bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Online course adaptation process of Suzuki Early Childhood Education Program
Authors: SEVER Gülşah
Published: July 2021

The global pandemic has caused some sudden changes in education. The Suzuki Early Childhood Education (SECE), which aims at the musical education of babies (0-3) and conducts the lessons face-to-face, is one of the areas most affected by the pandemic. Due to the nature of babies, in these lessons, where digital technology is rarely involved, questions emerged about how the process is managed. The purpose of this research is to identify SECE teachers' views on online courses and their practices. Qualitative research method was used in the research. The researcher attended online classes organized by the Mexico Suzuki Association and made interviews. Content analysis was performed. It was found that online adaptation was easy due to the systematic structure of the SECE; in addition, managing the process was convenient thanks to the active participation of the parent; however, playing together, interaction, learning from each other and group studies could not be done as required; finally, there were deficiencies in tone and aural studies due to the lack of instruments. Overall, teachers were found to prefer face-to-face and interactive education.
Synthesis and Characterization of Bacterial Cellulose-Polyaniline Composite with Variation of Dopant Concentration
Authors: Ummami Riza , Busroni Busroni , Piluharto Bambang
Published: August 2021

Polyaniline is a type of conductive polymer. Bacterial cellulose has high mechanical properties, so it can be made into polyaniline base composite materials. A stable form of polyaniline oxidation at room temperature is emeraldine base. The emeraldine base has a conductivity value of 10-6 S/cm. Dopants can change the shape of emeraldine base to emeraldine salt by protonation process. Emeraldine salt is a conductive form of polyaniline. The conductivity value of emeraldine salt is 0,03-0,07 S/cm. The addition of dopan in synthesis of polymer was carried out to determine its effect on the conductivity value. The disadvantage of polyaniline is that its mechanical properties are weak and easily brittle. Modifications are needed to improve the mechanical properties of polyaniline, one of which is the manufacture of composite. Bacterial celluloce has high mechanical properties so it can be made into polyaniline base composite materials. Synthesis of bacterial cellulose-polyaniline composites by in situ chemical polymerization methods. Syntehsis is started with BC membrane was dipped into aniline solution for about 2h with stirring at room temperature. The BC was immersed into ammonium peroxydisulfate solution for about 30m with stirring. The bacterial cellulose-polyaniline compositions obtained are black color which is characteristic of the emeraldine salt. The highest conductivity value of composite was obtained from the addition of 3,5M HCl dopant which was 4,70x10-4 S/cm. FTIR analysis of composite obtained peak of the characteristic polyanilin was conductive at 1565,92 cm-1 as C=C quinoid ring and 1442,95 cm-1 as C=C benzoid ring.
PENGUKURAN PERFORMASI RANTAI PASOK CANNED SARDINES PT SUMBER YALASAMUDRA: PENDEKATAN SCOR (SUPPLY CHAIN OPERATION REFERENCE)
Authors: Eka Mawangi Dora , Supriono Agus
Published: August 2021

The high potential of fisheries in Banyuwangi has caused many canned sardine processing industries to be established, one of which is PT. Sumber Yalasamudra in Muncar District. In recent years the population of lemuru fish has decreased so that PT. Sumber Yalasamudra must be able to carry out good supply chain management so that the production process continues to run smoothly. This study aimed to analyze the supply chain flow and supply chain performance of PT. Sumber Yalasamudra. The research method used descriptive analysis to explain supply chain flow and SCOR analysis to measure supply chain performance of PT. Sumber Yalasamudra. The results of the analysis showed that the supply chain flow of PT. Sumber Yalasamudra are divided into 3 streams, namely (a) product flows from fishermen to final consumers (buyers), (b) financial flows flowing from downstream to upstream in cash with a period of time and (c) information flows flowing from upstream to downstream and vice versa, and supply chain performance of PT Sumber Yalasamudra based on 5 attributes of SCM (Supply Chain Management) it can be concluded that PT Sumber Yalasamudra has a good performance because it is in a superior position.
Research on the effect of the effective microorganisms, silver solution and colloidal nanosilver addition on the engine oil acid number (TAN)
Authors: KRAKOWSKI Rafał
Published: August 2021

In the article, acid number as a parameter characterizing engine oil were characterized. The next part of the article discusses the phenomenon of aging and degradation of engine oil. The factors that influence on this phenomenon have also been analyzed. In the further part of the article, the methodology of testing the used oil samples with the addition of effective microorganisms and silver solution was described. In the main part of the article the measuring test stand and acid number value for fresh and used oil compared to oils with the addition of microorganisms and a solution of silver and colloidal silver was shown. Next the analysis of the influence of these additives on the acid number value was made. The article was completed conclusions.
ANALYSIS OF TIME MANAGEMENT IN ONLINE LEARNING AT DARUZ ZAHRA ISLAMIC BOARDING SCHOOL
Authors: Syahri Akhmad
Published: August 2021

This study aims to determine the effectiveness of time management in bold learning at Daruz Zahra Islamic Boarding School. Students who live in Islamic boarding schools and participate in formal school activities are based on their knowledge of time. However, are students able to manage the time to study materials at Islamic boarding schools and general studies at school during the Covid-19 pandemic? Researchers used descriptive qualitative research methods with data collection techniques and a semi-structured interview model in the form of a questionnaire distributed to 7 students. The data obtained was then processed by tabulating the answer data, description and analysis, data synthesis, and discussion. The results showed that: 1) continuous learning for Daruz Zahra Islamic Boarding School students was not very effective. This was caused by repeated boredom, so that it reached a saturation point. 2) Less than half of the material that students can absorb, coupled with the ability of teachers and students to use the internet, is still low, 3) Students tend to find it difficult to manage their time between formal learning and studying in Islamic boarding schools. Therefore, courageous learning should ideally be carried out in certain conditions and times that do not allow face-to-face meetings, such as natural disasters, and accompanied by increased professionalism of educators in using technology so that learning is not boring.
MUTATIONS IN radA ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ACQUIRED RADIO-RESISTANCE IN AN Escherichia coli STRAIN
Authors: Alcántara Díaz David , Serment Guerrero Jorge Humberto , Aguirre Escalona Gerardo , Ayala Sumuano Jorge Tonatiuh
Published: August 2021

When bacteria are exposed to chronic or cyclic irradiation with ultraviolet (UV) light, it is observed that their resistance to this agent is increased by the selection of advantageous mutations under those conditions. UV light produces different damages in DNA, the repair of which is necessary to maintain the integrity of the genome. However, some damages can lead to such mutations when they are not properly repaired. In an earlier work, five subcultures of a wild-type Escherichia coli strain (PQ30) were cyclically irradiated with UV and different strains resistant to UV light and gamma radiation were obtained. In a preliminary mapping, different genes involved in their resistance to radiation were identified. In one of these strains, designated as IN801, the radA gene, the product of which is involved in recombinational DNA repair, was identified. In this work, cells from another wild-type strain (AB1157) were transformed with a plasmid (pUC19) that carries the radA gene from either PQ30 or IN801, in order to establish whether the radio-resistant phenotype can be transferred to a normal strain. Only cells that received the IN801 radA gene showed increased resistance to UV and gamma radiation. Further radA sequencing showed that the gene of IN801 acquired two-point mutations that replace two amino acids in the RadA protein, which most likely changed its enzymatic activities. These results confirm that radA participates in the radiation resistance of IN801.
ACTUALIZACIÓN DEL INVENTARIO NACIONAL DE EMISIONES DE 2013 PARA LA MODELACIÓN DE LA CALIDAD DEL AIRE EN EL CENTRO DE MÉXICO
Authors: Rodríguez Zas José Alejandro , García Reynoso José Agustín
Published: August 2021

Los inventarios de emisiones de contaminantes atmosféricos constituyen un parámetro de entrada imprescindible para los modelos de calidad del aire. Durante su proceso de elaboración, existen incertidumbres que conducen a errores en las simulaciones numéricas, siendo indiscutible la necesidad de mejorar continuamente la precisión de sus datos o ajustarlos a las condiciones reales que intenta describir. En este trabajo se aplicó el modelo de distribución espacial, temporal y de especiación química (DiETE) al Inventario Nacional de Emisiones de México de 2013 para obtener una base de datos desagregada espacial y temporalmente, lista para la modelación numérica con el modelo Weather Research and Forecasting with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) en el Centro de México. Se evaluó el desempeño del modelo en un episodio de contingencia ambiental por ozono ocurrido del 15 al 21 de mayo de 2017, a partir de la comparación con observaciones de estaciones de la Red Automática de Monitoreo Atmosférico de la Ciudad de México. Las métricas estadísticas mostraron baja correlación entre el modelo y las mediciones para todas las variables analizadas y se decidió actualizar el inventario a partir de una metodología no paramétrica de factores de escalamiento. Esto permitió obtener una mejor correlación con valores del modelo más próximos a las observaciones y que describen acertadamente el comportamiento espacial y temporal de las variables. Los ajustes realizados al inventario se validaron mediante su aplicación a otro caso de contingencia ambiental del 14 al 17 de marzo de 2016, apreciándose mejoras considerables en el desempeño del modelo.
Transformer-Based Methods for Neural Decoding
Authors: He Haonan
Published: August 2021

Neural decoding from spiking activity is an essential tool for understanding the information encoded in population neurons, especially in applications like brain-computer interface (BCI). Various quantitative methods have been proposed and have shown superiorities under different scenarios respectively. From the machine learning perspective, the decoding task is to map the high-dimensional spatial & temporal neuronal activity to the low-dimensional physical quantities (e.g., velocity, position). Because of the complex interactions and the abundant dynamics among neural circuits, good decoding algorithms usually have the capability of capturing flexible spatiotemporal structures embedded in the input feature space. Recently, the Transformer-based models are widely used in processing natural languages and images due to its superior performances in handling long-range and global dependencies. Hence, in this work we examine the potential applications of Transformers in neural decoding and introduce two Transformer-based models. Besides adapting the Transformer to neuronal data, we also propose a data augmentation method for overcoming the data shortage issue. We test our models on three experimental datasets and their performances are comparable to the previous state-of-the-art (SOTA) RNN-based methods. In addition, Transformer-based models show increased decoding performances when the input sequences are longer, while LSTM-based models deteriorate quickly. Our research suggests that Transformer-based models are important additions to the existing neural decoding solutions, especially for large datasets with long temporal dependencies.
A Static Hybrid Renewable Energy System for Off-Grid Supply
Authors: Montisci Augusto , Caredda Marco
Published: August 2021

The electrification of rural areas of the planet has become one of the greatest challenges for sustainability. In fact, it would be the key to guaranteeing development for the poorest of the planet, but from which most of the raw material for the food market derives. The paradigm of centralized production is not applicable in these territories, because the distribution network would involve unjustifiable costs. For this reason, studies have multiplied to ensure the energy supply, especially electricity, of off-grid utilities, to guarantee energy autonomy while reducing the dependence on specialist assistance for the management of the system. In this work, a hybrid system (HRES) is proposed that combines the exploitation of solar energy with that of the wind through the use of static devices, in order to improve the system's availability and limit the cost of operation and maintenance.
Proximal Policy Optimization for Radiation Source Search
Authors: Proctor Philippe , Teuscher Christof , Hecht Adam , Osiński Marek
Published: August 2021

Rapid search and localization for nuclear sources can be an important aspect in preventing human harm from illicit material in dirty bombs or from contamination. In the case of a single mobile radiation detector, there are numerous challenges to overcome such as weak source intensity, multiple sources, background radiation, and the presence of obstructions, i.e., a non-convex environment. In this work, we investigate the sequential decision making capability of deep reinforcement learning in the nuclear source search context. A novel neural network architecture (RAD-A2C) based on the actor critic (A2C) framework and a particle filter gated recurrent unit for localization is proposed. Performance is studied in a randomized 20 x 20 m convex and non-convex environment across a range of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)s for a single detector and single source. RAD-A2C performance is compared to both an information-driven controller that uses a bootstrap particle filter and to a gradient search (GS) algorithm. We find that the RAD-A2C has comparable performance to the information-driven controller across SNR in a convex environment and at lower computational complexity per action. The RAD-A2C far outperforms the GS algorithm in the non-convex environment with greater than 95% median completion rate for up to seven obstructions.
Open education courses as a relevant environment for improving professional competencies of teachers
Authors: Dzyuba Elena Markovna , Zakharova Victoria Trofimovna , Latukhina Anna Leonidovna , Sheveleva Tatyana Nikolaevna
Published: July 2021

The authors explore the problem of developing an open education course "In search of the national Russian code: educational routes" in this article. The modern approaches to the organization of lifelong postgraduate education are associated with distance technologies. The MOOC development technology for the RFL teachers is described in the article: disciplines of six modules have been formed, aimed at improving the methodological, linguocultural, linguistic, and professional communicative competencies, based on the study of the results of the questionnaire survey of future students of the courses, as well as the decomposition of professional competence. The results of this study can be used in developing an educational environment for advanced training courses.
IMPERIALISM FROM THE PERSPECTIVES OF TWO BRITISH AUTHORS, GEORGE ORWELL AND RUDYARD KIPLING
Authors: Saputri Liliani
Published: July 2021

George Orwell and Rudyard Kipling are British authors who are different in viewing imperialism. The essays “Shooting an Elephant” and “A Hanging” by George Orwell and a novel “The Jungle Book” by Rudyard Kipling, represent imperialism as the main point. This research finds out the intention of George Orwell and Rudyard Kipling for describing the concept of imperialism. It also purposes to find out the way the authors express their thoughts in literary work as the response towards imperialism.

This research applies sociology of literature approach in analyzing data and employs Alan Swingewood’s theory in digging how George Orwell and Rudyard Kipling develop their thoughts about imperialism into work. This research reveals that George Orwell and Rudyard Kipling’s works are expression of their idea that concerns not on the difference in the type of works, but on the values in each work to treat other people as human being.

Through his works, Orwell shows people to do not violating others’ right. Meanwhile, Kipling introduces to children for imparting imperialism since childhood. These contradicting way describing imperialism encourage both of the authors to show their intention in supporting anti-imperialism and pro-imperialism concept.

 

Keywords: imperialism, anti-imperialism, British-author, colonized, colonizer
The Depiction of Tolerance in American Superhero Films
Authors: Rudy Rudy
Published: July 2021

It is true that film as media can reflect a lot significant values in society, one of them is tolerance. It is crucial to discuss about tolerance because more societies have become diverse. Therefore, exploring tolerance from films can be fascinating and useful. By using American superhero films (Fantastic 4 (2005), Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), and Black Panther (2018)  to depict the how tolerance is represented, this study is useful to enhance understanding of tolerance which has always become one of important vales to have. By applying Hall’s theory of representation, this study exposes two essential points. Tolerance must be conceptualized by incorporating mutualism, understanding, and peace. Besides, that tolerance shown on American superhero movies is represented through the portrait of race and gender.
Firm Size, sales growth, profitability dan firm value pada sektor basic industry and chemical
Authors: Alfinur Alfinur , Hidayat Candra Wahyu
Published: August 2021

This study aims to explain the effect of firm size, sales growth, and profitability on firm value in manufacturing companies in the basic and chemical fields. The sampling technique using the purposive sampling technique was obtained by 40 companies in the basic and chemical fields listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX). This type of research is quantitative research, using secondary data in the form of company financial statements obtained from www.idx.co.id, and multiple linear regression data analysis techniques. The results of this study indicate that firm size and profitability affect firm value, while sales growth does not affect firm value.
Penggunaan Design Thinking pada perusahaan Sampul Kreatif Teknologi: Studi pembuatan aplikasi Psikolingua
Authors: Farisi Hasan , Muftiadi Anang , Sukoco Iwan
Published: August 2021

The existence of a design thinking methodology that focuses on users/clients as objects of attention in product creation has an important role in the Sampul Kreatif company. Design thinking is applied as a method to solve user/client problems from the user's perspective (human centered), if it is associated with the service business run by Sampul Kreatif then this is an advantage. The purpose of this study is to describe the use of design thinking in software development service companies Sampul Kreatif when implementing it in making a software application called Psikolingua. Using literature studies to collect data and interviews with competent sources to validate research findings. The results obtained show that design thinking is an effective tool in creating a software application called Psikolingua that is needed by clients at the Sampul Kreatif company
Faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi voluntary disclosure pada perusahaan yang terdaftar di Bursa Efek Indonesia
Authors: Hendi Hendi , Dharmawan Kelvin
Published: August 2021

The purpose of this research is to examine the factors influencing the voluntary disclosure of a company and the level of disclosure made by the company. Secondary data in this study were obtained from the company's annual report on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX). Purposive sampling is being used sampling method. The number of samples was 2.230 company annual reports. Data is being processed using Panel Regression Analysis through Eviews 10 and SPSS 22. This research led to the conclusion that the variables company size, leverage, managerial ownership, and board independence have the results of a positive significant effect on voluntary disclosure. Significantly negative results have an effect on voluntary disclosure owned by foreign ownership variables, while other variables namely profitability, state ownership, institutional ownership, the board size, and type of external auditor have no significant effect on voluntary disclosure variables.
Application of a Radiation-Derived Temperature Index Model to the Willow Creek Watershed in Idaho, USA
Authors: Hamill Daniel D. , Giovando Jeremy J. , Engel Chandler S. , Dahl Travis A. , Bartles Michael D.
Published: August 2021

The ability to simulate snow accumulation and melting processes is fundamental to developing real-time hydrological models in watersheds with a snowmelt-dominated flow regime. A primary source of uncertainty with this model development approach is the subjectivity related to which historical periods to use and how to combine parameters from multiple calibration events. The Hydrologic Engineering Center, Hydrological Modeling System, has recently implemented a hybrid temperature index (TI) snow module that has not been extensively tested. This study evaluates a radiatative temperature index (RTI) model’s performance relative to the traditional air TI model. The TI model for Willow Creek performed reasonably well in both the calibration and validation years. The results of the RTI calibration and validation simulations resulted in additional questions related to how best to parameterize this snow model. An RTI parameter sensitivity analysis indicates that the choice of calibration years will have a substantial impact on the parameters and thus the streamflow results. Based on the analysis completed in this study, further refinement and verification of the RTI model calculations are required before an objective comparison with the TI model can be completed.
Image Classification of Beef and Pork Using Convolutional Neural Network in Keras Framework
Authors: Bila Salsa , Fitrianto Anwar , Sartono Bagus
Published: August 2021

Beef is a food ingredient that has a high selling value. Such high prices make some people manipulate sales in markets or other shopping venues, such as mixing beef and pork. The difference between pork and beef is actually from the color and texture of the meat. However, many people do not understand these differences yet. In addition to socialization related to understanding the differences between the two types of meat, another solution is to create a technology that can recognize and differentiate pork and beef. That is what underlies this research to build a system that can classify the two types of meat. Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) is one of the Deep Learning methods and the development of Artificial Intelligence science that can be applied to classify images. Several regularization techniques include Dropout, L2, and Max-Norm were applied to the model and compared to obtain the best classification results and may predict new data accurately. It has known that the highest accuracy of 97.56% obtained from the CNN model by applying the Dropout technique using 0.7 supported by hyperparameters such as Adam's optimizer, 128 neurons in the fully connected layer, ReLu activation function, and 3 fully connected layers. The reason that also underlies the selection of the model is the low error rate of the model, which is only 0.111.Keywords: Beef and Pork, Model, Classification, CNN
Modeling the Effect of Reaction Kinetics and Dispersion during Low-Salinity Waterflooding
Authors: Magzymov Daulet , Purswani Prakash , Karpyn Zuleima T. , Johns Russell T.
Published: August 2021

Wettability alteration has been recognized as the primary mechanism responsible for improved oil recovery during low-salinity waterflooding (LSWF). A complex network of ionic reactions at the oil/brine/rock interfaces facilitates the alteration in wettability. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the effects of reaction kinetics and dispersion during LSWF.

In this research, we construct a mechanistic binary model that has been implemented on carbonate reservoirs. We consider the impact of physical dispersion and reaction kinetics on recovery. The proposed model is based on the premise that the wetting species are known and can be lumped as either oil-wetting or water-wetting pseudocomponents. For the cases studied, the model was found to reproduce the experimental results well. Further, simulations show a significant impact of reaction kinetics on the rate of wettability alteration compared to assuming instantaneous equilibrium. To adequately represent field-scale response from the laboratory scale, one needs to ensure that comparable Damköhler numbers are used. Some laboratory corefloods for LSWF may underestimate the recovery because the Damköhler number is not representative of field scale. For the limiting case of a slow reaction rate [Damköhler number [(Da) ∼ 0] that corresponds to laboratory scale, low-salinity injection does not alter wettability. For fast reactions (Da ∼ 105) that correspond to the field-scale behavior, the ultimate oil recovery is highly sensitive to the injected fluid salinity. The wettability alteration front is delayed compared to the injected fluid because of the excess salt desorbed from the rock surface into the aqueous solution. Such a delay in wettability alteration is important when considering an appropriate slug size for the low-salinity slug. Finally, we observed that dispersion had little effect on the ultimate oil recovery during wettability alteration as compared to reaction kinetics.
Requiem for the Tricolored Blackbird in Mexico?
Authors: Erickson Richard A. , de la Cueva Horacio , Zamora-Hernández Enrique D.
Published: August 2021

We summarize existing literature and document a recent steep population decline and range contraction in the Tricolored Blackbird (Agelaius tricolor) at the southern end of its range, in Baja California, the only state of Mexico in which the species occurs. From >1000 nesting birds using at least 14 sites south to 30° N around the turn of the 21st century, the population declined and contracted northward and upward in elevation to a single colony of ~150 nesting birds near the international border in 2019. Chronic drought, rising temperatures, and habitat losses due primarily to intensification of agriculture in Mexico are largely responsible for the decline, as in the core of the species’ range in California. Because of the reduction of breeding and foraging habitat, we fear the imminent extirpation of the species in Mexico.
Investigation of Anisotropy on Deterioration of Mechanical Parameters of Layered Rock Under Freeze-thaw Cycles
Authors: Zhang Guangkeng , Wu Lianrong , Wang Huiyun , Li Zhipeng , Shi Baosheng , Wei Qingxi , Xia Chengzhi , Lu Guangyin
Published: August 2021

The evaluation of slope deformation and stability under freeze-thaw cycles is an important research direction and a challenge for geotechnical engineering in cold regions. However, most previous studies only considered the influence of the number of freeze-thaw cycles, but ignored the anisotropic characteristics of layered rock slopes. Meanwhile, the number of freeze-thaw cycles and the bedding dip are rarely considered in previous numerical simulations. Based on this background, the carbonaceous slate of the Pulang copper mine in China was used as the sample material to perform uniaxial compression tests on seven types of carbonaceous slate with different bedding dip angles after completing six different times of freeze-thaw cycles. The test results are applied to the numerical simulation analysis of the deformation characteristics and stability of the layered rock slope of the copper mine. The results show that freezing and thawing will cause layered rock degradation effects, thereby reducing rock mechanical parameters, and the influence is most obvious when the bedding dip is approximately 45°. In the numerical simulation, it is found that the deformation characteristics and stability change trend of the layered rock slope are similar to the above-mentioned experiments. In addition, it is necessary to consider the number of freeze-thaw cycles and the bedding dip to avoid too much difference for the maximum horizontal displacement of a layered rock slope. This study provides a feasible evaluation plan for the deformation characteristics and stability of the layered rock slope in Pulang area of China.
Mechanical Characteristics of Red Sandstone Under Cyclic Wetting and Drying
Authors: Baoyun Zhao , Yongfei Li , Wei Huang , Liyun Zhang , Wangcheng Li , Li Zhang
Published: August 2021

The bank slope of the Three Gorges Reservoir is affected by seasonal water level fluctuations, which leads to deterioration of the rock mass, resulting in a series of geological disasters such as landslides and mudslides. Therefore, in order to thoroughly understand the degradation mechanism of mechanical characteristics under wetting-drying cycles, uniaxial compression tests and triaxial compression tests were used to reveal the relationship between mechanical characteristics and wetting-drying cycles. Uniaxial compression tests results show that with the number of wetting-drying cycles increases, the mechanical characteristics show a decreasing trend, and the compaction stage of the sample increases significantly. It was found that the first 10 wetting-drying cycles have a greater impact on the mechanical characteristics of red sandstone under the triaxial compression condition, the mechanical parameters such as deviatoric stress, elasticity modulus dropped rapidly under the first 10 cycles and then tend to be stable. Based on the testing data under wetting-drying cycle condition, the mechanical parameters of the statistics damage constitutive model were modified and the results show that the modified damage constitutive model has a high degree of fit with the test data, indicating that the modified mechanical parameters can better reflect the degradation of red sandstone after the wetting-drying cycles. This understanding of the degradation process of the mechanical characteristics under wetting-drying cycles can provide theoretical guidance for the protection of dangerous slopes in the drawdown zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir.
Impaired HPV-Specific T-Cell Response Characterized with Skewed Cytokine Profile and T-Cell Dysfunction in Juvenile-Onset Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis Patients
Authors: Xi Yue , Wang Wei , Wang Hua , Wang Xiaolin , Zhang Jie , Zhao Jing , Wang Guixiang , Gui Jingang , Ni Xin
Published: August 2021

Background

Immunologic dysfunction is one of the most important mechanisms underlying the initiation and development of Juvenile-onset Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis (JORRP). The study aimed to explore whether HPV-specific T-cell response was impaired in JORRP patients.
Methods

A total of 46 JORRP patients and 93 age- and sex- matched healthy controls were enrolled. The plasma concentrations of various cytokines were measured using the Luminex. The cytokine mRNA profiles of PBMCs were quantified with the real-time PCR. The T-cell subsets, HPV-specific T-cell activation, proliferation, apoptosis and expression of replicative senescent T-cell markers CD57 were measured with the flow cytometry. The cytokine secretion of HPV-specific T cells was assessed by the ELISPOT.
Results

JORRP patients had a Th2-biased cytokine profile correlated with disease severity in the JORRP peripheral system. JORRP patients had an increased percentage of memory T cells and a reduced percentage of naive T cells in circulation. Upon HPV6/11 antigens stimulation, T cells from JORRP patients exhibited a greater activation profile as judged by a higher CD25 and CD69 expression. Of note, JORRP patients presented with a greater number of IL-10- and IL-4-secreting HPV6/11 antigen responding cells than that of IFN-γ and TNF-α secreting responders in the ELISPOT experiment. Furthermore, in response to HPV6/11 antigen stimulation, JORRP patients showed a reduced level of cell proliferation, an increased level of apoptosis and higher percentage of the differentiated T cells expressing the replicative senescent cell marker CD57.
Conclusions

Impaired HPV-specific T-cell responses could be partly responsible for JORRP development.
Device Quantization Policy and Power-Performance- Area Co-Optimization Strategy in Variation-Aware In-memory Computing Design
Authors: Chang Chih-Cheng , Li Shao-Tzu , Pan Tong-Lin , Tsai Chia-Ming , Wang I-Ting , Chang Tian-Sheuan , Hou Tuo-Hung
Published: August 2021

Device quantization of in-memory computing (IMC) that considers the non-negligible variation and finite dynamic range of practical memory technology is investigated, aiming for quantitatively co-optimizing system performance on accuracy, power, and area. Architecture- and algorithm-level solutions are taken into consideration. Weight-separate mapping, VGG-like algorithm, multiple cells per weight, and fine-tuning of the classifier layer are effective for suppressing inference accuracy loss due to variation and allow for the lowest possible weight precision to improve area and energy efficiency. Higher priority should be given to developing low-conductance and low-variability memory devices that are essential for energy and area-efficiency IMC whereas low bit precision (< 3b) and memory window (<10) are less concerned.
Challenges Faced by Patients with Dyslipidemia and Systemic Arterial Hypertension in Brazil: A Design of the Patient Journey
Authors: Neto José Rocha Faria , Yarleque Carlos Rodolfo , Vieira Luiz Fernando , Sakane Eliane Naomi , Filho Raul Dias dos Santos
Published: August 2021

Background & Objective: Non-communicable diseases like systemic arterial hypertension (SAH) and dyslipidemia are poorly studied in terms of patient journey aspects. This semi-systematic review provides evidence synthesis for the management of SAH and dyslipidemia in Brazil and also discusses challenges faced by patients at the local level along with a suggested care approach by local experts.Methods: A semi-systematic review using both structured literature databases (Embase and Medline) and unstructured scientific records (WHO, IPD, MOH and Google) on hypertension and dyslipidemia in the English language from 2010–2019 was performed by reviewers. After two-level screening based on pre-defined criteria, patient journey touchpoints and prevalence information were extracted from the included articles. Data gaps were bridged through the insights of local experts.Conclusion: Limited patient education, regional disease distribution, and treatment allocation, along with limited resources for diagnosis and treatment are the key challenges. To improve overall patient journey considering critical touchpoints, timely and strict adoption of pharmacological treatment guidelines, campaigns for increased patient literacy about healthy diet and lifestyle modification, about the importance of self-reporting for early disease diagnosis, and benefits of treatment adherence are strongly recommended. Also, it is suggested to ensure the availability of skilled resources through continued education to render quality care to cardiovascular patients in Brazil.
The Potential of Widespread Ready-Made UAVs in Quantifying Conifers and Delineating Their Crowns
Authors: Komárek Jan , Klápště Petr , Hrach Karel , Klouček Tomáš
Published: August 2021

With the ever-improving Earth observation capabilities, variables such as tree health status, biomass storage, or stand structure are increasingly estimated through remote sensing. While many protocols of data acquisition and satellite data processing are in place, the still novel unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) face some challenges during data acquisition and processing. While tree height extraction seems to be a common practice, identifying individual trees and measuring their crowns is still quite tricky. We performed several flights with three different UAVs and four different popular sensors over two sites with coniferous forests of various ages at flight levels of 100–200 m above ground level (AGL) using custom settings preset by UAV solution suppliers. Considering the success rate of the individual tree identification, casual RGB cameras provided more consistent results at all flight levels (84 − 77% for Phantom 4), while the success of tree identification decreases with higher flight levels and smaller crowns in the case of multispectral cameras (77 − 54% for RedEdge-M). In general, RGB cameras yielded the best results at 150 m AGL while multispectral cameras at 100 m AGL. Regarding the accuracy of the measured crown diameters, most datasets tended to overestimate when using automatic crown delineation within the lidR package. Only RGB cameras yielded satisfactory results (Mean Absolute Error – MAE of 0.79–0.99 m and 0.88–1.16 m for Phantom 4 and Zenmuse X5S, respectively). Multispectral cameras overestimated more than RGB cameras, especially in the full-grown forest (MAE = 1.26–1.77 m); on the other hand, they offered, in addition to the structural, also spectral information. We conclude that widespread ready-made solutions mounted with low-cost RGB cameras yield very satisfactory results for describing the structural forest information at 150 m AGL. When (multi)spectral information is needed, we recommend reducing the flight level to 100 m AGL to acquire sufficient structural forest information.
Characteristics of Lymphocyte Subsets and Cytokine Profiles of Patients With COVID-19
Authors: Pan Pengfei , Du Xinxin , Zhou Qilong , Cui Yong , Deng Xiaochun , Liu Chao , Hu Zongjun , Chen Jianguo , Yu Xiangyou , Shi Weihua
Published: August 2021

Background: Abnormalities of lymphocyte subsets and cytokine profiles have been observed in most patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Here, we explore the role of lymphocyte subsets and cytokines at hospital admission in predicting the severity of COVID-19.Methods: This study included 214 patients with COVID-19 who were treated at Three Gorges Hospital Affiliated with Chongqing University from January 19, 2020 to April 30, 2020. Patients were divided into the non-intensive care unit (ICU) (mild/moderate) group and the ICU (severe/critical) group, according to the severity of the disease. Clinical and laboratory data, including peripheral lymphocyte subsets and cytokines, were analyzed and compared. Logistic regression was used to analyze the predictive factors for ICU admission. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were drawn to evaluate the predictive value of selected indicators for the severity of COVID-19.Results: Of the 214 patients enrolled, 161 were non-ICU patients and 53 were ICU patients. At hospital admission, lymphopenia was observed in nearly all of the ICU patients (96.2%) and 84.5% of the non-ICU patients. The absolute number of lymphocytes, CD3+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, CD19+ B cells, and natural killer (NK) cells was lower in the ICU group (659.00 × 106/L, 417.00 × 106/L, 261.00 × 106/L, 140.00 × 106/L, 109.00 × 106/L, 102.00 × 106/L, respectively) than in the non-ICU group (1063.00 × 109/L, 717.00 × 106/L, 432.00 × 106/L, 271.00 × 106/L, 133.00 × 106/L, 143.00 × 106/L, respectively). Interleukin (IL)-6 was significantly higher in the ICU patients than in the non-ICU patients (18.08 pg/mL vs. 3.13 pg/mL). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age (odds ratio: 1.067 [1.034–1.101]), diabetes mellitus (odds ratio: 9.154 [2.710–30.926]), CD3+ T cells (odds ratio: 0.996 [0.994–0.997]), and IL-6 (odds ratio: 1.006 [1.000–1.013]) were independent predictors for the development of severe disease. ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of CD3+ T cells and IL-6 was 0.806 (0.737–0.874) and 0.785 (0.705–0.864), respectively, and the cutoff values were 510.5 × 106/L (sensitivity, 71.7%; specificity, 79.5%) and 6.58 pg/mL (77.4%, 74.5%), respectively. There were no statistical differences among all tested indicators of lymphocyte subsets and cytokines between the severe group (n = 38) and the critical group (n = 15) at hospital admission or ICU admission.Conclusions: The levels of lymphocyte subsets decreased and the level of IL-6 increased significantly in the ICU patients compared with the non-ICU patients. Therefore, the number of CD3+ T cells and the level of IL-6 at hospital admission may serve as powerful factors for identifying patients who will have severe disease.
Survey of Species Prafarence and Method of Charcoal Production in Kaduna, Nigeria.
Authors: Isah Alhassan Danladi , Shamaki Sanusi Bello , buda Samaila , Adamu Yusuf , Shehu Abbakar muhammed , Umar Lawal Abubakar , Muhammad Murtala
Published: August 2021

Traditional fuel in the form of firewood and charcoal has been, and is still the predominant source of energy for domestic cooking in sub-Saharan Africa. However, charcoal burning is associated with deforestation. The aim of this study was to assess the preference as well method of production of charcoal in Kaduna State, Nigeria. Purposive sampling was used to select Kajuru, Kachia and Chikin. Species enumeration was performed and method of production were recorded at each production centres. a lotal of 250 intervied schedule was administered to ascertain the perceive effect. Research shows that P. Africana has the highest mean while D. guinees has lowest mean. furthermore the most widely method used is earth pit kiln with 55% and suitable trunk size was big trunk with 31% couple with the most preferred tree species, P africana 27.41%. in conclusion, the finding of the work reveal that certain tree species were threaten by charcoal production due to the quantum of yield extracted.
Implementation of Road Safety Countermeasures in Four Cities to Reduce the Harmful Effects of Alcohol: A Progress Report
Authors: Fell James C , Achoki Tom , DeJong William , Fisher Deborah A.
Published: August 2021

BackgroundBeginning in 2016, the Anheuser-Busch InBev Foundation (ABIF) provided funding to six pilot cities to implement evidence-based interventions to reduce the harmful use of alcohol and its deleterious consequences such as alcohol-impaired driving. The cities receiving funding are Alexandra Township in Johannesburg, South Africa; Brasilia, Brazil; Columbus, Ohio, United States; Jiangshan, China; Leuven, Belgium; and Zacatecas, Mexico.MethodsFour of the city pilot coalitions are implementing a wide array of interventions to deter driving under the influence (DUI). Columbus made efforts to get more judges to apply Ohio’s alcohol ignition interlock law and implemented and evaluated a Safe Rides program. Brasilia increased the number of roadside checkpoints and planned an educational campaign about the dangers of impaired driving to be delivered at bars by firefighters and paramedics. Alexandra expanded and upgraded the Metropolitan Police Department’s Alcohol Evidence Center (AEC). In Zacatecas, among other interventions, a new Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) facility is being constructed to expedite case processing and adjudication.ResultsIn Columbus, the evaluation of the Safe Rides program showed an estimated reduction of 2.9 impaired driving crashes but also an average increase of 0.4 alcoholic drink per program participant. There was a reduction in harmful alcohol use of .02% in 2017 associated with the Safe Rides campaign, but with no carryover to 2018. In Brasilia, the combined effect of the road safety measures and other factors resulted in a 35% decrease in traffic deaths between 2016 and 2019. In Alexandra, there were 46 fatal crashes over the Easter weekend in 2018, 25 fatal crashes in 2019 (46% reduction), and 3 fatal crashes in 2020 (88% reduction from 2019). To date, Zacatecas’ road safety measures have not yet been evaluated.ConclusionsFull implementation of the city pilots’ planned road safety interventions has been slow, and presently the COVID-19 pandemic has halted most operations. Interim evaluations can be conducted once a pilot city’s countermeasures are fully implemented and have operated for at least one year. ABIF should continue to donate funds to increase or enhance evidence-based DUI enforcement strategies while also implementing awareness campaigns to inform the public and enhance the deterrent effect of those efforts.
Terminal Discharge From Hospital Back Home to Die: Experience and Perspectives From a Home Hospice
Authors: Chong Poh-Heng , Hii Irene , Yeo Zhi-Zheng
Published: August 2021

Background: Terminal discharge is an emergent procedure for dying patients in hospital to return home. While reports on hospital staff experience exist, perspectives from community partners are lacking. Aim:We profile a cross section of decedent patients, and report clinician experience from a community hospice service.Design: A mixed-methods approach. Electronic medical records were analysed for characteristics, trajectories and service utilisation, comparing terminally discharged and regular care patients over one year. Hospice care coordinators participated in an open-ended questionnaire and responses were analysed qualitatively. Settings/participants:The study was conducted in the largest home-based hospice service in Singapore. 260 referrals were received for terminal discharge in 2020, out of 3700 patients served. All five discharge coordinators responded to the questionnaire.Results:Only 228 of 260 terminally discharged patients reached home; 18 died before home visits could be made, and 10 outlived their prognoses. The ratio of cancer to non-cancer patients (1:1) in the terminal discharge group differed from the service’s norm (4:1). Moreover, median length of service for this group (4 days) was 10 times shorter compared to decedents from regular service. This group also received on average three times higher service touchpoints (phone calls and home visits). Thematic analyses of survey responses revealed varying understanding of terminal discharge with concomitant implications; patchy handover between services that compromised care quality; and areas for improvement are suggested.Conclusions:Given its primacy and potential impact, active engagement of all stakeholders to optimise the management of terminal discharge is indicated.
Effects of initial α-phase content on the electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties of pressureless solid-state sintered SiC ceramics
Authors: MALIK Rohit , Kim Young-Wook
Published: August 2021

αand β-SiC starting powders of similar particle sizes were used to investigate the effect of initial α-phase content on the electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties of pressureless solid-state sintered (PSS) SiC ceramics with B4C and C. For β-SiC starting powders, a coarse-grained microstructure with elongated platelet grains formed by the 3C to 6H to 4H-SiC phase transformation was obtained. In contrast, α-SiC powders exhibited a fine-grained microstructure with platelet grains. The electrical resistivity decreased by an order of magnitude with increasing initial α-phase content presumably due to (1) an increased 6H-SiC content causing a decrease in bandgap energy and (2) the low soluble impurity content (Fe and V) of the α-SiC powders. The thermal conductivity increased by approximately 32% with increasing initial α-phase content due to (1) an increased 6H-SiC content, which has a higher intrinsic thermal conductivity compared to 4H and (2) the low impurity content of the α-SiC powders. The flexural strength increased by approximately 16% with increasing initial α-phase content due to a decreased flaw size with decreasing grain size. However, the fracture toughness and hardness were insensitive to the change in initial α-phase content.