bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Positioning of the Precursor Gas Inlet in an Atmospheric Dielectric Barrier Reactor, and its Effect on the Quality of Deposited TiOx Thin Film Surface
Authors: Píchal Jan , Klenko Julia
Published: March 2021

Thin film technology has become pervasive in many applications in recent years, but it remains difficult to select the best deposition technique. A further consideration is that, due to ecological demands, we are forced to search for environmentally benign methods. One such method might be the application of cold plasmas, and there has already been a rapid growth in studies of cold plasma techniques. Plasma technologies operating at atmospheric pressure have been attracting increasing attention. The easiest way to obtain low temperature plasma at atmospheric pressure seems to be through atmospheric dielectric barrier discharge (ADBD). We used the plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) method applying atmospheric dielectric barrier discharge (ADBD) plasmafor TiOx thin films deposition, employing titanium isopropoxide (TTIP) and oxygen as reactants, and argon as a working gas. ADBD was operated in filamentary mode. The films were deposited on glass. We studied the quality of the deposited TiOx thin film surface for various precursor gas inlet positions in the ADBD reactor. The best thin films quality was achieved when the precursor gases were brought close to the substrate surface directly through the inlet placed in one of the electrodes.High hydrophilicity of the samples was proved by contact angle tests (CA). The film morphology was tested by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The thickness of the thin films varied in the range of (80 ÷ 210) nm in dependence on the composition of the reactor atmosphere. XPS analyses indicate that composition of the films is more like the composition of TiOxCy.
Estimation of Amount of Scattered Neutrons at Devices PFZ and GIT-12 by MCNP Simulations
Authors: Šíla Ondrej , Kubeš Pavel , Kravárik Josef , Rezác Karel , Klír Daniel , Cikhardt Jakub
Published: March 2021

Our work is dedicated to pinch effect occurring during current discharge in deuterium plasma, and our results are connected with two devices – plasma focus PFZ, situated in the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, CTU, Prague, and Z-pinch GIT-12, which is situated in the Institute of High Current Electronics, Tomsk. During fusion reactions that proceed in plasma during discharge, neutrons are produced. We use neutrons as instrument for plasma diagnostics. Despite of the advantage that neutrons do not interact with electric and magnetic fields inside device, they are inevitably scattered by materials that are placed between their source and probe, and information about plasma from which they come from is distorted. For estimation of rate of neutron scattering we use MCNP code.
X-ray Spectroscopic Characterization of Shock-Ignition-Relevant plasmas
Authors: Šmíd Michal , Antonelli Luca , Renner Oldoich
Published: March 2021

Experiments with multilayer plastic/Cu targets performed at a PALS laser system aimed at the study of matter at conditions relevant to a shock ignition ICF scheme, and, in particular, at the investigation of hot electrons generation. Plasma temperature and density were obtained using high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy. 2D-spatially resolved quasi–monochromatic imaging was observing the hot electrons via fluorescence K emission in the copper tracer layer. Found values of plasma temperature 690 ± 10 eV, electron density 3 × 1022 cm-3 and the effective energy of hot electrons 45 ± 20 keV demonstrate the potential of X-ray methods in the characterization of the shock ignition environmental conditions.
Nuclear Fusion Effects Induced in Intense Laser-Generated Plasmas
Authors: Torrisi Lorenzo , Cavallaro Salvatore , Cutroneo Mariapompea , Krasa Josef
Published: March 2021

Deutered polyethylene (CD2)n thin and thick targets were irradiated in high vacuum by infrared laser pulses at 1015W/cm2 intensity. The high laser energy transferred to the polymer generates plasma, expanding in vacuum at supersonic velocity, accelerating hydrogen and carbon ions. Deuterium ions at kinetic energies above 4 MeV have been measured by using ion collectors and SiC detectors in time-of-flight configuration. At these energies the deuterium–deuterium collisions may induce over threshold fusion effects, in agreement with the high D-D cross-section valuesaround 3 MeV energy. At the first instants of the plasma generation, during which high temperature, density and ionacceleration occur, the D-D fusions occur as confirmed by the detection of mono-energetic protonsand neutrons with a kinetic energy of 3.0 MeV and 2.5 MeV, respectively, produced by the nuclear reaction. The number of fusion events depends strongly on the experimental set-up, i.e. on the laser parameters (intensity, wavelength, focal spot dimension), target conditions (thickness, chemical composition, absorption coefficient, presence of secondary targets) and used geometry (incidence angle, laser spot, secondary target positions).A number of D-D fusion events of the order of 106÷7 per laser shot has been measured.
In memory of Alois Apfelbeck: An Interconnection between Cayley-Eisenstein-Pólya and Landau Probability Distributions
Authors: Vojta Vladimír
Published: March 2021

The interconnection between the Cayley-Eisenstein-Pólya distribution and the Landau distribution is studied, and possibly new transform pairs for the Laplace and Mellin transform and integral expressions for the Lambert W function have been found.
Fractal Dimension Estimation in Diagnosing Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Hubata-Vacek Václav , Kukal Jaromír , Rusina Robert , Buncová Marie
Published: March 2021

Estimated entropies from a limited data set are always biased. Consequently, it is not a trivial task to calculate the entropy in real tasks. In this paper, we used a generalized definition of entropy to evaluate the Hartley, Shannon, and Collision entropies. Moreover, we applied the Miller and Harris estimations of Shannon entropy, which are well known bias approaches based on Taylor series. Finally, these estimates were improved by Bayesian estimation of individual probabilities. These methods were tested and used for recognizing Alzheimer’s disease, using the relationship between entropy and the fractal dimension to obtain fractal dimensions of 3D brain scans.
A Study of Coherent Radiation Generated in an Ablative Capillary Discharge
Authors: Hübner Jakub , Vrba Pavel
Published: March 2021

Feasible soft-X-ray amplification in the CVI and NVII Balmer transition is investigated in a capillary discharge. The best conditions and parameters for the experimental set-up are found for an ablative capillary. The most optimistic results have shown that the gain would be greater than one, which is the condition for successful ASE (Amplified spontaneous emission) in capillary discharges. The capillary discharge evolution is modeled using the NPINCH program, employing a one-dimensional physical model based on MHD equations. The information about the capillary discharge evolution is processed in the FLY, FLYPAPER, FLYSPEC programs, enabling the population to be modeled on specific levels during capillary discharge.
Predictive Models in Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease from EEG
Authors: Tylova Lucie , Kukal Jaromir , Vysata Oldrich
Published: March 2021

The fluctuation of an EEG signal is a useful symptom of EEG quasi-stationarity. Linear predictive models of three types and their prediction error are studied via traditional and robust measures. The resulting EEG characteristics are applied to the diagnosis of Alzehimer’s disease. Our aim is to decide among: forward, backward, and predictive models, EEG channels, and also robust and non-robust variability measures, and then to find statistically significant measures for use in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease from EEG.
The Two-dimensional Harmonic Oscillator on a Noncommutative Space with Minimal Uncertainties
Authors: Dey Sanjib , Fring Andreas
Published: March 2021

The two dimensional set of canonical relations giving rise to minimal uncertainties previously constructed from a q-deformed oscillator algebra is further investigated. We provide a representation for this algebra in terms of a flat noncommutative space and employ it to study the eigenvalue spectrum for the harmonic oscillator on this space. The perturbative expression for the eigenenergy indicates that the model might possess an exceptional point at which the spectrum becomes complex and its PT-symmetry is spontaneously broken.
Spectral Analysis of Schrödinger Operators with Unusual Semiclassical Behavior
Authors: Exner Pavel , Barseghyan Diana
Published: March 2021

In this paper we discuss several examples of Schrödinger operators describing a particle confined to a region with thin cusp-shaped ‘channels’, given either by a potential or by a Dirichlet boundary; we focus on cases when the allowed phase space is infinite but the operator still has a discrete spectrum. First we analyze two-dimensional operators with the potential |xy|p - ?(x2 + y2)p/(p+2)where p?1 and ??0. We show that there is a critical value of ? such that the spectrum for ??crit it is unbounded from below. In the subcriticalcase we prove upper and lower bounds for the eigenvalue sums. The second part of work is devoted toestimates of eigenvalue moments for Dirichlet Laplacians and Schrödinger operators in regions havinginfinite cusps which are geometrically nontrivial being either curved or twisted; we are going to showhow these geometric properties enter the eigenvalue bounds.
Continued Fractions of Square Roots of Natural Numbers
Authors: Balková L'ubomíra , Hrušková Aranka
Published: March 2021

In this paper, we will first summarize known results concerning continued fractions. Then we will limit our consideration to continued fractions of quadratic numbers. The second author describes periods and sometimes the precise form of continued fractions of ?N, where N is a natural number. In cases where we have been able to find such results in the literature, we recall the original authors, however many results seem to be new.
Steel Fibre Reinforced Concrete for Tunnel Lining – Verification by Extensive Laboratory Testing and Numerical Modelling
Authors: Beňo Jaroslav , Hilar Matouš
Published: March 2021

The use of precast steel fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC) for tunnel segments is a relatively new application of this material. It was first applied in Italy in the 1980s. However, it did not begin to be widely applied until after 2000. The Czech Technical University in Prague (CTU), together with Metrostav, carried out a study to evaluate the use of this new technology for tunnels in the Czech Republic. The first tests were carried out on small samples (beams and cubes) produced from SFRC to find an appropriate type and an appropriate dosage of fibres. The tests were also used to verify other factors affecting the final product (e.g. production technology). Afterwards, SFRC segments were produced and then tested at the Klokner Institute of CTU. Successful test results confirmed that it was possible to use SFRC segments for Czech transport tunnels. Consequently a 15 m-long section of segmental lining generated from SFRC without steel rebars was constructed as part of line A of the Prague metro.
Application of Portable Force Platforms Equipped with a Device for Measuring Position and Orientation
Authors: Kutílek Patrik , Vítečková Slávka , Svoboda Zdeněk , Hejda Jan
Published: March 2021

With the development of modern technology for studying the movements of the human body, a large number of new measurement techniques are being applied. However, a complex and expensive device is not always the best one for personal requirements or for professional needs. We havedesigned and tested a new universal way to study the forces under the feet based on force platformsequipped with a device for measuring position and orientation. The device for measuring position andorientation is used to identify the relative positions of the two inexpensive force platforms in 3-D space. Knowledge of the relative positions and orientations of the force platforms allows us to adjust the two force platforms in 3-D space. The technique allows the force platform system for measuring and calculating the forces under the feet and the position of the center of pressure to be set up rapidly. The new technique, based on inexpensive portable force platforms equipped with a device for measuring position and orientation, is used and described for the first time here. This work attempts to describe potential ways of applying the technique.
Restinga Comestible: una propuesta socio ambiental dentro del paisajismo urbano
Authors: Díez Mariana Castañeda , Montezuma Rita de Cássia
Published: March 2021

El siguiente artículo presenta un trabajo de investigación que aborda dos problemáticas que ocurren actualmente y de manera simultánea en la ciudad de Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Por un lado, la cuestión ambiental causada por la fragmentación de los ecosistemas de restinga nativos de esta zona, que es causada por una urbanización que no privilegia la importancia de la naturaleza en el espacio urbano; y por otro lado la cuestión social - la carencia alimenticia presente en las comunidades de bajos recursos económicos. Al final se presenta una propuesta de paisajismo comestible aplicada en el espacio público de la zona oeste de la ciudad, con la cual se busca atenuar ambas cuestiones, a partir del rescate de uno de los ecosistemas más importantes del litoral atlántico. Dicha investigación se ejecutó a partir de dos momentos: primeramente, se realizó un estudio de un marco teórico que trata los conceptos de paisaje, ecosistemas, procesos de urbanización y paisajismo comestible. Además de esto, como parte de los procedimientos metodológicos, utilizando herramientas geotecnológicas y realizando visitas de campo, se practicó análisis biofísico y urbano arquitectónico del área de estudio seleccionada. Este proceso investigativo y proyectual, permitió seleccionar áreas en el espacio público en las cuales se aplicó la propuesta de paisajismo comestible.
Prioritization of Patients in ICU: Composite Approach of Multiple-Criteria Decision-Making and Discrete Event Simulation
Authors: Davodabadi Afsaneh , Daneshian Behrooz , Saati Saber , Razavyan Shabnam
Published: March 2021

Goal: This article aims to present a systematic approach to improve the resource allocation and human queues prioritization patterns.

Design / Methodology / Approach: To achieve such a purpose, effective criteria using a fuzzy-Delphi method, and subject-related researchers’ views were obtained. Utilizing the Analytic Network Process method, the weights of each criterion was measured. Then, considering the established weights and using a fuzzy-TOPSIS method, a prioritization system via Discrete Event Simulation was developed.

Results: Results indicate that the established approach properly improved the performance of the prioritization system in terms of resources and facilities allocation in neurology’s ICUs.

Limitations of the investigation: A drawback of this research can be in states of emergency which limits the options at hand and the criteria proposed may set a drawback on the aim of the study.

Practical implications: The results show that the proposed model can modify patient entry based on multiple criteria in terms of productivity and social justice in the patient queuing strategy.

Originality / Value: The contribution of this research is threefold: the literature has been reviewed to conclude the criteria concerning decisions around ICUs, the concluded criteria filtered through an expert panel which can be relied based on the method, a real application of the steps proposed is presented which allows comparing the accuracy and efficiency of the decisions made in the hospitals.
Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: Validating an AI Algorithm in Health Institutions in the COVID-19 Pandemic (a Use Case)
Authors: Блохин Иван Андреевич , Морозов Сергей Павлович , Чернина Валерия Юрьевна , Андрейченко Анна Евгеньевна , Шахабов Ислам Висханович , Смышляев Алексей Викторович , Гомболевский Виктор Александрович
Published: March 2021

The paper considers new challenges related to public health. Action is needed to improve access to healthcare while maintaining its quality. The introduction of AI-based automated data analysis systems can be a solution to that. The present study seeks to assess the use of AI in outpatient care to detect pathological changes in the lungs typical of a coronavirus amidst the pandemic. The sample size was 600 patients. The results were statistically and analytically processed. The sensitivity attained 94%; the specificity, accuracy and the area under the ROC curve were 77%, 83%, and 87%, respectively. The negative predictive value was 97%; the positive predictive value was 66%. The data obtained show that the algorithm separates the CT scan results having no abnormalities in the lungs. The authors conclude that the usage of AI technologies helped to improve diagnostic accuracy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Artificial intelligence algorithms can also work with patients in non-pandemic times, thus improving healthcare access.
Анализ больших объемов данных: возможности GDELT Project при использовании языка программирования Python. Опыт гуманитария, решившего постичь Big Data
Authors: Ярцева Наталья Владимировна
Published: March 2021

Научный мир развивается по междисциплинарному пути, одно из самых популярных направлений — соединение возможностей программирования, позволяющего обрабатывать большие объемы данных, и гуманитарного знания. В статье я описываю свой опыт освоения Big Data, анализирую возможности ресурса GDELT и показываю, как с помощью команд на языке программирования Python обрабатывать большие данные. Благодаря этому данная статья может иметь и вполне практическое применение — в ней перечислены и проанализированы шаги, которые позволят ученым, не знакомым с обработкой больших объемов данных, не только разобраться в сути метода, но и самостоятельно сделать первые шаги в обработке данных на Python. Кроме того, работа проиллюстрирована кейсом французских «желтых жилетов», что позволяет лучше разобраться в структуре кода и принципах работы GDELT.
Возможности и ограничения цифровых следов и методов машинного обучения в социологии
Authors: Богданов Михаил Богданович , Смирнов Иван Борисович
Published: March 2021

В статье описываются возможности и ограничения использования в социологии новых источников данных и методов их сбора, обработки и анализа, а именно — цифровых следов и методов машинного обучения. Сначала обсуждаются недостатки классических источников данных — опросов, а затем, в контексте этих недостатков, на основе релевантных исследований анализируются возможности их преодоления с помощью цифровых следов. В качестве главных недостатков опросных данных, которым, в свою очередь, меньше подвержены цифровые следы, выделяются: реактивность, небольшой объем данных и редкая частотность. В контексте описания этих недостатков и способов их преодоления с помощью цифровых следов мы приводим типы исследовательских вопросов, на которые можно ответить только с помощью цифровых следов. После этого рассматриваем ограничения цифровых следов: нерепрезентативность, конструктную валидность, внешние и внутренние вмешивающиеся факторы, нестационарность. Затем, на основе актуальных методологических статей, мы описываем, как учитывать эти ограничения и по возможности корректировать их.
Благодарность. Исследование выполнено при финансовой поддержке РФФИ в рамках научного проекта № 20-311-90056.
Социальное неравенство в эпоху искусственного интеллекта: от цифрового к алгоритмическому разрыву
Authors: Мартыненко Татьяна  Сергеевна , Добринская Дарья Егоровна
Published: March 2021

Статья посвящена анализу проблемы социального неравенства в эпоху алгоритмов, которые являются одним из элементов технологической инфраструктуры цифрового общества. Социологический интерес к алгоритмам объясняется их активным использованием в процессах коммуникации, принятия решений, управления, контроля и в конечном итоге их ролью в создании ландшафта искусственной социальной среды. Последствия внедрения алгоритмов находят отражение в разных сферах общественной жизни. Негативные эффекты алгоритмизации рассматриваются с точки зрения неравенства возможностей и социально значимых результатов. Скрытый характер воздействия алгоритмов, непрозрачность их работы, нелинейность, непредсказуемость в принятии решений, определяют их влияние на систему социального неравенства. В статье анализируются связанные с функционированием алгоритмов механизмы этого явления (системы социального ранжирования, пузыри фильтров, неравный доступ к алгоритмической осведомленности) и рассматриваются вопросы методологического характера, связанные с концептуализацией понятия «социальное неравенство» в эпоху алгоритмов.
Malpighiaceae de Colombia: Patrones de distribución, riqueza, endemismo y diversidad filogenética
Authors: Giraldo-Cañas Diego
Published: March 2021

Malpighiaceae constitutes a family of 77 genera and ca. 1300 species, distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of both hemispheres. They are mainly diversified in the American continent and distributed in a wide range of habitats and altitudinal gradients. For this reason, this family can be a model plant group to ecological and biogeographical analyses, as well as evolutive studies. In this context, an analysis of distribution, richness, endemism and phylogenetic diversity of Malpighiaceae in natural regions and their altitudinal gradients was undertaken. Malpighiaceae are represented in Colombia by 34 genera and 246 species (19.1% of endemism). Thus, Colombia and Brazil (44 genera, 584 species, 61% of endemism) are the two richest countries on species of this family. The highest species richness and endemism in Colombia is found in the lowlands (0-500 m a.s.l.: 212 species, 28 endemics); only ten species are distributed on highlands (2500-3200 m a.s.l.). Of the Malpighiaceae species in Colombia, Heteropterys leona and Stigmaphyllon bannisterioides have a disjunct amphi-Atlantic distribution, and six other species show intra-American disjunctions. Both richness and endemism decrease with altitude (y = -0.061x + 173.57; R2 = 0.82; y = -0.009x + 27.76; R2 = 0.95, respectively). Amazonia (116 species, 4 endemics) and the Andes (89 species, 23 endemics) exhibit the highest richness among the family. In Colombia, 15 of the 19 clades among the family are represented, where the most diversified are the Stigmaphyllon clade (5 genera, 48 species, 10 endemics), the Byrsonima clade (3/39/5) and the Hiraea clade (3/31/9). The relationship of phylogenetic diversity with altitude is similar to the pattern of specific richness by altitudinal interval. Amazonia, Orinoquia, and Magdalena Valley show highest phylogenetic diversity. These results, combined with those of other highly diversified biological groups in the country, could be important to define and delimitate new priority areas for conservation in Colombia.
Photogrammetric documentation on archaeological and ethnographic collections of the Institute of Archaeology and Museum, Tucumán, Argentina
Authors: Casañas Rigoli Roy Arturo
Published: March 2021

This paper presents the creation of tridimensional models by using digital photographic techniques and Structure for Motion software, applied for the particular case of the archaeological and ethnographical collections of the Storage Area of the Instituto de Arqueología y Museo, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Argentina. As a result, we present the workflow elaborated to create the 3D record of the objects belonging to the collection. Our aim is to test possibilities, scopes and limits of this approach applied to the record, research and exhibition in the archaeological and museology fields.
Learning without a teacher: self-directed language learning in the
digital wilds
Authors: Beaven Ana
Published: March 2021

What is it? Self-Directed Learning (SDL) has been the focus of attention
on the part of scholars for at least four decades. However, it is with the
advent of technology and the possibilities offered by the Internet that
researchers and practitioners have begun to look more closely at what
students do autonomously to support their own learning outside of the
classroom. Indeed, as Sauro and Zourou (2019) have recently pointed out,
“developments in technology – such as mobile devices that afford connection
and social interaction anytime and anywhere, social networking offline and
online, horizontal patterns of connectivity that allow users to create
natural bonds based on shared interests – all offer possibilities for
user-driven, self- and group- initiated practices that redraw models of
production, distribution, and reuse of knowledge” (p. 1). However, much of
the literature on autonomy in language learning focuses on developing
autonomy within the language classroom (Dam et al., 1990; Little, Dam, &
Legenhausen, 2017; Miller, 2009); and learner practices that take place
outside the classroom itself are often seen – at least by language education
researchers and practitioners alike – as supplementary to classroom-based
teaching.
Open badges: recognising learning through digital
micro-credentials
Authors: MacKinnon Teresa
Published: March 2021

What is it? Open badges are a 21st-century solution to the shortcomings
of paper certificates in the age of digital, online identity management.
These small visual signifiers which carry hard-coded meta-data can be issued
by anyone in order to recognise achievement or participation in formal or
informal activities. They link back directly to the issuer, the criteria for
award, and the evidence. The learner can collect and display their open
badges online to reveal their journey and discover new opportunities. Open
badges emerged from the Badges for Lifelong Learning Competition in 2011
funded by the MacArthur Foundation and administered by HASTAC in
collaboration with the Mozilla Foundation (MacArthur Foundation, 2012). The
aim was to provide a “powerful new tool for identifying and validating the
rich array of people's skills, knowledge, accomplishments, and competencies
[…to] inspire new pathways to learning and connect learners to
opportunities, resources, and one another” (HASTAC, 2020, n.p.). The open
badge infrastructure is based on an open source set of standards which have
enabled the ‘baking’ of meta-data within a digital image through the use of
an open badge platform. Open badge platforms are free to access, at least
initially, offering educators the opportunity to create visual, shareable
micro-credentials which recognise a learner’s journey.
Comparative judgement: assess student production without absolute
judgements
Authors: Sumner Josh
Published: March 2021

What is it? Comparative Judgement (CJ) has emerged as a technique that
typically makes use of holistic judgement to assess difficult-to-specify
constructs such as production (speaking and writing) in Modern Foreign
Languages (MFL). In traditional approaches, markers assess candidates’ work
one-by-one in an absolute manner, assigning scores to different elements
(analytic marking). In CJ, however, markers compare two pieces and consider
the overall merits of each. They make one binary, holistic judgement as to
which is better. This approach exploits humans’ natural ability to compare;
we find it easy, for example, to say which of two people is taller, but
struggle to give precise estimates of height.
Action-oriented approaches: being at the heart of the action
Authors: Germain-Rutherford Aline
Published: March 2021

What is it? An action-oriented approach views “users and learners of a
language primarily as ‘social agents’, i.e. members of society who have
tasks (not exclusively language-related) to accomplish in a given set of
circumstances, in a specific environment and within a particular field of
action. While acts of speech occur within language activities, these
activities form part of a wider social context, which alone is able to give
them their full meaning” (Council of Europe, 2001, p. 9). As ‘social
agents’, learners fully engage in meaningful real-life situations to which
they learn to respond in a wholly cognitive and emotional manner, mobilizing
their unique linguistic and sociocultural repertoires. Here, the notion of
‘task’ goes beyond the mere notion of a communicative activity to encompass
the realization of projects or problems to be solved rooted in reality,
socially, and culturally situated, through a set of targeted and concerted
‘social’ actions, ‘not exclusively language-related’, to achieve a clearly
defined objective. Whether within the community in a community-based
approach, or in the classroom, itself perceived as a mini-society with a
social dimension (Puren, 2009), learners engage and collaborate with peers
and others as they mobilize and acquire prior and new skills, knowledge,
values, and know-how to solve real-life problems. Communication is not the
goal, it is the means, along with critical thinking, self-reflection,
creativity, and adaptability, to achieve the task...
Gamification: motivating language learning with gameful elements
Authors: Pujolà Joan-Tomàs
Published: March 2021

What is it? Gamification is a methodological strategy that uses “game
design elements in non-game contexts” (Deterding, Dixon, Khaled, &
Nacke, 2011, p. 10). The purpose of gamification is to engage people,
motivate action, promote learning, and solve problems (Kapp, 2012). There
are other educational approaches that use playful components but are
different from gamification, such as game-based learning or serious games.
In those two cases, all kinds of games (digital video games, table games,
outdoor games, etc.) or educational games are used to achieve a learning
goal. Within the language learning area, Reinhardt (2019) opts for the
global concept of ‘gamefulness’ which embraces all types of vernacular
games, serious games, and gamification.
Augmented reality learning: education in real-world contexts
Authors: Pegrum Mark
Published: March 2021

What is it? Augmented Reality (AR) bridges the real and the digital. It
is part of the Extended Reality (XR) spectrum of immersive technological
interfaces. At one end of the continuum, Virtual Reality (VR) immerses users
in fully digital simulations which effectively substitute for the real
world. At the other end of the continuum, AR allows users to remain immersed
in the real world while superimposing digital overlays on the world. The
term mixed reality, meanwhile, is sometimes used as an alternative to AR and
sometimes as an alternative to XR.
Gustaw Herling e Elémire Zolla: tracce di un’amicizia
Authors: Bruni Raoul , Ślarzyńska Małgorzata
Published: March 2021

The aim of this article is to show the relationship between Gustaw Herling-Grudziński and Elémire Zolla through their letters, until now unpublished, kept in the Archive of Herling-Grudziński in Naples. The letters sent to Herling-Grudziński by Zolla are published here for the first time. The literary relation between the two writers and intellectualists can also be traced in Zolla’s review of Herling-Grudziński’s volume of short stories Pale d’altare, translated into Italian and published in Italy, as well as in Herling’s-Grudziński review of Zolla’s novel Cecilia o la disattenzione.
Le influenze italiane in Karol Szymanowski
Authors: Masi Leonardo
Published: March 2021

Like many other artists, Szymanowski was hugely attracted to Italy. In this article, I will briefly expose, firstly, the “Italian” tracks that can be found in the Polish composer’s music, and, secondly, the declarations on Italy in Szymanowski’s writings, in particular on his art and music, trying to relate these elements between them to see what image of Italian culture emerges. I will show how Szymanowski’s cultural environment remains German-based nevertheless looking for the lost unity between man, art and nature in the heritage of the Italian Renaissance.
Knockdown of TUG1 rescues cardiomyocyte hypertrophy through targeting the miR-497/MEF2C axis
Authors: Zhang Guorong , Ni Xinghua
Published: March 2021

The aim of this study was to investigate the detailed role and molecular mechanism of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) taurine upregulated gene 1 (TUG1) in cardiac hypertrophy. Cardiac hypertrophy was established by transverse abdominal aortic constriction (TAC) in vivo or angiotensin II (Ang II) treatment in vitro. Levels of lncRNA TUG1, miR-497 and myocyte enhancer factor 2C (MEF2C) mRNA were assessed by quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR). Western blot assay was performed to determine the expression of MEF2C protein. The endogenous interactions among TUG1, miR-497 and MEF2C were confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation assays. Our data indicated that TUG1 was upregulated and miR-497 was downregulated in the TAC rat model and Ang II-induced cardiomyocytes. TUG1 knockdown or miR-497 overexpression alleviated the hypertrophy induced by Ang II in cardiomyocytes. Moreover, TUG1 acted as a sponge of miR-497, and MEF2C was directly targeted and repressed by miR-497. miR-497 overexpression mediated the protective role of TUG1 knockdown in Ang II-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. MEF2C was a functional target of miR-497 in regulating Ang II-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. In addition, TUG1 regulated MEF2C expression through sponging miR-497. Knockdown of TUG1 rescued Ang II-induced hypertrophy in cardiomyocytes at least partly through targeting the miR-497/MEF2C axis, highlighting a novel promising therapeutic target for cardiac hypertrophy treatment.
Domestication of wild animals may provide a springboard for rapid variation of coronavirus
Authors: Gao Lei
Published: March 2021

Coronaviruses have spread widely among humans and other animals, but not all coronaviruses carried by specific animals can directly infect other kinds of animals. Viruses from most animal hosts need an intermediate host before they can spread widely among humans. Under natural conditions, coronaviruses do not rapidly change from infecting wild animals as intermediate hosts and to spreading widely among humans. The intermediate host might be the animals captured or bred for the purpose of cross-breeding with domesticated species for improvement of the breed. These animals differ from wild animals at the environmental and genetic levels. It is an important direction to study the semi-wild animals domesticated by humans in search for intermediate hosts of viruses widely spread among humans.
MiR-146b-3p protects against AR42J cell injury in cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis model through targeting Anxa2
Authors: Zhang Kunpeng , Zhang Xiaoyu
Published: March 2021

Background

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a common inflammatory disorder. MicroRNAs play crucial roles in the pathogenesis of AP. In this article, we explored the detailed role and molecular mechanisms of miR-146b-3p in AP progression.

Methods

The rat AR42J cells were treated with cerulein to establish the AP model in vitro. The miR-146b-3p and Annexin A2 (Anxa2) mRNA levels were assessed by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Cell viability and apoptosis were tested using the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and flow cytometry assays, respectively. Caspase-3 activity and the production of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and qRT-PCR. Targeted interaction between miR-146b-3p and Anxa2 was verified by the dual-luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation assays. Western blot analysis was performed to detect the expression of Anxa2 protein.

Results

Our data revealed that miR-146b-3p was significantly downregulated in AP samples. The enforced expression of miR-146b-3p alleviated cerulein-induced injury in AR42J cells, as evidenced by the promotion in cell viability and the repression in cell apoptosis, as well as the reduction in IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α production. Anxa2 was directly targeted and inhibited by miR-146b-3p. Moreover, the alleviative effect of miR-146b-3p overexpression on cerulein-induced AR42J cell injury was mediated by Anxa2.

Conclusions

The current work had led to the identification of miR-146b-3p overexpression that protected against cerulein-induced injury in AR42J cells at least in part by targeting Anxa2, revealing a promising target for AP diagnosis and treatment.
Isogenies on twisted Hessian curves
Authors: Perez Broon Fouazou Lontouo , Dang Thinh , Fouotsa Emmanuel , Moody Dustin
Published: March 2021

Elliptic curves are typically defined by Weierstrass equations. Given a kernel, the well-known Vélu's formula shows how to explicitly write down an isogeny between Weierstrass curves. However, it is not clear how to do the same on other forms of elliptic curves without isomorphisms mapping to and from the Weierstrass form. Previous papers have shown some isogeny formulas for (twisted) Edwards, Huff, and Montgomery forms of elliptic curves. Continuing this line of work, this paper derives explicit formulas for isogenies between elliptic curves in (twisted) Hessian form. In addition, we examine the numbers of operations in the base field to compute the formulas. In comparison with other isogeny formulas, we note that our formulas for twisted Hessian curves have the lowest costs for processing the kernel and our X-affine formula has the lowest cost for processing an input point in affine coordinates.
Mode of delivery of women with Swyer syndrome in a German case series
Authors: Weisshaupt Karen , Henrich Wolfgang , Neymeyer Jörg , Weichert Alexander
Published: March 2021

Objectives

For women with Swyer Syndrome, a 46,XY gonadal dysgenesis, full term pregnancies are possible after oocyte donation. According to literature, mode of delivery is almost always by Caesarean section for various reasons. Medical indications are multiple pregnancies and related complications, preeclampsia, an androgynous shaped pelvis and failed induction of labor. Elective Caesarean sections were performed based on maternal request and medical recommendation.

Methods

Following careful examination and shared decision making, we planned a spontaneous delivery with a patient with Swyer syndrome and tested the different hypotheses regarding anatomical and functional features according to literature. In addition, deliveries of women with Swyer Syndrome were analyzed in a German multicenter case series.

Results

A total of seven women with Swyer syndrome with a total of 10 pregnancies were identified, who later gave birth to twelve live-born children. Seven out of 10 births were performed by elective and non-elective Caesarean section, three births took place vaginally.

Conclusions

In summary, the risk of Caesarean section delivery has increased, but spontaneous delivery can be attempted in the event of inconspicuous findings.
Comparing optical performance of a wide range of perovskite/silicon tandem architectures under real-world conditions
Authors: Singh Manvika , Santbergen Rudi , Syifai Indra , Weeber Arthur , Zeman Miro , Isabella Olindo
Published: March 2021

Since single junction c-Si solar cells are reaching their practical efficiency limit. Perovskite/c-Si tandem solar cells hold the promise of achieving greater than 30% efficiencies. In this regard, optical simulations can deliver guidelines for reducing the parasitic absorption losses and increasing the photocurrent density of the tandem solar cells. In this work, an optical study of 2, 3 and 4 terminal perovskite/c-Si tandem solar cells with c-Si solar bottom cells passivated by high thermal-budget poly-Si, poly-SiOx and poly-SiCx is performed to evaluate their optical performance with respect to the conventional tandem solar cells employing silicon heterojunction bottom cells. The parasitic absorption in these carrier selective passivating contacts has been quantified. It is shown that they enable greater than 20 mA/cm2 matched implied photocurrent density in un-encapsulated 2T tandem architecture along with being compatible with high temperature production processes. For studying the performance of such tandem devices in real-world irradiance conditions and for different locations of the world, the effect of solar spectrum and angle of incidence on their optical performance is studied. Passing from mono-facial to bi-facial tandem solar cells, the photocurrent density in the bottom cell can be increased, requiring again optical optimization. Here, we analyse the effect of albedo, perovskite thickness and band gap as well as geographical location on the optical performance of these bi-facial perovskite/c-Si tandem solar cells. Our optical study shows that bi-facial 2T tandems, that also convert light incident from the rear, require radically thicker perovskite layers to match the additional current from the c-Si bottom cell. For typical perovskite bandgap and albedo values, even doubling the perovskite thickness is not sufficient. In this respect, lower bandgap perovskites are very interesting for application not only in bi-facial 2T tandems but also in related 3T and 4T tandems.
Intake, nutrient digestibility, nitrogen, and mineral balance of water-restricted Xhosa goats supplemented with vitamin C
Authors: Akinmoladun Oluwakamisi F. , Fon Fabian N. , Mpendulo Conference T. , Okoh Omobola
Published: March 2021

The study objective was to evaluate the effect of single and/or extra doses of vitamin C (VC) on water-restricted (WR) Xhosa goats, by evaluating their intake, digestibility, nitrogen, and mineral balance during summer. Goats (42) were randomly divided into seven groups: GI (control, received ad libitum water daily), GII (WR-70% of ad lib.), GIII (WR-50% of ad lib.), GIV (WR-70% of ad lib. + VC [3 g/day orally]), GV (WR-50% of ad lib. + VC [3 g/day orally]), GVI (WR-70% of ad lib. + VC [3 g/day orally + 5 g extras every eighth day]), and GVII (WR-50% of ad lib. + VC [3 g/day orally + 5 g extras on every eighth day]). The experiment was a complete randomized design. Data obtained were analysed using the general linear model (PROC GLM) of SAS procedure. The depression in nutrients intake was lessened with VC supplementation. Water-restriction effect was not significant on nutrient intake/metabolic weight. Retained nitrogen increased with water-restriction levels but not influenced by VC. NH3–N significantly decreased as the level of water restriction increases, while the pH was similar across the WR groups. Supplementation of VC failed to significantly influence the depression in apparent digestibility and digestible nutrients induced by water restriction levels. The retained Ca, K, and Mg increased with levels of water restriction.
Use of maturity traits to identify optimal harvestable maturity of bananaMusaAAB cv. “Embul” in dry zone of Sri Lanka
Authors: Kanchana Kasthuri , Senerath Anjali , Thiruchchelvan Nagarathnam , Kumara Aruna
Published: March 2021

Banana is a climacteric fruit and perishable in nature having relatively high postharvest losses. Harvesting banana at a perfect maturity stage can reduce the quantity of losses during post-harvest handling. There is no identified optimal harvestable maturity time line available for local banana cultivars in Sri Lanka. Therefore, this study focused on use of maturity traits to identify optimal harvestable maturity for harvesting banana in the dry zone of Sri Lanka. Changes of fruit weight, length of banana fruits, fruit pulp weight, luminosity (L*), red-green (a*), yellow (b*), hue angle and chroma for skin of banana, total soluble solid (TSS) content, pH value and starch content of banana fruit pulp, respiration rate, and ethylene production of banana fruits during the developmental continuum were measured from seven days after flowering (DAF) to senescence. Data were statistically analyzed using one way-ANOVA at 95% confidence level. Results revealed that physical parameters such as length and weight of banana fruits were steadily increased in time. Chemical parameters such as TSS, pH and starch content of banana fruit pulp were significantly differed with the maturation. Fruit physiological parameters including ethylene production and respiration rate were significantly different with DAF. In conclusions, optimum maturity for the distant markets was observed in range of 77–84 DAF. Maturity stage from 84 to 104 DAF is better for the local/immediate consumption, and afterwards it can be recommended for the fruit processing firms.
How to Read the ‘Literary’ in the Literary Market
Authors: Lanzendörfer Tim
Published: March 2021

This essay argues that under contemporary capitalism, all literary production is, at first approximation, commodity production. This has consequences for our understanding of the work of literary studies. We are no longer able to easily recur to preformed theories of the ‘literary’ as a category at least in some way exempt from extrinsic pressures. Attention to the ‘literary market’ remains superficial when it insists on paying attention chiefly to so-called literary fiction on the understanding that it has prima facie higher claims to our attention than popular genre fiction—it does not. In fact, as this essay argues, appreciation of the thorough commodification of art under capitalism asks us to take seriously the need to break with our categories; to insist on the primacy of interpretative attention in determining what kinds of fiction we study.
A Twice-Told Tale? Nathaniel Hawthorne, Genre, Sponsorship
Authors: Löffler Philipp
Published: March 2021

This essay analyzes the gradual commercialization of the book market in the antebellum period. It shows that the reality of book publishing in the 1830s and 1840s has little to do with traditional accounts of the antebellum period developed in the wake of or in opposition to F. O. Matthiessen’sAmerican Renaissance. The essay focuses in particular on Nathaniel Hawthorne’s ascent into the literary establishment of the 1840s—based mainly on the promotion of hisTwice-Told Tales—and on the attempts to advertise Beecher-Stowe’sUncle Tom’s Cabinacross socially and politically diverse readerships in the South and the North.
From Product Placement to Boundary Work: Further Steps towards an Integrated Sociology of Literary Communication
Authors: Griem Julika
Published: March 2021

This essay aims at integrating conceptions of literary markets, marketing, and marketability into the study of literature. To combine textual and sociological analysis I look at spatial and spatializing strategies on various levels of literary communication: as fictional settings, as authorial placements, as reading situations, and publishing platforms. My contribution draws on Bourdieu’s interest in the economic side of literature as well as on more recent studies by Jim Collins and David Alworth, who have taken closer looks at the ecologies and affiliations linking literature to consumer culture and its affordances of product placement.
The heritage of the Second World War: bombing in the forests and wetlands of the Koźle Basin
Authors: Waga Jan M. , Fajer Maria
Published: March 2021

The Koźle Basin in Poland was radically transformed by aerial bombardment during the Second World War. Today, the region has approximately 6000 well-preserved bomb craters with diameters ranging from 5–15m and depths often exceeding 2m. Combining remote-sensing data and fieldwork with historical accounts, this article analyses these craters, demonstrating that their varied morphologies derive from the weight of the bombs that created them, and on the type and moisture content of the soil on which the bombs fell. Based on their results, the authors issue a call for the official protection of the Koźle landscape, which has particular historical, educational and ecological value.