bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sun photometer retrievals of Saharan dust properties over Barbados during SALTRACE
Authors: Toledano Carlos , Torres Benjamín , Velasco-Merino Cristian , Althausen Dietrich , Groß Silke , Wiegner Matthias , Weinzierl Bernadett , Gasteiger Josef , Ansmann Albert , González Ramiro , Mateos David , Farrel David , Müller Thomas , Haarig Moritz , Cachorro Victoria E.
Published: December 2019

Abstract. The Saharan Aerosol Long-Range Transport and Aerosol–Cloud-Interaction Experiment (SALTRACE) was devoted to the investigation of Saharan dust properties over the Caribbean. The campaign took place in June–July 2013. A wide set of ground-based and airborne aerosol instrumentation was deployed at the island of Barbados for a comprehensive experiment. Several sun photometers performed measurements during this campaign: two AERONET (Aerosol Robotic Network) Cimel sun photometers and the Sun and Sky Automatic Radiometer (SSARA). The sun photometers were co-located with the ground-based multi-wavelength lidars BERTHA (Backscatter Extinction lidar Ratio Temperature Humidity profiling Apparatus) and POLIS (Portable Lidar System). Aerosol properties derived from direct sun and sky radiance observations are analyzed, and a comparison with the co-located lidar and in situ data is provided. The time series of aerosol optical depth (AOD) allows identifying successive dust events with short periods in between in which the marine background conditions were observed. The moderate aerosol optical depth in the range of 0.3 to 0.6 was found during the dust periods. The sun photometer infrared channel at the 1640 nm wavelength was used in the retrieval to investigate possible improvements to aerosol size retrievals, and it was expected to have a larger sensitivity to coarse particles. The comparison between column (aerosol optical depth) and surface (dust concentration) data demonstrates the connection between the Saharan Air Layer and the boundary layer in the Caribbean region, as is shown by the synchronized detection of the successive dust events in both datasets. However the differences of size distributions derived from sun photometer data and in situ observations reveal the difficulties in carrying out a column closure study.
Extratropical cyclones over the North Atlantic and Western Europe during the Last Glacial Maximum and implications for proxy interpretation
Authors: Pinto Joaquim G. , Ludwig Patrick
Published: December 2019

Abstract. Extratropical cyclones are a dominant feature of the mid-latitudes, as their passage is associated with strong winds, precipitation, and temperature changes. The statistics and characteristics of extratropical cyclones over the North Atlantic region exhibit some fundamental differences between present day (PI) and Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) climate conditions. Here, the statistics are analysed based on results of a tracking algorithm applied to global PI and LGM climate simulations. During the LGM, both the number and the intensity of detected cyclones was higher compared to PI. In particular, increased cyclone track activity is detected close to the Laurentide ice sheet and over central Europe. To determine changes in cyclone characteristics, the top 30 extreme storm events for PI and LGM have been simulated with a regional climate model and high resolution (12.5 km grid spacing) over the eastern North Atlantic and Western Europe. Results show that LGM extreme cyclones were characterised by weaker precipitation, enhanced frontal temperature gradients, and stronger wind speeds than PI analogues. These results are in line with the view of a colder and drier Europe, characterised by little vegetation and affected by frequent dust storms, leading to reallocation and build-up of thick loess deposits in Europe.
Northeast Atlantic breakup volcanism and consequences for Paleogene climate change – MagellanPlus Workshop report
Authors: Berndt Christian , Planke Sverre , Teagle Damon , Huismans Ritske , Torsvik Trond , Frieling Joost , Jones Morgan T. , Jerram Dougal A. , Tegner Christian , Faleide Jan Inge , Coxall Helen , Hong Wei-Li
Published: December 2019

Abstract. The northeast Atlantic encompasses archetypal examples of
volcanic rifted margins. Twenty-five years after the last ODP (Ocean Drilling Program) leg on these
volcanic margins, the reasons for excess melting are still disputed with at
least three competing hypotheses being discussed. We are proposing a new
drilling campaign that will constrain the timing, rates of volcanism,
and vertical movements of rifted margins. This will allow us to parameterise
geodynamic models that can distinguish between the hypotheses. Furthermore,
the drilling-derived data will help us to understand the role of breakup
magmatism as a potential driver for the Palaeocene–Eocene thermal maximum
(PETM) and its influence on the oceanographic circulation in the earliest
phase of the northeast Atlantic Ocean formation. Tackling these questions
with a new drilling campaign in the northeast Atlantic region will advance
our understanding of the long-term interactions between tectonics,
volcanism, oceanography, and climate and the functioning of subpolar
northern ecosystems and climate during intervals of extreme warmth.
Bases para la fundamentación teórica de la neología y el neologismo: la memoria, la atención y la categorización
Authors: Lavale-Ortiz Ruth M.
Published: December 2019

La neología posee actualmente un importante desarrollo práctico, pero las reflexiones teóricas no han sido revisadas desde los estudios tradicionales; nuestro objetivo es aportar nuevos datos sobre su concepción teórica partiendo de la perspectiva de la Lingüística Cognitiva. Una vez establecida la vinculación entre el lenguaje y las facultades cognitivas (atención, memoria, categorización), concluimos que la categoría neológica puede estructurarse en términos de efectos prototípicos y que sus elementos se distribuyen de manera flexible en un continuo que refleja distinciones; además, se demuestra que los neologismos son entidades subjetivas y relativas, figuras automáticas que destacan sobre el fondo discursivo en el proceso atencional debido a la sorpresa que generan, y que el criterio psicológico es el método natural para reconocerlos. La reflexión teórica permite formular unos axiomas que deben considerarse en los estudios neológicos y dividir el proceso de comprensión de cualquier neologismo en tres etapas: reconocimiento, interpretación y comprobación.
What social media platforms can learn from audience measurement: Lessons in the self-regulation of “black boxes”
Authors: Napoli Philip M. , Napoli Anne B.
Published: December 2019

The widespread concerns about the misuses and negative effects of social media platforms have prompted a range of governance responses, including preliminary efforts toward self-regulatory models. Building upon these initiatives, this paper looks to the self-regulation of the audience measurement industry as a possible template for the self-regulation of social media. This article explores the parallels between audience measurement systems and social media platforms; reviews the self-regulatory apparatus in place for the audience measurement industry; and, considers the lessons that the self-regulation of audience measurement might offer to the design and implementation of self-regulatory approaches to social media.
Antecedents and consequences of binge-watching for college students
Authors: Gangadharbatla Harsha , Ackerman Colin , Bamford Arthur
Published: December 2019

Binge watching is a popular practice among college students. While there has been an increased interest in better understanding the phenomenon of binge watching, there has not been an effort to model the antecedents and consequences of binge watching for college students. The current study adopts a mixed method (focus group and survey) approach to propose a model for antecedents and consequences of binge watching and test the hypotheses that link the various constructs in the model. Policy, practical, and theoretical implications are drawn.
The Slaying of His Da and Other Recurrent Problems in Shavian Biography
Authors: Gibbs A. M.
Published: December 2019

Shaw was self-admittedly an unreliable reporter in his autobiographical writings, and this is particularly true of his accounts of his immediate family. Too much credence has been given to these accounts by his biographers, and too little attention has been paid to evidence that calls them into question. Shaw himself is the sole source of negative views of his parents that have not only been unfair to them but also been deployed in weakly based theorizing and assertions about Shaw's psychological state and development in his early years. This article presents evidence that raises serious doubts about the frequently repeated negative views of Shaw's parents, and questions the idea that Shaw was beset by loneliness in his childhood and young manhood, with attendant psychological problems.
Carbapenemase en Pseudomonas aeruginosa en los hospitales de Managua Nicaragua.
Authors: Arbizú Medina Oscar , García Rosales Kenia , Castillo Gómez Benjamín , Mejía Álvares Arelys , Salinas Abraham
Published: December 2019

El presente estudio se planteó con el propósito de conocer la frecuencia de Pseudomonas aeruginosa metalo-β-lactamasas y patrón de resistencia en pacientes hospitalizados. Para ello se realizó un estudio transversal en el periodo julio 2016, enero del 2017. Las cepas se obtuvieron de los diferentes procesos infecciosos de los pacientes hospitalizados, dichas cepas fueron conservadas en caldo leche en los hospitales hasta su posterior análisis, las cepas fueron reactivadas en agar MacConkey, se realizó un tamizaje por el método de Kirby Bauer, se tomó el valor de corte, cuando Imipenem y Meropenem estuvo ≤21mm, se determinó el test de sinergia, utilizando los carbapenémicos y sus inhibidores, ácido etilendiaminotetraacético (10ᶙg) y ácido fenil borónico (10ᶙg), el perfil de resistencia se realizó mediante vitek2 Compact, también se determinó la concentración mínima inhibitoria para Imipenem 2-4 µg/mL y para Ertapenem 2 µg/mL,  la genotipificación se determinó mediante  la Reacción en cadena de la Polimerasa y el peso molecular se determinó por electroforesis.

El universo estuvo comprendido por 288 cepas de estas 22 fueron Pseudomonas aeruginosa, que corresponde al 7.6%, las cepas analizadas presentaron multirresistencia a los diversos antibióticos analizados, solo 7 (32%), presentó resistencia a Tigeciclina y ninguna de las cepas presento resistencia a Colistina, los genes con mayor frecuencia fue VIM, para un 68%, el tipo de muestra con mayor frecuencia, donde se aisló Pseudomonas, fue muestras traqueal, 7 (32%), seguido de secreción 5(23%), Hemocultivo 1(4%),  punta de catéter 4(18%), y las salas con mayor frecuencia donde estaban presente estos microorganismo,  fue UCI pediátrico con el 91%. 

Como resultado del estudio se concluye que la prevalencia de Pseudomonas aeruginosa, productoras de carbapenemasas, en hospitales de Nicaragua, es  baja, pero debe ser de preocupación para autoridades hospitalarias, debido que las cepas contienen diversos tipos de genes combinados como; VIM y GIM, VIM y SPM, que pueden desencadenar  brotes epidémicos, la frecuencia con la que aparece nueva cepas resistente a los carbapenémicos es evidente,  esta evidencia conlleva a la búsquedas  de estrategias, para evitar la dispersión de cepas multiresistentes en diferentes unidades de salud en el momento del traslado de un paciente portador a otra unidad hospitalaria
Squeezing of the Super-Elastic Double-Helix Photon in the Gravitational Field (Hidden in Very-Well Known Old Formulae). Pound - Rebka - Snider Effect Studied by the Advanced LIGO Instrument, Pioneer Anomaly and CMB (Cosmic Microwave Background) (23.11.201
Authors: Stavek Jiri
Published: December 2019

In our approach we have combined knowledge of Old Masters (working in this field before the year 1905), New Masters (working in this field after the year 1905) and Dissidents under the guidance of Louis de Broglie and David Bohm. Based on the great experimental work of Robert Pound, Glen A. Rebka and J.L. Snider we have proposed a squeezing of the super-elastic double-helix photon in the gravitational field. We have newly defined the squeeze rate of that photon particle on the helical path. We have inserted this squeeze rate into the very-well old formulae of Newton, Soldner, Gerber and Einstein and might glimpse traces of the quantum gravity. The squeeze rate of photons can be studied in details using the Great instrument - the Advanced LIGO - located on the surface of the Earth (USA, Italy, Japan). The observed strains on the level 5*10-19 should be caused by the gravitational field of our Earth. The observed strains on the level 5*10-22 should be caused by the gravitational fields of the Moon and the Sun. We estimate that the experimental value of the gravitational constant G studied by the LIGO instrument can achieve the accuracy to the level of ppb (parts per billion) after the removal of those strains from the measured signal and the removal of the gravitational influences of the Earth, the Moon, the Sun, Venus and Jupiter. To study the squeeze effect on a bigger scale we propose to analyze the Pioneer anomaly where Pioneer´s photons have been flying around the planets in our Solar system causing the squeeze effect - the anomalous blueshift. Similarly, we can study cosmic microwave photons flying around the objects in our Solar system that might create “the axis of evil” - temperature fluctuations in the CMB map (Wien displacement law). Can we prepare in our Solar system “tired” light by frequent blueshift - redshift transitions? Can it be that Nature cleverly inserted the squeeze rate into our very-well known Old Formulae? We want to pass this concept into the hands of Readers of this Journal better educated in the Mathematics and Physics.
Africa’s Urban Waste Management and Sanitation Challenges: Are Transfer Stations the Solution?
Authors: Manteaw Bob Offei , Boachie Johannes
Published: December 2019

Africa’s urbanization processes are seen as both a challenge and an opportunity for sustainable development. While these processes unfold differently in diverse countries across the continent, it has become increasingly apparent that surge urbanization, population growth and the lack of effective planning for an efficient waste management system have brought in its wake other challenges that have significant implications for public health and sustainable development. Thus, much as urbanization has the potential to drive Africa’s growth and sustainable development agenda, current happenings in most of Africa’s cities, in particular, also signal the negative impact of rapid and unplanned urbanization on sustainable development processes. Waste and sanitation management have become an enduring urban challenge across Africa. They come with significant cost to people and governments and as the search for lasting solutions continue, Waste Transfer Stations have emerged as an efficient management technology which has been embraced and deployed in some countries. While it has received praises in some quarters as an innovative technology, there is concern that such praises have muted critical issues of pollution, odor nuisance, cultural incompatibility and public health challenges, which, for the most part, are unrecognized or underestimated. The question then becomes: are Waste Transfer Stations the solution to Africa’s urban waste and sanitation challenges?
Reforming the Operation Mechanism of Chinese Electricity System: Benefits, Challenges and Possible Solutions
Authors: Chen Hao , Chyong Chi Kong , Mi Zhifu , Wei Yi-Ming
Published: December 2019

A new wave of electricity market reform was launched by the Chinese government in March 2015, and one of its major objectives was to optimize the power system operation by reforming the low-efficient equal share dispatch mechanism.

To provide scientific decision-making support for the current reform, we establish a mixed-integer linear programming optimization model to simulate the post-reform results, and the reform benefits are subsequently estimated by comparing those results with the pre-reform results. Then, we develop a political economy framework to identify the challenges associated with implementation of economic dispatch. At last, we propose several regulatory and market measures to address these identified challenges.
Optimal Storage, Investment and Management under Uncertainty: It is Costly to Avoid Outages!
Authors: Geske Joachim , Green Richard
Published: December 2019

We show how electricity storage is operated optimally when the load net of renewable output is uncertain. We estimate a diurnal Markov-process representation of how Germany’s residual load changed from hour to hour and design a simple dynamic stochastic electricity system model with non-intermittent generation technologies and storage. We derive the optimal storage, generator output and capacity levels. If storage capacity replaces some generation capacity, the optimal storage strategy must balance arbitrage (between periods of high and low marginal cost) against precautionary storage to ensure energy is available throughout a long peak in net demand. Solving the model numerically under uncertainty (only the transition probabilities to future loads are known), we compare the results to perfect foresight findings. The latter over-estimate the cost-saving potential of energy storage by 27%, as storage can take up arbitrage opportunities that would not be chosen if there was a need for precautionary storage.
Renewable and Nonrenewable Energy Consumption, Economic Growth, and Emissions: International Evidence
Authors: Le Thai-Ha , Chang Youngho , Park Donghyun
Published: December 2019

This study aims to reexamine how energy consumption interacts with economic growth and emissions using a panel data of a global sample consisting of 102 countries, from 1996 to 2012. The effects of renewable energy and nonrenewable energy sources are separately examined. The consumption of both renewable and nonrenewable energy appears to have contributed significantly to the level of income across countries, implying that promoting renewable energy benefits economic development. The empirical evidence suggests that the use of non-renewable energy consumption significantly raised the level of emissions across different income groups of countries. On the other hand, our findings suggest that the use of renewable energy sources helped tackle emissions in developed countries but not in developing countries. The success of developed countries in controlling emissions through renewable energy has significant policy implications for developing countries.
Biomedical Applications of Biomaterials Functionalized with Magnetic Nanoparticles
Authors: Bruno Lodi Matteo , Fanti Alessandro
Published: December 2019

The combination of magnetic nanoparticles and a biocompatible material leads to the manufacturing of a multifunctional and remotely controlled platform useful for diverse biomedical issues. If a static magnetic field is applied, a magnetic scaffold behaves like an attraction platform for magnetic carriers of growth factors, thus being a potential tool to enhance magnetic drug delivery in regenerative medicine. To translate in practice this potential application, a careful and critical description of the physics and the influence parameter is required. This chapter covers the mathematical modeling of the process and assesses the problem of establishing the influence of the drug delivery system on tissue regeneration. On the other hand, if a time-varying magnetic field is applied, the magnetic nanoparticles would dissipate heat, which can be exploited to perform local hyperthermia treatment on residual cancer cells in the bone tissue. To perform the treatment planning, it is necessary to account for the modeling of the intrinsic nonlinear nature of the heat dissipation dynamic in magnetic prosthetic implants. In this work, numeric experiments to investigate the physiopathological features of the biological system, linked to the properties of the nanocomposite magnetic material, to assess its effectiveness as therapeutic agents are presented.
Relation between Vitamin K and Osteoporosis
Authors: Jaghsi Sawsan
Published: December 2019

Vitamin K is an essential fat-soluble vitamin. The role of vitamin K as a cofactor involved in blood coagulation is well demonstrated. In the past two decades, vitamin K has been receiving more attention due to its role in bone health and metabolism. Vitamin K plays a role in activation of vitamin K-dependent proteins, which are involved not only in blood coagulation but in bone metabolism and the inhibition of arterial calcification. Numerous studies have exhibited the importance of vitamin K in bone health. The bone mineral density (BMD) does not remain steady with age, particularly declining after menopause. Osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disease of reduced bone density, fragile bone, and elevated susceptibility to fracture. A greater understanding of the biological linkages between vitamin K and bone may conduce to new treatment for osteoporosis that may improve bone density and prevent the adverse outcomes of osteoporosis.
Sustainable Design in Urban Green Space
Authors: Li Ning , Liu Yang
Published: December 2019

As a fundamental part of the urban function, urban green space faced a long-term maintenance requirement. The maintenance of urban green space (i.e., trimming, irrigation, fertilization, pesticide, and plant waste removal) can have environmental impacts, such as energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission. This chapter focuses on the adjustment of the plant communities’ combinations in urban green space to reduce the environmental impacts in long-term maintenance. The plant communities in urban green spaces are a combination of four plant layers: woodland, shrubs, herbicides, and grassland. In this chapter, we will start to investigate the environmental impacts in the maintenance of urban green space. Then we introduced the quantitative method life cycle assessment (LCA), to quantify the environmental impacts of the maintenance tasks. We analyzed the maintenance environmental impact (MEI) index of 95 plant community samples (20 m × 20 m) in Zhengzhou (China) through LCA and sorted out the changing curves of the MEI index during the change of the combined amount in each plant layers. Finally, we sorted out the MEI strength of the plant layers and summarized the low MEI plant community model. The low MEI model can save energy consumption and GHG emissions of the maintenance tasks, to contribute to the sustainable development of the urban green space.
Differential Use of Strategic Constructs of the Transtheoretical Model across Accelerometer-determined Sedentary Time
Authors: Kim Heontae , Kohl III Harold W. , Pettee Gabriel Kelley K. , Han Ho
Published: December 2019

Objectives: In this study, we investigated the differences in strategic constructs of the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) across accelerometer-determined sedentary time. Methods: A total of 201 college students participated in a TTM questionnaire for sedentary behavior and
wore an accelerometer for 7 consecutive days to assess sedentary time. Multivariate analyses of variances (MANOVA) with post hoc pairwise comparisons were conducted to determine mean differences in the strategic constructs across quintiles of sedentary time. Tests for linear trends
were conducted using orthogonal polynomial coefficients. Results: Compared with participants in higher quintiles of sitting time, 8 out of 10 processes of change (eg, mostly consciousness raising [η2 p = .09]) were used significantly more frequently by those
in the lowest quintile (p < .05) with negative linear trends (ptrend < .05). We found no statistically significant differences in the constructs of self-efficacy and decisional balance across the quintiles. Conclusions: Based on this preliminary analysis it appears
that several intervention methods such as awareness raising, incentivization, self-motivation, and social norm building would be more beneficial to reduce sitting time or to protect their current sitting time from relapse.
Vers une nouvelle autobiographie: subversions et transformations du genre dans les autobiographies contemporaines françaises
Authors: Lipscomb Antonella
Published: December 2019

L’autobiographie est ce genre qui d’après Philippe Lejeune se définit comme un "récit rétrospectif en prose qu’une personne réelle fait de sa propre existence lorsqu’elle met l’accent sur sa vie individuelle, en particulier sur l’histoire de sa propre personnalité" (Lejeune, 1975: 14). Ce qui caractérise les autobiographies étudiées dans cet article est leur désir de se détacher, voire nier le genre adopté pour toutes les connotations négatives auxquelles ce genre est attaché. Accusée d’individualisme, égocentrisme, narcissisme, l’autobiographie est un genre difficile à assumer et ses valeurs d’authenticité et de sincérité difficiles à assurer. Attraction et répulsion sont les sentiments contradictoires éprouvés par les autobiographes examinés dans cet article par rapport au genre adopté. Des sentiments qui se manifestent par la résistance à toute définition, le désir de brouiller les frontières entre autobiographie, biographie, autoportrait, journal et fiction, et par un jeu fascinant de pronoms personnels dans la narration.
La prostitution dans la poésie de Guy de Maupassant: genèse d’une notion clé de l’œuvre en prose.
Authors: Benhamou Noëlle
Published: December 2019

La prostitución, ilícita o autorizada, en las calles o dentro de las casas, es un tema fundamental en la obra de Guy de Maupassant. Se convierte en un verdadero hilo conductor, atravesando todos los géneros que el autor aborda: cuentos, novelas, obras de teatro, relatos de viaje, correspondencia, crónicas periodísticas e incluso poesía. Precisamente en este último género, poco estudiado, pretendemos estudiar los diferentes aspectos de la prostitución. A través de un corpus de poemas de juventud recopilados en Des vers (1880) -“Une Conquête”, “Au bord de l’eau”, “Propos des rues”, “Vénus rustique” – pero también en poemas pornográficos – “La Femme à barbe”, “69”- analizaremos el origen de esta noción clave para comprender la poética de Maupassant. Comprobaremos cómo todas las formas de prostitución y la mayoría de prostitutas de su obra en prosa posterior se encuentran en germen en sus poemas.

Prostitution, whether in the streets or in brothels, whether illegal or official, is a basic theme in Guy de Maupassant’s work. As an absolute governing principle, it appears not only in all his prose –short stories, novels, plays, travel narratives, letters, chronicles– but also in his poetry. Unfortunately, critics have largely neglected that aspect of the latter, so we propose here to study the different faces of prostitution in Maupassant’s early poetic works. In a collection of poems he wrote when young and published in Des vers (1880) –“Une Conquête”, “Au bord de l’eau”, “Propos des rues”, “Vénus rustique”– but also in his pornographic poems –“La Femme à barbe”, “69”– we will analyze the genesis of this theme as a key to understanding Maupassant’s poetics. We will see that all kinds of prostitution and most of the prostitutes in his future prose were already there in embryonic form in his early poetry.

La prostitución, ilícita o autorizada, en las calles o dentro de las casas, es un tema fundamental en la obra de Guy de Maupassant. Se convierte en un verdadero hilo conductor, atravesando todos los géneros que el autor aborda: cuentos, novelas, obras de teatro, relatos de viaje, correspondencia, crónicas periodísticas e incluso poesía. Precisamente en este último género, poco estudiado, pretendemos estudiar los diferentes aspectos de la prostitución. A través de un corpus de poemas de juventud recopilados en Des vers (1880) -“Une Conquête”, “Au bord de l’eau”, “Propos des rues”, “Vénus rustique” – pero también en poemas pornográficos – “La Femme à barbe”, “69”- analizaremos el origen de esta noción clave para comprender la poética de Maupassant. Comprobaremos cómo todas las formas de prostitución y la mayoría de prostitutas de su obra en prosa posterior se encuentran en germen en sus poemas.
Reseña del libro “Neurociencia del Aprendizaje. La construcción del cerebro por la experiencia” de José María Martínez Selva
Authors: Martínez Selva José María
Published: December 2019

Este volumen de National Geographic describe cómo se producen los cambios cerebrales que codifican y preservan los recuerdos. Estas características del aprendizaje y la memoria se basan en las propiedades de las neuronas y de las conexiones que se establecen entre ellas. Cuando aprendemos algo se ha producido una alteración en las conexiones entre las neuronas y en los circuitos o redes que configuran entre sí. La experiencia y el aprendizaje codifican y puede decirse también que, en buena medida, construyen o configuran el cerebro. En casos muy estudiados, experiencias diferentes llevan a regiones cerebrales con estructuras y funciones diferentes.
The Potential for Community and Complementary Currencies (CCs) to Enhance Human Aspects of Economic Exchange
Authors: Reppas Dimitrios , Muschert Glenn W.
Published: December 2019

This article explores the potential for Community and Complementary Currency (CC) use to enhance human aspects of economic exchange. As far back as Aristotle, social thinkers have expressed concern that the pursuit of profit for its own sake leads to the dehumanization of those participating in economic relations, a concern which was echoed in the work of foundational thinkers in the modern Social Sciences, for example Karl Marx and Max Weber. This article probes the scope of CC use to alleviate such dehumanization, situated within this broader social context of contemporary global Capitalism. Beginning with a review of the types of CCs, this paper considers the objectives and goals of CCs worldwide. Indeed, there is room for optimism that CCs may ease negative aspects of traditional financial exchange by serving those on the fringes of and/or excluded from formal economies, and without necessarily competing with public or private traditional banking institutions. The paper concludes with reflections on the key aspects of CCs aiding their successful implementation and sustainable use. Although this paper is conceptual in nature, it offers a meta-analysis from many case studies of CCs, and suggests that CCs can be an effective tool for lessening some of the harmful impacts of the dominant economic relations found in today’s globalized world.
Authenticity on the silver screen
Authors: Mårdh Hedvig
Published: December 2019

The three silent films 'Gustaf III och Bellman' (1908), 'En afton hos Gustaf III på Stockholms slott' and 'Två konungar' (1925) are illuminating examples of how the Gustavian period was reinvented, negotiated and visualized at the beginning of the twentieth century. In the article, object-based and visual analysis of the films, together with reception studies, are used to explore the production of period film and the strategies film directors developed in order to mediate a feeling of authenticity on screen. These strategies, based on a performative approach to authenticity, shared a number of similarities with professional art-historical practice at the turn of the twentieth century. The three case studies reveal not only how the Gustavian period was staged, but also the overlapping professional structures where filmmakers relied on specialists in the organization of material things, for example museum curators and art historians. Through their authority as experts they were able to help authenticate film productions and facilitate access for the film crew to historic sites. Likewise, the production of period films helped shape public history and influenced the management of heritage sites and museums, initiating reconstruction projects, for example.
Blickar och betydelser
Authors: Eriksson Johan , Bachelder Steven , Hayashi Masaki , Widén Per
Published: December 2019

During the years 1795–1866 the Swedish national art collection, today’s Nationalmuseum, was on display at the Royal Palace in Stockholm at what was known as Kongl. Museum. This museum consisted of two sculpture galleries adjacent to the palace garden Logården and a paintings gallery and a few more rooms on the second floor. While the sculpture galleries are well known as well as reconstructed in situ, there has been much less research on the display of paintings at the museum. In the cross disciplinary research project »Virtual Museum at the Royal Palace» we are using a digital 3D model to reconstruct the display of paintings in the so-called smaller gallery of the palace, as it was displayed during the period. The reconstruction deals with two different hangings of the gallery, in 1795 and c. 1843, made by the curators Carl Fredric Fredenheim and Lars Jacob von Röök respectively. Our preliminary findings show that, contrary to earlier claims, the two hangings are rather different and constructed on quite different ideologies of museum display, something that is possible to see thanks to the method of using digital 3D-models as a basis for analysis.
From country house to penthouse
Authors: Edman Victor
Published: December 2019

In 2011 a new museum opened in Stockholm – Sven-Harry’s Art Museum – named after its initiator and funder, the building contractor Sven-Harry Karlsson. Besides a gallery for temporary exhibitions, the museum includes a permanent collection of art and applied art installed in a penthouse on top of the building. The installation is conceived as a full-scale replica of Karlsson’s former home in an eighteenth-century manor house. This article focuses on the reconstructed home and aims at situating it within a tradition of full-scale displays of architectural interiors – so-called period rooms – in Swedish cultural history museums. Since the start of the twentieth century, eighteenth-century architecture has had a central position in the Swedish cultural heritage. Sven-Harry’s replicated home, a small manor of the rococo era, fits perfectly into the national canon, which for a long time focused on the homes of the elites to illustrate development within the arts. Even though the recreated milieu in Sven-Harry’s museum depends on traditional museum practice, it is also typical of contemporary innovations. In the last few decades, even prestigious cultural history museums have utilized the periodroom format in unconventional ways, and the bold reconstruction of Sven-Harry’s home is clearly a representative of this trend.
Folding simulation of small proteins by dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) with non-empirical interaction parameters based on fragment molecular orbital calculations
Authors: Okuwaki Koji , Doi Hideo , Fukuzawa Kaori , Mochizuki Yuji
Published: December 2019

Recently, we have developed a new simulation scheme with dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) based on non-empirical interaction parameters derived from a series of fragment molecular orbital (FMO) calculations. This approach (FMO–DPD) was applied to folding simulations of Chignolin and Superchignolin mini-proteins. Their characteristic hairpin structure was obtained from an elongated form within short computation time. Essential residue-residue interactions such as hydrogen bonding and CH/π were observed at the final form. FMO–DPD should have a potential applicability to nano-bio systems involving proteins.
Where is the humour in tourism promotion? An investigation of the “Spain Marks” campaign
Authors: Porres-Guerrero Miriam , Foronda-Robles Concepción
Published: December 2019

This paper discusses humour and tourism, with a focus on “Spain Marks”, an international campaign used to promote Spain as a tourism destination. The importance of this relationship suggests that the use of humour in marketing works as an engagement and loyalty strategy, as well to portray the uniqueness of a destination. The “Spain Marks” campaign was innovative in its use of humour because it offered a fresh and a contemporary image of Spain as a tourism destination. This campaign has been specially selected for its exceptional ironic character. The study aims to understand the humour appreciation of this specific advertisement using an online survey that was completed by 40 participants. The results indicate that the use of humour is a difficult task because what is perceived as fun, attractive and ironic in any tourism campaign is highly subjective.
Spectrometric and computational studies of the binding of HIV-1 integrase inhibitors to viral DNA extremities
Authors: El Khoury Léa , El Hage Krystel , Piquemal Jean-Philip , Fermandjian Serge , Maroun Richard G. , Gresh Nohad , Hobaika Zeina
Published: December 2019

Three integrase strand transfer inhibitors are in intensive clinical use, raltegravir (RAL), elvitegravir (EVG) and dolutegravir (DTG). The onset of integrase resistance mutations limits their therapeutic efficiency. As put forth earlier, the drug affinity for the intasome could be improved by targeting preferentially the retroviral nucleobases, which are little, if at all, mutation-prone. We report experimental results of anisotropy fluorescence titrations of viral DNA by these three drugs. These show the DTG > EVG > RAL ranking of their inhibitory activities of the intasome to correspond to that of their free energies of binding, ∆Gs, to retroviral DNA, and that such a ranking is only governed by the binding enthalpies, ∆H, the entropy undergoing marginal variations. We sought whether this ranking might be reproduced through quantum chemistry (QC) Density Functional Theory calculations of intermolecular interaction energies between simplified models consisting of sole halobenzene ring and the highly conserved retroviral nucleobases G4 and C16. These calculations showed that binding of EVG has a small preference over DTG, while RAL ranked third. This indicates that additional interactions of the diketoacid parts of the drugs with DNA could be necessary to further enable preferential binding of DTG. The corresponding ∆Etotvalues computed with a polarizable molecular mechanics/dynamics procedure, Sum of Interactions Between Fragments Ab initio computed (SIBFA), showed good correlations with this ∆E(QC) ranking. These validations are an important step toward the use of polarizable molecular dynamics simulations on DTG or EVG derivatives in their complexes with the complete intasome, an application now motivated and enabled by the advent of currently developed and improved massively parallel software.
Comparative genomic analysis of the PAL genes in five Rosaceae species and functional identification of Chinese white pear
Authors: Li Guohui , Wang Han , Cheng Xi , Su Xueqiang , Zhao Yu , Jiang Taoshan , Jin Qin , Lin Yi , Cai Yongping
Published: December 2019

Phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) plays an important role in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites regulating plant growth response. To date, the evolutionary history of the PAL family in Rosaceae plants remains unclear. In this study, we identified 16 PAL homologous genes in five Rosaceae plants (Pyrus bretschneideri, Fragaria vesca, Prunus mume, Prunus persica, and Malus × domestica). We classified these PALs into three categories based on phylogenetic analysis, and all PALs were distributed on 13 chromosomes. We tracked gene duplication events and performed sliding window analysis. These results revealed the evolution of PALs in five Rosaceae plants. We predicted the promoter of the PbPALs by PLANT CARE online software, and found that the promoter region of both PbPAL1 and PbPAL3 have at least one AC element. The results of qRT-PCR analysis found that PbPAL1 and PbPAL2 were highly expressed in the stems and roots, while expression level of PbPAL3 was relatively low in different tissues. The expression of PbPAL1 and PbPAL2 increased firstly and then decreased at different developmental periods of pear fruit. Among them, the expression of PbPAL1 reached the highest level 55 days after flowering. Three PbPALs were induced by abiotic stress to varying degrees. We transfected PbPAL1 and PbPAL2 into Arabidopsis thaliana, which resulted in an increase in lignin content and thickening of the cell walls of intervascular fibres and xylem cells. In summary, this research laid a foundation for better understanding the molecular evolution of PALs in five Rosaceae plants. Furthermore, the present study revealed the role of PbPALs in lignin synthesis, and provided basic data for regulating lignin synthesis and stone cells development in pear plants.
The impact of storage conditions on human stool 16S rRNA microbiome composition and diversity
Authors: Carruthers Lauren V. , Moses Arinaitwe , Adriko Moses , Faust Christina L. , Tukahebwa Edridah M. , Hall Lindsay J. , Ranford-Cartwright Lisa C. , Lamberton Poppy H.L.
Published: December 2019

Background

Multiple factors can influence stool sample integrity upon sample collection. Preservation of faecal samples for microbiome studies is therefore an important step, particularly in tropical regions where resources are limited and high temperatures may significantly influence microbiota profiles. Freezing is the accepted standard to preserve faecal samples however, cold chain methods are often unfeasible in fieldwork scenarios particularly in low and middle-income countries and alternatives are required. This study therefore aimed to address the impact of different preservative methods, time-to-freezing at ambient tropical temperatures, and stool heterogeneity on stool microbiome diversity and composition under real-life physical environments found in resource-limited fieldwork conditions.

Methods

Inner and outer stool samples collected from one specimen obtained from three children were stored using different storage preservation methods (raw, ethanol and RNAlater) in a Ugandan field setting. Mixed stool was also stored using these techniques and frozen at different time-to-freezing intervals post-collection from 0–32 h. Metataxonomic profiling was used to profile samples, targeting the V1–V2 regions of 16S rRNA with samples run on a MiSeq platform. Reads were trimmed, combined and aligned to the Greengenes database. Microbial diversity and composition data were generated and analysed using Quantitative Insights Into Microbial Ecology and R software.

Results

Child donor was the greatest predictor of microbiome variation between the stool samples, with all samples remaining identifiable to their child of origin despite the stool being stored under a variety of conditions. However, significant differences were observed in composition and diversity between preservation techniques, but intra-preservation technique variation was minimal for all preservation methods, and across the time-to-freezing range (0–32 h) used. Stool heterogeneity yielded no apparent microbiome differences.

Conclusions

Stool collected in a fieldwork setting for comparative microbiome analyses should ideally be stored as consistently as possible using the same preservation method throughout.
Prevalence of Seropositive VDRL Cases amongst Pregnant Women at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria: Is Routine Screening for Syphilis Using VDRL Still Relevant?
Authors: Awoyesuku P. A. , MacPepple D. A. , Kwosah N. J.
Published: December 2019

Background: Untreated maternal syphilis is strongly associated with adverse birth outcomes. The WHO recommends routine serological screening in pregnancy. Some workers have advised a reappraisal of this practice, having demonstrated low seroprevalence in their antenatal population.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of seropositive VDRL cases amongst pregnant women at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH) in order to justify the need and cost-effectiveness for continued routine syphilis screening using VDRL alone.

Methodology: A retrospective review of hospital and laboratory records of all pregnant women booked for antenatal care (ANC) at RSUTH in a two-year period, from May 2017 to April 2019, was carried out. Data on patients’ age, parity and educational level, and reactivity of VDRL test at booking were retrieved using structured pro-forma and analyzed using Epi Info Version 7. Test for significance using Chi-square was set at significant level of P<0.05.

Results: 3560 clinic patients had VDRL screening out of which 63 were positive. The overall prevalence rate in this study was 1.8%. The mean age was 31.5±4.7 years and the mean gestational age at booking was 22.1±6.8 weeks. There was no significant relationship between their age (χ2 = 0.403, p-value=0.940), parity (χ2 = 3.707, p-value=0.0.157), and educational status (χ2 = 1.853, p-value=0.396), and seropositivity. The cost of VDRL test per patient in RSUTH is $3, to detect the 63 cases the sum of $10,680 was spent.

Conclusion: The seroprevalence rate of syphilis in this study was low. Initial screening using VDRL alone is neither justified nor cost effective. Selective screening based on risk factors and specific test with TPHA is recommended.
Presentation, Characteristics and Co-morbidities of Men with Prostate Cancer in Nigeria
Authors: Ofoha Chimaobi Gideon , Magnus Felix Echebiri
Published: December 2019

Aims: To determine the presentation, characteristics and associated co-morbidities in Nigerian men with prostate cancer.

Study Design: Retrospective study.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried at the Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Nigeria from January 2010 to December 2018.

Methodology: Men with histologically confirmed prostate cancer were analyzed. The age of the men, PSA pattern, histologic type, Gleason score, stage of the disease, associated co-morbidities and treatment received by the men were recorded. The effect of co-morbidities on disease aggressiveness using Gleason score and PSA as determinants was determined using Pearson correlation. SPSS version 23 was used in analyzing the data.  P-value of < 0.05 was considered significant.

Results: Eighty-one patients with prostate cancer from 2010 to 2018 were involved in the study. The mean age was 67.58±9.42 years with a range of 42 to 96years.  Men with PSA >100 ng/ml had the highest frequency (34.60%). The mean Gleason Score was 6.28±2.13. Gleason score 7-8 had the highest frequency (35.8%). Seventy-nine patients (97.5%) had adenocarcinoma. Eighty-one percent of the men had advanced Pca, 58% being metastatic disease. 48.1% had co-morbidities, 39.5% had hypertension, while 8.6% had both hypertension and diabetes. Comorbidities showed no correlation with PSA level (r=0.346), (p-value 0.375) and Gleason score (r=0.194), (p-value 0.639). Seventy-nine percent of the men had androgen deprivation therapy.

Conclusion: Most of the men presented with advanced disease, with all indices pointing towards lethal disease. The commonest co-morbidity was hypertension and co-morbidities had no relationship with the aggressiveness of prostate cancer. To ensure early presentation and prevent lethal forms of Pca, health education, screening, counselling for men in the high-risk group is paramount.
Identification of Gaps and Remedies for Center Pivot Sprinkler Irrigation System in North-West Ethiopia
Authors: MekonenTiku Kasa , Singh Pratap
Published: December 2019

The study was carried out to study on identification of performance gaps for improvement of center pivot sprinkler system in the Tigray region of Northwest Ethiopia. The objective of the study was to identify center pivot sprinkler irrigation system gaps and suggest remedial measures for improvement of the center pivot sprinkler irrigation system. The methods used for gap Identification were observation, Interview, measurement, and using design document. Center pivot sprinkler gaps identification study revealed that Excess runoff due to leaky boots and higher application depth, absence of regular checkup for emitting devices, and improper scheduling were dominant gaps and Making functional an Automatic control system, regular checkup and maintenance of emitting accessories and proper scheduling could minimize the identified problems and finally the irrigation efficiency would be amended.