bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Principles and Parctice of Proton Beam Therapy
Authors: Das Indra J. , Paganetti Harald
Published: February 2022

Proton therapy has been used in radiation therapy for over 70 years, but within the last decade its use in clinics has grown exponentially. This book fills in the proton therapy gap by focusing on the physics of proton therapy, including beam production, proton interactions, biology, dosimetry, treatment planning, quality assurance, commissioning, motion management, and uncertainties.

From Niek Schreuder in
Medical Physics…"This book is a well-composed compendium of papers that serves as a comprehensive textbook for Medical Physicists and other professionals practicing in the field of proton therapy. The editors selected scholars with detailed knowledge in their specific areas to cover the most important areas of proton therapy. This book is highly recommended as an essential tool in the arsenal of the proton therapy medical physicist."

Chapters are written by the world's leading medical physicists who work at the pioneering proton treatment centers around the globe. They share their understandings after years of experience treating thousands of patients. Case studies involving specific cancer treatments show that there is some art to proton therapy as well as state-of-the-art science.

Even though the focus lies on proton therapy, the content provided is also valuable to heavy charged particle therapy. The book is tailored mainly to clinical physicists, who might use this as a textbook in the fast-growing field of proton therapy. Furthermore, this book provides up-to-date references to the scientific literature on each aspect of proton therapy covered in its 28 chapters. The book also includes an appendix of proton therapy nomenclature.
Clinical Brachytherapy Physics
Authors: Rivard Mark J. , Beaulieu Luc , Thomadsen Bruce
Published: February 2022

Brachytherapy has been a popular topic for AAPM summer schools, with this marking the third time the subject has been covered (past schools on the topic were held in 1994 and 2005). This book was developed for the AAPM 2017 Summer School in Portland, Oregon, held in conjunction with the American Brachytherapy Association.

From Joann Prisciandaro in
Medical Physics…"Overall, this text is well written and provides a nice summary of current and developing clinical brachytherapy practice patterns. …from my perspective as a practicing brachytherapy physicist and educator, this text will make an extremely useful reference and will certainly be added to my list of required reading for residents and graduate students."

This book is more than a comprehensive overview of the brachytherapy tools and techniques used in a modern clinic. The book also looks at numerous exciting approaches currently under development. Topics include

HDR and LDR brachytherapy for the prostate,

general planning and model-based dose calculation algorithms,

intensity-modulated brachytherapy,

electronic brachytherapy sources and techniques, and

brachytherapy advances for treating skin, gynecological, and breast cancer.

Some of the promising new techniques covered include focal therapy, the use of 3D printing to augment treatment, advances in needle tracking, in vivo dosimetry, and the use of robotics in brachytherapy.
NIAJ, espaço inovador para crianças, adolescentes e jovens?
Authors: Castro Lucia Rabello de , Carneiro Cristiana , Corsino Patrícia
Published: February 2022

Esta entrevista, realizada durante o Festival do Conhecimento UFRJ 2021, aborda o histórico de criação do Núcleo Interdisciplinar de Estudos da Infância, Adolescência e Juventude (NIAJ), a partir de uma modificação do Núcleo Interdisciplinar de Pesquisa e Intercâmbio para a Infância e Adolescência Contemporâneas (NIPIAC), fundado em 1998, na Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). A entrevista destaca a importância da proposta do NIAJ para a criação de um programa de pós-graduação interdisciplinar na área da infância, adolescência e juventude, uma iniciativa inédita no Brasil, liderada pela UFRJ, com a participação conjunta de outras universidades públicas do estado do Rio de Janeiro. Foram abordados os possíveis impactos na produção de conhecimento sobre infância, adolescência e juventude no Brasil e na América Latina, a partir da institucionalização do NIAJ como um espaço de interlocução interdisciplinar e inovador. Palavras-chave: infância, adolescência, juventude, interdisciplinaridade, universidade.
The SIPRI Top 100 Arms-producing and Military Services Companies, 2017
Authors: Fleurant Aude , Wezeman Siemon T. , Wezeman Pieter D. , Kuimov Alexandra , Tian Nan
Published: February 2022

Arms sales of the world’s 100 largest arms-producing and military services companies (the SIPRI Top 100) totalled $398.2 billion in 2017. This was an increase of 2.5 per cent compared with 2016 and marks the third consecutive year of growth in Top 100 arms sales. This Fact Sheet lists the SIPRI Top 100 for 2017 from the updated SIPRI Arms Industry Database and describes the trends in international arms sales that are revealed by the new data.
เพียงปลูกโรงปิดองค์พระทรงม้า มองเห็นว่าพอจะปล้ำมาทำได้ อำนาจแห่งความปรารถนาของ “คนใต้” ในวรรณกรรมท้องถิ่นยุคก่อนการพิมพ์ ทศวรรษ 2440-2460
Authors: แสงทอง พิเชฐ
Published: February 2022

บทความนี้ ศึกษาวรรณกรรมท้องถิ่นภาคใต้แนวจารีตในช่วงทศวรรษ 2440-2460 โดยเชื่อมโยงกับบริบททางประวัติศาสตร์ เพื่อวิเคราะห์ความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างความเปลี่ยนแปลงทางสังคม การเมือง และเศรษฐกิจ อันส่งผลต่อสำนึกทางสังคมและตััวตนของผู้คน ผลการศึกษาพบว่า การปฏิรูป มณฑลในช่วงต้นทศวรรษ 2440 ได้ดึงภาคใต้เข้าสู่ความเป็นสมัยใหม่ของความเป็นสยาม/ไทย เกิดพื้นที่และการใช้เวลาแบบใหม่ทำหน้าที่กระชับความสัมพันธ์เชิงอำนาจระหว่างภาคใต้และเมืองหลวงให้สะดวก รวดเร็ว และแน่นแฟ้นขึ้น วรรณกรรมท้องถิ่นได้เสนอให้เห็นว่า ความเป็นสมัยใหม่ได้เปิดพื้นที่แห่งความปรารถนาในจิตใจของชาวปักษ์ใต้ เสนอโอกาสและทางเลือกในชีวิตที่ประชาชนสามารถก้าวหน้าได้ จึงเกิดความสำนึกต่อตัวตนและคนอืนที่เปลี่ยนแปลงไป
Industrial Systems Product Influencing the Value of Thailand’s Border Trade
Authors: Sukloet Sudarat
Published: February 2022

This study attempted to identify products in the industrial systems that affect total value, export value and import value of Thailand’s border trade. The variables for analyzing included the export value of rubber, computer, equipment and components, automobile, automotive parts and components, diesel fuel and the import value of natural gas, magnetic tape and magnetic disk for computer, industrial machinery and components, storage media from 2011 to 2018. The multiple regression analysis was tested with the significant level of 0.05. The results revealed that (1) the export value of computer, equipment and components and the import value of industrial machinery and components had an influence on the total value of Thailand’s border trade, (2) the export value of computer, equipment and components had an influence on the export value of Thailand’s border trade, and (3) the import value of industrial machinery and components had an influence on the import value of Thailand’s border trade. The study showed how those products in the industry had an impact upon border trade value of Thailand. As Thailand has production potential to respond to neighboring market needs, meanwhile it still relies on imported product for national industrial development. This study will be useful for the Thai government and entrepreneurs to implement the results for projects and strategies for border trade.
Alpha Power Poisson-G Distribution With an Application to Bur XII Distribution Lifetime Data
Authors: Gbenga Jemilohun Vincent , Adeyemi Ipinyomi Reuben
Published: February 2022

We propose a new method of adding two shape parameters to a family of distributions for more flexibility and wider scope of applications called Alpha power Poisson-g distribution. A special case has been considered in details namely; one parameter exponential distribution. Various properties of the proposed distribution, including explicit expressions for the moments, quantiles, moment generating function, mean and median deviation, Bonferroni and Lorenz curve, order statistics and expression of the Renyi entropies are derived. The maximum likelihood estimators of unknown parameters cannot be obtained in explicit forms, and they have to be obtained by solving non-linear equations only. Further we consider an extension of the two-parameter Bur XII distribution also, mainly for data analysis purposes. Three data sets have been analyzed to show how the proposed models work in practice. We also carried out Monte Carlo simulation to further investigate the properties of the proposed method of estimation.
Understanding the Linkages and Importance of Urban Greenspaces for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals 2030
Authors: Hyder Md. Badrul , Haque Tareq Zahirul
Published: February 2022

Urban greenspaces have an immense contribution to the social, environmental, and economic spectrums of sustainable development. These three spectrums are also the foundation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030. Thus, this interdependence nature offers an opportunity to study the linkages between urban greenspaces and SDGs targets for acknowledging the importance of urban greenspaces for achieving SDGs 2030. To understand the linkages, the study follows a qualitative study approach. In the approach, a convenient systematic literature search technique has been employed to define urban greenspaces and identify empirical evidence on greenspaces’ contribution to different SDG targets. For ensuring the authenticity and validity of the findings, the study includes only peer-reviewed articles in the systematic technique. Results suggest an immediate association between urban greenspaces and SDG target 11.7, which emphasizes explicitly the provision (quality, quantity, and accessibility) of urban parks and playgrounds for the physical and mental wellbeing of urban citizens, typically the social spectrum of sustainable development. In addition to the apparent link, fourteen more underlying connections have been identified where urban greenspaces can contribute to fourteen different SDG targets. These underlying connections acknowledge the importance of urban greenspaces for achieving SDGs 2030.
Educação em tempos de Covid-19 e o ensino remoto emergencial: o que dizem os professores da Escola Municipal José Ribeiro Bessa?
Authors: Faheina Evelyn Fernandes Azevedo , Da Silva Agnes Camila Viana
Published: February 2022

Este artigo comunica os resultados de uma investigação que buscou conhecer como os professores, que leciona do 3º ao 5º ano do Ensino Fundamental, da Escola Municipal José Ribeiro Bessa, localizada no município de Mataraca-PB, utilizam recursos tecnológicos durante o Ensino Remoto Emergencial (ERE). Para tanto, recorreu ao debate teórico proposto por Palú, Schütz e Mayer (2020), Caetano, Junior e Teixeira (2020), Behrens (2013) e Pareceres emitidos pelo Conselho Nacional de Educação, CNE/CP: nº 5 (BRASIL, 2020), nº 15 (BRASIL, 2020) e nº 6 (BRASIL, 2021). A técnica utilizada para a coleta de dados foi o questionário, cujas informações foram apreciadas à luz da análise de conteúdo (BARDIN, 2016). A pesquisa indica que as dificuldades de acesso à internet por estudantes, a necessidade de adaptação e superação ao ERE por professores, acentuam os processos de exclusão social já existentes, a precarização do trabalho docente e a qualidade da educação ofertada.
Binnenregress für Verbandsgeldbußen im Kapitalgesellschaftsrecht
Authors: Hoffmann Silke
Published: February 2022

Can corporations recover fines imposed on them by way of directors' and officers' liability? Can German law resort to the approaches of foreign legal systems in answering this question? This dissertation offers an in-depth legal comparison on the question with Austria, the United Kingdom and the USA. Not only the specific approaches to the question, but also similarities and differences of directors’ and officers’ liability and corporate sanctions in the respective legal systems are examined. Finally, the author examines whether the solution approaches of the examined foreign legal systems can be transferred to German law and develops a proposal for a legal regulation of the question.
Genetic Transformation in Agro-Economically Important Legumes
Authors: Khomotso Michel Sehaole Esmerald
Published: February 2022

Over the past few years, many cultivated plants have been under scrutiny for their potential role in economic, agroecological, nutritional, and scientific innovation sectors, especially in various developing countries. This was aimed to identify plants that have the potential to alleviate food insecurity, improve agroecosystems while benefiting the producers financially as well. Such important crops have been studied and are continuously undergoing improvements to produce cultivars that confer biotic and abiotic stress tolerance, enhanced shelf-life, nutritional quality, and environmental benefits. This chapter reviews the benefits provided by globally cultivated legumes, the challenges faced during their propagation, the methods used to enhance these crops, and the constraints they undergo during genetic improvement. It further analyses the strategies that have been employed thus far to optimise genetic transformation.
Microbiological Quality and Biochemical Characteristics of Lactic Acid Bacteria from Camel Milk as Affected by the Production System and Stage of Lactation
Authors: Fguiri Imen , Ziadi Manel , Sboui Amel , Ayeb Naziha , Atigui Moufida , Arroum Samira , Hammadi Mohamed , Khorchani Touhami
Published: February 2022

The aim of this work is to study the effect of lactation stage and camel farming system on microbiological, physicochemical parameters, and identification of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) of camel milk. Samples were collected from four camels in semi-intensive system and four camels in intensive system. Microbiological and physicochemical parameters were analyzed. Furthermore, to study the effect of lactation stage, samples were collected from three camels and followed during a period of 10 months of lactation from parturition. LAB were isolated from this sample and identified by biochemical methods. The difference between the physico-chemical characteristic basis of camel farming system are not statistically different except fat. The microbiological analysis showed a significant difference in total mesophilic bacteria, yeast, and molds and total coliform between intensive, semi-intensive, and extensive system. The difference between physicochemical and microbiological characteristics basis of lactation stage are statistically significant. In the intensive system, they were identified the same genre of bacteria: Lactococcus lactis, but in semi intensive system, we found different species of LAB. Eight of LAB identified as different Lactococcus or Lactobacillus was isolated in colostrums. The diversity of LAB was affected by lactation stage and farming system.
The Health Benefits of Vegetables; Preventive Implications for Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases
Authors: Kibr Gesessew
Published: February 2022

Low vegetable consumption correlates to an increase in the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, which are the leading causes of mortality worldwide. As a result, the purpose of this review was to consolidate present evidence on the health benefits of vegetable consumption and their potential action of mechanism in NCDs prevention. Low vegetable consumption is related to socio-economics, psychological concerns, culture, environment, social support and vegetable practice. Vegetables contain an antihistamine, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, and notably antioxidant qualities, and they have been shown to help prevent and cure NCDs, cancer, and heart disease. Vegetables are the best providers of vitamin A, a nutrient that is essential for many metabolic processes in the body. In addition to being an antioxidant, veggies include folate and potassium, which are proven to prevent birth abnormalities, cancer, and heart disease. Several nations have created a broad strategic effort for the prevention and management of NCDs and their related risk factors. In order to accomplish the strategic plan’s goals successfully and efficiently, a greater knowledge of the burden of dietary risk factors and their contribution to NCDs is necessary.
The Radiology of Developmental Dental Defects Demystified: An e-Based Learning System
Authors: Olubode Ogunsalu Christopher
Published: February 2022

The purpose of this perspective-type chapter is to provide the readership with in-depth knowledge in the area of developmental abnormalities with special emphasis on radiology together with its clinical implications. The intention of this chapter is not only to be descriptive of the radiology of the developmental dental defects, but to provide the readership with the various possible differential diagnoses and how to arrive at a definitive diagnosis and being mindful of the fact that some of these radiological presentations can be pathognomonic while others are variable in presentation. The ultimate goal of this chapter is to provide the pre-requisite knowledge to the clinicians to enable them to arrive at a definitive diagnosis based on radiology and radiographic presentation without the need of any other investigation if possible. It is as such important that in this chapter the readership will be elevated to a level of realistic, yet clinician with the reasoning and interpretation of a radiologists in the area of developmental dental defects (DDD) since by understanding the basis of utilizing radiography to arrive at the definitive diagnosis of these developmental defects amidst of the various differential diagnoses, they would have gained full knowledge and control of the pertinent use of terminologies in this specific and unique area of dentistry. Conventional radiography such as periapical radiographs, bitewings and dental panoramic tomography will be utilized largely in this chapter, without the need for computerized tomography or CBCT. Certain conditions such as concrescence (not fusion and germination) and enamel pearl may be very difficult to identify or distinguish using conventional radiography and the role of advanced imaging technique will be mentioned. It is as such the intention of this unique book chapter to display in an Atlas work note format, the radiology of the developmental dental defects, with the intention to bring in the knowledge required to the undergraduate students of dentistry and postgraduate dentists and inclusive of the practicing clinicians in the field of dentistry.
Probiotics from Fermented Fish
Authors: Yasmin Nilofar , Kaur Khusboo , Sood Kaushal
Published: February 2022

The term ‘Probiotics’ is used to describe live microorganisms, which, when administered in adequate quantities, confer health benefits. The term probiotics was first introduced in 1965 by Lilly and Stillwell, who defined it to be microorganisms acting as growth promoters for other microorganisms. These microorganisms may include Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Aspergillus, Enterococcus etc., as well as a mixture of other microorganisms. The chapter focuses on providing a comprehensive and up-to-date review of probiotics that have been isolated from fermented fish-based products.
Eg95: A Vaccine against Cystic Echinococcosis
Authors: K. De Arun , Sujatha Tamilvanan , Sunder Jai , Bala Prokasananda , Perumal Ponraj , Bhattacharya Debasis , Bhanudasrao Chakurkar Eaknath
Published: February 2022

Hydatidosis or cystic echinococcosis (CE) is caused by the larval stage of the tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus. This parasite is cosmopolitan in distribution and causes significant economic losses to the meat industry, mainly due to condemnation of edible offal. Echinococcosis treatment in human is very expensive as it requires extensive surgery or prolonged chemotherapy or use of both. In Asia and Africa, the vulnerable population of developing the disease is around 50 million. Office International des Epizooties (OIE) has recognized CE as a multi species disease. The parasite has acquired the capability to survive long time within the host due to a specific mechanism to evade the host immune system. A specific class of proteins known as secreted and membrane bound (S/M) proteins play key roles in the evasion mechanism. A total of 12 S/M proteins have been reported as immunodiagnostic and immunoprophylactic agents. Of these, Eg95 is a candidate antigen used for immunization of animals. Literature suggests that, Eg95 is a multi-gene family (Eg95-1 to Eg95-7) and exists in seven different isoforms. This chapter will describe minutely efficacy of Eg95 as a vaccine candidate based on animal trial and potentiality of other S/M proteins as immunodiagnostic antigen and immune evasion.
E3 Ligase for CENP-A (Part 1)
Authors: Niikura Yohei , Kitagawa Katsumi
Published: February 2022

CENP-A is a centromere-specific histone H3 variant that is required to ensure kinetochore assembly for proper chromosome segregation and its function is highly conserved among different species including budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has genetically defined point centromeres, unlike other eukaryotes. Although, most eukaryotic centromeres are maintained epigenetically, currently only budding yeast S. cerevisiae centromeres are known to be genetically specified by DNA sequence, The small size and sequence specificity of the budding yeast centromere has made yeast a powerful organism for its study in many aspects. Many post-translational modifications (PTMs) of CENP-A and their functions have been recently reported, and studies with budding yeast are providing insights into the role of CENP-A/Cse4 PTMs in kinetochore structure and function. Multiple functions are controlled especially by ubiquitylation and sumoylation by E3 ligases that control CENP-A protein has initially emerged in the budding yeast as an important regulatory mechanism. Here we focus on what is known about the budding yeast E3 ligases for CENP-A/Cse4 ubiquitylation and sumoylation and their biological functions and significance.
Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in General Population and Sudden Cardiac Death in Athletes
Authors: Nagy Bettina , Kiss Boldizsár , Áron Fülöp Gábor , Zima Endre
Published: February 2022

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is still one of the leading causes of cardiovascular death in the developed countries. The incidence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Europe varies from 67 to 170 per 100,000 population. The chain of survival will be described in detailed steps. We are going to summarize the treatment options for sudden cardiac arrest from recognition of SCD to resuscitation and post cardiac arrest care. The role of awereness and Automated External Defibrillator and Public Access Defibrillation (AED-PAD) programs will be discussed in brief. SCD is one of the most common causes of death among athletes. Sport can trigger SCD in individuals who already have unknown form of heart disease. Our aim was to detail the underlying causes of SCD in athletes and to identify the possible screening techniques. Existing disease (e.g., myocardial hypertrophy, fibrosis) can be seen as a substrate, and sport as a trigger can cause arrhythmias, increased catecholamine release, acidosis, and dehydration. We will highlight the importance of sports medicine and periodic examination in screening for these conditions. Depending on the etiology, this may include exercise ECG, Holter monitor, CT, MR, echocardiography, and coronagraphy. We are going to conclude the new recommendations for COVID-19 post-infection care for athletes.
Resistance Training and Weight Management: Rationale and Efficacy
Authors: Shaw Ina , Triplett Travis , S. Shaw Brandon
Published: February 2022

In addition to the impact of normal ageing on body composition, increasing levels of sedentariness reduce an individual’s ability to mobilise fat, resulting in an altered body composition characterised by increased fat mass, and more specifically an increased total and abdominal fat, and reduced muscle mass. While exercise, and aerobic exercise in general, has been promoted as a means to maintaining an appropriate body weight, aerobic exercise should not be considered as the golden standard to do so. This is because resistance training (RT) has an unsurpassed ability to improve lean mass along with other simultaneous improvements in multiple body composition parameters. An increased muscle mass is essential in that it is the amount of exercising muscle that determines the magnitude of lipolysis (fatty acid release from adipocytes) during exercise. In addition, an increased muscle mass results in an elevated basal metabolic rate (BMR) and resting metabolic rate (RMR), effectively increasing the amount of energy or calories utilised even at rest. RT is especially useful in the general population for weight management in that the ideal form of RT required for improvements in body composition is of moderate intensity, which reduces the risk of injury and improves adherence.
Knowledge Management in the Indonesian Higher Education Internal Quality Assurance System Model
Authors: Mursidi Andi
Published: February 2022

Demands for accountability and responsibility require universities to provide quality assurance to the community. To provide quality assurance, a model is needed. This research is a research and development that aims to (1) analyze the factual model of the Internal Quality Assurance System of Higher Education in Indonesia; (2) modeling the Internal Quality Assurance System in Indonesia using a Knowledge Management approach; and (3) Produce a Model of Internal Quality Assurance System in Indonesia. The first stage is to produce a factual model with the techniques of documentation, observation, interviews, and questionnaires. This stage will conduct field mapping of the conditions applied by each university in Indonesia. The second stage is the development stage to produce a hypothetical model using literature study techniques and focus group discussions. The study to develop this hypothetical model uses a knowledge management approach as the basis for the model developed for the implementation of the Internal Quality Assurance System in Higher Education. The third stage is the model validation stage to produce a final model or model that is feasible to be implemented, for the validation of the model developed from the hypothesis model, validation test data analysis techniques and questionnaires are used. The implication of the Internal Quality Assurance System model is that universities are expected to have a frame of reference in developing quality assurance so that a quality culture can be formed. The limitations of this model cannot be generalized because each university has different resources and characters.
Basic Morphological, Thermal and Physicochemical Properties of Sewage Sludge for Its Sustainable Energy and Material Use in the Circular Economy
Authors: Novosel Barbara , Mislej Vesna , Grilc Viktor
Published: February 2022

The treated sewage sludge is a smart material that provides sustainable use of energy and material that can be adapted to the needs of modern human life. Pyrolysis is one of the waste recovery operation that enables the generation of various useful groups of substances from treated sludge, which can then be utilized separately by final energy and material recovery processes: (i) solid residue (pyrogenic material), (ii) liquid fraction (bio-oil), and (iii) non-condensable gas. Those fractions are the basis for fertilizers and alternative fuel or new chemicals production. The chapter combines data on the quality of treated sludge as a case study of an urban wastewater treatment plant (UWWTP) with the capacity of 360,000 population equivalents (PE). The analytical results of dried anaerobically treated sludge over a 10-year period (from 2010 to 2020) are evaluated with respect to the limit values from directives, resolutions, guidelines, and national legislation related to specific processing procedures and quality of the final product. The data provide a comprehensive insight into the basic properties of treated sludge and allow thoughtful use of this smart material for WtE processes, organic matter material conversion, and agricultural use in terms of protecting the environment and human health.
Training Framework to Enhance Digital Skills and Pedagogy of Chemistry Teachers to Use IMFUNDO
Authors: Simelane-Mnisi Sibongile , Mokgala-Fleischmann Ntebogeng
Published: February 2022

The purpose of this study was to develop a training framework to enhance digital skills, practice and pedagogy of Chemistry teachers to effectively use a learning management system (LMS). The Department of Chemistry has been unsuccessful in adopting and integrating technology in teaching since 2011 due to the lack of a framework for training teachers in skills and competencies required to successfully implement digitalization pedagogy, engage students and improve student success. The challenge was that Chemistry teachers used LMS as a repository. This observation was not in line with the newly approved study University’s Teaching, Learning and Technology Strategy and did not support student-centered learning. Action research was employed. It was found that the teacher-training framework and the remote training of Chemistry teachers were developed and implemented. After training, the design and development of online modules significantly improved. COVID-19 lockdown accelerated the transition to fully online teaching.
Shear Wave Elastography for Chronic Musculoskeletal Problem
Authors: Kawai Tomonori
Published: February 2022

Shear wave elastography is a new noninvasive tool for the analysis of the biomechanical properties of the muscles in healthy and pathological conditions. Shear wave elastography is currently considered as a promising real-time visualization tool for quantifying explicitly the mechanical properties of soft tissues in sports medicine including muscle strain injury (MSI). This chapter shows utilizing diagnostic tools of magnetic resonance imaging, B mode ultrasound (US), and shear wave elastography in both acute and chronic phases. Also, the proposal for this chapter is to indicate the possibility of utilizing shear wave elastography for musculoskeletal injury, not only properties of the muscle but also fascial tissues. It introduces the relationship between previous muscle strain injury and local soft tissue stiffness, and we assessed the mechanical properties of soft tissues from a clinical perspective.
Perspective Chapter: New Approaches to the Assessment of Domain-Specific Creativity
Authors: Topal Altindiş Zehra
Published: February 2022

Science and technology getting continue to advance, the true wealth of our civilization will manifest in human creative output. Accordingly, technological developments offer great opportunities for creativity researches and assessment of creativity. While there are studies in the literature on the creation of computer-based creative products on the one hand, studies on whether creativity can be evaluated automatically or not, on the other hand, have started to attract attention. In addition, field experts turned to new research to understand whether creativity assessment could be automated and measured more quickly and qualitatively, and to explore whether this calculation method could be standardized. Researches conducted in the last 10 years have shown that computational approaches towards semantic distance have made significant contributions to the field both in theory and in practice. However, it can be said that there are very few studies that measure creativity based on semantic distance. This chapter presents a brief overview to discuss whether a computer-based measurement tool that can perform automatic calculations can be used in the evaluation of linguistic creativity in light of the evidence obtained from the literature.
Hydrolases: The Most Diverse Class of Enzymes
Authors: Shukla Ekta , D. Bendre Ameya , M. Gaikwad Sushama
Published: February 2022

Being the largest and most diverse class of enzymes, hydrolases offer an opportunity to explore the conformational diversity which forms the basis of their differential biological functions. In recent times, there is an urge to re-evaluate and update our existing knowledge on functional and conformational transitions of these enzymes, in the context of emerging scientific trends. In this chapter, we discuss hydrolases in terms of their diversity, classification, and different nomenclature styles that exist. Further, the concepts of protein stability and significance of studying the structure–function relationship of hydrolases are mentioned in detail taking serine protease as an example. The chapter talks about multiple ways by which an enzyme’s structure and function can be explored. The available information and literature survey on hydrolases have been systematically summarized for an easy understanding. Various experimental methods and techniques involving artificial intelligence are introduced in the later sections. The knowledge obtained by these strategies contributes to our current knowledge of the interplay between the stability, structure, and function of these enzymes. This, in turn, can help in designing and engineering these proteins with improved functional and structural features toward the goal of increasing their applicability in biotechnology.
Models and Strategies for the Regeneration of Residential Buildings and Outdoor Public Spaces in Distressed Urban Areas: A Case Study Review
Authors: Battisti Alessandra , Calcagni Livia , Calenzo Alberto
Published: February 2022

Given three-quarters of the European population living in urban areas, cities are expected to deliver sustainable growth if they will be able to further thrive and grow, while improving resource use and reducing pollution and poverty, as highlighted also by Sustainable Development Goal 11. In the context of vulnerable and marginal areas within cities, which suffer from multiple deprivations, regeneration processes at the building and district-scale play the most significant role in making cities more inclusive, sustainable and resilient. Reuse and refurbishment strategies, measured building replacement and stratification, redevelopment and enhancement, nature-based solutions and bioclimatic technological devices, are all tools for an integrated regeneration process capable of stimulating the urban metabolism and act as a driving force for the self-regeneration of the city. A comparison of two different building typologies, brought about by a review of existing public housing case studies in the outskirts of Rome, Italy, allowed us to define efficient, sustainable strategies and guidelines, that can be adapted to similar contexts in terms of building typology, social and economic conditions and of relationship to the rest of the city.
Using Biostimulants Containing Phytohormones to Recover Hail-Damaged Essential Oil Plants
Authors: Peter Khetsha Zenzile , Mahmood Sedibe Moosa , Johannes Pretorius Rudolph , Caiphus Rathebe Phoka , Moloantoa Karabelo
Published: February 2022

Hail can cause significant damage to aromatic and medicinal plants; however, this has never been investigated scientifically on most of aromatic and medicinal plants. Globally, essential oil crop producers primarily make use of agricultural crop insurance and costly mitigation strategies to recover lost production costs and alleviate hail-damaged plants. However, most aromatic and medicinal plants are not covered under agricultural crop insurance, and many commercial farmers are not able to regularly employ expensive alternative strategies. Therefore, hail damage may present a challenge to essential oil growers. The use of natural and synthetic phytohormones in a form of biostimulants, as an alternative biological mitigation strategy against hail damage in essential oil crops, has not received much attention, and there is no information on this topic. Exogenous applications of natural and synthetic biostimulants have consistently demonstrated growth enhancement, nutrient acquisition, yield and quality optimization, as well as physiological efficiency in plants. Biostimulants in a form of phytohormones are involved in diverse plant physiological processes, including the regulation of gene expression for adaptive responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. Using biostimulants, this chapter will detail the potential recovery response of aromatic and medicinal plants to hail damage, and the response of plants treated with biostimulants.
Application of Fuzzy Expert Systems in IT Project Management
Authors: Dudnyk Oleksii , Sokolovska Zoia
Published: February 2022

The available statistics show the growing influence of the IT market on the world economy over the last decade. According to expert information, this situation will continue, despite the IT sector’s economic crises, uneven development, and periodic fluctuations. The need to involve fuzzy expert systems (ES) in the IT field is stated, based on the high uncertainty level due to specifics of IT project management. The hypothesis of embedding ES in an IT company’s business process management to increase the efficiency of operational and strategic decisions is tested. The structure of ES is offered, built on the basis of fuzzy logic using a combined model of the semantic network and implication rules. The operation of the system is demonstrated in the example of managing an IT company’s current business processes to maximize its profits. Comparing the conclusions of the ES with the historical decisions of a real company demonstrates the feasibility of implementing the ES. The operation of the developed ES, using the knowledge base formed on the basis of 30 Ukrainian IT companies, confirmed the effectiveness of its use as a tool to support management decisions and increase the IT sector’s financial performance.
Toxicity of Heavy Metals
Authors: Loredana Ungureanu Elena , Mustatea Gabriel
Published: February 2022

Heavy metals are elements who exist naturally in the environment, but rapid urbanization and industrialization led to increased levels of these metals. These metals can reach the human body through food, water or air, where they have the property to accumulate in various tissues and organs for long periods of time and to produce serious effects on certain organs and the proper functioning of the body. Studies have also shown that heavy metals can have important effects, including on plants or animals. Their toxicity is dependent on factors such as dose, route of exposure, time of exposure, level of concentration, as well as age, gender, genetics, and nutritional status of exposed individuals. There is a growing interest from researchers to detect various physical, physical-chemical or microbiological methods to reduce or eliminate the presence of these metals, especially from surface or wastewater, which are mainly responsible for food contamination. This chapter present the main characteristics of heavy metals, the sources of contamination of exposure, as well as their toxicity on some environmental segments and especially on living organisms.
Influence of Heavy Metals on Quality of Raw Materials, Animal Products, and Human and Animal Health Status
Authors: Bartkowiak Anna
Published: February 2022

Heavy metals constitute one of the threats to the natural environment and the health of living organisms. The sources of contamination of the environment with heavy metals are mainly industry, thermal and chemical processing of mineral resources, burning of coal, gases and liquid fuels, municipal economy (rubbish dumps, sewage), and agriculture consuming mineral fertilizers, plant protection agents, utilizing huge loads of pollution accompanying animal production. Accumulation of toxic elements in plant tissues leads to disturbances in plant reproduction and thus to lowering of their nutritional value. In humans and animals, in turn, it may cause poisoning and the occurrence of various disorders and diseases, including cancer. There are different ways to reduce the penetration of heavy metals into crops and deactivation in animal organisms—by using the tolerance of plants to heavy metals, cleaning the environment through phytoremediation, the use of antagonistic type interactions to reduce bioaccumulation in animal tissues, as well as the properties of compounds of organic and mineral origin. The aim of the chapter is to present the problems of environmental pollution and accumulation of heavy metals (mainly cadmium, mercury, and lead) in tissues of farm animals, their impact on human and animal health, as well as the possibility of inactivation of heavy metals in animal organisms.
Primary Graft Dysfunction after Heart Transplantation
Authors: Yong Lee Soo
Published: February 2022

The entire transplant journey that the donor heart experiences affect the donor heart function early after transplantation. The early graft dysfunction without discernible cause is primary graft dysfunction (PGD) and has been one of the critical complications and the cause of early mortality after orthotopic heart transplantation. Although, numerous researchers investigated the pathophysiology and the related biomarkers, the process is multifactorial and therefore no definite biomarker has been proposed. After the recent definition from the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation, the standard of management is still under investigation by each status. Here, the prevalence, pathophysiology, biomarkers, and recent progression of management of PGD will be reviewed.
A Home-Based Heart Failure Nursing Intervention Supporting Self-Management and Lives
Authors: Sano Motohiro , Majima Tomoko
Published: February 2022

In the era of a super-aged society, along with the rapid development of medical techniques to treat cardiovascular disease, there are an increasing number of aged patients with heart failure (HF). To cope with this near pandemic, coordinated-HF management combining hospital-based optimal therapy and home-based care is required. Accordingly, the concept of “living with HF” is advocated and is widely accepted as a key to improve patients’ quality of life as well as prognosis. To achieve it, home visiting nursing services are essential. But these services have some difficulties. This chapter shows the importance of promoting self-management for patients with heart failure and intervention strategies in the home care setting.
Recent Advances in Systemic Therapy for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma: Focus on Anti-Angiogenic Inhibitors and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
Authors: Onishi Fumie , Fujimoto Nobukazu
Published: February 2022

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a neoplasm strongly associated with past exposure to asbestos. In general, the prognosis of patients with MPM is poor; however, in recent years, some encouraging results have been reported for systemic therapies for MPM. In a randomized phase III study, the combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab improved overall survival, compared to the standard platinum-based chemotherapy. An important clinical issue is whether the outcome of patients with MPM might be further improved by combining immunotherapies with cytotoxic chemotherapy and/or angiogenesis inhibitors. This chapter covers recent findings on systemic therapies, including cytotoxic chemotherapy, anti-angiogenic inhibitors, and/or immune checkpoint inhibitors.
Accessing Oral Healthcare within a Context of Economic Transition
Authors: Nyamuryekung’e Kasusu , Kahabuka Febronia
Published: February 2022

In many low-mid income settings, accessibility of health services remains inadequate and inequitable. These observed disparities in accessibility are particularly evident for oral healthcare services. The access to oral healthcare is influenced by the responsiveness of the health system, including availability of human resources for health, oral health facilities’ infrastructure, geographical distribution, equipment and materials as well as community’s awareness and affordability of the provided services. The evolution of oral healthcare access in Tanzania; from the early post-colonial phases of independence to current transition that the country is undergoing from low to a low-mid income economy is presented. The major health policies’ transition from “Free Healthcare” services to “Cost-sharing” and ultimately to “Health Insurance” are presented within the context of their influence towards oral healthcare access.
History and Geographic Distribution of Chikungunya Virus
Authors: Zavala-Colon Maria , A. Gonzalez-Sanchez Juan
Published: February 2022

Chikungunya fever (CHIKF) is a mosquito-borne disease caused by an arbovirus endemic to Africa and Asia. It was initially seen in the early 1950s at the boundary of Tanzania and Mozambique. Due to the ease with which its vectors propagate, the virus has spread to India, Europe, and recently it arrived in the Caribbean, eventually extending into North, Central, and South America. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the most common clinical manifestations are abrupt fever, polyarthralgia, headache, maculopapular rash, myalgia, and nausea/vomiting. Severe joint pain and stiffness have been known to incapacitate some patients from a few days to several months after infection. The re-emergence of the CHIKV and its spread to new places around the globe has encouraged the development of new preventive, diagnostic, and treatment strategies. This chapter will discuss the history of CHIKV and expanding geographic distribution.
Anti-Microbial Peptides: The Importance of Structure-Function Analysis in the Design of New AMPs
Authors: Ouertani Awatef , Mosbah Amor , Cherif Ameur
Published: February 2022

In recent years the rapid emergence of drug resistant microorganisms has become a major health problem worldwide. The number of multidrug resistant (MDR) bacteria is in a rapid increase. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new antimicrobial agent that is active against MDR. Among the possible candidates, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent a promising alternative. Many AMPs candidates were in clinical development and the Nisin was approved in many food products. Exact mechanism of AMPs action has not been fully elucidated. More comprehensive of the mechanism of action provide a path towards overcoming the toxicity limitation. This chapter is a review that provides an overview of bacterial AMPs named bacteriocin, focusing on their diverse mechanism of action. We develop here the structure–function relationship of many AMPs. A good understanding of AMPS structure–function relationship can helps the scientific in the conception of new active AMPs by the evaluation of the role of each residue and the determination of the essential amino acids for activity. This feature helps the development of the second-generation AMPs with high potential antimicrobial activity and more.