bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Análise do Nível de Maturidade de Escritórios de Projetos de TI através do método PMO Maturity Cube
Authors: De Noronha Bruno H. C. , Fenner Germano , Lima Alberto Sampaio 
Published: May 2021

O gerenciamento de projetos é essencial para as empresas, pois é um diferencial competitivo que representa níveis crescentes de qualidade e agrega valor aos interesses dos clientes. Um escritório de projetos é uma unidade organizacional que centraliza e coordena o gerenciamento de projetos sobre seu domínio. Este artigo apresenta uma análise do nível de maturidade do escritório de projetos de empresa da área de pesquisa em tecnologia da informação (TI) com a utilização do método PMO Maturity Cube. A partir de observações, de uma revisão de literatura e de um estudo de caso realizado em escritório de projetos de TI, foi aplicado o método PMO Maturity Cube. Os resultados da pesquisa foram confrontados com resultados de outra empresa.
Relato da Aplicação da Metodologia Design Thinking no Projeto de um Software para Mobilidade Urbana
Authors: Alves Antonia T.  , Lima Adailton M. , Sales Ernani de Oliveira , Da Costa Anderson Jorge S.
Published: May 2021

A integração de gerenciamento de estoque, roteamento de veículos e decisões de agendamento é conhecida como IRP (Inventory Routing Problem). Neste problema, o objetivo principal é determinar: (i) a quantidade de produtos a serem entregues com base na demanda do cliente; (ii) os prazos de entrega e (iii) a rota dos veículos. Os IRPs que incluem restrições de serviço de janela de tempo são encontrados em cenários reais e o atendimento a esse tipo de restrição traz benefícios para o fornecedor e para o cliente. Esta revisão sistemática da literatura tem como objetivo identificar tendências na área que estuda problemas de roteamento de inventário com janelas de tempo. Identificamos e analisamos as abordagens propostas, as características dos problemas resolvidos e o tipo de experimentos realizados em 9 estudos primários.
Searching for Refactoring Opportunities to apply the Strategy Pattern
Authors: Pauli Guinther de B. , Piveta Eduardo K.
Published: May 2021

It is difficult to maintain and to adapt poorly written code presenting shortcomings in its structure. Refactoring techniques are used to improve thecode and the structure of applications, making them better and easier to modify. Design patterns are reusable solutions used in similar problems in object-oriented systems, so there is no need to recreate the solutions. Applying design patterns in the context of refactoring in a corrective way becomes a desired activity in the life cycle of a specific software system. However, in large-scale projects, the manual examination of artefacts to find problems and opportunities to apply a design pattern is a hard task. In this context, wepresent a metric-based heuristic function to detect where the Strategy designpattern can be applied in a given project. To evaluate the heuristic functionand its results we have also built a tool to show the results. This tool canexamine source code using ASTs (Abstract Syntax Trees), searching for opportunities to apply the Strategy pattern, indicating the exact location in the source code where the pattern is suggested, also showing some evidences usedin the detection.
GenNòmos: um processo genérico para utilização do framework Nòmos
Authors: Albuquerque Hidelberg , Silva Carla , Rousy Danielle
Published: May 2021

O Framework Nòmos estende o framework i* para alcançar a conformidade legal dos requisitos de sistemas de informação. A conformidade legal é uma exigência imposta por departamentos governamentais, a partir do conteúdo encontrado nas normas jurídicas. O não-cumprimento destas exigências por parte de um software pode acarretar transtornos legais e financeiros às empresas e suas soluções. Por outro lado, o fato do Nòmos ser dependente do i* pode ser uma barreira para a sua ampla adoção na indústria. Portanto, este trabalho propõe tornar o Nòmos independente de notação de modelagem de processos de negócio ou de requisitos de software, ao invés de ser aplicado exclusivamente no i*, como proposto originalmente.
Implementação e avaliação de um aplicativo biométrico utilizando o método Fuzzy Vault e ferramentas open-source
Authors: Faria Bruno Guedes , Stump Sandra Maria Dotto
Published: May 2021

Sistemas biométricos vem sendo utilizados consideravelmente nos últimos anos, principalmente aqueles baseados em impressão digital. No que tange à segurança, necessitam da mesma preocupação que se tem com sistemas tradicionais de senhas e cartões. Fuzzy Vault aparece neste cenário para prover a segurança de sistemas biométricos, particularmente, protegendo o template biométrico armazenado. Neste trabalho será desenvolvido o método Fuzzy Vault, aplicando-o para ocultar um segredo de 128 bits; o método será utilizado dentro do contexto de um aplicativo biométrico de impressão digital. Serão expostas avaliações sobre o desempenho e segurança do aplicativo e também resultados experimentais comuns a sistemas biométricos (FRR, GAR, FAR).
SOA Governance from an Enterprise Architecture Viewpoint
Authors: Diirr Thaíssa , Azevedo Leonardo Guerreiro , Santoro Flávia Maria
Published: May 2021

To obtain business benefits resulting from the implementation of an SOA approach is not sufficient managing technical features. A strategy aligned to business should be considered as a basis for activities of implementation, validation,development and services management. A business case, a reference model and anarchitecture of the organization should be established. This paper proposes SOAgovernance processes. The processes were evaluated by SOA experts who argue thatthey would adopt them for SOA governance in their organizations.
A Method for Service Agile Construction
Authors: Carvalho Felipe , Azevedo Leonardo Guerreiro , Santos Gleison
Published: May 2021

Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) and agile methods share common drivers. However, there is a lack of guidelines a SOA team should pursue in order to develop services considering best practices, acceptance tests, distributed teams, contract refactoring, among other issues related to SOA principles and agile practices. This work presents a new method that addresses team concerns and needs aiming at a systematic approach for service development using XP's agile practices and SOA principles. We provide best practices, phases and activities that specifically address XP's core practices and service-oriented best practices. We also provide an example of our proposal in order to demonstrate its applicability.
Controle Inteligente no desenvolvimento de Projetos de Software
Authors: De Souza Leandro L. C. , Queiroz Anderson C. P. , Campos Gustavo , Cortés Mariela I. , Veras Nécio L. , Gonçalves Enyo J. T. , Oliveira Marcos A.
Published: May 2021

O desenvolvimento de software é uma atividade dinâmica e distribuída. Os processos que envolvem essa atividade estão ligados a diversas áreas do conhecimento, com destaque para o gerenciamento de integração do projeto. Este artigo busca auxiliar gerentes de projeto no monitoramento e controle desses processos. Para que isso seja possível, a abordagem proposta integra a tecnologia de agentes, a técnica do valor agregado e o método do caminho crítico com o objetivo de gerar alternativas para ações preventivas e corretivas a fim de minimizar o impacto negativo dos desvios e gerando novas estimativas.
Simulador de Rotinas do Sistema Operacional para Auxílio às Aulas Teóricas
Authors: Ribeiro Thiago Pirola , Bernardes Rafael Lucas , Lobo Edgard Araujo
Published: May 2021

Com o intuito de diminuir o impacto negativo causado pela difícil caracterização do real dinamismo dos eventos computacionais abordados na disciplina de Sistemas Operacionais, foram desenvolvidos neste trabalho dois softwares: (i) um para simulação das rotinas de gerenciamento de memória real e virtual e (ii) outro abordando o funcionamento do escalonamento de processos em arquiteturas com multiprocessadores ou com processadores multicore. Como resultado os softwares ilustram de forma gráfica as estratégias para gerenciamento, dando suporte as aulas conceituais da disciplina de Sistemas Operacionais tornando-as mais dinâmicas, além de possibilitar a simulação de diversos cenários.
Autotuning GPU Compiler Parameters Using OpenTuner
Authors: Bruel Pedro , Amarís Marcos , Goldman Alfredo
Published: May 2021

In this paper we implement an autotuner for the compilation ﬂags of GPU algorithms using the OpenTuner framework. An autotuner is a program that ﬁnds a combination of algorithms, or a conﬁguration of an algorithm, that optimizes the solution of a given problem instance or set of instances. We analyse the performance gained after autotuning compilation ﬂags for parallel algorithms in three GPU devices, and show that it is possible to improve upon the high-level optimizations of the CUDA compiler. One of the experimental settings achieved a 30% speedup.
Avaliação do consumo de energia na execução do NAS Parallel Benchmark (NPB) em processadores ARM
Authors: S. Junior Jorge , Carissimi Alexandre
Published: May 2021

O consumo de energia é um aspecto básico no projeto de sistemas HPC exascale e várias pesquisas buscam resolver o problema da eficiência energética. Uma estratégia é o uso de processadores de baixo consumo, como o ARM. No entanto, há vários modelos de ARM, com diferentes capacidades de processamento e de consumo de energia. Este artigo compara um ARM CortexA7 com um ARM Cortex-A15 usando como critério o tempo-até-solução e energia-até-solução na execução do benchmark paralelo NAS. Esses processadores foram empregados na concepção de dois clusters com 16 núcleos de processamento, cada. Os resultados mostram que nem sempre baixo consumo representa menor energia, já que os tempos de execução tendem a aumentar.
Comparison between Meta-Heuristic Algorithms for Path Planning
Authors: Rocha Lídia , Vivaldini Kelen
Published: May 2021

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) has been increasingly employed in several missions with a pre-defined path. Over the years, UAV has become necessary in complex environments, where it demands high computational cost and execution time for traditional algorithms. To solve this problem meta-heuristic algorithms are used. Meta-heuristics are generic algorithms to solve problems without having to describe each step until the result and search for the best possible answer in an acceptable computational time. The simulations are made in Python, with it, a statistical analyses was realized based on execution time and path length between algorithms Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Grey Wolf Optimization (GWO) and Glowworm Swarm Optimization (GSO). Despite the GWO returns the paths in a shorter time, the PSO showed better performance with similar execution time and shorter path length. However, the reliability of the algorithms will depend on the size of the environment. PSO is less reliable in large environments, while the GWO maintains the same reliability.
EEG signal detection and analysis with application in educational robotics
Authors: Pinto Adam Henrique Moreira , Romero Roseli Aparecida Francelin
Published: May 2021

Brain-Computer Interfaces add information to robots directly from users’ brain, allowing for the interpretation of attention, engagement, and even student mistakes. However, most applications still have low accuracy in recognizing this information. In this paper, an Error Related Potential (ErrP) detection system is being proposed. For this, a new database was created by using a serious game and a humanoid robot aiming to force errors and mental state changings of the user. Wavelets and Fourier Transforms were compared to signal feature extraction, classified using both MultiLayer Perceptron (MLP) and Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN). Experiments demonstrate that the wavelet outperformed Fourier transform to extract the ErrP signal, and CNN had a higher accuracy than MLP in the classification.
Three-dimensional Mapping with Augmented Navigation Cost through Deep Learning
Authors: Oliveira Felipe G. , Campos Mario F. M. , Macharet Douglas G.
Published: May 2021

This work addresses the problem of mapping terrain features based on inertial and LiDAR measurements to estimate the navigation cost for an autonomous ground robot. Unlike most indoor applications, where surfaces are usually human-made, flat, and structured, external environments may be unpredictable regarding the types and conditions of the travel surfaces, such as traction characteristics and inclination. Attaining full autonomy in outdoor environments requires a mobile ground robot to perform the fundamental localization and mapping tasks in unfamiliar environments, but with the added challenge of unknown terrain conditions. A fuller representation of the environment is undamental to increase confidence and to reduce navigation costs. To this end, we propose a methodology composed of five main steps: i) speed-invariant inertial transformation; ii) roughness level classification; iii) navigation cost estimation; iv) sensor fusion through Deep Learning; and v) estimation of navigation costs for untraveled regions. To validate the methodology, we carried out experiments using ground robots in different outdoor environments with different terrain characteristics. Results show that the terrain maps thus obtained are a faithful representation of outdoor environments allowing for accurate and reliable path planning.
Trajectory Optimization for Hybrid Wheeled-Legged Robots in Challenging Terrain
Authors: Medeiros Vivian Suzano , Meggiolaro Marco Antonio
Published: May 2021

Wheeled-legged robots are a promising solution for agile locomotion in challenging terrain, combining the speed of the wheels with the ability of the legs to cope with unstructured environments. This paper presents a trajectory optimization framework that allows wheeled-legged robots to navigate in challenging terrain, e.g., steps, slopes, gaps, while negotiating these obstacles with dynamic motions. The framework generates the robot’s base motion as well as the wheels’ positions and contact forces along the trajectory, accounting for the terrain map and the dynamics of the robot. The knowledge of the terrain map allows the optimizer to generate feasible motions for obstacle negotiation in a dynamic manner, at higher speeds. To take full advantage of the hybrid nature of wheeled-legged robots, driving and stepping motions are both considered in a single planning problem that can generate trajectories with purely driving motions or hybrid driving-stepping motions. The optimization is formulated as a Nonlinear Programming Problem (NLP) employing a phase-based parametrization to optimize over the wheels’ motion and contact forces. The reference trajectories are tracked by a hierarchical whole-body controller that computes the torque actuation commands for the robot. The motion plans are verified on the quadrupedal robot ANYmal equipped with non-steerable torque-controlled wheels in simulations and experimental tests. Agile hybrid motions are demonstrated in simulations with discontinuous obstacles, such as floating steps and gaps, at an average speed of 0.75 m/s.
Long Non-coding RNAs Associated with Brain Disorders: A Literature Review
Authors: Abdolmaleki Arash , Ferdowsi Sevin , Asadi Asadollah , Panahi Yassin
Published: May 2021

Context: Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are neurological disorders characterized by the degeneration of the central nervous system (CNS). Studies have examined interactions between long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and functioning of the CNS in NDs. In this study, we summarized the role of different lncRNAs in most NDs. Methods: In this study, different papers published between years 2003 and 2020 were reviewed. Results: LncRNAs can play a significant role in the development of brain disorders. Conclusions: The dysregulation of lncRNAs has been shown to affect NDs such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson’s diseases (PD). In this review, we compiled recent findings related to the main lncRNAs associated with brain disorders.
Diagnostic Value of Carotid Artery Intima-media Thickness in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Its Correlation with HbA1c Levels
Authors: Dehdashti Sharokh Hamid , Zakerkish Mehrnoosh , Sina Amir Hossein , Saki Azadeh , Forouzan Farzaneh , Jenabi Aaraf
Published: May 2021

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the role of carotid ultrasonography and measure the carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) and its correlation with hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) to observe cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: In this observational study, 205 consecutive patients with T2DM from Golestan Hospital, Ahvaz, Iran, were included. We performed HbA1c measurements using high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a thermo-system. Carotid arteries ultrasonography was performed with an Aloka SSD 5500 apparatus with a 7.5 MHz transducer. The CIMT was measured in the supine position with a slight neck extension. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the two study groups in the duration of diabetes with CIMT (P = 0.425), while the differences in creatinine, HbA1c, and urine albumin were statistically significant (P = 0.020, P = 0.041, and P = 0.016, respectively). There was no correlation between CIMT and age (r = 0.19, P = 0.792) and duration of diabetes (r = 0.125, P = 0.081). Furthermore, there was no remarkable association between CIMT and weight (r = 0.12, P = 0.881) and FBS ( r = 0.062, P = 0.405). There was also a non-significant negative correlation between HbA1c% and CIMT (r = -0.127, P = 0.127). Conclusions: Ultrasound measurement of CIMT is a safe and relatively cost-effective way of diagnosing atherosclerosis. Thus, the ultrasound's predictive value as a safe and non-invasive examination may alert the related field experts early enough to intervene to prevent major cardiovascular complications.
Estilo docente y competencia en educación superior: mediación del clima motivacional
Authors: Granero-Gallegos Antonio , Hortigüela-Alcalá David , Hernando-Garijo Alejandra , Carrasco-Poyatos María
Published: May 2021

El objetivo de este estudio es analizar la mediación del clima motivacionalentre el estilo interpersonal docente y la satisfacción y frustración de la competencia académica en alumnado de educación superior. El diseño de la investigación es observacional, descriptivo y transversal, con muestreo por conveniencia.Han participado 354 estudiantes universitarios (59.6% varones) (Medad=21.84;DT=1.98) y se han utilizado las siguientes escalas: Estilo Interpersonal Docenteen Educación Superior, Clima Motivacional en Educación, Satisfacción de lasNecesidades Psicológicas Básicas y Frustración de las Necesidades PsicológicasBásicas. Las relaciones predictivas del estilo interpersonal docente sobre lasatisfacción y frustración de la competencia académica, mediados por el climamotivacional, se han sometido a verificación mediante un modelo de senderos(path analysis). Se presentan las relaciones directas e indirectas del modelo. Haquedado demostrada la importancia del clima motivacional como elementomediador entre el estilo interpersonal docente y la satisfacción y frustraciónde la competencia académica del alumnado, siendo el clima hacia la maestríael mediador más relevante para la predicción positiva de la satisfacción de lacompetencia a partir de un estilo de apoyo a la autonomía.
Representaciones sobre sexismo en Educación Superior y Formación Profesional
Authors: Fernandez Rotaeche Patricia , Jaureguizar Alboniga-Mayor Joana , Idoiaga Mondragon Nahia
Published: May 2021

La educación, y la escuela como institución, juegan un papel fundamental en el proceso de socialización de todo ser humano, y, a través de ella se transmiten creencias  y actitudes donde se constata el papel del personal docente como transmisor de las mismas. Entre las creencias y actitudes que el profesorado puede transmitir de forma no consciente están las ideas sexistas. Este estudio quiere conocer la representación que sobre el sexismo  tiene el alumnado de grados de Educación Infantil, Primaria y Técnico Superior en Educación Infantil, considerando que éstos son el futuro personal docente-educador y, por tanto, responsables de la transmisión de  ideas, creencias y actitudes en las aulas. Para llevar a cabo esta investigación, 114 alumnas y alumnos de grados de Educación Infantil y Primaria, así como también alumnado de formación profesional, Técnicos y Técnicas en Educación Infantil, realizaron una tarea de asociación libre mediante el Grid Elaboration Method con el fin de recoger las representaciones sobre sexismo de dicho alumnado. Para analizar el contenido del ejercicio se realizó un análisis lexical mediante el método Reinert a través del software Iramuteq. Los resultados más significativos nos muestran que este alumnado representa el sexismo como una infravaloración por razón de género, y que esta infravaloración se daría por igual en hombres y en mujeres. El estudio también recoge situaciones sexistas que el alumnado observa y vive, las cuales son identificadas en su mayoría en el ámbito laboral y deportivo, quedando excluido el sexismo en el ámbito educativo. Finalmente, se quiere conocer las repercusiones sociales del sexismo, donde sobre todo se menciona la discriminación social hacia la mujer haciendo claras referencias al patriarcado. Además, se discute la ausencia de conciencia de este alumnado de que el sexismo se puede dar también en el ámbito educativo, y sobre las implicaciones de la misma.
Medidas para combatir el plagio en los procesos de aprendizaje
Authors: Muñoz Cantero Jesús Miguel , Espiñeira Bellón Eva María , Pérez Crego María Cristina
Published: May 2021

Este estudio se centra en determinar la percepción del alumnado universitario sobre posibles estrategias de eliminación del plagio en sus trabajos académicos. Se emplea una metodología cualitativa basada en el análisis de contenido a partir de la respuesta a una pregunta abierta orientada a determinar cómo se puede evitar el plagio, incluida en el Cuestionario de Atribuciones para la Detección de Coincidencias en Trabajos Académicos (CUDECO). Las categorías que surgen del discurso de las personas encuestadas se centran en: (a) información; normalmente con respecto al proceso de citación, (b) formación; tanto del proceso de citación como de la elaboración de los trabajos que se solicitan (c) supervisión; por parte del profesorado y (d) medidas sancionadoras; coercitivas y punitivas. Las principales formas de combatir el plagio según el estudiantado, se centran en la propia definición de lo que ha de entenderse por plagio académico y, en medidas informativas (normalmente con respecto al proceso de citación), formativas (tanto por parte del profesorado como de las facultades y la propia institución), de carácter digital (a través de herramientas de detección), de supervisión por parte del profesorado (concienciando en la importancia de citar correctamente, produciéndose una mayor implicación y un mayor interés tanto por el tipo de trabajos que se solicitan y los tiempos asignados como por el carácter de las evaluaciones que se realizan) pero también coercitivas y punitivas. Existen algunos casos en los que se valora la necesidad de comenzar con dicho proceso con anterioridad, en cursos anteriores a los universitarios y también casos que consideran que es algo inevitable de difícil solución. En conclusión, reflexionar en torno a estas categorías, intentando combatirlas, podría disminuir el plagio en las universidades.
Anmeldelse af Tero Alstola, Judeans in Babylonia, 2020
Authors: Poulsen Frederik
Published: May 2021

Anmeldelse af Tero Alstola, Judeans in Babylonia (2020)
Tillid under COVID-19
Authors: Jacobsen Brian Arly , Kühle Lene , Christensen Henrik Reintoft
Published: May 2021

I artiklen undersøger vi danskernes tillid til myndighederne under krisen, relationen mellem den høje grad af tillid til myndighederne og efterlevelse af myndighedernes råd for at undgå spredning af smitte, samt hvordan en stigende mistillid til samfundet kan have konsekvenser for samfundets sammenhængskraft blandt andet i form af stigende polarisering. Den generelle tillid til andre mennesker er høj i Danmark, og vores undersøgelse viser, at mange har fået mere tillid til myndighederne under pandemien. Undersøgelsen viser dog begyndende tegn på polariseret tillid i befolkningen; men religion synes ikke at spille en rolle for denne udvikling. Det synes i stedet at være materiel og social usikkerhed, som er årsager, og som på sigt underminerer den høje grad af tillid, det danske samfund ellers har haft. Tillidsforskning peger generelt på, at grundlaget for den stærke sammenhængskraft, som det danske samfund har vist i årtier, netop er tillid. Hvis pandemiens materielle og sociale konsekvenser skaber grobund for forandring i tillidsniveauet, kan det være med til at skabe et værdimæssigt tilbageslag for de normer, som skaber sammenhængskraft i samfundet.
Perception, practice and proximity. Qualifying threats as psychological torture in international law.
Authors: Cakal Ergün
Published: May 2021

Background: Fear is a central dimension of torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment (hereafter ‘other ill-treatment’), particularly as a part of verbal or non-verbal threats. Adjudicators and policy-makers have grappled, arguably at a greater depth than with other methods of psychological torture, with the circumstances in which fear-based methods amount to torture or other ill-treatment. The pursuit of non-coercive standards of police interrogation has further underscored the need to better distinguish the prohibited from the permitted. Upon this background, this article reviews the existing jurisprudential and social scientific literature in formulating a lens through which fear-inducing methods could be better functionally conceptualised. Method: This article has identified, through systematic full-text search of databases, texts with keywords ‘threat’, ‘fear’, ‘coercion’, ‘intimidation’, ‘distress’, ‘anguish’ and ‘psychological pressure’. The identified texts, limited to English-language journal articles, NGO reports, court-cases and UN documents from 1950 to date, were then selected for relevance pertaining to conceptual, evidentiary and legal critique provided therein. Discussion: Whilst it is broadly recognized that the deployment of fear to inflict violence can amount to torture, methods of threats or coercion are not adequately conceptualized particularly at the lower end, i.e. routine interrogational torture. Here, principles pertaining to the legitimate use of force and minimum level of severity are used as functional guidelines to distinguish the prohibited from the permitted. The power, practice and proximity of state authorities to harm necessarily qualify threats as real, immediate and credible and therefore torturous.
Defining and documenting threats in the context of ill-treatment and torture
Authors: Pérez-Sales Pau
Published: May 2021

Threats are a common feature of detention and interrogation settings and have long been regarded as a routine procedure. Despite their prevalence and propensity to amount to ill-treatment and torture, threats have not been systematically and thoroughly analysed in case documentation processes. Given a lack of understanding, threats have unduly been considered a form of “torture-lite” at best by some juridical actors. However, its effect as an instrument of coercion can be devastating – engendering states of fear and anxiety and forcing its subject to act against their will.

There is an important lack of theoretical reflection on what threats are, what types exist and how they impact the survivor. In this editorial, we aim to partly fill this gap from a medical and psychological perspective, providing a framework of understanding that will hopefully improve conceptual and practical assessment, documentation and qualification.
Registered Nurses' Perceptions of Reflection as a Process for Exploring Experience
Authors:   , Hibbert Christine
Published: May 2021

Reflection is required by Registered Nurses to maintain registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council of the United Kingdom but the structured mechanisms through which this happens officially do not necessarily foster reflection in practice. This research aims to explore Registered Nurses’ (RN) perceptions of reflection with a particular focus on exploring, learning from and sharing workplace experiences. Using an approach which combined an interpretative phenomenological approach with aspects of narrative methodology, it addresses three questions: How do RNs perceive reflection? What are the features of shared reflection? And how might opportunities for sharing experience provide contexts for reflection? A particular focus here was reflection as a collective, rather than an individualised, activity. The participants were 22 RNs with varying numbers of years and levels of work experience following registration. Qualitative data were collected using audio recordings, field notes and memos from four focus groups, seven follow-up interviews and five individual interviews. The recordings were analysed using the double-listening method which led to constant comparative and iterations of narrative analysis to produce codes, categories and themes. Four overarching themes were identified: perceptions of reflection; the significance of emotions to reflection; confidence, self-deprecation and humour in RN’s accounts and belonging. The findings suggest that, contrary to common recommendations on reflection in nursing practice, it is possible for nurses to benefit from reflecting on each other’s practice, rather than just their own. The findings also demonstrate an emotional, embodied component to reflection that can create and sustain a sense of belonging through sharing stories during reflective conversations. It is argued therefore that sharing stories can form part of the collective reflective practice of nursing, and that collective reflective practice has potential to sustain and develop communities of reflective nursing practice and shared confidence in practice. These conclusions lead to two recommendations. First, experienced nurses should have opportunities to consider their perceptions of reflection as an activity that supports the reflective practice of nursing. Secondly, registered nurses would benefit from sharing reflective stories about their practice to sustain and further develop collective reflective nursing practice.
Public discussion of draft laws of the subjects of the Russian Federation
Authors: Anisimova Ekaterina Aleksandrovna
Published: May 2021

The subject of the research is the theory and practice of one of the forms of direct democracy вЂ“ public (public) discussion of draft laws of the subjects of the Russian Federation. The object of the study was public relations related to the regulation of the institute of public discussions of draft laws in Russian regions, as well as the participation of citizens in discussions. The general, dialectical, logical, formal-legal and sociological methods of scientific cognition are chosen for the research. The author examines in detail such aspects of the topic as the adoption by Russian regions of laws and other regulations on public discussion, the shortcomings of federal regulation of the issue, provides an overview of the practice of public discussions in a number of Russian regions, analyzes the reasons for the low efficiency of the institute. Special attention is paid to the results of the sociological survey conducted on the issue under study. The main conclusions of the study are: to identify the shortcomings of the current regulation of the democratic institution of public discussions of draft laws, to determine the reasons for the passivity of Russian citizens in relation to public discussions of normative legal acts. A special contribution of the author to the study of the topic can be considered the analysis of the practice of public discussions in the regions of the country, in addition, the author attempted to assess the prospects for the development of the legal institution in question in the Russian regions. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the identified problems of regulation and practice that currently arise in the subjects of the Russian Federation during public discussions of draft laws, as well as in the specific measures proposed by the author to eliminate the identified problems.
Longer leisure walking time is associated with positive self-rated health among adults and older adults: a Brazilian nationwide study
Authors: Silva Diego Augusto Santos
Published: May 2021

Background

To verify the association between weekly leisure walking time and positive self-rated health in the Brazilian adult and elderly population.

Methods

This cross-sectional study used information collected in 2019 across all regions of Brazil. This study included 25,785 people aged ≥ 18 years (mean = 51.6; standard deviation = 18.0) from all capitals of the Brazilian states who reported practicing walking as physical activity during leisure time. Self-rated health was the dependent variable (positive or negative). The leisure walking time/week was the main exposure and it was categorized in “150 minutes/week”, “150–299 minutes/week” and “≥ 300 minutes/week”. We used binary logistic regression to estimate odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) that was adjusted for relevant covariates.

Results

We found that individuals who reported leisure walking for a period from 150 to 299 minutes/week and those who reported walking for a period ≥ 300 minutes/week were respectively 28% (OR = 1.28. 95% CI [1.10–1.48]) and 52% (OR = 1.52. 95% CI [1.27–1.82]) more likely of perceiving their health positively compared to those who reported walking for a period < 150 minutes/week. Individuals who reported leisure walking time <150 minutes/week had 72.3% (95% CI [70.4–74.1]) probability of perceiving their health positively. Individuals who reported leisure walking time from 150 to 299 minutes/week had 76.6% (95% CI [75.0 –78.3) probability of perceiving their health positively. On the other hand, individuals who reported leisure walking time ≥ 300 minutes/week had 79.2% probability (95% CI [77.1–81.4]) of perceiving their health positively.

Conclusion

Longer leisure walking time was associated with positive self-rated health among adults and older adults in Brazil.
Experiencias Subjetivas de Intimidad en Pareja: Un Dilema Social Contemporáneo
Authors:   Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Rihm Andrea , Sharim Dariela ,   Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Barrientos Jaime ,   Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Araya Claudia ,   Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Larraín Margarita ,   Centro de Referencia de Salud Cordillera Oriente, Chile
Published: May 2021

Las transformaciones culturales recientes han reconfigurado la experiencia de intimidad. Este artículo presenta y discute los resultados de un estudio cualitativo conducido en Santiago de Chile, cuyo objetivo fue explorar, mediante relatos de vida temáticos y grupos focales, los significados atribuidos a las experiencias de intimidad en la relación de pareja por 64 hombres y mujeres de entre 38 y 45 años, en un muestreo de bola de nieve. Los resultados muestran que las personas encarnan en sus relaciones de pareja las tensiones que se desprenden de la coexistencia de distintos discursos sociales sobre las experiencias amorosas. Junto con anhelar amor e intimidad, expresan sentimientos de amenaza por la dependencia, pérdida de autonomía y renuncia a los proyectos personales, que asocian a la experiencia de pareja. Se discute que abordar dichas tensiones requiere una nueva conceptualización de intimidad, que la entienda como un proceso intersubjetivo discontinuo, marcado por experiencias de ruptura y reparación. Para esto, se utiliza el concepto psicoanalítico de terceridad, que considera los vínculos de intimidad como espacios de coconstrucción fuera de la lógica de la complementariedad.
Determination of indoor air quality in collective living spaces utilizing Fuzzy logic analysis
Authors:   Assist. Prof. Ahmet Cosgun, Cosgun Ahmet
Published: May 2021

Individuals have to work in collective living spaces which might be indoor or outdoor areas. In indoor works, people spend approximately 90% of their time in a closed space. There are many parameters affecting indoor air quality. Among these, for indoor and outdoor, important parameters can be listed as carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), particles, nitrogen oxides (NOx), various microorganisms, harmful allergens, and powders. Some health problems might emerge in people who stay in indoor environments for a long time. For instance, newborns and infants are more likely to stay indoors. It is the primary reason for occurring many acute and chronic diseases at an early age, as babies and children are more sensitive to environmental pollutants. Recently published studies, which report that appendicitis failures might be fatal and air pollution can increase the rate of these failures, are remarkable. On the other hand, there are many negative effects of polluted indoor air on human health such as attention deficit and excessive daytime sleepiness. Moreover, the negative effects of this kind of indoor air quality on human learning and perception can not be neglected. The researchers focusing on indoor air quality are conducting studies showing that air pollution has an effect on physical activity and neurological interaction in humans. Even though air pollutants in outdoor air content were evaluated with fuzzy logic method in many studies, there are quite few studies using the fuzzy approach for indoor air quality. In this study, through the standard formula developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), calculations were made using fuzzy logic in MATLAB utilizing air quality index. In the study, indoor air quality measurement parameters were evaluated with the “Mamdani” method used in fuzzy logic. In the study, the model suitable for the logic structure created with the fuzzy tool in MATLAB was analyzed with the help of Mamdani method, and the suitability of evaluating the indoor air quality with artificial intelligence was investigated. A set of suggestions has been made evaluating and criticizing the results
Numerical analysis of an elastomeric bearing pad by hyperelastic models
Authors:   Federal University of Minas Gerais (Brazil), Rezende Rivania Cristina , Greco Marcelo ,   Federal University of Minas Gerais (Brazil), Lalo Debora Francisco ,   Federal University of Minas Gerais (Brazil)
Published: May 2021

Elastomeric bearing pads are responsible for transferring loads at the junction between beams and columns of bridges and viaducts, providing restrict freedom of movement in the superstructure. The elastomeric material of the bearing pad is a synthetic rubber reinforced with carbon black particles and subjected to a process of vulcanization, also represented by hyperelastic material models based on strain energy density functions. The objective of the present paper is to use the finite element analysis software Abaqus® to select the most appropriate hyperelastic model, as well as its constants, applying them in a bearing pad installed in an existing viaduct, evaluating its behavior and displacements resulting from the application of usual loads. The proposed methodology presents results coherent with technical specifications limits for available bearing pads products.
Multi-objective optimization of time-cost-quality in construction projects using genetic algorithm
Authors:   University-Cerrahpaşa (Turkey), Akcay Cemil , Işikyildiz Setenay ,   University-Cerrahpaşa (Turkey)
Published: May 2021

In this study, it was aimed to develop a model that provides Time-Cost-Quality optimization in construction projects using Genetic algorithm method. In order to fulfill that, Matlab codes for a multi-purpose genetic algorithm that performs Time-Cost-Quality optimization were developed and applied to the problem, and the targeted success level was substantially achieved. This model is capable of performing and visualizing an advanced three-dimensional time, cost, quality tradeoff analysis instead of the traditional two-dimensional time-cost tradeoff analysis. It was possible to select the desired alternative under the project conditions obtaining pareto images called a set of solutions rather than a single solution. In addition, one of the main objectives of this study is to develop an effective model to assist the main contractors of the construction in selecting the most suitable subcontractors.
Review design of wind load analysis structures guyed tension in the Bogor repeater radio frequency antenna towers
Authors:   Halu Oleo University (Indonesia), Cim Sunaryo , Muh. Magribi La Ode , Putra Adris A. , Simatupang Minson , Thahir Azikin Muh.
Published: May 2021

The purpose of this study is to analyze the wind load on the Repeater Radio Frequency (RRF) antenna tower, the wind load is viewed from an angle of 0° to the towing cable to the largest angle on the two types of antenna towers, triangle and rectangular. Both types will produce different wind loads so that we can find out which load is the biggest from a combination of wind directions. The research method is by empirical analysis, calculating the wind load alone while other loads are not counted. As a result of wind loads, the tension cable and load direction correspond to each section and then the resultant values of force and direction will arise. And finally, the force is changed to lift and the anchor will hold the force. The results; The use of triangle antenna towers is more beneficial, especially the wind load that occurs is smaller, thus the construction costs are also smaller. The lifting power of a triangle antenna anchor tower is lighter around 1393.971N or 1.393971kN than that of a square antenna anchor tower lift of around 1971.373N or 1.971373kN.
Strength and microstructural behavior of concrete incorporating laterite sand in binary blended cement
Authors:   Anna University (India), Raja Rajapriya , Vijayan Ponmalar ,   Anna University (India)
Published: May 2021

Laterite, due to its wide availability and low cost, is considered as a societal building material in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. Excavation of the laterite leaves laterite stones as scrap which accounts for around 25-30%. These scraps being a hindrance for the further excavation of the laterite in the quarries can be crushed and used to meet the demand of fine aggregates in the construction industry. Performance indicators such as workability, compressive, split-tensile and flexural strength are measured to evaluate the suitability. M30 grade of concrete specimens were produced with these crushed scraps by replacing M-sand at the intervals of 25% ranging from 0% to 100%. Laterite replacement of 25% could enhance the performance after 28 days. Not limiting only to strength characteristics, its morphological features were also understood by conducting Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) for the optimum mixes. Laterite, due to its wide availability and low cost, is considered as a societal building material in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. Excavation of the laterite leaves laterite stones as scrap which accounts for around 25-30%. These scraps being a hindrance for the further excavation of the laterite in the quarries can be crushed and used to meet the demand of fine aggregates in the construction industry. Performance indicators such as workability, compressive, split-tensile and flexural strength are measured to evaluate the suitability. M30 grade of concrete specimens were produced with these crushed scraps by replacing M-sand at the intervals of 25% ranging from 0% to 100%. Laterite replacement of 25% could enhance the performance after 28 days. Not limiting only to strength characteristics, its morphological features were also understood by conducting Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) for the optimum mixes.
Consistency analysis of sand cone and nuclear method results in compacted soils
Authors:   Afyon Kocatepe University (Turkey). Engineering Faculty Civil Engineering Department, Zorluer İsmail , İcaga Yılmaz ,   Afyon Kocatepe University (Turkey). Engineering Faculty Civil Engineering Department, Gucek Suleyman ,   Afyon Kocatepe University (Turkey). Engineering Faculty Civil Engineering Department, Dundar Erdinc ,   Afyon Kocatepe University (Turkey). Faculty science and Literature Mathematics Department
Published: May 2021

In this study, the ratio of compaction was determined by sand cone and nuclear test methods performed in the same place. The normal distribution fitness of the compaction percentiles was tested by the Anderson-Darling test and normal distribution was normalized by subjecting the unsuitable Water Content values to Jonson transformation. Findings the results obtained with the nuclear method reveal that both methods are consistent with each other in terms of mean data, with lower and more variables in the Sand Cone method. It is recommended to test the consistency of the results obtained by the nuclear method. Also, because of the rapid results, statistical model has been investigated for adapting the results of nuclear method to the sand cone method. For this purpose, regression analysis and artificial neural network models were investigated; artificial neural networks were seen to provide successful predictions inside of the found models.
Evaluating the durability of recycled concrete made of coarse recycled aggregate concrete containing silica-fume and natural zeolite
Authors:   Islamic Azad university (Iran). Department of Civil Engineering, Ahvaz Branch, Jalilifar Hasan , Sajedi Fathollah ,   Islamic Azad university (Iran). Department of Civil Engineering, Ahvaz Branch, Razavi Toosi Vahid ,   Islamic Azad university (Iran). Department of Civil Engineering, Ahvaz Branch
Published: May 2021

This experimental study evaluates the durability of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) containing silica-fume (SF) and natural zeolite (NZ). For this purpose, four levels of recycled coarse concrete aggregates (RCA) were replaced with natural coarse aggregates (NCA). To compare the effect of pozzolans, three levels of SF (5%, 10%, and 15%) and three levels of NZ (10%, 20%, and 30%) were replaced with cement. To evaluate the durability of RAC, 28 mixed designs were made and the following were measured: compressive strength (CS), water absorption by immersion (WA by immersion), water absorption by capillary (WA by capillary), electrical resistance (ER), electrical conductivity (EC) and rapid chloride penetration test (RCPT). The results indicated that WA by immersion and WA by capillary of RAC increased with enhanced RCA incorporation. On the other hand, the pozzolanic reaction of 10% of SF and 10% of NZ decreased capillary pores and structural weakness of full-scale RAC. However, due to the internal chemical changes of RAC, contrary to the WA by immersion and WA by capillary, compared to conventional concrete (CC), a lower EC and unchanged ER values of RC100 containing pozzolans were seen. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that compared to NZ, a 10% of SF significantly improved the microstructure of full scale RAC.