bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Errores en la comprensión del significado de las letras en tareas algebraicas en estudiantado universitario
Authors: Bolaños-González Helen , Lupiáñez-Gómez José Luis
Published: June 2020

Este trabajo tiene como objetivo general analizar, clasificar e interpretar los errores algebraicos que presenta un grupo de 38 estudiantes matriculados en el curso Matemática General de la Universidad Nacional en Costa Rica, que se oferta a diversas carreras. En este estudio, que constituye una réplica de investigación, empleamos un cuestionario centrado en el uso de las letras con diferentes significados, desde etiquetas a variables. Se desarrolló desde el enfoque cuantitativo durante el periodo 2018-2019. Como resultado del análisis se ha detectado que los errores más frecuentes en las respuestas de los ítems responden al uso de la letra como incógnita de valor específico, letra como número generalizado o en el manejo de la letra como variable.
Corporate sustainability impact on reputation and customer behaviour
Authors: Jančiauskaitė Laura , Lasickaitė Kristina , Ripkauskaitė Austė
Published: June 2020

In a modern world sustainable business development is the adaptation of strategies and actions in order to meet the needs of the organization and society for nature conservation, social welfare and economy. Increasing concern for environmental and social issues commit business to take responsibility and adopt sustainable development principles into strategic management. The research on corporate sustainability examined in this article shows significant relationship of sustainable business between the company's reputation and customers behaviour, while brand image takes the mediating role on all of them. The following theoretical model was created: the impact of corporate sustainability on customer perceived corporate reputation and customer buying decision behaviour shows the relation between these determinants.
ІНКЛЮЗИВНИЙ РОЗВИТОК ЯК ОСНОВА ПРОТИДІЇ ГЛОБАЛЬНИМ ВИКЛИКАМ СЬОГОДЕННЯ
Authors: МАНЦУРОВ Ігор
Published: June 2020

Певною мірою узагальнено авторські розробки з оцінювання стану та динаміки економічного розвитку України. У результаті цих багаторічних досліджень сформульовано концептуальне визначення інклюзивного розвитку у форматі його трактування впливовими міжнародними організаціями, оцінювання відповідності стану економіки України стандартам інклюзивного розвитку та розроблення заходів державної політики, реалізація яких сприятиме подоланню кризових явищ в економіці країни та протидії глобальним викликам сьогодення. Проаналізовано нові підходи до протидії цим викликам, розроблені міжнародним співтовариством у форматі реалізації концепції інклюзивного розвитку.Найбільш концентровано ці підходи викладено у програмному документі Ради ОЕСР «Нові підходи до протидії економічним викликам», який формує важливий системний процес, спрямований на розроблення і послідовне поліпшення аналітичної діяльності та інструментарію, які повинні використовуватися міжнародними організаціями та урядами окремих країн з метою вирішення вже окреслених питань.На основі використання методу головних компонент удосконалено методологію оцінювання стану економіки України та здійснено аналіз його відповідності міжнародним стандартам інклюзивного розвитку. За результатами аналізу зроблено важливий концептуальний висновок відносно невідповідності чинної моделі економічної поведінки України викликам сьогодення, що, у свою чергу, призводить до такого стану економіки України, якому притаманні ознаки патологічності та токсичності. Наведено теоретичне визначення цих економічних понять.За результатами багатовимірного оцінювання стану економіки України розроблено практичні рекомендації щодо вдосконалення державної економічної політики, реалізація якої сприятиме досягненню стандартів сталого інклюзивного розвитку.
ПРОБЛЕМАТИКА ІСТИНИ У СВІТОВІЙ ЕКОНОМІЧНІЙ НАУЦІ
Authors: ТАРАСЕВИЧ Віктор
Published: June 2020

У статті розглядається актуальна проблематика істини, її змісту та видів в контексті еволюції світової класичної, некласичної та постнекласичної науки. Дана критична характеристика кореспондентської, прагматичної, когерентної, конвеціальної та консенсусної концепцій істини. Запропонована і обґрунтована концепція цільної істини. Зроблено акцент на її універсумному характері, складній організації, будові та структурі.Цілісна істина визначається як n-вимірна відповідність економіко-універсумного знання надскладному людинорозмірному економічному темпоральному простору (об'єкту) в його (відповідності) співвіднесеності з людською життєдіяльністю, її сферами та елементами. "Внутрішній світ", будова цілісної істини, яка саме таким чином розуміється, у першому наближенні можуть бути представлені трьома взаємозв'язаними складовими: науковою, позанауковою і синтетичною.Наукова складова цілісної істини – складна система співвіднесеностей, з одного боку, відношення наукового економічного знання до об'єкта, а з іншого – відношень знання до суб'єкта, умов, процесу, результату тощо, наукової та практичної економічної діяльності, а також відношень економічного знання до самого себе. Елементами позанаукової складової цілісної істини можуть бути співвіднесеності відносин: 1) позанаукових економічних знань до різних феноменів відповідного виду осягнення та відображеної ним реальності в універсумному контексті; 2) позанаукового знання до самого себе і до знань – результатів інших видів пізнання. Синтетична складова цілісної істини являє собою поєднання і синергію наукової та позанаукової складових. Кількість таких комбінацій не піддається короткому описанню, оскільки повинні бути співвіднесені різні відношення багатьох видів осягнення та пізнання як між собою, так і з їх відношеннями до численних феноменів людської життєдіяльності.Таким чином, у сучасній науці поряд з ускладненням наукової істини і процесу її набуття зріє розуміння неможливості останнього поза зверненням до цілісної істини та опануванням нею. Необхідно навчитися визначати міру і відповідність цілісної істини, жорсткі умови, передумови і межі, в яких економіко-універсумне знання відповідає тій чи іншій сфері надскладного людинорозмірного об'єкта.
КРОК УПЕРЕД І ДВА НАЗАД – ДЕКЛАРАЦІЇ ТА РЕАЛЬНІСТЬ ДЕРЖАВНОЇ ПОЛІТИКИ РОЗВИТКУ НАУКИ, ІННОВАЦІЙ ТА ВИСОКОТЕХНОЛОГІЧНОГО ВИРОБНИЦТВА В УКРАЇНІ
Authors: ОДОТЮК Ігор
Published: June 2020

Сформульовано особливості здійснюваної в Україні політики розвитку науки, інновацій та високотехнологічного виробництва. Визначено, що пролонгація фінансово-економічних умов до відтворення власного виробництва без активізації інноваційної діяльності чи придбання інноваційних технологій зумовлює скорочення вітчизняними підприємствами випуску інноваційної продукції. Сьогодні впровадження нових науково-технічних розробок і технологічних рішень, які базуються на результатах вітчизняних наукових досліджень, відбувається в умовах домінування в Україні звуженого формату відтворення сфери науки та інновацій.Виконано міжнародний порівняльний аналіз результативності України протягом 1996–2016 рр. з аналогічними параметрами розбудови науки і високих технологій у країнах Східної та Західної Європи, Східної та Південно-Східної Азії, Північної Америки. Обгрунтовано, що Україна є єдиною серед цих країн, яка використала попередній 20-річний період власної розбудови не для збільшення фінансових асигнувань у розвиток вітчизняної науки і посилення її кадрового потенціалу, а навпаки – для їх зменшення. Встановлено, що пріоритетні напрями розбудови вітчизняних високих технологій – авіабудування та фармацевтика, на які у структурі українського високотехнологічного виробництва припадає, відповідно, 48,7% і 43,7%, – на світовому ринку вимірюються 0,1% і 0,04%. Це однозначно свідчить про реальний невисокий рівень дієвості статусу інноваційного пріоритету як у державній політиці інноваційного розвитку економіки, так і в економічній політиці держави в цілому.На підставі результатів порівняльного аналізу динаміки розвитку наукової галузі, сектору високих технологій, знаннєвих послуг і переробної промисловості зроблено висновок про те, що пройдений країною попередній етап національного економічного становлення на сьогодні призвів до ситуації, коли бажаними орієнтирами перспективного періоду розбудови України стають показники інноваційного розвитку економіки 1990-х років.
Pengembangan Kurikulum Berbasis Nusantara dan Internasional di PAUD Fastrack Funschool Yogyakarta
Authors: Umayah Siti , Suyadi Suyadi
Published: June 2020

Early childhood education is a children's educational institution that has the aim of learning to develop children's intelligence by using a variety of innovative learning programs. The purpose of this study was to find out how the development of an archipelago-based and international curriculum program in learning was implemented at Fastrack Funschool Yogyakarta. From the results of research conducted by researchers show that in the learning process applying the archipelago curriculum program uses learning with multiple intelligence methods, in which developing linguistic intelligence, logical mathematical intelligence, spatial visual intelligence, musical intelligence, kinesthetic intelligence, iterpersonal intelligence, intrapersonal intelligence, natural intelligence, and, spiritual intelligence whereas in the international curriculum the learning model of seven habits of successful people includes being a proactive person, setting clear targets, working according to priorities, always thinking of profitable ways, trying to understand and then understanding, creating synergies, and always taking time to improve The ability of these multitude of intelligence and habituation is considered to be very effective in learning in early childhood education institutions at Fastrack Funschool Yogyakarta.
Perkembangan Bahasa pada Anak Speechdelay
Authors: Alfin Jauharoti , Pangastuti Ratna
Published: June 2020

Language development in early childhood is very important for the continuity of his life as a social creature. Incoming language skills have an aspect of early childhood development. This article seeks to discuss the development of speech-based children's language in theory by analyzing documented cases of published research results. The research method used is a library research with content analysis for the discussion technique. Source of data taken from secondary data from research results in thesis or online journals, then combined with several existing theories. Based on the results of the discussion obtained data that children with speech delay will experience language delays both in terms of articulation, sound, fluency and completeness of the preparation of the letters. Many factors as a trigger that is external and internal. Most of the cases that have external factors in the form of parenting are the dominant factors in children experiencing speech delay. Mild speechdelay children can recover with appropriate meode stimulation and selection, while children with medium and large speechdays need the help of experts (therapists) and medical personnel
On recursive hyperbolic functions in Fibonacci-Lucas sense
Authors: DAŞDEMİR Ahmet , ŞENTÜRK Tuncay Deniz , ÜNAL Zafer
Published: June 2020

The hyperbolic Fibonacci and hyperbolic Lucas functions have been introduced before and have been improved to functions of the symmetrical form. In this paper, we generalize the mentioned definitions, which will be called Horadam hyperbolic sine function $ \left( HSF \right) $ and Horadam hyperbolic cosine function $ \left( HCF \right) $. Further, we present many identities and hyperbolic properties of our new definitions.
Forgetting an Argument
Authors: Baumann Ringo , Gabbay Dov , Rodrigues Odinaldo
Published: June 2020

The notion of forgetting, as considered in the famous paper by Lin and Reiter in 1994 has been extensively studied in classical logic and more recently, in non-monotonic formalisms like logic programming. In this paper, we convey the idea of forgetting to another major AI formalism, namely Dung-style argumentation frameworks. Our approach is axiomatic-driven and not limited to any specific semantics: we propose semantical and syntactical desiderata encoding different criteria for what forgetting an argument might mean; analyze how these criteria relate to each other; and check whether the criteria can be satisfied in general. The analysis is done for a number of widely used argumentation semantics. Our investigation shows that almost all desiderata are individually satisfiable. However, combinations of semantical and/or syntactical conditions reveal a much more interesting landscape. For instance, we found that the ad hoc approach to forgetting an argument, i.e., by the syntactical removal of the argument and all of its associated attacks, is too restrictive and only compatible with the two weakest semantical desiderata. Amongst the several interesting combinations identified, we showed that one satisfies a notion of minimal change and presented an algorithm that given an AF F and argument x, constructs a suitable AF G satisfying the conditions in the combination.
Model-Based Diagnosis with Uncertain Observations
Authors: Cazes Dean , Kalech Meir
Published: June 2020

Classical model-based diagnosis uses a model of the system to infer diagnoses – explanations – of a given abnormal observation. In this work, we explore how to address the case where there is uncertainty over a given observation. This can happen, for example, when the observations are collected by noisy sensors, that are known to return incorrect observations with some probability. We formally define this common scenario for consistency-based and abductive models. In addition, we analyze the complexity of two complete algorithms we propose for finding all diagnoses and correctly ranking them. Finally, we propose a third algorithm that returns the most probable diagnosis without finding all possible diagnoses. Experimental evaluation shows that this third algorithm can be very effective in cases where the number of faults is small and the uncertainty over the observations is not large. If, however, all possible diagnoses are desired, then the choice between the first two algorithms depends on whether the domain's diagnosis form is abductive or consistent.
Structural Decompositions of Epistemic Logic Programs
Authors: Hecher Markus , Morak Michael , Woltran Stefan
Published: June 2020

Epistemic logic programs (ELPs) are a popular generalization of standard Answer Set Programming (ASP) providing means for reasoning over answer sets within the language. This richer formalism comes at the price of higher computational complexity reaching up to the fourth level of the polynomial hierarchy. However, in contrast to standard ASP, dedicated investigations towards tractability have not been undertaken yet. In this paper, we give first results in this direction and show that central ELP problems can be solved in linear time for ELPs exhibiting structural properties in terms of bounded treewidth. We also provide a full dynamic programming algorithm that adheres to these bounds. Finally, we show that applying treewidth to a novel dependency structure—given in terms of epistemic literals—allows to bound the number of ASP solver calls in typical ELP solving procedures.
FastLAS: Scalable Inductive Logic Programming Incorporating Domain-Specific Optimisation Criteria
Authors: Law Mark , Russo Alessandra , Bertino Elisa , Broda Krysia , Lobo Jorge
Published: June 2020

Inductive Logic Programming (ILP) systems aim to find a set of logical rules, called a hypothesis, that explain a set of examples. In cases where many such hypotheses exist, ILP systems often bias towards shorter solutions, leading to highly general rules being learned. In some application domains like security and access control policies, this bias may not be desirable, as when data is sparse more specific rules that guarantee tighter security should be preferred. This paper presents a new general notion of a scoring function over hypotheses that allows a user to express domain-specific optimisation criteria. This is incorporated into a new ILP system, called FastLAS, that takes as input a learning task and a customised scoring function, and computes an optimal solution with respect to the given scoring function. We evaluate the accuracy of FastLAS over real-world datasets for access control policies and show that varying the scoring function allows a user to target domain-specific performance metrics. We also compare FastLAS to state-of-the-art ILP systems, using the standard ILP bias for shorter solutions, and demonstrate that FastLAS is significantly faster and more scalable.
Commonsense Knowledge Base Completion with Structural and Semantic Context
Authors: Malaviya Chaitanya , Bhagavatula Chandra , Bosselut Antoine , Choi Yejin
Published: June 2020

Automatic KB completion for commonsense knowledge graphs (e.g., ATOMIC and ConceptNet) poses unique challenges compared to the much studied conventional knowledge bases (e.g., Freebase). Commonsense knowledge graphs use free-form text to represent nodes, resulting in orders of magnitude more nodes compared to conventional KBs ( ∼18x more nodes in ATOMIC compared to Freebase (FB15K-237)). Importantly, this implies significantly sparser graph structures — a major challenge for existing KB completion methods that assume densely connected graphs over a relatively smaller set of nodes.In this paper, we present novel KB completion models that can address these challenges by exploiting the structural and semantic context of nodes. Specifically, we investigate two key ideas: (1) learning from local graph structure, using graph convolutional networks and automatic graph densification and (2) transfer learning from pre-trained language models to knowledge graphs for enhanced contextual representation of knowledge. We describe our method to incorporate information from both these sources in a joint model and provide the first empirical results for KB completion on ATOMIC and evaluation with ranking metrics on ConceptNet. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of language model representations in boosting link prediction performance and the advantages of learning from local graph structure (+1.5 points in MRR for ConceptNet) when training on subgraphs for computational efficiency. Further analysis on model predictions shines light on the types of commonsense knowledge that language models capture well.
LTLƒ Synthesis with Fairness and Stability Assumptions
Authors: Zhu Shufang , De Giacomo Giuseppe , Pu Geguang , Vardi Moshe Y.
Published: June 2020

In synthesis, assumptions are constraints on the environment that rule out certain environment behaviors. A key observation here is that even if we consider systems with LTLƒ goals on finite traces, environment assumptions need to be expressed over infinite traces, since accomplishing the agent goals may require an unbounded number of environment action. To solve synthesis with respect to finite-trace LTLƒ goals under infinite-trace assumptions, we could reduce the problem to LTL synthesis. Unfortunately, while synthesis in LTLƒ and in LTL have the same worst-case complexity (both 2EXPTIME-complete), the algorithms available for LTL synthesis are much more difficult in practice than those for LTLƒ synthesis. In this work we show that in interesting cases we can avoid such a detour to LTL synthesis and keep the simplicity of LTLƒ synthesis. Specifically, we develop a BDD-based fixpoint-based technique for handling basic forms of fairness and of stability assumptions. We show, empirically, that this technique performs much better than standard LTL synthesis.
Enhancing Pointer Network for Sentence Ordering with Pairwise Ordering Predictions
Authors: Yin Yongjing , Meng Fandong , Su Jinsong , Ge Yubin , Song Lingeng , Zhou Jie , Luo Jiebo
Published: June 2020

Dominant sentence ordering models use a pointer network decoder to generate ordering sequences in a left-to-right fashion. However, such a decoder only exploits the noisy left-side encoded context, which is insufficient to ensure correct sentence ordering. To address this deficiency, we propose to enhance the pointer network decoder by using two pairwise ordering prediction modules: The FUTURE module predicts the relative orientations of other unordered sentences with respect to the candidate sentence, and the HISTORY module measures the local coherence between several (e.g., 2) previously ordered sentences and the candidate sentence, without the influence of noisy left-side context. Using the pointer mechanism, we then incorporate this dynamically generated information into the decoder as a supplement to the left-side context for better predictions. On several commonly-used datasets, our model significantly outperforms other baselines, achieving the state-of-the-art performance. Further analyses verify that pairwise ordering predictions indeed provide extra useful context as expected, leading to better sentence ordering. We also evaluate our sentence ordering models on a downstream task, multi-document summarization, and the summaries reordered by our model achieve the best coherence scores. Our code is available at https://github.com/DeepLearnXMU/Pairwise.git.
Application of machine learning to the identification of quick and highly sensitive clays from cone penetration tests
Authors: Godoy Cristian , Depina Ivan , Thakur Vikas
Published: June 2020

Geotechnical classification is vital for site characterization and geotechnical design. Field tests such as the cone penetration test with pore water pressure measurement (CPTu) are widespread because they represent a faster and cheaper alternative for sample recovery and testing. However, classification schemes based on CPTu measurements are fairly generic because they represent a wide variety of soil conditions and, occasionally, they may fail when used in special soil types like sensitive or quick clays. Quick and highly sensitive clay soils in Norway have unique conditions that make them difficult to be identified through general classification charts. Therefore, new approaches to address this task are required. The following study applies machine learning methods such as logistic regression, Naive Bayes, and hidden Markov models to classify quick and highly sensitive clays at two sites in Norway based on normalized CPTu measurements. Results showed a considerable increase in the classification accuracy despite limited training sets.
Analysis of noise and air pollution in Sambalpur City, India, during Diwali
Authors: Sahu A K , Pradhan P K , Mohanty C R , Pradhan M
Published: June 2020

Diwali (or Deepavali) is one of the most glamorous cultural festivals in India. It is the festival of light and is celebrated every year during the month of November with great firework displays. Burning of different fireworks generates acute noise and toxic fumes, which lead to noise and air pollution in the environment. The excessive use of fireworks aggravates the level of air and noise pollution and causes adverse impacts on human health. The present paper assesses the noise pollution and air pollution during Diwali in Sambalpur City, one of the premier cities in the western part of Odisha State in Eastern India. The noise level is measured on Diwali day and is compared with that on normal days. Similarly, air quality is measured on Diwali day and compared with that on normal days (pre-Diwali and post-Diwali). The average equivalent continuous noise levels (L eq) and noise pollution levels have increased in all areas on Diwali compared with those on non-Diwali days. It is also observed that there is a significant rise of air pollutants, total suspended particulate matter, PM10, PM2.5, sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in ambient air due to burning of crackers in Diwali.
Fatigue design of metallic railway bridges in France at the end of the nineteenth century
Authors: Sire Stéphane , Ragueneau Muriel
Published: June 2020

Among more than 25 000 bridges and viaducts in the French railway network, more than 2000 metallic bridges have been in service for over a century, and they need adapted measures for their maintenance. Due to the increase in rolling speed and axle load, the understanding of the behaviour of this type of connection becomes of utmost importance. In order to understand better how old bridges behave, a specific aggressiveness index has been defined, and it enables comparison of the effects of different rolling stocks on the mechanical behaviour of stringers. This index has been determined for different French historical standard trains. For these calculations, a set of real iron stringers has been considered, including different periods of construction, different spans and different inertias. Since fatigue is one of the main phenomena to take into account in order to extend the safe service life of metallic bridges, a fatigue design criterion has been considered. Regarding historical calculation methods, an allowable fatigue stress has been chosen using the Societé Suisse des Ingénieurs et des Architectes fatigue curve, assuming Δσ c = 80 MPa. The method for determining the allowable stress in stringers presented in this paper shows a good agreement with the National Society of French Railways historical inventory of repairs.
Experimental model of pockmarks from gas hydrate decomposition by aeration
Authors: Yan Xin , Xie Wei , Wei Zhenlei , Sun Hongyue , Wu Gang
Published: June 2020

The decomposition of gas hydrates releases gas and water at volumes much larger than the original volume. The gas escapes violently, which destroys seabed sediments and can even cause geological disasters. To explore the effect of natural gas hydrate decomposition on underwater slopes, laboratory experiments were conducted to observe the features of slope failure. Aeration was used to model the gas that was produced by hydrate decomposition, and the results were as follows. (a) Once air filled into the bottom of the underwater slope, the pore pressure at the slope was altered, which eventually caused the slope to fail. (b) The formation of pockmarks corresponded to the variations in the pore-water pressure. (c) The theoretical analysis results showed that the sedimentation rate of fine particles (d < 0.4 mm) was lower than the water flow velocity, indicating that these particles were carried away with the air–liquid two-phase flow, which eventually caused the pockmarks to develop into craters.
Prediction of the California bearing ratio from some field measurements of soils
Authors: Gül Yavuz , Çayir Haci Mehmet
Published: June 2020

In this study, the fast and safe predictability of the California bearing ratio (CBR) from some important soil parameters that can be obtained easily and cheaply was investigated. Within the scope of this study, the CBR values of 21 different soils in different regions of Sivas province (Turkey) were determined in situ by CBR tests. Then, standard penetration tests (SPT) and ground vibration measurements were conducted on the same soils. At the same time, some physical properties of the soils were determined as a result of field and laboratory studies. Regression analyses were carried out in order to develop correlations between the CBR, and field and laboratory study results. Significant and highly correlated relations between the CBR and peak particle velocity, blow number (SPT-N value), water content (w) and dry unit weight(γd), were obtained. Prediction performance of all proposed equations were tested by using the root mean square error (RMSE) and variance account for (VAF) indices, and particularly, correlations obtained between the CBR – ground vibration and CBR – standard penetration values were observed to have high prediction performance. Good performance indices (correlation coefficients, RMSE, VAF) indicate that the CBR values of soils can be used for initial assessment.
Novel approach to enhancing remineralization of tooth surface by magnetic field exposure
Authors: El-Kaliuoby Mai Ismail , Hamouda Rasha , El-Khatib Ahmed Mohamed
Published: June 2020

Modern dentistry is directed toward overcoming dental caries progression in the early stages with the aid of remineralizing agents. Long-established remineralizing agents have very slow kinetics to be applicable, and the need for an external cofactor is a must. In the present work, the authors improved the kinetics of dentin/enamel remineralization by magnetic field exposure whereby calcium (Ca2+) and phosphate (PO4 3−) elements are supplied from an external source. Gels made of casein phosphopeptide–amorphous calcium phosphate mixed with nanochitosan were used as an external source and combined with exposure of the tooth surface to a magnetic field of 1.8 mT for 20 min. The treated tooth samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Vickers microhardness test and X-ray diffraction. The obtained tooth characteristics confirmed the improvement of tooth surface integrity, mineralization, hardness and crystallinity under the application of the magnetic field. Unexpectedly, the results indicated the highest tooth surface remineralization for samples exposed to magnetic fields and treated with casein phosphopeptide–amorphous calcium phosphate gel only without nanochitosan. In conclusion, the resulting advantages here are the ease of use, safety and applicability of this novel combination of casein phosphopeptide–amorphous calcium phosphate gel with magnetic field exposure.
Evaluation of serum and salivary transforming growth factor beta, vascular endothelial growth factor and tumor necrosis factor alpha in oral lichen planus.
Authors:   Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.| October 6 University, Giza, Egypt., Abdelwhab Amira , Kandeel Mahmoud Mohamed ,   Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt., Yassin Hala Hassan ,   October 6 University, Giza, Egypt, Abdelmonem Wesam ,   Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt, Shaker Olfat Gamil ,   Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
Published: June 2020

Introduction: Lichen planus is one of the most common oral mucosal lesions. Transforming growth factor-β (TGF- β) has a marked effect on epithelial–mesenchymal transition and immune cells function. Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) is a key regulator of vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) mediates T-lymphocyte homing and apoptosis of epithelial cells. Objetive: The present study was conducted in order to compare the expression of serum and salivary TGF- β, VEGF, TNF-α between OLP patients and control individuals to investigate if saliva can be used as an alternative to serum for diagnostic purposes and for monitoring disease. Materials and Methods: 23 OLP patients and 23 control individuals were included to evaluate serum and salivary TGF-β, VEGF, TNF-α using ELISA kits. Five milliliters of venous blood was collected and unstimulated saliva was collected by the spitting method. Results: Serum and salivary levels of TGF- β, VEGF, TNF-α are higher in OLP patients compared to normal controls. Mean difference is higher in saliva than serum. Moreover, there was a significant difference in serum and salivary VEGF and TNF-α between symptomatic and asymptomatic groups. Conclusions: Saliva can be a used as a substitute for serum to evaluate levels of the assessed biomarkers.
Prediction of the mesiodistal width of maxillary anterior teeth from nasal interalar width in peruvian subjects with facial harmony.
Authors:   Escuela Estomatología, Universidad Privada Antenor Orrego. Trujillo, Peru, Saldaña-Carranza Valerie , Carruitero Marcos J. ,   Escuela Estomatología, Universidad Privada Antenor Orrego. Trujillo, Peru
Published: June 2020

Objective: To determine regression models to predict the mesiodistal widths of the maxillary anterior teeth from interalar width of the nose in subjects with facial harmony. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in a sample of 75 subjects with facial harmony and ages ranging from 18 to 30 years (21.28±3.75 years). The mesiodistal width of the central (CI), lateral (LI) incisors, and canines (C), as well as the interalar width (IW) of each subject were measured using a digital vernier caliper. Simple linear regression analyses were used to predict the width of the maxillary anterior teeth from the nasal interalar width, from which formulas for predicting the dimensions of each anterior tooth were obtained. Results: A statistically significant relationship was found between the nasal interalar width and the mesiodistal widths of the upper central incisor (p=0.019, R2=5.23%), upper lateral incisor (p=0.019, R2=2.31%), and upper canine (p=0.016, R2=12.04%) that allowed to develop simple linear prediction models for each tooth represented by the following formulas: CI=7.04+0.04(IW); LI=6.01+0.03 (IW); C=6.19+0.05 (IW). Conclusion: The nasal interalar width is a good predictor of the mesiodistal widths of the maxillary anterior teeth.
A new way of agricultural farm work in the educational facilitation of dual education between vocational education and upper secondary school curricular programs
Authors: PANYAKOM Rongsan , POUNGSUK Pakkapong , INTORRATHED Sarawut , HONGMANEERAT Karn
Published: June 2020

TThis study aimed to compare learning achievement based on blended learning of dual education between vocational education and upper secondary school curricular programs in Agriculture. The sample groups were students learning through a new way of agricultural farm work and those learning agriculture through normal method. They were 90 sixth year upper secondary school students from Buntharik Wittayakhan School, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand obtained by purposive sampling. This study consisted of 3 steps: 1) investigation and development of model of a new way agricultural farm work (animal science and teaching form); 2) analysis of consistent components suitable for the development of a new form of animal farm work and teaching/learning form; and 3) using the model together with the integration between theories and teaching methods (Learning by doing, POE, Group process, Blended learning, and field trip). This also included learning through application multimedia for learning exchange and activity transfer. There was control group design after testing. The instrument of research were interview schedule, questionnaire, learning achievement test, set of learning activities, and observation form. Results of the study revealed that the students learning through the dual education or a new way of agricultural farm work had higher learning achievement than that of those who learned through a normal class with a significance level (p>0.01). This finding indicated that learning through a new way of agricultural farm work was very essential to the development of learning achievement and skills. It was also found that the students had a high level of satisfaction with the blended learning and it should be promoted as part of the dual education in agriculture.
SalivaDirect: RNA extraction-free SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics v1
Authors: Vogels Chantal , E. Brackney Doug , C Kalinich Chaney , M Ott Isabel , Grubaugh Nathan , Wyllie Anne
Published: June 2020

The first section of this protocol details recommendations for collecting saliva for SARS-CoV-2 detection, either by self-collection or healthcare worker-assisted collection. The second section details an extraction-free method for preparation of saliva samples for SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection. This involves the addition of proteinase K to reduce saliva viscosity, followed by a heating step to inactivate the proteinase K before RT-qPCR testing. The third section describes a dual-plex RT-qPCR assay for high-throughput SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics. The CDC_N1 (N1) primer/probe set targets the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid gene, and is shown to be sensitive and specific. The human RNase P (RP) primer/probe set is included as an internal sample control - detection of RP at PCR cycle threshold (CT) <35 indicates that saliva of sufficient quantity and quality were tested. The combination of both N1 and RP in the dual-plex assay ensures that any negative SARS-CoV-2 PCR result occurred due to genuine absence of virus, and not because of invalid saliva collection or preparation.
Colour analysis of syrup from malted and unmalted rice of different varieties
Authors: Osuji Chijioke Maduka , Ofoedu Chigozie Emmanuel , Omeire Gloria Chienyenwa , Ojukwu Moses
Published: June 2020

The colour of rice syrup produced from flours of malted and unmalted rice of different varieties treated with a combination of starch hydrolyzing enzymes were analysed using CIE-LAB Spectrophotometric colorimeter after being filtered and/or centrifuged. The resulting syrups were processed as filtered unmalted hydrolyzed rice (FUHR), filtered malted hydrolyzed rice (FMHR), centrifuged unmalted hydrolyzed rice (CUHR) and centrifuged malted hydrolyzed rice (CMHR). Results showed that L* ranged from 60.16 to 68.57, a* ranged from 10.49 to 11.13
and b* ranged from 55.34 to 64.56. The magnitude of the colour values was an indication of the intensity of the rice syrup colour. Hue angle (oH*) ranged from 79.08o to 80.36o
indicating less yellow in the CIE-LAB colour space and brown colour spectrum in the visible region of opponent colour chart. Total colour difference (ΔE) of syrups ranged from 0.50 to 1.72 for ΔEunmalted while ΔEmalted ranged from 0.49 to 1.76. However, the ΔEfiltered ranged from 5.89 to 11.19 while ΔEcentrifuged ranged
from 5.54 to 9.47 indicating that filtration and centrifugation contributed to non-significant difference (p>0.05) in colour attributes (ΔE) of the rice syrup, whereas very distinct colour difference (ΔE) was observed between rice syrups from malted and unmalted samples.
Upscaling cassava processing machines and products in Liberia
Authors: Awoyale Wasiu , Asiedu Robert , Kawalawu William , Kolawole Peter , Diallo Thierno , Edet Michael , Adetunji Medinat Oluwatoyin
Published: June 2020

Cassava is produced by more than 80% of farming households and is an important contributor to gross domestic product (GDP) in Liberia. It is therefore important to assess the status of cassava processing into food
and other products. A total of one hundred and sixty (160) well-structured questionnaires were used for the collection of information from eight counties, with twenty respondents from each county. It was found out that all the counties lack adequate modern cassava processing machines, with almost all cassava processing operations being done with rudimentary equipment. Gari and wet fufu are common products in Liberian markets, with no high-quality cassava flour (HQCF) or derivatives. Consequently, user and gender friendly processing
machines were installed in six established modern cassava processing centres, and new cassava products, such as fufu powder, tapioca, and HQCF with its value-added products (10% bread and pastries), were introduced. This upscaling will enhance the cassava value chain in Liberia with improvement in livelihoods, especially for vulnerable women
and unemployed youth.
El contexto de la trampa: análisis experimental de los determinantes de la honestidad en Buriticá
Authors: Eslava Adolfo , García Luna Estefanía
Published: June 2020

La trampa es una acción recurrente en el comportamiento de los individuos y produce altos costos en la sociedad. Esto ha motivado su estudio reciente dentro de la economía y otras ciencias sociales, con el fin de encontrar los factores que inciden en ella y así tratar de mitigar sus efectos. Con este objetivo, la presente investigación estudia la disposición a la trampa en el municipio de Buriticá (Antioquia, Colombia) a través de un experimento económico que confirma la presencia de acciones deshonestas en las decisiones de los participantes; además, se hace un análisis de los determinantes de la misma a través de un probit ordenado. El estudio revela que existe una relación entre las decisiones de los individuos y el contexto en el que se desenvuelven, por lo que factores como la percepción de riqueza, la confianza institucional y la victimización son determinantes. Esta investigación contribuye así a los estudios previos sobre la toma de decisiones económicas, los cuales contradicen el modelo clásico de la maximización de beneficios.
Sobre los determinantes de la sostenibilidad fiscal de los municipios en Colombia. El caso de Antioquia, 2008-2017.
Authors: Barrientos Marin Jorge , Quintero Juan Felipe , Mendoza Manuela
Published: June 2020

En este trabajo estamos interesados en establecer los determinantes de la sostenibilidad fiscal, entre ellas si las reglas de gasto, la denominada Ley 617 de 2000 coadyuvó a la promoción de la sostenibilidad de las finanzas públicas en los 125 municipios del departamento de Antioquia (Colombia) en el periodo 2008-2017. Para esto explotamos las heterogeneidades observables entre los 125 municipios de Antioquia en el período 2008-2017; debido a la endogeneidad de variables como deuda y el número de empresas usamos un estimador Hausman y Taylor. Nuestros resultados econométricos son estadísticamente significativos y los coeficientes estimados sugieren que la ley es efectiva en el aumento del ingreso tributario y el gasto de inversión, pero no son concluyentes sobre la efectividad en la disminución del gasto en funcionamiento. Otras variables de características de municipio como el número de empresas y el endeudamiento preexistente son explicativas y predictores del comportamiento de los ingresos tributarios, el gasto en funcionamiento y el gasto de inversión.
Consumo de carnes rojas y procesadas. La controversia está servida
Authors: Alzate Yepes Teresita
Published: June 2020

La evidencia arqueológica y paleontológica ha demostrado que los homínidos comenzaron el consumo de carne desde hace por lo menos 2,6 millones de años, costumbre que se mantiene actualmente en muchas culturas (1). En particular, las carnes vacunas y de aves están incluidas en la cultura alimentaria de la mayoría de países de Suramérica, sobre todo de Argentina y Uruguay, aunque el consumo de la carne de cerdo ha venido incrementando en los últimos años; sin embargo, Norteamérica, seguida por la Unión Europea, América Latina y el Caribe ocupan los primeros lugares en el consumo de carnes rojas en el mundo y África, el último (2).
Cambios antropométricos y satisfacción personal con una intervención educativa que incluyó el uso de una aplicación móvil, para personas con sobrepeso u obesidad
Authors: Aguilar García Mayra Yorlenis , Altamirano Herrera Melissa , Leiva Acuña Ana Gabriela , Marín Romero Paula Natalia , Rodriguez Mena Milena , Quesada López Christian , Zúñiga Flores Giselle , Jensen Melissa Lorena
Published: June 2020

Antecedentes: las tecnologías móviles pueden coadyuvar en el cambio de comportamientos alimentarios en personas con exceso de peso. Sin embargo, la evidencia con aplicaciones móviles adaptadas en el contexto latinoamericano es limitada. Objetivo: evaluar cambios antropométricos y satisfacción personal en una intervención educativa para personas con exceso de peso, la cual incluyó el uso de una aplicación móvil (NutriMetas). Materiales y métodos: estudio experimental clásico con diseño de pre-post prueba en personas con exceso de peso (IMC >25,0 y ≤34,9 kg/m2). Los participantes asistieron a sesiones de educación nutricional y registraron sus metas en la aplicación NutriMetas (grupo experimental, n=26) o en papel (grupo control, n=26). Se utilizaron modelos de regresión mixto multinivel para evaluar diferencias antropométricas (peso, IMC, circunferencia de cintura y porcentaje de grasa) entre los grupos. Resultados: el grupo experimental obtuvo una pérdida de peso promedio de 2,1±2,6 kg, en comparación con 0,7±1,6 kg para el grupo control (p=0,08). La interacción entre grupo y tiempo mostró una tendencia a la significancia en el IMC (p=0,064) y en la pérdida de peso (p=0,082), que podría ser de importancia desde el punto de vista clínico. Los atributos de apariencia, efectividad, eficiencia y facilidad de aprendizaje de NutriMetas fueron valorados favorablemente por la mayoría de los participantes. Conclusiones: el uso de NutriMetas como parte de una intervención educativa resultó ser una herramienta efectiva para los pacientes.
Speciation of iron, nickel and cobalt in the anaerobic biodegradation of rice straw
Authors: González-Suárez Aimeé , Pereda-Reyes Ileana , Oliva-Merencio Deny , Montalvo-Martínez Silvio Jacinto
Published: June 2020

The bioavailability of Fe, Ni and Co and its impact on the mono-digestion of rice straw with addition of a natural nutrient source were assessed. The chemical forms and the degree of bioavailability of Fe, Ni and Co were investigated in two reactors during 311 days of experimentation at 37°C. The reactor (R2) was supplemented with 1 g/L of mineral once a week. The control reactor R1 was limited in mineral during the study. The greatest methane yield of 238 mL/g VS was obtained with mineral supply with an increment of 45% respect to reactor without metals (164 mL/g VS). The sequential extraction confirmed that 70, 88 and 75% of Fe, Ni and Co were mainly in bioavailable forms (interchangeable and carbonate), respectively, with mineral supply in R2. Fe and Co were mainly associated to the carbonate and oxidizable fractions (43% and 41% respectively), while the Ni concentrations were not detected during the experimentation. As a result, the methane yield in R2 increased by 45%, with a potential bioavailability (Ni ˃ Co ˃ Fe) higher compared to control reactor (Co ˃ Fe). Trace elements deficit in R1 result in the reduction of metal-binding forms until the end of experiment, with a negative impact on methanogenic community.
Optimizing household energy planning in smart cities: A multiobjective approach
Authors: Nesmachnow Sergio , Colacurcio Giovanni , Rossit Diego Gabriel , Toutouh Jamal , Luna Francisco
Published: June 2020

This article presents the advances in the design and implementation of a recommendation system for planning the use of household appliances, focused on improving energy efficiency from the point of view of both energy companies and end-users. The system proposes using historical information and data from sensors to define instances of the planning problem considering user preferences, which in turn are proposed to be solved using a multiobjective evolutionary approach, in order to minimize energy consumption and maximize quality of service offered to users. Promising results are reported on realistic instances of the problem, compared with situations where no intelligent energy planning are used (i.e., ‘Bussiness as Usual’ model) and also with a greedy algorithm developed in the framework of the reference project. The proposed evolutionary approach was able to improve up to 29.0% in energy utilization and up to 65.3% in user preferences over the reference methods.
Erosion and progradation in the Atrato River delta: A spatiotemporal analysis with Google Earth Engine
Authors: Vélez-Castaño José Daniel , Betancurth-Montes Gloria Liliana , Cañón-Barriga Julio Eduardo
Published: June 2020

The Atrato River Delta in Northwestern Colombia has experienced notable geomorphological changes in its shoreline in recent years. We analyze these changes, associated with erosion and progradation, using Landsat imagery and Google Earth Engine (GEE) algorithms to automatically identify the changes in an annual basis over 33 years (1986–2019). We compare the results with manual delineations on the same imagery using ArcGIS, obtaining similar outcomes, although GEE is much more efficient in processing large amounts of imagery compared with handmade procedures. We identify with good accuracy trends in erosion and progradation areas along the mouths and sides of the delta. Our algorithm performs well at delineating the shorelines, although special care must be taken to clean the images from clouds and shadows that may alter the definition of the shoreline. Results show that the Atrato delta has lost around 10 km2 due to erosion and has gained around 18 km2 in progradation during the period of assessment. Overall, progradation is the dominant process at the delta’s mouths, while erosion is dominant only in areas far from the mouths, which agrees with a river-dominated environment of high sediment loads and is coherent with other studies made in the region. The algorithm in GEE is a versatile tool, appropriate to assess short and long-term changes of coastal areas that do not count with land-based information.