bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fructan Improves Survival and Function of Cryopreserved Rat Islets
Authors: Nishino Takuma , Goi Takanori , Morikawa Mitsuhiro , Koneri Kenji , Terada Satoshi , Murakami Makoto
Published: August 2021

Cryopreservation of pancreatic islets enables their long-term storage and subsequent transplantation; however, post-cryopreservation, islets viability, and functions are reduced to a significant extent. Islet is composed of five cells (α cell, β cell, δ cell, ε cell, and PP cell), and blood vessels that carry the nutrition. Freezing technology of the organization has not developed a good method. This paper is studied using a fructan which has been found to effectively freeze protect a material of the cell. Islet transplantation has been established as an effective means of treating patients with type 1 diabetes. In this study, we demonstrated the effectiveness of using a fructan on the cryopreserved islets by showing valid results for diabetes. Isolated rat islets were cryopreserved using phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) supplemented with different concentrations of fructan and/or dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) in FBS. The survival rates of the islets were estimated at different time intervals, and insulin secretion function was tested in vitro. Furthermore, the in vivo function was tested by syngeneic transplantation into streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, and the grafts were analyzed histologically and immunohistochemically. Fructan significantly increased islet survival; 30% fructan led to survival rates of more than 90% on day 3, which was significantly higher than those of the DMSO groups (p < 0.05). For both fructan and DMSO, the survival showed dose dependence, with the highest rates observed for 30% fructan and 10% DMSO, respectively (p < 0.05). The fructan groups showed a significantly increased insulin secretion volume in comparison to the DMSO groups (p < 0.05). Furthermore, cell clusters of pancreatic islets were well maintained in the fructan group, whereas margin collapse and vacuolation were observed in the DMSO group. Three days after transplantation of pancreatic islets preserved with 30% fructan, the blood glucose levels of diabetic rats were restored to the normal range, and removal of transplanted pancreatic islets from the kidney led to a profound increase in blood glucose levels. Together, these results show that a fructan is effective at cryopreserving rat pancreatic islets for subsequent transplantation.
Correlation-Based Out-of-Plane Displacement Measurement for Optical Fiber Material
Authors: Zhao Ran , Sun Yong , Yu Gang , Sun Ping , Huang Yonggang , Zhang Yang , Jia Jinsheng
Published: August 2021

Due to the monitoring requirement of optical fiber industrial production, an out-of-plane displacement measurement method is proposed. Firstly, the in-plane displacements between two consecutive images, captured through a microscope with a CCD camera, are estimated by the Digital Speckle Correlation Method (DSCM). Subsequently, the out-of-plane displacement of optical fiber material can be obtained by the wedge model. Finally, the effectiveness of the method is verified experimentally by comparing the measurement data of routine practice with its theoretical values. Simulation and experimental results indicate that the absolute errors and the relative errors of the measurement by the optical microscope with a magnification of 50× are less than ±0.2 μm and 5%, respectively. The new method only needs two images obtained by the microscopic imaging system with a single camera to accomplish the measurement, which can significantly reduce the measurement time and complexity of the arrangement. Further, the method needs neither frequency domain conversion nor phase unwrapping operation, therefore, it is especially suitable for dynamic out-of-plane displacement measurement. The proposed method has been applied to the industrial uniformity and micro–nano-scale deformation monitoring of optical fiber image transmission materials.
Influence of Two-Frequency Radiation Intensity Fluctuations on the Output Signal of a Vortex Optical Fiber Forming OAM Address in Polyharmonic Sensor Technology
Authors: Vinogradova Irina , Gizatulin Azat , Meshkov Ivan , Bagmanov Valery , Morozov Oleg , Gabdulkhakov Ildaris , Ganchevskaya Sofia , Kazanskiy Nikolay , Sultanov Albert
Published: August 2021

A schematic diagram of a RoF radio-optic system with vortex signals is presented, in which the radio frequency is determined by the difference between the wavelengths of two lasers. It is assumed that the generation of a vortex signal can be performed through a vortex fiber-optic periodic structure, which can be obtained using a technology similar to the manufacture of long-period fiber Bragg gratings. The parameters of the grating are modeled assuming that the fundamental light-guide mode (LP01) is applied to the specified vortex element, and the higher-order mode (LP11) is reflected. It was found that the distortion of the vortex signal can be reduced by introducing apodization and chirping of this periodic structure. The following optimal parameters have been estimated: the apodization and chirp multiplier functions, at which the distortions of the amplitude and phase of the vortex signal, as well as the appearance of an unwanted angle distortion, will be minimal. It is shown that such gratings can be exploited in addressed sensors systems using the orbital angular momentum (OAM) of a lightwave as a unique sensor address.
Novel One-Step Process for the Production of Bioplastic from Rapeseed Press Cake
Authors: Ammar Wassim , Delbecq Frédéric , Vroman Isabelle , Mhemdi Houcine
Published: August 2021

Crude rapeseed cake was employed as the starting material for the preparation of protein-based bioplastic films through a wet process. A simple exposure of the agricultural waste to formic acid realized at 40 °C for 15 min could afford a slurry ready for producing robust bioplastic films by casting without another plasticizer addition. After determining the optimal process conditions, all films and membranes were successively characterized by DSC and FT-IR spectroscopy. They were also tested for their water absorption capacity, tensile strength, and elongation at break performance. The respective surface morphology and elementary composition of the products were determined by FE-SEM/EDX. Some attempts to improve their intrinsic properties were performed by loading graphene oxide inside the biopolymer three-dimensional matrix.
Possibilities of Using Organic Waste after Biological and Physical Processing—An Overview
Authors: Szulc Wiesław , Rutkowska Beata , Gawroński Stanisław , Wszelaczyńska Elżbieta
Published: August 2021

With a rapidly increasing amount of waste, waste management is an extremely important issue. Utilising processes such as combustion and biological processing significantly decreases the accumulation and volume of waste. Despite this, huge volumes of resulting waste that still need to be managed remain. This paper identifies various methods of processing organic waste, discussing both thermal and biological techniques for waste management. Additionally, this paper demonstrates that the end products remaining after processing waste are oftentimes functional for agricultural use. These materials are excellent byproducts used to produce various organic, mineral and organomineral fertilisers. For instance, it appears that the production of fertilisers is the most promising method of utilising fly ash that results from the combustion of waste. In order to minimise the environmental risk of polluting soil with heavy metals, waste, as well as ashes resulting from combustion, must meet the criteria for the limit of contaminants.
Do Radical Theologians Pray?: A Spirituality of the Event
Authors: Caputo John D.
Published: August 2021

Radical theology is not only an academic inquiry but also a radical spirituality. This point is confirmed in the phenomenology of radical prayer found in Derrida’s “Circumfession”. Derrida’s prayer takes place in a theopoetic space opened by a theopoetic epoche, which suspends both the supernatural signified (supernaturalism, praying to a Supreme Being) and the transcendental signified (rationalism, reducing prayer to a subjective fantasy). Radical prayer is compared to Augustine’s prayer in the Confessions, taken here as a paradigm of classical prayer. The difference is not that Augustine is really praying and Derrida’s prayer is a literary conceit, but that Augustine’s prayer takes place within a determined set of “beliefs”, of material symbols in which to incarnate his prayer, of which Derrida is deprived, from which he is circum-cut. But this very deprivation or de-materialization renders Derrida’s prayer an even more radical one, belonging to a more spectral “faith”, to the spirituality of a radical theology, to a theology of the event, by which traditional spirituality is both nourished and inwardly disturbed.
Design and Analysis of a Solar-Powered Electric Vehicle Charging Station for Indian Cities
Authors: Singh Aanya , Shaha Shubham Sanjay , G Nikhil P , Sekhar Yendaluru Raja , Saboor Shaik , Ghosh Aritra
Published: August 2021

Due to depleting fossil fuel reserves coupled with a climate crisis, sustainability is gaining ground, and electric vehicles (EVs) are emerging to be the new face of this field. However, the idea of EVs will be genuinely sustainable only if they are charged using renewable energy. This paper presents results from the design of a solar-powered EV charging station for an Indian context. PVsyst 7.2 software has been used for the system design. The analysis, based on the number of cars charged annually, the monthly variation in energy generation, the investment cost, and the decrease in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions using different module technologies for six Indian cities, has been deliberated. The results indicate that an off-grid 8.1 kWp system with two days of battery autonomy has the fewest unused energy losses, with a good performance ratio (PR). It can completely charge around 414 vehicles of 30 kWh battery capacity annually. This would help to reduce annual CO2 emissions by approximately 7950 kg. For cities near the equator, maximum energy is produced during March or January, and for cities near the Tropic of Cancer, energy production maximizes during May–June. The overall system has better energy generation and economy when monocrystalline modules are used.
Shaping Teachers' Perceptions of their role in the Digital age Through Participation in an Online PBL-based Course
Authors: Avidov-Ungar Orit , Tsybulsky Dina
Published: August 2021

Our research traced significant learning experiences of teachers enrolled in a Master's degree program in teacher education, in an attempt to understand how participation in an online course that employs the project-based learning (PBL) approach influenced their perceptions of the teachers' role in the digital age. Data was collected from 2014 to 2016 using: (a) a questionnaire gathering learners' personal and demographic details (n = 55) and (b) reflective reports on the learners' learning experiences in the course (n = 105). Content analysis of the data revealed that participants considered personal, pedagogic, and social aspects important in terms of the learning experience and this also informed their role perception as teachers in the digital age. Similarly, exposure to the PBL approach via an online framework directly influenced participants' learning experiences and role perception. The findings indicate that teachers should be given access to a learning experience combining online learning and teaching practice to allow them to form their role perception as digital-age teachers. Practical implications of the research relate to teachers' socialization in the digital age.
Building an e-Learning Application Using Multi-agents and Fuzzy Rules
Authors: Amer Magdi , Aldesoky Hossam
Published: August 2021

One of the biggest challenges in education is teaching mathematics, especially to children. It has been proven that difficulties students face when learning basic mathematics are often the result of previously acquired misconceptions. These misconceptions prevent the student from understanding new concepts and will eventually create a psychological barrier that prevents the student from learning more advanced mathematics. The conventional classroom environment does not provide the teacher with the most efficient means to detect and correct such misconceptions. The goal of our research is to develop an e-learning system for basic mathematics that is capable of providing each student with personalized content to overcome these misconceptions. The system uses a multi-agent architecture to monitor the activity of the student while simultaneously observing and modeling the student’s knowledge and misconceptions. Lessons and exam questions are chosen dynamically by the multi-agent system to cover the prerequisites of new lessons depending on the profile of the user.
In silico mutational analysis in RNA polymerase β subunit (rpoB) gene of rifampicin-resistant in Mycobacterium tuberculosis from Malaysia
Authors: Ali Ernie Zuraida , Hamidon Nurul Hamizah , Issa Rahizan
Published: August 2021

Tuberculosis (TB) is mainly caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and remains as a key public health problem worldwide. Most of MTB clinical strains are resistant to rifampicin (RIF), the first-line anti-tuberculosis drug. RIF resistance to MTB is due to mutations that mainly found in RIF resistance-determining region (RRDR) in drug target gene, RNA polymerase β subunit (rpoB). Therefore, the aim of the study is to extend the identification of variants in rpoB gene and to elucidate the effect of variants to the RIF resistance. Four of the strains, MTBR1/09, MTBR2/09, MTBR3/09 and MTB221/11 were subjected to drug susceptibility test (DST). All of the strains sequenced and submitted to the National Center for Biotechnology Information Sequence Read Archive were analyzed to identify the variants in the rpoB gene. The identified new variants were then subjected to docking to examine the drug-protein interactions. DST analysis revealed MTBR1/09, MTBR2/09 and MTBR3/09 were resistant to the RIF drug, while MTB221/11 was a presumptive susceptible strain. Two new variants were observed, the deletion (Phe433_Met434delinsLeu in MTBR1/09) and missense (Lys37Arg in MTBR3/09) variants. Meanwhile, the His445Leu, Ser450Leu, Asp103Asp, Ala1075Ala were reported variants. Docking of RIF to MTBR1/09 and MTBR3/09 mutant models revealed the RIF bound to the RIF binding site at different binding affinity and conformation. Concurrently, the new variants caused the RIF to bind to the different active site and neighboring residues. Findings from DST and docking analyses indicate that new variants potentially disturb the RIF inhibition in RpoB mutant proteins, and thus might be responsible to cause the RIF resistance.
How we overlook the value of women
Authors: Maharaj Akheel
Published: August 2021

In the modern world, women are needed and utilised more than ever. However, society still struggles to see the actual value of women and their contributions to the world we live in. By not acknowledging the true value of women, we as people are doing ourselves a disservice.
Space and Approach in "The Virtuous City" -
A Tale of Two Universities: Re-imagining and reconstruction of the westernised South African university
Authors: Sooliman Quraysha Ismail , Yousuf Iram
Published: August 2021

In order to know how to change one must be able to acknowledge what one does not know. Central to knowledge production of relevance is humility and an understanding of the realities of one’s own environment. From a decolonial perspective, knowledge production is affected by the development and creation of the actual physical spaces of the university and its pedagogy. The Covid_19 pandemic has tested the functionality of the physical space of the university as well as the organization of the city space. This paper considers these issues, their impact and effect on the mental well-being of both academics and students by exploring the idea of the university as a virtuous city. We draw on Al-Farabi’s treatise of the Virtuous City because physical and conceptual architectures reflect a way in which the world is structured. In South Africa, the violent design of the fragmented spaces has been planned according to the colonial, cartographic imagination which destroys and distorts memory and ruptures tradition. The architecture of the cities and universities, it can be argued, effect a similar process, and serve as an affirmation of the pre-dominance of the white-supremacist power structure in South Africa. Cities are created by people and each city is a creation of the interaction of social, economic, cultural, and political imperatives. The university is a micro-manifestation of the cosmopolitan city that adopts different approaches to knowledge, decolonisation and transformation. In re-imaging and reconstituting the westernised South African university an appropriate approach to reaching the ideals of well-being and harmony would require the shedding of the ego and the Cartesian “I”. The process of decolonising the university should occur by deconstructing and recognising colonial methods, theories and practise in our pedagogy and spaces in order to begin the process of reconstruction.
Assessing Political Risk Analysis in a hybrid regime: The case of Zimbabwe
Authors: Makone Itai , Lambrechts Derica
Published: August 2021

Political Risk Analysis (PRA) levels are theoretically postulated to increase in a hybrid regime. This paper argues that there is a change to this hypothesis. A single case research design was employed, using Zimbabwe from 1990 to 2018. During the period, Zimbabwe showed five diverse forms of hybridity which are liberal, competitive illiberal, competitive, illiberal, and military hybrid regimes. A conceptual framework is developed to assess political risk in a hybrid regime using hybrid regime indicators and some political risk factors of most concern to developing countries. 28 key informants from six categories of respondents were interviewed. Illegitimacy, corruption, the staleness of leadership, adverse government regulation, election violence, and severed home-host state relations were confirmed to increase the perception of political risk in a hybrid regime. Investors were observed to have developed a tolerance for some “unacceptable” factors that increased political risk. Military tutelage, weak institutions, flawed elections, military generals in power, undemocratic means to retain power, minimum horizontal accountability and weak rule of law were found to not automatically increase political risk as before. The paper concludes that there is no single form of hybridity and as such different forms of hybrid regimes accrue different levels of political risk, some lower levels while others substantially higher levels. Therefore, in a hybrid regime, a differentiated PRA monitoring, assessing and mitigation strategy will be most effective for management to implement. Future studies can apply the analytical framework of assessing PRA in a hybrid to another hybrid regime to expand the theoretical propositions made by this paper
Destitute and vulnerable- Fear of crime and victimisation among the homeless in urban and rural settings in South Africa
Authors: Sadiki Lufuno , Steyn Francois
Published: August 2021

In 2019, the murders of five homeless men in Pretoria drew attention to the vulnerability of people living on the street. Despite more than two decades of democracy, social injustices and inequality continue to characterise post-apartheid South Africa. In addition to rampant poverty burgeoning informal settlements and poor housing, homelessness forms an integral part of the country’s urban and rural landscapes. However, homelessness is often accompanied by victimisation, racial and social injustices, and human rights violations. This paper reports on the victimisation of homeless people in South Africa, their patterns of reporting such incidences, and interactions with criminal justice agents. The paper also contextualises a fear of crime among the homeless and evaluates the limitations of the lifestyle exposure, routine activities, and deviance place theories to adequately explain injustices committed against the homeless. Implications for context-specific and global realities regarding homeless people are discussed. Quantitative data was obtained through non-probability sampling strategies from 40 urban and 30 rural homeless people. More than half of respondents felt unsafe while living on the streets (55.8%), feared becoming a victim of crime in the next year (54.5%) and the greater proportion of respondents (57.1%) had fallen victim to crime in the past. Statistically significant differences (p<0.05; r>0.4) featured between urban and rural respondents in terms of theft and harassment and anticipating victimisation. The findings highlight the social injustices suffered by homeless people, often at the hand of those who are supposed to protect vulnerable groups.
Solidarity, isolation, and cynicism: An attitudinal analysis of the police culture in the South African Police Service
Authors: Maweni Vuyelwa
Published: August 2021

Numerous scholars have contributed to the police culture body of knowledge (Cockcroft 2013; O’Neill, Marks & Singh 2007; Sklansky 2005). They submit that the traditional understanding of police culture is no longer relevant due to the new developments that have transpired in policing, which have consequently changed the police culture. More specifically, they suggest that the South African Police Service (SAPS) too has witnessed changes in the traits of its police culture that accentuate the cynicism of and isolation from the public. This article is an attempt to challenge this narrative by comparing the police culture themes of solidarity, isolation, and cynicism attitudes of two different cohorts of new South African Police Service (SAPS) recruits separated by ten years. By making use of the 30-item police culture themes of solidarity, isolation, and cynicism questionnaire, designed by Steyn (2005), the article establishes that a representative sample (138 out of a population of 140) of new SAPS recruits from the SAPS Chatsworth Basic Training Institute (August 2015), have remarkably similar attitudes in support of police culture themes of solidarity, isolation, and cynicism, compared to a representative sample of all new SAPS recruits that started their basic training in January 2005 (Steyn, 2005). Although small in representation, the study refutes the claims that traditional understandings of police culture are no longer relevant and that the traits of the police culture in the South African Police Service (SAPS) has so changed that it accentuates the cynicism of and isolation from the public.
Serial sobre emprendimiento turístico: la accesibilidad en el sector turístico
Authors: Martínez Cárdenas Rogelio , Pablo-Romero Gil-Delgado María del Pópulo , Sánchez-Rivas García Javier
Published: August 2021

Con el objetivo de vislumbrar oportunidades de emprendimiento en el sector turístico, se plantea un serial audiovisual dirigido al alumnado de postgrado en el que se tratan distintos nichos de mercados basados en necesidades o productos de reciente demanda ligadas al sector.
En este primer vídeo se trata la accesibilidad en el turismo como concepto, evolución y ampliación definitoria del mismo, así como las oportunidades que genera en la prestación de servicios complementarios. Se hace una aproximación general al itinerario marcado por la Organización Mundial del Turismo en los distintas aspectos más importantes.
Legislación migratoria chilena: tres momentos históricos entendidos como dispositivos discursivos
Authors:   Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Brower Beltramin Jorge
Published: August 2021

En la actualidad, la migración se ha transformado en un tema prioritario en la agenda internacional. La necesidad de tener una legislación apropiada al respecto resulta ineludible, pues se brinda protección a aquellos que se desplazan en busca de una mejor calidad de vida. En ese sentido, este artículo analiza tres corpus discursivos legales en materia de migración promulgados por el Estado de Chile en tres momentos históricos específicos. Para su lectura, análisis y comprensión, se ha recurrido al concepto de dispositivo de saber/poder, desarrollado por Foucault, particularmente en su dimensión discursiva. Ello permite caracterizar la construcción semántica e ideológica que se hace de los sujetos migrantes, regulada por condiciones de producción normativa propias de un tiempo histórico específico.
Refugio y remesas: un análisis basado en «El perfil socioeconómico de refugiados en Brasil. Subsidios para el desarrollo de políticas»
Authors:   Universidad Federal de Paraná, De Oliveira Márcio
Published: August 2021

Latin American interregional migration has increased dramatically in the past two decades. One of the countries contributing to the growth of these flows is Brazil, whose participation was consolidated due to international factors, its reception and its legal labor policies. Despite this, the relationship between migration, development and remittances remains poorly studied by Brazilian scholars. The discussion presented here focuses on a circumscribed analysis of refugees who had been legally recognized by the Brazilian State by the end of 2018. Thanks to research data on 487 refugees living in Brazil by then, it was possible to analyze their life conditions, the value and regularity of remittances received and/or sent, among other aspects. The results showed that low wages did not prevent refugees, for the most part, from sending remittances abroad nor, for some, from receiving it. Despite its low value, its regularity seems to keep alive the networks and dependency relations between those who migrate and those who remain in the origin countries.
Los trabajadores agrícolas temporales mexicanos en Canadá y la covid-19
Authors:   Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, Vanegas García Rosa María , Sandoval Palacios Juan Manuel ,   Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia
Published: August 2021

En 1947 comenzó la contratación de mano de obra agrícola extranjera temporal para trabajar en los campos provinciales de Canadá. En 1966 inició el Programa de Trabajadores Agrícolas Temporales con los países del Caribe de habla inglesa, en 1974 con México y, posteriormente, otras naciones centroamericanas. Actualmente, estos trabajadores forman parte de un emergente mercado laboral de América del Norte. Aquí se analiza la participación de mano de obra mexicana en dicho programa y la situación que se presentó con el brote epidémico de la covid-19, el cual se propagó de inmediato en todo el mundo. Se muestra que los trabajadores agrícolas tuvieron que presentarse a laborar en dichos campos, pues su actividad fue considerada esencial en el cultivo de los alimentos y una prioridad para la humanidad; en consecuencia, era fundamental que los gobiernos involucrados garantizaran los protocolos de salud y seguridad hacia los trabajadores agrícolas. Las medidas tomadas no fueron suficientes y los trabajadores fueron expuestos a contagios y fallecimientos. Inmediatamente, ambos gobiernos se comprometieron a reforzar la asistencia médica y a proteger los derechos laborales, cuestiones que los propios trabajadores han exigido desde hace ya varias décadas.
TECHNOLOGICAL AND INNOVATIVE DEVELOPMENT INTERCONNECTION IN THE CONDITIONS OF PRODUCT DIGITALIZATION
Authors: Pylaeva I.S.
Published: August 2021

Modern industry is facing the next round of the industrial revolution or Industry 4.0. This collision is expressed in a significant change in the applied technologies of doing business and, first of all, in the production process. Large enterprises around the world are actively adapting to external challenges and digitalizing their production in the direction of the «Factories of the Future» concept, as evidenced by statistical research data from rating agencies such as McKinsey and PwC. In connection with these transformations, the question arises, is the technological development of enterprises synonymous with innovative development? The study hypothesis is the idea that technological development at the level of an individual enterprise is one of the subtypes of innovation. In order to verify it, the opinions of domestic researchers in this area were studied, and the modern definitions «technological development» and «scientific and technological development», which were adopted as synonyms in the study, were analyzed. The results of the study are confirmation of the hypothesis put forward, the construction of a logical scheme that reflects the essence of the term «technological development of an industrial enterprise» with the allocation of the main elements, as well as the proposed author's formulation of this term. It is concluded that it is necessary to conduct further research aimed at identifying the current state and prospects of small industry technological and innovative development.
USING THE CAPABILITIES OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLECT IN CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS
Authors: Chistilina D.O.
Published: August 2021

The article is devoted to the study of the possibilities of using artificial intellect in criminal proceedings. With the development of information technologies in various fields, the question of system automation is increasingly raised. The possibility of replacing human physical labor is not controversial, but intellectual labor is difficult to automate, as it often contains a creative element. In law, it is possible to use information technologies through the introduction of electronic document management, remote holding of court sessions, etc. However, the issue of automating decision-making remains open, especially in the criminal procedure sphere. The need to take into account the specifics of each criminal case, the individualization of punishment does not allow us to completely replace judges with robots. The implementation of such principles as the independence of judges and the adversarial nature of the parties in criminal proceedings will be difficult. The proof process will need to be reformed, taking into account the ability of the parties to provide proofs in electronic form, which may not be available due to the technical difficulties encountered by the parties and the court. In this case, the decision made by the robot judge will not meet the requirements imposed on such a decision by the law. Excluding the invaluable experience of the judge in sentencing is likely to lead to negative consequences for justice.
A GIS-based technique analysis of land use and land cover change detection in taluka Mirpur Mathelo: A case study in district Ghotki, Pakistan
Authors: ALI SHAH Shoukat , KİRAN Madeeha
Published: August 2021

Land use and land cover changes at the regional scale are necessary for a wide range of uses, including land planning, global warming, erosion, and landslide, etc. In this study, Land use and land cover change detection were studied by using remote sensing and GIS in taluka Mirpur Mathelo, Ghotki. For this purpose, ArcGIS 10.3 software was used. Firstly, supervised classification performance was applied to Landsat imageries which were acquired in 2013-2020. Image classification of six bands of Landsat imageries was carried out via a maximum likelihood classification process with the help of ground trothing data and signature file for both images 2013-2020 year. The second part focused on the land use and land cover change detection was evaluated with overlapping of the images. The results of the study indicated that severe land use and land cover change detection has occurred in the area during 2013-2020. The total relative change in the settlement is 2439.45 ha (1.94%) during the years. 592.38 ha (0.47%) changed in the vegetation cover. A total change of 3.16 ha (3.16 %) in the sand area. While barren land/plain -5094.63 ha (-4.06%) changed during the years. -1906.2 ha (-1.52%) shortage in the water body. It has been seen that decrease in barren land/plain and waterbody which has been converted into more in the sand and some portion in agriculture.
Exploring the practices of secondary school teachers in preparing for classroom observation amidst the new normal of education
Authors:   Lal-lo National High School, Lal-lo, Cagayan, Philippines, Caratiquit Kevin , Pablo Reynel ,   Licerio Antiporda Sr. National High School, Buguey, Cagayan, Philippines
Published: August 2021

Abstract Purpose: This study aimed to explore the practices of secondary public school teachers in preparing for classroom observation amidst the new normal of education. The emphasis of this study was drawn from the central question, "What are the practices of secondary public school teachers in preparing for classroom observation amidst the new normal of education?". Research Methodology: This study used a qualitative research design. It employed a phenomenology design to explore the practices of secondary public school teachers in preparing the new normal classroom observation. Results: Teachers believe that classroom observation is a measuring tool for achieving their professional goals or performance level. They also think that classroom observation can evaluate and assess the students' learning outcomes effectively and efficiently. Limitations: This study was limited to 22 secondary public school teachers in Cagayan, Philippines. Contribution: It can be helpful for teachers to improve their teaching techniques, strategies, methods, and instructional materials to be used amid this new normal of education.
Efficacy of farmer field schools in achieving participatory technology development among smallholder farmers in the Hoima district, Uganda
Authors:   Discipline of Public Administration and Management, Lira University, Lira, Uganda, Mwesigwa David
Published: August 2021

Abstract Purpose: This study investigated the efficacy of FFS for participatory technology development among smallholder farmers in Hoima district, Uganda. It is anticipated that by making FFS concrete, household food security will be enhanced. Research methodology: The study utilised primary data, which was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. While 120 respondents were sampled, 103 responded, generating a response rate of 85.83%. This was an excellent response seeing that it merited above 75%. The researcher administered all questionnaires in one month. Results: From the findings indicate that PTD is more desirable in the Hoima district. In addition, the construct of the ability to solve problems from time to time indicates that problem-solving is very desirable for PTD in the Hoima district. The results suggest a positive correlation between FFS and PTD among the study population, indicating that a unit-change in the FFS constructs will lead to a proportionate change in the constructs of PTD in the same direction. This implies that improving FFS quality by a single unit will translate into progressive improvement in PTD in the Hoima district. This study also suggests that FFS alone has a strong positive influence on PTD in the Hoima district. Limitations: This study merely covered farmer-field schools, yet several interventions aim to raise the quality of agriculture in Uganda, such as National Agricultural Advisory Services and Emyoga. Contribution: This study contributes to the deeper understanding of what ought to be done to improve the quality of farming in Uganda.
Segmentation and quantification of solar PV losses using data-driven algorithms to help better design and operational monitoring
Authors: Chiluveru Vijay Bhaskar , Chaudhary Pooja
Published: August 2021

In the current scenario of increasing demand for solar Photo-voltaic (PV) systems, the need to predict their feasibility and monitor performance is more than ever. Although PV systems are known for their reliability, they are not above the damaging effects of their surroundings. Various lossy phenomena affect overall plant performance. In this paper, several of such losses, namely thermal, soiling, module degradation and inverter clipping, are discussed. Algorithms to evaluate these losses are proposed which are data-driven and empirical in nature. This is done as an effort to leverage the analytical capabilities provided by the plant data. The paper also compares the estimated losses with those obtained using the PVsyst simulation. As the latter is an independent industrial standard, it helps in understanding the ground reality of PV performance and insights for better operational monitoring. These insights are of immense business value and are aimed at optimizing performance and thereby revenue. As part of our asset management, all the solar PV plant components have sensors whose measurements are sent to the servers on a real-time basis. This is incorporated into our analytics portal which is used for operations and monitoring. The data used for this study is time-series in nature with a temporal least count of 5 minutes (instantaneous values spaced every 5min throughout the period of data capture). The actual data and its list of parameters is dependent on solar plant capacity and design site. For the reference dataset, a grid-connected solar rooftop PV plant in India was studied and its loss parameters were estimated. The plant components are discussed in the prologue of the results section. Solar PV is such a technology which has been enjoying increasing demand and this market scenario is quite favourable for innovation in energy research. This paper hopes to not only introduce the context of PV losses but also tries to engage the motivation to adopt data-driven and empirical methodologies to understand modern systems. This approach is better in the sense that it only gets better at prediction as time goes by and there is more data. Industrial research such as the above work in critical analysis of PV systems not only helps identify possible limitations but also suggest room for improvement. Since energy generation and project cost are key towards maximizing revenue, these estimation models aimed at predicting PV losses are to be deemed indispensable. As with any estimation, there is no one unique way of hitting the bull’s eye that is to know the exact value. The algorithms proposed above are very much dependent on the quality and quantity of data. However, the comparison between losses estimated using plant data and standard simulation using energy modelling can act as feedback towards improving the design and maintenance of such PV systems.
Theoretical Performance Bounds of Model-Based Electrocardiogram Parameter Estimation
Authors: Fattahi Davood , Sameni Reza
Published: August 2021

Objective: Clinical parameter estimation from the electrocardiogram (ECG) is a recurrent field of research. It is debated that ECG parameter estimation performed by human experts and machines/algorithms is always model-based (implicitly or explicitly). Therefore, depending on the selected data-model, the adopted estimation scheme (least-squares error, maximum likelihood, or Bayesian), and the prior assumptions on the model parameters and noise distributions, any estimation algorithm used in this context has an upper performance bound, which is not exceedable (for the same model and assumptions).

Method: In this research, we develop a comprehensive theoretical framework for ECG parameter estimation and derive the Cramér-Rao lower bounds (CRLBs) for the most popular signal models used in the ECG modeling literature; namely bases expansions (including polynomials) and sum of Gaussian functions.

Results: The developed framework is evaluated over real and synthetic data, for three popular applications: T/R ratio estimation, ST-segment analysis and QT-interval estimation, using the state-of-the-art estimators in each context, and compared with the derived theoretical CRLBs.

Conclusion and Significance: The proposed framework and the derived CRLBs provide fact-based guidelines for the selection of data-models, sampling frequency (beyond the Nyquist requirements), modeling segment length, the number of beats required for average ECG beat extraction, and other factors that influence the accuracy of ECG-based clinical parameter estimation.
Robotic automation of “blind” and two-photon targeted patch-clamp electrophysiology in vivo
Authors: Vera Gonzalez Gema , Kgwarae Phatsimo , Annecchino Luca , Schultz Simon
Published: August 2021

A review paper on the current state of the art in robotic automation of in vivo patch-clamp electrophysiology
Age of Information in a Cooperative Slotted Aloha Network: Marginal and Joint Distributions
Authors: Vaezi Kaveh , Akar Nail , Karasan Ezhan
Published: August 2021

In this paper, we investigate a slotted Aloha cooperative network where a source node and a relay node send status updates of two underlying stochastic processes to a common destination. Additionally, the relay node cooperates with the source by accepting its packets for further retransmissions, where the cooperation policy comprises acceptance and relaying probabilistic policies. Exact marginal steady state distributions of the source and relay Age of Information (AoI) and Peak AoI (PAoI) sequences are obtained using Quasi-Birth-Death (QBD) Markov chain models. Extending this approach, we also obtain the joint distribution of the source and relay AoI sequences out of which one can obtain the steady state distribution of the Squared Difference of the two AoI sequences (SDAoI), which finds applications in network scenarios where not only the timeliness of status updates of each process is desired but also their simultaneity is of crucial importance. In this regard, we numerically obtain the optimal cooperation policy in order to minimize the expected value of SDAoI subject to a constraint on the average PAoI of the relay. Finally, our proposed analytical approach is verified by simulations and the performance of the optimal policy is discussed based on the numerical results.
Detection of Freezing of Gait using Convolutional Neural Networks and Data from Lower Limb Motion Sensors
Authors: Shi Bohan , Tay Arthur , Tan Dawn M.L. , Chia Nicole S.Y. , Au W.L. , Yen Shih-Cheng
Published: August 2021

Freezing of Gait is the most disabling gait disturbance in Parkinson’s disease. For the past decade, there has been a growing interest in applying machine learning and deep learning models to wearable sensor data to detect Freezing of Gait episodes. In our study, we recruited sixty-seven Parkinson’s disease patients who have been suffering from Freezing of Gait, and conducted two clinical assessments while the patients wore two wireless Inertial Measurement Units on their ankles. We converted the recorded time-series sensor data into continuous wavelet transform scalograms and trained a Convolutional Neural Network to detect the freezing episodes. The proposed model achieved a generalisation accuracy of 89.2% and a geometric mean of 88.8%.
Engajamento de trabalhadores da Estratégia Saúde da Família durante a pandemia da Covid-19
Authors: Sousa Gercileny Queiroz de , Lima Bianca Guimarães , Nunes Viviane Reis , Pires Mateus Portilho , Barros Vinicius Gomes , Hipólito Ulisses Vilela , Almeida Mirian Cristina dos Santos
Published: August 2021

Objetivo: Avaliar o engajamento nos trabalhadores da ESF do município de Palmas (TO) durante o enfrentamento da Covid-19. Método: Estudo transversal, quantitativo, realizado com 87 trabalhadores da Estratégia Saúde da Família, de Palmas – TO, entre dezembro de 2020 e fevereiro de 2021. Foi utilizado um questionário para identificação do perfil dos participantes e a Escala de Engagement no Trabalho de Utrecht (UWES) e realizada as análises descritivas e inferenciais pertinentes. Resultados: Dos 87 trabalhadores, 83,92% são mulheres, com idade média de 40 anos, tempo de formação profissional médio de 10,75 anos e tempo médio de atuação na ESF de 8,64 anos. As médias encontradas para o Engagement foram: 4,36 para Vigor, 4,71 para Dedicação, 4,15 para Absorção e 4,38 para o Escore Geral. Verificou-se significância estatística apenas para “considerar o trabalho estressante”, onde os participantes que consideram o trabalho estressante apresentaram menores médias na dimensão Vigor e no Engajamento Profissional. Conclusão: Os participantes apresentaram alto nível de Engajamento Profissional, sendo que os que consideram o trabalho estressante, apresentaram menores índices de Vigor e Engagement, demonstrando que é necessário intervir no cenário para manutenção e melhoria do Engajamento Profissional.
Management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in a Patient with COVID-19: The Window of Insulin Glargine U300
Authors: Topaloğlu Ulaş Serkan , Eren Esma , Şimşek Yasin
Published: August 2021

Research on pharmacological therapies for the treatment and prevention of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is limited in patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). In this case, diabetes management of a 51-year-old male patient who was followed up and treated with COVID-19 diagnosis in the pandemic clinic is presented. While metformin (2000 mg/day) oral therapy was continued, insulin glargine U100 (IGlar100) was added to the treatment subcutaneously. In addition, enoxaparin, hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin were started to be administered to the patient. During follow-up, respiratory distress and tachypnea (26 breaths/min), high fever (38.3oC), increased CRP (42 mg/dL), and decreased oxygen saturation (91%) were detected. Favipiravir was added to the treatment, and metformin was stopped due to possible lactic acidosis risk. IGlar300 treatment with more potency effect and lower risk of hypoglycaemia was initiated while IGlar100 was discontinued. In the follow-ups, titration was provided with IGlar300 to keep fasting blood glucose between 100-140 mg/dL and postprandial one between 140-180 mg/dL. In the treatment for this purpose, a maximum of 34 units/day insulin was needed. Capillary blood sugar monitoring was revised every 12 hours and then once a day. As the infection was brought under control, the required dose of IGlar300 decreased to 14 units/day. After diabetes training with a video phonecall, he was discharged with metformin and IGlar300. IGlar300 may be effective against diabetes in the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, a significant contribution can be made both to the treatment safety of the patient in a glycemic sense and to the safety of contamination by reduced contact of health care professionals.
THE IMPACT OF MOBILE MONEY TRANSACTION EFFICIENCY ON THE SUPPLY CHAIN PERFORMANCE OF SMALL SCALE COCOA FARMERS IN GHANA
Authors: Yinfei Chen  , Kelvin Darkwa
Published: August 2021

Purpose- the reason behind this work is to fine out the rising service of Mobile Money Transaction which offers banking services to all manner of persons only if they hold a phone can impact the biggest economy of the country Ghana thus agriculture which in this sector cocoa production in the country.
Design/methodology/approach- the paper draws literature from numerous studies that relates to the subject of discussion. 204 questioners were designed and administered out of which 204 was correctly answered by small scale cocoa farmers and used for the analysis of this paper. Spss, excel and Smart Partial Least Square 3.0 was used in analyzing the data.
Findings – Mobile Money Services has a strong service quality and thus impact transaction efficiency of the service positively. The transaction efficiency of the Mobile Money services also has a strong impact on the supply chain performance of the small holder cocoa farmers.
Research limitations/implementations- the educational level of most of the respondents were low thus finding it difficult to read and understand. Researcher had to break things down and answer on their behalf. There is no clear laydown procedure for the supply chain of cocoa farmers. Most respondents live in the remotest part of the villages.
Originality and value- there are so many papers on mobile money but no studies have been able to link the transactional efficiency of the service to agricultural supply chain.
KEY WORDS- Mobile money services, supply chain performance, transactional efficiency, mobile money service quality
Paper type- Research