bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
L’intégration de la responsabilité sociale des entreprises dans les traités internationaux d’investissement : une question de (ré)équilibre
Authors: Michoud Adeline
Published: April 2020

Au cours des quatre dernières décennies, de nombreuses entreprises des pays occidentaux ont choisi de délocaliser plusieurs de leurs activités dans les pays en développement. En conséquence, plusieurs pays d’accueil ont pris la décision d’assouplir leur réglementation pour attirer les entreprises occidentales et les investisseurs étrangers. Cela a conduit à ce que l’on appelle communément la « course vers le bas », qui décrit cette quête de nombreux pays étrangers visant à attirer des capitaux étrangers sur leur territoire en réduisant leurs normes sociales et environnementales.

Dans le contexte de ces mouvements de capitaux, les gouvernements des États occidentaux ont cherché à assurer le traitement équitable de leurs entreprises dans le cadre de leurs activités à l’étranger par la conclusion de traités commerciaux et d’investissement. Ces traités accordent une protection aux investisseurs et leur permettent de faire valoir leurs droits vis-à-vis de l’État hôte devant les tribunaux arbitraux. De tels accords internationaux d’investissement n’imposent généralement pas d’obligations aux investisseurs, mais seulement aux États parties.

Alors que les entreprises et les investisseurs privés ont accumulé un certain nombre de droits en vertu de ces traités, une certaine asymétrie s’est manifestée quant à la responsabilité de ces mêmes acteurs privés envers les pays et les populations touchés par les répercussions négatives générées par leurs activités. Plusieurs abus commis par des entreprises multinationales ont révélé l’importance d’équilibrer davantage les rapports entre États et investisseurs étrangers, et souligné la nécessité d’imposer des obligations de développement durable aux entreprises multinationales et aux investisseurs.

Le présent article a pour but de discuter de la nécessité d’inclure les considérations de responsabilité sociale des entreprises dans les traités internationaux d’investissement. Nous examinerons d’abord les derniers développements à cet égard dans les récents traités d’investissement. Nous évaluerons également l’adéquation des tribunaux arbitraux pour traiter des questions relatives aux violations des droits de la personne par les entreprises et nous analyserons les mécanismes qui pourraient être adoptés afin d’élargir la portée de l’arbitrage et de concevoir de nouveaux mécanismes pouvant mettre fin à l’asymétrie entre l’État et les investisseurs.
La culture juridique des anabaptistes au Canada
Authors: Legault-Laberge Raphaël Mathieu
Published: April 2020

Les anabaptistes (amish, huttériens et mennonites) se présentent comme un faisceau de groupes religieux minoritaires distincts, mais adoptant sensiblement les mêmes croyances et pratiques, notamment en ce qui concerne leur conception du droit et leur recours aux tribunaux. Certaines de ces communautés, parmi les plus conservatrices, continuent d’utiliser une forme de normativité interne, qui met en pratique l’excommunication et le bannissement, tout en proscrivant le recours aux tribunaux civils. Il y a donc, pour les anabaptistes, une distinction nette entre le droit interne, celui de la communauté (Gemeinschaftrecht), et le droit externe, celui de la société (Gesellschaftrecht). Or, dans maintes situations, le droit interne des anabaptistes s’est trouvé insuffisant pour régler des différends et un recours au droit externe s’est avéré nécessaire. Dans d’autres situations, les anabaptistes ont également eu recours aux tribunaux afin de faire valoir leur liberté de religion. Dans le présent article, certaines de ces situations seront prises en compte afin de montrer comment le droit interne des anabaptistes entre en dialectique avec le droit externe à leurs communautés. Afin d’explorer cette problématique, la sociologie de Ferdinand Tönnies sera d’abord considérée afin de théoriser les notions de communauté et de société. Puis, la culture juridique des groupes anabaptistes sera explicitée. Par ailleurs, quelques causes juridiques en lien avec l’excommunication et le bannissement seront présentées. Finalement, une discussion viendra mettre en lumière la façon dont les notions de communauté et de société trouvent leur application en lien avec le droit des groupes anabaptistes.
‘Cause I’m just a girl’: mujeres en la industria musical
Authors: Costa Gálvez Lola
Published: April 2020

Hace unos días escuché por la radio que la popular melodía Happy birthday to you (‘Cumpleaños feliz’) fue compuesta en 1893 por dos maestras estadounidenses, las hermanas Mildred y Patty Smith Hill. Llevaba un tiempo recopilando datos sobre la situación de la mujer en el sector musical y la anécdota fue una extraordinaria serendipia: ¿son visibles o al menos existen las mujeres en la industria musical? Con el hilo conductor de la cadena de valor, sirva este artículo como introducción al tema.
DeRueda: una app de transporte colaborativo para la gestión de turnos
Authors: Marín Fernández Miguel Ángel
Published: April 2020

El proyecto desarrollado consiste en la conceptualización y diseño de una aplicación móvil para coordinar los desplazamientos al trabajo compartiendo vehículo entre compañeros. La tarea principal de la aplicación es la creación de un cuadrante de vehículos y horarios para gestionar los desplazamientos al centro de trabajo de la forma más equitativa posible a partir de los criterios que decidamos como preferentes.
Antithrombotic Therapy for Patients With Atrial Fibrillation and Acute Coronary Syndrome or Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
Authors: Tseng Andrew S. , Shamoun Fadi E. , Marks Lisa A. , Agrwal Neera
Published: April 2020

1. What is the clinical question? What combination antithrombotic therapy is recommended for patients with atrial fibrillation with acute coronary syndrome or patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention?

2. What does the evidence say? Double therapy (DT) with clopidogrel and direct oral anticoagulants (specifically, dabigatran, rivaroxaban, and apixaban) is noninferior to warfarin-based therapies for most patients. Double therapy is noninferior to triple therapy (TT) and has less bleeding complications.

3. What is the take-home message for physicians? According to the latest guidelines by the ACC, AHA, ESC, and HRS, in patients with AF undergoing PCI, DT with DOACs (specifically dabigatran, rivaroxaban and apixaban) plus clopidogrel is acceptable. Patients undergoing PCI or with high ischemic risk may still benefit from TT for at least 1 month and up to 6 months before switching to DT. Currently, there is no specific guidance on long-term antiplatelet therapy in these patients. Duration of antiplatelet therapy, whether with DT or TT, should be based on current DAPT guidelines (depending on indication and type of intervention) and discussions with each patient's cardiologist.
ПРЕПОДАВАНИЕ АСТРОНОМИИ В МОСКОВСКОМ УНИВЕРСИТЕТЕ В НАЧАЛЕ XIX ВЕКА, "Земля и Вселенная"
Authors: GRIBKO Lyudmila P.
Published: April 2020

В статье идет речь о довольно трудном периоде преподавания астрономии в Московском университете в 1811-1826 гг. Трудности этого периода объясняются разными причинами, и важно выяснить, почему пустовала кафедра астронома-наблюдателя, а также кем, как и когда читались курсы астрономических дисциплин на Физикоматематическом отделении Императорского Московского университета (ИМУ).
Современные проблемы моделирования гидрофизических процессов (на примере Азовского моря), "Наука Юга России"
Authors: Матишов Г.Г. , Кулыгин В.В. , Валов Г.В. , Чикин А.Л.
Published: April 2020

Прогноз фактического состояния морской среды на заданный временной интервал представляет собой задачу, решение которой направлено на удовлетворение практических потребностей морского рыболовства, надводного и подводного плавания. Подготовка своевременных и качественных прогнозов является основной целью создания систем оперативной океанографии. Сегодня в основу таких систем положены суперкомпьютерные технологии решения задач численного моделирования циркуляции вод. В статье обозначены современные проблемы моделирования гидрофизических процессов, некоторые из них продемонстрированы на примере Азовского моря. Фундаментом оперативной океанологии является анализ базы данных за более чем 100-летний период. Данные фактических СТО-измерений термохалинной структуры вод и течений должны использоваться для проверки качества модельных расчетов и прогнозов. Несмотря на заметное развитие систем мониторинга (особенно дистанционного), имеющихся в наличии данных все равно недостаточно для систематических сравнений с результатами расчетов. Использование нерепрезентативных данных наблюдений создает неоправданно завышенные ожидания от качества моделей. В статье кратко рассмотрена двухслойная математическая модель гидродинамики Азовского моря, созданная в Южном научном центре Российской академии наук. Представлено сравнение картины поверхностных течений Азовского моря по результатам расчета со схемой, построенной экспертом-гидрологом. Модель не отражает реальной картины: в результатах расчета отсутствует учет всех особенностей рельефа дна. Существующие технологии наблюдений и современные вычислительные возможности не позволяют непрерывно контролировать состояние Мирового океана с достаточно высокой точностью. Необходимо совершенствовать все компоненты системы наблюдений, увеличивая долю автономных гидрометеорологических комплексов в общей сети наземных и морских станций
In vitro Studies on Antioxidant Potential of Aqueous Extract of Bridelia ferruginea Stem Bark in Brain and Liver of Wistar-albino Rats using Sodium Nitroprusside as Pro-oxidant
Authors: Adeleye Adesola Oluwaseun
Published: April 2020

Thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS) assay was used to study the antioxidant potential of Bridelia ferruginea, a widely used medicinal plant in Nigeria, sub-tropical Africa and parts of Asia. The aqueous extract of Bridelia ferruginea stem bark showed inhibition against the formation of TBARS induced by the pro-oxidant, sodium nitroprusside, in the liver and brain tissue homogenates of the locally bred male and female albino-Wistar rats. The inhibition of TBARS is an indication of the antioxidant potential of the plant extract. The extent of antioxidant potential depends on concentrations, showing varying degrees of inhibition with different concentrations. It showed a 54.16% inhibition in the liver and 60.65% in the brain, both at a concentration of 0.33 mg/ml, with IC50 values of 3.00 ± 1.58 mg/ml and 2.99 ± 1.59 mg/ml for the liver and brain homogenates respectively. The results suggest the effectiveness of the aqueous extract of Bridelia ferruginea stem bark in reversing the effect of lipid peroxidation that may result from sodium nitroprusside overload.
The Big Data Thinking from the Perspective of Chinese Traditional Philosophy
Authors: Shengda Guo , Rainer Feldbacher , Yuan Feng
Published: April 2020

We are entering the era of big data. In this epoch, people are required to develop big data thinking gradually. It is a new kind of thinking that is different from people's previous natural thinking. It has the characteristics of data integration, statistic probability, focus on related relationships and intelligence. From the perspective of Chinese traditional philosophy, big data thinking is highly compatible with many elements of Chinese traditional philosophy, such as benevolence, harmony as well as difference and the unity of theory and practice based on empathy. This article discusses and believes that there is an interrelation between big data thinking and Chinese traditional philosophy. The latter has certain reference and guiding significance for the development of big data thinking in the era of big data.
Ascertaining the Bacteriological Quality of Water Drawn from Cast and Non-cast Wells in Zaria, Nigeria
Authors: Yachim Danjuma, Florence , Innocent Onaji, Ajegba , Okojokwu Ocheme Julius , Papi Danladi Yakubu
Published: April 2020

Lack of access to safe drinking water is a threat to public health and wellbeing of the people as it exposes them to risk of waterborne diseases. This study assessed the bacteriological quality of well water samples obtained from Zaria communities and compared the level of contamination between wells with internal wall casting (cast wells) and wells without internal wall casting (non-cast wells). Water samples from 142 wells were collected for a period of six months encompassing both rainy and dry seasons (July to September for rainy season and November to January for dry season). The water samples were collected and analysed for faecal contamination using membrane filtration technique. The water samples contained high density of bacterial counts ranging from 1.73x103±2.73x102 – 2.02x102±1.85x102cfu/100ml during the raining season and 4.17x102±3.07x101 – 1.39x103±3.27x102cfu/100ml during the dry season. Coliforms and E. coli were present in all the samples with  total coliform counts ranging from 1.06 x 103 – 2.12 x 104 cfu/100 ml and E. coli counts ranging from 5.10 X 102 – 5.0 X 104 cfu/100 ml Counts were higher during the raining season in all the locations compared to the dry season. Faecal coliform counts were higher in wells without casting (91.9%) compare to wells with casting (91.2%) while E. coli counts were higher in wells with casting (77.9%) compared to wells without casting (66.2%). There was no significant difference in the bacterial counts between cast and non-cast wells (p-values were all greater than 0.05).A total of 168 organisms were isolated from this study and they include; E. coli(48.3%), Klebsiella pnuemonaie(11.8%), Klebsiella ozanae(13.2%), Enterobacter agglomerans(11.8%), Enterobacter gergoviae(14.7%), Enterobacter aerogenes (8.8%), Citrobacter freundii(8.8%), Proteus mirabilis (5.9%), Serratia liquefaciens(10.3%) and Acinetobacter lwoffii (2.9%). E. coliwas isolated more frequently (48.3%) compared to other species and was more frequent in non-cast wells (50.0%) compared to cast wells (47.1%). Other species were more frequent in cast wells. The bacteria isolated from this study are mostly of enteric origin; these organisms acquire public health significance under certain conditions, therefore, their removal in drinking water should be given moderate priority. The wells in this study fail to meet the minimum standard for safe drinking water and are therefore not safe for domestic purposes especially for drinking purpose without adequate treatment.
Effect of Pusa Hydrogel and Plant Growth Regulators on Vegetative Growth, Flowering and Fruiting of Strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Dutch) Cv. Chandler
Authors: Singh Sandeep , Mishra Saket , Jamwal Sudhir Singh , Bahadur Vijay
Published: April 2020

Aims: The aim of controlling vegetative growth of Chandler strawberry cultivar using pusa hydogel (25 g and 50 g), Cycocel (500 ppm and 1000 ppm) and triacontanol (100 ppm and 150 ppm).

Study Design: The experiment was carried out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications.

Place and Duration of Study: The experiment was carried out at Central Research Field Department of Horticulture, SHUATS, Naini, Prayagraj - 211007, U.P. (India) during the year 2015-2016 and 2016-2017.

Methodology: A field experiment was conducted with 27 treatments. The observations were recorded on vegetative, flowering and fruiting traits. The mean data were subjected to the various statistical analyses.

Results: In vegetative characters, maximum plant height 18.65 cm, 15.75 cm and 17.20 cm, number of leaves per plant 15.60, 14.66 and 15.13, plant spread 21.77 cm, 21.32 cm and 21.55 cm, petiole length 21.77 cm, 21.32 cm and 21.55 cm during both the years and pooled of study were recorded in T20 [Triacontanol (150 ppm) + Pusa hydrogel (50 gram)], whereas minimum values for these parameters were recorded with control and T4 (Cycocel -1000 ppm). In the Floral and Fruiting characters, earliest flowering 54.60 days, 55.31 days and 54.96 days, highest number of flowers plant-1 12.57, 12.07 and 12.32, earliest fruiting 69.13 days, 70.40 days and 69.77 days, maximum fruit length 5.20 mm, 4.89 mm and 5.05 mm and fruit width  3.43 mm, 3.38 mm and 3.41 mm for two successive years and pooled were recorded in T23 [Triacontanol (150 ppm) + Cycocel (500 ppm) +  Pusa hydrogel (50 gram)]; while Late flowering (50.20 days) and minimum number of flowers plant-1 and other characters were recorded in T0.

Conclusion: On the basis of present investigation, it is concluded that the treatment T23 [Triacontanol (150 ppm) + Cycocel (500 ppm) + Pusa hydrogel (50 gram)] was found best in terms of flowering and fruiting parameters of strawberry while maximum growth parameters were recorded under treatment T20 [Triacontanol (150 ppm) + Pusa hydrogel (50 gram)].
Examining the Relationship between Commercial Charcoal Production and Socioeconomic Variables in Nasarawa State, North-Central Nigeria
Authors: Salamatu Ekpo Abraham , Emmanuel Ozim Chukwunonso , Ogah Adamu Tanko
Published: April 2020

Charcoal is no longer a source of energy to only rural households but also a demanded commodity in urban areas around the world which has resulted in the commercialization of its production, particularly rural dwellers of developing countries such as Nigeria. Given the observed growing significance of charcoal in rural and urban livelihoods in Nasarawa State, this paper examined the relationship between commercial charcoal production and socioeconomic characteristics of the people involved in the activity. The study employed descriptive survey using both qualitative and quantitative data drawn from primary and secondary sources. Questionnaire was administered to 450 respondents randomly sampled from commercial charcoal producers drawn from 6 communities and 3 LGAs of Nasarawa State. Interviews and Focus Group Discussions were also conducted and the data obtained were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics in Microsoft Excel and SPSS (version 23). Results showed that commercial charcoal producers in the study area were mostly between 21 and 50 years with dominance of those between 31 and 40 (30.9%) while those above 50 years were least represented (6. 9%).There was slight dominance of women (52.4%) among the producers and the they were mostly primary (44%) and secondary (35.6%) school certificate. Majority (48.2%) had household size of 4 – 6 and more than half (52.9%) were married and earned 20,000 naira and below on monthly basis (46.4%). There is strong relationship between the socioeconomic status of the respondents and commercial charcoal production in the study area. Their socioeconomic status proved to have served significant motivation to their rising involvement in the activity. Also alternative economic activities that guarantees quick monetary rewards and is all age and gender engaging as well as requires no special skill and huge capitals for a start, should be planned for and introduced in the study area by the State Government.
Effects of nitrogen supply level on photosynthesis and chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics of rice under salt stress
Authors: Xu Chen , Li Qian , Liu Xiaolong , Wang Hongjun , Ling Fenglou
Published: April 2020

The change of photosynthesis and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters of rice were studied in five nitrogen levels during tillering, booting, and heading periods under salt stress. The net photosynthetic rate (PN), stomatal conductance (gs), transpiration rate (E), apparent mesophyll conductance (AMC), effective quantum yield of PSII photochemistry (ΦPSII), electron transport rate (ETR), and photochemical quenching coefficient (qP) were significantly declined under salt stress and exhibited a lower magnitude of decline in the 2N, 1N, and 1/2N treatments respectively during tillering, booting, and heading periods. The stomatal limit value (Ls), Nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) and plasma membrane permeability were significantly increased and exhibited a lower magnitude of increase in the 2N, 1N, and 1/2N treatments respectively during tillering, booting, and heading periods. The amount of nitrogen in the nutrient solution should be reduced 50% after the heading period to decrease salt damage to rice under salt stress.
Low-cost organic fertilizations and bioactivator for arugula-radish intercropping
Authors: Teruhiko Hata Fernando , Sousa Virgínia , Fregonezi Gustavo Adolfo de Freitas
Published: April 2020

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of boiled chicken manure doses (via fertigation), bokashi and Penergetic bioactivator on radish-arugula intercropping production variables. The treatments were control, Penergetic, Bokashi (9 g per plant), and boiled chicken manure (BCM) on 2.5, 5.0, 7.5 and 10% concentrations in water, for fertigation. The following variables were analyzed: leaf biomass (LB), leaf length (LL), for both plants. Bulb fresh biomass (BB) and bulb volume (BV) variables for radish only. A completely randomized design with nine replicates was used for first and second crop cycles, and five replicates, for third crop cycle. All production variables were influenced by the treatments, except radish LL, on third cycle. Bokashi increased production variables of arugula and radish. Penergetic increased radish bulb biomass (two cycles, only) and bulb volume. BCM increased arugula biomass at 10% and radish bulb biomass at 7.5% on three crop cycles, and with BCM concentration at 5, 7.5% and 10% bulb volume was increased (two crop cycles, only).
Monitoring industrial hydrogenation of soybean oil using self-organizing maps
Authors: Sanchez Jorge Leonardo , Pereira Sérgio Benedito Gonçalves , Tanamati Augusto , Coelho Tanamati Ailey Aparecida
Published: April 2020

Monitoring the hydrogenation reaction is crucial to guarantee a product with desired properties. The combination of gas chromatography (GC) with self-organizing maps (SOM) may be an alternative to extract relevant information during the hydrogenation. We analyzed two partially hydrogenated fats produced in an industrial reactor. The quantification of the fatty acids methyl esters and the iodine value (IV) calculation was performed by GC. The SOM was able to cluster the samples according to the IV and reaction time. The weight maps depicted the variation of monounsaturated fatty acids associated with the increase of 18:1 and the variation of poly-unsaturated are mainly correlated with 18:2. An increase was observed in saturated fatty acids and trans-fatty acids associated respectively with 18:0 and 18:1(trans). Besides, it was confirmed that trans-isomers are more stable than the cis-isomers. Therefore, the SOM with GC was an efficient tool for monitoring the hydrogenation process.
Stabilization of soy milk using konjac glucomannan
Authors: An Kai
Published: April 2020

A novel compound functional plant beverage could be formed by blending soy milk with konjac glucomannan (KGM), a beneficial polysaccharide. Both the phase behavior and the stability of KGM-soy milk blend system were studied. The phase diagram showed that the KGM-soy milk blend system could form three regions: i.e., Unstable zone, metastable zone and stable zone. The stability of the blend system was investigated by measuring turbidity, viscosity, Zeta potential, particle size and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), respectively. The microstructure of the KGM-soy milk mixed system was characterized by confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM), which indicated that KGM and soy milk could be evenly dispersed under certain conditions. The mixtures with relatively low KGM component were unstable and easy to sedimentation. However, the blend systems with high KGM component were relatively stable and were not easy to occur phase separation. The results implied that KGM could act not only as a functional ingredient, but also as a stabilizer in the compound plant beverage.
Vichy e a França livre na África ocidental durante a segunda guerra
Authors: Crowder Michael
Published: April 2020

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Influences brésiliennes à Ouidah
Authors: Denis Dohou Codjo
Published: April 2020

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De Oriquis
Authors: Risério Antonio
Published: April 2020

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A morte de Nina Rodrigues e suas repercussões
Authors: Ribeiro Marcos AP.
Published: April 2020

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Projeto de formação de guias e guardiães do parque São Bartolomeu: a diversidade lingüística em diversas linguagens
Authors: Cesar América Lúcia
Published: April 2020

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Raça, sexo e casamento: crimes sexuais no Rio de Janeiro, 1918-1940
Authors: Caulfield Sueann
Published: April 2020

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Sertanejos que se venderam: contratos de trabalho sem remuneração ou escravidão dissimulada?
Authors: Neves Erivaldo Fagundes
Published: April 2020

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Figueiredo, Luciano. O avesso da memória: cotidiano e trabalho da mulher em Minas Gerais no século XVIII. Rio de Janeiro, José Olyrnpio; Brasília, DF, EDUMB, 1993. 249p.
Authors: Reis Adriana Dantas
Published: April 2020

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A intervenção Militar Belgo-Americana em Stanleuville: contribuição à interpretação sócio- jurídica
Authors: Moura Fernando
Published: April 2020

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1846: um ano na rota Bahia-Lagos. Negócios, negociantes e outros parceiros
Authors: De Araújo Ubiratan Castro
Published: April 2020

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A capoeiragem baiana na Corte Imperial (1863-1890)
Authors: Soares Carlos Eugênio Líbano
Published: April 2020

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Notas sobre o Reino do Congo no século XVI
Authors: Teixeira Marli Geralda
Published: April 2020

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A rebeldia negra e a Abolição
Authors: Rodrigues José Honório
Published: April 2020

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A transformação do culto da morte da Igreja do Bonfim em santuário de fertilidade
Authors: Ott Carlos
Published: April 2020

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INTERSEÇÕES ENTRE CIÊNCIA E LINGUÍSTICA: DO REDUCIONISMO ANALÍTICO À COMPLEXIDADE
Authors: Perozzo Reiner
Published: April 2020

Este artigo, de caráter teórico, instaura reflexões sobre ciência e o estudo da linguagem, e tem como objetivo traçar paralelos entre as concepções que, de maneira geral, envolvem ciência e linguística na idade moderna e na era pós-moderna. A pertinência deste trabalho se revela na medida em que apresenta, em um curto percurso histórico, os principais mecanismos de análise envolvidos nas ciências naturais e que tiveram, por sua vez, reflexo na linguística. A partir de tal cenário, espera-se que este texto possa expandir a maneira como vemos a linguagem humana, assim como as relações estabelecidas pelas suas unidades operantes.
ELF AWARENESS AND PEDAGOGICAL IMPLICATIONS IN ELT CLASSROOMS. INTRODUCTION TO SPECIAL ISSUE
Authors: Siqueira Sávio , Lopriore Lucilla , Grazzi Enrico
Published: April 2020

The spread of English as the world's primary lingua franca (ELF) poses some challenging questions about the impact of ELF on English language teaching (ELT). The gap between the dominance of native-speaker oriented institutional curricula and the emergence of variable, context-bound forms of English in multilingual and multicultural communicative settings is plain to see, opening up an opportunity for researchers to explore new directions in which future studies might be heading in order to implement an ELF-aware pedagogic approach to English. The aim of this article is to analyse a selection of relevant data that have been collected through a teacher survey on the state of the art as regards ELT. The survey was administered in Italy (mainly at upper and lower secondary school level). In particular, the authors focus their attention on issues such as learners’ errors, standard and non-standard English models, teachers’ attitudes and beliefs, the use of authentic materials, the encouragement of learners’ creativity, learner assessment and evaluation. This study, part of an Italian national research project, has been carried out by one of the three teams constituting the study group, the one from Roma Tre University, whose main objective is to take into consideration the changing scenario of Global Englishes and open new paths to revisit teachers', learners' and publishers' beliefs and offer possible perspectives about classroom practices, assessment and evaluation, and material development.
ELF-AWARENESS AND INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE IN ELT POLICIES IN PORTUGAL
Authors: Guerra Luís
Published: April 2020

This study attempts to examine to what extent the concepts of Intercultural Communicative Competence and English as a Lingua Franca are theoretically and practically formulated in some of the most recently implemented European and Portuguese English language teaching documents and, if so, how they are framed to be put into practice in the English language classroom. Overall, the documents analyzed—the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (2001), the CEFR Companion Volume with New Descriptors (2018), both published by the Council of Europe, and the Essential Learnings (2018), introduced by the Portuguese Ministry of Education—display traditional approaches to the development of intercultural (communicative) competence in the English language classroom failing to truly and consistently represent the current role of English as an international lingua franca.
Dosimetric assessment of patient‐specific breath‐hold reproducibility on liver motion for SBRT planning
Authors: Lu Lan , Ouyang Zi , Lin Sara , Mastroianni Anthony , Stephans Kevin L. , Xia Ping
Published: April 2020

Purpose

To investigate the impact of breath‐hold reproducibility on liver motion using a respiratory motion management device.

Methods

Forty‐four patients with hepatic tumors, treated with SBRT with breath‐hold, were randomly selected for this study. All patients underwent three consecutive computed tomography (CT) scans using active breath‐hold coordinator (ABC) with three repeated single breath‐hold during simulation. The three CT scans were labeled as ABC1‐CT, ABC2‐CT, and ABC3‐CT. Displacements of centroids of the entire livers among the three ABC‐CTs were measured as a surrogate for intrafractional motion. For each patient, two different treatment plans were prepared: (a) a clinical plan using a 5‐mm expansion of an ITV that encompassed all three GTVs from each of the three ABC‐CTs, and (b) a research plan using a 5‐mm expansion of the GTV from only ABC1‐CT to create PTV. The clinical plan acceptance criteria were that 95% of the PTV and 99% of the GTV received 100% of the prescription dose. Dosimetric endpoints were analyzed and compared for the two plans.

Results

All shifts in the medial‐lateral direction (range: −3.9 to 2.0 mm) were within 5 mm while 7% of shifts in the anterior–posterior direction (range: −10.5 to 16.7 mm) and 11% of shifts in the superior–inferior direction (range: −17.0 to 8.7 mm) exceeded 5 mm. Six patients (14%) had an intrafraction motion greater than 5 mm in any direction. For these six patients, if a plan was created based on a PTV from a single CT (ex. ABC1‐CT), 5 of 12 GTVs captured from other ABC‐CTs would fail to meet the clinical acceptance criteria due to poor breath‐hold reproducibility.

Conclusions

Non‐negligible intrafractional motion occurs in patients with poor breath‐hold reproducibility. To identify this subgroup of patients, acquiring three CTs with active breath‐hold during simulation is a feasible practical method.
Effectiveness of Hip Arthroscopy on Treatment of Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome: A Meta‐Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Casartelli Nicola C. , Valenzuela Pedro L. , Maffiuletti Nicola A. , Leunig Michael
Published: April 2020

Objective

To appraise the highest available evidence provided by randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effectiveness of hip arthroscopy versus physical therapy in patients with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS).

Methods

Four databases (Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus) were systematically searched until October 1, 2019. Eligible studies were RCTs in which patients with FAIS underwent hip arthroscopy or physical therapy. The study outcome was the International Hip Outcome Tool, 33 Items (iHOT‐33) score, a measure of hip pain, function, and quality of life, assessed at baseline and at the follow‐up closer to 12 months after randomization. The pooled mean difference in iHOT‐33 scores within and between the treatment arms was computed using a random effects model. The minimum clinically important difference in the iHOT‐33 scores was set at 10 points.

Results

Three RCTs evaluating iHOT‐33 scores between 6 and 8 months after the interventions were included. Significant increases in iHOT‐33 scores were observed from baseline to follow‐up for both hip arthroscopy (22.3 points [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 17.3–27.4]) and physical therapy (13.0 points [95% CI 9.5–16.4]). Hip arthroscopy demonstrated significantly higher iHOT‐33 scores at follow‐up compared with physical therapy (10.9 points [95% CI 4.7–17.0]).

Conclusion

Both hip arthroscopy and physical therapy resulted in statistically and clinically significant short‐term improvements in hip pain, function, and quality of life in patients with FAIS. Hip arthroscopy was statistically superior to physical therapy in improving the outcome at follow‐up even if improvement may not be detected by patients.
Improving transient performance of discrete‐time model reference adaptive control architectures
Authors: Dogan K. Merve , Yucelen Tansel , Haddad Wassim M. , Muse Jonathan A.
Published: April 2020

Discrete‐time adaptive control algorithms can be executed directly in embedded code unlike their continuous‐time counterparts, which require discretization. However, their designs predicated on quadratic Lyapunov‐based frameworks are quite intricate due to the resulting complexity in the Lyapunov difference expressions. Therefore, a wide array of available continuous‐time results addressing transient performance issues using adaptive control algorithms cannot be applied or readily extended to the discrete‐time case. In this article, we present a new model reference adaptive control architecture for discrete‐time uncertain dynamical systems. Specifically, the proposed architecture consists of a command governor mechanism that adjusts the trajectory of a given command during the closed‐loop transient response. It is shown that this mechanism is effective in improving transient performance of discrete‐time model reference adaptive control architectures. Using a logarithmic Lyapunov function, we prove Lyapunov stability of the closed‐loop system as well as asymptotic convergence of the system error states involving the difference between the states of the uncertain dynamical system and the states of the reference model, as well as driving the command governor signal to zero.
A Patch of Detachable Hybrid Microneedle Depot for Localized Delivery of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Regeneration Therapy
Authors: Lee KangJu , Xue Yumeng , Lee Junmin , Kim Han‐Jun , Liu Yaowen , Tebon Peyton , Sarikhani Einollah , Sun Wujin , Zhang Shiming , Haghniaz Reihaneh , Çelebi‐Saltik Betül , Zhou Xingwu , Ostrovidov Serge , Ahadian Samad , Ashammakhi Nureddin , Dokmeci Mehmet R. , Khademhosseini Ali
Published: April 2020

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been widely used for regenerative therapy. In most current clinical applications, MSCs are delivered by injection but face significant issues with cell viability and penetration into the target tissue due to a limited migration capacity. Some therapies have attempted to improve MSC stability by their encapsulation within biomaterials; however, these treatments still require an enormous number of cells to achieve therapeutic efficacy due to low efficiency. Additionally, while local injection allows for targeted delivery, injections with conventional syringes are highly invasive. Due to the challenges associated with stem cell delivery, a local and minimally invasive approach with high efficiency and improved cell viability is highly desired. In this study, a detachable hybrid microneedle depot (d‐HMND) for cell delivery is presented. The system consists of an array of microneedles with an outer poly(lactic‐co‐glycolic) acid shell and an internal gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA)‐MSC mixture (GMM). The GMM is characterized and optimized for cell viability and mechanical strength of the d‐HMND required to penetrate mouse skin tissue is also determined. MSC viability and function within the d‐HMND is characterized in vitro and the regenerative efficacy of the d‐HMND is demonstrated in vivo using a mouse skin wound model.
Engineered Biomaterials for Enhanced Function of Insulin‐Secreting β‐Cell Organoids
Authors: Hunckler Michael D. , García Andrés J.
Published: April 2020

Insulin‐secreting β‐cell organoids comprise many types of cells, including primary islets, pseudoislets, immortalized cell lines, and stem cell‐derived aggregates. Successful maintenance and long‐term culture of these β‐cell organoids are critical for many translational applications, such as patient‐specific disease modeling, drug screening, understanding β‐cell physiology, and cell‐based therapies to treat diabetes. Due to the mechanical and chemical insult to islets during isolation, islet viability and function are decreased. Partial restoration of the islet microenvironment through engineered biomaterials can improve islet survival and function in in vitro culture and in vivo transplantation. Natural and synthetic biomaterials can be engineered to improve the function of β‐cell organoids and promote maturation of stem cell‐derived β‐cell organoids. Improved function and maturation of β‐cell organoids will likely lead to improved transplant outcomes, but will also enable better models for physiology, disease modeling, and toxicology studies for type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The goal of this review is to highlight the diverse array of biomaterials used to enhance the in vitro and in vivo function and maturation of β‐cell organoids.
Scanner‐Based Capillary Stamping
Authors: Hou Peilong , Kumar Ravi , Oberleiter Bastian , Kohns Richard , Enke Dirk , Beginn Uwe , Fuchs Harald , Hirtz Michael , Steinhart Martin
Published: April 2020

Classical microcontact printing and polymer pen lithography (PPL) involve ink transfer to substrates using solid elastomeric stamps. Ink depletion thus limits the number of successive stamping steps without reinking. Porous stamps developed to overcome this limitation are used only for manual proof‐of‐principle experiments. Here, porous composite stamps for scanner‐based capillary stamping (SCS) that can be mounted on automated printing devices designed for PPL are developed. Porous SCS composite stamps consist of a rigid controlled porous silica glass (CPG) layer and a porous polymeric stamping layer. The latter can be topographically structured with contact elements by replication molding. The mechanical stabilization by the CPG layer ensures that the contact elements are coplanar. SCS allows automated, continuous, high‐throughput patterning enabled by ink supply through the porous SCS composite stamps. Even after more than 800 consecutive stamp–substrate contacts without reinking (the porous SCS composite stamps themselves are used as ink reservoirs), ink microdroplets are deposited without deterioration of the pattern quality. However, SCS also allows supply of additional ink during ongoing stamping operations through the pore systems of the porous SCS composite stamps. SCS can easily be adapted for multi‐ink patterning and may pave the way for further upscaling of contact lithography.
Low‐Dimensional Contact Layers for Enhanced Perovskite Photodiodes
Authors: Luo Deying , Zou Taoyu , Yang Wengqiang , Xiang Beng , Yang Xiaoyu , Wang Ya , Su Rui , Zhao Lichen , Zhu Rui , Zhou Hang , Russell Thomas P. , Yu Hongyu , Lu Zheng‐Hong
Published: April 2020

Controlling defects and energy‐band alignments are of paramount importance to the development of high‐performance perovskite‐based photodiodes. Yet, concurrent improvements in interfacial contacts and defect reduction simply by tailoring bottom contacts have not been investigated. An effective strategy is reported that can simultaneously improve energy‐band alignments and structural defects by introducing low‐dimensional contact (LDC) layers at the bottom interface. It is found that LDC‐based perovskites considerably suppress undesirable structural defects induced by microstrains, resulting in reduced nonradiative recombination centers and improved carrier lifetimes. Additionally, the resulting LDC‐based interface structures help block minority carrier injection from the electrodes by forming built‐in electric fields. As a consequence, LDC‐based perovskite photodiodes showed improved light detection capabilities. The result opens an avenue to yield highly efficient photodiodes.
Electric Conductivity on Aligned Nanofibers Facilitates the Transdifferentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells into Schwann Cells and Regeneration of Injured Peripheral Nerve
Authors: Hu Xiaofang , Wang Xianghai , Xu Yizhou , Li Lixia , Liu Jingmin , He Yutong , Zou Ying , Yu Lei , Qiu Xiaozhong , Guo Jiasong
Published: April 2020

Schwann cells (SCs) are the most promising seed cells for peripheral nerve tissue engineering, but clinical applications are limited by the lack of cell sources. Existing data demonstrate that bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) can be induced to differentiate into Schwann‐like cells and aligned nanofibers can enhance the differentiation. Considering that SCs are living along with the electrical conductive axons, it is hypothesized that conductivity properties may play roles in SCs differentiation and then facilitate nerve regeneration. To verify this hypothesis, amine functionalized multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are incorporated with polycaprolactone and gelatin to fabricate aligned or random conductive nanofibers by electrospinning. Current data demonstrate that MWCNTs can dramatically increase the electrical conductive properties but do not alter the biocompatibility of the nanofibers. It is found that endowing conductive properties into the aligned nanofibers can significantly enhance their capability to promote the SCs differentiation. Furthermore, the aligned and conductive nanofibers with induced BMSCs can dramatically promote peripheral axonal regeneration. Collectively, the present study demonstrates that the conductive properties in the aligned nanofiber plays significant roles in SCs differentiation and the aligned and conductive nanofibers can be used as a promising scaffold for SCs differentiation and peripheral nerve tissue engineering.
Microskin‐Inspired Injectable MSC‐Laden Hydrogels for Scarless Wound Healing with Hair Follicles
Authors: Zheng Xin , Ding Zhaozhao , Cheng Weinan , Lu Qiang , Kong Xiangdong , Zhou Xiaozhong , Lu Guozhong , Kaplan David L.
Published: April 2020

Scarless skin regeneration with functional tissue remains a challenge for full‐thickness wounds. Here, mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)‐laden hydrogels are developed for scarless wound healing with hair follicles. Microgels composed of aligned silk nanofibers are used to load MSCs to modulate the paracrine. MSC‐laden microgels are dispersed into injectable silk nanofiber hydrogels, forming composites biomaterials containing the cells. The injectable hydrogels protect and stabilize the MSCs in the wounds. The synergistic action of silk‐based composite hydrogels and MSCs stimulated angiogenesis and M1‐M2 phenotype switching of macrophages, provides a suitable niche for functional recovery of wounds. Compared to skin defects treated with MSC‐free hydrogels, the defects treated with the MSC‐laden composite hydrogels heal faster and form scarless tissues with hair follicles. Wound healing can be further improved by adjusting the ratio of silk nanofibers and particles and the loaded MSCs, suggesting tunability of the system. To the best of current knowledge, this is the first time scarless skin regeneration with hair follicles based on silk material systems is reported. The improved wound healing capacity of the systems suggests future in vivo studies to compare to other biomaterial systems related to clinical goals in skin regeneration in the absence of scarring.
Absorbable Thioether Grafted Hyaluronic Acid Nanofibrous Hydrogel for Synergistic Modulation of Inflammation Microenvironment to Accelerate Chronic Diabetic Wound Healing
Authors: Liu Sha , Zhang Qingfei , Yu Jie , Shao Nannan , Lu Hongtong , Guo Jinshan , Qiu Xuepeng , Zhou Dongfang , Huang Yubin
Published: April 2020

Current standard of care dressings are unsatisfactorily inefficacious for the treatment of chronic wounds. Chronic inflammation is the primary cause of the long‐term incurable nature of chronic wounds. Herein, an absorbable nanofibrous hydrogel is developed for synergistic modulation of the inflammation microenvironment to accelerate chronic diabetic wound healing. The electrospun thioether grafted hyaluronic acid nanofibers (FHHA‐S/Fe) are able to form a nanofibrous hydrogel in situ on the wound bed. This hydrogel degrades and is absorbed gradually within 3 days. The grafted thioethers on HHA can scavenge the reactive oxygen species quickly in the early inflammation phase to relieve the inflammation reactions. Additionally, the HHA itself is able to promote the transformation of the gathered M1 macrophages to the M2 phenotype, thus synergistically accelerating the wound healing phase transition from inflammation to proliferation and remodeling. On the chronic diabetic wound model, the average remaining wound area after FHHA‐S/Fe treatment is much smaller than both that of FHHA/Fe without grafted thioethers and the control group, especially in the early wound healing stage. Therefore, this facile dressing strategy with intrinsic dual modulation mechanisms of the wound inflammation microenvironment may act as an effective and safe treatment strategy for chronic wound management.
A Superlattice‐Stabilized Layered Oxide Cathode for Sodium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Li Qi , Xu Sheng , Guo Shaohua , Jiang Kezhu , Li Xiang , Jia Min , Wang Peng , Zhou Haoshen
Published: April 2020

Sodium‐ion batteries are in high demand for large‐scale energy storage applications. Although it is the most prevalent cathode, layered oxide is associated with significant undesirable characteristics, such as multiple plateaus in the charge−discharge profiles, and cation migration during repeated cycling of Na‐ions insertion and extraction, which results in sluggish kinetics, capacity loss, and structural deterioration. Here, a new strategy, i.e., the manipulation of transition‐metal ordering in layered oxides, is proposed to show a prolonged charge−discharge plateau and cation‐migration‐free structural evolution. The results demonstrate that the transition‐metal ordering with a honeycomb‐type superlattice can adjust the crystal lattice and suppress cation migration by modifying the crystal strain to realize a large reversible capacity and excellent cycling performance, which are not characteristics of the widely used common layered oxides. These findings can provide new insight that can be used to improve the design of high‐performance electrode materials for secondary‐ion batteries.
Polymerization‐Induced Wrinkled Surfaces with Controlled Topography as Slippery Surfaces for Colorado Potato Beetles
Authors: Bergmann Johannes B. , Moatsou Dafni , Surapaneni Venkata A. , Thielen Marc , Speck Thomas , Wilts Bodo D. , Steiner Ullrich
Published: April 2020

Controlling the interaction of insect populations with their host plants has recently received renewed attention in the light of pest control. One way to modify the interaction of insects with their host plants in a non‐chemical way is through influence of their de/attachment. Insect detachment has been observed for textured biological and structured artificial surfaces with morphologies ranging from nano‐ to micrometers (0.3–1.5 µm). Here, the formation of design surfaces is investigated through plasma‐induced polymerization of acrylates. This produces pronounced surface wrinkles that are tunable by the manufacturing process. For certain parameters, the wrinkles resemble those of the adaxial side of rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) leaves, a natural example of particularly low friction. Traction force measurements on the bio‐inspired surfaces show significantly impacted insect attachment compared to flat surfaces of silica and polymeric materials, opening a pathway to the controlled manufacture of bio‐inspired slippery surfaces for insects that could potentially find use in advanced materials such as wall coatings.