bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intra-symbol frequency-domain averaging for turbulence mitigation in optical orbital angular momentum multiplexing
Authors: Cheng Menglong , Wang Chaofeng , Zou Haijian , Mai Qilin , Liu Junmin , Xiao Jiangnan , Ye Huapeng , Li Ying , Fan Dianyuan , Chen Shuqing
Published: June 2021

Optical vortex beams (VBs) possessing helical phase-front have attracted considerable attention in multiplexing communication for their orthogonal orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes. However, the mode-crosstalk and signal jitter caused by turbulence fluctuation are two main challenges in OAM multiplexing communication. Here, we introduce an intra-symbol frequency-domain averaging technology (ISFA) for turbulence mitigation. By equalizing the distorted multiplexing signals, ISFA mitigates the amplitude and phase jitter of received signals without adding system complexity and information redundancy. The experimental results show that VBs are successfully demultiplexed, and the transmission rate reaches 48 Gbit/s. After ISFA, the bit-error-rate of QPSK-OFDM signals is reduced from 1.10 × 10−3 to 6.31 × 10−4, and the error-vector-magnitude (EVM) is reduced from 31.69% to 26.29% under the turbulence strength of

C
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1
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10

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13

m

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/

3

and equivalent transmission distance of 200 m. By combining ISFA with MIMO diversity gain, the EVM can be further reduced from 46.70% to 26.70%. These indicate that ISFA is available for turbulence mitigation and compatible with MIMO technology, which may have perspective potential in improving the performance of OAM multiplexing communication.
Optical properties of aerosol and cloud particles measured by a single-line-extracted pure rotational Raman lidar
Authors: Peng Liang , Yi Fan , Liu Fuchao , Yin Zhenping , He Yun
Published: June 2021

Conventional lidar methods for deriving particle optical properties suffer from the fact that two unknowns (backscatter and extinction coefficients) need to be determined from only one lidar equation. Thus, additional assumptions (constant lidar ratio or Ångström relationship) have to be introduced to settle this problem. In contrast, a single-line-extracted pure-rotational-Raman (PRR) lidar method allows the strict retrieval of backscatter and extinction coefficients without additional assumptions. Based on the observations of our single-line-extracted PRR lidar from February 2016 to December 2017, the optical properties (backscatter coefficient, extinction coefficient and lidar ratio) of continental polluted aerosols, dust aerosols, and cirrus cloud particles over Wuhan (30.5°N, 114.4°E) are well characterized. The mean values of the measured lidar ratios are respectively 60 ± 7 sr for continental polluted aerosols, 47 ± 4 sr for dust aerosols and 22 ± 4 sr for cirrus cloud particles. The backscatter and extinction coefficients measured by the single-line-extracted PRR lidar deviate as a whole by 7-13% and 13-16%, respectively, from those retrieved by the traditional Fernald method. The optical properties measured by the single-line-extracted PRR lidar can serve as observational standards for particle optical properties (backscatter/extinction coefficient and lidar ratio) at 532 nm wavelength.
High-sensitivity plasmonic sensor by narrowing Fano resonances in a tilted metallic nano-groove array
Authors: Jia Shangtong , Li Zhi , Chen Jianjun
Published: June 2021

Plasmonic sensors exhibit enormous potential in the areas of environmental monitoring, biomedical diagnostics, healthcare, food safety, security, and chemical reactions. However, the large bandwidths of surface-plasmon response spectra greatly reduce the sensitivities and detection limits of plasmonic sensors. Herein, we propose to tilt a metallic nano-groove array to reduce linewidths of Fano resonances, and the figure of merit (FOM) of a refractive index sensor is greatly increased. The Fano resonances stem from interference between narrow SPP resonant modes and a broad LSP mode in the metallic nano-groove array. When tilting the metallic nano-groove array, new Fano resonances emerge, greatly compressing the linewidth of Fano resonance of interest to ∼1.1 nm in the simulation. Experimentally, a narrow Fano resonance with a linewidth of Δλ≈2.5 nm is achieved, and a high-FOM (FOM ≈ 263) plasmonic sensor is demonstrated. This value of FOM is more than 4.7 times that (FOM ≤ 55) of Fano sensors based on SPP modes, and it is even approximately twice that (FOM ≈ 140) of the previous Fano sensor based on Wood’s Anomaly.
Real-time ultrasound sensing with a mode-optimized photonic crystal slab
Authors: Zhu Eric Y. , Charles-Herrera Maria , Rewcastle Cory , Gad Raanan , Qian Li , Levi Ofer
Published: June 2021

Integrated photonic sensors can provide large scale, flexible detection schemes. Photonic crystal slabs (PCSs) offer a miniaturized platform for wideband, sensitive ultrasound detection by exploiting the photoelastic effect in water. However, poor modal overlap with the sensing medium and non-negligible absorption loss of the aqueous medium have previously limited PCS sensor performance. In this study, we detail the development and optimization of a PCS-based acoustic sensor by adding to it a low-loss high-index polymer cladding layer. Exploiting a mode-optimized TM-like optical resonance present in a PCS, with high bulk index sensitivity (>600nm/RIU) and quality factor Q (>8000), we demonstrate real-time ultrasound sensing at a noise equivalent pressure of 170 Pa (1.9Pa/Hz). The PCS sensor is backside-coupled to an optical fiber, which, along with its intensity-based ultrasound-sensing architecture, will allow us to scale up easily to a 2D array. This work paves the way to a sensitive compact ultrasound detector for photoacoustic-based diagnostics and monitoring of tissue.
What’s not in the news headlines or titles of Alzheimer disease articles? #InMice
Authors: Triunfol Marcia , Gouveia Fabio C.
Published: June 2021

There is increasing scrutiny around how science is communicated to the public. For instance, a Twitter account @justsaysinmice (with 70.4K followers in January 2021) was created to call attention to news headlines that omit that mice, not humans, are the ones for whom the study findings apply. This is the case of many headlines reporting on Alzheimer disease (AD) research. AD is characterized by a degeneration of the human brain, loss of cognition, and behavioral changes, for which no treatment is available. Around 200 rodent models have been developed to study AD, even though AD is an exclusively human condition that does not occur naturally in other species and appears impervious to reproduction in artificial animal models, an information not always disclosed. It is not known what prompts writers of news stories to either omit or acknowledge, in the story’s headlines, that the study was done in mice and not in humans. Here, we raised the hypothesis that how science is reported by scientists plays a role on the news reporting. To test this hypothesis, we investigated whether an association exists between articles’ titles and news’ headlines regarding the omission, or not, of mice. To this end, we analyzed a sample of 623 open-access scientific papers indexed in PubMed in 2018 and 2019 that used mice either as models or as the biological source for experimental studies in AD research. We found a significant association (p < 0.01) between articles’ titles and news stories’ headlines, revealing that when authors omit the species in the paper’s title, writers of news stories tend to follow suit. We also found that papers not mentioning mice in their titles are more newsworthy and significantly more tweeted than papers that do. Our study shows that science reporting may affect media reporting and asks for changes in the way we report about findings obtained with animal models used to study human diseases.
Mathematical modeling of the transmission of SARS-CoV-2—Evaluating the impact of isolation in São Paulo State (Brazil) and lockdown in Spain associated with protective measures on the epidemic of CoViD-19
Authors: Yang Hyun Mo , Lombardi Junior Luis Pedro , Castro Fábio Fernandes Morato , Yang Ariana Campos
Published: June 2021

Coronavirus disease 2019 (CoViD-19), with the fatality rate in elder (60 years old or more) being much higher than young (60 years old or less) patients, was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020. A mathematical model considering young and elder subpopulations under different fatality rates was formulated based on the natural history of CoViD-19 to study the transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The model considered susceptible, exposed, asymptomatic, pre-symptomatic, mild CoViD-19, severe CoViD-19, and recovered compartments, besides compartments of isolated individuals and those who were caught by test. This model was applied to study the epidemiological scenario resulting from the adoption of quarantine (isolation or lockdown) in many countries to control the rapid propagation of CoViD-19. We chose as examples the isolation adopted in São Paulo State (Brazil) in the early phase but not at the beginning of the epidemic, and the lockdown implemented in Spain when the number of severe CoViD-19 cases was increasing rapidly. Based on the data collected from São Paulo State and Spain, the model parameters were evaluated, and we obtained a higher estimation for the basic reproduction number R0 (9.24 for São Paulo State, and 8 for Spain) compared to the currently accepted estimation of R0 around 2 using the SEIR (susceptible, exposed, infectious, and recovered compartments) model. In comparison with the lockdown in Spain, the relatively early adoption of the isolation in São Paulo State resulted in enlarging the period of the first wave of the epidemic and delaying its peak. The model allowed to explain the flattening of the epidemic curves by quarantine when associated with the protective measures (face mask, washing hands with alcohol and gel, and social distancing) adopted by the population. The description of the epidemic under quarantine and protections can be a background to foreseen the epidemiological scenarios from the release strategies, which can help guide public health policies by decision-makers.
Sperm parameters and mitochondrial DNA sequence variants among patients at a fertility clinic in Ghana
Authors: Dzudzor Bartholomew , Bimah Bismarck , Amarh Vincent , Ocloo Augustine
Published: June 2021

Purpose

The present study sought to investigate the common abnormalities and mtDNA mutations in the sperm of Ghanaian men attending the fertility Clinic at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH). The study therefore provides a baseline data mtDNA mutations in a cross-section of Ghanaian men on referral to the fertility clinic at the KBTH.

Materials and methods

The semen of 55 men attending the fertility clinic were collected from the Urology and the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Departments of the KBTH. Demographic and clinical data were also collected using questionnaires. Semen analyses were performed and were followed by amplification and purification of mtDNA from total DNA extracted from the semen. Sequencing of the mtDNA amplicons was performed using the next generation sequencer (Illumina-MiSeq).

Results

Asthenozoospermia, oligospermia and oligoasthenoteratozoospermia were observed in 1.79%, 5.36% and 28.57%, respectively, of the study participants. There was no association between drinking and/or smoking and history of gonorrhea infection on sperm status/morphology. A total of 785 point mutations were detected in the non-coding control regions, rRNA genes, tRNA genes and the coding regions of the mtDNA samples from the participants. Amongst these mutations, 16 transition mutations were predominantly detected in the mtDNA samples. Missense mutations that were present in only specific sperm abnormalities were identified and they may contribute to infertility in the study population.

Conclusion

The present study has identified various abnormal sperm phenotypes that are prevalent in the study population and provided a baseline data on mtDNA mutations in the spermatozoa of the patients. A wide range of sperm abnormalities were detected in the study population with no association with life style or history of gonorrhea infection. The mtDNA point mutations detected in the selected genes that were analysed were mostly transition mutations. These transition mutations might be critical for the development of abnormal sperm phenotypes underlying male infertility in the Ghanaian population.
Biogeographic regionalization by spatial and environmental components: Numerical proposal
Authors: Flores-Tolentino Mayra , Beltrán-Rodríguez Leonardo , Morales-Linares Jonas , Ramírez Rodríguez J. Rolando , Ibarra-Manríquez Guillermo , Dorado Óscar , Villaseñor José Luis
Published: June 2021

Regionalization through the analysis of species groups offers important advantages in conservation biology, compared to the single taxon approach in areas of high species richness. We use a systematic framework for biogeographic regionalization at a regional scale based on species turnover and environmental drivers (climate variables and soil properties) mainly of herbaceous plant species richness. To identify phytogeographic regions in the Balsas Depression (BD), we use Asteraceae species, a family widely distributed in Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest (SDTF) and the most diverse of the vascular plants in Mexico. Occurrence records of 571 species were used to apply a quantitative analysis based on the species turnover, the rate of changes in their composition between sites (β-Simpson index) and the analysis of the identified environmental drivers. Also, the environmental predictors that influence species richness in the SDTF were determined with a redundancy analysis. We identified and named two phytogeographic districts within the SDTF of the BD (Upper Balsas and Lower Balsas). According to the multi-response permutation procedure, floristic composition of the two districts differs significantly, and the richness of exclusive species in Upper Balsas was higher (292 species) than in the Lower Balsas (32 species). The proportion of Mg and Ca in the soil and the precipitation of the driest three-month period were the environmental factors with greatest positive influence on species richness. The division of geographic districts subordinated to the province level, based on diverse families such as Asteraceae, proved to be appropriate to set up strategies for the conservation of the regional flora, since at this scale, variation in species richness is more evident. Our findings are consistent with a growing body of biogeographic literature that indicates that the identification of smaller biotic districts is more efficient for the conservation of biodiversity, particularly of endemic or rare plants, whose distribution responds more to microhabitats variation.
Segmentation and recognition of breast ultrasound images based on an expanded U-Net
Authors: Guo Yanjun , Duan Xingguang , Wang Chengyi , Guo Huiqin
Published: June 2021

This paper establishes a fully automatic real-time image segmentation and recognition system for breast ultrasound intervention robots. It adopts the basic architecture of a U-shaped convolutional network (U-Net), analyses the actual application scenarios of semantic segmentation of breast ultrasound images, and adds dropout layers to the U-Net architecture to reduce the redundancy in texture details and prevent overfitting. The main innovation of this paper is proposing an expanded training approach to obtain an expanded of U-Net. The output map of the expanded U-Net can retain texture details and edge features of breast tumours. Using the grey-level probability labels to train the U-Net is faster than using ordinary labels. The average Dice coefficient (standard deviation) and the average IOU coefficient (standard deviation) are 90.5% (±0.02) and 82.7% (±0.02), respectively, when using the expanded training approach. The Dice coefficient of the expanded U-Net is 7.6 larger than that of a general U-Net, and the IOU coefficient of the expanded U-Net is 11 larger than that of the general U-Net. The context of breast ultrasound images can be extracted, and texture details and edge features of tumours can be retained by the expanded U-Net. Using an expanded U-Net can quickly and automatically achieve precise segmentation and multi-class recognition of breast ultrasound images.
The selection of indicators from initial blood routine test results to improve the accuracy of early prediction of COVID-19 severity
Authors: Luo Jiaqing , Zhou Lingyun , Feng Yunyu , Li Bo , Guo Shujin
Published: June 2021

The global pandemic of COVID-19 poses a huge threat to the health and lives of people all over the world, and brings unprecedented pressure to the medical system. We need to establish a practical method to improve the efficiency of treatment and optimize the allocation of medical resources. Due to the influx of a large number of patients into the hospital and the running of medical resources, blood routine test became the only possible check while COVID-19 patients first go to a fever clinic in a community hospital. This study aims to establish an efficient method to identify key indicators from initial blood routine test results for COVID-19 severity prediction. We determined that age is a key indicator for severity predicting of COVID-19, with an accuracy of 0.77 and an AUC of 0.92. In order to improve the accuracy of prediction, we proposed a Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) algorithm, which combines the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) and Naïve Bayes (NB) classifier, to further select effective indicators from patients’ initial blood test results. The MCDM algorithm selected 3 dominant feature subsets: {Age, WBC, LYMC, NEUT} with a selection rate of 44%, {Age, NEUT, LYMC} with a selection rate of 38%, and {Age, WBC, LYMC} with a selection rate of 9%. Using these feature subsets, the optimized prediction model could achieve an accuracy of 0.82 and an AUC of 0.93. These results indicated that Age, WBC, LYMC, NEUT were the key factors for COVID-19 severity prediction. Using age and the indicators selected by the MCDM algorithm from initial blood routine test results can effectively predict the severity of COVID-19. Our research could not only help medical workers identify patients with severe COVID-19 at an early stage, but also help doctors understand the pathogenesis of COVID-19 through key indicators.
Assessing university guidance and tutoring in higher education: Validating a questionnaire on Ecuadorian students
Authors: Amor María Isabel , Saldarriaga Villamil Kasandra Vanessa , Dios Irene
Published: June 2021

This study was intended to explore and confirm the factorial structure and to analyze the psychometric properties of an instrument for university guidance and tutoring, apply it, and detect differences between sociodemographic variables. A total of 1,048 students from five universities in the province of Manabi (Ecuador) participated. The study was divided into two phases with differentiated samples. An exploratory phase, made up of 200 subjects (19.1%), and another confirmatory phase, made up of 848 (80.9%), where the questionnaire was also applied. The results supported the three-factor structure of the instrument called “Questionnaire for the Assessment of Guidance and Tutoring in Higher Education” (Q-AGT), with of a total of 21 items. The indices of goodness of fit, reliability and internal consistency of the model were considered satisfactory. The application of the questionnaire did not show statistically significant differences in the assessment of university guidance and tutoring between men and women, with a high value given by both sexes to the importance of tutoring, the demands and the competences of the teaching staff in the university. The differences were mainly found between universities and branches of knowledge. Among the main conclusions, what stands out is the achievement of a valid and reliable instrument to measure the development of guidance and tutoring in Latin American universities. This contributes to the assessment of university guidance and tutoring as a strategy for the integral development of the student- personally, academically and professionally- and as a possible protective factor against academic dropout.
Caballo y poder las élites ecuestres en la Hispania indoeuropea
Authors: Tirador García Víctor
Published: June 2021

Este trabajo forma parte de la tesis doctoral en proceso de elaboración del autor, dedicada al estudio de las jefaturas guerreras y elites aristocráticas de la Hispania Indoeuropea. Se pretende analizar la figura y simbología del caballo como emblema social para dichas elites; tema que ya han tratado varios investigadores. Este estudio parte del análisis de las fuentes, tanto las literarias como las arqueológicas e iconográficas, tras lo cual se incide en la idea de cómo el derecho a poseer un caballo era algo reservado a las elites sociales y que funcionaba como un elemento de estatus social que diferencia a este grupo privilegiado de la población, sin desestimar la importancia de otros elementos de prestigio como las armas.
La enseñanza de la Historia Antigua en el nacionalismo actual de Andalucía
Authors: Almansa Fernández Marco
Published: June 2021

La presentación de este trabajo –que entendemos novedoso en tanto no ha sido aún estudiado–, responde a la motivación por mostrar las paradojas que en algunas Comunidades Autónomas (siendo en este caso estudiado el de Andalucía) con las que se encuentra un estudiante de la ESO. No pretende ser más que un ejercicio de lectura comprensiva que intenta dar cuenta de que la historia está escrita, y se reescribe, con unos fines concretos; objetivos marcados por los caracteres nacionalistas e incluso regionalistas. Con ello no queremos, en ningún modo, desautorizar las ideas presentadas en los actuales libros de texto, cuyos contenidos generales son estimables.
Vacceos, ¿identidad de pasado o de futuro?
Authors: Hernández García Rosalía
Published: June 2021

Actualmente, cuando se habla de vacceos, los debates se centran en la discusión de sus límites geográfico-culturales y la definición de su identidad, aunque teniendo presente que la vida de este pueblo se agotó con la asimilación romana. Una reflexión más profunda nos hace preguntarnos si esta identidad ha sobrevivido de alguna forma hasta nuestros días: conceptos como el debatido “colectivismo vacceo” fueron utilizados para apoyar diversos discursos ideológicos, además no debemos olvidar la asimilación popular de este pueblo en la actualidad a través de grupos de rugby (“vacceos cavaliers”), asociaciones, marcas comerciales, etc. El objetivo de esta intervención es estudiar de qué forma los diversos elementos que definen o definían dicha cultura han sido utilizados a lo largo de la historia reciente.
Arqueología y cine: distorsiones de una ciencia y una profesión
Authors: Tejerizo García Carlos
Published: June 2021

Sólo en los últimos años la investigación arqueológica se ha dirigido a analizar la relación de esta ciencia con el contexto social, político o económico actual. La grave distorsión que existe entre la imagen de la Arqueología de los profesionales y la imagen social es tratada a través de una treintena de películas analizando, igualmente, las consecuencias que en el mundo académico, educativo y profesional tienen este tipo de distorsiones. Finalmente, se propone una Arqueología “militante” basada en algunos postulados de la Teoría Crítica y el materialismo dialéctico como solución a este distanciamiento entre la Arqueología y la sociedad.
Realidad y fantasía de la arqueología en los juegos de rol
Authors: Sevillano Pareja Héctor , De Soto García Mª de los Reyes
Published: June 2021

Analizamos, a partir de una serie de libros de juegos de rol, la visión que se tiene de la Arqueología y del sujeto que la desarrolla, el arqueólogo. Los juegos de rol suelen utilizar ambientaciones históricas, lo que nos ha motivado a centrar el análisis en la visión que se da de esta disciplina. Con este estudio, pretendemos poner de manifiesto la imagen que llega a la sociedad de nuestro trabajo desde este tipo de juegos.
Maternidad, aborto y ciudadanía femenina en la antigüedad
Authors: González Gutiérrez Patricia
Published: June 2021

Últimamente la investigación ha prestado un gran interés a la historia de género, siendo un tema ampliamente tratado el del control demográfico, pero se ha centrado más en la existencia y efectividad de los métodos usados que en el significado que esconde. Al analizar el tema del aborto y la anticoncepción en el mundo antiguo, en sociedades donde se acepta tranquilamente el infanticidio, analizaremos la relación de la maternidad con la ciudadanía femenina, así como la importancia dada a la reproducción, tanto la meramente física como la de todo el orden social que conlleva. Para ello se hace necesario analizar no solo las obras médicas o legales que hacen referencia al aborto, sino toda una serie de textos vinculados a la construcción de lo femenino en la Antigüedad. La ambigua relación entre maternidad, aborto e infanticidio nos ayuda a comprender mejor a la mujer antigua, pero también su sociedad e incluso la nuestra.
Spontaneous Biloma Secondary to Choledocholithiasis
Authors: Arramón Marianela , Sciarretta Martín , Correa Gustavo Javier , Yantorno Martín , Redondo Agustina , Baldoni Fernando , Tufare Francisco
Published: June 2021

A biloma is a collection of bile located outside the bile duct which occurs as a result of iatrogenic and traumatic injuries. Spontaneous biloma is rare and is associated with choledocholithiasis. Diagnosis is performed using an ultrasound, a computed tomography scan, and a nuclear magnetic resonance scan, and is confirmed by drainage and subsequent biochemical analysis of the fluid sample. The first treatment option is percutaneous drainage, and if not successful, endoscopic biliary drainage should be performed. We report a case of a 46-year-old patient with a spontaneous biloma associated with choledocholithiasis.
Orbital manifestations of hypercorticism
Authors: Korchagina Maria O. , Trukhin Alexey A. , Sviridenko Natalya Yu.
Published: June 2021

Nowadays, Cushing's syndrome (hypercortisolism) and its manifestations are well studied. The main symptoms of hyper-cortisolism are obesity, osteoporosis, cardiomyopathy, muscle atrophy, skin thinning and purple stretch marks (striae) on the body. In practice, obesity and osteoporosis are the most frequent symptoms that are found in 90% of cases. However, there are some patients with an implicit clinical picture of hypercorticism. Some cases might concomitant with exophthalmos. This review describes a rare symptom of hypercortisolism — exophthalmos. Exophthalmos is a pathological protruding of eyeballs. This symptom is known in the context of TED that occurs most commonly in patients with Graves' disease. The article compares the mechanisms of development of eye symptoms in Cushing's syndrome and thyroid diseases, especially the Graves' disease. It discusses possible molecular mechanisms leading to exophthalmia in patients with Cushing's syndrome. Factors affecting adipogenesis in vitro and in vivo are studied, in particular factors leading to an increase of orbital fatty tissue against of elevated cortisol levels. Hormonal signaling and transcription cascades responsible for adipocyte differentiation into mature fat cells are presented. Other orbital manifestations of hypercortisolism, which occur relatively rare in practice, are also discussed in the article. These include glaucoma as well as cataract, Lisha nodules and central serous chorioretinopathy. Clinical cases of Cushing's syndrome with different ocular manifestations are considered and appropriate conclusions have been drawn.
What do you really want? Change in goals and life satisfaction during Emerging Adulthood in Brazil
Authors:   Universidade Salgado de Oliveira, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Núñez Rodriguez Susana , Dutra-Thomé Luciana ,   Universidade Federal da Bahía, Brazil, Koller Silvia Helena ,   Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Published: June 2021

Aim and Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate how different types of goals may affect the satisfaction in life of Brazilian emerging adults in different developmental stages and, what characteristics they associate with adulthood. Method: Participants were 970 Brazilian youth aged from 18 to 30 years old (M = 22.8; SD = 3.4). The instruments we used were a socio-demographic questionnaire, the Aspiration Index and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. We performed a descriptive statistical analysis to elicit the characteristics related with becoming an adult, as well as ANOVAs to test if there was a difference between the endorsement of intrinsic or extrinsic goals based on sociodemographic characteristics; and if there was a difference, did it affect their satisfaction with life. Results: Results showed that the most important characteristic to be considered an adult was to be financially independent and to be responsible for oneself, while the least important were to be married and to have children. There was a significant difference in the importance participants gave to intrinsic goals based on sex and age. Consistently with previous research, we found that giving greater importance to intrinsic goals had a positive and significant effect on life satisfaction. However, different sets of goals were deemed important according to the developmental stage youth were in, and these changes had in turn a significant effect on life satisfaction. Conclusions: Finally, we found that prioritizing intrinsic goals contributes to greater life satisfaction in general. This study acknowledges that there are individual and contextual factors that may propel youth to choose their goals in order to attend these demands, regardless of their impact on life satisfaction.
Mission to Mars Amidst a Pandemic
Authors: Cole Harmon Ronda , Hospelhorn Maryann , Gutierrez Esti , Velarde Camille , Fetrow Matthew , Svihla Vanessa
Published: June 2021

For years, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) in New Mexico has led an outreach effort called Mission to Mars to engage fifth grade students in applying science and mathematics concepts related to building a colony on Mars. Many organizations across the US canceled similar events due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This design case details the original program and the pivot made to continue the program. We share successes—including reaching more rural learners—insights, and challenges, and how these have shaped a more inclusive vision for future programs.
Experimental Investigation and Optimization of Non-Catalytic In-Situ Biodiesel Production from Rice Bran Using with RSM Historical Data Design
Authors: Zullaikah Siti , Putra Ari Krisna , Fachrudin Fathi Haqqani , Naulina Rosada Y , Utami Sri , Herminanto Rifky P , Rachmaniah Orchidea , Ju Yi Hsu
Published: June 2021

Biodiesel has become one of the essential fuels in the present and future, and it can be produced from vegetable oil and animal fat. However, current feedstocks to produce biodiesel slow down the growth of biodiesel implementation due to the high cost of feedstock. As a result, rice bran oil (RBO) is claimed to be a potential feedstock for biodiesel production. A non-catalytic in-situ biodiesel production from low cost feedstock (RBO) using subcritical ethanol-water mixture probably decrease the production cost further and environmentally benign. Therefore, in this work the influence of four independent variables, adding co-solvent/without co-solvent, ethanol concentration, temperature, and time of reactions on the yield of biodiesel was examined tentatively. The independent variables limitations were (a) co-solvent of n-hexane, ethyl acetate and chloroform, (b) ethanol concentration of 20 - 80 %, v/v, (c) temperature of reaction 120 - 200 oC, and (d) time of reaction 1 - 4 h employed to direct the trials. In this examination historical data design was utilized and a quadratic polynomial model was built up and after that at last optimized by using response surface methodology (RSM). It was found that the yield of biodiesel achieved an optimum value of 79.79 %, v/v using ethyl acetate as co-solvent with ethanol concentration of 78.83 % (v/v), under constant operation conditions of P = 8 Mpa, T = 160 oC, t = 2 h, N = 400 rpm, ratio of rice bran (RB): solvent: co-solvent= 10 (g): 80 mL: 20 mL. In the other hand (rice bran 2), it was found that the yield of biodiesel achieved an optimum value of 76.98 % for 3.2 h of reaction time and temperature of reaction 200 oC, under constant operation conditions of P = 8 Mpa, co-solvent = ethyl acetate, ethanol concentration = 80 %, v/v, N = 400 rpm, ratio of RB: solvent: co-solvent= 10 (g): 80 mL: 20 mL. The examination has likewise uncovered that authentic plan information with RSM is a well-organized statistical technique for forecasting the optimum operating conditions of a non-catalytic in-situ biodiesel production from rice bran using subcritical ethanol-water mixture assumes a crucial role of ethanol concentration, types of co-solvent, temperature and time of reactions.
Experimental Investigation and Optimization of Non-Catalytic In-Situ Biodiesel Production from Rice Bran Using Response Surface Methodology Historical Data Design
Authors: Zullaikah Siti , Putra Ari Krisna , Fachrudin Fathi Haqqani , Naulina Rosada Y , Utami Sri , Herminanto Rifky P , Rachmaniah Orchidea , Ju Yi Hsu
Published: June 2021

Rice bran oil (RBO)is claimed to be a potential feedstock for biodiesel production. Non-catalytic in-situ biodiesel production from a low-cost feedstock (rice bran) using subcritical ethanol-water mixture was investigated in this study. The influence of four independent variables, i.e., addition of co-solvent, ethanol concentration, temperature, and time of reactions, on the yield of biodiesel was examined. The results showed that the most effective co-solvent wasethyl acetate and the optimum ethanol concentration, temperature and reaction time were 80% v/v, 200 oC and 3 hours, respectively. The maximum yield of biodiesel was found to be around 80%. The optimization of operating conditions was carried out by response surface methodology (RSM) with historical data design (HDD). The statistical method also suggested similar optimum operating conditions, i.e., 78.44% (v/v) ethanol concentration, 200 oC, and 3.2 hours reaction time with ethyl acetate as a co-solvent. The predicted maximum biodiesel yield was also slightly lower, i.e., 76.98%. Therefore, this study suggests that biodiesel production from rice bran through a non-catalytic in-situ process using a subcritical ethanol-water mixture with ethyl acetate as a co-solvent is very feasible since the yield can reach 80%. The study also found that RSM with HDD can predict the optimum operating conditions with a good accuracy.
Biomechanical Effects of a 6-Week Change-of-Direction Technique Modification Intervention on Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Risk
Authors: Dos'Santos Thomas , Thomas Christopher , Comfort Paul , Jones Paul A.
Published: June 2021

Dos'Santos, T, Thomas, C, Comfort, P, and Jones, PA. Biomechanical effects of a 6-week change-of-direction technique modification intervention on anterior cruciate ligament injury risk. J Strength Cond Res 35(8): 2133–2144, 2021—The aim of this study was to evaluate the biomechanical effects of a 6-week change-of-direction (COD) technique modification intervention on anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury risk (i.e., multiplanar knee joint loads) during 45° (CUT45) and 90° (CUT90) side-step cutting. A nonrandomized, controlled 6-week intervention study was administrated. Fifteen male multidirectional sport athletes formed the intervention group (IG) who participated in two 30-minute COD technique modification sessions per week, whereas 12 male multidirectional sport athletes formed the control group and continued their normal training. Subjects performed 6 trials of the CUT45 and CUT90 task whereby pre-to-post intervention changes in lower-limb and trunk kinetics and kinematics were evaluated using three-dimensional motion and ground reaction force analysis. Two-way mixed analyses of variance revealed no significant interaction effects of group for CUT45 and CUT90 multiplanar knee joint loads (p ≥ 0.116, η2 ≤ 0.096); however, considerable individual variation was observed (positive (n = 5–8) and negative responders (n = 7–8)). Based on IG group means, COD technique modification resulted in no meaningful reductions in multiplanar knee joint loads. However, individually, considerable variation was observed, with “higher-risk” subjects generally responding positively, and subjects initially considered “low-risk” tending to increase their multiplanar knee joint loads, albeit to magnitudes not considered hazardous or “high-risk.” Change-of-direction technique modification training is a simple, effective training method, requiring minimal equipment that can reduce knee joint loads and potential ACL injury risk in “higher-risk” subjects without compromising performance.
Recommending Tasks in Online Judges using Autoencoder Neural Networks
Authors: FANTOZZI Paolo , LAURA Luigi
Published: June 2021

Programming contests such as International Olympiads in Informatics (IOI) and ACM
International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) are becoming increasingly popular in recent years. To train for these contests, there are several Online Judges available, in which users can test their skills against a usually large set of programming tasks.
In the literature, so far few papers have addressed the problem of recommending tasks in online judges. Most notably, as opposed with traditional Recommender Systems, since the learners improve their skills as they solve more problems, there is an intrinsic dynamic dimension that has to be considered: when recommending movies or books, it is likely that the preferences of the users are more or less stable, whilst in recommending tasks this does not hold true.
In order to help the learners, it is crucial to recommend them tasks that are challenging but not unsolvable compared with their current set of skills. In this paper we present a Recommender System (RS) for Online Judges based on an Autoencoder (Artificial) Neural Network (ANN).
We also discuss the results of an experimental evaluation of our approach in both the scenarios in which we consider, or not, the intrinsic dynamic dimension of the problem. The ANNs are trained with the dataset of all the submissions in the Italian National Online Judge, used to train students for the Italian Olympiads in Informatics.
Introduction of “Honorable Mention“ Award at the International Olympiad in Informatics
Authors: JOVANOV Mile , STANKOV Emil
Published: June 2021

In 2020, there are 14 International Science Olympiads for secondary school students,
which aim to gather teams from all the countries around the world, with the brightest young eligible students from each country. These Olympiads are not just a science competition but a means to care for talent in the particular scientific field. International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) is one of the first five Olympiads that arose, after Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry, and before Biology Olympiad. Being the “summit” of the brightest students, they generously award recognitions to contestants in the form of gold, silver and bronze medals, and additionally – the so called “honorable mention” award. IOI is the only Olympiad that up until 2019 has not introduced the fourth-degree award – “honorable mention”. In this paper we explore the rules of the other four scientific Olympiads in order to compare their methods of awarding contestants to the current one used by IOI, and to use that analysis for proposing a rule change that will introduce “honorable mention” category at IOI. Furthermore, a set of possible approaches are considered, and for each one, the “retroactive” impact of the rule to the results of the last five IOI issues is presented. At the end, as a conclusion, the most appropriate approach is proposed.
PLACES OF MEMORY ASSOCIATED WITH PETER THE GREAT IN THE CITY OF PETROZAVODSK
Authors: Urvantseva Natalya
Published: June 2021

The article examines memorial sites associated with the name of Peter the Great in the city Petrozavodsk. The main aims of the article are to reconstruct the history of memorial structures, to determine their connection with the urban landscape, and to identify certain commemorative practices. This study claims to fill the gap associated with the study of memorial sites in the historiography of the city. The most frequent occasions for commemorating Peter I were various anniversaries (of the emperor, the factory, or the city of Petrozavodsk), as well as certain tragic events in the history of Russia and the processes associated with them. The author shows how the social structure changes influenced the attitude towards the monument to Peter the Great – from its creation to its destruction, oblivion, and restoration. The study deals with a set of sociocultural actions around the monument to Peter the Great (its protection and restoration) and a wide range of commemorative practices (ceremonial laying and opening, moving it around the city, some ritual actions with the monument).
Livros e política nas relações culturais dos Estados Unidos com o Brasil (1930-1946)*
Authors: Mitiyo Morinaka Eliza
Published: June 2021

Objetivo: Este artigo analisa o contexto e as motivações dos subsídios da Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs para os programas editoriais na década de 1940, relacionando-as aos programas financiados pela Fundação Rockefeller desde a década de 1930, em especial aqueles coordenados pela American Library Association. Metodologia: Para isso, as fontes primárias disponíveis nas seguintes instituições foram analisadas comparativamente: o National Archives and Records Administration II, a Fundação Rockefeller, a American Library Association e o American Council of Learned Societies. Originalidade: o artigo destaca a ação estadunidense que objetivava evidenciar sua superioridade e neutralizar as “atividades subversivas” e o “antiamericanismo” no continente americano por meio dos livros, um dos bens culturais pouco explorado na historiografia da chamada Política da Boa Vizinhança. Conclusões: a análise mostra que o fortalecimento da distribuição de livros funcionou como uma estratégia de maior inserção ideológica nos países alvos, além do combate às atividades subversivas e ao antiamericanismo na década de 1940.
Yobenj Chicangana-Bayona, María Cristina Pérez Pérez y Ana María Rodríguez Sierra, comps. El oficio del historiador. Reflexiones metodológicas en torno a las fuentes.
Authors: Vargas Álvarez Sebastián
Published: June 2021

El oficio del historiador. Reflexiones metodológicas en torno a las fuentes es un volumen colectivo en donde se reúnen textos que abordan diferentes temáticas y periodos, convocados por la misma premisa: reflexionar sobre las implicaciones, potencialidades y limitaciones del uso de fuentes primarias de diverso tipo en la investigación histórica. Se trata de una obra de corte metodológico e historiográfico, que sin duda aportará a la discusión sobre la práctica de la disciplina histórica en Colombia, en la línea de otros trabajos aparecidos recientemente.
Ciência para crianças
Authors: Sangiogo Fábio André , Nunes Jhonatas da Silva , Roscoff Théo Lahorgue , Rufino Matheus de Lima , Alves Marcelo Möller
Published: June 2021

O texto objetiva apresentar uma proposta que busca auxiliar professores de Pedagogia e/ou de Ciências a introduzir modos de pensar e entender a temática da COVID-19 na ótica da Ciência, sobretudo por meio de atividades que permitem introduzir alguns conceitos de Química desde o Ensino Fundamental. A proposta didática se fundamenta na perspectiva da alfabetização científica e nos três momentos pedagógicos, organizada em uma sequência de atividades de ensino com metodologias que envolvem, por exemplo, aulas expositivo-dialogadas, atividades experimentais e lúdicas, leitura e interpretação. As atividades possibilitam problematizar o papel da Ciência no contexto da temática da COVID-19 e se apropriar de palavras e significados com origem na cultura da Ciência e da Química, com vistas a viabilizar o pensar e o agir de modo mais consciente e responsável, em especial, sobre as diferentes formas de higienização das mãos que ajudam no combate da transmissão e do contágio do vírus.
Palavras-chave: COVID-19; alfabetização científica; três momentos pedagógicos; ensino de Ciências.
«Don Quijote de las deidades», con «asnos» de «La Fortuna»: Quevedo, intérprete de Apuleyo y Luciano
Authors: Escobar-Borrego Francisco-Javier
Published: June 2021

El presente artículo ofrece un estudio circunscrito a la pervivencia de El Asno de oro y el imaginario estético de Luciano en un texto tan representativo de Francisco de Quevedo como La Fortuna con seso y la Hora de todos. Para ello, se presta especial atención a las implicaciones simbólico-conceptuales quevedianas referidas a «Don Quijote de las deidades», con «asnos» de «La Fortuna».
THE STUDY OF QUALITY INDICATORS AND FRACTIONAL COMPOSITION OF WHEAT GRAIN PROTEIN OF SOUTHERN REGIONS OF UKRAINE
Authors: Penaki A. , Borta A.
Published: June 2021

The results of studies of the quality of food and non-food grain of wheat from the southern regions of Ukraine in 2016 harvest are presented. The indicators of the quality of wheat grain were determined, the uniformity of their distribution in different classes of wheat was assessed, the content of protein fractions of the gluten complex and the molecular weights of individual protein structures were determined. It was found that the studied 13 samples of wheat grain had the following quality indicators: moisture content 9.4 ... 13.5%, bulk density 731 ... 814 g/l, protein content 10.1 ... 13.2%, gluten content 16.4 ... 25.6%, gluten quality 50 ... 110 units of the IDK device, falling number 311 ... 493 s, grain admixture 1.2 ... 10.5%, grains damaged by a wheat bug, 0.1 ... 10.1%. It was noted that the bulk density of all samples of wheat of 2 ... 6 classes exceeded the standard values in each class. In terms of protein content, 2 from 3 samples of class 5 wheat and 1 from 2 samples of 6 class exceeded the standard value of class 3 wheat (≥11.0%). The same was observed for these samples and for the gluten content (≥18%). Almost all grain samples, except for 2 samples of the 5th class and 2 samples of the 6th class, met the requirements of wheat of the 2nd class (45 ... 100 units device VDK). The falling number of all samples was high and significantly exceeded the normalized value (180 s), even for class 2 wheat. It was found that the uniformity of the distribution of individual quality indicators in different classes of wheat grain by the coefficient of variation is not the same. Such indicators of grain quality as moisture content, bulk density and protein content in different samples of the south of Ukraine in 2016 harvest fluctuated weakly (V≤10%), in terms of the amount of gluten and the falling number fluctuations were average (10% ≤V≤20%). Fluctuations in the content of grain impurities and grains damaged by the wheat bug are big (V≥20%). For the last indicator, fluctuations relative to the average are very large and exceed 120 %. This indicates that in different areas where wheat was grown, the infestation by the wheat bug was very different. It was shown that regardless of the total amount of protein determined by the Infratec FOSS express analyzer, four protein fractions of the gluten complex (albumins, globulins, gliadins and glutenins) are present in all grain classes, and the molecular weights of the protein structures of the main fractions are within small limits, which are in kDa - for albumins and globulins 20...30, gliadins 27.. 100 and glutenins 30...35. It was noted that in the varietal wheat "Chernobrova" albumins and globulins have a slightly higher molecular weight (30...40 kDa) than in non-varietal wheat.