bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Moral Blindness
Authors: Ohaekwusi Anthony Chukwuebuka ,   Catholic University of America Press
Published: June 2019

This article explores the concept of moral blindness in the light of the self-conscious actions that constitute a person. Personalists argue that as man discovers himself in the acts he posits, the moral character of his actions distinguishes him as a responsible subject of both his being and his actions in the community of persons. Scholars like Dietrich von Hildebrand discussed the various attitudes of this acting person that make him numb to moral considerations under the theme “moral value blindness.” This essay therefore demonstrates how moral blindness poses a challenge to the capacity of man’s moral response as a person in action. It examines the danger of being morally blunted by weaving together thoughts of personalists including Karol Wojtyła, von Hildebrand, Hannah Arendt, John Crosby, and others to develop a call to moral consciousness steeped in our awareness of being in communion with other persons possessing absolute dignity and value.
Racism and the Denial of Personhood
Authors: Buckley Brian J. ,   Catholic University of America Press
Published: June 2019

One of the worst aspects of racism is the damage inflicted on the human person by evoking feelings of separateness and inferiority. In his Letter from Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King meant to capture that impact by referring to a “degenerating sense of nobodiness.” This essay invokes King’s reference to “nobodiness” and connects it explicitly with the negative effects on three particular elements of the human person. Those are having a unique and expressive voice, living a narrative life, and being a Thou. Each is part of a distinctive, unrepeatable personhood. Racism, however, with its categorizing and generalizing tendencies, denies the recognition of those attributes and thereby accords a status of “nobody” to the victim. His or her point of view, personal story, and capacity to stand with integrity as a Thou are set aside. Rendered a “nobody” by racism, his or her personhood has been denied.
Wojtyła’s Personalism as Integral Personalism
Authors: Burgos Juan Manuel ,   Catholic University of America Press
Published: June 2019

This essay attempts to define Wojtyła’s personalism and to present the possibilities for the continuation and development of his work through what the author of the essay calls integral personalism. To do so, we present first of all some of the main keys of the philosophy and anthropology of Karol Wojtyła as they have been developed in his main work, The Acting Person. Later we compare them with the different types of personalism to show that his philosophy does not exactly fit any of them, particularly the Thomistic personalism of Jacques Maritain. Finally, a new stream of personalism is postulated, Integral personalism, which according to the author not only would be able to show with precision the main philosophical theses of Karol Wojtyła but could also develop them.
Personalism as Interpersonalism
Authors: Darcy Michael ,   Catholic University of America Press
Published: June 2019

This essay will examine an illuminating convergence in the thoughts of Pope John Paul II and the cultural anthropologist René Girard. It will be seen that this convergence is a consequence of the shared concern of both to understand the human person in terms of its relation to other persons. So while not a personalist philosopher in the strict sense, René Girard’s concern for the interpersonal brings him close to the personalism of John Paul II, who likewise understands human subjectivity in terms of the relations by which it is constituted. Both practice what might be called an “interpersonalist” personalism, which this essay will argue ought to characterize the practice of personalism in a Christian context. The essay will make this observation the basis for further reflections on the nature of personalism and its relation to the Christian intellectual tradition.
The Dignity of Utopian Imagination
Authors: Wenning Mario ,   Zeta Books
Published: June 2019

The utopian imagination is ambivalent in that it both escapes from, while also critically engaging with contemporary societies and forms of living. This paper calls to mind the dignity of utopian longing as well as common objections against political interpretations of utopia. Philosophical utopias, it is argued, make deliberative use of the imagination by sharpening a sense of possibility and providing reasons for (or against) utopian thought-images. On this account, utopias draw on irony and satire as constructive modes of imagining unrealized potentials and exposing what falls short of these potentials. Thus conceived, the utopian imagination is not the enemy, but an essential aid of practical reason.
The Cosmos of Imagination
Authors: Baracchi Claudia ,   Zeta Books
Published: June 2019

This essay raises the question of the character and status of imagination in ancient Greek philosophy. It is often said that neither Plato nor Aristotle conceived of imagination in genuinely productive terms. The point, however, is not approaching ancient thought while thinking with Kant, as if we were looking for proto-Kantian insights in antiquity. Ancient thought is not a series of ‘tentative steps’ destined to reach a full-blown articulation in modernity, let alone an anticipation of the first critique. On the contrary, it is essential to acknowledge the discontinuities that make the ancient discourse remote and, in many respects, opaque, hidden from us. On the ground of such assumptions, the essay addresses the understanding of imagination (eikasia, phantasia) in the Greek context, focusing in particular on Plato’s Timaeus. First, we consider how imagination, precisely in its creative aspect, operates at the very heart of philosophical argumentation. Plato’s emphatic awareness of this disallows the rhetoric of philosophy as the discipline of truth (of apodictic necessity, objectivity, and neutrality). In fact, it calls for a profound re-thinking of the relation between creativity and the philosophical turn to the ‘things themselves.’ Timaeus imagines the cosmos as a theatrical device: the place of seeing and being seen, of contemplation and the originary emergence of images. This evokes an understanding of imagination outside the order of subjectivity and its faculties, i.e., a meditation on the impersonal character of production and the force of images (of symbols) arising without being constituted by ‘me.’
Imitation and Individuation
Authors: Brudzińska Jagna ,   Zeta Books
Published: June 2019

A crucial feature of our individual biography is grounded in our common corporeal structure. Our life begins with a strong bodily intertwining that has an essential biographical and existential meaning. To elucidate this pre-egological form of connection between subjects, I refer to a peculiar form of sympathetical experience which precedes the intersubjective experience proper. From the genetic phenomenological point of view, sympathetical experience is characterized by a prereflective form of intentionality, which I describe as trans-bodily intentionality, as well as by fusional dynamics realised through a special kind of immediate corporeal fantasy. Focusing on the individuation processes of personal life, I show to which degree trans-bodily intentional dynamics result in the dissolution of the subject’s centricity or at least in its fluidification. Such a fluidification, moreover, should be systematically understood as a condition of possibility for the very process of becoming a Self. In my contribution, I discuss to which degree the corporeal phantasy plays a decisive rule in the creative process of becoming a Self.
Twardowski, Ingarden, and Blaustein on Creative Imagination
Authors: Płotka Witold ,   Zeta Books
Published: June 2019

The article is a critical elaboration of two phenomenological theories of imagination formulated by Ingarden and Blaustein in their discussion with Twardowski. Ingarden, as well as Blaustein were students of both Twardowski and Husserl, however, they defined imagination in two different contexts: whereas for Ingarden a proper way of analysis of imagination is ontology, for Blaustein imagination is the object of descriptive psychology, connected mainly with an aesthetic experience. As a result, the question of creativity of imagination is described in two different, but intertwined ways. For Ingarden, creative imagination is understood as a noematical structure which generates the imagined object as a purely intentional object. Ingarden’s description expresses the ontological status of the imagined object as ontologically dependent on the act of imagining, and on the content of the imagined object. In his review of Ingarden’s Das literarische Kunstwerk, Blaustein was clear that one has to revise Ingarden’s theory of purely intentional object by adopting it to imaginative intentionality and aesthetic experience. To elaborate Ingarden’s theory of imagination, Blaustein discusses it also with reference to Twardowski. Blaustein claims that Twardowski’s Cartesian differentiation between perceptive, reproductive, and creative imagination is based on a vague criterion, and moreover it does not refer to two key notions of descriptive psychology, i.e., the notion of the representative content, and the intentional object. As a result of his critique, Blaustein limits the concept of creative imagination to ‘fantasy’, understood as secondary imagination.
Evolução recente da indústria em países latino-americanos selecionados: uma análise do processo de desindustrialização para o período de 2000-2014
Authors: Mesquita Junior Antônio Paulo Da Silva
Published: June 2019

Este trabalho trouxe à discussão a indústria de países latino-americanos selecionados – Brasil, Argentina, México e Chile –, no período de 2000 a 2014, com propósito de indicar se esta vem, ou não, passando por inflexões contingenciadas ao processo de desindustrialização. Para tal, foi realizada uma análise empírica que examinou o comportamento da participação relativa do valor adicionado da indústria no PIB, do emprego industrial no emprego total e da balança comercial. Através da análise, pôde-se constatar que esses países vêm passando por um processo de desindustrialização precoce e heterogêneo.
Algumas teorias para discutir o desenvolvimento
Authors: Oliveira Marines Rute
Published: June 2019

Este artigo busca contribuir com conceitos e definições de desenvolvimento abordados em variadas obras de conceituados autores que trabalham essa temática, dando um destaque aos conceitos de desenvolvimento como liberdade – definido por Amartya Sen e, também, o conceito de desenvolvimento sustentável, assim como são expostos os aspectos históricos descritivos de desenvolvimento rural e regional. objetivo é trazer conceitos que auxiliam no entendimento do assunto aqui abordado, para que haja uma melhor compreensão do tema. Salientando que esse artigo faz parte de uma revisão bibliográfica que é uma parte de estudos para fins de elaboração de tese de doutoramento, que tem como eixo de reflexão o desenvolvimento como liberdade, no sentido de analisar o desenvolvimento rural do oeste do Paraná a partir da agricultura familiar. Argumenta-se que as considerações finais ainda estão em construção e foram apresentadas, aqui, somente um breve resumo das mesmas.
A análise da satisfação do atendimento ao cliente b2b da ect: um estudo de caso da empresa Banese Card em Sergipe
Authors: Liberato Monica Maria , De Oliveira Gerson Carneiro
Published: June 2019

Este artigo apresenta os resultados de um estudo sobre a satisfação do atendimento ao cliente b2b, onde foi feito um estudo de caso na empresa Banese Card em Sergipe. O objetivo do estudo foi analisar a satisfação desse principal cliente corporativo da ECT em Sergipe, tendo em conta a perspectiva do entrevistado. Foi utilizada a metodologia qualitativa, com entrevista pessoal em profundidade com o gestor de clientes do Banese Card, o principal cliente da ECT de Sergipe. O resultado do estudo identifica que o cliente está satisfeito com os serviços prestados pela ECT, seja na forma da prestação do serviço, como no relacionamento entre as partes envolvidas no processo. A entrega do serviço é feita com qualidade, as informações são passadas em tempo hábil, a ECT utiliza-se da tecnologia para o CRM e existe um atendimento diferenciado e com qualidade.
Organizações humanitárias internacionais: choques culturais entre expatriados e staff nacional
Authors: Barbosa Marcos Antônio de Souza , Silva Renata Oliveira
Published: June 2019

O número de pessoas que dependem de ajuda humanitária aumenta em todo o mundo. Para atender esta necessidade diversas organizações contemporâneas atuam em causas consideradas de interesse global, de modo transnacional, para além das fronteiras formais de Estados tradicionalmente estabelecidas. De empresas privadas a instituições religiosas, chamam a atenção aquelas organizações ligadas a atividades de natureza humanitária porque são compostas por sujeitos de várias origens e culturas, trabalhando temporariamente em contextos adversos. Esse trabalho surgiu da constatação empírica de que alguns conflitos entre profissionais locais e estrangeiros eram recorrentes nas diversas missões vivenciadas por um dos autores numa organização humanitária. O fato era que, apesar da ONG aqui estudada tratar formalmente em sua página da internet da diversidade cultural que o profissional poderá encontrar no campo, nenhum tipo de treinamento sobre relações culturais é verdadeiramente oferecido. O objetivo é discutir a inserção de questões culturais no planejamento de uma operação humanitária, baseada em relato de experiência e revisão da literatura sobre o assunto. Nossas conclusões apontam para a necessidade de aprofundamento do entendimento das questões cultuais nesse campo, onde os trabalhadores locais têm uma percepção de que estas organizações compreendem pouco da cultura local e que o resultado da operação pode ser impactado por isso.
Como gestores planejam seu comportamento nas redes sociais online
Authors: Rocha Leonardo Quintas , Souza Ariana Marchezi de , Cerqueira Alexandre dos Santos , Dumer Miguel Carlos Ramos
Published: June 2019

A utilização crescente das redes sociais online, a interação dinâmica que estas proporcionam e a manifestação de comportamentos e imagens das pessoas que estão conectadas às mesmas são apresentadas na pesquisa com o objetivo de compreender como os gestores planejam seu comportamento nas redes sociais online, com base na teoria do comportamento planejado do Ajzen (1991). O estudo, de abordagem qualitativa, desenvolvido por meio de entrevistas de cunho exploratório teve a amostra de 09 gestores, com base na técnica do incidente crítico, para identificar os atributos específicos de comportamento, considerando os desdobramentos positivos e negativos, e a análise de fatos importantes relacionados ao planejamento comportamental dos gestores nas redes sociais, em específico o Facebook. Os resultados encontrados mostraram que o modelo teórico de Ajzen (1991) aplica-se de forma significativa à explicação do comportamento planejado dos gestores. A principal observação recai sobre a ação do construto controle do comportamento percebido, como agente moderador e corretor das ações de comportamento planejado dos gestores. Foi constatado também que os gestores planejam o seu comportamento, muitas das vezes, sem levar em consideração os seus valores, que de acordo com o modelo teórico, está atrelado às normas subjetivas do indivíduo, porém ficou evidenciado um maior cuidado com a sua imagem refletida em suas ações comportamentais no Facebook, considerando que no ambiente profissional, os mesmos ocupam cargos que são observados por sua equipe e demais profissionais.
Entrevista a Marcelo Bertalmío, director e investigador en procesado de imagen para el cine
Authors: Masià Ramon
Published: June 2019

Entrevista a Marcelo Bertalmío, dónde nos cuenta su trayectoria profesional en la investigación del procesado de la imagen y la ciencia de la visión, siempre relacionándolo con el mundo del cine, en el cual ha participado con numerosos films de prestigio internacional.
HDM-4 Deterioration Modelling: Validation and Adoption for Flexible Pavements With Modified Bituminous Road Surfacing
Authors: Deori Sanjay , Choudhary Rajan , Tiwari Devesh , Kumar Abhinay
Published: June 2019

Highway Development and Management (HDM-4) is an internationally recognised tool to analyse pavement management and investment alternatives. The HDM-4 pavement deterioration models help to predict the initiation and progression of various pavement distresses under the different combinations of traffic, climate, pavement structure, and composition. Since the rate of initiation and propagation of each pavement distress is strongly dependent on local conditions, it is essential to calibrate and validate the HDM-4 models for local conditions before their use. Validation of the calibrated HDM-4 pavement deterioration models is needed to check the adequacy of the calibration factors before the model is put to use for future applications. Time series data collected consecutively for three years of 23 high-speed corridors sections constructed with modified binders in India was used to calibrate the HDM-4 distress models. The main aim of this paper is to discuss the validation aspects of the calibrated HDM-4 models, to compare the distresses predicted to those observed on test sections. In this study, a novel technique termed the “proximity to the line of equality” approach is used to validate the HDM-4 models. In addition, Student’s t-test is also used as a conventional validation technique. The advantage of the “proximity to the line of equality” approach is that it removes subjectivity associated with judging the nearness of best-fit straight line of predicted-observed data to the line of equality. Validation results show that distresses predicted by HDM-4 are statistically similar to those observed on the sections. Therefore, the calibrated HDM-4 models can be adopted for planning future maintenance strategies for flexible pavement sections with modified asphalt binder road surfacing.
Comparison of the bacterial abundance and diversity in the Leptocybe invasa Fisher & La Salle (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) between both sexes
Authors: Guo Chunhui , Peng Xin , Zheng Xialin , Wang Xiaoyun , Wang Ruirui , Huang Zongyou , Yang Zhende
Published: June 2019

Background. Insects harbor a myriad of microorganisms, many of which can affect the sex ratio and manipulate the reproduction of the host. Leptocybe invasa is an invasive pest that causes serious damage to eucalyptus plantations, and both female-biased sex ratios and thelytokous parthenogenesis in L. invasa contribute to the rapid invasion and fast growth of the population. However, the interior bacterial composition and abundance of L. invasa and the differences between both sexes remain unclear.

Results. The Illumina MiSeq platform was used to compare the composition of the bacterial community in adult females and males by sequencing with variation in the V3-V4 region of the 16S ribosomal DNA gene. The results showed that 1320 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were obtained in total. These OTUs were annotated into 24 phyla, 71 classes, 130 orders, 245 families and 501 genera. At the genus level, the dominant bacteria in females and males was Rickettsia and Rhizobium, respectively.

Conclusion. The bacteria living in L. invasa adult females and males had high diversity. There were differences in the bacterial community in L. invasa between both sexes, and the bacterial diversity in male adults was more abundant than that in female adults. This study presents a comprehensive comparison of bacterial communities living in L. invasa between sexes, which plays a significant role in reproductive strategy, sex regulation and the invasive mechanism of L. invasa and provides a basis for follow-up studies on the coevolution and interaction between L. invasa and its predominant bacteria.
Affiliated participation in open source communities
Authors: Alami Adam , Wasowski Andrzej
Published: June 2019

Background: The adoption of Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FOSS) by institutions is significantly increasing, and so is the affiliated participation (the participation of industry engineers in open source communities as part of their jobs). Aims: This study is an investigation into affiliated participation in FOSS communities. So far, little is known about the affiliated participation and the forces that influence it, even though the FOSS innovation model is increasingly becoming a serious contender for the private investment model in many sectors. Method: We present a qualitative inquiry into affiliated participation in the Robot Operating System (ROS) and Linux Kernel communities, using twenty-one in-depth interviews and participatory observation data from twenty-nine community events. Results: Our results show that affiliated participation in these communities is constrained by several barriers: objections of senior management, protection of the company’s image, protection of intellectual property, undefined processes and policies, the high cost of participation, and unfamiliarity with the FOSS system. Conclusions: These barriers should be addressed in any organization considering using FOSS as a significant acquisition, distribution, and development strategy.
Diversity and pathogenicity of microbial communities causing grape sour rot in eastern coastal areas of China
Authors: Gao Huanhuan , Yin Xiangtian , Jiang Xilong , Shi Hongmei , Yang Yang , Dai Xiaoyan , Chen Yingchun , Wu Xinying
Published: June 2019

Background As a polymicrobial disease, grape sour rot can lead to the decrease in the yield of grape berries and wine quality. The diversity of microbial communities in sour rot-infected grapes depends on the planting location of grapes and the identified methods. The east coast of China is one of the most important grape and wine regions in China and even in the world.

Methods To identify the pathogenic microorganism s causing sour rot in table grapes of eastern coastal areas of China, the diversity and abundance of the bacteria and fungi were assessed based on two methods, including traditional culture-methods, and 16S rRNA and ITS gene high-throughput sequencing . Then the pathogenicity of cultivable microorganisms was determined in laboratory.

Results Based on traditional culture-methods, we identified 15 cultivable bacterial species and 10 fungal species from sour rot-infected grapes. The p athogenicity assay confirmed five cultivated fungi species (three Aspergillus species, Alternaria tenuissima, and Fusarium proliferatum), and four bacteria species (two Cronobacter species, Serratia marcescens and Lysinibacillus fusiformis) as mainly pathogenic on grape. A. tenuissima, and F. proliferatum were the firstly discovered as pathogens on harvesting grape. Moreover, high-throughput sequencing revealed the OTUs numbers of bacteria and fungi were 1343.33 and 1038.67 respectively. Proteobacteria (72.15%) and Firmicutes (26.83%) were dominant phylums among the 19 bacterial phyla identified, while Ascomycota (93.86%) was the dominant fungal phylum. Then, bacteria such as Acetobacter sp., Gluconobacter sp., Bacillus sp., and Lactococcus sp. and fungi such as Incertae sedis sp., Issatchenkia terricola, Colletotrichum viniferum, Hanseniaspora vineae, Saprochaete gigas, and Candida diversa took the vast majority ofmicrobial species in sour rot-infected grapes. Therefore, more accurate and abundant microbial communities in sour rot-infected grapes could be identified using the traditional culture-methods and high-throughput sequencing.
Data-driven classification of the certainty of scholarly assertions
Authors: Prieto Mario , Deus Helena , De Waard Anita , Schultes Erik , García-Jiménez Beatriz , Wilkinson Mark D
Published: June 2019

The grammatical structures scholars use to express their assertions are intended to convey various degrees of certainty or speculation. Prior studies have suggested a variety of categorization systems for scholarly certainty. However, these have not been objectively tested for their validity, particularly with respect to representing the interpretation by the reader, rather than the intention of the author. In this study, we use a series of questionnaires to determine how researchers classify various scholarly assertions, using three distinct certainty classification systems. We find that there are three categories of certainty perceived by readers: one level of high certainty, and two levels of lower certainty that are somewhat less distinct, but nevertheless show a significant degree of inter-annotator agreement. We show that these categories can be detected in an automated manner, using a machine learning model, with a cross-validation accuracy of 89.2% relative to an author-annotated corpus, and 82.2% accuracy against a publicly-annotated corpus. This finding provides an opportunity for contextual metadata related to certainty to be captured as a part of text-mining pipelines, which currently miss these subtle linguistic cues. We provide an exemplar machine-accessible representation - a Nanopublication - where certainty category is embedded as metadata in a formal, ontology-based manner within text-mined scholarly assertions.
Geofluid Academy
Authors: Brizzolari Bonizzella
Published: June 2019

Piacenza Expo propone una nuova iniziativa: Geofluid Academy. Il progetto nasce dalla collaborazione tra Piacenza Expo, ANIPA e Associazione Acque Sotterranee Scuola e Formazione [...].
Comment on 'AIRE-deficient patients harbor unique high-affinity disease-ameliorating autoantibodies'
Authors: Landegren Nils , Rosen Lindsey B , Freyhult Eva , Eriksson Daniel , Fall Tove , Smith Gustav , Ferre Elise M N , Brodin Petter , Sharon Donald , Snyder Michael , Lionakis Michail , Anderson Mark , Kämpe Olle
Published: June 2019

The AIRE gene plays a key role in the development of central immune tolerance by promoting thymic presentation of tissue-specific molecules. Patients with AIRE-deficiency develop multiple autoimmune manifestations and display autoantibodies against the affected tissues. In 2016 it was reported that: i) the spectrum of autoantibodies in patients with AIRE-deficiency is much broader than previously appreciated; ii) neutralizing autoantibodies to type I interferons (IFNs) could provide protection against type 1 diabetes in these patients (Meyer et al., 2016). We attempted to replicate these new findings using a similar experimental approach in an independent patient cohort, and found no evidence for either conclusion.
Electrostatic lateral interactions drive ESCRT-III heteropolymer assembly
Authors: Banjade Sudeep , Tang Shaogeng , Shah Yousuf H , Emr Scott D
Published: June 2019

Self-assembly of ESCRT-III complex is a critical step in all ESCRT-dependent events. ESCRT-III hetero-polymers adopt variable architectures, but the mechanisms of inter-subunit recognition in these hetero-polymers to create flexible architectures remain unclear. We demonstrate in vivo and in vitro that the Saccharomyces cerevisiae ESCRT-III subunit Snf7 uses a conserved acidic helix to recruit its partner Vps24. Charge-inversion mutations in this helix inhibit Snf7-Vps24 lateral interactions in the polymer, while rebalancing the charges rescues the functional defects. These data suggest that Snf7-Vps24 assembly occurs through electrostatic interactions on one surface, rather than through residue-to-residue specificity. We propose a model in which these cooperative electrostatic interactions in the polymer propagate to allow for specific inter-subunit recognition, while sliding of laterally interacting polymers enable changes in architecture at distinct stages of vesicle biogenesis. Our data suggest a mechanism by which interaction specificity and polymer flexibility can be coupled in membrane-remodeling heteropolymeric assemblies.
Nutritional condition and physiological stress levels of elk in the Black Hills, South Dakota
Authors: Lehman Chadwick P. , Rota Christopher T. , Millspaugh Joshua J.
Published: June 2019

Percent of body fat and physiological stress are important correlates to wildlife demographics. We studied winter percent of body fat and physiological stress levels for a declining elk (Cervus canadensis nelsoni) population in South Dakota, 2011–2013. We obtained percent of winter body fat, pregnancy status, lactation status, and physiological stress data from 58 adult females (2+ years old). We compared physiological stress level data from 2011 with data collected from this same herd when elk densities were much higher (1995–1997). Our objectives were to determine percent of body fat during winter, examine if winter body fat was correlated with pregnancy and lactation status, and quantify and compare physiological stress hormone values from elk in the mid-1990s. Probability of being pregnant increased with higher winter nutritional condition, or percent of body fat; whereas females with a higher probability of previously lactating were lower in winter body fat. Mean fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) levels in 2011 (mean = 47.78 ng/g, SE = 2.37) were higher during summer compared to data collected in 1995–1997 (mean = 34.21 ng/g, SE = 3.71); however, mean FGM levels during winter did not differ between the two time periods. Although summer levels of FGM have significantly increased since the mid-1990s, we caution against any interpretation of increased FGM levels on elk fitness, as it may not infer biological significance. Mean winter percent of body fat of elk was lower when compared to other populations in the west but this difference does not appear to be limiting vital rates and population growth for this elk herd. We recommend future research focus on summer/autumn data collection to provide a more comprehensive understanding of percent of body fat for elk in our region.
Principal Component Analysis in Biometric, Pulp Quality and Anatomical Properties of Thronless Bamboo (Bambusa balcooa)
Authors: Krishnakumar N. , Kanna S. Umesh , Parthiban K. T.
Published: June 2019

Aims: To estimate the impact, connection and association among the biometric attributes, pulping qualities and anatomical characters in Bambusa balcooa.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted across the agro climatic regions viz., North Eastern Zone, Northern Zone, Western Zone, Cauvery Delta Zone and Southern Zone of Tamil Nadu, India during 2017-2018.

Methodology: The Principal Components Analysis (PCA) was examined to establish the numbers of clusters using Statistical Package for Social Studies (SPSS) version 16.0.1 software in order to identify the patterns of variation (PCA). The principal component analysis was computed using the equation PCA = Σa jXj.

Results: The PCA separated into three cluster principal components among the nineteen parameters studied. Out of nineteen principal components generated, twelve principal components had contributed positively on pulp yield. Among these twelve traits, maximum contribution to the pulp yield was observed by the traits viz., numbers of culms, hollocellulose, kappa number, tear index, burst index, fibre wall thickness and vessel diameter with respect to Bambusa balcooa.

Conclusion: The results showed some relationships between the biometric attributes, pulping qualities and anatomical characters in Bambusa balcooa. PCA was shown to be a useful tool for assessing the impact and connection for further research.
Numerical Solution to One-dimensional Consolidation by the Finite Element Method
Authors: Nwankwo E. , Aluko O. D. , Iyeke S. , Aladenika A.
Published: June 2019

Adequate prediction of structures settlement is of utmost importance in order to prevent future failure of civil engineering structures due to excessive settlement resulting from an inadequate settlement prediction. In this paper, laboratory consolidation test was performed on five different clay samples from different locations to determine the soil consolidation in terms of pore water pressure. A formulation of Finite Element (FE) method was also developed for solving one-dimensional consolidation problem and its validity checked out. The one-dimensional consolidation differential equation was solved using finite element analysis by Rayleigh-Ritz method to obtain an approximate solution and ten elements were used to discretize the domain. MATLAB program was used to write the finite element codes. Considering the graphs generated from the MATLAB program which compares the consolidation behavior of the soil sample from analytical and numerical point of view, it is seen that there is a good agreement between Terzaghi’s exact solution to consolidation behavior of soils and numerical solution using the finite element method.
Toxicity Aqueous Extract of Castor Bean (Ricinus communis) to Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae)
Authors: Holtz Anderson Mathias , Carvalho José Romário De , Gomes Mylena da Silva , Neto Vergilio Borghi , Piffer Ana Beatriz Mamedes , Aguiar Ronilda Lana
Published: June 2019

The objective of this study was to evaluate the insecticidal effect of aqueous extract of castor bean (Ricinus communis) cake for the control of Maconellicoccus hirsutus. The toxicity tests were performed in the laboratory. Subsequently lethal concentrations 50 and 90% (LC50and LC90, respectively) were estimated. Tween80® + distilled water was used as surfactants and solvent respectively. The assay was performed in petri dishes containing a Coffea canephora leaf disc. The spraying was carried out in Torre de Potter spray tower. The extract was toxic to mealybug and the mortality data was adapted to the probit model. Estimates of LC50 and LC90 were 5.32% and 29.30%, respectively. It was concluded that the aqueous extract of R. communis cake is promising for the management of M. hirsutus.
Herding Behaviour in Investment Decision Making: A Review
Authors: Dewan Palak , Dharni Khushdeep
Published: June 2019

Herding denotes how individuals act together in a group without any centralized direction. Herding is widely studied as it drives asset prices away from the fundamental value and there are concerns it leads to volatility, destabilizes the market and increases the fragility of the financial market. In this paper, a concise review of the literature of herding is provided.  Various types of herding, its significance and occurrences along with the determinants are discussed. Various approaches used for measuring herding have been reviewed.  The relationship of herding along with other variables such as market conditions, volatility, and liquidity is reviewed and studied. For the purpose of drafting the review paper, 79 papers for over three decades have been consulted.  Further, future research directions are included for the benefit of the academicians, researchers and policymakers.
Determination of Energy and Exergy of Syngas Produced from Air-steam Gasification of Wheat Straw in a Dual Distributer Fluidized Bed Gasifier
Authors: Zhang Yaning , Ghaly Abdel , Sadaka Samy S. , Li Bingxi
Published: June 2019

The energy and exergy of syngas produced from air-steam gasification of wheat straw in a dual-distributor fluidized bed gasifier under different operating conditions were evaluated. Three fluidization velocities (0.35, 0.40 and 0.45 m/s), 3 steam flow rates (0.20, 0.25 and 0.30 kg/min) and 3 biomass: steam ratios (3.00, 4.00 and 5.00 kg/kg) were investigated. The energy values of CO, H2, N2, CO2, CH4, C2H4 and C2H6 varied within the ranges of 1627.09-4646.60, 1543.30-2896.11, 274.75-1742.86, 82.03-574.24, 3225.39-4931.40, 1493.35-3777.44 and 892.74-2319.72 kJ/kg fuel, respectively. The overall energy distribution was (CH4 & CO & C2H4 & H2)>C2H6>(N2 & CO2). The results showed that when the fluidization velocity (FV) was increased from 0.35 m/s to 0.45 m/s (28.57%), the total energy of syngas increased by 1.16-28.59% depending on the steam flow rate (SFR} and biomass: steam ratio (B:S) used. Increasing the SFR from 0.20 kg/min to 0.30 kg/min (50.00%) decreased the total energy of syngas by 27.23-62.35% depending on the FV and B:S used. Increasing the B:S from 3.00 kg/kg to 5.00 kg/kg (66.67%) decreased the total energy of syngas by 11.86-37.33% depending on the FV and SFR used. The exergy values of CO, H2, N2, CO2, CH4, C2H4 and C2H6 were in the ranges of 1486.70-4224.40, 1183.82-2209.00, 60.26-677.26, 54.02-452.97, 2913.74-4448.38, 1404.76-3541.76 and 833.00-2156.42 kJ/kg fuel, respectively. The overall exergy distribution was (CH4 & CO)>(C2H4 & H2 & C2H6)>(N2 &CO2). When the FV was increased from 0.35 to 0.45 m/s(28.57%), the total exergy of syngas increased by 1.45-26.93% depending on the SFR and B:S used. Increasing the SFR from 0.20 kg/min to 0.30 kg/min (50.00%) decreased the total exergy of syngas by 26.78-63.26% depending on the FV and B:S used. Increasing the B:S from 3.00 kg/kg to 5.00 kg/kg (66.67%) decreased the total exergy of syngas by 10.32-36.07% depending on the FV and SFR used. The effect of SFR on the total energy and total exergy of syngas was the highest, followed by B:S and FV. The highest energy (20004.54 kJ/kg fuel) and exergy (16886.06 kJ/kg fuel) of syngas were obtained at the FV of 0.45 m/s, the SFR of 0.20 kg/min and the B:S of 3.00 kg/kg.
Changes in Adiposity and Dietary Intake during Nowruz Holiday in University Students
Authors: Gholampour Zahra , Zarifian Ahmadreza , Ansari Samaneh , Amini Aminreza , Norouzy Abdolreza , Nematy Mohsen
Published: June 2019

Aims: This study aimed to assess possible alterations in adiposity and dietary intake during holiday periods in healthy subjects.

Study Design: 452 students of medicine faculty of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences were participated in this study and announced via internet and campus announcement in Feb 2014.

Methodology: Anthropometric parameters and body composition were measured using standard protocols. Individual nutritional intakes were assessed using the Dietplan6 software. SPSS software version 11.5 was used for statistical analysis. 

Results: Of the 452 students who attended the pre-holiday visit, 433 returned for the post-holiday appointments. Of these participants, 82 (18.1%) were men. The mean age was 24.4 years for men and 23.8 years for women (p=0.171). All the adiposity and body composition variables significantly changed over the follow-up except for fat free mass (p=0.074) and truck fat free mass (p=0.935). Mean weight of participants increased from 63.5 kg to 63.9 kg at the end of holiday (absolute change 0.37 kg, p<0.001). Total energy intake increased by 16.4%, carbohydrate by 15.9% and total fat by 25.4%, and significant association were observed between changes in some dietary variables and change in adiposity during follow-up (15 days).

Conclusion: In conclusion, holidays like Nowruz play a significant role in periodical weight gain and obesity in the college students of Mashhad University. Moreover we have found that dietary intake of carbohydrate and total fat increased through Nowruz holiday.  Understanding times when people are more likely to gain weight including holidays is important for the development of prevention strategies.
Influence of IT Application to Organizational Performance mediated by warehouse management and customer relationship management
Authors: Santoso Olivia Gisena , Siagian Hotlan
Published: June 2019

In this thesis discuss about the affect of Information Technology Application to Organizational Performance through Warehouse Management and Customer Relationship Management on company. In this study using primary data with a population of 109 companies and 52 samples of companies using data collection methods, namely 5 points Likert scale in the form of questionnaires distributed in companies that are groups on third party logistic companies in Surabaya and Sidoarjo. This study uses Structural Equation Modeling analysis techniques, also called path modeling with SmartPLS tools. The questionnaire collected was 53 questionnaires. The result showed that the affect of Information Technology Application on Organizational Performance were positive and significant. In addition, the results also showed that the affect of Information Technology Application on Warehouse Management were positive and significant, the result showed that the affect of Information Technology Application on Customer Relationship Management were positive and significant, the result also showed that the affect of Warehouse Management on Organizational Performance were positive and significant, and the result showed that the affect of Customer Relationship Management on Organizational Performance were positif and significant in 3PL companies in Surabaya and Sidoarjo
The Impact of Dipolar Layers on the Electronic Properties of Organic/Inorganic Hybrid Interfaces
Authors: Zojer Egbert , Taucher Thomas C. , Hofmann Oliver T.
Published: June 2019

The presence of dipolar layers determines the functionality of most technologically relevant interfaces. The present contribution reviews how periodic dipole assemblies modify the properties of such interfaces through so‐called collective electrostatic effects. They impact the ionization energies and electron affinities of thin films, change the work function of metallic and semiconducting substrates, and determine the alignment of electronic states at interfaces. Dipolar layers originate either from the assembly of polar molecules or they arise from interfacial charge rearrangements triggered by the deposition of an adsorbate layer. Such charge rearrangements result from the omnipresent Pauli pushback caused by exchange interaction, from covalent bonds, or from charge transfer following the deposition of particularly electron rich (donors) or electron poor molecules (acceptors). A peculiarity of charge‐transfer interfaces is that they enter the realm of Fermi‐level pinning, where the sample work function becomes independent of the substrate and is solely determined by the electronic properties of the adsorbate. Beyond changing work functions and injection barriers, the presence of polar layers also modifies various other physical observables, like core‐level binding energies or tunneling currents in monolayer junctions. All these aspects suggest that polar layers can also be exploited for electrostatically designing the electronic properties of materials.
Capillary Encapsulation of Metallic Potassium in Aligned Carbon Nanotubes for Use as Stable Potassium Metal Anodes
Authors: Qin Lei , Lei Yu , Wang Huwei , Dong Jiahui , Wu Yiying , Zhai Dengyun , Kang Feiyu , Tao Ying , Yang Quan‐Hong
Published: June 2019

Metallic potassium (K) is a desirable anode for potassium secondary batteries due to its low electrode potential in nonaqueous electrolytes and high theoretical capacity. Nevertheless, instability caused by dendritic growth, large volume changes, and parasitic side reactions hamper its practical application. Here, an anode containing metallic K is fabricated by infiltrating an aligned carbon nanotube membrane (ACM) with molten K because of its good wettability to molten K due to the strong capillary forces. The K metal is spatially distributed on the 3D ACM framework, which offers sufficient electrode/electrolyte contact for charge transfer. The robust ACM host provides a large number of K nucleation sites and physically confines the K deposited there, thus mitigating dimensional changes during cycling. The pathways for electrons and ions in the anode are associated to form a mixed conducting network, which is beneficial for the electrochemical redox. Consequently, the anode shows stable plating/stripping profiles with low polarization in symmetric cells using conventional carbonate‐based electrolytes. In addition, dendrite growth is suppressed, and the anode demonstrates excellent suitability when paired with a Prussian blue cathode in a full cell. This design strategy is expected to provide a way to address the problems with using metallic K anodes.
Slug flow characterization in horizontal annulus
Authors: Eyo Edem N. , Lao Liyun
Published: June 2019

To characterize slug flows in annuli channels and highlight the effect of the eccentricity on the flow behaviors, experiments were conducted in two horizontal annuli setups (a) concentric and (b) fully eccentric using air and water as the testing fluids. The range of air and water superficial velocities investigated were 0.45–3.49 m/s and 0.15–2.77 m/s, respectively. Slug parameters measured using conductance probes designed for this study include slug length, translational velocity, slug frequency, and slug holdup. It is found that the slug translational velocity is unaffected by the annulus eccentricity; however, parameters including slug frequency, slug holdup, and slug lengths have a higher value in the fully eccentric annulus when compared with the concentric one. We introduced a new definition of hydraulic diameter, which reconciles the correlation between the dimensionless mean slug length and the mixture velocity of the horizontal annuli with different setups.
Batch‐centric model for scheduling straight multisource pipelines
Authors: Liao Qi , Castro Pedro M. , Liang Yongtu , Zhang Haoran
Published: June 2019

This article develops a highly efficient batch‐centric model for the detailed scheduling of straight multiple‐source pipelines. The continuous‐time model permits multiple batches to be injected/delivered over a slot, thus enabling finding better schedules for a given number of event points in the grid. It can consider either global or line batch numbering. In the former, one predefines empty batches to allow injection of new products at intermediate sources. Empty batches are avoided with line numbering at the expense of specifying a number of batches for every line in the system, instead of using a global value. Three benchmark problems from the literature are solved to evaluate the performance of the proposed formulation. Compared to our recent work, new best solutions are reported in two cases, while for the third, the computational time has been reduced by two orders of magnitude. The results also show that global batch numbering is better.
Parietal lobe variation in cercopithecid endocasts
Authors: Pereira‐Pedro Ana Sofia , Beaudet Amélie , Bruner Emiliano
Published: June 2019

In extant primates, the posterior parietal cortex is involved in visuospatial integration, attention, and eye‐hand coordination, which are crucial functions for foraging and feeding behaviors. Paleoneurology studies brain evolution through the analysis of endocasts, that is molds of the inner surface of the braincase. These may preserve imprints of cortical structures, such as sulci, which might be of interest for locating the boundaries of major cortical regions. Old World monkeys (Cercopithecidae) represent an interesting zoological group for evolutionary studies, because of their diverse ecologies and locomotor behaviors. In this study, we quantify parietal lobe variation within the cercopithecid family, in a sample of 30 endocasts including 11 genera and 17 species, by combining landmark‐based and landmark‐free geometric morphometric analyses. More specifically, we quantitatively assess variation of the parietal proportions based on landmarks placed on reliable anatomical references and of parietal lobe surface morphology through deformation‐based methods. The main feature associated with the cercopithecid endocranial variation regards the inverse proportions of parietal and occipital lobes, with colobines, Theropithecus, and Papio displaying relatively larger parietal lobes and smaller occipital lobes compared with cercopithecins. The parietal surface is anteroposteriorly longer and mediolaterally flatter in colobines, while longitudinally shorter but laterally bulging in baboons. Large parietal lobes in colobines and baboons are likely to be independent evolutionary traits, and not necessarily associated with analogous functions or morphogenetic mechanisms.