bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A política educacional brasileira no contexto do regime de austeridade fiscal
Authors: Fernandes Maria Dilnéia Síndola , Pereira Eduardo Tadeu , Bezerra Maria do Socorro Sales Felipe
Published: March 2021

O objetivo do artigo é apresentar os principais efeitos da Emenda Constitucional n. 95/2016 para a educação brasileira. A emenda foi aprovada logo após um processo de impeachment, com o imperativo de promoção de austeridade fiscal nos gastos públicos pelo Estado. Destacaram-se os limites impostos pelo teto desses gastos públicos, que comprometem o desenvolvimento das políticas educacionais. Trabalhou-se com a emenda em questão, a legislação educacional e documentos produzidos pelo Estado e pela sociedade civil organizada. Constatou-se que as ações do Estado, desde a aprovação da emenda, vêm restringindo o direito à educação, seja pela retirada do fundo público em seu financiamento, seja pela opção do plano político-ideológico de processos privatizantes para as políticas educacionais.
Financiamento da educação básica de qualidade
Authors: Oliveira Nerivaldo Lopes de , Carvalho Fabrício Aarão Freire
Published: March 2021

O artigo objetiva fazer uma análise da trajetória de avanços e retrocessos na legislação educacional brasileira até a aprovação da Emenda Constitucional nº 108/2020. Utilizando pesquisa de base documental e bibliográfica aborda a evolução das garantias legais que sustentam o direito à educação de qualidade; a política de fundos para o financiamento e sua incapacidade em corrigir as desigualdades na oferta do ensino; as conquistas trazidas pelo PNE e os retrocessos da EC nº 95/2016 que o inviabilizaram e, por fim, trata a conquista da EC nº 108/2020 tornando permanente o FUNDEB e constitucionalizando o CAQ. Conclui apontando para a necessidade de mobilização social que garanta um processo de regulamentação do FUNDEB e do CAQ que consiga dar concretude a qualidade da educação.
A política de fundos e seus efeitos na municipalização do Ensino Fundamental
Authors: Silva Magna Jovita de Sales e , Sales Luís Carlos Sales
Published: March 2021

Este artigo analisa os efeitos da política de fundos no processo de municipalização do ensino fundamental no estado do Piauí entre 1997 e 2019. Tomou-se como ponto de partida o novo financiamento da educação pública no Brasil (Fundef/Fundeb). Conforme dados disponibilizados no site do Inep, ficou evidenciado que o processo de municipalização não ocorreu somente nos anos iniciais do ensino fundamental, mas veio a se configurar fortemente nos anos finais deste. As razões das peculiaridades da municipalização das matrículas do ensino fundamental no Piauí e os contextos econômicos e políticos, por não terem sido objeto deste artigo, ficarão como objeto de futuras pesquisas.
Entrevista
Authors: França Magna , Valente Lucia de Fatima
Published: March 2021

A presente entrevista aborda a questão do financiamento da educação básica no Brasil. A relevante experiência da entrevistada nesse campo do saber traz elementos que possibilitam a compreensão da temática no que se refere à relação financiamento, qualidade e avaliação; ao novo regime fiscal instituído pela EC 95/2016; à redução dos investimentos em educação no contexto da Pandemia da Covid-19; às políticas de fundos; às inovações que o denominado Fundeb permanente apresentam. Aponta, ainda, as principais pautas para as associações acadêmicas e entidades da sociedade civil, especialmente a Fineduca, na luta em prol do financiamento da educação que garanta, de fato, o direito à educação.
Research Productivity of Sri Lankan Universities in the International Ranking Systems and Mandatory Contribution of Librarians
Authors: Wijetunge Pradeepa
Published: March 2021

The objective of this study is to investigate the research productivity of the Sri Lankan state universities depicted in reputed international university ranking systems during 2015-2020 and to identify the areas that can be used to develop the research productivity of the state universities. Research–related scores of the Sri Lankan state universities from 2015-2020 in four ranking systems (THE, QS, SIR, and URAP) were analysed. The study established that the research productivity, impact, and collaboration are the major aspects considered by the ranking systems. Only a few universities are ranked and the scores have a considerable scope to be improved. Several recommendations are made on how the university librarians can support the improvement of research-related related rankings. This is the first study on research productivity scores of Sri Lankan state universities based on international ranking systems. Hence the findings will be useful for the university policymakers in Sri Lanka as well in other countries with similar educational contexts.
Revisiting Ranking of Academic Institutions
Authors: Nassa Anil Kumar , Arora Jagdish
Published: March 2021

The article provides an overview of ranking systems including its historical evolution, use of rankings by different stakeholders, ranking indicators, merits and demerits of different ranking systems and performance of Indian universities in in past one decade in global ranking systems. The article briefly describes nine global ranking systems and compares them based on weightage assigned to different categories of indicators and source of data used for ranking of HEIs. Lastly, article provides statistical inter-correlation amongst various ranking systems as well as intra-correlation within ranking systems at interval of five years (2011:2015; and 2016:2020) and 10 years (2011-2020).
Five Years of India Rankings and its Impact on Performance Parameters of Engineering Educational Institutions in India Pt1 Teaching Learning and Resources Graduate Outcome Outreach and Inclusivity and Perception
Authors: Nassa Anil Kumar , Arora Jagdish , Singh Priyanka , Joorel J P Singh , Solanki Hiteshkumar , Kumar Abhishek , Trivedi Kruti
Published: March 2021

This article analyses data on five years of India rankings to assess its impact on performance parameters of institutions of higher education on four (out of five) broad categories of parameters, namely i) Teaching, Learningand Resources; ii) Graduation Outcome; iii) Outreach and Inclusivity; and iv) Perception. The analysis on data onfour years of India Rankings, i.e. 2017 to 2020 on various performance parameters of HEIs in engineering discipline provides an interesting insight and reveals that participating institutions are making strenuous effort to improve their performance on various parameters or sub-parameters identified under NIRF. The analyses reflect that performance of  remaining  eligible  institutions  has  improved  on  most  of  the  ranking  parameters  in  comparison  to  the100  top-ranked  institutions  over  a  period  of  four  years  of  ranking,  i.e.  from  2017-2020.
Ranking of Indian Research Intensive Higher Education Institutions using Multiple Ranking Methodologies a Correlation Analysis
Authors: Singh Priyanka , Joorel J P Singh , Solanki Hiteshkumar , Kumar Abhishek , Trivedi Kruti
Published: March 2021

This article ranks the same set of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in India using four different ranking methodologies, namely, i) NIRF (Overall): used for Overall category of India Rankings; ii) NIRF (Only Research and Professional Practices parameters); iii) Research Ranking Methodology; a new methodology evolved for ranking of research-intensive institutions under NIRF; and vi) IFQ2A index developed by Spanish group of scientists. The four sets of ranked institutions were obtained using methodologies mentioned above and correlation analysis was carried out on these four sets using Pearson Bivariate Correlation. It was found that a very strong and positive correlation exists between ranking of HEIs using new methodology (R2M) evolved for ranking of research-intensive institutions and ranking by HEIs using IFQ2A Index.
Fatores críticos de sucesso do ecossistema de inovação: uma meta-síntese sobre a participação de universidades
Authors: Librelato Tatiane Pereira , Lacerda Daniel Pacheco
Published: March 2021

Há vários atores que participam de um ecossistema de inovação, entre eles as Universidades empreendedoras (YAGHMAIE; VANHAVERBEKE, 2019). Entretanto, os modelos de implementação da universidade empreendedora são incompletos e na literatura há poucos esforços que buscam mapear e planejar as demandas para que universidade se torne parte de um ecossistema de inovação. (DE MOURA et al., 2019). Diante deste contexto, esta pesquisa se propõe a identificar quais são os fatores críticos de sucesso para implementação da universidade empreendedora na visão da comunidade científica brasileira. A partir de uma revisão sistemática da literatura, foi conduzida uma meta-síntese qualitativa sobre universidades no contexto dos ecossistemas de inovação por meio do Literature Grounded Theory (LGT). Além do mapeamento da literatura, os resultados identificam os fatores críticos de sucesso para participação de universidades em ecossistemas de inovação. Tais fatores tem em sua origem relações de causa e efeito que puderam ser descobertas por meio da identificação de regras de associação entre os estudos analisados, o que até então, não havia sido mapeado na literatura. A partir desta análise as universidades podem identificar as demandas e planejar as ações estratégicas para criação, inserção ou adequação, bem como rever seu modelo de atuação em ecossistemas de inovação.
Análise multivariada de componentes principais e modelo multicritério aplicados à decisão de localização de empresa
Authors: Dantas Régis Façanha
Published: March 2021

Dentre os fatores de sucesso de uma empresa, a escolha da localização é preponderante, sendo uma das decisões relevantes do empreendedor, tendo cada empresa, de acordo com seu negócio e especificidades, sua demanda potencial. Neste artigo, busca-se dispor de um instrumento para tomada de decisão para locação ótima de empresas com uso da análise multivariada de componentes principais aplicada com método multicritério de otimização. O modelo foi estruturado com a criação de um índice multidimensional, o Índice de Localização Ótima de Empresas – ILOE, através da Análise dos Componentes Principais. A cidade de Fortaleza foi usada para averiguação empírica, representando a complexidade da economia típica dos centros urbanos brasileiros. Deste modo, propõe-se um framework para a decisão do problema de decisão da localização de empresa de varejo, baseado em um conjunto de critérios qualitativos e quantitativos. É um método híbrido de apoio à decisão que combina técnicas do modelo MAUT (Multi-Attribute Utility) com Análise de Componentes Principais, composta de dimensões socioeconômicas presentes no espaço urbano. As evidências empíricas foram verificadas a partir da análise espacial e a congruência da localização de empresas de serviços e comércio atual com o ILOE, num processo de decisão cujas preferências dos decisores foram reveladas.
TeachMeets: continuing professional development for teachers by
teachers
Authors: Basnett Jane
Published: March 2021

What is it? A TeachMeet (TM) is a form of free Continuing Professional
Development (CPD) that originated in 2006 in Scotland, and has since been
known under many guises; guerrilla CPD, unconference, and bottom-up CPD. The
forefather of this form of CPD is educational consultant Ewan McIntosh, who
originated these meetings for those educators in primary and secondary
schools who wanted to share ideas and talk expressly about teaching. From
the very first TM, which took place on the peripheries of an educational
conference, there have been certain characteristics that define this
teacher-led CPD. The by-line for a TM is ‘teachers sharing ideas with
teachers’. As this strapline suggests, the presenters at a TM are also the
attendees; they are there to learn from each other at a utilitarian meeting.
The presentations, often described as micro or nano presentations, are
short, and there is ‘break-out time’ when attendees can get together, learn
more from each other, and share and develop ideas. Indeed, as Bennett (2012)
suggests “the value of a conference is not the keynotes or even the
workshops, but the conversations that happen in the corridor or over coffee”
(p. 24).
Sytuacje przestrzenne literatury
Authors: Rosiński Cezary
Published: March 2021

Artykuł omawia kategorię sytuacji przestrzennej – ufundowanego na pojęciu uważności specyficznego doświadczenia podmiotu ludzkiego, który znajduje się w konkretnej lokalizacji geograficznej, współdzieli to usytuowanie z miejscem kumulującym heterochronię i zostaje wystawiony na sprawstwo materii. Termin rozpatrywany jest na podstawie heterotopii Michela Foucaulta, powrotu do materialności Bjørnara Olsena oraz kultury znaczenia i kultury obecności Hansa Ulricha Gumbrechta.
Co umożliwia księgozbiór filologa? Przypadek Stefana Szymutki
Authors: Żurek Łukasz
Published: March 2021

W pierwszej części artykułu badacz wykazuje, że biblioteki prywatne humanistów (w tym również badaczy literatury) wciąż nie stały się pełnoprawnym przedmiotem badań, oraz tłumaczy przyczyny takiego stanu rzeczy. Druga część artykułu to studium przypadku księgozbioru Stefana Szymutki, w którym przez analizę odnalezionych na marginesach książek zapisków, podkreśleń oraz fiszek z notatkami autor udowadnia, że różnego rodzaju przed-teksty czy „fakty miękkie” pozwalają znacząco poszerzyć wiedzę na temat literacko-naukowej działalności Szymutki.
Twórczość Józefa Wittlina – perspektywy krytycznogenetyczne
Authors: Wcisło Maciej
Published: March 2021

Przedmiotem niniejszego artykułu jest analiza czterech odsłon utworu Przedśpiew, tekstu otwierającego tom poezji Józefa Wittlina zatytułowany Hymny. Na przykładzie tego tekstu autor wskazuje na znaczące zmiany w obrębie poszczególnych wydań poezji, a dzięki temu na potencjał badawczy, jaki oferuje ich opis. Jest to zarazem postulat opracowania wydania Hymnów zgodnie z regułami genetyki druków. Możliwości zastosowania krytyki genetycznej w stosunku do Józefa Wittlina pokazuje również symptomatyczny przykład fragmentu rękopisu powieści Sól ziemi. Kwestie te stanowią zapowiedź dalszych badań krytycznogenetycznych i wstęp do nich.
Obraz kobiety włoskiej w literaturze XIX wieku i jego realizacja w Półdiablęciu weneckim Józefa Ignacego Kraszewskiego
Authors: Bartnikowska-Biernat Magdalena
Published: March 2021

The type of la donna Italiana, the statuesque woman with dark hair, light skin and large, black, hypnotic eyes was popularized among the European men of letters in the nineteenth century. This stereotype had already been solidified in eighteenth-century Italian phraseology, but it was later brought into general use by Madame de Staël and George Byron. The Italian poet of the late nineteenth century, Annetta Ceccoli Boneschi, gathered and described the most distinctive features of the female citizens of different regions of Italy used by foreign writers to create their heroines. Among others, the Venetians were supposed to be the most beautiful and seductive women, with their soft accent and smouldering gaze. In Poland, this type of heroine appeared in Józef Ignacy Kraszewski’s novel The Half-Demon of Venice, which is the main focus of this article. The creation of an Italian donna in this romance uses the stereotypes formed during the nineteenth century, but it also uses the individual observations made by Kraszewski himself during his tour through Italy.
Fatty acid amide hydrolase binding is inversely correlated with amygdalar functional connectivity: a combined positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging study in healthy individuals
Authors: Green Duncan G.J. , Kim Jinhee , Kish Stephen J. , Tyndale Rachel F. , Hill Matthew N. , Strafella Antonio P. , Tong Junchao , McCluskey Tina , Westwood Duncan J. , Houle Sylvain , Lobaugh Nancy J. , Boileau Isabelle
Published: March 2021

Background: Upregulation of the endocannabinoid enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) has been linked to abnormal activity in frontoamygdalar circuits, a hallmark of posttraumatic stress disorder. We tested the hypothesis that FAAH levels in the amygdala were negatively correlated with functional connectivity between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex, subserving stress and affect control. Methods: Thirty-one healthy participants completed positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with the FAAH probe [C-11]CURB, and resting-state functional MRI scans. Participants were genotyped for the FAAH polymorphism rs324420, and trait neuroticism was assessed. We calculated amygdala functional connectivity using predetermined regions of interest (including the subgenual ventromedial prefrontal cortex [sgvmPFC] and the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex [dACC]) and a seed-to-voxel approach. We conducted correlation analyses on functional connectivity, with amygdala [C-11]CURB binding as a variable of interest. Results: The strength of amygdala functional connectivity with the sgvmPFC and dACC was negatively correlated with [C-11]CURB binding in the amygdala (sgvmPFC: r = −0.38, q = 0.04; dACC: r = –0.44; q = 0.03). Findings were partly replicated using the seed-to-voxel approach, which showed a cluster in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, including voxels in the dACC but not the sgvmPFC (cluster-level, family-wise error rate corrected p < 0.05). Limitations: We did not replicate earlier findings of a relationship between an FAAH polymorphism (rs324420) and amygdala functional connectivity. Conclusion: Our data provide preliminary evidence that lower levels of FAAH in the amygdala relate to increased frontoamygdalar functional coupling. Our findings were consistent with the role of FAAH in regulating brain circuits that underlie fear and emotion processing in humans.
A linkage and exome study of multiplex families with bipolar disorder implicates rare coding variants of ANK3 and additional rare alleles at 10q11-q21
Authors: Toma Claudio , Shaw Alex D. , Heath Anna , Pierce Kerrie D. , Mitchell Philip B. , Schofield Peter R. , Fullerton Janice M.
Published: March 2021

Background: Bipolar disorder is a highly heritable psychiatric condition for which specific genetic factors remain largely unknown. In the present study, we used combined whole-exome sequencing and linkage analysis to identify risk loci and dissect the contribution of common and rare variants in families with a high density of illness. Methods: Overall, 117 participants from 15 Australian extended families with bipolar disorder (72 with affective disorder, including 50 with bipolar disorder type I or II, 13 with schizoaffective disorder–manic type and 9 with recurrent unipolar disorder) underwent whole-exome sequencing. We performed genome-wide linkage analysis using MERLIN and conditional linkage analysis using LAMP. We assessed the contribution of potentially functional rare variants using a genebased segregation test. Results: We identified a significant linkage peak on chromosome 10q11-q21 (maximal single nucleotide polymorphism = rs10761725; exponential logarithm of the odds [LODexp] = 3.03; empirical p = 0.046). The linkage interval spanned 36 protein-coding genes, including a gene associated with bipolar disorder, ankyrin 3 (ANK3). Conditional linkage analysis showed that common ANK3 risk variants previously identified in genome-wide association studies — or variants in linkage disequilibrium with those variants — did not explain the linkage signal (rs10994397 LOD = 0.63; rs9804190 LOD = 0.04). A family-based segregation test with 34 rare variants from 14 genes under the linkage interval suggested rare variant contributions of 3 brain-expressed genes: NRBF2 (p = 0.005), PCDH15 (p = 0.002) and ANK3 (p = 0.014). Limitations: We did not examine non-coding variants, but they may explain the remaining linkage signal. Conclusion: Combining family-based linkage analysis with next-generation sequencing data is effective for identifying putative disease genes and specific risk variants in complex disorders. We identified rare missense variants in ANK3, PCDH15 and NRBF2 that could confer disease risk, providing valuable targets for functional characterization.
Measure Data Problems for a Class of Elliptic Equations with Mixed Absorption-Reaction
Authors: Bidaut-Véron Marie-Françoise , Garcia-Huidobro Marta , Véron Laurent
Published: March 2021

In the present paper, we study the existence of nonnegative solutions to the Dirichlet problem

ℒ

p
,
q

M

⁢
u

:=

-

Δ
⁢
u

+

u
p

-

M
⁢

|

∇
⁡
u

|

q

=
μ

{{\mathcal{L}}^{{M}}_{p,q}u:=-\Delta u+u^{p}-M|\nabla u|^{q}=\mu}

in a domain

Ω
⊂

ℝ
N

{\Omega\subset\mathbb{R}^{N}}

where μ is a nonnegative Radon measure, when

p
>
1

{p>1}

,

q
>
1

{q>1}

and

M
≥
0

{M\geq 0}

. We also give conditions under which nonnegative solutions of

ℒ

p
,
q

M

⁢
u

=
0

{{\mathcal{L}}^{{M}}_{p,q}u=0}

in

Ω
∖
K

{\Omega\setminus K}

, where K is a compact subset of Ω, can be extended as a solution of the same equation in Ω.
Performance specifications for measurement uncertainty of common biochemical measurands according to Milan models
Authors: Braga Federica , Panteghini Mauro
Published: March 2021

Objectives

Definition and fullfillment of analytical performance specifications (APS) for measurement uncertainty (MU) allow to make laboratory determinations clinically usable. The 2014 Milan Strategic Conference have proposed models to objectively derive APS based on: (a) the effect of analytical performance on clinical outcome; (b) biological variation components; and (3) the state of the art of the measurement, defined as the highest level of analytical performance technically achievable. Using these models appropriately, we present here a proposal for defining APS for standard MU for some common biochemical measurands.

Methods

We allocated a group of 13 measurands selected among the most commonly laboratory requested tests to each of the three Milan models on the basis of their biological and clinical characteristics. Both minimum and desirable levels of quality of APS for standard MU of clinical samples were defined by using information obtained from available studies.

Results

Blood total hemoglobin, plasma glucose, blood glycated hemoglobin, and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 were allocated to the model 1 and the corresponding desirable APS were 2.80, 2.00, 3.00, and 10.0%, respectively. Plasma potassium, sodium, chloride, total calcium, alanine aminotransferase, creatinine, urea, and total bilirubin were allocated to the model 2 and the corresponding desirable APS were 1.96, 0.27, 0.49, 0.91, 4.65, 2.20, 7.05, and 10.5%, respectively. For C-reactive protein, allocated to the model 3, a desirable MU of 3.76% was defined.

Conclusions

APS for MU of clinical samples derived in this study are essential to objectively evaluate the reliability of results provided by medical laboratories.
Modifying the network-based stochastic SEIR model to account for quarantine: an application to COVID-19
Authors: Groendyke Chris , Combs Adam
Published: March 2021

Objectives:Diseases such as SARS-CoV-2 have novel features that require modifications to the standard network-based stochastic SEIR model. In particular, we introduce modifications to this model to account for the potential changes in behavior patterns of individuals upon becoming symptomatic, as well as the tendency of a substantial proportion of those infected to remain asymptomatic.

Methods:Using a generic network model where every potential contact exists with the same common probability, we conduct a simulation study in which we vary four key model parameters (transmission rate, probability of remaining asymptomatic, and the mean lengths of time spent in the exposed and infectious disease states) and examine the resulting impacts on various metrics of epidemic severity, including the effective reproduction number. We then consider the effects of a more complex network model.

Results:We find that the mean length of time spent in the infectious state and the transmission rate are the most important model parameters, while the mean length of time spent in the exposed state and the probability of remaining asymptomatic are less important. We also find that the network structure has a significant impact on the dynamics of the disease spread.

Conclusions:In this article, we present a modification to the network-based stochastic SEIR epidemic model which allows for modifications to the underlying contact network to account for the effects of quarantine. We also discuss the changes needed to the model to incorporate situations where some proportion of the individuals who are infected remain asymptomatic throughout the course of the disease.
You’re Fired! Donald Trump and the 2020 Congressional Elections
Authors: Carson Jamie L. , Hardin Spencer , Hitefield Aaron A.
Published: March 2021

The 2020 elections brought to an end one of the most divisive and historic campaigns in the modern era. Former Vice President Joe Biden was elected the 46th President of the United States with the largest number of votes ever cast in a presidential election, defeating incumbent President Donald Trump in the process. The record turnout was especially remarkable in light of the ongoing pandemic surrounding COVID-19 and the roughly 236,000 Americans who had died of the virus prior to the election. This article examines the electoral context of the 2020 elections focusing on elections in both the House and Senate. More specifically, this article examines the candidates, electoral conditions, trends, and outcomes in the primaries as well as the general election. In doing so, we provide a comprehensive descriptive analysis of the climate and outcome of the 2020 congressional elections. Finally, the article closes with a discussion of the broader implications of the election outcomes on both the incoming 117th Congress as well as the upcoming 2022 midterm election.
Religion and the 2020 Presidential Election: The Enduring Divide
Authors: Campbell David E. , Kirk James R. G. , Layman Geoffrey C.
Published: March 2021

Religion played a prominent role in the 2020 presidential campaign. Donald Trump overtly courted white evangelical Protestants and Catholics, while Joe Biden emphasized his Catholicism far more than any Catholic candidate in American history. Did religion play as important a role in electoral behavior in 2020? If so, how and why did religion affect Americans’ voting decisions? We take up those questions by analyzing the religious vote in 2020 and the reasons why particular religious and non-religious groups voted as they did. We find that the religious divisions in the 2020 electorate were quite deep, but they were mostly unchanged from those present in 2016. Moreover, some electoral differences between religious groups are based in factors such as racial resentment, support for limited government, and anti-immigration attitudes that are not typically associated with religion. However, a key explanation for religious voting in 2020 was an old standby: the abortion issue. The religion gap in American electoral politics represents an enduring divide. The only changes were at the margins—but where elections are close, margins matter.
Management approaches for sustainable growth in Moldova’s Sunflower Sector
Authors: Duca Maria , Clapco Steliana
Published: March 2021

Moldova is one of the 15 largest sunflower growing countries. In the past decades, significant changes have been implemented in Moldovan farming due to the liberalization of the agricultural economy after its independence in 1991 and the transition to a market economy, as well as uncontrolled land use. The impact of such changes on production remains mostly unexplored. To determine which factors impede the attainment of higher yields and whether this problem can be solved by conducting further research to improve and manage the sunflower cultivation or by improving the efficiency of farmers’ support systems, the current situation of sunflower production in Moldovan farms was investigated. In this context, the databases of the National Bureau of Statistics of Moldova and the Food and Agriculture Organization were analyzed and farmers’ surveys in different locations across the Republic of Moldova were conducted. The data related to the dynamics of sunflower production, yield and the surface of sunflower growing area, as well as of applied agricultural practices have been accumulated. It has been established the significant expansion of sunflower cultivated area which was leading to (i) considerable exploitation of land where sunflower is cultivated; (ii) failure of crop rotations; (iii) the accumulation of various pathogens. Some solutions to redress the situation have been proposed.
A review of lignin hydrogen peroxide oxidation chemistry with emphasis on aromatic aldehydes and acids
Authors: More Ajinkya , Elder Thomas , Jiang Zhihua
Published: March 2021

This review discusses the main factors that govern the oxidation processes of lignins into aromatic aldehydes and acids using hydrogen peroxide. Aromatic aldehydes and acids are produced in the oxidative degradation of lignin whereas mono and dicarboxylic acids are the main products. The stability of hydrogen peroxide under the reaction conditions is an important factor that needs to be addressed for selectively improving the yield of aromatic aldehydes. Hydrogen peroxide in the presence of heavy metal ions readily decomposes, leading to minor degradation of lignin. This degradation results in quinones which are highly reactive towards peroxide. Under these reaction conditions, the pH of the reaction medium defines the reaction mechanism and the product distribution. Under acidic conditions, hydrogen peroxide reacts electrophilically with electron rich aromatic and olefinic structures at comparatively higher temperatures. In contrast, under alkaline conditions it reacts nucleophilically with electron deficient carbonyl and conjugated carbonyl structures in lignin. The reaction pattern in the oxidation of lignin usually involves cleavage of the aromatic ring, the aliphatic side chain or other linkages which will be discussed in this review.
Comparison of different time discretization schemes for solving the Allen–Cahn equation
Authors: Ayub Sana , Rauf Abdul , Affan Hira , Shah Abdullah
Published: March 2021

This article aims to solve the nonlinear Allen–Cahn equation numerically. The diagonally implicit fractional-step θ-(DIFST) scheme is used for the discretization of the time derivative term while the space derivative is discretized by the conforming finite element method. The computational efficiency of the DIFST scheme in terms of CPU time and temporal error estimation is computed and compared with other time discretization schemes. Several test problems are presented to show the effectiveness of the DIFST scheme.
Effects of berberine on cholinesterases and monoamine oxidase activities, and antioxidant status in the brain of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats
Authors: Adefegha Stephen A. , Dada Felix A. , Oyeleye Sunday I. , Oboh Ganiyu
Published: March 2021

Objectives

Several studies had been conducted to examine the link between diabetes and diabetes encephalopathy. This study was conducted to examine the potency of berberine (BER) on the restoration of impaired neurochemicals in the brain of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic Wistar rats.

Methods

Fifty-six (56) adult rats weighing between 200 and 230 g were randomly divided into seven groups (n=8) as follows; Group I is normal control; Groups II and III were normal rats treated with 50 and 100 mg/kg respectively; Group IV–VII were STZ-induced rats, but Groups V–VII were treated with acarbose (25 mg/kg), 50 and 100 mg/kg of BER, respectively.

Results

The result of the study showed that untreated STZ-induced diabetic rats have increased acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), monoamine oxidase (MAO) activities, and malonylaldehyde (MDA) level, with concomitant decrease of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities, and glutathione (GSH) level. However, daily treatment with 50 and 100 mg/kg BER and ACA significantly reversed these effects.

Conclusions

The findings of this study clearly indicated that BER possesses neuro-protective and antioxidative potentials and normalize neurochemical impairment distort by diabetes.
Risk factors and outcomes of abnormal bleeding after external cephalic version
Authors: Matsui Hitoshi , Ogawa Kohei , Okamoto Aikou , Sago Haruhiko
Published: March 2021

Objectives

To present the consequences of and risk factors for abnormal bleeding after ECV (external cephalic version).

Methods

We conducted a retrospective chart review at a single center in Japan. Abnormal bleeding was defined as vaginal bleeding and/or intrauterine hemorrhage. We descriptively assessed birth outcomes among women with abnormal bleeding, and investigated the risk factors using a logistic regression analysis.

Results

Of 477 women who received ECV, 39 (8.2%) showed abnormal bleeding, including 16 (3.4%) with intrauterine hemorrhage. Of the 16 women with intrauterine hemorrhage, 14 required emergency cesarean section; none experienced placental abruption, a low Apgar score at 5 min (<7), or low umbilical cord artery pH (<7.1). Among 23 women who had vaginal bleeding without intrauterine hemorrhage, four cases underwent emergency cesarean section and one case of vaginal delivery involved placental abruption. The risk of abnormal bleeding was higher in women with a maximum vertical pocket (MVP) of <40 mm in comparison to those with an MVP of >50 mm (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 3.48, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.23–9.90), as was higher in women with unsuccessful ECV than in those with successful ECV (aOR: 4.54, 95% CI: 1.95–10.6).

Conclusions

A certain number of women who underwent ECV had abnormal bleeding, including vaginal bleeding and/or intrauterine hemorrhage, many of them resulted in emergency cesarean section. Although all of cases with abnormal bleeding had good birth outcomes, one case of vaginal bleeding was accompanied by placental abruption. Small amniotic fluid volume and unsuccessful ECV are risk factors for abnormal bleeding.
Miller’s Tale: Why the Sympathy Principle is Inadequate
Authors: Slater Joe
Published: March 2021

In the aftermath of Peter Singer’s ‘Famine, Affluence and Morality’, the argument he put forward received significant criticism, largely on the grounds that it demanded too much of moral agents. Several attempts have been made since to formulate moral principles that adequately express the stringency of our duties of beneficence. Richard Miller proposed one such option, which has several advantages over Singer’s principle. In particular, because it concerns ourdispositionsrather than operating over every possible occasion for beneficence, it avoids problems of iterative demands. However, I argue that Miller’s principle is inadequate, because 1) it seems too weak, 2) it appears to be ambiguous and 3) it can give unduly harsh verdicts on unlucky moral agents.
Multifactorial Information Management (MIM): summing up the emerging alternative to Information Structure
Authors: Ozerov Pavel
Published: March 2021

The paper presents the emerging alternative to the field of Information Structure, termed here Multifactorial Information Management (MIM). This framework regards the process of information structuring as an interplay of diverse language-specific categories and discourse strategies, belonging to various areas of linguistic inquiry. The paper illustrates the application of this approach to cross-linguistic findings and suggests perspectives for future research. It also demonstrates how a multifactorial approach to information management eliminates the need for idiosyncratic concepts such as topic, focus and dedicated cognitive models associated with them.
Physicochemical properties of South African prickly pear fruit and peel: Extraction and characterisation of pectin from the peel
Authors: Lekhuleni Isobel Lerato Gosh , Kgatla Tsietsie Ephraim , Mashau Mpho Edward , Jideani Afam Israel Obiefuna
Published: March 2021

The aim of this study was to determine the physicochemical properties, extract and characterise pectin from green (Morado), purple (Algerian), and orange (Gymno carpo) varieties of South African prickly pear (PP) (Opuntia ficus-indica) fruit peel. Pectin was extracted using sulphuric acid at four different pH levels (1, 2, 3, and 4) and three different microwave power levels (low 300 W, medium 400 W, and high 500 W) at a fixed time of 10 min. Yield of pectin for purple ranged from 2.9 to 13.8%, orange from 1.4 to 9.8%, and from 2.3 to 10.0% for green prickly pear peel (PPP). Maximum yield of 13.8% on purple, 10.0% on green, and 9.8% on orange was obtained at pH 1.0 and medium power level. Ash content of the extracted pectin was significantly high at 25.16, 34.26, and 36.30% for green, orange and purple PPP, respectively. However, pectin showed lower moisture content and equivalent weight. The methoxyl contents were 2.28, 2.38, and 3.86%, for anhydrouronic acid contents were 25.58, 25.93, and 38.84%, and degree of esterification was 49.87, 50.63, and 56.39% across the orange, purple, and green varieties. The PPP pectin spectra exhibited similarities in their absorption pattern to that of commercial citrus pectin.
Greatness and the Convertibility of Literary Capital: W. D. Howells and Black Writers
Authors: Sedlmeier Florian
Published: March 2021

Opening with James Weldon Johnson’s discourse on artistic greatness, I discuss William Dean Howells’s assessment of Paul Laurence Dunbar and Charles W. Chesnutt through the lens of the convertibility of literary capital, developed with Pierre Bourdieu. From within the racial taxonomy and with white middle-class readers as implied addressees, Howells conceives of both writers as participating in a literary market, a field structured by the tenets of realism. Howells endows Dunbar with universal literary capital and creates a regional affiliation that breaches the color line, before he singles out his poems written in vernacular notation as lasting contributions and asserts the valence of such notation as general poetic practice. On Chesnutt he bestows literary capital by marking and converting two innovations: the genre of the short story and the representation of a world in-between the racial divide. In turn, the convertibility of that world is secured by a comparison of social class habits.
The rock-cut churches of Lalibela and the cave church of Washa Mika'el: troglodytism and the Christianisation of the Ethiopian Highlands
Authors: Derat Marie-Laure , Bosc-Tiessé Claire , Garric Antoine , Mensan Romain , Fauvelle François-Xavier , Gleize Yves , Goujon Anne-Lise
Published: March 2021

The monolithic churches of Lalibela are commonly regarded as evidence for the shift of the Christian kingdom of Ethiopia from Aksum to the Ethiopian Highlands during the thirteenth century AD. Recent research, however, has shown that the rock-cut churches were not createdex nihilo.New archaeological evidence has emerged for an earlier, local troglodytic culture, particularly at Washa Mika'el, further illuminating the cosmopolitan society that existed in medieval Ethiopia. This article considers the role played by this troglodytic culture in the Christianisation of the Ethiopian Highlands and how it attests continuity with its predecessors, especially in the way that sculpted decor are perpetuated and transformed in the frame of a new religious background.
The cosmopolitan borderland: western Ethiopiac. AD 600–1800
Authors: González-Ruibal Alfredo
Published: March 2021

The western Ethiopian borderland is remote from all centres of power in the Horn of Africa. As a result, local communities have often been regarded by scholars and state agents alike as isolated and antiquated. The picture that emerges from archaeological research, however, is more complex: borderland societies have, at different times from the mid first millennium AD onwards, embraced, reworked or rejected innovations from neighbouring polities. Indeed, borderland groups developed a type of ‘vernacular cosmopolitanism’ integrating foreign customs and artefacts. As an old multicultural borderland spanning many centuries and involving a range of state and non-state actors, the region offers important lessons for our understanding of frontier societies in Africa and beyond.
A Large-Scale True Triaxial Seepage Apparatus for Evaluating Impact under High Stress State and High Hydraulic Heads
Authors: Chen Chenghao , Chen Shengshui , Mei Shiang , Tang Yi , Li Yuhan
Published: March 2021

Seepage phenomenon can be characterized as a hydromechanical coupled issue that threatens the performance of hydraulic facilities as well as infrastructures. In this study, a large-scale true triaxial seepage apparatus was developed to investigate the hydraulic parameters of coarse-grained cohesionless soil under complex stress states and various water heads. A specimen with a maximal size of 1,050 by 550 by 550 mm was provided, and a 3-D loading system was equipped. The loading capacity in all 3 directions reaches 9 MPa, and the water supply system can produce a water head equivalent to 300 m. A detailed description of each component of the true triaxial seepage apparatus is presented. A series of tests were carried out using coarse-grained cohesionless soil naturally sampled from BaTang Dam in Sichuan Province, China. The experimental arrangement encompassed the repeatability tests and various horizontal seepage tests under different triaxial stress states. Test results show that the hydraulic conductivity of the test soil exhibits a negative power relationship with the hydraulic gradient. The newly developed apparatus is verified to be a useful tool to investigate the hydraulic features of coarse-grained cohesionless soil under triaxial stress conditions.
Activation of MrgprA3 and MrgprC11 on Bladder-Innervating Afferents Induces Peripheral and Central Hypersensitivity to Bladder Distension
Authors: Grundy Luke , Caldwell Ashlee , Garcia-Caraballo Sonia , Grundy David , Spencer Nick J. , Dong Xinzhong , Castro Joel , Harrington Andrea M. , Brierley Stuart M.
Published: March 2021

Understanding the sensory mechanisms innervating the bladder is paramount to developing efficacious treatments for chronic bladder hypersensitivity conditions. The contribution of Mas-gene-related G protein-coupled receptors (Mrgpr) to bladder signaling is currently unknown. Using male and female mice, we show with single-cell RT-PCR that subpopulations of DRG neurons innervating the mouse bladder expressMrgprA3(14%) andMrgprC11(38%), either individually or in combination, with high levels of coexpression withTrpv1(81%-89%). Calcium imaging studies demonstrated MrgprA3 and MrgprC11 agonists (chloroquine, BAM8-22, and neuropeptide FF) activated subpopulations of bladder-innervating DRG neurons, showing functional evidence of coexpression between MrgprA3, MrgprC11, and TRPV1. Inex vivobladder-nerve preparations, chloroquine, BAM8-22, and neuropeptide FF all evoked mechanical hypersensitivity in subpopulations (20%-41%) of bladder afferents. These effects were absent in recordings fromMrgpr-clusterΔ−/−mice.In vitrowhole-cell patch-clamp recordings showed that application of an MrgprA3/C11 agonist mixture induced neuronal hyperexcitability in 44% of bladder-innervating DRG neurons. Finally,in vivoinstillation of an MrgprA3/C11 agonist mixture into the bladder of WT mice induced a significant activation of dorsal horn neurons within the lumbosacral spinal cord, as quantified by pERK immunoreactivity. This MrgprA3/C11 agonist-induced activation was particularly apparent within the superficial dorsal horn and the sacral parasympathetic nuclei of WT, but notMrgpr-clusterΔ−/−mice. This study demonstrates, for the first time, functional expression of MrgprA3 and MrgprC11 in bladder afferents. Activation of these receptors triggers hypersensitivity to distension, a critically valuable factor for therapeutic target development.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTDetermining how bladder afferents become sensitized is the first step in finding effective treatments for common urological disorders such as overactive bladder and interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome. Here we show that two of the key receptors, MrgprA3 and MrgprC11, that mediate itch from the skin are also expressed on afferents innervating the bladder. Activation of these receptors results in sensitization of bladder afferents, resulting in sensory signals being sent into the spinal cord that prematurely indicate bladder fullness. Targeting bladder afferents expressing MrgprA3 or MrgprC11 and preventing their sensitization may provide a novel approach for treating overactive bladder and interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome.
Cortex-Wide Dynamics of Intrinsic Electrical Activities: Propagating Waves and Their Interactions
Authors: Liang Yuqi , Song Chenchen , Liu Mianxin , Gong Pulin , Zhou Changsong , Knöpfel Thomas
Published: March 2021

Cortical circuits generate patterned activities that reflect intrinsic brain dynamics that lay the foundation for any, including stimuli-evoked, cognition and behavior. However, the spatiotemporal organization properties and principles of this intrinsic activity have only been partially elucidated because of previous poor resolution of experimental data and limited analysis methods. Here we investigated continuous wave patterns in the 0.5–4 Hz (delta band) frequency range on data from high-spatiotemporal resolution optical voltage imaging of the upper cortical layers in anesthetized mice. Waves of population activities propagate in heterogeneous directions to coordinate neuronal activities between different brain regions. The complex wave patterns show characteristics of both stereotypy and variety. The location and type of wave patterns determine the dynamical evolution when different waves interact with each other. Local wave patterns of source, sink, or saddle emerge at preferred spatial locations. Specifically, “source” patterns are predominantly found in cortical regions with low multimodal hierarchy such as the primary somatosensory cortex. Our findings reveal principles that govern the spatiotemporal dynamics of spontaneous cortical activities and associate them with the structural architecture across the cortex.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTIntrinsic brain activities, as opposed to external stimulus-evoked responses, have increasingly gained attention, but it remains unclear how these intrinsic activities are spatiotemporally organized at the cortex-wide scale. By taking advantage of the high spatiotemporal resolution of optical voltage imaging, we identified five wave pattern types, and revealed the organization properties of different wave patterns and the dynamical mechanisms when they interact with each other. Moreover, we found a relationship between the emergence probability of local wave patterns and the multimodal structure hierarchy across cortical areas. Our findings reveal the principles of spatiotemporal wave dynamics of spontaneous activities and associate them with the underlying hierarchical architecture across the cortex.