bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cointegrated Dynamics for a Generalized Long Memory Process: Application to Interest Rates
Authors: Asai Manabu , Peiris Shelton , McAleer Michael , Allen David E.
Published: March 2020

Recent developments in econometric methods enable estimation and testing of general long memory processes, which include the general Gegenbauer process. This paper considers the error correction model for a vector general long memory process, which encompasses the vector autoregressive fractionally integrated moving average and general Gegenbauer processes. We modify the tests for unit roots and cointegration, based on the concept of heterogeneous autoregression. The Monte Carlo simulations show that the finite sample properties of the modified tests for unit roots are satisfactory, while the conventional tests suffer from size distortion. The experiments also indicate that the modified tests for cointegration improve the problem of finding too many cointegration relationships which arises for fractionally integrated series. Empirical results for interest rates series for the USA and Australia indicate that: (1) the modified unit root test detected unit roots for all series; (2) after differencing, all series favour the general Gegenbauer (GG) process; (3) the modified test for cointegration found only two cointegrating vectors; and (4) the zero interest rate policy in the USA had no effect on the cointegrating vectors for the two countries.
Perovskite random lasers on fiber facet
Authors: Zhang Xiao , Yan Shaoxin , Tong Junhua , Shi Xiaoyu , Zhang Shuai , Chen Chao , Xiao YueYue , Han Changbao , Zhai Tianrui
Published: March 2020

Hybrid lead halide perovskites have made great strides in next-generation photovoltaic and optoelectronic devices. Random lasers based on perovskite materials have been intensively investigated, but the miniaturization of perovskite random lasers has not been achieved up to now. Here, we report the fabrication of perovskite random lasers based on perovskite films deposited on the optical fiber facets using a dip-coating method. Under optical pumping conditions, random lasing was observed with minimum threshold energy of 32.3 μJ/cm2 at ~550 nm; also, the lasing threshold decreased with increasing diameter of the optical fiber. The results show that the random lasing emission originates from the scattering between the perovskite crystal grains, and the decreased threshold is attributed to the increased active area of the perovskite film. The directionality of perovskite random lasers indicates that the divergence angle of the laser beam is less than 60°. We also demonstrate that the perovskite random laser on the fiber facet can prevent speckle formation and improve image quality. These results may promote the applications of random lasers in compact sources and integrated optoelectronic devices.
Concentration profiles around and chemical composition within growing multicomponent bubble in presence of curvature and viscous effects
Authors: Kuchma Anatoly E. , Shchekin Alexander K.
Published: March 2020

The regularities of changing chemical composition and size of a ultra-small multicomponent gas bubble growing in a viscous solution have been analyzed. The full-scale effects of solution viscosity and bubble curvature at non-stationary diffusion of arbitrary number of dissolved gases with any value of gas supersaturations and solubilities in the surrounding liquid solution have been taken into account. The nonuniform concentration profiles of gas species in supersaturated solution around the growing bubble with changing composition have been found as a function of time and distance from the bubble center. Equations describing transition to stationary concentrations of gases in the bubble with increasing radius have been obtained. Analytic asymptotic solutions of these equations for a ternary system have been presented.
Common issues related to children’s environmental health in the Asia-Pacific region
Authors: Trottier Brittany A. , Settachan Daam
Published: March 2020

This summary reports on the outcomes and common issues faced among the countries represented at the Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting on Children’s Environmental Health, a meeting that was held at the Chulabhorn Research Institute in Bangkok, Thailand, and which focused on cross-cutting issues and commonalities among countries/regions, discussion of lessons learnt, exploring opportunities for policy-relevant research collaborations, and reviewing available educational tools to help translate research findings into tangible outputs. The common children’s environmental health issues faced by countries in the Asia-Pacific region include indoor and outdoor air pollution; unregulated and inadequate waste management; chemical and infectious agents in water used for drinking and cooking; hazardous pesticide use; and climate change and extreme weather events. The meeting participants agreed there is a need for multisectoral involvement in each country to develop frameworks and guidelines, raising public awareness of risk, and managing exposures in order to tackle these common issues. Networking will allow countries to learn from each other and enhance their efforts to protect not only the health of children, but also that of the rest of the population at risk.
Trace Hydrogen Sulphide Gas Sensor Based on Cu/rGO Membrane-Coated Photonic Crystal Fibre Michelson Interferometer
Authors: Luo Taiming , Wei Jianwei , Yang Xiaozhan , Wang Daoyuan , Feng Wenlin
Published: March 2020

A novel Michelson interferometric hydrogen sulphide sensor coated with copper/reduced graphene oxide (Cu/rGO) composite membrane is proposed and fabricated. A section of endlessly photonic crystal fibre (EPCF) was sandwiched in two single-mode fibres (SMFs). One SMF was spliced and tapered with EPCF; the other SMF was connected with the Faraday rotator mirror to construct the Michelson structure. The cladding of the EPCF was coated by the Cu/rGO-sensing membrane, which was prepared by the dip-coating method. The obtained Cu/rGO-sensing film has a length of 25.0 mm. The fabricated sensing membrane is characterised by the scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, and so on. Experimental results demonstrated that the Cu/rGO-sensing film has a 24.56-nm thickness with a compact and uniform appearance. The XPS and Raman spectra indicate that there are three elements (C, O, and Cu), which are consistent with the expected compositions of the Cu/rGO membrane. With the increase of concentration of hydrogen sulphide, the interference spectra appear red-shifted. The linearity of 0.97662 and the sensitivity of 13.23 pm/ppm are achieved. In addition, the dynamic response and recovery time of the sensor are approximately 70 and 88 s, respectively. The surface adsorption energies of the film are calculated by the density functional theory. The theoretical results are in good agreement with the experimental findings. This sensor has some key advantages of small size, simple structure, easy fabrication, and great applicability for detecting the trace hydrogen sulphide.
Facile Combustion Synthesis of (Y,Pr)2O3 Red Phosphor: Study of Luminescence Dependence on Dopant Concentration and Enhancement by the Effect of Co-dopant
Authors: Vini K. , Nissamudeen K. M.
Published: March 2020

There occurs a great interest in explaining the dependence of dopant concentration on the luminescence efficiency of rare earth oxides. Unambiguously, this study explains that luminescence intensity increases with increase in dopant concentration only up to optimised value. The syntheses of doped and co-doped yttrium oxide (Y2O3) nanophosphors in this study were carried out by making use of combustion method. This method produces the nanophosphors that have sizes ranging between 5 and 20 nm as confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. X-ray diffraction pattern confirms that the incorporation of praseodymium oxide (Pr3+) and gadolinium oxide (Gd3+) does not cause any change in the cubic structure of Y2O3. The phase purity has been confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectrum. Diffuse reflectance spectra reveal that the bandgap increases with increase in annealing temperature. Bandgap has been calculated by making use of the Kubelka–Munk function. Strongest emission was observed at 605 nm with 2 wt% of Pr3+ as optimised concentration. Replacement of Y3+ by Gd3+ partially enhances the 605-nm emission linearly. The [Y:Pr:Gd] exhibits luminescence intensity of 2.705 times more than that of Y:Pr nanophosphors. This is for the first time our team has made a detailed study regarding the effects of co-doping in the case of Y2O3:Pr powders. We have successfully presented the changes that happen to the particle after co-doping especially in the particle size and luminescence properties.
Phytochemical Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Anthemis Nobilis Extract and Its Antibacterial Activity
Authors: Ghamipoor Saba , Fayyazi Faeze , Bahadorikhalili Saeed
Published: March 2020

In this work, green synthesis of silver nanoparticles is described by phytochemical reducing silver nitrate aqueous solution using Anthemis nobilis. For this purpose, Anthemis nobilis extract was used for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles as both surfactant and reducing agent. Green synthesis method is a good alternative to physical and chemical methods, since it is fast, simple, environmentally-friendly and economic. The produced nanoparticles are identified using FE-SEM, EDX, and FT-IR and Uv/Vis techniques. Formation of silver nanoparticles is verified in 430–420 nm range. Reduction of silver ions by hydroxyl functional group is also confirmed by FT-IR device. EDX device confirms the presence of a peak for Ag element without any impurity peak. Silver nanoparticles are identified by FE-SEM device and found to have average size between 17 and 42 nm. Also, the antibacterial activity of the synthesized nanoparticles is compared with that of staphyloccusaureus and pseudomonasa aeruginosa and the maximum inhibitory activity against the bacteria is obtained using 1 mM nitrate solution.
Inter-individual Differences in Occipital Alpha Oscillations Correlate with White Matter Tissue Properties of the Optic Radiation
Authors: Minami Sorato , Oishi Hiroki , Takemura Hiromasa , Amano Kaoru
Published: March 2020

Neural oscillations at ∼10 Hz, called alpha oscillations, are one of the most prominent components of neural oscillations in the human brain. In recent years, characteristics (power/frequency/phase) of occipital alpha oscillations have been correlated with various perceptual phenomena. However, the relationship between inter-individual differences in alpha oscillatory characteristics and the properties of the underlying brain structures, such as white matter pathways, is unclear. A possibility is that intrinsic occipital alpha oscillations are mediated by thalamocortical interaction; we hypothesized that the most promising candidate for characterizing the intrinsic alpha oscillation is optic radiation (OR), which is the geniculo-cortical pathway carrying signals between the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) and primary visual cortex (V1). We used resting-state magnetoencephalography (MEG) and diffusion-weighted/quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (dMRI/qMRI) to correlate the frequency and power of occipital alpha oscillations with the tissue properties of the OR by focusing on the different characteristics across individuals. We found that the peak alpha frequency (PAF) negatively correlated with intracellular volume fraction (ICVF), reflecting diffusion properties in intracellular (axonal) space, whereas the peak alpha power was not correlated with any tissue properties measurements. No significant correlation was found between OR and beta frequency/amplitude or between other white matter tract connecting parietal and inferotemporal cortex and alpha frequency/amplitude. These results support the hypothesis that an interaction between thalamic nuclei and early visual areas is essential for the occipital alpha oscillatory rhythm.
Dominance Effects and Functional Enrichments Improve Prediction of Agronomic Traits in Hybrid Maize
Authors: Ramstein Guillaume P , Larsson Sara J , Cook Jason P , Edwards Jode W , Ersoz Elhan S , Flint-Garcia Sherry , Gardner Candice A , Holland James B , Lorenz Aaron J , McMullen Michael D , Millard Mark J , Rocheford Torbert R , Tuinstra Mitchell R , Bradbury Peter J , Buckler Edward S , Romay M Cinta
Published: March 2020

Single-cross hybrids have been critical to the improvement of maize (Zea mays L.), but the characterization of their genetic architectures remains challenging. Previous studies of hybrid maize have shown the contribution of within-locus complementation effects (dominance) and their differential importance across functional classes of loci. However, they have generally considered panels of limited genetic diversity, and have shown little benefit from genomic prediction based on dominance or functional enrichments. This study investigates the relevance of dominance and functional classes of variants in genomic models for agronomic traits in diverse populations of hybrid maize. We based our analyses on a diverse panel of inbred lines crossed with two testers representative of the major heterotic groups in the U.S. (1106 hybrids), as well as a collection of 24 biparental populations crossed with a single tester (1640 hybrids). We investigated three agronomic traits: days to silking (DTS), plant height (PH), and grain yield (GY). Our results point to the presence of dominance for all traits, but also among-locus complementation (epistasis) for DTS and genotype-by-environment interactions for GY. Consistently, dominance improved genomic prediction for PH only. In addition, we assessed enrichment of genetic effects in classes defined by genic regions (gene annotation), structural features (recombination rate and chromatin openness), and evolutionary features (minor allele frequency and evolutionary constraint). We found support for enrichment in genic regions and subsequent improvement of genomic prediction for all traits. Our results suggest that dominance and gene annotations improve genomic prediction across diverse populations in hybrid maize.
Rif1 Functions in a Tissue-Specific Manner To Control Replication Timing Through Its PP1-Binding Motif
Authors: Armstrong Robin L , Das Souradip , Hill Christina A , Duronio Robert J , Nordman Jared T
Published: March 2020

Replication initiation in eukaryotic cells occurs asynchronously throughout S phase, yielding early- and late-replicating regions of the genome, a process known as replication timing (RT). RT changes during development to ensure accurate genome duplication and maintain genome stability. To understand the relative contributions that cell lineage, cell cycle, and replication initiation regulators have on RT, we utilized the powerful developmental systems available in Drosophila melanogaster. We generated and compared RT profiles from mitotic cells of different tissues and from mitotic and endocycling cells of the same tissue. Our results demonstrate that cell lineage has the largest effect on RT, whereas switching from a mitotic to an endoreplicative cell cycle has little to no effect on RT. Additionally, we demonstrate that the RT differences we observed in all cases are largely independent of transcriptional differences. We also employed a genetic approach in these same cell types to understand the relative contribution the eukaryotic RT control factor, Rif1, has on RT control. Our results demonstrate that Rif1 can function in a tissue-specific manner to control RT. Importantly, the Protein Phosphatase 1 (PP1) binding motif of Rif1 is essential for Rif1 to regulate RT. Together, our data support a model in which the RT program is primarily driven by cell lineage and is further refined by Rif1/PP1 to ultimately generate tissue-specific RT programs.
When Pigs Fly: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Navigating a Critical Heparin Shortage
Authors: Rosovsky Rachel P. , Barra Megan E. , Roberts Russel J. , Parmar Alison , Andonian Jennifer , Suh Larren , Algeri Suzanne , Biddinger Paul D.
Published: March 2020

A recent outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) in China has claimed the lives of millions of pigs, and although this virus has no health impacts on humans, the disruption of the global pig population has far-reaching negative impacts on economic and pork-derived products, including the creation of the critical drug heparin. The active pharmaceutical ingredient in heparin is derived from pig intestines, and because of the ASF outbreak, the U.S. faces an imminent shortage of heparin. This drug shortage has the potential for profound implications, as heparin is used in a substantial and varied number of medical conditions. In response to notification of the heparin shortage crisis, our institution, Massachusetts General Hospital, activated its Hospital Incident Command System to streamline organization of major stakeholders and oversee operational and clinical activities required to mitigate the potential risks and optimize alternative effective strategies. This article describes the essential elements of our institution's emergency response plan, including detailed clinical algorithms developed by our experts for maximal heparin conservation and waste reduction by promoting safe and effective alternative strategies. Through this practice, we have also identified opportunities to change providers’ prescribing and utilization behaviors for the better. As the ASF has not yet been contained and this crisis continues, the strategies and policies employed by our institution can provide a framework for other institutions to tackle this ongoing challenge and future drug shortage crises.
Development of Efficient, Reproducible and Stable Agrobacterium-Mediated Genetic Transformation of Five Potato Cultivars
Authors: Bakhsh Allah
Published: March 2020

The developments in transformation technology have enabled the scientists to incorporate, mutate or substitute gene(s) leading to a particular trait; advancing it to a point where only few technical limitations remain. Genotype dependency and explant types are important factors affecting transformation efficiency in potato. In the present study, a rapid, reproducible and stable Agrobacterium-mediated transformation procedure in potato was developed by a combination of different plant growth regulators. Leaf discs and internodal explants of five cultivars of potato, i.e. Lady Olympia, Granola, Agria, Désirée and Innovator were infected with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA4404 containing pBIN19 expression vector with β-glucuronidase gusA gene under the control of 35S CaMV promoter. Kanamycin was used as plant selectable marker for screening of primary transformants at concentration of 100 mg/L. Both explants responded positively; internode being more suitable explant for better transformation efficiency. Based on GUS histochemical assay, the transformation efficiency was 22, 20, 18.6, 15 and 10 % using the internodal explant, and 15, 12, 17, 8 and 6 % using leaf discs as explant in Lady Olympia, Granola, Agria, Désirée and Innovator respectively. Furthermore, PCR assays confirmed the presence of gusA and nptII genes in regenerated plants. The molecular analysis in succeeding progeny showed proper integration and expression of both genes. The results suggest Lady Olympia as the best cultivar for future transformation procedures. Overall, the short duration, rapidity and reproducibility make this protocol suitable for wider application of transgenic potato plants.
Image in Media Landscape: a Linguistic Discourse Portrait
Authors: Muzychuk Tatyana , Litovkina Anna
Published: March 2020

The review is a critical response to the monograph «Image advertorial as phenomenon of the contemporary media landscape» by L.G. Yegorova.
The monograph makes a deep linguistic discourse analysis of the notion of media text, and shows relevant category features and ontological properties of image advertorial. The work is a coherent inter-disciplinary research, where the genre of image advertorial in Russian mass media discourse is studied from the position of linguo-sociological culturology and psycholinguistics, and from a communicative-pragmatic point of view.
Media Literacy of Schoolchildren in a Post-Transitive Society: Study Results
Authors: Frolova Tatiana , Obraztsova Anastasia
Published: March 2020

Topicality. The current study is based on the research «Media Consumption among schoolchildren: Information Age and Socialization of Children in a Post-Transition Society» (Faculty of Journalism, 2013-2016). The research shows how parents and teachers understand the effects media have on their children.
The study describes how Russian children of school age use different sources of information nowadays and why they use them. It also analyzes the role and place of traditional mass media in children’s life, looks into the level of their immersion into the information environment. The authors discuss if the society needs accurate and relevant information in order to improve the approach to these processes, and to develop media content strategies that meet the needs of children’s socialization.
Objective. The study determines the degree, to which different groups of school children are immersed in various information environments, types of social media they use and the role of older generations in children’s media consumption.
Design. In this work, in-depth interviews with respondents are used as the main method of study. The interviews include questions regarding the following issues: family traditions of media consumption, children and mass media, new media and traditional media. Interviews with teachers included a block of questions dedicated to media education problems. These interviews were conducted in five Russian cities: Uglich, Yakutsk, Perm, Kaliningrad and Moscow. The respondents included 104 parents and 78 teachers.
Results. The current research doesn’t underestimate the use of the mass media for children of school age. Still, there is no universal strategy of mass media's integration into the educational process.
Conclusion. The results are quite contradictory. Parents argue that their children need mass media to analyze the reality and to get new knowledge, but their practical use of the media is focused primarily on entertainment. Talking about the control, parents often mention restraining measures. This points to a problem of digital divide between generations, as well as highlights the instability of the Russian media system, which produces content of quite poor quality.
Analysis of Mass Medias Effect on Formation Youths Mindset in the Media Landscape
Authors: Koryagina Svetlana , Kravchenko Irina
Published: March 2020

The article describes the impact of the Mass Media on the formation of the worldview of the young. This impact may be positive or negative. On the one hand, the media educate young people and enhance their participation in public life. On the other hand, they may mislead or promote false values, and manipulate the young generation’s consciousness. What helps people not to get involved into the tried-and-true crowd manipulation scheme in the media landscape is critical thinking, whose lack results in inability to choose the right guidelines in the flow of false information provided by various Media.
The authors emphasize the role of the state, which, regarding the needs of the society, should enculturate the young generation, as well as exercise tight control over communication in the global web and publications in the Internet Media and social networks. One of the directions of the state’s policy is expanding the geography of information and communication technologies, and the other is ensuring information security of the young in general and adolescents in particular. To provide this, the state develops organizational and legal mechanisms aimed at protecting children from harmful information in the web, and requirements for the content, its expert evidence and government control.
The article demonstrates the results of a study carried out by the authors to assess the current youth Media and their influence on criminality. The key criterion for selecting participants of the focus group was young age, since the young are the most active and the least protected players in the media landscape. The sampling was made by random choice in order to ensure equal opportunities for participation in the study.
Fake News in Modern Media Space
Authors: Dorofeeva Victoria
Published: March 2020

The author attempts to provide theoretical understanding of the essence and content of the media space. It was determined that the primary task of the media space is to understand our reality, to implement effective communication and to form public opinion. The author mentions that the modern media space functions in the conditions of increasing speed of communication processes which generate “waves” of information noise. Thus, fake news appears in the media field increasingly frequently. The author found out that the content of the «fake news» concept has not been clearly defined yet and comprehensive studies of this relatively new phenomenon are not available either. There are no definite criteria for classifying news as fake. According to the author, fake news is completely or partially fictional information about certain individuals, public events and events in general, which is presented in the media as real authoritative journalistic materials. The article describes the mechanism of the origin of fake news and its distribution in the media space. The main reasons for faking include the high rate of content delivery, the “infotainment” and the relaying nature of journalism. The results of the study allow the author to define fake news as discretely existing types of news. The author also considers national cultural features and the mechanism of distribution of false news in Internet networks. Specific Russian- and English-language sites hosting fake news are analyzed, their impact on society is studied. The author concludes that systematic misinformation of the audience leads to de-professionalization, discrediting of media workers and de-institutionalization of journalism. The article presents data indicating the concern of the world community about the distribution of fake Internet content. There are examples of the creation of special government organizations and the development of legislative initiatives to combat fakes. The author gives a number of recommendations to identify fake news in the wide media space.
Value Dominants of Basque Mentality in the Contemporary Media in Spain
Authors: Chesnokova Olga , Dzhishkariani Liana
Published: March 2020

The article discusses and interprets the Basque mentality values and their evidence in the contemporary political discourse and media. An important task of communication science and medialinguistics is the study of pragma-linguistic properties of media texts and their impact on the audience. The contemporary Spanish media feature an impressive range of sources representing and interpreting the multicultural and multi-ethnic situation in Spain, as well as ongoing socio-political and socio-economic changes. Together with the Spanish language being the official state language, the Catalan, the Galician and the Basque have been established co-official languages by the Spanish Constitution. Basque Autonomous Community, or the Basque Country, is one of the most prosperous and steadily developing Autonomous Communities of Spain, which affects the socio-political situation in the region and the discourse of political parties. A vast majority of Basque people are bilingual. The hypothesis of this study states that the contemporary reality of the Basque Country finds its reflection in value dominants of the discourse of political parties of the Basque Country. This discourse is objectified by the Mass Media rhetoric, studying which the authors determine and discuss the value dominants of Basque linguistic culture, their linguo-pragmatic features and their use in the media language, as well as their lexical, semantic, morphological and syntactic features. All this builds up the topicality of the research into pragma-linguistic parameters of media texts and mechanisms of their impact on the audience. The authors infer that the media rhetoric includes onomastic dominants (naming units of Spanish Basque Country and French Basque Country and their paraphrases, of Spain, Basque people, and the Basque language), and keywords of the Basque mentality introduced into a Spanish text in Basque. Moreover, being integral components of the discourse of political parties in the Basque Country, these linguistic means acquire and realize their cultural and symbolic potential, and reflect the mentality, values, and traditions of Basques in the modern Basque and Spanish media.
The Current State and Development Trends of the Radio Broadcasting Industry in China
Authors: Yafeng Dong
Published: March 2020

The radio broadcasting industry in China has been operating for more than 40 years. It developed alongside with the policy of reforms and China’s openness, it followed the logic of marketization and institutionalization, it overcame the development boom of the end of the 1980s — the beginning of the 1900s and the period of a decade-long recession on the cusp of the two centuries. The author studied cutting edge literature on the subject of his research and applied such methods as analysis and generalization. The conclusions, concerning the current state and development trends of the radio broadcasting industry in China, have been drawn in relation to four aspects: general background of the branch, market design, ways of monetizing and the development of mass media convergence. To define the market structure in the industry of the radio broadcasting mass media, the author has analyzed the three-level market design, the results of the reforms of the broadcasting and production entities and frequency typing. The analysis of the national policy implementation and of the convergence trends has been taken as a principle to predict trends of development of the mass media convergence in the industry of the broadcasting media. Following the country’s political line, its economic development and the development of new media, Chinese industry of radio broadcasting media shows perfect growth dynamics day by day. In the nearest future, Chinese radio broadcasting will get even closer to convergence with the mobile Internet and other media. The objective of this article is to analyze the current state of Chinese broadcasting industry. The article can be of interest to experts and scientists who specialize in economic research of Chinese broadcasting media and Chinese mass media in general.
Problems of Countering Cyber Attacks in Broadcasting (by the example of International News Agency Russia Today)
Authors: Akopova Anna
Published: March 2020

The article deals with issues of countering cyber-attacks (so-called trolling and hacking) in Internet broadcasting, and using social networks in info-competition and communication discourse in German-language on-air, by the example of International News Agency “Russia Today” (RT) and its website Sputnik. The topicality of the article is based on the fact that RT’s website Sputnik is a relatively new resource on the European information market. The author analyzes the cases and contexts of countering malware and targeted cyber-attacks on European German-language broadcasting agencies.
The study of RT’s and Sputnik’s journalists’ work shows that it is actively hindered by some Western countries, particularly the USA and the UK, which are obsessed by anti-Russian xenophobia and the unproved pre-conception of Russia’s interference with their internal affairs. These countries openly admit to be waging an outreach war against Russian broadcasting companies by means of hacking attacks. Russian multi-language broadcasting channel RT, founded in 2005, successfully reflects and transmits Russia’s official position on key issues of the international politics and countering cyber-attacks by foreign “trolls” and “hackers”.
A website is currently the most easily accessible among all digital communication channels, and its quality is easy to assess. Considering this, the author describes advantages of RT’s transition from social networks to its German-language site Sputnik. The measures taken in order to optimize its structure, adapt to mobile devices, and provide convenience of site navigation, enabled Sputnik to enlarge its geographic reach and enter the circle of foreign German-language social networks.
Keywords. Internet broadcasting, broadcasting, cyber-attacks, information war, trolling, hacking, German-speaking audience, management of news, International News Agency “Russia Today” (INA RT), website Sputnik, Internet media, social networks, RIA Novosti.
Modeling of Complex Information Processes in the Oversaturated Media Environment (to the article by A.P. Sukhodolov, I.V. Anokhov, V.A. Marenko Informational Impulse-Wave Interaction between the Media and Society)
Authors: Frolov Daniil , Strekalova Anastasija , Lavrentyeva Anna
Published: March 2020

The article discusses promising areas of modeling informational interaction between the media and the society from the standpoint of the Paradigm of Complexity. Increasing complexity of the society’s media system, turbulence in the media environment, transformation of the functions of traditional media, changing methods of information production and consumption, and development of Web 2.0 technologies are critical challenges for media theorists. Basing on the theory of behavioral economics, the authors prove that in the context of a significant growth of information volume, most people demonstrate a shift of thinking from System 1 to System 2. System 1 is a sub-system of the brain responsible for making rational, well-considered and balanced decisions, whereas System 2 is the area of automatic quick, spontaneous decision-making. This shift results in the dominance of populism, post-truth and fake news in the media space. The authors show that Web 2.0 technologies, which help people, regardless their occupation, to generate info-content, extends the boundaries of journalism and media. This, particularly, leads to development of citizen journalism and the increasing role of social communities (networks) as isolated media-systems that fragment the media space. The article substantiates that traditional media’s abilities to manipulate mass consciousness in the current supersofisticated media environment are extremely limited. The authors put forward a hypothesis about a radical change in the media’s key role, namely, a transition from content production to creating a semantic context. The methodological reflections presented in the article may serve as new impulses to building up synergetic, nonequilibrium, evolutionary and other models of complex adaptive media systems.
Protocol 1 v1
Authors: Jian Cui
Published: March 2020

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Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RdRp nested RT-PCR v2
Authors: A Northill Judy , M Mackay Ian
Published: March 2020

A nested RT-PCR targeting the RdRp region of the sub-genus Sarbecovirus. The primers are modified from the pan-coronavirus RT-PCR published by Hu et al. 2017 to be more specific to SARS-CoV-2. Assay may be used in resource poor settings where real-time cyclers are not available. Sanger sequencing can be used to confirm SARS-CoV-2 where WGS is not available or where WGS fails due to poor quality sample.
Petrography and Petrochemical Characteristics of Rare Metal Pegmatites around Oro, Southwestern Nigeria
Authors: Oyebamiji Abiola O.
Published: March 2020

Petrographic and geochemical evaluation of pegmatite bodies occurring as discontinuous dykes have been studied in Oro area of southwestern Nigeria, with a view to determine the compositional characteristics that may be related to Ta-Nb mineralization potentials. They are found intruding semi discordantly, the older assemblages of quartz mica schist and granite gneiss.

A total of twenty-eight samples comprising whole rock pegmatites and eluvial soils were analyzed for major, trace and rare earth elements using (ICP-AES) geochemical method which show the pegmatite samples to be generally highly siliceous with SiO2 values ranging from (71.49-97.77%) with an average of 86.43% in the whole rock samples, and it also ranges from (41.88-57.99%) with an average of 48.43% in the eluvial soil samples, while Al2O3 content is as high as 25.87% in the eluvial soil samples and 6.86% in the whole rock samples depicting the complexity of the pegmatite rock.

Variation plots of K/Rb versus Rb, Ta versus Rb, Ta versus Nb, Ta versus K/Cs, Ta versus Cs+Rb and Ta versus Cs discriminant plot indicate the potentials of rare metal mineralization.
Application of Electrical Resistivity in Buildings Foundation Investigation in Ibese Southwestern Nigeria
Authors: Omowumi Falae Philips
Published: March 2020

Application of geophysical investigation has been carried out using Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) at the proposed building site in Ibese Southwest Nigeria to determine the geophysical parameters that can be used to evaluate the structural competence of the subsurface geological characteristics of the site for construction purposes and building development. The Schlumberger configuration was used for the data acquisition. One-dimensional numerical inversion of individual DC resistivity was used to enhance the processing of the results for better achievement of the aim of the study. Models obtained from the 2D inversion of each VES were used for construction of geo-electric sections which exhibit the main geo-electric characteristics of the geological units present in the area. The interpretation results showed that the geo-electric sections consist of three-four layers namely: topsoil, pebble clay, limestone and sand/limestone. The layer resistivities and thicknesses range from 11 - 404 Ohm-m/0.4 - 1.5 m, 2-210 Ohm-m/ 0.8 - 9.2m and 33 - 160Ohm-m respectively. The investigation revealed that the sand/limestone litho unit is to be the most competent for shallow foundation for small to medium engineering structures.
A Review on Chemical Synthesis Process of Platinum Nanoparticles
Authors: Islam Md. Aminul , Bhuiya M. Anwarul Kabir , Islam M. Saidul
Published: March 2020

Nanoparticles are key components in the advancement of future energy technologies; thus, strategies for preparing nanoparticles in large volume by techniques that are cost-effective are required. In the substitution of fossil-fuels by renewable energy resources, nanometersized particles play a key role for synthesizing energy vectors from varying and heterogeneous biomass feedstocks. They are extensively used in reformers for the production of hydrogen from solid, liquid, or gaseous energy carriers. Catalyst activities depend critically on their size-dependent properties. Nanoparticles are further indispensable as electrocatalysts in fuel cells and other electrochemical converters. The desire to increase the activity per unit area, and decrease the necessary amount of the expensive catalytic standard, It is clear that performance and commercialization of fuel cells depend on electrode materials performance. The application of pt  nanomaterials as an electrode in the field of fuel cell  has become a new, growing area of interest in recent years. We review chemical process for synthesis of pt nanoparticles. Recent developments in syntheses process of pure & mixed platinum nanoparticles has briefly reviewed specifically for applications in fuel cells. As the physicochemical properties of noble-metal nanostructures are strongly dependent upon shape and size, the development of reliable synthesis methods for the production of nanocrystals with well-defined size and morphology have been discussed briefly. The role of nanostructured supports for the nanoparticles, such as ordered mesoporous carbon, dendrimer have also discussed. And size of the nanoparticles obtained in deferent process and their temperature dependence has also discussed briefly.
Enseñanza de los Derechos Básicos de Aprendizaje para las ciencias sociales
Authors: Díaz Sánchez Edisson
Published: March 2020

The purpose of this study was to analyze the tables of learning standards for the social sciences, for the implementation of basic learning rights and their teaching in Colombian educational establishments, both from the perspectives that evoke a pedagogical process based on the environment, and from the relationship between governmental educational public policies and their connection with the descriptive definition of the policy, neo-liberal positions and economic neoinstitutionalism. The methodology used was the literature review and the document analysis of the works, which was carried out by means of the analytical approach around the teaching of social sciences in Colombia and its relationship with texts of state educational guidelines. The inquiry established that these curricular guidelines for teaching this compulsory area in the country were in accordance with the educational postulates of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and their corresponding execution in the National Development Plan and the Sectorial Plan of Education 2014-2018, of former President Juan Manuel Santos.
Transformación de las normas sociales de aula. Evaluación formativa de una intervención basada en juegos
Authors: Velásquez Ana María , Lizarazo Sergio Fabián
Published: March 2020

Education for coexistence has become essential for peace-building processes. This study set out to design, implement and evaluate a school coexistence pedagogical intervention. Specifically, a game-based learning approach was used in order to improve the classroom social norms, particularly those exhibited and reinforced by individuals in the group who act as social referents. The study was conducted with the participation of 92 tenth grade students from three classrooms in a public school in Bogotá, Colombia. The board game “¡Aye!” was integrated in the curricular activities of the social science class, with the purpose of developing democratic leadership competencies in students identified by their teacher as high-status social referents, as well as social competencies in the whole group of students. A formative evaluation of this pedagogical innovation was carried out, by collecting pre- and post- intervention data through quantitative (i.e., sociometric and peer nomination) and qualitative (i.e., open-ended questionnaires) instruments. The results evidenced the potential of the game to produce transformations in the classroom norms modeled by high status social referents. In particular, these students showed improvements in their leadership competencies, as well as in their aggressiveness and prosociality. In addition to this, participants reported awareness and reflective thinking in relation to the importance of democratic leadership, teamwork and communication skills for peaceful coexistence. These results are discussed in light of the need to incorporate innovative pedagogical strategies to promote both individual and contextual transformations.
Polycystic ovarian syndrome and insulin resistance: a South Indian study
Authors: Anuradha V. , Gangadharan Keshav , Saxena Rajiv Kumar , Krishna L.
Published: March 2020

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age. Some studies have characterized different aspects of women presenting with PCOS. In this study we characterise the association of insulin resistance (IR) in patients with PCOS in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.Methods: A total of 50 women diagnosed to have PCOS according to Rotterdam criteria were studied. IR was estimated using Homeostatic model assessment - insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and clinical characteristics were recorded.Results: The prevalence of IR among the study population was 36%. All PCOS patients with IR were overweight or obese, and had impaired glycaemic status, 75% of PCOS patients with IR also had features of hirsutism.Conclusions: Considering the prevalence of IR, obesity and impaired fasting glucose in women with PCOS, early institution of treatment by lifestyle changes or medication would lead to improvement in reproductive and metabolic abnormalities.
Investigation on nutrition status and clinical outcome of patients with common cancers in Chinese patients: a multicenter prospective study protocol
Authors: Xu Hongxia , Song Chunhua , Wang Chang , Fu Zhenming , Guo Zengqing , Lin Yuan , Shi Yingying , Hu Wen , Ba Yi , Li Suyi , Li Zengning , Wang Kunhua , Wu Jing , He Ying , Yang Jiajun , Xie Conghua , Zhou Fuxiang , Song Xinxia , Chen Gongyan , Ma Wenjun , Luo Suxia , Chen Zihua , Cong Minghua , Ma Hu , Zhou Chunling , Wang Wei , Luo Qi , Shi Yongmei , Qi Yumei , Jiang Haiping , Guan Wenxian , Chen Junqiang , Chen Jiaxin , Fang Yu , Zhou Lan , Feng Yongdong , Tan Rongshao , Li Tao , Ou Junwen , Zhao Qingchuan , Wu Jianxiong , Weng Min , Yao Qinghua , Li Wei , Shi Hanping
Published: March 2020

Background: Malnutrition is common in patients with cancer, which adversely affects the survival and quality of life of cancer patients. However, there is no national data on the prevalence of malnutrition in Chinese cancer patients. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of malnutrition and quality of life (QOL) of Chinese patients with local regional, recurrent or metastatic cancer, to address the prognostic value of nutritional status and QOL on the survival of cancer patients in China and to validate the patient-generated subjective global assessment (PG-SGA) questionnaire in Chinese cancer patients.

Methods: This is an observational, multi-centered, and hospital-based prospective cohort study. We aimed to recruit 50,000 cancer patients (age 18 and above) over an 8-year period. Data collection will occur within 48 hr after patients are admitted to hospital, 30-days after hospital admission, and the follow-up will be conducted 1-8 years after enrolment. The primary outcome is overall survival, and secondary outcomes are length of hospital stay and hospital costs. Factors measured are demographic characteristics, tumor characteristics, anthropometry measurements, hematological measurement, body composition, PG-SGA scores, Karnofsky performance status scores, and QLQ C30 scores. This protocol was approved by local ethical committees of all the participant hospitals.

Conclusions: This multi-centered, large-scale, long-time follow-up prospective study will help diagnose malnutrition in cancer patients in China, and identify the related risk factors associated with the negative outcomes. The anticipated results will highlight the need for a truly scientific appraisal of nutrition therapy, and help to improve outcomes among cancer patients in China.

Trial Registration: The trial has been registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR1800020329. Registered on 19 December 2018.