bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The nurse's legal duty to safely delegate tasks and to follow up the outcome
Authors: Griffith Richard
Published: April 2022

Richard Griffith, Senior Lecturer in Health Law at Swansea University, considers a registered nurse's legal and professional duties when delegating tasks to others
Malignant Head and Neck Tumors in Basrah: A Clinicopathological Study
Authors: Al-Mowali Abeer A. , S. Hashim Hayder , Al-Haroon Sawsan S. , Al-Abbasi Ahmed M. , Al-Nakshabandi Suadad A.
Published: April 2022

Malignant tumors of the head and neck exhibit a wide range of histological characteristics and involve multiple locations, therefore considered as a diverse collection of site-specific malignancies. The aim of the study was to evaluate key clinicopathological characteristics of head and neck malignancies in Basrah. In this retrospective study, the histopathological reports of 564 cases with head and neck malignancies were diagnosed in Basrah from 2012 to 2017. All of the cases were analyzed according to the patient's age and gender, as well as the location and histological type of the tumor. The patients' mean age of presentation was 46.45 ±20.75 SD, with about two third of the cases at or over 40 years of age and about 53.19% of cases were males. About 11.52% of the patients were in the age of children and adolescents. Head and neck lymph nodes were the most frequent site (30.67%) involved by malignant tumors, followed by the thyroid gland (20.21%), skin and soft tissues (12.77%), larynx (10.82%) and oral cavity (7.8%), respectively, and the most frequent type of malignancy was squamous cell carcinoma. Hence, the study revealed that head and neck malignancies in Basrah are mainly a disease of elderly, with slight male predominance. Head and neck lymph nodes, followed by thyroid gland, skin and soft tissue, larynx and oral cavity, were the commonest sites, respectively, and squamous cell carcinoma was the most frequent malignant tumor.
Synergistic Activity of Green Tea and Seagrass Extract in the Regression of Alcohol Induced Liver Toxicity in Rats
Authors: M. Vani M. Vani , M.Uma M.Uma , V. K. Nirmala V. K. Nirmala , Maheswari Devi P. Uma
Published: April 2022

Liver, an important organ of the body, plays a key role in the anabolism of biomolecules along with detoxification of several xenobiotics. Thus, the protection of liver from alcohol toxicity and its causative effects such as steatosis, necrosis, fibrosis, cirrhosis and steato-hepatitis is of global concern.The consumption of alcohol results in the production of ROS and RNS in the liver thereby causing oxidative stress and free radical injuries. Therefore, reliable hepato-protective agents are at demand to combat against alcohol induced toxicity. At this point, we investigated the synergistic efficacy of aqueous extracts of Green tea and seagrassin the regression of liver damage induced by alcohol intoxication. Alcohol –induced rat models were adopted to perform biochemical and histo-pathological studies. The results demonstrated tremendous decline in alcohol induced hepatotoxicity with mixed extract which indicates the synergistic and supra additive activity of phytochemicals of both green tea and seagrass.
Comparison of Blood Gas and Acid–Base Measurement in Arterial and Venous Blood Samples in Patients with Diabetic Ketoacidosis
Authors: K. Immadisetty Sandeep , P. Patange Aparna
Published: April 2022

Background Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is one of the most severe complications of diabetes mellitus (DM). Arterial blood gas analysis (ABGA) has been used as a conclusive diagnostic test for DKA. However, ABGA sampling is technically challenging, painful and may cause multiple complications. Venous blood gas analysis (VBGA) is a minimally invasive alternative for ABGA; however, the correlation between ABGA and VBGA has been controversial. Thus, the correlation between arterial and venous pH, partial pressure of CO2 (PCO2), and bicarbonate (HCO3) was studied. Objective To determine whether VBGA can replace ABGA in the evaluation of patients presenting with DKA. Material and Methods The present observational study was carried out in 76 patients with DKA. Two samples for ABGA and VBGA were obtained from each patient as close to each other as possible and were immediately sent to the laboratory. Data analysis was done using Pearson’s correlation coefficient (R) and Bland and Altman plots. Results The Bland and Altman plots and Pearson’s correlation coefficient depicted excellent agreement between arterial and venous pH (R = 0.69) and acceptably good agreement between arterial and venous PCO2 (R = 0.93) and HCO3 (R = 0.82). Conclusion Thus, VBGA can be used in the initial diagnosis and evaluation of DKA, allowing the utilisation of a minimally invasive, safer option to ABGA.
Neuropsychological Approach on Expressed Emotion in Neurotypical and Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Path Model Analysis
Authors: Kanagaraj Sagayaraj , Kancharla Kinjari , Gopal C. N. Ram , Kathikeyan Sundaravadivel
Published: April 2022

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects individual social communication with a range of restricted behaviour patterns. People with ASD will also have difficulties with social emotional reciprocity, which is not predominantly found in neurotypical individuals. Individuals with ASD have difficulty connecting with neurotypical (i.e., nonautistic) people because they fail to identify other people's emotions and mental states. Alexithymia is a personality characteristic defined by a subclinical inability to identify and explain one's own emotions. Alexithymia is defined by a significant dysfunction in emotional awareness, social attachment, and interpersonal relationships. It is distinguished by impaired emotional awareness, which has been increasing in diagnostic frequency in a variety of neuropsychiatric diseases, with notable overlap with ASD. To empirically measure the condition of alexithymia in neurotypical individuals (N = 12) and people diagnosed with ASD (N = 12), were assessed with the Observer Alexithymia Scale (OAS) by Haviland et al., 2000. The mean age of the neurotypical is (M = 21.67; SD = 2.60) and the ASD is (M = 18.33; SD = 2.22). Using SPSS ver.20, the data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics methods. The results indicate the significant difference between neurotypical and autism spectrum disorder individuals with the condition of alexithymia. The path model, which was drawn from the SPSS AMOS version 20, emphasises the causal relationship between variables of interest from the Observer Alexithymia Scale. This study found that individuals with ASD have significant corroboration to alexithymia when compared to neurotypical individuals.
Development of a Monitoring System to Assess the Internal Environment of Bagged Grain in Storage
Authors: Omodara Michael A. , Montross Michael D. , McNeill Samuel G. , Sama Michael P. , Carr Doug E.
Published: April 2022

Highlights

A temperature and relative humidity monitoring system for bagged grain was developed.

Continuous monitoring of condition of bagged corn and paddy was done for four months.

Temperature and relative humidity within bagged grain followed the ambient conditions.

Equilibrium moisture content of the stored grain increased by 1.2% during storage.

Abstract.Most farmers in African countries produce small amounts of grain per season and use polypropylene bags for grain storage. Little published information is available on the temperature and moisture change of bagged grain even though high losses are observed. Commercially available moisture meters are expensive and not suitable for providing real-time information on the condition of bagged grain. A monitoring system was developed to assess the internal environment of bagged grain stored in warehouses. The system has eight on-board integrated temperature and relative humidity sensors connected to a custom Arduino-based data acquisition system which recorded a time stamp, temperature, and relative humidity onto a microSD card. Four units were deployed in two warehouses in Nigeria from 3 May 2019 to 9 September 2019. There were 54 bags of corn in Ilorin, and 4000 bags of paddy rice in Tede. Average monthly temperatures recorded at various locations in the warehouse were significantly different (p<0.05). The errors in temperature and relative humidity measurement were 0.2°C and 3.7%, respectively. Equilibrium moisture content of bagged corn and paddy increased by 1.1 and 1.2 percentage points (wet basis), respectively. Data acquired by the system can be used to monitor the condition of bagged grain and detect potential spoilage. This system would help warehouse managers make informed decisions to reduce storage losses. Keywords: EMC, Grain bag storage, Loss management, Moisture, Resilience, Temperature.
Effects of Pressure and Moisture Content on Bulk Density of Triticale Grain under Compaction
Authors: Chiputula Jonathan , Khedher Agha Mahmoud Kamal Ahmed , Saber Mazin , Yang Ling , Bucklin Ray , Thompson Sidney A. , Blount Ann R.
Published: April 2022

Highlights

Compaction of triticale grain with three moisture contents (8%, 12%, and 16% wet basis) was measured at five applied pressures (0, 7, 14, 34, and 55 kPa).

Bulk density increased with increasing pressure for all moisture contents and was significantly (p < 0.0001) dependent on both moisture content and applied pressure.

A Verhulst logistic equation was found to model the changes in bulk density of triticale grain with R2 of 0.986.

The model showed similar behavior to that of wheat and rye, indicating that the results of this study can be used with the methods of ASABE Standard S413 to predict the quantity of triticale grain stored in bins.

Abstract. The objective of this study was to determine the combined effects of moisture content (MC) and pressure on the changes in bulk density of triticale grain under compaction at conditions typical of those seen in storage structures and to develop mathematical models to describe the compression behavior. Triticale compaction was measured at three MCs (8%, 12%, and 16% wet basis) and four compaction pressures (7, 14, 34, and 55 kPa) using a square metal box based on the design used in an earlier study by Thompson and Ross. Data from the compaction tests were used to calculate bulk densities for the three MCs and four pressures. Bulk densities were found to be significantly (p < 0.0001) dependent on both MC and pressure. Bulk densities varied with increasing MC, as has been observed in similar studies for other agricultural grains such as rye and wheat. These results provide guidance for estimating the bulk density of triticale in bins and other storage structures. The Verhulst logistic equation was found to best describe the changes in bulk density of triticale caused by rearrangement of the grain kernels at lower pressures for the three MCs. At higher pressures, the grain was observed to be more compliant, and Hooke’s law was used to accurately describe the observed changes. Data from the compaction tests were used to estimate the model parameters, with a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.986. The model was then used in WPACKING to compare the results of this study to pack factor predictions for triticale and wheat. WPACKING is a computer program that is the basis for ASABE Standard S413. The results of this comparison showed that this method can be used with the methods of ASABE Standard S413 to predict the quantity of triticale grain stored in bins. Keywords: Bulk density, Interaction, Moisture content, Pressure, Triticale, Verhulst logistic equation.
Frontier: Beyond Productivity—Recreating the Circles of Life to Deliver Multiple Benefits with Circular Systems
Authors: Morton Lois Wright , Shea Ernie
Published: April 2022

Highlights

The challenge to agriculture is to adapt the circularity observed in complex natural systems into practical applications for producers and their value chains.

Diversification and complexity can enable agricultural input and output processes that mimic natural circles of life that make, use, recycle, and reuse resources.

Producers must find their own circular systems that work in a particular time, geography, and set of conditions and establish feedback loops that enable continuous adjustment and adaptation as situations change.

Investments in foundational and applied sciences, technologies, and innovations are needed to expand knowledge of agricultural systems and the tools and strategies that will enable continuous adaptative management over time.

Abstract. Circularity in agriculture and food systems holds promise for recovering lost resources and addressing the unintended consequences of linear production. The challenge to agriculture is to adapt the circularity observed in complex natural ecosystems into practical applications for producers and their value chains, thereby shifting intensive linear systems away from the single goal of optimizing monoculture productivity toward circles of life capable of producing multiple benefits concurrently. Mixed multi-plant and animal agricultural systems that leverage integrated land management and biodiversity have potential to deliver multiple benefits, including increased productivity, pest and disease control, water quality, soil health, and economic profitability. Replacing linear “take, make, and dispose” systems with circular “make, use, recycle, and reuse” systems offers solutions for managing input costs and gaining income and ecosystem benefits from wastes that are otherwise lost and can harm agro-ecosystems. Technologies, innovations, and practices that reinforce and expand whole-system management, build on local conditions and knowledge, and that deliver multiple benefits beyond optimum production will be necessary for circular systems to emerge. This article provides several examples of current farm applications and experimentation with circular systems as practical solutions at different scales relevant to a range of production systems in developed, developing, and underdeveloped countries. Keywords: Agriculture, Biodiversity, Circles of life, Circular systems, Complexity, Farmers, Food systems, Innovations, Linear treadmills of production, Mixing species, Multi-benefit production, Technologies.
Microbiome-based disease prediction with multimodal variational information bottlenecks
Authors: Grazioli Filippo , Siarheyeu Raman , Alqassem Israa , Henschel Andreas , Pileggi Giampaolo , Meiser Andrea
Published: April 2022

Scientific research is shedding light on the interaction of the gut microbiome with the human host and on its role in human health. Existing machine learning methods have shown great potential in discriminating healthy from diseased microbiome states. Most of them leverage shotgun metagenomic sequencing to extract gut microbial species-relative abundances or strain-level markers. Each of these gut microbial profiling modalities showed diagnostic potential when tested separately; however, no existing approach combines them in a single predictive framework. Here, we propose the Multimodal Variational Information Bottleneck (MVIB), a novel deep learning model capable of learning a joint representation of multiple heterogeneous data modalities. MVIB achieves competitive classification performance while being faster than existing methods. Additionally, MVIB offers interpretable results. Our model adopts an information theoretic interpretation of deep neural networks and computes a joint stochastic encoding of different input data modalities. We use MVIB to predict whether human hosts are affected by a certain disease by jointly analysing gut microbial species-relative abundances and strain-level markers. MVIB is evaluated on human gut metagenomic samples from 11 publicly available disease cohorts covering 6 different diseases. We achieve high performance (0.80 < ROC AUC < 0.95) on 5 cohorts and at least medium performance on the remaining ones. We adopt a saliency technique to interpret the output of MVIB and identify the most relevant microbial species and strain-level markers to the model’s predictions. We also perform cross-study generalisation experiments, where we train and test MVIB on different cohorts of the same disease, and overall we achieve comparable results to the baseline approach, i.e. the Random Forest. Further, we evaluate our model by adding metabolomic data derived from mass spectrometry as a third input modality. Our method is scalable with respect to input data modalities and has an average training time of < 1.4 seconds. The source code and the datasets used in this work are publicly available.
Informe 2022. Càtedra de Bretxa Digital Generacional. Les persones majors en l’era de la digitalització a la Comunitat Valenciana (Dades 2021)
Authors: Papí-Gálvez Natalia , La Parra-Casado Daniel
Published: April 2022

The Research Chair in the Generational Digital Divide undertakes activities aimed at furthering knowledge about the causes, consequences and solutions to the digital divides caused by age gaps. This report shows the research project carried out in 2021 to learn more about how the digital divide affects over 54s living in the Valencia Region, by province, with a focus on intergenerational relationships. To this end, an exploratory survey targeted at over 54s years old and over 39s years old in the Valencia Region, based on primary sources and combining quantitative and qualitative techniques, has been conducted. The data reveals that, while a large percentage of over 54s declare that they have access to and are users of new technologies, much remains to be done for access and usage to become universal, especially at older ages. The report analyses how technology is used, considering its purpose and context, according to age and other significant variables. Differences in technology usage have been found across age groups and between women and men. The report contains information on, among other relevant aspects, online services, and especially on e-banking, the healthcare system and e-administration. Differences between age groups have been found for all indicators, shedding light on intergenerational relationships within the family that are crucial for older people. The Research Chair is an initiative by the Valencia Region Government’s Directorate General for the Fight Against the Digital Divide and stems from the collaboration between the Regional Department for Innovation, Science, Universities and Digital Society and the University of Alicante.
Demography and Per Head Income of the Russian Regions
Authors: Alekhin Boris
Published: April 2022

Theories of economic growth and empirical studies suggest a negative effect of population growth on economic growth. This study examines the link between the two variables in 82 subjects of the Russian Federation over 2002–2019. Descriptive statistics show that Russia reaped a demographic dividend and is now paying a demographic tax. General theoretical framework for empirical analysis was drawn from the neoclassical growth theory, and panel data econometrics suggested the appropriate empirical methodology. The pooled mean group estimator was applied to an autoregressive distributed lags model based on the Solow model. We found a statistically significate negative long-term dependence (in growth terms) of per capita income on population, total fertility rate and dependence ratio. Also, three auxiliary hypotheses were tested. First: population growth variables that emphasize the relative growth of the young/dependent population (ages 0–14 years) should show a more adverse effect on economic growth than measures of growth in the total or working-age populations. Second: the partial association between population growth and economic growth will be more positive when the regression controls for investment (the resource-dilution effect). Third: the effect of population growth on economic growth is more adverse in developing countries (regions) because of greater resource-dilution and resource diversion effects, as well as poorer policy environments. These hypotheses are not rejected
Zuism: History and Introduction
Authors: Nash Alexander
Published: April 2022

Zuism is a religious movement inspired by ancient Sumeria. The first documented occurrence of it is from Iceland. This article analyses the religious organisation within the Iceland-specific context and argues that its sudden rise in popularity can be at least partially attributed to Icelandʼs specific relations between church, state, and taxation. The first part of the article focuses on introducing the movement and explaining the background situation that led to its creation. The second part introduces its core religious tenets. Finally, the third part focuses on how Zuism developed in the years following its founding and addresses its controversy.
The Rise of Rural Industrialization in China with Special Reference to Non-agricultural Development: A Case Study from Guangxi
Authors: Feng Haying , Squires Victor
Published: April 2022

In recent years, rural transformation has gradually become the focus of scholars and Governments in the context of global sustainable development; it is of great significance to achieve urban-rural integration and coordinated development through studying the spatial-temporal characteristics and driving mechanism of rural transformation development. The ultimate purpose of our study, which is part of an ongoing major research agenda at the Qinzhou Development Institute within the Bei Bu Gulf University is to better understand the origins of, and trends in, the expansion of rural Industrialization. We focused on south-west China – a region much influenced by the Belt and Road initiative. We reviewed the existing literature on rural industrialization and attempted to explore the advantage of rural over urban industries based on the results of case studies in China (mainly pertaining to the coastal zones of the Yangtze and Pearl river deltas). We examined the crucial characteristics of rural enterprises and entrepreneurs based on micro-level evidence from Guangxi and neigbouring provinces.
Les fournisseurs de sang canadiens : un rôle croissant dans la surveillance de la santé publique?
Authors: O’Brien Sheila F , Drews Steven J , Lewin Antoine , Osiowy Carla , Drebot Michael A , Renaud Christian
Published: April 2022

La pandémie de coronavirus du syndrome respiratoire aigu sévère 2 (SRAS-CoV-2) a galvanisé les études de séroprévalence des donneurs de sang, qui continuent d’éclairer les politiques de santé publique. Nous proposons que les deux fournisseurs de sang canadiens, Héma-Québec et la Société canadienne du sang, élargissent leur rôle de surveillance de la santé publique en période postpandémique. Ensemble, les fournisseurs de sang ont une portée quasi nationale, puisqu’ils collectent des dons de sang presque tous les jours dans toutes les grandes villes et dans de nombreuses petites municipalités. Les donneurs de sang constituent un sous-ensemble sain de la population générale. Les données démographiques, les tests de routine des maladies infectieuses et les données du questionnaire de dépistage sont recueillis pour tous les dons. Près d’un million d’échantillons de sang par année pourraient être fournis pour la surveillance. Grâce à 90 % de donneurs réguliers, un échantillonnage longitudinal est possible. La surveillance actuelle des donneurs de sang comprend le suivi des taux de marqueurs infectieux dans les populations à faible risque (e.g. le VIH, le virus de l’hépatite C) ou asymptomatiques (e.g. le virus du Nil occidental), et des études ad hoc pour surveiller les infections transmissibles par transfusion. Il s’agit notamment d’infections transmises par les tiques, comme Babesia microti, et d’infections d’origine alimentaire, comme l’hépatite E. La Société canadienne du sang et Héma-Québec cherchent activement à établir un dialogue avec des professionnels de la santé publique afin d’étoffer leur rôle dans la surveillance de la santé publique.
Sommaire des résultats des enquêtes Tracks mises en œuvre par les Premières Nations en Saskatchewan et en Alberta, au Canada, de 2018 à 2020
Authors: Lydon-Hassen Kathleen , Jonah Leigh , Mayotte Lisa , Hrabowy Ashley , Graham Bonny , Missens Beverley , Nelson Amanda , Andkhoie Mustafa , Nahachewsky Deana , Yalamanchili Dharma Teja , Gupta Sabyasachi , Ndubuka Nnamdi , Khan Ibrahim , Yacoub Wadieh , Bryson Maggie , Paquette Dana
Published: April 2022

Contexte : Le système intégré de surveillance biocomportementale de l’Agence de la santé publique du Canada — Enquêtes Tracks — évalue le fardeau du VIH, de l’hépatite C et des risques associés dans les populations clés au Canada. De 2018 à 2020, les enquêtes Tracks ont été mises en œuvre avec succès par les organisations de services de santé dirigées par les Premières Nations en Alberta et en Saskatchewan. Méthodes : Les équipes responsables des enquêtes dirigées par les Premières Nations ont invité les membres de la collectivité qui s’identifiaient comme membres des Premières Nations, des Inuits ou des Métis à participer aux enquêtes Tracks et au dépistage du VIH, de l’hépatite C et de la syphilis. Des informations ont été recueillies sur les déterminants sociaux de la santé, le recours aux services de prévention, la consommation de substances, les comportements sexuels et les soins du VIH et de l’hépatite C. Des statistiques descriptives sont présentées. Résultats : Parmi les 1 828 participants, 97,4 % se sont identifiés comme membres des Premières Nations et 91,4 % vivaient dans une collectivité située dans une réserve. Plus de la moitié (52,2 %) étaient des femmes cisgenres, l’âge moyen était de 36,3 ans, 82,5 % vivaient dans un logement stable, 82 % avaient accès à des soins de santé primaires et 73,8 % ont déclaré avoir une bonne ou excellente santé mentale. La plupart des participants (97 %) avaient un membre de leur famille qui avait été placé dans un pensionnat. Des proportions élevées ont été victimes de stigmatisation et de discrimination (65,6 %), de contraintes financières (64,3 %) et d’abus dans l’enfance (65,1 %). Le dépistage du VIH (62,8 %) et de l’hépatite C (55,3 %) était relativement élevé. La prévalence du VIH était de 1,6 % (dont 64 % connaissaient leur statut d’infection). La prévalence de l’acide ribonucléique de l’hépatite C était de 5 % (44,9 % des personnes connaissaient leur statut d’infection actuel). Conclusion : Des expériences historiques et continues de traumatismes et une prévalence plus élevée de l’hépatite C ont été déterminées, réaffirmant les données probantes du legs du colonialisme, des pensionnats autochtones et du racisme systémique. La participation élevée au dépistage et à la prévention des infections transmissible sexuellement et par le sang (ITSS) reflète l’importance des services et des programmes de soins de santé adaptés à la culture, sûrs et réactifs, dirigés par les Premières Nations, pour obtenir de meilleurs résultats pour les peuples des Premières Nations.
Konstytucjonalizacja opozycji w systemach politycznych państw europejskich
Authors: Matuszek Krzysztof
Published: April 2022

W literaturze politologicznej wyróżnia się dwie formy instytucjonalizacji opozycji – instytucjonalizację polityczną (pośrednią) i instytucjonalizację prawnoustrojową (bezpośrednią). Pierwsza opiera się na założeniu, że opozycja stanowi nieodłączny element systemu politycznego, co wynika z podstawowych zasad konstytucyjnych, katalogu praw obywatelskich czy przepisów prawa wyborczego, natomiast druga polega na zamieszczeniu sformułowania nawiązującego do „opozycji” w konkretnym akcie prawnym: uchwale, ustawie bądź konstytucji. Niniejszy artykuł koncentruje się właśnie na tej drugiej formie instytucjonalizacji opozycji, a ściślej mówiąc, na jej konstytucjonalizacji. Celem autora opracowania było bowiem zbadanie skali tego zjawiska w systemach politycznych państw europejskich, jak również przedstawienie kontekstu, w jakim ustrojodawcy nawiązują w treści konstytucji do „opozycji”, i jakie występują różnice w tym zakresie. Analiza objęła konstytucje wszystkich europejskich państw, w związku z czym badania zachowały charakter całościowy. Wśród wykorzystanych metod znalazły się: metoda analizy treści i metoda porównawcza, a na bazę źródłową – oprócz konstytucji – złożyły się: monografie, opracowania zbiorowe, artykuły naukowe oraz inne akty prawne. Badania wykazały, że konstytucjonalizacja opozycji politycznej jest w Europie zjawiskiem rzadkim, obejmującym jedynie kilka państw. Te zaś, które się na to zdecydowały, różnią zastosowane w tym celu metody i rozwiązania.
Efeito do tempo e da luz nos compostos fenólicos totais e na capacidade antioxidante de bebidas de chá mate e branco prontas para o consumo
Authors: Assis de Oliveira Adilson , Yuri Coelho Kristtiann , Nasser Brumano Maria Helena , Cardoso Fidelis Priscila
Published: April 2022

Os chás são ricos em compostos com propriedades antioxidantes que devem ser preservadas em bebidas elaboradas a partir de seus extratos. Nesse estudo, a estabilidade de compostos fenólicos totais (CFT) e a capacidade antioxidante (CA) pelos métodos ABTS e FRAP foram avaliadas em formulações de chá mate e branco prontas para beber (sabores natural, limão e pêssego). As bebidas foram armazenadas por 8 semanas em frascos âmbar ou expostas à luz, em temperatura ambiente e analisadas a cada 2 semanas. O teor de CFT das formulações com chá mate no escuro e expostas à luz permaneceu estável durante o armazenamento. Para as formulações de chá branco expostas à luz, foi detectada uma queda de 24 a 31% nos teores de CFT ao final do armazenamento. Houve uma queda expressiva na CA avaliada por FRAP, nas formulações de chá, a partir de 2 semanas de armazenamento, na ausência e presença de luz. Pouca alteração na CA das bebidas avaliada pelo método ABTS foi observada no escuro, enquanto na luz houve queda de 31 a 44% para os chás mate e branco, respectivamente. Os chás prontos para beber, mesmo que envasados em embalagem âmbar, não foram estáveis com relação ao potencial de redução de ferro. Contudo, o conteúdo de CFT e a CA por ABTS foram preservados. Os compostos fenólicos e a CA, das formulações à base de chá branco e do mate são conservados desde que as bebidas sejam envasadas em frascos âmbar a temperatura ambiente, por no máximo duas semanas.
Seleção de genótipos do gênero Manihot tolerantes à salinidade durante estabelecimento inicial
Authors: De Souza Alencar Sara , Novaes Tavares Freire Jasmine , Cardeal Silva Jamille , Araujo Gomes Raquel , Do Nascimento Araujo Marcelo , Antonio Rafaela Priscila , Dantas Bárbara França
Published: April 2022

A salinidade é uma grande restrição ambiental para a produtividade de cultivos nas regiões áridas e semiáridas do mundo. Espécies silvestres do gênero Manihot são utilizados por pecuaristas do Semiárido nordestino como forragem para o rebanho de pequenos ruminantes, devido à sua rusticidade e tolerâncias às condições climáticas dessa região. A avaliação da tolerância durante o estágio de germinação de uma planta permite uma boa previsão de sua resposta à salinidade. Sendo assim, objetivou-se avaliar a germinação e crescimento inicial de plântulas de diferentes acessos de espécies silvestres do gênero Manihot em condições de salinidade. Foi realizado um experimento em delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado em esquema fatorial 6 x 3 (acessos x condutividade elétrica), com três repetições de 10 sementes. Foi avaliada a germinação e crescimento inicial de seis acessos oriundos da Coleção de Espécies Silvestres do Gênero Manihot da Embrapa Semiárido em substrato umedecido com soluções de NaCl nas condutividades elétricas 0, 4, 8 dS.m-1. O aumento da condutividade elétrica inibiu a germinação das sementes, com exceção do acesso BGMS38, que apresentou plântulas normais acima de 60% em até 8 dS.m-1. O aumento gradual da condutividade elétrica do substrato induz a inibição do processo germinativo e desenvolvimento inicial das plântulas.
Development of Planar Orientation in Polymer Processing
Authors: Horio Masao
Published: April 2022

A critical discussion is presented of the development of planar orientations in various polymer processing operations. These include tubular blown film and subsequently drawn and multiply stretched blown films. The response of polyethylene, various nylons, poly(ethylene ter ephthalate), cellulose and poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide) are discussed.
Polymer Compounding Process for Controlled Peroxide-Degradation of PP
Authors: Fritz H.-G. , Stöhrer B.
Published: April 2022

A process control concept for peroxide-initiated degradation of polypropylene was presented. The link-up of a twin-screw extruder to an on-line Rheometer and a computer system using a newly developed program package can be used to form a process control system unaffected by external disturbing influences and leading to a long-term constant product quality. Work is still to be done concerning development and optimization in the area of layout and design of adapter systems and concerning the measures for lowering the controllability ratio Z1. Special attention should be given to a processing concept to enable changes in M
w and MWD independently of one another.
The Processing Science of Thermoplastic Structural Composites
Authors: Cogswell F. N.
Published: April 2022

A sound scientific basis for understanding what happens during the processing of materials, and how that stage affects the service performance of the structure, is an essential prerequisite to the development of efficient low cost fabrication technology. This paper considers the phenomena – chemical, thermal, thermodynamic and rheological – which occur during processing and reviews the information which we have available today as a basis on which to build a more comprehensive study and data base.
Effect of High Molecular Mass Tail in the Mol Mass Distribution of Polypropylene on Injection Molding
Authors: Qian R. , Guo M. , Li S.
Published: April 2022

The effect of high molecular mass (MM) tail in the molecular mass distribution (MMD) of polypropylene (PP) on injection molding has been studied using injection molded tensile bars from a commercial PP resin and two samples of the above resin deprived of the high MM tail in different degrees by controlled degradation during extruder reaction with an added processing aid named Promax. The central portions of the tensile bars were studied by polarizing microscopy of microtomed sections parallel and perpendicular to the melt flow direction, and by density and birefringence profiles across the thickness of the bar. Mechanical properties and acoustic emission behavior in stretching of these injection molded tensile bars are also discussed. The experimental results show that by stripping off the high MM tail in the MMD the injection molded tensile bar has smaller degree of crystallization, less frozen orientation, improved uniformity across the thickness and the thickness of the skin part is greatly reduced. Better quality of the fabricated articles is to be expected by using Promax with PP for injection molding.
Flow Visualization Parallel and Perpendicular to the Rotor Axes for Elastomers and Molten Plastics in an Internal Mixer*
Authors: Min K.
Published: April 2022

Basic studies of flow visualization for elastomers and plastics in an internal mixer are described. A modified laboratory mixer with transparent front and trasverse windows was used to observe parallel and perpendicular motions. Shearing, stretching and tearing motions were observed especially for elastomers. Various rotor designs were used. These indicate different flow fields along the rotor axes, and the interchange of materials between rotors. We describe the different flow fields observed for elastomers and plastics creasted by various rotor designs.
Shear Modification of Polyolefines and its Integration in Polymer Processing
Authors: Ritzau G.
Published: April 2022

The viscous and especially the elastic properties of polymer melts can be altered by a previously imposed deformation history. This phenomenon, usually termed as shear modification, is caused by the reversible physical disentanglement of the polymer molecule chains. The shearing unit presented in this paper was used to systematically investigate the processing parameters governing shear modification.

A set of rheological tests was carried out with the shear modified sample material and the expected changes in the rheological behaviour were detected. The relative change of the storage modulus G’, measured using a Rheometrics On-line Rheometer system, was taken as a measure for the degree of modification and was found to correlate with the specific energy dissipated during sample preparation. The effects of shear modification on product properties were investigated for the tubular film-blowing process. Changes in the optical and mechanical properties of films which can be attributed to the previously imposed shear modification process were found.
On the toponymics of the Great Palace of Constantinople: the Daphne
Authors: Calahorra Bartolomé Alfredo
Published: April 2022

The Great Palace of Constantinople has been subject to several investigations since the second half of the nineteenth century. All of them have been mostly concerned with the topographical, architectural and typological development of the imperial residence, leaving aside questions such as toponymics. This paper will deal with this issue taking into consideration the name of the complex of buildings that once was the core of the Constantinian Palace, the Daphne. Doing so, we will better understand the denomination of the Palace, and shed light on the functions related to several spaces, the courtly ritual and, in short, the representation of power through architecture in an imperial context. Besides, the present enquiry will challenge some topographical assumptions on the complex.
Late Byzantine sigillographic evidence from Cappadocia: lead seals from Kırşehir with a unique overstruck example
Authors: Laflı Ergün , Cheynet Jean-Claude
Published: April 2022

This short essay presents four 11th century A.D. Byzantine lead seals, all of which are stored in the local museum of Kırşehir, in ancient Cappadocia, which is located today in southeastern part of central Turkey. The Museum of Kırşehir owns a minor collection of at least 13 Byzantine lead seals and a selection of four unpublished seals is being presented, which were sold to the museum by local antique dealers from the Turkish provinces of Kırşehir and Aksaray. All of the seals are dated to the late 10th and early or mid-11th centuries A.D. No. 1 is an overstruck seal with a parallel piece which is a very unique specimen and raises some sigillographic and prosopographic questions. The three other seals are discussed with a focus to Byzantine dignitaries and their offices during the 11th century A.D. The descriptive discussion at the beginning briefly touches upon a some geographical and historical issues related to Kırşehir and its museum. This small collection of seals provides important evidence regarding the seal owners and the administration of the themes of Cappadocia and Charsianon on the eastern border of the Byzantine Empire. The paper offers a substantive analysis of the material, with a discussion and resolution of the sigillographic inscriptions and imagery.
Representations by degenerate Daehee polynomials
Authors: Kim Taekyun , Kim Dae San , Lee Hyunseok , Kwon Jongkyum
Published: April 2022

In this paper, we consider the problem of representing any polynomial in terms of the degenerate Daehee polynomials and more generally of the higher-order degenerate Daehee polynomials. We derive explicit formulas with the help of umbral calculus and illustrate our results with some examples.
The influence of oiled fiber, freeze-thawing cycle, and sulfate attack on strain hardening cement-based composites
Authors: Gao Song , Ban Shunli , Wang Hao , Lei Dongyi , Gong Yaoyao
Published: April 2022

The interfacial transition zone (ITZ) between the fiber and the matrix significantly influences the strengthening and toughening effect of the fiber for the matrix. The ITZ between the fiber and mortar is a weak link in strain hardening cementitious composites (SHCC), the loose structure is easily damaged, and it is the main channel of ion attack. The oil reduces the hydrophilicity of fiber and the bonding strength of fiber and mortar, which decreases flexural and compressive strengths, but increases the tensile ductility. The compressive strength increased with the increase in the microhardness of ITZ. Both freeze-thawing cycle and sulfate attack reduce the flexural and compressive strengths, and ductility of SHCC. The failure of ITZ is responsible for the performance decrease. The strength of the samples containing oiled fiber after the freeze-thawing cycle and sulfate attack decreases more significantly.
Evaluation of the antifungal activity of essential oils against Alternaria alternata causing fruit rot of Eriobotrya japonica
Authors: Aslam Muhammad Farooq , Irshad Gulshan , Naz Farah , Khan Muhammad Azam
Published: April 2022

Objectives

The study was aimed to evaluate the effect of essential oils against fungal pathogens including the chemical analysis (GC-MS) of the most effective essential oil.

Methods

The antifungal effect of essential oils was assessed after morpho-molecular identification of Alternaria alternata. Mycelial growth inhibition (%) in in vitro treatment of eight essential oils at different concentrations was observed against A. alternata. Fungitoxicity assay was done following chemical composition analysis by Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Direct application of thyme oil was performed on healthy fruits against A. alternata.

Results

All eight essential oils showed mycelial growth inhibition at different levels, whereas thyme oil was found more efficacious against A. alternata. Chemical composition analysis detected 32 components and thymol was found in a higher percentage. Direct application of the most significant concentration of thyme oil was found effective against A. alternata with a varying decrease in decaying percentage.

Conclusions

Investigation of this study proved thyme oil as a potential and eco-friendly botanical fungicide effectively used against A. alternata on loquat fruit. The current study explored that thyme oil could be potentially used against A. alternata and its compounds could be further investigated for the development of eco-friendly approaches for the control of postharvest fruit rots.
Einsatz Künstlicher Intelligenz im Industrieumfeld
Authors: Fallmann Daniel
Published: April 2022

Die Aufbereitung und Analyse von Daten spielen eine immer wichtigere Rolle. Auch im Bereich der Fertigungsindustrie kommen heute bereits verstärkt KI-basierte Anwendungen dafür zum Einsatz. Sie unterstützen bei den unterschiedlichsten Anwendungsszenarien und bereiten vorhandene Informationen übersichtlich auf. Dadurch sind Unternehmen in der Lage, rascher zu reagieren und Optimierungspotenziale zu erkennen.
Soybean Selection Against Cercospora Leaf Blight Disease Caused By Cercospora kikuchii Based on Anatomical Resistance
Authors: Husen Fajar , Ratnaningtyas Nuniek Ina , Samiyarsih Siti , Muljowati Juni Safitri , Fitrianto Nur
Published: April 2022

Soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) is the third food crop commodity after rice and maize in Indonesia. This plant is also known as the most important source of vegetable protein, which is relatively inexpensive, but a decrease in soybean productivity can occur due to infection with disease-causing pathogens, one of is Cercospora kikuchii which causes Cercospora leaf blight (CLB). The research objectives were to determine the anatomical resistance and disease severity of soybean cultivars against CLB. The method was an experiment with a completely randomized design (CRD) factorial pattern; factor 1 being soybean cultivars (Dering, Slamet, Grobogan, Wilis) and factor 2, namely pathogen inoculation (0 conidiospores/mL and 105 conidiospores/mL). Anatomical method preparations using paraffin, staining with 1% safranin. Disease criteria are based on the council of scientific and industrial research (CSIR) assessment method. Data were analysis used analysis of variance (p0.05) and the least significance difference (LSD). The results showed that Dering and Slamet cultivars had the largest cuticle, epidermis, and palisade ratios and the smallest stomata length and width with the largest number of stomata and trichomes compared to Grobogan and Wilis. The disease severity (DS) of the cultivars Dering 14.6%, Slamet 24.64%, Grobogan 24.80% (classified as a resistant with low infection), while Wilis cultivar was 31.08% as a moderately susceptible cultivar with moderate infection. The novelty of soybean cultivar selection against CLB is important and its effectiveness for increasing soybean productivity. Dering, Slamet and Grobogan are likely to be further developed with their resistance to CLB disease.
Exciton dynamics in bifluorene crystals for laser applications
Authors:   , Baronas Paulius
Published: April 2022

Eksitonų dinamika bifluoreno kristaluose skirtuose lazerių taikymams
Contact allergy to heavy metals: risk factors and pathogenesis
Authors:   , Linauskienė Kotryna
Published: April 2022

Kontaktinė alergija sunkiesiems metalams: rizikos veiksniai ir patogeneziniai mechanizmai
Transventrikulinės mitralinio vožtuvo plastikos gydant degeneracinės kilmės mitralinio vožtuvo nesandarumą atokiųjų rezultatų analizė
Authors:   , Budra Mindaugas
Published: April 2022

Long-term results of transventricular mitral valve repair for degenerative mitral regurgitation
Determining Competitive Advantages of Insurance Companies in Ukraine
Authors: Volkova Valentina , Oglih Valentina , Shapovalov Aleksii , Gurtovoy Yuriy
Published: April 2022

Purpose: The study aims to analyze and determine the competitive advantages of insurance companies in Ukraine in order to increase their competitiveness on the basis of economic and mathematical modeling. Approach/Findings: Detailed analysis of performance indicators of the leading insurance companies in Ukraine was carried out. Based on economic and mathematical modeling, their competitive advantages were calculated. Factors that most significantly affect the competitiveness of an insurance company were determined. Originality/Value: The study includes a holistic and systematic approach to determining the competitive advantages of insurance companies in the Ukrainian market based on factor analysis of their performance. This study provides additional opportunities for strategic management of a company. The proposed approach can be the basis for implementing simulation experiments of an insurance company to determine the most significant indicators of its work to increase competitiveness. Practical Implications: Model calculations, carried out in the work, made it possible to determine the position and opportunities of companies in the Ukrainian insurance market, factors that increase the competitiveness of insurance companies, as well as directions for improving their development strategies. Research Limitations/Future Research: Research prospects are associated with further improvement of indicators that are system-forming in determining competitive advantages of insurance companies in Ukraine. Paper type: Empirical