bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Two-dimensional Determination of the Decision Boundary for a Radar Detection Method in the Moment Space
Authors: Guillén Camilo , Chávez Nelson
Published: May 2019

The radar detection with decision making in the moments space (DRACEC method) is based on a statistical analysis to determine the boundary between the background (absent target) and the anomaly (present target) classes. In this article, the boundary is taken as an ellipse and is calculated for two dimensions, emphasizing its geometric interpretation. The procedures to establish the shape, location, and size of the ellipse are highlighted, guaranteeing the probability of false alarm by applying the Neyman-Pearson criterion. The proposal establishes a methodology for calculation of the boundary when it is required to use the moments directly as a sufficient decision statistic.
Análisis espacial de las variables fenotípicas en un huerto clonal de Pinus arizonica Engelm. en el norte de México
Authors: Alvarado-Barrera Rolando , Pompa-García Marín , Zúñiga-Vásquez José M. , Jiménez-Casas Marcos
Published: May 2019

Introducción: Los huertos semilleros proporcionan germoplasma genéticamente adecuado para su uso en restauraciones forestales; conocer la distribución espacial de los atributos es crucial para su gestión.Objetivo: Modelar la producción de conos y las variables dasométricas en un huerto clonal de Pinus arizonica Engelm., desde una perspectiva geoespacial, para conocer su comportamiento y distribución.Materiales y métodos: El patrón espacial de las variables dasométricas y de la producción de conos de 126 rametos se determinó con un análisis geoespacial, utilizando el estadístico G de Getis-Ord. Mediante un análisis de correlación de Pearson (P ≤ 0.05) se determinaron las variables mejor asociadas con la producción de conos y se examinaron con una regresión stepwise. La mejor combinación, en términos de la producción de conos, se modeló a través de una regresión geográficamente ponderada.Resultados y discusión: Se encontraron valores de agrupación estadísticamente significativos (P < 0.01) en el huerto. El análisis de correlación mostró que todas las variables dasométricas, incluido el índice de humedad, están relacionadas estadísticamente con la producción de conos. La regresión stepwise identificó un modelo que incluía el diámetro de copa como la mejor variable para explicar la producción de conos. La regresión geográficamente ponderada mostró que el diámetro de la copa influyó moderadamente en la producción de conos. Conclusión: Las variables dasométricas y la producción de conos mostraron tendencia a la agrupación. El uso de una perspectiva geoespacial permitió comprender mejor la dinámica espacial de las variables dasométricas.
Ice-nucleating particles in a coastal tropical site
Authors: Ladino Luis A. , Raga Graciela B. , Alvarez-Ospina Harry , Andino-Enríquez Manuel A. , Rosas Irma , Martínez Leticia , Salinas Eva , Miranda Javier , Ramírez-Díaz Zyanya , Figueroa Bernardo , Chou Cedric , Bertram Allan K. , Quintana Erika T. , Maldonado Luis A. , García-Reynoso Agustín , Si Meng , Irish Victoria E.
Published: May 2019

Abstract. Atmospheric aerosol particles that can nucleate ice are referred to as ice-nucleating particles (INPs). Recent studies have confirmed that aerosol
particles emitted by the oceans can act as INPs. This very relevant information
can be included in climate and weather models to predict the formation of ice
in clouds, given that most of them do not consider oceans as a source of
INPs. Very few studies that sample INPs have been carried out in tropical
latitudes, and there is a need to evaluate their availability to understand
the potential role that marine aerosol may play in the hydrological cycle of
tropical regions. This study presents results from the first measurements obtained during a
field campaign conducted in the tropical village of Sisal, located on the
coast of the Gulf of Mexico of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico in
January–February 2017, and one of the few data sets currently available at
such latitudes (i.e., 21∘ N). Aerosol particles sampled in Sisal
are shown to be very efficient INPs in the immersion freezing mode, with
onset freezing temperatures in some cases as high as −3 ∘C,
similarly to the onset temperature from Pseudomonas syringae. The results
show that the INP concentration in Sisal was higher than at other locations
sampled with the same type of INP counter. Air masses arriving in Sisal after
the passage of cold fronts have surprisingly higher INP concentrations than
the campaign average, despite their lower total aerosol concentration. The high concentrations of INPs at warmer ice nucleation temperatures (T>-15 ∘C) and the supermicron size of the INPs suggest that
biological particles may have been a significant contributor to the INP
population in Sisal during this study. However, our observations also suggest
that at temperatures ranging between −20 and −30 ∘C
mineral dust particles are the likely source of the measured INPs.
Regional new particle formation as modulators of cloud condensation nuclei and cloud droplet number in the eastern Mediterranean
Authors: Kalkavouras Panayiotis , Bougiatioti Aikaterini , Kalivitis Nikos , Stavroulas Iasonas , Tombrou Maria , Nenes Athanasios , Mihalopoulos Nikolaos
Published: May 2019

Abstract. A significant fraction of atmospheric particles that serve as cloud
condensation nuclei (CCN) are thought to originate from the condensational
growth of new particle formation (NPF) from the gas phase. Here, 7 years of
continuous aerosol and meteorological measurements (June 2008 to May 2015)
at a remote background site of the eastern Mediterranean were recorded and
analyzed to assess the impact of NPF (of 162 episodes identified) on CCN and
cloud droplet number concentration (CDNC) formation in the region. A new
metric is introduced to quantitatively determine the initiation and duration
of the influence of NPF on the CCN spectrum. NPF days were found to increase
CCN concentrations (from 0.10 % to 1.00 % supersaturation) between 29 %
and 77 %. Enhanced CCN concentrations from NPF are mostly observed, as
expected, under low preexisting particle concentrations and occur in the
afternoon, relatively later in the winter and autumn than in the summer.
Potential impacts of NPF on cloud formation were quantified by introducing
the observed aerosol size distributions and chemical composition into an
established cloud droplet parameterization. We find that the
supersaturations that develop are very low (ranging between 0.03 % and
0.27 %) for typical boundary layer dynamics (σw
∼0.3 m s−1) and NPF is found to enhance CDNC by a modest
13 %. This considerable contrast between CCN and CDNC response is in part
from the different supersaturation levels considered, but also because
supersaturation drops from increasing CCN because of water vapor competition
effects during the process of droplet formation. The low cloud
supersaturation further delays the appearance of NPF impacts on CDNC to
clouds formed in the late evening and nighttime – which has important
implications for the extent and types of indirect effects induced by NPF
events. An analysis based on CCN concentrations using prescribed
supersaturation can provide very different, even misleading, conclusions and
should therefore be avoided. The proposed approach here offers a simple, yet
highly effective way for a more realistic impact assessment of NPF events on
cloud formation.
Long Range Plasma Momentum Coupling by High Voltage Static Electric field and Deep Space Exploration
Authors: Chew Kokwei , Zhou Xinyu , Lei Yian
Published: May 2019

Abstract. Space exploration has been long constrained by the efficiency and capability of modern chemical rocket. Propellant-less propulsion has been proposed as a solution to expand the boundary of space exploration. In this paper, we examine the possibilities of a propellantless propulsion scheme through the interaction between the spacecraft and ambient plasma. The spacecraft is charged to high electric potential by constantly shooting electrons away. The high voltage spacecraft will deplete the surrounding electrons, thus interact with a wide range of the background plasma (solar wind) and thus effectively extract momentum from the plasma. By taking advantage of the exploitable ambient plasma, a spacecraft can reach very high speed, thus considerably reducing the travel time. The scheme is also applicable for braking, which is helpful in the exploration of inner planets like Venus and Mercury, and the stopping at the destination planets or stars.
Bioturbation by wild boar increases the stability of forest soil carbon
Authors: Don Axel , Hagen Christina , Grüneberg Erik , Vos Cora
Published: May 2019

Abstract. Most forest soils are characterised by a steep carbon gradient from the forest floor to the mineral soil, indicating that carbon is prevented from entry into the soil. Bioturbation can help incorporate litter-derived carbon into the mineral soil. Wild boar are effective at mixing and grubbing in the soil and wild boar populations are increasing in many parts of the world. In a six-year field study, we investigated the effect of wild boar bioturbation on the stocks and stability of soil organic carbon in two forest areas. Regular bioturbation mimicking grubbing by wild boar was performed artificially in 23 plots and the organic layer and mineral soil down to 15 cm depth were then sampled. No significant changes in soil organic carbon stocks were detected in the bioturbation plots compared with non-disturbed reference plots. However, around 50 % of forest floor carbon was transferred with bioturbation to mineral soil carbon and the stock of stabilised mineral-associated carbon increased by 28 %. Thus, a large proportion of the labile carbon in the forest floor was transformed into more stable carbon. Carbon saturation of mineral surfaces was not detected, but carbon loading per unit mineral surface increased by on average 66 % in the forest floor due to bioturbation. This indicates that mineral forest soils have non-used capacity to stabilise and store carbon. Transfer of aboveground litter into the mineral soil is the only rate-limiting process. Wild boar can help to speed up this process with their grubbing activity.
Past aridity’s effect on carbon mineralization potentials in grassland
soils
Authors: Cao Zhenjiao , Jia Yufu , Cai Yue , Wang Xin , Hu Huifeng , Zhang Jinbo , Jia Juan , Feng Xiaojuan
Published: May 2019

Abstract. Mineralization potential is a key property for assessing carbon substrate’s degradability and mineralization in biogeochemical models and studies. While mineralization potential is widely examined under controlled conditions, whether and how it is influenced by the past aridity of sample’s origins remain poorly constrained, which is important for an accurate assessment and prediction of future CO2 emissions. Here we collect top- and subsoils from different aridity regimes along a 2100-km grassland transect of northern China and conduct a 91-day decomposition experiment with and without the addition of 13C-labeled leaf litter under controlled temperature and moisture. CO2 release from both soil organic carbon (SOC) and fresh litter is measured along with microbial biomass, extracellular enzyme activities, soil and mineral properties. We find that neither microbial carbon use efficiency nor biomass-normalized metabolic quotient (qCO2) is related to the aridity of sampling sites. However, both fresh litter and SOC display the highest mineralization potentials in soils originating from the driest site. Using pathway analysis, we demonstrate that past aridity’s effect is mediated by differential mechanisms for substrates of varied complexity. While microbial biomass plays a more important role in the decomposition of fresh litter, enzyme-catalyzed extracellular reactions predominantly govern the mineralization of SOC. Our findings provide novel evidence on the mechanisms underlying past aridity’s effect on the mineralization potentials of organic matter with different qualities, which has significant implications for assessing and modelling decomposition in different aridity regimes.
Anoxia and salinity changes: a new Permian catastrophe record
Authors: Cassel Marlise C. , Lavina Ernesto L. C. , Cagliari Joice , Rodrigues René , Pereira Egberto
Published: May 2019

Abstract. Bituminous shales are associated to worldwide geological events, such as mass extinction, anoxia and climatic changes, mainly when preserved in carbonate ramps, and constitute reliable records of this dynamics. However, a minority of data still exist that measure the Permian, especially in the Southern Hemisphere associated to Panthalassic Ocean as compared to numerous studies of Oceanic Anoxic Events in the Cretaceous or associated to Tethys. The Late Permian extinction was the most severe extinction of the past 500 million years, which wiped out over 90 % of marine species. Before the Permian-Triassic boundary (e.g. Early-Middle Permian successions) geochemical and geological anomalous aspects has received more attention due the information about the Late Paleozoic icehouse-greenhous transitions, which is one of the triggers for the catastrophic ectinction. Therefore the Irati Formation, Permian interval of Paraná Basin in southern Brazil, is suitable for the study of these intricate processes due to the presence of Permian bituminous shales and carbonates. Based on core descriptions, spectral gamma ray data and organic geochemistry, a stratigraphic scheme is here proposed to support paleoenvironmental inferences. We identified three depositional sequences formed internally by T-R cycles of highest frequency. The sedimentary facies analysis indicates a carbonate ramp subdivided into outer, middle and inner. Climatic and sea level changes are defined, and also oscillations in the salinity, oxygenation and organic matter source. Bituminous shales record normal salinity, with anoxia levels and even euxinia, associated to the increase in bioproductivity. Carbonate facies register periods of hypersalinity under oxic environment and semi-arid conditions. The accumulation of Mesosaurus skeletal remains results from the action of reworking fluxes, creating an endemic facies in this region. Climatic versus eustatic influence were differentiated, and also the controlling hierarchies. These results are evidence for the environmental dynamics from the Permian, that generated extreme global events, mainly in Gondwana.
Completeness of radiosonde humidity observations based on the Integrated Global Radiosonde Archive
Authors: Ferreira António P. , Nieto Raquel , Gimeno Luis
Published: May 2019

Abstract. Radiosonde measurements
from the 1930s to present give unique information on the distribution and
variability of water vapor in the troposphere. The sounding data from the
Integrated Global Radiosonde Archive (IGRA) Version 2 are examined here until
the end of 2016, aiming to describe the completeness of humidity observations
(simultaneous measurements of pressure, temperature, and humidity) in
different times and locations. Upon finding the stations with a
non-negligible number of radiosonde observations in their period of record,
thus removing pilot-balloon stations from IGRA, the selected set (designated
IGRA-RS) comprises 1723 stations, including 1300 WMO stations, of which 178
belong to the current GCOS Upper-Air Network (GUAN) and 16 to the GCOS
Reference Upper-Air Network (GRUAN). Completeness of humidity observations
for a radiosonde station and a full year is herein defined by five basic
parameters: number of humidity soundings, fraction of days with humidity
data, average vertical resolution, average atmospheric pressure and altitude
at the highest measuring level, and maximum number of consecutive days
without data. The observations eligible for calculating precipitable water
vapor – i.e., having adequate vertical sampling between the surface and
500 hPa – are particularly studied. The present study presents the global
coverage of humidity data and an overall picture of the temporal and vertical
completeness parameters over time. This overview indicates that the number of
radiosonde stations potentially useful for climate studies involving humidity
depends not only on their record length, but also on the continuity,
regularity, and vertical sampling of the humidity time series. Additionally,
a dataset based on IGRA is described with the purpose of helping climate and
environmental scientists to select radiosonde data according to various
completeness criteria – even if differences in instrumentation and observing
practices require extra attention. This dataset consists of two main subsets:
(1)  statistical metadata for each IGRA-RS station and year within the period
of record; and (2) metadata for individual observations from each station.
These are complemented by (3) a list of the stations represented in the whole
dataset, along with the observing periods for humidity (relative humidity or
dew-point depression) and the corresponding counts of observations. The
dataset is to be updated on a 2-year basis, starting in 2019, and is
available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1332686.
OceanMesh2D 1.0: MATLAB-based software for two-dimensional unstructured mesh generation in coastal ocean modeling
Authors: Roberts Keith J. , Pringle William J. , Westerink Joannes J.
Published: May 2019

Abstract. OceanMesh2D is a set of MATLAB functions with preprocessing and post-processing
utilities to generate two-dimensional (2-D) unstructured meshes for coastal
ocean circulation models. Mesh resolution is controlled according to a
variety of feature-driven geometric and topo-bathymetric functions. Mesh
generation is achieved through a force balance algorithm to locate vertices
and a number of topological improvement strategies aimed at improving the
worst-case triangle quality. The placement of vertices along the mesh
boundary is adapted automatically according to the mesh size function,
eliminating the need for contour simplification algorithms. The software
expresses the mesh design and generation process via an objected-oriented
framework that facilitates efficient workflows that are flexible and
automatic. This paper illustrates the various capabilities of the software
and demonstrates its utility in realistic applications by producing
high-quality, multiscale, unstructured meshes.
SYNTHETIC THERMAL BACKGROUND AND OBJECT TEXTURE GENERATION USING GEOMETRIC INFORMATION AND GAN
Authors: Mizginov V. A. , Danilov S. Y.
Published: May 2019

Abstract. Nowadays methods based on deep neural networks show the best performance among image recognition and object detection algorithms. Nevertheless, such methods require to have large databases of multispectral images of various objects to achieve state-of-the-art results. Therefore the dataset generation is one of the major challenges for the successful training of a deep neural network. However, infrared image datasets that are large enough for successful training of a deep neural network are not available in the public domain. Generation of synthetic datasets using 3D models of various scenes is a time-consuming method that requires long computation time and is not very realistic. This paper is focused on the development of the method for thermal image synthesis using a GAN (generative adversarial network). The aim of the presented work is to expand and complement the existing datasets of real thermal images. Today, deep convolutional networks are increasingly used for the goal of synthesizing various images. Recently a new generation of such algorithms commonly called GAN has become a promising tool for synthesizing images of various spectral ranges. These networks show effective results for image-to-image translations. While it is possible to generate a thermal texture for a single object, generation of environment textures is extremely difficult due to the presence of a large number of objects with different emission sources. The proposed method is based on a joint approach that uses 3D modeling and deep learning. Synthesis of background textures and objects textures is performed using a generative-adversarial neural network and semantic and geometric information about objects generated using 3D modeling. The developed approach significantly improves the realism of the synthetic images, especially in terms of the quality of background textures.
The Impact of Unconventional Monetary Policy on Gendered Wealth Inequality
Authors: Young Brigitte
Published: May 2019

Unconventional monetary policy was implemented as a result of the financial crisis and resulted in rising asset prices in the stock markets. While the increase in asset prices is not exclusively triggered by unconventional monetary policy, central bankers accept that unconventional monetary policy has resulted in distributional effects on wealth, and that these are not negligible. What is missing are studies analyzing whether these non-standard monetary policies have different distributional effects on women and men. The intent of the paper is to interrogate whether unconventional monetary policy of central banks has a gender bias that operates in favor of men as gender and against women as gender. Relying on insights from feminist economics, the paper uses the results of the ECB Household Finance and Consumption Survey (HFCS) of 62,000 household across 15 euro-area countries. While the results are tentative, they show an asymmetric distributional gendered impact. Since the rich own more assets than the poor, and since monetary easing works in part by raising asset prices, these unconventional policies may unintentionally benefit the wealthier quintile (on average more male) at the expense of the poorer strata of society (on average more female).
"Gros populas". La Boétie como malentendido sintomático
Authors: Cappelli Guido
Published: May 2019

Con su ímpetu retórico, con su aroma a canto por la libertad, el brillante y exitoso Discours de la servitude volontaire de Étienne de la Boétie (s. XVI) ha fascinado a varias generaciones de intelectuales, hasta convertirse, bon gré mal gré, en la coartada perfecta para justificar un sistema como el liberalismo político de nuestra época –no importa si “progresista” o reaccionario–, que se presenta como “democrático”, pero que en realidad reposa en el dominio de unas elites políticas y económicas que controlan a una indistinta y difusa “clase media” que cada vez se parece más al peligroso “populacho” evocado en el panfleto. Este ensayo busca revisar la literatura crítica sobre la obra proponiendo una lectura que la vincula a la doctrina política anterior y, al mismo tiempo, al clima histórico de la Monarquía francesa contemporánea. Por ahí, aparecen las contradicciones de un texto que, mientras parece defender las instancias de la libertad individual y la igualdad política, oculta razones, de honda raigambre oligárquica, que apuntan a la defensa de clase y a la desconfianza hacia el naciente Estado moderno, basado en el consenso popular y en la burocracia centralizada, y representado, gramscianamente, por la Monarquía francesa en vías de definitiva consolidación y afirmación.
Hygienic quality and composition of raw sheep's bulk milk samples on selected Slovak farms during year 2018
Authors: Vršková Martina , Tančin Vladimí­r , Uhrinčať Michal , Mačuhová Lucia , Tvarožková Kristí­na
Published: May 2019

At the control of raw ewe's milk (REM) quality is a major microbiological criterion to the total bacterial count (TBC). The aim of our work was to determine the incidence of technologically important species of microorganisms in REM in Slovak Republic. At the monitored 28 ewe´s farms, we took bulk milk samples from evening or morning milking in spring, summer and autumn during year 2018. We analyzed nutrients (fat, protein, lactose and urea) and somatic cell count (SCC). We established technologically important microorganisms (MO) of psychotrophic MO, coliform MO, thermoresistant MO, spore-forming anaerobic MO. We have found a gradual increase in milk components, except for lactose, which is apparently related to the increasing cont of somatic cells during the milking period. We found that the TBC in raw sheep's milk complied an average of 132 x 103 CFU.mL-1 per spring (min 34 x 103 CFU.mL-1, max 501 x 103 CFU.mL-1), 300 x 103 CFU.mL-1 in summer (min. 31 x 103 CFU.mL-1, max 640 x 103 CFU.mL-1) and in autumn with an average value of 147 x 103 CFU.mL-1 (min 52 x 103 CFU.mL-1, max 276 x 103 CFU.mL-1). The enormous occurrence of psychrotrophic bacteria was found in one farm in northern Slovakia during spring and summer, in the summer we increased our number to 3 farms, in the autumn of 2 farms. At the other farms we evaluated the average value of 12 x 103 CFU.mL-1 per spring and 28 x 103 CFU.mL-1 in summer, 130.5 x 103 CFU.mL-1 in the autumn. The count of thermoresistent MO achieved 57 CFU.mL-1 per spring, 15 CFU.mL-1 in summer and 33 CFU.mL-1 in the autumn. The presence of spore-forming anaerobic MO in raw ewe´s milk was found during spring at six farms out of 15, but in the summer at just one in 9, in the autumn two farms.
Religious Emotion as a Form of Religious Experience
Authors: Ferran Íngrid Vendrell
Published: May 2019

This article argues that religious emotions are variations of general emotions that we already know from our everyday life, which nevertheless exhibit specific features that enable us to think of them as forming a coherent subclass. The article claims that there is an experience of joy, sorrow, regret, fear, and so on that is specifically religious. The aim is to develop an account that specifies what makes them “religious.” The argument is developed in three stages. The first section develops a phenomenologically inspired account of the emotions by focusing on three of their moments: phenomenal quality, cognitive dependency, and intentionality. Drawing on this theory, section 2 distinguishes the class of religious emotions from similar phenomena. The third and final section examines the main features of religious emotions.
The Application of Critical Thinking in Accounting Education: A Literature Review
Authors: Abdul Latif Nurul Ezhawati , Yusuf Faizal Mohamed , Tarmezi Nurazrin Mat , Rosly Siti Zalika , Zainuddin Zairul Nurshazana
Published: May 2019

Critical Thinking is the mental process of analysing or evaluating information. The review of literature reveals that higher education, in particular is now placing an emphasis upon exposing matriculates to the concept of critical thinking and challenging them to develop those skills and dispositions necessary for improving the quality of their lives. The aim of critical thinking is to promote independent thinking, personal autonomy and reasoned judgment in thought and action. This involves two related dimensions: the ability to reason well and the disposition to do so. A structured critical thinking approach was created to train professional students for their professional market-ready development and thus becoming part of comprehensive professional training for students upon graduation. It is also an area which would pave the way for further research in one of the most critical area of human development. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the model based on the literatures done by previous researchers thus highlighting the importance of critical thinking in professional accounting education.
Teaching Students to Think - Faculty Recommendations for Teaching Evaluations Employing Automated Content Analysis
Authors: Davidovitch Nitza , Eckhaus Eyal
Published: May 2019

Many studies have been conducted on teaching evaluations completed by students and on myths and facts concerning these evaluations performed by students at academic institutions. The current study is unique in examining the meaning of teaching evaluations as perceived by academic faculty members in Israel through direct questions, with an emphasis on faculty's recommendations for improving the evaluations to make students' comments meaningful for enhancing and advancing their teaching. The perception of evaluations is unique too. Evaluations are part of faculty's learning outputs in their courses, with the aim being for graduates of academic systems to have the ability to provide objective and fair assessments.One hundred seventy seven questionnaires were gathered from senior faculty at several academic institutions. Qualitative and statistical research tools were used in order to form a model that expresses the negative implications as seen by faculty members and alternatives for measuring the performance of faculty in academic teaching. The research findings indicate that lecturers note "professional" alternatives and see teaching evaluations as a populist rather than a professional tool. Moreover, although the lecturers gauge the damage caused to them as a result of student evaluations, where the enormous damage caused to them is disproportionate to the number of respondents, and although faculty members believe that student evaluations are untrustworthy, students' opinions on the courses are important. Their recommendation is that the evaluation should be a tool for teaching how to perform evaluations and convey criticism – and in this field not much has been done in academic institutions, if at all. Academia sees evaluations as a technical matter, a means of satisfying students by letting them express their opinions and of giving students a feeling that the system is attentive to their voice, to their views.Indeed, students' voice is important to the lecturers – their opinions of teaching are important – and that is precisely why action should be taken to render these evaluations fair. Students should understand the power of the words that express their evaluation of the lecturers. This point of view is a first of its kind, where academic faculty members support students' opinions and provide recommendations aimed at their improvement.
A Correlational Study Between Some Motivational Constructs and EFL Writing Performance in a Blended Learning Environment
Authors: Amin Eman Abdel-Reheem
Published: May 2019

The present study examined the correlation between some motivational constructs and writing performance of EFL university students. Participants were female students enrolled in an English language writing course at Zulfi College of Education. Participants studied writing essays in a blended learning environment i.e., in regular classroom lectures and online via Desire2Learn (D2L) learning tools. Participants’ writing motivation was measured by a Motivational Writing Questionnaire (MWQ). Their writing performance was assessed by an EFL Writing Performance Test (WPT). For analyzing data, SPSS was used. A Pearson correlation analysis was calculated to explore the correlation between four writing motivational constructs: intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, and effort, and writing performance. Findings indicated a significant and positive correlation between writing motivational constructs and writing performance in a blended learning environment.
Inter-Stakeholders Communication in the Implementation of Village Fund Programs: An Experience in Gorontalo Province, Indonesia
Authors: Adam Sumarlin , Pattaling Pattaling , Sumai Sumarni , Obie Muhammad
Published: May 2019

This study analyzed the patterns and models of communication that occur among stakeholders in the implementation of village fund programs; communication barriers that occur; and the implementation of the village fund programs itself with the communication patterns and obstacles that occurs. Data collection was done through non-participatory observation, in-depth interviews, focused group discussion, and literature review. The results showed that stakeholders in the implementation of village fund programs carry out formal and non-formal communication patterns. The communication model found was both linear and convergent models. The communication barriers could occur in communication from top to bottom, the bottom up, horizontally, and diagonally. There are various types of communication barriers that occur in implementing village funds, namely: personal, cultural, physical, and environmental barriers. The implementation of village funds requires the village community to act as the subject of development, thus requiring the participation of all village communities, starting from the stages of planning, implementation, monitoring, to preservation.
Microfungal diversity of Juncus trifidus L. and Salix herbacea L. at isolated locations in the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains
Authors: Jacewski Brayan , Urbaniak Jacek , Kwiatkowski Paweł , Pusz Wojciech
Published: May 2019

During cold periods in the Pleistocene Epoch, many plants known as the “relict species” migrated and inhabited new areas. Together with plants, some microfungi also migrated, remaining present on plants and in plant communities. However, the relationship between fungi and the migrating plants (especially host plants) is not well understood. Therefore, we examined the diversity and distribution of microfungi associated with two migratory relict plants in the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains: Salix herbacea L. and Juncus trifidus L. In total, we found 17 taxa of fungi that were collected from nine different locations. Nine fungal taxa were collected on S. herbacea, and eight taxa on J. trifidus. Localities richest of fungi on S. herbacea were Mały Śnieżny Kocioł (Karkonosze Mts, Sudetes) and on J. trifidus, the Tatra Mts (Carpathian Mts). This work provides new insights into the distribution of fungi inhabiting S. herbacea and J. trifidus in Poland.
The Short History of the Rule of Law in the United States (1954-2016)
Authors: Rowberry Ryan
Published: May 2019

Wielu Amerykanów i obserwatorów zewnętrznych zakłada, że Stany Zjednoczone Ameryki Północnej powstały w oparciu o grupę zasad znanych pod pojęciem „praworządności”. Rzeczywiście, artykuły I, II i III Konstytucji Stanów Zjednoczonych z 1789 roku, ustanawiają zakres uprawnień władzy w ramach trzech jej równorzędnych obszarów: władzy ustawodawczej, wykonawczej i sądowniczej. Jednak przestrzeganie rządów prawa w Stanach Zjednoczonych ma znacznie krótszą historię. W ciągu XVIII, XIX i na początku XX wieku prezydenci Stanów Zjednoczonych – będący głównymi przedstawicielami władzy wykonawczej – często ignorowali lub sprzeciwiali się decyzjom władzy sądowniczej, kiedy służyło to zaspokajaniu ich ambicji czy interesów. Decyzje Sądu Najwyższego również świadczą o tym, że sądownictwo było najmniej szanowaną gałęzią władzy w Stanach Zjednoczonych. Dopiero od 1954 roku, czyli od czasu decyzji Sądu Najwyższego w sprawie Brown v. Board of Education, a zatem prawie 200 lat od powstania Stanów Zjednoczonych Ameryki, mogą one być uznane za kraj konsekwentnie realizujący zasady państwa prawa. W związku jednak z powtarzającymi się wątpliwymi i niekonstytucyjnymi taktykami stosowanymi przez administrację Donalda Trumpa okres rządów prawa w Stanach Zjednoczonych słabnie. Aby zapobiec całkowitemu upadkowi praworządności w Stanach Zjednoczonych (i w innych miejscach na świecie), zasady państwa prawa muszą być chronione i pielęgnowane. Praworządność jest bowiem tylko pewną ideą, którą należy chronić. Jeśli nie jest ciągle chroniona i kultywowana, może zamierać.
Deutungshoheit über Texte
Authors: Westphal Sandra
Published: May 2019

Die Arbeit nimmt den Diskurs über Romanverbotsverfahren – paradigmatisch sind die Fälle „Mephisto“ und „Esra“ – zum Anlass, die rechtswissenschaftliche Auseinandersetzung mit dem Stellenwert von Literaturwissenschaft in den Fällen zu analysieren, in denen behauptet wird, dass literarische Werke Persönlichkeitsrechte tangieren. Dabei ist die Arbeit ausdrücklich keine weitere dogmatische Abhandlung dieser Fälle, sondern nimmt unter intensiver Heranziehung literaturwissenschaftlichen Sachverstandes eine Meta-Perspektive ein. Das Ergebnis der Analyse ist für die Rechtswissenschaft wenig schmeichelhaft, denn nach einer intensiven Auseinandersetzung mit Literaturwissenschaft sucht man in dem Corpus rechtswissenschaftlicher Quellen vergeblich. Die Arbeit kommt auf der Grundlage dieses Befundes zu dem Ergebnis, dass es eine verbindliche Einholung literaturwissenschaftlicher Gutachten in Romanverbotsverfahren geben sollte und plädiert für mehr interdisziplinäre Kooperation.
Optimierung der Anhörungsverfahren im Planfeststellungsverfahren für Betriebsanlagen der Eisenbahnen des Bundes
Authors: Ziekow Jan , Bauer Christian , Hamann Ingo , Porth Jan , Scharpf Lucia , Vallée Tim
Published: May 2019

Das Anhörungsverfahren in der eisenbahnrechtlichen Planfeststellung birgt Herausforderungen für alle Teilnehmer, ein fristgerechter Abschluss ist die Ausnahme. Im Auftrag des Bundesministeriums für Verkehr und digitale Infrastruktur (BMVI) analysieren die Autor/-innen Problemursachen und Optimierungsmöglichkeiten für Verfahrensablauf und -organisation.
Die Verfahrensdauer verlängert sich durch rechtliche Faktoren wie gestiegene Anforderungen des Umweltrechts und tatsächliche Faktoren wie die materielle und personelle Unterausstattung einzelner Behörden, das Fehlen von Absprachen, unklare Arbeitsaufteilungen und Doppelarbeiten bei Planfeststellungs- und Anhörungsbehörden. Optimierungsvorschläge formuliert der Bericht für Ablaufplanung, Qualitätssicherung und bundesweite Prozess- und Verfahrensstandards. Zu einzelnen Verfahrensschritten enthält er Arbeitshilfen in Form von Leitfäden.
Die Reduzierung der Flächeninanspruchnahme durch das Bauplanungsrecht
Authors: Herrmann Anne
Published: May 2019

Flächeninanspruchnahme ist in Deutschland ein altbekanntes Problem. Die Politik ist sich spätestens seit den 1970er Jahren der Auswirkungen bewusst. Immer wieder werden politische Ziele, etwa in der Nachhaltigkeitsstrategie der Bundesregierung, vorgelegt. Dabei kommt dem Bauplanungsrecht eine entscheidende Rolle zu.

Die Arbeit verdeutlicht erstmals umfassend und detailliert, dass das Bauplanungsrecht eine Vielzahl von Optionen für eine Reduzierung der Flächeninanspruchnahme bereithält und untersucht zugleich, ob es auch hinreichend gerüstet ist, um einer extensiven Flächeninanspruchnahme einen Riegel vorzuschieben.

Die zahlreichen Maßnahmen für eine Reduzierung der Flächeninanspruchnahme werden anhand von Beispielen und genauen Definitionen herausgestellt sowie zueinander in eine Rangfolge gesetzt. Zu jeder Maßnahme werden die einschlägigen Normen dargestellt und gewichtet. Dabei erfasst die Arbeit sowohl die Darstellungs- und Festsetzungsmöglichkeiten in den Bauleitplänen, die Planungsziele und Planungsleitlinien der Abwägung, die Planungsersatzvorschriften als auch die Maßnahmen des Besonderen Städtebaurechts.

Darüber hinaus geht die Arbeit auf die Wirkung der für die Maßnahmen einschlägigen Normen ein. Analysiert werden dabei unter anderem das Flächenmanagement, die Ressourcenschonung der Verwaltung und mögliche Kooperationen wie etwa durch das Kooperative Städtebaurecht.
Debt Equity Swaps als finanzwirtschaftliches Sanierungsinstrument
Authors: Bronger Björn
Published: May 2019

Die Umwandlung von Forderungen eines Gläubigers gegen eine Beteiligung an der (insolventen) Gesellschaft (debt equity swap) stellt eines der wichtigsten finanziellen Sanierungsinstrumente der modernen Restrukturierungspraxis. Das Werk bietet nicht nur einen praxisorientierten Überblick über die Durchführung eines debt equity swap im Insolvenzplanverfahren, sondern analysiert auch bestehende insolvenzrechtliche, steuerrechtliche, kapitalmarktrechtliche und sonstige Herausforderungen innerhalb und außerhalb des Insolvenzverfahrens. Es verbindet diese mit praxisorientierten Lösungsvorschlägen unter Berücksichtigung der aktuellen Rechtsprechung und Gesetzgebung. Abgerundet wird das Werk durch einen umfassenden Vergleich mit Chapter 11 des U.S. amerikanischen Insolvenzrechts.

Das Werk leistet damit der Praxis wie der Rechtspolitik wertvolle Hilfestellungen und liefert darüber hinaus konkrete Reformvorschläge zur aktuellen Rechtslage, womit es sich an Praktiker (Insolvenzverwalter, Rechtsanwälte, Unternehmen, Richter, Behörden) und die Lehre gleichermaßen richtet.
Educação para o trabalho: a Escola de Aprendizes Artífices do Ceará
Authors: Candido Francineuma Guedes , Jucá Sandro César Silveira , Da Silva Solonildo Almeida , Alves Francisco Régis Vieira
Published: May 2019

RESUMO A primeira ação a impulsionar o ensino profissional no país foi a criação das Escolas de Aprendizes Artífices em 1909, por meio do Decreto 7566, de 23 de setembro. Pretende-se nesse artigo investigar historicamente a Escola de Aprendizes Artífices do Ceará no período compreendido ente 1910 e 1936 e analisar sua criação e desenvolvimento no contexto da implantação dessa rede de escolas profissionais no Brasil, tendo em vista que essas instituições constituíram o primeiro sistema de educação profissional de abrangência nacional. Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa, de caráter exploratório, desenvolvida mediante levantamento bibliográfico e análise da legislação que regulamentou as escolas durante esse período. Os resultados mostraram que essas escolas constituíram o primeiro sistema de educação profissional de abrangência nacional por estarem pautadas num projeto educacional comum, sendo regidas pelo mesmo poder administrativo, com um currículo e metodologia de ensino diferenciados e que a EAA do Ceará, apesar das dificuldades financeiras, conseguiu alcançar resultados exitosos. Pode-se concluir, portanto, que a EAA do Ceará representou um marco para o ensino de ofícios no Estado, traduzindo-se numa proposta inovadora de ensino profissional.  Palavras-chave: Educação profissional; Escola de Aprendizes Artífices; Escolas profissionais.
Desenvolvimento e validação de cartilha educativa sobre atividades físicas para pacientes com insuficiência cardíaca: relato de experiência
Authors: Souza Suéllen De Oliveira , Teixeira Karla Rebecca De Souza , Vasconcelos Thiago Brasileiro de , Macena Raimunda Hermelinda Maia , Bastos Vasco Pinheiro Diógenes
Published: May 2019

Objetivo: Elaborar e validar uma cartilha para orientação de atividades físicas em pacientes portadores de insuficiência cardíaca (IC). Métodos: A construção da cartilha educativa foi realizada em cinco etapas: seleção do conteúdo, criação das ilustrações, preparação do material baseado na literatura científica; validação do material por peritos e correção do material. Resultados: Na revisão os juízes julgaram critérios de clareza de linguagem, pertinência prática e relevância teórica. Sendo assim, o parecer dos jurados permitiu uma melhor compreensão dos itens e proporcionou benefícios a leitura do público alvo. Conclusão: Após a realização das alterações, a cartilha ganhou uma nova versão, apresentando quinze páginas e tornou-se válida do ponto de vista técnico, apresentando fácil compreensão ao público alvo e mostrando-lhes os efeitos positivos da prevenção.
Alinhamento de ferramentas de gestão do conhecimento em uma instituição de ensino superior
Authors: Klein Simone Boruck , Azevedo Salette Silveira , Silva Paula Bitar
Published: May 2019

O objetivo desta pesquisa foi a elaboração de um projeto de gestão do conhecimento em uma instituição de ensino superior. Buscou-se diagnosticar a realidade da gestão do conhecimento na IES pela aplicação do instrumento de Bukowitz e Williams (2002), bem como relacionar as ferramentas de gestão do conhecimento às características culturais da instituição. Trata-se de uma pesquisa intervencionista e quantitativa. Como resultado destaca-se os menores índices nos critérios de avaliação de novas formas de conhecimento e no descarte de conhecimento. A proposição foi de um projeto de gestão do conhecimento, composto de ferramentas tecnológicas -wikis, blogs e portais - e não tecnológicas - requisitos de capacidade futura, quadro de ação estratégica, métricas de mudança cultural, gestão de risco e seleção de processo.Palavras-chave: gestão do conhecimento; ferramentas de gestão do conhecimento; instituição de ensino superior.
Nuevas prácticas tanatológicas y la emergencia del modelo neo-moderno de la muerte
Authors: Cerrillo Vidal José Antonio
Published: May 2019

Frente a los grandes rituales colectivos y el sentido trascendente que le otorgaban las comunidades tradicionales, la Modernidad habría reducido la muerte al silencio y convertido el morir en un proceso solitario e institucionalizado. No obstante, en las últimas décadas un nuevo modelo de la muerte podría estar emergiendo en nuestras sociedades: el modelo neo-moderno, pues no cuestiona el papel central del sistema sanitario en la gestión de la muerte, pero trata de corregir los huecos que este no ha satisfecho. La muerte, así, volvería paulatinamente al espacio público, pero de forma fragmentaria y descentralizada, como un conjunto de prácticas y discursos dispersos que tendrían en común un renovado interés en hablar de la muerte y el morir. En este artículo me propongo comprobar la posible presencia del modelo neo-moderno de la muerte en una serie de productos y prácticas culturales muy diferentes. Discutiré si, en efecto, todas ellas tienen un hilo común en el modelo neo-moderno o si, como afirman otros autores, son más bien producto de la tendencia a la hipertransparencia mediática y la búsqueda de sensaciones fuertes propios de la sociedad consumista. Asimismo, examino algunas críticas formuladas al modelo y sus contradicciones internas. Concluyo tratando de anticipar tendencias futuras en el modo de morir a la luz de la evidencia presentada.Opposite to the great collective rituals and the transcendent meaning granted by traditional communities, Modernity would have reduced death to silence and transformed the act of dying into a solitary and institutionalized process. Nevertheless, in the last decades a new model of death could be emerging in our societies: the neo-modern model, since it doesn't question the central role of the sanitary system in the management of death, but tries to correct the gaps that the latter didn't achive to satisfy. Death would thus gradually return to the public space, but in a fragmented and decentralized way, as a set of scattered practices and discourses that would have in common a renewed interest in talking about death and dying. In this article I intend to verify the possible presence of the neo-modern model of death in a series of very different cultural products and practices. I will discuss whether all of them have a common thread in the neo-modern model or if, as other authors claim, they are rather a product of the tendency towards media hyper-transparency and the search for strong sensations typical of the consumerist society. I also examine some criticisms to the model and its internal contradictions. I conclude by trying to anticipate future trends in the way of dying in light of the evidence presented.
The influence of non-chemical weed control methods on sugar beet productivity and quality parameters
Authors: Balandaitė Jovita , Adamavičienė Aida , Romaneckas Kęstutis , Eimutytė Edita
Published: May 2019

A long-term stationary field experiment was carried out at the Experimental Station of Aleksandras Stulginskis University (Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy since 2019) in 2017. The following sustainable weed control methods were examined: 1) inter-row loosening (control treatment); 2) inter-row cutting and mulching with weeds; 3) inter-row cutting and mulching with Persian clover; 4) inter-row cutting and mulching with white mustards; 5) interrow cutting and mulching with spring barley. The alternatives to weed control often reduced the yields of sugar beet roots significantly, however, when mulching with white mustard the decrease in fertility was not essential. Non-chemical weed control measures in most cases had an insignificant effect on the parameters of sugar beet quality – the content of Na, K and alpha-amino N. The most significant sugar content (16.34 and 16.26%) was found in sugar beets, which were grown applying interrow mulch of spring barley and weed (P < 0.05). Although insignificant, but the largest index of sugar beet leaf area was found in the experimental plots, where inter-row cutting out and mulching with white mustard were applied. Comparing non-chemical weed control systems, the highest amount of white (crystalline) sugar (4.96 ha–1) was derived from the sugar beet that was grown using white mustard mulch.