bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Control of properties and structure of steel vessels by cooling in various media at the outlet of rolling and pressing lines
Authors: Shatalov R. L. , Medvedev V. A.
Published: March 2021

When controlling the mechanical properties and structure of vessels made of carbon structural steels manufactured by hot deformation on rolling and pressing lines (PPL) of machine-building enterprises of Russia, such cooling media as water, I20 industrial mineral oil, air are used. The applied cooling media are able to provide the workpieces with a given structure with a wide range of mechanical properties. However, the cooling media have a number of technological limitations and conditions of the use, non-compliance with which leads to reject. When cooled in oil, the probability of ignition is high; when cooled in water, hardening cracks may form, and air is not always able to provide the required rate and uniformity of heat transfer to the environment. The efficiency of control of physical and mechanical properties and structure of deformed vessels made of 50 steel by cooling in TERMAT polymer aqueous solutions in different concentrations on PPL of the plant of JSC NPO Pribor was studied. The effect of varying the concentration from 2 to 9% of TERMAT polymer on the formation of metal structure, as well as physical and mechanical properties of hot-deformed vessels was studied. The results of testing the strength and plastic characteristics of vessels by destructive and non-destructive control methods are presented. According to the results of physical and mechanical properties, regression equations were obtained with at least 95% reliability of R2, which establish the relationship between the controlled plastic and strength parameters of the vessel metal`s properties. The conducted researches allowed to compare the indicators of the main physical and mechanical properties of steel vessels at the PPL outlet and to propose methods of inhomogeneity control that reduce time and material costs by 5–10% during the tests.
Hydrometallurgical extraction of antimony from lead refining slags
Authors: Naboychenko S. S. , Korolev А. А. , Timofeev K. L. , Krayukhin S. A.
Published: March 2021

Today, in order to optimize the production of copper, zinc, and lead, as well as to reduce the circulation of associated metal impurities (such as antimony, tin, bismuth and others) between the processing facilities, an ever greater attention is given to the development and implementation of processing schemes that would enable to extract associated metals and use them to produce commodities. In connection with the above, a process has been developed and tested for processing lead refining slags which include, %: 25–30 Sb, 2–10 Pb, 1–8 Sn, 3–12 As, 0.1–0.2 Cu. The resultant products included the Su-2, Su-1 and Su-0 grades of antimony or antimonous oxide. It was found that the forms in which antimony was present in the untreated slag included Sb2O3, Sb2O4, Sb2O5 and NaSb(OH)6. A hydrometallurgical process based on the use of sulphide alkaline solutions was taken as the basic slag processing technique. It is proposed to wash the slag additionally before leaching to remove arsenic from antimony, and to use the electrowinning stage to separate tin from antimony. Regimes have been identified for obtaining cathode deposits containing 96–99% Sb, with the recovery of antimony from untreated slag being 67%. The cathode deposits were refined with the help of pyrometallurgical methods and electrolysis in sulphate-fluoride media. The paper also considers the possibility of obtaining antimonous oxide by oxidizing the antimonous oxide melt and recovering Sb2O3 from exhaust gases. Based on the findings and the results of the tests, Uralelectromed is now working on designing a slag processing facility.
NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF SHELL AND TUBE HEAT EXCHANGER IN ANSYSFLUENT SOFTWARE
Authors: GORSHENIN Andrey S. , KRASNOVA Natalya Petrovna , RAKHIMOVA Julia Igorevna
Published: March 2021

Numerical modeling of a water-to-water shell-and-tube heat exchanger using the capabilities of mathematical modeling by means of a fi nite element analysis package is considered. An algorithm for solving problems of heat and mass transfer in the ANSYSFluent software product is proposed. A distinctive feature of this algorithm is the simplicity and accuracy of the calculations. In the course of the study, the contours of the velocity and temperature distribution in the heat exchanger were obtained, and the data obtained using computer modeling were verifi ed with an analytical solution.
OPTIMIZATION OF THE HEAT AND HUMIDITY MODE OF MULTI-LAYER BUILDING ENCLOSING STRUCTURES
Authors: VYTCHIKOV Yuri S. , SAPAREV Mikhail E. , KONYaKINA Dar’ya D.
Published: March 2021

The article presents a methodology for determining the required resistance to vapor permeation of the outer layer of a multilayer building envelope, based on the condition that there is no condensation of water vapor in it. When deriving the formula, an analytical dependence was used to determine the elasticity of saturated water vapor, obtained by the authors of this article. With the help of the proposed technique, the assessment of the thermal and humidity regime of the outer wall, insulated facade system using thin-walled plaster, as well as layered masonry using expanded polystyrene and basalt plates as insulation was made. The results of the calculation of the indicated external walls are presented, which show that condensation of water vapor is possible in layered masonry. The proposed analytical dependence for determining the maximum allowable resistance to vapor permeation of the outer layer of a multilayer enclosing structure is recommended to be used in engineering calculations of the humidity mode of external enclosures of buildings and structures.
El discurso sexista en los artículos de opinión. (Del masculino genérico, de los desdoblamientos morfológicos y de las duplicidades léxicas)
Authors: Martínez Egido José Joaquín
Published: March 2021

El discurso sexista es un tema recurrente en los artículos de opinión y en la columnas de la prensa española, pues es un asunto polémico y portador claro de ideología. El objetivo de este trabajo, bajo la óptica del análisis metalingüístico de los textos, ha sido identificar el tratamiento y la postura de los articulistas en la prensa española ante el discurso sexista; concretamente en lo relativo al masculino genérico, a los desdoblamientos morfológicos y a las duplicidades léxicas. La metodología utilizada ha consistido en la revisión de 150 artículos y columnas publicadas en la prensa española en los últimos 20 años que han tratado este tema para configurar la postura del columnista, su actitud y los recursos lingüísticos que utilizan para ello. Las conclusiones obtenidas desvelan que las opiniones oscilan entre la postura más purista a la más abierta a cualquier posibilidad, pero también que, conforme avanza el tiempo, y con él la necesidad de la visibilidad de la mujer, la postura ante estos fenómenos está más cercana a la aceptación de los mismos.
Sobre el componente valorativo de los predicados verbales en los debates sobre el lenguaje no sexista y los recursos gramaticales
Authors: Martínez Linares María Antonia
Published: March 2021

Este trabajo tiene por objeto indagar en las valoraciones negativas que aportan algunos predicados verbales sobre el uso de los dobletes y otros recursos gramaticales tendentes a extender el lenguaje inclusivo pero también sobre quienes los rechazan o los promueven. Para ello, se han analizado los componentes valorativos de carácter negativo que aportan los predicados en textos procedentes de blogs, artículos de prensa y de revistas lingüísticas que reflejan dos posturas encontradas sobre esos temas. El análisis ha permitido subrayar algunas de las ideas o creencias compartidas desde ambas posiciones respecto a la “otra parte”; ha posibilitado asimismo constatar que las valoraciones negativas no se ciñen a los efectos que esas propuestas gramaticales puedan tener en el funcionamiento de la lengua, aun cuando este aspecto sea uno los objetos principales de la crítica para una de las partes. De conformidad con las implicaciones sociales del problema, ambas partes hacen extensivas sus valoraciones negativas al proceder de colectivos, instituciones, personas que apoyan o critican las propuestas y a los efectos de ese proceder en la sociedad.
Impact of Acute Emotional Stress on the Tear Quality of Students from a Medical School in Campina Grande: Paraiba Brazil
Authors: CT Brandt , YO De Carvalho , MCS Cavalcanti Melo , DNB Gadelha
Published: March 2021

Background: Stress acts on the nervous system impairing lachrymal gland function. Thus, one can hypothesize that medical students under academic evaluation, with acute emotional stress, could suffer changes in tear quality, which was the purpose of this study.Methods: The prospective, longitudinal, observational and analytic study was performed at Faculty of Medical Sciences-Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil. It was randomly recruited, 80 (5.8%) students, 42 (52.5%) women and 38 (47.5%) men, with ages ranging from 18 to 42 year-old (22.9 ± 4.9 years), median of 21.5 years. Exclusion criteria include all students who presented with any disease or condition that could affect the tear quality. The BUT was assessed before and after 35 days of academic examination. The continuous parameters were expressed by their mean ± standard deviation. Wilcoxon test was used for assessing difference between means. P ≤ 0.05 was used for rejecting the null hypothesis. The research was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee.Results: Stress was present in all students immediately of taking academic evaluation; ranging as follows: mild-15 (18.7%); moderate-41 (51.3%), and severe 24 (30.0%) (How was this stress assessed to arrive at mild, moderate and severe). The mean BUT in the right eye was significantly higher after the 35-day interval (before 8.5 ± 3.1 seconds versus 9.6 ± 3.0 seconds - p = 0.0016). Similarly, the mean BUT in the left eye was significantly higher after the 35-day interval (before 8.5 ± 3.1 seconds versus 9.4 ± 2.9 seconds - p = 0.0053.Conclusion: There was a decrease in the BUT immediately before academic evaluation. However, there was nocorrelation or association with the stressful parameters caused during this period with the BUT measurements,including emotional stress levels, night sleep time before academic examination. It was observed a tendency to return to BUT baseline parameters, later 45 days after knowledge of student performance in the academic examinations.
Use of ripening fruits in seed production of early-maturing varieties of melons and gourds in spring and summer sowing
Authors: Lazko V. Е. , Yakimova O. V. , Blagorodova E. N.
Published: March 2021

Relevance. In recent years, the price of seeds for melons and gourds of foreign selection has reoriented many agricultural producers to use seeds of domestic varieties. To provide agricultural producers with the required amount of seeds with high sowing rates, it is necessary to apply new technological methods that will allow using the biological potential of varieties and growing commercial volumes of seeds.

Material and methods. The research was carried out at the selection and experimental site of the vegetable growing department in the "Federal Scientific Rice Centre " in 2017-2018. The object of research is a new promising variety of watermelon Yubilyar, and two early-ripening varieties of melon Tamanskay and Strelchanka. Sowing terms: spring – from mid-April to the end of the first decade of May, summer – the first and second decades of July. Summer sowing with drip irrigation. When harvesting melon and watermelon fruits, the selection intensity is 90% to obtain reproductive seeds RS-1.

Results. It has been established that due to the climatic conditions of the Krasnodar Territory and the varietal characteristics of the melon varieties Tamanskaya, Strelchanka and the watermelon Yubilyar, a short growing season and a neutral reaction to changes in the length of the day, you can get two harvests of seeds in one season using summer sowing. It was noted that low air humidity prevented damage to plants by peronospora, anthracnose and powdery mildew, practically eliminating the need for protective measures. The selected ripe fruits for the selection of seeds by morphological characteristics corresponded to varietal characteristics. It has been established that the seed productivity of melon during summer sowing is higher due to better pollination. From one hectare received up to 97-138 kg of seeds. The use of ripening made it possible to carry out a one-time collection of watermelon and melon fruits.
PRODUTIVIDADE DE MANDIOCA EM RESPOSTA AO ESPAÇAMENTO E ADUBAÇÃO POTÁSSICA DE COBERTURA NO BREJO PARAIBANO
Authors: Marinho da Costa Rodrigo , Santos Gonzaga Kennedy , Dos Santos Oliveira Botelho Igor Gabriel , Cândido Barreto Sidney Saymon , De Almeida Cartaxo Paulo Henrique , De Oliveira Santos João Paulo , Mielezrski Fábio
Published: March 2021

O presente trabalho objetivou analisar o desempenho produtivo da mandioca sob diferentes espaçamentos e a presença e ausência de adubação potássica de cobertura. O experimento foi conduzido em área experimental no município de Areia, Paraíba. Utilizou-se a variedade SRT 1105 roxinha, sendo empregado delineamento de blocos casualisados, com fatorial 3 x 2 (três espaçamentos com e sem adubação potássica em cobertura) em quatro repetições. As avaliações do desenvolvimento vegetativo da cultura foram feitas no momento da colheita, na qual foram mensurados a altura de planta (cm) e diâmetro do caule (cm). Para as raízes foram analisados o comprimento (cm), diâmetro (cm), peso individual (Kg) e a produtividade (t ha-1). Os dados foram submetidos a análise de variância e as médias comparadas pelo teste de Tukey a 5% de probabilidade. Observou-se efeito significativo a 5%, do espaçamento sob a altura de plantas (AP). Para a interação espaçamento versus Potássio, encontrou-se efeito significativo a 5% também para a altura de plantas (AP). Para as demais variáveis não se observou efeito significativo de nenhuma das fontes de variação. A aplicação de Potássio aos 180 dias e os espaçamentos de 0,7;10 e 1,3m não promoveram incremento de produtividade para a variedade Roxinha.
The Genesis of the Idea and Value of Political Peace in Early Modern Political Philosophy
Authors: Raunić Raul
Published: March 2021

The main intention of this paper is to reconstruct the conceptual and historical‎ genesis of the idea and value of political peace from the point of view of ‎political philosophy at the intersection between late scholasticism and early modernity. The paper consists of three related parts. The first part highlights‎ methodological and contextual reasons why the idea of political peace has ‎been overshadowed throughout history by dominant discourses on war. The ‎second part deals with conceptual clarifications. The nature of war is distinguished ‎from other types of conflict and three interpretative approaches to‎ war are analyzed: political realism, fundamentalist-moralistic view of the holy‎ war, and the many theories of natural law that give rise to conceptions of just‎ war, but also the first abolitionist perspective or idea of ending all wars. Early‎ theoretical articulations of the notion of peace indicated modern-day emancipation‎ of politics from the tutelage of metaphysics and classical ethics, thus‎ separating the value of political peace from its original oneness with cosmic ‎and psychological peace. The third part of the paper highlights key moments ‎in the historical genesis of the value of political peace in the works of Aurelius ‎Augustine, Marsilius of Padua, and William of Ockham.‎
Protest Event Dataset for Croatia, Portugal, Serbia and Spain
Authors: Dolenec Danijela , Balković Ana , Kralj Karlo , Romanos Eduardo , Fernandes Tiago , Širinić Daniela
Published: March 2021

‘Disobedient Democracy: A Comparative Analysis of Contentious Politics in the European Semi-periphery’ is a research project implemented by the Faculty of Political Science of the University of Zagreb, in the period 2016-2021, led by Principal Investigator Danijela Dolenec and funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (IZ11Z0_166540 – PROMYS). The overall objective of the project is to explore how protest politics advances democracy by collecting and analyzing data on protest mobilizations in four countries: Portugal, Spain, Croatia and Serbia.‎
99mTc-Sestamibi Bioaccumulation Can Induce the Apoptosis in Breast Cancer Cells: Molecular and Clinical Perspectives
Authors: Urbano Nicoletta , Scimeca Manuel , Bonfiglio Rita , Mauriello Alessandro , Bonanno Elena , Schillaci Orazio
Published: March 2021

The aim of this study was to investigate the possible role of 99mTc-sestamibi in the regulation of cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis. To this end, Te in vivo values of 99mTc-sestamibi uptake have been associated to the in-situ expression of both Ki67 and caspase-3. For in vitro investiga-tions BT-474 cells were incubated with three different concentration of 99mTc-sestamibi: 10µg/ml –1µg/ml – 0,1µg/ml. Expression of caspase-3 and Ki67, as well as the ultrastructure of cancer cells, were evaluated at T0 and after 24, 48, 72 and 120 hours after 99mTc-sestamibi incubation. Ex vivo data strengthened the known association between the sestamibi uptake and the Ki67 expression. Linear regression analysis showed a significant association between the sestamibi uptake and the number of apoptotic cells evaluated as caspase-3 positive breast cancer cells. As concern the in vitro data, a significant decrease of the proliferation index was observed in breast cancer cells incubated with high concentration of 99mTc-sestamibi (10µg/ml). Amazingly, a significant increase in caspase-3 positive cells in cultures incubated with 10µg/ml 99mTc-sestamibi was observed. This study suggested the possible role of sestamibi in the regulation of pathophysiological process involved in breast cancer.
Determining the Cytotoxic Properties and Mechanisms Against Drug Resistance of an Aqueous Extract of Fagonia indica on Colon Cancer Cells
Authors: Lewis Amber , Shelton Catherine , Wang Weiguang , Kannappan Vinodh , Carmichael Amtul R. , Rothnie Alice , Brown James E.
Published: March 2021

Fagonia indica is a perennial plant grown in arid climates and utilised in traditional medicine as a treatment for cancer. Previous research has highlighted potential antineoplastic effects of Fagonia indica against breast cancer cell lines. Despite this, there has been little research demonstrating the potential of an aqueous extract of Fagonia indica against colon cancer. Colon cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality, with drug resistance remaining a barrier to treatment. The aim of the present study was to investigate the cytotoxic mechanisms of Fagonia indica in colon cancer cells, including pathways related to proliferation, angiogenesis and inflammation, and ABC membrane transporters. Treatment with Fagonia indica caused a reduction in cell viability in wild-type and chemotherapy resistant colon cancer. Results indicated a role for Akt/ MAPK signalling as a mechanism of Fagonia indica induced cell death, alongside a reduction in the expression of VEG-F, NK-κB and ICAM-1. RT-PCR demonstrated a reduction in expression of ABCG2/ABCC4 in resistant colon cancers, after treatment with Fagonia indica extract. Further research is required to isolate bioactive compounds of Fagonia indica for use against colon cancer.
Development of Educational Resources in Junior High Schools to Obtain Quality
Authors: Ikhwan Afiful
Published: March 2021

Abstract: Sumber daya pendidikan merupakan komponen yang penting dalam mencapai tujuan pendidikan. Kualitas sumber daya pendidikan akan mempengaruhi kualitas suatu pendidikan. Penelitian ini menggunakan paradigma interpretif melalui pendekatan kualitatif. Teknik pengumpulan data yang digunakan adalah wawancara, observasi, dan dokumentasi. Data tersebut diperoleh dari kepala sekolah, guru, dan berbagai pihak terkait. Penelitian ini menggunakan analisis data kualitatif model Miles dan Huberman yang meliputi proses reduksi data, penyajian data, dan verifikasi. Selanjutnya, pengecekan validitas data menggunakan triangulasi. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendeskripsikan proses pengembangan kualitas sumber daya pendidikan yang berkualitas. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa pengembangan sumber daya manusia dapat dilakukan dengan cara meningkatkan kompetensi tenaga pendidik melalui kegiatan pelatihan, lokakarya, dan musyawarah guru mata pelajaran. Tujuan kegiatan tersebut adalah untuk menciptakan tenaga pendidik yang professional. Di samping itu, pengembangan sumber daya non-manusia dapat dilakukan melalui peningkatan kerja sama dengan pihak terkait melalui wakil kepala sekolah di bidang hubungan masyarakat.ملخص: الموارد التعليمية هي عنصر أساسي في تحقيق الأهداف التعليمية. تؤثر جودة الموارد التعليمية على جودة التعليم. تستخدم هذه الدراسة نموذجًا تفسيريًا من خلال نهج نوعي. البيانات التي تم الحصول عليها من المدير والمعلمين والأطراف الأخرى المعنية ، مع تقنيات جمع البيانات باستخدام المقابلات والملاحظة والوثائق. الأداة التحليلية المستخدمة هي نموذج الحد النوعي من البيانات مايلز وهوبرمان ، وعرض البيانات والتحقق منها. التحقق من صحة البيانات باستخدام التثليث. يركز هذا البحث على وصف عملية تطوير الموارد التعليمية عالية الجودة. بناءً على نتائج البحوث الخاصة بتنمية الموارد البشرية ، يتم ذلك من خلال زيادة كفاءة أعضاء هيئة التدريس من خلال الأنشطة التدريبية وورش العمل واستشارات مدرس المادة ، والتي تهدف إلى إنشاء فريق تعليمي محترف وتنمية الموارد غير البشرية من خلال إقامة تعاون مع الجهات ذات العلاقة من خلال نائب مدير مجال العلاقات العامة.
Rapid, reliable, and cheap point-of-care bulk testing for SARS-CoV-2 by combining hybridization capture with improved colorimetric LAMP (Cap-iLAMP)
Authors: Bokelmann Lukas , Nickel Olaf , Maricic Tomislav , Pääbo Svante , Meyer Matthias , Borte Stephan , Riesenberg Stephan
Published: March 2021

Here we present a step-by-step protocol for Cap-iLAMP (capture and improved ‎loop-mediated isothermal amplification) which combines a hybridization capture-based RNA extraction of gargle lavage samples with an improved colorimetric RT-LAMP assay and smartphone-based color scoring. Cap-iLAMP is compatible with point-of-care testing and enables the detection of SARS-CoV-2 positive samples in less than one hour. The sensitivity is 97% and the specificity is 99%. In contrast to direct addition of the sample to improved LAMP (iLAMP), Cap-iLAMP prevents false positives and allows single positive samples to be detected in pools of 25 negative samples.
Association Between Occupation Type and Obesity Prevalence: An Analysis of the 2018 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
Authors: KIM JEONGHEON , Lee Kyu Rae rae
Published: March 2021

Purpose : Although occupational factors such as working hours, type of workers, and being a shift worker have been associated with the prevalence of obesity, the relationships between occupation type and obesity prevalence, especially in South Korea, have not been clarified. We therefore investigated the association between obesity markers such as body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) and types of occupation using data from the 2018 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Methods: We evaluated the height, weight, WC, -and demographic variables (age, sex, socioeconomic status, alcohol, and smoking) from data of 3,645 respondents. The occupational groups were classified into nine categories (managers, professionals and related workers, clerks, service workers, sales workers, skilled agriculture, forestry and fishery workers, craft and related trade workers, equipment, machine operating and assembling workers, and elementary workers) using the Korean version of the Standard Classification of Occupations. We performed an analysis of covariance test to assess the relationship between obesity markers (BMI; and WC) and types of occupation. Results: There was a significant difference in obesity markers among men according to occupation categories after controlling for socio-demographic covariates. The prevalence of obesity was significantly higher in managers (25.8 +/- 0.4 kg/m 2 , 89.7 +/- 1.1 cm), and lower in craft and related trade workers (24.3 +/ - 0.2 kg/m 2 , 85.1 +/- 0.6 cm) , respectively . (p = 0.011) . Conclusion: The obesity markers were highest in the manager group and lowest in the craft and related trades workers group among men of all the occupation groups.
Assessing the Performance and the Microbial Dynamics of Co-composting System Using Recycled Cow Manure and Bedding Material Waste 
Authors: Duan Haiyan , Ji Minghua , Chen Ai , Xie Shiqiu , Sun Junsong , Shi Jiping , Li Xiang , Zhang Baoguo
Published: March 2021

Co-composting of recycled cow manure and waste bedding material has been used to convert both agricultural wastes to biofertilizers. This study explored the succession of microbial community, metabolic function and substances conversion capacities during 60 days’ co-composting using high throughput sequencing technology. The study revealed that co-composting of cow manure and bedding material waste at a ratio of 1.32 (CM+B) had the highest efficiency among four treatments. The bacterial and fungal community diversity changed significantly during the co-composting of CM+B group, and the major phyla included Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria and Ascomycota. PICRUSt and FUNGuild analysis showed that carbohydrate, lipid metabolism and especially nitrogen fixation were enhanced in the thermophilic phase, while animal and plant pathogens were not detected after the co-composting. Wood saprotrophs became the dominant fungal group (89.1%) in the maturation phase. Canonical correlation analysis (CCA) and redundancy analysis (RDA) confirmed that temperature influenced bacterial community succession more than it influenced fungal community succession. Ruminiclostridium had a significantly positive relationship with temperature (p_value < 0.05), while pH and C/N had significant effect on the fungal (p_value < 0.05), and Penicillium and Mortierella were significantly related to moisture (p_value < 0.05). This work describes an efficient methodology to deal with co-composting systems that had been successfully applied in agricultural wastes treatment, enabling further understanding in mechanisms underlying the substance conversion and the involved microbial community succession in sophisticated composting system.
Impaired Cognitive Functioning in Stress Induced Exhaustion Disorder. A New Tablet Based Assessment
Authors: Bartfai Aniko , Åsberg Marie , Beser Aniella , Sorjonen Kimmo , Wilczek Alexander , Warkentin Siegbert
Published: March 2021

Background: The adverse health effects of stress induced exhaustion disorder (SED) cause increasing concern in Western societies. This disorder is characterized by severe fatigue, decreased tolerance to further stress, and attention and memory lapses. Despite subjective complaints, individual cognitive deficits are not always detected in a clinical setting, which calls for the validation of more sensitive instruments. Aim: The objective of this study was to investigate if a short, tablet-based serial naming task, MapCog Spectra (MCS) could be used as a marker for cognitive problems in SED.Participants: The study comprised of 39 subjects (35 females, four males) with SED. Their mean age was 46,8 years (SD 10.1; range 30 - 60 yrs.). All participants were healthcare professionals, with a college or university degree, doctors, registered nurses, and psychologists. Methods: The MCS was used to assess the number of aberrant pauses during serial naming of coloured geometrical shapes. The Coding, Matrix Reasoning, Digit Span, Symbol Search of the WAIS-IV, and RUFF 2&7 tests, were administered together with a short interview.Results: Mean values were within normal reference limits for all tests, except for the MCS, which showed a significantly a higher number of aberrant pauses (p<0,001) in the SED group, compared to normal reference values. Although subjects performed within normal limits on the RUFF 2&7, a significant difference between individuals was found in the performance strategy of the participants. Conclusion: Here we report that subjects with SED have performance deficits on the MCS, in terms of aberrant times, despite average performance on WAIS-IV tests measuring inductive reasoning, processing speed, working memory, and attention. We also demonstrate that subjects use different strategies to overcome their problems. These findings add to the growing evidence of cognitive deficits in SED and that the MCS might aid neuropsychologists in disentangling cognitive markers, important to substantiate the subjective complaints of affected individuals.
Metabolome and Transcriptome Analysis of the Response Mechanisms of Ginseng to Rust Root Symptoms
Authors: Bian Xingbo , Zhao Yan , Xiao Shengyuan , Yang He , Han Yongzhong , Zhang Lianxue
Published: March 2021

Background: Ginseng rusty root symptoms (GRS) is one of the primary diseases of ginseng. It leads to a severe decline in the quality of ginseng. Results: Compared with Healthy ginseng (HG), 949 metabolites and 9451 genes in diseased tissues were significantly changed at the metabolic and transcription levels. The metabolic patterns of the diseased tissues changed significantly, and organic acids, alkaloids, alcohols, and phenols may play a vital role in the response of ginseng to this disease. There were significant differences in the expression of plant hormone signal transduction, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, peroxidase pathway, and multiple genes in the plant-pathogen interaction pathway.Conclusion: The current study performed a comparative metabolome and transcriptome analysis of GRS and HG. Based on the findings at the transcriptional and metabolic levels, the mechanism model of ginseng response to rusty root symptoms was established. Our results provide new insights into ginseng's response to rusty root symptoms, which will help reveal the potential molecular mechanisms of this disease in ginseng.
Optimization and Physicochemical Characterization of Pectin Extraction from Watermelon Rind (Citrullus lanatus) with Citric Acid
Authors: Perez Jose , Gomez Karina , Vega Lorena
Published: March 2021

Watermelon rind was used for the pectin extraction with citric acid as the extractant solvent. The effects of pH (2.0-3.0), extraction time (45-75 min) and liquid-solid ratio (1:10-1:40 g/ml) on the pectin yield, degree of esterification, methoxyl content and anhydrouronic acid content were investigated using Box-Behnken surface response experimental design. The pH was the most significant variable for the pectin yield and properties. The responses optimized separately showed different optimal conditions for each of the variables studied in this work. Therefore, the desirability function was used to determine the sole theoretical optimum for the highest pectin yield and highest anhydrouronic acid content, which was found to be: pH of 2.0, extraction time of 62.31 min and liquid-solid ratio of 35.07 g/mL. Under this optimal condition, the pectin yield, degree of esterification, methoxyl content and anhydrouronic acid content were 24.30%, 73.30%, 10.45% and 81.33%, respectively. At optimal conditions, watermelon rind pectin can be classified as high methoxyl and rapid-set pectin with high quality and high-purity.
High Performance of Multifunctional Cotton Fabrics Modified with TiO2, Fe, Ag-doped TiO2 and Graphene Oxide Nanomaterials towards Antimicrobial and Adsorption Removal of Methylene Blue Dye
Authors: Khairy M. , Kamal R. , Mousa M. A.
Published: March 2021

Multifunctional cotton textile nanocomposites are well developed by the functionalization of cotton with pure TiO2, Ag-, Fe-doped TiO2, and graphene oxide nanoparticles via sol-gel and modified Hummer methods. The treated fabrics materials are investigated by XRD, FT-IR, and SEM. The obtained treated fabrics have been used as an adsorbent for the methylene blue dye removal from aqueous solution. The functionalized cotton fabrics are tested for antimicrobial capability towards Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, and Candida albicans. All functionalized fabrics have higher antimicrobial activity compared to untreated cotton especially the fabrics containing silver and Fe doped TiO2. The optimum conditions of the adsorption process are determined via the study of the effect of the initial concentration of dye, pH, and contact time on the removal efficiency. Langmuir, Freundlich, and Tempkin isotherms are applied for the equilibrium adsorption data. GO-Cot and Ag-Ti@GO-Cot samples showed the highest adsorption removal activity. The linear correlation coefficient (R2) showed that the Temkin model well fitted the data of adsorption on the GO-Cot sample. The analysis of experimental data with different kinetic models showed that the pseudo-second-order kinetic model well fitted the adsorption data better than the other kinetic models of pseudo-first-order, Elovich, and the intra-particle diffusion.
The Association Between Serum Lactate Dehydrogenase Level and in-hospital Death Due to Pulmonary Embolism
Authors: Ghaffari Samad , Mohammadi Tooba , Hajizadeh Reza , Kavandi Hadiseh , Mohammadi Kamran , Mohebalizadeh Mehdi , Ghodratizadeh Sahar
Published: March 2021

Background: There are few studies evaluating the prognostic value of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in patients with pulmonary embolism (PE). We analyzed possible power of serum LDH level to predict in-hospital mortality. Methods: In this cross-sectional study 217 patients with confirmed PE diagnosis with CT angiography and available serum LDH level at first 24-hours upon admission were included. Results: The mean age of patients were 63.04±16.81 years old, 23 patients (10.6%) died during hospitalization. Multivariate analysis showed that only LDH, WBC were independent predictors of in-hospital mortality, however this association was not significant. Conclusions: In patients with pulmonary embolism, LDH can be a good prognostic marker for predicting in-hospital death.
New challenges: stochastic threats to national security
Authors:   Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics (TUSUR), Popov K. V. , Shelupanov A. A. ,   Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics (TUSUR)
Published: March 2021

The article is devoted to the analysis of the challenges that characterize the transformation of threats to the national security of the state. The types of stochastic threats to the country's security associated with globalization, information and transport accessibility, labor and educational migration are determined. Examples of occurrence of stochastic processes with predictable consequences are considered. Problems in the creation of research tools and services are identified.
Comparing the use of local and global features of handwritten signatures for user authentication
Authors:   Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics (TUSUR), Andreevskih D. A. , Razboynikov S. D. ,   Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics (TUSUR), Silich M. P. ,   Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics (TUSUR), Sarin K. S. ,   Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics (TUSUR)
Published: March 2021

The paper compares two methods of user authentication based on a handwritten signature. The first is based on the extraction of local signature features as functions that depend on the time of its application. The second extracts global signature features that characterize it entirely without reference to the moments of application. Authentication algorithms are presented for each of the methods; experiments are carried out on real handwritten signatures obtained during the study.
Management Processes as Antecedents of Organizational Performance: A Literature Review
Authors: Abubakar Mohammed Ibrahim
Published: March 2021

The purpose of this study is to critically analyse previous studies on management processes as antecedents of organizational performance. The study summarizes the level of understanding as regards the topic presently because of the importance of the information to the performance of organizations. The author searched Emerald, ScienceDirect.com, EBSCO and Google Scholar using a series of combinations of the following keywords: organizational management, performance management, high-performance organizations, management processes, management tools, influences of management processes, strategic management, marketing management, services marketing mix, , business organization and performance. This literature review has shown that performance is critical for the survival of the organization. It has also revealed that strategic management processes, marketing management processes and services marketing are key to organizational performance.
Adsorption of Calcium(II), Cadmium(II) and Copper(II) Ions from Water by Prepared Silicon-Aluminum-Zirconium Oxide Using Sol-Gel Process
Authors: da Silva Cristiano , Prete Maiyara , Tarley César , Afonso Júlio , Ribeiro Emerson
Published: March 2021

Ternary oxide silica-alumina-zirconia (SiO2/Al2O3/ZrO2) obtained by the sol-gel process was applied as novel adsorbent of ions in aqueous solution. Batch isotherms were performed using standard CuII, CdII and CaII solutions at variable pH and different concentrations. Adsorption capacity was best at weakly acidic pH. The maximum adsorption capacities were 2.28 mg g−1 for CaII, 9.89 mg g−1 for CdII, and 14.88 mg g−1 for CuII. The adsorption data fitted well to the single and dual-site Langmuir-Freundlich isotherm models. However, since the adsorption is very low in the sites with high energy, the single-site Langmuir-Freundlich provided a good fit as well. Whereas, the site responsible for the most ion adsorption was assigned to the Zr−OH group. A real sample of produced water was also tested. The new adsorbent showed a wide ability to retain many metal ions (alkali-earth, transition, and p-block metals) and even some anions were also caught by the adsorbent. The ternary oxide silica-alumina-zirconia was found to be a promising alternative adsorbent for metal ions in aqueous media.
Percepção e conhecimento de estudantes do ensino médio sobre popularização da ciência em escolas apoiadas pelo PIBID
Authors: Gheler-Costa Carla , Antoniassi Beatriz , Siqueira Marcos Vinicius Bohrer Monteiro
Published: March 2021

É indiscutível a contribuição do Programa Institucional de Bolsas de Iniciação à Docência (PIBID) na formação dos futuros professores e na melhoria do ensino das escolas que são contempladas com o programa. No entanto, poucos relatam se essa integração entre a educação superior e a educação básica populariza a ciência e se desperta os estudantes para a pesquisa, pois os relatos em sua maioria são sobre a promoção de eventos vinculados aos projetos e percepção dos alunos bolsistas do PIBID. Este trabalho investigou a percepção dos alunos do ensino médio sobre popularização da ciência em duas escolas estaduais, sendo uma contemplada com o programa PIBID e outra não. Os dados foram coletados por meio de questionários aplicados aos estudantes e comparados com o índice de participação desses estudantes em uma feira de ciências, cujo objetivo principal foi o de popularizar a ciência. Os resultados evidenciam que os estudantes das escolas contempladas pelo PIBID compreendem a popularização da ciência e que há um crescente interesse na participação desses alunos em eventos popularizadores tais como feiras de ciências. Desta forma verificou-se que a presença do PIBID nas escolas é capaz de unir ensino e pesquisa, contribuindo assim para uma educação integrada e de qualidade.
Response of the Antioxidant System and Physiology of Seed Germination of Phaseolus vulgaris L. under the Action of Aqueous Extract of Bauhinia forficata Link
Authors: Porto Erly Carlos , Da Luz Ezequiel Marçal Zanchetti , Rodrigues Guilherme De Almeida Garcia , Ribeiro Maiara Iadwizak , Corsato Jaqueline Malagutti , Fortes Andrea Maria Teixeira
Published: March 2021

O objetivo do presente trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de diferentes proporções de extrato aquoso de Bauhinia forficata L. sobre o processo fisiológico germinativo e a atividade enzimática de sementes de feijão no decorrer da germinação. Os tratamentos foram compostos pelas proporções 0 (água); 2.5; 5; 7.5 e 10% (folhas secas da B. forficata) e pelas horas de embebição das sementes. O delineamento foi inteiramente casualizado com fator duplo. Foram avaliados a germinação, o índice de velocidade de germinação, o tempo médio de germinação, o índice alelopático (RI), a atividade das enzimas superóxido-dismutase, catalase e peroxidase. O índice de velocidade e o tempo médio de germinação como também o índice alelopatico foram afetados negativamente conforme o aumento das proporções de extrato testadas. Observamos que nos cotilédones das sementes de feijão o início da embebição apresentou atividade das enzimas avaliadas superiores aos valores encontrados no final do processo germinativo, enquanto que no eixo embrionário os maiores valores foram verificados no final do processo germinativo. O aumento das proporções de extrato das folhas de B. forficata afetaram as atividades enzimáticas no processo germinativo das sementes de feijão resultando em um atraso da germinação.
TOLUENE DEGRADATION BY FREE STAPHYLOCOCCUS GALLINARUM AND IMMOBILIZED ON MULTI-WALLED CARBON NANOTUBES
Authors: Heydarnezhad Fatemeh , Hoodaji Mehran , Shahriarinour Mahdi , Tahmourespour Arezoo
Published: March 2021

Hydrocarbons pollution is a most important environmental and healthanxiety . Using free and immobilized bacteria could be a suitable attitude to find a proper bioaugmentation agent. A toluene degrading bacterium was isolated from oil-contaminated environs (located in Bandar-Anzali, Guilan, Iran). The strain was molecularly identified as Staphylococcus gallinarum ATHH41 (Accession number: KX344723) by partial sequencing of 16SrDNA gene. The response surface methodology (RSM) was expended for biodegradation of the toluene by ATHH41. The central composite design (CCD) was utilized to optimize pH, temperature, and toluene concentration by ATHH41. In accordance with the optimization purpose of the Design-Expert software, the optimum circumstances of toluene degradation were obtained when pH, temperature and toluene concentration were adjusted to 7.68, 31.73°C and 630.04 mg.l-1, respectively. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were used to immobilize the strain. Infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy showed that the cells adhered to the MWCNT surface and developed a bioﬁlm. Results reveal that free cells were able to degrade 68.01% of the toluene as the sole carbon and energy source within 24 h under optimized conditions. The immobilized cells reached 95.68%.
Nuevo registro de planta hospedera para Stator aegrotus (Sharp, 1885) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) y notas sobre daños en semillas en Brasil
Authors: Amador Mojena Pastor , Romero-Nápoles Jesús , De Souza Mojena Antonia Ap.
Published: March 2021

Se recolectaron frutos directamente del suelo de Senegalia polyphylla (DC.) Britton Rose (Fabaceae) en la región de Sinop, Mato Grosso, Brasil. Los insectos emergidos fueron identificados como Stator aegrotus (Sharp, 1885) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae), y dado que esta planta no se había registrado como hospedero para esta especie de brúquido, constituye el primer registro de asociación para ambas especies. El daño causado a las semillas alcanzó un 35.4%, siendo el consumo de tejidos seminales de 0.04530 g, que representa un 55.63% del peso de una semilla. En la evaluación fisiológica de las semillas se constató que el 100% de las semillas dañadas no germinaron.
Perspectives of Trial Staff on the Barriers to Recruitment in a Digital Intervention for Psychosis and How to Work Around Them: Qualitative Study Within a Trial (Preprint)
Authors: Allan Stephanie , Mcleod Hamish , Bradstreet Simon , Bell Imogen , Whitehill Helen , Wilson-Kay Alison , Clark Andrea , Matrunola Claire , Morton Emma , Farhall John , Gleeson John , Gumley Andrew
Published: March 2021

BACKGROUND

Recruitment processes for clinical trials of digital interventions for psychosis are seldom described in detail in the literature. Although trial staff have expertise in describing barriers to and facilitators of recruitment, a specific focus on understanding recruitment from the point of view of trial staff is rare, and because trial staff are responsible for meeting recruitment targets, a lack of research on their point of view is a key limitation.

OBJECTIVE

The primary aim of this study was to understand recruitment from the point of view of trial staff and discover what they consider important.

METHODS

We applied pluralistic ethnographic methods, including analysis of trial documents, observation, and focus groups, and explored the recruitment processes of the EMPOWER (Early Signs Monitoring to Prevent Relapse in Psychosis and Promote Well-being, Engagement, and Recovery) feasibility trial, which is a digital app–based intervention for people diagnosed with schizophrenia.

RESULTS

Recruitment barriers were categorized into 2 main themes: service characteristics (lack of time available for mental health staff to support recruitment, staff turnover, patient turnover [within Australia only], management styles of community mental health teams, and physical environment) and clinician expectations (filtering effects and resistance to research participation). Trial staff negotiated these barriers through strategies such as emotional labor (trial staff managing feelings and expressions to successfully recruit participants) and trying to build relationships with clinical staff working within community mental health teams.

CONCLUSIONS

Researchers in clinical trials for digital psychosis interventions face numerous recruitment barriers and do their best to work flexibly and to negotiate these barriers and meet recruitment targets. The recruitment process appeared to be enhanced by trial staff supporting each other throughout the recruitment stage of the trial.