bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ensino remoto na Educação de Jovens e Adultos brasileira em tempos de pandemia
Authors: Pavei Katiuci , Suertegaray Rossato Maíra , Liz Vogt de Oliveira Rúbia
Published: April 2024

Neste trabalho, apresentamos as propostas pedagógicas da área de Humanidades para a Educação de Jovens e Adultos (EJA) realizadas em uma escola pública brasileira, bem como as adaptações feitas a fim da manutenção do vínculo escolar em tempos de pandemia. Buscamos responder a uma pergunta acerca do que podem as Humanidades na EJA, tanto de um modo geral, como durante a crise sanitária que estamos vivenciando, sempre balizadas pelo histórico da EJA no Brasil e pelo projeto pedagógico da escola na qual atuamos. Apoiadas na literatura pertinente à área, compartilhamos nossas práticas pedagógicas inovadoras desenvolvidas remotamente, as quais apontam para temas emergentes do mundo contemporâneo e integração interdisciplinar de currículos. Diante das mudanças impostas pela pandemia à educação, reafirmamos o potencial emancipador da educação voltada para a cidadania.
ensino remoto de dança na Universidade em tempos de pandemia do Covid-19
Authors: Millás Cláudia , Monteiro Marques da Cunha Brenda , Vieira Muryel Dante
Published: April 2024

O presente ensaio trata-se de um texto polifônico em que docente e discentes do curso de graduação em Bacharelado em Dança da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro apresentam suas percepções e reflexões acerca das experiências vividas em uma disciplina prática ministrada de forma remota no período letivo denominado de excepcional, ocorrido no ano de 2020 ao longo da pandemia do Covid-19. Tendo como tema de estudo os modos de execução em dança, a disciplina buscou trabalhar as qualidades dos movimentos e o modo como são realizados. Explicitam-se as estratégias metodológicas utilizadas, que buscaram abarcar a diversidade de realidades dos estudantes envolvidos e, percebendo o momento sócio-político de fragilidade e incertezas, trazer perspectivas de cuidado a partir da abordagem da educação somática. Como forma de tornar visíveis aspectos relativos ao ensino-aprendizagem, entendendo que o ambiente é criado coletivamente pelos agentes envolvidos, dá-se voz a três estudantes, que revelam suas percepções a partir das suas próprias experiências. Considera-se que, apesar das dificuldades encontradas e do momento inaugural desafiador, as estratégias de ação utilizadas na disciplina propiciaram a criação de um espaço de experiência sensível capaz de gerar transformações corporais relevantes nos participantes, agregando saberes para além do campo da dança.
Educação ambiental e os efeitos da pandemia de Covid-19 no ensino básico
Authors: De Castro Filho Pedro Julio , Albuquerque Francisco Nataniel Batista
Published: April 2024

A Educação Ambiental (EA) como um tema que necessita ser abordado de forma transversal no currículo da educação básica, nesse período pandêmico, lida com diversos desafios, sendo muitas das vezes sobreposta por outras prioridades e conteúdos. O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar os obstáculos que se encontram em torno da EA escolar no contexto da pandemia de Covid-19, bem como as perspectivas frente a essa nova realidade no ensino. Foi possível verificar que o processo ainda é lento e que as escolas estão enfrentando dificuldades para conseguir inserir a EA nesse contexto pandêmico, refletindo-se na escassez de estratégias e de situações que estão sendo implementadas no contexto escolar. Além disso, percebeu-se o quanto as tecnologias digitais, enquanto auxiliadoras e potencializadoras do ensino, proporcionam um elo entre a escola, os alunos e o meio ambiente, de modo a favorecer que os alunos tenham autonomia para observar, criticar e refletir acerca de seu contexto socioambiental. Nesse sentido, a EA não pode ser preterida por outros conhecimentos em virtude da realidade da pandemia, mas reinventada e ressignificada no contexto escolar por meio de metodologias inovadoras, recursos acessíveis e de uma consciência generalizada sobre o cenário atual.
Condição digital e desigualdades educacionais
Authors: DIAS VANINA , Rodrigues Ione , Rodrigues Ione
Published: April 2024

Este ensaio visou analisar em que aspectos a necessidade de uso, quase que obrigatório das Tecnologias Digitais da Informação e Comunicação durante a pandemia da Covid-19, potencializou as desigualdades já presentes no acesso aos recursos tecnológicos e virtuais para estudantes brasileiros e ainda de que forma esta desigualdade impactou os processos de ensino-aprendizagem. Tomou-se como norteadores desse estudo os conceitos de Cultura Digital e Condição Digital. Assim, partiu-se de uma revisão bibliográfica e documental sobre o uso e os acessos à Internet no Brasil, principalmente pela população escolar, para analisar esse panorama, dialogando com pesquisadores e estudiosos do campo da educação, da sociologia e da comunicação. Nesse percurso foi possível concluir que, tanto para os desiguais quanto para aqueles que se encontram em uma condição privilegiada de acesso à Cultura Digital, é preciso construir um novo contrato social que envolva uma agenda para elaboração de políticas públicas que garantam o acesso à Internet como um direito universal. Por outro lado, é importante  fazer uso dos espaços digitais como apropriação de uma Cultura Digital que muda o mundo, o jeito de ser nele e seus valores. Nesse sentido, o digital não é apenas um ambiente, é um novo ecossistema que nos abriga.
Arte Vida Presente - partilhando processos artísticos na escola em tempos de ensino remoto.
Authors: Colli Mara
Published: April 2024

Galeria: Arte Vida Presente - partilhando processos artísticos na escola em tempos de ensino remoto realizados durante a 7ª Semana de Arte.
políticas de avaliação externa e suas repercussões no trabalho do docente
Authors: Duarte Pelegrini Mayara , Ferraz Pereira Maria Simone
Published: April 2024

Este artigo visa analisar a correspondência entre a organização escolar e a gestão empresarial, que, ao instituir mecanismos de controle e subordinação, retiram do trabalho docente a autonomia sobre o seu fazer. Nesse sentido, a avaliação externa, na lógica neoliberal de educação, assume um aspecto central, que orienta o processo educativo e, na forma como tem assumido, contribuiu para o engessamento do trabalho do professor. Ao considerarmos o trabalho docente nessa concepção, a implementação de políticas de avaliação, calcadas no controle e na responsabilização, retiram o sentido ontológico do trabalho dos professores e produz a desumanização desses. Este artigo foi resultado de um estudo bibliográfico e sinaliza que as avaliações externas instituem mecanismos que cerceiam a liberdade e a autonomia docente, contribuindo para um processo de estranhamento do seu trabalho pedagógico ao torná-lo algo, cujas determinações e formas de ser lhe escapam, a ponto de perder o controle sobre seu fazer docente. Com as reflexões realizadas, reafirmamos a posição de que o espaço escolar necessita ser compreendido como espaço de lutas e de autonomia, onde os docentes constroem e reconstroem, cotidianamente, seu trabalho pedagógico.
Reflexões sobre do Plano Nacional de Alfabetização – PNA
Authors: Filipini Bastianello Beatriz , Bomfante dos Santos Zaira , Barbosa de Souza Fabriciano
Published: April 2024

Este trabalho objetiva fazer uma reflexão sobre o Plano Nacional de Alfabetização – PNA, buscando problematizar as visões de alfabetização e letramento presentes no documento, o referencial teórico que o embasa e os direcionamentos para os contextos de ensino nos anos iniciais do Ensino Fundamental. Além desses aspectos, buscamos situar as contribuições dos estudos dos (multi)letramentos e como direcionam metodologicamente para as práticas de ensino no contexto da alfabetização. Buscamos fazer esse movimento pelo olhar de Mortatti, (2019); Soares (2003, 2017), Rojo e Moura (2006, 2019), observando as escolhas enunciativas do PNA. Os resultados indicam a necessidade de se olhar criticamente para o documento e desconstruir ideias homogêneas em relação a conceitos de métodos, alfabetização baseado em evidências e como essas ideias rebatem na prática nos anos iniciais na educação básica sendo, portanto, necessário fazer rupturas com a visão de letramento autônomo.
Nelson e Carolina
Authors: De Castro Noronha da Silva Sheila , Lisbôa Costa de Oliveira Marcia
Published: April 2024

O artigo apresenta resultados de uma pesquisa que objetivou desenvolver uma proposta antirracista de ensino de Língua Portuguesa na Educação de Jovens e Adultos (EJA), pautada em estudos contemporâneos sobre os letramentos.  O quadro teórico da pesquisa interliga discussões sobre EJA (ARROYO, 2017) a análises sobre racismo e educação antirracista desenvolvidas por Djamila Ribeiro (2019), Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2019), bell hooks (2013) e Silvio Luiz de Almeida (2018), entrelaçando-as ao campo dos estudos sobre letramentos (STREET, 2014; KALANTZIS, COPE, PINHEIRO, 2020) e letramentos críticos (FREIRE, 1987; FREIRE e MACEDO, 2015; JANKS, 2000, 2014; CERVETTI, PARDALES e DAMICO 2001). A  investigação qualitativa articulou pesquisa bibliográfica e propositiva, tendo como meta a produção de material didático para o ensino crítico de Língua Portuguesa na segunda etapa do ensino fundamental na modalidade EJA. Assim, foi elaborado um caderno pedagógico temático em torno de duas personalidades negras de grande relevância na resistência ao racismo e às injustiças sociais - Nelson Mandela e Carolina Maria de Jesus. A proposta do caderno pedagógico “Nelson e Carolina: vidas que inspiram” colocou em destaque a representatividade dessas personalidades negras, enfatizando reflexões sobre racismo, desigualdades e antirracismo, valorizando as vozes dos estudantes da EJA.
Produzindo conteúdos digitais para o ensino de Ciências: análise da prática com uma oficina para professores das séries iniciais do Ensino Fundamental
Authors: VITTORAZZI DAYVISSON LUIS , MOITA FILOMENA MARIA GONÇALVES DA SILVA CORDEIRO , TESTA BRAZ DA SILVA ALCINA MARIA
Published: April 2024

Ancorados nas perspectivas que fundamentam o uso das tecnologias digitais no fomento de aprendizagens mais ativas, desenvolvemos uma proposta de oficina voltada à produção de conteúdos educacionais digitais. Sua realização surgiu no contexto de pesquisa sobre a aplicabilidade de jogos digitais nas práticas de ensino de Ciências da Natureza e foi impulsionada pelas demandas do trabalho remoto no âmbito da pandemia da Covid-19. Neste trabalho, objetivamos analisar as percepções de professores sobre as tecnologias no ensino e as contribuições da oficina de produção de conteúdos educacionais digitais por meio da plataforma Wordwall na prática de cinco professores que lecionam em turmas do 4º e 5º anos do Ensino Fundamental em uma escola pública no estado do Espírito Santo. Os resultados sinalizam que a proposta contribuiu com treinamentos para a produção e uso de jogos educativos, estimulando reflexões acerca dos modos de incorporação de tecnologias digitais nas práticas pedagógicas.
Greening the Future: Islamic Finance's Pivotal Role in Combating Climate Change
Authors: Hosen Mosharrof
Published: April 2024

This study investigates the relationship between Islamic finance and climate change nexus through the lens of the existing literature review articles published in the Web of Science and Scopus databases. Our methodical literature review unveils the full potential of Islamic finance in tackling climate change challenges and contributing to global sustainability endeavors through the creation of Shariah-compliant climate instruments, the promotion of green investments, the establishment of standards for socially responsible investments, the cultivation of cooperation and alliances, the evaluation and disclosure of climate risk, the incorporation of vulnerable communities via Islamic microfinance, and the establishment of a framework for monitoring and assessment. By grasping the potential contribution of Islamic finance to climate change mitigation and adaptation, we can harness its principles and practices to spawn a more sustainable financial system. Islamic finance has the capacity to bolster sustainable development goals by advocating for environmental protection, reducing vulnerability, and facilitating the development of sustainable infrastructure. The paper concludes with important policy implications.
Originality/Value: Islamic finance expands in the worldwide financial industry, boasting its distinct principles and values. Nonetheless, a research gap persists in comprehending the nexus between Islamic finance and climate change. While myriad studies have delved into the societal and economic facets of Islamic finance, research on its capacity to combat climate change and foster sustainability remains scarce. Addressing this research gap assumes paramount significance due to the urgency of the climate change predicament faced by humanity. To bridge this gap, we scrutinized the role of Islamic finance in climate issues by examining literature review articles published in the Web of Science and Scopus databases.
Introduction of Takaful (Islamic Insurance) as a Potential Business Model in Indian Market
Authors: Mohd Owais  , Ali Jawwad , Hassan Rusni
Published: April 2024

Globalization has prompted many companies to invest in foreign markets, as a result of which many countries are implementing business models that appeal to investors. Takaful is one type of Islamic insurance system that has proved to be highly popular in Muslim nations. Many individuals who intend to start a new venture will benefit from this type of business model, which has also gained popularity in non-Muslim nations. This paper will analyze the suitability of Takaful to be introduced as a business model in India. This study adopts a mixed method of quantitative and qualitative analysis using surveys and interviews. The number of respondents selected was 50 for quantitative analysis with the target participants being people of India through social media and LinkedIn. Apart from that, for Qualitative analysis employees related to insurance companies in Malaysia were selected to assess their points of view of the Indian insurance market. The conclusion reveals that the Indian market is suitable and favorable for the Takaful business model irrespective of religion, people are willing to accept the model. Hence it is recommended that the model be introduced in the Indian market.
Originality/Value: Unlike prior research, which focuses primarily on Muslim nations, this study provides valuable insights for policymakers and industry stakeholders in non-Muslim countries. Our findings underscore the potential viability of Takaful in India, emphasizing its inclusive nature and ability to cater to diverse insurance needs. Overall, this paper offers a fresh perspective on Islamic finance and the adaptation of innovative business models in emerging markets.
THE STUDY OF THE RESISTANCE OF CHLOROMAGNESIUM COMPOSITES TO MEDIUMS SATURATED WITH SULFATES
Authors: Serebrennikov A. , Kovalev N. , Orlov A. , Averina G. , Koshelev V.
Published: April 2024

This article studies the resistance of composites based on dolomitic magnesian binders mixed with an aqueous solution of magnesium chloride to long-term exposure to liquid media saturated with sulfate ions. We evaluated the effect of the long-term saturation of samples in an aqueous solution of sodium sulfate on the change in their mass, linear dimensions, strength characteristics, and phase composition. Since magnesia binders belong to the group of air-hardening binders, two series of control samples were kept in air-dry conditions and in a state saturated with water. The duration of the experiment was six months. During this period, the change in the physical and mechanical characteristics and phase composition of the samples stored in water and an aqueous solution of sulfates are similar in nature and are caused by a low coefficient of water resistance of magnesia binders. No traces of chemical interaction of magnesium stone minerals with sulfate ions were found. Thus, chloromagnesium composites, provided that they have a high water-resistance coefficient, can be used in aggressive sulfate environments.
A METHOD OF COMBINED CONSTRUCTION OF UNDERGROUND AND ABOVEGROUND STRUCTURES BY MEANS OF DESCENDING CONCRETE
Authors: Khafizov T. , Baiburin A. , Denisov S. , Ovchinnikov A.
Published: April 2024

The object of research is the combined construction of structures with underground and aboveground parts by means of descending concrete. The technological parameters of the method in this area has been solved. The technological process is shown during the construction of the underground and aboveground parts using the example of floor slabs. Certain nodes, devices, and mechanisms are functionally designed in a new way which significantly expands the possibilities of the process. With the help of the new method, the inner core of rigidity and the outer walls of the structure are concreted according to grippers at design marks with a high rate of manufacture. The structure is assembled from precast concrete elements, which are made on-site from a composite concrete mixture, taking into account internal and external factors during molding. The article also touches upon the forecasting of complex and object robotics as directions of future research.
THE POSSIBILITIES OF MANAGING THE LIFE CYCLE OF A CONSTRUCTION OBJECT USING TIM
Authors: Isupov N. , Karmanova M. , Pridvizhkin S. , Fomin N.
Published: April 2024

A rapidly developing area in the management of the life cycle of a construction project is the automation of design, construction control, and other stages based on scripts or plug-ins. With the correct application of such algorithms, it is possible to significantly reduce labor costs and ensure an increase in the productivity of the workflow. Information modeling technologies (TIM) are popular and training resources can be found on the Internet, however, attention is focused on the result of work, without describing the algorithm or the methodology of the script or plugin. There are practically no TIM products for performing complex automation processes in the public domain. This article describes the operation of the “Punching Contours” script developed in the “Dynamo” visual programming environment and each functional stage of the algorithm is considered in detail. This script is intended for use in the design of the supporting frame of a building or structure and when performing verification calculations during construction control or during a technical inspection.
CONSIDERATION OF WIND CONDITIONS IN THE DESIGN OF RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
Authors: Olenkov V. , Kolmogorova A. , Zamula M.
Published: April 2024

Sharp gusts of wind can not only cause discomfort, but also to some extent put people danger. In this re-gard, the wind conditions of residential developments is one of the most important design factors that must be taken into account, since comfort of the urban environment directly depends on it. As a result, it is necessary to take into account the movement of wind flows when designing urban development. The article describes a methodology for numerical simulation of the impact of wind on a group of buildings in order to ensure comfortable conditions in residential build-ings. Numerical modeling was conducted ANSYS Discovery Live. The obtained results and revealed patterns will help to better assess the level of comfort of architectural and planning solutions of urban developments, including when planning the construction of buildings within existing neighborhoods.
NEW COMPOSITE WOODEN BEAM FOR LOW-RISE CONSTRUCTION
Authors: Yudin V.
Published: April 2024

The article discusses three main aspects of wooden low-rise housing construction that is environmental, economic and aesthetic ones. A wooden house is an environmentally friendly and healthy housing. Wooden houses usually cost less than stone or brick ones and require less energy for heating. Wooden houses can have a unique and at-tractive appearance thanks to various methods of finishing and decoration. The paper analyzes the new requirements for thermal engineering of enclosing structures and focuses on a new composite building material “Composite wooden beams” developed for low-rise housing construction. It presents the results of theoretical calculations and comparisons of heat transfer resistance for laminated timber and composite wooden beams, as well as the vapor permeability resis-tance of the new building material.
THE INFLUENCE OF TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS OF THE DEVICE OF CONCRETE JOINT ON THE WORK OF REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES
Authors: Kagan M. , Derbentcev I. , Koval S. , Melnik L.
Published: April 2024

Currently, monolithic and precast-monolithic structures made of reinforced concrete are widely used. Due to the fact that the device of a sufficiently large number of concreting working seams is inevitable, it is still relevant to investigate the issue of ensuring reliable contact of concrete: newly laid (“new”) and concrete that has already gained a certain strength (“old”). The article presents the methodology and results of experimental studies on the influence of the working seam. It also studies the impact of the technological parameters of the device on the operation of structures under load. The purpose of the study was to test the technology of the working seams device using a concrete mixture on a slag binder with a modulus of basicity Mo equal to 1.33, sealed with an alkaline solution with a pH level above 12.0. The study also aimed to prove the effectiveness of this technological solution. The paper considers the problem of “forced” inclined concreting joints caused by a number of technological and organizational reasons. It justifies the use of slag-alkaline solutions and slag-alkaline concrete with the above parameters for the device of inclined joints in monolithic reinforced concrete structures and formulates the recommendations.
Skin in the game: a review of single-cell and spatial transcriptomics in dermatological research
Authors: Schepps Samuel , Xu Jonathan , Yang Henry , Mandel Jenna , Mehta Jaanvi , Tolotta Julianna , Baker Nicole , Tekmen Volkan , Nikbakht Neda , Fortina Paolo , Fuentes Ignacia , LaFleur Bonnie , Cho Raymond J. , South Andrew P.
Published: April 2024

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and spatial transcriptomics (ST) are two emerging research technologies that uniquely characterize gene expression microenvironments on a cellular or subcellular level. The skin, a clinically accessible tissue composed of diverse, essential cell populations, serves as an ideal target for these high-resolution investigative approaches. Using these tools, researchers are assembling a compendium of data and discoveries in healthy skin as well as a range of dermatologic pathophysiologies, including atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and cutaneous malignancies. The ongoing advancement of single-cell approaches, coupled with anticipated decreases in cost with increased adoption, will reshape dermatologic research, profoundly influencing disease characterization, prognosis, and ultimately clinical practice.
Biosynthesis and screening of cobalt nanoparticles using citrus species for antimicrobial activity
Authors: Ali Huma , Dixit Savita , Alarifi Saud
Published: April 2024

The synthesis of the nanomaterial is crucial for its characteristics, as well as physiological features. Green nanoparticle production, which reduces metal ions using natural extracts rather than industrial chemical agents, has been created to lower costs, minimize pollution, and improve environmental and human health safety. An aqueous and methanolic extract of a combination of Citrus sinensis and Citrus limetta peel was utilized for the green synthesis of cobalt nanoparticles. UV–Visible, Fourier-transform Infrared, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning of electron microscopy (SEM) and other techniques were employed to describe the prepared cobalt nanoparticles. The crystal structure of cobalt nanoparticles was revealed by XRD study. The SEM images of the cobalt nanoparticles revealed the usual subdivision dimensions of 20–30 nm. Using the well diffusion method, the antibacterial activity of the crude extract derived from the combination of the two plants mentioned above and the biosynthesized cobalt nanoparticles was assessed. The result showed that the crude extract and cobalt nanoparticles exhibited antibacterial activity and cobalt nanoparticles exhibited much higher activity than the crude extract. Overall, these findings revealed that formulated cobalt nanoparticle treatment considerably prevented the development of different micro-organisms.
The existence of multiple solutions for a class of upper critical Choquard equation in a bounded domain
Authors: Chen Yongpeng , Yang Zhipeng
Published: April 2024

In this article, we consider the following Choquard equation with upper critical exponent:

−
Δ
u
=
μ
f

(

x

)

∣
u
∣

p
−
2

u
+
g

(

x

)

(

I

α

*

(

g

∣
u
∣

2

α

*

)

)

∣
u
∣

2

α

*

−
2

u
,

x
∈
Ω
,

-\Delta u=\mu f\left(x){| u| }^{p-2}u+g\left(x)({I}_{\alpha }* \left(g{| u| }^{{2}_{\alpha }^{* }})){| u| }^{{2}_{\alpha }^{* }-2}u,\hspace{1.0em}x\in \Omega ,

where

μ
>
0

\mu \gt 0

is a parameter,

N
>
4

N\gt 4

,

0
<
α
<
N

0\lt \alpha \lt N

,

I

α

{I}_{\alpha }

is the Riesz potential,

N

N
−
2

<
p
<
2

\frac{N}{N-2}\lt p\lt 2

,

Ω
⊂

R

N

\Omega \subset {{\mathbb{R}}}^{N}

is a bounded domain with smooth boundary, and

f

f

and

g

g

are continuous functions. For

μ

\mu

small enough, using variational methods, we establish the relationship between the number of solutions and the profile of potential

g

g

.
Random forests for survival data: which methods work best and under what conditions?
Authors: Berkowitz Matthew , Altman Rachel MacKay , Loughin Thomas M.
Published: April 2024

Few systematic comparisons of methods for constructing survival trees and forests exist in the literature. Importantly, when the goal is to predict a survival time or estimate a survival function, the optimal choice of method is unclear. We use an extensive simulation study to systematically investigate various factors that influence survival forest performance – forest construction method, censoring, sample size, distribution of the response, structure of the linear predictor, and presence of correlated or noisy covariates. In particular, we study 11 methods that have recently been proposed in the literature and identify 6 top performers. We find that all the factors that we investigate have significant impact on the methods’ relative accuracy of point predictions of survival times and survival function estimates. We use our results to make recommendations for which methods to use in a given context and offer explanations for the observed differences in relative performance.
A phenomenological account for causality in terms of elementary actions
Authors: Janzing Dominik , Mejia Sergio Hernan Garrido
Published: April 2024

Discussions on causal relations in real life often consider variables for which the definition of causality is unclear since the notion of interventions on the respective variables is obscure. Asking “what qualifies an action for being an intervention on the variable

X

X

” raises the question whether the action impacted all other variables only through X or directly, which implicitly refers to a causal model. To avoid this known circularity, we instead suggest a notion of “phenomenological causality” whose basic concept is a set of elementary actions. Then the causal structure is defined such that elementary actions change only the causal mechanism at one node (e.g. one of the causal conditionals in the Markov factorization). This way, the principle of independent mechanisms becomes the defining property of causal structure in domains where causality is a more abstract phenomenon rather than being an objective fact relying on hard-wired causal links between tangible objects. In other words, causal relations between variables get defined by the interface between the system and an external agent (who is able to perform the elementary actions), rather than being an internal property of links between the variables. We describe this phenomenological approach to causality for toy and hypothetical real-world examples and argue that it is consistent with the causal Markov condition when the system under consideration interacts with other variables that control the elementary actions.
Effect of chitosan on mechanical and thermal properties of novel aloe vera fiber reinforced composites
Authors: Veerabathiran Anbumalar , Palanichamy Ramakrishnan , Rasu Karthick
Published: April 2024

The aim of this work is to study the effect of chitosan on mechanical and thermal properties of aloe vera fiber reinforced composites. In this work, we have fabricated the five different composites namely pure polyester composite (SP), pure aloe vera fiber composite (S0), 1 wt.% of chitosan filled aloe vera fiber composite (S1), 3 wt.% of chitosan filled aloe vera fiber composite (S3), and 5 wt.% of chitosan filled aloe vera fiber composite (S5) through simple hand layup method and investigated the mechanical and thermal properties. From the results, it is concluded that, 3 wt.% of chitosan filled aloe vera fiber reinforced composite was performed well in all the testing and it is suitable for various engineering applications such as automobile, aeronautical and marine. SEM analysis shows good adhesion behavior between fiber and matrix with the addition of chitosan. Further, 3 wt.% of chitosan can be added in natural fiber based polymer composites to enhance mechanical properties of the composites.
Influence of backing layers on the interlaminar fracture toughness energy – Mode I – of quasi-unidirectional GFRP
Authors: Backens Simon , Schmidt Stefan , Flügge Wilko
Published: April 2024

Quasi-unidirectional glass fiber non-crimp fabrics consist of a unidirectional main layer in the 0° direction stabilized by a backing layer in the 90° direction with a significantly lower amount of fibers. It is known that the backing layers impair the fatigue performance of respective reinforced plastics due to their orientation perpendicular to the main load direction. They act as damage initiators for the failure of the load-carrying unidirectional fibers. In the present work, the positive influence of the backing layers on the interlaminar fracture toughness energy – Mode I – G
IC is demonstrated by tests in accordance with DIN EN 6033. The presence of backing fibers in the delamination plane can improve the G
IC values by up to 43 %. Furthermore, results from evaluation according to DIN EN 6033 and ASTM D5528 are shown to have a good agreement, if the correction factor for large displacements recommended in the ASTM standard is not applied. If it is applied, however, there is a clear gap of up to 19 % between the two standards because the DIN simply does not provide a correction for large deflections.
Carbon metal nanoparticle composites for the removal of pollutants
Authors: Kumar Ramachandran Vinoth , Kiruthika Naganathan , Priya Gunasekaran
Published: April 2024

Pollution in the water bodies has been on the rise for several decades. To address this issue, many technologies involving physical, chemical, biological, and electrochemical processes are being utilised. Nevertheless, their commercial use is limited by a number of inherent drawbacks. Here, nanotechnology combined with material science has offered practical and economical ways to remove organic pollutants from the wastewater. This review will provide a detailed overview of the efficiency and applicability of various carbon-metal nanoparticle adsorbents such as heavy metals (mercury, lead, and cadmium), organic contaminants (benzene, insecticides, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon), and nitrogen and sulfur compounds from the wastewater by the adsorption process. The future research direction and the encouraging future of carbon composites loaded with metal nanoparticles for environmental applications are also discussed.
Evaluation of the one-minute preceptor as a teaching method for family medicine residents
Authors: Surji Basna , Dauod Ali , Alkhateeb Nazdar
Published: April 2024

Background and objective: Health professionals struggle to appropriately train resident doctors in overcrowded medical centers. The one-minute preceptor teaching approach is an effective teaching model that provides a solution to the problem. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of a one-minute preceptor in improving the clinical teaching skills of supervisors and the critical thinking skills of residents and to assess the residents' and supervisors’ attitudes toward a one-minute preceptor. Methods: From October 1, 2021, to February 28, 2022, a cross-sectional study was conducted in the Family Medicine department at Hawler Medical University, in Erbil, Iraq. Eight family medicine supervisors and 30 resident doctors at the specialized Family Medicine Health Center were involved in the study. Pre-and-post assessment questions were administered to the supervisors before and after one-minute preceptor training to assess their knowledge. Kirkpatrick's evaluation model was used to evaluate supervisors’ knowledge and application of skills after training, and to assess whether intended outcomes occurred with the residents. Results: All supervisors agreed that this approach to teaching should be incorporated into medical education (50% agreed and 50% strongly agreed) and improved their teaching skills (75% agreed, 25% strongly agreed). More than half of the residents agreed that this new teaching method should be incorporated into medical education. (50% agreed and 10% strongly agreed) Conclusion: The one-minute preceptor teaching model intends to provide doctors with an effective framework to improve their instructional effectiveness.
Predictors of mortality among critical COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit in the Sulaimani governorate in 2021, Iraq
Authors: Ismael Sherzad
Published: April 2024

Background and objective: There are many factors that inﬂuence mortality in critically ill patients with COVID-19 infection in the intensive care unit. The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors that predict the mortalities of critical COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit in Sulaimani in 2021. Methods: This is an observational retrospective study of critically ill patients with COVID-19 pneumonia admitted to the main intensive care unit of the Sulaimani government between June and December 2020. Overall baseline characteristics are presented based on the patient's survivors versus non-survivors. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare whether there is a difference between survivors and non-survivors for the independent basic characteristics of the patients. Binary logistic regression was used to identify the predicted factors of survivors. Results: A total of 220 patients were admitted to the intensive care unit, of whom 167 died, with a case fatality rate of 75.9%. The risk factors that predicted mortality in critical COVID-19 patients were an increasing age of more than 59 years (P-value = 0.008), comorbidities (P-value = 0.038), and a lack of use of antiviral drugs (P-value = 0.011). Whereas the factors significantly predicted a reduction in mortality were increasing oxygen saturation (P-value <0.001), systolic blood pressure (P-value = 0.002), non-invasive mechanical ventilation (facemask) (P-value = 0.001), and continuous positive airway pressure (P-value = 0.003). Conclusion: The risk factors that predicted mortality in critical COVID-19 patients were increasing age, comorbidities, and a lack of use of antiviral drugs. Whereas increasing oxygen saturation, systolic blood pressure, non-invasive mechanical ventilation (facemask), and continuous positive airway pressure significantly predicted a reduction in the likelihood of death.
Prevalence and risk factors of thrombocytopenia during the third trimester of pregnancy
Authors: Musaab Abeer , Azamat Kamilia Boya Azamat
Published: April 2024

Background and objective: Thrombocytopenia, described as a platelet count of less than 150,000 mm3, is a common diagnosis during the period of pregnancy, existing in 7–12% of pregnancies. Mild thrombocytopenia occurs if platelet counts are less than 100,000 mm3, while moderate thrombocytopenia is between 50,000 and 100,000 mm3, and severe thrombocytopenia occurs if platelet counts are less than 50,000 mm3. It could be connected to physiologic changes or pathological diseases; some of them have an impact on pregnancy and may offer a serious risk to both the mother and the unborn child. This study sought to estimate the proportions of the underlying causes as well as the prevalence of thrombocytopenia among pregnant women visiting the antenatal care center in Erbil. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed in a maternity teaching hospital in Erbil city, Kurdistan region, Iraq. A convenience sample of 600 pregnant women was used from 28 weeks to 40 weeks of gestation. Over a period of 1 year, starting in January 2021 and ending in December 2021. Results: The prevalence of thrombocytopenia among the 600 cases was 24.8%, but the majority (75.2%) had a normal platelet count; the degrees of thrombocytopenia were severe in 1.8% of the cases, mild in 8.3%, and moderate in 14.7% of the cases. Conclusion: A statistically significant association between preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome has been reported as a serious condition that leads to thrombocytopenia. High serum albumin levels in pregnant women related to hypertension had a major impact on the number of platelet counts and should be considered a severe disease.
Loss of Midbrain Dopamine Neurons Does Not Alter GABAergic Inhibition Mediated by Parvalbumin-Expressing Interneurons in Mouse Primary Motor Cortex
Authors: Cherian Suraj , Simms Gabriel , Chen Liqiang , Chu Hong-Yuan
Published: April 2024

The primary motor cortex (M1) integrates sensory and cognitive inputs to generate voluntary movement. Its functional impairments have been implicated in the pathophysiology of motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD). Specifically, dopaminergic degeneration and basal ganglia dysfunction entrain M1 neurons into the abnormally synchronized bursting pattern of activity throughout the cortico-basal ganglia-thalamocortical network. However, how degeneration of the midbrain dopaminergic neurons affects the anatomy, microcircuit connectivity, and function of the M1 network remains poorly understood. The present study examined whether and how the loss of dopamine (DA) affects the morphology, cellular excitability, and synaptic physiology of Layer 5 parvalbumin-expressing (PV+) cells in the M1 of mice of both sexes. Here, we reported that loss of midbrain dopaminergic neurons does not alter the number, morphology, and physiology of Layer 5 PV+cells in M1. Moreover, we demonstrated that the number of perisomatic PV+puncta of M1 pyramidal neurons as well as their functional innervation of cortical pyramidal neurons were not altered following the loss of DA. Together, the present study documents an intact GABAergic inhibitory network formed by PV+cells following the loss of midbrain dopaminergic neurons.
Altered Hierarchical Gradients of Intrinsic Neural Timescales in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Zhang Aiying , Wengler Kenneth , Zhu Xi , Horga Guillermo , Goldberg Terry E. , Lee Seonjoo ,   For Alzheimers Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: April 2024

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease that affects millions of seniors in the United States. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) is widely used to study neurophysiology in AD and its prodromal condition, mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The intrinsic neural timescale (INT), which can be estimated through the magnitude of the autocorrelation of neural signals from rs-fMRI, is thought to quantify the duration that neural information is stored in a local circuit. Such heterogeneity of the timescales forms a basis of the brain functional hierarchy and captures an aspect of circuit dynamics relevant to excitation/inhibition balance, which is broadly relevant for cognitive functions. Given that, we applied rs-fMRI to test whether distinct changes of INT at different hierarchies are present in people with MCI, those progressing to AD (called Converter), and AD patients of both sexes. Linear mixed-effect model was implemented to detect altered hierarchical gradients across populations followed by pairwise comparisons to identify regional differences. High similarities between AD and Converter were observed. Specifically, the inferior temporal, caudate, and pallidum areas exhibit significant alterations in both AD and Converter. Distinct INT-related pathological changes in MCI and AD were found. For AD/Converter, neural information is stored for a longer time in lower hierarchical areas, while higher levels of hierarchy seem to be preferentially impaired in MCI leading to a less pronounced hierarchical gradient. These results inform that the INT holds great potential as an additional measure for AD prediction, even a stable biomarker for clinical diagnosis.
C9ORF72 Deficiency Results in Neurodegeneration in the Zebrafish Retina
Authors: Jaroszynska Natalia , Salzinger Andrea , Tsarouchas Themistoklis M. , Becker Catherina G. , Becker Thomas , Lyons David A. , MacDonald Ryan B. , Keatinge Marcus
Published: April 2024

Hexanucleotide repeat expansions within the gene
C9ORF72
are the most common cause of the neurodegenerative diseases amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). This disease-causing expansion leads to a reduction in C9ORF72 expression levels in patients, suggesting loss of C9ORF72 function could contribute to disease. To further understand the consequences of C9ORF72 deficiency in vivo, we generated a
c9orf72
mutant zebrafish line. Analysis of the adult female spinal cords revealed no appreciable neurodegenerative pathology such as loss of motor neurons or increased levels of neuroinflammation. However, detailed examination of adult female

c9orf72
-/-

retinas showed prominent neurodegenerative features, including a decrease in retinal thickness, gliosis, and an overall reduction in neurons of all subtypes. Analysis of rod and cone cells within the photoreceptor layer showed a disturbance in their outer segment structure and rhodopsin mislocalization from rod outer segments to their cell bodies and synaptic terminals. Thus, C9ORF72 may play a previously unappreciated role in retinal homeostasis and suggests C9ORF72 deficiency can induce tissue specific neuronal loss.
“Hear” and “Play” Students Misconceptions on Concurrent Programming using Sonic Pi
Authors: Traversaro Daniele , Delzanno Giorgio , Guerrini Giovanna
Published: April 2024

Concurrency is a complex to learn topic that is becoming more and more relevant, such that many undergraduate Computer Science curricula are introducing it in introductory programming courses. This paper investigates the combined use of Sonic Pi and Team-Based Learning to mitigate the difficulties in early exposure to concurrency. Sonic Pi, a domain-specific music language, provides great support for “playing” with concurrency and “hearing” common problems such as data races and lack of synchronization among different concurrent threads. More specifically, the paper focuses on students’ misconceptions regarding concurrency in Sonic Pi, and compares them to those arising in traditional concurrent programming languages. In addition, it preliminarily explores knowledge transfer from Sonic Pi to C/C++. The approach has been applied in two teaching experiments with undergraduate students in our University involving 184 participants. Our investigations bring out the need to address misconceptions through targeted interventions for a clear understanding of concurrent programming concepts. Sonic Pi’s simplified abstraction and domain-specific flavor has demonstrated to be effective, especially for first-year students.
Soliton-like solutions supported by refined hydrodynamic-type model of an elastic medium with soft inclusions
Authors: Vladimirov Vsevolod , Skurativskyi Sergii
Published: April 2024

A nonlinear elastic medium containing sharp inhomogeneities is considered. The properties of a modified model of such a medium are investigated. The modification consists in including in the asymptotic equation of state those terms that were discarded in the previously considered models. The main purpose of the ongoing research is to analyze the existence, stability, and dynamic properties of soliton-like solutions within the modified model, as well as to compare these solutions with analogous solutions obtained in the previously considered models.
Criteria for Identifying Adjectival Participles in Lithuanian
Authors: Jancaitė Laima
Published: April 2024

The aim of this paper is to present criteria for identifying adjectival Lithuanian participles, which function as adjectives but have participial forms, and to explain how adjectival participles can be identified through corpus data analysis. The relevance of the research lies in the fact that adjectival participles are considered as adjectives in dictionaries. Moreover, the devised identification criteria may be of added value for part-of-speech tagging, teaching Lithuanian, and other related domains.The article examines the concept of adjectivization, proposing a potential classification of Lithuanian participles based on the extent of their adjectivization (i.e., fully adjectival and partially adjectival participles). It also suggests criteria for identifying adjectival participles. The criteria, categorized into grammatical, semantic, derivational, and quantitative, are distinguished based on prior research and a pilot study. The data for the pilot study was extracted from Mokomasis lietuvių kalbos vartosenos leksikonas (The Lexical Database of Lithuanian Language Usage), encompassing 200 most frequent verbs and 49 adjectives with participial forms analyzed across two Lithuanian corpora. In addition, the order of criteria application is demonstrated in the present paper. In total, 185 frequent verbs were analyzed in the corpora to identify adjectival participles based on the following parameters: (1) the inclination of the participle to form an adverb with the suffix -ai; (2) its propensity to generate comparative and superlative forms and be used with adverbs of measure/degree; and (3) its inclination to be used attributively without verbal arguments. Methodologically, a quantitative approach was applied to analyze the data (only frequent participle forms were examined, as it is hypothesized that particularly frequent participles are adjectival).The results show that the proposed criteria, along with quantitative information, aid in the identification of adjectival participles. Seventeen identified participles are classified as separate words rather than verbal forms by Bendrinės lietuvių kalbos žodynas (The Dictionary of the Standard Lithuanian Language); one identified participle is categorized as an adjective by Lietuvių kalbos žodynas (The Lithuanian Language Dictionary); one identified participle was found to be adjectival, and another participle was used as a pronoun, while eight identified participles are considered partly adjectival. Six identified participles should not be considered adjectival. Thus, it appears that additional criteria need to be applied, and the methodology requires refinement for a more accurate identification of adjectival participles.