bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Manufacture of Glass Foam by Predominantly Direct Microwave Heating of Recycled Glass Waste
Authors: AXINTE Sorin Mircea , Paunescu Lucian , Dragoescu Marius Florin , Sebe Ana Casandra
Published: November 2019

The paper presents authors’ contribution to the improvement of the manufacturing technique of foam glass using the microwave energy. Due to the physical and mechanical characteristics, this material, obtained by the sintering process of waste glass at high temperature, constitutes a viable replacer of existing similar materials, used especially in construction. Unlike the conventional heating methods used worldwide, the company Daily Sourcing & Research SRL Bucharest tested lately microwave heating techniques in the manufacturing process of foam glass. In the paper it is presented an original method based on the feature of the powder mixture composed by waste glass (over 97 wt.%) and the foaming agent (calcium carbonate) to absorb the microwave energy and convert it to heat since the ambient temperature, using a silicon carbide and silicon nitride (80/ 20 weight ratio) crucible with thin wall (2.5 mm), which allows both a preponderantly direct heating and partially an indirect heating of the material. The main parameters of the process (specific consumption of energy, heating speed, process temperature and duration) were significant improved compared to the previous experiments.
Role of Usability on using Biometrics for Cybersecurity
Authors: Hausawi Yasser
Published: November 2019

ABSTRACT

Biometrics are traits that allow individuals to be identified. Popular biometrics include fingerprints, faces, and irides. A common use of biometric systems is for authentication of users desiring access to a system or resource. However, the use of biometrics presents challenges and opportunities unique to other authentication methods, such as passwords and tokens. Biometric systems are also vulnerable to poor usability. Such systems must be engineered with wide user accessibility and acceptability in mind, but must still provide robust security as well. As lack of usability causes systems' failures, and enhancing systems' usability reduces such failures. This article first presents an overview of biometric systems employed today, including their usage and security merits. We then consider the specific role usability plays on both the development and long-term utility of biometric systems used for Cybersecurity.
Bitter Tongue: Yehuda Amichai’s Poetic Monolanguage
Authors: Gordinsky Natasha
Published: November 2019

This article explores Yehuda Amichai’s reflection on the meaning of language and demonstrates how his early poetry navigates between different views on the concept of ‘mother tongue.’ Building on Jacques Derrida’s seminal essay Monolingualism of the Other, it proposes a new hermeneutic frame for interpreting Amichai’s early poetry – particularly the poems collected in Shirim 1948–1962 – through the prism of monolingualism. In order to examine Amichai’s version of Derridean monolingualism, the article offers close readings of his paradigmatic poems, such as “Be-yalduti” (“When I Was a child”) and “Va-hagirat horai lo nirg‘eah bi” (“And the Migration of My Parents Has Not Subsided in Me”), that address, both directly and indirectly, the question of language. Furthermore, this article traces the influence of the experience of immigration on the development of Amichai’s poetic thinking on language. The various lyrical manifestations of this experience, such as a mediation on the meaning of the language of the mother, or the possibility to write with an accent, reveal Amichai’s growing ethical understanding of language as something that belongs to the other. Thus, I argue that Amichai’s unique monolingualism should be understood as a poetic site of negotiation between owning and dispossessing a language.
Liberal Nomos, National Narrative: Karl Kraus’s Critique of Law
Authors: Hertz Gal
Published: November 2019

The critique of law and judicial practice is a central theme in Karl Kraus’s oeuvre. However, it is mostly understood by scholars as – to use Robert Cover’s terms – addressing law as nomos (what law says) rather than as narrative (its normative grounding). This article claims that the narratival critique of law, which Kraus develops via Shakespeare, Goethe, and other literary sources, should not be seen as a merely aesthetic complement to his legal arguments, but rather as essential to his approach to jurisprudence and social justice. This view challenges a non-critical application of pre-given values and fixated norms, since such practice undermines contingent moral concerns and often leads to social harm. From this perspective, this analysis shows how Kraus captures and documents the historical political transition of the Habsburg Monarchy, in which criminalization was put to use as a political tool, as a liberal institution co-opted by national discourse and populist ideology.
Anti-biofilm activity of two novel, borate based, bioactive glass wound dressings
Authors: Jung Steven , Day Ted , Boone Tyler , Buziak Brenton , Omar Amin
Published: November 2019

Bioactive glass was first developed in the late 1960’s as a compound that would facilitate bone re-growth. In more recent years, this technology has been used to promote wound healing through its ability to stimulate soft tissue growth, angiogenesis, reduce inflammation, and prevent infection. Chronically infected wounds, which result from biofilm formation, affect millions of patients in the Unites States each year and cost billions of dollars to treat. The present studies demonstrate exposure of pre-formed biofilms to bioactive glass, under simulated body conditions, resulted in significant reduction in bacterial load. Additionally, specific therapeutically active metal ions such as copper and zinc were added to a borate bioactive glass formulation through a process of ion doping and found to further enhance the anti-biofilm activity. Based on the present findings, the antibiofilm agents released by borate bioactive glasses may prove effective to eradicate the biofilm infections that prevent healing in patients with chronic wounds.
The Impact of the Pre-Treatment in Ethanol Solution on the Drying Kinetics and Selected Properties of Convective Dried Apples
Authors: Zubernik Joanna , Dadan Magdalena , Cichowska Joanna , Witrowa-Rajchert Dorota
Published: November 2019

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of pre-treatment in ethanol solution carried out in variable time with and without ultrasound (US) assistance on convective drying kinetics, total phenolic content (TPC) and hygroscopicity of an apple. The drying time after immersion in ethanol solution was shorter up to 13.4 (without US) and 18.3 % (with US) in comparison to intact slices. The most appropriate model that described kinetics of drying was the one proposed by Sledz et al. Drying of the untreated apple resulted in a decrease of the TPC by 18 %, compared with raw apples and the pre-treatment led to further losses. The tissue after ethanol pre-treatment was less hygroscopic, which proves the possibility to maintain a characteristic texture of the dried apple with prolonged storage stability. The best quality of dried apples was obtained after 1 min of ethanolic pre-treatment with US.
Analysis of the Heat Transfer of Ginkgo Biloba Seeds during Radio-Frequency Heating
Authors: Song Chunfang , Chen Yao , Wu Jingke , Li Zhenfeng , Chen Haiying , Li Jing
Published: November 2019

Fresh ginkgo biloba (GB) seeds are seasonal and susceptible to microbial spoilage, especially the growth of mold owing to GB seeds’ high-water content, which greatly limits their shelf life. As an efficient and special heating method, radio-frequency (RF) heating can be used to dehydrate ginkgo to preserve its nutritional value and reduce postharvest losses. However, the non-uniformity of RF heating restricts the development in industrialized application. In this study, the RF drying of GB seeds was performed to investigate the effect of RF heating on temperature. The distribution law of the entire temperature field was also observed. Using numerical simulation method, the coupling model of electromagnetic and heat transfer was established. The model was validated by the 6-min heating profile of GB seeds in a 12 kw and 27.12 MHz RF system. The model was also qualitatively validated by comparing the simulated temperature profiles on the three planes in the GB seeds with the corresponding thermal images. Quantitative validation was performed by comparing the simulated temperature of GB seeds on the three planes with experimental temperature acquired at places using thermocouples. Furthermore, the model can be effectively used to identify the distribution of electric fields in different positions and to achieve satisfactory heating uniformity.
The Functional Variable Method to Find New Exact Solutions of the Nonlinear Evolution Equations with Dual-Power-Law Nonlinearity
Authors: Rezazadeh Hadi , Vahidi Javad , Zafar Asim , Bekir Ahmet
Published: November 2019

In this work, we established new travelling wave solutions for some nonlinear evolution equations with dual-power-law nonlinearity namely the Zakharov–Kuznetsov equation, the Benjamin–Bona–Mahony equation and the Korteweg–de Vries equation. The functional variable method was used to construct travelling wave solutions of nonlinear evolution equations with dual-power-law nonlinearity. The travelling wave solutions are expressed by generalized hyperbolic functions and the rational functions. This method presents a wider applicability for handling nonlinear wave equations.
Commodity Storage, Post-Harvest Losses, and Food Security: Panel Data Evidence from Ethiopia
Authors: Gebreegziabher Zenebe , van Kooten G. Cornelis
Published: November 2019

In Ethiopia, 95 % of total agricultural output comes from some 11 million smallholder farmers. A relatively significant proportion of the food grown in the country is stored at the household level by smallholder farm households, mainly for own consumption. Storage losses, generally perceived to be high, have significant implications for household food security. This study provides a microeconomic perspective of commodity storage, post-harvest losses (PHL), and food security in Ethiopia. It relies on a large-scale household panel dataset, the Ethiopia Socioeconomic Survey (ESS), which comprises 4,000 households in rural areas and small towns that are representative of the most populous regions of Ethiopia. The data were collected as part of the World Bank’s LSMS-ISA project; it involved three “waves” or collection periods: 2011/12, 2013/14, and 2015/16. Data from only the second and third waves were used to estimate a random-effects probit model. Findings show that the magnitude of PHL is substantial: damage is due to rodents and rotting related to traditional storage facilities, poor ventilation, humidity/temperature, and undesirable post-harvest handling. Findings also show that PHL decreases with better market access and improved storage practices. Mitigation measures that improve and promote modern grain storage facilities appear to provide a double dividend – reducing PHL while addressing food insecurity.
Farmers’ Grain Storage and Losses in Ethiopia
Authors: Bachewe Fantu , Minten Bart , Seyoum Taffesse Alemayehu , Pauw Karl , Cameron Alethia , Genye Endaylalu Tirsit
Published: November 2019

While storage losses at the farm are often assumed to be an important contributor to presumed large postharvest losses in developing countries, reliable and representative data on these losses are often lacking. We study farmers’ storage decisions and self-reported storage losses for grains based on two large-scale household surveys conducted in major agricultural areas in Ethiopia. We show that a relatively large share of grain production is stored by farm households for own consumption and that storage technologies are rudimentary. Farmers’ self-reported storage losses amount to an average of 4 % of all grains stored and 2 % of total harvest. These storage losses differ significantly by socioeconomic variables and wealth, as well as by crop and humidity. We further see strong spatial heterogeneity in storage losses being significantly higher in southwest Ethiopia. Efforts to scale up the adoption of improved storage technologies to reduce storage losses at the farm level should consider these characteristics.
The Gender-specific Role of Body Weight for Health, Earnings and Life Satisfaction in Piecewise and Simultaneous Equations Models
Authors: Hübler Olaf
Published: November 2019

Based on the German Socio-Economic Panel, the correlation between the body mass index, health, earnings and life satisfaction is analysed by gender. The previous literature has found no consistent results. This might have several reasons. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the gender-specific role of weight in single equation, piecewise and simultaneous equations models. We ask whether this distinction is important for the degree of association between health, earnings, satisfaction and body weight. In our context, piecewise modelling means a separate inspection of weight coefficients for under- and overweight people, allowing the detection of non-linear influences. As a benchmark, we begin our estimations under the assumption that the association between health, earnings, satisfaction, and weight is the same for under- and overweight people, and that there are no jointly dependent influences between our three outcome variables. The basic results are: health worsens, income declines and satisfaction is poorer with higher body mass index. If the association with weight is separately determined for over- and underweight people, the estimates show striking differences between overweight men and women. Underweight women earn more and overweight less than others. For normal-weight men the income is on average higher than for over- and underweight men but this difference is insignificant. When matching and instrumental variables procedures are applied, the health outcome for overweight people matches that of independent and unmatched estimates. Stronger positive effects on health are found for underweight women. No clear-cut advantages in income of overweight women can be found. Underweight women and especially underweight men tend to be less happy. For overweight men this influence is ambiguous but more speaks in favour of a lesser level of satisfaction. Overweight women seem to be happier.
Antihyperglycaemic, haemorheological and antioxidant activities of Lychnis chalcedonica L. extract in a streptozotocin-induced rat model of diabetes mellitus
Authors: Plotnikov Mark B. , Zibareva Larisa N. , Vasil’ev Aleksander S. , Aliev Oleg I. , Anishchenko Anna M. , Maslov Mikhail Yu.
Published: November 2019

Background

New therapeutic strategies, such as the use of agents to correct rheological disorders, are needed for the prevention and treatment of angiopathy in diabetic patients. The aim of this work was to study the antihyperglycaemic, haemorheologic and antioxidant activities of an extract from the flowering plant Lychnis chalcedonica L. (ELC) and 20-hydroxyecdysone using the streptozotocin-induced model of diabetic rats.

Methods

The streptozotocin-induced model of diabetes was produced using streptozotocin at a dose of 50 mg/kg (ip). Animals from the experimental groups were treated with ELC (150 mg/kg) or 20-hydroxyecdysone (1.1 mg/kg) intragastrically in 1% aqueous starch mucilage daily, for 14 days; rats of control groups received an equal volume of starch mucilage. The following parameters were measured: glucose concentration (GC) in blood, whole blood viscosity (WBV), conjugated dienes in RBC membranes. Macro- and microrheological indicators (viz. plasma viscosity, haematocrit, RBC aggregation (T1/2) and the RBC elongation index (EI)) were additionally measured in rats that received ELC, and in the control group.

Results

After treatment with ELC, the GC in rats was 19% lower than that in the control group (14.7 ± 0.9 mM compared to 18.2 ± 1.1 mM). Rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes have hyperviscosity syndrome, which is characterized by increased WBV, increased RBC aggregation and decreased deformability. ELC treatment reduced WBV at shear rates of 10–90 s−1 by 5–8%, and T1/2 and EI in the experimental group were 31% and 5–10% higher compared to the control group. 20-Hydroxyecdysone decreased WBV at shear rates of 10–90 s−1 by 3–11%. Finally, ELC and 20-hydroxyecdysone lowered the content of conjugated dienes by 27% and by 26% compared to the control groups.

Conclusion

In the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat model, ELC showed measurable antihyperglycaemic activity; ELC and 20-hydroxyecdysone demonstrated similar haemorheological, and antioxidant activities.
New number-theoretic cryptographic primitives
Authors: Brier Éric , Ferradi Houda , Joye Marc , Naccache David
Published: November 2019

This paper introduces new prq-based one-way functions and companion signature schemes. The new signature schemes are interesting because they do not belong to the two common design blueprints, which are the inversion of a trapdoor permutation and the Fiat–Shamir transform. In the basic signature scheme, the signer generates multiple RSA-like moduli ni = pi2qi and keeps their factors secret. The signature is a bounded-size prime whose Jacobi symbols with respect to the ni’s match the message digest. The generalized signature schemes replace the Jacobi symbol with higher-power residue symbols. Given of their very unique design, the proposed signature schemes seem to be overlooked “missing species” in the corpus of known signature algorithms.
Quaternary Bit-Swap Logic with QPSK Signal Using Four Wave Mixing
Authors: Chandra Sutanu Kumar , Biswas Subhendu
Published: November 2019

Multilevel modulation formats have been now investigated very much to increase the speed and data capacity of optical communication networks in the limited bandwidth. Quadrature phase modulated signal has captured the attention of the researchers in this aim due to its high spectral efficiency and less bit error rate. Quaternary Bit-Swap logic operation is very important fundamental logic operation related to fast and secure computing and communication. Here in this report the authors propose a new method of implementation of all-optical quaternary Bit-Swap logic operation with quadrature phase modulated signal using four wave mixing.
Effects of Laser Linewidth on the Performance of DP-QPSK DWDM System
Authors: Sharma Neeraj , Agrawal Sunil , Kapoor Vinod , Budhiraja Sumit
Published: November 2019

This paper analyzes the effects of laser linewidth on the performance of eight-channel dual-polarization quadrature phase-shift keying (DP-QPSK) dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) transmission at 50 GHz channel spacing. The performance of differential encoding and Gray coding is compared with the system without any coding for the DP-QPSK DWDM system. It is shown that the differentially-encoded system performs better for lasers with linewidth (∆ν) greater than 0.04 MHz compared to the system with Gray coding and system without any coding. However, for lasers with linewidth lesser than 0.04 MHz, the three systems considered here perform equally and there is no need for differential or Gray coding in such a case. It is also shown that if we apply frequency offset estimation (FOE) before adaptive equalization (AE) in the digital coherent receiver then it further improve the performance of the differentially encoded system with lasers sources having linewidth even greater than 0.1 MHz.
Estimated glomerular filtration rate in patients overdosed with gentamicin
Authors: Šálek Tomáš , Vodička Martin , Gabrhelík Tomáš
Published: November 2019

Background

The aim of this study was to compare the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) from serum creatinine (eGFRcrea) and cystatin C (eGFRcys) in patients with elevated serum trough levels of gentamicin before the next planned dose during treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Methods

This was a retrospective observational study. Patients who stayed in an ICU, received a once-daily dose of gentamicin, and who had results from all serum gentamicin trough levels, eGFRcrea and eGFRcys analyses were included in the study. Overdosed patients were defined as those with serum gentamicin trough levels above 1 mg/L before the next dose. Gentamicin was measured by a particle-enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay (PETIA). Creatinine and cystatin C were measured by standardized methods.

Results

The median age (range) was lower in all patients with gentamicin concentration measurements than in overdosed patients (67 [19–96] vs. 75 [48–99] years, respectively; p < 0.0001). The median interquartile range (IQR) of the eGFRcrea was higher than that of the eGFRcys in overdosed patients (60 [44–79] mL/min/1.73 m2 vs. 41 [29–58] mL/min/1.73 m2, respectively; p < 0.0001). The median IQR of the eGFRcrea was higher than that of the eGFRcys in controls (87 [78–98] mL/min/1.73 m2 vs. 66 [54–93] mL/min/1.73 m2, respectively; p < 0.0001).

Conclusions

Overdosed patients had both a lower eGFRcrea and eGFRcys than controls. Elderly patients are the most commonly overdosed patients. We recommend measuring cystatin C and calculating the eGFRcys and combined equation (eGFRcrea + cys) in ICU patients over 65 years of age, which would enable improved gentamicin dosage adjustments.
The areal typology of western Middle and South America: Towards a comprehensive view
Authors: Urban Matthias , Reyes-Centeno Hugo , Bellamy Kate , Pache Matthias
Published: November 2019

Against a multidisciplinary background this contribution explores the areal typology of western Middle and South America. Based on a new language sample and a typological questionnaire that is specifically designed to bring some of the poorly documented and extinct languages into the debate, we explore the areal distribution of 77 linguistic traits in 44 languages. While one of the goals of the present article is to provide a general up-to-date view of the areal patterning of these traits on a large scale, we also explore a number of specific questions in more detail. In particular, we address the relationship between known language areas like Mesoamerica and the Central Andes with their respective peripheries, the possibility of detecting an areal-typological signal that predates the rise of these linguistic areas, and, finally, the question of linguistic convergence along the Pacific coast. We find that, while the languages of the Mesoamerican periphery are rather diffuse typologically, the structural profiles of the Central Andean languages are embedded organically into a more general cluster of Andean typological affinities that alters continuously as one moves through geographical space. In different ways, the typological properties of the peripheral languages may reflect a situation that goes back to time depths which are greater than that of the emergence of the Mesoamerican and Central Andean linguistic areas. Finally, while we can confirm typological affinities with Mesoamerica for some languages of coastal South America, we do not find support for large-scale linguistic convergence on the Pacific coast.
First record of existence of Rhinolophus malayanus (Chiroptera, Rhinolophidae) in China
Authors: Liang Jie , He Xiangyang , Peng Xingwen , Xie Huanwang , Zhang Libiao
Published: November 2019

Rhinolophus malayanus has been found in several countries in Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, and Myanmar. In 2015, we found three small Rhinolophus bats in Mengla County, Yunnan, China. Results of morphological and molecular examinations identified them as R. malayanus. This is the first record of existence of R. malayanus in China. This study advanced our knowledge of bat distribution and provided important information for further studies of various aspects of R. malayanus in China.
Crystal structure of 5,5-dimethyl-3-oxocyclohex-1-en-1-yl 4-(2,2-dichloroacetyl)-3,4-dihydro-2 H-benzo[b][1,4]oxazine-7-carboxylate, C19H19Cl2NO5
Authors: Guo You-Yuan , Wang Huan , Ma Xin , Fu Ying
Published: November 2019

C19H19Cl2NO5, orthorhombic, Pbca (no. 61), a = 12.6750(18) Å, b = 11.0927(17) Å, c = 28.400(4) Å, V = 3993.0(10) Å3, Z = 8, R
gt(F) = 0.0700, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.2011, T = 293(2) K.
Crystal structure and anti-inflammatory activity of (3E,5E)-3-(2-fluorobenzylidene)-1-((4-acetamidophenyl)sulfonyl)-5-(pyridin-3-ylmethylene)piperidin-4-one-methanol-hydrate (2/1/1), C53H50F2N6O10S2
Authors: Wang An-Qi , Gao Ru-Ning , Luan Qing-Hao , Wang Ze-Ping , Li Xiao-Ming , Hou Gui-Ge
Published: November 2019

C53H50F2N6O10S2, monoclinic, P21/n (no. 14), a = 15.088(5) Å, b = 23.560(9) Å, c = 15.401(6) Å, β = 112.254(5)°, V = 5067(3) Å3, Z = 4, R
gt(F) = 0.0509, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.1336, T = 298(2) K.
The crystal structure of 2-oxo-2H-chromen-4-yl acetate, C11H8O4
Authors: Hulushe Siya T. , Manyeruke Meloddy H. , Hosten Eric C. , Kaye Perry T. , Watkins Gareth M. , Krause Rui W. M.
Published: November 2019

C11H8O4, monoclinic, P21/c (no. 14), a = 4.5947(2) Å, b = 10.5414(3) Å, c = 19.1611(7) Å, β = 94.084(2)°, V = 925.70(6) Å3, Z = 4, R
gt(F) = 0.0376, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.1109, T = 200(2) K.
Spiritualität in der Kommunikation bei humanitärer internationaler Nothilfe?
Authors: Schneider Martin
Published: November 2019

Internationale Gesundheitsfachleute sollen bei Einsätzen mit humanitären Nothilfeorganisationen auch Palliativpflege berücksichtigen. Das ist eine Herausforderung, bei der interkulturelle Kommunikation, gesellschaftliche Gepflogenheiten zum Lebensende und die Umstände am Einsatzort zusammenkommen. Dazu gesellen sich die Schwierigkeiten der Arbeit mit Dolmetschern. Spiritualität gehört zur Palliativpflege. Sie ist mehr oder weniger offensichtlich in den Kulturen und Sprachen der Fachleute und der Patienten am Einsatzort vorhanden. In der Komplexität der humanitären Nothilfe und abhängig von der Lage am Einsatzort erscheint Spiritualität unterschiedlich klar wahrnehmbar. Ihr Platz hängt auch davon ab, wie weit alle Beteiligten an dieser interkulturellen Kommunikation bereit sind, sich auf Spiritualität einzulassen.
Comparison of Reactive Blue 203 Dye Removal Using Ultraviolet Irradiation, Ferrate (VI) Oxidation Process and MgO Nanoparticles
Authors: Talaiekhozani Amirreza , Torkan Nilofar , Banisharif Fahad , Eskandari Zeinab , Rezania Shahabaldin , Park Junboum , Aminsharei Farham , Amani Ali Mohammad
Published: November 2019

This study investigated the effect of various parameters on the removal of Reactive Blue 203 dye from wastewater using ferrate(VI) oxidation process, ultraviolet radiation (UV) radiation and MgO nanoparticles under batch mode. Although several studies have been carried out on dye removal, there is no study on the removal of Reactive Blue 203 dye using ferrate(VI) oxidation process, UV radiation, and MgO nanoparticles. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the effect of different factors including pH, temperature, contact time, the intensity of UV radiation and the concentration of MgO nanoparticles on Reactive Blue 203 dye removal using the above-mentioned methods. The results showed that the best pH values for dye removal using UV radiation, ferrate(VI), and MgO nanoparticles were 13, 1 and 13, respectively. The best temperature for Reactive Blue 203 dye removal using ferrate(VI) was 50°C. Hence, temperature variation had no significant effect on Reactive Blue 203 dye removal using UV irradiation and absorption by MgO nanoparticles. Based on the results, the best contact time was 15 minutes using UV radiation. The removal of Reactive Blue 203 dye using ferrate(VI) oxidation process was a quick reaction, and in a fraction of a second, the reactions were completed. The results showed that dye removal using MgO nanoparticles could be described by the Temkin isotherm. Therefore, the contact time was not considered as an effective parameter. In addition, the maximum dye removals were 95, 85 and 94% using UV irradiation, ferrate(VI) and MgO nanoparticles.
Reactive Blue 203 dye Removal Using Biosorbent: A Study of Isotherms, Kinetics, and Thermodynamics
Authors: Bagheri Marzieh , Nasiri Mohammad , Bahrami Bahareh
Published: November 2019

Nowadays, due to increasing usage of dye in various industries and its destructive effects on health and environment, it is necessary to remove dyes from industrial wastes. Although few studies can be found on using pine cone for removal of different dyes, it has not been used yet to remove Reactive Blue 203 (RB203) dye. The purpose of this study is to investigate RB203 dye adsorption using activated carbon produced from pine cone. Optimal values of influencing factors for RB203 dye removal were obtained. The results showed that the maximum removal was occurred at a pH of 2, temperature of 30˚C, dye concentration of 30 mg/L, adsorbent dosage of 100 mg/L, and contact time of 15 min. The maximum removal percentage was 98.48%. In order to study the synthesized activated carbon, some characterization methods including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) have been used. Investigation of adsorption isotherm models revealed that adsorption of RB203dye can be described through D-R and Temkin isotherm models. Additionally, RB203 dye removal follows the pseudo-firstorder kinetic equation.
The Effect of Montmorillonite Nano-Clay on the Changes in Petroleum Hydrocarbon Degradation and Cd Concentration in Plants Grown in Cd-Polluted Soil
Authors: Baghaie Amir Hossein , Keshavarzi Mehran
Published: November 2019

Contamination with heavy metals and petroleum hydrocarbons is considered as an environmental problem. Thus, this research was done to evaluate the effect of montmorillonite nano-clay on the changes in petroleum hydrocarbon degradation and cadmium (Cd) concentration in plant grown in a Cd-polluted soil. Treatments consisted of two levels of montmorillonite nano-clay (0 and 1% W/W) in a Cd-polluted soil (0, 5, 10 mg Cd/kg soil) and crude oil-polluted soil (0, 1 and 2% W/W). The plant used in this study was Tall Fescue (Festuca arundinacea L.). After 20 weeks, the concentration of Cd in plants was measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy and the total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPHs) in the soil was determined using the GC-mass spectrometry. Soil respiration was determined according to the method used by Qiao et al. ANOVA was used for statistical analysis of data. The least significant difference (LSD) test was used to determine the differences between the means. The application of 1% (w/w) montmorillonite nano-clay in Cd-polluted soil (10 mg Cd) without crude oil decreased Cd concentration in plant and increased microbial respiration by 18% and 34%, respectively. In addition, the application of 1% montmorillonite nano-clay in soil polluted with 1% crude oil and 10 mg Cd enhanced TPHs degradation by 27%. The use of montmorillonite nano-clay increased Cd adsorption in soil which resulted in an increase in microbial respiration and, hence the degradability of petroleum hydrocarbon in the soil.
Filtration and Antibacterial Properties of Bacterial Cellulose Membranes for Textile Wastewater Treatment
Authors: Isik Zelal , Unyayar Ali , Dizge Nadir
Published: November 2019

Bacterial cellulose (BC) which is characterized by numerous original properties including high purity, crystallinity and mechanical strength has the same molecular formula as cellulose from plant source. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibilities of using environmentally friendly BC membranes for membrane separation. BC membranes produced by Acetobacter xylinum were grown in a kombucha tea medium. The effect of cultivation time on filtration properties of BC membranes was tested (from 10 to 30 days). Dead-end filtration was used to determine pure water and permeate fluxes. The hydraulic permeability coefficients (Lp ) of BC membranes were 20.5, 16.1, 4.5 L/m2 h bar for 10, 20, 30 days, respectively. The effects of applied pressure (2.5, 7.5, 12.5 bar) and solution pH (5.0, 7.0, 8.8) were examined on color and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal. The highest color and COD removals were 85.9 and 73.8% for BC-10 and 90.9 and 75.1% for BC-20 membranes at 12.5 bar pressure and pH 5.0. Moreover, silver nanoparticles with different concentrations (2, 4, and 8 mM) were grown on BC-20 membrane to investigate antibacterial properties of the composite membrane. The results showed that BC membrane could be used to develop eco-friendly antibacterial membranes with potential applications in color and COD removal from textile wastewater.
Independent Origin of XY and ZW Sex Determination Mechanisms in Mosquitofish Sister Species
Authors: Kottler Verena A , Feron Romain , Nanda Indrajit , Klopp Christophe , Du Kang , Kneitz Susanne , Helmprobst Frederik , Lamatsch Dunja K , Lopez-Roques Céline , Lluch Jerôme , Journot Laurent , Parrinello Hugues , Guiguen Yann , Schartl Manfred
Published: November 2019

Fish are known for the outstanding variety of their sex determination mechanisms and sex chromosome systems. The western (Gambusia affinis) and eastern mosquitofish (G. holbrooki) are sister species for which different sex determination mechanisms have been described: ZZ/ZW for G. affinis and XX/XY for G. holbrooki. Here, we carried out restriction-site associated DNA (RAD-) and pool sequencing (Pool-seq) to characterize the sex chromosomes of both species. We found that the ZW chromosomes of G. affinis females and the XY chromosomes of G. holbrooki males correspond to different linkage groups, and thus evolved independently from separate autosomes. In interspecific hybrids, the Y chromosome is dominant over the W chromosome, and X is dominant over Z. In G. holbrooki, we identified a candidate region for the Y-linked melanic pigmentation locus, a rare male phenotype that constitutes a potentially sexually antagonistic trait and is associated with other such characteristics, e.g., large body size and aggressive behavior. We developed a SNP-based marker in the Y-linked allele of GIPC PDZ domain containing family member 1 (gipc1), which was linked to melanism in all tested G. holbrooki populations. This locus represents an example for a color locus that is located in close proximity to a putative sex determiner, and most likely substantially contributed to the evolution of the Y.
Leaf anatomy of valuable species of genus Primula
Authors: Belaeva T. N. , Butenkova A. N.
Published: November 2019

In this research, we discovered a number of structural adaptations and informative characteristics for the leaf blades of the studied species from the genus Primula L. The species under study were found to have anomocytic stomatal type. The leaf blades are hypostomatic (P. denticulata) or with the predominant abaxial stomata (P. macrocalyx, P. pallasii). The following indicators have low variation): size of stomata, number of cells in the upper and lower epidermis, height of cells in the upper mesophyll layer, lamina thickness near the midvein and central part, phloem cross-section area, and vascular bundle area. High and very high variation level is observed for the quantitative indicators describing the leaf indument density, number of stomata and stomatal index of the upper epidermis. The data obtained can be used to evaluate the species adaptability and to develop the appropriate light and hydrothermal regime for cultivating the species in the Western Siberia sub-boreal forest environment.
Exploring the Sacredness of Urban Spaces through Material Traces
Authors: Bideci Mujde
Published: November 2019

From ancient times, some spaces have been understood to be more sacred than others. Even though many of these spaces have no specific religious meaning, there have been new religious movements which can easily be seen in daily life. In order to understand the current dynamics of religion, a focus on the material presence of religion (religious buildings, sites and artefacts in urban spaces) is a fruitful starting point. Thus, the objective of this study is to explore the potential meanings of the sacred in urban spaces, and the effects of these meanings or characterizations of the sacred have on places. Moreover, the focus is on analysing new manifestations of the religious and the sacred in urban space, as well as the ways in which material traces mediate diverse practices, discourses and effects in the various domains of the sacred. By investigating the alignments of these two fields, the city and the sacred, this study sheds new light on the metropolis of London, which manifests both religious diversity and multiple modernities via traces of the sacred in urban spaces. The results show that sacred traces in urban places have a prominent image that many residents and visitors fail to appreciate in their daily lives. The study concludes with a discussion of findings and implications.
Schmidt, Bettina E. Spirits and Trance in Brazil
Authors: Puca Angela
Published: November 2019

Schmidt, Bettina E. 2016. Spirits and Trance in Brazil. London: Bloomsbury. xi + 226 pp. ISBN: 978-1-4742-5567-7 £81.00 (hbk); 978-1-3500-5792-0 £26.09 (pbk); 978-1-4742-5569-1 £25.04 (e-book).
Chryssides, George D. (ed.), Minority Religions in Europe and the Middle East: Mapping and Monitoring
Authors: Nita Maria
Published: November 2019

Chryssides, George D. (ed.) 2019. Minority Religions in Europe and the Middle East: Mapping and Monitoring. Abingdon and New York: Routledge. xiii + 253 pp. ISBN: 978-1-4724-6360-9 £105 (hbk); 978-1-3155-9555-9 £35.99 (e-book).
“The Most Powerful Portal in Zion” - Kursi
Authors: Ruah-Midbar Shapiro Marianna , Sasson Adi
Published: November 2019

Kursi is an Israeli site that has recently been increasingly appropriated by various alternative-spiritual groups, especially contemporary Pagan and neoshamanic ones. Located on the Sea of Galilee’s northeastern shore, it lies in an array of archeological-historic sites relating to Jewish-rabbinical, Christian, and, to some extent, Pagan history. The Israel Nature and Parks Authority regulates the site (rather than a religious institution) and is interested in intensifying its mystical aura, and thus amplifying its spiritual appropriation. The various discourses surrounding Kursi (of archeologists, Christian pilgrims, etc.) are eclectic, and adopt from one another to varying degrees. Nevertheless, it seems the contemporary Neo-Pagan/Neo-ShamanPagan/neoshamanic discourse is most comfortable with adopting and reinterpreting elements from other discourses. Practitioners fearlessly and creatively meld all contents together. Their invention of a tradition combines Israeli, Jewish, Christian, Pagan, and New Age symbols with scientific findings, pseudo-scientific theories, and establishment-related discourses, thus weaving them into a new synthetic-syncretistic mythology via ritualistic work.
The Ethics of Pagan Ritual
Authors: Ezzy Douglas
Published: November 2019

Pagan rituals structure the way that Pagans relate to each other and the other-than-human world. I argue that this means that Pagan ethics is predominantly relational ethics. The relational experiences provided by ritual shape the ethical practices of Pagans. I provide a detailed example of one teenager who used ritual to change the way she felt about herself and her life. These changed feelings are often associated with ethical changes because they shape the way people act. Similarly, other Pagans use ritual to change the way they relate to the other-than-human world. I discuss the seasonal rituals of Paganism and how they relate to the sense of ethical obligation that Pagans have towards nature. Finally, the article considers a Pagan ritual recreation of the myth of Persephone’s descent into the Underworld, and the issue of the terror and beauty of nature in a time of climate change. Pagan ritual and symbols provide resources that can generate an ethics of hope and courage.
Spiritual Pizzica
Authors: Parmigiani Giovanna
Published: November 2019

In this article, the result of an ongoing ethnographic fieldwork among a contemporary Pagan group in the Salento area of Italy, I research the peculiar expression of contemporary Pagan spiritualities centered on the interpretation of a “traditional” local dance called pizzica. I focus on the specific way of understanding and living time and temporality among this group that happens through the performance of this dance. In particular, by presenting the particular historicity—i.e. the way in which time and temporality are understood and experienced—of the Salentine group I studied that I refer to as “expanded present” or “presence,” I argue for a re-articulation of the relationships between contemporary Paganism and “history,” “tradition,” and the “reconstructionist/eclectic” spectrum in understanding contemporary Paganisms.
Fallen Soldiers and the Gods
Authors: Veale Sarah L.
Published: November 2019

The retrieval and subsequent burial of the war dead in classical Greece was considered an important component of any given battle. Scholarship has observed how the retrieval of the war dead in the classical period could determine the outcome of a battle, as well as how the commemoration of the war dead functioned as a tool of civic identity, especially in the city of Athens. Although the above observations provide sufficient motivation for the recovery of the battle dead, this paper proposes an additional impetus for their collection: religion. Although scholars have often noted that Greek customs surrounding the war dead were motivated by religious concerns, what those religious concerns were have not been elaborated. This paper remedies this gap by exploring the relationship between the war dead and the gods. In this paper, I argue that the war dead were considered the property of the gods and were afforded special protections for this reason. Moreover, the proper burial of the war dead was necessary to transfer the war dead from the custody of the human world to the gods below. Such a transfer, I argue, maintained the relationship between the polis and the gods, ensuring its continued existence.
Impactos do Programa Bolsa Família no mercado de trabalho dos municípios brasileiros
Authors: Correa Junior Carlos Barbosa , Trevisan Leonardo Nelmi , Mello Cristina Helena Pinto de
Published: November 2019

Resumo Beneficiando cerca de 14 milhões de famílias brasileiras, o Programa Bolsa Família (PBF) é um dos mais importantes programas brasileiros de transferência condicionada de renda dos últimos anos. A investigação dos impactos do PBF, no mercado de trabalho formal dos 5.570 municípios brasileiros, no período de 2004 a 2013, constitui o principal objetivo deste artigo. Usando dados totais de cada um dos municípios da União, obtidos no Cadastro Único do Ministério do Desenvolvimento Social (MDS) e no Cadastro Central de Empresas do Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE), métodos de estimação dos mínimos quadrados ordinários (MQO), modelos de dados em painel e modelos dinâmicos, testam-se as hipóteses da associação do benefício do PBF com a quantidade de pessoal ocupado assalariado formal e com o total dos salários e de outras remunerações. Nos três modelos utilizados, os resultados indicam associação positiva para as duas hipóteses testadas.
Styles and logics of territorial action. The recent experience of the municipalities of Paraguay
Authors: Sili Marcelo
Published: November 2019

Resumen La acción territorial es un complejo proceso de construcción del desarrollo en el cual intervienen la acción pública, la privada y la colectiva. Como lo demuestra la experiencia latinoamericana, los municipios son actores de creciente importancia en la dinámica de construcción del desarrollo local. Sin embargo las formas de actuación de los municipios no son iguales. Al contrario, este trabajo muestra profundas diferencias de estilos y formas de intervención entre todos ellos. Pudimos identificar cuatro tipos o estilos de acción que sintetizan dos grandes elementos. En primer lugar, las formas de organización para la obtención de recursos y, en segundo, los tipos de acciones priorizadas para construir procesos de desarrollo y para reducir problemas de pobreza estructural.
Bolsa Família, tempo na escola e motivações estudantis
Authors: Neri Marcelo , Camillo Osorio Manuel
Published: November 2019

Resumo Esta pesquisa analisou o impacto do Programa Bolsa Família (PBF) no tempo na escola, em seus componentes (matrícula, presença e jornada) e nas motivações relacionadas a partir dos suplementos especiais da Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios (PNAD) de 2004 e 2006. A expansão de 67% na cobertura do PBF no período permite testar efeitos-dosagem desse programa. Não se rejeitaram as hipóteses de impacto do PBF no tempo na escola e em seus componentes. Outra estratégia de identificação revela que os jovens marginalmente elegíveis em idade ao PBF apresentaram chances 62%, 8% e 6% maiores de frequentar a escola, cumprir a presença mínima e estudar mais do que 4 horas por dia, respectivamente, do que os quase elegíveis. Por fim, testes sobre as motivações alegadas para transgredir as condicionalidades escolares não descartam um efeito de alívio de renda corrente proporcionado pelo PBF.
Bolsa Família, time spent in school and students’ motivations
Authors: Neri Marcelo , Camillo Osorio Manuel
Published: November 2019

Resumo Esta pesquisa analisou o impacto do Programa Bolsa Família (PBF) no tempo na escola, em seus componentes (matrícula, presença e jornada) e nas motivações relacionadas a partir dos suplementos especiais da Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios (PNAD) de 2004 e 2006. A expansão de 67% na cobertura do PBF no período permite testar efeitos-dosagem desse programa. Não se rejeitaram as hipóteses de impacto do PBF no tempo na escola e em seus componentes. Outra estratégia de identificação revela que os jovens marginalmente elegíveis em idade ao PBF apresentaram chances 62%, 8% e 6% maiores de frequentar a escola, cumprir a presença mínima e estudar mais do que 4 horas por dia, respectivamente, do que os quase elegíveis. Por fim, testes sobre as motivações alegadas para transgredir as condicionalidades escolares não descartam um efeito de alívio de renda corrente proporcionado pelo PBF.
Images and narratives of the Bolsa Família Program: analysis of the rhetoric in mainstream press
Authors: Leite Cristiane Kerches da Silva , Fonseca Francisco César Pinto da , Holanda Bruna de Morais
Published: November 2019

Resumo Este artigo analisa a produção de narrativas, imagens e histórias causais construídas pela grande imprensa (jornais Folha de S. Paulo e O Estado de S. Paulo) acerca de importante política social: o Programa Bolsa Família (PBF). Tais narrativas decorrem de orientações teóricas de políticas públicas ainda pouco desenvolvidas no Brasil - as teorias pós-positivistas e cognitivas -, constituindo-se um esforço analítico inovador neste artigo. Avaliou-se a disputa pelo monopólio da imagem do PBF por meio do exame quantitativo e qualitativo de materiais jornalísticos no período entre 2003 e 2017. Em decorrência, formularam-se categorias de imagens (assistencialismo, insuficiência, marketing eleitoral e populismo), interpretadas pelas “teses” de Albert Hirschman e pelas tipologias de John Campbell. Concluiu-se haver desconexão entre as narrativas criadas pela grande imprensa, por um lado, e o sentimento público favorável ao programa e seus impactos, por outro, sobretudo derivados de inúmeros estudos avaliativos elaborados por diferentes comunidades epistêmicas relacionadas às políticas públicas, nacional e internacionalmente. Esta pesquisa corroborou a hipótese de que a grande imprensa agiu como ator político/ideológico que fez a resistência conservadora diante do avanço da agenda de direitos sociais no Brasil, ao reproduzir reiteradamente as teses conservadoras de Hirschman em seus argumentos e histórias causais.