bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mapping the co-evolution of artificial intelligence, robotics, and the internet of things over 20 years (1998-2017)
Authors: Börner Katy , Scrivner Olga , Cross Leonard E. , Gallant Michael , Ma Shutian , Martin Adam S. , Record Lisel , Yang Haici , Dilger Jonathan M.
Published: December 2020

Understanding the emergence, co-evolution, and convergence of science and technology (S&T) areas offers competitive intelligence for researchers, managers, policy makers, and others. This paper presents new funding, publication, and scholarly network metrics and visualizations that were validated via expert surveys. The metrics and visualizations exemplify the emergence and convergence of three areas of strategic interest: artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and internet of things (IoT) over the last 20 years (1998-2017). For 32,716 publications and 4,497 NSF awards, we identify their topical coverage (using the UCSD map of science), evolving co-author networks, and increasing convergence. The results support data-driven decision making when setting proper research and development (R&D) priorities; developing future S&T investment strategies; or performing effective research program assessment.
Association between Trypanosoma cruzi DTU TcII and chronic Chagas disease clinical presentation and outcome in an urban cohort in Brazil
Authors: Nielebock Marco Antonio Prates , Moreira Otacílio C. , Xavier Samanta Cristina das Chagas , Miranda Luciana de Freitas Campos , Lima Ana Carolina Bastos de , Pereira Thayanne Oliveira de Jesus Sales , Hasslocher-Moreno Alejandro Marcel , Britto Constança , Sangenis Luiz Henrique Conde , Saraiva Roberto Magalhães
Published: December 2020

Background

The specific roles of parasite characteristics and immunological factors of the host in Chagas disease progression and prognosis are still under debate. Trypanosoma cruzi genotype may be an important determinant of the clinical chronic Chagas disease form and prognosis. This study aimed to identify the potential association between T. cruzi genotypes and the clinical presentations of chronic Chagas disease.

Methodology/principal findings

This is a retrospective study using T. cruzi isolated from blood culture samples of 43 patients with chronic Chagas disease. From 43 patients, 42 were born in Brazil, mainly in Southeast and Northeast Brazilian regions, and one patient was born in Bolivia. Their mean age at the time of blood collection was 52.4±13.2 years. The clinical presentation was as follows 51.1% cardiac form, 25.6% indeterminate form, and 23.3% cardiodigestive form. Discrete typing unit (DTU) was determined by multilocus conventional PCR. TcII (n = 40) and TcVI (n = 2) were the DTUs identified. DTU was unidentifiable in one patient. The average follow-up time after blood culture was 5.7±4.4 years. A total of 14 patients (32.5%) died and one patient underwent heart transplantation. The cause of death was sudden cardiac arrest in six patients, heart failure in five patients, not related to Chagas disease in one patient, and ignored in two patients. A total of 8 patients (18.6%) progressed, all of them within the cardiac or cardiodigestive forms.

Conclusions/significance

TcII was the main T. cruzi DTU identified in chronic Chagas disease Brazilian patients (92.9%) with either cardiac, indeterminate or cardiodigestive forms, born at Southeast and Northeast regions. Other DTU found in much less frequency was TcVI (4.8%). TcII was also associated to patients that evolved with heart failure or sudden cardiac arrest, the two most common and ominous consequences of the cardiac form of Chagas disease.
Characteristics of pediatric multiple sclerosis: A tertiary referral center study
Authors: Nikolić Blažo , Ivančević Nikola , Zaletel Ivan , Rovčanin Branislav , Samardžić Janko , Jančić Jasna
Published: December 2020

Objective

The present study represents one of the largest series of pediatric multiple sclerosis (PedMS) in Western Balkan region. This is the first study aimed to evaluate the characteristics of PedMS in the Serbian population.

Methods

This retrospective study on 54 PedMS, aged 7–17 years, was performed at the Clinic of Neurology and Psychiatry for Children and Youth in Belgrade, Serbia, a tertiary center for the diagnosis and treatment of children with neurological and psychiatric diseases.

Results

Female to male ratio was 37 (68.5%): 17 (31.5%). Family history of MS was noted in 9.3% and autoimmune diseases in 24.1% patients. Co-occurring migraine was in 7,4%. Monofocal onset of disease was present in 77.8% patients. The most common initial symptoms were optic neuritis (37%), sensory disturbances (31.5%), motor deficit (24.1%), cerebellar (18.5%) and brainstem lesions (16.7%), pain (9.3%), acute disseminated encephalomyelitis like symptoms (1.9%), and hearing loss (3.7%). Visual evoked potentials were pathological in 75.9% of patients. Oligoclonal bands were positive in 68.5% of patients. Magnetic resonance imaging showed periventricular (94.4%), infratentorial (77.8%), juxtacortical and cortical changes (55.6%) and changes in the cervical spinal cord (33.3%). The median EDSS score was 2.0.

Conclusion

Our cohort significantly differs from the literature data regarding more frequent occurrence of optic neuritis, hearing loss as a first symptom, the relapsing-remitting course of the disease, higher proportion of early onset of disease, presence of co-occurring migraine and the frequent occurrence of epilepsy and other autoimmune diseases in the family.
Temporal changes in bird communities in areas with different histories of fire disturbance in highland grasslands of Brazil
Authors: Chiarani Eduardo , Bettio Maurício , Fontana Carla Suertegaray
Published: December 2020

Despite the importance and ubiquity of grasslands, the degradation and the loss of these habitats have negatively affected bird populations throughout the world. The use of fire to manage grassland areas in some regions of southern Brazil can help to maintain these areas but can also influence the bird community in different ways. We assessed temporal changes in richness, abundance, and composition of bird communities in areas with different histories of fire disturbance in highland grasslands of southern Brazil, the most extensive remnant of grassland of the Atlantic Forest domain. We censused birds during four breeding seasons (2015–2018), through point counts in areas burned only once in the last ten years (OF, n = 3), areas burned annually (AF, n = 2), and areas without fire in the last ten years (WF, n = 2). In OF the richness, abundance, and species composition changed in the year of the fire, compared to the previous year, and returned to the initial values two years later. In AF and WF we found some differences among the years, but not with an equally clear pattern. Three of the six grassland associated species assessed individually for density responded significantly to temporal habitat modification since the fire. Our results show that two years without fire were enough time for the bird community to recover after a fire, but some responses are species-specific. Therefore, fire can be used as a management tool for grasslands and may help in the conservation of birds of southern Brazil, as long as with a minimum interval between fires in an area is guaranteed.
Cultural awareness and competence of pharmacy educators and learners from the perspective of pharmacy students at Qatar University: A mixed-methods approach
Authors: Mukhalalati Banan , Shahrour Ma’al , Rabie Sara , Awaisu Ahmed , Elshami Sara , Alali Feras
Published: December 2020

Background

Since healthcare professional educators and practitioners in Qatar are culturally diverse, the impact of this diversity on the education and training of healthcare students should be evaluated. This study, therefore, aims at examining pharmacy students’ perspectives on the level of cultural awareness and competence of pharmacy educators and learners at Qatar University and the influence of cultural diversity on pharmacy education in Qatar.

Methods

A convergent mixed-methods design was adopted. The Cultural Awareness Scale (CAS) was utilized in the quantitative phase, which was administered on 122 pharmacy students at Qatar University College of Pharmacy (QU CPH), of whom 70 responded. The qualitative phase comprised four focus groups with a total of 23 students. The quantitative and qualitative data were collected concurrently, and the results were integrated.

Results

The findings suggest that the QU CPH is an institution of a culturally diverse community. Educators and students alike are generally culturally aware and sensitive; however, demonstration of a holistic awareness was hindered by a few barriers. This study suggests curricular changes to reinforce cultural competence, cultural inclusiveness, and the preservation of Qatar’s cultural identity and values in the educational environment.

Conclusions

The internationalization of pharmacy education in Qatar has inspired students and educators alike to achieve new dimensions of cultural awareness. To infuse passion and enthusiasm in learning while maintaining Qatar’s cultural values and identity, healthcare professional educators, researchers, and policymakers are required to collaborate to promote culturally sensitive pharmacy education.
Control of hybrid electromagnetic bearing and elastic foil gas bearing under deep learning
Authors: Du Xiangxi , Sun Yanhua
Published: December 2020

The hybrid electromagnetic and elastic foil gas bearing is explored based on the radial basis function (RBF) neural network in this study so as to improve its stabilization in work. The related principles and structure of hybrid electromagnetic and elastic foil gas bearings is introduced firstly. Then, the proportional, integral, and derivative (PID) bearing controller is introduced and improved into two controllers: IPD and CPID. The controllers and hybrid bearing system are controlled based on the RBF neural network based on deep learning. The characteristics of the hybrid bearing system are explored at the end of this study, and the control simulation research is developed based on the Simulink simulation platform. The effects of the PID, IPD, and CIPD controllers based on the RBF neural network are compared, and they are also compared based on the traditional particle swarm optimization (PSO). The results show that the thickness, spread angle, and rotation speed of the elastic foil have great impacts on the bearing system. The proposed CIPD bearing control method based on RBF neural network has the shortest response time and the best control effect. The controller parameter tuning optimization starts to converge after one generation, which is the fastest iteration. It proves that RBF neural network control based on deep learning has high feasibility in hybrid bearing system. Therefore, the results provide an important reference for the application of deep learning in rotating machinery.
Self-regulation and the subjective Self: Practice to cultivate awareness
Authors: James Maisie Beth
Published: December 2020

In this article, I offer a somatic process to non-movers at home during the COVID-19 lockdown. These participants also offer reflections on their individual experience post-moving. As a facilitator, I invite you to take part in this process, whether you are a dancer or non-mover (whatever your age or ability). The process focuses on self-regulation and interoceptive awareness, allowing the time and space to connect with Self. Self-regulation and interoceptive awareness are two of the most important aspects of somatic movement in supporting free-flowing movement and balancing the nervous system. Self-regulation in turn can produce a sense of agency – meaning a sense of autonomy and release within the body can occur. In line with cultural pressures experienced within society, somatic processes can ease the anxieties of everyday life. Inviting Self into a practical, felt process is sometimes what we need in order to re-evaluate our positioning and perceptions within the world. As human beings we often find ourselves in stressful and challenging situations that ultimately affect the body’s nervous state and our relationship with Self. We currently find ourselves in the middle of a global pandemic, and opportunities to connect with Self in creative, communal ways are hindered. I am offering this article as a way of communicating my appreciation and passion for somatic work during this pandemic. As a Ph.D. student studying somatic movement dance education and therapy, I deeply recognize it is important to be connected with community and others, as well as my own inner sphere. Connection produces a sense of optimism during this time. This article offers a simplistically detailed, yet effective process that locates and contacts Self within our feeling, sensing organism. As we begin to re-connect with our energy and interoceptive awareness, a physiological shift can be experienced. When we drop our awareness within the vitality of the moving body, a change in consciousness can occur. Using breath awareness as an inroad to sensing internal processes, I offer this practical process to you, inviting you to cultivate an inner essence of gravity, breath, ground and body.
Your feet and my hands – fulcrums of support and reorganization: Bio-somatic dance movement naturotherapy
Authors: Williamson Amanda
Published: December 2020

This article is offered as part of the COVID-19 special issue. I imagine it is useful for practitioners and students who are working at home, unable to attend the studio. The article explores the joints in the feet through a model of differentiation (traditional anatomy) and de-differentiation (biotensegrity). The feet are often forgotten. While they carry us through the world, from our first step to our last, they often fall beneath conscious awareness. Our feet run frantically underneath us, trying to catch up with our over sympathetically charged bodies. Under current socio-economic pressures, and work–rest imbalance, they suffer considerable strain. They often become a repository of life’s stresses and strain. The health of the feet affects the whole organism and any change in the feet locally will affect the global. In this article, I share a practice that helps to realign the feet through a model of biotensegrity, co-creative touch and self-regulatory movement. In this model, the bones are viewed as floating in a sea of connective tissue. Each joint is perceived as a mini fulcrum of reorganization. The article explores the feet as fulcrums of reorganization and the receptive hands of the therapist as fulcrums of sensory support. The article also shares some subtle embodied qualities that underlie healthy practice, such as finding safety in your nervous system before facilitating. The article is divided into four parts – Part 1: Hygeia meets Asclepius; Part 2: The feet suffer; Part 3: Preparing for practice; and Part 4: My hands, your feet: Fulcrums of support and reorganization.
Promotional Greek screen industries: Branded entertainment in the digital age
Authors: Nikolaidou Afroditi , Mylona Ifigeneia
Published: December 2020

This article focuses on the specific field that merges advertising, screen entertainment, branding and promotion, namely branded entertainment, in an attempt to localize and contextualize the processes, texts, paratexts and discourses that lead to the building of branded worlds and communities, during the period of the Greek financial crisis, since 2009. It presents data from interviews with film and advertising professionals about the past of the synergy between cinema and the advertising industry. Additionally, a number of recent audio-visual campaigns by advertising agency Ogilvy Greece are analysed. Taking into consideration the long-standing proximity between Greek promotional industries and cinema, and its more recent framing as a product of media convergence, this article adopts a screen industries perspective on branded entertainment in Greece. As such, it demonstrates the ways in which the latter has been influenced by particular production cultures characterized by a merging between art cinema and television authorship, the inclusion of particular themes, especially prompted by the presence of creators who migrate from one medium to another.
Pakodas, jugad and the vernacular fetish: Youth subcultures in late neoliberal India
Authors: Chandra Nandini
Published: December 2020

My article talks about the vernacular in terms of a fantasy relation, drawing on Lauren Berlant’s understanding of love/desire as a fantasy that is always staged through a concrete setting, ‘the place where the subject encounters herself already negotiating the social’. This site of fantasy is moreover the one triggered by the trauma of natal separation. This in-between reality of the vernacular as a lost memory as well as a fantasy of the real makes it an ideal fetish figure for our times. I explain the fetish for the concrete in the context of a post-hegemonic, post-ideological capitalist state that has abandoned its role of catering for the subsistence needs of food, clothing and shelter of its most marginalized people as well as those who are unemployed. The compensatory succour that used to be obtained from the reproductive work of women’s domestic labour is also in crisis, given the commoditization of their care work. My article then looks at the gendered nature of the youth voices and subcultures filling this lack of systematic all-round care through the language of jugad. The valorization of jugad or the positing of concrete solutions to abstract problems actually gives us a lesson in the meaning of abstract labour, as something not merely confined to the realm of labour but to social forms (or use-values) constituted beyond the ambit of the market and judicial structures.
The unemployed hero in Indian Tamil cinema: Perspectives on youth, gender and aspiration
Authors: Hebbar N. Nandini
Published: December 2020

In this article, I explore the portrayal of the information technology (IT) boom in Indian Tamil cinema to think through representations of unemployed youth. Three main questions anchor this article: one, what are the ways in which unemployment is problematized? Two, how are depictions of unemployment (and employment) gendered? How do gendered representations of unemployment feed into dominant tropes of language, given the Dravidian orientation of Tamil cinema? Three, how are these crises resolved, and what imaginaries do they present of relationships between men and women? Through a reading of three recent films that directly or indirectly relate to the IT boom, I offer an analysis of the privileging of certain professions, skills and academic disciplines under capitalism, its effects on employment prospects for youth, as well as its gendered implications. I argue that the films assert a subculture of masculinity that represents the subaltern male’s encounter with the globalizing city and its many transformations – most visibly the feminization of labour represented by the IT industry. Refuting the claim that cinema has positively embraced neoliberal subjectivity and celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit of youth, I show that the ‘unemployed hero’ is constructed as a social conscience to highlight the problems of a globalizing world. Though many aspects of late capitalism are productively critiqued through such consciousness-raising, the breakdown of traditional gendered roles appears as a leitmotif, exposing the gendered nature of anxieties accompanying the IT boom. The remaking and consolidation of masculine identity then becomes a way to manage these anxieties.
Through the lens of acculturation: International students separated by design
Authors: Chou-Lee Manaia
Published: December 2020

With increasing student mobility continuing to impact on the provision of educational services across the world, even more importance is now placed on positive intercultural interactions with and between international students and members of the host community. However, despite nationwide policies encouraging these interactions in New Zealand, limitations in the design of school structures and implementation of school practices have in some ways hindered the integration of international students and led to examples of separation instead. To illustrate these aspects, and using the acculturation strategies of separation, integration, marginalization and assimilation as an analytical framework, this article draws on data collected from 131 international students and 24 teachers at an international school in New Zealand. A snapshot is provided of where international students are positioned in the acculturation process, and further discussion focuses on two school-wide activities: Orientation, which is mandatory under the Education (Pastoral Care of International Students) Code of Practice 2016, and Cultural Week. Findings indicate that the espoused intentions of these practices were perceived differently by teachers and students. This article, therefore, suggests that for international students to achieve well academically and to integrate successfully into New Zealand, they must be provided with a high level of continued quality pastoral care services before, upon and after arrival.
¿Cambio estructural en la Bolivia posneoliberal? Entre la industrialización y el boom de los commodities
Authors: De La Cruz Prego Fernando
Published: December 2020

Este trabajo evalúa si se produjo un cambio estructural productivo en Bolivia durante la presidencia de Evo Morales. Para ello, se analizan los principales indicadores de cambio estructural, así como tres índices internacionales. Los resultados del análisis muestran que el país creció fruto del boom en los precios de sus commodities, pero que las políticas industriales desplegadas no propiciaron transformaciones significativas en términos de modernización de su estructura económica, aumentos de la productividad ni mejoras de su competitividad internacional.
Perfil dos servidores de uma Unidade Básica de Saúde de Presidente Kubitschek
Authors: Nascimento Clarissa Daniela do , Pimenta Jhullian Suellen Reis , Vitorino Débora Fernandes de Melo , Baltazar Claudio Heitor , Martins Fabio Luiz Mendonça
Published: December 2020

Os profissionais que compõem a Unidade Básica de Saúde (UBS) representam um importante papel na difusão de informações de saúde e são ainda os principais executores das ações de promoção da saúde e melhoria da qualidade de vida da população por eles atendida. Neste sentido conhecer os hábitos de vida e as medidas antropométricas desses profissionais é de primordial importância para a elaboração de estratégias visando melhorar sua qualidade de vida. O objetivo deste estudo foi traçar o perfil dos servidores da UBS através de seus dados antropométricos e a partir desses levantamentos realizar oficinas das Unidades Promotoras de Saúde (proposta pela Secretaria de Estado de Saúde de Minas Gerais – SES/MG) que incentivem os hábitos de vida saudáveis dos servidores. A proposta foi desenvolvida durante o primeiro semestre de 2015, na cidade de Presidente Kubitschek- MG. Inicialmente foi realizada uma avaliação antropométrica (Peso, altura, Circunferência abdominal e o Questionário sobre hábitos de vida (atividade física, tabagismo, consumo de bebidas) em todos os profissionais que faziam parte da UBS deste município, dentre eles agentes de saúde, enfermeiros, técnicos de enfermagem, médicos, dentistas e auxiliares de serviços gerais. Com os dados em mãos foram realizadas quatro oficinas com o Tema: Alimentação Saudável e Prática de Atividades Físicas/Práticas Corporais. As oficinas foram conduzidas por uma equipe multidisciplinar composta por Fisioterapeuta, Nutricionista e Psicólogo, foram discutidos os dados encontrados nas avaliações e abordados questões sobre o tema proposto, incentivando sempre hábitos de vida saudáveis. A atividade contou com a participação de 23 indivíduos, sendo 43% classificados pelo IMC como Sobrepeso, 14% Obesidade grau I. De acordo com a avaliação da circunferência abdominal 45% apresentaram risco muito aumentado para problemas cardiovasculares e 59% foram classificados como Sedentários. Mediante a análise dos dados e a realização das oficinas pode-se concluir que os profissionais dessa UBS, apresentam fatores de risco para desenvolvimento de doenças e ainda assim possuem um estilo de vida sedentário e que muitas vezes não colocam em pratica os hábitos saudáveis que orientam. Com isso salientamos que ações de promoção da saúde devem ser continuamente executadas com toda a população, principalmente com os profissionais da saúde.
Vigilância das doenças e agravos não transmissíveis - uma iniciativa de mudança no processo de ensino-aprendizagem direcionada a estudantes de graduação em medicina
Authors: Pereira Daniele Francine , Silva Lucas Saraiva da , Demarchi Amanda Vanessa , Fonseca Sandra Costa , Flauzino Regina Fernandes , Nascimento Maria Isabel do
Published: December 2020

A vigilância das doenças crônicas e agravos não transmissíveis (DANT), um dos eixos do Plano de Ações Estratégicas Para o Enfrentamento das Doenças Crônicas Não Transmissíveis, no Brasil, 2011-2022, concebido pelo Ministério da Saúde, tem sido muito discutida, tornando importante sua inserção em disciplinas de graduação para a formação de profissionais mais preparados a atuarem no atual cenário da saúde. Trata-se de uma ação abrangente, com metas estabelecidas e tem o intuito de conter a epidemia dessas doenças no país. Além disso, cabe destacar seu papel em outros setores da sociedade, como na Educação. O objetivo deste estudo é descrever o modelo de ensino-aprendizagem adotado na disciplina Epidemiologia IV, oferecida à estudantes do oitavo período do curso de medicina, em um Instituto de Saúde Coletiva de uma instituição federal. A disciplina Epidemiologia IV é ministrada com a participação de monitores. É estruturada em dois módulos, um dedicado às doenças transmissíveis e o outro à doenças e agravos não transmissíveis (Módulo de DANT). O foco do Módulo de DANT é principalmente a divulgação do Plano de Enfrentamento e a formação de médicos mais conscientes e ativos no que concerne a produção de informação e ao desenvolvimento de atividades de promoção e prevenção das DANTs. O conteúdo é trabalhado em cinco aulas que contemplam: (i) Vigilância das doenças crônicas não transmissíveis no Brasil - apresentação do Plano de Enfrentamento, (ii) Vigilância dos fatores de risco de doenças crônicas no Brasil - com enfoque na obesidade e inatividade física, (iii) Vigilância do tabagismo - com enfoque no método cognitivo comportamental para cessação do tabagismo, (iv) Rastreamento e vigilância do câncer - com enfoque no câncer do colo do útero e no câncer de mama, (v) Vigilância das causas externas - com enfoque na redução do consumo abusivo de álcool, nas quedas e acidentes. A exposição do conteúdo teórico pelo docente e monitores evolui concorrentemente à elaboração de exercícios denominados de norteadores, elaborados pelos alunos no decorrer da aula, de forma interativa. A aula termina com a elaboração de exercícios denominados de finalizadores. Estes são baseados em casos clínicos que reproduzem cenários reais e contemplam o conteúdo da aula, aos quais são atribuídos valores. São feitos em pequenos grupos de alunos e são corrigidos pelo monitor e docente responsável. A estruturação das aulas baseadas em exercícios norteadores tem incrementado a interação discente-docente-monitor e criado um cenário facilitador à divulgação do Plano de Enfrentamento. Embora tenha a limitação de estar em fase incipiente, a expectativa é que a dinâmica da aula também favoreça à formação de profissionais potencialmente envolvidos com o controle das DANTs no Brasil.
Nutritional Status and Nutrition-Related knowledge Among Urban Adolescent Girls in Bangladesh
Authors: Bhuiyan Farjana Rahman , Barua Joti Lal , Kalam Kazi Abul
Published: December 2020

Background Nutritional status of adolescent girls is very crucial for their health and has a great impact on the quality of the next generation. The present study aimed to investigate the nutritional status and nutrition-related knowledge among urban adolescent girls in Bangladesh. Methods A cross-sectional study involving a total 500 of adolescent girls (aged 10-19) from four schools and colleges in Dhaka city. Socio-demographic, anthropometric and nutrition-related information was collected by semi-structured questionnaires. In addition, 24 hours food recall and food frequency questionnaire was used to assess the dietary intake. Results The ages of the early adolescent and late adolescent girls yrs (Mean ± SD) were 12±1 and 17±1 respectively. The mean (±SD) BMI of the early adolescent and late adolescent was 21.12±0.32 and 22.10±3.89 correspondingly. Among the early adolescent girls, the nutritional knowledge score was about 62% (moderate), 87% had a positive attitude and 72% had good practices in their daily lives. Whereas among the late adolescent girls, the nutritional knowledge score was about 57% (moderate), 90% showed a positive attitude and 61% had good practices. Among the subject, the average calorie intake was 1491 kcal, which was 24% lower than RDA. The Carbohydrate intake was lower than the RDA but the protein and fat intake was higher than the RDA. Conclusions The dietary intake of adolescent girls was found inadequate. Nutrition education and strong motivation can create positive changes in dietary intake. To understand the real phenomena of dietary intake of adolescent girls, further study is necessary to conduct with a large sample size.
CLASSIFIER OF THE KNOWLEDGE AREA AS AN INFORMATION MODEL OF STRUCTURAL SYNTHESIS SYSTEM. PROBLEMS OF ITS CREATION AND DEVELOPMENT
Authors:   Kalashnikov Izhevsk State Technical University, Malina O.V. , Moiseev A.S. ,   Kalashnikov Izhevsk State Technical University, Malina E.A. ,   Kalashnikov Izhevsk State Technical University
Published: December 2020

Goal. Application of fundamentally new approaches to solving the problem of structural syn-thesis of ill-defined objects is, on the one hand, a challenge of time that requires reducing the time for development and obtaining high-quality technical solutions, and, on the other hand, the result of research that allows the use of invariant trial and error algorithms for structural synthesis. Solving this problem by the proposed method requires the creation of the set of data and knowledge, the search of which will give the desired result. Formation of this set and control of its correct and actual state is a serious task requiring the development of new approaches, formalization of processes and development of algorithms imposed by these approaches. Methods. The stages of formation of the pointed set are: collection of data on existing technical solutions, their formal description, gene-ralization of these descriptions with the formation of a certain structure, which allows for identifying each existing object unambiguously and creating a new one either by a combination of existing knowledge or by upgrading the known technical solutions. It is proposed to use a classifier as a structure that summarizes the data of a specific area of knowledge. The peculiarity of this classifi-er is that two methods of development are implemented here: hierarchical and faceted. Creation of such a classifier and its correct state is a problem that allows to solve the problem of formation of information support for structural synthesis systems of ill-defined objects of medium and high complexity. Results. The process of creating such a classifier deals with a number of problems, the identification of which is the first step towards the development of high-quality information support. These problems arise at each stage of the domain analysis (analysis of existing versions of objects; generalization of knowledge about the considered objects; addition (extension) of the classifier). The reasons for their occurrence may be violation of the principle of sufficiency in analysis and de-composition, violation of the hierarchy of the structure when generalizing in the process of building a domain model, violation of the signs of mandatory and optional when synthesizing and expand-ing the model, which is based on the classifier. Conclusion. Identifying these problems and studying the process of avoiding and overcoming them is an important task, the solution of which will allow you to for-malize the process of creating a classifier as an information model of a structural synthesis system.
METHOD OF SYNTHESIS OF THE INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT SYSTEM
Authors:   V.A. Trapeznikov Institute of Control Sciences of Russian Academy of Sciences,  Moscow, Russian Federation, Burkov V.N. , Burkova I.V. ,   V.A. Trapeznikov Institute of Control Sciences of Russian Academy of Sciences,  Moscow, Russian Federation, Shchepkin A.V. ,   V.A. Trapeznikov Institute of Control Sciences of Russian Academy of Sciences,  Moscow, Russian Federation
Published: December 2020

Systems of complex estimation (CO) based on a dichotomous tree of criteria and a set of criteria convolution matrices (generalized criteria) are widely used in the evaluation of a wide variety of ob-jects. Purpose of the study. To build a CO system for a given set of criteria, you need to solve two problems: 1. To choose the structure of the dichotomous tree of criteria. 2. To define matrix convolutions of pairs of criteria (generalized criteria) at each vertex of the tree (except for hanging ones). The article deals with the second problem, i.e. the problem of determining matrices the criteria convolution. In practice, this task is often solved based on expert opinions. Materials and methods. Let us assume that there are a set of options (a variant is a set of criteria estimates) and experts have defined complex estimates for each option from this set. The task is to define matrix convolu-tions at each vertex of the tree such that the CO of each variant in the resulting system CO is equal to the EXPERT estimate. The paper defines a class of unified CO mechanisms that meet the following conditions: 1. All matrices of the unified complex estimation mechanism have the same dimension. 2. For any matrix all rows are different and all columns are different. 3. All matrices are monotonous in rows and columns; 4. If all the variant scores are equal to a certain score, then the complex score is equal to this score. Results. Two cases are considered. In the first case, experts can give estimates of options with any set of criteria estimates. In the second case, experts can give a CO of only complete options, that is, options that contain estimates of all criteria. For the first case, an efficient algorithm with an estimate of computational complexity of the order of lm2 is proposed, where l is the number of crite-ria, and m is the number of gradations of the rating scale. The algorithm makes significant use of the 4 property of unified mechanisms. For the second case, we propose a method for solving the problem by constructing “top-down” matrices, i.e. constructing a matrix for the root vertex, then for adjacent ones, and so on. Conclu-sion. Thus, the paper proposes algorithms for the synthesis of unified mechanisms for complex eva-luation, in which the number of required expert options is minimal.
OPTIMAL CONTROL OF GLYCEMIA REGULATION DYNAMICS IN PATIENTS WITH TYPE I DIABETES MELLITUS
Authors:   Orenburg State University, Orenburg, Russian Federation, Bolodurina I.P. , Ivanova (Lugovskova) Yu.P. ,   Orenburg State University, Orenburg, Russian Federation, Antsiferova L.M. ,   Orenburg State University, Orenburg, Russian Federation
Published: December 2020

The work is devoted to the problem of mathematical modeling and search for optimal control of the dynamics of the insulin-glucose balance in human blood, represented by a nonsmooth sys-tem of differential equations with a constant delay. Aim. This study is aimed at developing and numerically solving the problem of optimal control of the glycemic profile in patients with type 1 di-abetes mel¬litus by insulin therapy, based on the optimality conditions for nonsmooth systems with a constant delay in the phase variable. Methods. The general research technique of the problem under study is based on the mathematical theory of optimal control, the theory of numerical methods, the theory of differential equations with a nonsmooth right-hand side and with a lagging argument. When implementing the software package, the methods of object-oriented design are used. Results. In this study, on the basis of the initial dynamic model proposed by N.A. Shirokova, the problem of optimal control of the dynamics of glycemic regulation in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus with a non¬smooth right side and a constant delay in the phase variable is constructed. On the basis of the necessary optimality condition obtained for the constructed optimal control problem, algorithmic and software tools have been developed, with the help of which optimal programs are obtained, and their meaningful interpretation is presented. Conclusion. The results obtained on the basis of the software implementation of numerical algorithms of the developed nonsmooth problem of optimal control of the insulin-glucose balance with a constant lag in the phase variables, make it possible to obtain the data that are necessary for monitoring the situation regarding the change in the glycemic profile, for predicting diabetes mellitus and choosing an effective treatment.
A METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH TO DIFFERENTIATING MEANS OF DEVELOPMENT OF COORDINATION ABILITIES IN SKI-RACERS
Authors: Bandakov M , Sannikova A
Published: December 2020

Aim. The article deals with substantiating a methodological approach to differentiating means of development of coordination abilities in ski-racers with different typological properties of the nervous system. Material and methods. The study was conducted in June 2017 – May 2018 in Specialized youth sports school of the Olympic Reserve No 3 (Kirov). First-year ski-racers aged 10–11 years participated in the study (n = 60, 30 each group). The following methods were used: theoretical analysis and literature summary, psychological, pedagogical and functional testing, correlation analysis by M.A. Kharchenko. Results. The differences were revealed in the relationship between coordination abilities and performance of functional systems and mental processes. The results of the correlation analysis allowed to classify the coordination abi­lities of ski-racers depending on the properties of their nervous system into basic and auxiliary coordination abilities, which are different in athletes with a “strong” and “weak” nervous system in terms of excitation. Conclusion. The results obtained allow to use correlation analysis as a methodological approach to differentiating means of development of coordination abilities in ski-racers with different typological properties of the nervous system.
COMPENSATION FOR THE AGE GAP IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SPEED ABILITIES IN SCHOOLCHILDREN WITH HEARING IMPAIRMENT AGED 11–12 YEARS BASED ON THE MEANS OF ATHLETICS
Authors: Andreev V , Fominykh A , Mikheeva O , Konovalov I , Morozov A
Published: December 2020

Aim. The article aims to organize and implement inclusive physical education of students with hearing impairment, as well as to experimentally justify the use of athletics-oriented tools for speed abilities based on an individual approach. Materials and methods. The experiment involved 23 students with hearing deprivation, 11 of them from the Special secondary boarding school for deaf and hard-of-hearing children and 12 from School No 24 implementing inclusive education. The first group followed a standard curriculum for these types of educational organizations, the second group used an experimental method of working in inclusive classes with healthy peers. Special testing was applied to determine the level of speed abilities, and a variable scheme was used to apply an individual approach. Methods of mathematical statistics were used to process the results of the study. The calculations were performed in Microsoft Excel 2007. Results. The experimental method for compensating the age gap in the development of speed abilities in schoolchildren with hearing impairment is a developed and implemented system for conducting classes in inclusive education. The high-level indicators obtained are the result of a set of measures carried out at the preliminary and main stage of the study. This type of training represents a systematic approach to inclusive physical education and provides the development of a multi stage alternative education with comprehensive support. Conclusion. As a result of applying the method in the experimental group, the results of participants with hearing impairment began to correspond with those of healthy peers. Moreover, the concomitant influence increased the indicators of physical fitness, there was a complex positive effect on the motor and emotional spheres.
Thermomechanical Characterization of Rice Husk–Filled Carbon-Reinforced Hybrid Polymer Composites
Authors: Jena Dayanidhi , Das Alok Kumar , Mohapatra Ramesh Chandra
Published: December 2020

Rice husk–filled polymer composites have important application in thermal insulation. But their low mechanical strength, such as tensile strength, flexural rigidity, shear strength, etc., makes their mechanical application limited. In this study, to increase the mechanical strength of rice husk–filled polymer composites, particulate carbon fiber is added by a hand lay-up process, and the result is called rice husk–filled carbon-reinforced hybrid polymer composites. In the first part of the study, the thermal conductivity of the composites at different percentages of rice husk with a fixed percentage of carbon (5 %) is analyzed by experimentation. It is observed that, up to 17 % of rice husk, the thermal insulating property increases and then decreases afterward. In the later part, the characterization of the mechanical properties of the developed composites at 17 % of rice husk with a fixed percentage of carbon (5 %) is done by conducting experiments, such as tensile tests, microhardness tests, and scanning electron microscopy analysis.
Modeling Effects of Incising on Flexural Properties of Green Douglas Fir and Western Hemlock Lumber
Authors: Winandy Jerrold E. , Bernhardt Butch , Brooks Dallin , Sinha Arijit , Morrell Jeffrey J.
Published: December 2020

Incising is required in Canadian and US national standards for the treatment of many timber species, especially those from western North America. Incising increases the amount of end-grain exposed to fluid flow, but it also decreases the cross-sectional area and, thus, has the potential to affect mechanical properties. Models have been developed to predict the effects of incising on flexural properties, but correlative data for engineering design adjustment factor(s) for incised and preservative treated lumber and timber are lacking. Current engineering design adjustment factors are primarily based on nominal 2x (38-mm, 1.5-in)-thick lumber tests. In 2018, this fact was recognized and the new design standard allowed for theoretical models to be used for larger materials where appropriate test data were not currently available. This article reports the results of mechanical tests evaluating the effects of incising on flexural properties of nominal 3x and 4x (64- and 89-mm)-thick by 184-mm (7.25-in)-wide Douglas fir and western hemlock lumber. It uses these data to develop potential engineering design adjustment factor(s) for incised nominal 2x (64- and 89-mm)-thick lumber and discusses theoretical modeling to predict those factors.
Mossy Cells in the Dorsal and Ventral Dentate Gyrus Differ in Their Patterns of Axonal Projections
Authors: Houser Carolyn R. , Peng Zechun , Wei Xiaofei , Huang Christine S. , Mody Istvan
Published: December 2020

Mossy cells (MCs) of the dentate gyrus (DG) are a major group of excitatory hilar neurons that are important for regulating activity of dentate granule cells. MCs are particularly intriguing because of their extensive longitudinal connections within the DG. It has generally been assumed that MCs in the dorsal and ventral DG have similar patterns of termination in the inner one-third of the dentate molecular layer. Here, we demonstrate that axonal projections of MCs in these two regions are considerably different. MCs in dorsal and ventral regions were labeled selectively with Cre-dependent eYFP or mCherry, using two transgenic mouse lines (including both sexes) that express Cre-recombinase in MCs. At four to six weeks following unilateral labeling of MCs in the ventral DG, a dense band of fibers was present in the inner one-fourth of the molecular layer and extended bilaterally throughout the rostral-caudal extent of the DG, replicating the expected distribution of MC axons. In contrast, following labeling of MCs in the dorsal DG, the projections were more diffusely distributed. At the level of transfection, fibers were present in the inner molecular layer, but they progressively expanded into the middle molecular layer and, most ventrally, formed a distinct band in this region. Optical stimulation of these caudal fibers expressing ChR2 demonstrated robust EPSCs in ipsilateral granule cells and enhanced the effects of perforant path stimulation in the ventral DG. These findings suggest that MCs in the dorsal and ventral DG differ in the distribution of their axonal projections and possibly their function.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTMossy cells (MCs), a major cell type in the hilus of the dentate gyrus (DG), are unique in providing extensive longitudinal and commissural projections throughout the DG. Although it has been assumed that all MCs have similar patterns of termination in the inner molecular layer of the DG, we discovered that the axonal projections of dorsal and ventral MCs differ. While ventral MC projections exhibit the classical pattern, with dense innervation in the inner molecular layer, dorsal MCs have a more diffuse distribution and expand into the middle molecular layer where they overlap and interact with innervation from the perforant path. These distinct locations and patterns of axonal projections suggest that dorsal and ventral MCs may have different functional roles.
Association between hyperthyroidism and risk of incident in Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Lin Shih-Rong , Chen Shih-Fen , Yang Yu-Cih , Hsu Chung-Y , Shen Yu-Chih
Published: December 2020

Hyperthyroidism contributes to many other disease conditions, including neurodegenerative diseases. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate the risk of PD in patients with hyperthyroidism. A total of 8788 patients with hyperthyroidism and 8788 controls (without hyperthyroidism) matched by age, gender, index year, and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) score were enrolled between 2000 and 2012. Patients were then followed until the end of 2013 using Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database, at which time participants who developed PD were identified. Cox regression analysis was used to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) with a 95% CI of PD incidence rate between patients with hyperthyroidism and unaffected controls. Patients with hyperthyroidism had a significantly increased risk of PD compared with unaffected controls (1.21 vs 0.45 per 1000 person-years, HR: 2.69, 95% CI: 1.08–6.66) after adjusting for age, gender, CCI score, comorbidities, and antithyroid therapy. Hyperthyroidism and PD may share common manifestations. After excluding the first year of observation, a similar result is obtained (HR: 2.57, 95% CI: 1.61–4.01). Also, this study found that older age (HR: 3.74–8.53), more comorbidities (HR: 1.58–1.63), and specific comorbidities (brain injury (HR: 1.57) and cerebrovascular disease (HR: 3.44)) were associated with an increased risk of developing PD. Patients with hyperthyroidism have an increased risk of developing PD. Additional prospective clinical studies are warranted to examine the relationship between hyperthyroidism and PD and determine if there is an intervention that could reduce PD risk.