bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pakistan's trade performance and potential with ASEAN region: Recent trends and future opportunities
Authors: Kamal Muhammad Abdul , Shad Sakeena , Khan Saleem , Ullah Assad , Khan Khalid
Published: August 2020

Owing to declining export growth and escalating trade deficits in Pakistan, this study investigates the dynamics of comparative advantage, complementarity, and pinpoints potential export products in the ASEAN region. This study scrutinizes the trade dynamics between Pakistan and ASEAN over the period 2003–2016 by extracting International Trade Centre (ITC), trade map data. The analyses are based on the Trade intensity index, the Revealed comparative advantage index, Trade complementarity index, and trade potential method. The results show that Pakistan has the highest comparative advantage over ASEAN in chapters 03, 08, 41, 61, 62, and 63 at HS‐2 digit product‐level data. With Malaysia and Philippines, Pakistan's trade complementarity is stronger than Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The outcomes also suggest that there is a huge trade potential that exists between Pakistan and ASEAN member countries. These findings are useful for policy consideration in identifying product specialization for enhancing competitiveness and promoting economic growth.
Spectrum‐effect relationship between UPLC fingerprints and anti‐lung cancer effect of Panax ginseng
Authors: Zhou Xiaowei , Liu Haiyang , Zhang Mingyu , Li Chunyu , Li Guohui
Published: August 2020

Objectives

Lung cancer has the highest mortality rate among the various types of cancer. Panax ginseng (C. A. Mey). is a popular anti‐cancer herbal supplement. The quality control of ginseng is crucial to ensure its clinical efficacy. This study aimed to establish new quality control methods for ginseng and to identify its main active components responsible for lung cancer treatment.

Methods

Ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) was used to establish fingerprints of 18 batches of ginseng. CCK‐8 test was performed to evaluate the inhibitory activity of ginseng on Lewis lung cancer (LLC) cells. The spectrum‐effect relationship analysis of ginseng was assessed by canonical correlation analysis (CCA) and bioactivity validation.

Key findings

Six common peaks were identified and the variation coefficients were determined. The 18 batches of ginseng inhibited the proliferation of LLC cells to different degrees, showing different half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values. Spectrum‐effect relationship analysis showed that ginsenoside Ro is the main anti‐proliferative constituent of LLC cell.

Conclusions

Spectrum‐effect relationship is suitable for quality control of ginseng used for lung cancer. It is also effective in discovering the active ingredients related to the clinical efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine.
Actively bent concrete shells
Authors: Berger Johannes , Gericke Oliver , Feix Jürgen , Sobek Werner
Published: August 2020

Shells are impressive structures due to the high load‐bearing capacity they exhibit when appropriately designed. Their construction, however, is usually associated with great efforts. In this paper, a novel approach for shell‐construction is presented that circumvents the necessity for doubly curved formwork. Instead, shells are erected from flat plates to which an eccentric force is applied causing them to bend into a desired curved shape. The form‐activating forces are induced by coupling a system of tendons to a thin—thus flexible—plate made from reinforced concrete. This approach may seem controversial as concrete exhibits a small ultimate strain and a brittle failure behavior. Therefore, it does not appear suited for the large deformations expected during the construction of actively bent structures. The investigations presented in this paper show the suitability of textile‐reinforced concrete for the fabrication of actively bent shells.
Ethical Issues
Authors: Jamrozik Euzebiusz , Selgelid Michael J.
Published: August 2020

For members of the public, and perhaps many scientists and ethicists, who may be surprised to learn that HCS involving intentional infection (still) take place, the first ethical question may be whether intentionally infecting healthy volunteers as part of research is ever acceptable.
International Schools and Global Citizenship Education
Authors: Hughes Conrad
Published: August 2020

This chapter defines the construct of the international school by pointing out the somewhat contradictory nature of its ideological and administrative purpose. In analyzing the troublesome construct of the international school, emphasis is placed on the relationship such schools tend to have with their local communities, showing there is a gap between discourse and practice. This opens the debate on the construct of global citizenship and global citizenship education (GCE). The two tensions that run through all of these different notions (international school, global citizenship, GCE) are, on the one hand, tension between local and global affiliations and, on the other, tension between a human rights rhetoric dedicated to sustainability and privileged cosmopolitan elitism. The chapter concludes with examples and suggestions of international school curricular directions that have the potential to unify the local with the global, thereby reducing the distance between mission and reality.
Rethinking Global Citizenship Education: A Critical Perspective
Authors: Akkari Abdeljalil , Maleq Kathrine
Published: August 2020

In this concluding chapter, we first consider some common obstacles to achieving the implementation of global citizenship education (GCE) identified in the different national contexts presented in the book and reiterate how different contexts call for diverse designs and operating strategies. Second, we examine why GCE has become a highly contested concept, subject to multiple interpretations and in which a wide range of conceptions and objectives coexist. Third, we present considerations for implementing GCE in educational policies and suggest operationalizing GCE within three distinct fields: (a) education for sustainable development (ESD); (b) inter/multicultural education; (c) citizenship education. We argue that this strategy could help link these fields and broaden students’ understanding of the interconnections between issues related to citizenship, democracy, participation, identity, inter/multiculturalism, global issues and sustainable development. Finally, we synthetize current research on GCE and conclude by calling for more comparative and critical research to challenge GCE’s underlying assumption of the universality of Western paradigms and worldviews to embrace multiple ways of conceiving global citizenship.
Paraguayan Indigenous Peoples and the Challenge of Citizenship
Authors: Demelenne Dominique
Published: August 2020

We consider that citizenship education policies should be a product of a socially informed process where we must question whether it is possible to build a dialogue between cultures that do not share the same world-view. We must therefore reflect critically on what has resulted from the meeting of cultures in Latin America, and understand the fundamental knowledge of Indigenous Peoples which relates to their specific conceptualization of citizen education. This leads us to rethink the meaning of education, participation and the relationships between humans and the environment.

To better understand the issues and challenges of citizenship education in this context, this chapter will focus on the case of the Indigenous Peoples of Paraguay. To do so, we will outline Indigenous epistemologies and worldviews, and identify the challenges of a truly intercultural dialogue between different epistemologies. This will allow us to envision culturally relevant citizenship education for Indigenous Peoples.
Three Educational Approaches Responding to Globalization in Japan
Authors: Nakayama Aoi
Published: August 2020

There is a pervasive idea of Japan as an ethnically and culturally homogeneous nation despite the country being home to several ethnic minorities and increasing diversity brought about by internationalization and globalization. This chapter examines how educational policies respond to globalization and analyzes three fields of education: citizenship education in social studies, education for international understanding, and education for living together. As citizenship education is taught partly within the subject of social studies, its curriculum guidelines and textbooks are examined.

Education for international understanding was introduced just after Japan became a member of UNESCO in 1951 and emphasized the importance of education in a global society. As the number of foreign children increases, the importance of education for living together is progressively recognized among teachers and policymakers. This chapter analyzes these three approaches to education by identifying their contradictions and possible links. Whether the belief in a homogeneous national identity is transmitted through education will also be examined.
Correction to: Non-localised contact between beams with circular and elliptical cross-sections
Authors: Magliulo Marco , Lengiewicz Jakub , Zilian Andreas , Beex Lars A. A.
Published: August 2020

The article “Non-localised contact between beams with circular and elliptical cross-sections”, written by “Marco Magliulo, Jakub Lengiewicz, Andreas Zilian and Lars A. A. Beex”, was originally published Online First without open access. After publication in volume 65, issue 5, page 1247–1266 the authors decided to opt for Open Choice and to make the article an open access publication. Therefore, the copyright of the article has been changed to ©   The Author(s) 2020
Clostridium difficile auf der Intensivstation
Authors: Prechter Florian , Stallmach Andreas
Published: August 2020

Auf der Intensivstation ist die Clostridienenteritis mit einer Prävalenz von 1–2 % der Patienten eine nicht seltene Erkrankung, die den Behandler vor besondere Herausforderungen stellt. Für Europa liegen nur wenige belastbare Daten bezüglich Schweregrad und Therapie der Clostridium difficile Infektionen (CDI) bei Intensivpatienten vor; die Übertragbarkeit von Ergebnissen aus Studien mit anderen Patientenkollektiven ist teilweise problematisch. Auch die Empfehlungen zu Diagnostik und Therapie sind auf diese Patienten aufgrund der meist ausgeprägten Komorbiditäten oft nur mit Einschränkungen anwendbar. Zudem zeigt sich in letzter Zeit immer deutlicher, dass bei einem mit 10–20 % relevanten Teil aller Patienten eine asymptomatische Kolonisation mit C. difficile besteht, die in ihrer Relevanz für den Patienten und für die Übertragung im Krankenhaus bislang nicht gut verstanden ist. Unter Berücksichtigung der aktuellen Literatur geben wir einen Überblick über aktuelle Herausforderungen in Diagnostik und Verlaufsabschätzung, primäre Behandlungsoptionen sowie Behandlungsalternativen bei besonderen Problemen und Therapieversagen. Zudem gehen wir auf die Prävention von Neuerkrankungen auf der Intensivstation ein.
Optimizing Differentiated HIV Treatment Models in Urban Zimbabwe: Assessing Patient Preferences Using a Discrete Choice Experiment
Authors: Strauss Michael , George Gavin , Mantell Joanne E. , Mapingure Munyaradzi , Masvawure Tsitsi B. , Lamb Matthew R. , Zech Jennifer M. , Musuka Godfrey , Chingombe Innocent , Msukwa Martin , Boccanera Rodrigo , Gwanzura Clorata , Apollo Tsitsi , Rabkin Miriam
Published: August 2020

Differentiated service delivery holds great promise for streamlining the delivery of health services for HIV. This study used a discrete choice experiment to assess preferences for differentiated HIV treatment delivery model characteristics among 500 virally suppressed adults on antiretroviral therapy in Harare, Zimbabwe. Treatment model characteristics included location, consultation type, healthcare worker cadre, operation times, visit frequency and duration, and cost. A mixed effects logit model was used for parameter estimates to identify potential preference heterogeneity among participants, and interaction effects were estimated for sex and age as potential sources of divergence in preferences. Results indicated that participants preferred health facility-based services, less frequent visits, individual consultations, shorter waiting times, lower cost and, delivered by respectful and understanding healthcare workers. Some preference heterogeneity was found, particularly for location of service delivery and group vs. individual models; however, this was not fully explained by sex and age characteristics of participants. In urban areas, facility-based models, such as the Fast Track model requiring less frequent clinic visits, are likely to better align with patient preferences than some of the other community-based or group models that have been implemented. As Zimbabwe scales up differentiated treatment models for stable patients, a clear understanding of patient preferences can help in designing services that will ensure optimal utilization and improve the efficiency of service delivery.
A Social Mission is Not Enough: Reflecting the Normative Foundations of Social Entrepreneurship
Authors: Bruder Ignas
Published: August 2020

Social entrepreneurship is not just an objective description of a phenomenon; it also carries a positive normative connotation. However, the academic discourse barely reflects social entrepreneurship’s inherent normativity and often grounds it implicitly on the mission of a social enterprise. In this paper, we argue critically that it is insufficient to ground social entrepreneurship’s inherent normativity on a social mission. Instead, we will show how such a mission-centric conception of social entrepreneurship, when put into practice, is prone to enhance rather than diminish societal grievances. In order to give social entrepreneurship an explicit and sound ethical grounding, we draw on integrative economic ethics as a frame of reference. From this perspective, social entrepreneurship necessitates adherence to the discourse-ethically reasoned moral principle in order to live up to its inherent normative validity claim of good entrepreneurship. The consideration of social entrepreneurship practices is crucial to make this approach less vulnerable to ethical critique. The addition of a practice dimension overcomes the mission-centric view of social entrepreneurship and opens up a typology of enterprise forms, thereby enabling a more fine-grained distinction between social enterprises and other forms of organization.
Wasteful carotenoid coloration and its effects on territorial behavior in a cichlid fish
Authors: Ziegelbecker Angelika , Remele Klaus , Pfeifhofer Hartwig W. , Sefc Kristina M.
Published: August 2020

The famously diverse body coloration of cichlid fish serves communicative functions in mating and social interactions including competition for resources. Here, we examined the effects of a color pattern trait—the width of a yellow bar on a black body—on territorial competition in males and females of a color variant (“Ikola”) of the Lake Tanganyika cichlidTropheus. First, measuring integumentary carotenoid concentrations in the yellow and black body regions, we established that wider yellow bars require more carotenoids allocated to body coloration. However, we also detected high carotenoid concentrations in the black body regions (> 100 µg/g fresh skin), raising questions about the function of non-displayed integumentary carotenoids. Behavioral experiments showed that fish with wider bars were quicker to explore an unfamiliar area of the tank. In experiments including presentations of fish dummies, the bar width of ‘territorial’ dummies had no effect on the latency time which test fish took to intrude into the dummies’ territories. However, male test fish performed fewer aggressive acts against wide-barred than against narrow-barred dummy competitors. Our results suggest that intimidation by wide bars as well as correlations between bar width and explorative behavior may contribute to mediating success in territorialTropheus“Ikola”.
Automatic detection of venous air embolism using transesophageal echocardiography in patients undergoing neurological surgery in the semi-sitting position: a pilot study
Authors: Rau Tobias R. , Plaschke Konstanze , Weigand Markus A. , Maier Christoph , Schramm Christoph
Published: August 2020

Neurological surgery in the semi-sitting position is linked with a pronounced incidence of venous air embolism (VAE) which can be fatal and therefore requires continuous monitoring. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) provides a high sensitivity for the intraoperative detection of VAE; however, continuous monitoring with TEE requires constant vigilance by the anaesthesiologist, which cannot be ensured during the entire surgical procedure. We implemented a fully automatic VAE detection system for TEE based on a statistical model of the TEE images. In the sequence of images, the cyclic heart activity is regarded as a quasi-periodic process, and air bubbles are detected as statistical outliers. The VAE detection system was evaluated by means of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves using a data set consisting of 155.14 h of intraoperatively recorded TEE video and a manual classification of periods with visible VAE. Our automatic detection system accomplished an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.945 if all frames with visible VAE were considered as detection target, and an AUC of 0.990 if frames with the least severe optical grade of VAE were excluded from the analysis. Offline-review of the recorded TEE videos showed that short embolic events (≤ 2 min) may be overseen when monitoring TEE video manually. Automatic detection of VAE is feasible and could provide significant support to anaesthesiologists in clinical practice. Our proposed algorithm might possibly even offer a higher sensitivity compared to manual detection. The specificity, however, requires improvement to be acceptable for practical application. Trial Registration: German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00011607).
Modification of blood serum DSC profiles by sauna treatments in cross-country skiers during the exercise cycle
Authors: Duch Klaudia , Michnik Anna , Pokora Ilona , Sadowska-Krępa Ewa
Published: August 2020

The study has evaluated the effect of sauna treatments on the blood serum of professional cross-country skiers (3 women and 6 men) during two exercise sessions: the first without any treatments and the second after ten sauna treatments. Aqueous solutions of serum samples from the blood of athletes collected in four stages in both exercise sessions: at rest, after exercise, after 1 h and 24 h rest and additionally only at rest after the first sauna treatment, were measured by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). DSC results allowed to register characteristic post-exercise changes in the profile of thermal denaturation transition of serum. A trend of these changes was similar regardless of the use of sauna, but their intensity was stronger in the exercise session after the sauna treatments. In particular, the differences relating to the use of sauna have revealed in the higher temperature range of serum denaturation transition. Regarding the recovery process after exercises, a large individual variability was observed in both sessions.
Calcium entry units (CEUs): perspectives in skeletal muscle function and disease
Authors: Protasi Feliciano , Pietrangelo Laura , Boncompagni Simona
Published: August 2020

In the last decades the term Store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) has been used in the scientific literature to describe an ubiquitous cellular mechanism that allows recovery of calcium (Ca2+) from the extracellular space. SOCE is triggered by a reduction of Ca2+ content (i.e. depletion) in intracellular stores, i.e. endoplasmic or sarcoplasmic reticulum (ER and SR). In skeletal muscle the mechanism is primarily mediated by a physical interaction between stromal interaction molecule-1 (STIM1), a Ca2+ sensor located in the SR membrane, and ORAI1, a Ca2+-permeable channel of external membranes, located in transverse tubules (TTs), the invaginations of the plasma membrane (PM) deputed to propagation of action potentials. It is generally accepted that in skeletal muscle SOCE is important to limit muscle fatigue during repetitive stimulation. We recently discovered that exercise promotes the assembly of new intracellular junctions that contains colocalized STIM1 and ORAI1, and that the presence of these new junctions increases Ca2+ entry via ORAI1, while improving fatigue resistance during repetitive stimulation. Based on these findings we named these new junctions Ca2+ Entry Units (CEUs). CEUs are dynamic organelles that assemble during muscle activity and disassemble during recovery thanks to the plasticity of the SR (containing STIM1) and the elongation/retraction of TTs (bearing ORAI1). Interestingly, similar structures described as SR stacks were previously reported in different mouse models carrying mutations in proteins involved in Ca2+ handling (calsequestrin-null mice; triadin and junctin null mice, etc.) or associated to microtubules (MAP6 knockout mice). Mutations in Stim1 and Orai1 (and calsequestrin-1) genes have been associated to tubular aggregate myopathy (TAM), a muscular disease characterized by: (a) muscle pain, cramping, or weakness that begins in childhood and worsens over time, and (b) the presence of large accumulations of ordered SR tubes (tubular aggregates, TAs) that do not contain myofibrils, mitochondria, nor TTs. Interestingly, TAs are also present in fast twitch muscle fibers of ageing mice. Several important issues remain un-answered: (a) the molecular mechanisms and signals that trigger the remodeling of membranes and the functional activation of SOCE during exercise are unclear; and (b) how dysfunctional SOCE and/or mutations in Stim1, Orai1 and calsequestrin (Casq1) genes lead to the formation of tubular aggregates (TAs) in aging and disease deserve investigation.
Board monitoring efficiency and the value of conservative accounting
Authors: Gao Yanmin , Wagenhofer Alfred
Published: August 2020

This paper provides a theoretical explanation for the observation that firms with strong corporate governance exhibit more conservative accounting. We study one of a board’s most important decisions: to retain or replace the incumbent manager. The board uses accounting information and additional information from costly board monitoring. We show that if the accounting information is useful only for the replacement decision, then conservatism is harmful because it leads to too much replacement. If accounting information is relevant for the board’s decision whether to monitor, then conservatism is beneficial when the board is a sufficiently efficient monitor. We also provide several predictions for empirical tests.
Recent advances in periodic vibrations of the middle ear with a floating mass transducer
Authors: Rusinek Rafal , Weremczuk Andrzej
Published: August 2020

The paper investigates periodic solutions of a nonlinear model of the middle ear with a floating mass transducer. A multi degree of freedom model is used to obtain a solution near the first resonance. The model is solved analytically by means of the multiple time scales method. Next, the stability of obtained periodic solutions is analysed in order to identify the parameters of the floating mass transducer that affect the middle ear dynamics. Moreover, some parameters of the middle ear structure are investigated with respect to their impact on obtained periodic solutions.
Trapped in class? Material manifestations of poverty and prosperity in Alice Munro’s “Royal Beatings” and “The Beggar Maid”
Authors: Berndt Katrin
Published: August 2020

This article argues that material objects in Canadian writer Alice Munro’s short fiction both reflect socio-economic concerns of pre- and post-WWII Canadian society and complicate common conceptions of deprivation and material ambition. The analyses of “Royal Beatings” and “The Beggar Maid” demonstrate how Munro describes economic hardships, class anxieties, and social discrimination and distinction through items of material culture such as clothes, furniture, and paintings. These objects and their symbolic significance draw attention to the conflicts resulting from the interplay of her characters’ upbringings, loyalties, and their longings and aspirations.
On the nonlinear effects of the mean wind force on the galloping onset in shallow cables
Authors: Zulli Daniele , Piccardo Giuseppe , Luongo Angelo
Published: August 2020

The critical aeroelastic behavior of horizontal, suspended, and shallow cables is analyzed via a continuous model accounting for both external and internal damping. Quasi-steady aerodynamic forces are considered, including their stationary contribution (mean wind force). This latter induces a rotation of the cable (steady swing) around the line connecting the suspension points, together with a deformation of the initial equilibrium profile under self-weight. First, by using perturbation methods, the nontrivial equilibrium configuration is analytically determined as a nonlinear function of the wind velocity. Then, the wind critical values at which bifurcations take place and the corresponding modal shapes are determined by solving a boundary value problem in the complex field. Numerical investigations are carried out to validate the perturbation solution. A preliminary nonlinear galloping analysis is also performed to verify the galloping onset in terms of non-trivial equilibrium path and critical modes. The nonlinear terms related to the fundamental path, from which bifurcations take place, play a key role revealing new insights. They are able to heavily influence the system bifurcation, making unstable configurations which instead would be aerodynamically stable without considering the effect of the mean wind force.
The Lunar Lander Neutron and Dosimetry (LND) Experiment on Chang’E 4
Authors: Wimmer-Schweingruber Robert F. , Yu Jia , Böttcher Stephan I. , Zhang Shenyi , Burmeister Sönke , Lohf Henning , Guo Jingnan , Xu Zigong , Schuster Björn , Seimetz Lars , Freiherr von Forstner Johan L. , Ravanbakhsh Ali , Knierim Violetta , Kolbe Stefan , Woyciechowski Hauke , Kulkarni Shrinivasrao R. , Yuan Bin , Shen Guohong , Wang Chunqing , Chang Zheng , Berger Thomas , Hellweg Christine E. , Matthiä Daniel , Hou Donghui , Knappmann Alke , Büschel Charlotte , Hou Xufeng , Ren Baoguo , Fu Qiang
Published: August 2020

Chang’E 4 is the first mission to the far side of the Moon and consists of a lander, a rover, and a relay spacecraft. Lander and rover were launched at 18:23 UTC on December 7, 2018 and landed in the von Kármán crater at 02:26 UTC on January 3, 2019. Here we describe the Lunar Lander Neutron & Dosimetry experiment (LND) which is part of the Chang’E 4 Lander scientific payload. Its chief scientific goal is to obtain first active dosimetric measurements on the surface of the Moon. LND also provides observations of fast neutrons which are a result of the interaction of high-energy particle radiation with the lunar regolith and of their thermalized counterpart, thermal neutrons, which are a sensitive indicator of subsurface water content.
Anticoagulant treatment in COVID-19: a narrative review
Authors: Carfora Vincenzo , Spiniello Giorgio , Ricciolino Riccardo , Di Mauro Marco , Migliaccio Marco Giuseppe , Mottola Filiberto Fausto , Verde Nicoletta , Coppola Nicola ,   Vanvitelli COVID-19 group, Coppola Nicola , Sagnelli Caterina , De Pascalis Stefania , Stanzione Maria , Stornaiuolo Gianfranca , Cascone Angela , Martini Salvatore , Macera Margherita , Monari Caterina , Calò Federica , Bianco Andrea , Russo Antonio , Gentile Valeria , Camaioni Clarissa , De Angelis Giulia , Marino Giulia , Astorri Roberta , De Sio Ilario , Niosi Marco , Borrelli Serena , Celia Benito , Ceparano Maria , Cirillo Salvatore , De Luca Maria , Mazzeo Grazia , Paoli Giorgio , Russo Maria Giovanna , Carfora Vincenzo , Di Mauro Marco , Migliaccio Marco Giuseppe , Mottola Filiberto Fausto , Ricciolino Riccardo , Spiniello Giorgio , Verde Nicoletta
Published: August 2020

The actual Coronavirus Disease (COVID 19) pandemic is due to Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a member of the coronavirus family. Besides the respiratory involvement, COVID 19 patients frequently develop a pro-coagulative state caused by virus-induced endothelial dysfunction, cytokine storm and complement cascade hyperactivation. It is common to observe diffuse microvascular thrombi in multiple organs, mostly in pulmonary microvessels. Thrombotic risk seems to be directly related to disease severity and worsens patients’ prognosis. Therefore, the correct understanding of the mechanisms underlying COVID-19 induced prothrombotic state can lead to a thorough assessment of the possible management strategies. Hence, we review the pathogenesis and therapy of COVID 19-related thrombosis disease, focusing on the available evidence on the possible treatment strategies and proposing an algorithm for the anticoagulation strategy based on disease severity.
Potential of conservation agriculture modules for energy conservation and sustainability of rice-based production systems of Indo-Gangetic Plain region
Authors: Nandan Rajiv , Poonia Shish Pal , Singh Sati Shankar , Nath Chaitanya Prasad , Kumar Virender , Malik Ram Kanwar , McDonald Andrew , Hazra Kali Krishna
Published: August 2020

Rice-based cropping systems are the most energy-intensive production systems in South Asia. Sustainability of the rice-based cropping systems is nowadays questioned with declining natural resource base, soil degradation, environmental pollution, and declining factor productivity. As a consequence, the search for energy and resource conservation agro-techniques is increasing for sustainable and cleaner production. Conservation agriculture (CA) practices have been recommended for resource conservation, soil health restoration and sustaining crop productivity. The present study aimed to assess the different CA modules in rice-based cropping systems for energy conservation, energy productivity, and to define energy-economic relations. A field experiment consisted of four different tillage-based crop establishment practices (puddled-transplanted rice followed by (fb) conventional-till maize/wheat (CTTPR-CT), non-puddled transplanted ricefbzero-till maize/wheat (NPTPR-ZT), zero-till transplanted ricefbzero-till maize/wheat (ZTTPR-ZT), zero-till direct-seeded ricefbzero-till maize/wheat (ZTDSR-ZT)), with two residue management treatments (residue removal, residue retention) in rice–wheat and rice–maize rotations were evaluated for energy budgeting and energy-economic relations. Conservation-tillage treatments (NPTPR-ZT, ZTTPR-ZT, and ZTDSR-ZT) reduced the energy requirements over conventional tillage treatments, with the greater reduction in ZTTPR-ZT and ZTDSR-ZT treatments. Savings of energy in conservation-tillage treatments were attributed to reduced energy use in land preparation (69–100%) and irrigation (23–27%), which consumed a large amount of fuel energy. Conservation-tillage treatments increased grain and straw/stover yields of crops, eventually increased the output energy (6–16%), net energy (14–26%), energy ratio (25–33%), and energy productivity (23–34%) as compared with CTTPR-CT. For these energy parameters, the treatment order was ZTDSR-ZT ≥ ZTTPR-ZT > NPTPR-ZT > CTTPR-CT (p < 0.05). Crop residue retention reduced net energy, energy ratio, and energy productivity when compared with residue removal. Our results of energy-economic relations favored the “conservative hypothesis,” which envisages that energy and monetary investments are not essentially the determinants of crop productivity. Thus, zero tillage-based crop establishments (ZTTPR-ZT, ZTDSR-ZT) in rice-based production systems could be the sustainable alternative to conventional tillage-based agriculture (CTTPR-CT) as they conserved non-renewable energy sources, reduced water requirement, and increased crop productivity.
Family and species as determinants modulating mineral composition of selected wild-growing mushroom species
Authors: Mleczek Mirosław , Budka Anna , Kalač Pavel , Siwulski Marek , Niedzielski Przemysław
Published: August 2020

It has been known since the 1970s that differences exist in the profile of element content in wild-growing mushroom species, although knowledge of the role of mushroom species/families as determinants in the accumulation of diverse element remains limited. The aim of this study was to determine the content of 63 mineral elements, divided into six separate groups in the fruit bodies of 17 wild-growing mushroom species. The mushrooms, growing in widely ranging types of soil composition, were collected in Poland in 2018. Lepista nuda and Paralepista gilva contained not only the highest content of essential major (531 and 14,800 mg kg−1, respectively of Ca and P) and trace elements (425 and 66.3 mg kg−1, respectively of Fe and B) but also a high content of trace elements with a detrimental health effect (1.39 and 7.29 mg kg−1, respectively of Tl and Ba). A high content of several elements (Al, B, Ba, Bi, Ca, Er, Fe, Mg, Mo, P, Sc, Ti or V) in L. nuda, Lepista personata, P. gilva and/or Tricholoma equestre fruit bodies belonging to the Tricholomataceae family suggests that such species may be characterised by the most effective accumulation of selected major or trace elements. On the other hand, mushrooms belonging to the Agaricaceae family (Agaricus arvensis, Coprinus comatus and Macrolepiota procera) were characterised by significant differences in the content of all determined elements jointly, which suggests that a higher content of one or several elements is mushroom species-dependent.
A perceptually optimised bivariate visualisation scheme for high-dimensional fold-change data
Authors: Müller André , Lausser Ludwig , Wilhelm Adalbert , Ropinski Timo , Platzer Matthias , Neumann Heiko , Kestler Hans A.
Published: August 2020

Visualising data as diagrams using visual attributes such as colour, shape, size, and orientation is challenging. In particular, large data sets demand graphical display as an essential step in the analysis. In order to achieve comprehension often different attributes need to be displayed simultaneously. In this work a comprehensible bivariate, perceptually optimised visualisation scheme for high-dimensional data is proposed and evaluated. It can be used to show fold changes together with confidence values within a single diagram. The visualisation scheme consists of two parts: a uniform, symmetric, two-sided colour scale and a patch grid representation. Evaluation of uniformity and symmetry of the two-sided colour scale was performed in comparison to a standard RGB scale by twenty-five observers. Furthermore, the readability of the generated map was validated and compared to a bivariate heat map scheme.
Walking on Kendall’s Shape Space: Understanding Shape Spaces and Their Coordinate Systems
Authors: Klingenberg Christian Peter
Published: August 2020

More and more analyses of biological shapes are using the techniques of geometric morphometrics based on configurations of landmarks in two or three dimensions. A fundamental concept at the core of these analyses is Kendall’s shape space and local approximations to it by shape tangent spaces. Kendall’s shape space is complex because it is a curved surface and, for configurations with more than three landmarks, multidimensional. This paper uses the shape space for triangles, which is the surface of a sphere, to explore and visualize some properties of shape spaces and the respective tangent spaces. Considerations about the dimensionality of shape spaces are an important step in understanding them, and can offer a coordinate system that can translate between positions in the shape space and the corresponding landmark configurations and vice versa. By simulation studies “walking” along that are great circles around the shape space, each of them corresponding to the repeated application of a particular shape change, it is possible to grasp intuitively why shape spaces are curved and closed surfaces. From these considerations and the available information on shape spaces for configurations with more than three landmarks, the conclusion emerges that the approach using a tangent space approximation in general is valid for biological datasets. The quality of approximation depends on the scale of variation in the data, but existing analyses suggest this should be satisfactory to excellent in most empirical datasets.
On the Numerical Modelization of Moving Load Beam Problems by a Dedicated Parallel Computing FEM Implementation
Authors: Froio Diego , Verzeroli Luca , Ferrari Rosalba , Rizzi Egidio
Published: August 2020

The present work outlines an original numerical modelization approach for Moving Load (ML) beam problems, by a dedicated object-oriented C++ parallel computing FEM implementation, with the purposes of performing efficient numerical analyses resolving the complete dynamic response of beams under the effect of a high-velocity ML. Alongside, main framing state-of-the-art reviews are attempted, on the principal involved issues of: ML context and physical description, numerical FEM modelization, parallel computing implementation. Running ML example cases are explored, for a (long) finite beam on a (visco)elastic foundation and for a continuous beam of a historic railway iron bridge, with per se interesting engineering outcomes. The contribution may serve as a guideline paradigm to readers that may be novel to the treated topics, though motivated in adventuring in the computational challenges involved in the present mechanical research context.
State-of-the-Art and Comparative Review of Adaptive Sampling Methods for Kriging
Authors: Fuhg Jan N. , Fau Amélie , Nackenhorst Udo
Published: August 2020

Metamodels aim to approximate characteristics of functions or systems from the knowledge extracted on only a finite number of samples. In recent years kriging has emerged as a widely applied metamodeling technique for resource-intensive computational experiments. However its prediction quality is highly dependent on the size and distribution of the given training points. Hence, in order to build proficient kriging models with as few samples as possible adaptive sampling strategies have gained considerable attention. These techniques aim to find pertinent points in an iterative manner based on information extracted from the current metamodel. A review of adaptive schemes for kriging proposed in the literature is presented in this article. The objective is to provide the reader with an overview of the main principles of adaptive techniques, and insightful details to pertinently employ available tools depending on the application at hand. In this context commonly applied strategies are compared with regards to their characteristics and approximation capabilities. In light of these experiments, it is found that the success of a scheme depends on the features of a specific problem and the goal of the analysis. In order to facilitate the entry into adaptive sampling a guide is provided. All experiments described herein are replicable using a provided open source toolbox.
Integrated reservoir characterization and quality analysis of the carbonate rock types, case study, southern Iraq
Authors: Al-Jawad Sameer Noori Ali , Ahmed Muhammad Abd , Saleh Afrah Hassan
Published: August 2020

The reservoir characterization and rock typing is a significant tool in performance and prediction of the reservoirs and understanding reservoir architecture, the present work is reservoir characterization and quality Analysis of Carbonate Rock-Types, Yamama carbonate reservoir within southern Iraq has been chosen. Yamama Formation has been affected by different digenesis processes, which impacted on the reservoir quality, where high positively affected were: dissolution and fractures have been improving porosity and permeability, and destructive affected were cementation and compaction, destroyed the porosity and permeability. Depositional reservoir rock types characterization has been identified depended on thin section analysis, where six main types of microfacies have been recognized were: packstone-grainstone, packstone, wackestone-packstone, wackestone, mudstone-wackestone, and mudstone. By using flow zone indicator, four groups have been defined within Yamama Formation, where the first type (FZI-1) represents the bad quality of the reservoir, the second type (FZI-2) is characterized by the intermediate quality of the reservoir, third type (FZI-3) is characterized by good reservoir quality, and the fourth type (FZI-4) is characterized by good reservoir quality. Six different rock types were identified by using cluster analysis technique, Rock type-1 represents the very good type and characterized by low water Saturation and high porosity, Rock type-2 represents the good rock type and characterized by low water saturation and medium–high porosity, Rock type-3 represents intermediate to good rock type and characterized by low-medium water saturation and medium porosity, Rock type-4 represents the intermediate rock type and characterized by medium water saturation and low–medium porosity, Rock type-5 represents intermediate to bad rock type and characterized by medium–high water saturation and medium–low porosity, and Rock type-6 represents bad rock type and characterized by high water saturation and low porosity. By using Lucia Rock class typing method, three types of rock type classes have been recognized, the first group is Grain-dominated Fabrics—grainstone, which represents a very good rock quality corresponds with (FZI-4) and classified as packstone-grainstone, the second group is Grain-dominated Fabrics—packstone, which corresponds with (FZI-3) and classified as packstone microfacies, the third group is Mud-dominated Fabrics—packstone, packstone, correspond with (FZI-1 and FZI-2) and classified as wackestone, mudstone-wackestone, and mudstone microfacies.
Rate of convergence of exponential type operators related to $$p\left( x\right) =2x^{3/2}$$ for functions of bounded variation
Authors: Abel Ulrich , Gupta Vijay
Published: August 2020

The present article deals with the approximation of certain exponential type operators defined by Ismail and May. We estimate the rate of convergence of these operators for functions of bounded variation.
Learner handover: Perspectives and recommendations from the front-line
Authors: Gumuchian Stephanie T. , Pal Nicole E. , Young Meredith , Danoff Deborah , Plotnick Laurie H. , Cummings Beth-Ann , Gomez-Garibello Carlos , Dory Valérie
Published: August 2020

Introduction Current medical education models increasingly rely on longitudinal assessments to document learner progress over time. This longitudinal focus has re-kindled discussion regarding learner handover—where assessments are shared across supervisors, rotations, and educational phases, to support learner growth and ease transitions. The authors explored the opinions of, experiences with, and recommendations for successful implementation of learner handover among clinical supervisors.

Methods Clinical supervisors from five postgraduate medical education programs at one institution completed an online questionnaire exploring their views regarding learner handover, specifically: potential benefits, risks, and suggestions for implementation. Survey items included open-ended and numerical responses. The authors used an inductive content analysis approach to analyze the open-ended questionnaire responses, and descriptive and correlational analyses for numerical data.

Results Seventy-two participants completed the questionnaire. Their perspectives varied widely. Suggested benefits of learner handover included tailored learning, improved assessments, and enhanced patient safety. The main reported risk was the potential for learner handover to bias supervisors’ perceptions of learners, thereby affecting the validity of future assessments and influencing the learner’s educational opportunities and well-being. Participants’ suggestions for implementation focused on who should be involved, when and for whom it should occur, and the content that should be shared.

Discussion The diverse opinions of, and recommendations for, learner handover highlight the necessity for handover to maximize learning potential while minimizing potential harms. Supervisors’ suggestions for handover implementation reveal tensions between assessment-of and for-learning.
Moving within and beyond illegal crustacean fishery: why do Indonesian fishermen not comply with the crustacean catch ban rule?
Authors: Saputra Merdeka Agus
Published: August 2020

Illegal wild capture fisheries undermine crustacean (e.g., crabs, lobsters, and swimming crabs) stock and their habitats. In a search for a new approach to the fisheries issues, this paper aims to explain why the illegal fishing for crustacean species still exists in Indonesia. It focuses on analyzing a set of practices in crustacean production and consumption. Banyuwangi (Indonesia) was the case study area of the conducted fieldwork. The method applied semi-structured interviews and participant observation. The design of research enabled the researcher to study daily fishing, purchasing, and processing. These practices determined the exploitation of crustacean species in the sea. This paper shows that the current fishing, purchasing, and processing of crabs, swimming crabs, and lobsters played a vital role in constructing the habit of illegal fishing. When the catch prohibition rules heavily focused on the wild capture fisheries in the sea, the local intermediaries and processors innovated their purchasing and processing to obtain crustacean species incessantly. Such an innovation was in response to the crustacean scarcity problems. (1) In swimming crab mini-plants, processors diversified their processed swimming crab products. The crab product diversification allowed them to process swimming crabs in all sizes. (2) The local intermediaries gave fishermen binding loans. Fishermen paid back the loans by supplying the crustacean species to the loan givers. (3) The existence of processing and purchasing stimulated fishermen to harvest every last crustacean species. Even though such crustacean fishing was illegal, it contributed to the livelihoods of fishermen, local intermediaries, and processors. This paper makes a research contribution to the use of social practice theory in fisheries issues. It gives a novel research approach to the habit of illegal fishing problems.