bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Metacognitive Awareness and Critical Thinking Abilities of Pre-service EFL Teachers
Authors: Cakici Dilek
Published: July 2018

The primary aim of current study was to investigate the possible relationship between Metacognitive Awareness (MA) and Critical Thinking Skills (CTS) in a foreign language learning context. In addition, this research aimed to probe the effect of gender and years of pre-service English language teachers on the relation between metacognitive awareness and critical thinking abilities. 218 pre-service EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers participated in the study. Metacognitive Awareness Inventory and Critical Thinking Questionnaire were employed to gather necessary data. Obtained results confirmed that there existed a highly significant positive correlation between MA and CTS. Besides, the results indicated that there was a strong relation between the years of pre-service EFL teachers and their MA and CTS. Seniors were found to be more metacognitively aware and critical thinkers than their counterparts. Conversely, it was revealed that there was no gender effect on both MA and CTS. Finally, certain suggestions were set for tertiary institutions to develop metacognition and critical thinking skills in foreign language classroom settings.
The Effects of Activities and Approachments Intended Performance Improvement on the Students’ Performances in Mathematics
Authors: Kilic Seval , Alkan Huseyin
Published: July 2018

The study presented aims at searching the relation between the learning environment and students’ performances in Mathematics. Data of the 27 week-long research were compiled from 9th grade students at an Anatolian High School. Semi-experimental research modelled pre-test post-test control grouped experimental model was used in the study. Before the application, students’ gaps regarding the subjects were found out and students were supported by it and their initial performances were evaluated by using the developed non-routine problem. During the application, the learning process continued taking the performance variables into consideration in the experiment group whereas the constructivist learning approach was used in the control group in accordance with the mathematics program. Data gained from students’ performance evaluations at the beginning and end of the term, were analysed in order to find out the similarities and differences between the two groups. The findings reveal that there is no meaningful difference in the performance grades of students at the beginning of the term. On the other hand, the average performance grades of the students after the application process show a statistically meaningful difference in favour of the experiment group.  Comparisons were made in the experiment group before and after the application.
Preparation and Characterization of Carboxymethyl Cellulose Films with Embedded Essential Oils
Authors: Biswas Atanu , Furtado Roselayne Ferro , Bastos Maria do Socorro Rocha , Benevides Selene D. , Oliveira Marilia de Albuquerque , Boddu Veera , Cheng H. N.
Published: July 2018

There is current interest in using biobased materials to produce food packaging that can increase the shelf-lives of fruits and vegetables and minimize food spoilage in supermarkets and at the same time not generating plastic waste that causes long-term disposal problems. A good candidate for such materials is the polysaccharide, such as carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), which is edible and biodegradable. In this work films were produced from two CMC materials with different degrees of substitution (DS) that encapsulated four different essential oils (eugenol, rosemary oil, coriander oil, and nutmeg oil) that are known to have beneficial properties for food applications. The mechanical properties, opacity, and water vapor permeation were evaluated. In general, the essential oil-embedded CMC with the two DS values behaved rather differently. In particular, the essential oil-embedded CMC with 0.7 DS degree of substitution gave stronger and more flexible films and may be more suited for use in food packaging.
Leaders of Their Race
Authors: Case Sarah H.
Published: July 2018

This study analyzes the educational objectives of the founders, faculty, students, and alumnae of two Georgia schools that sought to prepare young women for the new circumstances of the post-war South: Spelman Seminary of Atlanta, founded to provide a Christian education for African American women and girls, and Lucy Cobb Institute of Athens, established to educate young white ladies. Focusing on the years 1880 and 1925, an examination of these two private secondary schools provides a way to explore beliefs about women’s roles and duties, racial and class divisions between women, and changes in expectations of women’s citizenship rights and duties. The book demonstrates the importance of secondary-level female education in creating women’s identity, and analyzes the significance of race, gender, sexuality, and region in shaping that education. It identifies the social and ideological backgrounds of founders and influential faculty members, such as Lost Cause and antisuffrage activist Mildred Lewis Rutherford of Lucy Cobb, and also examines motivations and accomplishments of students and alumnae. It highlights the schools’ attention to modesty and sexual restraint, and argues that concerns about female sexuality and respectability united the two schools despite the racial and class differences of students. By examining the actions of women as teachers, students, and alumnae, it analyzes how southern women used their education to negotiate the political, economic, and social upheavals of the New South.
Kelly Reichardt
Authors: Fusco Katherine , Seymour Nicole
Published: July 2018

Kelly Reichardt is the first book-length study of contemporary filmmaker Kelly Reichardt. This book argues that Reichardt’s process-based slow cinema captures the “emergent” quality of contemporary, neoliberal emergencies such as global warming and economic precarity. The book positions Reichardt’s filmmaking in relation to contemporary American independent cinema, the international slow cinema movement, and the tradition of European neorealism. Drawing from these lineages, Reichardt’s cinema emphasizes the local effects of global catastrophes and represents crises as everyday experiences that are slow in unfolding. In this way, the book argues that Reichardt challenges the cinema’s tendency to spectacularize disaster. She makes this critique both through her films’ pacing and her tendency to work with the traditions of genre film, only to deflate their most thrilling elements to reveal what has been termed the slow violence of our postindustrial moment. Additionally, the book considers Reichardt’s frequently thin characterization of her protagonists, arguing that the underdrawn and often unlikeable characters work to challenge audience identification and the expectations that victims of emergency should be especially deserving or empathetic. In chapters that examine Reichardt’s earliest film, her four Oregon-centric films, and her experimental short films, Kelly Reichardt establishes Reichardt as a crucial voice in American independent film, one committed to documenting the challenges of the twenty-first century.
Marching Dykes, Liberated Sluts, and Concerned Mothers
Authors: Currans Elizabeth
Published: July 2018

This book examines how women’s public demonstrations claim and transform public space. Focusing on seven examples--Take Back the Night Marches, Dyke Marches, SlutWalks, Women in Black Vigils, CODEPINK direct actions, the March for Women’s Lives, and the Million Mom March--the book explores the ways that women use gender to physically and affective transform public space, through a process of “holding space” for each other. Marching Dykes, Liberated Sluts, and Concerned Mothers is organized into three sections addressing key foci of feminist public demonstration: sexuality, war and militarism, and citizenship norms and practices. Each section includes multiple, related chapters along with an introduction providing a brief overview of the issue and contextual links between the chapters. Throughout, the analyses emphasize the utopic impulse of public demonstration.
The Work of Mothering
Authors: Suarez Harrod J.
Published: July 2018

The Work of Mothering: Globalization and the Filipino Diaspora argues for a strict relationship between the world-historical situation of the Philippines under empire, nationalism, and globalization and the phenomenon of overseas domestic labor, drawing on the contours that inform the latter but arguing that it is part of a much larger framework of nurture, care, and service structuring the relationship between the postcolonial Philippines and the world. It analyzes maternal figures in novels by Carlos Bulosan, Jessica Hagedorn, and Brian Ascalon Roley; short stories by Nick Joaquin and Mia Alvar; poems by Luisa Igloria; and a film by Kidlat Tahimik. By developing incisive readings of subtle, passing moments in these texts, The Work of Mothering opens up narratives within which the cultural, political, and economic logics of overseas Filipina/o migration, especially but not only domestic labor, emerges. It does so by advancing an archipelagic reading practice that addresses diasporic literatures and cultures without reinscribing them either within nationalist or global paradigms. In doing so, it draws crucially on debates within the sociology of globalization and cultural studies, offering a critical and innovative vantage point that identifies alternative practices of the maternal, pushing up against the historical and political conditions that manage Filipina/o identity for nationalism and globalization.
Aristotle and the Constitution of the Political Community
Authors: Rasmussen Esben Korsgaard ,   Philosophy Documentation Center
Published: July 2018

In this paper I will argue that the distinction between biological life and political life as found in Hannah Arendt’s reading of Aristotle and later repeated and elaborated by Giorgio Agamben under the headings of (“bare life”) and (“qualified life”), is in fact a fertile point of entry to , and the only viable option in order the grasp what constitutes the political as such for Aristotle. By hashing out the conceptual steps necessary for the establishment of what can be called a “political community” , I seek to illuminate how the distinction upon which much of Arendt’s and Agamben’s works rests, does indeed play a vital role in the work of Aristotle. By clarifying the nature of a “political community” according to Aristotle, this paper thus seeks to make a proper assessment of the thought of both Arendt and Agamben possible.
Little White Lies
Authors: Wertz S. K. ,   Philosophy Documentation Center
Published: July 2018

Samuel Johnson has an interesting comment on consequences and the telling of “white lies.” For example “Sick People and Children are often to be deceived for their Good.” David Hume apparently endorses this concept in one of his letters. Both Johnson and Rousseau anticipate Kant’s argument about consequences in that one is to tell the truth under all circumstances. Hume, I argue, would take issue with this claim in that there are cases (like the two above) that warrant telling white lies. Elsewhere (second Enquiry) he speaks about “harmless liars” who indulge in “lying or fiction . . . in humorous stories.” And he says “Noble pride and spirit may openly display itself when one lies under calamity [defamation or slander] or opposition of any kind,” especially if the opposition puts one’s life in grave danger, so one’s self-preservation is threatened. Under situations like these, lying is justified. In regard to fiction, if lying is for the purpose of entertainment and where “truth is not of any importance,” it is permissible. These cases are discussed in some detail, and they offer, along with their analysis, a pragmatic defense of Hume’s position.
Efeito da consulta de enfermagem no conhecimento, qualidade de vida, atitude frente à doença e autocuidado em pessoas com diabetes
Authors: Teston Elen Ferraz , Peternella Fabiana Magalhães Navarro , Sale Catarina Aparecida , Haddad Maria do Carmo Lourenço , Cubas Marcia Regina , Marcon Sonia Silva
Published: July 2018

Verificar el efecto de la consulta de enfermería basada en el autocuidado apoyado en el conocimiento y la actitud ante la enfermedad, en la calidad de vida y adhesión a las actividades de autocuidado en personas con diabetes mellitus (DM) tipo 2. Ensayo clínico randomizado y controlado llevado a cabo en el sur de Brasil entre marzo de 2014 y enero de 2015. Participaron del estudio 134 individuos asignados al azar en dos grupos: intervención (GI) y control (GC). Para la recogida de datos se aplicaron cuatro cuestionarios en los dos grupos en dos momentos distintos (inicial y final). El GI recibió atención constituida por tres consultas de enfermería bimensuales intercaladas por dos llamadas telefónicas para monitoreo de las metas estipuladas y la atención de rutina constituida por consulta médica por demanda espontánea y suministro gratuito de la medicación prescrita. El GC sólo recibió la atención de rutina. Los integrantes del GI presentaron un cambio significativo en relación al conocimiento sobre la diabetes (p <0,001), el impacto de la enfermedad en la calidad de vida (p = 0,002), en la actitud ante la enfermedad (p = 0,024) y en la adhesión a las actividades de autocuidado (P <0,001). La consulta de enfermería centrada en el autocuidado apoyado tiene efectos positivos sobre el conocimiento y la actitud ante la enfermedad y en la adhesión a las actividades de autocuidado; aumenta, sin embargo, el impacto de la enfermedad en la calidad de vida. Registro Brasileño de Ensayos Clínicos: RBR – 3xgjf3.
Os valores éticos nas relações interpessoais no ciberespaço em Pierre Lévy
Authors: Possamai Darlei , Cruz Fransimar dos Santos
Published: July 2018

O presente trabalho tem como objeto de estudo refletir acerca dos valores éticos nas relações interpessoais no ciberespaço em Pierre Lévy. O ciberespaço nada mais é do que um espaço antropológico aberto pela interação entre as pessoas, entre as distâncias, por meio dos computadores e de suas memórias, cuja finalidade é a interconexão, a criação de comunidades virtuais e a inteligência coletiva. Segundo o filósofo, esta engrenagem é um meio vital que aproxima as distâncias entre as pessoas, que se habilitam manuseá-lo, uma vez que nele, as comunidades virtuais exercem uma profusão comunicacional. Contudo, no ciberespaço, a identidade não surge do nada, pois é uma extensão daquilo que o indivíduo é na realidade concreta (sólida), com novos valores, atitudes e desejos, porém, cada indivíduo incorpora e permite que sejam agregados novos valores éticos e morais mantendo na medida do possível sua integridade. Assim sendo, no ciberespaço tanto a ética como a moral são de cunho relativo, ou seja, todos podem fazer tudo, porém as consequências irão surgir de acordo com o ato cometido.
Ethylene inhibits stem trichome formation in Arabidopsis
Authors: Gibson Susan I
Published: July 2018

Trichomes, specialized cells that form on the above ground parts of plants, are useful model systems for studying cell differentiation. In this study, the plant hormone ethylene was found to strongly inhibit formation of trichomes on stems of Arabidopsis thaliana. Plants grown in the presence of high concentrations of the ethylene precursor 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid fail to form trichomes on their primary inflorescences. In addition, plants carrying mutations in CTR1 that confer a constitutive response to ethylene exhibit severe reductions in stem trichome numbers. In contrast, plants carrying mutations that confer ethylene insensitivity, and plants grown in the presence of an ethylene biosynthesis inhibitor, produce normal numbers of stem trichomes. Together, these results suggest that either excess ethylene or a constitutive ethylene response prevents the normal differentiation of cells that would otherwise form stem trichomes. Reduced ethylene levels and decreased ethylene response, in constrast, appear insufficient to cause cells that do not normally form trichomes to form trichomes. In contrast to ethylene, application of exogenous Glc results in increased stem trichome numbers. Besides affecting stem trichome numbers, ethylene may also affect branching of stem trichomes. In Arabidopsis thaliana, the vast majority of stem trichomes are unbranched. When wild-type Arabidiopsis thaliana of the Col-0 ecotype are grown in the presence of an ethylene biosynthesis inhibitor, the percentage of stem trichomes that are branched increases significantly. However, growth in the presence of an ethylene biosynthesis inhibitor does not affect stem branching in wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana of the Ler-0 ecotype. Plants carrying the etr1-1 and ein2-1 mutations, which cause ethylene insensitivity, have an increased percentage of branched stem trichomes. In contrast, plants carrying the ctr1-1 and ctr1-12 mutations have a decreased percentage of branched stem trichomes. Growth in the presence of a precursor of ethylene biosynthesis also causes a substantial reduction in branching of Arabidopsis leaf trichomes, suggesting that ethylene has a negative effect on branching of both leaf and stem trichomes in Arabidopsis.
A Rho signaling network links microtubules to PKD controlled carrier transport to focal adhesions
Authors: Eisler Stephan A , Curado Filipa , Link Gisela , Schulz Sarah , Noack Melanie , Steinke Maren , Olayioye Monilola A , Hausser Angelika
Published: July 2018

Protein kinase D (PKD) is a family of serine/threonine kinases that is required for the structural integrity and function of the Golgi complex. Despite its importance in the regulation of Golgi function, the molecular mechanisms regulating PKD activity are still incompletely understood. Using the genetically encoded PKD activity reporter G-PKDrep we now uncover a Rho signaling network comprising GEF-H1, the RhoGAP DLC3, and the Rho effector PLCε that regulate the activation of PKD at trans-Golgi membranes. We further show that this molecular network coordinates the formation of TGN-derived Rab6-positive transport carriers delivering cargo for localized exocytosis at focal adhesions.
Cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic mechanisms promote cell-type-specific cytokinetic diversity
Authors: Davies Tim , Kim Han X , Romano Spica Natalia , Lesea-Pringle Benjamin J , Dumont Julien , Shirasu-Hiza Mimi , Canman Julie C
Published: July 2018

Cytokinesis, the physical division of one cell into two, is powered by constriction of an actomyosin contractile ring. It has long been assumed that all animal cells divide by a similar molecular mechanism, but growing evidence suggests that cytokinetic regulation in individual cell types has more variation than previously realized. In the four-cell Caenorhabditis elegans embryo, each blastomere has a distinct cell fate, specified by conserved pathways. Using fast-acting temperature-sensitive mutants and acute drug treatment, we identified cell-type-specific variation in the cytokinetic requirement for a robust forminCYK-1-dependent filamentous-actin (F-actin) cytoskeleton. In one cell (P2), this cytokinetic variation is cell-intrinsically regulated, whereas in another cell (EMS) this variation is cell-extrinsically regulated, dependent on both SrcSRC-1 signaling and direct contact with its neighbor cell, P2. Thus, both cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic mechanisms control cytokinetic variation in individual cell types and can protect against division failure when the contractile ring is weakened.
Parvovirus minute virus of mice interacts with sites of cellular DNA damage to establish and amplify its lytic infection
Authors: Majumder Kinjal , Wang Juexin , Boftsi Maria , Fuller Matthew S , Rede Jordan E , Joshi Trupti , Pintel David J
Published: July 2018

We have developed a generally adaptable, novel high-throughput Viral Chromosome Conformation Capture assay (V3C-seq) for use in trans that allows genome-wide identification of the direct interactions of a lytic virus genome with distinct regions of the cellular chromosome. Upon infection, we found that the parvovirus Minute Virus of Mice (MVM) genome initially associated with sites of cellular DNA damage that in mock-infected cells also exhibited DNA damage as cells progressed through S-phase. As infection proceeded, new DNA damage sites were induced, and virus subsequently also associated with these. Sites of association identified biochemically were confirmed microscopically and MVM could be targeted specifically to artificially induced sites of DNA damage. Thus, MVM established replication at cellular DNA damage sites, which provide replication and expression machinery, and as cellular DNA damage accrued, virus spread additionally to newly damaged sites to amplify infection. MVM-associated sites overlap significantly with previously identified topologically-associated domains (TADs).
Living in the intertidal: desiccation and shading reduce seagrass growth, but high salinity or population of origin have no additional effect
Authors: Suykerbuyk Wouter , Govers Laura L. , van Oven W.G. , Giesen Kris , Giesen Wim B.J.T. , de Jong Dick J. , Bouma Tjeerd J. , van Katwijk Marieke M.
Published: July 2018

The limiting effects of stressors like desiccation, light and salinity on seagrass growth and distribution are well-studied. However, little is known about their interactive effects, and whether such effects might differ among populations that are adapted to different local conditions. In two laboratory experiments we tested (a) if growth and development of intertidal, temperate Zostera noltii is affected by emergence time (experiment 1 and 2), and (b) how this is affected by an additional, second stressor, namely shading (experiment 1) or high salinity (25, 30 and 35, experiment 2). In addition, we tested (c) whether the effects of emergence time and salinity varied between three different European seagrass populations (Saint-Jacut/France, Oosterschelde/The Netherlands, and Sylt/Germany), which are likely adapted to different salinity levels (experiment 2). In both experiments, emergence of 8 h per tidal cycle (of 12 h) had a negative effect on seagrass relative growth rate (RGR), and aboveground biomass. Emergence furthermore reduced either rhizome length (experiment 1) or belowground biomass (experiment 2). Shading (experiment 1) resulted in lower RGR and a two-fold higher aboveground/belowground ratio. We found no interactive effects of emergence and shading stress. Salinity (experiment 2) did not affect seagrass growth or morphology of any of the three populations. The three tested populations differed greatly in morphology but showed no differential response to emergence or salinity level (experiment 2). Our results indicate that emergence time and shading show an additive negative effect (no synergistic or antagonistic effect), making the plants still vulnerable to such combination, a combination that may occur as a consequence of self-shading during emergence or resulting from algal cover. Emergence time likely determines the upper limit of Z. noltii and such shading will likely lower the upper limit. Shading resulted in higher aboveground/belowground ratios as is a general response in seagrass. Z. noltii of different populations originating from salinity 30 and 35 seem tolerant to variations in salinity within the tested range. Our results indicate that the three tested populations show morphotypic rather than ecotypic variation, at least regarding the salinity and emergence, as there were no interactive effects with origin. For restoration, this implies that the salinity regime of the donor and receptor site of Z. noltii is of no concern within the salinity range 25–35.
Cross-species screening of microsatellite markers for individual identification of snow petrel Pagodroma nivea and Wilson's storm petrel Oceanites oceanicus in Antarctica
Authors: Pande Anant , Rawat Nidhi , Sivakumar Kuppusamy , Sathyakumar Sambandam , Mathur Vinod B. , Mondol Samrat
Published: July 2018

Seabirds are important indicators of marine ecosystem health. Species within the order Procellariiformes are the most abundant seabird species group distributed from warm tropical to cold temperate regions including Antarctica. There is a paucity of information on basic biology of the pelagic seabird species nesting on the Antarctic continents, and long-term studies are required to gather data on their population demography, genetics and other ecological parameters. Under the ‘Biology and Environmental Sciences’ component of the Indian Antarctic programme, long-term monitoring of Antarctic biodiversity is being conducted. In this paper, we describe results of cross-species screening of a panel of 12 and 10 microsatellite markers in two relatively little studied seabird species in Antarctica, the snow petrel Pagodroma nivea and the Wilson's storm petrel Oceanites oceanicus, respectively. These loci showed high amplification success and moderate levels of polymorphism in snow petrel (mean no. of alleles 7.08 ± 3.01 and mean observed heterozygosity 0.35 ± 0.23), but low polymorphism in Wilson's storm petrel (mean no. of alleles 3.9 ± 1.3 and mean observed heterozygosity 0.28 ± 0.18). The results demonstrate that these panels can unambiguously identify individuals of both species (cumulative PIDsibs for snow petrel is 3.7 × 10−03 and Wilson's storm petrel is 1.9 × 10−02) from field-collected samples. This work forms a baseline for undertaking long-term genetic research of these Antarctic seabird species and provides critical insights into their population genetics.
Morphospace saturation in the stem-gnathostomes pteraspidiformes heterostracans: an early radiation of a ‘bottom’ heavy clade
Authors: Romano Marco , Sansom Robert , Randle Emma
Published: July 2018

Ostracoderms (fossil armoured jawless fishes) shed light on early vertebrate evolution by revealing the step-wise acquisition of jawed vertebrate characters, and were important constituents of Middle Palaeozoic vertebrate faunas. A wide variety of head shield shapes are observed within and between the ostracoderm groups, but the timing of these diversifications and the consistency between different measures of their morphospace are unclear. Here, we present the first disparity (explored morphospace) versus diversity (number of taxa) analysis of Pteraspidiformes heterostracans using continuous and discrete characters. Patterns of taxic diversity and morphological disparity are in accordance: they both show a rise to a peak in the Lochkovian followed by a gradual decline in the Middle-Late Devonian. Patterns are largely consistent for disparity measures using sum of ranges or total variance, and when using continuous or discrete characters. Pteraspidiformes heterostracans can be classified as a “bottom-heavy clade”, i.e., a group where a high initial disparity decreasing over time is detected. In fact, the group explored morphospace early in its evolutionary history, with much of the subsequent variation in dermal armour occurring as variation in the proportions of already evolved anatomical features. This Early Devonian radiation is also in agreement with the paleobiogeographic distribution of the group, with a maximum of dispersal and explored morphospace during the Lochkovian and Pragian time bins.
Rhabdias bufonis(Rhabdiasidae) from the lung of the African common toad,Amietophrynus regularis(Bufonidae) in Egypt: new data on the basis of light and scanning electron microscopic study
Authors: Morsy Kareem , Mohamed Sara Ali , Abdel-Ghaffar Fathy , El-Fayoumi Hoda , Abdel-Haleem Heba
Published: July 2018

Background and Aims

Rhabdiassp. (Rhabdiasidae) is a nematode parasite of family Rhabdiasidae infecting the lung of amphibians. The present study provides new morphological details forRhabdias bufonisisolated from the lungs of the African common toad,Amietophrynus regularisbased on observations of light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Methods

Forty specimens were collected from its natural habitat: the damp, moist fields and gardens at Giza governorate, Egypt. Worms were isolated from the lungs, fixed and then preserved. They were examined using light and SEM with further line drawings.

Results

Fourteen specimens (35%) were found to harborRhabdiaswith an intensity of three to five worms per host. Bodies of the gravid females were elongated, slender, measured 3.22–9.86 (5.64 ± 0.03) long and 0.09–0.48 (0.23 ± 0.02) wide at mid-length. Buccal capsule was with cylindrical lumen and sclerotized walls. Ovaries were almost straight. The uteri were located anterior and posterior to the vulva. Uterus were filled with a large number of eggs (17–42). Eggs were oval in shape and some of them were with fully developed larvae inside. The tail was comparatively short, gradually tapered. SEM showed that worms possessed an oval anterior end with a simple, slit like oral opening. The lipless edges of the mouth opening were bordered with tiny cuticular elevations, radiated outwards. Two pairs of submedian cephalic papillae were observed around the oral opening as well as two amphids.

Conclusion

The current study presents new morphological details forR. bufonisisolated from the African common toad. Also, the morphology of the slit-like mouth opening, the two pairs of cephalic papillae, two amphids and the three pairs of cuticular elevations supporting the area around mouth opening were investigated.
The convergence of environmental sustainability and ocean cruises in two moments: in the academic research and corporate communication
Authors: Ramoa Carlos Eduardo de Almeida , Flores Luiz Carlos da Silva , Stecker Bernd
Published: July 2018

Concerns for world peace, freedom, and the future of people and the planet have led to several United Nations Conferences, generating discussions on global sustainable development. These efforts resulted in the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The proposed Goal 14 reflects the concern for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas, and marine resources. In this context, the research objects of this study are ocean cruise ships and the main dimension surveyed is environmental sustainability. Firstly, the study sought to identify through the convergence of the dimensions of sustainability and cruises the contributions to the cruise industry that promote the SDGs. To this end, we carried out a bibliometric analysis of scientific production on cruise ship environment, narrowing the research focus on environmentally sustainable practices. The second research objective is to examine cruise companies’ strategic inclination to provide information on environmental initiatives to the market. The results show little scientific research focused on the convergence of the two topics studied, environmental sustainability and cruises. Only 12 scientific articles were identified. Regarding the information on environmentally sustainable practices, the findings show that only 22.6% of the 31 cruise companies surveyed provide this information on their corporate websites.
Impedance‐Matching Wavefront‐Transformation Lens Based on Acoustic Metamaterials
Authors: Bai Lin , Dong Hui Yuan , Song Gang Yong , Cheng Qiang , Huang Bei , Jiang Wei Xiang , Cui Tie Jun
Published: July 2018

A broadband, low‐loss, and impedance‐matching wavefront‐transformation lens in acoustics is proposed. Different from the previous planar gradient‐index lens in which the refraction index changes in one direction, the refraction index in the proposed lens changes along two directions. Thus, with one more design freedom, the lens can be designed with additional conditions. For example, based on such an idea, some functional lenses with impedance matching to surrounding material can be designed. To realize the presented lens in acoustics, sub‐wavelength artificial structures, termed as acoustic metamaterials, are used. The elastic modulus and effective density are extracted from the unit cells. A broadband and low‐loss acoustic focusing lens with impedance matching to free space is designed, fabricated, and measured. The lens is fabricated via 3D printing technology with photosensitive resin. The measured result is in good agreement with the simulation. Such an impedance‐matching lens is expected to be used in high‐efficiency acoustic imaging.
Ultrastable Fluorescent Polymer Dots for Stimulated Emission Depletion Bioimaging
Authors: Wu Yayun , Ruan Hefei , Zhao Rong , Dong Zaizai , Li Wenhui , Tang Xiaojun , Yuan Jinghe , Fang Xiaohong
Published: July 2018

Stimulated emission depletion (STED) nanoscopy is an emerging super‐resolution imaging technique, which enables high spatiotemporal characterization of cellular structures and dynamics. However, its current application is limited by the lack of photostable fluorophores, which can endure strong STED illumination. Herein, a type of photobleaching‐resistant semiconducting polymer dots (Pdots) for STED imaging is reported. The Pdots are synthesized by nanoprecipitation of the mixture of hydrophobic fluorescent polymer poly[{9,9‐dihexyl‐2,7‐bis(1‐cyanovinylene)fluorene}‐alt‐co‐{2,5‐bis(N,N′‐diphenylamino)‐1,4‐phenylene}] (PDFDP) and amphiphilic polymer poly(styrene‐co‐maleic anhydride) (PSMA) to form monodispersed nanoparticles. The Pdots show remarkable properties, including superior photostability, bright fluorescence, large Stokes shift, and easy surface functionalization. Imaging of individual Pdots is realized with a super‐resolution of 71 nm. Long‐term (2 h) continuous STED imaging of cellular Pdots and live‐cell STED imaging for dynamic tracking are achieved. These results demonstrate the promising potential of using Pdots as a new class of fluorescent probe for STED nanoscopy.
Physical Metallurgy Inspired Nano‐Features for Enhancement of Thermoelectric Conversion Efficiency
Authors: Amouyal Yaron , Gelbstein Yaniv , Fuks David
Published: July 2018

Thermoelectric (TE) materials are useful for the conversion of heat flux into electrical power and for heat removal and are, therefore, technologically important. Development of TE materials involves controlling their thermal and electrical transport, and both are sensitive to the finest features of the material microstructure. Major turning points recorded in TE material research are enabled due to adopting concepts from physical metallurgy. These classical approaches, originally developed to explain plastic deformation mechanisms in metallic systems, are now being employed to elucidate thermal and electrical transport in highly efficient TE materials, and serve as tools to manipulate their transport properties. The present Progress Report reviews recent studies combining experimental and computational approaches aiming to elucidate the role of 0D, 1D, 2D, and 3D lattice defects, and to harness them to enhance TE performance.
Effect of Crystal Orientation and Conduction Band Grading of Absorber on Efficiency of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Solar Cells Grown on Flexible Polyimide Foil at Low Temperature
Authors: Kim SeongYeon , Yoo Hyesun , Rana Tanka Raj , Enkhbat Temujin , Han Gyuho , Kim JunHo , Song Soomin , Kim Kihwan , Gwak Jihye , Eo Young‐Ju , Yun Jae Ho
Published: July 2018

Flexible Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) solar cells are developed on polyimide (PI) foil by using a three‐stage co‐evaporation method. To deposit CIGS on a PI substrate, low temperature deposition process (below 440 °C) is investigated. By optimizing the three‐stage process, power conversion efficiency (PCE) values of 12.1% and 13.6% are obtained at maximum process temperatures of 400 °C and 440 °C, respectively (without anti‐reflection coating). The CIGS absorber deposited at 400 °C is grown with (220)/(204) rather than (112) as its dominant growth orientation, accompanied by highly homogeneous crystal structure and phases. Admittance spectroscopy reveals that the defect levels were lower in the CIGS absorber with (220)/(204) dominant growth orientation, which could have contributed to the PCE of 12.1%. The CIGS solar cell deposited at a temperature of 440 °C exhibits worse defect characteristics compared to that fabricated at 400 °C. However, the CIGS solar cell fabricated below 440 °C exhibited marginal double‐grading of Ga/(Ga + In) in the absorber layer, which resulted in an improved PCE of 13.6%. This result implies that at a temperature below 440 °C, the double‐grading of Ga/(Ga + In) is the more dominant factor causing the PCE improvement above 13%.
Prolonged severe hemorrhagic shock at a mean arterial pressure of 40 mmHg does not lead to brain damage in rats
Authors: Mihara Ryosuke , Takasu Akira , Maemura Kentaro , Minami Toshiaki
Published: July 2018

Aim

To examine whether prolonged hemorrhagic shock (HS) at a mean arterial pressure (MAP) of 40 mmHg leads to brain damage.

Methods

Rats were anesthetized with sevoflurane. The HS model consisted of the following phases: I, pressure‐controlled HS at a MAP of 40 mmHg; II, fluid resuscitation to normalize blood pressure; III, observations with outcome evaluations in terms of survival, overall performance categories, and neurological deficit scores, as well as evaluation of apoptosis in the hippocampus at 96 h. Each group of six rats was randomized into 60 min (group 1) or 75 min (group 2) each of phases I and II. Three sham rats were anesthetized for 150 min, and then awakened during phase III.

Results

The three sham rats as well as five and two of the six rats in groups 1 and 2 (P < 0.05), respectively, survived for up to 96 h. All survivors were functionally normal with overall performance category = 1 and neurological deficit score = 0 at 96 h. Apoptotic neurons were not found in the hippocampus.

Conclusions

The higher mortality in group 2 suggested a more profound effect of HS compared with group 1. However, prolonged HS for 60 or 75 min did not cause functional damage or apoptosis in the hippocampus. These findings suggest that prolonged HS at a MAP of 40 mmHg, as a level at which cerebral blood flow seems preserved by autoregulatory mechanisms, does not lead to brain damage.
H5BW12O40as a green and efficient homogeneous but recyclable catalyst in the synthesis of 4H‐Pyransviamulticomponent reaction
Authors: Heravi Majid M. , Mirzaei Masoud , Beheshtiha Seyed Yahya Shirazi , Zadsirjan Vahideh , Mashayekh Ameli Fatemeh , Bazargan Maryam
Published: July 2018

Keggin‐type heteropolyacid, H5BW12O40(BWA) with a higher negative charge and stronger Brønsted acidity comparing to Si and P derivatives was used as an efficient, green, and reusable catalyst in a three‐component reaction involving the cyclocondensation of various β‐dicarbonyl compounds, differently substituted aromatic aldehydes and malononitrile in EtOH/H2O for the facile, clean, and high yielding synthesis of 4H‐pyrans. All reactions were completed in short times and the products were obtained in good to excellent yields. The reaction medium could be recycled and reused several times without any loss of efficiency.
Evidence of cardiac electrical remodeling in patients with Huntington disease
Authors: Cankar Ksenija , Melik Ziva , Kobal Jan , Starc Vito
Published: July 2018

Objective

Although Huntington's disease (HD) is a disease of the central nervous system, HD mortality surveys indicate heart disease as a major cause of death. Cardiac dysfunction in HD might be a primary consequence of peripherally expressed mutant huntingtin or secondary to either a general decline in health or the onset of neurological dysfunction. The aim of the study was to clarify the heart muscle involvement.

Materials and Methods

We measured conventional and advanced resting ECG indices. Thirty‐one subjects with a confirmed huntingtin gene mutation and 31 age‐ and gender‐matched controls were included. The HD subjects were divided into four groups based on their Unified Huntington Disease Rating Scale (UHDRS) motor score.

Results

We detected changes in advanced ECG variables connected with electrical ventricular remodeling (t test, p < 0.01). The increase in the unexplained part of both QT variability and the standard deviation of normal‐to‐normal QT intervals, presumably reflecting beat‐to‐beat changes in repolarization, was most pronounced. Further, both variables correlated with the product of the cytosine–adenine–guanine (CAG) triplets’ repeat length and the subjects’ age (CAP), the former R = 0.423 (p = 0.018) and the latter R = 0.499 (p = 0.004). There was no correlation between the CAP score and any of variables representing autonomic nervous system activity.

Conclusions

Both autonomic nervous system dysfunction and cardiac electrical remodeling are present in patients with HD. The changes in advanced ECG variables observed in the study evolve with HD progression. The increased values of QT unexplained variability may be a marker of temporal inhomogeneity in ventricular repolarization associated with malignant ventricular arrhythmias.
A 3D virtual Weft‐knitting Engineering learning system based on Unreal Engine 4
Authors: Zhang Xiaoting , Liu Jihong , Chen Qing , Song Hao , Zhan Qianyi , Lu Jing
Published: July 2018

The traditional practice teaching mode of Weft‐knitting Engineering leads to unsatisfactory teaching outcomes due to the lack of hardware in laboratory and security issue in knitting mill. This paper presents a 3D virtual Weft‐knitting Engineering learning system based on Unreal Engine 4. The technological design of weft‐knitted fabrics including automatic design of jacquard pattern and the transformation of jacquard pattern, knitting notation, needle set‐out, and cams arrangement is realized through the establishment of mathematical model and algorithm in Unreal Engine 4. Corresponding cam configuration operation from the first person perspective is implemented in virtual practice operation part. The system provides learners a holistic cognition of weft‐knitting practice from machine structure, design of the weft‐knitted fabrics, virtual practice operation on the machine to 3D interactive Virtual Weft‐knitted fabrics. The experiment result shows that the virtual learning system developed in this study can improve the teaching effect of Weft‐knitting Engineering especially in operational skills, and the combination of traditional plus virtual learning system method is the better way to optimize the teaching effect. The learners’ feedback indicates that 3D virtual Weft‐knitting Engineering learning system is more convenient and immersive in which they feel like using real machine in real knitting mill. With the software combination of Unreal Engine 4 and Houdini, the bottom frame of the program offers great expansibility for more complex machine model and operation to the system in future. The design framework and discussions in this paper may be useful for developing virtual learning system in other areas.
Ethylene Oligomerization to Select Oligomers on Ni‐ETS‐10
Authors: Thakkar Jay , Yin Xinyang , Zhang Xueyi
Published: July 2018

The oligomerization of short alkenes (ethylene and propylene) can be used for producing commodity chemicals. Various catalysts have been used for alkene oligomerization, among which ordered microporous catalysts are thermally and mechanically stable and are already established for large‐scale industrial applications. In this work, we demonstrate ethylene oligomerization reaction on a microporous titanosilicate ETS‐10 (Engelhard Titanosiliate‐10) exchanged with Ni2+ (Ni‐ETS‐10). We demonstrate a template‐free and fluoride‐free ETS‐10 synthesis method that does not produce impurities commonly seen in hydrothermal ETS‐10 synthesis. Ni‐ETS‐10 showed high C2 conversion rate, high selectivity to C4 and high stability comparing to other microporous catalysts investigated in this work for ethylene oligomerization reaction.
Enhancement of the Electrocatalytic Activity of Thienyl‐Substituted Iron Porphyrin Electropolymers by a Hangman Effect
Authors: Neumann Bettina , Götz Robert , Wrzolek Pierre , Scheller Frieder W. , Weidinger Inez M. , Schwalbe Matthias , Wollenberger Ulla
Published: July 2018

The thiophene‐modified iron porphyrin FeT3ThP and the respective iron Hangman porphyrin FeH3ThP, incorporating a carboxylic acid hanging group in the second coordination sphere of the iron center, were electropolymerized on glassy carbon electrodes using 3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) as co‐monomer. Scanning electron microscopy images and Resonance Raman spectra demonstrated incorporation of the porphyrin monomers into a fibrous polymer network. Porphyrin/polyEDOT films catalyzed the reduction of molecular oxygen in a four‐electron reaction to water with onset potentials as high as +0.14 V vs. Ag/AgCl in an aqueous solution of pH 7. Further, FeT3ThP/polyEDOT films showed electrocatalytic activity towards reduction of hydrogen peroxide at highly positive potentials, which was significantly enhanced by introduction of the carboxylic acid hanging group in FeH3ThP. The second coordination sphere residue promotes formation of a highly oxidizing reaction intermediate, presumably via advantageous proton supply, as observed for peroxidases and catalases making FeH3ThP/polyEDOT films efficient mimics of heme enzymes.
The enhancement of black liquor treatment by applying a natural flocculant and converting its sludge to a high‐benefit product
Authors: Amriani Feni , Bani Okta , Muryanto Muryanto , Sari Ajeng Arum , Sudiyani Yanni
Published: July 2018

Black liquor (BL) as lignocellulosic‐based industrial wastewater is largely attained from a chemical pretreatment process. When treated with the commonly used coagulant polyaluminum chloride (PACl), BL was decolourized but its pH decreased drastically from 13 to 4–5. Chitosan as a natural flocculant was added to the BL treatment process to support the PACl. The combination of coagulant‐flocculant (PACl‐Chitosan) effectively generated sludge, rejuvenated the treated BL pH level to neutral, and decolourized and reduced several parameters required for the treated BL disposal. To establish a sustainable recycling process and enhance the BL treatment, the generated sludge as a potential source was recovered and converted to a carbonaceous adsorbent (CA) by applying a two‐stage carbonization process, heat and steam carbonization, during which the temperature and time in the first stage of the heat‐carbonization process differ. The first BL sludge‐based CA (BLS‐CA 1) is produced by employing the first stage heating at 575 °C for 180 min while the second black liquor sludge‐based CA (BLS‐CA 2) is produced by employing the first stage heating at 450 °C for 60 min. Both CAs were able to adsorb about 99 % methylene blue (MB) at MB concentration 100 mg/L for 16 h though they have smaller surface areas than commercially activated carbon, which is only able to adsorb about 70 % MB at the same concentration and adsorption time. This study demonstrates a potential way to reduce the emerging problem from the generated sludge through a sustainable recycling process as well as BL treatment.
UV Photoionization of Sodium‐Doped Formic Acid Clusters
Authors: Bende Attila , Gaele Maria F. , Di Palma Tonia M.
Published: July 2018

The processes involved in the photoionization of sodium‐doped clusters are complex, not fully understood for many systems and still strongly debated, especially because of the discrepancy between experimental results and predicted cluster structures. We have performed a study on sodium doped formic acid clusters based on UV photoionization spectroscopy and DFT/TDDFT calculations. Apart from the monomer, all the predicted structures show vertical ionization potential values higher than those obtained by the photoionization measurements. We have calculated the absorption spectra and found many Rydberg‐like states near the adiabatic ionization potentials and, crucially, in the UV range where the clusters appearance energies fall. This finding supports the hypothesis of adiabatic contributions in the measured ionization potentials for these clusters.