bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chemical vs. mechanical microstructure evolution in drying colloid and polymer coatings
Authors: Kaewpetch Thitiporn , Gilchrist James F.
Published: June 2020

Colloidal based films have been widely developed for a wide range of applications including chemical and electrical barrier coatings, photonic materials, biomaterials, and pharmaceutical oral drug delivery. Many previous studies investigate methods to generate uniformity or desired stratification of the final components with a desired microstructure. Few studies have been able to investigate this microstructure in-situ during drying. This experimental study directly tracks fluorescent colloids that are either stable in suspension or have attractive interactions during the drying process using high speed laser scanning confocal microscopy to obtain details of microstructural evolution during drying. The colloidal microstructure in stable suspensions evolves continuously during drying. Microstructures in these systems have a signature Voronoi polyhedra distribution that is defined by lognormal curve having a constant standard deviation that only depends on its chemical composition. Those formulations having strongly attractive constituents have microstructure that is heterogeneous and non-monotonic due to the mechanics associated with internal convection and capillary forces. Toward the end of drying, the influence of the mode of microstructure rearrangements remains evident.
Identification and field bioassays of the sex pheromone of Eurytoma maslovskii (Hymenoptera: Eurytomidae)
Authors: Yang Chang Yeol , Mori Kenji , Kim Junheon , Kwon Ki Bong
Published: June 2020

Long-range sex pheromones are generally considered to be a main cue for mate recognition in the order Hymenoptera. Although considerable attention has been given to the identification of semiochemicals in the superfamily Chalcidoidea, which comprises 19 families, no study has identified active components in a field bioassay. We herein report the sensitive and selective pheromone communication system of the Korean apricot wasp, Eurytoma maslovskii (Eurytomidae), whose larvae feed on Prunus mume seeds. Using gas chromatography coupled with electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD) and mass spectrometry (GC-MS), we detected 2,10-dimethyldodecyl propionate and 2,8-dimethyldecyl propionate in thoracic extracts of female E. maslovskii at a ratio of 8:2 as the active pheromone components. Field experiments showed that the attractive effect of the two compounds is highly enantioselective. Racemic 2,10-dimethyldodecyl propionate and 2,8-dimethyldecyl propionate were not attractive to E. maslovskii males. In bioassays with single enantiomers, the (2 S,10 R)-enantiomer was highly attractive to male wasps, and the (2 S,8 S)-enantiomer was also attractive, although to a lesser degree. No synergistic effect between (2 S,10 R)- and (2 S,8 S)-enantiomers was identified, and the (2 S,10 R)-enantiomer alone caught significantly more males than the natural pheromone extracts. The addition of other enantiomers to the (2 S,10 R)-isomer significantly decreased the attraction of conspecific males. In addition, a very low dose of synthetic pheromone attracted conspecific males, showing that both female signaling and male response traits may have evolved to contribute to species-specific sexual communication in this species.
P300 response modulation reflects breaches of non-probabilistic expectations
Authors: Valakos D. , d’Avossa G. , Mylonas D. , Butler J. , Klein C. , Smyrnis N.
Published: June 2020

In oddball paradigms, infrequent stimuli elicit larger P300 event related potentials (ERPs) than frequent ones. One hypothesis is that P300 modulations reflect the degree of “surprise” associated with unexpected stimuli. That is the P300 represents how unlikely the stimulus is and this signal is then used to update the observer’s expectations. It could be hypothesized that P300 is modulated by any factor affecting an observer’s expectations, not only target probability. Alternatively, the P300 may reflect an evaluative process engaged whenever a discrepancy between task context and sensory inputs arises, irrespective of the latter probability. In previous ERP studies, stimulus probability was often the only determinant of task set confounding the effects of stimulus probability and set stimulus discrepancy. In this study, we used a speeded luminance detection task. The target was preceded by a central cue that predicted its location. The probability that the target was valid, i.e. would appear at the cued location was manipulated by varying the reliability of the cue. Reaction times were modulated by probabilistic expectations based on cue reliability and target validity while P300 was affected by target validity only. We conclude that increased P300 amplitude reflects primarily breaches of non-probabilistic expectations, rather than target probability.
Immune responses in beta-thalassaemia: heme oxygenase 1 reduces cytokine production and bactericidal activity of human leucocytes
Authors: Nithichanon Arnone , Tussakhon Inthira , Samer Waraporn , Kewcharoenwong Chidchamai , Ato Manabu , Bancroft Gregory J. , Lertmemongkolchai Ganjana
Published: June 2020

Patients with beta-thalassaemia increase the risk of bacterial infections, particularly Burkholderia pseudomallei (Bp), the causative agent of melioidosis in Thailand. Impaired immune cell functions may be the cause of this susceptibility, but detailed mechanisms have not been defined. In this study, we observed impaired production of IFN-gamma and IL-10 by whole blood from beta-thalassaemia patients upon stimulation with a range of bacteria-derived stimuli. In contrast, IFN-gamma response via TCR and plasma IgG specific for Bp were still intact. Importantly, mRNA expression of heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), a potential modulator of immune function, was increased in whole blood from beta-thalassaemia patients, either with or without stimulation with Bp in vitro. Induction of HO-1 by hemin or CoPP in vitro reduced production of IFN-gamma and IL-10 from healthy human PBMCs and decreased bacterial clearance activity of whole blood from healthy controls and beta-thalassaemia, while inhibition of HO-1 by SnPP enhanced both functions in healthy controls. These results were confirmed to some extent in purified human monocytes of healthy controls. Our results suggest a mechanism that excess hemin of beta-thalassaemia patients is a significant cause of immune suppression via HO-1 induction and may underlie the susceptibility of these individuals to severe bacterial infection.
Disposable biogenic amine biosensors for histamine determination in fish
Authors: Koçoğlu İrem Okman , Erden Pınar Esra , Kılıç Esma
Published: June 2020

Disposable biosensors based on carboxylated carbon nanotubes, titanium dioxide nanoparticles, hexaammineruthenium chloride and diamine oxidase or monoamine oxidase modified screen printed electrodes were developed for rapid and reliable determination of histamine in fish samples.
FeS2crystal lattice promotes the nanostructure and enhances the electrocatalytic performance of WS2nanosheets for the oxygen evolution reaction
Authors: Zhang Guoteng , Hao Zaitao , Yin Jie , Wang Chen , Zhang Jinghao , Zhao Zhiyu , Wei Denghu , Zhou Huawei , Li Zhongcheng
Published: June 2020

Herein, we, for the first time, prepare FeS2crystal lattice on WS2nanosheet (FeS2CL@WS2NS) by solvothermal methods for oxygen evolution reaction (OER).
Characterising the size and shape of metallic nano-structures by their acoustic vibrations
Authors: Fuentes-Domínguez Rafael , Naznin Shakila , Marques Leonel , Pérez-Cota Fernando , Smith Richard J. , Clark Matt
Published: June 2020

Reconstruction of nanostructure sizes and shapes by measuring their acoustic vibrations.
The role of Rho GTPases’ substrates Rac and Cdc42 in osteoclastogenesis and relevant natural medicinal products study
Authors: Liu Yuan , Dou Yusheng , Yan Liang , Yang Xiaobin , He Baorong , Kong Lingbo , Smith Wanli
Published: June 2020

Recently, Rho GTPases substrates include Rac (Rac1 and Rac2) and Cdc42 that have been reported to exert multiple cellular functions in osteoclasts, the most prominent of which includes regulating the dynamic actin cytoskeleton rearrangements. In addition, natural products and their molecular frameworks have a long tradition as valuable starting points for medicinal chemistry and drug discovery. Although currently, there are reports about the natural product, which could play a therapeutic role in bone loss diseases (osteoporosis and osteolysis) through the regulation of Rac1/2 and Cdc42 during osteoclasts cytoskeletal structuring. There have been several excellent studies for exploring the therapeutic potentials of various natural products for their role in inhibiting cancer cells migration and function via regulating the Rac1/2 and Cdc42. Herein in this review, we try to focus on recent advancement studies for extensively understanding the role of Rho GTPases substrates Rac1, Rac2 and Cdc42 in osteoclastogenesis, as well as therapeutic potentials of natural medicinal products for their properties on the regulation of Rac1, and/or Rac2 and Cdc42, which is in order to inspire drug discovery in regulating osteoclastogenesis.
Voice Therapy for Benign Voice Disorders in the Elderly: A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Telepractice and Conventional Face-to-Face Therapy
Authors: Lin Feng-Chuan , Chien Hsin-Yu , Chen Sheng Hwa , Kao Yi-Chia , Cheng Po-Wen , Wang Chi-Te
Published: June 2020

Purpose

Previous studies have reported that voice therapy via telepractice is useful for patients with nodules and muscle tension dysphonia. Nevertheless, telepractice for elderly patients with voice disorders has not yet been investigated. We conducted this study to examine the hypothesis that voice therapy via telepractice is not inferior to conventional voice therapy.

Method

Eighty patients with dysphonia aged more than 55 years participated in this study from September 2016 to June 2018. After screening the inclusion and the exclusion criteria, 69 patients were randomized into telepractice (33 patients) and conventional (36 patients) groups. The outcome measurements included Voice Handicap Index-10, videolaryngostroboscopy, maximum phonation time, auditory-perceptual evaluation, and acoustic analysis. Pairedttest, Wilcoxon signed-ranks test, and repeated measures analysis of variance were used to examine treatment outcomes.

Results

The diagnoses of voice disorders included atrophy (n= 33), unilateral vocal paralysis (n= 13), muscle tension dysphonia (n= 7), nodules (n= 6), and polyps (n= 10). No significant differences were observed in age, sex, and baseline measurements between the two groups. Twenty-five patients in the telepractice group and 24 patients in the control group completed at least four weekly sessions. Significant improvements were observed for all the outcome measures (p< .05) in both groups. Improvements in Voice Handicap Index-10 in the telepractice group (24.84 ± 5.49 to 16.80 ± 8.94) were comparable to those in the conventional group (22.17 ± 7.29 to 13.46 ± 9.95,p= .764). Other parameters also showed comparable improvements between the two groups without statistically significant differences.

Conclusions

This is the first randomized controlled trial comparing telepractice and conventional voice therapy in elderly patients with voice disorders. The results showed that the effectiveness of voice therapy via telepractice was not inferior to that of conventional voice therapy, indicating that telepractice can be used as an alternative to provide voice care for elderly patients with vocal disorders.
Stochastic planning of electric vehicle charging station integrated with photovoltaic and battery systems
Authors: Yan Dongxiang , Ma Chengbin
Published: June 2020

Charging stations not only provide charging service to electric vehicles (EVs), but also integrate distributed energy sources. This integration requires an appropriate planning to achieve the future sustainable distribution network. Real EV charging demand is stochastic and affected by many uncertainties, which pose challenges to the planning of a charging station. This study presents a stochastic planning model of the EV charging station with photovoltaic (PV), battery and transformer, mainly considering the uncertainties from charging demand and PV power generation. Firstly, a comprehensive EV charging demand model is established through reflecting the coupling among the EV stochastic charging behaviour, charger specifications and EV charging assignment model. Then, the planning model is formulated to minimise the total cost of the charging station, where the uncertainties arising from EV charging are addressed in various constraints. Using this model, the optimal sizing of the charging station is determined, together with the associated optimal operation strategy. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed model is validated by multiple case studies.
Integration of solar PV into grid using a new UPQC with differential inverter control
Authors: Kakkattil Narayanan Sivarajan , Sivarajan Nirmal , Erakkath Abdu Jasmin , Balakrishnan Jayanand
Published: June 2020

Integrated photovoltaic (PV) distribution systems voltage stability is of great significance in supporting all connected equipment smooth functioning in the distribution network. Voltage profile maintenance is one of the challenging tasks in PV integration. To maintain a constant voltage profile to a sensitive load of 22 kVA is the main idea of this study. A single‐phase PV‐integrated distribution system is selected for the study. The novelty is that differential inverters are used for dynamic voltage restorer and distribution static synchronous compensator of the unified power quality conditioner (UPQC). Active power decoupling facility is the main advantage using the differential inverter. The research work objective is to synchronise a 10 kW solar PV system to the distribution system using this new UPQC. The research work discusses and derives the most suitable control strategy for the UPQC with battery energy storage system. A 20 kVA UPQC is designed for the PV integration and to increase voltage stability of the distribution system. The frequency, voltage and reactance/resistance ratio of the distribution system is assumed to be constant. A prototype model of differential UPQC is developed. Experimental and simulation results validate the main objective.
UAPFs topologies with UPS features for low and medium voltage applications
Authors: Santos Welflen Ricardo Nogueira , Fernandes Eisenhawer de Moura , Roberto Cabral da Silva Edison , Carneiro Marcus Andre Barros Nogueira , de Freitas Antonio Airton Carneiro , Santos Patryckson Marinho
Published: June 2020

Some configurations of universal active power filter (UAPF) with uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs) features for single‐phase applications are proposed in this study focus on a reduced number of power electronic switches. All proposed configurations, composed by two‐leg converters, compensate for current and voltage harmonics and provide power factor control close to one. Comparisons between the structures are made in terms of converters voltage capabilities, shared‐leg, and capacitor currents. The model of the systems, including the equations and control system, is detailed described. Steady‐state analysis of the proposed configurations demonstrates the existence of a load angle, which reduces the converters current, increasing the efficiency of the proposed systems. A complete set of simulated and experimental results are presented.
Tidal distortion and disruption of rubble-pile bodies revisited
Authors: Zhang Yun , Michel Patrick
Published: June 2020

Context.In the course of a close approach to planets or stars, the morphological and dynamical properties of rubble-pile small bodies can be dramatically modified, and some may catastrophically break up, as in the case of comet Shoemaker-Levy 9. This phenomenon is of particular interest for the understanding of the evolution and population of small bodies, and for making predictions regarding the outcomes of future encounters. Previous numerical explorations have typically used methods that do not adequately represent the nature of rubble piles. The encounter outcomes and influence factors are still poorly constrained.

Aims.Based on recent advances in modeling rubble-pile physics, we aim to provide a better understanding of the tidal encounter processes of rubble piles through soft-sphere discrete element modeling (SSDEM) and to establish a database of encounter outcomes and their dependencies on encounter conditions and rubble-pile properties.

Methods.We performed thousands of numerical simulations using the SSDEM implemented in theN-body codepkdgravto study the dynamical evolution of rubble piles during close encounters with the Earth. The effects of encounter conditions, material strength, arrangement, and resolution of constituent particles are explored.

Results.Three typical tidal encounter outcomes are classified, namely: deformation, mass shedding, and disruption, ranging from mild modifications to severe damages of the progenitor. The outcome is highly dependent on the encounter conditions and on the structure and strength of the involved rubble pile. The encounter speed and distance required for causing disruption events are much smaller than those predicted by previous studies, indicating a smaller creation rate of tidally disrupted small body populations. Extremely elongated fragments with axis ratios ~1:6 can be formed by moderate tidal encounters. Our analyses of the spin-shape evolution of the largest remnants reveal reshaping mechanisms of rubble piles in response to tidal forces, which is consistent with stable rubble-pile configurations derived by continuum theory. A case study for Shoemaker-Levy 9 suggests a low bulk density (0.2–0.3 g cc−1) for its progenitor.
Spectroscopic study of MATLAS-2019 with MUSE: An ultra-diffuse galaxy with an excess of old globular clusters
Authors: Müller Oliver , Marleau Francine R. , Duc Pierre-Alain , Habas Rebecca , Fensch Jérémy , Emsellem Eric , Poulain Mélina , Lim Sungsoon , Agnello Adriano , Durrell Patrick , Paudel Sanjaya , Sánchez-Janssen Rubén , van der Burg Remco F. J.
Published: June 2020

The MATLAS deep imaging survey has uncovered a plethora of dwarf galaxies in the low density environment it has mapped. A fraction of them are unusually extended and have low surface brightness. Among these so-called ultra-diffuse galaxies, a few seem to host an excess of globular clusters (GCs). With the integral field unit spectrograph MUSE we have observed one of these galaxies – MATLAS J15052031+0148447 (MATLAS-2019) – located toward the nearby group NGC 5846 and measured its systemic velocity, age, and metallicity, and that of its GC candidates. For the stellar body of MATLAS-2019 we derive a metallicity of −1.33−0.01+0.19 dex and an age of 11.2−0.8+1.8 Gyr. For some of the individual GCs and the stacked GC population, we derive consistent ages and metallicities. From the 11 confirmed GCs and using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo approach we derived a dynamical mass-to-light ratio of 4.2−3.4+8.6 M⊙/L⊙. This is at the lower end of the luminosity-mass scaling relation defined by the Local Group dwarf galaxies. Furthermore, we could not confirm or reject the possibility of a rotational component in the GC system. If present, this would further modify the inferred mass. Follow-up observations of the GC population and of the stellar body of the galaxy are needed to assess whether this galaxy lacks dark matter, as was suggested for the pair of dwarf galaxies in the field of NGC 1052, or if this is a misinterpretation arising from systematic uncertainties of the method commonly used for these systems and the large uncertainties of the individual GC velocities.
Étude parametrique de matériaux modèles : aide au dimensionnement des ouvrages souterrains issus de mélanges sol-ciment
Authors: Helson Olivier , Eslami Javad , Beaucour Anne-Lise , Noumowe Albert , Gotteland Philippe
Published: June 2020

Le Deep Soil Mixing est une technique d’amélioration de sols dont la part de marché devient non négligeable. Les progrès technologiques dans le domaine permettent aujourd’hui d’envisager la réalisation d’ouvrages permanents. L’utilisation structurelle du matériau sol-ciment n’est cependant pas encore réglementée comme le béton avec l’Eurocode 2, ni validée par un nombre suffisant d’études de durabilité. Ces problématiques ont donc fait l’objet d’un travail de recherche au sein du laboratoire de mécanique et matériaux du génie civil (L2MGC) avec le soutien de la Fédération Nationale des Travaux Publics (FNTP) et de l’entreprise « Spie Fondations ». Cet article présente de manière synthétique le résultat des travaux expérimentaux qui ont été conduits afin de mieux comprendre l’influence des paramètres de formulation et des conditions d’exposition sur le comportement du matériau. L’étude met tout d’abord en évidence le lien entre la conductivité hydraulique du matériau et le diamètre caractéristique des pores. Des relations mathématiques sont ensuite proposées afin d’estimer les propriétés mécaniques du matériau. Puis, les propriétés résiduelles du matériau sont analysées en situation de vieillissement accéléré et à haute température.
Nonlinear geometric optics based multiscale stochastic Galerkin methods for highly oscillatory transport equations with random inputs
Authors: Crouseilles Nicolas , Jin Shi , Lemou Mohammed , Liu Liu
Published: June 2020

We develop generalized polynomial chaos (gPC) based stochastic Galerkin (SG) methods for a class of highly oscillatory transport equations that arise in semiclassical modeling of non-adiabatic quantum dynamics. These models contain uncertainties, particularly in coefficients that correspond to the potentials of the molecular system. We first focus on a highly oscillatory scalar model with random uncertainty. Our method is built upon the nonlinear geometrical optics (NGO) based method, developed in Crouseilles et al. [Math. Models Methods Appl. Sci. 23 (2017) 2031–2070] for numerical approximations of deterministic equations, which can obtain accurate pointwise solution even without numerically resolving spatially and temporally the oscillations. With the random uncertainty, we show that such a method has oscillatory higher order derivatives in the random space, thus requires a frequency dependent discretization in the random space. We modify this method by introducing a new "time" variable based on the phase, which is shown to be non-oscillatory in the random space, based on which we develop a gPC-SG method that can capture oscillations with the frequency-independent time step, mesh size as well as the degree of polynomial chaos. A similar approach is then extended to a semiclassical surface hopping model system with a similar numerical conclusion. Various numerical examples attest that these methods indeed capture accurately the solution statistics pointwisely even though none of the numerical parameters resolve the high frequencies of the solution.
Les cellules solaires ultrafines
Authors: Collin Stéphane , Cattoni Andrea
Published: June 2020

Le photovoltaïque est devenu compétitif par rapport aux autres sources d’énergie. Il reste néanmoins beaucoup de progrès technologiques possibles. Aujourd’hui, la diminution de l’épaisseur des cellules solaires peut devenir l'un des éléments clés pour développer des cellules solaires à la fois moins chères et plus efficaces. Nous proposons une revue de l’état de l’art des cellules solaires ultrafines, des stratégies pour marier nanophotonique et photovoltaïque, et des perspectives offertes par la démonstration récente de cellules solaires de près de 20 % d’efficacité et seulement de 200 nm d’épaisseur.
The Great Masquerader: Tuberculosis Presenting as Community-Acquired Pneumonia
Authors: Dheda Keertan , Makambwa Edson , Esmail Aliasgar
Published: June 2020

According to World Health Organization estimates, tuberculosis (TB) and lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are both among the top 10 global causes of death. TB and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), if mortality estimates are combined, would rank as the third most common cause of death globally. It is estimated that each year there are approximately 10 million new cases of TB that are associated with approximately 1.2 million deaths, and almost 450 million new episodes of LRTI (synonymous with CAP) with approximately 4 million associated deaths. Globally, Streptococcus pneumoniae remains the most common cause of CAP. However, although well documented, it is not widely appreciated that in several parts of the world, including sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and South America, Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an important cause of CAP, if not the most common organism isolated in such settings. Thus, CAP due to M. tuberculosis is not uncommon in some parts of the world with up to a third of cases being attributable to M. tuberculosis. Consequently, TB remains an important clinical entity in the intensive care unit in these settings. Despite its frequency and importance, there are very limited data about TB CAP. In this review we discussed the epidemiology, immunopathogenesis, clinical presentation, diagnosis, management, prognosis, and prevention of TB CAP. The utility of newer diagnostic approaches is highlighted.
Laparoscopic Vascular Hitch for Polar Vessels in Pyeloureteric Junction Obstruction: Medium-Term Follow-up of a Monocentric Experience
Authors: Al-Emadi Ibrahim , Juricic Mélodie , Mouttalib Sofia , Galinier Philippe , Bouali Ourdia , Abbo Olivier
Published: June 2020

Introduction To evaluate medium-term results of the management of patients with pyeloureteric junction obstruction (PUJO) secondary to lower pole vessels managed by a laparoscopic vascular hitch technique.

Materials and Methods We performed a retrospective monocentric study of all patients who were operated using this technique, transperitoneal laparoscopy (TL) or robotic surgery (RS), from 2011 to 2018. Description of the initial population, pre- and postoperative data was collected and analyzed.

Results During the study period, 25 patients (11 males and 14 females) with a mean age of 11.1 years were managed. Initial symptoms leading to the diagnosis were present in 21 children (lumbar pain 17, high blood pressure 1, and infection 3). Four patients were diagnosed incidentally (three) or following a prenatal screening (one). The diagnostic has been confirmed in all patients by ultrasound scan completed by computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging scans. Twenty-one patients were operated by TL and four by RS. Mean operating time was 90.2 minutes. Three immediate postoperative complications were noticed including one urinary tract infection, one urinary tract rupture, and one postoperative massive dilatation. After a mean follow-up of 3 1.5 years, 17 patients remain asymptomatic. Mean pelvic diameter was preoperatively 35 mm and postoperatively 10.5 mm (p < 0.005). Of the eight remaining patients, six required reoperation (pyeloplasty) and two remained symptomatic with recurrent flank pain.

Conclusion In our experience, PUJO managed by the vascular hitch technique is associated with a 68% success rate after a 3-year follow-up. These results are different from the current literature which reported success rate of 96% after 52 months. It leads us to question the efficiency of this technique in the long term in our hands both concerning the indications and the surgical procedure itself. Further studies are required to collect data concerning the evolution of our patients during adulthood to compare their evolution to classic pyeloplasty.
Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with the Bladder Exstrophy-Epispadias Complex and Relationship to Incontinence and Sexual Factors: A Review of the Recent Literature
Authors: Holmdahl Gundela , Dellenmark-Blom Michaela , Nordenskjöld Agneta , Sjöström Sofia
Published: June 2020

The bladder exstrophy-epispadia complex (BEEC) includes malformations with midline closing defects of the lower abdomen and external genitalia. Long-term consequences with urinary incontinence and sexual dysfunction, in spite of multiple surgical interventions, are common and expected to affect the patient's health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The extent and the predictive factors are, however, not known. New patient-reported outcome research is emerging, but valid and reliable condition-specific HRQOL are still missing. The aim of this review is to summarize and discuss the latest published reports (2015–2019) on HRQOL in patients with the BEEC and its relationship to incontinence and sexual factors.
Invention, Innovation, and Imitation in India—Necessity Arising from the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Mathew Joseph L. , Mathew T. Lazar
Published: June 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has stimulated tremendous innovation in India, driven by unprecedented novel needs, sense of urgency, availability of time during the lockdown, funding by Government agencies, and accelerated processing of projects. Therefore, the country has witnessed widespread innovation and imitation of existing technologies in recent weeks, but very few inventions. One novel invention, the Artificial Breathing Capability Device (ABCD) is being speeded up by the current necessity. Other innovations and imitations include (i) healthcare devices/products intended for diagnosis, management, or monitoring of suspected/confirmed COVID-19 patients (in healthcare institutions); (ii) improvisations in personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline healthcare workers and other personnel (including the public); (iii) adaptation of information technology platforms for telehealth, telemedicine, telemonitoring, and tele-education; and (iv) repurposing of existing resources/technologies for COVID-19. Some fruits of these efforts include (i) respiratory support devices (by mechanization of manual ventilation, ventilator splitters, etc.), (ii) personal protective equipment (PPE) (novel face masks, face shields/splash guards, intubation boxes, aerosol guards, etc.), (iii) novel sanitization products, processes or deployment methods, (iv) diagnostic tests (including rapid antibody tests, polymerase chain reaction [PCR] methods, and loop-mediated isothermal amplification [LAMP]), and (v) various adaptations such as repurposing and retrofitting of existing technologies aligned to the needs of COVID-19. These innovations and imitations have laudable features such as extremely rapid development of products (not merely concepts or prototypes); collaboration among individuals, institutions, and industry; willingness of players to work outside traditional comfort zones; and teamwork among stakeholders. Social media and lay press publicity create a sense of achievement and hope in a nation bogged down by the realities of COVID-19. However, these positive developments are associated with unique problems, especially duplication of effort, disregard of intellectual property (IP) issues, unhealthy competition amongst institutions, and failure to consider the needs for which solutions are proposed. The haste for developing products has bypassed the important steps of peer review, laboratory testing, and clinical validation to ensure the safety and efficacy of end users. These unintended side effects of the innovation race can be overcome by coordinated efforts through an innovation pathway proposed in this article under a broader innovation ecosystem.
Pediatric COVID-19: The Silent Spreaders are Not so Silent Anymore
Authors: Dewan Pooja , Gupta Piyush
Published: June 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has been an enigma to all. Contrary to the initial perception that the novel coronavirus spares most kids, evidence has been emerging that children including neonates and infants are also infected. The clinical presentation in the pediatric age group has been reported as often atypical. Given the fact that children could be carriers of this deadly virus and hence act as spreaders, the need to recognize pediatric COVID-19 seems imminent.
Versatile Colorimetric Chemosensor Based on Bis(rhodamine) B Hydrazone for Rapid Detection of Multi-Analytes (Fe3+, Bi3+, Cu2+, and Hg2+) in Aqueous Media
Authors: El Malah Tamer , Nour Hany F.
Published: June 2020

A new bis(rhodamine) B hydrazone L, bearing two rhodamine chromophores, has been designed and synthesised in 70% yield. The chemical structure of the new ligand L was characterised using different spectroscopic techniques. The receptor L was utilised for rapid ‘naked eye’ detection of Fe3+, Bi3+, Cu2+, and Hg2+ in THF–H2O (1:1, v/v) by displaying significant colour changes. The mechanism of detection of metal ions was based on the ring-opening of the spirolactam rings of L upon recognition. UV/Vis spectrometry was employed to investigate L–metal ion interactions in THF–H2O (1:1, v/v). The stoichiometries of the complexes were determined using Job’s method, which revealed 1:2L–metal ion stoichiometries in the case of L–(Fe3+/Bi3+/Hg2+) complexes, while a 1:1L–metal ion stoichiometry was recognised for the L–Cu2+ complex. 1H NMR spectroscopy was applied to study the L–metal ion interactions in DMSO-d6 and results are presented.
Humour in multimodal times
Authors: Cruz-Moya Olga , Sánchez-Moya Alfonso
Published: June 2020

WhatsApp groups have become a popular way of communication among relatives, colleagues, friends and acquaintances regardless of different backgrounds, such as culture, education or age. When conveyed in digital settings, humour is usually evoked through multimodal elements that can modify the illocutionary force of the text or send complete hilarious messages that sparkle conversations. This paper seeks to analyse the expression of humour in a WhatsApp group made up of users over 65, a cohort that has not yet attracted considerable attention from research in the field. This is part of a broader research project that aims to investigate communicative exchanges in WhatsApp groups from a cross-generational perspective.
Emojis and the performance of humour in everyday electronically-mediated conversation
Authors: Sampietro Agnese
Published: June 2020

Emojis are little pictographs commonly added to electronic messages on several social media platforms. Besides being considered as a way to express emotions in electronically-mediated communication (EMC), similarly to ASCII emoticons, emojis are strictly involved in the performance of humour in everyday digital conversation. Drawing on a corpus of casual Whats­App dyadic chats, this paper analyses the contribution of emojis to humour in conversation. Results show that these pictographs not only help to signal the opening and closing of the play frame, but also to respond to humour, graphically reproducing laughter. For these purposes, the most common emojis employed by Whats­App users are the popular yellow smiling and laughing faces. Nevertheless, other pictographs are also involved in electronic humour, as less common emojis can be used in playful ways by themselves.
Greek migrant jokes online
Authors: Archakis Argiris , Tsakona Villy
Published: June 2020

This study adheres to critical humor studies investigating how humor targeting the migrant ‘Other’ may reproduce
social inequalities in the form of racist stereotypes. We examine two datasets of online migrant-targeting jokes from two
different time periods in Greece. Our first collection of jokes comes from the period 1990–2010, i.e., when Greece, enjoying
financial prosperity, received mostly Albanian migrants, while the second one comes from 2014 onwards, i.e., when Greece, facing a
severe financial crisis, received mostly Muslim migrants. Our analysis shows that the local sociopolitical context plays a
significant role in shaping the ways migrants are humorously represented and targeted: the incongruities identified in the first
dataset are different from those of the second. In both cases, however, migrant-targeting jokes seem to reinforce national
homogenization by circulating racist stereotypes for migrants in a light-hearted manner and by naturalizing the latter’s
marginalization and/or assimilation.
Is giving better than receiving?
Authors: Martin Ines A. , Sippel Lieselotte
Published: June 2020

This study investigated the effects of teacher and peer corrective feedback on pronunciation development, with a
special focus on whether providing or receiving peer feedback on pronunciation is more beneficial for L2 production skills.
Participants included 96 L2 learners of German. They were assigned to one of three experimental groups or a control group. After
general pronunciation training on a segmental and a suprasegmental feature, the teacher group received feedback from a teacher,
the provider group gave feedback to peers, and the receiver group listened to feedback from peers. The control group received
neither pronunciation training nor feedback. Results from native speaker comprehensibility ratings of learners’ productions
indicated that while all groups outperformed the control group, both the teacher and the provider group improved more than the
receiver group. In addition, the provider group had a slight edge over the teacher group. Theoretical and pedagogical implications
of these findings are discussed.
The Narrative Dimensions Model and an exploration of various narrative genres
Authors: Van De Mieroop Dorien
Published: June 2020

In the last few decades, the analytical scope of narrative studies has widened from a sole focus on “prototypical” narratives of personal experience to a wide variety of narrative genres. However interesting this may be, there are also some problems with these genres as there is not only sometimes considerable overlapbetweendifferent genres, but there are also differenceswithinthese genres. Furthermore, real-life stories often consist of a mix of various genres, which makes applying genre-labels to these narratives problematic. Hence, instead of making such genre classifications, I propose an abstract “Narrative Dimensions Model” to tease out the relevant characteristics of and differences between various types of narratives. This model consists of two three-dimensional clusters, viz., one revolving around the narrator and containing the dimensions of ownership, authorship and tellership, and one revolving around the narrated events, containing the dimensions of frequency, time and evaluation. I illustrate this by a theoretical exploration of various narrative genres and I conclude by sketching the advantages of conceptualizing and scrutinizing narratives by means of this model.
Ecology of industrial pollution in China
Authors: Yuan Jingjing , Lu Yonglong , Wang Chenchen , Cao Xianghui , Chen Chunci , Cui Haotian , Zhang Meng , Wang Cong , Li Xiaoqian , Johnson Andrew C. , Sweetman Andrew J. , Du Di
Published: June 2020

Industrial development has brought China both opportunities and challenges since the reform and opening up in 1978. Spatial and temporal analysis showed that rapid industrialization has made eastern China under a more serious pollution stress. The most serious effects of industrial pollution were reflected in aquatic and soil ecosystem degradation, and damage can be observed from species, population, and community to ecosystem level. Public consciousness about contaminated sites rose from 2004 leading to greater efforts in ecological remediation, monitoring, and risk governance. Considerable efforts are still needed in expanding the extent and breadth of monitoring to explore where the greatest ecological risks lie and how to control them. Ecology of industrial pollution has become a popular discipline in China and will be further developed to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Future research for a better ecological risk management should be focused on multi-media transfer and effects of mixed pollutants, mechanisms for clean energy and material flow, and integration of ecological risk with human health risk.
Performance and characteristics of digestive tract organs given Indigofera zollingeriana leaf meal and turmeric (Curcuma domestica) on Japanese quail
Authors: Purwanti S , Agustina L , Siswoyo A , Ahmadi I
Published: June 2020

Feed material that can be used as a substitute for soybean meal for quail livestock, one of which is Indigofera zollingeriana flour which has a crude protein content of 22-29% and turmeric added as natural antibiotics can increase quail performance. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Indigofera zollingeriana top leaf meal as substitution of soybean meal and turmeric added as a substitute for antibiotic on quail performance and the characteristics of the optimal digestive system. One hundred and sixty Japanese quail (Coturnix-coturnix japonica), at 7 weeks old were used in this study and kept in insulation cages. A randomized completely design was applied with four dietary treatments and five replications. Control diet, without Indigofera zollingeriana top leaf meal and turmeric meal (P0), Substitute 6% soybean meal protein with 10% Indigofera zollingeriana top leaf meal and 2,5% turmeric meal (P1), Substitute 9% soybean meal protein with 15 % Indigofera zollingeriana top leaf meal and 2,5% turmeric meal (P2), Substitute 12% soybean meal protein with 20 % Indigofera zollingeriana top leaf meal and 2,5% turmeric meal. The ration used was isoprotein (20%) and isoenergy (2800 kcal kg-1). Variable observed were feed intake, body weight gain, feed conversion, carcass percentages and the length and weight of the digestive tract. The result of this study was no significant among treatments (P>0.05) for feed intake, feed conversion, carcass percentages and digestive tract organs. However, body weight gains significant increased (P<0.05) were P2 not deferent with P0, P1, and P3, but P1 and P3 different bigger than P0. The conclusion of this study was substitute soybean meal protein with Indigofera zollingeriana top leaf meal and turmeric meal can increased quail body weight gain.
Growth characteristic of dwarf napiergrass on mixed cropping system at established year
Authors: Churriyah A N , Utamy R F , Hasan S
Published: June 2020

Increasing of productivity of dwarf napiergrass as ruminant feed could be conducted with a mixed cropping system with legume such as centro. The objective of this study was to determine the growth character of dwarf napiergrass mixed cropping with centro. The research was carried out for 4 months, by 5 treatments and 4 replications so that it requires 20 plots. The treatment consisted of 100% of dwarf napiergrass as P1; 70% of dwarf napiergrass and 30% centro as P2; 50% of dwarf napiergrass and 50% centro as P3; 30% of dwarf napiergrass and 70% centro as P4; and 100% of centro as P5, respectively. The results showed that the treatments had not significant effect (p>0.05) neither on growth character of dwarf napiergrass and centro, nor chlorophyll. Nevertheless, the treatment showed a tendency increased of plant growth by the increased of measurement interval, not only in dwarf napiergrass but also in centro.
The effect of katuk (Sauropus androgynus) and gamal (Gliricidia sepium) supplementation on the dry matter digestibility, organic matter digestibility, and milk quality of Friesian Holstein
Authors: Syawal S , Garantjang S , Natsir A , Ako A
Published: June 2020

This study aims to determine the effect of katuk and gamal supplementation on dry matter digestibility, organic matter digestibility, and dairy milk quality of Friesian Holstein. This study was conducted at the Dairy Farm in Enrekang Regency. Sixteen heads of Friesian Holstein dairy cows having body weight ranged between 350 and 400 kg were randomly assigned to one of four treatment diets according to a completely randomized design (CRD). The number of replication for each treatment was four giving the total number of the experimental unit of 16. The treatments were supplementation of the ration consisted of forages (60%), concentrate (25%), and gamal leaves (15%) with either 0 g (P0), 135 g (P1), 155 g (P2), or 175 g (P3) of katuk. The results of the study indicated that supplementation of a ration containing Gamal (Gliricidia sepium) with different levels of katuk (Sauropus androgynus) significantly influenced the digestibility of dry matter and organic matter as well as the milk quality. Among the treatments, the P2 treatment (katuk supplementation of 155 g/d) showed the highest significant effects on improving the feed digestibility of the ration and the quality of milk.
The potential of the legume types in the quality and economic value of Nitrogen of Setaria anceps Stapf
Authors: Rinduwati  , Mujnisa A
Published: June 2020

The study aimed to identify the effect of legume types on the biomass, protein content, and economic value of nitrogen in Setaria ancpes Stapf and legume intercropping. The research site was in Makassar. This study employed Completely Randomized Design consisting of 5 groups. The experimental land area of 408 m2 (17 x 24m) was divided into 25 plots (each 3 x 4 m). The used forages in this study were Setaria ancpes Stapf, Centrosema pubescens, Clitoria ternatea and Dioclea quanensis. The treatments in this study were L0: Setaria ancpes Stapf; L1: Setaria ancpes Stapf + Centrosema pubscens; L2: Setaria ancpes Stapf + Clitoria ternatea; L3: Setaria ancpes Stapf + Dicolea quanensis; L4: Urea fertilizer (20 kg N/ha). The study indicated the legume-grass intercropping in Setaria ancpes Stapf may result in the increased protein content and forage biomass. Clitoria ternatea contributed higher economic value of nitrogen compared to Centrosema pubescens and Dioclea quanensis.
The rice bran potential as local feed ingredient to support poultry feed mill development in Sidenreng Rappang regency, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
Authors: Yamin A A , Ridwan M , Purwanti S , Syamsu J A
Published: June 2020

Rice bran is one of important ingredients in chicken diet as protein and energy sources. It accounts for 15 – 30% in chicken diet. Rice bran has great potential to be used as feed ingredient in tropical country. However, the data of rice bran potential in many areas are not available yet. The aim of this study was to observe the potential of rice bran in Sidenreng Rappang regency as local feed ingredient. This study used descriptive method and analyzed by simple statistical analysis. The sampling locations were five rice milling units according to production capacity. Production capacity, milling process, quantity of end and by-product were observed in this study to obtain the data of rice bran production as primary data. Harvested area and rice grain production were obtained from BPS (Statistics Indonesia) as secondary data. The results showed that milling process of rice grain was producing 60.35% of rice, 0.004% of broken rice, 6.54% of rice bran, and 33.09% of husk. Based on the data of rice grain production (667,523 ton), it could be estimated that rice bran production was 43,656 ton in Sidenreng Rappang. The highest rice bran production was in Pitu Riawa district (6,553.21 ton) and the lowest rice bran production was in Tellu Limpoe (2,071.47 ton).