bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatial and temporal variation in the occurrence of bottlenose dolphins in the Chesapeake Bay, USA, using citizen science sighting data
Authors: Rodriguez Lauren Kelly , Fandel Amber D. , Colbert Benjamin R. , Testa Jamie C. , Bailey Helen
Published: May 2021

Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are migratory marine mammals that live in both open-ocean and coastal habitats. Although widely studied, little is known about their occurrence patterns in the highly urbanized estuary of the Chesapeake Bay, USA. The goal of this study was to establish the spatial and temporal distribution of bottlenose dolphins throughout this large estuarine system and use statistical modeling techniques to determine how their distribution relates to environmental factors. Three years (April-October 2017–2019) of dolphin sighting reports from a citizen-science database, Chesapeake DolphinWatch, were analyzed. The dolphins had a distinct temporal pattern, most commonly sighted during summer months, peaking in July. This pattern of observed occurrence was confirmed with systematic, passive acoustic detections of dolphin echolocation clicks from local hydrophones. Using spatially-exclusive Generalized Additive Models (GAM), dolphin presence was found to be significantly correlated to spring tidal phase, warm water temperature (24–30°C), and salinities ranging from 6–22 PPT. We were also able to use these GAMs to predict dolphin occurrence in the Bay. These predictions were statistically correlated to the actual number of dolphin sighting reported to Chesapeake DolphinWatch during that time. These models for dolphin presence can be implemented as a predictive tool for species occurrence and inform management of this protected species within the Chesapeake Bay.
Australian Aboriginal techniques for memorization: Translation into a medical and allied health education setting
Authors: Reser David , Simmons Margaret , Johns Esther , Ghaly Andrew , Quayle Michelle , Dordevic Aimee L. , Tare Marianne , McArdle Adelle , Willems Julie , Yunkaporta Tyson
Published: May 2021

Background

Writing and digital storage have largely replaced organic memory for encoding and retrieval of information in the modern era, with a corresponding decrease in emphasis on memorization in Western education. In health professional training, however, there remains a large corpus of information for which memorization is the most efficient means of ensuring: A) that the trainee has the required information readily available; and B) that a foundation of knowledge is laid, upon which the medical trainee builds multiple, complex layers of detailed information during advanced training. The carefully staged progression in early- to late- years’ medical training from broad concepts (e.g. gross anatomy and pharmacology) to in-depth, specialised disciplinary knowledge (e.g. surgical interventions and follow-on care post-operatively) has clear parallels to the progression of training and knowledge exposure that Australian Aboriginal youths undergo in their progression from childhood to adulthood to Tribal Elders.

Methods

As part of the Rural Health curriculum and the undergraduate Nutrition and Dietetics program in the Monash University Faculty of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Sciences, we tested Australian Aboriginal techniques of memorization for acquisition and recall of novel word lists by first-year medical students (N = 76). We also examined undergraduate student evaluations (N = 49) of the use of the Australian Aboriginal memory technique for classroom study of foundational biomedical knowledge (the tricarboxylic acid cycle) using qualitative and quantitative analytic methods drawing from Bloom’s taxonomy for orders of thinking and learning.

Acquisition and recall of word lists were assessed without memory training, or after training in either the memory palace technique or the Australian Aboriginal narrative technique.

Results

Both types of memory training improved the number of correctly recalled items and reduced the frequency of specific error types relative to untrained performance. The Australian Aboriginal method resulted in approximately a 3-fold greater probability of improvement to accurate recall of the entire word list (odds ratio = 2.82; 95% c.i. = 1.15–6.90), vs. the memory palace technique (odds ratio = 2.03; 95% c.i. = 0.81–5.06) or no training (odds ratio = 1.5; 95% c.i. = 0.54–4.59) among students who did not correctly recall all list items at baseline.

Student responses to learning the Australian Aboriginal memory technique in the context of biomedical science education were overwhelmingly favourable, and students found both the training and the technique enjoyable, interesting, and more useful than rote memorization.

Our data indicate that this method has genuine utility and efficacy for study of biomedical sciences and in the foundation years of medical training.
Numerical and experimental analyses for the improvement of surface instant decontamination technology through biocidal agent dispersion: Potential of application during pandemic
Authors: Freitas Neves Paulo Roberto , Oliveira Turan Dias , Magalhães Tarcísio Faustino , dos Reis Paulo Roberto Santana , Tofaneli Luzia Aparecida , Bandeira Santos Alex Álisson , Machado Bruna Aparecida Souza , Oliveira Fabricia Oliveira , da Silva Andrade Leone Peter Correia , Badaró Roberto , Brêda Mascarenhas Luis Alberto
Published: May 2021

The transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through contact with contaminated surfaces or objects is an important form of transmissibility. Thus, in this study, we evaluated the performance of a disinfection chamber designed for instantaneous dispersion of the biocidal agent solution, in order to characterize a new device that can be used to protect individuals by reducing the transmissibility of the disease through contaminated surfaces. We proposed the necessary adjustments in the configuration to improve the dispersion on surfaces and the effectiveness of the developed equipment. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations of the present technology with a chamber having six nebulizer nozzles were performed and validated through qualitative and quantitative comparisons, and experimental tests were conducted using the method Water-Sensitive Paper (WSP), with an exposure to the biocidal agent for 10 and 30 s. After evaluation, a new passage procedure for the chamber with six nozzles and a new configuration of the disinfection chamber were proposed. In the chamber with six nozzles, a deficiency was identified in its central region, where the suspended droplet concentration was close to zero. However, with the new passage procedure, there was a significant increase in wettability of the surface. With the proposition of the chamber with 12 nozzles, the suspended droplet concentration in different regions increased, with an average increase of 266%. The experimental results of the new configuration proved that there was an increase in wettability at all times of exposure, and it was more significant for an exposure of 30 s. Additionally, even in different passage procedures, there were no significant differences in the results for an exposure of 10 s, thereby showing the effectiveness of the new configuration or improved spraying and wettability by the biocidal agent, as well as in minimizing the impact caused by human factor in the performance of the disinfection technology.
Reproductive healthcare in prison: A qualitative study of women’s experiences and perspectives in Ontario, Canada
Authors: Liauw Jessica , Jurgutis Jessica , Nouvet Elysée , Dineley Brigid , Kearney Hannah , Reaka Naomi , Fitzpatrick-Lewis Donna , Peirson Leslea , Kouyoumdjian Fiona
Published: May 2021

Objective

To explore women’s experiences and perspectives of reproductive healthcare in prison.

Methods

We conducted a qualitative study using semi-structured focus groups in 2018 with women in a provincial prison in Ontario, Canada. We asked participants about their experiences and perspectives of pregnancy and contraception related to healthcare in prison. We used a combination of deductive and inductive content analysis to categorize data. A concept map was generated using a reproductive justice framework.

Results

The data reflected three components of a reproductive justice framework: 1) women have limited access to healthcare in prison, 2) reproductive safety and dignity influence attitudes toward pregnancy and contraception, and 3) women in prison want better reproductive healthcare. Discrimination and stigma were commonly invoked throughout women’s experiences in seeking reproductive healthcare.

Conclusions

Improving reproductive healthcare for women in prison is crucial to promoting reproductive justice in this population. Efforts to increase access to comprehensive, responsive, and timely reproductive healthcare should be informed by the needs and desires of women in prison and should actively seek to reduce their experience of discrimination and stigma in this context.
Impact of obesity on outcome of severe bacterial infections
Authors: Alsiö Åsa , Nasic Salmir , Ljungström Lars , Jacobsson Gunnar
Published: May 2021

Introduction

Obesity is a rapidly growing global health concern with considerable negative impact on life-time expectancy. It has yet not been clarified if and how obesity impacts outcomes of severe bacterial infections. The aim of this study was to determine how body mass index impacts outcome of severe bacterial infections in a well-defined population-based cohort.

Methods

This study is based on a cohort of 2196 patients included in a Swedish prospective, population-based, consecutive observational study of the incidence of community-onset severe sepsis and septic shock in adults. All patients with weight and height documented in the medical records on admission were included.

Results

The case fatality rate (CFR) was negatively correlating with increasing BMI. Outcomes included 28-day CFR (p-value = 0.002), hospital CFR (p-value = 0.039) and 1-year CFR (p-value<0.001). When BMI was applied as continuous variable in a multiple logistic regression together with other possible covariates, we still could discern that BMI was associated with decreasing 28-day CFR (OR = 0.93, 95% CI 0.88–0.98, p-value = 0.009) and 1-year CFR (OR = 0.94, 95% CI 0.91–0.97, p-value<0.001).

Conclusion

The hypothesis and paradox of obesity being associated with higher survival rates in severe bacterial infections was confirmed in this prospective, population-based observational study.
Inhibitory effects of a selective prostaglandin E2 receptor antagonist RQ-15986 on inflammation-related colon tumorigenesis in APC-mutant rats
Authors: Shirakami Yohei , Nakanishi Takayuki , Ozawa Noritaka , Ideta Takayasu , Kochi Takahiro , Kubota Masaya , Sakai Hiroyasu , Ibuka Takashi , Tanaka Takuji , Shimizu Masahito
Published: May 2021

Prostaglandin E2 receptor EP4 is involved in inflammation and related tumorigenesis in the colorectum. This study aimed to investigate the chemopreventive ability of RQ-15986, a selective EP4 antagonist, in colitis-related colorectal tumorigenesis. Male Kyoto APC delta rats, which have APC mutations, were treated with azoxymethane and dextran sulfate sodium and subsequently administered RQ-15986 for eight weeks. At the end of the experiment, the development of colorectal tumor was significantly inhibited in the RQ-15986-treated group. The cell proliferation of the crypts and tumors in the colorectum was decreased following RQ-15986 treatment. RQ-15986 also suppressed the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, interleukin-18, and monocyte chemotactic protein-1, in the colon mucosa. In addition, the expression levels of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase, which is involved in immune tolerance, were decreased in the colorectal epithelium and tumors of the RQ-15986-treated group. These findings indicate that RQ-15986 inhibits colitis-associated colorectal tumorigenesis by attenuating inflammation, suppressing cell proliferation, and modulating the expression of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase. Targeting prostaglandin E2/EP4 signaling might be a useful strategy for chemoprevention of inflammation-related colorectal cancer.
Contact lens procurement and usage habits among adults in Sudan
Authors: Gammoh Yazan , Abdu Mustafa
Published: May 2021

Objective

The study aimed to assess contact lens (CL) wear and care habits among adults in Sudan.

Design

An observational, non-interventional, multi-center, cross-sectional study was conducted in the CL departments of all the eye hospitals and centers, and optical centers in the Khartoum State, Sudan.

Participants

Established CL wearers residing in Khartoum State, Sudan.

Main outcomes and measures

CL wear profile, CL usage habits, hand and CL hygiene habits were assessed using an interviewer-administered questionnaire.

Results

The average age of the 442 participants was 24.57 (± 4.87) years. Women comprised 92% of the sample. Smoking was reported by 15.8% of the sample. 81.9% wore soft spherical CL, with 43.4% of the participants were prescribed CL on a yearly replacement schedule. Only 68.3% were prescribed CL by an eye care practitioner. Multipurpose solutions were used by 78.8% of the sample to clean CL, and by 52% to clean the lens case. Compliance rate for CL wear and care among participants was 81.1%. None of the participants reported sharing CL or CL case and rinsing the case with tap water. High compliance level was observed for overnight wear; swimming and showering with CL; handwashing before CL insertion; and cleaning of CL. Moderate compliance rates were recorded for cleaning and replacing lens case, and topping up or sharing solution. Low compliance was noted for attending after care visits.

Conclusions and relevance

CL wearers in Sudan exhibit high to moderate levels of compliance to most contact lens wear and care aspects, except for attending aftercare visits. CL practitioners in Sudan are encouraged to prescribe CL appropriate to the lifestyle and economic situation of patients and actively recommend care products. In addition, practitioners need to follow up with patients to attend aftercare appointments, where hygienic wear and care habits should be emphasized.
Interactions of SARS-CoV-2 envelope protein with amilorides correlate with antiviral activity
Authors: Park Sang Ho , Siddiqi Haley , Castro Daniela V. , De Angelis Anna A. , Oom Aaron L. , Stoneham Charlotte A. , Lewinski Mary K. , Clark Alex E. , Croker Ben A. , Carlin Aaron F. , Guatelli John , Opella Stanley J.
Published: May 2021

SARS-CoV-2 is the novel coronavirus that is the causative agent of COVID-19, a sometimes-lethal respiratory infection responsible for a world-wide pandemic. The envelope (E) protein, one of four structural proteins encoded in the viral genome, is a 75-residue integral membrane protein whose transmembrane domain exhibits ion channel activity and whose cytoplasmic domain participates in protein-protein interactions. These activities contribute to several aspects of the viral replication-cycle, including virion assembly, budding, release, and pathogenesis. Here, we describe the structure and dynamics of full-length SARS-CoV-2 E protein in hexadecylphosphocholine micelles by NMR spectroscopy. We also characterized its interactions with four putative ion channel inhibitors. The chemical shift index and dipolar wave plots establish that E protein consists of a long transmembrane helix (residues 8–43) and a short cytoplasmic helix (residues 53–60) connected by a complex linker that exhibits some internal mobility. The conformations of the N-terminal transmembrane domain and the C-terminal cytoplasmic domain are unaffected by truncation from the intact protein. The chemical shift perturbations of E protein spectra induced by the addition of the inhibitors demonstrate that the N-terminal region (residues 6–18) is the principal binding site. The binding affinity of the inhibitors to E protein in micelles correlates with their antiviral potency in Vero E6 cells: HMA ≈ EIPA > DMA >> Amiloride, suggesting that bulky hydrophobic groups in the 5’ position of the amiloride pyrazine ring play essential roles in binding to E protein and in antiviral activity. An N15A mutation increased the production of virus-like particles, induced significant chemical shift changes from residues in the inhibitor binding site, and abolished HMA binding, suggesting that Asn15 plays a key role in maintaining the protein conformation near the binding site. These studies provide the foundation for complete structure determination of E protein and for structure-based drug discovery targeting this protein.
Product innovation performance: Analysis of measures and measurement scales applied to SMES.
Authors: Manthey Nilvane Boehm , Cancellier Everton Luiz Pellizzaro de Lorenzi , Tezza Rafael
Published: May 2021

Objective: The article presents the analysis of measures and scales of product innovation performance adopted in studies on micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Methodology/approach: It is an exploratory and qualitative descriptive research. The methodology consists of a systematic bibliographic review, examining articles from the Capes database, published from 1990 to December 2020. Main results: The research identified 92 articles addressing product innovation performance. Objective measures (proxies) were used in 41 of them, while 51 adopted psychometric scales. Among the studies analyzed, 7 different psychometric scales were developed to measure product innovation performance in SMEs. Theoretical/methodological contributions: The growing research on the importance of innovation management in SMEs emphasizes the need to measure the performance of organizations’ actions to innovate. However, the measures adopted to assess product innovation performance still diverge regarding the form, involving different variables. This research’s findings intend to direct researchers to appropriated measures in studies involving SMEs. Relevance/originality: The concern on product innovation has grown in recent years especially due to the urgent need for innovation. In this context, it is crucial to expand the knowledge on tools to analyze product innovation performance. Social/management contributions: The article offers information and tools for SME managers to analyze the measurement of product innovation performance.
Adaptivitás, innováció és fejlődési csapda : Integrált elméleti megközelítés
Authors: Sebestyén Tamás
Published: May 2021

A gyors technológiai fejlődés egyik feltétele, hogy a megjelenő új és új technológiák alkalmazása már a kezdetekben hatékony legyen, ami azonban a munkaerőtől magas szintű adaptivitást követel meg. Ha azonban az adaptivitás kialakulásának forrása éppen a gyors technológiai fejlődés, akkor a gazdaság alacsony adaptivitási szint mellett fejlődési csapdába kerülhet: a technológiai fejlődés hiányában az innovációt ösztönző adaptivitás sem fejlődik. A szerző tanulmányában az adaptivitás, a technológiai haladás és a gazdasági növekedés kölcsönhatásának integrált megközelítését mutatja be egy szimulált gazdasági modell segítségével.
Internal indentity-based brand management : How to consistently deliver the brand promise at the point of sale?
Authors: Burmann Christoph , Maloney Philip
Published: May 2021

In many well developed economies the number of brands as well as their perceived homogeneity is increas­ing for more than two decades. As a result, more and more brands appear interchangeable to their cus­tomers. To cope with this challenge it is necessary to develop a unique brand identity and to assure that this is being consistently delivered at all brand touch points. The latter requires that everyone who acts as a brand representative behaves according to the brand identity. Common understanding of and commit­ment to the brand are necessary prerequisites. A first model for internal identity-based brand manage­ment intended to fulfil these prerequisites was recently developed at the chair for innovative brand man­agement. The model is explicitly targeted at employees. This paper draws attention to yet another group of stakeholders which influences the brand image sub­stantially: the brands distributors. Empirical research has shown that particularly those internal refer­ence groups1 that have intensive interaction with the customers are able to influence the brand image. The purpose of this article is to assess whether the internal brand management model developed for employ­ees applies to distributors and to extend the existing model for the distributor context if necessary.
Priority Based Switching of Loads Using PLC and SCADA
Authors: Magar Khadka Vikram Thapa , Kandel Aviral , Neupane Deepak , Rijal Dipak
Published: May 2021

PLC is a medium between electrical systems and personal computers for SCADA to take input and output bits. SCADA and PLC communication systems make it possible to integrate protection control and monitor electrical parameters together for maximum benefit. The idea is to provide continuous power supply to the load, based on the priority by switching the loads. In case any one of the sources is absent i.e., source 1, source 2 and source 3, then automatically the least priority load cuts-off and first priority load gets supply continuously.
An Evaluation of the Determinants of Remittances: Evidence from Nigeria
Authors:   University of Ibadan, Laniran Temitope , Adeniyi Daniel
Published: May 2021

International remittances have grown to become an integral source of finance for development. Existing literature posits that there is an association between remittances and growth in developing countries. Economic growth models highlight the importance of capital accumulation and high level financial flows, the inadequacy of which characterizes developing countries and often explains their fate. It is argued that remittances will provide a panacea to the serious poverty experienced in such developing economies by increasing financial flows and household income, which in turn stimulates consumption, savings, economic growth and ultimately development. The robustness of this relationship is, however, often questioned. Indeed, the propensity of remittances to achieve these aspirations very much hinges on the determining factors motivating the remitters and the magnitude of the remittances. Hence, given the significant flows of remittances to the developing countries, this study attempts an analysis of the determinants of remittances to Nigeria. Key macroeconomic variables with theoretical potentials of influencing the level of remittances received were subjected to econometric model testing using time series data from 1980 to 2013. The results indicate that the level of remittances received is more a function of portfolio motives than other macroeconomic factors.
International Migration in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Call for a Global Research Agenda
Authors:   University of the Western Cape, Dinbabo Mulugeta , Carciotto Sergio ,   Scalabrini Institute for Human Mobility in Africa
Published: May 2021

Research on international migration has brought about remarkable awareness within the global research community, stimulating some theorists and policy-makers to talk about ‘international migration’ as a field for research. A number of research organizations have also adopted various methods of inquiry to examine and change their research agendas and practices. Although much is known about international migration, there are still many unanswered questions. Formulating a comprehensive agenda that is well informed by research can have a real influence on the lives of migrants throughout the world. It is also believed that the outcome of this research will help the ways in which concerned organizations think and act while dealing with the situation of international migrants. This research is aimed at drawing an inclusive research agenda that is better informed by distinguishable human rights requirements. The research agenda presented here is the result of the contribution of nearly 35 purposely selected researchers from various organizations working in the area of international migration in sub-Saharan Africa. The knowledge base that is produced from this study can yield data and information to governmental and non-governmental organizations that are dealing with international migration in sub-Saharan Africa.
Failed asylum seekers in South Africa: policy and practice
Authors:   Scalabrini Institute for Human Mobility in Africa, Johnson Corey
Published: May 2021

The return of failed asylum seekers has become an issue of concern for asylum states who must balance immigration control measures while upholding refugee protection obligations. The 1994 transition to democracy in South Africa saw the state establish a strong urban refugee protection framework based on individualised refugee status determination processes, freedom of movement, and local integration. The refugee protection framework, although strong on paper, has suffered from a lack of implementation and has coexisted uneasily next to immigration control imperatives. This tension is further exacerbated by the post-1994 immigration regime which promotes a restrictive immigration policy with few options for low-skilled migrants who have turned to the asylum system as a means by which to legalise their stay, thus stretching capacity and conflating immigration control and refugee protection. This article provides a general overview of these issues, as well as an analysis of South Africa's policies to address failed asylum seekers. In doing so it explores the tension between formal human rights protections found in legislation and underlying immigration enforcement imperatives. The article finds that the conditions for an effective failed asylum seeker policy are not present and concludes with a discussion of some of the issues that need to be addressed to implement a more effective and rights-based policy.
Más allá de la visión heleno-eurocéntrica de la historia: el lugar de América (Latina) en la historia mundial transmoderna
Authors: Sánchez Antonio Juan Carlos
Published: May 2021

Este artículo procura contribuir a la destrucción de la visión helenocéntrica y eurocéntrica de la historia universal que ha excluido a América Latina de la Antigüedad, la filosofía, la política, la educación y la religión. Así mismo, reforzaremos la tesis de que el origen de la filosofía griega es egipcia, y además es negra. F. Hegel piensa que la historia del espíritu absoluto viene de Oriente a Occidente, el centro es Europa, elimina a África de la historia y América (del Norte) es una posibilidad. La historia de la política, la religión, la educación y la filosofía mundial no se circunscriben geográfica e históricamente a Oriente y Europa, sino que deben de extenderse a América con sus dos grandes civilizaciones con desarrollo autonómico: Mesoamérica e Inca, como pilares fundamentales de la historia mundial, al igual que Egipto, Mesopotamia, India y China. Al final se refuerza la postura de construir un nuevo modo de hacer la historia desde un horizonte dialógico intercivilizatorio mundial transmoderno y poscapitalista.
Relevancia histórica desde las perspectivas de estudiantes colombianos. Permanencia y transformación de los modelos de evocación histórica
Authors: Ibagón Martínez Nilson Javier , Miralles Martínez Pedro
Published: May 2021

Este texto presenta los resultados de una investigación de tipo cuantitativo que utiliza la estadística descriptiva para identificar las perspectivas de un grupo de estudiantes de educación media de Bogotá (n=764), en torno a quiénes son, según su opinión, los personajes históricos más importantes de la historia nacional. A través de la construcción de un índice de relevancia histórica sustentado en la frecuencia de evocación y la relevancia asignada a cada personaje, se identificaron una serie de principios de identidad histórica en los que confluyen permanencias de figuras ejemplares/tradicionales asociadas a la narrativa oficial y emergencias de nuevos referentes que representan fuerzas de resistencia y de negación de ideas y prácticas sociales hegemónicas. Los resultados evidencian que el aprendizaje histórico no solo depende de los procesos formales de escolarización, sino que, además, se estructura a partir de diferentes dimensiones que forman y son expresión de la cultura histórica.
Comprender la sociedad a través del lenguaje: una nueva mirada sobre los grupos sociales y la integración
Authors: Blommaert Jan
Published: May 2021

En este ensayo, el lingüista belga Jan Blommaert postula que el sustento empírico de la sociolingüística y su foco en la descripción de los patrones de interacción de las comunidades pueden aportar al enriquecimiento y el ajuste de la teoría social en general. En particular, Blommaert revisa los principios clásicos –así como las visiones no convencionales– de la teoría de los grupos sociales y la teoría de la integración social, para proponer innovaciones a partir de los hallazgos de investigaciones sociolingüísticas centradas en la articulación entre las interacciones online y offline, y los efectos identitarios que desencadenan. En relación con los grupos sociales, sostiene la existencia de grupos livianos en simultaneidad con los grupos sólidos (clases, etnias) de las teorías clásicas, y lo ilustra a partir de diversas investigaciones que dan cuenta de prácticas multimodales livianas (como la escritura en redes) que producen formas de cohesión social. Por otra parte, plantea que la teoría de la integración social clásica, basada en la idea de la completa incorporación del inmigrante a una única sociedad receptora, debe ser renovada a la luz de los nuevos modos de integración en contextos de diáspora que las TIC promueven. Para fundamentar esta hipótesis, revisa investigaciones que analizan grados de integración de las personas en muy diversas comunidades con cuyos miembros interactúan desplegando repertorios comunicativos superdiversos. Ambos desarrollos permiten al autor afirmar el aporte de las herramientas y los conceptos de la sociolingüística anclada en el análisis empírico de interacciones y prácticas de literacidad multimodales para describir los procesos, formaciones y estructuras que constituyen el objeto de las ciencias sociales.
Trayectorias para llegar a ser: la interacción con inscripciones en diferentes ámbitos del mundo de la vida
Authors: Roozen Kevin
Published: May 2021

En este artículo, el profesor e investigador estadounidense Kevin Roozen expone un estudio longitudinal de caso en torno a un estudiante universitario con un profundo compromiso religioso y un fuerte interés en el conocimiento científico. En contraposición a la idea de que la escritura disciplinar se aprende dentro de los límites de las prácticas hegemónicas de las disciplinas, Roozen adopta un marco teórico que postula que ese aprendizaje resulta del entramado de un amplio conjunto de textos, prácticas, recursos semióticos y actividades, tanto académicos como cotidianos, que las personas entretejen a lo largo de sus vidas, construyendo un continuo devenir semiótico. Situado en este encuadre, el autor analiza cómo, a través del uso y la reutilización de inscripciones o diagramas de diferente tipo a lo largo del tiempo, el estudiante negocia y renegocia sus identidades hasta hacerlas confluir en un sentido de sí mismo y del mundo, opuesto a visiones dominantes. Los resultados, a los que el investigador arriba después de análisis minuciosos y su revisión y aprobación por parte del estudiante participante en la investigación, sugieren la importancia crucial de la atención a las complejas y extensas historias de literacidad de las personas a fin de construir alternativas pedagógicas que potencien el entramado creativo y continuo de la totalidad de los recursos semióticos disponibles para los estudiantes, en vez de conducirlos por las sendas ya existentes construidas dentro de las disciplinas.
Industrial Engineering and Operations Management – a view from IJCIEOM 2020-2021
Authors: Thomé Antonio Márcio Tavares , Barbastefano Rafael , Reis João Carlos Gonçalves dos , Scavarda Luiz Felipe , Freires Francisco Gaudêncio Mendonça
Published: May 2021

This Special Issue of the Brazilian Journal of Operations and Production Management (BJOPM) offers nine papers selected from the 26th International Joint Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management (IJCIEOM – 2020-2021). The conference theme was “Challenges and Trends for Sustainability in the 21st Century”, looking ahead to bridge theory and practice of economic, social, and environmental sustainability. This editorial paper summarises the selected contributions of collaborative efforts of international researchers to advance knowledge in different research topics of industrial engineering and operations management.
Diagnosis of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: The Role of RANTES
Authors: Ajeena Ihsan M. , Al-Mudhafar Rihab H. , Al-Awadi Iman J. , Al-Khalidi Hasanain A. , Alsalihi Nawrass J.
Published: May 2021

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is regarded as most frequent entrapment neuropathy in upper extremities with high prevalence in females. It is a multi-factorial disease that had signs and symptoms due to compression of median nerve at the carpal tunnel in wrist, although may be asymptomatic. Immune system has been recognized as the main factor of neuropathic pain. Regulated on Activation, Normal T cell Expressed and Secreted (RANTES) is among the cytokines that revealed a dysregulated pattern of neuropathy specific cytokine profile in CTS and, in human, it is encoded by CCL5 gene. Sixty-four patients suffering from CTS were enrolled in this controlled cross sectional study. For all, nerve conduction study was performed to prove the diagnosis of CTS and to classify its severity. The mean age of all patients was 44.9±7.8 years, 89.1 % were female, 40.7% had mild type CTS and 40.7 % had right side CTS. 5 ml blood was obtained from each participant to measure the level of serum RANTES using specific ELISA kit. There was significant high RANTES levels in CTS patients when compared with its reference value. We conclude that RANTES level increases in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome and can be used as a predictor for its diagnosis despite its proposed neuroprotective role.
Introduction to The world universities’ response to COVID-19: remote online language teaching
Authors: Radić Nebojša , Atabekova Anastasia , Freddi Maria , Schmied Josef
Published: May 2021

March 2020 saw the advent of a pandemic that is having a profound impact on all facets of our lives with special reference, in our case, to language education. Universities worldwide found themselves in an emergency predicament and we had to suddenly abandon traditional forms of classroom and/or blended learning and move to a completely remote online delivery of courses. The imperative to continue teaching in these new circumstances did not come, as very often is the case, from the relevant institutional administrations in a top-down manner, but from our own, inner pedagogical and human instincts. The usual lines of communication with our students and colleagues were cut off and we had to find and resort to new ways of communicating and teaching. We had no precedents to refer to and found ourselves in the situation to search for innovative solutions using the already existing technology, skills, resources, and methodological approaches. This situation was challenging in the extreme. Searching for solutions and support, our language learning community developed, in many ways, new lines of communication. It was then, in June 2020 that we had the idea of writing a case study each to be published together in one volume, to make some of the informal conversations that had happened during the lockdown formally available to the whole community. We come from different countries, different institutions with distinct academic, linguistic, cultural, and professional backgrounds and yet we all found ourselves in the position to have to solve a major puzzle – a pandemic-caused lockdown that fragmented our established practices.
Teaching Arabic during the pandemic: the remote online classroom
Authors: Kashef Yasser
Published: May 2021

The chapter gives the reader insights of teaching Arabic as a foreign
language during the consequences of COVID-19. It tackles the outcomes of the
spring and summer semesters in 2020 among students of Ningxia, Aarhus,
Copenhagen, Cambridge, and Berlin universities. It sheds light upon the
challenges faced by students, teachers, and management and how they are
handled. The chapter depends on the collectives of two surveys carried out
by the Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language (TAFL) team. It includes
students’ and instructors’ feedback and the means of delivery of Arabic
classes amid the pandemic. It also covers the needs of the online classroom
in Arabic as a foreign language. It shares language achievements during the
pandemic, and recommendations for the future.
A blended learning model supported by MOOC/SPOC, Zoom, and Canvas in a
project-based academic writing course
Authors: Zhang Li , Chen Yunjie
Published: May 2021

Blended learning has played an important role in teaching English as a
second or foreign language around the world. However, little research has
been conducted on blended learning that is entirely online owing to the
coronavirus pandemic. We aim at exploring the model of blending Massive Open
Online Courses (MOOC) and Small Private Online Courses (SPOC), Zoom
conferencing, and the Canvas course management platform. The new approach of
blended online learning incorporates the pre-class autonomous learning of
knowledge in MOOC/SPOC, in-class internalization of knowledge through case
studies and discussions on Zoom, and after-class application of knowledge to
the completion of a research project. A questionnaire and interviews were
conducted to explore learners’ perceptions of the effectiveness of the
model. Learners have a positive attitude about the new approach of blended
online learning, but still hope that the in-class activities can be
implemented face-to-face offline. The model will contribute to teaching and
learning with the blended approach against the current coronavirus
pandemic.
COVID-19 emergency teaching: from CULP to remote CULP
Authors: Radić Nebojša
Published: May 2021

In this chapter I describe the emergency delivery of the Cambridge
University institution-wide Language Programme (CULP) during the COVID-19
lockdown in March-July 2020. I am the Director of the Programme and report
from a managerial point of view. I begin by outlining the institutional
context and the student and teaching staff backgrounds. I proceed by
describing the decision-making process, the rationale behind the decisions,
the steps taken in preparation for the оnline, remote delivery of the
teaching, and the delivery itself. The chapter reports on measurable student
performance as well as formal and informal student and teacher feedback. The
chapter concludes by drawing the relevant conclusions about this unique
professional experience, the changes we witness in communication, teaching,
and learning patterns, and outlining a possible way forward.
Przegląd działalności wybranych komitetów rewitalizacji w województwie wielkopolskim
Authors: Kaczmarek Patryk
Published: May 2021

W artykule przedstawiono przegląd działalności czterech wybranych komitetów rewitalizacji w województwie wielkopolskim. Cztery wybrane studia przypadków reprezentują zróżnicowane pod kątem formy oraz wielkości jednostki samorządowe. Omówiono również wyniki badań Głównego Urzędu Statystycznego nad komitetami rewitalizacji działającymi w Polsce w 2017 r.
Aulas de campo interdisciplinares como estratégias formativas para docentes de Ciências e Biologia
Authors: De Paiva Aparecida Barbosa , Sudério Fabrício Bonfím
Published: May 2021

A formação de professores deve ser realizada de forma contextual, levando em consideração a necessidade de formar professores que unem teoria e prática, de modo a valorizar a diversidade de espaços formativos. Nesse contexto, as aulas de campo representam uma das alternativas didáticas que podem permitir a melhoria da aprendizagem por serem realizadas em ambientes naturais. Este trabalho objetivou avaliar a percepção de licenciandos em Ciências Biológicas quanto à contribuição formativa de aulas de campo interdisciplinares realizadas no Parque Nacional de Ubajara-CE e em uma fazenda de produção orgânica em São Benedito-CE. Esta pesquisa foi baseada no processo investigativo, sendo utilizada análise qualitativa, com uso de questionários semiestruturados aplicados após a realização das aulas de campo. Os relatos dos graduandos expressos nos questionários sinalizam que as aulas de campo e as ações planejadas e adotadas pelos professores foram eficientes quanto ao processo de ensino e aprendizagem, ao mesmo tempo em que os estudantes revelaram a intenção de realizarem aulas de campo em suas futuras atuações como docentes. Essa pesquisa revelou que aulas de campo no ensino superior representam uma alternativa eficiente para a formação de professores reflexivos no que diz respeito às suas práticas docentes.
S100B protein, cerebral ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging patterns in brain injured preterm infants
Authors: Gasparroni Giorgia , Graziosi Alessandro , Bersani Iliana , Caulo Massimo , Moataza Bashir , Aboulgar Hanna , Mufeed Hala , Iskander Iman , Kornacka Maria , Gruzfeld Darek , Dotta Andrea , Savarese Immacolata , Chukhlantseva Natalia , Tina Lucia Gabriella , Nigro Francesco , Livolti Giovanni , Galvano Fabio , Di Battista Caterina , D’Adamo Ebe , Primavera Adele Patrizia , Lapergola Giuseppe , Conte Mariangela , Salomone Rita , Perrotta Marika , Panichi Daniele , Levantini Gabriella , Catenaro Milena , Strozzi Chiara , Maconi Antonio , Centini Giacomo , Chiarelli Francesco , D’Antonio Francesco , Gavilanes Danilo A.W. , Gazzolo Diego
Published: May 2021

Objectives

The early detection of preterm infants (PI) at risk for intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and neurological sequelae still constitutes an unsolved issue. We aimed at validating the role of S100B protein in the early diagnosis and prognosis of IVH in PI by means of cerebral ultrasound (CUS) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) today considered standard of care procedures.

Methods

We conducted an observational case-control study in 216 PI of whom 36 with IVH and 180 controls. Standard clinical, laboratory, radiological monitoring procedures and S100B urine measurement were performed at four time-points (first void, 24, 48, 96 h) after birth. Cerebral MRI was performed at 40–42 weeks of corrected gestational age.

Results

Elevated (p<0.001, for all) S100B levels were observed in the IVH group at all monitoring time-point particularly at first void when standard monitoring procedures were still silent or unavailable. S100B measured at first void correlated (p<0.001) with the grade of hemorrhage by means of CUS and with the site and extension of neurological lesion (p<0.001, for all) as assessed by MRI.

Conclusions

The present results showing a correlation among S100B and CUS and MRI offer additional support to the inclusion of the protein in clinical daily management of cases at risk for IVH and adverse neurological outcome. The findings open the way to further investigations in PI aimed at validating new neurobiomarkers by means of S100B.
AC/DC robust controller technique for reliable operation of photovoltaic-based microgrid using firefly algorithm and fuzzy logic
Authors: Abdali Ali , Mazlumi Kazem
Published: May 2021

Photovoltaic is one of the renewable energies in generating electricity. The MPPT as effective technique can improve the performance of photovoltaic cells. Key problem in photovoltaic systems is that it does not achieve much power since the various weather conditions effects on photovoltaic power cells in working such as solar radiation or rainy and cloudy weather. Therefore, the MPPT in PV cells runs and leads to change during the day and seasons. On the other hand, providing an appropriate controller for the MPPT is too important. Here, main purpose is applying the robust controller, which is tuned by firefly algorithm to optimize MPPT in photovoltaic systems. The main reason to propose this method is some defects in previous controllers such as low stability, low battery lifetime, inability to combine AC/DC and low efficiency. The suggested model is performed by MATLAB/Simulink software. Finally, the FLFA model has higher efficiency and best dynamic response than other methods.
Chinese bayberry Jiaosu fermentation – changes of mycobiota composition and antioxidant properties
Authors: Fang Sheng , Jin Zhening , Xu Yisong , Sha Ruyi , Mao Jianwei , Jiang Zengliang
Published: May 2021

The aim of the study was to investigate the dynamic changes of mycobiota community, and the resultant effects on the antioxidant properties during the Chinese bayberry Jiaosu fermentation. The structure and composition of mycobiota during the Chinese bayberry Jiaosu fermentation were significantly changed (p < 0.001) and clearly clustered into two distinct phases (Phase 1: Day 5–20; Phase 2: Day 30–60, p < 0.001). From Phase 1 to Phase 2, the dominant fungi gradually changed from Saccharomycetales fam Incertae sedis to Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The antioxidative properties (total polyphenols, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl [DPPH], superoxide and 2,2′-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate) [ABTS] radical scavenging) of Chinese bayberry Jiaosu were significantly increased by 250.4, 73.9, 25.3 and 40.0% respectively (p < 0.001). Co-occurrence network analysis revealed that Saccharomyces cerevisiae contributed to the increase of antioxidative properties in the Chinese bayberry Jiaosu fermentation. Our research indicates that fermentation into Chinese bayberry Jiaosu is an effective and new method for high-valued utilization of Chinese bayberry.
End Meeting for All: The Performative Meta-Collages of Forced Entertainment
Authors: Tamas Luciana
Published: May 2021

Collage – the insertion of ready-made materials into artworks or texts – is a technique that has been used in all art forms since the experiments of the early twentieth-century avant-gardes and has, in its different shapes, often been used in theatre performances as well. The British theatre group Forced Entertainment provides a contemporary example of a (post-)avant-garde vocabulary that actively borrows from and transforms the practices of their precursors. They employ a palimpsest-like layering of visual and verbal elements, which I will here define as performative meta-collages. In this article, I will discuss their practice and take a look at the ways in which Forced Entertainment’s performative meta-collages verbalize and produce “future” in one of their recent performances, End Meeting for All, which imagines a scenario that takes place “a year and a day” after the beginning of the COVID-19-triggered lockdown in the spring of 2020.
Experimental study on modeling of Pu sorption onto quartz
Authors: Hemmi Ko , Walker Andrew , Yamaguchi Tetsuji
Published: May 2021

Plutonium(IV) sorption onto quartz in carbonate solutions was systematically investigated under anaerobic conditions to analyze the sorption behaviors of Pu(IV) with a non-electrostatic model (NEM). Pu(IV) sorption data was obtained from batch sorption experiments as a function of pH and carbonate concentration. The Pu(IV) sorption onto quartz showed similar tendencies to Th(IV), which is considered to be chemically analogous as a tetravalent actinoid. The distribution coefficient, K

d
, of Pu(IV) onto quartz showed inverse proportionality to the square of the total carbonate concentration under the investigated pH conditions of 8–11. The modeling study, however, revealed a Th(IV) sorption model, which is ≡SOTh(OH)4
− and ≡SOThOH(CO3)2
2−, could not be applied to simulate the Pu(IV) sorption onto quartz. It was inferred that the electrostatic repulsion between negatively charged ligands limited the formation of ≡SOM(OH)4
− and ≡SOMOH(CO3)2
2− for Pu(IV) with smaller ionic radii than Th(IV). The Pu(IV) sorption model was developed as ≡SOPu(OH)3 and ≡SOPu(OH)4
−. In addition, data of Pu(IV) sorption onto muscovite was obtained in order to be compared with data for quartz.