bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Finding voice: Creating vision, the trailblazing work of Gloria Simoneaux and Harambee Arts
Authors: Simoneaux Gloria , Maller Doreen , Gogarty Lauren , Tamang Sarala
Published: October 2016

This article explores the work of international humanitarian Gloria Simoneaux who brings Expressive Arts healing practices to people in times and places of crisis. Using art as a vehicle for healing, the Harambee Arts method considers the challenges of inclusion, of vulnerability, of connection and of lovingly building communities of care and growth. Throughout her life, Gloria Simoneaux has worked with and developed programmes for the vulnerable and underserved; in 1989, she founded DrawBridge: An Arts Program for Homeless Children, still vibrant today, which has served more than 15,000 children in the San Francisco Bay Area.

My work draws on three sources – profound love and respect for children, an understanding of the powerful benefits of play as a healing tool, and a belief that everyone has something of value to deliver to society and deserves an opportunity to give back.
Can the arts help ordinary people make a difference? A private investigator’s perspective
Authors: Clemons Margaret
Published: October 2016

In this article the author describes the challenges for the ordinary person confronted with an opportunity to change a community mired in violence by using the arts. Her profound experiences in Guyana, South America, reinforce the idea that the arts can be the driving influence of change for both the community and for the author herself. Current practices in the treatment and prevention of violence against women and children in Guyana is lacking. An arts-based project focused on photographs of people’s faces taken by fifteen young people from ages 11 to 17, in black and white blown up to oversized posters (3’×5’) were pasted on the walls in communities around the capitol city of Georgetown, Guyana. The artist JR’s TED Talk statement, ‘What we see changes who we are’, was adopted to create the WITNESS Project.
Artsbridge: Conflict mitigation with Israeli and Palestinian youth
Authors: Nathan Deborah
Published: October 2016

Artsbridge Inc., founded in 2008, utilizes the arts, reflecting dialogue and expressive therapy to work with teens from Israel, The Palestinian Authority and the United States in order to empower its students to create constructive change within their communities. This article discusses their unique approach to conflict mitigation, which trains students to think critically and creatively, and to work together constructively. The intended goals of Artsbridge Inc. are to empower its students, to provide them with effective communication skills, to deal with the pernicious effects of protracted conflict, to instill a sense of hope that change is possible and to empower them to work towards that change.
Garden of Peace: Responding to the challenge of a civilization of peace
Authors: Gal-Ed Hagitte
Published: October 2016

This article focuses on insights from the application of the ARTiculation modality in trauma and conflict transformation through the Garden of Peace projects (1989–) with specific reference to the Israeli Palestinian conflict. It is argued that ARTiculation provides a safe, fact-based concrete form of knowing-by-being, thus naturally allowing to reconcile our culturally enshrined mind–body split. Due to the function of our innate Dialogic Intelligence (DIN) capacity, ARTiculation is distinguished by its natural transformative realism combining mindfulness and creative action with epigenetic insights on the individual and cultural levels in tandem.
Family controlled firm, governance mechanisms and corporate performance: Evidence from Indonesia
Authors: Suyono Eko
Published: October 2016

This study investigates, firstly, the influence of family-controlled firm on corporate performance, and secondly, the influences of corporate governance mechanisms including control variable on corporate performance in the companies listed on the Indonesian Stock Exchange. By using five years (2009-2013) company data, this study used Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression to test the hypotheses. The results based on OLS, indicate that family controlled firms tend to have better performance than non Family controlled firms. Moreover, in regard to the link between governance variables and corporate performance, only managerial ownership exhibits a positive relation with corporate performance, for both proxies, i.e. Tobins Q and ROA. Yet, the rests of governance variables (i.e. institutional ownership, audit committee, board of directors and independent board of commissioners) do not confirm the relationship with corporate performance. These findings have significant policy implications for the government, regulatory bodies, companies and other stakeholders including the investors in Indonesia to shape and implement an optimal governance system that can improve corporate performance.
The effect of emotional intelligence on burnout and the impact on the nurses service quality
Authors: Hanafi Agustina
Published: October 2016

This study attempts to analyze the effect of emotional intelligence on emotional exhaustion and this, in turn, on the quality of hospital care nurse. The subjects were nurses and patients RS RK.Charitas Palembang. This sample was taken using Non-Probability Sampling towards the nurses and patients in the patient units of the hospital Joseph 1 & 2, with the total respondents of 200 people. These were selected as sample and the data analyzed through the process using Structural Equation Model (SEM). It shows that emotional intelligence negatively affects the emotional exhaustion. Furthermore, the emotional intelligence has positive effect on the quality of nursing care. Most importantly, there is a greater direct effect of emotional intel-ligence towards service quality than the indirect effect through the emotional ex-haustion. Emotional exhaustion negatively affects the quality of nursing services.
The effect of employment, economic growth, and investment on HDI: In provinces in Indonesia
Authors: Feriyanto Nur
Published: October 2016

This study aims to analyze the effect of Number of Working People (Employment), Economic Growth Rate (EGR), and Investment on Human Development Index (HDI) in Indonesia, partially and simultaneously. This study used investments consisting of Domestic Investment (DI) and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). It used the method of analysis of panel data regression analysis with the data from thirty-three provinces in Indonesia from 2006 to 2013. The results indicate that the employment variables have positive and significant impact to HDI in Indonesia. It shows that EGR does not affect HDI in Indonesia. However, Domestic and foreign direct investments partially have positive and significant effect on HDI in Indonesia. Simultaneously, the variables employment, EGR, domestic and foreign direct investments have a significant effect on the HDI in Indonesia.
Common random fixed point theorems for contractions of rational type in ordered metric spaces
Authors: Singh Sukh Raj , Daheriya R D , Ughade Manoj
Published: October 2016

In this paper, we prove some common random fixed point theorems for mappings involving rational expression in the framework of metric spaces endowed with a partial order using a class of pairs of functions satisfying certain assumptions.
A critical discourse analysis of the New Labour discourse of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) across schools in England and Wales: Conversations with policymakers
Authors: Emery Carl
Published: October 2016

This paper reports on a critical discourse analysis (CDA) of the New Labour (1997-2010) discourse of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) in schools, and how it was understood and enacted by policymakers in England and in Wales within the context of devolved government across the UK. By SEL I mean universal school-based programs, located in the concept of children’s emotional wellbeing and concerned with developing children’s ability to understand, express and manage their emotions. Through a series of in-depth interviews with national level SEL policy actors this investigation worked to understand and identify how the SEL policy discourse worked “to privilege certain ideas and topics and speakers and exclude others” (Ball, 2008, p. 5). Through shining a critical light on the discourse of New Labour SEL policy makers this work responds to the call of Gunter et al. (2014) for critical education researchers to develop and amplify voices which challenge the current hegemonic “common sense” discourse. The findings identify that the relationship between language and political ideology in England and Wales during the New Labour years powerfully shaped the SEL policy discourse.
Reforming for “all” or for “some”: Misalignment in the discourses of education reformers and implementers
Authors: Lenhoff Sarah Winchell , Ulmer Jasmine B.
Published: October 2016

The ways in which the language of reformers intersects with and informs reform implementation is important to our understanding of how education policy impacts practice. To explore this issue, we employed critical discourse analysis (CDA) to analyze the language used by a 21st century skills-focused reform organization to promote its program alongside the language that local actors used to explain its implementation. We examined source materials, field notes, interview data, and publicly available organizational data collected over a five-year period to critically examine how discourse 1) illustrated alignment between the stated and implicit audience for the school reform program and 2) shaped subsequent implementation. Analyses suggest the reform organization promoted itself through a discourse that all students in all reform schools were being prepared for college, career, and civic life. There was a significant misalignment, however, in the discourses regarding the appropriate student audience for the reform. Local actors questioned whether the reform program 1) was suitable for all students and 2) provided necessary supports for all students in all schools. This misalignment led to uneven implementation and resulted in some educators dismissing the goals of the program as unrealistic. Given that educational agencies have considerable freedom to choose among diverse reform programs, our analysis suggests it is important to understand the discourses through which reform organizations advertise models, implementers justify adoption, and educators respond.
Locating and applying critical discourse analysis within education policy
Authors: Lester Jessica Nina , Lochmiller Chad R. , Gabriel Rachael
Published: October 2016

This article introduces the first of a two-part Special Issue on Discourse Perspectives and Education Policy. This first special issue is focused on critical discourse analysis and education policy. Within this article, we provide a brief overview of discourse analysis generally and critical discourse analysis specifically. We highlight some of the ways in which policy researchers have applied the theories and methods associated with CDA and note the methodological and substantive contributions of this work. Then, we provide an overview of the six papers included within this special issue, noting each paper’s key points and explicit links to policy. We conclude by pointing to future directions for research at the intersection of education policy and discourse studies.
Determination of communication and problem solving skills of students of tourist guiding department
Turizm rehberliği bölümü öğrencilerinin iletişim ve problem çözme becerilerinin belirlenmesi
Authors: Yıldız Semahat Banu
Published: October 2016

Communication and problem solving skill is an important competence for tourist guides who are always in contact with people. The aim of this study is to determine the levels of communication and problem solving skills of students of tourist guiding department, who are candidates of tourist guides.  In the research, descriptive research model was used, questionnaire was applied to students studying at Balikesir University Tourism Faculty Department of Tourist Guiding. Number of questionnaires from which reliable data was obtained is 178. Frequency and percentage analysis were utilized in interpretation of data for demographic variables. In order to determine the level of communication skill in the research, "Communication Skills Inventory" developed by Ersanlı and Balcı (1998) was used while "Problem Solving Inventory" which is adapted to Turkish by Taylan (1990) was used to determine problem solving skills. As a result of the research, it was identified that communication and problem solving skills of students in tourist guiding department was good. Another research result is that there is a middle level negative significant relation between students' communication skills and problem solving skills and their sub-dimensions. Moreover, no significant difference was found in communication and problem solving skills of students in tourist guiding department in terms of demographic variables. Özetİletişim ve problem çözme becerisi insanlarla sürekli ilişki içerisinde bulunan turist rehberleri için önemli bir özelliktir. Bu araştırmanın amacı, turist rehberi adayı olan turizm rehberliği bölümü öğrencilerinin iletişim ve problem çözme becerisi düzeylerinin belirlenmesidir. Araştırmada tanımlayıcı araştırma modeli kullanılmış, Balıkesir Üniversitesi Turizm Fakültesi Turizm Rehberliği bölümünde öğrenim gören öğrencilere anket uygulanmıştır. Sağlıklı veri elde edilen anket sayısı 178’dir. Demografik değişkenlere ilişkin verilerin yorumlanmasında frekans ve yüzde analizinden yararlanılmıştır. Araştırmada iletişim becerisi düzeyini belirlemek üzere Ersanlı ve Balcı (1998) tarafından geliştirilen “İletişim Becerileri Envanteri”, problem çözme becerisini saptamak amacıyla ise, Türkçe’ye uyarlaması Taylan (1990) tarafından yapılan “Problem Çözme Envanteri” kullanılmıştır. Araştırma sonucunda, araştırma kapsamında incelenen turizm rehberliği bölümü öğrencilerinin iletişim ve problem çözme becerilerinin iyi düzeyde olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Bir diğer araştırma sonucu ise öğrencilerin iletişim becerisi ile problem çözme becerisi ve alt boyutları arasında orta düzeyde negatif yönde anlamlı bir ilişki olduğudur. Ayrıca, turizm rehberliği bölümü öğrencilerinin iletişim ve problem çözme becerilerinde demografik değişkenler açısından anlamlı bir farklılık bulunamamıştır.
The treatment of severe self-injurious behavior through sensory stimulation: A case report
Authors: Saloviita Timo
Published: October 2016

Self-injurious behavior of an institutionalized man with profound intellectual disability was treated with a daily 15-min sensory stimulation program, which consisted of moving the arms and hands of the participant, swinging his body, and massage. The frequency of self-injurious behavior was measured in 10-min sessions. Using a reversal design, it was shown that sensory stimulation decreased the participant’s self-hitting behavior significantly, both in intensity and in frequency. Sensory stimulation is recommended for use in those cases in which functional analysis has shown that self-injury may be reinforced by its sensory consequences.
Modulatory effects of rutin on the expression of cytochrome P450s and antioxidant enzymes in human hepatoma cells
Authors: Karakurt Sedar
Published: October 2016

Expression of a drug and xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes, cytochrome P450s (CYPs), and antioxidant enzymes can be modulated by various factors. The flavonoid rutin was investigated for its anti-carcinogen and protective effects as well as modulatory action on CYPs and phase II enzymes in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Rutin inhibited proliferation of HEPG2 cells in a dose-dependent manner with the IC50 value of 52.7 μmol L-1 and invasion of HEPG2 cells (21.6 %, p = 0.0018) and colony formation of those invaded cells (57.4 %, p < 0.0001). Rutin treatment also significantly increased early/late-stage apoptosis in HEPG2 cells (28.9 %, p < 0.001). Treatment by rutin significantly inhibited protein expressions of cytochrome P450-dependent CYP3A4 (75.3 %, p < 0.0001), elevated CYP1A1 enzymes (1.7-fold, p = 0.0084) and increased protein expressions of antioxidant and phase II reaction catalyzing enzymes, NQO1 (2.42-fold, p < 0.0001) and GSTP1 (2.03-fold, p < 0.0001). Besides, rutin treatment significantly inhibited mRNA expression of CYP3A4 (73.2 %, p=0.0014). Also, CYP1A1, NQO1 and GSTP1 mRNA expressions were significantly increased 2.77-fold (p = 0.029), 4.85- fold (p = 0.0051) and 9.84-fold (p < 0.0001), respectively.
Occurrence of intersex in wild freshwater fish in Slovenian rivers: a histological evaluation
Authors: Vrecl Milka , Jenčič Vlasta
Published: October 2016

The aim of this preliminary research was to establish if there are intersex occurrences in wild freshwater fish in Slovenian rivers and streams. In the first study we evaluated all fish species of both sexes obtained from the river Ljubljanica from its source to mouth. In the second study we focused on the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and brown trout (Salmo trutta m. fario) males from 30 rivers and streams in different parts of Slovenia. The male gonads were histologically assessed for the presence of oocytes to determine the frequency and degree of intersex. Oocytes were found in the testicular tissue of a single grayling (Thymallus thymallus) and in the adipose tissue adjacent to the testis of a single common barbel (Barbus barbus), both from the Ljubljanica. Several cyst-like structures that resemble degenerated presumptive oocytes were also present in several trout testes. This preliminary report is the first of its kind in Slovenia. To gain a better insight into the intersex issue in Slovenia, we plan to regularly biomonitor freshwater pollution by histologically examining fish gonads and, if possible, by determining vitellogenin plasma levels in fish.
Effects of MgCl2 supplementation on blood parameters and kidney injury of rats exposed to CCl4
Authors: Mbarki Sakhria , Dhibi Sabah , Bouzenna Hafsia , Elfeki Abdelfettah , Hfaiedh Najla
Published: October 2016

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the beneficial effects of magnesium (Mg) supplementation upon carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) toxicity. Our study was carried out on 24 Wistar male rats divided into 4 batches. During a 6 week period, one group served as a control, two groups received Mg (after 4 weeks one of these groups was then treated with CCl4), and a final group was treated with CCl4 only. Under our experimental conditions, CCl4 poisoning resulted in oxidative stress indicated by a significant increase in lipid peroxidation level in renal tissues. The blood levels of creatinine and urea increased while the blood level of uric acid and proteins decreased. CCl4 also induced an increase in superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity in kidneys, in the number of red blood cells (RBC), and in hemoglobin content (Hb) and mean cell hemoglobin concentration (MCHC). However, white blood cell count (WBC), platelet count (Pl) and catalase activity (CAT) all decreased significantly. Treatment with Mg was found to alleviate most of CCl4-induced damage by decreasing lipid peroxidation and by correcting changed hematological parameters, and catalase, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide-dismutase activities. The results provide strong evidence that Mg supplementation is beneficial in protecting the kidneys from CCl4 toxicity.
Remote vital parameter monitoring in neonatology – robust, unobtrusive heart rate detection in a realistic clinical scenario
Authors: Blanik Nikolai , Heimann Konrad , Pereira Carina , Paul Michael , Blazek Vladimir , Venema Boudewijn , Orlikowsky Thorsten , Leonhardt Steffen
Published: October 2016

Vital parameter monitoring of term and preterm infants during incubator care with self-adhesive electrodes or sensors directly positioned on the skin [e.g. photoplethysmography (PPG) for oxygen saturation or electrocardiography (ECG)] is an essential part of daily routine care in neonatal intensive care units. For various reasons, this kind of monitoring contains a lot of stress for the infants. Therefore, there is a need to measure vital parameters (for instance respiration, temperature, pulse, oxygen saturation) without mechanical or conductive contact. As a non-contact method of monitoring, we present an adapted version of camera-based photoplethysmography imaging (PPGI) according to neonatal requirements. Similar to classic PPG, the PPGI camera detects small temporal changes in the term and preterm infant’s skin brightness due to the cardiovascular rhythm of dermal blood perfusion. We involved 10 preterm infants in a feasibility study [five males and five females; mean gestational age: 26 weeks (24–28 weeks); mean biological age: 35 days (8–41 days); mean weight at the time of investigation: 960 g (670–1290 g)]. The PPGI camera was placed directly above the incubators with the infant inside illuminated by an infrared light emitting diode (LED) array (850 nm). From each preterm infant, 5-min video sequences were recorded and analyzed post hoc. As the measurement scenario was kept as realistic as possible, the infants were not constrained in their movements in front of the camera. Movement intensities were assigned into five classes (1: no visible motion to 5: heavy struggling). PPGI was found to be significantly sensitive to movement artifacts. However, for movement classes 1–4, changes in blood perfusion according to the heart rate (HR) were recovered successfully (Pearson correlation: r=0.9759; r=0.765 if class 5 is included). The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Universal Hospital of the RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany (EK 254/13).
ISO 9001 standard in the development of customer satisfaction in the public sector of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Authors: Kakeš Dino , Fazlović Senad
Published: October 2016

The concept of quality management in the public sector is nowadays more popular than ever before. Since it forms in the fields of public interest, public companies, institutions and organizations are crucially important for the development and the functioning of any social and modern society. Therefore, those organisations are expected to perform transparent, efficient, democratic and socially righteous work with the goal of maintaining and improving the quality of a nation’s economic life. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the public sector is specific and additionally complicated by a complex political system, legal procedures and the constitutional structure and as such, it is often very ineffective. The main purpose of the implementation of ISO 9001 is to introduce a system of quality management and improve the quality of public services as well as to ensure customer satisfaction. Therefore, the goal of this paper is to present the concept of customer satisfaction and selected statistical methods in quality management, and to apply a part of these methods through secondary research and analysis of published reports about customer satisfaction with services of the public sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Results of the study have confirmed greater user satisfaction with service in the public sector in units of local self-government with an implemented ISO 9001 standard implemented ISO 9001 standard than in units in which the standard has not been implemented.
Empowerment in the Open Innovation Concept
Authors: Aneta Pachura
Published: October 2016

The aim of this study is an attempt to interpret the concept of „empowerment” in the perspective of open innovation issues. The text consists of a brief introduction, four sections, and summary. The main background of the research is related to the importance of the social reality of the organisation to evolving paradigms of innovation. In the face of globalization challenges, the innovation management could be interpreted as a specific system based on interdisciplinary analysis of an organisation’s social potential.

The methodology involves desk research and theoretical deliberations. As the results, this study distinguished attributes and role of empowerment in the social development process. The possibilities of an adoption of this concept to management in the open innovation context provide the theoretical contribution.
Sustainable Business Development Through Leadership in SMEs
Authors: Szczepańska-Woszczyna Katarzyna , Kurowska-Pysz Joanna
Published: October 2016

The aim of this paper is to examine the role and scope of the influence of leadership on the sustainable development of SMEs. Research methods included the theoretical analysis of scientific literature and a direct survey. The quantitative sample for analysis contained 138 managers, the representatives of companies (SMEs) located in Poland. The data was collected in November and December 2015.

The obtained results show that leadership is one of the key aspects that enable sustainability. It is more important than employee approval, beliefs of employees from individual departments and teams, a long-term strategy for the sustainable development of the company, approval by external stakeholders, and substantial financial resources. There is a statistically significant relationship between taking action related to sustainable business in the company and manager’s conviction (awareness) regarding the concept of sustainable business development as well as the influence of the manager on employees and the stimulation of their behaviour, including their development, decent treatment, communication with the manager, and the system of rewards and promotions. Managers undertake some action aimed at developing their employees. They also establish relationships with external stakeholders.

The paper presents theoretical reflections on the relationship between the sustainable business development of SMEs and leadership, also verified by the empirical study conducted among managers of private companies. The findings of the study contribute to the understanding of the connections between these constructs. The relationship between the creation of sustainable business development is analysed in depth with reference to SMEs. Entrepreneurs and managers of SMEs can benefit from the study in order to build an organisation capable of achieving effective and sustainable development.
Foreign Direct Investment and Investor Sentiment: A Causal Relationship
Authors: Hassan M. Kabir , Rashid Mamunur , Castro Esther
Published: October 2016

Past studies investigated a number of fundamental variables influencing FDI in various countries. This study offers extensive evidence on the impact of investor sentiment on net FDI flows in Malaysia. Using a vector error correction framework, this study analyzed the net FDI flows in Malaysia for 56 quarterly observations between 1998 and 2011, and reported a strong positive connection between investor sentiment index and FDI flows in the presence of other macroeconomic variables in the long- and short-run. Other important factors deciding FDI in Malaysia are real GDP, interest rate and currency value. FDI exhibited a bi-directional Granger causality with investor sentiment and gross domestic product. FDI is also Granger caused by interest rate. Decomposing the sentiment index to two sub-indexes, we find that the attitude dimension of the index hold greater influence on FDI than the market trading dimensions although both are significant. The study concludes that expectation around financial market, expected economic condition of the country and the region (i. e. ASEAN), and interest rates are important determinants of FDI in Malaysia. It is one of the findings of this study that FDI cannot be attracted simply based on economic stability of the country; rather a conducive regional atmosphere is indeed necessary. Consequently, our findings suggest that rather than implementing policies to improve macroeconomic conditions, governments should attempt to improve the perception and outlook of Malaysia to foreign investors in order to increase FDI flows into the country. Investing in bilateral (and/or multilateral) relationships can be one of the steps to create a positive impression for the region to attract more foreign companies.
Production and Preliminary Characterization of Antioxidant Polysaccharide by Submerged Culture of Culinary and Medicinal Fungi Cordyceps militaris CICC14013
Authors: Chen Wan , Liu Gaoqiang , Yang Huandong , Wu Zhichao , Yang Hailong
Published: October 2016

Polysaccharides from Cordyceps militaris show multiple biological activities, such as antioxidation, antitumor, antivirus and immunomodulating properties, etc. The nutritional requirements for antioxidant polysaccharide bio-synthesis by submerged culture of C. militaris were evaluated on the basis of assay for DPPH radical scavenging ability and reducing power in this work. The results showed the best antioxidant activity of polysaccharide could be achieved when the media consisted of mannose, peptone, MgSO4, Na2HPO4, and KH2PO4. Furthermore, the main fraction of antioxidant polysaccharide, CMP-2, was preliminary isolated from the fermentation broth of C. militaris by ethanol precipitation, filtration, and DEAE cellulose-52 chromatography. CMP-2 was composed of mannose, rhamnose, glucose and galactose in a ratio of 2527:164:172:100, and had an average molecular weight (Mw) of approximately 8175 Da. The results suggested antioxidant polysaccharide could be produced by submerged culture of C. militaris and the medium composition significantly affected its DPPH radical scavenging ability and reducing power.
Banking Services and Distribution Channels – Evolution and Prospects
Authors: Murowaniecki Łukasz
Published: October 2016

The article presents the process of evolution of banking services and banking distribution channels. It deals with the history and identifies main factors that affecting the change. In the following discussion, it presents phenomena that affect the future appearance of banking. These include changes in the economic and technological environment.
Laws That Enable Partnerships: The Case ofProyecto Pensilvaniain Bogotá, Colombia
Authors: Danese Giuseppe , Martinez Candace A.
Published: October 2016

Waste picking is an informal economy activity that has attracted a large amount of research across the social sciences. We contribute to the debate on informality and its institutional determinants through case study analysis. We present a unique partnership between waste pickers and firms operating in Colombia calledProyecto Pensilvania. We argue that two specific sets of laws made this partnership possible. The first grants legal recognition to the activity pursued by the waste pickers, who become “waste entrepreneurs.” This is a key initial step to bring informal sector workers into the realm of the formal economy. The second grants special legal protection to the associations of waste pickers when they compete for inclusion in the local waste management plans. This is a way to incentivize waste pickers to join associations.Proyecto Pensilvaniadecreases transaction costs, generates income for disenfranchised groups of individuals and limits environmental degradation. The regulatory reforms that led to its establishment can be imitated by other countries with sizable waste picker populations.
Production of chitosan oligosaccharides for inclusion in a plant biostimulant
Authors: Goñi Oscar , Quille Patrick , O’Connell Shane
Published: October 2016

The use of biostimulants to enhance crop productivity is beginning to be adopted into mainstream agricultural practice. There is an emerging consensus on the critical role that low-cost and scalable chitosan oligosaccharide production systems can play in meeting the demands of this “greener” approach in agriculture. The objective of our research was to produce chitosan oligosaccharides (CHOS) mixtures that can work as plant biostimulants using cost effective enzymes. Commercial chitosans with a consistent formulation and available in bulk were used in the study. Chitosans were characterized in terms of degree of N-acetylation (pH-metric titration) and molecular weight (Ubbelohde viscometer). The yield of the CHOS were determined along with their physicochemical characteristics. The biological activity of the different CHOS mixtures were evaluated for efficacy against a fungal pathogen (F. oxysporum) in the susceptible tomato cultivar ‘Moneymaker’. The performance of some CHOS resulted in significant enhancements in a number of plant health indicators such as increased biomass, disease control and induction of ISR markers. Finally, the optimal CHOS preparation in terms of plant bioactivity was scaled up and validated by a preliminary field trial with the industrial tomato cultivar ‘H9661’. The effectiveness of this treatment on crop productivity was consistent with the results observed in the lab and similar to other commercial plant biostimulants.
Language Adaptation for Extending Post-Editing Estimates for Closely Related Languages
Authors: Rios Miguel , Sharoff Serge
Published: October 2016

This paper presents an open-source toolkit for predicting human post-editing efforts for closely related languages. At the moment, training resources for the Quality Estimation task are available for very few language directions and domains. Available resources can be expanded on the assumption that MT errors and the amount of post-editing required to correct them are comparable across related languages, even if the feature frequencies differ. In this paper we report a toolkit for achieving language adaptation, which is based on learning new feature representation using transfer learning methods. In particular, we report performance of a method based on Self-Taught Learning which adapts the English-Spanish pair to produce Quality Estimation models for translation from English into Portuguese, Italian and other Romance languages using the publicly available Autodesk dataset.
Removal of U(VI) from aqueous solutions using Shewanella sp. RCRI7, isolated from Qurugöl Lake in Iran
Authors: Zaheri Abdehvand Adib , Keshtkar Alireza , Fatemi Faezeh , Tarhriz Vahideh , Hejazi Mohammad Saeid
Published: October 2016

Isolation, genotypic and phenotypic characterization of an aqueous bacterium, Shewanella sp RCRI7, from Qurugöl Lake in Iran and uranium removal from aqueous solutions using the isolate is described. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis and phylogenetic tree, strain RCRI7T falls into genus Shewanella. Closely related type strains include Shewanella
xiamenensis S4T KJ542801, Shewanella
profunda DSM15900T FR733713, Shewanella
putrefaciens LMG 26268T X81623 and Shewanella
oneidensis MR-1T AE014299. Anaerobic incubation of the bacteria in the presence of U(VI) led to uranium removal from the solution and formation of a black precipitate. Analysis of the precipitate using UV-vis confirmed the reduction of U(VI) to U(IV). The effects of pH, temperature, U(VI) concentration and cell density on uranium removal were elucidated. The maximum uranium removal was 97%. As a conclusion, the findings revealed the ability of the local strain RCRI7 for U(VI) bioreduction as an effective bacterium for uranium immobilization.
Waters in room temperature and cryo protein crystal structures
Authors: Carugo Oliviero
Published: October 2016

Since it has been observed that low temperature protein crystal structures may differ from room temperature structures, it is necessary to compare systematically the protein hydration structure in low and room protein crystal structures. High quality data sets of protein structures were built in an extremely rigorous manner and crystal symmetry was included in the identification of four types of water molecules (buried in the protein core, deeply inserted into crevices at the protein surface, first and second hydration layers). More water molecules are observed at low temperature only if the resolution is better than 2.1–2.3 Å. At worse resolution, temperature does not play any role. The numerous water molecules that become detectable at low temperature and at higher resolution are more mobile, relative to the protein average flexibility. Despite that, the occupancy does not depend on temperature. It can be hypothesized that water structure and around proteins and hydrogen bond network do not depend on the temperature, at least in the temperature range examined here. At low temperature more water molecules are detected because the average flexibility of all the atoms decreases, so that also water molecules that are considerably more mobile than the average atoms become observable in the electron density maps.
Monoclinic superstructure of Pr3Rh4Ge4
Authors: Voßwinkel Daniel , Hoffmann Rolf-Dieter , Greiwe Magnus , Eul Matthias , Pöttgen Rainer
Published: October 2016

Pr3Rh4Ge4 was synthesized by melting of the elements in an arc-melting furnace followed by annealing in a sealed tantalum ampoule in a muffle furnace. Structure refinement was based on temperature dependent single-crystal X-ray diffractometer data. At ambient temperature Pr3Rh4Ge4 adopts the U3Ni4Si4 type structure with strongly enhanced anisotropic displacement parameters for Rh1. Below 230 K additional reflections start to appear and at 110 K the structure could be described with the (3+1)D superspace group I2/m(α0γ)00; α=1/2, γ=1/2; (Z=2). This commensurately modulated structure could be refined with 1448 F
2 values, 39 variables and residuals of wR=0.0417 for the main reflections and wR=0.1520 for the satellites of 1st order, [a=408.36(2), b=421.12(3) and c=2504.4(2) pm]. The commensurate description could be transformed to a 3D supercell with space group A2/m and Z=4: a=816.72(2), b=421.12(3), c=2537.5(1) pm, β=99.26(1)°, 1448 F
2 values, 69 variables and wR=0.0499. The relation of the U3Ni4Si4 type structure, the (3+1)D modulated and the 3D supercell is discussed on the basis of a group–subgroup scheme. Temperature dependent magnetic susceptibility data reveal Curie–Weiss paramagnetism with an experimental moment of 3.72(2) μB/Pr atom and a Weiss constant of –12.6(5) K. No magnetic ordering is evident down to 3 K.
A Spectroscopic Approach with Theoretical Studies to Study the Interaction of 9-aminoacridine with Certain Phenols
Authors: Manivannan Chandrakumar , Vijay Solomon Rajadurai , Venuvanalingam Ponnambalam , Renganathan Rajalingam
Published: October 2016

The influence of phenols upon the fluorescence quenching of 9-aminoacridine (9-AA) was examined in acetonitrile solution by employing steady state and time-resolved fluorescence measurements. On increasing the concentration of quencher molecules the absorption spectra of 9-AA change with significant bathochromic shift. The fluorescence intensity of 9-AA change in presence of quencher molecules were measured at various temperatures as a function of the quencher concentrations. The observed bimolecular quenching rate constant (kq) depends on the nature and electronic effect of substituent present in the quencher molecules. The bimolecular quenching rate constant (kq) decreases on increasing the oxidation potential of quencher molecules. To examine the quenching behavior, kq values were correlated with the free energy change (ΔG). To get forthcoming in the quenching process, fluorescence quenching experiments were carried out in different solvents of varying polarities. The observed result suggest the involvement of charge-transfer quenching mechanism. Lifetime measurements support static quenching. Further, the radical scavenging potential is calculated from density functional theory (DFT) calculations to address the quenching behavior of the quencher molecules. DFT result reveals that electronic features are important in tuning the quenching ability of the quencher molecules and found to agree with the obtained experiment result.
Surface Hydroxyl OH Defects of η-Al2O3 and χ-Al2O3 by Solid State NMR, XRD, and DFT Calculations
Authors: Khabibulin Dzhalil F. , Papulovskiy Evgeniy , Andreev Andrey S. , Shubin Aleksandr A. , Volodin Alexander M. , Zenkovets Galina A. , Yatsenko Dmitriy A. , Tsybulya Sergey V. , Lapina Olga B.
Published: October 2016

For the first time, the detailed structure of χ-Al2O3 and η-Al2O3 surface has been established by implementing the NMR crystallography approach. The surface of η-Al2O3 has been demonstrated to be formed primarily by the (111) facets, while the χ-Al2O3 surface is a combination of (111) and (110) facets. This observation supports the block model of aluminum oxides previously proposed by Tsybulya and Kryukova [S. V. Tsybulya, G. N. Kryukova, Phys. Rev. B 77 (2008) 024112.]. The additional terminal OH groups, observed experimentally and not contributing to (111) and (110) theoretical calculations, are considered to be bonded to the tetrahedral aluminum sites. Their origin is related to the junctions of crystallographic faces of spinel building blocks, being a part of discussed model. Higher content of these terminal OH groups in χ-Al2O3 is a result of more junctions in the case of its more mosaic structure compared to η-Al2O3.
THz ESR study of Spinel Compound GeCo2O4
Authors: Okubo Susumu , Ohta Hitoshi , Ijima Tatsuya , Yamasaki Tatsuya , Zhang Weimin , Hara Shigeo , Ikeda Shinichi , Oshima Hiroyuki , Takahashi Miwako , Tomiyasu Keisuke , Watanabe Tadataka
Published: October 2016

We performed terahertz ESR measurements of spin frustrated spinel compound GeCo2O4 using pulsed magnetic fields of up to 40 T. A very broad EPR absorption line was observed at 86 K. The g-values at 86 K were estimated to be g=5.26±0.07, 5.16±0.12 and 4.98±0.07 for B//[111], [100] and [110], respectively. High-field ESR measurements revealed complicated phase structures and a field-induced magnetic phase below 3 K. Critical fields of magnetic phases at 1.8 K for B//[111] were observed at 1.8 T, 5.0 T, 8.6 T, 11.0 T and 12.9 T for B//[111]. An energy gap of 300 GHz (=14.4 K=1.24 meV), which was related to the lattice deformation, was observed for B//[111]. The zero field gap of ω
4 mode, which is considered to be a singlet-triplet excitation of the di-tetramer, was estimated to be 1120 GHz.
Photoinduced Electron Transfer in Dyads with (R)-/(S)-Naproxen and (S)-Tryptophan
Authors: Khramtsova Ekaterina A. , Ageeva Alexandra A. , Stepanov Alexander A. , Plyusnin Viktor F. , Leshina Tatyana V.
Published: October 2016

Short-lived intermediates arising from the donor-acceptor interaction of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) – (S)-naproxen (NPX) and its (R)-enantiomer with the tryptophan amino acid residue (Trp) have been studied by spin chemistry and photochemistry methods. The donor-acceptor interaction has caried out in a model linked system – dyad under the UV-irradiation. Interest in the NPX-Trp dyad diastereomers is connected with the possibility of using them as models of ligand-enzyme binding as long as amino acid residues are located at the enzyme’s active centers. It is these residues that interact with NSAID during the binding. It is widely thought that charge transfer processes are involved in the process of drug-enzyme binding. Withing this framework the role of charge transfer in NPX-Trp excited state quenching have been investigated. The analysis of the chemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization (CIDNP), as well as fluorescence kinetics and quantum yield in different polarity media has shown that the main channel of NPX fluorescence quenching is the intramolecular electron transfer between NPX and Trp fragments. Electron transfer rate constants and fluorescence quantum yields of diastereomers have demonstrated stereodifferentiation.
Determination of all Dimensions of CdSe Seeded CdS Nanorods Solely via their UV/Vis Spectra
Authors: Adel Patrick , Bloh Julian , Hinrichs Dominik , Kodanek Torben , Dorfs Dirk
Published: October 2016

In the present manuscript we develop a method to determine all characteristic dimensions of CdSe seeded CdS nanorods solely via their extinction spectra without the need for electron microscopical investigations. In detail, the core diameter as well as the overall diameter and length and the molar extinction coefficient can all be derived from characteristic points in the absorption spectra. We carefully investigate in which size regime our assumptions are valid and give an estimation of the expected error, making it possible for the reader to decide whether this method is sufficiently accurate for their respective system. Our method displays a comfortable and fast route to analyze these nowadays often used nanorods.
Deep RNA sequencing analysis of syncytialization-related genes during BeWo cell fusion
Authors: Zheng Ru , Li Yue , Sun Huiying , Lu Xiaoyin , Sun Bao-Fa , Wang Rui , Cui Lina , Zhu Cheng , Lin Hai-Yan , Wang Hongmei
Published: October 2016

The syncytiotrophoblast (STB) plays a key role in maintaining the function of the placenta during human pregnancy. However, the molecular network that orchestrates STB development remains elusive. The aim of this study was to obtain broad and deep insight into human STB formation via transcriptomics. We adopted RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) to investigate genes and isoforms involved in forskolin (FSK)-induced fusion of BeWo cells. BeWo cells were treated with 50 μM FSK or dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as a vehicle control for 24 and 48 h, and the mRNAs at 0, 24 and 48 h were sequenced. We detected 28,633 expressed genes and identified 1902 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) after FSK treatment for 24 and 48 h. Among the 1902 DEGs, 461 were increased and 395 were decreased at 24 h, whereas 879 were upregulated and 763 were downregulated at 48 h. When the 856 DEGs identified at 24 h were traced individually at 48 h, they separated into 6 dynamic patterns via a K-means algorithm, and most were enriched in down–even and up–even patterns. Moreover, the gene ontology (GO) terms syncytium formation, cell junction assembly, cell fate commitment, calcium ion transport, regulation of epithelial cell differentiation and cell morphogenesis involved in differentiation were clustered, and the MAPK pathway was most significantly regulated. Analyses of alternative splicing isoforms detected 123,200 isoforms, of which 1376 were differentially expressed. The present deep analysis of the RNA-Seq data of BeWo cell fusion provides important clues for understanding the mechanisms underlying human STB formation.
Kreditwürdigkeitsprüfung, Exploration und Beratung bei Immobiliar-Verbraucherdarlehen nach der Umsetzung der Wohnimmobilienkreditrichtlinie
Authors: Buck-Heeb Petra , Lang Volker
Published: October 2016

Durch die Umsetzung europäischen Rechts sind im BGB jetzt nicht nur neue Beratungspflichten im Vorfeld der Kreditvergabe, sondern auch eine zivilrechtliche Pflicht zur Kreditwürdigkeitsprüfung vorgesehen. Gleichzeitig sind nun mit den §§ 505a ff. BGB zivilrechtliche Rechtsfolgen bei Verstoß gegen die letztgenannte Pflicht festgeschrieben. Mit all dem gehen zahlreiche noch offene Fragen einher, mit denen sich sowohl Praxis als auch Wissenschaft auseinanderzusetzen haben. Im Folgenden soll einigen von diesen nachgegangen werden.
Trinakija – dabartinė Maltos sala
Authors: R. Vella Horatio C.
Published: October 2016

Straipsnio autorius, remdamasis kruopščia ir išsamia antikinių šaltinių (Homero Odisėjos, Vergilijaus Eneidos, Apolonijo Rodiečio Argonautikos) kelionės maršrutų, geografinių aprašymų ir epuose minimų vietovardžių analize bei su šiomis temomis susijusia gausia kritine literatūra, teigia, kad Antikos autorių minima Trinakijos (Θρινακία) sala, kurioje Odisėjas pabuvojo prieš patekdamas pas Kalipsę, gali būti identifikuojama su dabartine Maltos sala, o ne su Sicilija, šaltiniuose kartais vadinama Trinakrija (Τρινακρία).
KĄ RAFINUOTIEJI PRANCŪZAI MANĖ APIE LIETUVIŠKAS MEŠKAS
Authors: Banytė Elžbieta
Published: October 2016

(Nijolė Vaičiulėnaitė-Kašelionienė, Lietuvos įvaizdis prancūzų literatūroje: vienos barbarybės istorija, Vilnius: Vilniaus pedagoginio universiteto leidykla, 2011)