bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Monocular VO Based on Deep Siamese Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Wang Hongjian , Ban Xicheng , Ding Fuguang , Xiao Yao , Zhou Jiajia
Published: March 2020

Deep learning-based visual odometry systems have shown promising performance compared with geometric-based visual odometry systems. In this paper, we propose a new framework of deep neural network, named Deep Siamese convolutional neural network (DSCNN), and design a DL-based monocular VO relying on DSCNN. The proposed DSCNN-VO not only considers positive order information of image sequence but also focuses on the reverse order information. It employs supervised data-driven training without relying on any modules in traditional visual odometry algorithm to make the DSCNN to learn the geometry information between consecutive images and estimate a six-DoF pose and recover trajectory using a monocular camera. After the DSCNN is trained, the output of DSCNN-VO is a relative pose. Then, trajectory is recovered by translating the relative pose to the absolute pose. Finally, compared with other DL-based VO systems, we demonstrate the proposed DSCNN-VO achieve a more accurate performance in terms of pose estimation and trajectory recovering through experiments. Meanwhile, we discuss the loss function of DSCNN and find a best scale factor to balance the translation error and rotation error.
Association between lncRNA GAS5, MEG3, and PCAT-1 Polymorphisms and Cancer Risk: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Dong Xiaoyan , Gao Wenyan , LV Xiaoling , Wang Yazhen , Wu Qing , Yang Zhouxin , Mao Genxiang , Xing Wenmin
Published: March 2020

Purpose. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been widely studied, and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in lncRNAs are considered to be genetic factors that influence cancer susceptibility. The lncRNA GAS5, MEG3, and PCAT-1 polymorphisms are shown to be possibly associated with cancer risk. The aim of this meta-analysis was to systematically evaluate this association. Methods. Studies were selected from PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM) through inclusion and exclusion criteria. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using the random-effects model or fixed-effects model to assess the association between lncRNA polymorphisms and cancer susceptibility. Metaregression and publication bias analyses were also conducted. All analyses were performed using the Stata 12.0 software. Results. Sixteen articles (covering 13750 cases and 17194 controls) were included in this meta-analysis. A significant association between SNP rs145204276 and gastric cancer risk was observed (del vs. ins: OR=0.79, 95%CI=0.72‐0.86; del/del vs. ins/ins+del/ins: OR=0.74, 95%CI=0.59‐0.91; del/ins vs. ins/ins: OR=0.84, 95%CI=0.67‐1.05). For rs16901904, a decreased cancer risk was observed in three genetic models (C vs. T: OR=0.79, 95%CI=0.70‐0.90; CC vs. CT+TT: OR=0.49, 95%CI=0.37‐0.65; CC vs. TT: OR=0.49, 95%CI=0.37‐0.66). No statistical significance was found in the metaregression analysis. For all of the included SNPs, no publication bias was found in all genotype models. Conclusions. The rs145204276 SNP in lncRNA GAS5 is likely to be associated with gastric cancer risk, whereas the rs16901904 SNP in lncRNA PCAT-1 bears association with a decreased cancer risk.
Domestic Groundwater Quality in the Northern Governorates of the West Bank, Palestine
Authors: Hejaz Banan , Al-Khatib Issam A. , Mahmoud Nidal
Published: March 2020

Like several parts in the Middle East, the West Bank is in a significant water scarcity status. Palestinians use groundwater as the main water source, supplying more than 90% of the consumed water in the West Bank. The aim of this study is to enhance the knowledge on drinking water quality in the West Bank. Groundwater quality data was obtained from the Palestinian Water Authority, including the years 2015 and 2016, from the Northern six districts of the West Bank. The water quality data were analyzed and matched with the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines and the Palestinian standards for drinking water quality. The findings of this study revealed that groundwater in the north of the West Bank comply with several drinking water requirements including total hardness, pH, and sodium and chloride content. Conversely, 18% of the samples exceed the limits for nitrate concentration. The fecal Coliforms and total Coliforms results show that 98.7% of the samples give no risk, but 1.3% of the samples give low risk, and no sample gives intermediate-to-high risks. The microbial and chemical pollution of groundwater is postulated to inadequate wastewater management, high use of fertilizers, and uncontrolled disposal of animal manure. Therefore, it is crucial to disinfect drinking water at the source of production before supply as an immediate action, followed by implementing pollution prevention measures.
Decode Brain System: A Dynamic Adaptive Convolutional Quorum Voting Approach for Variable-Length EEG Data
Authors: Xu Tao , Zhou Yun , Hou Zekai , Zhang Wenlan
Published: March 2020

The brain is a complex and dynamic system, consisting of interacting sets and the temporal evolution of these sets. Electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings of brain activity play a vital role to decode the cognitive process of human beings in learning research and application areas. In the real world, people react to stimuli differently, and the duration of brain activities varies between individuals. Therefore, the length of EEG recordings in trials gathered in the experiment is variable. However, current approaches either fix the length of EEG recordings in each trial which would lose information hidden in the data or use the sliding window which would consume large computation on overlapped parts of slices. In this paper, we propose TOO (Traverse Only Once), a new approach for processing variable-length EEG trial data. TOO is a convolutional quorum voting approach that breaks the fixed structure of the model through convolutional implementation of sliding windows and the replacement of the fully connected layer by the 1 × 1 convolutional layer. Each output cell generated from 1 × 1 convolutional layer corresponds to each slice created by a sliding time window, which reflects changes in cognitive states. Then, TOO employs quorum voting on output cells and determines the cognitive state representing the entire single trial. Our approach provides an adaptive model for trials of different lengths with traversing EEG data of each trial only once to recognize cognitive states. We design and implement a cognitive experiment and obtain EEG data. Using the data collecting from this experiment, we conducted an evaluation to compare TOO with a state-of-art sliding window end-to-end approach. The results show that TOO yields a good accuracy (83.58%) at the trial level with a much lower computation (11.16%). It also has the potential to be used in variable signal processing in other application areas.
Positive Solutions for a Singular Superlinear Fourth-Order Equation with Nonlinear Boundary Conditions
Authors: Yan Dongliang
Published: March 2020

We show the existence of positive solutions for a singular superlinear fourth-order equation with nonlinear boundary conditions. u⁗x=λhxfux, x∈0,1,u0=u′0=0,u″1=0, u⁗1+cu1u1=0, where λ > 0 is a small positive parameter, f:0,∞⟶ℝ is continuous, superlinear at ∞, and is allowed to be singular at 0, and h: [0, 1] ⟶ [0, ∞) is continuous. Our approach is based on the fixed-point result of Krasnoselskii type in a Banach space.
Elasticity Solutions for Sandwich Arches considering Permeation Effect of Adhesive
Authors: Huo Ruili , Liu Yichen , Wu Peng , Fang Hai , Liu Weiqing , Zhou Ding
Published: March 2020

In this work, analytical solution of simply supported sandwich arches considering permeation effect of adhesives is presented. The permeation layer is described by the functionally graded material, exponentially graded in the radial direction. The stresses and deformations of each layer are based on the two-dimensional (2D) elasticity theory in the polar coordinate. The governing equations of the arch are solved by the layer-wise method, which turns the differential equations with variable coefficients into constant coefficients. The solution can be obtained efficiently by means of the recursive matrix method, especially for the arch with many layers. The present solution agrees well with the finite element solution with a fine mesh, while the finite element method is time consuming in mesh division and calculation. The one-dimensional (1D) solution based on the Euler–Bernoulli theory is close to the present one; however, the error increases as the arch becomes thick. The effect of permeation layer thickness on the stresses is studied. It is indicated that the stress distributions tend to be smooth along the radial direction as the permeation layer thickness increases.
Modeling and Simulation of Opinion Natural Reversal Dynamics with Opinion Leader Based on HK Bounded Confidence Model
Authors: Xiao Renbin , Yu Tongyang , Hou Jundong
Published: March 2020

Opinion natural reversals are important and common phenomena in network management. It is a naturally emerging process of opinions characterized by interactions between individuals and the evolution of attitudes themselves. To explore the underlying mechanism of this social phenomenon and to reveal its dynamic traits, we propose here a novel model which takes the effects of natural reversal parameter and opinion interaction on the individual’s view choice behavior into account based on the Hegselmann and Krause (HK) bounded confidence model. Experimental results show that the evolution of individual opinions is not only influenced by the interactions between neighboring individuals but also updated naturally due to individual factors themselves in the absence of interaction, which in turn proves that the proposed model can provide a reasonable description of the entire process of public opinion natural reversal under the Internet environment. Besides, the proportion of group opinion tendency, network topology, identification method, and the influence weight of opinion leader will play significant roles in this process, which further indicates our improved model is very robust and thus can provide some insightful evidence to understand the phenomena of opinion natural reversal.
The Impact of Oxygen at Various Stages of Vinification on the Chemical Composition and the Antioxidant and Sensory Properties of White and Red Wines
Authors: Tarko Tomasz , Duda-Chodak Aleksandra , Sroka Paweł , Siuta Małgorzata
Published: March 2020

The purpose of this review was to collect and systematize information on the role and importance of oxygen in winemaking. Both the positive and negative effects of oxygen are presented and discussed throughout the text. The review characterizes the subsequent stages of the wine production process, during which oxygen comes into contact with fruits, must, and finally wine. The impact of oxygen on the growth and metabolism of yeast, on the activity of enzymes, and on the final quality of wine was presented. The discussion of the effect of oxygen presence on the taste, aroma, colour, and stability contains a detailed description of changes of volatile compounds, polyphenols, and other important components of wine that take place in the presence of oxygen in both white and red wines. New techniques based on the use of oxygen to obtain the desired sensory characteristics of wine were also presented.
Ambroxol Improves Neuronal Survival and Reduces White Matter Damage through Suppressing Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Microglia after Intracerebral Hemorrhage
Authors: Jiang Xuheng , Zhang Ji , Kou Bojin , Zhang Chao , Zhong Jun , Fang Xuanyu , Huang Xiaofei , Zhang Xiaojun , Xie Fangke , Hu Quan , Ge Hongfei , Yu Anyong
Published: March 2020

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) has been becoming a serious public health problem. Pneumonia, occurring in 43% of all ICH patients, is a common complication heavily influencing outcome and accounting for more than 1/3 of the overall mortality in patients with ICH. Ambroxol may be an effective additional treatment for ICH patients with pneumonia. But its effect and potential mechanism on functional recovery post‐ICH still remain elusive. In the present study, the results indicated that 35 mg/kg and 70 mg/kg ambroxol facilitated neuronal survival and reduced white matter fiber bundle damage due to mitigating microglial activation and reducing proinflammatory cytokine accumulation in mice with ICH. The possible mechanism might be due to suppressing endoplasmic reticulum stress involving the IRE1α/TRAF2 signaling pathway, which paves a new path for the treatment of ICH and opens a new window for the use of ambroxol in clinical practice.
Infinitely Many Coexisting Attractors in No-Equilibrium Chaotic System
Authors: Lai Qiang , Kamdem Kuate Paul Didier , Pei Huiqin , Fotsin Hilaire
Published: March 2020

This paper proposes a new no-equilibrium chaotic system that has the ability to yield infinitely many coexisting hidden attractors. Dynamic behaviors of the system with respect to the parameters and initial conditions are numerically studied. It shows that the system has chaotic, quasiperiodic, and periodic motions for different parameters and coexists with a large number of hidden attractors for different initial conditions. The circuit and microcontroller implementations of the system are given for illustrating its physical meaning. Also, the synchronization conditions of the system are established based on the adaptive control method.
Improved Chaotic Quantum-Behaved Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm for Fuzzy Neural Network and Its Application
Authors: Peng Yuexi , Lei Kejun , Yang Xi , Peng Jinzhang
Published: March 2020

Traditional fuzzy neural network has certain drawbacks such as long computation time, slow convergence rate, and premature convergence. To overcome these disadvantages, an improved quantum-behaved particle swarm optimization algorithm is proposed as the learning algorithm. In this algorithm, a new chaotic search is introduced, and benchmark function experiments prove it outperforms the other five existing algorithms. Finally, the proposed algorithm is presented as the learning algorithm for Takagi–Sugeno fuzzy neural network to form a new neural network, and it is utilized in the water quality evaluation of Dongjiang Lake of Hunan province. Simulation results demonstrated the effectiveness of the new neural network.
A Genealogy of Inelegant Art
Authors: Jenkins Gary W.
Published: March 2020

In 1567 a short Hungarian treatise employing eight woodcuts attacked the doctrine of the Trinity, using the woodcuts to show the enormity of Trinitarian doctrine through the abuses these woodcuts ostensibly represented. But the tract was far more than the woodcuts and their descriptions, but as well contained several swipes at the character of the Trinity as a uniquely Christian doctrine. This essay gives a translation of the tract along with an introduction and commentary on its sources (historical, pictorial, and theological), and the significance of the tract in the history of Antitrinitarianism.
Confraternal Charity in Early Modern Malta
Authors: Ciappara Frans
Published: March 2020

This article has two main aims. It shows that the members of confraternities gained merit by dispensing the works of corporal mercy identified in Matthew 25, 42–43; their almsgiving made them pleasing to God and reduced their days in purgatory. Charity, though, is beneficial both to the donor and the receiver. The poor are helped materially in their indigence but the basic welfare, with which the brothers of companies provide them, preserves them from sin, imperiled by the ignorance that poverty brings. The article is based on several sources but especially on the archives of the confraternities. If most of them are today defunct, their records are on the whole well-kept.
Lead Us Not into Temptation, but Deliver Us from Evil
Authors: Veerman Pieter , Moehn Wim
Published: March 2020

This article investigates the three earliest sermons in the Dutch language (1588–1676) on Q&A 127 of the Heidelberg Catechism (HC). It provides insight into the early reception of a catechism from which generations of believers in the Netherlands received instruction. The authors analyze how and to what extent these sermons incorporate the text, theology, and spirituality of the Palatinate textbook for believers who (only) speak the vernacular. They note that this is done in an independent and creative way. Contrary to the HC, the selected sermons thoroughly explore the concept of temptation. The intended audience clearly influences the sermons. Theological distance from the HC arises at some important points. Now and then the influence of changing times is visible.
The Politics of Foreign Aid: Impact of Superpowers’ Economic Assistance on India and Pakistan during the Cold War
Authors: Mohan Surinder , Lobo J. Susanna
Published: March 2020

This article traces the impact of superpowers’ foreign aid on India and Pakistan during the early decades of the Cold War. It shows how the American policy-makers have drawn their initial strategies to bring India under the Western fold and later, when the Indian leadership resisted by adopting the foreign policy non-alignment, charted a new approach to keep it at an adequate distance from the Soviet influence—particularly by exploiting its food insecurity and inability to complete the five-year plans. In contrast, the Soviet Union extended project-aid to India which assisted it to build much required large industrial base and attain self-sufficiency in the long run. By adhering to the non-aligned doctrine, India not only managed a negotiable balance with the superpower politics but also extracted considerable benefits for its overall development. On the other hand, aligned Pakistan had shown least enthusiasm with regard to self-sufficiency and pursued policies imbued with militarism which ended up it as a rent-seeking dependent state.
The Mediating Role of Citizens’ Satisfaction on the Relationship between Good Governance Practices and Public Trust in Ethiopian Local Government
Authors: Beshi Taye Demissie , Kaur Ranvinderjit
Published: March 2020

This study is intended to examine the mediating role of citizens’ overall satisfaction on the relationship between good governance practices and public trust in Ethiopian local government. It is based on quantitative research; data was obtained by distributing a survey questionnaire for 440 respondents. The usable questionnaires response rate was 81 percent (n = 357). The study was informed by the institutional theory of trust. The data was then analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (sem). The study findings indicated that citizens’ overall satisfaction had a full mediating role on the relationship between perceived transparency and public trust in local government. However, citizens’ overall satisfaction partially mediates the relationship between perceived accountability, perceived responsiveness, perceived public participation, and public trust in local government. It was further noted that citizens’ overall satisfactions have had no mediating role on the relationship between perceived rule of law and public trust in local government. This meant that the perceived rule of law has a direct relation with public trust in local government.
Water Access in Changing Climate in Bangladesh: A Study of Social Impacts on Women Who Manage Household Water
Authors: Islam M. Rafiqul
Published: March 2020

Access to water depends on the availability of water but climate change impact such as sea level rise, increase frequency and intensity of cyclone, floods, and erratic rainfall reduces the availability of water by either polluting water sources or damaging water supply and management infrastructure. Women are the worst victims of climate change regarding water access as they are primarily responsible for managing water for the household. This study focuses on how climate change is responsible for reducing water access and subsequently bear on women in addressing the water crisis problem. The study found that women face challenges in access to water that affect them in terms of less time, physical and mental health problems, sexual assault/harassment, violence in the household, reduce their income, children’s education, early marriage, divorce, and make more difficult to perform their responsibility. Initiatives should be taken to enhance water access for women on a priority basis.
Links between climate, drought and minimum wood density in conifers
Authors: Camarero J. Julio , Hevia Andrea
Published: March 2020

As the global climate warms, increased aridity is expected to become a major determinant of forest productivity and tree growth. In gymnosperms, wood density quantified at seasonal to annual scales can be related to changes in tracheid lumen size due to alterations in soil water availability. In this way, minimum wood density (MND) has been shown to respond negatively to early growing-season precipitation in several conifers because dry conditions reduce tracheid lumen size and consequently increase MND. We investigated if this relationship between spring precipitation and MND applies to four conifer species (Abies alba, Pinus sylvestris, Pinus nigra, Juniperus thurifera) in NE Spain from mesic (A. alba, P. sylvestris) to xeric (P. nigra, J. thurifera) conditions. We further assessed how climate, precipitation, and drought-affected tree-ring width (TRW) and MND at several time scales to test if water shortage in spring increases MND and decreases TRW over time and seasonally. Lastly, we quantified the post-drought MND recovery. We found the strongest negative correlations between MND and spring precipitation in P. nigra followed by J. thurifera. In these two species, the associations between MND and 9-month long droughts peaked in early spring (P. nigra, ; J. thurifera, ). Juniperus thurifera presented a better post-drought recovery (decrease in MND), followed by P. nigra and P. sylvestris. We conclude that MND is a reliable and accurate proxy of drought severity during spring in conifers subjected to seasonal water shortage. MND can be used as an early-warning indicator of short- and long-term changes in the responses of trees to water shortage.
A Novel Nanoimprint Lithography Thiol-ene Resist for Sub-70 nm Nanostructures
Authors: Zhang Man , Xia Liang-Ping , Dang Sui-Hu , Cao A-Xiu , Deng Qi-Ling , Du Chun-Lei
Published: March 2020

In this paper, we propose a novel kind of UV click-polymerization thiol-ene copolymers as nanoimprint lithography resists for sub-70 nm resolution patterns. High-precision mold imprint and release are two of the most critical steps of nanoimprint lithography, which requires the resists
with properties of excellent conformal replication and low surface energy. Conventional UV-curable resists used in nanoimprint lithography, such as acrylate, epoxy resin, and vinyl ether, cannot satisfy all these properties requirements because they exhibit surface oxygen inhibition during
polymerization, or materials fracture and delamination during mold releasing. A novel kind of thiol-ene copolymers have been investigated in this study, which have many properties favorable for use as nanoimprint lithography resists to imprint sub-70 nm and high-aspect-ratio nanostructures.
These properties include sufficiently low viscosity and high Young's modulus, low surface energy for easy demolding, polymerization in benign ambient, and in particular, high chemical-etch resistance. These excellent properties give improve nanoimprinting results.
High-Performance Solid-State Hybrid Supercapacitors Based on One-Dimensional Nickel Sulfide Nano-Arrays and Commercial Activated Carbon
Authors: Gu Yong-Pan , Zhang Ying , Wang Meng-Yao , Huang Yu-Xin , Zhang Zi-Yi , Wei Shao-Hong , Du Wei-Min
Published: March 2020

Nano-materials with ordered structures exhibit the valuable application in the domain of supercapacitors due to the internal structural advantages. Herein, one-dimensional nickel sulfide nano-arrays were prepared by a one-pot solvothermal method. When applied as the binder-free electrodes
of supercapacitors, one-dimensional nickel sulfide nano-arrays can achieve superior electrochemical properties. It is particularly important that solidstate hybrid supercapacitors based on one-dimensional nickel sulfide nano-arrays and commercial activated carbon can achieve the areal energy
density of 0.355 mWh cm–2 and stable voltage window of 0–1.6 V. In the meantime, the current hybrid supercapacitors can deliver the outstanding working lifetimes and the higher practical value. Such exciting results demonstrates that one-dimensional nickel sulfide nano-arrays
have the wide application prospects in the field of small, lightweight, and mobile electronic products.
Cannabisin G from Sinomenium acutum Induces Apoptosis in Human Glioblastoma Cells
Authors: Zhang Dianbao , Li Chunhe , Li Bo , Wang Yu , Chen Zaixing , Xu Liang , Liu Tao
Published: March 2020

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and lethal primary malignant tumor in human central nervous system, current therapies depend on surgical resection, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The poor prognosis drives us to discover more potential natural products. Cannabisin G is a lignanamide
with different effects on different cancer cells, but its effects on GBM cells are still unclear. In this study, cannabisin G was isolated from dried stem of Sinomenium acutum (Thunb.) Rehd. et Wils. by solvent extraction and various chromatographic methods for the first time. It was
characterized by 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR. The human GBM cell U87 and U251 were used to investigate the bioactivities of cannabisin G. By CCK-8 assay, cannabisin G was found to significantly inhibit cell viabilities in a concentration-dependent manner. The cell migration was
also remarkably blocked by cannabisin G, which was determined by transwell migration assay. Further, apoptotic changes were observed in nucleus morphology upon the treatment with cannabisin G by DAPI staining. To explore the underling mechanisms, MAPKs phosphorylation was detected by western
blotting and the activation of MAPKs was found to be involved in the inhibitory effect on GBM cells. In summary, cannabisin G isolated from Sinomenium acutum (Thunb.) Rehd. et Wils. for the first time, was found to induce apoptosis in GBM cells, partly through the activation of MAPKs.
Tribological Investigation of Multilayer Graphene as Lithium Grease Additives
Authors: Li Zhan-Jun , Wang Xia , He Qiang , Du San-Ming , Pang Xian-Juan , Zhang Yong-Zhen
Published: March 2020

As an advanced antiwear and friction reducing material, graphene has been widely studied and applied in many fields. In this study, the tribological characteristics of lithium grease with multilayer graphene (MLG) additive were studied on a four-ball tester. The micro-morphologies and
elemental distributions of the wear surfaces of steel balls were identified by FESEM and EDAX. The tribological properties of grease were obviously improved by MLG additive. When the content of MLG was 0.1 wt%, the improvement effect was the best. The coefficient of friction and the wear scar
diameter (WSD) decreased by 22.6% and 9%, respectively, at 686 N and 1450 rpm as compared to the original lithium grease. Because of the layered structure of graphene along with its high strength and surface activity, a layer of lubricating film which was favorable for improving the anti-friction
and anti-wear property of the friction pair was formed on the friction surface during the friction process.
Raman-Scattering Properties of Er-Doped Alkaline Tellurite Glasses for Lasing Applications
Authors: Al Shehri Alya S. , Yousef El Sayed , Al-Salami A. E.
Published: March 2020

Alkaline tellurite glasses within composition of 65TeO2–9Nb2O5–5Li2O–15LiCl–5PbO–1.0La2O3 xEr2O3 ions doped (where x is 0, 20000, 25000 and 30000 ppm)
have been prepared by the quenching melting method. Herein, parameters such as Judd–Ofelt, Ωt (t = 2, 4, 6) has been estimated. Transfer probabilities quality factors, magnetic and electric radiative oscillator strength fluorescence are used for a number
of different excited states. Moreover, the structure of prepared glasses was investigated using Raman spectra. Physical and spectroscopic characterizations of Er3+ doped these glasses, which imply that we can fabricate them as potential candidates for optical application.
NOx Gas Sensing Properties of Fe-Doped ZnO Nanoparticles
Authors: Umar Ahmad , Alduraibi M. , Al-Dossary Omar
Published: March 2020

Herein, NOx, i.e., nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), gas sensors were fabricated using iron (Fe)-doped ZnO nanoparticles prepared via the facile hydrothermal process. The synthesized Fe-doped ZnO nanoparticles were analyzed through several techniques
that revealed the well-crystallinity and dense growth of nanoparticles with the typical diameters of 25 ± 5 nm. The synthesized nanoparticles were utilized as a prospective material for the fabrication of NOx gas sensors operating at different temperatures, i.e., 350
°C, 400 °C, and 450 °C. The detailed sensing performances revealed that the optimum and most suitable sensing temperature for the fabricated sensors is 400 °C. In presence of 10 ppm NO gas, the fabricated sensor exhibited the highest gas response of 1.35 with a response (tresponse)
and recovery (trecovery) time of 44 s and 402 s, respectively. Similarly, the fabricated NO2 gas sensor, in presence of 10 ppm gas shows the highest gas response of 1.33 with a response and recovery times of 50 s and 281 s, respectively. The presented results demonstrate
that Fe-doped ZnO nanomaterials are capable to fabricate efficient NOx gas sensors.
Research on the Mixture Ratio Test for Rubble-Built Structure Mortar Filling Construction Technology
Authors: Jiang Guo-Hui , Li Yu-Qing , Zhang Li , Jiang Senyan
Published: March 2020

Traditionally the rubble-built structures are constructed manually with low efficiency and long time consuming. It is studied in this research that the rubble-built structures are constructed with models according to designed profile. Firstly, the natural stones are piled up inside
the model and then filled with self-compacting mortar into the inter-space of the stones at certain flow rate, and at last the models are removed after the mortar get hardened, so as to form the rubble-built structures with fast and mechanical construction process. The water and cement-sand
mixture ratio for this construction process shall satisfy high flowability for flowing into the gaps of stones and also ensure the compressive strength of the structure. An indoor triangle box filling test is carried out to prove that the designed mixture ratio for filling the rubble-built
structure is feasible and to determine the optimized mortar proportioning ratio.
Preparation of Chitosan-Based Fiber Reticulated Medical Dressing and Its Application in Wound Care
Authors: Han Peiying , Ma Jie , Lin Min , Cai Xiaoyan , Fang Fang
Published: March 2020

With the continuous development of medical dressings, patients start to focus on how to take care of wounds caused by different reasons. Therefore, there is a need for medical dressings that can stop the bleeding and promote the healing of wounds with excellent biological properties.
This study produced seven different dressing samples by combining chitosan fiber and hydroentanglement technique. The different dressings were characterized and analyzed for biological properties. At the same time, 60 New Zealand rabbits were selected for wound care experiments. Respectively,
the wounds were constructed and were treated with sample 1 and sample 3, which were selected as experimental materials from the prepared dressing samples. Besides, the polyacrylate (SAP) and common gauze were taken as the control materials. Then, different dressings were used to cover the
wounds of rabbits. Three days later, the dressings were changed every few days to observe the wounds. At the same time, the wound area and wound healing scores of the sample 1 group, sample 3 group, and SAP group were counted at 7 days, 14 days and 21 days after the operations. During the
experiment, the chitosan fiber-based fiber web dressing showed excellent hygroscopicity and rigidity. For the comparison of biological properties, different samples all had excellent cell compatibility and antibacterial properties. Meanwhile, the antibacterial properties of sample 1 and sample
3 were all above 90%. For the wound care experiment, the adsorbent rate of sample 1 dressing was the fastest in the first 8 min, reaching 70% of the maximum liquid absorption. For the comparison of the wound recovery area and wound healing scores, compared with SAP and common gauze, the medical
dressings based on composite chitosan fiber-hydroentanglement technique had better wound recovery performance. This has proved that the medical dressings proposed in this study have better wound care performances.
Back pain and depressive symptoms: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Amiri Sohrab , Behnezhad Sepideh , Azad Esfandiar
Published: March 2020

Background

Low back pain is a common disorder that has many consequences. This study is an attempt to meta-analyze the risk of depression symptoms in back pain.

Method

Four databases were selected for review, and this search was conducted using key words. Eleven eligible articles were selected for review and meta-analysis was conducted. Subgroup analyses were continued with study design and the method of measuring depression. Also, the heterogeneity and publication bias were examined.

Results

Eleven cohort and cross-sectional articles are used in the meta-analysis between back pain and depressive symptoms. The odds ratio 2.07 was calculated for this relationship. In prospective-cohort studies, 1.71 (95% confidence interval = 1.24–2.36) results indicated that back pain is a risk factor for depression symptoms and in cross-sectional studies, pooled odds ratio (2.33; 95% confidence interval = 1.29–4.21) showed that back pain is associated with depression symptoms. Some degree of publication bias was not found in the study.

Conclusions

Back pain is an effective factor in increasing the likelihood of depression. Adoption of effective prevention and treatment approaches can play an important role in reducing the psychological consequences in these individuals.
Insights from sociolinguistics and translation studies for maintaining bilingualism in the home
Authors: Ezhevskaya Anya
Published: March 2020

The question of language maintenance often arises in multilingual families, be it missionary families returning to the sending country or those that have moved permanently to start a new life. Parents committed to preserving the benefits their children have as bilinguals may struggle to maintain a vibrant knowledge of their children’s first language as the family enters a new linguistic environment. To support such parents and other individuals seeking to preserve bilingualism in the home and in the immediate community, this article offers insights from related linguistic fields. The author draws on personal experience, as well as translation studies and the concept of language planning from sociolinguistics, to examine techniques to keep the language in question active.
Basic Management of Life-Threatening Emergencies: The Importance of Developing the Instrument to Assess Nonhospital Health Centers’ Preparedness
Authors: Janati Ali , Amir-Behghadami Mehrdad , Sadeghi-Bazargani Homayoun , Rahmani Farzad
Published: March 2020

We presented a commentary on published studies on the “preparedness of non-hospital centers in dealing with life-threatening emergencies” to emphasize the importance of developing, validating, and piloting an instrument to assess the preparedness of these centers when life-threatening emergencies occur in their geographic area.
Study of the Stress Distribution Around the Mini-implant During Maxillary Anterior Intrusion Under Different Conditions: A 3-Dimensional Finite Element Analysis
Authors: Thakkar Udita , Patil Neeraj S. , Thakkar Ajay P. , Chitko Shrikant S. , Jaltare Pratik
Published: March 2020

Introduction: Correction of deep bite is one of the major challenges of orthodontic treatment. Mini-implants provide stable intra-oral anchorage and facilitate the maxillary incisors to be intruded without the usual side. The purpose of this finite element study was to evaluate the stress distribution around the mini-implant during maxillary anterior intrusion under different conditions of different angulations and different positions of implant.

Material and Methods: Finite element analysis was carried out. Stress under the following 4 conditions was analyzed: (a) single central implant placed at 90°, (b) single central implant placed at 120°, (c) bilaterally placed implant at 90°, and (d) bilaterally placed implant at 120°.

Results: The displacement seen with 90° angulation in the single implant case is less compared with the 120° angulation case for all the 6 maxillary anterior teeth. Also, in the bilateral implant case, the Von Mises stress is less when the 90° angulation case is compared to 120° angulation case. But in bilaterally placed implant, the stress gets distributed evenly in the anterior region. The stress in 90° angulation cases seems to be concentrated at the center.

Conclusion: Stresses measured on the teeth are less and distributed more evenly when the point of force application is bilateral. It was also observed that the stress increases with increase in the angulation of the implant. As the contact between the implant and the bone increases, the stability increases. Hence, the implant should be obliquely inserted into the bone. Concentrated stresses are not favorable as they can increase the risk of bone and root resorption.
The Role of Emergency Radiology in COVID-19: From Preparedness to Diagnosis
Authors: Nasir Muhammad Umer , Roberts James , Muller Nestor L. , Macri Francesco , Mohammed Mohammed F. , Akhlaghpoor Shahram , Parker William , Eftekhari Arash , Rezaei Susan , Mayo John , Nicolaou Savvas
Published: March 2020

Emergency trauma radiology, although a relatively new subspecialty of radiology, plays a critical role in both the diagnosis/triage of acutely ill patients, but even more important in providing leadership and taking the lead in the preparedness of imaging departments in dealing with novel highly infectious communicable diseases and mass casualties. This has become even more apparent in dealing with COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, first emerged in late 2019. We review the symptoms, epidemiology, and testing for this disease. We discuss characteristic imaging findings of COVID-19 in relation to other modern coronavirus diseases including SARS and MERS. We discuss roles that community radiology clinics, outpatient radiology departments, and emergency radiology departments can play in the diagnosis of this disease. We review practical methods to reduce spread of infections within radiology departments.
Mirāt ul-‘Urūs on the Small Screen: Family TV Dramas and the Making of Pious Publics in Pakistan
Authors: Montpellier Elliot
Published: March 2020

This article analyses three Pakistani television adaptations of Nazir Ahmad’s novel Mirāt ul-‘Urūs to better understand the role of television dramas, an entertainment genre, in shaping pious publics. Scholarly attention to the novel, notably Shenila Khoja-Moolji’s work (2018) on the two most recent adaptations, primarily discuss feminine piety, women’s education and modes of instilling middle class values for women in these narratives. This article shifts focus to examine more broadly how dramas contend with family tensions, how they conceptualise familial duty, and how this widened focus on family provides new insights on religion in these adaptations. The article explores the concept of ‘religious-adjacent’ issues (‘ side-chizen’), a category that emerges from ethnographic fieldwork in the Pakistani television industry. This framing helps us understand not only the ways in which narratives are structured around private piety and tensions arising from familial duty, but also the changing forms of circulation and online audience engagement of these dramas, all of which play an important role in shaping religious publics in contemporary Pakistan.
Social media and moral panics: Assessing the effects of technological change on societal reaction
Authors: Walsh James P
Published: March 2020

Answering calls for deeper consideration of the relationship between moral panics and emergent media systems, this exploratory article assesses the effects of social media – web-based venues that enable and encourage the production and exchange of user-generated content. Contra claims of their empowering and deflationary consequences, it finds that, on balance, recent technological transformations unleash and intensify collective alarm. Whether generating fear about social change, sharpening social distance, or offering new opportunities for vilifying outsiders, distorting communications, manipulating public opinion, and mobilizing embittered individuals, digital platforms and communications constitute significant targets, facilitators, and instruments of panic production. The conceptual implications of these findings are considered.
Articulating infrastructure to water: Agri-culture and Google’s South Carolina data center
Authors: Gilmore James N , Troutman Bailey
Published: March 2020

This article draws from a critical discourse analysis of Google’s three-year process to gain permission to extract greater amounts of water from an aquifer in South Carolina located near one of its data centers. Through an account of this local conflict by analyzing local news coverage, we participate in ongoing academic research regarding how the conditions of media infrastructures – the otherwise banal and largely taken-for-granted facilities that help technologies like cloud storage and streaming to operate – need to be explored in terms of the particular, local conflicts that arise from major corporations like Google building infrastructure in places like Berkeley County, South Carolina. To advance this research, we offer what we call an agri-cultural approach, which emphasizes how digital culture is formed from conflicts over the relationships between natural resources like water and digital infrastructures like data centers.
Churaman and the making of the Jat state in the late 17th and early eighteenth century
Authors: Bhardwaj Suraj Bhan
Published: March 2020

During the latter half of the seventeenth and the early eighteenth centuries, the widespread practice of assigning ijāra or farming out of revenue-collection rights over territories within the jāgīrs of imperial Mughal manṣabdārs to various political entities in North India, notably the Kachhwaha Rajput chiefs of Amber, led to heavy fiscal exactions that were deeply resented by the peasants and provoked them to revolt. These revolts gave rise to a number of ambitious zamīndārs, who emerged as ‘saviours’ of peasants against the excesses of the state or were perceived as such by the peasants. Notable among such local zamīndārs was Churaman, a Jat zamīndār in the Braj region who capitalised on his popularity among the peasants and their support to mount a formidable challenge to the Mughal court and the Amber state and carve out a significant sphere of authority in North India (parts of present-day eastern Rajasthan and western Uttar Pradesh) through a combination of military successes against the Amber state, tactics of intimidation and persuasion in relation to the imperial manṣabdārs, and deft manoeuvres to exploit the intense factional politics of the late Mughal court. Drawing chiefly upon Rajasthani archival sources, this essay seeks to bring out the various dimensions of Churaman’s leadership, while tracing his rise and role as a popular Jat peasant leader, the socio-economic bases of his power, the Mughal and Rajput perceptions about him, and the crucial linkages between his role in establishing the Jats as a formidable force in North Indian politics and in the formation of a Jat state.
Partial rupture of anterior cruciate ligament: preliminary experience of selective reconstruction
Authors: Carulli Christian , Innocenti Matteo , Roselli Giuliana , Sirleo Luigi , Matassi Fabrizio , Innocenti Massimo
Published: March 2020

Background

Partial lesions of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are more common than is generally thought, accounting for about 10–12% of ACL injuries. Selective reconstruction may be considered as an option in isolated bundle rupture. The purpose of this study is to evaluate both subjective and objective clinical results, as well as functional recovery time, after selective arthroscopic single-bundle reconstruction in a consecutive series of patients affected by partial ACL rupture.

Materials and methods

Thirty-six patients undergoing selective reconstruction of a single ACL bundle were retrospectively evaluated from a series of 354 ACL reconstructions performed over a 3-year period. Although the suspicion of partial lesions was present at clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluation, final diagnosis was obtained during arthroscopy. All patients were operated using the same technique and type of fixation, and undergoing the same functional recovery protocol.

Results

Mean follow-up was 64 months (48–84 months). All patients but one achieved good functional recovery and returned to their sports within a mean period of 6.1 months. A single patient complained of postoperative instability 1 year after the index operation and needed further surgery. No complications were recorded.

Conclusions

Selective reconstruction of partial ACL injury is a method to bear in mind because it offers quick functional recovery. Specific technical and diagnostic steps should be performed and discussed with patients preoperatively.

Level of evidence

Level 4, retrospective study.
Final adult height of children with idiopathic short stature: a multicenter study on GH therapy alone started during peri-puberty
Authors: Wu Di , Chen Rui-min , Chen Shao-ke , Liu Ge-li , Chen Lin-qi , Yang Yu , Wang Xin-li , Peng Ya-guang , Gong Chun-xiu
Published: March 2020

Background

To evaluate the efficacy of GH in improving FAH in ISS children in a multicenter study.

Methods

A real-world observation was carried out. Children with ISS in seven hospitals in China were enrolled. The height gains standard deviation score and the height gain over the target height were evaluated.

Results

There were 344 ISS patients (217 boys and 127 girls). The baseline average age of boys and girls was 12.7 and 11.7 years, with bone age of 11.7 and 10.1 years, respectively. The baseline height SDS of boys and girls was − 3.07 and − 2.74, and the FAH SDS was − 1.91 and − 1.38, respectively. Compared with the baseline height SDS, the FAH SDS was significantly increased in both boys and girls (both P = 0.0000). The FAH SDS was the highest (gain by 1.54 SD) in the ≥2y treatment course group. Two hundred eighteen patients (218/344, 63.4%) had a FAH SDS > − 2 SD. Among these patients, girls in the 1-2y treatment course group and ≥ 2y group had a FAH SDS higher than TH SDS. Even in the control group, a spontaneous catch-up growth of 1.16 SD was observed. A multivariate linear regression model was used to analyze the results, with FAH SDS as the dependent variable. It was found that the treatment course and baseline height SDS in the boys’ model were statistically significant (P < 0.05), whereas the baseline height SDS and baseline bone age significantly affected the girls’ FAH SDS (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Both girls and boys of ISS improved FAH by GH therapy even if treatments begin over 10 years old and majority of them reached TH. Some peri-puberty ISS will have a spontaneous height gain. We recommend the course of GH treatment more than 2 years for girls, and longer courses for boys.