bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevalence, Genetic Diversity, Antimicrobial Resistance, and Toxigenic Profile of Vibrio vulnificus Isolated from Aquatic Environments in Taiwan
Authors: Lin I-Ching , Hussain Bashir , Hsu Bing-Mu , Chen Jung-Sheng , Hsu Yu-Ling , Chiu Yi-Chou , Huang Shih-Wei , Wang Jiun-Ling
Published: April 2021

Vibrio vulnificus is a gram-negative, opportunistic human pathogen associated with life-threatening wound infections and is commonly found in warm coastal marine water environments, globally. In this study, two fishing harbors and three tributaries of the river basin were analyzed for the prevalence of V. vulnificus in the water bodies and shellfish that are under the pressure of external pollutions. The average detection rate of V. vulnificus in the river basins and fishing harbors was 8.3% and 4.2%, respectively, in all seasons. A total of nine strains of V. vulnificus were isolated in pure cultures from 160 samples belonging to river basins and fishing harbors to analyze the antibiotic susceptibility, virulence gene profiles, and enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus PCR (ERIC-PCR) fingerprinting. All isolates were susceptible to 10 tested antibiotics. The genotypic characterization revealed that 11.1% (n = 1/9) strain was nonvirulent, whereas 88.9% (n = 8/9) isolates were virulent strains, which possessed the four most prevalent toxin genes such as vcgC (88.9%), 16S B (88.9%), vvhA (88.9%), and manIIA (88.9%), followed by nanA (77.8%), CPS1 (66.7), and PRXII (44.4%). Additionally, ERIC-PCR fingerprinting grouped these nine isolates into two main clusters, among which the river basin isolates showed genetically diverse profiles, suggesting multiple sources of V. vulnificus. Ultimately, this study highlighted the virulent strains of V. vulnificus in the coastal aquatic environments of Taiwan, harboring a potential risk of infection to human health through water-borne transmission.
Experimental Research on Reinforced Concrete Columns Strengthened with Steel Jacket and Concrete Infill
Authors: Landović Aleksandar , Bešević Miroslav
Published: April 2021

Experimental research on axially compressed columns made from reinforced concrete (RC) and RC columns strengthened with a steel jacket and additional fill concrete is presented in this paper. A premade squared cross-section RC column was placed inside a steel tube, and then the space between the column and the tube was filled with additional concrete. A total of fourteen stub axially compressed columns, including nine strengthened specimens and five plain reinforced concrete specimens, were experimentally tested. The main parameter that was varied in the experiment was the compressive strength of the filler concrete. Three different concrete compression strength classes were used. Test results showed that all three cross-section parts (the core column, the fill, and the steel jacket) worked together in the force-carrying process through all load levels, even if only the basic RC column was loaded. The strengthened columns exhibited pronounced ductile behavior compared to the plain RC columns. The influence of the test parameters on the axial compressive strength was investigated. In addition, the specimen failure modes, strain development, and load vs. deformation relations were registered. The applicability of three different design codes to predict the axial bearing capacity of the strengthened columns was also investigated.
Low Temperature Microcalorimeters for Decay Energy Spectroscopy
Authors: Koehler Katrina E.
Published: April 2021

Low Temperature Detectors have been used to measure embedded radioisotopes in a measurement mode known as Decay Energy Spectroscopy (DES) since 1992. DES microcalorimeter measurements have been used for applications ranging from neutrino mass measurements to metrology to measurements for safeguards and medical nuclides. While the low temperature detectors have extremely high intrinsic energy resolution (several times better than semiconductor detectors), the energy resolution achieved in practice is strongly dependent on factors such as sample preparation method. This review seeks to present the literature consensus on what has been learned by looking at the energy resolution as a function of various choices of detector, absorber, and sample preparation methods.
Influence of Thermomechanical Treatments on Corrosion of Carbon Steel in Synthetic Geopolymer Fly Ash Pore Solution
Authors: Bosch Juan , Martin Ulises , Ress Jacob , Klimek Keston , Bastidas David M.
Published: April 2021

In this study the effect of thermomechanical treatments in chloride induced pitting corrosion is presented for carbon steel rebars exposed to synthetic fly ash (FA) pore solution. Due to the likely phase transformations that steel reinforcements in concrete experience during the event of a fire, the understanding of the corrosion behavior of such phases is key in predicting the stability of the structure. The motivation for this study arrives from the scarce literature regarding the corrosion behavior of thermomechanically treated steel reinforcements in FA environments and the need for further investigation to understand its mechanism. In order to better understand the effects on the corrosion behavior electrochemical measurements including cyclic potentiodynamic polarization curves (CPP) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were used. It was found that quenched specimens showed enhanced corrosion kinetics as their icorr values were higher, being of 3.18 × 10−5 and 2.20 × 10−5 A/cm2 for water and oil quenched compared to 2.13 × 10−6 A/cm2 for the as-received. Furthermore, the effective capacitance of the double layer (Ceff,dl) showed the lower stability of the passive film for the quenched specimens, with values of 1.11 × 10−3 µF/cm2 for the as-receive sample that decreased to 8.12 × 10−4 µF/cm2 for the water quenched sample. The anodic charge transfer coefficient in the synthetic FA alkaline pore solution changes from 0.282 to 0.088, for the as-received and water quenched rebars specimens, respectively. These results indicate a lower energy barrier for the anodic dissolution reaction of quenched specimens, indicating that martensite and bainite microstructures promote corrosion process. Enhanced corrosion was found on quenched samples presenting martensite and bainite microstructure as showed by the increased pith depth, with values of 5 μm compared to 1 μm observed in the as-received samples.
Lipid Remodeling in the Mitochondria upon Ageing during the Long-Lasting Cultivation of Endomyces magnusii
Authors: Isakova Elena P. , Gessler Natalya N. , Dergacheva Daria I. , Tereshina Vera M. , Deryabina Yulia I. , Kieliszek Marek
Published: April 2021

In this study, we used Endomyces magnusii yeast with a complete respiratory chain and well-developed mitochondria system. This system is similar to the animal one which makes the yeast species an excellent model for studying ageing mechanisms. Mitochondria membranes play a vital role in the metabolic processes in a yeast cell. Mitochondria participate in the metabolism of several pivotal compounds including fatty acids (FAs) metabolism. The mitochondria respiratory activity, the membrane and storage lipids composition, and morphological changes in the culture during the long-lasting cultivation (for 168 h) were under investigation. High metabolic activity of E. magnusii might be related to the active function of mitochondria increasing in the 96- and 168-h growth phases. Cardiolipin (CL), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylcholine (PC), and sterols (St) were dominant in the membrane lipids. The St and sphingolipids (SL) shares increased by a lot, whereas the CL and phosphatidylinositol (PI) + PE ones decreased in the membrane lipids. This was the main change in the membrane lipid composition during the cultivation. In contrast, the amount of PE and phosphatidylserine (PS) did not change. Index of Hydrogen Deficiency (IHD) of phospholipids (PL) FAs significantly declined due to a decrease in the linoleic acid share and an increase in the amount of palmitic and oleic acid. There were some storage lipids in the mitochondria where free fatty acids (FFAs) (73–99% of the total) dominated, reaching the highest level in the 96-h phase. Thus, we can conclude that upon long-lasting cultivation, for the yeast assimilating an “oxidative” substrate, the following factors are of great importance in keeping longevity: (1) a decrease in the IHD reduces double bonds and the peroxidation indices of various lipid classes; (2) the amount of long-chain FFAs declines. Moreover, the factor list providing a long lifespan should include some other physiological features in the yeast cell. The alternative oxidase activity induced in the early stationary growth phase and high mitochondria activity maintains intensive oxygen consumption. It determines the ATP production and physiological doses of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which could be regarded as a trend favoring the increased longevity.
Central Auditory Plasticity from Molecules to Behavior
Authors: Rubio Maria E.
Published: April 2021

Understanding how, when, and for how long the adult central auditory system adapts to hearing loss and aging is an important topic that is currently studied across the globe [...]
Application of Deep Neural Network to the Reconstruction of Two-Phase Material Imaging by Capacitively Coupled Electrical Resistance Tomography
Authors: Chen Zhuoran , Ma Gege , Jiang Yandan , Wang Baoliang , Soleimani Manuchehr
Published: April 2021

A convolutional neural network (CNN)-based image reconstruction algorithm for two-phase material imaging is presented and verified with experimental data from a capacitively coupled electrical resistance tomography (CCERT) sensor. As a contactless version of electrical resistance tomography (ERT), CCERT has advantages such as no invasion, low cost, no radiation, and rapid response for two-phase material imaging. Besides that, CCERT avoids contact error of ERT by imaging from outside of the pipe. Forward modeling was implemented based on the practical circular array sensor, and the inverse image reconstruction was realized by a CNN-based supervised learning algorithm, as well as the well-known total variation (TV) regularization algorithm for comparison. The 2D, monochrome, 2500-pixel image was divided into 625 clusters, and each cluster was used individually to train its own CNN to solve the 16 classes classification problem. Inherent regularization for the assumption of binary materials enabled us to use a classification algorithm with CNN. The iterative TV regularization algorithm achieved a close state of the two-phase material reconstruction by its sparsity-based assumption. The supervised learning algorithm established the mathematical model that mapped the simulated resistance measurement to the pixel patterns of the clusters. The training process was carried out only using simulated measurement data, but simulated and experimental tests were both conducted to investigate the feasibility of applying a multi-layer CNN for CCERT imaging. The performance of the CNN algorithm on the simulated data is demonstrated, and the comparison between the results created by the TV-based algorithm and the proposed CNN algorithm with the real-world data is also provided.
Developing an Embedded Nursing Service within a Homeless Shelter: Client’s Perspectives
Authors: Warren Denise , Gilmore John Patrick , Wright Christine
Published: April 2021

This phenomenological case study of a newly developed nursing service, embedded within a homeless shelter in the South East of England, uses semi-structured to elicit experiences and perceptions of clients within the service. Participants (n = 6) were interviewed using a semi-structured approach and identified three broad themes: impact of previous healthcare experiences, benefits of embedding healthcare within the shelter, and future service development. The study illuminates the diversity and complexity of healthcare needs of homeless people, as well as offers a unique insight into the service user’s perception of the service.
Affective Fear of Crime and Its Association with Depressive Feelings and Life Satisfaction in Advanced Age: Cognitive Emotion Regulation as a Moderator?
Authors: Golovchanova Nadezhda , Boersma Katja , Andershed Henrik , Hellfeldt Karin
Published: April 2021

Fear of crime is a substantial problem for older adults and is associated with reduced subjective well-being. However, less is known about factors that could moderate the associations between fear of crime and mental health problems and well-being in advanced age. Cognitive emotion regulation could serve as a potentially buffering factor for adverse health outcomes related to fear of crime due to its potential importance in managing feelings when facing threatening situations. The current study investigated the associations between affective fear of crime with depressive feelings and life satisfaction and examined whether adaptive and maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies moderated these associations in a sample of older adults (age 64–106) in Sweden (N = 622). The results showed that affective fear of crime was associated with more depressive feelings, less life satisfaction, and more frequent use of such maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies as rumination, catastrophizing, and blaming others. Moreover, rumination and self-blame moderated the associations between affective fear of crime and life satisfaction. Adaptive emotion regulation strategies were not associated with affective fear of crime and did not decrease the strength of its association with depressive feelings and with life satisfaction. These findings allow us to conclude that maladaptive emotion regulation could be considered a vulnerability factor in the association of fear of crime with life satisfaction.
Radiomics Detection of Pulmonary Hypertension via Texture-Based Assessments of Cardiac MRI: A Machine-Learning Model Comparison—Cardiac MRI Radiomics in Pulmonary Hypertension
Authors: Priya Sarv , Aggarwal Tanya , Ward Caitlin , Bathla Girish , Jacob Mathews , Gerke Alicia , Hoffman Eric A. , Nagpal Prashant
Published: April 2021

The role of reliable, non-invasive imaging-based recognition of pulmonary hypertension (PH) remains a diagnostic challenge. The aim of the current pilot radiomics study was to assess the diagnostic performance of cardiac MRI (cMRI)-based texture features to accurately predict PH. The study involved IRB-approved retrospective analysis of cMRIs from 72 patients (42 PH and 30 healthy controls) for the primary analysis. A subgroup analysis was performed including patients from the PH group with left ventricle ejection fraction ≥ 50%. Texture features were generated from mid-left ventricle myocardium using balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) cine short-axis imaging. Forty-five different combinations of classifier models and feature selection techniques were evaluated. Model performance was assessed using receiver operating characteristic curves. A multilayer perceptron model fitting using full feature sets was the best classifier model for both the primary analysis (AUC 0.862, accuracy 78%) and the subgroup analysis (AUC 0.918, accuracy 80%). Model performance demonstrated considerable variation between the models (AUC 0.523–0.918) based on the chosen model–feature selection combination. Cardiac MRI-based radiomics recognition of PH using texture features is feasible, even with preserved left ventricular ejection fractions.
Antithrombotic Therapy in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease and Prior Stroke
Authors: Bellettini Elisa , De Luca Leonardo
Published: April 2021

Patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and prior cerebrovascular events (CVE) are frequently faced in clinical practice and present a high rate of both ischemic and bleeding events. For these reasons, the antithrombotic management is particularly challenging in this subgroup of patients. Recent trials suggest that, although a potent antiplatelet strategy is safe in the acute phases of myocardial ischemia for these patients, the risk of major bleeding complications, including intracranial hemorrhage, is extremely high when the antithrombotic therapy is prolonged for a long period of time. Therefore, especially in patients with chronic CAD and history of CVE, the antithrombotic management should be carefully balanced between ischemic and bleeding risks. The present review is aimed at critically evaluating the available evidence to help make these crucial clinical decisions regarding the better antithrombotic therapy to use in this high-risk subgroup of patients.
High Rate of Gastrointestinal Bleeding in Patients with Secondary Sclerosing Cholangitis in Critically Ill Patients (SC-CIP)
Authors: Blesl Andreas , Eibisberger Martin , Schörghuber Michael , Klivinyi Christoph , Stadlbauer Vanessa
Published: April 2021

Secondary sclerosing cholangitis in critically ill patients (SC-CIP) is a rare cholestatic liver disease triggered by long-term intensive care treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency and characteristics of gastrointestinal bleeding in SC-CIP. Patients with diagnosed SC-CIP were retrospectively identified and compared to a control group of patients with cardiac surgery and intensive care treatment but without the development of SC-CIP. Fifty-three patients with SC-CIP and 19 controls were included in the study. The frequency of gastrointestinal bleeding was 30% in SC-CIP (16 patients) and 5% in the control group (1 patient) (p = 0.03). Bleeding occured in the mean 13 months after admission to an intensive care unit in SC-CIP, three patients (19%) suffered bleeding during intensive care treatment. Three SC-CIP patients (19%) had cirrhosis at the time of bleeding, five (31%) had splenomegaly, and four (25%) received oral anticoagulation. In SC-CIP, 13 bleedings were identified in the upper gastrointestinal tract, two in the lower, and one remained unknown. The most common reasons for bleeding were gastroduodenal ulcers. In total, 80% of patients needed blood units, and one death due to bleeding occurred in SC-CIP. In conclusion, gastrointestinal bleeding is a frequent complication in patients with SC-CIP. Whether the liver disease itself or cofactors cause the susceptibility for bleeding remains unclear.
Possible Earlier Diagnosis of Ulcerative Colitis-Associated Neoplasia: A Retrospective Analysis of Interval Cases during Surveillance
Authors: Hisabe Takashi , Matsui Toshiyuki , Yamasaki Kazutomo , Morokuma Tsuyoshi , Aomi Kenmei , Yoshizawa Naoyuki , Takatsu Noritaka , Yao Kenshi , Ueki Toshiharu , Futami Kitaro , Tanabe Hiroshi , Iwashita Akinori
Published: April 2021

Background: Early detection of ulcerative colitis-associated neoplasia (UCAN) is often difficult. The aim of this study was to clarify the morphology of initial UCAN. Methods: White-light colonoscopy images obtained within the 2 years before UCAN diagnosis were retrospectively reviewed. The primary endpoint was the frequency of visible or invisible neoplasia on the endoscopic images before UCAN diagnosis. The secondary endpoints were comparisons of (1) visible or invisible neoplasia on initial endoscopic images of early-stage and advanced cancers, (2) the clinical backgrounds of patients in whom neoplasia was visible or invisible on initial endoscopic images, and (3) the clinical backgrounds of patients with distinct and indistinct UCAN borders. Results: Of the 27 UCAN lesions (11 early-stage; 16 advanced-stage), 25.9% (n = 7) were initially visible and 74.1% (n = 20) were invisible. The mean interval between the last surveillance colonoscopy and UCAN diagnosis was 14.5 ± 6.7 months. Of early-stage cancers, 18.2% (n = 2) were visible and 81.8% (n = 9) were invisible. Of advanced-stage cancers, 31.3% (n = 5) were visible and 68.8% (n = 11) were invisible. Invisible lesions were significantly more common in the rectum (p = 0.011) and tended to be more common in patients with inflammation and left-sided colitis (p = 0.084, p = 0.068, respectively). Patients with indistinct UCAN borders were significantly more likely to present with inflammation than those with distinct UCAN borders (p = 0.021). Conclusion: More careful surveillance is needed because rectum lesions and inflammation are difficult to identify as neoplasia even within the 2 years before a UCAN diagnosis.
Purification and Identification of Novel Antioxidant Peptides from Enzymatically Hydrolysed Samia ricini Pupae
Authors: Wongsrangsap Nattakarn , Chukiatsiri Suttida
Published: April 2021

The emergence of excessive free radicals leads to the destruction of various systems within the body. These free radicals also affect nutritional values, color, taste, and emit an odor akin to rancid food. Most food industries use synthetic antioxidants, such as BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) or BHA (butylated hydroxy anisole). However, high doses of these can be harmful to our health. Therefore, an antioxidant compounds, such as bioactive peptides from edible animals or plants, have emerged to be a very promising alternative as they reduce potential side effects. This study focused on the purification and identification of antioxidant peptides from protein hydrolysates of wild silkworm pupae (Samia ricini). Antioxidant peptides were purified from the hydrolysate by ultrafiltration and RP-HPLC. The results showed that protein hydrolysate from S. ricini pupae by trypsin with a molecular weight lower than 3 kDa and highly hydrophobic property, exhibited strong DPPH radical scavenging activity and chelating activity. Further identification of peptides from the fraction with the highest antioxidant activity was carried out using LC-MS/MS. Three novel peptides, i.e., Met-Ley-Ile-Ile-Ile-Met-Arg, Leu-Asn-Lys-Asp-Leu-Met-Arg, and Glu-Asn-Ile-Ile-Leu-Phe-Arg, were identified. The results of this study indicated that the protein hydrolysate from S. ricini pupae possessed potent biological activity, and the novel antioxidant peptides could be utilized to develop health-related antioxidants in food industry.
Optimization of Very Low-Dose Formulation of Vitamin D3 with Lyophilizate for Dry Powder Inhalation System by Simple Method Based on Time-of-Flight Theory
Authors: Miyamoto Kahori , Yanagisawa Misato , Taga Hiroaki , Yamaji Hiromichi , Akita Tomomi , Yamashita Chikamasa
Published: April 2021

It has been previously reported that active vitamin D3 (VD3) is a candidate drug that can repair alveolar damage in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at a very low dose. We herein report the optimization of a very low-dose formulation of VD3 for dry powder inhalation by a simple method based on time-of-flight (TOF) theory. As the preparation content of VD3 is very low, aerodynamic particle size distribution cannot be measured by pharmacopeial methods that require quantification of the main drug. Thus, a simple method based on TOF theory, which can measure aerodynamic particle size distribution without quantification, was used. The optimized formulation for an inhalation system using a lyophilized cake contained phenylalanine as the excipient (VD3 1 μg/vial + phenylalanine 0.3 mg/vial) and showed high performance with fine particle fraction ≤ 3 μm = 47.2 ± 4.4%. The difference between the results of pharmacopeial methods and simple method was examined using the formulation containing 10 µg/vial of VD3 and was within 5.0%. The preparation is expected to efficiently deliver VD3 to the lungs. Our simple method can optimize dry powder inhalation formulations more easily and rapidly even when the content of the main drug in a preparation is very low.
Polyphasic OKJIP Chlorophyll a Fluorescence Transient in a Landrace and a Commercial Cultivar of Sweet Pepper (Capsicum annuum, L.) under Long-Term Salt Stress
Authors: Giorio Pasquale , Sellami Mohamed Houssemeddine
Published: April 2021

In a soilless long-term salt-stress experiment, we tested the differences between the commercial sweet pepper cultivar “Quadrato d’Asti” and the landrace “Cazzone Giallo” in the structure and function of PSII through the JIP test analysis of the fast chlorophyll fluorescence transients (OKJIP). Salt stress inactivated the oxygen-evolving complex. Performance index detected the stress earlier than the maximum quantum yield of PSII, which remarkably decreased in the long term. The detrimental effects of salinity on the oxygen evolving-complex, the trapping of light energy in PSII, and delivering in the electron transport chain occurred earlier and more in the landrace than the cultivar. Performance indexes decreased earlier than the maximum quantum yield of PSII. Stress-induced inactivation of PSII reaction centers reached 22% in the cultivar and 45% in the landrace. The resulted heat dissipation had the trade-off of a correspondent reduced energy flow per sample leaf area, thus an impaired potential carbon fixation. These results corroborate the reported higher tolerance to salt stress of the commercial cultivar than the landrace in terms of yield. PSII was more affected than PSI, which functionality recovered in the late of trial, especially in the cultivar, possibly due to heat dissipation mechanisms. This study gives valuable information for breeding programs aiming to improve tolerance in salt stress sensitive sweet pepper genotypes.
Mycobiota Associated with the Vascular Wilt of Poplar
Authors: Kwaśna Hanna , Szewczyk Wojciech , Baranowska Marlena , Gallas Ewa , Wiśniewska Milena , Behnke-Borowczyk Jolanta
Published: April 2021

In 2017, a 560-ha area of hybrid poplar plantation in northern Poland showed symptoms of tree decline. The leaves appeared smaller, yellow-brown, and were shed prematurely. Twigs and smaller branches died without distinct cankers. Trunks decayed from the base. The phloem and xylem showed brown necrosis. Ten percent of the trees died 1–2 months after the first appearance of the symptoms. None of these symptoms were typical for known poplar diseases. The trees’ mycobiota were analysed using Illumina sequencing. A total of 69 467 and 70 218 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were obtained from the soil and wood. Blastocladiomycota and Chytridiomycota occurred only in the soil, with very low frequencies (0.005% and 0.008%). Two taxa of Glomeromycota, with frequencies of 0.001%, occurred in the wood. In the soil and wood, the frequencies of Zygomycota were 3.631% and 0.006%, the frequencies of Ascomycota were 45.299% and 68.697%, and the frequencies of Basidiomycota were 4.119% and 2.076%. At least 400 taxa of fungi were present. The identifiable Zygomycota, Ascomycota, and Basidiomycota were represented by at least 18, 263 and 81 taxa, respectively. Many fungi were common to the soil and wood, but 160 taxa occurred only in soil and 73 occurred only in wood. The root pathogens included species of Oomycota. The vascular and parenchymal pathogens included species of Ascomycota and of Basidiomycota. The initial endophytic character of the fungi is emphasized. Soil, and possibly planting material, may be the sources of the pathogen inoculum, and climate warming is likely to be a predisposing factor. A water deficit may increase the trees’ susceptibility. The epidemiology of poplar vascular wilt reminds grapevine trunk diseases (GTD), including esca, black foot disease and Petri disease.
Essential Oil of Croton zehntneri Prevents Conduction Alterations Produced by Diabetes Mellitus on Vagus Nerve
Authors: Silva-Alves Kerly Shamyra , Ferreira-da-Silva Francisco Walber , Coelho-de-Souza Andrelina Noronha , Leal-Cardoso José Henrique
Published: April 2021

Autonomic diabetic neuropathy (ADN) is a complication of diabetes mellitus (DM), to which there is no specific treatment. In this study, the efficacy of the essential oil of Croton zehntneri (EOCz) in preventing ADN was evaluated in the rat vagus nerve. For the two fastest conducting myelinated types of axons of the vagus nerve, the conduction velocities and rheobase decreased, whilst the duration of the components of the compound action potential of these fibers increased. EOCz completely prevented these DM-induced alterations of the vagus nerve. Unmyelinated fibers were not affected. In conclusion, this investigation demonstrated that EOCz is a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of ADN.
Foliar-Applied Potassium Silicate Coupled with Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Improves Growth, Physiology, Nutrient Uptake and Productivity of Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.) Irrigated with Saline Water in Salt-Affected Soil
Authors: Hafez Emad M. , Osman Hany S. , El-Razek Usama A. Abd , Elbagory Mohssen , Omara Alaa El-Dein , Eid Mohamed A. , Gowayed Salah M.
Published: April 2021

The continuity of traditional planting systems in the last few decades has encountered its most significant challenge in the harsh changes in the global climate, leading to frustration in the plant growth and productivity, especially in the arid and semi-arid regions cultivated with moderate or sensitive crops to abiotic stresses. Faba bean, like most legume crops, is considered a moderately sensitive crop to saline soil and/or saline water. In this connection, a field experiment was conducted during the successive winter seasons 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 in a salt-affected soil to explore the combined effects of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and potassium (K) silicate on maintaining the soil quality, performance, and productivity of faba bean plants irrigated with either fresh water or saline water. Our findings indicated that the coupled use of PGPR and K silicate under the saline water irrigation treatment had the capability to reduce the levels of exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) in the soil and to promote the activity of some soil enzymes (urease and dehydrogenase), which recorded nearly non-significant differences compared with fresh water (control) treatment, leading to reinstating the soil quality. Consequently, under salinity stress, the combined application motivated the faba bean vegetative growth, e.g., root length and nodulation, which reinstated the K+/Na+ ions homeostasis, leading to the lessening or equalizing of the activity level of enzymatic antioxidants (CAT, POD, and SOD) compared with the controls of both saline water and fresh water treatments, respectively. Although the irrigation with saline water significantly increased the osmolytes concentration (free amino acids and proline) in faba bean plants compared with fresh water treatment, application of PGPR or K-silicate notably reduced the osmolyte levels below the control treatment, either under stress or non-stress conditions. On the contrary, the concentrations of soluble assimilates (total soluble proteins and total soluble sugars) recorded pronounced increases under tested treatments, which enriched the plant growth, the nutrients (N, P, and K) uptake and translocation to the sink organs, which lastly improved the yield attributes (number of pods plant−1, number of seeds pod−1, 100-seed weight). It was concluded that the combined application of PGPR and K-silicate is considered a profitable strategy that is able to alleviate the harmful impact of salt stress alongside increasing plant growth and productivity.
Classification of Cucumber Leaves Based on Nitrogen Content Using the Hyperspectral Imaging Technique and Majority Voting
Authors: Sabzi Sajad , Pourdarbani Razieh , Rohban Mohammad Hossein , Fuentes-Penna Alejandro , Hernández-Hernández José Luis , Hernández-Hernández Mario
Published: April 2021

Improper usage of nitrogen in cucumber cultivation causes nitrate accumulation in the fruit and results in food poisoning in humans; therefore, mandatory evaluation of food products becomes inevitable. Hyperspectral imaging has a very good ability to evaluate the quality of fruits and vegetables in a non-destructive manner. The goal of the present paper was to identify excess nitrogen in cucumber plants. To obtain a reliable result, the majority voting method was used, which takes into account the unanimity of five classifiers, namely, the hybrid artificial neural network–imperialism competitive algorithm (ANN-ICA), the hybrid artificial neural network–harmonic search (ANN-HS) algorithm, linear discrimination analysis (LDA), the radial basis function network (RBF), and the K-nearest-neighborhood (KNN). The wavelengths of 723, 781, and 901 nm were determined as optimal wavelengths using the hybrid artificial neural network–biogeography-based optimization (ANN-BBO) algorithm, and the performance of classifiers was investigated using the optimal spectrum. The results of a t-test showed that there was no significant difference in the precision of the algorithm when using the optimal wavelengths and wavelengths of the whole range. The correct classification rate of the classifiers ANN-ICA, ANN-HS, LDA, RBF, and KNN were 96.14%, 96.11%, 95.73%, 64.03%, and 95.24%, respectively. The correct classification rate of majority voting (MV) was 95.55% for test data in 200 iterations, which indicates the system was successful in distinguishing nitrogen-rich leaves from leaves with a standard content of nitrogen.
Total Training Volume and Muscle Soreness Parameters Performing Agonist or Antagonist Foam Rolling between Sets
Authors: Santana Haroldo Gualter , Lara Bruno , Canuto Almeida da Silva Filipe , Medina Eiras Pedro , Andrade Paz Gabriel , Willardson Jeffrey M. , Miranda Humberto
Published: April 2021

Background: Foam rolling (FR) has become very popular in recent years; however, the practice of FR between sets of resistance training (RT) for the lower limbs needs further examination. Purpose: Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of FR for the agonists (quadriceps) and antagonists (hamstrings) between multiple sets of the leg extension on repetition maximum performance (RM), fatigue resistance index (FRI), and muscle soreness (MS). Study design: Quasi-experimental clinical trial. Methods: Twenty trained men participated in this study (30.35 ± 6.56 years, 1.77 ± 0.05 cm, 87.70 ± 7.6 kg) and attended seven sessions with 48 h between sessions, (one familiarization session; two 10-RM test and retest sessions; and four experimental sessions). The four experimental sessions were performed in random order and included: agonist foam rolling (AFR), antagonist foam rolling (ANTFR), agonist/antagonist foam rolling (A/ANTFR), and traditional control (TP, without foam rolling). All sessions consisted of three sets for maximal repetitions with a 10-RM load for the leg extension. In the AFR and ANTFR sessions, there was a 120 s rest interval between sets, during which FR was done for the agonists or antagonists, respectively. In the A/ANTFR protocol, there was a 120 s rest interval between sets, during which FR was done for the agonists and antagonists. In the traditional protocol (TP), there was a 120 s passive rest interval between sets. Results: Regarding the total training volume (TTV), significant differences were noted between sessions (F3,57 = 11.014; p = 0.0001). The AFR, ANTFR, and A/ANTFR sessions had significantly higher TTV versus the TP (p < 0.05). Regarding the FRI, significant differences were noted between sessions (F3,57 = 2917, p = 0.042). A significantly higher fatigue index was shown for the ANTFR and AFR sessions versus the TP (p < 0.05). Regarding the total number of repetitions, significant differences were noted between sessions (F3,57 = 11.086, p = 0.0001). The total number of repetitions was significantly higher in the A/ANTFR, ANTFR, and AFR versus the TP session (p < 0.05). MS was significantly lower in the A/ANTFR, ANTFR, and AFR sessions versus the TP session (p < 0.05). Conclusion: In conclusion, foam rolling between sets for the agonist or antagonist separately or in succession, resulted in greater neuromuscular performance and higher fatigue indices, as well as reducing the perception of acute muscle soreness.
Proceso de compras en las empresas de producción social de la industria petrolera venezolana
Authors: Pérez Glenda
Published: April 2021

El estudio buscó analizar el proceso de compras en las empresas de producción social prestadoras de servicio a la industria petrolera venezolana. Metodológicamente se tipificó como una investigación descriptiva, con un diseño no experimental, transversal de campo. La población quedó constituida por diez empresas de producción social que prestan servicios al programa de gerencia de PDVSA CVP. La técnica utilizada fue la encuesta y el instrumento un cuestionario con escala de frecuencia de cinco opciones de respuestas, compuesto por 15 ítems, se utilizó el juicio de expertos para la validez y el coeficiente Alfa Cronbach para su confiabilidad, obteniéndose un valor de 0,98. Las frecuencias relativas y la media aritmética se usaron para el análisis de los resultados. Se evidencio que estas empresas desarrollan las actividades básicas que permiten moderadamente detectar y describir sus necesidades, a fin de adquirir los productos y gestionar los servicios necesarios para el buen funcionamiento.
Análisis de liquidez y rentabilidad de la empresa Distribuidora Jandy S.A.C., periodo 2017- junio 2019
Authors: Huamani Edduin
Published: April 2021

La presente investigación buscó analizar la liquidez y la rentabilidad de la empresa Distribuidora Jandy S.A.C., periodo 2017- junio 2019, para ello se valió de una metodología de enfoque cuantitativo, de nivel descriptivo a través del análisis documentario; la muestra no probabilística estuvo constituida por los EEFF de los años 2017 hasta junio del 2019, en el cual se analizó el proceso de inversión de la empresa y como esta se vio afectada en términos de liquidez y rentabilidad. El estudio comparativo de los años señalados encontró que la empresa contaba en el año 2017 con una liquidez positiva y que producto de la inversión, los ratios de indicador de caja y capital de trabajo se vieron afectados en algunos casos con valores negativos, sin embargo la liquidez corriente y la prueba ácida se mantuvo estable, debido al estudio previo de la gestión; en el caso de la rentabilidad, esta se vio favorecida en el volumen de las ventas a pesar del inconveniente de la contratación de personal de ventas. Se recomienda realizar la convocación del personal en temporadas de campañas, aplicación del mentoring y mejoramiento de los filtros de selección.
EDITORIAL
Authors: Rubén Choque Mamani
Published: April 2021

La revista de PANEL (Vol. 1, N° 2, junio 2020)  se presenta una reseña breve de los artículos de investigación que se incluyen en este número como resultado del trabajo colectivo, esperando que los resultados enriquezcan el avance del conocimiento y fomenten el debate sobre los alcances que permite el estado actual del conocimiento acumulado en las ciencias administrativas y sean del interés de nuestros lectores
Control interno de inventarios y su relación en la rentabilidad de la empresa HECALIRO JIA SAC, Tarapoto
Authors: Hidalgo Keily , Bustos Mónica
Published: April 2021

El objetivo de esta investigación fue determinar la relación existente entre el control interno de inventarios y su relación con la rentabilidad de la empresa HECALIRO JIA SAC, Tarapoto. El enfoque de estudio fue cuantitativo de tipo aplicada, con un alcance correlacional y diseño no experimental. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 14 colaboradores que laboran en las distintas áreas de la empresa. El instrumento de recolección de datos fue un cuestionario que mide el control interno de inventarios y la rentabilidad de la empresa diseñado para empresas del rubro ferretero. Los datos recolectados fueron procesados en el software paquete estadístico IBM SPSS Stadistics versión 25. Al término del estudio se llegó a la conclusión que si existe relación significativa entre el control interno de inventarios y la rentabilidad de la empresa HECALIRO JIA SAC ya que se obtuvo un Tau b de Kendall (t = ????. 780??; ???? =????. ????00) el cual indica que a mayor control de inventarios mayor será la rentabilidad de la empresa.

ABSTRACT

The objective of this research was to determine the existing relationship between internal inventory control and its relationship with the profitability of the company HECALIRO JIA SAC, Tarapoto. The study approach was quantitative of the applied type, with a correlational scope and non-experimental design. The sample consisted of 14 collaborators who work in the different areas of the company. The data collection instrument was a questionnaire that measures the internal control of inventories and the profitability of the company designed for companies in the hardware industry. The data collected were processed in the statistical software package IBM SPSS Statistics version 25. At the end of the study it was concluded that if there is a significant relationship between the internal control of inventories and the profitability of the company HECALIRO JIA SAC since a Kendall's tau b (t = ????. 780 ??; ???? = ????. ????00) which indicates that the greater the control of inventories, the higher the profitability of the company.
Los estados contables de la gestión financiera en las empresas de consumo masivo
Authors: Arguello Deyanira
Published: April 2021

El objetivo se enmarcó en determinar los estados contables de la gestión financiera aplicados en las empresas de consumo masivo. Metodológicamente la investigación se contextualizó dentro de un tipo descriptiva; apoyada en un diseño no experimental, transeccional de campo. La población estuvo conformada por los gerentes, subgerentes, coordinadores de ventas, y supervisores de departamento, de las empresas de consumo masivo ubicadas en el Municipio Cabimas, a quienes se les aplico un cuestionario, conformado por 9 ítems. La validez se hizo bajo el juicio de expertos. Para la confiabilidad, se empleó el método Alfa de Cronbach, obteniendo un resultado de 0,83. El análisis de los datos se realizó mediante el análisis de frecuencias absolutas y relativas. Se observó, que solo los estados de situación económica y patrimonial se catalogaron con muy alta aplicación, mientras que los estados de rentabilidad y de circulación financiera se denotaron con alta aplicación.

ABSTRACT

The objective was framed in determining the financial management accounting statements applied in mass consumption companies. Methodologically the research was contextualized within a descriptive type; supported by a non-experimental, transectional field design. The population was made up of the managers, assistant managers, sales coordinators, and department supervisors of the mass consumption companies located in the Cabimas Municipality, to whom a questionnaire was applied, made up of 9 items. Validity was made under expert judgment. For reliability, the Cronbach's Alpha method was used, obtaining a result of 0.83. Data analysis was performed by analyzing absolute and relative frequencies. It was observed that only the statements of economic and patrimonial situation were cataloged with very high application, while the statements of profitability and financial circulation were denoted with high application.
Analisis kesalahan siswa kelas X agribisnis tanaman perkebunan SMK Negeri 1 Batang Gansal dalam menyelesaikan soal matriks
Authors: Ramadhani Fitri , Saraswati Mellyani
Published: April 2021

SMK N 1 Batang Gansal’s students have difficulty learning the matrix material. This can be seen from the result of students who get test scores below score 60. Especially in class x agribusiness plantations 1 with the percentage of daily test scores below score 60, which is 82.6%. Therefore, an analysis is needed to determine the types of errors that students tend to make in solving matrix problems. In this study, data collection was carried out using test and questionnaire methods, with data analysis using descriptive statistics. Based on the data analysis, it was concluded that the mistakes made by students in solving matrix problems were concept errors, principal errors and operational errors, with a tendency for errors in conceptual errors. The causes of errors are not understanding the concepts of matrix material, not listening when the teacher explains the material, not having complete notes or a summary of the matrix material, and not studying the matrix material at home, and not practicing working on various matrix questions so that they are unable to use formulas. matrix well.
Pengaruh pembelajaran think-talk-write terhadap kemampuan komunikasi matematik dan sikap positif siswa terhadap matematika
Authors: Habeahan Winmery Lasma , Sitio Hetdy , Wahyuni Fitry
Published: April 2021

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the mathematical communication skills and attitudes of students who were taught with the Think-Talk-Write (TTW) strategy were better than conventional learning. This research is a quasi-experimental research which compares two learning models, namely the TTW cooperative learning model and the conventional learning model. This research was conducted on students of class VII SMPS Mentari Bangsa Medan, which consisted of 2 classes. This study involved two variables, namely the independent variable and the dependent variable. The independent variable is the TTW and KAM learning strategy, while the dependent variable is the mathematical communication skills and attitudes of students towards learning. The sample consist of 42 students for TTW strategy and 37 students for conventional learning. The conclusion is that students who get learning with the TTW strategy have significantly better mathematical communication skills than students who get conventional learning (tcount = 4,93 more than ttable =1,66) and the attitudes of students who get learning with the TTW strategy are significantly better than students who get conventional learning (tcount = 3,14 more than ttable = 1,66).
Les coronavirus: des virus qui changent dans un monde qui change
Authors: Laude Hubert
Published: April 2021

Mots-Clés : Coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19
Estabilidad y diseño de un controlador LQR para un sistema Bola-Viga
Authors: Tellez-Cuevas Pedro , Hernández-Luna Aldo , Cruz-Luna Manuel
Published: April 2021

This article presents the design of an LQR controller for a Ball-Beam system, as well as its stability analysis, the control of a Ball-Beam system is one of the most interesting for control engineering since it is a highly non-dynamic system linear. The objectives of this document focus on the performance of the system using an LQR control for different disturbances as well as obtaining the phase plans. The work starts with the modeling of the ballgirder system, which consists of two mechanical arms, a gear box and a DC servomotor, later the LQR control is designed, this allows simulation and obtaining the response of the controller under different conditions. In the system the input torque is generated from the DC servo motor to control the position of the ball on the beam, where the ball rolls freely on the beam. Performance analysis is performed using robust LQR and the performance characteristics of the system are presented. Finally, the stability analysis is carried out by plotting the phase planes.
Redes neuronales para predecir el abandono académico en ingeniería
Authors: Centurión-Cardeña Humberto José , Cano-Barrón Danice Deyanira , Sandoval-Gío Jesús , Zapata-Gonzále Alfredo
Published: April 2021

This project describes the design process of an artificial neural network model to predict the risk of dropping out of engineering students throughout their socioeconomic, academic, and personal data sing CRISP-DM methodology. The neural network used in the project considers backpropagation functionality with one hidden layer on data from a context questionnaire and academic data from the students in its CENEVAL’s entrance exam and their academic status after one year in the institution. The data used to train the neural network it’s from 781 records of the last four generations of freshmen year students at the Technological Institute of Motul organized in 48 attributes out of the almost 120 included in the original instrument. The result is a predictive model with a significance level of 75.42% and an F index of 0.6027. This model will be included in the comprehensive tutoring system that is been develop within the organization to monitor the student’s academic performance.