bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Un replanteamiento al significado del activismo judicial
Authors: Muñoz Mendiola Julio César
Published: December 2020

Este trabajo propone un replanteamiento a la forma de entender el activismo judicial, sobre todo, alejarlo de las críticas que se han gestado desde diferentes posiciones teóricas sin un sustento empírico fuerte, ya que en la práctica judicial ese activismo, en específico, el que se da en sede constitucional de última instancia, representa una vía institucional para la concretización de los derechos fundamentales y la sociedad democrática. Así, el activismo judicial al representar una consecuencia del control judicial tendrá una base institucional que es compatible con el diseño institucional del Estado Constitucional, pues ese diseño ha conferido discrecionalidad a los jueces constitucionales para concretizar el contenido de la Constitución.
The Impact of Covariate Variables on Kernel Equating under the Non-equivalent Groups
Authors: AKIN ARIKAN Çiğdem
Published: December 2020

This study aims to use covariate variables correlated with the test scores instead of common items for non-equivalent groups with covariates (NEC) design in kernel equating. This study used the 2016 Monitoring and Evaluation of Academic Skills Project in Turkey. The study used data from 6,000 students, randomly selected from the Turkish Ministry of National Education’s current student data. Three thousand of the students took form A, and 3,000 of them took form B. The data include mathematics test scores and consist of 18 items, nine of which are the first items, and nine of which are anchor items. The equated scores from the NEC design were compared with equated scores from the non-equivalent group (NEAT) design. From the equating results, the root mean squared difference (RMSD) and standard error of equating (SEE) values were calculated. The results showed that NEC design could produce lower standard errors compared with the NEAT design, and the least RMSD was provided by NEAT PSE methods and NEC methods. The general result of this research is that test forms can be equated using covariates when there are no anchor items.
Density scaling of generalized Lennard-Jones fluids in different dimensions
Authors: Maimbourg Thibaud , Dyre Jeppe , Costigliola Lorenzo
Published: December 2020

Liquids displaying strong virial-potential energy correlations conform to an approximate density scaling of their structural and dynamical observables. This scaling property does not extend to the entire phase diagram, in general. The validity of the scaling can be quantified by a correlation coefficient. In this work a simple scheme to predict the correlation coefficient and the density-scaling exponent is presented. Although this scheme is exact only in the dilute gas regime or in high dimension d, a comparison with results from molecular dynamics simulations in d=1 to 4 shows that it reproduces well the behavior of generalized Lennard-Jones systems in a large portion of the fluid phase.
Euler-scale dynamical correlations in integrable systems with fluid motion
Authors: Møller Frederik Skovbo , Perfetto Gabriele , Doyon Benjamin , Schmiedmayer Jörg
Published: December 2020

We devise an iterative scheme for numerically calculating dynamical two-point correlation functions in integrable many-body systems, in the Eulerian scaling limit. Expressions for these were originally derived in Ref. [1] by combining the fluctuation-dissipation principle with generalized hydrodynamics. Crucially, the scheme is able to address non-stationary, inhomogeneous situations, when motion occurs at the Euler-scale of hydrodynamics. In such situations, in interacting systems, the simple correlations due to fluid modes propagating with the flow receive subtle corrections, which we test. Using our scheme, we study the spreading of correlations in several integrable models from inhomogeneous initial states. For the classical hard-rod model we compare our results with Monte-Carlo simulations and observe excellent agreement at long time-scales, thus providing the first demonstration of validity for the expressions derived in Ref. [1]. We also observe the onset of the Euler-scale limit for the dynamical correlations.
Pemberdayaan Perempuan Nelayan Bale Bungo (Oxyeleotriks Marmorata) sebagai Upaya Pengembangan Usaha Produk Oleh-Oleh Khas Wajo
Authors: Astuti An Ras Try
Published: December 2020

This research aims to design an empowerment model that is appropriate to the character of the community in Wajo, South Sulawesi. The focus of this research-based empowerment activity is the development of the business of women fisherman Bale Bungo (oxyeleotris marmorata). This study uses a qualitative approach model with a participatory action research (PAR) method. The research subjects consisted of the head of the sub-district, the village head and the fisherman Women's Community. The data of this study were obtained by observation, interview and documentation techniques. The results of the study are as follows. (1) Identification of community needs through Brainstorming (2) Mapping of Village Potential (3) Planning and increasing the capacity of group members through a series of training and focus group discussions (FGD). Indicators of successful training include increasing knowledge and skills to process Bungo into value-added souvenirs. Fisherman women, as well as the increasing economic income of the surrounding community. In addition, it is expected that in the future there will be a Sustainability of women's empowerment program in developing business products in order to compete and compete at the national and international levels.

 

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendesain model pemberdayaan yang sesuai dengan karakter masyarakat di Kabupaten Wajo, Sulawesi Selatan. Fokus pada kegiatan pemberdayaan berbasis penelitian ini adalah pengembangan usaha perempuan nelayan Bale Bungo (oxyeleotris marmorata) Penelitian  ini  menggunakan model pendekatan kualitatif dengan metode  participatory  action  research  (PAR).Subjek  penelitian  terdiri  dari  kepala kecamatan dan Komunitas Perempuan nelayan.  Data penelitian ini diperoleh dengan teknik observasi, wawancara, dan dokumentasi. Hasil penelitian adalah sebagai berikut. (1) Identifikasi kebutuhan masyarakat melalui Brainstorming (2) Pemetaan Potensi (3) Perencanaan dan melakukan peningkatan kapasitas anggota kelompok Melalui serangkaian pelatihan dan focus group discussion (FGD). Indikator keberhasilan pelatihan diantaranya adalah bertambahnya pengetahuan dan keterampilan untuk mengolah ikan bungo menjadi produk oleh-oleh yang bernilai tambah ekonomis. Perempuan nelayan, serta meningkatnya pendapatan ekonomi masyarakat sekitar. Selain itu, diharapkan kedepannya akan ada Keberlanjutan program pemberdayaan perempuan dalam pengembangan produk usaha agar dapat bersaing dan berkompetisi ditingkat nasional dan international

 
Multifunctional FRP-Aluminum Foam Production Setup for Battery Housings of Electric Vehicles
Authors: Schmerler Rico , Gebken Tobias , Kühn Markus , Drossel Welf-Guntram , Dröder Klaus , Lies Carsten
Published: December 2020

The battery systems of electrified vehicles are characterized by increasing weight due to larger battery modules. A lightweight battery carrier structure can reduce the system weight by replacing heavy metallic housing components with materials such as fiber-reinforced plastics (FRP) and aluminum. The battery housing must meet several requirements, e.g. stiffness, crash and intrusion protection and thermal management.

Today’s battery housings are manufactured using die-cast or extrusion parts and are actively cooled. A novel approach is a lightweight hybrid battery housing consisting of a thermoformed FRP as a stiff outer shell and an integrated closed-cell aluminum foam infiltrated with phase change material (PCM) for passive thermal management. This multi-material structure enables the substitution of functionally separated systems in one intelligent solution.

In the Open Hybrid LabFactory an entire process chain was established, including the aluminum foaming process, the thermoforming of FRP with heating and consolidating as well as the integrated forming and joining process of FRP with aluminum foam.

With the goal of application-oriented research, a battery housing of an existing electric car was used to define requirements such as design space and mechanical specifications. Based on parameter studies an optimized process design was achieved, which is described in this paper.
The conservation status and distribution of Mediterranean dung beetles
Authors: Numa Catherine , Tonelli Mattia , Lobo Jorge M. , Verdú José R. , Lumaret Jean-Pierre , Sánchez-Piñero Francisco , Ruiz José L. , Dellacasa Marco , Ziani Stefano , Arriaga Alfonsina , Cabrero Francisco , Labidi Imen , Barrios Violeta , Senyüz Yakup , Anlas Sinan
Published: December 2020

The Mediterranean Red List assessment is a review of the regional conservation status of approximately 6,000 species (amphibians, mammals, reptiles, birds, fishes, butterflies, dragonflies, beetles, corals and plants) according to the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. It identifies those species that are threatened with extinction at the regional level to guide appropriate conservation actions for improving their status. This report summarises the results for Mediterranean dung beetles. All the dung beetles that are endemic or nearly endemic to the Mediterranean region – 200 species – are included. The geographical scope is the Mediterranean region according to the Mediterranean Basin Biodiversity Hotspot (Mittermeier et al., 2004), with the exception of the Macaronesian islands, which have not been included in this study. Of the 644 species of dung beetles inhabiting the Mediterranean region, 200 (32%) have at least 75% of their distribution range within the borders of the region. The other 444 species, which occur over a wider area, were excluded from this assessment. Of the 200 species analysed, 150 are considered endemic as they cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
Aggressive Tax Avoiders: U.S. Multinationals Shifting Domestic Earnings to Zero
Authors: Chen Novia X. , Lehmer Tiana
Published: December 2020

We investigate whether U.S. multinational corporations shift income overseas to the point of recording domestic pretax earnings around zero. We label firms with near-zero domestic earnings “Small” firms, and present evidence that Small captures targeted income shifting that minimizes worldwide and domestic current taxes. Because shifting essentially all income out of the U.S. represents a very aggressive form of international tax planning, Small firms represent an important margin for understanding the income shifting of U.S. MNCs. We find that firms facing tax incentives to shift income and firms with greater income shifting ability are more likely to report near-zero domestic earnings. In addition, investors value the earnings of Small firms higher than that of other U.S. multinational firms, conditional on overall profitability, suggesting that, on average, investors hold a positive view of income shifting to the point of recording domestic earnings around zero.

Data Availability: Data are available from the public sources cited in the text.

JEL Classifications: F23; H25; H26; M40.
Evaluation of factors related to the success of miniscrew-assisted rapid palatal expansion
Authors: Oliveira Cibele B. , Ayub Priscila , Angelieri Fernanda , Murata Wilson H. , Suzuki Selly S. , Ravelli Dirceu B. , Santos-Pinto Ary
Published: December 2020

Objectives

To evaluate whether the success of miniscrew-assisted rapid palatal expansion (MARPE), performed in patients with advanced bone maturation is related to factors such as midpalatal suture (MPS) maturation, age, sex, or bicortical mini-implant anchorage.

Materials and Methods

Twenty-eight cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans of adults and post-pubertal adolescents treated by MARPE were included in the sample. CBCT images before (T0) and after expansion (T1) were used to evaluate the skeletal changes and the success or failure of MARPE. Axial images of MPS were extracted from T0 and classified into one of the five maturation stages. The correlation between MARPE success and the factors of age, sex, MPS maturation, and bicortical mini-implant anchorage was investigated.

Results

Only the age showed a statistically significant negative correlation with MARPE success and all the skeletal measures. There was an 83.3% success rate among individuals aged 15 to 19 years, 81.8% from 20 to 29 years, and 20% from 30 to 37 years. MPS maturation showed a negative correlation with the expansion effect. Subjects with stages B or C of MPS maturation showed a 100% success rate, followed by stage D (62.5%) and stage E (58.3%).

Conclusions

As age increased, there was a decrease in MARPE success and the skeletal effects of maxillary expansion. Sex and bicortical mini-implant anchorage were not shown to be relevant factors. There was no correlation between MPS maturation and MARPE success; however, it was observed that all cases of MARPE failure were classified as stage D or E of MPS maturation.
Advanced Liver Fibrosis Is Common in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Followed in the Outpatient Setting: The Need for Systematic Screening
Authors: Lomonaco Romina , Godinez Leiva Eddison , Bril Fernando , Shrestha Sulav , Mansour Lydia , Budd Jeff , Portillo Romero Jessica , Schmidt Siegfried , Chang Ku-Lang , Samraj George , Malaty John , Huber Katherine , Bedossa Pierre , Kalavalapalli Srilaxmi , Marte Jonathan , Barb Diana , Poulton Danielle , Fanous Nada , Cusi Kenneth
Published: December 2020

OBJECTIVE

Assess the prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and of liver fibrosis associated with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in unselected patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A total of 561 patients with T2DM (age: 60 ± 11 years; BMI: 33.4 ± 6.2 kg/m2; and HbA1c: 7.5 ± 1.8%) attending primary care or endocrinology outpatient clinics and unaware of having NAFLD were recruited. At the visit, volunteers were invited to be screened by elastography for steatosis and fibrosis by controlled attenuation parameter (≥274 dB/m) and liver stiffness measurement (LSM; ≥7.0 kPa), respectively. Secondary causes of liver disease were ruled out. Diagnostic panels for prediction of advanced fibrosis, such as AST-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) and Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index, were also measured. A liver biopsy was performed if results were suggestive of fibrosis.

RESULTS

The prevalence of steatosis was 70% and of fibrosis 21% (LSM ≥7.0 kPa). Moderate fibrosis (F2: LSM ≥8.2 kPa) was present in 6% and severe fibrosis or cirrhosis (F3–4: LSM ≥9.7 kPa) in 9%, similar to that estimated by FIB-4 and APRI panels. Noninvasive testing was consistent with liver biopsy results. Elevated AST or ALT ≥40 units/L was present in a minority of patients with steatosis (8% and 13%, respectively) or with liver fibrosis (18% and 28%, respectively). This suggests that AST/ALT alone are insufficient as initial screening. However, performance may be enhanced by imaging (e.g., transient elastography) and plasma diagnostic panels (e.g., FIB-4 and APRI).

CONCLUSIONS

Moderate-to-advanced fibrosis (F2 or higher), an established risk factor for cirrhosis and overall mortality, affects at least one out of six (15%) patients with T2DM. These results support the American Diabetes Association guidelines to screen for clinically significant fibrosis in patients with T2DM with steatosis or elevated ALT.
The prevention and treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in children and adolescents receiving cancer treatment: the current status and possibilities for improvement
Authors: Zhukov N. V. , Kazakova L. L. , Novichkova G. A.
Published: December 2020

Even though chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) rarely become life-threatening, they are regarded by patients as one of the most unbearable complications and can often cause great suffering. CINV may also be an aggravating factor for other complications and pathological conditions. The currently available antiemetic prophylaxis can greatly reduce the incidence of CINV in children and adolescents receiving cancer treatment. However, inadequate management of CINV is still much more common in children than in adults, and the integration of new antiemetic drugs into pediatric care is delayed because of specific regulatory requirements for drug studies in children. The aim of this article is to present current standards for prevention and treatment of CINV in children and adolescents as well as to suggest ways to improve them.
Deep Integration of Health Information Service System and Data Mining Analysis Technology
Authors: Cui Zhihao , Yan Chaobing
Published: December 2020

The scale and complexity of health information service system has increased dramatically, and its development activities and management are difficult to control. In the field of, Traditional methods and simple mathematical statistics methods are difficult to solve the problems caused by the explosive growth of data and information, which will adversely affect health information service system management finally. So, it is particularly important to find valuable information from the source code, design documents and collected software datasets and to guide the development and maintenance of software engineering. Therefore, some experts and scholars want to use mature data mining technologies to study the large amount of data generated in software engineering projects (commonly referred to as software knowledge base), and further explore the potential and valuable information inherently hidden behind the software data. This article initially gives a brief overview of the relevant knowledge of data mining technology and computer software technology, using decision tree graph mining algorithm to mine the function adjustment graph of the software system definition class, and then source code annotations are added to the relevant calling relationships. Data mining technology and computer software technology are deeply integrated, and the decision tree algorithm in data mining is used to mine the knowledge base of computer software. Potential defect changes are listed as key maintenance objects. The historical versions of source code change files with defects are found dynamically and corrected in time, to avoid the increase of maintenance cost in the future.
Return on Investment in Machine Learning: Crossing the Chasm between Academia and Business
Authors: Mizgajski Jan , Szymczak Adrian , Morzy Mikołaj , Augustyniak Łukasz , Szymański Piotr , Żelasko Piotr
Published: December 2020

Academia remains the central place of machine learning education. While academic culture is the predominant factor influencing the way we teach machine learning to students, many practitioners question this culture, claiming the lack of alignment between academic and business environments. Drawing on professional experiences from both sides of the chasm, we describe the main points of contention, in the hope that it will help better align academic syllabi with the expectations towards future machine learning practitioners. We also provide recommendations for teaching of the applied aspects of machine learning.
Local populations of Sorbus torminalis (L.) Crantz in forest plantings of natural origin in the South-Podolsk Forest-Steppe of Ukraine
Authors: Shpak Nina , Shlapak Volodymyr , Adamenko Svitlana , Shvecs Yana , Savchenko Oleksandr
Published: December 2020

The determination of factors that adversely affect the populations of rare plant species and development of measures to eliminate them are the important conditions for maintaining the rare component of natural flora. The article describes the study of forest phytocoenoses in the eastern territory of South-Podolsk Forest Steppe of Ukraine. The influence of natural conditions, morphological and physiological features of Sorbus torminalis (L.) Crantz on the distribution and population density in the studied region was analysed. The species is found in 80 quarters of different forestry districts with the population densities ranging from single to 300 individuals per hectare. The rare species has little prospect of natural seed restoration. The natural reforestation process of Sorbus torminalis is largely due to the specific conditions of phytocoenosis, age and vital structure of the forest stand. Most local populations have a low lifecycle. Very rare seed reproduction makes this species extremely vulnerable to the effects of any negative factors.

In the oak-hornbeam plantations, the plants of reproductive age prevail, but with the die-back of old individuals, the influx of renewal has almost disappeared. According to the results of the studied region, the oak plantations with Sorbus torminalis are found to have better values of the species distribution in the protected area compared to the recreational and economic ones (Sorbus torminalis remains in any sanitary condition in the plantations and on clean felling). Artificial resettlement should be carried out in places with a small projective cover of the vegetation, and Sorbus torminalis should be introduced into Quercus robur cultures as an associate species. This territory is the northeast boundary of the natural growth of the species.
From unemployment to self-employment: The role of entrepreneurship training
Authors: Michaelides Marios , Davis Scott
Published: December 2020

We present experimental evidence on the effects of entrepreneurship training for unemployed workers in the U.S. at two different stages in the business cycle. In the context of a strong economy, training helped training participants – particularly those with prior self-employment experience – to start a business and become self-employed, while it may have persuaded others to pursue salary employment instead. During the Great Recession, training helped training participants become self-employed, particularly those with no prior self-employment experience. Regardless of economic conditions, positive impacts on self-employment were partly or largely offset by reductions in regular employment. These findings indicate that entrepreneurship training may help unemployed workers to become self-employed at different stages of the business cycle, but there is weak evidence that it can be an effective policy for combating unemployment, particularly during recessions.
Mapping Children’s Life-Worlds: A Content-Analytical Study of Drawings of Favourite Gifts
Authors: Kruuse Kristiina , Kalmus Veronika , Runnel Pille , Siibak Andra
Published: December 2020

What children count as their favourite things tell us not only about children but also about their social and cultural experiences. This study,* based on the outcomes of a children’s drawing competition organised by the Estonian National Museum and applying a combined framework of visual sociology and participa-tory research, proposes an innovative angle to using the museum’s experimental approach to contemporary collecting of cultural heritage. This large-sample (n=926) content-analytical study of children’s favourite gifts gives a rich ethno-graphic and sociological perspective on children’s life-worlds. On the one hand, the children’s wishes reflected contemporary global trends in technology and commercialisation. On the other hand, the children’s prevailing dream of having a pet shows loneliness shaped by societal changes, including urbanisation and changing family models and time regimes.
Detection of Pathogenic Leptospira Spp. in Goats from Slaughterhouses in Southwestern Nigeria Using Isolation, Histochemistry and Immunohistochemistry
Authors: Ajayi Olusola Lawrence , Antia Edem Richard , Esther Ojebiyi Oluwabusayo , Oladipo Temitope Morenikeji , Olaniyi Olajire Moshood , Awoyomi Olajoju Jokotola
Published: December 2020

Studies on caprine leptospirosis using isolation, histochemistry and immunohistochemistry are rare. The role of small ruminants in the epidemiology of leptospirosis is scarce. This study investigated the prevalence of Leptospira spp. serovars, and the renal pathology of caprine leptospirosis in slaughterhouses from two states in southwest Nigeria using isolation (IS), Warthin Starry silver (WSs) impregnation and immunohistochemistry (IH). One hundred and sixty-nine kidney samples were randomly obtained from goats between September 2015 and June 2017. Chi-square test was used with a confidence level set at 0.05 to ascertain associations between the positive cases, sex and animal species. Eighty-seven (51.5%) samples were positive on IS, out of which 26/40 and 25/30 were positive on WSs and IH, respectively. Ten (5.9%) kidneys showed macroscopic lesions while interstitial nephritis (48.6%) and tubular nephrosis (64.2%) were the most prominent histopathological changes. The most frequently observed positive reactions were against serovars Hardjo type Prajitno (12/25, 48%), and Gripptotyphosa (5/25, 20%). Other serovars such as Bratislava (2/25, 8%), Canicola (3/25, 12%), Icterohaemorrhagiae (2/25, 8%), and Pomona (1/25, 4.0%) were also detected using IH. The result showed high prevalence of Leptospira infection in goats and the possibility of humans contracting the disease. To date, the detection of leptospirosis from kidneys of goats using IS, WSs and IH has not been reported. This study is the first documentation of evidence of pathogenic Leptospira species in renal tissues of goats.
Linking Organizational Commitment and Organizational Trust in Health Care Organizations
Authors: Akkaya Bulent
Published: December 2020

Background and purpose: Health care organizations should apply new methods to motivate their employees be more effective and successful. This can be achieved by commitment to the organization and trusting their managers. Therefore, health care organizations must take care of the commitment and trust aspects in order to have a full knowledge of employees and to increase organizational performance and effectiveness. The present study aims to link sub-dimensions of organizational trust and sub-dimensions of organizational commitment of administrative personnel of health care organizations.

Methodology: The survey was conducted among 156 administrative personnel in health organizations in Turkey. Sub-dimensions of organizational trust and sub-dimensions of organisational commitment were linked and correlated. Nyhan and Marlowe’s OTI survey was used for the assessment of organizational trust and Meyer’s and Allen’s OCQ for the assessment of organizational commitment. Correlation, Path analysis and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) were used to analyse the data with the help of SPSS and SmartPLS programs.

Results: Results suggest that trust in organization has a positive impact on effective organizational commitment and continuance organizational commitment, however, has not impact on normative organizational commitment. Additionally, trust in supervisors has a positive impact on affective organizational commitment, continuance organizational commitment and normative organizational commitment.

Conclusion: Awareness of organizational trust and commitment can be beneficial to leaders and managers, as they can handle, develop and empower their workers better with this information. Moreover, the key point is that all leaders and managers should focus on creating an atmosphere that will make workers very more committed and trusting, hence, to enable them perform beyond their formal duty requirements.
An Empirical Investigation of the Mediating Role of Customer Attachment in South African Private Hospitals
Authors: Spies Hester , Mackay Nedia
Published: December 2020

Background and purpose: Relationship marketing literature acknowledges the important role of attachment in customer-organization relationships, but shows limited theoretical and empirical understanding of the factors that contribute to the development and maintenance of attached customers. To address this gap, this paper draws on the relationship marketing view and synthesizes important relationship constructs with the aim of developing a mediated attachment model for private hospitals in South Africa.

Design/Methodology/Approach: A quantitative descriptive research design was implemented, collecting 303 useable questionnaires via non-probability convenience sampling. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients and a confirmatory factor analysis were conducted to determine the reliability and validity of the measures respectively, and a SEM was conducted for the mediation analysis.

Results: The results indicate that respondents’ relationship value was significantly related to attachment, loyalty and fear of relationship loss, and attachment was significantly related to loyalty and fear of relationship loss. Moreover, the indirect effect of attachment in the relationship between relationship value and loyalty, as well as in the relationship between relationship value and fear of relationship loss was found to be significant.

Conclusion: Attachment plays a significant role in both the direct and indirect relationships with key relationship marketing constructs. The importance of attachment in building patient-hospital relationships should therefore not be ignored, and private hospitals are encouraged to invest in their relationships with patients, with the aim of establishing attachment.
Winter diet and roosting site use of urban roosting Long-eared Owls (Asio otus), and the change in the species’ population size in Southeast Hungary×
Authors: Bozó László , Rutkai Tamás , Csathó András István , Borbáth Erna Bozóné
Published: December 2020

The Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) was chosen as the bird of the year in Hungary by BirdLife Hungary in 2020 to pay more attention to this species. In the present study, we analysed the data collected on the food, changes in the population and the use of the roosting sites of the owls wintering Southeast-Hungary. A total of 4,683 pellets were collected in four winter seasons between 2016 and 2020, of which 5,265 prey animals were identified. We counted the individuals roosting in the winter roosting sites, and from their maximum number we estimated the local population change of the species as well as the success of the breeding. For this, we also used roadkill data from the nearby town, Battonya.

The diet of Long-eared Owls in the study area was similar to that observed in other parts of the Carpathian Basin. The smaller differences were mainly due to the different geographical distribution of different prey species. We also identified some species previously having no or very few data, thus we confirmed their stable presence in the area. Different weather factors within the season did not effect owls’ diet. The most varied diet was found in the warmest, least snowy winter. Comparing the feeding data with the data from the 1960s and 1970s, it can be seen that the proportion of preys changed significantly. The proportion of House/Steppe Mice decreased by an order of magnitude, while that of rats increased by the same amount over time. The most likely reasons for this may be changes in agricultural cultivation or local demographic conditions (depopulation). In the 2018/19 season, the proportion of Common Vole in the pellets was much higher than in any other years, suggesting this year’s gradation of the species. The pellets collected in different roosting sites close to each other typically had the same proportions of prey animals.

The maximum number of birds observed at the roosting sites did not correlate with the weather of the given season, but was probably related to the effectiveness of the previous breeding season.

The population of the species decreased compared to the early 2000’s based on the number of roosting individuals. This may be due to a decline in crow populations. It should be noted, however, that according to both the roadkills in Battonya and the maximum number of the roosting individuals in Kevermes, this drastic decline came to a halt in 2010s.
Main mortality factors for the Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca Savigny, 1809) in Bulgaria
Authors: Lazarova Ivanka , Dobrev Dobromir , Gradev Gradimir , Petrov Rusko , Stoychev Stoycho , Klisurov Ivaylo , Demerdzhiev Dimitar
Published: December 2020

The Eastern Imperial Eagle is a globally threatened species, represented with not more than 35–40 pairs in Bulgaria. As a facultative scavenger feeding on carcasses and parts of dead domestic and wild animals, this species is extremely vulnerable to poisonous baits and toxic agents, intentionally or accidentally set up in its food. The present study identified electrocution and poisoning as the main mortality factors for the eagles in Bulgaria. We analysed a total of 56 cases among which 44 cases were related to the mortality of non-territorial eagles in different age classes, and we found 12 dead or distressed territorial birds recorded between 1992–2019. The main mortality factor was electrocution, accounted for 30.4% of fatalities. The poisoning was the cause of mortality in 12.5% of the non-territorial and 10.7% of the breeding birds. Some of the cases were laboratory confirmed as intoxication, while the others, based on the history, clinical symptoms and field evidence, indicated poisoning. The most commonly used toxic agents were anticholinesterase’s inhibitors. As a result of a timely therapy applied to the live birds found in distress with symptoms of poisoning, six eagles were successfully treated and released back in the wild. We found that mortality of eagles depended on the age of birds, breeding or dispersal grounds, while season had no significant effect.
Does human hair attract or deter potential ground nest predators?
Authors: Purger Jenő J. , Szegleti Zsófia , Szép Dávid
Published: December 2020

The nests of rare and threatened bird and reptile species that breed on the ground are often attempted to be protected from predators with fences, grids, and various repellent materials. Results of some experiments refer to the repellent function of human scent, whereas others suggest that it has an attractive role. We aimed to investigate how effectively ground nests can be protected from predators if human hair is placed around nests. We performed the experiment in a riverine oak-elm-ash forest using 90 artificial nests, each with 1 quail and 1 plasticine egg: 30 nests were protected with a game fence, 30 nests were surrounded with human hair and 30 nests were unprotected (control). During the 24 days, predators damaged 23% of the nests protected by a game fence, 40% of unprotected nests and 47% of the nests surrounded with hair. The daily survival rate of quail eggs in nests protected with a game fence was significantly higher than the ones in the nests surrounded with human hair. Only 18% of the quail eggs and 36% of plasticine eggs were damaged. Such difference can be explained by the fact that small-bodied birds and mammals could pass through the game fence and left traces on plasticine eggs but they were unable to crack the shell of quail eggs. Within the game fence, denser vegetation can provide better nesting conditions and result in greater breeding success. The repellent role of human hair has not been proved, on the contrary, in some cases we have observed signs of its attractant role, such as small-bodied birds took hair away for nest building.
Evolution of Songbirds (Passeriformes) and their Presence in the Neogene and the Quaternary in the Carpathian Basin
Authors: Kessler Jenő (E.)
Published: December 2020

Songbirds are the largest order of birds with 6456 species, making up more than half of every known bird species. The location and time of their emergence, as well as the method of their spreading, is debated. They are present in the Carpathian Basin from the beginning of the Neogene, with an increasing number of types and species. Due to their diverse ways of life and diets, their presence mirrors the environmental conditions of the given geological periods quite accurately.
On the (Im)Practicality of Adversarial Perturbation for Image Privacy
Authors: Rajabi Arezoo , Bobba Rakesh B. , Rosulek Mike , Wright Charles V. , Feng Wu-chi
Published: December 2020

Image hosting platforms are a popular way to store and share images with family members and friends. However, such platforms typically have full access to images raising privacy concerns. These concerns are further exacerbated with the advent of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) that can be trained on available images to automatically detect and recognize faces with high accuracy.

Recently, adversarial perturbations have been proposed as a potential defense against automated recognition and classification of images by CNNs. In this paper, we explore the practicality of adversarial perturbation-based approaches as a privacy defense against automated face recognition. Specifically, we first identify practical requirements for such approaches and then propose two practical adversarial perturbation approaches – (i) learned universal ensemble perturbations (UEP), and (ii) k-randomized transparent image overlays (k-RTIO) that are semantic adversarial perturbations. We demonstrate how users can generate effective transferable perturbations under realistic assumptions with less effort.

We evaluate the proposed methods against state-of-theart online and offline face recognition models, Clarifai.com and DeepFace, respectively. Our findings show that UEP and k-RTIO respectively achieve more than 85% and 90% success against face recognition models. Additionally, we explore potential countermeasures that classifiers can use to thwart the proposed defenses. Particularly, we demonstrate one effective countermeasure against UEP.
Urban Noise Pollution Prevention — Tokyo Case Study
Authors: Jabłońska Joanna
Published: December 2020

Nowadays most of the world’s metropolises, cities, and conglomerations are substantially contaminated by noise. Development of civilization based on the intensification of car, rail, and air traffic, an increase of building density and, consequently, green areas reduction has led to major problems. Highlighting this negative phenomenon was one of the main objectives of this article. The process of noise pollution reduction is hindered not only by the needs of population growth, but also in a number of selected cities of the United States, Europe or Asia — aggressive sounds together with light and visual communications — emitted into public space, become an important element of commercial activities and remain a permanent, and even desirable, element of community culture and entertainment. The outlined problems are referred to in the introduction and discussion parts of this manuscript. At the same time, there are a number of solutions, both those currently applied and those possible to be introduced into the space of cities, which allow reduction of noise in selected zones of public and private sectors. One of the examples in the discussed field of science and practice is Tokyo — a multi-million metropolis, in which residents can experience silence both in workplaces, on streets and at home, despite the extraordinary civilization development of this metropolitan structure. Outcome analysis of solutions, used in the example city, forms the second part of the discussion in the article. Nowadays, when cities of the world are polluted with unwanted sounds, this case study is valuable, allowing the formulation of a set of clear recommendations for noise limitation in urban spaces — which are presented in the conclusions of the article. It is also worth mentioning that the spread of smart and humanized solutions aimed at noise reduction is crucial in order to build user- and environment-friendly urban environments in the near future.
Effects of the SARS-COV-2 Pandemic on the Marketing and the Consumption Activity
Authors: Fuciu Mircea
Published: December 2020

The business world has changed, the consumers and their consumer behaviour has changed, our society has changed and of course our day to day lives have changed with the spread of the SARS-COV-2 pandemic. The current paper represents a brief assessment of how the consumer/consumption behaviour of the individuals and how the marketing activity have changed in the face of this global pandemic. We are underlining several aspects related to the shifts that have occurred in the lives of the consumers, we are pointing out the results of certain research developed in order to identify how the consumers are buying, what are they giving up, and what are they buying more. Further research is being presented related to home media consumption during and after the pandemic and the effects of the SARS-COV-2 pandemic on the marketing activity. We are also presenting several key activities and marketing strategies and direction that the companies should use if they want to survive in this dynamic but troublesome time.
Analyzing the Role of Government Efficiency on Financial Development for OECD Countries
Authors: Amir Aysel , Gokmenoglu Korhan K.
Published: December 2020

This paper fulfills a gap in the existing literature by analyzing the impact of government efficiency and corruption on the financial development of 31 OECD countries for the period 2002 to 2015 inclusively. To ensure robustness in our estimations, we employed several econometrics techniques, included control variables in our models, used several proxies for the variables under investigation, split the data into subgroups based on the degree of democracy, and repeated the analysis for these groups. Obtained findings provide strong evidence that government efficiency has a significant effect on financial development, and the sign of all the control variables are compatible with the a-priory theoretical expectations. The results of this study propose several policy recommendations to enhance financial development such as enhancing social cohesion through education on the use of tax contributions, revising budget procedures to ensure efficient spending of resources and to improve institutional quality, and reducing corruptive pursuits by targeting the informal economy activities and modifying the rule of law.
Time Value of Energy as a Low-Cost Energy Efficiency Technique
Authors: Albatayneh Aiman , Abueid Obieda , Alterman Dariusz
Published: December 2020

Energy efficiency is one of the most widely used tools for both energy saving and environmental protection against greenhouse gases. Some energy efficiency techniques are being used to reduce energy consumption. This research focuses on optimising the relation of time and energy, where the best scenario of energy-saving for specified applications will be considered with the time required in achieving these scenarios. To implement this, we adopt two engineering applications (car and water pumps) on each application, with specific constraints and parameters to test the time energy relation. It was being found that for both applications, there is an optimum engineering scenario where the least amount of energy (using the extra time to minimise energy consumption) can be achieved while the remaining cases will consume higher energy. For instance, for a specific type of car used in this study, the optimum car speed was found to be between 65–70 km h–1; at this speed, the car consumes the least amount of energy (around 137 MJ when travelling a distance of 100 km). All the speeds less than the optimum speed will consume more energy; the same is true when the speed is increased over the optimum. For the second application using water pumps, it was found that a 1.1 kW pump is the most efficient at pumping a specific amount of water, and using higher or lower rated pumps will consume higher energy levels but correspondingly will reduce the time required to perform the same application. This research emphasised the concept that time can save energy, which is not yet covered in the literature as time value of energy when time is not an essential aspect and can be delayed without affecting the main tasks.
Singapore ‘A Land Imagined’: Rising Seas, Land Reclamation and the Tropical Film-Noir City
Authors: Lundberg Anita , Peer Jasmin Thamima
Published: December 2020

Sea level rise due to climate change is predicted to be higher in the Tropics. As a low-lying, highly urbanised island near the equator, Singapore is taking an active response to this problem, including through large land reclamation projects. Incorporating both environmental and aesthetic elements, these projects also serve to bolster Singapore’s reputation as a shining example of a global city, a leading arts centre in Southeast Asia, and an economic hub to the world. This paper draws attention to urban development through an ethnographic reading of Yeo Siew Hua’s film A Land Imagined. A Singaporean tropical-noir mystery thriller, the film follows the rhizomatic path of a police investigator and his partner as they attempt to solve the disappearance of two foreign labourers. Interwoven within the film is a critique of Singapore’s treatment of migrant workers as it constructs the imaginary of the ‘Singapore Dream’.
Vertical Farming: An Assessment of Singapore City
Authors: Wood Jacob , Wong Caroline , Paturi Swathi
Published: December 2020

Urban planners, government leaders, and the farming community have noted the important role cities play in producing their own food to manage higher levels of domestic demand, food insecurity, environmental concerns and affordability. To better understand these issues our research examines urban farming; in particular, the use of vertical farming methods. Such approaches can be used to overcome not only food safety and land resource issues, but also better manage the threats posed by rapid urbanisation. With technological developments in hydroponics, aeroponics and aquaponics, vertical farming has become a much more efficient and affordable means of farming in urban spaces. Overall, these high-tech systems signify a shift in the ways farming and food production can be operationalised. The results from our analysis show that Singapore, a tropical city in Asia, is making significant strides in vertical farming with substantial public and private investment in R&D through high-tech, high-yielding, land-limited farms in high-rise buildings. Despite these initiatives, Singapore faces a highly constrained urban environment where land scarcity is exacerbated by a complex regulatory land use framework.
A Glycan FRET Assay for Detection and Characterization of Catalytic Antibodies to the Cryptococcus neoformans Capsule
Authors: Crawford Conor , Wear Maggie P. , Smith Daniel F. Q. , d'Errico Clotilde , McConnell Scott , Casadevall Arturo , Oscarson Stefan
Published: December 2020

Classical antibody functions include opsonization, complement activation, and enhancement of cellular antimicrobial function. Antibodies can also have catalytic activity, although the contribution of catalysis to their biological functions has been more difficult to establish. With the ubiquity of catalytic antibodies against glycans virtually unknown, we sought to advance this knowledge. The use of a glycan microarray allowed epitope mapping of several monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against the capsule of Cryptococcus neoformans. From this, we designed and synthesized two glycan based Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) probes, which we used to discover antibodies with innate glycosidase activity and analyse their enzyme kinetics, including mAb 2H1, a polysaccharide lyase, and the most efficient glycosidase to date. The validity of the FRET assay was confirmed by demonstrating that the mAbs mediate glycosidase activity on intact cryptococcal capsules, as observed by a reduction in capsule diameter. Further the mAb 18B7, a glycosidase hydrolase, resulted in the appearance of reducing ends in the capsule as labelled by hydroxylamine-armed fluorescent (HAAF) probe. Finally, we demonstrate that exposing C. neoformans cells to catalytic antibodies results in changes in complement deposition and increased phagocytosis by macrophages — suggesting the anti-phagocytic properties of the capsule have been impaired. Our results raise questions over the ubiquity of antibodies with catalytic activity against glycans and establish the utility of glycan-based FRET and HAAF probes as tools for investigating this activity.