bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fonoaudiología En Salas De Urgencias: Perspectiva Desde Una Revisión Documental
Authors: Riaño Johanna Rodríguez , QUECHO RODRIGUEZ DANIELA MARCELA , RINCON PINILLA MARIA PAULA , GARAVITO HERNÁNDEZ PAULA VANESSA , QUECHO RODRIGUEZ DANIELA MARCELA , RINCON PINILLA MARIA PAULA , GARAVITO HERNÁNDEZ PAULA VANESSA
Published: September 2021

Las salas de urgencias son espacios con protocolos coordinados y actuaciones diagnósticas y terapéuticas secuenciales. Los profesionales de rehabilitación en urgencias aportan a la toma de decisiones sobre conductas de hospitalización o egreso, planes caseros, ayudas diagnósticas y remisión a especialistas. El propósito de este análisis de literatura fue identificar evidencia internacional, sobre el fonoaudiólogo en sala de urgencias y sus acciones profesionales con pacientes, familiares y equipos de salud. Materiales y métodos. Se revisó evidencia de las bases de datos Ebsco, PubMed, Scielo, Elsevier y Web of Science, entre enero de 2015 hasta septiembre de 2020, con términos de búsqueda: speech language pathology, speech therapy, emergency room en español e inglés. Se seleccionaron documentos que informaran sobre procesos de rehabilitación en salas de urgencias, que incluyeran acciones desde fonoaudiología. Se analizaron 51 documentos según criterios de inclusión. La evidencia muestra la incursión del trabajo fonoaudiológico en un contexto no tradicional, motivado por las necesidades en la toma de decisiones clínicas en diálogo interdisciplinar, principalmente en condiciones de disfagia y alteraciones deglutorias. Las acciones profesionales en este contexto incluyen la promoción y prevención de ingresos a sala de urgencias, hasta la atención en condiciones críticas, agudas y al final de la vida. Este contexto representa retos profesionales hacia habilidades de juicio clínico, argumentación científico profesional, uso de instrumentos de detección y trabajo interdisciplinar. que hacen la diferencia entre aspectos como el egreso y la hospitalización, un tratamiento o procedimiento y en algunos casos, entre la vida y la muerte.
Precise Monitoring of Pore Pressure at Boreholes Around Nankai Trough Toward Early Detecting Crustal Deformation
Authors: Ariyoshi Keisuke , Kimura Toshinori , Miyazawa Yasumasa , Varlamov Sergey , Iinuma Takeshi , Nagano Akira , Gomberg Joan , Araki Eiichiro , Miyama Toru , Sueki Kentaro , Yada Shuichiro , Hori Takane , Takahashi Narumi , Kodaira Shuichi
Published: September 2021

In our recent study, we detected the pore pressure change due to the slow slip event (SSE) in March 2020 at the two borehole stations (C0002 and C0010), where the other borehole (C0006) close to the Nankai Trough seems not because of instrumental drift for the reference pressure on the seafloor to remove non-crustal deformation such as tidal and oceanic fluctuations. To overcome this problem, we use the seafloor pressure gauges of cabled network Dense Oceanfloor Network System for Earthquakes and Tsunamis (DONET) stations nearby boreholes instead of the reference by introducing time lag between them. We confirm that the time lag is explained from superposition of theoretical tide modes. By applying this method to the pore pressure during the SSE, we find pore pressure change at C0006 about 0.6 hPa. We also investigate the impact of seafloor pressure due to ocean fluctuation on the basis of ocean modeling, which suggests that the decrease of effective normal stress from the onset to the termination of the SSE is explained by Kuroshio meander and may promote updip slip migration, and that the increase of effective normal stress for the short-term ocean fluctuation may terminate the SSE as observed in the Hikurangi subduction zone.
Sustainable Development, COVID-19 and Small Business in Greece: Small Is Not Beautiful
Authors: Meramveliotakis Giorgos , Manioudis Manolis
Published: September 2021

The aim of this article is s to show that contrary to the common parlance and to the widespread belief that treats small business as “the backbone of the economy”, in the sense of being the prime motor of wealth and prosperity, therefore the underlying logic is what is good for small business will also help government achieves overall economic policy goals, the prevailing dominant idea that formulates and drives the Greek economic policy is quite the opposite. Based on textual analysis, from Greece’s Structural Adjustment Programs, to the various assessment reports, till the latest “Development Plan for the Greek Economy”, we attempt to reveal that the prevailing idea that penetrates the abovementioned texts is that “small is not beautiful”. Specifically, after indicating a policy paradox regarding the limited financial support that Greek small businesses received or expected to receive despite their vital importance to the Greek economy, we expose the “structural impediment” idea. According to the latter the existence of a large share of small business in the Greek economy is being considered as a structural impediment for economic growth and prosperity. The implication is a policy dictum that favours a form of an evolutionary natural selection process, whereby only those establishments successful enough to grow will be able to survive, thus the vast bulk of the remaining small firms will exit the market.
Dietary Lactobacillus casei K17 Improves Lipid Metabolism, Antioxidant Response, and Fillet Quality of Micropterus salmoides
Authors: Wang Jinsong , Zhu Zhuoying , Tian Shenghao , Fu Huiyu , Leng Xiangjun , Chen Lanming
Published: September 2021

We previously demonstrated that Lactobacillus casei K17, isolated from Korean kimchi, has high antioxidant levels in vitro and in vivo. However, its effect on Micropterus salmoides is unknown. In this study, we investigated the impact of L. casei K17 supplementation on the lipid metabolism, antioxidant response, liver histology, and fillet quality of M. salmoides. We randomly assigned 450 M. salmoides (33.0 ± 0.5 g) to six diet groups for 69 days. The diets were as follows: 0.85% normal saline; 10% skim milk powder; 1 × 108 CFU/g live L. casei K17 (LB); 1 × 108 live L. casei K17 protected by skim milk powder (MB); 1 × 108 dead L. casei K17 (DB); and L. casei K17 fermentation supernatant. MB significantly improved the crude protein, total collagen, alkaline-insoluble collagen, fiber numbers, hardness, chewiness, and gumminess of M. salmoides fillets (p < 0.05). LB significantly improved crude protein and fiber numbers (p < 0.05). Furthermore, dietary supplementation with LB, MB, and DB maintained normal liver histology, preserved liver function, and increased hepatic and hemal antioxidant status by enhancing antioxidant enzyme activities. Meanwhile, the three diets also promoted lipid metabolism by increasing HDL-C effectiveness and reducing total cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in serum and liver tissues, indicating that dietary supplementation with DB, LB, and MB had hypolipidemic effects on M. salmoides. MB and LB significantly improved fillet quality and LB, MB, and DB improved hemal and hepatic lipid metabolism and antioxidant response and reduced reactive oxygen species production, protecting M. salmoides hepatic cells from injury.
Antioxidant and Mitochondria-Targeted Activity of Caffeoylquinic-Acid-Rich Fractions of Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium L.) and Silver Wormwood (Artemisia ludoviciana Nutt.)
Authors: Kamarauskaite Justina , Baniene Rasa , Raudone Lina , Vilkickyte Gabriele , Vainoriene Rimanta , Motiekaityte Vida , Trumbeckaite Sonata
Published: September 2021

Caffeoylquinic acids are some of the chemophenetically significant specialized metabolites found in plants of the family Asteraceae Dumort., possessing a broad spectrum of biological activities. As they might be potential mitochondria-targeted antioxidants, effective preparation methods—including extraction, isolation, and purification of caffeoylquinic acids from plant sources—are in great demand. The aim of this study was to fractionate the caffeoylquinic acids from cultivated wormwood (Artemisia absinthium L.) and silver wormwood (Artemisia ludoviciana Nutt.) herb acetone extracts and evaluate their phytochemical profiles, antioxidant activity (radical scavenging and reducing activities), effects on kidney mitochondrial functions, and cytochrome-c-reducing properties. The main findings of our study are as follows: (1) Aqueous fractions purified from wormwood and silver wormwood herb acetone extracts are rich in monocaffeoylquinic acids (chlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid, 4-O-caffeoylquinic acid), while methanolic fractions purified from wormwood and silver wormwood herb acetone extracts are rich in dicaffeoylquinic acids (4,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 3,4-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid). Aqueous fractions purified from wormwood and silver wormwood herb acetone extracts were solely composed of monocaffeoylquinic acids. Methanolic fractions purified from wormwood and silver wormwood herb acetone extracts contained only dicaffeoylquinic acids. (2) Fractions purified from silver wormwood herb acetone extracts stood out as having the greatest content of caffeoylquinic acids. (3) The greatest radical scavenging activity was determined in the dicaffeoylquinic-acid-rich fraction purified from silver wormwood herb acetone extract; the greatest reducing activity was determined in the dicaffeoylquinic-acid-rich fraction purified from wormwood herb acetone extract. (4) The effect of both fractions on mitochondrial functions was dose-dependent; lower concentrations of caffeoylquinic-acid-rich fractions had no effect on mitochondrial functions, whereas higher concentrations of caffeoylquinic-acid-rich fractions reduced the state 3 respiration rate (with the complex-I-dependent substrate glutamate/malate). (5) Both monocaffeoylquinic- and dicaffeoylquinic-acid-rich fractions possessed cytochrome-c-reducing properties; the greatest cytochrome c reduction properties were determined in the dicaffeoylquinic-acid-rich fraction purified from wormwood herb acetone extract. In summary, these findings show that caffeoylquinic acids might be beneficial as promising antioxidant and cytochrome-c-reducing agents for the modulation of mitochondria and treatment of various mitochondrial-pathway-associated pathologies.
Terahertz Raman Measurements Using a Spatial Heterodyne Raman Spectrometer
Authors: Sun Yuqi , Li Xiaotian , Galantu Jiri , Chu Qihang , Chen Jun , Liu Zhongkai , Mi Xiaotao , Yao Xuefeng , Li Pan
Published: September 2021

We propose a method of measuring the terahertz (THz) Raman spectra of a material. As Raman spectroscopy is a measurement of the relative frequency spectrum relative to the frequency of the excitation source, sometimes it is not necessary to use an expensive THz source and THz detector. Instead, an ultraviolet, visible, or infrared excitation source and corresponding detector can be used. A combination of prisms and gratings is used to widen the field of view at high resolution. The resolution of the system is 4.945 cm−1 (0.149 THz), and the spectral range is 2531.84 cm−1 (75.963 THz). We measured the THz Raman spectra of solid powder, aqueous solutions, and mixtures, and studied the effects of environment, container material, and time of measurement on the spectra. The results show that the system is not significantly affected by interference from the water environment and has good stability and repeatability. This method can be applied in many fields such as material detection and environmental protection.
A Beginner’s Guide to Developing Review-Based Conceptual Frameworks in the Built Environment
Authors: Ullah Fahim
Published: September 2021

With the boom of industry 4.0 technologies and their adoption in the built environment (BE), conceptual frameworks (CFs) are increasingly developed to facilitate the adoption. It is becoming increasingly important to develop a standard or guide for new BE research entrants and aspirants who want to conduct a systematic literature review and develop such CFs. However, they struggle to find a standard and reproducible procedure to conduct systematic literature reviews and develop CFs successfully. Accordingly, the current study based on requests and inspirations from nascent BE researchers presents guidelines about conducting such studies. A simplistic yet reproducible methodology is presented that can be followed by BE research aspirants to produce high-quality and well-organized review articles and develop a CF. Using an example of big data-based disaster management in smart cities, the current study provides a practical example of conducting a systematic literature review and developing a CF. It is expected that this research will serve as a baseline for conducting systematic studies in the BE field that other fields of science can adopt. Further, it is expected that this study will motivate the nascent BE researchers to conduct systematic reviews and develop associated CFs with confidence. This will pave the way for adopting disruptive technologies and innovative tools in the BE in line with industry 4.0 requirements.
Wind Speed Profile Statistics from Acoustic Soundings at a Black Sea Coastal Site
Authors: Barantiev Damyan , Batchvarova Ekaterina
Published: September 2021

More than seven years of remote sensing data with high spatial and temporal resolution were investigated in this study. The 20-min moving averaged wind profiles form the acoustic sounding with Scintec MFAS sodar were derived every 10 min. The profiles covered from 30 to 600 m height with vertical resolution of 10 m. The wind speed probability and the Weibull distribution parameters were calculated by the maximum likelihood method at each level and then the profiles of the Weibull scale and shape parameters were analyzed. Diurnal wind speed at heights above 200 m has shown a well-expressed increase in the averaged values during the night hours, while during the day lower wind speeds were observed. The reversal height was explored from spatially and temporally homogenized diurnal wind speed data with applied quadratic functions for better interpretation of the results. In addition, analyses by type of air masses (land or sea air mass) were performed. One of the outcomes of the study was assessment of the internal boundary layer height, which was estimated to 50–80 m at the location of the sodar. The obtained information forms the basis for climatological insights on the vertical structure of the coastal boundary layer and is unique long-term data set important not only for Bulgaria but for coastal meteorology in general.
Use and Scalability of OpenFOAM for Wind Fields and Pollution Dispersion with Building- and Ground-Resolving Topography
Authors: Elfverson Daniel , Lejon Christian
Published: September 2021

Complex flow and pollutant dispersion simulations in real urban settings were investigated by using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations with the SST k−ω Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equation with OpenFOAM. The model was validated with a wind-tunnel experiment using two surface-mounted cubes in tandem, and the flow features were reproduced with the correct qualitative behaviour. The real urban geometry of the Parade Square in Warsaw, Poland was represented with both laser-scanning data for the ground geometry and the CityGML standard to describe the buildings as an example. The Eulerian dispersion of a passive scalar and the flow behaviour could be resolved within minutes over a computational domain with a size of 958 × 758 m2 and a height of 300 m with over 2 M cells due to the good and strong parallel scalability in OpenFOAM. This implies that RANS modelling with parallel computing in OpenFOAM can potentially be used as a tool for situational awareness on a local urban scale; however, entire cities would be too large.
Molecular Mechanisms of Alcohol-Induced Colorectal Carcinogenesis
Authors: Johnson Caroline H. , Golla Jaya Prakash , Dioletis Evangelos , Singh Surendra , Ishii Momoko , Charkoftaki Georgia , Thompson David C. , Vasiliou Vasilis
Published: September 2021

The etiology of colorectal cancer (CRC) is complex. Approximately, 10% of individuals with CRC have predisposing germline mutations that lead to familial cancer syndromes, whereas most CRC patients have sporadic cancer resulting from a combination of environmental and genetic risk factors. It has become increasingly clear that chronic alcohol consumption is associated with the development of sporadic CRC; however, the exact mechanisms by which alcohol contributes to colorectal carcinogenesis are largely unknown. Several proposed mechanisms from studies in CRC models suggest that alcohol metabolites and/or enzymes associated with alcohol metabolism alter cellular redox balance, cause DNA damage, and epigenetic dysregulation. In addition, alcohol metabolites can cause a dysbiotic colorectal microbiome and intestinal permeability, resulting in bacterial translocation, inflammation, and immunosuppression. All of these effects can increase the risk of developing CRC. This review aims to outline some of the most significant and recent findings on the mechanisms of alcohol in colorectal carcinogenesis. We examine the effect of alcohol on the generation of reactive oxygen species, the development of genotoxic stress, modulation of one-carbon metabolism, disruption of the microbiome, and immunosuppression.
Automated PD-L1 Scoring Using Artificial Intelligence in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Puladi Behrus , Ooms Mark , Kintsler Svetlana , Houschyar Khosrow Siamak , Steib Florian , Modabber Ali , Hölzle Frank , Knüchel-Clarke Ruth , Braunschweig Till
Published: September 2021

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) represent a new therapeutic approach in recurrent and metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The patient selection for the PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor therapy is based on the degree of PD-L1 expression in immunohistochemistry reflected by manually determined PD-L1 scores. However, manual scoring shows variability between different investigators and is influenced by cognitive and visual traps and could therefore negatively influence treatment decisions. Automated PD-L1 scoring could facilitate reliable and reproducible results. Our novel approach uses three neural networks sequentially applied for fully automated PD-L1 scoring of all three established PD-L1 scores: tumor proportion score (TPS), combined positive score (CPS) and tumor-infiltrating immune cell score (ICS). Our approach was validated using WSIs of HNSCC cases and compared with manual PD-L1 scoring by human investigators. The inter-rater correlation (ICC) between human and machine was very similar to the human-human correlation. The ICC was slightly higher between human-machine compared to human-human for the CPS and ICS, but a slightly lower for the TPS. Our study provides deeper insights into automated PD-L1 scoring by neural networks and its limitations. This may serve as a basis to improve ICI patient selection in the future.
Kinetic Study of the Ultrasound Effect on Acid Brown 83 Dye Degradation by Hydrogen Peroxide Oxidation Processes
Authors: León Gerardo , Miguel Beatriz , Manzanares Laura , Saavedra María Isabel , Guzmán María Amelia
Published: September 2021

The effect of ultrasound on the degradation of the dye Acid Brown 83 by seven different degradation methods (blank test using only ultrasound, hydrogen peroxide in a neutral medium, hydrogen peroxide in a sulfuric acid medium and hydrogen peroxide in a sulfuric acid medium in the presence of Fe(II), both without and with ultrasonic irradiation) is studied in this paper. The effectiveness of these methods is compared by analyzing the degradation percentages of the dye and its initial degradation rate. The application of ultrasound leads to a significant increase in the efficiency of any of the degradation method studied. Kinetic study of Acid Brown 83 degradation by the above-mentioned methods is carried out by using four kinetic models (first order, second order, Behnajady and pseudo-first order). The pseudo-first order model is the one that best fits the experimental data in all the used degradation methods. Although when the degradation is performed in the presence of Fe(II), the Behnajady model presents correlation coefficients slightly higher than those of the pseudo-first order, the maximum experimental conversions obtained fit much better in all cases to the pseudo first order model.
Performance Evaluation of the Electric Machine Cooling System Employing Nanofluid as an Advanced Coolant
Authors: Deriszadeh Ali , de Monte Filippo
Published: September 2021

In this paper, the overall performance of an electric machine cooling system was examined in terms of heat transfer and fluid flow. The structure of the cooling system was based on the cooling jacket method. The cooling jacket contains spiral channels surrounding the stator and end-windings of the electric machine. Al2O3-water nanofluid is used inside the channels as the cooling fluid. The concentration of nanoparticles and the geometric structure of the cooling system have special effects on both aspects of heat transfer and fluid flow. Therefore, in this paper, the overall performance of the cooling system was evaluated by considering these effects. This study compared the importance of heat transfer and fluid flow performances on the overall performance of the cooling system. Numerical analyses were performed by 3D computational fluid dynamics and 3D fluid motion analysis. The analyses were carried out based on the 3D finite element method using the pressure-based solver of the Ansys Fluent software in steady mode.
Effects of Pore Connectivity on the Sorption of Fluids in Nanoporous Material: Ethane and CO2 Sorption in Silicalite
Authors: Gautam Siddharth , Cole David R.
Published: September 2021

Adsorption of fluids in nanoporous materials is important for several applications including gas storage and catalysis. The pore network in natural, as well as engineered, materials can exhibit different degrees of connectivity between pores. While this might have important implications for the sorption of fluids, the effects of pore connectivity are seldom addressed in the studies of fluid sorption. We have carried out Monte Carlo simulations of the sorption of ethane and CO2 in silicalite, a nanoporous material characterized by sub-nanometer pores of different geometries (straight and zigzag channel like pores), with varied degrees of pore connectivity. The variation in pore connectivity is achieved by selectively blocking some pores by loading them with methane molecules that are treated as a part of the rigid nanoporous matrix in the simulations. Normalized to the pore space available for adsorption, the magnitude of sorption increases with a decrease in pore connectivity. The increased adsorption in the systems where pore connections are removed by blocking them is because of additional, albeit weaker, adsorption sites provided by the blocker molecules. By selectively blocking all straight or zigzag channels, we find differences in the absorption behavior of guest molecules in these channels.
Questions in the Chemical Enzymology of MAO
Authors: Ramsay Rona R. , Albreht Alen
Published: September 2021

We have structure, a wealth of kinetic data, thousands of chemical ligands and clinical information for the effects of a range of drugs on monoamine oxidase activity in vivo. We have comparative information from various species and mutations on kinetics and effects of inhibition. Nevertheless, there are what seem like simple questions still to be answered. This article presents a brief summary of existing experimental evidence the background and poses questions that remain intriguing for chemists and biochemists researching the chemical enzymology of and drug design for monoamine oxidases (FAD-containing EC 4.1.3.4).
Cross-Sectional Survey on Long Term Sequelae of Pediatric COVID-19 among Italian Pediatricians
Authors: Parisi Giuseppe Fabio , Diaferio Lucia , Brindisi Giulia , Indolfi Cristiana , Umano Giuseppina Rosaria , Klain Angela , Marchese Giuseppe , Ghiglioni Daniele Giovanni , Zicari Anna Maria , Marseglia Gian Luigi , Miraglia del Giudice Michele
Published: September 2021

The persistence of symptoms after recovery from Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) is defined as long COVID, an entity that had occurred among adults but which is not yet well characterized in pediatric ages. The purpose of this work was to present some of the data from a survey addressed to Italian pediatricians concerning the impact of long-COVID among children who recovered from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The questionnaire was designed and pre-tested in February 2021 by a working group of experts from the Italian Pediatric Society for Allergy and Immunology (SIAIP). The survey was emailed once in March 2021 to a sample of Italian pediatricians. A total 267 Italian pediatricians participated in our survey. According to most pediatricians (97.3%), the persistence of symptoms is found in less than 20% of children. Specifically, with regard to the symptoms that persist even after swab negativization, fatigue was the most mentioned one (75.6%). Long-COVID would seem to be a phenomenon of limited occurrence in pediatric ages, affecting less than 20% of children. Among all of the symptoms, the one that was most prevalent was fatigue, a pathological entity that is associated with many viral diseases.
Laparoscopic–Endoscopic “Rendezvous” Procedure in Pediatric Gastrointestinal Surgery—Case Series
Authors: Jokić Radoica , Antić Jelena , Bukarica Svetlana , Pajić Miloš , Fratrić Ivana
Published: September 2021

Laparoscopic–endoscopic “rendezvous” procedures were introduced in surgery for common bile duct stone treatment but are now widely used in other fields of abdominal surgery. An endoscopist navigates a surgeon during the same operative procedure and, thus, enables a better visualization of the location, resection margins, bleeding control, less thermal damage, etc. Here, we present case series of 11 patients that were treated using a “rendezvous” procedure for gastrointestinal lesions on different parts of the gastrointestinal tract such as juvenile polyps on the colon (transversum, ascendens, cecum, sigma), leiomyomatosis of the stomach, Peutz–Jeghers intestinal polyposis, hyperplastic gastric polyp, ectopic pancreatic tissue in the stomach, gastric trichobezoar, and gastric schwannoma. “Rendezvous” procedures are suitable for intestinal lesions that could not be resected endoscopically due to their size, morphology and/or location. In our experience this procedure should be used for endoscopically unresectable lesions as it decreases the time of surgery, possibility of iatrogenic injury, bleeding and technical inability. Furthermore, this procedure has been shown to better navigate the surgeon during laparoscopic surgery, especially in treating polyps in particularly difficult locations such as the duodenum or cecum, and it decreases conversion rates. However, conversion is sometimes necessary, in order to assure all oncological principals are respected, and the best option in some cases.
Microbial Composition and Genes for Key Metabolic Attributes in the Gut Digesta of Sea Urchins Lytechinus variegatus and Strongylocentrotus purpuratus Using Shotgun Metagenomics
Authors: Hakim Joseph A. , Green George B. H. , Watts Stephen A. , Crowley Michael R. , Morrow Casey D. , Bej Asim K.
Published: September 2021

This paper describes the microbial community composition and genes for key metabolic genes, particularly the nitrogen fixation of the mucous-enveloped gut digesta of green (Lytechinus variegatus) and purple (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) sea urchins by using the shotgun metagenomics approach. Both green and purple urchins showed high relative abundances of Gammaproteobacteria at 30% and 60%, respectively. However, Alphaproteobacteria in the green urchins had higher relative abundances (20%) than the purple urchins (2%). At the genus level, Vibrio was dominant in both green (~9%) and purple (~10%) urchins, whereas Psychromonas was prevalent only in purple urchins (~24%). An enrichment of Roseobacter and Ruegeria was found in the green urchins, whereas purple urchins revealed a higher abundance of Shewanella, Photobacterium, and Bacteroides (q-value < 0.01). Analysis of key metabolic genes at the KEGG-Level-2 categories revealed genes for amino acids (~20%), nucleotides (~5%), cofactors and vitamins (~6%), energy (~5%), carbohydrates (~13%) metabolisms, and an abundance of genes for assimilatory nitrogen reduction pathway in both urchins. Overall, the results from this study revealed the differences in the microbial community and genes designated for the metabolic processes in the nutrient-rich sea urchin gut digesta, suggesting their likely importance to the host and their environment.
The PARC_CL 2.1 Crack Model for NLFEA of Reinforced Concrete Elements Subjected to Corrosion Deterioration
Authors: Franceschini Lorenzo , Vecchi Francesca , Belletti Beatrice
Published: September 2021

During their service life, existing structures may suffer a combination of ageing and reinforcement corrosion. The corrosion deterioration can significantly affect the durability of reinforced concrete (RC) elements causing premature concrete crushing, size reduction of reinforcement cross-section, degradation of mechanical properties of steel and concrete, and stirrups rupture. One of the main purposes related to durability reduction is the evaluation of the maintenance of adequate safety and residual capacity throughout the life of the structure. For this reason, a non-linear finite element approach (NLFEA), based on multi-layer shell elements and PARC_CL 2.1 crack model has been presented in this paper. The PARC_CL 2.1 model is a fixed crack model developed at the University of Parma and implemented in a subroutine UMAT for ABAQUS that incorporates cyclic constitutive laws of materials and the evolution of corrosion over time. In the present work, the crack model was improved by implementing the effects of exposure to environmental attack. Firstly, the effectiveness of the proposed model has been validated through comparison with experimental data available in literature. The residual capacity of corroded RC panels subjected to cyclic loads was then investigated over time considering different exposure classes. Based on the obtained results, the capacity reduction in terms of maximum shear stress and ductility have been estimated over time.
Effect of ZnO Nanomaterial and Red and Green Cabbage Dyes on the Performance of Dye-Sensitised Solar Cells
Authors: Alanazi Abdullah K.
Published: September 2021

Visible light can be converted into electricity using dye sensitised solar cells (DSSCs), with their performance mainly based on the type of dye used as a sensitiser. Currently, dyes extracted from natural sources are highly preferred by researchers in this field. Natural dyes reduce the high cost of metal complex sensitisers and replace expensive processes of chemical synthesis with simple extraction processes. Natural dyes are environmentally friendly, abundant, easily extractable, and safe. Their application has become a promising development in DSSC technology. In this study, two natural dyes extracted from the plant leaves of green cabbage (GC) and red cabbage (RC) that were used as sensitisers. The performance characteristics of RC and GC extracts were investigated using both cyclic voltammetry and amperometry methods for solar cell detection. At an extraction temperature of 60 °C maintained for 8 h under optimum conditions, the measured values of maximum power (Pm), fill factor (FF), and efficiency (η) were 1.36 mW/cm2, 92.34%, and 0.161% for RC, and 0.349 mW/cm2, 44.19%, and 0.095% for GC, respectively. The RC and GC extracts exhibited excellent electrochemical performance with respect to current density potential and good cycling stability.
Extracting Information on Affective Computing Research from Data Analysis of Known Digital Platforms: Research into Emotional Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Yusupova Nafissa , Bogdanova Diana , Komendantova Nadejda , Hassani Hossein
Published: September 2021

The topic of affective computing has been growing rapidly in recent times. In the last five years, the volume of publications in this field has tripled. The question arises which research trends are most in demand today. This can only be judged by analysing the publications that present the results of research. Since researchers have access to the entire global scientific publication space, the task of analysing big data arises. This leads to the problem of identifying the most significant results in the subject area of interest. This paper presents some results of the analysis of semi-structured information from scientific citation databases on the subject of “affective computing”.
Efficacy of Urine Dipstick Test in Diagnosing Urinary Tract Infection and Detection of the blaCTX-M Gene among ESBL-Producing Escherichia coli
Authors: Gurung Rubina , Adhikari Sanjib , Adhikari Nabaraj , Sapkota Sanjeep , Rana Jid Chani , Dhungel Binod , Thapa Shrestha Upendra , Banjara Megha Raj , Ghimire Prakash , Rijal Komal Raj
Published: September 2021

A urine dipstick test used for prompt diagnosis of urinary tract infection (UTI) is a rapid and cost-effective method. The main objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of the urine dipstick test with culture methods in screening for UTIs along with the detection of the blaCTX-M gene in extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli. A total of 217 mid-stream urine samples were collected from UTI-suspected patients attending Bharatpur Hospital, Chitwan, and tested by dipstick test strip (COMBI-10SL, Germany) prior to the culture. E. coli isolates were identified by standard microbiological procedures and subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing by Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method following CLSI guideline. Primary screening of ESBL-producing E. coli isolates was conducted using ceftriaxone, cefotaxime and ceftazidime discs and phenotypically confirmed by combined disk diffusion test. Plasmid DNA of ESBL-producing strains was extracted by phenol-chloroform method and subjected to PCR for detection of the blaCTX-M gene. Out of 217 urine samples, 48 (22.12%) showed significant bacteriuria. Among 46 (21.20%) Gram negative bacteria recovered, the predominant one was E. coli 37 (77.08%) of which 33 (89.19%) were multidrug resistant (MDR). E. coli isolates showed a higher degree of resistance towards cefazolin (62.16%) while 81.08% of the isolates were sensitive towards amikacin followed by nitrofurantoin (70.27%). Among 14 (37.84%) phenotypically confirmed ESBL isolates, only eight (21.62%) isolates carried the blaCTX-M gene. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of urine dipstick test were 43.75%, 77.51%, 35.59% and 82.91%, respectively. Besides, the use of dipstick test strip for screening UTI was associated with many false positive and negative results as compared to the gold standard culture method. Hence, dipstick nitrite test alone should not be used as sole method for screening UTIs.
Navigation of Underwater Drones and Integration of Acoustic Sensing with Onboard Inertial Navigation System
Authors: Miller Alexander , Miller Boris , Miller Gregory
Published: September 2021

The navigation of autonomous underwater vehicles is a major scientific and technological challenge. The principal difficulty is the opacity of the water media for usual types of radiation except for the acoustic waves. Thus, an acoustic transducer (array) composed of an acoustic sonar is the only tool for external measurements of the AUV attitude and position. Another difficulty is the inconstancy of the speed of propagation of acoustic waves, which depends on the temperature, salinity, and pressure. For this reason, only the data fusion of the acoustic measurements with data from other onboard inertial navigation system sensors can provide the necessary estimation quality and robustness. This review presents common approaches to underwater navigation and also one novel method of velocity measurement. The latter is an analog of the well-known Optical Flow method but based on a sequence of sonar array measurements.
Application of Drone Technologies in Surface Water Resources Monitoring and Assessment: A Systematic Review of Progress, Challenges, and Opportunities in the Global South
Authors: Sibanda Mbulisi , Mutanga Onisimo , Chimonyo Vimbayi G. P. , Clulow Alistair D. , Shoko Cletah , Mazvimavi Dominic , Dube Timothy , Mabhaudhi Tafadzwanashe
Published: September 2021

Accurate and timely information on surface water quality and quantity is critical for various applications, including irrigation agriculture. In-field water quality and quantity data from unmanned aerial vehicle systems (UAVs) could be useful in closing spatial data gaps through the generation of near-real-time, fine resolution, spatially explicit information required for water resources accounting. This study assessed the progress, opportunities, and challenges in mapping and modelling water quality and quantity using data from UAVs. To achieve this research objective, a systematic review was adopted. The results show modest progress in the utility of UAVs, especially in the global south. This could be attributed, in part, to high costs, a lack of relevant skills, and the regulations associated with drone procurement and operational costs. The progress is further compounded by a general lack of research focusing on UAV application in water resources monitoring and assessment. More importantly, the lack of robust and reliable water quantity and quality data needed to parameterise models remains challenging. However, there are opportunities to advance scientific inquiry for water quality and quantity accounting by integrating UAV data and machine learning.
Area-Wide Prediction of Vertebrate and Invertebrate Hole Density and Depth across a Climate Gradient in Chile Based on UAV and Machine Learning
Authors: Grigusova Paulina , Larsen Annegret , Achilles Sebastian , Klug Alexander , Fischer Robin , Kraus Diana , Übernickel Kirstin , Paulino Leandro , Pliscoff Patricio , Brandl Roland , Farwig Nina , Bendix Jörg
Published: September 2021

Burrowing animals are important ecosystem engineers affecting soil properties, as their burrowing activity leads to the redistribution of nutrients and soil carbon sequestration. The magnitude of these effects depends on the spatial density and depth of such burrows, but a method to derive this type of spatially explicit data is still lacking. In this study, we test the potential of using consumer-oriented UAV RGB imagery to determine the density and depth of holes created by burrowing animals at four study sites along a climate gradient in Chile, by combining UAV data with empirical field plot observations and machine learning techniques. To enhance the limited spectral information in RGB imagery, we derived spatial layers representing vegetation type and height and used landscape textures and diversity to predict hole parameters. Across-site models for hole density generally performed better than those for depth, where the best-performing model was for the invertebrate hole density (R2 = 0.62). The best models at individual study sites were obtained for hole density in the arid climate zone (R2 = 0.75 and 0.68 for invertebrates and vertebrates, respectively). Hole depth models only showed good to fair performance. Regarding predictor importance, the models heavily relied on vegetation height, texture metrics, and diversity indices.
Examination of Susceptibility to the Deficiency of Soil Water in a Forested Agricultural Area
Authors: Halecki Wiktor , Łyszczarz Stanisław
Published: September 2021

Mountainous regions present numerous obstacles to agriculture. These include the terrain, which is associated with surface erosion, as well as surface runoff, which washes away plant nutrients and weak soil. Spatial analysis is currently used in the study of various stochastic variables, especially those of high priority for soil water properties. Small watershed and basin-scale models were used to simulate the quantity of surface run-off, groundwater and predict the environmental impact of land use and land management practices. A new generation of the distributed hydrological models has greatly broadened simulation fields to soil and water diversified situations. The study also measured declines in slope and grain size distribution, factors impacting surface erosion and surface runoff. Multivariate statistics (canonical analysis) showed that soil moisture was most correlated both with agricultural land and forests, which is why it was used to create the model of spatial distribution. The model showed that salinity has the smallest forecast error in modeling, and thus best corresponds with the soil moisture. It is important to make a correct diagnosis of soil properties, and the degree of degradation. The assessment of the physiographic parameters of a basin will contribute to the development of proper usage and determine the quality of the water in the soil, which will be essential for forest resources and agricultural land in mountain areas exposed to surface erosion.
Exploring the Ever-Changing Seashore Using Geoinformatics Technology
Authors: Zahir Ibra Lebbe Mohamed , Madurapperuma Buddhika , Iyoob Atham Lebbe , Nijamir Kafoor
Published: September 2021

Detecting coastal morphodynamics is a crucial task for monitoring shoreline changes and coastal zone management. However, modern technology viz., Geoinformatics paves the way for long-term monitoring and observation with precise output. Therefore, this study aimed to produce explicit shoreline change maps and analyze the historical changes of the coastline at the east coast of the Ampara District in Sri Lanka. The histogram threshold method is used to extract data from satellite images. The time-series satellite images, acquired from 1987 to 2017, toposheet, and Google Earth historical images were compared having adjusted with the ground-truth to find the seashore changes in the study area. The histogram threshold method is used on band 5 (mid-infrared) for separating land from water pixels which means that the water pixel values were classified to one (1) and land pixel values to zero (0). The extracted shoreline vectors were associated with each other to determine the dynamics of changing shoreline of the study area. The Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) was used to find shoreline movements for each period of time. As a result, it was observed by the cross-section analysis within 100 m shoreline—seaward range along the study area—in which severe erosion has occurred northward of the Oluvil Harbor and anomalous accretion southward of the harbor because of the breakwaters constructed in the port entrance which hinder the long shore sediment transport along the study area. This situation has resulted in many ramifications to the coastal zone of the study area in socio-economic and environmental aspects in which the coastal protection mechanisms have not been well implemented to curb such issues.
Social Science Pedagogy as a Way of Integrating Sustainable Education and Global Citizenship into the Initial Training of Pre-Primary Teachers
Authors: Diez Rocío , Dominguez Andrea , Ponsoda Santiago , Ortuño Bárbara
Published: September 2021

The main objective of this research was to demonstrate the integration of international and national strategies in education for sustainable development and global citizenship into initial teacher training. The researchers analyzed the outcomes of a feminist teaching strategy based on family trees, focusing on the usefulness of social science pedagogy in developing critical thinking among pupils. They also attempted to enhance teachers’ digital literacy and make progress in reflecting on its functioning and use. The research used mixed methods, and the research instrument was a questionnaire using Likert-type scales validated by specialists from several universities. It was deployed in the module Didáctica del Conocimiento del Medio Social y Medioambiental (Pedagogy of Knowledge of the Social and Cultural Environment) of the Bachelor’s Degree in Pre-Primary Education at the University of Alicante. Using historical research with a gender perspective, the trainee teachers investigated their family trees, focusing on the women in their families. They also carried out a speculative exercise to aid reflection on their contributions as teachers in support of equal education. The results obtained showed that this was a novel and useful educational activity, which inspired participants to work for a fair and democratic global citizenship based on coeducation.
Development of an Informative Lithium-Ion Battery Datasheet
Authors: Diao Weiping , Kulkarni Chetan , Pecht Michael
Published: September 2021

Lithium-ion battery datasheets, also known as specification sheets, are documents that battery manufacturers provide to define the battery’s function, operational limit, performance, reliability, safety, cautions, prohibitions, and warranty. Product manufacturers and customers rely on the datasheets for battery selection and battery management. However, battery datasheets often have ambiguous and, in many cases, misleading terminology and data. This paper reviews and evaluates the datasheets of 25 different lithium-ion battery types from eleven major battery manufacturers. Issues that customers may face are discussed, and recommendations for developing an informative and valuable datasheet that will help customers procure suitable batteries are presented.
Canopy Gap Structure as an Indicator of Intact, Old-Growth Temperate Rainforests in the Valdivian Ecoregion
Authors: Gutiérrez Álvaro G. , Chávez Roberto O. , Díaz-Hormazábal Ignacio
Published: September 2021

Forest degradation continues to increase globally, threatening biodiversity and the survival of species. In this context, identifying intact, old-growth forest stands is both urgent and vital to ensure their existence and multiple contributions to society. Despite the global ecological importance of the Valdivian temperate rainforests, they are threatened by forest degradation resulting from constant and intense human use in the region. Identification of remnant intact forests in this region is urgent to global forest protection efforts. In this paper, we analyzed whether forests-canopy alterations due to logging produce a distinctive canopy gap structure (e.g., a gap area and a fraction of canopy gaps in the forest) that can be used to remotely distinguish intact from altered forests. We tested this question by comparing the canopy gap structure of 12 old-growth temperate rainforests in south-central Chile (39–40° S), with different levels of canopy alterations due to logging. At each stand, we obtained aerial or satellite very high spatial-resolution images that were automatically segmented using the Mean-Shift segmentation algorithm. We validated the results obtained remotely with ground data on the canopy gap structure. We found that the variables, canopy gap fraction, gap area frequency distribution, and mean gap area could be measured remotely with a high level of accuracy. Intact forests have a distinct canopy gap structure in comparison to forests with canopy alterations due to logging. Our results provided a fast, low-cost, and reliable method to obtain canopy gap structure indicators for mapping and monitoring intact forests in the Valdivian ecoregion. The method provided valuable information for managers interested in maintaining and restoring old-growth forest structures in these southern-temperate rainforests.
Mapping and Monitoring Forest Cover
Authors: Congalton Russell G.
Published: September 2021

Our Earth consists of approximately 70 percent water and 30 percent land [...]