bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
To the Methodology of Phase Transition Temperature Determination in Aqueous Solutions of Thermo-Sensitive Polymers
Authors: Mun G.A. , Moldakhan I. , Kabdushev S.B. , Yermukhambetova B.B. , Shaikhutdinov R. , Yeligbayeva G.Zh.
Published: August 2020

An advanced methodology of phase transition determination in aqueous solutions of thermo-sensitive polymers by using of the phase portraits method has been suggested. The methodology allows highly accurate determining the temperature when exactly a half of molecules loses solubility (from the maximum number that can go to another phase state under given conditions). It is shown that since phase transition passes usually in a wide enough temperature interval this indicator should be used as a quantitative parameter that characterizes phase transition process. Additionally the suggested methodology allows introducing one more quantitative parameter that reflects a sharpness of phase transition. The methodology is verified by an example of phase transitions study in aqueous solutions of thermo-sensitive copolymers based on N-vinylpyrrolidone and vinyl propyl ether.
The study of the Kinetic Characteristics of Sorption of Scandium of Ion Exchanger Purolite MTS9580 from Return Circulating Solutions of Underground Leaching of Uranium Ores
Authors: Yessimkanova U. , Mataev M. , Alekhina M. , Kopbaeva M. , Berezovskiy A. , Dreisinger Dr D.
Published: August 2020

This paper presents the results of a study of experiments on the sorption characteristics of phosphorus-containing ion exchangers Purolite MTS9580 (functional group ‒ derivatives of phosphonic acid) and Lewatit TP260 (functional group ‒ aminomethylphosphonic acid) on scandium. Using the method of low-temperature nitrogen adsorption, structural characteristics of selected ion exchangers Purolite MTS9580 and Lewatit TP260 respectively were measured. The specific surface of Purolite MTS9580 and Lewatit TP260 ion exchangers was measured as 5.1 and 4.5 m2/g, respectively. The obtained values indicate the presence of a macroporous structure in the ion exchangers. Experiments were carried out on the sorption of scandium and critical impurities in a static mode and dynamic mode while varying the acidity of the initial mother liquor of the sorption of uranium. Comparison of scandium sorption from pre-acidified uranium sorption mother liquor with Lewatit TP260 and Purolite MTS9580 ion exchangers showed an advantage for MTS9580 resin. The MTS9580 resin had an exchange capacity of 200 mg Sc/dm3 versus 59.7 mg Sc/dm3 for TP260. The dynamic exchange capacity of Purolite MTS9580 is much lower in relation to harmful impurities as Al, Fe, Ca, etc.
Effect of Mechanical Activation on the Reactivity of Composites for Flameless Heaters
Authors: Kaliyeva A. , Tileuberdi Ye. , Galfetti L. , Ongarbayev Ye.
Published: August 2020

The work is devoted to the activation of metal powder mixtures suitable for use in flameless food heaters. Four activated powders have been manufactured starting from the reference material using a standard technique. Activated powders exhibited a significant increment of the reactivity for the reference mixture. Experimental tests were carried out to characterize the resulting composites in terms of the combustion rate. The oxidation reaction at a low heating rate was monitored using a SEIKO EXTAR II thermal analysis machine and its tests were carried out at open air in temperature range starting from room temperature up to 1150 °C at the heating rate of 10 °C/min. Powders activated by mechanical activations and the initial mixture of materials were characterized in terms of apparent density, absorbed surfactant with the mass of sizing, i.e. granulometry, oxidation properties at a low heating rate. With increase the grinding time, the color of the powder switches to dark tones. Powder granulometry was performed on a MALVERN laser granulometer MASTERSIZER 2000 using dry block SCIROCCO. Three measurements for each sample were performed and the results were averaged. The tests were recorded and processed by digital technology to make the combustion rate of the powders, also the experimental setup used for investigations was presented. The sample AlS-AlF_MnO2_SiO-150 is characterized by the lowest metal content, and by the most regular combustion propagation. The powder AlS-AlF_MnO2_SiO-50 features the highest metal content, but the less regular combustion propagation. The use of mechanical activation allows increasing the number of nanoscale materials, which contributes to the synthesis of highly effective flameless food heaters.
Comentario a un caso de fístula uretro-vaginal concomitante con embarazo
Authors: Fonnegra Miramón Alvaro
Published: August 2020

Antecedentes.Evolución. Discusión de la etiología y la conducta.
Un caso de quiste congénito del ovario, coexistente con anomalías del tracto génito-urinario y digestivo
Authors: Acosta Bendek Eduardo
Published: August 2020

Se registra un caso de quiste congénito del ovario, coexistente con hernia umbilical, ausencia de matriz, vagina, imperforación del ano, anomalías de los órganos genitales externos y ausencia de ampolla rectal y canal anal. Además se hace un breve comentario sobre la histogénesis de las distintas anomalías presentadas en el mencionado caso ( 1).
Aplicação do Apoio Multicritério à Decisão no Planejamento Urbano:
Authors: Fávero Loss Camila , Garcia Ferreira Marcos Antonio
Published: August 2020

Os contextos relacionados a planejamentos e transportes apresentam complexidade para a tomada de decisão, por envolver vários atores e objetivos conflitantes. Neste sentido, foi proposta uma aplicação do Apoio Multicritério à Decisão, na área de planejamento urbano, especificamente, em um estudo para a escolha de pavimentos em uma cidade brasileira de porte médio. Foi desenvolvido em três etapas principais: estruturação do problema, avaliação das alternativas e recomendações. Avaliou-se alternativas em Concreto Asfáltico Usinado à Quente (CAUQ), em Peças Pré-moldadas de Concreto (PPC) e uma terceira em PPC dotada de estrutura para infiltração e armazenamento de águas pluviais. Como resultado, recomendou-se a alternativa em CAUQ. A aplicação do AMD proporcionou uma visão abrangente para a escolha de pavimentos urbanos, embasada no juízo de valores dos atores envolvidos; possibilitou a identificação das potencialidades e as limitações de cada pavimento; identificou valores que determinaram o melhor desempenho global do CAUQ e que se revelaram relevantes para a gestão pública. O modelo desenvolvido pode ser aplicado em outras áreas de transporte e planejamento urbano.
Data-based decision-making practices in secondary schools of North Gondar, Ethiopia
Authors: Fitsumbirhan Gebremedhin , Asrat Aster , Kelkay Asrat Dagnew
Published: August 2020

The main purpose of this study was to examine data-based decision-making practices in secondary schools of North Gondar. Descriptive design was employed in the study. Data were collected from 14 principals, 28 vice principals and 78 department heads through a questionnaire which contained closed and open-ended items and from document analysis. Regarding the sampling of participants, systematic sampling was used for selecting the sample districts; principals and vice principals were selected using comprehensive sampling and purposive sampling were used to select the department heads. The result of the analysis shows that the secondary schools under study had varieties of decision areas and data available for their decisions but they did not use such data available properly to address the decision areas specified. From this, it was possible to conclude that the data-based decision-making in secondary schools was not practiced as expected and it was highly affected by a host of factors like poor scientific methods of data collection, lack of data analysis practices using different techniques and poor data storage and retrieval systems in secondary schools. It is, therefore, recommended that training in skill and awareness development on data-based decision-making should be provided to school teachers in the area.

 

Keywords: Data-based, decision-making, practice and secondary school.
The effects of problem-solving teaching methods on elementary school student’s physics achievement at Dudmegn full cycle elementary school, Ethiopia
Authors: Dagnew Gebremedhin , Kelkay Asrat Dagnew
Published: August 2020

This study investigated the effects of problem-solving teaching method on elementary school students’ physics achievement at elementary school. In this investigation an experimental research procedure was used. Along with this, a sample of sixty students was drawn from a total of three hundred seventy-eight students using lottery method of sampling technique. Physics achievement test (pre-test and post-test) covering the unit ‘’Introduction to Electronics’’ was used as measuring instrument. Then, based on the pre-test scores, mixed ability groups such as fifteen high and fifteen low scoring 30 students each were assigned as experimental (13Fand17M) and control(15 and15M) groups using lottery method of sampling technique Students in the experimental group were taught using problem solving teaching method while those in the control group were instructed with lecture teaching method. The post-test constructed by the writer in the sample unit taught was administrated to both groups immediately after the treatment was over. Finally, the results of the study revealed that problem-solving teaching method was more effective in teaching physics as compared with lecture method at elementary school level.
Keywords: Achievement, Effect, Elementary, Physics, problem
Effects of academic results on the perception of competence and self-esteem in students’ training
Authors: Radid Mohamed , Lotfi Said , Akoul Mustapha
Published: August 2020

The goal of this research is to measure, with validated instruments, the corollary links between students’ academic results and the nature of their perceptions of their skills and self-esteem. To accomplish this study, we tested it on 255 student volunteers with an average age of 21 years (91 female students and 164 male students).We opted for two types of surveys: a questionnaire developed by Duclos B, which measures self-esteem in five domains, and a questionnaire on the perception of competence on three domains of training (oral skills, written skills and physical practice skills).The Pearson correlation coefficient (r) is used to assess the intensity of the relationship between the three subject variables. The data were processed with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (21). The significance level is set at p < 0.05.These three variables combined in the synthesis of the results confirm the initial hypothesis that there is a correlation but only between a few domains of selfesteem, sense of competence and academic results obtained. Indeed, students in this branch of education have a negative perception of their ‘academic’ and ‘physical’ self-esteem when their academic performance is modest or low. On the other hand, the domains of family, social and overall self-esteem are not influenced, despite modest academic achievement. The result is that even though students display a low sense of competence in the face of modest results during training, their selfesteem in the ‘family and social’ domains stays stable with good scores.
Keywords: Academic results, corollary links, perception of competence, self-esteem, training
Trauma-Informed Rehabilitation Counseling
Authors: Koch Mark C. , Vajda Anthony J. , Koch Lynn C.
Published: August 2020

People with trauma histories make up a significant portion of the population. Individuals may develop trauma-related disabilities as a result of exposure to adverse life events such as violence, war, child abuse, or natural disasters. Likewise, people with pre-existing disabilities may be at risk of developing secondary trauma-related disabilities. The likelihood that rehabilitation counselors will provide services to individuals with trauma histories is high; therefore, the purposes of this literature review are to: (a) define trauma and explore its physiological, emotional, and behavioral effects on trauma survivors; (b) define trauma-informed care and explore its basic principles; and (c) introduce concepts and strategies to implement as part of trauma-informed rehabilitation counseling.
Campus Support Providers' Discussion of Consent in Response to Sexual Assault Disclosure Situations: Understanding of Consent Linked to Resource Referrals
Authors: Holl Kathryn J. , Cipriano Allison E.
Published: August 2020

College sexual assault is a widespread issue and the responses of support providers can greatly affect sexual assault survivors' wellbeing after a disclosure. Although “consent” (or, more precisely, the lack thereof) is the defining feature of sexual assault, little is known about how support providers understand consent and draw from this knowledge in their responses to disclosures. This is particularly important in the wake of evolving consent policies in institutions of higher education. University resident assistants (RAs) are an important source of support for students in crisis, functioning as a “first responder” and providing support. Using a sample of 305 RAs, the current study employs a critical discourse analysis to examine how RAs engage with the concept of consent in response to sexual assault disclosure situations. Four types of consent discourses were identified: (a) affirming nonconsent, (b) validating right to consent, (c) questioning nonconsent, and (d) dictating how to consent. Findings provide a novel examination of how consent is understood, communicated, and reinforced in the campus community, and the implications of these discourses for survivors. Results suggest there may be benefit in additional training for support providers around the conceptualization of consent and how to discuss consent with survivors.
Clinical Severity as a Predictor of Nursing Workload in Pediatric Intensive Care Units: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Nieri Alexandra-Stavroula , Spithouraki Eleni , Galanis Petros , Kaitelidou Daphne , Matziou Vasiliki , Giannakopoulou Margarita
Published: August 2020

Background: Increased nursing workload (NW) is associated with increased incidence of adverse events. In adult ICUs, one of the factors that increase NW is the severity of illness; however, this has not been adequately investigated in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Aim: To explore potential association between clinical severity of critically ill children and NW in PICU. Methods: A descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional study design was employed. Data were collected from three PICUs of Athens, Greece, during November 2015 to March 2016, using a sample of 58 pediatric patients. The Pediatric-Nursing Activities Score (P-NAS) and the Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System 28 (TISS-28) were used to measure NW and the Pediatric Logistic Organ Dysfunction (PELOD) to assess clinical severity. Demographic and clinical variables of the children were also investigated. Multiple linear regressions were used to identify NW predictive factors, at 5% significance level. Results: Participants' median age (interquartile range [IQR]) was 38.5 (7.0–127.0) months and 50% of them were male. PELOD score was significantly correlated with NW scores on the first day of hospitalization in PICU (P-NAS: ? = .319, p = .020, TISS-28: ? = .547, p < .0001) and with NW during total PICU stay (TISS-28: ? = .483, p < .001). The PELOD (? = .694, p = .052) and the elective surgery (? = ?13.12, p = .01) were predictors of the P-NAS on the first day of hospitalization, and the PELOD (? = .563, p = .029) and the emergency surgery (? = 16.09, p = .01) were predictors of the P-NAS during total PICU stay. The PELOD (? = .509, p = .001) was a predictor factor of the TISS-28 score on the first day of PICU hospitalization and the PELOD (? = .371, p = .003) and the age (? = .036, p = .005) were predictors of the TISS-28 score during total PICU stay. Conclusions: The clinical severity is a predictive factor of NW required in PICUs.
Critical Care Nurses as Frontline Warriors During COVID-19 in Pakistan
Authors: Meghani Shaista , Lalani Nasreen
Published: August 2020

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in several short-term and long-term impacts on the physical, social, and psychological health of every individual globally, especially among frontline workers including nurses working in the critical care settings. In Pakistan, 85,264 confirmed cases have been identified and 1,770 deaths are reported so far. The death rate is 2.0% as compared to Europe (14.6%) and the United States (5.7%) per 100,000 population. Frontline workers are the most vulnerable population during this pandemic. Nearly 440 frontline staff including nurses, doctors, and other health workers have been infected with COVID-19 with 8 confirmed deaths reported in different provinces of Pakistan. These numbers are continuously increasing posing a serious threat for the health and well-being of the healthcare professionals especially nurses working in the critical care settings. Objective: The paper outlines the challenges and experiences of critical care nurses working in acute hospital settings of a low resourced country Pakistan during a pandemic. Methods: Literature search using CINAHL, MEDLINE, PubMed databases, local and international news papers, magazines, websites, international nursing colleagues and personal experiences/insights are included in the paper. Results: Findings include common challenges such as lack of staff, lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), limited knowledge regarding standard infection control practices, isolation protocols, lack of administrative support, transportation, accommodation, childcare facility, and so forth. As a result, most nurses are reporting symptoms of fear, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic symptoms, spiritual, and moral distress. Nurses often become targets of violence and harassment by the general public in the Pakistani healthcare system, due to lack of awareness, cultural beliefs, low status/image of nurses, low literacy levels, and poverty. Conclusion: Targeted interventions and policies are needed to maintain safety and protect physical, social, psychological, and spiritual health and well-being of nurses. Health authorities in Pakistan should take the responsibility in creating awareness, providing adequate guidance, and support to enhance nurses' well-being and quality of life during the pandemic.
DIGNIDADE, RECONHECIMENTO E CONSTITUIÇÃO: ENTRE KANT E HEGEL
Authors: Weber Thadeu
Published: August 2020

O texto pretende evidenciar aspectos da atualidade do pensamento de Kant e Hegel. Além de destacar uma certa complementaridade entre eles, indica e comenta suas contribuições ao debate de temas importantes da Ética e da Filo­sofia Política Contemporâneas, tais como: dignidade, autonomia, fundamentação ética da Constituição, reconhecimento recíproco e liberdade.
O MENINO NA AREIA: UMA REFLEXÃO ARENDTIANA SOBRE A SOLIDARIEDADE
Authors: Bodziak Junior Paulo Eduardo
Published: August 2020

A realidade da crise migratória em suas repetidas tragédias, por um lado, tem provocado grande comoção. Por outro lado, também explicita a inércia política que países e instituições internacionais têm demonstrado ante tal fenômeno. Este contraste entre as duas reações pode ser compreendido pela forma como a esfera pública foi esvaziada de “princípios de ação” na modernidade. A partir da crítica arendtiana ao conceito de compaixão, veremos que a política possui uma “fundação afetiva” que inspira, ou não, a ação efetiva. Neste sentido, mostraremos que os fenômenos modernos da “ascensão do social” e do surgimento da “intimidade” mantiveram nossa experiência afetiva desatrelada da ação política.
SARS-CoV-2 Virion Stabilization by Zn Binding
Authors: Morante Silvia , La Penna Giovanni , Rossi Giancarlo C. , Stellato Francesco
Published: August 2020

Zinc plays a crucial role in the process of virion maturation inside the host cell. The accessory Cys-rich proteins expressed in SARS-CoV-2 by genes ORF7a and ORF8 are likely involved in zinc binding and in interactions with cellular antigens activated by extensive disulfide bonds. In this report we provide a proof of concept for the feasibility of a structural study of orf7a and orf8 proteins. A conceivable hypothesis is that lack of cellular zinc, or substitution thereof, might lead to a significant slowing down of viral maturation.
Hospital and Population-Based Evidences for COVID-19 Early Circulation in the East of France
Authors: Gerbaud Laurent , Guiguet-Auclair Candy , Breysse Franck , Odoul Joséphine , Ouchchane Lemlih , Peterschmitt Jonathan , Dezfouli-Desfer Camille , Breton Vincent
Published: August 2020

Background: Understanding the SARS-CoV-2 dynamics and transmission is a major issue to model and control its propagation. The Alsace region in the East of France has been among the first French COVID-19 clusters in 2020. Methods: We confront evidences from three independent and retrospective sources: a population-based survey through internet, an analysis of the medical records from hospital emergency care services and the review of medical biology laboratory data. We also check the role played in the virus propagation by a large religious meeting which gathered over 2000 participants from all over France mid-February in Mulhouse. Results: SARS-CoV-2 was circulating several weeks before the first officially recognized case in Alsace on February 26th 2020 and the sanitary alert on March 3rd. The religious gathering played a role for secondary dissemination of the epidemic in France, but not in creating the local outbreak which was in place much earlier. Conclusions: Our results illustrate how the integration of data coming from multiple sources could help trigger an early alarm in the context of an emerging disease. Good information data systems, able to produce earlier alerts, could have avoided a general lockdown in France.
Amplicon Sequence Variant-Based Oral Microbiome Analysis Using QIIME 2
Authors: Maruyama Hugo , Masago Ayako , Nambu Takayuki , Mashimo Chiho , Okinaga Toshinori
Published: August 2020

The bacterial composition of oral samples has traditionally been determined by PCR amplicon sequencing of 16S rRNA genes. Recent amplicon sequence variant (ASV)-based analyses of 16S rRNA genes differ from that based on operational taxonomic unit (OTU) clustering in the way it deals with sequences having potential errors. However, little information is available on its application in oral microbiome studies. Here, we conducted ASV-based analysis of oral microbiome samples using QIIME 2. We investigated the optimal parameters for sequence denoising, using DADA2, and found the trimming of the first 20 nucleotides from 5′-end of both paired reads avoided excessive sequence loss during chimera removal. Truncating reads at positions 240–245 allowed the removal of low-quality sequences while maintaining sufficient length to merge matching paired ends. Taxonomic assignment, using the naïve Bayes classifier trained with the V3-V4 region of reference 16S rRNA sequences in the extended human oral microbiome database (eHOMD), resulted in bacterial compositions similar to those of OTU-based analyses. Contrary to OTU-based clustering, ASV-based analysis showed taxonomic abundance at the genus or species level to not differ significantly in tongue microbiomes, regardless of brushing. QIIME 2 can, therefore, be a standard pipeline for ASV-based analysis of oral microbiomes.
Asymmetric Attributional Word Similarities Measures to detect Relations of Textual Generality
Authors: Pais Sebastião , Dias Gaël
Published: August 2020

In this work we present a new unsupervised and language-independent methodology to detect relations of textual generality, for this, we introduce a particular case of textual entailment (TE), namely Textual Entailment by Generality (TEG). TE aims to capture primary semantic inference needs across applications in Natural Language Processing (NLP). Since 2005, in the TE recognition (RTE) task, systems are asked to automatically judge whether the meaning of a portion of the text, the Text - T, entails the meaning of another text, the Hypothesis - H. Several novel approaches and improvements in TE technologies demonstrated in RTE Challenges are signalling of renewed interest towards a more in-depth and better understanding of the core phenomena involved in TE. In line with this direction, in this work, we focus on a particular case of entailment, entailment by generality, to detect relations of textual generality. In-text, there are different kinds of entailment, yielded from different types of implicative reasoning (lexical, syntactical, common sense based), but here we focus just on TEG, which can be defined as an entailment from a specific statement towards a relatively more general one. Therefore, we have T→GH whenever the premise T entails the hypothesis H, being it also more general than the premise. We propose an unsupervised and language-independent method to recognize TEGs, from a pair ⟨T,H⟩ having an entailment relation. To this end, we introduce an Informative Asymmetric Measure (IAM) called Simplified Asymmetric InfoSimba (AISs), which we combine with different Asymmetric Association Measures (AAM). In this work, we hypothesize the existence of a particular mode of TE, namely TEG. Thus, the main contribution of our study is to highlight the importance of this inference mechanism. Consequently, the new annotation data seems to be a valuable resource for the community.
Comparative Study of Clustering Approaches Applied to Spatial or Temporal Pattern Discovery
Authors: Grassi Kelly , Poisson-Caillault Émilie , Bigand André , Lefebvre Alain
Published: August 2020

Many clustering approaches succeed in pattern segmentation in many applications. This unsupervised segmentation should be effective to reduce an expert labelling time: i.e, they must be able to detect the number of patterns and identify them in a sequence or map with the right cuts. Several direct and hierarchical clustering approaches are compared for this task. A divisive spectral clustering architecture with a no-cut criteria is also proposed. This new algorithm achieves promise segmentation of spatial UCI databases and marine time series compared to other approaches.
Effects of Tissue Preservation on Carbon and Nitrogen Stable Isotope Signatures in Syngnathid Fishes and Prey
Authors: Planas Miquel , Paltrinieri Alex , Dias Carneiro Mario Davi , Hernández-Urcera Jorge
Published: August 2020

Isotopic stable analysis (SIA) is a powerful tool in the assessment of different types of ecological and physiological studies. For that, different preservative methods for the samples are commonly used prior to isotopic analysis. The effects of various preservative methods (drying, freezing, ethanol and formaldehyde) have been analyzed for C:N ratio, δ13C and δ15N on a variety of tissues including dorsal fins (three seahorse and two pipefish species), seahorse newborns (three seahorses species), and prey (copepods and different stages of Artemia) commonly used to feed the fishes in rearing conditions. The aims of the study were to: (i) evaluate isotopic effects of preservation methods across tissues; and (ii) construct the first conversion models available in syngnathid fishes. The preservation in ethanol and to a lesser extend in formaldehyde significantly affected δ13C values, whereas δ15N signatures were not affected significantly. Due to their low lipid content, the isotopic signals in fish fins were almost unaffected, supporting the suitability of dorsal fins as a convenient tool in isotopic studies on vulnerable species such as syngnathids. The regression equations provided permit the successful conversion of δ13C and δ15N values between preservative treatments. The conversion models can be applied to isotopic studies in the field and in the laboratory.
Deep Learning Driven Automated Detection of COVID-19 from Radiography Images: A Comparative Analysis
Authors: Rahman Sejuti , Sarker Sujan , Al Miraj Abdullah , Amin Nihal Ragib , Haque A. K. M. Nadimul , Al Noman Abdullah
Published: August 2020

The ravage of COVID-19 is not merely limited to taking its toll with half a million fatalities. It has halted the world economy, disrupting normalcy of lives with supervening severity than any other global catastrophe of the last few decades. The majority of the vaccine discovery attempts are still on trial, making early detection and containment the only feasible redress. The existing diagnostic technique with high accuracy has the setbacks of being expensive and sophisticated, requiring skilled individuals for specimen collection and screening resulting in lower outreach. So, methods excluding direct human intervention are much sought after, and artificial intelligence-driven automated diagnosis, especially with radiography images, captures the researchers' interest. This survey marks a detailed inspection of the deep-learning-based automated detection of COVID-19 works done to date, methodical challenges along with probable solutions, and scopes of future exploration in this arena. We also provided a comparative quantitative analysis of the performance of 315 deep models in diagnosing COVID-19, Normal, and Pneumonia from x-ray images. Our results show that Densenet201 model with Quadratic SVM classifier performs the best (accuracy: 98.16\%, sensitivity: 98.93\%, specificity: 98.77\%) and maintains high accuracies in other similar architectures as well. This proves that even though radiography images might not be conclusive for radiologists, but it is so for deep learning algorithms for detecting COVID-19. We hope this extensive review will provide a comprehensive guideline for researchers in this field.
Exploring Serum Transferrin Regulation of Nonferric Metal Therapeutic Function and Toxicity
Authors: Benjamín-Rivera Josué A. , Cardona-Rivera Andres E. , Vazquez-Maldonado Angel L. , Dones-Lassalle Christian Y. , Pabon-Colon Hector L. , Rodriguez-Rivera Hector M. , Rodriguez Israel , Gonzalez-Espiet Jean C. , Pazol Jessika , Perez Jobaniel , Catala-Torres Jose F. , Carrasquillo Rivera Marielie , De Jesus Soto Michael G. , Cordero-Virella Nicolle A. , Cruz-Maldonado Paola M. , Gonzalez-Pagan Patricia , Hernandez-Rios Raul , Gaur Kavita , Loza-Rosas Sergio A. , Tinoco Arthur D.
Published: August 2020

Serum transferrin (sTf) plays a pivotal role in regulating iron biodistribution and homeostasis within the body. The molecular details of sTf Fe(III) binding, blood transport, and cellular delivery through transferrin receptor-mediated endocytosis are generally well-understood. Emerging interest exists in exploring sTf complexation of nonferric metals as it facilitates the therapeutic potential and toxicity of several of them. This review explores recent X-ray structural and physiologically relevant metal speciation studies to understand how sTf partakes in the bioactivity of key non-redox active hard Lewis acidic metals. It challenges preconceived notions of sTf structure function correlations that were based exclusively on the Fe(III) model by revealing distinct coordination modalities that nonferric metal ions can adopt and different modes of binding to metal-free and Fe(III)-bound sTf that can directly influence how they enter into cells and, ultimately, how they may impact human health. This knowledge informs on biomedical strategies to engineer sTf as a delivery vehicle for metal-based diagnostic and therapeutic agents in the cancer field. It is the intention of this work to open new avenues for characterizing the functionality and medical utility of nonferric-bound sTf and to expand the significance of this protein in the context of bioinorganic chemistry.
Practical Implications of Different Phenotypic and Molecular Responses of Evergreen Conifer and Broadleaf Deciduous Forest Tree Species to Regulated Water Deficit in a Container Nursery
Authors: Robakowski Piotr , Wyka Tomasz , Wojciech Kowalkowski , Barzdajn Władysław , Pers-Kamczyc Emilia , Jankowski Artur , Politycka Barbara
Published: August 2020

Recent climatic changes have resulted in an increased frequency and prolonged periods of drought and strained water resources affecting plant production. We explored the possibility of reducing irrigation in a container nursery and studied the growth response of seedlings of economically important forest trees: broadleaf deciduous angiosperms Fagus sylvatica, Quercus petraea and evergreen conifers Abies alba and Pinus sylvestris. We also studied markers of water stress including modifications of biomass allocation, leaf anatomy, proline accumulation and expression of selected genes. Growth of the broadleaved deciduous species was more sensitive to the reduced water supply than that of conifers. Remarkably, growth of the shade tolerant Abies was not affected. Adjustment of biomass allocations was strongest in P. sylvestris, with a remarkable increase in allocation to roots. In response to water deficit both deciduous species accumulated proline in leaves and produced leaves with shorter palisade cells, reduced vascular tissues and smaller conduit diameters, but not conifers. Relative transcript abundance of a gene encoding a Zn-finger protein in Q. petraea and a gene encoding a pore calcium channel protein 1 in A. alba increased as water deficit increased. These findings suggest that in container nursery, the genetic selection can be initiated by water deficit. Our study shows major differences between functional groups in response to irrigation, with seedlings of evergreen conifers having higher tolerance than the deciduous species. This suggests that major water savings could be achieved by adjusting irrigation regime to functional group or species requirements.
Evaluation of the CDOM Absorption Coefficient in the Arctic Seas by Sentinel-3 OLCI Data
Authors: Glukhovets Dmitry , Kopelevich Oleg , Yushmanova Anna , Vazyulya Svetlana , Sheberstov Sergey , Karalli Polina , Sahling Inna
Published: August 2020

The main goal of our work is the revealing of problematic issues related to estimates of the absorption coefficient of colored organic matter in the northern seas from data of the Ocean and Land Color Instrument (OLCI) on the Sentinel-3 satellites. In particular, a comparison of the OLCI standard error estimates ADG443_NN_err., relating to the measurement and retrieval of the geophysical products, with the uncertainties in the real situation of the northern seas, where the natural conditions are extremely unfavorable (first of all, frequent cloudiness, low Sun heights). We conducted a comprehensive multi-sensor study of the uncertainties using various approaches, first at all, directly comparing the data from satellite (OLCI Sentinel-3 and four other ocean color sensors) and field measurements in five sea expeditions 2016-2019, by using the different processing algorithms. Our analysis has shown that the real uncertainties of the final product are significantly higher than the calculated errors of the ADG443_NN_err., which is 100% and ~10%. The main reason for that is the unsatisfactory atmospheric correction. We present the results of the analysis of the different effecting factors (satellite sensors, processing algorithms, use of the other parameters), and formulate the tasks of future work.
Transcriptome of the Aedes aegypti Mosquito in Response to Human Complement Proteins
Authors: Giraldo-Calderón Gloria I. , Calle-Tobon Arley , Rozo-Lopez Paula , Colpitts Tonya M. , Park Yoonseong , Rua-Uribe Guillermo L. , Londono-Renteria Berlin
Published: August 2020

Aedes aegypti is the primary mosquito vector of several human arboviruses including dengue virus (DENV). Vector control is the principal intervention to decrease the transmission of these viruses. The characterization of molecules involved in the mosquito physiological responses to blood-feeding may help to identify novel targets useful in the design of effective control strategies. In this study, we evaluated the in vivo effect of feeding adult female mosquitoes with human blood containing either heat-inactivated (IB), normal serum (NB), and RNA-seq based transcript expression was compared against sugar-fed (SF) mosquitoes. In the in vitro experiments, we treated Aag2 cells with a recombinant version of the complement proteins (hC3 or hC5a) and compared transcript expression to untreated control cells after 24h. The transcript expression analysis revealed that human complement proteins modulate approximately 2,300 transcripts involved in multiple biological functions, including the immune system. We also found 161 up-regulated and 168 down-regulated transcripts differentially expressed when hC3 and hC5a were compared against the control untreated cells. We conclude that active human complement induces significant changes in the transcriptome of Ae. aegypti mosquitoes, which can influence the infective capacity of pathogens ingested during blood meals.
Impacts of The Invasive Seaweed Asparagopsis armata Exudate on Rockpool Invertebrates
Authors: Silva Carla O. , Novais Sara C. , Soares Amadeu M.V.M. , Barata Carlos , Lemos Marco F.L.
Published: August 2020

The marine red algae Asparagopsis armata is an invasive species which competitive advantage arises from the production and release of large amounts of toxic compounds to the surrounding invaded area, reducing the abundance of native species. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of this invasive seaweed on marine invertebrates by exposing the common prawn Palaemon elegans and the marine snail Gibbula umbilicalis to the exudate of this macroalgae. The seaweed was collected and placed in tanks, for 12 hours, in the dark in a 1:10 ratio. Afterwards the media containing its secondary metabolites was collected for further testing. Lethal and sublethal effects of A. armata were investigated. Biochemical biomarkers responses associated with energy metabolism (lactate dehydrogenase, LDH; electron transport system activity, ETS; content in lipids, proteins and carbohydrates) were analysed. The biomarker responses showed invertebrates’ physiological status impairment after exposure to low concentrations of this algae exudate. Highest concentrations of exudate significantly increased lipid content in both organisms. In the shrimp, protein content, ETS, and LDH were also significantly increased. On the contrary, these parameters were significantly decreased in G. umbilicalis. A behavioural impairment was also observed in G. umbilicalis exposed to A. armata exudate, with reduction in feeding consumption. These results represent an important step in the research of natural toxic exudates released to the environment and prospective effects of this seaweed in invaded communities under increasing global change scenarios.
Performance Evaluation of Red Clay Binder with Epoxy Emulsion for Autonomous Rammed Earth Construction
Authors: Kim Jinsung , Choi Hyeonggil , Yoon Keun-Byoung , Lee Dong-Eun
Published: August 2020

Existing rammed earth construction methods have disadvantages such as increased initial costs for manufacturing the large formwork and increased labor costs owing to the labor-intensive construction techniques involved. To address the limitations of existing rammed earth construction methods, an autonomous rammed earth construction method is introduced herein. As this autonomous rammed earth construction method uses a modular formwork, alternative materials must be used in the construction to satisfy the requirements for the early-age binder performance. Accordingly, this study evaluates the use of an epoxy emulsion composed of epoxy and a hardener to enhance the performance of the binder. Preliminary experiments were conducted to determine the optimal formulation of the epoxy emulsion, following which the compressive strength, water loosening, shrinkage, rate of mass change, and microstructure of several red clay binder specimens with and without epoxy emulsion were analyzed at early ages. The results confirmed that the epoxy emulsion can be applied to satisfy the performance requirements for autonomous rammed earth construction by improving the durability and strength of the binder at early ages.
A Moment-Based Method of Optinalysis
Authors: Abdullahi Kabir Bindawa
Published: August 2020

Graph symmetry detection, similarity, and identity measures have been extensively studied in graph automorphism and isomorphism problems. Nevertheless, graph isomorphism and automorphism detection remain an open (unsolved) problem for many decades. In this paper, a new optinalytic coefficient termed as an optical moment coefficient was introduced for optinalysis. Its characteristic efficiency was tested for bijective property, invariance, deterministic polynomiality and non-polynomiality. The test results show that the new optical moment coefficient is very efficient for symmetry detections, similarity and identity measures between two isometric isomorphs and automorphs; and deterministic on polynomial and non-polynomial graph models.
Multi-Rate Real-Time Simulation Method Based on the Norton Equivalent
Authors: Zhu Junjie , Zhang Bingda
Published: August 2020

For the problem of poor accuracy of the existing multi-rate simulation methods, this paper proposes a multi rate real-time simulation method based on the Norton equivalent, compared with multi-rate simulation method based on the ideal source equivalent. After the Norton equivalence of the fast subsystem and the slow subsystem, they are obtained simultaneously at the junction nodes. In order to reduce the amount of simulation calculation, the Norton equivalent circuit is obtained by incremental calculation. The data interface between the fast subsystem and the slow subsystem is realized by extrapolation method. For ensuring the real-time performance of the simulation, the method that the slow subsystem calculates ahead of the fast subsystem is given for the slow subsystem with a large amount of calculation. Finally, the AC/DC hybrid power system was simulated on the real-time simulation platform (FRTDS), and the simulation results were compared with the single-rate simulation, which verified the correctness and accuracy of the method.
Pengembangan media pembelajaran Interaktif geokolase berbasis information and communication technologies (ICT)
Authors: Hariyono Mohamad
Published: August 2020

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk : 1) menunjukan tahapan pengembangan media pembelajaran interaktif Geokolase berbasis ICT pada mata pelajaran Matematika, 2) menunjukan keefektifan dan kepraktisan media pembelajaran interaktif Geokolase berbasis ICT yang dikembangkan. Penelitian mengacu model pengembangan Plomp : (1) Investigasi Awal, (2) desain, (3) realisasi, (4) tes, evaluasi, dan revisi. Uji coba media pembelajaran dilakukan di SDN 8 Tulakan Donorejo sebagai kelas uji coba. Data diambil dari lembar validasi untuk mengukur kualitas media, lembar pengamatan, angket, tes, dan diolah dengan uji ketuntasan, dan uji banding. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan : (1) skor hasil validasi media Geokolase berbasis ICT 4,16 dengan interval 1-5 menunjukkan kriteria valid, (2) media pembelajaran yang dikembangkan adalah praktis, hal ini terlihat pada respon postif siswa dan kemampuan guru menggunakan media pembelajaran. (3) keefektifan pelaksanaan pembelajaran rata-rata pemahaman konsep kelas eksperimen sebesar 76,00 lebih besar daripada rata-rata pemahaman konsep kelas kontrol 68,05.
Pengaruh Media Flip Book Plus Terhadap Hasil Belajar Matematika Siswa Kelas X-IIS SMAN 1 Mejobo Materi Trigonometri Tahun Pelajaran 2018/2019
Authors: Hono Sri
Published: August 2020

Penggunaan teknologi informasi pada dunia pendidikan menjadi keharusan sebagai respon positif terhadap perkembangan jaman. Beberapa iklan masyarakat menunjukkan betapa smartphone dan penggunanya kedekatanya melebihi kedekatan orang tua dan anak. Hal yang sama berdasarkan pengamatan penulis terjadi di sekolah. Siswa lebih asik berinteraksi dengan telepon pintarnya daripada berinteraksi dengan guru. Buku menjadi barang yang menyebabkan alergi dan perlahan dijauhi siswa. Oleh karenanya penggunaan smartphone dalam pembelajaran tidak hanya sebatas respon perkembangan jaman. Penggunaan smartphone adalah jalan alternatif pada jaman yang serba canggih seperti saat ini. Berdasarkan permasalahan-permasalahan di atas maka penulis tertarik untuk melakukan penelitian pemanfaatan flip book plus sebagai media dan sumber belajar matematika. Kemudian penelitian ini penulis beri judul “Pengaruh Media Flip Book Plus Terhadap Hasil Belajar Matematika Siswa Kelas X-IIS SMAN 1 Mejobo Materi Trigonometri Tahun Pelajaran 2018/2019” Dari data hasil penelitian dapat dihitung t-hitung dan kemudian membandingkanya dengan t-tabel. Diperoleh t- hitung = 1,320961. Sementara t-tabel untuk kelompok 34 siswa adalah t-tabel = 1,30695. Didapat t-hitung > t-tabel yang artinya hasil belajar kelompok eksperimen lebih tinggi dari kelompok kontrol. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian dan pengamatan peneliti diperoleh kesimpulan sebagai berikut: Flip book plus dapat meningkatkan hasil belajar matematika materi trigonometri siswa kelas X-IIS di SMAN 1 Mejobo; Siswa terlihat antusias membaca materi dan quiz melaluihandphone.
PENGARUH PEMBELAJARAN 5 HARI SEKOLAH TERHADAP PRESTASI BELAJAR MATEMATIKA PESERTA DIDIK SMA NEGERI 1 BAE KUDUS
Authors: Hardjo Sugi
Published: August 2020

Penelitian ini bertujuan (1) untuk mengetahui pengaruh pembelajaran 5 hari sekolah terhadap prestasi belajar matematika peserta didik dan (2) untuk mengetahui seberapa besar pengaruh pembelajaran 5 hari sekolah terhadap prestasi belajar matematika. Penelitian dilaksanakan pada semsester ganjil tahun pelajaran 2018/2019, dengan jenis penelitian deskriptif kuantitatif. Populasi dalam penelitian ini adalah seluruh peserta didik SMA Negeri 1 Bae Kudus, dengan cacah sampel 137 peserta didik. Analisis data menggunakan uji t–test beda rerata untuk data berpasangan, dengan taraf signifikansi α = 0,05. Kesimpulan dari penelitian ini adalah: (1) terdapat pengaruh pembelajaran 5 hari sekolah terhadap prestasi belajar matematika peserta didik, hal ini ditunjukkan dengan nilai thit = –17,429 dan DK = {t| t < –1,656 atau t > 1,656 }, ternyata thit ∈ DK sehingga H0 ditolak. (2) Hasil perhitungan koefisien determinasi (r2) sebesar 0,111 artinya besarnya pengaruh 5 hari sekolah terhadap prestasi belajar matematika sebesar 11,1%, dan diperoleh koefisien korelasi (r) sebesar 0,334 dengan interpretasi korelasinya berkategori lemah, artinya pembelajaran 5 hari sekolah bukan satu – satunya faktor yang menentukan prestasi belajar matematika peserta didik melainkan adanya faktor – faktor lain yang tidak ada di dalam penelitian ini.
MENINGKATKAN AKTIVITAS DAN HASIL BELAJAR MATERI INTEGRAL MELALUI MODEL PEMBELAJARAN KOOPERATIF JIGSAW
Authors: Murwati Sri
Published: August 2020

IMPROVE ACTIVITY AND RESULTS OF LEARNING INTEGRAL MATERIALS THROUGH JIGSAW COOPERATIVE LEARNING MODELS. Teacher innovations to increase learning activities and outcomes need to be done so that effective learning, one of the efforts with the application of learning models, including JIGSAW type Cooperative Learning Model. The purpose of this study is to improve the process and learning outcomes in class XII IPS 3 on Integral material through the application of the JIGSAW Type Cooperative Learning model. The research subjects were students of class XII IPS 3 of SMA Negeri 1 Gebog Kudus.
The results of observations at the end of the cycle, seemed to increase as follows: the average student learning outcomes of 67.41 to 70.16, students have not completed as many as 16 students to 12 students, the percentage of students who did not complete 50% decreased to 37.5% and student learning completeness of 50% increased to 62.5%. Student activity in observing discussion and presentation activities seemed to increase above 70%. Other aspects also experienced an increase. There were 2 students experiencing decreased activity. Student opinion data that 10 students (31.25%) are very happy, 15 students feel happy, 2 students feel normal and 5 students are not happy. Thus it can be concluded that by cooperative learning Jigsaw type can improve the learning outcomes of integral material in class XII IPS 3 students of SMA Negeri 1 Gebog in the 2014/2015 academic year, which can be observed from: student learning outcomes are increasing, student activities are increasing, journal results and interviews which show that students feel happy with this learning.