Visualization-Driven Time-Series Extraction from Wearable Systems Can Facilitate Differentiation of Passive ADL Characteristics among Stroke and Healthy Older Adults

Wearable technologies allow the measurement of unhindered activities of daily living (ADL) among patients who had a stroke in their natural settings. However, methods to extract meaningful information from large multi-day datasets are limited. This study investigated new visualization-driven time-series extraction methods for distinguishing activities from stroke and healthy adults. Fourteen stroke and fourteen healthy adults wore a wearable sensor at the L5/S1 position for three consecutive days and collected accelerometer data passively in the participant’s naturalistic environment. Data from visualization facilitated selecting information-rich time series, which resulted in classification accuracy of 97.3% using recurrent neural networks (RNNs). Individuals with stroke showed a negative correlation between their body mass index (BMI) and higher-acceleration fraction produced during ADL. We also found individuals with stroke made lower activity amplitudes than healthy counterparts in all three activity bands (low, medium, and high). Our findings show that visualization-driven time series can accurately classify movements among stroke and healthy groups using a deep recurrent neural network. This novel visualization-based time-series extraction from naturalistic data provides a physical basis for analyzing passive ADL monitoring data from real-world environments. This time-series extraction method using unit sphere projections of acceleration can be used by a slew of analysis algorithms to remotely track progress among stroke survivors in their rehabilitation program and their ADL abilities.

Early Starvation Contributes to the Adaptive Capacity of Corythucha marmorata (Uhler), an Emerging Pest in China

Food shortages severely reduce the prospects of insect survival in natural settings, including in the case of herbivorous insects. However, the early starvation experience of some insects has positive effects throughout their entire lifespan. It is important to discuss the effects of refeeding and host plants on the capacity of herbivorous insects to adapt to starvation and low temperatures, considering that starvation resistance is expected to show some degree of adaptive phenotypic plasticity. We tested the relationship between host plant, starvation, and the supercooling capacity of the invasive pest Corythucha marmorata. In particular, we highlighted how early starvation affects the refeeding and recovery phases. Among the various range of hosts, the chrysanthemum lace bug has the fastest growth rate on Helianthus annuus, and the strongest supercooling capacity on Symphyotrichum novi-belgii. Especially, starvation for 2 days increases the rates of survival, development, and number of eggs upon refeeding, in comparison to no starvation. A 3-day starvation period in the nymphal stage significantly increased the supercooling capacity of 5th instar nymphs and adults, as observed in our study.

Formation, Development, and Cross-Species Interactions in Biofilms

Biofilms, which are essential vectors of bacterial survival, protect microbes from antibiotics and host immune attack and are one of the leading causes that maintain drug-resistant chronic infections. In nature, compared with monomicrobial biofilms, polymicrobial biofilms composed of multispecies bacteria predominate, which means that it is significant to explore the interactions between microorganisms from different kingdoms, species, and strains. Cross-microbial interactions exist during biofilm development, either synergistically or antagonistically. Although research into cross-species biofilms remains at an early stage, in this review, the important mechanisms that are involved in biofilm formation are delineated. Then, recent studies that investigated cross-species cooperation or synergy, competition or antagonism in biofilms, and various components that mediate those interactions will be elaborated. To determine approaches that minimize the harmful effects of biofilms, it is important to understand the interactions between microbial species. The knowledge gained from these investigations has the potential to guide studies into microbial sociality in natural settings and to help in the design of new medicines and therapies to treat bacterial infections.

BUDAYA BALI SEBAGAI MEDIA MOTIVASI DALAM PEMBELAJARAN BIPA TINGKAT PEMULA/BALI CULTURE AS A MOTIVATION MEDIUM IN LEARNING INDONESIAN FOR FOREIGNERS (BIPA) FOR BEGINNER LEVEL

AbstrakPengenalan budaya lokal sebagai media pengajaran dalam proses belajar mengajar dapat membangkitkan keinginan dan minat, membangkitkan motivasi dan rangsangan kegiatan belajar, bahkan membawa pengaruh-pengaruh psikologis bagi pemelajarnya. Media pembelajaran yang menyangkut budaya pada bahasa yang dipelajari juga dapat membantu peserta didik meningkatkan pemahaman, menyajikan data dengan menarik dan terpercaya, serta memudahkan penafsiran dan memadatkan informasi, seperti yang ada dalam budaya Bali yang dapat diaplikasikan dalam pengajaran BIPA untuk Tingkat Pemula. Dengan menerapkan metode studi pustaka yang berlandaskan pada beberapa sumber dan pengetahuan penulis tentang budaya Bali, tulisan ini dapat dipaparkan dengan metode naturalistik karena hal-hal yang berkaitan dengan masalah budaya dilakukan pada kondisi alamiah (natural setting). Hasil yang diperoleh, yaitu budaya Bali sebagai media pembelajaran BIPA untuk pemelajar Tingkat Pemula, khususnya bagi pemelajar yang sedang belajar di Bali sangat menarik untuk disampaikan sebagai media penunjang pembelajaran utama dan sebagai motivasi untuk meningkatkan kemampuan memahami materi yang sedang dipelajari oleh pemelajar. Pengenalan etika berbicara dalam bentuk sapaan, mengucapkan salam dengan gestur yang tepat, dan mengungkapkan hal-hal yang terkait dengan aktivitas adat dan keagamaan yang masih sangat kental dalam budaya Bali sangat perlu dan menarik untuk diketahui oleh pemelajar. Selain itu, gagasan ini dapat menjadi bahan pertimbangan dalam menyusun bahan ajar atau bahan penunjang pengajaran BIPA untuk Tingkat Pemula selanjutnya, khususnya bagi lembaga BIPA yang ada di Provinsi Bali.Kata kunci: BIPA, budaya Bali, media, motivasiAbstractThe introduction of local culture as arouse teaching medium in the teaching-learning process can arouse desire and interest, evoke motivation and stimulation of learning activities, and even bring psychological influences to the learners. Learning media related to the culture where a language is learned can also help students to increase understanding, present data attractively and reliably, facilitate interpretation and condense information is available in Balinese culture that can be applied in teaching BIPA for Beginner Level. By applying the literature study method which is based on several sources and the author’s knowledge about Balinese culture, this paper can be presented with naturalistic methods because matters relating to cultural issues are carried out in natural settings. The results obtained that the Balinese culture as BIPA learning media for Beginner Level students, especially for students who are studying in Bali is very interesting to be conveyed as a primary learning support medium and as a motivation to improve the ability to understand what is being learned by students. The introduction of ethics speaks in the form of greetings, says greetings with appropriate gestures, and expresses matters related to traditional and religious activities that are still very thick in Balinese culture. In addition, this idea can be taken into consideration in preparing teaching materials or supporting materials for BIPA teaching for the next Beginner Level, especially for BIPA institutions in the Province of BaliKeywords: BIPA, Balinesse culture, supporting materials, motivation

Environmental degradation and agriculture: an approach in countries by middle of indexes

ABSTRACT: Society evolution is commonly followed by changes; however, some of them bring negative implications for the community. One of these consequences refers to environmental degradation, which has agricultural activity as one of its influencing agents, which is essentially characterized by man’s predatory actions. Accordingly, this research analyzed the environmental degradation in 167 pattern in the agricultural world. Therefore, the Agricultural Environmental Degradation Index (IDAA) was used as a proxy for agricultural environmental degradation and the factor analysis technique. Results indicated that the most degraded country was Russia, which belongs to the European continent; however, the other positions were occupied predominantly by Africa, followed by North America and Oceania. Issues such as rural poverty and primitive natural settings can leverage this phenomenon. The lowest rates of degradation were concentrated on Central America and Europe, where agricultural activity was most incipient. In this sense, a directly proportional relationship between environmental degradation and agricultural practice was reported considering that countries dependent on this phenomenon had the most worrying results. Thereby, there is an emerging need for public policies that integrate economic and environmental dimensions that reduce negative impacts in the regions most degraded.

Public Perception on Attributes of Walking Avenues in Urban Areas of Sri Lanka

Currently, the urban areas become more congested; numerous health concerns such as obesity are becoming more prevalent among urban dwellers followed by lack of exercise. With this situation, provision of adequate areas for exercising to the satisfaction of all is critical with limited space in urban areas. Hence, an ideal solution emerges as ‘walking ways’ where a strip of land is only needed. The interest of walking ways is also developed in Sri Lanka very recently. However, there is no evidence on a research to identify the attributes, should developed along with the walkway to increase the attraction of the users. The main aim of this study is to examine the public perception on attributes of walking avenues in urban areas of Sri Lanka. Data was acquired by a personal-administered questionnaire from a convenience sample of 150 walking trail users on three settings. The descriptive statistics, univariate analysis, hoc multiple comparisons and homogeneous subsets technique were used as methodological analysis. The findings disclose ‘safety’ as the preferred attribute while shading and natural settings significant. An income variation presents that user with above the income level of LKR 65,000 preferred cafeterias providing herbal drinks while the users with below that income level are less interest with the attributes of changing rooms and street vendors. This article fills the gap of identifying user perceptions particular to a novel design concept of walking trail in Sri Lanka with interesting attributes getting more benefits.

Pheno-Morphological and Essential Oil Composition Responses to UVA Radiation and Protectants: A Case Study in Three Thymus Species

Solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation mainly includes UVA (320–400 nm). UVA intensity varies depending on the season and geographic location, while it is projected to rise owing to climate change. Since it elicits secondary metabolism, additional knowledge on the UVA dependence of phytochemical production is required for both farmers and processors, particularly under natural settings. In this field study, the pheno-morphological traits and essential oil composition responses to UVA intensity were addressed in three Thymus species [T. daenensis (endemic to Iran), T. fedtschenkoi (semi-endemic), T. vulgaris (common thyme)]. During growth, three UVA levels (ambient, enriched, excluded) were realized in combination with spraying protectants [water (control), melatonin, glutathione, iron-zinc nanofertilizer]. In T. daenensis, enriched UVA caused early flowering. The height of T. daenensis was the longest under enriched UVA, and the shortest under excluded UVA. In control plants, enriched and excluded UVA stimulated the accumulation of oxygenated metabolites in T. daenensis and T. fedtschenkoi. Altogether, under enriched UVA some phenolic compounds (e.g., thymol, carvacrol, γ-terpinene) increased in the essential oil of all three species, but others decreased. In all taxa, glutathione caused a significant essential oil content reduction. Iron-zinc nanofertilizer increased essential oil accumulation in T. daenensis and T. vulgaris. Treatments also induced an alteration of the essential oil composition. In conclusion, cultivation regime effects on the essential oil quality (composition) and quantity were strongly species dependent. T. deanensis underwent the most consistent enhancement under UVA, making the species more adaptable to climate change, whereas T. fedtschenkoi the least.

Tree Cover Ratio Effects on Users’ Perceptions, Impressions and Suitability Judgment for Different Activities in Privately Owned Public Spaces

People are drawn to natural settings because they instinctively associate them with providing, nurturing environments. Many studies have linked higher urban greenery ratios to social, psychological, economic, and human health improvements. While urban greenery benefits a large number of people, the monetary burden of its installation and maintenance falls typically to local governments or private entities, requiring urban designers to be able to justify the higher costs of implementation and maintenance. To date, there is still no precise data linking tree cover ratio and the specific effects it has on peoples’ perceptions and impressions of urban plazas or in the environment’s suitability for different activities. This study expands on the findings of previous studies to explore the effects of tree cover ratio and environment scale across twenty-three different evaluation scales. It used immersive virtual environments to control for confounding variables and head-mounted displays to present the stimuli, allowing participants to experience the environment in its totality as in a natural setting. Higher tree cover ratios improved participants’ willingness to stay and pay for goods, improved perception, impressions, and how suitable the environment was for different activities. The specific effects on five measurement scales for activities, nine measurement scales for impression and seven different measurement scales for perception are shown as well as the effects of the interaction of tree cover ratio and environment scale.The effects of sex and architectural background are also tested and discussed. Results offer designers with evidence for the definition of tree amount in relation to environment scale, based on the desired effect.