bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
O solo como estratégia de integração e mudança social na educação formal (durante a pandemia)
Authors: Silva Hermom Reis , Imbernon Rosely Aparecida Liguori
Published: December 2021

O estudo do solo na educação formal, por meio do plantio de hortaliças na escola e na comunidade, envolve, em geral, a implantação da horta escolar. A partir da aprendizagem remota, adotada como estratégia de ensino desde o início do isolamento social provocado pela pandemia de Covid-19, em substituição às atividades presenciais na escola, a “horta escolar” vem sendo desenvolvida na E. E. Prof. Francisco de Paula Conceição Jr., localizada na zona sul da cidade de São Paulo, com alunos do 8º ano do ensino fundamental, em atividades interdisciplinares e transversais com 20 alunos. A pesquisa-ação e a roda de conversa, adotadas como referencial metodológico, partiram de problemas cotidianos, observados durante o isolamento social, que foram retomados na fase presencial na escola. A proposta utiliza o solo/horta como espaços de aprendizagem, como um desafio emergente à pandemia com o ensino remoto, e como elemento de integração no retorno às aulas presenciais.
Projeto GAIA
Authors: Santos Jussiara Dias dos , Rodrigues Leomar Moreira , Silva Pablo Civatt Pereira da , Gontijo Bernardo Machado , Morais Marcelino Santos de , Mucida Danielle Piuzana
Published: December 2021

O presente trabalho analisa as contribuições do Projeto GAIA (Geociências, Arte, Interdisciplinaridade e Aprendizagem) ao longo de seus 10 anos de existência e vem sendo desenvolvido por um núcleo docentes e discentes, principalmente da Licenciatura em Geografia da Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Diamantina, Minas Gerais. O projeto baseia- se em espaço de desenvolvimento e apresentação de práticas lúdicas contendo em núcleos de exposição de temas das Geociências, Geografia e áreas afins, confeccionados com materiais recicláveis e, ou de fácil aquisição. As práticas abarcam temas como Sistema Solar; Tempo Geológico; Paleontologia, Minerais e Rochas, Tectônica de Placas, Reserva da Biosfera da Serra do Espinhaço, Biomas brasileiros, Atmosfera, Geomorfologia, dentre outros. Estes materiais contemplam informações vinculadas à conteúdos obrigatórios como Geografia e Ciências e transversais como Educação Ambiental, voltados especialmente para o Ensino Básico e divulgação científica em geral. Desde a sua criação em 2011, somatiza um total de 11.600 visitas registradas.
English in tourism: a sociolinguistic perspective
Authors: Fox Renata
Published: December 2021

Tourism has become one of the central phenomena of a post-modern society greatly owing to its liaison with language. Especially prominent is the link between tourism and English language which, being the global lingua franca, not only monopolises all negotiations/transactions that take place in a tourist destination, but also functions as a creator of a destination’s many realities, indeed as the very embodiment of processes in tourism. Over the past decade the multifunctionality of English in tourism has attracted considerable sociolinguistic research. This paper discusses the importance of merging sociolinguistics with the theory of tourism. The clear advantage of tourism scholars’ acceptance of sociolinguistics as an accredited field of study lies not only in developing new understandings of language/discourse in tourism but also in an increased transdisciplinarity of two perceivedly distant fields of study: sociolinguistics and tourism.
Epidemiologia da mortalidade pediátrica por malformações cardíacas congênitas na região norte do Brasil, no período de 2011 a 2018
Authors: Fernandes de Souza Ingrid , Joe Jurado Martinez Euber , Sousa Negreiros Débora , Rangel de Souza Aline , Caetano Pereira Lúcia
Published: December 2021

Introdução: As malformações congênitas estão entre as principais causas de óbitos na primeira infância, sendo a mais frequentes e a de maior morbimortalidade, a cardiopatia congênita (CC), representando 40% das malformações. Possuem mau prognóstico e sua identificação precoce é essencial. As malformações cardíacas congênitas apresentam amplo espectro clínico, compreendendo desde defeitos que evoluem de forma assintomática até aqueles que determinam sintomas importantes e alta taxa de mortalidade. Objetivo: Este trabalho tem como objetivo traçar o perfil epidemiológico da mortalidade pediátrica por malformação congênita cardíaca na região norte do Brasil, no período de 2011 a 2018. Métodos: É um estudo transversal, descritivo, de cunho quantitativo, classificada como epidemiológica retrospectiva temporal, que utilizou o DATASUS por meio da ferramenta TABNET, no período de 2011 a 2018. As variáveis analisadas foram faixa etária em menores de 19 anos, sexo, cor e especificando as malformações cardíacas, comparando a taxa de mortalidade entre os estados da região norte do Brasil. Resultados: A região Norte apresentou um total de 3143 óbitos por malformações congênitas cardíacas de 2011 a 2018, tendo uma média anual de 392,875 óbitos. A taxa de mortalidade na região foi de 10,6/1000. Os maiores índices de mortalidade encontram-se na malformação congênita do septo cardíaco. Em relação aos estados da região Norte, o Pará apresentou a maior incidência de óbitos, seguido pelo Amazonas. Aproximadamente, 80% dos óbitos ocorreram em menores de 1 ano de idade. Além disso, evidenciou-se uma discreta prevalência no sexo masculino em todos os estados e em pacientes autodeclarados pardos. Conclusão: Os resultados encontrados nesse estudo sugerem a relevância da implementação de políticas públicas direcionadas à prevenção e ao diagnóstico precoce das malformações cardíacas congênitas, podendo minimizar as mortes evitáveis relacionadas a essa patologia.

Palavras-chave: Cardiopatias Congênitas; Epidemiologia; Pediatria.
EPIDEMIOLOGIA DA DOENÇA DE CHAGAS AGUDA NO BRASIL
Authors: Barbosa Katricia Beatriz , Lima Caio Augusto de , Martins Marcos Vinicius Teixeira , Vieira Thamiris de Souza , Oliveira Carla Jaciara Baraúna de , Oliveira Stefan Vilges de
Published: December 2021

INTRODUÇÃO:  A Doença de Chagas (DC) -Tripanossomíase Americana - causada pelo protozoário Trypanosoma cruzi é uma enfermidade infecciosa, endêmica na América Latina, o Brasil é uma das principais áreas endêmicas da doença, resultante dessa alta morbimortalidade gerada pela complexidade da prevenção e do controle. OBJETIVO: Descrever o perfil epidemiológico da DC no Brasil entre os anos 2007 e 2017. METODOLOGIA: Trata-se de um estudo epidemiológico observacional descritivo, com dados secundários obtidos pelo Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação (SINAN), de janeiro de 2007 a dezembro de 2017, notificados em todas as unidades federativas do Brasil e no Distrito Federal pelas Secretarias Municipais de Saúde. RESULTADOS: Nesta pesquisa foi possível observar que houve maior notificação de casos nos meses de agosto a novembro. A idade média dos indivíduos acometidos foi de 32,54 anos, com maior número de casos em populações mais jovens e significativa tendência de redução com o aumento da idade, em relação ao sexo houve uma homogeneidade entre ambos. Em relação a etnia, a mais afetada pela doença foi a parda, totalizando 71,56% dos casos, e a caucasiana, indicada em 21,36%. Indivíduos negros corresponderam a apenas 5,70% das ocorrências.  O estado do Pará concentrou a maioria das notificações, 55,41% do total. CONCLUSÃO: Logo, o trabalho buscou dar uma maior ênfase ao diagnóstico da DC no intuito de fomentar novas pesquisas de levantamento epidemiológico, a fim de possibilitar a adoção de novas medidas de prevenção e controle desta doença.
Telomere Shortening linked to Disability and Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number in Patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Cruz-Ramos José Alfonso , López-Armas Gabriela del Carmen , Díaz-Barba Eduardo Ignacio , Navarro-Meza Mónica , Macías-Islas Miguel Ángel , Saldaña-Cruz Ana Miriam , Zepeda-Moreno Abraham , Pérez-Gómez Héctor Raúl , Martínez-Hernández Alejandra , Ramos-Márquez Martha Eloísa
Published: December 2021

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease that affects the nervous system. Peripheral blood leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNA-CN) are potential biomarkers of disability and neurological damage. The present work evaluated LTL and mtDNA-CN in 75 relapsing-remittent MS (RRMS) patients 50 of whom had an Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) 0 to 3 (mild-moderate disability), and 25 had an EDSS of 3.5 to 7 (severe disability). Absolute LTL and absolute mtDNA-CN were measured via real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The LTL and mtDNA-CN were significantly lower in RRMS severe disability than in RRMS mild-moderate disability (3.924 ± 0.124 vs 2.854 ± 0.092, p<00001; 75.14 ± 1.77 vs 68.06 ± 1.608, p<0.00001, respectively). The LTL and mtDNA-CN showed a linear correlation in RRMS with mild-moderate disability (r=0.2986, p=0.0351). In addition, in a binary logistic regression model the LTL can predict severe disability (AUC=0.697, p=0.0031, cutoff ≤ 3.0875 Kb, sensitivity= 73.1%, specificity=62.5%), the prediction is improved by including age to the model (AUC=0.765, <0.0001, sensitivity=78.26%, specificity=81.25%). Aging is closely linked to the development of disability in RRMS and can be evaluated through LTL and mtDNA-CN absolute quantification.
A View of Waste Might Decrease Relaxation: The Effects of Viewing an Open Dump in a Forest Environment on the Psychological Response of Healthy Young Adults
Authors: Bielinis Ernest , Janeczko Emilia , Takayama Norimasa , Zawadzka Anna , Słupska Alicja , Anna Zawadzka , Lidia Bielinis
Published: December 2021

Forest recreation can be successfully used for the psychological relaxation of respondents and can be used as a remedy for common problems with stress. The special form of forest recreation intended for restoration is forest bathing. These activities might be distracted by some factors, such as viewing buildings in the forest or using a computer in nature, which interrupt psychological relaxation. One factor that might interrupt psychological relaxation is the occurrence of an open dump in the forest during an outdoor experience. To test the hypothesis that an open dump might decrease psychological relaxation, a case study was planned that used a randomized, controlled crossover design. For this purpose, two groups of healthy young adults viewed a control forest or a forest with an open dump in reverse order and filled in psychological questionnaires after each stimulus. A pretest was used. Participants wore oblique eye patches to stop their visual stimulation before the experimental stimulation, and the physical environment was monitored. The results were analyzed using the two-way repeated measures ANOVA. The measured negative psychological indicators significantly increased after viewing the forest with waste, and the five indicators of the Profile of Mood States increased: Tension-Anxiety, Depression-Dejection, Anger-Hostility, Fatigue, and Confusion. In addition, the negative aspect of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule increased in comparison to the control and pretest. The measured positive indicators significantly decreased after viewing the forest with waste, the positive aspect of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule decreased, and the Restorative Outcome Scale and Subjective Vitality scores decreased (in comparison to the control and pretest). The occurrence of an open dump in the forest might interrupt a normal restorative experience in the forest by reducing psychological relaxation. Nevertheless, the mechanism of these relevancies is not known, and thus, it will be further investigated. In addition, in a future study, the size of the impact of these open dumps on normal everyday experiences should be investigated. It is proposed that different mechanisms might be responsible for these reactions; however, the aim of this manuscript is to only measure this reaction. The identified psychological reasons for these mechanisms can be assessed in further studies.
A Switched Capacitor Memristor Emulator using Stochastic Computing
Authors: Benito Carola de , Camps Oscar , Al Chawa Mohamad Moner , Stavrinides Stavros G. , Picos Rodrigo
Published: December 2021

Due to the increased use of memristors, and its many applications, the use of emulators has grown in parallel to avoid some of the difficulties presented by real devices such as variability and reliability. In this paper, we present a memristive emulator designed using a Switched Capacitor (SC), this is, an analog component/ block and a control part or block implemented using stochastic computing (SCo) and therefore fully digital. Our design is thus a mixed signal circuit. Memristor equations are implemented using stochastic computing to generate the control signals necessary to work with the controllable resistor implemented as switched capacitor.
HLA-G 14bp ins/del Polymorphism, Plasma Level of Soluble HLA-G and Association with IL-6/IL-10 Ratio and Survival of Glioma Patients
Authors: Bucova Maria , Kluckova Kristina , Kozak Jan , Rychly Boris , Svajdler Marian , Matejcik Viktor , Steno Juraj , Zsemlye Eszter , Ďurmanová Vladimíra
Published: December 2021

HLA-G is an immune checkpoint molecule with immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory activities, and its expression and level of its soluble form (sHLA-G) may play an important role in tumor prognosis. The HLA-G 14 bp ins/del polymorphism and the plasma level of soluble HLA-G (sHLA-G) were investigated by a polymerase chain reaction and ELISA, respectively, in 59 glioma patients. A significantly higher proportion of glioma patients had the 14 nt insert in both homozygous and heterozygous states compared to the control group. Glioma patients had also higher plasma levels of sHLA-G. Patients with methylated MGMT promoter had lower levels of sHLA-G than those with unmethylated MGMT promoter. Level of sHLA-G negatively correlated with the overall survival of patients. Glioblastoma patients who survived more than one year after diagnosis had lower levels of sHLA-G than those surviving less than one year. Patients with sHLA-G levels below the cut off value 40 U/mL survived significantly longer than patients with sHLA-G above 40 U/mL. The levels of sHLA-G also negatively correlated with the level of IL-6 (P=0.0004) and positively with IL-10/IL-6 (P=0.046). Conclusion: The presence of 14 nt insert in both homozygous and heterozygous states of the HLA-G 14 bp ins/del polymorphism is more frequent in glioma patients and the elevated plasma levels of sHLA-G are negatively associated with their survival.
Cocoa Extract Exerts Sex-Specific Effects in an Aggressive Hyper-Glycemia Model: A Pilot Study
Authors: Racine Kathryn C. , Iglesias-Carres Lisard , Herring Jacob A. , Ferruzzi Mario G. , Kay Colin D. , Tessem Jeffery S. , Neilson Andrew P.
Published: December 2021

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is characterized by hyperglycemia and insulin resistance. Cocoa may slow T2D development and progression. This study employed male and female BTBR.Cg-Lepob/ob/WiscJ and wild type (WT) controls to assess the potential for cocoa to ameliorate progressive T2D and compare responses between sexes. Mice received diet without (WT, ob/ob) or with cocoa extract (ob/ob + c) for 10 weeks. Glucose and insulin tolerance tests (GTT/ITT) were conducted at weeks 1, 5 and 2, 6, respectively. Cocoa provided mild non-significant protection against weight gain vs. ob/ob control in males but not females. Male ob/ob + c had increasing fasting glucose at weeks 1 and 5 GTTs, with significantly higher levels of fasting glucose than ob/ob control at week 5. This was not seen in females. Cocoa protected against elevated 4-hour fasting glucose in week 2, but not week 6, ITTs. Cocoa partly suppressed hyperinsulinemia in males but significantly amplified it in females and protected against loss of beta cell area in females only. The mechanisms of these sex-specific effects remain to be elucidated. This study informs additional experiments with larger sample sizes and demonstrates that sex differences must be considered when designing dietary interventions for T2D.
Transcriptomic and Physiological Response of Durum Wheat Grain to Short-Term Heat Stress during Early Grain Filling
Authors: Arenas-M Anita , Castillo Francisca M. , Godoy Diego , Canales Javier , Calderini Daniel F.
Published: December 2021

In a changing climate, extreme weather events such as heat waves will be more frequent and could affect grain weight and the quality of crops such as wheat, one of the most significant crops in terms of global food security. In this work, we characterized the response of Triticum turgidum spp. durum wheat to a short-term heat-stress (HS) treatment at transcriptomic and physiological levels during early grain filling in glasshouse experiments. We found a significant reduction in grain weight and size from HS treatment. Grain quality was also affected, showing a decrease in starch content in addition to increments in grain protein levels. Moreover, an RNA-seq analysis of durum wheat grains allowed us to identify 1590 differentially expressed genes related to photosynthesis, response to heat, and carbohydrate metabolic process. A gene regulatory network analysis of HS-responsive genes uncovered novel transcription factors (TFs) controlling the expression of genes involved in abiotic stress response and grain quality, such as a member of the DOF family predicted to regulate glycogen and starch biosynthetic processes in response to HS in grains. In summary, our results provide new insights into the extensive transcriptome reprogramming that occurs during short-term HS in durum wheat grains.
An Area Partitioning Approach to the Conflation of Road Networks with Highly Different Level of Details
Authors: Nguyen Hoa-Hung , Jeong Han-You
Published: December 2021

A road network represents road objects in a given geographic area and their interconnections, and is an essential component of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) enabling emerging new applications such as dynamic route guidance, driving assistance systems, and autonomous driving. As the digitization of geospatial information becomes prevalent, a number of road networks with a wide variety of characteristics coexist. In this paper, we present an area partitioning approach to the conflation of two road networks with a large difference in level of details. Our approach first partitions the geographic area by the Network Voronoi Area Diagram (NVAD) of low-detailed road network. Next, a subgraph of high-detailed road network corresponding to a complex intersection is extracted and then aggregated into a supernode so that a high matching precision can be achieved via 1:1 node matching. To improve the matching recall, we also present a few schemes that address the problem of missing corresponding object and representation dissimilarity between these road networks. Numerical results at Yeouido, Korea's autonomous vehicle testing site, show that our area partitioning approach can significantly improve the performance of road network matching.
Usefulness of Serial Multiorgan Point-of-Care Ultrasound in Acute Heart Failure: Results from a Prospective Observational Cohort
Authors: Torres-Arrese Marta , García de Casasola-Sánchez Gonzalo , Méndez-Bailón Manuel , Montero-Hernández Esther , Cobo-Marcos Marta , Rivas-Lasarte Mercedes , Caurecel-Díaz Luis , Rodríguez-Fuertes Pablo , Villén-Villegas Tomas , Tung-Chen Yale
Published: December 2021

Background and Objectives: Acute Heart Failure (AHF) is a common disease and a cause of high morbidity and mortality, constituting a major health problem. The main purpose of this study was to determine the impact of multiorgan ultrasound in identifying the pulmonary hypertension (PH) in patients admitted due to AHF, predict the evolution of the disease during hospitalization and identify areas of improvement in the care of patients with AHF. Materials and Methods: Patients were evaluated with a standard exam of lung ultrasound, echocardiography, inferior vena cava (IVC) and femoral, renal, hepatic, portal venous Doppler flow patterns at admission and on the day of discharge. Results: Thirty patients were enrolled during November 2021. The mean age was seventy-nine years (Standard Deviation – SD 13,4). Seven patients (23.3%) had a renal function worsening. Regarding ultrasound findings, venous excess ultrasonography score (VExUS) score was calculated at admission and at discharge, surprisingly remaining unchanged or even worsened in most of them (21 patients, 70.0%). The area under the curve for the Lung Score was 83.9% (p = 0.008), obtaining a cutoff value of 10 that showed a sensitivity of 82.6% and a specificity of 71.4% in the identification of intermediate and high PH. It was possible to monitor significant changes between both exams on the lung score (p <0.001), hepatic vein Doppler (p <0.001), portal vein Doppler (p = 0.030), intra-renal vein Doppler (p = 0.025) and VExUS score (p = 0.023), remaining similar the femoral vein Doppler (p = 0.177) and IVC (p = 0.132). Conclusions: Our study results suggest that performing serial multiorgan Point-of-Care ultrasound can help us to better identify high and intermediate probability of PH patients with AHF. Currently proposed multi-organ, venous Doppler scanning protocols, such as the VExUS score, should be further studied in different populations before expanding its use in AHF patients.
Is Resting State Functional MRI Effective Connectivity in Movement Disorders Helpful? A Focused Review Across Lifespan and Disease
Authors: Sussman Bethany  L. , Wyckoff Sarah N. , Heim Jennifer , Wilfong Angus A. , Adelson David , Kruer Michael C. , Gonzalez Maria Jose , Boerwinkle Varina L.
Published: December 2021

AbstractIn the evolving modern era of neuromodulation for movement disorders in adults and children, much progress has been made recently characterizing the human motor network (MN) with potentially important treatment implications. Herein is a focused review of relevant resting state fMRI functional and effective connectivity of the human motor network across the lifespan in health and disease. The goal is to examine how the transition from static functional to dynamic effective connectivity may be especially informative of network-targeted movement disorder therapies, with hopeful implications for children.Impact StatementWhile functional connectivity has elucidated much MN properties with relation to age, disease, and behavior, effective connectivity has been shown to be useful in MN-informed therapies in adults. Thus, effective connectivity may have potential to impact childhood movement disorder therapies, given the lower to no patient demand.
Metabolomic Profiles of Mice Tissues Reveals an Interplay Between Aging and Energy Metabolism
Authors: Zhou Qishun , Kerbl-Knapp Jakob , Zhang Fangrong , Korbelius Melanie , Kuentzel Katharina Barbara , Vujic Nemanja , Akhmetshina Alena , Hörl Gerd , Paar Margret , Steyrer Ernst , Kratky Dagmar , Madl Tobias
Published: December 2021

Energy metabolism, including alterations in energy intake and expenditure, is closely related to aging and longevity. Metabolomics studies have recently unraveled changes in metabolite composition in plasma and tissues during aging and have provided critical information to elucidate the molecular basis of aging process. However, the metabolic changes in tissues responsible for food intake and lipid storage have remained unexplored. In this study, we aimed to investigate aging-related metabolic alterations in these tissues. To fill this gap, we employed NMR-based metabolomics in several tissues, including different parts of the intestine (duodenum, jejunum, ileum) and brown/white adipose tissues (BAT, WAT) of young (9-10 weeks) and old (96-104 weeks) wild-type (mixed genetic background of 129/J and C57BL/6) mice. We further included plasma and skeletal muscle of the same mice to verify previous results. Strikingly, we found that duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and WAT do not metabolically age. In contrast, plasma, skeletal muscle, and BAT show a strong metabolic aging phenotype. Overall, we provide first insights into the metabolic changes of tissues essential for nutrient uptake and lipid storage and have identified biomarkers for metabolites that could be further explored to study the molecular mechanisms of aging.
Identification and Characterization of Besifovir-resistant Hepatitis B Virus Isolated from a Chronic Hepatitis B Patient
Authors: Kim Jong Chul , Lee Hye Young , Lee Ah Ram , Dezhbord Mehrangiz , Lee Da Rae , Kim Seong Ho , Won Juhee , Park Soree , Kim Na Yeon , Shin Jae Jin , Kim Sang Gyune , Kim Young Seok , Yoo Jeong-Ju , Kim Kyun-Hwan
Published: December 2021

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is known to cause severe liver diseases such as acute or chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection is a major health problem with nearly 300 million individuals infected worldwide. Currently, nucleos(t)ide analogs (NAs) and interferon alpha are clinically approved treatments for HBV infection. NAs are potent antiviral agents that bind to HBV polymerase and block viral reverse transcription and replication. Besifovir dipivoxil maleate (BSV) is a newly developed NA against HBV in the form of acyclic nucleotide phosphonate that is available for oral administration similar to adefovir and tenofovir. Until now, resistance to BSV treatment has not been reported. In this study, we found a CHB patient who showed viral breakthrough after long-term treatment with BSV. The isolated HBV DNA from patient’s serum were cloned into the replication-competent HBV 1.2mer and the sequence of reverse transcriptase (RT) domain of HBV polymerase were analyzed. We also examined the drug susceptibility of generated clones in vitro. Several mutations were identified in HBV RT domain. A particular mutant harboring ten RT mutations showed resistance to BSV treatment in vitro. The ten mutations include rtV23I (I), rtH55R (R), rtY124H (H), rtD134E (E), rtN139K (K), rtL180M (M), rtM204V (V), rtQ267L (L), rtL269I (I) and rtL336M (M). To further identify the responsible mutations for BSV resistance, we performed in vitro drug susceptibility assay on several artificial clones. As a result, our study revealed that rtL180M (M) and rtM204V (V) mutations, already known as lamivudine-resistant mutations, confer resistance to BSV in the CHB patient.
Testing Kissick’s Iron Triangle - Structural Equation Modeling Analysis of a Practical Theory
Authors: Beauvais Brad , Kruse Clemens Scott , Fulton Lawrence , Brooks Matthew , Mileski Michael , Lee Kim , Ramamonjiarivelo Zo , Shanmugam Ramalingam
Published: December 2021

The purpose of this research is to determine if the tradeoffs that Kissick proposed among cost containment, quality, and access remain as rigidly interconnected as originally conceived in the contemporary health care context. Although many have relied on the Kissick model to advocate for health policy decisions, to our knowledge, the model has never been empirically tested. Some have called for policy makers to come to terms with the premise of the Kissick model tradeoffs, others have questioned the model given the proliferation of quality enhancing initiatives, automation, and information technology in the health care industry. One wonders whether these evolutionary changes alter or disrupt the originality of the Kissick paradigms themselves. Methods: Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to evaluate the Kissick hypothetical relationships among the unobserved constructs of cost, quality, and access in hospitals for the year 2018. Hospital data were obtained from Definitive Healthcare a subscription site which contains Medicare data as well as non-Medicare data for networks, hospitals, and clinics (final n= 2,766). Results: Reporting significant net effects as defined by our chosen study variables, we find that as quality increases costs increase, as access increases quality increases, and as access increases, costs increase. Policy and Practice Implications: Our findings lend continued relevance to a balanced approach to health care policy reform efforts. Simultaneously bending the health care cost curve, increasing access to care, and advancing quality of care is as challenging now as it was when the Kissick model was originally conceived.
Viability, Stability and Biocontrol Activity in Planta of Specific Ralstonia Solanacearum Bacteriophages After Their Conservation Prior to Commercialization and Use
Authors: Álvarez Belén , Gadea-Pallás Laura , Rodríguez Alejandro , Vicedo Begonya , Figàs-Segura Àngela , Biosca Elena G.
Published: December 2021

Ralstonia solanacearum is a pathogen that causes bacterial wilt producing severe damage in staple solanaceous crops. Traditional control has low efficacy and/or environmental impact. Recently, the bases of a new biotechnological method by lytic bacteriophages vRsoP-WF2, vRsoP-WM2 and vRsoP-WR2 with specific activity against R. solanacearum were established. However, some aspects remain unknown, such as the survival and maintenance of the lytic activity after submission to a preservation method as the lyophilization. To this end, viability and stability of lyophilized vRsoP-WF2, vRsoP-WM2 and vRsoP-WR2 and their capacity for bacterial wilt biocontrol have been determined against one pathogenic Spanish reference strain of R. solanacearum in susceptible tomato plants in different conditions and making use of various cryoprotectants. The assays carried out have shown satisfactory results with respect to the viability and stability of the bacteriophages after the lyophilization process, maintaining high titres throughout the experimental period, also with respect to the capacity of the bacteriophages for the biological control of bacterial wilt, controlling this disease in more than 50% of the plants. The results offer good prospects for the use of lyophilization as a conservation method for the lytic bacteriophages of R. solanacearum in view of their commercialization as biocontrol agents.
Function Computation Under Privacy, Secrecy, Distortion, and Communication Constraints
Authors: Günlü Onur
Published: December 2021

The problem of reliable function computation is extended by imposing privacy, secrecy, and storage constraints on a remote source whose noisy measurements are observed by multiple parties. The main additions to the classic function computation problem include 1) privacy leakage to an eavesdropper is measured with respect to the remote source rather than the transmitting terminals’ observed sequences; 2) the information leakage to a fusion center with respect to the remote source is considered as a new privacy leakage metric; 3) the function computed is allowed to be a distorted version of the target function, which allows to reduce the storage rate as compared to a reliable function computation scenario in addition to reducing secrecy and privacy leakages; 4) two transmitting node observations are used to compute a function. Inner and outer bounds on the rate regions are derived for lossless and lossy single-function computation with two transmitting nodes, which recover previous results in the literature. For special cases that include invertible and partially-invertible functions, and degraded measurement channels, exact lossless and lossy rate regions are characterized, and one exact region is evaluated for an example scenario.
Comparison of Machine Learning Techniques in Cotton Yield Prediction Using Satellite Remote Sensing
Authors: Morelli-Ferreira Francielle , Maia Nayane , Tedesco Danilo , Kazama Elizabeth , Carneiro Franciele , Santos Leticia , Seben Junior Getulio , Rolim Glauco , Shiratsuchi Luciano , Silva Rouverson
Published: December 2021

The use of machine learning techniques to predict yield based on remote sensing is a no-return path and studies conducted on farm aim to help rural producers in decision-making. Thus, commercial fields equipped with technologies in Mato Grosso, Brazil, were monitored by satellite images to predict cotton yield using supervised learning techniques. The objective of this research was to identify how early in the growing season, which vegetation indices and which machine learning algorithms are best to predict cotton yield at the farm level. For that, we went through the following steps: 1) We observed the yield in 398 ha (3 fields) and eight vegetation indices (VI) were calculated on five dates during the growing season. 2) Scenarios were created to facilitate the analysis and interpretation of results: Scenario 1: All Data (8 indices on 5 dates = 40 inputs) and Scenario 2: best variable selected by Stepwise regression (1 input). 3) In the search for the best algorithm, hyperparameter adjustments, calibrations and tests using machine learning were performed to predict yield and performances were evaluated. Scenario 1 had the best metrics in all fields of study, and the Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) and Random Forest (RF) algorithms showed the best performances with adjusted R2 of 47% and RMSE of only 0.24 t ha-1, however, in this scenario all predictive inputs that were generated throughout the growing season (approx. 180 days) are needed, so we optimized the prediction and tested only the best VI in each field, and found that among the eight VIs, the Simple Ratio (SR), driven by the K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) algorithm predicts with 0.26 and 0.28 t ha-1 of RMSE and 5.20% MAPE, anticipating the cotton yield with low error by ±143 days, and with important aspect of requiring less computational demand in the generation of the prediction when compared to MLP and RF, for example, enabling its use as a technique that helps predict cotton yield, resulting in time savings for planning, whether in marketing or in crop management strategies.
Characterization of Mutations Causing CYP21A2 Deficiency in Brazilian and Portuguese Populations
Authors: Prado Mayara Jorgens , Singh Shripryia , Ligabue-Braun Rodrigo , Meneghetti Bruna , Rispoli Thaiane , Kopacek Cristiane , Monteiro Karina , Zaha Arnaldo , Rosa Rossetti Maria , Pandey Amit V
Published: December 2021

Deficiency of Cytochrome P450 Steroid 21-hydroxylase (CYP21A2) represents 90% of cases in congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), an autosomal recessive disease caused by defects in cortisol biosynthesis. Computational prediction along with functional studies are often the only way to classify variants to understand the links to disease-causing effects. Here we investigated the pathogenicity of uncharacterized variants in the CYP21A2 gene reported in the Brazilian and Portuguese populations. Physicochemical alterations, residue conservation, and effect on protein structure were accessed by computational analysis. The enzymatic performance was obtained by functional assay with the wild-type and mutant CYP21A2 proteins expressed in HEK293 cells. Computational analysis showed that p.W202R, p.E352V, and p.R484L have severely impaired the protein structure, while p.P35L, p.L199P, and p.P433L have moderate effects. The p.W202R, p.E352V, p.P433L, and p.R484L variants showed residual 21OH activity consistent with the simple virilizing phenotype. The p.P35L and p.L199P variants showed partial 21OH efficiency associated with the non-classical phenotype. Additionally, p.W202R, p.E352V and p.R484L also modified the protein expression level. We have determined how the selected CYP21A2 gene mutations affect the 21OH activity through structural and activity alteration contributing to the future diagnosis and management of 21OH deficiency.
Management of Oligoprogression in Patients with Metastatic NSCLC Harboring ALK Rearrangements
Authors: Pisano Chiara , De Filippis Marco , Jacobs Francesca , Novello Silvia , Reale Maria Lucia
Published: December 2021

Personalized treatment based on driver molecular alterations, such as ALK rearrangement, has revolutionized the therapeutic management of advanced oncogene addicted NSCLC patients. Multiple effective ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), with the amelioration of the activity at central nervous system level, are now available, leading to substantial prognosis improvement. The exposure to TKIs triggers resistance mechanisms and the sequential administration of other TKIs and chemotherapy is, for the most part, not targeted. In this context, extending the benefit deriving from precision medicine is paramount, above all when disease progression occurs in a limited number of sites. Retrospective data indicate that, in oligoprogressive disease, targeted therapy beyond progression combined with definitive local treatment of the progressing site(s) is an effective alternative. In these cases, multidisciplinary approach becomes essential for an integrated treatment strategy, depending on the site of disease progression, in order to improve not only survival, but also quality of life. In this review we provide an updated and comprehensive overview of the main treatment strategies in case of ALK rearranged oligoprogression, including systemic treatment as well as local therapy, and report real-world clinical stories, with the final aim of identifying the most promising management for this subset of patients.
Two-stage Algorithm for solving Arbitrary Trapezoidal Fully Fuzzy Sylvester Matrix Equations
Authors: Elsayed Ahmed AbdelAziz , Saassouh Bassem , Ahmad Nazihah , Malkawi Ghassan
Published: December 2021

Many authors proposed analytical methods for solving fully fuzzy Sylvester matrix equation (FFSME) based on Vec-operator and Kronecker product. However, these methods are restricted to nonnegative fuzzy numbers and cannot be extended to FFSME with near-zero fuzzy numbers. The main intention of this paper is to develop a new numerical method for solving FFSME with near-zero trapezoidal fuzzy numbers that provides a wider scope of trapezoidal fully fuzzy Sylvester matrix equation (TrFFSME) in scientific applications. This numerical method can solve the trapezoidal fully fuzzy Sylvester matrix equation with arbitrary coefficients and find all possible finite arbitrary solutions for the system. In order to obtain all possible fuzzy solutions, the TrFFSME is transferred to a system of non-linear equations based on newly developed arithmetic fuzzy multiplication between trapezoidal fuzzy numbers. The fuzzy solutions to the TrFFSME are obtained by developing a new two-stage algorithm. To illustrate the proposed method numerical example is solved.
Application of augmented reality to study descriptive geometry
Authors: Shagalova Anastasia Alekseevna , Tomchinskaya Tatyana Nikolaevna
Published: December 2021

This article analyzes the problems of the development of spatial thinking of students in the development of the discipline "Descriptive geometry", solving projection problems and proposes their solution using the technology of augmented reality. The concept and technology of augmented reality, tracking technologies are considered. The substantiation of the relevance and timeliness of its use to support educational processes is given. The article explores the use of augmented reality technologies in teaching students' spatial thinking, which saves time on the transfer and assimilation of information received by students within the framework of this discipline. The analysis of existing research in the field of application of augmented reality technology in teaching the discipline "Descriptive geometry" is carried out. The possibility of using augmented reality technology in education for the purpose of visual presentation of educational material is shown. A project for the development of a mobile AR application for visualizing the tasks of a textbook on descriptive geometry based on the Vuforia platform is considered. The proposed software product is implemented on a mobile platform with the Android operating system. When developing software, the C # programming language is used to write scripts to implement the required functionality, in particular, interactive interaction with three-dimensional objects.
Innovación educativa desde la óptica de los docentes en una IES. Un estudio comparativo
Authors: Céspedes Gallegos Susana , Vázquez González Luis Armando , Domínguez Vargas Maribel
Published: December 2021

Ante la denominada 4ª Revolución Industrial que hace referencia a las tecnologías digitales, a la física y a la biología, los docentes vistos como colaborados de una IES deben contar con los elementos necesarios para enfrentar los retos emergentes que conlleva. El estudio es de tipo descriptivo, cuantitativo y de tipo transversal con un corte único en el tiempo, semestre febrero-junio del 2021. Se aplicó un instrumento con un Alfa de Cronbach de 0.887 sobre conducta intraemprendedora, el cual consta de siete dimensiones: innovación, asunción de riesgos, apoyo de la dirección, libertad en el trabajo, recompensas, tiempo disponible e incertidumbre en las tareas; consta de 58 ítems. Los principales hallazgos en ambas instituciones educativas sobre la percepción de innovación educativa fueron en la dimensión D4 libertad en el trabajo y su relación positiva con el género y la edad a través de la correlación de Pearson y Spearman.
The critical thinking skills on global warming issue: Effect of the socio-scientific problems approach on problem-solving toward student’s
Authors: Pauzi Rizqi Yanuar , Windiaryani Sistiana
Published: December 2021

This study aims to investigate the effect of socio-scientific issues learning approaches on problem-solving learning model toward improving the critical thinking skills of Islamic junior high public school students on global warming issue. The method used in this research was a quasi-experimental with a nonequivalent control group design. This study was conducted at one of the Islamic junior high public schools in Sukabumi with a research sample of class VII C as the experimental group and class VII B as the control. The sampling technique used was purposive. The instrument used was a test of critical thinking skills in the form of essays with as many as 9 items and questionnaires to investigate the response of students toward learning through 10 statements. The result of the research showed the average value of the experimental class N-gain of 0.38, which is higher than the control class of 0.24. Test of the difference in average critical thinking skills in the experimental class and control class using the t-test of N-gain data showed t-count 3.800> 2.009 t-table, therefore t-count> t-table, then H0 rejected and H1 accepted. So it can be concluded that the socioscientific issues learning approach affect the ability of student's critical thinking on global warming issue. Based on these results, we suggest that the socio-scientific issues learning approach can be applied by teachers in school for teaching with other socio-scientific issues such as genetic, ecology, and biodiversity.
Littera Aperta International Journal of Literary and Cultural Studies Vol. 6 (2018)
Authors: Littera Aperta
Published: December 2021

Littera Aperta International Journal of Literary and Cultural Studies Vol. 6 (2018)
Gas Distribution Mechanism in Goaf during Combined Drainage of Upper Corner Buried Pipeline and Intubation for Thick Coal Seams
Authors: Li Zhe , Wang Fangtian , Ren Shuai , Liu Guannan
Published: December 2021

The prevention of gas overrun in the panel is one of the key issues on green mining. In this paper, a physical goaf model was established based on the geological production conditions of a coal seam in a coal mine in Henan Province, and the combined drainage technology by burying and spilling pipeline in the upper corner was proposed. The Fluent software was used to simulate the changes of gas mass fraction and flow field distribution when the gas is extracted from the goaf without the gas pipeline, with a single buried pipeline, and with the combination of buried and spilled pipelines. Analysis and simulation showed that in the absence of drainage pipelines, the gas concentrations in both the return airway and the upper corner are up to 1.2%, which failed to meet the gas prevention and control standard on the mine. In the case of gas drainage with a single buried pipeline, the average gas concentration in the return airway was 0.7%, and only the gas concentration in the upper corner was up to 1.1%, which failed to meet the gas control standards on the mine’s panel. However, the maximum gas concentration in the combined drainage was reduced from 1.1% to 0.6%, which indicates that the technology can greatly reduce gas concentration, but there is still a gap from the mine’s gas control standard. Therefore, the impacts of the lengths of pipelines buried in different goafs on the gas drainage effect in the goaf were studied, and it was concluded that the reasonable length of pipelines buried in the goaf under the geological conditions was 20 m. This technology not only solves the problem of gas overrun in the panel but also realizes the utilization of gas resources in the goaf. The research results are of guiding significance for pipeline laying and the drainage technology in the upper corners on the U-shaped ventilation panel.
Fault Planes Materials Fill Characteristics, UAE
Authors: Noufal Abdelwahab
Published: December 2021

Abu Dhabi subsurface fault populations triggered basin system in diverse directions, because of their significant role as fluid pathways. Studying fault infill materials, fault geometries, zone architecture and sealing properties from outcrops as analogues to the subsurface of Abu Dhabi, and combining these with well data and cores are the main objectives of this paper. The fault core around the fault plane and in areas of overlap between fault segments and around the fault tip include slip surfaces and deformed rocks such as fault gouge, breccia, and lenses of host rock, shale smear, salt flux and diagenetic features.

Structural geometry of the fault zone architecture and fault plane infill is mainly based on the competency contrast of the materials, that are behaving in ductile or in a brittle manner, which are distributed in the subsurface of Abu Dhabi sedimentary sequences with variable thicknesses. Brittleness is producing lenses, breccia and gouge, while, ductile intervals (principally shales and salt), evolved in smear and flux. The fault and fractures are behaving in a sealy or leaky ways is mainly dependent on the percentage of these materials in the fault deformation zone. The reservoir sections distancing from shale and salt layers are affected by diagenetic impact of the carbonates filling fault zones by recrystallized calcite and dolomite.

Musandam area, Ras Al Khaima (RAK), and Jabal Hafit (JH) on the northeast- and eastern-side of the UAE represents good surface analogues for studying fault materials infill characteristics. To approach this, several samples, picked from fault planes, were analysed. NW-trending faults system show more dominant calcite, dolomite, anhydrites and those closer to salt and shale intervals are showing smearing of the ductile infill. The other linked segments and transfer faults of other directions are represented by a lesser percentage of infill. In areas of gravitational tectonics, the decollement ductile interval is intruded in differently oriented open fractures.

The studied outcrops of the offshore salt islands and onshore Jabal Al Dhanna (JD) showing salt flux in the surrounding layers that intruded by the salt. The fractures and faults of the surrounding layers and the embedment insoluble layers are highly deformed and showing nearly total seal. As the salt behaving in an isotropic manner, the deformation can be measured clearly by its impact on the surrounding and embedment's insoluble rocks.

The faults/fractures behaviour is vicious in migrating hydrocarbons, production enhancement and hydraulic fracturing propagation.