bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical and magnetic resonance imaging features, and pathological findings of spinal lymphoma in 27 cats
Authors: Lorenzo Valentina , Ribeiro João , Bernardini Marco , Mínguez Juan J. , Moral Meritxell , Blanco Carlos , Loncarica Tina , Gamito Araceli , Pumarola Martí
Published: October 2022

This multicentric retrospective study describes the clinical and MRI features and pathological studies of spinal lymphoma in 27 cats. MRI characteristics and their possible correlations with histopathological findings were studied. The most frequent neurological signs were rapidly progressive paraparesis (62.9%) or paraplegia (22.2%). Bimodal age distribution was found with 40.7% of cats aged ≤2.5 years (63.6% of them FeLV positive), and 44.4% of cats aged ≥8 years (16.7% of them FeLV positive). Spinal lymphoma was generally presented on MRI as an ill-defined epidural focal lesion with moderate to severe spinal cord compression, expanding more than one vertebral body. MRI lesions were typically localized in the lumbar vertebral segment (p= 0.01), circumferential to the spinal cord (p= 0.04), hyperintense on T2-weighted sequences (p= 4.3e-06), and isointense on T1-weighted sequences (p= 8.9e-07). The degree and pattern of contrast enhancement were variable. Other morphological patterns included paravertebral masses with extension into the vertebral canal and lesions centered in the spinal nerve roots. Involvement of vertebrae and adjacent spinal soft tissues was present in 74% of cases when present vertebral involvement was characterized by cortical sparing. When follow-up MRI studies (n= 4) were performed after treatment new lesions of similar nature but different localizations and extension were observed. Confirmation of spinal lymphoma was performed by CSF analysis in 4/27 (14.8%) of cases, by FNA in 6/27 (22.2%) of cases, by surgical biopsy in 10/27 (37%) of cases, by FNA and surgical biopsy in 1/27 (3.7%) of cases, by CSF, FNA, surgical biopsy and postmorten examination in 1/27 (3.7%) of cases, and postmorten studies in 5/27 (18.5%) of cases. Antemortem diagnosis was achieved in 22/27 (81.5%) cats. The presence of necrosis in histopathological studies as an unfavorable prognostic indicator of survival was significantly more probable when lesions were not hyperintense on T2-weighted sequences (p= 0.017). Spinal lymphoma in cats is a complex entity with heterogeneous imaging and histopathological appearance. However, certain MRI features may support a tentative diagnosis, which in a group of cases can be confirmed when combined with the CSF findings. For the rest of the cases, tissue sampling assisted by imaging findings remains necessary for definitive diagnosis.
The Multi-Hot Representation-Based Language Model to Maintain Morpheme Units
Authors: Lee Ju-Sang , Shin Joon-Choul , Ock Choel-Young
Published: October 2022

Natural language models brought rapid developments to Natural Language Processing (NLP) performance following the emergence of large-scale deep learning models. Language models have previously used token units to represent natural language while reducing the proportion of unknown tokens. However, tokenization in language models raises language-specific issues. One of the key issues is that separating words by morphemes may cause distortion to the original meaning; also, it can prove challenging to apply the information surrounding a word, such as its semantic network. We propose a multi-hot representation language model to maintain Korean morpheme units. This method represents a single morpheme as a group of syllable-based tokens for cases where no matching tokens exist. This model has demonstrated similar performance to existing models in various natural language processing applications. The proposed model retains the minimum unit of meaning by maintaining the morpheme units and can easily accommodate the extension of semantic information.
ATP128 Clinical Therapeutic Cancer Vaccine Activates NF-κB and IRF3 Pathways through TLR4 and TLR2 in Human Monocytes and Dendritic Cells
Authors: Pascolutti Roberta , Yeturu Lakshmi , Philippin Géraldine , Costa Borges Stéphane , Dejob Magali , Santiago-Raber Marie-Laure , Derouazi Madiha
Published: October 2022

The use of cancer vaccines is a promising therapeutic strategy able to stimulate anti-tumor immunity by inducing both humoral and cellular immunity. In this study, antigen presenting cells play a key role by inducing a strong activation of the T cell-mediated adaptive immune response, essential for the anti-tumor potential of cancer vaccines. The first human candidate vaccine created from the KISIMA platform, ATP128, bears three tumor-associated antigens highly expressed in colorectal cancer tissues. At the N-terminus, the cell-penetrating peptide allows the antigen delivery inside the cell and, together with the TLR agonist-derived peptide at the C-terminus, ensures the activation of the monocyte-derived dendritic cells. Here, we show that ATP128 leads to both NF-κB and IRF3 pathway activation, with subsequent pro-inflammatory cytokines and type I Interferon release, as well as an increase in the expression of costimulatory molecules, alongside an upregulation of MHC class I molecules. This cellular immune response involves TLR2 and TLR4, for both membrane and intracellular signaling. We demonstrated an endocytic component in ATP128’s activity by combining the use of a variant of ATP128 lacking the cell-penetrating peptide with endocytosis inhibitors. Importantly, this internalization step is detemined essential for the activation of the IRF3 pathway. This study validates the design of the self-adjuvanting ATP128 vaccine for cancer immunotherapy.
Tribological Characteristics of High-Chromium Based Multi-Component White Cast Irons
Authors: Purba Riki Hendra , Shimizu Kazumichi , Kusumoto Kenta , Gaqi Yila , Huq Mohammad Jobayer
Published: October 2022

It has been evaluated the relationship between the microstructure and three-body abrasive wear behavior of high-chromium (18 and 27 mass % Cr) based (3 mass % each of V, Mo, W, and Co) multicomponent white cast iron materials (high-Cr MWCIs). It was also compared to MWCI to determine the service life of the materials. The results indicate that the microstructure of the material is composed of mainly martensite matrix and different types of precipitated carbides. The wear resistances of both the high-Cr MWCIs are higher than MWCI owing to the higher hardness (4–18% increment in hardness), although they contain fewer carbide types. The carbide volume fraction of high-Cr MWCI increases with increase in the Cr content, but the hardness decreases, leading to a reduction in wear resistance. This is because the transition metal significantly consumes C atoms to form more eutectic carbides during solidification, which is exacerbated by the depletion of C in the matrix during heat treatment to form coarser secondary carbides. This means that increasing the addition of Cr does not always lead to an increase in the hardness or wear resistance of the material. In addition, the wear resistance of 27Cr MWCI after tempering (wear rate: 8.80 × 10−5 g/m) is higher than that after quenching (wear rate: 9.25 × 10−5 g/m) owing to the increase in the fracture toughness of M7C3 carbide. This is contrary to the case of 18Cr-MWCI; the wear resistance after tempering (wear rate: 5.29 × 10−5 g/m) is worse than that after quenching (wear rate: 5.11 × 10−5 g/m) owing to the reduction in hardness as a stress-relieving effect.
Predictive Energy Management Strategy for Range-Extended Electric Vehicles Based on ITS Information and Start–Stop Optimization with Vehicle Velocity Forecast
Authors: Lin Weiyi , Zhao Han , Zhang Bingzhan , Wang Ye , Xiao Yan , Xu Kang , Zhao Rui
Published: October 2022

Range-extended Electric Vehicles (REVs) have become popular due to their lack of emissions while driving in urban areas, and the elimination of range anxiety when traveling long distances with a combustion engine as the power source. The fuel consumption performance of REVs depends greatly on the energy management strategy (EMS). This article proposes a practical energy management solution for REVs based on an Adaptive Equivalent Fuel Consumption Minimization Strategy (A-ECMS), wherein the equivalent factor is dynamically optimized by the battery’s State of Charge (SoC) and traffic information provided by Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). Furthermore, a penalty function is incorporated with the A-ECMS strategy to achieve the quasi-optimal start–stop control of the range extender. The penalty function is designed based on more precise vehicle velocity forecasting through a nonlinear autoregressive network with exogeneous input (NARX). A model of the studied REV is established in the AVL Cruise environment and the proposed energy management strategy is set up in Matlab/Simulink. Lastly, the performance of the proposed strategy is evaluated over multiple Worldwide Light-duty Test Cycles (WLTC) and real-world driving cycles through model simulation. The simulation conditions are preset such that the range extender must be switched on to finish the planned route. Compared with the basic Charge-Depleting and Charge-Sustaining (CD-CS) strategy, the proposed A-ECMS strategy achieves a fuel-consumption benefit of up to 9%. With the implementation of range extender start–stop optimization, which is based on velocity forecasting, the fuel saving rate can be further improved by 6.7% to 18.2% compared to the base A-ECMS. The proposed strategy is energy efficient, with a simple structure, and it is intended to be implemented on the studied vehicle, which will be available on the market at the end of October 2022.
Spatial Differentiation and Tradeoff–Synergy of Rural Multifunction at the County Scale in Anhui Province in the China’s Traditional Agricultural Areas
Authors: Zhang Rongtian
Published: October 2022

The study of rural multifunction interaction has ignored the spatial differentiation characteristics, so it is necessary to reveal in-depth the spatial interaction relationship of rural multifunction interaction on the basis of type division and pattern recognition at the county scale. Taking Anhui as a case study, based on the county scale, the paper constructed an index system of rural multifunction evaluation, and comprehensively applied the improved entropy method, spatial autocorrelation model, and Spearman correlation coefficient to study the temporal-spatial characteristics and tradeoff–synergy relationship of rural multifunction from 2000 to 2020. The results showed that (1) the overall rural production function at the county level in Anhui showed an upward trend, showing a spatial pattern of “low in the south and high in the north”. The rural life function was gradually weakened, showing the characteristics of gradual decline from suburban to exurb. The rural ecological function increased, showing a high value distribution in areas with rich mountains and hills or a dense water network. (2) The spatial concentration of HH (High-High) and LL (Low-Low) positive correlation types of rural production, life, and ecological function was significant during the study period. The negative correlation types of HL (High-Low) and LH (Low-High) had low spatial agglomeration and showed discrete distribution. (3) There was a spatial synergistic relationship between rural production and life function at the county scale in Anhui Province. The tradeoff–synergy relationship between rural production and ecological function and between rural life and ecological function showed a trend of synergistic–tradeoff fluctuation. The spatial difference of the rural multifunction tradeoff–synergy relationship was significant during the study period. (4) In the future, we should change the situation that the expansion of rural production function compresses rural life and ecological function, and promote rural life and ecological function to promote the benign and coordinated development of rural multifunction at the county scale in traditional agricultural areas.
Sn-0.7Cu-10Bi Solder Modification Strategy by Cr Addition
Authors: Han Pin , Lu Zhenpo , Zhang Xuping
Published: October 2022

The application of Sn-0.7Cu-based composite solder in electronic packaging is limited due to its high melting point, poor wettability and low mechanical properties. Herein, we propose a strategy of adding Bi and Cr to improve the solderability of Sn-0.7Cu lead-free solder. The results show that the addition of Bi reduces the melting point of the composite solder. Moreover, the Cr particles adsorb at the interface between solder and substrate, thereby reducing the wetting angle of the composite solder. The wetting angle reaches a minimum value of 25.84° when the content of Cr is 0.2 wt.%. The addition of Bi and Cr changes the microstructure of the composite solder. The nucleation rate of β-Sn rises with the increase of Cr content, thus decreasing the size of β-Sn. Furthermore, the addition of Bi and Cr reduces the thickness of the intermetallic compounds (IMCs). This is due to the adsorption of Bi and Cr at the interface of IMCs hinders the atomic diffusion channels and inhibits the growth of IMCs.
Hierarchical Porous and Three-Dimensional MXene/SiO2 Hybrid Aerogel through a Sol-Gel Approach for Lithium–Sulfur Batteries
Authors: Zhou Jianping , Pei Ziyuan , Sui Zhuyin , Liang Ying , Xu Xiufeng , Li Yongpeng , Li Yulin , Qiu Jingyi , Chen Qi
Published: October 2022

A unique porous material, namely, MXene/SiO2 hybrid aerogel, with a high surface area, was prepared via sol-gel and freeze-drying methods. The hierarchical porous hybrid aerogel possesses a three-dimensional integrated network structure of SiO2 cross-link with two-dimensional MXene; it is used not only as a scaffold to prepare sulfur-based cathode material, but also as an efficient functional separator to block the polysulfides shuttle. MXene/SiO2 hybrid aerogel as sulfur carrier exhibits good electrochemical performance, such as high discharge capacities (1007 mAh g–1 at 0.1 C) and stable cycling performance (823 mA h g–1 over 200 cycles at 0.5 C). Furthermore, the battery assembled with hybrid aerogel-modified separator remains at 623 mA h g–1 over 200 cycles at 0.5 C based on the conductive porous framework and abundant functional groups in hybrid aerogel. This work might provide further impetus to explore other applications of MXene-based composite aerogel.
Low-Temperature Oxidation of Heavy Oil Asphaltene with and without Catalyst
Authors: Yang Haiyang , Yang Huiyu , Yan Xuemin
Published: October 2022

In this study, the asphaltene extracted from Luntai heavy oil was oxidized by a mixture of propionic anhydride and hydrogen peroxide without and with a catalyst. Elemental analysis and infrared spectroscopy results indicated the occurrence of oxygen addition, condensation, and side chain cleavage reactions in the oxidation process. Oxidation products were divided into methanol solubles and methanol insolubles. The H/C and O/C atomic ratios of the MeOHS in the oxidation products without a catalyst were higher than those of the Luntai asphaltene. MeOHS had fewer aromatic rings than Luntai asphaltene. Compared with the oxidative reaction without a catalyst, the total mass of oxidation products and the proportion of MeOHS in oxidation products both increased after catalytic oxidation. This low-temperature oxidation technology can be used to upgrade asphaltenes, and thus can promote the exploitation and processing of heavy oil.
Honey-Propolis-Engineered Collagen Peptides as Promising Wound-Healing Matrix in Mouse Model
Authors: Ibrahim Hairul-Islam Mohamed , Thangavelu Muthukumar , Khalifa Ashraf
Published: October 2022

In this study, collagen hydrolysates (CHDs) were fabricated with honey-propolis wax (HPW), structurally modified as a sponge matrix, and experimentalized on wound healing in a mouse model. The scaffold was characterized by means of in vitro enzymatic degradation; in vitro HPW release; and in vivo wound-healing mouse model, wound-healing-specific RNA, transcripts, and protein markers. The functional activity of the HPW extracted from raw propolis was determined using total flavonoids, antioxidant scavenging assays, and anti-hemolytic principles. The results indicated that HPW had a high flavonoid content (20 μg/mL of wax) and antioxidant activities. The effective concentration (EC50) of HPW was estimated (28 mg/mL) and was then used in the subsequent in vivo experiments. Additionally, the dopped mixture of CHDs and HPW substantially enhanced the wound-healing process and regulated wound biochemical markers such as hexoseamine and melondialdehyde. CHDs- HPW upregulated the expression of growth factors including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) (2.3-fold), fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) (1.7-fold), and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) (3.1-fold), indicating their potential capacity to perform wound re-epithelialization and the loading of ground tissue. Pro-inflammatory markers IL-1 β (51 pg/mL) and TNF-α (220 pg/mL) were significantly reduced in the CHD-HPW-treated wound. These interesting results were further confirmed using mRNA and protein growth factors from the wound, which enhanced the load of collagen-I in the wound site. In conclusion, CHDs-HPW exhibited a significant reduction in inflammation and inflammatory markers and helped to obtain a faster wound-healing process in a mouse model. The newly engineered biosponge could be developed as a promising therapeutic approach for the regeneration and repair of damaged human skin in the future.
Anticholinesterase Activity of Selected Medicinal Plants from Navarra Region of Spain and a Detailed Phytochemical Investigation of Origanum vulgare L. ssp. vulgare
Authors: de Torre María Pilar , Cavero Rita Yolanda , Calvo María Isabel
Published: October 2022

Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive memory loss and cognitive impairment due to a severe loss of cholinergic neurons in specific brain areas. It is the most common type of dementia in the aging population. Although many anti-acetylcholinesterase (AChE) drugs are already available on the market, their performance sometimes yields unexpected results. For this reason, research works are ongoing to find potential anti-AChE agents both from natural and synthetic sources. In this study, 90 extracts from 30 native and naturalized medicinal plants are tested by TLC and Ellman’s colorimetric assay at 250, 125 and 62.5 μg/mL in order to determine the inhibitory effect on AChE. In total, 21 out of 90 extracts show high anti-AChE activity (75–100% inhibition) in a dose-dependent manner. Among them, ethanolic extract from aerial parts of O. vulgare ssp. vulgare shows an IC50 value 7.7 times lower than galantamine. This research also establishes the chemical profile of oregano extract by TLC, HPLC-DAD and LC-MS, and twenty-three compounds are identified and quantified. Dihydroxycinnamic acids and flavonoids are the most abundant ones (56.90 and 25.94%, respectively). Finally, total phenolic compounds and antioxidant properties are quantified by colorimetric methods. The total phenolic content is 207.64 ± 0.69 µg/mg of extract. The antioxidant activity is measured against two radicals, DPPH and ABTS. In both assays, the oregano extract shows high activity. The Pearson correlation matrix shows the relationship between syringic acids, a type of dihydroxybenzoic acid, and anti-AChE (r2 = −0.9864) and antioxidant activity (r2 = 0.9409 and 0.9976). In conclusion, the results of this study demonstrate promising potential new uses of these medicinal herbs for the treatment of Alzheimer’s. Origanum vulgare ssp. vulgare and syringic acids, which have anti-AChE activity and beneficial antioxidant capacity, can be highlighted as potential candidates for the development of drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and other diseases characterized by a cholinergic deficit.
Effect of Oily Aerosol Charge Characteristics on the Filtration Efficiency of an Electrostatically Enhanced Fibrous Filter System
Authors: Yu Yi , Pan Di , Kang Kai , Bai Shu-Pei , Han Hao , Song Hua , Kang Jian
Published: October 2022

The synergistic effect of electrostatically enhanced fibrous filtration originates from the charging characteristics of aerosol particles and electret fibers in an electric field. Two electrostatically enhanced fibrous filter systems are designed in this study to investigate the mechanism of the effects of the charging characteristics of oily aerosol on the filtration efficiency. We investigate the charging characteristics and their effects on the filtration efficiency of dioctyl-phthalate (DOP) aerosol particles of various sizes by setting different filter systems and electric field intensities. The experimental results show that the charge of DOP particles increases with the strength of the electric field, and the average charge increases with the particle size. The maximum charge of DOP particles reaches 4760 eC/P, and the filtration efficiency of the coupled system improves when DOP particles are amply charged. For 0.25 μm DOP particles as the most penetrating particle size, the system had good long-term stability, and the filtration efficiency is approximately 72% higher than that of the fiber acting alone. Meanwhile, the problem of oily aerosol deposition reducing the electret filtration efficiency is solved, providing a basis for long-term filtration and oily aerosol purification by electret fiber.
An Ising Model for Supercooled Liquids and the Glass Transition
Authors: Chamberlin Ralph V.
Published: October 2022

We describe the behavior of an Ising model with orthogonal dynamics, where changes in energy and changes in alignment never occur during the same Monte Carlo (MC) step. This orthogonal Ising model (OIM) allows conservation of energy and conservation of (angular) momentum to proceed independently, on their own preferred time scales. The OIM also includes a third type of MC step that makes or breaks the interaction between neighboring spins, facilitating an equilibrium distribution of bond energies. MC simulations of the OIM mimic more than twenty distinctive characteristics that are commonly found above and below the glass temperature, Tg. Examples include a specific heat that has hysteresis around Tg, out-of-phase (loss) response that exhibits primary (α) and secondary (β) peaks, super-Arrhenius T dependence for the α-response time (τα), and fragilities that increase with increasing system size (N). Mean-field theory for energy fluctuations in the OIM yields a critical temperature (Tc) and a novel expression for the super-Arrhenius divergence as T→Tc: ln(τα)~1/(1−Tc/T)2. Because this divergence is reminiscent of the Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann (VFT) law squared, we call it the “VFT2 law”. A modified Stickel plot, which linearizes the VFT2 law, shows that at high T where mean-field theory should apply, only the VFT2 law gives qualitatively consistent agreement with measurements of τα (from the literature) on five glass-forming liquids. Such agreement with the OIM suggests that several basic features govern supercooled liquids. The freezing of a liquid into a glass involves an underlying 2nd-order transition that is broadened by finite-size effects. The VFT2 law for τα comes from energy fluctuations that enhance the pathways through an entropy bottleneck, not activation over an energy barrier. Values of τα vary exponentially with inverse N, consistent with the distribution of relaxation times deduced from measurements of α response. System sizes found via the T dependence of τα from simulations and measurements are similar to sizes of independently relaxing regions (IRR) measured by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) for simple-molecule glass-forming liquids. The OIM elucidates the key ingredients needed to interpret the thermal and dynamic properties of amorphous materials, while providing a broad foundation for more-detailed models of liquid-glass behavior.
A High Grade Astrocytoma with Pilocytic Morphology in a 5-Month-Old American Bulldog
Authors: Muller Kelly , Kim Eunbee , Lebowitz Abbie , Daverio Heather
Published: October 2022

A 23-week-old female intact American Bulldog was presented for a two-week history of progressive circling to the right, twitching, and altered mentation. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a non-contrast enhancing hemorrhagic mass centered in the right thalamus with concurrent subdural and intraventricular hemorrhage. Post-mortem histologic examination of the brain confirmed a mass centered on the thalamus with histomorphologic features consistent with a high-grade astrocytoma with pilocytic morphology. To the authors’ knowledge, the present case is the first to report clinical and imaging characteristics of a high-grade astrocytoma with pilocytic morphology in a young dog.
Breakeven Analysis of Red Sea Bream Fingerling Production in Kagoshima, Japan
Authors: UNGSON JULITA R.
Published: October 2022

Operating and facilities costs for fingerling production were provided by the Kagoshima Pre­fecture Marine Ranching Association and the Kagoshima Prefecture Mariculture Center. Fifty cases were examined, assuming with and without depreciation in annual cost compu­tation. These cases were subjected to varying degrees of capital (opportunity cost) ranging from 0% to 8% of the present value of capital investment and to varying degrees of subsidy (0-100% of annual cost) to determine the corresponding effects on the breakeven price and production. The breakeven point depended mainly on the amount of capital and subsidy invested in the fingerling production activity. Allowing depreciation, the breakeven price and production varied from 0 to ¥74/piece and Oto 24 million fingerlings, respectively, while those without depreciation were 0 to ¥63/piece and 0 to 20 million, respectively. Even without allowing depreciation, the subsidy rate should be at least 25%.
Chilled Storage of Pikey Bream (Acanthopagrus berda) Sperm and Activation in Different Salinities
Authors: PALMER P. J.
Published: October 2022

Spermatozoa from the pikey bream, Acanthopagrus berda, were tested for motility in different salinities and short-term chilled storage with four diluents. Motility was most intense in salini­ties of 25, 30 and 35 °/00, and its duration was longest at > 15 °/00• Dilution of semen (1:4v/v) with blood plasma from the same species, marine teleost Ringer, a glucose solution (51.7 g/L H2O) and an egg yolk/sodium citrate solution each increased chilled storage life. Sperm in the egg yolk diluent maintained good motility for 13 days, whereas the blood plasma, Ringer and glucose media maintained it for 8 days, compared with only 5 days for undiluted semen.
Antimicrobial Susceptibilities and Detection of Transferable R-Plasmids from Aeromonas hydrophila in Thailand
Authors: SAITANU K.
Published: October 2022

Sixty eight strains or Aeromonas hydrophila isolated in Thailand from cultured fishes, hu­mans, water of fishponds, and soft-shell turtles were tested for their susceptibility to 19 antimicrobial agents. All strains had intrinsic resistance to ampicillin. Fourteen strains were found to be susceptible to all drugs used except ampicillin, while the remaining54 strains were resistant to either cephazoline, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, tetracycline, sulfamonomethoxine, trimethoprim or furazolidone. The antibacterial activity of the pyridone carboxylic acids (new quinolones) was highest against all strains. Strains carrying plasmids encoded with resistance to tetracycline were detected in 9 or 54 resistant strains all or which were isolated from cultured snakehead (Ophicephalus striatus). The R-plasmids encoding resistance to chloramphenicol, tetra­cycline and sulfamonomethoxine were predominant. One strain encoded only for resistance to tetracycline.
A Cage Culture Trial of Siganus randalli on Guam
Authors: BROWN JOHN W.
Published: October 2022

Rabbitfish (Siganidae) are a highly valued food fish in Micronesia and the Indo-western Pacific in general. This paper presents the first known cage culture growth trial of Siganus randalli, a newly described species. The fish grew in average weight from 13.6 to 121.7 gm 112 days at densities ranging from 25 to 50 fish per m3
Evolution of Trophic Relationships in Ubolratana Reservoir (Thailand) as Described Using a Multispecies Trophic Model
Authors: CHOOKAJORN T.
Published: October 2022

A multispecies trophic model called ECOPATH 11, which can be used to describe trophic relationships in aquatic ecosystems on a quantitative basis, is briefly analyzed. When properly used, it can help explain the trophic relationships in ecosystems and the evolution of fish stocks several years after impoundment. An example is provided on an Asian man-made lake, Ubolratana reservoir (Thailand). It can be compared to African man-made lakes where similar conditions have been documented.
Feeding Ecology of the Grey Mullet, Rhinomugil corsula (Hamilton) from the River Yamuna, North India
Authors: KHAN ASIF A. , FATIMA MASROOR
Published: October 2022

Qualitative and quantitative analyses of the gut content of the grey mullet Rhinomugil corsula (Hamilton) from the River Yamuna, North India, were made. Anatomical modifications in the gut, the presence of a high percentage of decayed organic matter, mud, detritus, benthic or­ganisms, algae and zooplankton indicate that the species is illiophagous and omnivorous in its feeding habits. Feeding intensity was maximal in winter and declined towards the monsoon. Sea­sonal variations in feeding intensity were determined by the percentage of empty guts.
Reduction in Chaetoceros Population Growth by Antimicrobials
Authors: SAHUL HAMEED A.S.
Published: October 2022

The effect of chloramphenicol and oxytetracycline on population growth of Chaetoceros was tested. These two antimicrobials had significant effects on the population growth of Chaetoceros.
Reinforcement Measures for Sustaining the Integration of Innovative Teaching and Learning Technologies in Selected Tanzanian Universities
Authors: Landa Elizabeth , Zhu Chang , Sesabo Jennifer , Almasi Mustapha
Published: October 2022

Whereas the integration of innovative technology in facilitating learning is crucial in higher education institutions (HEIs), its sustainability has been a challenge, especially in developing countries. This paper reports the findings of a qualitative study that explored academic leaders' views, perceptions, and experiences on sustainability strategies for the integration of innovative teaching and learning technologies (ITLTs). The paper contributes empirically to the educational discipline by developing a deeper understanding of specific strategies for the sustainability of the ITLTs integration in HIEs. Specifically, the study examined reinforcement measures related to rewards, culture, policies, and capacity building used by academic leaders for the integration of ITLTs in the selected Tanzanian universities. Secondly, the study looked into the perceived level of importance regarding attributes to effective integration of ITLTs in the respective universities. A semi-structured interview was used to collect data among 13 academic leaders from two public universities. Lewin’s change management model guided the study in theorising and analysis of the findings. Thematic-deductive analysis revealed that most participants favoured capacity-building strategy reinforcements. Meanwhile, implicit policies were reported to have a higher positive likelihood of enhancing the sustainability of effective integration of ITLTs. Concerning rewards, in-house training and recognition for what academics do were regarded as favourable strategies. Additionally, participants reported that the culture of offering directives and communication through online platforms has promoted the integration of ITLTs. Lastly, capacity building and policies were vital in enhancing the effective integration of ITLTs. There is a need to strengthen ITLTs policies development, rewards, and capacity-building strategies for more effective and sustainable integration of ITLTs. This further supports the cultural transformation of ITLTs usage among academics in universities.
Improving e-Learning Videos by Adding Sign Language Interpretation and Subtitles
Authors: Chan Pak-ka Parker , Chao Felix
Published: October 2022

As a professional academic supporting unit of the University, The Independent Learning Centre (ILC) at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has decided to provide additional support by adding sign language interpretation versions and subtitles to the existing self-learning videos. Such a project is pioneering in Hong Kong in addressing the needs of Special Education Needs (SEN) students. The project aims to benefit students with different levels of hearing impairment or other SEN as well as general students. While the revised videos will allow and encourage a wide range of students with different levels of learning difficulties to foster their independent learning skills, the added subtitles (Cantonese, Mandarin or English) can aid learning in terms of retention, comprehension, accuracy and engagement. Such benefit means general students are also expected to have their learning effectiveness increased by viewing these inclusive design videos. The whole project selected 98 videos from different self-designed online platforms, which would be over 10 hours in total. Once ready, the videos will be incorporated into the redesigned online platform and revised micro-modules accordingly. This paper aims to offer a first-handed and thorough perspective on the whole project in order to share the experience of supporting SEN and general students by making eLearning more accessible. When we are carrying out the project, we hope we can further benefit academia by sharing our successful experience. We believe the aims of the project can be further extended by sharing our experience with our academic peers, that is, our partners.
Lessons Learnt From The Home Office: An Autoethnographic Case Study
Authors: Mozelius Peter
Published: October 2022

The Corona pandemic has certainly acted as a catalyst for technology enabled and technology enhanced learning. In this paper technology enabled learning is defined as learning activities that are supported and made possible by technology, while technology enhanced learning refers to learning activities where technology has improved the quality. To what degree, and how teaching and learning activities and meetings have been transformed depends on the actual educational orchestration before the pandemic. This case story is based on experiences from courses and collaborations at a department of computer and system science. The question that guided this study was: "What are the lessons learnt from online activities at the home office during the pandemic?". This study was carried out as an autoethnographic case study with five case units: 1) A programming course 2) A course for Bachelor's thesis writing, 3) A course for system development by internship, and 4) Staff meetings and 5) Research collaborations. Results indicate that at a department where technology enabled blended synchronous learning was the standard mode already before the pandemic, the forced changes have not been that drastic. However, the course with internship and workplace learning has really suffered. The course where students have their Bachelor's thesis supervision has been much alike, while the other units show improvements that could be classified as technology enhancement. Ensemble programming online has worked very well, staff meetings have been more focused than in face-to-face mode, and the research collaborations have been efficient and with a high number of publications. Research methods seems to have changed with more literature reviews, more of email interviews and more of focus group interviews in video conference systems. The part of research that has suffered is the one with conferences, and as an example, networking at a virtual conference has been rather poor. Finally, many home offices seem to survive the pandemic due to the high and high-quality delivery from home, with the known risk of distance workers becoming workaholics.
Comparing Student high and low Reading Performance with Differentiated Digital Reading Materials
Authors: Paleczek Lisa , Ender Daniela , Kogler Andrea , Seifert Susanne
Published: October 2022

The present study investigates eight Grade-4 classes (9- to 12-year-olds, 52.1% girls) who worked on at least 10 lessons using project RegioDiff material. The study focuses on one of these lessons (including nine text passages and corresponding tasks) and on students with low (19 students, percentile <15) and high reading skills (29 students, percentile > 70). While students were working with the material, screencasts were recorded (30h). The construct “task performance” (processing time, response accuracy, and task engagement) was then analysed using the screencasts.

The analysis revealed that the two groups differed significantly in the processing time of two tasks, but not in the total time spent on all nine tasks. Significant differences were revealed also for general task engagement. Task engagement was highly correlated with processing time. Participants with higher reading skills spent more time on the tasks and were more engaged than participants with lower reading skills. However, we did not find any differences in terms of answer accuracy. This indicates that task difficulty and student reading skills were well matched.

The study also shows how tasks may be adapted or augmented in order to match the learning environment more closely to student learning needs.
Relationship Between Computer Gambling and Academic Performance of High School Students
Authors: Javorcik Tomas , Durian Cenek
Published: October 2022

While some sources say that playing video games has potential benefits whether in medicine or science, other sources take a different view and say that it can have various negative impacts. Video games are becoming more attractive thanks to their social, intellectual and emotional possibilities compared to television, movies or radio.

The issue of gaming is increasingly discussed today mainly due to the large number of available platforms on which to play. Games are becoming more and more realistic both in terms of graphics and artificial intelligence. It is relatively difficult to avoid the influence of games with ever-improving mobile games or games on social networks. Playing games is no longer a home affair but it has become ubiquitous. All of these aspects can have a negative impact on pupils’ welfare across all age groups and may pose a risk of possible addiction.

The aim of this paper is to describe the impact of computer gambling on school performance. The subject of this study was a group of 138 high school students studying to be computer science teachers. In addition, the authors also examined the latest gaming trends of the current generation of high school students and possible manifestations of addiction to playing video games in this group of individuals. The research was carried out using a questionnaire survey, projective methods (word association experiment and incomplete sentence test) and analysis of school documents. The aim of the questionnaire survey was to determine the player preferences of the examined individuals and their subjective perception of their own playing of games. Projective methods were used to determine the affective responses of individuals to stimuli related to playing games. School documentation was a source of records of a particular student.

The study’s findings suggest a potential relationship between playing video games and academic performance of the individuals and the obvious signs of addiction in some of the individuals involved.
Designing a curriculum for digital competencies towards teaching and learning
Authors: Fessl Angela , Maitz Katharina , Paleczek Lisa , Köhler Thomas , Irnleitner Selina , Divitini Monica
Published: October 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic initiated a fundamental change in learning and teaching in (higher-) education [HE]. On short notice, traditional teaching in HE suddenly had to be transformed into online teaching. This shift into the digital world posed a great challenge to in-service teachers at schools and universities, and pre-service teachers, as the acquisition of digital competences was no longer an option but a real necessity. The previously rather hidden or even neglected importance of teachers’ digital competences for successful teaching and learning became manifest and clearly visible. 

In this work, we investigate necessary digital competences to ensure high quality teaching and learning in and beyond the current COVID-19 pandemic. Based upon the European DigComp 2.1 (Carretero et al., 2017), DigCompEdu (Redecker, 2017) frameworks, the Austrian Digi.kompP framework (Virtuelle PH, 2021), and the recommendations given by German Education authorities (KMK 2017; KMK 2021; HRK 2022), we developed a curriculum consisting of 5 modules: 2 for individual digital media competence, and 3 for media didactic competence. For each module, competence-oriented learning goals and corresponding micro-learning contents were defined to meet the needs of teachers while considering their time constraints.

Based on three online workshops, the curriculum and the corresponding learning goals were discussed with university teachers, pre-service teachers, and policymakers. The content of the curriculum was perceived as highly relevant for these target groups; however, some adaptations were required. From the university teachers’ perspective, we got feedback that they were overwhelmed with the situation and urgently needed digital competences. Policymakers suggested that further education regarding digital competences needs to offer a systematic exchange of experiences with peers. From the perspective of in-service teachers, it was stated that teacher education should focus more on digital competences and tools.

In this paper, we will present the result of the workshop series that informed the design process of the DIGIVID curriculum for teaching professionals.
Analysis of Approaches to the use of ICT in the Teaching of Mathematics
Authors: Jancarikova Katerina , Jancarik Antonin , Havelkova Veronika
Published: October 2022

Information and communication technologies (ICT) play an increasingly important role in learning and teaching. The way they are used in specific lessons is influenced by a number of factors, one of the most important of which is the teacher's beliefs about the use of ICT in education. The way teachers think about modern technologies is very important and greatly influences how they use ICT in their teaching. Our paper presents a partial output of research focusing on the influence of teachers' beliefs on the use of ICT in teaching.

Within the presented research, lessons of several mathematics teachers were recorded longitudinally. The recordings from classes were subsequently coded by a team of researchers and analysed in detail on the basis of Grounded theory. Several different aspects of teaching were observed in the analysis:

Forms of instruction, Teacher-pupil communication, Pupil activities at the blackboard, Pupil activity on PC or laptop, ICT involvement, Teacher activities, Phenomena in teaching using ICT, Used programs and applications and Testing. The results of this analysis were then compared with how teachers think about the use of ICT and how they characterize their own use of ICT in teaching.

Even though all the monitored teachers characterized themselves as experienced users of ICT, the way they used technologies in their teaching was very different and often differed greatly from the positions they declared. As part of the paper, we present a comparison of the teaching styles of individual teachers and a comparison of their beliefs and proclamations with the reality that was observed in the lessons. Attention will also be paid to the impact of the actual use of ICT on the overall course of the lesson and the activity of the pupils. The results of the research show that the way in which the teacher's beliefs affect teaching is really crucial.
Machine Assessment of Student Discussion-Board Formal-Style Debates
Authors: Glass Michael , Cooper Alexis , Kim Jung Hee
Published: October 2022

This paper explores machine identification of argumentative moves in asynchronous online student debates. Student debate is a technique for engaging with topics which have no clear answer. Online debates differ from less-structured discussion-board class discussions in that students are restricted to formal debating moves such as advancing a new argument, providing evidence, or rebutting an argument. They are also assigned to debate a particular side. This research explores whether the different argumentative skills in student debate can be distinguished from each other by reading the texts of the students’ discussion. The data for this research are the postings from 20 week-long student debates, an assignment in an educational technology class. Utilizing exclusively the text the students wrote, machine classifiers were trained to recognize the argumentative role of a message. If machines can detect an average difference between these debate moves from the text of the debate, and if they can detect the side of the debate, then the students are likely exercising different argumentative skills. The experiment shows it is possible to identify the skills which make debating different than free-form discussion with accuracy significantly better than chance.
The Global Case Study Challenge: A Virtual Exchange Developing Global Work Competencies
Authors: Knappitsch Eithne , Buko Svetlana , Zinenko Anna , Covarrubias Venegas Barbara
Published: October 2022

The Global Case Study Challenge (GCSC) is a virtual exchange program designed for Bachelor and Master level students from interdisciplinary programs. The program focuses on the development of key Global Work (GloW) competencies, defined as: intercultural, digital communication and sustainability competencies. This paper discusses how the GCSC, as a new virtual model of teaching and learning, in a real-world context, supports the development of future-oriented work competencies. These competencies are crucial for effective global virtual teamwork and New Work scenarios in remote contexts. To date, 1450 students and 50 educators from 30 universities across 20 different countries have worked together in some 380 Global Virtual Teams on real-life business cases. 

The learning design of this virtual exchange project is rooted in the knowledge that future-oriented global work competencies such as intercultural competence, digital communication competence and sustainability competence can only be developed through transformative learner-centred experiential learning. In the 2021 iteration of the GCSC, over the 8-weeks of the program, 86 groups of interdisciplinary Global Virtual Teams (GVTs) worked together: Establishing team-building dynamics while working in self-directed GVTs of 5-7 students, reflecting on (corporate) sustainability, collaborating on real-life business cases, and presenting their solutions and recommendations to a major global corporate partner at a virtual conference. The impact of the program on students’ competency development was measured using a longitudinal study design. The intercultural, digital communication, and sustainability competencies of the participants were measured pre-exchange (n=263) and post-exchange (n=274). The findings demonstrate a consistent increase of competencies over time among the program participants in almost all categories (knowledge, skills, attitudes), providing clear evidence of the overall positive impact of the GCSC on participants' competency development over the two-month program. Ultimately, the GCSC contributes towards students becoming highly effective members and leaders of high-performing Global Virtual Teams.