bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of U.S., Kenyan, and Finnish Discourse Patterns in a Cross-Cultural Digital Makerspace Learning Community Through the IBE-UNESCO Global Competences Framework
Authors: Espino Danielle P. , Lee Seung B. , Van Tress Lauren , Baker Toby T. , Hamilton Eric R.
Published: May 2020

In 2017, the International Bureau of Education (IBE) at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) put forth seven global competences to address accelerating technological progress and increasing levels of complexity and uncertainty affecting many facets of society (Marope, 2017). These competences were used in examining participant discourse in a global, collaborative digital makerspace environment, where students ages 12 to 17 from six countries develop and share STEM-focused media artifacts. The participants communicate synchronously through video conference calls, referred to as online global meet-ups. The meet-ups allow students to present media artifacts they have created, share ideas, exchange information, and provide feedback. In this analysis, epistemic network analysis (ENA), a technique in quantitative ethnography, is used to examine the connections made among the IBE-UNESCO global competences in a meet-up involving participants from Finland, Kenya, and the U.S. ENA network models were created initially for the three sites, then further disaggregated by time segment to analyze how participant discourse patterns may have evolved in each context. Through this approach, the paper explores more broadly the interactive role of media making, cross-cultural engagement, and collaborative learning in the development of global competences in students.
Occupational Therapy Practice Guidelines for Early Childhood: Birth–5 Years
Authors: Clark Gloria Frolek , Kingsley Karrie L.
Published: May 2020

Importance: This Practice Guideline provides stakeholders with a condensed summary of a large number of effectiveness studies. It is a valuable tool for facilitating decision making related to occupational therapy interventions for children ages birth–5 yr.

Objective: Early childhood (birth–5 yr) is a critical period in which the foundation of key life occupations is developed (e.g., eating, dressing, play, learning, social participation, rest and sleep, and chores). The development of cognitive, motor, social–emotional, and self-care skills is important to support these occupations. This Practice Guideline synthesizes recent systematic reviews (SRs) on these areas of development to promote decision making for and high-quality interventions with this population.

Method: Four SRs related to cognition, mental health, motor function, and ADLs analyzed studies published from 2010 to 2017 retrieved from six electronic databases (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, ERIC, OTseeker, and Cochrane).

Results: A total of 196 articles were included in the SRs, which served as a guide to final clinical recommendations. Case studies describe translation and application to practice.

Conclusions and Recommendations: A variety of interventions within the domain of occupational therapy were found to support the development of cognitive, social–emotional, motor, and self-care skills. Although some of these interventions are typically implemented by occupational therapy practitioners, others can be implemented by parents after training or by teams working in preschool settings. These findings should be used to inform evidence-based practice provided by occupational therapy practitioners working in various early childhood settings.

What This Article Adds: This Practice Guideline gives occupational therapy practitioners clear information about which interventions will be effective for specific outcomes. Better intervention choices mean better outcomes for young children and their families.
Practising Diplomacy in the Mamluk Sultanate
Authors: Behrens-Abouseif Doris
Published: May 2020

Elaborate and sensational gifts were the hallmark of Mamluk diplomacy. In firm control of the medieval spice trade as well as the holy sites of Christianity and Islam, the Sultanate’s capital at Cairo became a diplomatic crossroads in the medieval world and the seat of a new Islamic caliphate. Already victorious over both the Crusaders and the Mongols, their military success and lavish religious patronage were not enough to ensure the dynasty's prestige: the Mamluk Sultans were often reminded of their slave origins, impugned by rivals as ‘pagans’ recruited to faith and service by purchase. In response, the sultans staged brilliant performances in Cairo and dispatched carefully designed diplomatic gifts all over the medieval world. These marvellous displays were the crowning ornament of Mamluk legitimacy, celebrated from Europe to the Far East. Drawing on extensive primary sources and fieldwork in museums across the world, Doris Behrens-Abouseif is the first to treat this important subject in depth and here reveals an unexplored aspect of Middle Eastern material culture.

Composed of spectacular elements such as spices, exotic animals, Chinese porcelain, ceremonial textiles and military and equestrian objects - not to mention humans, either living or as severed heads - the regal offering varied in combination and emphasis according to the status and circumstances of giver and receiver, but always created a sensation. Acknowledging the established historical precedents of diplomacy and regal gift-giving, the author examines the nuance of cultural and political realities in period diplomacy as well as the transmission of encrypted messages, illuminating the subtle conveyance of self-representation and identity in medieval Cairo and the world beyond. With ground-breaking new research, this book - richly illustrated in colour - provides a comprehensive view of the art and politics of the Mamluk diplomatic gift, by which these sultans of humble origins created a magnificent image of themselves in the courts of their Muslim rivals and allies worldwide. It will prove essential reading for both students and scholars.
Antecedents 0f Women WorkForce Conflict and Turnover: The Role of Culture and Environment
Authors: Khan Zarmina , Siddiqui Danish Ahmed
Published: May 2020

Resolving workforce conflict and turnover issues have being a great concern. Even a greater challenge is to know how this conflict takes place. Organizations working to overcome gender inequality find it even more difficult to cope up with this situation when conflict arises in the Women Workforce. This study aims to explore the reason for Women Workforce conflict and turnover, and particularly explore the role of culture and environment. We proposed a theoretical framework explaining this phenomenon. We hypothesized that various factors such as Psychological work factors, lack of Diversity, incivility, Discriminatory HR planning, no identity separation, and Gender inequality negatively affect both work both culture and environment. And this would ultimately lead to women workforce turnover and conflicts. We establish its empirical validity by conducting a survey using a close-ended questionnaire. Data was collected from 314 individuals and analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structured equation modeling. The results showed that Diversity, and Identity Separation have a positive whereas Gender Inequality, and Discriminatory HR Planning have a negative significant effect on the Work Environment. Moreover, the work environment in turn positively affects Women Workforce Turnover and Workforce Conflict. Psychosocial work Factors also positively affect work culture, which subsequently affects both and Women Workforce Turnover, and Conflict. Hence work environment, and culture both play an effective mediatory role in-between these factors and Women Workforce Turnover, and Conflict. Findings imply that Culture and work environment should have been considered in a professional and well-directed manner.
Urban Spatial Expansion, Urban Compactness, and Average Travel Demand in the US Urbanized Areas
Authors: Su Qing
Published: May 2020

This paper examines the impact of a wide variety of factors on spatial size, spatial compactness measured by population density, and average travel demand measured by daily vehicle miles traveled per capita. The simultaneous equation regression results indicate real average household income has a positive impact on spatial size and average travel demand while a negative impact on urban spatial compactness. Transportation cost measured by fuel cost per mile has a negative impact on spatial size while a positive impact on urban spatial compactness. Among the land use policy tools, urban growth boundary has a positive impact on urban compactness while minimum lot size has a positive impact on urban spatial size.
What the Stones Might Not Tell: Questioning the Attribution of Edith Wharton's Print Debut
Authors: Wegener Frederick
Published: May 2020

This article reconsiders the attribution to sixteen-year-old Edith Wharton of a translation of “Was [sich] die Steine Erzählen” (What the Stones Tell), by Heinrich Karl Brugsch. Over the past twenty-five years or so, scholars have unanimously concurred in this attribution, on the basis of testimony in one of the letters sent by Wharton's girlhood friend, Emelyn Washburn, to Elisina Tyler shortly after the novelist's death. According to that letter, Emelyn suggested that her friend try her hand at translating, and she and her father, rector of the church that Wharton's family attended in the 1870s, facilitated both Wharton's translation and its publication. The article points out various misreadings of the evidence in Emelyn's letter and corrects the repeated misidentification both of Brugsch and of his text in critical and biographical scholarship on Wharton. The translation itself—said to be Wharton's debut in print—is located for the first time in this article, and the obscure journal in which it was published is identified and described. The translation, as well as Brugsch's career, is culturally and historically contextualized, and the background of its publication is explored in ways that place in question Emelyn's recollections of her friend's involvement in the endeavor.
Factors Affecting on the Preserving Thai Culture of Undergraduate Students in Thailand National Sports University
Authors: Sukdee Thitipong , Khjaornsilp Jirawat , Mahaniyom Sobsun
Published: May 2020

Purpose to Study Factors Affecting on the Preserving Thai culture of Undergraduate students in Thailand National Sports University. The Subjects of 210 were Stratified Random Sampling from undergraduate students of Thailand National Sports University Chonburi Campus in Academic Years 2019. The Data were then analyzed in terms of Pearson Correlation amd Stepwise Multiple Regression Analysis. The factors which could the Preserving Thai culture of Undergraduate students in Thailand National Sports University comprised these 4 variables: Participating in Cultural activities with educational institutions, Cultural data sources, Attention and valuableness of culture and Cultural information perception.These 4 factors could predict the Preserving Thai culture of Undergraduate students in Thailand National Sports University about percentage of 72.30. The significantly predicted equations were as follows: In term of raw scores were: Y/ = -.593 + .398 (X6) + .318 (X4) +. 273 (X3) + .166 (X5) In term of standard scores were: Z/Y = .392 (ZX6) + .258 (ZX4) +. 254 (ZX3) + .143 (ZX5)
Expansive Learning of Preservice Teachers Teaching Sustainable Development during Their Practicum
Authors: Maidou Anthoula , Plakitsi Katerina , Polatoglou Hariton M.
Published: May 2020

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is a complex and multifaceted subject, including many aspects, environmental, societal, and financial. It is not a set of knowledge, which can be learned, because it is an evolving subject and in addition solutions that are successfully applied at specific locations might fail elsewhere. ESD should make students aware of the problems humankind is facing and encourage them to become active citizens. Thus, people must also have positive attitudes towards sustainability issues. In this study, we will present the results of a teaching intervention (TI) leading to a system of two expansive learning cycles. For the TI we used the topic of houses, which are a social construct, an economic entity, and have environmental influence. The researcher, an architect had to transform her knowledge to prepare the TI, thus starting an expansive learning cycle which was influenced by the outcome of the TI. The preservice teachers, who decided to use the topic of houses during their internship started their expansive cycle, which again influenced the researchers’ learning cycle. In this study, we will present the results of the TI and the implementation of the preservice teachers’ teachings of SD during their practicum. The preservice teachers reflected on their teachings in their written reports, which were used to analyze how preservice teachers chose to apply the topic ‘houses’ during their internship.
Growth Analysis of Rhizophora Mucronata Mangrove in Ngurah Rai Forest Park (Sanur) Bali Province, Indonesia
Authors: - Juwari , Ruhiyat Daddy , Aipassa Marlon Ivanhoe
Published: May 2020

Mangrove forests were a typical type of tropical and subtropical forest, growing along beaches or river mouths that were affected by tides. Mangroves were often found in coastal areas that were protected from the onslaught of waves and sloping areas. Mangrove forest ecosystems had the function of absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air and storing carbon in the form of biomass. This research was conducted in September 2017. This study aimed to determine the growth, carbon stocks and biomass in mangrove forests in the area of Taman Hutan Raya Ngurah Rai (Sanur) Denpasar. Making research plots used the transect method with a size of 20 meters x 50 meters as many as 3 plots along the coast. From the measurement results, the total value of the base area in plot A was 2.37 m2 / tree, branch-free volume was 16.57 m3 / tree, biomass was 13,591 tons / plot, carbon stock was 6,795 tons / plot, the average increment was 0, 29 cm / year / tree. While the results of the measurement of the total value of the base area in plot B was 13.20 m2 / tree, branch-free volume of 14.87 m3 / tree, biomass of 8,420 tons / plot, carbon stock of 4,210 tons / plot, average increment amounting to 0.39 cm / year / tree. Furthermore, the total value of the base area in plot C was 12.96 m2 / tree, branch-free volume was 14.83 m3 / tree, biomass was 8,265 tons / plot, carbon stock was 4,132 tons / plot, the average increment was 0, 40 cm / year / tree. The salinity value of plot A = 0.10% with a pH of 6.68, plot B = 0.09% with a pH of 6.78 and plot C = 0.08% with a pH of 6.78. Based on the calculation results, it could be concluded that the total biomass value of plot A = 13,592 tons / plot, plot B = 14,866 tons / plot and plot C = 8,265 on / plot and then carbon stock plot A = 6,796 tons / plot, plot B = 8,420 tons / plot and plot C = 4.133 tons / plot. The average increment per tree obtained values for plot A = 0.29 cm / tree / year, plot B = 0.39 cm / tree / year and plot C = 0.40 cm / tree / year.
Effect of the Constructivist Method on Junior Secondary School Students’ Achievement in Poetry: Implications for School Counseling in Nigeria
Authors: Ugwuozor Felix Okechukwu , Ede Moses Onyemaechi , Abiogu Godwin C. , Ugwu Justus Chidi , Ncheke Damian C. , Nnamani Amuche , Albi-Oparaocha Florence C. , Obiweluozor Chinweike
Published: May 2020

This study examined the effect of the constructivist method on junior secondary school students’ achievement in poetry in Nigeria. Sixty junior secondary class-two students participated in the study. The instrument used was a questionnaire developed by the researchers. The experiment consisted of 12 weeks of full intervention and 6 weeks of follow-up meetings. The study used repeated-measures ANOVA to see the achievement level in poetry of each participant across control and treatment groups post intervention. Results show a significant effect for the constructivist method on achievement in poetry among students in the treatment group compared to the control group. They also show that the effect of the constructivist method on students’ achievement in poetry is not determined by gender. The implications for research and practice are discussed in accordance with these outcomes. The researchers conclude by emphasizing the importance of a follow-up study in the Nigerian context that would make the teaching method more robust through the use of the constructivist method for high academic achievement and improved school counseling.
«Мир тесен», или «Глобальный кампус» 36 лет спустя
Authors: Шибаршина Светлана Викторовна ,   Lobachevsky State University Press
Published: May 2020

В данной статье предлагается обзор и рефлексия над некоторыми тенденциями сегодняшнего академического мира в перспективе метафоры «глобального кампуса», описанной в романе «Мир тесен» английского писателя и литературоведа Дэвида Лоджа (1984 г.). Роман раскрывает проблематику академической среды в контексте нарождающегося глобального неолиберализма. Опираясь на представление об университете как «микромодели общества», в которой преломляются определенные рельефные тенденции общественной жизни, мы экстраполируем данную метафору на современность. На наш взгляд, модель глобального кампуса не только не устарела, но, напротив, эволюционирует, адаптируя новые технологии для своего дальнейшего развертывания. Схваченные в прозе тенденции научной коммуникации 1980-х гг. сопоставляются с сегодняшними, в том числе посредством понятий «мо-бильностей» и нетворкинга. В связи с этим в первой части статьи мы обращаемся к исследованиям Джона Урри, посвященным мобильностям и сетям, а также к концепции зон обмена Питера Галисона в перспективе переосмысления научной коммуникации в оси «физическое-виртуальное». Затрагивая вопрос о научных социальных сетях, во второй части мы рассматриваем понятия «распределенного познания», «науки 2.0» и т.п., в том числе в рамках того, как они трансформируют проблему доверия. Третья часть посвящена исследованию проблемы академической идентичности в цифровую эпоху и связанной с этим «двойной игры». Последняя понимается как попытка лавировать между конфликтующими фор-матами двух миров. Первый, оффлайновый академический мир, обусловливается свойственными ему устоявшимися механизмами увеличения научного капитала, тогда как второй во многом основан на принципах открытой науки. В заключении подчеркивается, что неопределенность в дальнейшем раз-вертывании «глобального кампуса» может рассматриваться как конструктивный момент.
Do democracies need knOWLedge?
Authors: Shields Jennifer ,   Lobachevsky State University Press
Published: May 2020

This paper serves to review the book Why Democracies Need Science, written by Harry Collins and Robert Evans. Of particular interest to this paper is the institution of The Owls, which Collins and Evans propose in their text. A theme which is present throughout the book, a theme which Collins and Evans seek to work through is that of post-truth; the first section of the paper will address the concept of post-truth. Next, the birds of science will be examined, in the second section; this is a classification system Collins and Evans develop, from a borrowed analogy from Richard Feynman. After examining the eagle scien-tists, the hawk scientific fundamentalists, and the vulture philosopher-apologists, attention will be paid to The Owls of science. The third section per-tains to The Owls. The Owls are an institution which Collins and Evans note and which includes social scientists and those with a rigorous under-standing of the social analysis of science [Collins, Evans, 2017, p. 78]. The role of The Owls is to serve to better advise politicians in a post-truth era. The purpose of this paper is to argue that the theorized institution of The Owls is an insufficient mechanism to deal with a post-truth era. After introducing The Owls, the fourth section of the paper considers the neutrality of an Owl, as a consensus does not guarantee truth or correctness. The fifth section then examines The Owls and democracy, as Collins and Evans do not specify the type of democracy in which The Owls would operate. The sixth section notes the exclusivity present within the institution of The Owls, as it is restricted to only two occupations, and is seemingly elitist. Finally, I conclude by asking the question – what does this mean for science and technology studies? As the institution of The Owls seems like an insufficient one to deal with a post-truth era.
Опасности «понятной» социологии
Authors: Хусяинов Тимур Маратович ,   Lobachevsky State University Press
Published: May 2020

В данной реплике рассматривается проблема отношения к социологии и социологическим ис-следованиям разных социальных агентов (сотрудников различных государственных и общественных организаций, представителей СМИ и т.д.). Автор выделяет проблемы, которые возникают в связи с тем, что большинство считает процесс сбора и интерпретации социологических данных понятным и с обманчивой легкостью использует их для подтверждения собственных утверждений, при этом не обладая пониманием того, как эти данные были получены, а также пониманием методологических аспектов проведения исследования. При этом отмечается проявление псевдокомпетентности, которая возникает в свете доступности большого количества раз-личной информации и исследовательского инструментария широкому кругу пользователей Глобальной сети.
Constraints on generality
Authors: Wilson Joseph ,   Lobachevsky State University Press
Published: May 2020

Generic propositions are statements that make general claims about ‘kinds’ that are found in a wide variety of written genres and speech. By definition, generics do not include in their structure any reference to the conditions under which they hold true. Their misuse in popular scientific writing, however, can erode the public’s confidence in the process of science itself when they discover that conclusions are highly contingent on certain truth conditions. The language used in scholarly scientific papers often includes qualifiers and hedges, the epistemological consequences of which have been explored by Bruno Latour, Thomas Kuhn, Ian Hacking and others. Some research shows that abstracts, however, of-ten include generic statements that are not warranted by the scientific evidence described in the full text. Similarly, when accounts of scientific discoveries appear in popular media, journalists often remove qualifiers, hedges and context markers that existed in the original study. Studies in anthropology by Joseph Dumit, Annemarie Mol, Harris Solomon and others explore the human reactions to such pronouncements. One possible solution to the over-use of generics in scientific abstracts, especially for studies that rely on human subjects, is the inclusion of a mandatory section entitled “Constraints on Generality,” as suggested by Gutiérrez and Rogoff (2003). Other suggestions include using less nominalized verbs and more past-tense descriptions of what actually occurred in the particular study.
The Phoenix and National Humanism in Hegel, Heidegger, and Derrida
Authors: Therezo Rodrigo ,   DePaul University
Published: May 2020

This paper tracks Derrida’s allusion to the “phoenix motif” in the recently published Life Death seminar, showing how it foreshadows and overlaps with the political problematic of “national humanism” made explicit in Geschlecht III. I argue that, be it in Hegel, Fichte, Nietzsche, or Heidegger, biological life is always in the service of a spiritual life that finds its breath in a certain reappropriation of the German idiom. Following Derrida, I argue that this “philosophy-of-life German” (cet allemand philosophe de la vie) introduces a sinister equivocality between these thinkers and National Socialism, and this in spite of all their prudence to shield their discourses from such a co-option.
Sexual Difference and Gathering in Geschlecht III
Authors: Raffoul François ,   DePaul University
Published: May 2020

Derrida states at the beginning of Geschlecht III that at stake is the question of sexual difference, one that is referred in Heidegger’s 1953 essay on Trakl to a twofoldness that precedes the opposition of sexual duality, a duality which, according to Derrida, neutralizes sexual difference. I follow the development of what Derrida also called the “dream” of “another sexual difference,” one that would not be ruled by the opposition of the two. Derrida’s guiding interpretation in Geschlecht III is that Heidegger privileges “gathering” (Versammlung) and the reference to the “one” in this thinking of difference, and of sexual difference, thereby neutralizing difference. Drawing a contrast between difference as polysemy (gathered) and difference as dissemination (dispersion), I attempt in what follows to discuss Derrida’s interpretation, raising questions concerning some of his readings with respect to the motifs of dispersion, dissemination, polysemy, and gathering.
Wagneropteris minima, a new medullosalean pteridosperm from the middle Westphalian (Middle Plennsylvanian) of the Peñarroya-Belmez-Espiel Coalfield (Córdoba province, SW Spain)
Authors: Álvarez-Vázquez Carmen , Cleal Christopher J
Published: May 2020

A new taxon, Wagneropteris minima gen. and sp. Nov., is described from lower Balsovian strata of the Peñarroya-Belmez-Espiel Coalfield (Córdoba province, SW Spain). Most important for a generic diagnosis is the presence of small pinnae on the antepenultimate rachis and intercalated pinnules on the penultimate rachis and imparipinnate last order pinnae. It probably has affinities with the Callipteridium-complex of medullosalean fronds, belonging to the fossil-family Cyclopteridaceae
Isogramma Meek & Worthe, 1870 (Dictyonellida, Brachiopoda) from the Pennsylvanian of the Cantabrian Mountains (N Spain)
Authors: Martínez Chacón M Luisa , Winkler Prins Cor F
Published: May 2020

Isogramma is one of the strangest and easiest to recognize brachiopod genera. Its shells is very transverse, flattened, oval, ornamented with strong concentric ridges which cover the whole exterior of both valves, apart from a smooth triangular depressed area, extending from the beak of the ventral valve forward to beyond the umbo, the colleplax. The sell is strongly punctate which gives it a spongy structure. In this paper, the morphology and shell structure of the genus are discussed, and the species from the Catabrian Mountains assigned to the genus are revised. The species Isogramlma davidsoni, the only one thus far described for the region, is discussed and three new species are described for the Pennsylvanian of Asturian and León: Isogramma wagneri, I. casina and I. demuesensis
First evidence of rooting lycopsids preserved as imprints and trace fossils from the Silves Sandstone (Upper Triassic, eastern Algarve, South Portugal)
Authors: Mayoral Eduardo J , Santos Ana , Diez Bienvenido
Published: May 2020

Rooting lycopsids, preserved as imprints on the Upper Triassic Silves Sandstone in the Eastern Algarve region (South Portugal), are recorded for the first time in this area. The Silves Sandstone is composed of the characteristic dark red sandstone and conglomerates of this formation and contains all the studied imprints. These have a quadrate or pseudohexagonal outline corresponding to the departure of roots placed in four to six roughly symmetrical points around the stem bases. Two generations of plants are observed, including the imprints of seedings. Palaeoenvironmental conditions for the lower unit have been interpreted as a shallow lagoon or stationary bodies of water in a swap-like environment subjected to sporadic current activity. This would have uprooted stems and ripped off the leaves. The upper unit would correspond to a fluvial environment with the establishment of an inundated floodplain with periodic subaerial exposure; this is where root imprints, shallow vertebrate (Rhynchosauroides isp.) and invertebrate trace fossils (Cochlichnus anguineus, Vagorinchus cf. anyao, Palaeophycus tubularis, Taenidium isp., Scoicia isp.), tetrapod footprints and raindrop imprints were recorded. Lycopsids maw have colonized these marshy areas in between wet (occasional flash floods) and drier episodes. Uprooting of the stems was probably caused by sudden and strong mass flow produced during intervals of heavy rain
Floras of clastic and peat-forming Pennsylvanian wetlands: are they different? A case study from the Upper Radnice Coal (late Duckmantian), Kladno Coalfield, Czech Republic
Authors: Opluštil Stanislav , Pšenička Josef , Šimůnek Zbyněk , Linertín Milan
Published: May 2020

Floras of two ecologically and taphonomically different fossiliferous horizons associated with the late Duckmantian Upper Radnice Coal in the Kladno Coalfield are compared. Observations made in coal mines suggest that the Velká opuka bears autochthonous in situ preserved peat-forming vegetation, whereas the Mydlák ins a lacustrine sediment that contains mostly drifted allochthonous and locally parautochthonous plant associations derived from coastal mostly clastic wetlands. Material from museum collections and our own field data show that floras of both fossiliferous horizons consist of representatives of the same families and genera but differ in their proportions and to a large part in species compositions. This is demonstrated by only 40 % overlap of 89 plant species identified in both horizons. Flora of the Velká opuka is dominated by lycopsids, either by arborescent lepidodendrids or by the sub-arborescent genus Omphalophloios. Co-dominant are sphenopsids and locally common are ferns and cordaitaleans. The Mydlák flora is more diverse and dominates by pteridosperms, whereas the proportion of lycopsids is lower and their composition partly different. Taxa abundant in the Velká opuka and nearly absent in the Mydlák include Omphalophloios feistmantelii, Lepidodendron longifolium and L. ophiurus. Abundant in the Mydlák and mostly missing in the Velká opuka are Laveineopteris tenuifolia, L. bohemica, Sphenopteris spiniformis, Eusphenopteris nummularia, Lepidodendron aculeatum and L. mannebachense. Prevalence of pteridosperms in clastic wetland floras of the Mydlák is in agreement with existing observations
On some bythocytherid (Ostracoda) from the Viséan of Triollo (N Palencia, Cantabrian Mountains, Spain)
Authors: Sánchez de Posada Luis C , Blanco-Ferrera Silvia , Sanz-López Javier
Published: May 2020

Viséan rocks are widespread in the Cantabrian Mountains, but despite the abundance of some fossil groups (particularly conodonts and cephalopods) in these strata, very few ostracods have been reported. Rich silicified ostracods faunas have been found in the Viséan of the Triollo area (north Palencia, Cantabrian Mountains, Spain). Among numerous elements, some belong to the family Bythocytheridae, a conspicuous element of the Thuringian Paleozoic Mega-Assemblage. Three species of the bythocytherid genus Paraberounella are described in this paper. One of them, Paraberounella? wagneri n. sp., is assigned to the genus with some reservations
The systematic and palaeoecological significance of Neuropteris ovata (Medullosales) cuticles from the Stephanian Stage of the Puertollano Basin, Spain
Authors: Šimůnek Zbyněk , Cleal Christopher J
Published: May 2020

Cuticles from Neuropteris ovata foliage (Medullosales) from Stephanian strata in the Puertollano Basin show epidermal structures similar to those seen in Kasimovian coal balls from North America. They are assigned to a new taxonomic variety, Neuropteris ovata var. puertollanensis
Basal middle Miocene Listriodontinae (Suidae, Artiodactyla) from Madrid, Spain
Authors: Pickford Martín , Morales Jorge
Published: May 2020

Excavations in basal middle Miocene deposits in the Madrid Basin (Old Mahou Brewery, Los Nogales, La Hidroeléctrica, Guadarrama I, Barajas) have yielded interesting assemblages of fossils, among which the listriodont suid Listriodon retamaensis Pickford & Morales, 2003, is well represented. Much of the material is juvenile, and several of the permanent teeth are unworn, permitting detailed observations to be made of the fine structures of the crowns, which was not possible with the original hypodigm of the species from Retama due to the heavy wear on most of the teeth in that sample. Refinement of the definition of the species is thus possible. Los Nogales also yielded two teeth of the small tetraconodont suid Retroporcus complutensis
The problems of development of the unified normative-legal base in the area of fighting terrorist threats on the global scale
Authors: Starkin Sergei Valer'evich , Fomenkov Artem Aleksandrovich , Rakhmanov Nikita Vladimirovich
Published: May 2020

The authors examine the main problems regarding the development of international legal framework in the area of fighting terrorism, including the elaboration of the universal definition of the phenomenon of “terrorism” and “international terrorism”. The analysis of legal systems of the leading countries indicates the differences in national legislations in the sphere of fighting terrorism, which creates difficulties on the global scale, since each state has the own representation on this phenomenon, and thus, the means of counteraction. Such gaps in the international law is beneficial for the United State to ensure national interests. The main conclusions lie in the thesis that the global community is currently incapable of developing the unified normative-legal base in the area of fighting terrorism, namely in pertains to consolidation of the universal definition of this phenomenon within the framework of the United Nations. Among the main reasons, the authors highlight the problem of cooperation of the national legal systems on the global scale in this sphere, as well as unwillingness of some countries to fulfill prior commitments.
Encounters between freshwater crocodiles and invasive cane toads in north-western Australia: does context determine impact?
Authors: Clarke Gregory S , Hudson Cameron M , Shine Richard
Published: May 2020

The potent defensive chemicals of cane toads (Rhinella marina) protect them against predators that lack coevolved physiological tolerance to those toxins. That relative invulnerability may explain why major injuries (such as limb loss) appear to be rare in cane toads from most of their global range; however, we noted frequent predator-induced injuries (>4% of adults) in samples from within the toad’s native range (in French Guiana) and from a site (Lake Argyle) in north-western Australia. Toads at Lake Argyle enter the edge of the lake at night to rehydrate, exposing them to foraging freshwater crocodiles (Crocodylus johnstoni). Crocodiles rarely consume toads, but the attacks often result in loss of a limb. Because limbs contain relatively little toxin, attacks to the limbs expose a crocodile to nauseating but non-lethal amounts of toxin; and hence, facilitate taste aversion learning by the predator. The context of the encounters, such as differences in geography, may help to explain why the invasion of cane toads has not significantly impacted on crocodile populations at this site, in contrast to heavy impacts reported from nearby riverine systems.
Macrozoobenthos Spatial Distribution as the Indicator of Cikeruh River Pollution in Sumedang Regency, West Java
Authors: Lutfi Muhamad , Nurruhwati Isni , Hasan Zahidah , Herawati Heti
Published: May 2020

Cikeruh River is one of the tributaries of the Citarum River which has received a variety of inputs, which can affect the river water quality and cause pollution. Macrozoobenthos is an organism that can determine the pollution of waters. This research aims to determine the spatial distribution of macrozoobenthos communities in the Cikeruh River as the indicator of pollution. This research was conducted in July 2019 - August 2019 using the field survey method. The data collection technique used is purposive sampling, setting 5 stations based on environmental factors and land use around the river flow. The parameters observed were the physical-chemical parameters of the waters, physical-chemical parameters of the substrate and macrozoobenthos as biological parameters as indicators of pollution, as well as calculating the abundance of macrozoobenthos, diversity index, uniformity index, species deficit and morisita index. The results of the macrozoobenthos spatial distribution along the Cikeruh River flow differed at each location of observation. At station 1 found several intolerant species Heptagenia sp., Tipula sp., Leptophelbia sp., Polycentrophus sp. and Enallagma sp., station 2 found several facultative species Melanoides tuberculata, Lymnaea sp., Tarebia granifera, Sulcospira testudinaria, dan Corbicula fluminea,, station 3 found several facultative species Melanoides tuberculata, Lymnaea sp., Tarebia granifera, Sulcospira testudinaria, Pomacea canalicuta and Corbicula fluminea, station 4 found several facultative species Melanoides tuberculata, Tarebia granifera, Sulcospira testudinaria and Corbicula fluminea, and station 5 found intolerant species Chironomus sp., Tubifex sp., dan Lumbriculus sp. The abundance of macrozoobenthos is around 590 ind/m2 - 7420 ind/m2. Diversity index ranges from 0.46-1.85. The uniformity index ranges from 0.16 to 0.64. Species deficits at each station are different. Cikeruh River morisita index ranging from 0.14 to 0.80 which is in the uniform category.
FTIR Spectroscopic Study of Aloe vera barbadensis Mill Buds
Authors: Abbasi Muhammad S. A. , Tahir Muhammad Aslam , Meer Sidra
Published: May 2020

The objective of this research is to investigate number and types of bioactive compounds present in Aloe Vera buds grown in North East Punjab region of Pakistan by FTIR which is simple, nondestructive, cost effective and user friendly. Aloe vera was cultivated under normal atmospheric conditions. After two years, buds (early stage of flowers) were grown on twigs. The buds were plucked and blended with distilled water in National Juicer machine to have a concentrated blend. The blend was filtered to get clear solution, mixed with ethyl acetate and then solvent extracted. The organic part was isolated and dried at water bath at 60°C. Dried sample was analyzed using FTIR spectroscopic analysis. All activities were performed consecutively to avoid photochemical changes. The characteristic FTIR spectral lines have shown different characteristic peaks that correspond to different functional groups indicating presence of bioactive compounds like substituted cyclic alkanes, alkenes, alcohols, phenols, and aromatics etc. have been investigated.
Design and Implementation of Cost Effective Multi-factor Authentication Framework for ATM Systems
Authors: Abiew Nuku Atta Kordzo , Jnr. Maxwell Dorgbefu , Banning Samuel Osei
Published: May 2020

Banks and financial institutions all over the world have adopted and continue to adopt Automated Teller Machine (ATM) systems into their transactions to extend banking hours, and also provide convenience for their customers. ATM systems are networked computerized systems, and as the case is in these systems, their security must be given the highest priority. Among the many strategies for ensuring secured networked systems, authentication is very important. Authentication is the process of verifying the identity of a user or a process that attempts to access information resources from a system. Good authentication methods and schemes are one of the best standard ways of implementing security on computerized systems. The importance of selecting an environment appropriate authentication method is perhaps the most crucial decision in designing secure systems. Authentication protocols are capable of simply authenticating the connecting party or authenticating the connecting party as well as authenticating itself to the connecting party. The verification process is usually based on authentication factors like facts, characteristics, behaviors, or knowledge known only to both the claimant and the verifier. Based on these authentication factors, authentication is classified into knowledge-based (KBA), token-based (TBA) and biometrics-based (BBA) authentications. In this paper, we designed and implemented a hybrid and secure cost-effective authentication framework for ATM systems based on the strengths of the three main authentication classifications.
RF Matching Networks Using S-Parameters
Authors: Gomez Frederick Ray I.
Published: May 2020

The paper presents a design and study of impedance matching for radio frequency (RF) circuit application of common-source amplifier topology. Matching networks for input and output sides of the amplifier were determined from the S-parameters given for the transistor at frequency of 2.6 GHz and ensuring unconditional stability requirement. Impedance matching is necessary in RF circuit design to provide maximum possible power transfer between the source and the load.  Two designs were modeled, simulated and analyzed employing L-network input and output matching networks. The design with inductor-capacitor combination in the L-matching networks exhibited a stable and smoother behavior for higher frequencies compared to an all-inductor design. Complex tradeoffs among technology specifications and design parameters are inevitable, therefore should be carefully handled in designing the impedance matching networks, to optimize the performance of the common-source amplifier. Ultimately, the common-source amplifier achieved a gain of 6.569 dB at 2.6 GHz. For future research, physical implementations of the impedance matching networks could be studied in order to improve and optimize the simulated models.
Antimicrobial Effect of Essential Oil of Thymus capitatus from Northern Cyprus and Its Gargle Preformulation
Authors: Yavuz Dudu Özkum , Özalp Yıldız , Tuncay Banu , Altanlar Nurten , Şimşek Duygu
Published: May 2020

Aims: The aim of this study is to prepare herbal gargle preformulations making use of essential oil of aerial parts of Thymus capitatus growing wild in Northern Cyprus and comparing antimicrobial efficacy between these formulations with pure essential oil.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Near East University, Nicosia, TRNC and Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey, between January 2017 and June 2017.

Methodology: Preformulations with three different concentrations of Thymus capitatus essential oil were prepared by using simple preparation method. Preformulation studies were done in lab with less than 500 ml. There is not specific process parameters. Manufacturing process and process parameters will be clarified with further studies. These compositions and the essential oil were tested in-vitro for antimicrobial activity studies by using broth microdilution method. Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 43300, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC 12228, Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212, Klebsiella pneumoniae RSKK 574, Salmonella paratyphi C, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 as bacteria and Candida albicans ATCC 10231, Candida parapsilosis ATCC 22019 as yeasts were used for antimicrobial activity tests.

Results: All trials were found to be more effective than EO, and a significant effect was observed when compared to the values ​​of standard antimicrobial agents.

Conclusion: TheThymus capitatus growing in Northern Cyprus could be used as a herbal raw material, essential oil source in developing herbal gargle preformulations to reduce fungal and bacterial infections in mouth.
Knowledge of Root Canal Treatment and Its Association with Patients’ Demographics – A Cross-Sectional Insight
Authors: Iqbal Muhammad Zahid , Al-Saikhan Fahad I. , Rajan Sawri , Iqbal Muhammad Shahid
Published: May 2020

Introduction: Endodontics is the division of dentistry that mainly dealt with the physiology, pathophysiology, pathology and morphology of human dental tissues. The study determined the knowledge among patients who underwent root canal treatment (RCT).

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried among RCT patients visiting various dental clinics. A validated self-administered questionnaire including information related to knowledge about RCT was used to collect required data. Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Version 22.0 was used to analyze the data.

Results: Regarding the RCT knowledge, it was revealed that patients with previous RCT history were having better knowledge than patients without RCT history or those who were planning to undergo for RCT procedure (p= <0.001). Differences between smoking status and RCT knowledge were also statistically significant (p=0.048).

Conclusion: In conclusion, moderate knowledge was observed among patients who underwent RCT or those who were planning to perform RCT.
On the complexity of helical tomotherapy treatment plans
Authors: Santos Tania , Ventura Tiago , Mateus Josefina , Capela Miguel , Lopes Maria do Carmo
Published: May 2020

Purpose

Multiple metrics are proposed to characterize and compare the complexity of helical tomotherapy (HT) plans created for different treatment sites.

Methods

A cohort composed of 208 HT plans from head and neck (105), prostate (51) and brain (52) tumor sites was considered. For each plan, 14 complexity metrics were calculated. Those metrics evaluate the percentage of leaves with small opening times or approaching the projection duration, the percentage of closed leaves, the amount of tongue‐and‐groove effect, and the overall modulation of the planned sinogram. To enable data visualization, an approach based on principal component analysis was followed to reduce the dataset dimensionality. This allowed the calculation of a global plan complexity score. The correlation between plan complexity and pretreatment verification results using the Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients was investigated.

Results

According to the global score, the most complex plans were the head and neck tumor cases, followed by the prostate and brain lesions irradiated with stereotactic technique. For almost all individual metrics, head and neck plans confirmed to be the plans with the highest complexity. Nevertheless, prostate cases had the highest percentage of leaves with an opening time approaching the projection duration, whereas the stereotactic brain plans had the highest percentage of closed leaves per projection. Significant correlations between some of the metrics and the pretreatment verification results were identified for the stereotactic brain group.

Conclusions

The proposed metrics and the global score demonstrated to be useful to characterize and quantify the complexity of HT plans of different treatment sites. The reported differences inter‐ and intra‐group may be valuable to guide the planning process aiming at reducing uncertainties and harmonize planning strategies.
Ultra‐Efficient and High‐Quality White Light‐Emitting Devices using Fluorescent Proteins in Aqueous Medium
Authors: Sadeghi Sadra , Melikov Rustamzhon , Conkar Deniz , Firat‐Karalar Elif Nur , Nizamoglu Sedat
Published: May 2020

The transformation of electronics toward “green” and efficient devices is critical for the environmental sustainability and energy future. So far, majority of efficient lighting devices have been realized by artificial optical materials such as rare‐earth‐elements‐doped phosphors, colloidal quantum dots (QDs) and dyes. In this study, red‐emitting mScarlet and green‐emitting eGFP fluorescent proteins are determined for high‐performance white LEDs, expressed in living Escherichia coli and the purified proteins are integrated in their natural aqueous environment onto blue LED chips. The aqueous integration preserved quantum yield levels of the proteins above 70% in the device architecture and facilitated a high luminous efficiency (LE) of 81 lm W−1 with a color rendering index (CRI) of 83, which is the most efficient eco‐friendly white LED reported to date. Moreover, the concentration ratio are also optimized of red‐ and green‐emitting proteins and white protein‐based LEDs with a maximum CRI of 92 are demonstrated. This study shows that fluorescent proteins hold great promise for the next generation eco‐friendly, efficient and high‐quality white light sources.