bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
JOINT WORKING IN A FRAGMENTED SYSTEM: CHALLENGES IN MATERNAL AND CHILD CARE PROVISION IN THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
Authors: Mahurkar Arnav
Published: October 2020

In policy documents worldwide, the issue of maternal and child mortality and morbidity is identified as an urgent health concern [SDGs, 2016]. The Integrated Child Delivery Service [ICDS] and National Health Mission [NHM] jointly attempt to address the issue of maternal and child health in India. On the ground, these programs are operationalized by the frontline workers of the two programs – the Accredited Social Health Activists [ASHAs], the Auxiliary Nursing Midwives [ANMs] and the Anganwadi Workers [AWWs]. The purpose of designing joint activities between the two programs is to integrate both the social and the medical aspects of health [Sharma, 2014]. However, while the two programs are designed to be compatible, coordination issues exist in their joint implementation [Kim et al., 2017; Prasad et al., 2012].  Currently, because of the allocation of additional responsibilities for the frontline workers, challenges for frontline workers have exacerbated [Indian Express, 2020]. In real terms, the increased problems in coordination in integrated care provision could potentially result in increased incidents of morbidity and mortality for this demographic. In this context, this article discusses and anticipates challenges for the frontline workers for providing maternal and child health in India.
KEANEKARAGAMAN JENIS BURUNG DI BERBAGAI TIPE HABITAT PERKEBUNAN KAKAO
Authors: Boinau Jamalia , Layuk Daud Sanda , Puspaningrum Dian
Published: October 2020

ABSTRAK Burung merupakan salah satu jenis satwa yang sangat terpengaruh keberadaannya akibat alih guna lahan hutan, terutama pada lahan-lahan monokultur seperti perkebunan kakao. Hilangnya pohon hutan dan tumbuhan semak, hilang pula tempat bersarang, berlindung dan mencari  makan bagi berbagai jenis burung. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui keanekaragaman dan kelimpahan jenis burung di berbagai tipe habitat yaitu kakao campuran, kakao tanpa naungan dan kakao tepi hutan. Penelitian ini menggunakan motedo titik hitung (point count). Pengamatan dilakukan pada pukul 06.00-09.00 WITA pagi hari dan 15.00-18.00 WITA pada sore hari. Semua burung yang tertlihat dan terdengar pada radius 200 m dihitung dan dicatat jenisnya. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukan keanekargaman jenis burung  pada seluruh areal masuk dalam kategori sedang yaitu H’= -2,60 dan kelimpahan 100.000 ind per ha dengan jumlah jenis sebanyak 67 dari 33 famili. Tidak ada perbedaan kemelimpahan antar tiga tipe habitat karena kesamaan vegetasi pada seluruh areal yang menjadi sumber pakan bagi beragai jenis burung dan juga jenis burung yang umum ditemukan. Indeks kesamaan jenis secara keseluruhan tidak mencapai 50% yang berarti indeks kesamaan jenis relatif rendah. Tidak ada perbedaan respon terhadap tiga tipe habitat yang berbeda, disebabkan karena tipa tipe habitat yang memiliki stuktur penyusun hutan dan vegetasi yang berbeda-beda.Kata Kunci: Burung, Habitat, Keanekaragaman.    ABSTRACKBird is one of animals which very influence their existence cause by the use of forest, especially on monoculture land such as cacao garden. Theloss of forest trees, bush, and nesting place, protection and food supply of many types of bird. This research aims at investigating the diversity and abundance bird in many habitat types such as cacao mixture, cacao without shade cacao and forest edge cacao. This research used point count method. The observation was conduct at 06.00-09.00 WITA Morning and 15.00-18.00 in the afternoon. Every bird which seen and heard on radius 200 m is counted and listed in every types. The findings reveals that the diversity of bird on type three is include in Medium category which is H’= -2,60 and abundance 100.000 ind/ha with total of type are 67 from 33 family. there is no difference of abundance between three types of habitat, because the similar vegetation i\on all area which become source of many types aof birds and general bird. index of type similarity  is not reach 50% which means index of relatively low species similarity. There is no difference response toward three types of different types of habitat, caused by types of habitat which has structure different forest compilers.Keywords: Birds, Habitat, Diversity.
Petite enfance: le nouvel agenda gouvernemental
Authors: Bernardi Iara , Lima Maria José Rocha
Published: October 2020

Les soins institutionnels aux jeunes enfants, tout au long de l’histoire du monde, de l’Amérique latine et du Brésil, ont présenté plusieurs conceptions sur leur fonction. La plupart de ces institutions n’étaient destinées qu’aux enfants pauvres. Toutefois, il est très récent de la mise en place d’une politique nationale pour la petite enfance, en tant qu’investissement pédagogique, social, dans la santé maternelle et infantile, économique et éducative, qui considère les enfants comme des sujets de droits et des citoyens dans le processus de développement. Ainsi, cet article vise à reconstituer la trajectoire de la nouvelle législation sur la petite enfance, qui oblige les gestionnaires et les professionnels de l’éducation, de l’aide sociale, de la santé, de la psy,chologie, de la psychiatrie dans tout le pays à adapter leurs activités aux normes établies par la loi. Cela dit, cette étude était fondée sur des preuves scientifiques; des arguments pédagogiques et juridiques ont été diffusés au Brésil au cours des trois dernières décennies, en particulier depuis la Constitution citoyenne de 1988, qui a favorisé l’évolution de la législation sur la petite enfance. Dans lequel il a été possible de constater que ce n’est qu’en 2006, avec la création du FUNDEB, que le financement de l’éducation de la petite enfance a été établi; en 2016, le Cadre juridique de la petite enfance a été sanctionné. Et en 2020, pour la première fois dans l’histoire, l’enfance a été mentionnée et incluse dans les annexes de treize lois des plans pluriannuels des entités fédérées brésiliennes, qui entrent en vigueur de 2021 à 2023.
SYSTEMATIZATION OF APPROACHES TO THE FORMAT AND INDICATORS OF INTEGRATED REPORTING FOR THE APPLICATION IN AUDIT
Authors: Konoplina O. , Mizik Y. , Chekh N.
Published: October 2020

The article is devoted to the issue of information disclosure in integrated reporting, its elements and key indicators for audit performance.
It is defined that the current requirements for the information base of enterprise management are beyond the financial statements and require data on economic, social and environmental aspects of activity. Non-financial reporting will be an effective tool for domestic and foreign policy of enterprises, which will be the basis for the development and implementation of strategic business projects. The system of public corporate reporting is aimed at satisfying the diverse information requests of stakeholders.
It is proved that financial reporting is currently the most important component of public corporate reporting in representing the efficiency of companies. However, stakeholders cannot be satisfied with just a portion of information from financial statements. It is determined that integrated (corporate) reporting combines the main sections of financial, tax, statistical, internal, social reporting. The structure of such reporting will depend on the needs of the management system and business model. The issue of integrated reporting formation is actualized. The existing approaches to the format of integrated reporting, as well as a set of indicators that are part of it, are analyzed and systematized. It is proved that the basis of information support of integrated reporting should be accounting, which will increase the reliability of its data and the level of confidence and will provide reliable information about the activities of the enterprise in the audit process. Therefore, it is proposed to ensure consistency between the indicators of financial and non-financial reporting, it is necessary to provide methodological and organizational improvements for the collection, registration, processing and systematization of information on social and environmental objects of accounting, expressed in monetary units.

Keywords: reporting, audit, integration, standardization, stakeholders.
Phase Transition, Dielectric Relaxation and Impedance Spectroscopy of Perovskite xBa0.95Sr0.05Tio3-(1‒X)BiFe0.9Sm0.1O3 Ceramics
Authors: Miah MJ , Mazumder SC , Hossain AKM Akther
Published: October 2020

Polycrystalline xBa0.95Sr0.05TiO3-(1‒x)BiFe0.9Sm0.1O3[xBST-(1‒x)BFSO] ceramics were synthesized. The structural phase transitions were studied and it was found that structure of the compound transformed from rhombohedral to cubic phase. The compound exhibited a dielectric anomaly in the vicinity of Néel temperature of BiFeO3 except for x = 0.25. Enhanced dielectric properties were noticed and this might be attributed to the reduction of oxygen vacancies. Studies of electrical conductivity over a wide temperature range showed that the ceramics behaved like a semiconductor with the negative temperature coefficient of resistance. Contribution of grains in conduction mechanism of the materials dominated and the grain resistance was found to be decreased with the increase in temperature. A Non-Debye type relaxation was seen in the material. The impedance data were re-plotted using the modulus formulae to avoid the ambiguity arising out of the presence of grain/grain boundary effect. Activation energy was found to be 0.18 to 0.33 eV in modulus study which was very close to complex impedance observation and it was implied that the charge carrier had the same energy barrier during the relaxation.

Bangladesh Journal of Physics, 27(1), 23-42, June 2020
Severe community-acquired pneumonia due to Streptococcus pyogenes in the Newcastle area
Authors: Wilson Paul A , Varadhan Hemalatha
Published: October 2020

Background
An apparent increase in the incidence of severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) caused by Streptococcus pyogenes (group A Streptococcus – GAS) was observed during 2017 in the Newcastle area. The study was undertaken to establish whether there was a true increase in severe S. pyogenes pneumonia and to explore its epidemiology and clinical features.
Methods
The study was a retrospective descriptive study of S. pyogenes pneumonia set in two tertiary referral hospitals in Newcastle, a large regional city, during the period 2007 to 2018. Subjects were adults identified as having S. pyogenes pneumonia by searching a database of severe CAP (defined as requiring intensive care unit [ICU] admission) for the period 2007–2018. Laboratory records were also searched for sterile site isolates of S. pyogenes to identify patients not requiring ICU admission.
Results
There were 13 cases of S. pyogenes CAP identified during the study period, of whom 12 (92%) required ICU admission. S. pyogenes accounted for 12/728 (1.6%) cases of severe CAP during the study period. The severity of S. pyogenes pneumonia was high despite a mean patient age of 48 years and 7/13 (54%) having no significant past medical history. The mortality rate was 2/13 (15%). Viral co-infection was found in 6/12 (50%) of patients tested. Overall 7/12 (58%) of the patients with severe S. pyogenes CAP during the study period presented in the winter or spring of 2017.
Conclusions
Streptococcus pyogenes is a rare cause of severe CAP in the Newcastle area, but there was a marked increase in frequency observed during the 2017 influenza season. Further study of the epidemiology of invasive GAS (iGAS) disease in Newcastle is warranted to identify emerging trends in this severe infection.
Up in the air: drone images reveal underestimation of entanglement rates in large rorqual whales
Authors: Ramp C , Gaspard D , Gavrilchuk K , Unger M , Schleimer A , Delarue J , Landry S , Sears R
Published: October 2020

Entanglement in fishing gear is a significant threat to many cetaceans. For the 2 largest species, the blue whaleBalaenoptera musculusand the fin whaleB. physalus, reports of entangled individuals are rare, leading to the assumption that entanglements are not common. Studies of interaction with fisheries in other species often rely on the presence of scars from previous entanglements. Here, scar detection rates were first examined in humpbackMegaptera novaeangliae, fin and blue whales using standard vessel-based photo-identification photographs collected between 2009 and 2016 in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada. We then examined aerial images of fin whales collected with a drone in 2018 and 2019 and compared both methods. Entanglement rates were 6.5% for fin and 13.1% for blue whales using photo-identification images of individuals. Prominent scarring was observed around the tail and caudal peduncle, visible only when animals lifted those body sections above water when diving. For the small subset of pictures which captured the entire caudal peduncle, entanglement rates ranged between 60% for blue and 80% for fin whales. This result was similar to the 85% entanglement rate estimated in humpback whales. The assessment of aerial-based photography yielded an entanglement rate of 44.1 to 54.7% in fin whales. Scars were always around the peduncle, often the tail, rarely the dorsal fin and never around the pectoral fins, while the mouth cannot be examined from above. Thus, in species that do not regularly expose their tail or peduncle, aerial imagery is the preferred method to quantify entanglement rates by assessment of scars.
Hypoxia-Induced Lipid Peroxidation in the Brain During Postnatal Ontogenesis
Authors: RAUCHOVÁ H. , VOKURKOVÁ M. , KOUDELOVÁ J.
Published: October 2020

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are common products of the physiological metabolic reactions, which are associated with cell signaling and with the pathogenesis of various nervous disorders. The brain tissue has the high rate of oxidative metabolic activity, high concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids in membrane lipids, presence of iron ions and low capacity of antioxidant enzymes, which makes the brain very susceptible to ROS action and lipid peroxidation formation. Membranes of brain cortex show a higher production of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) in prooxidant system (ADP.Fe3+/NADPH) than membranes from the heart or kidney. Lipid peroxidation influences numerous cellular functions through membrane-bound receptors or enzymes. The rate of brain cortex Na+,K+-ATPase inhibition correlates well with the increase of TBARS or conjugated dienes and with changes of membrane fluidity. The experimental model of short-term hypoxia (simulating an altitude of 9000 m for 30 min) shows remarkable increase in TBARS in four different parts of the rat brain (cortex, subcortical structures, cerebellum and medulla oblongata) during the postnatal development of Wistar rat of both sexes. Young rats and males are more sensitive to oxygen changes than adult rats and females, respectively. Under normoxia or hypobaric hypoxia both ontogenetic aspects and sex differences play a major role in establishing the activity of erythrocyte catalase, which is an important part of the antioxidant defense of the organism. Rats pretreated with L-carnitine (and its derivatives) have lower TBARS levels after the exposure to hypobaric hypoxia. The protective effect of L-carnitine is comparable with the effect of tocopherol, well-known reactive species scavenger. Moreover, the plasma lactate increases after a short-term hypobaric hypoxia and decreases in L-carnitine pretreated rats. Acute hypobaric hypoxia and/or L-carnitine-pretreatment modify serum but not brain lactate dehydrogenase activity. The obtained data seem to be important because the variations in oxygen tension represent specific signals of regulating the activity of many specific systems in the organism.
The Implementation of Grammarly In Error Analysis Implementasi Grammarly Dalam Error Analysis
Authors: Vidhiasi Dhion Meitreya , Haryani Haryani
Published: October 2020

English is still considered as a difficult thing to learn, both for students and teachers. That is because English is still regarded as a foreign language and is rarely used in daily conversation. The difficulty in mastering English is found not only in the speaking aspect but also in the writing element. In examining student writing (error analysis), lecturers at the Akademi Maritim Nusantara Cilacap used a program called Grammarly. This study aims to see the implementation of Grammarly in helping lecturers make Error Analysis. Researchers found that Grammarly was enough to help lecturers in conducting error analysis. Researchers then classify the types of errors found in student writing using Grammarly. From 7 (seven) student writings that were used as data sources in this study, there were 9 (nine) types of errors that were made in the writing of the seven students. The most common errors were errors with spelling (39%) and punctuation (40.3%). Although Grammarly is proven to help the work of lecturers in conducting Error Analysis, Grammarly still cannot find sentences that have errors semantically quickly.

 
Prospects for Reducing the Negative Anthropogenic Impact on the Environment as a Result of the Development of Renewable Energy in the Russian Regions
Authors: Dvinin D.
Published: October 2020

The publication analyzes the anthropogenic impact of renewable (alternative) energy on the environment by assessing its specific material intensity. A specific feature of alternative energy, there is practically no emissions and discharges into the environment, however, the construction of power plants and their operation can significantly change the existing material flows in the geographic shell of the Earth, which in the future inevitably leads to the degradation of natural geosystems. This requires the use of a special criterion for assessing the material intensity of the specified sector of the economy. To analyze the material intensity, the criterion of total Material Input – numbers was used, which allows the entire set of natural resources to be presented as a single value, and thus to compare the energy operating on fossil fuels and power plants of renewable energy. At this point in time, the share of alternative energy in the total energy balance of the country is small, amounting to 0.14%, however, a number of scenarios assume its significant increase in the future period of time. The study was based on a hypothetical scenario of complete replacement of traditional energy with alternative energy sources. It has been established that this will reduce the level of material intensity of the Russian energy sector by 6.93 times. In 31 Russian regions, this value will be higher than the national average, and the reduction in the specific material intensity of the industry will reach values from 7.00 to 32.67 times, which will significantly reduce the anthropogenic impact of this economic sector on natural geosystems. A particularly high effect is expected in the regions with developed coal energy and included in the Ural, Siberian and Far Eastern federal districts. The conclusion is that the replacement of traditional energy with alternative energy will significantly reduce the anthropogenic impact of this sector of the economy due to a decrease in material intensity.
Conciliation and Conflict in the Meccan and Medinan Qur'an: A Thematic Study of Suras 6 to 9
Authors: Fazaluddin Shafi
Published: October 2020

Despite its important social implications, the subject of conciliation in the Qur'an remains an under-researched field of study. This article focuses on the relationship between conciliation and conflict in Suras 6 to 9, a section of the muṣḥaf in which two Meccan suras are followed by two Medinan suras. In assessing the importance of conciliation in the Qur'an, this article considers its pervasiveness, manifestations, emphasis, and coherent thematic development. The analysis utilises two influential commentaries, the premodern Arabic exegesis by al-Rāzī (d. 606/1209) and the contemporary Urdu exegesis by Iṣlāḥī (d. 1997) which, taken together, provide complementary linguistic and structural insight. I will argue that conciliation is emphasised firstly in the Meccan component through the exemplars of prophetic restraint and divine mercy, and the central notion of iṣlāḥ. Iṣlāḥ forms the central axis around which equilibrium is maintained in the divine world order, a process of divine education in the form of revelation and prophetic instruction, which prevents and contains disputes. Secondly, Medinan injunctions highlight the importance of unity and the sanctity of maintaining peace treaties, thereby supporting the Qur'anic principle of non-compulsion in faith. In the course of analysis it becomes clear that, even during conflict (which is subject to extensive restrictions), conciliation remains of paramount importance.
Scientific Language in the Latin Qur'ans of Robert of Ketton and Mark of Toledo
Authors: Yolles Julian
Published: October 2020

This paper centres on the Latin translations of the Qur'an by Robert of Ketton (d. 1142–1143) and Mark of Toledo (d. 1209), as viewed within the context of their earlier translations of scientific works. In previous scholarship, the Latin Qur'ans of Robert of Ketton and Mark of Toledo have been studied with respect to linguistic features and considered separately from their translations of astrological and medical texts. This paper proposes to reunite these strands of translation activity by examining the ways in which scientific discourse influenced these Latin translations of the Qur'an. The paper demonstrates that the translators incorporated their scientific expertise into their translations of the Qur'an by employing terminology specific to their respective fields of astrology and medicine. On the basis of this new evidence, it is argued that Robert of Ketton sought to promote the study of astrology and astronomy, while Mark of Toledo's use of medical jargon formed part of a calculated polemical strategy in which he portrayed the spread of Islam as a disease to be treated by a physician.
COORDINATOR SIMULATION COMPUTER MODEL WORKING AS APART OF BIOMETRIC RECOGNITION SYSTEM
Authors: Akilin Gleb A. , Fedorov Vladimir А. , Gritskevich Evgeny V. , Zviagintseva Polina A.
Published: October 2020

Simulation computer model of an optoelectronic coordinate measurer for point objects is considered that is a part of the subject recognition system based on biometric features. The presented model allows you to virtually explore and analyze the processes of functioning of the coordinator, which ensures optimal coordination of parameters and characteristics of various parts of the device, as well as to choose the most effective algorithm for processing the resulting digital image by minimizing the error of measuring the coordinates of a single point object. The simulation is based on the Monte Carlo method of multiple statistical tests, which provides most accurate representation of noise processes that occur when receiving and converting optical information in the optical-electronic path of a coordinate device, since these processes, under solid equal conditions, make a decisive contribution to the final measurement error. The principles of the model are described and the results obtained are discussed, as well as the future development of the model and its application for solving problems of optimal system design of biometric recognition systems.
ASSESSMENT OF COMPLIANCE OF INFORMATION SECURITY MEANS ON SIGNIFICANT OBJECTS OF CRITICAL INFORMATION INFRASTRUCTURES OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Authors: Isaeva Julia A. , Goldobina Anastasiya S. , Nikulin Dmitry M.
Published: October 2020

The need to assess the compliance of information security means depends on the importance of the information, processed at the enterprise. The lack of specific requirements and criteria for conducting an assessment will cause the protection tools to function incorrectly this, in turn, will lead to unpredictable consequences, as well as to the disruption of the functioning of significant objects. Even with the changes made to the legislation of the Russian Federation, there is no specific algorithm for assessment the compliance of certain classes of security tools, such as DLP systems. This article describes the changes made to the legislation and how they will affect the compliance assessment process. The selected security profile, along with GOST 15408-2012, reveals such concepts as functional requirements of trust and security functions. Taking these regulations into account, it is possible to develop a method for conducting compliance assessment for DLP systems, which are an extremely important means of protecting against leaks of confidential information on significant objects of critical information infrastructures.
APPLICATION OF TERRESTRIAL PHOTOGRAMMETRIC SURVEY TO ANALIZE THE DEFORMATIONS OF BUILDINGS
Authors: Kutilova Lidiya , Chermoshentsev Alexander Yu.
Published: October 2020

The article is devoted to the use of terrestrial photogrammetric survey to analyze the deformation of the buildings. The experiment was carried out to take photographs of test object for which deformation of the brickwork was simulated. The offset value is determined using coded targets in Agisoft Metashape.The results make it possible to conclude that this technique provides high accuracy of determining coordinates and deformations.
Mind-Sets of Worried Citizens and the ‘Real-World Experiment’ of Covid-19: A Mind Genomics Cartography
Authors: Moskowitz Howard , Prendi Voltiza , Gere Attila , Harizi Ariola , Papajorgji Petraq
Published: October 2020

Two groups of 51 US respondents each evaluated combinations of statements about the problems and solutions that a country might face. The two studies were run a year apart, May 2019 (before the Covid-19 pandemic) and May 2020 (at the then current height of the pandemic). The problems and solutions were combined by experimental design, creating a unique set of 24 vignettes for each respondent. The responses to the vignettes (negative versus positive outcome, based on the vignette) were deconstructed to the contribution of each of the 16 elements (four problems, 12 solutions). Three mind-sets emerged, based on clustering the pattern of responses to the 16 elements from each of the 100 respondents: MS1–Startups, students; MS2–Change and Investment; MS3–Family social. Each mind-set shows a specific pattern of responses to problems, solutions, and the effect of Covid-19. The granularity afforded by Mind Genomics allows the researcher a new and profoundly deeper understanding of the mind of the citizen, opening a new area of psychological science. The three mind-sets distribute similarly through the population, requiring short intervention, the Personal Viewpoint Identifier, a set of six questions, the pattern of response to which assigns a new person to one of the three mind-sets.
On Multidimensional Congestion Games
Authors: Bilò Vittorio , Flammini Michele , Gallotti Vasco , Vinci Cosimo
Published: October 2020

We introduce multidimensional congestion games, that is, congestion games whose set of players is partitioned into d+1 clusters C0,C1,…,Cd. Players in C0 have full information about all the other participants in the game, while players in Ci, for any 1≤i≤d, have full information only about the members of C0∪Ci and are unaware of all the others. This model has at least two interesting applications: (i) it is a special case of graphical congestion games induced by an undirected social knowledge graph with independence number equal to d, and (ii) it represents scenarios in which players have a type and the level of competition they experience on a resource depends on their type and on the types of the other players using it. We focus on the case in which the cost function associated with each resource is affine and bound the price of anarchy and stability as a function of d with respect to two meaningful social cost functions and for both weighted and unweighted players. We also provide refined bounds for the special case of d=2 in presence of unweighted players.
Time Series Prediction with Artificial Neural Networks: An Analysis Using Brazilian Soybean Production
Authors: Abraham Emerson Rodolfo , Mendes dos Reis João Gilberto , Vendrametto Oduvaldo , Oliveira Costa Neto Pedro Luiz de , Carlo Toloi Rodrigo , Souza Aguinaldo Eduardo de , Oliveira Morais Marcos de
Published: October 2020

Food production to meet human demand has been a challenge to society. Nowadays, one of the main sources of feeding is soybean. Considering agriculture food crops, soybean is sixth by production volume and the fourth by both production area and economic value. The grain can be used directly to human consumption, but it is highly used as a source of protein for animal production that corresponds 75% of the total, or as oil and derived food products. Brazil and the US are the most important players responsible for more than 70% of world production. Therefore, a reliable forecasting is essential for decision-makers to plan adequate policies to this important commodity and to establish the necessary logistical resources. In this sense, this study aims to predict soybean harvest area, yield, and production using Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) and compare with classical methods of Time Series Analysis. To this end, we collected data from a time series (1961–2016) regarding soybean production in Brazil. The results reveal that ANN is the best approach to predict soybean harvest area and production while classical linear function remains more effective to predict soybean yield. Moreover, ANN presents as a reliable model to predict time series and can help the stakeholders to anticipate the world soybean offer.
Viability of Red (Ribes rubrum L.) and Black (Ribes nigrum L.) Currant Cuttings in Field Conditions after Cryopreservation in Vapors of Liquid Nitrogen
Authors: Verzhuk Vladimir , Pavlov Alexander , Novikova Liubov Yu. , Filipenko Galina
Published: October 2020

One of the prospective ways to safely preserve the genetic resources of red and black currant for breeding needs is the cryopreservation of cuttings with dormant buds. Vegetative cuttings of 12 varieties of red and 11 varieties of black currant were harvested in various regions of Russia: North, Northwest, and Central. Their viability after cryopreservation in nitrogen vapors (about −184 °C) under field conditions was studied. For red currant samples, it ranged from 61.2 ± 1.2% to 72.3 ± 3.0%, black currant—from 58.9 ± 1.1% to 73.5 ± 1.9%. In the group of red currant varieties, there were no significant differences in viability between varieties after cryopreservation. In the group of black currant varieties, “Chereshneva” and “Georgiy” had lower viability after storage in liquid nitrogen vapors than the others, 61.1% and 58.9%, respectively. On red currant, dry growing conditions of the experiment year significantly decreased the viability after cryopreservation. Neither black nor red currants revealed the influence of the place of harvesting on the survival of cuttings after cryopreservation. These results indicate the possibility of using cryopreservation to preserve cuttings of red and black currant with dormant buds collected in regions with different climatic environments.
Iodine Biofortification of Vegetables Could Improve Iodine Supplementation Status
Authors: Duborská Eva , Urík Martin , Šeda Martin
Published: October 2020

Iodine is an essential trace element for both humans and animals. It is essential to produce important hormones by the thyroid gland. In most inland areas, the soils are iodine deficient and its amount is insufficient to produce agricultural crops with adequate iodine content to cover the recommended daily intake. In connection with the occurrence of iodine deficiency disorders (IDDs), it has been the subject of intensive research in the past. However, following the introduction of iodized table salt in the food industry, problems related to IDD were not solved and studies on iodine mobility and bioavailability from soils are rare even today and have remained insufficiently investigated. In many countries, mainly in Europe, the prescription rate of medicaments used to treat goiter is still high. Thus, there are a considerable amount of studies looking for alternative methods for iodine supplementation in foodstuffs among the use of iodized table salt. In most cases, the subject of these studies are agricultural crops. This mini review presents the consequences of inadequate and excess iodine intake, the current status of iodine supplementation and the most recent alternative methods of the application of iodine in agriculture and its effect on the quality of used plant species.
Comparative Evaluation of qnrA, qnrB, and qnrS Genes in Enterobacteriaceae Ciprofloxacin-Resistant Cases, in Swine Units and a Hospital from Western Romania
Authors: Doma Alexandru O. , Popescu Roxana , Mitulețu Mihai , Muntean Delia , Dégi János , Boldea Marius V. , Radulov Isidora , Dumitrescu Eugenia , Muselin Florin , Puvača Nikola , Cristina Romeo T.
Published: October 2020

Excessive use of antimicrobials and inadequate infection control practices has turned antimicrobial resistance (AMR) into a global, public health peril. We studied the expression of qnrA, qnrB, and qnrS plasmid in ciprofloxacin (CIP)-resistant strains of Escherichia coli in swine and humans from Romania, using the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technique. Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing (AST) for human subjects (H) on 147 samples and 53 swine (S) was ascertained as well as the isolation of bacterial DNA (E. coli) as follows: bacteriolysis, DNA-binding, rinsing, elution, amplification, and nucleic acids’ migration and U.V. visualization stages. From 24 samples of E. coli resistant to CIP collected from H subjects and 15 from S, for PCR analysis, 15 H and 12 S were used, with DNA purity of 1.8. The statistically analyzed results using the Crosstabs function (IBM SPSS Statistics-Ver. 2.1.), revealed the qnrS (417 bp) gene in 13 human subjects (52.0%), as well as in all swine samples studied. The qnrB (526 bp) gene was exposed in 9 of the human patients (36.0%) and in all swine isolates, and the qnrA (516 bp) gene was observed only in 3 of the isolates obtained from human subjects (12.0%) and was not discovered in pigs (p > 0.05). The presence of plasmids qnrA, qnrB, and qnrS in the human samples and of qnrB and qnrS in swine, facilitates the survival of pathogens despite the CIP action. The long-term use of CIP could cause a boost in the prevalence of qnr resistance genes, and resistance in the pigs destined for slaughter, a perturbing fact for public health and the human consumer.
Dalbavancin in the Treatment of Bacteremia and Endocarditis in People with Barriers to Standard Care
Authors: Ajaka Leama , Heil Emily , Schmalzle Sarah
Published: October 2020

Introduction: Dalbavancin is an antibiotic administered by intravenous infusion weekly or bi-weekly and is currently FDA-approved only for treatment of skin and soft-tissue infections. It has shown promise, but is not considered the standard of care, for bacteremia and infective endocarditis (IE), which typically require outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy (OPAT) for prolonged durations. People who inject drugs (PWID) with bacteremia or IE are often perceived as having barriers to OPAT and standard daily-administered antibiotics, prompting off-label use of dalbavancin in this population. Methods: A retrospective review of adult patients receiving at least one dose of dalbavancin for bacteremia or IE was conducted between 1 November 2017 and 31 October 2019. Outcomes and reasons for use of dalbavancin were recorded, including specific barriers to standard therapy. Results: Stated reasons for dalbavancin use in the 18 patients identified included active injection drug use (50%), inability to arrange standard OPAT due to patient adherence or inability to place in skilled nursing facility (SNF) (22%), risk for additional infections or other morbidity with OPAT (22%), and patient preference (6%). In 11 patients (61%) SNF placement was not attempted due to behavioral issues or patient declination. There were five patients who did not complete their intended course of treatment (28%). At 90 days, eight patients (44%) achieved a clinical or biologic cure, six (33%) failed treatment, and four (22%) were lost to follow-up. Conclusion: Dalbavancin may have a role as salvage therapy in the treatment of IE and bacteremia in PWID who have significant barriers to standard treatment.
Antibiogram Profiles and Risk Factors for Multidrug Resistance of Salmonella enterica Recovered from Village Chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus Linnaeus) and Other Environmental Sources in the Central and Southern Peninsular Malaysia
Authors: Mohammed Jajere Saleh , Hassan Latiffah , Zakaria Zunita , Abu Jalila , Abdul Aziz Saleha
Published: October 2020

The emergence of multidrug resistance (MDR), including colistin resistance, among Enterobacteriaceae recovered from food animals poses a serious public health threat because of the potential transmission of these resistant variants to humans along the food chain. Village chickens or Ayam Kampung are free-range birds and are preferred by a growing number of consumers who consider these chickens to be organic and more wholesome. The current study investigates the antibiogram profiles of Salmonella isolates recovered from village chicken flocks in South-central Peninsular Malaysia. A total of 34 isolates belonging to eight serotypes isolated from village chickens were screened for resistance towards antimicrobials including colistin according to the WHO and OIE recommendations of critical antibiotics. S. Weltevreden accounted for 20.6% of total isolates, followed by serovars Typhimurium and Agona (17.6%). The majority of isolates (73.5%) demonstrated resistance to one or more antimicrobials. Eight isolates (23.5%) were resistant to ≥3 antimicrobial classes. Colistin resistance (minimum inhibitory concentrations: 4–16 mg/L) was detected among five isolates (14.7%), including S. Weltevreden, S. Albany, S. Typhimurium, and Salmonella spp. Univariable analysis of risk factors likely to influence the occurrence of MDR Salmonella revealed that the flock size, poultry production system, and use of antibiotics in the farm were not significantly (p > 0.05) associated with MDR Salmonella. The current study highlights that MDR Salmonella occur at a lower level in village chickens compared to that found in live commercial chickens. However, MDR remains a problem even among free-range chickens with minimal exposure to antibiotics.
Western Diet Causes Obesity-Induced Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Development by Differentially Compromising the Autophagic Response
Authors: Simoes Ines C. M. , Karkucinska-Wieckowska Agnieszka , Janikiewicz Justyna , Szymanska Sylwia , Pronicki Maciej , Dobrzyn Pawel , Dabrowski Michal , Dobrzyn Agnieszka , Oliveira Paulo J. , Zischka Hans , Potes Yaiza , Wieckowski Mariusz R.
Published: October 2020

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by the development of steatosis, which can ultimately compromise liver function. Mitochondria are key players in obesity-induced metabolic disorders; however, the distinct role of hypercaloric diet constituents in hepatic cellular oxidative stress and metabolism is unknown. Male mice were fed either a high-fat (HF) diet, a high-sucrose (HS) diet or a combined HF plus HS (HFHS) diet for 16 weeks. This study shows that hypercaloric diets caused steatosis; however, the HFHS diet induced severe fibrotic phenotype. At the mitochondrial level, lipidomic analysis showed an increased cardiolipin content for all tested diets. Despite this, no alterations were found in the coupling efficiency of oxidative phosphorylation and neither in mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation (FAO). Consistent with unchanged mitochondrial function, no alterations in mitochondrial-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant capacity were found. In contrast, the HF and HS diets caused lipid peroxidation and provoked altered antioxidant enzyme levels/activities in liver tissue. Our work provides evidence that hepatic oxidative damage may be caused by augmented levels of peroxisomes and consequently higher peroxisomal FAO-induced ROS in the early NAFLD stage. Hepatic damage is also associated with autophagic flux impairment, which was demonstrated to be diet-type dependent. The HS diet induced a reduction in autophagosomal formation, while the HF diet reduced levels of cathepsins. The accumulation of damaged organelles could instigate hepatocyte injuries and NAFLD progression.
Vitamin D Deficiency Induces Elevated Oxidative and Biomechanical Damage in Coronary Arterioles in Male Rats
Authors: Sziva Réka Eszter , Fontányi Zoltán , Pál Éva , Hadjadj Leila , Monori-Kiss Anna , Horváth Eszter Mária , Benkő Rita , Magyar Attila , Heinzlmann Andrea , Benyó Zoltán , Nádasy György L. , Várbíró Szabolcs
Published: October 2020

Background: Several reports prove interconnection between vitamin D (VD) deficiency and increased cardiovascular risk. Our aim was to investigate the effects of VD status on biomechanical and oxidative–nitrative (O–N) stress parameters of coronary arterioles in rats. Methods: 4-week-old male Wistar rats were divided into a control group (11 animals) with optimal VD supply (300 IU/kgbw/day) and a VD-deficient group (11 animals, <5 IU/kg/day). After 8 weeks, coronary arteriole segments were prepared. Geometrical, elastic, and biomechanical characteristics were measured by in vitro arteriography. O–N stress markers were investigated by immunohistochemistry. Results: Inner radius decreased; wall thickness and wall-thickness/lumen diameter ratio increased; tangential wall stress and elastic modulus were reduced in VD-deficient group. No difference could be found in wall-cross-sectional area, intima-media area %. While the elastic elements of the vessel wall decreased, the α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) immunostaining intensity showed no changes. Significant elevation was found in the lipid peroxidation marker of 4-hidroxy-2-nonenal (HNE), while other O–N stress markers staining intensity (poly(ADP)ribose, 3-nitrotyrosine) did not change. Conclusions: Inward eutrophic remodeling has developed. The potential background of these impairments may involve the initial change in oxidative damage markers (HNE). These mechanisms can contribute to the increased incidence of the cardiovascular diseases in VD deficiency.
Multicriteria Autonomous Vehicle Control at Non-Signalized Intersections
Authors: Mihály András , Farkas Zsófia , Gáspár Péter
Published: October 2020

The aim of the paper is to describe a multicriteria model predictive control method for autonomous vehicles at non-signalized intersections. The centralized controller aims to describe control action for each autonomous vehicle to guarantee collision free passage. At the same time, performances are defined for the centralized Model Predictive Controller, namely the minimization of traveling time and energy consumption. Since these control goals are often conflicting, a scheduling variable is introduced to create a balance between them. Hence, the centralized controller can be tuned based on the importance of each control goal, which can be useful in urban environment where traffic densities may vary heavily depending on the period of the day. The effectiveness of the proposed centralized multicriteria controller is demonstrated through a complex simulation example in CarSim simulation environment using different tpye of autonomous vehicles.
Bone Healing Evaluation Following Different Osteotomic Techniques in Animal Models: A Suitable Method for Clinical Insights
Authors: Anesi Alexandre , Di Bartolomeo Mattia , Pellacani Arrigo , Ferretti Marzia , Cavani Francesco , Salvatori Roberta , Nocini Riccardo , Palumbo Carla , Chiarini Luigi
Published: October 2020

Osteotomy is a common step in oncological, reconstructive, and trauma surgery. Drilling and elevated temperature during osteotomy produce thermal osteonecrosis. Heat and associated mechanical damage during osteotomy can impair bone healing, with consequent failure of fracture fixation or dental implants. Several ex vivo studies on animal bone were recently focused on heating production during osteotomy with conventional drill and piezoelectric devices, particularly in endosseous dental implant sites. The current literature on bone drilling and osteotomic surface analysis is here reviewed and the dynamics of bone healing after osteotomy with traditional and piezoelectric devices are discussed. Moreover, the methodologies involved in the experimental osteotomy and clinical studies are compared, focusing on ex vivo and in vivo findings.
Experimental Investigation on Glaze Ice Accretion and Its Influence on Aerodynamic Characteristics of Pipeline Suspension Bridges
Authors: Yu Haiyan , Xu Fuyou , Zhang Mingjie , Zhou Aoqiu
Published: October 2020

Pipeline suspension bridges may experience ice accretion under special atmospheric conditions, and the aerodynamic characteristics of the bridges may be modified by the ice accretion. Under some specific climatic conditions of freezing rain, the dependencies of the ice size and shape on the icing duration and some structural properties (including pipeline diameter, inclination angle of wind hanger, inclination angle and size of section steel, and girder geometry) were experimentally investigated in a refrigerated precipitation icing laboratory. Typical ice accretions on pipelines, wind hangers, section steels, and girders of pipeline suspension bridges are summarized. Then the effects of some selected ice accretions on aerodynamic force coefficients of a bridge girder were further investigated through wind tunnel tests. The ice size and shape on the pipeline were closely related to the pipeline diameter and icing duration. The engineering geometric models of ice accretion on pipelines were extracted. The ice shape and size on wind hangers and section steels changed with their inclination angles. The aerodynamic force coefficients of a girder with ice accretion were much higher than those of an ice-free one. The results can provide references for simulating the ice accretion and further evaluating the effect of ice accretion on the aerodynamics of pipeline suspension bridges.
Partial Retraining Substitute Model for Query-Limited Black-Box Attacks
Authors: Park Hosung , Ryu Gwonsang , Choi Daeseon
Published: October 2020

Black-box attacks against deep neural network (DNN) classifiers are receiving increasing attention because they represent a more practical approach in the real world than white box attacks. In black-box environments, adversaries have limited knowledge regarding the target model. This makes it difficult to estimate gradients for crafting adversarial examples, such that powerful white-box algorithms cannot be directly applied to black-box attacks. Therefore, a well-known black-box attack strategy creates local DNNs, called substitute models, to emulate the target model. The adversaries then craft adversarial examples using the substitute models instead of the unknown target model. The substitute models repeat the query process and are trained by observing labels from the target model’s responses to queries. However, emulating a target model usually requires numerous queries because new DNNs are trained from the beginning. In this study, we propose a new training method for substitute models to minimize the number of queries. We consider the number of queries as an important factor for practical black-box attacks because real-world systems often restrict queries for security and financial purposes. To decrease the number of queries, the proposed method does not emulate the entire target model and only adjusts the partial classification boundary based on a current attack. Furthermore, it does not use queries in the pre-training phase and creates queries only in the retraining phase. The experimental results indicate that the proposed method is effective in terms of the number of queries and attack success ratio against MNIST, VGGFace2, and ImageNet classifiers in query-limited black-box environments. Further, we demonstrate a black-box attack against a commercial classifier, Google AutoML Vision.