bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Taking theory to the field: streamflow generation mechanisms in an
intermittent, Mediterranean catchment
Authors: Gutierrez-Jurado Karina Y. , Partington Daniel , Shanafield Margaret
Published: January 2021

Abstract. Understanding streamflow dynamics at the catchment scale remains an arduous task; this is especially true for non-perennial networks. While modelling tools offer important advantages to study streamflow dynamics, the highly nonlinear, unsaturated dynamics associated with the transitions between wetting and drying in non-perennial systems make modelling cumbersome. This has stifled previous modelling attempts and alludes to why there is still a knowledge gap. In this study, we first construct a conceptual model of the physical processes of streamflow generation in an intermittent river system in South Australia, based on the hypothesis that the vertical and longitudinal soil heterogeneity and topography in a basin control short-term (fast flows), seasonal (slow flow), and a mixture of these two. We then construct and parameterise a fully integrated surface-subsurface hydrologic model to examine patterns and mechanisms of streamflow generation within the catchment. A set of scenarios are explored to understand the influences of topography and soil heterogeneity across the catchment. The results showed distinct flow generation mechanisms develop in the three conceptualized areas with marked soil and topographic characteristics, and suggested that capturing the overall distribution of soil types across the catchment was more important than capturing the wide variability of soil hydraulic properties. This study augments our understanding of catchment scale streamflow generation processes, while also providing insight on the challenges of implementing physically-based, integrated surface-subsurface hydrological models in non-perennial stream catchments.
O PAPEL DA MOBILIDADE INTERNACIONAL NA FORMAÇÃO DOCENTE: ESTUDO COMPARADO ENTRE BRASIL E PORTUGAL
Authors: Marim Vlademir , Rodrigues Letícia Araújo
Published: January 2021

Este trabalho é resultado de uma investigação cujo objetivo geral consiste em analisar as convergências e divergências entre as mobilidades internacionais do Programa de Licenciaturas Internacionais (PLI), do Programa Ibero-Americanas e do Programa Erasmus, presentes na formação docente e que são desenvolvidas em Portugal. Como metodologia de pesquisa utilizamos a metodologia comparada, composta das fases: Descritiva, Interpretativa, Justaposição e Comparativa. A partir da análise dos dados percebemos a importância das políticas públicas de incentivo à formação docente, posto que estas auxiliam as instituições responsáveis pela qualificação destes profissionais a oferecerem uma formação inicial mais qualificada e que atenda novas demandas educativas da sociedade contemporânea.
ENEM DURANTE A PANDEMIA? UM ESTUDO DE CASO DAS PERCEPÇÕES DE DOCENTES DA REDE ESTADUAL DE EDUCAÇÃO DO RIO DE JANEIRO SOBRE A REALIZAÇÃO DO ENEM 2020
Authors: Fernandes de  Abuquerque Regina Lucia
Published: January 2021

Resumo: Tem-se por objetivo mapear as percepções de professores da Rede Estadual de Educação do Rio de Janeiro sobre a realização do Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio (ENEM), assim como analisar o oferecimento de atividades pedagógicas não presenciais aos alunos da rede que prestariam o exame. Trata-se de estudo exploratório, com 22 professores atuantes em turmas de Ensino Médio. A coleta de dados foi realizada através de aplicação de questionário remoto, com estrutura de respostas semiestruturadas. Os resultados parciais apontaram para divergências entre os professores em relação à realização do ENEM 2020, incluindo docentes que declararam percepções distintas quanto à realização do exame, utilizando-se de justificativas similares.

Palavras chave: Covid-19, Ensino Médio, ENEM 2020.
PRÁCTICAS PEDAGÓGICAS ALTERNATIVAS EN UN ESCENARIO DE EXCEPCIÓN: ALGUNOS SUPUESTOS DESDE EXPERIENCIAS DE EDUCACIÓN A DISTANCIA EN URUGUAY
Authors: Presa Tania , Méndez María Evangelina , Campos Noelia
Published: January 2021

El presente artículo aborda el estudio de prácticas pedagógicas alternativas a la presencialidad que se han desarrollado en el escenario de excepcionalidad por la pandemia COVID-19 en Uruguay. Un país que tiene características particulares en cuanto a políticas de inclusión de tecnologías a los centros educativos en todos los niveles desde hace más de diez años. Compartimos una reflexión pedagógica sobre ciertos supuestos que hemos denominado desplazamientos de la presencialidad a la virtualidad. Finalmente se presentan de forma sucinta algunos resultados del estudio de sistematización de experiencias pedagógicas que se organizaron para su análisis, en los siguientes ejes: medios y dispositivos utilizados, potencialidades y dificultades de uso, actividades, acompañamiento de las familias, la evaluación y el teletrabajo docente.
AVALIAÇÕES EM LARGA ESCALA E A INTRÍNSECA RELAÇÃO COM O CURRÍCULO
Authors: Neiva Sonia Maria de Sousa Fabrício , Fonseca Eliana Gonçalves da Silva
Published: January 2021

O objetivo deste artigo é refletir sobre as avaliações em larga escala como políticas públicas e a relação dessas avaliações com o currículo como mecanismo para fortalecer a ação regulatória do Estado, com base nas ideias preconizadas pelo neoliberalismo. Como metodologia, utiliza-se o enfoque argumentativo de caráter bibliográfico: Afonso (2009), Bonamino e Sousa (2012), Burbules e Torres (2004), Corazza (2005), Gimeno Sacristán (2013), Libâneo (2019), entre outros, fundamentam o estudo. Nessa perspectiva, currículo e avaliação não se resumem à prescrição de conteúdos ou competências, tampouco a exames ou testes em momentos pontuais, pois percorrem uma educação emancipatória e desvinculada das vertentes gerenciais.

Palavras-chave: Avaliações em larga escala; Currículo; Educação básica; Qualidade.
AS MARGENS DAS MARGENS DAS MARGENS:
Authors: Chaveiro Eguimar Felício , Gonçalves Ricardo Junior de Assis Fernandes
Published: January 2021

Resumo: A presente pesquisa objetivou compreender a relação entre território e saúde-doença do trabalhador no contexto da pandemia da covid-19. A metodologia contou com revisão bibliográfica, levantamento e sistematização de dados, pesquisa de campo na cidade de Goiânia (GO), observação direta, entrevistas e registros fotográficos. A exposição dos resultados foi dividida em dois momentos centrais das discussões. A primeira parte sublinha o debate teórico no foco entre trabalho, território e saúde-doença, tomando como referência o campo da saúde do trabalhador. A segunda parte retoma o debate da relação trabalho, território e saúde-doença em contextos da pandemia da covid-19 no Brasil. Averiguou-se que no mesmo instante em que as taxas de contaminação e morte por covid-19 se expandem no Brasil, aprofundam-se a precarização, o empobrecimento, o desemprego e a informalidade do trabalho no país. Diante disso, a saúde do trabalhador, campo essencial às ações de vigilância e segurança no trabalho, vem sendo olvidada e silenciada pelas políticas de enfrentamento da pandemia e proteção dos trabalhadores.
A Educação Permanente em Saúde e os desafios das Comissões de Integração em ensino Serviço
Authors: Lemos Cristiane , De  Souza Alves França Mary Anne , Maria Pereira Edsaura , Marcello Nunes Pereira Fernando , Antônio Oliveira Alves José
Published: January 2021

Em 2004 o Ministério da Saúde cria a Política Nacional de Educação Permanente em Saúde (PNEPS), que tem como conceito pedagógico a Educação Permanente em Saúde (EPS). A Portaria GM/MS nº1996, de 2007, alinhou a PNEPS à proposta de fortalecimento da regionalização, sendo estruturadas as Comissões de Integração Ensino e Serviços (CIES). Esta pesquisa analisa o contexto da estruturação da PNEPS no estado de Goiás no período de 2009 a 2018. Estudo qualitativo realizado mediante a análise de documentos e de entrevistas com os sujeitos envolvidos neste universo. Observou-se que, apesar das CIES terem sido estruturadas nesse período, a descentralização da EPS pouco avançou, evidenciando pontos dificultadores, como: a baixa execução de ações pelas CIES, a descontinuidade dos processos formativos, ações educativas desvinculadas da PNEPS e pouca transparência no direcionamento do financiamento das ações de EPS.
Complexidade, Imaginário, Educação
Authors: Chaves Iduina
Published: January 2021

Resumo: O objetivo deste artigo é o de compreender as relações existentes entre complexidade, imaginário e educação e de como aplicar esses conhecimentos para repensar a organização escolar e a prática docente, nas quais se realizam as práticas simbólicas organizadoras do real social, no intuito de acolher e de conhecer a cultura individual ou de um grupo, para efetivar uma prática condizente com o atual cenário em que vivemos. Trata-se de um estudo qualitativo, ancorado no paradigma da complexidade, de Edgar Morin, e nas “Estruturas Antropológicas do Imaginário”, de Gilbert Durand, e fortalecido por estudos de renomados pesquisadores. Para a realização do estudo, foram elaboradas duas heurísticas: uma descrição da trajetividade acadêmica do discente e uma modesta apresentação do Teste Arquetípico de Nove Elementos, o AT-9. Acreditamos que por meio de uma emoção estética é que se descobre até um pouco mais de si mesmo, é que se aprende a conhecer o mundo e a natureza do outro, o mundo das subjetividades, o mundo da humanidade exterior, o mundo das outras mentalidades e culturas, como nos ensina Morin.
Effectiveness of administering zinc acetate hydrate to patients with inflammatory bowel disease and zinc deficiency: a retrospective observational two-center study
Authors: Sakurai Kensuke , Furukawa Shigeru , Katsurada Takehiko , Otagiri Shinsuke , Yamanashi Kana , Nagashima Kazunori , Onishi Reizo , Yagisawa Keiji , Nishimura Haruto , Ito Takahiro , Maemoto Atsuo , Sakamoto Naoya
Published: January 2021

Background/Aims: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients frequently have zinc deficiency. IBD patients with zinc deficiency have higher risks of IBD-related hospitalization, complications, and requiring surgery. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of zinc acetate hydrate (ZAH; Nobelzin) in IBD patients with zinc deficiency.Methods: IBD patients with zinc deficiency who received ZAH from March 2017 to April 2020 were registered in this 2-center, retrospective, observational study. Changes in serum zinc levels and disease activity (Crohn’s Disease Activity Index [CDAI]) before and after ZAH administration were analyzed.Results: Fifty-one patients with Crohn’s disease (CD, n = 40) or ulcerative colitis (UC, n = 11) were registered. Median serum zinc level and median CDAI scores significantly improved (55.5–91.0 μg/dL, P< 0.001; 171.5–129, P< 0.001, respectively) in CD patients 4 weeks after starting ZAH administration. Similarly, median serum zinc levels and CDAI scores significantly improved (57.0–81.0 μg/dL, P< 0.001; 177–148, P= 0.012, respectively) 20 weeks after starting ZAH administration. Similar investigations were conducted in groups where no treatment change, other than ZAH administration, was implemented; significant improvements were observed in both serum zinc level and CDAI scores. Median serum zinc levels in UC patients 4 weeks after starting ZAH administration significantly improved from 63.0 to 94.0 μg/dL (P= 0.002), but no significant changes in disease activity were observed. One patient experienced side effects of abdominal discomfort and nausea.Conclusions: ZAH administration is effective in improving zinc deficiency and may contribute to improving disease activity in IBD.
“Home Resources”
Authors: Guelzo Allen Carl
Published: January 2021

The case of Springfield and Upper Darby, two predominately Quaker townships in Chester County, Pennsylvania, in the late 1700s and early 1800s, shows how transitions to capitalism in the nineteenth century were rarely uniform. The townships persisted in maintaining subsistence characteristics even as other parts of southeastern Pennsylvania were transitioning to capitalist accumulation and urbanization. The principal mediums for this resistance were geographical and religious. However, by the 1820s, the introduction of mill technology eroded geographical resistance and encouraged the outmigration of entrepreneurs to urban environments. Also, a religious schism within the Quakers and the lure of evangelical Protestant sects undermined the religious cohesion of the townships. Springfield and Upper Darby transformed themselves into commercial farm communities with significant industrial components that “tethered” them to distant markets, and in which Quakerism ceased to serve the dominant religious worldview.
Urban Renewal in the “Human Renaissance”
Authors: Damato Nikol
Published: January 2021

In the post–World War II era, state and federal legislators introduced a legal rhetoric of the environment and urban renewal that reshaped discourse and decision-making by municipal leaders and African American activists in Pittsburgh. This study presents a fuller historical analysis of the regulatory framework and sociopolitical context of Pittsburgh's postwar urban renewal by examining the environment, renewal, race, and the law as interrelated and inextricable concepts. It argues that both white political leaders and Black activists navigated a shifting regulatory framework and legal environmental rhetoric to craft divergent narratives of urban renewal. By examining municipal, state, and federal laws, urban planning documents, court decisions, and newspaper articles, this analysis demonstrates the evolution of environmental arguments with changing social, legal, and political contexts from the postwar years to the 1970s. Conclusions reveal a fluid definition of “environment” and demonstrate the ongoing struggle for power over decision-making spaces.
By obligation and by choice: Taking on extra responsibilities during COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter Movement
Authors: Tevis Tenisha
Published: January 2021

The summer of 2020 yielded unprecedented hostility for my lifetime as the COVID-19 pandemic escalated and Black Lives Matter protests intensified around the country. Due to a global shutdown, our now undivided attention was forced to deal with the pervasiveness of anti-Black racism, not only socially and politically but within the confines of historically White institutions with their racist legacies and lack of inclusive infrastructures. As such, I was invited by various leaders and stakeholders to participate in conversations and to take on extra projects that addressed institutional bias and racism on my campus. This reflective essay recounts my experience having taken on extra tasks, both by obligation and by choice, particularly as a Black woman pre-tenure faculty member. In doing this work, I show how my experience aligned with the intersectional reality for Black women in academia; I reflect on this season of now, as an extended presence rather than a fleeting moment; and I conclude this essay by offering recommendations to address the lack of institutional support, and the insufficient infrastructures at my institution.
Does the Environmental Internal Audit Impact the Achieving of Sustainable Development in Industrial Companies Listed on the Amman Stock Exchange?
Authors: Al Hanini Eman Ahmad
Published: January 2021

This study aimed to determine the impact of environmental internal auditing with its dimensions represented by (compliance auditing, auditing environmental management systems, and auditing environmental financial statements) in achieving sustainable development in industrial companies listed on the Amman Stock Exchange. To achieve the aim of the study, a questionnaire was designed as a data collection tool for the study and distributed among 154 respondents namely: internal auditors, financial managers, and employees working in the financial departments in these companies. After conducting the necessary statistical analysis using SPSS, a statistical impact was reached at the significance level of α ≤ 0.05 for environmental internal auditing with its dimensions represented by (auditing compliance, auditing environmental management systems, and auditing environmental financial statements) in achieving sustainable development in industrial companies listed on the Amman Stock Exchange. The study suggests that industrial companies must provide appropriate environmental internal audit tools, including providing internal auditors with knowledge of environmental factors that have a fundamental impact on financial statements and understanding of environmental legislation and laws. The findings clarified the importance of training internal auditors on the stages of environmental internal auditing and skills in assessing environmental risks and obligations.
Nowe zasady stosowania badań nieniszczących do oceny wytrzymałości
i jednorodności betonów Cz. 2.
Authors: Runkiewicz Leonard , Runkiewicz Maciej , Sieczkowski Jan
Published: January 2021

W artykule opisano nowe zasady oceny wytrzymałości
betonu na podstawie badań metodami nieniszczącymi. Zasady te, określone
w normie PN-EN 13791, są odmienne od dotychczas stosowanych
według PN-B. Niemniej jednak możliwe jest dalsze stosowanie krzywych
korelacji wykorzystywanych w dotychczasowej praktyce budowlanej.
Za tym przemawiają małe różnice w wartościach wytrzymałości betonu
określanych według PN-EN i PN-B.
Analysis of the influence of larch fibers and particles on selected properties of fiber- and particleboards
Authors: Pazio Bartłomiej , Boruszewski Piotr
Published: January 2021

Analysis of the influence of larch fibers and particles on selected properties of fiber- and particleboards. The paper presents the results of the research on the effect of the addition of fibers and particles obtained from European larch wood (Larix decidua Mill) from plantations on selected properties of fiber- and particleboards in comparison to the boards of the same structure based on typical industrial raw material (pine wood) uses by European wood based panels industry. The differences were shown in the tests, i.e.: modulus of rupture (MOR), modulus of elasticity in static bending (MOE), internal bond (IB), thickness swelling after 2 and 24 hours soaking in water and density profile. In the MOR and MOE tests, larch boards with a minimum 50% fiber share were characterized by comparable values of the properties determined to pine boards, while in the other variants, boards made of pine wood had better properties. In most cases, the larch boards were characterized by significantly lower values of swelling by thickness (with the exception of boards made of fibers) than boards made of wood from forest cultivation. The density profile of the boards on the cross-section of the plantation raw material did not differ from the boards made of pine raw material.
Improving the method for determining
the dust penetration of textile materials
for the human protective equipment
manufacture
Authors: Avahumian A.A. , Zashchepkina N.M.
Published: January 2021

Purpose: Improving the accuracy of determining the coefficient of dust permeability of textile
materials and protective products from them.
Design/methodology/approach: The problem solution of human protection from the
negative effects of road dust is to improve the quality control procedures of textile materials
using modern measurement methods. A methodology has been developed for investigating
the dust penetration coefficient of materials based on the use of a television informationmeasuring
system (TIMS).
Findings: The methodology for determining the dust permeability of textile materials
through the use of a television information-measuring system has been improved, by
increasing the accuracy of measurement and determining the patterns of the influence of
structure on the permeability of textile materials.
Research limitations/implications: Improving methods of quality control of textile
materials through the use of modern methods of measuring techniques is by solving an
important problem of human protection from the negative effects of road dust. Known
methods do not take into account the forceful effect of the airflow on the structure of the
test sample, which is essential for textile materials that are easily deformed, which affects
the objectivity of the results. Significant inconvenience, complexity, and duration of the test
process give a large measurement error.
Practical implications: The methodology for determining the dust permeability of textile
materials through the use of a television information-measuring system has been improved.
This system allows an increase in the accuracy of measurements by 15%, and the availability
of software to increase the speed of displaying the results of investigations on the screen.
Originality/value: The main disadvantages of methods and means of determining
the dust permeability of textile materials - is the inability to determine the duration and
dynamics of the process of dust retention. Known methods do not take into account the
force of air flow on the structure of the test sample, which is significant, especially for
materials that are easily deformed, which affects the objectivity of the results. Significant
inconveniences, complexity and duration of the test process give a large measurement error.
A scientific novelty is the development of a modern and completely new method for
determining the permeability of textile materials using a television information - measuring
system, by increasing the accuracy of measurement and determining the patterns of
influence of the structure of textile materials on dust permeability.
Quality control test of cone beam
computed tomography – constancy tests
Authors: Redutko J. , Wrona K. , Szarek A. , Bańczyk Ł.
Published: January 2021

Purpose: The paper describes tests of CBCT cone beam scanners carried out to ensure
projection quality.
Design/methodology/approach: During the studies, phantoms were scanned
with a leading brand volumetric CT scanner according to the device manufacturer's
recommendations. The water phantom and phantom made of PMMA with materials of
different radiological densities were used in the performed tests. The image area during
the tests was determined as a cylinder with diameter of 80 mm and height of 90 mm. In
turn, exposure parameters were selected on the basis of clinically applied protocols of
cranial imaging. Within carried out research, tests of noise level were performed, image
homogeneity was analysed and Hounsfield units constancy was determined. To this end,
18 quality control tests were analysed, which were performed at intervals of about 30 days.
Images obtained during phantom scans were analysed by determining the Hounsfield value
of selected areas and their changes over time.
Findings: The analysis of all carried out projection quality control tests showed that they
met the criteria set by the manufacturer, falling within the predefined value ranges. One
of the performed tests presented results approaching the limit of acceptable values. After
notifying this case, it was shown that the CT scanner was serviced during that period. The
obtained results of the quality control tests of water phantom as well as of the material
phantom imaging were maintained at similar levels after the service activities. No changes
were observed in the obtained mean values of Hounsfield units, which would indicate a
decrease in diagnostic quality of CBCT projections.
Research limitations/implications: The results presented in this publication require
further analysis. These should be complemented by incl. analyses of spatial resolution and
image geometry.
Practical implications: Carried out research has shown that cyclical quality control
testing by a qualified operator is an essential activity to ensure high diagnostic quality of the
device. In addition, this analysis showed that procedures of in-service tests should not be
omitted and delayed.
Originality/value: Originality in these tests is the possibility to improve the procedures for
performing basic quality control tests.
Carian ‘portraiture’ and Coan coinage in the fourth century BCE
Authors: Roland Håkon
Published: January 2021

The point of departure of this article is the alleged iconographic connection between major fourth-century BCE Coan coin issues and the Hecatomnid sculptures of the Mausoleum in Halicarnassus. The historical setting is Caria in the first half of the fourth century BCE. The most decisive year in Coan history was 366 BCE. This was the year of the synoecism, when the different settlements on the island were gathered into one common political unit, an incident most often associated with a ‘democratic’ movement. The synoecism entailed a relocation of the capital to the easternmost part of the island, the point closest to the mainland of Asia Minor and the capital of the Hecatomnid dynasty. The Coan coin issues in question are used by historians as (the only) evidence for an early interference by Hecatomnid rulers on Cos and, based on this, to consider Mausolus himself as a driving force behind the synoecism on Cos in 366 BCE. The idea of the Hecatomnids as rulers of a more or less ‘Carian kingdom’ has gained support over the years, while pointing to Mausolus as the primus motor in establishing the polis of Cos fits the picture well. If so, the synoecism on Cos would have been caused by ‘oligarchic’ forces. Alleged evidence is provided by Coan coinage with Heracles and Demeter renderings, and a supposed iconographic likeness between these deities on coinage and portrait sculptures of the Mausoleum in Halicarnassus.
Wahlrechtsreform. Eine Agenda in zwölf Punkten
Authors: Decker Frank , Jesse Eckhard
Published: January 2021

The Grand Coalition in Germany struggled with achieving a substantial reform of the electoral law . The measures it has introduced will presumably fail to prevent an additional increase in the number of Bundestag members after the next election . It is highly probable that the forthcoming electoral commission will once again make suggestions for changing the system . The article discusses 12 topics that the commission should address: extending the legislative period and introducing a deadline for the investiture of the government - maintaining the original size of parliament, the proportional system and the mandates won in the electoral districts - codifying the central elements of electoral procedures in Germany’s Basic Law - reducing the number of electoral districts to 200 or 150 - increasing financial support for the constituency work of members of parliament - returning to the one vote‑system of 1949 - introducing a preferential vote - abolishing the basic mandate clause - abandoning the idea of a quota for female candidates - facilitating postal voting - lowering the voting age to 16 - setting up a citizens’ assembly to propose reform measures .
Die Reformen des Wahlrechts zum Deutschen Bundestag 2011 und 2013 im öffentlichen Diskurs
Authors: Linhart Eric , Bahnsen Oke
Published: January 2021

The German electoral law to the federal parliament was reformed in 2011 and in 2013 . While political scientists have extensively evaluated consequences of these reforms, the role of the public discourse has been largely neglected . We analyze articles from three leading German newspapers (FAZ, SZ, Welt) on this topic and find the debate around the reforms to be dominated by parties and political institutions . Scientists, interest groups, and journalists have only played minor roles . Regarding content, the discourse largely focused on surplus seats, reform speed, and a proposal by the CDU/CSU‑FDP coalition government in 2011 . A broad public debate in which multiple social groups could participate has not taken place . From a normative perspective this is problematic since the lack of a public debate might have contributed to the poor quality of the reform’s result .
Die mündliche Erklärung zur Abstimmung gemäß § 31 Absatz 1 GOBT – eine parlamentarische Wundertüte mit Potenzial?
Authors: Kleih Björn-Christian
Published: January 2021

According to the Rules of Procedure of the German Bundestag (”GOBT”), every Member of Parliament is granted a five minutes’ verbal explanation of vote . It is granted for nearly every kind of vote in the House . The verbal explanation is often considered a privilege to MPs going against the position taken by their group . Yet, it is also used to confirm the party position and it is abused to continue already closed debates . In either case, they can be a grab bag for both parliament’s plenum and its president; the verbal explanation’s content is only revealed when the explanation is given . A quantitative and qualitative analysis of the explanations given in the Bundestag shows that explanations from dissenters contribute quantitatively, but not to a large extent . While members of the coalition more often declare to go against their parliamentary party group, members of the opposition tend to confirm the line of their respective party . When used to reveal personal implications in the decision‑making process, the verbal explanation is meaningful and widely accepted .
Crisis communication via COVID-19 Chatbots – Effects of communication style on public management objectives
Authors: Olk Stephan , Tscheulin Dieter K. , Zogaj Adnan
Published: January 2021

Effective communication during public health emergencies is critical to handling a crisis. In uncertain times, those in charge are faced with the challenge of providing citizens with sufficient information on the one hand and avoiding panic reactions on the other hand. Due to the high demand for information, organizations and public administrations are increasingly using chatbots in order to implement their crisis strategies. The present study investigates the effects of a chatbot's communication style on the objectives of crisis management using the example of the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the stereotype content model, this study empirically shows that the combination of the goal frame and the use of emojis has an impact on citizens’ responses to chatbot communication. The implications for effective risk communication and limitations are discussed.
Dienstleistungen von allgemeinem Interesse zwischen Wettbewerb und Europäischen Verträgen
Authors: Kraus Katinka
Published: January 2021

Services of general interest are provided across Europe in different legal and institutional forms. They vary from private law to the commissioning of third parties through administrative cooperation. Even though these services and their forms of provision are subject to special regulations in European primary law, they are not always sufficiently included in legislative initiatives of the European Commission. The paper shows that this is contrary to the subsidiary spirit of the European Treaties, which protect this diversity as an important value under European law. Based on competition initiatives of the European Commission, the article analyzes the discrepancy between contractual claim and European political practice.
Rücknahme der Vorlage zum EuGH: Ist der steuerliche Querverbund jetzt gesichert?
Authors: Helm Thorsten , Bischoff Christian
Published: January 2021

Der steuerliche Querverbund, als wichtige traditionelle Finanzierungshilfe im kommunalen Bereich, ist seit längerem auf nationaler wie auch auf Unionsebene umstritten. Dieser Streit hat nunmehr einen neuen vorläufigen Höhepunkt erreicht. Der Bundesfinanzhof (BFH) hatte dem Gerichtshof der Europäischen Union (EuGH) mit Beschluss vom 13.3.2019 die Frage zur Vorabentscheidung vorgelegt, ob die Steuerbegünstigung des steuerlichen Querverbunds für dauerdefizitäre Tätigkeiten kommunaler Gesellschaften, entsprechend der Regelung des § 8 Abs. 7

S. 1 Nr. 2 KStG, gegen EU-Beihilferecht i.S.v. Art. 107 Abs. 1 i.V.m. Art. 108 Abs. 3 AEUV verstößt.1 Nach Rücknahme der Revision durch die Klägerin sowie Zustimmung des beklagten Finanzamts hat der BFH das Verfahren nunmehr mit Beschluss vom 29.1.2020 eingestellt.2 Über die für Kommunen wesentliche Finanzierungsmöglichkeit von Vorhaben im Bereich der Daseinsvorsorge - der Deutsche Städte und Gemeindebund (DStGB) schätzt das jährlich betroffene Finanzierungsvolumen auf mehrere Milliarden Euro3 - wird der EuGH damit, jedenfalls vorerst, mangels Entscheidungserheblichkeit i.S.d. Art. 267 AEUV, nicht urteilen. Damit stellt sich die Frage, ob der steuerliche Querverbund gesichert ist.
Die Verhandlungen über den Haushalt der Europäischen Union – zwischen Kontinuität und Pandemie-Zäsur
Authors: Becker Peter
Published: January 2021

The difficult negotiations on the multiannual financial framework (MFF) of the European Union have so far been characterised by continuity and path dependencies. Now, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the framework, the conditions, the topics and also the established procedure of MFF negotiations. The coincidence in time between these negotiations and the Corona crisis opened up the possibility of fundamental changes and reforms. This article first presents the agreement of the European Council of 21 July 2020 on the new MFF 2021-2027 of around 1 trillion euros and on the “Next Generation EU” (NGEU) stimulus budget of additional 750 billion euros. It traces the negotiation process and finally analyses the consequences for integration policy. The amendments to the system of own resources for financing the MFF and the agreement on the additional stimulus budget NGEU could lead to fundamental changes in the European budgetary system.
Cerebellum: Its Anatomy, Functions and Diseases
Authors: Singh Rajani
Published: January 2021

Cerebellum is the largest part of the hindbrain and weighs about 150 g. It is enshrined in posterior cranial fossa behind the pons and medulla oblongata and separated from these structures by cavity of fourth ventricle. It is connected to brainstem by three fibre tracts known as cerebellar peduncles. Cerebellum controls the same side of body. It precisely coordinates skilled voluntary movements by controlling strength, duration and force of contraction, so that they are smooth, balanced and accurate. It is also responsible for maintaining equilibrium, muscle tone and posture of the body. This is achieved through the use of somatic sensory information in modulating the motor output from the cerebrum and brainstem. Sherrington regarded cerebellum as the head ganglion of the proprioceptive system. Dysfunction of cerebellum along with degenerative diseases of cerebellum such as spinocerebellar ataxia, multiple sclerosis, malignant tumours, etc. may culminate into disequilibrium, hypotonia, difficulty in talking, sleeping, maintaining muscular coordination and dyssynergia which at times may be life threatening. Hence, knowledge of anatomy of cerebellum is imperative for neuroanatomists and neurosurgeons.
Breeding for Grain Quality Improvement in Rice
Authors: Ariyapalayam Rajendran Priyanka , Niranjana Devi Jeevanandam , Vel Prabhakaran Senthil
Published: January 2021

Oryza sativa holds a unique position among domesticated crop species as it is one of the most important staple foods globally. Without rice, the day will not be fulfilled in most of the Asian countries. Requirement of rice for consumption is anticipated from 450 million tons in 2011 to about 490 million tons in 2020 and to around 650 million tons by 2050 globally. To meet the food demands, it has been estimated that 40 per cent more rice is needed to be produced by 2050 for the ever increasing population. Increasing incidences of both biotic and abiotic stresses under changing climate are the major constraints in rice production to meet the rapidly escalating population. Crop improvement in rice will not be completed lacking of grain quality analysis. Rice grain quality embraces storage, milling, market quality, cooking and eating quality and nutritive quality of grain. Demand for high quality rice has increased globally in recent years and continues to trend upward due to the taste preferences. Since, consumer demand in Asia and all over the world are diverse due to varied demographics and culture, defining uniform attributes to grain quality becomes more challenging. The Middle Eastern consumers highly prefer long grain, well milled rice with strong aroma while European consumers prefer long grain non aromatic rices. In Asia, Chinese consumers prefer semi-aromatic rice to pure aromatic rice. Cooked kernel elongation is the most important quality traits, which differentiate the highly valued basmati rice from other rice types. Kernel elongation after cooking is an important character of fine rice and the most rice consumers prefer lengthwise elongation.
Antioxidant Activity: The Presence and Impact of Hydroxyl Groups in Small Molecules of Natural and Synthetic Origin
Authors: Ali Al-Mamary Mohammed , Moussa Ziad
Published: January 2021

Polyhydroxylated natural phenolic compounds, especially those with low molecular weights, are characterized by their ability to eliminate free radicals as they act as strong antioxidants. The various types of phenolic compounds represent the most important natural antioxidants in addition to some vitamins. The chemical structures of these compounds is discussed in details with their action mechanisms to remove free radicals and prevent many incurable and malignant diseases. In addition to these natural compounds, the last two decades have witnessed increased attempts by many scientific groups and research centers to synthesize chemical compounds in large quantities to mimic these natural compounds, but at a lower cost and greater biological effectiveness. Herein, we conduct a chemical survey of relevant synthetic compounds containing the hydroxyl groups prepared in chemical laboratories and studied for their biological efficacies, such as their effectiveness as antioxidants, as well as the mechanism of elimination of free radicals.
Relationship of Malnutrition in Children with Food and Nutrition Insecurity in Fars Province, Iran
Authors: Shenavar Razieh , Moghaddami Mohsen , Shaghaghian Soheila , Akbarpoor Mohsen Ali , Nowrospour Mansore , Farid Mahdieh
Published: January 2021

Background: Because of the high prevalence and serious complications of malnutrition in children, in this study, we aimed to evaluate the association of malnutrition in children with food and nutrition insecurity in Fars Province, Iran. Methods: In this case-control study, all 6 - 60-month-old children living in Fars Province in 2015 and their weight for age cures were below the third percentile, were included as the malnourished group (case group). Also, 1000 sex- and age-matched children without any growth retardations were selected as the well-nourished group (control group). The children’s food and nutrition insecurity was evaluated using a questionnaire consisting of the child's feeding, household sanitation status, and food security, besides maternal knowledge and practice about child nutrition. Finally, the food insecurity status of the two groups was compared. Results: Based on the findings, 943 (47.1%) children lived in food-insecure households, with a higher percentage of malnourished children than well-nourished ones (57.8% vs. 36.5%; P < 0.001). The probability of malnutrition in the children with full time working fathers was half of those with unemployed fathers (OR = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.38 - 0.83). Malnutrition in children was significantly associated with their birth weight (P < 0.001), maternal body mass index (P < 0.001), maternal knowledge and practice about child feeding (P < 0.001 for both), and having sanitary latrines at home as an indicator of household sanitary status (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Malnutrition in children had significant associations with many aspects of food and nutrition insecurity. To decrease the prevalence of malnutrition, health systems, and other organizations should design policies to improve food insecurity, especially those focusing on family education and nutritional support for low socioeconomic families.
On the Edge of the Unknown
Authors: da Costa e Silva Tiago ,   Semiotic Society of America
Published: January 2021

The present paper intends to discuss the process of design and its peculiar location at the threshold between the unknown (the insecure place with unknown order) and already established, well-accepted knowledge. The process of design is known for its catalyzing possibilities, often suggesting connections between conceptions, ideas, and solutions to problems by linking an initial formulation with the innovative and upcoming development of a project within a given design context. Thus, the process of design has the power to provide a space for playing, where experiments of thought, the testing of conceptions, the assembling of elements of these conceptions, and the serendipitous conflation of different parts of ideas can take place. Charles S. Peirce’s theory of inquiry—with especial emphasis on the systemic character of semiotics in relation to phaneroscopy, esthetics, logic of abduction and pragmatism—informs the chosen theoretical framework of this paper. Because it also emphasizes the process of discovery, Peirce’s theory of inquiry will be here mobilized to analyze, within the theory of the design process, the transition between critical predicament and an undecided—still to be formed—future. This task consists of stating in futuro the unthinkable in order to render any design project feasible.
Peril and Possibility
Authors: Sobers Candace ,   Caribbean Philosophical Association
Published: January 2021

In a 2012 review article, Anthony P. Maingot made a case for each generation rewriting history according to its own needs and preoccupations. Everyone, he suggested, has their own C.L.R. James. Everyone, perhaps, except students of international relations (IR) and international history, where references to James’s copious and critical body of work are less common. In the spirit of finding one’s own James, this article employs The Black Jacobins and James’s other magnum opus, World Revolution,1917–1936: The Rise and Fall of the Communist International, to think historically about two interrelated processes of the twentieth century: the rise of the state, and the relationship between nationalisms and internationalisms. Along with encounters with revolutionary Marxism and pan-Africanism, James bore witness to the challenges of the state, and the tensions between nationalism and internationalism that were so central to understanding the twentieth century.
Extraordinary Means and Intensive Care
Authors: Glick Joan ,   The National Catholic Bioethics Center
Published: January 2021

Patients who are terminally ill sometimes seek treatment in the emergency room for a range of symptoms including pain and shortness of breath. The hectic, triage nature of the ER is not conducive to conversations regarding advance directives or the emotional, psychosocial, and spiritual needs of the patients or their family members. Some patients are treated aggressively with mechanical ventilation to support breathing without ascertaining if this is consistent with their wishes. Once the patient is intubated and placed on the breathing machine, admission to the intensive care unit follows. Admitting end-of-life patients who seek care in the ER to the ICU because they have been placed on a ventilator can be burdensome, disproportionate, and often futile, compromising the autonomy, dignity, comfort, and spiritual needs of the patient.
At-Home Detection of Ovulation by Urinary Progesterone
Authors: Barron Mary Lee ,   The National Catholic Bioethics Center
Published: January 2021

Many in the natural family planning community have looked forward to the development of at-home urinary progesterone test kits, like Ovulation Double Check, by MFB Fertility, because it is an “excellent marker for the closure of the fertile window.” Several research studies have shown that the urinary progesterone metabolite P3G consistently marks rises above baseline more than one day after ovulation. Previously, a progesterone level could be measured only by a serum test, which requires a prescription and blood draw and can be expensive. A urine progesterone metabolite P3G test, which costs about $5, is an attractive alternative.
Object and Intention in Natural Family Planning
Authors: Gerhart Gregory ,   The National Catholic Bioethics Center
Published: January 2021

The Church’s simultaneous approval of natural means of regulating birth and condemnation of contraception can leave Catholics, as well as other Christians and people of good will, confused or frustrated—confused because contraception and natural family planning are, in fact, similar in many practical considerations, and frustrated because the degree of sacrifice required by NFP seems highly disproportionate considering what is perceived as a minimal difference between it and contraception. This article compares the object and intention of NFP to those of contraception and argues that couples who practice natural means of regulating birth sacrifice not for a minimal difference but for the triumph of the Gospel of Life over the culture of death.
Reflections on the Muñoz Case
Authors: Schultz Christian ,   The National Catholic Bioethics Center
Published: January 2021

In January 2014, Marlise MunÞoz was declared brain dead, and all life-sustaining treatment was withdrawn. Her organs ceased to function, causing the death of their unborn child, who was not yet viable. Should somatic support for MunÞoz have been continued until the child could be delivered and survive? The literature does provide some direction for improving favorable outcomes. Among the most important factors are (1) the prompt diagnosis of brain death prior to the onset of biological degeneration; (2) thorough evaluation of the baby regarding viability; (3) a well-informed decision-making process with the family, ethics committee, and medical team; and (4) the establishment of a multidisciplinary group to address the needs of the unborn child, including somatic support of the mother to delay the onset of biological decline.
The Demands of CRISPR’s World
Authors: Hurlbut J. Benjamin ,   The National Catholic Bioethics Center
Published: January 2021

A growing chorus of voices is declaring that CRISPR will revolutionize the ability to control life, including human life. As genetically altering future generations becomes technically realistic, it raises the prospect of genetic enhancement and the specter of eugenics. Prominent scientists are calling for international guidelines to govern human applications of gene-editing technology. They argue that the technical possibility of human germline gene editing makes ethical deliberation urgent. Now that the technology is upon us, the time has come to ask whether we want it. Human germline genetic engineering has long been marked as a morally significant boundary, and in numerous countries it is explicitly prohibited by law. The Oviedo Convention, a legally binding treaty among twenty-nine European countries, prohibits it as a violation of human rights and dignity. Nevertheless, numerous commentators argue that prohibitions made before it was technically possible meant little, and past proscriptions must now be revised.
Defibrillators at the End of Life
Authors: Guevin Benedict M. ,   The National Catholic Bioethics Center
Published: January 2021

I recently published three articles on pacemakers. My focus in these articles was to examine the moral permissibility of deactivating a pacemaker at the end of life or letting the pacemaker’s battery run out. I determined that both—deactivation and letting the battery run out—were morally impermissible. Another type of cardiac device is also often used in treating patients with heart irregularities, namely, a cardioverter defibrillator. I address here the issue of whether or not this device can morally be deactivated at the end of life.