bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Approach to Screen COVID-19 Patients Using Diagnostic Kits: With Special Reference to Pakistan
Authors: Durrani Faiza , Zaheer Farhat
Published: April 2020

The World Health Organisation declared Covid-19 as a pandemic on 11th March 2020. The main approach to tackle Covid-19 worldwide is to screen and provide supportive care to patients. For screening purpose RT-qPCR based test are used as an initial detections assay. The test is expensive, time consuming and not suitable for mass scale screening/ confirmation requirement. A recent advancement is development of Immunoassay procedures (liquid Phase tests or bed side 10-20minute strip test). In order to help and accelerate bringing life to normal after lock down, Pakistan is in dire need to develop and adopt the immunoassay procedures for mass scale screening and confirmation of COVID-19 infection. It is cheap and easy to perform without a lab requirement.
Effect of Damage Caused by Site Materials on the Performance of Nonwoven Geotextiles Impregnated With Asphalt Emulsions Used on Paving
Authors: Lima Mateus A. , Lins da Silva Jefferson , Lopes Maria L. C.
Published: April 2020

A rehabilitation technique for asphalt pavements with geosynthetic is the application of impregnated nonwoven geotextiles between deteriorated and new asphalt overlays. The performance investigation of impregnated geotextiles proves that they are enhancing in mechanical and hydraulic properties. Although, the installation process may cause severe impacts on these materials’ performance. During the installation, the geotextile suffers damage due to the traffic of high load vehicles, as compactors and pavers, and the friction with granular materials found under its layer or poured above it. This paper aims to investigate how the damage caused by granular materials on nonwoven geotextiles impregnated with different asphalt emulsions effect on their strength resistance and permittivity. From two types of nonwoven geotextiles: polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate, the comparison uses geotextiles in three conditions: not impregnated, impregnated with asphalt emulsion of rapid setting, and impregnated with asphalt emulsion changed by an elastomeric polymer. Part of the samples followed the damage according to ISO 10722 procedure, placed between three different scenarios of granular materials, applying gravel, sand, and clay. After the damage process, the samples were submitted to mechanical and hydraulic properties evaluations.
The Structure of the Membrane Protein of SARS-CoV-2 Resembles the Sugar Transporter semiSWEET
Authors: Thomas Sunil
Published: April 2020

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the disease COVID-19 that has decimated the health and economy of our planet. The virus causes the disease not only in people but also in companion and wild animals. People with diabetes are at risk of the disease. As yet we do not know why the virus is highly successful in causing the pandemic within 3 months of its first report. The structural proteins of SARS include, membrane glycoprotein (M), envelope protein (E), nucleocapsid protein (N) and the spike protein (S). The structure and function of the most abundant structural protein of SARS-CoV-2, the membrane (M) glycoprotein is not fully understood. Using in silico analyses we determined the structure and potential function of the M protein. In silico analyses showed that the M protein of SARS-CoV-2 has a triple helix bundle, form a single 3-transmembrane domain (TM), and are homologous to the prokaryotic sugar transport protein semiSWEET. The advantage and role of sugar transporter like structures in viruses are unknown. If they are involved in energy metabolism, they may aid in the rapid proliferation and replication of the virus. Biological experiments should be performed to validate the presence and function of the semiSWEET sugar transporter.
PENGEMBANGAN INSTRUMEN PENILAIAN HASIL BELAJAR FISIKA KELAS X PADA MATERI HUKUM NEWTON DAN PENERAPANNYA BERDASARKAN KURIKULUM 2013
Authors: Martono Herman Ari , Suparmi Suparmi , Aminah Nonoh Siti
Published: April 2020

Tujuan penelitian dan pengembangan yaitu: (1) mengembangakan instrumen penilaian hasil belajar fisika SMA kelas X pada materi hukum Newton dan penerapannya berdasarkan kurikulum 2013, (2) mengetahui kualitas instrumen penilaian hasil belajar fisika SMA kelas X pada materi hukum Newton dan penerapannya berdasarkan kurikulum 2013, dan (3) mengetahui respon guru terhadap instrumen penilaian hasil belajar fisika SMA kelas X pada materi hukum Newton dan penerapannya berdasarkan kurikulum 2013. Metode penelitian dan pengembangan yang digunakan Research and Development (R&D). Model pengembangan perangkat pembelaajran yang disusun dalam penelitian ini mengacu pada jenis pengembangan ADDIE, yaitu yang meliputi (1) analysis, (2) design, (3) development, (4) implementation dan (5) evaluation. Hasil penelitian dan pengembanagn yaitu: (1) instrumen penilaian hasil belajar fisika SMA kelas X, (2) kualitas instrumen yang diperoleh dari hasil validasi yaitu (a) kevalidan RPP 3,90, (b) kevalidan LKS 3,752, dan (c) kevalidan instrumen pembelajaran 3,58 (3) respon guru terhadap instrumen penilaian hasil belajar fisika SMA kelas X pada materi hukum Newton berdasarkan kurikulum 2013 adalah 3,39
PENGARUH MODEL EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING TERHADAP EFIKASI DIRI DALAM PEMBANGUNAN BERKELANJUTAN PADA SISWA SMA DITINJAU DARI LETAK DAN STATUS SEKOLAH
Authors: Saktiyudha Revolusi Prajaningrat , Karyanto Puguh , Suciati Suciati
Published: April 2020

Penelitian bertujuan untuk mengetahui: (1) pengaruh model experiential learning terhadap efikasi diri dalam pembangunan berkelanjutan pada siswa di kawasan perkotaan dan kawasan perdesaan; (2) interaksi antara siswa pada kelas yang menerapkan model konvensional dengan metode praktikum dan kelas yang menerapkan model experiential learning dengan letak sekolah terhadap efikasi diri dalam pembangunan berkelanjutan; (3) interaksi antara siswa di sekolah kawasan perkotaan dan kawasan perdesaan dengan status sekolah terhadap efikasi diri dalam pembangunan berkelanjutan. Penelitian menggunakan metode eksperimen dengan desain faktorial 2×2×2. Populasi penelitian adalah siswa SMA kelas X di SMA N 3 Sukoharjo, SMA Veteran 1 Sukoharjo, SMA N 1 Bulu dan SMA Kristen Kalam Kudus Sukoharjo Tahun Pelajaran 2015/2016. Sampel terdiri dari 239 siswa SMA negeri dan swasta pada kawasan perkotaan dan perdesaan di kelas yang menggunakan model konvensional dan model experiential learning. Sampel dipilih melalui teknik cluster random sampling. Kelas X2, XA, X4, dan XD menggunakan model konvensional dan kelas X1, XB, X2, dan XB menggunakan model experiential learning. Data dikumpulkan dengan metode angket. Analisis data sesuai deskriptif kuantitatif menggunakan Uji Anova dengan taraf signifikansi 5%. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa rata-rata skor efikasi diri dalam pembangunan berkelanjutan siswa pada kawasan perkotaan adalah 59,63 dan pada kawasan perdesaan adalah 60,93. Kesimpulan penelitian adalah: (1) terdapat pengaruh model experiential learning terhadap efikasi diri dalam pembangunan berkelanjutan pada siswa di kawasan perkotaan dan kawasan perdesaan; (2) tidak terdapat interaksi antara siswa pada kelas yang menerapkan model konvensional dengan metode praktikum dan kelas yang menerapkan model experiential learning dengan letak sekolah terhadap efikasi diri dalam pembangunan berkelanjutan; dan (3) terdapat interaksi antara siswa di sekolah kawasan perkotaan dan kawasan perdesaan dengan status sekolah terhadap efikasi diri dalam pembangunan berkelanjutan.
PENGARUH PEMBELAJARAN POE (PREDICT OBSERVE EXPLAIN) MELALUI METODE EKSPERIMEN DAN DEMONSTRASI TERHADAP HASIL BELAJAR DITINJAU DARI KEMAMPUAN AWAL DAN KETERAMPILAN GENERIK SAINS SISWA
Authors: Muthmainah Siti , Masykuri Mohammad , Prayitno Baskoro Adi
Published: April 2020

The aims of this reasearch are to find out the influence of POE model through experiment and demonstration methods viewed by prior knowledge and generic science skill and the interaction of them to students’ cognitive, afective, and phsycomotor learning achievements on environment pollution subject. The population of this reseach was all students of the seventh grade of MTs PPMI Assalam Sukoharjo. The sample of this reseach was determined by using cluster random sampling and the result got two classes. Experiment class I (7C) used POE model with experiment method and experiment class II used POE model with demonstration method. Data collected technique used test to get students’ cognitive achievement, while observation sheets were used to get students’ affective and phsycomotor acievements, and test sheets were used to get students’ prior knowledge and generic science skill. Hypothesis was analyzed used ANAVA. The results of the research were as follow: There was influence of prior knowledge and generic science skill to the student cognitive achievement and also there was interaction between the POE model through experiment and demonstration methods, prior knowledge, and generic science skill to the students’ cognitive achievement.
PENGEMBANGAN MODUL FISIKA SMA BERBASIS SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY SOCIETY PADA MATERI ELASTISITAS UNTUK MENINGKATKAN MOTIVASI BELAJAR DAN HASIL BELAJAR SISWA
Authors: Dwisetyaningrum Yulia , Sarwanto Sarwanto , Aminah Nonoh Siti
Published: April 2020

Keberadaan modul fisika SMA yang mengaitkan konsep sains dan teknologi serta dampaknya ke masyarakat masih terbatas. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui karakteristik, mengukur kelayakan, dan mengukur peningkatan motivasi dan hasil belajar siswa pada penggunaan modul Fisika berbasis science technology society (STS) pada materi elastisitas. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian dan pengembangan (R&D) yang mengacu pada model Borg & Gall yang dimodifikasi menjadi lima langkah. Modul yang sudah melalui tahap validasi ahli, guru, dan teman sejawat kemudian diujicobakan secara luas kepada 29 siswa. Hasil analisis data penelitian menunjukkan: 1) karakteristik modul adalah modul dikemas dalam tampilan yang menarik dan mudah digunakan, modul dikemas dengan menyajikan materi secara utuh, kegiatan belajar dalam modul bersifat saintifik yang mendukung Kurikulum 2013, dan modul menyajikan materi yang adaptif dan visioner; 2) kelayakan modul dilihat dari penilaian ahli, guru, teman sejawat yang memiliki nilai rata-rata di atas nilai cut off score (89% > 88%) dan penilaian produk oleh siswa (84% > 83%) 3) Penggunaan modul Fisika SMA berbasis STS pada materi elastisitas dapat meningkatkan hasil belajar (n-gain kategori sedang) dan motivasi belajar siswa (n-gain kategori rendah) dan 79% siswa mencapai nilai Kriteria Ketuntasan Minimal (KKM).
PENGARUH MODEL PEMBELAJARAN PREDICT-OBSERVE-EXPLAIN (POE) DAN THINK-TALK-WRITE (TTW) TERHADAP HASIL BELAJAR BIOLOGI DITINJAU DARI KREATIVITAS DAN KEMAMPUAN BERPIKIR ANALITIS SISWA
Authors: Yuliansyah Rifad Nurma , Masykuri Mohammad , Karyanto Puguh
Published: April 2020

Penelitian ini menggunakan metode eksperimen. Populasi adalah semua siswa kelas XI SMA Negeri 1 Karangpandan tahun pelajaran 2016/2017. Sampel diambil menggunakan cluster random sampling sejumlah 2 kelas. Kelas XI IPA 2 diberi model pembelajaran dengan Predict-Observe-Explain (POE) dan kelas XI IPA 4 diberi model pembelajaran dengan Think-Talk-Write (TTW). Data dikumpulkan dengan menggunakan tes untuk hasil belajar siswa dan  kemampuan berpikir analitis, angket untuk kreativitas siswa, hipotesis diuji dengan uji anacova. Dari analisis data dapat disimpulkan bahwa: 1) ada pengaruh model Predict-Observe-Explain (POE) dan Think-Talk-Write (TTW) terhadap hasil belajar, 2) ada pengaruh   kreativitas tinggi  dan  rendah terhadap hasil belajar, 3) ada pengaruh kemampuan berpikir analisis tinggi dan rendah terhadap hasil belajar, 4) tidak ada interaksi model pembelajaran Think-Talk-Write (TTW) dan model pembelajaran Predict-Observe-Explain (POE) dengan kreativitas dikategorikan tinggi, rendah  terhadap hasil belajar, 5) tidak ada interaksi model pembelajaran Think-Talk-Write (TTW) dan model pembelajaran Predict-Observe-Explain (POE) dengan kemampuan berpikir analitis dikategorikan tinggi, rendah  terhadap hasil belajar, 6) ada interaksi   kreativitas dan kemampuan berpikir analitis dikategorikan tinggi, rendah  terhadap hasil belajar, 7) tidak ada interaksi model pembelajaran Think-Talk-Write (TTW) dan model pembelajaran Predict-Observe-Explain (POE) dengan kretivitas dan  kemampuan berpikir analitis dikategorikan tinggi, rendah  terhadap hasil belajar.
PENGEMBANGAN MODUL FISIKA BERBASIS LEARNING CYCLE 5E UNTUK MENINGKATKAN KEMAMPUAN BERPIKIR ANALITIS SISWA
Authors: Hannum Farida , Sukarmin Sukarmin , Cari Cari
Published: April 2020

Latar belakang penelitian ini adalah karena keterbatasan bahan ajar yang sesuai dengan kebutuhan pembelajaran bagi siswa dan guru. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk: (1) mendeskripsikan karakteristik modul pembelajaran fisika berbasis Learning Cycle 5E, (2) mengetahui kelayakan modul, (3) mengetahui efektivitas penggunaan modul terhadap kemampuan berpikir analitis dan hasil belajar siswa. Metode penelitian yang digunakan Research and Development (R&D) dengan model 4-D yang terdiri dari: (1) define, (2) design, (3) develop, dan (4) disseminate. Materi yang dikembangkan dalam modul adalah Fluida Statis yang diperuntukkan siswa SMA kelas XI IPA. Modul  yang dikembangkan divalidasi oleh ahli materi, ahli bahasa, ahli media, reviewer, dan peer review. Modul dikategorikan layak untuk implementasikan. Modul diujicobakan secara terbatas pada 12 siswa di SMA Negeri 2 Ngawi dan diperoleh hasil bahwa modul termasuk dalam kategori “Sangat Baik” menurut siswa. Modul diujicoba dalam skala besar pada siswa kelas XI SMA Negeri 2 Ngawi. Data yang diperoleh yaitu data kemampuan berpikir analitis dan hasil belajar. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian dan pengembangan disimpulkan bahwa: (1) karakteristik modul fisika yang dikembangkan berupa modul cetak materi fluida statis yang berbasis Learning Cycle 5E dengan tahapan engage, explore, explain, elaborate, dan evaluate dengan memunculkan indikator kemampuan berpikir analitis dalam setiap tahapannya yaitu menginterpretasi informasi, menggunakan konsep dalam pemecahan masalah, membuat dan mengevaluasi kesimpulan, serta memberikan alasan setiap jawaban, (2) modul pembelajaran fisika berbasis Learning Cycle 5E yang dikembangkan layak karena memenuhi kriteria nilai kelayakan berdasarkan Cut Off Score yaitu sebesar 87,32%, respon guru dalam tahap penyebaran sebesar 84,00% dalam kategori sangat baik, dan hasil angket respon modul oleh siswa sebesar 80,62% dalam kategori sangat baik, (3)  modul pembelajaran fisika berbasis Learning Cycle 5E efektif dalam meningkatkan  kemampuan berpikir analitis serta ketercapaian ketuntasan hasil belajar siswa. Nilai rata-rata kemampuan berpikir analitis siswa sebesar 0,41 yang termasuk kategori “Sedang”. Sedangkan rata-rata ketuntasan hasil belajar siswa sebesar 87,50% meningkat melampaui KKM.
PENGEMBANGAN MODUL IPA TERPADU UNTUK SMP/MTs BERBASIS PROBLEM BASED LEARNING (PBL) DENGAN TEMA FOTOSINTESIS UNTUK MENINGKATKAN KEMAMPUAN BERPIKIR KRITIS
Authors: Suparno Joko , Sunarno Widha , Ashadi Ashadi
Published: April 2020

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk: (1) mengetahui karakteristik produk modul IPA terpadu yang berbasis PBL dengan tema fotosintesis, (2) mengetahui kelayakan produk modul IPA terpadu berbasis PBL dengan tema fotosintesis, (3) mengetahui peningkatan kemampuan berpikir kritis siswa setelah menggunakan modul IPA terpadu berbasis PBL dengan tema fotosintesis. Penelitian ini merupakan Research and Development (R&D). Pengembangan dilakukan dengan mengacu pada model 4-D dengan tahapan Define, Design, Develop, dan Disseminate yang dikemukakan oleh Thiagarajan. Pengembangan modul ini dinilai berdasarkan kelayakan isi, penyajian, dan bahasa oleh dosen, guru, dan peer review. Berdasarkan validasi kelayakan isi, penyajian, dan bahasa modul kemudian diujicobakan kecil pada 9 siswa. Setelah  direvisi, modul diujicobakan ke kelas. Kemampuan berpikir kritis siswa dianalisis dengan uji nonparametrik dua sampel berhubungan dengan uji Wilcoxon menggunakan software PASW Statistic 18. Hasil penelitian ini adalah (1) modul IPA terpadu berbasis masalah dengan tema fotosintesis dikembangkan menggunakan komponen pembelajaran berbasis masalah dengan menggunakan model 4-D meliputi Define, Design, Develop, dan Disseminate, (2) kelayakan modul IPA terpadu berbasis masalah dengan tema fotosintesis yang dikembangkan berkategori baik berdasarkan penilaian dari ahli, praktisi, dan respon siswa, dan (3) kemampuan berpikir kritis siswa setelah mengikuti proses pembelajaran menggunakan modul IPA terpadu berbasis masalah dengan tema fotosintesis mengalami peningkatan (sig.0,000). Besarnya peningkatan dilihat dari gain score pada 4 aspek kemampuan berpikir kritis meliputi aspek kelancaran 0,43 (sedang), aspek keluwesan 0,30 (sedang), aspek keaslian 0.35 (sedang), dan aspek memperinci 0,33 (sedang).
PENGEMBANGAN MODUL IPA TERPADU BERBASIS KETERAMPILAN PROSES SAINS UNTUK MENINGKATKAN HASIL BELAJAR DAN KEMAMPUAN BERPIKIR KRITIS SISWA MATERI PENCEMARAN LINGKUNGAN KELAS VII SMP N 1 SUKOLILO
Authors: Sari Ratna Kumala , Sunarno Widha , Dwiastuti Sri
Published: April 2020

Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui karakteristik, keefektifan dan studi kelayakan untuk modul keterampilan proses sains yang terintegrasi dengan isu pencemaran lingkungan (SPSM-EP). Ini adalah penelitian dan pengembangan dengan studi kasus one-shot sebagai desain pra-eksperimental. Model Four-D (Thiagarajan, 1974) yang terdiri dari pendefinisian, perancangan, pengembangan dan diseminasi yang digunakan untuk pengembangan SPSM-EP. Penelitian dilakukan di SMP Negeri 1 Sukolilo dan data dikumpulkan dan dianalisis dengan deskripsi kualitatif kuantitatif. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa SPSM-EP memiliki kontribusi dan efektif untuk meningkatkan berpikir kritis siswa dan hasil belajar. Efektivitas SPSM-EP menunjukkan peningkatan berpikir kritis dan hasil belajar. Efektivitas SPSM-EP terhadap berpikir kritis siswa ditentukan oleh persentase siswa yang mencapai kriteria ketuntasan minimal tes berpikir kritis. Pikiran kritis siswa meningkat relatif tinggi dalam setiap aktivitas belajar dengan 77,57%, 83,83%, 93,45%. Efektivitas SPSM-EP terhadap hasil belajar siswa ditentukan oleh persentase siswa yang mencapai nilai kognitif, psikomotor dan hasil afektif. Hasil belajar siswa meningkat cukup tinggi yaitu 83,60%, 88%, 92% untuk kognitif, 86%, 92%, 92,2% untuk psikomotor dan 89%, 93%, 96% untuk hasil belajar afektif. Para ahli, teman sejawat, mahasiswa, pascasarjana dan guru sarjana bertekad untuk melakukan studi kelayakan untuk SPSM-EP. Para ahli melakukan studi kelayakan untuk SPSM-EP berdasarkan konten, desain dan bahasa. Hasil studi kelayakan dari para ahli adalah 92,5% untuk materi, 92% untuk desain dan 100% untuk bahasa. Hasil studi kelayakan dari teman sejawat, mahasiswa, pascasarjana dan sarjana adalah 96%, 98%, 96% dan 88%. Hasil studi kelayakan menunjukkan bahwa SPSM-EP layak untuk digunakan bagi siswa.
PEMBUATAN SEL BATERAI BERBASIS BAHAN ALAM MELALUI PEMBELAJARAN STEM
Authors: Setiawan A. M. , Nugraheni Dian , Munzil Munzil , Marsuki Muhammad Fajar , Husnayaini Nida , Hanifiyah Fitroh
Published: April 2020

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis bagaimana pembelajaran STEM dilaksanakan di dalam kelas dengan topik sel baterai berbasis bahan alam. Empat bidang keilmuan yang menjadi dasar dalam pembelajaran STEM seperti Science, Technology, Engineering, dan Mathematics, sangat cocok diterapkan pada topik ini. Bahan alam yang digunakan sebagai sumber energi listrik pengganti baterai yaitu lemon, apel, jeruk nipis, kentang, timun, dan tomat. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini yaitu metode deskriptif kualitatif. Implikasi dari hasil penelitian ini dapat memberikan kontribusi pengembangan pengajaran Sains melalui pembelajaran STEM.
PENINGKATAN KOMPETENSI MENIMBANG DENGAN NERACA ANALITIS MELALUI MODEL PEMBELAJARAN TEAM ASSISTED INDIVIDUALIZATION (TAI) PADA SISWA KELAS X KI A SMK NEGERI 2 SUKOHARJO SEMESTER 1 TAHUN PELAJARAN 2019/2020
Authors: Pangajuanto Teguh
Published: April 2020

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk meningkatkan : (1) aktivitas siswa dalam pembelajaran menimbang dengan neraca analitis (2) kompetensi menimbang dengan neraca analitis, (3) perubahan perilaku siswa yang menyertai peningkatan kompetensi melalui model pembelajaran Team Assisted Individualization (TAI) pada siswa Kelas X KI A SMK Negeri 2 Sukoharjo. Penelitian ini merupakan Penelitian Tindakan Kelas (PTK). Sebagai tindakannya adalah penerapan model pembelajaran Team Assisted Individualization pada materi penimbangan dengan neraca analitis. Penelitian dilaksanakan dalam dua siklus, dengan tiap siklus terdiri atas perencanaan, pelaksanaan tindakan, pengamatan dan refleksi. Subyek penelitian adalah siswa kelas X KI A SMK Negeri 2 Sukoharjo tahun pelajaran 2019/ 2020 . Sumber data berupa kegiatan pembelajaran, kolaborator dan dokumen. Data diperoleh melalui observasi, tes tertulis dan praktik, dan kajian dokumen. Teknik analisis data yang digunakan adalah analisis deskriptif kualitatif. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa penerapan model pembelajaran Team Assisted Individualization dapat meningkatkan aktivitas dan kompetensi siswa pada materi penimbangan dengan neraca analitis kelas X KI A SMK Negeri 2 Sukoharjo tahun pelajaran 2019/ 2020. Hal tersebut dapat dilihat dari aktivitas siswa yang semula terlalu lama menunggu giliran menimbang menjadi 100% siswa memperhatikan dan berlatih menimbang, serta terjadi peningkatan persentase ketercapaian aspek pengetahuan pada siklus I sebesar 85,20% menjadi 93,88% pada siklus II dan kompetensi aspek keterampilan seluruh(100%) siswa kompeten dengan tingkat ketercapaian 97,94%. Simpulan penelitian ini adalah penerapan model pembelajaran Team Assisted Individualization (TAI) dapat meningkatkan aktivitas, kompetensi dan perilaku siswa dalam penimbangan dengan neraca analitis kelas X KI A SMK Negeri 2 Sukoharjo.
THE CHIRONOMIDS (DIPTERA: CHIRONOMIDAE) OF SHALLOW LAKES OF THE HUMID PAMPA REGION, ARGENTINA: AN APPROACH TO PALEOPRODUCTIVITY RECONSTRUCTION
Authors: MONTES DE OCA FERNANDA , TONELLO MARCELA S. , MASSAFERRO JULIETA , PLASTANI M. SOFIA , LAPRIDA CECILIA
Published: April 2020

The Humid Pampa, center-east of Argentina, is the most important socio-economical area of the country. Several shallow lakes have been the focus of many studies due to the significant changes in their trophic status related to human activities and to global warming recorded since the beginning of the twentieth century. Although chironomids have been used extensively in paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental research, they are rarely used for paleoenvironmental reconstructions of the Pampean shallow lakes. The aim of this paper is to contribute to the knowledge of the chironmids' community composition and distribution in the Pampa region, and to relate their distribution to selected climatic and limnological variables. The ultimate goal is to retrieve new ecological information for future paleoenvironmental and paleoclimate reconstructions by using chironomid-based inference models. In this study, chironomids head capsules were collected from surface sediments from 17 shallow lakes of the Humid Pampa. Our analyses indicate that the chironomid assemblages reflect the decreasing NE-SW rainfall gradient of the region as well as the land use intensity, which in turn affects the aquatic ecosystems, in terms of lake productivity. Some chironomids are associated with brackish conditions (e.g., Chironomus, Ablabesmyia, Tanytarsini D2). Additionally the occurrence of assemblages of detritivore taxa such as Goeldochironomus, Chironomus, Polypedilum, and Dicrotendipes reflect the natural eutrophic state of Pampean shallow lakes, whereas assemblages mostly dominated by Coelotanypus, Procladius, and Chironomus are indicative of hypertrophic conditions, which are usually the result of human activity. This is the first study of chironomids from surface sediments from the central temperate plains of Argentina, and our records extend the ecological information of the Diptera in temperate areas. Although more studies are necessary to fully understand the main factors determining the chironomid fauna distribution in the Pampa region, we conclude that chironomids are potentially good proxies for paleoproductivity and salinity reconstructions of Pampean shallow lakes.
Feeding the Growing Appetite for Reality-Based Drilling Data
Authors: Rassenfoss Stephen
Published: April 2020

Drilling still depends on human judgment to solve many problems.

Some of the problems are big: How much volume is flowing out of the well, and how does that compare with how much was pumped in? These are critical measures for well control and efficient drilling.

Other observations are needed to improve the process. How well do the data coming to surface predict the wear on a drill bit?

And some problems are related to niggling details. There are few problems less compelling than coding the steps described in thousands of memos found in the daily drilling reports. But for those searching the reports to identify bits of wasted time, that information can be crucial.

This article discusses three innovations aimed at improving the data flows.

In Search of a Flowmeter That Is Sensitive but Tough

Drillers live with a worrisome question: How much fluid is actually flowing out of the well compared to what flowed in?

A growing rise in the fluid flowing out can signal a dangerous gas influx, increasing the volume of the outflow.

Accurate measures are needed to create a condition-monitoring system allowing a driller to more accurately assess what is coming out and to distinguish changes that are warnings signs from routine fluctuations during drilling, such as turning mud pumps off and on.

Eric Cayeux, chief scientist for the Norwegian Research Centre (NORCE), is working on filling a need for a “quantitative” measurement of the flow rate out of the well that is not influenced by mud mixing and treatment activities.”

The widely used tool he wants to replace is a paddle that moves up and down based on the flow rate—seemingly a low bar to clear. 

Cayeux describes paddles as “a very crude instrument which can only be used to give a gross indication of the flow rate” in a paper about his work at the NORCE (SPE 199661).

However, sometimes the indications are misleading. Paddles can get stuck when mud clogs the hinges. A change in the level may be due to a change in fluid properties rather than flow rate.

Fluid levels in return tanks are a measurable indication of the difference between flow in and out, but fluid transfers among mud pits can complicate the calculations, as can measuring fluid levels on moving offshore platforms.

On the input side, counting pump strokes offers a measure of how much fluid is pumped into the well, but the volume depends on pump efficiency, which drilling experts say varies.

There is one direct measurement tool for flow that offers quantitative results—a Coriolis mass flowmeter. It can directly measure the flow, but must be fully filled to work and requires a location below the flowline. Such a location can be hard to find, and particle buildups inside the flowmeter can lead to misleading results.
Improved Drilling Efficiencies Using Offline Cementing Saves Time, Reduces Costs
Authors: Carpenter Chris
Published: April 2020

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 196600, “Improved Drilling Efficiencies Using Offline Cementing Saves Days on Well and Reduces Costs,” by Samuel Van Meter, SPE, and Kristin Kutchak, SPE, Halliburton, and Habib Guerrero, SPE, Inflection Energy, prepared for the 2019 SPE Eastern Regional Meeting, Charleston, West Virginia, 15–17 October. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

Drilling in the Appalachian Basin in Pennsylvania has evolved since its inception. Operators have shifted their focus from mere wellbore delivery to delivering wells in the shortest amount of time to reduce risks and costs and drive efficiency. The complete paper presents a case study in which offline cementing improved operational efficiency by reducing drilling times and provided significant cost savings.

Introduction

For decades, the focus during drilling operations has been on achieving faster rate of penetration (ROP) and drilling time to reduce well costs. However, the significance of ROP improvement accounts for less than 25% of the full well-construction cycle. Many areas with possible efficiency gains have yet to be explored within the cycle.

When an operator began making plans to switch from traditional drilling (top-down drilling of surface through production sections, per well) to batch-set drilling (drilling all surface sections, followed by all intermediate sections, then all production sections), the service company proposed the offline cementing method as a cost-saving and efficiency-conscious measure.

Theory and Definitions

The concept of offline cementing itself is quite simple: The openhole section is drilled, and casing is run to total measured depth and hung in the wellhead. Then, the rig skids to the next well, begins rigging up, and drills the next openhole section. While the rig is preparing on the next well, the cement-service provider can perform operations on the previously drilled or cased well section.

Risks with this type of operation were assessed during pre-job planning. Multiple risk assessments were conducted on location before the onset of operations, and a job-site analysis (JSA) was also completed.

Pennsylvania state regulations dictate that, on surface and intermediate strings, cement must reach a compressive strength of 350 psi and a minimum static time of 8 hours before moving forward with operations after the primary operation. Because of this wait time, off-line cementing is ideal. Operators can skid the rig, leaving the cemented pipe to cure while rigging up on the next well. This helps increase efficiency by minimizing the nonproductive time (NPT) incurred during the 8-hour wait time.
Homoeolog expression bias and expression level dominance (ELD) in four tissues of natural allotetraploid Brassica napus
Authors: Li Mengdi , Wang Ruihua , Wu Xiaoming , Wang Jianbo
Published: April 2020

Background: Allopolyploidy is widespread in angiosperms, and they can coordinate two or more different genomes through genetic and epigenetic modifications to exhibit stronger vigor and adaptability. To explore the changes in homologous gene expression patterns in the natural allotetraploid Brassica napus (AnAnCnCn) relative to its two diploid progenitors, B. rapa (ArAr) and B. oleracea (CoCo), after approximately 7,500 years of domestication, the global gene pair expression patterns in four major tissues (stems, leaves, flowers and siliques) of these three species were analyzed using an RNA sequencing approach.Results: The results showed that the ‘transcriptomic shock’ phenomenon was alleviated in natural B. napus after approximately 7,500 years of natural domestication, and most differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in B. napus were downregulated relative to those in its two diploid progenitors. The KEGG analysis indicated that three pathways related to photosynthesis were enriched in both comparison groups (AnAnCnCn vs ArAr and AnAnCnCn vs CoCo), and these pathways were all downregulated in four tissues of B. napus. In addition, homoeolog expression bias and expression level dominance (ELD) in B. napus were thoroughly studied through analysis of expression levels of 27609 B. rapa-B. oleracea orthologous gene pairs. The overwhelming majority of gene pairs (an average of 86.7%) in B. napus maintained their expression pattern in two diploid progenitors, and approximately 78.1% of the gene pairs showed expression bias with a preference toward the A subgenome. Overall, an average of 48%, 29.7% and 22.3% homologous gene pairs exhibited additive expression, ELD and transgressive expression in B. napus, respectively. The ELD bias varies from tissue to tissue; specifically, more gene pairs in stems and siliques showed ELD-A, whereas the opposite was observed in leaves and flowers. More transgressive upregulation, rather than downregulation, was observed in gene pairs of B. napus.Conclusions: In general, these results may provide a comprehensive understanding of the changes in homologous gene expression patterns in natural B. napus after approximately 7,500 years of evolution and domestication and may enhance our understanding of allopolyploidy.
Early warning score validation methodologies and performance metrics: A systematic review
Authors: Fang Hao Sen Andrew , Lim Wan Tin , Tharmmambal Balakrishnan
Published: April 2020

Background Early warning scores (EWS) have been developed as clinical prognostication tools to identify acutely deteriorating patients. With recent advancements in machine learning, there has been a proliferation of studies that describe the development and validation of novel EWS. Systematic reviews of published studies which focus on evaluating performance of both well-established and novel EWS have shown conflicting conclusions. A possible reason for this is the lack of consistency in the validation methods used. In this review, we aim to examine the methodologies and performance metrics used in studies which describe EWS validation. Methods A systematic review of all eligible studies in the MEDLINE database from inception to 22-Feb-2019 was performed. Studies were eligible if they performed validation on at least one EWS and reported associations between EWS scores and mortality, intensive care unit (ICU) transfers, or cardiac arrest (CA) of adults within the inpatient setting. Two reviewers independently did a full-text review and performed data abstraction by using standardized data-worksheet based on the TRIPOD (Transparent reporting of a multivariable prediction model for individual prognosis or diagnosis) checklist. Meta-analysis was not performed due to heterogeneity. Results The key differences in validation methodologies identified were (1) validation population characteristics, (2) outcomes of interest, (3) case definition, intended time of use and aggregation methods, and (4) handling of missing values in the validation dataset. In terms of case definition, among the 34 eligible studies, 22 used the patient episode case definition while 10 used the observation set case definition, and 2 did the validation using both case definitions. Of those that used the patient episode case definition, 11 studies used a single point of time score to validate the EWS, most of which used the first recorded observation. There were also more than 10 different performance metrics reported among the studies. Conclusions Methodologies and performance metrics used in studies performing validation on EWS were not consistent hence making it difficult to interpret and compare EWS performance. Standardizing EWS validation methodology and reporting can potentially address this issue.
The potential of the incorporated collagen microspheres in alginate hydrogel as an engineered three-dimensional microenvironment to attenuate apoptosis in human pancreatic islets
Authors: Kaviani Maryam , Keshtkar Somayeh , Sarvestani Fatemeh Sabet , Azarpira Negar , Yaghobi Ramin , Aghdaei Mahdokht Hossein , Geramizadeh Bita , Esfandiari Elaheh , Shamsaeefar Alireza , Nikeghbalian Saman , Al-Abdullah Ismail H. , Karimi Mohammad Hossein , Motazedian Nasrin
Published: April 2020

Background: Tissue engineering is considered as a promising tool for remodeling the native cells microenvironment. In the present study, the effect of alginate hydrogel and collagen microspheres integrated with extracellular matrix components were evaluated in the decrement of apoptosis in human pancreatic islets. Methods: For three dimensional culture, the islets were encapsulated in collagen microspheres, containing laminin and collagen IV and embedded in alginate scaffold for one week. After that the islets were examined in terms of viability, apoptosis, genes and proteins expression including BAX, BCL2, active caspase-3, and insulin. Moreover, the islets function was evaluated through glucose-induced insulin and C-peptide secretion assay. In order to evaluate the structure of the scaffolds and the morphology of the pancreatic islets in three-dimensional microenvironments, we performed scanning electron microscopy. Results: Our findings showed that the designed hydrogel scaffolds significantly improved the islets viability using the reduction of activated caspase-3 and TUNEL positive cells. Conclusion: The reconstruction of the destructed matrix with alginate hydrogels and collagen microspheres might be an effective step to promote the culture of the islets.
Zeolite addition to improve biohydrogen production from dark fermentation of organic wastes
Authors: Silva Ana Rita M , Abreu Angela A , Salvador Andreia F , Alves Maria Madalena , Neves Isabel C , Pereira Maria Alcina
Published: April 2020

The authors have withdrawn this preprint due to author disagreement.
Mesenchymal stem cells accelerated growth and metastasis of neuroblastoma and preferentially homed towards both primary and metastatic lociin orthotopic neuroblasoma model
Authors: YU Jiao-Le , CHAN Shing , Chan Godfrey Chi Fung
Published: April 2020

Background
Majority of neuroblastoma patients develop metastatic disease at diagnosis and their prognosis is poor with current therapeutic approach. Major challenges are how to tackle the mechanisms responsible for tumorigenesis and metastasis. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) may be actively involved in the constitution of cancer microenvironment.
Methods
In our study, an orthotopic neuroblasoma murine model was utilized to mimic the actual scenario. Human neuroblastoma cell line SK-N-LP was transfected with luciferase gene, which were inoculated with/without MSCs into the adrenal area of SCID-beige mice. The growth and metastasis of neuroblastoma was observed by using Xenogen IVIS 100 in vivo imaging and evaluating gross tumors ex vivo. The homing of MSCs towards tumor was analyzed by tracing fluorescence signal tagged on MSCs using CRI maestroTM imaging system.
Results
hMSCs mixed with neuroblastoma cells significantly accelerated tumor growth and metastasis of neuroblastoma in vivo. hMSCs could be recruited by primary tumor and also become part of the metastatic loci. The metastatic potential was significantly reduced when hMSCs were pre-treated with stromal cell derived factor-1 (SDF-1) blocker, AMD3100, suggesting that the SDF-1/CXCR4 axis was a prime mover in the metastatic process.
Conclusions
MSCs accelerated and facilitated tumor formation, growth and metastasis. Furthermore, the homing propensity of MSCs towards both primary tumor and metastatic loci can also provide new therapeutic insights in utilizing bio-engineered MSCs as vehicles for targeted anti-cancer therapy against advanced cancers.
Improving Biomedical Named Entity Recognition with Syntactic Information
Authors: TIAN YUANHE , Shen Wang , Song Yan , Xia Fei , He Min , Li Kenli
Published: April 2020

Background Biomedical named entity recognition (BioNER) is an important task for understanding biomedical texts. The task can be challenging due to the lack of large-scale labeled training data and domain knowledge. Previous studies have shown that syntactic information can be useful for named entity recognition; however, most of them fail to weigh that information with respect to its contribution as they treat the syntactic information as gold reference. Results In this paper, we propose BioKMNER, a BioNER model for biomedical texts with key-value memory networks to incorporate syntactic information, which is extracted from syntactic structures automatically generated by existing toolkits. Our approach outperforms baselines without memories and achieves new state-of-the-art results on on four biomedical datasets compared with previous studies, i.e., 85.67% on BC2GM, 94.22% on BC5CDR-chemical, 90.11% on NCBI-diease, and 76.33% on Species-800. Conclusion Experimental results on four benchmark datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of our method, where the state-of-the-art performance is achieved on all of them.
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 and Pulmonary Tuberculosis Coinfection: Double Trouble
Authors: Singh Abhijeet , Gupta Ayush , Das Kamanashish
Published: April 2020

The ongoing pandemic of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has received worldwide attention by becoming a major global health threat. We encountered one case of COVID-19 and pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) coinfection which has not been frequently reported. A 76 year old female presented with acute respiratory symptoms superimposed on chronic symptoms, suggestive to have pneumonia. Oropharyngeal throat swab sample for COVID-19 was positive as detected by real-time reverse-transcriptase–polymerase-chain-reaction (RT-PCR) assay. GeneXpert Ultra detected Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex with Rifampicin resistance indeterminate. Patient was conservatively treated with appropriate management. Clinicians should suspect COVID-19 coinfection with pulmonary TB while treating during ongoing pandemic as therapeutic strategies need to be determined accordingly to improve outcome and prevent transmission in community.
Prognostic Value of Charlton’s Weighted Index of Capabilities Combined with Chronic Health Evaluation II Score in COVID-19：a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Qian Yali , Li Zhuo , Du Ziqiang , Zhu Yanfang , Miao Hongjun
Published: April 2020

Background: Since December 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread across the world. Age and underlying diseases have been reported as predictors of mortality in 2019-nCoV infection. Charlson's weighted index of comorbidities (WIC) and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) II are two frequently-used measures of comorbidity. In this study, we have assessed the performance of WIC and APACHE II in predicting the mortality of COVID-19 patients.Methods: A total of 76 adult patients with COVID-19 were admitted to a designated hospital in Huangshi province from 1 January 2020 to 29 February 2020. Clinical data including age, gender, underlying diseases, and hospital mortality were collected. The APACHE II and WIC scores were assessed within the first 24 hours of admission. Univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were used to compare the performance of WIC, APACHE II, and joint detection. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to predict the hospital mortality. Results: Of the 76 enrolled patients, 57 patients survived, and 19 died. The surviving patients had significantly lower WIC and APACHE II than the non-surviving patients (p-value < 0.05). The AUC for the hospital mortality was 0.814 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.705-0.923) of WIC, 0.854 (95% CI 0.705-0.956) of APACHE II and 0.891(95% CI 0.830-0.966) for the joint detection. The diagnostic value of the joint detection was found to be better than that of WIC (p-value= 0.002) or APACHE II (p-value = 0.042). Conclusions: The WIC and APACHE II scores might serve as independent determinants for the hospital mortality associated with COVID-19 patients. The combined use of WIC and APACHE II is more predictive than individuals．
The Relationship Between Neck Circumference and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in Iranian Pregnant Women
Authors: Barforoush Tahoora Sedighi , Ghadimi Reza , Pahlevan Zaynab , Ahmadi Niloufar , Delavar Mouloud Agajani
Published: April 2020

Background It is widely assumed that gestational diabetes is one of the most important causes of fetal and maternal and complications, and the predictive factors for this observation are not fully understood. Neck circumference could be deemed as a predictive factor for gestational diabetes. Thus, the aim of present study was to assess the relationship between neck circumference and gestational diabetes.Methods The study was conducted on 372 Iranian pregnant women. The criteria set by the American Diabetes Association through a 2-hour was used to classify subjects with regard to gestational diabetes. At 14–16 weeks of pregnancy, neck circumference was measured. The maternal and fetal outcomes were measured, too.Results Gestational diabetes mellitus was developed in 74 women in 24–28 weeks of pregnancy. Neck circumference at 14–16 of pregnancy age was found to be positively correlated with age (r = 0.18, P = ≤ 0.0001), pre-pregnancy weight (r = 0.45, P = ≤ 0.0001), body mass index (r = 0.46, P = ≤ 0.0001), and weight gain during pregnancy (r = 0.11, P = 0.031). The adjusted logistic regression revealed that neck circumference was a predictor for gestational diabetes mellitus (OR = 1.20; 95% CI = 1.06, 1.34; P = 0.002). The ROC analysis depicted that cut-off of neck circumference in indicating gestational diabetes was 34.3 cm, with the sensitivity of 53% and the specificity of 66%.Conclusion The finding of the present study indicated that a neck circumference ≥ 34.3 cm in Iranian pregnant women can provide as a predictor of gestational diabetes.
An in-depth analysis of the intestinal microbiome & metabolites of rats under high-altitude hypoxic-condition
Authors: Su Sicong , Liu Weili , Liang Yu , Qiu Zhigang , Wang Shang , Xue Bin , Li Chenyu , Zhao Chen , Zhang Xi , Yang Xiaobo , Wang Jingfeng , Shen Zhiqiang
Published: April 2020

Background

Under anoxic conditions, the body will undergo a series of changes to compensate for the low oxygen environment. Changes in gut microbes are an important part of this. Currently, there are relatively few studies on the changes of intestinal microorganisms and metabolites in the low-oxygen environment of plateau. This study employed a non-targeted metabolomics approach coupled with shotgun metagenomic sequencing to analysis the changes of intestinal microorganisms and metabolites in rats under hypoxic environment.
Results

Significant difference in biodiversity were observed. At the genus level, the relative abundance of Lactobacillus, Alistipes in the hypoxic cohort were significantly increased, while Flavonifractor, Faecalibacterium and Dorea were significantly decreased(P < 0.05). Non-targeted metabolomics analysis showed significant differences in 4 metabolic pathways (pyrimidine metabolism, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism, thyroid hormone synthesis) between T group and C group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, correlation analysis of metagenomic and metabolomic data sets showed that there was a certain relative quantitative relationship between some bacterial genera and differential metabolites.
Conclusions

Our results indicate that a plateau hypoxic environment can significantly alter the composition of intestinal microbes in the host.Compared with the plain control group, the relative increase of some bacteria genera was accompanied by the increase of related metabolites, suggesting that these bacteria genera and metabolites were closely related to the low-oxygen environment in the plateau.It provides a certain foundation for the next research.