bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Simple analysis of Gaussian pulses and beams in mode-locked lasers
Authors: Zhu Xiaobing , Diels Jean-Claude
Published: January 2024

An ABCD matrix representation in space and time of a mode-locked laser is presented. The conventional stability concept of Gaussian beams in laser cavities implies, instead of stability, an equilibrium condition, which can be indifferent, stable, or unstable. It is further shown that when beam and pulse evolution in the laser are intertwined, stable mode locking can be the result of evolution of a noise spike in an otherwise unstable (in the conventional sense) cavity.
Three-dimensional reconstruction based on micro-imaging under wavelength-tunable illumination
Authors: Hu Shixin , Ye Wangquan , Li Shoujie , Bi Yunfeng , Guo Jinjia , Tian Ye , Zheng Ronger , Lu Yuan
Published: January 2024

The three-dimensional reconstruction technique has been widely applied across various fields, with imaging serving as a fundamental approach to achieve this reconstruction. In the present study, we employed micro-imaging to realize 3D reconstruction based on the “shape from focus” and the chromatic aberration effect. This approach eliminates the need for sample or imaging lens movement to locate the focal plane for obtaining clear images. Instead, by utilizing tunable illuminance, we can adjust the imaging distance through the chromatic aberration, thereby achieving accurate reconstructions. As a means of verification, a simple system was accordingly constructed with an adjustable illuminance range (500–750 nm) at a magnification of 10× for imaging purposes. The fine reconstruction achieved high precision in micrometers; however, the depth of field emerged as an issue during the reconstruction process. To assess this method, a coin was employed, and the resulting reconstruction bias was determined to be as low as 0.01 mm. These findings indicate that the proposed method is practical for surface reconstruction and its capabilities will be further enhanced through optical design improvements.
Template switching between the leading and lagging strands at replication forks generates inverted copy number variants through hairpin-capped extrachromosomal DNA
Authors: Martin Rebecca , Espinoza Claudia Y. , Large Christopher R. L. , Rosswork Joshua , Van Bruinisse Cole , Miller Aaron W. , Sanchez Joseph C. , Miller Madison , Paskvan Samantha , Alvino Gina M. , Dunham Maitreya J. , Raghuraman M. K. , Brewer Bonita J.
Published: January 2024

Inherited and germ-line de novo copy number variants (CNVs) are increasingly found to be correlated with human developmental and cancerous phenotypes. Several models for template switching during replication have been proposed to explain the generation of these gross chromosomal rearrangements. We proposed a model of template switching (ODIRA—origin dependent inverted repeat amplification) in which simultaneous ligation of the leading and lagging strands at diverging replication forks could generate segmental inverted triplications through an extrachromosomal inverted circular intermediate. Here, we created a genetic assay using split-ura3 cassettes to trap the proposed inverted intermediate. However, instead of recovering circular inverted intermediates, we found inverted linear chromosomal fragments ending in native telomeres—suggesting that a template switch had occurred at the centromere-proximal fork of a replication bubble. As telomeric inverted hairpin fragments can also be created through double strand breaks we tested whether replication errors or repair of double stranded DNA breaks were the most likely initiating event. The results from CRISPR/Cas9 cleavage experiments and growth in the replication inhibitor hydroxyurea indicate that it is a replication error, not a double stranded break that creates the inverted junctions. Since inverted amplicons of the SUL1 gene occur during long-term growth in sulfate-limited chemostats, we sequenced evolved populations to look for evidence of linear intermediates formed by an error in replication. All of the data are compatible with a two-step version of the ODIRA model in which sequential template switching at short inverted repeats between the leading and lagging strands at a replication fork, followed by integration via homologous recombination, generates inverted interstitial triplications.
Identifying opportunities to optimize mass drug administration for soil-transmitted helminths: A visualization and descriptive analysis using process mapping
Authors: Kazura Eileen , Johnson Jabaselvi , Morozoff Chloe , Aruldas Kumudha , Avokpaho Euripide , Togbevi Comlanvi Innocent , Chabi Félicien , Gwayi-Chore Marie-Claire , Nindi Providence , Titus Angelin , Houngbegnon Parfait , Kaliappan Saravanakumar Puthupalayam , Jacob Yesudoss , Simwanza James , Kalua Khumbo , Walson Judd L. , Ibikounlé Moudachirou , Ajjampur Sitara S. R. , Means Arianna Rubin
Published: January 2024

Background

The control of soil-transmitted helminths (STH) is achieved through mass drug administration (MDA) with deworming medications targeting children and other high-risk groups. Recent evidence suggests that it may be possible to interrupt STH transmission by deworming individuals of all ages via community-wide MDA (cMDA). However, a change in delivery platforms will require altering implementation processes.

Methods

We used process mapping, an operational research methodology, to describe the activities required for effective implementation of school-based and cMDA in 18 heterogenous areas and over three years in Benin, India, and Malawi. Planned activities were identified during workshops prior to initiation of a large cMDA trial (the DeWorm3 trial). The process maps were updated annually post-implementation, including adding or removing activities (e.g., adaptations) and determining whether activities occurred according to plan. Descriptive analyses were performed to quantify differences and similarities at baseline and over three implementation years. Comparative analyses were also conducted between study sites and areas implementing school-based vs. cMDA. Digitized process maps were developed to provide a visualization of MDA processes and inspected to identify implementation bottlenecks and inefficient activity flows.

Results

Across three years and all clusters, implementation of cMDA required an average of 13 additional distinct activities and was adapted more often (5.2 adaptations per year) than school-based MDA. An average of 41% of activities across both MDA platforms did not occur according to planned timelines; however, deviations were often purposeful to improve implementation efficiency or effectiveness. Visualized process maps demonstrated that receipt of drugs at the local level may be an implementation bottleneck. Many activities rely on the effective setting of MDA dates and estimating quantity of drugs, suggesting that the timing of these activities is important to meet planned programmatic outcomes.

Conclusion

Implementation processes were heterogenous across settings, suggesting that MDA is highly context and resource dependent and that there are many viable ways to implement MDA. Process mapping could be deployed to support a transition from a school-based control program to community-wide STH transmission interruption program and potentially to enable integration with other community-based campaigns.

Trial registration

NCT03014167.
Understanding gender and sexual politics in hospitality as Hospo-gender
Authors: Mooney Shelagh
Published: January 2024

This editorial introduces the idea of Hospo-gender, a new understanding of ‘hospitality as gender and sexual politics’; the theme of this Special Issue which covers how gendered relations are conveyed in hospitality. The rationale for the Special Issue is discussed, followed by an outline of gender research inHospitality & Societyand beyond, before the contributions of the four papers in this Special Issue are highlighted. The four collectively illustrate how the diversity of hospitality settings and the complexity of gendered social relations shape hospitality expressions in the home and at work. The authors reveal how markers of gender and sexual identity can change social interactions in significant ways, depending on the organizational and national context. In conclusion, the editorial defines the features of Hospo-gender and presents aspirations for future research.
Screening of Streptococcus suis in swine workers of selected states in Peninsular Malaysia
Authors: Lee Chee Yien , Zakaria Zunita , Selvarajah Gayathri Thevi , Mustaffa-Kamal Farina , Voon Kenny Gah Leong , Fong Michelle Wai Cheng , Ooi Peck Toung
Published: January 2024

Background and Aim: Streptococcus suis is a zoonotic pathogen that is highly associated with contact between live pigs and raw pig material. In view of the recent reports of human infections in Malaysia, epidemiological data on the status of S. suis in the human population, especially among people working closely with pigs and/or raw pork, should be provided. The aim of this study was to detect S. suis among individuals working in the swine industry in several major pig production areas in Peninsular Malaysia.

Materials and Methods: Demographic information, exposure determinants, and oral swabs were collected from swine personnel, including farmers, butchers, and veterinarians. Oral swabs were subjected to bacterial isolation and conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for S. suis detection.

Results: The study included 40 participants working in the swine industry, with a predominant representation of males (62.5%) and Malaysian Chinese individuals (60.0%) who consumed pork (92.5%). Notably, none of the participants reported consuming raw or partially cooked pork. In spite of their occupational exposure risk, none of the oral swabs showed positive results for S. suis infection.

Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report and detection study of S. suis using oral swabs obtained from swine personnel in Peninsular Malaysia.

Keywords: carrier, high-risk occupation, human, Streptococcus suis.
Experimental studies of advertising message effectiveness in virtual reality
Authors: Borawska Anna , Łatuszyńska Małgorzata , Borawski Mariusz
Published: January 2024

One of the most important elements of advertising campaigns is their message. Many factors can influence message effectiveness, inter alia, the content, the form, the carrier, or the location of the advertisement. Together, these aspects can determine how visible the advertising message is to the audience. At the campaign-planning stage, it is usually hard to tell how the advertisement should be presented and properly exposed so that the recipients perceive and remember it. We propose performing the pre-test of advertisements with the use of a virtual reality system that provides the environment close to the natural conditions and using cognitive neuroscience tools to record the objective measures of the audience’s opinions. Our proposal shows the procedure for designing and conducting an experiment that allows for an assessment of the advertising message effectiveness based on its visibility. The article also presents the preliminary results of a pilot experiment that was designed to test both the virtual reality system and the proposed procedure.
Quantitative Analysis Method of Sodium Metamizole in Tablets by Visible (VIS) Spectrophotometry: Spectrophotometric Analysis Method in Visible Range (VIS)
Authors: Gavat Cristian-Catalin
Published: January 2024

The aim of this research was to exactly quantify pure sodium metamizole from
tablets , using a brand new and developed spectrophotometric analysis method in Visible range (VIS). Main objectives consisted in comparing Sodium Metamizole found content with the stated amount of pure active substance declared by pharmaceutical company, according to the official rules of Romanian, European and International Pharmacopoeias. The method applied has been subjected to a validation protocal which consisted in the analysis of the following parameters: linearity of the method, detection limit (LD) , quantitation limit (LQ), Sandel’s sensitivity, interference of excipients, stability of prepared solutions, method and system precision, accuracy of the proposed method. Following actual dosing, pure sodium metamizole amount in tablet of pharmaceutical was found to be 477.477 mg assigned to a percentage content of 95.495 %, very close to official declared amount (500 mg), with an maximum average percentage deviation of only 4.505 % from the official declared active substance content. This value was situated below the maximum admissible percentage deviation from stated active substance content (± 5%), established by European and International Pharmacopoeias and also by Romanian Pharmacopoeia, X-th Edition rules
Um esquema upwind por partes baseado em curvas quadráticas de Bézier para discretização de termos convectivos
Authors: Rojas Oviedo Pablo César , Martins Rocha Bernardo , Alves Bonfim de Queiroz Rafael
Published: January 2024

Este trabalho apresenta um novo esquema upwind de alta resolução construído com base no conceito das curvas de Bézier que satisfaz diversos critérios de estabilidade no contexto da solução numérica de problemas de transporte dominado por convecção na dinâmica dos fluidos computacional. O esquema foi testado resolvendo os problemas da advecção linear e o problema de Burgers viscoso. Os resultados dessas simulações sugerem que o esquema proposto é uma alternativa atraente para problemas dominados por convecção quando comparado com outros esquemas da literatura.
Comparando Algoritmos Evolutivos Baseados em Decomposição para Problemas de Otimização Multiobjetivo e com Muitos Objetivos
Authors: Peito Marcela C. C. , Da Costa Vargas Denis Emanuel , Wanner Elizabeth Fialho
Published: January 2024

Muitos problemas oriundos do mundo real podem ser modelados matematicamente como Problemas de Otimização Multiobjetivo (POMs), já que possuem diversas funções objetivo conflitantes entre si que devem ser minimizadas simultaneamente. POMs com mais de 3 funções objetivo recebem o nome de Problemas de Otimização com Muitos Objetivos (MaOPs, do inglês Many-objective Optimization Problems). Os POMs geralmente são resolvidos através de Algoritmos Evolutivos Multiobjetivos (MOEAs, do inglês Multiobjective Evolutionary Algorithms), os quais conseguem obter um conjunto de soluções ótimas não dominadas entre si, conhecidos como frente de Pareto, em uma única execução. O MOEA baseado em decomposição (MOEA/D) é um dos mais eficientes, o qual divide um POM em vários subproblemas monobjetivos otimizando-os ao mesmo tempo. Neste estudo foi realizada uma avaliação dos desempenhos do MOEA/D e quatro de suas variantes que representam o estado da arte da literatura (MOEA/DD, MOEA/D-DE, MOEA/D-DU e MOEA/D-AWA) em POMs e MaOPs. Foram conduzidos experimentos computacionais utilizando POMs e MaOPs benchmark do suite DTLZ considerando 3 e 5 funções objetivo. Além disso, foi realizada uma análise estatística que incluiu o teste de Wilcoxon para avaliar os resultados obtidos no indicador de desempenho IGD+. Também foi considerado o indicador de desempenho Hypervolume na frente de Pareto combinada, que é formada por todas as soluções obtidas por cada MOEA. Os experimentos revelaram que o MOEA/DD apresentou a melhor performance no IGD+ e o MOEA/D-AWA obteve o maior Hypervolume na frente de Pareto combinada, enquanto o MOEA/D-DE registrou o pior resultado nesse conjunto de problemas.
Continuing Medical Education Questions: January 2024
Authors: Wilkerson Rashad C.
Published: January 2024

Article Title: American College of Gastroenterology Monograph on Microbiome Therapeutics
Rare Metastasis of Esophageal Adenocarcinoma to the Female Reproductive Tract
Authors: Garcia Alexander , Morris Natalie , Francis Pilin , Baik Daniel
Published: January 2024

Esophageal cancer is common and typically metastasizes to the liver, lung, and lymph nodes. Reproductive tract metastases are extremely rare. In fact, to the best of our knowledge, only 2 cases of esophageal carcinoma metastasizing to the ovaries have been reported. Thus, increased recognition of unusual metastatic sites is necessary to decrease the morbidity and mortality from distant esophageal metastases. We present a case of ovarian and fallopian tube metastases from esophageal adenocarcinoma in a 59-year-old woman.
Pulmonary Crohn's Disease Masquerading as Lymphoma
Authors: Beaty William , Katragadda Anila , Condos Rany , Dane Bari , Sarkar Suparna , Shaffer Emily , Chang Shannon
Published: January 2024

Although extraintestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are common, pulmonary IBD is extremely rare. Owing to its nonspecific clinical, radiologic, and pathologic features, pulmonary IBD is difficult to diagnose and may mimic more concerning disease processes. We present a rare case of a patient with known Crohn's disease whose initial presentation was highly suspicious for malignancy before further investigation revealed pulmonary IBD.
Liposarcoma Masquerading as Immunoglobulin G4–Related Disease
Authors: Harne Prateek S. , Soni Ujjwal , Albustamy Ans , Rivera Arturo Suplee , Zamir Asif
Published: January 2024

This case report highlights the challenge of differentiating between immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)-related disease (IGRD) and liposarcoma, which have similar symptoms and serological markers. A 40-year-old woman presented with right upper-quadrant pain and a retroperitoneal mass. Initial biopsy indicated increased IgG4-positive cells, leading to an IGRD diagnosis. However, the mass grew, despite prednisone treatment, prompting a repeat biopsy that revealed well-differentiated liposarcoma. Liposarcoma should be considered in patients with retroperitoneal masses and elevated IgG4 levels. Surgical resection is the primary treatment, emphasizing the need for early identification and close monitoring. Confirming IGRD or ruling out other diagnoses through histopathologic analysis is vital.
The Role of the Construction Industry in the Energy Sector
Authors: Tatýrek Václav , Měšťanová Dana
Published: January 2024

This research paper examines the crucial role of the construction industry in the energy sector, particularly in shaping energy consumption and efficiency. The focus is on the industry's impact throughout the lifecycle of buildings, encompassing design, construction, maintenance, and demolition, with an emphasis on energy efficiency not only during construction but also during the operational phase. The paper highlights the European Commission's directives on building energy performance, aimed at reducing energy consumption through more energy-efficient and materially efficient buildings. The research advocates for a multi-criteria approach in construction, balancing environmental, economic, and functional considerations in building design and operation. It addresses the challenges and negative consequences of energy-saving measures, emphasizing the need for balanced and sustainable building practices. The paper underscores the construction industry's potential in reducing global energy consumption and the importance of legislative incentives for promoting energy-efficient buildings.
ANALYSIS AND OPTIMIZATION OF WIND RESISTANCE PARAMETERS FOR LATTICE-TYPE HIGH-MODULUS SUPPORTS BASED ON THE OPTIMAL CRITERIA METHOD
Authors: Sui Qingyu , Sun Quansheng , Yang Jianxi , Wang Shijie
Published: January 2024

Lattice high-molded support can generally be used for cast-in-place support for bridges, but for more than 50 meters of lattice high support, due to the wind, load and other factors, due to the support length and slenderness of the relatively large, relatively light and flexible structure and other characteristics of the role of the wind load is very sensitive. When the lattice high-molded stent construction is used in the typhoon area, it is easy to be damaged by the typhoon, and the structural design of the lattice high-molded stent and the construction of that technology are facing great challenges. In this paper, based on the new construction of a special bridge in Fujian, finite element analysis of four-legged and six-legged lattice bracing is carried out by ANSYS, and the effects of steel pipe diameter, number of columns, longitudinal and transversal spacing of bracing, and diagonal bracing structural parameters on structural performance are analyzed by using the coefficients of buckling stability and the coefficients of critical loading. The results of the study show that the main design variable for displacement sensitivity is the diameter of vertical rod; the main design variable for stress sensitivity is the diameter of diagonal rod; the main design variable for overall stability sensitivity is the diameter of diagonal rod; and the main design variable for overall stability sensitivity of total volume is the diameter of diagonal rod. And the optimal wind resistance parameters are: 4 lattice high-braced columns are selected, the section length should be controlled within 15m, and the total height should not be more than 70m, and the spacing of the columns is controlled between 7m and 8m. This study proposes a set of optimized design process method for wind-resistant lattice structure under the constraints of stiffness, strength and critical load factor, which improves the economy and ensures the reasonableness of the design, and can be used for the design of high-modular lattice bracket in typhoon area.
Feature Selection for the Low Industrial Yield of Cane Sugar Production Based on Rule Learning Algorithms
Authors: Gil Rodríguez Yohan , Socorro Llanes Raisa , Rosete Alejandro , Bravo Ilisástigui Lisandra
Published: January 2024

This article presents a model based on machine learning for the selection of the characteristics that most influence the low industrial yield of cane sugar production in Cuba. The set of data used in this work corresponds to a period of ten years of sugar harvests from 2010 to 2019. A process of understanding the business and of understanding and preparing the data is carried out. The accuracy of six rule learning algorithms is evaluated: CONJUNCTIVERULE, DECISIONTABLE, RIDOR, FURIA, PART and JRIP. The results obtained allow us to identify: R417, R379, R378, R419a, R410, R613, R1427 and R380, as the indicators that most influence low industrial performance.
Relações bi, tri e n-dimensionais de Mersenne
Authors: Mangueira Milena Carolina dos Santos , Vieira Renata Passos Machado , Alves Francisco Regis Vieira , Catarino Paula Maria Machado Cruz , Sousa Roger Oliveira
Published: January 2024

A sequência de Mersenne, batizada em homenagem ao matemático francês Marin Mersenne, é uma progressão recursiva de segunda ordem representada por um modelo unidimensional, cujos números podem ser expressos na forma Mn = 2n-1. Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo explorar e investigar as relações recorrentes em diferentes dimensões, incluindo as bidimensionais (M(n,m)), tridimensionais (M(n,m,p)) e n-dimensionais (M(n1,n2,n3, ... , nt)) . O modelo unidimensional utilizado é definido pela recorrência Mn+1 = 3Mn - 2Mn-1, onde n é um número inteiro não negativo, e os valores iniciais são estabelecidos como M0 = 0 e M1 = 1. A pesquisa examina a evolução da sequência e seu processo de complexificação. Durante essa análise, são identificadas propriedades matemáticas das relações desses números, enfatizando o aumento dimensional da sequência e a introdução de unidades imaginárias i, j, ... ,  µn. Isso culmina na generalização das relações n-dimensionais, proporcionando uma compreensão mais abrangente e profunda da sequência de Mersenne.
Conceptualizações de atleta paraolímpico no contexto brasileiro
Authors: Santos Aline Nardes dos , Souza Diego Spader de , Chishman Rove Luiza de Oliveira
Published: January 2024

O contexto deste trabalho é a construção do Dicionário Paralímpico, um recurso lexicográfico construído com base no aporte teórico-metodológico da Semântica de Frames (FILLMORE, 1982, 1985). Considerando os desafios de se descrever semanticamente o atleta paraolímpico, alguns deles já desbravados anteriormente por Oliveira (2019), o objetivo geral deste estudo é verificar a presença de frames semânticos que caracterizam o atleta paraolímpico em uma perspectiva diacrônica, partindo de um corpus de notícias que abrangem as décadas de 1960 a 2000, no contexto brasileiro. Trata-se de um corpus de amostragem composto por sentenças-exemplo que evocam frames relacionados ao atleta paraolímpico nesses diferentes períodos. Como resultados, constata-se, primeiramente, uma visão capacitista desses sujeitos ao longo da história, reduzindo-se seus atributos à tipologia de sua deficiência; e, em um segundo momento, uma emergência, frequentemente condicionada à obtenção de bons resultados em competições, de conceptualizações mais voltadas ao desempenho desportivo e ao papel social do atleta paraolímpico, principalmente a partir dos anos 1980. Verificam-se, assim, conceptualizações dinâmicas que refletem os embates sociocognitivos característicos da realidade do atleta paraolímpico no Brasil.
Estudo da Separação do Geoide e do Quase Geoide no Estado do Rio Grande do Sul
Authors: Torres Susana Amaral , Souza Sérgio Florêncio de , Ferraz Rodrigo da Silva
Published: January 2024

Em 2018, o IBGE alinha-se às recomendações internacionais determinando as chamadas altitudes normais. Em razão disso, criou-se a necessidade de modelar a Separação entre Geoide e Quase Geoide (SGQG) para permitir a conversão entre altitudes normais e ortométricas para os países que optarem por utilizar-se desta última. Esse estudo se propõe avaliar o valor da SGQG a partir das diferenças entre as altitudes ortométrica e normal. Para o desenvolvimento deste estudo foram utilizados: dados altimétricos e dados gravimétricos; mapa de densidades das massas topográficas derivadas a partir do mapa geológico; bem como os coeficientes do Modelo Global do Geopotencial EGM2008. A metodologia consiste em calcular e avaliar a altitude ortométrica obtida a partir do número geopotencial, com o valor da densidade topográfica lateral constante e variável; determinar a SGQG a partir da diferença entre as altitudes ortométrica e normal, e verificar as discrepâncias em relação a SGQG obtida a partir da diferença entre a anomalia de altitude e da ondulação geoidal do modelo EGM2008. Os resultados mostram que a SGQG apresenta uma variação entre  cm a 10 cm, sendo que as discrepâncias maiores são observadas no município de São José dos Ausentes e adjacências. A negligência da omissão dos efeitos da densidade topográfica lateral na determinação da altitude ortométrica foi estimada em 2 cm. Os resultados mostraram a necessidade da efetiva incorporação das variações das densidades das massas topográficas aos cálculos da SGQG, quando se almeja a determinação das altitudes ortométricas.
Mapping Pinus spp. Forestry and Land Cover Classes Using High-resolution PlanetScope Satellite Data: Experimenting Images from Different Seasons and Machine Learning Methods
Authors: Ferla Andressa Kossmann , Breunig Fabio Marcelo , Balbinot Rafaelo , Silva Ricardo Dal'Agnol da
Published: January 2024

The Remote Sensing and machine learning techniques are cost-effective ways of mapping land use and cover, especially forestry areas. This is essential for the management and planning of such resources. The purpose of this study was to identify which classifier (Random Forest or Support Vector Machine) reach the best accuracy in land use and cover classification and determine which is the best season of year for Pinus spp. forest mapping. PlanetScope multispectral image was used with 3.7 m of spatial resolution, collected over the coastal region of Rio Grande do Sul state. The input variables for the classifiers were the four spectral bands: RGB and NIR, and the NDVI vegetation index. In both classifiers, high accuracy values were obtained, as well as for all seasons of the year.
The Random Forest classifier obtained better results in the spring and summer seasons, while in the autumn and winter seasons there was no significant difference between the classifiers for the classification of Pinus spp. forests. The results reached an adequate precision to be used for the management and monitoring of the land use and cover in the municipality of São José do Norte, RS.
Evaluating Autoencoders as a Dimensionality Reduction Mechanism to Support Clustering Brazilian Agricultural Diversity
Authors: Silva Marcos Aurélio Santos da , Matos Leonardo Nogueira , Miranda Júnior Gastão Florêncio , Santos Flávio Emanuel de Oliveira , Dompieri Márcia Helena Galina , Moura Fábio Rodrigues de , Resende Fabrícia Karollyne Santos
Published: January 2024

Brazilian agricultural production presents high spatial diversity, challenging the conception of public policies. This article proposes an approach for grouping Brazilian municipalities according to their agricultural production. We combine a feature extraction using autoencoders and clustering based on k-means and Self-Organizing Maps. We used panel data from IBGE’s annual estimates of the production value of permanent and temporary crops, animal products, aquaculture, plant extractivism, forestry, planted areas, and herd population between 1999 and 2018. We analyzed different structures of simple stacked and incomplete autoencoders, varying the number of layers and neurons in each, and evaluated the asymmetric exponential linear loss function to handle the sparse data. We applied the Isomap, Kernel PCA, Truncated SVD, and MDS dimensionality reduction methods for comparative purposes. Results showed that the autoencoders could extract characteristics from the transformed raw data to allow the clustering of municipalities to reveal regional and evenintra-regional patterns. The autoencoders improved comparative performance as the intrinsic dimensionality increased.
Intersecções dialéticas do protagonismo da educação especial inclusiva no ensino superior do Brasil: discursos sobre a deficiência
Authors: Carvalho Janine Lopes , Saço Livia Fabiana , Ferreira Eliana Lucia
Published: January 2024

Esta pesquisa objetiva analisar, por meio do discurso dos acadêmicos com deficiência, a efetivação das práticas das políticas institucionais inclusivas no ensino superior. Em uma pesquisa qualitativa, com procedimentos metodológicos da Análise do Discurso, construiu-se o material empírico por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas com sete graduandos com deficiência matriculados em instituições educação superior privadas no Brasil. Em consonância com as normativas jurídicas brasileiras, as pessoas entrevistadas entendem a inclusão como um processo amplo e acolhedor, porém permanecem barreiras, retrocedendo o processo de uma efetiva educação inclusiva e equitativa para todos.
Ensaio sobre o acesso ao ensino superior: a longa batalha pela inclusão educativa em Portugal
Authors: Capucha Luís
Published: January 2024

Trava-se há décadas uma batalha pela educação inclusiva que está longe do fim. Neste momento, o foco principal, mas não exclusivo, dessa batalha em Portugal é o ensino superior. Os estudantes com deficiência encontram grandes barreiras quer no acesso, quer no sucesso nas Universidades e Politécnicos portugueses. O desenvolvimento do Estado Providência e da sociedade gerou, nas últimas cinco décadas, profundas mudanças nas condições de vida das pessoas com deficiência e nas políticas públicas que respondem aos seus direitos em Portugal. Apesar desses avanços, subsistem problemas e outros novos vão aparecendo. O foco do presente ensaio incide no funil apertado que se forma na conclusão do ensino secundário e à entrada no ensino superior, apesar de se ter conseguido a conclusão do ensino básico por todos os alunos e a frequência do ensino secundário por quase todos. De facto, o número de estudantes com necessidades educativas especiais tem crescido, mas está muito longe do desejável. Isso não resulta das (in)capacidades dos estudantes, mas da falta de preparação das estruturas e das práticas profissionais nas universidades e nos politécnicos. O desenvolvimento de medidas semelhantes às que consubstanciam o Modelo de Apoio à Vida Independente, cuja avaliação destacou não apenas a sua eficácia, mas também o seu potencial de disseminação, poderia ser o caminho a seguir para ultrapassar parte substancial das barreiras que atualmente se colocam à participação neste nível de educação, a que todos têm direito.
MITIGASI BENCANA TERHADAP DESA PENYANGGA STUDI KASUS: DESA SIDOMULYO KECAMATAN PRONOJIWO KABUPATEN LUMAJANG
Authors: Islamiyah Nikmatil
Published: January 2024

Mitigasi bencana merupakan serangkaian upaya untuk mengurangi risiko bencana, baik melalui pembangunan fisik maupun penyadaran dan peningkatan kemampuan menghadapi ancaman bencana pada masyarakat. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan di desa Sidomulyo, kecamatan Pronojiwo, Kabupaten Lumajang yang notabenenya desa ini termasuk salah satu desa penyangga. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk meneliti tentang mitigasi bencana yang ada di desa Sidomulyo serta meneliti kesiapsiagaannya sebagai desa penyangga. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode deskriptif-kualitatif yakni dengan teknik studi pustaka dan wawancara melalui pendekatan Particiopation Action Research (PAR). Diperlukan sebuah wawancara karena penelitian ini butuh informasi seputar desa yang berhubungan dengan penelitian dari masyarakat setempat untuk menilai kesiapsiagaannya dlam menangani bencana dan juga penelitian ini merujuk ke studi lapangan. Sedangkan diperlukannya studi pustaka itu karena perlu melihat beberapa referensi yang relevan dan sesuai dengan apa yang akan diteliti.Kata Kunci:
Meningkatkan Kinerja Pekerja melalui Pengkondisian Keadilan Interaksional dan Human Relation Dimoderasi Perilaku ‘Memiliki’ Organisasi
Authors: Harahap Aisyah Mayangsari , Junita Audia , Setiawan Teguh
Published: January 2024

This study aims to determine the effect of interactional justice and human relations to worker performance moderated by organizational citizenship behavior at Dinas Ketahanan Pangan and Peternakan Propinsi Sumatra Utara. This study using absolute difference technique to see the effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable by involving the moderating variable. There were 207 as the population and 136 employees samples. The results indicate that the interactional justice have no significant effect on worker performance, human relations have a positive and significant effect on worker performance, organizational citizenship behavior does not moderate the interactional justice and worker performance. Then, organizational citizenship behavior does not moderate the relationship between human relations and worker performance.Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh interaksi interaksional dan Human Relation terhadap kinerja pekerja dengan perilaku “memiliki’ organisasi sebagai variabel pemoderasi di Dinas Ketahanan Pangan dan Peternakan Provinsi Sumatera Utara. Penelitian ini menggunakan teknik uji selisih mutlak untuk melihat pengaruh variabel bebas terhadap variabel terikat dengan melibatkan variabel moderasi. Populasi penelitian sejumlah 207 dan sampel 136 responden. Hasil penelitian membuktikan bahwa variabel keadilan interaksional berpengaruh tidak signifikan terhadap kinerja pekerja, hubungan antar manusia berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap kinerja pekerja. perilaku ‘memiliki’ organisasi tidak memoderasi hubungan interaksional dengan kinerja pekerja. Demikian pula perilaku ‘memiliki’ organisasi tidak memoderasi hubungan antara hubungan manusia dan kinerja pekerja.
Pengaruh Store Atmosphere terhadap Revisit Intention melalui Kepuasan Pelanggan sebagai Variabel Intervening pada Coffee Shop Pijar: Studi pada Coffee Shop Pijar di Tembalang
Authors: Putri Anastasia Dwi , Prabawani Bulan , Widayanto Widayanto
Published: January 2024

Pijar is one of the famous coffee shops in the Tembalang area that has succeeded in taking advantage of domestic business market opportunities in the field of FnB. The problem faced was that there were several sales declines during 2020-2021. Store atmosphere and customer satisfaction are indicators that can affect the intention to revisit, where the intention to revisit can encourage increased sales. This study aims to determine the effect of store atmosphere on the intention to revisit through customer satisfaction as an intervention variable at Pijar coffee shop. The type of research used is explanatory research, using non-probability sampling and purposive sampling method questionnaires as data collection methods. The samples collected were 100 respondents of incandescent consumers who were selected based on consideration. This study uses the Partial Least Square analysis technique, which is estimated using the SmartPLS 3.0 program. This study concludes that Store Atmosphere has a significant effect on Revisit Intention through objectives as an intervening variable. Recommendations for Pijar are making improvements to store design and decoration colors, adding four-wheel parking lots, improving air circulation in indoor smoking rooms, adding air fresheners, and conducting research on products, both to create new products and improve taste quality.Pijar merupakan salah satu coffee shop terkenal di daerah Tembalang yang berhasil memanfaatkan peluang pasar bisnis dalam negri dibidang FnB. Permasalahan yang dihadapi adalah adanya beberapa kali penurunan penjualan selama tahun 2020-2021. Store atmosphere dan kepuasan pelanggan merupakan indikator yang dapat mempengaruhi revisit intention, dimana revisit intention dapat mendorong peningkatan penjualan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh store atmosphere terhadap revisit intention melalui kepuasan pelanggan sebagai variabel intervening pada coffee shop Pijar. Tipe penelitian yang digunakan adalah explanatory research, dengan menggunakan nonprobability sampling dan metode purposive sampling kuesioner sebagai meteode pengumpulan data. Sampel yang dikumpulkan sebanyak 100 responden konsumen Pijar yang dipilih berdasarkan pertimbangan. Penelitian menggunakan teknik analisis Partial Least Square, yang diestimasi dengan program SmartPLS 3.0. Penelitian ini menyimpulkan bahwa Store Atmosphere berpengaruh signifikan terhadap Revisit Intention melalui Kepuasan Pelanggan sebagai variabel intervening. Rekomendasi untuk Pijar adalah melakukan perbaikan terhadap desain toko dan warna dekorasi, menambah lahan parkir roda empat, memperbaiki sirkulasi udara pada ruangan smooking indoor, menambahkan pengharum ruangan, serta melakukan riset terhadap produk, baik untuk menciptakan produk baru maupun memperbaiki kualitas rasa.
Pengaruh E-Product Quality, E-Promotion, dan E-Word Of Mouth terhadap E-Buying Decision (Pengguna Shopee Mahasiswa Strata I Fisip Universitas Diponegoro)
Authors: Rahma Zulfa , Purbawati Dinalestari , Nugraha Hari Susanta
Published: January 2024

This study aims to determine the influence of E-product quality, e-promotion, and e-word of mouth on e-buying decisions. This study used an explanatory research type with a non-probability sampling technique through a purposive sampling approach. The data collection was carried out by distributing research questionnaires to 100 students of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Diponegoro University. E-product quality, e-promotion, and e-word of mouth have a positive effect on e-buying decisions on Shopee consumers, FISIP Diponegoro University students.  E-product qualitys accounted for 20.92% of e-buying decisin, e-ormotion accounted for 41.10%, and e-word of mouth accounted for 35.40% of e-buying decisions. The three variables simultaneously affecting the e-buying decision accounted for 46.20%. So, it is recommended that Shopee Mall can be more flexible about the use of promos offered, increase the speed of product delivery so that it does not exceed the estimated delivery and provide qualifications for sellers to provide more detailed and clear information and be easily accessible to consumers.Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh E-product quality, e-promotion, dan e-word of mouth terhadap e-buying decision. Penelitian ini menggunakan tipe explanatory research dengan teknik pengambilan sampel non probability sampling melalui pendekatan purposive sampling. Pengumulan data dilakukan dengan menyebarkan kuesioner penelitian pada 100 Mahasiswa Fakultas Ilmu Sosial dan Politik Universitas Diponegoro. E-product quality, e-promotion, dan e-word of mouth berpengaruh positif terhadap e-buying decision pada konsumen Shopee Mahasiswa FISIP Universitas Diponegoro. . E-product quality menyumbang 20,92% terhadap e-buying decisin, e-ormotion menyumbang sebesar 41,10%, dan e-word of mouth menyumbang sebesar 35,40% terhadap e-buying decision. ketiga variabel secara simultan mempengaruhi e-buying decision menyumbang sebesar 46,20%. Maka, disarankan agar Shopee Mall dapat lebih flexible mengenai penggunaan promo yang ditawarkan, meningkatkan kecepatan pengiriman produk agar tidak melebihi estimasi pengiriman dan memberikan kualifikasi bagi seller untuk memberikan informasi lebih detail dan jelas serta mudah diakses konsumen.
Pengaruh Brand Prestige dan Perceived Quality terhadap Purchase Intention melalui Brand Attitude (Studi pada Konsumen Iphone di Kota Yogyakarta)
Authors: Rahmawati Adinda Fitri , Farida Naili , Ngatno Ngatno
Published: January 2024

In this era of technological development, the use of smartphones in Indonesia is predicted to continue to increase every year. However, based on the data obtained, iPhone smartphones experienced fluctuations in sales and market share from 2017-2020. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of brand prestige and perceived quality on purchase intention through brand attitude. Sampling in this study used non-probability sampling, namely by purposive sampling, with a total of 200 respondents. This type of research is explanatory research with data processing using the SPSS 28.0 computer software application. The results showed that brand prestige and perceived quality each had a positive and significant effect on brand attitude. Brand prestige and perceived quality variables also have a positive and significant effect on purchase intention. Then the variable brand prestige and perceived quality through brand attitude from the results of indirect influence, each of which shows positive and significant results. This means that brand attitude is able to act as a mediator which is partial mediation. Pada era perkembangan teknologi ini, penggunaan smartphone di Indonesia diprediksi akan terus mengalami peningkatan setiap tahunnya. Namun demikian, berdasarkan data yang diperoleh, smartphone iPhone mengalami fluktuasi dalam penjualan dan pangsa pasar dari tahun 2017-2020. Tujuan penelitian ini ialah untuk mengetahui pengaruh brand prestige dan perceived quality terhadap purchase intention melalui brand attitude. Pengambilan sampel pada penelitian ini menggunakan non-probability sampling yaitu dengan purposive sampling, dengan jumlah responden sebanyak 200. Tipe penelitian ini adalah explanatory research dengan pengolahan data menggunakan aplikasi perangkat komputer SPSS 28.0. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa brand prestige dan perceived quality masing-masing berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap brand attitude. Variabel brand prestige dan perceived quality masing-masing juga berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap purchase intention. Lalu variabel brand prestige dan perceived quality melalui brand attitude dari hasil pengaruh tidak langsung, masing-masing menunjukkan hasil yang positif dan signifikan. Ini artinya brand attitude mampu berperan sebagai mediator tiap hubungan secara parsial.
Ophiorrhiza ripicola Craib (Rubiaceae), a new record to India from Arunachal Pradesh
Authors: Jeyaprakash Karnan , Balachandran Natesan
Published: January 2024

Ophiorrhiza ripicola Craib (Rubiaceae) is reported here for the first time from Arunachal Pradesh, India. It is differing from other Indian Ophiorrhiza species by having triangular stipules, cuneate lamina base, corolla white-purple, 32 mm long, glabrous outside and pubescent inside, and filaments 14 mm long. Detailed description, digital images, distribution, habitat and ecology are presented for easy identification.
Socioeconomic and environmental impact of forest certification in ejidos and communities of the state of Durango, Mexico
Authors: Garcia E. , Corral J.J. , López P.M. , Cubbage F. , Ramírez H. , Cervantes J.A. , Montiel E.
Published: January 2024

A principal objective of forest certification is to ensure that forest management operations and administration provide opportunities for social, economic and environmental development. This study assessed the implementation of 48 specific forest certification practices through field interviews and site inspections in 13 forest properties certified in Durango according to the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and compared them with practices on a pooled set of matching non-certified properties. The results of field observations indicate that forest certification has prompted measurable changes in sustainable forest management practices in Mexico. For 24 identified forest management and environmental certification practices, there were four statistically significant differences at p<0.10, and 7 at p<0.25. Six of 11 forest certification practices were significantly different at p<0.10 for the social component, and 5 of 13 in the economic category. Forest certification in Mexico is related to better forest management practices and as a promoter of a better quality of life for communities. However, it still faces challenges to achieve better prices for certified forest products in the market, but has helped firms enter new market segments.
Analytical evaluation of the novel Mindray high sensitivity cardiac troponin I immunoassay on CL-1200i
Authors: Lippi Giuseppe , Pighi Laura , Paviati Elisa , Demonte Davide , De Nitto Simone , Gelati Matteo , Montagnana Martina , Gandini Giorgio , Henry Brandon M. , Salvagno Gian Luca
Published: January 2024

Objectives

The current study was designed to evaluate the analytical performance of the new Mindray highly sensitive cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) chemiluminescent immunoassay on Mindray CL-1200i, as a thorough validation of novel hs-cTnI methods is required before introduction into clinical practice.

Methods

The evaluation of the analytical performance of this hs-cTnI immunoassay encompassed the calculation of the limit of blank (LOB), limit of detection (LOD), functional sensitivity, imprecision, linearity, 99th percentile upper reference limit (URL) and concordance with another previously validated hs-cTnI chemiluminescent immunoassay.

Results

The LOB and LOD were 0.32 and 0.35 ng/L, whilst the functional sensitivity (expressed as cTnI value with <10 % imprecision), was 0.35 ng/L. The linearity was excellent throughout a wide range of clinically measurable values (r=1.00 between 0.8 and 9,726.9 ng/mL). The intra-assay, inter-assay and total imprecision were 1.1–1.3 %, 5.5–8.1 % and 5.6–8.2 %, respectively. The 99th percentile URL calculated using residual plasma from 246 ostensibly healthy blood donors was 9.2 ng/L (4.3 ng/L in women vs. 12.3 ng/L in men). The Spearman’s correlation between Mindray hs-cTnI and Access hs-TnI was 0.97, with mean bias of 7.2 % (95 % CI, 2.6–11.9 %).

Conclusions

Although we failed to confirm the very optimistic analytical characteristics previously reported for this method, our evaluation of the novel Mindray hs-cTnI immunoassay on CL-1200i demonstrated that the overall performance is comparable to that of other commercially available hs-cTnI techniques, making it a viable alternative to other methods.