bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimization and Influence of GMAW Parameters for Weld Geometrical and Mechanical Properties Using the Taguchi Method and Variance Analysis
Authors: Casarini Arthur , P. Coelho João , T. Olívio Émillyn , Braz-César Manuel , Ribeiro João
Published: June 2020

Gas metal arc welding is one of the arc fusion processes that is widely used in industry due to its high efficiency. The correct selection of the input parameters has direct influence on the weld quality and, with the control of those parameters, it is possible to reduce the amount of weld material, improve its properties and then increase the productivity of the process. This study intends to take a group of weld parameters and submit them to the optimization by the Taguchi Method and check the influence of those through a Variance Analysis (ANOVA). An L9 orthogonal array gathered three parameters (weld voltage, weld speed and weld torch angle) into three levels, then, with all combinations set and performed, the macrography and the transversal tensile strength test provided, respectively, the geometrical and the mechanical properties. The signal-to-noise ratios enable the optimization and the ANOVA provided the influence of the input parameters on the response parameters. The weld speed appeared as the most influent parameter for the weld geometry, contributing 63.54% to reinforcement, 66.36% to width and 66.94% to penetration, and the weld torch angle the most influent to the ultimate transversal tensile strength (41.39%). The optimum levels to the reinforcement are 22.4 [V], 400 [mm/min] and 30 [°], to the width 22.4 [V], 300 [mm/min], 0 [°], to the penetration 23.3 [V], 400 [mm/min], 0 [°] and, lastly, to the ultimate transversal tensile strength 24.1 [V], 200 [mm/min], 15 [°]. The Taguchi method showed to be suitable for this kind of problem and giving an efficient experiment design and good results.
Keywords: Taguchi method, Optimization, GMAW
Multifunctional Prosthesis Control with Simulation of Myoelectric Signals
Authors: Fermeiro João , Moreira Filipa , Pombo José , Calado Rosário , Mariano Sílvio
Published: June 2020

The skeletal muscle activation generates electric signals called myoelectric signals. In recent years a strong scientific activity has been developed in the recognition of limb movements from electromyography (EMG) signals recorded from non-invasive (surface) electrodes, in order to design systems for prosthetic control. Surface EMG acquire the activation of surrounding muscles and for that reason the obtained signal needs to be conditioned and processed, with pattern recognition techniques for extraction and classification. In this work EMG signals were acquired for two hand movements, “hand close” and “hand open”.  The EMG electrodes were placed on the forearm  and positioned over the extensor digitorum muscle, for the “hand open” and flexor digitorum muscle, for the “hand close”. Using MATLAB software the signal conditioning, feature extraction and classification were performed. The feature extraction process was carried with the Wavelet Packet Transform (WPT) technique and the classification process was done with two different techniques for comparison purposes, Neural Networks (NN) and Support Vector Machines (SVM). The results show that the SVM classifier used presented better classification performance compared to NN classifier used.
Keywords: EMG, Signal conditioning, Wavelet Packet Transform (WPT), Neural Networks (NN), Support Vector Machines (SVM)
An Experimental Analysis of the Electrical Parameter Variation of a Photovoltaic Module
Authors: Nunes Hugo , Do Rosário Calado Maria , Mariano Sílvio , Pombo José
Published: June 2020

Photovoltaic (PV) energy has been asserting itself in recent years as a true alternative for the electricity production in the future. It is well known that the accuracy of PV parameters is crucial to achieving optimal control of PV systems under any operating conditions. Although many attempts have been made to study the operating ranges of PV parameters, this remains a  current research topic given the diversity of  PV technologies. In this paper, the PV parameters variation with irradiance and temperature levels is experimentally analysed for a polycrystalline (poly-Si) silicon PV module. The experiment considers experimental data from 130 I-V characteristic curves measured over a typical day, considering several irradiance and temperature levels in the range 29–1023 W/m2 and 19–68 °C, respectively. The results show that PV parameters vary considerably with irradiance and temperature levels for poly-Si technology.
Keywords: Photovoltaic module, Photovoltaic parameters, Singe-diode model, Irradiance and temperature influence
Energy Assessment of a Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle Propulsion Management System
Authors: Campino Miguel , Henriques Nuno , Duarte Gonçalo
Published: June 2020

Plug-In hybrid vehicles have a complex propulsion system management, trying to manage the conventional and electric motorization in the most energy efficient way according to the driving dynamics, topography and battery charge state. In this sense, the aim of this work is to analyze the energy performance of plug-in hybrid vehicles, based on road tests, under real conditions of use, focusing on the management system of the two energy sources present, varying the level of battery charge at the start of the test to visualize the impact of this change. To complement the analysis and in order to better understand the operation of the management system, a methodology for applying the VSP parameter is used, which allows the load state to be approximated according to the vehicle’s operating mode, alternating between the three modes according to the conditions at the time in question, prioritizing the electric motor when the state of charge of the battery is maximum. These results confirm the fact that plug-in hybrid vehicles allow better electricity management due to the diversity of external or internal charging sources, which makes this type of vehicle more efficient and versatile than conventional hybrids, allowing a reduction in fossil fuel consumption and consequently a reduction in the emission of pollutant gases, making this type of vehicle a very competitive alternative in the transport sector in view of the current challenges due to the goals present in the current European regulations.
Keywords: Plug-in hybrid vehicles, Energy assessment, Climatization systems, Load support, State of charge
Controller Design and Experimental Validation of a Solar Powered E-bike Charging Station
Authors: José Oliveira Inácio Carlos , Joel Ponciano Silva Ivan , Pedro Domingues Faria João , Alvaro Nunes Pombo Jose , do Rosário Alves Calado Maria , José Pinto Simoes Mariano Sílvio
Published: June 2020

Electric Vehicles (EV) have gained interest over the past decade. Because of this, to support EV technology installation of charging stations are required. Charging EVs from renewable energy provides a sustainable means of transport. E-bikes can help mitigate some mobility problems, particularly in large cities and metropolitan areas. This paper shows the development and implementation of a solar e-bike charging station with photovoltaic production, with energy storage system. The implemented system has a centralized control and allow an efficient management of the various resources and contemplates the possibility of four simultaneous e- bikes where user identification is performed by RFID. Finally, it is provided a user interface through an HMI panel and a web page where it will be possible to access the DataLog to consult the user activity and all charging parameters.
Keywords: Renewable energy, Solar charging station, Programmable logic controller
Modeling System Based on Machine Learning Approaches for Predictive Maintenance Applications
Authors: Pedro Serrasqueiro Martins João , Martins Rodrigues Filipe , Paulo Ferreira Henriques Nuno
Published: June 2020

Industry 4.0 must respond to some challenges such as the flexibility and robustness of unexpected conditions, as well as the degree of system autonomy, something that is still lacking. The evolution of Industry 4.0 aims at converting purely mechanical machines into machines with self-learning capacity in order to improve overall performance  and contribute to the optimization of maintenance. An important contribution of Industry 4.0 in the industrial sector is predictive maintenance and prescriptive maintenance. This article should be analysed as a methodology proposal to implement an automatic forecasting model in a test bench for the recognition of a machine’s failure and contribute to the development of algorithms for preventive and descriptive maintenance.
Keywords: Industry 4.0, Artificial intelligence, Machine learning, Predictive maintenance, Prescriptive maintenance
Primary health care policy and vision for community pharmacy and pharmacists in Lebanon
Authors: Hallit Souheil , Abou Selwan Carla , Salameh Pascale
Published: June 2020

Within a crippling economic context and a rapidly evolving healthcare system, pharmacists in Lebanon are striving to promote their role in primary care. Community pharmacists, although held in high esteem by the population, are not recognised as primary health care providers by concerned authorities. They are perceived as medication sellers. The role of the pharmacist in primary health care networks, established by the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) to serve most vulnerable populations, is limited to medication delivery. The practice of the pharmacy profession in Lebanon has been regulated in 1950 by the Lebanese Pharmacists Association [Order of Pharmacists of Lebanon] (OPL). In 2016, the OPL published its mission, vision, and objectives, aiming to protect the pharmacists’ rights by enforcing rules and procedures, raise the profession’s level through continuous education, and ensure patients’ appropriate access to medications and pharmacist’s counseling for safe medication use. Since then, based on the identified challenges, the OPL has suggested several programs, inspired by the World Health Organization and the International Pharmaceutical Federation guidelines, as part of a strategic plan to develop the pharmacy profession and support patient safety. These programs included the application of principles of good governance, the provision of paid services, developing pharmacists’ core and advanced competencies, generation of accreditation standards for both community pharmacy and pharmacy education, suggesting new laws and decrees, continuing education consolidation and professional development. There was an emphasis on all decisions to be evidence assessment-based. However, OPL faces a major internal political challenge: its governing body, which is reelected every three years, holds absolute powers in changing strategies for the three-year mandate, without program continuation beyond each mandate. Within this context, we recommend the implementation of a strategic plan to integrate pharmacy in primary health centers, promoting the public health aspect of the profession and taking into account of critical health issues and the changing demographics and epidemiological transition of the Lebanese population. Unless the proposed blueprint in this paper is adopted, the profession is unfortunately condemned to disappear in the current political, economic and health-related Lebanese context.
Resúmenes de literatura nacional
Authors: De Obstetricia y Ginecología Federación Colombiana
Published: June 2020

Atención del parto hospitalario en Colombia. Análisis de 463 partos en presentación de pelvisGermán Riaño, Guillermo López y Judith FortneyBiometría fetal en el primero (A), segundo (B) y tercer (C) trimestres del embarazoLuis Carlos JiménezPruebas de monitoría fetal antepartoCarmenza de Escobar, Carlos Quintero y Edgar CoboValoración del crecimiento de la glándula mamaria durante el embarazoColombia Quintero, Marco Ramírez, Sara Escobar, Fabio Sánchez y William Mejía
Morbi-mortalidad, clasificación y tratamiento del aborto séptico
Authors: Lozano C. Armando , Peralta A. Maria Teresa , Reyes M. Fabio , Alvarado P. Ricardo , Saravia Jaime
Published: June 2020

Presentamos una revisión de 3.140 historias clínicas de pacientes atendidas en el Servicio de Sépticas del IMI de Bogotá, en un período de 9 años. Se escogen 188 pacientes con aborto séptico tratadas durante el año de 1977 por ser el más representativo del universo en cuestión. Se presenta una nueva clasificación por estados de aborto séptico, una clasificación clínica para el manejo de antibióticos y un estudio microbiológico de los gérmenes causantes de infección en el Servicio. En estas 188 pacientes se analizan características generales, grado de infección, manejo, tratamiento quirúrgico y complicaciones. El total de pacientes fallecidas es de 29 y se practica necropsia en 14 (48.2%).
Bases para la atención ginecológica especializada a niñas y adolescentes
Authors: Duarte-Contreras Alberto
Published: June 2020

Se exponen los fundamentos para una atención ginecológica especializada a niñas y adolescentes. Se estudian las bases que hacen posible la organización de estos servicios especializados: educación de la comunidad, capacitación y adiestramiento médico y paramédico y apertura de servicios de Consulta Externa y de hospitalización dentro de los Departamentos de Pediatría y de Gíneco-Obstetricia de las Instituciones de Asistencia. Se presenta, por último, el resultado de una encuesta adelantada en 17 Facultades de Medicina y en 20 hospitales de Colombia sobre programas ,de docencia, atención hospitalaria y proyectos de próxima realización en torno al tema que nos ocupa.
Infecciones en obstetricia y ginecología
Authors: Osborne Newton G.
Published: June 2020

Las infecciones en obstetricia y ginecología han sido causa de profunda preocupación para médicos a través de los años. Es difícil encontrar una fuente única que presente una clasificación adecuada sobre infecciones pélvicas, ya que la participación de las varias disciplinas médicas que se conciernen con problemas médicos que ocurren en la pelvis ha sido limitada.
Relajación del piso pélvico suspensión con cinta de dacrón
Authors: García M. Jaime , Tobón L. Gabriel , Tobón Gabriel
Published: June 2020

Se presenta la revision de 12 pacientes a quienes se les practicó la técnica de la suspensión con dacrón para tratar la relajación del piso pélvico en mujeres jóvenes. Se describe la técnica quirúrgica se analizan los resultados y se dan algunas recomendaciones.
Diseño de un instrumento para la cauterización del cérvix con dispositivo intrauterino in suta.
Authors: Muñoz Delgado Saul
Published: June 2020

El autor presenta el problema de aplicación de DIU en pacientes con cervicitis crónica no tratada y sus complicaciones médicas y procedimentales para la práctica de electrocoagulación o cauterización. Para obviar el problema, propone un nuevo instrumento que protege del cauterio los hilos de control del dispositivo.
Laparoscopia revisión de temas
Authors: Amorocho P. Néstro H.
Published: June 2020

La laparoscopia como valioso recurso diagnóstico y terapéutico, por su cada vez más frecuente utilización en ginecología, justifica un estudio de conjunto no solo sobre sus indicaciones sino sobre su cronología histórica, descripción de equipo, y mantenimiento de él y sobretodo sobre su técnica de aplicación. Por tales motivos se aconseja la lectura de este trabajo llevado a cabo por uno de los más experimentados especialistas nacionales en la técnica que se comenta.
Disgerminoma en niñas y adolecentes
Authors: Duarte Contreras Alberto , Palau C. Manuel José , De Palau Mariela L. , Parada R. Carlos , Pérez Gómez Eduardo
Published: June 2020

Se estudiaron 7 disgerminomas de ovario en pacientes menores de 20 años recopilados en diez años. El disgerminoma constituyó el 16.66% de todos los tumores ováricos y el 53.84% de los tumores malignos de ovario a esta edad. Lo encontramos, con mayor frecuencia en el ovario izquierdo 57.14%. El tamaño fue desde 15-10-8 cms. hasta llenar toda la pelvis. La cápsula se encontró rota en el 71.42%. En el 57,14% hubo invasión a órganos vecinos y en el 28.75% se encontraron metástasis ganglionares a ganglios para-aórticos, supraclaviculares, axilares e inguinales. En todas las pacientes se observó una tremenda agresividad tumoral la que se destacó preferencialmente en las niñas impuberes. A todas se les practicó tratamiento quirúrgica conservador. Sólo se pudo hacer tratamiento radioterápico post quirúrgico a una paciente. Una paciente dió a luz a los 19 meses de haber sido operada. Residivaron el 42.8% entre los 11 meses y los 30 meses. No tenemos supervivencia a los 5 años. Se pregoniza cirugía conservadora mas radioterapia posterior. Se nos pierden de todo control el 42.8%. Se discuten nuestros hallazgos comparándolos con los de otros autores. Se dan conclusiones. Se presentan 50 citas bibliográficas.
ONLINE INSURANCE EXISTENCE IN INDONESIA BASED ON ISLAMIC LEGAL PERSPECTIVE AS A PROTECTION OF SPIRITUAL RIGHTS
Authors: DISEMADI HARI SUTRA , PRANANINGTYAS PARAMITA
Published: June 2020

Globalization era requires Indonesia to always use technology and information in improving economy. This also applies to insurance companies that have implemented technology and information. Conventional insurance has developed into online one that attracts Indonesian citizen. However, today new issue is about protecting the spiritual rights of consumers as well as the halal or haram of online insurance. Answering this problem, this research will use normative juridical (doctrinal) method that prioritizes primary legal material i.e. insurance laws, consumer protection laws, and other legal materials. This research shows the existence of online insurance in Indonesia which rapidly develops because it offers more conveniences compared to conventional one. In Islamic law, online insurance is allowed as long as it is in line with Islamic law principles in protecting consumers’ spiritual rights. The example of sharia principle is cooperation by paying tabarru’ funds, using tabarru’ and tijarah agreement, and sharing similar responsibility between one participant and others (ta’awun). The legal basis for insurance in Indonesia is contained in the 2014 Law Number 40 and MUI Fatwa Number 21/DSN-MUI/X/2001.

Era globalisasi mengharuskan Indonesia untuk selalu memanfaatkan teknologi dan informasi dalam meningkatkan perekonomian. Ini berlaku pula pada perusahaan asuransi yang telah menerapkan teknologi dan informasi. Asuransi konvensional telah berkembang menjadi asuransi online yang banyak diminati masyarakat Indonesia. Namun, persoalan yang hangat dibicarakan saat ini mengenai perlindungan hak spiritual konsumen serta halal atau haramnya asuransi online. Untuk menjawab persoalan tersebut, penelitian ini menggunakan metode yuridis normatif (doktrinal) yang mengedepankan bahan hukum primer yaitu undang-undang perasuransian, undang-undang perlindungan konsumen, serta bahan hukum lain. Penelitian ini menunjukan eksistensi asuransi online di Indonesia telah mengalami perkembangan pesat karena memberikan kemudahan dibanding asuransi konvensional. Dalam hukum Islam, asuransi online pada dasarnya diperbolehkan dengan syarat tidak bertentangan dengan prinsip-prinsip hukum Islam dalam melindungi hak spiritual konsumen. Contohnya prinsip syariah tersebut seperti bekerja sama dengan cara masing-masing mengeluarkan dana tabarru’, menggunakan akad tabarru’ dan akad tijarah, dan saling menanggung risiko antara satu peserta dengan peserta lainnya (ta’awun). Dasar hukum mengenai asuransi di Indonesia terdapat dalam UU Nomor 40 Tahun 2014 dan Fatwa MUI Nomor: 21/DSN-MUI/X/2001.
THE CHALLENGES OF ISLAMIC ECONOMIC LAW IN THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
Authors: Supardin Supardin
Published: June 2020

This paper explains the challenges of Islamic Economic Law (fiqh muamalah) in the industrial revolution 4.0 era. It aims to analyze the role and implementation of Islamic Economic Law in Indonesia. This is a library-based study. The findings show that there is a rapid development in economic sector that shapes the practice of Islamic Economic Law. Despite the rapid global economic development and the increasing public interest towards the Islamic banking and economy, the Islamic economic Law is facing major problems and challenges. Because of these challenges, the development of the Islamic economic system in Indonesia, in the future, must take further steps or development strategies to implement the Islamic economic system more optimally, such as adaptation to global needs and high competitiveness.

Tulisan ini menjelaskan tentang realitas fiqh muamalah di era revolusi industri 4.0. Tujuannya adalah untuk melihat peran dan implementasi fiqh muamalah terhadap kegiatan ekonomi Islam, terutama di Indonesia yang mayoritas penduduknya adalah Muslim. Jenis penelitian yang digunakan adalah penelitian normatif dengan pendekatan penelitian kepustakaan. Penelitian ini dikategorikan sebagai tipe analitik deskriptif, yang mencoba untuk menggambarkan dan memberikan analisis yang komprehensif tentang pengembangan fiqh muamalah di era modern ini, yang biasa disebut sebagai revolusi industri 4.0. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa ada perkembangan pesat yang terjadi di sektor ekonomi. Namun terlepas dari perkembangan ekonomi global yang cepat dan meningkatnya minat publik terhadap perbankan dan ekonomi Islam, Fiqh Muamalah menghadapi masalah dan tantangan besar. Karena tantangan ini, pengembangan sistem ekonomi Islam di Indonesia, di masa depan, harus mengambil langkah dan strategi pengembangan untuk mengimplementasikan sistem ekonomi Islam secara lebih optimal, seperti adaptasi terhadap kebutuhan global dan daya saing yang tinggi.

 
Ulaşım peyzajının işlevsel kullanımının değerlendirilmesi; Gebze - İzmir otoyolu
Authors: GÜLGÜN Bahriye , YAZİCİ Kübra
Published: June 2020

Amaç: Günümüzde ulaşım mesafelerinin arttığı ve kısa tatillerin büyük çoğunluğunun yollarda geçtiği düşünüldüğünde, turizme katkıları bakımından ulaşım peyzajının öne çıktığı görülmektedir. Ulaşım peyzajından; doğal peyzajları sunması, emniyetli bir güzergah oluşturulması ve karayolunu teşvik edici özellikte olması beklenir. Alana ait arazi gözlem verileri ve literatür araştırmaları ile desteklenen bu çalışmada; emniyet ve konforu içerisinde barındıran, kaliteli kentsel mekanları oluşturmada Gebze-İzmir Otoyolu ulaşım peyzajının olumlu ve olumsuz yönleri ortaya çıkarılmaya çalışılmıştır.

Materyal ve Yöntem: Gebze-İzmir otoyol güzergahında yapılan peyzaj uygulama ve bakım işleri kapsamında, bitkilendirme çalışmalarının fonksiyonel ve estetik yönden uygunluğu; inşaat tekniği yönünden, trafik tekniği yönünden, peyzaj içindeki işlevlerine katkıları, biyolojik işlevleri bakımından 4 grup olarak 10 uzman tarafından puanlanarak değerlendirilmiştir. Puanlamada 5’li likert ölçeği kullanılmıştır. Elde edilen verilerin, peyzaj planlama ile ilişkisini belirlemek amacıyla Q-sort analizi ile değerlendirilmiştir.

Sonuç: Elde edilen verilere göre en yüksek puanlar gruplarına göre; inşaat tekniği yönünden değerlendirilmesi sonucunda toprağın stabilizasyonu açısından 8 puan, heyelan ve kaymalara mani olma açısından ise 4 puan almıştır. Yol bitkilendirmelerinin trafik tekniği yönünden değerlendirilmesi sonucunda kaza ve yanılmaları engellemek veya hafifletmek açısından 8 puan, far ışıklarına karşı perdeleme açısından 10 puan, peyzaj içindeki işlevleri parametresinde yer alan yeniden yeşil bir çevrenin yaratılması açısından 16 puan alırken; biyolojik işlevleri açısından en düşük puanı almıştır.
Hyperbolic Rules of the Oligomer Cooperative Organization of Eukaryotic and Prokaryotic Genomes
Authors: Petoukhov Sergey
Published: June 2020

The author's method of oligomer sums for analysis of oligomer compositions of eukaryotic and prokaryotic genomes is described. The use of this method revealed the existence of general rules for cooperative oligomeric organization of a wide list of genomes. These rules are called hyperbolic because they are associated with hyperbolic sequences including the harmonic progression 1, 1/2, 1/3, .., 1/n. These rules are demonstrated by examples of quantitative analysis of many genomes from the human genome to the genomes of archaea and bacteria. The hyperbolic (harmonic) rules, speaking about the existence of algebraic invariants in full genomic sequences, are considered as candidates for the role of universal rules for cooperative organization of genomes. The described phenomenological results were obtained as consequences of the previously published author's quantum-information model of long DNA sequences. The oligomer sums method was also applied to the analysis of long genes and viruses including the COVID-19 virus; this revealed, in characteristics of many of them, the phenomenon of rhythmically repeating deviations from model hyperbolic sequences; these deviations are associated with DNA triplets and should be systematically analyzed for a deeper understanding the genetic coding system. The topics of the algebraic harmony in living bodies and of the quantum-information approach in biology are discussed.
ARIMA Forecasting of PM2.5 and PM10 Trends: Effects of Continuing Social Distancing on Air Quality in a Southeast Asian Urban Area
Authors: Adwibowo Andrio
Published: June 2020

It has been hypothesized that social distancing as the prevention measures for COVID 19 can affect the air quality including PM2.5 and PM10 in urban areas. According to this situation, this study aims to compare the PM2.5 and PM10 before and after the implementation of social distancing. Likewise, this study also forecasts the benefits of social distancing on PM2.5 and PM10 if social distancing period is continued and extended. To achieve these objectives, an Auto Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model to investigate the daily PM2.5 and PM10 trends has been developed for social distancing periods (March– May 2020) and after May as well. The model confirms that if social distancing period is extended after May 2020 then the PM2.5 and PM10 are estimated will be 4% and 9% lower. To confirm that the PM2.5 and PM10 reductions are only due to social distancing effect, the study has investigated the possible effects of wind speed and rainfall on PM2.5 and PM10. Nonetheless, the reductions do not correlate with those factors. To conclude social distancing should be considered as an option to control PM2.5 and PM10 in urban areas.
Open Source High-Temperature RepRap for 3-D Printing Heat-Sterilizable PPE and Other Applications
Authors: Skrzypczak Noah G. , Tanikella Nagendra G. , Pearce Joshua M.
Published: June 2020

Thermal sterilization is generally avoided for 3-D printed components because of the relatively low deformation temperatures for common thermoplastics used for material extrusion-based additive manufacturing. 3-D printing materials required for high-temperature heat sterilizable components for COVID-19 and other applications demands 3-D printers with heated beds, hot ends that can reach higher temperatures than polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) hot ends and heated chambers to avoid part warping and delamination. There are several high temperature printers on the market, but their high costs make them inaccessible for full home-based distributed manufacturing required during pandemic lockdowns. To allow for all these requirements to be met for under $1,000, the Cerberus – an open source three-headed self-replicating rapid prototyper (RepRap) was designed and tested with the following capabilities: i) 200oC-capable heated bed, ii) 500oC-capabel hot end, iii) isolated heated chamber with 1kW space heater core and iv) mains voltage chamber and bed heating for rapid start. The Cereberus successfully prints polyetherketoneketone (PEKK) and polyetherimide (PEI, ULTEM) with tensile strengths of 77.5 and 80.5 MPa, respectively. As a case study, open source face masks were 3-D printed in PEKK and shown not to warp upon widely home-accessible oven-based sterilization.
Neurobiology of Impulsivity and Aggression as Substrates of Suicidal Behavior: A Narrative Focus on the Involvement of Serum Lipids
Authors: Gokcay Hasan , Balcioglu Yasin Hasan
Published: June 2020

Previous incidental findings of an increase of suicidal risk among subjects with low cholesterol levels have drawn attention to the role of lipids in suicidal behavior. To date, multiple lines of evidence acquired from clinical studies have confirmed an association between low cholesterol levels and suicidal behavior, but the involvement of dimensional traits including impulsivity and aggression in this association remains elusive. In this narrative review, we aimed to address and synthesize the literature regarding the involvement of lipids in the neurobiology of suicidal behavior and its underlying psychological substrates, impulsivity and aggression. An electronic database search was performed using different combinations of relevant keywords. Both preclinical and clinical studies matching the scope of this article were reviewed and filtered through an inspection of the abstracts to recruit the most suitable articles that contributed essential and substantial findings to the literature. Although subject characteristics and study designs vary across studies, current research has demonstrated that impulsivity and aggression might have shared neurobiologic substrates involved in altered serotonergic neurotransmission. Despite the association between low serum lipid levels and suicidal behavior being well documented, the involvement of lipid subtypes in the pathophysiology of impulsive and aggressive traits remains elusive. Further work is warranted to recognize the roles of lipids in neuronal membrane functions and serotonin metabolism, promote a greater appreciation of identifying biomarkers that could be used to determine at-risk individuals, and develop potential interventions to disrupt the pathogenesis of behavioral phenotypes of suicide.
Anti-cheating Online Exams by Minimizing the Cheating Gain
Authors: Li Mengzhou , Sikdar Sujoy , Xia Lirong , Wang Ge
Published: June 2020

Cheating prevention in online exams is often hard and costly to tackle with proctoring, and it even sometimes involves privacy issues, especially in social distancing due to the pandemic of COVID-19. Here we propose a low-cost and privacy-preserving anti-cheating scheme by programmatically minimizing the cheating gain. A novel anti-cheating scheme we developed theoretically ensures that the cheating gain of all students can be controlled below a desired level aided by the prior knowledge of students’ abilities and a proper assignment of question sequences. Furthermore, a heuristic greedy algorithm we developed can refine an assignment of questions from a cyclic pool of question sequences to efficiently reduce the cheating gain. Compared to the integer linear programming and min-max matching methods in a small-scale simulation, our heuristic algorithm provides results close to the optimal solutions offered by the two standard discrete optimization methods. Hence, our anti-cheating approach could potentially be a cost-effective solution to the well-known cheating problem even without proctoring.
Molecular and Structural Insights into COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Kadam Swapnil , Sukhramani Geetika , Bishnoi Pratibha , Pable Anupama , Barvkar Vitthal
Published: June 2020

The outbreak of a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV2) associated with acute respiratory disease called COVID-19 marked the introduction of the third spillover of an animal CoV to humans in the last 2 decades. The SARS-CoV2 genome analysis with various bioinformatics tools revealed that it belongs to beta CoVs genera, with highly similar genome as bat coronavirus and receptor binding domain (RBD) of spike glycoprotein as Malayan pangolin coronavirus. Based on its genetic proximity, SARS-CoV2 is likely to be originated from bat derived CoV and transmitted to humans via an unknown intermediate mammalian host, probably Malayan pangolin. Further spike protein S1/S2 cleavage site of SARS-CoV2 has acquired polybasic furin cleavage site which is absent in bat and pangolin suggesting natural selection either in an animal host before zoonotic transfer or in humans following zoonotic transfer. In the current review, we recapitulate a preliminary opinion about the disease, origin and life cycle of SARS-CoV2, roles of virus proteins in pathogenesis, commonalities and differences between different corona viruses. We have also highlighted the evidences regarding the potential drugs and vaccine candidates with their modes of action to cope with this viral outbreak. Our review provides comprehensive up-dated information on molecular aspects of the SARS-CoV2.
LiCSAR: An Automatic InSAR Tool for Measuring and Monitoring Tectonic and Volcanic Activity
Authors: Lazecky Milan
Published: June 2020

Space-borne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Interferometry (InSAR) is now a key geophysical tool for surface deformation studies. The European Commission’s Sentinel-1 Constellation began acquiring data systematically in late 2014. The data, which are free and open access, have global coverage at moderate resolution with a 6 or 12-day revisit, enabling researchers to investigate large-scale surface deformation systematically through time. However, full exploitation of the potential of Sentinel-1 requires specific processing approaches as well as the efficient use of modern computing and data storage facilities. Here we present LiCSAR, an operational system built for large-scale interferometric processing of Sentinel-1 data. LiCSAR is designed to automatically produce geocoded wrapped and unwrapped interferograms and coherence estimates, for large regions, at 0.001° resolution (WGS-84 system). The products are continuously updated in a frequency depending on prioritised regions (monthly, weekly or live update strategy). The products are open and freely accessible and downloadable through an online portal. We describe the algorithms, processing, and storage solutions implemented in LiCSAR, and show several case studies that use LiCSAR products to measure tectonic and volcanic deformation. We aim to accelerate the uptake of InSAR data by researchers as well as non-expert users by mass producing interferograms and derived products.
Increased Zinc and Albumin but Lowered Copper in Children with Transfusion-dependent Thalassemia
Authors: Alhillawi Zainab , Al-Hakeim Hussein , Moustafa Shatha , Maes Michael
Published: June 2020

Measurements of copper and zinc in transfusion-dependent thalassemia (TDT) show contradictory results.Aim of the study: To examine serum levels of these minerals in TDT in relation to iron overload indices and erythron variables. Methods: This study recruited 60 children with TDT and 30 healthy children aged 3-12 years old.Results: Zinc was significantly higher in TDT children than in control children, whilst copper and the copper to zinc ratio were significantly lowered in TDT. Serum zinc was significantly associated with the number of blood transfusions and iron overload variables (including serum iron and TS%) and negatively with erythron variables (including hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin). Serum copper was significantly and negatively associated with the same iron overload and erythron variables. The copper to zinc ratio was significantly correlated with iron, TS%, ferritin, hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin. Albumin levels were significantly higher in TDT children than in control children. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the increase in zinc in children with TDT may be explained by iron loading anemia and hemolysis and the consequent shedding of high amounts of intracellular zinc into the plasma. Increased albumin levels and treatment with Desferral may further contribute towards higher zinc levels in TDT. We suggest that the elevations in zinc in TDT are a compensatory mechanism protecting against infection, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Previous proposals for prophylactic use of zinc supplements in TDT may not be warranted.
The Fragility of Workers in Temporary Employment Agreements in Indonesia
Authors: Mustofah Sandra Imam
Published: June 2020

Application employee for Working Agreement of Certain Time is a right step for the company in saving the production process, so that the company will be more benefited with the existence of such a specific time working agreement. In the legislation of the law has arranged employee a certain time work agreement, one of them related to the type and character of the work because of frequent violations in the implementation . This research aims to what form of legal protection for workers of certain time work agreement related to the type and characteristic of the work. This research uses normative method with approach of law. Protection for employee contract who get jobs that are not in accordance with the rules of the legislation related to the type and nature of work is to switch the status of being an unspecified worker. the legal protection of employee contract are jamsostek, PP, and PKB. This research is helpful as a reference of legal practitioners, increase the knowledge and insight of the community related to legal protection of contract workers.
Abstracts from the Literature, No. 56
Authors: Dawson William J
Published: June 2020

In concluding the 14th year of the Abstracts review, this issue’s column will be devoted exclusively to the topic of music and speech/language neurobiology—-papers discussing their similarities and differences, the effects each one has on the other, and how musical training
affects language in persons of all ages. Installment 56.
THE LEARNING METHODS OF PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS IN ISLAMIC BOARDING SCHOOL: DISCUSSION, EXERCISE, AND MODELING
Authors: Lutfauziah Asmaúl , Al-Muhdhar Mimien Henie Irawati , Suhadi Suhadi , Rohman Fatchur
Published: June 2020

The objective of this research describes the method of lecturers to teach problem-solving skills. Problem-solving skills is one of the skills needed in the 21st-century learning. Generally, Islamic boarding schools tend to use classic methods such as recitation, Bandongan, Sorogan. The study is survey research. It is a case study at the Islamic boarding school of Jagad ‘Alimussirry in the second semester of the academic year 2016/2017. Students live in Islamic boarding schools every day. The data were obtained through questionnaires and observations. Questionnaires were consisting of 12 items with a statement of Rosenberg's self-esteem scale. It’s given to the 46 students and five lecturers after learning. The respondents were randomly chosen. The study also conducted observations at the time of learning in 5 courses. Two observers made the observations. The results showed that the problem-solving skills had been taught with a "good enough" category. The learning method is discussion, exercise, and modeling. It is done with 5 phases of problem-solving. The findings are three methods to teach problem-solving skills in the Islamic boarding school. It is a discussion, exercise, and modeling with five problem-solving phases and six learning schemes. Therefore, this study can be used as consideration for education practitioners on how to teach problem-solving skills in Islamic boarding schools. Indonesia has 28 thousand Islamic boarding schools. In addition, this becomes a frequent correction to repair the learning of problem skills in Islamic boarding schools in Indonesia.
Assessment of Immunological Markers in Patients with Tuberculosis of Respiratory System and Oportunistic Infection
Authors: Sobchak D. M. , Volskiy N. E. , Khramov R. R. , Kuvshinov I. A. , Vasilieva N. V.
Published: June 2020

The purpose of the study: evaluation of the demographic, clinical and laboratory features of the patients with infiltrative, generalized and disseminated forms of tuberculosis.

Materials and methods. 114 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis were included in our study. To evaluate subpopulations of immune cells we used immunofluorescent reaction with monoclonal antibodies.

Results. Most of the patients with generalized and disseminated tuberculosis were co-infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus with CD4+ level less than 200 cells/mkl and Hepatitis C Virus. Almost half of the patients with infiltrative and disseminated tuberculosis had elevated level of hepatic transaminases. In patients with generalized form of tuberculosis CD4+- and CD8+-levels were considerably lower than in patients with infiltrative form of tuberculosis. Discussion. In most patients with disseminated tuberculosis were estimated drug addict and prisons in anamnesis. In those patients were diagnosed secondary infections: candidiasis, papillomatosis, ascariasis, herpes zoster.

Conclusions. We reveal decreasing of the level of CD4, CD8, CD16, CD20 in the patients with generalized, disseminated tuberculosis and in patients opportunistic infections.
Problems of Ensuring the Epidemiological Safety of Intracavitary Ultrasound Diagnostics. Solutions
Authors: Grenkova T. A. , Selkova E. P. , Mitkova M. D. , Vetsheva N. N. , Oganesyan A. S. , Perepechaev P. N.
Published: June 2020

Ultrasound examinations (ultrasound) are one of the most popular methods of instrumental diagnostics. Like any medical intervention, ultrasound is associated with infection risks for patients who are clearly underestimated. The epidemiological safety system of ultrasound diagnostics in our country has not been developed, which is associated with the lack of sanitary regulation in the field of this medical technology. The article presents scientific literature data characterizing the main risks of infection of patients, the view of epidemiologists and ultrasound diagnostics specialists on the epidemiological safety problem.
Tumor suppressor OTUD3 induces growth inhibition and apoptosis by directly deubiquitinating and stabilizing p53 in invasive breast carcinoma cells
Authors: Pu Qian , Lv Yan-rong , Dong Ke , Geng Wen-wen , Gao Hai-dong
Published: June 2020

Background: P53 pathway inactivation plays an important role in the process of breast cancer tumorigenesis. Post-translational protein modification abnormalities have been confirmed to be an important mechanism underlying inactivation of p53. Numerous deubiquitinating enzymes are aberrantly expressed in breast cancer, and a few deubiquitination enzymes can deubiquitinate and stabilize p53. Here, we report that ovarian tumor (OTU) deubiquitinase 3 (OTUD3) is a deubiquitylase of p53 in breast carcinoma (BC).Methods: Correlations between the mRNA expression levels of OTUD3, TP53 and PTEN and the prognosis of BC were assessed with the Kaplan-Meier Plotter tool. OTUD3 protein expression in 80 pairs of specimens in our cohort was examined by immunohistochemistry and western blotting. The relationship among OTUD3, p53, and p21 proteins was analyzed. Half-life analysis and ubiquitylation assay were performed to elucidate the molecular mechanism by which OTUD3 stabilizes p53. The interaction between OTUD3 and p53 in BC cells was verified by a co-immunoprecipitation assay and GST pulldown experiments. MTS assay for proliferation detection, detection of apoptosis induced by cisplatin and colony formation assay were employed to investigate the functional effects of OTUD3 on breast cancer cells. Results: OTUD3 downregulation is correlated with a poor prognosis in BC patients. OTUD3 expression is decreased in breast cancer tissues and not associated with the histological grade. OTUD3 also inhibits cell proliferation and clone formation and increases the sensitivity of BC cells to apoptosis induced by chemotherapy drugs. Reduced OTUD3 expression accompanied by decreased p53 abundance is correlated with human breast cancer progression. Ectopic expression of wild-type OTUD3, but not its catalytically inactive mutant, stabilizes and activates p53. Mechanistically, OTUD3 interacts directly with p53 through the amino-terminal OTU region. Finally, OTUD3 protects p53 from murine double minute 2 (Mdm2)-mediated ubiquitination and degradation, enabling the deubiquitination of p53 in BC cells. Conclusions: In summary, we found that OTUD3 may be a potential therapeutic target for restoring p53 function in breast cancer cells and suggest that the OTUD3-p53 signaling axis may play a critical role in tumor suppression.
Assessment of Optometrists’ Knowledge, Skills and Practice on Cataract: A Case Study from Kisumu County, Western Kenya
Authors: Muma Shadrack , Obonyo Stephen
Published: June 2020

Background: Cataract is a major contributor to avoidable blindness in the world and greatly impact negatively on the quality of life. The prevalence of blindness in Kenya is estimated at 0.7% with cataract contributing 43%. Optometrists being the primary eye care providers for cataract patients, they are well placed to assess and refer cataract patients. Though there is no data on optometrist knowledge, skill and practice on cataract in Kisumu, Kenya. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used. The study was conducted from June 2019 to August 219 using self-administered questionnaire. We collected basic socio-demographic characteristics and investigated participants’ knowledge, skills and practice on cataract. The primary outcome measures were the proportions of participants who identified the questions related to knowledge, skills and practice on cataract. Chi-square analysis was performed to look at the association between demographic and practice, knowledge and skills. Results: A total of 49 optometrists were interviewed with a male to female ratio of 2:1, mean age of 30.4(72%) years and mean duration of practice of one to ten years. Majority of the optometrists had good knowledge on various aspects of cataract. Like 98% had a good knowledge on the types of cataract. Based on skills, 75.5% could diagnose cataract correctly. However, 57.1% could not identify nuclear cataract. Practice among the optometrists was largely low in the sense that, 61.2% of optometrists did not screen patients aged 40 years and above for cataract. Almost half of the optometrists, 52.6% did a routine eye examination but did not know the importance of examining the crystalline lens for patient above 40 years. Conclusion The study established that despite the good level of knowledge among the optometrist on cataract, there exist gaps in skills in categorizing the type of cataract and practice. The results of this study calls for skills development training for optometrists on cataract and immediate ophthalmic division response for improvement on the scope of training for optometrists. This will eases diagnosis of cataract and its management so as to reduce its burden in Kenya.
Hearing loss and cognitive function among Chinese older adults: The role of participation in leisure activities
Authors: Gao Jiamin , Armstrong Nicole M. , Deal Jennifer A. , Lin Frank R. , He Ping
Published: June 2020

Background Hearing loss, a highly prevalent sensory impairment affecting older adults, is a risk factor for cognition decline. However, there were very limited studies on this association in low-resource countries. This study aimed to assess the association between self-reported hearing loss and cognitive decline, and whether engagement in leisure activities moderated this association among older adults in China.Methods Data were obtained from two waves of the nationally representative survey of China Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) between 2011/12-2014. 8,844 individuals aged 65 years old or above with a dichotomized measure of self-reported hearing status were included. Modified Mini-Mental Examination (MMSE) was used to measure global cognition. Fixed-effects models were used to estimate whether leisure activity engagement moderated the association of self-perceived hearing loss with global cognitive change in the overall sample and sex subsamples.Results Self-reported hearing loss was associated with cognitive impairment, with an odds ratio of 2.48 [1.22, 5.06]. Sex difference in the association of hearing loss and cognitive impairment was not found. Self-reported hearing loss was associated with cognitive decline, with 8% [-1.22, -0.39] increase in risk compared with those with normal hearing. Frequent engagement in leisure activities moderated the association between hearing loss and cognitive decline for the whole and male samples.Conclusion Hearing loss was associated with cognitive decline, and leisure activities engagement moderated the association among males rather than females.