bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Using SSM to Approach Complex Problematical Situations in Learning, Teaching and Assessment Management
Authors: Feng Junkang
Published: September 2019

Chinese higher education has moved into a popularized and internationalization stage, which makes the traditional learning, teaching and assessment (LTA) management challenging and sometimes problematical. This paper introduces how to approach complex problematical situations in LTA management by using Checkland's Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) at the Business College of the Beijing Union University (BCBUU) in China. Through this case study of seven years, the author made sense of and improved the problematical situations. It is found that SSM provides LTA managers with an innovative and fundamental methodology to appreciate otherwise seemingly unapproachable and unmanageable complex and ill-structured problem situations that they face. It is also proven that the case study of SSM in the context of LTA management in a Chinese college is practically effective.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis–Induced Bronchoalveolar Lavage Gene Expression Signature in Latent Tuberculosis Infection Is Dominated by Pleiotropic Effects of CD4+ T Cell–Dependent IFN-γ Production despite the Presence of Polyfunctional T Cells within the Airways
Authors: Jarvela Jessica , Moyer Michelle , Leahy Patrick , Bonfield Tracey , Fletcher David , Mkono Wambura N. , Aung Htin , Canaday David H. , Dazard Jean-Eudes , Silver Richard F.
Published: September 2019

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a worldwide public health threat. Development of a more effective vaccination strategy to prevent pulmonary TB, the most common and contagious form of the disease, is a research priority for international TB control. A key to reaching this goal is improved understanding of the mechanisms of local immunity to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative organism of TB. In this study, we evaluated global M. tuberculosis–induced gene expression in airway immune cells obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) of individuals with latent TB infection (LTBI) and M. tuberculosis–naive controls. In prior studies, we demonstrated that BAL cells from LTBI individuals display substantial enrichment for M. tuberculosis–responsive CD4+ T cells compared with matched peripheral blood samples. We therefore specifically assessed the impact of the depletion of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells on M. tuberculosis–induced BAL cell gene expression in LTBI. Our studies identified 12 canonical pathways and a 47-gene signature that was both sensitive and specific for the contribution of CD4+ T cells to local recall responses to M. tuberculosis. In contrast, depletion of CD8+ cells did not identify any genes that fit our strict criteria for inclusion in this signature. Although BAL CD4+ T cells in LTBI displayed polyfunctionality, the observed gene signature predominantly reflected the impact of IFN-γ production on a wide range of host immune responses. These findings provide a standard for comparison of the efficacy of standard bacillus Calmette–Guérin vaccination as well as novel TB vaccines now in development at impacting the initial response to re-exposure to M. tuberculosis in the human lung.
Regulatory Macrophages Inhibit Alternative Macrophage Activation and Attenuate Pathology Associated with Fibrosis
Authors: Chandrasekaran Prabha , Izadjoo Salman , Stimely Jessica , Palaniyandi Senthilkumar , Zhu Xiaoping , Tafuri Wagner , Mosser David M.
Published: September 2019

Diversity and plasticity are the hallmarks of macrophages. The two most well-defined macrophage subsets are the classically activated macrophages (CAMϕs) and the IL-4–derived alternatively activated macrophages (AAMϕs). Through a series of studies, we previously identified and characterized a distinct population of macrophages with immunoregulatory functions, collectively termed regulatory macrophages (RMϕs). Although considerable advances have been made in understanding these various macrophage subsets, it is not known whether macrophages of one activation state can influence the other. In this study, we examined whether RMϕs capable of inhibiting inflammatory responses of CAMϕs could also inhibit AAMϕs and their profibrotic responses. Our results demonstrated that RMϕs significantly dampened the alternate activation phenotype of AAMϕs generated in vitro and intrinsically occurring AAMϕs from TACI−/− macrophages. Further, RMϕs inhibited AAMϕ-promoted arginase activity and fibroblast proliferation in vitro. This inhibition occurred regardless of the strength, duration, and mode of alternative activation and was only partially dependent on IL-10. In the chlorhexidine gluconate–induced peritoneal fibrosis model, AAMϕs worsened the fibrosis, but RMϕs rescued mice from AAMϕ-mediated pathological conditions. Taken together, our study demonstrates that RMϕs are a specialized subset of macrophages with a nonredundant role in limiting overt proregenerative functions of AAMϕs, a role distinct from their well-defined role of suppression of inflammatory responses by CAMϕs.
Identification of a Novel Role for Foxo3 Isoform2 in Osteoclastic Inhibition
Authors: Xu Cheng , Vitone Gregory J. , Inoue Kazuki , Ng Courtney , Zhao Baohong
Published: September 2019

Foxo3 acts as an important central regulator that integrates signaling pathways and coordinates cellular responses to environmental changes. Recent studies show the involvement of Foxo3 in osteoclastogenesis and rheumatoid arthritis, which prompted us to further investigate the FOXO3 locus. Several databases document FOXO3 isoform2, an N-terminal truncated mutation of the full-length FOXO3. However, the biological function of FOXO3 isoform2 is unclear. In this study, we established a conditional allele of Foxo3 in mice that deletes the full-length Foxo3 except isoform2, a close ortholog of the human FOXO3 isoform2. Expression of Foxo3 isoform2 specifically in macrophage/osteoclast lineage suppresses osteoclastogenesis and leads to the osteopetrotic phenotype in mice. Mechanistically, Foxo3 isoform2 enhances the expression of type I IFN response genes to RANKL stimulation and thus inhibits osteoclastogenesis via endogenous IFN-β–mediated feedback inhibition. Our findings identify, to our knowledge, the first known biological function of Foxo3 isoform2 that acts as a novel osteoclastic inhibitor in bone remodeling.
Preliminary report on the Valemount earthquake of May 14, 1978
Authors: Rogers G C , Ellis R M
Published: September 2019

At 2237 GMT on May 14, 1978 a magnitude 4.8 earthquake occurred in the Canadian Rockies near the Mica Dam reservoir, McNaughton Lake, south of Valemount, B.C. Initial investigations suggest it was not a reservoir induced earthquake. The earthquake was within the
seismic array monitoring the reservoir which allowed a well-constrained epicentre (52.65 °N, 118.87 °W) and focal depth (8 km) to be determined. There were no foreshocks but a normal aftershock sequence. Preliminary interpretation of the focal mechanism indicates predominantly
right-lateral strike-slip faulting along the strike of the mountains with a significant thrust component. A well-developed Lg phase was recorded to the south of the earthquake. The isoseismals are elongated in a north - south direction and intensity attenuation with distance to the south is similar
to the relationship for eastern North America.
Printing scientific reports on the Qantex printer
Authors: Bastien R
Published: September 2019

SCR prepares scientific documents to be printed on the Qantex Mode! 7030. Printing mode selection responses are for main PROM 884804, revision F and higher. The program is writen in FORTRAN-77 and runs under RSX-llM. It operates on an input file in which columns
N+1 to N+5 contains special characters to contrai the Qantex options that will be applied to the current line. N is specified by the user. The program recongnizes 12 special characters wich permit: printing in scientific and/or italic format. using the centerline and/or underline option,
overprinting or 1/12 inch linefeed. The program provides full control of the printer speed for draft and/or letter quality printing, a choice of different horizontal and vertical pitches and an option for page numbering. The limits are set to 123 columns an 115 lines per
page.
Normes nationales pour l'arpentage des terres du Canada
Authors:   Canada Surveyor General Branch
Published: September 2019

The National Standards for the Survey of Canada Lands provides professional Canada Lands Surveyors with the technical standards that apply to legal surveys undertaken on Canada Lands, and constitutes the instructions of the Surveyor General for surveys of Canada
Lands as specified in Section 24 (2) of the Canada Lands Surveys Act.
From “A Foot in the Kitchen” to “A Foot in the Door”: the PEC das Domésticas in Brazil and its Opportunities and Challenges
Authors: Roberts Madeleine Octavia
Published: September 2019

Este trabalho avalia a PEC (Projeto de Emenda Constitucional) das Domésticas, de 2013, e a história que a antecedeu. Examina o discurso político em torno da emenda constitucional (PEC), tanto em Brasília quanto no diálogo nacional. A aprovação da PEC é contextualizada por meio de uma revisão da literatura acadêmica relevante sobre o tema do trabalho doméstico, sua história e sua importância socioeconômica para o país, combinada com uma rápida históriapolítica do Brasil. Identifica os principais atores (especialmente Benedita da Silva) e apoiadores institucionais (OIT) na defesa e no discurso em torno da PEC, o que ilustra sua importância como política simbólica que caracterizou uma conjuntura crítica na economia e no imaginário nacional. Por fim, o artigo avalia a aprovação da PEC em termos de sua efetiva aplicação no atual contexto econômico e de sua relação com marcos e ambições anteriores do movimento das trabalhadoras domésticas.
Bijna-identieke toponiemen langs de rijksgrens: hoe weerspiegelen ze het taalkundige, bestuurlijke en culturele verleden?1
Authors: Reinsma Riemer
Published: September 2019

Near-identical twin toponyms along the state border. How do they reflect the linguistic and political past?

The Netherlands (hereafter: NL) shares its national border with Belgium (B) and Germany (D). Alongside the border are toponyms which are either identical (like Lemiers: NL, also D), or near-identical, like Clinge (NL)/ De Klinge (B) or Aamsveen (NL)/ Amtsvenn (D). The names concerned denote adjoining settlements and regions. Name pairs like Aamsveen/ Amtsvenn, differring in pronunciation, are comparable to name pairs like Görlitz/ Zgorzelec, on the German-Polish border.

The Belgian border is not a linguistic one; Dutch is the standard language on both sides of it. The German border, however, currently divides two standard languages, while there used to be a continuum on the dialectal level until until about 1940. Since the 19th C, both the Dutch and the German standard language have won ground at the expense of the dialect, due to the increased influence of the national administrations.

This paper focuses on present twin names along the Dutch state border which show small differences. For example, some differences are (partly) orthographic (Clinge (NL)/De Klinge (B)), others imply (partial) translations and folk etymological adaptations (Aamsveen (NL)/ Amtsvenn (D)), or relate to lexical differences: Baarle Hertog (B) versus Baarle Nassau (NL).

The paper proposes a typology and tries to explain the differences by relating them (with respect to the German border) to increased influence of the German standard language and orthography (and, by consequence, spelling pronunciation), and, with regard to the Belgian border, to different spelling regulations.
Dialect en standaardtaal in contact: de vele vormen van het dialect in de Langstraat
Authors: van Spijk Yoïn , Swanenberg Jos
Published: September 2019

Dialect and standard language in contact. The many forms of the Langstraat dialect

Over the past century, the dialects of the Langstraat region in the province of Noord-Brabant have structurally changed under the influence of the Dutch standard language. The younger dialect varieties that have emerged, have lost characteristic features through time and have adopted features of Standard Dutch. Despite convergence and dialect levelling, however, more variation arises with new forms that sometimes exhibit even more divergent features than their traditional counterparts. Moreover, all participants in the present study seem to use a diversity of linguistic forms and intermediate forms are all but fixated, and even one and the same speaker shows diversity in the use of his dialect.
Community governance and service delivery in Nepal: an assessment of influencing factors
Authors: Acharya Keshav K , Zafarullah Habib
Published: September 2019

This paper analyses factors influencing effective service delivery at the grassroots level in Nepal, through a qualitative field study which includes in-depth interviews with 110 community-based organisations (CBOs) and five focus group discussions. The findings indicate that a wide range of governance arrangements have been deployed in the effort to achieve effective service delivery. However, many CBOs lack a solid governance system for their development undertakings, leading to poor performance and lack of accountability. A number of factors are identified as causing this weak practical application of community governance, notably institutional mechanisms, socio-economic structures, power politics and interests, capacity limitations and resource constraints.
Elemental composition of invertebrates shells composed of different CaCO3 polymorphs at different ontogenetic stages: a case study from the brackish Gulf of Gdansk (the Baltic Sea)
Authors: Piwoni-Piórewicz Anna , Strekopytov Stanislav , Humphreys-Williams Emma , Kukliński Piotr
Published: September 2019

Abstract. In this study, the concentrations of 12 metals: Ca, Na, Sr, Mg, Ba, Mn, Cu, Pb, V, Y, U and Cd in shells of bivalve molluscs (aragonitic: Cerastoderma glaucum, Mya arenaria and Limecola balthica and bimineralic: Mytilus trossulus) and arthropods (calcitic: Amphibalanus improvisus) were obtained. The main goal was to determine the incorporation patterns of shells built with different calcium carbonate polymorphs. The role of potential biological control on the shell chemistry was assessed by comparing the concentrations of trace elements between younger and older individuals (different size classes). The potential impact of environmental factors on the observed elemental concentrations in the studied shells is discussed. Specimens were collected from brackish waters of the Baltic Sea (the Gulf of Gdansk). For every species, 40 individuals (ten in each size class) were selected. Pre-cleaned shells were analysed by ICP-OES and ICP-MS to determine the concentrations of metals. The distributions of elements both differ between species and exhibit high intraspecific variability. Calcitic shells preferentially incorporated Mg > Sr > Na, aragonitic shells incorporated Na > Sr > Mg, and bimineralic shells accumulated Na approximately two times more intensively, than Mg and Sr which remained at similar levels. Among all species, the calcitic shells of A. improvisus most effectively concentrated the majority of the studied elements, especially Mg > Mn > Ba, which was contrary to the shells of aragonitic molluscs that contained the lowest levels of trace elements. The size-dependent distributions of elements in shells did not exhibit a consistent pattern. The highest significant differences were found for the bimineralic shells of M. trossulus, while the smallest were found for aragonitic shells; if any variability occurred, it was observed in heavy metals (Pb, Cd). Our results indicate that elemental variability, especially that of Mg and Sr, is dominated by the properties of the crystal lattice. The inconsistent variability of trace element concentrations between species and within single populations supports the important role of species-specific biological control of the biomineralization process and indicates that environmental factors have a significant influence on the incorporation of trace elements into the shells.
A user-orientated column modelling framework for efficient analyses of the Martian atmosphere
Authors: Paton Mark , Harri Ari-Matti , Vierkens Oliver , Savijärvi Hannu
Published: September 2019

Abstract. As spacecraft missions return ever more data from Mars, additional tools will be required to explore and analyse these datasets efficiently. To streamline research into the atmosphere of Mars, a user-orientated modelling capability is developed that enables automatic initialisation and running of a column model. As a demonstration we utilise the modelling framework to provide additional verification for the University of Helsinki and Finnish Meteorological Institute Mars column model temperature profiles above the height of typical lander meteorological measurements, i.e. above 2 m. We utilise the framework at landing site locations that are well characterised to understand the model's applicability and to identify future opportunities for modifications to the framework. We do this by using the framework to compare the column model to temperature soundings made by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. We find that the column model, without any modification, is able to reproduce the observed lapse rates and average temperatures closely in most cases except for a 20–60 K increase over the northern hemisphere mid-winter. We can reproduce this discrepancy by incorporating an adiabatic heating term into the column model. Fitting of the modified column model to the observations results in estimated maximum downward vertical wind velocities of ∼ 10 cm s−1 at altitudes of 15–20 km over the winter solstice at the VL-1 and VL-2 sites. The approach developed here may possibly provide a way to independently estimate or observe the vertical motion in the Martian atmosphere. However, even though the magnitude of the vertical wind speed appears reasonable, it is not clear at this point how much the atmospheric heating is due to other mechanisms such as advection. We have introduced new application software that can quickly find and display the requested data and can be immediately analysed using the included tools. We have demonstrated the potential of this type of software application with a glimpse into the upper atmosphere of Mars.
Beo v1.0: numerical model of heat flow and low-temperature thermochronology in hydrothermal systems
Authors: Luijendijk Elco
Published: September 2019

Abstract. Low-temperature thermochronology can provide records of the thermal history of the upper crust and can be a valuable tool to quantify the history of hydrothermal systems. However, existing model codes of heat flow around hydrothermal systems do not include low-temperature thermochronometer age predictions. Here I present a new model code that simulates thermal history around hydrothermal systems on geological timescales. The modelled thermal histories are used to calculate apatite (U–Th)∕He (AHe) ages, which is a thermochronometer that is sensitive to temperatures up to 70 ∘C. The modelled AHe ages can be compared to measured values in surface outcrops or borehole samples to quantify the history of hydrothermal activity. Heat flux at the land surface is based on equations of latent and sensible heat flux, which allows more realistic land surface and spring temperatures than models that use simplified boundary conditions. Instead of simulating fully coupled fluid and heat flow, the code only simulates advective and conductive heat flow, with the rate of advective fluid flux specified by the user. This relatively simple setup is computationally efficient and allows running larger numbers of models to quantify model sensitivity and uncertainty. Example case studies demonstrate the sensitivity of hot spring temperatures to the depth, width and angle of permeable fault zones, and the effect of hydrothermal activity on AHe ages in surface outcrops and at depth.
Geostatistical inverse modeling with very large datasets: an example from the OCO-2 satellite
Authors: Miller Scot M. , Saibaba Arvind K. , Trudeau Michael E. , Mountain Marikate E. , Andrews Arlyn E.
Published: September 2019

Abstract. Geostatistical inverse modeling (GIM) has become a common approach to estimating greenhouse gas fluxes at the Earth's surface using atmospheric observations. GIMs are unique relative to other commonly-used approaches because they do not require a single emissions inventory or a bottom-up model to serve as an initial guess of the fluxes. Instead, a modeler can incorporate a wide range of environmental, economic, and/or land use data to estimate the fluxes. Traditionally, GIMs have been paired with in situ observations that number in the thousands or tens of thousands. However, the number of available atmospheric greenhouse gas observations has been increasing enormously as the number of satellites, airborne measurement campaigns, and in situ monitoring stations continues to increase. This era of prolific greenhouse gas observations presents computational and statistical challenges for inverse modeling frameworks that have traditionally been paired with a limited number of in situ monitoring sites. In this article, we discuss the challenges of estimating greenhouse gas fluxes using large atmospheric datasets with a particular focus on GIMs. We subsequently discuss several strategies for estimating the fluxes and quantifying uncertainties, strategies that are adapted from hydrology, applied math, or other academic fields and are compatible with a wide variety of atmospheric models. We further evaluate the accuracy and computational burden of each strategy using CO2 observations from NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2 (OCO-2) satellite. Specifically, we simultaneously estimate a full year of 3-hourly CO2 fluxes across North America in one case study – a total of 9.4 × 106 unknown fluxes using 9.9 × 104 observations. The strategies discussed here provide accurate estimates of CO2 fluxes that are comparable to fluxes calculated directly or analytically. We are also able to approximate posterior uncertainties in the fluxes, but these approximation are typically an over- or underestimate depending upon the strategy employed and the degree of approximation required to make the calculations manageable.
PERCENTAGE OF COMPLETION OF IN-SITU CAST CONCRETE WALLS USING POINT CLOUD DATA AND BIM
Authors: Bassier M. , Vincke S. , Mattheuwsen L. , de Lima Hernandez R. , Derdaele J. , Vergauwen M.
Published: September 2019

Abstract. Progress monitoring of construction sites is becoming increasingly popular in the construction industry. Especially with the integration of 4D BIM, the progression and quality of the construction process can be better quantified. A key aspect is the detection of the changes between consecutive epochs of measurements on the site. However, the development of automated procedures is challenging due to noise, occlusions and the associativity between different objects. Additionally, objects are built in stages and thus varying states have to be detected according to the Percentage of Completion.In this work, a framework is presented to derive work progress of construction sites based on point cloud data. More specifically, a methodology is constituted to compute the Percentage of Completion of in-situ cast concrete walls. In the literature study, existing methods are evaluated for their ability to track progress even in highly cluttered environments. In the practical study, we perform an empirical analysis on a set of periodic point clouds to establish the obstacles and feasibility of the methodology. This work leads to a better understanding of the progress monitoring paradigm which is still subject of ongoing research and will serve as the basis for the further development of a set of automated procedures.
BUILDING INFORMATION MODELING APPLIED TO THE INDUSTRIAL ARCHITECTURAL MONUMENTS CASE STUDY OF SAINT PETERSBURG
Authors: Soonwald E. S. , Wojnarowski A. E. , Tikhonov S. G. , Artemeva O. V. , Tyurin S. V.
Published: September 2019

Abstract. Development and implementation of information models of spatial objects affect broadest application areas currently. Building Information Models (BIMs) are now becoming extremely popular. These models are able to describe a great number characteristics of building or engineering construction, including physical and functional properties, economic parameters, visual parameters, etc. BIM use is introduced currently as the mandatory aspect of building life cycle management, from design and construction to demolition. However, implementation of the BIM concept into the reconstruction, restoration and conservation of historical and cultural heritage remains the least developed domain. Therefore, research and development activities concerned with HBIMs (Historical Building Information Models) are particularly relevant. Saint Petersburg being the second largest Russian city has a huge number of architectural monuments, while industrial architecture composes a special category of these monuments. We provided a number of research and development activities devoted to the 3D information modelling of industrial architectural monuments located in St. Petersburg. Context of these works was established by the reconstruction and adaptation of these monuments to modern needs. 3D models of buildings were produced basing on results of the laser scanning and photogrammetric survey. Basing on our work, we have formalized main approaches to design and implementation of Building Information Models of the industrial architectural monuments.
PHOTOGRAMMETRIC TECHNOLOGY FOR REMOTE HIGH-PRECISION 3D MONITORING OF CRACKS AND DEFORMATION JOINTS OF BUILDINGS AND CONSTRUCTIONS
Authors: Wojnarowski A. E. , Leonteva A. B. , Tyurin S. V. , Tikhonov S. G. , Artemeva O. V.
Published: September 2019

Abstract. Monitoring of cracks and deformation joints of buildings and engineering constructions can be performed effectively using contemporary methods of photogrammetry. Our study allowed us to design the technology for such a monitoring. This technology is adapted for use by building operation and building inspection specialists and does not require special knowledge in photogrammetry. The monitoring equipment includes two blocks of photogrammetric deformation marks, a digital camera and processing software. Each block of deformation marks is designed as a plate of 60 by 40 mm size where several dozens of marks are fixed (size of the plate and number of marks may vary). The relative positions of the marks on the plate are determined while block calibration with an accuracy of several microns. While monitoring is performed, two blocks of deformation marks are fixed on both sides of the crack or deformation join. Then marks are photographed. Almost any digital camera is suitable, beginning with smartphone camera and ending with specialized photogrammetric camera. Further processing of collected imagery is performed on the basis of rigorous methods of photogrammetry (specialized software were developed). The processing assumes automatic identification and measurement of marks on digital photographic images with sub-pixel accuracy. Additionally, the photogrammetric calibration and distortion correction are performed for each image. Three-dimensional spatial solution is possible both in the case of single image processing, and in the case of stereopair processing. The dynamics of crack development in three dimensions is determined by the results of several cycles of observations collected over period. Our technology allows to ensure the accuracy of the coordinates and deformations at the level of 0.005–0.020 mm for the photographing distances from 0.1 to 40 m.
Reclaiming Subjectivities: A Psychoanalytic-Feminist Perspective on Item Songs in Contemporary Indian Cinema
Authors: Shah Syed Zulkifil Haider , Cory Elijah
Published: September 2019

Item Songs have recently become established as new genre of songs in the mainstream Indian Cinema, although they have remained a part of Bollywood movies since at least the 1970s. Such songs, despite their widespread appeal to masses, have often been panned by Film critics (particularly from the Radical Feminist School) for their erotic dances, and an overly glamorized and sexualized depiction of half-nude female bodies. Based upon the textual analysis of two popular item songs in recent Indian cinema, Sheila ki Jawani from Tees Maar Khan (2010) and Munni Badnam Hui from Dabangg (2010), this paper seeks to problematize such readings which focus exclusively on the issue of the objectification of women through the concept of the male gaze. Drawing upon more recent studies in Psychoanalytic Feminist Scholarship, the paper departs from this conventional understanding. It argues that such item songs can also be interpreted as a means of liberation for women, and as devices for reclaiming the narrative on female sexuality, and a woman’s right to her body. More broadly, using Judith Butler’s concept of Gender Performativity in the Feminist Phenomenological tradition, the paper argues that items songs can be construed as performative acts that subvert the male gaze and viewed as constitutive of new feminine subjectivities in  the contemporary Indian society.
Inner and deeper: Motifs of fiction in Werner Herzog's films
Authors: Poch Chantal
Published: September 2019

The emphasis on the mix of facts and inventions has prevailed in the studies about Bavarian director Werner Herzog’s treatment of fiction, leading to the same result again and again: for Herzog, poetic truth is more important than factual truth. But how can we go beyond this conclusion? This paper will try to open an alternative path of analysis more adequate to his philosophy of filmmaking, one that works through the detection of visual and narrative motifs in his films, thus searching the impact of Herzog’s idea of fiction into his poetics.
Samsara documentary: narrative and discourse analysis and a possible interpretation
Authors: Dias Ricardo Henrique Almeida
Published: September 2019

This article aims to present an analysis of Samsara's documentaryproduced by Ron Fricke and Mark Magidson. This analysis was based using aspects of discourse analysis and the concepts about time and narrative elaborated by the French philosopher Paul Ricoeur. From the narrative construction of the film I was able to establish a possible reading through the assembling of a hypothetical narrative chain of the scenes and the search of a narrator, which is hidden in the film. Through the analysis I was able to understand how the producers intended to demonstrate contradictory aspects of human existence and its relationship with the environment. Following the story I was able to propose insights that helped to understand the purpose of the directors for a film without speeches.
I. Dossier
Authors: Arredondo Erika
Published: September 2019

N/A
II. Estudios
Authors: Arredondo Erika
Published: September 2019

N/A
A Conceptual Study on the Impact of Sustainable Practices for Business Performance
Authors: Senaweera Lalith Nimal , Ab Yajid Mohd Shukri , Khatibi Ali , Ferdous Azam S. M.
Published: September 2019

Purpose: The main purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual framework to determine the impact of sustainable practices (SP) on business performance (BP).Methodology: The study conducted using a thorough review of selected appropriate extant literature in developing the conceptual model.Findings: The major finding reveals that sustainable practices can be measured using environmental practices, corporate social responsibility practices and human resource practices and those practices are having an influence on business performance.Originality: This paper can be considered as an advancement over the previous research as it contributes to broadening the understanding of the possible variables that can be used in results of studies linking SP with BP. Moreover, the conceptual model proposed is a new one covering the approach to ascertain the link between SP and BP.Research implication: The findings are likely to help to use the conceptual framework towards broadening and deepening the understanding of the debate regarding the sources of variation in the measurement of SP and BP link.Limitation: This research is limited to papers published up to 2018. Future research can update the findings by using data beyond 2018.
How old are giant squids? First approach to aging Architeuthis beaks
Authors: Perales-Raya Catalina , Bartolomé Aurora , Hernández-Rodríguez Eva , Carrillo Manuel , Martín Vidal , Fraile-Nuez Eugenio
Published: September 2019

The giant squid Architeuthis dux Steenstrup, 1857 is one of the largest and most enigmatic marine species. Its age estimation remains controversial with many estimates of maximum age ranging from 1 to 14 yrs. Successful results regarding the study of aging in cephalopod beaks
for some octopod and oegopsid squids support using these structures for age estimation. We analyzed the beaks of 10 individuals, caught between 1995 and 2006, with reconstructed dorsal mantle lengths (DMLs) between 823 and 1418 mm. The beaks were measured and weighed, and their microstructure
was analyzed in three ways: (1) in the rostrum area [rostrum sagittal sections (RSS)] for both upper and lower jaws, and the (2) inner lateral wall surfaces (LWS) and (3) inner crest surfaces (CS) for upper jaws. A constant sequence of increments was observed along the RSS, indicating that
the use of lower jaws is more feasible due to the higher erosion and tighter packing of increments of upper jaws. The statolith of one individual was analyzed, resulting in 520 increments (579 increments from RSS of its lower jaw). Assuming daily deposition, the age estimations in RSS between
411 and 674 d suggest rapid growth of A. dux, averaging 1.97 mm DML d–1 (SD 0.45). When maximum ages were estimated by applying these results to the largest measured specimens in the literature (e.g., 2400 mm DML), an age of approximately 3 yrs was obtained.
Analysis over a greater size range of individuals would allow more accurate age estimations of this emblematic squid.
Undergraduate Student Education Programs Regarding Braille Literacy: A Transnational Comparative Study
Authors: Argyropoulos Vassilios , Hathazi Andrea , Nikolaraizi Magda
Published: September 2019

Developing braille literacy skills represents one of the major goals of the education process for students with vision impairment. Fluency and accuracy in reading and writing facilitate access to information, development of knowledge, active participation, functionality, and independence in social contexts. One of the essential factors that can influence the success in the learning process of the braille code consists of the competences of teachers of students with vision impairment who teach braille. The purpose of this study was to investigate the reflections of 95 undergraduate special education students on their training programs regarding braille in their role as future special education teachers. Data were obtained through questionnaires which were administered in two departments of special education in two European universities. The results reported upon undergraduate students’ reflections on their study in braille and confidence in teaching braille to students who are blind. The findings highlighted the need for further training into the braille code in conjunction with its literary and scientific notation.
The Application of Sequential Extraction in Phosphorus Fractionation in Environmental Samples
Authors: Bezak-Mazur Elżbieta , Ciopińska Joanna
Published: September 2019

Background: Maintaining the balance of phosphorus in ecosystems is a priority activity in environmental protection. To achieve this successfully, it is necessary to know the physicochemical properties of phosphorus forms. Objective: Speciation analysis is used for this purpose. This process helps to assess the concentration of various physical and chemical forms of phosphorus. When there are very unstable chemical forms of the analyte hindering the determination in the environmental test, fractionation is performed, i.e., the process of classifying the analyte or a group of analytes from a given sample according to physical properties. Methods and Results: The paper discusses the phosphorus fractionation methods in environmental samples. The authors critically analyzed over a dozen phosphorus fractionation procedures using sequential extraction of this element. Particular attention was paid to the possibility of sequential extraction when determining the phosphorus pool available to plants (bioavailable fraction) and labile phosphorus able to migrate in the environment. The paper discusses examples of phosphorus fractionation in various environmental matrices, such as river and lake sediments, sewage sludge, composts, and soils. The selection of an appropriate method for the studied environment was made. Conclusions: Adapting the proposed methodology to the environmental matrix being tested determines the most accurate results of the experiment. Attention was also paid to the possibilities of practical applications of fractionation results, particularly the possibility of isolating phosphorus available for plants from various environmental matrices.
A Hostage Situation
Authors: Smilansky Saul ,   Journal of Philosophy Inc.
Published: September 2019

Moral life sometimes involves life-and-death decisions, and philosophers often consider them by examining intuitions about ideal cases. Contemporary philosophical discourse on such matters has been dominated by Trolley-type cases, which typically present us with the need to make decisions on whether to sacrifice one person in order to save a larger number of similar others. Such cases lead to a distinct view of moral dilemmas and of moral life generally. The case I present here, “Hostage Situation,” is quite unlike them and should generate intuitions that differ greatly from those brought forth by standard Trolley-type cases. The implications are surprising and suggest that familiar and widely prevalent perceptions of the normative field are inadequate.
Pathology Assessment of Femoral Head Resection Specimens: An Important Quality Assurance Procedure
Authors: Layfield Lester J. , Crim Julia R. , Oserowsky Alexander , Schmidt Robert L.
Published: September 2019

Context.—

Decisions to perform hip arthroplasty rely on both radiographic and clinical findings. Radiologists estimate degree of osteoarthritis (OA) and document other findings. Arthroplasty specimens are sometimes evaluated by pathology.

Objective.—

To determine the frequency of pathologic changes not recognized clinically.

Design.—

Nine hundred fifty-three consecutive femoral head resections performed between January 2015 and June 2018, with recent radiologic and histologic study, were reviewed. We compared severity of OA reported by radiology and pathology. Findings unrecognized radiographically but recorded pathologically, and discrepancies between clinical diagnosis and pathology diagnosis, were tabulated.

Results.—

Twenty-one cases of osteomyelitis were diagnosed radiographically or pathologically. Eight discrepancies were present. Fourteen osteomyelitis cases were recognized clinically. Pathology recognized 2 neoplasms missed radiographically. Avascular necrosis was diagnosed on pathology but not radiology in 25 cases, and 35 cases of avascular necrosis were seen radiographically but not pathologically. Osteoarthritis was graded both radiographically and pathologically from 0 to 3. Five hundred ninety-one of 953 cases (62%) were grade 3. Pathologists and radiologists had perfect agreement in 696 of 953 cases (73%). When grade of OA seen at pathology was correlated with surgeon, 2 groups of surgeons were detected: one with a low threshold for performance of hip arthroplasty (23%–28% low-severity OA) and the second with a high threshold (2%–5% low-severity OA).

Conclusions.—

Correlation between radiology and pathology diagnoses is high. Degree of OA present varies significantly between surgeons. Pathology discloses findings not recognized clinically.
The impact of neuropsychological assessment in epileptic focus localization
Authors: Malobabić Marina , Biševac Boban , Stokanović Vesna
Published: September 2019

Introduction: Epilepsy that takes place in the temporal lobe is manifested through three symptoms: aura, temporal pseudoabsence and automatisms, while right-sided temporal lobe epilepsy had been also linked with visual or image learning and memory deficits. Case outline: Patient 24 years old in 2020. In July 2020 had complex partial seizures with an unordinary psychomotoric reactions and verbalization, followed by qualitative conscience change in the form of confusion and amnesia. Therapy with paroxetine showed no result. Neuropsychological evaluation showed no other cognitive deficit than severe visuoconstruction dyspraxia and discrete decrease in complex attention. In behavioral aspect prodromal symptoms of tension, anxiety and depression were occurred. Conclusion: Neuropsychological assessment is, along the magnetic resonance imaging and electroencephalographic, the most important method for indicating cognitive deficit in epilepsy and determining the epileptic focus.
Identifying the spatial frequency specific orientation aftereffect in the visual system
Authors: Perera-W.A. Hiran
Published: September 2019

Previous studies have found that feature selectivity such as orientation and spatial frequency predominantly involves cortical mechanisms, and decades of research have identified the presence of orientation and spatial frequency-specific channels in the cortical region. Prolonged exposure to stimuli will generate an adapting aftereffect, thus reducing the neural sensitivity of those channels. Based on that notion, this research aims to identify whether the visual system encodes orientation variance independent of spatial frequency. Two experiments were conducted to assess the outcome of the study. In experiment 1, subjects viewed the stimuli with both eyes, and in experiment 2, stimuli were presented to one eye and viewed from the same or the contralateral eye. Results from both experiments indicated no interaction effect between spatial frequency and orientation aftereffect. Thus, supporting the experiments that orientation and spatial frequency are separately coded in the visual system.
Sleep apnea detection from a single-lead ECG signal with automatic feature-extraction through a modified LeNet-5 convolutional neural network
Authors: Wang Tao , Lu Changhua , Shen Guohao , Hong Feng
Published: September 2019

Sleep apnea (SA) is the most common respiratory sleep disorder, leading to some serious neurological and cardiovascular diseases if left untreated. The diagnosis of SA is traditionally made using Polysomnography (PSG). However, this method requires many electrodes and wires, as well as an expert to monitor the test. Several researchers have proposed instead using a single channel signal for SA diagnosis. Among these options, the ECG signal is one of the most physiologically relevant signals of SA occurrence, and one that can be easily recorded using a wearable device. However, existing ECG signal-based methods mainly use features (i.e. frequency domain, time domain, and other nonlinear features) acquired from ECG and its derived signals in order to construct the model. This requires researchers to have rich experience in ECG, which is not common. A convolutional neural network (CNN) is a kind of deep neural network that can automatically learn effective feature representation from training data and has been successfully applied in many fields. Meanwhile, most studies have not considered the impact of adjacent segments on SA detection. Therefore, in this study, we propose a modified LeNet-5 convolutional neural network with adjacent segments for SA detection. Our experimental results show that our proposed method is useful for SA detection, and achieves better or comparable results when compared with traditional machine learning methods.
Genetic variability evaluation and cultivar identification of tetraploid annual ryegrass using SSR markers
Authors: Nie Gang , Huang Ting , Ma Xiao , Huang Linkai , Peng Yan , Yan Yanhong , Li Zhou , Wang Xia , Zhang Xinquan
Published: September 2019

Annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) is a widely used cool-season turf and forage grass with high productivity and ornamental characteristics. However, the abundant intra-cultivar genetic variability usually hampers the application of conventional techniques for cultivar identification. The objectives of this study were to: (1) describe an efficient strategy for identification of six tetraploid annual ryegrass cultivars and (2) investigate the genetic diversity based on SSR markers. A total of 242 reliable bands were obtained from 29 SSR primer pairs with an average of 8.3 bands for each primer pair and the average value of polymorphic information content (PIC) was 0.304. The result of analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed that 81.99% of the genetic variation occurred in within-cultivars and 18.01% among-cultivars. The principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) showed that the first two principal axes explain 8.57% (PC1) and 6.05% (PC2) of total variation, respectively. By using multi-bulk strategy based on different filtering thresholds, the results suggested that bands frequency of 40% could be used as a reliable standard for cultivar identification in annual ryegrass. Under this threshold, 12 SSR primer pairs (00-04A, 02-06G, 02-08C, 03-05A, 04-05B, 10-09E, 12-01A, 13-02H, 13-12D, 14-06F, 15-01C and 17-10D) were detected for direct identification of six tetraploid annual ryegrass cultivars, which could be incorporated into conservation schemes to protect the intellectual property of breeders, ensure purity for consumers, as well as guarantee effective use of cultivars in future.
Examining the Effects of Using Polya’s Problem- solving Model on Mathematical Academic Achievement and Analyzing Ability of the Fourth Grade Students
Authors: Phuntsho Ugyen , Dema Yeshi
Published: September 2019

The study sought to investigate the effects of Polya’s Problem-Solving Model (PPSM) on learning achievement and analyzing ability in mathematics of fourth grade students. The sample of 32 students out of three sections was selected purposively as the subject of the study. Pretest and posttest one-group experimental design, achievement test and time series record were used to collect data. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistic and t-test. The t-test analysis revealed a statistical significant difference between the mean scores of in favor of posttest (M=13.78; SD=3.02) than the pretest (M=6.66; SD=2.44) at p=.00, indicating the improvement in the mathematical academic achievement using PPSM. Moreover, the time series record also showed that there was significant progression in the performances of the students after the inclusion of the PPSM. Thus, this study recommends the implementation of PPSM as an alternative method of instruction in teaching and learning of mathematical problem solving.