bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Resilient Regions
Authors: Wolman Harold , Wial Howard , Clair Travis St. , Hill Edward
Published: March 2019

chapter 4 profiles the three more resilient ones (Charlotte, Grand Forks and Seattle). In each case we describe their experiences with economic shocks and chronic distress and set forth the strategies, policies, and responses to shocks and chronic distress in which they engaged during our study period.
Assessing the Effect of Resilience Policies Directed toward Business and Individuals
Authors: Wolman Harold , Wial Howard , Clair Travis St. , Hill Edward
Published: March 2019

In chapters 5 and 6, we ask whether the most common intentional efforts to bring about recovery through public policy or civic action that we identified in the previous two chapters was likely to have made a difference. We do so by first, setting forth and discussing the logic underlying the policy, i.e., why and under what circumstances the policy might (or might not) be expected to have an effect on regional economic resilience or development. We then summarize the existing research literature that evaluates the specific policies and over what time frames they are likely to occur. Chapter 5 considers policies intended to aid specific businesses and individuals: business tax incentives; industry targeting and cluster policy; technical assistance to firms; and entrepreneurial assistance and promotion.
Constructing Candidates and Securing Placements
Authors: Coverdill James E. , Finlay William
Published: March 2019

This chapter examines how headhunters identify good job prospects, persuade them to become candidates, prepare them for job interviews, and convince them to accept job offers. At every step of this process headhunters encounter resistance and rejection from candidates and potential candidates, particularly those who were not actively looking – the passive candidates. The chapter shows that headhunters deal with this problem in two ways. First, they “construct” candidates by finding out whether they have right skills and would be a good fit with the client and by identifying the “wounds” that would encourage them to take a new job. Second, they “prep” candidates for interviews and act as a broker between client and candidate to ensure that an offer is not lost to a counter-offer.
Being a Headhunter
Authors: Coverdill James E. , Finlay William
Published: March 2019

This chapter discusses how headhunting has evolved as an occupation. Headhunting is an accidental rather than aspirational occupation—it is one that people enter as the result of an event that triggers a reappraisal of their careers or lives. It is also an occupation that is continuing to evolve as the labor market and recruiting environment change. The chapter examines (1) the various routes into this accidental occupation, (2) the technological and social changes that are changing headhunting, and (3) the different strategies that headhunters have developed for dealing with these changes, including specialization, separating the sourcing of prospects from their recruiting, and forming strategic partnerships with clients.
Conclusion
Authors: Coverdill James E. , Finlay William
Published: March 2019

This chapter addresses the four major theoretical questions that this book has raised: (1) the value of headhunters to employers, (2) the relationship between cultural fit and hiring, (3) the difficulty of recruiting and hiring in the wake of the Great Recession, and (4) the impact of new technologies on recruiting. It is argued that headhunters prove their worth by talking to clients and candidates; that cultural fit matters but human capital or skill is equally important; that the Great Recession exacerbated the problems of adverse selection and information asymmetry thus making employers and candidates more reluctant to commit to each other; and that the technology most likely to change headhunting is the electronic marketplace.
Introduction
Authors: Pichichero Christy
Published: March 2019

The introduction presents the book’ argument: from the late seventeenth through the eighteenth century, the seemingly antipodal phenomena of war and enlightenment were inextricably connected in a metadiscourse that constituted one of the greatest challenges, debates, and fights for progress of the century. This metadiscourse was born of “the Enlightenment” as a discursive context and a contemporary acceptance of war as an inevitable part of human society and as necessary for sovereign states both in terms of reputation and success in a colonial, mercantilist age. Facing the exorbitant costs of global warfare and growing moral criticism, agents of the Military Enlightenment sought to make “good war” in two ways. First, to wage war when necessary and to do so effectively and efficiently while sparing costs and precious resources of the fiscal-military state, especially manpower. Second, to wage war humanely to reflect the compassion, rationality, and dignity of the human race.
Introduction
Authors: Karmel Jonathan D.
Published: March 2019

The Introduction presents an overview of the main themes of the book. All workers at all workplaces are at risk for injury and death. Statistics alone prevent the nearness and proximity to understanding the risk of injury and death. Through the workers' stories, the reader is provided intimate access to their risk. In turn, awareness is raised and meaningful change is possible that makes workers safer and employers more accountable.
The Torch That Lighted Up the Industrial Scene
Authors: Karmel Jonathan D.
Published: March 2019

Chapter Two recounts the story of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire as the seminal event that ushered in the changes and reforms to workplace safety that were realized in the Progressive Era. Workers compensation, state industrial commissions and the study of occupational diseases were all born from the ashes of the Triangle Fire.
What Can We Do?
Authors: Karmel Jonathan D.
Published: March 2019

Chapter Six asks whether we have done everything possible to keep Americans safe at work. The answers to that question are a discussion of common sense reforms that if implemented will make Americans safer at work. But, anticipating the anti-regulatory arguments from self-described free marketers, Chapter Six first rebuts these arguments championed by conservative think tanks like the Cato Institute and the Mercatus Center, and funded by Charles and David Koch, among others.Thereafter, Chapter Six discusses how reforming the workers compensation system, enhancing the penalties and criminal provisions in the OSHAct, criminally prosecuting employers like Don Blankenship, regulatory reform and more local worker safety laws will help keep Americans safer at work.
Reasons Why We Feed Wild Birds
Authors: Jones Darryl
Published: March 2019

Although millions of people are passionately engaged in providing food to wild birds, the reasons and motivations for their participation are often complex and varied. Numerous recent studies but social scientists have attempted to discern how what are personal values influence the practice of bird feeding. These studies are unpacked with a view to understanding the changing attitudes to the practice.
The Youth
Authors: Shannon Matthew K.
Published: March 2019

This chapter argues that two groups of Iranian and American students – liberal anti-communists and New left radicals – cooperated during the 1960s to critique the shah’s authoritarian model of development and critique U.S. support for the Pahlavi regime. The student internationalists of the 1960s went beyond single issues such as constitutionalism to situate the Shah of Iran alongside other authoritarian leaders throughout the so-called free world in their collective critique, not just of a single state, but of the cold war order that legitimized them.
The Boom
Authors: Shannon Matthew K.
Published: March 2019

This chapter traces the ways in which the United States launched its most coordinated effort to promote Iranian development during the 1970s. The educational cooperation of the decade prioritized military training, particularly for members of the Imperial Iranian Navy; technical assistance, notably through the training of Iranian nuclear engineers; and cultural exchange programs that were administered by the U.S. and Iranian states as well as non-governmental organizations.
Introduction
Authors: Halliburton Murphy
Published: March 2019

The introduction opens with a discussion of the current state of intellectual property law which has been greatly expanded around the world at the behest of corporate interests and the World Trade Organization, imposing limitations on the sharing of medical, scientific and artistic creations. A brief discussion of India’s large pharmaceutical sector and multinational big pharma is presented followed by a depiction of the practice of ayurvedic medicine in India and concerns about biopiracy, or the commercial exploitation of indigenous medical knowledge. The introduction also offers a discussion of problems of resistance and the intelligibility of power in a complex global system such as the new patent regime and cautions against simplistic depictions of an all powerful “big pharma” in analyzing the global economy of pharmaceutical production.
The Invention and Expansion of Intellectual Property
Authors: Halliburton Murphy
Published: March 2019

This chapter depicts the emergence of the concept of intellectual property starting with analyses of intangible property in pre-capitalist societies and the development of patents and copyrights in 15th-18th century Europe. Court decisions that expanded the scope of intellectual property in the last few decades in the U.S. are presented followed by a review of the development of patent treaties from the Paris Convention of 1883 to the current World Trade Organization TRIPS legislation which required a rewriting of patent laws in India and around the world. India’s 1970 Patents Act, the reigning law until the TRIPS regime, prohibited product patents on medications, allowing only patents on the process for making a drug in order to prevent monopoly control of medications. In 2005, India had to change its law to comply with the WTO by allowing product patents and exclusive market control of medications.
Conclusion
Authors: Schubert Jon
Published: March 2019

The conclusion restates the main points of the book: Working through the emic understanding of contemporary Angolan society as a system that needs to be understood, mastered, and managed to successfully navigate daily life, this ethnography encompasses both the symbolic and material affects of power in people’s lives. By focusing on the relational, sensuous and reciprocal dimensions of power, this study seeks to understand the co-production of the political in a neo-authoritarian political environment like Angola. It argues that by paying detailed attention to the more subtle cultural processes and everyday politics of the ordinary in the system of contemporary Angola we can begin to understand how a regime like this one functions, and how political authority is re-negotiated on a daily basis.
Unsettling
Authors: Steele Abbey
Published: March 2019

The Introduction presents the stakes and scale of displacement, through the story of one man displaced in Colombia, Arturo. The chapter ties his story to the broader issue of displacement and explains why displacement is a form of violence that requires further understanding. It also presents key defintions, explains why Colombia is an important case to study, and outlines the rest of the book.
The Politics of Displacement across Colombia
Authors: Steele Abbey
Published: March 2019

This chapter explores if what I found in Apartadó reflects a more general pattern in Colombia by testing if municipalities with more UP voters suffered more displacement. In a cross-sectional analysis of displacement between 1998 and 2006, I find that even accounting for levels of violence perpetrated by the armed groups, displacement from municipalities with UP support was higher than from those without. It was only after traveling to the Urabá region, interviewing residents there, and combing local archives, that the overlooked form of displacement in non-ethnic settings - political cleansing - became apparent. Once I developed the theory, I collected new data on political representation across Colombia to test the implications of the theory on a larger scale.
The Discovery of a World
Authors: Mëhilli Elidor
Published: March 2019

This chapter views socialism as a mental world, following Albanian youths sent to the Soviet Union in the 1950s for training in literature, engineering, and architecture. These youths came to see themselves and others in similar socialist terms. The encounter with Moscow was awe-inspiring, but exposure to the socialist world could also be alienating. Such contradictory reactions find expression in the lives of two individuals: an aspiring architect shipped to Moscow to learn how to plan the socialist cities of the future, and a young writer sent on a scholarship to absorb the techniques of socialist realism. The chapter also shows how party-enforced “friendship propaganda” for the Soviet Union was meant to insert Albania into a genealogy of international socialism. This campaign came with rewritten history textbooks, mandatory Russian language courses, and a system of sanctions and rewards.
Threshold
Authors: Figlerowicz Marta
Published: March 2019

The first chapter, “Threshold,” examines the poetry of Wallace Stevens and Sylvia Plath. Stevens’ and Plath’s poems stall in realizations that a person’s mind and body do not themselves, even upon reflection, provide her with sufficient clues about the content and causes of the affects that move them. These poems’ speakers try, and fail, to imagine or conjure into being an audience held captive by their self-expression, in whose presence the stakes of this self-expression could clarify. The speakers’ sense of themselves, and of the genre in which they express their feelings, is undone by this inability. To bring out these poems’ broader philosophical implications, the chapter engages with the work of Charles Altieri.
Basement
Authors: Figlerowicz Marta
Published: March 2019

This chapter examines Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man. Ellison’s novel takes its political edge from turning the tables on experiences of interpersonal affective disempowerment of the kind that Baldwin’s and Proust’s characters intensely fear. Its narrator begins by trying, much like the protagonists of Woolf’s and Fitzgerald’s fiction, to look to the people and objects around him for confirmations and clarifications of how he feels, and how historically and socially important his feelings are. Yet he eventually realizes that the social structures he opposes are disrupted much more effectively by destabilizing other people’s affective awareness, and showing them how much this awareness depends on his cooperation. The basement offers this narrator a model of such an absorptive but not readily responsive attitude toward others, whose critical importance the chapter highlights by engaging with the work of Lauren Berlant.
From Wagner to Taft-Hartley: From Rights to Interests
Authors: Gross James A.
Published: March 2019

This chapter explains how a workers’ rights law with values most consistent with human rights values was subordinated to pragmatic “give and take” and “balancing” of interests.
Contested Motherhood and Entertainment Film
Authors: Hori Hikari
Published: March 2019

The woman’s entertainment film reveals intricate relations among state gender ideologies, studio marketing strategies, and the agency of female spectators. This chapter examines films of romance, maternal melodrama, and female soldierhood from the late 1930s through 1945, thereby revealing how norms of femininity and womanhood were contested and could be stumbling blocks for state ideology. While, on the textual and ideological level, women had to be biologically reproductive and confined to domesticity along the lines of wartime pronatalist policies, the same pronatalist discourses also provided a space for women to gain social visibility and agency as mothers and drove them to serve in public space. Thus, it is imperative to read representations of women against the grain. (117 words)
Epilogue
Authors: Hori Hikari
Published: March 2019

The last chapter begins by briefly discussing postwar developments in dramatic, documentary and animated film. Discourses of nationalist and imperialist identity might no longer be overtly manifested in these genres and media in the early postwar era, but they did not dissolve with the termination of war in 1945. One of the best examples of continuity is the image of the emperor, which survived—and indeed continues today—to serve as one of the most important constituents of nation and nationalism in postwar Japanese media and visual culture. To reinforce this point, the chapter turns to the well-known double portrait of Emperor Hirohito and General Douglas MacArthur, which should be seen as a continuation of the wartime imperial portrait photograph. (120 words)
Sistani, a Guide Only
Authors: Sayej Caroleen Marji
Published: March 2019

Chapter three examines the role of Ayatollah Sistani as an informal political actor in Iraqi politics. Although Sistani operated with vigor alongside the formal state structure, he walked fine line. At times he delivered opinions that compelled him to intervene in the political process. But his influence would have self-imposed limits: He and the other grand ayatollahs were committed to serve as “guides only,” so as to avoid the Iranian model of government entirely. Sistani had wanted a civil state built on constitutional institutions, but he understood the need to step back and allow the political process to unfold. He retreated at particular junctures and allowed political factions to rise and fall, especially to allow the electorate to reflect which groups represented their “will,” as he stated. This chapter exposes the complexities of the new informal realm, which offers no blueprint for when and how the ayatollahs should intervene.
Quietists Turned Activists?
Authors: Sayej Caroleen Marji
Published: March 2019

This chapter fleshes out the logic underlying the layers of activism by the ayatollahs after 2003 on the debate between quietism and activism. It adds nuance to the concept of clerical activism—which does not have to be velayat-e faqih or nothing. In fact, Iraqi ayatollahs have a long history of engagement with the state, but their engagement defies any neat categorization. They are keen, strategic political actors with strong ties to society and a newly evolving role as public intellectuals. The ayatollahs have proven flexible and extremely adaptable to political context. Their political savvy deters them from imposing their will or forcing a one-size-fits-all solution on the people. Yet their declaration that they should hold no political positions does not make them apolitical. Rather, their activism should be understood as a reinvented activism. The chapter contains analysis of the statements of Ayatollahs Baqir al-Hakim, Sistani, Fayyad and Najafi.
Conclusion
Authors: Sayej Caroleen Marji
Published: March 2019

After 2003, the national discussion about the relationship between religion and politics has been plagued with uncertainty because religious actors moved to the forefront of the democratic state-building process, causing confusion for Iraqis and outside observers alike. In particular, the emergence of the grand ayatollahs as political actors served to entwine religion with politics in new and important ways. The post-2003 state-building process brought into the open what had long been the practice of Iraqi political leaders—the calculated use of religion as a tool for achieving strategic goals. This choice must be understood in the context of the complex relationship between religion and politics in the Arab and Muslim world, which is normally focused on the role of sharia and jurisprudence. This chapter delves into the complex debates about Islam and democracy in Iraq and beyond, with consideration to the vague dictates of interpretation in Islam.
Climate change and conservation in a warm North American desert: effect in shrubby plants
Authors: Sosa Victoria , Loera Israel , Angulo Diego F. , Vásquez-Cruz Marilyn , Gándara Etelvina
Published: March 2019

Background

Deserts are biologically rich habitats with a vast array of animals and plants adapted to xeric conditions, and most deserts are among the planet’s last remaining areas of total wilderness. Among North American deserts, the Chihuahuan Desert has the highest levels of diversity and endemism. To understand the effect of future climate change on plants distributed in this arid land and propose effective conservation planning, we focused on five endemic shrubby species that characterize the Chihuahuan Desert and used an integrative approach.

Methods

Ecological niche-based modeling, spatial genetics and ecological resistance analyses were carried out to identify the effect of global warming on the studied five shrubby species. Key areas that need to be preserved were identified taking into account the existing protected areas within the Chihuahuan Desert.

Results

The extent of future distribution will vary among these species, and on average expansion will occur in the western part of the Chihuahuan Desert. For most species low environmental resistance to gene flow was predicted, while higher future resistance was predicted for one species that would lead to increased population isolation. The highest haplotype diversity was identified in three hotspots. Based on future suitability of habitat and in the haplotype diversity we suggest preserving two hotspots of genetic diversity in the Sierra Madre Oriental, located in areas without protection. The third hotspot was detected in the well preserved Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Man and Biosphere Reserve.

Conclusion

Global climate change will have an effect in arid adapted plants, favoring expansion in the western of the Chihuahuan Desert however negatively affecting others with high ecological resistance disrupting gene flow. Two hotspots of genetic diversity in the Sierra Madre Oriental should be protected.
Wind Power Potential in Near Future Climate Scenarios: The Case for Burundi (East Africa)
Authors: Lawin Agnidé Emmanuel , Célestin Manirakiza , Batablinlé Lamboni
Published: March 2019

This paper assessed projected changes of wind power potential in near future climate scenarios over four sites from two contrasting regions of Burundi. Observed and MERRA-2 data sets were considered for the historical period 1981-2010, and a computed Multi-model ensemble for future projections data of eight Regional Climate Models under RCP 4.5 and 8.5 over the period 2011-2040 was used. Regional Climate Models were downscaled at local climate using Empirical Statistical Downscaling method. Mann-Kendall’s test was used for trend analysis over the historical period, while future changes in wind power density (WPD) quartiles were computed for each climate scenario by 2040. The findings revealed an increase in wind power potential all over the area studied with higher values during summer time. Indeed, over the period 2011-2040, the lowest WPD change is projected at Northern highlands (NHL) under RCP 4.5 with 27.03 W.m-2, while the highest WPD change of 46.34 W.m-2 is forecasted under RCP 8.5 at Southern Imbo plain (SIP). The month of August and September are expected to have higher WPD change in RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5, respectively while January is projected to have the lowest WPD. Places near by the Lake Tanganyika are the most favorable areas for wind power generation.
Proximate and Elemental Analysis of Three Medicinal Plants: Cuscuta reflexa, Cassia tora and Cassia fistula
Authors: Afrin Nahid Sajia , Tasnim Tarannum , Mousumy Meher Nigar , Hossain Md. Awlad , Siddique Md. Abu Bakar , Ahsan Md. Aminul , Akbor Md. Ahedul , Saha Koushik
Published: March 2019

Aim: The current study explores the proximate and elemental contents of three different medicinal plants, namely Cuscuta reflexa (whole plant), Cassia tora (stem) and Cassia fistula (seed pot) that have been grown in Bangladesh.

Methodology: Macro (Na, K, Ca, Mg), micro (Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn, Ni, Cr) and heavy metal (Pb, Cd, As) elements, present in C. reflexa (Whole plant), C. tora (stem), and C. fistula (seed pod) were analyzed quantitatively by flame photometer and atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS).

Results: The minerals of the plants were found in substantial amounts (Na: 13763.75-16419.42 ppm, K: 6053.49-25864.92 ppm, Ca: 18912.16-2298.77 ppm, Mg: 1570.25-4602.23 ppm, Fe: 58.99-222.43 ppm, Cu: 3.16-11.61 ppm, Mn: 15.89-54.53 pm, Zn: 0.0367-50.2665 ppm, Ni: 0.9878-4.7186 ppm, Cr: 0.3279-0.8281 ppm, Pb: 0.3590-1.5030 ppm, Cd: 0.0016-0.0068 ppm and As: 0.0148-0.0675 ppm).

Conclusion: It is evident that the investigated medicinal plants are enriched in some macro and micro nutrient, such as Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe etc which are important for biological metabolism and human health. On the other hand the heavy metals are present in trace amount which indicate the plants are safe for medicinal uses.
Visceral Leishmaniasis Infection in Patients from Gboko Health Division, Benue State, Nigeria
Authors: Orpin J. B. , Mzungu I. , Usman-Sani H.
Published: March 2019

A Study was carried out to investigate the Prevalence of Visceral leishmaniasis infection in Gboko Health Division, Benue State. Parasitological screening was carried out in Two hundred (200) patients comprising 74 males and 126 females sampled at random. Leucoconcentration method was used in the diagnosis of Visceral leishmaniasis in the patients in the study area. Out of the total number sampled, 26 tested positive 9 (12.2%) males and 17 (13.5%) females for Visceral Leishmaniasis infection. Infection rate of Visceral leishmaniasis showed significant difference (p<0.05) based on the sex and age of the patients with the females having higher infection than the males, X2 cal=12.59 at P≤ 0.05 and 6df. Infection rate was significantly higher in female patients with 25.0% in the age groups of 51-60 and 60˃ years respectively and 14.3% for males in the age group 31-40 years. No prevalence was recorded in males and females in the age group of 1-10 years. The presence of Visceral leishmaniasis in the study area is of clinical importance and requires routine check and public health awareness and further research conducted in the study area to help bring about complete eradication.
Effect of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Leachate on Groundwater Quality in Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Authors: Eseyin O. Olushola , Osu I. Charles
Published: March 2019

Aims: This study was carried out to assess the effect of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) leachate on groundwater quality in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Cross-sectional study was conducted around two dumpsites in Port Harcourt, Nigeria on leachates and borehole water.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study of selected refuse dumpsite was conducted in Port Harcourt, Nigeria to assess the effect of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) leachate on groundwater quality in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. The physicochemical parameters such as pH, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Electrical Conductivity (EC), Nitrite ion, Phosphate ion, Sulphate ion, Chloride ion and heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Zn, Fe, and Cu) were determined by standard protocol of APHA (2012). The samples were analysed by three quality tools/indices such as the Water Quality Index (WQI), Contamination Factor (CF) and Contamination Degree (CD).

Results and Discussion: The result shows that some parameters in the borehole water did not meet the standards of World Health Organization (WHO) and Nigerian Standards for Drinking Water Quality (NSDWQ), and most leachates and borehole water qualities near the un-engineered dumpsites are of poor quality. There was a decreasing trend in concentrations of hazardous contaminants from the leachate to nearby borehole water and eventually the distant borehole water. This shows that the leachates exert great effect on the concentrations of contaminants in the surrounding borehole waters and distant ones.

Conclusion: It is concluded that there is an increase in risk to the borehole and public health that is reported near the unengineered dumpsites; which can spread to other region on bioaccumulation. The result indicated that the dumpsite leachate is producing many potent contaminants to the environment and to the people nearby.
Assessment of Rainfall Thresholds for Rain-Induced Landslide Activity in North Sikkim Road Corridor in Sikkim Himalaya, India
Authors: Koley Bappaditya , Nath Anindita , Saraswati Subhajit , Bandyopadhyay Kaushik , Ray Bidhan Chandra
Published: March 2019

Land sliding is a perennial problem in the Eastern Himalayas. Out of 0.42 million km2 of Indian landmass prone to landslide, 42% fall in the North East Himalaya, specially Darjeeling and Sikkim Himalaya. Most of these landslides are triggered by excessive monsoon rainfall between June and October in almost every year. Various attempts in the global scenario have been made to establish rainfall thresholds in terms of intensity – duration of antecedent rainfall models on global, regional and local scale for triggering of the landslide. This paper describes local aspect of rainfall threshold for landslides based on daily rainfall data in and around north Sikkim road corridor region. Among 210 Landslides occurring from 2010 to 2016 were studied to analyze rainfall thresholds. Out of the 210 landslides, however, only 155 Landslides associated with rainfall data which were analyzed to yield a threshold relationship between rainfall intensity-duration and landslide initiation. The threshold relationship determined fits to lower boundary of the Landslide triggering rainfall events is I = 4.045 D - 0.25 (I=rainfall intensity (mm/h) and D=duration in (h)), revealed that for rainfall event of short time (24 h) duration with a rainfall intensity of 1.82 mm/h, the risk of landslides on this road corridor of the terrain is expected to be high. It is also observed that an intensity of 58 mm and 139 mm for 10-day and 20-day antecedent rainfall are required for the initiation of landslides in the study area. This threshold would help in improvement on traffic guidance and provide safety to the travelling tourists in this road corridor during the monsoon.
An Analysis of Managerial Challenges of Affiliated Credit Unions to Cameroon Cooperative Credit Union League (CamCCUL)
Authors: Buwah Neba Noela , Joyvice Chofor
Published: March 2019

Aim: This study seeks to analyse the managerial challenges that affiliated Credit Unions to Cameroon Cooperative Credit Union League (CamCCUL) are exposed to. The prevalence of Credit Unions with limited managerial capacities in most Cameroonian communities both in rural and urban areas invites corporate parenting from bigger support and supervisory organizations like CamCCUL. This parenting relationship between CamCCUL and her affiliates presumes superior managerial capabilities to affiliates which in most cases is a misplaced expectation. This is prompted by the fact that these institutions affect a multitude of lives both directly and indirectly. The Agency and Stakeholder theories served as foundation.

Study Design: The study adopted a survey and causal exploratory design with both qualitative and quantitative parameters. The focus of the researcher was to explore managerial challenges from the managers themselves and members of credit unions who are better placed to gauge the effectiveness of managerial actions in terms of the service they receive.

Place and Duration: This study was conducted between April 2016 and November 2018, involving 138 of the 210 Credit Unions operating mostly in the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon.

Methodology: The major instrument for data collection was questionnaire and a pilot study of 50 copies was carried out across various Chapters of CamCCUL. With a population of 210, a stratified sample of 138 was obtained using the Taro Yamane Formula.The primary data was tested to be reliable with a 0.701 consistency coefficient using Cronbach alpha. The study employed Chi-Square as a tool of analysis to measure Credit Unions’ affiliation to CamCCUL and specific Managerial Challenges.

Findings: The findings revealed that affiliate Credit Unions to face numerous managerial challenges ranging from structural to resources deficiencies. The most alarming of these problems were the lack of autonomy to take managerial decisions and threats from CamCCUL supervisors.

Conclusion: The study concluded that CamCCUL as a league is not operating solely to achieve its mission and has rather kept its affiliated Credit Unions in a tight corner. The researchers recommended that the regulating authorities should render Credit Unions more autonomous where possible. Additionally, there should be well-structured and comprehensive governance policies for the management of all affiliated Credit Unions to comply with.
Fingertip‐Skin‐Inspired Highly Sensitive and Multifunctional Sensor with Hierarchically Structured Conductive Graphite/Polydimethylsiloxane Foams
Authors: Sun Qi‐Jun , Zhao Xin‐Hua , Zhou Ye , Yeung Chi‐Chung , Wu Wei , Venkatesh Shishir , Xu Zong‐Xiang , Wylie Jonathan J. , Li Wen‐Jung , Roy Vellaisamy A. L.
Published: March 2019

Fingertip skin exhibits high sensitivity in a broad pressure range, and can detect diverse stimuli, including textures, temperature, humidity, etc. Despite adopting diverse microstructures and functional materials, achieving skin sensor devices possessing high pressure sensitivity over a wide linear range and with multifunctional sensing capabilities is still challenging. Herein, inspired by the microstructures of fingertip skin, a highly sensitive skin sensor is demonstrated with a linear response over a broad pressure range and multifunctional sensing capabilities. The porous sensing layer is designed with hierarchical microstructures on the surface. By optimizing the porosity and the graphite concentration, a fabricated skin sensor device exhibits a superior sensitivity of 245 kPa−1 over a broad linear pressure range from 5 Pa to 120 kPa. For practical application demonstrations, the sensor devices are utilized to monitor subtle wrist pulse and diverse human motions including finger bending, wrist bending, and feet movement. Furthermore, this novel sensor device demonstrates potential applications in recognizing textures and detecting environmental temperatures, thereby marking an important progress for constructing advanced electronic skin.
Electron Transfer in Nanoscale Contact Electrification: Effect of Temperature in the Metal–Dielectric Case
Authors: Lin Shiquan , Xu Liang , Xu Cheng , Chen Xiangyu , Wang Aurelia C. , Zhang Binbin , Lin Pei , Yang Ya , Zhao Huabo , Wang Zhong Lin
Published: March 2019

The phenomenon of contact electrification (CE) has been known for thousands of years, but the nature of the charge carriers and their transfer mechanisms are still under debate. Here, the CE and triboelectric charging process are studied for a metal–dielectric case at different thermal conditions by using atomic force microscopy and Kelvin probe force microscopy. The charge transfer process at the nanoscale is found to follow the modified thermionic‐emission model. In particular, the focus here is on the effect of a temperature difference between two contacting materials on the CE. It is revealed that hotter solids tend to receive positive triboelectric charges, while cooler solids tend to be negatively charged, which suggests that the temperature‐difference‐induced charge transfer can be attributed to the thermionic‐emission effect, in which the electrons are thermally excited and transfer from a hotter surface to a cooler one. Further, a thermionic‐emission band‐structure model is proposed to describe the electron transfer between two solids at different temperatures. The findings also suggest that CE can occur between two identical materials owing to the existence of a local temperature difference arising from the nanoscale rubbing of surfaces with different curvatures/roughness.
Highly Stretchable Strain Sensors Comprising Double Network Hydrogels Fabricated by Microfluidic Devices
Authors: Kim Dowan , Ahn Suk‐Kyun , Yoon Jinhwan
Published: March 2019

Strain sensors with high sensitivity and stretchability are required for wearable or implantable sensors to detect human motion. In this study, highly stretchable double‐network (DN) of soft polyacrylamide and brittle calcium‐alginate microfibers containing poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiphene)‐poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) are prepared using microfluidic devices. The resistance changes in response to the stretching of the microfiber due to the connection/partial disconnection of the PEDOT:PSS domains; it could be monitored up to 300% elongation with a resolution of 0.1%. Furthermore, these changes are fully reversible and repeatable over 10 000 cycles of 200% elongation. Owing to such mechanical and electronic properties, DN microfibers are envisioned to be useful in stretchable strain sensors to detect human motion in real time, including bending of the fingers, walking, and running. It is also demonstrated that the developed sensor can be stably used outdoors by measuring the growth of a bamboo planted in a garden.
Synthesis and Antibacterial Evaluation of Cephalosporin Isosteres
Authors: Cesta Drew J. , Somersan Karakaya Selin , Saito Kohta , Javidnia Prisca E. , Roberts Julia , Ling Yan , Gold Ben S. , Lopez Quezada Landys , Zhang David , Abramyan Tigran M. , Kireev Dmitri B. , Aubé Jeffrey , Scarry Sarah M.
Published: March 2019

As part of a program to explore the chemistry of β‐lactams and their derivatives, we prepared a focused set of benzazetidine, indoline, and indole heterocycles, as well as flexible unconstrained variations of the four‐membered heterocyclic compounds. These analogues mimic the three‐dimensional shape of cephalosporins but are not prone to covalent binding via ring opening. Although these analogues were inactive against the ESKAPE pathogens and Mtb, they represent unique and underexplored chemotypes for future biological screening.
Optimised Synthesis of the Bacterial Magic Spot (p)ppGpp Chemosensor PyDPA
Authors: Conti Gabriele , Minneci Marco , Sattin Sara
Published: March 2019

Guanosine penta‐ or tetraphosphate (pppGpp or ppGpp, respectively) is a nucleotide signalling molecule with a marked effect on bacterial physiology during stress. Its accumulation slows down cell metabolism and replication, supposedly leading to the formation of the antibiotic‐tolerant persister phenotype. A specifically tailored fluorescent chemosensor, PyDPA, allows the detection of (p)ppGpp in solution with high selectivity, relative to that of other nucleotides. Herein, an optimised synthetic approach is presented that improves the overall yield from 9 to 67 % over 7 steps. The simplicity and robustness of this approach will allow groups investigating the many facets of (p)ppGpp easy access to this probe.
Generation of Coarse Bubbles and Flow Instability Control by Means of a Bubble Generator
Authors: Levitsky Inna , Gitis Vitaly , Tavor Dorith
Published: March 2019

A previously studied bubble generator was tested under new operating conditions to provide for millimeter‐sized bubbles. The basic element of the generator is a vortex chamber with water supplied through tangential ducts while gas (air) is introduced in the radial direction. Bubbles with average diameter of 0.5–2.2 mm were produced and registered by high‐speed photography. The correlation between the water‐air flow rate ratio and the characteristic bubble diameter was established and described by a relationship. Pressure oscillations in the exit section of the device were captured for two‐phase flows with fine and coarse bubbles. With a view to applications in membrane filtration and water treatment, the effect of a pin installed in the exit section of the vortex chamber on the pressure oscillations was studied. The pin results in a drastic increase in pressure amplitude, both in the flow without bubbles and in the case of gas supply.
1,3,9‐Triaza‐2‐oxophenoxazine: An Artificial Nucleobase Forming Highly Stable Self‐Base Pairs with Three AgI Ions in a Duplex
Authors: Fujii Akane , Nakagawa Osamu , Kishimoto Yuki , Okuda Takumi , Nakatsuji Yusuke , Nozaki Natsumi , Kasahara Yuuya , Obika Satoshi
Published: March 2019

Metal‐mediated base pairs (MMBPs) formed by natural or artificial nucleobases have recently been developed. The metal ions can be aligned linearly in a duplex by MMBP formation. The development of a three‐ or more‐metal‐coordinated MMBPs has the potential to improve the conductivity and enable the design of metal ion architectures in a duplex. This study aimed to develop artificial self‐bases coordinated by three linearly aligned AgI ions within an MMBP. Thus, artificial nucleic acids with a 1,3,9‐triaza‐2‐oxophenoxazine (9‐TAP) nucleobase were designed and synthesized. In a DNA/DNA duplex, self‐base pairs of 9‐TAP could form highly stable MMBPs with three AgI ions. Nine equivalents of AgI led to the formation of three consecutive 9‐TAP self‐base pairs with extremely high stability. The complex structures of 9‐TAP MMBPs were determined by using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and UV titration experiments. Highly stable self‐9‐TAP MMBPs with three AgI ions are expected to be applicable to new DNA nanotechnologies.
ortho‐Alkylation of Pyridine N‐Oxides with Alkynes by Photocatalysis: Pyridine N‐Oxide as a Redox Auxiliary
Authors: Markham Jonathan P. , Wang Ban , Stevens Edwin D. , Burris Stuart C. , Deng Yongming
Published: March 2019

A photocatalyzed ortho‐alkylation of pyridine N‐oxide with ynamides and arylacetylenes has been developed, which yields a series of α‐(2‐pyridinyl) benzyl amides/ketones. Mechanistic studies, including electrochemical studies, radical‐trapping experiments, and Stern–Volmer fluorescence quenching studies demonstrate that pyridine N‐oxide serves as both a redox auxiliary and radical acceptor to achieve the mild photocatalytic single‐electron oxidation of carbon–carbon triple bonds with the generation of a cationic vinyl radical intermediate.
Methodik zur Entwicklung additiv gefertigter Packungsstrukturen im Bereich der thermischen Trenntechnik
Authors: Neukäufer Johannes , Hanusch Florian , Kutscherauer Martin , Rehfeldt Sebastian , Klein Harald , Grützner Thomas
Published: March 2019

Es wird ein methodisches Vorgehen zur Entwicklung additiv gefertigter, innovativer Packungsstrukturen für den Labor‐ und Technikumsmaßstab beschrieben, wobei der Fokus hier auf der Methodik der Entwicklungsstrategien liegt. Es werden flexibel dimensionierbare Packungsstrukturen, angelehnt an Kristallgitterstrukturen, mithilfe des VBA‐Tools in Autodesk Inventor® erzeugt. Die Charakterisierung erfolgt mit CFD‐Simulationen, bei denen der spezifische trockene Druckverlust ermittelt und die Flüssigkeitsverteilung visualisiert wird. Grenzen bei der Strukturentwicklung ergeben sich durch das verwendete Fertigungsverfahren selektives Lasersintern. Eine der entwickelten Packungsstrukturen wurde abschließend mit dazugehörigem Kolonnenmantel aus Polyamid 12 gedruckt.
Electrocardiographic findings in peripartum cardiomyopathy
Authors: Honigberg Michael C. , Elkayam Uri , Rajagopalan Navin , Modi Kalgi , Briller Joan E. , Drazner Mark H. , Wells Gretchen L. , McNamara Dennis M. , Givertz Michael M. ,   for the IPAC Investigators
Published: March 2019

Background

There is limited data on electrocardiographic (ECG) abnormalities and their prognostic significance in women with peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM). We sought to characterize ECG findings in PPCM and explore the association of ECG findings with myocardial recovery and clinical outcomes.

Hypothesis

We hypothesized that ECG indicators of myocardial remodeling would portend worse systolic function and outcomes.

Methods

Standard 12‐lead ECGs were obtained at enrollment in the Investigations of Pregnancy‐Associated Cardiomyopathy study and analyzed for 88 women. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was measured by echocardiography at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. Women were followed for clinical events (death, mechanical circulatory support, and/or cardiac transplantation) until 1 year.

Results

Half of women had an “abnormal” ECG, defined as atrial abnormality, ventricular hypertrophy, ST‐segment deviation, and/or bundle branch block. Women with left atrial abnormality (LAA) had lower LVEF at 6 months (44% vs 52%, P = 0.02) and 12 months (46% vs 54%, P = 0.03). LAA also predicted decreased event‐free survival at 1 year (76% vs 97%, P = 0.008). Neither left ventricular hypertrophy by ECG nor T‐wave abnormalities predicted outcomes. A normal ECG was associated with recovery in LVEF to ≥50% (84% vs 49%, P = 0.001) and event‐free survival at 1 year (100% vs 85%, P = 0.01).

Conclusions

ECG abnormalities are common in women with PPCM, but a normal ECG does not rule out the presence of PPCM. LAA predicted lower likelihood of myocardial recovery and event‐free survival, and a normal ECG predicted favorable event‐free survival.
Modeling multispecies predator–prey dynamics: predicting the outcomes of conservation actions for woodland caribou
Authors: Johnson Chris J. , Mumma Matthew A. , St‐Laurent Martin‐Hugues
Published: March 2019

Woodland caribou is a Threatened or Endangered subspecies across much of Canada. In many cases, these caribou are declining because of human‐mediated predation in the form of apparent competition. Provincial and federal agencies have employed a number of conservation actions to arrest the decline, but insufficient time and limited replication make it difficult to test the efficacy of those activities. We built a three‐species population model that served as a tool to integrate current knowledge, explore uncertainties, and assess activities focused on the recovery of caribou. We applied the model to interconnected populations of caribou, moose, and wolves at two locations in Canada (Chinchaga [British Columbia], Charlevoix [Québec]) and explored the efficacy of conservation actions unique to each population: predator control, restoration of linear features, reduction of habitat for moose, supplementation, maternal pens, and predator exclosures. Results confirmed that caribou at these two locations faced different recovery challenges, dictated by specific population dynamics and threats. Wolf predation, enhanced by seismic lines and resource roads, was responsible for the decline of the simulated Chinchaga population. The most cost‐effective recovery actions for that population were long‐term lethal wolf control (λ1–50 = 1.014, $25,665/caribou), a large‐scale predator exclosure (λ1–50 = 1.015, $170,767/caribou), and the aggressive restoration of linear features (λ1–50 = 1.002, $531,675/caribou). In contrast, simulations suggested that calf predation by black bears, a fixed source of mortality in the model, limited the growth of the Charlevoix population. Assuming high survival of adult caribou and poor recruitment of juveniles, a maternal pen was the most effective action for the recovery of those caribou (λ1–50 = 1.004, $148,473/caribou). Short‐term population supplementation provided only a temporary increase in abundance (λ1–50 = 0.994, $62,143/caribou). The model was limited by ecological and data uncertainties, but served as an effective platform for representing and testing our understanding of the complex interspecific interactions that underlie the recovery of woodland caribou.