bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preparation and Application of Keggin Silicomolybdic acid Modified Electrode
Authors: Liu Miao , Li Dong hui , Jia Ming xuan
Published: February 2020

An innovative method for the determination of isoniazid tablets is studied through electrochemical method for the modification of glassy carbon electrode (GCE). Polyoxomolybdate, with stable structures, has not been widely used for the determination of substance. In this study, the mentioned polyoxomolybdate was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), UV-vis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Atomic force microscope (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and used to modify the glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The electrochemical performance of the polyoxomolybdate@GCE was investigated with cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), compared with the unmodified electrode, the proposed polyoxomolybdate modified electrode exhibited strong electro-catalytic activities towards isoniazid (INH). Under the optimized conditions, there was linear relationships between the DPV peak currents and the concentrations in the range of 1 × 10 -7 g/L to 3 × 10 -7 g/L for INH (R 2 = 0.9979), with the limit of detection (LOD) of 0.024 μg/L (based on S/N = 3). The modified electrode has proper reproducibility (RSD < 5%), stability, response time (< 3 min) and lifetime (up to 6 days).
The efficacy of a motorized lower-limb prosthetic device: a pilot study
Authors: Ghillebert Jo , Geeroms Joost , Flynn Louis , Bock Sander De , Govaerts Renée , Crea Simona , Vitiello Nicola , Lefeber Dirk , Roelands Bart , Meeusen Romain , Pauw Kevin De
Published: February 2020

BACKGROUND Performing daily activities is challenging for individuals with a transfemoral amputation. Technological advancements in prosthetic prototypes aim at improving functional independence. A state-of-the-art active device, the CYBERLEGs-gamma (CLs-ɣ) prosthesis, consisting of powered ankle and knee joints, has been designed and constructed. The control system combines pressure-sensitive insoles and inertial motor units to synchronize both joints to work together. To date, the novel device has not een clinically evaluated. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of the CLs-ɣ prosthesis during daily activities compared to current passive and quasi-passive devices . METHODS Participants performed a familiarization trial, an experimental trial with the current prosthesis, three adaptation trials and an experimental trial with the CLs-ɣ prosthesis. Participants completed a stair climbing test, a timed-up & go test, a sit to stand test, a two-minute dual task (i.e. the psychomotor vigilance task during treadmill walking) and a six-minute treadmill walk test at normal speed. Nonparametric Wilcoxon-signed rank tests were conducted with critical alpha set at 0.05. RESULTS Eight individuals with a transfemoral amputation (age: 55 ± 15 years, K-level 3) were included. Stride length significantly increased during walking with the CLs-ɣ prosthesis (p=0.012) because of a greater step length of the amputated leg (p=0.035). Normal walking speed was significantly slower (p=0.018), the net metabolic cost of transport was significantly higher (p=0.028) and reaction time significantly worsened (p=0.012) when walking with the CLs-ɣ compared to the current prosthesis. When participants took stairs, they adopted a step-over-step strategy with the CLs-ɣ prosthesis in contrast to step-by-step wearing the current prosthesis. CONCLUSION S A higher physical effort and cognitive demand were required during activities wearing the novel motorized prosthesis. Although performance outcome measures did not improve, participants had a greater stride length and better simulated able-bodied stair ambulation.
Economic Development, Foreign Aid and Poverty Reduction: Paradigm in Nigeria
Authors: AUgbaka Malachy , Awujola Abayomi , Shcherbyna Tatiana
Published: February 2020

Foreign aid supplements internal resources required for economic development and growth in less developed countries (LDCs). Foreign inflows have bolstered a number of economic recuperation, reconstruction efforts and structural adjustment programs organized to haul the Africa economy out of a precarious decay. Discussions of foreign aid have concentrated on Africa since it has gotten the best measure of help on per capita premise than some other area; yet economic performance has been the weakest. In any case, economic development, foreign aid and poverty reduction has not enjoyed such interest in literature as it is ordinarily subsumed. This paper tries to build up a model between economic development, foreign aid and poverty reduction and decide if there is even a nexus between these three ideas by analyzing data from Nigeria. Utilized time series secondary data from World Development Indicators (WDI) mulling over Nigeria for the period which data were accessible. The study went on to perform correlation and regression analysis using GNP per capita as proxy for economic development as the dependent variable and poverty headcount(proxy for poverty reduction), gross capital formation, foreign aid, GDP per capita growth, inflation rate and growth of government expenditure as independent variables. It was observed that only gross capital formation have statistically significant relationship with GNP per capita while growth of government expenditure has the effect on GNP per capita. The results reveal that there is a positive relationship between economic development, foreign aid and poverty reduction. This implies foreign aid promotes economic development and poverty elimination. The government has a responsibility to battle against poverty and its efforts at predictable strategic economic development are significant in poverty reduction by spending the aid money for direct production programs.
Keywords: foreign aid, economic development, poverty reduction.
Financial Qualitative Research: A Comprehensive Guide for Case Study usage
Authors: Moskovicz A.
Published: February 2020

Authors: Abraham (Abi) Moskovicz PhD, University of Bolton, U.K.; MBA Universidad de Santiago, Chile; BA Tel Aviv University, Israel Pages: 106-116 DOI: http://doi.org/10.21272/fmir.3(4).106-116.2019 Download: Views: Downloads: 49 12 Abstract Though case study based research is not uncommon in managerial and organizational accounting studies, case based research in the field of finance is pretty unusual. Must be recognized that the boundary area between the companies’ executives, the managers of the financial funding institutions, the expert’s analysis, and the financial press; is the source of many discussions in the related fields of financial management, financial reporting, and even concerning the functioning of the financial markets. It should be noted that accounting and finance academics operate primarily as one academic body in the U.K. The accounting academics have long been sympathetic to a qualitative research tradition. In addition, within a European context, many research traditions are evident. This has meant that there has been a supportive climate in the U.K. and Europe for a qualitative approach to finance and accounting related research. The purpose of this guide is to encourange researchers in the financial and the management fields to use case study basis on their work, showing the advantages of it, and to provide some tips on how this could be better executed. Keywords: financial qualitative research, case study basis.
Competition among China and ASEAN-5 in the US Market: A New Extension to Shift-Share Analysis
Authors: Shuquan He
Published: February 2020

The United States has a robust trade and investment relationship with China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). ASEAN is collectively the fourth-largest trading partner, and China is one of the largest trade partners of the United States, the largest export destination for China. Thus, China and ASEAN countries are competing in the US market intensively. The purpose of this paper is to calculate the net gains or losses for the ASEAN-5 Members and China during 1993 and 2007 in the US market. There are two main contributions of this paper: one is to dynamically estimate the net shifts of the economies as compared to the traditional comparative static approach; the other is to extend the shift‐share analysis to attribute the net gains or losses to competing exporters. This study adopts the widely used shift-share analysis technique to exam the net gains or losses for the ASEAN-5 and China during 1993-2007 in the Unites Sates market. The paper provides a new extension to the shift‐share analysis to attribute the net shift to competing economies with a dynamic approach. The paper applies the methodology to the competition among China and ASEAN-5 in the US import market with the data drawn from World Integrated Trade Solution (WITS), a data consultation and extraction software developed by the World Bank. The discussion focuses on three periods: 1993-1997, 1998-2002 and 2003-2007. In general, China performs the best among the competing economies. Among the ASEAN-5 Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand perform better than the other two members. During the first period, all economies have positive export growth as the actual export growth shows. However, in terms of net shift, only China and the Philippines are the winners with positive value of net shifts. During the second period, China stands out while the ASEAN economies show negative net shifts values. Similar is the case for the third period. In terms of the industries, China focuses on different industries during the thee periods, and the ASEAN economies depend heavily on a few industries. China’s gains in these industries are much bigger than the ASEAN economies’ gains in value. The ASEAN economies gain in small numbers of industries with small values. When attributed the gains or losses to competing economies, China only loses to the Philippines during 1993-1997, and gains from all competing economies during all periods. Though net losers, the ASEAN-5 also gain from other competing economies. For example, Indonesia gains from Singapore and Thailand during 1993-1997, from the Philippines and Singapore during 1998-2002, from Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore during 2003-2007. The trade war between the United States and China provides opportunity for the ASEAN countries in the Unites Sates market, however, there are negative impacts on the ASEAN countries as well. The ASEAN countries are more vulnerable.
Keywords: shift-share analysis, export competitiveness, Asia, ASEAN, China.
Blockchain Technology Facing Socioeconomic Challenges. Promise versus Probability
Authors: Lopez Belen Suarez , García David Issó , Alcaide Antonio Vargas
Published: February 2020

This paper has the main purpose to make a critical and balanced analysis about the potential of blockchain technology to face some of the great current socioeconomic challenges, being focus on impact assessment point of view, analyzing the disruptive potential of blockchain to provide solutions at level of different challenges as example, climate change, migrant movements, gender equality, financial inclusion or the cost opportunity of the management of data science. The term blockchain summary a numerous different type of system of distributed ledger, essentially, it is just a record distributed, a ledger of digital events that is distributed or shared among many different parts within an ecosystem (nodes), and chronological in a network. The technology is at an early stage and can be implemented in many ways depending on the objective. The methodological tool for the research is strategic and qualitative SWOT analysis identifying the critical success factors such internal factors (Strengthens and Weakness), and external factors (Opportunities and Threats), summarizes the arguments and counterarguments within the scientific discussion. From the bibliographic review carried out on the finding and disclosure provided by empirical research about business case studies, the research results summarized in the paper confirm that although looks difficulty of give a closed definition to variety of system under the umbrella of blockchain, among the main strengths of technology are its intrinsic characteristics, such as, its ability to store data immutably without relying on a central authority. As weakness, highlight the fact of the need of solve some non-minor inefficiencies as energy consumption and, as result, the difficulty to be scaled. It has the potential to replace the intermediary and central entities or change the way they works, allowing disintermediation and potentially empower people in trade, democratic participation, social interaction and financial inclusion, which represent great opportunities. Although, on the side of threats there is lack of knowledge about the technology, which generates resistance from regulators who are beginning to assess risks and are concerned about how new participants could cannibalize their income models. In addition, it seems clear the importance of assume the fact that the technological changes take time to develop and often require the adaptation of entire ecosystems.
Keywords: blockchain, decentralization, democratization, financial inclusion, socioeconomic challenges, tokem traceability, transparency, trust.
Geopolitics of International Relations, Ethnic Polarization and Internal Conflict
Authors: Saima T.
Published: February 2020

Geostrategic position of a country not just creates opportunities in form of bilateral and multilateral collaborations, it may also pose stern long term concerns and spillover effects in terms of insecurity and conflict. Pakistan, if not a classic example, is a typical case of continually high geopolitics of international relations: its geostrategic location had been praised by international players during the cold war regime through financial assistance; it was encouraged to take part during the Russian invasion in Afghanistan in late 70’s; and was compelled to play the role of ‘front line state’ in the war against terrorism, in the aftermath of the 9/ 11 incidence, in 2001. Early attempts of establishing rebel groups based upon ethnic identity to fight in Afghanistan, while launching of ruthless military operations after 9/11 incidence, against same rebel groups who fought in Afghanistan during the Russian invasion, causing either undue leverage to specific ethnic minorities at one point in time or extreme repression at later stage of history. In order to pretest impact of geopolitics of International Relations upon conflict, and if the interplay of geopolitics with ‘ethnic polarization’ affected ‘internal conflict’, several econometric models have been estimated. Along with testing the impact of geopolitical importance and its interplay with ethnic polarization in distressing peace, other important propositions in estimated models include, how ‘external conflict’, ‘institutional efficacies’, and the ‘role of military in politics’, caused adversity of ‘Internal conflict’, in Pakistan. In order to ensure concurrent validity of econometric models, alternative regressands namely ratings of ‘Civil War’ and ‘Internal Conflict’ have been used. Keeping in view ordinal scaling of regressands, cautions in dealing with heteroscedasticity and potentially lagged impact of regressors, Ordered-probit, Ordered Logit, Quantile regression, Robust Regression, and Prais-Winsten models are estimated. Estimated models strongly approved the notion that ‘geopolitics of international relations’ and ‘geopolitics of International Relations’ in interaction with ‘Ethnic polarization’, have had a considerable and statistically significant temporal impact upon ‘internal conflict’ and rating of ‘civil war’, in context of Pakistan. Other significant factors that contributed to adversity of peace are ‘external conflict’, ‘role of military in politics’, ‘illegitimacy of the state actions’/ ‘institutional inefficacies’ and ‘religious polarization’.
Keywords: geopolitics of international relations, war against terrorism, internal conflict, ethnic polarization, ordered-probit model, robust regression, Prais-Winsten regression.
Determinants of Mangoes and Red Peppers Market Supply in Ahferom and Kola-Tembien Districts of Tigray Region, Northern Ethiopia
Authors: Girmalem Nirea K. , Negussie S. , Degye G.
Published: February 2020

The major aim of this paper was to examine the factors that determine market supply of mangoes and red peppers by smallholder growers in Ahferom and Kola-Tembien Districts of Tigray National Regional State, Northern Ethiopia. Data were collected from a sample of 192 mango growers and 191 red pepper growers. Both descriptive statistics and econometric analysis applied for analyzing the collected data. The multiple linear regression model was applied to identify the factors determining mango and red pepper market supply. The result of the descriptive analysis showed that level of mangoes and red peppers production has been raised owing to high intervention and follow up of the regional government on the sector through increasing level of accountability and building competitive sprite among agricultural extension workers. 53.6% of the sample mango growers and 27.6% of the sample red pepper growers sold their produces to retailers. The result of the estimated parameter also indicated that level of mango production, sex of the household head, household family size, access to credit and total land size were the factors that determine marketable supply of mangoes by smallholder growers. Similarly, distance to nearest market, access to market information, total land size, cooperative membership and selling price were found to be determinants of the market supply of red peppers. Finally, the study recommended intervention in appropriate distribution of inputs, improvement in rural infrastructure, promoting and expanding mango and red pepper production for export and ensuring fair trade. The current market oriented agricultural system has to be supported by mechanisms of gathering and distributing market information, appropriate crop pricing and market linkages, which enhance market supply and improve the economic and social bargaining power of growers.
Keywords: determinant, market supply, production, smallholder growers.
The Analysis of the Factors Affecting the Implementation of Virtual R&D in Iranian Tile and Ceramic Companies Using Structural Equation Modeling Approach
Authors: Akhondzadeh Abolfazl
Published: February 2020

Authors:
Abolfazl Akhondzadeh, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-3425
Master of Science, PhD Candidate, Researcher, Yazd University of Science and Art, Iran

Pages: 86-96
DOI: http://doi.org/10.21272/sec.3(4).86-96.2019

Download: Views: Downloads:

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Abstract

The final goal of this study is to provide a model with structural modeling approach of virtual R & D implementation in Iranian ceramic tile companies and small and medium-sized industries and services are one of the broadest fields of activity of manufacturing and economic enterprises that are of great importance. Accordingly, the establishment and expansion of research and development systems in order to infuse new sciences and technologies into this industry is of great importance. Over the past few decades, in a highly competitive market, the development of new products has long been considered as a major contributing factor to the survival and growth of SMEs and manufacturing units and economic enterprises have a great desire to create and develop R & D and investment systems for their efficiency so the necessity of conducting this research was created for Iranian companies because SMEs are considered as engines of economic growth, particularly in developing countries and in a day-to-day market for freedom, the survival and continuity of SMEs depend on their ability to enhance their performance and production that are in accordance with international standards. The questionnaires and interviews used to examine the research questions. It was distributed among 114 experts after ensuring the reliability and validity. The research strategy is a survey-correlation questionnaire that has been compiled by a researcher-made questionnaire. The results of this study showed that the technology structure in virtual teams does not directly affect the implementation of virtual R & D. The knowledge structure of the individuals and the process structure can have a direct effect on the implementation of virtual R & D in the other hand this paper acknowledges the progress made over the past several decades, it focuses on the challenges and limits of Iranian Tile and Ceramic Companies.
Keywords: virtual research and development, small and medium-sized industries, interpretive structural modeling, virtual teams.
Growth and Yield of Organic Day-neutral Strawberries in Low Tunnels inside High Tunnel in North Carolina
Authors: Rana Tekan S. , Gu Sanjun
Published: February 2020

North Carolina’s fresh strawberry has a $21.4 million economic value, which is primarily from short-day cultivars in the annual plasticulture system. Organic and off-season day-neutral strawberries have higher prices than the conventional, field-grown strawberries. There have been no published studies on suitable cultivars, transplanting dates, and additional winter protection methods for day-neutral strawberry production in high tunnels in North Carolina. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of low tunnels, planting dates, and cultivars on growth, yield, and season extension potential of day-neutral strawberries in high tunnels. Plugs of day-neutral cultivars Albion and San Andreas were either transplanted in raised beds covered with low tunnels (LT) or without low tunnels (control, NLT), inside high tunnels on the N.C. A&T State University Farm (Greensboro, NC) on two different planting dates, which were 1 Sept. (D1) and 29 Sept. (D2) of 2016, or 9 Sept. (D1) and 10 Oct. (D2) of 2017, respectively. A completely randomized design with split-split plots was used. LT did not significantly affect the total yield and plant phenology, but they promoted the first harvest by a week compared with NLT, which resulted in higher yield during the winter of both years. D1 promoted about 24 days of earlier harvest than D2. ‘Albion’ had an earlier bloom and harvest date (by 1 to 3 weeks and 2 to 3 weeks, respectively) than ‘San Andreas’. Strawberry yield was low in the fall season, but it started to increase from January, peaked in April, and decreased again in May. D1 increased the whole season’s marketable yield of ‘Albion’ (430.3 g/plant), compared with that of ‘San Andreas’ (330.9 g/plant). During the winter, ‘Albion’ had a higher yield than ‘San Andreas’. Our study indicates that LT inside HT might not significantly improve the plant growth, early harvest, or total yield. Planting dates had no consistent effect on yield. It was suggested that ‘Albion’ should be considered for high winter yields, and ‘San Andreas’ be a cultivar with high yields of the entire season in high tunnels.
Amending Sandy Soil with Biochar Promotes Plant Growth and Root Colonization by Mycorrhizal Fungi in Highbush Blueberry
Authors: Sales Bryan K. , Bryla David R. , Trippe Kristin M. , Weiland Jerry E. , Scagel Carolyn F. , Strik Bernadine C. , Sullivan Dan M.
Published: February 2020

Biochar, a carbon-rich, fine-grained residue obtained from pyrolysis of biomass, is known to improve soil conditions and to suppress infection by soilborne pathogens. However, its use as a soil amendment has received relatively little attention by the horticulture industry. Two 12-week experiments were conducted in a greenhouse to determine the potential of using biochar, produced from mixed conifers during conversion of wood to energy, as a soil amendment for highbush blueberry (Vaccinium hybrid ‘Legacy’). Plants in the first experiment were fertilized once a week with a complete fertilizer solution, whereas those the in the second experiment were fertilized once a month with a solution of ammonium sulfate. In both cases, the plants received the same amount of N in total and were grown in pots filled with unamended soil (sandy loam) or soil amended at rates of 10% or 20%, by volume, with biochar or a 4:1 mix of biochar and bokashi (biochar-bokashi). The bokashi was produced from fermented rice (Oryza sativa L.) bran and was added to increase nutrients in the amendment. Half of the plants in each soil treatment were inoculated with Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands, which causes root rot in blueberry. Although pH of the raw biochar was high (8.5), soil pH averaged 4.5 to 5.5 in each treatment. In the absence of P. cinnamomi, plants grown with 20% biochar or 10% or 20% biochar-bokashi had greater leaf area and 30% to 70% more total dry weight than those grown with 10% biochar or in unamended soil. Biochar also improved soil aggregation and increased root colonization by ericoid mycorrhizal fungi. The percentage of roots colonized by mycorrhizal fungi was 54% to 94% in plants grown with the amendments, but was ≤10% in those grown in unamended soil. Plants inoculated with P. cinnamomi were stunted and showed typical symptoms of root rot. Root infection by the pathogen was unaffected by biochar or biochar-bokashi and negated any growth benefits of the amendments. Overall, amending soil with biochar appears to be a promising means of promoting plant growth and mycorrhizal colonization in blueberry, but it may not suppress phytophthora root rot.
Differential Temperature Sensitivity of Flowering Time and Crop Quality Parameters of 20 Seed-propagated Petunia Cultivars
Authors: Warner Ryan M.
Published: February 2020

Twenty petunia (Petunia ×hybrida) cultivars were grown at 14, 17, and 20 °C to quantify the impact of temperature on time to flowering, flowering and development rates, and crop quality parameters. Increasing temperature increased vegetative development rates and reduced time to flower (TTF) for all cultivars. Linear functions generated to describe the effects of temperature on the flowering rate (1/TTF) revealed considerable variability in the temperature sensitivity of flowering rates across cultivars. The minimum temperature for the rate of progress toward flowering (Tbase) ranged from 0.15 °C for ‘Damask Purple’ to 7.1 °C for ‘Wave Purple’. The crop quality parameters plant height and branch and flower bud number were all influenced by interactions between cultivar and temperature. Plant height at flowering was unaffected by temperature for 13 of the 20 cultivars, whereas the height of five cultivars was lower at 20 °C compared with 14 °C, and two cultivars were shortest at 17 °C. The branch number of six cultivars was lower at 14 °C than at 17 or 20 °C, whereas three cultivars produced more branches at 17 °C compared with 20 °C. The branch number of 11 cultivars was not impacted by temperature. For 11 of the 20 cultivars, the flower bud number was greater at 14 °C than at 20 °C, whereas temperature did not influence the flower bud number for the other nine cultivars. The results of this work could help to improve production efficiency by allowing cultivars to be placed in temperature-response groups based on the temperature sensitivity of flowering time and/or crop quality parameters.
Economically Optimal Plant Density for Machine-harvested Edamame
Authors: Dhaliwal Daljeet S. , Williams Martin M.
Published: February 2020

Consumer demand for edamame [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], the vegetable version of soybean (Glycine max), has grown during the past decade in North America. Domestic production of edamame is on the rise; however, research to guide fundamental crop production practices, including knowledge useful for developing appropriate recommendations for crop seeding rate, is lacking. Field experiments near Urbana, IL, were used to quantify edamame response to plant density and determine the economically optimal plant density (EOPD) of machine-harvested edamame. Crop growth and yield responses to a range of plant densities (24,700 to 395,100 plants/ha) were quantified in four edamame cultivars (AGS 292, BeSweet 292, Gardensoy 42, and Midori Giant) across 2 years. Plots were harvested with the Oxbo BH100, a fresh market bean harvester. In general, as plant density increased, branch number and the ratio of pod mass to vegetative mass decreased, while plant height and leaf area index increased. Recovery, the percent of marketable pods in the machine-harvested sample, varied among cultivars from 86% to 95%. Results identified the EOPD for machine-harvested edamame ranged from 87,000 to 120,000 plants/ha. When considering the effect of plant density on plant morphology, as well as seeding cost, harvester efficiency, recovery, and marketable pod yield, edamame EOPDs are considerably lower than seeding rates of up to 344,200 seeds/ha recommended in recent publications.
Reversely zoned plagioclase in lower crustal meta-anorthosites: An indicator of multistage fracturing and metamorphism in the lower crust
Authors: Soda Yusuke , Matsuda Taku , Kobayashi Sachio , Ito Motoo , Harigane Yumiko , Okudaira Takamoto
Published: February 2020

This paper describes the formation mechanism of reversely zoned plagioclase, which has been observed frequently in lower crustal shear zones and is indicative of multistage fracturing and meta-morphism in the lower crust, by studying the microstructural and chemical characteristics of plagioclase in sparsely fractured anorthosites and anorthositic mylonites from the Eidsfjord shear zone, Langøya, northern Norway. Based on the field relationship between sparsely fractured anorthosite and anorthositic mylonite, the fracturing of anorthosite occurred before the formation of mylonite. In sparsely fractured anorthosites, transgranular fractures are observed; hydration-reaction products, including Na-rich plagioclase, occur within cracks and fractures, suggesting that hydration reactions occurred during or after fracturing. The hydration reactions in sparsely fractured anorthosites are estimated to have occurred at higher-pressure (P) amphibolite-facies conditions (~0.9–1.0 GPa and ~550–700 °C). In anorthositic mylonites, which are considered to have initiated by fracturing and subsequent hydration metamorphism at lower-P amphibolite-facies conditions (~0.7 GPa and ~600 °C), recrystallized plagioclase grains often show compositional zoning with an Na-rich core and a Ca-rich rim. Because the compositions of metamorphic plagioclase grains in the sparsely fractured anorthosites and those of the Na-rich cores of the reversely zoned plagioclase in anorthositic mylonites are similar to each other, the Na-rich cores of the matrix plagioclase in the anorthositic mylonites have recrystallized under higher-P amphibolite-facies conditions and then been overgrown or replaced by the Ca-rich rims under lower-P conditions. Consequently, the reversely zoned plagioclase observed frequently in lower crustal shear zones is an indicator of multistage brittle fracturing and subsequent hydration metamorphism during exhumation, providing information relevant to understanding the deep rupture process caused by repeated seismicity alternating with aseismic creep below the seismogenic zone.
Developing a channel strategy decision support framework for a diesel engine supplier in Mozambique
Authors: du Plooy Henco , Buys Pieter
Published: February 2020

The global economic competitiveness has forced many organizations to consider the emerging and developing markets for future growth opportunities. The Southern African country Mozambique was identified as such an opportunity. However, although the country has experienced more sustained historic economic growth than its neighboring countries, it is also riddled with corruption and bureaucracy. Due to the complex and challenging Mozambique business environment, this research project utilized SWOT and PESTLE analytical techniques to develop a decision support framework to support the organizational growth strategies in Mozambique. The approach allowed for both internally and externally focused data collection and evaluation. The qualitative data were collected during structured interviews with selected captains-of-industry in the Mozambican context. In the development of the decision support framework, key factors were identified, evaluated, and ranked in order of severity. Key internal factors found centered on human resources, including management style, skilled labor availability and retention, while external factors centered potential growth in the mining and gas industry, government interventions and stability, and lack of skilled labor availabity. Taking cognizance of these factors enables a systematic framework to guide the strategy development in the Mozambican marketplace. It is recommended that this framework should be a living framework, continuously evolving as new strategic information becomes available.
Pengaruh Metode Pembelajaran E-Learning dan Snowball Throwing Terhadap Prestasi Belajar Mahasiswa di Kelas Kalkulus Institut Teknologi dan Bisnis Stikom Bali
Authors: Arna Putri Gusti Ayu Made
Published: February 2020

Model pembelajaran dengan metode E-learning dan Snowball Throwing mengacu pada dua metode pembelajaran yang berbeda yaitu model pembelajaran modern dan konvensional. Metode E-learning atau electronic learning melatih mahasiswa untuk belajar secara mandiri di mana pun dan kapanpun. Metode Snowball Throwing adalah kegiatan pembelajaran yang disertai dengan permainan pelemparan kertas berisi pertanyaan yang dibentuk menyerupai bola salju, sehingga kegiatan belajar mengajar menjadi jauh lebih menyenangkan. Subjek yang diteliti dalam penelitian ini adalah mahasiswa mata kuliah Kalkulus semester genap di Institut Teknologi dan Bisnis STIKOM Bali. Penelitian melibatkan dua kelas Kalkulus, kelas yang pertama diberi perlakuan kedua metode dan kelas yang kedua hanya diberi metode konvensional. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk melihat pengaruh penerapan metode E-Learning dan Snowball Throwing pada kelas Kalkulus tersebut. Pengujian dilakukan dengan independent T test atau uji T. Hasil dalam penelitian ini adalah perbandingan hasil belajar pada masing-masing kelas Kalkulus.

Kata kunci: kalkulus, metode e-learning, metode snowball throwing.
Pengaruh Hafalan Al-Qur'an Terhadap Prestasi Belajar Matematika Siswa MTs
Authors: Adiwijayanti Dewi Dwi , Purwati Heni , Sugiyanti Sugiyanti
Published: February 2020

Menghafal Al-Qur’an merupakan suatu proses mengingat, di mana seluruh materi ayat (rincian bagian-bagiannya seperti fonetik, waqaf, dan lain-lainnya) harus diingat secara sempurna. Salah satu manfaat menghafal Al-Qur’anadalah penguatan otak dimana mereka harus teliti dan jeli dalam membedakan ayat-ayat yang memiliki kemiripan redaksi. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh hafalan Al-Qur’an terhadap prestasi belajar matematika siswa MTs. Jenis penelitian ini adalah penelitian kuantitatif. Sampel penelitian ini adalah siswa kelas VIII B MTs Yanbu’ul Qur’an 2 Muria tahun ajaran 2019/2020. Pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan dokumentasi, tes berupa tes tertulis prestasi belajar, dan non tes berupa lembar observasi hafalan Al-Qur’an. Kesimpulan dari penelitian ini adalah terdapat pengaruh positif dan signifikan antara hafalan Al-Qur’an terhadap prestasi belajar matematika siswa MTs Yanbu’ul Qur’an 2 Muria, hal ini ditunjukkan dengan nilai r sebesar  dengan sumbangan efektif sebesar 34,7% sedangkan 65,3% ditentukan oleh faktor lain.
The model of low impact development of a sponge airport: a case study of Beijing Daxing International Airport
Authors: Peng Jing , Ouyang Jiayi , Yu Lei
Published: February 2020

A sponge airport is a new concept of airport stormwater management, which can effectively relieve airport flooding and promote the usage of rainwater resources, often including the application of low impact development (LID) facilities. Although many airports in China have been chosen to implement sponge airport construction, there is a lack of quantitative evaluation on the effect of LID facilities. This paper takes Beijing Daxing International Airport as a case study and develops a comprehensive evaluation on the effect of LID facilities using the storm water management model (SWMM). The performance of four LID design scenarios with different locations and sizes of the rain barrel, the vegetative swale, the green roof, and the storage tank were analyzed. After LID, the water depth of J7 reduces from 0.6 m to 0.2 m, and duration of accumulated water reduces from 5 hours to 2.5 hours. The water depth of J17 reduces from 0.5 m to 0.1 m, and duration of accumulated water reduces from 2 hours to 15 minutes. The capacity of conduits has been greatly improved (Link 7 and Link 17). The application of LID facilities greatly improves rainwater removal capacity and effectively alleviates the waterlogging risk in the study area.
Developing a forecasting model for cholera incidence in Dhaka megacity through time series climate data
Authors: Daisy Salima Sultana , Saiful Islam A. K. M. , Akanda Ali Shafqat , Faruque Abu Syed Golam , Amin Nuhu , Jensen Peter Kjær Mackie
Published: February 2020

Cholera, an acute diarrheal disease spread by lack of hygiene and contaminated water, is a major public health risk in many countries. As cholera is triggered by environmental conditions influenced by climatic variables, establishing a correlation between cholera incidence and climatic variables would provide an opportunity to develop a cholera forecasting model. Considering the auto-regressive nature and the seasonal behavioral patterns of cholera, a seasonal-auto-regressive-integrated-moving-average (SARIMA) model was used for time-series analysis during 2000–2013. As both rainfall (r = 0.43) and maximum temperature (r = 0.56) have the strongest influence on the occurrence of cholera incidence, single-variable (SVMs) and multi-variable SARIMA models (MVMs) were developed, compared and tested for evaluating their relationship with cholera incidence. A low relationship was found with relative humidity (r = 0.28), ENSO (r = 0.21) and SOI (r = −0.23). Using SVM for a 1 °C increase in maximum temperature at one-month lead time showed a 7% increase of cholera incidence (p < 0.001). However, MVM (AIC = 15, BIC = 36) showed better performance than SVM (AIC = 21, BIC = 39). An MVM using rainfall and monthly mean daily maximum temperature with a one-month lead time showed a better fit (RMSE = 14.7, MAE = 11) than the MVM with no lead time (RMSE = 16.2, MAE = 13.2) in forecasting. This result will assist in predicting cholera risks and better preparedness for public health management in the future.
Utilization of high solid waste activated sludge from small facilities by anaerobic digestion and application as fertilizer
Authors: Hidaka Taira , Nakamura Masato , Oritate Fumiko , Nishimura Fumitake
Published: February 2020

Anaerobic co-digestion of sewage sludge with organic wastes has recently gained attention in small facilities. For small facilities, high solids sludge is suitable for transportation to a centralized co-digester, and direct utilization of the digested sludge as liquid fertilizer is recommended. Effects of high solid and hyperthermophilic pretreatment (80 °C, 24 hr) on anaerobic digestion at low temperatures and utilization as fertilizer are investigated by anaerobic/aerobic digestion and paddy soil incubation experiments. The volatile solids (VS)/total solids (TS) ratio decreases to 0.57(-), and the VS removal rate is approximately 0.7 (-) after long-term aerobic digestion. This is possibly the limitation of biodegradation, even with pretreatment, within engineering time. Substrate TS of 16% (not diluted), 10% and 5% are compared. The effect of substrate TS on biogas production performance (0.2–0.3 NL/gVS-added) is not statistically observed. Laboratory-scale paddy soil incubation experiments are performed fed with anaerobically digested pretreated or not pretreated dewatered sludge as liquid fertilizer. Pretreatment promotes nitrogen mineralization before use as fertilizer, which is helpful to prevent an outflow of surplus ammonia to the environment. The effect of soil type on microbial communities is more significant than that of anaerobically digested sludge conditions.
Features of Spoken Speech in Bilingual Children in Yakut-Russian Dialect: Interference in the Sound-Pronouncing and Prosodic Side of Speech
Authors: Lebedeva Aia Kunnei Rostislavovna
Published: February 2020

This article examines the features of speech in preschool children who speak two languages on the example of Yakut and Russian languages. The study is specifically concerned with the sound-pronouncing and prosodic side of speech. Speech peculiarities at the present stage of development are considered. In conclusion, the solutions to overcome speech disorders are briefly examined.
Event Tourism in Numbers: Problems and Prospects of its Development in the Tambov Region
Authors: Pogrebniova Marina Igorevna
Published: February 2020

This article deals with the concept of event tourism on the example of the region. The author analyzes the state of the tourism industry in the Tambov region, identifies problems and shortcomings in this area, identifies numeri-cal indicators of tourist flow. The main events of the region are described, and the results of a comparative analysis are drawn.
Informal Institutions of the Russian Business World: History and Modernity
Authors: Myskova Anastasiya Evgenievna
Published: February 2020

The article discusses in detail the influence of informal institutions on the economy and politics of Russia, and the article also compares the historical and contemporary influence of these institutions on the economic and social development of the country.
Hazardous Waste in the Population: Problems, Search for Solutions to their Separate Accumulation
Authors: Volostnykh Elizaveta Aleksandrovna
Published: February 2020

Garbage and various waste products are an integral part of human life, but today they have become a global problem. The main reason why the accumulation of garbage requires special attention and new ways of processing and disposal is the accumulation of hazardous waste generated by the population. The article deals with the problems of waste management of 1st and 2nd hazard classes, the ways of solving these problems are proposed. The main purpose of this article is to determine the authorities responsible for hazardous waste management, review the hierarchy of waste management in case of hazardous waste. As a result, recommendations for establishing a system of separate collection and utilization of hazardous waste are proposed.
Fused Azolo-Quinoxalines: Candidates for Medicinal Chemistry. A Review of their Biological Applications
Authors: Patinote Cindy , Cirnat Natalina , Bonnet Pierre-Antoine , Deleuze-Masquéfa Carine
Published: February 2020

Heterocyclic compounds hold a huge and recognized place in the field of medicinal chemistry
thanks to their multiple biological activities. Their synthetic pathways allow their easy and rapid
access due to different bond-forming methodologies and provide a huge amount of multi-functionalized
compounds for drug delivery. The syntheses of heterocyclic compounds are today well known for the
majority, described and reviewed in an extensive literature. In this review, we choose to gather and
classify available information concerning the biological activities of quinoxaline-based compounds
annulated at bond a containing one and more nitrogen atoms in the fused azole ring.
Hippocampal-Dependent Inhibitory Learning and Memory Processes in the Control of Eating and Drug Taking
Authors: Clasen Matthew M. , Riley Anthony L. , Davidson Terry L.
Published: February 2020

As manifestations of excessive and uncontrolled intake, obesity and drug addiction have generated much research aimed at identifying common neuroadaptations that could underlie both disorders. Much work has focused on changes in brain reward and motivational circuitry that can overexcite eating and drug-taking behaviors. We suggest that the regulation of both behaviors depends on balancing excitation produced by stimuli associated with food and drug rewards with the behavioral inhibition produced by physiological “satiety” and other stimuli that signal when those rewards are unavailable. Our main hypothesis is that dysregulated eating and drug use are consequences of diet- and drug-induced degradations in this inhibitory power. We first outline a learning and memory mechanism that could underlie the inhibition of both food and drug-intake, and we describe data that identifies the hippocampus as a brain substrate for this mechanism. We then present evidence that obesitypromoting western diets (WD) impair the operation of this process and generate pathophysiologies that disrupt hippocampal functioning. Next, we present parallel evidence that drugs of abuse also impair this same learning and memory process and generate similar hippocampal pathophysiologies. We also describe recent findings that prior WD intake elevates drug self-administration, and the implications of using drugs (i.e., glucagon-like peptide- 1 agonists) that enhance hippocampal functioning to treat both obesity and addiction are also considered. We conclude with a description of how both WD and drugs of abuse could initiate a “vicious-cycle” of hippocampal pathophysiology and impaired hippocampal-dependent behavioral inhibition.
Heterocycle Compounds with Antimicrobial Activity
Authors: Fesatidou Maria , Petrou Anthi , Athina Geronikaki
Published: February 2020

Background:

Bacterial infections are a growing problem worldwide causing morbidity and mortality mainly in developing countries. Moreover, the increased number of microorganisms, developing multiple resistances to known drugs, due to abuse of antibiotics, is another serious problem. This problem becomes more serious for immunocompromised patients and those who are often disposed to opportunistic fungal infections.

Objective:

The objective of this manuscript is to give an overview of new findings in the field of antimicrobial agents among five-membered heterocyclic compounds. These heterocyclic compounds especially five-membered attracted the interest of the scientific community not only for their occurrence in nature but also due to their wide range of biological activities.

Method:

To reach our goal, a literature survey that covers the last decade was performed.

Results:

As a result, recent data on the biological activity of thiazole, thiazolidinone, benzothiazole and thiadiazole derivatives are mentioned.

Conclusion:

It should be mentioned that despite the progress in the development of new antimicrobial agents, there is still room for new findings. Thus, research still continues.