land, which reflected the deterioration of the ecological environment and the accelerate of the urbanization trend. (2) The land use change dynamic degree from 2000 to 2010 was much greater than that from 1990 to 2000. (3) Socio-economic elements and human activities were the major driving forces of LUCC in Jiangsu province. Amongst these forces, the driving factors of the population change, GDP, per capita household income, and per capita housing area have an obvious effect on the arable land loss and the built-up area expansion.
Epidemiology of Surgical Site Infections and Non-Surgical Infections in Neurosurgical Polish Patients—Substantial Changes in 2003–2017
Authors: Kołpa Małgorzata , Wałaszek Marta , Różańska Anna , Wolak Zdzisław , Wójkowska-Mach Jadwiga
Published: March 2019

Introduction: The objective of the analysis was to determine the epidemiology of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in neurosurgical patients, paying special attention to two time points, 2003 and 2017, in order to evaluate the effectiveness of a surveillance program introduced in 2003 and efforts to reduce infection rates. Materials and methods: Continuous surveillance during 2003–2017 carried out using the HAI-Net methodology allowed us to detect 476 cases of HAIs among 10,332 patients staying in a 42-bed neurosurgery unit. The intervention in this before–after study (2003–2017) comprised standardized HAI surveillance with regular analysis and feedback. Results: The HAI incidence during the whole study was 4.6%. Surgical site infections (SSIs) accounted for 33% of all HAIs with an incidence rate of 1.5%. The remaining infections were pneumonia (1.1%) and bloodstream infections (0.9%). The highest SSI incidence concerned spinal fusion (FUSN, 2.2%), craniotomy (1.9%), and ventricular shunt (5.1%) while the associated total HAI incidence rates were 4.1%, 8.0%, and 18.6%, respectively. A significant reduction was found in HAI incidence between 2003 and 2017 in regard to the most common surgery types: laminectomy (4.5% vs. 0.8%); FUSN (11.8% vs. 0.8%); and craniotomy (10.1% vs. 0.4%). Significant changes were also achieved in selected elements of the unit’s work: pre-hospitalization duration, hospital stay, and surgery length reductions. Simultaneously, the general condition of patients became significantly worse: there was an increase in patients’ age and decreases in their general condition as expressed by ASA scores (The American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification system). Conclusions: HAI epidemiology changed substantially during the study period. Among the main types of HAI, SSIs were slightly predominant, but non-surgical HAIs accounted for almost two thirds of all infections; this indicates the need for surveillance of infection types other than SSIs in surgical patients. The implementation of active surveillance based on regular analysis and feedback led to a significant reduction in HAI incidence.
Medical Cyclotron Solid Target Preparation by Ultrathick Film Magnetron Sputtering Deposition
Authors: Skliarova Hanna , Cisternino Sara , Cicoria Gianfranco , Marengo Mario , Cazzola Emiliano , Gorgoni Giancarlo , Palmieri Vincenzo
Published: March 2019

Magnetron sputtering is proposed here as an innovative method for the deposition of a material layer onto an appropriate backing plate for cyclotron solid targets aimed at medical radioisotopes production. In this study, a method to deposit thick, high-density, high-thickness-uniformity, and stress-free films of high adherence to the backing was developed by optimizing the fundamental deposition parameters: sputtering gas pressure, substrate temperature, and using a multilayer deposition mode, as well. This method was proposed to realize Mo-100 and Y-nat solid targets for biomedical cyclotron production of Tc-99m and Zr-89 radionuclides, respectively. The combination of all three optimized sputtering parameters (i.e., 1.63 × 10−2 mbar Ar pressure, 500 °C substrate temperature, and the multilayer mode) allowed us to achieve deposition thickness as high as 100 µm for Mo targets. The 50/70-µm-thick Y targets were instead realized by optimizing the sputtering pressure only (1.36 × 10−2 mbar Ar pressure), without making use of additional substrate heating. These optimized deposition parameters allowed for the production of targets by using different backing materials (e.g., Mo onto copper, sapphire, and synthetic diamond; and Y onto a niobium backing). All target types tested were able to sustain a power density as high as 1 kW/cm2 provided by the proton beam of medical cyclotrons (15.6 MeV for Mo targets and 12.7 MeV for Y targets at up to a 70-µA proton beam current). Both short- and long-time irradiation tests, closer to the real production, have been realized.
Deep Learning for Breast Cancer Diagnosis from Mammograms—A Comparative Study
Authors: Tsochatzidis Lazaros , Costaridou Lena , Pratikakis Ioannis
Published: March 2019

Deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are investigated in the context of computer-aided diagnosis (CADx) of breast cancer. State-of-the-art CNNs are trained and evaluated on two mammographic datasets, consisting of ROIs depicting benign or malignant mass lesions. The performance evaluation of each examined network is addressed in two training scenarios: the first involves initializing the network with pre-trained weights, while for the second the networks are initialized in a random fashion. Extensive experimental results show the superior performance achieved in the case of fine-tuning a pretrained network compared to training from scratch.
On Improvements of Kantorovich Type Inequalities
Authors: Zhao Chang-Jian , Cheung Wing-Sum
Published: March 2019

In the paper, we give some new improvements of the Kantorovich type inequalities by using Popoviciu’s, Hölder’s, Bellman’s and Minkowski’s inequalities. These results in special case yield Hao’s, reverse Cauchy’s and Minkowski’s inequalities.
An Improved Method for the Quaternization of Nicotinamide and Antifungal Activities of Its Derivatives
Authors: Siber Tamara , Bušić Valentina , Zobundžija Dora , Roca Sunčica , Vikić-Topić Dražen , Vrandečić Karolina , Gašo-Sokač Dajana
Published: March 2019

The quaternization reactions of nicotinamide, with different electrophiles: methyl iodide and substituted 2-bromoacetophenones (4-Cl, 4-Br, 4-H, 4-CH3, 4-F, 4-OCH3, 4-Ph, 2-OCH3, 4-NO2) are reported. The preparations were carried out by conventional synthesis and under microwave irradiation in absolute ethanol and acetone. The synthesis performed by microwave dielectric heating significantly improved yield, up to 8 times, and shortened down the reaction time from ca. one day in conventional, to 10–20 min. The structures of the synthesized compounds were confirmed by IR, 1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and elemental analysis. The compounds have been screened for antifungal activities against Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium culmorum, Macrophomina phaseolina and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum at concentrations of 10 µg/mL and 100 µg/mL. Six compounds showed the strong inhibition of mycelium growth at a concentration of 10 µg/mL. All tested compounds revealed the great inhibitory activities against S. sclerotiorum at a concentration of 100 µg/mL.
Recovery of Rare Earth Elements from Wastewater Towards a Circular Economy
Authors: Barros Óscar , Costa Lara , Costa Filomena , Lago Ana , Rocha Verónica , Vipotnik Ziva , Silva Bruna , Tavares Teresa
Published: March 2019

The use of rare earth elements is a growing trend in diverse industrial activities, leading to the need for eco-friendly approaches to their efficient recovery and reuse. The aim of this work is the development of an environmentally friendly and competitive technology for the recovery of those elements from wastewater. Kinetic and equilibria batch assays were performed with zeolite, with and without bacterial biofilm, to entrap rare earth ions from aqueous solution. Continuous assays were also performed in column setups. Over 90% removal of lanthanum and cerium was achieved using zeolite as sorbent, with and without biofilm, decreasing to 70% and 80%, respectively, when suspended Bacillus cereus was used. Desorption from the zeolite reached over 60%, regardless of the tested conditions. When in continuous flow in columns, the removal yield was similar for all of the rare earth elements tested. Lanthanum and cerium were the elements most easily removed by all tested sorbents when tested in single- or multi-solute solutions, in batch and column assays. Rare earth removal from wastewater in open setups is possible, as well as their recovery by desorption processes, allowing a continuous mode of operation.
Rapid Monitoring of Organochlorine Pesticide Residues in Various Fruit Juices and Water Samples Using Fabric Phase Sorptive Extraction and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Kaur Ramandeep , Kaur Ripneel , Rani Susheela , Malik Ashok Kumar , Kabir Abuzar , Furton Kenneth G. , Samanidou Victoria F.
Published: March 2019

Fabric phase sorptive extraction, an innovative integration of solid phase extraction and solid phase microextraction principles, has been combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for the rapid extraction and determination of nineteen organochlorine pesticides in various fruit juices and water samples. FPSE consolidates the advanced features of sol-gel derived extraction sorbents with the rich surface chemistry of cellulose fabric substrate, which could extract the target analytes directly from the complex sample matrices, substantially simplifying the sample preparation operation. Important FPSE parameters, including sorbent chemistry, extraction time, stirring speed, type and volume of back-extraction solvent, and back-extraction time have been optimized. Calibration curves were obtained in a concentration range of 0.1–500 ng/mL. Under optimum conditions, limits of detection were obtained in a range of 0.007–0.032 ng/mL with satisfactory precision (RSD < 6%). The relative recoveries obtained by spiking organochlorine pesticides in water and selected juice samples were in the range of 91.56–99.83%. The sorbent sol-gel poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(propylene glycol)-poly(ethylene glycol) was applied for the extraction and preconcentration of organochlorine pesticides in aqueous and fruit juice samples prior to analysis with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The results demonstrated that the present method is simple, rapid, and precise for the determination of organochlorine pesticides in aqueous samples.
Comparing Gly11/dAla11-Replacement vs. the in-Situ Neprilysin-Inhibition Approach on the Tumor-targeting Efficacy of the 111In-SB3/111In-SB4 Radiotracer Pair
Authors: Lymperis Emmanouil , Kaloudi Aikaterini , Kanellopoulos Panagiotis , de Jong Marion , Krenning Eric P. , Nock Berthold A. , Maina Theodosia
Published: March 2019

Background: The GRPR-antagonist 68Ga-SB3 visualized prostate cancer lesions in animal models and in patients. Switching radiometal from 68Ga to 111In impaired tumor targeting in mice, but coinjection of the neprilysin (NEP)-inhibitor phosphoramidon (PA) stabilized 111In-SB3 in circulation and remarkably increased tumor uptake. We herein report on the biological profile of 111In-SB4: 111In-[dAla11]SB3. Methods: The biological responses of 111In-SB3/SB4 were compared in PC-3 cells and animal models. Results: Gly11/dAla11-replacement deteriorated GRPR-affinity (SB4 IC50: 10.7 ± 0.9 nM vs. SB3 IC50: 4.6 ± 0.3 nM) and uptake in PC-3 cells (111In-SB4: 1.3 ± 0.4% vs. 111In-SB3 16.2 ± 0.8% at 1 h). 111In-SB4 was more stable than 111In-SB3, but PA-coinjection stabilized both radiotracers in peripheral mice blood. Unmodified 111In-SB3 showed higher uptake in PC-3 xenografts (8.8 ± 3.0%ID/g) vs. 111In-SB4 (3.1 ± 1.1%ID/g) at 4 h pi. PA-coinjection improved tumor uptake, with 111In-SB3 still showing superior tumor targeting (38.3 ± 7.9%ID/g vs. 7.4 ± 0.3%ID/g for 111In-SB4). Conclusions: Replacement of Gly11 by dAla11 improved in vivo stability, however, at the cost of GRPR-affinity and cell uptake, eventually translating into inferior tumor uptake of 111In-SB4 vs. unmodified 111In-SB3. On the other hand, in-situ NEP-inhibition turned out to be a more efficient and direct strategy to optimize the in vivo profile of 111In-SB3, and potentially other peptide radiotracers.
ECG Monitoring during End of Life Care: Implications on Alarm Fatigue
Authors: Suba Sukardi , Sandoval Cass Piper , Hu Xiao , Pelter Michele M.
Published: March 2019

Excessive numbers of clinical alarms in the intensive care unit (ICU) contribute to alarm fatigue. Efforts to eliminate unnecessary alarms, including during end of life (EOL) care, are pivotal. This study describes electrocardiographic (ECG) arrhythmia alarm usage following the decision for comfort care. We conducted a review of electronic health records (EHR) in patients who died and had comfort care orders that were in place during our study. The occurrences of ECG arrhythmia alarms among these patients were examined. We found 151 arrhythmia alarms that were generated in 11 patients after comfort care was initiated: 72% were audible, 21% were manually muted, and 7% had an unknown audio label. Level of alarm: 33% crisis, 58% warning, 1% message, and 8% were labeled unknown. Our report shows that ECG monitoring was commonly maintained during the EOL care. Since the goal of care during this phase is for both patient and family comfort, it is important for the clinicians to weigh the benefits versus harms of the continuous ECG monitoring.
Quaternary Highlights (December 2018–February 2019)
Authors: Rull Valentí
Published: March 2019

Editorial summaries of selected papers relevant to Quaternary science published in high-impact multidisciplinary journals between December 2018 and February 2019 [...]
The Role of Clustering in the Adoption of Organic Dairy: A Longitudinal Networks Analysis between 2002 and 2015
Authors: Sánchez Herrera Juan Carlos , Dimitri Carolyn
Published: March 2019

This paper uses network analysis to study the geo-localization decisions of new organic dairy farm operations in the USA between 2002 and 2015. Given a dataset of organic dairy certifications we simulated spatio-temporal networks based on the location of existing and new organic dairy farming operations. The simulations were performed with different probabilities of connecting with existing or incoming organic farmer operations, to overcome the lack of data describing actual connections between farmers. Calculated network statistics on the simulated networks included the average degree, average shortest path, closeness (centrality), clustering coefficients, and the relative size of the largest cluster, to demonstrate how the networks evolved over time. The findings revealed that new organic dairy operations cluster around existing ones, reflecting the role of networks in the conversion into organic production. The contributions of this paper are twofold. First, we contribute to the literature on clustering, information sharing, and market development in the agri-food industry by analyzing the potential implications of social networking in the development of a relatively new agriculture market. Second, we add to the literature on empirical social networks by using a new dataset with information on actors not previously studied analytically.
STRATEGIC CULTURE OF GLOBAL INSURGENCY
Authors: Beneš Jan
Published: March 2019

Jihadi terrorism may be understood as a military tool used for political and military purposes of an actor in international relations. This article develops the concept of the Global insurgency, formulated by David Kilcullen. It is argued that Global Insurgency is a specific single actor with a distinctive strategic culture. The author examines the strategic culture of global insurgency from various angles through Gray's framework of seventeen dimensions of strategy. It is argued that the Global Insurgency operates on multiple levels of strategy with a high degree of coherence and with distinct strategic culture.
Diagnostic value of 3D power Doppler ultrasound in the characterization of thyroid nodules
Authors: CANSU AYŞEGÜL , AYAN EMİN , KUL SİBEL , EYÜBOĞLU İLKER , OĞUZ ŞÜKRÜ , MUNGAN SEVDEGÜL
Published: March 2019

Background/aim: To evaluate the diagnostic value of vascular indices obtained using 3D power Doppler ultrasound (3DPDUS) in differentiation of benign and malignant thyroid nodules.
Materials and methods: Sixty-seven patients (56 female, 11 male, mean age 44.6) with 81 thyroid nodules exhibiting mixed (peripheral and central) vascularization patterns and with the largest diameter of between 10 mm and 30 mm were prospectively evaluated using 3DPDUS. Nodule volume, vascularization index (VI), flow index (FI) and vascularization flow index (VFI) were calculated using Virtual Organ Computer-aided Analysis (VOCAL) software, and these indices were then compared with regard to the cyto-histopathology-based diagnosis. The optimum cutoff values for the differentiation of benign and malignant nodules were identified, and diagnostic efficacy was calculated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.
Results: Fifty-six of the 81 nodules included in this study were diagnosed as benign and 25 as malignant. Vascular indices in malignant nodules were significantly higher than those in benign nodules (p<0.05). In benign nodules, mean VI was 11.61 ± 6.88, mean FI was 39.75 ± 3.93 and VFI was 4.82 ± 2.94, compared to 18.64 ± 12.81, 41.82 ± 4.43 and 8.17 ± 6.37, respectively, in malignant nodules. The area under the curves (AUCs) were calculated as 0.68, 0.61 and 0.67 for VI, FI and VFI, respectively. At optimal cut-off values of 10.2 for VI, 40.8 for FI and 5.5 for VFI, sensitivity and specificity were 72%/55.4%, 68%/57.1% and 68%/67.9%, respectively.
Conclusion: 3DPDUS could be useful in the characterization of thyroid nodules.
Key words: Thyroid nodules; three-dimensional power Doppler ultrasound; vascular indices; VOCAL
The effectiveness of RENAL nephrometry score in ablated renal tumours via radiofrequency ablation or cryoablation
Authors: ALADAĞ KURT SEDA , YÜCEL CEM , ÖZHAN OKTAR SUNA , ERBAŞ GONCA , SÖZEN TEVFİK SİNAN , ÖNER ALİ YUSUF
Published: March 2019

Background/aim: Evaluating the clinical efficacy of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and cryotherapy, and scrutinising the therapeutic success of RENAL (radius, exophytic/endophytic, nearness to collecting system, anterior/posterior and location) nephrometry score in terms of possible complications and the predictive status of oncological results.
Materials and Methods: Forty-five patients with biopsy-proven renal cell carcinomas (32 males, 13 females) treated with RFA and cryotherapy were included. Patients were 22-90 years old (average: 59.2 years). Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS for Windows.
Results: A total of 79 lesions with dimensions varying between 0.9-4.5 cm (average: 2.2 cm) were ablated. Complete ablation was achieved in 72 (91.1%) lesions. Six repeat RFA sessions were applied to four (5%) lesions with residue/recurrence. The average RENAL nephrometry scores of lesions that underwent complete ablation and those that developed residue/recurrence were 6.3 and 7.7, respectively. The average recurrence-free survival time was 34.8 months (range: 3-55 months), while it was 44.6 months (range: 6-55 months) for cryotherapy and 28.6 months (range: 3-50 months) for RFA.
Conclusions: Ablative therapies are minimally invasive and effective methods for treating small renal tumours. RENAL nephrometry scoring is a valuable system for standardizing renal tumours and evaluating the success of ablative therapies, possible complications, and oncological results.
Predictors of Academic Achievement in Blended Learning: the Case of Data Science Minor
Authors: Musabirov Ilya , Pozdniakov Stanislav , Tenisheva Ksenia
Published: March 2019

This paper is dedicated to studying patterns of learning behavior in connection with educational achievement in multi-year undergraduate Data Science minor specialization for non-STEM students. We focus on analyzing predictors of aca-demic achievement in blended learning taking into account factors related to initial mathematics knowledge, specific traits of educational programs, online and of-fline learning engagement, and connections with peers. Robust Linear Regression and non-parametric statistical tests reveal a significant gap in achievement of the students from different educational programs. Achievement is not related to the communication on Q&A forum, while peers do have effect on academic success: being better than nominated friends, as well as having friends among Teaching Assistants, boosts academic achievement.
Exploring New Ways of eTandem and Telecollaboration Through the WebRTC Protocol: Students’ Engagement and Perceptions
Authors: Andujar Alberto , Medina-López Cristóbal
Published: March 2019

The present research investigates students’ degree of engagement and per-ceptions in a telecollaboration project which incorporates the use of the WebRTC (Web Real-time Communication) protocol and Peer-to-Peer (P2P) communication to develop a virtual exchange in a second language envi-ronment. WebRTC is an open source technology that simplifies the tele-communication process thanks to its inherent characteristics such as P2P connectivity, no plugins installation, scalability and accessibility. The study involved 32 participants from two different universities who partici-pated in a teletandem exchange over a period of 4 months. Task design con-sisted of information exchange and information gap activities that were giv-en to students in order to foster the interaction. A mixed methods approach was used and students’ engagement was measured through the use of a log, a pre-existing knowledge survey and an engagement scale. An additional sur-vey analysing students’ perceptions was also given to students at the end of the project. Inferential statistics showed significant results in terms of emo-tional, behavioral and cognitive engagement. Furthermore, WebRTC earned a high acceptance among students participating in the virtual exchange and advantages and pitfalls of using this technology were observed throughout the project.
Classification Algorithm Based on Nodes Similarity for MANETs
Authors: Choukri Ali , Hamzaoui Younes , Amnai Mohammed , Fakhri Youssef
Published: March 2019

This article describes an algorithm of classification by similarity of nodes in a MANET (Clustering). To optimize a network performance without influencing others, we must act only on the cluster structure. Any additional calculation clutters more the system. To overcome this limitation, a strong classification method is needed. The purpose of classification algorithms is the search for an optimal partition. This optimum is obtained iteratively refining an initial pattern randomly selected by reallocating objects around mobile centers. In order to partition the nodes into clusters, we used this technique (iterative reallocation) from the well known k-means algorithm. The algorithm conception is based on the k-means method that we improved and adapted to make it suitable for mobile ad hoc networks. The algorithm is implemented on OLSR giving birth to a new routing protocol: OLSRKmeans.
Crohn’s disease in a child
Authors: Sathiadas M. G. , Arunath V. , Anusha Ginige
Published: March 2019

No abstract available
An atypical presentation of Kawasaki disease with thrombocytosis at the onset of the illness
Authors: Vishnukumar S. , Arulpragasam A. N. , Kumar Manoj
Published: March 2019

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a systemic acute vasculitis, characterized by fever, bilateral non-exudative conjunctivitis, redness of the tongue, lips and oral mucosa, changes in the extremities, cervical lymph node, and polymorphic exanthema. Administration of IVIG within the first 10days after onset of fever in combination with high dose aspirin reduces the risk of coronary artery damage in KD. There is currently no laboratory test for diagnosing KD. Rather, diagnosis is performed with reference to established clinical criteria. Unfortunately, atypical manifestations of KD appear to be on the rise decreasing the likelihood of timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Herein, we report an unusual case of KD: a 6-year-old boy presented with fever with desquamation of the fingers and thrombocytosis.
Case report of a rare occurrence of multiple metachronous malignant neoplasm in a female patient
Authors: Sakthiraj N. , Getheeswaran S. , Uthayakumaran S.
Published: March 2019

It is a rare case of a 53 year old female patient with three different malignancies occurring metachronously; papillary carcinoma of the thyroid followed by malignant phyllodes tumor of her left breast and finally acute myeloid leukaemia. As the patient in the report had received postoperative local ionising radiation treatment seven years prior to her development of acute myeloid leukaemia, the role of the exposure to ionising radiation as the causative mechanism in the development of this malignancy cannot be completely ruled out. This case report suggests that patients who have had a first cancer successfully treated are at higher risk of developing a second or even a third subsequent cancer; therefore, long term regular followup is essential for successfully treated cancer patients for the early diagnosis of the development of subsequent malignancies and their effective treatment.
Los recursos cinematográficos de Final Fantasy y la narrativa transmediática de Final Fantasy XV
Authors: García Villar Marta
Published: March 2019

Final Fantasy (Fainaru Fantajī, 1987) es una serie de videojuegos desarrollada por la compañía japonesa Square Enix, de amplio reconocimiento internacional, cuya historia va ligada a la configuración de los juegos de rol japonés. Tras quince títulos oficiales, treinta años de trayectoria y más de trescientos millones de unidades vendidas, Final Fantasy logra parte de su éxito gracias al afán de complejidad narrativa que le caracteriza desde su primera entrega. En la actualidad, se trata de todo un fenómeno asociado a una franquicia que asentó unas bases creativas inigualables desde sus inicios. En este reportaje, Marta García Villar, investigadora en relaciones transmedia y narrativa de videojuegos, así como colaboradora habitual en medios como Games Tribune y Manual, indaga en la declarada influencia cinematográfica de los títulos de Final Fantasy, que han llegado incluso a la cristalización de su propio universo ampliado.
Docência e gênero: o professor homem na educação infantil
Authors: Gouvêa Nunes Patrícia , Rincon Helena Afonso Lucia
Published: March 2019

Neste artigo, apresentamos alguns dos resultados obtidos na pesquisa de mestrado que objetivou investigar e analisar o professor homem na Educação Infantil da Rede Municipal de Ensino de Rio Verde (GO) e como este é percebido pela comunidade escolar. O estudo desenvolveu-se mediante questionamentos sobre a docência do professor homem na Educação Infantil e ao habitus do reconhecimento de mulheres nessa etapa. A atuação docente dos professores homens do município de Rio Verde nessa etapa é marcada por relações de poder que permeiam as relações sociais e de gênero presentes nos espaços sociais e que homens em espaços considerados historicamente como femininos apresentam a manutenção de características da prática docente associadas à masculinidade tradicional, como um habitus cultural mantido pela violência simbólica.
The Role of Integrated Change Control in Project Success within the Telecommunication Industry in Uganda: A case of Airtel Networks LTD, Uganda
Authors: Karimi Kirima Lucy , Munyori Antony
Published: March 2019

The purpose of this research study was to investigate the role of integrated change control in project success within the telecommunication industry in Uganda. Integrated change control allows for documentation of all the requested, approved or rejected changes to the project with an aim of reducing project risks, cost and time without having to consider the overall project objective plans. The target population for this study was the technical staff within IT department, change management team involved in implementing and configuring changes and the management team involved in approving or rejecting changes in Airtel Networks LTD Uganda. The study concluded that, change readiness, communication change plans, change management execution, trainings and change documentation availability and feedback elicitation from all relevant stakeholders play a bigger role in the level of project change success. It was noted further that it is necessary to have a unified change management process that incorporates an integrated change control section comprised of Change board that sits down to review, analyze, approve, reject or return change requests raised by different stakeholders of the organization at any point in time. The study recommended that Airtel Networks LTD Uganda continuously engages in the Change management process with emphasis on integrated change control to exploit fully its internal resources in the strategy implementation process while remaining relevant not only to its own operations but also to the ever-changing environmental dynamics in the telecommunication industry.
Risk Analysis of the Stock Price Index of Countries Participating in the “Belt and Road” Initiative - Based on GARCH-VaR Model
Authors: Wu Maoguo , Lu Daimin
Published: March 2019

The “Belt and Road” Initiative has attracted worldwide attention since its initial stage. The initiative is to unite countries participating in the “Belt and Road” Initiative (B&R countries), to build a community with a shared future for mankind, and to achieve mutual benefit and win-win. Since the implementation of the initiative, China’s outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) has ushered in a new upsurge, and a large amount of money has been invested in B&R countries. However, China lacks experience in OFDI, as it has not been long since China engaged in OFDI. Besides, most of the B&R countries are developing countries with immature market. As the barometer of the macroeconomy, the stock market can reflect fluctuations of the real economy and forecast the development trend of the macroeconomy. To explore the opportunities and challenges brought by the “Belt and Road” Initiative to the stock market of B&R countries, this study selects 8 countries with the most active stock market among B&R countries, and analyzes the impact of the “Belt and Road” Initiative on the stock price index risk of the 8 countries. In this study, the data are divided into 2 groups, i.e., pre-initiative and post-initiative. The GARCH-VaR model is used to calculate the stock price index risk of each country. The empirical results show that the “Belt and Road” Initiative has different effects on the stock price index risk of the 8 countries. After the “Belt and Road” Initiative, the fluctuation of China Shanghai Shenzhen 300 Stock Index Futures is far lower than that before the implementation of the initiative, and the stock price index risk of some countries has also been reduced.
Assessment of the knowledge and application of the Mediterranean diet among students of dietetics
Authors: Nikołajuk P. , Zujko Ka. , Zujko Ki. , Zujko M.E.
Published: March 2019

Purpose: To assess the knowledge of young adults (students of dietetics) of the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) and the practical application of the principles of this diet. Materials and methods: The study was performed on 97 women, students of dietetics. Research on general information about the respondents and knowledge about the MedDiet was carried out using a questionnaire with 29 questions. To assess the nutritional value of the diet, a 3-day nutritional diary and computer programme Diet 5.0 were used. Adherence to the MedDiet was appraised according to the 9-point scale of aMED (alternate Mediterranean Diet Score). Results: The most students responded that they have high knowledge of the MedDiet, but do not use the MedDiet recommendations in their daily nutrition. Better adherence to MedDiet was significantly associated with the lower waist circumference of the women, higher intake of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, omega3 fatty acids, fiber, vitamin C, folate, vitamin B1, vitamin E and magnesium, and the knowledge of participants of the diet and nutritional value of foods. Conclusions: The adherence to the MedDiet is significantly associated with the participants' knowledge about the diet, the higher nutritional value of the daily diet and lower waist circumference
A new challenge for midwives and medical doctors in time of the threat of a mass terrorist attack and a life threatening mass disaster
Authors: Mazurkiewicz D.W. , Piechocka D.I. , Miela R. , Koniecko K. , Sawka J.H. , Strzelecka J.
Published: March 2019

Purpose:To present the results of research and evaluation study of the legal regulations and rules directly linked and connected to midwives' scope of practice and provide a response on how the professional population of midwives can act as adequate and independent medical providers in the threat of a mass terrorist attack and/or a life-threatening mass disaster event. Materials and methods: The data derives from the Supreme Chamber of Nurses and Midwives in Poland; National Council of Nurses and Midwives in Poland; Gazette of the Republic of Poland, Journal of Laws; curriculum outlines for professional midwifery higher education in Poland; scientific literature, scientific recommendations. The qualitative research method to the data sources in 2018 were used. Results: In the event of a mass terrorist attack and/or a life-threatening mass disaster, the possibility of a pregnant, birthing or postpartum woman and her newborn obtaining proper medical attention from a midwife is questionable. Conclusions:The threat of terrorism in the European Union has grown. A new implications are necessary for policy and practice to keep midwives in their profession to provide adequate quality and quantity of health care in event of a mass terrorist attack and/or a life-threatening mass disaster. In our study we found: a terrorist threat as a gap in the teaching of obstetrics and midwifery; restricted availability of pharmacological agents for use by non-military midwives in event of a terrorist attack and/or a life-threatening mass disaster; lack of authorizations under a midwife license to perform PCD and /or PMCD.
Analysis of efficiency of biodiesel production in a laboratory scale using a Network Data Envelopment Analisys - DEA methodology
Authors: Lopes Rafaela Ferreira , Mello João Carlos Correa Baptista Soares de , Silva Ivenio Moreira da
Published: March 2019

This study aims to evaluate the biodiesel production performance in laboratorial scale, applying the Network Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model. This model allows to estimate the efficiency and volumes of different kind of oils used in tests. The input and output variables were obtained experimentally at the Laboratory of Post-Harvest Technology and Processing of Agricultural Products - LTPC of the Department of Engineering of the Federal Fluminense University. It was made an efficiency analysis in networks, separated in three stages. In the first stage, were used as inputs: oil, alcohol, catalysts and glycerol (undesirable output) in order to analyze the crude biodiesel production (first stage output). In the second stage, the intermediate product generated in the first stage, was used as input, in addition to acid and deionized water, having as output the washed biodiesel. And, in the third stage, the intermediate product generated in the second stage, washed biodiesel, was used as input, with the final product being the washed and filtered biodiesel. The results suggested that for the production stage, the first one, the smaller volumes were more efficient, but for the global stage the most efficient was the DMU Canola 200mL. The model presented scale returns and a raising scale factor, for all kinds of oil.
Unidad y diversidad en la Psicología
Authors: Mayor Juan
Published: March 2019

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Duración y ritmo en la "nouvelle" de entreguerras
Authors: Camero Pérez Carmen
Published: March 2019

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Historia de la Flora Mediterránea
Authors: Salvo Tierra Ángel Enrique
Published: March 2019

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Importancia de España en la conservación de la naturaleza europea
Authors: Tellería José Luis
Published: March 2019

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Reseñas
Authors: Bravo Nieto Antonio , Perpen Rueda Adoración , Moga Romero Vicente , Megías Aznar José
Published: March 2019

RESEÑA de : Bravo Nieto, Antonio; Sáez Cazorla, Jesús M. "Melilla en el siglo XVI a través de sus fortificaciones". Melilla : Ayuntamiento, Servicio de Publicaciones, 1988. RESEÑA de : Berenger Rodríguez, Juan. "Melilla la condiciada, los buscadores del pan : novela". Melilla : Ayuntamiento, 1989. RESEÑA de : Moga Romero, Vicente. "Catálogo sistemático de la Sección de Melilla de la Biblioteca Pública Municipal : año 1988". Melilla : Biblioteca Pública Municipal, 1989. RESEÑA de : Guzmán Almudena. "El libro de Tamar". Melilla : Ayuntamiento-UNED, 1989.
Costumbres religiosas de los judíos melillenses
Authors: Salafranca Ortega Jesús F.
Published: March 2019

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Filatelia e Historia : la Campaña de los sellos (1893-1894)
Authors: García Salama José Javier
Published: March 2019

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Gaudí el Tangerino. Un proyecto inédito : las misiones franciscanas de Marruecos
Authors: Akalay Nasser Mustafa
Published: March 2019

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Circadian disruption and divergent microbiota acquisition under extended photoperiod regimens in chicken
Authors: Hieke Anne-Sophie Charlotte , Hubert Shawna Marie , Athrey Giridhar
Published: March 2019

The gut microbiota is crucial for metabolic homeostasis, immunity, growth and overall health, and it is recognized that early-life microbiota acquisition is a pivotal event for later-life health. Recent studies show that gut microbiota diversity and functional activity are synchronized with the host circadian rhythms in healthy individuals, and circadian disruption elicits dysbiosis in mammalian models. However, no studies have determined the associations between circadian disruption in early life, microbiota colonization, and the consequences for microbiota structure in birds. Chickens, as a major source of protein around the world, are one of the most important agricultural species, and their gut and metabolic health are significant concerns. The poultry industry routinely employs extended photoperiods (>18 h light) as a management tool, and their impacts on the chicken circadian, its role in gut microbiota acquisition in early life (first 3 weeks of life), and consequences for later life microbiota structure remain unknown. In this study, the objectives were to (a) characterize circadian activity under two different light regimes in layer chicken (12/12 h′ Light/Dark (LD) and 23/1 h LD), (b) characterize gut microbiota acquisition and composition in the first 4 weeks of life, (c) determine if gut microbiota oscillate in synchrony with the host circadian rhythm, and (d) to determine if fecal microbiota is representative of cecal microbiota in early life. Expression of clock genes (clock,bmal1, andper2) was assayed, and fecal and cecal microbiotas were characterized using 16S rRNA gene amplicon analyses from birds raised under two photoperiod treatments. Chickens raised under 12/12 LD photoperiods exhibited rhythmic clock gene activity, which was absent in birds raised under the extended (23/1 LD) photoperiod. There was differential microbiota acquisition under different photoperiod regimes in newly hatched chicks. Gut microbiota members showed a similar oscillating pattern as the host, but this association was not as strong as found in mammals. Finally, the fecal microbiota was found to be not representative of cecal microbiota membership and structure in young birds. This is one of the first studies to demonstrate the use of photoperiods to modulate microbiota acquisition in newly hatched chicks, and show their potential as a tool to promote the colonization of beneficial microorganisms.
Economic Efficiency and Its Determinants: A Case Study of Cowpea Production in the Western Agricultural Zone of Nasarawa State, Nigeria
Authors: Kuzhkuzha M. D. , Girei A. A. , Umar H. S.
Published: March 2019

Most farmers in Nigeria, cowpea farmers inclusive, practice subsistence farming with low productivity and consequent inefficiencies. Cowpea related researches have however, focused more on the technical efficiency and the enterprise profitability with little or no research on economic efficiencies, particularly in the study area. It is consequent upon this gap that this study estimated the economic efficiency level and assessed the influencing factors among cowpea farmers in the western agricultural zone of Nasarawa state, Nigeria. A sample size of 160 cowpea farmers was selected using multi-stage sampling technique. The data used was collected for the 2017 farming season using structured questionnaire and was analysed using the data envelopment analysis (DEA) and tobit regression model. The study revealed that cowpea farmers in the study area operated on a small scale, at an average of 1.0 ha/farmer. Findings also indicated that, the mean technical (TE), allocative (AE) and economic efficiencies (EE) were:  0.31, 0.18 and 0.06 respectively. The implication of these results is that an average farmer in the study area has the scope for increasing TE by 69% in the short run under the existing technology.  An average farmer in the study area also has the scope of increasing their allocative and economic efficiencies by 82% and 94% respectively in the short run under the existing technology. The economic efficiency was only influenced significantly by the farm size. Education, farming experience, and extension visits were not significant determinants of the economic efficiency. The study recommends for  policies of government at all levels and those of all the stakeholders to discourage land fragmentation and promote efforts that encourage farmers to form strong cooperatives so that they can pool their resources together to increase their scale of operations and by so doing improve their cowpea production efficiency.
Comparative Assessment of Growth Performance and Nutrients Utilization of African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus, Burchell 1882) Fed Chicken Offal and Shrimp-Based Diets
Authors: Ayim Elvis Monfung , Ivon Ettah Akpang , Ajang Raymond Odey , Joseph Akaninyene Paul
Published: March 2019

A comparative study on the growth performance of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) fed shrimp based diet (SBD), chicken offal based diet (COBD) and coppens feed was carried-out for 22 weeks in concrete tanks measuring 3.5 x 1.7 x 1.5 m3. Triplicate groups of 40 juveniles with average length of 9.15 ± 0.17cm and weight of 20.00 ± 2.58g were stored in each tank. A total of 360 juveniles were used throughout the study. Fish were fed daily at 3% of their body weight through-out the duration of the experiment. The nutrient composition of the 3 nutrients differed significantly at p<0.05. Weight gain (WG) (g) was highest (17189.33 ± 506.61g) in fish fed diet A (Coppens feed), followed by 15045.33±202.42 g (diet B) (SBD) and least (14357.33 ± 108.25 g) (diet C) (COBD). The Growth rate (GR) was highest in fish fed with diet A (111.62 ± 3.29 g/day), followed by 97.69±1.31 g/day (diet B), and least (93.23±0.70 g/day) in diet C. Specific growth rate (SGR) was highest in juveniles fed diet A (2.02 ± 0.02 %/day), followed by 1.94±0.01 %/day for diet B, and least (1.91±0.01 %/day) for diet C. Mean growth rate (MGR) was highest in juveniles fed diet A (11.88 ± 0.29 mg/day), followed by 11.74±0.15 mg/day for diet B, and least (11.69±0.09 mg/day) in fish fed diet C. The WG, GR and SGR varied significantly between the juvenile fish group fed the 3 diets at p<0.05, while MGR did not vary significantly between fish group fed the 3 diets at p>0.05. Fish fed diet A had a higher feed consumption (FC) (41650.00 ± 315.34 g/kg), than that fed diet B (39034.24 ± 86.34 g/kg) and then diet C (38276.00 ± 342.97 g/kg). Juveniles fed Coppens feed did better, with a feed conversion ratio (FCR) of 2.42 ± 0.06, followed by 2.59±0.04 for diet B and 2.67 ± 0.03 for fish fed diet C. Feed conversion efficiency (FCE) was higher in fish fed diet A (41.26±0.94 %), followed by 38.54 ± 0.54 % (diet B) and least (37.52 ± 0.51 %) (diet C). The FC and FCR varied significantly between the fish fed the 3 diets at p<0.05, while FCE was not significantly different between the 3 treatment groups at p>0.05. The water parameters of the culture water varied significantly between each treatment groups (p<0.05), and were within the rage suitable for normal growth of fish. Though coppens feed yielded better growth performance and feed utilisation, the use of COBD and SBD is recommended for fish farmers in Nigeria. More researches should be carried out on using chicken offals and shrimps in fish feed formulation.
Screening, Production and Partial Characterization of a Thermostable Laccase from Trametes sp. Isolate B7 with Biotechnological Potentials
Authors: Ado Benjamin Vandelun , Amande Tivkaa Joseph , Ebah Esther E. , Mabitine Daniel Malo
Published: March 2019

The search for efficient and green oxidation technologies has increased interest in utilization of laccases in non conventional methods. Laccases catalyze a wide range of substrates due to low substrate specificity and strong oxidative potentials. Challenges to large-scale enzyme utilization include, low enzyme activity and instability which restrict use in many areas of biotechnology. In the study, 59 fungi comprising Aspergillus niger (40%), Trichoderma harzianum (31%), Aspergillus flavus (9.0%), Trichoderma viride (5.0%), Fusarium oxysporum (5.0%), Rhizopus stolonifer (5.0%), Trametes sp. (3.0%) and Aspergillus nidulans (2.0%) were isolated and screened for laccase production. Plate screening test showed 57.5%, 34.0% and 8.5% of fungi were laccase-positive on ABTS, Guaiacol, and α-naphthol agar respectively. Isolates were further screened in liquid cultures, and the highest laccase producer identified molecularly. Trametes sp isolate B7 was selected for solid state fermentation (SSF). Laccase production in SSF was highest at pH 5.0 (2356 U/mL). The purified laccase showed high activity (pH 3.0 - 6.0) and stability (pH 3.0 - 8.5) using ABTS. It was active (20 - 80°C) and thermostable (30 - 80°C) with optimum stability at 70°C (100% for 1 hour). The percentage decolourization of Phenol red were 28% and 36% using 1000 U/mL and 2000 U/mL crude laccases respectively. Similarly, RBBR (100%), Congo red (75%) and Malachite green (62%), and 77.4%, 64% and 28% were decolourized using 1000 U/mL and 2000 U/mL crude laccases respectively. ABTS agar was very reliable in large-scale screening for laccase which possessed thermostable property and degraded synthetic dyes without use of enzyme mediators. These attribute made the enzyme suitable for application in industry and biotechnology.