bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ANÁLISE DE CAPACIDADE DO PROCESSO PRODUTIVO UTILIZANDO TÉCNICAS DE PROGRAMAÇÃO LINEAR
Authors: Moura Cassiano Rodrigues , Ulbricht Gerson , Krainski Elcio
Published: July 2020

Empresas buscam aprimoramento de diversas formas a fim de manterem a competitividade no mercado. Busca-se sempre produzir mais no menor tempo possível, para isso faz-se necessário otimizar a execução de projetos e dos processos. Com este cenário, de elevada competição, as organizações têm buscado maneiras de aumentar sua  qualidade e produtividade. Neste contexto este trabalho tem como objetivo avaliar a capacidade do processo produtivo em uma determinada empresa sob a ótica da Pesquisa Operacional, especificamente utilizando a técnica de Programação Linear que é considerada umas das ferramentas mais difundidas para estas tomadas de decisões. Pois, busca obter uma solução ótima para um dado problema. A metodologia de estudo utilizada se trata de um estudo de caso, na qual desejou-se analisar a programação linear como ferramenta para avaliação do setor produtivo, com isso busca-se identificar os principais produtos que são produzidos e em quais setores estes são processados. A partir destas informações é elaborado um modelo de programação linear com o objetivo de fazer a verificação dos setores procurando identificar possíveis gargalos produtivos. Após definido o modelo matemático, foi desenvolvida uma planilha para resolução, utilizando a ferramenta Solver, de modo que está possa ser alimentada com novos parâmetros sempre que necessário. Resultados mostraram que o modelo matemático se torna eficaz para a programação do cenário estudado bem como de novos cenários.
Flood damage and risk assessment for urban area in Malaysia
Authors: Romali Noor Suraya , Yusop Zulkifli
Published: July 2020

In recent years, flood risk map has been widely accepted as a tool for flood mitigation. The risk of flooding is normally illustrated in terms of its hazard (flood inundation maps), while vulnerability emphasizes the consequences of flooding. In developing countries, published studies on flood vulnerability assessment are limited, especially on flood damage. This paper attempts to establish a flood damage and risk assessment framework for Segamat town in Johor, Malaysia. A combination of flood hazard (flood characteristics), exposure (value of exposed elements), and vulnerability (flood damage function curve) were used for estimating the flood damage. The flood depth and areal extent were obtained from flood modeling and mapping using HEC-HMS/RAS and Arc GIS, respectively. Expected annual damage (EAD) for residential areas (50,112 units) and commercial areas (9,318 premises) were RM12.59 million and RM2.96 million, respectively. The flood hazard map shows that Bandar Seberang area (46,184 properties) was the most affected by the 2011 flood. The flood damage map illustrates similar patterns, with Bandar Seberang suffering the highest damage. The damage distribution maps are useful for reducing future flood damage by identifying properties with high flood risk.
Steady air flow model for large sewer networks: a theoretical framework
Authors: Zhang Qi , Shao Weiyun , Zhu David Z. , Xu Weilin
Published: July 2020

Modelling air movement in sewer networks is needed in order to address the issues related to sewer odour complaints and sewer corrosions due to hydrogen sulphide in sewers. Most of the existing air flow models can only be applied in small sewer networks or the trunk lines of sewer systems. The purpose of this paper is therefore to propose a theoretical approach to formulate a general governing equation set for modelling steady air movement in large sewer systems. This approach decomposes the sewer system of interest into its basic physical components as pipes and nodes, and builds local topology of each pipe and each node based on geographic information system data as the fundamentals of model formulation. It avoids manually identifying each branch of the sewer system, eliminates the effect of physically closed networks in sewer systems on the governing equations, and considers key sewer components and all known driving forces. The proposed approach was applied to a real sewer system with over 500 pipes. The results show that the proposed model is applicable in modelling air movement in a large sewer system and provides a general idea of sewer gases moving through the system and their emission.
Multi-year diagnosis of unpredictable fouling occurrences in a full-scale membrane bioreactor
Authors: Carlson A. L. , Daigger G. T. , Love N. G. , Hart E.
Published: July 2020

The membrane bioreactor (MBR) at the Traverse City Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant has experienced sudden and unpredictable periods of substantial permeability decline since 2011. Early observations detected irregularly-shaped gram-positive bacteria that correlated with plant upsets. Use of biomolecular techniques, such as DNA sequencing of laboratory isolates and the mixed liquor microbial community, and fluorescent in situ hybridization, identified the dispersed organisms as members of the genus Staphylococcus. However, Staphylococcus species were consistently present during normal operation and therefore were more likely to be an indicator of the upset, not the cause. The results suggest that these microorganisms are responding to specific influent wastewater constituents. We chemically analysed seven mixed liquor samples from periods of permeability decline in 2017 and 2018, and four samples from a period of normal operation. During upset conditions, the total carbohydrate content exceeded that of normal operation by 40%. Additionally, mixed liquor calcium concentrations were 65% above normal during the upset in 2017. It is hypothesized and supported through multivariate statistical analysis and estimation of specific resistance to filtration values that a calcium-intermediated polymer bridging mechanism with extracellular polymeric substance constituents is a major contributor to fouling and permeability disruptions in the Traverse City MBR.
Release Characteristics of an Essential Oil Component Encapsulated with Cyclodextrin Shell Matrices
Authors: Li Zhe , Wen Wangwen , Chen Xulong , Zhu Lin , Cheng Genjinsheng , Liao Zhenggen , Huang Hao , Ming Liangshan
Published: July 2020

Background:

Essential oils are poor aqueous solubility and high volatility compounds. The
encapsulation of essential oils with Cyclodextrins (CDs) can protect them from adverse environmental
conditions and improve their stability. Therefore, increasing the functional capabilities of essential oils
when they were used as additives in pharmaceutical and food systems. Additionally, the release of active
compounds is an important issue. However, there were few studies about the effect of different
CDs on the release of drugs after encapsulation. Therefore, the information on the study of release
models is considerably limited.

Objective:

This study aimed to (i) characterize the physico-chemical properties and release behavior of
myrcene encapsulated in the four different shell matrices of α-CD, β-CD, γ-CD and 2-hydroxypropyl-β-
cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD), which were selected from the perspective of stability, and (ii) determine the
release mechanism of myrcene in Inclusion Complexes (ICs).

Methods:

ICs of myrcene and four CDs were prepared by freeze-drying. The physico-chemical properties
of ICs were fully characterized by laser diffraction particle size analyzer, Scanning Electron Microscope
(SEM), Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Differential Scanning Calorimeter
(DSC). The release behaviors of ICs at 50, 60, 70 and 80 °C were determined and described by zeroorder
or first-order kinetics with the Henderson-Pabis, Peppas, Avrami and Page mathematical models.
Moreover, the possible binding modes of ICs were identified with molecular modelling technique.

Results:

Firstly, the structure of Particle Size Distribution (PSD), FT-IR, DSC and SEM showed that (i)
CDs could effectively encapsulate the myrcene molecules, and (ii) the release kinetics were well simulated
by Avrami and Page models. Secondly, the release rates of the ICs experienced an unsteady state
in the early stage, and gradually became almost constants period after 20 hours. Except that the release
of myrcene in γ-CD/myrcene belonged to the first-order kinetic, the release models of the remaining
three ICs belonged to diffusion mode. Thirdly, the calculated binding energies of the optimized structures
for α-CD/myrcene, β-CD/myrcene, γ-CD/myrcene, and HP-β-CD/myrcene ICs were −4.28, −3.82,
−4.04, and −3.72 kcal/mol, respectively. Finally, the encapsulation of myrcene with α-CD and β-CD
was preferable according to the stability and release characteristics.

Conclusion:

The encapsulation of myrcene was profoundly affected by the type of CDs, and the stability
could be improved by complexation with suitable CDs. The binding behavior between guest and CD
molecules, and the release profile of the guest molecules could be effectively explained by the kinetics
parameters and molecular modelling. This study can provide an effective basis and guide for screening
suitable shell matrices.
Random Walks on Biomedical Networks
Authors: Zhang Guiyang , Wang Pan , Li You , Huang Guohua
Published: July 2020

The biomedical network is becoming a fundamental tool to represent sophisticated biosystems,
while Random Walk (RW) models on it are becoming a sharp sword to address such challenging
issues as gene function annotation, drug target identification, and disease biomarker recognition.
Recently, numerous random walk models have been proposed and applied to biomedical networks.
Due to good performances, the random walk is attracting increasing attentions from multiple
communities. In this survey, we firstly introduced various random walk models, with emphasis
on the PageRank and the random walk with restart. We then summarized applications of the random
work RW on the biomedical networks from the graph learning point of view, which mainly included
node classification, link prediction, cluster/community detection, and learning representation
of the node. We discussed briefly its limitation and existing issues also.
Ammonium Calixarene Complexes
Authors: Lazzarotto M\árcio
Published: July 2020

Calixarenes are macrocyclic compounds that form complexes with ions and neutral molecules.
Association with ammonium cations and calixarenes is directed by coulombic forces, hydrogen
bonding, N+-C-H---π interactions and van der Waals interactions. Calixarenes are stronger acids
than corresponding phenols and react with aliphatic amines by proton-transfer and the ammonium
cations can be placed as exo or endo-calix. The type of aggregate and the association constants are
related to the branching of the chain, the basic character of amine, and the size of the calix. Trimethylammonium
cations, like choline, bind sulfonate calix[4 and 6]arenes and calix[6]arenes by coulombic
and N+-C-H---π interactions. Interaction of calixarenes and ammonium cations has been used
for biological sensors for neurotransmitters and peptide hormones.
Conventional and Microwave Pyrolysis for Preparation of Sewage Sludge- Activated Carbons for Pharmaceuticals Removal: A Mini-Review
Authors: dos Reis Glaydson Simoes , Lima Eder Claudio , Thue Pascal Silas
Published: July 2020

Sewage sludge shows excellent potential as pyrolysis feedstock in generating valuable
products such as Activated Carbons (ACs). In this mini-review the preparation of sewage sludge-
ACs by two kinds of pyrolysis conventional and microwave heating is presented and discussed. The
main difference between conventional pyrolysis and the microwave-assisted method is the way the
heat is generated, and both can provide ACs with different textural and chemical properties. Based on
what was demonstrated in this work, it is possible to say that both kinds of pyrolysis (microwave and
conventional methods) can produce high specific surface area and efficiently activated carbons from
sewage sludge. It was also demonstrated that sludge-ACs produced by both pyrolysis methods could
reach very high uptakes of pharmaceuticals from aqueous solutions. The van der Waals interactions,
hydrogen bonding and π-π interactions of the aromatic ring of the adsorbent with the aromatic rings
of the pharmaceuticals have been mentioned to be some of the main mechanisms governing the
pharmaceuticals adsorption by ACs.
Extraction of Bioactive Proteins from Seeds (Corn, Sorghum, and Sunflower) and Sunflower Byproduct: Enzymatic Hydrolysis and Antioxidant Properties
Authors: do Prado Danielle M.F. , de Almeida Adrielle B. , de Oliveira Filho Josemar G. , Alves Cassia C. F. , Egea Mariana B. , Lemes Ailton C.
Published: July 2020

Background:

Food proteins have benefits for human health, which justifies their production
and use. In this context, the use of seeds and byproducts that would be otherwise discarded is
highlighted in the present work, to produce protein extracts and hydrolyzed proteins, generating opportunities
to reduce environmental impacts.

Objective:

This work aimed to use different extraction methods to obtain protein extracts from
seeds (corn, sorghum, and sunflower) and sunflower byproduct to determine their antioxidant activity,
and apply different proteolytic enzymes in the hydrolysis of sunflower byproduct.

Methods:

The seeds of corn, sorghum, and sunflower, and sunflower byproduct were ground to produce
flour and the protein extracts were prepared using five different methods. The bioactivity of
fractions was analyzed by different methods (ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP) to evaluate the antioxidant
activity.

Results:

The most effective methods, which resulted in higher protein extraction and antioxidant activity,
were those in which NH4HCO3 (5 mM, pH 8.0) and H2O/C2H6O (2:3) were used. The highest
protein contents were 797.9, 303.8, and 11296.5 μg/g, and the highest antioxidant activity was
34417.5, 9732.6, and 47473.1 μg TE/g from Soxhlet and Bligh and Dyer defatted extractions for
sunflower seed, and sunflower byproduct, respectively. Regarding enzymatic hydrolysis, sunflower
byproduct was the substrate that presented the highest degree of hydrolysis (11.06%) when Neutrase
® enzyme was used. Enzymatic hydrolysis increased antioxidant activity in the hydrolyzed proteins,
approximately by 20.0%, using Neutrase® and 22.3% using Flavourzyme® treatments.

Conclusion:

The protein extracts and the hydrolyzed proteins exhibited high antioxidant activity,
demonstrating great potential for use as natural antioxidants in food systems.
Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy: Diagnosis and Treatment
Authors: Røikjer Johan , Mørch Carsten Dahl , Ejskjaer Niels
Published: July 2020

Background:

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is traditionally divided into large
and small fibre neuropathy (SFN). Damage to the large fibres can be detected using nerve conduction
studies (NCS) and often results in a significant reduction in sensitivity and loss of protective
sensation, while damage to the small fibres is hard to reliably detect and can be either asymptomatic,
associated with insensitivity to noxious stimuli, or often manifests itself as intractable neuropathic
pain.

Objective:

To describe the recent advances in both detection, grading, and treatment of DPN as well
as the accompanying neuropathic pain.

Methods:

A review of relevant, peer-reviewed, English literature from MEDLINE, EMBASE and
Cochrane Library between January 1st 1967 and January 1st 2020 was used.

Results:

We identified more than three hundred studies on methods for detecting and grading DPN,
and more than eighty randomised-controlled trials for treating painful diabetic neuropathy.

Conclusion:

NCS remains the method of choice for detecting LFN in people with diabetes, while a
gold standard for the detection of SFN is yet to be internationally accepted. In the recent years, several
methods with huge potential for detecting and grading this condition have become available including
skin biopsies and corneal confocal microscopy, which in the future could represent reliable
endpoints for clinical studies. While several newer methods for detecting SFN have been developed,
no new drugs have been accepted for treating neuropathic pain in people with diabetes. Tricyclic
antidepressants, serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors and anticonvulsants remain first line
treatment, while newer agents targeting the proposed pathophysiology of DPN are being developed.
Iron (III) Chloride Hexahydrate as a Highly Efficient Catalyst for Acetylation of Protic Nucleophiles with Acetic Anhydride under Solvent-free Conditions
Authors: Eddine Naoures J. , Jennen Fayçal , Kacem Yakdhane , Kraiem Jamil
Published: July 2020

Background:

Acetylation of protic nucleophiles is used to protect these functional groups.
Most of the methods described in the literature use solvents, one or more equivalent of toxic bases or
expensive and toxic catalysts. Therefore, new methodologies, above all, greener and more economical
procedures, are still in demand.

Objective:

An eco-efficient method was developed for the acetylation of alcohols, phenols, thiols,
amines, and carbohydrates, using acetic anhydride and a catalytic amount of the environmentally benign
and inexpensive FeCl3.6H2O, under solvent-free conditions.

Methods:

Acetylation of a variety of protic nucleophiles was performed using 0.2 mol % of
FeCl3.6H2O as the catalyst, and 1.2 equivalent of Ac2O as the acetylating agent at room temperature
and under solvent-free conditions.

Results:

This procedure appears to be highly efficient and promoted rapid and quantitative acetylation
under simple and minimum manipulation. Chromatography or recrystallization was generally not necessary
for the purification of products.

Conclusion:

This eco-friendly protocol appears to be potentially universally applicable in organic design
to protect protic nucleophiles and isscalable for industrial fields.
Rezende, Maria Valéria Carta À Rainha Louca Rio de Janeiro: Alfaguara, 2019, 144 pp.
Authors: Garcia Luis Eduardo Veloso
Published: July 2020

Lançado em 2019, o último romance de Maria Valéria Rezende, intitulado Carta à Rainha Louca, trata-se de uma incursão corajosa nos caminhos da ficção historiográfica através de um mergulho detalhado no Brasil colônia do século XVIII, cuja pesquisa aprofundada da autora reflete com precisão nas quase 150 páginas que formam essa obra.
Quando o arquivo vomita Salazar. Representações da mulher no cinema português contemporâneo
Authors: Martins Adriana
Published: July 2020

Partindo da provocadora tela de Paula Rego, “Salazar a Vomitar a Pátria”, este ensaio discute algumas representações fílmicas da mulher portuguesa do Estado Novo, a partir de uma seleção de filmes de realizadoras portuguesas contemporâneas que lançam mão de memórias públicas e privadas e de diferentes materiais de arquivo para questionar a representação pública da ditadura. A partir de uma perspetiva feminina e comparada, o ensaio examina as lacunas epistemológicas do arquivo e reflete sobre como estas, para além de desvelarem intrincados processos de manipulação ideológica que ilustram a violência do arquivo e o seu caráter disciplinador (Derrida 1995; Foucault 1972), interrogam o cinema como médium privilegiado de formação, circulação e reconfiguração da memória cultural.
A dialética em estado de exceção: Alegorias da ditadura civil-militar em À Flor da Pele, de Consuelo de Castro
Authors: De Matos Ivan Delmanto Franklin
Published: July 2020

Este artigo propõe uma análise da peça teatral À flor da pele, da dramaturga brasileira Consuelo de Castro, escrita em 1969, durante o auge da ditadura civil militar brasileira. Procura-se demonstrar que o texto pode ser melhor compreendido utilizando-se o conceito de alegoria, tal como definido pelo filósofo WalterBenjamin. Seguindo esta leitura, a linguagem alegórica desloca os parâmetros da forma dramática tradicional, de origem europeia, modificando-a a partir do confronto com o contexto histórico brasileiro do período. Essa realidade histórica, fraturada pelos ditames de um Estado de Exceção, teria gerado uma espécie particular de drama negativo, que procuraremos revelar durante o texto.
Mulheres cineastas portuguesas e o estado novo. Da invisibilidade à memória cultural
Authors: Pereira Margarida Esteves
Published: July 2020

Este artigo tem como objetivo oferecer uma perspetiva geral sobre a presença (ou melhor, a ausência) de cineastas mulheres durante o período do Estado Novo. Se, por um lado, a situação das cineastas portuguesas deve ser enquadrada no contexto da ideologia do regime em relação às mulheres (Cova &Pinto 2002), por outro, não podemos ignorar o contexto mais amplo da presença/ ausência de mulheres cineastas no cinema durante o século XX. Assim, a questão será enquadrada em trabalhos anteriores dedicados à questão das mulheres e do cinema num contexto mais amplo (cf. Butler 2002; Lauzen 2019; White 2017); no caso português, o estudo parte do trabalho de Castro (2000) e Pereira (2016). Afirmamos também que essa invisibilidade, no que diz respeito ao regime do Estado Novo, foi contrabalançada pelo aparecimento nos últimos anos de vários documentários feitos por mulheres que estão a recuperara memória do regime. Por fim, o artigo focar-se-á no filme da cineasta sueca Solveig Nordlund, intitulado Mitt Andra Land[O Meu Outro País](2014), argumentando que este estabelece uma ponte entre a memória individual e a memória coletiva, invocando a experiência pessoal da realizadora e do seu trabalho em Portugal desde a década de 1970.
EXPLORING THE USEFULNESS OF RICH MATHEMATICAL TASKS TO ENHANCE STUDENTS’ REFLECTIVE THINKING
Authors: Fitriati Fitriati , Novita Rita , Johar Rahmah
Published: July 2020

Promoting reflective thinking in daily teaching practice is vital to prepare students to live in a more challenging world. Rich tasks are one of the promising tasks that could be used as pedagogy trend to develop students' reflective thinking. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to describe the usefulness of rich mathematical tasks including how teachers use them in their teaching practice and the improvement of students’ reflective thinking following the rich tasks based instruction. This study employed a teaching experiment within a case study design. Participants were 28 Year 7 students of one the junior high school in Aceh, Indonesia. The instrument of the study is three valid and reliable rich mathematical tasks administered to the students through student worksheet. The results of the study show that rich tasks provided students with the opportunity to solve real-world problems by questioning their understanding and thinking reflectively. It also found that most students in the classroom were able to achieve the low level of reflective thinking with classroom mean score is 60. This value fairly enough since reflective thinking is a complicated concept. Subsequently, the results indicate the rich mathematical tasks approach hold potential in enhancing students’ reflective thinking ability.
ENGLISH WRITING SKILLS THROUGH PERCEPTION OF SIRI’ CULTURAL VALUES: OPTIMISM, SOCIAL SUPPORT, AND ACADEMIC SELF-EFFICACY
Authors: Sudirman Subhan Ajrin , Nurmandi Achmad , Bashori Khoiruddin
Published: July 2020

The mastery of foreign languages, in particular English which is applied predominantly in the international scope is one form of improving the quality of an indvidual. This research aims to find empirical support for relationships between optimism, social support, academic self-efficacy and mastery of academic English paragraph writing skills mediated by perceptions of Siri’ cultural values. Siri’ cultural values are living laws which becomes the guidance in think, act, and build interpersonal relationship with other individuals. The instruments of this research applied writing tasks, scales of optimism, social support, academic self-efficacy, and perceptions of Siri’ cultural values. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results show that the relationship between optimism, social support, and academic self-efficacy and mastery of academic English paragraph writing skills will be stronger when students are able to perceive cultural values of Siri’ well. It is worthy of attention for educators and education observers that when students are required to be able to master a learning material not only from the cognitive side concerned, but also the psychological side of students must be considered.
THE EXPLORATION OF TEACHERS’ EFFICACY IN TEACHING: COMPARATIVE STUDY IN INDONESIA AND MALAYSIA
Authors: Wangid Muhammad Nur , Mustadi Ali , Mokshien Siti Eshah binti
Published: July 2020

Teacher’s self-efficacy can be varied according to experience gained, experience obtained from other people, social influences, and also physical and psychological welfare. In the context of teacher’s efficacy in Indonesia and Malaysia, those are certain become different because it undergoes differently. The aim of the research is to convey the difference between teachers in Malaysia and Indonesia from the perspective of a teacher's efficacy in teaching. This research is a comparative study. The research subjects were elementary school teachers who were continuing their studies in post graduate programs at Yogyakarta State University and Sultan Idris University of Education. They are given a scale of teacher efficacy in teaching consisting of three sub-scale that is teacher’s efficacy in involving students in learning, executing learning process, and class management. Research result shows that actually, in general, there are no significant differences in teacher efficacy in teaching between teachers in Malaysia and Indonesia. However, if differences are seen from each factor, it appears that there are differences in the efficacy of teachers in involving students in learning, while the efficacy in instructional learning strategies, and efficacy in classroom management, there are still no significant differences.
CHARACTER EDUCATION FROM THE PERSPECTIVES OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHERS
Authors: Muhtar Tatang , Dallyono Ruswan
Published: July 2020

Physical Education (PE) in elementary schools has so far been extensively geared towards achieving character goals. However, not all of these goals have been well accomplished by teachers. This research aims to examine three fundamental issues in PE practice, i.e., to define PE teachers perceptions of character education, to identify problems of PE teachers in promoting character education, and to determine whether PE teachers consider character education is plausible to be implemented through PE activities. This study used a case study and a content analysis in the qualitative research method. The data were obtained from 53 PE teachers who worked in 53 elementary schools from 26 sub-districts in Sumedang Regency through an accessible case sampling method. This study employed individual interviews (10-15 minutes) in a semi-structured interview technique. Content analysis was used to analyze the interview scripts. This study revealed that character education is defined as the process of individual alteration from family, school, and social life. Meanwhile, the teachers stated that the curriculum is considered to be not precisely accessible for the development of character education since they were still confused about curriculum implementation. However, they believed that PE is effective to promote character education.
Higher Order Cognition and Communication: A Preliminary Study for the Development of Brief Test of Cognitive-Communication Disorders
Authors: Lee Mi Sook , Kim Bo Seon
Published: July 2020

Purpose: Higher order cognition (HOC) is commonly impaired in neurological disease including mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia of Alzheimer’s type (DAT). The impact of this deficit is particularly prominent in communication. The purpose of this preliminary study was to investigate the correlation between HOC and communication in MCI and DAT using Brief test of Cognitive-Communication Disorders (BCCD), and to demonstrate subdomains of communication as predictors of HOC.Methods: Healthy controls (n = 40), persons with MCI (n = 31) and DAT (n = 40) completed the subtests of HOC and communication in BCCD. HOC and communication tests consisted of 9 (organization/reasoning/problem solving/executive function) and 12 (comprehension/expression/reading & writing/pragmatic language) items respectively.Results: The main findings were as follows. Firstly, there was a significant difference among three groups in most subdomains and total scores of HOC and communication. Secondly, HOC was significantly associated with comprehension and total score in MCI. A significant relationship between HOC and all domains of communication was also observed in DAT. Thirdly, expression, pragmatic language, and total score were predictors of HOC in MCI, while only total score of communication predicted HOC for individuals with DAT.Conclusion: This study is expected to present clinically available data in assessment and intervention for cognitive-communication disorders. Specific communication measures as powerful indicators of HOC may contribute to increase the diagnostic and prognostic accuracy in MCI and DAT.
Prevention and Management of Perinatal Major Infectious Diseases
Authors: Park Che Yon , Cho Hyunjin
Published: July 2020

Perinatal infection is the leading cause of fetal and neonatal mortality and is directly related to childhood morbidity. Perinatal infections cause abnormal growth, delayed development, and many other clinical problems in newborns. In particular, TORCH syndrome can cause serious fetal and neonatal health problems through vertical infection, and timely diagnosis and treatment through regular antenatal examinations are important. There are no therapeutic options or vaccines for parvovirus or cytomegalovirus. Therefore, prevention is the most important method. In the case of toxoplasmosis, prenatal education is important because it can be prevented through hygiene management, although there are therapeutic drugs. Syphilis has a high prevalence, so early diagnosis is important. Rubella and varicella zoster infections can lead to fatal results in vertical transmission to the fetus. Therefore, preconception vaccination should be performed. Women with herpes simplex, which has a high prevalence in the community, need to be mindful when choosing a childbirth method by evaluating the infection through regular prenatal care to prevent vertical infection. Seasonal flu is rarely transmitted vertically to the fetus, but the morbidity and mortality risk to the mother is higher than that of the general population. Thus, prevention through vaccination is important. Lastly, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection has yet to be well studied, although the mother's morbidity and mortality are similar to those of the general population and there is no evidence of vertical infection. Since the findings of the effects on the mother and fetus are limited, transmission should be prevented through social distancing and personal hygiene practices.
Perceived Need and Acceptability of an App to Support Activities of Daily Living in People With Cognitive Impairment and Their Carers: Pilot Survey Study
Authors: Lai Rhoda , Tensil Maria , Kurz Alexander , Lautenschlager Nicola T , Diehl-Schmid Janine
Published: July 2020

Background

Modern technologies, including smartphone apps, have the potential to assist people with cognitive impairment with activities of daily living, allowing them to maintain their independence and reduce carer burden. However, such tools have seen a slow rate of uptake in this population, and data on the acceptability of assistive technologies in this population are limited.

Objective

This pilot study included older adults with cognitive impairment and their carers, and explored the perceived needs for and acceptability of an app that was designed to be a simple assistive tool for activities of daily living. In particular, this study aimed to assess the acceptability of common app functions such as communication, reminder, navigation, and emergency tools in this population, and to compare patients’ and carers’ responses to them.

Methods

A total of 24 German participants with mild cognitive impairment or dementia and their family carers separately completed two short questionnaires. The first questionnaire asked the participants with cognitive impairment and their carers to self-rate the patients’ cognitive impairment levels and affinity to technology. Following a demonstration of the app, participants rated the usability and acceptability of the app and its functions in a second questionnaire.

Results

Participants rated themselves as much less cognitively impaired than their carers did (P=.01), and insight into the level of support they received was low. The majority of the participants (19/24, 79%) and their carers (20/24, 83%) had low affinity to technology, and even after the demonstration, 63% (15/24) of the participants had low interest in using the app. A breakdown of acceptability responses by app function revealed that participants were more amenable to the reminder function, the emergency feature, and a wearable form of the app. Features that centered around carers monitoring participants’ movements were reported to be less acceptable to participants.

Conclusions

This study highlights the importance of focusing on acceptability and the consumer’s perceptions in the development of assistive technology for older adults with cognitive impairment. Participants showed an aversion to functions they perceived as eroding their independence, while functions that more closely aligned with independence and autonomy were perceived as more acceptable.
Asthma Exacerbation Prediction and Risk Factor Analysis Based on a Time-Sensitive, Attentive Neural Network: Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Xiang Yang , Ji Hangyu , Zhou Yujia , Li Fang , Du Jingcheng , Rasmy Laila , Wu Stephen , Zheng W Jim , Xu Hua , Zhi Degui , Zhang Yaoyun , Tao Cui
Published: July 2020

Background

Asthma exacerbation is an acute or subacute episode of progressive worsening of asthma symptoms and can have a significant impact on patients’ quality of life. However, efficient methods that can help identify personalized risk factors and make early predictions are lacking.

Objective

This study aims to use advanced deep learning models to better predict the risk of asthma exacerbations and to explore potential risk factors involved in progressive asthma.

Methods

We proposed a novel time-sensitive, attentive neural network to predict asthma exacerbation using clinical variables from large electronic health records. The clinical variables were collected from the Cerner Health Facts database between 1992 and 2015, including 31,433 adult patients with asthma. Interpretations on both patient and cohort levels were investigated based on the model parameters.

Results

The proposed model obtained an area under the curve value of 0.7003 through a five-fold cross-validation, which outperformed the baseline methods. The results also demonstrated that the addition of elapsed time embeddings considerably improved the prediction performance. Further analysis observed diverse distributions of contributing factors across patients as well as some possible cohort-level risk factors, which could be found supporting evidence from peer-reviewed literature such as respiratory diseases and esophageal reflux.

Conclusions

The proposed neural network model performed better than previous methods for the prediction of asthma exacerbation. We believe that personalized risk scores and analyses of contributing factors can help clinicians better assess the individual’s level of disease progression and afford the opportunity to adjust treatment, prevent exacerbation, and improve outcomes.
Effectiveness of a Mobile App Intervention for Anxiety and Depression Symptoms in University Students: Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)
Authors: McCloud Tayla , Jones Rebecca , Lewis Gemma , Bell Vaughan , Tsakanikos Elias
Published: July 2020

BACKGROUND

Depression and anxiety symptoms are common among university students, but many do not receive treatment. This is often because of lack of availability, reluctance to seek help, and not meeting the diagnostic criteria required to access services. Internet-based interventions, including smartphone apps, can overcome these issues. However, a large number of apps are available, each with little evidence of their effectiveness.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to evaluate for the first time the effectiveness of a self-guided mobile app, Feel Stress Free, for the treatment of depression and anxiety symptoms in students.

METHODS

A web-based randomized controlled trial compared a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)–based mobile app Feel Stress Free with a wait-list control. University students self-identified as experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression and were randomized to 6 weeks of intervention (n=84) or control (n=84), unblinded. The app is self-guided and incorporates behavioral relaxation activities, mood tracking and thought challenging, and minigames. Participants completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale online at baseline and every fortnight.

RESULTS

At week 6, the primary end point, there was evidence that the Feel Stress Free app reduced depression symptoms (mean difference −1.56; 95% CI −2.67 to −0.44; P=.006) but only very weak evidence that it reduced anxiety symptoms (mean difference −1.36; 95% CI −2.93 to 0.21; P=.09). At week 4, there was evidence to support the effectiveness of the intervention for anxiety symptoms (mean difference −1.94; 95% CI −3.11 to −0.77; P=.001) and, though weaker, depression symptoms (mean difference −1.08; 95% CI −2.12 to −0.04; P=.04). At week 6, 83% (34/41) of participants indicated that they were using the app weekly or more frequently.

CONCLUSIONS

The Feel Stress Free app is a promising mobile intervention for treating symptoms of anxiety and depression in students and overcomes many of the barriers to traditional CBT. Further research is needed to establish its effectiveness at and beyond 6 weeks.

CLINICALTRIAL

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03032952; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03032952
A Tool for Rating the Value of Health Education Mobile Apps to Enhance Student Learning (MARuL): Development and Usability Study (Preprint)
Authors: Gladman Tehmina , Tylee Grace , Gallagher Steve , Mair Jonathan , Rennie Sarah C , Grainger Rebecca
Published: July 2020

BACKGROUND

To realize the potential for mobile learning in clinical skills acquisition, medical students and their teachers should be able to evaluate the value of an app to support student learning of clinical skills. To our knowledge, there is currently no rubric for evaluation of quality or value that is specific for apps to support medical student learning. Such a rubric might assist students to be more confident in using apps to support their learning.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to develop an instrument that can be used by health professional educators to rate the value of a mobile app to support health professional student learning.

METHODS

Using the literature, we developed a list of potential criteria for the evaluation of educational app value, which were then refined with a student group using a modified nominal group technique. The refined list was organized into themes, and the initial rubric, Mobile App Rubric for Learning (MARuL, version 1), was developed. iOS and Android app stores were searched for clinical skills apps that met our inclusion criteria. After the 2 reviewers were trained and the item descriptions were refined (version 2), a random sample of 10 included apps, 5 for each mobile operating system, was reviewed. Interitem and interrater analyses and discussions with the reviewers resulted in refinement of MARuL to version 3. The reviewers completed a review of 41 clinical skills mobile apps, and a second round of interitem and interrater reliability testing was performed, leading to version 4 of the MARuL.

RESULTS

Students identified 28 items (from an initial set of 144 possible items) during the nominal group phase, and these were then grouped into 4 themes: teaching and learning, user centered, professional, and usability. Testing and refinement with reviewers reduced the list to 26 items. Internal consistency for MARuL was excellent (α=.96), and the interrater reliability as measured by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was good (ICC=0.66).

CONCLUSIONS

MARuL offers a fast and user-friendly method for teachers to select valuable apps to enhance student learning.
Mobile health, disease knowledge, and self-care behavior in chronic kidney disease: a prospective cohort study (Preprint)
Authors: Tsai Yi-Chun , Hsiao Pei-Ni , Kuo Mei-Chuan , Wang Shu-Li , Chen Tzu-Hui , Kung Lan-Fang , Hsiao Shih-Ming , Lin Ming-Yen , Hwang Shang-Jyh , Chen Hung-Chun , Chiu Yi-Wen
Published: July 2020

BACKGROUND

Mobile health (mHealth) management is an emerging strategy of care for patients with chronic diseases. mHealth has developed considerably over recent years, and it has been shown to promote communication between healthcare professionals and patients to improve the early detection of a worsening health status. However, the effect of mHealth management on clinical outcomes of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) has not been well-studied.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the additional influence of mHealth on disease knowledge and self-care behavior combined with traditional education compared with only traditional education in patients with CKD.

METHODS

Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital designed and developed a new healthcare mobile application, called iCKD. The application has several major features, including home-based physiological signal monitoring, disease health education, nutrition analysis, medication reminder, and alarms and a warning system to promote self-care for patients with CKD. Using structured questionnaires of disease knowledge and self-care behavior, trained nurses interviewed patients with CKD who received both mobile and traditional education and those who received only traditional education. After propensity score matching, we analyzed 107 patients who used iCKD and traditional education, and 107 who received traditional education.

RESULTS

The mean age of all study participants was 63.9±11.5 years, and 59.3 % were male. The patients who used iCKD had higher disease knowledge scores than those who received traditional education (24.6±6.6 v.s. 22.6±5.3, p=0.02). In multivariate analysis, iCKD was significantly and positively associated with disease knowledge scores (β=1.78, p=0.02). Patients with high education level could have greater disease knowledge through using mHealth (β=3.16, p=0.001). However, there was no significant difference in total scores of self-care behavior between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

mHealth can significantly increase disease knowledge in patients with CKD.

CLINICALTRIAL
ART THROUGH THE PRISM OF CULTURAL NEWS PROGRAM
Authors: Mitrović Marta , Vulić Tatjana
Published: July 2020

Public broadcasters have the professional responsibility and legal obligation to report on topics of public interest, including topics related to culture and, more specifically, arts, in order to meet communication needs of people, as reflected in the three main roles of the media: information, education and entertainment. In this paper, the authors investigated whether and to what an extent the Cultural News Program of Serbian Radio and Television reports on different types of arts, the achievements of artists and their works, the cultural policy of Serbia, and whether this program meets one of the basic objectives of journalism – education. The results of the monitoring clearly indicated that diverse and different types of art were reported on, but they also showed that there was marginalization of topics related to cultural policy.
DIFFERENCES IN MUSIC PREFERENCES BETWEEN MUSICIANS AND NON-MUSICIANS
Authors: Jovančević Ana , Milićević Nebojša , Zdravić-Mihailović Danijela
Published: July 2020

The aim of this research was to check potential differences in music preferences between musicians and non-musicians. Music preferences were evinced by a short test on the topic (STOMP-R: Rentfrow & Gosling 2003), of the four types of music: Reflexive and Complex, Intense and Rebellious, Upbeat and Conventional, Energetic and Rhythmic. A sample of 209 students from the University of Niš (M=75; F=134), 112 non-musicians and 97 of musicians, were asked to give their opinion. The results of the t-test showed that there are differences between musicians and non-musicians as far as the preferences for one type of music or another is concerned. Statistically significant differences were found for the Reflexive and Complex music (p=.000), as well as for the Upbeat and Conventional music (p=.001). All statistically significant differences were in favor of the musicians. These results show that musicians prefer Reflexive and Complex as well as Upbeat and Conventional music, while differences don’t exist for the remaining two types of music. On the other hand, when it comes to differences in the preference for Upbeat and Conventional music, they can be attributed only to female subsample, so only female musicians differ from female non-musicians when it comes to preference for this type of music (p=.001), while male musicians don’t differ from male non-musicians, on the preference for thins genre (p=.213).
Números naturales: distintas metodologías que convergen en el análisis de su naturaleza y de cómo los entendemos
Authors: Vivanco Melisa
Published: July 2020

José Ferreirós y Abel Lasalle Casanave (coordinadores), El árbol de los números: cognición, lógica y práctica matemática, Editorial Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, 2015, 256 pp.
Mentes en cuerpos de afecto: nota crítica sobre Ecology of the Brain, de Thomas Fuchs
Authors: Mojica Laura
Published: July 2020

Thomas Fuchs, Ecology of the Brain, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2018, 336 pp.
CARICOM y la protección social de los trabajadores migrantes regionales
Authors: Mendizábal Bermúdez Gabriela
Published: July 2020

El presente artículo tiene como principal objetivo analizar la incidencia que tiene la CARICOM en el cumplimiento de los derechos sociales a través de las medidas de protección social que ofrece a la población migrante de los países miembros de este organismo internacional. Este análisis se desarrolló mediante el uso de los métodos deductivo y analítico; en el entendido de que, en primer lugar, se analiza de manera general la estructura y funcionamiento de la CARICOM, el marco contextual del Caribe, y el marco jurídico de esa organización regional en el campo de la protección social de los trabajadores migrantes desde el análisis específico de los derechos sociales, como la educación, la salud, el trabajo, la vivienda y la protección de los medios de subsistencia. Por último, se presentan —a manera de conclusión— los principales retos en la materia, además de las fuentes de investigación respectivas.