bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation and Response of Farmers on The Application of Biosecurity System for Layer Chicken Farming in Lendah District Kulonprogo
Authors: Risvansuna Francy , Peisal Nur Hikmat Yus , Satya Gawong
Published: January 2021

Poultry farming has the risk of being attacked by various diseases. One effort to protect the poultry, particularly layer chickens is by implementing a biosecurity system to prevent death due to diseases [1]. The area where most breeders have implemented a biosecurity system is located in Lendah, Kulonprogo because, in 2015, chickens in the district were attacked by Newcastle disease called Tetelo. This study aims to evaluate the implementation of the biosecurity system by analyzing the conditions and the success rate of this system on layer chicken farming, as well as the attitudes of breeders toward the system. The respondents were gathered using census, and the data were analyzed by measuring variables in aspects of biosecurity conditions using a rating scale. The Spearman Rank measured the correlation, whereas breeders’ attitudes toward the implementation of biosecurity were measured qualitatively. The results showed that the implementation of the biosecurity system was at a moderate level, and chicken mortality was quite high. The attitudes of the breeders toward the layer chicken’s biosecurity system as a whole belonged to the good category. In conclusion, layer chicken breeders had a positive response to the biosecurity system.
Upland rice productivity and farming feasibility between the palm oil plant in dry land on Jambi Province
Authors: Jumakir  , Bobihoe Julistia , Waluyo  , Endrizal
Published: January 2021

The objectives of the study are (1) to find out the growth and productivity of upland rice, (2) to find out high upland rice varieties and the feasibility of farming between upland oil palm plants. This activity was carried out in the area of young oil palm plantations aged 2 years in Pelayangan Village, Muara Tembesi sub District, Batanghari District, Jambi Province from May to August 2016. The rice varieties were Inpago 5, Inpago 8, Inpago 9 and local upland rice with 1 ha area. The results of the study showed that the Inpago 9 variety gave the highest yield of 3.53 t/ha. The results of financial analysis show that Inpago 9 variety provides the highest income with an R/C value of 1.54. Inpago 9 variety has better growth and yield and resistance to drought stress than other varieties and is suitable for development in dry land. Inpago 9 variety has better growth and yield and resistance to drought stress than other varieties and is suitable for development in dry land.
Alocative Efficiency of Honey Pineapple Farm in Pemalang Regency, Central Java, Indonesia
Authors: Triyono  , Rina Kamardiani Diah , Adhi Prasetio Muhammad
Published: January 2021

Pineapple Honey is one of the superior commodity of Pemalang Regency, Central Java. However, production of honey pineapple in 2013- 2015 was occurred fluctuations. The purpose of this research is to know the factors that affect production and to know the level of elasticity in each honey pineapple farming input in the Beluk Village. The sampling of locations was carried out purposively with the consideration that beluk village was the centre of honey pineapple production. The number of samples was 64 farmers who were taken simple random. Cobb-Douglas production function analysis technique was used to determine the factors affecting the production and elasticity of each of the honey pineapple farming inputs. The results of the analysis showed that the factors affecting the production of honey pineapple are the number of plants, manure, and harvest season. In variables that affect production is obtained only variable manure has negative value. It can be occurred as effect of the application of immature manure. So, we suggest that the use of manure that is ripe and of good quality will have a positive effect on the growth and production of honey pineapple.
Lesson learned: the model and policy strategy for developing sustainable renewable energy for agricultural communities
Authors: Rachmawatie Dessy , Rustiadi Ernan , Fauzi Akhmad , Juanda Bambang
Published: January 2021

Lack of access to electricity is seen as a significant constraint to economic growth and increased welfare in developing countries. Most literature agrees that access to electricity is necessary for poverty alleviation. It is to be expected, given that researchers must deal with multi-factorial systems, where energy is only one of a linked set of variables that determine poverty outcomes. The most frequently reported causal chain linking access to electricity to poverty’s impacts is to improve productivity or output of enterprises using electricity for their activities. Yogyakarta is one of the provinces in Indonesia that does not have the potential for fossil energy. This research was designed as a survey of 68 respondents who were electricity beneficiaries in Pantai Baru. Structural Equation Modeling-Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) was employed to analyze 23 indicators. The paper's novelty is on the method used in formulating the development of rural communities, which was then outlined by the Structural Equation Method – Partial Least Square, resulting in many key factors that affect empowerment improvement and agricultural community development. This study revealed critical variables in empowering rural communities, especially in utilizing renewable electricity, to encourage rural communities' development.
LKMA Evaluation Formed from PUAP Program in Overcoming Farming Financing in Rural Areas (Case study: Magelang Regency)
Authors: Darwis Valeriana , Ashari  , Muslim Chairul
Published: January 2021

Rural Agribusiness Development (PUAP) is a program to provide capital for smallholder in the agricultural sector. The final goal of this program is to format Agribusiness Micro Credit Institutions (LKMA) in rural. In the implementation 6,887 LKMAs have been formed, including in Magelang Regency. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the LKMA and its benefit for farmers’ capital fulfillment. The survey was conducted in July 2019 using the FGD method with administrators and interviews with the farmer using a questionnaire. The evaluation focused on the institutional, business, and capital development aspects. The data analyzed through the ranking method to determine the LKMA rank. Of the 9 LKMA, the best LKMA is Ngudi Luhur LKMA, with criteria (i) the institutional aspect is already incorporated, has an office, employees with a fixed monthly salary; (ii) business aspects: saving and loan business carried out based on SOP of financial institutions and (iii) of capital development have reached 3.3 billion. However, loans only cover less than 30% of farmers’ needs due to the limited availability of LKMA capital.

Therefore, it is recommended to assist capital loan assistance to LKMA, which will then be transmitted to farmmers.
Empowering communities for resolving the environmental crisis in forest and land fires in Riau Province
Authors: Rosilawati Yeni , Dewi Asri
Published: January 2021

The issue of the environment is becoming more complex.

Regarding industry development, the impact of pollution, waste, infrastructure, and social pollution is getting worse. Especially in Riau Province, known for its disastrous peatland fires in recent years. This paper aims to identify the community development to address the environmental crisis in forest and land fires implemented in Kampung Jawa, Riau Province. This study utilized participatory observation and in-depth interviews with the local community. Secondary data were collected in the form of information on programs from the newspaper clippings and reports. The research discovered that local communities initiated the community development program to change the image of peatlands previously known as the source of haze disaster, which also has economic potential. The community development conducted by the local communities consisted of (i) Masyarakat Peduli Api (MPA)—a community volunteering to deal with disasters and suppress forest fires, (ii) pineapple farm and pineapple product processing, and (iii) peat Arboretum. This study also disclosed that community development carried out proactive dialogue and engagement with stakeholders, including farmers’ communities, local communities, NGOs, and local government.
Consumer Attitudes and Purchasing Interests of Coffee Shop which Implement Green Marketing and Non-Green Marketing in Malang, Indonesia
Authors: Windiana Livia , Mazwan M. Zul , Mahdalena Gigin
Published: January 2021

There are many universities in Malang. This has an impact on increasing the number of newcomers to stay and invest in Malang, one of which is a coffee shop. This has the potential to cause a lot of waste due to the production of coffee drinks. Green Marketing is an effort by the government and coffee drink producers to minimize waste caused by the coffee industry. This study aims to 1) analyzing differences in consumer attitudes towards coffee shops that implement green marketing and non- green marketing strategies; 2) Determine whether there is a relationship between attitudes and consumer purchase intention towards coffee drink products in coffee shops that implement Green Marketing and non-green marketing strategies. The analytical method uses Fishbein analysis and the Spearman Rank test. Questionnaire was given to 100 respondents at Starbucks and 100 respondents at Pesen Kopi in Malang. The results show that consumers have a positive attitude towards coffee shops that implement green marketing, and consumers have a negative attitude towards coffee shops that implement non-green marketing. The results also show a strong positive correlation between green marketing strategies and customer purchase intention for environmentally friendly coffee drink products.
Performane and Competitiveness of Indonesian Nutmeg in Export Market
Authors: Juliani Purba Helena , Supriadi Yusufi Eddy , Hestina Juni
Published: January 2021

Export is one source of foreign exchange earnings for the country. This study analyzes the competitiveness of Indonesian nutmeg in the world market. Measurement of competitiveness was conducted by looking at the comparative and competitive advantages nutmeg products in each of the main markets for export and comparison with competitors. The analytical method uses Revealed Comparative Advance (RCA) and Export Product Dynamic (EPD) in the period 2014-2018. The competitiveness analysis results show that nutmeg and nutmeg powder products have competitiveness in all export destination markets. Competitor countries, namely India, do not have competitiveness in the Dutch and Japanese markets. The nutmeg commodity has a competitive advantage with the trend and the share of exports that are still growing (fast-growing). However, nutmeg powder is no longer competitive in the export destination market. Active efforts to find new markets through market diversification while maintaining existing markets can be an option to increase Indonesian nutmeg exports.
Effects of Entrepreneurship on The Performance of Organic Rice Farmers in Tasikmalaya Regency
Authors: Nuraini Candra , Ma’moen Iskandar
Published: January 2021

This study aims to analyzethe influence of the rice organic farmers’ entrepreneurship on the farming performance and identify the influence of farming technique or activities on the farming performance.

This study used a survey method. The study was conducted in Manonjaya and Salawu sub-districts, Tasikmalaya regency, August until November 2019 which was chosen using purposive sampling technique applied to 50 samples. The respondents who were organic rice farmers were recruited using multistage purposive sampling technique. Data analysis was performed using structural equation modeling (SEM) with WarpPLS 2.0.

The result show that the entrepreneurship significantly and positively affects farming techniques. Entrepreneurship has significant and positive influence on the organic rice farming performance. In addition, farming technique is significantly and positively influential on the organic rice farming performance.
Feasibility Study of Hybrid Corn and Sweet Corn Farm in Plemahan District, Kediri Regency
Authors: Sulistyaning Dyah Pujastuti , Kahfi Nur
Published: January 2021

This study aims to determine the cost, revenue, farmers' income, profitability and feasibility of sweet corn and hybrid corn farming in the Plemahan district. The technique of determining the research area is done by Purposive Sampling with the consideration that the Plemahan district has the highest corn production. Determination of respondent samples was done by census of 20 sweet corn farmers and 30 hybrid corn farmers. The method of analysis is carried out by describing the results of tabulations including income, R/C, capital productivity, land productivity, and labor productivity. The results showed that total farming costs were IDR 8,438,496 for sweet corn and IDR 9,473,266, - for hybrid corn with a land area of 4000 m Farmers’ lncome of sweet corn farming is IDR 7,915,054 during one planting season (3 months) of hybrid corn of IDR 7,611.52, - during one planting season (4 months) The profit obtained from sweet corn is IDR 4,473,588 while the profits of hybrid corn farmers amounted to IDR 3,639,734. The feasibility of sweet corn is higher than hybrid corn.
Energy Consumption Analysis in Katsuwonus Pelamis sp. Freezing and Storaging Process
Authors: Ahadi Khalif , Tri Setiadanu Guntur , Gunawan Yohanes , Nafis Subhan , Suntoro Dedi
Published: January 2021

A fresh fish has a short limited fresh time without treatment. To maintain quality and prevent spoilage, several treatments are carried out especially using a cooling method. In the fish storage industry, most energy consumed by cooling equipment. With the rising of energy prices, the frozen fish industries are looking for possibilities to reduce production costs by saving energy. Energy-saving assessment can be seen from the specific energy consumption (SFC) which is a comparison of the amount energy needed to produce a product (kWh/ton of product). This article will be discussed about data collection and analysis to get the value of SFC for process and storage in the fish freezing and storage services industry. The measurement result shows that the value of SFC for cold storage are 4.2 kWh/ton. The SFC used by the air blast freezer (ABF) with 5 tons capacity are 91 Wh/kg. The consumption of electrical energy in ABF is strongly influenced by matched between the capacity specifications of ABF and the number of fish to be cooled. If the 5 tons ABF is only filled less than 2 tons of fish, the SFC will increase more than 50% up to 145 Wh/kg.
Study of Sows Reproductive Performance in Kalasey Village Minahasa District
Authors: Retno Ifada Ratri , T Tombuku Anggella
Published: January 2021

This research was conducted to determine the reproductive performance of sows that are kept intensively at the level of smallholder farming. The research method used was a direct interview with pig farmers in Kalasey Village. The data obtained were analyzed descriptively. The results showed a birth rate (litter size) of around 12 piglets, 110 days of pregnancy, 21 days of estrous cycles with 42 hours of estrus duration. With these results, it can be concluded that the reproductive performance of sows in the Kalasey Village is relatively good and according to normal standards.
Cost-Saving Opportunities for Taylor’s University Daily Energy Consumption
Authors: Chan Shun Seng , Vaithilingam Chockalingam Aravind , Rajendran Gowthamraj
Published: January 2021

Solar energy is a renewable energy abundant throughout the year in a tropical weather country like Malaysia. This paper investigates the viability of using solar PV systems as a cost-saving measure to supply electricity for Taylor’s University (TU) daily energy usage. Experimental values were compared with theoretical values and analyzed in this paper. In this experiment, four photovoltaic (PV) panels connected in parallel were linked to a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) charge controller acting as a voltage regulator. A lead-acid battery was also coupled to the controller that acts as an energy storage to store the harvested solar energy from PV panels and discharge it in electricity. Temperature sensors connected to an Arduino UNO were placed at different locations on the solar panels to monitor for irregularities in the temperature of the panels. The amount of electricity produced was calculated using the data obtained. The results showed that using a larger PV system will generate much more electricity and create a high return on investment (ROI) if the solar panels absorbed sunlight under good weather conditions, thus bringing forward a potential solution to reduce TU’s electricity consumption.
Design and Implementation of an Agricultural UAV With Optimized Spraying Mechanism
Authors: Lee Chern Han Sean , Phang Swee King , Mun Hou Kit
Published: January 2021

Agricultural UAVs are growing and developing rapidly throughout the whole world due to its extensive advantages. Agricultural drones are transforming on the way farming is being carried out. They are very suitable and agile for working in a large area of land and rough terrains with high efficiency. Agriculture drones are much bigger in size where they will have a larger and wider spraying span. They can increase and improve the efficiency of spraying more area of land in a shorter duration compared to a knapsack sprayer. The entire research design is based on quantitative research, which was conducted through simulation using SolidWorks, MATLAB and Ansys Fluent. SolidWorks was used for planning, modelling and visual ideation of the agricultural drone. Each of the individual components of the agricultural drone was measured, sketched and designed. MATLAB was used to simulate the agricultural drone to fly in a specific pattern to water a certain area. Velocity, acceleration, position and flight pathway graphs were plotted. These data were collected to observe how evenly the entire area being sprayed is fully covered. Ansys Fluent was used to display the velocity that the fluid will be flowing inside the nozzle and spraying it out.
Synchronous Reference Frame with Finite Impulse Response Filter for Operation of Single-phase Shunt Active Power Filter
Authors: Tham Zhen Ye , Hoon Yap , Mohd Radzi Mohd Amran
Published: January 2021

Power Quality (PQ) has been recognized as one of the main issues in electricity supply worldwide after the invention of nonlinear load. In 2017, PQ problem leads to significant economic losses in the Pan European region. Therefore, Active Power Filter has been developed during the past two decades to improve the harmonic compensation, reactive power, and voltage balance. In this research, the evaluation of the Synchronous Reference Frame (SRF) method is done under nonlinear load condition. The objective of this research is to modify the harmonic extraction algorithm based on SRF concepts for the application of single-phase shunt active power filter (SAPF) in harmonics mitigation and evaluate the performance of it. The performance of the SAPF that used SRF is evaluated and verified using MATLAB/Simulink. Besides that, the proposed SRF will be benchmarked with several existing techniques. The results are verified using MATLAB/Simulink with the aid of Powergui in the SimPower System block. Powergui has a built in Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analysis tool that could perform harmonic analysis. With the aid of this tool, the Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) value can be viewed in the block. This research does achieve the THD value of the power system keeps under the limit set by IEEE standard 519.
Review on the Synthesis Methods of Nano-Tungsten Oxide Dihydrate Colloid
Authors: Mushtaq Khizar , Chou Pui May , Lai Chin Wei
Published: January 2021

Tungsten being a transition element, forms oxide compounds of various oxidation states that enables it to form nanocolloids of tungsten oxide dihydrate. Multiple methods have been used in recent years to synthesize nano tungsten oxide dihydrate, including sol-gel synthesis, electrochemical deposition, hydrothermal synthesis and anodization. However, a universally accepted synthesis method for this material is not offered. The most appropriate method and its corresponding processing parameters for the synthesis of nano tungsten oxide dihydrate colloids were presented in the present study. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of processing parameters, i.e. applied voltage, temperature and anodizing duration on the particle size of nanocolloids. It is found that anodization is the easiest, efficient, and cost-effective method to synthesize the colloidal solution of nano tungsten oxide dihydrate. Conducting the synthesis at room temperature at a voltage of 50 V for 60 minutes yields the product with particle size of 40 – 60 nm, which can be used in wide array of applications. This paper also highlights the research gaps for future work and gives recommendations to extend this study particularly for the industrial application of tungsten oxide.
A Machine Learning Approach to EEG-based Prediction of Human Affective States Using Recursive Feature Elimination Method
Authors: Dadebayev Didar , Wei Wei Goh , Ee Xion Tan
Published: January 2021

Emotion recognition, as a branch of affective computing, has attracted great attention in the last decades as it can enable more natural brain-computer interface systems. Electroencephalography (EEG) has proven to be an effective modality for emotion recognition, with which user affective states can be tracked and recorded, especially for primitive emotional events such as arousal and valence. Although brain signals have been shown to correlate with emotional states, the effectiveness of proposed models is somewhat limited. The challenge is improving accuracy, while appropriate extraction of valuable features might be a key to success. This study proposes a framework based on incorporating fractal dimension features and recursive feature elimination approach to enhance the accuracy of EEG-based emotion recognition. The fractal dimension and spectrum-based features to be extracted and used for more accurate emotional state recognition. Recursive Feature Elimination will be used as a feature selection method, whereas the classification of emotions will be performed by the Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm. The proposed framework will be tested with a widely used public database, and results are expected to demonstrate higher accuracy and robustness compared to other studies. The contributions of this study are primarily about the improvement of the EEG-based emotion classification accuracy. There is a potential restriction of how generic the results can be as different EEG dataset might yield different results for the same framework. Therefore, experimenting with different EEG dataset and testing alternative feature selection schemes can be very interesting for future work.
Implementation of Decision Tree Algorithm to Classify Knowledge Quality in a Knowledge Intensive System
Authors: Kaun Casper , Jhanjhi N.Z , Goh Wei Wei , Sukumaran Sanath
Published: January 2021

Knowledge is an important asset for an organisation as it facilitates organisational growth. To facilitate knowledge creation and sharing, this is where a knowledge-intensive system is required. One key area that hinders the effective use of knowledge-intensive systems in an organisation is the lack of knowledge quality. This causes the system to be underutilised, and as a result, knowledge will not be captured or shared effectively. Recent KM findings identified that machine learning could be beneficial to knowledge management. A literature review was conducted to identify knowledge of quality attributes and machine learning algorithms. From the findings, it was identified that the decision tree algorithm has a strong potential at classifying knowledge quality. An experiment was then devised to identify the training model required and measure its effectiveness using a pilot test. This involved using a knowledge-intensive system and mapping its variables to the respective knowledge quality attributes. From the experimentation result, the training model is then devised before implemented in a pilot test. The pilot test involved collecting knowledge using the same knowledge-intensive system before running the training model. From the results, it was identified that the decision tree could classify knowledge quality though the results yielded four different outputs at classifying knowledge quality. It was concluded that machine learning is beneficial in the area of knowledge management.
Honeypot Coupled Machine Learning Model for Botnet Detection and Classification in IoT Smart Factory – An Investigation
Authors: Lee Seungjin , Abdullah Azween , Jhanjhi N.Z. , Kok S.H.
Published: January 2021

In the United States, the manufacturing ecosystem is rebuilt and developed through innovation with the promotion of AMP 2.0. For this reason, the industry has spurred the development of 5G, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML) technologies which is being applied on the smart factories to integrate production process management, product service and distribution, collaboration, and customized production requirements. These smart factories need to effectively solve security problems with a high detection rate for a smooth operation. However, number of security related cases occurring in the smart factories has been increasing due to botnet Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks that threaten the network security operated on the Internet of Things (IoT) platform. Against botnet attacks, security network of the smart factory must improve its defensive capability. Among many security solutions, botnet detection using honeypot has been shown to be effective in early studies. In order to solve the problem of closely monitoring and acquiring botnet attack behaviour, honeypot is a method to detect botnet attackers by intentionally creating resources within the network. As a result, the traced content is recorded in a log file. In addition, these log files are classified quickly with high accuracy with a support of machine learning operation. Hence, productivity is increase, while stability of the smart factory is reinforced. In this study, a botnet detection model was proposed by combining honeypot with machine learning, specifically designed for smart factories. The investigation was carried out in a hardware configuration virtually mimicking a smart factory environment.
Les propriétés antidépressives de la kétamine
Authors: Desfossés Charles Y. , Blier Pierre
Published: January 2021

La dépression majeure est une affection fréquente. Malgré des avancées importantes en psychopharmacologie depuis les années 1950, le délai d’action et la résistance aux traitements demeurent des défis thérapeutiques pour les agents traditionnels à action antidépressive, tels que les bloqueurs de recapture de la sérotonine. La découverte récente de l’effet antidépresseur rapide de la kétamine, un antagoniste des récepteurs NMDA (N-méthyl-D-aspartate), a révolutionné la recherche dans ce domaine. Cet article offre une revue compréhensive de la recherche clinique portant sur les effets antidépresseurs de la kétamine ainsi que sur ses mécanismes d’action présumés.
Structured oropharynx, hypopharynx and larynx assessment during routine esophagogastroduodenoscopy improves detection of pre- and early cancerous lesions: a multicenter, comparative study
Authors: Huelsen Alexander , St John Andrew T. , Pandey Ratna , Vokes David E. , McMaster Jessica J. , Walmsley Russell S. , Holtmann Gerald J.
Published: January 2021

Background and study aims A structured assessment of the oropharynx, hypopharynx and larynx (OHL) may improve the diagnostic yield for the detection of precancerous and early cancerous lesions (PECLs) during routine esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). Thus, we aimed to compare routine EGDs ± structured OHL assessment (SOHLA), including photo documentation with regard to the detection of PECLs.

Patients and methods Consecutive patients with elective EGD were arbitrarily allocated to endoscopy lists with or without SOHLA. All detected OHL abnormalities were assessed by an otolaryngologist-head & neck surgeon (ORL-HNS) and the frequency of PECLS detected during SOHLA vs. standard cohort compared.

Results Data from 1000 EGDs with and 1000 EGDs without SOHLA were analyzed. SOHLA was successful in 93.3 % of patients, with a median assessment time of 45 seconds (interquartile range: 40–50). SOHLA identified 46 potential PECLs, including two benign subepithelial lesions (4.6 %, 95 % CI: 3.4–6.1) while without SOHLA, no malignant and only one benign lesion was found (P < 0.05). ORL-HNS imaging review classified 23 lesions (2.3 %, 95 % CI: 1.5–3.4) as concerning and ORL-HNS clinic assessment was arranged. This identified six PECLs (0.6 %, 95 % CI: 0.2–1.3) including two pharyngeal squamous cell lesions (0.2 %) demonstrating high-grade dysplasia and carcinoma in situ (CIS) and four premalignant glottic lesions (0.4 %) demonstrating low-grade dysplasia and CIS.

Conclusion In the routine setting of a gastrointestinal endoscopy practice precancerous and early cancerous lesions of the oropharynx, hypopharynx, and larynx are rare (< 1 %) but can be detected with a structured assessment of this region during routine upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.
Comparison of the Mayo Endoscopy Score and the Ulcerative Colitis Endoscopy Index of Severity and the Ulcerative Colitis Colonoscopy Index of Severity
Authors: Belvis Jiménez María , Hergueta-Delgado Pedro , Gómez Rodríguez Blas , Maldonado Pérez Belén , Castro Laria Luisa , Rodríguez-Téllez Manuel , Morales Barroso Maria Luisa , Galván Fernández Maria Dolores , Guerra Veloz Maria , Jiménez García Victoria Alejandra , Romero-Castro Rafael , Benítez-Roladán Antonio , Castro Márquez Cristina , Aparcero López Reyes , Garrido-Serrano Antonio , Caunedo-Álvarez Ángel , Argüelles-Arias Federico
Published: January 2021

Background and study aims: Endoscopy plays an essential role in managing patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), as it allows us to visualize and assess the severity of the disease. As such assessments are not always objective, different scores have been devised to standardize the findings. The main aim of this study was to assess the interobserver variability between the Mayo Endoscopy Score (MES), Ulcerative Colitis Endoscopy Index of Severity (UCEIS) and Ulcerative Colitis Colonoscopy Index of Severity (UCCIS) analyzing the severity of the endoscopic lesions in patients with ulcerative colitis.

Patients and methods: This was a single-cohort observational study in which a colonoscopy was carried out on patients with UC, as normal clinical practice, and a video was recorded. The results from the video were classified according to the MES, UCEIS and UCCIS by three endoscopic specialists independently, and they were compared to each other. The Mayo Endoscopy Score (MES) was used to assess the clinical situation of the patient. The therapeutic impact was analyzed after colonoscopy was carried out.

Results: Sixty-seven patients were included in the study. The average age was 51 (SD ± 16.7) and the average MES was 3.07 (SD ± 2.54). The weighted Kappa index between endoscopists A and B for the MES was 0.8; between A and C 0.52; and between B and C 0.49. The intraclass correlation coefficient for UCEIS was 0.92 among the three endoscopists (CI 95 %: 0.83–0.96) and 0.96 for UCCIS among the three endoscopists (CI 95 % 0.94–0.97). A change in treatment for 34.3 % of the patients was implemented on seeing the results of the colonoscopy.

Conclusions: There was an adequate, but not perfect, correlation between the different endoscopists for MES, UCEIS, UCCIS. This was higher with the last two scores. Thus, there is still some subjectivity to be minimized through special training, on assessing the seriousness of the endoscopic lesions in patients with UC.
Gastric metaplasia of the duodenal mucosa in Crohn’s disease: novel histological and endoscopic findings
Authors: Ikezono Go , Yao Kenshi , Imamura Kentaro , Kanemitsu Takao , Miyaoka Masaki , Hirano Akikazu , Takeda Kazuhiro , Hisabe Takashi , Ueki Toshiharu , Tanabe Hiroshi , Ota Atsuko , Haraoka Seiji , Iwashita Akinori
Published: January 2021

Background and study aims Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and biopsy are useful for differential diagnosis of Crohn’s disease (CD) of the large intestine and ulcerative colitis (UC). We aimed to identify novel histopathological and endoscopic findings in the upper gastrointestinal tract in patients with CD who did not have Helicobacter pylori infection.

Patients and methods Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was performed on patients with CD and UC. Mucosal lesions detected were subsequently observed using magnifying endoscopy with narrow-band imaging (M-NBI), following which biopsy was performed. When no mucosal lesion was detected on conventional endoscopy, M-NBI and biopsy were performed on four sites: the gastric body, gastric antrum, duodenal bulb, and second portion of the duodenum.

Results The prevalences of gastric metaplasia (GM) were 48 % (24/50) and 16 % (8/50) in the CD and UC groups, showing a significant difference (P = 0.001). In 23 of 24 patients with histologically proven GM in the CD group, mucosal lesions were detected using conventional white-light imaging (C-WLI). In 22 of 24 patients with histologically proven GM in the CD group, disappearance of normal villous structure and the presence of curved marginal crypt epithelium were noted using magnifying endoscopic findings characteristic of GM (M-GM). A combination of C-WLI and M-NBI yielded a significantly increased specificity (P = 0.004) and accuracy (P = 0.039).

Conclusions The prevalence of GM in the duodenal mucosa was significantly higher in patients with CD than in controls. The identified endoscopic findings may be useful as novel indicators for the histological diagnosis of GM in the duodenum.
Auswirkungen der Ausgangsbeschränkungen im Zusammenhang mit Covid-19 auf Supermarktbesuche in Deutschland
Authors: Hepp Tobias , Marquart Pia , Jauck Christoph , Gefeller Olaf
Published: January 2021

Hintergrund Die in Deutschland ab Mitte März verhängten Ausgangsbeschränkungen hinterließen in vielen Bereichen des öffentlichen Lebens deutliche Spuren. Während das Vermeiden sozialer Kontakte in vielen Bereichen durchaus möglich war, blieb die Versorgung mit Lebensmitteln der Verantwortung der privaten Haushalte überlassen.

Ziel der Arbeit Die vorliegende Arbeit untersucht, ob und inwiefern die Beschränkungen zu Veränderungen hinsichtlich der Besuche von Supermärkten mit Personenkraftwagen geführt haben.

Material und Methoden Zur Verfügung stehen Daten über die Parkbewegungen von 136 Parkplätzen von Supermärkten in Deutschland zwischen Anfang Februar und Ende Mai. Im Fokus der Analysen stehen Veränderungen der Gesamtzahl an Parkvorgängen pro Tag und Stellplatz sowie deren Dauer.

Ergebnisse Mit Blick auf die Parkvorgänge zeigt sich eine deutliche Reduktion bis Ende April, unterbrochen durch einen temporären Anstieg um die Osterfeiertage. Nach Einführung der Maskenpflicht erholen sich die Werte wieder bis knapp unter das Vorniveau. Die Parkdauer verändert sich nur vergleichsweise wenig. Sie sinkt mit den Beschränkungen, steigt jedoch später leicht über das Niveau vor den Beschränkungen. Mittelfristig ist eine leichte Reduzierung der Parkvorgänge und eine Verlängerung ihrer Dauer um jeweils gut 5% zu beobachten.

Schlussfolgerung Trotz ausdrücklicher Ausnahme der Einkäufe von Lebensmitteln von den Ausgangsbeschränkungen zeigt sich auch in diesem Bereich ein dynamisches Anpassungsverhalten der Bevölkerung an die sich verändernden Gegebenheiten. Ein dauerhafter Effekt auf die Einkaufsgewohnheiten scheint gemessen an den Parkbewegungen unwahrscheinlich.
Design and characterization of a low-vibration laboratory with cylindrical inertia block geometry
Authors: Gong Wenjie , Liu Yu , Liao Wan-Ting , Gibbons Joseph , Hoffman Jennifer E.
Published: January 2021

Many modern nanofabrication and imaging techniques require an ultra-quiet environment to reach optimal resolution. Isolation from ambient vibrations is often achieved by placing the sensitive instrument atop a massive block that floats on air springs and is surrounded by acoustic barriers. Because typical building noise drops off above 120 Hz, it is advantageous to raise the flexural resonance frequencies of the inertia block and instrument far above 120 Hz. However, it can be challenging to obtain a high fundamental frequency of the floating block using a simple rectangular design. Here, we design, construct, and characterize a vibration isolation system with a cylindrical inertia block, whose lowest resonance frequency of 249 Hz shows good agreement between finite element analysis simulation and directly measured modes. Our simulations show that a cylindrical design can achieve a higher fundamental resonance frequency than a rectangular design of the same mass.
Stable and unstable sets for damped nonlinear wave equations with variable exponent sources
Authors: Nhan Le Cong , Truong Le Xuan
Published: January 2021

In this paper, we study a class of nonlinear wave equations with variable exponent sources. By introducing a family of potential wells, we first prove the global existence of solutions with initial data in the potential wells and the finite time blow-up for solutions starting in the unstable sets. The boundedness and asymptotic behavior of global solutions are also concerned. Finally, we obtain the finite time blow-up with high energy initial data.
Lipschitz estimates for functions of Dirac and Schrödinger operators
Authors: Skripka A.
Published: January 2021

We establish new Lipschitz-type bounds for functions of operators with noncompact perturbations that produce Schatten class resolvent differences. The results apply to suitable perturbations of Dirac and Schrödinger operators, including some long-range and random potentials, and to important classes of test functions. The key feature of these bounds is an explicit dependence on the Lipschitz seminorm and decay parameters of the respective scalar functions and, in the case of Dirac and Schrödinger operators, on the Lp- or ℓp(L2)-norm of the potential.
Transport coefficients for magnetic-field evolution in inviscid magnetohydrodynamics
Authors: Davies J. R. , Wen H. , Ji Jeong-Young , Held Eric D.
Published: January 2021

The magnetized resistivity and electrothermal tensors when substituted into the induction equation lead to electrothermal magnetic field generation, resistive magnetic diffusion, and magnetic field advection due to resistivity gradients, temperature gradients, and currents. The advection terms driven by the temperature gradient and current have cross field components (perpendicular to both the magnetic field and the driving term) that depend on significantly modified versions of Braginskii's transport coefficients [S. I. Braginskii, in Reviews of Plasma Physics, edited by M. A. Leontovich (Consultants Bureau, New York, 1965), Vol. 1, p. 205]. The improved fits to Braginskii's coefficients given by Epperlein and Haines [Phys. Fluids 29, 1029 (1986)] and Ji and Held [Phys. Plasmas 13, 042114 (2013)] give physically incorrect results for cross field advection at small Hall parameters (product of cyclotron frequency and collision time). The errors in Epperlein and Haines' fits are particularly severe, giving increasing advection velocities below a Hall parameter of one when they should decrease linearly to zero. Epperlein and Haines' fits can also give erroneous advection terms due to variations in the effective atomic number. The only serious error in Braginskii's fits is an overestimate in advection due to perpendicular resistivity. New fits for the cross field advection terms are obtained from a direct numerical solution of the Fokker–Planck equation and Ji and Held's higher order expansion approach that are continuous functions of the effective atomic number.
A U(1)B−L-extension of the standard model from noncommutative geometry
Authors: Besnard Fabien
Published: January 2021

We derive a U(1)B−L-extension of the standard model from a generalized Connes–Lott model with algebra C⊕C⊕H⊕M3(C). This generalization includes the Lorentzian signature, the presence of a real structure, and the weakening of the order 1 condition. In addition to the SM fields, it contains a ZB−L′ boson and a complex scalar field σ that spontaneously breaks the new symmetry. This model is the smallest one that contains the SM fields and is compatible with both the Connes–Lott theory and the algebraic background framework.
A high efficiency standalone magnetoelectric energy converter based on Terfenol-D and PZT laminate
Authors: Niu Yunping , Ren Hao
Published: January 2021

Magnetoelectric energy converters are specific energy converters that utilize the magnetoelectric effect to generate an electric polarization response to an applied magnetic field or, conversely, a magnetization response to an electric field. Prior studies reported magnetoelectric energy converters with an efficiency of more than 80%. However, these converters require DC magnet bias to achieve such a high efficiency and bulky electromagnetic magnets or Helmholtz coils were utilized to provide the DC magnet bias, which limits their applications in portable electronics, internet of things, or medical applications. In this paper, a standalone magnetoelectric energy converter that does not require a bulky DC magnet field is presented. It is based on a tri-layer of Terfenol-D (TbDyFe2) and lead zirconate titanate. A measured high energy conversion efficiency of 88% and a small volume of 1.356 cm3 are demonstrated when operating at its fundamental mechanical resonance frequency of 34.6 kHz. The factors that affect its efficiency are discussed including tri-layer thickness ratio, operation frequency, and load resistance. The energy converter based on the magnetoelectric effect with a high efficiency and small volume could have potential applications in portable electronics, internet of things systems, and wireless charging.
Time resolved x-ray diffraction in shock compressed systems
Authors: Radousky H. B. , Armstrong M. R. , Goldman N.
Published: January 2021

The availability of pulsed x rays on short timescales has opened up new avenues of research in the physics and chemistry of shocked materials. The continued installation of shock platforms such as gas guns and high power lasers placed at beamline x-ray facilities has advanced our knowledge of materials shocked to extreme conditions of pressure and temperature. In addition, theoretical advancements have made direct correspondence with high-pressure x-ray experiments more viable, increasing the predictive capability of these models. In this paper, we discuss both recent experimental results and the theory and modeling that has been developed to treat these complex situations. Finally, we discuss the impact that new platforms and increased beam time may have on the future direction of this field.
On the droplet entrainment from gas-sheared liquid film
Authors: Inoue Chihiro , Maeda Ikkan
Published: January 2021

We formulate the droplet entrainment detached from a thin liquid film sheared by a turbulent gas in a circular pipe. In a time-averaged sense, the film has a Couette flow with a mean velocity of um. Then, a roll wave of wavelength λ and phase velocity uc is formed destabilized through Kelvin–Helmholtz instability, followed by a ripple wave of wavelength λp due to Rayleigh–Taylor instability, wherein the vorticity thickness of the gas stream is consistently a characteristic length scale. Superposing the two types of waves in axial and transverse directions produces conical cusps as the root of ligaments, from which droplets are torn off. The droplet entrainment rate is derived as λpλucum, validated by recent experimental results.
Scalar fluctuation and its dissipation in turbulent reacting flows
Authors: Swaminathan N. , Chakraborty N.
Published: January 2021

The dissipation rate of a scalar variance is related to the mean heat release rate in turbulent combustion. Mixture fraction is the scalar of interest for non-premixed combustion, and a reaction progress variable is relevant for premixed combustion. A great deal of work is conducted in past studies to understand the spectra of passive scalar transport in turbulent flows. A very brief summary of these studies to bring out the salient characteristics of the passive scalar spectrum is given first. Then, the classical analysis of the reactive scalar spectrum is revisited in the lights of recent understanding gained through analyzing the scalar spectrum deduced from direct numerical simulation data of both non-premixed and premixed combustion. The analysis shows that the reactive scalar spectral density in premixed combustion has a dependence on Karlovitz and Damköhler numbers, which comes through the mean scalar dissipation rate appearing in the spectral expression. In premixed combustion, the relevant scale for the scalar dissipation rate is shown to be of the order of the chemical length scale, and the dissipation rate is not influenced by the scales in the inertial-convective range unlike for the passive scalar dissipation rate. The scalar fluctuations produced near the chemical scales cascade exponentially to larger scales. These observations imply that the passive scalar models cannot be extended to premixed combustion.
Correlation between configurational entropy, excess entropy, and ion dynamics in imidazolium-based ionic liquids: Test of the Adam–Gibbs model
Authors: Cheng S. , Wojnarowska Z. , Musiał M. , Paluch M.
Published: January 2021

The Adam–Gibbs (AG) model, linking thermodynamics with molecular dynamics of glass-forming liquids, plays a crucial role in the studies of the glass transition phenomenon. We employ this approach to investigate the relationship between ion dynamics and thermodynamics in three imidazolium-based ionic liquids in the current work. We show that the AG relation, −log10σdc ∝ (TSc)−1 (where σdc, T, and Sc denote the dc-conductivity, absolute temperature, and configurational entropy, respectively), does not work when the whole supercooled liquid state is considered. Meanwhile, a linear relationship between −log10σdc and (TSe)−1 (where Se denotes the excess entropy) was observed in the entire supercooled range. On the other hand, the generalized AG model log10σdc ∝ (TScα)−1 with an additional free parameter α successfully describes the relation between σdc and Sc. The determined α values being less than unity indicate that the configurational entropy is insufficient to govern the ion dynamics. Meanwhile, we found a systematical decrease in α with the elongation of the alkyl chain attached to the imidazolium ring.