bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Barriers to Doing Activism
Authors: Craddock Emma
Published: September 2020

This chapter discusses the costs (financial, physical, psychological and emotional) associated with doing activism. While participants speak about activism in terms of the everyday and suggest that it is something anyone can do, they often do not acknowledge the privilege required to do activism. This chapter draws out the tensions present in the notion that everyone can and should do activism by exploring the barriers and exclusions that prevent individuals from participating politically. This includes the reality that those who are hardest hit by austerity often do not have the resources to protest against it. Therefore, while lived experiences of issues are deemed to be a key and authentic motivation for doing activism (a topic that is explored further in Chapter 6), it becomes clear that those who are most affected by austerity are less able to protest against it because of its effects. Despite women being disproportionately affected by austerity, this chapter reveals the continuing and heightening gendered barriers that exist in the specific context of austerity and a local anti-austerity activist culture that privileges questions of class over those of gender. It demonstrates how, in response, women are forming their own feminist resistance to austerity, and explores how this is empowering but problematic because it upholds austerity through the provision of unpaid care in the absence of public services.
Subverting/Reinforcing Neoliberal Capitalism: The Complex Ambivalence of Anti-Austerity Activism
Authors: Craddock Emma
Published: September 2020

This chapter concludes the book by discussing the ambivalence and complexity of anti-austerity activist culture and the difficulty of resisting a force that is as pervasive as neoliberal capitalism, raising questions about how this can be more effectively achieved and asserting the importance of paying attention to the messy reality of social movement activism. It suggests that, moving forwards, there is a need for further in-depth ‘thick description’ of the complex processes of activist cultures that reveal the contradictions, tensions, and advantages of the internal dynamics and how they interact with the wider political context. It reminds us that resistance does not exist within a vacuum and that it is important to consider the multiple facets of political participation, and the implicit power relations that exist, in order to both better understand and change future political intervention. Finally, it considers limitations of the research this book draws on and suggests future directions for research.
The Prevailing Approach to Review
Authors: Blackbourn Jessie , de Londras Fiona , Morgan Lydia
Published: September 2020

This chapter presents a thematic analysis of 24 interviews with actors we identified as undertaking, participating in, or interacting with counter-terrorism review, including former Home Secretaries, former Independent Reviewers of Terrorism Legislation, high-level political actors, representatives of regulators and complaints bodies, civil servants, lawyers, and representatives from a range of civil society organisations. The chapter considers this data across five themes: (i) the purposes of review, (ii) how those purposes are pursued in practice, (iii) the values that underpin review, (iv) how the different elements of the counter-terrorism review assemblage relate to one another, and (v) the impact of review.
Simulation and optimization of a broadband reflective far ultraviolet polarimeter
Authors: Le Gal Maëlle , López Ariste Arturo , Neiner Coralie , Pertenais Martin
Published: September 2020

Traditional transmissive polarimetric methods can be used for wavelengths above 123 nm where birefringent materials transmit light and create significant birefringence. Below 123 nm, no suitable solution is known to measure the four Stokes parameters on a large wavelength range. Therefore, we study here an innovative reflective (rather than transmissive) polarimeter working in the far ultraviolet (FUV) range from 90 to 130 nm. We take advantage of the phase shift created by reflections as well as the different reflectivities for

p

(orthogonal

⊥

) and

s

(parallel

∥

to the plane of incidence) polarizations to design an FUV polarimeter. Simulation of the analyzer and modulator using Mueller matrices coupled to polarimetric efficiencies calculations allowed optimization of reflective polarimeters for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. This opens up a new perspective for FUV polarimetry below 123 nm.
Fast in vivo multiphoton light-sheet microscopy with optimal pulse frequency
Authors: Maioli Vincent , Boniface Antoine , Mahou Pierre , Ortas Júlia Ferrer , Abdeladim Lamiae , Beaurepaire Emmanuel , Supatto Willy
Published: September 2020

Improving the imaging speed of multiphoton microscopy is an active research field. Among recent strategies, light-sheet illumination holds distinctive advantages for achieving fast imaging in vivo. However, photoperturbation in multiphoton light-sheet microscopy remains poorly investigated. We show here that the heart beat rate of zebrafish embryos is a sensitive probe of linear and nonlinear photoperturbations. By analyzing its behavior with respect to laser power, pulse frequency and wavelength, we derive guidelines to find the best balance between signal and photoperturbation. We then demonstrate one order-of-magnitude signal enhancement over previous implementations by optimizing the laser pulse frequency. These results open new opportunities for fast live tissue imaging.
Live-SIMBA: an ImageJ plug-in for the universal and accelerated single molecule-guided Bayesian localization super resolution microscopy (SIMBA) method
Authors: Li Hongjia , Xu Fan , Gao Shan , Zhang Mingshu , Xue Fudong , Xu Pingyong , Zhang Fa
Published: September 2020

Live-cell super-resolution fluorescence microscopy techniques allow biologists to observe subcellular structures, interactions and dynamics at the nanoscale level. Among of them, single molecule-guided Bayesian localization super resolution microscopy (SIMBA) and its derivatives produce an appropriate 50 nm spatial resolution and a 0.1-2s temporal resolution in living cells with simple off-the-shelf total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) equipment. However, SIMBA and its derivatives are limited by the requirement for dual-channel dataset or single-channel dataset with special design, the time-consuming calculation for extended field of view and the lack of real-time visualization tool. Here, we propose a universal and accelerated SIMBA ImageJ plug-in, Live-SIMBA, for time-series analysis in living cells. Live-SIMBA circumvents the requirement of dual-channel dataset using intensity-based sampling algorithm and improves the computing speed using multi-core parallel computing technique. Live-SIMBA also better resolves the weak signals inside the specimens with adjustable background estimation and distance-threshold filter. With improved fidelity on reconstructed structures, greatly accelerated computation, and real-time visualization, Live-SIMBA demonstrates its extended capabilities in live-cell super-resolution imaging.
Orbital angular momentum and topological charge of a multi-vortex Gaussian beam
Authors: Kovalev Alexey A. , Kotlyar Victor V. , Porfirev Alexey P.
Published: September 2020

We report on a theoretical and numerical study of a Gaussian beam modulated by several optical vortices (OV) that carry same-sign unity topological charge (TC) and are unevenly arranged on a circle. The TC of such a multi-vortex beam equals the sum of the TCs of all OVs. If the OVs are located evenly along an arbitrary-radius circle, a simple relationship for the normalized orbital angular momentum (OAM) is derived for such a beam. It is shown that in a multi-vortex beam, OAM normalized to power cannot exceed the number of constituent vortices and decreases with increasing distance from the optical axis to the vortex centers. We show that for the OVs to appear at the infinity of such a combined beam, an infinite-energy Gaussian beam is needed. On the contrary, the total TC is independent of said distance, remaining equal to the number of constituent vortices. We show that if TC is evaluated not along the whole circle encompassing the singularity centers, but along any part of this circle, such a quantity is also invariant and conserves on propagation. Besides, a multi-spiral phase plate is studied for the first time to our knowledge, and we obtained the TC and OAM of multi-vortices generated by this plate. When propagated through a random phase screen (diffuser) the TC is unchanged, while the OAM changes by less than 10% if the random phase delay on the diffuser does not exceed half wavelength. Such multi-vortices can be used for data transmission in the turbulent atmosphere.
Transition cancellations of 87Rb and 85Rb atoms in a magnetic field
Authors: Aleksanyan Artur , Momier Rodolphe , Gazazyan Emil , Papoyan Aram , Leroy Claude
Published: September 2020

We have analyzed the magnetic field dependencies of the intensities of all the optical transitions between magnetic sublevels of hyperfine levels, excited with

σ
+

,

π

, and

σ
−

polarized light, for the

D
1

and

D
2

lines of

87

R
b

and

85

R
b

atoms. Depending on the type of transition and the quantum numbers of the involved levels, the Hamiltonian matrices are of

1
×
1

,

2
×
2

,

3
×
3

, or

4
×
4

dimension. As an example, analytical expressions are presented for the case of

2
×
2

dimension matrices for the

D
1

line of both isotopes. Eigenvalues and eigenkets are given, and the expression for the transition intensity as a function of

B

has been determined. It is found that some

π

transitions of

87

R
b

and

85

R
b

get completely canceled for certain, extremely precise, values of

B

. No cancellation occurs for

σ
+

or

σ
−

transitions of the

D
1

line. For matrices with a size over

2
×
2

, analytical formulas are heavy, and we have performed numerical calculations. All the

B

values canceling

σ
+

,

π

, and

σ
−

transitions of the

D
1

and

D
2

lines of

87

R
b

and

85

R
b

are calculated, with an accuracy limited by the precision of the involved physical quantities. The experimental implementation feasibility and its possible outcome are addressed. We believe the experimental realization will allow an increase in the precision of the physical quantities involved, in particular the upper state atomic level energy.
Distillation of squeezing using an engineered pulsed parametric down-conversion source
Authors: Dirmeier Thomas , Tiedau Johannes , Khan Imran , Ansari Vahid , Müller Christian R. , Silberhorn Christine , Marquardt Christoph , Leuchs Gerd
Published: September 2020

Hybrid quantum information processing combines the advantages of discrete and continues variable protocols by realizing protocols consisting of photon counting and homodyne measurements. However, the mode structure of pulsed sources and the properties of the detection schemes often require the use of optical filters in order to combine both detection methods in a common experiment. This limits the efficiency and the overall achievable squeezing of the experiment. In our work, we use photon subtraction to implement the distillation of pulsed squeezed states originating from a genuinely spatially and temporally single-mode parametric down-conversion source in non-linear waveguides. Due to the distillation, we witness an improvement of 0.17 dB from an initial squeezing value of −1.648 ± 0.002 dB, while achieving a purity of 0.58, and confirm the non-Gaussianity of the distilled state via the higher-order cumulants. With this, we demonstrate the source’s suitability for scalable hybrid quantum network applications with pulsed quantum light.
Silicon polarization beam splitter at the 2 μm wavelength band by using a bent directional coupler assisted with a nano-slot waveguide
Authors: Liu Xinyu , Liu Dajian , Dai Daoxin
Published: September 2020

A silicon-based polarizing beam splitter (PBS) working at the 2 μm wavelength band is proposed and demonstrated experimentally by using a bent directional coupler assisted with a nano-slot waveguide. The nano-slot width is chosen as 180 nm so that the present PBS can be fabricated with MPW foundries. In theory, the designed PBS has extinction ratios (ERs) of >15 dB and >30 dB for TM- and TE- polarizations in the wavelength range of 1825-2020 nm, respectively. For the fabricated PBS, the excess losses (ELs) are low (∼0.5 dB) while the measured results show the ERs are >15 dB and >20 dB for TM- and TE-polarizations in the wavelength band of 1860-1980 nm.
Adaptive-glasses time-domain FFOCT for wide-field high-resolution
retinal imaging with increased SNR
Authors: Scholler Jules , Groux Kassandra , Grieve Kate , Boccara Claude , Mecê Pedro
Published: September 2020

The highest three-dimensional (3D) resolution possible in in vivo retinal imaging is achieved by combining optical coherence tomography (OCT) and adaptive optics. However, this combination brings important limitations, such as small field-of-view and complex, cumbersome systems, preventing so far the translation of this technology from the research lab to clinics. In this Letter, we mitigate these limitations by combining our compact time-domain full-field OCT (FFOCT) with a multi-actuator adaptive lens positioned just in front of the eye, in a technique we call the adaptive-glasses wavefront sensorless approach. Through this approach, we demonstrate that ocular aberrations can be corrected, increasing the FFOCT signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and enabling imaging of different retinal layers with a 3D cellular resolution over a

5
∘

×

5
∘

field-of-view, without apparent anisoplanatism.
High-resolution phase-sensitive sum frequency generation spectroscopy by time-domain ptychography
Authors: Schweizer Tobias , Nicolau Bruno G. , Cavassin Priscila , Feurer Thomas , Banerji Natalie , Réhault Julien
Published: September 2020

We demonstrate that time-domain ptychography, when applied to a set of broadband vibrational sum frequency spectra, reconstructs amplitude and phase of the vibrational free induction decay from an interfacial sample with a resolution that is independent of up-converting pulse bandwidth and spectrometer resolution. These important improvements require no modifications to most standard homodyne setups, and the method is applicable to other coherent homodyne spectroscopies such as coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy and transient grating spectroscopy.
Fast phase cycling in non-collinear optical two-dimensional coherent spectroscopy
Authors: Munoz Maria F. , Medina Adam , Autry Travis M. , Moody Galan , Siemens Mark E. , Bristow Alan D. , Cundiff Steven T. , Li Hebin
Published: September 2020

As optical two-dimensional coherent spectroscopy (2DCS) is extended to a broader range of applications, it is critical to improve the detection sensitivity of optical 2DCS. We developed a fast phase-cycling scheme in a non-collinear optical 2DCS implementation by using liquid crystal phase retarders to modulate the phases of two excitation pulses. The background in the signal can be eliminated by combining either two or four interferograms measured with a proper phase configuration. The effectiveness of this method was validated in optical 2DCS measurements of an atomic vapor. This fast phase-cycling scheme will enable optical 2DCS in novel emerging applications that require enhanced detection sensitivity.
MACROMYCETES PARKU W MAŁKOCINIE (NW POLSKA)
Authors: Kwiatkowska Justyna
Published: September 2020

The paper presents the results of mycological research carried out in the manor Małkocin park (NW Poland) in the years 2008–2009. During 35 observations, 200 species of macromycetes (mainly Basidiomycota – 172 species) and four Myxycomycota have been recorded. Among them, 11 species are included on the red list of macrofungi in Poland. The participation of macrofungi was analyzed in bioecological groups of saprotrophic, mycorrhizal and parasitic fungi. In addition, the comparison of the Małkocin park with other rural parks of Poland is discussed.
Machine Learning and Law and Economics: A Preliminary Overview
Authors: Park Sangchul , Ko Haksoo
Published: September 2020

This paper provides an overview of machine learning models, as compared to traditional economic models. It also lays out emerging issues in law and economics that the machine learning methodology raises. In doing so, Asian contexts are considered. Law and economics scholarship has applied econometric models for statistical inferences, but law as social engineering often requires forward-looking predictions rather than retrospective inferences. Machine learning can be used as an alternative or supplementary tool to improve the accuracy of legal prediction by controlling out-of-sample variance along with in-sample bias and by fitting diverse models to data with non-linear or otherwise complex distribution. In the legal arena, the past experience of using economic models in antitrust and other high-stakes litigation provides a clue as to how to introduce artificial intelligence into the legal decision-making process. Law and economics is also expected to provide useful insights as to how to balance the development of the artificial intelligence technology with fundamental social values such as human rights and autonomy.
Revisiting the First Monastery of Apa Phoibammon A Prosopography and Relative Chronology of Its Connections to the Monastery of Apa Ezekiel within the Monastic Network of Hermonthis during the 6th Century
Authors: Krueger Frederic
Published: September 2020

A reevaluation of the ostraca and graffiti from the First Monastery of Apa Phoibammon-known in scholarship as the original home of bishop Abraham but for little else-reveals close ties to the monastic network of Hermonthis visible in the newly discovered ostraca dossier from the Monastery of Apa Ezekiel, led by Abraham’s predecessor Andrew of Hermonthis in the later 6th century.
Reversine and herbal Xiang–Sha–Liu–Jun–Zi decoction ameliorate thioacetamide-induced hepatic injury by regulating the RelA/NF-κB/caspase signaling pathway
Authors: Mai Zhen-Hao , Huang Yu , Huang Di , Huang Zi-Sheng , He Zhi-Xiang , Li Pei-Lin , Zhang Shuai , Weng Jie-Feng , Gu Wei-Li
Published: September 2020

This study investigated the anti-fibrotic effects of reversine and Chinese medicine Xiang–Sha–Liu–Jun–Zi decoction (XSLJZD) on thioacetamide (TAA)-induced hepatic injury. Sprague-Dawley rats were intraperitoneally administered with TAA, then injected with reversine intraperitoneally, and/or orally provided with XSLJZD. TAA resulted in liver injury with increases in the liver index and levels of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase. Reversine alleviated the liver index and AST level and improved TAA-induced pathological changes but decreased TAA-induced collagen deposition, and α-smooth muscle actin and transforming growth factor-β1 expression. Reversine also modulated the mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokines, such as RelA, interleukin (IL)-17A, IL-22, IL-1β, IL-6, NLR family pyrin domain containing 3, platelet-derived growth factor, and monocyte chemoattractant protein, and suppressed nuclear factor (NF)-κB (p65) phosphorylation and caspase 1 activation. Meanwhile, XSLJZD protected TAA-injured liver without increasing fibrosis and enhanced the regulating effect of reversine on RelA, IL-17A, IL-1β, and MCP-1 cytokines. In conclusion, reversine ameliorates liver injury and inhibits inflammation reaction by regulating NF-κB, and XSLJZD protects the liver through its synergistic effect with reversine on regulating inflammatory cytokines.
A novel calibration phantom for combining echocardiography with electromagnetic tracking
Authors: Kreher Robert , Groscheck Thomas , Qarri Kristjan , Preim Bernhard , Schmeisser Alexander , Rauwolf Thomas , Braun-Dullaeus Rüdiger Christian , Engelhardt Sandy
Published: September 2020

Ultrasound compounding techniques offer the possibility to enlarge the otherwise limited field of view of ultrasound. However, existing works mainly rely on larger ultrasound sensors. In this work, we attach electromagnetic (EM) tracking sensors to small tubular echo probes, namely an intracardiac echocardiographic (ICE) probe and a transesophageal echocardiographic (TEE) transducer. The EM tracking allows, when synchronized to the ultrasound, localization of the probes in either 5 DOF (Degrees of Freedom) or 6 DOF without line-of-sight requirement. For computation of the references between the two systems, we developed a novel customized 3D-printable phantom, which is especially convenient for tubular probes that acquire images laterally. Calibration with the phantom and 3D volume reconstruction was conducted in the Plus Toolkit. The volume reconstructor uses the captured position and orientation information to fuse 2D ultrasound slices into a compounded volume. Mean calibration error is below 2.5 mm for ICE and TEE. An accuracy evaluation of the 3D reconstruction using an object of known geometry revealed that tracking with 5 DOF provides unsatisfactory results, while the combination of 6 DOF and TEE achieved a mean absolute difference of 3.08 mm. Our calibration phantom fCal-Echo1.0 is openly available at http://perk-software.cs.queensu.ca/plus/doc/nightly/modelcatalog/.
Data augmentation for computed tomography angiography via synthetic image generation and neural domain adaptation
Authors: Seemann Malte , Bargsten Lennart , Schlaefer Alexander
Published: September 2020

Deep learning methods produce promising results when applied to a wide range of medical imaging tasks, including segmentation of artery lumen in computed tomography angiography (CTA) data. However, to perform sufficiently, neural networks have to be trained on large amounts of high quality annotated data. In the realm of medical imaging, annotations are not only quite scarce but also often not entirely reliable. To tackle both challenges, we developed a two-step approach for generating realistic synthetic CTA data for the purpose of data augmentation. In the first step moderately realistic images are generated in a purely numerical fashion. In the second step these images are improved by applying neural domain adaptation. We evaluated the impact of synthetic data on lumen segmentation via convolutional neural networks (CNNs) by comparing resulting performances. Improvements of up to 5% in terms of Dice coefficient and 20% for Hausdorff distance represent a proof of concept that the proposed augmentation procedure can be used to enhance deep learning-based segmentation for artery lumen in CTA images.
Fluoroscopy-guided robotic biopsy intervention system
Authors: Özbek Yusuf , Vogele Michael , Plattner Christian , Costa Pedro , Griesser Mario , Wieczorek Matthias
Published: September 2020

Fluoroscopy-guided percutaneous biopsy interventions are mostly performed with traditional free-hand technique. The practical experience of the surgeon influences the duration of the intervention and the radiation exposure for patients and him-/herself. Especially when the placement of heavy and long instruments in double oblique angles is required, manual techniques reach their technical limitations very fast. The system presented herein automatizes the needle positioning using only two 2D scans while the robotic platform guides the intervention. These two images were used to plan the needle pathway and to estimate the pose of the robot using a custom-made end-effector with embedded registration fiducials. The estimated pose was subsequently used to transfer the planed needle path to the robot’s coordinate system and finally to compute the movement parameters in order to align the robot with this plan. To evaluate the system, two phantoms with 11 different targets on it were developed. The targets were punctured, and the application accuracy was measured quantitatively. The solution achieved sub-millimetric accuracy for needle placement (min. 0.23, max. 1.04 in mm). Our approach combines the advantages of fluoroscopic imaging and ensures automatic needle alignment with highly reduced X-ray radiation. The proposed system shows promising potential to be a guidance platform that is easy to combine with available fluoroscopic imaging systems and provides valuable help to the physician in more difficult interventions.
Improving endoscopic smoke detection with semi-supervised noisy student models
Authors: Reiter Wolfgang
Published: September 2020

Laparoscopic surgery consists of many tasks that have to be handled by the surgeon and the operating room personnel. Recognition of situations where action is required enables automatic handling by the integrated OR or notifying the surgical team with a visual reminder. As a byproduct of some surgical actions, electrosurgical smoke needs to be evacuated to keep the vision clear for the surgeon. Building on the success of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for image classification, we utilize them for image based detection of surgical smoke. As a baseline we provide results for an image classifier trained on the publicly available smoke annotions of the Cholec80 dataset. We extend this evaluation with a self-training approach using teacher and student models. A teacher model is created with the labeled dataset and used to create pseudo labels. Multiple datasets with pseudo labels are then used to improve robustness and accuracy of a noisy student model. The experimental evaluation shows a performance benefit when utilizing increasing amounts of pseudo-labeled data. The state of the art with a classification accuracy of 0.71 can be improved to an accuracy of 0.85. Surgical data science often has to cope with minimal amounts of labeled data. This work proposes a method to utilize unlabeled data from the same domain. The good performance in standard metrics also shows the suitability for clinical use.
Localization of endovascular tools in X-ray images using a motorized C-arm: visualization on HoloLens
Authors: Chen Yenjung , Shah Nilay Yatinkumar , Goswami Subhra Sundar , Lange Annkristin , von Haxthausen Felix , Sieren Malte Maria , Hagenah Jannis , Ernst Floris , García-Vázquez Verónica
Published: September 2020

C-arms are medical devices widely used for image-guided minimally invasive endovascular procedures. This technology requires considerable experience for the physicians to position the C-arm to obtain X-ray images of the endovascular tools. In addition, this image-guided therapy is based on two-dimensional images which lack depth information. The purpose of this study was to develop a system that controls the C-arm movements based on the previous position of the tip of a guide wire and the vessel information, and also displays the estimated tip position (specifically, the virtual line that would join the X-ray source and the projected tip in the flat-panel detector) on an augmented reality device (HoloLens). A phantom study was conducted to evaluate the system using intraoperative cone-beam computed tomography scans to obtain the reference tip position. The mean distance between the tip position (ground truth) and the virtual three-dimensional line was 1.18 mm. The proposed system was able to control the C-arm movements based on the position of the tip of the guide wire. The visualization on HoloLens also allowed a more intuitive understanding of the position of the endovascular tool related to the patient’s anatomy during the intervention.
Robotized ultrasound imaging of the peripheral arteries – a phantom study
Authors: von Haxthausen Felix , Hagenah Jannis , Kaschwich Mark , Kleemann Markus , García-Vázquez Verónica , Ernst Floris
Published: September 2020

The first choice in diagnostic imaging for patients suffering from peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is 2D ultrasound (US). However, for a proper imaging process, a skilled and experienced sonographer is required. Additionally, it is a highly user-dependent operation. A robotized US system that autonomously scans the peripheral arteries has the potential to overcome these limitations. In this work, we extend a previously proposed system by a hierarchical image analysis pipeline based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs) in order to control the robot. The system was evaluated by checking its feasibility to keep the vessel lumen of a leg phantom within the US image while scanning along the artery. In 100% of the images acquired during the scan process the whole vessel lumen was visible. While defining an insensitivity margin of 2.74 mm, the mean absolute distance between vessel center and the horizontal image center line was 2.47 mm and 3.90 mm for an easy and complex scenario, respectively. In conclusion, this system presents the basis for fully automatized peripheral artery imaging in humans using a radiation-free approach.
Surgical phase recognition by learning phase transitions
Authors: Sahu Manish , Szengel Angelika , Mukhopadhyay Anirban , Zachow Stefan
Published: September 2020

Automatic recognition of surgical phases is an important component for developing an intra-operative context-aware system. Prior work in this area focuses on recognizing short-term tool usage patterns within surgical phases. However, the difference between intra- and inter-phase tool usage patterns has not been investigated for automatic phase recognition. We developed a Recurrent Neural Network (RNN), in particular a state-preserving Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) architecture to utilize the long-term evolution of tool usage within complete surgical procedures. For fully automatic tool presence detection from surgical video frames, a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) based architecture namely ZIBNet is employed. Our proposed approach outperformed EndoNet by 8.1% on overall precision for phase detection tasks and 12.5% on meanAP for tool recognition tasks.
Wall enhancement segmentation for intracranial aneurysm
Authors: Niemann Annika , Larsen Naomi , Preim Bernhard , Saalfeld Sylvia
Published: September 2020

We present a tool for automatic segmentation of wall enhancement of intracranial aneurysms in black blood MRI. The results of the automatic segmentation with several configurations is compared to manual expert segmentations. While the manual segmentation includes some voxels of lower intensity not present in the automatic segmentation, overall the volume of the automatic segmentation is higher.
Integrative analysis with a system of semiparametric projection non-linear regression models
Authors: Yuan Ao , Wu Tianmin , Fang Hong-Bin , Tan Ming T.
Published: September 2020

In integrative analysis parametric or nonparametric methods are often used. The former is easier for interpretation but not robust, while the latter is robust but not easy to interpret the relationships among the different types of variables. To combine the advantages of both methods and for flexibility, here a system of semiparametric projection non-linear regression models is proposed for the integrative analysis, to model the innate coordinate structure of these different types of data, and a diagnostic tool is constructed to classify new subjects to the case or control group. Simulation studies are conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed method, and shows promising results. Then the method is applied to analyze a real omics data from The Cancer Genome Atlas study, compared the results with those from the similarity network fusion, another integrative analysis method, and results from our method are more reasonable.
The effect of the stale bread flour addition on flour and bread quality
Authors: Meral Hacer , Karaoğlu M. Murat
Published: September 2020

In this study, the effect of the flour, which was obtained from stale bread, on flour and bread quality was investigated. The bread that was staled at refrigerator for 7 days was prepared as whole and crumb, and was grinded to convert into flour. The staled whole and crumb bread flours were stored at −18 °C and used to replace 0, 15, 30 and 45% of wheat flour. Then microbiological and physicochemical properties of flours; physical, textural and sensory properties of bread obtained from these composite flours were investigated. We concluded that stale bread flour could be used for bread production at the level of 15%. If the total bread production and consumption is considered, this addition level could provide a significant amount of waste bread recycling each year.
Evaluation of efficacy of Bombax ceiba extract and its major constituent, mangiferin in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats
Authors: Bhargava Sushil , Shah Mamta B.
Published: September 2020

Objectives

Based on the ethno-medicinal use of Bombax ceiba leaf, in the treatment of diabetes, the present study is aimed at evaluation of antidiabetic potential of leaf extract and its major constituent mangiferin.

Methods

Efficacy of hydroalcoholic extract of Bombax ceiba leaf (BCL, 200 and 400 mg/kg body wt.) and mangiferin (MF, 20 mg/kg body wt) was studied in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats and associated complications visually, retinopathy, cardiopathy and nephropathy. After 20 days, serum glucose, lipid profiles, glycol-hemoglobin % (HbA1c%), liver enzymes activity and glycogen content, and histopathology of the pancreas were corroborated. The study was coxswained for development of validated RP-HPLC method for the estimation of MF in BCL.

Results

The results demonstrated significant reductions in the levels of glucose (p<0.001), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c%, p<0.001), cholesterol, triglycerides and low-density lipoproteins, and concurrent elevation of high density lipoproteins level in the groups administered BCL and MF relative to the controls. It significantly reversed most of the altered metabolic and oxidative stress parameters and histopathological changes. Mangiferin content in BCL was found to be 0.04%w/w.

Conclusions

The anti-diabetic effects of BCL may be attributed to its ability to enhance insulin release, antioxidant and hypolipidemic potential.
Influence of different methods and anticoagulants on platelet parameter measurement
Authors: Mannuß Steffen
Published: September 2020

Platelets are the smallest and perhaps the most versatile components of human blood. Besides their role in coagulation and the maintenance of vascular integrity, they are involved in many physiological processes, ranging from immune response and leukocyte recruitment to the production of antimicrobial peptides and immune-suppressive factors like TGF-β. These versatile abilities make platelets interesting for researchers from different disciplines. However, beside profound investigation into platelets’ physiological role, there is a need for correct, standardized and thus reproducible quantification of platelet parameters. Mean platelet volume (MPV) is a widespread prognostic marker for several conditions, such as, acute coronary syndrome, chronic kidney disease and liver cirrhosis. Platelet activation is regarded as a marker for inflammatory processes, for example in autoimmune diseases such as type-1 diabetes, systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis. The monitoring of platelet function is relevant for patients receiving antiplatelet medication. Platelet parameter measurement is affected by the choice of in vitro anticoagulant, the measurement technology and the time delay after sampling. This review focuses on the pre-analytical variability that arises as a result of the use of different in vitro anticoagulants and analyzer technologies when determining platelet parameters, since, even approximately 180 years after the discovery of platelets, there is still no standardized procedure.
Broadband dispersive free, large, and ultrafast nonlinear material platforms for photonics
Authors: Niu Xinxiang , Hu Xiaoyong , Lu Cuicui , Sheng Yan , Yang Hong , Gong Qihuang
Published: September 2020

Broadband dispersion free, large and ultrafast nonlinear material platforms comprise the essential foundation for the study of nonlinear optics, integrated optics, intense field optical physics, and quantum optics. Despite substantial research efforts, such material platforms have not been established up to now because of intrinsic contradictions between large nonlinear optical coefficient, broad operating bandwidth, and ultrafast response time. In this work, a broadband dispersion free, large and ultrafast nonlinear material platform based on broadband epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) material is experimentally demonstrated, which is designed through a novel physical mechanism of combining structural dispersion and material dispersion. The broadband ENZ material is constructed of periodically nanostructured indium tin oxide (ITO) films, and the structure is designed with the help of theoretical predictions combined with algorithm optimization. Within the whole broad ENZ wavelength range (from 1300 to 1500 nm), a wavelength-independent and large average nonlinear refractive index of −4.85 × 10−11 cm2/W, which is enlarged by around 20 times than that of an unstructured ITO film at its single ENZ wavelength, and an ultrafast response speed at the scale of Tbit/s are experimentally reached simultaneously. This work not only provides a new approach for constructing nonlinear optical materials but also lays the material foundation for the application of nanophotonics.
The effect of Plantago psyllium seed husk flour on the properties of cellulose sheet
Authors: Halász Katalin , Kóczán Zsófia , Tóth Annamária , Pásztory Zoltán , Preklet Edina
Published: September 2020

This study examined the use of Plantago psyllium seed husk flour as paper additive with the aim of improving the properties of cellulose sheet. The husk flour was added in 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 20 wt% and 30 wt% to the cellulose suspensions and its effect on the handsheet properties was studied. The results showed that the direct addition of husk flour highly improves the mechanical properties of the handsheets like tensile index (with up to 400 %), burst index (with up to 600 %) and tear index (with up to 1200 %). Cobb and contact angle tests with distilled water showed that the handsheets containing husk flour are more hydrophobic compared to the unmodified handsheets. The Cobb-Unger and contact angle tests with oil revealed that the additive reduces the oil absorbency of the handsheets as well, at the highest by 86 %. Additionally, the water vapor and especially the air barrier properties were improved. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) antioxidant capacity test showed that the modified handsheets had free radical scavenging properties. The direct addition of Plantago psyllium seed husk flour can be a promising, easy and green method to improve the mechanical and barrier properties, oil and water resistance of cellulose sheets.
Preserving Destruction: Philosophical Issues of Urban Geosites
Authors: Capdevila-Werning Remei
Published: September 2020

This article examines the philosophical issues that arise when preserving urban geological sites or urban geosites. These are preserved not only because of their geological value but also because of aesthetic, cultural, and economic reasons. To do so, it examines the geosite constituted by Olot and its surroundings, a city in Spain that extends amid four dormant volcanoes. It explores the metaphysical paradox that these geosites have become what they are due to the preservation of destruction: human-caused interventions, mostly extraction of materials and exploitation of the land, are precisely what made these geosites visible as sites worth preserving and determining their metaphysical status. It further explores the preservation criteria and shows how they have determined the status of the geosite. Second, it shows how in such urban geosites the collapse of two diametrically opposed conceptions of time – the geological eon and the lived human time – occurs. Lastly, it discusses aesthetic aspects of such geosites by considering aesthetic experience as a primarily cognitive endeavor and shows how metaphysical, epistemological, and aesthetic issues of preservation of geosites are inextricably linked.
Perfil das infecções sexualmente transmissíveis em um município do Recôncavo Baiano / Profile of sexually transmitted infections in a municipality in the Recôncavo Baiano Perfil de infecciones de transmisión sexual
Authors: Santos Mayla Moraes dos , Menezes Deusa Daniel de Oliveira , Oliveira Lavinya Lima Cordeiro , Sampaio Daniela Carneiro , Rivemales Maria da Conceição Costa
Published: September 2020

Objetivo: descrever o perfil de notificações de infecções sexualmente transmissíveis em um município do recôncavo da Bahia. Método: estudo ecológico, de caráter quantitativo. Foram investigadas as notificações das infecções do ano de 2017. A análise foi descritiva. Resultados: foram identificadas 990 notificações de infecções sexualmente transmissíveis, sendo prevalente a Síndrome do corrimento vaginal e Gardnerella. Sobre a prevalência de vírus da imunodeficiência humana no município observou-se um número maior de notificações entre o sexo masculino, cor de pele preta, orientação heterossexual e faixa etária de 20 a 39 anos. Conclusões: é fundamental reconhecer a necessidade da inclusão das ações de prevenção de infecções sexualmente transmissíveis na atenção básica à saúde, implementando atividades na rotina dos serviços como a realização de feiras de saúde, salas de espera, disponibilização de preservativos na tentativa de minimizar a prevalência, transmissão e complicações.
Metabolic complications in acromegaly after neurosurgery: a meta-analysis
Authors: Cozzolino Alessia , Feola Tiziana , Simonelli Ilaria , Puliani Giulia , Hasenmajer Valeria , Minnetti Marianna , Giannetta Elisa , Gianfrilli Daniele , Pasqualetti Patrizio , Lenzi Andrea , Isidori Andrea M
Published: September 2020

Objective

Neurosurgery is the first-line treatment for acromegaly. Whether metabolic disorders are reversible after neurosurgery is still debated. The meta-analysis aimed to address the following questions: (i) Does neurosurgery affect glycolipid metabolism? (ii) Are these effects related to disease control or follow-up length?

Design

A meta-analysis and systematic review of the literature.

Methods

Three reviewers searched databases until August 2019 for prospective trials reporting glycometabolic outcomes after neurosurgery. Three other extracted outcomes, all assessed the risk of bias.

Results

Twenty studies were included. Neurosurgery significantly reduced fasting plasma glucose (FPG) (effect size (ES): −0.57 mmol/L, 95% CI: −0.82 to −0.31; P < 0.001), glucose load (ES: −1.10 mmol/L, 95% CI: −1.66 to −0.53; P < 0.001), glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) (ES: −0.28%, 95% CI: −0.42 to −0.14; P < 0.001), fasting plasma insulin (FPI) (ES: −10.53 mU/L, 95% CI: −14.54 to −6.51; P < 0.001), homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (ES: −1.98, 95% CI: −3.24 to −0.72; P = 0.002), triglycerides (TGDs) (ES: −0.28 mmol/L, 95% CI: −0.36 to −0.20; P < 0.001) and LDL-cholesterol (LDLC) (ES: −0.23 mmol/L, 95% CI: −0.45 to −0.02 mmol/L); P = 0.030) and increased HDL-cholesterol (HDLC) (ES: 0.21 mmol/L, 95% CI: 0.14 to 0.28; P < 0.001). Meta-regression analysis showed that follow-up length – not disease control – had a significant effect on FPG, with the greatest reduction in the shortest follow-up (beta = 0.012, s.e. = 0.003; P = 0.001).

Conclusions

Neurosurgery improves metabolism with a significant decrease in FPG, glucose load, HbA1c, FPI, HOMA-IR, TGDs, and LDLC and increase in HDLC. The effect on FPG seems to be more related to follow-up length than to disease control.
A new approach to measurement of saccharifying capacities of crude cellulase
Authors: Wu Bin , Zhao Yue , Gao Pei Ji
Published: September 2020

A practical, quantitative approach has been designed, which makes it possible to accurately estimate the saccharifying activities of crude cellulase preparations for insoluble cellulosics. The challenge in activity determination imposed by changes in hydrolysis time and concentration of cellulase and cellulosics on the assay could be overcome by selection of the specific conversion percentage of cellulose as a function of cellulase concentration, that is, the hydrolysis percentage of filter paper by unit cellulase per minute, as the objective function with respect to different concentrations of crude cellulase. A rational and governing equation for crude cellulase assay was derived , and reliable results for quantitatively estimating the saccharifying activities of crude cellulases during the progress of hydrolysis of several cellulosic substrates were obtained.
Morphology and mechanical properties of polypropylene-wood flour composites
Authors: Dobreva D. , Nenkova S. , Vasileva St.
Published: September 2020

The microstructure and mechanical properties of polymer composites based on polypropylene and wood flour modified with monochloroacetic acid were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy and wide-angle X-ray diffraction were used as methods to probe the composite microstructures, while the tensile test was used to measure the physical strength. The wood flour modification was performed at different levels of monochloroacetic acid, ranging from 0.01 to 1 mol, while the modified wood flour was used as filler for polypropylene at 10, 20 and 30 wt.-%. It was found that increasing the monochloroacetic acid fraction influences the microstructure of the composites and leads to more homogeneous products. The introduction of non-modified wood flour decreases the polypropylene crystallization degree, but it improves after introduction of monochloroacetic acid. Physical-mechanical tests showed positive effects on tensile tests and Charpy notched impact strength. The new composites appear to be promising materials for construction purposes.
Chemical composition, anatomy, lignin distribution, and cell wall structure of Malaysian plant waste fibers
Authors: Khalil H. P. S. Abdul , Alwani M. Siti , Omar A. K. Mohd
Published: September 2020

The chemical composition, anatomical characteristics, lignin distribution, and cell wall structure of oil palm frond (OPF), coconut (COIR), pine-apple leaf (PALF), and banana stem (BS) fibers were analyzed. The chemical composition of fiber was analyzed according to TAPPI Methods. Light microscopy (LM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to observe and determine the cell wall structure and lignin distribution of various agro-waste fibers. The results revealed differences in anatomical characteristics, lignin distributions, and cell wall structure of the different types of fibers investigated. Nevertheless, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) micrographs have confirmed that the well wall structure, in each case, could be described in terms of a classical cell wall structure, consisting of primary (P) and secondary (S 1 , S 2 , and S 3 ) layers.
Penetration and performance of isocyanate wood binders on selected wood species
Authors: Gruver T. Michael , Brown Nicole R.
Published: September 2020

The penetration and performance of polymeric diphenylmethane diisocyanate (pMDI) wood binder was investigated according to three factors: substrate species (aspen, yellow-poplar, or southern yellow pine); anatomical bonding plane (radial or tangential); and moisture content (0%, 5%, or 12%). Compression shear block tests and fluorescence microscopy were used to examine bond performance and resin penetration. Statistically, each of the aforementioned factors impacted results. As moisture content increased, observed bond strengths and wood failure increased. Bond formation did not occur when the substrates were equilibrated to 0% moisture content, except for the radial bonding surfaces of pine, which did adhere. At 5 and 12% moisture contents, tangential bonding surfaces out-performed radial bonding surfaces. In terms of resin penetration, moisture content was clearly the most important variable. Little penetration was observed at 0% moisture content, while extensive resin penetration was observed at elevated moisture contents. Pine was the only wood species to exhibit resin flow through radial cells, possibly explaining the enhanced resin penetration depths observed in pine samples.