bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhancing Phosphorus Bioavailability in Maize through Phosphorus Solubilizing Fungi
Authors: Khan Madeeha
Published: May 2022

This study was to explore the beneficial interactive effects of fungal inoculum alone or in conjunction with phosphatic fertilizer on maize (Zea mays L.). We conducted a greenhouse pot experiment in soil which included four treatments such as control, Penecillium oxalicum, Aspergiilus niger, P. oxalicum + A. niger at three different levels of phosphatic fertilizers (0, 100, and 200 mg kg-1). The plant height, fresh weight of root/shoot biomass and dry weight of root/shoot biomass and soil chemical properties were recorded. We evaluated the growth parameters of maize and phosphorus (P) uptake in maize were highest in treatment I3 × F2 (Penecillium+Aspergillus + 200 mg P kg-1) followed by I2 × F2 (Aspergillus + 200 mg P kg-1) over rest of the treatments. The beneficial effect was decreased where alone fertilizer dose was added as compared to those where it was added with the co-inoculation of phosphorus solubilizing fungi (PSF). It was observed that soil pH, total organic carbon and available P significantly changed because of various treatments. Based on these evidences, it could be inferred that increasing the maize growth by fungal culture improves soil P fertility, which is favorable to succeeding crops. Further research is needed to understand the chemistry of co-inoculation of fungal inoculum with phosphatic fertilizer. © 2022 Friends Science Publishers
Integrated Analysis of Metabolic Profiling of Root Exudates Revealed Potential Allelochemicals from Pseudostellaria heterophylla
Authors: Fu Jing
Published: May 2022

Numerous studies have shown that the rhizosphere allelochemicals closely related to the formation of replant problems in Pseudostellaria heterophylla. In this study, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass technology was employed to screen the specific compounds in rhizosphere soil induced the formation of replant disease. Simultaneously, the compounds in cultured seedling of P. heterophylla and corresponding medium were identified using the identical methods to obtain compounds that had not been transformed or degraded by soil microbes. As a result, 176 specific molecules were identified in the rhizosphere soil, 1,011 in the rhizosphere tissue culture medium and 1,447 in plant tissue cultures were obtained by matching to the Traditional Chinese Medicine database. Further analysis found that 21 potential allelochemicals might be directly secreted from P. heterophylla plants, which had not been transformed or degraded in theory. Of which, 13 compounds possessed the allelopathic characteristics based on structural analysis that have been identified in other plants. Simultaneously, eight compounds were only present in the rhizosphere tissue culture medium and plant tissue cultures also were found to possess the allelopathic properties. This study provides an important reference for further screening and identification of specific allelochemicals that related closely to the formation of replant problems in P. heterophylla. © 2022 Friends Science Publishers
Selection for Upland Rice Varieties Under Different Levels of Light Intensity
Authors: Nokkoul Raumjit , Unsup Karnchanaporn , Krutsuwan Apichart , Wichitparp Thirayut
Published: May 2022

Upland rice varieties were selected under varying levels of light intensity. This study identified shade-tolerant upland rice varieties with a high yield. From November 2016 to March 2017, the experiment was conducted at King Mongkut's Institute of Technology in Ladkrabang, Prince of Chumphon, Thailand. For this, ten varieties of upland rice i.e. Dawk Pa-yawm, Nangdam, Dokkam, Nangchuan, Lebnokrai, Samduen, Maepeung, Damgatondom, Lebmuenang, Pukaotong were grown at different levels of 0%, 50%, 60%, and 70% shading levels. The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with four replications. The results of qualitative characteristics indicated that shadowing conditions didn’t have any significant effect on plant height, 50% flowering age, harvesting age, and panicle length. On the other hand, shaded conditions have a substantial effect on the number of plants per tiller, the number of panicles per tiller, the number of perfect grains per panicle, and the amount of empty grain per panicle since there was a quantitative character. Among the tested varieties, Lebmuenang, Pukaotong, Damgatondom, and Nangchuan varieties are suited for growing under 50% shade conditions while Samduen was only suited for cultivation in 70 % shaded conditions, whereas Pukaotong was good for growing in 50% and 60% shade situations. The results of this experiment did not encourage farmers to use the other varieties as cultivars under shaded conditions due to low yields. However, the outcomes of this study can be used as a reference for breeding programs in low-light conditions.
An explorative study on the adoption and dis-adoption of improved rice varieties among farmers in the Northern region of Ghana
Authors: Azumah S. B. , Lamptey C. Y. , Sulemana N. , Donkoh S. , Zakaria A. , Maanikuu P. M. I.
Published: May 2022

Rice consumption in Ghana has increased steadily over the years. To enhance rice productivity to meet demand, several high-performing rice varieties have been disseminated via numerous interventions to smallholders in Northern Ghana. Nevertheless, productivity is still low at farm gate compared to research stations, due to smallholder poor adoption of the varieties. Using primary data collected from 404 farmers, the study examines the adoption levels of the main rice varieties among farmers and investigates the reasons for their adoption and dis-adoption. The empirical results revealed that rice varieties namely, Agra, Sakai, Jasmine 85, and Afife were the most adopted in the study area. Also, the study finds that GR-18, Nerica, Digang, Tox, Mandee, and Faro-15 were the most dis-adopted rice varieties. The main reasons for which farmers adopted the improved rice varieties were availability of a ready market for the produce, crop resistance to pests and diseases, consumer higher demand for rice, advice by extension staff to cultivate, and encouragement from researchers to adopt. The reasons for the dis-adoption of improved rice varieties in the study area were high input requirements, lack of ready market for the varieties, and unfavorable climatic conditions. The findings of the study give direction as to the angle from which the adoption of improved rice varieties can be stepped up while dis-adoption is reduced. Research scientists should research into rice varieties that are more suitable for the soil and climatic conditions of the study area and continue to sensitize and motivate the farmers to adopt them, while government should step up its support for the research scientists as well as the extension officers to deliver on their mandate.
Characterization of Mature Paddles of Opuntia ficus-indica L. Using Morphological and Colorimetric Descriptors
Authors: Arredondo-Valdez Juan , Luna-Maldonado Alejandro Isabel , Valdez-Cepeda Ricardo David , Rodríguez-Fuentes Humberto , Vidales-Contreras Juan Antonio , Grajeda-González Uziel Francisco , Flores-Breceda Héctor
Published: May 2022

Mexico is the world's leading producer of Opuntia ficus-indica. This kind of prickly pear is the most widespread and most commercially important cactus in Mexico. Morphological and colorimetric descriptors are among the most important agronomic traits because these parameters affect the yield, in such a way, the objective of the present research was to present a fast and reliable methodology to obtain the functional relationship in shape and color parameters of O. ficus indica cladodes, using a smartphone, a color meter, and open-access software. The acquisition and processing of images discovered interesting relationships between the Opuntia cladode's morphological characteristics, as well as colorimetric parameters of the cladodes. The non-linear data behaviors were fitted using deterministic models and CurveExpert software. Results of the study revealed that the best morphological descriptors were Circularity vs. Perimeter (r= 0.9815) and Aspect ratio vs. Roundness  (r= 0.9999).  In addition, mean values of the L*, C, and H color parameters were displayed in a window of a computer program online. It was found that the a-C relationship of the color parameters had the highest correlation coefficient (0.999). Therefore, it can be concluded that the morphological descriptors Circularity vs. Perimeter, Aspect Rate vs. Roundness, and a*-C color parameter can predict quickly and precisely the quality of O. ficus-indica.
Identification of Genetic Diversity among Mutant Taro (Colocasia esculenta L. cv WANGI) Using Agro-Morphological Trait and Simple Sequence Repeats (SSR) Molecular Markers
Authors: HASAN NORAISHAH , Noruddin Norfarah nadhirah , Harun Abdul Rahim , AHMAD Faiz , Muhammad Noh  , Salleh Shakinah , Hj. Bahari Umikalsom
Published: May 2022

Taro (Colocasia esculenta) is one of the traditional crops with enormous sources of dietary fiber, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals contents. Mutation breeding using gamma radiation is one of the most preferred approaches used to induce mutation in taro studies. Molecular markers are widely used to detect such induced mutation and genetic diversity in plants. Therefore, the present study was carried out to evaluate genetic diversity among irradiated taro genotypes in comparison with standard taro variety by using simple sequence repeats (SSR). A total of 200 of M1V4 taro genotypes were used in this study derived from segregating population of chronic-gamma irradiated taro cv Wangi with different ranges of gamma dose. The agro-morphological results revealed that genotype exposure in T6 (120.12 Gy) has the highest plant height (54.53 cm), leaf length (32.24 cm), and leaf width (24.87 cm). Corm's weight was decreased significantly with an increased dose of treatment. All mutants recorded a lower number of corm weight as compared with the control genotype. Out of 10 SSR primers tested, 9 primers have successfully amplified 43 amplicons. The polymorphism information content (PIC) values of SSR markers ranged from 0.20 to 0.80. Cluster analysis classified taro into 3 subgroups mutant and parent genotypes. The results clearly showed that SSR markers are important tools to distinguish mutant genotypes and confirmed their usefulness for phylogenetic studies. Finally, the present investigation indicated that genotypes exposed by T6 (120.12 Gy) are promising high-yielding genotypes that can be recommended as new cultivars and possessed an attractive phenotype appropriate for ornamental use.
Dynamics of land-use Change using Geospatial Techniques From 1986 to 2019: A Case Study of High Oum Er-Rbia Watershed (Middle Atlas Region)
Authors: Oularbi Younes , Dahmani Jamila , MOUNIR Fouad
Published: May 2022

This work aims to expose the contribution of the use of the cloud google earth Engine (GEE) platform, in particular the capacity of optical monitoring by remote sensing to assess the impact of environmental changes on the evolution of natural resources in the Middle Atlas region. To achieve this goal, the dense time stacking of multi-temporal Landsat images and random forest algorithm based on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform was used. The spatial resolution of the images used is 30 meters for the TM 5 sensor (Thematic Mapper) and the OLI 8 sensor (Operational Land Imager). Further, the google earth engine platform is used primarily to download and prepare the images for the dates 1986, 2000, and 2019, then a supervised classification with the Random Forest (RF) algorithm to produce land use maps of selected dates with an overall accuracy exceeding 80%. This was followed by the production of maps and change matrices for the periods 1986-2000 and 2000-2019. The results obtained have shown a decline in grassland, forest land, and water body in parallel with an increase in the following classes: buildings, farmland, and arboriculture during the last 30 years. In addition, elevation was the most important characteristic variable for land-use classification in the study area. Obtained results provide theoretical support for adjusting and optimizing land use in the High Oum Er-Rbia watershed.
Estimation of nitrogen use efficiency by mango seedlings under nano and convention calcium fertilization using the enriched stable isotope (N-15)
Authors: Ibrahim Ahmed , El-Motaium Rawia , Shaban Ayman , Badawy ElSayed
Published: May 2022

This study aimed to investigate the effect of nano-Ca fertilizer on nitrogen uptake, nitrogen use efficiency and determine the best calcium form and dose for mango.  A pot experiment was conducted using two year old mango seedlings (cv. Zebda). The pots were filled with sandy soil (8 kg per pot) and one seedling was transplanted into each pot. Four treatments including nano-Ca, convention Ca, soil application and foliar application have been formulated. Calcium was applied as CaO for both the convention and nanoforms. The enriched (15NH4)2SO4 was applied at a rate of (5g per pot). Plants were harvested at the end of the fall, spring, and summer growth cycles and dried at 70 oC. The dried plant is used for making fine powder and to determine total nitrogen, calcium, and %15N atom excess. Results of the study revealed that in all growth cycles, the 15N translocation was higher under foliar nano-Ca treatment than under convention Ca at a 100% rate. The highest uptake, translocation, and nitrogen use efficiency were observed at 50% (250 mg. L-1) foliar nano-Ca treatment in all cycles. In the Fall growth cycle, the values for nitrogen fertilizer use efficiency at 50% nano-Ca rate was 81.8%, while it recorded 64.9% for 25% rate and 51.2% for 100% rate.  Calcium concentration, in shoot and roots, was also higher under nano-calcium (for fall cycle = 3.0 for the shoot and 2.8 for root) than the convention calcium (for fall cycle = 2.7% for the shoot and 2.2 for root) for all cycles. The summer growth cycle recorded the highest total biomass under all treatments compared with the fall or spring growth cycles. Allocation of biomass to the shoot was also reported higher under nano-Ca foliar application than that of soil application in all cycles. The best treatment is 50% (250 mg.L-1) foliar nano-Ca as it resulted in the highest N-15 uptake, translocation, and nitrogen use efficiency. Nano calcium proves to be more efficient as fertilizer than conventional calcium.
Performance of electrical energy monitoring data acquisition system for plant-based microbial fuel cell
Authors: Apollon Wilgince , Luna-Maldonado Alejandro Isabel , Vidales-Contreras Juan Antonio , Rodríguez-Fuentes Humberto , Gómez-Leyva Juan Florencio , Kamaraj Sathish-Kumar , Maldonado-Ruelas Víctor Arturo , Ortiz-Medina Raúl Arturo
Published: May 2022

Plant microbial fuel cell (Plant-MFC) is an emerging technology that uses the metabolic activity of electrochemically active bacteria (EABs) to continue the production of bioelectricity. Since its invention and to date, great efforts have been made for its application both in real-time and large-scale. However, the construction of platforms or systems for automatic voltage monitoring has been insufficiently studied. Therefore, this study aimed to develop an automatic real-time voltage data acquisition system, which was coupled with an ATMEGA2560 connected to a personal computer. Before the system operation started it was calibrated to obtain accurate data. During this experiment, the power generation performance of two types of reactors i.e. (i) Plant-MFC and (ii) control microbial fuel cell (C-MFC), was evaluated for 15 days. The Plant-MFC was planted with an herbaceous perennial plant (Stevia rebaudiana), electrode system was placed close to the plant roots at the depth of 20 cm. The results of the study have indicated that the Plant-MFC, was more effective and achieved higher bioelectricity generation than C-MFC. The maximum voltage reached with Plant-MFC was 850 mV (0.85 V), whereas C-MFC achieved a maximum voltage of 762 mV (0.772 V). Furthermore, the same reactor demonstrated a maximum power generation of 66 mW m¯2 on 10 min of polarization, while a power density with C-MFC was equal to 13.64 mW m¯2. S.rebaudiana showed a great alternative for power generation. In addition, the monitoring acquisition system was suitable for obtaining data in real-time. However, more studies are recommended to enhance this type of system.
Evaluation of Phytochemical and Antibacterial properties of leaf extract of Cinnamomum tamala oil
Authors: Bharadwaj Alok , Rashi Arushi , Garg Gunjan
Published: May 2022

Cinnamomum tamala, commonly known as tej patta is widely used as a spice in Indian cuisine for its aroma and flavoring property as the leaves contain essential oil. The essential oil is extracted with the help of the Clevenger apparatus using dry leaves. This oil is mainly used as medicine for releasing gas as well as a carminative agent and diuretic agent.  It also improves the digestive system and helps in increasing appetite. This study aimed to determine the phytochemical properties and antibacterial potential of different extracts (aqueous, methanol, and acetone) and oil of C. tamala leaves. The phytochemical evaluation shows the presence and absence of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, steroids, tannins, glycosides, terpenoids, saponins, proteins, and carbohydrates in the aqueous, methanol, and acetone extracts. The efficacy of antibacterial properties of prepared extracts was examined against E. coli and Salmonella typhi (gram-negative bacteria) and Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis (gram-positive bacteria). These bacterial cultures were obtained from IMTech Chandigarh. From the results of the antibacterial study it has become evident that among three extracts, the maximum zone of inhibition was obtained in the aqueous extract which was followed by methanolic and acetone extract. With the help of a Clevenger apparatus, Bay leaf oil was extracted to establish antibacterial properties. Henceforth, to analyze the antibacterial potential of the oil sample, the test was performed against the mentioned bacterial species (E. coli, Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus subtilis) and reported significant antibacterial activities. From the outcome of this study, it has become clear that Bay leaf oil has potent antibacterial properties against selected bacterial species.
In silico targeting of osmoporin protein of Salmonella to identify anti-Salmonellosis phyto-compounds
Authors: Tuli Hardeep , Garg Vivek Kumar , Kapoor Deepika , Bansal Poonam , Kumar Pawan , Mohapatra Ranjan K , Dhama Kuldeep , Vashishth Amit , Seth Prachi , Bhatia Gurpreet Kaur
Published: May 2022

Salmonella enterica serotype typhi is a gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium, and has flagella with the human body as its only reservoir. Typhoid fever was found to cause 21.7 million illnesses and 216,000 fatalities worldwide in 2000, and the International Vaccine Institute estimated 11.9 million cases and 129,000 deaths in low- and middle-income countries in 2010. More than 10 million patients were infected with S. typhi each year and the mortality rate is associated with more than 0.1 million patients. Moreover, it is also associated with drug resistance globally which makes the disease more dreadful. Other than antibiotics, various flavonoids showed medicinal effects against many diseases including S. typhi infection. Flavonoids are a type of plant bioactive metabolite that have potential medicinal efficacy. The goal of this study was to see if certain flavonoids (ellagic acid, eriodictyol, and naringenin) could interact with the outer membrane of osmoporin (PDB ID: 3uu2) receptor in Salmonella and helps in inhibiting its growth. To look for probable ligand-receptor binding relationships, we used Pyrxmolecular docking software. The molecular docking results were analyzed using the Biovia discovery studio visualizer. The current study discovered that selected plant-based compounds interacted with an outer membrane of the osmoporin receptor, resulting in minimization of energy in the range of-6.6 to -7.8 Kcal/mol.
Biodegradation of the Azo Dye Airedale Yellow CHD: Understanding using residuals
Authors: Mukkera Vamshi Krishna , Katuri Srivani
Published: May 2022

Textile industries are heavy users of water and also produce lots of contaminated effluents. The main contaminants are azo dyes. Hence, the effluents are to be treated before leaving in the environment. In this study, the azo dye Airedale Yellow CHD was biodegraded using two bacteria Thalassospira frigidphilosprofundus (NCIM no 5438) and Erwinia chrysanthemi Burkholder (NCIM no 5213) in shaking conical flasks. Effect of Various parameters like pH, temperature, agitation, and concentration of dye solution on its decolorization was investigated. The biodegradation was statistically worked out using MINITAB software for the ANOVA. The residual plots along with the scatter plots for the decolorization of Airedale Yellow CHD using T. frigidphilosprofundus and E. chrysanthemi Burkholder are also obtained and included in this work. The maximum percent removal of the azo dye was obtained by using T. frigidphilosprofundus (77.41%) whereas it was reported at 74.64% by using E. chrysanthemi Burkholder. The obtained results formed a good fit according to the obtained normal residual plot which can conclude that the findings of the study are accurate and satisfactory.
Machine learning for the classification of breast cancer tumor: a comparative analysis
Authors: Mohapatra Ranjan K. , Pal Madhumita , Parija Smita , Panda Ganapati , Dhama Kuldeep
Published: May 2022

The detection and diagnosis of Breast cancer at an early stage is a challenging task. With the increase in emerging technologies such as data mining tools, along with machine learning algorithms, new prospects in the medical field for automatic diagnosis have been developed, with which the prediction of a disease at an early stage is possible. Early detection of the disease may increase the survival rate of patients. The main purpose of the study was to predict breast cancer disease as benign or malignant by using supervised machine learning algorithms such as the K-nearest neighbor (K-NN), multilayer perceptron (MLP), and random forest (RF) and to compare their performance in terms of the accuracy, precision, F1 score, support, and AUC. The experimental results demonstrated that the MLP achieved a high prediction accuracy of 99.4%, followed by random forest (96.4%) and K-NN (76.3%). The diagnosis rates of the MLP, random forest and K-NN were 99.9%, 99.6%, and 73%, respectively. The study provides a clear idea of the accomplishments of classification algorithms in terms of their prediction ability, which can aid healthcare professionals in diagnosing chronic breast cancer efficiently.
Dielectric properties of the tissues with different histological structure: Ex vivo study
Authors: Bocharin Ivan , Martusevich Andrew , Nazarov Vladimir , Golygina Elena S. , Minenko Inessa A. , Artamonov Mikhail Yu.
Published: May 2022

This study aimed to estimate the dielectric properties of tissues with different histological structures. For this, specimens of fibrous (n=9), muscular (n=7), and fatty (n=11) human tissues were studied. The estimation of dielectric permittivity and conductivity of these specimens was tested with a program and apparatus device for near-field resonance microwave sensing, including 5 applicators with different depths of study. Results of the study demonstrated that this technology can visualize the shape, localization, and linear decisions of biological objects. The currently used method allows distinguishing the tissue histological type. It was stated that fibrous tissue has a maximal level of median and highest dielectric permittivity, and the minimal value of this parameter was fixed for fatty specimens (in 4.26 and 4.53 times lower than in fibrous one, respectively). Muscular tissue has an intermediate value of dielectric permittivity, approaching a level close to fibrous tissue.
Perceived Collective Use of Selection, Optimisation, and Compensation: Associations with Work Ability
Authors: Meng Annette , Karlsen Iben Louise , Borg Vilhelm , Clausen Thomas
Published: May 2022

Background: Individual use of selection, optimisation, and compensation (SOC) is positively associated with work ability; however, this association has never been explored at the group or leadership levels.Aim: The aim of this study is to explore the strength of associations between employee-rated use of SOC at the individual, group, and leadership levels and self-rated work ability among nurses. Method: A random sample of 2000 nurses were invited to participate in a questionnaire survey, among whom 785 responded.Results: Employee-rated use of SOC at the individual and group levels was positively associated with self-rated work ability when controlling for psychosocial working environment factors and health. The association was strongest at the group level.Conclusion: Efforts to enhance the collective use of SOC may prove beneficial to maintain the work ability of nurses and retain them in the profession.
Expressões idiomáticas e variação terminológica
Authors: Alves Fabiane de Oliveira
Published: May 2022

Este artigo contribui ao estudo das Expressões Idiomáticas (EI) sob a perspectiva da variação terminológica. Objetiva verificar a hipótese de que essas construções (relativamente) fixas apresentam graus de variação, que ocorrem em função do contexto, com manutenção ou alteração do sentido. A variação a que as EI são passíveis não se relaciona meramente às adequações número-pessoais, mas também ao contexto discursivo, que atribui uma (pen)última camada em sua estrutura de significação. O constructo teórico que embasa esta pesquisa apoia-se na Teoria Comunicativa da Terminologia (TCT), pois comporta a possibilidade de variação e considera o termo como um componente da língua exposto a influências internas e externas. Dentre as inferências a que se pôde chegar estão: (i) a variação nas EI ocorrem em diferentes níveis de equivalência conceitual em relação à EI referência; (ii) há certa (co)relação entre o sentido literal das partes que compõem a EI; (iii) o contexto discursivo, agente de variação, acrescenta uma camada de sentido à EI.
Concepções de futuros professores e futuras professoras sobre o ensino de línguas na infância
Authors: Cardoso Batista Patrícia , Reichert Assunção Tonelli Juliana
Published: May 2022

Neste artigo, nosso objetivo é analisar concepções de futuros professores e futuras professoras sobre o ensino de línguas estrangeiras para crianças. Para tanto, realizamos uma pesquisa de campo de natureza qualitativa. A coleta de dados ocorreu por meio da aplicação de questionário online, o qual foi respondido por 31 estudantes do último ano do curso de letras (português/inglês) de uma universidade pública do norte do Paraná. As análises indicam que, de modo geral, os participantes acreditam que o ensino de línguas difere de acordo com a idade do aluno, ressaltando que as crianças mais novas aprendem mais rápido. Ademais, os graduandos e graduandas defendem que o ensino de línguas deveria iniciar na infância, pois, na visão deles e delas, é melhor para a aprendizagem e vantajoso para o futuro dos pequenos aprendizes. Diante disso, percebemos que mitos sobre o ensino de línguas para crianças ainda estão presentes em suas concepções, demonstrando a importância de revisitá-los e construir outras acepções sobre tal atividade docente, ao longo dos cursos de formação inicial, bem como é necessário proporcionar mais reflexões sobre a educação linguística na infância.
Affordances da COIL para a internacionalização do ensino superior
Authors: Hildeblando Júnior Carlos Alberto , Finardi Kyria Rebeca , El Kadri Michele
Published: May 2022

O estudo analisa as affordances da abordagem COIL – Collaborative Online International Learning – para a internacionalização do ensino superior com base nas Epistemologias do Sul (SANTOS, 2007) e na perspectiva de affordances (VAN LIER, 2004). Os dados provêm de questionários, entrevistas e notas de campo e são analisados por meio do referencial de affordances. Os resultados apontam que as affordances da COIL são: 1) o uso/prática/aprendizagem de línguas estrangeiras no ensino superior, 2) o fortalecimento de relações sul-sul, 3) o pensamento crítico, 4) o letramento digital e a competência e habilidades interculturais. Por outro lado, os desafios da COIL são: 1) o planejamento de acordo com calendário acadêmico das instituições envolvidas, 2) a escolha de tecnologia compatível e 3) o suporte institucional apropriado. O estudo conclui que a COIL tem potencial para fomentar a internacionalização em casa num formato contra-hegemônico no Sul Global.
Oralidade e formação docente
Authors: Nonato Sandoval
Published: May 2022

Este estudo propõe refletir sobre o lugar da oralidade na formação docente, focalizando a produção de breves episódios de práticas de ensino – chamados de microaulas orais – por estudantes de curso de graduação em Letras. A hipótese é de que os processos de formação inicial para a docência constituem-se pela apropriação de gêneros textuais cuja incorporação tanto permite certo exercício do trabalho de ensino pelas estudantes, quanto subsidia o incremento de suas práticas de letramento. Do ponto de vista teórico e metodológico, a abordagem das microaulas orais como gênero textual da formação docente convoca uma dupla perspectiva (didática e interacional), tomando por base a noção de gesto didático como dispositivo analítico. A descrição e análise de uma microaula em sua configuração composicional global e de alguns recursos textuais implicados em sua formulação permitem levantar elementos para a compreensão dos modos como as estudantes representam a ação central de seu futuro trabalho  – a experiência de ensinar.
Letramentos Acadêmicos no Ensino Superior Público Paranaense
Authors: Silva Sanches Bruno , Cristovão Vera Lúcia Lopes
Published: May 2022

Os estudos em letramentos acadêmicos surgem da necessidade de ampliar e/ou investigar as oportunidades de engajamento e agência dos alunos na academia. A universidade é um ambiente educacional, que exige que os alunos lidem com uma gama diversificada de situações sociais envolvendo gêneros como artigos de pesquisa, projetos de leitura, apresentações orais, entre outros, e seus papéis sociais implicados. Com base no modelo de letramentos acadêmicos de Lea e Street (1998), analisamos as perspectivas de ações que uma universidade pública do estado do Paraná tem (ou não) proporcionado para facilitar o desenvolvimento e a inclusão de seus alunos na produção e compreensão de gêneros acadêmicos, com foco nas oportunidades de interação com textos em português (língua materna), inglês, espanhol e/ou francês. Para a coleta de dados, foi utilizado um questionário online e um grupo focal com alunos do 4º ano do curso de Formação de Professores de Língua Inglesa. Os resultados mostram deficiências consideráveis ​​e necessidades de melhoria, principalmente no que diz respeito ao desenvolvimento do letramento acadêmico em idiomas adicionais e a necessidade de mais oportunidades para suprir as demandas apresentadas neste estudo a partir dos dados analisados.
Cerebral border zone infarctions: An etiologic study
Authors: Hashemilar Mazyar , Tohidi Parla , Forghani Nasrin , Sadeghi-Hokmabadi Elyar , Sharifipour Ehsan
Published: May 2022

Background: Cerebral border zone infarctions (BZIs) are a subtype of acute ischemic stroke that occur at the junction between two major cerebral arterial territories. Internal and external BZIs are defined based on the known patterns in brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, the etiology and pathophysiology of these two types of BZI are still debated. This study aimed to determine the etiologic differences of two types of BZI to guide tailor appropriate treatment strategies for these patients.
Methods: In this prospective study, patients with BZIs were enrolled from patients with acute ischemic stroke admitted to the hospitals affiliated with Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran, from 2017 to 2019. Appropriate clinical and laboratory workups were applied to determine possible etiologies of ischemic stroke according to the Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) classification system.
Results: The study included 106 patients with BZI, 53 patients in each group. Both types of BZI were more frequent in males. However, there was no significant difference between the two types concerning sex, age, and profile of major stroke risk factors. The results showed no correlation between the type of BZI and hemodynamic factors (P = 0.086). However, large artery atherosclerosis (LAA) was the most frequent etiology within each subtype of BZI; LAA in internal (P = 0.016) and cardioembolism (P = 0.046) in external BZI were more frequent etiologic subtypes of cerebral infarction.
Conclusion: LAA might be the most common etiology for internal and external cerebral BZIs. Cardioembolism might have a more important etiologic role in the external subtype.
A comparative study on the effectiveness of topiramate and propranolol in patients with migraine with aura
Authors: Mohammadianinejad Seyed Ehsan , Rafie Shahram , Farashi Saba
Published: May 2022

Background: Migraine is considered as one of the most common and disabling diseases of the nervous system that has a great impact on quality of life (QOL) and a little risk of neurologic complications such as stroke. Migraine aura is known to be the result of cortical spreading depression and is associated with higher risk of this complication. Thus, the present study was conducted with the aim to compare the effects of topiramate as an antiepileptic, and propranolol in patients with migraine with aura.
Methods: The present randomized clinical trial was conducted on patients with migraine with aura referred to the neurology clinic of Golestan Hospital, Ahvaz, Iran, in the period of 2019-2020. The patients were randomized into two groups and received either topiramate or propranolol. The Migraine Disability Assessment Scale (MIDAS) score was evaluated before and at the end of three months after initiating the treatment.
Results: Reduction in the MIDAS score in patients taking topiramate (-16.94) was greater than that in the propranolol group (-14.5), but this difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.005). No significant relationship was found between gender and changes in the MIDAS score after the treatment of both groups (P > 0.050). However, the changes in the MIDAS score were greater in younger patients, and this relationship was statistically significant (P < 0.050).
Conclusion: There was no significant difference in the efficacy of topiramate and propranolol in patients with migraine with aura. No significant relationship was found between gender and changes in the MIDAS score after the treatment in both groups, but the reduction in the MIDAS scores was significantly higher in younger patients of both groups.
Factors predisposing patients with temporal lobe epilepsy to seizure cluster
Authors: Asadollahi Marjan , Maghsudloo Faezeh , Simani Leila , Pakdaman Hossein
Published: May 2022

Background: We aimed to identify the potential risk factors associated with seizure clusters in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE).
Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was performed on all the consecutive patients with TLE, who were admitted to the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU), Loghman-Hakim Hospital, Tehran, Iran. Seizure cluster was defined as three or more habitual seizures occurring within 24 hours, in over 50% of ictal events, with inter-seizure interval of less than 8 hours. The patients’ demographic data, epilepsy duration, seizure frequency, frequency of interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs), and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings were collected.
Results: Among a total number of 124 patients with TLE, 62 (50.0%) patients reported seizure clusters. In addition, 44 (37.9%), 42 (36.2%), and 30 (25.9%) patients had normal-appearing brain MRI, mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS), and other brain pathologies, respectively. In terms of IEDs frequency, 35 (29.4%), 43 (36.1%), 17 (14.3%), and 24 (20.2%) patients had respectively frequent, occasional, rare, and no spikes in one-hour of interictal scalp electroencephalography (EEG) recording. In our study, seizure clusters were not associated with the epilepsy duration (P = 0.100), the amount of IEDs (P = 0.764), or MRI findings (P = 0.112).
Conclusion: In patients with TLE, seizure clustering had no correlation with the epilepsy duration, the amount of IEDs, or brain MRI findings.
Assessment of computed tomography perfusion RAPID estimated core volume accuracy in patients following thrombectomy
Authors: Bhagat Riwaj , Muha Allison , Remmel Kerri , Liu Wei
Published: May 2022

Background: Computed Tomography Perfusion (CTP) maps ischemic core volume (CV) and penumbra following a stroke; however, its accuracy in early symptom onset is not well studied. We compared the accuracy of CTP RAPID estimated CV with diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) infarct volume (IV) in patients following thrombectomy.
Methods: Charts of anterior circulation large vessel occlusion post-thrombectomy cases with thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (TICI) 2b/3 reperfusion from 2017 to 2019 were reviewed. CTP time was dichotomized as 0-3 hours and ≥ 3 hours from the last known normal (LKN) cognition. The volumetric difference (VD), defined as DWI IV minus CTP CV, core volume overestimation (CVO), defined as CTP CV minus DWI IV and Alberta stroke programme early CT score (ASPECTS) were calculated. Large CV was defined as ≥ 50 ml CV. Modified Rankin Score (mRS) at 90 days were reviewed. We performed independent sample t-test and Spearman correlation coefficient test.
Results: Total cases (n) were 61. In < 3 hours window from LKN (n = 27), the mean VD was 58.3 ± 0.1 ml (P = 0.990) and CVO (n = 11; 40.7%) was 39.6 ± 35.7 ml (P = 0.008). Mean large CV (n = 8) was 78.3 ± 25.4 ml with median ASPECTS of 8 [interquartile range (IQR) = 6.5-9.0] and median mRS at 90 days of 2 (IQR = 0.8-3.3). In ≥ 3 hours window from LKN (n = 34), CVO (n = 5) was uncommon and large CV had median mRS at 90 days of 5 (IQR = 4.0-6.0).
Conclusion: CTP more frequently overestimates CV in patients who are < 3 hours from LKN. The treated patients with large CV in < 3 hours and > 3 hours had good and poor functional outcomes, respectively.
Simultaneous screening for antibodies to myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein and aquaporin-4 in patients with optic neuritis using cell-based assay
Authors: Parthasarathy Durgadevi , Therese Kulandai Lily , Ambika Selvakumar , Krishnan Selvi , Santhakumar Durga Priyadarshini
Published: May 2022

Background: This study was aimed to test simultaneous detection of antibodies to myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)/aquaporin‑4 (AQP4) in serum samples of patients with clinically-diagnosed optic neuritis (ON), by fixed cell-based immunofluorescence assay (CBIFA).
Methods: The study involved 237 serum samples of patients with ON which were tested for MOG and AQP4 antibodies using fixed CBIFA kit which utilizes AQP4 or MOG protein transfected cells as a substrate.
Results: Of 237 serum samples, 22 (9%) were positive for AQP4, 66 (28%) were positive for MOG, and 138 (58%) were negative for both AQP4 and MOG antibodies. 11 (5%) patients with clinically-diagnosed multiple sclerosis (MS) were negative for both antibodies. None of the samples were positive for both AQP4 and MOG. Among 237, 132 women [18 (13.6%) and 37 (28%)] and 105 men [4 (3.8%) and 29 (27.6%)] were positive for AQP4/MOG antibodies and remaining percentage belonged to double negative and MS. Seropositivity rate was higher in women than men. Antibodies to MOG were significantly higher than AQP4 antibodies and evenly found in all age groups. There was no ambiguous result encountered in the study.
Conclusion: In this study, the seropositivity for antibodies to MOG is more than AQP4 antibody in patients with ON. Fixed CBIFA is a useful tool for laboratory diagnosis of ON in the clinical setting of neuro-ophthalmology to plan the next line of treatment management effectively.
Diet and disease-related outcomes in multiple sclerosis: A systematic review of clinical trials
Authors: Harirchian Mohammad Hossein , Karimi Elmira , Bitarafan Sama
Published: May 2022

Background: A growing number of clinical trials have investigated the role of diet in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. We systematically reviewed the literature for clinical trials to assess the impact of different kinds of diets on MS-related outcomes.
Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science for relevant studies published before July 2019. The clinical trials included a defined dietary intervention and MS outcomes, including fatigue, relapse rate (RR), quality of life (QOL), and disability.
Results: In the present review, 15 trials on 669 MS patients were included. The 2 plant-based diet trials, 1 was low-fat and the other was low-calorie, included in the review showed a large effect (ES: 0.6 to 0.7) on fatigue compared to the regular diet. The other plant-based diet was a low-protein diet and showed moderate to large effects on disability and RR compared to the Western diet. Moreover, 2 studies showed the clinically meaningful effects of the ketogenic diet (KD) on QOL and disability compared to the regular diet. In addition, 2 studies compared fish oil (FO) to placebo and found a small effect on disability (ES: 0.1 to 0.3). There were 2 studies that evaluated evening primrose oil and hemp seed oil and showed medium to large effect (ES: 0.7 to 1.5) on RR compared to olive oil. Finally, we found 2 studies that showed high flavonoid cocoa had a moderate effect (ES: 0.4) on fatigue and a small effect (ES: 0.04) on QOL compared to low flavonoid cocoa.
Conclusion: Plant-based diet is a backbone for dietary recommendations in MS patients although low-fat, low-calorie, and KD diets with the addition of fish oil, vegetable oil, and flavonoids could be helpful.
Effect of Educational Intervention Based on Self-efficacy Theory and Self-regulatory Strategies on Physical Activity of Prehypertensive Individuals
Authors: Taghavi Mojtaba , Salmani Fatemeh , Norozi Ensiyeh
Published: May 2022

Background: Considering the importance of healthy lifestyle education in the prevention and control of hypertension and the timely identification of pre-hypertensive individuals, the present study was conducted to determine the effect of educational intervention based on self-efficacy theory and self-regulatory strategies on the physical activity of pre-hypertensive individuals.

Methods: This quasi-experimental study was performed on 90 people aged 30 to 59 referred to urban health centers in Nehbandan in 2021. They were randomly selected and divided into two groups of 50 (intervention and control). Data were collected by questionnaires on demographic information, hypertension knowledge, self-efficacy of physical activity, and physical activity by the self-administered method. After the pretest, the intervention group received six training sessions in four weeks. The posttest was performed in two groups immediately and three months after the training sessions. Data were analyzed by repeated-measures analysis of variance, Bonferroni post hoc test, independent t-test, and chi-square test in SPSS version 21software.

Results: The mean age of the participants was 45.80 ± 8.31 in the control group and 44.95 ± 8.20 in the intervention group. Data analysis showed the equality of knowledge, self-efficacy, and physical activity between the two groups before the intervention (P > 0.05). After the intervention, a significant increase was observed in the mean scores of knowledge, self-efficacy, and physical activity in the intervention group immediately and three months after the intervention (P<0.05). Also, the levels of knowledge, self-efficacy, and physical activity were significantly lower in the control group than in the intervention group (P<0.001).

Conclusions: The present study showed the effectiveness of an educational intervention based on self-efficacy theory and self-regulatory strategies on physical activity of pre-hypertensive individuals. Therefore, this theory is proposed to design educational interventions to promote regular physical activity.
Identifying the Components of the BudgetPolicies of Educational Organizations with anEmphasis on Resistance Economy
Authors: Shakeri Alireza , Aminbidokhti Ali Akbar , Pourshafei Hadi
Published: May 2022

Background: The budget for universities and training centers should meet all the requirements of that organization. This has led to the need to design an appropriate budget policy in the context of economic sanctions in educational institutions as much as possible.
Objectives: This study was conducted to identify the components of the budget policy of educational organizations with an emphasis on resistance economy.
Methods: This applied research was conducted with a qualitative approach and descriptive phenomenological method. The statistical population included professors of the Department of Educational Management and Public Administration and the Management of Health Services and policymakers in the field of education budgeting. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect information. The findings of the interviews were analyzed by a content analysis method (open and axial coding).
Results: Based on the results of this study, the components of the budget policy of educational organizations with an emphasis on resistance economy in 9 main themes of financial resource diversification, resistance economy, managerial, human, and technical factors, decentralization, transparency, central justice, structural, environmental factors, and education budget policy were identified.
Conclusions: According to the findings, it can be said that the development of a local budget model in educational institutions, despite being scientific, should be adapted and implemented according to the climatic, political, social, scientific, and cultural conditions of educational institutions.
Public-Private Partnership Experiences and Achievements in Providing Primary Health Care to the Elderly: A Scoping Review
Authors: Azami Aghdash Saber , Sharifzade Hiva , Bande-Ehahi Khadije , Mohamadi Bolbanabad Amjad , Gharaee Hojatolah
Published: May 2022

Context: Given the expansion of public-private partnership (PPP) policy in providing primary health care to the elderly in different countries, this study aimed to investigate the experiences and achievements of PPP in this field following a scoping review approach.
Methods: This scoping review study was conducted in 2019 following the Arkesy and O’Malley framework. We systematically searched Google Scholar from January 2000 to October 2019. Also, to increase the chance of finding potentially relevant studies references of identified studies, some journals, government reports and documents, websites, and other sources of information were searched.
Results: In total, 10 articles and reports were included, mostly from high-income countries. Twenty-five positive outcomes (12 for the elderly, four for their families, seven for the public sector, and two for the private sector) and three negative outcomes (all for the private sector) were extracted. The most important achievements included improving quality and access to services as well as reducing service costs.
Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the PPP policy has had many positive results. Therefore, as a major and effective policy, it can be considered by policymakers and officials. In this regard, greater support for the private sector and a rigorous and scientific evaluation of this policy’s achievements are recommended.