bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mosca-Branca, Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) em feijoeiro: Características gerais, bioecologia e métodos de controle
Authors: Silva Anderson Gonçalves da , Boiça Junior Arlindo Leal , Souza Bruno Henrique Sardinha de , Costa Eduardo Neves , Hoelhert James da Silva , Almeida Anderson Martinelli , Dos Santos Loryene Botelho
Published: June 2020

Resumo. A cultura do feijoeiro pode ser infestada por insetos que afetam a produção antes e após a colheita, tendo como estimativa de perdas causadas nos rendimentos pelas pragas variando de 33 a 86%. Dentre essas pragas a mosca-branca Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) Autor merece destaque. Esta ocasiona danos diretos decorrentes de sua alimentação e indiretos que ocorrem por meio da excreção açucarada de honeydew ou “mela” e simbiose com a fumagina. No entanto, o dano mais sério causado pela B. tabaci é a transmissão de viroses como o mosaico-dourado-do-feijoeiro, provocando perdas econômicas que podem variar de 30% a 100%. Desse modo, o objetivo do presente estudo é disponibilizar informações a respeito de aspectos importantes de B. tabaci, como: histórico e distribuição geográfica, bioecologia e dinâmica populacional, plantas hospedeiras, métodos de controle adotados, dentre outros, a fim de se fornecer subsídios para futuras pesquisas sobre a mosca-branca em feijão.Whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) in common beans: General characteristics, bioecology, and methods of controlAbstract. Common bean plants are infested by insects, which can ultimately affect the crop production before and after harvest, with estimated losses ranging from 33 to 86%. Among the insect pests infesting the common beans the whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) stands out. This species cause direct injury by feeding on the plants and indirect injury by excreting sugary honeydew that is after colonized by the sooty mold. In addition, the most serious damage caused by B. tabaci is the transmission of virus diseases, especially the common bean golden mosaic, responsible for economic losses varying from 30 to 100%. This review aims at providing information on important aspects of B. tabaci including its geographical distribution, bioecology, population dynamics, host plants, and methods of pest control. We expect that this review can provide valuable subsidies for future studies on the whitefly in common beans.
Dermestes peruvianus Laporte (Coleoptera, Dermestidae): primeiro registro para o Nordeste do Brasil
Authors: Santos Wellington Emanuel dos , Alves Ana Claudia Firmino , Creão-Duarte Antonio José
Published: June 2020

Dermestes peruvianus Laporte é uma espécie com registros na América do Sul para Peru, Bolívia, Chile, Argentina e Brasil (região Sudeste). Durante um levantamento da entomofauna associada a carcaças de porcos em uma área de Caatinga, em São José dos Cordeiros, Paraíba, Brasil (7°28’19’’S; 36°53’40”W), nos meses de outubro de 2010 e fevereiro de 2011 foram coletados três espécimes de D. peruvianus, sendo o primeiro registro da espécie para o Nordeste do Brasil.

Dermestes peruvianus Laporte (Coleoptera, Dermestidae): First Record from Northeastern Brazil

Abstract. Dermestes peruvianus Laporte is a species with records in South America from Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina and Brazil (Southeastern region). During a survey of insect fauna associated with pig carcasses in an area of Caatinga, in São José dos Cordeiros, state of Paraíba, Brazil (7°28’19’’S; 36°53’40”W), in October 2010 and February 2011 were collected three specimens of D. peruvianus being the first record of the species to the Northeastern Brazil.
Trends in Intravenous Magnesium Use and Outcomes for Status Asthmaticus in Children's Hospitals from 2010 to 2017
Authors: Mittal Vineeta , Hall Matt , Antoon James , Gold Jessica , Kenyon Chen , Parikh Kavita , Morse Rustin , Quinonez Ricardo , II Ronald J Teufel , Shah Samir S
Published: June 2020

Intravenous (IV) magnesium is used as an adjunct therapy in management of status asthmaticus with a goal of reducing intubation rate. A recent review suggests that IV magnesium use in status asthmaticus reduces admission rates. This is contrary to the observation of practicing emergency room physicians. The goal of this study was to assess trends in IV magnesium use for status asthmaticus in US children's hospitals over 8 years through a retrospective analysis of children younger than 18 years using the Pediatric Health Information System database. Outcomes were IV magnesium use, inpatient and intensive care unit admission rate, geometric mean length of stay, and 7‐day all‐cause readmission rate. IV magnesium use for asthma hospitalization more than doubled over 8 years (17% vs. 36%; P < .001). Yearly trends were not significantly associated with hospital or intensive care unit admission rate or 7‐day all‐cause readmissions, although length of stay was reduced (P < .001).
Testing the effect of ocular aberrations in the perceived transverse chromatic aberration
Authors: Aissati Sara , Vinas Maria , Benedi-Garcia Clara , Dorronsoro Carlos , Marcos Susana
Published: June 2020

We have measured the ocular transverse chromatic aberration (TCA) in 11 subjects using 2D-two-color Vernier alignment, for two pupil diameters, in a polychromatic adaptive optics (AO) system. TCA measurements were performed for two pupil diameters: for a small pupil (2-mm), referred to as ‘optical TCA’ (oTCA), and for a large pupil (6-mm), referred to ‘perceived TCA’ (pTCA). Also, the TCA was measured through both natural aberrations (HOAs) and AO-corrected aberrations. Computer simulations of pTCA incorporated longitudinal chromatic aberration (LCA), the patient’s HOAs measured with Hartmann-Shack, and the Stiles-Crawford effect (SCE), measured objectively by laser ray tracing. The oTCA and the simulated pTCA (no aberrations) were shifted nasally 1.20 arcmin and 1.40 arcmin respectively. The experimental pTCA (-0.27 arcmin horizontally and -0.62 vertically) was well predicted (81%) by simulations when both the individual HOAs and SCE were considered. Both HOAs and SCE interact with oTCA, reducing it in magnitude and changing its orientation. The results indicate that estimations of polychromatic image quality should incorporate patient’s specific data of HOAs, LCA, TCA & SCE.
Optical Incoherence Tomography: a method to generate tomographic retinal cross-sections with non-interferometric adaptive optics ophthalmoscopes
Authors: Mecê Pedro , Gofas-Salas Elena , Paques Michel , Grieve Kate , Meimon Serge
Published: June 2020

We present Optical Incoherence Tomography (OIT): a completely digital method to generate tomographic retinal cross-sections from en-face through-focus image stacks acquired by non-interferometric imaging systems, such as en-face adaptive optics (AO)-ophthalmoscopes. We demonstrate that OIT can be applied to different imaging modalities using back-scattered light, including systems without inherent optical sectioning and, for the first time, multiply-scattered light, revealing a distinctive cross-sectional view of the retina. The axial dimension of OIT cross-sections is given in terms of focus position rather than optical path, as in OCT. We explore this property to guide focus position in cases where the user is “blind” focusing, allowing precise plane selection for en-face imaging of retinal pigment epithelium, the vascular plexuses and translucent retinal neurons, such as photoreceptor inner segments and retinal ganglion cells, using respectively autofluorescence, motion contrast and split detection techniques.
On-machine surface defect detection using light scattering and deep learning
Authors: Liu Mingyu , Fai Cheung Chi , Senin Nicola , Wang Shixiang , Su Rong , Leach Richard
Published: June 2020

This paper presents an on-machine surface defect detection system using light scattering and deep learning. A supervised deep learning model is used to mine the information related to defects from light scattering patterns. A convolutional neural network is trained on a large dataset of scattering patterns that are predicted by a rigorous forward scattering model. The model is valid for any surface topography with homogeneous materials and has been verified by comparing with experimental data. Once the neural network is trained, it allows for fast, accurate, and robust defect detection. The system capability is validated on microstructured surfaces produced by ultraprecision diamond machining.
Framework for tunable polarization state generation using Berry’s phase in silicon waveguides
Authors: Patton Ryan J. , Reano Ronald M.
Published: June 2020

We present a framework for an arbitrary polarization state generator exploiting Berry’s phase through a cascade of in-plane and out-of-plane silicon strip waveguides. We establish two criteria required for a passive device to achieve 90° polarization rotation, and derive explicit equations to satisfy the criteria. The results define regions within the parameter space where active tuning of the polarization state is possible over the entire Poincaré sphere. We use numerical modeling to show ±30 dB tuning of the polarization extinction ratio between the quasi-transverse electric and magnetic modes for a range of devices with deflection angles ranging from 5° to 45°, and modal birefringence from 0 to 0.05. We envision control of optical polarization on the chip-scale in integrated waveguides for communications, sensing, and computing applications.
Effects of source spatial partial coherence on intensity statistics of optical beams in mono-static turbulent channels
Authors: Zhou Tong , Yu Jiayi , Wang Fei , Cai Yangjian , Korotkova Olga
Published: June 2020

We investigate, via both experimental measurements and wave-optics computer simulations, the statistical characteristics of the fluctuating intensity, such as the average intensity, the beam wander and the scintillation index, of the Gaussian Schell-model (GSM) beams on passing through double-pass, monostatic turbulence channels with either a retro-reflector (RR) or a flat mirror (FM). Our experimental results reveal that the enhanced backscatter (EBS) gradually weakens as the spatial coherence of the GSM source decreases, and eventually disappears for the sufficiently low source spatial coherence states. The r.m.s beam wander remains practically invariant with the variation of the source coherence width in the range from 0.2 to 6.0 mm both in the case of the RR and the FM, which formed the RR case being much smaller. In addition, it is found that the long-term scintillation index of the untracked beam with the RR is smaller than that with the FM, while the situation is reversed for the short-term scintillation index of the tracked beam. In both cases, the scintillation index decreases as the spatial coherence of the GSM source decreases. The obtained computer simulation results agree reasonably well with the experimental results. In addition, the effects of spatial coherence on statistical characteristics of the GSM beams along a 1 km propagation distance through the double-pass monostatic turbulence are also investigated using wave-optics simulation. We also carry out evaluation and comparison of the intensity probability density functions for the RR and FM cases and for various source coherence states that are of utmost importance for free-space optical communications in retro-reflection modulation regime. In addition, our findings will be beneficial for the development of remote sensing and directed energy laser applications in the presence of air turbulence.
Above 25 nm emission wavelength shift in blue-violet InGaN quantum wells induced by GaN substrate misorientation profiling: towards broad-band superluminescent diodes
Authors: Kafar A. , Ishii R. , Gibasiewicz K. , Matsuda Y. , Stanczyk S. , Schiavon D. , Grzanka S. , Tano M. , Sakaki A. , Suski T. , Perlin P. , Funato M. , Kawakami Y.
Published: June 2020

We report a thorough study of InGaN quantum wells spatially modified by varying the local misorientation of the GaN substrate prior to the epitaxial growth of the structure. More than 25 nm shift of emission wavelength was obtained, which is attributed to indium content changes in the quantum wells. Such an active region is promising for broadening of the emission spectrum of (In,Al,Ga)N superluminescent diodes. We observed that the light intensity changes with misorientation, being stable around 0.5° to 2° and decreasing above 2°. This relation can be used as a base for future device designing.
Observation of light rays on absolute geodesic lenses
Authors: Xu Lin , Xiao Wen , Zhang Lei , Li Jingsong , Zhou Jiaojiao , Chen Huanyang
Published: June 2020

Absolute optical instruments with rotation symmetry and corresponding absolute geodesic lenses have drawn considerable attention for their property of perfect imaging of light rays. In this paper, we systematically explore a series of absolute geodesic lenses which is mapped from generalized Maxwell’s fish-eye lenses with a rational number index {p}. Moreover, we construct new types of duplex absolute geodesic lenses by splicing two different half absolute geodesic lenses, which is inspired by the work [Huiyan Peng, et al Phys. Rev. Applied 13, 034050 (2020)]. Also, we fabricate some samples of absolute geodesic lenses based on the 3D printing technique and observe light rays on them. Our findings enlarge the family of absolute geodesic lenses and might find an application on classical imaging systems.
Stepped laser-ablation fabrication of concave micromirrors in rectangular optical waveguides for low loss vertical coupling
Authors: Deng Chuanlu , Wang Xueting , Zhang Ruhuan , Huang Yi , Zhang Xiaobei , Wang Tingyun
Published: June 2020

In this report, we present a stepped laser-ablation method for the fabrication of concave micromirrors in rectangular optical waveguides. The numerically simulated vertical coupling loss of the reflection of the concave micromirror can be reduced to 1.53 dB. The processing parameters of the utilized excimer laser, such as the step number, width, and depth, were optimized to fabricate the concave micromirrors. After the thermal reflow process, the measured curve of the circular concave micromirrors obtained using a 3D optical profiler agreed well with a standard circle with a surface roughness of 39.56 nm. Furthermore, vertical coupling for 62.5 µm MMF revealed that the loss of the circular concave micromirror coated with a 50 nm thick Au film is as low as 1.83 dB, corresponding to a high coupling efficiency of 65.61%. This new, convenient, and efficient fabrication technology for the fabrication of concave micromirrors can be applied to vertical coupling for optical printed circuit board (OPCB) interconnection technology.
Obtaining more energetic modelocked pulses from a SESAM-based fiber laser
Authors: Wang Shaokang , Tu Chaoran , Jamali Mahabadi Seyed Ehsan , Droste Stefan , Sinclair Laura C. , Coddington Ian , Newbury Nathan R. , Carruthers Thomas F. , Menyuk Curtis R.
Published: June 2020

A major design goal for femtosecond fiber lasers is to increase the output power but not at the cost of increasing the noise level or narrowing the bandwidth. Here, we perform a computational study to optimize the cavity design of a femtosecond fiber laser that is passively modelocked with a semiconductor saturable absorbing mirror (SESAM). We use dynamical methods that are more than a thousand times faster than standard evolutionary methods. We show that we can obtain higher pulse energies and hence higher output powers by simultaneously increasing the output coupling ratio, the gain, and the anomalous group delay dispersion. We can obtain output pulses that are from 5 to 15 times the energy of the pulse in the current experimental design with no penalty in the noise level or bandwidth.
Format-transparent phase estimation based on KL divergence in coherent optical systems
Authors: Zhao Jian
Published: June 2020

We propose a novel format-transparent phase estimation method in coherent optical systems by minimizing the Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence between the signal constellation and the samples for estimation. The proposed metric exhibits the same standard deviation of estimation errors as that in conventional blind phase searching (BPS) with an infinite resolution, while eliminating the pre-decisions in BPS so that phase estimation can be realized using a recursive algorithm. The complexity and the performance of the proposed KL method are compared with previously reported 2-stage BPS, Kalman filtering, principal component analysis (PCA), and the PCA + BPS hybrid method. It is shown that this method is particularly suitable for probabilistically shaped (PS) formats in which the PCA method does not work properly. It exhibits better performance than Kalman filtering and the PCA + BPS hybrid method and has lower complexity than 2-stage BPS. It is also shown that the proposed KL method has a relaxed cycle-slip problem and is less sensitive to the noise due to a smaller number of samples compared to the 2-stage BPS and the PCA + BPS hybrid method. Therefore, the proposed method can be a very promising solution for format-transparent phase estimation in coherent optical systems, particularly using the PS formats.
Quantum-well laser diodes for frequency comb spectroscopy
Authors: Dong Mark , Day Matthew W. , Winful Herbert G. , Cundiff Steven T.
Published: June 2020

We demonstrate simple optical frequency combs based on semiconductor quantum well laser diodes. The frequency comb spectrum can be tailored by choice of material properties and quantum-well widths, providing spectral flexibility. We demonstrate the correlation in the phase fluctuations between two devices on the same chip by generating a radio-frequency dual comb spectrum.
Designing for active engagement, enabling resilience and fostering environmental change
Authors: Phillips Robert , Abbas-Nazari Amina , Tooze James , Gant Nick
Published: June 2020

Contemporary societies are distancing themselves from nature, driven by urbanization, biodiversity loss, connection loss, industrialization and loss of green space access – all reducing our empathy for nature. Conservation and grassroots reporting highlight nature’s wellbeing, and require impactful citizen-led responses. Youth leaders are reflecting mirrors on humankind, stating that ‘our world is on fire’ and demanding action. Natural world interactions provide health benefits and resilience, proving transformative to our attitude, values and behaviour. The My Naturewatch project facilitates engagements with people’s environments and, in doing so, helps them to comprehend them. Nature observations help connect, engage and foster custodians, at a time where separation from wildlife necessitates active engagement. Activities specifically challenge our understanding of ‘designed engagement(s)’, not as passive activities but as impactful active engagements, openly accessible. This article proposes criteria encouraging public participation within the natural world, presenting value to NGOs, designers, funders and agents. Thirty experts from design, ecology, conservation, museology, engagement, rewilding, wildlife and community work were interviewed, informing ‘design for environmental change through active engagement’. The work identifies design’s role in creating interventions that better engage people with the surrounding natural world, yielding long-term mutual benefits. The objective is to foster active public–nature engagement, identifying barriers, opportunities and pitfalls in nature-engaged interaction(s).
‘The strange brotherhood of the blue ship’: Albert Camus and Justin Sullivan’s philosophy of measure
Authors: Roś Joanna
Published: June 2020

In their texts, Albert Camus and Justin Sullivan describe how rebels who get carried away with their revolutionary zeal lose touch with the original basis of their rebellion. They emphasize that a failure to achieve measure results in excess and disproportion, destroying the fields of tension upon which human existence and rebellion depend. Through their spirit of moderation and their critique of the hubristic narratives of European modernity and postmodernity, they offer a constructive view of human nature, a positive vision of dialogical life in communion and the alternative utopian energy needed to reinvent a human sociopolitical order. This article presents a comparative analysis of Albert Camus’s philosophy and the ethos contained in Justin Sullivan’s lyrics. In doing so, it suggests that these two writers embrace a coherent tradition of ethical thinking informed by anarchist philosophy.
‘To really trust [...] we had to be open with ourselves and each other’: Community building through Spring Awakening
Authors: Hagen Julie K. , Thomas Jennifer
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this ethnographic study was to better understand how participation in St. Lawrence University’s (New York, the United States) production of Spring Awakening served as a means of intimate and broader community building. This narrative ethnography investigated the director and a focus group of actors involved in the production of Spring Awakening. Analyses of the data revealed four themes: content, interconnectedness, emotion and vulnerability and magic. St. Lawrence University students welcomed and embraced the language, the music and the subject matter presented to them in the content of Spring Awakening. The willingness with which the students opened up to conversation and community continued to resonate with them in an interconnectedness that seemingly had more depth and more meaning than other productions they have worked on, including other musical theatre productions.
Palgrave Handbook of Musical Theatre Producers, Laura MacDonald and William A. Everett (eds) (2017)
Authors: Quinn Arianne Johnson
Published: June 2020

Review of: Palgrave Handbook of Musical Theatre Producers, Laura MacDonald and William A. Everett (eds) (2017)

New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 577 pp.,

ISBN 978-1-13744-029-7, h/bk, USD 239.00
Towards a model-theoretic framework for describing the semantic aspects of cognitive processes
Authors: Miguel Tomé Sergio
Published: June 2020

Semantics is one of the most challenging aspects of cognitive architectures. Mathematical logic, or linguistics, highlights that semantics is essential to human cognition. The Cognitive Theory of True Conditions (CTTC) is a proposal to implement cognitive abilities and to describe the semantics of symbolic cognitive architectures based on model-theoretic semantics. This article focuses on the concepts supporting the mathematical formulation of the CTTC, its relationship to other proposals, and how it can be used as a framework for designing cognitive abilities in agents.
Logística reversa: uma proposta para microempresas de confecções localizadas no bairro Alto Paraná no município de Redenção-PA
Authors: Leao Waleriana Cavalcante , Gonçalves Mariele Ferreira , Poletto Janaína Mariana Costa
Published: June 2020

A destinação dos resíduos sólidos se tornou um dos principais problemas ambientais da atualidade. Por isso, as empresas buscam constantemente maneiras de tornar seus processos produtivos sustentáveis, no setor de confecções essa realidade é cada vez mais visível, já que os desperdícios e impactos vão desde a matéria prima até o descarte final, o qual na maioria das vezes é praticado de maneira inadequada. Sendo assim, a elaboração e implementação de um projeto de gerenciamento desses resíduos podem gerar o aumento da competitividade e economia, benefícios sociais e ambientais, levando as organizações a possuírem um fator de diferenciação e competitividade no mercado. Diante desses aspectos, este trabalho tem o objetivo de elaborar alternativas de destinação correta de resíduos sólidos para as microempresas de confecções do bairro alto Paraná no município de Redenção-PA.
Effect of Collaborative Learning Strategies on Student Achievement in Various Engineering Courses
Authors: Nerona Geraldine Gonzaga
Published: June 2020

This study focused on determining the effectiveness of collaborative learning strategies in improving students' performance in three general engineering courses. The pretest-posttest control group experimental design was used in the study. From the results of the Z-test, there were no significant differences in the pretest scores of the experimental and control groups. However there were significant differences in the posttest scores of the respondents, with the experimental groups engagedin collaborative learning obtaining significantly higher achievement scores than their control group counterparts,who were exposed to the traditional lecture-discussion and individual learning methods. Effect sizes were also positive for the experimental groups, meaning, they were able to perform better in class compared to their control group counterparts.
„Game of Kompetenzen“? Eine Analyse der Einsatzmöglichkeiten von „Game of Thrones“ im kompetenzorientierten Unterricht in Geschichte, Sozialkunde & Politische Bildung
Authors: Hechl Stefan
Published: June 2020

“Game of Competences?” An analysis of possible uses of “Game of Thrones” in competence-orientated history lessonsThis paper assesses whether the popular TV series “Game of Thrones” can be used for teaching (medieval) history in schools. Based on the Austrian history curriculum, it can be said that these representations of an imagined medieval past are a valid and important tool for teaching medieval history as well as for developing certain skills and competences needed to critically analyse and deconstruct representations of the past. This paper analyses various aspects of “Game of Thrones” (such as ethnic diversity, gender, Eurocentrism, etc.) and describes their potential for a didactic approach in history lessons. Additionally, the possibilities of using “Game of Thrones” for a general approach to analysing and teaching the politics of medievalism in the history classroom are discussed.
Early-Life m6A RNA Demethylation by Fat Mass and Obesity-Associated Protein (FTO) Influences Resilience or Vulnerability to Heat Stress Later in Life
Authors: Kisliouk Tatiana , Rosenberg Tali , Ben-Nun Osher , Ruzal Mark , Meiri Noam
Published: June 2020

Early life heat stress leads to either resilience or vulnerability to a similar stress later in life. We have previously shown that this tuning of the stress response depends on neural network organization in the preoptic anterior hypothalamus (PO/AH) thermal response center and is regulated by epigenetic mechanisms. Here, we expand our understanding of stress response establishment describing a role for epitranscriptomic regulation of the epigenetic machinery. Specifically, we explore the role of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA methylation in long-term response to heat stress. Heat conditioning of 3-d-old chicks diminished m6A RNA methylation in the hypothalamus, simultaneously with an increase in the mRNA levels of the m6A demethylase, fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO). Moreover, a week later, methylation of two heat stress-related transcripts, histone 3 lysine 27 (H3K27) methyltransferase, enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), were downregulated in harsh-heat-conditioned chicks. During heat challenge a week after conditioning, there was a reduction of m6A levels in mild-heat-conditioned chicks and an elevation in harsh-heat-conditioned ones. This increase in m6A modification was negatively correlated with the expression levels of bothBDNFandEZH2. Antisense “knock-down” of FTO caused an elevation of global m6A RNA methylation, reduction ofEZH2andBDNFmRNA levels, and decrease in global H3K27 dimethylation as well as dimethyl H3K27 level alongBDNFcoding region, and, finally, led to heat vulnerability. These findings emphasize the multilevel regulation of gene expression, including both epigenetic and epitranscriptomic regulatory mechanisms, fine-tuning the neural network organization in a response to stress.
THE SECOND CONVIVIALIST MANIFESTO: Towards a Post-Neoliberal World
Authors: International Convivialist
Published: June 2020

As a sequel to the Convivialist Manifesto: A Declaration of Interdependence (2013), The Second Convivialist Manifesto: Towards a Post-Neoliberal World was originally published in French and signed by three hundred intellectuals from thirty-three countries. Convivialism is a broad-based humanist, civic, and political philosophy that spells out the normative principles that sustain the art of living together at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Over and against neoliberalism, productivism, and populism, it values relations of cooperation that allow humans to compete with each other without hubris and violence, by taking care of one another and nature.
Application of Natural Zeolite in Methylene Blue Wastewater Treatment Process by Adsorption Method
Authors: Amelia Shinta , Maryudi Maryudi
Published: June 2020

Textile industry waste contains dyes that are difficult to decompose naturally and cause disruption of ecosystems in water. The colorant that is often used in the textile industry is methylene blue which is a cationic heterocyclic aromatic compound. This compound is so stable that it is difficult to decompose naturally and is harmful to the environment in large concentrations. Therefore, we need a waste treatment technology that can reduce the concentration of dye waste in water. So far, the adsorption method remains the most efficient and effective technique in removing dyes because of its relatively large adsorption capacity. One method that can be used is the adsorption method using natural zeolite. Zeolite is one of the non-metal mineral commodities or multipurpose industrial minerals, one of which is as an adsorbent or adsorbent media. This study aims to determine the potential of natural zeolite in absorbing methylene blue with variations in the concentration of methylene blue and various sizes of natural zeolite mesh. The procedures in this experiment include, the preparation of natural zeolite with size variations of 20-60 mesh, 60-100 mesh and> 100 mesh and variations in the concentration of methylene blue used 15 ppm, 30 ppm and 45 ppm with contact time from 0 to 180 minutes. From the results of the study it was found that the smaller the size of natural zeolite used, the greater the percentage of dye removal that is at mesh size> 100 mesh the percentage of dye removal was 32.11%. As for the variation of the concentration of methylene blue, the smaller the concentration, the natural zeolite can work optimally ie at a concentration of 15 ppm at 180 minutes the remaining methylene blue concentration of 0.145 ppm.
Reduction of FFA in Kapok Randu (Ceiba pentandra) Seed Oil via Esterification Reaction Using Sulfuric Acid Catalyst: Experimental and Kinetics Study
Authors: Kusumaningtyas Ratna Dewi , Akbar Muhammad Hafizt , Widjanarko Dwi
Published: June 2020

The rapid growth of the population and economy has boosted up the necessity of fuel and  energy source. Until now, the world’s dependency on fossil fuel as the primary energy supply is still high. On the other hand, it has been known that the fossil-based oil and gas reserves are shrunk. Hence, it is urgent to develop alternative energy sources, which are renewable and environmentally friendly, to anticipate the energy insufficiency. Biodiesel is among the prospective renewable energy due to its advantages. Biodiesel (fatty acid methyl esters) is a type of biofuel which is derived from vegetable oil or animal fat. There are various vegetable oils that can be used as raw material for biodiesel production. However, non-edible oils are usually preferred to be selected as a biodiesel feedstock to evade the conflict between food and energy needs. Kapok Randu (Ceiba pentandra) seed oil is a type of non-edible oil which is cheap and can be employed as biodiesel feedstock. However, this oil has high free fatty acid (FFA) content (8.89%). Thus, it cannot directly undergo transesterification reaction to produce biodiesel since the FFA will react with alkaline catalyst to produce soap. The FFA content in Kapok Randu seed oil needs to be decreased until it is lower than 2%. Hence, prior to transesterification reaction, esterification of Kapok Randu seed oil with methanol in the presence of acid catalyst should be conducted to decrease the FFA content. In this work, esterification reaction was performed in the presence of sulfuric acid catalyst. The reactions were conducted at the molar ratio of oil to methanol of 1:12 at the temperature of 40, 50, and 60 ℃ for 120 minutes. The optimum reaction conversion was 95.14%, achieved at the reaction temperature of 60 ℃. Kinetics study using homogeneous models was also performed. It was revealed that the reaction was appropriate with the irreversible second order reaction model. The reaction rate constant (k), activation energy (Ea), and  frequency factor (A) were 4.95 L / mole.min, 30,799.21 J/ mole and 338.744 / min, respectively.
Performance of EU-TIRADS in malignancy risk stratification of thyroid nodules: a meta-analysis
Authors: Castellana Marco , Grani Giorgio , Radzina Maija , Guerra Vito , Giovanella Luca , Deandrea Maurilio , Ngu Rose , Durante Cosimo , Trimboli Pierpaolo
Published: June 2020

Objective:

Several thyroid imaging reporting and data systems (TIRADS) have been proposed to stratify the malignancy risk of thyroid nodule by ultrasound. The TIRADS by the European Thyroid Association, namely EU-TIRADS, was the last one to be published.

Design:

We conducted a meta-analysis to assess the prevalence of malignancy in each EU-TIRADS class and the performance of EU-TIRADS class 5 vs 2, 3 and 4 in detecting malignant lesions.

Methods:

Four databases were searched until December 2019. Original articles reporting the performance of EU-TIRADS and adopting histology as reference standard were included. The number of malignant nodules in each class and the number of nodules classified as true/false positive/negative were extracted. A random-effects model was used for pooling data.

Results:

Seven studies were included, evaluating 5672 thyroid nodules. The prevalence of malignancy in each EU-TIRADS class was 0.5% (95% CI: 0.0–1.3), 5.9% (95% CI: 2.6–9.2), 21.4% (95% CI: 11.1–31.7), and 76.1% (95% CI: 63.7–88.5). Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, LR+, LR− and DOR of EU-TIRADS class 5 were 83.5% (95% CI: 74.5–89.8), 84.3% (95% CI: 66.2–93.7), 76.1% (95% CI: 63.7–88.5), 85.4% (95% CI: 79.1–91.8), 4.9 (95% CI: 2.9–8.2), 0.2 (95% CI: 0.1–0.3), and 24.5 (95% CI: 11.7–51.0), respectively. A further improved performance was found after excluding two studies because of limited sample size and low prevalence of malignancy in class 5.

Conclusions:

A limited number of studies generally conducted using a retrospective design was found. Acknowledging this limitation, the performance of EU-TIRADS in stratifying the risk of thyroid nodules was high. Also, EU-TIRADS class 5 showed moderate evidence of detecting malignant lesions.
Androgens, oestrogens and endometrium: a fine balance between perfection and pathology
Authors: Gibson Douglas A , Simitsidellis Ioannis , Collins Frances , Saunders Philippa T K
Published: June 2020

The endometrium is a complex multicellular tissue that is exquisitely sensitive to the actions of sex steroids synthesised in the ovary (endocrine system). Recent studies have highlighted a previously under-appreciated role for local (intracrine) metabolism in fine-tuning tissue function in both health and disease. In this review we have focused on the impact of oestrogens and androgens on endometrial function summarising data from studies on normal endometrial physiology and disorders including infertility, endometriosis and cancer. We consider the evidence that expression of enzymes including aromatase, sulphatase and AKR1C3 by endometrial cells plays an important role in tissue function and malfunction and discuss results from studies using drugs targeting intracrine pathways to treat endometrial disorders. We summarise studies exploring the spatial and temporal expression of oestrogen receptors (ERalpha/ESR1, ERbeta/ESR2 and GPER) and their role in mediating the impact of endogenous and synthetic ligands on cross-talk between vascular, immune, epithelial and stromal cells. There is a single androgen receptor gene and androgens play a key role in stromal-epithelial cross-talk, scar-free healing of endometrium during menstruation and regulation of cell proliferation. The development of new receptor-selective drugs (SERMs, SARMs, SARDs) has reinvigorated interest in targeting receptor subtypes in treatment of disorders including endometriosis and endometrial cancer and some show promise as novel therapies. In summary, understanding the mechanisms regulated by sex steroids provides the platform for improved personalised treatment of endometrial disorders as well as novel insights into the impact of steroids on processes such as tissue repair and regeneration.
YAP1 inhibits ovarian endometriosis stromal cell invasion through ESR2
Authors: Zeng Cheng , Wu Pei-Li , Dong Zhao-Tong , Li Xin , Zhou Ying-Fang , Xue Qing
Published: June 2020

Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent disease, and estrogen receptor 2 (ESR2) plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of ovarian endometriosis by promoting cell invasion. Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1) plays suppressive roles in several types of tumors. However, the relationship between YAP1 and ESR2 is not fully understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the regulatory mechanism of YAP1 in terms of ESR2 and YAP1 regulation of endometriotic stromal cell (ECSC) invasion in ovarian endometriosis. Our results demonstrated that YAP1 mRNA and protein levels in eutopic endometrium (EU) tissues were higher than those in paired ectopic endometrium (EC) tissues. ECSCs transfected with siYAP1 exhibited a significant increase in both ESR2 mRNA levels and protein expression. Simultaneously, YAP1 overexpression in ECSCs yielded the opposite results. Co-IP assays demonstrated YAP1-NuRD complex formation by YAP1, CHD4 and MTA1 in ECSCs. YAP1 bound to two sites, (-539, -533) and (-158, -152), upstream of the ESR2 transcription initiation site. YAP1 binding to the two sites of the ESR2 promoter in ECSCs was significantly lower than that in eutopic endometrial stromal cells (EUSCs) from EU tissues. ECSCs transfected with siYAP1 exhibited increased invasion activity, while ECSCs transfected with siESR2 showed inhibition of invasion. However, transfection with siYAP1 and siESR2 together decreased the number of invading cells compared with transfection with siYAP1 alone. Therefore, we conclude that decreased levels of YAP1 in ovarian endometriomas enhance ESR2 expression via formation of a YAP1-NuRD complex, which further binds to the ESR2 promoters. Furthermore, YAP1 inhibits ECSCs invasion.
TRAIL signals, extracellular matrix and vessel remodelling
Authors: Patil Manisha S , Cartland Siân P , Kavurma Mary M
Published: June 2020

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is an essential part of the vasculature, not only providing structural support to the blood vessel wall, but also in its ability to interact with cells to regulate cell phenotype and function including proliferation, migration, differentiation and death – processes important in vascular remodelling. Increasing evidence implicates TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) signalling in the modulation of vascular cell function and remodelling under normal and pathological conditions such as in atherosclerosis. TRAIL can also stimulate synthesis of multiple ECM components within blood vessels. This review explores the relationship between TRAIL signals, the ECM, and its implications in vessel remodelling in cardiovascular disease.
Modelo de gestión de la seguridad y la salud laboral en el teletrabajo autónomo en Colombia
Authors: Abril Martínez Lina Paola , Abril Martínez Mónica Catalina , Abril Martínez Sandra Consuelo
Published: June 2020

The results of this paper are determined by the guidelines and regulations applicable to teleworking in Colombia in terms of occupational health and safety, to the design of the Occupational Health and Safety Model for autonomous teleworking, and to the structuring and validation of the Maturity of the Occupational Health and Safety Management System (ema), Quality of Life (CoL), and Working Conditions (wc) instruments. For the development of the Model, the following categories were analyzed: advantages and disadvantages of teleworking, teleworking modalities, worker conditions, environmental conditions, conditions of the tasks, change management, leadership, and quality of life. Statistical validations were performed on each proposed instrument, such as internal consistency, factor analysis, and component analysis. In the proposed Model, the employer or contractor must address the prevention of accidents and occupational diseases and the protection and promotion of the health of workers and/or contractors through the implementation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of a management system with principles based on the pdca cycle (Plan, Do, Check, and Act).
Propuesta metodológica en la implementación del enfoque itls para la contribución a la calidad y a la mejora continua
Authors: Morales Londoño Natalie , Carrillo Landarzabal Martha Sofía , Castillo Salgado Betsy Liliana
Published: June 2020

itls es un modelo de gestión de mejora continua propuesto por Russ Pirasteh y Robert Fox en 2010 el cual, integra, a través de la aplicación de 7 pasos consecutivos, la esencia de cada uno de los enfoques de Teoría de las Restricciones, Lean Manufacturing y Six sigma, proponiendo una herramienta potente enfocada a la calidad y a la mejora del rendimiento general de la organización permitiendo una correcta toma de decisiones. Debido a la importancia de esta temática y a su necesidad de investigación sobre su ejecución, este artículo presenta la propuesta de una metodología detallada y completa que apoya el proceso de implementación del modelo propuesto por Pirasteuh y Fox sustentado en los supuestos que maneja cada una de las teorías integradas en ella. Esta metodología se considera una herramienta fundamental para la implementación en compañías que cuenten con poca o nula experiencia en la aplicación del modelo proponiendo una alternativa accesible y flexible que conlleven al éxito de la práctica exitosa del modelo itls. Además de abarcar cada uno de los pasos que proponen los autores Pirasteuh y Fox, también desglosa cada una de las actividades en fases y agrega herramientas que complementan este proceso enfocado al aumento de la productividad y la calidad lo que permitiría una mejora continua exitosa en cada uno de los niveles de la compañía.
Entrecruces de las creencias religiosas contemporáneas en la producción de territorialidades en los municipios de Choachí y Ubaque, Colombia
Authors: Díaz Sastre Jeferson Jesid
Published: June 2020

Este artículo parte de preguntarse por la reconfiguración de lo religioso en el mundo contemporáneo, para lo que propone como objetivo el análisis de la influencia de las creencias religiosas en la apropiación del territorio y la producción de territorialidades en los municipios de Choachí y Ubaque, Colombia. Para ello, y sin desconocer la preeminencia de la religión católica, se retoman igualmente las ideas de un grupo de personas que hablan desde la reactualización de la tradición muisca. La hipótesis por desarrollar es que el territorio es un registro, índice y factor de la disputa por la resignificación del pasado, en la distinción entre la memoria por lo ancestral (lo muisca) y el peso de una tradición (la religiosidad católica), mientras que la territorialidad aboga por la confluencia armoniosa (aunque conflictiva) consecuente con la producción de sentidos propios de la circulación de las creencias: en tanto que el territorio es firmeza, la territorialidad es la creencia en acto.
An 85K SNP Array Uncovers Inbreeding and Cryptic Relatedness in an Antarctic Fur Seal Breeding Colony
Authors: Humble Emily , Paijmans Anneke J , Forcada Jaume , Hoffman Joseph I
Published: June 2020

High density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays allow large numbers of individuals to be rapidly and cost-effectively genotyped at large numbers of genetic markers. However, despite being widely used in studies of humans and domesticated plants and animals, SNP arrays are lacking for most wild organisms. We developed a custom 85K Affymetrix Axiom array for an intensively studied pinniped, the Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella). SNPs were discovered from a combination of genomic and transcriptomic resources and filtered according to strict criteria. Out of a total of 85,359 SNPs tiled on the array, 75,601 (88.6%) successfully converted and were polymorphic in 270 animals from a breeding colony at Bird Island in South Georgia. Evidence was found for inbreeding, with three genomic inbreeding coefficients being strongly intercorrelated and the proportion of the genome in runs of homozygosity being non-zero in all individuals. Furthermore, analysis of genomic relatedness coefficients identified previously unknown first-degree relatives and multiple second-degree relatives among a sample of ostensibly unrelated individuals. Such “cryptic relatedness” within fur seal breeding colonies may increase the likelihood of consanguineous matings and could therefore have implications for understanding fitness variation and mate choice. Finally, we demonstrate the cross-amplification potential of the array in three related pinniped species. Overall, our SNP array will facilitate future studies of Antarctic fur seals and has the potential to serve as a more general resource for the wider pinniped research community.
Multi-trait Genome-Wide Analyses of the Brain Imaging Phenotypes in UK Biobank
Authors: Wu Chong
Published: June 2020

Wu introduced a new method termed aMAT for multi-trait analysis of any number of traits. The author conducted extensive simulations, confirming that aMAT yields well-controlled Type I error....
Sustainable Post Covid19 Lockdown Strategy Through Evidence-Based Policy
Authors: Boretti Alberto
Published: June 2020

The Covid19 epidemic is having much larger fatalities in western Europe than everywhere else in the world. However, the greater peak daily fatalities have been 10 to 20 times less than the models’ predictions and similarly occurred after half the time predicted by the models. Similar patterns of the outbreak have been achieved regardless of diversity in the containment measures. Thanks to a strict, generalized, lockdown, the United Kingdom, or Belgium, had after about the same number of days, much larger peak daily fatalities per million than countries adopting more sustainable approaches such as the Netherlands or Sweden. In the Netherlands, social distancing is suggested but not forced through an “intelligent lockdown”.  In Sweden, there is simply no lockdown.  It is now evident that Covid19 is much less contagious and lethal than what was thought, and if care is taken of the risk categories, but basic freedom is not removed restricting every movement of the healthy population damaging democracy and economy, it is possible to achieve better results. With fatalities uniformly declining across Europe, it is therefore advocated to return the sooner the better as before the lockdown period, with full compliance with preventive health instructions and social divergence, and care to protect the highest-risk groups from infection, especially for the elderly and those with chronic and respiratory diseases.
Decisions: Problems or Opportunities?
Authors: Siebert Johannes Ulrich , Keeney Ralph L.
Published: June 2020

Entscheidungssituationen werden häufig als Probleme wahrgenommen, die es zu lösen gilt. Allerdings sind Entscheidungen die einzige Möglichkeit, Einfluss auf das zu nehmen, was wichtig ist. Dieser Beitrag grenzt Entscheidungsprobleme und Entscheidungschancen ab und zeigt auf, wie durch proaktives Entscheiden nicht nur die Wahrscheinlichkeit, mit Problemen konfrontiert zu werden, reduziert werden kann, sondern auch systematisch attraktive Entscheidungschancen identifiziert werden können.