bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ISLAMIC RELIGIOUS VALUES WITHIN JAVANESE TRADITIONAL IDIOMS AS THE JAVANESE LIFE GUIDANCE
Authors: Kasnadi Kasnadi , Sutejo Sutejo
Published: June 2018

This research aims to describe Islamic religious value within Javanese traditional idioms. It employs descriptive qualitative method. The data in this study was collected using note-taking technique. To find the Islamic religious value within Javanese traditional idioms, the researcher used hermeneutics-content-analysis technique. The findings were (1) the belief of Gusti’s (God) existence, (2) the compliance to Gusti (God), (3) the plea for Gusti’s (God) power, and (4) the gratitude for Gusti’s (God) mercies and benevolences. The Islamic religious values, as part of Javanese local wisdom, should be conserved by the youth. The values should also be used as Javanese life guidance to build well-founded characters and ideal personalities.

Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mendeskripsikan nilai religi Islam yang terkandung di dalam ungkapan tradisional Jawa. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian deskriptif kualitatif. Teknik pengumpulan data yang digunakan di dalam penelitian ini adalah teknik simak-catat. Untuk menemukan nilai religi Islam yang terdapat dalam ungkapan tradisional Jawa, peneliti menggunakan teknik analisis isi secara hermeneutik. Hasil penelitian mencakup (1) keyakinan terhadap keberadaan Tuhan (Allah), (2) kepasrahan terhadap keagungan Tuhan (Allah), (3) permohonan terhadap kekuasaan Tuhan (Allah), dan (4) syukur atas rahmat dan karunia Tuhan (Allah). Nilai-nilai religi Islam tersebut merupakan sebagian kearifan lokal Jawa yang harus dilestarikan. Nilai-nilai tersebut dijadikan sebagai pedoman hidup masyarakat Jawa agar memiliki karakter yang kuat dan kepribadian yang utuh.
Conocimiento y percepción tsotsil sobre los insectos perjudiciales de la milpa en la reserva de la biosfera Selva El Ocote (Chiapas, México)
Authors: López de la Cruz Esperanza , Ruíz Montoya Lorena , Gómez y Gómez Benigno , Castro Ramírez Adriana Elena , Sánchez Cortés María Silvia
Published: June 2018

El presente estudio se desarrolló en dos comunidades tsotsiles, pertenecientes a la familia lingüística maya, con el objetivo de determinar los conocimientos y las percepciones de los agricultores sobre los insectos perjudiciales de la milpa. Con base en un enfoque cualitativo, la información se recopiló mediante entrevistas, visitando parcelas y un taller en cada comunidad. Los vocablos que se utilizan para referirse a los insectos y otros artrópodos son bik¢tal chonetik y chanul, para referirse a los que perjudican a sus cultivos agregan el término slajes. Se reconocieron 19 insectos perjudiciales para la milpa, dos de los cuales (Atta mexicana y Helicoverpa zea) son a la vez comestibles. Los agricultores identificaron que la presencia y abundancia de insectos se relaciona con factores como la sequia. El escaso conocimiento sobre los ciclos de vida y enemigos naturales de los insectos puede obstaculizar los esfuerzos para un control biológico de insectos plaga.
El principio fundacional en la mitología y el ritual de San Andrés Larráinzar
Authors: Alejos García José Ovidio
Published: June 2018

Resumen : el artículo examina la narrativa mitológica de fundación y su relación con la fiesta patronal de San Andrés Larráinzar, argumentando que en esta relación se enuncia un principio fundacional que incluye relaciones de parentesco, obligaciones morales, éticas y económicas entre la gente, el santo patrono y las entidades « dueñas » del territorio. En este sentido, se plantéa la actualidad de un principio mitológico de origen, que se renueva anualmente y que da sentido a las prácticas rituales al interior del pueblo.Las relaciones entre mitología y ritual, las ambivalencias cronotópicas y los isomorfismos culturales, serán los principales intereses teóricos de este ensayo.
El Templo de los Búhos de Chichén Itzá y su emplazamiento cronológico: una nueva propuesta
Authors: Bíró Péter , Schmidt Peter , Pérez de Heredia Eduardo
Published: June 2018

La cronología del Templo de los Búhos, una construcción de características inusuales localizada en el Grupo de la Serie Inicial de Chichén Itzá, ha probado ser un desafío para los arqueólogos durante largo tiempo. La importancia del edificio reside en su únicaiconografía, y especialmente en la presencia de un texto jeroglífico con una fecha calendárica en una tapa de bóveda pintada. El fechamiento de esta inscripción ha sido instrumental para explicar la combinación de rasgos arquitectónicos, iconográficos y cerámicos asociados con ella. En este trabajo proponemos una nueva interpretación que contradice la datación de la tapa de bóveda en el siglo IX, generalmente aceptada, para emplazar la fecha en el siglo XII.
Siguiendo los rastros de los depósitos rituales: esbozo de un marco arqueológico para el estudio de las prácticas rituales en Palenque
Authors: Johnson Lisa
Published: June 2018

Las excavaciones en las tierras bajas del este de México, Guatemala y Belice han revelado patrones generalizados en la práctica ritual, incluyendo patrones en los tipos de materiales usados en ofrendas rituales y entierros humanos colocados dentro de los pisos y plazas de templos públicos y casas privadas.  Sin embargo, los rastros materiales de eventos ritualizados pasados parecen ser marcadamente diferentes en las Tierras Bajas occidentales, particularmente la ciudad de Palenque.  Este articulo discute las ofrendas de los templos de Palenque, así como los resultados preliminares de excavaciones realizadas en un grupo residencial y encuentra que los materiales incluidos en los depósitos rituales de Palenque a menudo incluyen materiales orgánicos posibles en lugar de los materiales típicos encontrados en los ejemplos de Tierras Bajas del este.  Para considerar cómo la práctica era distinta en esta región, se propone un enfoque más integral de una arqueología del ritual, que incluya una consideración para los restos de microescala de las acciones ritualizadas.
El camote (Ipomoea batatas) y la yuca (Manihot esculenta) entre los mayas yucatecos, ch'oles y huastecos
Authors: Meléndez Guadarrama Lucero , Hirose López Javier
Published: June 2018

El objetivo central de este trabajo es describir los patrones culinarios y el uso medicinal asociados a los tubérculos Ipomoea batatas (camote) y Manihot esculenta (yuca) entre los huastecos, los ch'oles y los mayas yucatecos (todos miembros de la familia lingüística maya). Analizaremos la importancia cultural que se desprende de su uso en la cuisine maya desde épocas prehispánicas hasta nuestros días, pues son alimentos complementarios de la dieta cotidiana maya pero también fungen como cultivos de reserva en épocas de sequía. El análisis comparativo muestra continuidades en las formas de consumo compartidas por los tres grupos a lo largo de los siglos, pero también se observan particularidades lingüísticas y tendencias en sus preferencias de consumo dentro de la cuisine que los particulariza frente a los otros, y que a su vez, define patrones culinarios únicos para cada caso. Abordaremos una perspectiva multidisciplinaria que conjunta miradas complementarias de la lingüística, la antropología de la alimentación y de la etnobotánica pues en conjunto nos ayudan a entender la relevancia cultural de estos cultivos entre los mayas.
Hepatic Abscess Induced by Fish Bone Migration: Two Case Reports
Authors: Mateus José Eduardo , Silva Carlos , Beirão Sofia , Pimentel Jorge
Published: June 2018

Although foreign body ingestion is a common occurrence, perforation and penetration of the gastrointestinal tract is unusual and the development of a hepatic abscess is even more rare. The authors describe two cases of fish bone perforation of the gastrointestinal tract with hepatic perforation and abscess formation, from distinctive age groups and varying presentation, although both developed septic shock. The lack of history of ingestion of foreign bodies, non-specificity of both clinical presentation and complementary examinations all play a role in delaying the diagnosis and therefore in the prognosis itself.
Performance and microbial community in a combined VF-HF system for the advanced treatment of secondary effluent
Authors: Zhu Zhichao , Miao Hengfeng , Zhang Yajing , Cui Jian , Huang Zhenxing , Ruan Wenquan
Published: June 2018

In this study, a laboratory-scale system combined a vertical flow constructed wetland (VF) with a horizontal flow constructed wetland (HF), which was used to treat the secondary effluent of a wastewater treatment plant. Removal efficiencies of 67.02%, 89.80%, 90.31% and 75.38% were achieved by the system for chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP), respectively. The VF showed much higher average loading rates of COD, TP, NH4+-N and TN (7.96 g/m2/d, 0.076 g/m2/d, 0.31 g/m2/d and 0.99 g/m2/d) than in HF (0.65 g/m2/d, 0.016 g/m2/d, 0.25 g/m2/d and 0.50 g/m2/d), during the stable operation period. Biodegradation played a major role in pollutant removal, especially for COD and TN. The results of bacterial community analysis indicated that heterotrophic denitrifying bacteria (Hydrogenophaga and Flavobacterium) were the dominant contributors for nitrogen removal in the VF, while heterotrophic denitrifying bacteria (Rhodobacter, Flavobacterium and Dechloromonas) and the autotrophic denitrifying bacteria Sulfurimonas played the principal roles for nitrogen removal in the HF. Redundancy analyses showed that COD and NH4+-N were the important factors affecting the distribution of nitrogen removal bacteria in the VF, while pH, dissolved oxygen and oxidation-reduction potential were the key factors influencing the distribution of nitrogen removal bacteria in the HF.
Pretreatment of printing and dyeing wastewater by Fe/C micro-electrolysis combined with H2O2 process
Authors: Wang Yan , Wu Xianwei , Yi Ju , Chen Lijun , Lan Tianxiang , Dai Jie
Published: June 2018

A novel iron-carbon (Fe/C) micro-electrolysis combined with H2O2 (ICMH) process was proposed to pretreat the printing and dyeing wastewater (PDW), using a micro-electrolysis filling. The effects of H2O2 concentration, reaction time, initial pH, and Fe/C dosage on chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal rate of PDW were optimized by response surface methodology (RSM). The maximum COD removal rate was approximately 77.65% after 186 min treatment, when the concentration of H2O2, initial pH and the dosage of Fe/C were 8.88 g/L, 1.5 and 837 g/L, respectively. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed a high coefficient of determination value (R2 = 0.9780). And H2O2 concentration and initial pH were the key factors to improve the treatment effect. UV-Vis spectra indicated that a significant blue shift at 220 nm, attributing that fused aromatic hydrocarbons were degraded effectively. 3D-EEM spectra analysis showed that the water samples of PDW mainly contained three kinds of organic matter: refractory fulvic acid, soluble microbial metabolites and aromatic proteins, and the degradation rate of these was 81.76%, 53.78% and 70.83%, respectively.
Impact of meteorological conditions on the water quality of wastewater treatment systems: a comparative study of phytoremediation and membrane bioreactor system
Authors: Andleeb Khush Bakht , Hashmi Imran
Published: June 2018

Two demonstration wastewater treatment systems, i.e. a phytoremediation system and a membrane bioreactor (MBR) system, were studied for a six-month period from August 2016 to January 2017. The phytoremediation system consists of wetland cells implanted with diverse phytoremediation macrophyte species at NUST H-12 sector Islamabad, Pakistan, while the MBR system comprises primary clarifiers, membrane tanks and bio tanks that treat domestic wastewater through hybridization of biological and biomechanical techniques. The phytoremediation system receives domestic wastewater at the rate of 283 m3/d, and greater hydraulic efficiencies were achieved because of compartmentalization and higher aspect ratios, whereas the MBR system receives 50 m3/d. The present study was conducted to analyze and compare the correlation between water quality parameters of wastewater treatment systems and meteorological conditions. Statistically significant correlation was exhibited between eight water quality parameters (pH, EC, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, total suspended solids (TSS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD) and total coliforms (TC)) and meteorological factors (ambient temperature and relative humidity). Predominant species isolated and identified through polymerase chain reaction and 16S rRNA sequencing from wastewater of the phytoremediation system and sludge of the MBR system belong to the phylum Proteobacteria with relatively higher abundance of Enterobacter, Shigella, Escherichia and Salmonella genera.
Contribuições de um modelo de intervenção em resposta aos problemas sociais dos jovens que completam o estágio do apoio estadual
Authors: Aros Ludivia Hernandes , Mejía Aracelly Buitrago
Published: June 2018

Este artigo contribui para responder a um problema social de jovens que atingem a maioridade e completam o estágio de apoio oferecido pelo Instituto Colombiano de Bem- Estar Familiar - ICBF - ao projetar um modelo de intervenção socioeconômica para garantir sua autonomia. e conexão positiva com a sociedade. Os aspectos analisados foram baseados nos diferentes modelos de intervenção existentes, a caracterização da população estudada,com 287 participantes de instituições dos centros de proteção da cidade de Ibagué. Como resultado, é projetado um modelo baseado nas necessidades observadas, com aspectos integradores que se concentram em três eixos: comercial, financeiro e administrativo estratégico. Modelo que pode ser adaptado de maneira específica em todos os institutos que realizam o mesmo trabalho do ICBF e que respondem às necessidades presentes dos jovens.
Newfangled Procedures Using X-ray to Determine the Cobb Angle in Patients with Scoliosis: An Updated Systematic Review
Authors: Moftian Nazila , Hachesu Peyman Rezaei , Pourfeizi Hojjat Hossein , Samad-Soltani Taha , Aghazadeh Nasser , Poureisa Masoud , Salahzadeh Zahra
Published: June 2018

Background:

Scoliosis is a three-dimensional deformity of the spine. It is usually assessed
by measuring Cobb angle. Nowadays, due to increasing effectiveness of image processing
and machine vision, willingness to apply these methods has improved considerably in determining
scoliosis of Cobb angle.

Methods:

In accordance with the PRISMA guideline, a broad electronic search of all English language
literature was conducted on the topic through four databases, including MEDLINE, Web of
Science, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library from 2012 (last search date from earlier review) to 30
March 2017.

Results:

Twelve studies were included. 90% labeled high-quality were selected for analysis. Eighty
percent of the selected studies were published in the period between 2012 and 2017. Three new
procedures were used to measure the Cobb angle. One study used automated procedure (7%), two
studies used smartphone procedure (14%), and nine studies used the semiautomatic procedure of
Cobb measurement (79%). Seven studies reported reproducibility and repeatability. Reproducibility
range was 0.72 to 1 in reporting of ICC. Repeatability has a high range in three separated
methods.

Conclusion:

Computerized assessment method (Automatic and Semi-automatic) is most commonly
performed in Cobb measurement. Semi-automatic is an effective measurement option for
computerized assessment Cobb angle. There is no significant difference between manual, computer-
based, and smartphone-based methods in described measures.
Clustering Count-based RNA Methylation Data Using a Nonparametric Generative Model
Authors: Zhang Lin , He Yanling , Wang Huaizhi , Liu Hui , Huang Yufei , Wang Xuesong , Meng Jia
Published: June 2018

Background:

RNA methylome has been discovered as an important layer of gene regulation and can be profiled directly with count-based measurements from high-throughput sequencing data. Although the detailed regulatory circuit of the epitranscriptome remains uncharted, clustering effect in methylation status among different RNA methylation sites can be identified from transcriptome-wide RNA methylation profiles and may reflect the epitranscriptomic regulation. Count-based RNA methylation sequencing data has unique features, such as low reads coverage, which calls for novel clustering approaches.  Objective: Besides the low reads coverage, it is also necessary to keep the integer property to approach clustering analysis of count-based RNA methylation sequencing data.  Method: We proposed a nonparametric generative model together with its Gibbs sampling solution for clustering analysis. The proposed approach implements a beta-binomial mixture model to capture the clustering effect in methylation level with the original count-based measurements rather than an estimated continuous methylation level. Besides, it adopts a nonparametric Dirichlet process to automatically determine an optimal number of clusters so as to avoid the common model selection problem in clustering analysis.  Results: When tested on the simulated system, the method demonstrated improved clustering performance over hierarchical clustering, K-means, MClust, NMF and EMclust. It also revealed on real dataset two novel RNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A) co-methylation patterns that may be induced directly by METTL14 and WTAP, which are two known regulatory components of the RNA m6A methyltransferase complex.  Conclusion: Our proposed DPBBM method not only properly handles the count-based measurements of RNA methylation data from sites of very low reads coverage, but also learns an optimal number of clusters adaptively from the data analyzed.  Availability: The source code and documents of DPBBM R package are freely available through the Comprehensive R Archive Network (CRAN): https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/DPBBM/.
Gray-Level Co-occurrence Matrix and Random Forest Based Off-line Odia Handwritten Character Recognition
Authors: Sethy Abhisek , Patra Prashanta Kumar , Nayak Deepak Ranjan
Published: June 2018

Background:

In the past decades, handwritten character recognition has received considerable
attention from researchers across the globe because of its wide range of applications in daily life.
From the literature, it has been observed that there is limited study on various handwritten Indian scripts
and Odia is one of them. We revised some of the patents relating to handwritten character recognition.

Methods:

This paper deals with the development of an automatic recognition system for offline handwritten
Odia character recognition. In this case, prior to feature extraction from images, preprocessing
has been done on the character images. For feature extraction, first the gray level co-occurrence matrix
(GLCM) is computed from all the sub-bands of two-dimensional discrete wavelet transform (2D DWT)
and thereafter, feature descriptors such as energy, entropy, correlation, homogeneity, and contrast are
calculated from GLCMs which are termed as the primary feature vector. In order to further reduce the
feature space and generate more relevant features, principal component analysis (PCA) has been employed.
Because of the several salient features of random forest (RF) and K- nearest neighbor (K-NN),
they have become a significant choice in pattern classification tasks and therefore, both RF and K-NN
are separately applied in this study for segregation of character images.

Results:

All the experiments were performed on a system having specification as windows 8, 64-bit operating
system, and Intel (R) i7 – 4770 CPU @ 3.40 GHz. Simulations were conducted through
Matlab2014a on a standard database named as NIT Rourkela Odia Database.

Conclusion:

The proposed system has been validated on a standard database. The simulation results
based on 10-fold cross-validation scenario demonstrate that the proposed system earns better accuracy
than the existing methods while requiring least number of features. The recognition rate using RF and
K-NN classifier is found to be 94.6% and 96.4% respectively.
QoS Enabled Improved Location Aided Routing (QEILA)
Authors: Dixit Prashant , Pillai Anuradha , Rishi Rahul
Published: June 2018

Background:

Transmission of heavy and real-time data over wireless links with Quality of Service in Mobile ad-hoc network is a very challenging task. Bandwidth and battery backup parameters are checks for Quality of Service. To provide the Quality of Service in mobile ad-hoc network, the aliveness of a transmitting node has a great concern. Location-aided routing methods for mobile ad-hoc network have gained popularity because of network’s energy saving. Location-aided routing keeps a minimal number of participating nodes for path construction between source and destination, but they did not consider the health of participating nodes that constitute a path.

Objective:

The objective of this work is harness the location aided routing and builds a protocol which provides Quality of Service in terms of required battery life and available bandwidth.

Method:

In this work, various patented and non-patented location-based routing and Quality of Service methods for wireless network have been reviewed. The improved location aided routing protocol has been utilized and equipped with Quality of Service check while selecting the next forwarding node for path construction. A novel path preservation procedure is proposed which repair the broken link locally by utilizing candidate next node table.

Results:

The simulation reveals that the proposed protocol constructs a reliable path consist of trustworthy nodes in terms of battery life and available bandwidth.

Conclusion:

Proposed work can be utilized for transmitting heavy data traffic in Mobile Ad-hoc network with Quality of Service in real time situation.
One-pot Preparation of Cu2(OH)3NO3 Nanosheets and Cu(OH)2 Nanowires
Authors: Zhang Wenzhe , Yang Ailing , Bao Xichang
Published: June 2018

Introduction:

By using Cu(NO3)2 as precursor and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as surfactant,
nanosheets of Cu2(OH)3NO3, nanowires of Cu(OH)2 or the mixture of the two were prepared under
different molar ratios of OH− to Cu2+.

Materials and Methods:

The crystal structures and morphologies of the products were characterized by
X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM).

Results:

When the molar ratio of OH− to Cu2+ in reaction solution is lower than 1.28, pure Cu2(OH)3NO3
nanosheets were obtained. The thickness of one piece of nanosheet is about 167 nm. The Cu2(OH)3NO3
nanosheets consists of two types of crystal structures, monoclinic phase and orthorhombic phase. With
increase of the molar ratio of OH− to Cu2+, the monoclinic phase of Cu2(OH)3NO3 was transferred to
the orthorhombic phase of Cu2(OH)3NO3. When the molar ratio of OH− to Cu2+ is within 1.28-2.24, the
product is the mixture of Cu2(OH)3NO3 nanosheets and Cu(OH)2 nanowires. And when this molar ratio is
higher than 2.24, only Cu(OH)2 nanowires were produced. The lengths and the diameters of the Cu(OH)2
nanowires are in the region of 50-250 nm and 10 nm, respectively.

Conclusion:

The reason of the Cu2(OH)3NO3 nanosheets changing into the Cu(OH)2 nanowires is that the
OH− anions replace the NO3
− anions in the layered Cu2(OH)3NO3 nanosheets, which causes the rupture of
hydrogen bonds connecting the adjacent layers. The Cu(OH)2 nanowires were not stable and found to become
spindled CuO nanosheets in air at room temperature.
Perceção dos professores sobre a avaliação do desempenho docente
Authors: Alves Maria Piedade , Cunha Pedro Fernando , Lourenço Abílio Afonso , Monteiro Ana Paula
Published: June 2018

Existe um consenso de que o desenvolvimento de um país depende da qualidade da sua educação. Assim, a Avaliação de Desempenho Docente (ADD) surgiu porque o Ministério da Tutela acredita que esta pode contribuir para a qualidade da educação, bem como para a valorização e o desenvolvimento pessoal e profissional dos professores. Todavia, o tema é complexo, tendo dado origem a intensa contestação docente e sindical em Portugal. Este estudo pretendeu conhecer como os professores percecionam a avaliação de desempenho. Para tal, procedeu-se a uma investigação quantitativa numa amostra constituída por 240 professores a exercerem funções em Portugal Continental, aos quais administrámos um inquérito por questionário. Os dados recolhidos foram tratados e analisados utilizando a técnica de modelação de equações estruturais. As principais conclusões apontam, quanto ao género, habilitações académicas e tempo de serviço, para a existência de algumas associações com a perceção que os professores possuem sobre a adequação da avaliação de desempenho. Os resultados revelam ainda que os professores que apresentam um melhor entendimento sobre a avaliação de desempenho consideram cumprir mais os objetivos e manifestam ter melhor prática científica e pedagógica, sendo também aqueles que manifestam menor perceção da adequação do processo de avaliação docente.Palavras-chave: Avaliação; Desempenho; Professores ABSTRACTThere is a consensus about the idea that the development of a country depends on the quality of its education. The Teaching Performance Assessment arises because the Ministry of Education believes that it can contribute to the quality of education, as well as to the personal and professional development of the teachers. However, the issue is complex and it gave origin to intense teaching and union´s contestation in Portugal. This research aimed to know how teachers perceive teaching performance assessment. We carried out a quantitative research study with a sample of 240 teachers, to whom we applied a questionnaire. The data were treated and analyzed using the structural equation modeling technique. The main conclusions point to, concerning gender, academic abilities and time of service, the existence of some associations with the perception that teachers have about the adequacy of the performance assessment. Results reveal that the teachers who present a better understanding about the performance evaluation consider to better attain its objectives; they also demonstrate a better scientific and pedagogical practice, and show less appreciation of the adequacy of the teacher evaluation process. Keywords: Assessment; Performance; Teachers
Healthcare Clowning: Use of Specific Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Hospitalized Children
Authors: Dionigi Alberto
Published: June 2018

Clowning has a varied tradition and a long history. Recently, clowns have entered the medical setting and this has become an appreciated approach aimed at decreasing the negative emotions that can be experienced during hospitalization and medical procedures, as well as inducing positive feelings in patients, their relatives, and the hospital’s staff. Due to an increase in the number of clowns working in hospitals and the large amount of interest shown in utilizing this approach, more research studies have focused on testing the efficacy of this complementary and alternative approach. This paper provides an overview of the concept of healthcare clowning followed by a literature review conducted on 28 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) drawn from two databases (PubMed and Google Scholar), aimed at investigating and discussing evidence for the effects that clowning has on children. The search revealed the different settings in which RCTs have been conducted: preoperative areas, during medical procedures, and during hospitalization. The search also identified different outcomes that were measured. In general, the results show that clown intervention is effective in decreasing negative emotions and psychological symptoms and in enhancing the well-being of patients and their relatives. Appreciation of clown intervention by healthcare staff has increased in the last several years.
Evaluating the Usefulness of Translation Technologies for Emergency Response Communication: A Scenario-Based Study (Preprint)
Authors: Turner Anne M , Choi Yong K , Dew Kristin , Tsai Ming-Tse , Bosold Alyssa L , Wu Shuyang , Smith Donahue , Meischke Hendrika
Published: June 2018

BACKGROUND

In the United States, language barriers pose challenges to communication in emergency response and impact emergency care delivery and quality for individuals who are limited English proficient (LEP). There is a growing interest among Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel in using automated translation tools to improve communications with LEP individuals in the field. However, little is known about whether automated translation software can be used successfully in EMS settings to improve communication with LEP individuals.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this work is to use scenario-based methods with EMS providers and nonnative English-speaking users who identified themselves as LEP (henceforth referred to as LEP participants) to evaluate the potential of two automated translation technologies in improving emergency communication.

METHODS

We developed mock emergency scenarios and enacted them in simulation sessions with EMS personnel and Spanish-speaking and Chinese-speaking (Mandarin) LEP participants using two automated language translation tools: an EMS domain-specific fixed-sentence translation tool (QuickSpeak) and a statistical machine translation tool (Google Translate). At the end of the sessions, we gathered feedback from both groups through a postsession questionnaire. EMS participants also completed the System Usability Scale (SUS).

RESULTS

We conducted a total of 5 group sessions (3 Chinese and 2 Spanish) with 12 Chinese-speaking LEP participants, 14 Spanish-speaking LEP participants, and 17 EMS personnel. Overall, communications between EMS and LEP participants remained limited, even with the use of the two translation tools. QuickSpeak had higher mean SUS scores than Google Translate (65.3 vs 48.4; P=.04). Although both tools were deemed less than satisfactory, LEP participants showed preference toward the domain-specific system with fixed questions (QuickSpeak) over the free-text translation tool (Google Translate) in terms of understanding the EMS personnel’s questions (Chinese 11/12, 92% vs 3/12, 25%; Spanish 12/14, 86% vs 4/14, 29%). While both EMS and LEP participants appreciated the flexibility of the free-text tool, multiple translation errors and difficulty responding to questions limited its usefulness.

CONCLUSIONS

Technologies are emerging that have the potential to assist with language translation in emergency response; however, improvements in accuracy and usability are needed before these technologies can be used safely in the field.
Do Mindfulness Meditation Apps Decrease Stress in College Students? (Preprint)
Authors: Dahle Kaitana, M. , Hooper Audrey , Cheung Aaron, J , Young Ashley , Crandall AliceAnn
Published: June 2018

BACKGROUND

Mindfulness meditation apps have become popular self-help technology tools to manage stress and improve mental health. Mindfulness meditation classes have been associated with decreased stress levels, but the impact of mindfulness meditation apps at reducing stress levels among college students has not been thoroughly examined.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to assess how the frequency and duration of mindfulness meditation app use during a two-week interval affected self-reported stress levels. The study analyzed how minutes and days of app use during a 14-day period impacted change in self-reported stress compared to baseline.

METHODS

A longitudinal sample of 85 undergraduate students were recruited to the study through fliers and in-class announcements. Eligibility requirements ensured that participants had no prior or limited (< 2 hours) experience with mindfulness meditation. Pre- and post-assessment survey questions included perceived stress levels and the frequency and duration of meditation app use during the two-week study interval. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to assess whether there was a relationship between app use and change in stress.

RESULTS

The mean Perceived Stress Scale scores at time 1 and time 2 significantly differed (P < .001; t = 3.47), such that there was a significant decrease in self-reported stress over the study interval. The number of minutes of mindfulness mobile app use over the 14 days of the study was not predictive of stress change (P = .14), but the number of days practicing mindfulness was a significant predictor of stress change (P = .03).

CONCLUSIONS

Consistently practicing mindfulness may be more predictive of stress reduction than length of practice, as evidenced by a significant relationship between change in stress and number of days practicing mindfulness meditation, but not number of minutes practiced.
Characterization of Semi-Interpenetrated Network Alginate/Gelatin Wound Dressing Crosslinked at Sol Phase
Authors: Perkasa Dian Pribadi , Erizal Erizal , Purwanti Tri , Tontowi Alva Edy
Published: June 2018

Gel contraction of alginate during ionic crosslinking at sol phase was reduced by blending with gelatin solution due to intermolecular interaction and chain entanglement. The semi-interpenetrated network (semi-IPN) of wound dressing hydrogels were prepared by overlaid alginate/gelatin blend with 1.0% (w/w) CaCl2 solution under ambient temperature for 2 h. Results showed that gel contraction was significantly reduced with increasing gelatin content i.e. from 40.5 ± 5.8% for pure alginate to as low as 5.8 ± 1.2% for alginate/gelatin of 1:7 (w/w). It seems that gelatin successfully inhibited alginate chains mobility during their network re-arrangement by Ca2+ cation. The FTIR spectra of hydrogels showed combination of characteristic vibration of alginate and gelatin. Increasing gelatin content also significantly improved elasticity and tensile strength at break of dried hydrogels. Swelling kinetics of dried hydrogels were fitted Schott’s second-order power-law model. Increasing gelatin fraction increased the swelling rate while decreased the swelling at equilibrium. Their absorptive capacity were of interval for management of moderate to heavily exudating wound.
Removal Efficiency of Nitrite and Sulfide Pollutants by Electrochemical Process by Using Ti/RuIrO2 Anode
Authors: Mukimin Aris , Purwanto Agus
Published: June 2018

In general, wastewater treatment by physical, chemical and biological methods are only focused on TSS, BOD and COD removals that the effluent still contains anion pollutant as NO2- and S2-. Electrochemical technology is a proper method for those pollutants treatment due to its fast process, easy operation and minimum amount of sludge. Electrocatalytic reactor with 8 L capacity using Ti/RuIrO2 cylinder as anode and Fe plate as cathode was arranged and applied to treat anion pollutants. Hydraulic retention time (30, 60, 90 and 120 min), salt concentration (250, 500 and 750 mg/L) and voltage (4, 5, and 6 V) were chosen as operation variables and NO2- and S2- concentrations as parameter indicators. Nitrite removal efficiency reached 75 and 99.7% after 60 and 120 min of electrolysis, respectively, while sulfide could obtain higher efficiency, i.e., 97 and 99.9% after 60 and 90 min, respectively, at operation variables of potential of 5 V and salt of 500 mg/L. Removal process is dominated by indirect oxidation mechanism by HClO/ClO- oxidators generated at anode surface as intermediate products. The lifespan of electrode and electric consumption are two main factors of operation cost. Electric consumed was 0.452 kWh per 1 g nitrite removed.
Application of FTIR Spectroscopy and Chemometrics for Halal Authentication of Beef Meatball Adulterated with Dog Meat
Authors: Rahayu Wiranti Sri , Rohman Abdul , Martono Sudibyo , Sudjadi Sudjadi
Published: June 2018

Beef meatball is one of the favorite meat-based food products among Indonesian community. Currently, beef is very expensive in Indonesian market compared to other common meat types such as chicken and lamb. This situation has intrigued some unethical meatball producers to replace or adulterate beef with lower priced-meat like dog meat. The objective of this study was to evaluate the capability of FTIR spectroscopy combined with chemometrics for identification and quantification of dog meat (DM) in beef meatball (BM). Meatball samples were prepared by adding DM into BM ingredients in the range of 0–100% wt/wt and were subjected to extraction using Folch method. Lipid extracts obtained from the samples were scanned using FTIR spectrophotometer at 4000–650 cm-1. Partial least square (PLS) calibration was used to quantify DM in the meatball. The results showed that combined frequency regions of 1782–1623 cm-1 and 1485-659 cm-1 using detrending treatment gave optimum prediction of DM in BM. Coefficient of determination (R2) for correlation between the actual value of DM and FTIR predicted value was 0.993 in calibration model and 0.995 in validation model. The root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC) and standard error of cross validation (SECV) were 1.63% and 2.68%, respectively. FTIR spectroscopy combined with multivariate analysis can serve as an accurate and reliable method for analysis of DM in meatball.
Six-Years Learning of English
Authors: Setyawan Harits
Published: June 2018

The main objective of this research is to investigate the students’ English proficiency after learning the subject for six years; 3 years at Junior High School and 3 years at Senior High School. This research was conducted at some higher schools in Lampung. The higher schools involved both public and private institutions. The samples were chosen purposefully; students who were taught by the researcher. In overall there were 40 samples involved in this research. At the beginning of the class, before the students were taught by the researcher, they were given a multiple-choice test that measured the students’ knowledge of English grammar. The result showed the mean score that the students got was 47.5, which meant very low English proficiency. It indicates that a long-duration learning of English does not guarantee that students will be proficient in that language.
PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ORAL NANOSUSPENSION LOADED WITH CURCUMIN
Authors: Hirlekar Sneha Dekate Shreeram , Bhairy Srinivas , Bhairy Srinivas , Hirlekar Rajashree , Hirlekar Rajashree
Published: June 2018

Objective: The principle objective of the present research work was to improve the bioavailability of curcumin (CUR) by decreasing its particle size. Nanosuspension (NS) of CUR was prepared using poloxamer-188 (P188) as a surfactant. The prepared NSs were characterized for particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential, drug loading, saturation solubility, and drug release kinetic studies.Methods: Components required for NS preparation, such as solvent, anti-solvent and surfactant were screened. Precipitation high-speed homogenization (HSH) method was used for the preparation of NS using selected components. Evaluation of NS for particle size, PDI, drug loading, saturation solubility and in vitro drug release was done. Pharmacokinetic studies of the NS in sprague dawley (SD) rats were performed.Results: The particle size, PDI and zeta potential of the optimized formulation was 596.5±5 nm, 0.233±0.010 and-23±2 mV respectively. The pH of all the formulations was in the range of 5-6 which is acceptable when related to drug stability. The optimized formulation showed an increase in saturation solubility in water and phosphate buffer pH 6.8 when compared to plain CUR suspension (S). Results of pharmacokinetic studies indicated that Cmax and AUC0-6 were increased 8 and 10 times respectively from plain CUR S to CUR NS.Conclusion: CUR NS was prepared using P188 as the stabilizer. Amongst various stabilizers screened P188 rendered a stable NS with the particle size in nano range. Pharmacokinetic studies revealed the better performance of CUR NS as compared to plain CUR S.
PHYTOCHEMICAL, ANTI-INFLAMMATORY, ANTIOXIDANT, CYTOTOXIC AND ANTIBACTERIAL STUDY OF CAPPARIS CARTILAGINEA DECNEFROM YEMEN
Authors: Moharram Bushra Abdulkarim , Al-mahbashi Hassan M. , Ali Riyadh Saif , Aqlan Faten Ali
Published: June 2018

Objective: To investigate phytochemicals and biological activities of Capparis cartilaginea extracts.Methods: The methanolic extracts of leaves, stem and twigs of C. cartilaginea were screened for their phytochemicals. The essential oil of the leaves was hydrodistilled by a Clevenger apparatus and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The leaves extract of C. cartilaginea was evaluated for its anti-inflammatory effect, using formalin-induced paw edema. The leaves, stem and twig extracts were assessed for their antioxidant activity, using free radical scavenging assay, cytotoxic activity, using 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and antibacterial activity, using the microdilution method.Results: All extracts of C. cartilaginea contained alkaloids, carbohydrates, protein, coumarin, phytosterols, bitter principles, phenols and tannins. The essential oil of the leaves was mainly composed of isopropyl isothiocyanate (69.4%), butane,1-isothiocyanate (26.97%) and isobutyl isothiocyanate (3.26%). The leaves extract at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg, significantly inhibited paw edema at the 3rd h (49.1%, 54.0%, respectively) and this effect was comparable to that of diclofenac (58.87%). The leaves extract showed the highest antioxidant activity with IC50 value of 91.71 µg/ml. The twigs extract exhibited the highest cytotoxic activity against human lung carcinoma (A549) with IC50 of 57.5 µg/ml. The leaves and stem extracts exhibited antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 5.0 mg/ml. Conclusion: The leaves extract of C. cartilaginea is a potential source of bioactive compounds that could have a role in anti-inflammation. Twigs extract of the C. cartilaginea possesses a potential cytotoxic effect on human lung cell line.
NEPHROPROTECTIVE ACTIVITY OF THE ETHNOMEDICINAL PLANTS CAESALPINIA BONDUC AND MOMORDICA DIOICA FROM NE INDIA AGAINST CISPLATIN INDUCED CHEMOTHERAPEUTIC TOXICITY
Authors: Talukdar Anindita , Kalita Ranjan Dutta , Gohain Nilakshi , Saikia Kandarpa Kr. , Kalita Mohan Chandra
Published: June 2018

Objective: Cisplatin a potent anticancer drug is used for treatment against different forms of cancer. However a major limitation of cisplatin is its nephrotoxicity and severe side effects. The main objective of the present study was to investigate the nephroprotective activity of the medicinal plants Caesalpinia bonduc and Momordica dioica against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. Methods: In the present study wistar rat models were intraperitoneally injected with cisplatin for eight consecutive days Plant extracts of different compositions were administered for eight days after injection of cisplatin. The polyphenolic content of the crude extracts was investigated using the Folin Ciocalteau method while the flavonoid estimation was carried out using the aluminium chloride method. The antioxidant activities of the extracts were assayed using the DPPH radical scavenging method. Plant extracts were tested for their nephroprotective ability using modified Berthelot method, uricase method, alkaline picrate method.Results: In the present study it was found that the level of creatinine, urea, uric acid and blood urea nitrogen was lowered by the crude hexane extract of Momordica dioica and ethyl acetate extract of Caesalpinia bonduc as compared to the control group. The total phenolic content and the total flavonoid content was found to be highest in the hexane extract of Momordica dioica with 110.51±1.0 μg/GAE and 1.92±0.15 μg/QE. The methanol extract of Caesalpinia bonduc was found to be the highest in inhibition of the DPPH free radicals with nearly 80% inhibition.Conclusion: The present study revealed the nephroprotective ability of the hexane extract of Momordica dioica and ethyl acetate extract Caeselpinia bonduc. The extracts were also found to have higher antioxidant activity and therefore their nephroprotective activity might be due to attenuation of oxidative stress.
Development of a veteran engagement toolkit for researchers
Authors: Brys Nicole A , Whittle Jeff , Safdar Nasia
Published: June 2018

Aim:
Engaging patients in the planning, implementation and dissemination of research can increase the credibility and relevance of results and lead to higher quality, more patient-centered care. Veterans have unique experiences and healthcare needs, making their input on research related to their care particularly important. However, existing veteran engagement resources primarily focus on veterans who receive care through the Veterans Health Administration (VA). This excludes those veterans – the majority – who do not use the VA for healthcare.
Methods:
To address this gap, we developed a veteran engagement toolkit that was informed by the work of both VA and non-VA researchers across the USA.
Results:
The resulting toolkit provides guidance on essential engagement activities relevant to researchers in a variety of settings. 
Conclusion:
 Investigators wishing to engage the veteran community may benefit from the experience and lessons summarized in this veteran-informed toolkit, in addition to resources directed at informing community engagement more generally.
A Data-Driven Approach to Appraisal and Selection at a Domain Data Repository
Authors: Pienta Amy M , Akmon Dharma , Noble Justin , Hoelter Lynette , Jekielek Susan
Published: June 2018

Social scientists are producing an ever-expanding volume of data, leading to questions about appraisal and selection of content given finite resources to process data for reuse. We analyze usersâ€™ search activity in an established social science data repository to better understand demand for data and more effectively guide collection development. By applying a data-driven approach, we aim to ensure curation resources are applied to make the most valuable data findable, understandable, accessible, and usable. We analyze data from a domain repository for the social sciences that includes over 500,000 annual searches in 2014 and 2015 to better understand trends in user search behavior. Using a newly created search-to-study ratio technique, we identified gaps in the domain data repositoryâ€™s holdings and leveraged this analysis to inform our collection and curation practices and policies. The evaluative technique we propose in this paper will serve as a baseline for future studies looking at trends in user demand over time at the domain data repository being studied with broader implications for other data repositories.
Economía étnica transnacional mexicana: Los Ángeles, California
Authors: Peraza Brianda , Valenzuela Blas
Published: June 2018

La presente investigación analiza la naturaleza de la economía étnica mexicana que se desarrolla en las ciudades de Huntington Park y Lynwood, California, Estados Unidos. Utilizando bases de datos censales y resultados de la aplicación de 145 encuestas y 25 entrevistas a distintos actores en el año 2012, el trabajo documenta la existencia de una Economía Étnica Transnacional (EET) que rebasa a la definición tradicional de concepto de “economía étnica”, y cuya organización y desarrollo abarca negocios individuales, negocios con sucursales, redes de supermercados y un consorcio comercial en la zona de estudio, con lazos y relaciones que trascienden las fronteras nacionales.
Aproximación crítica a las principales teorías sobre el cambio tecnológico
Authors: Jimenez Barrera Yasmani
Published: June 2018

El presente artículo investiga las principales teorías y enfoques sobre el cambio tecnológico, con el objetivo de demostrar la vigencia de los conceptos de Carlos Marx en discusiones contemporáneas. Metodológicamente, las teorías neoclásicas y neoschumpeterianas fueron unificadas, bajo el enfoque convencional, sobre el cambio tecnológico, aun sabiendo las diferencias entre ambas; mientras en la concepción marxista, prevalecen los análisis de Marx sobre otros autores. La contrastación entre ambas perspectivas teóricas se desarrolló sobre la base de cuatro variables fundamentales, a saber: 1) el carácter sistémico, 2) la naturaleza del cambio tecnológico, 3) la actitud ante el proceso innovador, y 4) el alcance explicativo en torno al crecimiento y el proceso de desarrollo.