bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Praksissamtalen i kulturskolelærerutdanninger: En arena for utvikling av studenters profesjonsforståelse
Authors: Aglen Gry Sagmo
Published: April 2021

Denne artikkelen retter blikket mot praksisopplæringen i norske musikkpedagogiske utdanninger og har fokus på praksissamtalen, der tre parter fra utdanningsløpet møtes: student, faglærer og praksisveileder. Gjennom å observere studenters praksisundervisning i kulturskoler samt praksissamtaler knyttet til praksisundervisningen, er målet i denne artikkelen å utforske hvordan praksissamtalen fungerer som en arena der studentene tilegner seg profesjonsforståelse, samt hvilke forståelser av kulturskolelærerprofesjonen som framtrer i samtalene mellom de tre partene. Resultatene drøftes i lys av profesjonsteoretiske og sosiokulturelle forståelsesrammer. Artikkelen argumenterer for viktigheten av studentenes aktive deltakelse i praksisfellesskapet, og løfter fram noen utfordringer tilknyttet praksissamtalen og relasjonene mellom utdanningsinstitusjon og praksisfelt.
English abstract
English title: The practicum conversation in School of Music and Performing Arts teacher educating programs: An arena for development of students’ professional understandings
This article addresses the practicum training in Norwegian teacher educating programs, and focuses on the practicum conversation, where three participants of the teacher educating program meet: the student, the teacher educator and the practicum supervisor. By observing students’ practicum-related teaching in School of Music and Performing Arts (SMPA) as well as practicum conversations related to this teaching, the aim of this study is to investigate how the practicum conversation functions as an arena where students acquire professional understanding, as well as exploring the understandings of the SMPA teacher profession that appear in these conversations between the three participants. The results are discussed in light of theory of professions and socio-cultural learning theory. The article argues for the importance of students’ active participation in the community of practice, and highlights some challenges associated with the practicum conversation and the relationship between educational institutions and the practice field.
Search for Harmony of Freedom and Justice in the Republic of Kazakhstan
Authors: Alimzhanovna Gizatullina Gulgina
Published: April 2021

The article poses the problem of harmonization of freedom and justice in modern socially-oriented states. The author carries out a theoretical analysis of the relationship between freedom and justice and concludes that, despite the difference between the two concepts, they are interconnected and interdependent and, therefore, compatible. Justice is present at the level of economic freedom and is manifested in the equal labor market and in the fair distribution of state property. In politics, freedom and justice can coexist harmoniously in a narrower space at the level of general democratic demands. The author notes that this process is complicated by globalization. The countries-subjects of globalization pursue a policy of unhindered movement of capital around the world and a decrease in the social functions of the state. In these conditions, the states-objects of globalization must resist such a policy and maintain and increase their social functions. For example, the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev, has proclaimed the policy of a “hearing” state ”and the economy of“ simple things ”that allow avoiding globalization risks. The author concludes that all countries of the post-Soviet space should resist globalization by all-round development, improvement of social functions of the state, achieving social justice. It is the implementation of the concept of the President of Kazakhstan “Hearing State” that will harmonize freedom and justice. If capitalism gives freedom, and socialism gives justice, then modern states have a historical chance to find harmony of freedom and justice.
Consistency Arrangement of Absolute Power of Attorney in Transfer of Rights to Land
Authors: S.H. M. H. M. Kn Farid
Published: April 2021

The Agreement to Give Absolute Power of Attorney or better known as the Absolute Power of Attorney (Absolute Power of Attorney), is not known in the Civil Code. Even though the Civil Code does not recognize him, the existence of an Absolute Power of Attorney is not prohibited. The articles in Book III of the Civil Code are only complementary, the parties are allowed to deviate from them. So that if the parties involved in the power-giving agreement want absolute power, then this is allowed and not prohibited by the Civil Code. Because in principle, contract law is open (freedom of contract principle) and legal certainty principle.
Duty of Care and the Overall Impact of Infectious Diseases
Authors: Bara Silvana
Published: April 2021

The role of healthcare providers is crucial to the health and well-being of society and the relationship between the patient and the healthcare provider is of paramount importance. The trust put in this relationship benefits not only the health and well-being of the patient, but society as a whole. Undoubtedly, in their everyday activity healthcare providers are bound by a duty of care towards their patients. However, such duty is challenged in case of infectious diseases, giving rise to many ethical dilemmas. Is this duty absolute? Does it apply at all times? Would treating a patient with an infectious disease endanger healthcare provider’s life or the life of others (his/her patients, family, colleagues, friends)? Would treating an infectious patient help the spread of the disease? Would refusal to treat jeopardize healthcare provider’s career and future? Infectious diseases put a heavy social, economic and political burden on the state. This paper aims to examine the special role of the healthcare provider in cases of infectious diseases and the importance of their profession in the general well-being of society.
Insights on Ethiopia’s State of Emergency against Covid 19: A Descriptive Overview
Authors: Shona Edilu
Published: April 2021

Ethiopia confirmed its first Covid-19 case on March 13, 2020. At the moment of writing, (11 August 2020), over 24, 000 cases of Covid-19 are confirmed and the pandemic is rising in unprecedented rate. Ethiopia has started taking various legal and informal measures prior to its first confirmation announcement on March 13, 2020 and since then. Among others, Ethiopia set up the Ministerial Committee led by the PM on February 29 and the committee gave a press release on March 16 announcing a postponement of ‘large gatherings and meetings including sporting event, limiting religious institutions and places of worship to limit gatherings and closure of all public and private schools except higher learning (HI) and later on the HI was also totally closed to combat the crisis. The committee announced that security sector to enforce measures of ceasing large gatherings to maintain social distancing’ on 23 March. Similar measures were also taken by Amhara, Southern and Oromia regional states among the nine member states of Ethiopian federation though without legal gazette publication. On the top of that State of Tigray declared a State of Emergency (SoE) on March, 25, 2020. In similar vein, the federal government declared SoE by the Council of Minsters (CoM) on April 8, followed by the approval of the House of Peoples Representative (HPR) on April 13, 2020. Subsequently the Council of Ministers also adopted its implementation regulation. But the implications of these measures on human rights and freedoms, social, economic and political rights of the public was not strictly thought and studied. Thus, the main objective of this piece was to investigate implications of the above measures on human rights and rule of law principles. Accordingly, it shade some lights on substantive and procedural content of SoE in light of legality principle, proportionality and transparency, competence of government’s power at different level to mention the least in contrast to measures taken in various jurisdictions.
Current Situation of Homoparental Adoption in Latin America: A Bioethical Problem of Discrimination, Rights and Social Justice
Authors: Trevizo Ana Violeta
Published: April 2021

This article raises the current situation of homoparental adoption in Latin America. The problem of discrimination-exclusion and social justice. This work exposes the need to integrate the secular bioethical perspective in the public discussion and the contrast of conservative and liberal arguments on homoparental adoption. Likewise, the article exposes the urgent need to legislate in favor of children and not against same-sex couples or gay individuals who are trying to adopt. We recommend the promotion of bioethical education and social awareness to prevent violence and discrimination against vulnerable minorities through the teaching and practice of tolerance, respect, dialogue, and the bioethical principles of non-maleficence, dignity, integrity, and vulnerability.
Engineering Ethics of Neuralink Brain Computer Interfaces Devices
Authors: Jawad Akram Jassim
Published: April 2021

Nowadays, smart home devices have started to take a part in everything in our life, which mainly have been developed to consist from brain computer interface (BCI). In recent months, Neuralink BCI (1024-Electode) has been approved to be used by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the USA. That makes the ethical related studies have more attention to apply these devices and technologies in our daily life with more security. In this work, the ethical challenges of smart home systems that use BCI for personal monitoring, such as Neuralink Interfaces, have been reviewed, analysed and discussed regarding the fundamental principles in ‘Statement of Ethical Principles for the Engineering Profession’ of the UK. Firstly, a brief introduction of Neuralink BCI technology and important applications in daily life were discussed with related ethics issues. Then, proposed solutions and recommendations for every situation have been introduced and discussed as well. The main proposed ways to address that are establishing and introducing the related laws and rules, technology development of security and safety, and educate for acceptance culture in the society.
Euthanasia: Moral and Legal Aspects
Authors: Sumachev Alexey Vitalyevich
Published: April 2021

The practice of artificially taking the life of a person suffering from an incurable disease and experiencing unbearable suffering as a result of this disease is traditionally called euthanasia. At the same time, such actions were evaluated and are currently evaluated ambiguously both from the standpoint of moral and legal. Accordingly, the issues of euthanasia (as well as causing death with the consent of a person in general) should be solved from the standpoint of their comprehensive research (not only from the standpoint of directly legal, but also from the point of view of philosophy, morality, religion, psychology, medicine). The article presents the data of our own research on the criminal-legal meaning of a person's consent to the death of another person. At the same time, it is stated that the public opinion of citizens is inclined to the non-criminality of taking the life of another person with his consent. In turn, experts-supporters of the legalization of euthanasia - along with arguments of a moral and moral nature point directly to the legal aspects. At the same time, the article states that the absolute prohibition of euthanasia (including any kind of deprivation of life with the consent of a person) is justified. Accordingly, it is concluded that the implementation of euthanasia should not exclude the criminality of the act, which, of course, is regarded as murder. At the same time, it is noted that for cases of deprivation of life in the implementation of euthanasia, legal rules should be provided for mitigating the reaction to the actions of the harm-causing agent.
A Presidência e as estratégias dos pequenos Estados: O caso português nas relações UE-África
Authors: Raimundo António
Published: April 2021

The present article is based on an understanding of the rotating Presidency of the European Union (eu) as a channel of influence of special importance for smaller Member States. Its empirical focus is on Portugal’s role in eu-Africa relations, contextualising the Presidency in the broader range of strategies adopted by Portuguese authorities to exert influence in this domain of European external action. Thus, the use of the Presidency is examined in parallel with other strategies such as multilateralism, prioritization, specialization and coalition-building. Apart from contributing to a better knowledge and understanding of Portugal’s involvement in eu-Africa relations, this study helps appraising the possible relevance of future Portuguese presidencies in this realm, taking into account the important implications that the Lisbon Treaty had for the Presidency in foreign policy matters.
PENERAPAN MODEL PEMBELAJARAN KOOPERATIF TIPE STAD MELALUI METODE EKSPERIMEN UNTUK MENINGKATKAN AKTIVITAS DAN HASIL BELAJAR SISWA KELAS XI IPA 1 SMAN 5 METRO
Authors: Prastiti Wari
Published: April 2021

Penelitian tindakan ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui peningkatan aktivitas belajar  dan hasil belajar fisika yang masih relatif kurang di kelas XI IPA1 .Penelitian ini dilakukan di SMAN 5 Metro dengan subjek penelitian sebanyak 28 siswa. Teknik pengumpulan data menggunakan pedoman observasi dan  dianalisis dengan deskriptif kuantitatif yang selanjutnya dipersentasikan dan dikategorikan dengan kriteria, sangat aktif, aktif, cukup aktif dan kurang.Hasil penelitian adalah: (1) Terjadi peningkatan rata-rata aktivitas siswa dari siklus I sampai siklus III dengan nilai rata – rata aktivitas siswa pada siklus I adalah 70,3 % tergolong cukup aktif, nilai rata-rata aktivitas pada siklus II adalah 74,4 % tergolong cukup aktif, dan nilai rata – rata aktivitas siswa pada siklus III adalah 84,0 % tergolong aktif, (2)  Terjadi penurunan rata – rata hasil belajar siswa dari siklus I ke siklus II. Dengan nilai rata – rata hasil belajar siswa sebesar 78 pada siklus II menjadi 52 pada siklus III, (3) Terjadi peningkatan rata – rata  hasil belajar siswa dari nilai 52 siklus II menjadi 88 siklus III. Dengan demikian Model Pembelajaran Kooperatif Tipe Student Teams Achievment Division (STAD) Melalui Metode Eksperimen berhasil untuk meningkatkan aktivitas belajar siswa.
PENGEMBANGAN PHYSICS COMPREHENSIVE CONTEXTUAL TEACHING MATERIALS BERBASIS KKNI UNTUK MENINGKATKAN HOTS DAN MENUMBUHKAN KECERDASAN EMOSIONAL
Authors: Astuti Ratna Dwi , Suparno Suparno
Published: April 2021

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memenuhi kriteria kelayakan perangkat pembelajaran dan mengukur mengukur keefektifan perangkat pembelajaran PhyCCPTM yang dikembangkan selanjutnya mengetahui peningkatan HOTS dan kecerdasan emosional siswa. Jenis penelitian adalah research & development (R&D) yang mengadaptasi pada model pengembangan Borg & Gall. Pengumpulan data menggunakan metode wawancara, angket dan tes. Subjek dalam penelitian ini adalah siswa kelas X IPA SMA N 1, SMA N 2, dan SMA N 5 kabupaten Sorong. Keefektifan perangkat pembelajaran dalam meningkatkan kemampuan berpikir kritis dan menumbuhkan kecerdasan emosional dianalisis dengan skor gain dan multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). Hasil pada penelitian ini adalah produk perangkat pembelajaran PhyCCPTM pada materi fluida statis yang terdiri dari RPP, buku guru, buku siswa, LKPD, dan instrumen penilaian. Hasil validasi menunjukan bahwa perangkat pembelajaran PhyCCPTM layak digunakan dan hasil tes menunjukan bahwa pembelajaran dengan menggunakan bahan ajar fisika PhyCCTM efektif dan dapat meningkatkan kemampuan berpikir kritis dan menumbuhkan kecerdasan emosional siswa.
HUBUNGAN READINESS (KESIAPAN) BELAJAR SISWA DENGAN HASIL BELAJAR FISIKA SISWA KELAS X SMK MUHAMMADIYAH 03 SUKARAJA
Authors: Effendi Effendi
Published: April 2021

Keberhasilan siswa dalam pembelajaran ditentukan oleh banyak faktor, salah satunya kesiapan dalam belajar. Kesiapan belajar terdiri atas perhatian, motivasi, dan perkembangan kesiapan. Untuk dapat menjamin hasil belajar yang baik, maka peserta didik  harus mempunyai perhatian terhadap bahan yang dipelajarinya. Tujuan dari penelitian ini untuk mengetahui Hubungan  kesiapan Belajar Siswa dengan Hasil Belajar Fisika Siswa Kelas X SMK Muhammadiyah 03 Sukaraja. Populasi dalam penelitian ini adalah seluruh siswa kelas X SMK Muhammadiyah 03 Sukaraja. Teknik pengumpulan data untuk mencari kesiapan belajar menggunakan angket, sedangkan pengumpulan data hasil belajar fisika siswa menggunakan tes.  Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa terdapat hubungan yang signifikan antara kesiapan peserta didik terhadap hasil belajar mata pelajaran pada mata pelajaran fisika. sesuai hasil pengujian hipotesis diperoleh nilai thitung  6,62, serta memperoleh nilai ttabel 0,81. Dengan besar sumbangan (kontribusi) dari tingkat kesiapan peserta didik dengan hasil belajar Fisika peserta didik adalah sebesar 65,61% dan sisanya 34,39% disebabkan oleh faktor lain.HUBUNGAN  READINESS (KESIAPAN) BELAJAR SISWA DENGAN HASIL BELAJAR FISIKA SISWA KELAS X SMK MUHAMMADIYAH 03 SUKARAJA
Uma mirada sobre a produção de inventários de arquitetura moderna no Brasil | A view on the production of modern architecture inventories in Brazil
Authors: Guedes Kaline Abrantes , Tinem Nelci
Published: April 2021

O objetivo deste artigo é apresentar resultados preliminares alcançados em uma pesquisa sobre inventários de arquitetura moderna no Brasil a partir da análise de suas fichas de registro. Esses resultados fazem parte de uma tese de doutoramento e têm como objetivo, por sua vez, refletir sobre os fundamentos teóricos e os instrumentos que orientam a prática e a produção dos inventários. Estão sendo identificados, localizados, coletados e analisados variados inventários de arquitetura moderna produzidos no País e interessa discutir: qual seria o lugar a partir do qual se instauram os métodos para elaboração dos inventários? Quais documentos e questões têm sido privilegiados e negligenciados? Quais as especificidades de um inventário da produção moderna – arquitetura experimental que propunha romper paradigmas e utilizava avanços tecnológicos no limite? Qual a extensão da importância dos modelos difundidos pelo Docomomo e como estão sendo contempladas as discussões e estudos teóricos recentes sobre temas correlatos? Qual o papel do inventário moderno e como esse instrumento de preservação e documentação pode contemplar as peculiaridades dessa produção para atuar na sua preservação? Faz-se necessário pensar e repensar o papel dos inventários na escrita da história e seus objetivos e métodos, de forma a avançar na produção do conhecimento, avaliando-o constantemente, enfrentando novos problemas, incluindo novos questionamentos e alimentando as desconfianças.
Textos religiosos na cultura secular: características das Bíblias laicas a partir da análise do Salmo 2
Authors: Lima Anderson De Oliveira
Published: April 2021

Nas próximas páginas será discutida a apropriação secular dos objetos religiosos nas culturas contemporâneas, dando destaque especial ao processo de secularização pela qual têm passado os textos bíblicos em algumas de suas novas edições. Serão apresentadas as análises de dois exemplos concretos: primeiro, a Bíblia Hebraica de Robert Alter, obra que só foi completamente publicada nos Estados Unidos em 2019; segundo, a Bíblia Grega de Frederico Lourenço, cujos volumes estão sendo publicados em Portugal e no Brasil desde 2016. Após a apresentação dos autores e de suas respectivas obras, dedicar-se-á à análise comparativa dos paratextos relativos ao Salmo 2 em ambas as edições, tomando-os como breves amostras que exemplificam como se tem feito a apropriação não-religiosa de uma literatura de conteúdo prioritariamente religioso nessas Bíblias laicas. Este trabalho é parte de um projeto de pesquisa que tem sido desenvolvido para o Programa de Pós-Graduação em Estudos Comparados de Literaturas de Língua Portuguesa da Universidade de São Paulo.
Simulación rigurosa del proceso de digestión anaerobia
Authors:   , Pallares García Arturo
Published: April 2021

La digestión anaerobia (DA) es uno de los procesos biológicos de mayor uso para el tratamiento de aguas residuales con alta carga orgánica, las cuales son muy comunes en desechos agro-industriales. Un atractivo de la DA es la generación como subproducto de biogás (mezcla de metano y dióxido de carbono). A pesar de estas ventajas, se sigue desconfiando en este proceso, pues es potencialmente inestable y los tiempos de tratamiento pueden ser muy largos. Por esto, las plantas suelen estar sobredimensionadas, los costos de instalación son demasiado altos y su operación sea poco eficiente. Los procesos biológicos implican interacciones entre una gran cantidad de diversos tipos de microrganismos y sustratos contenidos en la materia orgánica, que dificulta contar con un entendimiento profundo de cómo funcionan y operan los procesos de DA y el efecto de diversas variables de operación de las unidades de tratamiento biológico de la DA. En este trabajo de tesis se presentan dos estudios de simulación rigurosa de procesos de DA. La simulación rigurosa permite modelar y simular con un alto grado de precisión los fenómenos más relevantes de un proceso y tienen la finalidad de mejorar el entendimiento de la DA, así como reproducir y predecir el comportamiento de esta clase de proceso. La simulación de procesos se lleva a cabo utilizando el simulador de procesos comercial Aspen Plus y el modelado y la simulación de los patrones de flujo por medio de Dinámica de Fluidos Computacional (CFD). Para el caso de la simulación rigurosa con Aspen Plus, se describe la implementación de la DA reportada recientemente en la literatura y se identifican el potencial de su aplicación en otros casos de estudio. La simulación por CFD se lleva a cabo a través del programa ANSYS Fluent. Se considera un caso de estudio de un digestor anaerobio sin agitación de flujo ascendente empleado para el tratamiento de aguas residuales de alta resistencia de la industria tequilera.
IMPACTOS DO JUST IN TIME POR RAMO DE ATIVIDADE NA CADEIA DE SUPRIMENTOS DA CIDADE DE SUZANO – SP
Authors: Teruo Luiz Teruo , Santos Fernando De Almeida , Gomes Alcir Das Neves , Candiago Alex , Oliveira Rossimar Laura
Published: April 2021

O objetivo desta pesquisa é verificar os impactos da utilização do just in time por ramo de atividade na cidade de Suzano-SP. O just in time é compreendido como uma poderosa ferramenta para reduzir custos e melhorar a produção, porém é necessário verificar seus impactos em outros elementos da cadeia de suprimentos. Depois da revisão bibliográfica, foi elaborado um questionário e enviado às empresas da cidade. Os resultados mostram similaridade nas respostas entre os ramos de atividade, sendo que a maioria listou problemas como dificuldade na alteração de pedidos e atrasos no recebimento causados por fornecedores; e alterações frequentes de pedidos e dificuldades na entrega de produtos causados pelos clientes. Em relação a causar maior poluição pelo fracionamento da carga e necessidade de mão de obra mais qualificada e melhor planejamento, não houve consenso.
UTILIZAÇÃO DA PESQUISA OPERACIONAL PARA OTIMIZAR AS ROTAS DE UM MOTORISTA AUTÔNOMO EM SÃO PAULO
Authors: Santos Bruno Luis Xavier , Hirakawa Guilherme Yudi , Da Silva Adriano Maniçoba , Tanaka Wilson Yoshio
Published: April 2021

A expansão dos grandes centros urbanos agregados com o aumento de veículos nas grandes cidades e a falta de estrutura viária são os principais fatores de congestionamento, pois as cidades não estão preparadas para essa expansão. A região metropolitana de São Paulo é um exemplo disso, os motoristas buscam rotas para fugir de congestionamentos e atrasos, além de buscar reduzir o tempo gasto no seu deslocamento e o custo com combustível. Dentro desse cenário, é evidente que as rotas estratégicas são rastreadas para otimização das rotas de um motorista em São Paulo. Com os conceitos de Programação Linear e com o auxílio do Excel Solver, é possível montar o melhor modelo matemático e que atenda às suas funções e restrições de forma que consiga rastrear o melhor caminho, que economize mais tempo e gasolina. Os dados serão coletados a partir do motorista (Rota), no Google MAPS (rotas alternativas, tempo e trânsito) e no QUALP (cálculo da gasolina gasta por km), analisando dados quantitativos e qualitativos (fatores variáveis) a melhor forma de montar uma função objetivo e definir restrições.
SIMULAÇÃO EM OPERAÇÃO DE CROSS-DOCKING: UM ESTUDO DE CASO EM UMA EMPRESA DE SÃO PAULO/SP
Authors: Anceli Denise Benino Dourado , Maiellaro João Roberto , De Oliveira Luciana Alves , Silva Melisante Andrade Serapião
Published: April 2021

Com a constante concorrência, cada vez mais as empresas buscam otimizar o desempenho dos processos de modo a se tornarem ágeis e eficientes. Desta forma procuram investir em tecnologias e softwares que auxiliam em análises de processos, sendo estes indispensáveis para qualquer ramo empresarial. O objetivo fundamental desta pesquisa é mostrar, por meio de um estudo de caso, como a simulação computacional, com o auxílio do software Arena, pode contribuir para melhorias no processo de cross-docking de uma empresa do ramo de transporte, otimizando seus processos e utilização de recursos. A metodologia aplicada para alcançar o objetivo do estudo foi feita por meio de revisão bibliográfica dos estudos sobre Simulação, Teoria das Filas e Cross-Docking, posteriormente realizou-se a modelagem por meio da coleta do tempo gasto em cada processo. Por meio dos resultados obtidos foi possível identificar um percentual relevante de ociosidade nos processos de separação e armazenagem. A solução encontrada para otimizar os processos, foi a sugestão de reduzir o número de colaboradores para 3, fato que ocasiona um gargalo nos processos, porém não afeta o fluxo de trabalho.
The history of research of the ophthalmic aspects of hypertension
Authors: Krasińska Aleksandra , Brązert Agata , Kocięcki Jarosław
Published: April 2021

The awareness of the widespread influence of hypertension on various organ systems is ever increasing. Changes associated with this disease can be observed in the heart, brain, kidneys, but also the organ of vision. These usual microvascular changes are defined as hypertensive retinopathy. During a funduscopic examination, abnormalities such as narrowing of arterioles, symptoms of arteriole and vein intersection, cotton wool spots, intra-retinal exudates, retinal haemorrhages, and in severe cases even swelling of the optic disc and macula. This review presents an overview of the changes at the fundus of the eye that may occur in patients with hypertension, as well as problems with the classification of hypertensive retinopathy over the years, and the development of diagnostic methods in ophthalmology and fundoscopic imaging.

Running title: The history of hypertensive retinopathy research
Assessment of viability of wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells encapsulated in alginate scaffold by WST-8 assay kit
Authors: Seifabadi Zeinab Shafiei , Rezaei-Tazangi Fatemeh , Azarbarz Nastaran , Nejad Darioush Bijan , Mohammadiasl Javad , Darabi Hanieh , Pezhmanlarki-Tork Seyed
Published: April 2021

Cell encapsulation utilizing biodegradable material has promising outcomes for tissue engineering. From a long time ago, alginate has been generally utilized for drug delivery, cell transplantation and as a scaffold in biomedical applications. The aim of this study was the comparison of cell viability in the presence of two polymerizing ions: Ba2+ and Ca2+ to improvement the quality of alginate scaffold. For this purpose, WJMSCs after three passage were encapsulated in alginate scaffold in the presence of Ba2+ and ca2+. Cell viability was evaluated by WST-8 assay kit after 24, 48 and 72 hours. The results showed that encapsulated cells in the presence of Ca2+ had more viability than Ba2+. It was also found that using the WST-8 assay kit is a convenient and fast method for evaluation the viability of cells. It can be claimed that Calcl2 polymerizing solution provides more favorable conditions for cell viability compared to Bacl2 solution.

Running title: Assessing the viability of stem cells by WST-8 assay kit
Upregulation of p53 by tannic acid treatment suppresses the proliferation of human colorectal carcinoma
Authors: Karakurt Serdar , Kandir Sinan , Gökçek-Saraç Çiğdem
Published: April 2021

The present study’s objective is to clarify the molecular mechanisms of tannic acid effects on the viability of human colorectal carcinoma (CRC). Tannic acid is stable for up to 48 h and is localized in both cytoplasm and nucleus. It dose-dependently inhibited the viability of CRC cell lines; SW-620 and HT-29 with IC
50 values of 7.2 ± 0.8 and 37.6 ± 1.4 µmol L–1. Besides, metastatic, invasive, and colony formation properties of CRC cells were significantly inhibited following the tannic acid treatment (p < 0.001). Tannic acid has been found to modulate enzyme, protein, and gene expressions of NQO1 in different levels and the upregulation of protein/gene expressions of p53 (p < 0.001), which leads the cells to trigger apoptosis. In conclusion, the present in vitro study may supply a significant background for in vivo studies in which the molecular mechanisms of antioxidant and chemopreventive activities of tannic acid will completely clarify.
Computation of SIFs for cracked FGMs under mechanical and thermal loadings
Authors: Ait Ferhat Yazid , Boulenouar Abdelkeder
Published: April 2021

The objective of this study is to present a numerical modeling of mixed-mode fracture in isotropic functionally graded materials (FGMs), under mechanical and thermal loading conditions. In this paper, a modified displacement extrapolation technique (DET) was proposed to calculate the stress intensity factor (SIFs) for isotropic FGMs. Using the Ansys Parametric Design Language APDL, the continuous variations of the material properties are incorporated by specified parameters at the centroid of each element. Three numerical examples are presented to evaluate the accuracy of SIFs calculated by the proposed method. Comparisons have been made between the SIFs predicted by the DET and the available reference solutions in the current literature. A good agreement is obtained between the results of the DET and the reference solutions.
Status of a collection from common wheat varieties (Triticum aestivum L.) of Bulgarian origin after a ten-year ex situ storage period
Authors: Chamurliyski Plamen S. , Ivanova Albena M.
Published: April 2021

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the condition of a collection of Bulgarian common wheat varieties under ex situ controlled storage after a ten-year period. The studied materials are characterized by high vitality, without negative changes that will lead to the loss of original germplasm. The established moisture in the seeds is high for the purpose of controlled storage. When it rises above 12,5%, a decrease in the values of germination energy is observed. Higher control of initial moisture and germination is required prior to entering the seeds for storage under ex situ conditions.
Physico-chemical and biological characterization of the edaphic substrate of Arbutus unedo L. Case of the Tamalous forest (Skikda, Algeria)
Authors: Bouzid Khadidja , Bouzid Aman
Published: April 2021

The understanding of the ecological behavior of Arbutus unedo L. in the context of its valuation is the objective assigned to this work. Two different observation sites were selected in Tamalous forest (Skikda) presenting different habitat contexts along a north-south transect. The methodological approach adopted is that of the comparative analysis of the physico-chemical and biological characteristics between a soil under cover of Arbutus unedo L. and bare control soil. The results obtained highlighted quite significant differences between the soils covered with strawberry tree, show that they are acidic in nature, an increase in the rate of organic matter, of the CEC which increases significantly as well as the concentration of exchangeable cations. As for the soil fauna, we observe a clear increase in biomass than in density at the level of all families of individuals, in particular the stations under the strawberry tree cover.
Identification and characterisation of single nucleotide polymorphisms in interferon regulatory factor-5 gene of Nigerian local chickens
Authors: Durosaro Samuel Olutunde , Ozoje Michael Ohiokhuaobo , Adebambo Ayotunde Olutumininu , Onagbesan Okanlawon Mohamed
Published: April 2021

The interferon regulatory factor gene family encodes transcription factors with multiple biological functions, which include reproduction, cell differentiation and immunity. Interferon regulatory factor-5 (IRF-5) gene is involved in immune defence against virus, stress response, activation of type I interferon genes, cell differentiation and growth. This experiment was conducted to identify and characterise single nucleotide polymorphisms in exons 3, 4, 5 and 7 of IRF-5 gene in Nigerian local chickens. Exons 3, 4, 5 and 7 of IRF-5 gene were amplified and sequenced. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) present in exons 3, 4, 5 and 7 of IRF-5 gene were identified and analysed using Clustal W, DnaSp and SNAP2 software packages. Four SNPs, rs317511101, rs312902332, rs315149141 and rs739389464, were identified in exon 3 of IRF-5 gene in all the three genotypes. Exon 4 of the gene was conserved while three of the SNPs (rs736423928, 170C>T and rs740736761) identified in exon 7 were shared among the three genotypes. Linkage disequilibrium of 1.00 existed between rs317511101 and rs315149141 polymorphisms identified in exon 3 of normal feathered and frizzle feathered chickens. Mutation rs740736761 identified in exon 7 had the highest polymorphism information content obtainable for any biallelic marker. Most of the SNPs identified in exons 3, 5 and 7 were synonymous and singletons which could not be used for association study. The study concluded that only haplotypes in exons 3 and 7 of IRF-5 gene can be used in marker-assisted selection when improving Nigerian local chickens.
Lepidagathis alopecuroides methanol extract as corrosion inhibitor for mild steel in HCl
Authors: Ndukwe Gloria I. , Chahul Habibat F. , Oodo Godwin
Published: April 2021

We report on the preliminary phytochemical screening of the methanolic extract of the aerial parts of Lepidagathis alopecuroides and its evaluation as a potential corrosion inhibitor for mild steel in aerated 1.0 M HCl by weight loss and linear polarization measurements. Weight loss measurements were conducted at 303, 313, 323 and 333 K. The results showed that L. alopecuroides inhibited the corrosion of mild steel in the acid solution with inhibition efficiency increasing with increase in the concentrations of the plant extract but decreased with increase in temperature. Linear polarization plots showed the plant extract to inhibit both the dissolution of the steel at the anode and the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at the cathode making it a mixed inhibitor. Temkin adsorption isotherms best modeled the adsorption of L. alopecuroides extract on the steel surface. From the values of the evaluated kinetic activation parameters in the study, the mechanism of physisorption is proposed for the adsorption of the plant extract on the steel surface.
Heavy metal levels in spent engine oils and fingernails of auto-mechanics
Authors: Ikese Chris Oche , Adie Peter Agorye , Adah Christie , Amokaha Raphael , Abu Grace , Yager Timothy
Published: April 2021

The levels of some heavy metals in spent engine oils and in the fingernails of auto-mechanics were studied. Engine oils and fingernails were collected from auto-mechanics who had practiced between ≤ 5 years, ≤ 10 years and ≤ 15 years in 3 auto-mechanic workshop clusters. Pb, Ni, V, Cd, and As levels were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The mean levels of Pb, Ni, V and Cd in spent engine oils were 14.31, 2.25, 0.38 and 2.07 ppm respectively, and these far exceeded their permissible exposure limits. The mean levels of heavy metals in the fingernails of auto-mechanics who had practiced for ≤ 5 years, ≤ 10 years and ≤ 15 years were all considerably below their pathological thresholds. Thus, auto-mechanics in the study area are exposed to unsafe levels of Pb, Ni, V, and Cd, but no immediate threat of their toxicities in the study population exist. However, a progressive bioaccumulation of the heavy metals was observed with increase in years of practice.
Antibacterial activity of plant extracts against Listeria monocytogenes isolated from ready-to-eat salads
Authors: György É. , Laslo É. , Csató E.
Published: April 2021

Ready-to-eat salads are becoming more and more popular. However, due to their ingredients, they represent a suitable growth environment for different microbes. In the prevention of foodborne diseases, hygienic food preparation and appropriate storage conditions are very important. During this study, ten different ready-to-eat salads were analysed for the presence of Listeria monocytogenes. Five different selective agar mediums were used for the enumeration and isolation of Listeria monocytogenes. The isolated bacterial strains were subjected to morphological and biochemical confirmation tests. The antibacterial effects of five different freshly squeezed vegetable juices (carrots, celery, beets, horseradish, and onions) and of five essential oils (dill, thyme, oregano, lemongrass, and sage) were determined against Listeria monocytogenes, Listeria innocua, and L. monocytogenes strains isolated from ready-to-eat salads. Based on the results obtained from fresh vegetable juices, carrot juice exerted the highest antibacterial effect, while the others showed no or slight inhibitory effect (horseradish, beets, onions) against Listeria species. Among the essential oils, thyme, lemongrass, and oregano showed the strongest antibacterial effect against the studied Listeria species.
Effect of environmental conditions on morphological variability of leaves and fruits of five populations of Pistacia atlantica Desf. in North Algeria
Authors: Nadjat Taib , Tayeb Sitayeb
Published: April 2021

Pistacia atlantica has a lot of medical, pharmaceutical and economic benefits, and its variability shows its evolutionary potential. The objective of this study was to investigate morphological and micro-morphological variability of these trees within different ecological regions. This study offers a general description of sites, an analysis of morphological variability of twenty quantitative and qualitative parameters based on the impact of natural and artificial conditions, and leaf anatomical analysis. The results showed that the population exhibited heterogeneity in all parameters of the leaf related to changes in soil, density, climate and slope. Variability in nut size was also demonstrated which was due to the effects of climate, type of soil and topographic factors. The results of electron microscope scanning of leaf anatomy showed the existence of large micro-morphological variability between study sites.
New Ranking Functions for Interval-Valued Intuitionistic Fuzzy Sets and Their Application to Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Problem
Authors: Kokoç Melda , Ersöz Süleyman
Published: April 2021

Many authors agree that the Interval-Valued Intuitionistic Fuzzy Set (IVIFS) theory generates as realistic as possible evaluation of real-life problems. One of the real-life problems where IVIFSs are often preferred is the Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) problem. For this problem, the ranking of values obtained by fuzzing the opinions corresponding to alternatives is an important step, as a failure in ranking may lead to the selection of the wrong alternative. Therefore, the method used for ranking must have high performance. In this article, a new score function SKE and a new accuracy function HKE are developed to overcome the disadvantages of existing ranking functions for IVIFSs. Then, two illustrative examples of MCDM problems are presented to show the application of the proposed functions and to evaluate their effectiveness. Results show that the functions proposed have high performance and they are the eligibility for the MCDM problem.
The Probabilistic Risk Measure VaR as Constraint in Portfolio Optimization Problem
Authors: Stoilov Todor , Stoilova Krasimira , Vladimirov Miroslav
Published: April 2021

The paper realizes inclusion of probabilistic measure for risk, VaR (Value at Risk), into a portfolio optimization problem. The formal analysis of the portfolio problem illustrates the evolution of the portfolio theory in sequentially inclusion of different market characteristics into the problem. They make modifications and complications of the portfolio problem by adding various constraints to consider requirements for taxes, boundaries for assets, cardinality constraints, and allocation of the investment resources. All these characteristics and parameters of the investment participate in the portfolio problem by analytical algebraic relations. The VaR definition of the portfolio risk is formalized in a probabilistic manner. The paper applies approximation of such probabilistic constraint in algebraic form. Geometrical interpretation is given for explaining the influence of the VaR constraint to the portfolio solution. Numerical simulation with data of the Bulgarian Stock Exchange illustrates the influence of the VaR constraint into the portfolio optimization problem.
Relating Student Engagement Indicators to Academic Performance Using Multiple Correspondence Analysis
Authors: Ogunsakin Ropo E. , Moyo Sibusiso , Oludayo  , Olugbara O. , Israel Connie
Published: April 2021

Student engagement is an essential device for deepening learning, achieving learning outcomes, developing competencies, and improving academic performance in education settings. It is widely receiving increased attention among various scholars and higher education leaders. However, there are increasing concerns about the academic performance of students in higher education settings. The application of statistical data analytics for mining student engagement datasets is a candidate strategy for discovering essential indicators associated with academic performance. However, widely used data analytic methods like principal component analysis are ineffective when most of the indicators captured are categorical, making them inappropriate for establishing the weighty academic performance indicators. This study’s objective was to investigate the application of multiple correspondence analysis to establish weighty student engagement indicators of academic performance. This study’s findings have indicated that higher-order learning and student-staff interaction are weighty indicators that relate student engagement to academic performance.
Design of a Multifunctional Operating Station Based on Augmented Reality (MOSAR)
Authors: Ivanova Veronika , Vasilev Plamen , Stoianov Ivilin , Andreev Rumen , Boneva Ani
Published: April 2021

Design principles of a novel Multifunctional Operation Station (MOS) using Augmented Reality (AR) technology (MOSAR) are proposed in this paper. AR-based design allows more ergonomic remote instrument control in real time in contrast to classical instrument-centered interfaces. Another advantage is its hierarchical software structure including multiple programming interpreters. The MOSAR approach is illustrated with a remote surgical operating station that controls intelligent surgical instruments. The implementation of the Operation Station (MOS) is based on the multiplatform open-source library Tcl/Tk, and an AR extension has been developed on a Unity platform, using Vuforia SDK.
Contracting VoIP Packet Payload Down to Zero
Authors: Abualhaj Mosleh M. , Al-Tahrawi Mayy M. , Al-Zyoud Mahran
Published: April 2021

The inefficient use of the IP network bandwidth is a fundamental issue that restricts the exponential spreading of Voice over IP (VoIP). The primary reason for this is the big header size of the VoIP packet. In this paper, we propose a method, called Short Voice Frame (SVF), that addresses the big header size of the VoIP packet. The main idea of the SVF method is to make effective use of the VoIP packet header fields that are unneeded to the VoIP technology. In particular, these fields will be used for temporarily buffering the voice frame (VoIP packet payload) data. This will make the VoIP packet payload short or even zero in some cases. The performance evaluation of the proposed SVF method showed that the use of the IP network bandwidth has improved by up to 28.3% when using the G.723.1 codec.
Systems Engineering Information Model of Vehicle-Pedestrian Collisions
Authors: Uzunov Hristo , Matzinski Plamen , Dechkova Silvia , Dimov Nikolay
Published: April 2021

Engineering analysis of motor vehicle collisions as a complex type of research combines the application of scientific approaches from different fields: mechanics, mathematics, structural design, etc. This implies accurate and unambiguous determination of input data and their application in computational procedures for finding solutions in iterative mode. Hence, the reason to apply the specific research method of information modelling in the present study to one of the main types of road accidents, namely the pedestrian-car collision.
Replies to Cepollaro and Torrengo, Táíwò, and Amoretti
Authors: Stanley Jason
Published: April 2021

In this short piece belonging to a book symposium on my book How Propaganda Works (Oxford University Press, 2015), I reply to the objections, comments and suggestions provided by the contributors: Bianca Cepollaro and Giuliano Torrengo, Olúfémi O. Táíwò, and Maria Cristina Amoretti. I show how some of the objections can be accommodated by the framework adopted in the book, but also how various comments and suggestions have contributed to the development, in future work, of several threads pertaining to the general view put forward in How Propaganda Works.
Influence of Inspiratory Muscle Training of Various Intensities on The Physical Performance of Long‐Distance Runners
Authors: Rożek-Piechura Krystyna , Kurzaj Monika , Okrzymowska Paulina , Kucharski Wojciech , Stodółka Jacek , Maćkała Krzysztof
Published: April 2021

The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) at different intensities on the pulmonary function and physiological adaptations of long-distance runners undergoing sports training. This study involved 25 long-distance runners. The subjects were randomly divided into three groups depending on the type of IMT applied: POWERbreathe device (group 1), Threshold IMT device (group 2), and a control group. The following lung variables were evaluated: vital capacity (VC), forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and peak expiratory flow (PEF). Respiratory muscle strength was assessed by maximum inspiratory pressure (PImax) and maximum expiratory pressure (PEmax). Spiroergometric measures included: heart rate (HR), oxygen uptake (VO2max), carbon dioxide production (VCO2max), maximum ventilation (VE) and respiratory exchange rate (RER), which were measured breath by breath using a gas analyser (VYNTUS CPX). Group 1, which used the POWERbreathe device, showed significant increases in all assessed physiological and physical performance variables. In group 2, which used the Threshold device, only VO2max, VE and tRER ventilation were significantly increased to a similar level as that observed in group 1. In the control group, we only observed a significant reduction in saturation. The use of IMT with a higher intensity resulted in significant improvements in all tested variables of lung ventilation and respiratory muscle strength. Also, after training, lactate accumulation was significantly decreased. Physiological characteristics (VO2max/kg) and muscle respiratory strength variables were significantly improved in the group that used the POWERbreathe device after 8 weeks of training.