Suchergebnisse

The aim of this paper is to analyse and compare the visual representation and iconography in works depicting the enemy in Croatian visual arts during World War I. The article encompasses research on unpublished archival sources and contemporaneaous press. The works of renowned Croatian artists, who were enlisted or volunteered for frontline duty are analysed, as are the works of art presented to the Croatian general public through graphics, cartoons and caricatures in the then popular press. Comparison of war-themed images shows differences in the visualisation of the enemy. The generally accepted belief that the enemy was visually satanised and ridiculed actually only applies to caricatures and cartoons. ; El objetivo de este artículo es analizar y comparar la representación visual y la iconografía en obras que representan al enemigo en las bellas artes croatas durante la Primera Guerra Mundial. Se investigaron fuentes de archivo inéditas y revistas de la época. Se analizaron obras de reconocidos artistas que fueron reclutados o voluntarios para el campo de batalla, así como obras de arte presentadas al público croata a través de gráficos y caricaturas en los periódicos populares de aquella época. A través de la comparación de imágenes con temas de guerra se puede notar una visualización diferente del enemigo. La opinión generalmente aceptada de que el enemigo es satanizado y ridiculizado en la representación artística se deja a la caricatura.

The artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are developing rapidly nowadays so that the companies start benefiting from them by appointing AI as a 'director' of the company. This leads to the significant transformation of social relations. Therefore, this research is aimed at creation of the model implementing AI to the corporate governance and gives the answer to the following question: how the procedure and consequences of the appointing AI as a director of a company should be legally regulated; and what auxiliary changes should be conducted in the legal doctrine and legislation?The study shows that the legal regulation of an AI director has a lot in common with that of an ordinary human director. The differences are based on the absence of 'purely human' attributes (e.g. personal interests, intent, etc.) and on the limited legal capacity of an AI (e.g. AI cannot be held liable). The damages caused by the malfunctions of the soft-or hardware are to be covered by the responsible human within the 'product liability' concept, while the risk of AI's failure to perform the director's duties is born by the company. On this stage, the shift from the adversarial court proceedings to the investigatory proceedings resulting in the insurance indemnification to the company is suggested. Further research is needed to develop new approaches, to broaden and improve the suggested one, which can facilitate diversification of corporate governance and increase its effectiveness.

Microbial communities thriving in hypersaline brines of solar salterns are highly resistant and resilient to environmental changes, and salinity is a major factor that deterministically influences community structure. Here, we demonstrate that this resilience occurs even after rapid osmotic shocks caused by a threefold change in salinity (a reduction from 34 to 12% salts) leading to massive amounts of archaeal cell lysis. Specifically, our temporal metagenomic datasets identified two co-occurring ecotypes within the most dominant archaeal population of the brines Haloquadratum walsbyi that exhibited different salt concentration preferences. The dominant ecotype was generally more abundant and occurred in high-salt conditions (34%); the low abundance ecotype always co-occurred but was enriched at salinities around 20% or lower and carried unique gene content related to solute transport and gene regulation. Despite their apparent distinct ecological preferences, the ecotypes did not outcompete each other presumably due to weak functional differentiation between them. Further, the osmotic shock selected for a temporal increase in taxonomic and functional diversity at both the Hqr. walsbyi population and whole-community levels supporting the specialization-disturbance hypothesis, that is, the expectation that disturbance favors generalists. Altogether, our results provide new insights into how intraspecies diversity is maintained in light of substantial gene-content differences and major environmental perturbations. ; With funding from the Spanish government through the "María de Maeztu Unit of Excellence" accreditation (MDM-2017-0737)

This paper examines gender differences according to two new indicators in higher education studies. One indicator represents the length of studies beyond the minimum requirement and the other represents a harmonised graduation mark. We explore these indicators in a statistical framework that consists of Survival analysis Kaplan–Meier methods, Accelerated Failure Time models, Survival Trees, Multivariate Regression Trees and a modified Gender Parity Index. This unique combination of statistical methods allows both to analyse data involving censoring and to incorporate other explanatory variables in the analysis. The approaches were applied to data taken from a Greek and an Italian University and provide evidence that the survival analysis is a useful tool for exploring gender gaps in higher education while the Accelerated Failure Time model permits the investigation of how other variables can influence the gaps. The data mining techniques of survival trees and multivariate regression trees allows for the importance of such influencing variables to be measured and illustrates these in a simple to view tree structure. The Multivariate Regression Tree approach allows us to consider more than one continuous outcome variable so we were able to consider the two proposed indicators simultaneously. Interesting insights from this analysis are that gender has an important role and women outperform regarding these new indicators by taking less length of studies, less graduation time with higher performance, controlling also for other student characteristics. The modified gender parity index enriched the results in all stages.

In the present study, we investigated the possible toxic effects of phenol on two bioindicators: the fish Astyanax bifasciatus (Characiformes; Characidae) and the crustacean Daphnia magna (Cladocera; Daphnidae). We performed bioassays with A. bifasciatus (96 h and 15 days of exposure) and D. magna (48 and 96 h of exposure). The bioindicator organisms were exposed to the following concentrations of phenol: 0.003 mg L-1, 0.01 mg L-1, 0.03 mg L-1, 0.06 mg L-1, and 0.1 mg L-1; and the control group was maintained in clear water. We assessed the rate of micronuclei in erythrocytes of fish and evaluated the immobility of D. magna at each concentration of the contaminant. For fish, the 15-day exposure revealed a significant difference between the tested groups (p = 0.0002), showing a tendency for micronuclei to increase at the highest concentrations. For the D. magna test, 96-hour toxicity was evident at all tested concentrations (p 0.05). A better response of these organisms was observed during the longer exposure period, emphasizing the concern on the long-term effects of phenol. Effects on the lowest concentration of phenol tested (0.003 mg L-1) were also observed, and this concentration is permitted by the Brazilian Legislation for Class II waters, demonstrating that the longer time of exposure to phenol can cause damage to the biota.

Članak razmatra dva filma Haruna Farockija – Ein Bild (1983.) i Nicht löschbares Feuer (1969.) – te ih dovodi u vezu s teorijskim postavkama Mirzoeffove kontrapovijesti vizualnosti i Rancièreovim argumentima koji se tiču emancipiranog gledatelja. Temeljna je teza da eksperimentalna, semantički nejasna ili nedovršena slika može u epistemološkom smislu biti od vrijednosti gledatelju za političko djelovanje. Rad predlaže nazivlje kapitalna slika i kapilarna slika u svrhe ocrtavanja sličnosti i razlika među različitim oblicima proizvodnje slike. Istraživanje se zaključuje uvidom u emancipacijsku snagu filmske slike u trenucima kada se može vidjeti struktura proizvodnje same slike na ekranu. Objelodanjeni rad koji je sadržan u slici postaje rad gledatelja u demistifikaciji homogenosti njezinih značenjskih kodova. ; This paper discusses two films by Harun Farocki – Ein Bild (1983) and Nicht löschbares Feuer (1969) – and relates them to the theoretical arguments of Mirzoeff's counterhistory of visuality and Rancière's emancipated spectator. The main thesis is that experimental, semantically unclear or incomplete image can be of purpose to the spectator in an epistemological sense. The paper suggests the use of notions capital image and capillary image for the purpose of understanding similarities and differences between historically divergent forms of image production. The research concludes by reiterating the possibility of spectatorial emancipation from the dominant image in strategies of showing the structure of production of the image on the screen. The work seen in the image becomes the work of the spectator in trying to demystify the homogeneity of its semantic codes.

The inequality of human resource (HR) capacity among bureaucrats is an immense challenge confronted by the South Central Timor (SCT) regional government concerning the policy for recruiting and promoting bureaucratic positions. The strong ecological characteristics of the local community with its diverse and varying social, cultural, geographical, economic, and educational environments, coupled with salience of kinship and affiliation have set the backdrop for differences in the bureaucratic personnel's capacity and performance. Such conditions make it difficult for regional bureaucracies to avoid the emergence of HR capacity disparity issues among bureaucrats. The current study aims to identify and analyze the implementation of bureaucratic position promotion and recruitment policy in SCT Regency. The post-positivist approach was employed in the research by using the descriptive qualitative method. Data were collected through observations, literature study, document study, and in-depth interviews to obtain information, perspectives, and opinions from relevant sources. By comparing theoretical and empirical models, and using the construction of cultural and structural approach models, study results indicate that the merit system's adaptation developed in recruiting and promoting SCT Regency's bureaucratic officials tends to use rational representation. This means ethnic representation and native son priority are accommodated in the policy for recruiting and promoting SCT government officials as a manifestation of an achieved mutual consensus, although the process must be conducted through a professional system based on qualifications, competence, and institutional needs.

Successful implementation of the ERP system enables the management to integrate all business processes and functions, thus increasing the company's competitive advantage in today's turbulent market. Considering potential benefits of ERP system implementation, companies decide to invest significant financial resources and time to implement ERP system. However, there are still a number of projects of ERP system implementation that failed due to various critical success factors, which are quoted in the literature. Since the application of ERP systems is one of the key indicators highlighted by the European Commission under the Digital Agenda for Europe (EU 2020), which sets the European Union's (EU) growth targets by 2020, it is important to make the analysis of the status of the ERP system use in the Republic of Croatia. Given that critical factors of the successful ERP implementation are investigated to a lesser extent in the Republic of Croatia, the aim of this paper is to find out which companies in the Republic of Croatia consider the most important critical success factors, taking into account the specificities of business in relation to the developed countries, and possible differences in attitudes among large companies and medium and small businesses. For this purpose, an online questionnaire survey was carried out and a comparative analysis among large companies and medium and small enterprises was conducted using the Mann-Whitney U test.

High functioning military transtibial amputees (TTAs) with well‐fitted state of the art prosthetics have gait that is indistinguishable from healthy individuals, yet they are more likely to develop knee osteoarthritis (OA) of their intact limbs. This contrasts with the information at the knees of the amputated limbs that have been shown to be at a significantly reduced risk of pain and OA. The hypothesis of this study is that biomechanics can explain the difference in knee OA risk. Eleven military unilateral TTAs and eleven matched healthy controls underwent gait analysis. Muscle forces and joint contact forces at the knee were quantified using musculoskeletal modeling, validated using electromyography measurements. Peak knee contact forces for the intact limbs on both the medial and lateral compartments were significantly greater than the healthy controls (P ≤ .006). Additionally, the intact limbs had greater peak semimembranosus (P = .001) and gastrocnemius (P ≤ .001) muscle forces compared to the controls. This study has for the first time provided robust evidence of increased force on the non‐affected knees of high functioning TTAs that supports the mechanically based hypothesis to explain the documented higher risk of knee OA in this patient group. The results suggest several protentional strategies to mitigate knee OA of the intact limbs, which may include the improvements of the prosthetic foot control, socket design, and strengthening of the amputated muscles.

The 1965 Presidential Decree on the blasphemy and abuse of religion law is bad news for tribal religions. Therefore they try to maintain their existence by taking refuge in Hinduism. Some things to consider include, the similarity of elements of local beliefs and the freedom to exercise trust. Nevertheless, they still feel the government treats them discriminatively because there is no freedom to display their identity. The problem is further complicated because other religious communities tend to regard them as infidels who need to be "converted" into believing in Allah and embracing one of the official religions. The desire of adherents of tribal religions to be treated fairly gets a fresh breeze through a 2016 constitutional court ruling that allows them to empty the religious column on their electronic identity card (KTP) or other identity cards, or allow them to write their identity as "believers"; But this decision raises the question: How the relationship between adherents of universal religion and adherents of tribal religion in the midst of changes in the constitution? I use the observational methodology and theory Cosmotheandric Trinity by Raimundo Panikkar. The Constitutional Court (MK) decision is correct. The tribal religion (aluk todolo/ alukta) is pluralis. Therefore Christianity needs to redefine its mission to aluk and build respectful relationships based on the principle of difference is valued without reducing religious values ??to a universal value.

Elder abuse has continued to be a serious concern to many stakeholders in the world and Nigeria as reported by researchers, as well as various media platforms. It is from this fact that this present study examined the role of social support and socio demographic factors on elder abuse in Ile-Ife Osun state, Nigeria. Theory of social exchange provided the theoretical framework while a descriptive survey was adopted. Three hundred and ninety-two (392) respondents (Males = 192, Females = 200, M = 70.77, S.D. = 6.33) were selected using a purposive sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire comprising demographics variables, elder abuse scale (α = .65), and social support scale (α = .94). Data were analysed using T-test for independence measure and analysis of variance (ANOVA). T-test for independent statistics revealed that social support differentiated the experienced elder abuse t(390) = -3.33; p < .001). There were some gender differences in elder abuse (t(390) = 2.20; p = .028). There was no significant relationship between socioeconomic status and elder abuse (F(3, 389) = 1.46; p = .225). The study concluded that social support and gender played a vital role with elder abuse in Osun state. The study, therefore, recommended that government should provide appropriate social support such as prompt payment of pension and gratuity, provision of feeding, good, as well as living arrangements with special attention on elderly men

1. Conflicts over the management of wildlife species that impact human livelihoods are increasingly frequent. In Spanish farmland areas, the European rabbit, one of the most important game species, can cause considerable crop damage. Tensions typically emerge between farmers who advocate rabbit reduction and hunters who are responsible for controlling populations when crop damage occurs but wish for healthy rabbit populations for shooting. 2. In this study, we used in-depth interviews and small group discussions with farmers, hunters and representatives of the governmental environmental and agricultural agencies to assess their positions in this conflict. 3. Our results showed tensions between and within groups, and that the conflict is influenced by leadership, distrust and past decision-making issues, and by differences in beliefs among groups. Positions of farmers and hunters are also relatively rigid, which may make difficult their engagement in collaborative processes. To be effective, such processes would demand that local leaders were empowered and likely also that external neutral mediators were involved. 4. Our study highlights the complexity and dynamic nature of the conflicts associated with wildlife species causing damage to human livelihoods and provides new insights that may be useful to facilitate dialogue and negotiation between stakeholders and to aid management and governance. ; This study was funded by projects CGL2013‐43197‐R (Ministerio de Economía y Competetividad) and PII‐201810I026 (CSIC) and contributes to the project RTI2018‐096348‐R‐C21/C22 (MCI/AEI/FEDER, UE).

© 2020 by the authors. ; Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ) treatment monitoring is a matter of debate since CoQ distribution from plasma to blood cells and tissues is not fully understood. We aimed to analyze the CoQ levels in a wide set of human biological samples (plasma, blood mononuclear cells (BMCs), platelets, urinary cells, and skeletal muscle) from a group of 11 healthy male runners before and after CoQ supplementation. The CoQ content in the different samples was analyzed by HPLC coupled to electrochemical detection. No significant differences were observed in the CoQ levels measured in the BMCs, platelets, and urine after the one-month treatment period. Plasma CoQ (expressed in absolute values and values relative to total cholesterol) significantly increased after CoQ supplementation (p = 0.003 in both cases), and the increase in CoQ in muscle approached significance (p = 0.074). CoQ levels were increased in the plasma of all supplemented subjects, and muscle CoQ levels were increased in 8 out of 10 supplemented subjects. In conclusion, the analysis of CoQ in plasma samples seems to be the best surrogate biomarker for CoQ treatment monitoring. Moreover, oral CoQ administration was effective for increasing muscle CoQ concentrations in most subjects. ; This research was supported by grants from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII-FIS PI17/00109 and PI17/01286), the FEDER Funding Program from the European Union and CIBERER-ISCIII. A.J.P.-F. holds a grant from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (FI18/00253).

Detecting signs of potential extant/extinct life on Mars is challenging because the presence of organics on that planet is expected to be very low and most likely linked to radiation-protected refugia and/or preservative strategies (e.g., organo-mineral complexes). With scarcity of organics, accounting for biomineralization and potential relationships between biomarkers, mineralogy, and geochemistry is key in the search for extraterrestrial life. Here we explored microbial fingerprints and their associated mineralogy in Icelandic hydrothermal systems analog to Mars (i.e., high sulfur content, or amorphous silica), to identify potentially habitable locations on that planet. The mineralogical assemblage of four hydrothermal substrates (hot springs biofilms, mud pots, and steaming and inactive fumaroles) was analyzed concerning the distribution of biomarkers. Molecular and isotopic composition of lipids revealed quantitative and compositional differences apparently impacted by surface geothermal alteration and environmental factors. pH and water showed an influence (i.e., greatest biomass in circumneutral settings with highest supply and turnover of water), whereas temperature conditioned the mineralogy that supported specific microbial metabolisms related with sulfur. Raman spectra suggested the possible coexistence of abiotic and biomediated sources of minerals (i.e., sulfur or hematite). These findings may help to interpret future Raman or GC–MS signals in forthcoming Martian missions. ; With funding from the Spanish government through the "María de Maeztu Unit of Excellence" accreditation (MDM-2017-0737)

The Soviet Union (USSR) came into power in the late 1910s tearing down the tsar regime in Eastern Europe. Known for its massive propaganda scheme and anti-United States (US) rhetoric, Soviet propaganda was engrained in history books throughout the western world. The United States continually denounced the massive use of propaganda in the Soviet Union through the regimes lifespan, from it's beginning to its collapse. Unknown to the public of this era is that the United States contributed in similar practices of states sponsor artwork, photographs, music, and publications rebranded as promotional work instead of propaganda. For example, when building the Grand Coulee Dam in the state of Washington the US produced music and commissioned photographers in order to inspire hope during the great depression. Similarly, the USSR had a state sponsored magazine The USSR in Construction to document and show the public, and foreign nations, the monumental works the government was building in order to modernize the state. This project focuses on 4 separate case studies of public work projects from both states and the propaganda affiliated with each work. With a goal of identifying similarities and differences in each actors use of propaganda during the interwar period. Furthermore, this project will bring awareness to American audiences about its influences and use of propaganda on its public during the interwar period which duplicate USSR strategies and may be seen today.