bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Soil bacterial communities and their associated functions for forest restoration on a limestone mine in northern Thailand
Authors: Sansupa Chakriya , Purahong Witoon , Wubet Tesfaye , Tiansawat Pimonrat , Pathom-Aree Wasu , Teaumroong Neung , Chantawannakul Panuwan , Buscot François , Elliott Stephen , Disayathanoowat Terd
Published: April 2021

Opencast mining removes topsoil and associated bacterial communities that play crucial roles in soil ecosystem functioning. Understanding the community composition and functioning of these organisms may lead to improve mine-rehabilitation practices. We used a culture-dependent method, combined with Illumina sequencing, to compare the taxonomic richness and composition of living bacterial communities in opencast mine substrates and young mine-rehabilitation plots, with those of soil in adjacent remnant forest at a limestone mine in northern Thailand. We further investigated the effects of soil physico-chemical factors and ground-flora cover on the same. Although, loosened subsoil, brought in to initiate rehabilitation, improved water retention and facilitated plant re-establishment, it did not increase the population density of living microbes substantially within 9 months. Planted trees and sparse ground flora in young rehabilitation plots had not ameliorated the micro-habitat enough to change the taxonomic composition of the soil bacteria compared with non-rehabilitated mine sites. Viable microbes were significantly more abundant in forest soil than in mine substrates. The living bacterial community composition differed significantly, between the forest plots and both the mine and rehabilitation plots. Proteobacteria dominated in forest soil, whereas Firmicutes dominated in samples from both mine and rehabilitation plots. Although, several bacterial taxa could survive in the mine substrate, soil ecosystem functions were greatly reduced. Bacteria, capable of chitinolysis, aromatic compound degradation, ammonification and nitrate reduction were all absent or rare in the mine substrate. Functional redundancy of the bacterial communities in both mine substrate and young mine-rehabilitation soil was substantially reduced, compared with that of forest soil. Promoting the recovery of microbial biomass and functional diversity, early during mine rehabilitation, is recommended, to accelerate soil ecosystem restoration and support vegetation recovery. Moreover, if inoculation is included in mine rehabilitation programs, the genera: Bacillus, Streptomyces and Arthrobacter are likely to be of particular interest, since these genera can be cultivated easily and this study showed that they can survive under the extreme conditions that prevail on opencast mines.
Investigating the procurement system for understanding seasonal influenza vaccine brand availability in Europe
Authors: Stuurman Anke L. , Rizzo Caterina , Haag Mendel
Published: April 2021

Background

Timely knowledge of which influenza vaccine brands are procured and where is of interest to inform site-selection for brand-specific influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) studies. Vaccine procurement is a key determinant of brand availability. We therefore sought to understand how the procurement for seasonal influenza vaccine in Europe is organized, how this drives brand availability and how procurement data could enable to determine brand availability pre-season.

Methods

Structured telephone interviews were conducted with 15 experts in 16 European countries between 2017 and 2019 to collect information on the influenza vaccine procurement systems. Sources of (brand-specific) procurement data were identified and assessed on public accessibility. Vaccine type and brand availability and timelines were determined for the 2019–20 season to understand how procurement systems drive brand availability and diversity.

Results

Four main types of procurement systems for seasonal influenza vaccination campaigns were identified: national public tenders (Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Slovenia), regional public tenders (Italy, Spain, Sweden), direct purchase of vaccines by GPs (England, Wales) or pharmacies (Belgium, France, Germany, Greece) from manufacturers or wholesalers. National public tender outcomes are publicly available and timely; brand availability at clinic level can generally be deduced or narrowed down to two brands. Regional tender outcomes are more difficult to find, known very late or not available. In Italian and Spanish regions tenders may be awarded only a few weeks before the seasonal campaign. No public procurement information is available for countries with direct purchase.

Conclusion

At the country-level, brand diversity is generally lower for countries with national public tenders than for countries with regional public tenders or direct purchase. In only a few countries, procurement data at the brand level is both publicly available and timely. Therefore the usefulness of procurement data for prospective site-selection for brand-specific VE studies is limited.
The role of a mechanistic host in maintaining arctic rabies variant distributions: Assessment of functional genetic diversity in Alaskan red fox (Vulpes vulpes)
Authors: Baecklund Tristan M. , Morrison Jaycee , Donaldson Michael E. , Hueffer Karsten , Kyle Christopher J.
Published: April 2021

Populations are exposed to different types and strains of pathogens across heterogeneous landscapes, where local interactions between host and pathogen may present reciprocal selective forces leading to correlated patterns of spatial genetic structure. Understanding these coevolutionary patterns provides insight into mechanisms of disease spread and maintenance. Arctic rabies (AR) is a lethal disease with viral variants that occupy distinct geographic distributions across North America and Europe. Red fox (Vulpes vulpes)are a highly susceptible AR host, whose range overlaps both geographically distinct AR strains and regions where AR is absent. It is unclear if genetic structure exists among red fox populations relative to the presence/absence of AR or the spatial distribution of AR variants. Acquiring these data may enhance our understanding of the role of red fox in AR maintenance/spread and inform disease control strategies. Using a genotyping-by-sequencing assay targeting 116 genomic regions of immunogenetic relevance, we screened for sequence variation among red fox populations from Alaska and an outgroup from Ontario, including areas with different AR variants, and regions where the disease was absent. Presumed neutral SNP data from the assay found negligible levels of neutral genetic structure among Alaskan populations. The immunogenetically-associated data identified 30 outlier SNPs supporting weak to moderate genetic structure between regions with and without AR in Alaska. The outliers included SNPs with the potential to cause missense mutations within several toll-like receptor genes that have been associated with AR outcome. In contrast, there was a lack of genetic structure between regions with different AR variants. Combined, we interpret these data to suggest red fox populations respond differently to the presence of AR, but not AR variants. This research increases our understanding of AR dynamics in the Arctic, where host/disease patterns are undergoing flux in a rapidly changing Arctic landscape, including the continued northward expansion of red fox into regions previously predominated by the arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus).
Hematological and CD4+ T- cell count reference interval for pregnant women attending antenatal care at Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Hawassa Southern Ethiopia
Authors: Gebere Yidnekachew Fiseha , Bimerew Lealem Gedefaw , Malko Wondimagegn Adissu , Fenta Demissie Assegu
Published: April 2021

Background

Pregnancy is a state characterized by physiological, hematological, and immunological changes. However, the reference intervals (RI) being used in clinical practice in Ethiopia are derived from non-local general populations. Therefore; this study was aimed to determine the reference interval of hematological and immunological profiles among healthy pregnant mothers attending Hawassa University Hospital.

Methods

A cross-sectional study in a total of 360 healthy pregnant women was enrolled from January to April 2019, at Hawassa University hospital. Sociodemographic and obstetric data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Blood samples collected from each participant were used to define the hematological parameters. The median and 95% intervals were calculated for the immunological and hematological profiles. P-value 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Result

A total of 360 healthy pregnant women were enrolled in this study. The age range of the participants was 18–45 years. 342(95%) were married and 270 (75%) of the participants were multigravida. The overall median CD4+ T-cell and total WBC counts (cells/mm3) were 602 and 7.58 respectively. The overall median value for lymphocytes, neutrophils, monocytes, eosinophils, and basophil count was (cells/mm3) was 2.21, 6.74, .63, .53, and 0.09 respectively. Whereas the median RBC and platelet count was 4.48×106/μLand 212×106/μL. The median value of hematological profiles in the first, second, and third trimesters was TWBC (103/μL) (7.90, 8.30, 8.65), RBC (106/μL) (4.5, 4.6, 4.62), and PLT (103/μL) (210, 209,161) respectively. The CD4 T cell count median value was (600, 598, and 591) in the first, second, and third trimesters. Significant changes were observed in hematological and immunological parameters between trimesters (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Significant changes were observed in hematological and immunological parameters between trimesters (P < 0.05). Considerable differences were also seen between the values in this study and other studies from Ethiopia and other countries, indicated the need for the development of local reference intervals for pregnant women.
Microbial community compositions in breast implant biofilms associated with contracted capsules
Authors: Crowe Sean A. , Simister Rachel L. , Spence Jenifer S. , Kenward Paul A. , Van Slyke Aaron C. , Lennox Peter , Carr Nick
Published: April 2021

Subclinical bacterial infections (biofilms) are strongly implicated in breast augmentation failure due to capsular contracture, and while these infections are generally ascribed to common skin commensals, this remains largely unsubstantiated through robust cultivation independent analyses. To determine capsule biofilm microbial community compositions, we employed amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene using DNA extracted from breast implant capsule samples. These cultivation independent analyses revealed that capsule associated biofilms are more diverse than canonical single-species infections, but have relatively low diversity (~ <100 species) compared to many host-associated microbial communities. In addition to taxa commonly associated with capsular contracture, the biofilms analyzed comprised a number of taxa that escaped detection in cultivation-dependent work. We have also isolated several key taxa identified through the culture-independent analyses. Together our analyses reveal that capsule biofilms are more diverse than cultivation studies suggest and can be heterogeneous within an individual capsule, between breasts of the same patient, across similar implant types, and over a range in severity of contracture. The complex nature of these communities requires further study across a broader suite of patients in addition to higher resolution analyses including metagenomics to better assess the fundamental role of microorganisms in capsular contracture.
The school policy, social, and physical environment and change in adolescent physical activity: An exploratory analysis using the LASSO
Authors: Foubister Campbell , van Sluijs Esther M. F. , Vignoles Anna , Wilkinson Paul , Wilson Edward C. F. , Croxson Caroline H. D. , Brown Helen Elizabeth , Corder Kirsten
Published: April 2021

Purpose

We examined the association between the school policy, social and physical environment and change in adolescent physical activity (PA) and explored how sex and socioeconomic status modified potential associations.

Methods

Data from the GoActive study were used for these analyses. Participants were adolescents (n = 1765, mean age±SD 13.2±0.4y) from the East of England, UK. Change in longitudinal accelerometer assessed moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was the outcome. School policy, social and physical environment features (n = 267) were exposures. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator variable selection method (LASSO) was used to determine exposures most relevant to the outcome. Exposures selected by the LASSO were added to a multiple linear regression model with estimates of change in min/day of MVPA per 1-unit change in each exposure reported. Post-hoc analyses, exploring associations between change in variables selected by the LASSO and change in MVPA, were undertaken to further explain findings.

Findings

No school policy or physical environment features were selected by the LASSO as predictors of change in MVPA. The LASSO selected two school social environment variables (participants asking a friend to do physical activity; friend asking a participant to do physical activity) as potential predictors of change in MVPA but no significant associations were found in subsequent linear regression models for all participants (β [95%CI] -1.01 [-2.73;0.71] and 0.65 [-2.17;0.87] min/day respectively). In the post-hoc analyses, for every unit increase in change in participants asking a friend to do PA and change in a friend asking participants to do PA, an increase in MVPA of 2.78 (1.55;4.02) and 1.80 (0.48;3.11) min/day was predicted respectively.

Conclusions

The school social environment is associated with PA during adolescence. Further exploration of how friendships during adolescence may be leveraged to support effective PA promotion in schools is warranted.
What about tocilizumab? A retrospective study from a NYC Hospital during the COVID-19 outbreak
Authors: Mehta Monica , Purpura Lawrence J. , McConville Thomas H. , Neidell Matthew J. , Anderson Michaela R. , Bernstein Elana J. , Dietz Donald E. , Laracy Justin , Gunaratne Shauna H. , Miller Emily Happy , Cheng Jennifer , Zucker Jason , Shah Shivang S. , Chaudhuri Shaoli , Gordillo Christian A. , Patel Shreena R. , Guo Tai Wei , Karaaslan Lara E. , Reshef Ran , Miko Benjamin A. , Bathon Joan M. , Pereira Marcus R. , Uhlemann Anne-Catrin , Yin Michael T. , Sobieszczyk Magdalena E.
Published: April 2021

Background

Tocilizumab, an interleukin-6 receptor blocker, has been used in the inflammatory phase of COVID-19, but its impact independent of corticosteroids remains unclear in patients with severe disease.

Methods

In this retrospective analysis of patients with COVID-19 admitted between March 2 and April 14, 2020 to a large academic medical center in New York City, we describe outcomes associated with tocilizumab 400 mg (without methylprednisolone) compared to a propensity-matched control. The primary endpoints were change in a 7-point ordinal scale of oxygenation and ventilator free survival, both at days 14 and 28. Secondary endpoints include incidence of bacterial superinfections and gastrointestinal perforation. Primary outcomes were evaluated using t-test.

Results

We identified 33 patients who received tocilizumab and matched 74 controls based on demographics and health measures upon admission. After adjusting for illness severity and baseline ordinal scale, we failed to find evidence of an improvement in hypoxemia based on an ordinal scale at hospital day 14 in the tocilizumab group (OR 2.2; 95% CI, 0.7–6.5; p = 0.157) or day 28 (OR 1.1; 95% CI, 0.4–3.6; p = 0.82). There also was no evidence of an improvement in ventilator-free survival at day 14 (OR 0.8; 95% CI, 0.18–3.5; p = 0.75) or day 28 (OR 1.1; 95% CI, 0.1–1.8; p = 0.23). There was no increase in secondary bacterial infection rates in the tocilizumab group compared to controls (OR 0.37; 95% CI, 0.09–1.53; p = 0.168).

Conclusions

There was no evidence to support an improvement in hypoxemia or ventilator-free survival with use of tocilizumab 400 mg in the absence of corticosteroids. No increase in secondary bacterial infections was observed in the group receiving tocilizumab.
Solubilization and thermodynamic properties of simvastatin in various micellar solutions of different non-ionic surfactants: Computational modeling and solubilization capacity
Authors: Shakeel Faiyaz , Alshehri Sultan , Ibrahim Mohamed A. , Altamimi Mohammad , Haq Nazrul , Elzayat Ehab M. , Shazly Gamal A.
Published: April 2021

The aim of this work was to solubilize simvastatin (SIM) using different micellar solutions of various non-ionic surfactants such as Tween-80 (T80), Tween-20 (T20), Myrj-52 (M52), Myrj-59 (M59), Brij-35 (B35) and Brij-58 (B58). The solubility of SIM in water (H2O) and different micellar concentrations of T80, T20, M52, M59, B35 and B58 was determined at temperatures T = 300.2 K to 320.2 K under atmospheric pressure p = 0.1 MPa using saturation shake flask method. The experimental solubility data of SIM was regressed using van’t Hoff and Apelblat models. The solubility of SIM (mole fraction) was recorded highest in M59 (1.54 x 10−2) followed by M52 (6.56 x 10−3), B58 (5.52 x 10−3), B35 (3.97 x 10−3), T80 (1.68 x 10−3), T20 (1.16 x 10−3) [the concentration of surfactants was 20 mM in H2O in all cases] and H2O (1.94 x 10−6) at T = 320.2 K. The same results were also recorded at each temperature and each micellar concentration of T80, T20, M52, M59, B35 and B58. “Apparent thermodynamic analysis” showed endothermic and entropy-driven dissolution/solubilization of SIM in H2O and various micellar solutions of T80, T20, M52, M59, B35 and B58.
Openness and COVID-19 induced xenophobia: The roles of trade and migration in sustainable development
Authors: He Leshui , Zhou Wen , He Ming , Nie Xuanhua , He Jun
Published: April 2021

Along with the plight of the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 come the xenophobic behaviors and hate crimes against people with Asian descent around the globe. The threat of a public health emergency catalyzed underlying xenophobic sentiments, manifesting them into racial discrimination of various degrees. With most discriminatory acts reported in liberal societies, this article investigates whether an economy more open to trade and migration can be more susceptible to xenophobia. Using our first-hand survey data of 1767 Chinese respondents residing overseas from 65 different countries during February of 2020, we adopt an instrumental variable strategy to identify the causal effect of openness to trade and migration of their residence country on the likelihood of them receiving discriminatory behaviors during the early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak. Our results show that greater openness to trade increases the likelihood of reported xenophobic behaviors, while openness to migration decreases it. On the other hand, stronger trade or immigration relationships with China are associated with less reported discrimination. And these effects primarily influence discriminatory behavior in interpersonal spaces, rather than through media outlets. Our findings highlight nuances of the effect of trade relations on the culture of a society.
Sick of news? Television news exposure, collective stressful events and headache related emergency department visits
Authors: Vodonos Alina , Novack Victor , Waismel-Manor Israel , Ezra Yacov , Guetta Adi , Ifergane Gal
Published: April 2021

Stress is a well-known trigger for primary headache yet its impact is difficult to demonstrate in large epidemiological studies. Israeli national TV news is often referred to as the “tribal fire”, as many Israelis watch national news coverage following terror attacks or military operations. We examined the association between exposure to television news and their content with headache related Emergency Department visits. This retrospective cohort study included data on daily Emergency Department visits with a chief complaint of headache in Soroka University Medical Center, during 2002–2012. Data on daily television news viewership ratings were obtained from the Israeli Audience Research Board and its content from Channel 2 headlines, the highest rated TV news program. To estimate the short-term effects of news rating during the evening news on the number of daily headache visits, we applied generalized linear mixed models. 16,693 Emergency Department visits were included in the analysis. An increase in five units of daily rating percentages was associated with increase in Emergency Department visits the following day, relative risk (RR) = 1.032, (95% CI 1.014–1.050). This association increased with the age of the patients; RR = 1.119, (95% CI 1.075–1.65) for older than 60-year-old, RR = 1.044 (95% CI 1.010–1.078) for ages 40–60 and RR = 1.000 (95% CI 0.977–1.023) for younger than 40-year-old. We did not find a specific content associated with ED visit for headache. Higher television news ratings were associated with increased incidence of Emergency Department headache related visits. We assume that especially among older persons, news viewership ratings provide an indirect estimate of collective stress, which acts as a headache trigger for susceptible subjects.
Journal article publishing in the social sciences and humanities: A comparison of Web of Science coverage for five European countries
Authors: Petr Michal , Engels Tim C. E. , Kulczycki Emanuel , Dušková Marta , Guns Raf , Sieberová Monika , Sivertsen Gunnar
Published: April 2021

This study compares publication pattern dynamics in the social sciences and humanities in five European countries. Three are Central and Eastern European countries that share a similar cultural and political heritage (the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland). The other two are Flanders (Belgium) and Norway, representing Western Europe and the Nordics, respectively. We analysed 449,409 publications from 2013–2016 and found that, despite persisting differences between the two groups of countries across all disciplines, publication patterns in the Central and Eastern European countries are becoming more similar to those in their Western and Nordic counterparts. Articles from the Central and Eastern European countries are increasingly published in journals indexed in Web of Science and also in journals with the highest citation impacts. There are, however, clear differences between social science and humanities disciplines, which need to be considered in research evaluation and science policy.
A Swept source optical coherence tomography angiography study: Imaging artifacts and comparison of non-perfusion areas with fluorescein angiography in diabetic macular edema
Authors: Podkowinski Dominika , Beka Sophie , Mursch-Edlmayr Anna-Sophie , Strauss Rupert W. , Fischer Lukas , Bolz Matthias
Published: April 2021

Purpose

Swept Source Optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA) is a novel technique to visualize perfusion and vascular changes like ischemia in patients with diabetic retinopathy. The aim of this study was to compare non-perfusion areas on conventional fluorescein angiography (FA) with those on SS-OCTA using detailed manual annotation in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) and to evaluate possible artifacts caused by DME on SS-OCTA.

Methods

27 eyes of 21 patients with DME were analyzed in this prospective, cross-sectional study; on all, standard ophthalmological examination, SS-OCTA and FA imaging were performed. Early-phase FA and SS-OCTA images were analyzed for capillary dropout and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) was measured on both modalities. Artifacts in SS-OCTA imaging caused by DME were marked and analyzed.

Results

The mean age of the patients was 62.6 ± 11.5 years. On FA the mean size of the annotated non-perfusion areas was 0.14 ± 0.31 mm2 whereas the mean size in SS-OCTA was 0.04 ± 0.13 mm2; areas marked on FA were statistically significantly larger than on SS-OCTA (p<0.01). Mean size of FAZs was similar between FA and OCTA images. (p = 0.91). Seven eyes (25.9 percent) showed imaging artifacts due to DME in SS-OCTA.

Conclusion

SS-OCTA is a valid tool to analyze capillary perfusion status of patients with DME, although areas of non-perfusion were measured smaller than in conventional FA. More non-perfusion areas were found on SS-OCTA images. FAZ measurements were similar using the two modalities. However, SS-OCTA is prone to artifacts and therefore requires reviewing of imaging results: up to 25 percent of the analyzed eyes showed artifacts on OCTA, which occurred in the areas of diabetic macular edema and did not correspond to capillary drop out.
Evaluation of rapid SARS-CoV-2 antigen tests, AFIAS COVID-19 Ag and ichroma COVID-19 Ag, with serial nasopharyngeal specimens from COVID-19 patients
Authors: Kweon Oh Joo , Lim Yong Kwan , Kim Hye Ryoun , Choi Yoojeong , Kim Min-Chul , Choi Seong-Ho , Chung Jin-Won , Lee Mi-Kyung
Published: April 2021

We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of two newly developed, point-of-care, rapid antigen tests (RATs) for detecting SARS-CoV-2, the AFIAS COVID-19 Ag and the ichromaTMCOVID-19 Ag, and investigated antigen kinetics. A total of 200 serially collected nasopharyngeal (NP) specimens from 38 COVID-19 patients and 122 specimens from negative controls were analyzed. Diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were assessed in comparison to molecular test results and subdivided according to targeted genes (E,RdRP, andN) and days post-symptom onset (PSO). For the kinetics evaluation, cut-off-indices from serial NP specimens were used according to the number of days PSO. Both RATs showed sensitivity of 91.3‒100% for specimens with cycle threshold (Ct) < 25. The specificity of AFIAS was 98.7‒98.9% and that of ichromaTMwas 100.0%. The kappa values of AFIAS and ichromaTMfor the molecular testing of specimens with Ct < 25 (RdRP) were 0.97 and 1.00, respectively. The sensitivity of AFIAS and ichromaTMfor all genes was lower for specimens collected at 8‒14 PSO than for those collected before 7-days PSO. The kinetics profiles showed that antigen levels gradually decreased from ≤ 7-days PSO to > 22-days PSO. Both RATs showed excellent specificity and acceptable sensitivity for NP specimens with higher viral loads and for specimens collected within 7-days PSO. Hence, they have the potential to become useful tools for the early detection of SARS-CoV-2. However, because of concerns about false negativity, RATs should be used in conjunction with molecular tests.
Widespread mortality of trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) throughout interior Alaskan boreal forests resulting from a novel canker disease
Authors: Ruess Roger W. , Winton Loretta M. , Adams Gerard C.
Published: April 2021

Over the past several decades, growth declines and mortality of trembling aspen throughout western Canada and the United States have been linked to drought, often interacting with outbreaks of insects and fungal pathogens, resulting in a “sudden aspen decline” throughout much of aspen’s range. In 2015, we noticed an aggressive fungal canker causing widespread mortality of aspen throughout interior Alaska and initiated a study to quantify potential drivers for the incidence, virulence, and distribution of the disease. Stand-level infection rates among 88 study sites distributed across 6 Alaska ecoregions ranged from <1 to 69%, with the proportion of trees with canker that were dead averaging 70% across all sites. The disease is most prevalent north of the Alaska Range within the Tanana Kuskokwim ecoregion. Modeling canker probability as a function of ecoregion, stand structure, landscape position, and climate revealed that smaller-diameter trees in older stands with greater aspen basal area have the highest canker incidence and mortality, while younger trees in younger stands appear virtually immune to the disease. Sites with higher summer vapor pressure deficits had significantly higher levels of canker infection and mortality. We believe the combined effects of this novel fungal canker pathogen, drought, and the persistent aspen leaf miner outbreak are triggering feedbacks between carbon starvation and hydraulic failure that are ultimately driving widespread mortality. Warmer early-season temperatures and prolonged late summer drought are leading to larger and more severe wildfires throughout interior Alaska that are favoring a shift from black spruce to forests dominated by Alaska paper birch and aspen. Widespread aspen mortality fostered by this rapidly spreading pathogen has significant implications for successional dynamics, ecosystem function, and feedbacks to disturbance regimes, particularly on sites too dry for Alaska paper birch.
E-business-adaptáció a vállalati menedzsmentben
Authors: Badinszky Péter , Kulcsár László
Published: April 2021

Az e-business-adaptációval foglalkozó tanulmányukban olyan vezetői magatartások, attitűdök elemzésével foglalkoznak, illetve azoknak a tényezőknek feltárására tesznek kísérletet a szerzők, melyek meghatározó szerepet játszhatnak az e-business-technológiák vállalati alkalmazásában. Vizsgálódásuk középpontjában a vállalkozások e-business-tevékenységei, elektronikus üzletvitele, döntéshozóinak új technológiával kapcsolatos magatartása, valamint a sikeresen alkalmazható e-kereskedelmi alkalmazások állnak. Az eredmények alapján elmondhatják, hogy az e-business-innováció adaptációja a felmérésben részt vevő vezetők személyes kapcsolati hálójában, valamint a vállalatok közötti projekt-együttműködésekben valósul meg jelentősebb mértékben. Az e-businessáttörésének legfőbb akadályait a nem kellően felkészült vállalatvezetésben és az internet elterjedésének alacsony szintjében látják, melyet tovább erősít a rövid távú szemlélet, az on-line tranzakciós bizalom hiánya. A kutatás eredményei igazolták, hogy az e-business-fejlesztések releváns tudást igényelnek, és annak alkalmazása a menedzsment e-business-attitűdjének, s csak kisebb részben technológiai tényezőknek az eredménye.
Termékfejlesztés és üzleti teljesítmény
Authors: Kiss János
Published: April 2021

A szerző dolgozatában arra keresi a választ egy empirikus felmérésre támaszkodva, hogy a termékfejlesztési tevékenység gyakorlata hogyan hat az új termékek sikerességére és a vállalatok üzleti teljesítményére.
New Fragments of Menander’s Epitrepontes
Authors: Furley William
Published: April 2021

In this brand new and exquisite 2021 translation of the classic Greek play, 'Epitrepontes', or 'The Arbitration', produced around 300 BC, Menander tackles the subject of a broken marriage. Charisios has left his young wife Pamphile over a suspected infidelity and moved in with his neighbour to drown his sorrows in wine and women, specifically, a spirited harp-girl called Habrotonon. The irate father-in-law will not tolerate this waste of a good dowry and demands of his daughter that she divorce. Bravely she holds out against her father's tirades and remains loyal to her husband. A complex and masterly dramatic sequence ensures that by the end 'all's well that ends well' - and Menander has struck a blow for equality of the sexes, for understanding over arrogance and pride. Menander's subtle and, ultimately, good-natured treatment of marital crisis and family tensions, themes which, despite the ancient dress of strict metre and theatrical convention, are strikingly modern, not to say timeless. A large portion of the 'Epitrepontes' was recovered from oblivion in 1905. Now, this startling collection of the new fragments, complete with papyrological readings, translation and commentary, brings together the scholarly work from separate fragments to date, including the author's own edition and interpretation and a revised text of the play in entirety included as an appendix. The commentary aims to explain the printed text, to place Menander's language in the context of Athenian dramatic art and rhetoric, and to appreciate his subtle insights into the psychology of his characters, from the huffy father-in-law Smikrines to the 'little people' of the comedy, the slaves, each with their private agenda.
Design, Construction and Testing of a Microcontroller based Robotic Arm for Spray Painting
Authors: Dam Sanjoy , Alam Fahid-Ul-
Published: April 2021

Robots can be used in painting operations like many other automated jobs. It can also perform welding, drilling, grinding, carrying operation, and various industrial process with the integration of proper tools with its arm. Robots are used widely in industrially developed countries to perform many operations of their industrial processes. Though the application of robots is limited in our country, the implementation has been initiated with the recent trend of moving forward to the automated industry.
Equilibrium of Planets in The Solar System-A New Approach
Authors:   R. H. 40, Konark Pooram, Kondhwa, Khurd, PUNE – 411 048, INDIA, Sheth D. P.
Published: April 2021

As per Newtonian laws of motion and gravitation, the gravitational force of attraction governs all the planets of solar system. Here we discuss equilibrium of planets in which gravitational force represents one side and the magnetic hold the other side. The planet achieves equilibrium in the solar field at that point where its centrifugal (i.e., gravitational) force balances the magnetic hold of sun. The sun develops magnetic flux on the planet according to its surface area, magnetic content and rotational velocity. As per available data, calculations in this regard are in good agreement with the functions achieving rotational and orbital motions and equilibrium of planet, thus supporting our concept. Therefore, this theory provides the missing link explaining magnetic interaction with the centrifugal force of planet to achieve equilibrium, hold and motion.
Bedrock Geology of the Southern Half of the Knox 30- x 60-Minute Quadrangle, Indiana
Authors: McLaughlin Patrick , Bancroft Alyssa , Johnson Matthew
Published: April 2021

This is a map. It has an introduction, but no abstract.
Literature review on the conflict analysis of vehicle-pedestrian interactions
Authors: Kizawi Ahmad , Borsos Attila
Published: April 2021

An alternative to traffic safety analysis based on historical crash data the use of non-crash events is becoming more popular thanks to the rapid improvement in video-based vehicle trajectory processing. By means of Surrogate Measures of Safety (SMoS) in traffic conflict studies, the most critical elements on the road network can be identified and the probability of accidents can be proactively determined. This paper aims to summarize the state-of-the-art research regarding the analysis of pedestrian-vehicle interactions at unsignalized crossings, to synthetize the previous studies using Surrogate Measures of Safety (SMoS), and to identify the research gaps.
Dis/Graceful Liberties: Textual Libertinism/ Libertine Texts in J.M. Coetzee’s Disgrace
Authors: Driss Hager Ben
Published: April 2021

This essay addresses J.M. Coetzee’s Disgrace, a Booker Prize winner in 1999. The novel captures South African political and cultural turmoil attending the post-apartheid transitional period. Far from overlooking the political allegory, I propose instead to expand on a topic only cursorily developed elsewhere, namely liberty and license. The two terms foreground the textual dynamics of the novel as they compete and/or negotiate meaning and ascendency. I argue that Disgrace is energized by Coetzee’s belief in a total liberty of artistic production. Sex is philosophically problematized in the text and advocated as a serious issue that deserves artistic investigation without restriction or censorship. This essay looks into the subtle libertinism in Coetzee’s text, which displays pornographic overtones without exhibiting a flamboyant libertinage. Disgrace acquires its libertine gesture from its dialogue with several literary works steeped in libertinism. The troubled relationship between the aesthetic and the ethical yields an ambiguous text that invites a responsible act of reading.
“Nobody gets out alive. This place just a big coffin”: On Death and Dying in American Prisons
Authors: Andreescu Raluca
Published: April 2021

This article explores the manner in which the narratives in the Prison Noir volume (2014) edited by Joyce Carol Oates bring into view the limits and abusive practices of the American criminal justice system within the confines of one of its most secretive sites, the prison. Taking an insider’s perspective - all stories are written by award-winning former or current prisoners - the volume creates room for the usually silent voices of those incarcerated in correctional facilities throughout the United States. The article engages the effects of “prisonization” and the subsequent mortification of inmates by focusing on images of death and dying in American prisons, whether understood as a ‘social death,’ the isolation from any meaningful intercourse with society, as a ‘civil death,’ the stripping away of citizenship rights and legal protections, or as the physical termination of life as a result of illness, murder, suicide or statesponsored execution.
“Ava’s body is a good one”: (Dis)Embodiment in Ex Machina
Authors: Henke Jennifer
Published: April 2021

This article discusses the role of the body in Alex Garland’s film Ex Machina (2015). It focuses on Ava’s female cyborg body against the backdrop of both classic post-humanist theories and current reflections from scholars in the field of body studies. I argue that Ex Machina addresses but also transcends questions of gender and feminism. It stresses the importance of the body for social interaction both in the virtual as well as the real world. Ava’s lack of humanity results from her mind that is derived from the digital network Blue Book in which disembodied communication dominates. Moreover, the particular construction of Nathan’s progeny demonstrates his longing for a docile sex toy since he created Ava with fully functional genitals but without morals. Ex Machina further exhibits various network metaphors both on the visual and the audio level that contribute to the (re)acknowledgement that we need a body in order to be human.
Pleasure, Judgment and the Function of the Painter-Scribe Analogy
Authors: Fletcher Emily
Published: April 2021

This paper puts forward a new interpretation of the argument atPhilebus36c–40d that pleasures can be false. Protarchus raises an objection at 37e–38a, and in response Socrates presents the elaborate painter-scribe analogy (38e–40c). Most previous interpretations do not explain how the analogy answers Protarchus’ objection. On my account, Protarchus’ objection relies on the plausible intuition that pleasure is simply not in the business of assessing the world, and so it cannot be charged with doing so incorrectly. Socrates responds by demonstrating that pleasure can be mistaken about the world, despite not making an independent assessment of it. The painter-scribe analogy demonstrates how pleasure comes to be mistaken about the world by reproducing the mistake of a judgment. Socrates persuades Protarchus that pleasure can be mistaken in part by preserving his intuition that pleasure itself is not the source of the mistake.
Integration of green nanotechnology with silica for corrosion inhibition
Authors: Govardhane Sharayu , Shende Pravin
Published: April 2021

Silica is a chemically inert molecule with an ability of adsorption on the metal to form a layer of barrier for preventing it from the atmospheric damage. However, a larger amount of silica is required for producing the impactful anticorrosive activity, leading to toxic and carcinogenic effects in the environment, and thus limiting the applications of silica. Application of nanotechnology in the synthesis of silica nanocomposites provides, for example, the advantages of better biocompatibility, systemic stability, ineffective response towards pH changes large multifunctionality. However, uses of harmful solvent, low penetration and toxicity, remain the major concerns for silica nanoparticles. Synthesis of silica nanocomposites with green technology will be an attractive approach to offer reduction in toxicity associated with the silica, higher surface area, effective penetration, easy spreadability, better adsorption over the metal surface and also provided the controlled release of chemical agents on contact with metal surface. The present article enlightens the use of green syntheses in the formulation of silica nanocomposites for corrosion inhibition in comparison to conventional synthetic method and provides the insights of various green nanocarriers such as nanocontainers, sol-to-gel nanoparticles, metallic nanostructures and silica nanocomposites for enhancing the proficiency of corrosion inhibition.
Experimental Investigation of Skirted Foundation in Sand Subjected to Rapid Uplift
Authors: Kulczykowski Marek
Published: April 2021

This paper reports results from 1g model tests carried out under single gravity on a skirted foundation installed in sand and subjected to a rapid uplifting force. The effects of displacement rates ranging from 5 mm/s to 450 mm/s on the ultimate capacity, suction pressure inside the skirt compartment, and time of extraction were investigated. Test results indicate that the displacement rate significantly affected the magnitude of uplift resistance, as well as the magnitude of suction under the foundation lid, but had little effect on the relationship between stress and the displacement of the foundation. The shapes of the uplift capacity-displacement curve and the suction-displacement curve were similar for all experimental displacement rates.
Compound Channel’s Cross-section Shape Effects on the Kinetic Energy and Momentum Correction Coefficients
Authors: Ghanbari-Adivi Elham
Published: April 2021

Since accurate estimation of the flow kinetic energy (α) and momentum (β) is not easily possible in compound channels, determining their accurate correction coefficients is an important task. This paper has used the “flood channel facility (FCF)” data and the “conveyance estimate system (CES)” model (which is 1D, but considers a term related to the secondary flow) to study how the floodplain width and the main channel wall slope and asymmetry affect the values of α and β. Results have shown that their maximum values at the highest floodplain width are, respectively, 1.36 and 1.13 times of those at the lowest case; an increase in the slope increased their maximum values by 1.05 and 1.01 times, respectively. The mean of error values showed that the CES model estimated the values α and β more accurately than the flow discharge. The maximum differences between the estimated and experimental values were 12.14% for α and 4.3% for β; for the flow discharge, it was 24.4%.
Performance comparison of code division multiple access and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing over turbulent effected free space optics link under the impact of advance coding formats
Authors: Arora Heena , Sharma Vishal
Published: April 2021

Free space optics (FSO) systems have gained considerable attention because of their numerous features and services. It has evolved into a promising technology for high data rate transmission in wireless communication systems. However, there are some atmospheric effects which inhibit its performance. In this paper, performance of code division multiple access–free space optics (CDMA–FSO) by combining multidiagonal (MD) codes and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing–free space optics (OFDM-FSO) systems over using advance line coding formats under the sway of turbulence conditions are investigated and compared. A comparative study has shown that CDMA–FSO offers better SNR with both CSRZ and AMI coding format under diverse conditions at data rate 15 and 20 Gbps.
Wind flow around buildings of basic shapes with and without a wind-adaptive envelope
Authors: Kabošová Lenka , Kmeť Stanislav , Katunský Dušan
Published: April 2021

Together with the natural environment, the built, artificial environment represents a barrier to the wind fluxes. Especially in the densely built cities, the wind flow pattern and the wind speed are considerably altered by buildings, which can lead to zones of an accelerated wind and turbulent flow. Incorporating the wind into the early conceptual stage of architectural design, this reciprocal interaction of the built environment and the wind fluxes can be analyzed and controlled to create zones of calmer wind around buildings. Presently, building envelopes are designed to withstand extreme load cases, which, however, demands thicker and bulkier structures. The subject of this study is a proposal and investigation of a lightweight, adaptive building envelope, which is able of a local, passive morphing in the wind. This local shape change leads to creating a textured, dimpled building surface; the final shape depends on the wind direction and force. The wind-induced dimpled surface influences the wind flow around the building, as well as surface wind pressure acting on the building, and the drag force. The analysis of three fundamental building shapes using the CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) simulation is performed for the variants with and without the proposed adaptive envelope. Concluding from the wind simulations, the wind flow can be decelerated, the turbulence reduced, and calmer zones around buildings can be created, by certain conditions. Moreover, the envelope, morphing with the instant wind force, can contribute to the reduction of the surface wind suction on buildings. Strikingly, the dimpled geometry of the wind-adaptive envelope can decrease the wind drag force by up to 28.4 %, which is again dependent on the global form, as well as the initial wind speed.
An experimental study on damaged cementitious mortars repaired by glass/epoxy composite materials
Authors: Aribi Chouaib , Bouaissi Aissa , Safi Brahim , Saidi Mohammed
Published: April 2021

This paper presents an experimental investigation on the post-repair flexural response of mortars with and without damage. In order to improve the mechanical properties of the damaged mortars, which were subjected to different loads ranging between 40 % and 90 %, the mortars specimens were reinforced and repaired using two different composite materials, the first with only epoxy resin, while the second consisted of a mixture of epoxy resin and glass fiber. The results show a significant improvement in the stiffness damaged. Therefore, the reinforced specimens by a layer of resin on the lower side surface increased the bending strength by 58 %, when compared to those control samples. The reinforcement using composite resin-fiber of glass exhibited considerable increases in the safety of constructions. The SEM images of damaged samples with and without repair, revealed the impact of reinforced glass fibers-mortar on the matrix-mortar by improving theirs mechanical performances.
Atomic Histories and Elemental Futures across Indigenous Waters
Authors: Hobart Hiʻilei Julia
Published: April 2021

Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner and Aka Niviâna’s 2018 collaborative video poem Rise is a trans-Indigenous call to action. Set along the watery edges of the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the stark ice sheets of Greenland, the images that accompany their words train our eyes on water: a common, critical element of life as it shape-shifts across the globe. As climate change threatens the homeland of each poet through rapidly increasing glacial melt, the poem articulates how the Western world’s willful denial of irreversible damage performs a colonial violence with deep roots. This article contextualizes Rise by exploring nuclear histories of dispossession used to make way for the extension of normative American domestic life onto and into Indigenous territories cleared for Cold War projects. In doing so, I consider how Jetñil-Kijiner and Niviâna offer a particularly salient response to the militarized infrastructures so violently imposed upon their territories in order to trouble the spatial and conceptual cleaving of anthropogenic precarity between “remote” places and a culpable Western world.