bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Yield and seed productivity of pear rootstock forms in the conditions of the steppe zone of the Southern Urals
Authors: Lokhova A. I. , Savin E. Z. , Rusanov A. M. , Mushinskiy A. A.
Published: October 2020

The article presents the results of studying the diversity of pear rootstock forms in terms of yield and seed productivity. The research was carried out at the experimental sites of the Orenburg Experimental Station of Horticulture and Viticulture of AllRussian Horticultural Institute for Breeding, Agrotechnology and Nursery and the Botanical Garden of the Orenburg State University in 2017-2019, in typical soil and climatic conditions of the Orenburg city. The purpose of the study is to identify pear rootstock forms characterized by high yield and stable seed productivity for use in the future as a seed rootstock. During the research, 15 pear accessions were studied; the planting scheme was 6x4 m. As a result of research, it was found that the rootstock form Temno-zelenaya is characterized by a high yield (40 kg/tree). High seed productivity of more than 6 seeds in one fruit was observed in samples: Vernaya (6.0-6.5 pcs.), SK-1, SK-3 (6.1-7.8 pcs.), SK-2 (7.0-7.5 pcs.), Chang Bai Li (7.4-7.7 pcs.), Semennaya 214 (7.5-7.8 pcs.). It was revealed that the Xiao he Bai Li variety is characterized by the maximum weight of 1000 seeds (65.2 g). Analysis of accessions by seed yield established that a consistently high yield is observed in the varieties Chang Bai Li (2.5-4.2 %), Vernaya (3.96-4.18 %) and forms SK-1 (2.0-3.25%), SK-2 (2.25-2.75 %), SK-3 (1.43-4.0 %). Pear rootstock forms Chang Bai Li, Vernaya, Semennaya 214, SK-1, SK-2, SK-3 were identifi ed, which can be recommended for production testing as seed pear rootstocks for the conditions of the steppe zone of the Southern Urals.
Perceptions of Teachers Regarding Online In-Service Training in their Professional Development in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Authors: Khan Irfan Ullah , Khan Saif Ullah , Khan Mati Ullah
Published: October 2020

The present study was conducted to find out the perceptions of teachers regarding online in-service training in development of their professional skills in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The study was descriptive in nature. The population of the study consisted of selected districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Five hundred respondents were selected as a sample from the population, which is 8073, in which female population is 1828 and male population is 6245, the researcher was taken female from Urban which is 22% and 387 from male which is 88% of both the populations respectively. Data was collected through questionnaire having five points for the agreement level of the respondent ‘strongly agree’, ‘agree’, ‘undecided’, ‘disagree’ and ‘strongly disagree’ carrying values 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 respectively. Data was entered into SPSS (Version 22.0). The size of sample was taken according to John Curry (1984) formula. Simple linear regression was used for data analysis.
The Use of Advertising Appeals and Women Delineation in Breast Cancer Related Web Advertisements: A Semiotic Analysis of Western and Eastern Advertising
Authors: Iftikhar Moneeba , Mahmood Tahir , Asad Afya
Published: October 2020

This study explores the use of various advertisements and representation of women role in web-based Breast Cancer related advertisements that appeared online, were observed on Google images for three months on weekly basis. Systematic sampling technique was used to gather the sample for the analysis. Signs and symbols are involved in creating the meanings and advertising creates to use of these signs to convey the desired intended messages. This study used semiotics as a method for analyzing various appeals and depiction of females in these breast cancer related web advertisements (BCAds). This research serves as a reagent by building a knowledge base and raising awareness regarding breast cancer related advertisements to develop a persuasive message in order to influence the female in detection of cancer. This study will be significant for policy makers and health communicators in developing effective public services messages to understand the power of signs and symbols.
Long-term survival in patients with primary intracranial germ cell tumors treated with surgery, platinum-based chemotherapy, and radiotherapy: a single-institution study
Authors: Shimizu Hiroyuki , Motomura Kazuya , Ohka Fumiharu , Aoki Kosuke , Tanahashi Kuniaki , Hirano Masaki , Chalise Lushun , Nishikawa Tomohide , Yamaguchi Junya , Yoshida Jun , Natsume Atsushi , Wakabayashi Toshihiko
Published: October 2020

OBJECTIVE

The current study aimed to evaluate the treatment outcomes and toxicities of patients with intracranial germ cell tumors (GCTs).

METHODS

This study retrospectively included 110 consecutive patients (70 patients in the germinomatous group and 40 patients in the nongerminomatous GCT [NGGCT] groups) receiving surgery, platinum-based chemotherapy, and radiotherapy for newly diagnosed primary intracranial GCTs. In the authors’ protocol, patients with GCTs were further divided into the following four groups: the germinomatous group and the NGGCT groups (mature teratoma, intermediate prognosis, or poor prognosis).

RESULTS

The median overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates of the patients in the germinomatous group were significantly higher than those in the NGGCT group (p < 0.001). The 5-, 10-, and 20-year OS rates in the germinomatous group were 97.1%, 95.7%, and 93.2%, respectively, with a median follow-up of 11.0 years. On the contrary, the 5-, 10-, and 20-year OS rates in the NGGCT group were 67.3%, 63.4%, and 55.4%, respectively. The 5-, 10-, and 20-year PFS rates were 91.4%, 86.6%, and 86.6%, respectively, in the germinomatous group, whereas those of the NGGCT group were approximately 67.4%, 60.2%, and 53.5%, respectively. Based on the four types of classification in our study, the 5-, 10-, and 20-year OS rates in the NGGCT intermediate prognosis group were 78.9%, 71.8%, and 53.8%, respectively. On the contrary, the 3- and 5-year OS rates in the NGGCT poor prognosis group were 42.9% and 34.3%, respectively. Moreover, toxicities with the treatment of intracranial GCTs were found to be tolerable in the present study population. The multivariate survival models for OS in the NGGCT intermediate prognosis and poor prognosis groups demonstrated that only the alpha-fetoprotein status was significantly associated with worsened OS (HR 3.88, 95% CI 1.29–11.66; p = 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

The authors found that platinum-based chemotherapy and radiotherapy result in favorable survival outcomes in patients with germinomatous GCTs. Clinical outcomes were still unfavorable in the NGGCT intermediate prognosis and poor prognosis groups; therefore, a new protocol that increases the survival rate of patients belonging in both groups should be considered.
Soft tissue density within the foramen magnum, a predictor for surgical intervention in pediatric patients with Chiari malformation type I
Authors: Fuell William , Elwy Reem , Harkey Thomas , Carey Matthew , Albert Gregory W.
Published: October 2020

OBJECTIVE

Chiari malformation type I (CMI) is diagnosed as herniation of the cerebellar tonsils by at least 5 mm below the foramen magnum. However, the degree of tonsillar herniation is a poor predictor of the need for decompression surgery. Exploration for an alternative morphological predictor for surgical intervention could provide greater insight into the development of an appropriate treatment plan for these patients. To investigate this issue, the authors calculated the soft tissue density within the foramen magnum as a measure of impaction of the cerebellar tonsils. Soft tissue density within the foramen magnum and degree of tonsillar herniation were then assessed for their correlation with the need for surgical intervention.

METHODS

The authors conducted a retrospective, longitudinal chart review of pediatric patients with CMI. Those who had undergone surgical intervention were considered symptomatic and those who had been treated conservatively, as asymptomatic. Soft tissue density was found by dividing the soft tissue occupancy of the foramen magnum (brainstem and cerebellar tonsils) by the total area of the bony foramen magnum. The predictive value of these two measurements for the need of surgery was determined.

RESULTS

Of the 465 patients seen for CMI at the authors’ institution between July 1, 2011, and May 31, 2017, 80 underwent surgical intervention and 385 were asymptomatic. The average tissue density was significantly greater in the surgical group than in the asymptomatic group (83.3% and 78.6%, respectively, p < 0.0001). The average tonsillar descent for surgical patients was 10.8 mm compared to 9.8 mm for asymptomatic patients (p = 0.140). The point-biserial correlation coefficient was assessed, and soft tissue density was found to positively correlate with the need for surgical intervention (rpb = 0.199, p = 0.0001), whereas tonsillar herniation did not correlate with the need for surgery (rpb = 0.083, p = 0.115). Additionally, the degree of tonsillar herniation did not correlate with soft tissue density (r = 0.09), indicating that soft tissue density is an independent morphological parameter.

CONCLUSIONS

The study findings suggest that the need for surgical intervention in CMI patients is positively correlated with increasing soft tissue density within the foramen magnum, whereas the degree of tonsillar herniation did not show a correlation with the need for surgical intervention. Additionally, soft tissue density is a factor independent of the degree of tonsillar herniation. Further investigation of tissue density within the foramen magnum is needed in the hope of discovering a clinically applicable parameter that would indicate a need for surgical intervention in patients with CMI.
Effects of intraoperative liposomal bupivacaine on pain control and opioid use after pediatric Chiari I malformation surgery: an initial experience
Authors: Lu Victor M. , Daniels David J. , Haile Dawit T. , Ahn Edward S.
Published: October 2020

OBJECTIVE

Pediatric Chiari I malformation decompression is a common neurosurgical procedure. Liposomal bupivacaine (LB) is a novel formulation that can have an impact on postoperative recovery for particular procedures, but its potential role in pediatric neurosurgery is largely unexplored. The authors sought to describe and assess their initial experience with LB in pediatric Chiari I malformation decompression to better define its potential role as an analgesic agent in a procedure for which the postoperative course is often remarkably painful.

METHODS

A retrospective review of all pediatric Chiari procedures performed at the authors’ institution between 2018 and 2020 was conducted. Patients were divided into those who were treated with a single intraoperative dose of LB (LB group) and those who were not (control group). Comparisons of total opioid use and pain control were made using chi-square and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests.

RESULTS

A total of 18 patients were identified, 9 (50%) in the LB group and 9 (50%) in the control group. Overall, there were 13 (72%) female and 5 (28%) male patients with a mean age of 15.9 years. No surgical complications were observed over a mean length of stay of 2.7 days. Within the first 24 hours after surgery, the LB group had significantly lower total opioid use than the control group (17.5 vs 47.9 morphine milligram equivalents, respectively; p = 0.03) as well as lower mean pain scores reported by patients using a 10-point visual analog scale (3.6 vs 5.5 for the LB vs control groups, p = 0.04). However, from the first 24 postoperative hours to discharge, total opioid use (p = 0.51) and mean pain scores (p = 0.09) were statistically comparable between the two groups. There were 2/9 (22%) LB patients versus 0/9 (0%) control patients who did not require opioid analgesia at any point during hospitalization.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of a single intraoperative dose of LB in pediatric Chiari I malformation surgery appears to be safe and has the potential to reduce pain scores and opioid use when administered during the first 24 postoperative hours. From that time period to discharge, however, there may be no significant difference in total opioid use or pain scores.
Economic analysis of 90-day return to the emergency room and readmission after elective lumbar spine surgery: a single-center analysis of 5444 patients
Authors: Wiley Marcel R. , Carreon Leah Y. , Djurasovic Mladen , Glassman Steven D. , Khalil Yehia H. , Kannapel Michelle , Gum Jeffrey L.
Published: October 2020

OBJECTIVE

In the future, payers may not cover unplanned 90-day emergency room (ER) visits or readmissions after elective lumbar spine surgery. Prior studies using large administrative databases lack granularity and/or use a proxy for actual cost. The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors and subsequent costs associated with 90-day ER visits and readmissions after elective lumbar spine surgery.

METHODS

A prospective, multisurgeon, single-center electronic medical record was queried for elective lumbar spine fusion surgeries from 2013 to 2017. Predictive models were created for 90-day ER visits and readmissions.

RESULTS

Of 5444 patients, 729 (13%) returned to the ER, most often for pain (n = 213, 29%). Predictors of an ER visit were prior ER visit (OR 2.5), underserved zip code (OR 1.4), and number of chronic medical conditions (OR 1.4). In total, 421 (8%) patients were readmitted, most frequently for wound infection (n = 123, 2%), exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (n = 24, 0.4%), and sepsis (n = 23, 0.4%). Predictors for readmission were prior ER visit (OR 1.96), multiple chronic conditions (OR 1.69), obesity (nonobese, OR 0.49), race (African American, OR 1.43), admission status (ER admission, OR 2.29), and elevated hemoglobin A1c (OR 1.80). The mean direct hospital cost for an ER visit was $1971, with 75% of visits costing less than $1890, and the average readmission cost was $7347, with 75% of readmissions costing less than $8820. Over the 5-year study period, the cost to the institution for 90-day return ER visits was $5.1 million.

CONCLUSIONS

Risk factors for 90-day ER visit and readmission after elective lumbar spine surgery include medical comorbidities and socioeconomic factors. Proper patient counseling, appropriate postoperative pain management, and optimization of modifiable risk factors prior to surgery are areas to focus future efforts to lower 90-day ER visits and readmissions and reduce healthcare costs.
Does the Global Alignment and Proportion score overestimate mechanical complications after adult spinal deformity correction?
Authors: Baum Griffin R. , Ha Alex S. , Cerpa Meghan , Zuckerman Scott L. , Lin James D. , Menger Richard P. , Osorio Joseph A. , Morr Simon , Leung Eric , Lehman Ronald A. , Sardar Zeeshan , Lenke Lawrence G.
Published: October 2020

OBJECTIVE

The goal of this study was to validate the Global Alignment and Proportion (GAP) score in a cohort of patients undergoing adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgery. The GAP score is a novel measure that uses sagittal parameters relative to each patient’s lumbosacral anatomy to predict mechanical complications after ASD surgery. External validation is required.

METHODS

Adult ASD patients undergoing > 4 levels of posterior fusion with a minimum 2-year follow-up were included. Six-week postoperative standing radiographs were used to calculate the GAP score, classified into a spinopelvic state as proportioned (P), moderately disproportioned (MD), or severely disproportioned (SD). A chi-square analysis, receiver operating characteristic curve, and Cochran-Armitage analysis were performed to assess the relationship between the GAP score and mechanical complications.

RESULTS

Sixty-seven patients with a mean age of 52.5 years (range 18–75 years) and a mean follow-up of 2.04 years were included. Patients with < 2 years of follow-up were included only if they had an early mechanical complication. Twenty of 67 patients (29.8%) had a mechanical complication. The spinopelvic state breakdown was as follows: P group, 21/67 (31.3%); MD group, 23/67 (34.3%); and SD group, 23/67 (34.3%). Mechanical complication rates were not significantly different among all groups: P group, 19.0%; MD group, 30.3%; and SD group, 39.1% (χ2 = 1.70, p = 0.19). The rates of mechanical complications between the MD and SD groups (30.4% and 39.1%) were less than those observed in the original GAP study (MD group 36.4%–57.1% and SD group 72.7%–100%). Within the P group, the rates in this study were higher than in the original study (19.0% vs 4.0%, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

The authors found no statistically significant difference in the rate of mechanical complications between the P, MD, and SD groups. The current validation study revealed poor generalizability toward the authors’ patient population.
Consensus-based perioperative protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Mummaneni Praveen V. , Burke John F. , Chan Andrew K. , Sosa Julie Ann , Lobo Errol P. , Mummaneni Valli P. , Antrum Sheila , Berven Sigurd H. , Conte Michael S. , Doernberg Sarah B. , Goldberg Andrew N. , Hess Christopher P. , Hetts Steven W. , Josephson S. Andrew , Kohi Maureen P. , Ma C. Benjamin , Mahadevan Vaikom S. , Molinaro Annette M. , Murr Andrew H. , Narayana Sirisha , Roberts John P. , Stoller Marshall L. , Theodosopoulos Philip V. , Vail Thomas P. , Wienholz Sandra , Gropper Michael A. , Green Adrienne , Berger Mitchel S.
Published: October 2020

OBJECTIVE

During the COVID-19 pandemic, quaternary-care facilities continue to provide care for patients in need of urgent and emergent invasive procedures. Perioperative protocols are needed to streamline care for these patients notwithstanding capacity and resource constraints.

METHODS

A multidisciplinary panel was assembled at the University of California, San Francisco, with 26 leaders across 10 academic departments, including 7 department chairpersons, the chief medical officer, the chief operating officer, infection control officers, nursing leaders, and resident house staff champions. An epidemiologist, an ethicist, and a statistician were also consulted. A modified two-round, blinded Delphi method based on 18 agree/disagree statements was used to build consensus. Significant disagreement for each statement was tested using a one-sided exact binomial test against an expected outcome of 95% consensus using a significance threshold of p < 0.05. Final triage protocols were developed with unblinded group-level discussion.

RESULTS

Overall, 15 of 18 statements achieved consensus in the first round of the Delphi method; the 3 statements with significant disagreement (p < 0.01) were modified and iteratively resubmitted to the expert panel to achieve consensus. Consensus-based protocols were developed using unblinded multidisciplinary panel discussions. The final algorithms 1) quantified outbreak level, 2) triaged patients based on acuity, 3) provided a checklist for urgent/emergent invasive procedures, and 4) created a novel scoring system for the allocation of personal protective equipment. In particular, the authors modified the American College of Surgeons three-tiered triage system to incorporate more urgent cases, as are often encountered in neurosurgery and spine surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

Urgent and emergent invasive procedures need to be performed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The consensus-based protocols in this study may assist healthcare providers to optimize perioperative care during the pandemic.
Putting “US” back in Museums: Increasing Student Engagement via Experiential Learning Writing Assignments
Authors: Zeleny Rachael
Published: October 2020

This paper details the evolution of a course, Arts and Society, and the inception of a student-centered assignment, “Putting ‘US’ back in Museums.” By tapping into a nationwide discussion of inclusion and public spaces, this business proposal style assignment asks students to consider their own observations as museum visitors alongside research that considers community engagement, diversity and accessibility in order to identify a specific issue within a museum and to propose change. Throughout the project, students are supported by the implementation of smaller scaffolding assignments, in-class discussions, an embedded librarian and an assigned writing fellow. Furthermore, they will meet at least eight professionals in the field and visit at least four different local sites. This assignment demonstrates best practices via scaffolding, institutional support, experiential learning, and engagement with the local community.
Toward Audio Beehive Monitoring Based on IoT-AI techniques: A Survey and Perspective
Authors: Huu Du Nguyen , Doan Dong Nguyen , Thi Luu Vu , Van Hoang Nguyen , Hong Thai Pham , Thanh Ngoc Phan , Viet Long Nguyen , Thi Thu Hong Phan
Published: October 2020

In beekeeping, monitoring beehives plays an important role to make sure the health of bee colonies and to reduce negative effects that could happen for the colonies. A large number of studies have been carried out to improve the performance of monitoring beehives from the traditional manual methods. Especially, the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies in recent time has led to significant effects in the monitoring process. These new methods, however, have not yet been interested and applied in Vietnam. To understand the use of the AI-based technologies in automatic monitoring beehives, this paper provides a survey on the beehive monitoring system based on audio data and AI techniques. Opportunities and perspectives for the applications of these techniques in audio-based monitoring beehive in Vietnam are also discussed.
A Simulation of the Heston Model with Stochastic Volatility Using the Finite Difference Method
Authors: Giang Vu Thi Thu , Hai Nguyen Huu , Hang Nguyen Thuy , Hanh Nguyen Van , Huyen Nguyen Thi
Published: October 2020

In this study, we investigated one of the most popular stochastic volatility pricing models, the Heston model, for European options. This paper deals with the implementation of a finite difference scheme to solve a two-dimensional partial differential equation form of the Heston model. We explain in detail the explicit scheme for the Heston model, especially on the boundaries. Some simple ideas to modify the treatment on the boundaries, which leads to a lower computational cost, are also stated. The paper also covers comparisons between the explicit solution and the semi-analytical solution.
Inverted learning design in student learning
Authors: Ontaneda Rea Mónica
Published: October 2020

This study is based on implementing backward design to improve students’ academic assessment, so public high school students can take part of meaningful contexts where they show what they learned at the end of a class term.  Taking in consideration, backward design is a great tool to be applied for public high schools where most of the classes are textbooks centered, provoking students’ frustration due to the lack of English knowledge from schools.  There is a high rate of students failing courses because students are placed in English levels where they do not belong to or they come from other institutions where they did not learn English. Backward design lets teachers be creative and use skills and methodologies according to students’ needs and be very reflexive in the way of designing it. In this study, pairedT_Test is applied to compare scores from the same level, but using different ways of testing. In conclusion, the experimental group (G2), in which backward design was applied, got better results than the controlled group (G1), who did not apply it.  In this case the independent variable which mean and scores are high.  Results show backward design is very meaningful not only for students, but also for teachers. It is true that running appropriate action plans, selecting the best resources and conducting a final assessment through a performance task, gave the opportunity for students to gain more confidence on the language and apply it in a real context.
Los paraísos fiscales y el efecto que ocasionan para formación en educación superior
Authors: Pezo Quimiz Victor
Published: October 2020

Los paraísos fiscales son territorios que ofrecen incentivos en cuanto a los impuestos, ya que mantiene un sistema de financiamiento confidencial y muchas veces oculto, los países que poseen los principales paraísos fiscales son los países desarrollados, ellos intervienen en la actividad económica del resto de países. Se llevó a cabo una investigación de carácter exploratoria y descriptiva con el fin de presentar a las principales empresas que participan en los paraísos fiscales, que desean obtener réditos financieros en deterioro de la fuga de capital del país de origen. Se determinó que en Ecuador la mayoría de empresas evaden los impuestos y muchas de ellas envían sus ganancias a las sociedades offshore. Como conclusión se da a destacar el Grupo de Acción Financiera Internacional que ayuda en la lucha contra los paraísos fiscales, implementando normativas frente a las sociedades offshore y el lavado de dinero, que se da en varias empresas del mundo, no obstante, también se encuentran personas del medio, artistas, músicos, futbolistas, abogados y presidentes, todo esto afecta a la economía mundial.
Influence of the characteristics of competences on the employability of graduates of Higher Education Institutions
Authors: Cueva Zavala Miguel
Published: October 2020

This research has a singular and notable importance, because if something should concern a Higher Education Institution, it is knowing what is the destiny within society of the human resource trained in its classrooms, that product that the institution delivers to the community who are its graduates and professionals. For the Institutions of Higher Education it is satisfactory on the part of employers, that the training received in the Institution of Higher Education is indicated, that the majority of graduates and professionals are incorporated into the occupational market; that is to say; some exercise their profession and others do it in occupations that do not correspond to their profession, which is justified, being aware that one of the great problems of the contemporary world is undoubtedly the lack of demand for human resources for stable work, which according to Authorized and reliable studies of every 10 people who join the economically active population, only 3 have real possibilities of fully joining the labor market, either in the private or public sector.
Estrategias para mejorar el rendimiento académico de la asignatura de matemáticas
Authors: Muñoz Sully T.
Published: October 2020

El tema y objetivo de este artículo ha tenido como propósito fundamental establecer la aplicación de las estrategias didácticas que se deben emplear en la enseñanza aprendizaje en la asignatura de matemáticas de la Carrera de Electrónica y Telecomunicaciones de la Universidad Estatal Península de Santa Elena, La Libertad. De acuerdo a un análisis se detectó que en el 2008 se produjo un 38% de estudiantes reprobados, en el 2009 el 28% de estudiantes reprobados y en el 2010 el 71% de estudiantes reprobados en la carrera antes mencionada.
Bildungsföderalismus in Zeiten der Corona-Krise
Authors: Illan Luis
Published: October 2020

Die Corona-Pandemie stellt die staatliche Handlungsfähigkeit derzeit vor erhebliche Herausforderungen. Im Fokus steht dabei nicht zuletzt auch die Handlungskoordination zwischen den föderalen Ebenen. Der Beitrag untersucht, wie sich der deutsche Bildungsföderalismus auf die Strategiewahl zur Bewältigung der Corona-Krise auswirkt.
Wahlen in den neuen Bundesländern seit 1990
Authors: Jesse Eckhard
Published: October 2020

Die Serie der sieben Landtagswahlen in den neuen Bundesländern belegt eine nahezu kontinuierliche Schwächung der großen Parteien, stärker als in den alten Bundesländern, erkennbar besonders bei den jüngsten drei Landtagswahlen in Brandenburg, Sachsen und Thüringen. Die schwierigen Mehrheitsverhältnisse verursachen Probleme bei der Regierungsbildung.
Politische Einstellungen in Ostdeutschland im Wandel: die Generation „Mauerkinder“
Authors: Rippl Susanne
Published: October 2020

Die Wahlen der letzten Jahre haben deutliche Unterschiede in den politischen Einstellungen zwischen beiden Landesteilen offengelegt. In diesem Kontext werden Fragen nach der Entwicklung der politischen Orientierungen der Menschen in Ostdeutschland 30 Jahre nach der Wende aufgeworfen. Die These des „Zusammenwachsens“ wird zunehmend in Frage gestellt. Die heute 45- bis 60-Jährigen Ostdeutschen sind die letzte Generation, die ihre Kindheit und Jugend noch in der DDR erlebten – sie haben die Wende in dieser Altersphase erlebt und zählen heute zu der Altersgruppe, die die stärksten Sympathien für die AfD aufweist. Im Fokus der Analyse steht die Entwicklung von politischen Einstellungen dieser Generation empirisch beleuchtet anhand der Daten der Allgemeinen Bevölkerungsumfrage (ALLBUS), die bis ins Jahr 1991 zurückreichen.
Recognition of speech emotion using custom 2D-convolution neural network deep learning algorithm
Authors: Zvarevashe Kudakwashe , Olugbara Oludayo O.
Published: October 2020

Speech emotion recognition has become the heart of most human computer interaction applications in the modern world. The growing need to develop emotionally intelligent devices has opened up a lot of research opportunities. Most researchers in this field have applied the use of handcrafted features and machine learning techniques in recognising speech emotion. However, these techniques require extra processing steps and handcrafted features are usually not robust. They are computationally intensive because the curse of dimensionality results in low discriminating power. Research has shown that deep learning algorithms are effective for extracting robust and salient features in dataset. In this study, we have developed a custom 2D-convolution neural network that performs both feature extraction and classification of vocal utterances. The neural network has been evaluated against deep multilayer perceptron neural network and deep radial basis function neural network using the Berlin database of emotional speech, Ryerson audio-visual emotional speech database and Surrey audio-visual expressed emotion corpus. The described deep learning algorithm achieves the highest precision, recall and F1-scores when compared to other existing algorithms. It is observed that there may be need to develop customized solutions for different language settings depending on the area of applications.
Could spatial features help the matching of textual data?
Authors: Fize Jacques , Roche Mathieu , Teisseire Maguelonne
Published: October 2020

Textual data is available to an increasing extent through different media (social networks, companies data, data catalogues, etc.). New information extraction methods are needed since these new resources are highly heterogeneous. In this article, we propose a text matching process based on spatial features and assessed through heterogeneous textual data. Besides being compatible with heterogeneous data, it comprises two contributions: first, spatial information is extracted for comparison purposes and subsequently stored in a dedicated spatial textual representation (STR); and then two transformations are applied on STR to improve the spatial similarity estimation. This article outlines the proposed approach with new contributions: (i) a new geocoding methods using general co-occurrences between entities, and (ii) a thorough evaluation followed by (iii) an in-depth discussion. The results obtained on two corpora demonstrate that good spatial matches (≈ 80% precision on major criteria) can be obtained between the most similar STRs with further enhancement achieved via STR transformation.
Spatial-time motifs discovery
Authors: Borges Heraldo , Dutra Murillo , Bazaz Amin , Coutinho Rafaelli , Perosi Fábio , Porto Fábio , Masseglia Florent , Pacitti Esther , Ogasawara Eduardo
Published: October 2020

Discovering motifs in time series data has been widely explored. Various techniques have been developed to tackle this problem. However, when it comes to spatial-time series, a clear gap can be observed according to the literature review. This paper tackles such a gap by presenting an approach to discover and rank motifs in spatial-time series, denominated Combined Series Approach (CSA). CSA is based on partitioning the spatial-time series into blocks. Inside each block, subsequences of spatial-time series are combined in a way that hash-based motif discovery algorithm is applied. Motifs are validated according to both temporal and spatial constraints. Later, motifs are ranked according to their entropy, the number of occurrences, and the proximity of their occurrences. The approach was evaluated using both synthetic and seismic datasets. CSA outperforms traditional methods designed only for time series. CSA was also able to prioritize motifs that were meaningful both in the context of synthetic data and also according to seismic specialists.
W-Com2Vec: A topic-driven meta-path- based intra-community embedding for content-based heterogeneous information network
Authors: Pham Phu , Do Phuc
Published: October 2020

Heterogeneous information network (HIN) are becoming popular across multiple applications in forms of complex large-scaled networked data such as social networks, bibliographic networks, biological networks, etc. Recently, information network embedding (INE) has aroused tremendously interests from researchers due to its effectiveness in information network analysis and mining tasks. From recent views of INE, community is considered as the mesoscopic preserving network’s structure which can be combined with traditional approach of network’s node proximities (microscopic structure preserving) to leverage the quality of network’s representation. Most of contemporary INE models, like as: HIN2Vec, Metapath2Vec, HINE, etc. mainly concentrate on microscopic network structure preserving and ignore the mesoscopic (intra-community) structure of HIN. In this paper, we introduce a novel approach of topic-driven meta-path-based embedding, namely W-Com2Vec (Weighted intra-community to vector). Our proposed W-Com2Vec model enables to capture richer semantic of node representation by applying the meta-path-based community-aware, node proximity preserving and topic similarity evaluation at the same time during the process of network embedding. We demonstrate comprehensive empirical studies on our proposed W-Com2Vec model with several real-world HINs. Experimental results show W-Com2Vec outperforms recent state-of-the-art INE models in solving primitive network analysis and mining tasks.
Adsorption of rhodamine B and Cr3+ ion onto graphene/chitosan composite
Authors: Li Yanji , Ni Meng , He Qiang , Li Xiang , Zhang Wei , Wang Huihui
Published: October 2020

Graphene and chitosan acted as the adsorbents for simulated wastewater with rhodamine B. The novel material produced by freeze-drying obviously outperformed graphene and chitosan in treating rhodamine B. Factors (e.g., contaminant concentration, reaction time, solution pH value, adsorption dose and temperature) overall impacted the adsorption. The optimal conditions for graphene-chitosan treatment of dyes included the concentration of pollutants at 400 mg/L, the dose of adsorbent as 5 mg, the solution pH at 4 and at 25∘C, and for 12 h, in which the maximal treatment amount reached 858.00 mg/g. The adsorption processes of Chitosan/graphene composites and magnetic Chitosan/graphene composites for simulated wastewater from Rhodamine B reactor followed Langmuir and Freundlich models, respectively. The in-particle diffusion model shows that the adsorption process of the composites for Rhodamine B simulated wastewater is not determined by either surface diffusion or in-particle diffusion. The magnetic Chitosan/graphene composites exhibit high recyclability, which can be respectively reused 3 times and 5 times and retain 80% adsorption capacity after being administrated with Rhodamine B simulated wastewater. By analyzing grey correlation degree, it is demonstrated that the concentration of pollutants and the reaction temperature critically affect the adsorption capacity. The electrochemical treatment with graphite rod for the Cr3+ was under the initial voltage of 30.6 V, at the pH of 5.59, and at the temperature of 18.5∘C; the removal rate of the samples was nearly 62.35% with the chromium ion concentration declined from 0.3333 g/L to 0.1255 g/L.
Control of brushless DC motor based on fuzzy rules optimized by genetic algorithm used in hybrid vehicle
Authors: Niu Xiaoyan , Feng Guosheng , Jia Sumei , Zhang Yuquan
Published: October 2020

To improve the control precision of the closed-loop speed regulation of the brushless DC motor (Brushless DC motor, BLDCM) used in hybrid vehicles, the paper established a fuzzy controller for closed loop control of speed, taking the speed difference and the conversion rate of the speed difference as the inputs, and the increment of the supply voltage as the output, and proposed a method of optimizing fuzzy control rules based on genetic algorithm. Established the mathematical model of BLDCM in MATLAB/Simulink, simulated the traditional PID controller, the fuzzy controller and the fuzzy controller optimized by genetic algorithm. Then the hardware-in-the-loop motor control system is constructed based on dSPACE. The simulation and experiment prove that the optimization of fuzzy rules by genetic algorithm is an effective method to improve the accuracy of speed control, and it has good tracking performance for frequently changing speed requirements in hybrid vehicle.
Ultra-wideband characteristic basis function method merging the secondary level characteristic basis functions for rapid computation of wideband radar cross section problems from conducting targets
Authors: Wang Zhong-Gen , Mu Jun-Wen , Nie Wen-Yan
Published: October 2020

In this paper, a merged ultra-wideband characteristic basis function method (MUCBFM) is presented for high-precision analysis of wideband scattering problems. Unlike existing singular value decomposition (SVD) enhanced improved ultra-wideband characteristic basis function method (SVD-IUCBFM), the MUCBFM reduces the number of characteristic basis functions (CBFs) necessary to express a current distribution. This reduction is achieved by combining primary CBFs (PCBFs) with the secondary level CBFs (SCBFs) to form a single merged ultra-wideband characteristic basis function (MUCBF). As the MUCBF incorporates the effects of PCBFs and SCBFs, the accuracy does not change significantly compared to that obtained by the SVD-IUCBFM. Furthermore, the efficiencies of constructing the CBFs and filling the reduced matrix are improved. Numerical examples verify and demonstrate that the proposed method is credible both in terms of accuracy and efficiency.
Interval enhanced Russell measure with undesirable outputs based on data envelopment analysis: An efficiency measurement of industry in China
Authors: Wang Xu , Wang Ying-Ming
Published: October 2020

China has attracted the attention of the world owing its significant economic achievements, which are supported significantly by its booming industry. However, the issues of energy and pollutants have severely challenged the sustainability of the industry. The efficiency measurement is the premise intended to realize sustainability within the Chinese industry. Because the industry is a complex production system, there exists uncertainties and fuzziness regarding its inputs and outputs. This study proposes the application of an interval to describe these fuzzy data and employ the Enhanced Russell Measure to assess the performance of the Chinese industry, accounting for undesirable output such as pollution. In addition, for the ranking between interval efficiencies, a novel ranking approach based on the holistic acceptability of a possibility degree is proposed. The proposed method provides advice and guidance for decision makers to make appropriate and effective policies to balance industrial development and environmental protection in spite of uncertain and fuzzy data.
A systematic approach for English education model based on the neural network algorithm
Authors: Hui Wang , Aiyuan Li
Published: October 2020

This paper algorithms based on neural network model designed for English education, to develop a model education system with artificial intelligence, summarized the dimensions were can be used for data analysis related indicators. These indicators include not only the contents of the learning behavior, test behavior, cooperation behavior and resource search behavior and other human-computer interaction behavior data, also includes demographic background information, learning ability, learning attitude, and other characteristic data that affect the learning effect. We tried to collect relevant indicators to the maximum extent. An audiovisual fusion method based on Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) is proposed. The independent CNN structure is used to realize independent modeling of audiovisual perception and asynchronous information transmission and obtain the description of audiovisual parallel data in the high-dimensional feature space. Following the shared fully connected structure, it is possible to model the long-term dependence of audiovisual parallel data in a higher dimension. Experiments show that the AVSR system built using a CNN-based audiovisual fusion method can achieve a significant performance improvement, and its recognition error rate is relatively reduced by about 15%. The speech recognition system trained with the cross-domain adaptive method can obtain a significant performance improvement, and its recognition error rate is more than 10% lower than that of the baseline system..
Multi-criteria group decision making with Pythagorean fuzzy soft topology
Authors: Riaz Muhammad , Naeem Khalid , Aslam Muhammad , Afzal Deeba , Almahdi Fuad Ali Ahmed , Jamal Sajjad Shaukat
Published: October 2020

Pythagorean fuzzy set (PFS) introduced by Yager (2013) is the extension of intuitionistic fuzzy set (IFS) introduced by Atanassov (1983). PFS is also known as IFS of type-2. Pythagorean fuzzy soft set (PFSS), introduced by Peng et al. (2015) and later studied by Guleria and Bajaj (2019) and Naeem et al. (2019), are very helpful in representing vague information that occurs in real world circumstances. In this article, we introduce the notion of Pythagorean fuzzy soft topology (PFS-topology) defined on Pythagorean fuzzy soft set (PFSS). We define PFS-basis, PFS-subspace, PFS-interior, PFS-closure and boundary of PFSS. We introduce Pythagorean fuzzy soft separation axioms, Pythagorean fuzzy soft regular and normal spaces. Furthermore, we present an application of PFSSs to multiple criteria group decision making (MCGDM) using choice value method in the real world problems which yields the optimum results for investment in the stock exchange. We also render an application of PFS-topology in medical diagnosis using TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution). The applications are accompanied by Algorithms, flow charts and statistical diagrams.
Topological approaches of graphs and their applications by neighborhood systems and rough sets
Authors: El Atik Abd El Fattah A. , wahba Ashgan S.
Published: October 2020

Rough set theory is used in simple directed graphs to study nano topology. Adjacent vertices was used in digraphs only to define their neighborhoods. Four types of neighborhood systems for vertices are introduced in this article which depend on both adjacent vertices and associated edges. Additionally, the generalization of some notions presented by Pawlak and Lellis Thivagar and some of their properties are investigated. Finally, we present a new model of a blood circulation system of the human heart based on blood paths. Also, different kinds of topological separation axioms are presented and studied between vertices and edges of the heart blood circulation model.
Finite-time H∞ sliding mode control of uncertain T-S fuzzy system with time-varying delay based on observer
Authors: Li Huan , Tang Pengyi , Ma Yuechao
Published: October 2020

In this paper, a class of observer-based sliding mode controller is designed, and the finite-time H∞ control problem of uncertain T-S fuzzy systems with time-varying is studied. Firstly, an integral-type sliding surface function with time-delay is devised based on the state estimator, and sufficient criteria of finite-time bounded and finite-time H∞ bounded can be obtained for the T-S systems. Moreover, the proposed sliding mode control law is integrated to ensure the dynamics of controlled system into the sliding surface in a finite-time interval. Then, according to the linear matrix inequalities (LMIs), the desired gain matrices of fuzzy sliding mode controller and state estimator are derived. Finally, effectiveness gives some illustrative examples may be used to display the value of the current proposed method as well as a significant improvement.
Prediction of PM2.5 concentration considering temporal and spatial features: A case study of Fushun, Liaoning Province
Authors: Lei Fei , Dong Xueying , Ma Xiaohe
Published: October 2020

With the development of the urban industry in recent years, air pollution in areas such as factories and streets has become more and more serious. Air quality problems directly affect the normal lives of residents. Effectively predicting the future air condition in the area through relevant historical data has high application value for early warning of this area. Through the study of the previous monitoring data, it is found that the pollutant data of adjacent monitoring stations are correlated in more periods. Therefore, this paper proposes a hybrid model based on CNN and Bi-LSTM, using CNN to synthesize multiple adjacent stations with strong correlations to extract spatial features between data, and using Bi-LSTM to extract features in the time dimension to finally achieve pollutant concentration prediction. Using the historical data of 40 monitoring stations in different locations of Fushun city to conduct research. By comparing with the traditional prediction model, the results prove that the model proposed in this paper has higher accuracy and stronger robustness.
A Shared Decision-Making Model for Management of Small Renal Masses: Optimizing the Patient Experience
Authors: Caruso Adele Marie , Ardisson K. Michelle , Ravishankar Roshan , Malkowicz S. Bruce
Published: October 2020

Background:

The finding of a small renal mass (SRM) on radiological imaging and the potential of a cancer diagnosis is anxiety provoking in most patients. The decision-making process often occurs in the absence of any framework regarding the nature and treatment outcomes. This project aimed to educate patients newly diagnosed with a SRM, implement a shared decision-making (SDM) model, and assess the educational attainment and effect on a SDM intervention.

Methods:

This project assessed the educational attainment and its effect on a SDM intervention using a pre-and post- intervention survey, an educational video [Urology Care Foundation, “What is a renal mass?], and a structured provider discussion. The survey incorporated eight knowledge questions and two questions which addressed anxiety related to diagnosis and confidence in decision-making.

Results:

Fifty surveys were completed. The post intervention score showed a significant increase in patient knowledge. Wilcoxon signed rank test ( P = <0.001; 2.0; CI 95% (1.54–2.46)). Thirty-nine demonstrated improvement in knowledge with a mean of 2.0, 9 were unchanged and 2 decreased. Approximately 42% of patients reported a decrease in anxiety rating by a mean of 40%. When confidence in decision-making improved, it improved by a mean of 45%.

Conclusions:

A significant improvement in understanding of SRMs was demonstrated. This model showed improved knowledge, alleviation of anxiety and improved confidence and denotes the feasibility of implementing a SDM model in newly diagnosed patients. Results should encourage providers who aspire to incorporate a SDM as a Best Practice.