bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sodium reduction in New Zealand requires major behaviour change
Authors: Lofthouse C , Te Morenga Lisa , McLean R
Published: August 2020

© 2016 Elsevier Ltd This pilot study examined the feasibility of adherence to a low sodium diet in a sample of healthy New Zealand adults. It also addressed whether following a low sodium diet was accompanied by changes in intakes of other nutrients that influence cardiovascular risk. Eleven healthy adults provided dietary intake data and a 24-hour urine collection at baseline and follow-up. They then received nutritional counselling based on the World Health Organization recommendation for sodium intake (<2000 mg/day) and received ongoing nutritional support while undertaking a low sodium diet for four weeks. At the end of the four-week period, participants completed a semi-structured interview that elicited participants’ opinions on barriers and facilitators to following a low sodium diet and explored changes in participants’ dietary habits and behaviours. Thematic analysis revealed that adherence to a low sodium diet required substantial changes to participants’ usual food purchasing and preparation habits. Participants reported that lack of control over the sodium content of meals eaten away from the home, the complex and time-consuming nature of interpreting nutrition information labels, and difficulty identifying suitable snacks were barriers to adherence. Detailed meal planning and cooking from scratch, using flavour replacements, reading food labels to identify low sodium foods, receiving support from other people and receiving tailored nutrition advice were facilitators. Mean sodium intake reduced over the period, accompanied by a decrease in mean intake of total fat. These factors suggest that sodium reduction in New Zealand adults was feasible. However, considerable changes to eating behaviours were required.
The role of high-protein diets in body weight management and health
Authors: Te Morenga Lisa , Mann J
Published: August 2020

Studies examining the health benefits of high-protein diets typical of most affluent and many developing countries are not consistent. Prospective epidemiological studies relating dietary protein to clinical and metabolic endpoints suggest increased weight gain and increased risk of diabetes amongst those with a high protein intake and an increased risk of cancer with high intakes of red meat, but lower blood pressure and possibly a reduced risk of heart disease with higher protein intakes. The potential for high-protein diets to confer greater benefit than other diets has been examined using ad libitum and energy restricted diets. Of greatest interest have been the comparisons between high-protein and high-carbohydrate diets. Many trials have reported greater weight loss especially in the context of ad libitum diets over the short-to medium-term, sparing of lean body mass, lowering of triglyceride levels, improved HDL: total cholesterol ratio and improved glycaemic control. Limited data regarding insulin sensitivity are less consistent. A major difficulty in interpreting the results of these studies is that carbohydrate quality has not been taken into account. Furthermore, longer term comparisons of weight reducing diets differing in macronutrient composition have reported similar outcomes, suggesting that compliance is a more important consideration. Nevertheless dietary patterns with high-protein intakes are appropriate for weight reduction and weight maintenance and may be useful for those who have high triglyceride levels and other features of the metabolic syndrome. © 2012 The Authors.
George Shackle’ın İktisadi Analize Katkısı: Kaleidik Gerçeklik ve Epistemolojik Temelleri
Authors: SOYLU Fatma Esra
Published: August 2020

George L.S. Shackle, ana akım iktisadın, düzenli ve dengeye eğilimli dünya tasavvuruna, gerçek dünyayı yansıtmadığı gerekçesiyle karşı çıkan bir iktisatçıdır. Avusturya İktisat Okulu’ndan Friedrich August von Hayek’in öğrencisi olarak çalışırken John Maynard Keynes’in fikirleriyle özellikle belirsizlik analiziyle tanıştıktan sonra, denge fikrinin, gerçek dünyayla uyumsuz olduğuna kanaat getirerek, yeni bir gerçeklik kavramsallaştırması yapmıştır. Gerçeklik, tıpkı bir kaleydoskoptaki görüntüler ve desenler gibidir. Başka bir deyişle, gerçeklik, belirsiz bir gelecekle karşı karşıya olan bireylerin hayal gücüyle şekillenen beklentileriyle şekillenmektedir. Tahmin edilebilir bir düzenin ve dengenin yokluğu ile tanımlanan “gerçek” dünyanın en belirgin özelliği ise, bu gerçekliği oluşturan bireylerin bilgisizliğidir. Shackle, iktisadi sistemlerdeki istikrarsızlığın sebebini, gerçekliğin doğasındaki belirsizlik olarak kavramsallaştırmasıyla ontolojik bir yaklaşıma sahipmiş gibi görünmektedir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, Shackle’ın, kaleidik gerçeklik yaklaşımını, bu yaklaşımı üzerine inşa ettiği zaman, belirsizlik, kararlar, beklentiler ve bunların iktisadi sistem üzerine etkileri aracılığıyla incelemektir. Kaleidik gerçeklik yaklaşımı, radikal bir yaklaşım olmasına rağmen, meseleyi zamansallık ve bilgi boyutunun dışına çıkaramaması bu radikal bakış açısının ortaya koyulmasına olanak vermemektedir. Çalışmada savunulan argüman ise bu analizin aslında epistemolojik bir yaklaşım olduğunu öne sürmektir. Ekonomik sistemlerde süreksizliğin ardında yatan nedenler geleceğin belirsizliği ve genel olarak zamansallığın yanı sıra bilginin sürekli değişen ve her zaman eksik olan doğası değildir; ekonomik sistemlerde süreksizliğin arkasında yatan nedenler sadece bu sistemlerin doğasında var olan özelliklerde bulunabilir.
Three infection clusters related with potential pre-symptomatic transmission of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Shanghai, China, January to February 2020
Authors: Gong Xiaohuan , Xiao Wenjia , Cui Yan , Wang Yuanping , Kong Dechuan , Mao Shenghua , Zheng Yaxu , Xiang Lunhui , Lu Lu , Jiang Chenyan , Yu Xiao , Zhu Yiyi , Fang Qiwen , Pan Hao , Wu Huanyu
Published: August 2020

We report three clusters related with potential pre-symptomatic transmission of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) between January and February 2020 in Shanghai, China. Investigators interviewed suspected COVID-19 cases to collect epidemiological information, including demographic characteristics, illness onset, hospital visits, close contacts, activities’ trajectories between 14 days before illness onset and isolation, and exposure histories. Respiratory specimens of suspected cases were collected and tested for SARS-CoV-2 by real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) assay. The interval between the onset of illness in the primary case and the last contact of the secondary case with the primary case in our report was 1 to 7 days. In Cluster 1 (five cases), illness onset in the five secondary cases was 2 to 5 days after the last contact with the primary case. In Cluster 2 (five cases) and Cluster 3 (four cases), the illness onset in secondary cases occurred prior to or on the same day as the onset in the primary cases. The study provides empirical evidence for transmission of COVID-19 during the incubation period and indicates that pre-symptomatic person-to-person transmission can occur following sufficient exposure to confirmed COVID-19 cases. The potential pre-symptomatic person-to-person transmission puts forward higher requirements for prevention and control measures.
VIEWSOF STUDENTS ON THE INCLUSION OF LEARNERS WITH DISABILITIES
Authors: Annie Penda , Moono Muvombo
Published: August 2020

This manuscript is about the study conducted in order to establish the views of students at Kwame Nkrumah University concerning the inclusion of learners with disabilities. Three objectives were administered, and these were to establish the views of students concerning the inclusion of learners with disabilities, to identify the benefits of inclusive education and to determine what should be done to promote inclusive education. The findings were that, there is positive treatment of learners with disabilities and that they are able to learn with others who are not disabled, they need modified curriculum and more resources, the environment is being modified bit by bit. It was also found that, some teaching methods being used are not suitable. Among the benefits realised from inclusive education which were established through the views of students were that, some learning materials are given to learners with disabilities, there is social and academic interaction between learners with and without disabilities, there is positive attitude towards learners with disabilities in inclusive setting, equality and the right to education are being realised. Concerning what has to be done to improve inclusive education students views were that there is need for awareness campaign about inclusive education, more learning materials are needed, modification of existing teaching methods and infrastructure is needed and positive language towards learners with disabilities is required. The semi-structured interview guide was administered when collecting data from fifteen respondents.
Turra-Kalangi: Traditional communication of Nimar region of Madhya Pradesh
Authors: Sharma Anuradha
Published: August 2020

In the Nimar region of Madhya Pradesh, the stage or theater activities like Hindi provinces are currently less. Where other provinces of India have theater identity and awareness in their respective languages, there is neither identity nor awareness in Hindi provinces. It seems that there is a continuous cultural decline in Hindi states. For this, terrible economic decline, unemployment and corruption as well as anomalous social conditions are responsible. Apart from this, excessive publicity of internet along with radio and television is also responsible.

मध्यप्रदेष के निमाड़ क्षेत्र में हिन्दी प्रांतों की तरह मंच अथवा रंगमंच की गतिविधियां वर्तमान में कम ही है। जहां भारत के अन्य प्रांतों में अपनी-अपनी भाषा में रंगमंच की पहचान एवं जागरूकता विद्यमान है वहां हिन्दी प्रांतों में न पहचान है न जागरूकता। ऐसा प्रतीत होता है कि हिन्दी प्रदेषों में लगातार सांस्कृतिक हृास हो रहा है। इसके लिये भयानक आर्थिक गिरावट, बेरोजगारी और भ्रष्टाचार के साथ-साथ विषम सामाजिक स्थितियां जिम्मेदार है। इसके अलावा रेडियो और टेलीविजन के साथ इन्टरनेट का अत्यधिक प्रचार भी जिम्मेदार है।
EMPLOYEE FREEDOM: TILL WHAT EXTENT?
Authors: Bouguila Sihem
Published: August 2020

In this study we aimed to assess the perceptions of employees regarding the different   autonomy initiatives undertaken by managers to satisfy their employees and let them be more motivated in order to reach the organizational goals effectively and efficiently. We employed an exploratory study through a survey questionnaire addressed to 50 employees working in top five companies in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Our main finding show that the level of the autonomy in the sample companies is perceived as to be at moderated level especially concerning the goals or the strategies of the work since the majority of our companies are operating in banking sector. Nonetheless it seems that the autonomy provides a sense of self-determination for these employees even when freedom leeway and choice are trivial or illusory. Furthermore, it is very interesting to reveal that autonomy is one of the essential elements in building true employee engagement.
MATHEMATICAL MODELING OF DIFFERENT DRYING METHODS OF DRIED OKRO SLICE
Authors: A. S. Olajire , T. Y. Tunde-Akintunde , G. O. Ogunlakin , J. A. Adeyanju
Published: August 2020

Drying is an essential process that is used in preserving okro sample. This study investigates the modelling of dried okro slice using different drying methods. Freshly harvested okro fruits were cut transversely into slices (0.5, 1.5 and 2.0 cm) and dried using three different drying methods; sun, solar and oven at 40, 45 and 50 ºC. Drying of okro occurred in the falling rate period. Newton, Pabis, and Page and Henderson models were used to describe the drying of okro. An appropriate model was selected based on highest R2, least values of X2, Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and Mean Biased Error (MBE). Page model described the drying behaviour of okro slice 0.5 cm satisfactorily having the highest R2 of 0.999 and lowest value of X2 (0.152 x10-8), RMSE (4.5 x10-6) and that of MBE (-3.089 x10-4).
The Comparison of Extracts (Ethanol And Aquos Solvents) Muntingia calabura Leaves on Total Phenol, Flavonid And Antioxidant (Ic50) Properties
Authors: Prayitno Sutrisno Adi , Rahim Andi Rahmad
Published: August 2020

Astract

Muntingia calabura plant is a plant in Indonesia that has a variety of functions. It is used as a herbal ingredient to treat certain diseases and also as an antibacterial as well as natural antioxidants. Because inside the leaves there are various bioactive compound that can be used for the sake of herbal making. The purpose of this study is to do early screening of Muntingia calabura leaf extract using ethanol and aquos solvent. The method used in extraction is maceration exaction. The phytochemical analysis performed are total phenols, total flavonoids and antioxidants (IC50). The results showed a total phenol in the ethanol extract was 361.22 mg of GAE/g total flavonoids was 42.46 mg QE/g and antioxidant activity (IC50) was 131.22 μg/mL. At the aquos extract, total phenol was 267.61 mg of GAE/g, total flavonoids was 16.22 mg QE/g and antioxidant activity (IC50) was 129.31 μg/mL. By seeing the total phenol and antioxidants in both the extract (ethanol and aquos), the Muntingia calabura leaves have the potential to be used as herbal ingredients and antimicrobial agents.
Socialization of Tofu Liquid Waste Management (Whey Tofu) Becomes Biogas as Alternative Energy Reserves in the Framework of Creating an Environmentally Friendly Industry
Authors: Mufarida Nely Ana , Setiawan Orisanto Darma
Published: August 2020

Arya Jaya is a trading business that is engaged in making tofu. UD. Arya Jaya began operations in 2003, by Mrs. Siti Aisyah. UD. Arya Jaya is in Bukkolan Village RT.01 RW.01 Paowan Village / Panarukan District Situbondo Regency East Java Province. To run this business, Mrs. Siti Aisyah was assisted by 12 workers.

        At UD. Arya Jaya, so far the tofu wastewater has never been used and treated but has been discharged into the river. As a result, various cases of environmental pollution that make a negative impact on public health occur a lot.

        Community service activities are also intended to train and foster communities around the tofu industry and tofu entrepreneurs so that they have knowledge about the utilization of tofu liquid waste and can improve skills around 75% to process tofu liquid waste into biogas in processing tofu liquid waste into biogas so it is expected With good management of the waste produced by the tofu making industry, it will add value to the product and be more environmentally friendly. In addition, the management of tofu wastewater in a waste to product manner can efficiently cost the costs, materials used, and energy to make new products from waste raw materials. Besides that, entrepreneurs know that they will no longer be difficult to deal with their waste.

        Based on the situation analysis above, the PKM Team together with UD. Arya Jaya seeks to overcome the problem referred to as "The Socialization of Tofu Liquid Waste Management (Whey Tofu) Becoming Biogas As an Alternative Energy Reserve in the Framework of Creating an Environmentally Friendly Industry". The activity that will be carried out has very good prospects and is expected to provide information about the processing of tofu industrial wastewater using anaerobic biodigester technology for biogas production. For tofu industry entrepreneurs, the processing of various wastes can be converted into biogas into added value. By paying attention to environmental problems caused by the disposal of potentially polluting waste, the existence of anaerobic biodigester technology can provide economic and ecological value while reducing the potential for disposal. In addition, it can reduce the effects of pollution resulting in the greenhouse effect.

        The final target and output are the publication of scientific articles in journals or proceedings in national community service seminars and newspaper article publications in national newspapers.
The possible involvement of interleukin-6 in congestive heart failure in a postmenopausal woman with uterine fibromatosis
Authors: Ohta M. , Keira N. , Yoshida S. , Yasuda R. , Tarumi Y. , Tsuchiya H. , Kikai M. , Nomura T. , Tatsumi T.
Published: August 2020

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) has been shown to contribute to the progression of myocardial damage and dysfunction in congestive heart failure. We report a case of a 53-year old woman with congestive heart failure that may have been caused by IL-6 secreting uterine leiomyoma. The woman developed progressive dyspnea, pleural effusion, and leg edema with a decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Imaging studies indicated uterine leiomyoma compressing the vena cava. Due to unresponsiveness to conventional medical treatment, she underwent a total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy to alleviate compression of the vena cava. After surgery, pleural effusion and leg edema completely resolved. Concomitant with the subsequent improvement of LVEF, a pre-operative serum IL-6 measurement of 36.2 pg/mL fell to 1.6 pg/mL postoperatively. Immunologically positive staining for IL-6 was demonstrated in the cytoplasm of most of the uterine leiomyoma cells. These findings suggest that IL-6 produced by leiomyoma cells may have been involved in the pathophysiological progression of heart failure and associated hemodynamic changes.
Dietary sesame diminishes bone mass and bone formation indices in ovariectomized rats
Authors: Tachibana R. , Matsushita H. , Minami A. , Morita N. , Shimizu S. , Kanazawa H. , Suzuki T. , Watanabe K. , Wakatsuki A.
Published: August 2020

Purpose: This animal experiment investigated how sesame seed (Sesamum indicum; SSI) extract affects bone metabolism in ovariectomized (Ovx) rats. Materials and methods: Female Wistar rats (12 weeks old) were randomly assigned to the Baseline control (BC), Sham, Ovx, and Ovx + SSI groups (n = 6-10). Animals in the BC group were sacrificed immediately. Rats in the other groups underwent sham surgery (Sham) or bilateral ovariectomy (Ovx and Ovx + SSI). Rats in the Ovx + SSI group were given custom diets, and BMD and bone histomorphometry were evaluated 13 weeks post-surgery. Results: The femur BMD in the Ovx + SSI group was lower than in the Ovx group, as were the measurements for bone formation rate and mineralizing surface. Conclusion: Administration of a methanol extract of sesame seeds decreased femur BMD in Ovx rats.
Serum NT-proBNP levels as a marker for cardiopulmonary function in preeclampsia
Authors: Kim H.M. , Choo Y.S. , Seong W.J.
Published: August 2020

Purpose: This study evaluated serum amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels and echocardiography to determine their efficacy as markers for predicting postpartum pulmonary edema in patients with severe preeclampsia. Methods: We evaluated the NT-proBNP levels and echocardiographic results of 124 preeclamptic women (gestation preeclampsia (GPE) group, n = 77; superimposed preeclampsia on underlying hypertension (SPE) group n = 47). Patients were also divided into postpartum pulmonary edema (PPE, n = 28) and non-pulmonary edema (NPE, n = 96) groups. NT-proBNP levels and echocardiographic parameters were compared between groups, and their correlations were also evaluated. Statistical analysis was carried out using variance analysis, and significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: The SPE group had significantly higher NT-proBNP levels than the GPE group. They were also more likely to have PPE, but this was not significant. Echocardiography showed no significant differences in the left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (LVEF) of the two groups, but a mild LV diastolic dysfunction was noted in the SPE group. The PPE group had significantly higher serum NT-proBNP levels and lower LVEF than the NPE group. There were no significant differences in the echocardiographic parameters of diastolic cardiac dysfunction in the two groups. The serum NT-proBNP levels were significantly negatively correlated with LVEF. Conclusions: PPE in patients with severe preeclampsia was associated with impaired cardiac function, especially LV systolic dysfunction. Serum NT-proBNP levels and echocardiography may be useful predictive markers for postpartum pulmonary edema in women with severe preeclampsia.
Proof of concept study of a novel bioadhesive clindamycin phosphate 2% vaginal gel to treat bacterial vaginosis
Authors: Dupre A. , Alur H.H. , Friend D.R.
Published: August 2020

The objective of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a novel single 2% clindamycin phosphate vaginal gel for the treatment of bacterial vaginosis (BV). The vaginal gel, a thermosetting bioadhesive formulation containing 2% clindamycin phosphate, was studied in a single center, single arm, open-label study. Patients (n = 30) were screened for BV using the four Amsel criteria (visit 1). A subset of ten women were also assessed using Nugent scores. Eligible patients were consented and provided a single dose of 2.0% clindamycin phosphate gel in a prefilled vaginal applicator (5-gram total dose). Patients returned to the clinic 7 to 14 days (visit 2) after dosing and again between 21 and 30 days (visit 3). Two subjects were excluded from cure rate calculations. Of the evaluable 28 patients, 24 (86%) were successfully treated (clinical cure) with a single dose of 2% clindamycin gel at visit 2. Of the ten patients evaluated for Nugent scoring, seven subjects were evaluable for bacteriologic cure. After a single dose of 2% clindamycin gel, four of seven (57%), and four of seven (57%) had a bacteriologic and therapeutic response, respectively. Of the 24 women who completed visit 2 and were cured based on Amsel criteria, 23 (96%) remained cured at visit 3. Of the subset of ten patients evaluated using Nugent scoring (bacteriologic evaluation), seven of nine (78%) had a score of 3 or less at visit 3. In this group, six of nine women were considered therapeutically cured (67%). There were no reports of adverse reactions, including local reactions to the vaginal gel product over the course of the study. These data support the expanded clinical evaluation of 2% clindamycin gel.
High fibrin/fibrinogen degradation product and D-dimer levels for the diagnosis of invasive group A streptococcal infections during pregnancy
Authors: Matsumoto N. , Mori Y.
Published: August 2020

Objective: Invasive group A streptococcal (GAS) infections during pregnancy are uncommon, and, thus, their early diagnosis remains challenging. The present study was performed to assess fibrin/fibrinogen degradation product (FDP) and D-dimer levels in pregnant women with invasive GAS infections and establish whether they contribute to a diagnosis. Materials and Methods: Laboratory data, including FDP and D-dimer levels, measured between fulmination and just before delivery in 46 cases, consisting of 45 previously published cases and the present case, were examined. Results: Fetal/neonatal and maternal mortality rates were 61 and 28%, respectively. Laboratory data obtained from 24 cases just before delivery were as follows: white blood cell count ≥ 12,000/µL, 46% of cases; platelet count ≤ 100,000/µL, 55% of cases, and C-reactive protein (CRP) level ≥ 10 mg/dL, 40% of cases. These variables showed no sensitivity for the diagnosis of invasive GAS infections. However, 100% of cases were positive for FDP (≥ 10 µg/dL) and D-dimer (≥ 2 µg/dL), the levels of which were extremely high in many cases. Conclusion: FDP and D-dimer levels may contribute to the diagnosis of invasive GAS infections during pregnancy.
Substitution of hemoglobin levels in pregnant women with iron supplement: A prospective randomized clinical study
Authors: Daniilidis A. , Dryllis G. , Chorozoglou G. , Politou M. , Dampali R. , Dinas K.
Published: August 2020

Introduction: Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is the most common form of anemia. Women who are pregnant or lactating and young children are the most affected. Iron protein acetyl aspartilate is a ferroprotein complex that is more efficient versus iron protein succinylate in relatively short periods of time, for example 30 days. Objective: The aim of this clinical study was to investigate the efficacy of acetyl aspartate iron protein supplement in the treatment of anemia in pregnant women after the first trimester. This is the first real-time clinical study testing the usage of an iron protein supplement in a specific population, as there are not sufficient data for such studies in the literature. Study Design: 28 pregnant women with hemoglobin < 10.5 gr/dL and after completing the 12th week of pregnancy, initiated acetyl aspartate protein iron at a daily dose yielding 80g of elemental iron in two uptakes. Similarly, 35 women were studied who received different iron supplements at the same daily dose. After 30 days, hemoglobin values were measured. Inclusion criteria included: age > 18, gestational week > 12, Hb < 10.5 g/dL, Ht < 32%. Exclusion criteria included: age <18, pregnancy < 12 weeks, many pregnancies, history: allergy to iron preparations, ulcer, cirrhosis, hemodialysis, hemochromatosis, aplastic anemia, chronic disease anemia, pancreatitis, renal disease. Results: Treatment with acetyl aspartylated iron lead to higher levels of hemoglobin after four weeks of treatment. Following successive measurements of hemoglobin levels in the 28 women of the study group, Hb levels increased from an initial mean Hb value of 10.04 gr/dL to 10.69 gr/dL. In the control group of 35 pregnant women, an increase in the mean hemoglobin from Hb was observed from 9.99 gr/dL to 10.46 gr/dL. The difference was statistically significant with p < 0.0001. Conclusions: The use of acetyl aspartate iron protein is a very promising option, as there has been an increase in hemoglobin levels to 0.5 gr/dL.
Mode of delivery does not have a relationship with high-risk HPV positivity
Authors: Sel G. , Barut A. , Özmen Ü. , Akdemir A. Y. , Harma S. , Aynalı B. , Harma M. , Harma M.İ.
Published: August 2020

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the delivery room data for patients who give birth with standard vaginal delivery and caesarean section (C/S), to estimate whether high-risk (HR) HPV status affected the mode of delivery. Methods: Between January 2014 and January 2018, 8,376 pregnant women gave birth in our hospital. Of 8,376 patients, 1,039 pregnant women were aged 30 years and older and had HPV results known. They had a singleton pregnancy and no contraindications for standard delivery. Results: C/S rates for all HR HPV groups were lower than for all HPV-negative groups. However, no statistically significant difference was found between HR HPV-positive and HPV-negative patients for C/S rates got all 987 patients (18.75% vs. 24.39%) (p = 0.463), 245 primiparous patients (50.0% vs. 59.83%) (p = 0.629) and 742 multiparous patients (11.53% vs. 12.56%) (p = 0.876). Conclusion: HR HPV positivity does not affect normal vaginal labour progress and does not statistically increase C/S rates at the labour ward. Therefore, HR HPV positivity should not be regarded as a negative risk factor for normal vaginal labour progress.
Prigovori i problemi kod sudsko-medicinskog vještačenja
Authors: Čizmić Jozo
Published: August 2020

Vještak je osoba pozvana da pred sudom, koristeći se svojim stručnim znanjem, iznese: svoja sadašnja stručna zapažanja potrebna za utvrđenje sadržaja neke relevantne činjenice (nalaz) i svoje stajalište o značenju, vjerovanju, uzrocima i posljedicama određenih činjenica koje bi mogle biti važne za utvrđivanje istinitosti u dokazivanju (mišljenje). U radu je autor posebnu pozornost posvetio sudsko-medicinskom vještačenju u parničnom postupku, a osobito istaknutim prigovorima i problemima u praksi na tom području.
Top countries tackling Covid-19 - Success stories
Authors: Agarwal Shipra
Published: August 2020

The world is under pressure from the novel COVID-19 pandemic, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to more than 81 lakh globally. Corona virus cases were found earlier in China and later on spread all over the world and became a global pandemic in March 2020. This paper presents countries that have best performed with almost no new cases coming up. Countries such as Taiwan, Vietnam, New Zealand, Australia, Japan and Germany have different responses to COVID-19 in between January and June 2020. The paper highlights the actions taken by the governments or at the community level.
Measuring Better Chicken Commitment–Compliant Chicken Supply
Authors: Peacock Jacob , Mendez Samara
Published: August 2020

The Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) provides a five-part standard to improve the welfare of chickens raised for meat by 2024. As of June 2020, about 180 food businesses have agreed to this commitment as a result of efforts by animal advocates. While these commitments are a valuable step toward improved animal welfare, it is important to also measure their actual implementation and the resulting supply of chicken products meeting these higher welfare standards. We review potential approaches for measuring the supply of BCC-compliant chickens and available data for making such measurements. We find that relatively little data is currently available in the US and that efforts by industry and government agencies may be necessary to collect such data.
The unsuspected "bodyguards" of red blood cells
Authors: Zangari del Balzo Gianluigi
Published: August 2020

Transferrin is the main intrabody carrier of iron. An in-depth analysis of the struc- ture, conformation distribution and functions of this protein allowed us to predict its unsuspected “non-canonical” function in the metabolism of mature red blood cells. In this work we propose a theory of the energy landscape with static and dynamic macro- molecular simulations, performed with an unconventional statistical calculus, which analyze the conformation transformations of Transferrin from a closed to an open and activated structure (“open jaws”) during the follow-up of mature red blood cells. The result is a finite set of N states of low entropy, of which a subset N-p corresponds to conformations of minimum entropy where Transferrin binds to a specialized receptor, surviving in mature red blood cells.
Linear Regularization-based Analysis and Prediction of Human Mobility in the U.S. during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Chakraborty Meghna , Mahmud Shakir , Gates Timothy , Sinha Subhrajit
Published: August 2020

Since the increasing spread of COVID-19 in the U.S., with currently the highest number of confirmed cases and deaths in the world, most states in the nation have enforced travel restrictions resulting in drastic reductions in mobility and travel. However, the overall impact and long-term implications of this crisis to mobility still remain uncertain. To this end, this study develops an analytical framework that determines the most significant factors impacting human mobility and travel in the U.S. during the pandemic. In particular, we use Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) to identify the significant variables influencing human mobility and utilize linear regularization algorithms, including Ridge, LASSO, and Elastic Net modeling techniques to model and predict human mobility and travel. State-level data were obtained from various open-access sources for the period from January 1, 2020 to June 13, 2020. The entire data set was divided into a training data-set and a test data-set and the variables selected by LASSO were used to train four different models by ordinary linear regression, Ridge regression, LASSO and Elastic Net regression algorithms, using the training data-set. Finally, the prediction accuracy of the developed models was examined on the test data. The results indicate that among all models, the Ridge regression provides the most superior performance with the least error, while both LASSO and Elastic Net performed better than the ordinary linear model.
Factor or Network Model? Predictions From Neural Networks
Authors: Christensen Alexander P. , Golino Hudson
Published: August 2020

The nature of associations between variables is important for constructing theory about psychological phenomena. In the last decade, this topic has received renewed interested with the introduction of psychometric network models. In psychology, network models are often contrasted with latent variable (e.g., factor) models. Recent research has shown that differences between the two tend to be more substantive than statistical. One recently developed algorithm called the Loadings Comparison Test (LCT) was developed to predict whether data were generated from a factor or network model. A significant limitation of current LCT implementation is that it’s based on heuristics that were derived from descriptive statistics. In the present study, we used artificial neural networks to replace these heuristics and develop a more robust and generalizable algorithm. We performed a Monte Carlo simulation study that compared neural networks to the original LCT algorithm as well as logistic regression models that were trained on the same data. We found that the neural networks performed as well as or better than both methods for predicting whether data were generated from a factor, small-world network, or random network model. Although the neural networks were trained on small-world networks, we show that they can reliably predict the data generating model of random networks as well, demonstrating generalizability beyond the trained data. We echo the call for more formal theories about the relations between variables and discuss the role of the LCT in this process.
Schüz et al. 2020 Socioeconomic status moderates the effects of health cognitions on health behaviors within participants- two multibehavior studies - POSTPRINT
Authors: Schüz Benjamin , Brick Cameron
Published: August 2020

Background: Socioeconomic differences in health-related behaviors are a major cause ofhealth inequalities. However, the mechanisms (mediation / moderation) by which socioeconomic status (SES) affects health behavior are a topic of ongoing debate.Purpose: Current research on SES as moderator of the health cognitions - health behavior relation is inconsistent. Previous studies are limited by diverse operationalizations of SES and health behaviors, demographically narrow samples, and between-person designs addressing within-person processes. This paper presents two studies addressing these shortcomings in a within-person multi-behavior framework using hierarchical linear models.Methods: Two online studies, one cross-sectional and one 4-week longitudinal, assessed 1,005 (Study 1; Amazon MTurk; US only) and 1,273 participants (Study 2; Prolific; international). Self-reports of multiple SES indicators (education, income, occupation status; ZIP code in Study 1), health cognitions (from the Theory of Planned Behavior) and measures of 6 health behaviors were taken. Multilevel models with cross-level interactions tested wither the within-person relationships between health cognitions and behaviors differed by between-person SES .Results: Education significantly moderated intention-behavior and attitude-behavior relationships in both studies, with more educated individuals showing stronger positive relationships. In addition, ZIP-level SES (Study 1) moderated attitude-behavior effects such that these relationships were stronger in participants living in areas with higher SES. Conclusions: Education appears to be an important resource for the translation of intentions and attitudes into behavior. Other SES indicators showed less consistent effects. This has implications for interventions aiming at increasing intentions to change health behaviors, as some interventions might inadvertently increase health inequalities.
With a Little Help From My Friends: Selective Social Potentiation of Emotion Regulation
Authors: Sahi Razia S. , Ninova Emilia , Silvers Jennifer A
Published: August 2020

Decades of research has pointed to emotion regulation (ER) as a critical ingredient for health, well-being, and social functioning. However, the vast majority of this research has examined emotion regulation in a social vacuum, despite the fact that in everyday life individuals frequently regulate their emotions with help from other people. The present collection of pre-registered studies examined whether social help increases the efficacy of reappraisal, a widely-studied ER strategy that involves changing how one thinks about emotional stimuli. In Study 1 (N = 40 friend pairs), we compared the efficacy of reinterpreting the content of negative stimuli alone (solo ER) to listening to a friend reinterpret the stimuli (social ER). We found that social ER was more effective than solo ER, and that the efficacy of these strategies was correlated within individuals. In Studies 2 and 3, we replicated effects from Study 1, and additionally tested alternate explanations for our findings. In Study 2 (N = 40 individuals), we failed to find evidence that social ER was more effective than solo ER due to a difference in the quality of reinterpretations, and in Study 3 (N = 40 friend pairs), we found that social help did not significantly attenuate negative affect in the absence of reappraisal. In sum, we found that social help selectively potentiates the efficacy of reappraisal, and that this effect was not merely the outcome of social buffering. Together, these results provide insight into how social relationships can directly lend a hand in implementing ER strategies.
The Use of Social Media Platforms to Enhance Vocabulary Developing in Learning a New Language: A Review of The Literature
Authors: Alharthi Meshari , Bown Andy , Pullen Darren
Published: August 2020

Social media platforms (SMPs) are widely used by many users worldwide in different fields, including business, politics, education, and personal enjoyment (Kapoor et al., 2018). However, the use of SMPs for English language vocabulary learning is still under-researched, particularly in a Saudi Arabian context. Alzahrani (2016) and Alqunayeer (2016) have underscored the scarcity of research exploring the use and effect of SMPs on Saudi learners’ vocabulary development, and as these platforms are highly favored in Saudi Arabia, the paucity of research makes the current study timely and pertinent. Furthermore, recent studies in Vietnam and Indonesia have recommended that further research should be conducted regarding the use of SMPs for English language vocabulary learning and indeed for learning English as a second language (Indari & Putri, 2018; Tran, 2016). This paper aims to review the research concerning the use of SMPs for vocabulary learning from 2014 to 2018. Out of 50 peer-reviewed articles, only 15 studies were relevant to SMPs and vocabulary learning. It has been recognized that SMPs are effective in improving learner engagement, motivation, and vocabulary development, suggesting that SMPs can be valuable tools and resources to facilitate learning. The authors have also proposed a definition for the term social media, as one has not been agreed upon in the educational literature, this is not surprising given that the social media phenomenon is still a new and rapidly evolving field of practice and study.
The Integration of Implicit and Explicit Vocabulary Instruction, Project-Based Learning, Multimedia, and Experiential Learning to Improve Thai EFL Senior High School Students’ Vocabulary Ability
Authors: Somjai Satit , Soontornwipast Kittitouch
Published: August 2020

This study highlights the significance of the integration of implicit-explicit vocabulary instruction, project-based learning (PBL), multimedia, and experiential learning to improve Thai EFL senior high school students’ vocabulary ability. It aimed to investigate to what extent the integration affected Thai EFL senior high school students’ vocabulary ability and how their perceptions toward the instruction were. The study involved 45 tenth-grade students at a public high school in Bangkok, Thailand. A vocabulary pre- and post-test was used to evaluate the students’ vocabulary ability before and after the application of the integrated instruction. Additionally, students’ reflective journals (SRJ), a students’ perception questionnaire, and a semi-structured focus group interview provided qualitative data for analyzing the students’ perceptions toward the instruction. The findings revealed that all students’ test scores significantly improved and confirmed the effectiveness of the integrated instruction on vocabulary learning. All of the 45 students also reported positive perceptions toward the instruction. They reflected that the instruction was advantageous and practical since it facilitated their vocabulary learning, increased their self-confidence and improved their speaking skills. It also created a pleasant learning atmosphere, provided the students with more opportunities to participate in classroom activities, and encouraged the students to learn with technology.
Effect of Using Whiteboard Animation in Project-Based Learning on Indonesian EFL Students’ English Presentation Skills across Creativity Levels
Authors: Suhroh Fatimatus , Cahyono Bambang Yudi , Astuti Utari Praba
Published: August 2020

Technology has big roles in this 4.0 era. It can be applied effectively in the teaching and learning process. This article examines the effect of applying whiteboard animation in project-based learning (PjBL) on English as a Foreign Llanguage (EFL) students’ English presentation skills, investigates whether the English presentation skills of EFL students who were taught by using whiteboard animation in PjBL differ significantly across creativity levels, and finds out whether there is interaction or not between the use of whiteboard animation and the students’ creativity levels on their English presentation skills. Fifty Indonesian vocational high school students from two intact classrooms were involved and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups by quasi-experimental design and factorial research design. The quantitative data were gathered from both groups through pre-test and post-test. The analysis showed that students who were taught through whiteboard animation in PjBL significantly outperformed those who were trained by using conventional media. It was also found that students’ creativity levels (little-c and mini-c) did not affect their English presentation skills. Then, there was no interaction between whiteboard animation in PjBL and students’ creativity levels on their English presentation skills. The findings of the study are expected to be useful for other English teachers especially those who want to apply the same method of teaching in order to achieve the students' capacity for critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity.
E-Teaching in Higher Education: an Innovative Pedagogy to Generate Digitally Competent Students at King Khalid University
Authors: Rahmatullah Shadma Iffat , Sultana Sufia , Sultan Ghazala
Published: August 2020

The education system in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is on the verge of digital advancement. Primarily, this research paper aims to examine how a digitally competent teacher can help the institution and its learners to achieve high-level competency in digital and academic learning, as well as to develop critical thinking. It also intends to focus on the characteristics of e-teaching and the consequences of learning competency with its implication in female undergraduate colleges of King Khalid University. For the data collection, both the qualitative and quantitative approaches were employed. Several teachers were interviewed on their experiences with the utilization of digital sources, whereas, a large group of students from distinct study areas responded to a questionnaire to provide their feedback on their e-learning experience. The analysis indicates the necessity of appropriate trainings for e-teachers to handle the unexpected situations that occur during the teaching or evaluating process. Despite being a challenging task, they found it very useful to make students engaged with varied activities. The results also demonstrate that the e-teaching experience with digital media enables the teachers to assess their digital competence and teaching efficiency.
Quizlet: An Online Application to Enhance EFL Foundation Students’ Vocabulary Acquisition at Rustaq College of Education, Oman
Authors: Al-Malki Moza Abdullah
Published: August 2020

Due to the advance of technology a number of tools have emerged for the purpose of language learning. Quizlet, a language learning tool, aims to help students learn vocabulary. This study aims to investigate the impact of Quizlet on English for Foreign Language (EFL) foundation students’ vocabulary acquisition at Rustaq College of Education in the Sultanate of Oman. Specifically, this study answers one research question: How does the use of Quizlet influence EFL foundation students’ vocabulary learning at Rustaq College of Education in Oman? The foundation students were exposed to a series of Quizlet study sets containing certain topics taken from their prescribed curriculum. Within these, they learnt a number of vocabulary individually and collaboratively. Pre-and post-tests were implemented to gauge foundation students’ performances and acquisition in vocabulary. Additionally, focus groups were also conducted to investigate their vocabulary learning experience pertaining to integrating Quizlet into EFL classrooms. The findings revealed that the foundation students’ performances in vocabulary acquisition significantly increased. Although Quizlet has created a challenging and collaborative learning environment, more language skills should be incorporated in Quizlet to help students to learn vocabulary faster and in an interesting way. This study is significant as it can contribute to the English Language Teaching (ELT) literature pertaining to the innovative and technological tools that can enhance students’ language skills in the 21st century. It is also important to English teachers and their students in finding various ways of teaching and learning vocabulary in and outside classrooms.
Collaboration through Online Discussion Board: A Discourse Analysis of CALL in a Normal University in China
Authors: Hsu Cheng
Published: August 2020

Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, all students take courses online in Mainland China at the beginning of the semester. The discourse for communication online is important for a successful course. In this study, the online discussion board assignment of a college graduate course was analyzed for the discourse patterns based on Vygotsky’s Cultural-historical theories that are more pragmatic than linguistics (Wertsch, 1990) and miss communication between students (Forman & McCormick, 1995). The course was taught and communicated in all-English. Participants are first-year graduate students in one Normal University in Northern Jiangsu Province in China. Data were generated based on a discourse analysis qualitative research and analyzed using the histogram and qualitative discourse pattern analysis. Findings for the histogram showed a late assignment submission, while more than half of students submitted during the final three days while having 11 days to finish. Patterns of responding were discussed in "questions with most responses" and "questions with no response." The open-ended questions allow respondents to utilize knowledge previously acquired as mediation for further discussions, while close-ended questions received a pattern of the contribution of degrading. Questions with no responses were mostly posted during the final two days. The discourse pattern of online discussion boards, thus manifested itself as a mediation tool for idea exchange not only online for peer evaluation but also self-evaluation.