bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gallstone Analysis
Authors: Putri Fransiska , Indrasari Nuri Dyah
Published: April 2017

Gallstone is a crystal deposit which is formed in the gallbladder or bile duct. Gallstone is classified into cholesterol stone, pigment stone (black and brown), and mixed stone. Mechanism which underlies the formation of cholesterol or pigment gallstone is different. Information on chemical component of the stone will assist the management and prevention of its recurrence. Analysis of gallstone component can be performed by colorimetry method or even gas liquid chromatography (GLC). Chemical component analysis of gallstone by colorimetry includes examination of cholesterol, bilirubin, and calcium. Stone is classified as cholesterol stone if the cholesterol content is 80%, pigment stone if cholesterol content is 20%, and mixed stone if cholesterol content is 25-80%. Gallstone analysis by GLC method is conducted by separation of fatty acid chain and evaluation of fatty acid quantity in the methylester derivatives form, which is fatty acid methyl estered. Fatty acid content in cholesterol stone (310.09 + 49.7 mg/gram) is higher compared to pigment stone (55.59 +7.71 mg/gram). Saturated to unsaturated fatty acid (S/U) ration in cholesterol stone (8.6 + 3.1) is higher compared to pigment stone (4.8 + 1.5).
Changes in Tumor Nekrosis Factor Alpha and Interleukin 6 Levels in Patients with Obstructive Jaundice due to Pancreatobiliary Cancer Who Underwent Biliary Drainage
Authors: Sabarudin Adang , Gani Rino Alvani , Abdullah Murdani , Rumende Cleopas Martin
Published: April 2017

Background: Obstructive jaundice represents the most common complication of biliary tract malignancy. Obstructive jaundice causes releases of proinflammatory cytokine. There has been controversy about effect of biliary drainage on the change in proinflammatory cytokine level in pancreatobiliary cancer patients. The present study was designed to determine levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alfa) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) in preprocedure of either endoscopic retrograde cholangio pancreatography (ERCP) or percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) and postprocedure of them in obstructive jaundice patient caused by pancreatobiliary cancer.Method: The study method was before-and-after case study design with consecutive sampling. Blood was collected five days prior to either endoscopic retrograde cholangio pancreatography (ERCP) procedure or percutaneus transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) procedure and five days after either of them. Enzyme linked immunosorbed assay (ELISA) was used to determine TNF-alfa and IL-6.Results: Forty subjects were included in this study which consisted of 22 men and 18 women. The age was 55.3 (SD 13.7) years old. According to the results of imaging and endoscopy procedure, twenty-two people were diagnosed cholangicarcinoma, ten people were diagnosed ampulla vateri and eigth people were diagnosed pancreatic tumor. In preprocedure, the TNF-alfa concentration was 4.81 (SD 2.91) pg/mL, the IL-6 concentration was 7.79 (SD 1.57) pg/mL and the bilirubin concentration  was 15.5 (SD 6,9) mg%. In postprocedure, the TNF-alfa concentration  was  8.05 (SD 6.7)  pg/mL, there was a significant increase in TNF-alfa concentration (p = 0.02). However, IL-6 concentration was 7.75 (SD 1.76) pg/mL, there was not any significant chance in IL-6  concentration  (p = 0.52).  The  bilirubin concentration was 11.3 (SD 6,5) mg%.Conclusion: There was a significant increase in mean concentration value of TNF-alfa after biliary drainage procedure.  On the other hand there was not any significant decrease  in the mean concentration value of  IL-6  after biliary drainage  procedure.
Detection of Helicobacter pylori CagA gene and Its Association with Endoscopic Appearance in Balinese Dyspepsia Patients
Authors: Mariadi I Ketut , Wibawa I Dewa Nyoman , Wibawa Ida Bagus Nyoman
Published: April 2017

Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection causes various abnormalities in the stomach. Only particular strain can cause severe problems in the stomach. CagA is a microbial virulent factor which is associated with more severe stomach problems, such as: peptic ulcer and stomach cancer. We would like to know the prevalence of CagA in Balinese population, and the association of H. Pylori CagA status with the severity of endoscopic appearance in dyspepsia patients.Method: Study design being used was analytic cross sectional study, involving 71 dyspepsia patients who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopic examination in Surya Husada Hospital and Balimed Hospital in June-December 2013. Sample was chosen in consecutive manner. Later, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) examinations of the stomach mucous biopsy tissue to determine H. pylori infection status and CagA status were performed. Further, Chi square test was used to identify the difference in proportion of H. pylori and CagA between mild and severe endoscopic appearance.Results: In this study, we found that the prevalence of H. pylori infection was 22.5% using PCR examination. Prevalence of CagA positive in H. pylori positive was 62.5%. There was significant association between status of H. Pylori infection and severity of endoscopic appearance (p = 0.038; OR= 2.67; 95% CI = 1.18-6.05). Status of CagA in H. pylori infected patients was not associated with the severity of endoscopic appearance. Additionally, there was significant association between patients’ age and severity of endoscopic appearance.Conclusion: The prevalence of CagA in H. pylori positive was 62.5%. H. pylori infection was associated with severity of endoscopic appearance and CagA status in H. pylori infected patients was not associated with severity of endoscopic appearance.
High Incidence of Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Hemodialysis Patients at Sanglah General Hospital and It’s Risk Factors
Authors: Purnamasidhi Cokorda Agung Wahyu , Mariadi I Ketut , Wibawa I Dewa Nyoman , Kandarini Yenny
Published: April 2017

Background: Patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis (HD) are at higher risk for Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infections than in general population. Strict infection control is essential to prevent nosocomial transmission. We aimed to investigate the incidence of HBV infection in the HD population in Sanglah General Hospital as well as risk factors acquired HBV infection.Method: All adult patients receiving maintenance HD (n=267) in 3 dialysis units at Sanglah Hospital were studied between March to June 2016. In this study, medical record of patients on maintenance hemodialysis were reviewed and the patients were interviewed by the researchers to collect data regarding the serology status of these patients before and during HD, and potential risk factors which could be associated with HBV acquisition.Results: Participant mean age was 54.07 ± 0.80 years and 154 (57.7%) were male.We found 21 patients (7.8%) were sero-positive for HBV (HBsAg positive) with mean titer was 9.26±1.85. Of the sero-positive patients,1 patient (4.8%) were known to be infected before the initiation of HD and 20 patients (95.2%) were infected during HD. Incidence of HBV infection during  HD was 7.5% (20/266). Sero-positive patients were younger with mean age was 51.81±2.76 years, had longer time on dialysis and had previous blood transfusions. Risk factors, which significant associated with hepatitis B infection were history of transfusion (p0.01; OR: 2.49; 95%CI: 1.29-8.18) and duration of hemodialysis (p 0.01; OR: 1.07; 95% CI: 1.03-3.74).Conclusion: Patients on maintenance HD in Sanglah General Hospital have a high incidence of HBV infection. The factors associated with HBV infection are highly suggestive of nosocomial transmission within HD units. History of transfusion and duration of hemodialysis were significant risk factors for HBV infection in patients receiving maintenance HD.
CagA and VacA Gene Expression in Helicobacter pylori Infected Patients in Dr. Soetomo General Hospital
Authors: Mawarasti Burhana , Purbayu Herry , Alimsardjono Lindawati
Published: April 2017

Marshall and Warren had discovered helicobacter pylori in 1982 and known as the main pathogen caused infection on human’s stomach. Helicobacter pylori is a bacillus spiral and gram negative bacteria which is motile as it has almost six flagella on one side of its body (unipolar). There are strain type I, intermediate and type II. Strain type I has cytotoxin associated gene A (cagA) and vacuolating cytotoxin gene A (vacA) while strain type II has vacuolating cytotoxin gene A (vacA). Because of cag pathogenicity island (PAI), strain type I has the tendency to cause the infection become more malignant. This study was conducted by using descriptive purposeful sampling method on patients in endoscopy department of internal medicine in the division of hepatology gastroentero Dr. Soetomo starting from October 20 until November 25, 2015. The aim of this study is to determine whether the stool sample shows cagA gene and or vacA gene. The data was proceed by observation through the results of PCR assays to look at the genes that are expressed by Helicobacter pylori. DNA was extracted from stool by using QIAamp (Qiagen) stool kit. Results of the study show only one patient positive for vacA gene while cagA gene is none from ten patients. DNA examinations with different concentrations and temperatures also show the same results. One sample from the stool specimen shows positive for strain type II, indicates it only has vacA gene. PCR examination through gastric biopsy is known has higher specificity.
Prevention and Management of Refeeding Syndrome
Authors: Indrarespati Andika , Renaldi Kaka
Published: April 2017

Refeeding Syndrome is a syndrome which occurs as a result of food administration in poorly nourished individuals. In this syndrome, there are wide range of biochemical alterations, clinical manifestations, and complications, starting from mild (asymptomatic) to severe (death). This syndrome was initially proposed in 1950s; however, there is still no agreement for its clear definition, causing clinicians to be less aware and tend to overlook this condition. Clinical manifestations which usually appear include electrolyte imbalances (hypophosphatemia, hypokalemia, hyponatremia, hypomagnesemia) and vitamin B1 deficiency. The main principle in management of refeeding syndrome is prevention, where clinicians need to identify this condition in the early stage in high risk individuals, supervision during refeeding, and administration of appropriate diet.
Concomitant Case of Primary Biliary Cirrhosis and Autoimmune Hemolityc Anemia Responding to Corticosteroid and Ursodeoxycholic Acid in Young Woman
Authors: Kusuma Susanto H , Akil Fardah , Rifai Amelia , Bachtiar Rini R , Daud Numan AS , Parewangi AM Luthfi
Published: April 2017

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is an autoimmune liver disease of unknown etiology and is characterized by chronic progressive cholestasis with destruction of the small intrahepatic bile ducts and associated most commonly with antimitochondrial antibodies. PBC is most common in women and is often associated with other autoimmune disease such as autoimmune hemolityc anemia (AIHA), rheumatoid arthritis, thyroiditis, and systemic lupus eritomatosus.            We report one case, a 20 years old woman with AIHA have been treated by corticosteroid since last year and she came to the outpatient department (OPD) with fatique and jaundice. The result of laboratory were haemoglobin 8.7 mg/dL, white blood cell 8700 mg/dL, coomb test +2, total bilirubin 33.2 mg/dL, direct bilirubin 29.3 mg/dL, γGT: 297 mg/dL and alkalyphospatase: 158 mg/dL. The result of Abdominal CT scan showed the size of liver and spleen increased and normal common bile duct (CBD). The result of ANA test, anti-nuclear (ANA) and antimitochondrial M2 (AMA M2) antibodies were positive. From the physical examination, laboratory and CT scan Abdomen; the diagnose of this patient was AIHA with PBC.            After treatment with corticosteroid (prednison 1mg/kg/day) and ursodeoxicholic acid (UDCA) for several weeks, the clinical manifestation of PBC such as jaundice getting better (the laboratory result: total bilirubin 2.7 mg/dL, direct bilirubin 1.5 mg/dL, gamma GT 80 mg/dL).
Changing trends in caesarean deliveries at a tertiary care Centra: a ten year appraisal
Authors: Paudyal Pooja , Gurung G. , Baral J , Rana A
Published: April 2017

Introduction: Over the last few decades, the rise in the rates of Caesarean Sections (CS) has become a global phenomenon. The objective of this study was to follow the CS rates over the last 10 years and to compute the various indications of CS in an attempt to analyze the possible reasons for this changing trend in the institute.Methods: All deliveries that took place between April 13, 2004 to April 14, 2014 (Baisakh 2061 BS and Chaitra 2070 BS) in TUTH were retrospectively collected. Annual total number of deliveries, rates of CS, instrumental deliveries and Vaginal Birth after Caesarian Section (VBAC) along with indications for CS were computed and analyzed.Result: A total of 38,770 deliveries were conducted over ten years with 26,791 (69.10%) vaginal deliveries and 11,979 (24.80%) CS. There was a steep rise in the rates of CS from 21.04% in 2004 to 39.23% in 2014. Rates of instrumental deliveries and VBAC remained low at 0.86% to 3.35% and 0.15% to 0.7 % respectively. Fetal distress was the commonest indication of emergency CS while previous CS was the commonest indication for elective CS.Conclusion: Over the last decade, the global trend of rising CS rates was also found to be mirrored at TUTH. The causes for rise in CS  rates were- increased diagnosis of fetal distress and oligohydramnios, delivery of most breech by Caesarean sections, low rates of VBAC and instrumental deliveries, complicated referrals from all over the country and last but not the least,  threat of malpractice litigations.Journal of Society of Surgeons of NepalVol. 17, No. 2, 2014, Page: 7-11
Comparative effects of lidocaine and esmolol in attenuating the hemodynamic response to laryngoscopy and intubation
Authors: Koju Ram Bhakta , Dongol Y
Published: April 2017

Introduction: Transient hemodynamic instability is an inevitable outcome of laryngoscopy and intubation which can have serious effects in patients with COPD, heart disease and hypertension. Hemodynamic stability is one of the main goals of the anesthesiologist. This study was performed to compare the safety and effectiveness of lidocaine and esmolol in comparison to placebo-control group, in modifying the hemodynamic response to laryngoscopy and intubation.Methods: After approval of the study protocol by the institutional review board (IRB), written informed consent was obtained from each patient. It was a randomized placebo-controlled, double-blinded study. 75 patients of American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I and II, scheduled for general surgery under GA, aged between 20-60 years were randomly allocated into three groups: placebo control group (n=25), lidocaine group (n=25) and esmolol group (n=25). Placebo group received 12 ml normal saline, lidocaine group received 1.5mg/kg lidocaine (total volume 12 ml) and esmolol group received 1.4mg/kg esmolol (total volume 12ml).Results: Following laryngoscopy and intubation, the increase in systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and heart rate were significantly lower (p < 0.05) in esmolol group compared to the lidocaine and placebo group but there was no statistical significance (p > 0.05) between control and lidocaine group.Conclusion: Esmolol 1.4 mg/kg IV was significantly more effective in controlling the hemodynamic response following laryngoscopy and intubation in comparison to lidocaine 1.5 mg/kg.Journal of Society of Surgeons of NepalVol. 17, No. 2, 2014, Page: 23-30
Patterns of scrotal pain in a hospital setting
Authors: Chapagain Suman , Subedi PP , Thakur DK , Poudel S , Luitel BR , Chalise PR , Sharma UK , Gyawali PR , Shrestha GK
Published: April 2017

Introduction: Scrotal pain is a common urological condition. Common causes of scrotal pain are testicular torsion, epididymitis, epididymo-orchitis and occasionally due to post vasectomy pain, varicocele, testicular trauma etc. The objective of our study is to review the different disease patterns in patients presenting with scrotal pain in a tertiary care hospital.Methods: Patients presenting with scrotal pain to the out-patient clinic and the emergency department were included in the study. All patients were subjected to urinalysis and ultrasound of scrotum with color Doppler study when needed. Descriptive variables were studied and analyzed.Results: Eighty three patients were enrolled in the study during the period of one year. Age ranged from 13 to 72 years; most of the patients were less than 40 years and more than 20 years. Among this age group non-specific orchalgia was very common. Isolated epididymitis was seen in only 4 (4.81%) patients. Epididymo-orchitis was found in 16 (19.27%) patients. Torsion of testis was found in 6 patients (7.22%). The major bulk of the patients presenting with scrotal pain were nonspecific which was found in 39 (46.98%) and exact cause could not be found in them. Total of 15 (18%) patients had acute presentation.Conclusion: Management of Scrotal pain can be simple or at times organ threatening, proper diagnosis and treatment by clinical judgment and necessary investigation is very important.Journal of Society of Surgeons of NepalVol. 17, No. 2, 2014, Page: 31-34
Effect of Sal (Shorea robusta) seed meal on growth and carcass quality in broiler
Authors: Rahman M , Ahammed M , Hossain ME , Howlider MAR , Kabir AKMA
Published: April 2017

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary sal (Shorea robusta) seed meal (SSM) on growth performance, carcass characteristics and economic feasibility in broilers. Two hundred day-old, straight-run (Cobb-500) broiler chicks were randomly allocated to five dietary treatments for 42 days feeding trial (40 birds each). Dietary treatments were designed according to SSM supplementation levels, namely control diet (0% SSM), diets containing 10 and 15% of un-boiled SSM (USSM), and diets containing 15 and 20% of boiled SSM (BSSM). At the end of feeding trial, 20 birds (2birds per replication) were subjected for determining the meat yield parameters. Overall weight gain of control and 0% BSSM 2group was higher (p<0.001) than that of other groups. Feed consumption was higher in control and 20% BSSM group where as 15% USSM group exerted the lowest. Poorest FCR and performance index were showed in the birds of 15% USSM supplemented group. There were no differences in meat yield parameters among treatments. Total profit per kg live broiler was significantly (p<0.001) higher on diet with 20% BSSM. The boiling of SSM was effective to reduce the tannin-related depression on the performance of broilers. In conclusion, broilers received diets containing BSSM up to 20% showed better growth performance along with profitability, and this boiled SSM could be used as an alternative energy source ingredient in broilers having no detrimental effects on performance.Bang. J. Anim. Sci. 2017. 46 (1): 10-16
Preparation and Characterization of White Carbon Black From Rice Husk
Authors: Khan MAA , Saha MS , Sultana S , Ahmed AN
Published: April 2017

Generally white carbon black in a form of silica is used instead of carbon black as reinforcing filler for rubber compounding. In the present research white carbon black was prepared from rice husks in cost effective method with direct incineration of acid leaching rice husk. The physico-chemical properties of rice husk and the product of white carbon black obtained from rice husk were investigated by Thermogravimetry, Particle size analyzer, Scanning electron microscope; Fourier transformed infrared radiation (FTIR), X-ray fluorescence and X-ray difractometry analyses. It was found that the decomposition of organic constituents of rice husk was revealed by Thermo gravimetric and carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulpher (CHNS) analyses. The FTIR spectrum showed presence of Si-O-Si band with a strong peak at 1085 cm-1. The analysis of particle size and scanning electron microscope demonstrated that the produced white carbon black represent different size of 112 ?m to 0.01 ?m with very small nano-particle and amorphous structure. The amorphous structure of product was also confirmed by XRD pattern. The high pure product as 99.9% was confirmed by XRF analysis. These types of product have potential application as filler in rubber compounding.J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 9(2): 1-7 2016
Status and Spatial Variability of Trace Elements in the Low Ganges River Floodplain Soils of Bangladesh
Authors: Islam MD , Rahman MM , Kabir MH , Rahman GKMM , Hossain MS
Published: April 2017

Soils of the Low Ganges River Floodplain encroaching Faridpur district of Bangladesh have immense contribution to crop production, while little information available focusing the spatial variability of trace elements in the area. Therefore, the study was conducted to quantify the trace elements collecting a total of 122 representative soil samples from rice fields of Faridpur district. Soil samples were analyzed and found that Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn and B were ranged from 0.80-6.80, 24295, 10129, 0.122.20 and 0.5-9.05 ppm, respectively. The pollution indexes are noteworthy features which revealed that only Mn may exhibit a risk for environmental pollution. The concentrations of trace elements, pH and organic carbon in soils displayed a significant spatial diversity because of anthropogenic and geogenic contribution. The distribution maps of soil pH, organic carbon and trace elements might be useful to farmers, researchers and planners in designing and planning agricultural programs in the study area.J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 9(2): 71-78 2016
Diurnal Variation of Carbon Dioxide Flux Over Rice Paddy
Authors: Islam MA , Mano M , Hossen MS , Miyata A , Baten MA
Published: April 2017

An experiment was conducted to measure carbon dioxide (CO2) flux by using the eddy covariance technique over rice paddy field at Mymensingh flux study site at Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh at three growing stage in Aman season in 2015. The variation of CO2 flux in the experimental period displayed distinct diurnal variations as influenced by rice growth and development. The diurnal pattern of CO2 flux showed broad peak at flowering stage of Aman rice at DOY 285 due to photosynthesis. The diurnal pattern of CO2 flux showed also higher broad peak at 1500 hour in DOY 272 at vegetative stage and lower broad peak at 1300 hour in DOY 330 ripening stage of Aman rice due to photosynthesis, meteorological conditions and field management activities.J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 9(2): 127-130 2016
Bridging the Rice Yield Gaps under Drought: QTLs, Genes, and their Use in Breeding Programs
Authors: Sandhu Nitika , Kumar Arvind
Published: April 2017

Rice is the staple food for more than half of the world’s population. Although rice production has doubled in the last 30 years as a result of the development of high-yield, widely adaptable, resource-responsive, semi-dwarf varieties, the threat of a food crisis remains as severe as it was 60 years ago due to the ever-increasing population, water scarcity, labor scarcity, shifting climatic conditions, pest/diseases, loss of productive land to housing, industries, rising sea levels, increasing incidences of drought, flood, urbanization, soil erosion, reduction in soil nutrient status, and environmental issues associated with high-input agriculture. Among these, drought is predicted to be the most severe stress that reduces rice yield. Systematic research on drought over the last 10 years has been conducted across institutes on physiology, breeding, molecular genetics, biotechnology, and cellular and molecular biology. This has provided a better understanding of plant drought mechanisms and has helped scientists to devise better strategies to reduce rice yield losses under drought stress. These include the identification of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for grain yield under drought as well as many agronomically important traits related to drought tolerance, marker-assisted pyramiding of genetic regions that increase yield under drought, development of efficient techniques for genetic transformation, complete sequencing and annotation of rice genomes, and synteny studies of rice and other cereal genomes. Conventional and marker-assisted breeding rice lines containing useful introgressed genes or loci have been field tested and released as varieties. Still, there is a long way to go towards developing drought-tolerant rice varieties by exploiting existing genetic diversity, identifying superior alleles for drought tolerance, understanding interactions among alleles for drought tolerance and their interaction with genetic backgrounds, and pyramiding the best combination of alleles.
The Chemical Behaviors of Nitrogen Dioxide Absorption in Sulfite Solution
Authors: Sun Ye , Hong Xiaowei , Zhu Tianle , Guo Xiaoyan , Xie Deyuan
Published: April 2017

The simultaneous removal of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) by absorption is considered to be one of the most promising technologies for flue gas treatment, and sulfite is the main component of the absorption solution. To understand the chemical behaviors of the NO2 absorption in sulfite solution, the absorption time dependences of concentrations of nitrogen and sulfur compositions in both gas phase and liquid phases were investigated by flue gas analyzer, Ion chromatography (IC), Gas chromatography (GC), and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) methods using a bubbling reactor. The mass equilibrium of the N and S compositions were also studied. The results indicate that sulfite concentration plays a vital role in NO2 absorption. The main absorption products are NO3− and NO2−, and NO2− can be converted into NO3− in the presence of oxygen. Besides, about 4% to 9% by-products of S compositions are formed, and 4% to 11% by-products of N compositions such as NO, N2, N2O5, N2O, and HNO3 in the gas phase were detected in the emissions from the bubbling reactor. On the basis of N and S compositions, a possible pathway of NO2 absorption in sulfite solution was proposed.
Tunable-Q Wavelet Transform Based Multiscale Entropy Measure for Automated Classification of Epileptic EEG Signals
Authors: Bhattacharyya Abhijit , Pachori Ram , Upadhyay Abhay , Acharya U.
Published: April 2017

This paper analyzes the underlying complexity and non-linearity of electroencephalogram (EEG) signals by computing a novel multi-scale entropy measure for the classification of seizure, seizure-free and normal EEG signals. The quality factor (Q) based multi-scale entropy measure is proposed to compute the entropy of the EEG signal in different frequency-bands of interest. The Q -based entropy (QEn) is computed by decomposing the signal with the tunable-Q wavelet transform (TQWT) into the number of sub-bands and estimating K-nearest neighbor (K-NN) entropies from various sub-bands cumulatively. The optimal selection of Q and the redundancy parameter (R) of TQWT showed better robustness for entropy computation in the presence of high- and low-frequency components. The extracted features are fed to the support vector machine (SVM) classifier with the wrapper-based feature selection method. The proposed method has achieved accuracy of 100% in classifying normal (eyes-open and eyes-closed) and seizure EEG signals, 99.5% in classifying seizure-free EEG signals (from the hippocampal formation of the opposite hemisphere of the brain) from seizure EEG signals and 98% in classifying seizure-free EEG signals (from the epileptogenic zone) from seizure EEG signals, respectively, using the SVM classifier. We have also achieved classification accuracies of 99% and 98.6% in classifying seizure versus non-seizure EEG signals and the individual three classes, namely normal, seizure-free and seizure EEG signals, respectively. The performance measure of the proposed multi-scale entropy has been found to be comparable with the existing state of the art epileptic EEG signals classification methods studied using the same database.
Abatement of VOCs Using Packed Bed Non-Thermal Plasma Reactors: A Review
Authors: Veerapandian Savita , Leys Christophe , De Geyter Nathalie , Morent Rino
Published: April 2017

Non thermal plasma (NTP) reactors packed with non-catalytic or catalytic packing material have been widely used for the abatement of volatile organic compounds such as toluene, benzene, etc. Packed bed reactors are single stage reactors where the packing material is placed directly in the plasma discharge region. The presence of packing material can alter the physical (such as discharge characteristics, power consumption, etc.) and chemical characteristics (oxidation and destruction pathway, formation of by-products, etc.) of the reactor. Thus, packed bed reactors can overcome the disadvantages of NTP reactors for abatement of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as lower energy efficiency and formation of unwanted toxic by-products. This paper aims at reviewing the effect of different packing materials on the abatement of different aliphatic, aromatic and chlorinated volatile organic compounds.
Steam Reforming of Bio-Compounds with Auto-Reduced Nickel Catalyst
Authors: Cheng Feng , Dupont Valerie
Published: April 2017

As an extension of chemical looping combustion, chemical looping steam reforming (CLSR) has been developed for H2 production. During CLSR, a steam reforming (SR) process occurs following the reduction of catalysts by the reforming feedstock itself (termed “auto-reduction”), as opposed to a separate, dedicated reducing agent like H2. This paper studied SR performances of four common bio-compounds (ethanol, acetone, furfural, and glucose) with a nickel catalyst that had undergone auto-reduction. A packed bed reactor was used to carry out the experiment of auto-reduction and subsequent SR. The effects of temperature and steam to carbon ratio (S/C) on the carbon conversions of the bio-compounds to gases and yields of gaseous products were investigated. The carbon deposition on spent catalysts was characterized by CHN elemental analysis and Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). The SR performance with the auto-reduced catalyst was close to that with the H2-reduced catalyst. In general, an increase in temperature or S/C would lead to an increase in H2 yields. The dependence of SR performance on temperature or S/C was specific to the type of bio-compounds. Accordingly, the main bottlenecks for SR of each bio-compound were summarized. A large amount of CH4 existed in the reforming product of ethanol. Severe carbon deposition was observed for SR of acetone at temperatures below 650 °C. A high thermal stability of furfural molecules or its derivatives restricted the SR of furfural. For SR of glucose, the main problem was the severe agglomeration of catalyst particles due to glucose coking.
Quantum Phenomena Emerging Near a Ferroelectric Critical Point in a Donor–Acceptor Organic Charge-Transfer Complex
Authors: Kagawa Fumitaka , Horiuchi Sachio , Tokura Yoshinori
Published: April 2017

When a second-order transition point is decreased to zero temperature, a continuous quantum phase transition between different ground states is realized at a quantum critical point (QCP). A recently synthesized organic charge-transfer complex, TTF-2,5-QBr 2 I 2 , provides a platform for the exploration of the quantum phenomena that accompany a ferroelectric QCP. Here, we summarize the recent results showing the quantum phenomena associated with the ferroelectric QCP in TTF-2,5-QBr 2 I 2 . Whereas the enhanced quantum fluctuations lead to quantitative changes in the critical exponents of the critical phenomena, they qualitatively change the nature of the domain-wall kinetics from thermally activated motion to temperature-independent tunneling motion. The present findings highlight the great influence of quantum fluctuations on the low-temperature physical properties and suggest that TTF-2,5-QBr 2 I 2 is a model system for the uniaxial ferroelectric QCP.
Salivary IL-8, IL-6 and TNF-α as Potential Diagnostic Biomarkers for Oral Cancer
Authors: Sahibzada Haafsa Arshad , Khurshid Zohaib , Khan Rabia Sannam , Naseem Mustafa , Siddique Khalid Mahmood , Mali Maria , Zafar Muhammad Sohail
Published: April 2017

Saliva has been useful as a liquid biopsy for the diagnosis of various oral or systemic diseases, and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is no exception. While its early detection and prevention is important, salivary cytokines expression, specifically of Interleukin-8 (IL-8), Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and Tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), does contribute to the pathogenesis of cancer and these cytokines serve as potential biomarkers. Their excessive production plays a role in cancer progression and establishment of angiogenesis. However, other inflammatory or immunological conditions may affect the levels of cytokines in saliva. This article reviews the expression of levels of specific cytokines i.e., IL-8, IL-6 and TNF-α, their signaling pathways in the development of oral cancer, and how they are essential for the diagnosis of OSCC and updates related to it. Apart from serum, the saliva-based test can be a cost-effective tool in the follow-up and diagnosis of OSCC. Moreover, large-scale investigations are still needed for the validation of salivary cytokines.
Entropic Aspects of Nonlinear Partial Differential Equations: Classical and Quantum Mechanical Perspectives
Authors: Plastino Angelo
Published: April 2017

There has been increasing research activity in recent years concerning the properties and the applications of nonlinear partial differential equations that are closely related to nonstandard entropic functionals, such as the Tsallis and Renyi entropies.[...]
Sensitivity of Risk-Based Maintenance Planning of Offshore Wind Turbine Farms
Authors: Ambühl Simon , Dalsgaard Sørensen John
Published: April 2017

Inspection and maintenance expenses cover a considerable part of the cost of energy from offshore wind turbines. Risk-based maintenance planning approaches are a powerful tool to optimize maintenance and inspection actions and decrease the total maintenance expenses. Risk-based planning is based on many input parameters, which are in reality often not completely known. This paper will assess the cost impact of this incomplete knowledge based on a case study following risk-based maintenance planning. The sensitivity study focuses on weather forecast uncertainties, incomplete knowledge about the needed repair time on the site as well as uncertainties about the operational range of the boat and helicopter used to access the broken wind turbine. The cost saving potential is estimated by running Crude Monte Carlo simulations. Furthermore, corrective and preventive (scheduled and condition-based) maintenance strategies are implemented. The considered case study focuses on a wind farm consisting of ten 6 MW turbines placed 30 km off the Danish North Sea coast. The results show that the weather forecast is the uncertainty source dominating the maintenance expenses increase when considering risk-based decision-making uncertainties. The overall maintenance expenses increased by 70% to 140% when considering uncertainties directly related with risk-based maintenance planning.
Design and Research of the Movable Hybrid Photovoltaic-Thermal (PVT) System
Authors: Zhang Lian , Chen Zi Jian
Published: April 2017

In recent years, with the development of photovoltaic system and photo-thermal system technology, hybrid photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) technology has been a breakthrough in many aspects. This paper describes the movable hybrid PVT system from the aspects of appearance structure, energy flow, and control circuit. The system is equipped with rolling wheels and the simulated light sources also can be removed so that the system can be used in the outdoor conditions. The movable system is also suitable for the PVT system and its related applications without any external power supply. This system combines two technologies: photovoltaic power generation and photo-thermal utilization. The first part of the power supply is for the systems own output power supply, and the second part is for generating thermal energy. The two separate parts can be controlled and monitored respectively through the control circuits and the touch screens. The experimental results show that the system can generate 691 kWh electric energy and 3047.8 kWh thermal energy each year under normal working conditions. The efficiency of the proposed movable hybrid PVT system is calculated to be approximately 42.82% using the revised equations that are proposed in this paper. Therefore, the movable hybrid PVT system can meet the daily demands of hot water and electricity power in remote areas or islands and other non-grid areas. It also can be used to conduct experiment tests for the PVT system.
A Method to Facilitate Uncertainty Analysis in LCAs of Buildings
Authors: Pomponi Francesco , D’Amico Bernardino , Moncaster Alice
Published: April 2017

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is increasingly becoming a common technique to assess the embodied energy and carbon of buildings and their components over their life cycle. However, the vast majority of existing LCAs result in very definite, deterministic values which carry a false sense of certainty and can mislead decisions and judgments. This article tackles the lack of uncertainty analysis in LCAs of buildings by addressing the main causes for not undertaking this important activity. The research uses primary data for embodied energy collected from European manufacturers as a starting point. Such robust datasets are used as inputs for the stochastic modelling of uncertainty through Monte Carlo algorithms. Several groups of random samplings between 101 and 107 are tested under two scenarios: data are normally distributed (empirically verified) and data are uniformly distributed. Results show that the hypothesis on the data no longer influences the results after a high enough number of random samplings (104). This finding holds true both in terms of mean values and standard deviations and is also independent of the size of the life cycle inventory (LCI): it occurs in both large and small datasets. Findings from this research facilitate uncertainty analysis in LCA. By reducing significantly the amount of data necessary to infer information about uncertainty, a more widespread inclusion of uncertainty analysis in LCA can be encouraged in assessments from practitioners and academics alike.
Analysis of the Physical Properties of Hydrate Sediments Recovered from the Pearl River Mouth Basin in the South China Sea: Preliminary Investigation for Gas Hydrate Exploitation
Authors: Wang Bin , Huo Peng , Luo Tingting , Fan Zhen , Liu Fanglan , Xiao Bo , Yang Mingjun , Zhao Jiafei , Song Yongchen
Published: April 2017

Laboratory based research on the physical properties of gas hydrate hosting sediment matrix was carried out on the non-pressurized hydrate-bearing sediment samples from the Chinese Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey 2 (GMGS2) drilling expedition in the Pearl River Mouth (PRM) basin. Measurements of index properties, surface characteristics, and thermal and mechanical properties were performed on ten sediment cores. The grains were very fine with a mean grain size ranging from 7 to 11 μm throughout all intervals, which provide guidance for the option of a screen system. Based on X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) and SEM images, bioclasts, which could promote hydrate formation, were not found in the PRM basin. However, the flaky clay might be conducive to hydrate formation in pore spaces. The measured sediment thermal conductivities are relatively low compared to those measured at other mines, ranging from 1.3 to 1.45 W/(m·K). This suggests that thermal stimulation may not be a good option for gas production from hydrate-bearing sediments in the PRM basin, and depressurization could exacerbate the problems of gas hydrate reformation and/or ice generation. Therefore, the heat transfer problem needs to be considered when exploiting the natural gas hydrate resource within these areas. In addition, the results of testing the mechanical property indicate the stability of hydrate-bearing sediments decreases with hydrate dissociation, suggesting that a holistic approach should be considered when establishing a drilling platform. Both the heat-transfer characteristic and mechanical property provide the foundation for the establishment of a safe and efficient production technology for utilizing the hydrate resource.
Attractive Toxic Sugar Bait (ATSB) For Control of Mosquitoes and Its Impact on Non-Target Organisms: A Review
Authors: Fiorenzano Jodi M. , Koehler Philip G. , Xue Rui-De
Published: April 2017

Mosquito abatement programs contend with mosquito-borne diseases, insecticidal resistance, and environmental impacts to non-target organisms. However, chemical resources are limited to a few chemical classes with similar modes of action, which has led to insecticide resistance in mosquito populations. To develop a new tool for mosquito abatement programs that control mosquitoes while combating the issues of insecticidal resistance, and has low impacts of non-target organisms, novel methods of mosquito control, such as attractive toxic sugar baits (ATSBs), are being developed. Whereas insect baiting to dissuade a behavior, or induce mortality, is not a novel concept, as it was first introduced in writings from 77 AD, mosquito baiting through toxic sugar baits (TSBs) had been quickly developing over the last 60 years. This review addresses the current body of research of ATSB by providing an overview of active ingredients (toxins) include in TSBs, attractants combined in ATSB, lethal effects on mosquito adults and larvae, impact on non-target insects, and prospects for the use of ATSB.
Relationship between Occupational Stress, 5-HT2A Receptor Polymorphisms and Mental Health in Petroleum Workers in the Xinjiang Arid Desert: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Jiang Ting , Ge Hua , Sun Jian , Li Rong , Han Rui , Liu Jiwen
Published: April 2017

At present, there is growing interest in research examining the relationship between occupational stress and mental health. Owing to the socioeconomic impact of occupational stress and the unique environment of petroleum workers in Xinjiang, a cross-sectional study was carried out between April and December 2015 to investigate the relationship between occupational stress, 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor (5-HTR2A) genotype, and mental health. A total of 1485 workers were selected. The Symptom Checklist 90 was used to assess nine classes of psychological symptoms. Work-related stressors were evaluated using the Occupational Stress Inventory-Revised Edition. Levels of 5-HTR2A (the Tl02C and A-1438G single nucleotide polymorphism in the 5-HTR2A gene) were measured by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). The findings of the present study revealed a high prevalence rate of mental health problems (40.29%) in petroleum workers stationed in the arid desert, and suggested a strong correlation between occupational stress and mental health. The TC and CC genotype of Tl02C were found to be protective factors against mental health problems (odds ratio (OR) = 0.455, 95% confidence interval (CI): = 0.269–0.771, odds ratio (OR) = 0.340, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.162–0.716). AG and GG genotype of A-1438G [odds ratio (OR) 1 = 2.729, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.433–5.195; odds ratio (OR) 2 = 2.480, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.221–5.037] were revealed as risk factors. These data provide evidence that occupational stress and 5-HTR2A gene polymorphism contributes to the incidence of mental health problems.
Association of Motorcycle Use with Risk of Overweight in Taiwanese Urban Adults
Authors: Lin Chien-Yu , Liao Yung , Park Jong-Hwan
Published: April 2017

Sedentary transport is known to adversely affect health. Few studies have focused on motorcycle use. This study examines the association of motorcycle use with overweight in urban adults in Taiwan. Cross-sectional data from 1069 Taiwanese adults aged 20–64 years in three urban cities were collected in 2015. Data on self-reported body mass index, time spent in motorcycle use, lifestyle behavioral factors, and sociodemographic variables were obtained. Unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models were applied. In Model 1, adults who spent more time using a motorcycle (third quartile, odds ratio (OR) = 1.17; fourth quartile, OR = 1.60) were more likely to be overweight compared with the first quartile. In Model 2, after adjusting for the covariates, only the fourth quartile of motorcycle use (OR = 1.50) was associated with a higher risk of overweight. Higher time spent in motorcycle use is related to higher risk of being overweight, even after adjustment for potential demographic and behavioral confounders. Intervention and behavioral change strategies targeting motorcycle use should be considered.
U.S. Trends of ED Visits for Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injuries: Implications for Clinical Trials
Authors: Chen Cheng , Shi Junxin , Stanley Rachel , Sribnick Eric , Groner Jonathan , Xiang Henry
Published: April 2017

Our goal in this paper was to use the 2006–2013 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS) database to describe trends of annual patient number, patient demographics and hospital characteristics of pediatric traumatic brain injuries (TBI) treated in U.S. emergency departments (EDs); and to use the same database to estimate the available sample sizes for various clinical trials of pediatric TBI cases. National estimates of patient demographics and hospital characteristics were calculated for pediatric TBI. Simulation analyses assessed the potential number of pediatric TBI cases from randomly selected hospitals for inclusion in future clinical trials under different scenarios. Between 2006 and 2013, the NEDS database estimated that of the 215,204,932 children who visited the ED, 6,089,930 (2.83%) had a TBI diagnosis. During the study period in the US EDs, pediatric TBI patients increased by 34.1%. Simulation analyses suggest that hospital EDs with annual TBI ED visits >1000, Levels I and II Trauma Centers, pediatric hospitals, and teaching hospitals will likely provide ample cases for pediatric TBI studies. However, recruiting severe pediatric TBI cases for clinical trials from a limited number of hospital EDs will be challenging due to small sample sizes. Pediatric TBI-related ED visits in the U.S. increased by over 30% from 2006 to 2013. Including unspecified head injury cases with ICD-9-CM code 959.01 would significantly change the national estimates and demographic patterns of pediatric TBI cases. Future clinical trials of children with TBI should conduct a careful feasibility assessment to estimate their sample size and study power in selected study sites.