bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MetaEuk—sensitive, high-throughput gene discovery, and annotation for large-scale eukaryotic metagenomics
Authors: Levy Karin Eli , Mirdita Milot , Söding Johannes
Published: April 2020

Background

Metagenomics is revolutionizing the study of microorganisms and their involvement in biological, biomedical, and geochemical processes, allowing us to investigate by direct sequencing a tremendous diversity of organisms without the need for prior cultivation. Unicellular eukaryotes play essential roles in most microbial communities as chief predators, decomposers, phototrophs, bacterial hosts, symbionts, and parasites to plants and animals. Investigating their roles is therefore of great interest to ecology, biotechnology, human health, and evolution. However, the generally lower sequencing coverage, their more complex gene and genome architectures, and a lack of eukaryote-specific experimental and computational procedures have kept them on the sidelines of metagenomics.

Results

MetaEuk is a toolkit for high-throughput, reference-based discovery, and annotation of protein-coding genes in eukaryotic metagenomic contigs. It performs fast searches with 6-frame-translated fragments covering all possible exons and optimally combines matches into multi-exon proteins. We used a benchmark of seven diverse, annotated genomes to show that MetaEuk is highly sensitive even under conditions of low sequence similarity to the reference database. To demonstrate MetaEuk’s power to discover novel eukaryotic proteins in large-scale metagenomic data, we assembled contigs from 912 samples of the Tara Oceans project. MetaEuk predicted >12,000,000 protein-coding genes in 8 days on ten 16-core servers. Most of the discovered proteins are highly diverged from known proteins and originate from very sparsely sampled eukaryotic supergroups.

Conclusion

The open-source (GPLv3) MetaEuk software (https://github.com/soedinglab/metaeuk) enables large-scale eukaryotic metagenomics through reference-based, sensitive taxonomic and functional annotation.
Holistic tactical-level planning in liner shipping: an exact optimization approach
Authors: Pasha Junayed , Dulebenets Maxim A. , Kavoosi Masoud , Abioye Olumide F. , Theophilus Oluwatosin , Wang Hui , Kampmann Raphael , Guo Weihong
Published: April 2020

Effective liner shipping is important for the global seaborne trade. The volume of cargoes transported by liner shipping has been increasing over the past decades. Liner shipping companies face three levels of decision problems, including strategic, tactical, and operational problems. The tactical-level decisions are commonly made every three to 6 months. These decisions include: (1) port service frequency determination; (2) fleet deployment; (3) sailing speed optimization; and (4) vessel schedule design. Most of the concurrent liner shipping studies have addressed the tactical-level decision problems separately. Even though a few studies have proposed joint planning models that capture multiple decision problems at the same time, none of the conducted studies has integrated all the four tactical-level decision problems. To address this gap in the state-of-the-art, this study presents a holistic optimization model that addresses all the tactical-level liner shipping decision problems, aiming to maximize the total profit obtained from liner shipping services. The key route service cost components, found in the liner shipping literature, are considered in this study, which include: (1) vessel operational cost; (2) vessel chartering cost; (3) port handling cost; (4) port late arrival cost; (5) fuel consumption cost; (6) container inventory costs in sea and at ports of call; and (7) emission costs in sea and at ports of call. An exact optimization approach is adopted for the developed mathematical model. The computational experiments, conducted for a set of Asia-North America liner shipping routes, showcase the efficiency of the proposed approach and offer some important managerial insights.
Development of a multiplicative, multi-attribute utility function and eight single-attribute utility functions for the Health Utilities Index Mark 3 in Japan
Authors: Noto Shinichi , Shiroiwa Takeru , Kobayashi Makoto , Murata Tatsunori , Ikeda Shunya , Fukuda Takashi
Published: April 2020

Background

The Health Utilities Index Mark 3 (HUI3) is a generic multi-attribute, preference-based system for assessing health-related quality of life. It is widely used overseas as an outcome measure and for estimating quality-adjusted life years. We aimed to estimate a multi-attribute and eight single-attribute utility functions for the HUI3 system based on community preferences in Japan. We conducted two preference surveys in this study. The first survey was designed to estimate a model of utility function and collect preference scores, and the second survey was designed to evaluate predictive validity of the utility function and provide independent scores. Values obtained from the feeling thermometer and standard gamble scores obtained from using a chance board were included in the preference scale. We recruited 1043 respondents (age: 20–79 years) from five cities in Japan through the general population classified by sex and age groups. Respondents were further randomly divided into a modeling group (n = 774) and a direct group (n = 263).

Results

We acquired the estimation for eight single-attribute and a global multi-attribute utility function. The minimum expected multi-attribute utility score was − 0.002. The intraclass correlation coefficient between the directly measured utility score and the score generated by multi-attribute function in terms of 53 health conditions was 0.742.

Conclusions

The HUI3 scoring function developed in Japan has a strong theoretical and empirical basis. It will be useful in future to predict the directly measured score of health technology assessments in Japan.
Layered obfuscation: a taxonomy of software obfuscation techniques for layered security
Authors: Xu Hui , Zhou Yangfan , Ming Jiang , Lyu Michael
Published: April 2020

Software obfuscation has been developed for over 30 years. A problem always confusing the communities is what security strength the technique can achieve. Nowadays, this problem becomes even harder as the software economy becomes more diversified. Inspired by the classic idea of layered security for risk management, we propose layered obfuscation as a promising way to realize reliable software obfuscation. Our concept is based on the fact that real-world software is usually complicated. Merely applying one or several obfuscation approaches in an ad-hoc way cannot achieve good obscurity. Layered obfuscation, on the other hand, aims to mitigate the risks of reverse software engineering by integrating different obfuscation techniques as a whole solution. In the paper, we conduct a systematic review of existing obfuscation techniques based on the idea of layered obfuscation and develop a novel taxonomy of obfuscation techniques. Following our taxonomy hierarchy, the obfuscation strategies under different branches are orthogonal to each other. In this way, it can assist developers in choosing obfuscation techniques and designing layered obfuscation solutions based on their specific requirements.
Integrative bioinformatics analysis reveals miR-494 and its target genes as predictive biomarkers of trastuzumab-resistant breast cancer
Authors: Hermawan Adam , Putri Herwandhani
Published: April 2020

Background

The focus of trastuzumab resistance biomarkers in recent decades has been on epigenetic and non-coding RNA-based mechanisms. In this study, the potential of miR-494 and its target genes as predictive biomarkers for breast cancer (BC) resistance to trastuzumab was identified. The microarray data were obtained from the GEO database, including GSE101841, GSE75669, and GSE66305. Data processing was conducted using GEO2R to obtain differentially expressed genes (DEGs).

Results

The data analysis using GEO2R revealed that DEGs from GSE101841 and GSE75669 consisted of 3 and 135 upregulated miRNAs, respectively. On the other hand, the same analysis revealed 8 and 226 downregulated miRNAs for DEGs from GSE101841 and GSE75669, respectively. A Venn diagram showed that one miR was detectable in serum and tissue samples, namely miR-494. The miR-494 target was predicted using the miRecords database and resulted in 69 target genes. A Venn diagram between miR-494 target genes from miRecords and the mRNA array from GSE66305 revealed three potential targets of CNR1, RBM39, and ZNF207. A Kaplan–Meier survival plot showed that BC patients with a high miR-494 level and a low ZNF207 mRNA level had significantly worse overall survival. Validation of target genes in BC samples and trastuzumab-resistant and -sensitive BC cells with GEPIA and ONCOMINE highlighted the potential of CNR1, RBM39, and ZNF207 as predictive biomarkers of trastuzumab resistance in BC cells.

Conclusion

Taken together, these results suggest that miR-494 plays a role in the mechanism of BC resistance to trastuzumab by involving its target genes CNR1, RBM39, and ZNF207.
And Now for Something Completely Different: Immunotherapy Beyond Checkpoints in Melanoma
Authors: Glitza Isabella Claudia , Goff Stephanie L. , Ross Merrick , Margolin Kim
Published: April 2020

Advances in the understanding of biology and therapy of melanoma have occurred at an astonishing pace over the past approximately 15 years, and successful melanoma therapy has led the way for similar advances in many other solid tumors that are continuing to improve outcomes for all patients with cancer. Although the 2018 Nobel Prize was awarded to two investigators who discovered that therapeutic targeting of immune checkpoints held the key to major patient benefits, there are many additional immunotherapeutic strategies that warrant further study and discussion at scientific and medical meetings. This article provides the newest information on three areas of immunotherapy that have been successfully applied to melanoma and continue to pave the way for new developments: cytokines, adoptive cell therapies (ADTs), and intratumoral injection of immunomodulatory agents.
A Novel Phenotype Combining Primary Ovarian Insufficiency Growth Retardation and Pilomatricomas With MCM8 Mutation
Authors: Heddar Abdelkader , Beckers Dominique , Fouquet Baptiste , Roland Dominique , Misrahi Micheline
Published: April 2020

Context

Primary Ovarian insufficiency (POI) affects 1% of women aged <40 years and leads most often to definitive infertility with adverse health outcomes. Very recently, genes involved in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) repair have been shown to cause POI.

Objective

To identify the cause of a familial POI in a consanguineous Turkish family.

Design

Exome sequencing was performed in the proposita and her mother. Chromosomal breaks were studied in lymphoblastoid cell lines treated with mitomycin (MMC).

Setting and patients

The proposita presented intrauterine and postnatal growth retardation, multiple pilomatricomas in childhood, and primary amenorrhea. She was treated with growth hormone (GH) from age 14 to 18 years.

Results

We identified a novel nonsense variant in exon 9 of the minichromosome maintenance complex component 8 gene (MCM8) NM_001281522.1: c0.925C > T/p.R309* yielding either a truncated protein or nonsense-mediated messenger ribonucleic acid decay.

The variant was homozygous in the daughter and heterozygous in the mother. MMC induced DNA breaks and aberrant metaphases in the patient’s lymphoblastoid cells. The mother’s cells had intermediate but significantly higher chromosomal breaks compared with a control.

Conclusion

We describe a novel phenotype of syndromic POI related to a novel truncating MCM8 variant. We show for the first time that spontaneous tumors (pilomatricomas) are associated with an MCM8 genetic defect, making the screening of this gene necessary before starting GH therapy in patients with POI with short stature, especially in a familial or consanguineous context. Appropriate familial monitoring in the long term is necessary, and fertility preservation should be considered in heterozygous siblings to avoid rapid follicular atresia.
The role of lower urinary tract symptoms in fall risk assessment tools in hospitals: a review
Authors: Roggeman Saskia , Weiss Jeffrey P. , Van Laecke Erik , Vande Walle Johan , Everaert Karel , Bower Wendy F.
Published: April 2020

A large number of falls in hospitals occur on the way to the toilet. Accordingly, a literature search was conducted in Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library to identify fall risk screening and assessment metrics published between 1980 and 2019 and to study the inclusion of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and their related parameters in these screening tools. In addition, the literature was searched to explore the relationship between toilet-related falls and LUTS. In total, 23 fall risk scales were selected, from which 11 were applicable for in-hospital patients. In nine of the 11 scales for in-hospital patients, a LUTS or LUTS-related parameter was included. In the 12 risk assessment tools for community-dwelling older people, there were no LUTS included. Frequency, urinary incontinence, and nocturia were mostly reported in the literature as a potential fall risk parameter. It is recommended to create greater awareness of nocturia and other LUTS among caregivers of hospitalized patients to prevent falls.
Cost and cost-effectiveness analysis of treatment for child undernutrition in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review
Authors: Njuguna Rebecca G , Berkley James A , Jemutai Julie
Published: April 2020

Background: Undernutrition remains highly prevalent in low- and middle-income countries, with sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia accounting for majority of the cases. Apart from the health and human capacity impacts on children affected by malnutrition, there are significant economic impacts to households and service providers. The aim of this study was to determine the current state of knowledge on costs of child undernutrition treatment to households, health providers, organizations and governments in low and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Methods: We conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed studies in LMICs up to September 2019. We searched online databases including PubMed-Medline, Embase, Popline, Econlit and Web of Science. We identified additional articles through bibliographic citation searches. Only articles including costs of child undernutrition treatment were included.

Results:We identified a total of 6436 articles, and only 50 met the eligibility criteria. Most included studies adopted  institutional/program (45%) and health provider (38%) perspectives. The studies varied in the interventions studied and costing methods used with treatment costs reported ranging between US$0.44 and US$1344 per child. The main cost drivers were personnel, therapeutic food and productivity loss.

Conclusion: There is a need to assess the burden of direct and indirect costs of child undernutrition to households and communities in order to plan, identify cost-effective solutions and address issues of cost that may limit delivery, uptake and effectiveness. Standardized methods and reporting in economic evaluations would facilitate interpretation and provide a means for comparing costs and cost-effectiveness of interventions.
Prevenindo injustiças: como a psicologia do testemunho pode ajudar a compreender e prevenir o falso reconhecimento de suspeitos
Authors: Weber Cecconello William , Milnitsky Stein Lilian
Published: April 2020

O reconhecimento de um suspeito tem grande relevância no conjunto probatório, mas um inocente pode ser reconhecido como sendo o criminoso do crime. Um falso reconhecimento pode ocorrer devido ao funcionamento normal da memória, devido a condições do crime que podem interferir na codificação da face do criminoso, ou pelo esquecimento de informações armazenadas. Durante o reconhecimento do suspeito, fatores como a maneira em que o suspeito é apresentado, ou o tipo de instrução dada à testemunha também podem aumentar a probabilidade de um falso reconhecimento. Este artigo visa apresentar como processos cognitivos e procedimentos realizados para obtenção da prova testemunhal podem acarretar um falso reconhecimento. Ao final, são apresentados procedimentos recomendados pela literatura científicaem Psicologia do Testemunho visando diminuir a probabilidade de um falso reconhecimento.
Validación transcultural y funcionamiento diferencial del MBI-GS en docentes de tres países latinoamericanos
Authors: Juárez García Arturo , Merino Soto César , Fernández Arata Manuel , Flores Jiménez Cinthya Anamia , Caraballo Miriam , Camacho Cristiá Carmen
Published: April 2020

En América Latina, la investigación del síndrome de burnout (SB) es creciente; sin embargo, poco se ha explorado sobre las posibles diferencias culturales en sus mecanismos psicológicos y eficiencia de medición. En particular, el cuestionario MBI-GS ha sido reconocido como una medida satisfactoria del SB para su uso en distintos sectores y grupos ocupacionales, y su validez ha sido probada en múltiples países e idiomas, empero en Latinoamérica se adolece de investigaciones al respecto. El objetivo de este estudio fue realizar una traducción y adaptación cultural del MBI-GS para población latinoamericana, analizar su estructura interna, su fiabilidad y su invarianza (DIF y MGFCA) entre sexos y muestras de tres países latinoamericanos: México, Perú y Venezuela. Los resultados evidencian que la versión latina del MBI-GS propuesta presenta propiedades psicométricas satisfactorias, incluyendo la ausencia del funcionamiento diferencial entre sexos y países participantes.
Predictors of Domain-Specific Aspects of Subjective Wellbeing among School-Going Adolescents in Uruguay
Authors: Fernández Maria Eugenia , Van Damme Lore , Daset Lilian , Vanderplasschen Wouter
Published: April 2020

Research shows that subjective wellbeing (SWB) is of high relevance in the developmental period of adolescence, with many researchers emphasizing the importance of a concrete and multidimensional conceptualisation. In this study we aim to explore predictors of domain-specific aspects of SWB in a sample of students between 12 and 18 years old in Uruguay. The Personal wellbeing index (PWI) was used to assess the global level of SWB and the scores of the seven SWB domains (standard of living, health, achievements, relationships with others [peers and family], safety, community-connectedness, and future security). The Adolescents self-report, the national alcohol survey (JND) and the cannabis screening test (CAST) were used to assess psychopathology and resilience, alcohol and marijuana use, respectively. Adolescents reported highest satisfaction with the domain of community-connectedness and least satisfaction with the domain of safety. Multivariate linear regression analyses indicated the existence of domain-specific determinants for the different domains of SWB. The domain safety was most influenced by the selected variables of interest, while these variables had a rather limited impact on the domain health. Implications for prevention and clinical interventions in the context of schools, consultation to parents and teachers, and psychological assessment and treatment are discussed.
Impatience and Time Inconsistency in Discounting Models
Authors: Yoon Haewon
Published: April 2020

Extant theories of intertemporal choice entangle two aspects of time preference: impatience and time inconsistency. Impatient people focus on present consumption without worrying too much about the future; they may spend freely and avoid exercise. An outsider might question their choices, but impatient people do not experience conflict over those choices. By contrast, people who are time-inconsistent intend to save and exercise, but they fail to do so when temptation is proximate. Such individuals are conflicted; their preferences today differ from their preferences tomorrow. I characterize the interaction between impatience and time inconsistency in three leading models of temporal discounting that go beyond the exponential model, which does not predict time inconsistency at any level of impatience. The quasi-hyperbolic model predicts that time inconsistency increases with patience, whereas the hyperbolic model makes the opposite prediction. The constant-sensitivity model predicts that time inconsistency peaks at a moderate level of impatience. The results of an experiment using real monetary consequences with delays of up to one year align most closely with the prediction of the constant-sensitivity model.

This paper was accepted by Yuval Rottenstreich, judgment and decision making.
Parentalitat i parla adreçada als infants: com els adults promouen el desenvolupament comunicatiu i lingüístic infantil
Authors: Rivero Magdalena , Vilaseca Rosa
Published: April 2020

En aquest article oferim una revisió actualitzada dels principals resultats de les investigacions sobre el desenvolupament inicial de la comunicació i del llenguatge, posant l’èmfasi en com els pares i les mares, i en general els adults significatius per als nens i les nens, promouen el desenvolupament de les habilitats comunicatives i lingüístiques infantils.Inicialment, revisem les característiques dels primers intercanvis comunicatius entre bebès i adults, centrant-nos especialment en com evolucionen l’atenció conjunta i la intencionalitat en el marc d’aquests intercanvis. Posteriorment, abordem com determinats comportaments parentals que defineixen la parentalitat positiva s’han mostrat relacionats amb el desenvolupament infantil en general i amb el desenvolupament comunicatiu i lingüístic en particular. També ens referim a les característiques de la Parla Adreçada als Infants que, d’acord, amb les investigacions, donen suport al procés d’adquisició del llenguatge. Acabem senyalant algunes implicacions pràctiques dels resultats de les investigacions, a prendre en consideració en la intervenció professional amb les famílies i els educadors dels nens i nenes que requereixen una atenció especial en l’àrea de la comunicació i del llenguatge.
Numerical calculation of the mosaic error between mosaic gratings
Authors: Yang Guojun , Qi Xiangdong , Mi Xiaotao , Zhang Shanwen , Yu Hongzhu , Yu Haili , Li Xiaotian , Yang Shuo
Published: April 2020

The theoretical calculation model for a mosaic error was established based on the plane equation for a grating surface and the relationship equation for a mosaic grating surface. A mosaic grating was obtained based on this model. In the experiment, the mosaic error was calculated based on the diffraction wavefronts of two groups of mosaic gratings that were obtained simultaneously with a Zygo interferometer. The difference between the wavefront of the mosaic grating and the average wavefront of the mosaic grating element was

0
.
031
λ

. The maximum far-field intensity of the mosaic grating was 90% of that without an error. This model provides a theoretical basis for the numerical mosaic between gratings. In addition, the mosaic error can be calculated with this model, and the quality of the mosaic grating can be evaluated.
Measuring the cophasing state of a segmented mirror with a wavelength sweep and a Zernike phase contrast sensor
Authors: Cheffot Anne-Laure , Vigan Arthur , Leveque Samuel , Hugot Emmanuel
Published: April 2020

The demand for higher resolution telescopes leads to segmented primary mirrors that need to be phased for operation. A phasing sensor applying a wavelength sweep technique provides a large capture range without modulating the position of individual mirror segments. This technique offers the potential to monitor the phasing state of a segmented telescope in parallel to the science observations. We evaluate the performance of the wavelength sweep technique using a Zernike phase contrast sensor for coarse phasing. Test results on a dedicated bench show 112 nm rms precision. With the help of a simulation, we explain a known error of the method and we suggest ways for improvements.
Ultraviolet radiation impact on the efficiency of commercial crystalline silicon-based photovoltaics: a theoretical thermal-electrical study in realistic device architectures
Authors: Perrakis George , Tasolamprou Anna C. , Kenanakis George , Economou Eleftherios N. , Tzortzakis Stelios , Kafesaki Maria
Published: April 2020

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation has been identified as one of the most critical factors for the degradation of photovoltaics (PVs). Besides that, the UV spectral regime (∼0.28-0.4 µm) is less efficient for silicon-based PVs owing to the excess of the energy of the incident UV photons relative to the semiconductor’s bandgap; thus, a large part of the UV photon energy is transformed into heat, increasing the PV temperature and decreasing its efficiency. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate in detail and evaluate the UV radiation impact on the temperature and efficiency of realistic photovoltaic modules. Here we perform this investigation for crystalline silicon-based photovoltaics that operate outdoors. The investigation is performed by employing a thermal-electrical modeling approach, which takes into account all the major intrinsic processes affected by the temperature variation in the photovoltaic devices. We show that effectively reflecting UV radiation, i.e., up to a cut-off wavelength, which depends on the environmental conditions, results in a reduction of the overall operating temperature and enhancement of the PV cell’s efficiency. Additionally, blocking the high energy UV photons prolongs the lifetime of the PV and its performance in the long term.
Why don’t US citizens trust professional journalists?
Authors: Smith Reilly Susan
Published: April 2020

In 2016, the United States elected a populist president who had no public service, legal or military experience. Donald J. Trump was a New York real estate developer, known for his involvement in the Miss Universe Pageant, World Wide Wrestling and the reality television show, The Apprentice. Although the news media covered his unorthodox campaign extensively, after the election, the new president turned on the press, repeatedly accusing it of publishing ‘fake news’ about him and his administration and going so far as to call the press ‘the enemy of the people’. Alarmed by these accusations, journalists are discovering that without civics education in the public schools, US citizens no longer understand the role a free press plays in a democracy.
An optimized procedure for isolation of rodent and human skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar proteins
Authors: D. Roberts Michael , C. Young Kaelin , D. Fox Carlton , G. Vann Christopher , A. Roberson Paul , C. Osburn Shelby , H. Moore Johnathon , W. Mumford Petey , A. Romero Matthew , T. Beck Darren , T. Haun Cody , L.D. Badisa Veera , M. Mwashote Benjamin , Ibeanusi Victor , N. Kavazis Andreas
Published: April 2020

Several published protocols exist for isolating contractile or myofibrillar (MF) proteins from skeletal muscle, however, achieving complete resuspension of the myofibril pellet can be technically challenging. We performed several previously published MF isolation methods with the intent of determining which method was most suitable for MF protein isolation and solubilization. Here, we provide an optimized protocol to isolate sarcoplasmic and solubilized MF protein fractions from mammalian skeletal muscle suitable for several downstream assays.
El ángel de la historia y el materialismo histórico
Authors: Echeverría Bolívar
Published: April 2020

El pasaje más famoso del tardío texto de Walter Benjamin intitulado Sobre el concepto de historia -escrito solo unos meses antes del suicidio al que orilló a su autor la persecución nacional-socialista- es sin duda la novena tesis, de las XVIII que lo conforman. Esta tesis se le presenta al lector como la descripción comentada de una imagen alegórica que Benjamin dice recordar mientras escribe; la imagen del Angelus Novus, pintada por Paul Klee, a la que Benjamin sugiere allí rebautizar como "El ángel de la historia".
La colonialidad del poder y la búsqueda de lo nacional: Mestizaje y eugenesia, el caso de dos novelas colombianas
Authors: Cabra Hernández Jhon Erick
Published: April 2020

En este texto se pretende abordar el problema de la colonialidad del poder como clasificación social, a partir de la idea de eugenesia como proyecto de conformación de lo nacional en Colombia en la segunda mitad del siglo XIX y cómo es posible observar su representación en el campo de la literatura. Desde esta perspectiva la idea de la conformación de la nación durante el siglo XIX estuvo marcada por dos visiones de mundo evidentes: el mestizaje, como posible forma de unificar la idea de lo nacional; y en la segunda mitad del siglo, un cierto perfeccionamiento de la raza a partir de la blancura o limpieza de la sangre; puesto que, según Quijano (2000), “el color de la piel fue definido como la marca diferencial más significativa, entre los dominantes/superiores o “europeos”, de un lado, y el conjunto de los dominados/inferiores “no europeos”, del otro lado”.
Participace žáků očima učitelů: případová studie školy s mnohaletou zkušeností
Authors: Urbanová Eliška
Published: April 2020

Abstrakt: České kurikulární dokumenty kladou na základní školy požadavek realizovat participaci žáků. Participace má dle výzkumů pozitivní přínos, avšak jen za předpokladu, že je realizována kvalitně. Pokud je zavedena pouze formálně a žáci nemají na dění ve škole skutečný vliv, může působit negativně. Klíčovou roli v tom, zda se participaci podaří realizovat kvalitně, hrají učitelé a jejich schopnost žáky k participaci vést. Rozvíjení participace však může být podle výzkumů spojeno s obavami učitelů o ztrátu autority. Cílem studie je proto odhalit, jak mohou učitelé participaci vnímat a co podle nich jejich postoj formovalo. Na základě pedagogy popsaných zkušeností článek nastiňuje, co může vedení školy udělat pro to, aby učitelé participaci nevnímali jako nepříjemnou povinnost, neboť právě to vede k formální realizaci participace. Metody: Výzkum byl realizován formou případové studie školy, která má s participací zkušenosti. Ve škole proběhly hloubkové rozhovory s deseti pedagogy a studium dokumentů. Výsledky: Ve škole převažuje pozitivní náhled pedagogů. Oceňují totiž, jaký vliv participace na děti má. Přesto si ale někdy na aktivity žáků stěžují, přičemž hlavní příčiny stížností jsou dvě. Jednak aktivity žáků někdy ruší pedagogy v jejich práci, jednak někteří pedagogové ve spojitosti s participací zažili i nepříjemné zkušenosti. Závěry: Řešení těchto neladů napomáhá vzájemný respekt mezi učiteli a ředitelem. Jako důležité se ukázalo také nalezení shody na cílech vzdělávání. Klíčové je však poskytnout pedagogům dostatek informací o tom, co mohou od žáků očekávat a jak mohou jejich aktivitu podpořit, aby se v situacích, kdy jsou žáci aktivní, cítili dobře a žáky od aktivity neodrazovali.

Klíčová slova: participace žáků, výchova k občanství, občanské vzdělávání, demokracie ve škole, postoj učitelů k participaci žáků, reforma školy, inovace ve vzdělávání.
Přírodovědné standardy další generace v USA – reálná změna k lepšímu, či jen vize tvůrců?
Authors: Holec Jakub , Dvořák Dominik
Published: April 2020

Abstrakt: Případová studie založená na analýze dokumentů popisuje charakteristiky nového standardu pro přírodovědné vzdělávání v kontextu vzdělávacích reforem ve Spojených státech amerických.Hlavní téma: Přírodovědné standardy další generace (Next Generation Science Standards, NGSS) představují inovativní přístup k výuce přírodních věd. Zdůrazňují propojení očekávaných výstupů vzdělávání v přírodních vědách s procesy podporujícími jejich dosažení s důrazem na aktivní zkoumání přírodních jevů a na nadpředmětové kompetence. S odstupem pěti let od jejich zveřejnění jsou zajímavým případem pro studium kontextů vedoucích k vzniku kurikulárního dokumentu a hodnocení jeho vlivu na přírodovědnou výuku.Posloupnost výkladu: Uvádíme aktuální politicko-sociální kontexty a procesy vedoucí ke vzniku nových amerických standardů přírodovědného vzdělávání. Vysvětlujeme strukturu NGSS, na příkladech ukazujeme jejich obsah a porovnáváme jej s předešlými národními standardy pro přírodní vědy. Popisujeme i dosavadní poznatky o vlivu nových standardů na realizaci přírodovědného vzdělávání v USA a o překážkách pro jejich implementaci.Závěry: Americké NGSS představují ambiciózní dokument propojující požadované znalosti v oblasti přírodních věd s procesy vedoucími k jejich získávání. Při implementaci NGSS se výrazně projevuje rozdílná kvalita vzdělávání napříč jednotlivými státy federace i uvnitř nich. K většímu přijetí nových standardů bude nezbytná podpora učitelů v realizaci výuky zaměřené na aktivní zkoumání přírodních jevů a samotná vnitřní motivace učitelů takovým způsobem učit.

Klíčová slova: přírodovědné vzdělávání, kurikulum, kurikulární reforma, standardy, Next Generation Science Standards, USA
Vztah a motivace učitelů odborných předmětů k dalšímu vzdělávání
Authors: Adamec Petr
Published: April 2020

Cílem studie je popsat a analyzovat vztah a motivaci učitelů odborných předmětů k dalšímu vzdělávání; identifi kovat souvislosti mezi vztahem a motivací k dalšímu vzdělávání na straně jedné a profesně-demografi ckými znaky na straně druhé. Metody: Pro průzkum byl použit dotazník vlastní konstrukce, který byl distribuován v tištěné formě. Dotazník vyplnilo 93 respondentů – učitelů odborných předmětů ze středních škol v Jihomoravském kraji. Průzkum byl realizován v červnu 2013. Výsledky: U respondentů byl zjištěn vysoce pozitivní vztah k dalšímu vzdělávání, avšak nižší ochota se vzdělávat ve volném čase a relativní neochota vydávat na další vzdělávání vlastní prostředky. Byly zjištěny statisticky významné rozdíly v postojích i motivaci k dalšímu vzdělávání v závislosti na jednotlivých profesně-demografi ckých znacích – zejména na pohlaví a věku. Závěry: Mladší učitelé odborných předmětů a ženy jsou ochotnější se dále vzdělávat a motivují je faktory jako možnost získat nové poznatky o řešení problémů při práci s žáky, realizovat získané poznatky ve výuce, diskutovat o problémech s odborníky nebo možnost setkat se s kolegy a vzájemně si vyměňovat zkušeností. Učitelé ve věku 36–45 let byli méně celkově spokojeni s dalším vzděláváním než učitelé ve věku 46–55 let. Zavedení kariérního systému není obecně pro učitele odborných předmětů výrazným motivačním faktorem k dalšímu vzdělávání. Postoji a potřebami učitelů odborných předmětů je důležité se dále zabývat, jde o nedostatečně prozkoumanou oblast.
Konstruktivistické a kognitivně-komunikační paradigma jako východisko koncepce výuky českého jazyka
Authors: Štěpáník Stanislav
Published: April 2020

Abstrakt: Předložená teoretická studie se zabývá problematikou utváření učebního prostředí determinující kvalitu výuky českého (mateřského) jazyka s ohledem na integraci sémanticko-logické struktury obsahu propojením jazykové a komunikační složky předmětu. Nejprve popisuje obecná východiska současného stavu se zvláštním důrazem na vztah oboru (lingvistiky) a školního předmětu, resp. výuky, analyzuje potíže, které dosavadní pojetí výuky češtiny přináší, a objasňuje jejich příčiny. Na problém se dívá z pohledu transdisciplinární didaktiky i oborové didaktiky českého jazyka. Jako řešení pak předkládá koncepci výuky českého jazyka nazvanou komunikační nauka o českém jazyku, vymezuje její zdroje a stanovuje její program.

Klíčová slova: transdisciplinární didaktika, didaktika českého jazyka, český jazyk, koncepce výuky, komunikační nauka o českém jazyku, konstruktivismus, tradice, inovace.
The Activity “At the Swallow’s Nest” and Its Use in Developing Environmental Ethics in Primary School Pupils
Authors: Jančaříková Kateřina
Published: April 2020

Abstract: Th e theoretical part of the paper introduces environmental ethics and points out its most frequent issues. It shows that the objective of education is to support pupils in their autonomous decision making. Th e objectives of this research study were a) to implement the environmental activity “At the Swallow’s Nest” with primary school pupils and to verify its functionality, b) to find out what decisions were taken by pupils and how these decisions were justified, and c) to discover what influenced the pupils’ decision making. For these purposes, the method of action research was used, based on records of children’s statements, a description of their behaviour, and a questionnaire survey. Overall, the author conducted the activity with 380 primary school pupils. Th e questionnaire was collected from 158 pupils. Th e results show that: (a) primary pupils can already discuss environmental problems and learn how to solve them; b) the pupils’ decisions are influenced by a number of variables, c) there is no correlation between a decision and any of the controlled variables (age, family background, religion, etc.). A single dependency was detected, namely the dependency on the group (if it was a permanent group), which (given that the voting was anonymous) can be interpreted as the influence of the class teacher on their pupils’ decisions. Conclusions: Although solving similar types of activities is not common in the conception of environmental education in Czech schools (let alone on the primary school level), similar pedagogical interventions seem to be a suitable tool in environmental moral education.

Keywords: environmental ethics, environmental education, decision-making processes, primary education.
An overview of the genus Anemone L. (Ranunculaceae) in India
Authors: Rajput Pravesh , Agnihotri Priyanka
Published: April 2020

The present paper documents the genus Anemone L. (Ranunculaceae) from India. A total of 26 taxa (which includes 24 species, one subspecies and one variety) has been recorded from Indo Himalayas. Western Himalaya is endowed with 9 taxa, Eastern Himalaya with 8 taxa, while 9 are common to both the flanks. Three species are present in Northeast India which are common to IHR and one species has also been reported from Western Ghats. This genus constitutes flowering plants of high altitude and maximum diversity has been observed between 2000–3000 m asl. The genus possesses high medicinal potential and needs urgent assessment of taxonomic and conservation status for its sustainable utilization.
Assessment of a change of protocol of prenatal screening by inclusion of non-invasive prenatal diagnosis
Authors: Cabra-Rodríguez Rocío , Rodríguez Guadalupe Bueno , Rosa Cristina Santos , Castaño López Miguel Ángel , Muñoz Sonia Delgado , Justel Antonio León
Published: April 2020

Objectives

Non-invasive prenatal screening (NIPS) is a test for the detection of major fetal chromosomal abnormalities in maternal blood during pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to assess the performance of NIPS implemented within the framework of the Screening Program for Congenital Abnormalities of the Andalusian Health System.

Methods

A retrospective observational study was undertaken to determine the number of NIPS tests performed since its introduction. The number of invasive diagnostic tests done after the implementation of NIPS in the patients included in the program between March 2016 and August 2017 was also quantified.

Results

A total of 6,258 combined first- and second trimester screening tests were performed, covering 95% of the population. In total, 250 subjects were identified as high risk, of whom 200 underwent NIPS after loss to follow-up. NIPS showed a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI: 76.84–100%) and a specificity of 99.46% (95% CI: 97.04–99.99%).

Conclusions

This test has proven to have a very high sensitivity and specificity. The results obtained demonstrate that the incorporation of NIPS in clinical practice minimizes the rate of miscarriages and reduces the frequency of invasive procedures by 70%.
DİYET LİFİ İLE ZENGİNLEŞTİRİLMİŞ GLUTENSİZ KEK HAMURLARININ YÜKSEK GENLİKLİ SALINIMLI KAYMA ANALİZİ (LAOS) İLE REOLOJİK KARAKTERİZASYONU
Authors: KUMCUOĞLU Seher , ÖZYİĞİT Esra , EREN İsmail , TAVMAN Şebnem
Published: April 2020

Bu çalışmada, pirinç unu ve karabuğday unu ile hazırlanan glutensiz kek hamurlarına diyet lifi kaynağı olarak portakal lifi (PL) ilavesinin hamurun reolojik özellikleri üzerine olan etkileri Yüksek Genlikli Salınımda Kayma (LAOS) yöntemi kullanılarak incelenmiştir. Çalışma kapsamında glutensiz kek örneklerinin bazı kalite özellikleri de (dokusal özellikleri, özgül hacim) belirlenmiştir. Glutensiz kek formülasyonuna diyet lifi kaynağı olarak portakal lifi farklı oranlarda (%0, %4, %8, %12, %16) karabuğday unu yerine ilave edilmiştir. Sonuçlar, glutensiz hamurlara diyet lifi ilave edilmesiyle örneklerin elastik (G') ve viskoz (G") modülüs değerlerinde artış olduğunu göstermiştir. Düşük gerinim değerlerinde örneklerin doğrusal viskoelastik özellik gösterdiği; ancak, uygulanan gerinim genliğinin artmasıyla birlikte reolojik özelliklerin doğrusal olmayan bölgeye giriş yaptığı belirlenmiştir. Glutensiz kek hamurlarının içerdiği diyet lifi oranının artmasıyla keklerin özgül hacim değerleri artmış (P <0.05), sertlik değerleri azalmıştır (P <0.05).
Crecimiento económico: productividad, ahorro y acumulación de capital
Authors: Villalobos Céspedes Daniel
Published: April 2020

El objetivo de esta investigación es estudiar la relación entre el nivel de ahorro, la acumulación de capital y el crecimiento económico, propuesta por Swan en 1956. Provee un modelo que mide la contribución, productividad y participación de los recursos en el crecimiento económico y explicar cómo podría ocurrir en una economía. Nuevas fórmulas surgen como poderosas herramientas en la construcción de un riguroso método de ataque y apoyan el análisis y las explicaciones sobre ese tema, con el cual se evalúa el caso de Costa Rica en (2010 – 2017). Los resultados teóricos y empíricos soportan la sugerencia de Swan al analizar la productividad, contribución y participación del capital y el trabajo en el crecimiento económico.
Differences in Human Motoneuron Excitability Between Functionally Diverse Muscles
Authors: Taylor Christopher , Kmiec Tyler , Thompson Christopher
Published: April 2020

Introduction: Spinal motoneurons (MN) transmit neural commands from the brain to the muscles they innervate and, as a result, produce functional movement. However, MNs are not simply passive conduits of these command and, instead, actively shape motor output through alterations in intrinsic excitability. We hypothesize that the excitability of MNs is not fixed across the body; instead, MNs are functionally tuned to the tasks they control. Here, we investigate this mapping of MN excitability across motor pools.

Methods: High-density surface electromyography of the tibialis anterior (TA) and first dorsal interosseous (FDI) was recorded from four neurologically intact participants while they performed low-level, isometric contractions. The data were decomposed into underlying motor unit action potentials and paired motor unit analyses were subsequently performed on these spike trains to quantify MN excitability (ΔF).

Results: 1,638 motor unit spike trains were extracted across all contractions. Mann-Whitney U test revealed that all subjects (4/4) had significantly higher maximal discharge rates in FDI, 19.13 [17.62 – 20.59] pps, when compared to the TA, 13.08 [11.51 – 15.46] pps. All subjects (4/4) had a higher ΔF in the TA (4.22 [2.89 – 5.61] pps) than the FDI (3.62 [1.23 – 5.94] pps), with 3/4 reaching statistical significance.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the discharge rate and intrinsic excitability of human MNs differs across TA and FDI motor pools during similar isometric tasks. These results support the notion that motor pools are functionally tuned to their environmental demands.
Management of Condenser Fan Speed and its Influence on the Split Air Conditioner Performance
Authors: Amr Owes Elsayed
Published: April 2020

Energy saving is the challenge of decreasing the quantity of energy consumption needed. This can be done by employing reliable and smart control system. In this article, an experimental study has been carried out to investigate the performance of a split air conditioning unit having a variable speed condenser fan. The rate of heat rejection airflow has been controlled according to the outdoor air temperature via a Proportional Integral Differential (PID) controller. The control algorithm allows increasing the condenser fan speed with the increase of outdoor air temperature and vice verse. The maximum rate of air flow of the fan is 0.43 m3/s at 42ºC outdoor air temperature and the minimum flow is 0.28m3/s. To facilitate variation of refrigerant flow rate according to the evaporator load, the traditional capillary tube was replaced with a suitable thermostatic expansion valve and liquid refrigerant reserve. The influence of condenser airflow modulation and its temperature on the air conditioner performance and also on the compressor power consumption has been investigated and presented at different evaporator loads. It has been found that a 10 % reduction in compressor power is achieved by increasing the condenser air flow by about 50%.
Preparation and Properties of Foaming Agent for Air Foam Flooding
Authors: Guo Donghong  , Cui Xiaodong  , Yang Xiaopeng
Published: April 2020

In order to meet the requirements of air foam flooding in Dagang Gangdong Oilfield, two kinds of foaming agents, GFPA-1 and GFPA-2, were prepared by sulfonation, neutralization and high-temperature hydrolysis of α-olefins with different carbon chain lengths in the laboratory. The test results of foaming agents for its properties showed that when the concentration of foaming agent was over 0.5%, the initial foaming volumes of the two foaming agent systems were more than 500mL, and the foam half-life of GFPA-2 was about 3.5 hours, obviously longer than that of GFPA-1. Therefore, GFPA-2 was selected as the foaming agent for air foam flooding. The experimental results of static adsorption, plugging and core displacement performance of GFPA-2 foaming agent showed that the initial foaming volume of GFPA-2 foaming agent could still maintain 500mL after 48 hours of adsorption at a concentration of 0.5%, and when the ratio of gas to liquid was 1: 1, the resistance factor was more than 50. When a 0.4% foaming agent was injected with 0.35 PV slug, the displacement efficiency of air foaming flooding was 17.4% higher than that of water flooding.
Enhancement of Thermophilic Digestion of Food Waste (FW) via Trace Element Supplementation
Authors: Duygu Karaalp  , Tugba Keskin  , Kubra Arslan  , Nuri Azbar
Published: April 2020

In this study, the role of trace element (TE) supplementation and performance characteristics of a thermophilic anaerobic digester fed by food wastes (FW) is investigated in the long run, and a representative operational data set for field application is reported over the whole experimental period. Continuous feeding of food wastes with a dry matter of 5% for 150 days was carried out using a 100 L pilot-scale CSTR type anaerobic digester under thermophilic operation conditions. Hydraulic retention time (HRT) and organic loading rate (OLR) were kept around 28 days and less than 3.0 kg oDM m3 day-1, respectively. Volumetric biogas production values were reported to be 0.32 m3 m-3 day-1 during the period where there is no TE supplementation; on the other hand, biogas production was doubled (0.69 m3m-3day-1) following TE supplementation. This corresponds to an average unit biogas production of 317 and 443 L kg-1 oDM, during TE supplementation and no TE supplementation periods, respectively. Statistical analysis indicated that Co, As, Se, and Al were the most significant trace elements affecting the digester performance.