bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chest CT features of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pneumonia: which findings on initial CT can predict an adverse short-term outcome?
Authors: Parry Arshed Hussain , Wani Abdul Haseeb , Shah Naveed Nazir , Yaseen Mudasira , Jehangir Majid
Published: June 2020

Objective:

To study the spectrum of chest CT features in coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pneumonia and to identify the initial CT findings that may have the potential to predict a poor short-term outcome.

Methods:

This was a retrospective study comprising 211 reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) positive patients who had undergone non-contrast chest CT. Prevalence, extent, pattern, distribution and type of abnormal lung findings were recorded. Patients with positive CT findings were divided into two groups; clinically stable (requiring in-ward hospitalization) and clinically unstable [requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission or demised] based on short-term follow-up.

Results:

Lung parenchymal abnormalities were present in 42.2% (89/211) whereas 57.8% (122/211) cases had a normal chest CT. The mean age of clinically unstable patients (63.6 ± 8.3 years) was significantly different from the clinically stable group (44.6 ± 13.2 years) (p-value < 0.05). Bilaterality, combined involvement of central–peripheral and anteroposterior lung along with a higher percentage of the total lung involvement, presence of crazy paving, coalescent consolidations with air bronchogram and segmental pulmonary vessel enlargement were found in a significantly higher proportion of clinically unstable group (ICU/demised) compared to the stable group (in-ward hospitalization) with all p values < 0.05.

Conclusion:

Certain imaging findings on initial CT have the potential to predict short-term outcome in COVID-19 pneumonia. Extensive pulmonary abnormalities, evaluated by combined anteroposterior, central–peripheral and a higher percentage of the total lung involvement, indicate a poor short-term outcome. Similarly, the presence of crazy paving pattern, consolidation with air bronchogram and segmental vascular changes are also indicators of poor short-term outcome.

Advances in knowledge:

Certain findings on initial CT can predict an adverse short-term prognosis in COVID-19 pneumonia.
The way we were (and how we got here): fifty years of technology changes in dental and maxillofacial radiology
Authors: Molteni Roberto
Published: June 2020

The history of the last 50 years (1970–2020) of technological changes and progresses for equipment and procedures in dental and maxillofacial radiology is related from the insider perspective of an industrial physicist and technologist who has been instrumental at innovating and developing medical equipment in different parts of the world. The onset and improvement of all major categories of dental and maxillofacial radiographic equipment is presented, from the standpoint of their practical acceptance and impact among common dentists and maxillofacial radiologists: X-ray sources and detectors for intraoral radiography, and panoramic systems, both film-based and digital (including photo-stimulated phosphor plates); and cone beam CT.
Ethical challenges in community engagement practices in research during the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
Authors: Tindana Paulina O. , De Vries Jantina , Kamuya Dorcas
Published: June 2020

Community engagement (CE) has been highlighted as a key process in the prevention and transmission control of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the nature of the virus and national response strategies such as social distancing have challenged traditional methods of community engagement. In this paper, we discuss the role of community engagement in research during COVID-19. We first set out the case for community engagement that emerges from international guidance for research during public health emergencies. We then describe the challenges that are emerging with community engagement in health research generally, and on COVID-19 related research specifically in Africa in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. We further describe the strengths and weaknesses of the current engagement and communication platforms, and suggest ways to overcome some of these challenges. We provide an ethical argument for researchers and research institutions to respond directly to addressing the COVID-19 pandemic by responding to emergency health care needs of the community; and provide some challenges and critiques of such an approach. Finally, we support the call for concerted efforts in responding to the global pandemic, requiring flexibility in funding.
Drug Therapies for the Management of Sickle Cell Disease
Authors: Rai Parul , Ataga Kenneth I.
Published: June 2020

Sickle cell disease (SCD) afflicts millions of people worldwide but is referred to as an orphan disease in the United States. Over the past several decades, there has been an increasing understanding of the pathophysiology of SCD and its complications. While most individuals with SCD in resource-rich countries survive into adulthood, the life expectancy of patients with SCD remains substantially shorter than for the general African-American population. SCD can be cured using hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and possibly gene therapy, but these treatment approaches are not available to most patients, the majority of whom reside in low- and middle-income countries. Until relatively recently, only one drug, hydroxyurea, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to ameliorate disease severity. Multiple other drugs (L-glutamine, crizanlizumab, and voxelotor) have recently been approved for the treatment of SCD, with several others at various stages of clinical testing. The availability of multiple agents to treat SCD raises questions related to the choice of appropriate drug therapy, combination of multiple agents, and affordability of recently approved products. The enthusiasm for new drug development provides opportunities to involve patients in low- and middle-income nations in the testing of potentially disease-modifying therapies and has the potential to contribute to capacity building in these environments. Demonstration that these agents, alone or in combination, can prevent or decrease end-organ damage would provide additional evidence for the role of drug therapies in improving outcomes in SCD.
Cytological and molecular screening of Chlamydia trachomatis in infertile women attending a maternity teaching hospital in Gezira State, Sudan: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Omer Hajir Mohammed Hussien , Khalid Khalid Eltahir , Miskeen Elhadi Ibrahim , Taha Madiha Yousif , Saleh Eylaf Yasir , Ahmed Elhadi A. , Abdelwahid Omaima Hassan , Hassan Mohammed Abdelssalam , Abakar Adam Dawoud
Published: June 2020

Background: Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) is a sexually transmitted pathogen that threatens reproductive health worldwide. This study aims to screen CT urogenital infection using cytology and molecular methods in women suffering infertility.

Methods: In total, 415 women suffering infertility, attending Wad Madani Maternity Hospital were included in this study and then classified into two groups: primary infertile women and secondary infertile women. Both urine (n= 415) and vaginal swab samples (n= 130) were collected and tested using Giemsa stain and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for detection of CT.

Results: CT was detected in 33.7% (140/415) of urine samples and 73.1% (95/130) of vaginal swab samples using Giemsa stain, compared with 44.6% (185/415) and 84.6% (110/130) using PCR, respectively. In the primary infertile group (n= 265), chlamydia was detected in 35.8% (95/265) of urine and 75% (60/80) of swab samples by Giemsa stain compared with 50.9% (135/265) and 75% (60/80) of the samples by PCR. In the secondary infertile group (n= 150), chlamydia was detected in 30% (45/150) of urine and 70% (35/50) of swab samples by Giemsa stain compared with 33.3% (50/150) and 100% (50/50) of the samples by PCR. The associated risk factors were age, lower abdominal pain, and urethritis (p< 0.05). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of Giemsa stain in detecting chlamydia compared to PCR were 86.4%, 100%, 100%, and 83.6%, respectively.

Conclusions: Giemsa stain can be used as a screening test for detection of urogenital chlamydia in urine and vaginal samples in places where PCR is difficult to be performed.
Effects of vitamin D deficiency on neurobehavioural outcomes in children: a systematic review
Authors: Mutua Agnes M. , Mogire Reagan M. , Elliott Alison M. , Williams Thomas N. , Webb Emily L. , Abubakar Amina , Atkinson Sarah H.
Published: June 2020

Introduction: Vitamin D plays an important role in brain development in experimental studies; however, the effect of vitamin D deficiency on child development remains inadequately characterized. We aimed to estimate the effects of vitamin D deficiency on neurobehavioural outcomes in children up to 18 years of age.

Methods: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Open Grey for published studies up to 10th January 2020. We included all studies that assessed the effects of maternal or child vitamin D status or vitamin D supplementation on neurobehavioural outcomes in children. Study findings were synthesized qualitatively as the high level of heterogeneity in study populations and methodologies precluded a quantitative meta-analysis.

Results: Our search identified 5,633 studies, of which 31 studies with 31,375 participants from 18 countries were included in the systematic review. Of the studies identified, one was a randomised controlled trial (RCT) of vitamin D supplementation in children, while 30 were observational. The RCT (n=55) reported a beneficial effect of supplementation with lower doses compared to higher doses of vitamin D on motor development. Twelve mother-child studies (n=17,136) and five studies in children (n=1,091) reported an association between low maternal or child 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and impaired neurobehavioural outcomes in children, while 15 mother-child studies (n=20,778) and eight studies in children (n=7,496) reported no association.

Conclusions: Although animal studies point to an effect of vitamin D deficiency on brain development, there are few studies on the effects of vitamin D deficiency on neurobehavioural outcomes in children and their findings are inconsistent. There is a need for well-conducted, adequately powered studies to further determine these effects in children.

Registration: PROSPERO ID CRD42018087619; registered on 15 February 2018.
Years of life lost estimates cannot always be taken at face value: Response to “COVID-19 – exploring the implications of long-term condition type and extent of multimorbidity on years of life lost: a modelling study”
Authors: Rubo Marius , Czuppon Peter
Published: June 2020

In their recent analysis, Hanlon et al. set out to estimate the years of life lost (YLL) in people who have died with COVID-19 by following and expanding on the WHO standard approach. We welcome this research as an attempt to draw a more accurate picture of the mortality burden of this disease which has been involved in the deaths of more than 300,000 people worldwide as of May 2020. However, we argue that obtained YLL estimates (13 years for men and 11 years for women) are interpreted in a misleading way. Even with the presented efforts to control for the role of multimorbidity in COVID-19 deaths, these estimates cannot be interpreted to imply “how long someone who died from COVID-19 might otherwise have been expected to live”. By example we analyze the underlying problem of data selection bias which, in the context of COVID-19, renders such an interpretation of YLL estimates impossible, and outline potential approaches to control for the problem.
Upper secondary education for youth at risk: A comparative analysis of education and training programmes in Austria, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland
Authors: Schmid Evi
Published: June 2020

Context: Vocational education and training (VET) plays a key role in reducing early leaving from education and training, and integrating youth at risk in upper secondary education. To ensure that more young people complete upper secondary education, the OECD suggests designing interventions that address the specific needs of youth at risk like changes in the standard duration, preparatory or personalised support measures. Based on a comparative analysis of such programmes tailored to the needs of youth at risk in Austria, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland, the objective of this article is to identify different education and training models that these countries employ to include youth at risk in upper secondary education.Approach: The study is based on document analysis; the documents studied are public documents like law texts and white papers from the education authorities as well as research publications. The interventions proposed by the OECD to adapt training programmes to the specific needs of youth at risk were chosen as a basis for the comparative analysis. Further structural characteristics of the programmes complemented the analysis.Findings: The study found four different types of education and training models for youth at risk in Austria, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland: Shortened (Norway, Switzerland), prolonged (Austria), individualised (Austria, Norway and Sweden) and preparatory programmes (Sweden). Preparatory and prolonged programmes aim to help young people to achieve ordinary upper secondary qualifications through preparatory measures, more time or more support. Individualised or shortened programmes aim to adapt education and training programmes to young people's needs by reducing the programmes’ demands. In all four countries, youths have the opportunity to conclude their education with a certificate at a level lower than 'regular' upper secondary education.Conclusion: The four countries surveyed differ widely in terms of educational traditions and the position of VET at upper secondary level. Regarding the integration of disadvantaged youth into education and work, the differences concerning access to upper secondary education, the importance of VET at upper secondary level and the recognition of training programmes for youth at risk may be of particular relevance. Further research is needed to empirically investigate the effectiveness of the identified education and training models as a means of integrating youth at risk into upper secondary education.
Understanding informal jewellery apprenticeship in Ghana: Nature, processes and challanges
Authors: Baidoo Mohammed Kwaku , Tachie-Menson Akosua , Arthur Nana Ama Pokua , Asante Eric Appau
Published: June 2020

Context: The processes of acquiring education in jewellery in Ghana has been dominated by the informal apprenticeship system and it forms the backbone of the workforce of the jewellery industry in Ghana. However, the patronage of informal jewellery apprenticeship in Ghana in recent times has been on decline even though it has the potential of training human resources to transform Ghana’s precious mineral resources sector.This is based on the belief that jewellery trade and its training are shrouded in secrecy, in other words, the jewellery trade is considered to be a sacred profession where information on its operating systems are not allowed to be shared easily. It is believed to be associated with cult and magic, hence the reluctant to admit people who are from outside the family of particular jewellery enterprise. This study is sought to bring to fore the understanding nature, processes and challenges of the informal jewellery apprenticeship in Ghana. Approach: The study adopted the descriptive and phenomenology research designs (qualitative research methods). Jewellers who own a jewellery business and who are training other people through apprenticeships as well as people who are trained are observed and interviewed. A sample size was selected through purposive and convenience sampling techniques from four jewellery enterprises in Accra, Ghana. A thematic analysis plan was adopted to generate fndings of the study. Findings: The results show that for a person to train as a jeweller, s/he has to enrol by going through induction, futhremore fees (money and perishable items) are to be paid. The training content is driven by orders received by the master jeweller, thereby making it unstructured and lacking criteria for assessing the performance and progress of apprentice jewellers. Teaching and learning methods are usually on-the-job training that rely on demonstrations and observation.Conclusion: Informal jewellery apprenticeship in Ghana uses a fexible, cost-efective approach for transferring jewellery making skills from masters to apprentice jewellers, and it has substantial potential for improving skills training in the country. Sometimes the reluctant of some jeweller to train others is to keep the trade to family members only.
Ángela García Rives, o cuando ellas llegaron a las bibliotecas y archivos.
Authors: Pola Morillas María Teresa , Arquero Avilés Rosario
Published: June 2020

Objective: To analyse the academic and professional career of the first woman to join the Corps of Archivists, Librarians and Archaeologists: Ángela García Rives. Methodology: Documentary research based on a systematic and sequential process of collection, selection, organization and analysis of primary and secondary sources on the person under study, drawing on the material available at the Spanish Archive Portal (PARES) and, by extension, from her personal files at the General Archive of the Administration (AGA). Results: There are numerous records of the achievements of male figures in all professional fields. Efforts are currently being made to put the spotlight on the stories of female lives that have been neglected or disparaged. These biographies are often limited to specific cases that are systematically repeated, thus creating the idea that they are exceptions to the general rule; and in certain areas of knowledge their presence is particularly scarce. Although Ángela García Rives is a historical figure, well known in the area of Library Science and Documentation as the first woman to join the Corps of Archivists, Librarians and Archaeologists, the results of our research show that many details regarding her life remain unknown. The main contribution of this study is the compilation and analysis of documentary evidence on her academic and professional career.
Feasibility of near-infrared spectroscopy as a tool for anatomical mapping of the human epicardium
Authors: Singh-moon Rajinder P. , Park Soo Young , Song Cho Diego M. , Vaidya Agastya , Marboe Charles C. , Wan Elaine Y. , Hendon Christine P.
Published: June 2020

Epicardial ablation is necessary for the treatment of ventricular tachycardias refractory to endocardial ablation due to arrhythmic substrates involving the epicardium. The human epicardium is composed of adipose tissue and coronary vasculature embedded on the surface and within the myocardium, which can complicate electroanatomical mapping, electrogram interpretation and ablation delivery. We propose using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to decipher adipose tissue from myocardial tissue within human hearts ex vivo. Histological measurement of epicardial adipose thickness direct correlated (R = 0.884) with the adipose contrast index. These results demonstrate the potential of NIRS integrated catheters for mapping the spatial distribution of epicardial substrates and could aid in improving guidance during epicardial ablation interventions.
Composite Yb:YAG/sapphire thin-disk active elements produced by thermal diffusion bonding
Authors: Kuznetsov I. I. , Volkov M. R. , Mukhin I. B.
Published: June 2020

Thermal diffusion bonding of Yb:YAG and sapphire crystals was successfully implemented for the first time, and composite active elements having a geometry of a thin disk with an undoped cap were fabricated. The composites were tested in a continuous-wave thin-disk laser scheme at up to 400 W output average power, confirming that bonding strength is sufficient to operate at high thermal load. The radiation phase and polarization distortions as well as the small signal gain were studied. It is shown that depolarization is a significant problem in the considered composites; however, a proper choice of the parameters allows minimizing this impact.
Ultrafast modulation of the spectral filtering properties of a THz metasurface
Authors: Gingras Lauren , Jaber Ahmed , Maleki Ali , Reshef Orad , Dolgaleva Ksenia , Boyd Robert W. , Ménard Jean-Michel
Published: June 2020

We demonstrate ultrafast tuning of a plasmonic spectral filter at terahertz (THz) frequencies. The device is made of periodically spaced gold crosses deposited on the surface of an undoped silicon wafer in which transient free carriers can be optically injected with a femtosecond resonant pulse. We demonstrate the concept by measuring the transmission spectrum of a notch filter using time-domain THz spectroscopy. Proper synchronization of the THz probe and visible excitation pulses leads to an enhanced transmission at the resonance by more than two orders of magnitude. Finite-difference time-domain simulations, which are in agreement with the experimental results, show that the underlying mechanisms responsible for the resonance blueshift and linewidth broadening can be attributed to the photoinduced change in dielectric properties of the substrate. This is supported by the numerically simulated field distribution and reflection/transmission coefficients. The device can be used in future pulse shaping and ultrafast switching experiments.
Etched-cavity GaSb laser diodes on a MOVPE GaSb-on-Si template
Authors: Monge-Bartolome Laura , Cerba Tiphaine , Díaz-Thomas Daniel A. , Bahriz Michaël , Calvo Marta Rio , Boissier Guilhem , Baron Thierry , Rodriguez Jean-Baptiste , Cerutti Laurent , Tournié Eric
Published: June 2020

We report on 2.3-µm etched-cavity GaSb-based laser diodes (LDs) epitaxially integrated on on-axis (001)Si and benchmarked against their cleaved facet counterparts. The LDs were grown in two steps. First, a GaSb-on-Si template was grown by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) before the growth of the LD heterostructure by molecular-beam epitaxy. Different etched-facet geometries operate in continuous wave well above room temperature, and their performance are similar to those of cleaved-cavity LDs. These results show that etching mirrors is a viable route to form laser cavities in the GaSb technology and that MOVPE GaSb-on-Si templates are a suitable platform for optoelectronic devices overgrowth.
High complexity femtosecond pulse duplicator
Authors: Camper Antoine
Published: June 2020

This paper presents a theoretical and numerical study of a 0-π fan-out phase grating placed in the Fourier plane of a spatio-spectral pulse shaper followed by a spherical focusing lens. It is shown that this device acts as a high complexity femtosecond pulse duplicator designed for two source interferometry. At the focus of the lens, the electric field displays two spatially separated intense spots in which relative delay can be continuously tuned over 4 orders of magnitude, typically from a few attoseconds to a few tens of femtoseconds. Because the two pulses do not spatially overlap, their intensity remains unchanged when the relative delay is smaller than the pulse duration. Detailed simulations of the shaped electric field are presented.
RMPPNet: residual multiple pyramid pooling network for subretinal fluid segmentation in SD-OCT images
Authors: Yang Jian , Ji Zexuan , Niu Sijie , Chen Qiang , Yuan Songtao , Fan Wen
Published: June 2020

Automatic assessment of neurosensory retinal detachment (NRD) plays an important role in the diagnosis and treatment for central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC). In this paper, we propose a novel residual multiple pyramid pooling network (RMPPNet) to segment NRD in the spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) images. Based on the encoder-decoder architecture, RMPPNet can better deal with receptive field and multi-scale features. In the encoder stage, based on the residual architectures, six striding convolutions are utilized to replace the conventional pooling layers to obtain wider receptive fields. To further explore the multi-scale features, three pyramid pooling modules (PPM) are supplemented in the encoder stage. In the decoder stage, we use multiple transpose convolutions to recover the resolution of feature maps and concatenate the feature maps from the encoder for each transpose convolution layer. Finally, for better and faster training, we propose a novel loss function to constrain the different sets between the true label and the prediction label. Three different datasets are utilized to evaluate the proposed model. The first dataset contains 35 cubes from 23 patients, and all the cubes are diagnosed as CSC with only NRD lesions. Based on the first dataset, the second dataset supplements ten normal cubes without NRD lesions. The proposed model obtains a mean dice similarity coefficient 92.6 ± 5.6 and 90.2 ± 20.5, respectively. The last dataset includes 23 cubes from 12 eyes of 12 patients with NRD lesions. The average quantitative results, i.e., mean true positive volume fraction, positive predictive value and dice similarity coefficient, obtained by the proposed model are 96%, 96.45% and 96.2%, respectively. The proposed model can provide a wider receptive field and more abundant multi-scale features to overcome the defects involved in NRD segmentations, such as various size, low contrast, and weak boundaries. Comparing with state-of-the-art methods, the proposed RMPPNet can produce more reliable results for NRD segmentation with higher mean values and lower standard deviations of quantitative criterion, which indicates the practical application for the clinical diagnosis of CSC.
Dual-band fluorosensor for discriminating non-eating from algae-eating zooplankton in aquatic environments
Authors: Nielsen J. H. , Pedersen C. , Kiørboe T. , Nikolajsen T. , Brydegaard M. , Rodrigo P. J.
Published: June 2020

We present a fluorosensor for the detection of laser-induced autofluorescence of zooplankton in marine environments. The sensor uses an inexpensive 410 nm laser diode as excitation source and simultaneously measures two fluorescence bands, 500-550 nm and 675-725 nm, using two identical 16-bit linear array detectors. We show continuous measurements at 200 Hz of zooplankton swimming through a water volume illuminated by the 410 nm laser. The sensor can distinguish salmon lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) larvae from an algae-eating reference species (Acartia tonsa) with a sensitivity of up to 99%. The system successfully differentiates the two species using mixed-species cultures at different ratios. This work shows the potential of fluorescent pest monitoring in the salmon farming industry and paves the way for single-ended aquatic lidars.
Optical coherence tomography with balanced signal strength across the depth for pearl inspection
Authors: Mao Huade , Feng Pingping , Ren Yu-Xuan , Kang Jiqiang , Tsia Kevin K. , Yan Wa-Tat , Wong Kenneth K. Y.
Published: June 2020

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) relies on the reflection of light from structures in different layers to interferometrically reconstruct the volumetric image of the sample. However, light returned from multiple layers suffers from imbalanced attenuation owing to the optical path difference and inhomogeneous tissue absorption. We report an optimization algorithm to improve signal strength in deep tissue for swept-source (SS)-OCT imaging. This algorithm utilizes the attenuation coefficient of consecutive layers within the sample and combines them to compensate for the signal intensity loss from deep tissue. We stacked 170-µm thick cover slides as a standard sample for benchmark testing. The optimized OCT image provides a 30% increase in signal intensity in the deep structure compared with the conventional images. We applied this method for pearl inspection, whose layered structure demonstrates a great application for our optimized OCT imaging. In contrast to X-ray micro-CT scan and scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging modalities, the optimized OCT imaging provides great potential for pearl quality inspection. The proposed improvement algorithm for SS-OCT could also be applied to diverse biomedical imaging scenarios, including label-free tissue imaging.
DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURAL LOCAL TERRITORIES UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF NATURAL-EXOGENOUS FACTORS
Authors: Kovaleva Irina
Published: June 2020

The article discusses the impact of the major exogenous factors on the development and effective functioning of the local territories. Notion of the regional economic development is based on the research that study factors, characteristics and conditions for economic growth. In this sense, the study of the influence of exogenous factors is a new scientific direction, which allows, based on an analysis of the degree of influence of these factors, to determine strategic directions for the prospective development of local territories by optimizing the use of resource potential and the production of products and services taking into account the specifics of the local territory.

As a result, the analysis identifies the determinants that affect the development of local territories: economic, informational, socio-cultural and public ones. The economic factor is assessed in terms of fiscal policy in the region and is evaluated as a factor in the adverse effect, in view of the traditional subsidy of the region. Factors with positive influence on the development of local territories can be classified as informational, socio-cultural and public. Thus, we can conclude that there are both positive and negative effects of endogenous factors in the region. All in all, the majority of natural and exogenous factors in the Altai Region have a positive impact, thereby creating favorable conditions for the functioning of local territories in the region.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WAGES AND HUMAN CAPITAL IN THE RUSSIAN ECONOMY: THE BASIC THEORETICAL PRINCIPLES AND FACTS
Authors: Perekarenkova Yuliya , Krishka Victor , Belyaev Victor , Trotskovsky Alexander , Solopova Natalya
Published: June 2020

The article is devoted to the study of the mutual relationship between wages and human capital development in the modern Russian economy from the perspective of normative theory and positive practice. In particular, the article describes the main theoretical provisions of the human capital theory. In the course of the regulatory analysis, it was revealed that the development of human capital implies an increase in the wage of an employee in accordance with the growth of his qualification. However, the current practice of wage organization in the Russian economy refutes this normative provision. Based on the analysis of statistical data, it was found that the basis of the current differentiation in wages is not the level of the employee qualification, but the market situation in the development of the industry, the lack of workers in certain professions and specialties. The solution of the problem between the normative provisions of the human capital theory and the real practice of wage organization is seen, first, in the need for a critical rethinking of the neoclassical provisions of the human capital theory. Secondly, an important direction is the creation of a “road map”, which would be linked into a single whole scientific, educational, managerial, financial and other decisions relating to the wages growth of highly qualified persons.
PROBLEMS OF INFLUENCE OF THE CURRENT ASSETS CONDITION ON THE ENTERPRISE ECONOMIC SECURITY IN THE REGION
Authors: Semina Larisa
Published: June 2020

Current assets play an important role in the production process, affecting the economic security of the enterprise in the region. The structure and assessment of the current assets of the enterprise is the most important part for its stable operation and development, as the level of economic security depends on a thorough study and optimization of the structure of current assets. Currently, any enterprise can face a variety of risks that adversely affect both the state of current assets and its economic security as a whole. To minimize these risks, it is necessary to ensure timely assessment of the current assets and control the reliability of information about the current assets of the enterprise.

The company needs to create an optimal structure of current assets, in which there will be enough reserves, receivables, cash, etc., to carry out a continuous process of reproduction for normal operation. It is difficult to develop and implement specific activities that are necessary to control information resources. As a result, many managers do not think about creating a reliable information security system at the enterprise. If the company does not apply measures to minimize the risks affecting the state of current assets, the consequence of this there are certain consequences that have a negative impact on all activities.

In this regard, it is important to study the problems associated with improving the efficiency of the use of current assets of the enterprise and, accordingly, to determine the ways to influence economic security.
The origin of Alopecurus × brachystylus Peterm. according to the results of next-generation sequencing (NGS)
Authors: Gnutikov A. A. , Nosov N. N. , Punina E. O. , Rodionov A. V.
Published: June 2020

A molecular phylogenetic study of the hybrid species Alopecurus × brachystylus Peterm. and somesupposed ancestral taxa was carried out. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) of the ITS1 sequence and the start of the5.8S rRNA gene was used on the Illumina platform. According to NGS sequencing, genome of the A. × brachystylusforms common subgenomes with representatives of the section Alopecurium: A. geniculatus and A. aequalis, as well asrepresentatives of the type section: A. pratensis, A. arundinaceus, and alpine A. vlassowii. In addition, it was found thatA. vlassowii (section Alopecurus) contains sequences identical to the species of another section, Alopecurium.
Fruit micromorphology in the Umbelliferae in Siberia and patterns of morphological diversity in the family
Authors: Ostroumova T. A.
Published: June 2020

Fruit micromorphology of all 98 native, adventive, and cultivated species of the Umbelliferae of Siberiawas studied. We described simple hairs (size, shape, fine relief of cell wall, and tufted hairs), multicellular spines andglochidia, cell arrangement, cell form, fine relief (cuticular foldings), epicuticular wax, and stomata. We discuss thediversity of micromorphological characters and their value for species identification and taxonomy. We state numerousexamples of parallel variability of morphological traits in different subdivisions of the family
To the flora of soil algae of the northern territories of Baikal region: central Siberian plateau (Russia)
Authors: Sudakova E. A. , Egorova I. N. , Maksimova E. N. , Vysokikh E. M.
Published: June 2020

A list of soil algae registered in different plant communities in the North Baikal region, in the vicinitiesof the Kazachinskoye village and near Ust-Ilimsk reservoir in surroundings of settlements Vorobʼyovo, Banshchikovo,Badarma, Dalʼnii (Irkutsk oblast) is published for the first time. The territory is located within the Central Siberian plateauin the taiga zone. The list of soil algae includes 171 species and intraspecific taxa from six divisions: Cyanoprokaryota –63 taxa, Bacillariophyta – 15, Ochrophyta – 22, Chlorophyta – 64 and Streptophyta – 7.
Methodology for assessment of the results of woody plants introduction (on the example of Southern Uzbekistan)
Authors: Yoziev L. H. , Kudratov G. D.
Published: June 2020

The assessment of the results of the woody plants’ introduction of Southern Uzbekistan is presented in thearticle. Based on many years of experience, a scale is proposed to determine the prospects of introduced species in thoseconditions where the main limiting factor is high summer temperatures.
The effect of the substrate on the anatomical and morphophysiological parameters of Pimpinella saxifraga L. on the ash dump
Authors: Chukina N. V. , Lukina N. V. , Glazyrina М. А.
Published: June 2020

The structural and functional features of the species Pimpinella saxifraga L., which grows in the ash dumpof the Verkhnetagil State District Power Station, were investigated, compared with the natural habitat. We studied suchindicators as biomass distribution, parameters of the leaf mesostructure (the area and thickness of the leaf blade, thethickness of the mesophyll and epidermis, the size of cells and chloroplasts and their number per unit area of the leaf, thenumber of chloroplasts in cell, etc.). Pimpinella saxifraga, growing on the ash dump, showed a change in morphologicalparameters, compared with the control: a decrease in the weight of the roots, an increase in the weight of the aerialorgans, a decrease in the area of the leaf blade and the thickness of the leaf. The structural adaptation of mesophyll toenvironmental conditions consisted in changing the number and size of cells without changing the parameters of theplastid apparatus (number and size of chloroplasts). The properties of the substrate did not significantly influence on theinternal leaf area. Such adaptive changes allows this species to grow on technogenic substrates.
Rare plants of the mountains of southern Siberia in the collection Polar Alpine Botanical Garden
Authors: Viracheva L. L.
Published: June 2020

In the Polar-Alpine Botanical Garden (67o38′N and 33o37′E) plants of the mountains of Southern Siberiahave been tested since 1934 (Altai) and 1936 (Sayan Mountains). Plants obtained from field trips to that areas. Theanalysis of the existing diversity of rare and endangered plants from the mountains of Southern Siberia in the open groundcollection of the Polar-Alpine Botanical Garden is carried out. Currently, the collection of rare plants of the mountains ofSouthern Siberia totals 18 species belonging to 14 genera of 12 families. Four species are included in the Red Book of theRussian Federation: Allium altaicum, Erythronium sibiricum, Fritillaria dagana, Rheum compactum. Three plants in needof protection are included in the Red List of Threatened Taxa of the International Union for Conservation of Nature: –Species in close to threatened status (conservation status NT): Allium altaicum; – Least Concerned Species (conservationstatus LC): Allium ledebourianum, Paeonia anomala. All studied species in the conditions of the Arctic annually bloomand are able to produce viable seeds. The group of plants reaching the fruiting phase is very heterogeneous:– bear fruitannually: Allium altaicum, Sedum roseum, Erythronium sibiricum, Callianthemum sajanense; – bear fruit almost annually:Allium ledebourianum, Stemmacantha carthamoides, Iris bloudowii, Iris sibirica, Paeonia anomala, Primula elatior ssp.pallasii, Primula veris ssp. macrocalyx; – bear fruit irregularly: Iris humilis, Rheum altaicum, Adonis apennina; – rarelybear fruit: Brunnera sibirica, Gentiana dschungarica, Hemerocallis lilio-asphodelus, Fritillaria dagana.
On the problems and prospects of native flora conservation in culture: from the experience of Samara University Botanical Garden
Authors: Rozno S. A. , Ruzayeva I. V. , Zhavkina T. M. , Pomogaybin A. V. , Kavelenova L. M. , Kuzovenko O.A.
Published: June 2020

The information on the experience of preserving rare natural flora species ex situ is presented in the article.The largest amount of research conducted relates to herbaceous plants. For Juniperus sabina L., an extremely raregymnosperm plant of the Samara region, numerous clumps have been formed in the Botanical Garden, including somefrom local origin material. There is experience of successful reintroduction of both grassy and woody species (juniper).
Pollen viability and fertility of species from genus Hemerocallis L.
Authors: Cheltygmasheva L. R.
Published: June 2020

The work presents the results of determining the pollen viability and fertility of three species from genusHemerocallis in the forest-steppe zone of Western Siberia. It was noted that H. middendorfii has the most viable pollen,while its value is quite low and amounts to only 5 %. In other species, the maximum value of this indicator varies from 1.9% (H. citrina) to 4.6 % (H. fulva). It was established that the pollen of studied species has a rather high degree of fertilityand takes values from 50.8–56.2 % of H. fulva to 93.4–95.7 % of H. middendorfii.
Cost-Effectiveness of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Surveillance: An Assessment of Benefits and Harms
Authors: Parikh Neehar D. , Singal Amit G. , Hutton David W. , Tapper Elliot B.
Published: June 2020

INTRODUCTION:

The value of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance is defined by the balance of benefits, i.e., early tumor detection, and potential harms, related to false positive and indeterminate results. Although physical harms can be observed in 15%–20% of patients with cirrhosis undergoing HCC surveillance, previous cost-effectiveness analyses have not incorporated costs of harms. We aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of HCC surveillance including both benefits and harms.

DESIGN:

We constructed a Markov model to compare surveillance strategies of ultrasound (US) alone, US and alpha fetoprotein (AFP), and no surveillance in 1 million simulated patients with compensated cirrhosis. Harms included imaging and biopsy in patients undergoing surveillance for HCC. Model inputs were based on literature review, and costs were derived from the Medicare fee schedule, with all costs inflated to 2018 dollars. The primary outcome was the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio per incremental quality-adjusted life-year.

RESULTS:

In the base case analysis, US with AFP was the dominant strategy over both US alone and no surveillance. In a probabilistic sensitivity analysis, US with AFP was the most cost-effective strategy in 80.1% of simulations at a willingness-to-pay threshold of $100,000 per quality-adjusted life-year. In our threshold analyses, an HCC incidence >0.4% per year and surveillance adherence >19.5% biannually were necessary for US with AFP to be cost-effective compared with no surveillance.

DISCUSSION:

Accounting for both surveillance-related benefits and harms, US and AFP is more cost-effective for HCC surveillance than US alone or no surveillance in patients with compensated cirrhosis.
INOVASI PELAYANAN SIM BOOKING DI SATLANTAS POLRES KUDUS
Authors: Sebastian Aron
Published: June 2020

In order to adapt in changing environment, innovation is an important component in public organization. Innovation in public organization runs in two stages, the initiation stage and the implementation stage. The study examines supporting factors and barriers of innovation at the Driving Licence service agency. The paper analyzes the initiation stage and the implementation stage. In the initiation stage, the article shows the agency’s decision to impement "SIM Booking Innovation" as policy to respond to the demands of the community and organization. At implementation stage, the agency implement a more technical intervention by building infrastructure such as allocating special booth and staff, For driving license extension procedure, the agency adopted the existing model. In conclusion, the article argues that the supporting factors in organization innovation consists of broad-minded and open-minded leaders, availability of facilities, and organizational support in the implementation of innovation. On the other hand, the barrier factors of innovation are the lack of special budget to support innovation program, risk aversion of subordinates and over-reliance on high-performers.
A Comparative Analysis of Classification Algorithms on Students’ Performance
Authors: Aye Nilar
Published: June 2020

Recently educational system, many features control a student’s performance. Students should be well stimulated to study their education. Motivation leads to interest, interest leads to success in their lives. Appropriate assessment of abilities encourages the students to do better in their education. Data mining is to find out patterns by analyzing a large dataset and apply those patterns to predict the possibility of the future events. Data mining is a very critical field in educational area and it provides high potential for the schools and universities. In data mining, there are various classification techniques with various levels of accuracy. This paper focuses to make comparative evaluation of four classifiers such as J48, Naive Bayesian, Bayesian Network and Decision Stump by using WEKA tool.  This study is to investigate and identify the best classification technique to analyze and predict the students’ performance of University of Jordan.
Successive coefficients of close-to-convex functions
Authors: Zaprawa Paweł
Published: June 2020

In this paper we discuss coefficient problems for functions in the class

𝒞
0

⁢

(
k
)

{{\mathcal{C}}_{0}(k)}

. This family is a subset of

𝒞

{{\mathcal{C}}}

, the class of close-to-convex functions, consisting of functions which are convex in the positive direction of the real axis. Our main aim is to find some bounds of the difference of successive coefficients depending on the fixed second coefficient. Under this assumption we also estimate

|

a

n
+
1

|

-

|

a
n

|

{|a_{n+1}|-|a_{n}|}

and

|

a
n

|

{|a_{n}|}

. Moreover, it is proved that

Re
⁡

{

a
n

}

≥
0

{\operatorname{Re}\{a_{n}\}\geq 0}

for all

f
∈

𝒞
0

⁢

(
k
)

{f\in{\mathcal{C}}_{0}(k)}

.
Investigation E-health literacy and correlates factors among Alborz medical sciences students: a cross sectional study
Authors: Salehi Leili , Keikavoosi-Arani Leila
Published: June 2020

Background

Health literacy is one of the goals of public health and the key challenge of health education in the 21st century. This study aimed to determine E-health literacy and correlates among medical sciences students in Karaj, Iran 2017.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was performed on a thousand students of Alborz University of Medical Sciences. A multi-sectional questionnaire was used to collect data. The first section included age, major, marital status; educational grade, mother and father education, socioeconomic status, health status, membrane in social network and the second compromised a validated Persian version of the E-health literacy. We used t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) to compare the mean of variables and for categorical variables x2 was used with SPSS version 19.

Results

The mean age of the subjects was 25.5 ± 5.6 years, of which 65.3% were male. The medical students constituted the most number of participants (28.6%). Mean eHEALS score was 26.11 ± 6.6 years. There was a significant difference between female and male regarding E-health literacy (P = 0.04). Internet was the most commonly used sources for health information (67%), the majority of the students were members of one of the social networks (77.7%) that telegram and Instagram were among the most popular networks.

Conclusion

Improving search skills and assessing of health resources in students, especially in medical and Para-medical sciences, is recommended. Social networks can be used as channels for the transmission of the health messages due to high usage among students.