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Thoughts On Optimizing Peer Review Mechanism Of Science Foundation, Guang Chen, Kaihua Chen, Xu Gong, Yi Yuan, Xin Fang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Peer review is the self-regulating mechanism of the scientific community and the core link of scientific quality control. The core operating mechanism of National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) is peer review, which is an important guarantee for the selection of high-quality projects. In order to promote the scientificity, objectivity, and impartiality of peer review, and steadily advance the reform and development of NSFC in the new era, this study analyzes the challenges of the current peer review mechanism of science foundation based on the review of the development of the peer review mechanism, and its advantages and disadvantages. …

Optimization Of Funding Policies Of Science Foundation Of China For High-Quality Development Of Basic Research, Shouyang Wang, Rui Tao, Jue Wang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Nowadays, with the vigorous rise of a new round of scientific and technological revolution around the world, emerging disciplines continue to spring up, science and technology develop rapidly and show the characteristics of intersection and fusion. Meanwhile, complex models appear in the field of scientific research, and talents play an increasingly prominent role in the process of scientific and technological innovation. In this context, National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) is facing a new development opportunity and challenge. It is increasingly significant for how to optimize funding policies, strengthen basic research, enhance talent support for basic research, and build …

Practice And Enlightenment Of Foreign Main Funding Agencies In Promoting Scientists’ Engagement In Science Communication, Kunpeng Qi, Zhimin Zhang, Leipo Jia, Xi Yang, Yunxiao Zhang, Tianxiao Gao, Cong Wang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

As scientists have a deeper understanding of science than other groups, they are irreplaceable in science communication. Funding agencies, which are important part of science system, are gradually devoted to promoting scientists' engagement in science communication, in order to strengthen the mutual relationship between science and society. This study investigates the practice of several funding agencies in promoting scientists' engagement in science communication, such as proposing initiatives and policies, offering fundings, setting up awards, and providing technical supports. Based on it, this study further discusses that the roles should funding agencies take, and tries to bring up policy suggestions in …

Application And Review Of Biotechnology In Promoting Protective Utilization Of Black Soil, Xianwei Song, Baocai Zhang, Yang Bai, Duofeng Pan, Xiangdong Deng, Hongsheng Wang, Bo Sun, Xiaofeng Cao

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

In the past 60 years, the highly-intensive and unreasonable farming of the black soil in Northeast China has brought a series of adverse consequences such as the reduction of organic matter, the serious imbalance of carbon and nitrogen, and the instability of microbiota, which seriously threaten China's food security and agricultural sustainable development. The decrease of organic matter content in black soil is the core issue in the degradation of black soil. Organisms are the source of all organic matter, and the dynamic balance of organic matter driven by organisms is the basis for maintaining the stability of farmland ecosystem …

The Similarities And Differences Between Glomerular Vs. Non-Glomerular Diagnoses On Intelligence And Executive Functions In Pediatric Chronic Kidney Disease: A Brief Report., Stephen R. Hooper, Rebecca J. Johnson, Marc Lande, Matthew Matheson, Shlomo Shinnar, Amy J. Kogon, Lyndsay Harshman, Joann Spinale, Arlene C. Gerson, Bradley A. Warady, Susan L. Furth

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Pediatric chronic kidney disease (CKD) appears to be a heterogeneous group of conditions, but this heterogeneity has not been explored with respect to its impact on neurocognitive functioning. This study investigated the neurocognitive functioning of those with glomerular (G) vs. non-glomerular (NG) diagnoses. Data from the North American CKiD Study were employed and the current study included 1,003 children and adolescents with mild to moderate CKD. The G Group included 260 participants (median age = 14.7 years) and the NG Group included 743 individuals (median age = 9.0 years). Neurocognitive measures assessed IQ, inhibitory control, attention regulation, problem solving, working …

Characterization And Interpretation Of Feldspathic Chromite Assemblages (Fcas) In Four Ordinary Chondrites: An Electron Backscatter Diffraction (Ebsd) Study, Kimberly Louisa Maccini

Dissertations and Theses

Feldspathic Chromite Assemblages (FCAs) are chemically distinctive assemblages rich in Na, Al, and Cr that are found in a variety of chondrites. They consist of concentrations of chromite associated mainly with feldspathic material, either feldspar or the glassy material known as maskelynite. Professor Alan Rubin (2003) has proposed that some FCAs formed by shock melting, but the origin of different types of feldspathic chromite assemblages are unclear and have not been studied with more modern techniques such as Electron Backscatter Electron Diffraction (EBSD).

Here EBSD was used to study FCAs in four metamorphosed ordinary chondrites of different shock stages, including …

Ionic Percolation Networks In Composite Electrodes For All-Solid-State Batteries, Corey G. Abraham

Master's Theses

As the demand for high performance lithium-ion batteries grows, materials research isneeded to provide a safer alternative to the use of flammable liquid electrolytes. All-solid-state composite electrolytes consisting of a polymer host and ceramic filler can balance both the need for high ion-conductivity and mechanical flexibility within operating battery systems. The high interfacial resistances between such electrolytes and electrodes, as well as within porous electrodes, however, is a prohibitive performance attribute characteristic of this class of materials. One strategy to mitigate the inhibitory diffusion kinetics associated with the interface is to introduce an ionic percolation network into the electrodes. This …

The Influence Of Teleconnection Patterns On Renewable Energy Resources, John Kyle Bergerson

Master's Theses

Energy providers are shifting their supply from carbon based forms of energy to renewable sources in response to policy changes aimed at reducing pollution and anthropogenic influence on the environment. Wind and solar energies are notable sources that have been adopted around the globe and are increasing in installation and efficiency, but relying on weather-dependent sources of energy has limitations. Variability in energy supply and demand becomes further dependent on the state of the climate, and thus predictability of that state is critical. Climate modes are correlated with climate variables and are used to make mid-term (>10 days), seasonal, …

“It Made Me Question If I Was In The Right Hands”: Exploring Cancer Prognostic Conversations Between Providers And Latinx Patients, Yesenia Anabel Carrillo

Master's Theses

People of color are often confronted by barriers within the health-care system that white people are not likely to encounter. Latinx patients are among those who experience racial health disparities, typically due to the lack of health literacy support and limited resource access. Drawing on previous work that focuses on exploring patient, provider, and caregiver preferences for cancer prognostic conversations; this study explores perceptions of cancer prognostic conversations between providers and Latinx patients to better understand the degree of cultural competence among providers and opportunities for enhancing interpersonal communication with Latinx patients. Interviews with seven patients and five providers were …

Association Between Meal Dietary Inflammatory Potential And Postprandial Sleepiness, Samantha Beth Kalb

Master's Theses

The amount and composition of food that is consumed are known to contribute toinflammation and may affect how we feel in the following hours. The aim of this research was to determine if the inflammatory potential of a single meal is associated with level of postprandial sleepiness. Participants (n = 70) recorded intake of one of their meals, then reported their degree of postprandial sleepiness (Stanford Sleepiness Scale), average activity level, average hours of nightly sleep, and daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale). The Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) of the meal was estimated by adjusting DII parameters by 26%, reflecting the …

Recommendations For A Water Conservationist Diet In California, Helen M. Lee

Master's Theses

As the world’s population continues to increase, a focus on nutrition security and water sustainability is needed to ensure enough resources for future generations and their wellbeing. The agricultural sector uses the most water worldwide, so identifying agricultural commodities that use less water and are more nutritious could help society reach these goals. California is the largest producer of agriculture in the United States. Therefore, an analysis of water use and nutritional value was conducted using water footprint (WF) and nutrient rich food scores (NRF) of California’s agricultural products. The results of the WF and NRF analysis showed that the …

A Chemical And Minerological Fingerprint Of Hydraulic Mining Sediment, In The Yolo Bypass, California, Stephanie Annette Meursing

Master's Theses

Hydraulic gold mining in California, began not long after the discovery of gold in 1848. This type of mining dislodged large amounts of sediment, which were then deposited downstream. The Yolo Bypass, downstream from several northern California rivers, has received and continues to receive hydraulic mining sediment (HMS). The main goal of this study was to document the chemical and mineralogical characteristics of HMS in the bypass. Twelve borehole cores from the bypass and five in-situ auriferous gravel samples, which were used for background concentrations, were collected for this study. All twelve cores had higher Hg concentrations than the in-situ …

Hybridity And Habitation: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Interior Design In Live-Action Cyberpunk Films Through The Lens Of Posthumanism And Thing Theory, Sydney Ng

Master's Theses

Characterized by hyper-urban environments, extreme class division, and an abundance ofcorporate oversight, the cyberpunk subgenre of science-fiction is a prime candidate for scholarly research on speculative interior design and associated technologies. Using the theoretical frameworks of posthumanism, or the concept that humans will transcend their current biological form in the near future, and thing theory, or the worldview that objects are able to enact their autonomy on living subjects, interior design in three live-action films in the cyberpunk subgenre were analyzed in order to determine how depictions of future spaces reflect present ideations of our potential real future. Metaphor analysis …

Urban Edge Effects On Soil Conditions, Stand Structure, And Understory Composition In A Coast Redwood Forest, Nanako Oba

Master's Theses

Forests in the wildland-urban interface (WUI) can experience edge effects caused byhuman activities, such as timber harvest and urban development, altering vegetation composition and structure. Both the WUI and resulting edge effects are well studied in general; however, the influences of the urban edge on coast redwood forests specifically are not well understood. I analyzed soil properties, stand structure, and understory composition in a coast redwood preserve in the Santa Cruz Mountains, California using twenty 300 m transects established across an anthropogenic edge and twenty transects within a forest interior control. Spearman’s rank correlations indicated that several variables exhibited positive …

Examining The Effects Of Power Posing On Stress Reactivity And Performance, Mitzi D. Ochoa

Master's Theses

Power posing is a concept that has garnered widespread attention due to claims thatan expansive powerful posture can improve self-perceptions of power, trigger changes in hormone levels, and improve behavioral outcomes including enhanced performance in social evaluative situations. Recently, these claims have been challenged by studies that failed to replicate the power boosting effects of expansive poses. This study aimed to address inconsistencies in the power posing literature and replicate original findings while controlling for potential effects of experimenter bias and touch. It was predicted that a high-power pose would reduce cortisol, increase perceptions of power, and improve performance. To …

The Filipino American Diet: Generational Comparison Of Acculturation, Health Literacy, And Dietary Patterns, Regina Reina

Master's Theses

There is evidence to suggest that Filipino Americans (FAs) are at greater risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and chronic conditions when compared to other Asian American subgroups. However, research on possible risk factors for this group is limited as race classifications are seldomly disaggregated. Having limited health literacy is known to be a contributing factor in health disparities among immigrant populations, though it has largely been understudied among FAs. The comparison of dietary intake, acculturation, dietary acculturation, and health literacy between Philippine-born (PBs) FAs and U.S-born (UBs) FAs has not previously been described. PBs and UBs (n=140) from across the …

Food Insecurity And Dietary Changes During Covid-19 In The San Francisco Bay Area, Iris Vanessa Tablas-Mejia

Master's Theses

Shelter-in-place and social distancing protocols were issued across the country to containthe spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19); however, these safety measures gave rise to unprecedented unemployment rates and disruptions to food access. This study investigated how COVID-19 affected food security and food consumption patterns in the San Francisco Bay Area. A validated survey developed by the National Food Access and COVID Research Team (NFACT) was distributed online from August to November 2020. The survey measured food access and eating behaviors during the pandemic. Seven hundred and twentyfour participants (403 female, 76 male, average age 43.9 ± 15.0 years) completed …

Unpacking Educational Harm: Parent And Teacher Perceptions Of English Learners, Amalia Guzmán Ayala

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to: (1) provide the opportunity to Spanish-speaking parents of English Learner (EL) students to voice their perceptions regarding policies, procedures, and programs related to ELs, and (2) provide the opportunity to teachers to share their perceptions regarding the policies, procedures, and programs related to ELs. The research design for this qualitative study was exploratory and descriptive. The key findings were: (1) Hispanic Spanish-speaking parents had limited knowledge about policies, procedures, and programs related to ELs; and (2) Teacher knowledge about the policies, procedures and programs related to ELs was limited. The conclusions were: (1) …

Creating Best Practices To Enhance Comprehension With Intensive Reading Intervention And Extended Vocabulary, Jillian Bremer

Masters Projects

Securing success for our struggling readers and our ELLs needs to be a priority for teachers. In this project I have gathered evidence and research on ways to improve reading comprehension by implementing whole group vocabulary instruction along with reading intervention for those who still are struggling with reading comprehension. The research gathered supports the use of extended vocabulary as well as intensive reading intervention for struggling readers. The research supplied in this project not only indicates what possible outcomes are for students who continue to struggle with reading comprehension, but it also includes theoretical framework that strengthens the research …

Gender Of Authors In The Brazilian Journal Of Behavior Analysis [Gênero Dos Autores Na Revista Brasileira De Análise Do Comportamento], Hugo Curiel, Emily S. L. Curiel, Gleides Rizzi, Alan Poling

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

We examined publication records in the Brazilian Journal of Behavior Analysis from 2005 through 2020 to determine the participation of women and men as contributing authors. We assessed the following variables: authorship (in general), first authors, articles with at least one woman, articles with at least one man, articles with both men and women, single-author articles, and authors with more than 10 publications. We identified 281 articles, with a total of 732 listed authors. Women and men were listed as authors 361 (49%) and 368 (50%) times, respectively. Women accounted for 43% of articles as first authors, and 69% of …

Differential Diagnosis Of Metastatic Bone Disease: A Case Study From The Ceaf Identified Skeletal Collection Of The University Of Pernambuco, Brazil [Diagnóstico Diferencial Da Doença Óssea Metastática: Um Estudo De Caso Da Coleção Esqueleto Identificado Do Ceaf Da Universidade De Pernambuco, Brasil], Evelyne Pessoa Soriano, Marcus Vitor Diniz De Carvalho, Emília Alves Do Nascimento, Rodrigo Araújo De Queiroz, Carina Marques, Eugénia Cunha

Anthropology Faculty Publications

This study aims to discuss the occurrence of pathological changes found in a skeleton from the Center for Studies in Forensic Anthropology (CEAF) Identified Skeletal Collection, Faculty of Odontology, University of Pernambuco (FOP/UPE), Brazil. The skeleton of a 47-year-old male that died in 2014 was macroscopically examined, and the differential diagnosis was performed based on clinical and paleopathological criteria. Lesions that were predominantly osteoclastic were observed in a multifocal pattern, mainly on the skull (29.6% of the total of lesions observed), pelvic bones (22.2%), and vertebrae (25.9%). The lesions morphology consists of elliptical osteolytic foci and areas of coalescent porosity, …

Intensive Care Bundle With Blood Pressure Reduction In Acute Cerebral Hemorrhage Trial (Interact3): Study Protocol For A Pragmatic Stepped-Wedge Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial, Lili Song, Xin Hu, Lu Ma, Xiaoying Chen, Menglu Ouyang, Laurent Billot, Qiang Li, Paula Muñoz-Venturelli, Carlos Abanto, Mohammad Wasay

Section of Neurology

Background: Early intensive blood pressure (BP) lowering remains the most promising treatment for acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), despite discordant results between clinical trials and potential variation in the treatment effects by approach to control BP. As the third in a series of clinical trials on this topic, the INTEnsive care bundle with blood pressure Reduction in Acute Cerebral hemorrhage Trial (INTERACT3) aims to determine the effectiveness of a goal-directed care bundle protocol of early physiological control (intensive BP lowering, glycemic control, and pyrexia treatment) and reversal of anticoagulation, in acute ICH.
Methods: INTERACT3 is a pragmatic, international, multicenter, stepped-wedge (4 …

Mass Timber Building Life Cycle Assessment Methodology For The U.S. Regional Case Studies, Hongmei Gu, Shaobo Liang, Francesca Pierobon, Maureen Puettmann, Indroneil Ganguly, Cindy Chen, Rachel Pasternack, Mark Wishnie, Susan Jones, Ian Maples

Publications, Reports and Presentations

The building industry currently consumes over a third of energy produced and emits 39% of greenhouse gases globally produced by human activities. The manufacturing of building materials and the construction of buildings make up 11% of those emissions within the sector. Whole-building life-cycle assessment is a holistic and scientific tool to assess multiple environmental impacts with internationally accepted inventory databases. A comparison of the building lifecycle assessment results would help to select materials and designs to reduce total environmental impacts at the early planning stage for architects and developers, and to revise the building code to improve environmental performance. The …

Existence Results For Nonlinear Schrodinger Equations Involving The Fractional (P, Q)-Laplacian And Critical Nonlinearities, Huilin Lv, Shenzhou Zheng, Zhaosheng Feng

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

In this article, we consider the existence of ground state positive solutions for nonlinear Schrodinger equations of the fractional (p, q)-Laplacian with Rabinowitz potentials defined in R-n,

(-Delta)(p)(s1) u + (-Delta)(q)(s2) q u+ V(epsilon x)(vertical bar u vertical bar(p-2)u+vertical bar u vertical bar(q-2)u) =lambda f(u) + sigma vertical bar u vertical bar q*(-2)(s2)u.

We prove existence by confining different ranges of the parameter lambda under the subcritical or critical nonlinearities caused by sigma = 0 or 1, respectively. In particular, a delicate calculation for the critical growth is provided so as to avoid the failure of a global Palais-Smale condition …

Design Of L-Band Multiwavelength Laser For Tdm/Wdm Pon Application, Nani Fadzlina Naim, Muhammad Amirul Hafiz Mohamed Hashim, Suzi Seroja Sarnin, Norsuzila Ya'acob, Latifah Sarah Supian

Baghdad Science Journal

This paper presents on the design of L-Band Multiwavelength laser for Hybrid Time Division Multiplexing/ Wavelength Division Multiplexing (TDM/WDM) Passive Optical Network (PON) application. In this design, an L-band Mulltiwavelength Laser is designed as the downstream signals for TDM/WDM PON. The downstream signals ranging from 1569.865 nm to 1581.973 nm with 100GHz spacing. The multiwavelength laser is designed using OptiSystem software and it is integrated into a TDM/WDM PON that is also designed using OptiSystem simulation software. By adapting multiwavelength fiber laser into a TDM/WDM network, a simple and low-cost downstream signal is proposed. From the simulation design, it is …

Recurrent Stroke Prediction Using Machine Learning Algorithms With Clinical Public Datasets: An Empirical Performance Evaluation, Fadratul Hafinaz Hassan, Mohd Adib Omar

Baghdad Science Journal

Recurrent strokes can be devastating, often resulting in severe disability or death. However, nearly 90% of the causes of recurrent stroke are modifiable, which means recurrent strokes can be averted by controlling risk factors, which are mainly behavioral and metabolic in nature. Thus, it shows that from the previous works that recurrent stroke prediction model could help in minimizing the possibility of getting recurrent stroke. Previous works have shown promising results in predicting first-time stroke cases with machine learning approaches. However, there are limited works on recurrent stroke prediction using machine learning methods. Hence, this work is proposed to perform …

Numerical Analysis Of Least-Squares Group Finite Element Method For Coupled Burgers' Problem, Najat Jalil Noon

Baghdad Science Journal

In this paper, a least squares group finite element method for solving coupled Burgers' problem in 2-D is presented. A fully discrete formulation of least squares finite element method is analyzed, the backward-Euler scheme for the time variable is considered, the discretization with respect to space variable is applied as biquadratic quadrangular elements with nine nodes for each element. The continuity, ellipticity, stability condition and error estimate of least squares group finite element method are proved. The theoretical results show that the error estimate of this method is . The numerical results are compared with the exact solution and other …

Effective Solution Of University Course Timetabling Using Particle Swarm Optimizer Based Hyper Heuristic Approach, Zahid Iqbal, Rafia Ilyas, Huah Yong Chan, Naveed Ahmed

Baghdad Science Journal

The university course timetable problem (UCTP) is typically a combinatorial optimization problem. Manually achieving a useful timetable requires many days of effort, and the results are still unsatisfactory. unsatisfactory. Various states of art methods (heuristic, meta-heuristic) are used to satisfactorily solve UCTP. However, these approaches typically represent the instance-specific solutions. The hyper-heuristic framework adequately addresses this complex problem. This research proposed Particle Swarm Optimizer-based Hyper Heuristic (HH PSO) to solve UCTP efficiently. PSO is used as a higher-level method that selects low-level heuristics (LLH) sequence which further generates an optimal solution. The proposed approach generates solutions into two phases (initial …

Noncovalently D-Arabinitol Molecularly Imprinted Polymers (Mips) To Identify Different Sugar Alcohols, Yuni Retnaningtyas, Ganden Supriyanto, Roedi Irawan, Siswandono Siswodihardjo

Baghdad Science Journal

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are an effective method for separating enantiomeric compounds. The main objective of this research is to synthesize D-arabinitol MIPs, which can selectively separate D-arabinitol and its potential application to differentiate it from its enantiomer compound through a non-covalent approach. A macroporous polymer was synthesized using D-arabinitol as a template, acrylamide as a functional monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) being a cross-linker, dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) being a porogen, as well as benzoyl peroxide being an initiator. After polymer synthesis, D-arabinitol was removed by a mixture of methanol and acetic acid (4:1, v/v). Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Scanning …

Temperature Stress On Physiological And Morphological Traits In Rhizophora Apiculata, Baseem M. Tamimi, Wan Juliana W. A., Nizam M. S., Che Radziah Che Mohd. Zain

Baghdad Science Journal

Global warming has had considerable effects on vital ecosystems, which has also been caused by increased temperatures and CO2 that follow changes in different abiotic factors, which poses threats to mangrove forests environment. This research was conducted to examine the physiological and morphological characteristics of the Rhizophora apiculata mangrove regarding higher air temperature for the variety of tree species that respond to climate change. Seedlings were cultivated for three months in regulated growth chambers with three varying temperatures of 38°C, 21°C under CO2 at 450 ppm, and ambient CO2 concentration i.e., 450 ± 20 ppm under average temperature at 28°C …