bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“The Road Map” of the teacher’s pedagogical skills
Authors:   ЗОШ І – ІІІ ступенів № 32 м. Житомира, Yelenina Y.
Published: June 2019

In the article “The Road Map” of the teacher’s pedagogical skills the generalization table and expanded explanation of the driving force of the experience – systematics are presented. The key to success in achievement of pedagogical skills is tested multiple times by the staged organization – methodological system practice by M. Paltishev. Just in this cooperative process of objects’ activities – teachers and pupils – the understandable way to the choice of content, methods and means of teaching is created. Internal and external parts of pedagogical skill, time-limited thematical system of teaching are coexisted on each stage. A system approach to forming culture of knowledge is based on the authorial teaching practice which proves that Art contributes to efficiency of this process as a structural element and thanks to its purely artistic properties. The experience approaches dreams of every teacher to become a Master, to achieve harmony in his work. The approbation of given ways is an axample that conduces of creation of actions algorithm for realization by teacher his own educational system. Key words: staged organization-methodological system; time-limited thematical system of education; internal, external components of pedagogical skills; art; harmony.
Theoretical aspects of educational achievements diagnostics of future teachers in the United States of America
Authors:   Бердянський державний педагогічний університет, Yaroshchuk L.
Published: June 2019

The features of diagnostics of educational achievements of future teachers in modern pedagogy in the United States of America are analysed in the article . The article contains the analysis of the features of the future american teachers achievements in modern pedagogy in the USA. It is stated that oral exams are unaccepted in America. The tests orientated to the detection of the certain knowledge level of the particular program and the mastering of the program material take significant place in the process of the diagnostics of the knowledge quality level in the higher educational institutions of the United States of America. The evaluation of quality level of knowledge of the university students takes place on the basis of tests according to the 100 points system, in particular, every teacher has own criteria of evaluation and own requirements to the students that are represented in detail in a working program that deals with the summary and tasks of the program of higher educational establishment. Diagnostics of quality level of knowledge of students in the USA happens mainly with the help of computer and the students are estimated by the least dignity humiliation, by letters. After the finishing studying in a higher educational institution the American teachers who are beginners are obliged to get a license after passing tests of their basic skills, general knowledge and subject matter knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and subject – specific pedagogical knowledge. Criteria of selection of the students to higher pedagogical establishments are: certificate with high points which is available after secondary education test passing o of SAT or ACT, entrance examination. Rating and credit systems are the control forms and possibility to measure Grade Point Average – GPA of the student. Today the education system in the USA faces global changes: following the swift development of modern technologies, America prepares the new generation of professional on-line teachers . The article contains the most interesting student traditions that existed and still exist in order to attract good luck during the examinations. Stories of past student life told by the postgraduate student of the Binghamton university from the state New York deserve attention too. Thus, diagnostics of educational achievements of the future teachers in the USA concentrates attention of teacher not on the estimation shown in points, but on the necessity of the individual approach to every student, understanding of difficulties at mastering of educational material and its practical use. Key words: future teachers, knowledge, diagnostics, tests, estimation, academic achievement, students.
Complementary analysis of use potential and opportunities open on-line courses in the process of studying the discipline “Algorithms and Data Structure”
Authors:   Мелітопольський державний педагогічний університет  імені Богдана Хмельницького, Ibrahimova L.
Published: June 2019

The article is devoted to the analysis of the potential of the use of mass open online courses in the study of the discipline "Algorithms and data structures" in the process of training engineers-programmers and engineers-teachers in the specialty 122 "Computer Science". and 015.10 Vocational education (computer technology) in higher education institutions. Comparatively massive open online courses for the study of algorithms, in particular, Codecademy specialization "Data Structures and Algorithms", course EdX "Algorithms" and course Prometheus "Development and Analysis of Algorithms." The didactic possibilities of using MOOC Prometheus "Development and analysis of algorithms" in the course of studying the discipline "Algorithms and data structures" as additional material are discussed. The use of MOOC as an additional resource of Prometheus and the course "Development and analysis of algorithms" in the course of studying the discipline "Algorithms and Data Structure" in the training of future engineers-programmers will help form competencies such as: knowledge and skills to use the basic algorithms and data structures, the basic concepts of theoretical algorithms, computational issues, solvability and insolubility of mass problems, concepts of time and spatial complexity of algorithms in solving computational problems. It is concluded that the use of mass open online courses on discipline "Algorithms and data structure". At present, it is better to use MOOC as additional learning resources for students and teachers. Introducing these courses as an alternative or complement to individual parts of the training material has certain perspectives. This will diversify the learning process, deepen the knowledge of discipline and consider the practical implementation of algorithms. Keywords: mass open on-line course, program engineers, algorithms and data structure, resource, algorithms on graphs, data structure, algorithms.
The anisotropic structure of electro conductive leather studied by Van der Pauw method
Authors: Shabani Aulon , Hylli Majlinda , Kazani Ilda , Berberi Pellumb , Zavalani Orion , Guxho Genti
Published: June 2019

Determining the surface resistance of electro conductive refined natural leather materials is in the focus of
this paper. Natural leather samples are initially transformed to conductive by applying chemical treatment
process known as polymerization. Due to the existence of various techniques for measuring electrical resistance
of conductive materials, we are focused on measuring surface resistance by arranging four electrodes in the
edges of square leather samples, also known as Van der Pauw method. Improving the results accuracy, we
use a multi-variant electrode placement over the sample edges. The result is the average of all results gained
for different placements. Moreover, we use this electrode placement technique to analyse the anisotropy of
conductive samples. The results of this research provide important knowledge about leather chemical treatment
and its electrical proprieties.
A Fusion Protein Based on the Second Subunit of Hemagglutinin of Influenza A/H2N2 Viruses Provides Cross Immunity
Authors: Stepanova L. A. , Sergeeva M. V. , Shuklina M. A. , Shaldzhyan A. A. , Potapchuk M. V. , Korotkov A. V. , Tsybalova L. M.
Published: June 2019

Conserved fragments of the second subunit of hemagglutinin (HA2) are of great interest for the design of vaccine constructs that can provide protective immunity against influenza A viruses of different subtypes. A recombinant fusion protein, FlgMH, was constructed on the basis of flagellin and a highly conserved HA2 fragment (35-107) of influenza viruses of the subtype A/H2N2, containing B cell, CD4+ T cell, and CD8+ T cell epitopes. The native conformation of the HA2 fragment was partially preserved upon its attachment to the C-terminus of flagellin within the recombinant fusion protein FlgMH. FlgMH was shown to stimulate a mixed Th1/Th2 response of cross-reactive antibodies, which bind to influenza viruses of the first phylogenetic group (H1, H2, H5), to the target sequence as well as the induction of specific cytotoxic T cells (CD3+CD8+IFN+). Immunization with the recombinant protein protected animals from a lethal influenza infection. The developed FlgMH protein is a promising agent that may be included in an influenza vaccine with a wide spectrum of action which will be able to stimulate the T and B cell immune responses.
Lipid Transfer Proteins As Components of the Plant Innate Immune System: Structure, Functions, and Applications
Authors: Finkina E. I. , Melnikova D. N. , Bogdanov I. V. , Ovchinnikova T. V.
Published: June 2019

Among a variety of molecular factors of the plant innate immune system, small proteins that transfer lipids and exhibit a broad spectrum of biological activities are of particular interest. These are lipid transfer proteins (LTPs). LTPs are interesting to researchers for three main features. The first feature is the ability of plant LTPs to bind and transfer lipids, whereby these proteins got their name and were combined into one class. The second feature is that LTPs are defense proteins that are components of plant innate immunity. The third feature is that LTPs constitute one of the most clinically important classes of plant allergens. In this review, we summarize the available data on the plant LTP structure, biological properties, diversity of functions, mechanisms of action, and practical applications, emphasizing their role in plant physiology and their significance in human life.
A New Approach To the Diagnosis of Point Mutations in Native DNA Using Graphene Oxide
Authors: Kuznetsov A. A. , Maksimova N. R. , Kaimonov V. S. , Alexandrov G. N. , Smagulova S. A.
Published: June 2019

Development of new methods for the diagnosis of point mutations is a pressing issue. We have developed a new approach to the design of graphene oxide-based test systems for the diagnosis of point mutations in native DNA. This new approach is based on the use of graphene oxide for the adsorption and quenching of fluorescently labeled primers in a post-amplification PCR mixture followed by detection of fluorescently labeled PCR products. It is possible to detect fluorescently labelled amplicons in the presence of an excess of primers in a PCR product solution due to the different affinities of single-stranded and double-stranded DNA molecules to graphene oxide, as well as the ability of graphene oxide to act as a quencher of the fluorophores adsorbed on its surface. The new approach was tested by designing a graphene oxide-based test system for the DNA diagnosis of the point mutation associated with the development of the 3M syndrome in Yakuts. The developed approach enables one to design graphene oxide-based test systems suitable for the diagnosis of any point mutations in native DNA.
电子商务环境下顾客忠诚度的培养
Authors: 段 彦辉 , 段 宇轩
Published: June 2019

近年来,电子商务在我国乃至全球贸易市场上蓬勃发展,并已经融入到我们生活的各个角落。随着电子商务的快速发展,经济学中盛行的“二八定律”得到了很好的验正,很多经济学家认为,创造企业利润80%的这20%顾客就是企业客户忠诚度的真正价值所在。顾客是企业的真正源泉,在当今经济发展趋势下,建立和提高顾客忠诚度是企业生存和发展的根本所在,许多企业的管理经验和研究表明,开发一个新客户比维持一个老客户要付出更多的精力和成本。所以,培养顾客忠诚度将是企业获得成功的法宝。
高水平校建设背景下高职院校内涵建设的探索
Authors: 吴 子宜
Published: June 2019

《高等职业教育创新发展行动计划(2015-2018年)》和《职业院校管理水平提升行动计划(2015-2018年)》提出了建设中国特色高水平高职院校的说法,各省也纷纷开展了高水平高职院校的建设项目。然而在示范校骨干校建设完成,高水平校建设方兴未艾之际,高职院校的内涵建设何去何从,成为了高职教育者们最关心的问题之一。本文就高水平校建设背景下高职院校的内涵建设进行了探索,并提出了观点。
职业技能竞赛现状分析
Authors: 裴 忠贵 , 李 玮 , 徐 登
Published: June 2019

职业技能竞赛是发展职业教育的一个重要手段,其影响力与日俱增,参与的院校几乎覆盖全国所有地区,参加的选手数以万计。在这样的背景形势下,我们有必要对职业技能竞赛进行一番审视,用诊断的眼光去发现存在的问题,并帮助其解决问题,往更好的方向发展,为我国的教育事业做出更大的贡献。
学生学习高等数学困难原因调查分析-----以甘肃有色冶金职业技术学院为例
Authors: 丁 建华 , 杨 吉亮
Published: June 2019

本文对地方高职院校学生学习《高等数学》的状况进行问卷调查,通过数据分析找出学习《高等数学》的主要困难原因,并提出相应的后续教学改进办法。
基于微信公众平台的高校党建应用研究与实践
Authors: 肖 巧玲 , 刘 倍雄 , 骆 金维 , 曾 德生 , 许 洁铭
Published: June 2019

在“互联网+”时代,应用好新媒体新技术成为高校党建工作的新命题。本文探讨了当前高职院校党建工作面临的挑战,探索利用新媒体微信公众平台服务党建的工作路径,并对公众平台进行了详细的设计,着重讨论和实践了提升党建平台科学化和实效性的应用策略,取得了良好的党建宣传效果。
新时代高职思想政治教育机制创新研究
Authors: 遆 永娟
Published: June 2019

随着社会的发展和时代的变迁,高职院校在思政教育工作方面也遇到了诸多的新问题和新困难。为此,要对高职院校思想政治教育的创新机制做深入的了解和探讨,才能够进一步改进和完善高职思政教育,提升思想政治教育水平,增强思政教育的实效性。本文简要讨论了高职思政教育中遇到的问题及其成因,并对机制创新进行了探讨。
干部培训工作中的大数据管理
Authors: 辛 芃堃
Published: June 2019

大数据是当前热议的话题,但各方面对大数据的理解还存在一定差异。在大数据时代企业首先需要清楚认识大数据的产生背景、现状和大数据时代的发展趋势,才能把握机会、提高企业竞争力。大数据和云计算等信息概念普及的程度越来越高,这就促动着企业内部的人力资源管理部门要充分抓住机遇,将这些新型的技术运用到企业中来,从而更好的促进员工培训信息化的创新与变革。
浅析乡村振兴背景下的浙江乡村旅游人力资源开发与管理
Authors: 黄 志鹏
Published: June 2019

乡村振兴战略是党和国家政府实施的重要战略部署,乡村旅游作为国家乡村振兴战略的重要实践,在乡村振兴过程中有着极其重要的意义。浙江省委省政府以乡村振兴战略实施为契机,提出“万村景区化”建设工作要求,是新农村建设、美丽乡村建设和全域旅游发展的升级版,因此,在乡村振兴的大背景下,开展对浙江省乡村旅游人力资源开发的研究,显得尤为重要。
中学体育教学中有效提高学生身体素质的策略和方法
Authors: 杨 波
Published: June 2019

本文明确“健康第一”指导思想、指导学生养成自主锻炼习惯、构建多元化的体育活动氛围、强化体育课前准备活动开展、创新初中体育课程教学方法、尊重个体差异实施分层教学、提高初中生运动速度与耐力几方面重点探讨初中体育教学中有效提高学生身体素质的策略和方法,旨在通过本文研究为初中体育一线教师提供一定的借鉴参考,高效完成初中体育课程教学目标,培养学生“终身体育”观念,为初中生的全面发展奠定基础。
思政慕课在高校中推广现状分析
Authors: 尹 余萌
Published: June 2019

随着新时代数字化和思政慕课化的普及,智能手机等电子产品已经成为思想政治教育实施和传播的新载体,并在高校课程中逐步形成了新式思想政治教育的慕课体系,并逐渐成为热潮。因此,基于当前高校思政慕课研究的基础及在学生工作中发现的问题,本课题将对此进行研究和分析。
应用技术型大学和军队学历教育院校对比分析
Authors: 李 晓锋
Published: June 2019

通过对军队学历教育院校和应用技术型大学之间的对比分析,我们可以发现军队学历教育院校几十年建设发展的经验,对应用技术型大学的建设发展具有很强的借鉴意义,特别是对于应用技术型大学尽快夯实办学基础,快速提高办学能力,更好的服务国家产业发展需要等方面具有很高的参考借鉴价值。
高职院校信息技术类教师职业倦怠现状研究与思考
Authors: 张 林红
Published: June 2019

高职教师是我国教师队伍中的重要组成部分,也是职业倦怠的高发人群,特别是信息技术类教师。由于信息技术的高速发展和专业的特殊性,高职院校的信息技术类教师承受的压力更大,从而更易产生职业倦怠。本文通过对高职信息技术类教师职业倦怠原因进行分析,提出相应的职业倦怠解决对策。
学生体育运动损伤的处理与预防研究
Authors: 肖 李 , 李 波
Published: June 2019

近些年随着生活水平不断提高,人们的物质和精神生活越来越丰富,然而身体素质方面却不太理想。特别对于高校学生而言,虽然各大高校不断开展各项体育运动来增强学生身体锻炼的意识,并取得一定的成效,但在学生进行体育运动时,运动损伤等突发事件仍然不断增加。因此,为减轻和避免高校学生体育锻炼中此类安全事故的发生,本文就学生体育运动损伤的处理与预防方面进行研究。
高校民族学生坚定文化自信的路径研究
Authors: 钱 长浩
Published: June 2019

随着经济发展社会进步,越来越多的民族学生走进内地高校,推动民族融合发展。文化自信对于高校民族学生的培养具有重要意义,但是多数高校民族学生存在对文化自信认识不足、坚定文化自信的方式不实、对舶来文化的辨识能力不强等问题。为解决以上问题,笔者从高校思想政治工作的角度出发,提出建立正确培养方式、提高思想政治工作的针对性和实效性、拓宽文化传播渠道的建议。
Evidentiality across age and gender: a corpus-based study of variation in spoken British English
Authors: Berglind Söderqvist Erika
Published: June 2019

This paper investigates the effects of age and gender on the frequency of the evidentiality categories ‘sensory’, ‘hearsay’ and ‘inferential’ in spontaneous spoken British English. The findings from the main data sample from the British National Corpus (BNC) are also compared to patterns in a smaller data set from the Diachronic Corpus of Present-day Spoken English (DCPSE) in order to estimate the relative effects of age-grading versus historical change. The results confirm statistically significant differences between men and women in their use of evidentiality, but show no significant effect of age or the interaction of age and gender. The comparison of the findings from the BNC data and the DCPSE data suggests that age-related patterns in evidentiality use are more diachronically stable than gender-related patterns.
The Relationship Between Health Literacy and Patient Participation in Medical Decision Making Among Breast Cancer Patients
Authors: Yadollahi Mahnaz , Siavashi Elham , Mostaghim Somayeh
Published: June 2019

Background: Patient participation in medical decisions is essential and requires sufficient knowledge and awareness. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between health literacy and the participation of breast cancer patients in their medical decisions in Shiraz, Iran.

Methods: This was a descriptive-analytical study conducted on 196 women with breast cancer in 2016-2017. Data were collected using the standardized Health Literacy for Iranian Adults (HELIA) and the Decisional Conflict Scale. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential methods (t test, Pearson correlation, ANOVA, and Kruskal-Wallis) on SPSS 21.

Results: The mean age of participants was 46.7 years. Their health literacy was inadequate (18.7) and their decisional conflict was average (51.79). There was also an inverse and significant relationship between health literacy and decisional conflict (P < 0.001, r = -0.81)

Conclusion: Increasing health literacy could reduce decisional conflict. It requires training individuals be able to access credible and reliable sources of information. This training can be provided through doctors, treatment staff, and public and social media.
Twitter y el desastre de Salgar (Colombia, 2015); espacio virtual, gestión del riesgo y solidaridad
Authors: Felipe Giraldo Andrés , Hermelin Daniel
Published: June 2019

En este artículo se presenta el resultado del análisis de la participación y la interacción de usuarios y organizaciones en Twitter en el contexto de un desastre. El estudio se realiza en el centro de la ciudad de Salgar (Colombia), que tuvo lugar en mayo de 2015, el cual fue ampliamente reconocido en los medios de comunicación. A partir de la actividad en Twitter de los distintos actores, se trata de una obra de la construcción colectiva del evento, y se rastrea la posición se asume se los usuarios de la red social se abren las cuentas y el siniestro en general, se trata La imagen se realiza. Es privilegiada y qué posición fue asumida ante la desgracia del prójimo a través de la mediación digital.
Minificción en Colombia. Aportes de Guillermo Bustamante Zamudio
Authors: Rafael Illas Ramírez Wilfredo José
Published: June 2019

Comprender el desarrollo de la minifcción en Colombia, implicado en muchos nombres, no solo en sí mismo, consagrado en la producción literaria, sino en su género para el tema emergente. difusión Estos son los rasgos que más se han definido en el interés literario de Guillermo Bustamante, se ha constituido en su aporte más significativo a la evolución del género en Colombia y, por supuesto, en Latinoamérica. Junto a ello, sus universos narrativos exploran las áreas de ironía, humor, juego y parodia que se basan en la construcción de abismos en miniatura caracterizados por el absurdo, la fragmentariedad y el trasgresor.
Analisis Pemekaran Kecamatan Lamboya Kabupaten Sumba Barat
Authors: Rohmadin Sulthon
Published: June 2019

Abstrak 

Tulisan ini menjelaskan tentang kemungkinan kelayakan pemekaran Kecamatan Lamboya Kabupaten Sumba Barat berdasarkan PP No. 19 Tahun 2008 tentang Kecamatan. Analisis kelayakan pemekaran Kecamatan Lamboya dilakukan berdasarkan kelayakan administratif, teknis, dan fisik kewilayahan. Hasilnya, secara administratif, Kecamatan Lamboya layak untuk dimekarkan. Secara teknis juga layak dimekarkan. Sedangkan secara fisik kewilayahan belum layak untuk dimekarkan.

Kata Kunci : Administratif; Fisik Kewilayahan; Kelayakan; Pemekaran dan Teknis..
A Critical Review on Soil Chemical Processes that Control How Soil pH Affects Phosphorus Availability to Plants
Authors: Penn Chad , Camberato James
Published: June 2019

Occasionally, the classic understanding of the effect of pH on P uptake from soils is questioned through the claim that maximum P uptake occurs at a pH much lower than 6.5–7. The purpose of this paper was to thoroughly examine that claim and provide a critical review on soil processes that control how soil pH affects P solubility and availability. We discuss how individual P retention mechanisms are affected by pH in isolation and when combined in soils, and how both real and apparent exceptions to the classic view can occasionally occur due to dynamics between mechanisms, experimental techniques (equilibration time, method of soluble P extraction, and pH adjustment), and plant species that thrive under acidic conditions. While real exceptions to the rule of thumb of maximum P availability at near neutral pH can occur, we conclude that the classic textbook recommendation is generally sound.
Increasing Sustainability of Growing Media Constituents and Stand-Alone Substrates in Soilless Culture Systems
Authors: Gruda Nazim
Published: June 2019

Decreasing arable land, rising urbanization, water scarcity, and climate change exert pressure on agricultural producers. Moving from soil to soilless culture systems can improve water use efficiency, especially in closed-loop systems with a recirculating water/nutrient solution that recaptures the drain water for reuse. However, the question of alternative materials to peat and rockwool, as horticultural substrates, has become increasingly important, due to the despoiling of ecologically important peat bog areas and a pervasive waste problem. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive critical review of current developments in soilless culture, growing media, and future options of using different materials other than peat and rockwool. Apart from growing media properties and their performance from the point of view of plant production, economic and environmental factors are also important. Climate change, CO2 emissions, and other ecological issues will determine and drive the development of soilless culture systems and the choice of growing media in the near future. Bioresources, e.g., treated and untreated waste, as well as renewable raw materials, have great potential to be used as growing media constituents and stand-alone substrates. A waste management strategy aimed at reducing, reusing, and recycling should be further and stronger applied in soilless culture systems. We concluded that the growing media of the future must be available, affordable, and sustainable and meet both quality and environmental requirements from growers and society, respectively.
Changes in Serum Amyloid A (SAA) Concentration in Arabian Endurance Horses During First Training Season
Authors: Witkowska-Piłaszewicz Olga , Bąska Piotr , Czopowicz Michał , Żmigrodzka Magdalena , Szczepaniak Jarosław , Szarska Ewa , Winnicka Anna , Cywińska Anna
Published: June 2019

Sport training leads to adaptation to physical effort that is reflected by the changes in blood parameters. In equine endurance athletes, blood testing is accepted as a support in training, however, only the changes before versus after exercise in creatine phosphokinase activity (CPK) and basic blood parameters are usually measured. This study is the first longitudinal investigation of the changes in routinely measured blood parameters and, additionally, serum amyloid A (SAA), during seven months, in Arabian horses introduced to endurance training and competing in events for young horses. It has been determined that CPK, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), packed cell volume (PCV), hemoglobin concentration, red blood cell count (RBC), and concentration of total serum protein (TSP) slightly increased after training sessions and competitions in similar manner. The increase in white blood cell (WBC) count was higher after competitions and SAA increased only after competitions. Total protein concentration was the only parameter that increased with training during a 7-month program. SAA indicated only in the case of heavy effort, and, it thus may be helpful in the monitoring of training in young horses. In an optimal program, its concentration should not increase after a training session but only after heavy effort, which should not be repeated too often.
Mow the Grass at the Mouse’s Peril: Diversity of Small Mammals in Commercial Fruit Farms
Authors: Balčiauskas Linas , Balčiauskienė Laima , Stirkė Vitalijus
Published: June 2019

Small mammals are not only pests but also an important part of agricultural ecosystems. The common vole is a reference species for risk assessment of plant protection products in the European Union, but no data about the suitability of the species in the Baltic countries are present so far. Using the snap-trap line method, we evaluated species composition, abundance, and diversity of small mammal communities in commercial orchards and berry plantations in Lithuania, testing the predictions that (i) compared with other habitats, small mammal diversity in fruit farms is low, and (ii) the common vole is the dominant species. The diversity of small mammals was compared with control habitats and the results of investigations in other habitats. Out of ten small mammal species registered, the most dominant were common vole and striped field mouse. Small mammal diversity and abundance increased in autumn and decreased in line with the intensity of agricultural practices but were not dependent on crop type. In the most intensively cultivated fruit farms, small mammals were not found. The diversity of small mammal communities in fruit farms was significantly higher than in crop fields and exceeded the diversities found in most types of forests except those in rapid succession.
Risk of Lameness in Dairy Cows with Paratuberculosis Infection
Authors: Smith Joshua , van Winden Steven
Published: June 2019

Johne’s disease (JD) is an important disease affecting the UK dairy industry, as is cattle lameness. An association between JD and lameness has been suggested; however, little evidence exists to support this. The purpose of this study was to determine if cows affected by JD were more likely to be lame and if so, what the temporal association is. Retrospective dairy cow mobility and JD status (based on milk ELISA) data were obtained from two farms of 98 JD cows (49 high and 49 medium positive) and their matched controls. We evaluated the timing and the proportion of (chronic) lameness in JD-positive cows versus controls and proportion of lameness before and after the first ELISA positive test. Compared to their controls, JD cows are lame more often (Odds Ratio = 2.7 (95% Confidence Interval = 1.2–6.0) p = 0.017) and became lame on average three months earlier (p = 0.010). High positive cows were more likely to develop lameness after seroconversion (OR = 2.8 (95% CI = 1.1–7.5), p = 0.038) versus medium positive cows. Results of this study suggest that there is a link between JD and lameness and that JD precedes lameness. The underlying mechanisms for this association remain unknown and were not the scope of this study.
Modeling the Power Consumption of Function-Level Code Relocation for Low-Power Embedded Systems
Authors: Choi Hayeon , Koo Youngkyoung , Park Sangsoo
Published: June 2019

The problems associated with the battery life of embedded systems were addressed by focusing on memory components that are heterogeneous and are known to meaningfully affect the power consumption and have not been fully exploited thus far. Our study establishes a model that predicts and orders the efficiency of function-level code relocation. This is based on extensive code profiling that was performed on an actual system to discover the impact and was achieved by using function-level code relocation between the different types of memory, i.e., flash memory and static RAM, to reduce the power consumption. This was accomplished by grouping the assembly instructions to evaluate the distinctive power reduction efficiency depending on function code placement. As a result of the profiling, the efficiency of the function-level code relocation was the lowest at 11.517% for the branch and control groups and the highest at 12.623% for the data processing group. Further, we propose a prior relocation-scoring model to estimate the effective relocation order among functions in a program. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed model, benchmarks in the MiBench benchmark suite were selected as case studies. The experimental results are consistent in terms of the scored outputs produced by the proposed model and measured power reduction efficiencies.
Nondestructive Evaluation of Apple Fruit Quality by Frequency-Domain Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy: Variations in Apple Skin and Flesh
Authors: Cheng Nan-Yu , Chen Chien-Chih , Liang Bo-Jian , Tseng Sheng-Hao
Published: June 2019

The optical properties of fruits, such as light absorption and scattering characteristics, change with biochemical activities during storage. Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) systems have been widely applied for noninvasively observing biological tissues. In this study, we used a frequency-domain DRS system to measure the optical properties of apples. Results showed that variations in the chlorophyll, water, and flesh-texture of apples could be noninvasively monitored over time. We also observed substantial differences in the absorption and reduced scattering coefficients between injured and normal apples. The DRS techniques could be used for apple grading, and, by extension, for monitoring the quality of other fruits.
Image Classification for Automated Image Cross-Correlation Applications in the Geosciences
Authors: Dematteis Niccolò , Giordan Daniele , Allasia Paolo
Published: June 2019

In Earth Science, image cross-correlation (ICC) can be used to identify the evolution of active processes. However, this technology can be ineffective, because it is sometimes difficult to visualize certain phenomena, and surface roughness can cause shadows. In such instances, manual image selection is required to select images that are suitably illuminated, and in which visibility is adequate. This impedes the development of an autonomous system applied to ICC in monitoring applications. In this paper, the uncertainty introduced by the presence of shadows is quantitatively analysed, and a method suitable for ICC applications is proposed: The method automatically selects images, and is based on a supervised classification of images using the support vector machine. According to visual and illumination conditions, the images are divided into three classes: (i) No visibility, (ii) direct illumination and (iii) diffuse illumination. Images belonging to the diffuse illumination class are used in cross-correlation processing. Finally, an operative procedure is presented for applying the automated ICC processing chain in geoscience monitoring applications.
Preparation of Medicated Polylactide Micropieces by Means of Ultrasonic Technology
Authors: Olmo Cristian , Franco Lourdes , del Valle Luis J. , Puiggalí Jordi
Published: June 2019

A technology based on the application of ultrasound as an energy source was applied to get polylactide (PLA) micropieces with minimum degradation and processing time. This requirement could be even shorter than 1.5 s. The ultrasound technology was also demonstrated to be efficient for the incorporation of drugs with a pharmacological activity. Thus, the loading of two representative bactericide agents (i.e., triclosan (TCS), and chlorhexidine (CHX)), having differentiated chemical properties was evaluated. Typical physicochemical characterization included mechanical and thermal properties together with the evaluation of molecular degradation during processing for both unloaded and loaded specimens. Results pointed out that the thermally stable TCS could be loaded into the specimens without any problem, but cautions should be taken into account for CHX. Nevertheless, degradation could in this case be avoided when the drug load was lower than 3 wt-%, a result that contrasts with the significant decomposition attained by using conventional melting processes, which required long processing times at high temperatures. Morphologic analyses of loaded specimens did not reveal significant defects, while spectroscopic analyses showed that a good dispersion of drugs inside pieces could be attained. Drugs were slowly released from micropieces with a rate that was dependent on their hydrophilic character. Thus, release in a phosphate buffered saline (PBS)-ethanol medium (70% of PBS) followed a first order kinetics with constants of 0.0356 h−1 and 0.027 h−1 for CHX and TCS, respectively. A clear bactericide effect against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria was achieved at the beginning of exposure to the corresponding culture media, while a bacteriostatic effect was interestingly still detected after long exposure times. In fact, bacterial growth could be reduced to near 20% when micropieces were loaded with only 3 wt-% of any of the selected CHX and TCS drugs.
Reinforcement Learning Based Resource Management for Network Slicing
Authors: Kim Yohan , Kim Sunyong , Lim Hyuk
Published: June 2019

Network slicing to create multiple virtual networks, called network slice, is a promising technology to enable networking resource sharing among multiple tenants for the 5th generation (5G) networks. By offering a network slice to slice tenants, network slicing supports parallel services to meet the service level agreement (SLA). In legacy networks, every tenant pays a fixed and roughly estimated monthly or annual fee for shared resources according to a contract signed with a provider. However, such a fixed resource allocation mechanism may result in low resource utilization or violation of user quality of service (QoS) due to fluctuations in the network demand. To address this issue, we introduce a resource management system for network slicing and propose a dynamic resource adjustment algorithm based on reinforcement learning approach from each tenant’s point of view. First, the resource management for network slicing is modeled as a Markov Decision Process (MDP) with the state space, action space, and reward function. Then, we propose a Q-learning-based dynamic resource adjustment algorithm that aims at maximizing the profit of tenants while ensuring the QoS requirements of end-users. The numerical simulation results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can significantly increase the profit of tenants compared to existing fixed resource allocation methods while satisfying the QoS requirements of end-users.
The Impacts of Random Distributed Vacancy Defects in Steady-State Thermal Conduction of Graphene
Authors: Sun Linlin , Chu Liu , Shi Jiajia , Souza de Cursi Eduardo
Published: June 2019

The unavoidable vacancy defects dispersed throughout the entire pristine graphene tailor to the integrity of the lattice structure and thereby have complicated impacts on the mechanical and thermal properties of graphene. In order to analyze the influence of vacancy defects on the extraordinary thermal conductivity of graphene, three typical kinds of vacancy defects—namely center concentrated, periodic, and random distributed vacancy defects—are compared and discussed. In the steady-state thermal conduction, the finite element method (FEM) is performed to calculate the total thermal energy and temperature field. The equivalent coefficient of thermal conductivity is derived from thermal energy, amount of vacancy defects, and boundary condition. The chirality in graphene is discussed by the location of its heat source. Moreover, the Monte Carlo simulation is applied to propagate the uncertainty of random vacancy defects in the finite element model of pristine graphene. In this paper, we provide the robustness to defend the impacts of vacancy defects on thermal conduction and the fluctuation and divergence caused by a certain number of random vacancy defects.
Recent Development of Aptamer Sensors for the Quantification of Aflatoxin B1
Authors: Jia Yongmei , Zhou Guohua , Liu Peilian , Li Zhiguo , Yu Biao
Published: June 2019

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is one of the most frequently-found mycotoxins in contaminated food. As the content of mycotoxins is particularly low in food, the development of probes to detect AFB1 in foods with high sensitivity and selectivity is an urgent social need for the evaluation of food quality. Numerous techniques have been developed to monitor AFB1. Nevertheless, most of them require cumbersome, labor-consuming, and sophisticated instruments, which have limited their application. An aptamer is a single, short nucleic acid sequence that is capable of recognizing different targets. Owing to their unique properties, aptamers have been considered as alternatives to antibodies. Aptasensors are considered to be an emerging strategy for the quantification of aflatoxin B1 with high selectivity and sensitivity. In this review, we summarize recent developments in colormetric, electrochemical, SERS, and fluorescent aptasensors for the quantification of AFB1. Finally, the perspectives and current challenges of aptasensors for AFB1 are outlined.
Reconstruction of the Microstructure of Cyanate Ester Resin by Using Prepared Cyanate Ester Resin Nanoparticles and Analysis of the Curing Kinetics Using the Avrami Equation of Phase Change
Authors: Cao Hongtao , Liu Beijun , Ye Yiwen , Liu Yunfang , Li Peng
Published: June 2019

Bisphenol A dicyanate (BADCy) resin nanoparticles were synthesized by precipitation polymerization and used to modulate the microstructure of the BADCy resin matrix. A microscopic mechanism model was used to characterize the curing process of BADCy resin systems with different contents of the prepared nanoparticles. Due to the curing process of the thermosetting resin being analogous to the crystallization process of the polymer, the Avrami equation was used to analyze the microscopic mechanism of the curing process. The reactive functional groups, structure, and size of the prepared BADCy resin nanoparticles were characterized by FT-IR, SEM, and TEM, respectively. The kinetic parameters of different systems were then obtained using the Avrami equation, and they adequately explained the microscopic mechanism of the curing process. The results showed that the Avrami equation effectively described the formation and growth of gel particles during the curing process of the BADCy resins. The addition of nanoparticles can affect the curing behavior and curing rate. Since the reaction between the BADCy resin nanoparticles and the matrix is dominant, the formation process of the gel particles was neglected. This phenomenon can be understood as the added BADCy resin nanoparticles replacing the formation of gel particles. The reasons for accelerated curing were analyzed from the perspective of thermodynamics and kinetics. Besides this, the Arrhenius equation for non-isothermal conditions correctly accounted for the change in the cross-linked mechanism in the late-stage curing process. A comparison of the theoretical prediction with the experimental data shows that the Avrami theory of phase change can simulate the curing kinetics of different BADCy resin systems well and explain the effects of BADCy resin nanoparticles on the formation of the microstructure.
An Experimental Analytics on Discovering Work Transference Networks from Workflow Enactment Event Logs
Authors: Ahn Hyun , Pham Dinh-Lam , Kim Kwanghoon Pio
Published: June 2019

Work transference network is a type of enterprise social network centered on the interactions among performers participating in the workflow processes. It is thought that the work transference networks hidden in workflow enactment histories are able to denote not only the structure of the enterprise social network among performers but also imply the degrees of relevancy and intensity between them. The purpose of this paper is to devise a framework that can discover and analyze work transference networks from workflow enactment event logs. The framework includes a series of conceptual definitions to formally describe the overall procedure of the network discovery. To support this conceptual framework, we implement a system that provides functionalities for the discovery, analysis and visualization steps. As a sanity check for the framework, we carry out a mining experiment on a dataset of real-life event logs by using the implemented system. The experiment results show that the framework is valid in discovering transference networks correctly and providing primitive knowledge pertaining to the discovered networks. Finally, we expect that the analytics of the work transference network facilitates assessing the workflow fidelity in human resource planning and its observed performance, and eventually enhances the workflow process from the organizational aspect.
Emotional and Phenomenological Properties of Odor-Evoked Autobiographical Memories in Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Glachet Ophélie , El Haj Mohamad
Published: June 2019

Autobiographical memory, which contains all personal memories relative to our identity, has been found to be impaired in Alzheimer’ Disease (AD). Recent research has demonstrated that odor may serve as a powerful cue for the recovery of autobiographical memories in AD. Building on this research, we investigated emotional characteristics (arousal and valence) and subjective reliving of odor-evoked autobiographical memories in AD. We also investigated the relationship between these characteristics and depression. To this end, we invited participants with mild AD and controls to retrieve autobiographical memories after odor exposure or without odor. Results showed higher arousal, subjective reliving and more positive memories after odor exposure compared with the odor-free condition, these differences being observed only in AD participants. We also found that emotion (arousal and valence) and subjective reliving triggered by odor were associated with depressive symptoms in AD. These findings demonstrate that odor may be a useful cue to trigger more detailed, vivid and positive events in AD.
Somatic Mutations in miRNA Genes in Lung Cancer—Potential Functional Consequences of Non-Coding Sequence Variants
Authors: Galka-Marciniak Paulina , Urbanek-Trzeciak Martyna Olga , Nawrocka Paulina Maria , Dutkiewicz Agata , Giefing Maciej , Lewandowska Marzena Anna , Kozlowski Piotr
Published: June 2019

A growing body of evidence indicates that miRNAs may either drive or suppress oncogenesis. However, little is known about somatic mutations in miRNA genes. To determine the frequency and potential consequences of miRNA gene mutations, we analyzed whole exome sequencing datasets of 569 lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and 597 lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) samples generated in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project. Altogether, we identified 1091 somatic sequence variants affecting 522 different miRNA genes and showed that half of all cancers had at least one such somatic variant/mutation. These sequence variants occurred in most crucial parts of miRNA precursors, including mature miRNA and seed sequences. Due to our findings, we hypothesize that seed mutations may affect miRNA:target interactions, drastically changing the pool of predicted targets. Mutations may also affect miRNA biogenesis by changing the structure of miRNA precursors, DROSHA and DICER cleavage sites, and regulatory sequence/structure motifs. We identified 10 significantly overmutated hotspot miRNA genes, including the miR-379 gene in LUAD enriched in mutations in the mature miRNA and regulatory sequences. The occurrence of mutations in the hotspot miRNA genes was also shown experimentally. We present a comprehensive analysis of somatic variants in miRNA genes and show that some of these genes are mutational hotspots, suggesting their potential role in cancer.
Epigenetic Remodeling through Downregulation of Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 Mediates Chemotherapy Resistance in Testicular Germ Cell Tumors
Authors: Singh Ratnakar , Fazal Zeeshan , Corbet Andrea K. , Bikorimana Emmanuel , Rodriguez Jennifer C. , Khan Ema M. , Shahid Khadeeja , Freemantle Sarah J. , Spinella Michael J.
Published: June 2019

A greater understanding of the hypersensitivity and curability of testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs) has the potential to inform strategies to sensitize other solid tumors to conventional chemotherapies. The mechanisms of cisplatin hypersensitivity and resistance in embryonal carcinoma (EC), the stem cells of TGCTs, remain largely undefined. To study the mechanisms of cisplatin resistance we generated a large panel of independently derived, acquired resistant clones from three distinct parental EC models employing a protocol designed to match standard of care regimens of TGCT patients. Transcriptomics revealed highly significant expression changes shared between resistant cells regardless of their parental origin. This was dominated by a highly significant enrichment of genes normally repressed by H3K27 methylation and the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) which correlated with a substantial decrease in global H3K27me3, H2AK119 ubiquitination, and expression of BMI1. Importantly, repression of H3K27 methylation with the EZH2 inhibitor GSK-126 conferred cisplatin resistance to parental cells while induction of H3K27 methylation with the histone lysine demethylase inhibitor GSK-J4 resulted in increased cisplatin sensitivity to resistant cells. A gene signature based on H3K27me gene enrichment was associated with an increased rate of recurrent/progressive disease in testicular cancer patients. Our data indicates that repression of H3K27 methylation is a mechanism of cisplatin acquired resistance in TGCTs and that restoration of PRC2 complex function is a viable approach to overcome treatment failure.
Synthesis, Structure, and Catalytic Reactivity of Pd(II) Complexes of Proline and Proline Homologs
Authors: Hobart David B. , Merola Joseph S. , Rogers Hannah M. , Sahgal Sonia , Mitchell James , Florio Jacqueline , Merola Jeffrey W.
Published: June 2019

Palladium(II) acetate reacts with proline and proline homologs in acetone/water to yield square planar bis-chelated palladium amino acid complexes. These compounds are all catalytically active with respect to oxidative coupling of olefins and phenylboronic acids. Some enantioselectivity is observed and formation of products not reported in other Pd(II) oxidative couplings is seen. The crystal structures of nine catalyst complexes were obtained. Extended lattice structures arise from N-H••O or O••(HOH)••O hydrogen bonding. NMR, HRMS, and single-crystal XRD data obtained on all are evaluated.
HCC-Derived Exosomes: Critical Player and Target for Cancer Immune Escape
Authors: Han Qiuju , Zhao Huajun , Jiang Yu , Yin Chunlai , Zhang Jian
Published: June 2019

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a primary malignancy of the liver, and currently the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide with increasing incidence and poor prognosis. Exosomes are now considered as important mediators of host anti-tumor immune response as well as tumor cell immune escape. HCC-derived exosomes have been shown to attenuate the cytotoxicity of T-cells and NK cells, and promote the immuno-suppressive M2 macrophages, N2 neutrophils, and Bregs. These exosomes harbor several immune-related non-coding RNAs and proteins that drive immune-escape and tumor progression, and thus may serve as potential diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for HCC. In a previous study, we identified miR146a as an exosomal factor that promotes M2-polarization and suppresses the anti-HCC function of T-cells. In this review, we summarized the role of tumor-derived exosomes and their key components in mediating tumor immune escape during HCC development.
Viral Appropriation: Laying Claim to Host Nuclear Transport Machinery
Authors: Tessier Tanner M. , Dodge Mackenzie J. , Prusinkiewicz Martin A. , Mymryk Joe S.
Published: June 2019

Protein nuclear transport is an integral process to many cellular pathways and often plays a critical role during viral infection. To overcome the barrier presented by the nuclear membrane and gain access to the nucleus, virally encoded proteins have evolved ways to appropriate components of the nuclear transport machinery. By binding karyopherins, or the nuclear pore complex, viral proteins influence their own transport as well as the transport of key cellular regulatory proteins. This review covers how viral proteins can interact with different components of the nuclear import machinery and how this influences viral replicative cycles. We also highlight the effects that viral perturbation of nuclear transport has on the infected host and how we can exploit viruses as tools to study novel mechanisms of protein nuclear import. Finally, we discuss the possibility that drugs targeting these transport pathways could be repurposed for treating viral infections.