bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Large-Scale Production of Lentiviral Vectors: Current Perspectives and Challenges
Authors: Martínez-Molina Eduardo , Chocarro-Wrona Carlos , Martínez-Moreno Daniel , Marchal Juan A. , Boulaiz Houria
Published: November 2020

Lentiviral vectors (LVs) have gained value over recent years as gene carriers in gene therapy. These viral vectors are safer than what was previously being used for gene transfer and are capable of infecting both dividing and nondividing cells with a long-term expression. This characteristic makes LVs ideal for clinical research, as has been demonstrated with the approval of lentivirus-based gene therapies from the Food and Drug Administration and the European Agency for Medicine. A large number of functional lentiviral particles are required for clinical trials, and large-scale production has been challenging. Therefore, efforts are focused on solving the drawbacks associated with the production and purification of LVsunder current good manufacturing practice. In recent years, we have witnessed the development and optimization of new protocols, packaging cell lines, and culture devices that are very close to reaching the target production level. Here, we review the most recent, efficient, and promising methods for the clinical-scale production ofLVs.
Short De-Etiolation Increases the Rooting of VC801 Avocado Rootstock
Authors: Duman Zvi , Hadas-Brandwein Gal , Eliyahu Avi , Belausov Eduard , Abu-Abied Mohamad , Yeselson Yelena , Faigenboim Adi , Lichter Amnon , Irihimovitch Vered , Sadot Einat
Published: November 2020

Dark-grown (etiolated) branches of many recalcitrant plant species root better than their green counterparts. Here it was hypothesized that changes in cell-wall properties and hormones occurring during etiolation contribute to rooting efficiency. Measurements of chlorophyll, carbohydrate and auxin contents, as well as tissue compression, histological analysis and gene-expression profiles were determined in etiolated and de-etiolated branches of the avocado rootstock VC801. Differences in chlorophyll content and tissue rigidity, and changes in xyloglucan and pectin in cambium and parenchyma cells were found. Interestingly, lignin and sugar contents were similar, suggesting that de-etiolated branches resemble the etiolated ones in this respect. Surprisingly, the branches that underwent short de-etiolation rooted better than the etiolated ones, and only a slight difference in IAA content between the two was observed. Gene-expression profiles revealed an increase in ethylene-responsive transcripts in the etiolated branches, which correlated with enrichment in xyloglucan hydrolases. In contrast, transcripts encoding pectin methylesterase and pectolyases were enriched in the de-etiolated branches. Taken together, it seems that the short de-etiolation period led to fine tuning of the conditions favoring adventitious root formation in terms of auxin–ethylene balance and cell-wall properties.
Properties of Thermoplastic-Bonded Plywood: Effects of the Wood Species and Types of the Thermoplastic Films
Authors: Bekhta Pavlo , Müller Marcus , Hunko Ilona
Published: November 2020

There are a lack of proper adhesives that meet the wood industry requirements of being environmentally friendly, low cost, and easy to use; thus, the application of thermoplastic polymers, especially films, is promising. This work expands our knowledge about the possibility of using thermoplastic films for the production of environmentally friendly plywood. The effects of the adhesives type and wood species on the properties of plastic film bonded plywood were studied. Sliced veneers of two hardwoods (birch and beech) and one softwood (spruce) were used in the experiments. Three types of thermoplastic films—low-density polyethylene (LDPE), co-polyamide (CoPA), and co-polyester (CoPE)—were used as an adhesive for bonding plywood samples. Melamine–urea–formaldehyde (MUF) resin was used as a reference. The influence of the type of adhesive and wood species as well as their interaction on the properties of plywood was significant. The lowest bonding strength demonstrated plywood samples bonded by LDPE, and the highest bonding strength in the samples was shown in those bonded by CoPA. A significant difference was found between softwoods and hardwoods in terms of their influence on the physical and mechanical properties of plywood samples. From the obtained data, it follows that softwoods provide much lower values of bending strength (MOR), modulus of elasticity (MOE), and bonding strength than hardwoods. The obtained bonding strength values of plastic-bonded plywood panels ranged from 1.18 to 2.51 MPa and met the European standard EN 314-2 for Class 1 (dry conditions) plywood.
The Impact of a Twelve-Month Comprehensive Program of Cognitive Training for Alzheimer Patients: A Pilot Study
Authors: Rodríguez-Mora Álvaro , Cordón José R. , de la Torre Gabriel G. , Mestre José M.
Published: November 2020

Research has shown that non-pharmacological therapies can be useful in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), significantly delaying cognitive decay. However, most AD interventions did not last beyond six months. Hence, little is known about the effect of these programs in the AD patients after six months of treatment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the twelve-month Comprehensive Program of Cognitive Training (CPCT) for a sample of AD patients and to compare the results with the average annual rate of change. Thirty-nine AD patients participated in the study. The CPCT consists of a set of cognitive stimulations, intervention in activities of daily life (ADL), and motor training for 12 months. All patients were evaluated at baseline and in three-month intervals via the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Cambridge Cognitive Examination (CAMCOG), the Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale (IADL), and the Global Deterioration Scale (GDS). After CPCT implementation, there were no significant differences in the MMSE, IADL, and GDS evaluations between baseline and twelve months. Concerning the CAMCOG evaluation, there was no significant difference between the baseline and sixth-month assessments. Overall, the participants’ cognitive functioning did not decline when compared to the average annual rate of change. The CPCT extends the benefit of non-pharmacological interventions for AD patients to twelve months. Its implementation might provide the patients’ relatives with some guarantee concerning the delay of the disease. Future research may investigate the efficacy of the CPCT in comparison with a control group and over a more extended period.
‘Deep Learning’ in Studies of Religion and Worldviews in Norwegian Schools? The Implications of the National Curriculum Renewal in 2020
Authors: Bråten Oddrun M H , Skeie Geir
Published: November 2020

From 2020, the National Curriculum in Norway has been totally renewed for primary, secondary, and upper secondary education. This includes the introduction of such new concepts as ‘deep learning’ and ‘core elements’ in school education. In this article, we unpack the significance of the reform for studies in religion and worldviews in Norwegian schools. We explore continuities and changes by looking at general educational trends and debates and how they become significant, specifically for the study of religion and worldviews in schools. While the changes may stem from international trends, they have been formed in a Norwegian discourse that also draws on traditions from previous curricula. Three interdisciplinary topics have been introduced: ‘health and life skills’, ‘democracy and citizenship’, and ‘sustainable development’. Emphasis is placed on competence-oriented relevance and less on the traditional classroom learning of ‘facts’. Our research question is: Which continuities and which changes are found when comparing studies of religion and worldviews in the previous and the new curricula? Our hypothesis is that continuities stem from national traditions while incentives to change are connected to rapid social change that is also reflected in supranational developments in education. Our methodology is a contextual presentation and discussion of studies of religion and worldviews, where the context we are considering includes both national and international discourses. Our objective is to inform a broader audience about recent developments in the Norwegian school, as well as to bring together important elements in this reform in a focused discussion on the framework for studies of religion and worldviews in Norwegian schools today. We identify both continuity and change, along a subject-specific—general-educational policy axis and along a national-international axis. The continued relevance of teaching about religion and worldviews in schools is strengthened in the reform, because of the potential for significant contributions to general aims of education now reflected in ‘core elements’, including for continued development of a functioning democracy.
Dialogue, Worldview Inclusivity, and Intra-Religious Diversity: Addressing Diversity through Religious Education in the Finnish Basic Education Curriculum
Authors: Ubani Martin , Hyvärinen Elisa , Lemettinen Jenni , Hirvonen Elina
Published: November 2020

The purpose of this article is to discuss how religious and non-religious diversity are addressed in the current national core curriculum for religious education (RE) in basic education in Finland. We first discuss the educational developments behind the Finnish curricular reform, and then focus on issues related to RE and RE research in Finland. We then describe the key contextual contributors to the current RE curriculum in basic education before proceeding to examine how diversity is addressed in the curriculum. Based on our examination, we identify four themes in the curriculum: inter-religious diversity, religious and non-religious worldviews, cultural diversity, and dialogue skills. In RE, diversity is largely addressed within a framework of religion and multiculturality. The article ends with a call for renewal of research foci in RE.
Exploring the Optical Properties of Leaf Photosynthetic and Photo-Protective Pigments In Vivo Based on the Separation of Spectral Overlapping
Authors: Zhang Yao , Wang Chengjie , Huang Jingfeng , Wang Fumin , Huang Ran , Lin Hongze , Chen Fengnong , Wu Kaihua
Published: November 2020

The in vivo features of the absorption of leaf photosynthetic and photo-protective pigments are closely linked to the leaf spectrum in the 400–800 nm regions. However, this information is difficult to obtain because the overlapping leaf pigments can mask the contribution of individual pigments to the leaf spectrum. Here, to limit the masking phenomenon between these pigments, the separation technology for leaf spectral overlapping was employed in the PROSPECT model with the ZJU dataset. The main results of this study include the following aspects: (1) the absorption coefficients of separated chlorophyll a and b, carotenoids and anthocyanins in the leaf in vivo display the physical principles of forming an absorption spectrum similar to those in an organic solution; (2) the differences in the position of each absorption peak of pigments between the leaf in vivo and in an organic solution can be described by a spectral displacement parameter; and (3) the overlapping characteristics between the separated pigments in the leaf in vivo are clearly drawn by a range of absorption feature (RAF) parameter. Moreover, the absorption coefficients of the separated pigments were successfully applied in leaf spectral modeling and pigment retrieval. The results show that the separated multiple pigment absorption coefficients from the leaf spectrum in vivo are effective and provide a framework for future refinements in describing leaf optical properties.
A Gated Recurrent Units (GRU)-Based Model for Early Detection of Soybean Sudden Death Syndrome through Time-Series Satellite Imagery
Authors: Bi Luning , Hu Guiping , Raza Muhammad Mohsin , Kandel Yuba , Leandro Leonor , Mueller Daren
Published: November 2020

In general, early detection and timely management of plant diseases are essential for reducing yield loss. Traditional manual inspection of fields is often time-consuming and laborious. Automated imaging techniques have recently been successfully applied to detect plant diseases. However, these methods mostly focus on the current state of the crop. This paper proposes a gated recurrent unit (GRU)-based model to predict soybean sudden death syndrome (SDS) disease development. To detect SDS at a quadrat level, the proposed method uses satellite images collected from PlanetScope as the training set. The pixel image data include the spectral bands of red, green, blue and near-infrared (NIR). Data collected during the 2016 and 2017 soybean-growing seasons were analyzed. Instead of using individual static imagery, the GRU-based model converts the original imagery into time-series data. SDS predictions were made on different data scenarios and the results were compared with fully connected deep neural network (FCDNN) and XGBoost methods. The overall test accuracy of classifying healthy and diseased quadrates in all methods was above 76%. The test accuracy of the FCDNN and XGBoost were 76.3–85.5% and 80.6–89.2%, respectively, while the test accuracy of the GRU-based model was 82.5–90.4%. The calculation results show that the proposed method can improve the detection accuracy by up to 7% with time-series imagery. Thus, the proposed method has the potential to predict SDS at a future time.
Learning from Routing Information for Detecting Routing Misbehavior in Ad Hoc Networks
Authors: Basomingera Robert , Choi Young-June
Published: November 2020

Owing to ad hoc wireless networks’ properties, the implementation of complex security systems with higher computing resources seems troublesome in most situations. Therefore, the usage of anomaly or intrusion detection systems has attracted considerable attention. The detection systems are implemented either as host-based, run by each node; or as cluster/network-based, run by cluster head. These two implementations exhibit benefits and drawbacks, such as when cluster-based is used alone, it faces maintaining protection when nodes delay to elect or replace a cluster head. Despite different heuristic approaches that have been proposed, there is still room for improvement. This work proposes a detection system that can run either as host- or as cluster-based to detect routing misbehavior attacks. The detection runs on a dataset built using the proposed routing-information-sharing algorithms. The detection system learns from shared routing information and uses supervised learning, when previous network status or an exploratory network is available, to train the model, or it uses unsupervised learning. The testbed is extended to evaluate the effects of mobility and network size. The simulation results show promising performance even against limiting factors.
Differences in Power Spectral Densities and Phase Quantities Due to Processing of EEG Signals
Authors: Alam Raquib-ul , Zhao Haifeng , Goodwin Andrew , Kavehei Omid , McEwan Alistair
Published: November 2020

There has been a growing interest in computational electroencephalogram (EEG) signal processing in a diverse set of domains, such as cortical excitability analysis, event-related synchronization, or desynchronization analysis. In recent years, several inconsistencies were found across different EEG studies, which authors often attributed to methodological differences. However, the assessment of such discrepancies is deeply underexplored. It is currently unknown if methodological differences can fully explain emerging differences and the nature of these differences. This study aims to contrast widely used methodological approaches in EEG processing and compare their effects on the outcome variables. To this end, two publicly available datasets were collected, each having unique traits so as to validate the results in two different EEG territories. The first dataset included signals with event-related potentials (visual stimulation) from 45 subjects. The second dataset included resting state EEG signals from 16 subjects. Five EEG processing steps, involved in the computation of power and phase quantities of EEG frequency bands, were explored in this study: artifact removal choices (with and without artifact removal), EEG signal transformation choices (raw EEG channels, Hjorth transformed channels, and averaged channels across primary motor cortex), filtering algorithms (Butterworth filter and Blackman–Harris window), EEG time window choices (−750 ms to 0 ms and −250 ms to 0 ms), and power spectral density (PSD) estimation algorithms (Welch’s method, Fast Fourier Transform, and Burg’s method). Powers and phases estimated by carrying out variations of these five methods were analyzed statistically for all subjects. The results indicated that the choices in EEG transformation and time-window can strongly affect the PSD quantities in a variety of ways. Additionally, EEG transformation and filter choices can influence phase quantities significantly. These results raise the need for a consistent and standard EEG processing pipeline for computational EEG studies. Consistency of signal processing methods cannot only help produce comparable results and reproducible research, but also pave the way for federated machine learning methods, e.g., where model parameters rather than data are shared.
Integrability via Functional Expansion for the KMN Model
Authors: Constantinescu Radu , Florian Aurelia
Published: November 2020

This paper considers issues such as integrability and how to get specific classes of solutions for nonlinear differential equations. The nonlinear Kundu–Mukherjee–Naskar (KMN) equation is chosen as a model, and its traveling wave solutions are investigated by using a direct solving method. It is a quite recent proposed approach called the functional expansion and it is based on the use of auxiliary equations. The main objectives are to provide arguments that the functional expansion offers more general solutions, and to point out how these solutions depend on the choice of the auxiliary equation. To see that, two different equations are considered, one first order and one second order differential equations. A large variety of KMN solutions are generated, part of them listed for the first time. Comments and remarks on the dependence of these solutions on the solving method and on form of the auxiliary equation, are included.
Snakebite Envenoming a Challenging Diagnosis for the Forensic Pathologist: A Systematic Review
Authors: Feola Alessandro , Marella Gian Luca , Carfora Anna , Della Pietra Bruno , Zangani Pierluca , Campobasso Carlo Pietro
Published: November 2020

Snakebite envenoming (SBE) is a public health issue in developing countries. The estimated annual global incidence of snakebites is about 5.4 million snakebites per year, resulting from 1.8 to 2.7 million cases of SBE and from 81,000 to 138,000 deaths with 400,000 survivors suffering permanent physical and psychological disabilities. There are more than 3000 species of snakes around the world: 600 are venomous and over 200 are considered to be medically important because of their clinical effects. The severity of SBE depends on several factors among which bite localization, snake’s size, condition of glands and teeth, bite angle and bite duration, the microflora of the snake’s mouth and victim’s skin, age of the victim, weight, health status, and victim’s activity after a bite. Snake venoms are mixtures of protein families, and each of these families contains many different toxins or toxin isoforms. Based on their effects, snake venoms can be classified as hemotoxic, neurotoxic, or cytotoxic and they can all act together involving multiple tissues and organs. When the bite is fatal, the mechanism of death is primarily related to the paralysis of respiratory muscles, which causes asphyxia and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, but also anaphylactic shock, hemorrhagic shock, cardiomyopathy, acute tubular necrosis (ATN). The purpose of this literature review is to evaluate epidemiological and post-mortem examination findings in fatal SBEs in order to better understand the pathophysiological mechanisms, thus helping pathologists in defining the correct diagnosis.
Meta-Transcriptomic Identification of Divergent Amnoonviridae in Fish
Authors: Turnbull Olivia M. H. , Ortiz-Baez Ayda Susana , Eden John-Sebastian , Shi Mang , Williamson Jane E. , Gaston Troy F. , Zhang Yong-Zhen , Holmes Edward C. , Geoghegan Jemma L.
Published: November 2020

Tilapia lake virus (TiLV) has caused mass mortalities in farmed and wild tilapia with serious economic and ecological consequences. Until recently, this virus was the sole member of the Amnoonviridae, a family within the order Articulavirales comprising segmented negative-sense RNA viruses. We sought to identify additional viruses within the Amnoonviridae through total RNA sequencing (meta-transcriptomics) and data mining of published transcriptomes. Accordingly, we sampled marine fish species from both Australia and China and discovered several segments of two new viruses within the Amnoonviridae, tentatively called Flavolineata virus and Piscibus virus, respectively. In addition, by mining vertebrate transcriptome data, we identified nine additional virus transcripts matching to multiple genomic segments of TiLV in both marine and freshwater fish. These new viruses retained sequence conservation with the distantly related Orthomyxoviridae in the RdRp subunit PB1, but formed a distinct and diverse phylogenetic group. These data suggest that the Amnoonviridae have a broad host range within fish and that greater animal sampling will identify additional divergent members of the Articulavirales.
A Shake Table Frequency-Time Control Method Based on Inverse Model Identification and Servoactuator Feedback-Linearization
Authors: Senent José Ramírez , García-Palacios Jaime H. , Díaz Iván M.
Published: November 2020

Shake tables are one of the most widespread means to perform vibration testing due to their ability to capture structural dynamic behavior. The shake table acceleration control problem represents a challenging task due to the inherent non-linearities associated to hydraulic servoactuators, their low hydraulic resonance frequencies and the high frequency content of the target signals, among other factors. In this work, a new shake table control method is presented. The procedure relies on identifying the Frequency Response Function between the time derivative of pressure force exerted on the actuator’s piston rod and the resultant acceleration at the control point. Then, the Impedance Function is calculated, and the required pressure force time variation is estimated by multiplying the impedance by the target acceleration profile in frequency domain. The pressure force time derivative profile can be directly imposed on an actuator’s piston by means of a feedback linearization scheme, which approximately cancels out the actuator’s non-linearities leaving only those related to structure under test present in the control loop. The previous architecture is completed with a parallel Three Variable Controller to deal with disturbances. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated via simulations carried over a non-linear model of a one degree of freedom shake table, both in electrical noise free and contaminated scenarios. Numerical experiments results show an accurate tracking of the target acceleration profile and better performance than traditional control approaches, thus confirming the potential of the proposed method for its implementation in actual systems.
Reforestation Based on Mono-Plantation of Fast-Growing Tree Species Make It Difficult to Maintain (High) Soil Water Content in Tropics, a Case Study in Hainan Island, China
Authors: Hong Wenjun , Yang Jindian , Luo Jinhuan , Jiang Kai , Xu Junze , Zhang Hui
Published: November 2020

Reforestation has been assumed as a natural solution to recover soil water content, thereby increasing freshwater supply. Mono-plantation of fast-growing species is the first step for performing reforestation to prevent frequent and heavy rain-induced landslide in tropics. However, fast-growing species may have negative hydraulic response to seasonal drought to maintain high growth rate and, thus, may make it difficult for reforestation in tropics to recover soil water content. We tested this hypothesis in a setting involving (a) a reforestation project, which mono-planted eight fast-growing tree species to successfully restore a 0.2-km2 extremely degraded tropical rainforest, and (b) its adjacent undisturbed tropical rainforest in Sanya City, Hainan, China. We found that, for maintaining invariably high growth rates across wet to dry seasons, the eight mono-planted fast-growing tree species had comparable transpiration rates and very high soil water uptake, which in turn led to a large (3 times) reduction in soil water content from the wet to dry seasons in this reforested area. Moreover, soil water content for the adjacent undisturbed tropical rainforest was much higher (1.5 to 5 times) than that for the reforested area in both wet and dry seasons. Thus, the invariably very high water demand from the wet to dry seasons for the mono-planted fast-growing species possesses difficulty in the recovery of soil water content. We suggest, in the next step, to mix many native-species along with the currently planted fast-growing nonnative species in this reforestation project to recover soil water content.
Barite Scale Formation and Injectivity Loss Models for Geothermal Systems
Authors: Tranter Morgan , De Lucia Marco , Wolfgramm Markus , Kühn Michael
Published: November 2020

Barite scales in geothermal installations are a highly unwanted effect of circulating deep saline fluids. They build up in the reservoir if supersaturated fluids are re-injected, leading to irreversible loss of injectivity. A model is presented for calculating the total expected barite precipitation. To determine the related injectivity decline over time, the spatial precipitation distribution in the subsurface near the injection well is assessed by modelling barite growth kinetics in a radially diverging Darcy flow domain. Flow and reservoir properties as well as fluid chemistry are chosen to represent reservoirs subject to geothermal exploration located in the North German Basin (NGB) and the Upper Rhine Graben (URG) in Germany. Fluids encountered at similar depths are hotter in the URG, while they are more saline in the NGB. The associated scaling amount normalised to flow rate is similar for both regions. The predicted injectivity decline after 10 years, on the other hand, is far greater for the NGB (64%) compared to the URG (24%), due to the temperature- and salinity-dependent precipitation rate. The systems in the NGB are at higher risk. Finally, a lightweight score is developed for approximating the injectivity loss using the Damköhler number, flow rate and total barite scaling potential. This formula can be easily applied to geothermal installations without running complex reactive transport simulations.
Grapevine Sap Flow in Response to Physio-Environmental Factors under Solar Greenhouse Conditions
Authors: Wei Xinguang , Fu Shining , Chen Dianyu , Zheng Siyu , Wang Tieliang , Bai Yikui
Published: November 2020

Understanding transpiration responses to physiological and environmental factors is essential for efficient water management practices in greenhouse grapevine farms. To determine the driving factors of grapevine sap flow under solar greenhouse conditions in a typical cold climate, the sap flow, greenhouse micro-environmental conditions, and canopy details were measured and analyzed for the 2017–2018 growing season in Northeast China. The results showed that leaf area index controlled the upper boundary of sap flow rate (SFR). Correlations between SFR and meteorological factors obviously varied with time scales. Besides, the correlations at the hourly scale varied across the seasons. Photo-synthetically active radiation (PAR) was the primary control factor of sap flow, irrespective of time scale or season. The start and stop times of sap flow did not change with weather conditions, but SFR had broader peaks with higher peak values during sunny days. The diurnal variation of SFR lagged behind that of PAR, but remained ahead of those of VPD and temperature. Weather condition changed the sizes of the hysteresis loops, but not the rotation direction. The hydrological and physiological processes involved in sap flow are useful for refining transpiration models and improving water use efficiency in the greenhouse environment.
Statistical and Hydrological Evaluations of Multiple Satellite Precipitation Products in the Yellow River Source Region of China
Authors: Zhao Chongxu , Ren Liliang , Yuan Fei , Zhang Limin , Jiang Shanhu , Shi Jiayong , Chen Tao , Liu Shuya , Yang Xiaoli , Liu Yi , Fernandez-Rodriguez Emmanuel
Published: November 2020

Comprehensively evaluating satellite precipitation products (SPPs) for hydrological simulations on watershed scales is necessary given that the quality of different SPPs varies remarkably in different regions. The Yellow River source region (YRSR) of China was chosen as the study area. Four SPPs were statistically evaluated, namely, the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) Multisatellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) 3B42V7, Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using Artificial Neural Networks Climate Data Record (PERSIANN-CDR), Integrated Multisatellite Retrievals for Global Precipitation Measurement final run (IMERG-F), and gauge-corrected Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation (GSMaP-Gauge) products. Subsequently, the hydrological utility of these SPPs was assessed via the variable infiltration capacity hydrological model on a daily temporal scale. Results show that the four SPPs generally demonstrate similar spatial distribution pattern of precipitation to that of the ground observations. In the period of January 1998 to December 2016, 3B42V7 outperforms PERSIANN-CDR on basin scale. In the period of April 2014 to December 2016, GSMaP-Gauge demonstrates the highest precipitation monitoring capability and hydrological utility among all SPPs on grid and basin scales. In general, 3B42V7, IMERG-F, and GSMaP-Gauge show a satisfactory hydrological performance in streamflow simulations in YRSR. IMERG-F has an improved hydrological utility than 3B42V7 in YRSR.
Absolute Measurement of Thoron in Surface Waters
Authors: Lane-Smith Derek , Schubert Michael
Published: November 2020

Thoron (radon-220, 220Rn, half-life 55.6 s) is a useful aqueous tracer suitable for applications such as locating and measuring groundwater discharge in surface waters (including the coastal ocean) and detecting radium-224 (224Ra) bearing scale inside water pipes. Generally, such applications require only relative thoron measurements in the water. However, if a thoron-in-water quantification in absolute numbers is desired the knowledge of the thoron sensitivity of the measurement system is obligatory. Absolute readings would, e.g., give a measure of the 224Ra activity in the sediment, supporting the thoron, or of the quantity of 224Ra in the pipe scale. Since there is no standardised source of thoron-in-water (such as a NIST standard), there is no way to calibrate a thoron-in-water measurement system, in the usual sense. Up until now, therefore, it has not been possible to make absolute measurements of thoron in water. This paper presents a novel method of assessing the sensitivity of a mobile thoron-in-water measurement system. The paper analyses such systems and describes a straightforward experimental approach to obtain all setup-specific values of critical parameters that will allow a reasonably precise determination of the system thoron sensitivity. The method is simple enough that a thoron sensitivity calibration can be performed on site with no additional equipment.
The Effect of Small Density Differences at River Confluences
Authors: van Rooijen Erik , Mosselman Erik , Sloff Kees , Uijttewaal Wim
Published: November 2020

Remarkable 3D flow structures occur at river confluences with small density differences due to differences in sediment concentration or temperature. We explain these by comparing numerical simulations for an idealized confluence with aerial photographs of several river confluences where color differences express the pattern of density differences at the surface. We analyzed numerical simulations of the Rio Negro–Solimões confluence near Manaus, Brazil, in more detail. The numerical model of the idealized confluence showed that the dense water flowed under the light water and the light water over the dense water in a spiraling motion, distorting the interface between the two waters. The horizontal part of this interface moves upwards in downstream direction. Constraining of the spiraling motion in a narrow river downstream of the confluence can cause local up- and downwelling near the banks. A mixing layer can develop when the flow velocities of the two tributaries differ, but strong spiraling motion due to the density differences can suppress this development. The aerial photographs and all numerical simulations showed similar density patterns at the water surface. Even small density differences can have a significant impact and hence need to be considered when analyzing and modeling 3D flow at confluences.
Advanced Access scheduling in general practice and use of primary care: a Danish population-based matched cohort study
Authors: Bang Maria , Pedersen Henrik Schou , Hammer Bech Bodil , Vestergaard Claus Høstrup , Falhof Jannik , Kjeldsen Hans Christian , Vedsted Peter , Vestergaard Mogens
Published: November 2020

Background

Advanced access scheduling (AAS) allows patients to receive care from their GP at the time chosen by the patient. AAS has shown to increase the accessibility to general practice, but little is known about how AAS implementation affects the use of in-hours and out-of-hours (OOH) services.

Aim

To describe the impact of AAS on the use of in-hours and OOH services in primary care.

Design & setting

A population-based matched cohort study using Danish register data.

Method

A total of 161 901 patients listed in 33 general practices with AAS were matched with 287 837 reference patients listed in 66 reference practices without AAS. Outcomes of interest were use of daytime face-to-face consultations, and use of OOH face-to-face and phone consultations in a 2-year period preceding and following AAS implementation.

Results

No significant differences were seen between AAS practices and reference practices. During the year following AAS implementation, the number of daytime face-to-face consultations was 3% (adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR] = 1.03; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.99 to 1.07) higher in the AAS practices compared with the number in the reference practices. Patients listed with an AAS practice had 2% (aIRR = 0.98; 95% CI = 0.92 to 1.04) fewer OOH phone consultations and 6% (aIRR = 0.94; 95% CI = 0.86 to 1.02) fewer OOH face-to-face consultations compared with patients listed with a reference practice.

Conclusion

This study showed no significant differences following AAS implementation. However, a trend was seen towards slightly higher use of daytime primary care and lower use of OOH primary care.
Kidney Biomarkers and Major Adverse Kidney Events in Critically Ill Patients
Authors: Flannery Alexander H. , Bosler Katherine , Ortiz-Soriano Victor M. , Gianella Fabiola , Prado Victor , Lambert Joshua , Toto Robert D. , Moe Orson W. , Neyra Javier A.
Published: November 2020

Background

Several biomarkers of AKI have been examined for their ability to predict AKI before serum creatinine. Few studies have focused on using kidney biomarkers to better predict major adverse kidney events (MAKE), an increasingly used composite outcome in critical care nephrology research.

Methods

Single-center prospective study collecting blood and urine samples from critically ill patients with AKI Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes stage 2 or above, and matched controls from a single, tertiary care intensive care unit (ICU). Samples were collected at 24–48 hours after AKI diagnosis (patients) or ICU admission (controls), 5–7 days later, and 4–6 weeks after discharge for patients with AKI. The primary outcome of interest was MAKE at hospital discharge (MAKE-DC), consisting of the composite end point of death, RRT dependence, or a decrease in estimated glomerular filtration to <75% of baseline.

Results

Serum/urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), serum/urinary cystatin C, and urinary kidney injury molecule-1 early in the AKI or ICU course were all significantly higher in patients with MAKE-DC compared with those not experiencing MAKE-DC. Additionally, serum/urinary NGAL and serum cystatin C measurements at the first time point remained significantly associated with MAKE events at 3, 6, and 12 months. Serum cystatin C, and to a lesser extent serum NGAL, significantly improved upon a logistic regression clinical prediction model of MAKE-DC (AUROC 0.94 and 0.87 versus 0.83; P=0.001 and P=0.02, respectively). Patients without MAKE-DC experienced a greater decline in serum NGAL from first to second measurement than those patients experiencing MAKE-DC.

Conclusions

Early measures of kidney biomarkers in patients who are critically ill are associated with MAKE-DC. This relationship appears to be greatest with serum NGAL and cystatin C, which display additive utility to a clinical prediction model. Trending serum NGAL may also have utility in predicting MAKE-DC.
INVENTARISASI JENIS PAKAN LUTUNG JAWA (Trachypithecus auratus) PADA BLOK CILAME DAN BLOK CIMEUDEUM TAMAN WISATA ALAM GUNUNG TAMPOMAS KABUPATEN SUMEDANG
Authors: Solihat Raizal Fahmi , Bintarawati Vina Silvia
Published: November 2020

Javan Langur (Trachypithecus auratus) is one of folivora species by 50 % leaves, 32% fruits, 13% flowers and 7% insects. The most exist of J. langur in Mt. Tampomas Natural Tourism Park in Block of Cilame and Cimeundeum. Mt. Tampomas Natural Tourism Park is one of hiking trails that cause annoyed vegetation as J. Langur’s feed. The objects of studies are to identify of Javan langur’s feed and Importance Value Index of J. Langur’s feed. The method is purposive sampling to know vegetation of feed. The result of species number were 62 species, include 18 species is a J. Langur’s feed. The J. Langur’s feed are kondang (Ficus variegata), nangsi (Villebrunea rubessen), kadoya (Dysoxylum gaudichaudianum), kiara (Fics altisima), kitambaga (Eugenia cuprea), gadog (Bischofia javanica), hamirung (Vernonia arborea), kibanen (Cryteronia paniculata), huru (Machilus rimota), afrika (Maesopsis eminii), putat (Bringtonia acutangular), sampang (Evodia latifolia), pisitan monyet (Glianthus populacus), kilalayu (Lepisanthes tetraphylla), kihuni (Antidesma bunius), hantap (Sterculia coccinea) dan saninten (Castanopsis argentea). Dominance of Javan Langur feed is kadoya (Dysoxylum gaudichaudianum), kitambaga (Eugenia cuprea), dan huru (Machilus rimota). This mean of habitat condition is available feed to J. langur existing.
PENGARUH INDUKSI DAN ZAT PENGATUR TUMBUH TERHADAP PERTUMBUHAN STEK PUCUK KAYU PUTIH (MELALEUCA CAJUPUTI)
Authors: Sriwahyuni Tetty
Published: November 2020

The cutting shoot is one of fast growing Malalueca cajuputi seedling. The cutting shoot used from plantation and cajuputi seeds in induction shed. Then, to fast root induction on the cutting shoot must be special treatment is giving hormone from outside. Giving hormonal in Perum Perhutani by IBA (Indole Butyric Acid), but IBA is one of hazard and toxic substances (B3) and not eco-friendly. The object of studies to prove the induction effect on the growth of cajuputi cuttings shoot, the influence of IBA hormone and natural hormone extract of onion to growth of cajuputi cuttings shoot, and determine the best of hormone to growth of cajuputi cutting shoot. Data collected by measuring height of the cajuputi cuttings shoot from the base of stem which has been marked up to the tip of shoots. The measurement of height of cajuputi cutting shoot was repeated 6 (six) times for 90 days so that measurement was done every 15 days. Besides that, there is addition of leaf number since cuttings planted up to 90 HST and root appearance at each treatment. The result of research IBA gives the best growth effect for shoots from Induction that is the highest height compared with other hormones. So this study recommended using shoots of induction with IBA hormone to best growth and eco-friendly.
Finance, gender, and entrepreneurship: India’s informal sector firms
Authors: Gang Ira N. , Natarajan Rajesh Raj , Sen Kunal
Published: November 2020

How does informal economic activity respond to increased financial inclusion? Does it become more entrepreneurial? Does access to new financing options change the gender configuration of informal economic activity and, if so, in what ways and what directions? We take advantage of nationwide data collected in 2010/11 and 2015/16 by India’s National Sample Survey Office on unorganized (informal) enterprises. This period was one of rapid expansion of banking availability aimed particularly at the unbanked, under-banked, and women. We find strong empirical evidence supporting the crucial role of financial access in promoting entrepreneurship among informal sector firms in India. Our results are robust to alternative specifications and alternative measures of financial constraints using an approach combining propensity score matching and difference-in-differences. However, we do not find conclusive evidence that increased financial inclusion leads to a higher likelihood of women becoming entrepreneurs than men in the informal sector.
FAKTOR-FAKTOR YANG MEMPENGARUHI PEMBERIAN ASI EKSKLUSIF PADA IBU PEKERJA
Authors: Bangun Sri Melda Br , Damanik Putri Damayanti , Lubis Basyariah
Published: November 2020

Exclusive breastfeeding is breastfeeding for the first 6 months without drinks or eat other food additives. The low exclusive breastfeeding is a reason for the high infant mortality rate in Indonesia. The research aims to know the factors that effect of giving exclusive breastfeeding toward working mothers at Grandmed Hospital Lubuk Pakam such as the supporting of husband, breastfeeding place facilities, and the additional rest time. This research included an analytic observational quantitative study with a cross sectional design. The population is 21 person of working mothers. Data collection techniques are used questionnaires. The statistical test used in this research is chi-square and simple linear regression. The theoretical basis is the Green and Kreutzer Behavior Theory (1980). Based on the results and analysis of research, it was found that the majority of respondents aged are 26-30, with last education is D3, and they had babies aged 1-2 months. A total of 66.7% provide exclusive breastfeeding. There is a relationship of supporting husband  with the giving of exclusive breastfeeding. The most dominant factor influenced giving of exclusive breastfeeding is husband's support factor where  p-value=0,012<α(0.05). It is suggest for management of Grandmed Hospital to provide facilities that support Breastfeeding Corner like a icebox in the workplace and provide the opportunity to express milk during working hours
HUBUNGAN LAMA KERJA DAN KEBISINGAN DENGAN STRES KERJA PADA PEKERJA UNIT PRODUKSI PAVING BLOCK DI UD. RIZKI ASSILA ULFA LUBUK PAKAM KABUPATEN DELI SERDANG
Authors: Parinduri Anggi Isnani , Br Ginting Luci Riani , Irmayani Irmayani , Prabaja Risa Elvira
Published: November 2020

In line with current industrial growth which requires labor as the dominant element that manages raw materials, machinery, equipment and other processes in the workplace. Each workplace contains a variety of potential hazards that can affect the health of the workforce or can cause occupational diseases that are work stress. The purpose of this study is to describe the relationship between work duration and noise and work stress in paving block production unit workers at UD. Rizki Assila Ulfa Lubuk Pakam Deli Serdang Regency 2020. This research uses analytical descriptive method using cross sectional design. The population in this study were 30 paving block production unit workers with the sampling technique using Total Sampling. Data analysis was performed univariately and bivariately using the Chi-Square statistical test with α = 0.05. The results of the analysis show that there is a relationship between work duration and noise with work stress on paving block production unit workers at UD. Rizki Assila Ulfa Lubuk Pakam Deli Serdang Regency in 2020, namely the length of work p value (0.005) <α (0.05), and noise p value (0.031) < α (0.05). Based on the results of research it is recommended to workers that workers condemn personal protection by using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as ear plugs that can protect the ears from noise caused by machines, so as to reduce exposure to noise that can interfere with health.
Factors determining the quality of masonry – differentiation of resistance and reliability
Authors: Zięba Joanna , Buda-Ożóg Lidia , Skrzypczak Izabela
Published: November 2020

A house or any other building without walls is truly hard to imagine. The first thing usually associated with walls is, of course, masonry. Today, masonry walls perform a load-bearing function in buildings up to four above-ground floors, in the higher parts of the buildings they perform a protective and stiffening function. However, there is a widespread opinion that the designer does not have to check the bearing capacity of masonry structures because masonry are were stand, are standing and will stand. Not everyone, however, currently works the wall as it should. The problem is that a lot of emphasis is now placed on reducing construction times. Therefore, there are a number of factors affecting the quality of the masonry structure, which overall reduce their safety. The article presents the influence of the quality of masonry on the differentiation of bearing capacity and reliability of an example masonry structure. The analyses included various values γm of the partial factor, recommended in the national annex PN-EN 1996-1, depending on the category of masonry units, class execution of works and type of mortar. In addition, a decrease in load capacity and reliability caused by the increase of the initial eccentric resulting from the inaccuracy of the masonry wall was examined.
Crack mechanisms in concrete – from micro to macro scale
Authors: Słowik Marta , Stroeven Piet , Akram Amanda
Published: November 2020

The paper discusses a fictitious crack model of concrete in tension proposed by Hillerborg. This model presents a concept that illustrates the mechanism of crack initiation and its propagation in concrete on meso-level. It has proven to be a very useful tool for practical use, for both numerical and experimental research. The model was derived from findings on crack mechanisms on more advanced micro- and macro-scale, as presented in this paper. One of the paramount issues regarding crack analysis is the influence of aggregate size on mechanical and fracture parameters of concrete, and also on micro-crack development and associated macro-crack formation. Although significant progress in recognizing crack mechanisms in concrete has been achieved, there are still some aspects that should be studied in depth, for example the role of aggregate particles on crack development. This problem is analysed in the paper as well.