bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tantangan Pendidikan Di Masa Pandemi Semua Orang Harus Menjadi Guru
Authors: Oktavia Mutiara , Rahma Shaula , Akmalia Retno , Teguh Annisa , Ramadhani Asyifa , Kusuma Alifianing , Darmadi Darmadi
Published: August 2021

Pendidikan adalah pembelajaran, pengetahuan, keterampilan dan kebiasaan sekelompok orang

yang diturunkan dari satu generasi ke generasi berikutnya pengajaran, pelatihan atau

penelitian.Dunia pendidikan terdampak imbas sangat besar di masa pendemi ini, sekolah tatap

muka langsung belum diperbolehkan, karena kita harus turut memutus wabah mata rantai virus

covid-19, jangan sampai terkena pada generasi penerus bangsa.Guru dituntut untuk berfikir

kreatif dan inovatif dalam memberikan pembelajaran secara daring. Orang tua di saat

pembelajaran daring sangat diperlukan oleh anak, terutama pada anak-anak tingkat sekolah

dasar, orang tua dituntut untuk dapat menjelaskan apa yang dijelaskan oleh pengajar, dan dapat

membantu mengerjakan tugas pekerjaan rumah anak-anak. Peran pemerintah sangat penting

dalam memberikan kualitas pendidikan kepada anak bangsa, karena pendidikan adalah kunci

dari keberhasilan sumber daya manusia suatu Negara.Beberapa hambatan pendidikan di masa

pandemic diantaranya adalah orang tua siswa gaptek, akses internet, sulit memahami materi,

rasa malas dan sulit berkonsentrasi. Namun hambatan-hambatan diatas dapat diatasi dengan

membuat media pembelajaran sistem daring, komunikasi dengan wali murid, membuat

ringkasan pembelajaran, memberikan tugas yang mendorong siswa untuk aktif
ANALISIS INFORMASI KEUANGAN DAN PENERAPAN AKUNTANSI PADA BENGKEL MOBIL/TRUK AMANK
Authors: Situmorang Dokman Marulitua
Published: August 2021

Akuntansi dapat diartikan sebagai “bahasa bisnis” karena akuntansi adalah sebuah sistem informasi yang menyediakan laporan - laporan bagi pihak-pihak yang berkepentingan (stakeholders) mengenai aktivitas ekonomi dan kondisi suatu perusahaan. Usaha Mikro Kecil dan Menengah (UMKM) merupakan kelompok pelaku ekonomi terbesar dalam perekonomian Indonesia dan salah satu penopang perekonomian. Permasalahan yang dihadapi UMKM adalah terkait dengan pengelolaan dana karena itu merupakan faktor kunci yang dapat menyebabkan keberhasilan atau kegagalan UMKM. Hal ini mengharuskan UMKM untuk menerapkan akuntansi dalam menjalankan usahanya. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui dan menganalisis informasi keuangan dan penerapan akuntansi pada Usaha Mikro Kecil dan Menengah (UMKM) serta cara mengatur keuangan pada masa pandemi Covid-19. Sampel dalam penelitian ini menggunakan salah satu jenis bisnis yaitu Bengkel Mobil atau Truk “AMANK” di Pangkalan Bun. Data yang dipergunakan adalah data primer yang diperoleh melalui hasil wawancara dan kuesioner. Teknik analisis dari penelitian ini adalah teknik analisis deskriptif kualitatif. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa pencatatan akuntansi di Bengkel Amank belum maksimal. Hal ini terjadi karena minimnya pengetahuan, pemahaman serta kesadaran akan pentingnya penerapan akuntansi secara lengkap terutama dalam proses penyusunan laporan keuangan dalam rangka memperoleh informasi tentang kegiatan usaha selama satu periode akuntans
The Case of Carly Fleischmann, Her Speech Therapists, and the Media: Factitious Heroism By Proxy, Factitious Heroism, and Folie À Plusieurs
Authors: Howitt Dan
Published: August 2021

From 2008 - 2018, Carly Fleischmann, who has extreme non-verbal autism, was portrayed by her two speech therapists, via a multitude of variations of surreptitious fraud, as being able to type-communicate with keyboards and icon-touch-pads at a normal level, if not advanced level. She was portrayed as such on an array of major television programs, as well as on her YouTube channel, which purportedly shows her conducting in-person interviews with an array of celebrities. Her two speech therapists, in succeeding for approximately ten years with this, engaged in what I refer to as “Factitious Heroism By Proxy”, as they accomplished persuading innumerable millions of people that Carly is an extremely rare hero of autism. Moreover, the speech therapists, in doing the aforementioned, concurrently engaged in Factitious Heroism, because they accomplished persuading innumerable millions of people that they are the heroes who are in part responsible for Carly's heroism. Unlike my case on Tito and Soma Mukhopadhyay, while Carly's speech therapists engage in a multitude of variations of surreptitious fraud, the fraud was not so masterful that Nobel level scientists, other elite scientists, elite physicians, elite journalists, innumerable millions of other people, etc., would not be able to observe at least some of it. Due to this, I believe that this matter is also one of Folie À Plusieurs.
Stability and Change in Autobiographical Reasoning: A Four-Year Longitudinal Study of Narrative Identity Development
Authors: McLean Kate C. , Dunlap David , Jennings Sarah , Litvitskiy Nicole , Lilgendahl Jennifer
Published: August 2021

Objective. Research on personality development has traditionally focused on rank-order stability and mean-level change in the context of personality traits. The present study expands this approach to the examination of change and stability at another level of personality – narrative identity – by focusing on autobiographical reasoning. Drawing from theory in personality and developmental science, we examine stability and change in exploratory processing and positive and negative self-event connections. Method. We take advantage of a longitudinal study of emerging adult personality and identity development, which includes four waves of data across four years, examining reasoning in two domains of identity, academics and romance (n = 1520 narratives; n = 176 – 638 participants, depending on the analysis). Results. We found moderate rank-order stability in autobiographical reasoning, but more so for exploratory processing than self-event connections. We found mean-level increases for exploratory processing in the context of romance, and stability in the context of academics. For self-event connections, we saw a decrease for positive connections, and for negative connections about romance, with stability for negative connections about academics. Conclusions. Implications include developmental differences in types of reasoning, as well as the sensitivity of narrative identity to revealing the contextual nature of personality development.
How to have theory in a pandemic: A critical reflection on the discourses of COVID-19
Authors: Brown Tim , Calkin Sydney , Holden Kerry , Reid-Henry Simon , Taylor Stephen
Published: August 2021

In the months since the arrival of COVID-19 we questioned whether it was possible, in the words of Paula Treichler, to have theory in an epidemic. What can scholars schooled in the deconstructive arts say at this point? With this question in mind, this chapter considers Treichler’s chronicling of HIV/AIDS, as well as Priscilla Wald’s account of the so-called outbreak narrative, and explores how their rendering of parallel pandemics might help us in our reading of COVID-19. Drawing on these authors especially, we encourage geographers, writing in the interdisciplinary space that we inhabit, to raise critical questions about the uneven geographies of the pandemic in particular. COVID-19, perhaps more so than any recent outbreak of infectious disease, has been framed by discourses that make much of common responsibilities and in particular of national collectives. Such a collective response has helped to save lives, particularly in countries that acted swiftly and decisively: “go hard, go early” in the words of New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern. Yet at the same time it is necessary to consider the narrative framing of this pandemic alongside the material realities and situated politics that shaped peoples lives before, during, and no doubt, after, its arrival. For as the burden of this disease is mapped and disaggregations of which communities, classes and social groups have been most affected become available, it is equally clear that we are not all “in this together” in quite the same ways.
Effectiveness of Students’ Distance Learning in English Business Communication: The Experience of Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design
Authors: Dvorianchykova Svitlana , Bondarchuk Julia , Syniavska Olga , Vyshnevska Maryna
Published: August 2021

Having the epidemiological situation caused by the spread of coronavirus, distance learning has become highly relevant in the world and Ukraine since 2020. Therefore it has become significant to identify, describe, and analyse the parameters of the correspondence of predicted and diagnosed educational results in distance learning in general English, English for specific purposes and business communication. The main aim is to outline strategies for increasing the effectiveness level of such activities. To obtain data to determine the effectiveness of distance practical classes, there have been used the results of regular final tests of the level of skills formation in vocabulary, grammar, reading, speaking, listening, and writing among 200 Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design students. These results were taken at the end of the spring semester of the 2019/2020 academic year and the autumn semester of the 2020/2021 academic year to compare with the same indicators of classroom studies in the autumn and spring semesters of the 2018/2019 academic year. To determine the degree of satisfaction with online learning of the English language, a survey of 20 teachers and 200 students has been carried out. It has been proved that distance learning is able to successfully solve a wide range of problems maintaining the quality of education while adapting lingua didactic science to the current information educational conditions and the development of new teaching methods.
Leveraging Machine Learning to Estimate Effect Modification
Authors: Yu Ang , Park Chan , Kang Hyunseung , Fletcher Jason
Published: August 2021

Sociologists are often interested in estimating and testing whether some causal effect varies by a modifier of interest. The conventional regression estimator for effect modification is inflexible in functional form and prone to misspecification bias. Machine Learning (ML) algorithms can aid the estimation of effect modification in observational studies by controlling for confounders in a highly flexible, automated, yet principled way. Therefore, leveraging ML for effect modification helps reduce misspecification bias and enhance the credibility of causal identification. We introduce a novel estimator that estimates effect modification in a familiar regression framework after using ML algorithms to fit nuisance components of the model. We show that this estimator is more flexible than the conventional regression model while more efficient and suitable for theory-driven sociological research than other ML-based methods. We use the new estimator to study the modification in the effect of a college degree on adult family income by gender and family income in adolescence in the United States. Along these two dimensions, the benefits of a college degree are rather equally distributed.
From the Normal to the New Normal: Reflecting Metamorphosis in Pedagogies
Authors: Ahamed Mostaq , Siddiqui Sharmin
Published: August 2021

The study aims to shed some light on pedagogical and learning issues that have cropped up during the pandemic for transitioning from traditional classrooms to entirely virtual learning. The study reflects how the paradigm shift can directly or indirectly affect the soft skills of all parties involved in the success or the failure of an educational system. An in-depth focus group discussion methodology was used to collect information in this qualitative study. Thirty faculty who taught online courses at the tertiary level were selected for the discussions. They provide significant insights about how the fully online learnings continued longer than the anticipated timelines impact the pedagogical value and the futurity of an individual’s educational goals. The study shows that embracing the virtual approach in teaching can promote teachers’ innovativeness by using various new applications and digital tools but bring new challenges for dealing with diverse learning styles
Internet Resources: Optimization of Second Language Writing Skills Mastering during COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Svyrydjuk Vira , Kuzmytska Marharyta , Bogdanova Tetiana , Yanchuk Olena
Published: August 2021

COVID-19 pandemic forced the entire world community to reconsider its educational learning strategies. Modern Information and Communication Technologies have provided the mastery of writing skills by philology students during distance learning. Writing skills are acquired in writing texts of different genres: primary, written without the resource literature, and secondary, written by students based on primary sources. Interactive activities based on Internet resources enabled creating a virtual learning environment for mastering the second language written communication. This study analyzes various interactive activities on the Internet and suggests division into two groups: educational and controlling interactive activities. The study aims to define the effectiveness and methodological characteristics of the interactive activities to optimize the writing skills mastering during lockdowns. It presents the stages of text writing for users of the A2 language level. The paper gives examples of interactive activities based on communicative situations that teach to write a text at a sentence, paragraph, and text level. It also determines their goal, techniques, ways of control, and benefits of using such exercises for self-study of writing skills. The study concludes with recommendations of using communicative cases and activities to improve mastering written communication.
Professional Development and Teaching Practices of EFL Palestinian Teachers during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of Three Female Teachers
Authors: Dweikat Khaled , Zyoud Munther
Published: August 2021

The current study investigated the activities and practices used by three female EFL teachers during the coronavirus pandemic between March 2020 till February 2021. The study also explored the difficulties and obstacles faced by the three teachers during that period. To achieve these objectives, a qualitative approach utilizing a case study design was employed using three tools: teachers’ written reflections, content analysis of teachers’ posts on the social media, and a focus group meeting via Zoom. The significance of the study emerges from its objectives to contribute to EFL teachers’ professional development during the emergency cases. Results revealed that the three teachers were able to cope with the new situation by adopting new methods of content delivery and new forms of communication as well. These teachers used online technologies such as Facebook, YouTube, and Microsoft Teams to communicate with their students and the parents as well. However, some challenges emerged, including the financial situation of the families and its impact on students’ access to internet connection and family affordability. Under these conditions, teacher training programs are in demand for using appropriate technologies that engage the students and attract their attention.
A Typology of Automatically Processable Regulation
Authors: Guitton Clement , Tamo-Larrieux Aurelia , Mayer Simon
Published: August 2021

The possibility of encoding regulation to make it processable automatically by computers has been gaining attention within the legal discipline. With it, an abundance of terms has emerged as much as an array of academic discussions providing different examples, raising different concerns, while, unfortunately, having different premises in mind. This makes contributions within the field of what we refer to as ‘automatically processable regulation’ difficult to compare with each other and research results hard to transfer among different research projects and groups. To overcome this problem, we propose a typology that enables researchers to locate their research project within the domain of automatically processable regulation, understand what issues might arise depending on where within the typology a project falls, and determine the relationship between projects. The typology revolves around three dimensions: the primary aim of the project, the potential for divergence of interests amongst stakeholders, and the degree of mediation by computers.
Human Rights and Corporate Reinsurance: From Ensuring Rights to Insuring Risks
Authors: Scheper Christian , Gördemann Johanna
Published: August 2021

With the aimof grounding the analysis of private transnational human rights governance, the article examines how a European reinsurance company links its human rights policy to its core business of underwriting risks in the case of Belo Monte, a large hydroelectric dam in the Brazilian Amazon. Based on the current international regulatory framework, the global political economy of reinsurance is becoming a constitutive element of human rights governance. Conceptualising underwriting as a social practice, we observe how human rights norms are translated into the corporate form of risks. This process goes beyond questions of norm compliance and involves practices of valuation and boundary-drawing based on the underwriter’s competences and background knowledgeabout reinsurance markets, value chains and corporate hierarchies. We conclude with a critique of private governance as an institutional pillar of the human rights system that rests on business rationales rather than lending institutional power to rights-holders.
Pedagogical Effects of Social Media on Iraqi Kurd EFL learners
Authors: Nuri Rebaz Bahadeen Mohammed , Aziz Awder Raza , Saeed Kochar Ali , Tofiq Shaiy Karwan , Ahmed Soma Soran
Published: August 2021

English language learners use social media platforms for improving their language skills through exchanging ideas, sharing their thoughts, and getting exposed to authentic language. The use of social media by learners might yield positive or adverse effects. This study, therefore, explores the pedagogical consequences of some social media platforms on Iraqi Kurd EFL learners. It Highlights the significant impacts of social media on learning English, vocabulary, and spelling. It explicitly attempts to discover how social media affects English language learning, word choices, and spelling for Kurd EFL learners. A questionnaire is used to randomly collect the study data from 96 Kurdish students studying English at various academic institutions. The data was organized and analyzed by SPSS. It was found that Kurd EFL learners use social media platforms extensively for numerous purposes, improving their English language skills being one of them. The results suggest that social media assists learners in learning and practising new vocabulary; However, it has a negative impact on the students spelling and academic writing skills. Kurd EFL learners use abbreviated forms and unnecessarily shortened forms under the influence of social media.
Ciąża mnoga i wieloraczki w starożytności
Authors: Lewandowska Dominika
Published: August 2021

The book concerns multiple pregnancy and multiple births in Antiquity. The analysis of written sources from the Middle East (Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Levant, Anatolia) as well as from Greece and Rome allows looking at the subject from several perspectives: the author investigated myths about semi-divine twins and numerous multiple births, medical and astrological concepts of multiple pregnancies and the consequences of multiple births in the Roman law.
Zemlya almanacs as a Moscow variation on the Petersburg-based Shipovnik
Authors: Romaykina Yu. S.
Published: August 2021

The article tells the story of a rivalry between two remarkable nonperiodicals of the Russian Silver Age: the literary and artistic almanacs printed by Shipovnik [Wild rose] publishers (Petersburg, 1907–1917) and the Zemlya collections published in Moscow (1908–1917). Using the memoirs (including unpublished) left by employees of the two publishing houses and critical reviews from the early 20th c., the article pinpoints the reasons why readers perceived Zemlya as an analogue of Shipovnik. In the period from 1910 to 1917, the editor-cum-proprietors S. Kopelman (Shipovnik) and G. Blumenberg (Zemlya), neither with significant previous experience in the publishing business, made sure that their respective almanacs boasted stellar authors, a unique composition and cover design; however, Zemlya was consistently labelled as a cousin of Shipovnik. Such a description was caused by Zemlya directly copying the Petersburg-printed collections in its first issues (1908–1909), the special characteristics of the almanac as a publication type, and critical reviews of Soviet literary scholars.
On potential development strategies for Digital Humanities
Authors: Belyak G. N.
Published: August 2021

The Humanities are marginalised in today’s ranking of scholarly disciplines. This is partially due to their poorly monetisable subject matter, as well as the fact that their methodology is firmly rooted in the industrial era. The digital revolution provided the humanities with new technologies. However, the same newly available statistical methods that enable generalisation of a large bulk of materials and management of accurate data are fraught with serious limitations. Despite their ostensible novelty, the new methods cannot solve the epistemological problems of humanist learning; instead, they merely help its further adaptation to the inductive logic of scientific positivism, typical of the industrial era. This means that, given their digital nature (i. e., association with the digital era), they fail to generate a new ontology for the humanities. The value of new technologies is mainly determined by our ability to use them in an unconventional way. In order to preserve the subject matter of the humanities in its entirety, one should learn about the potential as well as limitations of digital methods and devise a positive strategy of their application.
Clinical Presentation of a Confusing and Atypical Vegetative Dermatosis
Authors: Benkirane Selma
Published: August 2021

The vegetative pemphigus is the rarest variety of pemphigus. It only represents 1 to 2% of cases. It is characterized by damage to the folds and a vegetative appearance of the lesions. Its pathophysiology has not yet been elucidated. The diagnosis is clinically suspected and confirmed by histology and direct and indirect immunofluorescence. Treatment is based on general corticosteroid therapy with a rapid and favorable response.
Orthostatic Hypotension in a Complex Clinical Setting Use of the Heart Rate Increase/Systolic Blood Pressure Decrease Ratio as a Diagnostic Aid
Authors: Naschitz Jochanan
Published: August 2021

A simple bedside test to distinguish neurogenic from non-neurogenic causes of orthostatic hypotension (OH) is the ratio of heart rate increase during OH to the simultaneous decrease in systolic blood pressure (SBP), i.e. the ΔHR/ΔSBP ratio. In a patient suffering from persistent OH we monitored the ΔHR/ΔSBP ratio to aid with a targeted therapy. During a six-week period four pairs of postural tests were performed, one in the fasting and the other in the postprandial state. Inconsistency of the ΔHR/ΔSBP ratio under the patient's apparently stable clinical condition was confusing. So, the ΔHR/ΔSBP ratio did not help in taking therapeutic decisions.
Personal spend on cigarettes and tobaccos in Cuba from 2013 to 2016
Authors: Hernández Fé Fernández
Published: August 2021

Introduction: As risk factor smoking means a social opportunity cost because of the whole goods and services didn´t obtained to satisfice the tobacco and cigarettes demand. While the tobacco and cigarettes spend is increasing these opportunity cost will be increasing too. Objective: To describe the tobacco and cigarettes spends in Cuba since 2013 to 2016. Materials and methods: Was made a descriptive and longitudinal research about the tobacco and cigarettes spends in Cuba from 2013 to 2016. Were utilized two rates: monthly per capita sales on cigarettes and tobaccos measured in pesos and monthly per capita sales on cigarettes and tobaccos respect to middle salary measured in percent. Theoric methods: Historic – Logic, Inductive – Deductive, Comparative and Analysis and Synthesis. Empiric methods: documental and bibliographic research and arithmetic calculus. All the statistic processing was in Microsoft Excel 2007. Results: The personal spend on cigarettes and tobaccos from 2013 to 2016 shows a stable and defined structure. Conclusions: Havana, Santiago de Cuba provinces and the Special Municipality Isla de la Juventud were the Cuban regions showed consumption rate higher than the national middle.
Effect of rosemary extract and vitamin e on lipid peroxidation and the quality during chilling and frozen storage of fried Nile tilapia fillets (Oreochromis niloticus)
Authors: F. Mohamed Ibrahim , F. Madi Mohamed
Published: August 2021

Antioxidants are added to fresh and processed meat to prevent lipid oxidation, retard development of off-flavors, and improve color stability. In the food industry, they can be divided into natural and synthetic antioxidants. Synthetic antioxidants have been confirmed for their toxicological and carcinogenic effects. Thus, the food industry now chooses natural products over synthetic ones. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of Rosemary extract (R.E.) and vitamin E on the quality of fried fillets of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) during chilling and frozen storage. Fillets of Nile tilapia were treated with (R.E.) 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.3% and Vitamin E 0.1% then stored for 5,10 and 15 days at 4±1°C and for three months at -18±2°C. Then chemical tests including Peroxide value (PV), Thio-barbituric acid (TBA), Tri-methylamine-nitrogen (TMA-N) and Total volatile base-nitrogen (TVB-N) were done to evaluate the preservative effect of (R.E.) and vitamin E during storage. The TBA and PV increased in all treatments due to lipid peroxidation. Results showed that TMA-N,TVB-N, value of (R.E.) and vitamin E treated samples were significantly lower than those of the control samples (P<0.05). Results of our investigation revealed that R.E. retarded oxidative changes in chilling and frozen fried fillets of Nile tilapia whereas R.E. 0.1%, 0.2% and vitamin E 0.1% were not as effective as R.E. 0.3% on oxidative stability. Best oxidation inhabitation results on chilling and frozen fried fillets of Nile tilapia was obtained when employing of R.E. The obtained results also showed that there was a significant (p<0.05) enhancement in sensory quality attributes of fried fillets of Nile tilapia; samples treated with R.E. and vitamin E Conclusion: The tested R.E. had a high effectiveness as antioxidative and antimicrobial should be utilized for extending the shelf-life through retarded the spoilage and enhancing quality attributes of fried fillets of Nile tilapia during chilling and frozen storage.
Be mindful of eating to be healthy people
Authors: Balch Ying
Published: August 2021

A person cannot stop eating a delicious snack until full of a snack bag of empty without consciousness; most people had this experience. The snack bag of the front of the design, which is attractive to people to buy, a load on the back has detailed the nutrition food label of a claim, and sounds are a perfect snack for us to enjoy our leisure time.
Retained Foreign Body (Gossypiboma) Following Abdominal Hysterectomy; Removed Per Vaginum-2 Case Reports
Authors: Singh Kalyani , Gupta Komal , Kr Singh Saksham
Published: August 2021

Total abdominal hysterectomy is a quite common open surgical operation accounting for 54% of all benign diseases. Indications are uterine fibroids, adenomyosis/endometriosis, AUB, chronic pelvic pain, cancer of ovaries, uterus or cervix or cancer phobia. It is relatively an uncomplicated operation and easiest when least required.
CONCERNING THE SELECTION OF DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY SOLUTION FOR A MINI-HOTEL CONSTRUCTION
Authors:   Odessa State Academy of Civil Engineering and Architecture, N.V. Dmytriieva , I.P. Agafonova ,   Bendery branch of PSU named after T.G. Shevchenko, Yu.S. Tugolukov ,   Bendery branch of PSU named after T.G. Shevchenko
Published: August 2021

The article considers the features and advantages of innovative design and technology solution for mini-hotels construction in the framework of eco-tourism development. The examination of the main potentials of eco-tourism development in Ukraine and Moldova, are presented on the example of the city of Tiraspol. Space planning and design features of the project "Dubovaya Roshcha" tourist complex in Tiraspol, Moldova are characterized there. This article presents a method of multicriteria analysis of design and technology solutions based on the factor evaluation of decision options of low-rise building construction. In this examination the main factors influencing the choice of building structures were emphasized.
MODERN CONSTRUCTION SOLUTIONS FOR PRESTRESSED CABLE DOMES AND WAYS TO IMPROVE THEM
Authors:   Odessa State Academy of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Kolomiychuk G.P. , Kolomiichuk V.G. ,   Odessa State Academy of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Kolomiichuk V.G. ,   Odessa State Academy of Civil Engineering and Architecture
Published: August 2021

To create fundamentally new innovative large-span structures of buildings and structures coverings, modern design solutions of prestressed cable domes of the Tensegrity type are considered. The service life of the first built Tensigrity domes is only 35 years. These are fairly new, effective structures that require careful study and use of modern scientific approaches for their design using software systems, since their work under load and the construction process are quite complex. The design analysis and erection of self-stressed structures is based on the invention of an equilibrium structure, the so-called tensegrity form. The search for the shape is multidimensional and consists of the stage of computational analysis of a self-stressed dome for the equilibrium position of elements and their nodes, selection of the most stable and rigid structure, as well as taking into account possible unfavorable loads during operation and the initial load in the elements from the application of prestressing. To determine the shape of cable domes, a nonlinear programming problem with given axial forces is formulated, which can be considered as the problem of minimizing the difference in the total strain energy between the elements of the cables and struts under constraints on the compatibility conditions. The first step in calculating the prestressing of a cable dome is to assess the feasibility of its geometry. The possibility of forming a cable dome of negative Gaussian curvature is considered and a method for calculating the prestressing for this new shape is investigated. The proposed method is effective and accurate in determining the allowable prestressing for a cable dome with negative Gaussian curvature and can be used for other types of prestressed structures. The new directions for the development of effective constructive solutions for large-span coatings are presented, including a suspended-dome structure, which combines the advantages of a mesh shell and a cable dome. Special attention should be paid to experimental studies on models of tensegrity domes, the results of which demonstrate the positive and negative aspects of the behavior of structures under load, the process of their erection, as well as the possibility of control and restoration during operation.
Treatment strategies for giant pituitary adenomas in the era of endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery: a multicenter series
Authors: Micko Alexander , Agam Matthew S. , Brunswick Andrew , Strickland Ben A. , Rutkowski Martin J. , Carmichael John D. , Shiroishi Mark S. , Zada Gabriel , Knosp Engelbert , Wolfsberger Stefan
Published: August 2021

OBJECTIVE

Given the anatomical complexity and frequently invasive growth of giant pituitary adenomas (GPAs), individually tailored approaches are required. The aim of this study was to assess the treatment strategies and outcomes in a large multicenter series of GPAs in the era of endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery (ETS).

METHODS

This was a retrospective case-control series of 64 patients with GPAs treated at two tertiary care centers by surgeons with experience in ETS. GPAs were defined by a maximum diameter of ≥ 4 cm and a volume of ≥ 10 cm3 on preoperative isovoxel contrast-enhanced MRI.

RESULTS

The primary operation was ETS in all cases. Overall gross-total resection rates were 64% in round GPAs, 46% in dumbbell-shaped GPAs, and 8% in multilobular GPAs (p < 0.001). Postoperative outcomes were further stratified into two groups based on extent of resection: group A (gross-total resection or partial resection with intracavernous remnant; 21/64, 33%) and group B (partial resection with intracranial remnant; 43/64, 67%). Growth patterns of GPAs were mostly round (11/14, 79%) in group A and multilobular (33/37, 89%) in group B. In group A, no patients required a second operation, and 2/21 (9%) were treated with adjuvant radiosurgery. In group B, early transcranial reoperation was required in 6/43 (14%) cases due to hemorrhagic transformation of remnants. For the remaining group B patients with remnants, 5/43 (12%) underwent transcranial surgery and 12/43 (28%) underwent delayed second ETS. There were no deaths in this series. Severe complications included stroke (6%), meningitis (6%), hydrocephalus requiring shunting (6%), and loss or distinct worsening of vision (3%). At follow-up (mean 3 years, range 0.5–16 years), stable disease was achieved in 91% of cases.

CONCLUSIONS

ETS as a primary treatment modality to relieve mass effect in GPAs and extent of resection are dependent on GPA morphology. The pattern of residual pituitary adenoma guides further treatment strategies, including early transcranial reoperation, delayed endoscopic transsphenoidal/transcranial reoperation, and adjuvant radiosurgery.
Tumor characteristics and surgical outcomes of intracranial subependymomas: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Kweh Barry Ting Sheen , Rosenfeld Jeffrey Victor , Hunn Martin , Tee Jin Wee
Published: August 2021

OBJECTIVE

The tumor characteristics and surgical outcomes of intracranial subependymomas are poorly defined. In this study the authors aimed to provide a comprehensive review of all clinical, pathological, radiological, and surgical aspects of this important neoplasm to inform future management strategies.

METHODS

A systematic review and meta-analysis of MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane, and Google Scholar databases adherent to PRISMA guidelines was conducted.

RESULTS

Of the 1145 articles initially retrieved, 24 studies encompassing 890 cases were included. The authors identified 3 retrospective cohort studies and 21 case series, but no controlled trials. Mean age at presentation was 46.7 ± 18.1 years with a male predominance (70.2%). Common sites of tumor origin were the lateral ventricle (44.5%) and fourth ventricle (43.1%). Cumulative postoperative mortality and morbidity rates were 3.4% and 24.3% respectively. Meta-analysis revealed that male sex (HR 3.15, 95% CI 1.39–7.14, p = 0.006) was associated with poorer 5-year overall mortality rates. All-cause mortality rates were similar when performing subgroup meta-analyses for age (HR 0.50, 95% CI 0.03–7.36, p = 0.61), smaller subependymoma size (HR 1.51, 95% CI 0.78–2.92, p = 0.22), gross-total resection (HR 0.65, 95% CI 0.35–1.23, p = 0.18), and receipt of postoperative radiation therapy (HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.27–2.88, p = 0.84). Postoperative Karnofsky Performance Index scores improved by a mean difference of 1.62 ± 12.14 points (p = 0.42). The pooled overall 5-year survival rate was 89.2%, while the cumulative recurrence rate was 1.3% over a median follow-up ranging from 15.3 to 120.0 months. The pure subependymoma histopathological subtype was most prevalent (85.6%), followed by the mixed subependymoma-ependymoma tumor variant (13.7%).

CONCLUSIONS

Surgical extirpation without postoperative radiotherapy results in excellent postoperative survival and functional outcomes in the treatment of intracranial subependymomas. Aggressive tumor behavior should prompt histological reevaluation for a mixed subependymoma-ependymoma subtype. Further high-quality controlled trials are still required to investigate this rare tumor.
One-donor, two-recipient extracranial-intracranial bypass series for moyamoya and cerebral occlusive disease: rationale, clinical and angiographic outcomes, and intraoperative blood flow analysis
Authors: Khan Nickalus R. , Lu Victor M. , Elarjani Turki , Silva Michael A. , Jamshidi Aria M. , Cajigas Iahn , Morcos Jacques J.
Published: August 2021

OBJECTIVE

Cerebral extracranial-intracranial (EC-IC) direct bypass is a commonly used procedure for ischemic vasculopathy. A previously described variation of this technique is to utilize one donor artery to supply two recipient arteries, which the authors designate as 1D2R. The purpose of this study is to present a single surgeon’s series of 1D2R direct bypasses for moyamoya and ischemia using detailed clinical, angiographic, and intraoperative blood flow measurement data. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the largest series reported to date.

METHODS

Hospital, office, and radiographic imaging records for all patients who underwent cerebral revascularization using a 1D2R bypass by the senior author were reviewed. The patients’ demographic information, clinical presentation, associated medical conditions, intraoperative information, and postoperative course were obtained from reviewing the medical records.

RESULTS

A total of 21 1D2R bypasses were performed in 19 patients during the study period. Immediate bypass patency was 100% and was 90% on delayed follow-up. The mean initial cut flow index (CFI(i)) was 0.64 ± 0.33 prior to the second anastomosis and the mean final value (CFI(f)) was 0.94 ± 0.38 after the second anastomosis (p < 0.001). The overall bypass flow increased on average by 50% (mean 17.9 ml/min, range −10 to 40 ml/min) with the addition of the second anastomosis. There was no significant difference in the overall flow measurements when the end-to-side anastomosis or side-to-side anastomosis was performed first. There was a statistically significant difference in the proportion of patients with a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 0 or 1 postoperatively compared to preoperatively (p < 0.01). Through the application of Poiseuille’s law, the authors analyzed flow dynamics, deduced the component vascular resistances based on an analogy to electrical circuits and Ohm’s law, and introduced the new concepts of “second anastomosis relative augmentation” and “second anastomosis sink index” in the evaluation of 1D2R bypasses.

CONCLUSIONS

The application of the 1D2R technique in a series of 19 consecutive patients undergoing direct EC-IC bypass for flow augmentation demonstrated high patency rates, statistically significantly higher CFIs compared to 1D1R, and improved mRS scores at last clinical follow-up. Additionally, the technique allows a shorter dissection time and preserves blood flow to the scalp. The routine utilization of intraoperative volumetric flow measurements in such surgeries allows a deeper understanding of the hemodynamic impact on individual patients.
Nicaragua: the elections in the time of crisis
Authors: Nikolaeva Liudmila
Published: August 2021

The article deals with the political crisis which takes place in Nicaragua while the date on the general elections is nearing. The authors make an analysis of its causes and the possible outcomes for D. Ortega`s regime. They come to the conclusion that a lot of grave contradictions had piled up in the society. In April 2018 those contradictions burst out turning to mass protests and brutal clashes in the streets. The situation has been influenced by the worsening of some outside economic conditions, end of the partnership between the government and business elites and negative consequences of COVID-19 pandemia. The authors intend to foretell how the situation will be developing. They deem Ortega is firm in his decision to keep holding the power and he will make use of every means at his disposal to achieve this purpose.
Impact of cardiovascular burden on coagulation pathway in apparently healthy women planning oocyte donation
Authors: Cirillo Michela , Attanasio Monica , Paniccia Rita , Rizzello Francesca , Coccia Maria Elisabetta , Fatini Cinzia
Published: August 2021

BACKGROUND: Hormonal fertility treatments are associated with increased coagulation factors inducing procoagulant milieu and possibly thrombotic risk. OBJECTIVE: To assess coagulation by ROTEM and coagulation tests in apparently healthy infertile women before oocyte donation procedure. METHODS: We enrolled 51 women (Assisted Reproductive Technology Centre, Florence). ROTEM and coagulation parameters were assessed before the start of infertility treatment. RESULTS: We divided women in 3 groups according to the number of cardiovascular risk factors: Group A (n = 10), Group B (n = 16), and Group C (n = 25). By considering ROTEM Extem test, a significantly increased of MCF, TPI, and G were observed in groups B (p = 0.005, p = 0.03, and p = 0.007) and C (p = 0.01, p = 0.05, and p = 0.005) in comparison to group A. As regards ROTEM Intem test, the TPI and G values were significantly higher in groups B and C in comparison to group A (p < 0.01). MCF by Fibtem test significantly increased in groups B and C than in group A (p = 0.004 and p = 0.002, respectively). FVIII, vWF:Ag and D-dimer values significantly increase according to the presence of≥2 risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: Data from coagulative assessment permit to sensitively identify women with potentially procoagulable state, which represents a risk factor of thromboembolic event during hormone treatment.
Mechanical thrombectomy in ischemic stroke: Parameters affecting the TICI outcome
Authors: Rio Bartulos Carolina , Lier Dennis , Sahl Harald , Abu-Mugheisib Mazen , Spreer Annette , Wiggermann Philipp
Published: August 2021

BACKGROUND: Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is a standard stroke treatment for patients with large vessel occlusions (LVOs). A decisive factor for a successful outcome is, among other things, timely treatment. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to analyze several time points in relation to outcomes and/or surrogate parameters. Furthermore, our data was placed in the context of other clinical trial data. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 133 data sets from patients who underwent MT. The correlation of various time periods with parameters, such as the ASPECTS, NIHSS, mRS, and, particularly, the TICI score, was investigated. RESULTS: A correlation was found for both the NIHSS score at discharge and the TICI score with the time periods of arrival and/or start to groin puncture as well as with arrival to the end of the intervention and the duration of the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: This retrospective study is consistent with large randomized clinical trials investigating stroke management and provides data from daily clinical practice.
Mechanical performance of nano-silica modified insulating paper with mechanical-thermal synergy
Authors: Li Changyun , Yu Yongjin , Kong Xu
Published: August 2021

In this paper, the mechanical properties of nano-silica modified insulating paper under the combined action of mechanical vibration and temperature conditions are studied. Unmodified and nano-silica modified cellulose insulating paper with 2 wt% and 4 wt% were prepared, respectively, and a series of mechanical-thermal synergy experiments were carried out. With the same mechanical stress and temperature, and with the same aging duration of 144 h (6d), the tensile strength of modified insulating paper with 4 wt% nano-silica, increased 0.99 kN/m and 0.55 kN/m, respectively, compared with those of the unmodified and the 2 wt% nano-silica modified insulating paper. The experiments indicate that the nano-silica modification can effectively improve the mechanical properties of insulating paper. In this work, the modified mechanism of nano-silica is analyzed from the interface effect of modified polymer and the quantum effect of the modified polymer interface two aspects. It is shown that the interface formed in the modified insulating paper can transfer the mechanical stress acted on the insulating paper and prevent the cracks formed in the aging process of the test sample from further expansion, while the quantum effect discretizes the electron energy level, which can restrict the motion of the molecular chain segment to some extent. The conclusion can be used for reference to improve the performance of insulating paper.
Age-Dependent Degradation of Locomotion Encoding in Huntington’s Disease R6/2 Model Mice
Authors: Yamin Hagar G. , Menkes-Caspi Noa , Stern Edward A. , Cohen Dana
Published: August 2021

Background:

Huntington’s disease (HD) is an inherited fatal neurodegenerative disease, leading to neocortical and striatal atrophy. The commonly studied R6/2 HD transgenic mouse model displays progressive motor and cognitive deficits in parallel to major pathological changes in corticostriatal circuitry.

Objective:

To study how disease progression influences striatal encoding of movement.

Methods:

We chronically recorded neuronal activity in the dorsal striatum of R6/2 transgenic (Tg) mice and their age-matched nontransgenic littermate controls (WTs) during novel environment exposure, a paradigm which engages locomotion to explore the novel environment.

Results:

Exploratory locomotion degraded with age in Tg mice as compared to WTs. We encountered fewer putative medium spiny neurons (MSNs)—striatal projection neurons, and more inhibitory interneurons—putative fast spiking interneurons (FSIs) in Tg mice as compared to WTs. MSNs from Tg mice fired less spikes in bursts without changing their firing rate, while FSIs from these mice had a lower firing rate and more of them were task-responsive as compared to WTs. Additionally, MSNs from Tg mice displayed a reduced ability to encode locomotion across age groups, likely associated with their low prevalence in Tg mice, whereas the encoding of locomotion by FSIs from Tg mice was substantially reduced solely in old Tg mice as compared to WTs.

Conclusion:

Our findings reveal an age-dependent decay in striatal information processing in transgenic mice. We propose that the ability of FSIs to compensate for the loss of MSNs by processes of recruitment and enhanced task-responsiveness diminishes with disease progression, possibly manifested in the displayed age-dependent degradation of exploratory locomotion.
A Research Agenda for Smarter Cyber-Physical Systems
Authors: Weyns Danny , Andersson Jesper , Caporuscio Mauro , Flammini Francesco , Kerren Andreas , Löwe Welf
Published: August 2021

With the advancing digitisation of society and industry we observe a progressing blending of computational, physical, and social processes. The trustworthiness and sustainability of these systems will be vital for our society. However, engineering modern computing systems is complex as they have to: i) operate in uncertain and continuously changing environments, ii) deal with huge amounts of data, and iii) require seamless interaction with human operators. To that end, we argue that both systems and the way we engineer them must become smarter. With smarter we mean that systems and engineering processes adapt and evolve themselves through a perpetual process that continuously improves their capabilities and utility to deal with the uncertainties and amounts of data they face. We highlight key engineering areas: cyber-physical systems, self-adaptation, data-driven technologies, and visual analytics, and outline key challenges in each of them. From this, we propose a research agenda for the years to come.