Integral Task Research Articles

Oak seedling performance and soil development across a forest restoration chronosequence following agriculture in the American Midwest—a greenhouse experiment

Overcoming establishment limitation is an integral task during forest restoration on degraded lands for tree species whose prominence is declining, such as those in the Quercus genus. Fallow agricultural lands are suitable for forest restoration efforts by planting seedlings; however, tree seedling success may be limited due to soil conditions that are distinct from relict forests. Here, we assessed soil nutrient content, physicochemical parameters, and microorganism function via soil enzyme activity from five restorations that were implemented 0, 7, 10, 50, or 100 years ago. We planted Q. macrocarpa (bur oak) seedlings in soils collected from each site for 5 months before collecting dry biomass, used as a proxy for size. We found that Q. macrocarpa seedlings had the largest total biomass when they were planted in soils from older restorations. There was a significant positive correlation of the amount of soil carbon, nitrogen, organic matter, and soil moisture with tree size, and these soil parameters increased with forest age. We assessed seedling roots for mutualistic ectomycorrhizal fungi, but we did not find associations between their presence and tree size. Forest restoration is a complex process, which can take many decades, but we suggest that reforestation may be accelerated by implementing active soil restoration to increase soil carbon, nitrogen, and water holding capacity prior to planting tree seedlings in target sites. Active soil restoration may aide in overcoming a significant portion of establishment limitation of ecologically important tree species that typically do not fare well in early‐stage restorations.

Visual search performance in \u2018CCTV\u2019 and mobile phone-like video footage

Finding an unfamiliar person in a crowd of others is an integral task for police officers, CCTV-operators, and security staff who may be looking for a suspect or missing person; however, research suggests that it is difficult and accuracy in such tasks is low. In two real-world visual-search experiments, we examined whether being provided with four images versus one image of an unfamiliar target person would help improve accuracy when searching for that person through video footage. In Experiment 1, videos were taken from above and at a distance to simulate CCTV, and images of the target showed their face and torso. In Experiment 2, videos were taken from approximately shoulder height, such as one would expect from body-camera or mobile phone recordings, and target images included only the face. Our findings suggest that having four images as exemplars leads to higher accuracy in the visual search tasks, but this only reached significance in Experiment 2. There also appears to be a conservative bias whereby participants are more likely to respond that the target is not in the video when presented with only one image as opposed to 4. These results point to there being an advantage for providing multiple images of targets for use in video visual-search.

Modern Medicines (Assortment) and Trends in the Improvement of Dosage Forms of Hepatoprotective Agents (Review)

Introduction. Liver diseases with all the variety of clinical manifestations have common pathogenetic links at the cellular level. The group of hepatoprotective agents is represented by drugs that exhibit versatile mechanisms for protecting liver cells from the effects of damaging factors, the main of which are membrane-stabilizing, antioxidant, regenerative, detoxifying, choleretic and anti-inflammatory effects. The high therapeutic and hepatoprotective effectiveness of modern drugs is largely due to their metabolic effects, as well as their ability to bind free radicals and reactive oxygen species in the cell.Text. The purpose of this work is to form an analytical review of the literature on the assortment and concepts of improving the dosage forms of hepatoprotective agents. According to the analysis and systematization of modern publications devoted to the use of hepatoprotectors in the treatment of liver diseases, it is shown that it is necessary to develop new formulations and combinations of biologically active substances with the manifestation of versatile mechanisms of hepatoprotection, as well as to improve the composition and manufacturing technologies of existing traditional therapies. One of the current trends is the use of new substances in the development of traditional and innovative dosage forms. The search for biologically active molecules with antioxidant, antiradical and membrane-stabilizing activity that can be considered as effective hepatoprotectors continues. An integral task of pharmaceutical development is the creation of bioavailable drugs that have a prolonged effect and minimal side effects. A promising direction in pharmaceutical technology is the development of innovative drugs for the directed transport of biologically active molecules to the affected organ.Conclusion. As a result of the analysis of modern data, priority directions for the development and improvement of existing formulations based on modern approaches to the production of innovative dosage forms are identified. The relevance of improving the dosage forms of hepatoprotectors presented on the pharmaceutical market is shown. Of particular interest is the development of innovative targeted delivery systems with effective and safe hepatoprotectors in various combinations, including those based on cinnamic acid derivatives.

Automatic Kidney Lesion Detection for CT Images Using Morphological CNN

The CT scan is the best tool for diagnosing and finding injuries in the kidney. It can provide precise information about the location and size of lesions in many medical applications. Manual and traditional medical tests work and time-consuming. The automatic detection of injuries in CT is now an integral task for clinical diagnosis. To develop and improve the efficiency of medical testing computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) is needed. However, the existing low accuracy and incomplete detection algorithm remain a tremendous challenge. The proposed lesion sensor is based on morphological cascaded convolutional neural networks using a multi-intersection threshold (IOU) (CNNs). To increase network stability and morphology co-detection layers and amended pyramid networks in the faster RCNN and combine four IOU threshing thresholds with cascade RCNNs and for better detection of small lesions (1-5 mm). In addition, the experiments have been conducted on CT deep-lesion kidney pictures published by photos and communication systems of hospitals (PACSs

Simulation training in health education

Medical education as a constituent link between yesterday's student and future specialist doctor, at the preclinical stage, decides on the patient's safety in the provision of medical care. The conditions, quality and methods of providing medical care to the population, as well as the safety of patients, is an integral and main task of medical workers. Practical skills and manipulations should be acquired and practiced not on patients, but in Simulation Training Centers using high-tech simulators. An already prepared student comes to the patient with a baggage of knowledge, practiced practical skills, when a hand is placed, there are developed algorithms, certain knowledge and experience in performing practical skills. This allows without risk to the health and life of the patient to obtain professional skills on simulators and use their experience in further work [1].

Predicting process design spaces for spray drying amorphous solid dispersions

Amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) are commonly manufactured using spray-drying processes. The product quality can be decisively influenced by the choice of process parameters. Following the quality-by-design approach, the identification of the spray-drying process design space is thus an integral task in drug product development. Aiming a solvent-free and homogeneous ASD, API crystallization and amorphous phase separation needs to be avoided during drying. This publication provides a predictive approach for determining spray-drying process conditions via considering thermodynamic driving forces for solvent drying as well as ASD-specific API/polymer/solvent interactions and glass transitions. The ternary API/polymer/solvent phase behavior was calculated using the Perturbed-Chain Statistical Associating Theory (PC-SAFT) and combined with mass and energy balances to find appropriate spray-drying conditions. A process design space was identified for the ASDs of ritonavir and naproxen with either poly(vinylpyrrolidone) or poly(vinylpyrrolidone-co-vinylacetate) spray dried from the solvents acetone, dichloromethane, or ethanol.

Understanding definite integral concepts of prospective teachers through actions and processes based on gender difference

This research was a qualitative research which aimed at describing the understanding of the integral concept of prospective teachers through actions and processes in terms of gender difference. The research subjects were one female student and one male student of Mathematics Education study program. Data were collected through assignment sheets and followed by interviews. After data were analyzed, it was found that the action of the female subject in determining the definite integral was certainly shown by completing the integral task procedurally using the appropriate formula. At the action stage, in determining the total area female subject directly used the integral formula regardless the form and location of the region formed by a curve. The action of male subject in determining the integral was certainly similar to the female subject. It was shown by calculating the integral using the appropriate formula. For the task of determining the total area under the curve, male subject first described the form of the curve and paid attention to the position of the region with respect to x-axis. At the process stage, female subject explained the steps to complete the integral. When explaining how to calculate the total area under the curve, the female subject explained the solution steps regardless the position of the region. Meanwhile, the process stage of male subject was shown by explaining the steps and revealing the reasons for using the formula he used after identifying the form of the given integral. The male subject gave attention to the position of the region with respect to x-axis when calculating the region.

Interplay among the Variants of One Carbon Metabolism, Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase Polymorphisms and Lung Cancer

Introduction: Folates perform an integral task in DNA synthesis, methylationand repair. Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (MTHFR) potrays a key part in the metabolism of folate and regulates the equilibrium between the various forms of folate for DNA synthesis and DNA methylation. MTHFR irrevocably transforms 5,10 methylenetetrahydrofolate to 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, the principal circulating folate and the carbon donor for remethylation processes. MTHFR is vastly polymorphic in the general population. Materials and Methods: It was a case-control study conducted during March 2010 to September 2011 in the Department of Pulmonary Medicine in collaboration with the Department of Biochemistry at Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh, to see whether any association exists between the variants of one carbon metabolism, MTHFR polymorphisms (C677T and A1298C), and lung cancer. Twenty biopsy proven lung cancer patients and 20 age and sex matched cancer-free controls were selected. Results: The mean serum folate in cases was higher (12.84 ng/mL±7.527 ng/mL) as compared to controls (4.46 ng/mL±1.346 ng/mL), suggesting that high levels of serum folate are associated with lung cancer. There was no significant variance in the levels of vitamin B12 and plasma homocysteine between cases and controls. No MTHFR polymorphism C677T was seen in the blood and the bronchial biopsy samples of all cases as well as blood samples of all the controls. The MTHFR polymorphism A1298C was present in the blood as well as bronchial biopsy samples of cases as well as blood of controls. Thus, in the present study, there was no relation of this polymorphism with lung cancer. Conclusion: Polymorphisms in MTHFR may contribute to lung cancer. More research on the basis of cellular and molecular mechanisms of lung cancer is urgently needed to aid in understanding of pathogenesis of the disease.

Modeling the neuro-mechanics of human balance when recovering from a fall: a continuous-time approach

BackgroundBalance control deteriorates with age and nearly 30% of the elderly population in the United States reports stability problems. Postural stability is an integral task to daily living reliant upon the control of the ankle and hip. To this end, the estimation of joint parameters can be a useful tool when analyzing compensatory actions aimed at maintaining postural stability.MethodsUsing an analytical approach, this study expands on previous work and analyzes a two degrees of freedom human model. The first two modes of vibration of the system are represented by the neuro-mechanical parameters of a second-order, time-varying Kelvin–Voigt model actuated at the ankle and hip. The model is tested using a custom double inverted pendulum and healthy volunteers who were subjected to a positional step-like perturbation during quiet standing. An in silico sensitivity analysis of the influence of inertial parameters was also performed.ResultsThe proposed method is able to correctly identify the time-varying visco-elastic parameters of of a double inverted pendulum. We show that that the parameter estimation method can be applied to standing humans. These results appear to identify a subject-independent strategy to control quiet standing that combines both the modulation of stiffness, and the use of an intermittent control.ConclusionsThis paper presents the analysis of the non-linear system of differential equations representing the control of lumped muscle–tendon units. It utilizes motion capture measurements to obtain the estimates of the system’s control parameters by constructing a simple time-dependent regressor for estimating the time-varying parameters of the control with a single perturbation. This work is a step forward into the understanding of the neuro-mechanical control parameters of human recovering from a fall. In previous literature, the analysis is either restricted to the first vibrational mode of an inverted-pendulum model or assumed to be time-invariant. The proposed method allows for the analysis of hip related movement for stability control and highlights the importance of core training.

Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters in the Process of Dealing with Child Sexual Abuse Cases in Vietnam

International cooperation can be understood as competent bodies of the Social Republic of Vietnam and other countries coordinating, supporting each other in investigation, prosecution, adjudication and execution of criminal cases. International cooperation in criminal procedure includes mutual legal assistance in criminal, extradition, receipt and transfer of prisoners and other activities as stipulated in Criminal Procedure Code 2015, international laws on mutual legal assistance and conventions of which the Social Republic of Vietnam is a member. Child sexual abuse cases in Vietnam and other countries in the world, especially in ASEAN region, have become increasingly complicated. Many Vietnamese children were and have been victims of sex trafficking to foreign countries, a lot of them were fooled by job opportunities and then were sold into prostitution near the border of China, Cambodia, Laos and other Asian countries, namely Malaysia, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand... Therefore, prevention of child sexual abuse is an integral task and a top priority of Vietnam currently. Solving child sexual abuse cases consisting of international factors requires Vietnam to have close international cooperation with other countries. This article focuses on the analysis of the provisions of criminal procedure law and the practical implementation of mutual legal assistance in the process of solving child sexual abuse cases. In addition, the article provides solutions to improve the effectiveness of mutual legal assistance in solving child sexual abuse cases.

Calculation of Quantum Chemical Two-Electron Integrals by Applying Compiler Technology on GPU.

In this article, we present an effective approach to calculate quantum chemical two-electron integrals over basis sets consisting of Gaussian-type basis functions on graphical processing unit (GPU). Our framework generates several different variants called routes to the same integral problem with different integral algorithms (McMurchie-Davidson, Head-Gordon-Pople, and Rys) and precision. Each route is benchmarked on more GPU architectures, and with this data, a model is fitted to select the best available route for an integral task given a GPU architecture. Moreover, this approach supports the computation of high angular momentum orbitals up to g effectively on GPU, tested up to cc-pVQZ-sized basis sets. Rigorous analysis is shown regarding the effectiveness of our method. Molecule simulations with several basis sets are measured using NVIDIA GTX 1080 Ti, NVIDIA P100, and NVIDIA V100 cards.

Central and Peripheral Cues to Difficulty in a Dynamic Task

Background Subjective workload assessments (e.g., NASA-TLX, SWAT, WP) rely upon judgments of difficulty (JODs) and workload to determine how challenging it is for an operator to complete a task. While it is likely that subjective workload assessments are an aggregate product of many cues to difficulty, including internal feelings of effort, that become available during task completion (Cordes, 1993; Kahneman, 2000), moment-to-moment judgments may evolve as additional external cues become available. That is, JODs are likely based to some degree upon internal (privileged) cues and integral task characteristics (central cues), but are also influenced by peripheral cues that serve as a proxy for task difficulty. These dynamic and multifaceted cues affect the choice to initiate tasks (e.g., Mitchell, 2017), comply with safety procedures (e.g., Sigurdsson, Taylor, & Wirth, 2013), and allocate resources (e.g, Kurzban, Duckworth, Kable, & Meyers, 2013), among other things. Identifying common cues that inform JODs contributes to workload theory and defines avenues for workload intervention. Method We developed a 40-minute videogame task that could be used as a laboratory to test people’s sensitivity to two peripheral cues that are present during many tasks: performance-based feedback and time-on-task. These cues became available as participants completed videogame sessions that were identical in instructions and objective, but differed in the source of their difficulty. Specifically, participants were assigned to one of five conditions in which enemy behavior changed along a continuum with respect to: how quickly enemies moved, how much damage enemies dealt to players, how many shots it took to eliminate an enemy character, how quickly enemies appeared in the level, and how close players could be to enemy characters before being chased. These random changes in task speed, feedback, physical effort, timing, and coordination occurred at the beginning of every level (i.e., block of trials). Participants’ JODs were collected at the beginning of each level and every subsequent three minutes by asking them to indicate whether the task was easier or harder than before. Performance-based feedback Participants began each level with 100 hit points of health and received visual and auditory feedback when they came in contact with an enemy character. Crucially, enemy attacks caused participants to lose hit points; when health dropped below 0, the character died and participants had to wait 30 s before resuming the game from a random location within the game space. Self-reported JODs Participants’ JODs were collected at the beginning of each level and every subsequent three minutes by asking them to indicate whether the task was easier or harder than before (Böckenholt, 2004). The task was paused 3s before and after the pop-up window appeared to reduce the performance costs associated with task interruption (Altmann & Trafton, 2007).

Monitoring temporal–spatial variations of AOD over the Yangtze River Delta, China

Aerosol can induce visibility reduction, affect radiation balance and modify cloud property on the environmental effect, and show the harmful effects on human health. Insight of aerosol becomes an integral task in the process of control measures for environmental pollution. The present study provided an analysis of temporal–spatial variations of aerosol optical depth (AOD) using the MOD04 level-2 in collection 6 (C6) with the deep blue retrieval algorithm from January 2005 to December 2015 over Yangtze River Delta (YRD) in China. The AOD validations between MODIS and Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) were estimated by the methods of regression, correlation. Then, the periodic features and trends of AOD and angstrom exponent (AE) were explored with the wavelet transformation (WT) procedure. Further, the variations of AOD and AE spatial distribution on multi-time scales (annual, monthly and season) were demonstrated. Meantime, the sources of AOD are discussed. It was found that the daily AOD from MODIS has a strong correlation relationship (slope = 0.9838, r = 0.84) with AERONET over YRD. The variations of both AOD and AE on time series have been distinct temporal periodic (12, 6 and 4 months) characteristics, and show the decreasing trends on annual and semi-annual periods. On annual, the AOD on spatial distribution is slowly declining from the northwest towards the southeast, and the AE on spatial distribution is gradually decreasing from the northwest to the southeast and from the land to the coast. The variations both inter-annual AOD and AE on spatial distribution show the inverse trends, respectively. On monthly, the means of AOD range from minimum 0.46 in January to maximum 0.90 in July, and the variations of spatial distribution mainly occur in the north parts of Yangtze River and some scattered areas with high terrain and south coast. The means of AE range from minimum 1.13 in October to maximum 1.58 in April, and the variations of spatial distribution are mainly found in the south of Henan, the north of Jiangsu, the coast belt and the riverside of Yangtze River and the high terrain regions. On seasonality, the means of AOD reaches its maximum 0.68 in summer and minimum 0.50 in winter, and the variations of spatial distribution mainly occur in the coast belt, the north parts of Hongze Lake and the south parts with high terrain. The means of AE reaches its maximum 1.48 in spring and minimum 1.25 in autumn, and the variations of spatial distribution were shown the similarity with that of monthly.

Una experiencia pedagógica en la enseñanza del inglés con fines específicos dentro del currículo universitario: caso de la carrera de Ingeniería Eléctrica, Universidad de Costa Rica, Sede del Pacífico

Today's society demands that new generations of professionals can be trained in the mastery of a language additional to their mother tongue, so this study implies the need to implement the English language within the university curriculum to promote an integral academic task that allows students to receive linguistic tools and expand the development of their communicative competence favoring their inclusion in the job market after finishing their undergraduate and graduate studies. Then, the mixed method of research was used, and a survey was applied to the first-year students of the Electrical Engineering career of the University of Costa Rica, in the Pacific Campus; after completing an English course for specific purposes during a semester; likewise, when analyzing the information collected, quantitative data of the participating population were included and at the same time a description of the demands presented by the job context in which the population involved will be incorporated. Therefore, within the main findings it is analyzed that the University of Costa Rica has an approximate of 340 academic offers but only 48 of them include language courses within their curriculum, and just 2 majors in particular specify English courses for specific purposes. Thus, it is concluded that there is a need to include English courses for specific purposes within the university curriculum, especially in engineering to provide to student with better tools for practical use within the demands of modern professional skills.

Nuclear Electromagnetic Generator: Introduction in Neutron Algebra and Elements of Neutron Kinetics

In the work, the problem of neutron kinetics in general view taking into account the all groups of delayed neutrons is solved. Conception of the matrix of complete neutron kinetics is introduced and are determined its properties. In the task about a finding of overt form for the solution of kinetic equations, the separation method and the reducing method of integrodifferential task to integral task with the aid of matched theorem are used. Diffusion of neutrons in the toroidal nuclear electric generator (nuclegen) is investigated also. Important conclusion about the practically complete absence of the diffusion of neutrons and charged fission particles (ionites) through the external boundary under toroidal motion is substantiated when solving of corresponding diffusion equation with the aid of Fourier’s standard separation method.

A Mixing Control Method Based on Motion Synthesis for Virtual Human

Virtual reality technology is now required for maintainability design to shorten design cycle and reduce costs. In the simulation process, virtual human can be animated by immersive motion capture system or non-immersive algorithmic control. Since both of these approaches have their own limitations, the simulation reliability cannot be guaranteed in complex maintenance tasks. In this paper, we propose a mixing control method based on motion synthesis to animate virtual human in virtual maintenance. When performing an elaborate motion, motion capture system is applied, and if a large or complex scene is needed in a motion, algorithmic control method is chosen. Synthesizing motion clips generated by the two animation approaches, a coherent and integral simulation task is implemented, and the simulation reliability and efficiency are improved.

Transdisciplinarity as a real-world challenge: a case study on a North–South collaboration

Transdisciplinarity (TD) has become a buzzword, promoted as a suitable approach to address today’s urgent challenges in human-environment interactions. Looking at its practical implementation, however, challenges still remain to be met. Despite the concept’s popularity, it seems difficult to reconcile the idea of knowledge co-production with research realities. Taking a TD research project dealing with sustainable land management in Southern Africa (Angola, Botswana, and Namibia) as a case study, we aim to provide empirically based insights into the real-world application of this collaborative research approach to improve the general understanding of TD research in the making. Based on semi-structured interviews with project partners and stakeholders, we reveal the underlying interests, mismatching institutions and structures of power shaping the TD research process in this North–South collaboration. We identified TD as falling victim to a kind of “tragedy of the commons”, paralysed between existing power structures and conflicting interests, and being considered as extra work instead of an integral task with an inherent value in itself. By demonstrating some of the underlying causes of the challenging practice of TD, we reveal starting points for changes and provide recommendations that aim to set the base for a more reflexive and fruitful TD knowledge co-production.

Comprehensive NICU Parental Education: Beyond Baby Basics.

Educating NICU families during their child's hospitalization and prior to hospital discharge is an integral task for staff from the moment an infant is admitted to the unit. Staff has the responsibility of providing parents with a myriad of education regarding the intensive care environment and information concerning their child's medical condition. With first-time parents, staff teaching topics extend to also include training on how to perform basic newborn care such as diapering, bathing, feeding, and numerous other primary parenting responsibilities. True comprehensive education, however, should include information about and evidence on the significance of parental self-care in not only their own health and emotional stability but also the cognitive and behavioral development of their child prior to leaving the comfort of their NICU support network. Recommendations for this essential education are presented so NICU providers can best prepare parents for this critical responsibility.

Convoy: An Android App for Visually Challenged People

Traveling is integral task in our day today life. Visually challenged people face various challenges to travel alone. Our project, Convoy is Android application developed for navigation to assist visually challenged for traveling and security. The main scope is to provide interactive interface for visually challenged people and to help them while traveling in familiar and unfamiliar environments independently and safely using Global Positioning System (GPS) .The user will enter destination by vocal commands and app will give voice directions for navigation. When the user suspects danger or insecure situation, he can send SMS (Short Message Service) to the registered contact with its current location immediately. Thus, the use of the application will surely ease some of the difficulties faced by visually challenged user and can help them in achieving an independent livelihood.

The potential of function-led virtual environments for ecologically valid measures of executive function in experimental and clinical neuropsychology

The assessment of executive functions is an integral task of neuropsychological assessment. Traditional measures of executive function are often based on hypothetical constructs that may have little relevance to real-world behaviours. In fact, some traditional tests utilised today were not originally developed for clinical use. Recently, researchers have been arguing for a new generation of “function-led” neuropsychological assessments that are developed from directly observable everyday behaviours. Although virtual environments (VEs) have been presented as potential aides in enhancing ecological validity, many were modelled on construct-driven approaches found in traditional assessments. In the current paper, we review construct-driven and function-led VE-based neuropsychological assessments of executive functions. Overall, function-led VEs best represent the sorts of tasks needed for enhanced ecological validity and prediction of real-world functioning.