bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
e-Sinais: Software Tradutor de Português Sinalizado para Sinais em LIBRAS
Authors: Silva Igor Q. , Mascarenhas Bruno S. , Araújo Saionara S. , Freitas Daniela G. S. , Matos Pablo F.
Published: February 2020

O e-Sinais é um software educacional que realiza a tradução de Português Sinalizado para sinais em LIBRAS e tem como objetivo proporcionar aos surdos o aprendizado de novas palavras. A ideia é que nas tarefas do dia a dia o surdo seja independente de um tradutor/intérprete humano e consiga realizar seus estudos ou trabalhar com o auxílio da ferramenta. Ademais, o software pode servir também como ferramenta de ensino de LIBRAS para ouvintes, em que auxilia a integração das comunidades surda e ouvinte. O e-Sinais disponibiliza outros recursos como a adição de novos sinais inerentes de cada região e a exportação de sinais para arquivo PDF, que permite a impressão e a distribuição dos sinais.
INASH: Uma Ferramenta de Autoria para Narrativas Interativas Digitais
Authors: Ferreira Vinicius Hartmann , Eich Luis Guilherme
Published: February 2020

Este artigo apresenta a ferramenta INASH (Interactive Narratives Shared), que busca estimular a pratica da leitura e da escrita em estudantes através da construção de narrativas interativas. A ferramenta permite ao usuário criar suas próprias narrativas, estipulando caminhos alternativos para os leitores escolherem durante a leitura, e compartilhá-las com os demais usuários. Um experimento com o uso da ferramenta foi realizado com uma turma de ensino médio técnico composta por 24 alunos. Ao final do experimento os alunos responderam a um questionário através do qual foi possível identificar que a ferramenta apresenta elementos que podem estimular o interesse dos alunos pela escrita e pela leitura, como a interface gráfica de construção e o compartilhamento de suas produções.
Conhecimento em redes sociais: um estudo de caso aplicado ao Twitter
Authors: Frantz Miguel Airton , Frozza Angelo Augusto , da Silva Reginaldo Rubens
Published: February 2020

Este artigo descreve a criação de uma base de conhecimento a partir de dados não estruturados que um usuário produz. O foco consiste no desenvolvimento de uma aplicação que extrai o conhecimento dos textos publicados no Twitter. Como resultado, apresenta-se o conhecimento implícito presente na base de dados do usuário na forma de uma nuvem de tags contendo os termos relevantes que mais aparecerem na base de dados em questão.
Análise de um algoritmo aproximativo para o problema de escalonamento de tarefas com restrições de precedência em máquinas paralelas idênticas
Authors: Lever Elton , Vilca Omar , de Freitas Rosiane
Published: February 2020

Neste artigo é apresentado o problema de escalonamento de tarefas com tempos de execução unitários e restrições de precedência, considerando um número variável de máquinas paralelas idênticas, que é NP-difícil. Para este problema, a melhor razão de aproximação era fornecida pelo algoritmo de Coffman e Graham (1972), de fator de aproximação 2 − 2/m, para m ≥ 3 máquinas paralelas idênticas, e que perdurou por um longo tempo até que recentemente um algoritmo de fator de aproximação 2 − 7/3m+1 foi proposto por Gangal e Ranade (2008), proporcionando uma melhoria pequena mas significativa e com conceitos teóricos interessantes, cuja análise é apresentada.
Um Leilão à Prova de Estratégia para o Compartilhamento de Viagens Dinâmico com Múltiplos Passageiros
Authors: Schwarzstein Leonardo Y. , Miyazawa Flávio K. , Schouery Rafael C. S.
Published: February 2020

Sistemas de compartilhamento de viagens dinâmico designam passageiros a motoristas em curto prazo. Neste artigo, propomos um leilão que seleciona passageiros a serem servidos e define preços que estes devem pagar, de maneira justa para motoristas e passageiros, provendo lucro para a empresa.
Sistema Integrado de Análise e Visualização Epidemiológica Georreferenciada Online para Telemedicina
Authors: Inácio Andrei , Savaris Alexandre , Alves João , von Wangenheim Aldo
Published: February 2020

Este trabalho apresenta o GISTelemed, uma ferramenta de análise epidemiológica georreferenciada que é integrada à infraestrutura do Sistema Catarinense Integrado de Telemedicina e Telessaúde (STT/SC). O GISTelemed integra o STT/SC com o Sistema de Informações Geográficas de Santa Catarina (SIG@SC) e permite a recuperação, visualização georreferenciada e análise epidemiológica em dados estruturados e semiestruturados. Resultados obtidos através de um estudo de caso indicam uma percepção positiva em relação à utilidade do GISTelemed por especialistas e gestores de sa´ude.
Modelagem Genética para Estender o Tempo de Vida de Redes de Sensores Sem Fio com Sorvedouro Móvel
Authors: de Oliveira Sérgio , Shiroma Pedro Mitsuo , Pereira Marconi de Arruda , da Silva Rone Ilídio , da Silva Cristiano Maciel
Published: February 2020

Sorvedouros móveis têm sido usados em Redes de Sensores Sem Fios (RSSF) visando aumentar o tempo de vida da rede, especialmente por distribuir, de forma mais homogênea, o consumo de energia por todos os nós. O desenvolvimento de drones multirotores, veículos aéreos não-tripulados capazes de voos autônomos, de baixo custo, os tornam aptos a serem usados como sorvedouros móveis. Este trabalho considera que o drone pode parar em um número fixo de pontos da rede, característica dos multirotores, coletando dados de sensoriamento em um número fixo predefinido de pontos da rede. Este trabalho propõe um modelo genético que mostra como a distribuição da carga de trabalho dos nós pode estender o tempo de vida da rede. Simulações foram executadas para ajustar os parâmetros do modelo e avaliar seu desempenho.
Smart Station: Um Sistema Pervasivo de Notificação em Paradas de Ônibus para Pessoas com Deficiência Visual
Authors: Agostini Lucas , Braga Alex , Machado Julio , Nogueira Alysson , Tavares Tatiana , Yamin Adenauer
Published: February 2020

A visão é um dos canais mais importantes de relacionamento do indivíduo com o mundo, sendo nosso principal "sistemaguia" de orientação. As pessoas com deficiência visual não possuem esse "sistemaguia" como sua orientação principal. Uma forma de adaptação natural é se benificiar de sentidos alternativos, como audição e tato, para oferecer uma forma independente de realização das atividades do cotidiano. Um exemplo é a mobilidade, especialmente no acesso ao transporte público urbano. Dessa forma, propõese uma solução para notificação em paradas de ônibus baseada em computação ubíqua, usando microprocessadores e caixas de som, voltado a pessoas com deficiência visual.
Aplicando o Design Science Research no Desenvolvimento de um Sistema Colaborativo Assistivo
Authors: da Silva Daniel Maniglia , Sartori Deivid Felipe , Hirata Celso Massaki , Berkenbrock Carla Diacui M.
Published: February 2020

Os avanços da tecnologia, bem como a crescente preocupação da sociedade com a inclusão social de pessoas com deficiências motivaram o desenvolvimento de ferramentas para apoiar pessoas com atrasos cognitivos. Este trabalho tem o objetivo de definir artefatos de comunicação, em smartphones, para um sistema colaborativo de monitoramento geográfico, possibilitando a comunicação do deficiente intelectual com seus cuidadores em seu deslocamentos cotidianos. O trabalho foi guiado pela metodologia de pesquisa Design Science Research (DSR). A pesquisa foi dividida em três ciclos de descoberta de conhecimento: ciclo de conhecimento do usuário, ciclo de design dos artefatos e ciclo de avaliação da usabilidade. O presente artigo também detalha o levantamento de requisitos, desenvolvimento dos artefatos e avaliação do sistema. Como resultados, destaca-se a geração do conhecimento científico proporcionado pela utilização da metodologia de pesquisa DSR. Além disso, o trabalho visa fortalecer a utilização da abordagem de desenvolvimento centrado no usuário e do design participativo no contexto de desenvolvimento de um sistema colaborativo assistivo.
Um Estudo Empírico sobre Crowdsourcing: O Brasil na plataforma TopCoder
Authors: Lopes Carlos H. , Melo Ricardo Rodrigo M. , Ferreira Renato P. , Miranda Muller G. , de Souza Cleidson
Published: February 2020

Este artigo descreve uma análise quantitativa dos programadores do Brasil que atuam na maior plataforma crowdsourcing do mundo na área de engenharia de software, a TopCoder. Além disso, considerando apenas os desenvolvedores ativos, uma análise é feita comparando os brasileiros com os programadores de outros países, assim como os brasileiros comparados com os programadores das regiões do BRICS, America Latina e Leste Europeu. Os resultados deste estudo podem ser utilizados para melhorar a participação dos engenheiros de software brasileiros.
Exploratory Analysis of Public Transportation Data in Curitiba
Authors: Kozievitch Nádia P. , Gadda Tatiana M. C. , Fonseca Keiko V. O. , Rosa Marcelo O. , Gomes Jr. Luiz C. , Abkar Monika
Published: February 2020

Smart transportation systems have been providing more data over time (such as bus routes, users, smartphones, etc.). Such data provides a number of opportunities to identify various facets of user behavior and traffic trends. In this paper we address some of the urban mobility challenges (already discussed by the Brazilian Computer Society), from a number of different perspectives, including (i) pattern discovery, (ii) statistical analysis, (iii) data integration, and (iv) open and connected data. In particular, we present an exploratory data analysis with GIS for public transportation toward a case study in Curitiba, Brazil.
Redes de Monitoramento Ambiental: Um projeto aplicado às Geleiras Patagônicas
Authors: Netto Guilherme T. , Arigony-Neto Jorge , Yamim Adenauer Correa
Published: February 2020

As mudanças climáticas são um tema em constante debate atualmente, e as Geleiras têm um papel importante neste contexto, pois são como sensores naturais que reagem a estas mudanças. Seu monitoramento é de grande importância a fim de conhecermos seu comportamento perante a eventos climáticos e sua influência no clima. O presente trabalho propõe a utilização do modelo de redes de sensores para realizar o monitoramento de Geleiras de forma integrada, utilizando um conjunto variado de sensores. Os primeiros testes com estações meteorológicas automáticas (AWS) mostram-se promissores mesmo com condições climáticas severas.
Estratégia Evolutiva para Parametrização de Modelos de Previsão: Um Estudo de Caso com Níveis Máximos Mensais do Rio Xingu em Altamira/PA
Authors: Vieira Alen Costa , Pessin Gustavo
Published: February 2020

O uso adequado de métodos de previsão pode auxiliar na prevenção, no gerenciamento e no planejamento de situações críticas. Métodos de previsão de variáveis de interesse podem ser endereçados como problemas de previsão de séries temporais. A previsão de séries temporais apresenta algumas questões em aberto, correntemente estudadas, entre estas questões estão (1) como definir o tamanho ótimo da janela de entrada do método de previsão e (2) como definir os conjuntos de variáveis (outras séries temporais) que impactam no modelo. Neste artigo, apresentamos como um algoritmo evolutivo pode ser empregado para escolher as variáveis climáticas e o tamanho dessas janelas para aumentar a precisão do modelo preditivo. O algoritmo evolutivo é empregado em um estudo de caso considerando níveis máximos do rio Xingu utilizando 18 diferentes séries temporais de variáveis climáticas. Mostramos também como configurações do algoritmo evolutivo podem levar a resultados mais consistentes.
Mobile Application for Asian Soybean Rust Tracking in Brazil
Authors: Andreis José Henrique , Borella Felipe , Pavan Willingthon , Hölbig Carlos A. , Godoy Cláudia Vieira , Dalbosco Jaqson , Fernandes José Maurício
Published: February 2020

Brazil is the second-largest soybean producer. With the arrival of Asian soybean rust in the Western Hemisphere in 2001, a considerable amount of resources has been allocated to understand and control this important yield-limiting disease. Due its rapidly dissemination, in 2004, the federal government led an effort to create the Asian soybean rust consortium, with the main goal of coordinating research activities involving public and private sector. This paper describes the development of a mobile application, designed to support the Asian Soybean Rust Consortium to monitor, in time and space, occurrences of Asian soybean rust in Brazil.
Hall of Fame/Shame: um Padrão Pedagógico para o Ensino de Programação
Authors: Charão Andrea S. , Kummer Neto Alberto F. , Stein Benhur de O. , Barcelos Patrícia P. de A.
Published: February 2020

Padrões pedagógicos visam aproveitar o conhecimento especializado em práticas de ensino e aprendizagem, em um formato que favoreça sua reutilização. Neste trabalho, propõe-se um padrão pedagógico voltado ao ensino de programação, em cursos de nível superior na área de Computação. Este padrão é centrado na exposição e discussão de bons e maus exemplos de códigos produzidos pelos alunos, formando o que denominou-se respectivamente de “Hall of Fame” e “Hall of Shame”. Ao longo do texto, apresenta-se uma caracterização do padrão, relacionando-o com outros padrões pedagógicos descritos na literatura, e descreve-se sua aplicação no ensino de programação orientada a objetos, em uma instituição de ensino superior. Os resultados indicam uma avaliação positiva do padrão pelos alunos e revelam sua eficácia em incentivar boas práticas de programação.
Melhora dos índices de aprovação pela formação de turmas com perfis de conhecimento semelhantes
Authors: Noronha Robinson Vida , de Azevedo Hilton José Silva
Published: February 2020

Investigou-se se a formação de turmas de acordo com o coeficiente de rendimento do aluno poderia ter um desempenho acadêmico superior às turmas que não possuem esse tipo de critério de composição. Todas as turmas envolvidas nesse estudo tiveram os mesmos instrumentos de avaliação. As turmas formadas por alunos de baixo coeficiente de rendimento tiveram uma abordagem didática diferenciada. Os resultados obtidos apontam para um aumento nos índices de aprovação e reprovação das turmas e uma redução nos índices de desistência dos alunos.
Processo de Desenvolvimento de Software: uma Atividade Prática Supervisionada baseada nos papéis de adquirente e fornecedor
Authors: Ortoncelli André Roberto , Brittes Marisângela Pacheco
Published: February 2020

Esse trabalho apresenta um relato de experiência referente a um trabalho aplicado como Atividade Prática Supervisionada, em uma disciplina de Processo de Desenvolvimento de Software, ofertada em um curso de graduação em Engenharia de Software. Nessa atividade os alunos foram divididos em grupos, sendo que cada grupo, em diferentes momentos representou os papéis de adquirente e fornecedor de um software (tal como é definido na norma ISO/IEC 12207:2008), sendo obrigatória a interação entre diferentes grupos. Durante o desenvolvimento da atividade os grupos tiveram que seguir alguns dos requisitos do MPS.BR, reforçando assim conceitos de qualidade de processo de software aprendidos em aula. Destaca-se que de acordo com a opinião dos alunos (obtida por meio de um questionário), esse trabalho contribuiu para aquisição e fixação dos conhecimentos da disciplina, assim como para mantê-los motivados durante seu desenvolvimento.
Sistema de Apoio à Avaliação de Atividades de Programação por Reconhecimento Automático de Modelos de Soluções
Authors: de Oliveira Márcia G. , Reblin Leonardo Leal , Oliveira Elias
Published: February 2020

O desenvolvimento de um programa de computador é um processo de resolução de problema que resulta em várias possibilidades de soluções. Dessa forma, a avaliação de exercícios de programação demanda muito esforço do professor tanto na avaliação manual, quando analisam-se várias possibilidades de soluções, quanto na avaliação automática, quando vários modelos de soluções devem ser fornecidos como entradas. Com o objetivo de auxiliar professores na identificação de modelos de soluções a partir de programas desenvolvidos por alunos, este trabalho propõe um sistema baseado em clustering para reconhecimento de modelos de soluções e para mapeamento dessas soluções em escores atribuídos por professores. Os primeiros experimentos de aplicação desse sistema em duas bases de programas desenvolvidos por estudantes de programação apresentaram resultados promissores.
The teaching of functions as the first step to learn imperative programming
Authors: Delgado Carla A. D. M. , da Silva João C. P. , Mascarenhas Fabio , Duboc Ana Luisa
Published: February 2020

The literature on teaching programming covers a wide discussion regarding the approach to be adopted in an introductory course. While the objectoriented paradigm requires a high level of abstraction and can overshadow basic concepts, the structured imperative paradigm lacks a guideline to motivate and drive the process of building programs. In this paper we present a modularization based approach for teaching programming to the novices using the imperative paradigm. The construction of self contained modules of code - programming functions in Python - is worked with the students from the very first class until the end of the course. We describe our experience and report the results obtained from the implementation of this approach in a scenario of more than a dozen courses offered each semester over three years.
Torneios Baseados em Robocode para Incentivar Jovens a Aprender Programação
Authors: Meira Matheus C. , Lima Marri S. S. , Borges Marcos A. F.
Published: February 2020

Alunos das gerações atuais, inseridos em um contexto de conectividade no universo digital, podem considerar ambientes de ensino tradicionais desmotivadores. Este artigo indica uma nova abordagem para ensino de programação, a partir do desenvolvimento de competições científicas baseadas no jogo digital educacional Robocode. O artigo apresenta a experiência de organização de competições científicas que envolvem torneios e ligas baseadas no jogo educacional Robocode ao longo de cinco anos e discute como eles podem ser usados como promissoras ferramentas de diversificação de métodos lúdicos e colaborativos de aprendizagem.
Incentivando o Ingresso de Mulheres nos Cursos de Engenharia e Tecnologia
Authors: Coelho Marcelly Homem , Sartor Morgana , Frigo Luciana B. , Pozzebon Eliane
Published: February 2020

O presente artigo descreve uma experiência de interação entre estudantes de graduação do curso de Engenharia de Computação com um grupo de alunas do Ensino Médio, por meio da realização de uma oficina. O objetivo da oficina é de proporcionar uma experimentação real acerca dos conceitos abstratos de eletricidade, eletrônica e tecnologia. O desafio das alunas foi de conhecer a domótica, realizando um protótipo de automação de uma casa de bonecas. O principal objetivo do projeto é que as meninas possam experimentar e explorar um campo tradicionalmente dominado e vivido pelos homens, a fim de que elas possam refletir e expandir suas possibilidades de carreira incluindo a área de exatas no rol de oportunidades, além de auxiliar na construção de novas habilidades e competências.
Meninas, Computação e Música
Authors: Gimenez Thayna , Barroso Caroline R. , Pereira Jéssika M. , Przybysz André L. , Rivolli Adriano , Silla Jr. Carlos N.
Published: February 2020

Este trabalho descreve o projeto Meninas, Computação e Música, que busca incentivar meninas para ingressarem em cursos da área de Computação. O projeto propõe o ensino de programação em linguagem Java aliado ao ensino de teoria e práticas musicais para meninas do ensino médio da escola pública.
Energy Consumption Evaluation of NoSQL DBMSs
Authors: Gomes Carlos , Tavares Eduardo , de O. Junior Meuse Nogueira
Published: February 2020

Over the years, NoSQL Database Management Systems (DBMS) have been adopted as an alternative to the constraints of relational/SQL DBMSs. In order to demonstrate their feasibility, works have evaluated NoSQL DBMSs regarding some performance metrics, but energy consumption has not been assessed. Indeed, energy consumption is an issue that should not be neglected due to the rise of energy costs and environmental sustainability. This paper presents a peformance and energy consumption evaluation of NoSQL DBMSs, more specifically, Cassandra (column), MongoDB (document-oriented), Redis (key-value). Experiments are based on YCSB benchmark, and results demonstrate energy consumption can vary significantly among the assessed DBMSs for different commands (e.g., read) and workloads.
Extraction of Novel Features Based on Histograms of MFCCs Used in Emotion Classification from Generated Original Speech Dataset
Authors: Pakyurek Muhammet , Atmis Mahir , Kulac Selman , Uludag Umut
Published: February 2020

This paper introduces two significant contributions: one is a new feature based on histograms of MFCC (Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients) extracted from the audio files that can be used in emotion classification from speech signals, and the other – our new multi-lingual and multi-personal speech database, which has three emotions. In this study, Berlin Database (BD) (in German) and our custom PAU database (in English) created from YouTube videos and popular TV shows are employed to train and evaluate the test results. Experimental results show that our proposed features lead to better classification of results than the current state-of-the-art approaches with Support Vector Machine (SVM) from the literature. Thanks to our novel feature, this study can outperform a number of MFCC features and SVM classifier based studies, including recent researches. Due to the lack of our novel feature based approaches, one of the most common MFCC and SVM framework is implemented and one of the most common database Berlin DB  is used to compare our novel approach with these kind of approaches.
Patterned perturbation of inhibition can reveal the dynamical structure of neural processing
Authors: Sadeh Sadra , Clopath Claudia
Published: February 2020

Perturbation of neuronal activity is key to understanding the brain’s functional properties, however, intervention studies typically perturb neurons in a nonspecific manner. Recent optogenetics techniques have enabled patterned perturbations, in which specific patterns of activity can be invoked in identified target neurons to reveal more specific cortical function. Here, we argue that patterned perturbation of neurons is in fact necessary to reveal the specific dynamics of inhibitory stabilization, emerging in cortical networks with strong excitatory and inhibitory functional subnetworks, as recently reported in mouse visual cortex. We propose a specific perturbative signature of these networks and investigate how this can be measured under different experimental conditions. Functionally, rapid spontaneous transitions between selective ensembles of neurons emerge in such networks, consistent with experimental results. Our study outlines the dynamical and functional properties of feature-specific inhibitory-stabilized networks, and suggests experimental protocols that can be used to detect them in the intact cortex.
Tailless/TLX reverts intermediate neural progenitors to stem cells driving tumourigenesis via repression of asense/ASCL1
Authors: Hakes Anna E , Brand Andrea H
Published: February 2020

Understanding the sequence of events leading to cancer relies in large part upon identifying the tumour cell of origin. Glioblastoma is the most malignant brain cancer but the early stages of disease progression remain elusive. Neural lineages have been implicated as cells of origin, as have glia. Interestingly, high levels of the neural stem cell regulator TLX correlate with poor patient prognosis. Here we show that high levels of the Drosophila TLX homologue, Tailless, initiate tumourigenesis by reverting intermediate neural progenitors to a stem cell state. Strikingly, we could block tumour formation completely by re-expressing Asense (homologue of human ASCL1), which we show is a direct target of Tailless. Our results predict that expression of TLX and ASCL1 should be mutually exclusive in glioblastoma, which was verified in single-cell RNA-seq of human glioblastoma samples. Counteracting high TLX is a potential therapeutic strategy for suppressing tumours originating from intermediate progenitor cells.
Mutantdlx3bdisturbs normal tooth mineralization and bone formation in zebrafish
Authors: Pang Liping , Zhang Zhichun , Shen Yan , Cheng Zhenchao , Gao Xuejun , Zhang Bo , Wang Xiaoyan , Tian Hua
Published: February 2020

Background

Tricho-dento-osseous (TDO) syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by anomalies in hair, teeth and bone (OMIM190320). Various mutations of Distal-Less 3 (DLX3) gene are found to be responsible for human TDO. The aim of this study was to investigate effects ofDLX3on tooth and bone development using a zebrafish model.

Methods

Thedlx3bmutant zebrafish lines were established using the gene targeting tool transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN). Micro-computed tomography was used to render the three-dimensional skeletal structures of mutant fishes. The pharyngeal bone along with connected teeth was isolated and stained by Alizarine Red S, then observed under stereomicroscope. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) were used to examine the tooth surface morphology and mineral composition. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to analyze gene expression.

Results

A moderate curvature of the spine toward the dorsal side was found at the early larval stages, appearing in 86 out of 100 larvae indlx3b-/-group as compared to 3 out of 99 in thedlx3b+/+group. At the adult stage, three of the thirtydlx3b-/-homozygotes exhibited prominent abnormal curvature in the spine. SEM revealed morphological surface changes in pharyngeal teeth enameloid, accompanied by a decrease in the mineral content detected by EDS. Furthermore, specific secretory calcium-binding phosphoprotein (SCPP) genes, includingodam,scpp9,spp1,scpp1, andscpp5were significantly downregulated indlx3bmutants.

Conclusion

The findings of this study suggest thatdlx3bis critical for enamel mineralization and bone formation in zebrafish. Moreover, the discovery of the downregulation of SCPP genes indlx3bmutants sheds new light on the molecular mechanisms underlying TDO syndrome.
SCelVis: exploratory single cell data analysis on the desktop and in the cloud
Authors: Obermayer Benedikt , Holtgrewe Manuel , Nieminen Mikko , Messerschmidt Clemens , Beule Dieter
Published: February 2020

Background

Single cell omics technologies present unique opportunities for biomedical and life sciences from lab to clinic, but the high dimensional nature of such data poses challenges for computational analysis and interpretation. Furthermore, FAIR data management as well as data privacy and security become crucial when working with clinical data, especially in cross-institutional and translational settings. Existing solutions are either bound to the desktop of one researcher or come with dependencies on vendor-specific technology for cloud storage or user authentication.

Results

To facilitate analysis and interpretation of single-cell data by users without bioinformatics expertise, we present SCelVis, a flexible, interactive and user-friendly app for web-based visualization of pre-processed single-cell data. Users can survey multiple interactive visualizations of their single cell expression data and cell annotation, define cell groups by filtering or manual selection and perform differential gene expression, and download raw or processed data for further offline analysis. SCelVis can be run both on the desktop and cloud systems, accepts input from local and various remote sources using standard and open protocols, and allows for hosting data in the cloud and locally. We test and validate our visualization using publicly available scRNA-seq data.

Methods

SCelVis is implemented in Python using Dash by Plotly. It is available as a standalone application as a Python package, via Conda/Bioconda and as a Docker image. All components are available as open source under the permissive MIT license and are based on open standards and interfaces, enabling further development and integration with third party pipelines and analysis components. The GitHub repository is https://github.com/bihealth/scelvis.
Structured Lipids and Health
Authors: Akoh Casimir C. , Pande Garima
Published: February 2020

Lipids play a pivotal role in human health, growth, and development. The application challenges presented by lipids in their natural form are overcome by production of customized lipids, called structured lipids (SLs). The changes in the triacylglycerol (TAG) molecular species alter their physicochemical as well as nutritional properties. Advances have been made in the area of SL synthesis and applications. Novel SLs enriched with different fatty acids (FAs) have been synthesized for a wide range of medicinal and nutritional applications. The amount of fat and its concentration, type, and stereospecificity of FAs is critical for its metabolism and bioavailability. The correlations of dietary lipids with different diseases and their importance in maintaining homeostasis and overall health are becoming increasingly clear with emerging studies. SLs are beneficial in chronic health conditions, enteral and parental nutrition, infant formulas, sports nutrition, and low calorie fats. This review focusses on the effects of SLs on various health aspects.
Conjugation of Virulence Plasmid in Clinical Klebsiella pneumoniae Strains through Formation of a Fusion Plasmid
Authors: Xie Miaomiao , Chen Kaichao , Ye Lianwei , Yang Xuemei , Xu Qi , Yang Chen , Dong Ning , Chan Edward Wai‐Chi , Sun Qiaoling , Shu Lingbin , Gu Danxia , Lin Xiaodong , Zhang Rong , Chen Sheng
Published: February 2020

The rapid dissemination of non‐conjugative virulence plasmids among non‐K1/K2 types of Klebsiella pneumoniae poses an unprecedented threat to human health, yet the underlying mechanisms governing dissemination of such plasmids is unclear. In this study, a novel 68 581 bp IncFIA plasmid is discovered that can be fused to a hypervirulence‐encoding plasmid to form a hybrid conjugative virulence plasmid in conjugation experiments; such fusion events involve homologous recombination between a 241 bp homologous region located in each of the two plasmids. The fusion hypervirulence‐encoding plasmid can be conjugated to both classic and blaKPC‐2‐bearing carbapenem‐resistant K. pneumoniae strains through conjugation, enabling such strains to acquire the ability to express the hypervirulence phenotype. Dissemination of this fusion virulence plasmid will impose an enormous burden on current efforts to control and treat infections caused by multidrug resistant and hypervirulent K. pneumoniae.
Autonomously Self‐Reporting Hard Coatings: Tracking the Temporal Oxidation Behavior of TiN by In Situ Sheet Resistance Measurements
Authors: Stelzer Bastian , Momma Markus , Schneider Jochen M.
Published: February 2020

Monitoring the structural health and integrity of coated components is of vital importance to increase their lifetime and the overall sustainability of the targeted applications. Here, the temporal oxidation behavior of TiN thin films is tracked using in situ sheet resistance measurements. Based on correlative film morphology, structure, and local composition data, it is evident that observed resistance changes are caused by oxidation of TiN. Thickness measurements of the remaining TiN under the oxide layer are in very good agreement with thicknesses deduced from in situ sheet resistance measurements. Hence, the in situ measured sheet resistance is an autonomous self‐reporting property useful for tracking the temporal oxidation behavior of TiN coatings.
Pd‐Catalyzed Annulation of β‐Iodovinyl Sulfones with 2‐Halophenols: A General Route for the Synthesis of 3‐Sulfonyl Benzofuran Derivatives
Authors: Reddy Raju Jannapu , Kumar Jangam Jagadesh , Kumari Arram Haritha , Krishna Gamidi Rama
Published: February 2020

The palladium‐catalyzed annulation between β‐iodovinyl sulfones and 2‐halophenols or 1‐bromo‐2‐naphthol or 2‐bromo‐3‐pyridinol is presented. The annulation process involving oxa‐Michael addition‐elimination and intramolecular Heck reaction leading to form 2,3‐disubstituted benzofurans (aryl benzofuryl sulfones) in good to high yields. The regioselective tandem construction of C−O and C−C bonds has been achieved with a variety of substitution patterns. Moreover, the tandem process is reliable at gram‐scale reactions and a plausible mechanism is also proposed.

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Ultrasensitive Multilayer MoS2‐Based Photodetector with Permanently Grounded Gate Effect
Authors: Naqi Muhammad , Kaniselvan Manasa , Choo Sooho , Han Gyuchull , Kang Sangjin , Kim Jeonghun , Yoon Youngki , Kim Sunkook
Published: February 2020

2D materials, specifically MoS2 semiconductors, have received tremendous attention for photo‐sensing applications due to their tunable bandgap and low noise levels. A unique photodetector using multilayer MoS2 as the semiconductor channel, in which the gate electrode of the device is permanently connected to the grounded source electrode to introduce rectification, is reported. The proposed grounded‐gate photodiode exhibits high photoresponsivity of 1.031 A W−1, excellent photodetectivity (>6 × 1010 jones), and highly stable rise/fall time response (100–200 ms) under illumination of visible light (at the wavelengths of 405, 532, and 638 nm). Numerical device simulations using quantum transport methods and photoconductive effects are used to explain the device operation. It is also suggested that the gate metal work function can be carefully chosen to increase the sensitivity of the grounded‐gate photodetector by suppressing the dark current. The grounded‐gate device proposed, owing to the properties of rectifying behavior, low contact resistance, consistent photoresponsivity, and linear sensitivity, provides a new platform for next‐generation applications in the field of electronics and optoelectronics.
Biochar improved sorghum germination and seedling growth under salinity stress
Authors: Ibrahim Muhi Eldeen Hussien , Ali Adam Yousif Adam , Elsiddig Aboagla Mohammed Ibrahim , Zhou Guisheng , Nimir Nimir Eltyb Ahmed , Ahmad Irshad , Suliman Mohamed Suliman Eltyeb , Elradi Safiya Babiker Mustafa , Salih Ebtehal Gabralla Ibrahim
Published: February 2020

Salinity is a growing problem worldwide, and techniques are needed to mitigate this problem. This study was conducted to determine if biochar (BC) can alleviate the adverse impacts of salinity stress on sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) seedling growth. Sorghum variety Kambal was sown in salinized soils at levels of 1.2, 3.1, and 7.3 dS m−1. The saline soils were treated with four BC rates of 0, 2, 4, and 8% (w/w). The test was a factorial design arranged as a completely randomized design with three replications. Seedling emergence percentage; root and shoot length; root and shoot dry weight; relative water content (RWC); and the activity of catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were affected by the interaction between salinity and BC. At the 7.3 dS m−1 salinity level, 2% BC increased seedling emergence percentage by 25.0% (P = .012). At the 7.3 dS m−1 salinity level, 4% BC level increased root and shoot length (P = .009) and RWC by 46.0, 28.0, and 19.8% respectively. At the 7.3 dS m−1 salinity level, 8% biochar decreased CAT by 50.6%. At the high salinity level, 4% BC decreased POD and SOD by 24.9 and 23.4%, respectively. Biochar amendment proved to be more useful to alleviate the effects of salinity on the seedling growth stage. These findings suggest that using BC in suitable amounts could mitigate the adverse effects of salinity, but excess BC application may have negative influences on seedling growth.
Duodenum metastatic adenocarcinoma of lung origin: A case report
Authors: Tsai Tsung‐Jung , Chen Tsung‐Hsien , Tung Chun‐Liang
Published: February 2020

Duodenal metastases from lung adenocarcinoma are extremely uncommon, and rarely produce symptoms. We report a case of duodenal metastasis from primary lung adenocarcinoma presented with history of gastroesophageal reflux disease, superficial gastritis, and chemotherapy‐related grade I fatigue. Tumor cells showed immunopositivity for cytokeratin‐7 (CK7), thyroid transcription factor 1, and immunonegativity for CK20, CDX2, and synaptophysin, supporting the diagnosis of metastatic adenocarcinoma of the lung origin.
Congenital heart disease in school children in Lagos, Nigeria: Prevalence and the diagnostic gap
Authors: Ekure Ekanem N. , Sokunbi Ogochukwu , Kalu Nnenna , Olusegun‐Joseph Akinsanya , Kushimo Oyewole , Amadi Casmir , Hassan Olayinka , Ikebudu Desmond , Onyia Sophia , Onwudiwe Chinonso , Nwankwo Victor , Akinwunmi Remi , Awusa Fukpode , Akere Zainab , Dele‐Salawu Olaolu , Ajayi Elizabeth , Ale Olagoke , Muoneke Dorothy , Muenke Maximillian , Kruszka Paul , Beaton Andrea , Sable Craig , Adeyemo Adebowale
Published: February 2020

Congenital heart disease (CHD) in low‐and‐middle income countries (LMIC) is often characterized by late presentation resulting from inadequate screening and healthcare access in these regions. Accurate estimates of the burden of CHD among school children are often lacking. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and distribution of CHD among school children in two communities (urban and semi‐urban) in south western Nigeria. Using clinical assessment and portable echocardiography, 4107 school children aged 5 years to 16 years in Lagos, Nigeria, were selected using a multistage sampling procedure and screened for CHD. Diagnosis of CHD was made after echocardiography. Children identified with CHD were referred to a tertiary hospital for appropriate cardiac care. The 4,107 children screened had a mean age of 11.3 ± 2.7 years and 53.7% were females. Twenty seven children had echocardiography‐confirmed CHD, representing a prevalence of CHD among school children in Lagos, Nigeria of 6.6 per 1000 children. Acyanotic CHD constituted 96.3% of detected cases. Two children diagnosed with CHD (Tetralogy of Fallot and severe pulmonary valve stenosis respectively) had successful intervention. The prevalence of previously undiagnosed CHD among school children in Lagos Nigeria is substantial and highlights gaps in the health care system and school health programs. Echocardiographic screening of school children provides an opportunity for missed early diagnosis and treatment of CHD and reduces the prevalence of first‐diagnosed CHD in adulthood. Therefore, focused clinical examination of school children followed by echocardiography is a strategy that could bridge this diagnostic and treatment gap in CHD.
Impact of deprescribing AChEIs on aggressive behaviors and antipsychotic prescribing
Authors: Niznik Joshua D. , Zhao Xinhua , He Meiqi , Aspinall Sherrie L. , Hanlon Joseph T. , Nace David , Thorpe Joshua M. , Thorpe Carolyn T.
Published: February 2020

Introduction

We evaluated the impact of deprescribing acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) on aggressive behaviors and incident antipsychotic use in nursing home (NH) residents with severe dementia.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study of Medicare claims, Part D, Minimum Data Set for NH residents aged 65+ with severe dementia receiving AChEIs in 2016. Aggressive behaviors were measured using the aggressive behavior scale (ABS; n = 30,788). Incident antipsychotic prescriptions were evaluated among antipsychotic non‐users (n = 25,188). Marginal structural models and inverse probability of treatment weights were used to evaluate associations of AChEI deprescribing and outcomes.

Results

The severity of aggressive behaviors was low at baseline (mean ABS = 0.5) and was not associated with deprescribing AChEIs (0.002 increase in ABS, P = .90). Incident antipsychotic prescribing occurred in 5.1% of residents and was less likely with AChEI deprescribing (adjusted odds ratio = 0.52 [0.40–0.68], P <.001]).

Discussion

Deprescribing AChEIs was not associated with a worsening of aggressive behaviors or incident antipsychotic prescriptions.
Conservation status of two endangered freshwater mussel species in Bavaria, Germany: Habitat quality, threats, and implications for conservation management
Authors: Stoeckl Katharina , Denic Marco , Geist Juergen
Published: February 2020

The freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera) and the thick‐shelled river mussel (Unio crassus) are relatively widespread across Europe, but are strongly declining and are now protected by the European Habitats Directive. In the course of this study, 20 pearl mussel and 14 thick‐shelled river mussel streams in Bavaria, Germany, were investigated.

The mussel populations were mapped to determine population size and age structure. For the assessment of habitat quality, host fish abundance and physicochemical parameters were investigated, e.g. substratum quality, water chemistry, redox potential, and turbidity. Furthermore, potential risks for the populations such as predation or river maintenance were also recorded and assessed.

The average population size and recruitment rates of M. margaritifera populations were lower than in U. crassus populations, with 3517 (2.2% juveniles) compared with 5566 (41.4% juveniles) individuals, respectively. On average, 22.3% of particles were smaller than 0.85 mm in diameter at M. margaritifera sites, whereas the mean proportion of fine particles at U. crassus sites was twice as high, at 41.3%. Other parameters such as redox potential or electric conductivity also indicated more favourable habitat conditions in M. margaritifera streams. Unio crassus seems to be less vulnerable to adverse substratum texture and increased nutrient levels than M. margaritifera.

The main threats for U. crassus were physical habitat destruction, predation by muskrat, or a lack of host fish, whereas M. margaritifera mainly suffered from siltation leading to a lack of oxygen supply to the interstitial zone, affecting recruitment. Consequently, conservation strategies need to be species‐specific and address stream‐specific reasons for decline. As a basis, accurate and comparable monitoring data are necessary, which implies the standardization of monitoring protocols.
Sex difference in the progression of manic symptoms during acute hospitalization: A prospective pilot study
Authors: Abulseoud Osama A. , Şenormancı Güliz , Şenormancı Ömer , Güçlü Oya , Schleyer Brooke , Camsari Ulas
Published: February 2020

Objectives

Acute mania is a serious medical condition that impacts men and women equally. Longtime presentation of manic symptoms is sex‐dependent; however, little is known about acute symptoms of mania. The objective of this study is to track and compare acute manic symptoms for sex differences during inpatient hospitalization.

Methods

All patients with bipolar mania admitted to a large university hospital between January and October 2017 were invited to participate in this longitudinal naturalistic follow‐up study. Manic (YMRS), depressive (MADRS), and psychotic (PAS) symptoms were tracked daily from admission to discharge.

Results

The total YMRS scores decreased significantly overtime (p < .0001) in both male (n = 34) and female (n = 23) patients (p = .7). However, male patients scored significantly higher in sexual interest (p = .01), disruptive and aggressive behavior (p = .01), and appearance (p < .001) while females had better insight into their illness (p = .01). Males and females received similar doses of lithium (p = .1), but males received significantly higher doses of valproic acid (VPA) in comparison with females (p = .003). However, plasma lithium and VPA concentrations at discharge were not significantly different between sexes.

Conclusion

Our results show sex differences in the progression of certain domains of manic symptoms in a cohort of 23 female and 34 male patients admitted to a large academic center in Turkey. Males, in this sample, exhibited more sexual interest, disruptive and aggressive behaviors, better grooming, and less insight compared to females. While these results are concordant with our preclinical findings and with anecdotal clinical observations, replication in larger samples is needed.
Isoniazid‐induced pellagra in a patient with Crohn's disease
Authors: Kchir Hela , Yacoub Haythem , Hassine Hajer , Maamouri Nadia
Published: February 2020

Isoniazid preventive therapy in malnourished patients with Crohn's disease has a potential of inducing pellagra but still a very rare situation. No cases of isoniazid‐induced pellagra in patients with Crohn's disease were reported in the literature. Pellagra can be easily treated if timely diagnosed.
New sensor fault detection and isolation strategy–based interval‐valued data
Authors: Harkat Mohamed Faouzi , Mansouri Majdi , Abodayeh Kamaleldin , Nounou Mohamed , Nounou Hazem
Published: February 2020

In this paper, a new data‐driven sensor fault detection and isolation (FDI) technique for interval‐valued data is developed. The developed approach merges the benefits of generalized likelihood ratio (GLR) with interval‐valued data and principal component analysis (PCA). This paper has three main contributions. The first contribution is to develop a criterion based on the variance of interval‐valued reconstruction error to select the number of principal components to be kept in the PCA model. Secondly, interval‐valued residuals are generated, and a new fault detection chart‐based GLR is developed. Lastly, an enhanced interval reconstruction approach for fault isolation is developed. The proposed strategy is applied for distillation column process monitoring and air quality monitoring network.
A cell type‐specific expression map of NCoR1 and SMRT transcriptional co‐repressors in the mouse brain
Authors: Iemolo Attilio , Montilla‐Perez Patricia , Lai I‐Chi , Meng Yinuo , Nolan Syreeta , Wen Junneng , Rusu Iulia , Dulcis Davide , Telese Francesca
Published: February 2020

The ability to rapidly change gene expression patterns is essential for differentiation, development, and functioning of the brain. Throughout development, or in response to environmental stimuli, gene expression patterns are tightly regulated by the dynamic interplay between transcription activators and repressors. Nuclear receptor corepressor 1 (NCoR1) and silencing mediator for retinoid or thyroid‐hormone receptors (SMRT) are the best characterized transcriptional co‐repressors from a molecular point of view. They mediate epigenetic silencing of gene expression in a wide range of developmental and homeostatic processes in many tissues, including the brain. For instance, NCoR1 and SMRT regulate neuronal stem cell proliferation and differentiation during brain development and they have been implicated in learning and memory. However, we still have a limited understanding of their regional and cell type‐specific expression in the brain. In this study, we used fluorescent immunohistochemistry to map their expression patterns throughout the adult mouse brain. Our findings reveal that NCoR1 and SMRT share an overall neuroanatomical distribution, and are detected in both excitatory and inhibitory neurons. However, we observed striking differences in their cell type‐specific expression in glial cells. Specifically, all oligodendrocytes express NCoR1, but only a subset express SMRT. In addition, NCoR1, but not SMRT, was detected in a subset of astrocytes and in the microglia. These novel observations are corroborated by single cell transcriptomics and emphasize how NCoR1 and SMRT may contribute to distinct biological functions, suggesting an exclusive role of NCoR1 in innate immune responses in the brain.